Very Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

For Dad's Birthday (the big 6-0 !!), he requested crunchy chocolate chip cookies. Now, I am not a crunchy cookie person so I can't really relate to this desire, but apparently some (crazy) people do like crunchy cookies. So, to make them crunchy, I found a recipe that used all white sugar and had a high butter ratio because that's what makes them have that crunch. I am a big fan of the sweet/salty combo (and I think Dad is too) so when I took the cookies out, I sprinkled them with some Fleur de Sel (sea salt), which added some delicious saltiness. I can't wait to try it on some chewy chocolate chip cookies! So, if you like REALLY crunchy chocolate chip cookies, these may be for you. The original recipe can be found here, but my modified version is below.


Ingredients
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
* Fleur de Sel, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 12-14 minutes in the preheated oven (baking time will vary depending on size of cookies so watch first batch closely- they are done when the edges start to brown).
4. Remove cookies from oven and sprinkle with Fleur de Sel.

Apple, Grape, Turkey Sausage Salad

Well, I am now working on "Operation: Clean out Wichita Fridge and Freezer" and I wasn't sure what to do with the Smoked Turkey Sausage so I figured it could be a good substitute for chicken on salad since I like just about anything if it is on a salad. It was tasty and good for a change although the sausage is a much stronger flavor than chicken (not in a bad way) so be prepared for that if you try it!

Ingredients:
1/2 fuji apple, diced
1 cup of grapes, halved (you can use either color but purple/red look prettier :) )
1 bag of lettuce/your favorite salad mix
4 or 5 oz of turkey sausage, sliced
any kind of cheese- I recommend fat free feta, Nick recommends goat or cheddar
Newman's Own Light Balsamic Dressing

Directions:
1. Heat non-stick skillet on medium
2. Add sausage and cook until browned
3. Let cool for a few minutes while you assemble salad
3. Place greens on plate and top with apples, grapes, cheese, and turkey sausage
4. Serve with dressing on side or you could toss the greens with the dressing before assembling- whatever your preference is

Caramelized Banana Oatmeal

Oatmeal is such a delicious and healthy breakfast! There are so many variations you can make depending on your taste and what you have on hand. It is always fun to experiment with new ingredients. This week for breakfast for dinner night we had caramelized banana oats! I have to take every opportunity I can get to use the kitchen torch!


Recipe makes 2 large servings

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup, steel cut oats
3 cups water
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional
1/2 banana, sliced
sugar, to taste
milk (or almond milk is my preference)


Directions:
1. Put water, cut up banana, vanilla, and raisins in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Once it begins to boil, add oats. Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes or until oats have absorbed water. Stir in cinnamon.
3. While oats are cooking, cover one side of banana slices with sugar. Use kitchen torch to caramelize sugar. You can also do this in a broiler, but watch carefully.
4. You can add milk and sugar to taste depending on your personal oatmeal preference :)
5. Top with caramelized banana slices.

Cinnamon Apple Bars

Happy Birthday to Marcus, Happy Birthday to Marcus! I have had a bag of cinnamon chips that I was saving for a special occasion and it turns out that Marcus's 26th Birthday was that occasion! I found these apple cinnamon bars on the blog Culinary in the Desert, and thought they looked delicious so I chose to make those. They were tasty, and it seems that they reminded most people of a carrot cake type taste (which is one of my favorite desserts)- maybe it was the cream cheese frosting! My version of the recipe is posted below, and sorry they were not very photogenic :)



Here are a couple pics of Marcus with his treats :)



Frosted Cinnamon Apple Bars (Adapted from Land O Lakes)

For the bars

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/3 cups white wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 tablespoons salted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces cinnamon chips
1 cup chopped apples

For the frosting

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

To make the bars

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, salt and baking soda.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in cinnamon chips and chopped apple.

Spread the mixture into a 9" x 13" baking pan coated with nonstick spray. The batter is pretty thick so you will have to push it into the corners. Bake until golden and a toothpick placed in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 to 30 minutes.

To make the frosting

In a medium bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth and creamy. Spread over the cooled bars.

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Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

This is an easy, simple stir fry, but it really is delicious! Cutting up the fresh vegetables takes a little time, but it is worth it. It is also a healthy alternative to stir fry that is usually served in restaurants because it is made with very little oil. I love it served over brown rice because I think it has better texture, and it is healthier than white rice. I don't know that this can be called an actual recipe because the vegetables and their amounts can be customized to your specific tastes or whatever you have on hand. So, with that being said, my "recipe" is below.



Ingredients:
* 3/4 lb chicken breast tenders cut in bite size pieces
* 1 medium zucchini
* 1 medium squash
* 1/3 cup chopped carrots
* 1/3 cup diced onions
* 1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
* 1/2 head of broccoli, chopped
* 1/2 red pepper, diced
* 1/4 cup water
* 3/4 cup Lawry's Teriyaki Marinade
* 2 tsps sesame oil

Directions:
1. Add sesame oil to large skillet or wok if you have one and heat on medium high.
2. Add vegetables and cook until they start to soften. (If they cook before the chicken is done, you can either turn heat to low or turn off until you cook everything together)
3. Meanwhile, cook chicken pieces seasoned with salt and pepper in another skillet. You can cook in the same skillet, but I never have enough room.
4. Mix water and teriyaki marinade, and add to vegetables, stirring to coat vegetables.
5. Once chicken is cooked, mix it in with vegetables and sauce.
6. Cook everything together for about 3 minutes or until heated throughout.
7. Serve over brown rice.

Orange and Roasted Beet Salad

This is my favorite salad! The combination of flavors is so delicious- the sweetness of the oranges, the creaminess of the goat cheese, the earthiness of the beets, and the nutty flavor of the walnuts all tied together with a light balsamic dressing. I could eat this all the time, and it is quick and easy so it is a great weeknight meal.


Ingredients:
Salad Mix
Steamed beets (or you can roast your own)
walnuts, toasted
crumbled goat cheese
1 orange, peeled and segmented
grilled chicken, sliced (you can also use a roasted chicken from the grocery to save time)
Newman's Own Light Balsamic Dressing

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Quarter beats and put in oven to warm up and slightly roast (I usually put them in for about 10 minutes).
3. While beets are in the oven, begin to assemble salad:
* put your favorite blend of greens or salad mix on a plate
* top with organge, toasted walnuts, goat cheese, and chicken
* when beets are done, add them on top of the salad
And you're done!

Butternut Squash Bread

I know butternut squash bread may sounds a little weird, but it's good- I promise! It is similar to pumpkin bread, but it still has its own uniqueness. This recipe is pretty healthy and despite being low fat, and the bread stays really moist! You can also add chocolate chips or nuts to it if you want- both are great mix-ins. I don't have a very good picture because I forgot to take one before I wrapped the loaves up, but you can get an idea of what it looks like from the picture below (It is one of the loaves with mini chocolate chips).


INGREDIENTS
* 1 (15 ounce) can butternut squash puree
* 4 eggs
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
* 2/3 cup water
* 2 1/2 cups white sugar
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice
* 1 cup mini choc chips or chopped pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 7x3 inch loaf pans with nonstick
cooking spray with flour.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, applesauce, water and
sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking
soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pumpkin pie spice. Stir the dry
ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared
pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick
inserted in center comes out clean.