Peanut Butter Cookies ~ So Yummy!

Who doesn't love a good Peanut Butter Cookie??  Here is a really great and easy recipe that is sure to be a new family favorite! 

Enjoy! ~

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Peanut Butter Cookies
Servings: 18 Cookies

1 cup Peanut Butter
½ cups Brown Sugar
¼ cups White Sugar, Plus Extra For Sprinkling
¼ cups White Whole Wheat Flour
½ teaspoons Vanilla
1 whole Egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, add all ingredients and mix until combined. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on baking sheets. Sprinkle balls with white sugar and using a fork, press criss-cross marks on top of each cookie.

Transfer to the oven for 10 minutes, then allow to cool on a rack for at least 15-20 minutes.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know!

Mmmm....Danish Aebleskiver!  Pure Yumminess!

I thought I would share with you one of my favorite recipes from when I was a little girl. (and frankly, still is my favorite!)  They melt in your mouth and are super easy to make!  Drizzled with warm syrup or sprinkled with powder sugar, I dare you to not eat a dozen of them!

So, here you go!

Danish Aebleskiver
(Makes about 40 balls)

5 eggs
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
3/4 cup milk
Confectioners' sugar
Sweetened berries
Syrup

Butter each cup in Danish Aebleskiver pan.  In large mixer bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry.  In small mixer bowl, blend egg yolks, baking mix and milk on low speed.  Fold egg yolk mixture carefully into egg whites.

Heat pan over medium heat.  Pour batter into cups to 2/3 full.  Cook until surface is bubbly and underside is light brown.  Turn carefully (I use a fork). 

Cook until golden brown on other side.  Sprinkle balls with confectioners' sugar and serve warm with berries or syrup. 

Enjoy!

Rub A Dub...It's time for a Scrub!

This one is for all you ladies out there!  Have I got a recipe for you! 

This won't be your traditional recipe for something yummy to eat, but rather for something yummy to use in the shower.   It's an amazing body scrub! 

I made this for the ladies in my family for Christmas and they LOVED how it left their skin.  It's super easy to make as the ingredients are all ones that you have in your everyday pantry....so what are you waiting for?  Scrub away!!

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C white sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cloves

Oil: olive oil*, almond oil, grape seed oil, apricot oil, jojoba, etc.

optional: a few drops of essential oil, such as cinnamon

*I use light olive oil for my sugar scrubs

Directions: Combine everything but oil in a bowl and then add in oil and stir to combine. I suggest starting with just part of the oil and adding it until it's the consistency you want it. Store in a container with a lid. I suggest keeping it in the fridge if you have left overs, it should last quite a while. Stop using it if it smells gross :)

For Use: Soap off in the shower so you have clean skin. Stir the sugar scrub and then massage into skin in circular motions for several minutes. I use it from my neck all the way down to my toes. After rinsing, if your skin feels too oily you can use a little bit of soap to wash it off. I personally leave it. By the time I finish my shower it doesn't feel too oily anymore and it adds to the benefits of a sugar scrub. It will trap in the moisture and make your skin so soft and smooth. After you get out of the shower, slather on some lotion and try to keep everyone from touching you!

Mmmm...Nothing but Warm Yumminess!

So, with fall upon us what better time to fire up the stove and make a pot of your favorite soup.  Add a loaf of homemade bread or rolls and I believe you will not find a better meal.

I thought I would share with you my families favorite soup recipe, Minestrone.  This isn't your typical recipe, so I know even  your pickiest of eaters will enjoy it!  I know mine do!

So enjoy!

Minestone

1 lb. ground, mild Italian Sausage
1 small onion, chopped
1 heaping Tablespoon minced garlic
8 beef bouillion cubes
8 cups water
1 15 oz can Italian Diced Tomatoes
1 15 oz can Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained
1 15 oz can Garbanzo Beans, drained
1 15 oz can French style green beans, drained
1 to 2 packages/bags of either fresh or frozen tortellini
1 cup parmesan cheese

Brown Italian Sausage, onion and garlic until brown.  Add water, bouillion cubes, tomatoes, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, green beans and bring to a boil.  Then add the tortellini and cook until tender.
Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of each bowl.

YUM!!!

Pancakes!!

If your kids are anything like mine, then you understand when I tell you that my kids LOVE pancakes.  Of course, who doesn't love that pile of warm yumminess smothered in butter and drizzled with warm maple syrup.  It's just a great way to start your weekend morning!

Last week, I was given the most fantastic recipe for Whole Wheat Pancakes.  I was a little hesitant to mess with my kiddos pancakes, but I was pleasantly surprised how much they actually enjoyed them.  This recipe was also very easy as you make them in your blender!  Genius! 

So here you go...hope you enjoy them as much as my family did!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat
1 cup milk
-Blend for 4 minutes

2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk (we used about 1/3 cup)
-Add and blend for 1 minute

4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
-Add, blend to combine and cook!

Enjoy!

It will keep them comin' back for more!

So it seems like I have done nothing but cook myself through the last week!  Between the amazing Sesame Noodles on the Pioneer Woman site to the incredible yumminess of the Breakfast Casserole I made for my dad's birthday...you can ask my husband, it's been a complete Bake Fest around our house. However one recipe in particular stands out....

We were asked to go to a church bbq in which I was asked to bring a dessert for all to share.  Now if you are like me, you immediatly hit the many baking websites out there or your mass amount of cookbooks on the shelf in the kitchen to find that perfect (yet simple) recipe.  Well, have I got a dessert for you!  This is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser and will keep them coming back for more! 

Chocolate Brownie Trifle with Fresh Raspberries

3 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) Jell-o Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 baked 9 inch square brownie layer, cooled, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 1/2 cups)
1 square Baker's Semi Sweet Baking Chocolate, coursely grated
1 cup fresh raspberries

Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes.  Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in 1/2 cup of the whipped topping.

Place half of the brownie cubes in 2 1/2-qt. serving bowl; top with layers of half each of the pudding mixture, the remaining whipped topping and chocolate.  Repeat all layers.  Top with raspberries.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.  Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Makes 16 servings, about 2/3 cup each.

*Jazz it up: Prepare as directed, adding 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam to chocolate pudding mixture before using as directed.

NOTE:  I have both doubled and tripled this recipe.  Love it and so will you!!!

It's time to quit monkeyin' around!

So of course who hasn't had the amazing yumminess of Monkey Bread!?!  We all grew up with our moms in the kitchen slaving over the rising of the yeast and what seemed like the hours of rolling all the little balls!  Well, do I have the solution for you!  No more slaving in the kitchen to achieve the oowy, goowy goodness of butter and cinnamon all over your fingers!  This recipe is awesome and so very simple!!  I dare you not to love it! 

Enjoy!

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Monkey Bread
4 cans biscuits (cut each biscuit into 4 pieces w/ scissors – 1 can at a time)

1 ½ c. granulated sugar mixed w/ 2 tsp. cinnamon, in plastic bag

3/4 c brown sugar

2 cubes salted butter

1+ cup chopped walnuts (I prefer pecans)



Preheat oven to 350. Cut biscuits & shake 1 can at a time in sugar mixture & layer in buttered angel food pan (make sure it’s not a spring bottom pan as it will leak out during baking). Sprinkle w/ nuts. Continue process w/ each can of biscuits. Simmer to boil, the butter & brown sugar, stirring to combine. Pour all of it over complete pan full of biscuits. Bake 350, 40 minutes, then remove from pan right away. (When removing from pan, put platter on the top of the angel food pan and then turn over making the bottom of the bread the top of the bread.  The yumminess will then run down and throughout the bread! YUM!)