Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

My all-time favorite cookie. A few adjustments from the recipe on the back of the Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip bag. Salt is unnecessary, substitute shortening for butter or margarine. Decreased cooking time is most important! And always save some dough to eat uncooked.

Chocolate Chip Cookies                                                                

2 ¼ c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 c shortening

¾ c granulated sugar

¾ c packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1.     Heat oven to 375 degrees F

2.     In mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla until creamy.

3.     Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4.     Gradually beat in flour and baking soda.

5.     Stir in chocolate chips

6.     Drop by rounded tablespoons on ungreased baking sheets

7.     Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate Cake Recipe

One of my favorite family recipes, for chocolate cake, chocolate butter frosting. Yum.

Chocolate Cake                                                                  

3 squares (3 oz) unsweetened chocolate, melted

2 c flour

2 c granulated sugar

½ c shortening

1.5 tsp baking soda

¾ c milk

¾ tsp baking powder

½ c milk

3 eggs unbeaten

1 tsp vanilla

1.     Heat oven to 350 degrees F

2.     Grease 2, 9 inch pans

3.     Melt chocolate, and then add chocolate, flour, sugar, shortening, baking soda, and milk into mixing bowl. Beat for 2 minutes.

4.     Stir in baking powder, add in ½ c milk, eggs, vanilla. Beat 2 minutes.

5.     Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Chocolate Butter Frosting                                                     

¼ c butter

3 c confectioners’ sugar

5 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

3 squares (3 oz) unsweetened chocolate, melted

1.     Beat together butter, confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla.

2.     Stir in melted chocolate

Why I read ingredient labels on food items

We were given a container of Greek Yogurt, Vanilla and Honey flavored. It tasted great, and I put the yogurt into the same molds that the fudge pops were made in (yes, the fudge pops are all done, including the second batch!). I enjoy frozen yogurt, as it can taste like ice cream, with more health benefits.

I happened to look at the ingredient label, and was shocked by what I read! Most people feel that Greek Yogurt is a healthy option, but buyer beware! This yogurt has 280 calories per cup. Which makes it the same caloric count as ice cream, which can come in at 140ish calories per 1/2 cup. Wow. The fat (14grams) and sugar (32 grams) content was way high, and there was only 6 grams of protein per serving. Now compare to my non-fat plain Greek Yogurt, which comes in at 120 calories per cup, 0g of fat, 9g of sugar, and 23g of protein. Yes, that is almost 50% of daily amount of protein!

Yes, the flavored Greek yogurt tastes better, but not enough for all those calories, fats, and sugars. I'll stay with my non-fat, plain Greek yogurt, and add to it such things as: fruit, granola, honey, or into a smoothie.

Healthier doesn't mean less flavor! Just smarter choices :)

Fudgie Pops

I enjoy "reading" cookbooks. I read recipes/looked at pictures in a cookbook called Taste of Home, Kid Approved Cookbook by Readers Digest. In it I found a couple good-sounding recipes, and knew I had to try the Fudgie Pops. I made them yesterday, and they are delicious!!!! I always prefer to cook and bake myself, rather than buying processed foods, and this was a perfect recipe. I avoided some of the more tedious aspects of the recipe for simplicity sake, decreased sugar slightly, and reduced the sodium amounts.

Fudgie Pops

Fudgie Pops
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
molds to use in the freezer

In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Stir in brown sugar, cocoa and salt. Bring to a boil, cook and continually stir for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened.

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour into molds (or small plastic containers for when you run out). Freeze until firm. I just had to eat one while I wrote this out. Now I have to restrain myself from eating a couple more.

A Great Snack

Soft Pretzels
4 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 t. kosher salt
1 T. sugar
1 package yeast (2 1/4 t.)
2 oz. melted butter

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in a bowl or stand mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit 5 minutes until it begins to foam. Add flour and butter and knead 4-5 minutes. Oil a bowl and put dough in when done. Cover and let rise 45-55 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring 10 c. water to a boil with 2/3 c. baking soda. Break off small amounts of dough and roll into a snake-like coil. Shape it into a pretzel form and place into boiling water for about 30 seconds each. Remove and place on greased baking sheets. Beat 1 egg mixed with 1 T. water and brush on the pretzels. Sprinkle kosher salt on and bake for 10-12 minutes. When they are lightly browned, they are done.

I have loved soft pretzels for years and years. But haven't bought them recently because I'm trying to stay away from processed foods. But then I came across this recipe, and just had to try it. And they worked. I have cooked for long enough that I should no longer be surprised when a recipe works as planned, but I was still surprised.

I am super excited that these worked. YUMMMMYYY!!! It was a large batch, so I froze some of them. Kelby wasn’t as excited as I was, but that’s ok. It will be a great snack for me J

Me... a cooking mistake?

We received an ice cream/sherbet maker for our wedding. I had yet to use it, but a few days ago I finally found a recipe that I wanted to try. Many recipes require egg whites, which I wasn't interested in using. Many ice cream recipes have lots and lots of sugar and fat, and I try to have us eat healthier than that. The recipe I found called for fresh strawberries, fat-free sweetened condensed milk, low-fat vanilla yogurt, and milk. Not bad!

I bought the ingredients and the next day I made up the recipe. And then I went to the box with the ice cream maker, pulled it out and read the directions.  Uhoh.... I totally did not even think to put the container in the freezer. I don't know what I was thinking... how else would this machine work? I guess I didn't think this one through all the way. So the mixture went into the fridge, the canister went into the freezer, and my enjoyment of ice cream was delayed for a day.

Though my patience was tested, it turned out delicious. It only took around 30 minutes of mixing per batch, and then went back into the freezer. Yummy, delicious, and semi-healthy. Not bad.... now next time, the trick is to have the canister already frozen... haha... we'll see.

What I ate for dinner tonight

I was on the unmotivated side of the spectrum tonight, and didn't feel like going to the grocery store to buy ingredients and then come home and cook. So to our freezer and pantry I went. I started with a frozen pound of ground beef. I also found half an onion, a red pepper, and a slightly squishy green pepper in the fridge. And there was rice in the pantry. I cooked the rice according to directions.

Next step, I placed my frozen meat in a pan, and cooked until done. Partway through, I added a few shakes of Lantana (one of Kelby's favorite seasonings). While the meat finished cooking, I chopped into large pieces the peppers and onion. The meat came out of the pan, and I left the fat drippings in the pan. The peppers and onions were added, along with a few more shakes of Lantanas. Sautee until semi-soft, and added the meat back in. All done!

And it was delicious. And easy. And yummy... especially for an unplanned meal.

I haven't been as good taking pictures, a it is more effort to get the pictures on the blog since I have started using my Asus Tablet.... so tonight I finally made the connection that I can take low quality pictures with my tablet. cool! 

Favorite Italian recipe

My mom is 100% Italian, so from her side of the family many delicious recipes have been passed down. My favorite one is homemade (of course) tomato sauce with meatballs and spaghetti. When Grandma makes this, she uses three types of meat. I need to be money conscious, so usually only make meatballs. But if company is around, we would add pork and hot/sweet Italian sausage. yummmmmm. I have yet to make homemade pasta, but want to try soon. I have watched this being made, and have made it numerous times myself, that I don't use a recipe. I guess it comes naturally. Hopefully I remembered enough to write it down somewhat accurately.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatballs
- equal parts ground pork and beef (around 3 pounds total)
- eggs (maybe 2)
- shredded Parmesan cheese (maybe 1/2 cup)
- spices: basil, parsley, oregano
- bread crumbs (4-5 slices of bread, soaked in water, then squeezed and broken into little pieces)
Place all into a large bowl, and mix together - yes use your hands, much more effective! Roll into balls, however large you want. Preheat oven to 375. Place meatballs on cookie sheets, bake until fully cooked (20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size)

Sauce
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2-3 Tablespoons minced garlic
- spices: salt, ground pepper, parsley, oregano, basil (more than you think)
- canned tomato sauce, pureed tomatoes, whole tomatoes (cut by you)

Place a little oil in a large saucepan and heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute until soft but NOT browned. Add in all tomato sauces, spices, and a little water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 4 hours. Periodically stir to prevent burning. The longer it cooks, the more flavorful the sauce becomes. Add in the cooked meatballs at any point in time.

Serve over cooked spaghetti, with Parmesan cheese grated on top. Wonderfulness all on a plate.

Southern Food

These past years living in Texas, have expanded my taste buds far beyond what I ate back up North. Especially since Kelby has grown up in the South, and being a Southern guy, I have broadened eating options. Close friends from Louisiana cook Red Beans and Rice, so when my parents came to visit, it was time to try my hand at cooking this recipe.

Again, lots of internet research, and reading TONS of comments. I found a recipe, and made a few alternations (yes, I am that kind of cook - read a recipe and make my own changes the first time cooking it).

Red Beans and Rice - Louisiana style

1.25 pounds dried red beans(kidney beans)

10 cups water
1 pound Andouille sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 tablespoons diced garlic (8 cloves)
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 tbps tony chachere's Cajun spice (creole seasonings) (also to taste)
2 tsp dried basil (or 6 fresh basil leaves/2 dried leaves)
1 bone-in center slice of ham, or ham hock

Cooked rice

1. The night before, place beans into the 10 cups of water, and soak overnight
2. The next day, brown sausage in a pan, and cut into rounds
3. Into the pot with the beans and water, add sausage, onion, pepper, celery, garlic, ground pepper, basil, Cajun spices, ham.
4. Cook on low 6- 8 hours. While cooking, mash some of the beans in order to thicken the sauce
5. Serve over cooked rice. Deliciousness!!!

Can be cooked in a crock pot. If too soupy at the end, cook on stove without a lid to thicken.

A few new recipes, for me, and for you!!!

Breakfast cookies.


          I have been looking for something to eat for breakfast/snack that was healthy but having enough taste for me to want to eat it. When I came across this recipe, I knew I found something good. It's been revised for the health factor, and deliciousness. Once you understand the basic recipe, you can alter to your own taste. This is what worked for me.

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 cups oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 ground flax
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup raisins
1 cup craisins
1/3 cup coco powder
1 cup chopped walnuts or any other nuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1. Cream together margarine, peanut butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla.
2. Add in eggs and milk and cream
3. In a separate bowl Mix together flour, wheat flour, oats, wheat germ, ground flax, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, coco.
4. Mix dry ingredients into creamy mixture. 
5. Lastly, mix into batter by hand" raisins, craisins, nuts, seeds
6. Spoon onto greased cookie sheets.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.


They will last in a sealed container for around 2 weeks, and also freeze well.




Amish Breakfast Casserole


          Here is another recipe. Most breakfast casserole's have bread in them, so I was excited to find that this one does not. Again, I revised to add in more healthy ingredients :)

1/2 pound cooked bacon crumbled
1 onion, chopped
10 eggs, beaten
4 cups shredded, defrosted potatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1  and 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 and 1/4 cup swiss cheese shredded
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
Ground black pepper to taste


1. Fry bacon, crumble
2. In bacon grease, cook onion.
3. In a large bowl, hand beat eggs.
4. Add to eggs: bacon, onion, cheeses, peppers and ground pepper and mix.
5. Grease a 9 by 13 pan, spread out potatoes.  Pour egg mixture on top.
6. Bake 350 uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes.
7. Let sit a few minutes before cutting.


Can be prepared the night before, but cooking time may increase.




Black Bean Burrito's


          Kelby has asked for awhile to have burrito's. So back to the internet I went, in search of an easy, healthy, cheap recipe. Here is what I found, again (do you sense a pattern here) with alternations. It was delicious, and made 6-8 large burrito's. 


1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 Tbsp minced garlic

2 cans black beans, drained

3 oz cream cheese

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 Tbsp chili powder

1 cup corn

flour tortillas

cheddar cheese

tomatoes

sour cream

salsa

Heat oil, add onion, peppers, garlic. Cook for a few minutes. Add beans, cumin, chili, corn and cook for 5 minutes. Mix in cream cheese. Heat tortillas, put bean mixture in the center. Add on top: cheddar cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa. A great left-over meal!

Life has been busy

Sorry for the lack of attention to the blog. I know some of you have consistently checked for new postings (hi mom) so I appreciate that you haven't given up on me. My time at home as been busy, which equates to less computer/internet/blog time.

Back in November, I decided to have a partial "DIY" Christmas. Instead of buying things as presents, we bought yarn and I made lots of scarves. Now, I love to crochet, but making that many scarves with time constraints was a challenge. I believe I made 8 scarves in all. Just a few days ago, Kelby asked why he hadn't received one. So back to the craft store we went, and he helped to pick out yarn. Now I am busy again :)

Another project I worked on for a few of our relatives, was taking this blog and turning it into a book. I didn't want to just send the whole blog off to be printed, as I wanted to revise the layout to make it more book-friendly. The website I found, and Love! is called Blurb, found here. What was most helpful with this website was that I downloaded a program to the computer, formated each page with the layout of text and pictures, and decided how long I wanted the book to be. Since the price jumped up at page 41, it stayed at exactly 40 pages (have to get the most for my money.) Once I formatted it to my liking, after 6 hours one Saturday in front of the computer, I uploaded it to their website, and ordered books. They came before promised, and look AWESOME. I couldn't believe it was my pictures, and my stories, in this book. The quality was impressive, and turning into great books. It was primarily to give to my Grandma, who doesn't have access to internet :)

And since it is Christmas, Kelby and I spent time decorating the apartment. When I moved to Texas, I promised myself that I would only use real Christmas trees, and not fake, plastic ones. No offense to those who use the plastic trees, as they are more economical in the long run, and much easier to find. This is one area where for me, money isn't the first consideration. The first few years in Texas, I was super tight on money, so no tree. Starting a job full-time helped, along with Kelby's encouragement. This year, we spent a Saturday afternoon driving to, finding, chopping down, driving home, and setting up the tree. Down here, there are not many Christmas tree farms, and the selection is nominal. But we found a tree, and it's pretty! Kelby has been out of school for a few weeks, and unable to work much due to his knee, so he spent a lot of time working on christmas lights for the front balcony. He was creative, and it says "The Reeds" along with a cross and tree.

I have been spending more time reading recipes and trying out new ones, while staying within our food budget. I had 1 flop, but some yummy ones!

Sophie, our puppy, was old enough to get spade a couple of weeks ago. She was tired and sleepy the first few days, but recovered fast. During this time, she wore a cone to keep her from messing with her stomach stitches. As well, one of her duclaw's was misformed, and would have caused issues in the future. So the vet went ahead and removed both of her duclaws (the 5th digit on the side of a leg). Even with a cone on, she could reach her front paws with the stitches, so she needed to watched. She gets these stitches out tomorrow, and should be good to go!

Oh, and how could I forget. We went down to Houston to visit some of Kelby's family. We got to meet his new niece, and exchanged a few Christmas presents. And then after Christmas, my parents flew in to spend a few days with us, and to meet Sophie. I wasn't sure how mom would do with her, but everyone did great. I enjoyed watching my mom and dad play with Sophie's toys with her.

I'll add pictures once I am on the other computer. :)

Applesauce

Mom mailed me a box of apples. Probably one of the best packages I have received in the mail. In the box, were fresh, crisp, delicious apples. TX apples are just not the same, even the ones imported from other states. They were great to eat and cook with.

With the rest of the apples, I decided to make homemade applesauce. It is actually much easier than it sounds.Wash the apples, cut them into hunks. Place all the apples into a large pot, with a little water on the bottom. Turn on the heat, and let them cook for 30ish minutes with the lid on, stirring at times, until all the apples are soft and mushy.

Use this wonderful invention, a food press. Turn the crank, and applesauce falls out the bottom! Press the entire batch of apples, and then it is ready to eat.

I love it best as is, but it is also good with cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Deliciousness



What to cook when the fridge is empty...

Wow, food was expensive this month. As it is the end of the month, our budget for food refills on the first of November. So this weekend, I used my creativity in order to feed our stomachs.

1. I purposely bought these ingredients earlier this month, as there are no fresh items needed besides onion and half-and-half, both of which last a long time. The hardest part about this recipe is I cooked it at 8am today, since the apartment complex was turning off our water at 9am.

Corn Chowder Soup
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp margarine
1 tsp Italian Spices (parsley, oregano, basil)
salt
ground pepper
3 cups chicken broth (I used 3 bouillon cubes and 3 cups of water)
1 can diced white potatoes, drained
2 cans corn, cream style
1/2 cup cream/half-and-half (I used fat-free)

Melt margarine, add onion and sautee until soft. Add spices, salt and pepper to taste, chicken broth, potatoes, corn. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add cream, bring to just under a boil.


2. I have made crepes probably 4 times in the past few months. They have tastes delicious, and use basic ingredients. Besides that, they are slightly time-consuming, but totally worth it!

Crepes
1.5 cups milk
4 eggs (beaten)
1 cup flour
1.5 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
margarine (for the pan)

Beat the eggs in a medium sized bowl. Add milk, mix together. Add in flour, sugar, salt and mix until most of the lumps are out. Place in fridge for an hour. Heat pan, melt a small dollop of margarine. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp of mixture at a time to the pan. Tilt the pan so your crepe is nice and thin. Cook around 30 seconds on the first side, and 15 seconds on the second side.
- I love these with a little margarine rolled in the middle. Also great with cream cheese, or anything else you can think of!

New Crockpot Recipe

I made this for dinner the other night, and it was great coming home to a house that smelled so good. This is similar to Italian sauce, but one that doesn't need stirring all day long :)

Italian CrockPot Stew

1 clove garlic/1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage (we used hot, and chicken sausage)
28 oz can of whole tomatoes
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tsp basil
red pepper flakes (optional)
salt
pepper
pasta

In a pan, cook sausage. Place into Crockpot. Place garlic and onion in the pan, sautee until soft. Add to Crockpot. Cut up tomatoes, place into Crockpot. Add basil, salt and pepper to taste, along with red pepper flakes. If preparing the night before, save the peppers to add in the morning so they don't become too soft. Add peppers, and 1 cup water. Cook on low for 10-12 hours, or however long you are at work. Serve with pasta, top with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy. We have!

Yumminess

I have been wanting Peach Cobbler for a long time. Yesterday, I decided to conduct some internet research to find a recipe that sounded good. Instead of just using one recipe, I combined a few different recipes, in order to meet flavor expectations, semi-healthy, and easy ingredients. Some recipe's called for buttermilk, unsalted butter, or tons of sugar. Here is the end ingredient list I compiled.

Peach Cobbler
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 cups sliced peaches
1 tsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp shortening
1 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat over to 400 degrees F.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, peaches, lemon juice in a pot. Cook until bubbling, then cook for 1 more minute (to thicken the juice). Pour into ungreased 9 x 9 pan.

In a bowl, place shortening, flour, 3 Tbsp sugar, baking powder, salt. Mix with a fork until everything is blended and there are tiny balls of dough. Add in milk and vanilla. Mix until the batter is even, but don't over mix (it will become too dense). Drop onto peach mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until topping is lightly browned. Good with vanilla ice cream, or as is.

Dried Strawberries

So I absolutely love my food dehydrator. Every few days, I have used it again, since I eat the fruit so fast. Here is how I made dried strawberries. Almost like eating candy!

I started with 2 pounds of fresh strawberries. Clean the strawberries.

 Cut off the green tops, and slice very thin. Lay the strawberries in a single layer on each tray.

Cook at 135-140 degrees F, for 6-8 hours. The time probably depends on how hot and humid it is outside. The strawberries are done when you break a piece and it is dry throughout. The 2 pounds of fresh fruit turned into 3.5 ounces of dried fruit. It looks like a lot of work, but the deliciousness is worth it.

 

Awesome new appliances

We are slowly trying out some of new kitchen appliances. I made yummy lemonade with our citrus juicer. So far, we have made two loaves of bread in the bread maker. I think I enjoy bread the traditional way, in the oven better, but it is so easy in the bread maker. You just put all the ingredients in, and turn it on. The machine automatically mixes the dough, lets it rise, repeats this process a few times, and then cooks the loaf. How easy is that?

I absolutely LOVE the food dehydrator. I have already used it three times, and Kelby is concerned with what we may spend on food :)  haha. But anyways, here is a picture of the beef jerky we made. It is delicious, and I could eat a lot of this in one day. Making jerky is easy... cut up beef, marinate it for a few hours, then dehydrate it for around 6 hours, and then...... deliciousness!!!!

Here is myself taking a nap with Skipper. I know my arm looks awkward, but it was comfortable. And here is Kelby taking a nap. You would have to ask him why he is holding 2 pillows on his chest.



A New Month

I cannot believe we are already into May. That means June, July, and then August = marriage!!! Whooohooo! I wonder how we will fit everything into the apartment. Hmmm. Time is going by so fast; I think about blog posts, but it seems as if my computer time has decreased.

This weekend strawberries were on sale at Sprouts (one of my favorite grocery stores). Kelby and I bought a bunch; with intentions of making strawberry jamI typically try to make healthy recipes. This one is an exception. I grew up with this jam always available, and it’s my grandmother's recipe. So last night, and tonight, it was time to restock the freezer with a new batch of jam. It is delicious!  My favorite way to eat it is on a spoon, still warm from cooking.

In case you would like to try it, here's the recipe, with pictures.

Strawberry Jam
- strawberries
- sugar

It only takes 2 ingredients! Cut up the strawberries into small pieces. Put into a large saucepan; add equal amounts of sugar as to strawberries. In this picture, I have 8 cups of strawberries, and then 8 cups of sugar. Yes, it seems like a lot of sugar, but it will work in the end, I promise.

Stir, and then cook on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Cook on low until the broth is dark and clear. Cool. Store in fridge or freezer. Wonderful on toast, cheesecake, pp&j, or a spoon!

And now a few artistic pictures :)

Granola from Scratch

I grew up with mom making this granola. Now I enjoy making it, and it is one of Kelby's most often requested recipes. I've made a few alterations, to make it somewhat healthier.

Grandma Western's Granola Recipe

6 heaping cups Old Fashioned Oats (not the quick-cooking kind)

2/3 cup shredded coconut

3/4 cup wheat germ

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup canola oil

3/4 cup honey

1.5 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In 9 by 13 inch pan, cook oats for 10 minutes. Mix all other ingredients in bowl. Add to oats, mix thoroughly. Cook 25-30 minutes. Cool. Store in closed container in refrigerator.

Delicious with yogurt and fruit. Or as cereal!!!

Pesto Update

As promised, here is the pesto recipe.

1 ounce Parmesan cheese (or a variation)
1/4 pine nuts (or walnuts, they are cheaper)
1 clove garlic, pealed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Using a food processor, pulse the cheese until small, remove. Pulse the nuts until small, remove. Add garlic, salt, basil leaves, oil and pulse until smooth. Add in cheese and nuts, pulse together. It's delicious now, but letting it rest will mix the flavors together even more. Store in the refrigerator.



I even added a picture. YUMMMMY