My husband and I took a quick field trip out to a darker part of town, on a hill to try and spy the space station. We saw it and it was bookin' - it took now time and it was gone. I think we're supposed to see it more nights this week, amazing!
I had to shut off my oven with just 2 batches of cookies left to bake, but it was worth it. I waited until late hoping the heat would subside a bit. It's hard to talk myself into heating up the oven when it's warm, and I don't just flip my AC on at the first warm breeze. Humidity plays into it the most.
This cookie recipe is a different one from my usual choc. chip cookie, it has oatmeal in it. I really like an oatmeal/chocolate combo, I have several bar recipes like that. These cookie stayed nice and tall for me, I'll see how they are tomorrow. Hopefully still moist and fresh tasting. I'm a 2-3 day cookie person, after that I've lost all interest in them because they just don't have that fresh taste.
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup butter (I used Imperial margarine sticks @ room temp)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups blended oatmeal (I used quick cooking oats)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 -12oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Blend the oatmeal in a blender or food processor to a fine powder. Cream butter and sugars with electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, oatmeal, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Next stir in chocolate chips and nuts until completely combined.
Line a large baking sheet with 1" sides with parchment paper, and spoon heaping tsp. of dough onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10 min @ 375* or until just turning golden on top. Don't over bake!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Remember when you were little?
OK, still not sleeping.
Do you remember when you were little and there was a cookie that required no baking and it was as sweet as licking out the cookie bowl? I don't know if my mom ever made these, but I do remember them from some point in my life. I think it may have been a 4-H recipe from the good old WE TRY AND DO club I belonged to. (Strange name now that I think about it) I learned to sew, cook, bake, sing in a group, give speeches, and other great things in 4-H. Gee, I wonder if it's to late to get my kids enrolled in a club, hmmm they are only 25 and 28 years old now. I'll suggest it.
Back to the cookies.
These are called NO BAKE COOKIES because... you guessed it - no oven time. I know you are probably familiar with this recipe, but it's fun to revisit old favorites to remind us of simpler times.
NO BAKE COOKIES
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal
Mix sugar, cocoa, milk, & margarine in a saucepan. Stir over med. heat until it boils. Cool for 1 minute then add remaining ingredients mixing well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper and cool completely before removing to sore in an airtight container.
Do you remember when you were little and there was a cookie that required no baking and it was as sweet as licking out the cookie bowl? I don't know if my mom ever made these, but I do remember them from some point in my life. I think it may have been a 4-H recipe from the good old WE TRY AND DO club I belonged to. (Strange name now that I think about it) I learned to sew, cook, bake, sing in a group, give speeches, and other great things in 4-H. Gee, I wonder if it's to late to get my kids enrolled in a club, hmmm they are only 25 and 28 years old now. I'll suggest it.
Back to the cookies.
These are called NO BAKE COOKIES because... you guessed it - no oven time. I know you are probably familiar with this recipe, but it's fun to revisit old favorites to remind us of simpler times.
NO BAKE COOKIES
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal
Mix sugar, cocoa, milk, & margarine in a saucepan. Stir over med. heat until it boils. Cool for 1 minute then add remaining ingredients mixing well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper and cool completely before removing to sore in an airtight container.
Counting sheep
Hey! It's past my bedtime, but sleep is not happening for me....so I grabbed a couple of my favorite old cookbooks to find something for the blog. See how much I think about you people? Seriously - Mike has to work in the morning at 7 so I thought rather than toss and turn I'd get up and let him get into some fabulous 'rem' sleep.
Twenty one years ago I discovered this recipe for shrimp. Friends that my husband worked with were coming over for the 4th of July and I wanted something special. I think that buying shrimp back then was a huge treat for us, I guess it still is. You might wonder how I remember when I made it for the first time?!? I have a habit of writing down the date the dish was prepared next to the title. If I didn't care for it, the date is followed by a :-( or I might just cross out the whole recipe so I don't make the same mistake again. If there are no descriptive notations, I'll most likely make it again. Tracy and Maureen did like this dish, and I have made it many times since then, or at least similar recipes. Be sure to use raw shrimp, or cut your cooking time down drastically. A precooked shrimp will turn to rubber when cooked again.
Baked Shrimp
2 lbs fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 cup softened butter, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced parsley
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
Toss shrimp with salt, oregano and thyme; chill at least 20 min.
In small bowl, cream together1/2 cup butter with garlic and parsley.
Saute' mushrooms with remaining butter.
Place shrimp in individual baking dishes; top with mushrooms, dot with garlic butter.
Bake @ 375* for 20 min.
I also remember that we had a chocolate swirl cheesecake topped with a peanut butter hot fudge sauce for dessert. Maybe a future idea? OR German chocolate cheesecake....endless possibilities.
Sleep well all.....
Twenty one years ago I discovered this recipe for shrimp. Friends that my husband worked with were coming over for the 4th of July and I wanted something special. I think that buying shrimp back then was a huge treat for us, I guess it still is. You might wonder how I remember when I made it for the first time?!? I have a habit of writing down the date the dish was prepared next to the title. If I didn't care for it, the date is followed by a :-( or I might just cross out the whole recipe so I don't make the same mistake again. If there are no descriptive notations, I'll most likely make it again. Tracy and Maureen did like this dish, and I have made it many times since then, or at least similar recipes. Be sure to use raw shrimp, or cut your cooking time down drastically. A precooked shrimp will turn to rubber when cooked again.
Baked Shrimp
2 lbs fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 cup softened butter, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced parsley
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
Toss shrimp with salt, oregano and thyme; chill at least 20 min.
In small bowl, cream together1/2 cup butter with garlic and parsley.
Saute' mushrooms with remaining butter.
Place shrimp in individual baking dishes; top with mushrooms, dot with garlic butter.
Bake @ 375* for 20 min.
I also remember that we had a chocolate swirl cheesecake topped with a peanut butter hot fudge sauce for dessert. Maybe a future idea? OR German chocolate cheesecake....endless possibilities.
Sleep well all.....
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Spuds
Spuds might make you think of Spuds McKenzie the dog that represented Budweiser, late 80's?? Many of you are to young to remember. Speaking of dogs, this week we are dog sitting Charlie the cocker spaniel from Lincoln. Charlie is white and copper freckled, he's a cutie. Soft plush BIG ears, and the saddest eyes ever. Charlie has his own blog, can you believe it?
When I think of spuds, I think of potatoes, I LOVE potatoes. Tonight for supper my husband did an amazing sirloin steak that was marinated in tons of herbs, I'll get him to give up the recipe for the following post. Sooooooo good. I made a potato recipe that I saw on TV today, I switched it up a bit, but they were simple and great with grilled meat.
Bakin' Bacon Potatoes
6-8 new potatoes - small to med. size (I used white not red)
3 slices of bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
Wash the potatoes thoroughly and poke with a sharp knife. Put them in a microwave container and cook until fork tender. Take them out of the container to cool slightly on the counter.
While the potatoes are cooking, cut the bacon into small pieces and put into a skillet with the chopped onion, cook over medium heat until it begins to crisp.
After the potatoes have cooled a few minutes place one at a time inside a clean towel and press down just until you feel it crack and flatten slightly. Now put each potato in the heated skillet along with the bacon and onion. Leave the potatoes until they have developed a golden brown color and flip it once. Season with fresh ground pepper and salt.
The bacon flavor permeates the potato, so you really don't need a lot of fixings on top, we used only butter. If your a die hard sour cream lover, a dollop wouldn't hurt. Of course you'll want to spoon the bacon and onion on for garnish. So crispy, smokey, yummy!
When I think of spuds, I think of potatoes, I LOVE potatoes. Tonight for supper my husband did an amazing sirloin steak that was marinated in tons of herbs, I'll get him to give up the recipe for the following post. Sooooooo good. I made a potato recipe that I saw on TV today, I switched it up a bit, but they were simple and great with grilled meat.
Bakin' Bacon Potatoes
6-8 new potatoes - small to med. size (I used white not red)
3 slices of bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
Wash the potatoes thoroughly and poke with a sharp knife. Put them in a microwave container and cook until fork tender. Take them out of the container to cool slightly on the counter.
While the potatoes are cooking, cut the bacon into small pieces and put into a skillet with the chopped onion, cook over medium heat until it begins to crisp.
After the potatoes have cooled a few minutes place one at a time inside a clean towel and press down just until you feel it crack and flatten slightly. Now put each potato in the heated skillet along with the bacon and onion. Leave the potatoes until they have developed a golden brown color and flip it once. Season with fresh ground pepper and salt.
The bacon flavor permeates the potato, so you really don't need a lot of fixings on top, we used only butter. If your a die hard sour cream lover, a dollop wouldn't hurt. Of course you'll want to spoon the bacon and onion on for garnish. So crispy, smokey, yummy!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Lemons
Happy 4th of July to all of you! I'm having a relaxing day so far...went to the teeny farmers market at our mall, stopped at Target and HyVee. I've made some black bean salsa, blue cheese dip, and I'm heading up to make lemon bars next. I came down to search my blog for the recipe and realized that I have never posted lemon bars, and I love them. My son James loves them more, but they are a perfect summer treat. So after the lemon bars it's going to be talent show at the lake, and more fun. Enjoy!
Lemon Bars
1 package of yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup veg. oil
1 8oz cream cheese - softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 T lemon juice - fresh squeezed
Mix dry cake mix with 1 egg, & veg oil. Reserve 1 cup of this for the top, pat the rest into a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake for 15 minutes at 350* While the crust is baking combine the cream cheese with sugar, lemon juice and remaining egg. Beat with mixer until light and smooth. Spread this over baked layer and crumble remaining 1 cup of cake mixture over the top. Bake another 15 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.
Lemon Bars
1 package of yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup veg. oil
1 8oz cream cheese - softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 T lemon juice - fresh squeezed
Mix dry cake mix with 1 egg, & veg oil. Reserve 1 cup of this for the top, pat the rest into a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake for 15 minutes at 350* While the crust is baking combine the cream cheese with sugar, lemon juice and remaining egg. Beat with mixer until light and smooth. Spread this over baked layer and crumble remaining 1 cup of cake mixture over the top. Bake another 15 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.
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