Lemon white chocolate chip cookies

I was looking through my cookbook last night, trying to come up with a dessert for our Valentine's Day dinner. I came across this cookie recipe, I did post this on my blog a few years ago, but here it is again. It's one of my favorites:

1 c. margarine, or butter
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2c. granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. lemon extract
2 1/4c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. lemon zest (I like them really lemony,
so I usually add more)
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg. white chocolate chips


You know the routine, Mix wet ingredients in a bowl, and dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine. Or if you are like me toss it all in one bowl and stir together. Bake 8-10 minutes in 350 degree oven. Yummy!

Chicken and Roasted Pepper Tostadas

This recipe again comes from one of my favorite blogs
www.fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com
I made this recipe last week and it was delicious. It was actually the first time that I had roasted peppers and i'm not sure why I waited so long, they were yummy! The sour cream sauce is a must!

Chicken and Dressing:
1-2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and flattened
1-2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and flattened
1 pasilla pepper, cored, seeded and flattened
2 c. leftover roasted chicken meat, shredded
1/4 sweet yellow onion chopped finely
1-2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1 clove of garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime
salt/pepper

Position oven rack close to broiler and heat the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil. Put the cored, seeded and flattened peppers skin side up on a baking sheet: broil until blackened. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool 10 minutes. Once peppers are cool enough to handle, carefully remove skin (It should peep right off) Chop peppers into small pieces. Reduce oven temp. to 400. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, cumin, garlic, lime, salt and pepper. Mix and set aside. (In the regular recipe she just combines the meat/peppers and onion in a bowl) I put chicken, onions and peppers in a frying pan and cooked until onions were soft and everything was warm. Remove from heat and toss with dressing. The recipe is for tostadas, but I found it easier to eat like a taco. Use costco's tortillas for best results :) Top with sour cream sauce.

Sour cream sauce:
1 c. sour cream
1 tbsp sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
juice of one lime
1 clove garlic, minced
salt/pepper
Combine all together in a bowl...

Simple Crusty Bread

This is my first Domestic Diva post, but this recipe is fabulous--so fast, easy and non-fussy. The friend who sent it to me said it would change my life...and it has! I've copied the recipe into the blog pretty much as she sent it to me (hence all the random commentary).

Simple Crusty Bread

3 c. warm water
1 1/2 T yeast
1 1/2 T kosher salt or 1 T iodized
6 1/2 c. flour or 6 cup whole wheat

Mix yeast, salt and water in large bowl. (Like popcorn size bowl.) Stir in flour, mixing until no dry patches remain. Dough will be very loose and sticky. Cover and let rise 2-5 hours.

Dust a pan or cookie sheet with cornmeal, maybe 1/3 cup. Sprinkle dough with flour and pull off grapefruit size pieces of dough. Turn into a ball using additional flour on your hands as needed to shape 4-6 loaves. (Remember this dough is ultra sticky so I justify the oddly shaped loaves as being rustic and artisan.) Let rest on pan for 40 minutes.

Heat oven to 450 degrees and place an empty pan such as an old muffin tin or bread pan on the bottom rack while heating. Dust loaves with flour and slash tops with a knife three times or if you are up to it in beautiful ornate patterns. Pour one cup of water in empty pan in oven and place loaves in oven. Quickly close oven door to prevent escaping steam. Bake for 30 minutes. (I know, seems like a long time at that high of heat but don't scrimp on time or you'll loose all the yummy crusty goodness! And don't peek by opening the oven door either. Tempting, but you'll loose the steam. Must. Keep. Steam.)

You can also keep the dough covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Let rest on cornmeal for an extra hour before baking.