Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: Makes 2-3 dozen cookies
 Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes (each oven will vary in time).

Ingredients 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup packed light brown sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet or milk chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure an oven rack is in the center of the oven. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until well mixed. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla. Mix well until the batter has lightened slightly in color, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips at the same time. Mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Form dough into tablespoonful-sized balls and place on parchment or silpat-lined cookie sheets. Frozen cookie dough can be stored for up to 2 months in the freezer. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and just lightly browned (keeping in mind that ovens can vary in temperature so use your best judgment). Don't overbake or else the cookies will be tough and hard. If baking frozen cookie dough, add 1 to 2 minutes onto the baking time. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container (or baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months).

Hash brown ham and cheese quiche

Ingredients 
 3 cups frozen loose-pack shredded hash browns, thawed
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup diced fully cooked ham
1/2 cup cooked bacon (optional)
 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup diced green pepper (optional)
 2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions  
Press hash browns between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes. Combine the ham, cheese and green pepper; spoon over crust. In a small bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over all. Reduce heat to 350°; bake for 25-30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings

Cinnamon Rolls

3 1/2 cups warm water
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup oil
5 Tbs. yeast
Combine above 4 ingredients in a large bowl and let rest 15 minutes.

10 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbs. salt
3 eggs

Mix into the yeast mixture 5 cups of flour, eggs and salt with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in by hand the remaining flour. Pour out onto floured board and knead until smooth (about 7 minutes) adding flour as needed but be careful not to add too much). Let rest 15 minutes. Divide dough in half and roll each half out to approximately 12″ x 30″. Melt 1/2 cup butter and spread evenly over each rolled dough (1/4 cup on each). Sprinkle with a generous amount of cinnamon and about 1/2 cup sugar. Roll up and slice into 15-20 rolls Place on large cookie sheet (or circular pans) and let rise about 20 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes (or until desired doneness) at 400 degrees.

Frosting 
3 1/2 – 4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 Tbs. milk (enough to make it spreading consistency)

Beat together with electric mixer until smooth. If you want to make them the night before (or a few days before) then cook them for just 5 minutes, wrap them in seran wrap and freeze them. Take them out of the freezer for about an hour in the morning and then bake them the rest of the way (for us it was about another 8 minutes)!

Overnight French Toast

RECIPE (one 9×13 pan)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 loaf Texas Toast 5 large eggs
1 3/4 cup whole milk
1 TB vanilla extract
2 TB light brown sugar, mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon
Powdered sugar for sprinkling
Real maple syrup for serving, if desired buttermilk syrup, if desired Fresh fruit

DIRECTIONS 
Put butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Add 1 cup brown sugar and stir until well incorporated Pour into bottom of a greased 9×13 pan, spreading mixture evenly. Beat eggs, milk, and vanilla until incorporated. Set aside. Lay a single layer of Texas Toast in pan, cutting pieces to fit if needed. Spoon 1 cup of egg mixture over bread. Sprinkle with half of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Repeat with second layer, ending with a sprinkling of brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Cover tightly and chill overnight in fridge. Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, covered for the first 30 minutes, and uncovered after that. Flip pan onto a jelly roll sheet. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you want. Serve with pure maple syrup. Our favorite way to serve it is with buttermilk syrup with fresh fruit; bananas, rasberries, strawberries...etc

Chicken Cordon Bleu

YIELD: SERVES 6

 Note: fresh bread crumbs here make all the difference. I save the heels of my bread stashed in the freezer for just a recipe like this when I need to grind up fresh bread crumbs quickly in my blender or food processor. Also, try to find really thick chicken breasts – it makes it easier to cut them in half lengthwise and still have a good-sized portion.

 INGREDIENTS for cordon bleu:
3 large chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise (to form two thinner chicken breast cutlets)
12 slices deli ham
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted 1/3 to 1/2 pound thinly sliced swiss cheese

For the Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce: 
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (or 1 bouillon cube, crushed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS 
 Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and melted butter. Set aside. Lay the cut chicken breasts in a single layer in the 9X13-inch dish. Layer each chicken breast with two slices of ham and top with 2 slices of swiss cheese, shingling across the chicken breast to make sure the entire chicken breast is covered with ham and cheese. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the chicken. Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely, the cheese is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden. While the chicken bakes, in a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly, while cooking the flour/butter mixture for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking quickly. Stir in the chicken bouillon granules and salt. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is finished baking. Serve each chicken cordon bleu portion with warm sauce.

Delicious Ground Beef {or Turkey} Stroganoff

YIELD: SERVES 4-6

 INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces sliced white button mushrooms
4 ounces light cream cheese, cubed
2 cups low-sodium beef broth 1/2 cup lowfat milk
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup light sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked egg noodles or rice for serving

DIRECTIONS
 In a large nonstick skillet, cook the meat, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to break up the meat into small pieces, until the meat is almost cooked through but still slightly pink, about 5 minutes. Drain excess grease. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft and browned and the meat is cooked through, another 5 minutes or so. Add the cubed cream cheese and let the cream cheese melt over medium heat, about 2-3 minutes, before stirring in. Mix gently until the cream cheese is incorporated throughout the meat mixture. In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the beef broth and milk. Whisk in the flour until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps of flour remaining. Stir the beef broth/milk mixture into the meat and cook over medium or medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Let the mixture bubble and simmer until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve over cooked egg noodles or hot, cooked rice. Sprinkle each serving with fresh parsley, if desired.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

YIELD: SERVES 4-6

 Note: if you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients – pour half over the chicken and follow the recipe instructions; pour the other half in a small saucepan and cook the sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken.

INGREDIENTS
Chicken: 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola, vegetable or coconut oil

Sauce:
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (depending on how sweet you want the sauce)
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS 
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot and rippling. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet. Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side until the crust is golden but the chicken is not all the way cooked through (this is where it's really important to have a hot skillet/oil). Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in a 9X13-inch baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve over hot, steamed rice.

Creamy White Chili

YIELD: SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS 
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS 
 In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder (or fresh garlic, if using) in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips. Slow Cooker Option: In a medium round slow cooker, place 1 pound chicken breasts (fresh or frozen) without cubing them. Add the chopped onion, garlic powder, beans, green chiles and all of the spices. Do not add the sour cream or whipping cream yet! Reduce the chicken broth to 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) and pour in over the other ingredients. Stir the mixture around a bit to incorporate the dry spices. Cook on low for 5-7 hours (if using frozen chicken you’ll cook on the longer end of that spectrum, fresh chicken will cook in less time). Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred in bite-size pieces. Stir back into the slow cooker. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and whipping cream until smooth. Whisk the cream mixture into the crockpot with the other ingredients. Let the soup cook until heated through. Serve.

Lasagna Soup

yield: 8 SERVINGS

Ingredients: 
for the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:
8 oz. ricotta (or cottage cheese)
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt pinch of freshly ground pepper

additional cheesy yum:
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions: 
For a slow cooker version of this soup, be sure to check out my Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup with Chicken and Mushrooms ! Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color. Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Shrapnel Dip

YIELD: SERVES 6-8 AS AN APPETIZER

Note: Good quality canned corn is key here! I've found the Green Giant blend of white and yellow corn kernels are crisp and sweet and delicious. All canned corn is not created equal. The same goes with Italian dressing. I used Kraft Zesty, based on recommendation. It was tasty but ultimately, use a dressing you like to eat normally because the taste will come through. You can see by the ingredient list that the quantities are really adaptable based on your preferences. The key is to chop everything up in to small, bite-sized pieces so none of the ingredients overwhelm the others.

INGREDIENTS 
1 can white beans, such as navy or Great Northern
1 can black beans
1 can corn (see note above)
1-2 avocados, diced
1/4-1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1-2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1/3 cup Italian dressing (see note above), plus more if needed
Squeeze of fresh lime (about 1/2 tablespoon or so from half of a large lime)
Salt and pepper to taste
White, blue or yellow corn/tortilla chips for serving

DIRECTIONS 
Drain the beans and corn together in a colander. Give them a quick rinse and let them drain really well so no extra liquid makes its way into the dip. You can use a salad spinner to get rid of excess liquid or lay them out on a double layer of paper towels and blot dry. Add them to a large bowl. Toss in the avocados, red pepper, tomatoes, red onion and cilantro. Mix. Pour the dressing over the top of the salad and using a large spoon or spatula, fold the ingredients and dressing together until everything is evenly coated. Squeeze the lime juice over the top. Gently mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with chips. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. If making in advance, wait to chop and stir in the avocados until right before serving.

Knorr spinach dip

INGREDIENTS 
1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, cooked, cooled and squeezed dry
1 container (16 oz.) sour cream*
1 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
1 package Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix
1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and chopped (optional)
3 green onions, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients and chill about 2 hours. Serve with French bread like bread or crackers *TIP: To lighten up dip, substitute 1 container (16 oz.) nonfat plain Greek yogurt.

Chewy Pretzel Bites

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN PRETZEL BITES

Note: if using active dry yeast, increase the yeast to 1 tablespoon. Proof the yeast in the warm water and sugar (let it bubble and foam – maybe about 5 minutes) before adding it to the flour and salt. I often use half to 3/4 finely ground white whole wheat flour with good results - and sometimes I get crazy and use 100% whole wheat flour (always finely ground white wheat) but the bread is a bit more dense with 100% whole wheat flour. If using part or all whole wheat flour, add a few minutes to the kneading time to help develop the gluten. 

INGREDIENTS
Dough:
2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour (see note)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water

Topping:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and quite slack. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes. Preheat your oven to 500°F. Don’t be afraid of the high heat! This is what will help those pretzels to brown up perfectly and stay soft on the inside. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or lightly greasing them (I’ve learned it helps to coat the parchment paper with cooking spray). Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into about four strips of equal length. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda in a liquid measuring cup (deep enough to dip the pretzel bites into). Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved. Sometimes I have a hard time getting the baking soda completely dissolved, so I just lightly stir up the mixture right before adding each pretzel. Cut each strip of dough into about 6-8 pieces, about 1 to 1 ½ inches in width. You don’t have to be completely exact, just eyeball it. Dip each pretzel bite in the baking soda solution (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Bake the pretzels for 7-8 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time – it won’t hurt the other pretzels to chill out for a little longer. Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you’ve used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that’s what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave on low heat.

Fresh Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

INGREDIENTS
12 ounces fresh cranberries
4-5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese, light or regular, softened
Crackers, for serving

DIRECTIONS
Pulse the cranberries in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped (alternately, you can do this task by hand). Add the green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pulse until the ingredients are well combined and finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a covered bowl or tupperware and refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to overnight) so the flavors have time to develop and the cranberries lose a bit of their tartness. When ready to serve, spread the cream cheese in an even layer on a serving plate or 9-inch pie dish. Top with the cranberry-jalapeno mixture, spreading evenly over the top of the cream cheese. Refrigerate for up to an hour before serving. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Baked Ritz Chicken

Easy and yummy.  (no picture...didn't know we would like it so much. I will get one next time.)

1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
pepper to taste
1/4 tsp paprika
1 pkg crushed ritz or other buttery cracker
2 eggs, beaten
3-4 (pending size) chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter cut up into small pieces

I cut my  chicken breasts in half because they were huge (costco) but you could leave them whole or you could also use tenders.  Combine the flour, garlic salt, pepper, and paprika in one bowl.  Then beat two eggs in another, and have your crushed crackers in a third.  Dredge chicken into eggs, then flour, then back to egg and finally the crackers place in foil sprayed 9x13 pan.  Continue until all chicken is done.  Then place the cut up butter throughout and around the chicken in the pan.  Bake at 375 for 20-30 min (pending size or cut of chicken..bone-in?? you get what I am saying) . Enjoy!

Forest Ranger Cookies

For when you feel like something different or when you're out of chocolate chips.  These were yummy.  I cooked mine closer to 10 minutes so they were more soft and chewy than crunchy.

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups oats
2 cups coconut
2 cups cornflakes

• Cream together sugars and butter.
• Add eggs, one at a time.
• Add vanilla.
• In one bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
• In another bowl, combine oats, coconut and corn flakes.
• Then combine butter mix with flour mix.  Then add oat mix.
• Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and press lightly with a fork.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Southwest Chicken

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 pinch ground cumin

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Brown chicken breasts on both sides. Add tomatoes with green chili peppers, beans and corn. Reduce heat and let simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Add a dash of cumin and serve.

Note-I cut up the chicken into bite size pieces then cooked in oil. I also used about 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn instead of a can, and I served it over brown rice with possible toppings like cilantro, cheese, sour cream.

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Quiche

Made this as a side to have with French Toast and wanted to use some left over ham from Christmas.  Was not expecting it to be as good as it was (thus the reason there is no picture...next time)...very yummy and my kids loved it too!
I think the recipe is very flexible...several examples...I didn't use 12 oz of hash browns...probably only 8 or 9, I just put it in my 9x9 pan.  Definitly make sure they are crispy before adding the "quiche" part.  I used left over chopped ham, but you could use deli ham, or sausage or bacon or ham and bacon YUM!  Anyway, I also 3 eggs and used cheddar cheese cause I didn't have monterrey jack and read that some used regular milk instead of cream.  In a nut shell you can make it the way your family will like it.  Try it!

2 (12 ounce) packages frozen hash

brown potatoes

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup cooked diced ham

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
	Squeeze any excess moisture from the potatoes and combine them with the melted butter or margarine in a small bowl. Press this mixture into the bottom and sides of an ungreased 10 inch pie pan. (I used a 9x9 pan)
	Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 25 minutes.
	Remove pan from oven and arrange the ham and cheese evenly over the potatoes. In a separate small bowl, beat together the eggs and the cream. Pour this over the ham and cheese.
	Return pan to oven and bake for 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until the custard has completely set.

Classic Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal cookies wouldn't be my first choice, but after making these, I will make them more often

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 3/4 cups oatmeal
1-2 cups chocolate chips

Cream together the butter ans sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.  Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and mix.  Add flour, oatmeal and chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 min.

Notes- the original recipe is all white flour, I did half wheat and thought they we great, may try all wheat next time.

Flakey Buttermilk Biscuits

I really like biscuits, but I hate the drop ones, and sometimes the others are hard or floury tasting, but these were fantastic!  I really think the key is not messing with the dough too much, and they can be a bit sticky when rolling out, but my family really liked them with gravy and with jam.  (recipe from sisterscafe.blogspot.com)

2 cups all-purpose flour (9 ounces)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
3 tablespoons honey

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill 10 minutes.
3. Combine buttermilk and honey, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 times. Roll dough into a (1/2-inch-thick) 9 x 5–inch rectangle; dust top of dough with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds (as if folding a piece of paper to fit into an envelope). Reroll dough into a (1/2-inch-thick) 9 x 5–inch rectangle; dust top of dough with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds; gently roll or pat to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with a 1 3/4-inch biscuit cutter to form 14 dough rounds. Place dough rounds, 1 inch apart, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan; cool 2 minutes on wire racks. Serve warm.

Banana Cream Pie

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

3/4 cup white sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups milk

3 egg yolks, beaten

2 T butter

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 9 inch pie crust, baked

2-4bananas (depending on size and how much banana you like)

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add milk gradually while stirring gently. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbly. Keep stirring and cook for about 2 more minutes, and then remove from the burner.

Stir a small quantity of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture to the rest of the hot mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes; remember to keep stirring. Remove the mixture from the stove, and add butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency.

Slice bananas into the cool baked pastry shell. Top with pudding mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Chill for one hour.