HD66B, Recipes

Sharing Recipes: Healthified Chocolate Chip Cookies

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In the days when the Republican Party of Minnesota Headquarters was located within walking distance of the MN State Capitol in St Paul, I, Tom Polachek, used to volunteer frequently there.  One thing about volunteering at the HQ, was they rarely had snacks for volunteers.  So I had to brown bag it when I did Precinct Caucus Data Entry and do phone-banking there.  Occasionally there was Pizza but that was rare.  So I started to bring made-from-scratch cookies to share with some of the staff and the other volunteers.

When the HQ was moved out of St Paul to the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis I stopped volunteering at the HQ.

At the 2018 Republican Party of Minnesota State Convention in Duluth as the Chair I brought two kinds of cookies to share with the Delegates and the Alternates.  I brought out Chewy Double Chocolate Chip, and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I didn’t have enough time to make another batch of cookies which I’m sharing here, Healthified Chocolate Chip aka Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies.

So being that we won’t be able to be together in person at the CD4 Republican Convention nor the State Convention, I thought I’d share the recipes so you can make them yourself to share with your family.

The Betty Crocker App I have on my ancient 3rd Generation iPod Touch lists these cookies having “21% fewer calories • 42% less sat fat • 14% less fat than the original recipe. Simple changes help ease the guilt without losing an ounce of deliciousness!”

It is a simple recipe though when I first made it I thought I did something wrong as it was so soupy prior adding the dry ingredients. I made small cookies as I was unsure if a large cookie would stay together. The cookie sheets and silicone mats I was using I set the oven for 8 minutes.

Ingredients

A. 3/4 cup granulated sugar

B. 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (If your brown sugar has turned hard, you can soften it up by heating it in 10-15 second bursts in the microwave on high. Check it each time until soft).

C. 1/2 cup butter, softened

D. 1/2 cup canola oil

E. 1 teaspoon vanilla

F. 1 egg

G. 2 cups Gold Medal® whole wheat flour

H. 1 teaspoon baking soda

J. 1/4 teaspoon salt

K. 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

*There is no letter “I” as it might confuse the reader.

**I used the North Dakota Mill “Dakota Maid” Brand Whole Wheat Flour. Believe me, you won’t know it is a whole wheat cookie.

Directions

It goes without saying your kitchen needs to be super clean before starting. Wash your hands, and keep your hair in place with a bandana or baseball hat (I started to collect baseball hats because of my single guy cooking-baking). You might have to handle the dough when you put it on the cookie sheets, so wash your hands again.

1. In a large bowl, beat A thru F with an electric mixer on low speed until blended.

2. Beat in G thru J until well blended.

3. Stir in K with a mixing spoon. (I like to use mini chips as there is a more even distribution of chips per bite).

4. Heat oven to 375°F (I like to not rush the mixing as the oven preheats. I like to prepare my cookies on the sheets while it preheats).

5. On an ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart. (I use a silicon baking mat on a metal cookie sheet on either an air bake or a one ply raised sided metal sheet)

6. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until very light golden brown (centers will be soft).

7. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

ENJOY

 

Directions with Photos

1. Mix A-F

Sugars

Add Canola Oil

Add a Large Egg

2. Add Whole Wheat Flour, baking soda and salt (G thru J)

 

3. Add mini chips and mix with mixing spoon or rubber mixing spatula

 

4. Preheat oven to 375 F

5. Prepare your baking sheets.

The silicone mat on the right SILPAT made in France is my favorite baking mat. To determine what is a good silicone baking tool pinch some of the material together. If a white line appears between your fingers it is a poor quality baking tool.

The Best oven mitt I’ve ever used is the “Ove Glove.” It’s reversible and worth whatever you or your gift giver paid for it.

Use upside down spatula to get the cookie off the sheet.

 

Cool cookies on a wire rack. Then transfer to a plate to put in the fridge.

ENJOY 

Nutrition Facts Calories 110, Calories from Fat 50, Total Fat 6g (9% DV), Saturated Fat 2g (11% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 10mg (4% DV), Sodium 65mg (3% DV), Total Carbohydrate 13g (4% DV), Dietary Fiber 1g (4% DV), Sugars 9g, Protein 1g, Calcium 0%. Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

 

HD66B, Recipes

Sharing Recipes with Our Neighbors

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There is a “Shelter in Place,” order by the Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz. While the Virus Scare has seemed to be more fear than bite we Republicans like always, it seems, have to bend to the will of another Liberal Democrat who wants to dictate to us how we can live. The Virus has been much like the regular Flu where it claims the lives of the frail, and vulnerable.

The best way we can cope is to support each other, pray for each other and our leaders, and to help others when we can. Keep your wits about yourself and to try to live the best you can under the restraints we are placed under.

Sharing Recipes

To help comfort you during this trying time, and to do a little neighborhood outreach, as Chair of HD 66B Republicans I would like to share some recipes you might want to try at home.

In 2018 at the Republican Party of Minnesota State Convention in Duluth MN I brought some cookies I made to share during the long hours of sitting at the convention. I gave each of our delegates a bag of cookies of each kind. In upcoming Shared Recipe Articles I will give those “Convention Cookie,” Recipes out. First in the series will be an economical snack cake.

Double Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

This is from my Betty Crocker Cookbook, soft cover Page 68.

This is a cake I like to make on a weekend for something to eat with coffee. The prep time is about 10-15 minutes and bake time is 35-40 minutes. If you want to add a glaze or frosting that will add another 10 minutes to make it. It is economical as there are few ingredients out of the regular ones I always have in my kitchen (oil, flour, sugar, vanilla, unsweetened cocoa powder, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, salt, etc.). This cake doesn’t require eggs so it might be a good recipe to make after you’ve exhausted your Easter Egg supply. A few ingredients you might not have on hand are chocolate chips, or vinegar.

To avoid too much writing on my 3×5 Recipe Cards, I like to list the ingredient list by letters and then use those letters in the directions.

Ingredients

A. 1 and 2/3 cups Flour (do not use self rising flour)

B. 1 Cup Sugar

C. 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa (1/4 cup = 4 Tablespoons)

D. 1 teaspoon Baking Soda

E. 1/2 teaspoon Salt

F. 1 Cup Water

G. 1/3 Cup Oil (I like to use extra light tasting olive oil, though vegetable oil works fine)

H. 1 teaspoon Vinegar (I use white vinegar)

J. 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

K. 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips (I like to use mini-chips)

Directions

    1. Mix Ingredients A thru E together thoroughly with whisk or mixing spoon.
    2. Stir in remaining ingredients except K.
    3. Sprinkle in K into batter.
    4. Preheat oven to 350 F
    5. Pour mixture into an ungreased 8x8x2 pan.
    6. Bake on middle rack position in oven 35-40 minutes or until wooden pick comes out cleanly in the center. Do not overbake.
    7. Cool completely on wire rack
    8. Add topping. It is good without a topping or just a dusting of powdered sugar.

Optional: add flavorings to the mix or if you are a “nut-in-brownies” kind of person you can add cut up pecans or walnuts.Before bakingAfter baking on wire rack to coolWith icing on the cake.

Normally I do a quick glaze which is like frosting except it lacks either the right amount of powdered sugar, or butter, or too much liquid to be considered frosting.

Directions for a Vanilla Frosting

This recipe is for a 13×9 inch pan so you can cut the recipe in half or make two snack cakes and use the second half of the frosting for the second cake.

(For 13×9 inch pan)

Ingredients

A. 3 Cups powdered Sugar

B. 1/3 Cup softened butter–5 and a 1/3 Tablespoons see scale on side of package (you can use a microwave to soften a hard stick of butter but you should avoid completely melted butter, it is hard to judge, it is easier to let the butter stand in your mixing bowl for the time the cake is cooling)

C. 1 1/2 teaspoons of Vanilla

D. About 2 Tablespoons of milk (stir in the first Tablespoon to see how much more is needed. Water can be substituted here if out of milk)

Directions

    1. Mix A & B together.
    2. Stir in C & D
    3. Beat with hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
    4. Frost with large Table knife or mixing spatula until even.

Optional add flavorings to frosting or food coloring.

**For chocolate frosting add 2 ounces of melted unsweetened baking chocolate (if halfing the recipe it would be 1 ounce). Or a 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (1/2 of the recipe would be 2 Tablespoons)

***For Mocha Frosting stir in the chocolate or cocoa powder for chocolate frosting and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of instant coffee

Calories per serving (1piece of the 9 total pieces is 300 calories unfrosted. With frosting per piece is 365 calories)

–From the kitchen of Tom Polachek, HD 66B Republicans Chair

Enjoy!

 

HD66B

US Senate Candidate Jason Lewis to Visit HD 66B Republicans January 14th

Former 2nd Congressional District Representative Jason Lewis.

First there was Rob Barrett Jr who visited our Bpou meeting on July 9, 2019. Now the well known US Senate Candidate Jason Lewis will visit our regular bpou meeting on January 14, 2020 from 6:30 pm, at John’s Pizza Cafe’s Garden Room, 616 Como Ave (corner of Northbound Dale and Eastbound Como).

Jason Lewis will address us for about 45 minutes. Then we will continue with planning for the HD 66B Republicans Precinct Caucuses on February 25, 2020.

If you would like to order ahead at John’s Pizza Cafe go to their website at johnspizzacafe.com Their number is 651-488-1922.

This will be a working meeting, so be prepared to get involved in the planning. We are looking for Block Captains to help organize precincts and participate in precinct activities.

HD66B, St Paul

Mike “Bones” Hartzell Resident of Rice St Passes Away at 71

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Rice Street has lost its most famous Resident Mike Hartzell aka Bones.  We at MN HD 66B Republicans will miss Mike. Here is an article written by Fred Melo a reporter at St Paul Pioneer Press on December 3, 2018. ~~ Publius Jr

Mike “Bones” Hartzell, shown in a Jan. 1997 file photo, has been a familiar sight winter and summer along Rice Street from University Avenue to Maryland Avenue. Hartzell is known for his caravan of carts and wagons, including his heavily-loaded wheelbarrow. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

| fmelo@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press

In St. Paul’s North End, Mike Hartzell was known by another name, one that drew familiar nods and warm smiles from storefront to storefront. “Bones” called Rice Street home, and residents and business owners claimed him as their own.

When television and newspaper reports described him as homeless, some bristled.

“The writer missed the point,” said a reader, responding online after a Feb. 2017 news article about a state legislative proclamation recognizing Bones on his 70th birthday. “Bones isn’t homeless. Rice Street is Bones’ home!”

Bones, a Vietnam veteran who swept and shoveled Rice Street’s sidewalks for his meals and found community outside its bars and stores, died Sunday following an illness, according to friends and family. He was 71.

In Feb. 2017, two state lawmakers read a proclamation at Lonetti’s Lounge on Rice Street honoring Bones on the occasion of his 70th birthday. The celebration included a nacho bar, cake and ice cream.

The proclamation recognized “Bones as an upstanding citizen of St. Paul and icon on Rice Street.” It noted that Bones attended Washington High School and, after graduation, served in the U.S. Armed Forces in Vietnam, a period that Rice Street locals say he never liked to talk about.

It went on to say: “After discharge, Bones became highly independent, caring for the North End neighborhood to the best of his ability … He is a steward of the community, cleaning up streets and sidewalks along Rice Street and caring for the health of abandoned pets.”

“He believes the world without walls is his home and has worked hard to keep the community safe … Bones became an iconic figure on Rice Street, and all stores in the area welcome him with respect.”

A Facebook page that was created a few years ago to track his exploits drew more than 11,000 followers, and a smattering of impromptu pictures of Bones on his bicycle. When his bicycle was stolen, the neighborhood sprang into action, scouring corners until it was returned to him.

Keith Skip Duffney, one of many Rice Streeters who considered Bones an unofficial extension of his own family, told the Facebook community on Nov. 20 that “Mike is still in hospital with pneumonia and a very weak heart. He is being stubborn about his care and he would like to go to VA hospital. We are trying to get him moved but that is not easy. We don’t really know what will happen here but praying for recovery.”

“I know Mike has been lucky to have all of you caring for him all these years,” he added.

On Sunday morning, as it became clear Bones had been transferred to hospice care, Jeremiah Welter posted, “I don’t know when things took such a turn for the worst? He seemed alright when we went and (saw) him in the hospital. He is very strong-willed and resilient though.” By Sunday night, Welter and others associated with Tin Cup’s Bar were fundraising for an engraved bench in Bones’ memory

Memorial Gathering on December 11th

A memorial gathering will be held from noon to 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at Bradshaw Funeral Home, 1078 Rice St. There will be a time of sharing at 3 p.m. and a prayer service at 4 p.m. A community gathering at the Klub Haus, 1079 Rice St., will follow.