Mummy Munch

Hey friends!

This is a spooky little recipe I found over on one of my favorite blogs, Picky Palate.  I felt like making something fun and simple today, and this definitely hit the spot!  I will be taking this to work to share because it is REALLY good!  Enjoy!

Here's what you need...

Add 4 cups of Rice Chex (or whatever flavor you like) to a large bowl.

Add 1 cup of Autumn mix (candy corn & little pumpkins).

Add 1 cup of dry roasted peanuts.

Add 2 cups of pretzels.

Mix together (I added a bit more candy during this process because it just felt good).

Melt your chocolate bark (I used the microwave for mine).

Add the chocolate bark to the dry mixture and mix, mix, mix!

Once mixed, spread mixture onto wax paper to dry.

Break into pieces and place in baggies or cute little cupcake liners!

Ingredients:

4 cups Rice Chex cereal (you can use any flavor/variety you like)

16 oz vanilla almond bark

1 cup Autumn Mix (candy corn & little pumpkins)

1 cup dry roasted peanuts

2 cups mini pretzels

Directions:

Place cereal, Autumn Mix, peanuts, and pretzels into a large bowl and mix.  Melt vanilla almond bark according to package directions and add to cereal mixture.  Stir until dry ingredients are well coated, then pour onto wax paper to dry.  Once dry, break into pieces and put into Halloween treat baggies or cute cupcake liners.  Enjoy!

Oatmeal Scotchies

Hey friends!

I am loving this cool fall weather!  It is making me want to bake, and bake, and bake! :)

I really wanted to make cookies for the week, and I stumbled across this recipe for oatmeal scotchies on another blog I read, Mommy's Kitchen.  It has all the things I look for in a cookie: oatmeal, delicious butterscotch, and ooey-gooey goodness!  After I made these, my husband and I had to put them away before we devoured them all!  Enjoy!

All the usual ingredients, plus oatmeal and butterscotch chips...YUM!

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.

Beat butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Stir in oats and butterscotch morsels.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 7-8 minutes for chewy cookies, or 9-10 minutes for crisp cookies.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups oatmeal
1 2/3 cups (11 oz. package) Nestle Butterscotch flavored chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in small bowl.  Beat butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla in large mixer bowl.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in oats and morsels.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 7-8 minutes for chewy cookies, or 9-10 minutes for crisp cookies.  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Pecan-Topped Pumpkin Bread

Hey Friends!

Today is officially the first day of fall, although the weather may not feel like it! I am starting to get into the spirit of the season, mostly because I'm ready for cooler temperatures and I've invested lots of money in cute little cardigans and sweaters! ;)

This is by far my FAVORITE pumpkin bread recipe! It is so moist, and it has just the right amount of flavor. It's also pretty healthy, which is a plus in my book! I found this recipe a few years ago in Cooking Light, and it's the only pumpkin bread I've made since then! Enjoy!

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.

Beat together sugar, egg substitute, oil, buttermilk, and eggs.

Add water and pumpkin to mixture and combine.

Add flour to pumpkin mixture and combine.

Spoon batter into 2 loaf pans coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle pecans evenly over batter.

Bake for 1 hour, then cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely.

Ingredients:

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 large eggs
2/3 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through allspice) in a bowl.

Place sugar, egg substitute, oil, buttermilk, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add 2/3 cup water and pumpkin, beating at low speed until blended. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Spoon batter into 2 (9x5-inch) loaf pans coated in cooking spray. Sprinkle pecans evenly over batter. Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Notes:

You can omit pecans, or substitute any nut of your choice.

If you are like me and don't use buttermilk often, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to milk to make 1 cup. So, for this recipe that would be 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to just under 1/2 cup of milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, and voila, buttermilk! :)

After about 50 minutes of baking, you may need to cover the loaves with aluminum foil to prevent over browning.

Secret Ingredient Brownies

Hey friends!

Sorry for the long hiatus! My computer crashed, so I lost all my photos. :( But now, I'm blogging from my new baby:


Isn't she beautiful!?!

Now, for this delicious recipe! I was recently reading a blog I follow and she had this recipe posted. I thought to myself "That sounds awfully familiar." Sure enough, it was a recipe given to me in my wedding cookbook by one of my mother-in-law's friends. So, of course, I immediately made it! These brownies are delicious and oh-so-gooey! My husband, who is a brownie connoisseur, especially loved them! The secret ingredient - MARSHMALLOWS - leave this gooey, fudgy pocket of chocolate goodness once they cool. Enjoy!

Melt chocolate and butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.


When chocolate and butter have melted, let cool for 15 minutes. Beat in eggs and whisk in sugar until combined.
Add flour and vanilla until well combined.


Fold in mini marshmallows, pecans (optional), and chocolate chips.


Pour into greased 9x13 inch baking pan and sprinkle with remaining (1/2 cup) chocolate chips.


Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until brownies start to pull away from the edges of the pan.


Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. You can serve warm, or at room temperature. These are great with some vanilla ice cream...YUM!


Ingredients:

4 (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate squares
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips (in the batter), plus 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top

Directions:

Melt chocolate and butter in large sauce pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Cool 15 minutes.

Add eggs, stir until blended. Stir in sugar until combined. Add flour and vanilla. Fold in marshmallows, pecans, and chocolate chips.

Pour batter in a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until edges start to pull away from the side of the pan. Cool brownies in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Yield: 24 brownies

Cowboy Cookies

Hey friends!

Sorry for the long hiatus! I have been so busy with the start of school that I haven't had time to blog! I'm back now, and to make amends, I've got a gem of a cookie for you! I found this recipe in my Texas Blossoms cookbook from the Richardson Woman's Club.

This cookie is truly to die for! They are the perfect blend of a chocolate chip and oatmeal cookie. The are chewy, delicious, and I cannot stop eating them!

Enjoy and Yee-Haw! :)


Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups angel flake coconut
2 cups chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla extract. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in bowl. Stir in flour mixture until just mixed. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 17 to 20 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Remove to rack to cool.

Yields 3-4 dozen large cookies

**My oven cooks hot, so I only baked mine for 14 minutes and it was plenty!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Hey friends!

This pizza is my take on a California Pizza Kitchen classic. It's great for a night in with your honey!

Here's what you need:



Ingredients:

1 can of pizza dough (I use Pillsbury)
1/4 cup ranch dressing
2 cups shredded chicken mixed with BBQ sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used Colby Jack, but you can use whatever you have on hand)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
1/4 cup chopped cooked bacon (optional)


First, roll out the pizza dough on a greased baking sheet.


Mix 2 cups shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken) with BBQ sauce to your liking (I like a lot).


Spread ranch dressing over the dough.


Top with the chicken mixture (and cilantro and bacon, if desired).


Finally, top with the cheese of your choice.

Bake for 13-17 minutes at 400 degrees F (check the dough you're using to make sure you cook it at the right temp for the right time).


Voila! Serve and enjoy! :)

Polka-Dot Cookies

**Warning: These cookies are highly addictive!!**

Hey friends!

Today was my last official day of summer vacation. :( But I'm actually pretty excited to be starting back to school again! I'm teaching first grade this year, and absolutely love my team, my administrators, and my school as a whole, so I couldn't be happier! And, what do I do when I'm happy, I BAKE!

Actually, we each have to bring 2 dozen cookies to school with us tomorrow afternoon, so I decided to make some of these delicious morsels. I'm just going to go ahead and warn you that these cookies are FABULOUS! So fabulous in fact, that I usually only make them once or twice a year, so I don't gain 100 pounds. So far today, I have found 3 different opportunities to justify eating one...but I figure, if it makes me happy, it's good for me! :) Right?!?

So, here's what you need:



Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter (or margarine)
1 cup shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups candy-coated chocolate candies (M&M's)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars. Mix in shortening, vanilla, and eggs. Stir together flour, soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, mixing well. Stir in candies.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoon-fulls onto an ungreased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper to line mine). Bake for 12-16 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.


Before putting the cookies in the oven, I pressed a few extra M&M's into the top to make them look nice.

**I used more M&M's than the recipe calls for in the batter...because who doesn't love chocolate candies?!?


Fresh out of the oven...yum! :)