Peanut Butter Play Dough

My mom came home from MOPs with this recipe. It was really easy and Sam loved eating it. Josh still isn't convinced you can eat it.

Peanut Butter Play Dough

1 part creamy peanut butter (salted)
1 part honey
2 parts tapioca starch or powdered milk

Mix all ingredients together.

Black Bean Soup

It's Tiff again. Sierra's off to sleep but I told her I'd post this. We made it Saturday night and it's something we make fairly often. She doesn't like it but it's her dad's all-time favorite soup that I make. It's sooo good! The recipe came from the show Good Deal with Dave Lieberman.

P.S. We like to cook the bacon completely and reserve some fat for the onions. Also, we always at least double the recipe.

Black Bean Soup

10 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
salt and pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice.

Topsy Turvy Apple Pie

We found this recipe on the Pillsbury website. It looked heavenly. My mom cut the apples and I did most of the rest. It was a little burnt. I suggest 30 minutes instead of 35. I love the pecans!


Topsy-Turvy Apple Pie

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (4 medium)

Topping
Whipped cream, if desired

1. Heat oven to 425°F. In 9-inch glass pie plate, mix brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Spread evenly in bottom of pie plate. Arrange pecans over mixture. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie, placing bottom crust over mixture in pan.

2. In small bowl, mix granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon. Arrange half of apple slices in crust-lined pie plate. Sprinkle with half of sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining apple slices and sugar mixture. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.

3. Place pie on sheet of foil on middle oven rack in oven; bake 8 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 35 to 45 minutes longer or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Immediately run knife around edge of pie to loosen. Place serving plate upside down over pie; turn serving plate and pie plate over. Remove pie plate. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream.

Tia’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are our favorite chocolate chip cookies and the recipe comes from our neighbor and friend Tia. This time we didn't use M&M's or nuts but we always double the recipe.

Tia’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup shortening
½ cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ cup flour
1 bag chocolate chips
Chopped walnuts
2-3 handfuls of M&M’s
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cream shortening and sugars till fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix till blended. Add chocolate chips, nuts, and M&M’s. Spoon onto cookie sheets. Bake around 12 minutes.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

This was really easy. We left out the butter and used 5 chicken breasts but Dad and Michael still liked it. It was too hot for me. Michael put ranch dressing on his but Mom said bleu cheese would be good too.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided
1/2 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 tablespoons butter
6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours.

Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, and splash with the remaining buffalo wing sauce to serve.

Oat Applesauce Muffins

It's Mom here; Sierra fell asleep before she got around to posting. Here's a recipe we tried out tonight for Sam's Kindergarten Fall Fiesta. We found it on Allrecipes.com. They're tasty and would probably make a quick breakfast. The recipe only makes 12 but we made 5 dozen in no time.

Oat Applesauce Muffins

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1 egg

Place oats in a small bowl, pour in buttermilk. Let sit for two hours at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and brown sugar. Stir in oat/buttermilk mixture, applesauce and egg; mix well. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

Uglies

My brother (Kenny) wouldn't touch these. My mom made him eat one and now he loves them!




Uglies

1 pound ground beef chuck
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic sauce
1 1/2 cups of barbecue sauce
1 (10 ounces) package refrigerated biscuit dough
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease 8 muffin cups.

In a large skillet or frying pan, cook ground chuck with onion and garlic powder until evenly brown; drain off the grease. Stir in the barbecue sauce and simmer for another 3 minutes.

Roll out each biscuit on a floured surface so that each biscuit is 6 inches across. Put the biscuit in the muffin tin and fold up sides to create a cup shape. Fill each biscuit almost to the top with the meat mixture; top with Cheddar cheese.

Bake n preheated oven until biscuits are baked, cheese is melted and tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes.