Claude's Crazy Cheesecake

We just celebrated Claude's birthday. For his cake, he requested a Nutella Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake. I wasn't sure if I'd find a recipe, and when it came down to it I just made it up. The result was actually very good. Here is the recipe - with a few alterations from my first attempt. Enjoy!





Ingredients:
1 1/4 C fine Chocolate Graham Cracker crumbs (11 crackers)
2 T Butter, melted
3/4 C Sugar
2 8oz packages Cream Cheese
3 Eggs
1 T Vanilla Extract
1 pint (16 oz.) Sour Cream
1/2 C Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 C Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
1 C Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

Directions:
1. Grease a 9-inch spring-form pan. Preheat Oven to 325-degrees F.
2. Prepare the crust: mix together the chocolate graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until crumbs are moist. Pour mixture into prepared pan and gently coat edges with crumbs. Press the crumbs gently into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time. Fold in vanilla and sour cream. Pour 1/3 of this mixture into a small bowl. Set the remaining 2/3 aside.
3. Mix peanut butter into 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture. Set aside.
4. Place Nutella in a microwave safe bowl and heat until warm - do this for 10 second increments so that you don't overheat it. Set aside.
5. Layer the batters as follows: plain cheesecake batter, Nutella, peanut butter batter. Bake for 45 minutes.
6. Turn off the oven and sprinkle the cheesecake with chopped peanut butter cups. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour then remove to counter to cool. Once cool, refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled.

Waffles and Ice Cream...Mmmm...

I found a really great recipe recently - Banana "Ice Cream". I was skeptical, but it looks and tastes just like soft-serve ice cream. The kids and I have made it twice before, but tonight we had it for dinner with waffles. Yum!

Just wanted to share this super simple, tasty, and even fairly healthy treat. Enjoy!

Banana "Ice Cream"

Ingredients:
1 very ripe banana, sliced and frozen
2 Tablespoons milk, any kind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Put all ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend until creamy. Serve immediately.

Variations:
Chocolate - add 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
Chocolate Peanut Butter - add 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder and 1 Tablespoon peanut butter

Food Processor Pizza

Pizza was on the menu for dinner tonight. Recently I've been dreading making homemade pizza dough so I get some from the grocery store that comes from a local bakery. It's easy and fairly cheap, but I wanted to get back to the "from scratch" stuff. I found this recipe for "No-Rise Pizza Crust" from Finding Joy in My Kitchen, who got it from The Finer Things in Life. It was really easy! In fact, just as easy as the grocery store pizza dough and it stretched better than any pizza dough recipe I've used.

To make things even simpler (and because I didn't plan ahead and was a bit crunched for time) I opted to use the food processor (aka-my best friend in the kitchen) for every part of this pizza. I sliced all of the veggies (equaling 4-5 cups), grated the cheese, and mixed and kneaded the dough. The overall process was about an hour including baking, but since I was also mediating arguments between the kids, keeping them from climbing up on the bookshelves, changing diapers, etc. etc. etc. it took me about 2 hours PLUS baking. The results were really worth it, though.

Here's how I did it in the food processor:
1. Washed and sliced all veggies.
2. Shredded mozzarella cheese.
3. Put wet ingredients (water, yeast, sugar and salt) in glass measuring cup while I measured dry ingredients into the food processor fitted with the steel blade. Started blending and slowly added wet ingredients. Let it mix for about 1 minute (to make up for kneading), then set aside like the recipe indicates.
4. I used a can of seasoned crushed tomatoes for the sauce, but I have also successfully used plain tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes sprinkled with Italian seasoning.

If you're wanting to make more than one or two small-medium pizzas, don't double this recipe. I made it as is and ended up with two gigantic pizzas and one medium-sized pizza.

So, without further ado, here's the recipe (as seen in the above links). Enjoy!

NO-RISE PIZZA CRUST

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon yeast
1 cup really warm water (hot but not boiling)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare the crust by mixing warm water, sugar and yeast in a small bowl. Allow yeast mix to sit while you mix the dry ingredients together. Then add oil and salt to the yeast mixture and stir.
2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, and stir to combine. Knead the dough (about 5 minutes) on a lightly floured surface until firm.
3. Cover and set dough aside for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the veggies. Setting the dough aside for a few minutes helps make the dough easy to roll out into a pizza.
4. Roll out the dough and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Top with desired toppings and bake at *350-degrees F for 15-18 minutes, or until toppings are browned.

*I baked the pizzas at 375 for 20-25 minutes each because we had a lot of veggies that weren't cooking at the lower temperature.

Variations on a Tasty Theme or How Many Ways Can You Fix a Pizza?

Last week I cooked up a fair amount of chicken breast and mixed vegetables (yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, red and yellow peppers, etc). This was used in a number of ways throughout the week. But mostly we used it as a pizza topping - in many different forms.

It all started with an idea to have some pizza. I made it how I usually do...well, not really. This time I cheated and bought whole wheat pizza dough from the refrigerated section of the grocery store. This dough is made somewhere in the NYC area and turns out just as good and sometimes better than my usual whole wheat pizza crust recipe. We topped one with the usual pizza sauce, mozzarella, sliced veggies, diced ham, etc. The second one we topped with BBQ sauce, mozzarella and a bit of cheddar cheese, cooked chicken, red onions, and tomatoes.

A couple of days later we made more BBQ chicken pizza but this time we used tortillas for the crust. These we toasted in the toaster oven but I suppose the big oven would have worked too. We liked that so much that we made tortilla pizzas again the next day for lunch. (Can you guess what I was craving last week?). Then at the end of the week we used homemade biscuit dough that we spread in the bottom of cake pans. With a bit of oil in the pan they turned out to be what I called "fake deep dish pizzas" - still yummy. I also added chopped fresh cilantro to the top of the BBQ pizzas which was a nice flavor addition.

Listed here are the variations. I'm assuming that most people have a theme to start with, but if not you can just go without. Use whatever sauce, cheese, and toppings you have available in the house or copy a pizza from a favorite restaurant. The possibilities (not to mention the satisfaction) are endless!

VARIATION 1: TORTILLA PIZZA
Quick and simple, this pizza is great for kids, lunch, or just any time you don't want to be bothered making a pizza crust. We even did it two different ways without actual pizza sauce. Here's how:
INGREDIENTS
Tortillas - wheat or corn, any size
Sauce of some sort - tomato, pesto, BBQ, or another of your choice (plain tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes from a can work well - in this case sprinkle a bit of garlic salt and Italian seasoning before adding the other toppings)
Cheese - traditionally mozzarella, but we've also used cheddar and monterey jack
Toppings - whatever is on hand and sounds good to eat (we often add chopped lunch meat, tomatoes, fresh veggies, or olives)
DIRECTIONS
Spread sauce over tortilla. Sprinkle cheese and toppings over sauce. Toast for approximately 5 minutes in a toaster oven until cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow to cool before slicing and eating.

VARIATION 2: PIZZA ON A BISCUIT
This is a little more preparation, but does not require advanced notice like regular pizza dough that needs time to rise. Use your favorite biscuit recipe and get creative!
INGREDIENTS
Biscuit dough - we used our regular Joy of Cooking recipe, substituting whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour
Sauce (see Variation 1)
Cheese (see Variation 1)
Toppings (see Variation 1)
DIRECTIONS
Press dough into greased cake pans. Top with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake at 450-degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

VARIATION 3: MINI PIZZAS
Use any combination of crusts, sauce, etc. that you like just in miniature. For the crust you might consider using English muffins or bagels. I sometimes put biscuit dough into a muffin pan and add toppings to each mini pizza. The kids love it!

SOME OTHER IDEAS
The Usual (for us anyway) - sliced zucchini, yellow squash, onion, peppers and olives, some garlic, mozzarella, on Becca's original tomato sauce.
Chicken Cacciatore - white sauce, prepared chicken cacciatore and capers with grated romano cheese.
Taco Pizza - prepared taco meat (beef or chicken), sliced jalapeno peppers, cheddar and monterey jack cheeses, topped with fresh tomatoes and lettuce after it's baked.
Meat (aka Claude's Favorite) - deli-sliced pepperoni, genoa salami, hard salami, with diced ham, mozzarella, on Becca's original tomato sauce.
BBQ Chicken - baked chicken breast, sliced red onion, and tomatoes, with mozzarella and monterey jack cheeses, on top of a thick layer of your favorite BBQ sauce. Topped with fresh chopped cilantro if desired.
Make Your Own - We did this for New Year's Day with a group of friends. Everyone brought one or two toppings that they enjoy, I provided the dough, sauce, and cheese, and everyone seemed to have a good time. Consequently, this is one of Joshua and Hannah's favorite meals to help prepare...but maybe that's because they like to eat the cheese and toppings while they're working! :)

Chocolate Waffles - Mmmmm....

For my birthday this year Claude gave me a waffle maker and an apron. Two things that I've wanted for a while but were never a necessity. So, since March we've been making up (and borrowing) waffle recipes.

Waffles are quick but a bit tedious since they can only be made one at a time. Because of this I usually commit enough time to make a double batch. One goes right onto our plates and into our tummies and the other goes into the freezer. Most recipes have toasted well right out of the freezer. Occasionally they freeze into a big lump and we end up with toasted remnants of waffles - still yummy. This is generally because I let them cool in a stack instead of spread out on a cooling rack or a sheet of parchment paper on top of the counter.

This recipe is from The Joy of Cooking which, if you don't already know, is an excellent all-around resource for cooking and baking. Here the recipe is in it's original form (re-formatted). These are really good! I'm eating the last one from the freezer as I'm typing this - mmmm.... :)

As quoted in the recipe, these waffles do stick quite a bit. I used butter on the iron between each waffle and to take them out I tilted the iron back before opening it. This kept the waffle in the top part of the iron. I then slid a plate under the waffle and tilted the iron forward. With a little help they released beautiful every time and landed right onto the plate, ready for somebody to eat.

Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE WAFFLES
Makes about 8 waffles
"Delectable with vanilla ice cream. These waffles are delicate, so remove from the iron carefully."

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat a waffle iron.
2. Whisk together in a large bowl flour, sugar cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
3. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until frothy. Whisk in the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine with a few swift strokes of the whisk.
5. Cook, enjoy, and try not to think about the calorie count.

Whole Wheat Apple Waffles

This recipe is based from The Joy of Cooking with a few additions and changes. I wasn't sure how they would turn out since I was pretty much making it up on the spot, but I think they passed some sort of test - Joshua and Hannah each ate more than two whole waffles! Enjoy!


Whole Wheat Apple Waffles
Yields approximately 1 dozen waffles

Ingredients
6 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 cups milk
2 tablespoons honey
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup milled flax seed
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar (may be omitted)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped apples

Directions
In a large bowl mix together dry ingredients (flour, flax seed, baking powder, sugar, and salt). In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, butter, milk, and honey. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix together with a few swift strokes. Add in chopped apples.

Serve warm or let waffles cool and store them in the fridge or freezer. If reheating, place waffles directly in the toaster from the fridge or freezer.

Joshua's Special Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are amazing! Joshua likes them because of the chocolate chips - I don't blame him. But I like them because they are low in fat and full of fiber. We got the original recipe from Cooking Light but have made a number of changes. So, here's the final result after a couple of attempts. Enjoy!




JOSHUA'S SPECIAL OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Yield: 1-2 dozen, depending on size

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
• 1 cup regular oats
• 1/4 cup milled flax seed
  
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
  
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk; set aside.

Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat until blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.

Lasagna Casserole

Here's something that I threw together last week. It was a success in our house, so we had it again this week (it helped that I had already prepared twice of all of the ingredients ahead of time, which made it a no-brainer meal). All the ingredients of lasagna without the layering business, and since it's all mixed together it bakes much more quickly than traditional lasagna It tastes great as leftovers, so you could easily make it a day in advance.

Please note that you can use any lasagna fillings that you would like. We used Italian sausage and spinach (a yummy combination) but you could go for cheese, veggies, other meats, the possibilities are pretty endless. You could even try a sauce other than red sauce...you really can't go wrong with a dish like this. Also, try using fat-free ricotta and part-skim mozzarella for a lower calorie version.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
16 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
15 oz. container ricotta cheese
32 oz. prepared red sauce
1 1/2 lb. cooked Italian sausage (ground, not links)
10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed
2 13.5 oz. boxes whole grain pasta (penne, rotini, etc), cooked

DIRECTIONS
1. Boil pasta, shred mozzarella and reserve about 1 cup for topping, cook sausage, thaw spinach.
2. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for 1 cup reserved shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix to cover pasta evenly with sauce and fillings.
4. Spread pasta mixture into large baking dish. Sprinkle 1 cup reserved shredded mozzarella over the top.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is starting to brown and liquids are bubbling in the pan.
6. Let cool slightly before serving. Makes approx. 12 servings.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

This is something that I read about some time ago as an idea for kids to help make. It's homemade powdered hot chocolate mix - easy to make and very tasty. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS
1. To make powdered mix - Combine ingredients in a small container with a lid or in a plastic zip bag. Shake well. (This was fun for Joshua to do).
2. To drink - Pour mix into mug. Add 1 1/2 cups hot water and a drop of vanilla extract (optional). Stir well and enjoy. :)

VARIATIONS
1. Try using almond, orange, or another flavored extract in place of vanilla for a flavored chocolate beverage.
2. Mix up several individual batches of this and give them away to friends and relatives as a holiday treat. Have your kids decorate the containers or wrap them in wrapping paper and ribbon.
3. Add the mix to 1 cup of yogurt and half of a ripe banana. Blend in a blender or food processor. Enjoy as a smoothie. Add 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter for added flavor.

Homemade "Puff" Paint

Joshua and I made homemade "puff" paint today. It was a lot of fun, very engaging (Joshua worked for over an hour with it), and incredibly messy. But...it was easy and quick to clean up, despite our extensive mess.

I'll post photos of what me painted once everything has dried. One creation requires a small amount of assembly on my part, so that will also be a day or so in coming. But here's the recipe and some directions on how we used the paint. Enjoy!

HOMEMADE "PUFF" PAINT

INGREDIENTS
Flour
Salt
Water
Food coloring

DIRECTIONS
1. Mix equal amounts of flour, salt and water. Works best if the paint is a little on the thick side, so when in doubt use a little less water than the other two ingredients.
2. Add food coloring for desired color.
3. Have fun!

SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO USE IT
1. Pour mixture into squeeze bottles and paint.
2. Splatter paint using straws, forks, spoons, or other utensils.
3. Pour paint onto work surface and smear around using a sponge, hand, fork, spoon, etc (in circular motion) to create interesting textures.
4. Experiment with a variety of kitchen utensils in painting, scraping, sponging, dabbing, smearing, splattering, etc. Try an egg beater, fork, spoon, crumpled paper, cookie cutters, or anything else you can find.
5. Pour paint onto work surface, create desired textures, leave the paint thick enough to run your finger through to write your child's name, draw a picture, etc.

Puppy Chow, Monkey Munch...Whatever You Call It, It's Just Yummy!

So, here's the recipe that I used, but below you will find the variation that I actually made. That really means that I didn't have the exact ingredients listed, so I just made it up from what was on hand. I don't think you can really go wrong with this recipe, so if I were you, I'd go for even more variations to suite the ingredients in your pantry and your personal taste. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS (Original)
9 cups crispy rice cereal squares (Chex)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS (Original)
1. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips; add peanut butter and mix until smooth.
2. Remove from heat, add cereal and stir until coated.
3. Pour powdered sugar into large plastic bag, add coated cereal and shake until well coated. Store in airtight container.


And here's my version...
I didn't have chocolate chips or Rice Chex on hand, and it still turned out beautifully.

INGREDIENTS (Variation)
5 cups corn flakes
3-4 cups crispy rice cereal (not Chex but acutal Rice Krispies)
2-3 cups coconut, flaked
4 oz. baker's chocolate, unsweetened
(can use also use 12 tablespoons cocoa powder + 8 tablespoons vegetable oil)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS (Variation)
1. In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter; add baker's chocolate (alternatively, cocoa powder + vegetable oil) and sugar; add peanut butter and mix until smooth.
2. Remove from heat, add cereal and stir until coated.
3. Add powdered sugar and coconut and stir until well coated. Store in airtight container.

Joshua's Famous "Cornbrain" (aka- Cornbread)

Simple and delicious. After I measured out all the ingredients, Joshua mixed this pretty much on his own tonight. I went over it once before putting it in the pan. If a 21-month-old can do it, so can you! Just be sure not to overbake. Enjoy! :)

INGREDIENTS
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup milk
1-2 eggs*, beaten

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x9x2 inch baking pan.
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix together just until dry ingredients are moistened.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown. A cake tester inserted in the middle of the pan should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool slightly before serving.

*A note about eggs...I've made this using 1 and I've made this using two eggs. Tonight's "cornbrain" was perfectly moist, tasted great, but was a little on the crumbly side because we only used 1 egg. When using 2 eggs it can be a bit dense but it does hold together better. It's your call, and you can't really go wrong.

Simple Stovetop Granola

It's simple, inexpensive, versatile, and tasty. I like this recipe because once you get the hang of it, you can easily make changes. After making this nearly every week for over a year, I no longer measure out the ingredients and although it can be slightly different each time, it's always a success. Experiment with the proportions of butter, brown sugar, and honey to find the texture and flavor you like the most. You really can't go wrong. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
2 cups rolled or quick oats
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped almonds (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Other add-ins to consider: coconut, raisins, dates, dried apricot pieces, dried apples, or other dried fruit, vanilla, cinnamon, walnuts or other nuts

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oats then cook and stir until starting to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.
2. Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in the honey and brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Return the oats to the pan. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Pour out onto the cookie sheet and spread to cool.
3. Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and stir in the almonds and dried cranberries. Any additional nuts and fruit can be stirred in at this time also.

Wow...Blueberry Muffins

We bought blueberries over the weekend so I wanted to find a good recipe for muffins. I found one online with nearly 3,000 reviews...that's 3,000 great reviews! So Joshua, Hannah, and I tried it out this afternoon. We had a spill, but other than that these were simple to make and very, very good!

A few tips I learned from the reviews of this recipe... 1. Don't overmix the batter or the muffins will sink. 2. Be sure to grease the pan well, including the top even if you're using paper cups. and 3. You can probably use other fruit in these as well. Enjoy!

Makes 6-8 large muffins or 12 regular muffins

MUFFIN INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

CRUMB TOPPING INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, softened and cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (350 degrees F if using frozen blueberries). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. DO NOT OVERMIX. Fill muffin cups right to the top and sprinkle with crumb topping.
3. TO MAKE CRUMB TOPPING: Mix together sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon. Mix with a fork and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. A cake tester inserted in the center of muffin should come out clean or with a few moistened crumbs. Allow to cool in pan before removing to wire rack.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are nice, simple, and not too sweet...but just sweet enough. I added 1/2 cup coconut to half of the dough and they turned out really well! Enjoy!

Makes approximately 42 cookies.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto un-greased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Oatmeal Banana Chews

These are originally called cookies but I'm changing to name to be a bit more reflective of what they actually are. Joshua loves them!

INGREDIENTS
3 ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped (substitute or add raisins, other dried fruit, or apple)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (substitute 1/3 cup applesauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Stir in oats, dried fruit, oil (applesauce), and vanilla. Mix well, and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly brown.

VARIATIONS
Add 1/3 cup honey and increase oats to 2 1/2 cups for a slightly sweeter variation.

Haystack Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup cold water
1/3 cup mashed banana
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup quick-cooking oats
4 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts
2 cups chopped dates or raisins

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
2. Mix peanut butter, honey, banana, water, and salt. Add remaining ingredients and mix together.
3. Form a ball using a tablespoon and press each ball together tightly. Place each ball onto cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

These cookies are VERY good! I found the recipe online and it says this about them, "These are so close to the Girl Scout oatmeal peanut butter cookies that you won't know the difference!" They are very close, although the texture seems a bit different. I like them if they're served cold (just store them in the fridge). The cookies are also very good on their, sans filling. Enjoy! :)


INGREDIENTS:
COOKIE
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick cooking oats

FILLING
3 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 1/2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream or half and half


DIRECTIONS:
COOKIE
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the egg and beat well.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add these ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir. Add oatmeal and stir.
4. Drop by teaspoons onto greased baking sheet, and press each mound down with a fork to make 1/4 inch thick cookies.
5. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are light brown. Let cool briefly (about 2 minutes) on baking sheet before removing to wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

FILLING
1. Cream 3 Tablespoons butter with the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, and cream.
2. Spread filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half to form sandwiches.