Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Cheese Ball

Hey y'all! I know it's been awhile since I posted a new post but I figured that this was something I needed to share.

My brother graduated from ASU this week and we threw him a graduation party. Because I love cooking, I decided to cater his party. I saw this recipe on Foodgawker.com (my favorite recipe website) and decided to make it because I wanted to challenge myself. This cheese ball was a HIT! Everyone loved it! This was a huge cheese ball and I definitely thought we would have a least half leftover. I was so wrong! There was maybe a quarter left after the party. I was glowing with happiness from all the compliments I received.

If you're throwing a party, you should definitely make it! Or if you like cheese balls, half or quarter the recipe and make it for yourself!

Isn't is beautiful?

Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Cheese Ball

Ingredients

4 8 oz. Reduced Fat Cream Cheese packages

1 1/2 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese

3/4 cup Bleu Cheese (the original recipe called for feta but you can choose)

2 garlic cloves

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed dry

1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

1 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup sun-dried tomato pesto (or basil pesto)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, parmesan and bleu cheese. Divide into thirds. Add spinach to one-third of the mixture.

2. Line an 8 inch bowl with plastic wrap. Spread one-third of the cheese mixture in the bottom of the bowl. Place half of the sun-dried tomatoes on top. Spread the cheese and spinach mixture over the tomatoes. Top that with the rest of the tomatoes. Spread the last third of the cheese mixture on top.

3. Cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

4. Remove from the fridge and invert the cheese ball onto a platter. Press the toasted pine nuts onto the side of the cheese ball. Spread the pesto over the top.

To serve, I sliced a french loaf and toasted the slices in the oven at 350 degrees for 4 minutes on each side. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

It's be forever since I've had a new post because I don't have a kitchen. Well lucky for you, the other day my friend Alison and I made the best cinnamon rolls I've ever tasted. Think fall in the form of cinnamon rolls. It was awesome!

Sooooo good. Fall is my favorite season and these cinnamon rolls were the perfect kick off for it, especially since fall food is the best. The flavors and spices that go along with a lot of stereotypical fall foods just make me so happy inside. Fall food just has a warm and comforting taste that reminds me of home. So I hope you enjoy these! They are a little bit time consuming but I promise they're worth it!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients:
for rolls:

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

for filling:

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar

for icing:

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons milk

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl add warm water, yeast, sugar, and oil and stir together.  Allow to set for 3 to 5 minutes or until bubbles start to form.  Stir in egg and pumpkin.  Add 2 cups of flour and combine. Add salt and 1 cup of flour.  Stir until a soft dough forms and starts to pull away from sides of bowl. Add additional flour if needed.

Pour dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding flour as needed until dough is soft and smooth but no longer sticky.  Allow dough to rest about 5 minutes. Roll out to a rectangle shape about 12 x 15 inches.

In a medium size bowl mix butter and pumpkin puree together until smooth.  Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg.  Spoon filling over dough and spread into a thin, even layer.  Sprinkle brown and white sugars evenly over dough.  Starting from a long side, carefully roll up dough, pinching the edges to seal.

Using a sharp knife (I like to use my bread knife) cut into 1 1/2 inch slices.  Place onto a greased cake pan, pie plate or other baking dish.

Bake for 25 minutes or until rolls are cooked through and lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar together.  Stir in vanilla and milk, mixing until smooth.  Pour over warm cinnamon rolls, gently spreading to cover the rolls.

My recommendation is to eat these warm out of the oven...but it's totally up to you.

Peach Cobbler

If you really know me then you know that there is one dessert I will never ever turn down. This amazing dessert is cobbler. It's like pie but so much better! I'm not a big fan of berry cobblers...I mainly stick to apple and peach cobbler. Simple and delicious!

I bought the new Cook This, Not That by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding and found a recipe for apple cobbler in the dessert section. I didn't have granny smith apples so I substituted peaches for the apples. Such a good choice.

I really like this recipe because it's a healthier version than most cobbler recipes. One day I'll have to post my mom's cake mix cobbler...BEST THING EVER. But anyways, Enjoy!

Peach Cobbler

2 peaches
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbs brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
2 Tbs butter, chopped

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel and dice your peaches. Place them in a bowl and add the apple juice, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cinnamon and 2 Tbs brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the oats, remaining cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. Mix in the butter with your hands until the mixture is in little clumps. Take 2-4 (depending on how big you want your serving sizes to be) ceramic dishes and divide up the peach mixture. Evenly distribute the oats mixture over the peaches. Place in the oven for 25 minutes. When done, the peaches should be bubbling and the oats slightly brown.

Alfredo with Shrimp and Asparagus

One night while watching the Food Network (my favorite station), I was inspired by a "healthy" version of alfredo sauce and wanted to try it out. Unfortunately, I saw this recipe about a month ago and didn't write it down so I forgot what the ingredients were except for Laughing Cow cheese. As a result, I had to experiment and guess what was in it.

It turned out pretty good, but it's not your typical alfredo sauce. So here's my not-so-alfredo alfredo sauce. Enjoy!

Alfredo with Shrimp & Asparagus

1 package thin Whole Grain Spaghetti
15 large precooked shrimp
10 stalks of asparagus
1/2 Tbs basil
1/2 Tbs oregano
1 tsp onion powder
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup Sherry cooking wine
1/2 Tbs Olive Oil
3 wedges lite swiss Laughing Cow cheese
1/2 cup Risotto
1/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup water
Salt and Pepper

Several hours before, combine the Sherry, basil, oregano, garlic, onion powder, and olive oil in a Ziplock bag. Throw in the shrimp and shack up. Place in the refrigerator until you're ready for it.

Cook your pasta according to the directions on the box. Take it off the stove a minute before it's down and drain from the water.

While cooking your spaghetti, place the water and asparagus in a sauce pan. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the cheeses and milk; stir until all the cheese is melted. Add the shrimp and cover the pan; cook for another 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the drained pasta to your sauce and toss to cover the spaghetti. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pork loin with Tomato-Apricot Chutney

Every Monday, Yahoo! has an article of 7 recipes for each day of the week. I've always wanted to try them but I was either 1. too lazy or 2. didn't have the ingredients. Today, I finally had most of the ingredients for the Sunday recipe so I decided to try it out!

The Yahoo! recipe calls for pork chops but we had pork loin and it worked out great! Enjoy!

Pork loin with tomato-apricot chutney

1 pork loin
1 can roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 tbs lemon juice
dash of cheyenne
Fresh thyme

Salt and pepper the pork loin and place it on the grill for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure you flip it halfway through.

While the meat is grilling, pour the tomatoes, chopped apricots, lemon juice, and cheyenne pepper into a pot. Place on a medium-hot stove. Bring to a boil and continue to stir until most of the liquid is gone and it's become thicker. Take the mixture off the stove and pour over the pork loin.

I made toast from the whole wheat bread I made earlier this week. Brush each side of the bread with olive oil and place in a skillet. Toast on each side for 1-2 minutes. It will burn slightly because of the olive oil so don't freak out when it looks completely charred.

Snickerdoodles

I have officially decided that I was a deprived child in the spoiled child sense. Don't get me wrong, my parents were very loving and I am very satisfied with my childhood - but - when it comes to cable tv shows, certain foods, vacations, etc. I would say I was deprived.

I didn't have cable when I was a kid. Shoot, now we still only have basic cable. Aka TBS, WGN and that's it! People bring up Spongebob, Blue's Clues, the Rugrats, etc. and I can't share in the joy that they get from reminiscing about those wondrous childhood memories.

The reason I am ranting about not having cable tv as a child is the epiphany that I didn't know what snickerdoodle cookies were as a child. I am now in love with snickerdoodle cookies. I think it's reasonable to assume that if I had known about snickerdoodles they would have been my favorite cookie instead of sugar cookies.

Anyways, I was bored and wanted to bake so my dad suggested I make snickerdoodles...so I did and I'm so happy I did! So please, please,  please make these and enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs

2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Gradually mix in the flour mixture. Add the extra sugar and cinnamon until completely mixed in.

Line cookie sheets with wax paper. Drop teaspoons of the cookie dough onto the cookie sheets. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Make sure to rotate the cookie sheets halfway through!

Turkey Meatball Sandwich

Here's a great turkey meatball recipe! You can do whatever you want with the meatballs. Add them to spaghetti, serve them as an appetizer, eat them by themselves, or make a sandwich! I decided to go the sandwich route.

I made the meatballs and sauce by hand and bought a loaf of sourdough bread from Trader Joe's. So good! Enjoy!

Turkey Meatball Sandwich

Meatballs
2 pounds ground turkey
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped white onions
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs
Pepper to taste

Sauce
1 1/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
3 tbs brown sugar
Garlic powder to taste
Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, onions, garlic powder, eggs, evaporated milk and pepper. Mix together with either a spoon or your hands - using your hands is a lot more fun! Once mixed, make balls and place them in a baking dish.

In a smaller bowl, mix the ketchup, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder and pepper together. Pour sauce over the meatballs and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes and then flip the meatballs over. If you want, you can pour more sauce over the meatballs. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place bake in the oven. Bake for another 30 minutes.

Whole Wheat Bread

There are two things on my list of what I need to bake:

1. Pie - I did that
2. Bread

So today I decided to bake a nice loaf of whole wheat bread. I found this awesome recipe that's versatile so you can make whatever kind of bread you want! It's pretty easy to do. The only thing I recommend is that you have the proper mixer attachment - the bread hook. I don't have you typical bread hook so it was a little more difficult but still works!

Make sure to set aside lots of time in order to do this. Or at least be close to your kitchen for about 3 hours. Enjoy!

Oh and P.S. nothing smells better than baking bread!

Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 1/4 tsp yeast (typically that's one packet)
1/4 cup sweetner (honey or sugar - I used honey)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil (or butter, canola oil, or sunflower oil)
3-3 1/2 cups flour (whichever type you want)

In a stand mixer bowl, combine the water, yeast and sweetner; stir it together. Add the salt, olive oil and 2 cups of the flour. Mix it together. Add 1/4 cup of the flour. Keep the mixer running and add the rest of the flour a tablespoon at a time or until the dough pulls away from the edge. Cover with a damp towel and let sit for 1 1/2 hours.

Knead a couple times and place in an oil bread pan. Cover again and let sit for an hour. With half an hour left, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Brush oil on the dough and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is my new obsession. It looks like spaghetti and it kind of tastes like spaghetti but it's so much healthier than spaghetti! The only problem is that it takes longer to cook and a little more preparation than normal spaghetti does.

Just like normal spaghetti you can pretty much do whatever you want with it after it's cooked. You could finish it off with olive oil, shrimp, lemon juice and parsley for a light summery dish. Or you could toss it in some tomato sauce and go for a more traditional spaghetti dish. Either way, it'll be delicious and save you a TON of calories.

I had leftover grilled chicken in my refrigerator from last night so I decided to cut it up, combine it with tomato sauce (Classico pasta sauce is my favorite) and toss in the spaghetti squash. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash

1 medium sized spaghetti squash
3/4 cup water
Salt and pepper
Tomato sauce
2 Chicken breasts

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half long ways. Season the cut side with salt and pepper and place cut side down into a roasting pan. Add the water and place in the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until you can easily stick a fork in the outside.

In a saute pan combine the chicken and tomato sauce on medium-low heat. Once the squash is done, take a fork and scrap out the seeds. Then, scrape out the flesh. Add the squash to the sauce and chicken. Use tongs to toss the sauce, chicken and squash together. Take of the heat and eat!

Healthier Dark Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I decided to experiment and try to make a "healthier" cookie. I used the same recipe as the oatmeal raisin cookies but I adapted it. So instead of using regular flour I used whole wheat flour. For sugar, I used Splenda. And instead of milk chocolate I used dark chocolate. Enjoy!

P.S. I forgot to take pictures of these. But picture the oatmeal raisin cookies but with chocolate chips instead!

Dark Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup Crisco
6 tbs water
3/4 brown sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the Crisco, water and both sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir in the oatmeal and fold in the dark chocolate chips.

Line cookies sheets with wax paper. Spoon cookie dough onto cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

For several weeks now I have been on a hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookies. The reason for this was a batch that wasn't so great. I used the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and they turned out really dry. I wasn't sure why so I started looking at other recipes and they all looked basically the same. The one difference I have found is whether the recipe calls for Crisco or butter.

My conclusion: Crisco makes better cookies!

I think I may have found the perfect chocolate chip cookies after weeks of scrounging the internet. Not dry, perfectly gooey...delicious! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup Crisco
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup chocolate chip

Preheat your oven to 350. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. Whip together the Crisco, both sugars and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips (folding in the chocolate chips will prevent over-beating your dough).

Line cookies sheets with wax paper. Take a spoonful of dough, create a ball and then squish the ball on the cookie sheet with the backside of your spoon. Bake cookies for 8-9 minutes - I recommend turning cookie sheets halfway through. Tip: After you take the cookies out of the oven, instead of setting them down, slightly drop the cookie sheets onto your counter. For whatever reason, doing that makes your cookies stay softer! Let cool for 2-3 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack!

Cream Puffs

These past two days, I was in McPherson visiting my grandparents on my mom's side. Usually we go to Galva to get the most amazing cream puffs I've ever had. They're about the size of a softball, filled with your choice of filling flavor (chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter or hazelnut) and they are so delicious! Sadly, my Grandma told me that they were closed but instead we would make our own.

I eagerly accepted the challenge and we started making them. My conclusion: cream puffs are weird. They have a weird process or at least this recipe does because it's an older recipe. The dough also had a really weird consistency but it's turns out tasting pretty good!

Our cream puffs didn't peak up like they should but they still tasted delicious. The pudding was my favorite part! I kept adding more and more to my cream puff.

I recommend trying them because they are a scrumptious little challenge! Enjoy!

Cream Puffs

Pastry:
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
5 eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Heat the water and butter on the stove until the water boils. Add the flour and mix thoroughly; cook for 5 minutes. When cool, whisk in the eggs, unbeaten, one at a time. Drop by tablespoonfuls on buttered baking sheets. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Cream filling:
2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tbs butter
3 cups scalded milk
3 eggs
Dash of salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix the flour and sugar together. Microwave the milk for 4-5 minutes on high. Slowly add the hot milk. Pour the mixture into a double boiler and cook for 20 minutes, continuously stir for the entire time. Remove from the heat and add beaten eggs and butter to the flour and milk mixture. Return to the stove and cook over water for 5 more minutes; continue to stir. Add vanilla and salt.

Wait until the pudding is cool, then spoon it into a Ziplock bag. Close the bag and cut a tiny hole in one of the corners of the bag. Cut the pastries in half and, if needed, use the knife to hollow out the pastry. Pipe the pudding into the pastry and enjoy!

Apple Pie

Happy 4th of July!

Goal of my life = make an apple pie. Today is the day that I accomplish the impossible. I figured it was suitable - celebrate America's independence which was thought to be impossible and make an apple pie which in my mind is impossible.

I've made ONE pie before but technically it was a crumble. Nevertheless, I made a pie crust and it turned out delicious (I'll post the recipe once I can get a hold of it). My Grandma Ediger always told me that pies were very difficult to make and that she usually bought instead of made - I think it was her that instilled this fear of pie baking in me. I always wondered why it was so difficult...I mean you make a round circle of dough, place it in a pie pan, toss some fruit in it and BAM! you have a pie. Right?

WRONG.

Pies are so hard! Not the actual making the dough or fruit part but the construction! I am a Food Network fiend so I've received many tips on how to properly place the dough in the pie tin: you roll it up on a rolling pin and then roll it into the pie tin. Easier said than done. I had troubles just rolling it on the rolling pin because it was sticking to the pie sheet. Then when I went to lay it in the pie tin, it was slightly off-centered so I had to take excess pieces and squish it into places that needed more crust.

I'm not sure if I saved myself much trouble by places stars on top instead of doing a lattice or full top.  My grandma didn't have a star cookie cutter so I had to cut out my stars by hand. But it ended up looking good!

I hope this doesn't discourage you from making a pie. Think of it as a forewarning of what you're getting yourself into. I do recommend trying it one day, though! I got the greatest rush of accomplishment when I took my first bite and it was amazingly delicious. And it looked so pretty! Enjoy!

Apple Pie

Pie Dough
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tbs very cold water

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add in the butter pieces and mix on medium-low to cut the butter into the flour; the mixture should look like coarse sand and the butter pieces should be no bigger than peas. Mix in the cold water on low speed until the dough comes together.

Shape the dough into a ball, wrap with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Take out of the refrigerator. Take half of the dough and place it on a floured surface and roll it into a circle. Roll the dough onto a rolling pin then roll it into the pie tin.

Filling
8 cups sliced apples (I used Granny Smith)
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together and let them sit for a few minutes.

Pour the apples in the pie crust. Roll out the rest of the pie dough and create whatever crust you want - I used a cookie cutter and cut out stars. Place the dough on top (if you do a solid top, make sure to cut slits into it). Wrap the edges of the pie with aluminum foil to prevent burning.

Bake the pie for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbling. **Make sure to remove the aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes.

Serve warm or cold. With or without ice cream. Either way is delicious!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

On their own, Chocolate Chip Cookies are amazing. I would consider them to be an American staple. It makes me think of Grandma's house and milk. Well, I decided to make them a little more amazing by adding peanut butter.

It's like a peanut butter cup reborn in the form of a cookie. Yum.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbs milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and both sugars in a bowl. Add the peanut butter, egg, milk, baking soda, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually add in the flour (about 1/2 cup at a time). Fold in the chocolate chips.

Line your cookie sheets with wax paper. Take spoonfuls of the dough and create balls. Now, take a fork and create a checkerboard on top of each cookie to flatten it (you can see the checkerboard in the pictures). Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. I like to flip it halfway through because of the oven but it's up to you!

Let the cookies cool for about 1 minute then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Mocha Frappaccino

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These are my weakness. A Starbucks grande Mocha Light Frappaccino. But at $4+ they take a major toll on my bank account. Lucky for me, I figured out a way to make them at home! It took me several attempts and failed every time until one day I struck gold!

These homemade mocha frappaccinos are so good! I prefer these now because I can make sure that they're exactly how I like them. AND they cost way less and even save you about 40 calories! How can you beat that??

For all you fellow Starbucks junkies, enjoy the extra money in your pocket while satisfying your craving!

Homemade Mocha Frappaccino

2 cups ice
2 splashes (about 1/4 cup) nonfat milk
3/4 cup strong coffee
3 swirls (about 2 tbs) lite chocolate syrup
2 cap-fulls vanilla extract
1 tbs+ sweetner (sweeten to your liking)


Combine all ingredients into a blender (I usually add it in the order listed). Blend until smooth and all ingredients are mixed together. Put it in your favorite cup or tumbler and indulge!

No-bake Oatmeal Cookies

These are my absolute favorite cookies ever! They may not look the most appetizing...but oh my gosh they are the best! They're so easy to make and they are so good! If I sat down with a batch of these...I could definitely eat every single one of them. But that would be ridiculous and probably make me sick (but to be honest, it'd totally be worth it).

I had forgotten about these cookies until one day I got one of my crazy cravings. When I get one of these cravings, it must be satisfied or it will drive me insane! The only problem is that I usually can't pinpoint the craving and so sometimes it will go unsatisfied until I finally figure it out! Well this time I knew exactly what I was craving and these cookies hit the spot!

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My mouth started watering just looking at this.

If you've never tried these before, I feel bad for you and highly recommend dropping everything right now and making them. You'll be happy you did. If you have tried them before, then you know the amazing-ness and simplicity of these cookies! Enjoy!

No-bake Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup sweetner or sugar
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1/4 cup water or milk
2 tbs. cocoa
1/4 cup peanut butter (optional - but if you're not allergic to nuts I suggest adding it)
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a sauce pan, combine sweeter/sugar, butter, milk/water and cocoa on medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil for one minute and then remove from the heat. Add the vanilla and peanut butter, then stir in the oatmeal.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Spoon on the cookie dough and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Take out of the freezer and savor every bite!

Aunt Macie's Raisin Cookies

Currently I am in Kansas visiting my relatives. Yesterday I told my grandma about my new found addiction to baking things. Her response, "Bake as much as you want, whenever you want," BIG mistake. I tried to hold bake the urge to bake...it lasted all but 12 hours.
To satisfy my craving, I asked my dad and uncle what they would like me to bake and immediately my uncle said, "Aunt Macie's Raisin Cookies...they are the best." 

Say what? How have I never heard of these amazing cookies when apparently in the family cookbook (which I did not know we had until today)?

I ran and found my grandma and asked for the recipe. We gathered the ingredients and I started.

I found that working in a foreign kitchen can be difficult. First batch, I don't think I actually got the oven to preheat so they were a little doughy - but still good! 

Second batch, the oven WAS preheated and I upped the time so they came out a little too cooked.

Third times the charm! I successfully had the oven preheated and put them in for the right time!

The cookies are really good but, in my opinion, the dough is SO GOOD too! Enjoy!

Aunt Macie's Raisin Cookies

2 cups Raisins
1 cup water
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Next combine the raisins and water and boil for 5 minutes (or you could use the microwave). Let it cool and then stir in the baking soda and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a separate bowl; set aside. Now, cream the shortening and sugar; add the eggs one by one and the vanilla. Beat the mixture. Add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time to the creamed mixture. Then add the raisins mixture. Drop teaspoons of the batter onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 6-7 minutes, turn the sheet around and then bake for another 6-7 minutes.