I love to be in the kitchen. Well, let's clarify...I love to bake and cook in the kitchen. I could really do without the clean-up part. One of my favorite things to do, is to make cookies with Mister Mister. I find that it is a great opportunity to teach. He works on counting, following directions, and language. Today, we made chocolate chip cookies. I like to spice things up once in a while and alter recipes I commonly use. We followed the Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie recipe from the back of the bag. We made it our own by substituting Crisco Butter-flavored shortening for the butter, added 1/2 cup of walnuts, and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg. 
Baked for 9 minutes at 375 degrees until lightly brown on the edges. We like our cookies soft, but if you like yours crispier, cook a little longer. Remember that they continue to cook when you take them out of the oven. The nutmeg really adds a deeper level of complexity and taste to the cookies. Try it sometime. If your not sure if you'll like it, add 1/4 teaspoon. And what's the worst that could happen? You waste a few ingredients and a little bit of time. I found a great tool in the kitchen was the medium size cookie scoop from Pampered Chef. It's super easy to portion out your cookies and get an appealing round appearance to your end product. It is also useful in portioning out muffins, cupcakes, and meatballs. 
What recipes have you made your own? Share your ideas!!
Erin, pictures are too cute! How could you not like baking with such a cute little helper. I will have try your idea for my next batch of cookies.
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