Peanut Butter Bars

 So the other day I had about ten extra kids at my house and they all wanted a treat.  I needed something that fed a small army.  I found this delicious recipe.

Ingredients (for the cookie):

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teas. vanilla
• 3/4 teas. baking soda
• 1/2 teas. salt
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats

Ingredients (for the topping):

• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 5 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and peanut butter.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Add soda and salt and mix until well blended.  Add flour slowly, making sure incorporated, but do not over mix.  Stir in oatmeal by hand.  Spray a 15x10 jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread mixture in pan (I wet my hand slightly and press the mixture in evenly).  Cook at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.  

Remove from oven and immediately drop peanut butter (from the topping list) by teaspoonfuls evenly around the top.  Allow to melt and spread smooth with a spatula.  Allow to cool thoroughly.

In a small saucepan, bring sugar, evaporated milk, and butter to a full boil for 45 seconds.  Remove from heat and add milk chocolate chips.  Whisk until chocolate sauce is smooth.  Poor evenly over bars and allow to set before cutting and serving.  

Lone Star Fish Taco's

• My favorite thing to eat is Lone Star Taqueria's Fish Taco's. My friends and I always eat there after skiing. Beings that we ski a lot we end up eating there quite often. The amazing snow that Utah is getting made it so I ate there three times last week.

When my family decided to make fish taco's for our Sunday dinner I figured that trying to replicate Lone Star's was a must. I've made fish taco's a bunch but never quite like this.

They are healthy and delicious!

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons ground dried New Mexico or California chilies
• 3 tablespoons salad oil
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• About 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 dried bay leaf, broken into pieces
• 1 pound boned, skinned firm-flesh fish such as halibut, mahimahi, or rock fish (see notes)

Preparation:

• 1. In a large bowl, mix ground dried chilies, oil, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, cayenne, cumin, cloves, and bay leaf.
• 2. Rinse fish and pat dry. Add to bowl and turn to coat with marinade; cover and chill at least 1 hour or up to 1 day, mixing several times.
• 3. Lift fish from marinade and arrange pieces in a single layer in a 9- by 13-inch pan. Discard marinade.
• 4. Broil fish 4 to 5 inches from heat until opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), about 5 minutes for 1/2-inch-thick pieces. With a slotted spatula, transfer fish to towels to blot oil, then set on a platter. Cut fish along the grain into 1/2-inch slices, and season to taste with salt.
• Lone Star Cilantro Jalapeño Mayonnaise: In a blender or food processor, combine 1 3/4 cups mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, 1 rinsed and stemmed fresh jalapeño chili (remove seeds for more heat), 1 peeled garlic clove, 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whirl until smooth. Add salt to taste.
• Makes about 2 1/4 cups.
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• • I cooked the fish on a grill to simplify things, it turned out much spicier than Lone Star's because of some spices I improvised on, but still so delicious. The fish held together way better as well!

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I gave my first attempt today at making vegan cookies. I've made healthier cookies plenty of times but never vegan. I was inspired by some really delicious vegan cupcakes I've had recently. 

The result was delicious, and very unique. These cookies are a different flare to them than most you are used to. I would definitely recommend trying these even if you don't care about them being vegan.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups toasted walnuts
2 cups oats
3/4 cup white Kamut flour (I used wheat pastry flour)
1/2 cup Sucanat (I used brown sugar)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp almond milk
3.5 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup raisins

I used brown sugar and wheat pastry flour since they are both easier to come by.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F

Place walnuts on baking sheet. Toast walnuts in oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden in color. What carefully so they don't burn. When done, remove and let cool for a few minutes. Dump Walnuts into food processor and process until finely ground, no more.

In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, 1 cup oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar or sucanat. Add dry ingredients to food processor and process for 20-30 seconds. 

In small bowl add coconut oil and microwave to soften. In same bowl stir in maple syrup, almond mild, and vanilla.

Mix both bowls together.

Add remaining 1 cup of oats stirring by hand, and fold in 2/3 cup of raisins. Make small balls of dough and flatten with hand.

Bake for 10 minutes at 350 F. Makes 16 large cookies.

I also used dark chocolate chips on half the batch instead of raisins because who doesn't love chocolate chips.

Thanks ohsheglows.com for this delicious and unique recipe. 

Spice Cupcakes

So I made these little delightful delights for Josh & Jelissa's combined birthday dinner.  

Cupcake

1 box spice cake mix

1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 Cup oil

1/2 Cup water

1/2 Cup sour cream

Frosting

1 small can of sweetened condensed milk

1 cup of white chocolate chips or cinnamon chips

1  1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place all ingredients into stand or electric mixer and beat on medium for close to 2 minutes, batter will be thick. Scoop or spoon batter into 24 cupcake cups and bake for 18-21 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center.

2. To prepare white chocolate sauce, pour sweetened condensed milk into a small saucepan over medium heat.  When hot, pour in chocolate chips and cinnamon and stir until smooth.  Pour white chocolate sauce over cupcakes (I unwrapped my cupcakes and put them on a display plate and then poured it on).  Let chocolate set slightly or eat immediately if you like it gooey!

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 small onion, chopped (I just use onion flakes)
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 3 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs, or more as needed (I just smashed up the yummy focaccia croutons from Costco.)

Directions

1. Fill a pan with lightly salted water, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through but is still firm to the bite, about 6 minutes. Drain well.
2. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-low heat, and cook and stir the chopped onion for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Whisk in the flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook and stir the butter, onion and flour for 2 to 3 minutes to make a roux, and remove from the heat. Whisk in the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly, until all the milk has been incorporated, and return to low heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to finish cooking the flour.
4. Temper the egg (whisk it in a separate bowl and slowly add 3/4 cup of the flour mixture to the egg mixture - then add back to the flour mixture) 
5. Whisk in the Cheddar cheese, a few cubes at a time, until all the cheese has been incorporated and the sauce is hot and smooth.
6. Pour the macaroni into the cheese sauce, and stir to combine. Stir, salt, and pepper.
7. Spoon the macaroni mixture into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the crumbs are brown and the casserole is bubbling. Let stand for 15 minutes after baking, to set before serving.
    

This is one of our, not so healthy, comfort foods.  Delightful! 

Chocolate Fudge Jr. Mint Centered Cupcakes

Chocolate Fudge Jr Mint Centered Cupcakes

1 box Pillsbury Devils Food Cake Mix

4 eggs

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

1/2 Cup water

1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix

1/2 Cup sour cream

1 Cup chocolate chips

3 - 4 oz boxes Jr Mints 

Homemade Whipping Cream for Frosting

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer, add the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, pudding mix, sour cream and chocolate chips.  Mix on medium for 2 minutes or until well combined and somewhat thick.  Scoop into 24 paper lined muffin cups.  Press 3 JR mints into the center of each cupcake center.  Bake for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes mostly clean from center.  Let cool completely and frost with Homemade Whipping Cream and a Junior Mint. 

Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 7 cups thinly sliced pared apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 egg white
• Additional sugar

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and spices; set aside. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Add sugar mixture; toss well to coat. Line a 9-in. pie pan with half the pastry. Place apple filling into crust; dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Cut a few slits in top. beat egg white until foamy; brush over pastry. Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake at 375 degrees F for 35 minutes. Increase temperature to 400 degrees F and bake 10-15 minutes more or until golden.