The Dilemma

Parmesan Baked Potato Halves by Favorite Family Recipes

Here’s the thing~

If you’ve ever been on Pinterest, you know that it is not only a fabulous way to store things you’d like to keep forever–but it’s actually quite addictive…as in..hard to stop…pinning. So when I need a great recipe or crochet project or anything at all to do, I go there.

Streusel Pumpkin Bread From Bakingdom

Another thing you’ll notice right away is that even though you’ve pinned 65,000 yummy looking recipes–it doesn’t mean you aren’t totally overwhelmed by the lusciousness. So that’s what’s going on over here. I’ve picked 3 random recipes that look lovely, but I can’t decide which one to make. I need some help.

Lemon Squares from Living Practically

Should I make the potatoes, the pumpkin bread or the lemon squares? What do you think? Of course, you could go to my Pinterest page and choose something entirely different altogether–tell me what YOU think I should make and the recipe with the most votes will be the next item up in this kitchen.

Thanks guys…

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Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookie Copy Cat

with a twist.

What twist, you say? These lovely creatures certainly look like the real thing–do they not?

Heh, heh…well, my friends, it just so happens that the ooey, gooey, chocolaty goodness that you see here is made with…

whole wheat flour.

Now you may not think that”s any big deal, but to the tons of people who firmly believe that switching out white flour for 100% whole wheat would give them no earthly reason to live–I say–TAKE HEART!!

Pretty sure this cookie would fool the old girl herself. In fact, we fed them to the whole family today and nobody even knew there was any change in the recipe…AT all.

I mean, honestly–it probably has something to do with alllll that chocolate–for Pete’s sake.

Tastes kinda like a Symphony bar…with cookie wrapped around it.

As. It. Should.

 

 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 100% whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup cold salted butter, cut into cubes
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300° F.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer blend the sugars at medium speed.
Add the cold butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix at low speed just until blended. Do not over mix.
Add the flour mix and chocolate chips and blend at a low speed just until mixed. Do not over mix. Refrigerate dough for about 1/2 hour.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, two inches apart.
Bake 20-22 minutes until golden. Transfer cookies–still on parchment–immediately to a cool surface, so they won’t continue cooking.
Makes 30-36 cookies, depending on the size of your scoops.

Note: The cold butter, the chilled dough, the low oven temperature and the parchment lined cookie sheet are absolutely key in this recipe. If you want it to be right and glorious, don’t change what already works. :}

5.0 from 1 reviews
:: Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies ::
 
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour (I used 100% whole wheat)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 cup cold salted butter, cut into cubes
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300° F.
  2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk.
  3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer blend the sugars at medium speed.
  4. Add the cold butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  5. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix at low speed just until blended. Do not over mix.
  6. Add the flour mix and chocolate chips and blend at a low speed just until mixed.
  7. Refrigerate dough for about ½ hour.
  8. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, two inches apart.
  9. Bake 20-22 minutes until golden.
  10. Transfer cookies--still on parchment--immediately to a cool surface, so they won't continue cooking.
  11. Makes 30-36 cookies, depending on the size of your scoops.
Notes
The cold butter, the chilled dough, the low oven temperature and the parchment lined cookie sheet are absolutely key in this recipe. If you want it to be right and glorious, don't change what already works. :}

 

Very Berry Crumble

With a freezer full of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries from…ahem…last year, I have sincerely been on the look-out for any truly yummy way to use them before they become… extinct so-to-speak.

I found this lovely thing in the Gold Medal Whole Wheat Baking book that you can print out for free if you click the link. I tweaked it just a tad and it turned out simply scrumptious. In fact, with my high blueberry to other berry ratio–I love them–it ended up reminding me of a Blueberry Poptart…with whole wheat and oatmeal…sort of.  :}

Ingredients:

7 cups misc. berries–we used a combination of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries

3 Tbsps cornstarch

2 Tbsps sugar

In a 2 quart saucepan, mash 2 cups of berries; stir in cornstarch and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in remaining berries. Pour in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.

Topping Ingredients:

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients with pastry blender or fork until crumbly.

Sprinkle over berry mixture.

Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Serve with ice cream…a whole ton of ice cream. More ice cream, in fact, than we dared show here for fear that you, my friends, would run off screaming.

Yep. One, big, ice creamy…

poptart.

Yum.

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5.0 from 1 reviews
Very Berry Crumble
 
Ingredients
  • 7 cups misc. berries
  • 3 Tbsps cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsps sugar
Instructions
  1. In a 2 quart saucepan, mash 2 cups of berries; stir in cornstarch and sugar.
  2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils.
  3. Boil and stir 1 minute.
  4. Stir in remaining berries.
  5. Pour in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.
Notes
Topping Ingredients: ⅔ cup packed brown sugar ½ cup whole wheat flour ½ cup oatmeal ½ tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. salt ⅓ cup butter Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients with pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over berry mixture. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Serve with ice cream.

Three years ago…

in August…

August 11 030

we changed old T-shirts into Baby Pants

August 24 016

made Deep Chocolate Ice Cream

Einstein laughing

solved Einstein’s Grandkids’ Riddle

cucumbers (5)

cut up fresh cucumbers

August 14 019

made Confetti Crayons

August9 041

LOVED deep Fried Pickles

concocted the perfect Peach Ice Cream

August 7 059

cooked luscious Zucchini Bread

July 16 466

spent some time in New York City

New York 089

rode a real, live subway

July 16 608

visited Toyland

July 16 304

and toured some Sacred Places.

What a beautiful, busy, scrumptious, amazing month it was!

:: Yummy Oatmeal Bars ::

“Grammy, we should make something really good.”

“Yeah, like yummy cookies or something that we can eat all the day.”

“Anything for you my darlings.”

:}

Ingredients:

1 cup butter- softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F.  Beat butter, and sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy; blend in eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats. Spread into a lightly greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until set. Do not over bake. Cool. Cut into bars and serve alone or with ice cream.


5.0 from 1 reviews
:: Yummy Oatmeal Bars ::
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter- softened
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsps vanilla
  • 1-3/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350°F.
  2. Beat butter, and sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy; blend in eggs and vanilla.
  3. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, mixing well.
  4. Stir in oats.
  5. Spread into a lightly greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.
  6. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until set.
  7. Do not over bake.
  8. Cool.
  9. Cut into bars and serve alone or with ice cream.