mmmmm...more cookies!

I have been assigned cookie duty for a work birthday party on Monday. Since I had just brought chocolate chip cookies for the birthday party last Wednesday, I thought I would try the amazing cookies that Aunt Lynn had at coffee last week. They are in the 2003 Adams Tasting Bee Cookbook called Conference Cookies by Mel Hekstra but I think they would be better named...


Uncle Larry's FAVORITE Cookies

Cookie Ingredients:
1 cup oleo
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t salt
1 t soda
1 3/4 cups flour
3 cups oatmeal

Mix butter with sugars. Mix in eggs. Add dry ingredients.
Bake 10 minutes at 350*. Frost immediately.
(I took about a 1/2 t of frosting per cookie. While still on the cookie sheet I spooned it out on top of the dozen cookies and then went back and spread it; was easy because it was all nice and melty)

Frosting Ingredients:
6 T oleo
2 T coffee
1 t cinnamon
2 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

Mexican Chicken

Tim said this was the best chicken he ever had. so....

1 T. dijon mustard
4 chicken breasts
2 t. oil
1/2 c. salsa
2 T. lime juice
1 can black beans
1 avocado

spread mustard on to one side of chicken. heat oil in large skillet over med/high heat. add breasts mustard side down, cook for 4 minutes. turn over the chicken and cook for 2 minutes. reduce heat to med. combine the rest of the ingredients except the avocado. spoon over chicken. simmer uncovered for 6-8 minutes, until sauce thickens. trasfer chicken to plate. cook juice on high for 30 sec. spoon juices over chicken and top with avocado. serve.

my chicken took consiterably longer than the recipe called for and i skipped the transfer chicken... ect. i simply topped with avocado and served.

can never have too much peanut butter!

These are the cookies that I made this weekend. They were tasty delicious but they could have been better if I hadn't eaten a few (or not so few) of the Reese's!

Recipe Credits go to Real Simple

Peanut Butter-Cup Cookies

1 1/2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup butter (at room temp)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (I used regular)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 12 oz package of small peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375*
Line cookies sheets with parchment paper (I didn't do this...I just used PAM).

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in bowl and set aside.

Beat butter & sugars until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in peanut butter cups.

Bake until light brown around the edges, 12-15 minutes. (Mine only took 10 mins)

I heart easy!

Chicken Alfredo:
Just follow the directions on the package. Then I add frozen grilled or leftover chicken. Tonight, I mixed everything together, then put it in a casserole dish (covered) and popped it in the oven for about 10 minutes. Yumm!

Gotta love the crockpot!

I love the recipe for Party Chicken in the Hull cookbook. But the other day, i wanted to have a crockpot meal, so I improvised.

I dumped in 4 lg. frozen chicken breasts. Then i cut up the six slices of bacon that i had left in the house and dumped them in. I sliced up a jar of dried beef and dumped that in. Then i mixed the 1 c. sour cream and 1 can cream of mushroom together and... (you guessed it) dumped that in. Put the crockpot on low and went to Betsy's house. SO easy and delish!

I took a several photos but none of them turned out. Sorry K.

A Holiday Favorite

Peanut Brittle

1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup White Syrup

In microwave safe bowl (handle is helpful - I use my Pyrex 4 cup measuring cup) stir together. Microwave on high for 3 1/2 minutes.

1 cup Roasted Salted Peanuts

Stir in peanuts. Microwave 2 minutes.

1 t Butter
1 t Vanilla

Add to syrup and peanuts, blending well.
Microwave 2 minutes more.

Add 1 t Baking Soda
Stir until light and foamy.
Spread onto lightly greased cookie sheet.
Let cool 1 hour. Break in pieces.

a tradition from the past

Grandma Kamps' Cranberry Salad

1 large pkg Cherry Jello
1 cup hot Water (boiling???)
1 cup Sugar
1 T Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Pineapple Juice

Let set until almost stiff

1 cup ground or chopped Cranberries
1 ground Orange...including peal
1 cup crushed Pineapple
1/2 cup chopped Nuts
1 cup chopped Celery

Mix with Jello mixture and pour into mold.

a Cup of Warm

This recipe is from a friend with 2 daughters and they are all fabulous cooks so enjoy this little bit from their kitchens.

CHAI

1 cup French Vanilla Cream

1/2 cup Powdered Milk

1/2 cup White Sugar

3/4 cup Instant Tea

1 t Cinnamon

1 t Ginger

1/4 t Ground Cloves

3/4 t Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 t Nutmeg

Put all in blender till powdery

Use 3 T mix per mug of hot water

long lost chicken buns

I think this is the recipe that Mom used to make...mmm mmm good!

HOT CHICKEN SANDWICHES
makes 12 servings

8 c. cubed cooked chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
2 c. mayo
1 c. cubed American cheese

Combine in crock pot. Cook on High for 2 hours. Serve on buns.

Can't get enough of them!

Chewy Molasses-Spice Cookies


2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 lg. egg
1/4 c. molasses

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 c. sugar. Set aside

2. Beat butter and cup of sugar until combined. Beat in egg and then molasses until combined. On low speed, gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms.

3. Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 T. Roll balls in sugar to coat.

4. Arange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges are just firm, 10 - 15 minutes. (my oven took about 12) Cool 1 minute on baking sheets. Transfer to racks to cool completely.