Grandma Katie's Snickerdoodles

Many of my fondest memories growing up involve being at my Grandma Katie's house. She was, and still is, a very special woman whom we all miss every single day! She always had her front door open and would say hello to the people walking by, she was so full of life and love. She always had fresh baked cookies and soda in her fridge just in case one of her children or many grandchildren stopped in on their way to work or just to chat with her. I wish I still had that option, I wish I could drive to her house just to see how her day has been or if she needed anything from the store.

Needless to say she is a very special woman who touched my life immensely. One of the last times I was at her house, she had just made these cookies and today as I was making them for my family, I kind of felt like she was watching me and I hope I am making her proud in all I am trying to do.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup soft margarine
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 TBS. sugar (for rolling cookies in before baking)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon (for rolling cookies in before baking)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325'

Mix together margarine, sugar, and eggs. Sift together and stir in; flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Roll into balls the size of small walnuts and roll in sugar mixture (I found using a small cookie scope and dropping into sugar mixture worked easier!). Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper). Bake 8-10 minutes. (Recipe also states that you can chill the dough overnight if you want, I did not, but you can if you want lol)

These cookies puff up at first, and then flatten out. They are so soft and yummy!!! All my son could do was say "mmmmMmmmmMmmmmmm" as he was taking bite after bite!!!

(Proud to say they tasted just like Grandma Katie's too!)

No Bake Cookies

These are always a favorite no matter the crowd!!! I love making these for my family, so quick and simple!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3 cups oatmeal

DIRECTIONS:

Put brown sugar, white sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine into a medium sauce pan, bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla, peanut butter, and oatmeal. Stir until peanut butter is mixed thoroughly then drop by the spoonful onto wax paper, allow cookies to set up.

Enjoy, and remember to TRY to save some for the kids... and maybe your guy, I know it’s hard!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

So what do you make for a guy who doesn't like Tuna or mushrooms... yet you are hungry for noodle casserole??? Well, THIS is what you make! Chicken noodle casserole! I must say it turned out pretty tasty for being a last minute recipe. Best part? My 10 year old who thru a fit and DID NOT want casserole for supper actually liked it (along with my guy and my mom) and he even went out for another serving!

(No pictures this time sorry, next time we make it I will post a pic for you guys!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used 3 small cans of canned chicken, next time I will do more possibly 4 or 5 or just get the big can!) 
• 16 ounces egg noodles
• 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of celery because my guy and son aren't fond of mushrooms) 
• 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
• 1 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
• 1/2 cup butter

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350' F.
Poach the chicken in a large pot of simmering water. Cook until no longer pink in center, about 12 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. Bring chicken cooking water to a boil and cook the pasta in it. Drain. Shred or dice the chicken and mix it with the noodles. (or open your cans and drain the juice)
In a separate bowl, mix together the mushroom soup (or celery soup), chicken soup, and sour cream. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Gently stir together the cream soup mixture with the chicken and noodle mixture. Place in a 2-quart baking dish.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan or the microwave. Stir in the crumbled crackers and sprinkle atop the casserole. Bake for about 30 minutes, until heated through and browned on top.


(for the link to the site I originally found this recipe, click here.)

Oven Fried Chicken

(Didn't take any pictures of this one sorry, I will next time we make it!)


INGREDIENTS:

• 3 to 4 pounds chicken parts
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine

DIRECTIONS:

Directions for oven fried chicken recipe
Preheat oven to 425°.
Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels. In a pie pan, combine flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with the flour mixture.

Put butter in a shallow baking pan; place in oven to melt. When butter is melted, arrange chicken in the baking pan in a single layer, skin side down. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes; turn and bake 15 minutes longer, or until chicken is tender and done. Oven fried chicken recipe serves 4.

For the original site I found this recipe, click here.

Mini Taco Salad Bowls

Again thanks to Pinterest, I found these mini taco salad things. they looked intriguing so after discussing and trying to explain them to my family. My guy and I went on a shopping trip to get all the fixings for tacos.... and Won ton wrappers (just so you know they are in the produce area by the tofu stuff).

Mini taco salads without additional toppings

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. ground hamburger
• 1 pkg. shredded cheese (we used taco flavored)
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning
• 1 pkg. Won ton wrappers
• any additional toppings you may want to add!

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350',

Brown hamburger on stove, drain, and add taco seasoning.

Place a Won ton wrapper in each 'muffin hole', bake for about 5 minutes so the bottoms have a chance to get crispy. Remove muffin tin from oven (make sure you use a hot pad!!)

Place about a spoonful of hamburger in each Won ton wrapper, sprinkle with shredded cheese, place back in oven until cheese is melted (about 5-8 minutes).

Once again remove the muffin tin from oven (using hot pad!). Remove the mini taco salad bowls from muffin tin and top with your favorite taco toppings!!!

Have fun and enjoy!

and..... with all the fixin's 

(for the link to the site I originally found this recipe click here.)

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies!

So thanks to Pinterest I found these cookies, so I had to Google and search for the recipe (I had not yet figured out to just click the photo lol). They looked so yummy even tho I am not what you would call an 'Oreo lover', I figured everyone on my family was, so I ventured and made them. They were HUGE and went FAST!

(yes I could only fit 6 on a tray and they ended up touching each other!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLE ® TOLL HOUSE® Milk Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 pkg. Oreo cookies

DIRECTIONS:

Oreo stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie!

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie.  Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo cookie.  Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo cookie is enclosed with dough.  Place onto a parchment and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.



Makes about 2 dozen VERY LARGE cookies.


(for the link to the site I originally found this recipe, click here)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies with a Reese center!

Once again Pinterest has gotten the best of my curiosity and I was forced to try another recipe!

 This one is so versatile! You can use store bought cookie dough, or you can make your own. You can use chocolate chip, peanut butter, sugar cookie, or even a chocolate drop cookie! Same goes with the brownie portion, you can use regular chocolate, turtle, or any flavor you prefer really! Again with the surprise center, you can use a Reese, Rolo, Hershey square, Crunch... it really just depends on what you want!! Obviously the directions will be slightly different if you use store bought dough rather than making your own, all you would do is put a spoonful of cookie dough in the bottom of your cupcake liner, place candy of choice on top of that then add brownie mixture on top of that. Baking directions would be the same tho. I am including my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (Nestle Tollhouse Milk chocolate chip) just in case you feel froggy and would rather do it that way. I cheated the first time and used bought peanut butter dough. These are delicious and will go fast, you will more than likely be begged to make them again so you will have plenty of chances to experiment! Just have fun and get creative, maybe even get the kids involved!!!

(one row showing each step)
NOTE: I do not suggest filling as full as I did... These were hard as crap to get out... good, but they grew kind of large!

INGREDIENTS: (for chocolate chip cookie dough):

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLE ® TOLL HOUSE® Milk Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

PREPARE BROWNIE MIX AS DIRECTED ON BOX!!!!!!

Preheat oven to 350'
Put cupcake liners in a muffin tin, put spoonful of cookie dough in the bottom of the liner, place candy of choice on top, then fill 3/4 of the way full with brownie mix, bake for 15-18 minutes, let cool and enjoy!

(what a finished one looks like!)
Yes, you WILL need that glass of milk that is pictured in the back ground!!

(for the link to the original site I found this recipe click here.)