Joanna Gaines Silo Cookies

(Haven't tried yet)

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups rolled oats
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1½ cups peanut butter chips
½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until well incorporated.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add the flour mixture to the mixer and beat until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low, add the oats, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and walnuts and beat until incorporated, 15 to 20 seconds.

4. Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto one of the prepared baking sheets, placing the scoops side by side. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

5. Baking in batches, and leaving the dough balls in the refrigerator until needed, set the dough balls 3 inches apart on the second prepared baking sheet and bake until browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Makes 18 cookies.

Carmelitas

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 cup old fashioned oats (not instant)
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
*35 caramel squares, unwrapped
*1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips or chunks 

*I just used a bag of Werther's Soft Caramels.  There were about 22 in the package.  I used a little less cream since I didn't do all the caramel.  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. 
2. In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 90 seconds.
3. Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
4. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, optional pinch salt, and stir until combined. Mixture will be quite thick.
5. Add half of the mixture to the prepared pan (just eyeball it), and smooth it with spatula or the back of a spoon, to create an even, smooth, flat layer; set remainder aside.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. While it bakes, make the caramel sauce.
7. In a small microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine the caramels, cream, and heat on high power in 60-second bursts to melt caramels, stirring after each burst. It will likely take about 4 to 5 minutes total to melt; heat until mixture can be stirred smooth. 
8. Optionally stir in up to 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste, for salted caramel sauce; set sauce aside.
9. After 10 minutes, remove pan from the oven and evenly sprinkle with the chocolate.
10. Slowly and evenly pour caramel sauce over the chocolate.
11. Evenly crumble reserved oatmeal-brown sugar mixture over the top.
12. Return pan to oven and bake for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and center is bubbling slightly.
13. Allow bars to cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving, giving the molten caramel time to firm up. This can take up to 4 hours, or overnight, at room temperature. You can speed it up by placing pan in fridge with a sheet of foil over the top to prevent fridge smells.

Strawberry Danish Shortcake

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix plus whatever needed. OR 1 box angel food cake.
• 1 pint whipping cream (or 1 large cool whip)
• 1 pkg. 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 16 oz. pkg fresh strawberries 
• 1 pkg. strawberry danish dessert

Instructions

1. Bake cake according to directions on box, in a jelly roll pan for about 20 min. Let cool.
2. Whip whipping cream and add 1/2 c powdered sugar or mix together cool whip with 1/2 c. powdered sugar; set aside.
3. Blend cream cheese with 1 c. powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add whipped cream/cool whip to cream cheese and cream together. 
4. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cooled cake. 
5. Make danish dessert as directed with 1 3/4 c. cold water.
6. Cool slightly while you slice strawberries.  Then fold in. 
7. Pour over cream cheese mixture. 
8. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 1 cookie sheet.

Slightly adapted from Cami (Her recipe calls for 2 pkgs cream cheese and 2 c powdered sugar)

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2 c zucchini, grated

2 c flour (can do all white wheat, or half regular white and half wheat)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp cinnamon

6 Tbs cocoa

3 eggs

1 c sugar (little less)

1 c brown sugar (little less)

1 c +2 Tbs oil/applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 c chocolate chips

Directions:

• Prepare two loaf pans by cutting wax paper to fit the bottom of each pan.  Spray pans.

• Wash and grate zucchini and set aside.

• In a medium bowl measure flour, salt, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and cocoa.  Stir and set aside.

• In a large mixing bowl beat eggs.  Add the sugars, oil/applesauce, and vanilla.  Beat until creamy.

• Add the zucchini and stir together.

• Mix in dry ingredients until incorporated.  Add ½ the chocolate chips and mix in.  Pour into prepared pans,  Top with remaining chocolate chips.

• Bake at 325 for 45-50 min.

22 min for muffins

From Lion House Cookbook

Potato Wedges

6 Potatoes
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Garlic powder

Pour olive oil onto baking sheet.
Cut potatoes in half, then in thirds or fourths, depending on size.
Roll potatoes in oil, place skin side down, then sprinkle with desired seasonings.
Bake at 450 for 40 minutes.

Hamburgers

2 lb ground beef
2 pieces bread
Milk
Onion
Ketchup
Mustard
BBQ sauce

Remove crusts of bread, tear bread into small pieces and place in large bowl.  Add enough milk to get the bread soaking.  Sit while chopping onion.  Mix and add onion, ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce. Add ground beef and mix well.  Shape into about 1/4 lb patties.

Grill

Chicken Penne with Asparagus

8 oz of penne pasta (2 c)

2 T olive oil, divided

1 skinless, boneless, chicken breast, cut into cubes (or 1-2 c already cooked)

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

½ c chicken broth

1-2 bunch of asparagus

¼ c parmesan cheese 

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Warm 1 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken and season
with salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is cooked through and brown. Remove chicken.

Pour chicken broth into the skillet. Then stir in asparagus, garlic and pepper. Cover and steam until
the asparagus is just tender. Return chicken to the skillet and warm through.

Stir chicken mixture into pasta and mix well. Drizzle with 1-2 T olive oil, stir, and sprinkle with Parmesan
cheese.

From Janeen

Stir Fry

Fry about 1 lb chicken (cut in bite-sized pieces) in a little oil.  Remove and cover to keep warm.

In same pan add and cook a few minutes: (with a little more oil/water)
1 onion
2 stalks celery
2 large carrots

Add and cook a few minutes:
1 pepper, chopped
1 bunch broccoli
1 bunch cauliflower

Add and cook a few minutes:
1 zucchini squash, sliced

*Stir so they don't get brown, but until the crispness is gone.

Add:
1/2 c hot water with 2 tsp chicken bouillon dissolved
1 Tbs cornstarch stirred into 1/3 c cold water
Garlic salt
2 Tbs soy sauce, to taste
The already cooked chicken

Stir until it thickens slightly.

Serve over hot, cooked rice with extra soy sauce and peanuts, if desired

From Roxanne