Peanut Butter Cookies

These really are the best PB Cookies. They stay soft and chewy and aren't crumbly. YUM! I can't believe I never posted these :)

Peanut Butter Cookies

2 c oats
1 1/4 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 c butter
1 c peanut butter
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla

Beat butter & peanut butter until smooth. Beat in sugars and eggs. Beat in vanilla. Add oats & dry ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet. Do not flatten. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes

Salsa Verde Tostadas

Salsa Verde Tostadas

4 flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken or pork
1 cup green salsa (salsa verde) plus more for serving
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the tortillas, bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together the chicken (or pork), salsa verde, 1/4 cup cilantro, beans, and cumin (this can marinate all day if you like). Spoon mixture evenly over the tortillas and bake until heated through about 8 minutes.

Top warm tostadas with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream and other toppings as desired. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve immediately with additional green salsa if desired.

Spinach Chicken & Pasta Salad with Teriyaki Vinaigrette

Chad is doing the biggest loser competition at his work so I have been trying (I say trying cause I am prego and sometimes cinnamon rolls just have to be made) to find him some more healthy meals. We made this tonight and it was pretty good. It wasn't the usual which was nice, sometimes something different is just what you need.

I didn't stick the water chestnuts in and I halved it and it still made a TON! So maybe half the dressing but only use some of it and then stick the rest together. I didn't use alot of chicken and in hindsight I wish I had cause it was so yummy when I got it in a bite... so don't skimp on the chicken. Let me know if you try and it and like it... it's not my usual type of recipe but I am glad I tried something different :)

Spinach Chicken & Pasta Salad with Teriyaki Vinaigrette
*found on my kitchen cafe

Dressing:
1 cup canola oil
1/3 - 2/3 cup bottled teriyaki sauce (I used 1/3 cup but you may want to add more depending on your taste)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salad:
16 oz. bow tie pasta, cooked al dente, drained and cooled
1 bag fresh spinach (9 - 10 oz)
6 oz. craisins
2 (11 oz.) cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and slivered
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
6 oz. honey roasted peanuts
2 cups cooked chicken, tossed with 2-3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

In a blender, combine all the dressing ingredients and blend until well combined and smooth. Mix about 1 cup of the dressing with the cooked pasta in a large bowl and marinate for at least one hour Combine the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl. Just before serving, add pasta and toss. Add dressing to taste and toss. Serve immediately.

Cinnamon Rolls

YEA... I finally conquered the cinnamon roll!! These are Paula Deen rolls and they are SO YUMMY!! Just a little fyi (and I am sure you all probably know this but I didn't)... I always avoided recipes that called for scaled milk, basically cause it sounded hard. But I finally looked it up and it mean to put the milk on the stove and stir it until it is almost boiling.. until right when you start to see the bubbles forming on the outside... just make sure you are stirring the whole time. It literally took 4 minutes and it was ready, way easy!


Cinnamon Rolls
Dough :
•1/4-ounce package yeast
•1/2 cup warm water
•1/2 cup scalded milk
•1/4 cup sugar
•1/3 cup butter or shortening
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 egg
•3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:
•1/2 cup melted butter, plus more for pan
•3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pan
•2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
•3/4 cup raisins, walnuts, or pecans, optional

Glaze:
•4 tablespoons butter
•2 cups powdered sugar
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•3 to 6 tablespoons hot water

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
When doubled in size, punch down dough. Roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. Spread melted butter all over dough. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough. Sprinkle with walnuts, pecans, or raisins if desired. Beginning at the 15-inch side, role up dough and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices.
Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.
Meanwhile, mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

Crock pot Chili

Crock pot Chili

1 lb. Hamburger
Little bit of Barbeque Sauce (maybe 2 tablespoons)
3 or 2 cloves of garlic (chopped finely)
Chili powder (you pick how much, the more you use the hot it will be)
1 can minced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
2 T sour cream
Brown sugar (your choice, the more you use the sweeter it will be) (about a 1/4c)
2 cans of beans (pinto, kidney, black beans once again you choose)
the following is optional:
mushrooms
green or white onions

Sauté the onions, mushrooms and garlic in skillet and then add the hamburger until fully cooked. Dump into the crock pot and add all the rest of the ingredients and cook for 4 to 6 hours.

Taco Soup

Soup:

1 lb. ground hamburger

1 onion, chopped

1 can corn

1 can tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning

2 cans kidney beans

1 can stewed tomatoes

Desired toppings such as:

shredded cheese

tortilla chips

sour cream

olives

Brown hamburger with onion. Add corn (do not drain), tomato sauce, beans (I did not drain one can and drained the other), tomatoes and taco seasoning. If you want it seasoned a little more you can add some chilli powder and cumin. Warm through. Serve with toppings.

Also, you probably have an awesome homemade cornbread recipe, but if you are short on time, I LOVE this:

You can find it anywhere. :)

Chewey Gooey Brownies

2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided
40 Kraft caramels, unwrapped
1 cube butter
1 german chocolate cake mix
1 package chocolate chips

Mix 1/3 cup evaporated milk, cake mix and butter. Spread half of this mixture in the bottom of a greased 9X13 pan. Bake for 15 min. @ 350. Melt caramels and remaining evaporated milk in a pot over the stove on med low, stirring constantly. Pour over baked brownies. Sprinkle on the whole bag of chocolate chips. Then plop remaining cake mixture over chocolate chips. Bake for 15 more min. Let cool before cutting or serving.