Our Humble Abode

I love making my own season mixes. I know exactly what is in them. No extra ingredients that I can't pronounce. It makes cooking easier and less expensive than premade mixes at the store. Today I refilled my Pinto Bean Seasoning. You can adjust it to your liking! Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #PintoBeanSeasoning #pintobeans #seasoning #HomemadeSeasoning #yallgomakeyousome #ad Get your label maker here: https://amzn.to/3YR9OyD Pinto Bean Seasoning 3 TBSP Chili Powder 2 TBSP Onion Powder 2 TBSP Garlic Powder 2 TBSP + 2 tsp Salt 1 TBSP Cumin 1 TBSP Paprika Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Keep in a jar with a lid in a cool dry place. Add 3 TBSP seasoning mix per 1 lb of pinto beans. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

One more Valentine Dessert! These Crinkle Cookies have to be the easiest cookies on the planet. Just 4 ingredients plus food coloring. That's it!! You can make them any color you want, so they can be for Valentine's, St Patrick's, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas! They are so soft and they stay that way! Y'all go make some for your honey! #OurHumbleAbode #CrinkleCookies #cookies #easycookies #cakemixcookies #YallGoMakeYouSome Crinkle Cookies 1 box white cake mix 2 eggs 1/3 cup vegetable oil food coloring 1/3 cup powdered sugar, to roll dough in to coat In a mixing bowl, blend cake mix, eggs & oil until well mixed. Add a few drops of food coloring, color of your choice. Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll 1 TBSP dough into balls and coat in powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Keep in an airtight container.

I have to admit, crockpot meals are some of my favorites. I absolutely love being able to put dinner on to cook while I'm gone or just busy doing other things during the day. Angel Chicken tastes like you slaved all day over a hot stove. So good! Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #CrockpotAngelChicken #AngelChicken #CrockpotMeal #Slowcooker #SlowcookerMeal #Chicken #ChickenDinner #dinner #YallGoMakeYouSome Crockpot Angel Chicken 1.5 lbs boneless chicken breast, can be frozen 3 cloves garlic, minced 4 oz cream cheese ¼ cup or 1/2 stick butter 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup ¾ cup chicken stock 2 TBSP or 0.7 oz Italian dressing mix 1 lb angel hair pasta Line crockpot with liner. Add chicken breast & top with garlic. In a large microwave safe bowl, add butter and cream cheese and cook until butter is melted. Whisk until smooth. Add cream of chicken soup, Italian dressing mix, & chicken stock. Whisk until smooth & creamy. Pour over chicken breasts. Cover & cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. 30 minutes before serving, shred chicken breasts with two forks, put back into pot. Cook the angel hair pasta & drain. Serve chicken over the pasta.

Did you know you can make your own Dishwasher Rinse Aid? It is something that your dishwasher must have to work properly. It helps keep your dishes sparkling clean and also helps to dry your dishes. The rinse aid you buy at the store has approximately 14 different ingredients and many I can't even pronounce! This homemade rinse aid is made with four all-natural products. Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #DishwasherRinseAid #RinseAid #Dishwasher #YallGoMakeYouSome Dishwasher Rinse Aid 12 oz or larger bottle 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide 1/2 cup alcohol 1 TBSP citric acid 2 TBSP lemon juice Add hydrogen peroxide, alcohol & citric acid to a bottle. Mix to dissolve citric acid then add lemon juice. Mix. Add to dishwasher rinse aid compartment monthly. Once a month, add 3 - 4 TBSPs of citric acid to the bottom of your dishwasher with NO DISHES and run on a sanitization setting to clean.

It is so cold outside today! This super fast soup will get you warmed up on the inside! No thawing out meat, just 7 cans, 15 - 30 minutes, and you're done! Everybody stay warm and be safe out there! Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #7CanSoup #Soup #quicksoup #ComfortFood #yallgomakeyousome 7 Can Soup 1 (15 oz) can chili, NO beans 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes & green chilies 1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans 1 (15 oz) can black beans 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans 1 (15 oz) can whole kernal corn or fiesta corn or mexicorn Pour all cans in a large pot and mix. Cook on medium high heat until heated through. Stir occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 - 30 minutes. While simmering, you can make some cornbread or get your corn chips or tortilla chips ready. Put in a bowl, cover with chips, cheese, and sour cream. You can freeze the leftovers for another cold day!

How about another Valentine Dessert? Strawberry Angel Food Trifle. If you love Strawberry Short Cake, you will absolutely LOVE this one. It takes it up a notch! And, it's a beautiful dessert, too! Y'all go make your honey some! #OurHumbleAbode #StrawberryAngelFoodTrifle #AngelFoodCake #Trifle #Strawberry #Dessert #ValentineDessert #yallgomakeyousome Strawberry Angel Food Trifle 1 (13 oz) Angel Food Cake, make a box cake or buy premade 1 1/2 cups water 3 oz box of Strawberry gelatin 1 lb frozen sliced strawberries 8 oz whipped topping Strawberries for garnish Cut cake into 1 - 2 inch cubes. Place about 1/3 of them in the bottom of a trifle bowl. In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Slowly stir in gelatin until dissolved. Add frozen strawberries and stir. Pour into a large bowl and add whipped topping, stirring until creamy. Add remaining angel food cake cubes and stir until all is coated well. Pour onto cake in trifle bowl. Top with strawberries, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. Keep refrigerated.

Crockpot Chicken Soft Tacos - Hat tip to my good friend Emily for this recipe! We used to make a huge pot of these for parties. I sure do miss those days. They are so easy for entertaining or for those days when you know you won't have time to cook or will just be out of the house all day. I hope you enjoy them! Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #CrockpotChickenSoftTacos #ChickenSoftTacos #SoftTacos #Tacos #MexicanDish #chicken #crockpot #yallgomakeyousome 3 - 6 Large frozen chicken breasts 24 oz jar chunky salsa flour tortillas optional sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese Place frozen chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cover with salsa. Cook on low for about 6 hours. Shred chicken and cook for another 30 minutes. Strain to remove some of the juices. Enjoy with your favorite toppings.

Did you know you can make your own homemade mayo? It is so much better for you than store bought. I still use the store bought to make my biscuits, but this is so good on your sandwich or burger. Zero preservatives and you can add whatever spices you like. Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #HomemadeMayo #mayo #AllNaturalMayo #YallGoMakeYouSome Homemade Mayo 1 cup Avocado Oil 1 large egg, at room temperature 1 1/2 TBSP lemon juice, or the juice of 1/2 a lemon 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp sugar Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix with an emulsifier until smooth and creamy. Store in a glass jar with a good lid. Keep refrigerated.

We were getting scary low on taco seasoning, so it was time for a refill! You can adjust the spices to your liking! Y'all go make you some!! #OurHumbleAbode #HomemadeTacoSeasoning #TacoSeasoning #tacos #seasoning #yallgomakeyousome Homemade Taco Seasoning 3/4 cup Chili Powder 1 TBSP Garlic Powder 1 TBSP Onion Powder or Flakes 1 TBSP Oregano 2 TBSP Paprika 6 TBSP Cumin 1/4 cup Salt 3 TBSP Pepper Mix together and keep in an airtight container. To use, brown one pound of ground beef, bison, turkey, venison, or pork. Add 2 TBSP of Taco Seasoning and 2 TBSP - 1/4 cup of water, depending on how juicy you like your tacos. Simmer for 15 minutes and enjoy!

Homemade biscuits are so much easier than you think! They stay soft longer than store bought frozen or canned biscuits. Anybody can do it! Get the kids in there to help and make it fun! Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #TheEasiestTall&FluffyBiscuits #Tall&FluffyBiscuits #FluffyBiscuits #Biscuits #HomemadeBiscuits #MayoBiscuits #YallGoMakeYouSome The Easiest Tall & Fluffy Biscuits 2 cups Self-rising Flour, sifted 1 TBSP Sugar 1/3 cup Mayonnaise 1 TBSP Melted Butter 3/4 - 1 cup Whole Milk Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Sift flour into a medium bowl. Add sugar and mix together. Add mayo, butter and 3/4 cup milk and mix. If it is still too dry, add a tiny bit of milk and mix. Continue until dough pulls away from sides and is not too sticky. Flour your surface and press dough out. Fold over from all four sides and press flat. Fold over from all four sides once more and press out to 1/2" - 3/4" thick. Cut out with a biscuit cutter and place on a greased flat iron pan. Start in the middle with sides touching. Bake between 10-12 minutes.

Honey Garlic Pork Chops... it's what's for dinner! Yummm! We like to have this one with white rice and a green veggie. Tonight was zucchini. Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #HoneyGarlicPorkChops #porkchops #pork #dinner #yallgomakeyousome

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄T-I-M-B-E-R 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 Our tree guy came over to take out one of our huge dead Cottonwoods today. We lost one in an October storm and figured we better get this one down and where we want it to go. He has removed two other trees for us in the past, and it is always mindblowing how he drops them exactly where he wants them! This tree was between 80 and 100' tall. It took three grown men to put their arms around its base. 🤯

Hey my friends! It's been a little while since I've seen you! I was feeling a little under the weather the last week. 😔 But, I'm all better now! Check out this money saving way to make your very own Dishwasher Detergent! You can save up to $1.12/wash! It is so easy and the kids could even help and have fun doing it! Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #HomemadeDishwasherDetergent #DIYDishwasherDetergent #DishwasherDetergent #DishwasherTabs #yallgomakeyousome Dishwasher Detergent Comparison My recipe/80 pods Super Washing Soda ~ $2.03* Citric Acid ~ $2.50* (when you buy 10 lbs) Dishwashing Liquid - miniscule amt Total ~ $0.06/tablet or wash * When you use Subscribe & Save ------------------------------------------------- Walmart brand Basic - $0.10.5/tablet OR Cascade Complete 0 $0.26.9/tablet LemiShine Booster ~ $0.91/wash Total ~ $1.02 - $1.18/wash Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Recipe 3 cups Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 1 1/2 cups citric acid 3 TBSPs dishwashing liquid In a large mixing bowl, whisk together soda & citric acid until there are no lumps. Be sure you have time set aside for the next step, as you cannot leave it or it will turn into a rock. :-) Add the dishwashing liquid and whisk/stir together until all powder is mixed in. Immediately, add to your silicone molds and press down firmly. Let sit for 24 hours then dump out and separate. They will stick together if they are touching. Let sit another 24 hours. Place in your favorite air tight container! Mold link Mity rain 2 Pack 40-Cavity Square Caramel Candy Silicone Molds,Chocolate Truffles Mold for Fat Bombs Keto Snacks, Whiskey Ice Cube Tray,Grid Fondant Mould,Hard Candy Mold Pralines Gummy Jelly Mold https://a.co/d/6nqXOMw

Tomorrow is our anniversary, so I made Texas Hot Chocolate Cake to celebrate. YUMMM! It is so moist & delicious! You can add pecans or whatever nuts you like to the icing. Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #TexasHotChocolateCake #TexasSheetCake #ChocolateSheetCake #SheetCake #ChocolateCake #cake #chocolate #yallgomakeyousome Texas Hot Chocolate Cake 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1 cup water 1/2 cup oil 3 TBSPs cocoa powder 1 stick butter 2 large eggs 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup whole buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp cinnamon Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift flour & sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Bring to boil water, oil, cocoa, & butter in a saucepan. Pour over flour mixture & blend. Add in buttermilk, vanilla, soda, salt & cinnamon. Mix well. Add eggs & whisk until creamy. It may be a little runny, but don't worry! Bake in a greased & floured 16 x 11 or 17 x 12 pan. Use Baker's Joy for a cleaner kitchen. Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Immediately poke holes with a fork. Pour icing over the hot cake. Icing 1 stick butter 3 TBSPs cocoa powder 6 TBSPs whole milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 1/8 tsp cinnamon 1/2 - 1 cup chopped pecans, or nuts of your choice (optional) Heat butter, cocoa, & milk until butter is melted. Add vanilla, cinnamon & sugar & nuts. Beat well & frost cake while it's hot!

Baked Chicken Parmesan! It's what's for dinner! It's a pretty quick and easy meal I threw together many years ago when all the girls were busy in sports. Time is precious and you still want a good tasting meal. Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #BakedChickenParmesan #ChickenParmesan #chicken #chickenrecipes #chickendish #Italiandish #AngelHairPasta #yallgomakeyousome Baked Chicken Parmesan Chicken Breasts Bread crumbs Italian Seasonings Garlic salt Grated Parmesan Cheese Angel Hair pasta, cooked to directions on package Shredded Mozzarella cheese Pasta Sauce Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a plate, mix bread crumbs, Italian seasonings, garlic salt, & Parmesan cheese. Coat chicken breasts with crumbs and add to casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes then cover each breast with pasta sauce & Mozzarella cheese. Bake 15 more minutes. While chicken is baking, prepare pasta. Drain & add pasta sauce to get it warm. Make some garlic toast. To plate, add pasta to plate and place chicken breast on top. Add a side salad & enjoy!

We are starting the year off right with Monkey Bread! You could add some toasted pecans in the bottom of the pan if you like. Some people like raisins scattered throughout. You can make it your own! Have a great first day of 2023! Y'all go make you some Monkey Bread! #OurHumbleAbode #MonkeyBread #CinnamonChunks #PullApartBread #biscuits #biscuitrecipe #breakfast #breakfastrecipe #yallgomakeyousome Monkey Bread 3 cans buttermilk or homestyle biscuits (10 count, NOT jumbo or flaky) 3/4 cup sugar + 3/4 cup sugar, divided 1 TBSP cinnamon 1 stick butter, not margarine 1 TBSP vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a Bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cut biscuits into quarters. Add 3/4 cup of sugar & cinnamon to a container with a good lid. Mix together. Add biscuit quarters 1 can at a time and shake. Add to Bundt pan evenly. Continue with rest of biscuits. Melt butter and add 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla. Mix well and pour evenly over biscuits in pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Only let stand for a couple of minutes and turn over onto a cake plate or large serving plate. Enjoy!

It's time for Black-Eyed Peas!!! Did you know this New Year tradition started back during the Civil War? Black-Eyed peas & greens were just about all families had left to keep them alive when the men went off to fight. It became a staple of "good luck." Be sure you have at least a bite! This is how we like ours. Southern Black-Eyed Peas, y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #BlackEyedPeas #NewYearsEve #NewYear #peas #tradition #NewYearsEveTradition #yallgomakeyousome Southern Black-Eyed Peas 12 oz bag frozen Black-Eyed Peas water to cover 3 slices bacon, uncooked 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 to 1 1/2 tsp salt, to your taste Place peas in a medium sauce pan and cover well with water. Add bacon & seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Stir every 10 minutes until tender. Taste and adjust seasonings to your taste.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I made some Copycat Casa Ole Queso to snack on while we wait on 2023 to arrive. I hope you have a very Blessed & Prosperous New Year! Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #CopycatCasaOleQueso #CopycatRecipe #CasaOleQueso #Queso #CheeseDip #YallGoMakeYouSome Copycat Casa Ole Queso 2 lbs (32 oz) American cheese, grated 1 1/4 cups + 1 1/2 TBSPs water, divided 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper 1 1/2 TBSPs chopped jalapeno, more or less to your taste Combine cheese and 1 1/4 cups water in the top of a double boiler, or in a non-stick stock pot and bring to a boil, cooking on medium heat. Stir every couple of minutes. Do not let it stick & burn! While cheese is melting, combine onion, celery, bell pepper & jalapeno in a saucepan with 1 1/2 TBSPs water. Saute over medium heat until onions begin to get translucent. When cheese is melted & smooth, add vegetables & mix thoroughly. Simmer 5 minutes. Make ahead of time if possible. The flavors will mingle with time. Keep leftovers refrigerated. It can also be frozen.

Oreo Balls are what my oldest daughter asks for at the holidays. What are some of your kids favorites? I'd love to learn new recipes! Send me your favorites and I'll try them and make a video! I can't wait to see what you come up with! Well, it is Christmas Day. This year went so fast! The Holidays snuck up on me quickly! I hope you are with the ones you love. I hope you reminisce of Christmases past and make new memories to always remember. Merry Christmas everybody! 🌲🌲🌲 #ourhumbleabode #OreoBalls #oreos #chocolatesandwichcookies #oreodessert #dessert #yallgomakeyousome Oreo Balls Makes about 27 1" balls 38 Oreo cookies, divided (regular Oreos, not double-stuf) 8 oz cream cheese, softened Almond Bark or chocolate candy melts Chop up 36 cookies in a food processor until fine like coffee grounds. Do the same with the 2 remaining cookies and set aside for sprinkling on the balls after dipped in chocolate. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth & creamy. Add the chopped Oreos and blend until combined. Scoop out a heaping TBSP of the mixture and roll into a ball. Place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Place in the freezeer for about 30 minutes. Melt almond bark or candy melts until smooth. Dip balls in chocolate to cover and place on wax paper lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with chopped Oreos. Keep refrigerated.

It is so cold outside, so this Christmas Spiced Tea feels so good! It is good for the soul, too! Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #ChristmasSpicedTeaMix #Christmastea #tea #spicedtea #yallgomakeyousome Christmas Spiced Tea Mix 1 1/2 cup lemonade mix 1 1/2 cup unsweetened instant tea mix 2 1/2 cups Tang orange drink mix 1/2 cup sugar 3 1/2 tsps pumpkin pie spice Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl and pour into your favorite container. Add 3 - 4 TBSPs of mix per 12 oz of hot water and mix. Enjoy!

I made my honey's very favorite treat today! He's gonna be so happy! He calls it Arkansas Mud, but most people call it No-Bake Cookies. Whatever you call it, it's still so yummy! Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #ArkansasMud #NoBakeCookies #chocolate #cookies #peanutbutter #oatmeal #yallgomakeyousome Arkansas Mud (No-Bake Cookies) Ingredients • 3 1/2 cups white sugar • 1 cup milk • 1 cup butter • 8 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder • 1 cup peanut butter • 6 cups quick-cooking oats • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions 1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let completely cool.

Sometimes you just get in the mood for something and this time it was guacamole. 😁 This is a really easy recipe that my mom always used. We don't like a lot of chunky things in our guacamole. This one is just full of flavor. Y'all go make you some! #ourhumbleabode #Mamasguacamole #guacamole #Mexicanfood #Mexicandip #dip #avocado #yallgomakeyousome Mama's Guacamole 3 large ripe avocados, peeled & mashed lime juice 1 cup small curd cottage cheese onion powder garlic powder salt pepper cayenne pepper cilantro Mix all ingredients adding spices to your liking. Keep the avocado pits to add to the bowl for preserving the green color.

I quit using fabric softener and dryer sheets a few years ago. They are so toxic and are even bad for your washer & dryer! Go check the detergents and cleaning formulas you use at www.ewg.org . You can type in the search bar and see how yours rates. I used Downy and the one I was using is rated a big fat F. I also make my own laundry detergent, but I just made some about 2 months ago and it normally lasts me about a year. I'll share that one with you a little later. This video shows you how to use wool dryer balls and has my recipe to cut down on static and give your laundry your favorite scent using essential oils. All natural! Y'all go make you some! #ourhumbleabode #DryerBallSpray #dryerballs #wooldryerballs #toxicfree #essentialoils #laundry #yallgomakeyousome Dryer Ball Spray 16 oz glass spray bottle White Vinegar 1 TBSP essential oil (your favorite scent) Pour vinegar into spray bottle, leaving enough room for the oil & so the sprayer doesn't displace the liquid out of the bottle. Pour in the essential oil. Replace sprayer and shake. Spritz about three sprays on each wool dryer ball and toss in with laundry. You can even spray a few squirts directly on the laundry. Dry as usual. No more toxins!

Today we had Granny's Hotcakes for breakfast! My Granny Mosley made the very best hotcakes. She had a cafe in Crane, TX many, many years ago. It was next to their boot & shoe repair shop, so they called it Boots n Sirloin. My granny was such an amazing cook. She could also make shoes, boots & sandals! I use her pancake mix recipe to start with, but I'm not sure the family would let me share it with anyone yet. I'll have to get back to you on that one. 😉 Scott likes his pancakes plain & fried in butter. I like any kind, but today I made blueberry pancakes for me. I poured some of my Hot Buttermilk Syrup over the top and MMMMMMmmmmm, it was soooo good! Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #GrannysHotcakes #pancakes #hotcakes #breakfast #breakfastrecipes #blueberrypancakes #yallgomakeyousome Granny's Hotcakes Makes 6 (4"-5" pancakes) 1 cup pancake mix 1 cup whole buttermilk 2 TBSPs vegetable oil 1 egg separated 1 tsp vanilla Get griddle warming to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, add pancake mix, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla and the yolk of the egg & mix well. In a separate bowl, beat egg white until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg white into batter. When griddle is hot, spoon batter onto griddle and spread around a bit, so it's not too thick. Bubbles will begin to form on the top. When those bubbles start popping in the middle, that means it is cooked through. Keep checking the bottom to make sure it doesn't get too dark. Flip and cook the other side until golden. Add butter & your favorite syrup! You can also add your favorite fruit or chocolate chips to the batter before cooking. It's up to you!

Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies! These cookies stay soft and don't get crunchy. Everyone always asks me for the recipe. I even add some red or green food coloring to make them Christmasy! Let me know how you like them! Y'all go make you some! #OurHumbleAbode #BestEverChocolateChipCookies #ChocolateChipCookies #cookies #pecans #yallgomakeyousome Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups all purpose flour 2 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup chopped pecans (optional) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together butter & sugars until light & fluffy. Add egg & vanilla and blend. Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips & pecans. Using a tablespoon scoop, drop onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, until barely turning golden around the edges. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Let cool for about 5 minutes then move to a cooling rack. You can add red or green food coloring for Christmas colors.