Cinnamon Raisin Drop Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose mix (i.e. Jiffy or Bisquik)
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp cinnamon sugar
1 tbsp raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F. Mix all ingredients together. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto parchment paper. Bake for 10 - 13 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 4 biscuits

Quick Bean Chili for two

A quick chicken chili perfect for lunch when you've only 15 minutes to cook. Yields enough beany rich chili enough for two. Want fewer beans? Add more meat. :-3 This chili doesn't need to cook down to meld flavors, because it takes advantage of Ranch Style Beans and tomato paste instead of tomato sauce.
 
Ingredients:

• 1 can Ranch Style Beans with zesty peppers
• 1 large chicken breast
• 3 tbsp chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1 tbsp of chili powder
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

In saucepan on medium heat, saute onion in olive oil until almost translucent then add chicken and garlic. When chicken is cooked through, add tomato paste and chili powder. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes to remove raw tomato flavor, stirring often to be sure not to scorch paste. Add can of beans with liquid and bring to simmer. Heat through. Add cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste.

Enjoy

Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

I can't eat just one. My husband can - one right after the other. That's why I only make a few at a time.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter*, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar (use extra fine or baker's sugar to help ease creaming)
• 1/2 cup loosely* packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

opt (1/2 cup chopped nuts)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Stir in flour and chocolate chips (add nuts at this time if using.) Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet pans.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Yields appx 2 dozen (18 generously portioned)

Tips and Tricks

1. I don't actually preheat the oven. I wait until I'm done mixing all the ingredients. If bread dough gets to rest in order to make softer, fluffier bread, why can't cookie dough? Gluten is gluten and it works hard. So why not let it relax a little before baking. After all ingredients are mixed, THEN turn on the oven and cover the dough to make sure husbands don't eat all the dough.
2. Use butter. Real, sweat cream, unsalted butter. At room temperature. It makes for a crispier edge, but softer middle. If using margarine, take out a heaping spoonful of white sugar and pack that brown sugar tight! If using vegetable shortening, repeat the sugar swap and add 2-3 teaspoons of water. Yep, water. 
3. White sugar will make your cookie crisper and brown sugar makes it softer. I don't like my sweets to be overly sweet and can honestly say that I don't use the whole 1/2 cup of white sugar. I like it "close enough." It's probably a tablespoon less, which really doesn't amount to much per cookie. The same with brown sugar. When making cookies for myself I don't pack that baby in there like my Home Ec. teacher taught. I refuse to eat that much sugar if it can be helped. Using baker's sugar, or extra fine sugar, will help the creaming go by faster.
4. Yes, you read that right. 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of salt for a scant 2 dozen cookies. I like vanilla and that little bit of extra salt brings out the chocolatey goodness. I don't think I can make a cookie without doubling the vanilla and salt.

Enjoy!