Chewy Oat Bars

My friend JoAnna sent me this delicious recipe:

http://tammysrecipes.com/oatmeal_chocolate_chip_cookie_bars

I made the following changes:

I used 1 cup of whole wheat flour, and 1/2 cup white flour

Took out 1/2 of a stick of butter (so I used 3/4 of the butter it called for)

Took out half of the chocolate chips

Added 1/4 cup of ground flax seed

Added 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Added 3/4 cup sliced almonds

Instead of a 9x13 inch pan, I scooped the dough into two greased 8x8 glass dishes. I was holding my 9 month old while I made them, and she refused to let me put her down. My 9x13 inch pan was too high for me to reach while holding her, so I used the ones that were more accessible. If you don't have kids, you now think I'm ridiculous. If you have kids, you probably understand. :)

These came out so so so good, and were pretty simple to make. They were delicious straight out of the oven, all warm and gooey, but they will make a great snack later when they firm up a bit as well. And the best part, they are fairly healthy! :)

Cookies With a Purpose (Lactation Cookies)

Let me start by saying that these cookies are DELICIOUS, so just because they have a purpose, doesn't mean they aren't fun to eat. :)

I nurse my 5 month old daughter, and my supply isn't always the best. When I make a batch of these cookies, I notice a decent increase in milk production. Oatmeal is a great thing for a nursing mother to consume, and brewer's yeast, an extremely healthy "wonder food", is the secret ingredient. I'm sure the extra calories from simply eating cookies help as well.



I took the oatmeal cookie recipe on the box of Quaker Oats, and changed it around a little.

Here is what I used:

1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup brewer's yeast
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

2/3 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, baking soda, salt, brewer's yeast). In a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then add applesauce, eggs and vanilla and continue to mix.

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and blend. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

Drop onto cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Eat a few a day to improve your milk supply. (Or share them with other non-lactating friends and family. No, it will not cause them to lactate). ;)

Chocolate Pecan Pie

I am in charge of bringing three things for Thanksgiving this year; chocolate pecan pie, mac 'n' cheese, and butternut squash casserole. Since I have already posted my mac 'n' cheese and squash recipes on this blog, I thought I should go ahead and post the recipe I used for the chocolate pecan pie. I made a test pie today while Audrey was napping, and Emily happily watched from her little seat. :)

I found this simple recipe on www.allrecipes.com and didn't change a thing.

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter

2/3 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz can)

2 large eggs

1 t vanilla

1/4 t salt

1 1/2 cups pecans

1 9 inch pie crust (I used a store bought one)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sauce pan, combine chocolate chips, butter, and condensed milk over medium heat. Stir constantly until everything is melted and blended.
Remove from heat (I used a spatula to scrape it into another bowl to speed up the cooling process so the eggs wouldn't cook). Add the eggs, salt, vanilla, and pecans. Mix well.

Pour mixture into pie shell, and bake on bottom shelf of oven for 40-45 minutes. Serve hot or cold, preferably cold.

I had a slice warm from the oven, and it tasted very similar to a gooey brownie with a crust. I am a huge fan of a gooey brownie, and always love a crust, so to me, it was perfection. :)

I plan to serve it cold on Thanksgiving, with a side of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. I'm sure it will be delicious!

A Healthy, Hearty, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie (Great for Kids!)

While looking for a cookie to make for playgroup a few months ago, I found the following recipe on www.wholesometoddlerfood.com:

Farmland Flax Cookies - A popular cookie that everyone loves.
Butter 1 1/3 cups
Granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups
Brown sugar 1 1/2 cups
Flax seed- 1 1/2 cups
Large eggs 3
Vanilla 1 1/2 tsp
All-purpose flour 3 1/2 cups (try a mix of whole wheat flour/all purpose)
Baking soda 1 tbsp
Oatmeal 3 cups

In a bowl, cream butter and sugars; add flax seed. In another bowl, beat eggs and vanilla together. Combine with flax mixture. Sift together the flour and soda. Mix in oatmeal and combine with other ingredients. Form dough into 4 cm (1 1/2 inch) round logs. Place in freezer and chill. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Slice into .5 cm (1/4 inch) medallions. Place on baking sheet leaving about 5 cm (2 inches) between cookies.
Bake 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from sheet and cool Yield: 108 cookies (5 cm/2 inches)

Changes I made:

I used all whole wheat flour, only 1.5 sticks of butter, added a cup of applesauce, and added about one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (not enough to really make them super chocolatey, but enough to give them a little chocolate kick).

I made a few "logs", ended up baking one for play group, saving one for later (in the freezer), and giving two of them to friends. These were great for the kids, and for the adults as well!