Cookie Bars

I have trouble finding the energy to make cookies.  I have never enjoyed taking batches out and putting them back in over and over and over again.  Lucky for my kids I found making cookie bars to be much easier and is now pretty much the only way I make cookies.

It is simple!  Take your favorite cookie recipe that makes approximately 5 dozen cookies, follow the directions but add 1/4 cup cornstarch to the dry ingredients (this helps keep the cookies soft).  Press dough into a greased 15×10 inch jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 mins.

Enjoy!

French Toast Roll Ups

Sometimes I like to try recipes that just look fun!  The precooking steps on this one would be fun to do with kids, especially rolling out the bread slices.  You can experiment with any fillings that have similar consistencies to the ones listed.

Ingredients:
8 slices bread (should be somewhat soft–I used whole wheat)
Nutella, cream cheese, jelly/jam, peanut butter
2 eggs
3 Tbps. milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 heaping tsp. ground cinnamon
butter for skillet
maple syrup for serving

1.  Trim the crust off the bread slices.  This goes quick if you use a pizza cutter.  Then roll each bread slice flat with a rolling pin.
2.  Take about 2-3 teaspoons of your filling (Nutella, cream cheese, jelly, etc.) and spread down one end of the bread slice (see the pic above).  Roll up the bread tightly, starting on the filling end.  Do this with all the bread pieces.
3.  Whisk the egg and milk together in a loaf pan.  In another loaf pan combine the sugar and cinnamon.
4.  In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  When skillet is ready, use tongs to dip roll-ups one at a time into the egg mixture, allowing the excess to drip off.  Place in hot, buttered skillet and cook on all sides until golden brown.  Cook just a few at a time so you can keep an eye on them.
5.  When each roll-up is done, remove it from the pan with tongs and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Serve warm with maple syrup, or even just plain!

Source:  It’s made the rounds on Pinterest but I found it on Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice.

3 Layer Ice Cream Cake

This is the most awesome ice cream cake, and it’s so easy to make! You have to try this!

Ingredients:
1 pack of Oreos
3 quarts of your favorite ice cream
1 box ice cream sandwiches – keep in freezer until ready to use
Cool Whip

Instructions:
1. You will need a springform pan. Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cut strips of wax paper to line the pan. The spray will help the wax paper stick to the pan.

2.. Put about half of the Oreos in a blender and blend to make fine crumbs, or small chunks, whichever you prefer. (You can also put the Oreos in a bowl or zip lock bag and crush with a wooden mallet. Sometimes I use the bottom of a drinking glass and gently tap to break the cookies into small pieces.) Save a tablespoon of crumbs or chunks to sprinkle on top of the final layer. Add a little water to your crushed Oreos so that they stick together a bit and you can press them into the bottom of your springform pan. I used a little too much water by accident and made almost an Oreo brownie. : )  It was good, but I prefer the bottom more crumbly instead of gooey.


3. Cut several ice cream sandwiches into 4ths like the picture shows. You will need enough to line the whole pan. That will depend on the size of your springform pan. I used about 8 ice cream sandwiches for mine. I personally like the WalMart brand better than some of the name brands I have tried.They have a good shape and texture for this. It’s a messy job, so be prepared to ruin a few and eat them.

4. Line the pan with the pieces of ice cream sandwich. Make sure the outside rounded edge of the icecream sandwich is facing up and against the pan. This will be what everyone sees when you take off the springform pan, so try to make it pretty.

5. Scoop out about 3/4 of the ice cream for your first layer and put into a bowl. The whole quart would be too much. If you have a smaller springform pan, then maybe half of it would do…I have bought the fancy pints of ice cream for making these in a smaller springform pan. Stir the ice cream until soft and smooth. We have been known to add chunks of brownie, nuts, huge Oreo chunks, or whatever we are craving in each layer! Yum! Pour into pan. You may want to put it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes or so to let that layer get firm. if you don’t, your layers will not be straight.


6. Repeat step 5 for the 2nd layer.

7. Repeat step 5 for the 3rd layer. 

8. Spread Cool Whip over the top. Try to make it look pretty. I make little peaks on mine by using the back of the spoon. I can’t explain that…just try to make it look pretty. : )

 9. Sprinkle some Oreo crumbs on the top. This is as creative as I get, but I’m sure you could add some special touches to make it look really pretty. 

10. Put it in the freezer and let it freeze hard for 24 hours. Every time I have made it in the morning and tried to serve it that night, it was not frozen enough and it was more of a blob than beautiful layers. Take out of freezer and remove the outside of the springform pan and the wax paper. Cut and serve! Everyone will love it! : )

Notes: 

1. I did not freeze each layer before I added the next because I was trying to hurry, and I ended up with waves of color and not exact layers. (See picture below.) No one cared though and we ate every last bite of this! 

2. My favorite one I have made had pink, white and green layers. The colors were beautiful with the Oreo bottom and the Cool Whip topping. I used a strawberry ice cream, but the ice cream was white, so we added a drop or two of red food coloring to make it pink. Then we used a vanilla bean vanilla ice cream for the middle. For the 3rd layer, we used a mint chocolate chip ice cream, but the ice cream was white, so we added a few drops of green food coloring. It was stunning and the flavors were amazing!

3. Feel free to add cookie pieces, brownie chunks, nuts, mini marshmallows, or whatever you like in your ice cream! 

Ice Cream Cookie Treats

A treat now and then is good for everyone!  This is really ridiculously yummy!  So, easy to put together and the kids love them, ofcourse.

Ingredients:
1 c. Butter Flavored Crisco
3/4 c. Granulated Sugar
3/4 c. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
*Blend these ingredients until smooth.
2 1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
*Add these ingredients to the first mixture.
1/2 c. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 c. White chocolate chips
*Add chips to mixture.
—————–
Vanilla icecream

Directions:
Drop by rounded tablespoons on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 9-12 minutes or until barely golden brown! Remove cookies from baking tray and place on cooling rack. Let them cool completely then add a tablespoon of vanilla icecream to the cookie and gently press another cookie on top. Serve immediately.

 *You can add any kind of chocolate chips, or nuts, candies, anything to these!

Almond Bites

There are days, and sometimes  weeks, where you are pulled in many directions and can’t seem to get things done as efficiently as you would like, much less remember everything that has to be done.  This morning was one of those times.  I work with the youth in our church, specifically the girls, and we alternate with the boys’ leadership in providing refreshments for a sort of bi-monthly meeting.  Well we haven’t had one this summer, for various reasons, so my brain had not realized that it was our turn to bring the treats until this morning at church.  The meeting is in 3 hours and I don’t shop on Sundays.  So, what do I have on hand?  Nature Valley Almond Bars!  Perfect.  And just so you know, there are a few others who are raiding their pantries today–girls included–so the youth will not perish from lack of goodies after their meeting.  This is a great idea for a quick treat and it’s healthy–almonds are a Super Food, remember.

Ingredients:
Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Almond Bars

1.  Remove the wrapper from the bars.

2.  Cut each bar into thirds and then cut each third diagonally (I cannot type that word without thinking of Harry Potter).

3.  You now have cute little triangles of chewy goodness, and since these particular bars have an almond butter icing kind of thing going on on the bottom layer, they look even more presentable as a treat to take to a meeting,etc.

Another good quick treat:  Cut Fig Newtons diagonally into cute little triangles and cover in powdered sugar. Yummy!

Source:  A Desperate Youth Leader–me!

Pureed Fruit Muffin

School is starting and kids need a good healthy breakfast to get the day started right!  This muffin recipe and a smoothie is a great way to get your kids the nutrition they need. The kids love it, in fact my 9 year old son can make it himself!  It is healthy, vegan, and YUMMY!

Pureed Fruit Muffins

1/2 c. coconut oil (you can use butter but I like coconut oil better)
3/4 c. dark brown sugar (or sucanat)
1 c. pureed fruit (fresh or bottled)
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Note: Some fruit suggestions are: applesauce, apples, bananas, peaches, and pineapple.  I also will add spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger.  This recipe is very forgiving so play with it and find what your family loves.  Enjoy!

Source: Annie Miller

Homemade Playdough


I love this recipe! It makes the BEST playdough! And it’s is safe for little ones, has a nice texture to play with, and it comes out of clothes and carpet with just a moist rag. Such a fun, cheap easy activity for kids! 

Homemade Playdough

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
1 TBSP oil
food coloring (I have used liquid drops and gel. Either one works great!)

Directions:
1. Mix flour, cream of tartar and salt together in a saucepot (no heat yet!). Add water, oil and food coloring. 

2. Stir mixture together. Make sure you have the right amount of food coloring so that it is the color you want. This is the only chance you have to add more coloring!

3. Turn heat on high and stir constantly until it forms a ball. This happens really fast! 

4. As soon as it has formed a ball and most of the wetness is gone, dump playdough onto a counter or cutting board. Let cool for a few minutes, and knead to until smooth. If you overcook it, the dough will be a little dry. I like to take it off the heat with a little wetness still showing in the dough, and then knead it until smooth. (See picture and explanation below.)

5. Store in a plastic bag. Have fun! (I put it in a plastic bag while still warm, so it keeps the moisture and does not dry out.)

Note: I always make a double batch, or a few batches with different colors. One batch will not be quite enough to share happily with 2 or 3 children. More is better!

Source: Adapted from Cookin’ With Home Storage by Vicki Tate

This is what it looks like as it starts forming a ball. See how it is still wet? At this stage, I would flip the dough over and let the wet part touch the hot pan and then take it out with just a few wet spots on the dough. Once you make your first batch, you’ll understand how fast it forms a ball, and when to take it out of the pan! 

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever!

Forget about your diet! You have to try these! They will make you so happy! 

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever!

Cream together:
1 cup CRISCO shortening (Sometimes I use ½ cup shortening and ½ cup butter)
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
Mix in:
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Add:
2 ¼ cups white flour (you can use white wheat flour…it’s very good)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Chocolate chips (as many as you like!) I used “chunks.” You can add chopped nuts too!
Put spoonfuls on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until just barely starting to brown on the edges. They will look a bit underdone to the average person! Take out of oven and let them sit for a few minutes on the pan. (DO NOT over cook if you want them to be chewy and soft.) 

Pour a glass of milk and ENJOY!!!! YUM YUM!!!

Notes: 
1. One batch makes 2 dozen large cookies. Trust me, you’ll want to make a double batch. 
2. These make fabulous M&M cookies too! You can add anything you like in these cookies! White chocolate chips and macadamia nuts, or dark chocolate and pecans…the possibilities are endless! 

Source: My amazing mom! (Brenda Joyner) She taught my sister and I how to make these when we were really young, and we were famous for our delicious cookies! 

Frozen Grapes

I am one of those moms….you know the ones that don’t like high fructose corn syrup, food dye, ….etc.  So we usually don’t have Popsicle in our home unless they are homemade.  I don’t know why but homemade sometimes just seems like too much work, so I found an easier way.  Frozen Grapes!  They have a wonderful icy crunch, are prefect for those hot days, and super easy!  
Wash Grapes well (I use food wash for grapes to get off all the pesticides)
Pull off the vine and place individually on a cookie sheet
Freeze
It is that easy.  Once mine have frozen (I usually leave them in for 3 hours), I put them in a zip lock bag to save space in my freezer.  Enjoy!

Berry Cheesecake Pops & Happy 4th!

How did I get so lucky to post on Independence Day?  I am honored to post on the 4th of July because I am a patriot.  I get teary-eyed when the national anthem is played and the Stars and Stripes are presented at ballgames.  Every time. 
For our followers who are not of the LDS faith, I would like to share a couple of our Articles of Faith–what we believe–that correlate with our celebrations today:
Article of Faith #11–We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
Article of Faith #12–We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
I just thought these were very appropriate as we celebrate our freedoms and the principles upon which this great country was established.

Now that I have given you food for thought, here is my food post for today.  Have you seen the new cookbook from our lovely Kate and Sara at OBB?  It is entitled, “Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites.”  Yummy stuff .  This recipe comes from that book and it is a perfect summer treat for this holiday.




Ingredients:

2 cups assorted berries (I used strawberries and blueberries)*
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided
3 oz. cream cheese
1 cup Half-and-Half
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice



1.  Place berries and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar in a blender or food processor and roughly puree.  Add more sugar, if needed.  You should end up with about 1 cup of berry puree–smooth or chunky. Whatever you want.

2.  Transfer puree to a bowl or measuring cup with a pour spout and set aside.  Wash out food processor and place the cream cheese, half-and-half, vanilla, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar inside.  Puree until smooth–not going to show a picture but it is white and liquid.

3.  Fill popsicle molds, alternating berry mixture and cream cheese mixture.  You can swirl it with a popsicle stick or leave in layers.  Freeze until slightly firm if you are adding your own popsicle stick.  My form came with stick/lids so I just put mine in at the get-go and froze them completely.

4.  To remove from molds, carefully run warm water around the outside of molds until popsicles are loosened.  Store in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the freezer.

Next time I make these I am going to try some of my freeze-dried fruit and see how that turns out.  Sounds like a good way to use that fruit from my food storage and it is a healthy snack–pretty much.


Source:  Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, p. 124.