Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

Recipe based on Beth's Spicy Oatmeal Cookies.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup craisins

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, cream together the butter, applesauce, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light and golden. Do not overbake. Let them cool for 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Peppermint Pattie Poke Cake

Cake:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• Water, oil, and eggs called for on mix

Filling:

• 1 box (4-serving size) white chocolate instant pudding mix
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Frosting:

• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 container milk chocolate frosting (or make your own)
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped chocolate covered peppermint patties (8 candies)--hint, they will chop better if you freeze them first

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make cake as directed for 13x9 inch pan; cool 15 minutes. Poke top of warm cake every 1/2 inch with handle of wooden spoon.
2. In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with wire whisk about 2 minutes. Immediately pour over cake. Cover loosely and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled
3. Stir 1/4 tsp peppermint extract into frosting. Spread frosting over top of cake. Sprinkle with peppermint pattie pieces. Store loosely covered in fridge.

15 servings.

NutritionInformation:

1 Serving:Calories 360 (Calories from Fat 130); Total Fat 15g (Saturated Fat 4 1/2g, Trans Fat 1 1/2g); Cholesterol 45mg; Sodium 440mg; Total Carbohydrate 54g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 38g); Protein 4g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium8%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 3 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3 1/2

English Muffins

English Muffins
Recipe from Safely Gathered In adapted from The Happy Housewife

1 cup hot water
1/2 cup prepared powdered milk or 1/2 cup water and half of 1/3 cup powdered milk
2 tsp honey
2 tsp salt
4 cups flour (you can use 1/2 white 1/2 whole wheat)
2 tsp instant yeast
2 Tbsp oil
Cornmeal

Add water, powdered milk (and water for powdered milk), honey and salt to a mixing bowl. Combine. Add 2 cups of flour and yeast and stir until combined. Cover with a clean towel and allow to rise for one hour. Add remaining 2 cups of flour and oil and stir until well combined. Roll out onto a cornmeal covered surface and using a cookie cutter or cup, cut out round shapes. Let cut muffins rise, covered, for another hour. Heat a griddle to medium high heat and grease with a little oil. Grill muffins on both sides until lightly brown and cooked in the middle. Eat!

Cream cheese frosting

Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine
1 tsp vanilla
2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
12 oz cool whip
graham crackers

In a saucepan, mix together sugar, cocoa, and ¼ cup milk. Boil 1 minute. Add margarine and vanilla. Cool. Beat until thick.

While above mixture is cooling, beat together vanilla and 3 cups milk. Fold in cool whip.

Cover bottom of 9x13 pan with whole graham crackers. Spread with 1/3 pudding mixture. Add another layer of graham crackers and another 1/3 pudding. Repeat one more time, ending with graham crackers. There will be four layers of graham crackers and 3 layers of pudding (uses about 1 box of graham crackers).

Spread with cool, thickened chocolate mixture. Refrigerate overnight.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 green pepper, chopped

1-1/2 cups salsa (I like one with corn and black beans)

2 oz. neufchatel cheese, cubed

1 can (15 oz.) no-salt-added black beans, drained, rinsed

1 tomato, chopped

2 tortillas (6 inch)

1/2 cup shredded cheese, divided

Directions:

Heat oven to 375ºF.

Cook and stir chicken and cumin in nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat 2 min. Add peppers; cook 2 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa; cook 2 min. Add Neufchatel; cook 2 min. or until melted. Stir in beans and tomatoes.

Spoon 1/3 of chicken mixture into 8-inch square baking dish; cover with 1 tortilla and half each of the remaining chicken mixture and shredded cheese. Top with remaining tortilla and chicken mixture; cover.

Bake 20 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese; bake, uncovered, 5 min. or until melted.

My kids really liked this. This would make a good pantry meal if you just leave out the cream cheese, everything else can come from the pantry.

Easy Chocolate MMF

INGREDIENTS

16 oz mini marshmallows
7-7.5 cups sifted powdered sugar ( a full 2 lb bag is about 8 cups)
2 TBSP corn syrup
1 TBSP vanilla extract
4 TBSP water
3/4 cup cocoa powder
shortening to grease your bowls, works surface etc.

DIRECTIONS

- Put 16 oz of mini marshmallows into a greased bowl. Add 4 TBSP water and 1 TBSP vanilla, then microwave slowly until marshmallows are completely melted. (I usually do 1 min 30secs)
- Transfer melted marshmallows to your KA bowl, add 2 TBSP corn syrup and 3/4 cup cocoa powder. Using dough hook, incorporate until roughly mixed.
- Add sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, and knead well each time, scraping the bowl between sugar additions.
- After 5 cups have been added, add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Knead well, and scrape bowl between additions.
- After 6 cups have been added, add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until the fondant is of the correct consistency. I test it by pressing my finger into the fondant, and if my finger is dry and clean then I know the fondant is ready.

- After the last powdered sugar addition, turn the fondant out onto a shortening greased surface and knead. It will be very moist and pliable. Store double wrapped, in a ziploc bag and airtight container until ready to use.