Peach Berry Crumble Bars

I made this dessert for Bryn and Greg when I was out there for the arrival of new baby.  We enjoyed the recipe.  I'm putting my adaptations for what we had on hand.  The original recipe called for raspberry jam and raspberries.  I used dairy free butter.  I also plan to try this with some apricot jam instead of peach preserves (because that's what I now have on hand).

1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup cold butter cubed
8 oz peach preserves
3/4 cup frozen triple berry blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8x8 baking dish with a parchment sling and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix together until evenly combined.  Add pieces of butter and work into the dry ingredients using hands or a pastry cutter.  Squeeze butter and dry mixture between fingers until the mixture becomes like wet sand with pieces of butter the size of peas and smaller.  Pour two cups of the crumb mixture into the prepared baking dish. Lightly press to form an even crust.

Spread peach preserves over the crust. Sprinkle with frozen berries. Top with remaining crumb mixture. Do not press crumbs, just sprinkle over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven until the top turns slightly browned and puffed in the middle, 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for at least four hours before slicing.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookes

My family loves the softness of this cookie and keeps calling for the recipe.  So I'm putting it on here.  Seth loves when I don’t put too many chocolate chips in and ruin the cookie to chip ratio.  When I am in the mood to make smaller cookies, I will use mini chocolate chips (3/4-1 cup for a single batch).  I’ve also never made these with nuts.

1 cup butter, softened 1/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding (4-serving size) 1 tsp vanilla 2 eggs 2 1/4 cups unsifted flour 1 tsp baking soda 2 cups chocolate chips 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

 Mix the butter, sugars, pudding mix and vanilla in a large mixer bowl; beat until smooth and creamy.  Beat in the eggs.  Sift together the flour and baking soda and stir in; then stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, if desired.  (Batter will be stiff.)

 Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake in 350-degree oven for 10 to 13 minutes.

Yield: 5 dozen cookies

Mexican Mud

 2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning
3 (16 ounce each) cans refried beans
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
2 pounds Velveeta cheese

Brown ground beef with the onion and taco seasoning.  Put meat in a slow cooker and add the rest of the ingredients .  (I stirred it up a little bit.  I recently tried to 1/2 the recipe in a 2 quart slow cooker.  It filled it quite full.  So, I'd plan for using a 5 quart slow cooker with the full recipe.)  Cook on low for 4-6 hours, stirring every once in a while to mix everything together and distribute cheese as it is melting and to prevent burning.

Granola (no nuts)

I got the initial recipe from the WinCo bulk food section years and years ago.  Bryce changed it up by adding some spices.  Erica requested that we remove all nuts and add coconut.  So here is a new recipe the way Erica likes it.  :)

7 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups coconut

1 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, and wheat germ.  In a small saucepan or 2 cup microwaveable glass measuring cup, combine honey, oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and spices.  Heat, but do not boil.  Add liquid mixture to oats mixture and stir.  Spread in an oiled cookie sheet (or line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat).  Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from oven.  Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. 

Pressure Cooker Beef Tips

 Seth loves this recipe and I couldn't find it the other day.  Therefore, now that I've found it, I'm putting it on here so it doesn't ever get lost again.  :) Of course, we leave out the mushrooms and love to serve it over mashed potatoes.  The recipe says you can serve it over brown rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.

3 teaspoons olive oil
1 beef top sirloin steak (about 1 pound), cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup beef broth
1/2 pound sliced baby Portobello mushrooms
1 small onion, halved and sliced
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3-4 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Hot cooked mashed potatoes

Select saute setting on a 6-qt electric pressure cooker and adjust for high heat.  Add 2 teaspoons oil.  Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper.  Brown meat in batches, adding oil as needed.  Transfer meat to a bowl.  Add 1/3 cup broth to cooker, stirring to loosen browned bits.  Return beef to cooker; add mushrooms, onion, remaining broth, and Worcestershire sauce.  Lock lid; make sure vent is closed.  Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high and set time for 15 minutes (17 minutes at my altitude).  When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer's directions.

Select saute setting and adjust for high heat; bring liquid to a boil.  In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into beef mixture.  Cook and stir until sauce is thickened, about 1-2 minutes.  Serve with mashed potatoes.

Sour Cream Zucchini Bread

 

I made this bread today with some adjustments.  I used applesauce in place of some oil and used cinnamon chips instead of nuts or raisins.  Therefore, I'll type in my adjusted recipe.  Bryce says it is yummy and I don't taste the baking soda, which is a good thing for my relationship with zucchini bread.

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt (I didn't use 😊)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups peeled & shredded zucchini

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup nuts or raisins (or cinnamon chips or chocolate chips)

In a medium size mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and stir together well.

In larger mixing bowl beat eggs until a little frothy.  (I used my stand mixer and doubled the recipe.) Add sugar, oil, applesauce, vanilla, & zucchini; mixing well.  Add flour mixture and sour cream, alternately (1/2 at a time).  Stir gently after each addition.  With the last bit of sour cream, add the nuts/raisins/chips.

Divide batter between well-greased loaf pans.  I used my smaller loaf pans and made 5 loaves.  Therefore, it might make 2 larger loaves.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven; 35-40 minutes for small loaves, about 1 hour & 20 minutes for larger loaves.

These loaves came out beautifully from my newer loaf pans, but not so well with my older ones.  Next time, I plan to spray pans, place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom and then spray the parchment paper.  Maybe that will work better.

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats

AKA "Scotcheroos"

 Logan loves my recipe for these tasty treats.  It is a common request for a birthday treat. I got the recipe from a friend who would bring these treats to all the scouting events when Logan was younger.  I'll include her suggestions for making it, which is the way I try to do it.

2 cups light corn syrup
2 cups sugar
2 cups peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
8-12 cups rice crispy cereal.
1 bag each milk chocolate chips & butterscotch chips

Measure the cereal into a large bowl (Jolyn recommends starting with 10 cups).  In a saucepan, melt together the corn syrup and sugar.  Barely bring the mixture to a boil and then remove it from the heat.  Stir in the peanut butter.  Stir in the vanilla.  Pour this mixture over the cereal.  Stir well.  You can add more cereal, if you would like.  (I don't think I ever do.)  Dump the cereal mixture onto a cookie sheet and gently spread and press into an even layer (don't press too hard).

Melt milk chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together. (I usually do this in the microwave using a 4-cup glass measuring cup.)  Stir well and then spread over the crispies in the pan.  You can chill the treats to help the chocolate set up (if you are in a rush).