Easy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I make these cookies when I crave chocolate and I want something fast. Also when I want a little healthier option I'll make these--the pumpkin you know....

Ingredients:

1 chocolate cake box mix

1 15oz can pumpkin puree
chocolate chip

Directions:

Mix the cake mix, pumpkin puree, and chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12 min.

Boiled Cookies

These are my very favorite cookie of all time. My Grandma Stevens is the one who introduced these delicious cookies to me when I was a very little girl. My favorite birthday gift was the year my grandma made me my very own batch of these cookies along with some fabric for my mom to use to make me a dress.

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup cocoa
2/3 cup peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking rolled oats
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Place piece of wax paper or foil on tray or cookie sheet. Combine sugar, butter, milk and cocoa in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture come to a rolling boil (or 232F). Remove from heat; cool 1 minute. Add peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Stir to mix well. Quickly drop mixture by heaping teaspoons onto wax paper or foil. Cool completely.

Hummus

Kayli and her vegetarian ways have introduced us to hummus. It is actually really good. My niece, Lia, just posted this recipe onto her blog. I'm thinking I may do a blog to recipe book with this blog so I want the recipe for hummus included. Plus I've added another ingredient (cumin) to her recipe that I think just makes the hummus perfect.

Ingredients:
2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained
1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1/2-1 tsp ground cumin

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with paprika.

**An option to give the hummus some kick--add 1/2 cup cilantro and a jalapeno or two--so good.

Creamy Italian Chicken

This is another case where I'm sorry I don't have better photography skills. This is so yummy! One of my favorite dishes by far and it is so easy to make! I will say this cooked a little longer than it needed to, so that may be part of the problem. But it was still delicious, I don't think you can mess this up. I found this recipe on Marci Freeman's blog. She has one of my favorite food blogs and so I've adopted a lot of recipes from her.

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts cut in strips
1/4 cup butter (melted)
8 oz container of cream cheese with chives (can substitute plain cream cheese)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (.7oz) pkg. Italian dressing (dry mix)
1/2 cup water
rice
Add ins: onions, mushrooms, carrots

Directions:
Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Combine butter, cream cheese, mushroom soup, italian dressing mix, and water. Stir in any add-ins you want into the sause. Mix and pour over chicken. Cook in crock pot for 6-8 hours. Serve with rice.

Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

2 T yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 stick butter, softened

2 eggs

4-5 cups flour

Directions:

Mix first 3 ingredients and let sit 15 minutes until bubbly. Then add the salt, butter, eggs, and flour. Mix in enough flour so it isn't sticky. Let rise until doubled in size. Roll out into circle and spread melted butter on top. Cut like a pizza into triangles and roll the big end towards the small end until rolled up. Let rise again and bake 375 12-15 minutes.

Refrigerated bran muffins

This recipe makes a lot of muffins. Halving the recipe would probably be perfect. I'm guess that would make about 24 muffins, not sure. This recipe is nice because you keep the batter in the fridge so if you feel like a muffin at anytime during the six weeks this batter stays good for you can quickly make yourself a muffin.

Ingredients:
5 cups All-Bran cereal
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup shortening
1 qt buttermilk
5 cups flour
5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Directions:


Pour 1 cup hot water over 1 cup All-Bran. Set aside. Cream eggs, sugar, molasses, shortening. Add buttermilk, flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in 4 cups dry All-Bran. Mix lightly. Never stir again! Store in refrigerator. Stores for up to 6 weeks. Line muffin pans with paper liners or grease. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.

Chicken Salad Croissants

This recipe is for a crowd so you might need to scale back. I always go lighter on the mayonnaise so it's a little less fattening.

Ingredients:
5 13 oz cans of chicken
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp garlic
1/8 tsp marjoram
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grapes cut in half
1/2 cup chinese noodles (chow mein noodles)

Directions:
Mix together and serve in a croissant.