Candy Bar Madness Chocolate Chip Cookies

AKA: Halloween Leftover Cookies

Every Halloween we have LOTS of candy that I prefer my kids not eat and rather not drag it out for a long time either... So one year I decided to sneak into their stash and get all the candy bars that I could find and create some cookies to use them up. :) They weren't too happy with me for stealing their candy without asking, but when they tried the cookies all was soon FORGIVEN! ;)
Now they go through and give me as much as they can part with to repeat the cookies every year.

Here is the basic recipe that I follow
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (no margarine)
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
3-4 cups of cut up candy bar mixture and some chocolate chips too :)

      

       **I put in m&ms, snickers, crunch bars, Hershey's chocolate bars, almond joy (all bars are cut up into small chunks).... the choice of what candy is yours :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine sugars. Add in butter and cream together with the sugar. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix together.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt (I combine all of this in the sifter and then sift them). Add to the creamed mixture.
Mix well (the dough will be stiff). Add the chocolate chip, candy bar mixture. Mix well to make sure enough dough surrounds the added goodness!

Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper. Take a spoon full of dough and put it on the cookie sheet.
You should fit about 12 per sheet. (I roll mine into a ball then sort of squish it down a little but you could probably just put the spoon full directly on parchment)

Bake 10-12 minutes. Be sure not to over cook them or they will end up being hard discs LOL... they should look a little under done and almost getting golden on top  (but they will be golden on the bottoms)
Remove from oven and let set for a minute or two then remove the cookies and place on wire racks to cool . Enjoy!

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

These are some of the most delicious and moist Bran Muffins ever! :) They are a true favorite at our house. It makes A LOT so I half the recipe most of the time even though the batter is good in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Full Recipe:

2 cups boiling water
6 cups Kellogg's All Bran Cereal
1 cup Shortening
4 eggs
1 quart Buttermilk (4 cups)
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 tsp salt
5 tsp baking soda-- sift this into flour to remove      
   lumps
5 cups Flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1- In a large bowl, pour boiling water over Bran
2- Add shortening. Stir until shortening melts. Cool.
3-Add the other wet ingredients and mix
4- Mix dry ingredients then add to wet ingredients. Stir lightly just until mixed.
5- Drop by spoon fulls into well greased muffin pans (or muffin liners if you prefer), filling them 2/3 full.
6- Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

**If you choose not to use all of the batter now you can cover it and put it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. when you go to use it again DO NOT RE-STIR just scoop with spoon or small measuring cup.


**Half Recipe Measurements**
1c boiling water
3c bran cereal
1/2 c shortening
2 eggs
2 c buttermilk
3/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking soda (sifted into flour)
2 1/2 c flour

Chicken Stir Fry

Courtesy of Allrecipes.com
This recipe is very yummy and passed onto me from my Sister-in-Law Amy.

I don't do this recipe exactly like the website since it was too much for my family, so here is my version and you can put in the vegetables that you prefer. You could do this with a frozen bag of veggies... but fresh is SO much better!

Chicken and marinade
2 medium-large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Other Ingredients
3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
1 1/2-2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 c snow peas
10 asparagus with 2-3 inches of bottoms cut off
1/4 c onion sliced (I do mine big enough to find them and take them out for the kids)
1/4-1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions

1.Cut chicken into 1/2-in. strips; place in a resealable plastic bag or bowl with lid. Add cornstarch and toss to coat. Combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic powder; add to bag (or bowl) and mix/shake well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2.In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil; stir-fry chicken on a medium heat until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Don't be alarmed if the bottom is coated with the cornstarch and marinade... it will come off later and coat the veggies.

Add remaining oil; on medium heat, stir- fry broccoli, asparagus, carrots and onion for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender then add the pea pods because they cook faster than the other veggies. Mix water and bouillon and add to the veggies (this softens the buildup on the bottom of the pan and it thickens and coats the food). Reduce heat to medium low or low heat. Return chicken to pan. Mix the soy sauce, ginger, and garlic again with the cornstarch and pour over the chicken and veggies. Cook and stir until thickened and well coated. You can put the lid on to help your veggies to cook through a little bit more, you don't want them to be too limp, but not too crunchy either.

Serve over rice. *I like it with Brown Rice which you will need to start before you begin cooking the chicken since it takes 45 minutes to cook brown rice*

Note: I have tried it with bell peppers before and it was good, but I like this combo of veggies the best of all the ways I have tried it! The asparagus really is quite good for those of you that are hesitant... my kids LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Surprisingly enough! ;)

Egg Rolls

I got this recipe here and made a few modifications to my liking.
I have been using square wonton wrappers lately to make mini egg rolls, but the instructions are the same for full size egg rolls.

Egg Rolls

Ingredients:
Chinese egg-roll wrappers (or if you want to do mini egg rolls get the square shaped wonton wraps)
1 very large chicken breast cooked and finely chopped (you could also use Ground pork or shrimp)
1/2 c. carrots shredded
1/2 head of Cabbage shredded (or Nappa Cabbage-Chinese cabbage)
1/3 c chopped green onions
1 egg
Chinese bun noodles (or bean thread; they are in the oriental section)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp each salt/pepper
Pure Canola Oil

Soak the bun noodles in warm water in a seperate bowl for about 15 minutes or until they are soft. (I only used a tiny section of the package and I actually cut the little sectioned one in half and use the other half the next time.)

Shred the cabbage and grate the carrots; set aside. In a tablespoon of oil, fry the chicken and onion in a large saucepan for a few minutes and add in the carrots and cabbage, mixing well. Heat on medium for about 8-10 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked down. Remove from heat and set aside in a large bowl to cool.

Remove bun noodles from water and drain. Using your hands, mix the noodles into the cooled cabbage mixture, making sure to mix all ingredients well. Add one beaten egg, 1 T. sugar, 1 t. salt, and 1 t. pepper and 2 t. minced garlic, 1 T. Soy sauce. Mix well with hands.

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat (about 1/2 inch deep with oil) **I use the same pan for the oil as I did to cook the chicken and cabbage mixture**

Have a small cup of water for dipping your fingers in to seal the wraps.
Take an egg roll wrap and put a small amount of cabbage mixture in the middle. Fold in side corners and fold up bottom corner. Wet the seams a little and the top corner.

Squeeze it a little as you roll it towards the top and fold over the last flap. Wet the seam again to make sure that it is sealed and carefully place it in the heated oil.Use tongs to pick up the egg roll and flip it over. When the egg rolls are done take them out and place on a plate or cookie sheet covered with paper towels to soak up remaining grease.
They taste WONDERFUL with Sweet 'n Sour sauce! Find the recipe here!!

NOTE: You can prepare all of them then put them in the oil, but I do it as I go. I use a gas stove so often I turn the heat off if the oil is getting too hot and over cooking the outer shell, and turn it back on when it stops cooking it enough... Annoying I know but oil is tempermental! Make sure you get all sides cooked!

You can cook them in a deep fryer, but I find it is harder to get all sides cooked evenly and I also think that they are more greasy that way.

Mini egg rolls: about 22-25 egg rolls

Full size egg rolls: about 11-14 egg rolls.

Yummy Homemade Alfredo Sauce

This is some VERY impressive homemade sauce! If you ever are looking for the taste of Olive Garden's Fettuccine Alfredo then this sauce qualifies!!! It is SO much better than the store bought kind and is the best of other recipes I have tried to make. It is pretty simple too. I added spinach and chicken to mine and also used this recipe to make Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll Ups)



4T Butter
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
2T flour
2 C Cream
1/2 C. milk
1C Fresh grated Parmesan
In a medium sauce pan heat butter and garlic and add flour once butter is melted and aroma of garlic is building. Add the Cream and milk and stir then add the Parmesan and bring to a boil and continue to stir frequently over a medium low heat as it boils and thickens. (I added a dash of pepper to it as well)
Serve with your favorite pasta. Add chicken or steamed broccoli (or spinach) if desired for a variation.

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll Ups

MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!! This was Olive Garden worthy!!! (in my opinion!!)

I sort of mixed things up on a Lasagna Roll Up recipe... I had the Idea from the Chicken Lasagna... but it really is nothing like it! Try it and you will see!! I found the recipe for the Alfredo sauce here on foodnetwork.com and the way to cook the chicken also... from there it just became what it is.

The Chicken:
2 large *thaw* chicken breasts sliced (fajita style)

2 *fresh* cloves garlic, minced

1 T Olive Oil

1 1/2 C. FRESH Spinach leaves

Heat oil in pan with garlic until the aroma builds... Do not burn or over brown. Cook until chicken is fully cooked then add the Spinach and stir until the leaves are wilted into it.

The Sauce:

4T Butter

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

2T flour

2 C Cream

1/2 C. milk

1C Fresh grated parmesan

In a medium sauce pan heat butter and garlic and add flour once butter is melted and aroma of garlic is building. Add the Cream and milk and stir then add the parmesan and bring to a boil and continue to stir frequently over a medium low heat as it boils and thickens. (I added a dash of pepper to it as well)

The Pasta/Filling:

24 oz (1LB 8oz) cottage cheese

1 egg

1/4 C Parmesan cheese

Mozzarella cheese

Parsley

salt and pepper

9 lasagna noodles cooked al dente

Mix the cottage cheese, egg, parmesan, mozzarella, and a dash of salt and pepper and Parsley til it looks good. Spoon on the cooked noodles and roll up and place in 9X13 pan with a little sauce spread on the bottom. **You will have left over filling but only 9 rollups fit in the pan**

Mix some sauce into the chicken... just enough to spoon on top of each roll up (you will have left over sauce I still had about a 1/2 cup or just a little more left over) and then top with a little more parmesan and mozzarella cheese and diced tomatoes for color (I added the tomatoes after the picture was taken)

Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Until Cheese is starting to golden and sauce is bubbling.

Let sit for 10 minutes after removal from the oven. Serve and Enjoy!

Frank's Heinz 57 Meatballs

These meatballs were created purely from "throwing in this and that" until it looked right. In fact I still don't know what to call them. If you make them and come up with a good idea.... let me know. :) The flavor of these meatballs was amazing! They don't look pretty.... no matter how hard I tried to take pictures from different angles. However, you won't be disappointed. And don't let the Frank's Red Hot Sauce throw you off. There's not a lot in the recipe and it just gives it a great flavor. They're not spicy by any means. My kids loved them!

1 lb hamburger, thawed
1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs
2 Tbsp Heinz 57
2 tsp Frank's Red Hot Sauce, original flavor
1 tsp minced onions
1/2 tsp minced garlic

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. (Note, I accidentally put in an egg. It doesn't need it. In fact, it is better without it.)

Now, I don't normally like the smell of ground beef (especially when I'm pregnant), but the smell of this was so yummy! I couldn't wait to see what the end result would be.Using an ice cream scoop (and plastic gloves if desired), roll mixture into about 1 inch balls.

Place in glass baking dish. This made 24 meatballs.Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Turn over and bake an additional 10 minutes.Serve with your choice of side dish. We did loaded mashed potatoes and a salad. The kids liked dipping their meatballs in Bullseye BBQ sauce. With or without sauce, they were super delicious! I'll be posting the recipe for loaded mashed potatoes on Monday.

Homemade Noodles

From Mom

(Use with Chicken Noodle Soup)

2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup milk
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups flour

With whisk, combine eggs, milk and salt. Stir in 2 cups flour with large fork. It will be stiff.

Flour surface to roll out. Roll out dough (half at a time). Flour top of dough. Roll quite thin. Sprinkle more flour so it won't stick when rolled. Roll it up and cut on cutting board. Unroll on cookie sheet and add more flour if noodles are sticking together.

Throw noodles into soup at the end and cook until tender.

Chicken Broccoli Bake

from Emily

1 10 oz package frozen broccoli (chopped)
4 chicken breasts cooked and chopped into bite size
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 cups cooked rice
2 cups grated cheese

Cook and drain broccoli. Mix sour cream, soup, and lemon juice mix together and add to chicken and broccoli and rice and put in 9x13 buttered pan. Cover with cheese and bake 30 minutes at 350.

Note:I accidentally mixed the cheese into the soup mix and didn't top it with the cheese... it was pretty good that way too.

Macaroni and Cheese

from Shannon

It was hard to get a good picture, but I promise it is good.

1 c elbow macaroni
6 c boiling water
2 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped small (or minced onion) (the onion really gives it good flavor)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 c flour
1 3/4 c milk
3/4 c sharp cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni in rapidly boiling salted water. Heat to boil. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover tightly; remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.

Heat butter, onion, salt and pepper over medium heat until onion is slightly tender. Blend in flour. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until completely melted.

Place macaroni in greased baking dish. Stir cheese sauce into macaroni. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 4-6 servings.

Note: You can use this as a main dish or as a side... I served it with BBQ Chicken and some Veggies... it was a hit!

"Fast and Fabulous Golden Divan"

Originates From Campbell's Best Ever Recipes
(with my modifications)
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 c butter
8 oz package of stuffing
2 c cooked broccoli cut up (or as much as you desire)
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
1 can creamed corn
shredded cheese
1/2 c milk
1- 4oz can sliced mushrooms drained (optional... I don't use them)

Make stuffing first... add water, butter and bring to a boil then add stuffing mix. Mix it all up and put into a 2 quart baking dish. Arrange the chicken and broccoli over stuffing. Mix up corn, 1/2 cup cheese, milk and mushrooms (if desired). Pour over chicken and broccoli . Top with more cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

Burrito-ized Mexi Rolls

From Heidi's Brain! :)
This was inspired by J.'s creation... the Mexi-Rolls.1 lb hamburger, cooked and drained
Taco Seasoning to taste
1 pkg Spanish Rice cooked (I use the Lipton/Knorr packets -they're around $1 or less), works best cold
1/2 can of refried beans (regular or black) -use as much or little as you like
grated cheese
Tortillas (I used Burrito Style)
green enchilada sauce (or whichever sauce you prefer)

Directions:
Mix the hamburger and the beans together. Make sure your tortillas are warm enough to fold easily without tearing. Put a medium portion (depending on how full you like your burrito) of meat mixture then some grated cheese and about 3 tablespoons of the rice. Fold in 2 of the "sides" of the tortilla and fold in the other sides and fold it like a burrito.

Place crease down in 9x13 pan and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes depending on how crunchy you like your burrito. Be sure to flip them over half way through so they get cooked evenly on both sides.

**If you like the enchilada sauce then pour it over just before the end so that it is warm then dish it up and serve it with some sour cream and your remaining rice.
**I filled my tortillas kind of generously so I ended up with 6 burritos and also had half of the rice left over as a side to the dish.
**Another option is to roll the tortillas like enchiladas and pour the sauce over it and cook it that way.
Lo-Fat/Lo-Cal Tip:
Replace the hamburger with ground turkey and exchange the beans for fat free refried beans. Or use whole wheat tortillas instead.

Easy Fried Rice

the back of a SUN BIRD fried rice seasoning packet


1 packet Sun Bird Fried Rice seasoning packet (they're about 60 cents)
1/3 cup chopped, cooked chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or fish if desired
2 Tbsp canola oil
3 cups cold, cooked rice (white, brown, or instant)
3 green onions, sliced small
2 tsp soy sauce (but we always use more)
2 or 3 eggs beaten
1 cup frozen peas (or peas and diced carrots), cooked

Earlier in the day, cook the rice. For regular rice, boil 3 cups water and then add 1 1/2 cups rice. Turn on low and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and place in fridge on a hotpad.

About 15 minutes before the sweet and sour chicken is ready, start cooking the fried rice.

In a large skillet, heat oil (about medium temperature). Add onions and cold rice. Stir around to break up rice. Scramble eggs in a small pan. Add eggs to rice.

Add seasoning packet and soy sauce. Stir to mix in seasoning. At the end, at peas (or peas and carrots) and meat (if desired). Final product. If I don't have ham, I don't put it in. It is really good with it though. Serve with desired main dish. We like to serve it with sweet and sour chicken.

Cinnamon Rolls

from mom

Dough
2 1/3 cups hot water
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup dry milk
2 eggs
1/8 tsp vanilla
5 to 5 ½ cups flour

Filling
3/4 cup white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 Tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup melted butter

(mix sugar and cinnamon well, set aside NOTE: measurements are approximate... use more cinnamon if you like stronger flavor! )

Frosting
click here for the cream cheese frosting recipe, just add a little milk to make it thinner. (1-4 TBSP depending on your preference)

Directions
Mix ingredients in Bosch (or Kitchenaid); add flour gradually to desired consistency of dough. Dough should be slightly sticky still. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size.

**NOTE: If you are like me and DON'T have a mixer then mix in a Large bowl and use a long wooden or plastic spoon to mix all ingredients until the last cup of flour needs added in then you will have to get messy and use your hands to mix in the flour and knead it well.

Roll out to about ¼ inch thick.

Brush with 1/3c. melted butter. Top with cinnamon mixture and roll up into a tight pinwill. Take a string and cut the rolls into 1 inch sections. Place on a greased pan (or parchment paper if you have it). Let rise. Cook for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Frost. Eat and enjoy as desired!

Cream Cheese Frosting

from Heidi and allrecipes.com

1/2 cup softened butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Mix butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, slowly. For chocolate frosting, add 1/2 cup cocoa with last cup of powdered sugar and mix well. I often make the whole batch of frosting, and take half out and only add 1/4 cup cocoa so I have plain cream cheese frosting for another recipe.

This is a great recipe and always turns out perfect. It makes quite a bit and is perfect for cookie decorating, cakes, cupcakes, or just for the middle of graham crackers!

Manicotti

from Amy

2 cups cottage cheese
1 box frozen spinach (cooked & drained)
mozzarella cheese (or whatever kind you prefer)
2 egg whites
¼ cup chopped parsley
dash pepper
8 oz uncooked manicotti shells (15 pieces)
1 large jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (or marinara)

Preheat oven to 375

I cook the manicotti shells half way, until they are almost done.While the noodles are cooking, I mix together in a bowl, cottage cheese, a handful of grated cheese, parsley, pepper, egg whites, and spinachPut a layer of sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Fill the manicotti shells with the filling mixture. Then place them side by side in the dish. Cover shells with remaining sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top. Put foil over dish, and bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

***Lo-Fat Tip: Use low-fat/low-cal cottage cheese or ricotta cheese.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

from mom

3 – 4 lbs chicken tenders or breasts cut into pieces
2 beaten eggs
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup flour
oil

Dip the chicken pieces into the eggs. Put cornstarch and flour on a plate. Place pieces of egged chicken on plate and cover with flour/cornstarch mixture at one time. In small amount of oil fry the chicken until just browned. Repeat until all pieces of chicken are done. Place in baking pan.

Sauce:
3 cups sugar
1 ½ cup white vinegar
2 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp minced garlic
1 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp. Soy sauce

Heat in microwave about 10 minutes. Stir several times while it is cooking. Pour over the chicken. Bake uncovered at 325 for 20 minutes. Stir chicken and cook another 20 minutes. Sauce will thicken. Serve with plain or fried rice.