No Bake Cookies

  I like to bake.  I am not a great baker by any means but I love to dabble in the baking world.  It makes me happy and it also entertains Mr T for a bit as well.  I have to have recipes to follow, I am by no means creative in the kitchen!

  I didn't grow up helping mom in the kitchen, instead I grew up outside with Dad.  I helped feed cattle, fence, hay, weld in the shop, move cattle, work with the horses and whatever else needed done - outside.  When I went to college, I had to learn to wash my own clothes (however most weekends, I was back on the ranch and washed them at home), and cook a little.  I lived in the dorms, so most meals were taken care of for me but I did learn to make Mac N Cheese and poached eggs in the Microwave to survive.  Then I realized that I had friends that could cook!  So, I did the smart thing and trade out cafeteria dorm food lunches for home cooked suppers!  It was amazing :)

  What's all of this got to do with No Bake Cookies?  Well, I am encouraging Mr T to help me out in the kitchen whenever he can so he learns to fend for himself earlier in life than I did!

Here is how he helps me out now:

A little stirring action (don't mind the mess in the background).

Official spoon licker aka test taster!

    Here is the recipe for the No-Bake Cookies that we love!

No Bake Cookies
*1/2 Cup Butter
*2 Cups White Sugar
*1/2 Cup Milk
*3 Tblsp Cocoa
*1 Tsp Vanilla
*3 Cups Quick Cooking Oats
*2/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

-In a Saucepan, bring butter, sugar, milk and cocoa to a boil for a minute (make sure they come to a full boil   and then set the timer for one full minute - keep whisking!)
-Pull it off the stove and immediately add the peanut butter, vanilla and oats.
-Stir well and drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper.
-Let Cool.

*Note - we keep these in the freezer for treats.  The guys loved them frozen and then they last a little longer around here.

Pinterest Inspiration - Recipe

  Today, my Pinterest Inspiration is a recipe.  I am battling a cold and feel like a truck has run me over, so this will be short!

The cast of Characters....or ingredients for Cake Mix Cookie Bars!

Ingredients:
  1 box Yellow Cake Mix
  1 small box instant Vanilla Pudding
  1/4 Cup Water
  3/4 Cup Oil
  2 Eggs
  1 Cup Chocolate chips (or m&ms, or Peanut Butter Chips or a mix of all)

Directions:
  Preheat over to 350, spray a 9 *13 pan.
  Combine cake mix, pudding, water, oil, eggs & chips into a medium sized bowl.
  Pour the thick batter into greased baking dish.
  Bake bars for 20-30 minutes.

Ready for the oven!

  I forgot to take any pictures after these bars finished baking. They were devoured rather fast by Hubby and Mr T.  Hubby thought they were outstanding....I thought that they were so-so.  I did like the fast and easy preparation though!  I will keep the recipe in my recipe book for future use.

  Here is the link to the recipe on Pinterest....Cake Mix Cookie Bars...Enjoy!

Have a Blessed Day!
~C

Recipe - Flan Cake

  This cake takes a special pan to make it in.  I got the recipe from my MIL and then had to search Amazon to find a pan.  This is my Hubby's ultimate favorite cake and it is what he requests on his birthday.  I like to make it when we just have a few people over for a meal, since it makes enough to serve about 6 people (depending on how you slice it). 

Flan Cake - A little slice of goodness!

Recipe - Flan Cake
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Milk
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Eggs
1 cups Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt

Preparation:
 *In Saucepan scald the milk, add butter.
 *In large bowl beat the eggs till light yellow in color. 
*Add sugar and vanilla beating till light and fluffy. 
*Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; then fold into egg mixture with hot milk mixture.
 *Pour batter into greased and floured FLAN PAN.
 *Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until cake tests done.  Cool 5 minutes and turn onto plate. 
*Fill as desired and Enjoy!!! 

**We prefer Vanilla Pudding but it is also tasty with Butterscotch Pudding;  then we add Whipped Topping on top that!

The bottom side of the Flan Pan

Inside of Flan Pan

Flan Cake aftter it's been turned out of the flan pan.

Filled with Vanilla Pudding

Recipe - Lemon Poppyseed Bread



  This is one of Hubby's favorite recipe that his mom makes for him.  Since we have moved away from Hub's parents, I have tried to do more baking that includes Hubby's favorite recipe.  I really do appreciate MIL letting me have access to her database of recipes.  This particular recipe is super easy and it doesn't matter that I don't really like to eat it because Hubby can eat two loaves in two days!!

 



  Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Ingredients:
1 Lemon Cake Mix
1 pkg Lemon Instant Pudding
4 Eggs
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Oil

Preparation:
Mix all together and add 1/4 cup dry poppy seed. 
Put into greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean).

Enjoy!
~C~

Cheesy Sloppy Joes (My Version)

  Last night, I made a new version of sloppy joes for my family to try.  I like the ease of making sloppy joes for those nights when I need something quick or I need to feed several extra people fairly fast.  But, Hubby has never been fond of the Sloppy Joes that I make and I have tried several recipes.  Last night, we had a breakthrough!!!  I have found/created a recipe that when Hubby took a bite, he said "this is actually amazingly good".  Whew!  Success!

The original recipe ingredients are these:

1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 Medium Onion
1 (10 3/4 oz) Can of Cheddar Cheese Soup
2 Tbsp Ketchup
Salt and Pepper to taste

Here's how I made it.

1 lb of Ground Beef browned with 1/2 of Medium Onion cut up.
 Drained the grease off and added 1 can of Cheddar Cheese Soup and 3 Tbsp of Ketchup, plus 1 tsp of Worechestershire Sauce and then salt and pepper to taste. 

Browning the hamburger and onions.

Cheesy Sloppy Joes

  Super easy to make, Mr T enjoyed along with Hubby so this will go on our menu rotation list especially for these late nights of haying season!!!

Have a Blessed Day!
~C~

Prison Bars Recipe

Sheath Cake (aka Prison Bars)

This is a tasty recipe from Mother-In-Law.  This would be Hubby's favorite bar recipe. There is a frosting that goes with it, that I will add on this post but we prefer it without.

Prision Bars

Steps to Preparation:
Step 1:  Bring to a boil:  1 Cup Margarine, 4 tsp Cocoa and 1 Cup Cold Water

Step 2: Remove from the burner and cool, then add: 2 Cups White Sugar, 2 Eggs (beaten well) and 1 tsp Vanilla.

Step 3:  Add to that mixture:  2 Cups Flour and 1/2 tsp Salt.

Step 4:  Lastly add:  1/2 Buttermilk (or Sour Milk - see hint below) and 1 tsp Baking Soda.

Beat well and pour into a greased and floured cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. 

Frosting:
Bring to a boil:  1 stick of margarine, 2 Tbsp Cocoa and 5 Tbsp Milk.
Put 4 cups Powdered Sugar in bowl, 1 tsp Vanilla and the above mixture. 
Beat well and spread on bars immediately after removing them from oven.

Hints:
*Sour Milk =  1 cup milk plus 1 Tbsp Vinegar or Lemmon Juice (let the mixture sit together before adding to your recipe to get a better 'sour milk').
*I use a 13*18 inch jelly roll pan and it's a little too big, makes the batter thinner in the pan which dries them out some and you need to cook for less time.  I recommend a small pan.
*Make sure that you cover them tightly not long after letting them cool for a bit, adds some moisture back to them.

Valentine's Day Meal with Recipes

  I haven't posted any new recipes in a long time so I thought that I would add a couple today.

  Our household doesn't do anything special for Valentine's Day, it is my belief that if it takes a Special Holiday to remind each other that you love each other....then maybe it's not true love.  What about the other 364 days, you don't have to do anything special for each other on those days?!?!?  That is when it counts and means the most....not when the calender says "Today is the day I have to go buy something expensive for my Significant Other".  That's just my view on the day, I am not trying to say that you shouldn't do or buy something special for each other.  To each their own, I say and if they are happy - then I am happy!!! 

  I do usually try to make something special for Hubby since we choose not to go out with all of the couples to over crowded eating establishments.  This year, I just pulled together a few of our favorite things that I try to keep on hand which worked out good since I haven't been to the grocery store in 10 days!!! 

  We had for supper:  Ham, Frog Eye Salad, Peas, Biscuits and Apple Crisp.  The Apple Crisp was a stab at a new recipe and turned out delicious!

Frog Eye Salad (the easy way)

Frog Eye Salad
Ingredients:
* 1/2 of a box of Acini De Pepe pasta
*8 oz Cool Whip
*1 Small box French Vanilla or White Chocolate Instant Pudding
*1 or 2 small cans of Mandarin Oranges

Preparation:
Make pasta according to directions on box, cool.  Then mix all of the other ingredients together with pasta, chill.

Apple Crisp - Had to taste it first to see if it was good - it was!

Apple Crisp
Ingredients:
*4 Apples
* 1/2 Cup Flour
*1/2 Cup Oatmeal
*3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
*1/3 Softened Butter
*Cinnamon (however much you would like to use)

Preparation:
Slice up the 4 apples and put in greased 8*8 pan.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together  and crumble mixture over the apples.  Bake at 375 til Golden.  I think I baked mine about 25 minutes, but my oven never cooks the same twice!

Have a Blessed Day!
~C~