The Cookie Jar....

As part of focusing on my husband during this "Husband Encouragement Challenge" I am doing with my sister, I thought I would share one thing we do around here to encourage Daddy! We keep cookies in our cookie jar! Charlie LOVES to have cookies around the house to snack on and take in his lunch and this way I do not have to spend extra money on processed junk food! We all win (well, except for my hips!) lol (I don't know why blogger is highlighting random words in my post; sorry about that!!)

Here's a couple of recipes & links to the cookies we baked today:


Oatmeal Coconut Walnut Cookies
(adapted from Tish Boyle's "The Good Cookie")
(makes 5 dozen cookies)

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
8 ounces (2 sticks/1 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temp
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease or line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in oatmeal. Set aside dry ingredients.

In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.

On low speed, add flour-oatmeal mixture and mix until just blended. Add coconut and walnuts and mix until just combined.

Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto your prepared cookies sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten the mounds of dough slightly. Bake at 375F until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

and later this week we will make some M&M cookies to take to our homeschool group's "Back to School" party!! Can't wait!!

Hope you enjoy the recipes and maybe give this cookie jar thing a try for your family, if you don't already do this! Really, cookies have no more calories (actually less) than a lot of the prepackaged "snack" foods in the stores! (Especially if you sneak in a little whole wheat flour and the kids never know!!)

~Julie~

Supper Menus.....

Sunday: creamed chicken & biscuits (no pimentos), broccoli & cauliflower with butter, sweet tea

Monday: Grilled Pork Chops, Mashed Cauliflower & steamed broccoli, strawberries , sweet tea


Tuesday: Mexican cornbread, fried potatoes w/onion, Pinto Beans w/bacon, Julie's sheet cake, sweet tea(making double; taking food to a church member)


Wednesday:Party sandwiches, chips,pickles, olives, sweet tea


Thursday: Chicken & rice soup; homemade bread, salad, sweet tea


Friday: 7 layer Mexican Dip with chips, fruit tray, sweet tea


Saturday: Charlie's Homemade Pizza, salad, tea


Sunday: Claire's birthday; her choice! tba

dessert this week: Julie's Sheet Cake (sharing with friends) & Birthday/Valentine cupcakes(Red Velvet)

*If there is not a link to a menu item listed; I will be back to post the recipe in the evenings so check back & see! Thanks! :)

For more menu ideas visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!

Old Timey Sugar Cookies (originally posted Nov.2007)....

You do not frost these. You sprinkle them with sugar. My granny NEVER frosted her sugar cookies and I have never been a fan of frosted ones, I guess for that reason! These have an amazing flavor and they are so good straight out of the oven. The old timers used a whisky bottle to roll out their dough. We don't but I have used a glass jar. My granny also used a snuff lid to cut out her biscuits and sugar cookies. Maybe that's why mine don't have quite the same taste. Anyway, here you go, my all time FAVORITE cookie, ever!

1 & 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 & 1/2 to 3 c. flour
2 tbsp. milk
Sugar for sprinkling

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. stir in vanilla.Combine the dry ingredients and add them alternately to the butter mixture with the milk. Turn out the dough onto a floured board and knead lightly. Roll out and cut into circles. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with sugar, and bake in a moderate oven (350) until light brown (about 8-10 minutes). Makes approximately 2 dozen large cookies.Yummy Yummy! Enjoy!

Love,
Julie

Basic Cookie.....

*The absolute BEST cookies I have ever eaten!! It's for sure the best chocolate chip recipe, very rich and buttery and not at all flat. I don't care for the Nestle Toll House recipe because it's flat and I like kind of a puffy cookie. These fit the bill perfectly! This is my mother-in-law's recipe she used for catering; it's awesome! :) These are actually award winning cookies, try them!

1/2 lb. butter
1 & 1/2 c. sugar2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Add vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop by round tsp. on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. (my oven is more like 10-12 minutes; 11 is just about right)

Variations:

Chocolate chip:
3/4 c. brown sugar
3.4 c. white sugar
2 c. chocolate chips

Butterscotch:
1 & 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed no white sugar

Oatmeal:

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
3/4 c. white sugar
2 c. flour
2 c. oatmeal

Lemon:

omit vanilla
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. lemon peel, grated

Snickerdoodle:

1 tsp. cream of tartar
Roll unbaked cookies in cinnamon and sugar

Spice:

Add 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon


Let me know how you like them!! Enjoy!!

Love,
Julie

Peanut Butter Blossoms...

*Recipe from JIF peanut butter jar
•
1/2 cup Crisco® Butter Shortening
•
1/2 cup Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter
•
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
•
1/2 cup granulated sugar
•
1 large egg
•
2 tablespoons milk
•
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•
1 3/4 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
•
1 teaspoon baking soda
•
1/2 teaspoon salt
•
Sugar
•
48 foil-wrapped milk chocolate pieces, unwrapped
Directions:
1.
HEAT oven to 375°F.
2.
CREAM together shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well.
3.
STIR together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until stiff dough forms.
4.
SHAPE into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
5.
BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
6.
TOP each cookie immediately with an unwrapped chocolate piece, pressing down firmly so that cookie cracks around edge. Remove from cookie sheets to cool.
Yield: 4 Dozen Cookies

recipe links (yum!)

Links to recipes I used to make cupcakes, sugar cookies & pumpkin muffins:



vanilla cupcakes



chocolate fudge cupcakes (did not use the cream cheese icing; cheated & bought icing!)



Martha Stewart sugar cookies (did not use this icing; bought icing!)



pumpkin chocolate chip muffins



pumpkin cream cheese muffins



*If you would like to make your own frosting, and need a good recipe, just email me & I will send you mine. I don't have time to type it out right now. My computer time is up for the morning. So, have a great week, everyone!



*If you want to buy frosting, I bought Duncan Hines Whipped Fluffy White Frosting in 16.2 oz size. You can buy them 2 for $3.00 at Wal-Mart and it is SUPER easy to spread! =)

Julie

life this week...

scarecrow cupcakes (super easy)

candy corn cupcakes

BOO cupcakes

Drew's pumpkin costume

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies & Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin Cupcake toppers

Wilton BOO bags

Wilton baking cups

Wilton cookie cutters (grip)

Claire's Tinkerbell Costume

We have been SUPER busy around here this week! First of all, I have to share that I found Claire's tinkerbell costume at Goodwill for $1.99!!!! The VERY SAME one that is $29 through Disney!!! So, I am VERY excited about that!!! (more on the Goodwill trip at a later date!) I also found Drew's pumpkin costume at Goodwill for $1.99!!! =)

We are making BOO bags to take to family and friends this weekend and some cupcakes to take to Papaw & MeMe Fogg's Fall Festival at their home(a church activity) Saturday night!! They are having a cake walk and Claire is so excited!! =) That girl LOVES cake!! =)

So, to go in the BOO bags are Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (these are GREAT cold!!), Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffins, Cupcakes & Frosted Sugar Cookies (Martha Stewart's recipe)!! We are having SO much FUN!!

Pictured above are some of the creations and some of the products we are using that I love!! =)

* I will come back later tonight and post links to the recipes and the Wilton cupcake items. I need to feed the baby and enjoy my family for awhile!

*Hopefully, I will be able to post more pictures soon!! Pictures to come of Drew and how fast he is growing (he weighed 12 lbs at his 6 week check-up!!) and he is sleeping at least 6 -7 hrs. every night!! YAY!!

Love,

Julie