Saturday, January 18, 2014

the BEST chocolate chip COOKIE recipe EVER!




I am so excited to start blogging again and sharing all sorts of fun and interesting things with you! I felt that it was fitting, on my first official day back on my blog, to share with you my grandma's chocolate chip cookie recipe. Its my go to treat whenever I want to greet the kids home from school, share something nice with the neighbors or eat 24 cookies in one day because I'm anxious about something {but that's a whole other blog post}. I get asked for the recipe all the time...these cookies are that good! I've tried lots of other recipes and none compare, although all of the warm and fuzzy memories that are associated with being a little girl and helping my grandma make the cookies and eating the dough, I'm sure make me a bit bias. My grandma and grandpa have always live just a few houses down from where my parents live. My grandparents and my parents have lived in the same houses ever since before I was born, almost 40 YEARS AGO...WOW! {another blog post on that later too!} Most days after school I would walk down to my grandparent's house and take a handful from the cookie jar, before I fiddled on the piano or jumped on my uncle's water bed..ha, ha! Mmmmm....memories!

The recipe below makes about 2 dozen cookies, I usually double it, because they don't last long in my house. Sometimes I add walnuts or pecans, because my husband is nuts...I mean, he likes nuts...and sometimes I use milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet, but no matter what, they are always heaven!

Oh...and my grandma says that you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO mix the dry and the wet ingredients in two separate bowls and then slowly combine them. That's how you avoid a flat cookie! 
So here we go...

preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl:
1/2 cup of vegetable shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg 
1 teaspoon of vanilla


Then this is what I do... I add about 1/3 of the flour mixture into the wet bowl and mix it together with a fork. Then add another 1/3 and mix, and the rest and mix. I never use a mixer, I always use a fork to doing all of the mixing. After its all mixed together, I add about 3 oz of chocolate chips {or about a half or the bag, or 6 oz when I double the recipe} The recipe does call for more chocolate chips but I like to taste more of the batter...mmm.


Here's where you can sneak some bites of the delicious dough if you want to...WARNING: please keep in mind that the dough does contain raw egg, so I never let my kids eat it...I always sneak...hee, hee!


Now just plop a little more than a tablespoon full on your cookie sheet {I only have an old pizza pan, and that's what I use... I know its ugly} and put them in the over for 10-11 minutes. I like to watch toward the end and take them out when the edges are just getting golden. They will seem not fully cooked when you take them out after 10-11 minutes, but trust me...take them off the pan and put them on to a cooling rack and they will be pure deliciousness in just a couple minutes!


{I think I must've left these in for 12 minutes because they look a little more cooked than I like...that's ok, just dunk them in your milk an extra second or two}

So here's the whole recipe one more time: 

Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies

preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup of vegetable shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg 
 1 teaspoon of vanilla 
6 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips

bake 10-12 minutes

Make these this weekend and let me know what you think! And for those of you who have come over from my facebook page to get the coupon code to use in my etsy store...here you go...get 20% off everything, this weekend only! Yippee!! Use coupon code: COOKIE20 at check out!

Please remember to like my facebook page for exclusive discounts & sales, to see new items in my etsy shop, view new fabrics, etc. Its www.facebook.com/besohandbags.  Thanks so much!

xoxo.


Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Beso's on Lisa's Blog...YAY!!

 photo courtesy Lisa Leonard

Today Lisa Leonard featured my 10" eve bag with ruffle & handles on her fabulous blog! Yay! Thank you Lisa! 


In honor of the feature AND because summer is just around the corner...I would love to offer you all a big discount...20% off your entire purchase in the beso shop...for three days only. 


And you can see this particularly gorgeous little bag {here}.
Enter the code SUMMER20 at check out. Here's to a great day & a fabulous Summer!

Monday, May 28, 2012

Hello Monday.

Today I am linking up for the very first time with Lisa Leonard for Hello Monday! So exciting!

 Hello sweet baby girl {almost 5 months old} & hello 5 oz. bottle of formula at 7 am. This week we are working on moving from nursing to formula & getting on a really nice schedule. 

Hello fresh strawberries from the strawberry stand. They are so sweet & ripe. I could smell them this morning as soon as I went downstairs. Something yummy for our Memorial Day off of school this morning.

Hello highchair that I scored this weekend for $15 {love craigslist!} It's going to get a brand new fabric cover in one of my very favorite new Amy Butler fabrics. {I will post before & after photos soon. I can't wait!}

Hello skinny belts in a rainbow of colors from Target! I'm in love! Just might pick up another one when I'm there today...watch out!

Hello Memorial Day discount! Whoo Hoo! Get 20% off your purchase today in the Beso Handbags shop. Pick up a cute little bag for Summer {its on its way!} Use code MD20 at check out.

Happy Monday! and Happy Memorial Day! xoxo.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

something new

Last Spring I was pleased to make these clutches for television and film actress, Sara Rue's bridesmaids. Sara chose this gorgeous vintage butterfly fabric to coordinate with her wedding theme.


Sara and her wedding coordinator also requested that I create a neck tie for her groom in this vintage fabric. Although the colors of the fabric didn't turn out to coordinate perfectly with Sara's wedding colors, she loved the tie and kept it for her husband anyway.


I loved the experience so much, I am now offering coordinating eve bags and neck ties, for weddings and special events.


Its been so fun, choosing fabrics {both new & vintage} to coordinate with a bride's special day. You let me know your color scheme & theme, whether you prefer a new fabric or a vintage fabric to make your event unique. I will search out your perfect fabric {just like a personal shopper} until you find the one you love! Such fun! Please feel free to contact me at johanna@besohandbags.com to begin designing your perfect bag and a neck tie for your special event!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

grab & go diaper clutch...yes!

I've always thought it would be a really good idea to make a diaper clutch. Something that I could just grab and go, for a quick trip to the market or to throw in a tote bag when I don't feel like lugging around the whole diaper bag.

Then today, it hit me..."I bet my new 10 inch Eve bag would work perfectly!" So I grabbed a handful of my new baby girl's diapers (four, to be specific) and the new travel pack of 75 wipes that I just bought (cute packaging, huh?).


Then I grabbed one of my 10 inch eve clutches. This one happens to be in the "vintage bouquet" fabric that I absolutely LOVE!


...and voila! A super cute, grab & go diaper clutch! And if you used a smaller package of wipes, you could even fit a wallet, sunglasses & a cell phone in there too. And have I mentioned that all of my Eve bags now feature an interior zipper pocket? Just perfect for your driver's license, credit card, a spare pacifier maybe? And you can even add a fabric handle if you wish! Check out the options {here}.



Mother's Day is approaching! What a perfect gift for any hip momma, huh? Love it!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

beso handbags for FIVE

My friend Toni has a lovely shop that she calls FIVE. Toni has the coolest style and I love her use of re-purposed and chic items for the home. She also started carrying amazing jewelry and accessories. And among her latest items is beso handbags. Toni and I worked together to design an eve bag exclusively for FIVE. 


Toni's store front is located inside the URBAN BARN, at 155 West Crest in Escondido, California. 

 {photo courtesy of the Urban Barn}



And since you're here, please take a moment to follow FIVE on facebook {HERE} as well as the URBAN BARN on facebook {HERE}. You can also follow Toni's blog {HERE}. Toni's blog is "FIVE...Blooms an inspired day, everyday life and home/craft ideas". Love it! Thanks, Toni, for including beso handbags in your beautiful shop!

Monday, April 2, 2012

I actually made something I pinned!


I admit it! I am in LOVE with Pinterest. So much so that I almost can't stand it. I look to Pinterest for recipes, inspiration, laughs...Pinterest makes me happy! So I would love to have you follow me on PINTEREST {and introduce you maybe, if you haven't been introduced already} and the plan is to post here on a weekly basis something that I have re-created from Pinterest. This week, it's the maxi dress. Eventually, I want to make one for myself and I already have the picture in my head of how it will look, but this one I made for my daughter. She loves it! And it was so easy! My very first time using elastic thread...and sewing a dress actually. Had I thought this out beforehand, I would have posted pictures of the steps in creating this super cute dress. But you'll be able to see them in the original blog post. Read that {HERE}. In the meantime, here it is...the cute, summery, maxi dress on my beautiful little {not so little any more} girl. 


Have you actually made anything that you pinned on Pinterest?

besos,
Johanna