The benefits of being a surf widow

Some of you may have husbands who disappear during baseball season. Some of you may never see your significant other during football season. For me, as soon as the days start to lengthen, I lose my husband to his other love - the ocean. The best part about Thatboy's "hobby" is his appetite when he gets home. I had some leftover cooked chicken that I whipped into a super quick and easy chicken salad. Nothing fancy. Nothing special. Thatboy declared it was the best thing he's ever eaten.

Thatboy's surfing also affords me the opportunity to make dessert! So how do I top the best meal Thatboy's ever eaten? With chocolate cake cookies, of course. Funny story about these chocolate cake cookies. I brought them to Thatmom's house so she, Thatbrother, and UDubb could enjoy them too. A couple days after I brought them, Thatbrother's supervisor informed him that they were having a potluck at work the next day. Thatbrother is known at work for his super fantastic chocolate chip cookies (that come from the refrigerator section of the supermarket - shhhh our secret) and his supervisor told him to bring them. He was complaining to Thatmom about how he was going to have to go home and make cookies, when he spotted these. He brought them in to work the next day and passed them off as his own. Which totally backfired when his supervisor told him that she liked the chocolate chip better.

Basic Chicken Salad

• 1 chk breast, cooked, shredded
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/4 onion, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp plain nonfat yogurt
  

1. Mix all ingredients.

Chocolate Cake Cookies

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 /3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray. Combine cocoa, sugar, cake flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. Mix dry ingredients with shortening in kitchenaid at medium speed.
3. Add milk and egg, mixing on low.
4. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets. Spray bottom of glass with nonstick spray and use this to flatten the dough balls.
5. Bake 6 minutes, or until center is firm. Cool completely.
6. While cookies are cooling, melt chocolate and butter together in top of double boiler or a stainless steel bowl over a pot with an inch or two of simmering water.
7. Let cool and add powdered sugar and milk to chocolate mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
8. Spread frosting over cooled cookies.