Roasted Broccoli

Brad's wife Alicia swears by this.

Cut [broccoli] into the florets (I like them smaller so the huge florets I cut in half). Drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with pepper and kosher salt. Roast in 425 or 450 oven for about 12-15 minutes. SO good-it will change the way you eat broccoli!

Cookie Bars

My friend Paige made these for a baby shower we hosted.  They were soooo good! She wasn't sure which recipe she used, so she sent me two recipes -- we'll have to guess to see which one is the right one, but they both sound good!

For the shower I didn't have butter and substituted it with Crisco and it worked out that way too.  Although for some reason I feel like butter is healthier???  I don't know why :)  Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Filled Bars:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

Cream together and then add:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Fold into creamed mixture, and then stir in:

3 cups oatmeal

Set aside.

Put in a saucepan:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 large bag chocolate chips

1 T. margarine

1/2 tsp. salt

Melt together and then add:

2 tsp. vanilla

Press 3/4 oatmeal mixture into a greased 9x13 inch pan.  Cover mixture with chocolate mixture.  Dot remaining oatmeal mixture over the top.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

 

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Chocolate Oatmeal Bars:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup flour

1 1/4 cup quick oats

1 (14oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream butter, sugar, and salt.  Blend flour and oats until particles are fine. (Add about 1/8 cup more flour, if necessary, so it will be in particles.) Press 2/3 of mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.

Heat milk in a saucepan; stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Pour over crust.  Sprinkle with remaining oatmeal mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes.

Mango Chicken Tacos

3 c. cooked, shredded chicken

1 can black beans rinsed and drained

18 oz. mango salsa (I found in Walmart's produce section)

1/2 Tbs or so of taco seasoning

1/4 c water

Mix in crockpot. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Eat with tortillas and add:

cheese

tomatoes

avocados

lettuce

I got this recipe from my friend, Missy's food blog. Her recipe calls for 3 lbs chicken, 1 can black beans, 1 Tbs taco seasoning, and a big jar of mango salsa. She said to add the cheese and tomatoes, but I really liked adding avocados as well!

Chocolate Syrup

Here's the chocolate syrup mom often made (like Hershey's fat free):

Mix:

1/2 C sugar
1/4 C cocoa
Dash salt
1/2 C water

Bring above to a boil and simmer for one minute.  Remove from heat and add 1 t vanilla.  I think mom said it was from the Better Homes and Gardens book.

Mixes, Mixes, Mixes

I had so much fun making mixes yesterday!

I ground my wheat then made cornbread, pancake, waffle, and a no-bake cookie mix (we'll see if it's worth it to make that mix, because it already has too many steps!)

Usually I put my mixes in yogurt cartons and store them in the fridge (because of the whole wheat), but I though I'd try baggies this time.  I wrote my add-ins on the bags and plan to save the bags to re-fill later.

Too bad my kitchen was left like this!

Waffles (variation from BHG Cookbook):

1 3/4 C WW flour*
1-2 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1/4 t salt
Very heaping 1/4 C dry powdered milk (or however much you need to equal 1 3/4 C milk depending on your dry milk product)

When ready to use, add:
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 - 1/2 C oil
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 C water (depending on how runny you want your batter)

Pancakes (variation from BHG Cookbook):

1 3/4 C WW flour*
1-2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
Heaping 1/4 C dry powdered milk (or however much you need to equal 1 3/4 C milk depending on your dry milk product)

When ready to use, add:
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 C water
3 T oil
Any mix-ins (fruit) or 3/4 - 1 C pumpkin and some cinnamon.

Waffle/Pancake Mix 

7 C flour (or combination such as 4 C WW flour, 1 C oat bran, 1 C wheat bran, 1 C spelt)
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C baking powder
1 t salt
1 1/2 C powdered milk
1 C oil

Put all the above ingredients in a mixer.  Drizzle the oil in while mixing to combine.  Store in fridge in a plastic bag.

Use 2 C mix, 1 C water, 1 t vanilla, and 2 eggs per batch.

Cornbread (variation from BHG Cookbook):
3/4 C white flour
1/4 C WW flour
3/4 C corn meal
2 - 3 T sugar
2 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt

When ready to use, add:
2 eggs, beaten
1 C water
1/4 C oil

Spray 8x8 dish, bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes.



* Sometimes I replace up to 1/2 C of the WW flour with oat bran, wheat bran, or corn meal.