Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been in a recipe slump lately...trying lots of new things, but nothing good enough to share.

Finally I went back to a tried-and-true recipe. This recipe makes a yummy cookie. I love the blended chocolate chips and oatmeal because it disperses them equally through the cookie. They are melt-in-your-mouth good.

They make a lot, so I bake some and roll some of the dough into tubes, syran-wrap them, and stick them in the freezer. When I need a little treat I pull out the dough, slice it up, and throw them in the oven. When frozen they might need to cook a tad longer..but not much.



Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 12 oz. pkg chocolate chips

Cream together sugars and butter. Add eggs. Mix in salt, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and flour. Blend together (in blender) oatmeal and chocolate chips. Once blended, add to other mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Mold dough to golf-ball size and flatten down. Bake for 6-8 minutes at 400.

Home Made Salsa

I have made this 4 times in the last week and it is oh so good. All of the ingredients were from my garden and my dad's garden except the cilantro and garlic salt. I didn't have a recipe to go off of, I just put in the basics and it turned out great. Add as much as you want of everything until you like it. Add jalapeno peppers if you like spice. Brandon and I are not fans of spice.

Tomatoes

Green Peppers

Onions

Cilantro

Garlic Salt

Ham and Broccoli Cheese Soup

It has been raining every day this week and we were in need of a nice warm dinner. This little number did just the trick.

You will be surprised how yummy this is...the swiss cheese gave it a really unique flavor from other similar soups I have tried.

This is definitely the recipe we will be using in the future. I am not one to eat the same thing for days in a row (I'm a little OCD about it, my husband says), but I ate this for three days straight. It was just that good.


Ham & Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 can chicken broth
1 small onion, diced

1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
Pepper to taste

2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. shredded swiss cheese
steamed chopped broccoli (I like lots of broccoli so I used about 3 cups...but use to your preference)
ham (again, use as much as you want. I used about 1/2 cup)

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses, steamed broccoli, and ham. Serve immediately.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I know we have already posted a few recipes for Sweet and Sour Chicken, but this recipe is a little-bit different. It is baked in the oven and more like what you would get in a Chinese restaurant (as in not saucy, more breaded). It was fast, easy, and yummy. Definitely a good stand-by for those nights you are out of ideas.


Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

{Found on My Kitchen Cafe}

Bran Muffins

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe yet. Family favorite. We make it ALL the time.

The thing about it is...it makes a ton. But the wonderful part is that you can have fresh baked muffins for breakfast for a long time.

Bran Muffins

2 cups Bran Flakes (in the cereal aisle)
4 cups bran buds (in the cereal aisle)
2 cups boiling water
4 eggs
1 cup shortening
2 1/2 cup sugar
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

In a very large bowl combine cereals and boiling water (You can do any combination of bran flakes and buds, just as long as it is 6 cups worth). Mix until it is the texture you like. I like really smooth muffins (no bran chunks) so I mix for awhile, making sure to mash out any chunks. Let stand.

In another bowl combine eggs, shortening, sugar, and buttermilk. Mix and add to bran mixture. Don't worry if the shortening still looks chunky (sort of like cottage cheese). That's ok.

Add flour, salt, soda, and stir into bran mixture.

Bake in greased muffin pans at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

You can refrigerate the batter for up to 7 weeks in covered containers. Put saran wrap directly on batter to keep from discoloring.

Jambalaya

It has been too long since I have posted! Vacations have a way of putting the rest of your life on hold...

I tried this recipe awhile ago, froze most of it, and reheated it a few weeks ago. It was delicious! We especially love it with some Red Hot Chili Sauce. Yummy.


2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1/2 pound smoked sausage, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2/3 cup chopped cooked ham
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into bit-sized pieces
4 medium tomatoes (about 1 pound, chopped)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped green onion
Creole seasoning
2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
18 medium peeled and deveined uncooked shrimp

Preheat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage, onion, celery, bell pepper, ham and garlic. Saute for 5 to 6 minutes or until onions are tender.

Add chicken, cook and stir fry for 1 minute. Add tomato, broth, tomato sauce, salt, hot pepper sauce, black pepper, and bay leaves. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Stir in green onion, cook 2 minutes more. Season to taste with Creole seasoning.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove pan from heat. Stir in uncooked rice and shrimp. Bake, covered, about 20 minutes or until rice is tender and shrimp are opaque, stirring halfway through baking. Remove bay leaves before serving.

TO FREEZE: Prepare all the way. Place in a freezer container and freeze up to 2 months. Defrost in refrigerator. Reheat at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until heated through.

{From Super Suppers Cookbook, which I picked up at my local library and have liked a lot!}