Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
1 3/4 cup quick oats
1 pkg chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 °.   In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon.  In the bowl of a stand mixer add 1 beaten egg and the bananas and mix well.  Add shortening and mix together.  Add the dry ingredients (flour, sugar,salt, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon) and mix.  Add quick oats and chocolate chips.  Scoop out cooking onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 11 min.

Snickerdoodles from Sis Sisters' Stuff

Ingredients

Dough:

• 3 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Add the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients and mix until everything is incorporated.
4. In another small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar for the topping.
5. Form the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place dough ball on a greased baking sheet and flatten (I used the bottom of a glass to lightly flatten my cookies).
6. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with additional cinnamon/sugar mixture, then bake for 7-8 minutes. Do not overbake these.
7. Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool.

*I added extra flour to the dough to make them a little thicker- around 1/4-1/2 cup.  Bake one cookie to test it and see if you like how it baked. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies from Lil Luna

Here is the link to go to the website http://lilluna.com/the-best-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/

Here is the recipe:

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar, softened
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Cream butter, oil and sugars. Add eggs and beat until fluffy.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes.

*Next time I make these I would add some extra flour  to make them a little thicker as well as some cinnamon.

*I made my cookies 1.5 oz each and they took a little longer to bake- around 9½ mintues.

Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks

Life in the Lofthouse Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks

         

GARLIC PARMESAN BREADSTICKS

Yields 12

Soft, buttery breadsticks topped with a garlic Parmesan seasoning. 

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

12 min

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 1/2 cups warm water (105 - 110 degrees F°)
2. 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
3. 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
5. 4 cups all-purpose flour

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand-mixer, add warm water, instant yeast, sugar and salt. Stir to combine (using the dough hook if in the stand-mixer)
2. Add 2 cups flour and mix well. Gradually add in the rest of the flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and sticks to your finger a little bit. (Remember to only add up to 4 cups flour total. Adding too much flour will make the breadsticks too dense and not soft.)
3. Cover bowl and allow to rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Remove dough from bowl and place on a clean and lightly-floured surface. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray. Roll dough into a large rectangle, about 1-inch thick, and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.
5. Roll out each piece of dough into a long rope then twist. Place dough twist onto prepared baking sheet and repeat with the rest of dough, placing side by side on baking sheet.
6. Cover and let rest 30 minutes to rise again until doubled.
7. Preheat oven to 425° F. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden-brown. Remove from oven and rub a 1/2 stick of butter over the warm breadsticks. Sprinkle tops evenly with Garlic Bread Seasoning.

By Holly

Adapted from Food Network Magazine/ Our Best Bites

GARLIC BREAD SEASONING

INGREDIENTS

1. 1/2 cup powdered Parmesan cheese
2. 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
3. 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
4. 2 teaspoons dried oregano
5. 2 teaspoons dried basil
6. 2 teaspoons dried parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in a small jar or container that has a lid. Stir mixture to combine and then seal shut with lid.
2. Sprinkle on top of warm breadsticks OR combine 1 1/2 Tablespoons garlic bread seasoning with 1/2 cup softened butter and spread on a loaf of French bread (cut in 1/2 lengthwise). Wrap in foil and bake at 375 until butter’s melted. (You could also place it open-faced under the broiler for a few minutes, so it gets golden-brown and crispy)

By Holly

Adapted from Our Best Bites

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

1 White Cake Mix
1/2 cup baking cocoa
3 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil/vegetable oil
1/2 cup thawed apple raspberry concentrate (found in the frozen juice section)
7/8 cup water
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or diced raspberry chocolate orange

Icing:
1/3 cup butter- softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 T. thawed apple raspberry concentrate

Beat cake mix, cocoa, eggs, oil, juice concentrate and water for 3 minutes on medium speed.  Fold in chocolate chips. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full.  ( I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup).  Bake at 350 degrees for about 17-20 minutes.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Icing:  Beat butter til light and fluffy.  Gradually add powered sugar, then juice.  Beat til smooth.  If not using right away store in fridge.  Let icing sit out and soften a little before using.  The icing is a very pale pink.  I used a large star tip to pipe icing on cupcake and then garnished with three fresh raspberries on each one.

* Last time I made this I accidentally used a stick of butter instead of the 1/3 cup that the recipe called for and it turned out fine.

Churro Apple Pie Waffles

from Chica Chocolatina

**When I made these I decided to not stuff the pie filling inside the waffles. I just put a little of the apple pie filling over the top of each waffle and then placed a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the pie filling. Also- we used a lot less cinnamon than the recipe calls for in the churro topping.  Next time I'd like to try these with peach pie filling.

   Ingredients
                                                                                                                               

4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 eggs                                                                     

2 cups of all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups warm milk                                

1/3 cup butter, melted                                             

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 3 shakes of cinnamon

For the churro topping:

1 cup of white sugar

1/2 cup cinnamon ( 1/4 cup if you don't love cinnamon like I do)  

1/2 cup of melted butter

Apple Filling- 

1 can of Lucky Leaf Apples or any can you prefer

If your feeling really ambitious you can make your own apple filling.

                                                                 

 Directions

1.In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside.  Also at this time you can combine your churro topping and set it aside. Preheat waffle iron

     

2.In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture;  Next fold in three shakes of cinnamon beat until blended

      

3. At this time you can also melt your 1/2 cup of butter used to pour over waffles. Next generously spray your waffle iron with no stick cooking spray. Than ladle a little batter into a preheated waffle iron, gently place on 4-5 apple slices ( depending on size of your waffle iron, smaller size use 2-3 apples.

4. Next add more batter on top of apples, be careful not to overflow waffle maker. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. ( Caution, mixing the apples directly into the batter yielded undesirable results for me)

5.Once fully cooked immediately pour melted butter on each side of the waffle and than dip each buttered side into your cinnamon/sugar churro mixture.

Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls

 

Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls from Crazy for Crust

*I used the sweet roll recipe from America's Test Kitchen found here.  I reduced the amount of milk to 2/3 c  and added zest and lemon juice just like in the original recipe. Next time I would double the amount of filling (not blueberries) to get a little more lemon flavor coming through.  I used her cream cheese  frosting recipe and really liked it.  I used regular blueberries and they were big as far as blueberries go. When I sliced the dough into individual rolls some of the blueberries were cut and looked a little like olives. I just turned over any blueberries that had been sliced so they still looked like berries.  I made them the night before I needed them and baked them the following morning after letting them sit out and rise.  Turned out great!

Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls (taken directly from the website)

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes plus overnight rising

I used my favorite cinnamon roll recipe and turned it into a lemon sweet roll with blueberries! This is the perfect recipe to use up your lemon stash and it'll make the cold morning feel like spring!

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

• 2/3 cup warm non-fat milk (think hot bath water, about 45 seconds in the microwave)
• 1 package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1/3 cup + 1/2 teaspoon sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
• 3 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• Paddle attachment & dough hook for your mixer

For the Filling:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1-2 medium lemons)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, make sure they are thawed and drained), see note

For the Frosting:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 ounces cream cheese, very soft
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• Pinch salt
• 3-4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Make the Dough:

1. Place milk in a microwave safe measuring cup. Heat for 45 seconds in the microwave, until it’s about 120°F, think hot bathwater. (The time you heat it will need to be adjusted depending on your microwave. You can use a candy or a meat thermometer to test the temperature.) Add yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar and stir. Let it sit for a few minutes until frothy.
2. Place sugar, butter, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until the butter is distributed throughout the liquids, although it may be chunky. Pour in the milk/yeast mixture and stir for a few seconds.
3. Add 3 cups flour and stir with the paddle attachment just until the mixture starts to stick to the paddle. Then replace the paddle with the dough hook. Continue mixing on low speed until the dough forms a ball in the center of the bowl. The dough will be slightly sticky and elastic. There will be minimal transfer to your finger if you poke it. If it’s still very wet, add up to 1/4 cup more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
4. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in it. Spray the top of the dough ball with cooking spray (lightly) and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for 2-4 hours until it doubles in size. Note on rising: if your house is warm, it should rise no problem. If it’s cold in your house, it may take longer for the dough to rise.

Prepare your Rolls:

1. Stir together butter, sugar, lemon zest, salt and flour until it forms a paste.
2. Once the dough is risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle, about 10” by 14”. Spread the filling as evenly as possible over the rectangle, making sure to reach to the sides so the outer rolls have enough filling. Sprinkle with blueberries. I used 1 cup of mini (or “wild”) blueberries that were defrosted and drained. If you’re using regular sized berries, you might want to use more of them.
3. Roll the dough up tightly from the long end. Slice it into 12 equal rounds. Place the rolls into a 9x13” pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (Or, if you want to make them  the same day, cover with plastic wrap and let them sit for 1 hour until they’ve puffed up a little, then continue as directed below.)
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let them warm up to room temperature while the oven is preheating. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 23-28 minutes, or until they are golden brown. (Mine took 24, be careful not to over bake. The bottoms will turn golden before the tops do.) Note: the blueberries will drain to the bottom of the pan overnight. That’s not a problem.

Make the frosting:

1. Whisk the melted butter and softened cream cheese until mostly smooth. If your cream cheese is too stiff, you can use a hand mixer. Whisk/beat in powdered sugar and 3 teaspoons lemon juice, adding more as desired for thickness. Pour over warm rolls and serve.

Notes:

Note about blueberries: I prefer to use mini blueberries in my baking, as it's what my family prefers. They are often labeled "wild" and they are smaller than normal berries. You can often find them at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. You can use regular sized berries, fresh or frozen, but make sure frozen berries are thawed and drained. Use 1-2 cups, deepening on how many berries you want in your rolls.

Red Chile Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe- these are sweeter than most enchilada recipes I have tried. I left out the jalapeno pepper.

 

Red Chile Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: Makes 12 enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large chicken breasts)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6-inch) soft corn or flour tortillas (fajita-size for flour tortillas)
• cooking spray
• salt and ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a simmer.
2. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12-20 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts you are using. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool. Continue to simmer the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the leftover onion mixture from the strainer to a large bowl and set aside.
4. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture in the large bowl. Also stir in 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese and the cilantro. Toss to combine.
5. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
6. Heat oven to 400 F. Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake 20 minutes, or until heated through.
7. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
8. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, if desired.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: Follow the recipe, letting the sauce, onions and chicken come to room temperature before assembling the enchiladas. Finish following the recipe instructions and instead of baking, cover the pan with a layer of tin foil and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Bake covered for 20 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Alternately, the assembled enchiladas can be covered with a double layer of tin foil and put inside a jumbo-size ziploc bag (if you don’t have a jumbo-sized bag, make sure the edges of the pan are sealed well with tin foil). Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Bake from frozen, baking for 1 1/2 hours covered at 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake an additional hour until hot and bubbly.

Heavenly Blueberry and Cream Angel Dessert

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients

Blueberry Filling:
• 12 ounces frozen blueberries
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 tablespoon) 
•  
Cake and Cream:
• Baked, cooled and cubed angel food cake 
• 16 ounces light cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2/3 cup half-and-half or evaporated milk (can use skim evaporated milk)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar 
•  
Whipped Cream:
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions

1. For the blueberry filling, in a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until thickened, 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. For the cake and cream layer, in a blender or with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer), whip together the cream cheese, half-and-half or evaporated milk and sugar until smooth and creamy. Transfer the mixture to a bowl if you used a blender. Fold in the angel food cake cubes. Keep in mind (from the note above) that you may not use all the cake cubes, especially if using an angel food cake mix. Add cake cubes until they are all thickly coated with a layer of cream. If making this in advance, it can dry out if there is too much angel food cake added.
3. For the whipped cream, beat together the heavy cream and powdered sugar until peaks form.
4. To assemble, in a trifle dish or in a large glass bowl, spread half of the angel food cake mixture. Top with half of the blueberries, spreading evenly across, and then spread half of the sweetened whipped cream. Repeat the layers.
5. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Serve chilled.

How to soften butter in the microwave

This is so great! It works every time. 

Place the butter on one end and microwave for 4 seconds.  Then turn it on the other end and microwave for another 4 seconds.  Then lay it flat and microwave for 4 seconds.  Then flip it over to the opposite side and microwave for another 4 seconds.

If I'm using margarine I shorten the time to 3 seconds.

Andes Triple Chocolate Mint Pudding Cookies

From momontimeout.com

* I had to add about another 1/2 cup of  flour to the recipe because the dough was too wet to stick to the andes mint. Everything was sticking to my fingers and not the mint.  

Ingredients

Cookies
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• (1) 3.9 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 2 Tbls water
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup Andes creme de menthe baking chips
• 24 Andes mints
Drizzles
• 1/2 cup Andes creme de menthe baking chips
• 4 oz white candy coating (I used CandiQuik)
• 1/2 tsp mint extract
• green gel food coloring
• 
  

Instructions

Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, pudding mix,baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream sugars and butter together until light and fluffy.
4. Add in egg, vanilla and water and beat until well blended.
5. Gradually stir in dry ingredients.
6. Fold in chocolate chips and Andes baking chips.
7. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
8. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of cookie dough. Form into a ball and press an Andes mint into the center. Fold dough around mint and slightly flatten. Place on prepared cookie sheet.
9. Bake for 8 minutes or until they are set. Do not over bake.
10. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.
Drizzle
11. Melt andes chips in a small bowl in microwave at 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring in between. Transfer to a plastic bag and cut off a corner of the bag. Just a little bit so you have a nice thin drizzle.
12. Drizzle over the top of cooled cookies.
13. Melt candy coating according to package directions. Stir in extract and food coloring and transfer to a piping bag or plastic bag. Cut off the corner and drizzle over cookies.
14. Let drizzles set up before storing in an airtight container.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe
* After making this recipe, it made way more than six wraps.  I would probably cut the amount of rice in half the next time I make it.  I used chicken that I had pressure canned and left out the bell pepper. 

Yield: Makes 6 wraps

Note: This is one of the most adaptable recipes on here (reading through the comments will prove that – your variations sound amazing!). Feel free to up the cilantro, add in a different meat of your choice, eliminate the pepper, add green chilies – seriously, the options are endless.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
• 1/2 red or green pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
• Sour cream (optional)
• 6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Directions

1. Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.

Recipe Source: original recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Peach Pie Filling

 The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a great website for all things related to canning and/or freezing food.  I really like this peach pie filling taken from their website. For the ascorbic acid mentioned I use a product called Fruit Fresh. It's a powder that you can find in a grocery store near the canning supplies.  Clear Jel is a modified corn starch.  I used a product called Ultra Gel that is the same thing. I found it at a local store that sells it near me by  going to the Carnet Foods website and using the Find a Retailer link or it can be ordered online.

http://nchfp.uga.edu/ 

Quality: Select ripe, but firm fresh peaches. Red Haven, Redskin, Sun High, and other varieties of similar quality are suitable.

Yield: 1 quart or 7 quarts.
Please read Using Boiling Water Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning.
Procedure: See Table 1 for suggested quantities. Peel peaches. To loosen skins, submerge peaches in boiling water for approximately 30-60 seconds, and then place in cold water for 20 seconds. Slip off skins and prepare slices 1/2-inch thick. Place slices in water containing 1/2 tsp. of ascorbic acid crystals or six 500-milligram vitamin C tablets in 1 gallon of water to prevent browning.

For fresh fruit, place 6 cups at a time in 1 gallon boiling water. Boil each batch 1 minute after the water returns to a boil. Drain but keep heated fruit in a covered bowl or pot. Combine water, sugar, Clear Jel®, and, if desired, cinnamon and/or almond extract in a large kettle. Stir and cook over medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil sauce 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Fold in drained peach slices and continue to heat mixture for 3 minutes. Fill jars without delay, leaving 1 inch head-space. Adjust lids and process immediately according to the recommendations in Table 2.

Table 1. Peach Pie Filling
	Quantities of Ingredients Needed For
	1 Quart	7 Quarts
Sliced fresh peaches	3-1/2 cups	6 quarts
Granulated sugar	1 cup	7 cups
Clear Jel®	1/4 cup + 1 tbsp	2 cups + 3 tbsp
Cold water	3/4 cup	5-1/4 cups
Cinnamon (optional)	1/8 tsp	1 tsp
Almond extract (optional)	1/8 tsp	1 tsp
Bottled lemon juice	1/4 cup	1-3/4 cups

Table 2. Recommended process time for Peach Pie Filling in a boiling-water canner.
		Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	0 - 1,000 ft	1,001 -3,000 ft	3,001 - 6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Hot	Pints or Quarts	30 min	35	40	45

---

This document was adapted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, revised 2009.

Reviewed November 2009.

Halloween Party Food

Click here to see ideas from Our Best Bites for Halloween party food.

How to Peel Ginger

Click here for a video to see an easy way to peel ginger.

Rootbeer Pudding Cookies

from Chef-in-training

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix dry, do not prepare
2 eggs
1 tsp. Root Beer concentrate
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1-2 cups white chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

Cream butter and sugars together.Beat in instant vanilla pudding mix well.Add eggs and root beer concentrate and beat until well incorporated.Add flour and baking soda and beat until well incorporated.Stir in white chocolate chips.Roll into 1" balls and place on greased cookie sheet.Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.

Waffles

Waffle recipe for whole wheat waffles. We tried it tonight with the cinnamon apples. Thumbs up from the family :)

Healthy Whole Grain Waffles
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 1/2 cups 100% whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ*
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal*
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar or no-calorie sweetener, like Splenda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

*If you choose to omit wheat germ and flaxseed meal, add an additional 4 tablespoons flour (whole wheat or all purpose) instead.

Whisk together flour, wheat germ, flaxseed meal, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl mix together milk, oil, egg, vanilla, and oil and whisk until combined. Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk until just mixed together, (it’s okay to have some lumps) don’t over-mix.

Ladle into an electric waffle iron and cook according to your waffle-maker’s instructions until golden brown. (I use a heaping 1/2 cup batter for my 8″ round waffle iron). Serve warm with desired toppings.

Freezer Instructions: Lay waffles in a single layer on a baking dish in the freezer for a few hours. When frozen, place in a ziplock bag or freezer container. Reheat in toaster. Can also keep cooled waffles in fridge and reheat in toaster.

Yields: 3 1/2-4 rounds (14-16 triangles)

Nutritional Information: (Calculated using Splenda)
Serving Size: 1/2 round, 2 triangle wedges
Calories: 193, Protein: 7, Carbs: 20, Fat: 9, Fiber: 4

For the Cinnamon Apples:
1/3 cups diced apple in a little saute pan with 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon, and a spritz of cooking spray. Just stir them around and let them cook for 2-3 minutes, just when they soften a little, and then pop them on the waffle.

Cupcakes

Cute way to package individual cupcakes :)

Click here for link.

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

(from Taste of Home)

Ingredients
2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup sugar, divided
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons orange juice
3 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 loaf (10-3/4 ounces) frozen pound cake, thawed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, grated
Chocolate curls and additional strawberries, optional

Directions

In a bowl, toss strawberries with 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.
In a bowl, beat cream cheese, orange juice and remaining sugar until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream; set aside.
Drain strawberries, reserving juice; set the berries aside. Gently toss cake cubes with reserved juice. Place half of the cake in a 4-qt. trifle dish or serving bowl. Top with a third of the cream cheese mixture, half of the strawberries and half of the grated chocolate. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture. Garnish with chocolate curls and strawberries if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Yield: 14-16 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 each) equals 344 calories, 25 g fat (15 g saturated fat), 104 mg cholesterol, 129 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies from life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com

These cookies are so soft! I added an extra 1/4 cup of flour and some cinnamon. I baked them for 10 minutes and took them out (even though they don't look done) and let them continue to cook while they are sitting on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes. Baking on parchment is great for easy clean up and even baking on the bottom of the cookies.




Yields 36 cookies


1 cup (2 sticks) Butter, softened
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup White Sugar
1 small pkg Instant Vanilla Pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 pkg ( 12 oz) Milk Chocolate Chips


DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat the butter, both sugars, pudding mix, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until creamy and fluffy. Then slowly mix in flour and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop by tablespoonfuls, onto an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for ONLY 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes before eating.