Best-Ever Basic Cookie Dough


Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
Cream sugar and margarine together.  Add egg and vanilla extract. Beat mixture, scraping down sides of bowl. Stir together flour, salt, and baking soda in bowl.  Spoon dry mixture into creamed mixture. Beat at high speed 30 seconds or until dough comes together.

1. Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Prepare Best-Ever Basic Cookie Dough as directed.
Beat in 1/2 cup peanut butter chips and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips.
Lightly spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Drop cookies by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
Let set 1 minute.
Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Beat 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, and 3/4 cup powdered sugar in electric mixer until light and creamy.
Fold in 1/2 cup finely chopped milk chocolate or 1/2 cup semisweet mini-chips.
Spread 1-1/2 tablespoons peanut butter mixture on half the cookies.
Top with remaining cookies.
Makes 18 sandwich cookies.

2. Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Prepare Best-Ever Basic Cookie Dough as directed.
Beat in 1 cup rolled oats, 3/4 cup raisins, and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
Lightly spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Drop cookies by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
Let set 1 minute.
Remove to wire rack to cool.
Makes 40 cookies.

3. Maple-Walnut Cookies

Preheat oven to 375° F.
Prepare Best-Ever Basic Cookie Dough as directed.
Beat in 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon maple extract and 1 cup chopped walnuts.
Lightly spray cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
Drop cookies by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
Let set 1 minute.
Remove to wire rack to cool.
For maple frosting, beat 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon maple extract in electric mixer until light and creamy.
Spread 1 rounded teaspoon maple frosting on top of each cookie covering the size of a quarter.
Top with walnut half.
Set aside to firm up.
Makes 36 cookies.

4. Cranberry-Walnut Cookies

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Prepare Best-Ever Basic Cookie Dough as directed.
Beat in 1 cup rolled oats, 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries, 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, and 3/4 cup white chocolate chips.
Lightly spray cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
Drop cookies by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned around edges.
Let set 1 minute.
Remove to wire rack to cool.
Makes 40 cookies.

5. Molasses-Ginger Spice Cookies

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Prepare Best-Ever Basic Cookie Dough as directed but add 1-1/4 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger with the flour.
Beat in 2 tablespoons molasses.
Stir in 1 cup chopped crystallized ginger and 3/4 cup golden raisins.
Lightly spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Drop cookies by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets and shape into balls.
Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges.
Let set 12 minutes.
Remove to wire rack to cool.
Makes 40 cookies.
You can never have too many great cookie recipes, and this versatile brown sugar cookie dough fills the bill.

Getting a great cup o' joe doesn't mean dropping a bundle at your local BigBucks. The best coffee you've ever tasted is just a few easy steps away, and it won't break the bank. Even if you don't want to change your whole routine, using just one of these steps will get your java jumping. Let's brew!

Ruling the Roast

It all starts with the freshest coffee you can find -- and by that, we mean freshly roasted beans. Coffee begins to lose flavor soon after it leaves the roaster, so that sack or can of pre-packaged supermarket grind stuffed in your cupboard is operating at minimum taste wattage. Find the nearest local coffee roaster, or an online source, and buy just what you need for the week.

The Daily Grind

Now that you've got the beans, it's time to get grinding. You can either ask the nice folks at the store to grind them to your maker's specifications (automatic drip, paper cone, French press, etc.), or invest in a grinder ($18 - $75). Blade grinders tend to be less expensive, but don't offer the consistent chopping of burr grinders. Once you've made your selection, read the manual to determine how long to grind.

If you don't have time to do this every day, figure out how much coffee you'll need for the week, and grind it all at once.

Airtight & Outta Sight

Whether you're grinding ahead of time or fresh every day, it's key to keep that flavor safe. Air and light are the enemy of coffee freshness. Store it in a dry, dark, cool (but not cold - the fridge and freezer are BIG no-nos) place, either in a cupboard or an opaque container. If you're storing it in a bag, make sure to force the air out before sealing it. Coffee, once ground, loses its maximum flavor after about a week, even under ideal conditions.

Proportionally Speaking

The ideal coffee-to-water ratio for the perfect cup is?

Well, that's up to your personal taste. A good starting point is 1 heaping tablespoon per 8 oz of coffee you want to end up with. Note - that's coffee coming out, not water going in. Experiment with your coffee maker to determine how much liquid gets lost in the brewing process, and add more or less coffee to suit your palate. This will also vary depending on the roast and grind, so have fun experimenting!

Brew-Ha-Ha

Fancy-schmancy coffee makers are nifty and all, but they won't necessarily deliver the best brew for the buck. Quick overview - percolators re-circulate boiling water, and over-extract the flavor-giving oils. Drip coffeemakers offer convenience, but require ongoing investment in paper filters (which greedily absorb the aforementioned tasty oils), and don't generally bring water to the 204F temperature required for getting the maximum oomph from your beans. How to solve this pressing problem?


The French Connection

Your best bet for major flavor is an inexpensive French press (a.k.a. press pot). Just measure your ground coffee into the carafe, bring water to a boil on the stove, remove it from the heat, and let it sit for a few seconds to bring it down a few degrees. Pour it over the coffee, not letting the water level rise above the press's metal band. Place the plunger top on the top, but don't press it down. Wait five minutes, stir with a plastic or wooden spoon, and then press all the way down. Presto! You've got a great pot of coffee. If your household has varied wake-up times, keep it hot in a thermos or air pot.

Oh, Sugar!

What's the best way to mix up a cuppa, milk and sugar-wise? That's completely up to you. But if you'd like a side-by-side taste trial to figure out which blend of beans most delights your palate, you might wish to level the playing field. Prepare demitasse-sized servings of several kinds, let them cool, and sample them black, with swigs of water between as a palate cleanser. Once you figure out which coffees give your favorite taste kick, you can even begin to develop your own blends. Go, java junkie -- go!

Everyone knows that baking soda is aces at keeping fridges smelling fresh, but who knew just how many other things it could do around the house?

A pinch of baking soda in a gallon of freshly-brewed iced tea takes out bad-tasting tannins and prevents cloudiness.

When you're soaking dried beans or cooking cabbage, add a dash to the water to make them more digestible.

To keep tomato soup from curdling, sprinkle some soda on the boiling tomatoes and skim off the white foam before adding milk or cream.

Two tablespoons added to boiling corn and cauliflower keeps the veggies crisp.

Pet Care

Fido's fur a little funky? Sprinkle baking soda onto his coat and brush or comb-through for dry (and drama-free!) odor protection between baths.

Who knows where that chew toy has been? Give plastic and rubber toys a dunkin a solution of 4 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart warm water, and sprinkle fabric toys with baking soda, brushed off after 15 minutes. Your pet may not care that they're chemical free, but you'll feel purrfectly pleased.

Personal Care

Don't give oral health the brush-off. Soak retainers, mouthguards and dentures in a baking soda and warm water solution (2 tsp to a drinking glass full) and keep your choppers feeling clean.

Go for a natural glow! Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to one part water for an effective and inexpensive skin exfoliant. Just apply it to your skin with fingertips or a washcloth in a gentle, circular motion and rinse. It also works well

Mix a little soda into your shampoo to strip out product build-up, or rub it into your conditioner for extra-healthy, non-split-prone tips.

First Aid

Apply a paste of baking soda and water to take the ouch out of bug bites, bee stings, sunburns, rashes, poison ivy, or pour in bathwater for relief from the itch of chicken pox and measles.

Drink 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 a glass of water to relieve acid indigestion and heartburn, or use it as a mouthwash to soothe canker sore pain.

Kitchen

Run a baking soda and water solution through your coffee maker, followed by two fresh-water brew cycles to keep your java tasting tip-top.

Zap nasty cutting board tastes and smells but scrubbing them with a mixture of baking soda and salt. It'll cut grease, won't dry out the wood, and will also take garlic and onion smells off your skin.

Use a damp paper towel and a sprinkling of soda to remove tea and punch stains from china and plastic.

Garage

Neutralize spilled battery acid in a flash with a handful of baking soda.

Baking soda on a wet wash cloth makes an excellent bumper buffer when little scuffs appear. It also shines up bike chrome.

Use a soft brush and a baking soda and water paste to clean efficiency-killing grease and grime from your car's battery.

Grills

Baking soda's a natural fire-stopper. Keep a box close at hand when you're working with live fire of any kind. A handful can put out grease, electrical, wood, and fuel fires.

It's also great on the grate. Sprinkle it on the grill, or make a paste with water, and scrub grit off the grill without the danger of adding nasty cleaning chemicals to your food.

Clothing

Ewwwww! No one likes reeking of smoke, sweat or spit-up. Rub baking soda directly on baby spit-up to nix the smell quickly. Soak sweat-drenched headbands, hats and gloves or smoky clothes in a baking soda solution before they hit the washing machine. Or, if you're pressed for time, sprinkle it on clothing for a quick odor mask, and wash when you get a chance.

Shoes can smell a bit iffy after you've been wearing them all day. Once you've kicked them off, stick a small cloth pouch of baking soda in the toe overnight to tame any icky odors.

Gardening

Ew! Mildew! Keep fungus, black spot and powdery mildew off your precious plants by mixing baking soda, horticultural oil and soap and applying it to affected leaves. It's also effective on rose leaves. Just add 1 tsp of soda and a few drops of dishwashing soap to a gallon of water, and spray once a week, and after it rains.

Fun Stuff

No kidding -- baking soda's great for playtime. Mix 1 1/4 cups of water, 2 cups of baking soda and 1 cup of cornstarch for a non-toxic modeling clay. Add a dash of food coloring for extra fun.

And if your pint-sized Picassos happen to express themselves with crayon on the walls, make a thin paste of water and baking soda and apply it to an old toothbrush. The "art" should scrub right off.

Fill a clear, glass container with 3 parts water and one part vinegar. Sprinkle in one tsp of baking soda veeerrrry slowly, and wait for the bubbles to settle, after they have, add a second teaspoon. Once those have settled, add a few drops of food coloring, and watch how they move. Then, drop in small kitchen items like raisins, grains of rice, halved grapes, pieces of veggies and spaghetti to demonstrate how different kinds of matter have different levels of buoyancy. Science CAN be fun!

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Helpful household tips on how to use food items found right in your cabinets to clean up ugly messes and spills.

PEANUT BUTTER
To get gum out of a carpet, scrape up what you can, using an ice cube to stiffen it if necessary. Then rub a small glob of peanut butter into the fibers, and wipe up the whole mess with a cloth. To get rid of any left-behind PB, just dab it up with a mixture of 1 tsp of dishwashing liquid in 1  cup of lukewarm water.

PEPPER
Everyone knows Clorox's catchy ditty about keeping clothes bright, but all you need is pepper.  Add a teaspoon of pepper to the wash before you add in your clothes and it will keep the colors from fading.

WHITE VINEGAR
Deodorant stains can ruin a perfectly good shirt.  Save your whites by spraying white vinegar (no need to mix with water) onto the underarm areas.  Then you can wash per usual.

SUGAR
At your next BBQ don't spend money on anti-pest candles that never work.  Simmer 2 cups of milk,  1/4 pound of sugar and 2 oz. of ground black pepper for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Pour the mixture into bowls and put them where the flies will be attracted to them and then drown.  You can also place around the house. No more buzzzzzing at the windows.

SODA
Next time your drain is clogged and you don't have time to run to the store for some Drain-O just look in your fridge!  A 2-liter bottle of soda will do the trick.  Just pour it down to clobber the clog.

SHORTENING
For a natural solution to diaper rash, try coating the area with a thin layer of shortening.  It will act as a moisturizer.

SALT
Grease stains can be a huge pain when it comes to doing laundry.  Before you wash, work a generous amount of table salt into the stain and then launder as usual.

POTATOES
Too much to drink last night and now you have puffy eyes?  Apply a thin slice of cold potato to your eyes and leave on for five minutes.  Then splash with cool water, put on your makeup (or just some moisturizer -- this means you, too, guys!) and head to work!

ORANGES
Don't you hate it when you have to start a fire and little bits of newspaper are flying everywhere?  Next time, air-dry orange peels, which contain flammable oils that burn longer, and use those instead of the paper.  The delicious smell is a bonus.

OLIVE OIL
Does it seem like nothing is working for your bad skin?  Use 4 tablespoons of salt and 3 tablespoons of olive oil to create a paste.  Leave it on your face for 2 minutes and rinse with warm water.  Then wash your face as normal.  Use every day for a week and then cut back to 3 days a week and you should notice an improvement.

MUSTARD
It may make you smell like a hot dog, but rubbing a thin layer of mustard over your chest and covering with a hot towel can relieve a stuffy head and chest.

MILK
Oh no! You forgot to put the cap on your pen and now there is ink seeping into your shirt.  No worries -- just grab some milk and soak the area.  Depending on the type of ink, this process can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours. Patience is a virtue.

MAYONNAISE
It's one thing when your child draws on the wall with crayons, it's quite another when it comes to your wood furniture.  Rub some mayonnaise on the crayon mark and let it soak for ten minutes.  Then take a damp cloth and wipe away the mayo and the crayon!

LEMONS
Dandruff can be an embarrassing health problem, but the special shampoo often smells yucky.  Try massaging 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into your scalp and rinsing with warm water. Follow with a leave-in rinse of 1 teaspoon lemon juice in 1 cup of warm water.  Use this daily until your scalp is healed.

FLOUR
You have an ant problem but are worried about the poisonous ant traps around your pets.  Just sprinkle flour wherever you see ants entering the house and along the pantry shelves, since they are most likely after your food.

EGGS
No time to hit the salon before your big event?  Get your hair super shiny and conditioned with eggs!  Take two beaten egg yolks and massage into hair.  Start at the scalp and work in small sections. Then gather all of the hair in a shower cap, wrap in a warm towel and wait 30 minutes .  Rinse with cool water and shampoo as usual.

CORN STARCH
Your child just learned how to tie their shoes and the knots are impossible to undo.  Stay calm and sprinkle a little cornstarch on the laces to help you work out the knot.

CLUB SODA
There's no more worrying about drinking red wine on white carpet.  Soak up as much wine as possible and then pour club soda over the area, making sure to blot and not rub.  Repeat the process until the wine is no longer visible.  You can also do the same for urine stains.

CASTOR OIL
While most of us associate castor oil with constipation or childbirth, did you know it can also help get rid of pesky moles in your yard?  Just mix a 1/2 cup of castor oil with two gallons of water and pour the mixture down the mole (s) hole (s).  Don't worry, the solution is animal friendly and they will likely relocate.

BUTTER
A jewelry box can help you organize, but sometimes those thin-chained necklaces just want to get tangled and you can't stop them!  Rub some butter into the knot and lay on a flat surface.  Then take a sewing needle to untangle.  When finished just run under hot water to rinse off the butter.

BREAD
Next time you drop a wine glass or break a plate, grab a slice of bread to help you clean up.  After you pick up the larger pieces, press the bread over the area and it will pick up all the itty bitty pieces you can't see.  Bread can also help clean fingerprints off walls and wallpaper. Just rub and voila!

BANANAS
Before you throw your banana peel in the compost pile, remove any stringy pulp and use the peel as a buffer.  This works with silverware as well as leather shoes and leather furniture.  Just rub the peel over the object and buffwith a soft cloth.  Be sure to test a small section of your furniture first!

APPLES
Sick of waiting for your green tomatoes to ripen on the windowsill?  Stick up to five tomatoes in a brown paper bag with a ripe apple and seal for a few days.  This will speed up the ripening process.

The Ultimate Organic Lifestyle

Knowing that inorganic foods are sprayed with chemicals developed for fighting a war or that inorganic clothing is exposed to phenomenal levels of dangerous chemicals, why do you continue to subject yourself and your family to harm, especially since there is a solution that is readily available, affordable, and proven to work?