Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These really are the best peanut butter cookies. No need to make any others. They are such a delightful texture. I was wondering when I had these after ward choir practice why my cookies never have that wonderful crispy outside, chewy inside texture. Now that I've made these for myself I realize it's because I'm always lowering the amount of sugar in my recipes. This recipe is not ashamed of its sugar content. Man, these are good. Pure indulgence.

Oh, and my friend who made them on Sunday sprinkles a little salt on top before baking (reminds me of salted caramels). She also uses super chunky peanut butter. :)

Macaroni and Cheese

I like this version better than my standby with Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder from Betty Crock*r. This is less tangy and more spicy (as spicy as you want), with the crumb topping kids love.

Cook 8 oz. elbow macaroni with
salt
Drain.

SAUCE
Melt on medium heat:
3 TB butter
Whisk in: 3 TB flour
and once smooth gradually add:
2 cups milk
Increase heat to medium high. Bring to low boil, stirring often, for 6 minutes.

Add:
8 oz. cheese (calls for half extra-sharp cheddar and half Monterey jack; I just used the Kirkl*nd 4-cheese shredded blend that my kids really like)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp. hot sauce (I used T*basco)

Combine pasta and cheese. Now, I think next time I'll put about 3/4 of this mac and cheese in a 9x13 glass pan and put the crumb topping on it. The other part I will leave in the pot for those in my family who don't like crumb topping.

Crumb topping:
3/4 cups panko combined with 1 tsp. olive oil

Sprinkle the mixture on top of the pasta. Broil until desired crispness (watch it!)

Chocolate Banana Muffins

I wanted to make something new for breakfast, and these were yummy and moist.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Makes 24 muffins (there was a lot of batter, so the muffins liners were pretty full and spread out a bit on top).

3 cups mashed bananas (I didn't have quite enough bananas so I used applesauce for the rest)
2/3 cup oil
2 eggs

2 cups sugar (seems like a lot and I usually would reduce the sugar but they weren't overly sweet)
3 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
They need salt, I just realized! How much? 1/4 tsp? 1/2 tsp?

Bake 20-25 minutes.

Pumpkin Banana Milkshake

So, I tweaked a smoothie recipe but added all the sugar it called for, and if you use whole milk and sugar I sure call it a milkshake rather than a smoothie. I don't like pumpkin pie, but I like everything else pumpkin-y if it isn't overpoweringly pumpkin.

1 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 frozen banana (chunks are best for your blender)
2 TB brown sugar
vanilla
cinnamon

Spinach Berry Smoothie

I loved this without the avocado. Someday I'm going to get the PB2 stuff to use easily in smoothies (healthier peanut butter that comes in a powder).

1 C almond milk
3 handfuls spinach
1/2 C mixed berries
1 banana
1/2 C ice
1 TB peanut butter
1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1/2 avacado (I omit)

Rice and Beans, Beans and Rice

When our food budget is out of control, we go back to [insert sing-songy voice] "rice and beans, beans and rice." I think the first time I did it I made normal rice and heated up some cans of black beans. Then maybe added some cheese. Ate them in cheap tortillas a couple times. So boring. Now, I'm pretty happy with this meal, though it's not as simple as it started out.

Rice in the rice cooker (jasmine or a fancy kind is yummiest, of course, but we do regular and brown too)
3 rice cooker cups (perfect amount for us)
cilantro leaves, chopped
splash of lemon or lime juice
splash of olive oil or butter
chicken/vegetable broth up to the #3 line

Black beans (in all honesty, Hans still prefers them straight out of a can, but not me!)
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil/butter/broth
Add rinsed and drained canned black beans (we need 2 cans for our family)
chicken/vegetable broth or water
Let simmer for a while to make the beans nice and soft(er) and yummy

Homemade tortillas
Let's be honest, I'm such a bad roller-outer that mine are more the thickness of pita bread

Cafe Rio copycat dressing. This has become an obligation--enough that Luke will mix it up himself.

Shredded lettuce, maybe salsa or fresh tomatoes.

No one even asks for cheese.



Oh, and last time I bought cilantro I chopped the whole bunch and then froze what I wasn't using then in ice cubes to use later. Perfect for the salad dressing and rice!


Here's the beef copycat that we used for New Year's 2018 nachos (nacho sauce in #10 can from C*stco). We seared the beef before putting it in the crock pot, and we kept the onions in instead of discarding them. Oh, and then we reduced some of the liquid afterward to make it thicker.

Roasted Garlic Cheddar Soda Bread

2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 TB sugar
1 TB baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 roasted heads of garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
12 oz. club soda
1-2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3 TB salted Butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease a bread pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chopped garlic. Using a mixing spoon, stir the soda into the dry ingredients until combined. Stir in the shredded cheddar until just combined. (Be careful not to overmix the dough.) Transfer the dough to the pan, and spread it out with a spoon so that it’s roughly level.
Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the pan and brush the melted butter on top of the bread. Return to the oven and bake for 10-15 more minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm.

*Karin made this for Conference Sunday. Yum!