White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Tomorrow is going to be bittersweet. For the last 9 months, I've been working with an operations manager who has really taught me a lot. He and I communicate on a very similar level, so it's been great to shadow him during my last year of college. However, he is moving on and tomorrow is his last day. What this means for me is that I'm moving into dispatch, the position I've been striving for since I started at Mr. Rooter 2 years ago. I'm pumped up to start doing this full time, albeit a little nervous because its more responsiblity than I've ever been given before. I can handle it though! *Flexing my biceps*

Anyway, to celebrate Mr. C's last day, I thought I'd make a special treat, and if there is one thing he likes, it's white chocolate Reese's. Well, I can't recreate those, at least not without more than a few hours, so instead I'm making peanut butter cookies with white chocolate chips, using Reese's peanut butter. I just took the first batch out of the oven and while I'm not normally a white chocolate chip fan, the cookie base for these are fantastic.

A quick review, and then the recipe. I used Ghiradelli White Chocolate Chips for this. Now, I love Ghiradelli. The grocery on my way home only carries that or Baker's, so I almost always use it for my recipes. However, this is the first time I've used the white ones. While I don't claim to be a white chocolate connoiseur, I do like it on occaision (it's just a little sweet for me), so it's just not just a complete aversion. These taste very chemically to me. They are almost not sweet at all, it's very strange. Luckily, when in the cookies it's not so evident because of the peanut butter. My favorite white chocolate is Lindt, use that if you have it available.

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

(I printed this recipe off a loooong time ago, back for I started recording where I got them. I apologize if this is yours, you can have all the credit, these are wonderful! My guess is it came from AllRecipes.com or something similar.)

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 cup butter, softened (If you like big rounded PB cookies, you might use 1/2 shortening, these flattened out quite a bit.)

3 eggs

1 cup creamy peanut butter (I melted it in the microwave for 30 seconds to make it easier to work with.)

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine flour, soda, and salt. Mix and set aside.

Cream butter and sugars for 5 minutes. Add eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla. Mix and medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until just mixed.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. With a wet fork, gently press cookies in a criss crossed pattern. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until slightly brown along edges.

This made about 4 dozen hand-sized cookies for me.

Lunch at Concannon's

I FINALLY got to try out Concannon's new deli cafe here in Muncie. I've been a Concannon's addict since I first discovered them my sophomore year at Ball State, and when I found out they were building a new shop, I was super excited. Gimme more Concannon's! However, the new cafe is on the opposite side of town from where I live, work, and go to school, so three months after the Grand Opening I still had not tried it.

This week, I've had THREE different people reference the new cafe, so I knew it was time. A quick post on Facebook and I had a date with my Aunt Susan and her daughter Maycee! Unfortunately, I ordered the wrong thing. I have this problem where I order something with Jordan in mind, which doesn't always work out. I had the Flaming Roast Beef, which he would love. It's got lots of jalepenos and some sort of red chilis (which I mistook for a grape tomato, until I popped one in my mouth!), pepperjack cheese, and a spicy horseradish sauce all wrapped up in a tortilla. It definitely had potential, but I think the sauce took it over the edge for me. The wrap just did not have enough substance to counteract the spice. It would have been better with some sort of thick spongy white bread.

Don't take this as a bad review though. Judging from the delicious looking meals around me, I will definitely be back. On one side of me, two women had amazing smelling cheddar soup; on the other there was a beautiful cranberry walnut salad. And there were sooooooo many sandwich choices. Add to that the 50 feet of candy and pastry displays and you have a great restaurant. It's definitely a success, don't go at lunch time if you can help it. We went at 1:45 and it was PACKED. Apparently, an hour before the line had been to the door (overheard from one of the other tables). I'm also looking forward to trying their new homemade ice creams.

Product Review: Tylenol Severe Allergy

We recently adopted an adorable kitten named Keira. She's lived with us for 2.5 days now and we are smitten. She is gorgeous, active, and so lovey. She loves us as much as we love her! Take a look:
Isn't she beautiful???

The problem? I'm severely allergic. I have been since childhood, though when my family adopted LC way back when, then Smokey and Boo, I gradually got used to having cats in the house. Then came college, and I moved away from home and have lost that immunity. Not only that, but it is hayfever season and my allergies were already going nuts. needless to say, Saturday was miserable. So I went to the store and scoured the allergy aisle. I used to use Claritan during the day, and Benedryl at night. However, Claritan didn't do the job on it's own, and the Benedryl made me feel like death (not to mention the drunken effects immediately after I take it). I did pick up some Claritan during the day, but for night I grabbed Tylenol Severe Allergy. After the trouble with Nana, I've been trying to use Tylenol more often, since it's easier on the stomach, but I was pretty skeptical about the allergy use.

Picture from here.

I took it right before bed last night. Wow. I didn't feel drunk at all. Nor did I wake up feeling like a grizzly coming out of hibernation. I actually felt pretty good. My throat was a little dry, my nose a little clogged, but compared to the miserable hacking mess I've been, I felt amazing! This product works. It does say that it will cause severe drowsiness on the box, so I would be cautious about using it during the day, but paired with a nondrowsy formula for daytime, this keeps my allergies from reeking havoc at night!