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!