Oven-Fried Potato Chip Onion Rings Recipe (#3/5 in Potato Chip Series)

Momma Told Me: Let's get crunchy.

Growing up there was one thing I especially enjoyed about eating out; okay there may have been two. No, it wasn't the endless barrage of kid's meals with chintzy coloring pages. Besides, those 'activity placemats' usually came with just 2 crayons, and it was a minor miracle if they were two different colors, let alone anything that would work into the coloring design. But I digress. Aesthetic place mat issues aside, my family would often visit Chili's, back when the Awesome Blossom was, well, awesomely on the menu, and we didn't have to trek to the Outback for our fix of Whole Fried Onion and 'Bloomin' sauce. I've seen these onions go home before, half slumped over, and sad, in a Styrofoam container, likely never to be eaten again (because we all know fried food doesn't reheat quite the same). This never occurred in our small 3 person family, where my father and I would go head-to-eat, strand-for-strand in a fried onion eating contests of sorts. Yes, I despise onions in all other forms, but give me a properly fried piece of onion, slathered in creamy 'special sauce,' and I'm there like an ant at a picnic.

You may recall that we are on Post #3, of our 5 part series featuring potato chips in cooking and baking. The first two recipes were a tad bit shocking for some, who I hope have now reconsidered the salty/sweet combo as a reasonable stretch. The simple fact is that both the PB+J Thumbprint Cookies, and Potato Chip Brownie recipe can in fact be made without the potato chips if desired (I designed them that way for those still being awoken to the fried potato possibilities). Today, there is no substitution on the chips, they are the proverbial, okay, actual, breading that holds this recipe together. However, a friend of mine pointed out on Facebook that some people have onion allergies, or a simple distaste for onions, and I humbly suggest you try this recipe with Zucchini slices, and perhaps a sprinkle of shaved Parmesan!

That's right, today we are featuring Onion Rings made with a generous crumbled chip 'batter.' But these aren't just any onion rings. I recall the first time I attempted to make onion rings at home- it was a rousing un-sucess. 20 seconds after hitting the rolling oil all of the batter was floating North, with sad browned onions sinking to the bottom. It was an anti-climatic affair; but I picked up my knife and oil, and hit the books again. That's how I learned you can actually Oven-Fry your onion rings (and I suspect many other things). Of course, like anything else dealing with hot oil, it is important to be extremely careful when handling your baking pan, and to always use a utensil when turning frying food. And, naturally, this will present some of the usual issues 'frying' things do; such as the light smoke scent as the oil reaches temperature, and the cleanup of said oil. But, in all, this recipe uses considerably much less oil, and I reckon is far healthier than traditional frying.

So I have you intrigued? I'll admit, my mind was blown at first, and I was indeed skeptical of a process that sounded like it might be best off left on Pinterest than in my oven. However, this simple recipe yields the most amazingly crispy, wonderfully flavorful, perfectly cooked slices of fried onion I've ever had. Not to mention, they look awfully gourmet, which is sure to garner plenty of compliments at your next cook out or game day celebration. This recipe also uses Low-Fat Plain yogurt, which drops the calorie count once again, over traditional cream based batters. Lastly, this recipe is perfect for even novice home chefs, and is virtually fool-proof, so long as you get your oil hot enough, in the oven, and turn once halfway through cooking (over-handling before the batter has set might result in sticking of flaking).

Oven Fried Potato Chip Onion Rings might sound odd at first, but it's no further a leap than potato chip (or corn flake) battered chicken. Cooking with potato chips, especially in recipes such as this, help find creative uses for those leftover crumbs from your Fourth of July gathering, and offer a great chance to get out some aggression pounding stray chips into crumbs (or you can do it the dull way and use a food processor). The recipe calls for some spices, such as Cayenne and Pepper, but I prefer to substitute Chipotle Powder, as I'm lucky enough to have a bottle of it on hand, which brings more flavor and less heat to the recipe. Make it however you like, just prepare for the compliments! If you're looking for an Awesome Blossom like experience, there are several recipes online to modify Ranch dressing. See our Double Chocolate Potato Chip Brownie recipe in our first series post.

What Daughter Says: Put a twist on this fried appetizer classic with the addition of potato chips and an oven!

Oven-Fried Potato Chip Onion Rings

****click here for printable Potato Chip Onion Rings recipe

Ingredients:

* 3/4 C, plus 2 TBS All Purpose Flour

* 1 C Plain Yogurt (Low Fat Okay)

* 2 Eggs

* 2 Large Onions

* 4 C Fresh Finely Crushed Potato Chips (Thicker, like Ruffles, work best)

* 3 TBSP Vegetable Oil

* 1/2 TSP Salt

* 1/4 TSP Black Pepper

* 1/4 TSP Cayenne

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 390F

1.)  In a large mixing bowl combine 1/4 C Flour, 1/2 TSP Salt, and 1/4 C Cayenne (or seasoning substitute, such as Chipotle Powder).

2.) In a medium mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, eggs, and 1/2 C plus 2 TBSP Flour. Whisk until batter is smooth.

3.) Peel the onions and slice them into 1/2" thick rings.

4.) Cover a baking sheet with parchment or foil and drizzle with the vegetable oil, then pre-heat it in the hot oven for 8MINS, or until oil begins to smoke.

5.) Toss the onion slices in the flour mixture. Dip each ring into the batter, and allow the batter to dribble the excess off. Next, dip the rings in the crumbled potato chips (the finer the better).

6.) Place the rings on the baking sheet and bake for 8MINS, then flip each ring, once, and bake an additional 8MINS. You will likely have more rings than will fit on one sheet, and have to bake in batches. Sprinkle with salt, while they are still hot, to add additional flavor.

@ZuoModern Contemporary Furniture Review + Giveaway~ 7/23

Momma Told Me: Furniture should function, first.


I won't lie, I've always been attracted to furniture for it's design elements, not necessarily it's functionality. Bright colors and interesting shapes, or textures, draw me in every time. I've always dreamy of having a chic avant-garde living room full of modern contemporary furniture, with sweeping bucket lamps and a Union Jack Couch. Maybe it's because I spent my childhood amidst the Spice Girls invasion, or the numerous pieces of blow-up furniture that constantly rotated throughout my room. I know it didn't come from Momma; who will offer a 'That's cool' when we'd pass such pieces, but secretly meant 'That's cool for someone else, and you will never see it in my house.' In fact, furniture is a topic Momma and I have long disagreed on. My tastes vacillate between country rustic to bright and modern, depending on my mood, and the room.

Given an unlimited budget, I would outfit my entire home with Zuo Modern Contemporary furniture. It's not that Zuo is outrageously priced, it's that one's design priorities simply change on the outer stretch of their twenties with kids and pets afoot. So I pick and choose my battles wisely, and compromise with the slow transformation of my single father's home. (Though I fully intend to invest in a piece of the brand's Union Jack furniture by the end of the year, as a special treat toe me.) But I digress, Zuo is an impressive meld of Ethan Allen meets IKEA, with their two vastly different Modern and Era collections. Covering everything from seating and lighting to outdoor and storage, I would wager money in Vegas there is a piece to be fallen in love with for every taste and style. In fact, it's hard to believe the same design brand that brings you the Artemis (Gun) Table Lamp is the same that sells the Haight Ashbury antiqued elm table. Zuos styles vacillate from Country Royalty to 60s British Glam, and I find it striking that I can't take sides with one over the other!

Just one click over to the Zuo catalog and you're sure to lose a good hour of time Pinning and dreaming of your perfect space. When the opportunity arose for me to select a piece of modern contemporary furniture to review here on Momma Told Me, I found the task too overwhelming. I decided the opportunity would be best taken advantage of with yet another upgrade to my father's home space. When my parents divorced, some 10+ years ago now, my father remained in the house I had spent the second half of my childhood in. It's a newer (built in 2ks) single story 4BR, with plenty of white walls and the slightly light lavender carpeting my mother had picked out when it was built. In fact, Momma had picked out all of our family's furniture, including floral window treatments with lace accents. It was, by no means, suitable for a bachelor pad.

Of course, my father is no 'ordinary' bachelor. I inherited many of my 'Type A' tenancies from he, who tends to over-think decisions the average person takes for granted, and has an innate need for crisp and harmonious design. That is to bluntly say he is a man that appreciates order, yet the finer notes of design as well. So, while the seafoam green, cream, and pink Southwestern (you know the print) sofas remain in the secondary living space, his main living room has been slowly transformed into a more rustic aged wood and Lazy-Boy den. This living room opens up into the kitchen via a breakfast nook, which has long been plagued by the inexpensive painted wood stools Momma picked up when we had moved in. Even worse, my Pop had left the burgundy red pillow toppers on these stools for 'comfort,' throwing the entire design of this section of the house off.

But have no fear, this loving daughter, with an eye for design, and a love for her dad, stepped in with the Zuo catalog to save the day. I daresay he spend well over an hour combing the various furniture options himself. Barstools alone take up an entire search results page on their website. But there was one option that stood apart from the chrome accented rest; the Distressed Natural Twin Peaks Barstool. With a solid Elmwood seat and antique metal base, this stool utilizes the same mechanisms as drafters chairs from the early 1900s. When the set arrived I was initially surprised as to just how antiqued the metal was, and how rustic the seat appeared in person. We had ordered a pair, and one of the seats featured two panels of wood noticeably darker than the others; so showroom shopping would be best for those picky about notes like that. For us, it was an instant hit; we loved the character of both pieces, and I knew it would fit in well with my father's 'rustic' living room accents.

The Twin Peaks Barstool arrived fully assembled, nestled amongst a sea of packing peanuts (so do unpack these outside). They have a very simple 'spinning' design that enables the seat to move up or down, depending on the direction you rotate it. This means these stools easily transition into numerous bar heights, and accommodates several size humans. I was surprised to find just how comfortable these solid wood seats were, but attribute that factor to the generous width of the seat. I was also happy to note that the mechanism, which changes the height of the stool is whisper quiet. In all honesty, the only issue we encountered was a need to find some feet pads for the angles metal legs, that might dig into the plush carpeting over time. Other than that, this Zuo find has been a huge hit, garnishing compliments from friends and family alike.

I've now made it a point to follow Zuo's new furniture releases, and look forward to that time in the not-so-distant future when I can acquire my Union Jack piece.

What Daughter Says: Don't choose function over style, have them both, with thoughtfully designed pieces from Zuo.

One Momma Told Me reader will win 2 Twin Peaks Barstools from Zuo!

Saturday State of The Woof: Family Update

Momma Told Me: Live like there's only one shoe left to chew on.

Do you ever just have one of those weeks? Months? Years? Sometimes life can get a little tricky to navigate, but I honestly feel like it's just another challenge- double dog dare obstacles meant to be conquered and triumphed over. I've never really turned away from something simply because it's hard, if anything, setbacks and unforeseen circumstances only drive me more determined towards my goal. I never minded work, back when I pulled a regular 9-5, and even my schooling was just another hurdle I was eager to tackle. Such enthusiasm for life, however, does tend to bring it's own lulls. And it's the times in my life where I feel least challenged that I get mopey and bored. I shouldn't ever, really. I have a great life, with a great family, and I make money doing what I love best. However, as much as I may complain when the going get's tough, I find myself yearning for that opposition when things settle back down.

June was a whirlwind for our family. I went all out for my Pop's birthday, and Father's Day, celebrating both twice. I made 4 cakes in total, and organized a few secret surprises; including the coordination of several family members paying his entire Summer (bowling) league fees in full. It was exhausting, but entirely worth it to me; I receive an immense amount of gratification doing unexpected things for others. I haven't quite learned how to indulge myself yet- so this is an even compromise.

My father's birthday is just before my grandfather's (his dad), and Father's Day follows less than a week later. As it turns out Momma's pop had a heart attack on Father's Day, but was walking around unaware for almost 24 hours! Thankfully my Aunt lives across the street and finally convinced him to go into the ER after a day of unrelenting back and chest pain. Don't worry, all is well now- he was discharged 72 hours later after a thorough cleaning of his valves (which revealed a scar tissue blockage from an injury some 20 years earlier). We, the family, simply left it at "Grandpa must've partied too hard on father's day," And, in fact, that's not too far from the truth, as this boisterous German man is never seen without a good glass of wine, a full plate of food, and a crowd of loving family and friends!

Most of my regular readers know I don't have any (human) kids of my own. I got married in my early 20s on the back of a childhood full of dreams of being a Momma, and it just didn't work out (thankfully, for the best, seeing as we are now divorced). I've come to terms that I may not have my own children anytime soon, or at all, and frequently borrow the children of others to get my 'fix'. Jay and I watch Sabrina (10) after school Monday-Friday during the school year and during most vacations, while her single Momma works to pay the bills. Well, as it turns out, her steady boyfriend has won Summer custody of his 2 children (a boy of 3, and a girl of 8), and we have happily added to our child-care group for the month of July. I will not lie, it is a full time job that is completely exhausting (caring for kids), but so, so worth it. I may not have children of my own, but these kids are like family, and we have a blast in between tantrums and jealous fights for affection. I will try to keep up a post a day, as usual, but if I miss one it's likely because we're out on some sort of epic adventure.

Speaking of kids, as a stay-at-home (disabled) Mom, Momma was always great at finding activities (And frugal activities at that) to keep me entertained. I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to Summer. I'm hoping to get together a Lemonade Stand with the eldest (10) in August, and have found a slew of local FREE perks for kids nearby. The county library offers free story-time, daily, 3 times a day. Our local theaters offer early morning movies free (Lorax, Happy Feet 2, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, etc), and I've managed to find a daily calendar for 'Kids Eat Free' deals, listed by location. Monday we will be taking the whole clan to the Pick-Your-Own farm (while I have Jay's help, on his day off), and Tuesday we will be going to a night show of the interactive Pirates! Dinner Adventure. I've also stocked up on $1 store kites, clearance craft kits, and some easy paint wood frames to make a little memento for the parents. Because there is a 3 year old boy in the mix, we eagerly await nap-time every afternoon for some treasured gal time :)

Nora's been enjoying the transition as well; this means more time outside for the typically condo bound pup. Speaking of which, it's about time for a haircut for Missy.....But that is for another day- sometime before Jay and I trek up to Oregon to see Momma in August. Phew, this 'Summer' bit has me exhausted just thinking about all of the shenanigans and adventures. But life's too short not to make memories at every chance- and you can be assured I'll have my camera along for the ride to share with you all! P.S. Everybody be careful with the bugs out there this Summer, I've already shelled out $111 for an infected mosquito bite and antibiotics- blah!

What are your plans this Summer?

What Daughter Says: I happily wag my proverbial tail at every chance for adventure, no matter how messy.

Old El Paso Stand 'N Stuff Tacos- Saving Mom's Sanity Giveaway 7/18

*** I received Old El Paso product samples, and a taco cooking kit, to help facilitate this post, as a member of  My Blog Spark. No further compensation was provided. All images and photos are original content copyrighted to Momma Told Me Blog, 2013.

Momma Told Me: Don't wear your food, eat it!


As a child, my favorite foods were ones I could eat with my hands. Pizza, peanut butter and jelly sammies, hamburgers, chicken fingers, and tacos, to name a few. Let's face it, children under 10 have little sense of modesty, and would happily walk around with a sauce strewn face, if only to see the panicked reaction from Momma. Playing with food is fun; that's part of the reason this big kid never grew out of tinkering in the kitchen with baking projects and zany dinner recipes. There are so many textures, colors, flavors and scents in the culinary world, and typically only one golden rule when it comes to kids; don't tell them anything, ever, is good for them. Always keep the illusion alive, and if that fails, put all the ingredients on a Lazy Susan and let them build their own food. It's one of the reasons Momma instituted weekly Bagel Pizza lunches, and Make Your Own Taco nights during the summer. Often times I'd get so excited about 'making' my own food, I'd entirely forget I was picketing lettuce that week because it was good for me.

Of course, as most things involving food and kids go, hands on (or build-your-own) food was never the simplest route for Momma to take. Our table already had to have layers of place-mats to contain my culinary adventure messes, and meals that allowed me to make my own food- well, I'm surprised Momma never tarped the walls. I don't know how, as such a small young girl, I managed to make such big mealtime messes, but I've been told Momma would find scraps of food in the oddest places. And which make-your-own mealtime proved the messiest? Taco night. Present a child with a roundabout of small diced and sliced ingredients, then tell them to stuff it in an open ended tortilla; brilliant idea. Soft tortillas only encouraged horizontal eating, and the prompt ejection of ingredients from the back of the 'shell,' while hard taco shells typically cracked under the weight of the ingredients and spilled out the bottom.

But those are problems of yester years, now that Old El Paso has devised and released the singular best thing to happen to taco night since my Momma's Secret Sauce invention; Stand 'N Stuff shells. No longer do Mom's have to bib their children and send them outside to eat their tacos; these Soft Flour Tortilla 'boats' are free standing and eliminate the 'open end' taco dilemma. In fact, no hands are required, at all, to stabilize and fill your shells, so you can head to that taco buffet with your plate and two free garnishing hands. It's ingenious, really. Our family has been relying on the Old El Paso brand of taco assistance products for years. We typically buy their Family Taco Kits, which include shells and sauce, but jumped at the opportunity to sample this new taco innovation. My Blog Spark sent our family a package of new Stand 'N Stuf Tortilla shells, some taco preparation kitchen tools, and 3 brand new Old El Paso Mexican Cooking Sauces to sponsor our next taco night.

I tried to explain the ingenuity of these new Stand 'N Stuff shells to Jay, but I fear I failed. Only until he was stuffing his very own fuss free taco did he reach for the package of shells to investigate further. I can't quote the exact comment, but wonder and awe followed those first bites. Not only had the pre-packaged Mexican Sauce pouches made seasoning our ground turkey a piece of cake, but the Stand 'N Stuff tacos brought an extra hint of fun, and considerably less frustration and mess to the meal. These little 'boat' like tortillas also seem to hold more than the average taco shell, making layering and taco building so much simpler. Of course I had Momma's 'secret' taco sauce on hand. It's my little secret that I don't throw out a fast food packet, ever, and have a crate of fast food sauces on hand at all time. Just 10 packets of fast food taco sauce, and a half cup of ranch dressing makes a creamy taco sauce my family goes crazy for.

I also have to say, while the Stand 'N Stuff taco shells were the star of our night, the Chipotle Mexican Cooking Sauce added wonderful flavor to our 1.5lbs of ground turkey. It was a nice time saver not to have to season the meat as it cooked. I usually lose a lot of flavor when I drain the grease prior to serving, and this allowed me to flavor the meat post cooking with a thick and flavorful sauce. Old El Paso products have been a family favorite for years, and I'm happy to see they are still innovating how to make family taco nights a hit. Look for the new products on grocery shelves near you today! Save $1.10 off 2 Stand And Stuff Tortillas today with this limited coupon.

What Daughter Says:  Skip the mess, and keep the flavor with new Old El Paso Stand 'N Stuff shells and Mexican cooking sauces.

One Momma Told Me follower will win an Old El Paso taco night prize bundle, and $10 Walmart GC, as shown above!

Our Family Is Proof Walmart Unlimited Mobile Saves Time + Money

***I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Walmart Family Mobile® #FamilyMobileSaves #cbias #SocialFabric All images and photos are original content copyrighted to Momma Told Me Blog, 2013.

Momma Told Me: Electronics should make life easier.

Exactly one month ago I made the big switch. 

After one year of giving my current cheap wireless plan 'another chance,' I threw my arms in the air and proclaimed "Something has to change!" Month after month I was spending time calling in to customer service, even just to complete the simplest tasks. My automatic payments weren't going through 'automatically,' and the wait time to speak to a physical human was exorbitant. Then, when I found my way to a human assistant I was shuffled from department to department. The month before my big switch I spent 6 hours on the phone with customer service, and that wasn't even to address the 90% missed call rate on my phone line. I was fed up of spending my hard earned money on sub par service, and my family's time with me, on the phone.

I'd heard a lot about the Walmart Family Mobile plans offered at my local Walmart, and decided to swing by the mobile department on a recent grocery shopping trip. I knew Walmart offered several no-contract phones and wireless carriers; but I knew little about their in house Family Mobile Plan for individual and shared service plans. It turns out I could get the same wireless service, with potentially stronger signal strength, and faster connection speeds (4G on capable devices) for $5 less a month than I was currently paying. In addition, if I enjoyed the service and decided to switch our family over, I could save even more money adding additional lines for just $35 more/line a month. I wasn't quite sold on the switch just yet, so I asked to speak to an electronics department employee to learn a little more. It turned out that particular employee used the service himself, and for his entire family, with high praise; and that was all I needed to convince me to give it a shot.

One of my favorite things about choosing a cheap wireless plan is the extra room in my budget to invest in a top of the line device. Walmart Family Mobile has many specially packaged devices ready for instant activation on their T-Mobile based network. But they're also a 'bring your own' ready plan, which means most SIM enabled devices can easily be ported to their affordable monthly pay-as-you-go service. Bring your smartphone from an existing plan, or purchase a new or used handset and start-up the phone with a simple Walmart Family Mobile activation kit. In our case, I was due for an 'upgrade,' and was happy to find the latest LG Optimus (L9) handset ready for activation with my new plan. Setup was extremely easy, and done all online, though my old carrier was not available for number transfer, so I did have to accept a new phone number. Read more about our Unlimited Plans shopping experience and Walmart's mobile center in our Google+ Album.

Photo taken with LG Optimus L9, on Walmart Family Mobile Plan

Not only does my new Optimus L9 smartphone have 4G capabilities, an upgrade from my previous 3G, but a built in 5MP camera, with smaller capacity front facing camera options. You may recall I had initially worried about making the 1GB top-tier 3G data speed cap stretch the entire month. My previous plan hadn't had a cap, but was extremely unreliable; so the trade off was worth the gamble initially. Now, a month later, I've yet to use the entire 1GB of 3G speed; and am continually impressed by the connection speed and consistency. Of course, when I am at home I rely primarily on the device's WiFi connection to surf the internet; but I am a heavy user when it comes to Google searches and map guidance on the go. Not only have I had no reason to contact customer service, but I can track all of my call and data usage easily through the online My Family Mobile account management portal. A week before my billing cycle was over I received a simple reminder text through my mobile device with the option to pay online or through the phone.

A good cell phone plan is nice, but can it really change your family? This humble blogger says "Yes!" Not only have I had an entirely hassle free month of strong, reliable, service, but I've shaved $5 off my monthly cell phone service bill. It may not seem like an overwhelming amount of money up front, but those savings easily grow when you consider the average American family household has 3 or more mobile lines. (And I know we'll be adding Jay onto my plan next month). For me, however, the true 'savings' has been the extra time I have to spend with my family. With Summer here, and the 90F+ temperatures in Southern California, we've been transitioning into Summer with some frugal heat beating activities.

We recently hit the local dollar store with our Family Mobile Savings and everyone got to pick out an affordable water toy. Since we live in a condominium complex without a pool we're forced to find creative ways to beat the heat. This means weekly water balloon, bubble, and water gun sessions. In the past I've often had to sit fun activities like this out because I've been strapped for time and on the phone solving service issues or trying to process non-recurring recurring payments. I'm happy to report, last month, we got in an entire Summer's worth of fun! (And the Summer's just beginning.)  I'm thrilled to be able to bring back the tickle monster and arm myself in our family's water fights, and I think it's fair to say the entire family appreciates the extra time too. Okay, well, everyone except for Nora, who seems to be target practice :)

In summary, Walmart #FamilyMobileSaves me money, but more important to me, time and hassle. The fuss free set up is simple enough for even smartphone newbies to navigate, and the interactive customer portal gives an in-depth account overview at any time during the month. I can't be more pleased with the speed of our data, or the connection quality of my calls, and the new LG Optimus L9 is a wonderful upgrade from my previous device (a much older Optimus). Having reliable and affordable smartphone service is so much more than an electronic luxury. Affordable smartphone service can help keep the family connected and capture priceless moments with instant sharing capabilities. It's a necessity in my mind. I'm simply thankful Walmart Family Mobile has provided me with a fuss free no-contract service that keeps our device options open, and my time free for what really matters, my family.

What Daughter Says: Stop chasing after your wireless company. Walmart Family Mobile works for you, while saving money.

Grab Some Milk: Potato Chip PB+J Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

Momma Told Me: They go together like peanut butter and jelly!

When I was a child I was strictly a peanut butter girl. Momma would make me a PB+J Sammy (as they're affectionately known by those who haven't yet developed the linguistics skills to pronounce mufti-syllable words), and ship me off to kindergarten. Every lunch, which as I recall was really a semi-cricle of kids swapping food; I would gingerly scrape the purple jelly off the top half of my sandwich then smush it back together. I loved fruit, but I didn't feel it had any right to be on my peanut butter. Perhaps it was texture, perhaps it was simply that I knew peanut butter was far less nutritious to begin with (if only someone had told me preserves were loaded with sugar!) I simply never cared for this classic foodie combination until I was too old to enjoy Momma's love and lunches anymore.

So, I digress; peanut butter and jelly is a food profile that most associate with childhood, whether they loved the sandwiches or not. Personally, I still think a peanut butter banana sandwich (Elvis style) is tops- but that's for another recipe post. Today we are amidst Post #2 of  5 in our Potato Chip Cooking series, and this recipe is yet another sweet one. You may recall our Double Chocolate Potato Chip Brownies from last week; well, this recipe is a much more mellow; nostalgic one. After all, what else usually came in my elementary sack lunches, but a Ziploc baggies of Dad's leftover potato chip crumbs. Okay, they weren't literally his crumbs, but it did seem like I got the bottom of the bag, smashed chips more often than not. (Something I suspect I will be discussing with a counselor as I get on in age.) It's these greasy baggies of broken Lay's that inspired me to smash my last bag of Chicken and Waffles potato chips and integrate them into the following recipe for soft and chewy Peanut Butter + Jelly Thumbprint Cookies.

Sure, you can smash up potato chips and throw them into any old recipe; that process is precisely how some of the most popular flavor combinations have been created, pure luck. But I didn't set out on this potato chip coking mission with the intent to throw a bunch of bizarre (arguably wildly unhealthy) recipe ideas your way. I sat down and drafted 5 unique recipes that could stand alone without the chips, but are otherwise enhanced (in texture or taste) by the addition of them. Just keep in mind, I'm not endorsing cooking with chips day-to-day, merely presenting a creative solution for those 1/4 bags of 'crumbs' floating around the cupboard.  Just, please, if you're going to give chips to your daughter, don't use those- (Mom) I mean, spring for a fresh bag, they even make fun sized, just for kids.....that's all I'm saying....

So, I made this recipe for soft and chewy peanut butter thumbprint cookies, and enlisted the other half for assistance (dish washing). I heard several times, during the process how he 'didn't care for peanut butter cookies' and how the Chicken and Waffles chips seemed like an odd combination. Again, I differ you to my Chicken and Waffles potato chips review; the flavor is very subtle and one of a lingering syrup aromatic. If you could bottle the aroma just after pouring syrup on a fresh stack of waffles, that's the flavor you're gaining from the addition of these chips. Naturally, you can get the same texture effect by crushing regular potato chips, as well, but I especially like the extra note of maple here.

These cookies are great for beginning bakers, as they are no fuss, and do not brown quickly once fully cooked. You can give the oven a few extra minutes on either side and still find them delicious. If you wish to turn them into PB+J Thumbprint cookies simply re-indent your thumbprints upon remove from the oven and drop a dollop of your favorite preserves in the little nook atop. As a side note, we did learn the difference between jelly (made from fruit juice), jam (made from fruit pulp), and preserves (less processed fruit chunks), during this little project. It's my home chef opinion one should avoid jelly, especially if not being consumed immediately, as it will have a higher liquid content and tend to soften the cookie over time. Additionally, when cooking with potato chips, keep in mind the chips will go stale when exposed to the air; so store all recipes as air tight as possible and in the fridge when not being served.

So how did these curious cookies turn out? In all honesty, I think they are now one of my favorites! I could eat a bag of the cookies without the preserves, or a plate of them with. We used Oregon Strawberry Preserves, and it was just the right balance of tang and sweetness. The cookies almost melt in one's mouth, even now, days later. The peanut butter texture is a lot more mellow than a traditional, crumbly, cookie, and the chip flakes add a fun crunch to each bite. These Peanut Butter and Jelly Potato Chip Cookies go great with a glass of milk, and will have you ready to snuggle on the couch with a blankie and coloring book in no time!

What Daughter Says: With or without the chips, these cookies are sure to be a hit!

Continue reading for the full, printable, recipe.....