This month we are having a cooking chat about making the perfect cookie. Maria from Two Peas and Their Pod will be joining the chat and sharing some of her tips and tricks to baking cookies. She has a new e-Cookbook out called “Cookie Cravings.” You can literally taste the cookies in the book. The pictures are spectacular and the recipes will make your mouth water.

Cooking Club Details

• What: Join us for an online live chat about making cookies. We’ll be sharing recipes and baking secrets.
• When: Wednesday, April 11, from 2-3 p.m. EST (1 p.m. CT, 12 p.m. MT, & 11 a.m. PT).
• Where: Party with us in our very own MomItForward Chat Room. (Click here to go to the MomItForward Chat Room.)

See you then!

Photo courtesy of flickr

Mamma’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 cups gluten free flour (I use Better Batter)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (make sure its Gluten Free)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup applesauce (store bought or homemade)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)

 Directions:

You can see above that the batter looks a bit sticky and not the typical consistency of a wheat flour batter.

Do you or your children have food allergies? What are you doing to help them manage their allergies?

Cindy Gordon, founder of the blog, Vegetarian Mamma, is a wife and mamma of two energetic boys! Cindy loves to dish about recipes, vegetarianism, saving money, home schooling and her new life as a mamma to a child with life threatening allergies. Be sure to  follow “Vegetarian Mamma” on Facebook and Twitter @Vegetarianmamma.

Theme: Comfort Food During Chilly Days

Weekly Meal Plan: Monday, February 27 — Sunday, March 4

Monday:

• Dinner Recipe: Chicken Stew and Drop Biscuit Dumplings from (a)Musing Foodie
• Dinner Discussion Question: If you had your own cooking show, what kind of food would you make?

Tuesday:

• Dinner Recipe: Herbed Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup from 
• Dinner Discussion Question: What types of activities do you like to do in warm weather?

Wednesday:

• Dinner Recipe: Thick Oven Baked Chili from Barbara Bakes
• Dinner Discussion Question: If you could choose where to live, would you live? Where it’s hot or cold?

Thursday:

• Dinner Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie with Herbed Potato Crust from The Cheeky Kitchen
• Dinner Discussion Question: What is the craziest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Friday:

• Dinner Recipe: Grown Up Mac & Cheese from The Cheeky Kitchen
• Dinner Discussion Question: What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Saturday:

• Dinner Recipe: Tomato Basil Soup from Two Peas and Their Pod
• Dinner Discussion Question: Tell us a story about something that happened at school, then make up one and we’ll guess which one is true.

Sunday:

• Dinner Recipe: Lazy Day Beef Stew from Two Peas and Their Pod
• Dinner Discussion Question: If you could plan the menu for an entire day, what would we eat for each meal?

Dessert

Meal Plan and Grocery Shopping List Free Printable

Is your mouth watering yet? We can’t wait to give these recipes a try this week! If you’re interested in trying some or all of these recipes, be sure to fill out the Mom It Forward Meal Plan and Grocery Shopping List Free Printable before you head to the store!

Discussion Questions

Be sure to stop by the comments section of this post or on our Facebook page and let us know how your family members answered the discussion questions. We would love to hear what your family shared at the dinner table!

Disclaimer: This post is part of our Weekly Meal Plan series. Each week, we share recipes and photos from bloggers around the web. We have been given permission to use all links and photos in this series. A huge thanks goes out to all of the bloggers who helped us create this delicious menu! If you have recipes on your site that you would like for us to feature, please be sure to fill out this for

As much as I love Valentine’s Day, I can’t say I truly love chocolate (sounds blasphemous, right?). I certainly do not dislike chocolate, but I wouldn’t describe myself as a “chocoholic” either. However, there are two chocolates I will never refuse if you put them in front of me: Baci and Ferrero Rocher. When these two confections are in front of me, all my willpower flies out the window. So I guess I do love chocolate just a little.

When I bake though, chocolate-based desserts are not the first things I think about making. I enjoy chocolate desserts well enough, but what I really adore baking and eating are fruit-based desserts. So for this Valentine’s Day, I decided to try my hand at making these Shortbread Sandwich Cookies with raspberry jam filling. Cookies are always a wonderfully versatile dessert to serve because they are portable and easy to eat. They are perfect for parties, picnics, school lunches, and outings.

These cookies look identical to the well-known Linzer cookie, except Linzer cookies have nuts and cinnamon in the dough. These cookies are made with a basic shortbread dough that is lightly scented with vanilla extract. The butter in the dough gives the shortbread a rich flavor and a crisp texture that pairs well with many flavors.

For these cookies, a thin layer of sweet-tart raspberry jam is sandwiched between two rounds of the buttery rich shortbread. The cutout top of each cookie is sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar for a touch of extra elegance and festivity. If you or the special someone in your life are a chocolate lover, these cookies are equally scrumptious with Nutella used in place of the fruit jam.

Although there are a few extra steps to making these cookies (compared to making drop cookies, for example), these Shortbread Sandwich Cookies are not difficult to make and the ingredients needed are basic staples that most of us have in our pantry. These are also a fun cookie to make with kids with a little help from mom or dad. I’ve never met a kid who doesn’t like to make cut out cookies!

If you do not like raspberry jam, you could also use strawberry, blackberry, or apricot jam with equally delicious results. Regardless of what jam you use, one thing will remain the same: these cookies will make a lovely impression and are a delicious alternative to a chocolate dessert for your Valentine’s Day celebration.

Shortbread Sandwich Cookies Recipe

Recipe adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten. Special equipment: Fluted cutters (eg. round, square, star or heart).

Ingredients:

• 3 sticks (3/4 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface & rolling pin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups raspberry preserves (or fruit jam of your choice)
• Confectioner’s sugar for dusting the cutout cookies

Directions:

1. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place the cream and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attached, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until combined. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
3. Sift the flour and salt together into the butter-sugar mixture. Mix over low speed until the dough comes together, scraping down the sides of the work bowl with a spatula if necessary. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30-45 minutes.
4. Unwrap it and roll the disk out on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a floured 2-inch or 2 3/4-inch fluted round cutter (or shape of your choice), cut as many rounds/shapes from the shortbread dough as you can. Flour the cutter periodically so that it does not stick to the cookie dough. You can re-roll the scraps of dough up to two times to get more cookies. Note: You may have to re-chill the dough for a few minutes if it gets too soft to roll out and cut.Be sure to keep the work surface and rolling pin lightly dusted with flour to prevent sticking. Keep all the cut cookie rounds on the floured work surface while you finish cutting out all the cookies.
5. Count the rounds and divide them in half. Use a smaller (about 1-inch) fluted round cutter (or shape of your choice) to cut a circle/shape in the center of half of the cookie rounds. Place all of the cookie rounds on the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Chill them on the baking sheets in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. Transfer chilled cookies to the oven and bake them for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are a light golden brown. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. Check the cookies often while they are baking to make sure they are not over-browning. When the cookies are finished baking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a baking rack to cool completely. You can bake the cookies a day in advance before assembling them. Store them in an airtight container. Keep the solid cookies separate from the cutout cookies since the cutout cookies are slightly more fragile.
8. Assemble the cookies:Spread a thin layer (about 1 teaspoon) of the jam onto the flat side of all the solid cookies and set these aside. Lay out all the cutout cookies on a piece of parchment paper and dust them lightly with the confectioner’s sugar. Place the cutout rounds on top of the cookies with the jam and press together very lightly. Store the cookies at room temperature in a single layer covered lightly with plastic wrap. Serve within 1-2 days of making.

What is your favorite Valentine’s Day treat?

Flavia Scalzitti is a food blogger based in Houston, Texas. She is originally from Maryland and comes from an Italian family. Flavia grew up around people who used food and cooking as a way to keep their traditions alive, celebrate their Italian culture, express their love for their family, and nourish the people they cooked for with the freshest and best quality ingredients. She is entirely self-taught and is also passionate about baking. In addition to cooking and baking, Flavia enjoys learning about and practicing photography, reading, traveling, practicing yoga, and spending time with her husband, Peter. She blogs at Flavia’s Flavors: http://www.flaviasflavors.com

5 Ways to Bring Your Family Together on Valentine’s Day

1. Enjoy a Valentine’s Day breakfast together. Heart-shaped pancakes with toppings like red, pink, or heart sprinkles, strawberries, powdered sugar, or whipped topping are sure to be a big hit. For the little ones, add strawberry syrup to their milk. Who knows, the older kids might enjoy it too!
2. Make Valentine’s Day cookies. Kids love to help in the kitchen! Get out the heart-shaped cookie cutter, as well as the cookie dough, sprinkles, and icing. Get the family around the kitchen counter, bar, or table and make cookies that everyone can enjoy.
3. Have a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt. Hide hearts around the house inside and out (weather permitting) with clues to get to the next hearts leading to a Valentine’s Day surprise. Work together as a family or as teams for larger families.
4. Make homemade Valentine’s Day cards for a local nursing home or assisted living home. This family activity takes a little prep work but is definitely worth it. Call a nearby nursing home a few days in advance to get permission to hand out the cards and the number of people living there. Some homes can be rather large so you may want to visit a hall or wing. Dedicate a night or two before Valentine’s Day to make homemade cards with sweet messages inside. Deliver the cards to the nursing or assisted living home on Valentine’s Day as a family.
5. Eat out at a special restaurant (older kids might enjoy this). If a fancy meal out is not in your budget, create the atmosphere at home. Decorate with inexpensive candles from the dollar store. Place pink and red paper hearts throughout the dining area. Add candy conversations hearts as confetti on the table. You can usually find themed plates and napkins at the dollar store as well. It is possible to cook a nice meal for a fraction of the cost of eating out so choose a family favorite. After the family meal, surprise everyone with a special Valentine’s Day dessert like chocolate dipped strawberries, pineapples, and marshmallows.

What fun ways will you be spending time with your family this Valentine’s Day?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Robin Greene is a mom of two teenagers and a kindergarten teacher. Robin enjoys spending time as a family as she is anticipating her oldest going away to college in a few years. She enjoys participating in church activities and freelance writing for mybabyclothes.com. With Spring just around the corner make sure your little one has some beautiful baby clothes, sweet baby headbands and stylish baby hats in their wardrobe.

Indeed, according to the party’s top tweeters, cookie exchanges are a  popular way of sharing recipes and building or cementing friendships. Many, many fabulous tips were shared on the how-to’s of hosting, tasteful or unique recipes, and where to find them. These are the top tips:

5 Tips for Hosting Cookie Exchanges

1. Ask guests to RSVP and let you know what cookies they’ll be bringing, then convey to everyone just before the party how many guests will be coming and how many cookies per guest each person needs to bring. If two or more guests indicate they’ll bring the same kind of cookie, ask one of them to pick a different kind. @IHeartNaptime provides a comprehensive list of guidelines and printables.
2. Consider turning your cookie exchange into a cookie gifting party, says @CedarHillMom. You can provide tags, bags and ribbon for guests to make sweet neighbor gifts with some of the exchanged cookies.  Consider taking them to neighbors or raising money for CookiesForKidsCancer. This can be a great option for guests looking to keep their calorie counts down or their contributions to charity up.
3. Remind guests to bring a large container to take their exchanged cookies home, says @HowToSimplify. Consider having on hand extra containers and packing materials.
4. Plan a hot chocolate bar to accompany the cookies, suggests @LaCasadeSweets.
5. Plan some activities to maybe burn off calories after cookies (RockBand!), suggests @ThisEnvy.

5 Unique Recipes for a Holiday Cookie Exchange

While the classic chocolate chip cookies were *salivated* over, some tweeters shared recipes for cookies that will be sure to draw “oohs” and “aahs” and “yums.” Check these out:

1. Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies from too many tweeters to mention.
2. Nutella Pinwheel Cookies from @FujiMama.
3. Mini Cherry Cheesecakes from @HowToSimplify.
4. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from @Kimberaka and @HersheysKisses.
5. Roshk Slovak Cookies from @BHaley9962.

If those recipes don’t suit you and you’re looking for some good sites to find you’re own or even list your own, check out these recommendations:

3 Cookie Recipe Websites

1. Pinterest Recipes raved about by @MimiBakerMN, @EveryDayMom23, and many others who used words like “amazing” and “favorite” to describe it.
2. Family Fun magazine because it has good recipes for families with kids. Recommended by @EarthAngel2B.
3. AllRecipes.com because you can read reviews of recipes before you try them, says @DidYouYarnThat.

Let us know how your cookie exchanges go, or if you have some favorite cookie recipes that are always a hit!

What are your cookie exchange tips? What cookies do you love to bake for a cookie exchange?

Photos courtesy of A-Baking We Will Go and HowTo: Simplify.

How To Bake Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

Peanut butter reindeer cookies are the kind of dessert that look difficult, but are super simple. Check out the ingredients and follow the instructions below.

Ingredients

My favorite peanut butter cookie recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

The most important part of baking reindeer cookies is to be sure you have all of the ingredients. Tonight, we were lacking an electric mixer and flour. Good things for awesome neighbors!

Here’s what you’ll need to get baking:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar or 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• Small pretzels
• Candy chocolates (I prefer plain M&Ms.)

Instructions

Step 1. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. If necessary, cover and chill dough til easy to handle.

Step 2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, perfectly round, with a 1/4-inch oval-shaped ball placed right on top and extending vertical just below the circle.

Step 3. If baking with children, have them sort the chocolate candies into different bowls while you are placing the dough onto greased cookie sheets. I started doing this years ago as a way to help my kids learn their colors and to sort. Now, it is their favorite part of our tradition.

Step 4. Add pretzels for antlers and colored chocolate candies for eyes and a nose and then bake for 5-7 minutes in the oven. As you can see, our kids love to get creative with eye color!

Step 5. After baking the cookies, place them on holiday plates. We chose a plain red variety.

Step 6. Wrap the plates in clear cellophane, tie a big bow around them, place a sticker with to and from information (if you are leaving on doorsteps),  and let the giving begin!

Fun tip! We let our kids go up to all the doors and take turns handing out the gifts. Then, we talk aboutthe giving spirit and why it is better to give than receive.

What cookie recipes do you love to bake over the holiday season?

However, what happens when you go to all the trouble of baking cookies but find that you can’t eat them fast enough?

How To Make Cookies Last Longer

If you ever get the urge to bake cookies but worry about preserving them in order to last longer than just a few days, be sure to follow the steps below:

• Make the cookie dough, shape the dough into tablespoon-sized balls, bake what you know you’ll eat within the next three days and store what you won’t eat into air-tight containers in the freezer. The next time you have a cookie craving, simply preheat the oven, prepare the baking sheet with parchment paper, place the frozen dough balls on the baking sheet and bake until the cookies are done. Note: Avoid freezing cookie dough that has a cake-like or liquid-based batter.
• Allow the baked cookies to completely cool before stacking or storing. Warm cookies, when stored, will stick together and create a mess when you try to eat them later.
• Store cookies in an airtight container or on the baking sheet tightly covered with plastic wrap or foil. Place a slice of bread in the container to help the cookies maintain their moisture.
• Store cookies that have a cream cheese or yogurt frosting in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
• Place baked cookies in the freezer for up to three weeks. Simply pop them in the microwave or oven to warm them up and return them to their soft state.

What is your favorite type of cookie? How do you store cookies after baking them? What are some of your tried and true ways to get cookies to last longer?

Jen Tilley has an insatiable appetite for all things related to baking and cooking. She is the author, photographer and recipe developer on How To: Simplify, a blog that shares tips, tricks and recipes to simplify life in the kitchen. She enjoys sharing recipes that require very few ingredients and only a small amount of prep and cook time, all of which make time spent in the kitchen simple and enjoyable. Find her online at How To: Simplify, @HowToSimplify, and Jen Tilley Photography.

One of my fondest memories of holiday baking was many years ago when my Mom and I spent an entire day in the kitchen baking up a storm. We basically baked from sunrise to sunset and continued on until the wee hours of the night preparing, baking and decorating one festive treat after another. By the time our baking extravaganza was complete, the kitchen table, both of the refrigerators and all of the countertops were piled high with platter after platter of holiday treats. That was one of my favorite moments spent in the kitchen with my Mom…and to think, she hates baking!

When it’s cold outside, there’s just something about the simple act of baking a sheet of cookies that warms the house and fills the air with such a wonderful aroma. Even though there’s only one day left until Christmas (can you believe that it’s tomorrow?!), this shortbread cookie recipe is a simple one to whip together in a matter of minutes. If you’re in a bind and need to fill the dessert table with one more holiday treat or if you’re just looking for a simple yet delicious cookie recipe, this is one that won’t disappoint. Simple and delicious…and perfect for the holidays!

Shortbread Cookies Dipped in Chocolate

Ingredients

• 3 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6-7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together butter and sugar in a large bowl until just combined. Add the vanilla, flour and salt and mix on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated.
3. Dump onto a floured surfaced and shape into a flat circle. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from the refrigerator and roll the dough 1/2-inch thick. Cut with a cookie cutter.
5. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. When cookies cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate and place on the baking sheet to allow the chocolate to dry (For tips on how to melt chocolate, be sure to stop by this helpful tutorial).

Many of us have holiday traditions when it comes to baking. What are some of your baking traditions? Do you have a favorite holiday cookie recipe?

*Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

Jen Tilley has an insatiable appetite for all things related to baking and cooking. She is the author, photographer and recipe developer on How To: Simplify, a blog that shares tips, tricks and recipes to simplify life in the kitchen. She enjoys sharing recipes that require very few ingredients and only a small amount of prep and cook time, all of which make time spent in the kitchen simple and enjoyable. Find her online at How To: Simplify and @HowToSimplify.

My parents were like these organizations. They provided ample ways for our family to help others while at the same time helping us fall in love with the act of giving. So, as the holiday season gets under way, I want to share a few ways you can teach your children to fall in love with the act of giving as well.

Service and giving can have many different recipients: self, family, friends, pets, neighbors, community, the world, etc. Part 1 of my “Teaching Children to Give” series focuses on those right around you—your neighbors.

Neighbors are a vital part of the community in which you live. They often are the people you see at common places in your life—at the grocery store, at church service, at your kids’ school, at volunteer activities, at community events, and more. Showing appreciation for them and teaching your children the importance of valuing them is not only important, but can be fun!

Baking reindeer cookies is a tradition I started with my two boys several years ago. My mother in law shared the recipe with me and helped us bake our first batch. Now, my family bakes these every Thanksgiving holiday weekend and takes them around to our neighbors to kick off the holiday season with a bang!

Check out this Whrrl story for more pictures and detailed steps on how to make them!

If you join or log in to Whrrl, please comment and share your fun holiday giving traditions too!