Outrageous Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

My sweet friend, Libby, from www.honeypied.blogspot.com posted a recipe a few days ago for some outrageous chocolate chip cookies.

Check out her post for the original recipe: http://honeypied.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-cookie-time.html. She gives a couple of great tips about how to make these super healthy by using whole wheat flour and less sugar.

The cookies sounded amazing just as they are, but since I am a bigger peanut butter fan than I am a chocolate fan,I tweaked the recipe a little. I substituted the chocolate chips for a mixture of reeses peanut butter chips and mini chocolate chips. The result was delicious-the perfect soft, chewy cookie. I shared some with my family and friends who also agreed that this recipe is a keeper! So, thanks, Libby :). Libby also has a super-cute etsy store where she sells handmade dog beds, adorable little girls dolls, and beautiful ladies necklaces and headbands. I personally own several of her necklaces and headbands, and I get compliments whenever I wear them. I have included a picture of me modeling her headband. Check out her etsy shop-you will love it! She is even having a sale on the dolls and necklaces this month. All necklaces are $10 with free shipping and the dolls are buy one get one half off. They would make perfect Easter gifts :). http://www.etsy.com/shop/honeypied

You are prayed for daily and loved dearly by your Heavenly Father! He loves you with an everlasting love!

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." Jeremiah 31:3

Outrageous Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter, softened (1 stick)

1/2 c white sugar

1/3 c packed light brown sugar

1/2 c crunchy peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten

1 c all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c rolled oats

1/2 c mini chocolate chips

1/2 c peanut butter chips (I used the Reeses brand)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter, white sugar & brown sugar until smooth. Stir in peanut butter, vanilla & egg until well blended. Combine flour, baking soda & salt; stir into batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats, peanut butter chips, and mini chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges start to brown. Enjoy!

Peach Pecan Streusel Muffins

I made these yummy Peach Pecan Streusel Muffins for our Sunday School Class tomorrow. They turned out great and are the perfect Spring muffin to serve at a ladies brunch or tea party. They also make a delighful breakfast treat for the week. Bake a batch this weekend, and then store in a sealed container so that you can enjoy them throughout the week.

Enjoy, my friends, and take time this weekend to thank God for the tulips and daffodils that are blooming, the birds that are singing, your children who are laughing, and the cool breeze that blows. All these things are ways that He shows you how very much He loves you!! You are prayed for daily and loved lavishly by your Heavenly Father!

Psalm 40:16

"But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The LORD is great!”



Peach Pecan Streusel Muffins
Yield: Makes 12 muffins

PECAN STREUSEL Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

MUFFIN Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1 cup frozen sliced peaches, thawed and diced or 1 can sliced peaches (drained and diced)
12 paper baking cups
Vegetable cooking spray

1. Prepare Streusel: Stir together pecans and next 4 ingredients until crumbly.

2. Prepare Muffins: Preheat oven to 400º. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Stir together butter, milk, and egg; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Gently stir in peaches.

3. Place paper baking cups in 1 (12-cup) muffin pan, and coat with cooking spray to prevent the muffins from sticking to the bottom of the liners; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full. Sprinkle with Pecan Streusel.

4. Bake at 400º for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan, and serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!!

The MOST AMAZING Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever!

Are you in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie-one that is soft and extra-chocolatey; one that melts in your mouth and cries out for a cup of cold milk? Well, throw out all of your other chocolate chip cookie recipes, because this one is by far the best. By using shortening instead of butter and lots of mini chocolate chips, you ensure that the cookie is extra moist with every bite full of chocolate!

Bake several batches this weekend to share with your family and friends...random acts of kindness touch people's hearts in ways that you cannot imagine. God loves a Cheerful Giver; and the Recipient especially loves it if it involves CHOCOLATE :)!!

Enjoy!! You are prayed for and loved immensely by your Heavenly Father!

"Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up."

Proverbs 12:25


AMAZING Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a mixing bowl, cream shortening with the brown and white sugars. Add beaten egg and vanilla, mix well. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together. Stir into creamed mixture; blend thoroughly. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheets (I use a mini ice cream scooper. Bake in oven for 8-12 minutes, depending on size. Do not overbake. Cookies should be a little brown around the edges when taken out. Let cookies cool for a few minutes before removing from baking sheet. Finish cooling on rack. NOTE: You could also use chocolate chunks or regular sized chocolate chips-just increase the amount to 1 1/4 cups.

Nutella Cookies & Praising God for His Beauty!

So, believe it or not, I just recently tried Nutella. I have heard many people rave about its yumminess, so I decided to give it a try. I can't believe I have been missing out on something so delicious for so long. In case you aren't familiar with nutella, it is a chocolate hazelnut spread that is often used instead of peanut butter. Not long after I tried it, I came across a recipe for Nutella cookies on one of my all-time favorite blogs:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/
Ree shared this incredibly simple and delicious recipe from The Tasty Kitchen Blog: http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen-blog/2011/02/nutella-cookies/
It only requires four ingredients; the cookies bake quickly; and you can be enjoying them with a glass of cold milk in a matter of minutes. I did take a picture of these tasty treats, but unfortunately, blogger is not letting me upload them right now. Just take my word for it, and bake some today for your sweetie, your kiddos, or yourself.

Here in South Texas, we are enjoying amazing weather-high 70s/low 80s during the day, beautiful sunshine, and flowers blooming everywhere. This morning during our Sunday school class at church, there were probably 20 birds singing the most beautiful songs outside our window. I was struck with the realization that I should be praising God in song and speech continually in the same manner-without abandon and full of joy! I am so thankful to God for the Beauty of His Creation! One of my all-time favorite Christian Worship Leaders is Matt Redman, and one of my favorite songs of his is, "Let Everything that Has Breath Praise the Lord." Enjoy this YouTube Video and music as you bake your cookies :). You are prayed for my dear friends and loved immensely by your Heavenly Father!!




Nutella Cookies

Ingredients:
•1 cup Nutella
•½ cups Sugar
•1 cup All-purpose Flour
•1 Egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Blend all ingedients together well. Form into 1″ balls. Place on a cookie sheet. Press down firmly with the bottom of a glass. Bake 7-8 minutes or until set. Cool.

Marbled Cake Banana Bread

A few weeks ago, my friend, Enid, posted on Facebook this incredible recipe that she found online. It is SO amazing that I have already made it three times and given it as gifts to many friends who have requested more. It is super healthy and absolutely delicious. It works as a special breakfast treat topped with a little peanut butter or as an after-school snack for your kiddos. You could even crumble a piece of the bread in a parfait jar, top it with a snack size cup of pudding, and squirt on a little reddi-whip for a lucious dessert. Enjoy my friends!!

You are prayed for daily and loved dearly by your Heavenly Father!!

Psalm 34:8 (the Message)

"Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him."

Marbled Cake Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup low-fat yogurt (I used 1 (6 oz) cup of yoplait fat-free vanilla)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 2-3 bananas)
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 large eggs
Cooking spray (Bakers Joy)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt with a whisk.
3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minute). Add banana, vanilla, eggs or egg substitute, and yogurt; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; mix until just moist.
4. Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly.
5. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. You can also use four mini loaf pans. Swirl batters together using a knife.
6. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread & Pregnancy Makeover Voting

Two things I love right now...Being Pregnant and Baking! I am currently five months along with a beautiful baby girl. Now that I am in the second trimester I am feeling so much better and baking so much more. At a recent playdate, one of my close friends reminded me of the zucchini bread that I made for her family over a year ago. She said that her son loved it and she loved that he was getting veggies in his tummy :). So, I pulled out my recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Bread and make a double batch-with plenty to enjoy and some to share with my friends.

To shred the zucchini, I peeled and chopped up one zucchini in small pieces and then stuck the pieces in my mini chopster and let it do the "shredding" work for me. So easy! The zucchini can not be seen or tasted so you will definitly "succeed" in sneaking the veggies in your child's dessert :). I hope you enjoy the recipe! It is super yummy-loved by adults and kiddos!

After you stick your loaves in the oven, would you do me a favor and click over to this website:
http://themonitor.upickem.net/engine/Details.aspx?p=V&c=25937&s=6856121&i=1 and click on the vote tab above my picture an story. Our local paper is sponsoring a Mommy Makeover Contest for moms who are pregnant now. You can vote once per hour. I would love to win the spa day package that they are giving away. Thanks so much!! Feel free to spread the word to everyone you know. Voting ends March 15th.

God Bless you my Friends! You are prayed for and loved dearly by your Heavenly Father!!

Psalm 127:4
"One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple."

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature

1/2 cup canola oil

3 eggs

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 cups grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease 2 (9x5) inch loaf pans. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and oil until light, about 2 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and buttermilk. Mix in the flour mixture, then stir in the zucchini.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out dry.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert the bread onto a wire rack and turn right side up to cool completely. Enjoy!!!

Toasted Almond & Cashew Granola

I recently came across an Almond Granola recipe on Joy the Baker's website and decided to tweak it a little. She initially tweaked it from Martha Stewart's website so I figured I was allowed to do a little creative expression myself :). I used a mixture of cashews and almonds, but you could try any of your favorite nuts and I am sure that it would turn out great. I also adjusted the spices and used canola oil instead of vegetable oil. If you would prefer using Joy's recipe, you can find it here: (http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/01/toasted-almond-granola/),

I made a huge batch of my version of the granola recently and packaged it in cute little Valentine Sealable containers. I sold the containers at a local craft fair for $5 apiece to raise money for our adoption. The Granola was loved by the attendees so much that I have already had repeat customers! It is very easy to make and would make a great breakfast cereal or as a topping to a yogurt parfait. You could even put some on top of ice cream to make your dessert semi-healthy or use it as a tasty trail mix :). Enjoy!

You are Prayed for my friends!!

Psalm 147:11
"The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. "



Toasted Almond Cashew Granola
Makes: 8 cups
(Adapted from joy the baker who adapted from martha stewart :))

Ingredients:
4 cups old fashioned oats, not instant
1 cup slivered raw almonds
1 cup whole cashews

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Place a rack in the upper third and middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line one large or two small baking sheets with parchment paper (PLEASE NOTE: Parchment paper is not the same as Wax paper-make sure you use PARCHMENT ONLY) and set aside.

Whisk together oats, cashews, slivered almonds, sweetened coconut, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt together butter, oil, honey and brown sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to boil. Carefully whisk together so it's well incorporated. Add the vanilla extract. Pour the warm mixture over the oat and almond mixture and toss together with a wooden spoon, ensuring that all of the oat mixture gets moistened by the sugar and oil mixture.

Spread mixture onto prepared baking sheet(s) and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, removing the oats to stir and toss on the pan twice during baking. Be careful not to over bake. Remove from the oven, let cool and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Serve as cereal, with yogurt or ice cream, or as a tasty trail mix.