Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in sweetened dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef

1-2 packets taco seasoning

1 med onion chopped

Salt and pepper

TOPPINGS:

Grated cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Scoops tortilla chips

CANS:

1can Red kidney beans

1can diced tomatoes

1can French cut green beans

1 can corn

Small can tomato sauce (not paste)

Season ground beef with salt and pepper and ½ of the packet of taco seasoning. Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion in the bottom of large soup pot. When meat is done add all of the cans including the liquid to the soup pot. Stir in the other half of the taco seasoning packet according to taste. Then, salt and pepper to taste. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 20mins.

Serve with cheddar cheese and sour cream on top. Eat with chips as your spoon

Pear and Blue Cheese Pork Chops

The picture isn't the greatest, but these are yummy....and I don't even like Blue Cheese!

4 pork chops

olive oil

salt and pepper

2 medium pears

2 TBSP butter

1 TBSP crushed green peppercorns (unique flavor, don't substitute other peppercorns)

1/4 c. crumbled blue cheese

Brush pork chops with olive oil and season with salt and pepper

Cook chops on med--med/hi till juices run clear, then remove from skillet and keep warm

Core pears and cut into slices (keep skin on)

Place pears in same skillet and cook pears in butter for 1 minute

Stir in peppercorns and cook for an additional 2 minutes

Place pears over chops and sprinkle with blue cheese!

IMMEDIATELY ENJOY!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

This picture was before the pizza was actually cooked....so just picture it warm and delicious with a golden brown crust!

1 pizza crust (homemade is much better than store-bought)

2 c. cooked, shredded chicken

1/2 c. BBQ sauce (I use "Sweet Baby Rays"--delicious)

8 oz. shredded monterey jack cheese

1 large zucchini, thinly sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

mozzaralla (opt.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Grease the baking sheet and set aside (or a pizza stone works wonders)

Combine the chicken and BBQ sauce, spread onto the pizza crust leaving a 1 inch border of crust uncovered

Sprinkle the cheese, then zucchini, then onion

Season generously with salt and pepper. The recipe didn't call for any mozzarella, but I sprinkled some mozzarella on as the last ingredient (maybe 1/2 c. or more)

Bake until golden brown and cheese is melted (about 20 minutes).

Cut and serve immediately!

Key Lime Cupcakes

This lady was on Good Things Utah over the summer and made these amazing cupcakes. So far we've only made the Key Lime, but can't wait to try the Pink Lemonade.

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1 c. half and half
6 T. key lime juice
1 c. sweetened condensed milk
1 recipe whipped cream (recipe below)
4 T. grated lime peel ( 3 limes)

Method:

Mix together cake mix, eggs, half and half, and 3 tablespoons key lime juice. Pour 1 -2 tablespoons batter into each paper liner. In a separate bowl, mix sweetened condensed milk and the rest of the lime juice. Evenly divide lime milk into batter-filled cups. Top with remaining batter and fill ¾ full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 -18 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Whipped Cream

Ingredients:
2 c. heavy whipping cream
¼ - ½ c. powdered sugar
Method:
Pour cream into large mixing bowl and start mixing at low speed. Gradually increase speed until cream thickens and soft peaks form.
Turn off mixer and add sugar. Start slowly again - no messes today? Beat until stiff peaks form.
The stiffer the cream, the easier it is to frost the cupcakes. Keep refrigerated.
Frost with whipped cream and garnish with grated lime peel. (We just mixed the lime peel in with the whipped cream and added a little extra lime flavor too!)


Pink Lemonade
Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
1/3 c. pink lemonade concentrate
½ c. buttermilk
3 eggs
2 - 3 drops red food coloring

Method:

Mix together all ingredients until smooth. Pour batter into paper liners and fill ¾ full. Bake 15 - 18 minutes at 350 degrees or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool completely before frosting.

Pink lemonade Cream Frosting
Ingredients:
8 T. butter, room temperature
3 ¾ c. powdered sugar, sifted
3 - 4 T. milk or cream
1 - 2 drops red food coloring
2 t. lemon extract
Method:
Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer before adding the sugar to avoid a large mess. Add sugar, 3 tablespoons milk or cream, food coloring, and lemon extract. Beat frosting starting on slow speed and increasing your speed until frosting is nice and creamy. Add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk or cream if frosting is too thick.
Mix together all ingredients until smooth. Pour batter into paper liners and fill ¾ full. Bake 15 - 18 minutes at 350 degrees or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool completely before frosting.

White bean and corn chili

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 med onion chopped

1 clove minced garlic

3 chicken breasts,cooked and chopped

1 heaping cup frozen corn

2 cans great northern beans do not drain

1 7 oz can diced green chillies

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3 cups chicken broth or stock

3 TBSP lime juice

In large pot saute onion and garlic in olive oil

add chopped chicken, corn, beans, chilies, spices broth, and lime juice

stir until combined

bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Toppings

grated cheddar cheese

sour cream

chopped green onions

chips