Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

Original recipe found here

• 1 cup  creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup  white sugar
• 1 cup  butter or 1 cup margarine, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon  baking soda
• 1 teaspoon  baking powder
• 1 teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 2 1⁄2cups  flour
• 
  
• Cream butter, peanut butter and both sugars together.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.
• Add baking soda, powder and vanilla.
• Stir in flour.
• Roll into balls, roll in sugar. Flatten cookies, using a fork, in a criss-cross pattern.
• Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes or adjust to suit your oven and size of cookies!

Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Soup

Original recipe found here

Ingredients

• 3 slices smoked bacon
• 1/2 onion small/medium
• 9 oz potatoes
• 9 oz Brussels sprouts
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, possibly a little more
• salt and pepper to taste

To top

• 4 slices smoked bacon bacon, in small slices

Instructions

1. Cut the bacon into slices and put into a pan over a medium heat. Dice the onion and once the fat starts to render from the bacon, add the onion to the pan. Cook, stirring regularly for 2-3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile peel the potatoes and dice. Take the outer layer and ends off the Brussel sprouts and cut in half. Add both to the pan, stir, then cover and reduce heat slightly.
3. Allow the vegetables to sweat for around 10 minutes until the potato is tender to a knifepoint, stirring occasionally. Don't worry if things stick to the bottom of the pan and color a bit, it all adds to the flavor, just don't let them burn.
4. Add the stock, and some salt and pepper to taste to the pan (bear in mind you have bacon in there so you won't need much salt). Cover and bring to a boil then simmer for around 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, put the bacon for the topping in a small skillet/frying pan and cook over a medium heat. Continue to cook until crispy, stirring now and then.
6. Remove the soup pan from the heat and puree the soup in a blender/with an immersion blender.
7. Serve the soup with the crispy bacon on top.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

1 cup cocoa powder

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1) Combine all ingredients well, except powdered sugar. 

2) Cover dough and chill for 2-3 hours (or overnight)

3) Preheat oven to 350*

4) Use medium cookie scoop and drop dough into your hand. Roll into a smooth ball. Coat each bag in powdered sugar before placing on lined cookie sheet.

5) Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let stand on cookie sheet for a couple minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool.


1 1/2 recipe:
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
3 cups white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
6 eggs
3 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

1 cup powdered sugar

--yields 30 large cookies (large cookie scoop--3 TBSP)

Easy Banana Apple Muffins

Original recipe from momscoop.com

Ingredients

3 Ripe bananas smashed
2 medium apples peeled, fine chopped
1/3 c . Melted butter
1 c . Sugar
1 Egg beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 c . all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

-Preheat oven to 350°F
-Mash bananas
-In a large bowl: use a wooden spoon to mix melted butter into bananas
-Add sugar, egg and vanilla. Mix well.
-Stir in baking soda and salt
-Add flour and stir until blended
-Using an apple corer peeler to fine chop 2 medium apples
-Stir apples into mixture
-Place in muffin pan with paper cups
-Bake 25 – 30 minutes
-Cool on rack before storing

Chocolate Banana Bread

Original recipe from simplyrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed, light or dark)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350*
1) Combine all ingredients in order, until combined. 
2) Spray and flour 1 loaf pan
3) Pour batter into loaf pan, and bake for 50-60 minutes, depending on size of loaf pan
4) Let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Chocolate Ricotta Pudding

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 lb Ricotta cheese, whole milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla

-Mix all ingredients together until fully combined.

Chocolate PB No-Bake Cookies

Original recipe found here

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup ALMOND milk

8 TBSP butter

1/4 cup cocoa powder

3 cups quick oats

1 cup creamy OR crunchy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of Kosher salt

-Bring sugar, almond milk, butter, and cocoa powder to a rolling bowl. Let it boil for 3-4 minutes, while whisking.

-Turn off heat, add peanut butter and vanilla, then whisk until peanut butter is melted and fully incorporated. 

-Add oats and stir with a rubber spatula, until oats are covered with chocolate mixture.

-Use any size cookie scoop to drop cookies onto foil or parchment paper. Let cookies cool completely before eating.

Instant Pot Mac & Cheese

recipe found on activehipmama.com

16 oz. box elbow macaroni

3 TBSP butter

2 tsp salt

4 cups water

1 cup heavy cream

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

-Place the macaroni, water, salt, and butter. Set Instant Pot on 4 minutes manual.

-After the Instant Pot runs its course, let the steam out.

-Take off the lid, and set Instant Pot to "Sauteé" setting. Add heavy cream and shredded cheese and stir constantly until cheese is melted.

SOOOOOOOOOO DELICIOUS!!!!!

Mild Taco Seasoning

Recipe from tablespoon.com

1 TBSP chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp kosher salt

-Combine all ingredients into a bowl, mixing well.

-To Use: 

Brown 1 1/2 lbs of ground meat. Drain off any excess fat. Sprinkle with mild taco seasoning and stir well. Add 3/4 cup water and stir. Cook over medium heat until the water is fully absorbed. 

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Original recipe found here

Ingredients

For the bread:
• 3 over-ripe bananas, smashed up
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• dash of salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
For the swirl:
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and four a loaf pan. Mine was 9 x 5, but you could use any sort, I suppose. Just keep a close eye on it in the oven, and adjust the time as needed
2. Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together. sprinkle baking soda and salt around on top of the banana mixture. Then gently stir in flour. Be careful not to over-mix!
3. In a small dish, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tbs cinnamon.
4. Add 1/2 of the batter to the loaf pan and then sprinkle half, or a little more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter, and then sprinkle the leftover cinnamon-sugar on top.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, but remember, if you’re using a different-sized loaf pan, be careful and keep a close eyeball on it!

Easy Guacamole

Original recipe found here

4 avocado, ripe

1 small onion, diced (optional)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ripe tomato, diced

1 lime, juiced

salt & pepper to taste

-Mash avocado, stir in remaining ingredients. Let it chill for a hour or more

**HINT: after you've made the guacamole, put the avocado pits in the same container. This keeps the guac from turning brown!!

Easy French Toast Casserole

Original recipe found here

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 1/2-2 loaves of bread, cut into bite-size pieces (I used whole wheat bread, but I'm confident any type of bread will work!)

4 cups milk

12 eggs

4 tsp Vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

-Preheat oven to 450*, and spray large 10x15 pan

-Heat brown sugar and butter in a pan for about 5-7 minutes, until fully combined and bubbly

-Pour sugar and butter mixture into the 10x15 pan, then layer the chopped bread on top.

-Beat, milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon together in a bowl, then pour mixture over the bread. Move bread around to ensure all the bread is absorbing the liquid. 

-Refrigerate for 1 hour, or longer (even overnight)

-Bake for 30-35 minutes

-Cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Top with real maple syrup and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Tiffany's Apple Bread

2 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup oil

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups + 1 tbsp flour

1 1/2 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

3 cup grated apple

-Cream together sugar, oil eggs, vanilla.  Add remaining ingredients. 

-Grease loaf pans.

-Bake in 3 large loaf pans at 325-350 for 50-60 minutes; or in 5 mini loaf pans at 350 for 40 minutes.  

-Let cool in pans 5 minutes before removing from pans to cool on rack completely. 

Stuffed Meatloaf

Meatloaf:
1-1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 lb of ground mild Italian sausage
1 egg
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Filling:
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup sliced mushrooms, sautéed to release excess water
2 cups sautéed baby spinach
1 tsp minced garlic (opt)

-Spray 9x13 inch pan. Preheat oven to 375*
-Mix all of the meatloaf ingredients together well. Form into a loaf on the sprayed 9x13 inch pan.
-Make a hollow center down the entire length of the meatloaf, shaping the sides to stretch tall, like a canyon.
-Sautee mushrooms, garlic, and spinach using 1-2 TBSP of olive oil until mushrooms are soft and spinach is wilted.
-Sprinkle half of cheese on the bottom of the meatloaf "canyon", put the sautéed mushrooms and spinach on top, then sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
-Pull the long sides up over the meatloaf, sealing the ends together over top of the filling. Make sure all the filling is completely covered!
-Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the meat reaches 160* internally.
-Allow to sit and cool for 10 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to solidify a little bit before serving.

Homemade Mac & Cheese

Recipe from Betty Crocker

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (or any kind of pasta)
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded/cubed cheddar cheese

-Cook macaroni according to box instructions
-Melt butter in frying pan, then add flour and whisk until combined.
-Add the salt, pepper, ground mustard, and Worcestershire sauce and whisk over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
-Add milk, whisking constantly until it comes to a boil. Let boil for one minute.
-Stir in cheese, stirring occasionally until the cheese is melted.
-Stir in cooked and drained pasta. Stir to coat pasta, then serve!