LOADED OATMEAL COOKIES

I got this recipe from another mom at our "Mommy and Me" class.  She kept raving about it so I finally asked for the recipe and tried them today.  They are so delicious...and healthy!  I actually had all the ingredients, except the wheat germ, so I used wheat bran instead and it worked great.  I also eliminated the cranberries and nuts.  This mom was telling me that sometimes she grates carrots or zucchini and throws it in instead of the cranberries, nuts, etc.  You can pretty much do anything with this recipe.  Have fun with it!

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teas. cinnamon

1/2 teas. baking soda

1/8 teas. salt

1 egg

1 teas. vanilla

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup flax seed meal (check Albertson's health food section)

1/4 cup wheat germ

2 oz. chocolate chips

1/4 cup dried cranberries 

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  Beat in flour.  Stir in oats, flax seed meal, wheat germ, chocolate, cranberries, and walnuts (dough will be a little crumbly).

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.  Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.  Makes about 30 small cookies.

Wild Rice

One of my favorite side dishes is Uncle Ben's Wild Rice. I don't really like paying $4 for a small box of rice so I decided to try to find a version I could make. I found one recipe here.

Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice

Source: Recipe Source

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder

1 teaspoon dry chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon dry minced parsley

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons season salt

2 cups water

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 c Premium Minute Rice

1/3 c dry wild rice

Combine all of the ingredients as listed in Dry Mix in medium saucepan. Add to this water, butter, rice and dry wild rice. Bring to boil. Stir once or twice just to combine. Cover pan with lid tightly. Simmer gently 8 to 10 minutes or until almost all liquid has been absorbed. Makes 3 cups cooked rice.

My notes: I have made this a few times now and haven't always put in all of the spices or salt, but I've always liked how it turned out. I also don't use minute rice, so I have to add a little more water or chicken broth and let it simmer about 20 minutes.

Moist and Rich Orange Cake

Moist and Rich Orange Cake
This is a dense, heaver cake - full of orange flavor
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh orange zest

Preheat oven to 350, prepare 2 round pans by greasing them and dusting with flour.

For the cake, begin by creaming together the sugar and butter. Slowly add the sour cream, eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients, mix until smooth. Add orange juice and zest, mix to combine. Place into prepared pans. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until cakes test done.

Fluffy Orange Frosting
1 TB cornstarch
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 TB butter
1 tsp. orange zest
1 1/4 cups cold heavy (whipping) cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 TB powdered sugar

Dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice in a small saucepan. Stir in the sugar and butter and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Increase the heat and boil the mixture for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the orange zest. Cover and refrigerate until thick and cold.

When the sauce is chilled, beat it and the cream together on high speed until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and continue beating until firm peaks form.

Spread in between the layers of cake and all the sides.

Note - next time, I would double the frosting recipe - I like to have a generous amount to work with and lick and this was just enough to lightly cover the cake.

Secret in the Sauce

I just thought I'd share with you friends what I did for dinner tonight to trick my family into healthy eating. I had a huge can of spaghetti sauce leftover from the Young Women's pizza project. I wanted to use it, and planned on adding my own spices to make it not taste so, well canned.

At the last minute I threw into the blender several big yellow squash, and some bell peppers, and added the puree to the sauce with my herbs, seasoning, etc. Well, I know this is not an original idea, but I had to tell you it made the best yummiest sauce, a really good consistency and I smiled to myself the whole meal as the kids gulped down their veggies!

Orange Sour Cream Bars

Bar Ingredients:

3/4		cup sugar
3/4		cup sour cream
1/2		cup butter, softened
1 1/2		cups all-purpose flour
2		tablespoons orange juice
1		teaspoon vanilla
1/2		teaspoon baking soda
1/2		teaspoon salt

Frosting Ingredients:

3		cups powdered sugar
1/3		cup butter, softened
2		to 3 tablespoons orange juice
1		tablespoon freshly grated orange peel, if desired

Heat oven to 375°F. Combine sugar, sour cream and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add all remaining bar ingredients; continue beating until well mixed.

Spread batter into greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake for 17 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine powdered sugar and 1/3 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Continue beating, gradually adding enough orange juice for desired frosting consistency.

Spread frosting over cooled bars. Sprinkle with orange peel, if desired. Cut into bars.

Cinnamon Breakfast Cake

How yummy is cake for breakfast! This is a family favorite that I hadn't made in a long time. My kids LOVED it!

2 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, then combine and spread in a 9x13 greased pan. Top with topping and swirl a knife through the layers a few times. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 TB cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
cut ingredients together and sprinkle over cake batter.