Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin and more Cookies

These turned out so yummy. I found the original recipe online at cooks.com but I made so many modifications that I feel it is my own now. Perfect for that pumpkin and spice crave. Sorry no picture, we ate them too fast.

Ingredients:

1 C Flour

1 C Whole-wheat flour (I used hard-white wheat in case you wanted to know or cared)

1 1/3 C Old-Fashioned oats

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Ginger

1/4 tsp Cloves

1/2 tsp Salt

2 sticks Butter (I used real butter - I never trust margarine in cookies)

1 C Brown Sugar

1 C Granulated Sugar

1 C Pure Pumpkin

1 Large Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 C Raisins

1/2 C Dried Cranberries

3/4 C Chocolate Chips

**After it was all mixed up together I ended up adding an extra 1/3 C Oats and about 1/4 C White Flour because I felt it was too moist and sticky. Use your judgement.

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees.

Combine 1st 9 ingredients (all dry). Whisk together well. Set aside

Cream butter and sugars. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Beat until well mixed.

Stir in dry ingredients along with raisins, cranberries and chips and if you want walnuts or something that would be yummy too ;)

Check if it needs a little more flour and oats.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Yielded 3 1/2 dozen and a couple of my batches were really big cookies.

Hope you enjoy!!

Key Lime Bars

Key Lime Bars

America's Test Kitchen

This recipe makes an 8x8 size pan, double it for a 9x13. These have a very intense lime flavor and I loved it! So yummy!

CRUST:

5 ounces animal crackers (any brand)

3 TBSP packed brown sugar

4 TBSP butter - melted and cooled a little

FILLING:

2 ounces cream cheese - soft

1 TBSP lime zest (the zest of about 3 regular limes)

1/8 tsp salt

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (do not use bottled lime juice)

GARNISH:

3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Heat oven to 325. Spray 8x8 pan with oil spray. In a food processor, pulse animal crackers until broken down and evenly fine. Add brown sugar and salt; process to combine. Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until evenly moistened. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of pan. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 -20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling.

While crust cools and before making the filling - toast the coconut; spread coconut in rimmed baking sheet. Bake in 325 degree oven, stirring often until golden brown and crispy (about 10-15 minutes). Set aside.

While crust cools, stir cream cheese, zest and salt until soft, creamy, and thoroughly combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk until combined and no lumps; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).

Pour filling into crust. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides, 15 - 20 minutes (about 25 minutes if 9x13 pan). Cool on wire rack 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover and chill in fridge for at least 2 hours.

Before serving top with toasted coconut. (coconut will go soggy if you top the bars and then cover and refrigerate, add it just before cutting and eating.)

Spider-man Cake

This is a Spider-man cake I made for my 3 year old's birthday. He's been asking for a spider-man cake for his birthday for the past 2 or 3 months. Since I was not about to do a replica of spider-man's head, this is what I came up with. I thought it was fun, and turned out pretty cute. Just wish my kitchen was better for taking pictures. The cake was a new recipe - tropical carrot cake by America's test kitchen. It takes a typical carrot cake and adds pineapple, coconut and extra spices. It turned out really moist and pretty yummy but I think I still prefer just regular carrot cake. I don't think the recipe called for enough salt, the flavors fell a little flat. Oh well, you add cream cheese frosting and anything is delectable right?

Where are all the maternity clothes?

From the 4 clothing stores we have to choose from in this town, none of them sell maternity clothes anymore. Desperate for something to wear to church that I can fit into I scoured 3 of the stores yesterday for anything knee length or longer and elastic. Knowing there are no clothes specifically for the expectant mother I figured I'd be shopping in the old lady section, everything is elastic there right? WRONG! Not only is this town anti-pregnancy but apparently it's anti-normal-church-attending apparel too! Shopko had no skirts that I could find, Sears had a couple formal looking heavy black floor length things and some upper-thigh showing mini's, and Wal-Mart had 1 decent peasant style skirt that I might consider if the sizes offered weren't reduced to only Small and XXL. So again desperate, I headed for the fabric department of Wal-Mart picked out some fabric that hopefully will match an extra stretchy long shirt I had purchased at Sears that day, along with some wide elastic and decided to take matters in my own hands. I started the no-pattern skirt at 9:24pm Saturday night and finished at 12:10am this (Sunday) morning. Wore it to church today and loved it!

My new skirt and baby bump, getting bigger!

Black and White wedding cake

My most recent cake and first wedding cake. I would have changed many things about this cake, but it was a huge learning experience. A lot of little things went wrong along the way that I hopefully have learned from. Hope you like :)

Oh yea, it tasted awesome!

Mint Brownie Pie

This is so good. Wish the picture was better. The picture is from the first time I made it, then I made it again tonight for a church dinner and it turned out even better, but no picture. It was a hit at the dinner!

Make 1 boxed or homemade brownie mix according to directions. Pour about half of the batter into the bottom of a greased spring-form pan (this is if your recipe makes a 9x13 pan, if your recipe only makes an 8x8 then pour it all in.) Use the rest of the batter for a pan of 8x8 brownies.

Bake the brownies until done. Let cool completely in the pan.

Filling:

8 oz Cream Cheese

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp mint extract

green food coloring

8 oz tub of Cool Whip

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar, add mint extract and food coloring. Fold gently into cool whip. Pour into spring-form pan on top of cooled baked brownie. Either drizzle the top with melted chocolate or better yet, just sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Let set up in fridge or stick it in the freezer for several minutes to firm up, just don't let it freeze.

Take off the side of pan, slice into pie wedges and enjoy!!!

Chicken Noodle Soup

I am a huge soup person. I love making and eating soup, all different kinds, I feel like I'm just doing something good for my family and for my body. This is not a new recipe, instead it is one of my all time favorites. I make it all the time, the ultimate comfort food for me - and so healthy and low calorie. It usually will feed our family of 4 for two dinners, and then feed me lunch one other day - I lOVE it!

My mom passed the original recipe onto me several years ago when I was in college and I've turned it into my own streamlined version.

Ingredients:

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 or 4 large carrots sliced

4 stalks of celery diced

1 large onion chopped

2 or 3 cloves of garlic minced

6 cups water

3 tsp chicken bouillon

2 cans low sodium chicken broth (I prefer Swanson's - no MSG)

Egg noodles (I usually use about 1/3 to 1/2 package and I always go with "No Yolk" brand extra wide)

Bring water to boil, add bouillon. Simmer chicken in bouillon water for at least an hour, until chicken is cooked and soft. Remove cooked chicken and add all the vegetables and canned broth to water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are soft - about 20 minutes. While vegetables are cooking - chop chicken into bite size pieces. After vegies are soft add egg noodles and chicken and cook 10 minutes longer.

Totally easy and really yummy - love it!!