Category: Recipes

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Cookie Packs

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With Valentine’s Day just a few weeks away, I wanted to show you a sweet way to give an easy treat to your friends.

First, make the Oatmeal Farm Cookies and let them cool.

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Then decorate pink and purple dvd keepers with Valentine stickers and slip a cookie into each one. Next, punch a little hole in the upper corner and thread curly ribbon through to add some sparkle.

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Aren’t they cute? And since the cookies are in a plastic envelope, they will stay fresh for a day or two, so it’s perfect for neighbors, co-workers or best friends. In fact, this little treat is so easy to make–you could give it to anyone who deserves a little extra sweetness this Valentine’s Day.

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Oatmeal Farm Cookies


I realize that yesterday, the post was all about being healthy and strong for the winter, and now something strange has come over me. There seem to be cookies coming out of the oven. But it’s not my fault. If you were to look out the window this very minute, you would see that it’s snowing and raining in turns outside. And anyone can tell you that the only thing to do when it’s snowing or raining outside is to bake lots and lots of cookies…inside.

So you see–it can’t be helped.

Oatmeal Farm Cookies

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups oats
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix milk and lemon juice together in a small cup. Mix brown sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Shape into 1-1/2 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten cookies with bottom of glass dipped in water. Bake about 9-10 minutes.
Oatmeal Farm Cookies
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups oats
  • 1-3/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp. salt
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mix milk and lemon juice together in a small cup.
  3. Mix brown sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla.
  4. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
  5. Shape into 1-1/2 inch balls.
  6. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
  7. Flatten cookies with bottom of glass dipped in water.
  8. Bake about 9-10 minutes.

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To Your Health…

I don’t know about you, but when there’s a new baby in the building–like that pretty thing shown above–we all get a little bit nutty about washing our hands and using antibacterial sanitizers, and keeping sick people about 22 miles away and, well– generally doing everything we can do to keep ourselves healthy in order to keep her healthy.

My dear friend Lynnette gave us a huge tip a while back that has helped a ton to keep the sniffles away. Believe it or not, it is cranberries! Yeah, I know. Those funny little sour things we string with popcorn and hang on the Christmas tree. But did you know that they are a very potent antiviral as well? That means they are beneficial to your resistance of viruses. Beat that. Here’s more info if you don’t believe me.

This time of year, it’s good to know something that really helps but of course, you have to eat them to get the benefits, not just hang them around your neck. Problem is–have you ever chomped good and hard into a cranberry? If so, you know they are almost too sour to eat–certainly too sour to enjoy.

The good news is that if you toss the bag of berries in the freezer overnight, they become the perfect add-in to your favorite fruit smoothie. And believe it or not–whipped up this way, they actually taste fabulous!

If I were you, I’d go grab some cranberries from your produce section before they’re gone for the season. It’s worth it.

New Year’s Goal #9

To eat more healthily and cut wayyyy back on sugar–so that I can be here to play with my babies for a long, long time.

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Cranberry Smoothie

I’m not a huge fan of really seedy berries, so I made mine with cranberries, peaches and strawberries. It was great. Lynnette says she likes to make them every few weeks or so to keep everyone healthy.

One dang fine–

Cranberry Smoothie

Ingredients

1 c apple juice
1/2 c vanilla yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c frozen berries (ie 1/2 c cranberries, 1/2 c raspberries, 1/2 c blueberries)

Mix in blender

Cranberry Smoothie
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 c apple juice
  • ½ c vanilla yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1½ c frozen berries (ie ½ c cranberries, ½ c raspberries, ½ c blueberries)
Instructions
  1. Mix in blender till fruit is chopped and smooth.

 

 

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Banana Bread

This is the perfect time of year to be in the kitchen baking something wonderful, not to mention a great time to sit back in a fluffy chair sipping cider and nibbling on this incredible bread.


This is the banana bread we used for April’s wedding and then again for Lyndi’s baby shower. It really is that good. People ask if I give this recipe out…apparently, I do.

I’m not a big walnut fan so you’ll notice they’re missing.

It’s positively perfect and no dopey nuts.

Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1-3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup very ripe banana- mashed

cinnamon sugar

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Sift together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with banana. Grease a 9″x5″x3″ pan. Pour about 2 tsp of cinnamon sugar into the bottom of pan and tip pan back and forth and sideways to coat the bottom and side of pan with the cinnamon mixture.

Pour bread batter into prepared pan. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until you can just tell it is done. You can poke a toothpick in the center to make sure. If it comes out clean the bread is done. Try not to over cook it. Remove from pan as soon as you can and let it cool on rack. Brush top with butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Banana Bread
 
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Ingredients
  • ½ cup shortening
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1-3/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup very ripe banana- mashed
  • cinnamon sugar
Instructions
  1. Cream together shortening and sugar.
  2. Add eggs and beat well.
  3. Sift together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with banana.
  4. Grease a 9"x5"x3" pan.
  5. Pour about 2 tsp of cinnamon sugar into the bottom of pan and tip pan back and forth and sideways to coat the bottom and side of pan with the cinnamon mixture.
  6. Pour bread batter into prepared pan.
  7. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until you can just tell it is done.
  8. You can poke a toothpick in the center to make sure.
  9. If it comes out clean the bread is done.
  10. Try not to over cook it.
  11. Remove from pan as soon as you can and let it cool on rack.
  12. Brush top with butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.

 

 

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