The Perfect Pumpkin Cookie

It's been a challenge finding good recipes for breads and muffins that don't have milk or eggs in them that are still moist and yummy. I love the pumkin bread recipe I've always used, but it calls for orange juice, and Sawyer shouldn't have that either.

Well, I tried this recipe this morning (I found it on this mom blog and I think it's originally from Allrecipes.com) and it is so yummy!!! I made half without chocolate chips for Sawyer and me because I don't normally like chocolate chips in breads like pumpkin or banana. But after eating one of my cookies this morning, I tried another with the chips and it was really good! These are perfect cookies, just the slightest bit of crisp on the outside and fluffy and moist on the inside. Reminded me of muffin tops actually! If you like pumpkin, you have got to try these...

Egg Free Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
Yields: 48 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup shortening, butter, or margarine
  
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Cream the sugar, shortening, pumpkin and vanilla together. Mix until light and well combined.
3. Mix the flour, baking soda and ground cinnamon in separate bowl.
   
4. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Drop by teaspoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes or until set. Let cookies cool on a rack.

Nutrition facts (per serving):Calories (kcal) 146 Protein 1.5g Cals from Protein 3% Total Fat 6.5g Cals from Fat 38% Carbohydrates 21.6g Cals from Carbohydrates 56% Fiber 1g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 75mg

So, my parents are in the air, on their way here from Portland as we speak. We're just spending the morning around here tidying up a bit, getting ready for their visit. They'll be here for two weeks- till just after Sawyer's birthday. My youngest sister, Tricia, and her boyfriend are coming for a short time in there as well. So we'll have a house full for a bit.

Ryan and I are actually going to take off next weekend and go down to visit some friends in Nashville for a couple of days. Savannah's staying here with Gramma and Grandpa for sure, but we haven't decided on whether Sawyer is going to tag along with us or not. The friends we are going to see have a baby boy born last December, so he's just a tad younger than Sawyer and it would be fun to get them together to "play" and meet each other. This is one of Ryan's very best friends, so it's really neat to have boys so close in age.
But on the other hand, now that we don't live near any of our family, this is our one chance to let the kids stay with gramma and get away for a couple of nights. This will probably be our only opportunity to be childless for who knows how long... our chance to sleep in, to not have to chase around a toddler who climbs on everything , to not have to pack diapers and bottles, to have a break from the mommy/daddy job for a minute. Plus that's a long drive with a little one.
So I don't know what we'll decide. It would be fun to bring him... but it would also be nice to just relax on our own. I go back and forth.

Let's see... anything else going on around here?
Not sure how often I'll hop on here to write with the family here. Could be less if we're busy... could be more if I need to escape! We'll see!!!