Supper-Time Sunday!

Time for another recipe round up for this week!

BAKED SOY LEMON CHOPS

Recipe + Photo courtesy of Allrecipes.com

This is an extremely easy recipe that comes together in no time. I read in the reviews that many people suggested cutting back on the amount of soy sauce. Since I only had 1/3 cup of Tamari this was really convenient for me; however, I was still very disappointed about the amount of marinade that was leftover. I put my chops in an 8x8 pan and there was enough marinade for at least twice the number of pork chops this recipe calls for.

Tha being said, the flavor was really good and instead of basting the meat we just turned the chops over. Cute hubster loved it. There are enough recipes out there to try that I wouldn't do this one again but it is a delicious and easy recipe if you are looking for one!

Pin it!

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PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE PUDDING CAKE - IN THE CROCKPOT!

Recipe + Photo are courtesy of The Sister's Cafe

I love easy desserts. Even though I can't eat them I love making them for other people. This was the perfect option for my little girl's birthday. It came together so quickly and cooked perfectly in the crockpot. I can't say how it tasted because, like I said, I can't eat it but it got great reviews from the people at the party. I got the impression that it is really rich and a little goes a long way but people still really liked it.

I didn't change anything about this recipe and followed the cooking time exactly. 

Pin it!

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BANANA OAT BREAKFAST COOKIES

Recipe + Photo courtesy of Watching What I Eat

I made these for my babies one morning when I wanted to change up breakfast. That wasn't such a great idea because they take quite a while to prepare and by the time they were ready I had had to find something for the kids to munch on anyways. BUT! They were well worth the wait. They were chewy and perfectly sweet. In fact, I felt like they were the closest cookies I have found that don't taste like a "healthy cookie" if you know what I mean.

I followed the recipe except that I omitted the walnuts and added 1 scoop vanilla protein powder and 2 tbsp ground flaxseed for some extra nutrition. The kids liked them but I think that mom and dad liked them more. 

Pin it!

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QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: Tried any amazing recipes lately? Share the love with me!

Loves...Shayla

Supper-Time Sunday!

Overnight Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats (Slow Cooker)

Rating: A

Hearty and delicious - this recipe is definitely a keeper! Since I don't eat added sugars if I can avoid it I didn't add the brown sugar to this recipe at all. I doubled the cinnamon and substituted the butter for coconut oil 1:1. My family just added pure maple syrup to their portions when it was done. I ate mine with just the sweetness from the apples. You also have to be really careful about cooking time. Although this calls for 7 hours mine only took 3 in my INSANE crockpot. 

LINK: http://jamiecooksitup.net/2012/03/overnight-apple-cinnamon-steel-cut-oats-crock-pot/

Instant Mug 'O Mac in the Microwave

Rating: ...B-?

This is a really great idea for a toddler who loves macaroni and cheese. They get to have their favorite dish and you get to feel more confident that they aren't eating a bunch of preservatives and added colors. That being said, however, this technique didn't work for me. I bought a big box of noodles from Sam's Club and I guess the noodles are too "premium" quality for microwave. I had to cook them on the stove top after all. Which is fine. Abrielle still loved it. Maybe you'll have better luck!

LINK: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2012/05/17/instant-mug-o-mac-cheese-in-the-microwave/

Pasta with Fresh Garden Tomato Sauce

Rating: A+

We have established that I haven't liked tomatoes for my whole life, right? Well I had no anticipation that I would like this but I was making dinner at my parent's house in exchange for my mom cutting Jake's hair. I decided to try it and WOW!!!! I absolutely loved it. Love love love love love. We topped ours with feta instead of parmesan cheese and didn't drizzle any additional olive oil on it. We had it again the next day on top of bread, and again a few days later. It is amazing. Make it. Soooo easy and wonderful!

LINK: http://www.marthastewart.com/904229/pasta-fresh-tomato-sauce

Chocolate Protein Power Balls

Rating: A+

These are excellent! I made a big batch and keep them in the freezer. I take 2 of them with me to eat after a big workout or eat 1 occasionally for a snack. The only substitution that I made was to use natural peanut butter instead of almond butter (I didn't have it). LOVE the flavor, texture, everything!

LINK: http://www.damyhealth.com/2011/04/damy-health-protein-power-balls/

Thai Turkey Burgers

Rating: A+

We have had these twice now. Once I made them with ground chicken and the second time I did turkey. Both were fabulous. The sauce is a perfect combination of sweet and spicy and they are very filling. We will make these again and again!

LINK: http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/best-healthy-recipes-around-world?page=9

Baked Cinnamon Breakfast Bites

Rating on cooking technique: A-, Rating on crowd consumption: A

These were quite easy to make and seemed to be a great hit at the party I took them to. My husband tried one for me and said they were great and my aunt asked me for the recipe for them. The only change that I made was to use cake flour instead of just all-purpose flour. If you don't have it on hand you can make it by measuring out 1 cup of all-purpose flour and taking out 2 tbsp of it. You then replace those tbsp with 2 tbsp of cornstarch. It helps them to be a little bit lighter and not quite so dense. 

LINK: http://ohmysugarhigh.com/scrumptious-baked-cinnamon-breakfast-bites-recipe/

NOTE: I didn't actually taste these so I can't give you a rating on taste... I can only tell you what others told me!

Clean Eating Gingerbread Waffles

Rating: A-

I really like gingerbread... although Jake does not. I decided to try these anyways and I really liked them. It calls for 5 cups milk and I only used 3 although next time I will probably use 3 1/2 because they turned out very thick. Still delicious. I need to draw your attention to the fact that the recipe calls for NO added sugar. I like them this way and only topped mine with fresh banana slices and peach slices. That was perfect for me. My kids loved them also. I think it could use a little bit of salt added to the batter but otherwise I think it is great.

LINK: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-ginger-bread-waffles/

Clean Eating Turkey Rice Bowls

Rating: B-

These were okay but were honestly kind of bland. We remedied this situation by adding Sriracha to our portions but it isn't one that I would make again. And if I did I would use fresh pineapple and not canned. But I don't plan on making it again. Maybe you'll like it better?

LINK: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-curry-pineapple-turkey-rice-bowl/

The "Best" Snickerdoodle Cookie

Rating on cooking technique: A-, Rating on crowd reception: A

These were pretty easy to put together - Abrielle and I did them together. I refrigerated them for too long though and I had to leave them out for a while before they were not too hard to roll out. However, if they get too warm then they flatten a lot more while cooking. They are a bit finicky like that. But my hubby and our neighbors loved them and so I will probably make them again.

LINK: http://www.lovintheoven.com/2010/03/even-better-snickerdoodle.html

Supper-Time Sunday!

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Rating: A+

Okay, maybe I am a bit biased but my all-time favorite "guilty" dessert is banana pudding. Why? I have no idea. Something about the flavor combination. Is this a healthy dessert? No. However, you can improve the recipe in many ways. When using a boxed cake mix the oil can be completely replaced with unsweetened applesauce. I have done it twice now and both times it turned out the most gorgeous boxed cake I have ever made. Secondly, if you whip your own whipping cream you get to control the amount of sugar that goes into it and it won't have a bunch of yucky additives like high fructose corn syrup. I added a layer of freshly sliced bananas between the pudding and whipped topping and it was soooo delicious. Everyone raved about this dessert at my baby boy's birthday party. Yummy!

Link: http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/06/banana-pudding-poke-cake.html

Pasta with Cilantro-Peanut Pesto

Rating: F

No, I am not kidding. This dish was terrible. The lime zest was completely and totally overwhelming - So badly that you couldn't even taste anything else (and there are a lot of other ingredients that should have strong flavors!) This was bad enough that we rinsed off the noodles to try and save dinner and we could STILL taste the lime. Wow. Steer clear of this one. 

Link: The site is down right now so I can't get the link but if you really want to try this one here is the link to my pin on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/pin/206954545347039565/

Zucchini Lasagna

Rating: A+

This meal was so tasty and I thought it tasted a lot like normal lasagna. I didn't miss the noodles at all and, even though the cute hubby wouldn't admit it, I don't think he did either. It came out with the most amazing pops of flavor. I used ground chicken instead of shredded and I ran out of zucchini and so I used part yellow squash. Ironically, we liked the yellow squash best. It takes on an almost cheesy taste to it. We will absolutely be making this dish again.

Link: http://munchercruncher.blogspot.com/2011/05/seasons-are-lil-bit-different-in-sunny.html

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Candy Bars

Rating: A- on flavor and texture

Sound healthy? Surprisingly, they are very respectable for a dessert. All natural ingredients and no added sugars except for honey (which isn't processed nearly as heavily as white sugar) and whatever sugar might be on your dried cranberries. These had a very rich and creamy flavor and texture and a little bit goes a long way. Unfortunately, a long way isn't very long for me when it comes to sweets and even after just a little bit my body went into "sugar shock" and I felt sick to my stomach for the rest of the night. *Sigh* So even though these were delicious I probably won't make them again. I bet you would enjoy them though!

Link: http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.ca/2010/05/best-recipe-ive-ever-messed-up.html

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie

Rating: B

I really like the concept of this "cookie" and it turned out pretty good. I made a blueberry version and did agave instead of maple syrup. I also didn't have vanilla yogurt and so I added a tsp of 100% vanilla whey protein powder and just used plain, nonfat yogurt. It was tasty and I enjoyed it, however it didn't keep me feeling full for very long. That is a deal breaker for me and breakfast so I won't make this one again for me but maybe for my kids?

Link: http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/?p=2583#.UAlqqbRDwrc

Oreo Puddin' Poke Cake

Rating: A+ according to my husband

I have to confess... I didn't actually eat this one. My baby sister turned 7 yesterday and specifically requested a "Special Shayla Dessert" and she wanted chocolate cake. I knew that she would love this cake although I don't personally eat Oreos. Once again, you can replace the oil in the cake mix for unsweetened applesauce 1:1. My sister had 2 BIG pieces of this cake and my husband went on and on and on about how good it was. He doesn't normally like cake but he said this one was so perfectly moist and the perfect amount of sweet without being overbearing. I added a layer of whipped topping on top of the pudding after it had completely set (8 ounce container) and I think that that is what balanced the sweetness out. 

Link: http://www.thecountrycook.net/2011/07/puddin-poke-cake.html

Tijuana Tortas

Rating: A+

I cannot possibly say enough to praise this meal. It comes together in no time at all (like 5 minutes) and is incredibly tasty. I think I had it for 4 or 5 meals over the course of 2 days because we loved it so much. The avocado mixture is really what makes it. The limey, oniony creaminess is just a burst of flavor. I didn't want to search for pickled jalapenos so I used chopped banana peppers instead. I am actually planning on making this again tonight. Really. We also didn't hollow out our whole wheat sub rolls - we just ate these like sandwiches. I know that that is cheating and not really a torta but they were fantastic, nonetheless. And meatless too!

Link: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/tijuana_torta.html

Supper-Time Sunday!

So I have come to a decision. I really don't have time to be a regular blogger. I just don't. I have 2 very busy children and I am about to go back to school and I am working. So here is the new game plan. I am going to post every Sunday about recipes that I have made throughout the week that are non-original. I will post a picture, include any changes that I made, give it a rating and include a link to the recipe where you can find it. All other recipes posted on this blog will be original recipes, created by me, whenever I so happen to make something original. Sound good? Okay. Here we go:

Easy Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers

Rating: A+

We absolutely loved these. Really. We had them like 3 days in a row because the recipe makes a LOT. The recipe says 7-8 large patties but I made almost 24 smaller patties, not kidding. Jake liked his with a little bit of Greek yogurt ranch or mustard but I ate mine plain. I couldn't find tahini anywhere so I used a mixture of all natural peanut butter and toasted sesame oil. You use 3 parts peanut butter to every 1 part sesame oil in place of the tahini. I also baked mine in the oven instead of frying them in a pan. It took about 30 - 40 minutes at 350 and then I broiled them for just a few minutes. A few of the reviewers said that the patties easily fell apart so I added 1 egg to my batch. They kept together excellently. They reheat really well too so you can make a bunch and eat them later or the next day. This one is going in our permanent file!

Link: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/02/easy-sweet-potato-veggie-burgers-with.html

Lemony Pesto Pasta with Edamame & Almonds

Rating: B-

This dish has a lot of good elements too it but I wasn't a huge fan of it. I love every ingredient individually but the dish relies heavily on the lemon for most of the flavor and then you get a few kicks of pesto in the mouth. It isn't one that I think we will make again.

Link: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-pesto-pasta-with-lemon-145783#

Spinach and Parmesan Omelet

Rating: A+

I love this meal. I really really really do. I think I could eat it every single day for breakfast. The Tabasco sauce is a MUST and the Parmesan cheese is totally optional. This entire breakfast is part of Fitness Magazine's Fat-Fighting 300-calorie breakfasts.

Link: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/you-can-do-it/fat-fighting-low-calorie-breakfast-recipes/

Mini Chocolate-Chip Breakfast Cookies

Rating: A 

First off, make no mistake about the size of these - they are VERY mini. One big bite or two smaller bites at the most. And they don't turn out looking a whole lot like a normal cookie; however, they have an excellent taste and texture and they are certainly ones that I would make again. I love that they are healthy as well. I didn't have raspberries on hand so I used Craisins and 70% dark chocolate chunks in mine. Yummy!

Link: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/04/16/mini-chocolate-chip-breakfast-cookies/#

Amy's Spicy Beans and Rice

Rating: A+

I made quite a few changes to this recipe. I drained the beans completely and rinsed them off. I added a can of diced tomatoes (15 ounce) that I mostly drained and about 1 1/2 cups frozen corn. I also used banana peppers in place of the jalapeno. I think I sprinkled a little bit of crushed red pepper in there too... we like things spicy here! We served it over gluten free Multigrain chips and myself and my husband absolutely loved it. It is definitely one that we will make again. This is a really low calorie and low fat meal.

*Just as a side note... I don't know how good the original recipe would be... just a warning!

Link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Amys-Spicy-Beans-and-Rice/Detail.aspx

Chef Meg's Orange Chicken

Rating: B-

Orange chicken is not supposed to be friend with a slight hint of an orange flavor - this is more of an authentic version. Unfortunately, unless you REALLY like orange flavor, this dish isn't for you. It is very strong and the orange is very powerful. My family loved it but it wasn't really my cup of tea and not one that I would make again. (Since I am the one cooking). I followed the advice of a reviewer and added 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger, a few splashes of low sodium soy sauce and some crushed red pepper to my marinade. I also added 1 tsp cornstarch to the sauce.

Link: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=871143

Secret Detox Drink

Rating on Taste: D.. ish

Why do I drink this if it tastes bad? Look at these amazing health benefits (source HERE):

Apple Cider Vinegar is full of enzymes and good bacteria. It contains acetic acid which has been shown to lower blood pressure up to 6%. It can also help eat up the starches if you do eat grains in your diet.

Lemon juice helps balance blood sugar and has an alkaline effect on your body helping to regulate ph. It contains, Vitamin C. 

Cinnamon is one of the best anti-oxidants on the planet. It is the number one herb/spice for balancing blood sugar.

Cayenne Pepper has been shown to drop blood pressure, increase metabolism.

Stevia is an all natural sweetener made from the stevia plant and it is a great replacement for any artificial sweeteners. 

It really isn't as bad as you might be thinking. The biggest problems are the cayenne and the cinnamon. They hit the back of your throat pretty strongly and it can be hard to get the cinnamon down. The apple cider/lemon/water/stevia mixture really isn't bad at all. I would probably give it a B on taste. It is just the cayenne and cinnamon... oh man! But I have already felt the benefits of it in the 1 day I have been trying it so I will continue my love-hate relationship with this drink. 

Link: http://www.draxe.com/recipe/secret-detox-drink/

Sugar Cookie Bars

We were at my parent's house for dinner on Sunday evening and around 9:00 pm my mom decides she has to have dessert. So we started scanning the internet for possible recipes that not only looked good, but that she had the ingredients for. I came across this recipe on Real Mom Kitchen and it looked so simple that I had tot ry it out. Turns out that it is a super simple recipe and it feeds a crowd! The cookie bars turned out chewy and delicious and I even liked the frosting which is a big deal for me because I am NOT a frosting person. These were even better the next day around and fun to eat bite by bite instead of in a whole bar.

The picture and recipe are courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen and can be found here.

SUGAR COOKIE BARS
From Real Mom Kitchen
Reminder Recipe! One Year Ago: Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas

1 cup butter; room temp.
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.

FROSTING

1/2 cup butter; room temp
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
food coloring (if desired)

For frosting combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk & mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Spread over cooled cookie.

*NOTE! The second time I made this I used 1/2 cup less white flour than the first time. The dough was MUCH easier to handle and a lot more moist. If you are using finer flours like fresh ground wheat I would stick to the original amount, otherwise REDUCE!

Oatmeal Coconut Chewies

I have been craving oatmeal cookies ever since my Visiting Teachers brought me some wonderful ones. I came across this recipe on The Sisters Cafe and KNEW it was meant for me! I do not like raisins and I think that chocolate chips make oatmeal cookies too sweet - coconut was the perfect combination. These cookies really were 100% chewy bliss. It is a good thing that my body warns me off when I have had too much sugar (I get sick to my stomach pretty quickly) because I probably would have/could have eaten the entire 4 dozen cookies by myself!!!

The picture and recipe are courtesy of The Sisters Cafe and can be found here.

OATMEAL COCONUT CHEWIES
Submitted by Mindy ~ www.thesisterscafe.com

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to cool room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 - 2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup quick oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased or lined (silpat or parchment) baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are set but not overly browned (bake a few minutes longer for a crispier version).

Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie

This recipe is a replica of the dessert that you can get at the Chili's restaurants from Real Mom Kitchen. My dad put it best when he said, "With a name like that it is better to not question what is in it." Is this dessert healthy? HA HA HA HA HA HA... no. But! It is delicious. My hubby isn't a big dessert eater and he said that this was fabulous. I got lots of compliments about it at the dinner party I took it to. Just don't think too much about the ingredients and what parts of your body they are going to and you'll be just fine!

The only thing I changed in this recipe was that I used roasted peanuts instead of walnuts. We are very allergic to walnuts and so that option wasn't going to fly for us. The peanuts definitely give it a peanut butter undertone but it was a good compliment to the rest of the bar. You could also do chopped almonds or pecans if you want to turn over a pretty penny to purchase them!

The picture and recipe are courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen and can be found here.

CHILI’S CHOCOLATE CHIP PARADISE PIE

From Real Mom Kitchen

• 1 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 6 eggs
• 3 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup coconut
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• caramel sauce
• hot fudge sauce
• more chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan (this is the bakers half sheet size -  it’s like 11 1/2 inch x 16 1/2 x 1 or you could use 2 9×13 inch pans.  The pie may be a little thicker and may take a little longer to cook).
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar and melted butter; beat with electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla; mix well.
3. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to the sugar mixture; mix well.
4. Stir in nuts, coconut, and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake 40+ minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve warm, or reheat individual servings in the microwave (10 seconds for a serving). Top with ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce and hot fudge sauce then sprinkled with chopped walnuts. Or just eat them like a brownie or bar cookie.  They are also excellent that way too.  Makes 24.

*NOTE!!! I used 2 9x13 inch pans to cook mine and it took about 35 minutes for them to cook. I did, however, bake them one at a time because my oven wouldn't fit both pans. Just be careful about the cooking time. I would start with 30 minutes and go up from there.

Ranger Cookies

Is there anything better than a hot cookie? How about a hot cookie with milk!? YUM!!! These are probably some of my all time favorite cookies. The combination of all of the different flavors and textures gives this cookie an amazing taste personality. My brothers probably had 5-10 each. And that is just as they came out of the oven. LOL! Ironically, I originally tasted this recipe because I was aiding some kids at West Jordan High School in a Foods I class. Guess I got something out of high school!

RANGER COOKIES
From King Arthur Flour

1 cup (6 1/4 ounces) vegetable shortening or butter
1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) brown sugar, firmly packed, light or dark
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) All-Purpose Flour (I used wheat)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (2 1/2 ounces) shredded coconut
1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chips (I did half chocolate chips and half peanut butter chips)
3 cups (2 3/8 ounces) crispy rice cereal or cornflakes (We only had Wheat Chex but it still worked great!)

Beat together the shortening and sugars, vanilla and salt until fluffy; add the eggs and beat until smooth.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add the flour mixture to the shortening mixture and beat until well blended. Stir in the oats, coconut, chips and cereal, mixing just until blended.

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased or parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Yield: 60 (2- to 2 1/2- inch) cookies.

Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was craving a dessert and I had all of the ingredients for this one on hand. I have tried them before but they turned out so FLAT! This time they were much better, as evidence of the picture. YUMMY! Super easy to make too. This is a great cookie go-to recipe! I have highlighted what I believe to be the crucial step below.

CLASSIC OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
From My Kitchen Café

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 3/4 cups oatmeal
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add Baking soda, powder, and salt and mix. Add flour, oatmeal and chocolate chips. Mix until combined. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Yield : about 3 dozen.

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this recipe in the Deseret News "C" Section a while ago and I must admit, I haven't ever tried it. How many of you have recipes you WANT to make but haven't yet? Yeah.... Anyways! I needed to bring something to share for a family barbecue today and I just so happened to have all of the ingredients to these. And they turned out FABULOUSLY! Chewy and flavorful but not too overbearing. Easy to make and easy to make right (big instead of completely flattened, despite the lack of a good mixer.) This will be my go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies from now on! If you are wondering why the cookies look "swirled" it is because my chips melted before cooking. Blast this wretched summer! But I think it adds some fun to the normal boring look of a chocolate chip cookie.

NOTE FOR INEXPERIENCED CHEFS! When you take a cookie sheet out of the oven it is, obviously, STILL HOT! If you don't want your cookies to keep cooking even while outside of the oven you need to take them off of the pan. I cooked my cookies for 7 minutes and took them off immediately (be careful to not let them fall apart) and they were fabulous. Make sure the EDGES are golden brown and then take them out of the oven.

EXTRA NOTE! Never add the amount of flour a cookie recipe calls for all at once, up front. I usually start with about 2/3rds of the amount it calls for and work my way up, little by little, until the batter is just very slightly sticky. If you add too much flour your cookies will be hard and not soft and chewy. For this recipe I used about 2 3/4 cups of flour and it was perfect. 

OUR FAVORITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

From Deseret News by Kimberly Barzee

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter, oil, sugars, egg and vanilla. Add four, salt, and baking soda. Mix well, then stir in chocolate chips. Drop from a cookie scoop onto a parchment-lined or greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes; remove from oven just before they start to brown. If cookies are frozen, add a few minutes onto the cooking time.

FUNNY STORY! You'll be glad to know that these cookies are very versatile. I realized the day after I made them that 2/3 cups of butter is 10 + 2/3 rds Tablespoons. I only used 5 1/3 when I made them orginally. And when I made it again today for my family I forgot the butter entirely! And every time they were still very good. So maybe they would be even better if you but the amount of butter it actually calls for... :-)

Homemade Oreo Cookies

It was my sweet husband's birthday yesterday and I made him these delicious and simple cookies to celebrate! I don't remember where I first located this recipe, but it is all over the internet. The picture is courtesy of this site here.

HOMEMADE OREO COOKIES

For the Cookies

1 package devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 - cup oil (or butter flavored shortening)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add oil and eggs to cake mix and blend together. Roll dough into balls (a little larger than a quarter). Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet (until warm). Remove cookies from sheet and place on cooling rack.To assemble the cookies, add about a tablespoon of filling into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie similar in size on top of the filling. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

Cream Cheese Filling Recipe:

1/2 cup butter
1 - (8 oz) block of cream cheese
3-4 cups powdered sugar (depending on desired consistency)
1 - tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter and add cream cheese and mix well. Add powdered sugar slowly until you reach your desired consistency.

*NOTE: I doubled this recipe because we wanted MORE cookies! For half of the cream cheese filling I did half mint and half vanilla extract and used food coloring to make it green. They were gone SUPER fast!

Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! They are some of my very favorites! I have been really craving them lately and decided to put them together! I found this recipe on one of my favorite sites: My Kitchen Cafe. Make them! They are DELICIOUS!

CLASSIC OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
From My Kitchen Café

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 3/4 cups oatmeal
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add Baking soda, powder, and salt and mix. Add flour, oatmeal and chocolate chips. Mix until combined. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Yield: about 3 dozen.

*Note: These were better for me when I cooked them 8-9 minutes. Remember! They continue to cook as long as they are on the hot cookie sheet!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was feeling down the other day and I decided to get outside of myself and bake some cookies for my sweet husband! He requested Chocolate Chip Cookies and I just added a bit more Chocolate to help improve my mood even more. :-) We went to Mom and Dad Bentley's house that evening to celebrate our brother Henry's 12th birthday and served the SUPER MOIST cookies with Mom Bentley's homemade ice cream! I made 24 cookies and they were GONE by the time I had finished my small bowl of ice cream! I think they were inhaled! The picture and recipe are courtesy of Allrecipes.com. They went too fast for me to get a picture! For the original link go here.

CHOCOLATE CHOCHOLATE CHIP COOKIES
From Allrecipes.com

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Yield = 24 cookies

Ashley Crapo's Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, so I love Ashley. A ton of my dessert recipes are from her. We always request that she brings different desserts to our get togethers and they are always great! These are some of the best chocolate chip cookies I've had. Self control goes out the window when these are hot on the counter.

ASHLEY CRAPO'S ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 1/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c Crisco
2 T Milk
1 T Vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 c flour
1 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
1 c chocolate chips
1 c nuts (optional)

Cream brown sugar, Crisco, milk and vanilla together. Add the egg. Add dry ingredients until just mixed. Bake at 375 for 8 - 10 minutes.