One Crazy Cookie

I came home from work super early the other day and surprised my kids the other day with these beauties! They were so excited and gobbled them up.  I must admit they were delicious.  Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast apapted from Rachael Ray 10 slices bread 6 eggs 1/2 cup milk 2 teaspoons vanilla 4 Tablespoons butter Peanut Butter Jelly or jam Optional: Maple Syrup Spread peanut butter and then jelly on 5 of the slices of bread.  Put the other slices on top to make five sandwiches.  Beat the eggs, milk, and vanilla together in a bowl. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tablespoons of butter.  When the butter is almost melted, dunk two of the sandwiches in the egg batter and let the excess drip off.  Place in the pan. Fry the sandwiches until golden brown on each side about 3-4 minutes per side.  Repeat by melting the rest of the butter and finish cooking the rest of the sandwiches.   Cut sandwiches into 4 sticks each and if desired serve with war

This may not be the most beautiful meal, but it is delicious,really quick and simple.  The whole family loves it. You can always spice it up more if you like!! Sausage, Beans & Rice adapted from Scrumdiddlyumptious 1/2 cup onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced   1-2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 lb. kielbasa or smoked sausage, sliced 1 (15 oz.) can chili or pinto beans 1 (8 oz.) tomato sauce 1/4 cup water 1-2 teaspoons chili powder or more to taste Pepper to taste 2 - 2 1/2 cups uncooked rice Cook rice.  Meanwhile,  heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add onion and cook until tender.  Add garlic and saute with the onion for another minute.  Add sliced sausage and cook until heated through.  Stir in tomato sauce, beans, chili powder and water. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add salt and pepper if desired to taste. Stir in the cooked rice and serve. *You can always add hot sauce if you like it a little spicier :-) * I use Hillshire Farms link sausage D

This is one of my family's favorite cookies! Who can resist a soft chocolate cookie with caramel in the middle! Definitely not me! That is why I have to give most of them away each time I make a batch. They are simple and addicting! OH YUM!! Check out that caramel goodness!! Who would guess it is as simple as a Rollo. Just don't let other's know the secret. Let them wonder in amazement how you got all that delicious goodness in the middle and enjoy all the compliments you will receive!! You can find the Chocolate Caramel Cookie recipe here. ENJOY!!

The other day a friend made my day by bringing me this: Isn't is so adorable!! I almost didn't want to open it, but so glad that I did!! Decadent!!  Fresh Strawberry cupcakes with strawberry frosting!! OH YUM!!  By the way there were four of them...one did not make it long enough for a picture! I was in HEAVEN!  Now on to this week's menu: Oh wait... No Menu. For I will not be cooking this week, at least not at my house!!  Heading to my parents for my little sister's wedding!! Excited for her, my soon to be brother in law and looking forward to enjoying some of my mom's cooking!! It will be a busy week for I have already been committed to make some desserts for the wedding dinner. Good news is I will be around lots of great cooks this week.  So I can guarantee I will be bringing back lots of new delicious recipes to share!!  Have a DELICIOUS WEEK!!

I must secretly be in a phase because if you've noticed my desserts lately have had one common ingredient: CARAMEL!!  This is another good one.  It takes a little time and you have to wait a bit (you can't eat them straight from the oven..I tried that!!). They are worth the time and wait! Oatmeal Caramel Bars adapted from Betty Crocker 1 (14 oz.) bag caramels 1/3 cup milk 2 cups flour 2 cups old fashioned oats 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup chocolate chips 3/4 - 1 cup dry roasted peanuts Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Unwrap caramel (ths is where you put the kids to work). Heat caramels and milk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat.  Stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and egg in a large bowl.  Stir in the butter with a fork and mix until the mixture is crumbly.  Press half of the crumbly mixture in the pan

A few faves I bookmarked this week that I want at my table!! Country Fried Steak & Cheddar Bacon Mashed Potatoes (With WW Points) Running Away? I'll Help You Pack Spinach Stuffed Squash Happier Than A Pig In Mud Dark Chocolate Cherry Dessert Finding Joy in My Kitchen Crispy Fried Green Beans with Zesty Dipping Sauce Mommy's Kitchen Ole Taco Casserole Ma, What's for Dinner? Chicken Sante Fe An 'A" for Effort Baked Veggie Sandwiches The Cookin' Chemist A huge THANK YOU to all you talented bloggers!

Popcorn is my favorite snack food.  I've had a air popper, oil popper, popped it in the microwave and on the stove, just to name a few.  My favorite is the oil popped corn, but hate the calories.  The micowave is easy, but can come calorie laden.  When my mom was visiting she gave me my new favorite gadget. It's called PRESTO POWER POP! All my problems solved: It is simple, quick, economical and DELICIOUS!! You add 1/3 cup popcorn to the bottom. Cook for about 3 minutes in the microwave. Perfect popcorn!  It comes out tender and then you add what ever toppings you want. Clean up is simple! LOVE THIS GADGET!! Thanks MOM!! This product was purchase for my by my mom. I was not given any compensation or product.  All opinions are my own.

We love anything with BACON around our house. BLT's are gourmet food.  So when I saw the opportunity to make BLT's a little different way I jumped at the idea!! Using pasta instead of bread. Brilliant. It did not let me down.  The kids LOVED it.  I served it as a side dish, but could of easily made it into a meal. Simple and delicious!! BLT Pasta 12 oz. rigatoni pasta or other short pasta 9 slices of bacon (1/2 pound) 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup onion, diced 2 tomatoes, diced baby spinach leaves salt and pepper to taste Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside. Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to blot off grease. Break into pieces  Heat skillet to medium heat, add olive oil, vinegar and onion.  Season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Cook stirring, until tender, about 5-6 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, and desired amount of spinach. Toss together and cook for 1 minute.  Toss the onion-tomato mixture w

Last week was really CRAZY and my menu got changed up a bit so I am carrying a few meals over from last week.  This week is all about simplicity and minimal groceries.  I bought some local berries and am really excited to make some homemade jam this week!! This Week's Menu Monday: Pizza Pasta Tuesday: Honey Chicken Wednesday: Balsamic BBQ Chicken Thursday: Picnic Night Friday: Spaghetti with Gail's Italian Spaghetti Sauce (from the freezer) Saturday: Chicken Ranch Wraps Sunday: Pulled Pork Have a Great Week!!

Just a couple things to say about these bars SO DELICIOUS!! I had to make myself quit eating them. I totally could of eaten the whole pan.  The kids said these bars reminded them of a Twix Candy Bar.  They take a little time, but oh so worth it!! Caramel Shortbread Bars Shortbread layer: 3/4 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon vanilla Caramel layer 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 2 Tablespoons corn syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla Topping: 1 cup chocolate chips ( I used milk chocolate) Preheat oven to  350 degrees.  In a bowl mix together the softened butter, sugar and vanilla. (I used a fork for mixing).  Stir in the flour until well mixed. Press batter into a 9 inch square pan (I used an 8 x 11 rectangle pan). Bake 20-25 minutes, until the edges are light brown.  Let cool. For the caramel layer: Melt 1/2 cup butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, condensed milk and corn syrup, and bring to a boil. Co

Well it looks as if I might have jinxed the Summer here.  Since I posted the nice blue sky picture it has only been gray sky and rain.  So at least there are lot of great things that you all made this week to brighten up my days.  Here are only a few of the many fabulous things! Bacon Chicken Bites Giving Up On Perfect Maple Bacon Cupcakes Alli N Son Buttermilk Avocado Ranch Dressing Baking Serendipity Sugar Crunch Popcorn Jamie Cooks It Up! Oreo Stuffed Brownies Miller Family Organizer Grilled Zucchini and Squash The Cutting Back Kitchen Capri Sun Pouch Talented Terrace Girls The winner of the Fun Da Middles gift pack is:  Dena of In the Kitchen With Mama Zoske  Which is an amazing blog! She has tons of delicious recipes on there. You should check it out! Happy Friday!!

Let’s face it, one of the toughest parts of managing your weight is steering clear of waistline-expanding sweet treats. Rather than focusing on the foods you can’t have - Fiber One® is giving you the opportunity to eat what you love without the guilt. New Fiber One® 90 Calorie Brownies are moist, chewy treats that let you have what you crave while helping you stay on track with your balanced diet. With 5 grams of fiber, which is 20 percent of the Daily Value of Fiber, the new brownies are a smart snacking choice. With new Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownies, you can have an unbelievably satisfying and wholesome treat in two delicious flavors. The Chocolate Fudge brownies are made with chocolate-flavored chips and topped with a dark chocolate-flavored drizzle, and the Chocolate Peanut Butter variety contains peanut butter chips topped with a peanut butter drizzle. I was sent a couple boxes of these brownies.  I was a little hesitant to try them, but was really glad I did. Th

I made a roast on Sunday using this recipe and was reminded how simple and delicious it was! It is one of those tried and true recipes posted at the start of this blog. Had planned on leftovers for crockpot bbq beef sandwiches, but the family ate it all!! You can either make this in the crock pot or oven.  So easy and versatile. You can find the complete Ranch Roast Beef recipe here. YUM!!

Looks like Summer has officially come to the Pacific Northwest! YAY!! Check out that blue sky! Loving it!  It does mean I need to start planning meals that won't heat the house up, but I will take that for this beautiful weather and any excuse I have to grill!! This Week's Menu Monday: Crockpot BBQ Beef Sandwiches Tuesday: California Chowder Wednesday: Balsamic Barbeque Chicken Thursday:Picnic Night Friday: Honey Chicken Saturday:Tacos Sunday: Pasta Milano Happy SUMMER!! Linked to Menu Plan Monday

I had not made muffins in a really long time and now all of a sudden find myself in a "muffin mood" lately.  These were so good.  I froze half and was really glad when the rest got eaten because I couldn't stop eating them.  It is a great flavor combination.  YUM!! Monkey Muffins Adapted from Counting Chef 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/4 cup sour cream 1 cup mashed bananas 2/3 cup peanut butter 1 Tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs beating well. Beat in the bananas, sour cream, peanut butter, milk and vanilla. Add flour, salt and soda.  Mix until all is mixed in completely.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake for 14-16 minutes.  Becareful not to overbake.  Makes 24 regular sized muffins. *The Counting Chef has created a healthier version you can find here . Del

When I opened my email this morning I was amazed to have received a visit from The Appliance Online Fairy Hobmother.  Have you heard of the Fairy Hobmother?  I first heard of her from Happier Than a Pig in Mud .  She visits from here and spread joy and grants wishes! The Fariy Hobmother  graciously left me a Amazon gift card! YAY!! My kids think they are gonna buy some new music.  Little do they know!!  Now for the EXCITING NEWS . The Fairy Hobmother  will visit this post and grant a wish to one lucky reader who comments!! All you have to do is wish and believe!!

A few weeks ago I was sent a box of Betty Crocker's new product called "Fun-da middles"! So last night when the house finally cooled down I baked them. Easy and DELICIOUS!! I went to bed with 11 of the 12 left (of course I couldn't wait until morning!!). Came downstairs this morning and the plate was empty!! The kids LOVED them!! Betty Crocker has done it again: Combining cake mix and filling pouch in one box, Fun da-middles have a special creamy filling that bakes inside the cupcake. Available in three delicious flavors, Vanilla Cake with Creamy Chocolate Filling, Chocolate Cake with Creamy Vanilla Filling, and Vanilla Cake with Creamy Vanilla Filling, Fun da-middles are a fun and portable treat that children can take everywhere they go! NOW one lucky reader will receive a box to try out!! To enter be a follower and  leave me a comment on which flavor you would most like to try. EASY PEASY!! Winner will be drawn by random number generator on July 14, 2011. BE