Monster Cookies

 I found these cookies on a site recommended by a friend.  They are absolutely divine.  

Monster Cookies

2 sticks salted butter at room temperature

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

1 T vanilla 

2 cup flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cup oats

1 1/4 cup M&M’s

1 cup mini pretzel sticks, crushed

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla until combined. Beat in the eggs and 1 egg yolk, 1 at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the oats.

3. Fold in 1 cup of the M&M's, the pretzels, chocolate chips, and white chocolate.

4. Roll the dough into 1/4 cup size balls. Place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake another 2 minutes. Pull the pan out and push the remaining M&M's into the cookies. Bake 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet.

6. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Crispy Salmon Fish Sticks

Jeremy had caught some salmon on a work fishing trip that was in our freezer and we wanted to do something new and exciting that Henry could enjoy, so we adapted this recipe to make it gluten free.

Crispy Salmon Fish Sticks

1 egg - beaten

1 tsp water

2 cup bread crumbs (see below)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

dash salt & pepper

8 oz salmon cut into "sticks"

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, set up the egg wash and dredge. In one shallow dish, add the egg and whisk it together with the water. In another shallow dish, mix together the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix the crumb mixture together so the seasonings spread evenly. With one hand, roll a piece of salmon in the egg wash and lay it in the crumb mixture. With the other hand, roll the salmon in the crumbs. Lay on a plate and repeat with the remaining salmon. Spray the bottom of the air fryer tray with cooking spray. Lay out the breaded salmon, spray the tops with cooking spray and cook for 10 minutes. 

bread crumbs: take 6 slices gluten free bread, bake them 3-5 minutes to remove moisture, then put on racks to cool.  Place in food processor and pulse until bread crumbs form.  Measure out about 2 cups of crumbs for this recipe.

Li'l Smokies

This is a classic family recipe that my sister Lindsey usually made.  

Li'l Smokies

1.75 pound Eckrich Li'l Smokies

18 oz jar grape jelly

12 oz jar Heinz Chili Sauce

Stir together jelly and Chili Sauce in a crockpot. Pour in the Li'l Smokies and stir until coated.  Cook on low until heated through.

Cheese Ball

I had a couple of recipes for cheese balls that I combined into a new recipe.

Cheese Ball

8 oz cream cheese

1 jar Old English spread cheese

2 cup shredded cheddar

1/2 sleeve ritz crackers

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

dash red pepper flakes

Use a hand mixer to mix the cream cheese and Old English, then mix in the shredded cheddar. Spoon into plastic wrap and form into a ball.  Refrigerate to set the shape. Crush the ritz crackers and blend with parmesan and red pepper flakes.  Place the crumb mixture in a pan with edges and set the cheese ball on top. Roll in the crumbs until well coated. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

Blackstone Chicken Stir Fry

Jer wanted to try something new on the Blackstone yesterday.  He found this recipe and we followed the bones of it to make a delicious lunch!

Blackstone Chicken Stir Fry

1 bag chicken breasts - thawed and cubed
3 cups rice - cooked and cooled
1 bag frozen mixed veggies
2 eggs - stir until scrambled
soy sauce - to taste
salt & pepper - to taste

Turn on your Blackstone grill and grill the chicken until no longer pink, season to taste.  Add rice and veggies on the other side and cook until the veggies are no longer frozen.  Add soy sauce until the rice looks the right color.  Pour the egg over the rice mixture and use your spatulas to mix everything together.  Cook until the egg is done and serve.

Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Pasta Bake

I decided to try another dish by Half Baked Harvest.  This one looked delicious.

Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Pasta Bake

28 oz can crushed san marzano tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes oil drained, but reserved
10 oz frozen spinach - thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
2 cloves garlic - grated
1 T basil
2 tsp oregano
dash salt & pepper
dash red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken broth
1 LB rigatoni pasta
1 cup cubed fontina cheese
1 1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded provolone

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In the baking dish, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes plus 3 T of the oil left in the jar, the spinach, garlic, basil, oregano, chicken broth, and 1.5 cups water. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the dry pasta, fontina cheese, asiago, and parmesan, tossing to coat. Push down gently on the pasta to submerge it. Sprinkle the provolone evenly over top. Rub the underside of a piece of foil with oil. Tightly cover the baking dish with the foil, oiled side facing down. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Monster Cookies

Leila decided that she wanted to make monster cookies for her birthday dessert.  I had just gotten recommendations about this website for great recipes and decided to try it.

Monster Cookies

2 sticks butter - softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
1 T vanilla
2 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cup M&M’s
1 cup pretzel sticks - crushed
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla until combined. Beat in the eggs and 1 egg yolk, 1 at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the oats. Fold in 1 cup of the M&M's, the pretzels, chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips. Roll the dough into 1/4 cup size balls. Place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake another 2 minutes. Pull the pan out and push the remaining M&M's into the cookies. Bake 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.