Spider Cookies

We are getting ready for Halloween over here.  The kids are getting costumes ready.  Just last night, my 12 year old son sewed his own bat costume.  He basically sewed wings together to tie to a shirt.  Pretty clever and simple.  

Here are some fun Halloween cookies that taste so yummy!  These would be great for a Halloween party!  My kids absolutely love these cookies and try to wait patiently for the chocolate to harden.  These are super easy to make, they just take a little bit of time, but totally worth it and the kids love to help!

Peanut Butter Spider Cookies

Ingredients:

Ritz Crackers

Peanut Butter

White Almond Bark or White Chocolate

Black Colored Chocolate (found at craft stores)

Wax Paper

Ziploc Bag 

     Make a sandwich out of the crackers and peanut butter.  Melt the white chocolate.  Dip the sandwiches in the white chocolate.  Set on wax paper to dry.  

Melt the black chocolate and put in a ziploc bag.  Cut a small corner off the bag.  Make your spiders and let dry.  Enjoy!

Homemade Lavender Oatmeal Soap

This past week, I taught my daughter's Preschool group and decided to get the girls together (it is a sweet little class of only girls) and make a Mother's Day present.  I decided that homemade soap would be fun and easy!
So I gather together a few ingredients and we went to work melting and stirring, and then ended the project with wrapping and tying.  It was fun and the girls loved every part of the project! 
This is a neat project to experiment with, so give it a try.  It's not an exact science, just hands on and lots of fun!    I just want to add a little disclaimer. I am not a professional soap maker, just a Mom who likes to mix things together and have fun! My kids love to make their own different versions and experiments.  

Homemade Lavender Oatmeal Soap
Ingredients and Supplies Blocks of glycerin soap (I bought mine at Hobby Lobby.   It came in a bag.  When I melted it down, I used about 1 1/4 cup.) 1/4 Coconut oil (not necessary, but great for moisturizing) Food coloring (optional) Fragrance (I used a couple drops of DoTerra's Lavender Essential Oil) Handful of Oatmeal Bread Pan Cooking Spray Wax Paper Wrapping Material (for cuteness)   Start out by preparing the bread pans.  You can use whatever type of mold you want the soap to take shape into.  I used two small loaf pans and cut three blocks of soap from each pan.  Line the pans with wax paper the best you can and then spray with cooking spray.
Melt the blocks of soap in the microwave for 30 seconds intervals, stirring between times.  After melted, add the coconut oil, food coloring, and fragrance.  If needed, put in the microwave again to keep the liquid form. After all ingredients are mixed, pour into pans.  Add a sprinkle of oatmeal, I pushed the oatmeal into the soap with a spoon, and allow to cool. 
After the soap is back in it's solid form, lift out of the pan with the wax paper and cut into pieces.  We made 6 bars of soap with this recipe.  Wrap and enjoy the luxury of homemade soap!    

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies

This is one of our favorite treats!  But I'm a little partial to peanut butter and chocolate.  Yummy!  My mouth is watering as I type.  Every time I make these, they are gone as fast as I can cut them.  
So go ahead an make them, you won't be disappointed.  :)    

  Peanut Butter Rice Krispies
1 cup Karo Syrup 1 cup Peanut Butter 1 cup sugar About 6 cups Rice Krispies (Give or take, it's up to you.  I personally like them a little gooey.) 2 cups of chocolate chips ( any combination: milk, semi-sweet, butterscotch, etc.)
Lightly spray a 9x13 inch pan.  Add the Karo syrup, peanut butter and sugar.  Bring to a boil and let it boil for about 1 minute.  Take away from the heat and add the rice krispies.  Transfer to the pan.  Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or a double boiler and spread over the rice krispie treats.  Let sit until chocolate hardens.  Cut and enjoy!

 

 

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I love peanut butter and chocolate!  Mmmm!  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!  A few days ago, I wanted to make a special treat.  I remember my cousin making a delicious cake she found on Pinterest: Peanut Butter Sheet Cake.  It was seriously so good!  

  So I decided to use the sheet cake recipe to make cupcakes.  I felt as if the batter was a bit too thin, so I added a 1/2 cup more flour than the recipe called for.  For the frosting, I used a recipe from Bakerella.  She made Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes that looked amazing.  I only used the frosting recipe. So here is what I did for my Peanut Butter Cupcakes.  Even my husband, who isn't a cupcake fan, couldn't stop eating them!

  Peanut Butter Cupcakes   Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare cupcake pan with liners.   Mix in pan and bring to a boil:

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter

Mix together the following and add to the above mixture:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/2 cups flour 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp soda

Mix and add to the above mixture:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla

 After mixing, pour batter into cupcake pan filling each liner about 2/3 of the way full.  Bake for about 15 minutes.  Do not overbake.  Let cool before frosting.   Frostings
1 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
2 Tablespoons milk   For chocolate frosting, beat 1/2 cup butter until creamy. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix. Slowly add 2 cups confectioner's sugar and cocoa and mix until combined. Add 1 Tablespoon milk and mix until creamy and smooth. More milk may be added to make frosting creamy.   For peanut butter frosting, beat 1/2 cup butter and 2/3 cup peanut butter until creamy. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix. Slowly add 2 cups confectioners sugar and mix until combined. Add 1 Tablespoon milk and mix until creamy and smooth.  More milk may be added to make frosting creamy.   Add frosting to decorating bag, filling one half with chocolate frosting and the other half with peanut butter frosting.  Frost cupcakes and top with a chocolate bar!   Enjoy! 

Honey Oat Bread

A few months ago, I shared with you my go to White Bread Recipe.   Occasionally, I like to mix things up a bit (no pun intended) and try different variations. 

 

 Here's one of my favorite variations. 

 Honey Oat Bread.  It's so tasty and yummy!  These loaves don't last long once I pull them out of the oven! 

 

Just a quick note:  When I make bread, I use my Bosch mixer.  If you want to make it by hand you will have to knead the bread and then let it rise in one big mound until doubled, punch it down and then put it in your loaf pans to rise the final time.  When using a Bosch mixer, it eliminates the need for the first rising.

 

 

  Honey Oat Bread

 

Ingredients:

3 TBS Yeast

1 1/2 TBS Salt

8 Cups Flour

1 Cup Quick Oats (Dry Oatmeal)

3 Cups Hot Water (Not Boiling)

1/2 Cup Honey

1/2 Cup Oil (I use Canola Oil)

  Add 1 3/4 cups of hot water and Oatmeal together and let sit.  Mix yeast, salt and 4 cups of flour together in mixing bowl.  Add the oatmeal mixture, remaining water and honey to mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Add rest of flour one cup at a time until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. 

 

 Continue to mix for 6 minutes.  

 

Divide dough into thirds.  Put in three bread loaf pans, cover and let rise for about one hour.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Butter tops of bread when done.  Let sit in the pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.  Enjoy!

 

Nutella Cookies

Nutella Cookies

Cream Together...

1/2 c butter

1/2 c Nutella

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

Add...

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Mix in...

2 1/4 c flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c mini resses pieces

Bake 350' for 12 min

Black Bean Salsa- DoTerra Essential Oils

As many of you know, I recently had a DoTerra Essential Oils Party and have been in the process of posting the recipes that we used on the refreshment table.   This one was AMAZING and SO good!  

  Black Bean Salsa with DoTerra Essential Oils
1 (15oz) can Black Beans drained
1 (15.25 oz) can Corn
3 large Roma Tomatoes diced
1 Medium Avocado peeled and diced
2 jalapeños seeded and diced
½ c. red onion chopped
½ c. cilantro chopped
3 drops Lime Essential Oil
1 (.6 oz) packet of Dry Italian salad dressing mix

Mix together and chill. Serve with tortilla chips.  

  For more Doterra Essential Oils Recipes click HERE!

 

Easy FUDGE made from DoTerra Essential Oils

I recently had a DoTerra Essential Oils Party.    For the refreshment table, I wanted everything to have some oils in it.  I tried one of the DoTerra Fudge Recipes I found. It was complicated and did not set up right.   I decided to try something different and it worked great!!    

EASY DoTerra Essential Oils FUDGE

Ingredients:

1 Bag White Chocolate Chips (12 oz)

1 Can Vanilla Frosting (16oz)

13 drops of DoTerra Essential Oils

Food Coloring (if you would like)

Directions:

Spray a 7x7 or 8x8 pan with cooking spray.  Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave.  When you can stir it smooth, add the Frosting and stir again until smooth.  Then add the DoTerra Essential Oils and stir.  Spread in the greased pan and chill. 

Notes:

The flavors I made for the party was Peppermint Chocolate, Slim and Sassy, Lemon, Wild Orange and On Guard.

For the Peppermint Chocolate, I used Regular Milk Chocolate Chips and Chocolate Frosting. 

There are several other Doterra Recipes that I have for you, so stay tuned!!  

Arizona Chili-Cheese Rolls

Believe it or not, but my husband doesn't care for sweets...
 What's wrong with him?

 He would rather have an extra helping of mashed potatoes and gravy, over pie and ice cream. I have been pondering on a special treat to make him.  I was Really, Really surprised how yummy my creation turned out. So I wanted to share it with everyone.
 This recipe you will not want to pass up!!

First, start out with Briana's Good Ol' White Bread Recipe.  

While the dough in kneading, saute' 1/2 finely chopped onion in 1 TBS of butter until it turns clear. Once the dough is done mixing, divide it in half and roll it out just like you would when you make cinnamon rolls. About 24" x 12" x 1/2" thick. Spread 1 small can of chopped green chilies, 3/4 c. shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese, 1/4 c. bacon crumbles, and the saute' onions evenly around the rolled dough. 

Now gently roll it up, slice the rolls about every 3 inches, and place in a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. 

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 min. 

With the other half of the dough you can either make a loaf of bread, or roll into balls and make dinner rolls, or make a batch of cinnamon rolls. 

Grilled Chicken Ranch Pasta

Do you every have those days when you know you have to make dinner, but have no idea what to make?  I actually have those days quite often.  Usually I end up throwing a bunch of ingredients together to make a meal.  I never write down what I made, but when my kids ask for it again, I really regret that I did not take the time to do it.  So here you go!

Grilled Chicken Ranch Pasta

Ingredients:

Grilled Chicken (your preference on how much chicken you want in the pasta)

One frozen bag of Peas

One box of uncooked pasta

One small can of Cream of Chicken Soup

2 cups of milk

One Packet of Ranch Dressing Mix

2 TBS Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

Put peas in pot of water.  Boil.  Once the water starts to boil, add pasta.  Cook until pasta is tender.  Drain Pasta and Peas.  Return pasta and peas to pot.  Add grilled chicken.  (I used frozen grilled chicken strips and warmed them up in a pan beforehand.)  Add can of soup, milk and ranch dressing mix, and parmesan cheese.  Stir and warm up.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy! 

Chocolate Graham Cracker Peanut Butter Bars

I love Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

If you are LOVER of these ingredients you definitely need to try this one out!!

Chocolate Graham Cracker Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients

10 Squares of Chocolate Graham Crackers, Crumbled

2 Cups Peanut Butter

3/4 Cup Butter (room temperature)

4 Cups of Powdered Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. Cream together the Peanut Butter, Butter and Vanilla until soft and smooth.

2. Add the Powdered Sugar and blend well, then add the Graham Crackers and mix.

4. Spread in a 9x13 inch pan.

5. Melt the Chocolate Chips and spread over the top of the Peanut Butter mixture.

Refrigerate until firm, then cut into bars and serve. 

    

       

Good Ol' White Bread

Very rarely do I buy bread from the store.  In fact, I can't even remember the last time that I did!  I make my own bread.  And we love it!

A few years ago, while my husband was in Medical School, he would make the bread.  He really enjoyed making it and he would always give one of the loaves away to friends, family or neighbors.  He would say, "I may not be the bread winner, but I am the bread maker."  :)

Anyway, I wanted to share with you my go to bread recipe.  This is just a basic recipe and vary it from time to time, but I will share those variations later.

When I make bread, I use my Bosch mixer.  We lucked out big time and found one at a yard sale for $10!!  That is a smokin' deal and it gets used all the time. The benefit of using a Bosch is that once the dough is mixed, you just mix it for 6 more minutes and that takes over one rising. That just means that your bread will be done twice as fast!

White Bread

Ingredients:

3 TBS Yeast

1/2 Cup Sugar 

1 1/2 TBS Salt

8 Cups Flour

3 Cups Warm Water

1/2 Cup Oil (I use Canola Oil)

Mix yeast, sugar, salt and 4 cups of flour. Add water and oil to mixture.  Add rest of flour one cup at a time until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.  Continue to mix for 6 minutes.  Divide dough into thirds.  Put in three bread loaf pans, cover and let rise for about one hour.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Butter tops of bread when done.  Let sit in the pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.  Enjoy!

This recipe is also great for pizza dough, rolls and cinnamon rolls!

No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 cup Milk
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
3 cups Rolled Oats

Directions

 Mix sugar, margarine, and milk in a large pot and bring to a full, rolling boil over med heat.
Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until peanut butter is melted, then stir in the oats. 

By spoonfuls drop the cookies onto waxed paper and let cool.

 

If Sugar-Free is your thing, try our Sugar Free Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies!

Mock Thin Mints

I had a craving for Girl Scouts Cookies and came up with a plan to make some with my boys. These were so easy and yummy! Great for a quick fix!
Mock Thin Mints 1 package of Chocolate Graham Crackers 3-4 squares of Melting Chocolate 1-2 drops of Peppermint Oil
Break all the Graham Crackers into the desired size. Melt the Chocolate. (We did it in a glass bowl in the microwave at 1 minute intervals.)  Once melted, add the Peppermint Oil. Stir well. Dip the crackers in the chocolate making sure the cracker is covered with chocolate. Let cool on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Enjoy!

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

 

I absolutely love this mix and I begged for this recipe a few years ago and finally got it from my Hubby's Aunt. I have been making SO many batches of Hot Cocoa for the kiddos and also adding it to other recipes to enhance them too. Check them out too and enjoy a hot cup while you are at it! 

Warning: This recipe makes ALOT of Hot Cocoa Mix, so be ready to mix some up and share with all your neighbors and friends!

Hot Chocolate Bars

Cinnamon Sticks with Hot Cocoa

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Hot Cocoa Mix

1 box of Powered Milk 8Qt size (I use Morning Moo from Walmart)

1 lbs Jar Coffee Mate Powder (any flavor that you like)

1 lbs Powder Sugar

1 1/2 lbs. (6 cups) Chocolate Drink Powder (ie. Nestle Quick, Ovaltine)

8 oz (1 container) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

opt. Miniature Marshmallows

Mix well! Store in an air tight container.

 (If you have a flour sifter that would be primo to use to mix it together and avoid any clumps)

1/4 cup = 1 packet of instant hot chocolate

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Once a week I get in the cookie making mode and crave the aroma that fills my home when I bake fresh cookies. I have my go-to recipes that are always great, but I also love to experiment.  For Christmas I made a whole bunch of Homemade Hot Chocolate (recipe on the way in a later post). I still have a whole bunch left, so I decided to add it to some cookies along with chocolate chunks, and mini marshmallows, which you are now able to find in some grocery stores. If you can't find them locally, you can get them on Amazon. I provided a link below for connivence.

These turned out very soft and chewy, a new recipe to add to my go-to list! 

Hot Chocolate Cookies

1 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

1 cup White Sugar

2/3 cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

3 cups Flour

1 cup Homemade Hot Chocolate or

(4 packages instant cocoa (don’t use sugar free))

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips 

1 cup Mini Marshmallow Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Whip in eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, hot cocoa mix, baking soda and baking powder. Add in flour mixture to butter mixture until well combined. Fold in mallow bits and chocolate chips.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the dough and shape into a ball. Place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 9 – 11 minutes until edges are lightly browned.

Chocolate Caramel Pretzels

I love Valentine's Day!  I especially love the colors of Valentine's Day.  Reds and Pinks!

Sunday afternoon we were all in the mood for some sweet treats.  So I whipped out the pretzels, rolos and M&M's.  They were a big hit!  If you have never had these, then you are missing out!  They are the perfect blend of salty and sweet, crunchy and smooth.

The recipe is really easy and my kids (and husband) loved making them!

Chocolate Caramel Pretzels

Bag of Pretzels

Bag of Rolos

Bag of M&M's

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread Pretzels on a cookie sheet.  Unwrap Rolos and place one on each Pretzel.  Bake for about 3 to 5 minutes.  Just until the Rolos become soft.  Remove from oven and place one M&M on each Rolo.  Allow to cool.  You can speed up the cooling process by placing in the freezer.

Fast and easy!  Isn't that what we all love!  Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate Bars

The other day I had a house full of my kids and neighbor kids. They were starting to search my cupboards for snacks so I quickly pulled this recipe out to make for them which is fast and easy. These Hot Chocolate Bars have a soft, thick sugar cookie crust that you smother with hot chocolate homemade frosting that melts into the cookie. Then I topped it off with miniature marshmallows for the perfect look for the kiddos. 

Hot Chocolate Bars

Sugar cookie crust:

1/2 cup Butter, softened

1 cup Granulated Sugar

1 Egg

1 Egg White

1 Tbsp Sour Cream

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 Butter a 13″ x 9″ baking dish, set aside. In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy about 3-4 minutes. Stir in egg and egg white. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until blended. Slowly add dry mixture and stir until well combine. With buttered hands, gently press (so gently almost patting) mixture into buttered baking dish. Prepare Hot Chocolate Frosting. 

Bake 16 – 19 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and edges are lightly golden. When warm, smother the frosting onto the cookie crust. Sprinkle mini marshmallows on top of the frosting. Cut into squares, and enjoy while still warm. 

Hot Chocolate Frosting:

1/4 cup Softened Butter

2 cups Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix or 1 cup Powered Sugar + 4 bags instant cocoa mix

2-3 Tbsp Milk

1 tsp Vanilla

In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whip together butter and Hot chocolate mix.  Slowly add milk and vanilla until fluffy.

Cinnamon Sticks

For Breakfast, my sons love to dip buttered toast into Hot Cocoa. Lately I have been experimenting with a recipe that Brooke gave me a few years back of her Best Pizza Dough Recipe.  It is SO easy to make and is SO yummy. It makes great Monkey Bread, Stromboli, Bread Sticks, and (not to mention) Pizza! I absolutely love Cinnamon Bread Sticks and thought that would be fabulous to dip into Hot Cocoa as well. So if you missed Brooke's Best Pizza Dough Recipe here it is, just modified to make a crispy cinnamon coating on top as well. Let us know what you think!

Cinnamon Sticks Recipe

Ingredients:

1 envelope of Dry Yeast

1 tsp Sugar

3/4 Cup Warm Water

1 3/4 Cups Flour

1 tsp Salt

Directions:

1. Combine yeast, sugar, and water. Let sit for 6-8 minutes.

2.  Combine Flour and Salt in a separate bowl.

3. Mix water and flour mixture together and knead for about 2-3 minutes (I just use my Kitchenaide).

4. Roll out on a floured or greased surface and spread out on a greased pizza pan.  

5. Coat the top of the dough with the cinnamon coating (below).

6. Cook in a preheated oven (475F) for 10 minutes.

Cinnamon Coating

1/2 stick Soften Butter

1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1/4 cup Granulated Sugar

1 Tbs. Brown Sugar

1 Tbs. Light Corn Syrup or Maple Syrup

Homemade Peppermint Oreos

Who doesn't love a good cookie? Yesterday my daughter and I decided to make some cookies.  She is three years old and loves to make cookies for her 5 older brothers.  Everyday I ask her what she wants to do and she always says, "Make cookies for the boys!"  Funny girl!

So we decided to use the bag of peppermint baking chips that I had in my freezer.  This is what we came up with...

They are so yummy and not too "pepperminty".  My husband isn't a fan of peppermint, but I am!  So this was just the right balance.  I didn't use any peppermint extract, just the baking chips.

If you remember, I posted a recipe for Homemade Oreos earlier this year.  This is a fun and easy twist on that recipe.

To tell you the truth, I didn't have a cake mix that I used for my original homemade oreos, so I used my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and added 6 TBS of Cocoa Powder and eliminated the chocolate chips.

This is the recipe that I used for the filling.

Filling:

1 - 8 ounce package of softened Cream Cheese

1/2 cup Shortening

Powdered Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla 

1 cup of peppermint baking chips

Mix together Cream Cheese and Shortening until smooth.  Add powdered sugar  and vanilla until you reach a spreading consistency.  Mix in about 3/4 cup of peppermint chips.  You may add food coloring if desired.  Put in between 2 cooled cookies.  Use the rest of the baking chips to roll around the cookies. Enjoy!