BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I found a recipe online for beer bbq pulled pork, but since we don't drink alcohol, I decided to try it with beef broth. I also added some extra spices and left some out. The end result was perfect. Just what I was looking for! Add in some KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce, and this sandwich took me back to my roots in Kansas City. Not quite Oklahoma Joe's, but the ability to make it at home whenever I want is just as satisfying! Enjoy!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

4-5 lb pork butt roast
12 oz. beef broth
1/2 large onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl. soy sauce
2 tsp. liquid smoke flavoring
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
Barbecue sauce

Trim any desired excess fat off the pork. Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to a pan and heat to medium-high/high. When pan is hot, sear the pork for about 2 minutes on the first side then 2-3 minutes on the second side. Put into a crock pot. Pour the beef broth in the pot and sprinkle the onions over the pork and around the sides. Mix the garlic and remaining seasonings together in a small bowl. Pour over the top of pork. Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours, or until meat is tender and shreds easily.

Remove meat from the crock pot and shred with a fork. Remove some, all, or none of the juices and return to pork back to the crock pot. Stir in 1/2-2 cups barbecue sauce as desired. Spoon onto buns and top with additional barbecue sauce if desired.


**I only added about 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce to the pork and about 1 cup of the juices. I then topped each sandwich with a drizzle of bbq. I don't like the pork soaked in sauce and prefer to add my own on my own sandwich. The flavor of the meat was amazing with just a hint of sauce added. The end results of the recipe are very forgiving and you can add as much or as little juices and bbq sauce as you want, depending on your preference. YUM!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

I have finally done it.

I have mastered....

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm very picky about chocolate chip cookies. Don't get me wrong, I'll always try one. If I like it, I might eat two. If I don't, I won't. I have been in search of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe for many years. Quite often the dough is too sweet, too salty, or not sweet or salty enough. Or the cookies collapse. Or the cookies look that grayish color when they're at the perfect gooey stage. Or the consistency is not right. Or they taste too much like shortening and flour and not enough like perfection. Etc.

But I finally found the perfect combination of sweet, salty, fluffy, soft, gooey, and chocolatey.

These cookies even stay soft overnight, uncovered, on a plate.
For reals.

Here are my secrets:

-Use part butter and part shortening.

Why? The butter adds the savory, salty, yummy flavor I love, the shortening keeps the cookies fluffy and soft, and they don't collapse in that gooey stage.
-Mix 

-Use chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and butterscotch chips.

Why? It adds a bigger assortment of flavors. Every cookie is different, yet every cookie is delicious. The variety of chips adds an element of surprise and sweet flavor. You can stick to just chocolate and be perfectly happy as well.

-Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.
Note: this is in my oven. Which I am still learning how to use. When cooked in my oven at this temp for this time, these cookies have a perfect golden top, gooey inside, and crisp edges. (try 375 degrees if your oven bakes normal or slightly cold)

Now, here is the biggest secret of all: With the butter/shortening combo, you have to be really careful with the butter temperature! It has to be soft enough to beat, but not melting. And, if you leave the dough on the counter too long, it'll get too melty and the dough will get that gray/brown color and the cookies will collapse. (I've tested this out) So, as soon as you whip up a batch REFRIGERATE the dough asap! Or you can freeze it. The cooling process helps the flour absorb the flavors more so the dough becomes even more savory and delicious.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

Cream together for 2-3 minutes, stopping to scrape bowl every minute or so:

1 cup shortening, Crisco brand
1/2 cup (or one stick) butter, slightly softened

1 1/2 c. white sugar

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

If using a stand mixer, keep mixing on medium/low speed while adding:
3 eggs, add them one at a time and mix until completely combined after each egg

1 1/2 teas. vanilla

1 1/2 teas. soda

1 1/2 teas. salt

Turn mixer speed down and add:

3 1/2-4 c. flour

**The dough should be soft yet slightly firm and should not stick to your fingers.

Mix in by hand:

2-3 cups chocolate chips
OR:
1-1.5 cups chocolate chips
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/3-1/2 cup butterscotch chips

**It's hard to add too many chips, so feel free to add or subtract as your taste buds prefer. I prefer very chippy chocolate chip cookies.

Transfer the dough into a tupperware container and refrigerate immediately for 1-2 hours before baking for best results. Spoon dough into generous tablespoon size balls and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate No Bake cookies

Who doesn't love chocolate peanut butter no bakes? Scott and I are certainly no exception. After searching and making these many times, I've finally settled on a recipe that I love. It has more cocoa and more peanut butter than most so the flavor is deeper and more meaningful. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

In a medium saucepan, combine:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 cups white sugar

Bring to a boil and let boil no longer than 1 minute. Longer = more crumbly, shorter = more gooey. Remove pan from heat and ADD:

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups quick oats

Stir until completely combined. I add the peanut butter and vanilla first, stir until it's melted, then add the oats. Drop by spoonful onto wax paper. Cool and enjoy! ...or eat a spoonful straight out of the pan, burn your tongue, yet rejoice in the deliciousness.

**I am a mess minimalist when it comes to these. I use a 1/2 c. measuring cup for everything except the oats. Measure the sugar first, then cocoa, then milk, then peanut butter. I pile the peanut butter high to what looks about 3/4 cup. It's not rocket science and doesn't have to be perfect. Then I use a 1 c. measurer for the oats, and pour the vanilla from the cap. Easy peasy fast clean up!

Quinoa Burgers

I found the original recipe through Pinterest while looking for new and interesting dinner ideas. Of course I was completely intrigued and decided to give these a try. Since I seem to be nearly incapable of following most recipes exactly, I had to alter things a bit. The original called for cumin, and in my opinion, cumin and fresh veggie flavor don't seem to go together. Scott and I love quinoa and these burgers turned out incredibly delicious!!

Quinoa Burgers

2 cups, rounded, cooked quinoa
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 medium carrot, grated or finely minced
3 eggs
2 green onions, chopped, including white parts
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. Herbs de Provence (could use extra Italian seasoning instead)
Olive oil for frying

To cook quinoa:
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
sprinkle of salt

Add together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and let cook about 15-20 minutes.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the cooked quinoa (can let it cool slightly). Pour some oil into a skillet and heat on medium/medium-low. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop mixture and drop onto oil then press down gently to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cook about 4 minutes each side. Serve with lettuce, tomato, avocado, ketchup, ranch, etc. Makes about 10 burgers, each around 125 calories.

White Chocolate Chex Mix

White Chocolate Chex Mix

1 pkg. almond bark
2 ½ c. Corn Chex
2 ½ c. Wheat Chex
2 ½ c. Cheerios
3 c. pretzels

Add all dry ingredients. Melt almond bark according to package directions and pour on top
of dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour onto wax paper and separate as much as possible for
cooling.

Peppermint Popcorn

Peppermint Popcorn

2-3 bags microwave popcorn, popped and kernels removed
6 crushed candy canes
½ bar vanilla almond bark

Melt almond bark according to package instructions. After melted, add crushed candy canes
and pour on top of popcorn. Stir well. Pour on to wax paper for cooling.

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cake Bites

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cake Bites
from babycenter.com

1 box devil's food cake mix, Duncan Hines is best
1 can dark chocolate frosting (16 oz.)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 package almond bark
8 candy canes, crushed
Waxed paper

Bake cake according to directions on the box for 13 X 9 cake. After the cake is cool, crumble into large bowl.

Mix the frosting with 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract.

Mix the cake thoroughly with about 3/4 of the frosting. (Get your hands in there and get dirty.) Add more frosting if you think the mixture is too dry. When you can form it into a ball in your hands easily, you're good.

Use a tablespoon-sized scoop and roll mixture into balls. Place on a cookie sheet.

Chill or freeze cake balls for several hours. They can also be placed in freezer bags and kept for later use.

Melt almond bark according to the directions on package. Dip each ball about 3/4 of the way into the almond bark. Tap off excess, then place on wax paper, cake side down, until firm. Quickly sprinkle a little bit of crushed candy cane bits onto the top before the almond bark hardens.

Cover the truffles tightly and store where it's cool.

Source

**I haven't made this yet, but I will be trying it this year! It looks delicious.

Sugar Cookies

My all time favorite, so far, Sugar Cookie recipe comes from the ladies at Ourbestbites.com. I have tried and failed more times than I care to remember with sugar cookies. Either too crumbly, too sticky, too gross, etc. These cookies have a delicious butter flavor, hold their shape beautifully, and cook perfectly.

Sugar Cookies
from Ourbestbites.com

1 cup real butter (no substitutions!) at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg (make sure to use a large or extra large egg)
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or other flavor of your choice, like vanilla)
3 C flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled (don’t scoop it!)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Add in egg and extract and mix to incorporate.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.  A very important note: It’s important to correctly measure your flour or you will end up with a dry, crumbly dough. Never, ever use your measuring cup to scoop up the flour.  Use a regular sized spoon and spoon the flour into the cup and then level it off with a knife.

 Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined.
Chill the dough in the fridge for about an hour, or use this great tip to make things easier:

When your dough is made, instead of putting it in the fridge, immediately roll  between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper and then place on a flat surface in the fridge.  Chill for about 20-30 minutes and then start cutting it out.  This way it chills faster and the bonus is that you don’t need to add extra flour to roll it out.  If you don’t use this tip, proceed as follows:

When you’re ready to roll out dough lightly sprinkle flour onto your work surface and roll out dough with a rolling pin.

Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. The baking time really depends on how you like them. If you like themreally and slightly chewy, about 8-9 minutes does it. If you like them slightly crisp and buttery, then go for 10-12.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Everyone needs a good, down home, broccoli cheese soup. 

Especially for the Fall.

This soup is one of my favorites. 

However, the past couple times I've made it, it has seemed a little watery, a little thin, and lacking some flavor. Well, I just realized why: when I copied the recipe from my mom's email to my cookbook, I failed to include the 3/4 c. of flour it calls for!!!!!! Dur dur dur. 

So, know that when you omit the flour, it is a much thinner soup. When you include it, like it is supposed to be, it is absolutely delicious! This is because the flour-butter mixture creates a roux which thickens the cream sauce that you pour into the veggies. I'm glad the light bulb finally turned on.

Obviously I don't have a picture because my last batch turned out less than stellar with zero flour and thickness, so imagine a warm, thick, creamy, incredible soup. (sorry Meagan! I owe you a new batch)

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Saute in a large stock pot:

1 TBL oil

1 c. onion, chopped

Add, then cover and "simmer" for 5-10 minutes:

1 c. celery, chopped

1/2 c. carrots, shredded (I usually just do 2, medium size carrots)

1 large bunch Broccoli, chopped into tiny florets

1 TBL parsley

Add:

6 c. chicken broth

Cover and simmer about 15 minutes.

In a separate sauce pan, melt:

1/4 c. butter

Add and stir: 3/4 c. flour

Add while beating:

2 c. milk

1 c. cream

(for lower fat: 1 1/2 c. evaporated milk, 3/4 c. milk, 3/4 c. water)

Stir frequently and heat until thick and smooth.

Stir sauce into simmering soup, can strain lumps if needed. Heat until veggies are tender. 

Just before serving, Add: 1-2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Remove from heat and stir until cheese is melted. 

Salt and pepper to taste.

Disclaimer: the cheese can curdle surprisingly fast and cause a less than desirable appearance. Be sure to really follow the "just before serving" and "remove from heat" instructions with the cheese. Although, my cheese curdling problem may be related to my lack of flour problem.... Wow. I think my life changed a little.

Fall Trail Mix

When I was attending college, my mom decided to send me a Fall Care Package one season.
Getting a package as a college student is equivalent to finding a $20 bill in an old coat pocket.
Awesome.
Inside this package were a few odds and ends including my first experience with the Leaves candle (bath and body works), and my mom's new creation: Fall Trail Mix.
Of course, I became hooked on the mix, and now every October, on General Conference weekend, I make this delicious sweet 'n salty snack.

Fall Trail Mix

1 entire bag M&M's, Harvest colors (12.6 oz)

2 c. dry roasted peanuts

2 c. candy corn

Mix together in a bowl or plastic bag. Store in ziploc bag. Usually stays fresh 1-2 weeks. Makes about 6 cups.

The ratios can be adjusted depending on preference.

p.s. for some reason, the Brach's candy corn doesn't taste quite right to me, but I can't remember what brand I usually use. Oh well.

Overnight Steel Cut Oats

Overnight Steel Cut Oats

from Angie

serves 6-8

1.5 cups steel oats

4 cups water

1/2 tsp. salt

Boil water. Add oats and salt. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit overnight.

In the morning add:

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla (or more)

1/4 cup brown sugar

cinnamon to taste

Reheat oats over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the bottom (stir often!). Add the flavors and serve warm. Other additional toppings me be added as desired: blueberries, bananas, pecans, butter, etc.

**I half this recipe for me, Scott and Blake. We still have a little leftover.

Whole Wheat Waffles

Whole Wheat Waffles

adapted from Better Homes and Garden waffle recipe

1 1/4 cup whole wheat

1/2 cup white flour

2 TBL. brown sugar, packed

1 TBL. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten,

1 3/4 cups milk

1/4 + 1/8 cup applesauce**

1/8 cup cooking oil

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients separately. Add the wet into the dry and stir JUST until it's moistened. The batter will be quite lumpy. Pour onto a waffle grid and cook according to grid directions. 

**With the applesauce/oil, it called for a 1/2 cup oil but instead I filled a 1/2 cup about three quarters of the way full with apple sauce, then topped it off with the oil. So I'm not sure of exact measurements. You couldn't even taste the applesauce, and they turned out nice and moist!

Mexi-Quinoa Salad

Mexi-Quinoa Salad

1.5 cups water or chicken broth
3/4 cups dry quinoa
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic

Add together into a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes.

Just before quinoa is done, add:

1 can black or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained (or 1 cup frozen corn)
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cilantro, dry (or fresh cilantro to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Stir and replace lid on pan. Let sit for 5 minutes or so.

Serve and top with:

tomatoes, chopped
lettuce, chopped
cheddar cheese
sour cream
salsa
tortilla chips (optional)


To use leftovers, refrigerate quinoa mixture and add the toppings just before serving. Can be served warm or cold.

Asian Chicken- 3 variations

Asian Chicken

Variation 1: Karissa's concoction

3 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves, cubed

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/8 c. brown sugar

3 heaping TL hoisin sauce

2 tsp. minced garlic

1/4-1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. chives or fresh green onions

1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix marinade together. Add chicken and let sit in fridge or on counter while rice cooks. About 20-30 minutes. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon. Boil remaining sauce in a separate small saucepan while cooking chicken. Cook chicken in frying pan on med-high heat until almost cooked. Crank heat up to high and let the outside of the chicken brown and caramelize a bit.  Serve chicken over rice and drizzle with extra sauce. 

Variation 2: Mom's Teriyaki

1 c. soy sauce

1 c. sugar

2 T. rice wine

1 T. dehydrated onion

1/2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. sesame oil

Mix together and add chicken. Marinate for 1 hour. Broil or grill chicken. Can be used for chicken breasts or cut up chicken. Best as chicken breasts grilled on an outdoor grill.

Variation 3: Our Best Bites Teriyaki

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 TBL cornstarch

1 TBL cold water

Combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper in small saucepan. Bring to boil over med-high heat. While that's cooking, mix the cold water and cornstarch. When the soy sauce is boiling, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Stir sauce until thickened and "clear." 

This is easily used as a dipping sauce or to baste on chicken while grilling or cooking. I highly recommend their cookbook! It's amazing. 

Any of these Asian Chicken recipes are delicious served with fresh sauteed veggies and steamed rice.

BBQ Chicken Salad

BBQ Chicken Salad

This is completely a "create your own" meal. Add or omit anything you like or don't like. Or include it all!

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves, cubed and cooked (or, 2 cans cooked chicken simmered with 1 cup of bbq sauce)

2-4 cups romaine lettuce, washed and chopped

tortilla chips

corn

carrots, sliced

green onions

tomatoes, chopped

cucumbers, chopped

avocado, sliced

bacon bits

black beans

olives, sliced

croutons

cheddar cheese

Layer on a plate how you wish. Drizzle with a spoonful of salsa, some bbq sauce, and some ranch dressing. Enjoy!

I don't have an exact recipe for this because I just chop and slice whatever veggies I can find in the fridge that sound good. It's pretty difficult to mess this salad up, especially if you top it with all three "dressings." The combo of the salsa, bbq, and ranch is to die for.

Spicy Veggie Wraps

Spicy Veggie Wraps

adapted from "Complete Idiots Guide to Eating well..."
makes 4-6 servings

1/4 c. cottage cheese (low fat is great)

2 oz. cream cheese, softened (1/3 less fat is great)

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or less for milder)

a shake of garlic powder (1/4 tsp?)

a grind of black pepper (1/4 tsp?)

a grind of sea salt (1/4 tsp?)

1 chicken breast half, sliced, cooked, and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and italian seasoning.

1 c. spinach or romaine, washed and torn

1/4 c. shredded  sliced carrots

1/4 c. chopped celery. 

sliced cucumber

sliced avocado

chopped tomato

tortillas

Basically you mix the cheeses and spices in a bowl and let them marry together. Cook up some tortillas, I like the uncooked ones from Costco. And then spread the cheesy stuff on the tortilla and top with an array of veggies. Grilled chicken can easily be omitted for a vegetarian meal.

Easy Lasagna

Easy Lasagna

Makes 2, 8x8 or 9x9 pans

12 lasagna noodles
3 cups mozzarella cheese
30 oz. pasta sauce

24 oz. cottage cheese
1/4-1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 heaping TBL Parsley
1/2-3/4 TBL oregano
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, shake to taste (optional)

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Spoon a couple dollops of sauce into each pan and spread it around. Mix the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, and spices in a bowl. When the noodle are done, cut them 2/3 x 1/3. You should have one long piece to fit the length of the pan and two smaller pieces to fit the same length when put together. Every noodle should be cut this way. Layer the lasagna noodles, sauce, cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese, repeating for 3 layers in each pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-45 minutes depending on desired done-ness and differences in ovens. Cheese should be light brown and bubbly.

I like to cook one pan and cover the second with plastic wrap then foil and freeze it for another time. To cook the frozen lasagna, you can defrost it in the fridge overnight, on the counter for a few hours, or put it in a cold oven sans plastic, covered in foil and cook for 1-1.5 hours.


***For one, 9x13 pan:
9 noodles
24 oz. sauce
2 cups mozzarella
16 oz. cottage cheese
1/4 parmesan
1 TBL parsley
1.5 tsp oregano

This recipe is really forgiving and can be adapted and changed in many ways! I've tried adding 1 cup of bbq sauce to the pasta sauce and adding chicken, added vegetables, done half alfredo-half red sauce, etc and all have turned out yummy. Get creative and have fun!

Blueberry Dumpcake

My most sincere apologies for no picture. Perhaps I will update with a picture the next time I make this amazingness.

Blueberry Dumpcake
1, 20 oz, can crushed pineapple, juice reserved
3 c. blueberries, frozen or fresh
1/4 c. sugar
1 box yellow cake mix, dry
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/8 c. sugar
chopped pecans if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain the pineapple juice and combine with the melted butter. Spread the pineapple on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Layer the berries next, followed by sugar (amount can be adjusted), the dry cake mix, the butter/pineapple juice mix, a sprinkling of sugar and chopped pecans if you wish. Bake for 30-45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with or without ice cream. Don't be alarmed if the entire dish is consumed within an hour.

NYT chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe was found here

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from The New York Times, David Leite and Jacques Torres
submitted by Melanie

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

•2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour * leave the TBs in for high altitude*
•1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
•1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
•1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
•2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
•1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
•1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
•2 large eggs
•2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
•1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
•Sea salt
1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (about 1/3 cup) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.
**When I make these I use my favorite semi sweet or milk chocolate chips--I like guitard, but sometimes I use the big bag of Nestle semi sweet from Costco.

Nap time sleep problems. Help!

I feel so conflicted.

I've read several baby sleep method books and done research and all that about getting babies to sleep. Our biggest problem is naptime. Blake spends about 40-50 minutes eating, then I have to burp him, then change his diaper, and swaddle him up for a nap. The whole process takes between an hour and a little more. Then when I lay him in his crib he kicks and plays and wiggles like crazy. I take him out, rock him, give him a binky and he gets totally drowsy. Then when I lay him down he wakes right up. If I leave him he can usually try to work things out for a few minutes, but then after 5-20 minutes he starts crying and screaming. We try to soothe him with a binky, rocking him, patting his back, etc. He gets drowsy, then wakes up and the whole process repeats. This goes on for awhile until he finally falls asleep. By the time he crashes he's been awake for around 2+ hours. Then he sleeps 40-60 minutes before waking up again. Sometimes he can fall asleep, most of the time he can't. But he doesn't seem really hungry, just still tired.

I don't know what to do! I know nap time is SO important during the day and it helps them sleep better at night. Yesterday he had a 2 hour morning nap in his car seat (after finally falling asleep on his own in the crib, and I had to move him 10 minutes later). Then I fed him and did the whole swaddle and try to get to sleep routine. Once again, after 2 hours of being awake, I finally resorted to putting him in the swing to sleep. He slept there for maybe an hour and then woke up to eat. Scott fed him a bottle so I could nap, then he was awake for 2 hours again before we tried to put him in the crib. Once again he kicked and played and didn't fall asleep. So Scott put him in the car seat and we ran some errands. He slept for almost an hour. Then he ate again. Then I did the whole swaddle routine. After he'd been up for 2 hours again, he finally fell asleep in his crib and slept for 5 1/2 hours. I fed him, he was up for 2 hours (shoot me) and then he slept for another 4 hours.

I feel like he gets so tired being up for 2 hours that he can't take a good nap. And obviously he can't take a good nap because he is only sleeping for 45 minutes. I don't know how to get him to nap longer. I don't know if it's because we've moved him into the crib to sleep. Or if he's so used to being rocked, swinged, or vibrated to sleep. Or if he's relying too much on the binky. Or if he is so over tired that he can't sleep well.

Is it okay or normal for him to be awake for 2 hours and then only take an hour nap? I feel like he needs more sleep than that in a day! That's only 3-4 hours of day time sleep with 9-10 hours of night time sleep. Is that bad? Good? Okay? I don't know. :-/

HELP!!!!