MONSTER COOKIES

MONSTER COOKIES

I thought this would be a fun photo for my monster cookie recipe.

This morning I am enjoying my oatmeal for breakfast and thinking about my blog and thought why not share my monster cookie recipe with you.

This is a great cookie recipe our family has enjoyed for years and one that will be a hit especially with your teens... Of course this tray of "goodies" does not show one of my

cookies. This tray is a what I called a "faux"tray of treats for hubby's fellow workers.

Making cookies this past year while I was focused on my creating health journey was not high on my priority list, especially since our energetic teens are no longer at home. So what does a farm mom do,when focused on reaching her health and weight loss goal (this is a secret.....she creates a tray of goodies w/o those actual yummies coming out of the oven)

This makes a big batch...............

I cut the batch into 1/4

12 eggs , 2 lbs brown sugar, 4 cup white sugar, 8 tsp baking soda, 1 lb margarine, 1 tbsp corn syrup, 1 tsp vanilla, 18 cups oatmeal, 1 lb m&m's, 1 lb choc chips, 3 lbs peanut butter.

bake in a preheated oven 350 o 8 min 300 cookies (large)

Perhaps this post hasn't had a "funny" but I am sure your family and friends will have fun enjoying these very yummy cookies...........enjoy

English Toffee for Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I know it is only February, but I just found a recipe for English Toffee that I keep losing, and it is one that sounds good and I would like to make it....so I thought TA DA why not share it with you and then hopefully I will be able to find it , in time for Christmas 2008 !!!!

In the meantime here is a photo of some scrumptious looking home made chocolates I made for a gift basket I created as a Valentine treat. This was for a drawing ,I did for my clients...........hey and these were sugar free ,no cal, zero carb and 100% program compliant............., one could be free to enjoy them every day and still lose weight ...ya can't get much better than that !!!! ( a gal named Pam was the winner of this basket of goodies)

ENGLISH TOFFEE

3/4 lb butter, 1/3 cup water, 2 cups sugar, 1/4 tsp salt , cook to 238 o pour onto buttered wax paper

melt 1 pound of chocolate..... spread 1/2 of the chocolate on the toffee then sprinkle 1/4 cup of chopped toasted almonds... while still slightly warm, flip the toffee and repeat with the chocolate and almonds ..cool and break into pieces....

Fabulous 5&1 "ginger snaps" apple cookies and blueberry muffins

Ok for my clients just for you ....

(secrets) for better 5&1 recipes , for while you lose weight, and /or are maintaining and creating a healthier you

Blueberry muffins,

Apple cookies

Gingersnaps....

simple, follow the recipe instructions on the side of the boxes of the Blueberry and apple oatmeal

but add real vanilla, butter flavoring ( both available in the cake decorating supply section of large department/grocery type stores or a cake decorating store)

for the gingersnaps add some ginger and maple flavoring to the apple cookie recipe ...yum


(don't have a clue what I'm talking about ??? check out my weight loss and nutrition link
no obligation, physician recommended and approved....

Blondies and Breakfast Pinapple rolls (kolache)

GOOD MORNING

Just for fun and a change of pace, how about a couple of yummy treats, from my family farm kitchen to your family kitchen...............

ahhhhhh home made treats warm from the oven......

These particular recipes are ones I begged from a dear lady who made such good food for one of my high schools...many moons ago :-) I worked in the cafeteria and was blessed with the opportunity to learn many her delightful ways.(thus the grateful recipient of a few of her best recipes), she was one of my unsung hero's ( I have a post ruminating about these unsung hero's we each have in our lives, I will soon be sharing this in my merryheart blog,stay tuned over there...)....

These recipes need a bit of tweaking. Not only was Mrs. Racine one of those marvelous cooks who measured by "feel" sight and scent . Her recipes were for several hundred students , and even if "broken" down to home sized batches, there sometimes is something "lost" just by the sheer shift of batch volume....perhaps even slight degrees of oven temperature, would be the missing "ingredient". The students always bought lunches when one of these goodies was on the menu...and they came back for 2nds and 3rds if there happened to be any left ( I know as I was one of the kitchen help, in the serving and clean up crew)....a good reason many "lingered "in the cafeteria, no doubt ).

Each time I've made them ,I tinker a bit more to hopefully achieve "perfection" enjoy........... (Mrs. Racine may no longer be with us, I loved her dearly and would have treasured a peek at her personal cook books or recipe file.... hey in writing this (duh) I just realized I need to see if she is, my last move located me close to where she may still be.... Thus, let this be a reminder for you as well as for me ,to encourage you to think of someone who impacted your life and locate them...bless them with some flower's, or a card. or a BLONDIE .

One of my recent "mentors" is doing this on a daily basis and I am now too ...thanks to my SOC's (hugs Alicia). You can create and send a free ground-mail card as a gift from me to you, with no obligation, no "bugging" or whatever such is called....just the blessing of doing and sharing kindness to someone in your life...this is in my blog sidebar ..under friends, called send your love...enjoy!

BLONDIES (golden , rich, moist coconut treasure bars)

TA DA Mrs. Racine's recipe (especially for baby...middle... sis :-) you asked and here it is)

1 cup marg (I used butter the last time, so maybe this was the dif…(I’m anti marg, but have noticed sometimes margarine produces a better textured product) melt and then add the rest of the ingredients in order.
4 eggs
1 cup each of brown and white sugar
2-3 cups of flaked coconut ( I used a bit more as the last time I made these they were a bit soggy...but still yummy)
salt ??
(butter vs margarine, APOLOGIES to our gals...sorry, no offense intended to the memories of our dear Toffee,Daphne,Caramel and Daffodil (Dilly) the darling, gorgeous dark eyed 4 legged beauties...(Jersey's that is !!!! )…
place in thin greased baking pan ( 9 “ sq I think) 350 bake till set like omelet (sorry, the time varies with my current oven I'm thinking 20-30 min most ovens)


Her fabulous PINEAPPLE ROLLS (yum,drool)

make these for wonderful breakfast reviews from your "clan"
even if you are alone. Why not take some of the rolls to share with a friend a neighbor or at work...perhaps like me ,you too will receive a standing ovation for your efforts from your hubbies fellow workers....yay......blush, blush !!!!

2 pkt yeast, 1 cup warm water,1TBSP sug….dissolve
Add 1 cup scalded cooled milk.
6 TBSP melted short,
1/2 cup sug 1TBSP salt ,
3 eggs,
7 cups flour (add the last cup as it "feels" right)
stir all together,
knead ( now I sometimes make ½ the recipe, putting the liquid in my bread maker, then add dry ingredients and let my "home help" do the work, but I do love to knead bread on occasion :-)….
raise
roll cut with biscuit cutter
press center with small glass (for a “well”) raise press center again just before baking,
bake ( 350 have oven temp preheated before ) and I bake till lightly/golden about 20-30 min
my current oven is rather contrary, thus my time varies...so watch these on your first few attempts to get the right color

Filling

1 cup crushed pineapple 1 cup sug,1 cup water, to boil thicken with cornstarch cold water mix (like gravy) thicken cool some add 1 TBSP butter, 1 tsp vanilla put in centers, frost outer edges with powder sug glaze

many blessing to each of you and may your home fires be loved treasured and add daily value to each family member....even you if you are living alone....YOU are still your family member...:-)

Stevia,the latest buzz word, here on the farm

OK Bees ...... how about Stevia ? An all natural sweetner, for my 5 & 1 weightloss while your honey is "resting" .

Hold onto your little hoppers King David, Queen Azalea, and Queen Ester,
While Stevia is not your liguid gold, it is something mom can use while she takes off a few remaining pounds, while on her creating health adventure AND it is all natural...

Come on, wouldn't you say it is as close to the REAL DEAL( hummm..... your golden treasure) as I can do right now ???? Soon both Dad and I will have your creation back da table....

So for the present, Stevia for mom, the plastic goo for our resident scientist.... yikes after the recent sojourn of substitute sweetener research, resulting from the artificial sweetener debate, with dad, I wanted to not only choose wiser but keep my bizzzzzzzy little friends happy too...............so far I like what I've read, and hey a packet of the Stevia sweetened my blueberry muffins quite nicely....yes, of course the muffins were on my 5 & 1........ now where were all of you this morning while we did early morning chores ???? The sun was shining, and I think we had some "couch potato" baby bees........ I'll check on you later, when it's a bit warmer...we have someone who really would like some of your honey this year, she would like to see if your local gatherings will help with her allergies....so get buzzzin' Ok ??????