Tasty Tuesday

Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

15 min
12 min
3 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 3/4 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
• OR 3/4 Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamon (*not in the original recipe)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

1. HEAT oven to 350ºF.

BEAT shortening, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until blended.

 Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Add to
shortening mixture.

Blend until creamy.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamon and salt in small bowl.

Beat into shortening mixture until smooth.

Stir in oats, dried cranberries and walnuts.
I'm not sure about you, put I like to "stir"
with my mixer and not by hand.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown.
Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes.
Place on cooling rack to cool completely.
ENJOY WITH A GLASS OF MILK

Tasty Tuesday

I wasn't sure if my family would like something sweet and salty.  We don't usually do that in our house, but I thought I would give it a shot.  Since I am the one who doesn't care for sweet and savory at the same time, I was also expanding my horizons too.


Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Apple Cider and Bacon Dressing
(from Epicurious.com)

5 slices of lean bacon, chopped fine

2 tablespoons minced shallot or purple onion

1/2 cup finely chopped green apple

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups unpasteurized apple cider

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound fresh spinach, coarse stems discarded and the leaves washed well and spun dry

Boys in the kitchen. 

Don't they look like they are having so much fun? HA

Mr. Wonderful cooked
the bacon and scout made a salad. 

MAN!  Their enthusiasm
is killing me.

Yummy ingredients!  The bacon was precooked by
Mr. Wonderful yesterday.  He saved some bacon grease
(about 2 tbs) so that I could cook the apples and onion in it.

 Saute the apples and shallots (onions) with 1-2 tbs of bacon grease.
cook over moderate heat, stirring, for 1 minute

add vinegar, cider, salt and pepper to taste.
 boil the mixture, stirring occasionally,
 for 8 to 10 minutes

or until reduced to about 1/2 cup

Whisk in the mustard, the oil, and salt and pepper to taste

 In a large bowl toss the spinach with the warm dressing until it is just wilted

 sprinkle the salad with the bacon and ENJOY!

 

How does my garden grow?

Here is what I have been doing instead of cakes.

<=======This is on April 23



            This is May 20  ======>

 This is my salad bar.  It has all kinds of different lettuce.  I made a salad from it the other night and the lettuce tasted so strong.  After a quick Internet search, the 3 main causes of bitter lettuce is 1) under watering 2) lack of nutrition 3) HEAT.

Come to find out, it's just to stinkin' hot in Houston to plant lettuce in April.  I will try again in October when it cools off again.

 I planted pole beans and snap peas.

The snap peas didn't make it, but the beans are doing great.  I actually grew enough to serve at dinner. They were very tender. 

Mint



I am only a novice gardener.  When things actually grow, I am amazed.

I get 1 or 2 strawberries at a time.  But the best thing about

 gardening is that I get first pick.  (Most of the time, that is all

there is.) lol

Tasty Tuesday

Cynthia's Pasta Salad

I am sure everyone has a great pasta salad recipe, but this one is a great friend.

                 1 pkg small Macaroni        1 small can of black olives (chopped)

6 stalks of celery (chopped)       2 cups graded cheese                 

1/2 purple onion (chopped)       1 pkg hard salami                      

  1 green or red bell pepper (chopped)       1 small bottle Zesty Italian salad dressing  

Bowl of Ingredients

Cook pasta according to package directions,
drain and let cool.

Celery

from my garden

bell pepper, purple onion and black olives

Salami

.

  Chop all veggies and salami.

Grate cheese

Mix all ingredients together in a (very) large bowl with salad dressing.  Chill

This salad is always better the 2nd day.  So if you are one to plan ahead, this is a good one.

Tasty Tuesday

So, last Tuesday was the very last cake I made for sale.  It was for a great group of teachers over at the middle school.  I was going to take pictures of the whole thing, but only got as far taking pictures of the frosting.  So here you go.....  my top secret frosting recipe.  Shhhh, don't tell. HA

Wilton Butter Cream Frosting
(yields 6 cups)
1 cup solid butter flavored Crisco
1 cup Blue Bonnet Margarine
2 Tbs of Adam's Extract  (Adams Best, Twice as strong-natural and artificial vanilla flavor)
8 cups (2 lb) sifted confectioners' sugar (powered sugar)

Yeah, I'm sorry to say that there is not a single drop

of real butter in this recipe.

(I think the vanilla is what makes this frosting soooo good.)

Place margarine, Crisco and vanilla in a mixing bowl.

Mix on medium speed until thoroughly blended. 

I feel that weighing the powdered sugar is more accurate.
 It gives you a more consistent texture-every time.

Sift 1 1/2 lbs of powdered sugar into creamed mixture.  Yes!! Sifting the
sugar again is important.  If you don't, your frosting tips will get clogged.

Sift remaining powered sugar and
 mix until creamy. Again, scrape
 sides as needed.

Blend on medium until creamy.  Scrape sides as needed.
Just a word of caution.  START SLOW!

Once all the powdered sugar has been blended in, mix on high speed until light and fluffy.
Voila!

When frosting a cake, use lots of frosting.  This will keep the crumbs underneath.  If you get to much, you can always scrap some off the top.  But, I have never heard anyone say "There was to much frosting on that cake".