Original Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Thrift Finds

It's been raining practically all day yesterday, and I have not had the desire to go outside in the rain, to do any errands, except just to chill out inside my condo apartment, open the windows in my living room and listen to the rain. I just love watching summer rain, and listen to the rain drops. Sounds corny, but it's one of the sounds of nature that I love so much. In the early morning, I love to open my back windows in the bedroom, just to hear the cricket sounds, and watch the lush greenery of the enormous grape leave trees. The clean fresh air, even if it's 79 to 81 degrees F. in the morning, I love to open my windows and get the nice cross breeze from the ocean, which is only about 100 ft. away.

I'm linking this to:

 Full Plate Thursday 8-11-11 @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage

I decided to bake cookies last night, and I always refer to the Original Nestle Toll House Cookies recipe.

The only adaptation I use for the full recipe, is instead of 2 sticks of butter, I substitute 1 cup of Crisco all vegetable shortening, which equals to the 1 stick of butter. The reason for that is...my cookies always come out so perfect and just the right amount of crispiness. It never flattens down, as it would with the full amount of the butter. So that's my little secret "tip!"

Now, do you see what I mean?...Perfect cookies every time! Later, I plan to make enchiladas, which I have not made in ages...one filled with leftover rotisserie chicken, and the other vegetarian.

In the meantime, here's the link to the Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. Yeayy!!! saves me from typing it all out! Trust me on this one. Perfect cookies every time!

 Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since my blog originally started out as a Thrift Finds blog...but unfortunately I can't seem to hook up with thrift blogs...wonder if they have a Thrift Community, as we do have a Foodbuzz Community. I tried, but they "snub" me for some reason. Is it because I combine it with the food?...don't know, but at any rate I still enjoy finding some awesome thrift items...no! not the fresh rosemary, or the sea shells, but the vase, so pretty. I use the sea shells that I found on the beach last year...sorry to say, but this year it's as if they are extinct! The fresh rosemary, I use as a decor, it has such wonderful aroma permeating throughout my apartment. My ex-hubby grows these gorgeous rosemary in his garden. Every time he comes to visit, he brings me a bunch of fresh herbs. I have so much in my freezer as well, and I thought this would be a nice way to display it...just put it in water, add about 1 Tbsp. white vinegar, and a couple of ice cubes, and with the sea shells they make a pretty "conversation piece" on your table!

These shells are so gorgeous...last year at this time I was able to scoop up dozens, and dozens, of these beautiful shells, just could not resist them. This year just little generic ordinary ones are to be found!

These rosemarys are not just any ordinary rosemary bushes. They were originally brought here from Sicily...just a little baby bush, smuggled in the suitcase, wrapped up in wet newspaper, and in a plastic bag, and they thrived, over the last few years. They must love the South Florida climate.

Another beautiful thrift find...this cobalt blue vase!
I just love, love, cobalt blue vases, glasses, dishes. I have always said..."you gotta have at least one cobalt blue vase in your house."
The cost of this gorgeous heavy crystal vase?...under $5.00, and the other, the same! I love collecting vases, and giving them as gifts as well!

The bronze colored crystal platter that these amazing and gorgeous "hand picked" sea shells and corals are on, is also a thrift find...as is the glass dish that the sea glass collection is in. I collected these shells last year! Some were in the ocean, and you could actually see them when you you would go in the water...of course, the ocean water would be crystal clear, and no waves.

I would first clean them from the sand, and bring them upstairs to soak in my kitchen sink, with bleach and water...let them dry, and display them. As for the sea glass, they are very rare! I've been collecting them for the last ten years. From what I learned...they are at least 50 to 100 or more years old. Bottles that were tossed into the ocean, and over the decades and centuries would be washed ashore, shaped and formed the way they are from the ocean. They are not jagged, they look like jewels. To me, this represents, the past of all the people that have been out there on ships, and boats...they have good "vibes"...as do the shells, as well. It brings peace, and serenity from the great vast ocean!

I'm sharing more, than I probably shouldn't, about what I like...now you get to know a little more about my lifestyle, and the things that I love! This is my beautiful Scandinavian dining room table, that is a true "Deco" piece from the fifties, which I purchased 15 years ago at an Antique Consignment shop, and had the seats recovered at least three times, since then.

Originally the seats were yellow vinyl...yuck...they were so ugly. Now, they are Zen Green, with a soft floral design like "Lilly Pulitzer"...my dining room walls are also a Zen Green, from Lowe's. On the floor to the right is my kitties' food, on a tray. In the background is another chest, an antique, that I purchased in West Palm Beach "Antique Rowe"...way overpriced, but I also had this now for over 10 years. On the chest to the left, is another Cobalt Blue Vase, filled to the rim with the same sea shells, as in the clear vase. Anyone that enters into my place immediately feels a calmness, and peace...seriously! They all tell me, over, and over. I wonder why?...is it the Cobalt Blue, The Zen Green walls? The Sea Shells? The Sea Glass? The Antique Furniture? The Sicilian Rosemary?...They all have a story to tell!

I always keep fresh flowers in the vase, or other greens, or "baby breath"...all, very economical!
Have a wonderful Wednesday, my friend!...Be kind to one another, and say at least one positive thing to a friend, that would put a smile on their face!