Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
As I sit here at 7am on a Saturday morning with a tea in my hand, the fire lit and debating eating an oatmeal raisin cookie that I made last night, I thought it might be a good time to write a post about them! And eat a cookie. It’s basically breakfast ingredients, right??
For Christmas, my husband got me a Le Creuset cookie jar! Cute gift, since cookies are kinda my thing. At least at Christmastime. Little did I know, he had a plan that I should keep this cookie jar full of cookies all the time! Sneaky.
He’s been asking for oatmeal raisin cookies for weeks! I promised him I would make them once the jar was empty of the rice krispy treats I had made previous. Now that report cards are done, the pressure is off, and it’s the start of the weekend, I thought that last night was the perfect night to make them!
I found this recipe over 10 years ago on a bed and breakfast site that I can no longer locate. I have tweaked this recipe quite a bit over the years. At Christmastime, I make these cookies, with cranberries and white chocolate chips. They have been a long time favorite.
The original recipe is made with shortening, which I generally don’t like to bake cookies with. I’ve tried this recipe with both salted and unsalted butter. Either is fine. I, honestly, don’t notice much of a difference. In truth, I think I prefer these cookies made with salted butter. I have also cut back on the sugar in this recipe, as I found 2 cups to be way too much. I opted to add more brown sugar, because I like my cookies chewy. But, if you like a crispier type of cookie, just switch the amounts of white and brown sugar.
Oatmeal Raisin Cokies
Ingredients
- 1 cup or 2 sticks, butter (softened at room temperature)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups quick cook oatmeal
- 2 cups raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Farenheit
- Cream butter and sugars together.
- Add the eggs and vanilla.
- Slowly add flour, baking soda and salt until combined.
- Add oatmeal and raisins until all is combined.
- With your cookie scoop, or spoon, drop cookies onto a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes - A medium sized cookie yields 3 dozen.
- Enjoy!
Weeknight Beef Stroganoff
My mom used to make beef stroganoff for special occasions when I was young. It’s still one of my brother’s favorite dishes. I came across this recipe that is so similar to my mom’s, and such a cinch to make! I’ve made it several times now. Mid week! Easy and so tasty! And a great way to introduce steak to your littles.
Speaking of steak, this dish doesn’t require an expensive cut. Sirloin is what most people use. I used Rib Eye because that is what I had in the freezer. Any cut would work.
The first time I made this, I used a whole can of tomato paste, because I didn’t want to throw away what was left in the can. I could instantly tell that the sauce was too tomato-y, so I added more broth and it turned out just fine. The second time I did this, I only used the recommended amount, and it was also very good. So, you can’t really go wrong.
Weeknight Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 2 Rib Eye Steaks thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Medium onion diced
- Mushrooms sliced (8 ounces)*
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Cups beef broth
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 Tablespoons dry sherry
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 Cup sour cream**
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook egg noodles in boiling salted water until al dente (soft but still a bite); toss with butter once cooked (about 2 tablespoons), and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat oil and add the beef in batches, so that the meat doesn't overcrowd and boil. The beef will cook very quickly. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, depending how thinly you sliced your steak. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Add in the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the mushrooms and cook until soft, another 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute.
- Stir in the beef broth and tomato paste and stir until the sauce thickens a little, about 2 minutes.
- Return the beef, and all its juice, to the pan.
- Add in the sherry, salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Reduce the heat and allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in the sour cream.
- Sprinkle chopped parsley into the sauce, reserving some for garnish.
- Serve over buttered egg noodles.
- Enjoy!
Notes
**You can use whatever type of sour cream you like, but full fat makes this dish much more scrumptious
Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
I’m visiting my parents over the holidays right now. Nothing was planned for dinner tonight, and since we had a lot of leftovers, I got to thinking of what I could do. My mom happened to have everything at home to make this dish, so it was a no brainer. This is really easy, and tasty!!
For the pie crust, I used store bought. It’s quick and easy. Don’t fuss over making your own for this dish.
Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
Ingredients
- Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup each diced onion diced carrot, and diced celery
- 3 cups shredded turkey
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- Splash of white wine optional
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 whole unbaked pie crust
- 1 whole egg
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Melt butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until the onions become translucent. About 5 minutes.
- Add the shredded turkey and mix into veggies. Stir flour into the meat and veg. Cook for about 1 minute, to cook off the flour flavor. Add the broth and wine and cook until the sauce thickens. Add the turmeric, salt, and pepper.
- Add half and half, and let mixture bubble. Remove from heat and pour mixture into a casserole dish.
- Prepare pie crust according to package instructions.
- Place pie crust over top of meat mixture.
- Brush with egg wash (whipped egg and 2 tablespoons water).
- You won't need to use all of the egg wash.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust has browned.
- Enjoy!
Raw Brussel Sprout Salad with Pomegranate and Apple
Every five weeks, after I get my hair done, I go shopping at Whole Foods, because it’s so close to my salon. It’s my little guilty pleasure. When I was there, I saw baby brussel sprouts, and while I have scarring childhood memories of eating brussel sprouts, I wanted to give them another chance, with bacon. While I was in the produce area, there happened to be someone showcasing brussel sprouts in a fresh salad!! I was intrigued. I tried it. I liked it!!! I thought it would be a perfect salad for Christmas dinner. So, that’s what I did. I had no idea of amounts of anything. All I knew was the ingredients I needed.
I took this picture at Whole Foods, so that I would remember what I needed to buy.
I made enough salad to feed many people. It’s a nice salad to adjust easily for a small or large crowd. I, also, used a mandolin to shave my brussel sprouts, but you could easily use a knife. Just make sure to slice them thinly.
To release the pomegranates from their skin, I like to use a meat tenderizer, instead of the wooden spoon that is so often suggested. I just don’t find that the spoon does the trick. But, in a pinch, you can easily find pomegranates ready to eat. You will just pay quite a bit more.
For the almonds: I toasted mine. You can do this in the oven, but I did mine in a pan over the stove, with no oil or butter. This process doesn’t take long, so don’t leave them sitting for too long without moving them around.
For the vinaigrette: Usually for a dressing like this, follow the general rule of 1 part acid (in this case, lemon) to 3 parts oil. Add about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Shake, shake, shake.
Raw Brussel Sprout Salad with Pomegranate and Apple
Ingredients
- 1 pound brussel sprouts shaved
- 3/4 cup shaved almonds toasted
- 1 to 2 apples sliced like matchsticks (or julienne)
- 1 Pomegranate seeds removed
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Mix the lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper together and set aside.
- Shave the brussel sprouts.
- Add them into a salad bowl with the apple and pomegranate.
- Drizzle with vinaigrette and top with almonds.
- Enjoy!
Whipped Shortbread Cookies with Raspberry Jam
I have been making shortbread cookies since I was a kid, helping my mom press out the molds and decorate the cookies. But, I never liked eating them. I’m sure my taste buds have changed since then, but my memory of shortbread cookies is that they taste like flour. Blech!
10 years ago at work, we had a cookie exchange, and my good friend and colleague, Alex, made these whipped shortbread cookies, minus the jam. Since I had my preconceived notions, I didn’t try them at first, but took them home to my mom, who I knew would love them. She liked this recipe enough that I tried one, and I liked them enough to ask my friend for the recipe! I have been making them ever since.
When I was a kid, we always made two kinds of shortbread cookies – ones that the kids could decorate and ones that my mom, especially, liked to eat, with jam. So, ever since I was given this recipe, I have made these shortbread cookies for my mom. And other people too, but my mom is my motivation.
So, let’s get to it!
After forming the cookies into balls, I use the handle of a wooden spoon to help make the centers for the jam. I dip the wooden spoon in icing sugar, so that it doesn’t stick to the cookie dough. BUT, you could easily use your thumb to make the indent.
This is what the cookies look like before they are baked. Be more generous with the amount of jam than you might feel comfortable with. The water in the jam evaporates and the jam spreads out. More is more, in this case.
Baked. Cooled. Yummy!!
Whipped Shortbread Cookies with Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 1 pound of salted butter
- 1 cup corn starch
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 F.
- In a mixer, cream butter.
- Slowly add all the dry ingredients.
- Blend until combined.
- With a tablespoon scoop, measure each cookie, and roll into a ball.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon, or your thumb, dipped in icing sugar, make an indent for the jam.
- Fill the center of each cookie with about a 1/4 teaspoon worth of jam, depending on size of indent. Don't be afraid to be generous with the jam.
- Bake for 15 minutes. They are fragile, so allow to cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Merry Mints
I was given little cookie cutters several years ago, that I have never used for cookies. Last year, I had the thought of using them as chocolate molds. I did a little research, because I was worried that, given there was nothing to secure the melted chocolate, it would all seep out from underneath. As long as I hold the cookie cutters in place as I put the first layer of chocolate in, it works!!!
It’s important that you use a good chocolate for this. After all, it is the only ingredient, minus the peppermint. I used Lindt chocolate.
Speaking of peppermint, it is (also) important. You can certainly use peppermint extract, but if you can get to your local cake decorating store, they will carry what you need. Peppermint oil.
You do not need to add much of this stuff to get the right amount of mint in your chocolate. For 4 bars of white chocolate, I used 6 drops. Also, I only added mint to the white chocolate, and left the milk chocolate alone. I add crushed candy cane on top of the chocolate, so between that and the mint in one of the chocolates, it’s enough!
Here’s a breakdown of what I did:
To get started, get your candy canes ready. I wish I had taken an after pic of these suckers. No pun intended! Just bash them babies up small enough that the chunks aren’t too big.
Picture a bottle of melted milk chocolate in a similar bottle. Oops!
FYI….I melted the chocolate, slowly, in the microwave (30 seconds at a time, until melted) and then transferred the chocolate into these bottles. So easy!
I dipped the cookie cutters in oil before I put the chocolate into them, so that they would release more easily once frozen.
After dipping cookie cutters into oil, fill them up halfway with chocolate, and put them into the freezer to set. About 5-10 minutes. You’ll notice the ripples in the chocolate in this picture. You can bang those out if you want to, but its only the first layer, so it’s no big deal.
Second layer! Bang the ripples out now!
Finish second layer with candy cane and put back into freezer to set.
Ta-da! So good! Try them!
(Source: Boss of the Apple Sauce)
Slow Cooker (Spaghetti and) Meatballs
We are on a bit of a meatball craze these days. My daughter loves them, so that makes it especially motivating. I have already posted a recipe for The Mighty Meatball, but I like to use those meatballs for everything but the traditional ‘spaghetti and meatball’; although, you could very easily use those that way too! I actually got this recipe off of a page that I liked on Facebook, called Tasty. It’s an ingenious site, with quick viewings of complete recipes. I liked the slow cooker option to this recipe, since, if I can, I like to prepare more than one meal on a Sunday, and this recipe allows for that!
The first time I made this, I followed the recipe exactly. Originally, it calls for hot Italian sausage and and square of mozzarella inside the meatball. Personally, I didn’t notice the cheese at all, and my daughter really did notice the heat from the hot sausage. So, the second time I made it, I eliminated both, and it was a hit! It can’t get much easier than this guys. Try this recipe!
Slow Cooker (Spaghetti and) Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup bread crumbs plain or seasoned
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup parsley
- Jarred Marinara Sauce good quality*
Instructions
- In a bowl, blend all the ingredients together, except for the marinara sauce.
- Form into golf sized (or smaller) balls.
- Place a layer of meatballs on the bottom of your slow cooker, and drizzle with some of the marinara sauce.
- Place another layer of meatballs.
- Drizzle more marinara sauce.
- Repeat until all meatballs are in the slow cooker.
- Set slow cooker to high for 2 and a half hours.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Quick and Tasty Carbonara
I have tried many carbonara recipes over the years, as it’s one of my husband’s favorite comfort foods. This recipe is my favorite of any I’ve tried, and it’s the quickest! My daughter gobbled up her entire serving. She told me that she likes this pasta as much as she likes cotton candy. That’s saying something!
This past weekend, we had a lot of my family visiting, which was awesome, but we never got the chance to grocery shop for the week! Luckily, we had enough pantry items, that I managed to get our dinners done still. Today, while I was at work, I was wracking my brain as to what I could make us for dinner. I received my recipe of the day email from The Food Network, and that was my inspiration for dinner. I had eggs, bacon, pasta, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Thanks, Food Network!!
Quick and Tasty Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti dry
- 1/2 pound bacon organic, thick cut, cut into smalls strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 large eggs brought to room temp, cracked and whipped
- 1 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for serving
- 1 bunch of parsley finely chopped
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat pan on medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add bacon.
- Drain off excess fat once cooked, except for 1 to 2 tablespoons.
- At the same time, bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, cook pasta to al dente in texture.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for later use.
- Combine the beaten eggs and cheese together and set aside.
- Once bacon has cooked, and has been removed from the pan, toss in the minced garlic into the olive oil and bacon fat and stir continuously for about 1 minute.
- Add your cooked pasta directly into the hot garlic oil mixture.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg/cheese mixture slowly, mixing constantly, to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- At this time, add in some of your reserved pasta water to help loosen up your sauce to the right consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Add in your minced parsley.
- Enjoy!!
Cornflake Chicken Fingers
Since I’ve returned to work, planning quick and tasty weeknight meals has become a top priority for me. I have to think of my 4 year old, Leila, when I consider our meals, not because I don’t think she’ll try what I put in front of her, but because I want her to be excited for dinner and not always dreading trying something new. She loves chicken. She loves corn flakes. She loves parmesan cheese. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!!
They look good, right? But, they aren’t cooked yet!
Let’s talk dipping sauce for a second. Because, you can’t have chicken fingers without a sauce!! I like sauce with virtually everything. One of my favourite go-to dipping sauces is Honey Mustard.
This is SUCH an easy sauce to make. Just equal parts honey and dijon. Stir, stir, stir. Set aside. You’re welcome!
Back to the meat…
Here’s what you need to do:
Cornflake Chicken Fingers
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (0r boneless, skinless chicken cut into strips)
1 1/2 cups fresh corn flake crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/4 sticks butter, melted
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a shallow bowl, mix together the corn flake crumbs, parmesan cheese, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside. Place melted butter in another shallow bowl. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Take one tender at a time, and dip into butter with one hand, and into corn flake mixture with the other hand. Set onto baking sheet. Repeat until all tenders are coated. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
(Source: Adapted by: Crispy Cornflake Chicken Strips)
Mexican Chili
I made this dish for a Halloween pot luck at work last week. It was a hit! It wasn’t too labor intensive and the sides to serve with it are pretty much a must! They round this chili out nicely.
Now imagine this chili with tortilla chips crushed over top. My picture taking is a work in progress…
Here’s what you need to do:
Mexican Chili
4 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced (I used only 3 because they were large)
2 8oz cans of tomato sauce
4 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground oregano (I only had dried and it worked just fine)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup masa harina (corn flour, found in the Mexican or International section of your grocery store)
2 19 oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinced
2 19 oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinced
Toppings:
Shredded cheese
Tortilla Chips
Lime wedges
In a dutch oven, or heavy bottomed pot, over medium heat, add olive oil and cook onions until translucent. Add ground beef and garlic and cook until the meat has browned. Pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and cayenne. Stir well and reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour.
Drain the beans and rince well. Set aside. Measure the masa harina into a bowl and add 1 cup of water. Stir to combine. Add the corn flour mixture into the chili and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes. At this point, add water, 1/2 cup at a time, if you find your chili is too thick. Add in your beans and warm through.
To serve, plate the chili and squeeze a lime wedge over the chili. Top with cheese and crushed tortilla chips.
Enjoy!
(Source: Adapted from Simple, Perfect Chili)
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