PERFECT OATMEAL COOKIES

These cookies are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, doesn't get much better than that!

I played around with a recipe SEVERAL times until I got my desired texture and here it is for YOU to enjoy! Make some tonight, a SURE crowd pleaser that won't disappoint!



Ingredients:
WET
1/2 cup Butter Softened
2/3 cup Dark Brown sugar
1 egg
1 TABLEspoon vanilla extract

DRY
3/4 cup Flour ( I use a unbleached white flour, love it!) All-purpose works great too!
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon All-Spice
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
3/4 cup Chocolate Chips (optional)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix wet ingredients in mixer: butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.

3. Mix dry ingredients In a separate bowl: flour, baking soda, all-spice, cinnamon, salt, and oatmeal.

4. VERY SLOWLY add dry mixture to wet mixture in mixer. Turn your mixer to no higher than 3 and add 1/4 of dry mixture, let it get smooth, add another 1/4 of the mixture and repeat... & scrape sides.

5. Add chocolate chips and nuts then mix for one minute.

6. Place dough in refrigerator for at LEAST 30 minutes (You don't HAVE to do this, but they come out MUCH better!)

7. Drop into 1 1/2 inch balls on a cookie sheet, it should make two dozen exactly, if you are having guests over go ahead and double or triple the recipe.

8. Bake for 9 minutes exactly, take out IMMEDIATELY, let sit on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Take off and enjoy! ** You better eat one before they are all gone...

Best & I MEAN BEST Ginger Cookies

So I am salivating at the THOUGHT of getting to eat these cookies!! These have a background story, this a recipe from a friend of a friend kind. I got it from Leslie Davis-Strange and we made thousands, YES thousands of them when we lived traveling doing ministry in Vermont. Everyone who has ever eaten them has asked for the recipe and you are soon about to find out why....Oh my Lord get your self ready for a treat because these are MIGHTY good!!!

They are salty & sweet, that combination is irresistable! They are NOT tough & crunchy like a ginger snap, though if you leave them in the oven too long they can turn into that! They are chewy and yummy! ENJOY!

Ingredients:
3/4 Cup of Butter Flavored Crisco
1 Cup of Sugar
2 Cups of Flour
2 Tsp Ground Cloves
2Tsp Ginger
1 Tsp Cinnamon
2 Tsp Baking SODA
1 1/2 Tsp salt
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Molasses

* Another 1 cup of sugar in a cereal bowl to roll the dough in later.

Directions:

1. Preheat your over to 350 degrees



2. Cream together: Crisco, Sugar, add eggs and Molasses until SMOOTH. Leave alone in mixer.



3. In another separate bowl: Mix Dry ingredients: Flour, All Spices, Baking Soda, & Salt.





4. Slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture in mixer.



5. Roll into WALNUT sized balls, or 1 Inch * Important NOT to make them bigger!



6. Get a bowl and roll into sugar until completely covered.



7. Place on baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, take out IMMEDIATELY and let cool on pan for three minutes.



8. Take off baking sheet and EAT THEM ALL!

CHICKEN PAD THAI

Are YOU tired of the same "OLD" same "OLD" ? Do you want some SPICE in your HOUSE? How about some THAI food! If you have never tried it you MUST tonight! It is SUCH an AROMATIC exotic cuisine that is delectable to your senses, and oh SO YUMMY!



INGREDIENTS:
Chicken Breasts (Cut into fajita strips)
Limes (Cut into Wedges)
Bamboo Shoots (At your local grocery store)
Cilantro
Green Onion or Scallions (Those long green onions, also GREAT in salads!)
Peanuts or Cashews
1 Egg
Glass Noodles (At your local grocery store in Asian section)
1 Small can Panang paste (If in Abilene at the Phillipino market on Barrow past Abilene High on your LEFT if coming from the South side)
1/3 Cup of Coconut milk (At your grocery store)
1/3 Cup Peanut Butter (Creamy or Nutty your choice!)
SEASONED SALT, (If you don't already have this you MUST have! It is my BEST friend in the kitchen!)

Directions:

1. Get out a pan and soak the glass noodles (They look like clear fettucine noodles). Keep them long or cut them in half like I did and SOAK them. They MUST soak 30 minutes!!!



2. Prep your ingredients: Chicken breasts cut, lime wedges cut, bamboo shoots washed, green onions chopped, cilantro chopped, nuts and egg ready to go.



3. In a skillet or wok brown your chicken on MED-HIGH HEAT seasoned with salt, cook 85% through, we don't want it to DRY out through the rest of the cooking, it will be FULLY cooked by the end, PROMISE!



4. Move chicken out of skillet or move over and add eggs, cook FULLY.



5. Drain your Glass noodles and add to the top of your chicken & eggs in the skillet or wok. Simmer and stir through.





6. Add the Green Onions to the top.



7. Then add 1/2 a SMALL can of Pad Thai Paste, It will be VERY SPICY if you put the WHOLE can in! Stir in and mix through.



8. Add in 1/3 Cup of Coconut Milk & Peanut Butter, then pour onto serving dish and top with Peanuts or Cashewa & Cilantro with Lime Wedges on the side.

9. Serve as creatively as you like!



10. ENJOY YUM YUM!!

Tangy Beef Roast in a Crock Pot

There is NOTHING like walking into your home with a roast in the oven or crock pot, it is INVIGORATING! Your mouth waters and you are immediately hungry! There are a few things that make a GREAT roast, so lets get started...

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs pounds of Roast
Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 Jumbo Potatoes, or 3 medium Sized ones
5 Carrots (NOT those pre- peeled baby ones, REAL carrots!)
1/2 Large Yellow Onion
1 Clove of 2 Tbs Garlic or pre-chopped Jar of garlic
1 Bottle of Cabernet, Merlot or Shiraz, you'll use 3/4 of it in cooking...
2 Packets of Dry Onion Soup
1 Package of Beef Broth
1/2 Cup- 3/4 Cup Thick Barbeque Sauce
2 Bayleafs
2 Tsp of Salt
1 Tsp of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1. Pick a SHOULDER cut, the rump is usually a lot less tender and we want TENDER roasts!

2. Turn your crock pot on HIGH, then add 1/2 a bottle of RED wine, I prefer a Cabernet but Merlot or Shiraz would do, frankly ANY kind will work. * Also add 2 packets of DRY onion soup mix & your BAYLEAFS. Place the lid on pot and walk away. This is going to prepare a nice warm bath for your meat to be transfered into when it is done being browned, if the liquid was cold it would shock the meat cooking process and we don't want to do that... A HUGE tip of the day...



3. The first thing you want to do is INFUSE flavor into your meat, we are going to do that by chopping 1/2 of a yellow or white onion & a whole clove of garlic chopped ( or if you want to cut some time 2 tbls of that pre cut garlic in your produce section) into your HOT pan with a Tablespoon of oil (Your choice). Place them in the pan on HIGH and leave them cooking on one side 4 minutes then stir and cook another 2-4 minutes... They should be browned and tender or Caramelized. Turn heat off...

* Start peeling & Cutting to 1-2 inch pieces... approx 5 carrots ( I usually do this while my onions are cooking).

4. Immediately Place the onion-garlic mixture in your crock pot & carrots that you have finished.

5. Now lets get that meat all "Dressed" up! Montreal Steak Seasoning is sent to us from heaven I promise! It seasons almost anything I use it for SO well! So place the season GENEROUSLY on BOTH sides of your meat & Rub it in.





6. Get the SAME pan you used for the Onions & Garlic, place on HIGH with 1 Tablespoon of Oil. Let pan heat up, then place the meat down one side & BROWN it, not BURN it but brown it... I would say approx 4-5 minutes on EACH side.

7. `Wash your hands ALWAYS after touching meat, then lets start peeling & cutting approx 2 large/jumbo potatoes or 3 medium sized ones while the meat is browning.



** If you want start by peeling and cutting carrots & potatoes before you start the cooking, I'll let you gage which is best for YOU.

9. We want the potatoes & carrots on the BOTTOM so that their juices rise up and help steam the meat.



10. Now after BOTH sides of meat are browned add to the WARM liquid & veggie liquid in crock pot.



11. Now this next step is what adds YUMMY bits of taste to your roast, grab that wine and pour approx 1/2 cup into the pan your just browned the meat it, let it simmer off those bits of meat from the bottom of the pan use your spatula to scrape off the bottom of your pan, then pour into the crock pot for added flavor, YUM!







* My secret ingredient is 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce any thick BBQ sauce that you can buy at the grocery store it adds a NICE tangy kick and it is moisture so it can't hurt! It is beef after all!

12. Make sure the meat is covered with liquid, you can add some water or beef broth at this time to fill it up, but you should have enough liquid to cover meat. At this time add another 2 Tsp of salt to the liquid. You could also add a tsp of Crushed RED pepper for an added kick, but not fire!



13. Cook on HIGH for approximately 8 hours, check it at 4 hours and TURN the meat OVER.... After 8 hours the meat should FALL off of the fat, if not keep cooking another hour should do it. It is always ok to turn it of after it is done and leave it on low until you are ready to eat it, the same day of course! Sometimes I start mine Saturday night and smell it while I sleep and then wake up to roast yumminess! I then turn it to LOW go to church and have a perfect lunch waiting for us when we get home.

14. ENJOY!

Strawberry LOVE Waffles

2 Cups Bisquick Mix
1 1/3 Cups of Milk
2 TBSP Vegetable oil
1 Egg
1 TBSP Vanilla
1 TSP Ground Cloves
1/4 Cup Strawberry Preserves or Jam (Or more if you prefer).




You just mix all of the ingredients together until COMPLETELY blended, especially the egg.

Pour into HOT greased waffle iron... ( Heart shaped if you prefer, otherwise a Belgian Waffle maker will Do). Approx 4 minutes on High

Serve with Bacon, Eggs, and Fresh Cut Strawberries!

Happy Valentines Day!

Ginger Bran Muffins

This recipe makes 12 YUMMY muffins:

1 1/2 cups Wheat Flour
1 Cup of Wheat Bran
1 Tsp of Baking Soda
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Cup of Molasses
3/4 Cup of Milk
1/2 TBSP Oil
1/4 Cup Applesauce
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Allspice or Cloves
1/4 Cup of Fresh Ginger Minced & Roasted
1/3 Cup of Pecan Pieces or Walnut Pieces

TOPPING:
1/8 Cup of Oats

OPTIONAL:
1/4 Cup of MINCED Carrots or Zucchini
1/4 Cup Raisins

Heat oven to 400 Degrees
Place Muffin Liners in 12 Muffin Pan

Place everything in a boil & Mix or stir until completely blended & moist.
use 1/4 cup measure to dish out into muffin pan, after filling cups sprinkle some fresh oats on top place in the oven and BAKE..

15 minutes let cool in pan.... & it is as EASY as that!

p.s. These DO fall into the HEALTHY category your Hubby may NOT like these but your kids will.

Reese's Peanut Butter Fudge Pie

Reese's, um did someone say Reese's... YES! This pie is very rich, you will only want 1/16th of it, so it works with every new diet plan right? Well I won't tell if you don't... Oh & did I mention this is EASY, yes SO EASY!

Ingredients:
1 Oreo Cookie Crust
1/2 Jar of Hot Fudge
1 Cup of COLD Milk
1 Small Box of Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 1/4 cup of Peanut Butter
6 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
1/2 Package/ Bowl of Cool Whip

Directions:

1. Open your cookie crust
2. Place Jar of Hot Fudge in microwave for 20 seconds
3. Pour 1/2 Jar of Hot Fudge into bottom of crust
4. In a blender or mixer combine 1 Cup of COLD milk & your Vanilla Pudding
5. Mix or blend Pudding & Milk for 1 minute on a HIGH speed (While your mixer is mixing mash up finely 3 Reese's cups)
6. Then turn mixer OFF & add mashed up Reese's
7. Mix again for 25 seconds until blended throughout
8. Pour mixture onto Hot Fudge in crust, use your rubber spatula to even out flat
9. Cover with Cool Whip
10. Mash up the other 3 Reese's & sprinkle on top of Cool Whip
11. Cover & Place in Refrigerator OR Freezer for at least 1 1/2 hours
12. Take out & Serve!

See it's THAT easy!!!

Enjoy MOORE Yummy moments in your life!