Oatmeal and Rasinettes and Bears...Oh My!

This is my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe! I sometimes use it with the butterscotch chips and Toffee bits combo (Michelle's brilliant concoction!) Or just the plain ol' raisin variety.

Well, awhile back Dave had left a big bag of his favorite candy, raisinettes out in plain site! I had to do something with them! I brought my idea of the best treat and introduced it to Dave's and wa-law! I give you the perfect marriage...

Oatmeal Rasinette Cookies~

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

1 1/2 sticks butter-room temp.

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups regular oats-or-2 1/4 cup quick oats(I HIGHLY recommend using quick!)

1 1/2 cups Raisinettes or whatever floats your boat!

In Bosch or kitchenaid bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla mix until smooth. Scraping sides of bowl. Add flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until combined. Add oats and mix again. Gently stir in raisinettes, because they are very sensitive!

Now, let the dough sit for 10 to 15 minutes in bowl. This lets the eggs absorb into oats and flour to get a better looking and tasting cookie. To make cookies, scoop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie (the perfect sized cookie, I think!) on a parchment lined cookie sheet - 12 fit on a rimmed sheet.

Bake no longer than 10 minutes-if you like a crispy edge and a chewy center....oh my!

Bryn got a little creative with Mrs. Pac Man!

AMPED UP Baked Beans!

This was a major hit with the fam! I love it when everyone is asking for seconds!

It would go good with a summer bar-b-que. Or as a main course with breadsticks or biscuits!

Amped Up Baked Beans-

Makes enough to fill a large crock pot!

In a med. skillet cook:

1 tube of SAGE Jimmy Dean Sausage

1 large yellow onion-chopped

Cook until sausage is nice and crumbly and almost done. Add to Crock pot, then add:

One regular size cans of:

Kidney beans-undrained

Black beans-drained

Red beans-drained

Northern white beans-drained

Butter beans-drained

Garbanzo-drained

Black eyed peas-drained

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 15 oz can stewed tomatoes-After I open the can, I use my scissors to snip the tomatoes until they're nice and small.

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup mustard

2 big handfuls of brown sugar

1 tsp garlic-minced

1/4 tsp dried rosemary-chopped up

6 to 7 dashes of Worcestershire sauce (about 2 tsp)

1 tsp maple flavoring or 1 Tb maple syrup
1 bay leaf

Stir until well combined. Turn to low-medium (My low is more like medium on my crock) and let it do it's thing for a good 2-3 hours! Don't forget to remove bay leaf!

Salty or Sweet?

I made these a couple weeks ago. We liked them, but Iwas looking for a softer, sweeter dough like the pretzels from Auntie Anne's. These taste more like the one you buy in the frozen food section at the grocery store. Okay, a little better. But I've gotta say, I felt pretty hip when I saw these on the menu this past weekend at the Pioneer Woman/Smitten Kitten foodie retreat!

I made a couple with butter and loads of cinnamon sugar, as you can see those were the first to go, so no pic!

For the recipe and all the fun, click here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/04/you-must-make-these/

P.S. After searching far and wide, I think I found the perfect copy cat, Auntie Anne's recipe! I better make them soon before it gets any hotter here, and I lose interest!

Chicken "BACH-BACH" Salad!

This is hands down, the best chicken salad I've ever tasted! It won 1st place in the Taste of Home magazine way back around 1996! It's been a hit at Baby and Bridal showers ever since.

Last week the weather was amazing here, so we ate outside. Garrett had just finished loading up his plate and had set it on the ground. Our dog Jake seized the moment and went straight for the chicken salad! He left everything else alone! Garrett was pretty bummed, but I took it as a compliment! That dog's got taste!

Dog-Gone Good Chicken Salad

4 cups cooked chicken-cubed
1 1/2 cups seedless grapes, halved
1 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green onions
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tb regular mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp ground mustard
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

In a large bowl combine, chicken, grapes, celery, onions and eggs. In another bowl combine the next 9 ingredients-stir until smooth. Pour over chicken mixture and toss gently. Stir in almonds and serve immediately-or refrigerate and add the almonds just before serving.

Gives you about 6 servings, plus one for the DOG!

It's not a party without the cheese ball!

I've seen different variations of this recipe. This one came to together sort of by accident. The page of the recipe book was accidentally turned by a fan in the room. I didn't catch it until I had added a few "extra" things! The end result was a real hit with everyone. I'm sort of curious to try the original to see if this accidental cheese ball really is better. Maybe next year.

FAVORITE SPRINGTIME CHEESE BALL~

2 -8 oz packages cream cheese

2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese

3 Tb finely chopped green onions

3 Tb finely chopped green pepper

2-8 oz cans crushed pineapple-squeezed drained (1/2 cup packed)

2 1/4 tsp Lawry's season salt

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup finely chopped pecans or toasted almonds

2 Tb finely chopped parsley

In a med. size bowl thoroughly mix/mush the first 7 ingredients together. Form into two balls-or one log. Roll in your choice of nuts and parsley. Keep refrigerated until served. This goes great with Wheat Thins.

Let's start at the very beginning...Easter Appetizers

I'm a huge fan of deviled eggs. I always wonder why I don't make them more often- I have 2 recipes that I LOVE! You can't go wrong with either. Let me know your favorite!

Little Deviled Eggs

12 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise (reduced fat works fine)
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp dill weed (optional)
2 Tb milk
Fresh parsley and additional paprika

To cook eggs, layer in the bottom of a large pot. Cover with cold water to 1 inch above eggs. Bring to a boil then turn down heat to a simmer and cover pot. Cook for 15 minutes. Carefully place each egg in a bowl of cold water. Let sit for a few minutes then crack and peel eggs. Slice each egg in half. Remove yolks and set whites aside.

In a gallon size Ziploc bag, add yolks, next 10 ingredients. Seal bag, now sit down to watch your favorite show and start mushing the bag to death! You want a nice smooth texture. Cut tip off the bottom corner of bag and pipe into egg whites. Garnish lightly with parsley and paprika.

Here's another favorite Deviled Egg recipe that's just as good!

12 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tb very Finely chopped green onions (tops and bottoms)
4 Tb Finely grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt (give or take a little)
1/8 tsp pepper

Easter in Virginia...Lovely and Green!

Hope your Easter was great! Recipes coming soon...first I need to find any left over Easter eggs not found from the hunt! Wish me luck!

Peanut Butter Blossoms!

I've been wanting to make these for years! I saw this clever little creation in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine 14 years ago! I've been staring at the pic/recipe for way too long-today's the day to create bouquet's of yumminess in my kitchen...

Peanut Butter Blossoms

1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter-rm. temp
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter-I love Jif for baking
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

In a med. size bowl whisk together the flour, salt, soda-Set aside. In mixer cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Add egg and vanilla until combined-scraping sides of bowl. Add dry ingred. Mix until combined. Don't over mix.

Roll dough into 1 1/4 in balls. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes. Don't over bake! They're done when you start to see cracks in the cookies.

Let cookies cool on rack for at least 10-15 minutes before you place half of a miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on them. If you do this too soon, the cup melts into a big blob! Decorate when cookie is completely cooled.

When all is said and done, I need a little more chocolate with my peanut butter-Bring on the KISSES!