...sorry dad that we are a little late

happy late fathers day

Los Betos

So recently Adam and I have stumbled upon a wonderful Mexican restaurant. It is called Los Betos This place has just about the best Mexican food i have ever eaten. I am kind of picky about my Mexican food to be honest and to me this place surpasses some of the more expensive restaurants that I have been to. The tortillas are amazing, and just the beans and rice are addicting. When we went Adam just a plain cheese and bean burrito and that was hands down the best burrito I have ever tasted. But I ordered the chicken chimichanga (#16) this thing was massive. It came with a side of rice and beans and had some pico de gallo on the side. It also had some guacamole and sour cream on top of it. Now this was the most amazing chimichanga I have ever had. It was cooked to a crispy perfection and then the inside chicken was moist not because there was sauce inside but the chicken itself melted in your mouth. Oh it was heaven. I am so excited to go back there and try some more. And all of this food cost around $7. Talk about good food on a budget.

Kristen's Father's day talk

When president Uchtdorf was a deacon his branch president pulled him into a class room and told him that he wanted to talk to him. President Uchtdorf’s first thought was  “what did I do wrong?” But his branch president wanted to meet with him because we wanted to extend the call of decon’s quorm president  “he spent time with me and helped me understand not only the what of my assignment and new responsibility but, much more important, the why.”

In order to fulfill our work in the church we must understand a few things:

1.       Understand my relationship with the priesthood.

a.       Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained the companionship role of the priesthood and women: “In the true Patriarchal Order man holds the priesthood and is the head of the household, … but he cannot attain a fullness of joy here or of eternal reward hereafter alone. Woman stands at his side a joint-inheritor with him in the fullness of all things. Exaltation and eternal increase is her lot as well as his.

b.      “as a marriage and family therapist in Victoria, Canada, I counseled with a couple, bob and mary, who often had disagreements when they tried to make decisions together. During one meeting bob said to me, “I try to preside and get things done, but when I come up with ideas of what we need to do, she wont sustain the priesthood!”
from this comment I could tell that he did not fully understand what it means to preside.  when couple marry, they form an equal partnership in which they strive to make decisions together in a spirit of unity.

c.       Husbands and wives are equal partners and The priesthood was put upon this earth to benefit men women and children. The priesthood helps to strengthen faith and increase righteousness. Strengthen families and homes and is used to serve God’s children.

2.       Ways I can sustain and magnify the priesthood in the church.

a.       “Brothers and sisters in order to truly sustain and magnify the priesthood in the church we much devote ourselves to God’s work which is here in the church. When I think about ways that I can magnify the priesthood I think about home teaching and visiting teaching.”

b.      Sister Julie b beck said this about visiting teaching but the same can be applied to home teaching as well.

                                                               i.      “Visiting teaching becomes the Lord’s work when our focus is on people rather than percentages. In reality, visiting teaching is never finished. It is more a way of life than a task. Faithfully serving as a visiting teacher is evidence of our discipleship. We demonstrate our faith and follow a pattern established by the Lord as we report on our assignment every month. If our watchcare were primarily about reporting that every sister in the ward heard the Visiting Teaching Message printed each month in the Ensign and Liahona, it would be much more efficient to read it aloud to everyone in a sacrament meeting. Our reports are most helpful to the bishop and the Relief Society president when we inform them of the spiritual and temporal well-being of sisters and how we have been able to serve and love them.”

In president Uchtdorf’s talk Called the Why of the priesthood he says:

“The what is important in our work, and we need to attend to it. But it is in the why of priesthood service that we discover the fire, passion, and power of the priesthood.

The what of priesthood service teaches us what to do. The why inspires our souls.

The what informs, but the why transforms.”

We need to instill in ourselves the passion and love of service. We must understand the basic principles of the gospel and use them to fuel our fire to serve others. Develop a love for god’s children and work hard to serve them.

“We need to be constantly reminded of the eternal reasons behind the things we are commanded to do. The basic gospel principles need to be part of our life’s fabric, even if it means learning them over and over again. That doesn’t mean that this process should be rote or boring. Rather, when we teach the foundational principles in our homes or in church, let the flame of enthusiasm for the gospel and the fire of testimony bring light, warmth, and joy to the hearts of those we teach.”

General conference is always a good time for both hearing and doing. We can develop a renewed vigor after hearing the inspirational talks during conference. When we listen to what the brethren have said and choose to act according to what we are taught we are choosing to sustain our priesthood leaders and heavenly father.

If we are in tune with the spirit we will be able to receive inspiration in order to know what we need to do in our personal lives in order to improve ourselves to be more like Christ. We can also receive revelation on how to better serve others even though sometimes what the lord asks of us is very difficult.

I would like to share a personal experience of when I followed the spirit’s prompting. When I was newly married and lived in Rexburg I had a hard time making friends and feeling comfortable reaching out. I felt so alone. I was raised with boys so it was really difficult for me to feel comfortable around girls. One day while expressing my loneliness to heavenly father I received the prompting to start a craft club. I pushed the thought aside for a long time and I used excuse after excuse thinking “people wouldn’t want to come”  “people don’t know me well enough to want to come to my house”. Soon I realized I was being a bit ridiculous so I offered to have a craft club at my house. Only a few sisters came, but I became friends with those sisters. After a couple of meetings one sister who was very shy and quiet came to me and told me that she was feeling very lonely and prayed that she would find some friends in the ward. We were both in need and because I was willing to follow the spirit both of our prayers were answered.

Most of the time heavenly father uses us to answer each other’s prayers and if we do not listen to the spirit’s promptings then we are in jeopardy of losing that relationship.

Our heavenly father has given us so much and we are so blessed to have the priesthood upon the earth. I know that if we strive to love his children and serve those who are around us. And I  say this in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Adam's Father's Day Talk

Honoring Fatherhood through the Priesthood

D&C 121:34-36 – Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson – that the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

Fatherhood is the most crucial area of priesthood leadership.  I have the privilege to know personally many fathers, in my family, in this ward, or both, that are excellent examples of men who honor the priesthood in their families and homes.  They show the Priesthood proper respect and reverence, thereby showing the Lord proper respect and reverence.  It is through examples such as these, that we can pattern our own lives, whether that means breaking free from generations of improper practice, or continuing a legacy of righteous leadership.

As far as the Father’s responsibility in honoring the Priesthood in the home, often we focus on the 3 “Ps” that are found in The Family, a Proclamation to the World, namely, that “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.”

The paragraph preceding this statement, however, goes hand-in-hand with this charge, and really clarifies further what should be done.  Note that this comes BEFORE the 3 Ps:

“HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”

These are some very significant responsibilities that are essential in our battle with Satan and his many forces, tricks, and lies.  I challenge you to read through The Family, A Proclamation to the World again and think deeply on these instructions, adjusting as necessary, or continuing strong if you already follow them.

In addition to studying the duties and responsibilities of being a father, it is important to realize that being a father is a calling given to us from our Heavenly Father.

President Packer taught us in the current Ensign,

“Now, fathers, I would remind you of the sacred nature of your calling. You have the power of the priesthood directly from the Lord to protect your home. There will be times when all that stands as a shield between your family and the adversary’s mischief will be that power. You will receive direction from the Lord by way of the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

“The power you receive will depend on what you do with this sacred, unseen gift.

“Your authority comes through your ordination; your power comes through obedience and worthiness. …

“Power in the priesthood comes from doing your duty in ordinary things: attending meetings, accepting assignments, reading the scriptures, keeping the Word of Wisdom.”

As we come to understand the doctrine of the Character of God – that we have the potential to become like Him, we will change our attitude and behavior in working to preside, provide, and protect our families in righteousness.  There are some who wish to be fathers and cannot for many reasons at the moment.  However, we have the assurance that according to the doctrine of the Character of God, we can become like Him and inherit all that He is waiting and wanting to give us.  His timetable is not ours, and we must trust in His timing.  However, what we CAN and MUST do, whatever our circumstances may be, is work to accomplish His will, and do what He would do in our place.  This is the ultimate application of the doctrine.  This not only applies to our calling as Fathers, but also in our other church callings, and in our callings as Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers.

President Packer has stated, “Every elder should know that a call is more than an invitation or a request, even more than an assignment. Too frequently we hear such expressions as, ‘I have been asked to serve as a counselor in the elders quorum presidency.’ It would be more proper to say, ‘I have been called to serve as a counselor.’

“We do not call ourselves to offices in the Church. Rather we respond to the call of those who preside over us. It is the responsibility of those who preside to prayerfully consult the Lord as to His will concerning a position in the Church. Then the principle of revelation is at work. The call is then delivered by the presiding officer who is acting for the Lord.”

We must continue to apply the Doctrine of the Character of God as we work to accomplish our callings.  This will mean that we seek to act, and not be acted upon.  We seek opportunities to act as fathers to help teach our children to better understand the gospel and learn from mistakes.  We seek opportunities to act as home teachers and visiting teachers to serve and come to better understand our friends that we are called to teach.  We seek opportunities to act in our individual callings or responsibilities in the church to magnify (OR SHOW THE IMPORTANCE OF) our callings.  Think of a magnifying glass.  You use it to more carefully study, bring into better focus, and better view the importance of what is being studied.  As we magnify our callings, we are that tool that helps others see the importance of the area that we called to serve in, as well as showing the importance of the Gospel itself.  And as we magnify our calling as a father, we will magnify the importance of our Heavenly Father in our lives, and the Holy Ghost WILL testify of this to those who see your righteous example.

D&C 121:34-35 – Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men…

The French word for “Chosen” is “Elú”.  The root of this word comes from the translated word, “Elect.”  Thus, many are called, but few are “Elect.”  How does this help with understanding this idea of being “chosen?”

D&C 84:33-34 – For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies. They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.

Elder Bednar has taught, “To be or to become chosen is not an exclusive status conferred upon us. Rather, you and I ultimately determine if we are chosen…I believe the implication of these verses is quite straightforward. God does not have a list of favorites to which we must hope our names will someday be added. He does not limit “the chosen” to a restricted few. Rather, it is our hearts and our aspirations and our obedience which definitively determine whether we are counted as one of God’s chosen…the fundamental purposes for the gift of agency were to love one another and to choose God. Thus we become God’s chosen and invite His tender mercies as we use our agency to choose God.”

Considering that it’s Father’s Day, what can we do to magnify our calling as a Father?

President Henry B. Eyring in the last General Conference suggested four things we can do as a priesthood father to lift and lead your family home again to be with Heavenly Father and the Savior.

First, gain and keep a sure witness that the keys of the priesthood are with us and held by the President of the Church. Pray for that every day. The answer will come with an increase in determination to lead your family, in your feelings of hope, and with greater happiness in your service. You will be more cheerful and optimistic, a great blessing for your wife and family.

The second imperative is to love your wife. It will take faith and humility to put her interests above your own in the struggles of life. You have the responsibility to provide for and to nurture the family with her while serving others. That can at times consume all the energy and strength you have. Age and illness may increase your wife’s needs. If you choose even then to put her happiness above your own, I promise you that your love for her will increase.

Third, enlist the entire family to love each other. President Ezra Taft Benson taught:

“In an eternal sense, salvation is a family affair. …

“Above all else, children need to know and feel they are loved, wanted, and appreciated. They need to be assured of that often. Obviously, this is a role parents should fill, and most often the mother can do it best.”

But another crucial source for that feeling of being loved is love from other children in the family. Consistent care of brothers and sisters for each other will come only with persistent effort by parents and the help of God. You know that is true from experience in your own families.  Lead family prayers and family time, such as family home evenings. Give children opportunities to pray, when they can pray, for each other in the circle who need blessings. Discern quickly the beginnings of discord and recognize acts of unselfish service, especially to each other. When they pray for each other and serve each other, hearts will be softened and turned to each other and to their parents.

The fourth opportunity to lead your family in the Lord’s way comes when discipline is needed. We can meet our obligation to correct in the Lord’s way and then lead our children toward eternal life.

You will remember the words, but you may not have seen their power for a Melchizedek Priesthood holder preparing his family for living in the same sociality that they will have in the celestial kingdom. You remember the words. They are so familiar:

“No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

“By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—

“Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

“That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.”

These four opportunities that President Eyring has specified will give us great power in seeking to be effective fathers.  Wives and children can also follow these instructions to sustain their husband and father in being a magnifying glass in his callings.

 I testify that as we seek to Honor Fatherhood through the Priesthood, we will be guided by the Holy Ghost in being the most effective in accomplishing our righteous desires.  We will magnify our calling as a father, giving the Holy Ghost more opportunity to testify of proper Priesthood Leadership.  Most importantly, we act in faith, in coming closer to our Heavenly Father by doing what He would do in our place, properly applying the Doctrine of the Character of God.  As we do this, we CHOOSE God.  We CHOOSE to be among His elect.  I challenge each father, and prospective father, to follow these guidelines and CHOOSE God.  In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Yummy Turkey burgers

So we have been planning these burgers for quite some time now and we finally made them. I was really nervous (as I am with making all new and exciting recipes) but mostly excited. Adam and I LOVED them. we both gave them a 10 on a  scale of 1-10. So delicious. "I love how when you take a bite you get one flavor and then another and then the next and then you get the first flavor again and then the third."

These burgers do have a whole lot of flavor and were very filling.
give them a try and let us know what you think

Ingredients

• 8 slices turkey bacon or turkey bacon with black pepper or applewood smoked bacon
• 2 pounds ground turkey breast, the average weight of 1 package
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional - parsley may be substituted
• 1/2 small bell pepper, green, red or yellow, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons, 2/3 palm full, ground cumin
• 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne hot sauce, several drops (recommended: Tabasco)
• 2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
• Vegetable oil or olive oil, for drizzling
• 1/2 pound deli sliced pepper jack cheese
• 6 buns
• Red leaf lettuce

Directions

Chop your garlic and veggies.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until crisp. Wipe excess grease from pan and return skillet to heat.
While bacon cooks, combine turkey meat, garlic, shallot or onion, thyme, cilantro or parsley, bell pepper, serrano or jalapeno pepper, cumin, hot pepper sauce, grill seasoning or salt and pepper. Divide mixture into 4 equal mounds then form meat into patties. Drizzle patties with vegetable oil to coat. Cook in skillet over medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Place sliced cheese over the patties in the last 2 minutes of cooking, use 1 or 2 slices for each patty, as you like.
Pile cooked cheeseburgers into buns. Spread sweet relish or jelly on bun tops and set red leaf lettuce into place, using the relish or jelly as glue. Top cheeseburgers with 2 slices of cooked, crisp bacon or turkey bacon and lettluce. Then serve with tortilla chips, tossed salad.

Goddard Enchiladas

Enchiladas
1lb ground beef
1 small onion
1/2 bell pepper
1 can chili beans
1 can red enchilada sauce (hot is what we like)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of tomato soup
tortillas
cheese

Directions:
Brown ground beef, when the beef is most of the way cooked add chopped onions and chopped peppers. once cooked add the chili beans (don't drain) and remove from heat.
mix in separate bowl-cream of mushroom soup, tomato soup, enchilada sauce. coat the bottom of your 9X13 pan with some of the sauce so the enchiladas don't stick.
scoop some of the sauce and place in center of tortilla and spread around until about 1 in away from the edge of the tortilla. place a scoop of meat mixture on top of the sauce. then add some grated cheese. roll and place in 9X13 pan. once all the enchiladas are in the pan top with some of the enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese. bake at 350 for 20 min.
if you have extra sauce you can mix it into some cooked rice to have some simple Spanish rice to go with your enchiladas.

Vanilla bean cheese cake

So i had some vanilla beans that i wasn't sure what to do with. so i looked up some recipes and found one that i wanted to try for vanilla bean cheese cake. it has a walnut crust and is the most delicious cheese cake i have ever had. i don't have any pictures of it because it gets eaten so fast once i make it. try it out and let me know what you think. oh if you don't have a cheese cake pan i just use round cake pans and it worked out great.
I am not sure where you can purchase vanilla beans but lately we have been getting it when we purchase the tropical pack in the bountiful baskets.

Ingredients:

Serves: 10

• 1 1/2 cups walnut pieces
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (do not use imitation vanilla)
• 2 lbs cream cheese, softened
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped, preferably Madagascar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and butter a 10-inch springform pan.
2. In a food processor or blender, pulse walnuts with 1/4 cup of the sugar until finely ground. Add butter and pulse until the mixture looks like moist sand. Press crumbs into bottom of pan. Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges.
3. In a small mixing bowl, mix sour cream with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract. Cover and set aside.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°.
5. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or using a handheld electric mixer, beat cream cheese on low speed with the remaining sugar and the vanilla seeds until JUST combined. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add remaining vanilla extract and the almond extract. Slowly mix in cream until smooth. Pour batter into pan and bake for 65 minutes or until lightly golden and slightly jiggly in the center.
6. Immediately pour the sour cream topping over the cheesecake and smooth the surface with back of spoon or spatula.
7. Return to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes.
8. Place on wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
9. Run a thin sharp knife around cake and remove the ring.
10. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Remove cheesecake and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Return to refrigerator and leave overnight before serving.

My Fondue

So I took one of my family's favorite recipe's and tweaked it so it would make fondue that you could eat all sorts of goodies with. Originally my family would consume this delicious concoction on top of brownies and ice cream. My dad, when i was a baby, would dip my pacifier in hot fudge and give it to me to get me to stop my crying. I am truly a chocoholic because of my dad. THANK YOU!

Home Made Hot Fudge

1 can of evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 12 oz pkg of choc chips
bring ingredients to a boil. boil for 1 min then remove from heat
add:
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp butter

Now when you want to get adventurous you can exchange the choc. chips for other type of chips. for example in the picture above the left jar if full of mint chocolate fudge and the right is peanut butter and chocolate fudge. my mom has also made white chocolate and said it was really yummy. i also substituted the vanilla with almond extract and it was really yummy too.
here are some fun pictures we took.

Salmon and Mediteranian Salad

So I have been getting on a healthy food kick and have been want to experiment with food. So recently i put the two together. I made some Salmon and a Mediterranean salad. The salad wasn't as good as i would have hoped but the salmon was SO delicious. It is made with a citrus salad which is an unexpected and delightful addition to the fish dish. On a scale of one to ten Adam gave the dish a 7 i would say i would give it a 8 or 9. Adam is less of a fish lover so it made sense but he liked it so i guess that is saying something.

and here are the recipes. maybe you the Mediterranean salad will be better for you.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (1-pound) box Israeli couscous (or any small pasta)
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

In a medium saucepan, warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the couscous and cook until toasted and lightly browned, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Carefully add the stock, and the juice of 1 lemon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the couscous is tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the couscous.

In a large bowl, toss the cooked couscous with the remaining olive oil, remaining lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper and let cool.

Once the couscous is room temperature, add the fresh herbs, dried cranberries, and almonds. Toss to combine and serve.\

and here is the salmon

Ingredients

Salsa:

• 2 large oranges
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 scallions, finely sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salmon:

• Vegetable or canola oil, for oiling the grill
• 4 (4 to 5-ounce) center cut salmon fillets, skinned, each about 3-inches square
• 2 tablespoons amber agave nectar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the salsa: Peel and trim the ends from each orange. Using a paring knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and add them to a medium bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, scallions, mint, capers, orange zest, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Toss lightly and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

For the salmon: Put a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the grilling rack with vegetable oil to keep the salmon from sticking. Brush the salmon on both sides with the agave nectar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the salmon to a platter and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Spoon the salsa verde on top of the salmon or serve on the side as an accompaniment.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies for Joseph

So last week we posted a video to go with our video blog and in it we said that we were dedicating that week's blog to Joseph and as a tie to him we would make some cookies (which were one of his favorite treats). So here are the cookies we made. These cookies have become a new favorite of mine and if I make them then I can stop eating them. The first time I made them I think I ate ten in one day. So be warned they are addicting.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 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 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon milk (add this at the very end just to make dough smooth and creamy)
• 1/2 to 1 cup semi-chocolate chips

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter 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 until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Add milk (from 1/2 Tablespoon to 1 Tablespoon just enough to make the dough moist and creamy. Add chocolate chips and mix till just incorporated.  If necessary, cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 36 cookies.