Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

This is a cookie recipe that I remember my mom making when I was a kid. I recently rediscovered it while going through a recipe box. It's a simple cookie made extra tasty with the addition of rum extract. If you don't have the rum extract though, you can just add a little more vanilla.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp rum extract
2 tsps water
2 1oz squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup oats
1/2 cup pecans (optional)
Extra sugar for tops of cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease or line cookie sheets.
2. Combine shortening, sugar, egg, vanilla, rum extract, and water; mix well.
3. Add melted chocolate and mix until combined.
4. In a separate bowl add flour, salt, and baking soda, oats, and nuts (if using); whisk to combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture. Mix until just combined.
5. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet about 2 in. apart. Dip a glass in sugar and flatten the tops of the dough balls slightly.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove to cooling rack.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Slow Cooker Pesto Ranch Chicken

I found another slow cooker chicken recipe I like that is different than the others I've posted. The original recipe uses 4 thighs, but I've adapted it to a 3lb. bag of frozen chicken, because that is the easy way to do it! We had 2 meals with this chicken, one with stuffing, and the other with noodles. I ended up loving the noodles! I just chopped up the leftover chicken and added it to some Pasta Roni. It had a lot of basil flavor and actually made my crock pot smell like pesto for a few days, so watch out for that! :)

Slow Cooker Pesto Ranch Chicken
adapted from picky-palate.com
1 3lb. bag frozen chicken breasts
1 cup of basil pesto (I used an 8.1 oz jar)
1 pkg (.25oz) ranch dressing mix
1 cup chicken broth

Place chicken breasts into crock pot. Pour the pesto evenly over the chicken. Spread around a little to cover the chicken. Sprinkle the ranch dressing powder on top. Pour the chicken broth over the chicken. Close with lid and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8 hours.

Leftover Meal

Really good...really!

Basil Pesto

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Squares

Oh my! These are the ultimate sweet. Cookies with candy, more candy, chocolate, and nuts! If you are a chocolate peanut butter lover you have to try these bars at least once in your life. :)

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Squares
adapted from bakeorbreak.com
1 16oz. pkg Nutter Butter cookies, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 T vanilla extract
1 8oz. pkg Reese's peanut butter cup minis, coarsely chopped
1 3.9oz. pkg  Butterfinger candy bars (6 small candy bars), coarsely chopped
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13″x 9″pan with aluminum foil, allowing it to extend over edges of pan. Grease/spray foil.
2. Combine crushed cookies and butter. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes. 3. Combine condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Set aside.
4. Sprinkle chopped candy bars, chocolate chips, and peanuts over crust. Drizzle condensed milk mixture over toppings.
5. Bake for 25-27 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack. Using foil, lift out of pan. Peel foil away, and cut into bars.

Some of the ingredients.

Ready to bake.

Yummy!!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I had to hurry and post this recipe before it starts getting too hot to make soup! I love chicken pot pie! Every time I make it I'm always tempted to lick the pot clean. This recipe has the things I like about pot pie, cream, chicken, and crust plus a bonus of cheese! I like the addition of broccoli, which in not a veggie I use in pot pie, because it made this like a cross between broccoli cheese soup and chicken pot pie. The original recipe says to use 1 refrigerated crust, but I just made my own using the Crisco recipe. I also added a little more broth and milk because I felt like it needed more liquid. I love the blog where I found this recipe. Everything looks so yummy!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup
adapted from shugarysweets.com

2 cup chicken, cooked and diced

3 TBSP butter

1/2 yellow onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 cup fresh broccoli florets, chopped

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups milk

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar

1 pie crust

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium high heat. Add onions, celery and broccoli and cook to soften about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add broth, milk, cream, red pepper, salt and pepper. Use a whisk to combine, then add in cooked chicken. Heat over medium heat until warm, about 10-15 minutes.

2. To make crust, cut into strips and lay on a lined baking sheet. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 6-8 minutes, until browned. Remove from oven.
3. To assemble, Pour soup into bowls and top with shredded cheese and pie crust strips.

Crust Strips

Darth Malt

I thought this would be an appropriate post for today. :) My 7 year old came home from school about a month ago with this book he had checked out from the library. He was so excited to make something from it.  After looking through it we decided on the Darth Malt. We had some leftover malt eggs from Easter, and thought it would be fun to use those. We just made a plain vanilla one, but you can use any flavor of ice cream. Don't forget to garnish with a Star Wars character!

Darth Malt
The Star Wars Cookbook II
6 malted milk balls
2 large scoops vanilla ice cream (or your favorite flavor)
3/4 cup milk

1. Place the malted milk balls in a heavy plastic bag. With a rolling pin or mallet, crush the milk balls into small pieces.
2. Pour all ingredients into a blender and mix on low speed until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour into your favorite glass and enjoy.
Serves 1

Red Velvet Cupcakes

My daughter requested red velvet cupcakes for her 10th birthday. I bought a boxed mix because I'd never made them from scratch, but then decided to experiment. I created this recipe based on my "Perfect Vanilla Cupcake" recipe that I love. I changed a couple of things and made sure it had the essential 3 ingredients, cocoa powder, buttermilk, and red food coloring. They are very dense which is just how I like them, and not too sweet. I tried a new frosting recipe. It's pretty basic, except it mixes for a LONG time. I really liked how it turned out, and I'll probably use it next time I'm piping on cream cheese frosting.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 TBSPs cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 tsps pure vanilla extract
1 TBSP red food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add eggs until just blended.
4. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, and food coloring; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
5. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (I use a muffin scoop that holds about 1/4 a cup).Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from mycupcakeaddiction on  youtube
1/2 cup softened butter
 4 oz softened cream cheese
5 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tsps milk (if necessary)

1. Place butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl and mix on high for 5 minutes, scraping down sides as needed.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar. Once it is just mixed, turn the mixer to high and mix for 5 minutes. If it is a little too stiff, add 1-2 tsps of milk and mix in.

Slow Cooker BBQ Cranberry Meatballs

I have really been into slow cooker meals lately. When my kids get home from school and the chaos starts, sometimes I don't have as much time as I'd like to make dinner. It's always so nice to know dinner is already cooking. This recipe is more of an appetizer/party recipe, but why not make it a meal with rice. The original recipe called for 2 cans of cranberry and 2 bottles of BBQ sauce, but I made it with 1 of each and it was plenty of sauce for us. The meatballs don't have to cook very long because it's really just heating them since they are already cooked. 

Slow Cooker BBQ Cranberry Meatballs
adapted from sixsistersstuff.com
1 (24 or 32 oz) pkg frozen meatballs
1 (14 oz) can jellied cranberry sauce
1 (20 oz) bottle of BBQ sauce

Combine jellied cranberry sauce and BBQ sauce in a crock pot and stir until smooth. Add meatballs and stir until well coated. Cook for 2-5 hours on low. Serve over rice or with toothpicks.