Choco-Peanute Butter-Brickle Cookies

I bought a new cookbook at a book fair last week. It's called "Eagle Brand: Simple 1-2-3". The first recipe in the book is kind of a everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of recipe. They are pretty good and they are the fluffiest cookie I've ever made.

Choco-Peanut Butter-Brickle Cookies

1 (14-oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 eggs

1 teaspon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup toffee bits

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat sweetend condensed milk, peanut butter, eggs and vanilla until well blended.

2. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to peanut butter mixture; beat until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee bits. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.

3. Bake 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on a baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool.

Make 3 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 12 minutes

P.S. - the dough is very good!

Ham 'n' Cheese Pasta

Velveeta isn't my favorite, but since I tend to be a more picky eater than others I can see how normal people would enjoy this dish so I thought I would share it.

Ham 'n' Cheese Pasta8 oz. uncooked pasta shells
1 lb. process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbs. ketchup
1 Tbs. horseradish
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 pkg. (8 oz.) frozen peas, thawed
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Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine cheese and milk. Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes; stir. Heat 1-2 minutes longer or until smooth, stirring twice. Stir in ketchup and horseradish until blended.
Drain pasta and place in a bowl. Stir in the ham, peas and cheese sauce. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

I was cleaning out cupboards the other day trying to get ready for our upcoming yard sale (I'm am still not so ready!). I have tons and tons (and tons and tons) of cookbooks so I've been going through them trying to decide which ones I can part with. Seriously, I don't know why I keep buying cook books; I have my favorite and I stick with them. I've had some cook books since we married 8 years ago and I still haven't used them.

Anyways, back to my story. I found this recipe on an index card that I haven't seen for years. I was just going to throw it away, but decided to try it one more time. We forgot how much we enjoyed it. It was so good, so good that it is blog worthy. I added a few things and I am going include them here, but feel free to make it according to your taste.

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie
1 lb. ground beef
1 can tomato soup
onion
mushrooms
peppers
olives
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup Bisquick mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
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Brown meat & onion. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate with tomato soup, mushrooms, peppers and olives. Sprinkle with cheese. Stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes.

Calzone

Here's another family favorite!


Calzone
Bread Dough
Cheese
Pepperoni
Canadian Bacon
Sausage
Peppers
Mushrooms
Pineapple
Additional pizza toppings
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Make bread dough according to the recipe located HERE. When bread has risen to double it's size, punch down and split into balls about 2-3 inches in diameter and roll out into 8-inch rounds. Divide felling equally on dough rounds. Fold in half and pinch edges together. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes. Serve with marinara or pizza sauce.

When I make these I like to make a full patch of bread dough and split it in half. I make two loaves of bread and then use the remaining dough to make Calzones. It makes about a dozen. Go nuts with the toppings. I love to pile pineapple and peppers and cheese on mine.

My mom makes it a quicker way. She buys the Rhodes frozen bread loaves. Let them thaw and rise. Then you roll the dough out flat and build the calzone. Then on each side cut the edges in about an inch and do about an inch long in strips. Then you braid the edges together to wrap it all together. After it has cooked and cooled, just slice it into slices. It is definitely the quicker way, but I like to make the individual ones. I think they aren't quite as messy.

Colorful Rice Cripsy Squares

Here is something to try different next time you make rice crispy squares.

Colorful Rice Crispy Squares
1 sack marshmallows
1 cube butter
6 cups Fruity Pebbles Cereal
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Melt butter and marshmallows. Remove from heat and mix in the Fruity Pebbles Cereal. Spread into a well greased pan.

Sweet & Tangy Sauce

Sometimes I find it hard to be married to a man who LOVES steak. He wants it all the time, and I just don't seem to care for it. But every now and then I get on board and eat it with him. When I do, I make this sauce to go with it.

Sweet & Tangy Sauce
1 can tomato soup
1 Tbs. packed brown sugar
2 Tbs. vinegar
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
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In a pan combine the first four ingredients. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve over pork chops or steak with mashed potatoes or rice.

Chocolate Mug Cake

A few nights ago instead of making Hot Fudge Cake I thought I'd try this instead.

Chocolate Mug Cake
1 Coffee Mug
4 Tbs. sugar
1 egg
3 Tbs. oil
Small splash of vanilla
4 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. baking cocoa
3 Tbs. milk
3 Tbs. chocolate chips (opt.)
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Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix well. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool and tip onto a plate if desired.

Yes, it did raise and just a little little spilled over, but it was pretty good. It really made enough that we could just share one.

Hot Fudge Cake

As the cake cook, it rises and the chocolate sauce sinks to the bottom. It really is delish.

Hot Fudge Cake
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs. baking cocoa
2 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
4 Tbs. baking cocoa
1 3/4 cup water
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Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa & baking powder. Add the milk, oil & vanilla. Pour into a 9-inch pan. Mix brown sugar & cocoa. Sprinkle over the cake mixture. Pour water over the cake. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

This is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE meal of all. If I was told to choose my last meal before dying, this would be it.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs
2 lbs. hamburger
1 lb. sausage
1 lg. onion, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 canister bread crumbs
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
SAUCE:
4 cups chunked pineapple, drained and reserve the juice
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 cups browns sugar
1 cup reserved pineapple juice
4 Tbs. soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
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For the meatballs: mix ingredients. Form into meatballs. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes.
For the sauce: Combine all ingredients. Heat to a boil. Simmer. Thicken with cornstarch.
Serve meatballs over rice and cover with sauce.

Just a few random things about when I make this recipe.
*Last time we made them we put the peppers into the meatballs instead of the sauce, but next time we will put it back in the sauce.
*I also get lazy and don't measure the pineapple and juice. I just buy a large can and pour it in.
*I always double the meatballs and then freeze half of them for later.
*A few days later I make spaghetti with and either have the meatballs on the side, or chunk the meatballs up and mix them in the sauce.
*These are also great sliced up for sandwiches.

Homemade Bread (and scones)

I LOVE this recipe! It's my mother in-laws bread recipe. I also use it when I make scones.

Bread

4 cups scalded milk (lukewarm)

3 Tablespoons dry yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water and 3 teaspoons sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

6 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup oil

12-15 cups bread flour

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Mix milk and yeast mixture. Add sugar, eggs, salt and half the flour until the batter is smooth. Add oil and rest of flour. Mix well until forms a smooth ball. Let rest in bowl for 1 hour or until doubles in size. Divide into 4 loaves and put into greased loaf pans. Let rise until double its size. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes.

To make scones just divide out into little pieces and fry the scones. When I make scones I use the recipe for 2 loaves of bread and then the rest for scones. And actually, usually when I just make bread, I cut the recipe in half and just make two loaves.