Here's to your heart..Oatmeal Cookies and meatloaf with oatmeal.

There was sunshine today, Mary Queen of Scott's had her royal honey army buzzing me today.

         

I noticed the little heads of my daffodills peeking up through the soil...

There was a promise of spring in the air....

Time to reflect how fast this month has already gone...

Time to find my "magic" love potion cake recipe for valentines day...

But now...it is time.... for those promised oatmeal recipies...

TaDa

I hope you didn't keep your oven on all day after you made my yummy applesauce oat bran muffins.

Oatmeal cookies.... 375 degree oven

I'm not sure where I got this recipie from, I just know it is our favorite one.

1 1/4 cup of margarine (creamed i.e. beat until it looks creamy

( I am a fan of Paula Deans,and I have her passion for  using butter in cooking. Our beloved Jerseys gave us the best butter, sigh..they are gone now.  I must say  though, butter doesn't "work"  well in most cookie recipies, the cookies spread out too much...I do like Mrs. Batemans baking butter( a low fat butter and marg subsitute)

1/2 cup of sugar,3/4 cup of brown sugar (packed) I'm researching a natural sugar substitute called whey low

stir into the butter until well mixed

1 egg ( our hens say YAY..eat more eggs),1 1/2 tsp of vanilla

1 1/2 cup of flour, 1/tsp of baking soda,1 tsp of salt,1 tsp of cinnamon, 3 cups of rolled oats ,

mix all of the ingredients together

you can add 1/4-1/2 cup of finely chopped nuts , and 1/2 cup of rasins ,if you wish

our kids liked their cookies "plain"  drop by tsp onto an ungreased cookie sheet bake 8-10 min

our favorite meatloaf

1 cup of tomato sauce

3/4 cup of rolled oats,1 egg

1/4 cup of dried onion flakes , 1/2-1 tsp of salt ,dash of pepper

2 lbs of hamburger meat

mix together and place in a bread pan(9x5loaf pan)

(sometimes i will shape a loaf inside a glass baking dish..but it isn't as stable.

I cover the top with more tomato sauce or sometimes a homemade bar-b-q sauce.

or add 1 tsp of vinegar and about 1/4 cup of bwn sug to the tomato sauce

bake 1 hr at 350 degrees after about 30 mins I will put potatoes in the oven too

baked potato 'secret' I  wash and scrub mine well ,rinsing well under running water

I will dry them a bit and rub butter or shortening all over them and place them like that

on  a pie pan in the oven .  As soon as they feel soft when you squeeze them, bring them out

give them a good squeeze all over, slice the top and stick in a cube of butter.(wrap them and keep warm

until the rest of your meal is ready to be served.(also with a growing family and limited groc money while the chilkdren were still at home, I seldom bought baking potatoes, we also ate the skins ,they are good for you.

make a cole slaw or salad, maybe a carrot salad as well (these you can make earlier in the day

I always baked homemade biscuts as well. (these only take  8-10 mins of baking time)

you'll have a wonderful healthy meal that is  hubby and kid pleasing ..it will fill them up and satisfy their creature comforts too.

If your bunch can afford the extra calories, a slice of homemade apple pie and freshly made icecream

will polish  off your meal till you shine.( or you can cheat and buy real icecream..(the kind made with real cream and sugar and not all the 'stuff" that tastes like plastic..it looks like it if you leave a bowl  of it set out for a while , bleahhh

ok  you win, here is my cole slaw, much like the colonels

shred 1 head of cabbage ( I like to cheat and use a processor, careful or you'll have cabbage soup

1/4 cup of dried onion flakes

1 tsp of salt 1/2 of a carrot shredded(can omit)

1/2 cup of sour cream ( oops none in the fridge? evap milk or even plain milk with a tsp of vinegar

( it will curdle or as my grandma would say clabber)

3 Tbs of vinegar ( I always use real apple cider vinegar ..watch your lable as apple cider vinegar can mean it is "flavored only, there are health benefits to real apple cider vinegar.. I now buy and use  Bragg's raw apple cider vinegar .

2 tbsp of olive oil...mix together and chill at least an hour ( I know sometimes  you're late and you forgot to make it ahead..go ahead and use your cole slaw it's ok, it just tastes better when the flavors... marry..:-)

may your family have a wonderful time sharing  a wonderful homecooked meal. together.

(left overs make a great sandwich for hubby to take to work..think of the money you'll save and I'm sure he will be envied..how many people have a lovingly homemade lunch nowdays?.

Lets bring back the family to America....the table is a good place to start...

while you're at it ,what about  sharing a short thank you to God for His mercy,love and the ability to eat, some cannot (ever help a tube fed person, I'm sure they would be thankful to eat again)

of course you can Thank God for anything, you will be the one who is blessed.