Peanut butter and chocolate cookie bars

Hannah had to make cookies for her Achievement Days activity and we made these bars... they were so yummy. I happened to have a peanut butter cookie pouch on hand so I used that to make my peanut butter cookie dough. The recipe is on the back of the pouch (Betty Crocker).

~Peanut butter cookie dough

~Press into a sprayed 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 18 minutes (until edges are golden brown). Cool about 10 minutes.

~2 cups chocolate chips.

~Microwave the chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Spread evenly over cookie pan.

~Refrigerate about 30 minutes until chocolate is firm and set. (I actually had to refrigerate mine longer, about an hour to get it to set all the way).

~Cut into bars.

Rice Krispie Wreaths

Of course you have to make a few of these quick and easy treats sometime during the holidays! We made them for Family Home Evening a week ago. You can always make them with corn flakes instead of Rice Krispies for more of a "leafy" look. Enjoy!

Rice Krispie Wreaths

3 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 (10 ounce) package regular marshmallows
1 teaspoon green food coloring
6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
Red cinnamon candies
Prepared frosting

In large saucepan, melt margarine over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in food coloring. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Sir until well coated.
Using 1/4 cup dry measure coated with cooking spray, evenly portion warm cereal mixture. Using buttered fingers, quickly shape into individual wreaths. (I found it was easier to wet my hands, form a ball with the Rice Krispies mixture, and then poke a finger through the middle to spread out the center. Didn't stick at all.) Dot with cinnamon candies. Use prepared frosting to hold candies in place.

Snow Balls

Snow Balls

1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter

2 TBS white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 Cup sifted flour

1 Cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in vanilla, flour and nuts. Chill dough. Shape into small balls and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. While still hot, roll in powdered sugar. Coat and then roll again in powdered sugar. Makes about 10-12 balls.

Chicken Posole

Chicken Posole

Ok, I had to steal the picture from Family Circle because I never think to get pictures until the recipe is proven and GONE! This one was a HUGE hit! I made a big crockpot full and fed it to my visiting family and then our friends for our Family Home Evening dinner group and everyone asked for seconds and the recipe! I got the initial idea from Family Circle, but tweaked it quite a bit because I either didn't have the ingredient it called for or it just didn't sound good to me so here goes! Enjoy!

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (or 1 TBS garlic salt)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and cubed

3 cups barley (I washed and soaked mine over night to make sure my soup was ready after church the next day because we have 8:30a church and everyone would be starved by noon so I started it before we left)

1 TBS onion salt or 1/2 pkg onion soup mix

1 tsp dried oregano

2 chicken bouillon cubes

4-5 cups water (depends on how thick you want your soup or how far you need it to go!)

1 can Ro-Tel with jalapenos

1 large can petite cut tomatoes

1-2 TBS lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Put all ingredients on a large slow cooker/crockpot and cover. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 5 hours. If you soak your barley and cook your chicken before hand it may only be 2 hours or until the flavors are blended, the barley soft and the soup warm.

Bean and Barley Soup

We have 25 pounds of barley in our food storage that we try to rotate into our meals. We like to grind it up and use it as flour in some of our baking but I also wanted to find a really good soup to make with it. I combined a few recipes I found while searching around online and came up with this soup. It is so good! The boys had seconds and Coen had thirds and was licking his bowl clean...literally! It has a secret ingredient...curry! Just enough to add a yummy flavor without it actually tasting like a curry dish. The only difference I would make would be one less beef bouillon cube. It seemed just a little too salty to me. But I'll put the recipe down as I made it and you can see what you think. Of course you could easily make this vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of the beef. I give this recipe two thumbs up!


Bean and Barley Soup

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 carrots, sliced very thin
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 oz. (half of an 8 oz. container) mushrooms, chopped-I used baby bella mushrooms
8 cups water
4 beef bouillon cubes
2/3 cup uncooked pearled barley
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup (about 3 big leaves) kale, chopped very fine--could use chopped cabbage or spinach if you don't have kale but kale is so good and so good for you!

In a large soup pot, saute onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, and celery in olive oil. Add all other ingredients except for kale. Mix and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 min. or until barley is soft. Stir occasionally. Add kale during the last 15 minutes of cooking time. If too thick, add more water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Austin's Peppermint Crisp

This afternoon while the rest of the family was "busy" taking Sunday afternoon naps, Austin (my almost 7 year old) was busy in the kitchen. Without any help he whipped up this recipe all by himself. He was going for a cheesecake and this was going to be the crust. But since we didn't have any ingredients for the "cheesecake" part, he decided to roll it out and bake it like we sometimes do with regular pie crust leftovers. The only part he had help with was putting it in the oven! I was quite impressed! Did I mention that the only other things he makes are oatmeal, toast, and sandwiches? This was his first baking experiment. It was kind of like a cookie/shortbread mix. And the little sprinkle of peppermint chips he threw in were really good! He calls it...Peppermint Crisp. He wanted to make sure I put it on my recipe blog in case he wanted to make it again. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to remember how to make it. So here is the recipe according to Austin. Like I said, I was not in the kitchen so these measurements are his own. Give it a try! It's actually really good! Good job Austin!

Peppermint Crisp

1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup filled to the top and then another one filled up half way of sugar (1 1/2 cups)
2 cups filled to the top of flour
4 big spoons of water (4 Tbsp)
Andes peppermint baking chips (about 1/2 cup)

Mix together and roll out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Cauliflower Nutmeg Bake

My sister Kirsten and I created this recipe a few years ago. (Well it seems like a "few" but I guess it's been at least 8 years now!) We were watching a cooking show on TV and they were making something with cauliflower and seasoned it with nutmeg. We decided to come up with our own recipe. It was successful and I've been making it ever since. The flavors are so yummy together. It makes a great side dish or you can add cooked ham or chicken or even Great Northern beans and make it a meal. You can also substitute soy milk for the regular milk and make it vegetarian.


Cauliflower Nutmeg Bake

4-6 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 head of cauliflower

Boil potatoes for 15-20 min. or until soft. Steam head of cauliflower in a separate pot for about 10-15 min. or until tender. Or, if you have a big enough pot, you can cut up the cauliflower and add it to the pot of potatoes to cook together.

Sauce:
1/2 cup onion, diced
4 Tbsp. flour
4 cups milk
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
grated mozzarella, optional

Saute onion in butter in a saucepan. Add flour. Whisk for one minute over med-high heat. Add milk. Whisk continuously until mixture comes to a boil. Should be thick. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember you will be adding this to potatoes and they tend to need more salt). Add nutmeg.

In a 9x13, mix potatoes and cauliflower pieces. Cover with white sauce. Sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese over top, if desired. Bake covered for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover for last 10 minutes or until cheese is golden.

*Can add cooked, diced ham or chicken or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained, to make it a meal. I also like to add bacon bits sometimes.

Lemon Bars

The secret to these little beauties is using freshly squeezed lemon juice and grated lemon peel for an unbelievably lemony taste!


Lemon Bars

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powder sugar
4 beaten eggs
2 cups sugar
4 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup lemon juice (or one lemon squeezed)
1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon peel
sifted powder sugar

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Blend butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup powder sugar. Pat into ungreased 9x13. Prick with fork every couple of inches. Bake for 18-20 min. For filling, blend together eggs, sugar, 4 Tbsp. flour, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Pour over first layer. Return to oven and bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Loosen around edges, cut into bars and sift powder sugar over the top while warm.

White Bean Tortilla Soup

This is a tasty alternative to chicken noodle or regular chili. Delicious with a salad on the side. For a larger crowd (or if you want leftovers) you will want to double the recipe. Great way to use up "stale" chips or chips that have lost their "crunch". I have substituted cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken with great results. Sometimes to make it stretch a little further I add another 1/2 to whole can of water and an extra handful of chips. We give it two thumbs up in our family!


White Bean Tortilla Soup

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 tsp. cumin
4-6 shakes of hot sauce, I like Cholula Hot Sauce (the one with the round wooden lid)
2 cans Great Northern or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can cream of chicken soup (I like to use the 98% fat free kind) + 1 can water
1 (14 oz.) can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (4.5 oz.) can diced green chilies
1 cup frozen corn
3 cups tortilla chips, divided

In a large soup pot, saute onion in olive oil. Add beans, soup, water, broth, cumin, hot sauce, chilies, and corn. Add 2 cups coarsely crushed chips. Stir and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with tortilla chips and diced fresh cilantro, if desired.

*Can also add cooked chicken and/or shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

White chocolate mousse

Here it is the winner of the contest I made in my family, several weeks ago.

I'm sure you'll love it! It's easy to do and so easy to eat !!!

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Preparation : 20 min
Cook : 5 min

For 4 people
- 9 ounces of white chocolate
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup of liquid cream
- ½ ounce of icing sugar
- 1 pinch of salt

Preparation:
Break the chocolate and melt it in a double-boiler or in the micro-wave.
Break the eggs and separate whites from yolks. Beat eggs whites with the salt.
Remove from heat, mix the chocolate with the eggs yolks and add the whites.
In a bowl, beat the cream in a whipped cream (Chantilly) adding the icing sugar, progressively.
In bowls (cups), pour out the white chocolate mousse and finish with the chantilly.
Leave them in the fridge for 4 hours.

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MOUSSE AU CHOCOLAT BLANC

Préparation : 20 min

Cuisson : 5 min

Ingrédients (pour 4 personnes) :

- 250 g de chocolat blanc

- 4 oeufs

- 15 cl de crème fraîche liquide

- 15 g de sucre glace

- 1 pincée de sel

Préparation :

Cassez le chocolat en morceaux et faites-le fondre au bain-marie (ou aux micro-ondes).
Cassez les oeufs en séparant les blancs des jaunes. Montez les blancs en neige ferme avec le sel. Hors du feu, mélangez le chocolat avec les jaunes d'oeufs puis incorporez les blancs en neige. Dans un saladier, fouettez la crème en chantilly en incorporant progressivement le sucre glace. Dans des coupes, versez la mousse au chocolat blanc et terminez par une couche de chantilly. Laissez prendre au réfrigérateur pendant 4 heures.

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

These cinnamon rolls have a little extra surprise. They have vanilla pudding in the dough which makes them so moist! This is my favorite recipe to use.


Cinnamon Rolls

1/2 cup warm water
2 packages (about 2 Tbsp.) active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 box (3 1/2 oz.) instant vanilla pudding
2 cups milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs, room temp
1 tsp. salt
6-7 cups flour

In a small bowl add yeast and sugar to warm water. Stir until dissolved. Set aside. In mixer, mix pudding and milk until well mixed. Add butter, eggs and salt. Mix well. Add yeast mixture. Gradually add flour. (Switch to bread dough hook after about 3-4 cups of flour are added.) Knead until smooth. Do not put too much flour in the dough! You want it to be very soft but not sticky. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and place in a warm spot and let rise until doubled. Roll out on floured board to a large rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread with filling.

Filling:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temp (I usually only use about 1 stick or maybe just a little more)
2 cups brown sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon

Spread soft butter over surface of dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar until evenly covered. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over the top. Starting at one of the long sides, roll up very tightly. Cut rolls 1 1/2 inches wide with floss* or serrated knife. Place on lightly greased sheet cake pan (or other pan with sides) about 1 inch apart. Cover and let rise until double again. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove when they start to turn golden. Do not over bake. Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting.

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp. milk

Makes about 24-32 rolls.

*Cutting the cinnamon rolls with dental floss is the EASIEST way to cut them. To cut rolls with floss: cut a 10-12 inch piece of dental floss. Holding one end in each hand, slide the floss under the rolled up dough. Bring both ends straight up and cross one behind the other. Switch hands and continue to pull ends horizontally in either direction until the floss is straight and the roll has been cut. Repeat for each roll. It's that easy! Perfect rolls every time, never squished.

Banana Nut Bread

This is one of our favorite bread recipes. I like to bake mine in the mini-loaf pans. One recipe makes 6 mini-loaves or 2 large loaves.


Banana Nut Bread

4 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2-3/4 cup chopped walnuts


Prepare bread pans. Spray with cooking spray and then dust with flour. Set aside. Mix first four ingredients; add dry ingredients and vanilla and nuts. Stir until moistened. Do not over beat. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes for small loaves. May need a little more time if baking large loaves.