Hot Chocolate Cookies

2 sticks room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour
4 packages Hot Chocolate Mix (not sugar free)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup each white, milk, and semi-sweet chocolate chips


Cream together the butter and both sugars. In another bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixure. Now add the dry ingredients. Stir in the chips. 
Use a cookie scoop or a ice cream scoop to drop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-13 minutes. 
Cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing to a rack. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

This is one of our favorite recipes from Cook Yourself Thin. I omitted the nuts, only because Kristina doesn't like them in her food. So the omission of them will bring your calorie and fat content down a little. :)


Makes 12 muffins
Calories per serving 200

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 Tlbs. Vegetable oil
2 large organic eggs
1 1/4 cups reduced fat buttermilk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tlbs. chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-muffin tray with paper liners. Spray them with Pam and set aside.
2. In a standing mixer, combine both flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and mashed banana and blend on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the walnuts, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and reduced-fat buttermilk and blend for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the vanilla  and mix until well combined.
3. Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter evenly into the muffin tins and top each muffin with 3-4 chocolate chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once they are baked through, remove them from the oven and let cool. Serve

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

This is one of our favorite recipes from Cook Yourself Thin. I omitted the nuts, only because Kristina doesn't like them in her food. So the omission of them will bring your calorie and fat content down a little. :)


Makes 12 muffins
Calories per serving 200

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 Tlbs. Vegetable oil
2 large organic eggs
1 1/4 cups reduced fat buttermilk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tlbs. chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-muffin tray with paper liners. Spray them with Pam and set aside.
2. In a standing mixer, combine both flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and mashed banana and blend on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the walnuts, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and reduced-fat buttermilk and blend for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the vanilla  and mix until well combined.
3. Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter evenly into the muffin tins and top each muffin with 3-4 chocolate chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once they are baked through, remove them from the oven and let cool. Serve.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

So as you know, there are many banana trees on the island of Guam. Out hiking one day we came across one, cut it down and dragged them back to the truck. Of course, we couldn't eat all those bananas at once so I froze a majority of them, mashed and in 1 cup containers. So since then I have been looking for recipes that I could include them in.  Since peanut butter and chocolate go so good with bananas, most of my recipes revolve around those flavors. :)   In this recipe it calls for pecans. I omitted the pecans and added a half cup of chocolate chips and a half cup of peanut butter chips instead. I also used salted butter and omitted the salt it called for. These cookies were super yummy and a great way to use up some extra ripe bananas instead of the same old banana bread. :) Here is the link to the recipe I used. Enjoy......   http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_cookies/

Chicken Lasagna

Yield:
6 servings

Ingredients:
6 no cook lasagna noodles
2 Tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tlbs. fresh basil
4 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 ounces (2 cups) mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups cooked cubed chicken
1/8 teaspoon oregano
Instructions:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Saute onions and garlic until translucent. Add flour and cornstarch, stirring to mix. Add milk, pepper, salt, and basil, whisking until well mixed. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.
2. Add cream cheese and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook and stir until cream cheese is melted. Add parmesan cheese, stirring to mix. Remove from heat.
3. In a bowl, combine 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the ricotta cheese, and the chicken.
4. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish. Put a layer of lasagna noodles in the bottom of the dish. Top with half of the chicken mixture. Put a layer of lasagna noodles on top of mixture. Top with half of the white sauce. Continue layering noodles, chicken, noodles, and sauce.
5. Top with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with oregano.
6. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until lightly browned.

Spiced Cranberry Applesauce

Yield: 

6 cups (12 servings)

Ingredients: 

5 large cooking apples (not Red Delicious), peeled, cored, and diced (~1-inch chunks)
1 cup fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves*
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice*
2 tablespoons water
~1/2 cup sugar

Instructions: 

1. In a large stock pot, combine the apples, cranberries, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir and continue simmering over low heat, covered, until apples are soft and mushy, and cranberries are all popped (about 20-30 minutes, depending on the kind of apples you used).

2. Remove from heat and stir in sugar to taste. We like at least 1/4 cup of sugar, which makes a tart applesauce, but you can add up to a half cup or even more, depending on your tastes and the kind of apples you used.

3. You now have a chunky homemade applesauce, which you can serve hot/warm or chilled.

To make a smooth applesauce, blend the hot applesauce until smooth and then press through a colander or sieve to remove any remaining bits of cranberry peeling.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

These are so super easy and once you try them, you will never buy those yucky ones in the store again! 

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons lard

1 1/2 cups water

Directions

Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat or I use my griddle. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet or griddle, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. It's usually about 2 minutes or less on each side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

What ever is left over I use in Kristina's school lunch for a few days. Her favorite is to spread peanut butter on one and wrap a banana inside. Very yummy!