In-a-Hurry Cookies

These yummy cookies were in the Friend Magazine last year. The kids and I like to make these.

Ingredients:

4 whole graham crackers

1/2 cup raisins (we use chocolate chips instead)

1/2 cup peanut butter
4 TBS honey

1/4 c. coconut flakes

1. Smash graham crackers into fine crumbs (in a blender or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin)

2. In a small bowl, mix cracker crumbs, raisins (or choc. chips), peanut butter, and honey.

3. Roll a teaspoonful of batter into ball and flatten (or don't, I don't) and then roll it in the coconut. - Or just mix it all together and eat it. That's what I do. =)

I tried to find a picture...but I didn't come up with anything.

Smoky Mac 'n Cheese

Smoky Mac 'n Cheese

A new favorite at our house. It is such a big hit my husband now includes it on our Thanksgiving food list. =)

Ingredients:

3 c. uncooked elbow macaroni (I use my food storage macaroni.) =)

1 1/2 c. whipping cream

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp coarse (kosher or sea) salt

1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne) - I don't add this much because I don't like my food too spicy.

8 oz. smoked cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cans (14.5 oz each) Fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 c. slided green onions (4 medium)

1/3 c. grated parmesean cheese

1/3 c. plain bread crumbs

2 tsp. olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook and drain macaroni as directed on box. Return to saucepan; cover to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 13x9 glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 2 qt. saucepan, heat whipping cream, mustard, salt and red pepper to boiling. Reduce heat; stir in cheddar cheese with wire wisk until smooth.

3. Pour sauce over macaroni. Stir in tomatoes and onions. Pour into baking dish. In small bowl, mix parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Stir in oil. Sprinkly over top of macaroni mixture.

4. Bake uncovered 15-20 min. or until edges are bubbly and top is golden brown.

Baked Manicotti with Tomato, Garlic and Onion Sauce

Let's share our "AWESOME" recipies we've found in the last year. I've found three.

Baked Manicotti makes 6 servings (2 manicotti each)

Ingredients:

2 cups prepared spaghetti sauce (I use Rinaldi Tomato Garlic and Onion Sauce - found at Walmart - I think it makes the dish taste like you would find in a restaurant.)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 -3/4 c. Ricotta Cheese

1-1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/2 c. grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 c. DiGiorno Basil Pesto Sauce (optional: but I add it, it's what makes the dish.)

12 manicotti shells, cooked, rinsed in cold water

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Spread 3/4 c. of the spaghetti sauce on bottom of 13x9 baking dish. Mix egg, cheeses and pesto sauce until blended. Spoon cheese mixture into plastic bag. Using scissors, cut off small hole from one of the bottom corners of bag.

FILL manicotti shells, 1 at a time, squeezing cheese mixture into both sides of the shell. Place manicotti over sauce in dish; pour the rest of the spaghetti sauce over manicotti. Cover with foil.

BAKE 40 min. or until heated through.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

I love this stuff! It is perfect on bagel or panini sandwiches with turkey or ham or even just as a sauce on pasta. Perfect with spinach and cheese. It can be used as a sauce or a spread. If you haven't tried it you should!

Dora & Diego Let’s Cook Birds’ Nests

In honor of Easter coming up I'm posting a recipe I found. I love these, and I can eat lots of them! Oh, and my child who eats regular food loves it too. =)

Serving Size:
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
5 cups frozen loose-packshredded-style hash brown potatoes
5 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
6 grape tomatoes, halved (optional)

Method:
Let’s make it! ¡Vámonos!

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place potatoes in a large bowl, breaking up any large clumps.

In a small bowl, beat 1 egg, butter, oil, and salt with a fork until well combined. Add egg mixture to potatoes and toss to coat completely. Divide potato mixture into 4 equal mounds 3 to 4 inches across. With the back of a spoon create a ¼-cup sized indention in center of each mound.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Crack 1 of each of the remaining eggs into the mounds. Top with cheese. Bake for about 7 minutes until egg whites are set and yolk is almost cooked through, or to the doneness you’d like.
Transfer to plates and top with grape tomatoes, if you’d like.

Recipe reprinted from the book Dora & Diego Let’s Cook. Copyright © 2010. Photographs Copyright © 2010 by Greg Scheidemann and Chris Hennessey. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Roll-Out Sugar Cookies (My First Post!)

I'm sorry Kari that I didn't post this in time for Halloween knowing how much you like the chocolate version of these cookies. Better late than never. Thanks for asking about the recipe Heidi, and actually reminding me that I have this recipe on my laptop so I can post it :)

1 C butter
1 C sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
3 C flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix baking powder and flour, add one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. The dough will be very stiff; blend last flour by hand (if too stiff and water a tsp at a time). Do not chill dough. Divide dough into two portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a circle approximately 12 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Dip cutters in flour before each use. Bake cookies on and ungreased cookie sheet on top rack of oven for 6-7 minutes, or until lightly browned. Makes 20-24 average-sized cookies.

For chocolate cookies, blend in three ounces melted, unsweetened chocolate.

Darcie's Note: I typically bake the cookies less than required because I love them to be super soft.

Scallion Pancakes with Crispy Turkey and Cranberry Hoisin Sauce

As I was sitting in the Dr's waiting room this past week, which I'm doing a lot of lately, I saw this yummy recipe and thought I'd share it. I'm bummed that there isn't a picture. It looked really tasty on TV and I could just smell it as they made it. I think I'm going to try it with my turkey leftovers this year. BTW, what are you all doing for Turkey day this year?

Scallion Pancakes with Crispy Turkey and Cranberry Hoisin Sauce