Celebrating A Delicious Food - National Peanut Butter Day

Yesterday was National Peanut Butter Day. Yes, I know I'm a day late, but in my defense I didn't discover this wonderful holiday until late in the day and by then I was already baking two kinds of delicious donuts and getting ready for some girl time later in the evening. But, actually, according to punchbowl.com January 24th is, and since I didn't get that memo and some sources say it was yesterday I seem to have missed it all the way around.

In honor, I thought I'd wax poetic about my love for peanut butter. Okay, not really because let's be honest, if I tried that it would just be scary for all of us. But, I do seriously love peanut butter. I'm the girl who will eat it straight from the jar with a spoon. I'll dip pretzels in it, smear it on some saltine crackers, add it to a smoothie. I'll even go healthy and eat it on apples. Crunchy or creamy doesn't matter too much, although if I have a choose I choose creamy every time. And, I'm not a fan of the thinner natural peanut butters, nope give me the thick and smooth stuff with all the added sugar and probably a few ingredients I don't know how to pronounce. A few of my favorite recipes that I have shared in the past can be found here, here, and here. The only way I can think of that I won't eat peanut butter is in savory dishes. I know some people totally disagree with me, and that's okay, I respect that, but for me, peanut butter is not meant to be included in my main course.

If I had to choose my favorite way to get my peanut butter fix it would be paired with chocolate. Whether combined in a cookie, mixed up in a no-bake pie or as part of some kind of candy I don't care, just give me the two together. It's no secret that I have a massive sweet tooth and Reese's Cups are quite possibly my favorite candy. It's also no secret that I like to try to make things from scratch, if for no other reason than to prove that I can. I have made my share of faux Reese's Cups over the years, but my absolute favorite chocolate and peanut butter concoction to make is Real Deal Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars aka Reese's Cup Bars. I don't know the original source, but the recipe was given to me by a friend whose dad makes them. From the first taste I was in love. They are simple if a bit messy to make, but well worth it. The only downside to these amazing bars are that you have to wait atleast an hour after making to cut into them because they have to chill. That hour feels like days to me! Not to mention, once I cut into them it's pretty hard not to eat one every time I enter the kitchen.

Once chilled you can store these little bits of heaven at room temperature or in the fridge. If you store them at room temp they will get pretty soft. I prefer storing them in the fridge, but then again, I just prefer my peanut butter cups crunchy and cold anyway. So, clearly it's just a matter of choice. If you have never eaten them cold give it a try, I swear it's amazing!

As for the photo, can I rant about that for a second please? As I said, I was baking donuts yesterday so this photo is from a little while back, and I don't love it. Do you ever take photos and then you either accidentally delete them or can't remember where the heck you saved them? Yeah, that would be me right about now. If you remember the computer crises a few weeks back you'll understand why I know the photos aren't saved to my hard drive. But, I always back photos up to flashdrives or cd's and I can't find the photos on either. Oh well, atleast I found one photo so that I could share these babies.

Real Deal Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
aka Reese's Cup Bars
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
3 cups confectioner's sugar
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1. Pour melted butter into a 9x13 inch glass pan, stir in graham cracker crumbs. Add peanut butter and confectioner's sugar, and mix until completely incorporated. Press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and remaining 1/2 cup of peanut butter. Stir occasionally until completely melted and mixture is combined. Pour on top of peanut butter filling mixture, and smooth evenly. Chill in the refrigerator atleast one hour before cutting into squares.
Note: A great trick I use is to place the pan I am making the bars in over the large burner on the stovetop and turn the heat to medium, toss your 2 sticks of butter, cubed into the dish and stir it around til it's melted. When the butter is melted turn the heat off and proceed with the recipe as instructed. This way saves me from dirtying up another dish and the pan is warm so the other ingredients are easier to incorporate. And when cutting these I like using a bench scraper. That's my little trick when cutting any kind of bars. I just mash that baby down into them and get straight cuts and perfectly square bars everytime.

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Fit Fare: Baked Squash & Zucchini Coins

Like many cooks and fellow bloggers, I do a lot of blog browsing, and with all the wonderful blogs out there I'm constantly stumbling onto great new ideas and tempting recipes. With all those food blogs comes the discovery of many new recipes and the reminder of quite a few others that I already know and love, but maybe let fall to the back of my mind from time to time. One of those temporarily forgotten recipes is for a super healthy side dish called Baked Squash & Zucchini Coins. My original source for the recipe is Janet Is Hungry. I can't recall how I found her blog, but the recipe immediately caught my eye.

I love, capital L-O-V-E zucchini, and being the southern squash loving girl that I am, I thought this recipe would work perfectly with crookneck squash, another one of my favorites. For as long as I can remember fried squash has been one of my very favorite foods, but being that it's FRIED I try to look for healthier ways to enjoy one of my favorite veggies. So, when I found this recipe it seemed like the perfect concept. I simplified the recipe a little, using store-bought breadcrumbs and added a dash of Montreal seasoning. I've made the recipe twice and the first time around I loved it, but Mr. Picky Eater had a minor complaint and a few suggestions. He didn't care for the seasoning, saying the inclusion of sage in the spice blend made it taste like "Thanksgiving". "What's wrong with that???" I ask! Mr. PE's suggestion? "Next time I think it would be better if you just breaded them in plain cornmeal." So that's what I did, but take my word for it, you should not, not, not use just cornmeal. Unless of course you want your zucchini and squash to taste like uncooked cornmeal. Yeah, not a good flavor, but at the last minute we stuck them under the broiler so they weren't a total loss. From here on out, it's breadcrumbs all the way in this recipe for me.

Baked Squash & Zucchini Coins

1/2 plain breadcrumbs
Montreal seasoning to taste, or salt and pepper if preferred
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 egg
olive oil

1. Mix breadcrumbs and seasoning on a plate.

2. Beat egg in a small bowl.

3. Slice zucchini and squash into 1/4" thick coins.

4. Dip zucchini and squash into egg and then into breadcrumb mixture.

5. Coat a parchment lined cookie sheet with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Arrange zucchini and squash coins on cookie sheet and back at 425 for about 10 minutes per side, until golden brown.

I think it would probably work well to put the dry mixture in a ziplock bag and once the veggies are coated in the egg toss them into the bag and give it a good shake to coat, but I haven't tried this yet so I can't say for sure. If you give it a try before I do let me know how it works.

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Snowy Days & Snow Cream

If you're a southerner you know snow days are few and far between. When one comes along it's a pretty big deal. If the white stuff falls on a weekday schools are almost guaranteed to shutdown along with many businesses and the grocery stores will be packed. Here in Charlotte some areas got a very minor sprinkling several weeks ago, but here at our house we saw next to nothing. Today has been a different story. I didn't know until last night snow was even in the forecast and being that yesterday was very warm for February I brushed it off as highly unlikely. I awoke this morning to a light sprinkle that lasted off and on through most of the afternoon, but never accumulated. So, I went about my business, headed out late this afternoon to run an errand and grab dinner, and was told while we were out that the snow would hit in twenty minutes. My thought? Yeah, right!

Sure enough, headed to dinner about ten minutes later and we spotted a few flakes mixed with a sprinkling of rain that turned to a total white out less than 5 minutes later. I prefer to have visibility while in a moving automobile, so we stopped at a drive-through for take out and before we could get home, not even ten minutes later, the ground was covered.

My babies are some very happy dogs tonight, especially my Millie girl, she's an active wild woman anyway, but she hit the yard running when she discovered the snow. My black girl came in white from rooting around and kicking up so much snow. I don't expect we'll have enough snow to build any snowmen or have any snowball fights, not that I would, but I think we have just enough to pretty up the trees for a little while. Hopefully, this pretty white stuff won't melt and re-freeze leaving us with tons of ice. The melting and refreezing to ice is the whole reason I dread snow. Not to mention I hate being cold, but I'll stop right there before I start to complain.

One thing I remember fondly from snow days as a little girl is Snow Cream. It was a rare thing, but such a fun treat, and it's so easy to make. I haven't made any this snowfall, but thought I'd share the "recipe" with you in case it's something you've never heard of or just aren't sure how to make. It is ridiculously easy to make and so good. There aren't really exact measurements, atleast there never were around our house. Just remember to add your liquid gradually and it should be the consistency of ice cream, not slush.

Snow Cream

a large bowl of clean white snow (no yellow snow, yuck!)
milk
vanilla extract
granulated sugar

Add a small amount of milk to the bowl of snow, starting with a few tablespoons. Gently stir, add more milk gradually until you reach almost ice cream consistency.
Add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, more or less to suit your taste and depending on the amount of snow you are using.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, more or less to taste (I would go with more since I have a major sweet tooth.) Gently stir to combine.
Serve immediately, or if yours has gotten a little runny put it in the freezer for a bit to get to the ice cream consistency.

If you don't snow you can also used shaved ice to make Snow Cream, so if you have one of those fun snow cone makers, break it out and shave some ice! And, I have seen chocolate and strawberry flavored Snow Cream, although I have tried neither, but if plain of vanilla isn't your thing visit my trusty friend google and give either flavor a search. Let me know which flavor you try and what you think of it.

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Make Your Own Take-Out - Sweet & Sour Chicken

I love Chinese food, but wouldn't say that I have varied tastes when it comes time to order take-out. Unless I'm at a Chinese buffet, which is rare, I tend to eat the same few things: Seasame Chicken, Fried Rice, occasionally Lo Mein, and Mr. Picky Eater's favorite Sweet & Sour Chicken. I enjoy an eggroll from time to time too, but typically I can take those of leave them. If I do eat eggrolls, duck sauce is a must for dipping. That little bit of sweetness just does it for me.

It's not a frequent meal at our house, but I love doing what I call "MYOT" (Make Your Own Take-Out) Chinese for dinner from time to time. Occasionally I'll do Teriyaki Chicken or Beef, but usually I go with Sweet & Sour Chicken. I've tried a number or variations on the sauce, everything from the stuff in a bottle to the packet of powdered stuff you mix with vinegar and soy sauce. I've seen quite a few different ways to do baked Sweet & Sour chicken, with plenty of rave reviews, so I decided to give it a try, with my own spin, of course. Based on the recipes I've found, the chicken is typically breaded and fried before being covered in sauce and baked. And, although I know when I order it in any Chinese restaurant it's always breaded and fried, which is decadent and fantastic, I decided to skip the mess of frying and make it healthier in the process. My way has no fat, other than what is in the boneless skinless chicken, which we all know is minimal.

Of course, I'm sure the fried and then baked versions are amazing, but my version is pretty darn great too, if I do say so myself. I can't decide if the best part is the awesome flavor or knowing that I can eat a plate full and not feel guilty that I've just consumed way more fat grams in one sitting than I should in an entire day. When comparing sauce recipes I saw everything from 3/4 to 1 1/2 cups of sugar. I decided to go with 1 cup, and that was a tad sweet, but I love adding soy sauce to mine after the fact so the added sweetness worked out fine for me. If you don't typically add soy sauce to your meal after it's plated up or you aren't a big fan of sweet I would cut the sugar back to 3/4 cup.

This would be great served with fried rice, but since I didn't plan ahead or have any leftover steamed rice in the fridge I served it with plain ol' white rice. When I make Sweet & Sour Chicken in the skillet I always stir-fry some veggies and add those in, but since this version is baked in the oven I added some carrots, green peas and broccoli to the rice cooker while I was steaming my rice. If you don't have a rice cooker or opt to steam your rice on the stove it should work just as well to add the veggies that way too. I added the carrots when I started the rice, then added the peas and broccoli in the last 5 minutes of cooking so they would remain a bit crunchy.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50-60 minutes

Total time: 60-70 minutes

Yield: 5-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 to 1 cup (depending on desired sweetness granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To make the sauce add all ingredients except chicken to a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. Rinse and pat chicken breasts dry. Cut into approximately 1 1/2 inch cubes and add to 8 inch square baking dish.
4. Pour sauce mixture over chicken cubes, stir so that all chicken is completely coated with sauce.
5. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Stir every 15-20 minutes while baking.
6. Serve over steamed white rice or fried rice.

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Super Simple Ways To Use Rotisserie Chicken

I rarely buy Rotisserie Chicken, but when I do I remember how delicious and how much of a time saver it is. Recuperating from last weeks flu I haven't really been in the cooking mood this week beyond easy, almost effortless meals. That along with a huge bowl of my delicious rice cooker Mexican Rice sitting in the fridge sparked my desire for a Rotisserie Chicken. Y'all remember the super easy Mexican Rice I told you about a while back right? It's pretty spot on with what you find in many Mexican restaurants and I absolutely love the stuff!

But, I'm getting a little off track talking about the amazing Mexican Rice. There are a ton of ways to use a Rotisserie Chicken and depending on how many mouths you feed one may very well last you for several meals. Since I'm only feeding two mouths, and occasionally a five pound Poodle, when he's being stubborn at breakfast (yes I have TWO Mr. Picky Eaters to feed!) a Rotisserie Chicken will usually last us a good 4-5 meals, so I look for creative and simple ways to use one. My favorite way meal with Rotisserie Chicken is shredded chicken burritos or tacos. The meal can be on the table in a matter of minutes, it's totally satisfying and has a nice fresh flavor with the lettuce, the salsa and yum, the sour cream!

An obvious use is Chicken Salad, which I love, but haven't managed to get the flavors just perfect for our tastes yet, so I don't have a recipe to share, sorry! Wraps, salads, chicken noodle soup, barbecue chicken pizza, those are all simple ways to use up that chicken. I went to Pinterest real quick and typed Rotisserie Chicken in the search and came up with tons of pins that give multiple uses, such as:

"10 ways to use a store-bought rotisserie chicken"
"24 ideas for Rotisserie Chicken" (all Betty Crocker recipes)
"52 uses for a Rotisserie Chicken"

And, as I was rummaging through the fridge yesterday looking for lunch I remembered a simple sandwich my Dad aka Mr. Picky Eater would sometimes make for me when I was a little girl. It was his version of a Chicken Melt, and was totally simple but delicious and satisfying. His version used canned cooked chicken, mayo and a slice of American cheese. I changed it up a little and used some Rotisserie Chicken, mayo and Extra Sharp Cheddar. It's so simple I can't even really consider it a recipe, but it's a sandwich I found myself craving again today.

How To:

For one sandwich toast two slices of bread in the toaster, then slather one piece of bread with mayo to suit your taste(both slices if you like lots of mayo). Top one slice of bread with a generous amount of warmed shredded chicken, and follow that with a generous amount thinly sliced cheese of your choice - my favorite is Extra Sharp Cheddar (or you could grate the cheese). Place the chicken and cheese topped slice of bread in the oven under the broiler and heat until the cheese is completely melted. Make sure to keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn. Remove from oven and top with the other slice of bread.
If you have chicken salad on hand that would work great in place of the mayo and shredded chicken. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

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Sweet Snackin' - Churro Chex

I'm a sucker for pretty much anything cinnamon related. Chances are when a recipe calls for cinnamon I double the amount, and have yet to say, "Whoa, I added a little too much!" Naturally, with my love of cinnamon I'm a huge fan of churros. Being in the south we don't find many around these parts, but I have occasionally been known to call one lunch while shopping at Costco. The snackbar has the most amazing HUGE churros, they're warm, soft and chewy and covered, I mean covered in cinnamon sugar.

I've seen a lot of recipes in the last year made with cinnamon chips, and have searched high and low with no luck. Finally, not too long ago I found them at Wal-Mart and grabbed up a bag without a second though. Since I have only found them in the one store and I think my Wal-Mart only stocks them seasonally I have since stocked up and have a few bags to last me until next fall.

I also have a bit of an obsession with Chex mix, no particular variety. Well, there are some that I don't find appetizing, but there are plenty of sweet and savory varieties that tempt me. So, I figured pairing my love of cinnamon with my Chex mix obsession was the perfect idea. I found a couple versions on Pinterest, one seemed to use way more cinnamon chips than I thought wise, so I opted for the other, a recipe from babble.com. I've found some really tempting recipes there, so if you've never been check em out y'all.

The recipe was super simple, and the only cooking required was a little time in the microwave to melt the cinnamon chips. This is a recipe that is better after it's had a little time to sit so the Chex have dried a little and aren't gooey, but I couldn't resist so I had some immediately and they tasted great, gooey and all. I knew I would likely be the only one eating them so I cut the batch in half, but the recipe below is the full batch version.

Churro Chex is great eaten solo, but I found that my favorite way to eat them was with vanilla greek yogurt. Does that sound weird? I love granola in my yogurt so I thought I'd give it a try and I found it to be a great snack, and fairly healthy to boot! Give these a try and let me know what you think. And, please, please don't hold the not so great, bordering on horrible photos (especially that first one) on these yummy little gems, it's really not their fault. All mine, and the dark gloom day.

Churro Chex

Ingredients

• 9 cups corn or rice chex (The original calls for rice, but I used corn which was great.)
• 1 cup cinnamon baking chips
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cooking Directions

1. In a small microwavable bowl, microwave cinnamon chips and butter for 1 minute; stir until smooth.
2. Microwave about 30 seconds longer if needed.
3. Drizzle mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.
4. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, sugar, and cinnamon.
5. Toss the coated Chex cereal into the sugar mixture.
6. Spread on a piece of wax paper until cooled.

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A Look Back - Eggnog Pie

Ever think you have a great idea, but due to poor planning or unforeseen circumstances things go horribly wrong, or at the very least just turn out to be a flop? Yeah, I tend to have that happen too. But, more often, I have moments where I think that's going to happen and things turn out okay. This Christmas Eve's dessert was a perfect example.

It has become a family tradition that I spend Christmas Eve with a little piece of my small extended family - my aunt Trish, her husband and my two favorite kiddos, my cousins, their son and daughter. Trish and I each make a few dishes apiece for the meal, and as with every event I am a part of, I bring dessert. Since the main mouth I feed other than my own is Mr. Picky Eater who is not much of a sweets eater I usually take our Christmas Eve dinner as a chance to try out a new dessert recipe. Last year was Eggnog Cheesecake which was amazing!

This year I see-sawed between Gingerbread Cheesecake and Eggnog Pie, so I took to Pinterest for a little inspiration. I decided on the Eggnog Pie, as you probably already guessed, and I found a few inspiring recipes. Since it is Eggnog, I wanted a custardy pie, but when it came down to it, I had a good bit of other cooking to do so I wanted to skip anything with eggs that was an actual custard and would require considerable cooking time. I found one recipe that involved a few minutes of cooking, but pretty much just needed a few hours to chill. Then I found another recipe that was two layers, required no cooking, but a container of Cool Whip, which I realized I didn't have to spare because I needed it for another recipe (which I will share soon).

Anyway, long story short, I planned on doing the cooked version, but due to unclear instructions I didn't realize until after I had done the grocery shopping and refused to go back out that the pudding it called for was probably not supposed be the instant kind. With that said, I decided to wing it and hope for the best. I admit, I was a bit nervous, but it turned out great. Both kids went back for seconds with my favorite boy claiming it was "Really good!" and my silly favorite girl claiming, "It's okay, I just want the crust." Trust me, the way that girl was eating that pie, she liked more than just the crust.

If you're an Eggnog fan with some leftover from Christmas give this pie a try, I bet you'll love it. Or, if you're all out of Eggnog, save the recipe for next year. It's too easy and too delicious to pass up. And, if you're interested in checking out the other Eggnog Pie recipes that caught my eye check out my Edible Christmas Pinterest board, they're all there.

No-Bake Eggnog Pie

Ingredients

• 1 9 inch prebaked pie crust, cooled (store-bought works fine)
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat)
• 2 packages (4 servings each) instant vanilla pudding
• 2 cups eggnog
• 1 1/4 cup milk

Cooking Directions

1. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together softened cream cheese and pudding mix, until smooth and cream cheese no longer has any lumps.
2. Add eggnog and milk, beat until completely combined into a smooth mixture.
3. Pour into cooled, pre-bake pie crust. Cover surface of pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate for atleast 3 hours.
4. Sprinkle with nutmeg and/or top with whipped cream if desired.

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Merry Christmas! Let's Recap

Merry Christmas y'all! I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday, filled with lots of love, family and good food. I certainly have! Christmas Eve was wonderful, followed by a fantastic Christmas day. Both days were spent in the company of wonderful family. I have to admit, the days leading up were extremely busy and at times pretty hectic, but it was the wonderful kind of busy and hectic. My days were filled with the usual mommy duties, as well as baking goodies, lots of grocery shopping, buying gifts and then wrapping. And, let me tell you, the wrapping? I don't know what it was about this year, but I made myself look like a total amateur, and I always thought I was pretty decent in the gift wrapping department. Granted, I can't make a bow to save my life, but I figured I was handy with a roll of wrapping paper. This year, not so much! Almost every box I measured wrong or cut too much off the end and had to cover up bare spots. I was so embarrassed! Thankfully, no one seemed to notice, and if they did they were kind enough not to call me out on it.

Atleast I didn't mess up the food though right? I was a little worried about one dish though, and dessert at that. We all know that's the most important part of the meal right? No? Well, maybe that's just my sweet tooth talking. No matter how you feel about dessert, I'm happy to report, the dessert turned out wonderfully and got rave reviews. I even had a picky eating teenage boy come back for seconds and a ten year old picky girl who claimed it to be, "Okay", but was scarfing it down like nobody's business, so I'm thinking she liked it more than she wanted to admit. But, more on that later.

Now, let's do a little 12 Days of Christmas Baking recap shall we? I thought for anyone who is visiting for the first time or even if you've been following along and maybe you've missed a day in the series somewhere along the way a recap would be the easiest way to see all the Christmas goodies I've been sharing lately. Plus, I won't lie, I wanted to make a cute little collage, and this was as good an excuse as any!

(The photos go left to right on each row.)

1. Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodles - Day 1
2. Spicy Gingersnaps - Day 2
3. Eggnog Cookies - Day 3
4. Coconut Biscotti - Day 4
5. Gingerbread - Day 5
6. Spinach Pinwheels - Day 6
7. Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing - Day 7
8. Cake Truffles - Day 8
9. Peanut Butter Cup Cookies - Day 9
10. Easiest Peanut Butter Fudge - Day 10
11. Spicy Sausage Balls - Day 11
12. Cinnamon Sugar Scones - Day 12

Stay tuned for the reveal of my nerve-racking dessert that turned out to be a success, as well as my mashed potato casserole recipe I tried out on Mr. Picky Eater. Plus, a few more tried and true recipes that I absolutely love, including my Nana's traditional Christmas cake that I've put my own spin on.

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 11 Spicy Sausage Balls

Well, I'm doing a little happy dance because the Christmas shopping is officially done. I ended up ordering a few things online today (Yes, last minute I know!) because I couldn't find the styles I wanted at the big box store and I wanted to avoid high prices and a major crowd at the mall. Now, let's hope everything arrives by the predicted Christmas Eve.

I decided to come home from my shopping this afternoon and celebrate with one of my family's holiday favorites Spicy Sausage Balls. They have been a holiday staple ever since I can remember. In fact, my earliest memory of eating and loving sausage balls was when I was about three or four years old. I remember eating them cold for breakfast, which to this day is my favorite way to eat them. There's something about eating them cold, it seems to bring out the spice of the sausage and the sharpness of the cheddar.

Sausage Balls are a pretty popular Christmastime goodies it seems because I see the recipe everywhere. For years I followed the basic recipe as it was given to me, but I've learned that I could adapt it a little and still have the same great will balls or crispy, spicy, cheesy goodness. Spicy sausage and extra sharp cheddar cheese are an absolute must. I have tasted them with regular sausage and regular or sharp cheddar and they don't have the same bold flavor.

The changes I have made are in the amount of Bisquick, and believe it or not, the amount of cheese. I always found that using the amounts in the original recipe left me with a bit of both in the bottom of the bowl that didn't mix in, so I have cut back on both and the flavor is identical. I start with 2 1/2 cups of Bisquick and depending on the brand of sausage I may need the whole 3 cups. I don't have a brand of sausage I swear by, so I use whatever is on sale. Some brands are a little stickier than others and require more Bisquick. The end mixture should not be sticky, so if you find that 2 1/2 cups leaves you with a sticky mixture add gradually, but I have never needed more than 3 cups. Another thing I changed was the baking temperature. I upped it to 350 degrees from 300 degrees. The Spicy Sausage Balls bake at about the same rate, they just get a little crispier on the outside which my family likes. If you don't want the outsides crispy stick with 300 degrees.

Now, go back up a batch and dig in! Then come back and let me know what you think.

Spicy Sausage Balls

Yield: approximately 45

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (up to 3 cups as needed) Bisquick, or other similar baking mix
• 16 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 16 ounces spicy sausage

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix (I suggest using your hands.) until ingredients are completely incorporated and mixture is no longer sticky.
3. Roll into golf ball sized balls.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until they start to brown slightly.
5. Using a spatula transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess grease.
6. Store in the refrigerator.

Note: Store-brand baking mix works fine too, just make sure it is a baking mix similar to Bisquick. Low-fat Bisquick works just the same as the regular in this recipe, so feel free to use that if that is your preference. Also, I do not recommend using pre-shredded cheese. It has anti-clumping ingredients added in that keep it from melting as well as block cheese.

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 10 The Easiest Peanut Butter Fudge Ever!

I know, I know fudge isn't baked, therefore it doesn't technically fall into the Christmas baking category, but it's so good, you'll overlook that minor detail right? Fudge is definitely popular at Christmas and makes an awesome homemade gift if the recipient has a sweet tooth.

I happen to have a massive sweet tooth if you can't tell based on the recipes I've shared so far. I am also a major peanut butter lover. Seriously, I can eat the stuff straight out of the jar with a spoon. I'll take it smooth or chunky, but my preference is smooth, especially in cookies or fudge.

Chocolate ranks pretty high on my list of sweet favorites, but when it comes to fudge I'll take peanut butter over plain chocolate any day. This peanut butter fudge recipe definitely lives up to its name. You melt the butter, mix a couple other ingredients in, boil for a few minutes then add the rest. No candy thermometer or crazy preciseness required. Just measure your ingredients accurately, boil for the full amount of time and you've got a fool-proof fudge anyone will swear took tons of effort. I guarantee it or your money back! Okay, I was kidding on the money back thing, so don't email me asking for a refund on your ingredients please. But I do promise it tastes amazing!

Easiest Peanut Butter Fudge

1/2 cup butter
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over confectioners sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth; pour into an 8×8 inch dish lined with tinfoil and buttered. Chill until firm and cut into squares.

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12 Days of Christmas Baking - Day 6 Spinach Pinwheels

Many of us do a good bit of entertaining between Thanksgiving and New Year's, whether we're hosting a cookie swap party or just have friends and family who drop by unexpectedly. Because of that, I think it's not a bad idea to have an arsenal of easy to prepare appetizer recipes at the ready. Even better when those appetizers require minimal ingredients and result in something tasty that your guests will love. One such appetizer for me is Spinach Pinwheels, which are super easy and contain two of my favorite ingredients crescent rolls and spinach. I will admit that I have never eaten spinach plain, unless you count eating it raw in a salad or on a wrap, but I love it in lasagna, spinach dip and of course Spinach Pinwheels.

I was in a rush to get these packed up and headed out the door when I snapped this photo, so please excuse the lack of presentation. Presented on a pretty platter or not, these things are yummy little bits of goodness. I can't decide which scores more points, the taste or the fact that they only require three ingredients. I have only made these a handful of times, and always when I was having folks over or needed something to take to a potluck. Never have I been disappointed in the responses when I serve these. So, do you need a quick and easy appetizer to serve at your upcoming Christmas party? Or maybe you're even thinking ahead already to New Year's Eve, if so, you're doing better than me. Whatever the reason, I urge you to whip up a batch of these little guys and enjoy!

And if you're looking for a sweet treat to serve and are pressed for time, don't have room in the oven or just want to try something different I highly recommend No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies, as they're known in my family Boiled Oatmeal Cookies. You may remember I shared the recipe a while back, but if you missed it you can find it here. They are an absolute Christmas tradition for our family, and in fact, the only thing my Picky Eater requests during my baking frenzy.

Spinach Pinwheels

A simple and delicious appetizer perfect for any occasion.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10-12 minutes

Total time: 25-30 minutes

Yield: 30 pinwheels

Ingredients

• 2 (8 oz) packages Crescent Rolls
• 1 (7 oz) package garlic herb cheese spread
• 1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Split crescent dough in half along center perforation. Flatten one rectangle, sealing perforations.
3. Spread with 1/4 of the cheese spread and sprinkle with spinach.
4. Starting with long side, roll dough up, rolling back and forth several times to seal edges.
5. Cut into 3/4 inch slices (about 15 slices per roll). Arrange the slices one inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Continue making the crescent roll ups until all of the ingredients are used.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve immediately or keep warm on a warming tray.

Note: You can substitute garlic and herb cream cheese for the cheese spread. Or, feel free to switch it up and use any flavor cheese spread or cream cheese you like.

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Ole Ole - Rice Cooker Mexican Rice

Yesterday I shared with you my recipe for Taco Pie and hinted at my love for restaurant style Mexican rice. I have tried unsuccessfully to recreate it at home, and although none of the recipes I've tried have been inedible, they just haven't hit the mark. Usually they've been too saucy or too strong on the tomato flavor. The rice I love has a sprinkling of corn and diced yellow onions with a faintly reddish orange color, and is definitely not saucy in the least. So, I decided to do a little experimenting and as luck would have it I hit it pretty close to the mark my first go round.

I originally planned to make some white rice in my rice cooker and figured while I was at it, I'd add a few other ingredients and hope for the best. Not only did it turn out to be enjoyable, I found myself craving the leftovers for lunch a few days later. I had a little bit of the black beans leftover that I dished up with the Taco Pie, so I drained and rinsed those and added them to the rice before reheating and discovered a wonderful, light and healthy meatless lunch idea.

From Roots And Renovations

Rice Cooker Mexican Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
• 2 1/4 cup water
• half small yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup canned or frozen cooked corn
• 1/3 cup salsa
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cooking Directions

1. Add all ingredients to rice cooker, stir.
2. Close lid, and turn on. Depending on the rice cooker you will either push the on button or select the white rice setting.
3. Cook according to the long grain white rice instructions included with your rice cooker, stirring occasionally.
4. Once cooked, serve immediately or turn the rice cooker to the warm setting and leave covered, stirring occasionally.

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Mexican Monday - Taco Pie

Around here we love Mexican food. The flavors are robust yet simple, and just so fresh. Even though we love it, we don't eat it frequently and when we do we keep it simple, tacos, nachos, black beans, and occasionally I'll make quesadillas, or enchiladas. Those last two are rarities though because Picky Eater isn't a huge fan of flour tortillas. Me? I love 'em! I'll eat them straight from the package, or slathered with some Land O Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter, which by the way is AMAZING!

From Roots And Renovations

Recently, I had a craving for Mexican so I decided to make Taco Pie, a super easy casserole style Mexican dish, with one of my favorite ingredients, crescent rolls! The base of this dish is a pre-baked crescent roll layer topped with taco seasoned ground beef and some other goodies. I've been making this dish for a while, and have adapted the original recipe to suit our tastes. I think my kicked up version is even better if I do say so myself.

This recipe can easily be modified to suit your family's tastes, or even doubled to feed a larger family than my little one. I haven't tried this with anything other than ground beef, but I'm sure it would be great with shredded chicken as well.

From Roots And Renovations

When I go to a Mexican restaurant one of my favorite parts of the meal is the rice, and I've tried several different recipes in an attempt to have the same deliciousness at home. I've never had any complete failures, but no recipe I've tried has come close until now! I have finally come up with my own version of restaurant style Mexican rice, and it's super easy. Stay tuned tomorrow for my Rice Cooker Restaurant Style Mexican Rice!

Taco Pie

Ingredients

• 1 tube (8 count) Crescent Rolls
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 (1 oz) package taco seasoning
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
• 1/2 can mexicorn, drained
• 2 cups crushed tortilla chips
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or Mexican cheese blend

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray 9x9 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and lay crescent dough flat on bottom of pan. Bake according to package directions.
3. Brown ground beef over medium high heat. Drain grease and return to skillet. Add taco seasoning package and cook according to packet directions.
4. When crescent dough is fully pour meat mixture over top, and spread evenly.
5. Layer remaining ingredients in the following order: diced tomatoes with green chiles, mexicorn, crushed tortilla chips, followed by shredded cheese.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. or until cheese is melted.
7. Optional: top with sour cream and shredded lettace

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Warm Your Bones, Satisfying Soup - Chunky Potato Soup

From Roots And Renovations

I have probably said this before and I will probably say it again, I am not, absolutely not a fan of cold weather. Have you heard of seasonal affective disorder, also sometimes known as the winter blues? Yeah, I think I have that. No seriously, I sometimes wonder if I really do have that. I even looked up the symptoms, and while I don't suffer the classic symptoms: oversleeping, overeating, decreased appetite, when the weather falls below 70 and the days are mostly gray and dreary I get the blahs.

I don't claim to live a terribly exciting life, and for the most part, season to season my routine doesn't change much. But, once the temperature dips life seems to get boring, which is probably because I like to stay inside where it's warm and I guess you could say I start to withdraw a bit. There are few things I enjoy about the fall and winter months. I do enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas, most especially the baking and eating associated with the two. As I've mentioned previously, I enjoy all things pumpkin spice. Another thing I enjoy is making soup, which of course you can do year round, but it just seems so much better and more enjoyable when the weather is cool enough that you need a stick to your bones, warm you up meal.

With Mr. Picky Eater to feed I tend to stick with a few tried and true soups: vegetable beef, chili (with beans of course), chicken noodle vegetable and beef stew. I like trying different things and occasionally, I can get him to go along and every once in a while he will even admit to enjoying my experiments. One such experiment was my recent creation, Chunky Potato Soup. I've tried several different recipes in the past and although none were a disaster they weren't anything I was dying to make again. After looking at quite a few different recipes for inspiration I came up with my own simple and hearty version that will satisfy even a picky eater.

The verdict is that this soup is definitely worth making again. Unfortunately, I'm afraid my photo doesn't do it justice. Sorry about that!

Chunky Potato Soup

Recipe by Ms. Roots and Renovations

A hearty, chunky potato soup perfect for a cool day. Minimal effort with satisfying result, to warm your bones and fill your belly.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Yield: 3 generous servings or if serving with a salad or sandwich 6 small servings

Ingredients

• 1/4-1/2 medium yellow onion (adjust amount to suit your taste)
• 1/2 package (16 oz) frozen hashbrowns (such as Ore Ida)
• 16 oz chicken broth (vegetable broth would work too)
• 1 1/4 cup milk (preferrably 2% or whole) or mixture of milk & half and half
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I prefer extra sharp cheddar)

Cooking Directions

1. Saute diced onion in butter/margarine until translucent.
2. In microwave, thaw hashbrowns about 1 minute, then pour into a colander and rinse with warm water (to remove any ice chunks/freezer fur).
3. Add rinsed hashbrowns and broth to sauteed onions. Bring to simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
4. Add milk or mixture of milk and half and half to pot, heat over medium, until hot, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Once hot, add crumbled bacon and grated cheese, stir until cheese is completely melted into soup.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve immediately, topping with additional crumbled bacon, grated cheese, and sliced green onions if desired.

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Showing Support and Serving Up Comfort Food - Deviled Eggs

I'm writing this with our neighbors in the Northeast, the victims of Hurricane Sandy, in mind. Food bloggers around the country have set aside today as our day to honor and support those who have been suffering and enduring the craziness of Hurricane Sandy.

My aunt and uncle planned a quick little get away to NYC last weekend, and despite the aftereffects of Hurricane Sandy they went anyway. I am sure they saw a lot of upset and things that were still not back in order for the Big Apple, but in hearing their recap of the trip it sounds like much of the city has bounced back and gotten on their feet again relatively well. But, looks can be deceiving, and when it comes to the aftermath and rebuilding from a hurricane I speak from experience. I was 8 years old when Hurricane Hugo took a very unexpected turn and hit my hometown of Charlotte on September 22, 1989. To say we were shocked and unprepared is an understatement. The entire city ground to a halt. We were hit in the middle of the night and miraculously my little body slept through the entire thing. I awoke to find we had no power, no running water because we used a well, trees were downed all around our house, including on one of our cars. At the time, we lived in a heavily wooded area on a gravel road and literally had to cut our way out to civilization. We experienced gas shortages, and long waits for groceries, much like the victims of Hurricane Sandy have had to endure. And because we lived on a little gravel road we were without power and running water for 14 days.

The experience was scary and surreal, but nothing compared to what some have endured at Hurricane Sandy's wrath. I thank the Lord we didn't experience flooding and no snowstorm or incredibly cold weather as we picked up the pieces. There are still many people without power, without homes and worst of all, dealing with the tragic loss of loved ones. There are victims that are in need of so much right now, and since I can do nothing else, I pay tribute, send out positive thoughts and well wishes.

I am not only honoring the victims of Hurricane Sandy, but I'm honoring my Dad aka my Picky Eater with this comfort food recipe. I will shamelessly admit I'm a daddy's girl and he is the best man a girl could ever call Daddy. He is the one person who has always been with me through thick and thin, he's been my rock and my voice of reason, giving me strength through so many tough times, and believe me I've had many. Haven't we all? He raised me all by himself, not because he had to, but because he chose to. Those who know me, I mean really truly know me, know most of my life has been "a long story", one crazy chapter after another. Through all the crazy, often complicated chapters Big Bad Dad is the one person who has always been there, living the wonderful and the challenging right along with me.

One of our favorite foods, a food that I have always associated with holidays and family get togethers, is Deviled Eggs. I can make a dozen and between the two of us somehow they disappear within a day or so. We have an amusing and ongoing disagreement when it comes to deviled eggs though. I say sweet pickle cubes are a must in deviled eggs, but to quote his paraphrasing of Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry: "Nobody, but nobody puts pickles in deviled eggs."

So for you deviled egg eaters out there I ask you, sweet pickles or no?



Deviled Eggs

6 hard boiled eggs
3 Tbsp mayo
1 good squirt yellow mustard
a splash vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp sweet pickle cubes (optional)

How to hardboil eggs:

Lay the eggs in the pan and add enough cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Set over high heat and bring just to the boil; remove from heat, cover the pan,and let sit exactly 17 minutes.

When the time is up, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice cubes and water. Chill for 2 minutes.

Or try the baked method for hard boiled eggs.

After you have hardboiled and cooled your eggs, peel and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and set whites aside. Using a fork mash yolks into until there are no lumps. Add mayo and mustard. Blend with fork until well combined and smooth. Add a splash of vinegar and salt and pepper to taste, and pickle cubes if using. Put yolk mixture into a re-sealable plastic bag, using scissors, snip a small corner off and pipe even amounts of yolk mixture into egg whites. Store deviled egg in refrigerator.

Follow hashtag #FBS4Sandy to see everyone's posts in support of the cause.

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Baked Chocolate Donuts For National Donut Day

From Roots And Renovations

Monday morning I discovered that November 5th is National Donut Day, so I was inspired to break out my adorable little Sunbeam Donut Maker and get to baking. As a food lover I think all these National such and such days are pretty cool. They're just a fun and guilt-free excuse to eat some of your favorite foods. After all, if it's a national holiday the fat and calories don't count right?

From Roots And Renovations

My Big Bad Dad gave me my donut maker for my birthday this year and I love it. I was born and raised in the land of the best donuts EVER aka Krispy Kreme and although Krispy Kreme donuts these are not, they're still pretty darn good, and don't induce nearly the amount of guilt. And, thankfully they don't have that melt in your mouth quality that Krispy Kremes do because let me tell you, I could eat about six of their glazed donuts and not bat an eye. Actually, I think I have done that. Fortuntely it was a one time thing or I'd be wider than the Hot and Now sign we Krispy Kreme fans love to see all lit up in the window as we're driving by.

So, back to these donuts I made. They are made with cake mix, which makes them super easy, and they take about 5-7 minutes to make. I when I was first discovering the joys of my donut maker I figured there had to be a recipe out there that used a shortcut such as cake mix so I googled it and sure enough, I found a recipe at Cookie & Cups. The original recipe is for double glazed funfetti donuts and uses a donut pan, so I changed it up slightly. Also, I haven't tried the double glazed method yet, I dip mine in melted candy coating, also known as candy bark. Both chocolate and vanilla candy bark are equally tasty with the chocolate donuts. This go round I used vanilla because I had some leftover from another creation.

From Roots And Renovations

If you aren't familiar with candy bark, you can either find it in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips or in a craft store, such as Michael's. It should be with the cake decorating goodies. When I buy it in the craft store in comes in a bag, but in the grocery store I always find it in a cellophane wrapped trays. If you're using the kind in the bag, start out with about half the bag. Pour it into a microwave safe bowl and heat at 30 second intervals until melted completely, stirring in between. The bark that is packaged in the trays comes in cubes that are about the size of two ice cubes. If you're using the cubes, I recommend starting out with three to four cubes and follow the same heating directions. If the bark starts to harden before you are finished dipping all your donuts don't worry, just pop it back in the microwave. Remember to heat in 30 second intervals and stir frequently.

I like to use the candy bark as opposed to chocolate or white chocolate chips because it's pretty much fool-proof and not nearly as likely to seize up the way that chocolate or white chocolate will if you aren't careful. Plus, the stuff always hardens like it's supposed to.

Easy Baked Devil's Food Donuts

Delicious, super easy and healthy baked donuts using a donut maker.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5-7 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Yield: 18 donuts

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups Devil's Food cake mix
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• cooking spray

Cooking Directions

1. Whisk together buttermilk and eggs.
2. Pour into a medium bowl with cake mix and melted butter.
3. Stir vigorously until all ingredients are completely incorporated.
4. Spray preheated donut maker with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Spoon batter into each donut mold, careful not to overfill. Batter should just fill each mold, even to the top of the mold. (Make sure that you do not overflow into the center of each mold.)
6. Bake for 5-7 minutes.
7. Remove to cooling rack and repeat with remaining batter.

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Nutella Hot Chocolate - Sinfully Simple!

Now that the weather has started to turn down and we have the heat on all day, I'm craving hot chocolate. There is just something about the sweet, chocolatey drink that soothes me when the temperature dips below 65 degrees, which by my standards is cold weather.

I will confess to taking the easy way out and grabbing a packet of Swiss Miss out of the pantry from time to time. Usually when I do that I atleast doctor it up a bit by adding a generous splash of flavored creamer or a bit of half and half, and in a pinch it's a satisfying drink, but as a girl who loves to do things homemade and spends a huge amount of time in the kitchen those little packets just don't cut it sometimes. For years I've been using Hershey's Hot Cocoa recipe, which can be found on the cocoa powder container, and while it is good, I wanted to try something different today. I decided to try making hot chocolate with Nutella. The stuff is flat out delicious, is it not? My preferred methods for eating Nutella are either straight out of the jar with a spoon or on pretzels. The sweet with the salty, the smooth and creamy with the crunchy is excellent.

From Roots And Renovations

I've made cupcakes with Nutella swirled in, brownies, I've even added it to my smoothies on occasion, so I figured it would work great with hot chocolate too, and I was right! Since it was just me I made a single serving in the microwave, and it could not have been easier. I wanted to amp up the chocolate factor so I added a generous teaspoon of cocoa powder, but if you're not a chocoholic you can skip it. And because I've got a major sweet tooth I added a little sugar, but again, that's totally optional.

And what about those super cute little bitty marshmallows? Don't you just love those? I stumbled upon them in the baking aisle at Target and snagged them for less than $1. For that price I couldn't pass them up and knew I'd find ways to use them. So far I've only used them in my hot chocolate and I've also sprinkled them on top of some chocolate covered donuts I made a while back. On the back of the container I found a recipe for Hot Cocoa Cookies by Christi from Love From The Oven. Although I don't know her personally, I have seen her recipes on Pinterest and visited her site a few times. I always think it's cool and get a little excited to see another blogger mentioned in the media, or on the back on my marshmallow container!

Nutella Hot Chocolate

Recipe by Ms. Roots and Renovations

An easy and delicious single serving microwaved hot chocolate recipe with the wonderful flavor of Nutella.

Prep time: 30 seconds

Cook time: 1-1.5 minutes

Total time: 2 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 2 heaping teaspoons nutella
• 1 heaping teaspoon cocoa powder
• sugar to taste, optional
• mini marshmallows, for garnish

Cooking Directions

1. Microwave milk for 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds.
2. Add nutella, cocoa powder and sugar (if desired) to a microwave safe mug, then pour in warmed milk.
3. Stir until all ingredients are dissolved into milk. Microwave an additional 30 seconds or until desired temperature.
4. Top with mini marshmallows if desired.

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A Family Tradition: No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Growing up I could always tell when it was getting close to Christmas because my Nana would whip up a batch or two of her famous No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies. They are outta this world and not like anything else I've ever tasted. I would venture to say that many people reading this probably have never had a cookie quite like this. They're BOILED not baked. Yup, you read that right, they're boiled! They are totally simple, with just a handful of everyday ingredients, things that you probably already have in your kitchen. This is a very unassuming, unsophisticated cookie, but gosh I could eat myself sick with these babies. And yanno what?? Tummy ache and all I would still be the happiest girl you've ever seen, they are that delicious!

The cookies contain no flour, the base is peanut butter and oatmeal, and seems extremely simple, but I won't lie, you either have the knack for making these or you don't. If you do count yourself blessed and know that it really is simple.

I've always been the baker in my family and I tried for years and years to make these cookies, usually failing miserably. They would always taste wonderful, but the consistency was wrong, they just wouldn't set up and you'd end up eating them with a spoon. It's totally unexplainable, the same ingredients, the same cooking time, except it seemed like the magic was missing. A few years ago though, I finally beat my struggles & knock on wood I got the hang of it. I've had a batch or two since then that stayed more soft, eat em with a spoon than should be, but usually they harden into those delicious little cookies I remember from my childhood.

So I challenge you, no better yet I encourage you to try these cookies out & let me know how you do. I would love to know if you enjoy these cookies as much as my family does. Around here we're split down the middle in regards to the addition of cocoa powder. They're great either way and no changes are needed if you want them sans chocolate.

Boiled Cookies

2 c sugar

1 stick butter/margarine

1/4 c cocoa powder(optional)

1/2 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c peanut butter, chunky or smooth

2 1/2 c oatmeal

Mix and boil sugar, butter/margarine, cocoa & milk for 1 minute. Remove from heat, add vanilla, peanut butter, oatmeal & nuts. Mix well. Spoon by spoonfuls onto wax paper.

*Work quickly as mixture will start to thicken in a hurry.

I've tried both quick-cook and old fashioned oatmeal with these cookies and been sucessful & unsucessful with both. So I guess it's a toss up. I used old fashioned this year.

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