Who can resist?

This recipe comes from somewhere. I don't know who gave it to me or where it originated. I don't even know what these bars are really called. All I know is that in our house, they're comfort food. Big time. We make them at least once a month. Today's the day! Thought you might want to try them so I'm sharing yet another recipe.

BTW, the sneaker shopping went great. Got a reasonably priced pair of Nikes that are comfortable and decent looking. To the gym they go!

Here's the recipe. Hope you like it!

Cookie Bars

2/3 cup butter, melted
1 pound brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Combine butter and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Then add vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture. Add nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into buttered brownie tin. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.

Family for supper?

Doesn't that sound funny? Family for supper? Like we're going to skewer and BBQ the fam? Fine young cannibal style, with ketchup maybe?

Yes, my sense of humor on a Saturday morning is tacky, I know. Sorry. But we are having the family for supper, only they'll be sitting around the table with us. Since it's almost warm enough to grill outdoors we're going to pretend it really is warm enough. The thing to note is it's the first time we can actually use the grill without having to brush snow or ice off it. Yay! I'm not much on the actual grilled food, aside from the marshmallows that is, but I'm jazzed because I'm going to make one of my favorite side dishes. What is it, you ask? Au gratin potatoes, I say! What could be better than potatoes, cheese and butter, all melted together? And the recipe is fast and easy so this is a snap to pull together.

Sharing the recipe with you. Hope you enjoy it! BTW, what have you got planned for this beautiful day? I hope it's fun, whatever it is. Oh, and my mom puts ham chunks in this recipe but I'm not big on ham so I leave them out. My SIL puts broccoli in this but again, I leave that out. It just shows this is a really adaptable recipe so hey, put your own flair on it and have fun!

Au Gratin Potatoes


2 cups milk
4 cups peeled, thinly sliced potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons flour

Put milk, potatoes, salt, pepper and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until potatoes are almost tender. Remove from heat and add cheese and flour and stir. Pour into a greased baking dish. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.

Small pleasures

Okay, this has become a staple in our house. Easy to make and yummy beyond words. I had to share it with you!

Pineapple Breakfast Cake

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups diced fresh or canned pineapple chunks
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a square baking pan.

Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk egg, yogurt, oil and vanilla until smooth. Add dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Add pineapple. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Combine pecans and remaining 3 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until top is golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.

Still in the kitchen

No story to go along with this one, but how about some turtles?

Chocolate Turtles

1 package caramels
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup pecan halves
16 squares semi-sweet chocolate

Melt caramels in heavy cream in the top of a double boiler.

Arrange pecans in groups of five (head and four legs) on greased wax paper. Spoon caramel into a small mound in the middle of the nuts to make the body. Let stand until firm.

Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Using a spoon to drizzle chocolate coat body, head and legs with chocolate. Leave ends of pecans uncovered. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm.

I've been busy doing research for a story that's set in New Orleans. When I saw a recipe for pralines I knew I had to try making my own. I've adapted the recipe, just to make the whole process a little bit easier. I'm pretty sure the recipe is going to come into play in the story...

Hope you have as much fun making these as I did. Yes, that's how I spent my Sunday afternoon! What did you do today? Anything you'd like to share?

Pecan Pralines

2 cups sugar
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
2 cups pecan halves

In a large saucepan over medium heat combine sugar, brown, sugar and evaporated milk. Stir constantly while cooking, until the candy thermometer reaches 236 degrees F. or when a small amount of sugar mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard threads. Remove from heat. Place saucepan in a large pan of cold water to cool.

Butter a large sheet of wax paper; set aside.

When sugar mixture has almost cool, beat with a spoon until it begins to look dull. Stir pecans into mix, then drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Super Bowl Guacamole

8 ripe avocados
3 tomatillos, chopped
3 ripe red tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1 small red onion, diced fine
8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded, diced fine
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
salt
4 limes, juiced

Peel and pit avocados. Chunk and place chunks in bowl. Add remaining ingredients, toss. Season with salt.

Wine slush

I know, it's wintertime here in Maine and we're usually dealing with grimy, dirty snowy slush. This year, though, we're fighting back against the winter doldrums with our own kind of slush.

Have some doldrums you'd like to beat? Or are you just in the mood for a yummy treat? Then try this, our Wine Slush--guaranteed to make you forget allll about winter...

Wine Slush

1 cup red wine
1/2 cup lemon sorbet
1 cup frozen red grapes
1 cup chopped frozen plums
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth.

Enjoy!

Cold weather drink

I know. I usually post baking lesson recipes. But it's so cold here in Maine I thought I'd share a recipe that's getting a lot of use in our house. Hope you enjoy it. Take it from me, it warms you up much more quickly than even the best home-baked cookies could!

Hot Toddy

1 oz. Brandy

1 Tablespoon Honey

1/4 Lemon

1 cup Boiling Water

1 Tea Bag

Coat the bottom of a mug with the honey.

Add brandy and juice of lemon quarter.

On the side, boil water and add tea bag to make hot tea.

Pour steaming tea into honey/brandy/lemon combination.

What are you having for breakfast?

We're having Banana Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.


In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.


In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.


Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Too good

You've gotta try 'em, that's all I can say!



Pumpkin Dreams



1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips


Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.


Cream butter and sugar, then add pumpkin and vanilla extract.


Combine dry ingredients, then add to the creamed mixture. Stir in butterscotch chips. Drop dough by teaspoonsful onto prepared cookie sheets.


Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Peaches and cream breakfast

This recipe is too awesome not to share. Peach crisp, for breakfast! I'm in Heaven!! Try it, you'll see!

Filling:

5 large peaches, peeled and sliced
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon orange juice
Grated rind from 1 lemon

Topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Mix together all the filling ingredients. Place in buttered baking dish.

Mix together all the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the peach mixture. Bake for 1 hour. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Holiday Fun

Having a party at my house today. Swimming, horseshoes, grilling, family and friends. Thought I'd share a few of the recipes from the upcoming fun. Enjoy! And I hope you've got a safe, happy Labor Day planned!

grilled shrimp

4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup tomato sauce
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
skewers

Stir together all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill for an hour.

Thread shrimp onto wet skewers, piercing once on each end. Discard marinade.

Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

kid-friendly sweet potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes, sliced
1 apple - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 t. cinnamon
2 T. granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter

Combine all ingredients except butter. Divide evenly onto four pieces of aluminum foil. Top each with an equal amount of butter. Tightly seal foil around each portion.

Place foil packets on the grill, and cook 40 minutes, turning every 5 to 10 minutes, until potatoes and apples are tender.

aunt jane's peach ice cream

2 1/2 pounds fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and chopped
1 cup sugar
1 pint half-and-half cream
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole milk

Puree peaches with the sugar and half-and-half in batches in a blender or food processor.

In a gallon ice cream freezer container, combine all ingredients. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to freeze the ice cream.

aunt tippy's cookies

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
3 eggs
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
4 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two cookie sheets.

Cream the sugar with the butter. Add the baking powder, eggs, milk and flour. Mix until combined.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Place cookies on the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake until lightly browned