Monthly Archives: May 2012

May22

Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Posted on by
Standard
English: Rolled oats Español: Copos de avena

English: Rolled oats (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I made these for a Superbowl party this year and they were a huge hit! The original recipe called for cranberries, but I only had cherries on hand. I think that’s an even swap!

Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
(makes about 3 dozen)

1/2 cup butter – melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp canola oil
1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups oats
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)

Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl.
Add eggs, oil, and vanilla and mix well.
Combine oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
Gradually add to the egg mixture.
Stir in the cherries.
Drop by tablespoon 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool for 2 minutes and then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy :-)

(And yes, I apologize for the lack of photos lately. Most of my future recipes have photos to go along with them. I’m hoping to get a nice camera at some point to work on my photography skills!)

(adapted from the Taste of Home Cookies cookbook)

May12

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Posted on by
Standard
3 bananas on a yellow background

3 bananas on a yellow background (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a recipe from Betty Crocker that I ended up making one day when I had the craving for something with bananas and chocolate chips! These are so tasty that I didn’t even frost them! They were so delicious that they didn’t even need the frosting. That’s a pretty amazing feat if I should say so myself!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
(makes about 24)

1 box yellow cake mix
2 very ripe bananas – mashed – about 1 cup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter – softened
3 eggs
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 container chocolate frosting (optional)

Heat oven to 375°. Put paper liners in your cupcake tin.
In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, bananas, water, butter, and eggs until smooth.
Using a spoon, stir in the chocolate chips.
Spoon batter evenly into the pan.
Bake 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove to wire racks to cool.
Cool completely – about 30 minutes.
Frost as desired.

Enjoy :-)

Related articles
May6

Easy Taco Dip

Posted on by
Standard
Stuffed tiger wearing a sombrero

Stuffed tiger wearing a sombrero (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This was my next recipe to be posted, and it’s also fitting because this weekend we celebrated Cinco de Mayo! This is a really yummy and easy dip to make for gatherings.

Easy Taco Dip

1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup mild taco sauce
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Tortilla chips for serving
Sour cream for serving

Brown the ground beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
Make sure to break up the meat while it’s browning.
Drain and discard the fat.
Transfer to your crockpot or slow cooker.
Add the corn, onion, salsa, and taco sauce. Mix well.
Cover and cook on low 2-3 hours.
Just before serving, stir in the cheese.
Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream.

Delicious! Enjoy :-)

(adapted from the Crockpot Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes book)

May5

Smith Fun Night “E”dition

Posted on by
Standard

This Smith Night took place in January 2012. It ended up being another snowy night, no surprise there, considering the past few parties have gotten snow (including the October snowstorm)! We should start forecasting the weather each time we plan a party…hmm…anyway. We had 2 of our favorite couples over; Kim and Frank and Chris and Amanda. The only gripe I had was that cellphones were everywhere! I’m going to have to instate a new “No cell phone” rule. Be with the people who are in your company please :-) Here’s the lineup:

Egg Salad Sandwiches
Easy Taco Dip (recipe in a future post)
Egg Noodle Lasagna
Elegant Raspberry Bars
Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies
Enchiladas (courtesy of Kim)
Eclairs (courtesy of Kim)

We watched Edward Scissorhands…have you seen it? It’s an amazing movie from when I was younger. Johnny Depp in another classicly strange roll. We played MadGab for the first time as a group and it was hilarious. Girls vs. Guys and the girls totally rocked! If you’ve never played MadGab it’s basically phrases and famous names rewritten in different words and you have to guess the real phrase/name. For example: “”Eye Mull of Musheen” = “I’m a love machine”. It’s so much fun!