NO BAKES
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

(I "borrowed" this pic and I can't remember from who...sorry)
Yield: 2 to 3 dozen, depending on how large you make them

½ cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats

1. Add the first four ingredients (through the cocoa powder) to a 4-quart saucepan.
2. Bring to a rolling boil and let boil for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth, then stir in the oats.
5. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto wax paper.
6. Let cool until set.
If you cook it longer than one minute it can get too crumbly so sometimes I pour the mix into a bowl then add the peanut butter, vanilla and oats…chopped walnuts are especially good in them too!

Cornucopia Salad

This salad is from my friend Jaimee...it's the best!

Salad ingredients:
- ½ head green leaf lettuce (I like to use the spring mix plus romaine)
- ½ head romaine lettuce
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 11oz. can mandarin oranges
- 1 apple, diced
- ¼ cup dried currants or Crazins (dried cranberries)
- ½ cup crumbled bleu cheese (or feta)
- ½ cup candied pinenuts or sliced almonds (instructions below)

Candied nuts:
- ½ cup nuts
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
Put both into skillet. Low/med heat. Sugar will start to melt. Stir to coat the nuts. Stir often to avoid burning. Cook until nuts are lightly browned.Remove from heat and immediately pour nuts onto a plate or tin-foil to cool. Make sure nuts are spread out from each other, or they will stick together.

Dressing:
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
Mix together, set aside.

Just prior to serving, put all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl. Add the candied nuts and toss with the dressing just prior to serving. Serves 6.

The following additions are really tasty if you like meat, celery or avocados.
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 avocado cut into chunks
- 3 chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
- 1 cup diced peppers (red, orange, or yellow)

BRAN MUFFINS

I just made those yummy Bran Muffins that can keep in your fridge for a couple months. They never last that long...I can't imagine testing that out! I baked some with walnuts and raisins to take to Sarah, the temporary invalid. Here's the recipe:

Bran Muffins

Cream: 2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
Add: 4 eggs, beaten
In another bowl: 4 cups Kellogs All Bran Cereal
2 cups Nabisco All Bran (I couldn't find it so I used Fiber One All Bran)
Add: 2 cups boiling water to soften cereal, let sit for a few minutes
Add: 1 quart buttermilk
In yet another bowl, sift:
5 cups flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Mix all the ingredients together. Place cupcake papers in the muffin tin or spray well with PAM.
Fill about 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes (I like them a little less done so I would cook them about 20 - 22 min.) Store the remainder in the fridge in an airtight container. You can add Raisins, Dates, crushed pineapple, walnuts, pecans. cranberry's or any combination of the above. I usually keep it plain until I am ready to bake, then I add whatever sounds good at the time. (I am going to add some orange zest, a bit of concentrated OJ and cranberries to some). Then I like to top them off with raw sugar crystals before I pop them in the oven.

ENJOY!

 

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough!

I know what you are thinking.... WHOLE WHEAT? You wouldn't believe how good it tastes! It is very simple and my girls love it, it makes great pizza!

1 pkg instant yeast
1 Tbs sugar
1 cup warm water
Put all 3 of these in a container until the yeast is active.
Then add
2 Tbs olive oil (I like the rich flavored one)
1 Tbs salt (I use a garlic salt mix from Costco called "Johnny's Garlic Spread and Seasoning")
2-2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour

Use the kneader arm on your mixer or your own muscles to mix and knead the dough.
Let rise for about 1 hour, then punch down and knead for a minute and let rise again or just roll out and shape for pizza. It will be a bit on the heavy side, but bursting with flavor. My kids even like it over Papa Murphy's, funny I know.

Texas Caviar

1 lb frozen or canned black-eyed peas rinsed
1 c italian salad dressing
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red or white onion
1 c finely chopped green onions
1 finely diced jalapeno peper
2-3 finely chopped cloves of garlic
chill and serve with tortilla chips

Use low fat or fat free italian dressing for a healthier alternative

Cake Box Cookies

1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil or apple sauce
3/4 cup oats
3 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chocolate chips

Mix and bake on 375 for 8-10 minutes. Cookies will look like they are not done, but they wiill rise after baking.

So easy french dip sandwiches

Add ingredients to crock pot and cook for 8 hours. About 2 hours before done, shred beef and continue cooking. Use leftover juice to dip.

1 can beef broth
1 can french onion soup
1 can beef consume
1 beef chuck roast