It's a Grad!!

It's that time of year when graduation announcements fill my mail box. I love to see their smiling faces and look into their eyes and wonder what the future holds.

I do know the future holds a card from Greg and me with a gift card to Chick-Fil-A, my favorite fast food restaurant. Good luck Grads!

More Insanity

Often visits from my grand kids end in emergency room trips. Once Bianca dislocated an elbow. The next trip she was getting out out of the bathtub and slipped and fell on the tile. This required another trip to the ER. That same trip as the family was heading home. Jill hit black ice/slush on I-15 just outside of Salt Lake City. That was not pretty. Jill took the bulk of the hit. She had cuts and scraps and a few broken ribs. Cousin Rachel who was pregnant at the time was kept for observation--luckily all was well. Jack and Bianca strapped in their car seat were luckily safe. It could have been tragic but just ended inconveniently.

So I always hold my breath when Jill visits, waiting for something to happen. It did--Jack put a Roley Poley up his nose. This scare required a trip to the Dr. A very dead bug was removed. I assumed that along with the silver Pirate tooth was enough for one visit. I spoke too soon. After a 4 month stay Jill, Candise and I were busily packing things. Bianca ran to the house and told us Jack was hurt--bad. Jill scaled the fence and found Jack more than whimpering in pain--he was screaming. Now Jack never cries; we knew he was hurt. We did the usual things, can you bend your arm, wiggle your finger etc. It was evident another Dr visit was in order. So off we went to the pediatric clinic--we now have their number on speed dial.

It appeared broken so a soft cast was applied. Ex-Rays were taken the next morning after much debate the doctors decided it was indeed broken. Due to swelling a cast was not put on till Monday. Welcome home Jack, first stop the doctors office!

Oh and my washing machine broke, yet again!.

Thai Chicken Pizza--SRC

 I feel like I hit the SRC jackpot this month. The Secret Recipe Club gives one the opportunity to meet a new blogger, spend some time--lots of time in my case-- in their blog and finally make a recipe from their blog. The Inquiring Chef is Jess. Jess is one lucky lady;  she and her hubby Frank are on a job assignment in Bangkok Thailand.
 So, while I shop at Walmart and eat at Taco Amigo and Rumbi's Jess and Frank are living in a city I could only dream of.  The Inquiring Chef is full of a wide variety of recipes, several I want to try. But the photos of everyday life are more than interesting. Spend a few moments in Jess's blog and you will be transported to another way of life. Thanks Jess for allowing me to virtually spend some time in Thailand.

And now for the food; Jess is a great cook! Friday--Pizza Night is a great tradition. Many families look forward to eating Pizza on Friday. We enjoy our pizza night as do Frank and Jess. When looking for a recipe to make on Jess's blog I had to check out the list of 'my favorite recipes'. On it was listed Thai Chicken Pizza. Not really a recipe she learned in Thailand but one she could easily find the ingredients for. This pizza looked too good to pass. I have been making Pioneer Woman's Pizza Crust forever. It's delicious, easy to make and great to work with. We made curry the night before so many of the ingredients were ready. My additions are noted in red. The pizza was over the top delicious, we want more for breakfast! This will be made often on Friday Pizza Night. Soon I will make it outside on the grill.
Thanks Jess for keeping a blog of your journeys; I can't wait to follow the remainder of your Thailand experience. I'm also excited to make the Maria Sinskey’s Gougères.

Thai Chicken Pizza
1 pizza dough recipe, enough for at least 3 pizzas (I like Pioneer Woman's recipe)
The topping measurements are for 3 pizzas.
3 T olive oil, divided
1 red onion, cut into thin strips
1 cup green onion, white and green parts roughly chopped
1/2 red pepper, diced
2 1/2 cup chicken, roasted or sauteed and chopped
1 cup carrots, shredded or cut into matchsticks
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (not really Thai but a small amount of cheese was good)!
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/2-3/4 cup sweet and spicy Thai Chili Sauce
1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 cup bean sprouts

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat 1/2 Tbps. olive oil in a small pan over medium high.  Add red onion and saute just until onions begin to soften.  Remove from heat.
3. Divide pizza dough into 3 equal portions. Roll or stretch the first portion into a 12 inch circle on a baking sheet or stone. Pre-bake crust for 5 minutes, remove from oven and drizzle liberally with olive oil.
4. Top pizza, beginning with red onion, followed by green onions, red pepper, chicken, carrots, peanuts, a light sprinkle of mozzarella cheese and finally ending with a generous drizzle of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.  Bake for additional 5-7 minutes until crust is golden brown.  Remove and immediately sprinkle with cilantro and bean sprouts.  Slice and enjoy.

Just Delicious Meatloaf

I admit that meatloaf has never been at the top of my 'to make ' list. I made only when I could think of nothing else. That all changed when my daughter raved about a meatloaf recipe she found on Pioneer Woman's Blog. This got my attention because I trust Pioneer Woman. I made this recipe twice in the same month; a record for sure. It's easy, tasty and leftovers make great sandwiches.
So add it to your menu soon. It will make your family happy!

Just Delicious Meatloaf
1 cup milk
6 white bread slices
2 pounds very lean ground beef
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoning salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup minced flat leaf parsley
4 eggs beaten
8-12 thin bacon slices

Tomato Gravy
1 cup ketchup
4 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
4 dashes of hot pepper sauce
Pour the milk over the bread and allow it to soak in for several minutes. Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan cheese, seasonings and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the eggs. With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined.
Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan. Line the bottom with foil for easy clean-up. Lay the bacon slices over the top tucking hem underneath the meatloaf.
Make the tomato gravy--mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the meatloaf. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes then pour another 1/3 of the gravy over the meatloaf. Bake until meat thermometer registers 160 degrees. Serve with remaining tomato gravy, Twice baked potatoes and steamed spinach complete this delicious meal.
This makes plenty. I often make half the recipe for our small family.

Happy Mother's day--with a Lemon Cranberry Scone

Happy Mother's Day to all my blogging friends. I love Mother's Day. I mean who doesn't love an excuse to make all ones favorite foods. My sweet daughter Jill and I will cook dinner tonight for my Mother and Greg's Mother. Since cooking is something we love to do this is nothing but fun. Greg will do the dishes so it's a great day for sure!

 Luckily Greg had church meetings early this morning so I quickly made these Cranberry Lemon Scones. Greg would have made Biscuits and Gravy--now he does make a mean batch of Biscuits and Gravy. He has been perfecting them for months and they are good. But they just don't scream Mother's Day to me. But these Lemon Cranberry Scones do!

So if you have a bag of cranberries in your freezer these are one delicious treat. They make plenty so I froze half of the scones (uncooked). I will pop them in the oven for another tasty brunch!

Fresh Cranberry Lemon  Scones

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, chopped coarse

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup cream

Preheat oven to 400°F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl rub lemon zest into 1/2 cup sugar--this smells wonderful!
In a food processor pulse flour, lemon sugar mixture, baking powder, salt, butter  until mixture resembles coarse meal, transfer to a large bowl. Add pecans.
In a small bowl toss together fresh cranberries and 3 tablespoons sugar and stir into flour mixture.
In another small bowl lightly beat egg and yolk and stir in cream. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined.
On a well-floured surface with floured hands pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round (about 8 inches in diameter) and with a 2-inch round cutter dipped in flour cut out as many rounds as possible, re-rolling scraps as necessary. Arrange rounds about 1 inch apart on baking sheet and bake in middle of oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until pale golden. Scones may be flash frozen before baking and stored in a freezer bag. Place frozen scones on parchment lined baking sheet and bake a few extra minutes.
I served these with a drizzle of lemon glaze. A 5 star recipe for sure!

Frosted Cookie Bites

Blame it on book club. We were discussing Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. This is a delightful debut novel packed full of Southern Charm. Strong woman, wacky humor and good old-fashioned heart. From the moment you first step into young Cee

Cee's unique world, you'll never want to leave. We all loved this novel. One feels better for reading it.

Book Club brings treats--we went for ribbon sandwiches, brownie bites and frosted cookie bites. A Frosted Cookie Bite takes a humble Toll House Cookie and elevates it to a party status. A small cookie scoop is used to place cookie dough in a mini muffin tin. These bake to a golden brown. Don't worry if they fall in the center; this makes a perfect place to swirl some Almond Butter Cream. This is one delicious bite!

Frosted Cookie Bites

1/2 cup butter, soft

1/2 Crisco

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 tablespoon water

2 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup mini chocolate chips

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Cream butter and Crisco till smooth, add sugars, vanilla and eggs beating after each addition. Add water.

Mix together flour, salt and baking soda. Add  to creamed mixture, stir gently. Add chocolate chips and pecans. Using a small Pampered Chef Scoop put a level scoop of cookie dough in each cup of a sprayed mini muffin tin.  Bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes till top appears light brown. Cool in tin and remove when just cool. Frost with Almond Butter Cream Frosting. Recipe makes about 72 cookie bites. That is one big party! Dough can easily be frozen. Flash freeze dough balls and store in a freezer bag. Pop the frozen dough balls in your mini muffin pans and bake for a quick treat.

 Almond Butter Cream Frosting

4 ounces very soft butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure Almond Extract

heavy cream as needed
Mix butter and powdered sugar, add almond and a pinch of salt. Add heavy creamy until the desired consistency. Pipe on cookies as desired.
Printable Recipe

Just a Little Insanity

It started out as a normal Monday. Cold cereal for breakfast, a little Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on TV and lots of sunshine. Jack was outside before nine ready to take on the day. He played outside for only moments when he found a new friend. He promptly brought his friend inside to meet me. It was a Potato Bug--or Rollie-Pollie as Jack calls them, I suggested he take his new friend outside.

It wasn't long before Jack was inside with a worried look on his face. He reported to his Mom that the Rollie-Pollie was up his nose. Jill laughed (Jack has been known to tell a story or two) and said something to the effect of 'that's gonna kill you'. Tears filled Jacks eyes, we knew it wasn't a story and the Rollie-Pollie really was up his nose. We tried all the usual things frantic parents do when a foreign object is up a child's nose. Nothing worked.

A visit to the Pediatric Clinic was necessary. The staff got a good chuckle and thanks to a long slim tweezer like instrument the bug, now expired, was removed.

I asked Jack why he put the bug up his nose. 'I thought it would be a good home' was his reply. I'm sure Jack will continue his fascination with insects. Hopefully he will keep them out of his nose.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Sheet cakes take me back to my childhood. Cupcakes hadn't come into vogue, I think life was more practical. Mom always had homemade goods, fresh bread, cookies and often a 9x13 cake. Favorite flavors were Grandmas Double Lemon Cake, the ever practical Boiled Raisin Cake and Chocolate Cake with Beautiful Frosting. Family reunions always featured several cakes, all in the pan--you just served yourself. No fancy platters or serving dishes. At the end of the day everyone took home a dirty pan. Simple.

I needed a quick dessert last week and turned to my Pinterest boards. I had pinned a Peanut Butter Sheet Cake. We love peanut butter, this looked like the perfect dessert. The cake is frosted while it is still warm--a plus when time is short. This cake was a crowd pleaser. I will add it to my 'make again soon' list.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup water

1 cup butter

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 eggs beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup cream--or milk

16 ounces powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a bowl whisk together the flour sugar, salt and baking soda. In a medium saucepan heat water, butter and peanut butter. Bring to a boil and remove from heat; add the dry ingredients. In a small bowl beat eggs, vanilla and buttermilk; add to ingredient in saucepan. Pour mixture in a 10X15 inch jelly roll pan that has been sprayed with Pam for Baking. Bake at 350 for 28-30 minutes until done.

While cake is baking make frosting. In the same saucepan heat butter, cream and peanut butter to a boil. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat to desired consistency. Pour/spread frosting over warm cake. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts (we used 4 packages of the peanuts that come with the chocolate sundaes from McDonald's). The cake was a hit. We served it with ice cream for dessert. We ate it plain for breakfast.

Thanks The Wednesday Baker for a great recipe!

Potatoes Au Gratin--in a Crock Pot

I have an interesting cooking dilemma, We are mostly empty nesters, now that is not a bad thing. I find it quite enjoyable to cook for two. But when our children visit the numbers change. Last night for example we had 6 adults and 7 children here for dinner.
So, enter the humble crock pot. This gem saved the dinner day. I was cooking chicken in the oven in preparation to put it on the grill, garlic bread was next in line. How do I cook a potato dish with a full oven?
 The crock pot was the answer. I had pinned a recipe for Potatoes Au Gratin in the Crock Pot and they were delicious.  It freed up the oven and also allowed me to have the potatoes prepped and cooking before my cute grandchildren arrived. It is a recipe I will use often.
 Thank you Tina from Mom's Crazy Cooking for sharing this recipe. It's a keeper.

            

   

 Potatoes Au Gratin in the Crock Pot
6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced--this is what a mandolin is for!
8 ounces shredded cheese--I cleaned out my cheese drawer and used a combination of cheddar, provolone and Gruyere. I imagine most any cheese would work
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
6 cloves garlic, crusher
garlic salt, kosher salt and Lawry's Seasoning Salt
Butter the inside of your crock pot or spray with Pam. Layer the potatoes and season with garlic salt, the next layer season with Kosher salt, the following layer with Lawry's. Repeat layers seasoning each layer. Use plenty of seasoning or your potatoes will be bland.
Melt butter, stir in flour. Bring to a boil and let simmer a minute or two. Add the milk and garlic and cook stirring often until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add cheese, stir until smooth.
Pour cheese sauce over potatoes--don't stir just shake a bit to make sure cheese sauce gets to the bottom.
Put a double thickness of paper towel on top of the crock pot place lid on. Cook on high for 2 hours, don't disturb. Check after 2 hours--I had to cook another 45 minutes.
Enjoy this dish--it will be ready when you are. Thanks Tiina

TWD/BWJ Hungarian Shortbread

I really have no Idea why this particular treat is called Hungarian Shortbread. I will just call it excellent!

I made one big mistake --I  only made half the recipe! It was barely out of the oven and family would cut off a small square and say things like 'this is delicious' or 'best dessert ever'. Of course they would continue taking small bites until most of the pan was gone.  Please I begged save me a square that I can photograph tomorrow! Being the kind ones they are I have a few small squares to photo at first light tomorrow.

I was late making this treat I thought we had another week to procrastinate. But here we are the first Tuesday in May which happens to be May 1st! In waiting till the last minute I garnered many ideas from fellow bakers. Little helps that they thought just may improve the recipe. Now I really don't have time for failures so I took all the advice of my fellow TWD bakers because they are smart!!

I made my rhubarb jam with rhubarb freshly picked from my garden. I feel bad for those that had to pay $4.89 at Walmart for rhubarb! I cooked it longer than the said time and it was still much more runny than jam so I put it in a fine mesh sieve and it was the perfect consistency in about 30 minutes. I also added a drop of red food coloring to make it a more pleasing color.

I made my short bread as directed, and grated it into an 8 inch square pan. I cooked this layer for about 15 minutes as suggested by other bakers.

I spread my 1/2 cup of rhubarb jam over the par baked crust. I then used a box grater to grate the rest of the dough over the filling. It was easy, easy. I cooked it till light brown. Just after removing it from the oven I sprinkled plenty of powdered sugar over it.

A delicious dessert that everyone loved. I'll make it again with different kinds of jam. But the garden fresh rhubarb was an excellent addition to this sweet treat.

Our Hostess this week is Cher and Lynette check their blogs for the complete details.

Finger Lickin' Good Chicken

The weather is getting warmer, so it's time to dust off the grill. Jill offered to make dinner one night last week, and I was happy to let her. She purchased some chicken thighs and legs --complete with bones and skin, what?? She assured me they would be delicious. Now I'm not much into bones and skin but I trust her judgement. She baked the chicken at 400 until its internal temperature reached 165 degrees (depending on how much chicken and what kind of cut, it will take around 30 minutes). This rendered much of the fat. She then finished it on the grill over high heat for 4-6 minutes on each side, brushing it with 1 cup of Sweet Baby Ray's mixed with a few tablespoons of A1 steak sauce...the A1 adds a fun "tang" to the sauce.  The chicken is already cooked through, so you are just grilling it to crisp up the skin and let the sauce caramelize.

The end result was delicious. It was finger lickin' good! The skin was crispy and the chicken was perfectly cooked. This budget friendly meal was a hit with friends and family, perfect to feed a crowd. Just make sure there are plenty of napkins available!

On Giving

Every once in a while you run into a blog post that is just so good it needs to be shared. I found such a post on Danelle's blog Outnumbered.
We have so many opportunities to serve others, Danelle has just posted some great ideas on giving and serving those in the hospital. She also knows how to care for patients once they get home. Hospital stays are quite short now so patients really do need help once they return home. With her permission please allow me to share Danelle's blog post.

BEYOND MEALS: SNACK BASKETS, GIFT CARDS, AND OTHER TIPS FOR HELPING FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS DURING A HOSPITAL STAY

The past few weeks, I've taken meals in to two different friends.  One just had a baby, and the others husband had been in the hospital for a minor surgery.  Meals are always appreciated, but there are some other great things you can do for friends and neighbors when someone in the family is experiencing a hospital stay.

The Snack Basket:  This is hands down my favorite way to help someone out during a hospital stay.  When E was in the hospital after his first seizure, one of our friends raided her pantry and brought us a huge basket of snacks.  It was full of things like granola bars, fresh and canned fruit, and crackers.  It was a lifesaver! 

Often, when a family member is in the hospital, people are coming and going, but no one has time to sit down to a full meal, or do any grocery shopping.  Everyone's schedules are disrupted.  This is especially true if the hospital visit is unexpected.  During a family emergency, eating right (or eating at all) can be the last thing on anyone's mind.  We literally lived off of our snack basket for two days.  It's also portable, and can be carried back and forth to the hospital, where both patients and visitors often need or want something to eat.

Snack baskets are also quick and easy to put together.  Try picking up a few cheap baskets when you see them on sale. There's a good chance you'll have enough food in your pantry and/or refrigerator to make up a basket on the spur of the moment. You could also include things like homemade cookies, beef jerky, fruit leather, nuts, popcorn, pretzels, juice, and even some chocolate or candy. Easy Mac is great for older kids who might be home alone without anyone to cook for them.  Individually packaged portions like the 100 Calorie Packs are great for something like this too.

An Offer to Watch Children:  If you can offer to take someone's children during a hospital stay, I can tell you from experience, they will be eternally grateful.  This is especially true of mothers who are due to deliver a child and have other young children at home.  More so if they don't have family in town.  One of my biggest concerns when I was pregnant with my second and third child was what I would do with the other kid(s) when it was time to go to the hospital.  A new mom might also appreciate someone taking older kids for a few hours once she and baby have returned home.

I also know how grateful I was when a friend came to my house at 5:00 am so I could be at the hospital for a 6:00 am surgery.  She woke the children and got them dressed and ready for school so that my husband could accompany me to the hospital.  What to do with the children is always a stressful thing to consider when a family member is in the hospital, and anything that can be done to help out in that area is always greatly appreciated.

Hospital Care Kit:  Depending on the situation, you could put together a small care package to send along to the hospital.  Consider including things like books and magazines, lotion, Chapstick, snacks, warm socks, change for vending machines, and for expectant mothers, a scrunchie to hold their hair back during labor.  If children will be frequent visitors to the hospital, you might even include a few art supplies or small toys.

Freezer Meals:  Like I said, meals are always appreciated.  However, people often receive more food in the week or two after a hospital stay than they can possibly eat.  For this reason, I like to take in a freezer meal whenever possible.  Meals that freeze well include soups, Mexican dishes like enchiladas, pasta dishes like lasagna, and most casseroles.

I always splurge on disposable pans and Glad-ware when I take in a meal.  I don't want the people I'm trying to help to have to worry about returning any dishes to me.  It's the last thing someone wants to think about during or after a hospital stay.  If you're taking in a warm meal and don't want to use disposable dishes, ask if you can transfer the food to the recipient's dishes right then.  You can take your dishes home and they won't have to worry about returning them later.

Often, the most overwhelming time for a new mom or someone who has been in the hospital comes few weeks later, when everyone has stopped pampering them and the offers of help have died down.  A freezer meal will be very much appreciate then!

Gift Cards: Consider a gift card to any a local restaurant that delivers. Pizza is the obvious choice, but depending on the family, you could do Chinese or sandwiches. This is a great option for providing meal if you are busy too and don't have time to cook for your family and someone elses. And much like a freezer meal, it can be saved for a time when other offers of help have slowed down.

Mixes & Staples:  My friend Kristen recently told me that when she brings a meal, she also likes to include some homemade pancake mix, along with instructions and a few staples, like eggs and milk.

There are tons of recipes for mixes in a jar out there.  Many of them would be fun to include with a meal, and would be great on their own as well.  It might even relieve a little stress for the family members at home to be able to whip up a batch of cookies together, using a mix and other ingredients that you've provided.  People appreciate knowing that you're thinking of them.  You don't have to do something elaborate or time consuming to let someone know they're in your thoughts and prayers.

Don't be afraid to get creative and ask what's really needed!  Sometimes the answer will be meals, but there are often other things that people are in need of when they or another family member are in the hospital.  And don't forget that the time after arriving home from a hospital stay can be a difficult transition with different needs.  One thing is certain, your help will be welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks Danelle, this is one great article--all of the article including the photo's are courtesy of Danelle.

I think in the coming weeks I might post some more basket ideas or meals in a jar recipes etc.

How do you show love to those in need? Please answer in the comments section and I will compile a list for a future blog post. thanks, cindy

SCR Browned Butter Toasted Coconut Oatmeal Cookie

It's reveal day for Group 3 of the Secret Recipe Club! We have a month to stalk someones blog, get to know them and finally make a recipe from their blog. This last month I have been stalking Chelsy's blog Mangia . What a fun gal. I love her Friday Link Love--just great links from many blogs. So much inspiration. Chelsy is beautiful and fun. She describes herself as a homebody. She loves to serve others, by taking them treats or just being there for them. She talks about her little sister and her mother and how they love to get together. Chelsy sounds like someone I would like to go to lunch with!
Chelsy's blog is just plain fun! She makes many gluten free dishes but she also has plenty of dishes for everyone. I saw a yummy Cilantro Citrus Slaw that was served with bar-b-que chicken tacos. I've got to make the slaw soon!
 But... Browned Butter won my heart, it is my new favorite flavor! It smells heavenly and makes everything taste delicious. Chelsy had several browned butter cookie recipes, I had to try one! One of my new favorite flavors is browned butter, it smells heavenly and makes anything taste delicious.
I just might have a new favorite cookie recipe--thank you Chelsy!

Browned Butter Toasted Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and browned to about 3/4 C. butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp Pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup toasted coconut (sweetened or unsweetened - you choose)
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (optional--yes I think there is enough going on you don't need the chocolate). Did I just say that??

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  On one baking sheet spread out the shredded coconut.  Toast coconut for about 6 minutes until browned and fragrant. Remove from oven, cool in a small bowl. Toast pecans until fragrant.
 **Please devote your entire attention to the butter browning.  This is NOT the time to multitask!  Do not answer the phone, load the dishwasher, Play Words With Friends etc.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  The butter will begin to foam and crackle as the water evaporates from the butter.  Once the crackling subsides the butter solids will begin to brown.  Keep a close eye on the butter at this time.  You may notice the smell of the butter changing. Once well browned, immediately remove the butter from the pan so it will not continue cooking and burn.  Allow the butter to cool for a few minutes

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment measure sugars. Add the brown butter and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  The mixture may look grainy, it's ok!

Add the egg and egg yolk and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  The mixture should become silky smooth.  Add vanilla and beat.

With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients.  Beat until just incorporated.   Then fold in the toasted coconut, pecans and chocolate chips.  The dough will be thick. My dough was very thick, prpbably from adding extra coconut and nuts. I added a tablespoon of water. I bake a test cookie just to see how it looks.

Spoon by the tablespoons onto the parchment covered baking sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown but still slightly soft in the center.  Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I had some extra dough, I put it in a sprayed mini muffin pan and cooked it for 12-14 minutes.  Perfect little muffins, gooey in the inside. Great with a scoop of ice cream. So many delicious options!

Basic Brownie Mix Cookies

A popular cookbook in the 80's was Make a Mix, it was my bible for a time. I had large, young family and needed to get the most of my time and resources. A Master Mix was the beginning of many tasty dishes. Mexican Meat Mix was and is a family favorite. Basic Brownie Mix was always in my pantry. I used it for brownies, chewy chocolate cookies and a quick gift. Who doesn't love a bag of homemade brownie mix?

Where is all this going??? A young friend wanted my brownie recipe, I told her she needed to be more specific, I have 14 brownie recipes on my blog! She proceed to tell me I taught a class and gave a handout that included a recipe for a 'basic brownie mix'. This recipe is too good not to share.

Basic Brownie Mix

6 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

4 teaspoons salt

8 cups sugar

1 (8 ounce) can unsweetened cocoa powder

Stir ingredients together with a wire whisk. Store in a cool dry place for 10-12 weeks.

Brownies

2 1/4 cups basic brownie mix

1/3 cup melted butter

2 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix together melted butter, beaten eggs and vanilla. Add brownie mix and chopped pecans. Mix together. Spread in a 8x8 inch pan that has been lined with foil and sprayed with Pam with Flour. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool and frost as desired.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

2 1/4 cup basic brownie mix

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup melted butter

2 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup water

Mix together brownie mix, flour and baking soda. Melt butter add eggs, water and vanilla. Add flour mixture. If desired add chopped nuts, mini M&M's or chocolate chips. Using a small scoop put on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

TWD/BWJ Lemon Loaf Cake

Today's Tuesday with Dorie/Baking with Julia is hosted by Michelle who blogs at The Beauty of Life and Truc who blogs at Treats. Check their blogs for the complete recipe. I also saw some amazing cakes and cookies on their blogs, so spend a moment and get to know these bakers.
So...Lemon Loaf Cakes, I made this treat today. The beauty of making something at the last minute is that you can use the advice of many bakers who are not procrastinators.

This cake comes together in five minutes says the instructions. I guess this baker didn't have 4 small children under 5 in their kitchen. But it did come together quickly and in one bowl. I rubbed my lemon zest into my sugar--a trick I learned from Dorie. It smells heavenly and makes me happy. I also added the juice of a lemon to up the lemon flavor. I baked 3 small loaves in my Pampered Chef Mini Loaf Pan. I also made a frosting with a little butter, powdered sugar and lemon juice.
The verdict...delicious! The cake had a tight crumb and was very tender. I think a bit more salt would help and maybe some lemon oil to up the lemon flavor.  Next time I make this I will serve it with a fresh blueberry sauce and whipped cream.