Triple Layer Brownie

 

Triple Layer Brownies

1 cup quick or old fashioned oats

1/2 cup chopped salted dry roasted peanuts

1/2 cup (3.5 ounces)  brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon soda

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 pkg (18-20 oz) fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make brownies)

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Additional chopped peanuts

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine oats, peanuts, brown sugar, flour and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Add melted butter: mix well. Press oat mixture into the bottom of pan. Bake for 8 minutes. 

2. Prepare brownie mix according to package instructions. Spoon batter evenly over crust. Bake 24-28 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

3. Combine chocolate chips and peanut butter in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute; stir until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over cooled brownies. Sprinkle with additional chopped peanuts. Cool until chocolate mixture is set.

Printable Recipe

This delicious brownie recipe comes from Pampered Chef. It makes a thick, rich bar that is perfect for sharing. I did not use a brownie mix, I just used a favorite 'easy brownie' recipe--I will post it soon. I don't often purchase brownie mixes, but I always have sugar, flour, cocoa, eggs and butter on hand.

My Favorite Cookie

My Favorite Cookie--now a heading like that will get my attention. I love cookies and have been making cookies for about 50 years. That is a lot of cookies! 
When Mel at My Kitchen Cafe said  this Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookie was her favorite cookie I had to give it a closer look.It certainly had possibilities--it contained all the ingredients that make a yummy cookie. I made a few changes My Favorite Cookie has nuts, less coconut, a mixture of milk chocolate and semi sweet chips. I made it and declared--it is my new favorite cookie!

My Favorite Cookie
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar (250 grams)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (100 grams)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup coconut
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
Put oatmeal, flour, salt and baking soda in a food processor. Pulse several times until coarse. In a stand mixer beat butter until creamy, add sugars and beat 2 minutes, add eggs and vanilla and beat 2 minutes. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until just blended. Stir in coconut, pecans and chocolate chips. Use a Pampered Chef medium scoop and scoop cookie dough on a parchment lined sheet. Bake at 350 for about 13 minutes until cookie is set and light brown. Cool on cookie sheet for several minutes and then on a cooling rack. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies. Serve with a tall glass of cold milk. Share...or you will overeat!
Next time I make this cookie I just might add white chocolate chips to the mix.
Printable recipe

Bean and Beef Buritos

Bean Burritos at the Harris house usually come from our very local Drive Inn called Taco Amigo. My kids love Taco Amigo. Two of my boys spent  2 years in Brazil serving a mission for our Church eating mainly rice and beans. On the way home from the airport we had to make a stop at Taco Amigo!  Taco Amigo is different from the beans we have been eating the boys would state when asked if they really wanted to get beans? So Taco Amigo it is. The Grand-kids love it, I endure it. I like crunchy tacos and fries, and Nachos and Diet Coke.
So why am I making a Bean and Beef Burrito? Because Cooks Country says they are amazing and I trust them. They were amazing, a little labor intensive but the meat and bean mix freezes well. I made some yummy quesadilla with the left overs. Yes this is certainly worth making.

Bean and Beef Burritos
1 recipe Savory Rice--this rice really makes these burritos, it takes about 20 minutes--start it first
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 15 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion chopped fine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
12 ounces, 90 percent lean, ground beef
1 tablespoon lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
About 2 1/2 cups shredded cheeese,divided. I used half sharp cheddar and half jack
6 tablespoons sour cream
Combine broth and half of the drained beans in a medium bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, coarsely mash beans together with broth. Heat oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano,and chili powder. Cook until fragrant about 1 minute. Add beef breaking up pieces with a spoon. Cook until no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir mashed bean mixture into meat mixture. Cook stirring constantly until nearly all liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining whole beans, lime juice and salt. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
Adjust oven rack 3 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed sheet with foil. Wrap tortillas in a clean dish towel and microwave until soft and pliable about 90 seconds. Arrange tortillas on counter. Divide Savory Rice, beef and bean filling, and half of the cheeses evenly among tortillas. Put sour cream in a zip lock baggie, cut a small corner off and use the bag as a piping bag. This makes it so much easier to evenly squirt 1 tablespoon sour cream on each burrito. Either roll or fold burrito--whatever works best for you! Transfer burrito to foil lined baking pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over burrito. Broil until cheese is melted and starting to brown--rotate sheet half way through. Serve,
The Bean and Beef mixture freezes beautifully. Put it in a freezer bag, date it and use it within 6 weeks. I used the filling, rice, sour cream and cheese and made a delicious quesadilla.
Printable Recipe

Savory Rice

Well friends--I have finally found a rice dish that can stand on its own! This yummy  Savory Rice comes from a Cook's Country magazine. It is perfect.

Savory Rice
3/4 cup rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 garlic cloves--pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
Put rice, chicken broth, garlic and salt in a small saucepan. Heat to boiling, stir. Cover, lower heat to a simmer cook covered 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and lime. This rice is good on its own or serve it as a side with most anything! Enjoy.
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Chicken and Mushroom Deliciousness...

Hello there!

Jill here, hacking into my cute mama's blog to share a little something with you. Before I get started, if you have a New Year's resolution to eat healthier, or cut back on calories, then this recipe is NOT for you...but, if one of your New Year's resolutions is to indulge more and eat delicious food, then get yourself super excited!!

This recipe is a Pinterest find from Plain Chicken for Chicken Lazone. While the recipe seemed very promising and looked tasty, I felt like it could use a little somethin' extra. So, I started playing around and this is what I came up with.

Chicken and Mushroom Deliciousness
1 lb. chicken breast - Cut into bite size chunks
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 onion diced
8 oz. mushrooms - sliced or quartered
3 Tbs. butter, divided
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan - plus more for garnish, if you're into that sort of thing.

Combine salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.  Toss in a bowl with the chicken chunks until evenly coated. In large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat (you want the heat a bit high so get your chicken nice and browned).  Cook the chicken until done, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, lower the heat to medium and add the rest of the butter. Throw in the diced onion and mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes.  Make sure you don't clean out the pan before adding the onion and mushroom...you want to get all that leftover browned goodness at the bottom to add flavor to the veggies.

Once your onion and mushrooms are done, add the chicken back into the pan along with your cream and Parmesan cheese.  Lower heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.

Serve this chicken and mushroom deliciousness over angel hair pasta or a baked potato along with a simple green salad and some french bread.

Enjoy!

P.S. For some variation, you could add some diced red pepper with the mushrooms and onions. I think next time I will chop up some asparagus and add it in there too.

P.P.S. the leftovers are great the next day...or at 10:30 at night when you need a little snack.
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Sweet Lemon Ribs

Sweet Lemon Ribs have been a family favorite for years! I think the first time I tasted them was at a Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. My good friend Judi was in charge of the meal--I knew it was going to be good and we were not disappointed!
We purchased boneless Country Style Ribs from a little Market in Down Town Pleasant Grove.
Smith's Market is long gone, I do miss a small market--you don't spend a lot of money because there are only a few choices. The prices were right so I shopped there often--they had a great meat counter that cut to order. A few fruits and veggies, milk, eggs etc. It really was the market of my dreams. Too many choices can be wonderful or give me a headache!
What does this have to do with Sweet Lemon Ribs--nothing other that I bought them there--very lean and meaty. Actually they can be found at most meat market, sold as Boneless Country Style Ribs. Let's begin:
Sweet Lemon Ribs
3 pounds Country Style Boneless Ribs
1 small can lemonade
2  small lemonade cans, water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vinegar
Place ribs in a large pan of water--bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour. Drain out water,  remove ribs and wipe down pan. Put ribs back in pan. Mix sauce together. Stir together lemonade, water, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, salt and vinegar. Stir well. Pour over partially cooked meat.
Baked covered at 325 for 2-3 hours or until fork tender, check at the two hour mark--you want them cooked but not dried out..When meat is tender put in a serving bowl. Mix some cornstarch in water to a smooth thick paste Slowly.pour into pan sauce and stir. Cook and stir until desired thickness. Pour sauce over cooked ribs. Top with sliced green onions. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
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