I've been cooking again...

This time it was no-bake cookies. I (of course) adapted it mostly because the recipe called for milk and butter, of which I cannot eat. But, I also added more chocolate and peanut butter.

CHOCOLATE OATMEAL NO-BAKE COOKIES

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco (Yes, I know how bad it is for you but when you can't have butter, you do what you have to do.)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tbsp vanilla
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
3/4 cup peanut butter

Combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a saucepan. On medium heat, bring to a boil for one full minute.
Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter (optional), vanilla and oatmeal.

Drop by spoonful onto wax paper. Let cool for at least 30 minutes.

They turned out great, satisfied my craving to cook them (because, yes, I was craving the cooking part) and bonus!! I stumbled upon a dessert that my husband actually likes!! Ha!!

No Fail French Bread

I tried (and tweaked) this recipe yesterday. It make really good bread and is SUPER easy. The best part? I started it at 4:30 and IT WAS DONE BY 6:00!! Well, a few minutes after 6:00, but still!! Fresh homemade YEAST bread in an hour and half!?
UNHEARD OF!! At least by me. Until now. So, here is the recipe:

In a large bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid) mix:

2 cups very hot water

2 T honey

1 T salt

1/3 cup oil


In a small bowl mix:

½ c warm water

1 T honey

2 T yeast


Add 3 cups flour to large bowl (or your Kitchen Aid) and mix well. Add small bowl and 3 to 4 more cups flour. Mix until smooth and you have a cohesive ball of dough. Leave the dough in the Kitchen Aid (if you are using one) and mix every 10 minutes for an hour or knead every 10 minutes for 1 hour. Divide and shape into loaves. (You don't need to let it rise again!) Bake at 350’ for 35 minutes.

Try not to eat all of it at once. ;)

The Fourth.

Hey all.

I know it's been a long time. I've made stuff; Ive done stuff, but I've had no camera to document all the stuff with! :(

Guess what?!

We FOUND the camera!!! HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, hopefully, we will now return to our regularly scheduled blogging. :)

Please enjoy these sweet pics of Eme enjoying the fourth. (Taken by his fabulous photographer-uncle, Nate of Caulford Photography.)



p.s. Perspective makes it seem as though I am a crazy mother who is allowing her six month old to hold fire. That IS NOT the case. I swear Eme is NOT holding the sparkler. It is NO WHERE near his hand even. It just looks like it.

p.s.s. Eme LOVES fireworks!!!