Peanut Butter Fingers

Hey Friends!

This is my husband's favorite sweet treat, well one of them! This recipe came from my wonderful mother-in-law, who used to make this for him all the time. It's really simple and easy, and reminds me of a Reese's Peanut Butter cup!

Enjoy!



Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream together first three ingredients. Next add egg, peanut butter, soda, salt, and vanilla. Mix until creamy and then add flour. Mix well and stir in oats. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Wait 5 minutes and spread chocolate evenly over cookie layer. Let cool before frosting.



Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
2-4 tablespoons milk

Mix until creamy and drizzle over chocolate. Spread evenly. Cut into bars when ready to serve.

Meatloaf Muffins

Hey friends!

This is a different kind of muffin, for sure...

I absolutely LOVE meatloaf, and so does my husband. There's just something about eating it that makes me feel all warm and happy inside...I guess that's why they call it comfort food!

This is my own original recipe that I've adapted over the years to be healthier. There are lots of veggies hidden inside, and I usually use ground turkey or really lean ground beef. Cooking the meatloaf in a muffin tin really cuts down the cooking time making it a great weeknight dinner! I love serving this with mashed potatoes and green beans, and then making a meatloaf sandwich the next day...yum!

Enjoy!



Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef or turkey
1 cup bread crumbs (or finely crushed crackers)
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot, green bell pepper, oregano and garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes, then cool.



Combine the onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients (except for cooking spray) in a large bowl. (The best way to thoroughly mix the ingredients is to use your hands. But, if that grosses you out, just be sure to really mix it up so each muffin is even.)



Spray a each cup of a muffin tin with the cooking spray. Spoon the meat mixture evenly into the 12 cups. Top each with 2 teaspoons of ketchup. Bake for 25 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 160 degrees F. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.



Yields: 6 servings (serving size 2 muffins)

**This is a really healthy alternative to the average meatloaf. One serving of this meatloaf has approximately 276 calories!

Creeping Crust Cobbler

Hey friends!

Last night, a bunch of my girlfriends came over for dinner. My friend DeAnna made the BEST chicken spaghetti I have ever had, plus garlic bread and a Caesar salad. I was in charge of dessert, so I decided to whip up this little number.

My mom used to make this creeping crust cobbler when I was little, and I remember being fascinated by how the crust really does "creep" up to the top! I didn't get any pictures of the ingredients or process, but it's pretty self explanatory and really delicious! I guarantee you will love it!

Ingredients:

Dough:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Fruit mixture:
2 cups fruit (I used apple)
1 cup sugar (less if you use canned fruit or pie filling)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in 10 inch baking dish. Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add milk and mix well. Heat the fruit with the sugar until dissolved. Pour dough into baking dish, then pour fruit mixture over the dough. Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

**You can use any fruit variety or mixture of varieties that you'd like. This is great served with vanilla ice cream...yum!

Granola

Hey friends!

I absolutely LOVE granola! I love it with almond milk for breakfast, mixed with yogurt and fruit for a snack, and sometimes I just grab a handful for the fun of it! I especially love it now that the hubs and I are doing the P90X workout program...I can sure use those carbs as a pick me up! The only problem is, I hate buying it at the store. The brands that are organic and not loaded with sugar can be really expensive, and you don't get very much for your money. So, my friend Megan gave me her Mom's granola recipe. It is crunchy and delicious, and the best part is that I can totally control what goes into it and keep it healthy!

Here's what you need:



Dry Mixture:
10 cups oats
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 lb. coconut
2 cups raw sunflower seeds
3 cups nuts - walnuts & almonds (I just used almonds)

Combine and blend well.



Wet Mixture:
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup black strap molasses (any molasses will work if you can't find black strap)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. vanilla

Combine above in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.


Mix the wet and dry mixtures together and spread on cookie sheets and pans.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Drop temperature to 325 degrees F and back another 15 minutes.

Cool really well. Once cool, you can add in dry fruit and store.

I halved the recipe and it made a ton of granola! There is enough to get me through at least 2 weeks, so keep that in mind when making this.

**Since ovens vary, watch your granola closely! My oven cooks too hot, so I cooked mine at 300 degrees F for almost 30 minutes, while checking it regularly.**


I couldn't resist putting in a picture of my little helper...isn't he sweet! :)

Cranzac Cookies

Funny name...awesome cookie! These cookies are moist, chewy, and actually pretty healthy! That's always my excuse to eat more!

These cookies have a really neat history. Anzac is the acronym for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps that fought in World War I. The original Anzac cookie was developed to provide an energy boost and nutrition for the soldiers. It's sort of the world's first protein bar! The "cran" in "cranzac" is for the delicious cranberries in them.

Like I said, these are a healthier alternative to your standard cookie, but they are just as delicious. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup dried shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 Tbsp. water
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup (I used a mild honey, since this stuff is hard to find!)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the flour, oats, brown sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and dried cranberries.
3. Stir in the water, melted butter and honey until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened.
4. Roll the cookie dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place the balls on the baking sheet, about 1 inch apart, and flatten them into 2 inch disks.
5. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, until light brown. Rotate the baking sheet midway through baking to make sure the cookies bake evenly. Once cool, store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The dough can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for longer.

Yields: 2 dozen cookies

"My Man" Oatmeal Cookies

Hey everyone!

This is by far my all-time favorite cookie! This is my Grandma's recipe, which my Mom handed down to me earlier this year. My husband absolutely loves these cookies, too! They are so simple and easy to make, but beyond delicious.



Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. each: salt, baking soda, baking powder
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans (or nut of your choice)
**optional: chocolate chips (I prefer to use white chocolate chips.)

1. Cream butter and sugars. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix well.
2. Mix together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients. Once incorporated, add oatmeal, coconut, and pecans. Mix in chocolate chips if desired.
3. Drop onto parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.

I like mine with pecans and white chocolate chips, but feel free to add and change ingredients as needed. Enjoy!!


I caught my husband trying to steal a fresh cookie right off the cookie sheet...that's how good they are!