Choc-Oat Cookies with Raw Honey

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/4 cup raw honey
2 large eggs
2 tbs milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
2 cups chocolate chips

--Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl
--In a large mixing bowl beat melted butter, brown sugar and raw honey til creamy
--add in eggs, milk and vanilla, beat
--gradually mix in flour mixture
--dump in oats and chips, stir together

preheat oven to 350, bake 11-12 minutes for soft & chewey, cool and serve
*makes around 2 dozen*

Pretzel Turtles

Also for the baby boy shower I made these....big hit!

on a baking sheet lined with wax paper place a pretzel and then a rolo
bake at 350 for 2-4 minutes until chocolate is looking soft and glossy
remove from oven, push either m&m or pecan into the rolo, cool in fridge til chocolate is stiff
then make pretty with white chocolate (I use Bakers white chocolate)

I did green and blue m&m's for the baby shower, you can use whatever colors you want to coordinate with the party.
The colored ones are prettier but the pecan ones taste better!

the tiniest one is the pregnant one!

Pretty Party Punch

I just hosted a baby shower for a Mops girlfriend that is having a baby boy and I made this terrific punch...

~2 liter 7up

~12oz lemonade concentrate, thawed

~1 orange

~1 lemon

~a few good looking strawberries

~in a large pitcher add ice, all of the 7up and about half of the lemonade concentrate, to taste

~leaving peel on, thinly slice orange and lemon

~remove top of strawberries and thinly slice them too, add fruit to punch

~Great taste for an easy punch!

Potato Salad Crunch

3 large russett potatoes, peeled 1 inch cubes

2 eggs, hard boiled and chopped

1 green bell pepper, cleaned and diced

1/4 yellow onion, chopped

1 stick celery, chopped

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup mayo

1 tbs worchestershire

salt and pepper

--boil potatoes until a fork goes through one easily

--mix mayo, worchestershire, veggies and salt and pepper in large bowl

--run very cold water over potatoes until cold

--mix potatoes and eggs in with mixture

---chill in fridge for about 30 minutes

---top with green onions before serving

---the little bit of crunch is the best part!

Cork Board

Finally...... Thanks to my cousin Jessie, my mother in law Lou, my friend Jennifer, and many glasses of wine myself- my cork board is finally complete....ahhhh!

Brie-Jam-Pastry

My friend Mandy gave this wonderful recipe to me.....this is great with a glass of wine!

1 Pepperidge Farm Puff Pasty Sheet
Smuckers Raspberry Jam
1 wheel Brie cheese
Wheat Thins crackers

--let the puff pastry sheet and brie cheese soften on counter at room temp for about 3o minutes
--preheat oven to 350
--once you can mold the sheet without tearing it, open it up and lay it on an ungreased baking sheet
--cut excess white stuff off the brie
--cut the brie wheel in half the long way so you have two wheels
--spread jam between the two wheels and on the top of them, place on the puff pastry sheet
--mold puff pastry sheet around and over the brie
--bake for 20-30 minutes- checking often....mine often oozes jam

This is good for breakfast or appetizer with wine
Serve with wheat thins

all about the veggies

this mixture is great for chips and dip or wraps....we used this with some cooked chopped chicken and rolled it up in a whole wheat tortilla for our picnic in Yellowstone. Worked perfectly!

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can corn, rinsed and drained
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 green bell peppers, cleaned and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 white vinegar
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tbs cumin
1/2 tbs pepper
1/2 tbs chili powder

I cooked 1 boneless skinless chicken breast in olive oil, paprika, cumin, garlic powder and onion powder, then chopped it up. Or serve with tortilla chips as a dip.

--this makes a huge portion

Spinach Mushroom Penne

-a light meatless meal-

1 box Barilla penne
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
1 mushroom
1 jar Bertolli Organic Olive Oil and Garlic
1 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
crumbled feta cheese

cook penne according to package
steam or saute frozen spinach and sliced mushroom in olive oil, season with salt and pepper
mix cooked pasta, veggies and sauce together, let simmer a few minutes to get warm
serve sprinkled with feta cheese

Taco Salad

1 pound lean ground beef
4 ounces hunts tomato sauce
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 leaves romaine, chopped
1 avocado, slice-peel-dice
salsa
sour cream
shredded cheddar
white corn tortilla chips

---brown meat in skillet over medium high heat
---season meat while browning, add tomato sauce
---everyone I know piles it diffently---
*makes 2 large salads*

Poppy Parfait

--vanilla yogurt
--poppy seeds
--strawberries (you can also add blueberries, mango, blackberries, raspberries, banana....anything you like)
--squeeze fresh lemon juice

---layer in a glass---
*great simple dessert*