Monster Cookies

Thanks to the Brown Family for this great cookie recipe! I was intrigued by the fact it that it doesn't have any flour in it just oats. The kids loved these and the recipe makes a huge batch so I've frozen some for future cookie cravings.


Monster Cookies

1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 tablespoon corn syrup
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 1/2 cups oats
1 bag chocolate chips* (or a mixture of chips - I did chocolate and butterscotch)

In a mixer beat sugars, shortening, eggs, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Add oats and baking soda and mix. Add vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Let cool for a couple minutes on cookie sheets and then transfer to racks to cool.

*Can use different kinds of chips and dried fruits like cherries or craisins. Next time I'm going to try dark chocolate chips and dried cherries because that sounds very yummy.

Kay's Roasted Potatoes

Got this one from Pioneer Woman - isn't she awesome!! Well these potatoes are too, though I did tweak the directions slightly. Yum yum yum.


Kay's Roasted Potatoes

2 pounds potatoes (Yukon Gold preferable, but red or white potatoes work too)
4 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon coarse mustard (I doubled this)
1/4 teaspoon salt
paprika

Scrub potatoes. Cut into chunks. Boil for 6 minutes, then drain.

In a large bowl combine olive oil, chicken broth, garlic, onion salt, basil, thyme, oregano, mustard and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the potatoes and mix well. Pour potatoes out onto a greased cookie sheet (I use a stoneware jelly roll pan), sprinkle with paprika, and bake at 375 for about 45 minutes.

Steak Bites

I got this recipe from What's Cookin, but I believe Amber over at What's Cookin got it from Pioneer Woman. This is a great steak recipe. We had it with Kay's Potatoes from Pioneer Woman, and Parmesan Roasted Asparagus and it was just awesome. My hubby was very appreciative of the whole meat and potatoes thing. Thank you so much What's Cookin for this great dinner idea!!


Steak Bites

2 - 3 good quality steaks, cut into bite size pieces (I used filet and oh was it yummy and surprisingly not that expensive from Costco)
1 stick of butter
salt, pepper and garlic salt

Heat a large deep skillet over HIGH heat, get it smoking hot. Season the steak with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Add 4 tablespoons of butter to pan and let it melt and bubble until it starts to brown. As soon as butter starts to brown add half of the steak. Cook for a couple of minutes and then flip them over. Don't turn down the heat. Let them cook another couple of minutes and then pour the whole pan (steak, butter, and all) onto a large plate and cover with foil. Do the next batch of steak in the same way. The steak end up tender and juicy.Yum.

Hawaiian Haystacks

This meal is always a pleaser at my house. The kids especially like choosing the toppings they want on their haystacks.

Hawaiian Haystacks Sauce:

2-4 cups cooked and cubed or shredded chicken (the good meat from a rotisserie chicken is great)
2 can cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (or 2 cubes crushed)

Combine ingredients in a large sauce pan and heat to boiling and then let simmer for a bit. Serve sauce over cooked rice with whatever toppings you like. Below are the ones we like.


Toppings for haystacks that we like:

red bell pepper, finely chopped
thinly sliced celery
green onions, thinly sliced
tomato, diced
canned pineapple tidbits
canned mandarin oranges
chow mein noodles
shredded cheese
sliced bananas
flaked coconut
slivered almonds
sliced olives
teriyaki sauce (to drizzle on top)
finely chopped carrots
peas

Microwave Rice Recipes

I'm documenting this for myself really because I always forget just how long the cooking time is. I usually make white and brown rice to go with the Hawaiian Haystacks and making at least one of them in the microwave to speed the process up.

Microwave White Rice

1 part rice
2 parts water

Cover and microwave on high 5 minutes. Microwave at 50 percent power for 17 to 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed.


Microwave Brown Rice

1 part rice
2 parts water

Cover and microwave at 60 percent power for 35 minutes.

Frosting Fudge

I got this one from Clouse Cousins and my family loved it as our FHE treat last night. Obviously I'm all about fast desserts (I much prefer cooking to baking) and this one is fast - it literally takes 2 minutes to make, well then it sets for a half an hour, so it literally takes 32 minutes!! And it super yummy. Just please don't add up any calories or fat - it's scary... But SO good!!


Frosting Fudge

1 bag of milk chocolate chips (or butterscotch, peanut butter, white chocolate, mint...)
1 can of milk chocolate frosting (or cream cheese, vanilla, butter cream...)
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt

Melt chips in microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after every 30 seconds. When they are melted, stir in frosting, vanilla and salt. Press into a square baking dish (I lined mine with waxed paper to make it easier to get out of pan) and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Other yummy chips and frosting combinations:
chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting
mint chocolate chips and chocolate frosting
peanut butter chips and chocolate frosting
white chocolate chips and vanilla frosting
peanut butter chips and butter cream frosting
milk chocolate chips and coconut pecan frosting
butterscotch chips and butter cream frosting

No Velveeta Broccoli Cheese Soup

I have so many different broccoli cheese and cream of broccoli soup recipes. It is definitely one of my favorite types of soup (my whole family loves the stuff - yay for kids happily eating broccoli!). This particular recipe came from a recipe blog I came across a few months and I forgot which one! But it is yummy and I like the fact that it doesn't have Cheese Whiz or Velveeta in it (not that recipes with those in them are not delicious). I added the nutmeg and dry mustard for some zip and I thought it was a nice addition.


No Velveeta Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 tablespoon butter
2 small onions, chopped fine
2 cans or about 30 oz of chicken broth
5 cups broccoli florets (I used frozen)
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
pepper to taste
4 cups milk
3 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 - 1 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 - 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
3 tablespoons Ultra Gel (or a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a little water)

In a pot saute onions in 2 tablespoon butter. Add chicken broth and broccoli and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes while you make the white sauce.

In a saucepan melt 1/2 cup butter, add flour and whisk for a minute. Slowly add milk and cook till thickened. Add this sauce to the broth and vegetable mixture. Add pepper, dry mustard, nutmeg, salt, onion salt, and chicken bouillon granules. Add cheeses and stir well. Add ultra gel or cornstarch and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Bread Bowls

I made these to go along with the broccoli cheese soup I made last night and they were great. The bread bowls I made were pretty big, so you can make 12 instead of 8 from this recipe if you'd like them smaller.


Bread Bowls

2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cups hot water
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
9 cups bread flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 tablespoon salt

In a small bowl dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. Set aside. In a large bowl mix hot water, butter, and 1/2 cup sugar together. Add 3 cups of flour, yeast mixture, and eggs. Mix until smooth. Stir in powdered milk, salt, and enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough (it was about 6 cups for me). Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and cover. Let rise until double (about 30 min). Punch down. Let rise again (another 30 min). Punch down form dough into a large ball and cut in half. Cut each half into 4 pieces (so that's 8 all together) and form into balls. (Can make 12 if you want smaller bread bowls - these are pretty big.) Place balls at least 3 inches apart on 2 greased cookie sheets. Cover with non-stick sprayed plastic wrap and let rise until double (20-30 min). Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

No Guilt Chocolate Cake

This recipe is from Put a Lyd on It and it is completely awesome! The cake turns out so moist and it's actually quite healthy as chocolate cakes go - no eggs or oil, just a can of pumpkin and water. And it turns out! I think that's uber cool. Oh, and it actually doesn't taste pumpkiny if that's a worry.


No Guilt Chocolate Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Pillsbury's Devils Food Cake and it was great)
1, 15 oz can pumpkin
1 cup water

In the bowl of a mixer (or you could use a hand beater) combine ingredients and beat for 2 minutes. Spread batter into a non-stick sprayed 9x13 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool completely and top with lite Cool Whip, whipped cream, a sprinkling of powdered sugar or nothing at all. Mmmm...

Deep Dish Breakfast Pizza

This is a great breakfast casserole that the whole family likes, even our youngest (2 1/2) who hates casseroles of all types (well except for Lazy Lasagna) loves this one. And breakfast for dinner is about the only way I eat breakfast food - the only thing I'm able to get down in the morning is a breakfast shake or a bowl of cornflakes. I have a sensitive morning tummy... Um, sorry for the tmi.

Deep Dish Breakfast Pizza

1 tube cresent roll dough (I used the reduced fat kind because it doesn't have trans-fats)
1/2 lb sausage, cooked and crumbled (can substitute ham or bacon)
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
salt and pepper
2 cups frozen hash browns
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Arrange crescent roll dough in the bottom of an 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Press seams together. Sprinkle sausage over the crescent rolls. Beat the eggs with the milk and set aside. Layer the hashbrowns over the sausage, season with salt and pepper, then pour the egg mixture over the hashbrowns. Top with cheese. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Bisquick Cinnamon Rolls

These are yummy ummy biscuity cinnamon rolls that you can make in no time at all - lovely. This recipe is from my friend Corinne. We had them the other night with Deep Dish Breakfast Pizza and the whole fam liked it.

Bisquick Cinnamon Rolls

Rolls:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups Bisquick mix
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

Heat oven to 375. Grease bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish. Stir together 2 tablespoons brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

Stir Bisquick, milk, and 2 tablespoons sugar until dough forms. If dough is too sticky, gradually mix in enough Bisquick (up to 1/4 cup) to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto surface well dusted with Bisquick; gently roll dough in Bisquick to coat.

Shape dough into a ball; knead 10 times. Roll into a rectangle, 15x9 inches; spread with butter. Sprinkle evenly with sugar mixture. Roll up tightly, beginning at the 15 inch side. Seal well by pinching edge of dough into roll. Cut into 12 equal pieces (I slice off the uneven ends and then cut into pieces). Place in baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes (for me it was 20 min.) or until golden brown.

Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. Spread icing over warm rolls.