Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Look what I found in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator! We made this cookie dough for the Christmas Cookie Baking Bash.  I know, cookies should be abolished in the New Year but this cookie is an exception because it contains oatmeal, raisins and walnuts, which cancels out the butter, sugar and flour. Right?

1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks) room temp
2 cups brown sugar
2 large eggs

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts

½ cup raisins

Cream together brown sugar and butter. Add eggs. Stir in flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder. Add Vanilla, oats, coconut, walnuts, raisins.  Divide dough in 1/2 place each part in a gallon ziplock baggie and pat down to 1 inch thick. Refrigerate 3 –  or more  hours. 

Cut cold dough into squares

Place on cold cookie sheet

Cookie will look raw until cooled.

Cut cold dough into 1 inch chunks. Use parchment paper on cookie sheet or use an aluminum air-bake cookie sheet. Bake 10 – 12 minutes at 350°,  will look glossy in the center. Allow cookies to set for 2 minutes on the hot cookie sheet to finish baking. Then move cookies to cooling rack.

Mexican Pinwheels

2 – 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup salsa

1 can black olives, chopped finely

1 bunch green onion, chopped finely

1 envelope Ranch Dressing Mix

1 package flour tortilla

Mix ingredients, spread on each tortilla, roll and refrigerate. Slice ½ inch thick.

Comfort Food

I just returned from having out patient surgery (nothing serious) and thought I'd better post this blog before the lidocaine wears off. Every time we passed fast food coming home, Richard asked if I wanted him to stop. I wasn't interested. But when we got home and I looked at all the leftovers I suddenly knew what I wanted...Katie's new Chicken Noodle Soup. We had the baked chicken from my experiment with Miracle Whip and Ritz crackers, enough celery and the most important ingredient, one can of vegetable broth. I sauted' the onion and celery, opened the cans of broth, all while keeping my left arm close to my side. Now, it's simmering while the carrots get tender. Noodles will be added in a few minutes. I can smell it already.
I know I'll be thinking about the hot soup every time I apply the ice pack!

Buckeyes

3 + 2/3 cups powdered sugar

1 ½ cup peanut butter

½ cup margarine, softened

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp salt

Chocolate for candy making                                                                                                      

Tommy taste-testing Buckeyes, 1992

Blend peanut butter, powdered sugar, margarine, vanilla and salt. Shape into ½ inch ball. Place chocolate in glass dish and microwave 20-30 seconds at a time til melted. Keep checking and stirring so it doesn’t burn.  Insert wooded toothpicks into candy ball then dip ¾ of the ball into chocolate. Place on waxed paper until set. Remove wooden toothpicks and smooth over holes. Place in small paper bonbon cups, if desired.  Makes about 8 dozen.

O-Henry Bar

2/3 cup margarine

4 cups oatmeal

1 cup brown sugar, packed

½ cup karo syrup

2 tsp vanilla

Cream margarine, mix in remaining ingredients. Bake in 9 x 13 pan for 15 minutes at 350. Cool

Melt: 2/3 cup peanut butter with 1 cup chocolate chips. Spread in top of bars. Refrigerate.

Stuffed Green Peppers

The secret, cumin powder and brown sugar

This will make the house smell delicious!
Use left overs to make Stuffed Pepper Soup, recipe below.

4 - 6  green peppers

1 - 2 lbs ground beef, raw

4 cups rice, cooked

small onion, chopped

1 large can tomato sauce

1 tsp fresh chopped garlic 

or 1/2 tsp garlic salt 

1 tsp Italian seasoning 

cumin powder (pinch)

3 - TBSP brown sugar
salt & pepper

Slice tops off peppers and save.  Place hollowed peppers in large pan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove with tongs or large slotted spoon and set aside.

Chop the saved pepper tops to put in rice mixture. 

Prepare rice. I use Brown Minute rice with microwave directions.

Combine cooked rice, chopped peppers, chopped onion, seasonings, brown sugar and 1/2 can tomato sauce.  Using a teaspoon, place chunks of raw ground beef in rice mixture. Fold gently so pieces of ground beef don't turn to mush. Prepare large baking dish with Pam. Place about 1/2 of rice mixture in bottom of dish. Fill each pepper with rice and set on top of rice in dish.  If you have any rice mixture left, place it in between peppers. Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers.  Covered and bake at 350˚ for 1 ½ - 2 hours.

Stuffed Pepper Soup
Large can tomato juice
2 cubes or tsp beef bullion
2-3 TBSP brown sugar
2 shots of Tabasco Sauce 
salt & pepper
Add leftover rice and beef mixture (which contains chopped green peppers). Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes. 

Potato Salad

Recently I used Golden Yukon Potatoes  for a beautiful shade of yellow. Mom taught me to bring the potatoes and 2 eggs to a boil in the same pan. Cook the eggs for 10 minutes then removed them and continue to cook the potatoes. Yukon's don't take as long as Idahos so keep checking. Don't forget to place the eggs in cold water immediately. See Mom's Deviled Eggs for tips on the perfect hard-boiled egg.

Boil 6 – 8 medium potatoes until done. 

2 eggs, hard-boiled and diced

Onion, small, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

½ to 1 cup Miracle Whip

1 tsp mustard

Celery seed

Salt & pepper
Generous amount of love
paprika for decoration

Cool, peel and dice potatoes.
Fold all ingredients together. Sprinkle with paprika when serving.

Obtained from Sharon Shockey