Chocolate Crinkles Revisited (AKA: Christmas Crinkles!

Ruthy note during Covid-19: I made these at Christmas, six months ago... and we had way too much food for the holidays so I froze half-a-dozen containers of cookies and fudge for "later" ... And now I need to put actual food in the freezer so I've been sharing the containers of frozen treats with people I love... and we realized these cookies are about the best things going. And dipping them into the melted white chocolate is just the perfect addition! And these are good any time of year, they're a chewy, moist cookie and have become a family favorite... And while I should have done a COOL MOTHER'S DAY POST, farm season is beginning and there were things to be done this week!!! So we're re-doing this cookie recipe because it's worthy enough to make on its own, and enjoy all year long!

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES!

I love that name. The word crinkle makes me smile. It's such a perfect word for that kind of a look...

Or the top of a sheet...

Or a cookie!

I wanted to try to fancy up chocolate crinkles for the holidays and/or the farm stand next summer. Chocolate is a huge favorite with customers, so I'm always on the look out and this recipe is wonderful. I based it on one I found online and the one I used to use and the result was a really good, chewy cookie that could actually be used as a whoopie pie or moon pie (half chocolate/half white icing)... but let's look at the Merry Christmas version today!

This recipe makes about five to six dozen cookies. I wanted a big batch so I could freeze some.

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES

4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Mix those together and set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream these three ingredients until light and fluffy:

2 cups soft butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar (I use dark brown because I like that background flavor tucked behind the chocolate)
1/4 cup Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

Once this is fluffy, add 4 eggs, and beat until thoroughly mixed. Then add flour mix, 1/2 at a time, blending it in.

PHOTO BOMB OF HALLMARK'S "CHRISTMAS TOWN" PLAYING IN BACKGROUND... :)

Using a medium cookie scoop, drop about 2-3 inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees until cookie is soft but set in the middle. In my convection oven, this was about 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven.

Cookies will deflate and "crinkle" as they sit.

Once they're cool, dip half of cookie into melted white chocolate or regular chocolate for a "Death by Chocolate" type experience! I did mine with white chocolate and sprinkled crushed candy cane over them for a more festive appearance. We didn't "dip" them, though. That was like white chocolate overkill. Instead, I painted the chocolate on, swirling it with a spoon, and then Ava and Shannon sprinkled crushed candy cane dust (which is akin to fairy dust and can be used in place of fairy dust in an emergency situation) over the chocolate. These are crazy delicious cookies! A new fave!

Definitely going to stand the test of the Herne and Blodgett family holiday celebrations. We'll see what the "fam" thinks!

Multi-published inspirational author Ruth Logan Herne is just at home at the keyboard or the Kitchen Aid mixer, both of which are considered specialized equipment in her house! You can find her hunkered down, hiding, writing sweet stories that make folks smile, cry or just go "aww..." OR you can friend her on facebook, follow her on Twitter (she doesn't like Twitter, but follow her anyway) stop by her website ruthloganherne.com or simply email Ruthy at loganherne@gmail.com. She loves to hear from folks! 

My New Happy Find

There really aren't many benefits to quarantine life (beyond the obvious of stopping this virus), but I found one that I wanted to share today.

Way back in March when we went on lockdown, I thought I was so well-stocked. I had 3 weeks worth of milk, an unopened creamer, a container of coconut milk, and a container of hemp milk.

Fast forward to May - they're all gone.

What's a gal to do?

I could go to the supermarket, but ... nah.

So that container of coconut milk? Turns out that worked out pretty well in the coffee, so I went online to see if I could order some. I found something even better.

Coconut Milk Powder is awesome! I stir up a spoonful with some boiling water before I make my drip coffee and  end up with a creamy, delicious cup of joe.

Fenway approves. He likes to lick any powder that spills!

I have to admit, the cinnamon creamer that I had so looked forward to disappointed me because of the chemical taste. No such problems with the coconut powder!

Have you ever tried it?

An Evening Out with Chicken Spaghetti

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Yes, no matter where you are or what you're enduring, it is a great day because, "This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalms 118:24)

We've had some beautiful spring days here on the coastal plains of Texas. Low humidity is always a treat around here. Throw in warm temps and a gentle breeze and we're talking practically perfect. Couple that with weeks of social distancing and hubby and I were ready to gather with others. So, we invited some friends out to dinner.

They met us at our house, then followed us down the road, 'round the bend and through the pasture. Some of the locals couldn't help themselves. They had to stop and stare. 

Two of them even got into a little tussle. Somebody need to tell them about the six-foot rule.

For the next couple of hours we explored the ranch and shot some skeet. Then we enjoyed a simple meal of salad and Chicken Spaghetti. 

Chicken spaghetti has been a long-time favorite of mine and, like most casseroles, everyone has their favorite recipe. I've tried a few different ones, then worked to create my own. One that had all the flavor my taste buds craved. And given our stay-at-home status, this was the perfect recipe because everything I needed was already in my fridge, freezer or pantry.

Here's what you'll need:

• 2-3 cups diced chicken (this is a great way to use leftovers, a store-bought rotisserie chicken or you can boil a fryer chicken in about 35 minutes - you can even use canned chicken, but the results/texture isn't as good)
• 1 lb spaghetti, broken into smaller pieces
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can tomatoes and green chilies, regular or mild (aka Ro-tel)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup chicken broth or reserved water chicken was cooked in 
• 2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If you choose to cook your chicken, reserve the water to boil your spaghetti in. Otherwise, cook spaghetti pieces in salted water or chicken broth until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, mix together the chicken, soup, diced tomatoes and green chilies and onion.

Add 1 1/2 cups cheese.

Stir to combine. 

Once the pasta is cooked, add it, the seasonings and the reserved water/broth and mix well.

Spread into greased 9x13 baking dish and top with remaining cheese.

Bake 45 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

This dish can also be made ahead and frozen or stored in the fridge overnight to cook the next day. Another option I really like now that there are only two of us in the house is to divide it into two pans, bake one and freeze the other. Then, when I need a meal but don't feel like cooking, I simply put it in the oven.

We enjoyed our chicken spaghetti around the campfire that night. And it as a perfect night for star gazing.

After weeks of social distancing, I can't tell you how nice it was to come together with friends, talk face-to-face, laugh and enjoy each other's company without putting anyone at risk. It truly is the little things in life that make us happiest. 

During this time of social-distancing, what do you find yourself missing the most?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

It's Finally Spring!

Spring has finally come to the Black Hills!

Jan here, taking you on a visit to Wind Cave National Park.

We went before the rain showers showed up late last week, so the grass is still pretty brown (it's last year's dormant grass,) but you can see the new green shoots in places, like in this prairie dog town.

No, those aren't prairie dogs...

This time of year, the bull bison hang out together in small groups while the cows are off in their own large herds having cinnamon-colored babies.

Isn't this guy impressive? He's filling out on the fresh green grass and shedding his winter coat. He's building his muscles, getting ready for the rut that starts in late July. But until then, it's wallowing in the dust, sleeping in the sun, and watching the occasional tourist.

We went hiking on this lovely spring day, and chose a trail we've driven past but have never hiked. No puppies this time, though. Dogs aren't allowed on the back country trails in the national park.

Our hike took us from the national park service road and trailhead parking lot, across rolling meadows (where we saw plenty of bison in the distance) and up to the top of this ridge.

We had topped the ridge and began walking down the other side, when we heard a sudden snort and scramble.

We had surprised one of those small groups of bull bison.

You never, never want to surprise a bull bison.

I zoomed in on one of them. See that raised head? Those ears turned our way? The eyes zeroing in on a couple foolish people who dared to invade his space?

We were at least 200 feet away from them (a safe distance is 100 feet,) so we turned around and walked back down the trail toward our truck, talking all the way so they could hear us leaving.

We didn't have any problems with them, but we didn't continue any farther along the trail. And I wouldn't even say it was a close call...but it could have been.

Later in the week we came across this guy walking along the road in Custer State Park.

As we got closer to him, the top of his shoulders reached nearly to the top of the window on our truck. I wanted to get a better picture of him on this narrow road, but as we drew up next to him, he turned his head, backed up a step, and looked at us with that huge, dark, intelligent eye.

And I got a very good look at the set of very pointy and very large horns that were tilting toward us menacingly.

No picture. No chatting. We just drove on by.

Man, those are formidable beasts.

But with all of this, we did get our first glimpse of South Dakota's state flower.

These are pasque flowers, or prairie crocus. They bloom around Easter every year (hence the name) and are so beautiful.

Closer to home, we have at least a dozen western meadowlarks nesting around our house. Their song is thrilling!

Turn the volume up!

Yes, spring is finally here.

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and growing-fast border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.

Food Delivery Services

Missy Tippens


Hey, y'all! I hope you're all staying well. We're doing well here at my house, and I've been cooking more than ever. We do order food from restaurants for delivery or curbside pickup on occasion. But for the most part, we've been making do with grocery delivery and digging deep into the pantry (hello beans and rice!!). :)

About three weeks ago, Myra Johnson happened to mention how much they're loving Dinnerly for meal ingredient delivery. Because I had been having trouble getting meat at the grocery at that time, I decided to give it a try. Myra sent me a coupon for my first box for free (+ shipping).

I have to say we're really enjoying it, too! There are a big variety of meals to choose from each week.The meals sometimes take longer than I would normally spend to prepare the food, but each time it has been worth it. And the food is healthy.

I've also found that I'm enjoying learning some new food prep methods that I haven't tried before or haven't thought of in ages.

This past week, this is one of the meals I made. Unfortunately, I didn't take photos of the ingredients. But it came with 4 small chicken breasts, fresh broccoli crowns, fresh green onions, fresh Yukon Gold potatoes, garlic, cream cheese and needed spices. I had to provide butter, salt, pepper, and olive oil (and on occasion have had to provide flour).

The chicken was seasoned with an "everything bagel" mix that has black sesame seeds, etc that comes on an everything bagel. So tasty on chicken! I pan sautéed it in olive oil.

The potatoes were cubed, then boiled. Then I saved some of the cooking starch water to mix into the potatoes (will use milk next time) along with butter, cream cheese and chopped green onions.

My only complaint about the service is that they send very small servings of green vegetables (broccoli and fresh green beans). What they send is usually only two servings at best (and our subscription is for 4). So I really wish they sent more veggies! This time, I decided to add my own carrots to the broccoli, and it still barely felt like 4 servings, especially since the ideal plate for good health is half non-starchy vegetables!

Here's a photo of the vegetables we had to ration. haha

We've had some really good dishes so far! I think my favorites have been a really nice pork tenderloin with a brown sugar and chili sauce, and yummy lemon garlic chicken. Oh, and really good steak tacos! We'll have another delivery tomorrow. If anyone wants to try it, let me know. I can send you a free box (you'll have to pay about $9 shipping). 

There are a lot of these food delivery services out there, so check them all out.

I hope you all stay well!

www.missytippens.com