Oatmeal Date Cookies

There is something about the Fall that makes me want to bake but
our little family is trying to be a bit healthier so I knew this favorite recipe
from our Mom would be perfect to cure my weekend sweet tooth!
Every time our family gets together I made a huge batch of these cookies
~not just because they are pretty tasty, they don't make you feel sick after eating them
and they stay fresh for days!  (Not that they last that long;))!

Oatmeal Date Cookies
3/4 cup shortening (make half of it butter)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
 4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups chopped dates
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups chopped nuts (optional but I prefer pecans)

Cream together wet ingredients and also mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Combine dry with wet until thoroughly mixed.  Cook for 10-12 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  Makes about 4 dozen.

Have a wonderful weekend friends!  Candace is busy running around her boys to a million sport games while I in between squirrel feedings will be cleaning out the gutters and putting protective coverings over them in my constant effort to fight the pine needles in our yard.  What are you doing this weekend?

Upside Down Pumpkin Pie

I tried this tasty pumpkin recipe at a Christmas dinner several years ago.  It was so good that I begged my friend Julie to write it down and give it to me.  The toasted pecan topping and pumpkin are delicious together.  The best part is, Upside Down Pumpkin Pie is so easy to make.  You just mix a few ingredients with your can of pumpkin, and throw cake mix, pecans and melted butter on.  Simple and a great dish to add to your Thanksgiving feast!

Upside Down Pumpkin Pie

1 (20 oz.) can pumpkin
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 box yellow cake mix (Duncan Hines is the best)
1 (12 oz. can evaporated milk
3 eggs well beaten
1 c. pecan coarsely chopped
1 c. melted butter

Combine all ingredients, except cake mix, pecans, and melted butter.  Mix well and pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture.  Top with pecan and drizzle melted butter over all.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Cool and serve with whipped cream.

Here are few of my other favorite pumpkin desserts.  They come from Mel's Kitchen Cafe..I love her blog!

Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Roll

And our favorite, the traditional pumpkin pie with our mom's pie crust.  So good!  I'm heading out to start my crust!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Banana Crunch Muffins

I stumbled upon a great banana muffin recipe a couple of years ago that is so good and I want to pass it along to you!

The recipe comes from Ina Garten, you can find her banana crunch muffin recipe at Food Network.   I  like how she adds coconut, walnuts, and granola to the mix, the smell in the house is wonderful as they bake. This recipe is a keeper and a great way to use up all of the ripe bananas I seem to always have.

We will be back soon, it has been a crazy week in both of our homes! :)



Halloween Owl Wreath and More!

We are busy getting ready for Halloween around here. We are tackling the costumes, cookies, school parties, and hanging the last few spooky decorations.  I found a fun owl at Cost Plus earlier in the season with the intentions to hang it on a wreath of some kind.  Sadly it is the day before Halloween and I am finally get around to making it.  I gotta have something fun on my door for the trick or treaters!

I was going to try the "socks on a wreath" again, but they didn't fit around the flat foam wreath without warping the houndstooth.  Instead, I opted for houndstooth fabric, first gluing the fabric to the front of the foam wreath.  Next I pinned and pleated the outside edges and cut the center out leaving enough to pull and pin on the inside.  The fabric didn't quite make it around the inside center, so I cut a long strip of the houndstooth fabric and glued along the bad edge.  I love that I can change the wreath for different seasons.  I just have to figure out something for Fall?  Any ideas?

Last night I made several batches of owl cookies for class parties. I stole the owl cookie idea from Kneader's Restaurant and Bakery.  I love their cookies and if I could I would just buy the cookies from Kneader's, but when I need about a hundred it is not very cost effective.  So, I borrowed their idea of backward chocolate chips for eyes and candy corn for noses, and ordered this owl cookie cutter. ( It's only a $1.55 on Amazon! )

*I don't profess to be a cookie artist...actually mine are kinda ugly...but they taste good and my kids think they are fun! Nicole got a good chuckle out of my cookie decorating skills.... 

I have a great soft sugar cookie recipe.  I have tried others - but keep coming back to this tasty recipe.  They are really good with homemade cream cheese frosting.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

3 1/4 c. Flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sour cream

Sift flour, soda, salt, and set aside.  Mix butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Add sour cream and 1/2 of flour mixture and mix.  Then add remaining flour and finish mixing.  Divine in half and roll out.  Cut out cookies and bake on ungreased sheet for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees.  Do not over bake them! The edges should just barely be golden and the cookies should look firm.

Frost with cream cheese frosting, I like to use Glorious Treats' Cream Cheese frosting, it is a winner!

And last, a silly handout for my son's class.  My boys love whistle lips, they will entertain them for hours.  Thankfully for my ears - they are not too loud. We touched off the Frankenstein with a pixie stick for bolts. 

I am officially tired and it is only the beginning of the Holidays!  Nicole is whipping up another awesome costume for her daughter, she will be back soon to share!

I hope all of you have a "Franken-tastic" Halloween and be safe out there! :)  

(Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by the hurricane, we wish you safety and a quick recovery!)

Orchard Adventures

What do you do when your kids are out of school?

Last week ours were out with Parent/Teacher Conferences

so we decided to have a day of adventure.

 

Growing up in our family we had one solid and true tradition~

Homemade hot buttery popcorn and grape juice along with the Wonderful World of Disney

every Sunday night.

 

Now it wasn't just any grape juice.

Our parents were huge canners and each fall they made their own homemade grape juice.

Each precious jar held enough juice for each of us to have one cup~and boy was it savored from start to finish.  So my grown up quest began.  Now that our parents live close....so does their distiller....

 

Last weekend in my efforts to find Concord grapes

I stumbled upon the most quaint little farm (well that's if you call 80 acres little!) on Craigslist.

The farm had an apple orchard filled with a dozen different varieties,

some of them the most delicious and crisp apples we've ever had.

After growing up in Washington we have a pretty good idea about what makes a good apple,

these apples were not only beautiful they were also delicious!

Our kids had the opportunity to pick grapes for the first time.

They were completely fascinated with a walnut tree~

Candace's youngest even tried to plant one right there on the spot to grow another one.:)

Each of our kids got to pick out a pumpkin and me~
Well after a few hours of brewing.....
I have 30 quarts of Concord grape juice and a wonderful tradition to continue with my own family.

 

Banana Cake & Knock-Off Decor Feature

I tried a fantastic banana cake recipe that I found on Pinterest.  The recipe comes from

Butter Yum and it is called "To Die For Banana Cake" with Vanilla Bean Frosting.  The "to die for" and "vanilla bean" quickly caught my attention, it must be pretty good with a name like that.

The frosting calls for Vanilla Bean Paste, which I had never heard of.  After a quick Internet search, I found that Williams-Sonoma carries a great Vanilla Bean Paste from Nielsen-Massey.  Nicole and I had thoughts of making it ourselves (which you can) but after buying all the ingredients and waiting...it's much easier to buy it from the store.  It adds a distinct vanilla flavor and I love the pretty brown flecks in the frosting. 

So, if you have some extra ripe bananas hanging around in your kitchen, go ahead and try this recipe.  You will not be disappointed.

(Williams-Sonoma)

Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste

A HUGE thanks to Beckie from Knock Off Decor

 for featuring the Burlap Message Board!

Head on over and take a peak through Knock Off Decor, you will find tons of great "knock-off" inspiration!

Have a great day! :)

Sweet Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Okay, you're probably wondering when are we going 

to start crafting again?

Well this week my in-laws are in town

and Candace has a house full of sick kids....what's with summer colds?

So with family comes yummy food

and I tried a new recipe last night that I just had to share!

Paula Deen's Sweet Bacon Wrapped Chicken!

It's was seriously good and easy to make!

I did alter a few things, I partially pre-cooked the bacon.

This helped burn off a lot of the grease

so that when we grilled them they didn't make a huge mess on the grill.

I also salted, peppered and shook a bit of onion & garlic powder

on the chicken before I wrapped them in the bacon.

I was worried that the chili powder would be too hot 

but it isn't, in fact next time I think I might add an extra Tablespoon.

Of course anything Paula Deen makes is wonderful...

remember her yummy

  Not Yo' Momma's Banana pudding dessert 

our brother told us about!?!

So much for the weight I lost getting ready for summer!

What good stuff have you guys been cooking?

Fruit & Nut Granola

We are back with another recipe!  It's hard to do lots of crafts this summer with the kids home, but we always have to eat, right?  :)

Our brother is undergoing surgical school training and recently shared with us his experiences with

the colon and rectal segment of his training.  Our brother is a fantastic story teller who also likes to pull out his study books to share pictures of today's diseases....yikes, I know this is TMI, but it scared the "poo" out of us...literally.

He said that in today's society we are eating way too much processed foods and it is creating many diseases of the intestines that we didn't see 40 or 50 years ago or more frighteningly even 20 years ago.  Our brother said that it is essential to add whole grain fiber to our diets to avoid many of these problems and whole oats are one of the best choices. 


Our first solution~a yummy granola recipe our Mom made that is chocked full of fiber and whole oats.  It's our Aunt Susan's recipe and it is so good! The flavors of the honey, butter, and vanilla make eating oats easy.  You can add whatever favorite nuts, or dried fruit that you like. 

Fruit & Nut Granola

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup cashews or pistachios

1/4 cup hulled green pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried blueberries or other dried fruit

(optional-add a couple tablespoons of flax seed)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl stir together oats, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and salt.  In a small bowl melt butter with honey and stir to combine.  Add vanilla and pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until well combined.

On a large baking sheet, spread the granola evenly in a thin layer.  Bake, stirring once with a spatula halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.  Do not overcook; the granola will crisp more when cooled.  Cool the granola on the pan on top of the stove and then stir in dried fruit.  Granola is best if kept in an airtight container at room temperature. 

Yum!

This would be so great added to your favorite yogurt!  

Now go on out and eat some fiber! :)

8 Layer Rainbow Jello

Hello!  I'm back with a recipe for 8 Layer Rainbow Jello!  My sister in-law, Lesa, tediously makes this Jello masterpiece for every family picnic and it is gone in seconds.  It takes some time and attention to make but worth it in the end.  I asked Lesa for detailed instructions....because Jello layers can be complicated...really! I had to call her twice when making this the other day. :)

First, you want to stick with the basic flavors of Jello. Strawberry, Orange, Lemon, and Lime. These flavors are the best according to Lesa, she has been making this for over 20 years and has tried almost every Jello flavor combination.

Start with one large package of Lime Jello.  Boil 2 Cups of Water.

  Mix in full package until all sugar crystals are dissolved. 

Remove 1 Cup of hot Jello Mixture into a second bowl.

  Mix in 2/3 Cup of Sour Cream until fully dissolved.

Whisk really hard while the Jello is still hot,

you don't want any Sour Cream "dots" in your first layer. 

Add 1/2 Cup of "ice cold" water to the remaining Jello mixture.

(this will be the second layer) 

Pour the green sour cream mixture into a glass pan, preferably an 11x13 glass pan. 

 Pop any bubbles to create a smooth layer.

Tip:  when pouring each layer, carefully cup the new jello layer onto the set jello layers. 

 If you pour too much, too fast, a hole will rip into your layers!

To quick set each layer, place pan in the freezer until Jello layer is fully set. 

 Be careful not to freeze!

 When the first green sour cream layer is set, add the clear green jello layer.

  Repeat all steps with each package of Jello. 

You will have 8 layers when finished and a yummy, fun dessert to please a crowd!

Thanks to my sweet sister in-law for sharing our family favorite!

Sweet & Salty Patriotic Popcorn

I have a fun 4th of July popcorn recipe to share with you that comes from my Sister In-Law, Richelle.

Every Fourth of July, we look forward to her colorful sweet and salty popcorn she makes for our family firework show.

I really like it because it's simple to make, and not too sweet.  I don't know about you, but I love gooey sweet popcorn, but after I eat several handfuls I feel sick...like I just ate a cube of butter and a pound of sugar! This popcorn is just right.

What I also like about this popcorn is that (most) kids with allergies can eat it too.  Several of our cousins suffer from food allergies, and often get left out of all the fun treats we eat around the holidays.

The ingredients are:

1/2 cup popcorn (gourmet works best, I like Orville Redenbacher)

2 TB oil

3 TB sugar

salt to taste 

(You can add food coloring if you want a burst of color.)

We use a popcorn popper similar to the picture above. 

Add the oil, sugar, unpopped popcorn, and food coloring to the base.  Place the lid over the base, turn it on, and wait for it to pop.  When you hear the popcorn popping start to slow, flip it over, unplug it, and remove the bowl of popcorn.  Add salt to taste while warm.

For the red, white and blue popcorn- pop white first, add red coloring to second batch and wipe clean, add blue coloring to last batch.

**This popcorn popper recommends ONLY using oil while popping, so if you are worried about adding sugar and food coloring, try this recipe in pan with a lid over the stove instead**

We found that if you use a wet rag, you can *carefully* clean the sugar off of the hot surface before it carmelizes onto the bottom of the pan. The sugar and food coloring does discolor the surface.

Like all my warnings?

I just don't want you to be mad at me when you ruin the bottom of your popcorn popper! :)

As always, be careful when you are cooking or handling hot pans and oil! Yes, I have "safety issues."

 

 A fun and festive popcorn treat for the Fourth of July that you can make in minutes!  Enjoy!

Rhubarb Dessert

Growing up out in rural Washington, we had a pretty

big yard which also meant we had a pretty big garden.

Our folks always had 4 large rhubarb plants

and a never ending supply of rhubarb for making cobbler,

one of our Dad's all time favorite treats.

Even though we all complained about having our rows to weed

in the garden, it has been quite funny to see most of us kids grow up to be avid gardeners.

My parents are still stunned at this.:)

I, out of probably all my siblings am probably the most sappy and sentimental

so I of course have to have at least 2 big rhubarb plants in my garden to remind me of my childhood.

Problem is my hubby doesn't like rhubarb and neither does my daughter.

Last week there was a recipe attached to our church newsletter that I just had to try

and hey it was all about rhubarb!

Even better~this is by far one of the tastiest desserts I've ever made.

I have no idea who contributed the recipe but it is quite delicious!

Rhubarb Dessert

6 cups chopped rhubarb

1 cup sugar

1 3 oz package strawberry jello

1 cup water

1 white cake mix

1/2 cup margarine or butter

Put rhubarb into a 9 x 13 pan.

Sprinkle sugar on top.

Sprinkle jello powder over top.

Add water carefully over jello powder.

Sprinkle cake mix over top.

Melt margarine or butter and drizzle over top.

Do NOT mix.

Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Because there are only 3 of us in our family I always have more than we can consume

so I usually split the recipe into 2 disposable 8x8" square pans.

That way we can keep one and I can run the other over to my parents.

Boy was my Dad in heaven tonight!

Tomorrow I'm building another raised garden bed to put in an awkward spot

in my yard that I'm amazed I didn't think of doing before.

I have proclaimed this year to be "The Year of My Garden".

I have spent more time outside lately than in and it has been wonderful!:)

Taste Like Chicken-What's Mike Cooking?

Tonight Candace and I stumbled upon

a most delicious new blog that is definitely worth sharing!

It's called Taste Like Chicken-What's Mike Cooking?

Maybe I watch too much of Food Network 

to the point of fantasizing about being a master chef some day 

or maybe it's my love of cooking that makes me drawn to 

learning more about cooking tools and techniques.

All I know is that I have devoured all the great tips

that this wonderful blog has to offer

and I'm making a list of the kitchen tools I need....

Michael Hart is the man behind the blog

sharing his 30+ years of cooking experience

and love of cooking.

It's a fun read and you'll learn a lot!

His male perspective and wit drew me in!

Make sure to check it out,

I'm excited to see what he does next!

P.S. Donald, thanks for sharing the link!

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is it...the last of the bulk candy.  I don't know what I was thinking when I bought that much candy!I added jellybeans into a glass vase, using a smaller vase to hold the water for the roses.

 It is an easy and unique way to give those you love flowers.

 This pretty Easter jellybean centerpiece was my inspiration, found at A Passion For Creativity. 

Today I also made the Betty Crocker heart peanut butter cookies that are everywhere on Pinterest.

I went over to their site and noticed that Betty is using a different recipe for the peanut butter cookie.  I'm sure it's great, but Nicole has been using an old Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie recipe that you can't go wrong with.  If they are not overcooked, these cookies are sooooo good. 

Here's the recipe:

1/2 c. margarine or butter

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

Refrigerate, bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes. 

We are off to all the class parties..I swear holiday party days at school are some of the craziest.

  Nicole will be back tomorrow to share her Valentine party ideas!

Day 6 ~ Avocado Salad & Happy New Year!

Avocado Salsa

Sauce:

1/3 c. light olive oil

1/2 c. lime juice

1/3 c. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Diced Vegetables:

1 (15 0z.) can corn niblets, drained

1 small can chopped olives, don't drain

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1/3-1/2 bunch green onion, chopped fine

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

3 diced tomatoes

3 lg. avocados, chopped (add last)

Make sauce in a small bowl and set aside.  Mix diced vegetables in a large bowl. 

 Pour sauce over vegetables and enjoy. 

Nicole and I made this the other day and it was pretty tasty! 

  It's a great alternative to regular salsa. Serve with chips and even the little ones will eat this up.

The recipe comes from my friend Trina, she is an excellent cook and a mom to six boys! (my hero)

I will have to share her carrot chowder recipe sometime...it is so good!

Happy New Year! 

Wishing you a fun filled night of friends, family, and tasty treats!

Day 3 ~ Brazilian Limeade & Cucumber Crackers

It's day # 3 trying out appetizer recipes for New Year's Eve.  

I found this recipe in our Church cookbook, but it actually comes from my very talented neighbor, Heather.

She has great taste in everything from food to decor. There are several  of Heather's appetizers in the book, so I couldn't help sharing another one of her recipes, Cucumber Crackers.

Here's what you will need for the Brazilian Limeade:

Sugar, sweetened condensed milk, limes, water, and ice. 

Brazilian Limeade

 2 limes

1/2 c. sugar

3 T. sweetened condensed milk

3 c. water

Ice

Directions

Wash limes, cut off ends and slice into eight wedges.  Place limes in a blender with sugar, sweetened condensed milk, water, and ice.  Blend in an electric blender, pulsing 5 times.  Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove rinds.  Serve over ice. 

This drink was so yummy. My kids loved it! The sweetened condensed milk added an interesting taste. 

 Be sure to use a fine strainer, or you will be choking on chunks of lime. 

Heather's cucumber crackers were delicious too. 

 I like that it's light to eat along with some of the rich appetizers.

 The Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese also has a kick to it.

Cucumber Crackers

Ritz Crackers

Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese

Cucumber, sliced

Mrs. Dash original

Directions:

Spread cream cheese onto cracker.

Top with a cucumber slice and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash.

How EASY is that? Simple and delicious!

She has a couple more in the cookbook, I just might have to share. 

 Thanks Heather!

Nicole has another great appetizer to share tomorrow!