Healthy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

For family home evening we had cookies for desert. I had these healthy cookies and they had some Fudge Shop EL Fudge cookies (Brandon's favorite). I do like to still lessen the sugar and the chocolate chips to take away some of the sugaryness. Tonight I only had like a Tablespoon of chocolate chips and it was enough for me. They are nice and gooey. On the recipe it calls for cranberries but I don't put those in. I love them frozen. The recipe is off of Mels Kitchen cafe http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/09/healthy-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies.html. Try it, some of you may like them.

While I was making these cookies, Bree was getting ready her pj's on and needed to find a brush. So I told her it was in my drawer in the bathroom. When she came back to the kitchen she had no brush and had found her bubble gum chap stick. I asked her where she found that and she said "I found it in the drawer with all your crap in it." I told her I didn't think that my stuff was crap:-)!

Tortellini Chicken Noodle Soup

This is actually a recipe that Miranda gave me. I had left over rotisserie chicken and I had a bag of tortellini. Mmmmmm. This was delicious.

8 c. chicken, cooked and shredded

1 onion chopped

1 Tbls. parsley

3 c. carrots, shredded

1 celery stalk, thinly chopped

1 tsp. salt

Bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes.

Add 1 bag tortellini.

Add shredded chicken.

Heat till warmed through.

Leftovers for dinner!

So, this one was kind of a left over meal. We had left over potato rolls from last night and I had Sloppy Joe mix in the freezer. I did try this time, toasting the buns with a little butter. It was so good. With the potato rolls it is a really soft roll so the sloppy joe mix makes the rolls soggy. The Toasting with butter made it not so soggy and who wouldn't love to add a little more butter to a meal? I do love mom's recipe for sloppy joes and it is a really great food storage meal, but I have wanted to try the sloppy joe recipe off of Mels Kitchen. So when I do I will let you know how it is. (Man, I want a better camera!!!)

Easy Potato Rolls

2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. shortening
1 c. mashed potatoes(I mix up some potato pearls)
2 ½ tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 packages yeast
1 1/3 c. warm water
6-6 ½ c. flour

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add potatoes, salt and eggs mix again.
In small bowl, dissolve yeast in 2/3 cup of warm water; add to creamed mixture. Beat in 2 cups flour and remaining water. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Shape into a
ball. Knead until it is a soft dough (5 minutes). Place in a greased bowl. Let raise till doubled about 30 minutes. Grease a cookie sheep and roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. Cover with greased saran wrap. Let raise till doubled. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Sloppy Joe’s

Brown 1 lb. of hamburger
With 1 T. dried onions
Drain grease
1 can chicken gumbo
About a ½ bottle ketchup
1 T. mustard
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. chili powder

Simmer and stir for 20 minutes.

Waffles

My Pictures aren't so awesome either.

This is my favorite waffle recipe. My roommate Anna made it for us for our birthdays along with ice cream. It is her family tradition and so for my husbands birthday this week I surprised him. I only serve it with strawberry ice cream. Homemade when possible. (I'll have to share that recipe some time.)

2 c. flour

2 Tbls. sugar

1 Tbls. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 c. milk

1/3 c. vegetable oil

2 eggs

whisk dry ingredients and then add wet.

*perfect in Belgium waffle makers

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Heidi was telling me that she was getting a Rotisserie chicken for dinner tonight and I told her that I had a really good recipes for that. So here it is.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

1 jar salsa Verde
3 cup chicken broth
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
1 cup black beans, drained
1 tsp. cumin
1 deli Rotisserie chicken

Heat through. Serve in bowl with crushed tortilla chips and sour cream.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ok..so my pictures are not like on Mel's Kitchen, one day! They are so YUMMY! So I made these cinnamon rolls tonight for my baby that is sick. The school called and said that Bree didn't feel very well. NOOOOOOO! I thought for sure that she had the stomach flu because it is going around our neighborhood like crazy. Anyways, I got her home and she was shivering and crying. So I lined the couch and floor with towels and made sure she had a bucket. Anyways, she ended up having a 102.5 fever and a sore throat. False alarm! Later in the afternoon, while I was on the phone she cleaned both the bathrooms as a surprise. Enough of my day, here is the recipe. I love this recipe because the potatoes in them make them so moist and yet dense. Try it, you'll love it!

Cinnamon Rolls

2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup butter
2 T. yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
7 cups flour (approximately)
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup butter (melted)
brown sugar
cinnamon

Heat milk and butter in pan on the stove or in microwave until luke warm. Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of the one cup of sugar. Add to the milk mixture with the eggs, sugar, salt, mashed potatoes and 4 cups of flour. Mix with mixer until smooth and well blended. Flour nuts and raisins with part of the remaining flour and add to the dough. Slowly add the remainder of the flour to make a soft dough. Cover and allow to raise until double about 45 minutes to an hour. Roll dough in a rectangle 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick. Spread with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Roll up and cut into slices. Place on cookie sheet and cover. Let rise until double 45 minutes to an hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Makes 18 large or 24 regular cinnamon rolls.

Icing

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 T. Milk

Mixed powdered sugar and butter. Add vanilla and milk and beat until smooth and creamy.

Variations

To make raspberry rolls after you roll out the dough spread with 8 oz. of cream cheese and one cup raspberry jam then roll and cut.

To make orange rolls after you roll out the dough spread with a 1/2 cup melted butter, 2-3 T. frozen orange juice and 1 tsp. orange zest. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and roll and cut.

Red & White Mostaccioli

1 lb. uncooked mostaccioli or other tubular pasta

Alfredo Sauce, divided (recipe below)

1 (26 oz.) jar meatless spaghetti sauce (my personal favorite is Newman's Own Marrinara)

OR 3 c. homade sauce, divided

3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain.

3. Meanwhile, prepare Alfredo sauce.

4. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Layer half the pasta, half the Alfredo sauce, half the spaghetti sauce, and 1 1/2 c. of the cheese. Repeat the layering with the remaining pasta, Alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce, and cheese.

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.

Serve with a tossed green salad and Italian or French bread.

Note: This dish can be made ahead of time. Refrigerate until ready to bake. Lower the oven temperature 25 degrees and add 15 minutes to the baking time.

Alfredo Sauce:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese

1 pint heavy cream

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Mix the cream cheese. Stir in the cream and garlic powder. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, stirring often. If the sauce needs additional thickening you may sprinkle in flour, 1 teaspoon at a time. Cook and stir for desired consistency. Stir the Parmesan cheese into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Liz Edmunds, The Food Nanny