Yet another Christmas recipe! I baked for 10 minutes and they were just a little overdone. 9 minutes is better. A little extra chocolate wouldn't hurt any (besides change the points), but that is coming from a Chocoholic!
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 30
Preparation Time: 12 min
Cooking Time: 11 min
Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray
1 cup(s) sugar, granulated
1/4 cup(s) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup(s) chunky peanut butter
2 large egg(s)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup(s) whole-grain wheat flour
1 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
* Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray or cover with parchment paper.
* Place sugar, butter and peanut butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; blend well with mixer.
* Add salt, baking soda and flour to sugar mixture; beat until completely incorporated.
* Drop batter by heaping teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheets and flatten with the back of a wooden spoon. Make sure to leave about 2 inches between each cookie. (Bake in several batches to prevent over-crowding if necessary.) Place a chocolate chip in center of each cookie.
* Bake cookies until edges brown, about 10 to 11 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 1 or 2 minutes; remove cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Yields 1 cookie per serving.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
I graduated!
Well, I officially graduated with my Masters of Science in Education (concentrating in ESL/ELL) from UNO on Friday. My last two grades aren't in yet, but I know I passed them both!
I didn't make my personal challenge of getting to a size 12, but with David's accident and all the other stress, it's okay. The biggest thing for me was when we went shopping. I didn't have to guess what size to wear or go to the Women's section. 2 of the 3 dresses fit perfect ~ the one that didn't had a belt at the waist and my torso is so long that those types of dresses don't work well.
Here are some pics:
My dress! I felt so good in it!!
My daddy and I. Yes, at 26 years old, I am still the biggest daddy's girl in the world! He has supported me in everything - mistake or not - and is such a wonderful role model for me.
David and I! He gave me his jacket when I had to turn my gown in and then walk to the car. He does love me! :-)
The Masters' gowns had these wing like things so I kept saying I felt like Bat Man! As we were going from the basement of the Civic to the auditorium, I texted David and said "We're leaving the Bat Cave!" He laughed.
David's mom got me a cake. I ate way more of it than I should have, but, hell, it was my graduation! We tried to send it home with her but she wouldn't take it. It will probably end up getting thrown away because we won't be able to finish it!
So, now I have to figure out what to do in my spare time! David is going to finish his RN degree which should take about 2 years. Hopefully we'll get pregnant before he finishes and maybe I'll go back for my administration certificate...... But, for now, I'm going to enjoy relaxing and keeping my house clean!
I didn't make my personal challenge of getting to a size 12, but with David's accident and all the other stress, it's okay. The biggest thing for me was when we went shopping. I didn't have to guess what size to wear or go to the Women's section. 2 of the 3 dresses fit perfect ~ the one that didn't had a belt at the waist and my torso is so long that those types of dresses don't work well.
Here are some pics:
My dress! I felt so good in it!!
My daddy and I. Yes, at 26 years old, I am still the biggest daddy's girl in the world! He has supported me in everything - mistake or not - and is such a wonderful role model for me.
David and I! He gave me his jacket when I had to turn my gown in and then walk to the car. He does love me! :-)
The Masters' gowns had these wing like things so I kept saying I felt like Bat Man! As we were going from the basement of the Civic to the auditorium, I texted David and said "We're leaving the Bat Cave!" He laughed.
David's mom got me a cake. I ate way more of it than I should have, but, hell, it was my graduation! We tried to send it home with her but she wouldn't take it. It will probably end up getting thrown away because we won't be able to finish it!
So, now I have to figure out what to do in my spare time! David is going to finish his RN degree which should take about 2 years. Hopefully we'll get pregnant before he finishes and maybe I'll go back for my administration certificate...... But, for now, I'm going to enjoy relaxing and keeping my house clean!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Carob Oatmeal Bars
Here's another dog-friendly recipe. Carob is dog-safe "chocolate." Yes, people eat it ~ I found it in the health food section at HyVee. I also cut the bars smaller than it says and used a smaller rectangle pan instead of square to get more treats.
Ingredients
~ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
~ 1/4 cup honey
~ 2 eggs
~ 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
~ 1/4 cup water
~ 1 cup whole wheat flour
~ 1/2 tsp baking powder
~ 2 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked
~ 1/4 cup carob chips
In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture, and mix well. Pour the batter into a greased 9 inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. The bars are done when toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into 2 inch squares.
Ingredients
~ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
~ 1/4 cup honey
~ 2 eggs
~ 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
~ 1/4 cup water
~ 1 cup whole wheat flour
~ 1/2 tsp baking powder
~ 2 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked
~ 1/4 cup carob chips
In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture, and mix well. Pour the batter into a greased 9 inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. The bars are done when toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into 2 inch squares.
Peanut Butter Apple Cookies
This is a dog-safe recipe. Last year, my mom got me a cook book for dogs called Doggy Desserts. No, I don't make treats very often, but when I do, the dogs love them! People can eat them too, but they are pretty bland.
I'm giving these to all the puppies in our lives!
Ingredients
~ 1 apple, chopped, with skin and core removed
~ 1/3 cup vegetable oil
~ 1/4 cup all natural peanut butter, no salt or sugar added (I used Smucker's Organic)
~ 1/4 cup honey
~ 1 egg
~ 2 cup whole wheat flour
~ 1/2 cup water
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients. With a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. When done, the cookies should be firm to touch. Turn the oven off, and leave the cookies in for 1-2 hours to harden (I didn't do this part because I wanted them to be a little softer).
I'm giving these to all the puppies in our lives!
Ingredients
~ 1 apple, chopped, with skin and core removed
~ 1/3 cup vegetable oil
~ 1/4 cup all natural peanut butter, no salt or sugar added (I used Smucker's Organic)
~ 1/4 cup honey
~ 1 egg
~ 2 cup whole wheat flour
~ 1/2 cup water
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients. With a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. When done, the cookies should be firm to touch. Turn the oven off, and leave the cookies in for 1-2 hours to harden (I didn't do this part because I wanted them to be a little softer).
Chocolate Turtle Cookies
Okay, so I think this was my favorite of the 4. The caramel melted really nicely ~ a couple melted a little onto the pan ~ and the cookies were so soft and moist!!! Definitely gonna be making more of these! You definitely need to plan more time to chill though. I gave it 45 minutes and it wasn't enough. I did it anyways, and it was messy. So, maybe a couple hours would be better. Oh, and I used the back of a spatula to get the caramel flat (it was easier than using my hand and "kneading" it).
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 24
Preparation Time: 18 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Ingredients
1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup(s) sugar
1/4 cup(s) reduced-calorie margarine
1/4 cup(s) fat-free cream cheese
1 large egg white(s)
2 tbsp fat-free skim milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 spray(s) cooking spray
24 piece(s) caramel candies
24 pieces pecan halves
Instructions
* Combine flour and cocoa in a small bowl; set aside. Beat together sugar, margarine, cream cheese, egg white, milk and vanilla extract in a large bowl; add flour mixture and blend well. Chill dough at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
* Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
* Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on baking sheets about 1 to 2 inches apart. Press a caramel into each cookie and flatten; top each caramel with a pecan half. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields 1 cookie per serving.
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 24
Preparation Time: 18 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Ingredients
1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup(s) sugar
1/4 cup(s) reduced-calorie margarine
1/4 cup(s) fat-free cream cheese
1 large egg white(s)
2 tbsp fat-free skim milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 spray(s) cooking spray
24 piece(s) caramel candies
24 pieces pecan halves
Instructions
* Combine flour and cocoa in a small bowl; set aside. Beat together sugar, margarine, cream cheese, egg white, milk and vanilla extract in a large bowl; add flour mixture and blend well. Chill dough at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
* Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
* Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on baking sheets about 1 to 2 inches apart. Press a caramel into each cookie and flatten; top each caramel with a pecan half. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields 1 cookie per serving.
Lemon Cookie Snaps
Here is recipe 3. These were pretty good ~ I'm not a huge fan of lemon, but David and my dad are. So, I decided to make them. They were easy and moist. There was also a note at the bottom of the recipe ~ you can change the flavor by changing the juice and zest to the citrus of your choice.
POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 15
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 12 min
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp table salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup(s) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup(s) sugar
2 large egg yolk(s)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest, finely chopped
1/4 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream
2 spray(s) cooking spray, flour-variety recommended
Instructions
* In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder; set aside.
* In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add egg yolks and combine thoroughly. Add lemon juice and zest; beat well. Add sour cream and a small amount of flour mixture; beat to combine. Add rest of flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
* Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray.
* Tear off heaping tablespoons of dough and roll into balls; place about 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Press each ball down with palm of your hand to flatten. Press tines of a fork across cookies in one direction to make lines. Press tines of a fork across cookies in opposite direction to make a cross-hatch pattern.
* Bake until edges of cookies turn golden, about 9 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and leave on cookie sheets for 1 or 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields 2 cookies per serving.
POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 15
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 12 min
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp table salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup(s) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup(s) sugar
2 large egg yolk(s)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest, finely chopped
1/4 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream
2 spray(s) cooking spray, flour-variety recommended
Instructions
* In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder; set aside.
* In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add egg yolks and combine thoroughly. Add lemon juice and zest; beat well. Add sour cream and a small amount of flour mixture; beat to combine. Add rest of flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
* Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray.
* Tear off heaping tablespoons of dough and roll into balls; place about 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Press each ball down with palm of your hand to flatten. Press tines of a fork across cookies in one direction to make lines. Press tines of a fork across cookies in opposite direction to make a cross-hatch pattern.
* Bake until edges of cookies turn golden, about 9 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and leave on cookie sheets for 1 or 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields 2 cookies per serving.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Crackle Spice Drops
Here is the second cookie I made. These don't really spread, so you can put them pretty close together. And they are so moist and yummy!
POINTS® Value: 1
Servings: 36 (I think I about doubled the size, so closer to 2 points and only 20 cookies or so)
Preparation Time: 18 min
Cooking Time: 8 min
Ingredients
1/2 cup(s) reduced-calorie margarine, soft
1/2 cup(s) unpacked brown sugar
1 large egg(s)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp table salt
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup(s) powdered sugar
Instructions
* Preheat oven to 375°F.
* In a mixing bowl, on medium speed, beat margarine with brown sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and spice.
* Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into powdered sugar to coat. Place onto baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 7 to 8 minutes. Yields 1 cookie per serving.
POINTS® Value: 1
Servings: 36 (I think I about doubled the size, so closer to 2 points and only 20 cookies or so)
Preparation Time: 18 min
Cooking Time: 8 min
Ingredients
1/2 cup(s) reduced-calorie margarine, soft
1/2 cup(s) unpacked brown sugar
1 large egg(s)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp table salt
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup(s) powdered sugar
Instructions
* Preheat oven to 375°F.
* In a mixing bowl, on medium speed, beat margarine with brown sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and spice.
* Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into powdered sugar to coat. Place onto baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 7 to 8 minutes. Yields 1 cookie per serving.
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