Oatmeal Sour cream triple chocolate chunk cookies

I love cookies... and was looking for something a little different from your normal chocolate chip cookies.... so I developed this recipe... super easy and yummy... you can use whatever chips you like...I used 2 different kinds plus a broken up candy bar **NOTE  (I used a Mr. Goodbar which is chocolate & peanuts) but have used broken up Hershey bars as well.  I put them in the fridge and get them cold then whack the bar in the package on the kitchen counter to break into small pieces but you can chop them up too... or you can use chocolate chunks (they are located next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle)... or chop up leftover candy from valentines day or Halloween perfectly fine... or use peanut butter or butterscotch chips... use what you love....I bake these cookies on a silpat lined cookie sheet but it is not necessary...Enjoy


Oatmeal Sour cream triple chocolate chunk cookies


2/3 cups each, regular white & brown sugar
3/4 cup softened butter or margarine
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups oats (oatmeal uncooked)
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cups each, white & chocolate chips
1 candy bar broken up into small pieces **see NOTE



In large bowl place butter, white sugar & brown sugar.  Cream (mix) with a wooden spoon until combined.  Add remaining ingredients mixing well.  Scoop out & place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes until brown. Remove immediately from cookie sheet on parchment/waxed paper lined countertop. 

Yummy Pot Roast

I so love a good Pot Roast dinner... the aromas throughout the house when this is simmering away in the oven all day are heavenly :)  I like a really flavorful roast beef ... there is nothing worse than a bland, no flavor roast beef that why I don't ever order it out somewhere... usually it is either tough, bland and hard to chew, or falling apart mush with no flavor... neither is good...  I serve this with mashed potatoes (homemade of course) & carrots cooked in the broth... (I usually cook a potato or 2 scrubbed and sliced in quarters placed alongside the broth because with the leftovers I make roast beef hash....)  but it is totally up to you, you can add more potatoes and skip the mashed potatoes made separately... sometimes I also put all the stuff in a Crock-pot and let it cook all day... both ways are great... Enjoy


Yummy Pot Roast

2 stalks celery, washed and ends removed
1 onion, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, smashed and skins removed
1 beef roast
1 package dried onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup water
1 bay leaf
black pepper
1 lb. carrots (either baby or peeled and ends removed whole ones)
**Gravy see NOTE


In large roasting pan place celery arched side down  long ways down the pan about an inch apart (you are making a "rack" with the celery so you need the arched side up to hold the roast up).  Place onions, garlic and bay leaf in pan.  Pour wine & water over vegetables in bottom of pan.  Place roast on the celery.  Sprinkle the roast with the packet of dried onion soup mix and spoon the mushroom soup over the roast covering the dried onion soup mix.  Sprinkle roast with pepper.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 325 for around 2-2 1/2 hours.  Uncover & place carrots around the roast stirring to cover with wine/juice mixture.  Turn oven to 350 & bake for an additional hour or until carrots are done.

To serve remove roast and vegetables to serving platter (discarding celery if desired).


**NOTE ...  Strain juices and make gravy... I usually bring juices to a boil and add 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water stirring until thickened.  Serve over roast & vegetables...

Dorito Taco Bake

I got this recipe years ago from someone I worked with... she brought this to a potluck and it was wonderful... I saw a similiar recipe on Pinterest and it brought back the memory of that so I went to my recipe box and sure enough there it was (on the scrap paper from the business where we worked nonetheless :)  so I had to make it.... but I put my own spin on it like usual... (I can't seem to leave well enough alone..LOL ;) but it got a round of thumbs up from the family... My husband was "mad" about me never making this for him... (just kidding he wasn't mad... and I told him I only ever made this 1 time and it was about 15 years ago and I forgot I had the recipe...)  thinking maybe I should drag out the "old recipe box" and see what other treasures are in there that I have forgotten about.... I used regular cheese Doritos but was thinking what it would taste like with other flavors of chips...ranch, taco flavored or spicy cheese...lots of options but haven't tried them...maybe next time.... My husband likes this with hot sauce & sprinkled with red pepper flakes to kick up the heat... optional as well.... Enjoy


Dorito Taco Bake


1 can seamless Cresent rolls (if you can't find seamless buy the regular ones and just pat them together in the pan)
1 lb. ground chuck
1/2 onion, minced fine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups shredded taco cheese
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1 cup sour cream (additional for serving)
1/4 cup water
3/4 of large bag of cheese Doritos, crunched up small (additional for serving)
 non stick spray
seasonings ( 1/4 tsp each cumin, chili powder & paprika)


In large skillet add ground chuck & onion.  Cook & break until meat is browned, add garlic during last few minutes of browning.  Drain grease if necessary.  Add taco seasoning packet, additional seasonings & water stirring well and bringing to a simmer over medium heat. Turn meat mixture off.  Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 13X9 pan with nonstick spray.  Place cresent rolls in bottom of pan pressing up the sides about a 1/4 inch (remember if using ones with cuts press them together).  Spoon meat mixture in an even layer over uncooked cresent rolls.  By teaspoonfuls over meat mixture drop over sour cream.  With back of spoon spread sour cream in an even layer over meat mixture (if necessary add a few more spoonfuls until completely covered).  Sprinkle cheese evenly over sour cream layer. Crush Doritos and sprinkle in an even layer over cheese.  Bake for 15-18 minutes until cresent rolls are done and casserole is warm.  Remove from oven and cut into squares.  Serve with sour cream on the side and a few extra crushed Doritos on the top  if desired (optional).  Enjoy

Easy Banana Bread

Have you ever heard of Pintrest??? I love this website... It is a place where you pin things that look interesting to you and you create online boards... like for cooking, kids, gardening etc...it is awesome... I have tried making recipes that I have seen on there by various people and they all have been absolutely horrible... I have made like 4-5 things that I have thrown out (which I hate wasting money, ingredients & time like that....)I was like alright if this doesn't turn out I am going to quit cooking off of Pintrest...LOL this has restored my faith in Pinterest recipes...  anyway this recipe is an adaption of one that I saw on there... I took it and put my own spin on it like normal... you too can put what your family likes.... white chocolate or butterscotch chips instead of the chocolate chips... nuts or coconut can be added, remove the chocolate chips and add pineapple... chocolate cake mix instead of the white/yellow.....the varieties are endless...To bake this I used 3 mini loaf pans and 1 regular loaf pan.  I filled them all half full.    Enjoy

Adapted from Pinterest


Easy Banana Bread

1 box white or yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 T. flour
3-4 ripe bananas, mashed


Preheat oven to 350.  Spray pans.  In bowl add the bananas, eggs,sour cream & vanilla mix well with fork.  Add cake mix mixing well.  In small bowl mix chocolate chips & flour stirring to coat chips.  Add chocolate chip mixture to the banana mixture stir well.  Fill the pans 1/2 full and bake as follows:

Mini loaf pans took about 20-25 minutes (start checking them at 20 minutes)
The large loaf pan took about 35-40 minutes (start checking at 35 minutes)

Stick a toothpick in the middle of the pans and check to make sure the center is done.  They should be light golden brown.  Remove from pans after 5 minutes of cooling... Enjoy

Red Beans with Bacon & Kielbasa & Rice

I have so been hungry for Red Beans with bacon & kielbasa.... This is my first attempt to make it from scratch... I usually cheat and doctor up a store bought mix (gasp.. I know...don't tell my family...LOL ) but after researching and looking at my Lousisana cookbooks I thought okay I am making my spin on red beans & rice... I saw some recipes that were completely meatless (umm...not for me thanks I think beans need a little smoky meat flavor) and some that were really spicy...(again I like a little spice but I have small children to feed so that wouldn't work for me, I always say you can add spice but you can't take it away)...so I always have hot sauce and red pepper blend & red pepper flakes on the table to add spiciness to those that like it a little hotter... so that takes me to the vegetables...they were all over the board..peppers (red, yellow, green), onions (green, purple & yellow or white) some added garlic & some didn't (I did)... so mine is a hodpodge of stuff that I like... add what you and your family likes... I used dried red kidney beans (just make sure that before you soak them overnight you check and make sure that their are no stones or rocks in there (my mom always told me to check when you are making beans cause she has found sticks, rocks etc in there from the processing of them good to know mom..thanks :)  also I used a thick slab of bacon and just took the rind off and cut it in  small pieces, but you can use thick sliced bacon cut into pieces, or a couple of smoked ham hocks instead...anything to give it a smoky meaty flavor... In the last 30 minutes of cooking I add a link of sliced pre-cooked Kielbasa and let it simmer.....as for the seasonings.. use what you like..this is just the blend that I liked...Remember to go easy on the salt... Both the bacon & Kielbasa add extra salt... I added extra seasonings then added the Kielbasa & it was way too salty.. I had to add more water to tone it down...  *** NOTE*** I serve this with rice ( I cook mine in stock (broth) to add extra flavor and when it's done I put a tablespoon of butter and an extra pinch of salt to flavor it....but again make it how your family likes it... Add additional water if necessary if the mixture gets too thick and the beans are not tender...I serve this with a big ole piece of cornbread...YUMMY  the house smells amazing when you simmer this for hours... Enjoy

Red Beans with Bacon &  Kielbasa with rice



8-10 cups water (plus up to 2-3 cups more when cooking if mixture gets too thick and beans are not done)
1 package dried red kidney beans, sorted and covered by 2"  with water and soaked overnight, drained
1/2 green pepper, small diced
1 onion, peeled and small diced
1 carrot, peeled and small diced
2 stalks of celery, washed ends removed and small diced
3 cloves of garlic, smashed skins removed
1/3 cup red wine
1 T worchester sauce
3 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 cup  V-8 vegetable juice
1 T bacon grease
1/2 package thick slab bacon piece,small diced (around a cup worth of meat) or 4-5 slices bacon sliced
1 link pre cooked Kielbasa . thinly sliced
couple of dashes of hot sauce

For Serving:
Cooked rice **see NOTE)
Cornbread  (optional)

seasonings of your choice (I used 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp of cajun seasoning blend, Mrs. Dash, seasoned salt, pinch of salt & pepper, dried parsley flakes)


In large soup pot add all of the ingredients (EXCEPT bacon grease, bacon, & Kielbasa and serving ingredients (rice & cornbread)... Stir well.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  In a saute pan, add bacon grease over medium heat add slab bacon or bacon slices stirring very often until lightly browned and cooked.  Add entire contents of pan to beans (NOTE** stand back the hot bacon into the bean mixture will make the the beans splatter and sizzle but will settle down after a minute).  Stir well to incorporate, turn heat down to medium low  and simmer for a couple of hours until beans are tender.   I usually make the rice now.  Add the Kielbasa and simmer for an additional 30 minutes to let flavors combine.  Taste mixture to adjust any seasonings if necessary. Serve mixture over rice and with cornbread... Enjoy

Salmon patties

I am always looking for new ways to add more fish into my diet.... and what better way than yummy salmon patties... using canned salmon makes these super easy to whip up and on the table in no time at all.  Sometimes I saute a little finely minced onion & green pepper in butter & olive oil to add to these but most of the time I don't...they are good either way...I use the small cans of skinless, boneless salmon, drained but you can use just one large can, drained well, just make sure you take any grey skin off & remove the bones as well..... Enjoy


Salmon patties


2 cans salmon, drained  (skinless & boneless kinds) you can find them right next to the canned tuna fish
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (plus more for coating the patties)
1/4 cup each finely diced green pepper & onion, sauteed in olive oil & butter, cooled (optional)
1 T. white wine
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup milk
 3 dashes hot sauce
1 T worchester sauce
seasonings of your choice ( I used garlic & onion powder, parsley flakes & no salt seasoning, a pinch of seasoned salt & pepper)
Oil
Parmesan cheese
Lemon wedges (optional)

In large bowl place all of the ingredients mixing very well with a fork. Place 1/4" of oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Shape salmon mixture into patties & place on a plate.  Sprinkle patties with breadcrumbs on each side.  Place patties in the hot oil and saute until golden brown.  Turn patties over and saute until golden brown on the other side.  Sprinkle patties with a little parmesan cheese while hot and serve with lemon wedges to sprinkle over them.  Enjoy