Bigger Better Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Now don't get me wrong - I love Tollhouse cookies - they taste great. But the cookies always come out thin and a bit crunchy whereas I like a chewy moist chocolate chip cookie. So I've been looking for a new recipe or ideas to make my chocolate chip cookies a bit better and finally found a great recipe in a free cookbook pamphlet my local grocery store hands out. It's a large recipe and I was a little worried at first, but they made some of the plumpest, moist cookies ever and I loved them!!


Here's the picture to illustrate the difference in Tollhouse looking cookies to new cookies:
They really deliver...

I've altered the recipe just a smidge.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies:

4 1/2 cups Flour
1 t Baking Powder
1 t Baking Soda
1 1/2 t Salt
1 3/4 cups Brown Sugar (firmly packed)
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Veg. Shortening
1/2 cup Butter (one stick)
3 Large Eggs
3 t Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 pkgs. (12 oz. size) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (more or less, depends on personal taste)
1 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts


Prepare as you do in usual chocolate chip cookie recipes like Tollhouse. Mix Dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ones in mixer bowl, combine slowly.

Bake at 375 degrees.

The results are fantastic - this is about half the cookies...

I'm sure they will go fast!

And Smokey wanted me to remind you that it is getting colder! And he let me know that if I get out of bed for something I can't expect to have my place when I come back.

Have a Great Weekend!

Window Shopping at Etsy

I'm stressed, money is super tight and I'm nervous about the future. That signals that it is definitely time to shop. Well, window shop anyway. And since I love it when my fellow bloggers share their favorite finds here's a few of mine.

First up - a cool find from Etsy's main page:

Found HERE

Antlers! How quirky and as soon as I saw it I immediately thought of Black Apple of course, can't you just see her wearing these? I'm not brave enough to pull it off, but she so could. I love the dress, too. Or at least this picture of it - it looks so Jane Austen-y. The other pictures show it a bit too short, but this picture is just beautiful.



And this I found a little while ago and I see now it is sold. Thank goodness or my credit card might be stretched that much thinner just now...

Found HERE

You don't know how long I looked for a letter just like this one - it's perfect. I need it. Except I don't, really. Darn it all. Not like groceries and health insurance.

And this one is stacked really cool and a GREAT collection, but I do have quite a few of these myself...

Found HERE

We found a ton of these letters at a kind of flea market - they were dumped all over a warehouse floor and no one wanted them. I wish I could have bought them all, but we did bring home quite a lot - filled an office trash can full of all our favorite letters and numbers. I have a few displayed, but mostly in a box - I should stack them like this, though - such a great display idea.

And this is just so cute....

Found HERE

Who doesn't need a bit of whimsy and a medieval hut or tower on their finger?

And this? I don't want the actual print that is listed...I want this kitty!!

Found HERE

I need this kitty - not just because he so cute, but because he could do my taxes for me. ;)

That's all for now. I feel much calmer now...retail therapy. And without spending a dime.

Etsy Update - Magic, Jewelry and French Houses

Fellow Etsy shop owners (or any kind of shop owner, really) - are you ever secretly glad when a listing or two don't sell right away? Meaning you can enjoy looking at them in your home just a little bit longer?? That's how I feel about my two recent French Lit houses...they are so cute together on my bookshelf. They don't want to leave, really...

SOLD

Every time I sit on my bed and work on my laptop or watch TV, read, etc. I glance over and think - aren't they sweet on that shelf? Do I really want to sell them? And they look so good together - shouldn't they be sold together instead of separate like you listed them? Oh well. I will enjoy them while they stay here anyway. :)

And some new type of pages for those who like Magic and/or Halloween...


These pages feature the ever popular Phrenology Chart and the really spooky prim style Raven or Crow, but also a Ghostly face and a really cool vintage style Magician pulling a rabbit out of his top hat.

Just random geekery, I guess. I love Halloween and I'm feeling like making Halloweenish things right now.

Bigger/better pics on the listing here.

The vintage French pages with various images (Alice in Wonderland, Parisian, etc.) have proved very popular. I'm having a hard time keeping up with demand at times. Thank you to all of you who have purchased them so far. They are really fun to look at - I keep promising myself I'll make my own to keep, but I haven't yet. I better do so soon before I run out of that book paper. lol

And I have some new jewelry up in the shop, too.

I made a new Round Filigree pendant necklace - this time I chose 'D' - it's so pretty. I ran out of N's, I think, which saddens me as I didn't make myself one yet. Darn. I'm going to keep hunting and hope I find one for myself.

As always - there are bigger pics on Etsy so you can see the jewelry better.

But this pic shows it pretty well.

And the back is just as pretty as the front, almost.

I love the chain I have for this necklace. I better see if I can get more this weekend.

And last, but not least...

I had to cannibalize a necklace to make a custom listing a few weeks ago so I made a new chain, etc. for the Art Deco style B pendant. I took some new (better) pics of it so I thought I'd share them here.

The back as an extra piece added so it isn't ugly to look at - I love the filigree style, don't you? This looks even prettier in person!

And it is definitely Fall now - cold wet rain and all. My achy bones aren't really happy with the change, but my kitty likes to cuddle more now so I'm not complaining. I just have to be careful to make sure he isn't under the covers before I sit down on the bed - he keeps burrowing for warmth. :)

Have a great weekend! I'm hoping to get down to the Soulard Market and get lots of fresh produce (and maybe a pumpkin or two).

Edited to Add: Both French Houses SOLD for Christmas. I miss them already. LOL

An Austen Christmas Tree

Another post about Christmas tree ideas...funny how I'm much more into Christmas this year. Maybe because last year we were a bit down and so we decided to do a low scale holiday and so this year (even though we are even more bummed and money is as tight as can be) I'm feeling the Christmas spirit rather strongly. I've already wrapped a few presents (Borders closing offered me a chance to buy a few prezzies cheaply) and now I'm sorting through my silhouette ornaments.

I was renewing this set of ornaments on Etsy over the weekend.


(Please note each ornament has different silhouette on back allowing for 360 degree view on tree as well as numerous variations for display purposes).
And I figured they really needed some pictures on a tree to show them off. I dragged my little white tree out of storage to display them.


And they look so cute!

I like all kinds of different Christmas styles - traditional live pine tree with old fashioned prim ornaments, red ornaments, etc. and I also like white trees with various themes - sometimes musical instrument ornaments or old fashioned glass ornaments - sometimes pastel ones, too - like these silhouettes.

It's rather soothing and light feeling isn't it? I found myself cheering up a great deal just looking at it.

It's 90 degrees outside and early September and yet it is Christmas in my studio! ;)

So while I was at it I decided a silhouette tree looks so nice I might as well drag out ALL the ornaments I have in my studio and fill the tree just to see what it would look like.

Wow - that's a lot of silhouettes, hm?

I forgot how many different styles I experimented with - grubby prim, vintage music backgrounds, French book paper, etc.

It's a bit crowded and busy, but still somehow work - even with clashing black ribbons (the set above is all white gossamer ribbon).

And they are round and rectangle, young and old - men and women, etc. All so Jane Austen at the same time. I love it. I think I'll keep the tree up like it is for awhile. The pastel ornaments are in the shop with a bonus ornament included (a lady on French text background) and there will be more ornaments (in pairs or single) up soon from the rest of the tree, too.

And the Labor Day Weekend was a rather busy one for me - a rather large amount of sales! I am busy trying to restock my shop - I've just finished posting the vintage French book papers with assorted images.

Parisian Images

If you were disappointed to find them sold out there are new ones up right now. Grab them while you can!


Naturalist Images

Both Sets SOLD

Ever popular Alice in Wonderland (two different sets available)

And more! Halloween set available, too. Some items will not be restocked as supplies are limited and no longer available.

ETA: I will be making more of the Alice sets for those of you who are still wanting them. Just FYI.

French Christmas Ideas - Oh La La!

I've recently been featured in two French Treasury Lists. This Paris one and this French Christmas One.

Both are great Treasury lists - be sure to check them out. The Christmas one got me thinking, though. On how much I love the idea of French Christmas ornaments for my white tree. I've made some in the past, but wanted to see what was out on Etsy so I searched for French Ornaments and found a few that were cute:

A Glittery Fleur de Lis

from sideoftheroad etsy store

These French bowl fillers

The Omega Workshop on Etsy

that you could also use as ornaments.

And this soldered glass ornament with a bit of French writing in it. (Lost link and shop it was from, sorry. On Etsy somewhere).


And then two sets of my own ornaments came up...

A couple on pink background with French text.

And this 'Family' of a couple and children (front and back) on vintage French book paper.

Many other items that came up were for French bulldog or French horn ornaments - not quite what I was looking for so I've decided to make a concerted effort to make more French ornaments to hang in my tree this year. A French tree sounds love this year, oui?

If anyone has a French ornament link or idea please feel free to share it in the comments! Have a very French weekend - eat a baguette or macaron! Au Revoir!

New Houses for Sale!

Another Etsy update. I've added three more Fairy Houses to my store over the past few days. The holidays are coming up soon and I don't know about you, but I get excited to decorate my mantle.

These houses are neutral enough to look great year round, though you can always add decorations to them for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.


First up is the ever popular Musical Noteworthy House...

I think this is the first and only time I've given a music house a black roof - just like I always used to make the French houses with a red roof. Why not change it up?

I love this house - even the back looks great, doesn't it??

So cute on a shelf!


And for the Francophiles...

SOLD

A small vintage French book papered house. J'aime ma maison.

SOLD

Don't forget you can always store jewelry, miniatures, etc. inside!

And since I love the French paper so much - I made one in the same colors on the medium sized house...

SOLD

So pretty! I love these houses. There is just something about black and white - especially antique white that goes so well together. And they seem so fitting in the Fall - I can't wait to pair mine with a small pumpkin - orange or white to keep with the monochromatic theme?? Decisions, decisions...Papered all around, of course!

SOLD

And they go so well together. You could mix it up with the music house and a French house or buy both French houses together.

If you do decide you want more than one - if it is a small house and a medium house together they can nest within each other and be shipped together. (Two of the larger houses require a bigger box). You can convo me on etsy and I will make a custom listing for you with a combined shipping price.

All houses are one of a kind - I use pages from real vintage French books and antique sheetmusic. No copies. I hand paint them, antique them and seal them with a matte finish. A lot of work goes into each one.

Have a great weekend!!

Gratuitous Tomato Pics

Finally it's a post that is not an Etsy update! But instead I'm spamming you with pictures of tomatoes! Isn't that fun? It's looking like rain outside so I decided to grab a basket and check if there were a few tomatoes needing to be picked... Boy, were there! This basket is so full of tomatoes it feels like I have a brick in there.

The basket looks small, but it is very deceptive!

I thought I'd lay them out so you can see what kind of variety there is...

Lots of small, medium, large and even jumbo ones along with little bitty cherry tomatoes. More like mini grape tomaoes or something - they are very cute! My green peppers are stunted this time - not sure why. Last time I got two that were almost as big as the ones at the grocery store. Oh well.

My tomato plants are just falling all over. No one helps me keep them trimmed and they are inadequately staked so it is like a forest in my tomato cage. Oh well, as long as I get a bounty like this - who really cares, right? LOL

And I do have a few new items to add to the shop, but I still need a few finishing touches and to seal a few so they will be up tomorrow or so. Bye for now!