My awesome cookies...or...how to gain 10 pounds in 1 day.

This is my recipe. I used the recipe for Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Rounds from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, but changed it here and there. 

Here's what you need: 

3/4 cup butter (cold)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup flax seed meal

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup chocolate chips

 Beat butter and peanut butter on med. speed for 30 sec. or till combined

 It should look like this. See the small clumps of butter? That's a good thing. 

 Add sugar, baking powder and soda. Beat till just combined. 

 Now add the eggs and vanilla. Beat for 30 seconds. 

Now add the flour and flax seed. I have a pretty tough mixer so I just dumped both right in. But you can gradually add the flour and flax seed if you're not so sure about yours. 

 Using a spoon, stir in the oats. 

 Add some chocolate chips. 

 Use a medium scoop or table spoon to scoop mounds onto a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 12-15min. 

You can tell I used a scoop because mine look like round little mounds. Enjoy!

Bread

The other day, I walked downstairs to the wonderful smell of homemade bread. How awesome is that? Once in a while, Brian (the hubby) gets a craving and goes absolutely nuts in the kitchen. I stay clear out of his way because he really is a mad man when he gets going in there. So he was craving bread. But not any bread...herbed-Parmesan-pizza-bread. I think that's what we decided to call them in the end. I suppose we could have called them Bread Pretzels, but they tasted nothing like pretzels. 

I'll add the recipe, when Brian makes one. He kind of just tosses things together without paying much attention to measurements, and wonderful things come out of it.  I know he put oregano, Parmesan cheese and bits of pepperoni in the dough and it was soooo yummy. 

(Recipe coming soon)

Bird Nest Cupcakes

So, in the spirit of Spring, I decided to make some Bird Nest Cupcakes. I made dark chocolate cupcakes and frosted them with white frosting. Then, using chocolate frosting, I made the "nests". For the eggs, I used Jelly Beans and Malt Ball-Robbin's Eggs. They turned out really cute. 

Here's a pic of all of them. 

Awesome Chocolate Chip Peanut-Butter Crispy Rice Treats

I'm sure a version of this recipe is floating around somewhere out there in the vast internets but here is mine....and I think it's the BEST one. Actually, it's not just me...anyone who's ever tried it LOVED it. Oh, and it's super easy, too. : )

1 pack small marshmallows

1/2 stick butter

7 cups of crispy rice cereal

1 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp oil

1 cup creamy peanut butter

a really large pot

a sturdy wooden spoon

1. Grease a large casserole dish.

2. On low heat, melt butter in pot. 

3. On med. heat, add marshmallows to butter and stir continuously, to melt. 

4. Take pot off heat, add crispy rice and stir till blended.

5. Add peanut butter and stir till blended. (This might take some muscle)

6. In a small saucepan, stir together oil and chocolate chips, on low heat till melted smooth. 

7. Add melted chocolate to rice mix and stir till blended. 

8. Dump rice mix into casserole dish and press flat with a spatula.

9. Let cool and eat. 

St. Patty's Day Goodies

Every holiday comes with wonderful food. And for St. Patty's day we had some green chocolate chip pancakes! Yumm. We simply added a bit of green food dye to the milk, before we stirred it into the dry ingredients. I think they turned out pretty cute...and very green. : )

My friend, Karen, made an awesome "Fruit Rainbow", which the kids gobbled up super quick.

                  That crazy girl also makes the cutest cookies! Thanks, Karen.

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

We made some really yummy and pretty healthy pancakes for breakfast this morning. Of course, a certain little someone had to DROWN his in maple syrup, but he did eat it all up. So here is a nice little pic and the recipe.

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

1tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp oil

1 ripe banana

1/2 cup choc. chips

1. Stir flours, flax, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar together in a large bowl.

2. Beat egg and add milk and oil.

3. Add egg mix to flour mix and stir just till moist. (10 stirs)

4. Mash peeled banana with fork.

5. Stir in banana and choc. chips to mix. 

6. Fry on heated, oiled pan for 2-3 min.

7. Enjoy!

Easy Mini Quiche

You know you've got an awesome hubby when he cooks awesome food. : )

Here's a pic of the Mini Quiches Brian made a few days ago. 

They are super easy to make and sooo yummy.

Easy Mini Quiche Recipe

12 small flour tortillas

12 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup shredded cheese 

1 bell pepper

1/2 med. onion, sauted

1 tsp. parsley

a few slices of deli meat (shredded) or chopped bacon

1. Grease muffin pan and set oven to 375 F.

2. Line muffin molds with tortillas.

3. Beat eggs.

4. Add cream, cheese, pepper, onion, herbs, deli meat.

5. Pour egg mix into tortilla molds.

6. Bake for 30 min. Or until the eggs get really puffed up.

7. Enjoy!

Star Wars Cookies

Ben got a set of Star Wars cookie cutters for his birthday so we thought we'd give it a try and see how they work. I was a little worried that the tips of the X-Wing Fighter were going to get a little crispy, but they turned out just fine.

 Here are the X-Wing Fighter, Darth Vader's Tie Fighter, Millenium Falcon and Death Star cookie cutters that a friend got for us from Williams-Sonoma. (Thanks Karen)

         We used a gingerbread cookie recipe so they turned out nice and brown.

And of course, only a Storm Trooper spatula would do, for these "Wookie Cookies". (teehee)

(Recipe coming soon)