S'more Cookies

S'mores are high on the list of items that are loved in the summer time.  They are such a simple desert and the hands-on aspect make them a lot of fun for kids and adults alike.  Blake discovered the gloriousness  (yeah I made that word up) of using a Resee's peanut butter cup in exchange for a Hershey's bar.  You could definitely do that for this recipe as well if you are daring enough.  Although we all love our s'mores, there isn't always a bonfire handy, and making them in the microwave just isn't the same.  This is a wonderful adaptation of the traditional s'more and they are much easier to transport for parties or birthdays. 

I'm not going to post much about this recipe as I did nothing special and used the chocolate chip recipe from the back of the chocolate chip bag.  I asked my mother (who I think makes the best cookies, obviously), what the secret was for her chocolate chip cookies.  To my horror as well as my delight, she informed me that the Tollhouse chocolate chip bag is the recipe she uses.  Don't knock it until you try it.  

Simple Salad Dressing

My friend over at Victor Axe + Tool inspired this post.  Victor went to high school with Blake and I, and we have always been very interested in supporting small local companies, especially those we actually know.  When Victor first opened shop, Blake didn't hesitate to order an axe, and I must say that it is beautiful.  The axes are all hand crafted and they are so gorgeous, we've displayed it in our house as a piece of art work.  Victor is running a "Give Away" contest on his Instagram account where you had to post a photo of an item that will 'Live On.'  The photo I chose to take was of my grandmothers juicer.  My mother just passed this down to me, and I love it! Many of the recipes I post on here include marinades or salad dressings, and so this beautiful and vintage juicer gets used a lot now that I have it.  Since the summer time usually involves a lot of salads and grilling, I decided to post the basics to making a simple but delicious vinaigrette. Once you have the basics then you can start adding in your own unique flavors depending on what you're in the mood for. I do not buy salad dressings from the grocery store any more.  They are filled with far too many ingredients that are not necessary and God knows there is so much sugar in them, it defeats the purpose of eating a salad.  If I want to consume a 1/2 cup of sugar, I'll eat some Haribo candy (which happens far too often).