Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups marg/butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 tsp baking soda

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffly. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; blend into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Note: Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

Buns

Is there anything better than buns, fresh from the oven? I think not!
Buns

This recipe works well using a large mixer with a large bowl and fitted with dough hooks. Begin with a coarse whisk, switching to a dough hook as the mixing becomes heavier.

• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup oil
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp fermipan yeast

Mix first six ingredients and add 4 cups flour. Then slowly add 2 tbsp fermipan yeast that has been mixed with 1 cup flour. Continue to add flour (approx 8 - 10 cups total) until fairly stiff. Turn into large bowl and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down.* Let rise again until double. Shape into buns and let rise on pans. Bake at 350.

Variation: To make brown buns, use whole wheat flour for the first four cups. 1/4 cup wheat germ and 1/4 cup crushed flax can be added as well.

*I don't usually let the dough rise a second time. Once is enough for me! I've got things to do!

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

I'm not a huge fan of meatballs in general, but I really like this recipe:


Sweet & Sour Meatballs

• 2 lbs hamburger
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp sage*
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• salt and pepper
• chopped onion to taste

Sauce:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 cup water

Combine the first 7 ingredients. Roll into small balls and brown in a frying pan. Place browned meatballs in a casserole dish or roaster.

Sauce: Put brown sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Mix well. Add ketchup, vinegar and water, mixing well after each, stirring continually. Bring sauce to a boil. It will thicken and clear. Pour over meatballs. Bake at 325 for an hour.

Pineapple chunks may be added with the sauce. The juice may be used to replace the 1 cup water. Make sure 1 cup liquid is added.

*Although I have about 10,000 spices, I don't have sage, so I've never added it in to this recipe and I think it's still pretty tasty!

Pecan Glazed Salmon

Now, if you recognize any theme within my recipes it's "easy". I love food, I love to cook, but I (like everyone else I know), don't have all day. So if you like salmon, or better yet if you don't, give this recipe a try. I'm sure you'll love not only the taste, but also how little effort it takes! (Don't tell Tom.)

BrownSugarPecan Glazed Salmon

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (or any type of nut)

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine (I use light marg)

1-2 tbsp water

2 salmon steaks

Preparation:

1) Preheat oven to 425

2) Brown the pecans in a non-stick pan, over medium heat.


Add brown sugar, butter/margarine, and water; heat until simmering. Set aside.

3) In a pie plate, roast salmon in pre-heated oven for 6 minutes.

4) Spoon glaze over salmon and continue roasting for an additional 6 minutes.

5) Voila, you're done!

See? Super easy! Of course you can use salmon fillets instead of steaks if you wish, but remember that cooking times vary according to the thickness of your fish. Be sure to always cook your fish until the flesh flakes easily with a fork.

I love this recipe. Why? Not only are they a fantastic way to increase your fish intake (Health Canada recommends 2 servings per week) and boost your body's omega-3s, but your husband will be so distracted by the goodness, he won't realize it's not beef!

Banana Muffins

1 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1 egg 1 tsp soda 1/2 cup oil 1 cup bananas (2 bananas) 1.5 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. This is the only banana muffin recipe that has ever turned out well for me. Makes 12 muffins.

Monster Cookies

This is my favorite cookie recipe!

6 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 Tbsp corn syrup
4 tsps baking soda
1/2 lb butter
3 cups peanut butter
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups smarties
8 cups oatmeal

Mix all this stuff together and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Makes a lot of cookies, 7 or 8 dozen, depending on how big you make them.

Cowboy Cookies

1 cup butter melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 cup rice krispies
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup raisins

Bake at 350 for 11 minutes.

Garlic Beef Stroganoff

2 tsp beef base
1 can mushroom soup (i usually do 2 or 3)
2 cans of mushrooms
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp Worcester sauce

2 pounds of beef (stewing beef, beef roast, steak, whatever!)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 pkg cream cheese, cubed

1. Cut your beef into strips, and brown it in the vegetable oil.
2. Put all ingredients (except cream cheese) into the slow-cooker.
3. Cook on low 8-10 hours
4. Add cream cheese about an hour from the end.
5. Serve over noodles.
   

I find that it takes the cream cheese FOREVER to melt. Make sure to cut it into cubes, and even add it earlier if you like to give it extra time to melt into the sauce. We LOVE this recipe, and I hope you do too!

Beef Barley Soup

1.5 pounds ground beef
1 onion
28 oz tomatoes
2 cups water
3 cans beef broth
1 can tomato soup
4 carrots
3 celery sticks
8 tbsp pearl barley
1 bay leaf
parsley
1/2 tsp thyme

Put all your ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours, or high 4-5 hours.

Some recipes suggest adding the barley only for the last hour or so, but I just put it all in to start. This recipe is very thick when it's done.

Also, if I don't happen to have cans of broth I just mix water and oxo packets together and pour that in. I used 5 packs last time, and enough water to fill my slow cooker. Don't worry about adding too much water, the soup is VERY thick. Good luck!

Sour Cream Roll Out Cookies

These are one of my favorite cookies - Dillon's too! They're an incredibly soft cookie - it's hard to eat just one!
Sour Cream Roll Out Cookies

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter/margarine
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 2 level tsps baking soda
• 3 eggs
• 4 cups of flour*

Mix all ingredients into a soft dough. (*I usually add more flour - the dough seems almost too soft to handle otherwise. Add enough flour to make it managable).

Sprinkle a layer of flour on the countertop, so the dough doesn't stick and roll out half the dough to 1/4" thick, Cut out cookies using your favorite cookie cutter or ikea cup ;). Bake at 375 for 6 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough, making sure to put flour under dough, each time it's rolled out. Let cool, then ice with your favorite icing (homemade is best!).

I like to make these around valentine's day, using heart shaped cookie cutters and sharing with friends and family. A recipe makes about 7 dozen cookies.

Italian Bread Wedges

This is a recipe I got from Home Ec. class in high school - it's been around a few years! This would probably be close to the top of the list of Devin's favorite foods. Great served as an appetizer or in place of garlic toast.
Italian Bread Wedges

Dough:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp instant yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp salt

This is the original dough recipe I used. Once I got my bread maker I switched to the pizza dough recipe that came with in the recipe book. Much softer dough!

Break maker recipe:

• 1 cup beer or water (I use water which is supposed to be crispier, but I still find it to be nice and soft).
• 1 tbsp butter/margarine
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups white flour
• 3 tsp instant yeast

Put in bread maker in order listed. Use dough setting. Makes two thin crusts or one thick crust (we like the thick crust).

Spread dough on greased pizza pan. Set oven at 450.

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/2 - 1/3 cup italian dressing
• parmesan cheese
• shredded cheddar or mozza cheese

Mix spices in a small bowl. Brush dressing evenly over dough. Sprinkle on spices and cheeses. Bake for about 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cut into wedges or strips.

I make this quite often, so I'll mix the spices in larger quantity and store in a big shaker. We like to eat it with honey dill sauce - bought is really good, but you can make your own by mixing about a half a cup of mayo with about a tbsp or two of liquid honey and adding dill.

No-Fail Breadmaker Bread

I'm not sure about yours, but I have found some breadmakers to be pretty finicky. I was telling my breadmaker woes to a co-worker of mine and his wife immediately went to the kitchen and came back with this no-fail recipe. Apparently, they have given it to many friends and family, and all have had success. So, if you are going through the breadmaking woes, give this a whirl - you will be pleasantly surprised.


Ingredients:

350mL water
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup flax seed (Ground or whole. This can be omitted, but I highly suggest giving it a try)
2 cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp yeast

Add all ingredients, in order, to baking pan.
Insert pan in bread machine and select 'sweet cycle'.
When finished (breadmachines can range between 2.5-4 hours on their sweet cycle, be sure to check how long yours is), remove from pan as soon as possible and let cool for a few minutes.
Enjoy!




Nutrition Notes:
I really like that this bread is 50% whole wheat, it is low in added fat, and the flax seed adds terrific texture, softness, and a load of omega-3. Over all, the health value is almost as good as you can get, the recipe is easy, and it tastes great!