Peanut Butter Cookies with Milk Chocolate Chips

Peanut Butter Cookies with Milk Chocolate Chips

Everyone says these are really good (although I thought they were kinda sweet). So I'll be making them again, much to the happiness of those around me! I don't really do anything special to these cookies-just use the peanut butter cookie recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (no idea what publication! my grandma copied it onto a recipe card). I just added milk chocolate chips and baked like any other chocolate chip cookie. This recipe is double the recipe that was published, and I always double it. But maybe the first time, try it as follows and then see if you need more. I happen to live with cookie monsters (myself included), so we need a lot!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter (not natural)
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 d F.
2. In large bowl, mix butter and peanut butter. Add sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat until combined. Beat in egg and vanilla till combined. Beat in flour until mixed. Mix in milk chocolate chips.
3. Shape dough into balls and place onto cookie sheet (I use a pizza stone) about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 F for 7-9 minutes, until lightly browned on bottom and slightly on top. Cool for one minute. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes approximately 48 cookies.

Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

These were super quick and sooo yummy!! I had my husband whip up some cream cheese frosting for the top (I'll add the recipe later), made them absolutely delicious! But they were super tasty even without the frosting.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 c coconut oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
2 cups pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp flax seed meal
1 1/2 cup wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.) Cream sugar and coconut oil. Add eggs and beat thoroughly. Add water and pumpkin and mix.
3.) Sift spices and flour. Stir into liquids until mixed. Mix in nuts.
4.) Pour into muffin pans (I use stoneware muffin pans rather than tins, cooking time may vary if use tins). Bake 20 minutes-test with toothpick in center to be sure done. Cool then remove from pan and place on cooling rack.

Mama's Chili Beans

I tried making chili beans from this recipe from "Creme de la Crumb"-it was okay...my husband liked it, but I thought it was quite bland. Plus when I actually make the effort to cook, I like to make it as difficult as possible for me. So I've started making it with dried beans rather than canned beans. And I've messed with the other ingredients a bit too-just to make it tastier. My new version of the chili gets rave reviews!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups dried beans (I use "chili bean mix" from winco)
2 tablespoons baking soda
6 cups water (estimate)

1 tsp salt
1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced (red, yellow, or orange-I use whichever I have on hand)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (I use pre-minced in a jar, can use fresh-about 2 cloves)
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
3 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
1. Place beans and baking soda in a large pot.  Add water to 2-3 inches above beans, approximately 6 cups. Let soak (room temperature) for 6-8 hours.

2. Drain and rinse beans, then return to pot. Add salt and onion. Then add water to 1 inch above beans. Place on stove (with lid) on high and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until beans are soft, approximately 1 1/2 hours. Stir every half hour or so and check on water levels-if water reduces too much (to level of beans, add more, about 1/2 cup at a time). If beans are nearly soft, but too liquidy, take lid off.

3.  Add bell pepper, garlic, bouillon, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, cumin, paprika, salt, and garlic powder. Raise from simmer to low-medium heat, and cook for 15-20 minutes. If flavors need a little more time, reduce back to a simmer at 15 minutes and simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve with shredded cheddar on top. Can also add sliced green onions and/or sour cream if you'd like.










No pix to post-always disappears too quickly!! I'll try to add some the next time I make it.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Mexican Wedding Cookies

I've been making these cookies every year at Christmas since I was little. I got the recipe from my mom-no idea where she got it or where the recipe is originally from.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Cream butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until fluffy. Stir in flour and nuts until well blended. (I use pecans-my husband is allergic to walnuts. I grew up using walnuts in this recipe. Either one works-just make sure they are finely chopped).

3. Chill for at least 30 minutes, or until firm enough to handle. Shape into one inch balls and place one inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (I use my pizza stone). Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.

4. Roll immediately in powdered sugar. Place on cooling rack.
 

Overnight Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

 I always have some pumpkin left over after making pumpkin pie, muffins, or bread. I hate throwing it away, so I always put it in a container in the fridge with great plans to use it later. Never fails-I find it shoved into the back corner of the fridge months later. Saw this Pumpkin Oatmeal recipe and thought it would be a great way to use up the leftover pumpkin right away. I modified it just a tad...

I threw everything into my crock pot, and when I woke up the next morning-oh.my.god. My whole house smelled sooooo good!!! Tastes super yummy too! I have definitely found a great way to use up leftover pumpkin! :-)

Overnight Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1 cup steel cut oats
2 cups water
2 cups almond milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg
1 dash ground cloves

Directions:
1. Place the oats, water, milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, and spices into crockpot. Mix and set to low for four or more hours.

2. Mix. Add additional milk and/or sweetener, as desired. I like it with a dollop of butter. :-)

This is such a yummy breakfast, that it didn't last for pictures! And I've made it several times...someday I'll add a picture!

Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie

I made the BEST EVER pecan pie for Thanksgiving!
I've tried three or four recipes in the past-the first one was pretty good, but I never found it again (hence the reason for this blog...so I can find things again!!). The others were never as good as the first one. But this pie was better than any of them! And so pretty too :-)
 This is definitely the prettiest pecan pie I've ever made!

 I used The Pioneer Woman Cooks recipe from Recipe Girl  for most of the pie, but I took a hint from Gimme Some Oven for the topping-looked and tasted PERFECT!

Ingredients:
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup (2/3 stick) butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup pecan halves-enough to be placed over filling and cover top
1 unbaked pie crust, fitted into a pie pan (edges crimped)

 Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In medium bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, butter, salt, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
3. Place chopped pecans in bottom of crust. Pour contents of bowl over pecans.
4. Line the top of the filling with pecan halves.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. (I put foil on the bottom rack of the oven so it can catch anything that boils over-makes clean-up a LOT easier!) Remove foil and bake for 25-30 minutes longer-if crust or pecans are close to burning, re-cover with foil. Pie is done when the filling is set-should be a little bit jiggly but not sloshy. If pie is still sloshy, continue baking, checking every five minutes.
6. Cool on rack (3-4 hours) before slicing.

Seriously-this is the BEST pecan pie I've ever tasted!!

Chili Beans

Chili Beans

I made delicious chili last year from a recipe I found and modified on pinterest. I thought this was it:
Five Bean Vegetarian Chili, so I tried to recreate it...

I thought it turned out quite bland, but my husband loved it. I still thought it was good, but not spicy chili that I wanted.

Ingredients
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 red onions, diced
4 teaspoons garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cans tomato sauce
10 cups Bob's Red Mill 15 Bean Soup beans, presoaked and cooked
5 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Directions:
1.   Add red peppers and onions to a large pot. Saute over medium high heat until onions are translucent. Add garlic and saute another minute until fragrant. Add broth, tomato sauce, and all beans. Bring to a boil.
2.  Add cumin, paprika, salt, and garlic powder. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 15-20 minutes longer, stirring throughout. Serve hot with sliced green onions, cheese, sour cream, or other toppings as desired.

*If I make this again, I will add a can or two of tomato paste, a 28 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes, and some chili powder. Seems strange to me that this chili didn't include chili powder :-/
*this can be a quick dinner if use canned beans-would need about ten cans different beans.