kitchen tips: two for one. {the latter is more for my canadian peeps.}

today i was bustling around in the kitchen.
today was a ped day. {day off school}
today was surprisingly low key.

today i got down to business.

coop has asked for chocolate chip cookies to take for school for the 100th day so i decided i would make the mix today to get it out of the way. i also wanted to try something out. i saw this idea on pinterest and it actually worked! you make your mix and then place a tablespoon full in an empty ice cube tray and freeze then voila! perfect kid size cookies! i got about 32 this way and i usually only get about 18 when i do my normal size. this is the perfect size for a crowd. a nice bite. and this way on wednesday night i pull them out and just pop them on the tray and place them in the oven! but you can also think of it this way - have a bag in the freezer at all times and while you are about to sit down for dinner toss a few on a tray, place in oven and for dessert you will have fresh baked cookies! and hopefully you will have a scoop of vanilla to top it off with! or if guests unexpectedly drop by you have something to bake up for an afternoon treat - you will blow them away with your preparedness.
fresh baked cookies at your finger tips! genius!

so glad i thought of it..... ;)

okay i know i promised you a two for one and here it is. as we canadians know our butter stick - or should i say brick? - does not come with a tablespoon measurement up the side like our lucky americans do - we only get cups. {yes you can find it with the spoons but it's twice as much - for measurements?} sometimes there is a recipe that calls for a few tablespoons of butter and then you have to get a brick to room temperature dig in and....well you get the point. anyways here's my trick - the times when i need room temperature butter for something, say like the chocolate chip cookies i mentioned above, i will pull out the whole brick the night before and leave it out on the counter. the next day i will cut off my one cup, place that aside and get to work. {or make my cookies first and then turn my attention to my second half, whatever.} at this point i dig in with my tablespoon and measure out the whole half, place the blobs on a baking sheet, place the sheet in the freezer to freeze them individually and then once they are hard, place them in a ziplock. and there you go - individual tablespoons of butter ready for you!

brilliant.

now go and bake something.
you know you want to!