Irresistibly Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

We had such a great time with family over the holidays.  One of my favorite things about spending time with my brother and sister and their families is that I get to eat my sister's cooking.  We always know we are in for a treat when we see her in the kitchen!  One of my favorite things she baked for us were these irresistible oatmeal cookies.   Everyone else must have thought they were delicious too, as it seemed she was constantly making another batch.  The week after all the family had left, I was having a craving for these cookies.  My sister, understanding my need, quickly sent me the recipe.  As soon as I got the recipe, I began whipping up these little beauties. 

Just a quick warning.  These are very addictive.  Since they have no flour, lots of peanut butter and oats, they are a somewhat healthy cookie.  If you would rather not be eating 5-6 of them a day, you may want to freeze half of the batch.  I froze half of the second batch I made, trying to help myself be disciplined.   It didn't help too much... I would just pull them right out of the freezer and eat them frozen.  I have to say, they were very good that way too!   :0)

Irresistibly Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

12 oz (1 1/2 lb) peanut butter

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons baking soda

4 1/2 cups oatmeal

6 oz chocolate chips

1/2 cup M&Ms

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the sugars, peanut butter, butter and eggs together.  Blend well.  Add in vanilla, baking soda, oatmeal.  After it is well mixed, pour in the chocolate chips and M&M's.  Gently mix until blended.  Drop by tablespoon full on a non greased cookie sheets.  Flatten with a fork.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Do not over cook as they will become very hard. 

Makes 25 to 30 cookies

Bon Apetite!

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Disappearing Cookies

If you are a regular at Redfly, then you have probably noticed that I love baked sweets.  I can go without candy any day, but cookies!  Well, they are much harder to resist.

The soft and chewy chocolate consistency of these cookies lead to their name - the disappearing cookies.  Don't believe me?  Here is how it works:  First, bake a batch.  Then after you've eaten your automatic baker's privilege of 2 or 3, then put them out where your family can see them.  Finally, wait 3-5 minutes and you'll see what I mean!

Disappearing Cookies

Mix:
1/2 cup stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Add:
1/2 cup cocoa ( Do not use Hershey's cocoa for these cookies, or the cookies will taste bitter.  Nestle or even the Aldi brand work much better).
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Stir in:
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup oatmeal

Technically this recipe should make about 24 cookies.  I like mine to be a good size, so it only makes about 15 cookies for me.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  They will harden a little as they cool.

Transfer to wax paper to cool for a few minutes before eating.  Try not to eat too many in a row. ;0)

Linked-Up here:  Savvy Southern Style, Raising Homemakers, Ginger-snap Crafts, Sugar and Dots, Growing Home Blog, Yesterday On Tuesday, The Shabby Creek Cottage, PolkaDots on Parade, Love and Laundry, The Shabby Nest, House Of Hepworths, Artsy Fartsy Mama, I am only One Woman, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Sweet as Sugar

Mario Birthday Plan

The end of September is the next birthday around here.  My son who has had 6 puppy birthdays, is branching out a little. To his credit, last year was a basketball birthday.  This year we are going with MARIO!! "Mama Mia, Mia Mama!"

UPDATE:  Tyler loved his Mario party.  It turns out that I made and used my own Mario printable.  You may find them here:  Mario Printables.

Here are the inspirations:

Great photos from Catch My Party.  Star cookies are a simple, easy way to incorporate some design.  

I love the way Walyou.com used the yellow paper plates to create the coins.

Craft Interrupted has many neat ideas that she shares from a Mario party she did.  I love the hats and the chocolate mustaches!

This picture from Celebrations at Home gives all kinds of inspiration!  

The star garland/banner Take the side street displayed over the mirror is a great idea.

Hmmmmm........ now, to make my own game plan............. (and incorporate a jello cake).

LINKED UP HERE:
SKIP TO MY LOU   A BOWL FULL OF LEMONS

4th of July Food, Crafts, and More.....

Needing a little inspiration for the fourth?  Here are some ideas to help get your creative minds working:

Check out these adorable star spangled sugar cookies I saw on indulgy posted by French Knot.  I think we are going to be making these!

Fresh and delicious fruit kabobs from Chandlerandbrianne

Various free printable decorations from right here at Redfly Creations

Nautical 4th of July Party idea........super cute!  

by Andersruff

4th of July Ice cream party from All You

Queen of the Creek free printables

Aren't these cupcakes cute?!  Elinee shares her free printables and party ideas for the 4th.

Paper lanterns from  Artideascrafts.com 

 And a lot more fun craft ideas from Martha Stewart

May you have a great time celebrating the 4th!

Christmas Treats

We love homemade Christmas treats at our house.  This past week though, I have been under the weather, so I began looking for quick and easy recipes.  Here are a few of our favorites.

Caramels have been a traditional treat the Farlows, my dad's family, has made for years.  This year I found a recipe that can all be made in the microwave.  That way I didn't have to stand over the stove stirring for half and hour or more.  ;0)

Microwave Caramels are pretty easy to make.

Ingredients:

Yield:

  12   12

12-24

Caramels

Units: US | Metric

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light Karo syrup
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. 1
   Combine all ingredients.
2. 2
   Cook 6 minutes, stirring every two minutes.
3. 3
   Stir and pour into lightly greased dish.
4. 4
   Let cool.
5. 5
   Cut, wrap in wax paper & store in air tight container.

I doubled the recipe and cooked it for about a total of 9 minutes.  I think I could've cooked it about 12 minutes and it would have been a little firmer.  The flavor however is great!  They are definitely worth the 6 min. involved in making them!!

My other favorite is chocolate fudge.  I found this recipe years ago in my Betty Crocker Cookbook.  It is so simple and quick I have used it ever since.

 

1 1/2

packages (12-ounce size each) semisweet chocolate chips (3 cups)

2

cups miniature marshmallows or 16 large marshmallows, cut in half

1

can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1

teaspoon vanilla

1

cup chopped nuts

1/2

cup dried cherries or chopped dried apricots

1/4

cup white baking chips, melted, if desired

• 1Grease bottom and sides of square pan, 9x9x2 inches, with butter, or line with aluminum foil.
• 2Heat chocolate chips, marshmallows and milk in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until chips and marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth.
• 3Stir in vanilla, nuts and cherries. Immediately pour into pan. Drizzle with melted white baking chips. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. Cut into 1-inch squares. 
  
  Microwave Directions: Place chocolate chips, marshmallows and milk in 8-cup microwavable measure. Microwave uncovered on High 3 to 5 minutes, stirring every minute, until chips and marshmallows are melted and mixture can be stirred smooth. Continue as directed in step 3.

I personally do not add the nuts or cherries.  As you noticed it also has microwave directions, but it really only took about 10 minutes to make the normal way.

Our third favorite and for me, the ultimate, are Buckeyes.  My mother has made these for years, and they were a special treat for us growing up.

I have no idea where this recipe came from, I wrote it down from someone years ago.  

Buckeyes

Ingredients:


1 stick of oleo (soft)
2 cups (18 oz)  crunchy peanut butter  ( I often just use creamy)
1 lb (3 1/2 cups) powdered sugar
3 cups rice Krispies (crushed)


Directions:


Combine above in order given.  Will be very stiff.  (chill if you wish).  Roll into small balls.  


Chocolate Dip


12 oz bag of chocolate chips 
13 bar of paraffin 


( I actually use 2 bags of chocolate chips and just add about 2 TBspoons of oil to soften it a little---no paraffin).


Melt 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips and 1/3 bar of parafine in double boiler.  (I melt it in the microwave, and place that bowl inside a bowl of hot water---just don't let the water seep in).  
Dip the rolled cookies into chocolate mixture and let cool on wax paper.

Pure deliciousness!!!

Cookie dough logs

Who doesn't love cookies fresh from the oven?   Who has time to make them every time you crave them?    The great thing is there is an easy solution to that problem.  Many people will go ahead and mix up the dough, plop them on the pan, and then freeze them.  Then they take the frozen cookie dough balls and put them in plastic bag to save for that cookie craving.  My problem with that technique is that I always forget the cookie dough on the tray freezing in little balls for a couple of days.  I can never remember to put them in the plastic bag.

Because of that, the cookie dough log works the best for me.  It is just as simple as the first method.  You simply make your cookie dough then plop it onto seran wrap and shape it into a long log.

 It is easier to mold into a log if the dough is a little cool.  Wrap up the log, and stick it in the freezer.  When you have your cookie craving, you take out the log, cut off as many cookies as you want, wrap it back up, and stick it back in the freezer.

 Easy peasy!  Fresh cookies at the drop of a hat.


P.s. My favorite secret ingredient for chocolate chip cookies: Mexican vanilla.   It gives them just a tiny different flavor that makes them delicious!