November 27, 2012

Turkey and Bean Chili

Turkey and Bean Chili

2 Tablespoons butter

½ onion finely chopped (or 1 T. dry onion)

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ c. flour (I omit the flour if I am using the crockpot)

1 (32-ounce) chicken broth

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies

2 (15.5-ounce) cans Northern Beans (white beans)

3 c. chopped cooked turkey

1 T. chili powder (or less)

1 T. ground cumin (use as you like)

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

-In a Dutch oven, (or big soup pot) melt butter over medium heat.

-Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring.

-Add flour to onion mixture and stir constantly for 2 minutes.

-Add chicken broth, beans and tomatoes.

-Cook for 2 minutes then stir in turkey and spices, simmer for 15 minutes.

(Now if I am going to use a crock pot I just put it all in the crock and turn it on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours) I usually add more chicken broth, which makes it more like soup.

Baking Bacon

Baking bacon :) is the only way I preapre bacon now. Cooking it on top of the stove has never been a fun job, not only do you have a greasy mess to clean up afterwards but your clothes smell like bacon too. I have experimented with this and am so happy to share the results.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Line a cookie sheet with foil, this will make cleaning up much easier.
Arrange bacon on the pan and place in oven on the center rack.
Bake for 10-15 minutes and then start watching closely, it make take 20 min. depending on how thick the bacon is.
Remove from the oven and carefully tranfer bacon to a paper towel. Pour hot greese into a heat resitant container.

Italian Pasta Salad

OK, first of all let me say, when I bake I measure but when I cook I don't. So some of you may find this recipe frustrating. My suggestion would be to start with a small amount, write it down and then determine how much you think would be the right size for your family. I make this for many different things, so the size I make never stays the same. The longer is sits in the fridge, the better it gets!!!

Italian Pasta Salad

cooked spiral pasta

(multi-colored)

red pepper cubed small

green pepper cubed small

chopped green onions

red onion cut small

pepperoni sliced into strips

fresh Parmesan cheese

provolone cheese cubed

olives cut into thirds

Fat Free Italian Kraft Salad Dressing

Cook pasta, rinse with cold water, and toss lightly with olive oil. If you use the olive oil you can do this a day ahead and refrigerate. Do all of your cutting, this will take longer than you think. Put all ingredients together in large bowl. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving. Also put in a little more dressing before serving to keep it moist, pasta will soak up the dressing.

Easy Santa Fe Chili

1 lb. cooked hamburger meat

1 med. chopped onion

1 can pinto beans (drained )

1 can black beans (drained )

1 can kidney beans (drained )

1 can corn (optional)

1 can diced tomatoes with peppers

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix

1 pkg. dry Taco seasoning mix

2 cups of water

Garish with;

Grated cheese

Sour cream

Green onions

Tortilla chips

Sauté onions in a Tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside. Cook hamburger meat until done, drain off grease.
Mix all 12 ingredients. Put in a large pot that has a lid ( like a dutch oven ).
Bring to a good boil, then turn down and simmer, put lid on and cook for 2 hours.
Occasionally lift lid and stir, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.

Garish and serve.

I am into very easy recipes!! This one is so... easy and good.
***I guessed on the measurements, give or take a little it doesn't matter. I bake this recipe when I have left over salsa, sometimes I have just a cup of salsa.

Salsa Chicken

5 or 6 Frozen chicken breasts

2 cups of salsa

1/4 c. brown sugar (or more)

1 Tablespoon regular mustard

Put frozen chicken breasts in glass baking dish, mix 3 ingredients, place a dab on each piece of chicken. Bake at 400 about an hour, or until done.

Kentucky Chocolate Pie

Make one, 8 inch pie crust and put in the bottom of a pie plate.

1 cup sugar

6 T. flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter melted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 325. Combine sugar and flour in a bowl. Add eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.
Stir in chocolate chips, pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake for 50-60 min. Cool on wire rack.

Whip Cream

1 cup heavy cream
3 T. powdered sugar or more

Beat cream to stiff peaks with powered sugar. Serve with pie.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, it is my boys favorite!! Although it is so.....rich you can only cut it into very tiny pieces to serve. Probably cut it into 12 pieces.

Impossible Coconut Pie

Why in the world do they call it impossible? Well I think its because when you mix it all together and bake it, the flour you put in goes to the bottom and makes a crust. When I was a kid, these kinds of recipes were really the "in" thing. I remember my mom making different "impossible" recipes. For some reason I remember this one since I really love coconut.

Impossible Coconut Pie

2 3/4 c. milk

1 c sugar

1/2 c. flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

4 eggs

1/8 c. softened butter

2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 c. coconut

Mix first 7 ingred. in electric blender on low for 3 minutes. Pour into greased 9-inch pie pan. Let sit 5 min. then sprinkle with coconut. Bake at 350 for 40 min.

Butter Baked Chicken and Gravy

I found this recipe in a southern cooking magazine. My whole family enjoyed it and when I asked if the recipe was a keeper, the answer was YES!!! Hope you enjoy!!

Butter Baked Chicken and Gravy

¼ c. butter, melted

1 c. flour

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 c. half and half milk

(divided)

5 or 6 chicken breasts thawed

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

¾ c. water

Hot cooked rice (optional)

Preheat oven to 350~
Put melted butter into 13x9 baking dish
In shallow dish, combine flour, salt and pepper
In a separate shallow dish, add 1 cup of half and half. Coat chicken breasts in milk; dredge each in flour mixture. Place chicken in prepared baking dish.
Bake uncovered, for 35 min. Remove from oven, and turn chicken over.
In a bowl, combine soup, water and remaining half and half; pour over chicken. Return to oven and bake for 35 minutes longer.
Remove chicken from baking dish; whisk gravy in baking dish until smooth. Serve chicken and gravy with rice; put gravy over rice when serving if desired.

Banana's "N" Cream Cake

This is a very good cake that needs no icing. Moist, nice banana flavor, and easy to make!!

Banana's "N" Cream Cake

1/3 cup shortening
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups mashed ripe bananas
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking power
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 -

Mix shortening and sugar, add eggs and mix well. Blend in vanilla and banana’s. Combine dry ingredients; alternately add with sour cream; stirring just until combined. At this time you can gently stir in walnuts if you want them. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake for 50 min. or until cake test done. Cool 10 min. before taking out of pan.

Use confectioner’s sugar to dust the top of cake. The best way is to pour sugar into a small sieve and push through with a small spoon.

These muffins are kind of plain, but the taste was VERY GOOD!! I'm not sure how to describe them. They kind of reminded me of a recipe that I would wake up to on a Saturday morning and smell.... my mom baking. They are very moist on the first day, a little dry after that. Overall I like these, they are quick and use ingredients I have on hand. Enjoy!!!

Oatmeal Muffins

1 1/2 c. Flour

1/2 c. quick-cooking oats

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 c. milk

1/3 c. vegetable oil or softened butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

cinnamon-sugar for topping

Pre-heat oven to 400. Grease muffin pan or line with papers and grease papers.

Beat together milk, oil eggs and vanilla. Add flour, oats, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in dry ingredients just enough to mix. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, if desired.

Bake for 20 min. or until golden brown. Remove muffins from pan and let cool.

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

2 ½ cups flour

¾ cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon orange flavoring

1 egg

¾ cup buttermilk

2/3 cup cooking oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ to 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray muffins tins or line with papers.

Mix flavoring, egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Then gently mix in flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. Do not over mix or the batter will be tough. Gently fold in blueberries.

Fill each muffins cup almost to the top about ¾ of the way up. Bake for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and dust with powdered sugar.

Makes 12 muffins ( I found it made about 14 muffins )

Finnish Bread

I really enjoy the great rewards of baking bread!! Plus there are no preservatives in it. I usually use my bread maker to make the dough (not to bake it), but if the recipe calls for more than 4 1/2 cups of flour, the bread maker doesn't handle much more than that. It might work but you will soon wear out your machine.
Also when cutting fresh bread I always use an electric knife so as not to squish the fresh warm bread. It makes it come out so much nicer.

Finnish Bread

1 Tablespoon yeast

2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

1 cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup butter soft (divided)

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons salt

4 ½ to 5 cups white flour

Dissolve yeast in water, then add whole wheat flour, 2 T butter, brown sugar, salt and 2 cups of white flour. Beat until smooth. Add remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.
Punch the dough down and shape into two 6-inch rounds. Place on a greased baking sheet and cut slashes in top with a knife. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.
Bake at 375 for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. If the top starts to get to brown, turn the temperature down.

** I used my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook to mix the dough and knead it.

Tostada Shells

I love Mexican food but I do not like to use all the oil that clogs up the arteries so.....I try to find an alternative way to make an entree without all the fat. For example tostadas shells are usually purchased at the store or made at home by frying a corn tortilla flat in oil. While yes, I will agree with you they are tasty , I just can't see why we need to use all that icky oil. So I tried something that I think is comparable in taste without all the oil.

Preheat oven to 400. Take corn tortillas and lay as many as you can flat on a cookie sheet probably about 6. Spray them with Pam cooking spray or you can get a spray that is olive oil. Lightly salt them and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn over with tongs and I didn't respray them they seem to have enough on them. Keep watching them until firm and lightly toasted. Watch them because they will burn easily. Note; (they will not get as firm as a chip but they need to be somewhat firm)

Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies

Today there was a great need for cookies so I made my boys favorite, it has a little oatmeal but not too much. Love these cookies!!

Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies

1 C. butter ~ softened

1 C. packed brown sugar

1 C. white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 C. flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt (or a little less)

1 ½ C. uncooked oats

2 C. (12 ounces) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350

Beat butter until creamy; gradually add sugars, beat well. Add eggs and vanilla.

Mix in the next four ingredients; stir in by hand the oats and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet.

Bake for 8- 10 min. ( I only bake mine 7 min, and then take them out and leave on pan for two min and then remove. Makes a softer cookie). Remove to wire rack to cool.

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

This makes a good amount of cookie dough..... because of the army that I feed everyday, I make a double batch but I would not recommend that unless you have a lot of people to feed!!

It makes a very large amount when doubled. I have very hungry young men who are always hungry so it doesn't last us too long. Enjoy ~~

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cup white sugar

1 cup butter, softened

3 eggs

1 cup peanut butter

2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine both sugars, add butter and mix well; then add eggs, peanut butter and vanilla, mix well. Mix in flour, soda and salt.

Shape into balls then roll in white sugar. After they are on the cookie sheet, press with fork to slightly flatten cookie in both directions to make a crisscross pattern.

Bake 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Mint Oreo Cookie

These are very minty....You must be a mint fan to enjoy these!!!

Mint Oreo Cookie

Cookie Dough ~

2 boxes devils food cake mix

2 sticks melted butter

2 eggs

Frosting ~

5 cups powdered sugar

¼ c. butter softened

¼ c. milk

Dash of salt

½ teaspoon peppermint flavoring

In a large bowl combine dough ingredients; Mix for 1 minute or until all mixed.
Roll dough into 1 ½ inch balls and place on cookie sheet.
Smash the balls down just a bit.
Bake the cookies at 350 for about 8 min. Don’t over bake them.
Cool cookies on wire rack.

To make the frosting, whip the butter smooth; mix in powdered sugar and add the milk a little at a time. The frosting needs to be firm not runny.
Add the flavoring and salt, mix again.

Frost the underside of one cookie and place another on top.

Creamy Guacamole

The other day I had some cream cheese I needed to use up and also some ripe avocados, so I searched my zillion cookbooks and found this recipe. Its not the way I usually make guacamole, its a new twist in flavor but I really liked it.

Creamy Guacamole

4 ripe avocados, peeled & seeded

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened

½ salsa

2 T. lemon juice or (I used fresh limes)

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Mash avocados and cream cheese with fork or potato masher. Stir in salsa (for color), lime juice, and garlic salt. Cover and chill up to 2 hours is best!! Serve with tortilla chips.

Classic Lemon Bars

I must confess, I have so many Lemon Bar recipes. I'm not sure why I keep trying more out.
Actually I love the first recipe I ever made..... Well I guess I will just start a collection. :)

Classic Lemon Bars

Crust

1/2 cup butter softened

1/4 c sugar

1 cup flour

Filling

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Confectioners' sugar

For the crust, cream butter and sugar; gradually add the flour. Press into a greased 8 inch square baking dish. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. Cool slightly.
For the filling, beat the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, flour and baking powder until frothy ( to check for that, stop mixing and let it settle to see if it it foaming ). Pour over warm crust and bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Cool before cutting into bars.

** I actually prefer my Lemon Bars to be refrigerated in an air tight container.

Cinnamon Coffee Ring

1 C. Butter softened

2 - 3/4 C. sugar divided

4 eggs

1 T. Vanilla

3 C. Flour

2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Soda

1 teaspoon Salt

2 C. Sour Cream

2 T. Cinnamon

Cream butter and 2 cups of sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt; add sour cream, mix.

Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Combine the cinnamon and remaining 3/4 c sugar, set aside. Spoon a third of the batter into tube pan; sprinkle a third of sugar mixture; Repeat layers twice. Bake at 350 for 65-70 min.

Cool for 10 min. before removing the cake to a plate. Invert the cake twice, so the sugar and cinnamon mixture is on top.

Easy Flan

The normal flan recipes.... you must brown the white sugar on the stove and then continue with your recipe. I found this easy recipe and the only difference I can tell is in the color. When you brown the sugar it tends to be more a reddish brown color.

When doing it this way it comes out a caramel brown color. This recipe has become my favorite...try it and let me know what you think.

Easy Flan

8 eggs

2/3 c. sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cans evaporated milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ c. brown sugar

Preheat oven 325

Using a whisk, beats eggs slightly; add sugar and salt. Blend in milk and vanilla. Do not over mix ..it will result in lots of air bubbles.

Pat brown sugar (sift through fingers to make sure there are no lumps) into the bottom of a 1-½ qt. baking dish.

Very slowly pour custard mixture over sugar. Do a water bath by placing dish into another shallow pan with WARM water.
Bake for 70 min. now this depends on how big your dish is. You should start checking at 45 min. insert a knife in the center of flan and it needs to come out clean to be done.

Cool on counter for 1 hour than refrigerate for at least 5 hours before serving.
Minutes before serving run a knife around edge to loosen and invert onto platter. Don’t let sit; serve right away for prettiness.

Apple Cranberry Bread

This recipe is great when you have leftover cranberries from the Holidays. It is a tasty bread that is not loaded with sugar. Make sure that you cut your cranberries in half that way they mix with the batter and are not quite so tart. Of course this time I was in a hurry and forgot!! Enjoy~

Apple Cranberry Bread

2 eggs

¾ cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons oil

1 ½ cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups finely chopped and peeled apples

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries cut in half

Mix eggs, sugar, and oil; add in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix just until combined, batter will be very stiff. Then stir in the apples and cranberries. Put into a greased and lined loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 60-65 min or until done. Cool for 10 before removing from pan.

Serves 16

ww Old Points 3
ww PointsPlus 4

Sour Cream Banana Bread

3/4 c. butter softened

3 cups white sugar

3 eggs

6 ripe bananas

2 c. sour cream

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking soda

4 1/2 c. flour

1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 300. Grease 3 large bread pans, if pans are small may need to use 4 pans. Cream butter and sugar together. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla. Next, mix in salt, baking soda, and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. I have found baking the bread at 300 is nice because it doesn't get so brown, but it seems to take longer than an hour for me.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

½ cup butter
½ vegetable oil
4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c water

2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
½ teaspoon salt

½ c. buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 - grease a 13x9 inch baking pan.

2. In a medium saucepan combine butter, oil, cocoa, and water; whisk until blended. Bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is smooth. Take off stove and let cool down on counter for 5 min.

3. In large bowl mix together flour, sugar, and salt.

4. Add to the flour mixture; buttermilk, baking soda, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until well blended. Slowly add chocolate mixture and beat until smooth.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35 - 40 min. or until done ( may take longer ). Punch holes into cake with a fork and pour chocolate icing over the hot cake. Cool completely before serving.

Chocolate Icing
(for Chocolate Sheet Cake)

½ cup butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tablespoons milk
1 (16 ounce) box confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In medium saucepan, combine butter, cocoa, and milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; stirring constantly.

2. Remove from heat; add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla.

3. Transfer to a mixing bowl and beat at medium speed with mixer until smooth.

4. Pour over hot cake.

Let me say....this is the most wonderful pound cake!!!

I was trying to explain to my boys the difference between a pound cake and a coffee cake. The major difference is the Butter 3 cubes of it...Yikes, and that it is more of a dense texture.

The batter on this recipe will fill a normal size bundt pan, and when baked, mine tended to bake over the edge a little. I think some of the newer BUNDT pans may be a little larger. But it still works, I guess you could put it in an angel food cake pan too.

The secret to getting this wonderful crunchy top is to start with a cold oven. DO NOT Preheat the Oven for this recipe, start with a cold oven and bake at 300 for 2 hours.

By the way this recipe is not WW friendly...its 15 WW points for 1/16 of a piece. HAHA

Orange Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon orange extract
1 heaping teaspoon orange peel, finely grated

Directions

1. Cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.

2. Add the sugar, one cup at a time and blend well.

3. Add 2 eggs; then one cup flour and blend until mixed.

4. Add 2 more eggs; then another cup of flour and blend until mixed.

5. Add last 2 eggs and last cup flour and blend well.

6. Add salt, orange extract and orange peel and blend until well mixed.

7. Grease and flour a bundt pan and pour cake dough into bundt pan.

8. IN A COLD OVEN, place the cake pan and turn oven on to 300 degrees.

9. Cook for 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Sweet Cornbread

For years I looked for a sweet cornbread recipe, and a couple of years back I found one, so I will share it with you.. This is my family's favorite and mine too. Enjoy :)

Sweet Cornbread

1 cup flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

½ cup oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray with Pam a 9 inch round cake pan. In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients, then stir in egg, milk and oil until well combined. Pour batter into greased pan.
Bake for 20 -25 minutes until done.

*****This recipe only makes one pan, I double the recipe and use two cake pans.

Blueberry Oat Muffins

One of my favorite fruits is blueberries....I especially like them in muffins and quick breads. We grow our own and I hope to add a bunch more blueberry bushes this year. I freeze them and then we can use them all year long. This recipe uses oats which in my opinion "Makes the Muffin".

Blueberry Oat Muffins

2 eggs

1 c. milk

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 c. oats

1 c. flour

½ c. sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping:

½ c. oats

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

Combine eggs, milk, butter and vanilla; mix well.

Add dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fold in berries then pour batter into muffin tin (12).

Sprinkle topping mixture over muffin batter.

Bake at 400 for 20-22 or until tops are lightly browned.

Cool 5 min. before serving.

2 eggs

½ cup melted and cooled butter

3 ripe bananas, mashed about 1 ½ cups

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ¾ cups flour

¾ cup white sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tins with non stick spray, or line with muffin papers…which I also spray those too.
Mix wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients. Do not over mix or you will have rubbery muffins. Fill 12 muffins cups bake for 20- 25 minutes or until done. Enjoy :)

Crescent Rolls

*****I AM MOVING MY BAKING BLOG BACK INTO MY MAIN BLOG...TO HARD TO KEEP UP WITH TWO BLOGS :)

I needed a bread to go with my Herb Chicken and this came to mind. Another very easy recipe which starts in the bread maker and then using the oven to bake. Some day I would like to fill these with raspberry preserves....sounds so good!!!

Crescent Rolls

¾ c. plus 2 Tablespoons warm milk (70 to 80) degrees
¼ c. water (70 to 80) degrees
4 Tablespoons butter cut into pieces
1 egg, beat slightly with fork
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 c. bread flour
1 Tablespoon yeast

2 Tablespoons melted butter

Put the 8 ingredients listed in order into your bread machine.
Set to dough cycle.

When cycle is complete, turn out dough onto a floured surface;
Punch down and divide into, two equal parts. Roll into two 10 inch circles. Melt remaining butter and brush onto both rounds.

Cut each circle into 8 triangles; totaling 16. Roll up wedges from the wide end and place seem side down on GREASED baking sheet; keep them 2-inches apart. Curve ends around to form crescents.

Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
Preheat oven to 375.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until done. Place on racks to cool.

****My baking sheets are large so I can only bake one at a time.

Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Cookies

These are a mild flavor.... in peanut butter and chocolate..absolutly wonderful!! I usually bake my cookies until they are barely done so they remain soft. But for some reason I think I almost like these to be a bit crunchy. Experiement for yourself and see what you prefer.

Enjoy,

Naomi

Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

12-ounce bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar.

Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until the batter is light in color, 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt.

When it is mostly mixed use a wooden spoon and add the chocolate chips and mix well.

Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until very lightly browned and still soft in the center.

Remove the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

My Little Boys So Sweet ~

What has happened to the days?

What has happened to the years?

Please let me for one last time,

wipe away your tears.

I used to rock you each night,

with a bottle to make you sleep.

How I long to do this one more time,

your warmth and softness keep.

Babies should not be allowed to grow,

stay small and forever sweet.

Bright eyes, a giggle, running around,

wonderful to me, and very soft feet.

One day as I grow very old,

you may have to take care of me.

You may not look like a baby anymore

but a baby is all that I see.

The 1980's

I came across some more Bible College pictures of my husband and I, you can really tell this was in the 80's. Memories galore, one of which is the terrible chorale dresses we had to wear. We would go sing at some Church or Convention wearing these......things. If you wondered what you looked like you didn't need to go find a mirror you just looked at the other 20 girls with the same outfit on. LOL

General Conference in Anaheim, CA I was in this pic somewhere (I think behind the piano players head) :) but my husband hadn't started college yet.

This is singing at the local Church in Stockton, CA. Pretty sure my husband is in this picture but I cannot find him....I am third from the right in the front row...again some more styling dresses :)

Here he is folks!! The days of 27 inch waist jeans!!!

Another choir picture ~ I am center front....and I cannot find my husband....this might have been a year before he came.

My husband (far right) part of the Music Committee.....Looks like United Airlines or something Haha

Music Dept. picture ~ not sure why I wasn't in this...those mysterious whys....probably took off and went to Hoosier Inn Restaurant (the best!!). My husband is front, third from the left.

My husband back left :)

Myself wearing a hideous skirt I made......my.... gotta love the 80's.

Sammy's Birthday 2012

Sammy's Birthday took place in two locations this year. His "REAL" Birthday was when we were in Ventura, CA at PCC, plus we had planned to go to Disneyland on that day.

So it was up early to have breakfast in bed (on his Auntie's Esther's couch) and then off to Anaheim, CA. When we got home from our California vacation we had his party. More birthday pictures HERE

Now you can assume what you want but I can guarantee you that these three angels where in the middle of a pillow fight, but stopped while I was watching.