Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

I love baking and love excuses to bake. Yesterday it was snowing and very windy so we tried to stay inside. What a great excuse to make some yummy new cookies! These are really good!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chip Cookies makes: about 18 cookies

Ingredients 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup white sugar (changed this to Brown Sugar too) 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 egg 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup rolled oats 1 cup peanut butter and chopped Hersey kisses (your favorite chocolate chip will be just fine)

Method 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. 3. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets. 4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Blueberry Almond Muffins

I may have just had a baby, well a month ago, but I am still creative!!!!

This past weekend I bought a HUGE thing of fresh blueberries at Costco. The family and I have been eating them up but like I said it was a HUGE thing of them. One of my favorite things in the morning is muffins and since I have a HUGE thing of blueberries I thought it would be good to make some Blueberry Muffins. Here comes my creativeness! I also have a lot of raw almonds that I have been munching on since December. I thought why not mix the two!!!!

WHAT A FABULOUS IDEA!!!! These muffins turned out great and I am so glad that I felt creative today! :)

ENJOY!

Blueberry Almond Muffins

1/2 cup milk (I added a little bit more at the end)

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

3 tbsp honey

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

3/4 cup chopped almonds

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp almond extract

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup oatmeal

roughly chopped almonds and brown sugar for dusting the tops

Directions:

Mix butter and eggs. Then add brown sugar. Add milk, Vanilla, Lemon Zest, Almond Extract and honey. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to the dough. Add oatmeal. Mix well. Finally fold in blueberries and almonds.

Grease muffin pan and sprinkle flour. Add dough to each cup and then sprinkle chopped Almonds and Brown Sugar on top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until muffins are nice and brown.

ENJOY!!!!

Pea Soup

My sister-in-law brought my family and I several dishes after the birth of our son. We were so excited that she decided to bring us non noodle dishes since everyone brought us casseroles.

THIS PEA SOUP was so delicious!!! My husband is not a fan of peas or pea soup and he loved this soup!!! :) It is now going to be in our soup rotation.

Ingredients.

2 cups dried split peas

4 cups water (or chicken broth)

1 cup celery rib, chopped

1 cup potato, choped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/4 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp salt

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 tsp dried basil

The Directions.

Add all ingredients to crockpot and cook on low for 8 - 12 hours.

I will post a picture next time I make this soup!

Black eyed Pea Soup

My midwife has ordered me to stay away from Dairy and Eggs until we figure out my little ones reflux. So I am in search of yummy healthy Dairy Free/Egg Free Dishes. If this doesn't work I will then have to cut out Gluten.

The other day I came across this yummy crockpot easy dish. I love Black eyed peas so it was a no brainer to try it! When it came time to make it I did not have any meat so I did it more of a vegetarian style, no meat.

I loved this and can't wait to make it again. My husband enjoyed it and my son gobbled it right up.

The Ingredients.

--1 pound dried black eyed peas
--1 pound spicy sausage
--6 cups chicken broth
--1 yellow onion, diced
--1 cup diced carrots
--1 cup diced celery
--4 cloves garlic, diced
--1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (not pictured. I didn't know I needed it at first. But I did.)
--1 tsp kosher salt
--1/2 tsp black pepper
--Tabasco sauce (to add at the end to taste)

The Directions.

Soak your beans overnight. Drain and pick out the undesirables (broken, discolored beans) in the morning.

Use a 5 to 6 quart crockpot. This will serve about 8 people. Dice the veggies, and dump them into your crockpot with the pre-soaked beans. Add sliced sausage. Pour in broth, and stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 6. Before serving, use a stick blender to smash up about 1 cup of beans. If you don't have a stick blender, scoop out 1 cup of beans, blend them in a traditional blender, and add back to the soup. Don't blend too much---just enough to get the broth thicker and creamy-looking.

Ladle into bowls, and add Tabasco sauce to taste.

Minestrone Stew

Minestrone Stew

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, diced

1/4 lb. haricot verts, cut in 1" pieces

1 zucchini, quartered and sliced

1 yellow summer squash, quartered and sliced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin

Salt and Pepper

1/2 c. red wine

1 5 oz. can organic tomato paste

1 28 oz. can organic crushed tomatoes with basil

6 c. vegetable stock

1 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning blend (or chopped fresh)

1/4 lb. ditalini

1 15 oz. can organic kidney beans, drained

1 15 oz. can organic cannelini beans, drained

Parmesan, for garnish

Crushed red pepper flakes, for garnish

Heat a dutch oven over medium, add 1 tbsp EVOO. Saute' onions, garlic, beans, zucchini, squash and carrots for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn to medium high, add tomato paste, stir to combine. Add wine and herbs, cook to reduce until veggies and tomato paste are thick. Add crushed tomatoes, stock, beans and pasta. Bring to a simmer, stir, cover and turn to low.

Cook for 30 minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings. Make sure pasta is cooked and veggies are tender.

Serve with parmesan, crushed red pepper and crusty bread.

Vegetarian Fajita Pastapa

Vegetarian Fajita Pasta

Makes 4 servings

1 lb. Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne

2 cloves minced garlic

1 red onion, sliced

8 oz. sliced button mushrooms

1 zucchini, sliced

2 red bell peppers, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1 jalapeno, sliced

Salt and Pepper

1 15 oz. can organic tomato sauce

1 15 oz. can organic black beans, drained

2 tsp. Dark Chili Powder

2 tbsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 c. 2% shredded cheddar cheese

Chopped cilantro, Sour Cream or Guacamole for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt heavily, cook pasta until al dente. Drain.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high, add mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, onion, and garlic. Sautee veggies for 10-15 minutes, until they’re tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Add tomatoes, black beans, spices and pasta. Stir to combine.

Pour into a casserole dish.

Bake for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and pasta is bubbly.

Plate and serve with garnishes.

Roasted Moroccan Spiced Vegetables with Sundried Tomato Cous Cous

Roasted Moroccan Spiced Vegetables

with Sundried Tomato Cous Cous

The Ingredients:

Vegetables:

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced (about 2 c.)

1 large zucchini, diced

1/2 lb. Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 tbsp. Moroccan spice blend

salt and pepper

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

The Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add all vegetables and beans to the baking sheet, drizzle with EVOO, spices, salt and pepper.

Toss to coat, roast for 30 minutes.

Serve with cous cous.

Cous Cous:

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper

1 c. vegetable stock
2/3 c. whole wheat cous cous
10 sun dried tomatoes, chopped


Add EVOO, onion, garlic, salt and pepper to a small stock pot over medium heat.
Saute' for about 5 minutes, or until soft.
Add stock, bring to a boil, add cous cous and tomatoes, stir.
Turn heat off, cover and let cous cous sit for 5-8 minutes.
Toss with a fork, plate with vegetables.