Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Two of the best things in the world: Peanut Butter and Chocolate and they make an awesome cookie!
They are very soft like a peanut butter cookie should be, and then chocolate chips too.
They are the best right out of the oven, so hot and gooey....mmm!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
3/4 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 package Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Measure peanut butter, shortening and brown sugar. Add sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to peanut butter mixture; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop cookies onto cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes and move to cooling rack.

Made By Me: Dishwasher Soap

I have been dying to do this...

Ever since my dear sister posted about making your own laundry soap (click here) we have been in a frenzy to do more of this make your own stuff.  So I have been searching online and I found some info about making your own dishwasher soap.  I was so super excited but had some dishwasher soap left...so I had to wait but I made this just the other day. 

If you have already made your own laundry soap, then you already have two of the main ingredients so you will probably need to spend maybe about $3.00 to make your own dishwasher soap.

At first I thought that it was coming out about even, but you will be saving money doing this.

Ingredients:

 1 Cup Borax

1 Cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

1/2 Cup Kosher Salt

1/2 Cup Citric Acid (kind of hard to find...so you can use Sugar free Lemonade in its place)

I found these packets at Walmart and they were .12 each.  I needed about 15 packets to make 1/2 cup.

Ice Cube Trays?!?!  I'll tell you in a minute :)

Place everything in a can.  You can use a coffee can, I used a food storage can.  

Put the lid on and shake.

Do you love those handy little blocks that you just pop in the dishwasher.  This is where you will use the ice cube trays.  Pack your mixture into the ice cube trays and...little blocks.

NOTE: I found out shortly after putting these in the trays that they don't pack down when using the sugar free lemonade.  I guess that is something in the citric acid that makes them clump and pack.  So...sad news this won't work if you are using lemonade instead of citric acid. :(  

So instead...I placed my dishwasher soap in this cute jar and have my handy scoop ready.

My next favorite trick.  I have avoided buying Jet Dry at the store because it is so pricey.

Did you know that you can use White Vinegar or Lemon Juice instead?

Well...now you do and it is much easier on the wallet.

Made By Me: Dishwasher Soap

1 Cup Borax

1 Cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

1/2 Cup Kosher Salt

1/2 Cup Citric Acid or Sugar Free Lemonade

Place ingredients in container, shake well and place in a jar.  Use on Tablespoon per dishwasher load.

You can also pack soap into ice cube trays to make blocks.

Steak Marinade

Super easy and tasty steak marinade! I was out of A1 (how did that happen?) and trying to figure out what to marinade our elk steaks in for dinner tonight. Played around and found this good mixture.

Steak Marinade
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Yellow Mustard
1 Garlic clove

Mix ingredients and put your steaks either in a bag or in a covered container and cover with marinade. Shake and make sure your steaks are saturated. It is best if you keep them overnight in the fridge or for as long as possible. Grill them on a barbecue for the best flavor. You don't need steak sauce after they are cooked, really good and flavorful! :)

Steak Fajitas

We have a freezer full of elk and deer meat!  And when I say a freezer full, I am not kidding.

We have so many steaks, roasts, ground meat, jerky, etc...that I have to get creative.

You can make the same things with elk and deer meat that you make with regular beef, but sometimes it is hard to think about what to do.

We had some steaks in the fridge waiting to be made for dinner.  I decided to make Fajitas, but I didn't have any fajita seasoning packets and I didn't want to have to pack up the kid and run to the store just for fajita seasoning.  So I decided to make my own.

Here are the players...

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Cumin

Paprika

Chili Powder

Sugar

Salt (optional)

It smells wonderful and makes about two seasoning packets full.

I cut up my steak into strips, cut up the onions and peppers.

Place some olive oil in the pan and start browning your steak, add your vegetables and the fajita seasoning, some water and mix in your pan.  Let it simmer.

Place the fajita mixture in a tortilla with cheese and any other toppings you prefer for your fajitas.

Yummy!!!

Fajita Seasoning

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Cayenne

1/4 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Paprika

2 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt (optional)

Steak Fajitas

Steaks, cut into strips

Green & Red Peppers, cut into strips

Onions, cut into strips

Fajita Seasoning

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 - 1/2 Cup Water

Flour Tortillas

Shredded Cheese

Shredded Lettuce

In a saucepan start heating your oil and place your steak strips in the pan and start browning.  Add your vegetables, water and the fajita seasoning; mix well.  Let is simmer until done.  Place your steak fajita mixture on a tortilla with cheese, lettuce and any other toppings you prefer.  Roll up and enjoy!