Pizookie

1 stick butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chunks

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Melt butter.  Add granulated sugar and brown sugar to melted butter, and stir. Add vanilla.  After you've mixed well, add your egg and whisk with a fork.

3. Add flour, baking soda and salt.  Mix well, making sure dough is even.

4. Add your chocolate; or any other ingredients you wish. 

5. Place prepared dough in round cake pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. 

6. Let cool for 3-5 minutes.  Top with a few scoops of vanilla bean ice cream, and enjoy!!

Grandma June's Chocolate Chip Cupcakes & Sticky Fingers Frosting

These recipes can also be found in "Mom's Recipe Book" that Aunt Nancy and Aunt Jane made for us.  The recipes are both really good.  If you don't feel like chocolate frosting, the chocolate cake is still a good one (better than a box mix) to mix with other frostings.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes:

-       1 Box of Devil’s Food Cake Mix

-       4 Eggs

-       1 Box Instant Vanilla Pudding

-       1 Cup of Sour Cream

-       1 Cup of Oil

-       ½ Cup Warm Water

1   1/2 pkg of chocolate chips

Mix together and add 1/2pkg of chocolate chips, stir and put in cupcake papers. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes (or mini cupcakes cook about 10 minutes). Ice with Stick Fingers Chocolate Frosting.

Sticky Fingers Frosting:

-       ¾ Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk

-       2 TBS Butter

-       6 oz. Semisweet Chocolate

Melt Together and stir. Use a spoon to scoop and spread on top of cupcakes.

Marinara Sauce

I made this for recipe club.  It's a Giada De Laurentiis recipe, and it's both Rob and Katharine approved.  The taste is better after it's been sitting in the fridge for a day or two.  The recipe notes say to freeze any extra in 2-cup increments to save for up to 3 months.  

-       ½ Cup Extra Virgin olive Oil

-       2 Small Onion, Finely Chopped

-       2 Garlic Cloves, Finely Chopped

-       2 Celery Stalks, Finely Chopped

-       2 Carrots, peeled and Finely Chopped

-       ½ teaspoon of sea salt, plus more to taste

-       ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste

-       2 (32 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

-       2 Dried Bay Leaves

In a Large Pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Sauté until all vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.