Delicious Cookies

These cookies are nummy!! So I just have to share them with you....I got the recipe from another blog, and tweaked it a little. You can use whatever kind of chips you like, I decided to mix butterscotch and chocolate...I'm weird like that! Enjoy!

Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup oatmeal (not quick)
2 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoons vanilla
8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
4 oz. butterscotch chips
OPTIONAL: 1 cup coconut

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put the top 4 ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend about 30 seconds until coarse. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter for 30 seconds until light in color.
Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients then add the chocolate/butterscotch chips(12 oz. total) (and coconut if desired)
Shape cookie dough into balls and place on cookie sheet.
Bake for 12-13 minutes.
Let the cookies cool slightly before removing them from the pan to a wire rack.
My batch made 30 cookies ;)

I love pasta and pasta loves me

Another yummy, carb-fiilled pasta dish for y'all! Trust me, it's a good one! I'm a sucker for creamy pasta dishes, this one is different than anything I've had, I found it on this blog so once again, I can't take the credit.

Lemon Cream Pasta & Chicken

*this recipe makes a TON of food, I cut the recipe in half and the leftovers fed two more people after Reese and I had our portions.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups shredded or cubed lemon garlic chicken (I used the pre-marinated chicken that Fred Meyer has, I think mine might have been garlic something or other, and the actual recipe calls for particiular "lemon garlic chicken" recipe. I honestly don't think it matters too much.)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (*When I make this again I will use a little less lemon juice, the pasta was a bit too zesty for my liking, although my parents, who ate the leftovers, didn't think so. I think it's just me being picky again.)

1 (16 ounce) package tube pasta (I used mezze penne. aka. Small penne noodles)

2 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (I forgot to do this step...whoops!)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan, season the chicken broth with the garlic powder and pepper.

Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and pasta.

Cook pasta over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes (this is less when you cut the recipe, I just taste tested until pasta was al dente).

In the mean time....Cube chicken into bite size pieces.

Add oil to a skillet and cook chicken.

Once both the pasta and the chicken are thoroughly cooked, stir chicken into pasta

Add the cream, parmesan cheese and lemon zest.

Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.

Stir thoroughly before serving. And voila!!

Yummy yummy in my tummy

As much as I despise the cold weather and the change in seasons....I can't say the same for the meals that come along with it! This has got to be one of my favorite meals EVER! I got the recipe from my best friend Angie, so I can't take credit for it =( But I would love to share it with you, it's too delicious NOT to pass along!

Beef Stroganoff (which I refer to as "Stronnie")

*I tweak this everytime, mostly because I am the pickiest person on the planet! You don't have to, it's good either way

Ingredients:

1 1/2lbs top sirloin (I always use the pre-packaged stew meat)

1 yellow onion, chopped or pureed (medium size, baseball?, also I pureed my onion, I don't like big oniony chunks)

1 clove garlic, minced (I use 4 and puree it along with my onion)

1/2lb mushrooms (I don't use these)

1 1/4 t salt

1 1/2 t pepper

1 t paprika (it turns out pretty spicy, equivalent to 4 stars)

2 can consomme'

26 oz beef broth

Cube meat

Put oil in pot and heat on high

Brown meat and remove grease

Remove meat

Add onions and garlic, saute'

When brown add mushrooms, seasons and broth

Cook until tender

Add meat and bring to a boil

Cover and simmer 3 hours

Make gravy (see below), add slowly while stirring, and cook 10 minutes

Add 2T sour cream just before serving

Serve over egg noodles (I use whole wheat, can't notice the difference)

Gravy:

1/2 C flour

2 1/2 T Bisto (this is a brown gravy type thing, found near pancake mix)

Salt, several dashes

Pepper, several dashes

Garlic powder, 1 dash

Onion powder, 1 dash
1 C water.

Mix together and slowly add gravy to the stroganoff while constantly stirring, until you reach desired thickness! Enjoy!

*I use a crock pot for this entire meal, minus browning the meat.