Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are THE BEST peanut butter chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted. I love me some peanut butter and I love me some chocolate. Put the two together and you basically have heaven in your mouth! Most PB cookies are dry, crumble, and are a disgrace to the peanut butter desserts. But not these cookies!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup flour

1 TBSP milk

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Direcetions:

1. Beat butter and peanut butter on MED to MED-HI speed for 30 seconds. 

2. Add sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.

3. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.

4. Beat in the flour.

5. Add just enough milk to make the dough moist and creamy.

6. Add the chocolat chips.

7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

8. Drop cookie balls onto greased cookie sheets.

9. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. 

10. Transfer to wire rack and let cool.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1.5 cups flour

2 cups oat

1/2 pkg. chocolate chips

Direcetions:

1. Add shortening and sugar. Mix well.

2. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

3. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 5-8 minutes. Do not brown!

I learned a tip about baking cookies that has helped me cook my cookies to perfection most of the time. Have you heard this tip? Check the cookies at the end of bake time. If their tops start to crack and lines start to appear, the cookies are done and it's time to take them out. You can wait an additional minute or so until the tips of the cracks begin to brown, but DO NOT wait much longer.

Desserts

For the past month we've been posting entrees and appetizers. Now it's time for the good stuff. Bring on the desserts! Check back Monday for the first recipe.

Do you make plates of desserts for your neighbors during the holidays? What dessert is your favorite one to give?

Hawaiian Haystacks

My mom made us these to change things up on Christmas Eve a couple of years ago. This is one of my all time favorite comfort foods!

Ingredients:

cooked rice

Chow Mein noodles

gravy

meat

chopped celery

chopped tomatoes

grated cheese

pineapple chunks

olives

Chow Mein noodles

Direcetions:

Make enough rice for everyone eating. Add ingredients on top of each other like an ice cream sundae. 

Black Beans with Rice

This picture sure doesn't do the dish justice, but it is good. Just give it a try! 

Ingredients:

1 cans black beans

1/16 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1/8 tsp cumin

1 tsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp vinegar

1/16 tsp  chopped onion

4oz. sausage

2 cups cooked rice

grated cheese

Direcetions:

1. Drain and rinse beans. Place in LG pot.

2. Cook until warm.

3. Saute onion and sausage. Add to pot.

4. Add spices. 

5. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

6. Serve over rice with cheese on top.

Tiny Spicy Chicken

I love me some Chinese food! This recipe is a bit sweet, but it is delicious. What do you serve with your home-made Chinese food?

Ingredients:

2 lbs. chicken, cubed

garlic salt

2 beaten eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup corn starch

SAUCE:

1 tsp chili paste

1.5 cups sugar

3/4 cup ketchup

3 tsp soy sauce

dash of salt

3/4 cup chicken broth

6 TBSP brown sugar

3/4 cup vinegar

Direcetions:

1. Place chicken in LG, sealable bag.

2. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and let stand for 1 hour in fridge.

3. Add eggs, flour, and corn starch to bag. Shake until chicken is well coated.

4. Brown chicken in oil.

5. Place in 9x13 glass dish.

6. Pour sauce over chicken in baking dish.

7. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, turning chicken every 15 minutes.

Sever over rice and top with Chow Mein noodles. 

**Save left over sauce, freeze, and use again!

Pork Picata

Ingredients:

8 pork cutlets

oil

flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup chicken broth

2 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP butter

Direcetions:

1. Season both sides of thawed cutlets with salt & pepper.

2. Dredge in flour and shake off excess. Discard flour.

3. Heat oil in LG skillet MED heat.

4. Add pork and suate 2 minutes per side.

5. Remove to plate and keep warm.

6. Add broth and simmer 2 minutes.

7. Stir in lemon juice and butter. Stir until butter melts.

8. Return pork to skillet and simmer for 2 minutes or until pork is heated through.

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp minced garlic

3/4 cup ketchup

1/8 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup water

2 TBSP brown sugar

1 TBSP yellow mustard

1 tsp chili powder

Direcetions:

1. Brown beef, onion, and green pepper in LG skillet.

2. Add garlic part way through browning.

3. Drain off fat. 

4. Combine remaining ingredients. 

5. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

6. Serve on buns. Freezes well.

We like these with corn on the cob and other summer foods like chips and watermelon. What other summer foods do you like?

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Bake

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken

4 cups rice, cooked

3/4 cup corn, frozen

15oz. can black beans (drain, rinse)

1 cup plain yogurt (I've used sour cream and that works fine too.)

4oz. can green chilis

1/2 cup salsa

1+ cup cheddar cheese

Direcetions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a LG bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine.

3. Transfer to oven safe dish and tope with extra cheese.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. 

5. Serve plain or with tortillas and eat as tacos!

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 pkg. colored noodles

1/2 cup Zesty Italian dressing

1 chopped tomato -or- red pepper

1 SM can sliced olives

parmesian cheese

Direcetions:

1. Cook and rinse noodles according to directions.

2. Add other ingredients.

3. Stir well.

4. Best served chilled.

My kids don't like this pasta, but they will eat the olives and noodles without the dressing. I like to add just a little dressing to the entire salad and have the bottle available to add more per serving. 

What side dishes do you eat during Thanksgiving?

Mini Pies

Ingredients:

pancake mix (12-14 pancake servings)

fillers - (ham & cheese; sausage, egg, cheese)

Direcetions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare pancake mix according to package directions.

3. Grease muffin tin.

4. Spoon 1 TBSP of mix into each muffin tin.

5. Mix filler together. 

6. Spoon mix into muffin tins.

7. Spoon 2 TBSP of pancake mix on top of filler.

8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

These are good frozen and reheated. What fillers sound good to you?

Pizza Monkeybread

Ingredients:

1/4 tsp garlic powder

4 TBSP butter

12 frozen rolls

48 pieces mozzarella cheese (cubed string cheese)

96 slices meat

2 cups marinara sauce

Direcetions:

1. Heat garlic and butter over MED heat just until garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat. 

2. Lightly brush inside of bundt pan with garlic butter.

3. Cut rolls into fourths and flatten. Top with 2 slices of meat and cheese.

4. Wrap the dough around the pepperoni and cheese, pinching well to seal.

5. Lightly brush the pizza ball with garlic butter and place in pan.

6. Repeat until all dough is used.

7. Cover and let sit 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

8. Bake for 35 minutes or until top is very brown.

9. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes.

10. Turn out onto a platter and serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Good leftovers. We usually eat this as an entree, but it is considered an appetizer. 

BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken

1 bottle BBQ sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

Direcetions:

1. Add chicken to crockpot.

2. Mix BBQ sauce and all ingredients in a separate, small bowl.

3. Pour over chicken

4. Cook on low for 4 hours.

We usually eat this with mashed potatoes and some vegetable. Instead of gravy for the potatoes, we like to pour some of the left over BBQ  marinade over the potatoes. This made enough for me, my husband, and our 2 kids with left overs.

What's for dinner?

Have you ever wondered around 3:00, "What's for dinner?" I'm constantly asking this question and usually end up making PB and Jelly sandwiches because the hubs is at school and I generally don't like making food for two young kids that don't like what I make. But on the off chance that I'm prepared and have a plan for what's for dinner, I want things that are healthy, quick, and won't break the bank. Come back often to see what's for dinner tonight.

**These are not original recipes.