Pumpkin Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

Pumpkin Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup wheat germ
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup apple, chopped (I left the skins on)
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Spray a baking dish (I used my small glass baking dish – about 7×11 inches) with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, wheat germ, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and cranberries.  In a separate bowl, combine the soy milk, pumpkin puree, melted butter, egg, and vanilla, whisking until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, and stir to combine all of the ingredients.  Add the apple and combine with the wet oatmeal mixture.  Spread the oatmeal into the baking dish, and sprinkle with walnuts.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the oatmeal has set and the top is golden. Serve warm, topped with additional soy milk, if desired.

Melissa's Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter flavored shortening
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped salted peanuts (optional)

Directions

1. Cream the shortening, peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla together. Blend for 3 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Sift the baking soda, flour and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix to combine. Stir in the chopped nuts. Cover and chill dough for 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Pinch off 1 inch balls of the dough and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Press tops with floured fork tines. Bake at 350 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden but the center is still soft. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on the sheet then remove to a rack to continue cooling.

Scotcharoos

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 6 cups crisp rice cereal
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

1. Generously butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, mix together corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring until peanut butter melts. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in crisp rice cereal.
3. Transfer mixture into a well buttered 9x13 inch pan. With your hands well buttered, pat it down into pan.
4. In a medium saucepan, over medium low heat, melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips until smooth. Spread over top of bars and let bars cool. Cut into squares.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add pudding mix, eggs and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Callie's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 tsp Salt 
2 tsp Cinnamon
4 C Flour 
2 tsp Vanilla
2 C Sugar 
4 tsp Baking powder
2 Eggs 
1 tsp Baking soda
2 C Pumpkin 
1/2 tsp Nutmeg (not really optional, but you can omit it if you're weird)
1 1/2 C Margarine (I use butter)
1 1/2 C nuts (optional)
12 oz Chocolate chips

Mix ingredients in unison. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10minutes.
Yield: about 5 dozen.

Blueberry Sour Cream Waffles

Blueberry Sour Cream Waffles

Discovered on Babble.com, Adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour*
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 eggs
• 8 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
• 1 cup blueberries (I used frozen blueberries for my personal tastes)

*I just used 2 cups all-purpose flour and it still tasted awesome.

Preparation:

Preheat your waffle iron on medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the milk and sour cream, and then whisk in the eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir just until combined. Fold in the butter, and then the blueberries, stirring minimally.

Pour 1/4 cup of batter per waffle onto the iron and cook until the waffles are a light golden brown. Keep cooked waffles warm on a platter in the oven.

Serve waffles with maple syrup and a dollop of sour cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal Recipe

Baked Oatmeal Recipe

• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• Additional milk
• Optional: frozen blueberries (tastes AWESOME.)

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and butter. Stir into oat mixture until blended.
• Spoon into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until set. Serve warm with milk. 
• Yield: 9 servings.

Nutritional FactsOne serving equals 318 calories, 14 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 78 mg cholesterol, 492 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 7 g protein.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Lemon Glaze

lemon poppy seed muffins with lemon glaze
adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Makes 12 Muffins

For the Muffins:

2/3 cup sugar
Grated zest 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

For the Icing:

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet

Magic Breadsticks

Recipe From Our Best Bites

1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl.
Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.

Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it’s okay if they’re close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life’s greatest pleasures!

Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes. 

When there’s about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt.

Or you could sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. I did that once. It was awesome.

Stuffed Pasta Shells

12 jumbo pasta shells
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbl fresh basil (or 1 ½ tsp dried basil)
1 egg
14 oz jar spaghetti sauce (Classico tomato&basil)
¼ lb ground beef (optional) (Spinach good addition as well)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Spray an eight inch (2qt) baking dish
Cook pasta and rinse with cold water
Ground beef; sauté garlic.
In a separate bowl, combine cheese, basil, egg, garlic, and meet
Spoon cheese mixture into shells
Place in baking dish; top with spaghetti sauce. Cover with foil.
Bake for 35-40 minutes

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.
2. Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes.
3. Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.
4. Serve with some fruit and a salad for a light but yummy summer dinner.

Makes 4 servings

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

Tastes pretty close to the Zupas goodness!  And even Mike will eat this recipe, so this soup is a major win at our house.

2 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk**
1 1/2 cups water**
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

**Can substitute 1 can {12 oz} evaporated milk and 2 cups water for the 2 cups milk and 1 1/2 cups water.

In a large saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in flour and salt. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and water. 

Add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes. 

In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. {Don't let this step deter you from making the soup! Blending it is really easy and so worth the extra 3 minutes. The most annoying part are the added dishes!} 
Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Serve soup with remaining cheese as a garnish.  (I sometimes add bacon on top as well.  Everything is better with bacon).

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth 

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped (I usually add more)

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes.  Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender.  Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

2 lbs frozen butternut squash
1 T butter
2 c chopped peeled Granny Smith apples
(¾ lb)1 ½ cups finely chopped onion
½ cup thinly sliced celery
1 bay leaf
2 tsp curry powder
1 garlic clove, minced
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1/8 tsp salt
½ cup brown sugar (optional, unless you're me in which case it's not really optional.)

Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add apple, onion, celery and bay leaf.  Sautee for 10 minutes.  Stir in curry powder and garlic.  Cook 1 minute more stirring constantly.  Add broth, salt, and squash (and brown sugar, if you want it a little sweeter).
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes.  Discard bay leaf.  Either mash mixture for more lumpy soup, or puree for smooth soup.