Simple Oatmeal Cookies

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After the girls got to make corn flake cookies, the boys decided it was their turn to do some baking.

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Ingredients

• 1\4 cup white sugar
• 1\2 cup brown sugar
• 1\4 tsp baking powder
• 1\2 tsp baking soda
• 1\2 cup butter, softened
• 1 tblsp milk
• 1 egg
• 6 packets instant oatmeal
• 1 cup flour

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients except flour and oatmeal packets.

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Stir in flour and oatmeal. (The mixture will be sticky due to the milk. If you prefer crisp cookies to chewy ones, omit the milk. If you like your cookies chewy and cakey, add an extra tablespoon of milk.)

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Roll dough into 1 1\2" balls and drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet, about 2" apart. Smash the balls down to a thickness of about half and inch. (you can use the bottom of a clean cup to do this)

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Bake until light brown, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool on cookie sheet briefly, then remove to a rack to finish cooling.
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Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies

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Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup white corn syrup
• 1 cup Peanut Butter (smooth or crunchy)
• 6-7 cups Corn Flakes

Directions:

Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil; remove from heat

Make sure you stir it so it doesn't burn.

While the syrup mixture is boiling, measure out the corn flakes into a large bowl.

Once you've removed the syrup from the stove, add peanut butter and mix well.

Ask a parent or older sibling to help you pour the hot mixture over the top of the corn flakes.

Stir it in until the flakes are coated and sticky.

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Use a spoon to scoop out round balls of this, and place it on waxed paper to cool.
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Makes about 30 cookies

Springtime Cookies!

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The girls had so much fun making these for Easter. Sorry the pictures are a bit blurry!

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Ingredients:

3\4 cup creamy peanut butter

1\2 cup shortening

3\4 cup sugar, divided

1\2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1\3 cups all purpose flour

1\2 tsp. baking soda

1\2 tsp. salt

30 miniature peanut butter cups, halved

60 cake decorator candy flowers

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Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream peanut butter, shortening, 1\2 cup sugar, and brown sugar. Add the egg, milk and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 in. balls. Roll in remaining sugar; place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and immediately lightly press one peanut butter cup, cut side down, into each cookie to form a basket. Press a candy flower onto cookie so it appears as if a flower is coming out of the basket. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: about 5 dozen

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Happy Spring!!!

Cupid's Cups

Here's a recipe that can be used for any holiday. Simply change the color of jello to red & blue for the 4th of July, green & red for Christmas, yellow & pink for Easter, or come up with your own yummy color combo!

Ingredients:
1 square Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted
2 cups boiling water, divided
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Brand Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1-1/2 cups cold water, divided
Ice cubes
1 container thawed cool whip

Assorted Valentine sprinkles and candies (optional)

Tools:

• 8 Clear plastic cups (6-oz.)
• Sandwich bag
• 1 cup measuring cup
• Whisk
• Medium Bowl

Directions:
DRAW - Spoon melted chocolate into sandwich bag, and trim a very small hole in one corner. Use this to pipe the chocolate in a heart design or write a Valentine's Day message on the inside of each clear plastic cups. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

STIR 1 cup of the boiling water into 1 pkg. of the dry gelatin mix in medium bowl at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in 1 cup cold water; pour evenly into prepared cups. Refrigerate 1 hour or until gelatin is firm.

MEANWHILE, stir remaining 1 cup boiling water into remaining package of dry gelatin mix in medium bowl at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to remaining 1/2 cup cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until thickened. Stir in whipped topping with wire whisk until well blended. Spoon into prepared cups. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Before serving, top with cool whip and decorate with sprinkles. Store leftover desserts in refrigerator.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Valentine Toast

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This is a sweet way to make your Valentine breakfast more festive.

Directions:

1. Toast two slices of bread.

2. Cut out using a large heart-shaped cookie cutter.

3. Spread one slice with Strawberry or Raspberry preserves, and place the other on top in sandwich style. (Or eat open face)

*This would look great as part of a breakfast-in-bed for your parents.

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Valentine Cupcakes

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To make a classic cupcake, a unique and lovable Valentine cupcake, try this simple idea.

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You can use a yellow or white box mix, or your own cupcake recipe, whichever you prefer. Just make them as you usually do, only add red or pink food coloring.
Bake cupcakes; then cool on wire cooling rack.

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While the cupcakes are cooling, draw a small heart on a piece of cardstock. Carefully cut around the heart.
When the cupcakes are cooled, place paper heart in the center of the cupcake. Using a small sifter, shake powdered sugar over cupcake. When you remove the paper, you will have a perfect heart.

"A friend is someone who knows all about you and loves you anyway!"

History of Muffins

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Muffin - a small, cup-shaped bread, often sweetened and usually served hot.

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The derivation of the word muffin comes from the French word moufflet which is often times applied to bread and means soft.
The two main types of muffins are English muffins and American style muffins. They vary in style as well as flavor and history.
English muffins are a flat yeast raised muffin with nooks and crannies that are cooked on a hot griddle. English muffin history dates all the way back to the 10th and 11th centuries in Wales.

Early English muffins were cooked in muffin rings which were hooplike and placed directly on a stove or the bottom of a skillet.

American style muffins on the other hand are more of a quick bread that is made in individual molds. The molds are necessary due to the mixture being a batter rather than dough.

Muffin recipes first began to appear in print in the mid 18th century and quickly caught on. By the 19th century muffin men walked the streets of England at tea time to sell there muffins. They wore trays of English muffins on there heads and rang there bells to call customers to there wares.
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Three states in the United States of America have adopted official muffins. Minnesota has adopted the blueberry muffin as the official state muffin. Massachusetts in 1986 adopted the Corn Muffin as the official state muffin. Then in 1987 New York took on the Apple Muffin as its official muffin of choice.

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Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

A scrumptious breakfast food!

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Ingredients:

4 Eggs

1 1\2 cup oil

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 3\4 cup pumpkin

1 tbsp. Cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups choc. chips

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Tools:

• Large mixing bowl
• Electric beaters
• Measuring cups
• Muffin tins

Beat eggs slightly; add sugar, oil, and pumpkin; beat. Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill greased muffin cups 2\3 full & sprinkle lightly brown sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min.

"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness."
~Charles Spurgeon
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Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

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Ingredients:
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
1\2 cup real butter, softened
1\4 tsp. vanilla
3\4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3\4 cup mini chocolate chips
3\4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Tools:

• Mixing bowl
• Electric beater
• Plastic Spatula
• Measuring cups

Combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and brown sugar. Stir in the mini chips.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Shape into ball, wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Before serving, roll in pecans.
Serve with Animal Crackers, Teddy Grahams, Vanilla Wafers, or Graham Crackers.

"For some, pleasure is a fever they can't shake. For others, it's a disease they cannot seem to catch."
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...............Ham Spread on Triscuits
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Ingredients:

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1\2 cup chopped Dill Pickles
1\2 chunked, cooked Ham
1\4 cup soft Cream Cheese
1 box Trsicuit Crackers

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Stir together Pickles, Ham and Cream Cheese. Spread on Crackers.
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*For more distinction in flavors you can spread the cream cheese on your triscuit, and top with a slice of ham and dill pickle.

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Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you've been up to. ~Author Unknown

Cheese Quesadilla

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These are as staple as the classic PB&J, in Mindy's kitchen. We hope you like them as much as we do!
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Ingredients:
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1 package (10) large Flour Tortillas

1 block mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Butter or Margarine softened

Sour Cream (optional)

Tools:

• Griddle
• Metal Spatula
• Butter knife

Heat griddle to 300 degrees. Grate cheese. Butter tortilla shells on one side. Place one tortilla shell (butter down) on hot griddle. Sprinkle with cheese, and place another buttered tortilla on top of that (butter up). Cook until it turns golden brown on the bottom, then flip and cook the other side. Remove from griddle. Cut into slices and dip in sour cream.

Yield: 5 servings

Be sure to try out some of these delicious variations. They're the BEST!

• Bacon & Cheddar - Crumble cooked bacon over cheddar.
• Ham & Onion w\Mozzarella - Add sliced or diced onion, and chunks of ham.
• Chicken & Garlic w\ Cheddar - Shred cooked chicken over the grated cheese and sprinkle with garlic salt.
• Salsa w\Cheddar - Simply add your favorite salsa to the original recipe. Or dip in salsa.

Fun Facts!

Peanut Butter

• Peanut butter is the leading use of peanuts in the USA.


• There are enough peanuts in one acre to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.


• It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.


• Peanut butter is consumed in 89 percent of USA households.


• The world's largest peanut butter factory churns out 250,000 jars of the tasty treat every day.


• People living on the East Coast prefer creamy peanut butter, while those on the West Coast prefer the crunchy style.


• Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.


• The average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before he/she graduates high school.

• Americans spend almost $800 million a year on peanut butter.

• Americans eat enough peanut butter in a year to make more than 10 billion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Snack Time!

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Club Crackers, spread with creamy peanut butter, topped with an apple slice. That's all it is, and it's SO yummy!

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Holiday Cooking!

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Holiday cooking has kept our kiddie chef (as well as the editor of Kiddie Cuisine), hoppin' busy. Twenty-four dozen (288) cookies were made yesterday, and today we're more than doubling that. We hope to get back to blogging soon....we have some GREAT recipes coming up, so don't give up on us, okay?