Chocolate and Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Due to the nasty ice storm we experienced this past week, school was canceled four days in a row for my son. That made for a very happy mommy and little sister...we miss Jake now that he's in kindergarten and know it will be even worse next year, when he goes all day! On that note, while it was fun having everyone home together, it did get a bit stir-crazy at times--both of my children have an ungodly amount of energy! As a diversion, I decided it would be fun to make cookies--the kids LOVE helping! Since we were pretty much stuck at home, I knew I had to work with what we had available in the cupboard. I immediately thought about making chocolate no-bake cookies, since I just bought a container of quick oats. I remember both my mom and grandma making these cookies when my sisters and I were little, however, I couldn't seem to find the recipe anywhere...I know it's in one of the homemade cookbooks (containing recipes from family and friends) I was given at one of my bridal showers! My kids were quickly growing impatient, so I did a quick search online and found countless versions of the recipe, the majority containing peanut butter. I was somewhat intrigued by the addition of peanut butter, because my mom and grandma had never used it in their recipe and my children could sit and eat peanut butter right out of the jar! The cookies were a huge hit with my kids and husband--they're super easy and will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine (I personally prefer margarine for this recipe!)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups dry quick-cooking oats
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

Add the first four ingredients into a 2 1/2 to 3 quart sauce pan. Bring to a rolling boil and continue to boil for 60-90 seconds. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter, oats and vanilla. Using a tablespoon, spoon onto waxed paper and allow to cool for approximately 2 hours. Store in refrigerator.

(Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies)

Source: slightly adapted from original recipe on www.food.com

Best Ever Zucchini Bread

I noticed this recipe on Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi a little while back and immediately knew that I was going to try it! Coincidentally, my sister was planning to make zucchini bread the very same day, so she was going to make my Grandma's recipe and I figured I'd try out Heidi's recipe and then we'd determine which we preferred. Needless to say, with our crazy schedules, we never got to sample one another's, but I will say that I absolutely love my Grandma's and Heidi's was every bit as good! My husband had never tried zucchini bread, but he literally ate it for about a week straight...he took a slice to work for breakfast EVERY day! I would definitely make this recipe again and actually plan to, as soon as I get back home! I already have my zucchini ready and waiting :)

The Best Zucchini Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 capful black walnut extract (or 1 cup walnuts), optional
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP butter

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, walnut extract and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle each loaf with 1 TBSP of sugar evenly over the top. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Source: Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi

Happy Birthday to Sarah...and a Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake!

We have always celebrated my sister's birthday on the 4th of July, for as long as I can remember!!! She was born on the 3rd, but my family always tends to gather on the 4th, giving us two reasons to celebrate :) My sister prepared a beautiful dinner (as usual) and I "attempted" to make her cake. I was trying to think of a little something different, so I decided to be daring and try a cheesecake...this time with a springform pan! This recipe comes from Taste of Home's Award Winning Recipes Cookbook, so I was assuming that meant it was going to be good ;) I definitely think it tasted better than it looked, although it was VERY rich! If you're a chocolate lover, this would be the perfect cake for you, but as I've mentioned a million times, I'm not a huge "dessert person". Everyone said they enjoyed it and I would certainly make it again. I hope you all had a wonderful day yesterday and that you enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (about 27 wafers)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

FILLING:
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING:
1-1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream and miniature chocolate kisses, optional

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine wafer crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and 1-1/2 in up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325°.

For filling, melt chocolate chips in a small heavy saucepan or microwave; stir until smooth. Remove from the heat; add cream and mix well. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Stir in vanilla and reserved chocolate mixture just until blended. Pour over crust. Return pan to baking sheet.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. For topping, melt chocolate chips in a heavy saucepan or microwave, stir until smooth. Stir in cream and vanilla; mix well. Spread over filling. Cool pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove sides of pan. Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream and miniature chocolate kisses if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

(Sarah, her husband and their little Hannah, right before cake time!)


Source: Taste of Home Award Winning Recipes

Triple Layer Banana Cake and an Award!

"Biting off more than I can chew" is something I tend to do rather frequently! As I was multitasking yesterday, my husband happened to notice one of my cookbooks open on the desk in the kitchen. I had some pretty ripe bananas and had found a recipe to utilize them...I wanted something a little different than traditional banana bread or muffins. Realizing that I was a little overwhelmed, he set out to make this cake--I always get a kick out of watching him make things, because he's so "methodical" and does not deviate the slightest bit from the recipe :) (Not to mention the fact that he always seems to use ten times more pans/dishes than I do!) I'm fairly certain this was the first layer cake he's ever made and he did a great job! The cake was baked perfectly...it was so moist and the frosting was a nice change! I honestly don't know that I have ever had peanut butter frosting, but it was very good! I'm actually planning to have a slice here shortly, with my cup of coffee...hopefully I can accomplish that before the kiddos wake up!

Triple Layer Banana Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

FROSTING:
6 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, softened
5-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
8 to 10 tablespoons milk
Peanut halves, optional

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.

Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter until smooth. Beat in confectioners' sugar and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Frost between layers and over top and sides of cake. Garnish with peanuts if desired.
(Here's a picture of him diligently working and another of his finished cake!)



Source: Taste of Home

And now...onto the award! Kathy from Three on Food put a smile on my face this morning when I saw that she had passed along this award to me! I would highly encourage you to check out their blog, as they post fantastic recipes...the latest is a pizza casserole that would be very kid friendly!

There are rules to this award, so here they are:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

Seven things about myself that you may (or may not) find interesting!

1) I make lists for EVERYTHING and find it extremely therapeutic to cross things off!
2) I am a nurse and have no problem giving shots, but am TERRIFIED of receiving them! Don't get me wrong...I don't like to inflict pain on people, but the needle itself doesn't bother me if it's not going into me, personally!
3) I worked as a server at BW3's when I was in nursing school.
4) I'm a "retired" BeautiControl consultant and a "semi-retired" Pampered Chef consultant. Along with that, I own probably every product ever made by Pampered Chef!
5) I love boardgames...Scattergories and Loaded Questions are probably two of my favorites!
6) I'm one of three sisters and we each had a boy first!
7) I love romance and all things "romantic"...movies, gestures, etc!

I would now like to pass this award onto the following bloggers:

1) Latest Addictions
2) girlichef
3) This Stop Willoughby
4) Krista's Kitchen
5) Lynda's Recipe Box
6) "A Thrifty Home"
7) Keeper Worthy Recipes

Ultimate Cheesecake

I must say...Donna (My Tasty Treasures) has one of my favorite blogs! Not only are her recipes fabulous, but she is very much her own person and provides my daily entertainment! She's so "real" and while she may rub some people the wrong way, I very much respect her individuality :) I've never been disappointed by a recipe that Donna has posted, so I knew this cheesecake had to be wonderful. Besides, everyone seems to be raving about Tyler Florence! Normally I'm not a huge fan of lemon, but the lemon in the filling mixture was a great addition! I searched high and low for my springform pan that I was sure I had purchased, but was unable to find it. I ended up making the cheesecake in a round cake pan, so my picture is not near as pretty as Donna's! I also am wondering if I didn't need to bake the cheesecake just a tad bit longer, because it didn't seem to firm up as much as it should have. This is definitely a recipe I will make again and I look forward to trying different toppings! I used fresh strawberries (mixed with sugar), but I bet it would be great with cherries, too! (Again, please excuse the picture, as it was taken pretty late at night and the lighting in my house is just awful!)

Ultimate Cheesecake

Crust:
2 cups finely ground graham crackers,
about 30 squares
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted

Filling:
1 pound cream cheese, softened, (2) 8oz blocks
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream
1 lemon, zested (I only "zested" half of the lemon)
Dash of vanilla

Directions:

For the crust:
Preheat oven to 325. In a mixing bowl, combine crust ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8 inch springform pan with non stick cooking spray. Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup, press the crumbs down into the base , and 1 inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 -10 minutes.

For the filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add sour cream lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but not over beaten. Pour the filling into the crust lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the cheesecake on a large piece of aluminum foil, and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan and pour boiling water into the pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. This foil will keep water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45–50 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle. It will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the fridge for 4 hours at least. Loosen the sides of the cheesecake by running a knife around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to plate. Spread on your choice of topping or eat plain.

Source: My Tasty Treasures

Snickerdoodles

I had mentioned in a previous post that my grandfather's health has been declining, but thankfully, he seems to be stable at the moment. His 80th birthday is this coming Tuesday, so my family threw him a surprise party last night. He was transferred to a rehabilitation facility on Friday and they allowed him to leave for a few hours--just enough time to allow us to get him out and about for a bit and remind him how much we all adore him! My grandfather is always telling stories about his childhood and has made mention on several occasions of certain things his Mom used to make when he was a young boy. He always raves about the peanut butter cookies I make (he says they taste just like the ones his Mom made) and has made mention of how his Mom used to make some type of butter cookie that he just loved, so I decided that I wanted to make him both the peanut butter cookies and these snickerdoodles. I found the recipe on Allrecipes--it was the top rated version and had over 2000 very positive reviews. Per several of the reviewers suggestions, I used butter-flavored Crisco and let me tell you...the cookies just melt in your mouth!

Snickerdoodles

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Note: I ended up having to use an extra tablespoon of both the sugar and cinnamon to roll the cookies in!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.

Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Source: Allrecipes

Frosted Fudge Brownies

There are very few times that I crave sweets, but after stumbling across this recipe in one of the Taste of Home cookbooks that my husband got me, I knew I'd have to make these! This is only the second time that I've made brownies from scratch, but the recipe was very easy and to say that they were "heavenly" is such an understatement--they were very rich and moist! I'm thinking they will be quite delicious tonight for dessert, with a scoop of ice cream!

Frosted Fudge Brownies

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons butter, cubed
3/4 cup baking cocoa
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk (I only used 1/4 cup!)

Directions:

In a saucepan, melt butter. Remove from the heat. Stir in cocoa; cool. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar. Combien the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture. Stir in vanilla and the cooled chocolate mixture; mix well.

Spread into a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

For frosting, in a mixing bowl, cream the butter, confectioners' sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Stir in enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread over brownies. Cut into bars.

Source: Winning Recipes from Taste of Home

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

I've had several people express interest in this recipe and I'm SO sorry for the delay in posting! It seems like ordinarily, I buy bananas and they are black within days, but of course when I'm anxiously awaiting for them to ripen, they take their sweet time. My sister gave me a little tip that she learned from my aunt and I couldn't believe how quickly this worked! If you need ripe bananas for a recipe, stick them in the freezer for 24 hours, thaw and they're ready to use :) Another suggestion that I read about was to put bananas in a brown paper bag with an apple--apparently the apple releases a gas that speeds up the ripening process. I was so glad that I was finally able to make this last night and it very much was worth the wait! (Again, please excuse my picture...it was already pitch black outside, by the time I got around to taking it!)

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 3)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa (I prefer dutch process)
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 8x4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

Beat sugar, eggs, and oil in large bowl at medium speed until combined. Beat in banana and vanilla at low speed. Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda in medium bowl; beat into banana mixture at low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

***No, you're not losing your mind...I did switch pictures! I couldn't get very good light last night, so I took another picture just now :)

Source: The Sister's Cafe

Easy Sugar Cookies

I give my husband a hard time about the sweets that he consumes, but I'll be the first to admit that cookies are my absolute weakness! I've been having some "behavioral issues" with my son (mostly temper tantrums) and I think a big part of the problem is the fact that he doesn't care to share my attention with his baby sister. I've really been trying to make a conscientious effort to find activities that he and I can do and cookies seemed like the perfect idea for today! I picked this recipe, because I don't believe I've ever made sugar cookies before (even though I love them!) and it seemed like a relatively easy recipe to make with my four year old. It also was a major bonus that this recipe was rated 4.5 out of 5 stars, based on over 1500 reviews on Allrecipes.com! These cookies were so buttery and had the perfect amount of "sweetness"...some sugar cookies are way too sweet for me and they were very simple to make!

Easy Sugar Cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Note: Several reviewers stated that unless the butter is completely softened, your batter will be too crumbly, so I would suggest making sure you keep that in mind! I set the butter out first thing this morning (it had been in the freezer) and went ahead and stuck it in the microwave to start melting it a bit, before I mixed it with the sugar.

Makes 3 dozen

Source: Allrecipes

Peanut Butter Cookies

We went to visit my grandparents yesterday and as usual, my grandmother refused to allow me to bring anything. Regardless of how much I beg, she always says the same thing..."when you're a grandmother, you'll understand". I absolutely adore them and am having a hard time dealing with the fact that they're getting older. I have so many wonderful memories--they used to pick my two sisters and myself up, treat us to dinner and then take us to a play at a local high school, followed by us spending the night at their house. It was alway such a treat! Anyway, I knew I wasn't going completely empty-handed, so I stayed up making batch, after batch of these peanut butter cookies...my "Popie's" favorite. (That's what we've always called my grandfather!) They always seem to enjoy when I bring them cookies--god love my grandmother, but I don't think she has much patience for baking. She recently told me that she put 48...yes, you heard me right...FORTY-EIGHT cookies on one cookie sheet and then was disappointed when she opened the oven to find that they were pretty much one big cookie. I get such a kick out of her and the way she does things...you'd have to know her to fully understand. I wanted to share this recipe, because this recipe was given to me, shortly before I got married, and the cookies are very good! I love a nice, crisp cookie and that's exactly what you will get!

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar and shortening together in large mixing bowl. Add in peanut butter and mix until blended. Mix in eggs. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt and stir until thoroughly mixed. Drop by spoonful onto lightly greased cookie sheet and crisscross with fork. (I dip my fork in sugar, before crisscrossing!) Bake 9-11 minutes, until golden brown. Place on cooling rack and cool completely.

These were just a couple of the pictures I took yesterday...I love watching my own children interact with my grandparents!




Source: Erin N.

Best Ever Banana Bread

My son has his FIRST soccer game this morning and seeing as how I knew we'd be running around, frantically trying to get ready, I opted to make this bread which would serve as a quick breakfast to eat while having a much needed cup of coffee! I've experimented with countless banana bread recipes over the years and actually toyed with the idea of making one from my sister's blog, but in the end, I decided to try a new one! This is the actual recipe name, although I would have to say...it honestly is the BEST banana bread I have ever had! I tried a little piece last night before bed and it was so unbelievably moist and flavorful--I would highly suggest you try it the next time you have overly ripe bananas!!!

Best Ever Banana Bread

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups Domino® or C&H® Granulated Pure Cane Sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk (see below, if you don't have buttermilk!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (we omitted the nuts!)

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs, bananas, oil, buttermilk and vanilla; add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in nuts.

Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

A note to less experienced cooks, as myself: To make one cup of buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough milk to measure one cup. Thank goodness for the "ingredient substitution" section in my Taste of Home Cookbook!

I'm now off to eat a slice with my cup of coffee :)

Source: Taste of Home

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe comes from Heidi (Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi)--I saw it on her blog last month and have been itching to try these cookies! Never before had I heard of adding pudding mix to cookies, but you would not believe how much of a difference it makes!!! As Heidi mentions on her blog, they are soft, but not "cakey"--definitely worth trying!!! I'd be shocked if these cookies last much more than a few days around here!

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown. Makes 4 dozen

***Also, Happy Nurse's Day to any fellow nurses out there!*** My husband surprised me this afternoon with a card, balloon and some beautiful flowers...VERY sweet! My little guy wanted me to take a picture of him with the balloon :)


Source: Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi

Fudgy Brownies

Heidi, from Tried-and-True cooking with Heidi, posted this recipe on her blog at the most perfect time...right before I was having a playdate at my house! I had been trying to come up with some "kid-friendly" foods to make, since between my girlfriend and I, we were going to have a four year old, three year old, (2) 16 month old twins and a 14 month old. I whipped up these brownies in no time and stuck them in the oven right before they arrived--they were quite delicious, but with all of the initial chaos, I somehow missed my timer going off on my oven, so they were in a bit longer than they should have been. This was my first time making homemade chocolate brownies and I will definitely make these again...I may just try to make them before I have a house-full of kids!

Fudgy Brownies

2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
2 sticks butter
3 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Grease an 8x8 baking dish. Mix sugar and cocoa in a medium bowl. Melt butter and add to sugar/cocoa mixture. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Add flour and salt; blend until just smooth (don't over mix). Bake 40-50 minutes. You want center to still be a little wet when a toothpick is inserted and pulled out.

Source: Tried-and-True cooking with Heidi

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

My husband and son have absolutely no self-control when it comes to "sweets"! I've been picking up more and more shifts at the hospital and I think it's a pretty safe assumption that they indulge plenty when I'm away! I've kind of given up with my husband--he's obviously going to do what he wants to do, but I'm concerned about my son's eating habits and try my hardest to encourage him to eat healthier foods when I'm home. By no means do I want to cut sweets out of his diet entirely, so I thought this would be a nice/"fair" alternative. Yes, I know they're still cookies and have shortening, sugar, etc, but they contain oatmeal and raisins, both of which are good for him :) These cookies were the best oatmeal raisin cookies I've EVER made and got a "thumbs up" from my little guy!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening (I used butter-flavored Crisco)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup raisins

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat all ingredients except oats, flour and raisins in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in oats, flour and raisins.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden brown and centers are light in color. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

*Makes about 3 dozen cookies*

Source: Betty Crocker Cookies and Bars

Oatmeal Butterscotch Toffee Chip Cookies

I knew I wanted to bring home some type of baked goods when I took the kids to visit my parents this week. Jake decided he wanted to help me make cookies for "Grandma and Grandpa", so I was all set to make the Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies I saw on "Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi". I just happened to stumble across a similar recipe on Picky Palate, that also included toffee chips and since I had some left from when I made chocolate covered pretzels, I decided to go with that recipe. (I'm anxious to try Heidi's in the near future, though, as they look equally as good!) These cookies were to die for! The butterscotch and toffee were such a good combination--especially paired with the oatmeal!

Oatmeal Butterscotch Toffee Chip Cookies

2 sticks softened butter
¾ Cup sugar
¾ Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ Cups flour
½ Cup quick oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 ½ Cups butterscotch chips
1 Cup toffee chip pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined. In a large bowl combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the butterscotch chips and toffee bits just until combined.


With a medium cookie scoop, scoop onto a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 9 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing.

Source: Picky Palate

Chocolate Chip Blondies

I have never had much of a "sweet tooth"--the thought of gooey/rich desserts almost makes me sick to my stomach. I will say, however, that I have a weakness for cookies and brownies! I've been following the blog "Tried-and-True cooking with Heidi" and have been anxious to try out some of her recipes. This recipe definitely caught my eye...I love it when I know I don't have to make a special trip out to the store to get ingredients! I also love how she attempts to make recipes that fit anyone's budget. It's definitely expensive raising kids these days, especially when you're relying almost exclusively on one income. My son always has a case of the "gimmies" when we're at the grocery store, particularly when we're heading down the snack aisle, but I can't stand buying all of those fatty/processed foods for him (or for my husband who thinks I don't notice when he sneaks a sweet or two once I go to bed!) These chocolate chip blondies are pretty "rich", but it didn't stop me from eating them! Both of my kids thoroughly enjoyed them, as will my husband when he gets home tonight!

Chocolate Chip Blondies

1-1/2 cups Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla just until blended. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to brown sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

***This was super easy...a recipe you could definitely have your kids help you with!***



Source: Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi

Chocolate Covered Pretzels and Awards!

What can I say?!? I LOVE making desserts that are super easy and always a big hit! There's something that really seems to draw people to the whole "sweet and salty" concept, so I've been making chocolate covered pretzels lately, for different functions/get-togethers. They are incredibly simple to make and you can be as creative as you want, as far as what you choose to dip them in. I made these for my son's birthday party yesterday and chose to do three different varieties: nuts, miniature M&M's and a Nonpareils Mix (Dessert Sprinkles). This is a perfect thing to make when you're short on time or just want to add a little extra "color" to your table!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

1 bag pretzel rods
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
assortment of toppings

Directions:

Break pretzel rods in half. Melt chocolate chips over medium heat, until smooth and creamy. Dip broken end of pretzel into chocolate and coat approximately half of the rod. Place pretzel immediately onto wax-covered cookie sheet and sprinkle with desired toppings. Allow pretzels to cool/set in refrigerator for at least 10 minutes and then store in an airtight container.

***You can substitute white chocolate if you prefer, but I would recommend using the white baking discs--I didn't have very good luck with the white chocolate chips!***

Source: Rachel Guajardo

Last, but not least...a very sweet girl, Heidi, from Tried-and-True cooking with Heidi, passed along three awards to me. The awards given were the "Lemonade and Friends Award", "The Friends Award" and the "E for Excellent Award". I greatly appreciate her thinking enough of my blog to make mention of it and highly suggest that everyone take a look at her blog--she has some WONDERFUL recipes! Along with the awards, it was requested that I pass along this message..."These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated."It also says : "Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award." I would now like to share these three awards with 8 blogs that I feel are most deserving and that I have greatly enjoyed reading...

1) Delectable Dining
2) Christy's Kitchen Creations
3) The Sister's Cafe
4) Amber's Delectable Delights
5) Our Best Bites
6) The Pioneer Woman
7) Picky Palate
8) My Tasty Treasures

Pirate's Hidden Treasure Cupcakes

Today is my son's 4th birthday and he decided that he wanted a pirate-themed party this year. We had all of our family over yesterday for a celebration in Jake's honor and I decided that in addition to making a cake, I would make these adorable pirate cupcakes that I found online. I'm not going to lie...they were a bit time consuming, but Jake said they were "very cool", so of course that made it worth the while! The only thing I omitted was the peanut butter cups that were supposed to be hidden inside, out of fear of sending a party guest into anaphylactic shock...several people have severe nut allergies in my family! I also had a difficult time finding black string licorice, so I used black decorator icing. (I'm not a huge fan of licorice, let alone black licorice, so it ended up being a better option in the end!) Also, this is a "Betty Crocker recipe", so they naturally recommend using all Betty Crocker brand ingredients, but you can certainly substitute--I did! Since I omitted the peanut butter cups, I actually just followed the cake mix instructions on the box and then followed the cupcake recipe instructions on how to decorate them. Good luck :)

Pirate's Hidden Treasure Cupcakes

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® chocolate fudge cake mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
24 miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies (from 12-oz bag), unwrapped
1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
2 rolls (from 4.5-oz box) Betty Crocker® Fruit by the Foot® chewy fruit snack (any red color)
24 pieces Cheerios® cereal or small ring-shaped candies (about 4 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons miniature candy-coated semisweet chocolate baking bits
1 tablespoon semisweet chocolate chips
2 pieces black string licorice (each 34 inches long)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal pans (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

In large bowl, make cake mix as directed on box—except use 1 cup water, the oil and eggs. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Place 1 candy in top of batter for each cupcake (candies will sink as cupcakes bake).

Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Frost cupcakes with frosting. Cut 12-inch piece from 1 fruit snack roll; set aside. From remaining fruit snack, cut 24 (2-inch) pieces; cut crescent-shaped piece from each. Peel off paper backing; add 1 piece to each cupcake for top of kerchief.

Cut reserved fruit snack into 12 (1-inch) pieces; peel off paper backing. Cut each piece in half lengthwise. Twist each piece in middle; add to 1 end of crescent-shaped fruit snack on each cupcake, forming tie of kerchief. Add 1 piece of cereal under each tie for earring. Use baking bits, chocolate chips and licorice to make facial features and eye patches.

Source: Betty Crocker

Buttercream Icing (Happy 1st Birthday Maddie!)

We celebrated my daughter, Madeline's 1st birthday this past Saturday and I had decided that I wanted to make cupcakes (in princess colors, of course!) and her own little "smash cake". I prefer the taste of buttercream frosting to the "whipped" frosting, but have never made it from scratch. I called my sister, Sarah, in a panic on Friday, desperately seeking a recipe and her dear friend, Christy, was so kind as to share her recipe with me. It was absolutely delicious--I received countless compliments! (Thanks, Christy!!!) My sister suggested that I use butter-flavored Crisco, which I was glad that I did, but just as an "FYI"...make sure you use regular Crisco if you are wanting a white base for your cake/cupcakes, as the butter Crisco definitely has a yellow hue! It also calls for butter-flavored extract, which I had never used, but it can either be found with all of the other spices or in the cake decorating section at most any store. (I found that the Wilton brand is a bit cheaper). I hope you enjoy the recipe! Happy Birthday to my dear little Maddie!!!

Buttercream Icing

1 cup Crisco
1 lb powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon butter-flavored extract
2-3 Tablespoons water

Combine first four ingredients in mixing bowl and mix well. (I used my Kitchen Aid with the wire whisk, per Christy's advice and it worked really well!) Gradually add water until frosting is to desired consistency.

***I used the gel food coloring to tint my frosting!**

Source: Christy Ooley