House No. 194: Toll House

House No. 194: Toll House

cookie dough

10 in. x 12 in. x .75 in. thick

194/365; 07/13/11

Directions for Making a Toll House [Recipe from Nestlé]
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup [2 sticks or 1/2 pound] butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups [one 12 oz. package] semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional) [I recommend English walnuts]

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt. In separate bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients. Stir in additions. Mold onto ungreased cookie sheet into shape of house making sure that no part is thinner than the other to prevent burning. Lining your pan with foil, parchment, or a silicone sheet is  helpful for moving the cookie and for clean-up.

BAKE in preheated 375-degree°[F] oven for for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. [I turned pan halfway through to promote even cooking.]

SCORE warm cookie with dinner knife.

COOL on pan on wire rack.

REMOVE excess cookie from house using a fork for the tight window openings.

House No. 14: Pizza House

House No. 14: Pizza House

pizza and broccoli
approx. 9 in. x 9 in.
014/365; 01/14/11

It seems that I am on a food-house kick. I made today's house while having dinner with my hub and his mom, Carol, and we all got involved. The broccoli foliage was Carol's idea.

House No. 13: Communal Home

House No. 13: Communal Home
super delicious Ethiopian food on injera bread
approx. 12 in. x 12 in.
013/365; 01/13/11

Tonight's tasty house was made with help from my sister and the fantastic people at The Nile Ethiopian Restaurant of Richmond. The Nile is one of my favorite restaurants, so much so that it was the destination location for both my friend Angie and me for our birthdays this past year. Tonight's platter included Yemisir Wat, Shiro Wat, Ater Kik Alicha, Gomen, Atkilt, Fasolia, Dinich Wat, Bedelgan, Inguday, and Timatim Selata. The roof is a piece of injera bread.

Ethiopian food is eaten communally from a platter lined with injera bread, which sops up all the deliciousness if you can make it that far. (This food is super filling.) One eats by tearing pieces of injera and scooping from the platter. It makes for a lovely connection with your food and your dining companions. Here is a photo of dinner before we dug in.

Beautiful, isn't it? I didn't take an "after" photo, but I assure you, there was not much left. * urp *

House No. 10: Home Cooking

 

House No. 10: Home Cooking
bread, milk, eggs, vanilla, powdered sugar, apricot jam, and whipped cream

7 in. x 5 in.

010/365; 01/10/11

Have you ever noticed that when the forecast calls for snow, everyone seems to deplete the grocery stores of milk, eggs, and bread? I have often wondered if there is some tradition that I do not know about, that everyone makes french toast on snow days. Well, it is supposed to snow again this week, so here is a themed breakfast in the hopes that it will be enough accumulation for a snow day.