Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

From A Flood of Recipes from the 12th Ward, Ann Heron, p. 125
Makes about 2 dozen

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. flour
3 c. oatmeal

Mix first four ingredients. Add next four. Then add oatmeal last. You may also add 1/4 tsp. cinnamon or raisins or walnuts (I never have). Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove while slightly underdone for more chewy cookies.

These are the best oatmeal cookies ever. So chewy and soft. You gotta love them. My hubby's personal favorite.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Babies

From Food & Family Spring '09 p. 39
Makes 18-20

1. Prepare a box of brownies or use another brownie recipe and spoon the batter into 20 paper-lined muffin cups. (I did 18)
2. Beat 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese , 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1/4 cup peanut butter and 1/2 tsp. vanilla with mixer until blended.
3. Spoon into center of brownie batter cups and pressing lightly into the batter.
4. Bake 30 minutes. Cool. Top with Cool Whip and maraschino cherries.

Um, hello... Peanut Butter, Brownie, Cheesecake...why wouldn't this be good? Well, it turns out, they are pretty good, but not exactly what I expected. It's somewhat of an odd mix. My hubby didn't even finish his, so... there you have it.

Banana Chip Muffins

From Jessica DuRee
Makes 24 large muffins or 48 small
(or if you're like me, 12 large and 24 small)

1. In a large bowl, beat 1 egg, 1/3 c. vegetable oil and 1/2 c. sugar until smooth.
2. Stir in 3 bananas. (Jessica used frozen ones and pureed them in her blender. Fresh ones seem to do the trick as well --and I blended them for easy mixing).
3. Combine 2 cups flour (I use 1 cup whole wheat, 1 cup AP flour or a combo of the two), 1/2 cup oats, 3/4 teas. baking soda, 1/2 teas. baking powder, and 1/2 teas. salt.
4. Stir into the banana mixture just until moistened.
5. Stir in 1/2 c. chocolate chips. (Totally all for the semi-sweet ones)
6. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups and bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
7. Cool for 5 min. before consuming.

All I can say is DELICIOUS. A pretty good healthy snack that I have made for breakfast or lunch. Plus, the kiddos eat 'em up like nobody's business.

Apple Muffins

From PaperCrafts Gourmet (p. 66-Alisa Bangerter)
Makes 12 regular muffins

1. Slightly beat 1 egg. Stir in 1/2 c. milk, 1/4 c. vegetable oil, and 1 c. raw grated apple. (I used one large Granny Smith)
2. Mix together 1 1/2 c. flour, 1/3 c. sugar, 2 1/4 teas. baking powder, 1/2 teas. salt, 1/2 teas. cinnamon, and 1/4 teas. nutmeg and add to wet mixture until moistened.
3. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full with batter and sprinkle with topping mixture (1/3 c. brown sugar, 1/3 c. chopped nuts, (which I didn't choose to use) 1/2 teas. cinnamon)
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done. (mine didn't take that long)

These were super tasty, and I think next time I will try them with whole wheat flour to up the healthfulness of them. Plus, the girls ate them right up.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

From A Flood of Recipes From the 12th Ward (Brooke Egbert, Colleen Hobson p. 120)
Makes approx 3 dozen

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips (or raisins...yikes)

Cream shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin. Add vanilla and chocolate chips. Drop on greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

So yummy, and super festive for this time of year... gotta love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Don't mind how unhealthy they are.

H.R.M.'s Favorite Waffles

From The New McCall's Cookbook 1973
Makes Small batch (3-4 waffles)

1. Beat 1 egg until light.

2. Sift together 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 teas. salt, 1/4 teas. baking soda, 1/4 teas. baking powder.

3. Mix 1/2 cup buttermilk or 1/4 cup sour cream with 1/4 cup milk.

4. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to beaten eggs.

5. Add 1/4 cup melted butter to batter. Blend thoroughly and bake according to waffle iron directions.

*These are delicious with maple syrup, too. They don't really need butter because it's added in the batter. These were a Sunday tradition at our house growing up. They are still my favorite waffles.

Aebelskivers

From Grandma Leah
Makes Small batch (3-4 pans)

1. Seperate 1 egg, putting egg white in a small bowl and egg yolk in a larger one. Beat egg whites until stiff and egg yolk.
2. Add 1 cup buttermilk and 2 TBSP melted shortening (I use applesauce) to the egg yolk.
3. Sift together 9/10 (.916) cup flour, 1/3 teas. salt, 2 teas. sugar, 1/2 teas. baking soda, and 1/3 teas. nutmeg and add to the egg and milk mixture. Fold in stiff egg whites.

Preheat your aebelskiver pan on medium heat, adding a little shortening to each cup in the pan. When melted, add 1/8 cup batter to each cup. (Also known as a coffee measure) Cook until browned on bottom, then turn over. (We use turkey lacing skewers- they are perfect!) Cook until second side is browned.

*These are best served with maple syrup... but other fillings can be used. Whatever is your favorite. We use "honey bears" and poke the aebleskivers and fill them with syrup. Delicious! These are a family tradition at our house. We love them.

Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake

From Better Homes & Gardens November 2008 or BHG.com
Makes 6-8 servings

8 oz. dried bow tie pasta
1 small onion, chooped
1 TBSP butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 teas dried Italian seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 teas crushed red pepper (optional)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used canned this time)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz.)
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and chopped (I used non-oil packed)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 teas. paprika
1 TBSP butter, melted.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In medium skillet cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.

2. In bowl whisk together eggs, milk, seasoning, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Stir in chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, half of the Parmesan, cooked pasta, and onion. Transfer to a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or 3-quart rectangular casserole.

3. Bake, covered, 20 minutes. In small bowl combine remaining Parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika, and melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over pasta. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes more or until golden.

Zucchini Bread

From A Flood of Recipes From the 12th Ward p. 47 (Kathryn Gudmundson)
Makes 2 loaf pans, one large pan, two layer cake pans, or four small loaf pans.

2 cups zucchini, grated
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 teas. vanilla
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. ground cloves
2 cups white flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teas. nutmeg
1 1/2 teas cinnamon

Mix together all wet ingredients (this is what Kitchen Aid mixers were made for). Sift the dry and add to the wet mixture. Mix well. Pour into greased and floured pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

From A Flood of Recipes From the 12th Ward p. 123 (Ashley Mecham) & my special touch
Makes a lot

1 pkg. cake mix (Red Velvet is the BEST)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teas. vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup water

Mix together (Kitchen Aid) and drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Pound Cake Muffins

From ________ (an email from my sister)
Makes..... I don't remember

2 cups flour
3 teas. poppyseeds
1/2 teas. salt
1/4 teas. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup yogurt (plain unless you want a little flavor)
1 teas. vanilla or almond flavoring

1. Stir first four ingredients together.
2. Cream the sugar and butter together.
3. Add eggs, yogurt, and vanilla or almond flavoring to creamed mixture.
4. Add the flour mixture to the rest.

Pour into muffin pan. Bake at 400 degrees from 15-20 minutes.

Shirley's Hot Rolls

From Grandma Beverly
Makes 24 rolls

1 cup hot water
1/2 cup shortening or lard
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBS yeast
2 eggs
1 cup cold water
6 cups flour
1 teas. salt

Mix first 3 ingredients. Add yeast when water is lukewarm. Add the rest and mix. (Love my Kitchen Aid mixer!)
Cover and let raise (Or set your oven to proofing).
Make into rolls (I put them into three square pans).
Cover and let raise again (or use that lovely proofing).

Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 20 minutes.

*For half the recipe, I fill two pans (the rolls aren't as big, but just as tasty!) These are my signature rolls now. We love them! Also, they are really good right after you make them, but they are even BETTER the next day for some reason.