Silence

I haven't updated lately, but in all honesty, I haven't had much to say. Yes, Mom, you can mark it on your calendar! Work is fine, home is fine, The Tall Guy is fine, the kids continue status quo. I've had bronchitis for two weeks, but am recovering now. We're settling into the house, which will be better once we buy some furniture. The garden is gone, leaves are changing and things are starting to snuggle down towards winter. My energy and motivation are pretty low these days, in keeping with the diminishing daylight hours and f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g morning temperatures.

But I will pick this up again soon. A dear friend and her new hubby are expecting their first child in the spring, so that means lots of sweet little baby creations over the winter. I've been working on a pizza dough recipe and will share it when it's perfected. The Tall Guy has taken on some projects to be completed over the winter season, and we'll keep you posted on those also.

In the meantime, I have two recipes to share with you:

**The World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies, And I Mean That Sincerely**

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F and grease two cookie sheets.

1. Mix together flour, baking soda and cinnamon.
2. Beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. At low speed, beat in flour mixture until blended. Note: I use my food processor for steps 1 & 2, it just seems easier 'cause I'm lazy.
4. Fold in oats and chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap, chill for 1 hour.
5. Shape dough into 1" balls, place 2" apart on greased cookie sheets and flatten each cookie slightly.
6. Bake until lightly browned. The recipe calls for 10-12 minutes, but I take them out around 8 minutes since we like them very soft and chewy. Use your own judgment. Put cookie sheets on wire racks for 2-3 minutes to cool, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.


**Chewy Flour Tortillas**

These are ridiculously easy and SO MUCH BETTER than store-bought tortillas.

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup warm milk

Mix all ingredients together and form into a large ball. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and rest for 20 minutes in a warm place. Separate into 8 balls and rest another 10 minutes. Roll into discs, they will be smaller than you're used to, around 6" in diameter and irregularly shaped. Heat a pan, skillet or griddle over medium - high heat. DO NOT USE OIL! Place tortillas on dry surface for 1-2 minutes. When one side starts to get light brown spots, flip over and toast the other side. Use hot for tortillas with Mexican ingredients; or use cold with hummus or salad / sandwich toppings as you would flatbread or pita. Fantabulous!

Enjoy :)