Cocoa, Peanut Butter and Nutella Cookies

Baking day, time to refill the cookie jar and make little ones smile :)

My kids were eating these faster than I could bake them LOL

Cocoa, Peanut Butter and Nutella Cookies

Adapted from a Crisco Recipe

1 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
1/2 cup Honey Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Nutella
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda



HEAT oven to 350°F.

COMBINE shortening, peanut butter, nutella, brown sugar and granulated sugar in bowl of electric mixer; beat at medium speed until well blended. Gradually add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda in medium bowl. Add to shortening mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets. Place on cooling racks to cool completely.

Roast Beef and Swiss Sandwich

I absolutely adore Bisquick.  I don't think I could do without a box or two in my kitchen because for me it's one of those very versatile items that you can use for savory or sweet dishes.



Recently while at a second hand book store, I came across a great Bisquick cookbook and oh my goodness, it is jam packed with delicious, simple, quick meals.

That is where this one comes from.....roast beef, swiss cheese.....yum.

Roast Beef and Swiss Sandwich

2 cups original Bisquick baking mix
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 egg
1 package (6-ounce size) thinly sliced roast beef, chopped
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Freshly ground pepper, if desired


Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease square baking dish, 8 x 8 x 2 inches.

Stir Bisquick, milk, mustard and egg until blended.



Pour half the batter into baking dish. Top with half the roast beef and half the cheese. Top with remaining roast beef. Pour remaining batter over roast beef.



Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until golden brown and center is set.



Sprinkle with remaining cheese and the pepper. Let stand five minutes before serving.

Sesame Noodles

*sigh* I could eat these every.single.day. without getting sick of them.



And if you're thinking that they are difficult to make or require a lot of ingredients, I will tell you that you only need 3 ingredients to get these noodles on the table. But the flavor?

Mmmm the flavor.

So here's how I make mine.



Sesame Noodles

1 lb thin spaghetti noodles,cooked, drained & rinsed.
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/3 cup sugar
Green onions, sliced for garnish (optional)

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, drain, rinse and pour back into the pot.

In a mason jar, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil and the sugar.



Give it a good shake then pour over the noodles.

Using tongs, toss together well until they are coated. You can serve them like this, or you can do what I do, which is toss them into a hot skillet and give them a quick fry.



SO good!

Garlic Beef and Broccoli

I love Chinese food, I mean if I could get away with eating it every single day, I would.

I'll also tell you that when out at the mall I usually gravitate towards Panda Express, and if there's none, then I'll hit up whichever Asian food there is.



It used to intimidate me.  Not the food, but the thought of cooking it myself at home, and honestly you'll never hear me say that I've mastered the art of Asian cooking because I don't believe that you can ever completely replicate it at home, but you can come pretty close.

I've made a few Beef and Broccoli recipes before but this is one I came across last year and bookmarked it to try.  It's from the blog Wives with Knives LOL   I love that name :)

I adapted it to our taste.  My kids do NOT like ginger at all, so out went the ginger and in came the garlic in it's place.



Garlic Beef and Broccoli…May, 1980, Gourmet Magazine


1-1/2 pound flank steak cut into thin, cross grain strips
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix together all ingredients except sliced beef.  Add beef and marinate for at least one hour. Drain and toss with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.

Cut 1 pound broccoli into flowerettes. Cook in boiling water for four minutes or until barely tender. Drain well and rinse with cold water.

In a small bowl combine:
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar



In a small dish combine:
2 tablespoons slivered green onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic


In a very hot wok stir fry the beef in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in several batches until pink. Set aside.  Wipe out wok with paper towels.



Heat wok until very hot, add 2 tablespoons oil.  Fry onion and garlic for 30 seconds.  



Stir in broth mixture, beef and broccoli.  Cook several minutes until thickened.

Homemade Bread Bowls

Homemade Bread Bowls

1/2 cup water (70 to 80 degrees F)
1 cup warm milk (70 to 80 degrees F)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

In bread machine pan, place the first seven ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).
When the cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into six portions; shape into balls. Place on greased baking sheets.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.



Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.



Cool on wire racks.

Sour Cream Beef and Rice Bake

I love old cookbooks, of any kind, shape, form, date.  Don't matter, I just love them.



But I think some of my favorites are the old ones in the binders, the kind you find at yard sales and church sales and school sales etc.  Real recipes, by real homemakers.  Easy weekday meals using simple ingredients but delicious and good enough to warm a tummy after a hard day's work.

This recipe certainly fits into that category.  It comes from Buns in my Oven but I tweaked it to adapt to our likes.

Sour Cream Beef and Rice Bake

Adapted from: Buns in my Oven

1 pound ground beef
15 ounces canned tomato sauce
Garlic powder
1 1/2 cups long grain, white rice
3 cups beef broth
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Green onions, sliced
Provolone Cheese
salt and pepper, to taste


Wash the rice under cool water. I do it about 3 times until the water runs clear.



Add the rice and beef broth to a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.



Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan. Cook for 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the water is absorbed. Allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, brown the ground beef in a skillet until cooked through. Remove from the heat, drain the grease, and add the tomato sauce to the pan.



Add the rice to a large mixing bowl and dump in the sour cream and cottage cheese and the shredded cheese. Add in the sliced green onions and stir to combine. Salt and pepper, to taste.



In a 2 quart baking dish place half of the rice on the bottom of the dish. Top with half of the meat and tomato sauce mixture, add a few slices of provolone.



Repeat the layers.



Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.



Yummy!

Homemade Hamburger Buns

So I have another recipe here on the blog for homemade hotdog and hamburger buns and though I like that one for hotdog buns, I prefer this one for the hamburger buns.

You can whip these up pretty quick and surprise your family with amazing burger buns :)

Recipe comes from thekitchn, which I love, such great yummy recipes on that blog.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Makes 8 buns

 
1 tablespoon active-dry yeast
1/2 cup (4 oz) warm water
1/2 cup (4 oz) milk (whole, 2%, or skim)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups (15 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter


In the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl, if mixing by hand), stir the yeast into the warm water and let it sit until dissolved.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, oil, sugar, and salt. Add this to the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Add all the flour and stir until it forms a shaggy dough. Knead at low speed, or by hand against the counter, for 10 minutes. The finished dough should be smooth, feel slightly tacky, and spring back when poked.

Return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Dust your work surface with a little flour and turn out the risen dough on top. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each into a tight ball. Transfer the balls to a baking sheet and let rise until they look puffy and hamburger-sized, roughly 30-40 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.

Melt the butter and brush it over the risen hamburger buns. This helps the tops to brown and keeps the crust soft. Bake the buns until golden, 15-18 minutes.

Let the buns cool to room temperature before slicing and using. They are best if eaten within the next day or two, but will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.

Homemade Mocha Frappe

I thought I had posted the recipe and it turns out that I hadn't.  So thank you to Amanda who brought it up on the facebook page.

Here you go, simple, quick and super yummy.

Homemade Mocha Frappe

Adapted from:  Women Living Well Ministries

3/4 cup double-strength coffee
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups ice
3 Tbsp. Hershey’s Chocolate


Make double-strength coffee by brewing with twice the coffee required by your coffee maker (that should be 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per each cup of coffee).

Chill.

Then combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. Top with whipped cream.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I'm not a huge fan of cakes, frankly, I have to be in the mood for cake.  But the past few days I had been craving cake, I don't know why, just really really really wanted some.

So while looking through my Bisquick cookbook my eyes landed on the Cream Cheese Pound Cake and I knew that was the one I had to have.

It's such a quick recipe to put together and it results in a delicious, light, airy, pound cake which is perfect on it's own or topped with some fruit.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

3 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
Powdered sugar, if desired


Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan, 12-cup fluted tube cake pan or 2 (9x5-inch) loaf pans.

Beat all ingredients except powdered sugar in large bowl on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 4 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; turn pan upside down onto wire rack or heatproof serving plate. Remove pan; cool cake completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Makes 16 servings

Country Club Chicken

This recipe has been making it's rounds in blogland and since I'm a huge chicken and cream of any kind gal, I knew I had to try it.  I did change it a little because I'm not a fruit on food lover at all, I am just weird like that.

I got the recipe from Kayotic Kitchen.

NOTE: Original recipe says to serve with spaghetti, but I chose to serve mine over rice and I'm thinking mashed potatoes with this gravy would be AMAZING.

Country Club Chicken

Adapted from original recipe

4 chicken breasts
1 large onion

1 can concentrated cream of mushroom soup

4 or 5 slices bacon
1/4 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup sharp cheddar

butter or oil
salt and pepper



Season the chicken breasts well with salt and pepper.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet and drain on paper towel. Add some butter and quickly brown the chicken breasts on both sides. Transfer them to a casserole.

Cook the onion for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, cook an additional 3 minutes. Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan. Add the mushroom soup and grated cheese and mix well.

Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts.

Chop the bacon into bite size pieces and sprinkle over the chicken.

Bake in a 350F oven for 25 – 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.