Get Up and Gogi

This is as close as the Mr. and I have gotten to our favorite smoothie, down at Tropical Smoothie, it isn't exact but it is pretty good, nevertheless.

3 C Ice
1 1/2 C Frozen peaches
1 1/2 Bananas (I freeze our bananas when I can tell they aren't going to get eaten, so we add frozen bananas)
1 1/2- 2 C Orange Juice not from concentrate
1/2 C Peach Yogurt
1 C Vanilla Yogurt
2 Tbsp Gogi berries soaking in 1/2 C water

Place it all in the blender and blend until you like the consistency. If it is a little thick I will add milk or water (depending on how closely I am watching the Cals) until I get the consistency I like.

Makes enough for me, lots for Todd and enough for the boys left over, no idea how many servings parse. 

 With the Gogi berries, if I have forgotten to soak them overnight or even forgot to soak them for a few hours, I will pop them into the microwave until they are soft (about 30 seconds).

KashiBerry Smoothie

Oh my goodness, this is THE BEST smoothie ever! Well at least according to Todd and I ;-)

3 C ice
1 1/2 C Frozen Peaches
1 1/2 C Frozen Blackberries or Blueberries (I prefer the taste of the Blackberries but they have a lot of seeds which are super annoying)
1 1/2 C Vanilla Yogurt (we usually get the non fat kind, we have tried plain but prefer vanilla)
1 C Orange Juice not from concentrate, which kind of means fresh squeezed
1/2 -1 C Pomegranate Juice if you can find it not from concentrate Cudoos to you!
* 1-2 Tbsp Gogi berries soaking in 1/2 C Water
* 1/2 C Half and Half this makes it taste AMAZING, but skip it if you are counting the Cals

* = Optional

Put everything in the blender and blend until your preferred consistency.  If your blender is a little older or not the amazing Vitamixes that everyone is getting (we don't have one, but our Ninja Rocks!), I would pulse your ice a few times by itself to help break it up, and you may need to blend it longer before you get the consistency you prefer.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Really can you go wrong with peanut butter AND chocolate chips? I say, no, no you cannot!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar or 1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 to 1 tablespoon milk (add this at the very end just to make dough smooth and creamy)
1/2 to 1 cup milk chocolate chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for until creamy, about 30-40 seconds. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder, beat until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in four. Add milk from 1/2 Tablespoon to 1 Tablespoon just enough to make the dough moist and creamy. Add chocolate chips and mix till just incorporated.  If necessary, cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle. (I didn't do this, and they turned out fine, although a bit crumbly)
Preheat oven to 375. Drop cookies by scooping them out of the bowl with a spoon dropping them in small balls onto your greased cookie sheets. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Let sit on pans until set. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 36 cookies

These tasted amazing but they were a bit crumbly the next day, next time I make these I will probably take out a tablespoon of the flour. Cheers!

Emily Rodger's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVA!

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3.4 oz. package vanilla instant pudding mix
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips I use milk chocolate, because I am a semi-sweet snob

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside.

2. Beat together butter, sugars, vanilla pudding mix, and vanilla extract until creamy. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated.

Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

3. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slight golden and set.

Remove cookies from oven and let cool on baking sheet for two minutes.

She made these for me when I had Kason, and I begged and begged for the recipe, seriously best cookies ever, even when I made them they weren't bad. She will freeze the dough and then pop them in the oven so that she can have them later, I may try this.