The Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies. It's human nature.

Recently, I had a family function where they asked me to make a few desserts. I thought of some fancy little pies and cakes, shared them with the group to get some feedback. We had some that loved fruit, some that loved chocolate. If I aimed to please all with each of my fancy little desserts, I would have been baking for days.

The best thing about chocolate chip cookies is that they do not disappoint. I knew I could make them in tandem with dinner, and still satisfy all of the sweet cravings from the fam. 

Insert: same situation for work, BBQs, etc. Everyone. Loves. Cookies.

I've whipped up a chocolate chip cookie recipe that is pretty easy, and if you have standard baking stuff, you should be able to make these with ingredients you have at home. The best part of these chocolate chip cookies: you can make them gooey OR crunchy. It is all about how to roll them onto the baking sheets & how long you cook them for.

Ingredients:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix together: flour, baking soda, and salt. Set that bowl aside
3. In another bowl, mix together: melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Then beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. Beat together until it is light and creamy.
4. Slowly mix in the Step 2 ingredients until all is blended. Let the dough sit for a few minutes so it cools to room temperature (may be warmer from the butter).
5. Mix in the chocolate chip cookies.
6. Roll into balls about 1 inch thick. Place on the parchment paper with about an inch and a half in between each ball. 
7. To make the cookies thicker: make the dough balls more taller than wider.
8. Bake the cookies, reversing the tray about half way through. (11 - 14 minutes, 11 minutes for super gooey, 14 minutes for more crunchy). You can usually tell when the cookies are done by looking at the edges.
9. Cool cookies on sheets until you can lift them without breaking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

---

Source: AllRecipes

Fast Food: Giving the gift of time, and so much more

“WELCOME TO GOOD BURGER HOME OF THE GOOD BURGER CAN I TAKE YOUR ORDER?”

That’s the first thing I think of when I hear “Fast Food.” I think of a drive through window, paper bags with grease dripping through the sides, salt – lots of salt, hamburgers, toys with my Happy Meals, and pretty much just all around fake ingredients. So, yea, that is a lot of stuff to come to mind, but that’s because I grew up with fast food in my life. I grew up stopping at McDonald’s on a long car ride or getting some fries after class in middle school. I never really thought about the ingredients when I was younger because a) I didn’t really care about what I was eating as long as it tasted good and b) it was so easy to get it.

You could very well be reading this article thinking “yuck….” And honestly that is kind of how I feel now thinking about it. But let’s be real, fast food is still around for a reason. People are still consuming it, still waiting on that ridiculously long line at the drive through to order the $1 hamburger. It’s cheap, it’s quick, and  it tastes amazing.

PEOPLE LOVE FAST FOOD.

“Woah, woah, woah,” says almost everyone I know in a defensive and reluctant manner.

Fast food has a negative connotation. I mean, look at how I started this post about fast food; I talked about grease and ingredients and things that just don’t sound good to someone who is working on their beach bod (or Dad bod if that is your thing). People think fast is dirty, fast is fake, fast is unhealthy. And for a while it was. But, as I’ve moved to Chicago, I’ve learned that fast is what people want.

6 PM: I get off of work. Home around 6:30 and if I have the energy, 6:45 work out. So let’s say I am ready to start thinking about what I want for dinner around 7:30. Now, I need to cook, so it takes me about 30 minutes to cook an easy meal, 1 hour to cook something intricate. I’m eating around 8:15. Done around 8:30. Clean up by 9. That doesn’t sound too bad if I have nothing else going on in my life and I want to waste the day away, but sometimes I just don’t have the time or the patience to cook a wonderful fancy meal. And forget it if it is just for myself, that is a lot of work for just one little person.

Like I said, “I work out.” Meaning, I enjoy going to the gym and doing things that are good for my body. I don’t eat red meat and I basically never eat anything deep fried. Healthy & fast, is that too much to ask?

These days, it’s not. Fast food needs to lose its negative connotation and people need to appreciate the food and time they get back.

Chipotle. Chipotle has a business model unlike any other. People come in, pick out their ingredients, and in 5 minutes be out the door with a wonderfully tasty (large) Mexican dish of their choosing with fresh ingredients. When I don’t know what I want to eat, I go to Chipotle. Yea, yea, yea I always hear about the “Chipotle baby” or “ew I can’t go to Chipotle, I’ve been eating so badly” but just like you may choose to not put the cheese on your chicken before you bake it, avoid the sour cream & guac and get a salad bowl vs. a rice bowl. Healthy, fast, done.

I MAY LOSE A LOT OF FOLLOWERS BY MAKING THIS STATEMENT, BUT YOU CANNOT LIVE OFF OF CHIPOTLE FOREVER.

You can, however, enjoy the many cultural creations that have stemmed off of the fast food Chipotle model. Specifically in Chicago, I have forced (sarcastically speaking) myself to go out and try these fast food-gone healthy spots. I have not found one I don't like. Honestly. The best part about these venues is that they are all so different. There are so many different kinds of food that involve pastas, veggies, spices, soups. They all have a different style and a different history. Now, there are countless affordable hotspots that provide an opportunity to expand your pallet.

Sandwiches & Salads: A standard go-to

Potbelly's, Pita Pit, CBA, Le Pain Quodotien 

Mediterranean: Classic & fresh

Roti, Naff Naff Grill

Middle Eastern: Comfortable & filling

Hallal Guys

Asian Fusion: Tasty, hearty, flavorful

Pei Wei, Sumo, Glaze Teriyaki Grill, Brightwok

Vietnamese: Spices & soups

Fuh

Thai: Dependable

Thai Aroma, Noodle in the Pot

Seafood: Potentially questionable, but never a bad decision

Da Lobsta

Mexican: Spicy spices, flavorful flavors

Antique Taco, Big & Littles, Chipotle

I could go on, and if you check out my Instagram page @agirlblownaway, I will have endless recos of these types of places. Because they are easy, tasty, and obviously so trendy.

You may think I am obsessed, and I may be, but I really think this is the newest way to eat different foods in an affordable, realistic manner for the standard working city folk. I realized that this was a thing when I went to Fuh, a new Vietnamese restaurant in Lincoln Park. The owner chatted with me for a while and I learned about his background, his family, the restaurant. I learned about how they typically enjoyed Pho in their community. I learned this while I ate my bowl of soup, filled with delicious noodles, fresh veggies, and flavorful seasonings. It was really eye-opening to learn so much about a fast food restaurant, to learn the story behind the food. It was convenient, and cheap, but it was healthy, tasty, and made for a reason maximizing margins and artificial ingredients.

There are so many places like Fuh in Chicago, and whether they are chains or a mom & pop store, I’ve learned that these Fast Food places are just like any other restaurant, just like any other kitchen. Fast food has such a negative connotation but these days, it has given us so much. It has given us new, cultural experiences, some extra pocket changed we saved from a reasonably priced meal, has provided many opportunities to try new foods, and, as I said earlier, it has given us the gift of time.

FAST FOOD IS NOT GOING AWAY, AND THAT IS FINE BY ME.

To Wear or Not to Wear: Jean on Jean

I've always been told "Do NOT wear black and navy blue!" (Yes, that was one of the morals I grew up with)... But what about blue on blue, or better yet, jean on jean?! *gasps*

That's right folks, jean on jean - or the Canadian Tuxedo - is. a. thing.

I've worn it once or twice, felt the waters, tested the soup, if you will. But now curiosity has gotten the better of me and I have done a deep dive into the blue jean waters...

KEY FINDINGS:

• Denim joggers: no
• Denim leggings: no
• Men can't wear denim on denim unless they are taking pictures for Pinterest
• One piece denim outfit: surprisingly, yes (with accessories)
• Jean on Jean: wear it with additional colors, and you'll be just fine

Men... I am so sorry to deprive you of this potentially wonderful fad, but you cannot wear denim on denim. Yes, Vogue magazine makes it look fabulous and you can picture yourself poppin your denim collar with your fav blue jeans, but the way men's styles work where pants fit a certain way (not as form fitting as women's) and the standard proportions of shirt to pants, there just is no real flattering way to wear such a unique pattern all over your body. You can, however, pop that denim collar if it is not partnered with denim pants. Go for the khakis! There is hope for your denim above the waist.

So denim joggers. If you wear a denim top, it is usually going to be somewhat loose and not super form fitting. Loose denim top with faux denim loose pants often comes off like a giant jean parachute. Separately, go for it. Jog around Central Park in your jeanjoggers if that is what you have to do, but just don't wear a jean top with it. Avoid it at all costs. Dramatic emphasis intended.

Denim leggings don't make sense. Denim: a material. Leggings: a material. They are different materials. Logically, they don't go. Trust me. Moving on...

Alright. Women, love me (or hate me)- you can wear jean on jean. There are a few different ways this can be done, I've tried a few out, observed a few, asked around, and here you go. The moment of truth. The jean reveal...

• Wear a shoe with minimal patterns. Jean on jean is totally awesome, so you don't want to distract or overwhelm anyone with some whacky shoe.
• One, life changing word: Two. Two colored denims. Light & dark, washed & solid. Say it over and over again, dream it, live it: two.
• If I hear my mother say "you better have gotten a discount on those ripped jeans! They're missing half the pants" one more time... But hey, I get to wear those ripped jeans with a denim shirt. Because two types of styles actually work. Whose laughing now, mom?! #winning
• For those of you who know me personally, I looooove colors. But please take me seriously here when I say, just one pop of color, two pops of color, that's all you need to help out the JonJ. I wore a white cardigan with a jean shirt and jean pants and you know what, even my boyfriend said he liked it. That's right, I got a non-female-jean-on-jean positive comment. Hell yeah.
• Wear two different fitting jean pieces. I.E. wear a loose denim shirt you can tuck into your lil' blue shorts.
• Lipstick.
• Smile. People may make comments. (They're just jealous). So smile because you are excited to wear your awesome doufit (denim outfit).

Jean on Jean. Answered.

But on a very similar note, this is a very interesting topic to me. I would actually love to hear any thoughts you may have, so please share this post with your friends & family and let me know what you think! Research in progress and rebuttals welcome.