Jessie's Brownie Cookies

(image from googleimages)

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a brownie-a-holic. I LOVE brownies, brownie mix, brownie batter, brownie anything.......

Well, the other day I was asked to make something "brownie-ish" but since I knew someone else was going to bring brownies, I decided to come up with a brownie COOKIE. Of course I had to make them a little "healthy" otherwise I wouldn't feel justified in eating them...all.......

Here's what I came up with:

CREAM TOGETHER:

1/2 cup salted butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 egg whites

1 1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup cocoa powder

ADD IN:

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup white flour

1 cup wheat flour

STIR IN:

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup walnuts/pecans (optional)

Batter should feel much like cookie dough but look like brownie batter

Spoon onto cookie sheets like cookie dough

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes

Since making them this weekend (its Wednesday today) I've been asked to make these twice again already by my family. They are a hit---at least I know they are when the hubby says, "Write that one down! Its a keeper!" Yay!

Let me know what you think?!

Lemon Butter Herb Sauce

I actually wanted a sweet, but rich flavor to go on a seafood medley pasta dish I had in mind, so I'll post the sauce I made and then also the medley ingredients if you feel like making the rest of it with it.

(I'm sure the sauce would be lovely over any other kind of fish with rice, too. I'll try it that way some time this week.....)

Lemon Butter Herb Sauce for Seafood recipes

1/4 cup butter (not margarine---EVER)

1/4 cup lemon juice (from a lemon or jar is fine)

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp minced garlic (not powder)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Melt all together in a sauce pan

Pour over seafood or toss into pasta/seafood medley

SEAFOOD MEDLEY:

Spaghetti noodles prepared as usual (enough to feed 4-6 people for this recipe)

4-6 cups raw shrimp, mussels, calamari, and scallops (not each, just mixed together)

2 cups broccoli, carrots, and onions chopped (steaming in separate pan)

When spaghetti noodles have about 5 minutes left until soft, place the seafood into boiling water and cook for the remaining 5 minutes of spaghetti cooking.

Drain spaghetti and toss with vegetables and seafood.

Pour lemon butter herb sauce over the mix of foods and serve hot!

Add more salt and pepper to taste!

Enjoy!

Grape Nut PB bars

Got this from the back of the box - so I don't get any points for creativity, just points for effort in trying a new recipe - that turned out to be quite delicious!!

3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
4 cups GRAPE-NUTs cereal

Microwave PB, corn syrup & sugar in large bowl for 2 min, stirring after each minute.  Add cereal, mix well.  Press cereal firmly into bottom of 13x9 pan sprayed with cooking spray.  cool completely.  cut into bars. 
Add whatever you like!!

I have actually only halved the recipe and put in in a 8x8 pan.  So far its been a hit and its quick, easy, and a little more on the healthy side than the average treat, I think.  :)

aunt jan's White Bean & Chicken Hash

My aunt jan used to make this for us when we'd visit her house way back when we were tiny kids.

What's funny is that her own kids don't remember it, but it's the ONLY meal I remember eating at her house.

Anyway, the other day I just had the biggest craving for it, so I made some phone calls and got the recipe.

We made it last night and it was just as I remembered it:

SCRUMPTIOUS.

aunt jan's

White Bean & Chicken Hash

2 cans of chicken in water undrained

1 can white navy beans undrained

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp pepper

3 Tbsp salsa (or more)

Heat all the ingredients together (with juices from canned ingredients) in a saucepan until boiling.

Let simmer about 10-15 minutes to thicken up

Serve hot with tortilla chips

*You can sprinkle cheese over the top (pepperjack is best) if you want

Super easy, super quick, super delicious.

My hubby fell in love with the meal instantly!

That's always a good sign.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE from scratch

For my mom's birthday I planned a gorgeous dessert of strawberry shortcakes and whipped cream only to find out that what she REALLY wanted was angel food cake--not shortcakes. So I had to find a recipe from scratch (though the boxed kinds are fairly decent) because I couldn't present my mother with a cake made from a box on her birthday.

I found a great recipe, but altered it a little to the ingredients and tastes we have here at home:

ANGEL FOOD CAKE from scratch

SIFT TOGETHER THOROUGHLY:

1 cup flour (preferably cake flour)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

then SET ASIDE

BEAT TOGETHER UNTIL STIFF PEAKS FORM:

1 1/2 cups egg whites (whites from about 8 eggs)

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp salt

THEN ADD

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup granulated white sugar

2 TBSP AT A TIME UNTIL MERINGUE FORMS

Fold in flour/pwdr sugar mixture until well mixed

Pour into a greased bunt pan

Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees

Serve with berries, whipped cream, and/or chocolate fondue

Irish Soda Bread

IRISH SODA BREAD

(image taken from here, though the recipe isn't)

St. Pattie's Day is one of my favorite holidays---and one of the foods that the Irish eat is Soda Bread. This is more like a gigantic biscuit type bread as it doesn't use yeast for its leavening.

This bread is great to eat with stew, with ham & potatoes, or with breakfast.

Its easy, its quick, and its delicious! Enjoy!

BLEND TOGETHER UNTIL SMOOTH:

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, you can use 1 1/2 cups milk and 2 Tbsp lemon juice as substitute)

3 Tbsp honey

1 egg

4 Tbsp melted butter

3/4 cup flour

STIR INTO SMOOTH MIXTURE UNTIL WELL MIXED:

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/2-1 tsp salt

3 cups flour (I do 2 cups white, 1 cup wheat)

Knead on a floured surface until its a smooth ball

Cut an big "X" on the top of it and place it on a cookie sheet

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour (check at about 50 minutes)

Spread warm butter over the top and serve with jam or honey

Chicken and Salsa Tortilla Soup

Makes 4 servings
Start to finish: 25min.

1 3/4 c water
14oz chicken broth
1/2lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut in bite size pieces
1-2 tsp chili powder
11oz corn w/ sweet peppers, drained
1c chunky salsa
3c baked/fried tortilla chips
2 oz Monterey Jack cheese w/ jalapeno peppers, shredded
(I added garbanzo beans because I had some in the fridge that needed to be used.  I think any kind of cooked bean could be added.)


In large saucepan combine water, broth, chicken, and chili powder.
Bring to boil, reduce heat.
Cover and simmer 8 min. and until the chicken is cooked.
Add corn.  Simmer uncovered 5min more.
Stir in salsa, heat through.

Serve w/ chips and cheese on top.  Also, goes great with corn bread.  (Fix up a 15oz package of corn bread miz by stirring in a drained 4oz can of diced green chili  peppers before spreading in the pan.  Sprinkle paprika on it and bake as directed.  Serve with honey butter.)