M & M Oatmeal Cookie Bars

THIS IS SOOO TRUE! 

I am most definitely a cookie Monster!  Grab 'n' Go yummies - no spoon or fork necessary...right up my alley!

This is another easy and quick recipe for some great bar cookies. 

I found the recipe at Mommy's Kitchen. Tina made them for Valentine's Day and used the holiday colored M & M's...you can also substitute Reese's peanut butter pieces instead if you'd like.

Enjoyable ANY way you try it!  

{Be sure to check out Tina's recipe and hints.}

I've made these for a bake sale - the colorful candies always create a strong 'Buy Me!' visual appeal.

They'd be great for the holidays, using those famous red and green candies.

These can't be all bad for you - they have oatmeal in them!

M & M OATMEAL BARS

1/2 c. rolled oats

1 c. brown sugar, packed

(light or dark)

2 c. Bisquick Baking Mix

(any biscuit baking mix is fine)

1 egg

1 stick margarine, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. M & M candies

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8" X 8" sq. pan. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, except candies.  Mix until well blended.  Stir in candies, reserving a few to put on top.  Pat into prepared pan.  Press a few M & M's on top and bake about 20 minutes.  Allow to cool and cut into bars.

Yepper....Quick & easy....MY kind of cookie!

Linked to Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party
           Totally Tasty Tuesday
        Weekend Potluck

Simple Date Balls

Date balls always make me think of my precious mama. 

They are deliciously sweet just like she was too.

The last time I made them, it was for a bake sale.

They are quick & easy to make.  I think they have a 'caramel-y' flavor to them, and I LOVE caramel. 

Love dates too!

The photo above is of the cooked mixture, then the balls being rolled in powdered sugar..

DATE BALLS

1/2 c. margarine or butter

(I use 6 Tb.)

3/4 c. white sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. dates, chopped

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. pecans, finely chopped

2-1/2 c. rice krispies cereal, slightly crushed

flaked coconut or powdered sugar

In a skillet, melt butter; cool a few minutes. Add sugar, then egg, salt and dates. Cook 6 - 8 minutes over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; add vanilla, nuts and rice krispies; stir quickly.  Cool a few minutes; form into balls (I make them a little bigger than the size of a walnut) and roll in coconut or powdered sugar.  Store in refrigerator.  These freeze well.  Can be made ahead a few days also.

Yield: about 2 dozen

Pretty Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

These delicious rolls would make a great start to your Christmas morning!

ANY morning really....

That gorgeous bun just seems to be saying...TA DA! 

Oh wouldn't you like a warm bite right now???

I sure would!

These are amazingly wonderful rolls.  They take a bit of time to make, but trust me, they are just so worth it.

You could make them ahead, freeze them and thaw the night before.  Warm them in the microwave the next day and everyone will LOVE YOU!

I had printed this recipe from Taste of Home, but before making them, saw the recipe again at Cooking with Libby and was inspired to 'make them happen' in my kitchen.  Libby tweaked the recipe a tad - adding pumpkin pie spice, which I love. 

Lands Sakes - these are amazing!  They would be awesome to enjoy for a holiday brunch! 

And oh hooooowww incredible they make the kitchen smell while they're baking!!!!  Cinnamon is one of my all-time fragrances anyway, and this one just put me over the top.

I feel sooo pampered and spoiled enjoying my morning coffee with one of these babies, warmed in the microwave.

FOR.EVER.MORE!!

The recipe calls for a buttercream glaze, but wouldn't a cream cheese one 'take the cake' too???  Or even caramel?

How could they possibly get any better!!!!!

The recipe makes 2 pans full, so feel free to freeze one for later.

You'll be sooo glad you did!



PRETTY PUMPKIN CINNAMON BUNS

2 Tb. active dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water (110* to 115*)

4 eggs

1 c. shortening

1 c. canned pumpkin

1 c. warm milk (110* - 115*)

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/3 c. instant vanilla pudding mix

1/3 c. instant butterscotch pudding mix
(I did use sugar free)

1 tsp. salt

7 - 8 c. all purpose flour

(I used even more)

FILLING:

1/4 c. butter, melted

1 c. packed brown sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

ICING:

3 Tb. water

2 Tb. butter, softened

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 c. powdered sugar

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add the eggs, shortening, pumpkin, milk, sugars, pudding mixes, salt and 6 c. flour.  Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 - 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.  Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about an hour or longer.

Punch dough down; divide in half.  Roll each portion into 12" X 8" rectangle; brush with butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough to within 1/2" of edges.

Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with long side; pinch seams to seal.  Cut each into 12 slices. Place cut side down in two greased 9" X 13" baking pans.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 22 - 28 minutes or until golden brown.  In a small bowl, combine water, butter, and spices.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over buns.  Serve warm.

Yield: 2 dozen
(somehow I always get more?)

Linked to Foodie Friday
Totally Tasty Tuesday
Weekend Potluck

Fabulous BEST EVER Caramel Candies

These are the B.E.S.T. caramels I've ever made...or eaten! These have definitely become my new-found Christmas favorite!

I just recently learned how to make them.  And I'm thrilled to say...

AN 80-YR.YOUNG-AT-HEART GAL TAUGHT ME!

Grace Ostoich is new to our church family in this last year, and we've all fallen head over heels in love with her. She moved to our area from Branson, MO.

She is a widow and loves to stay busy making candy to give away.  She comes to church passing out bagsfull nearly every Sunday.  She's even had a request from church folks who moved to another state, for some of her candy because they're hearing so much about it.

Another friend and I put our heads together and planned a "Candy Making Night with Miz Grace" recently so she could teach us her recipes  - we had almost 30 gals attend! She also made mint patties, and there were requests for her coconut balls and peanut butter brittle recipes that we didn't have time for that evening.

Grace is sorta like George Burns's Gracie....soooo funny without trying to be.  She was a 'scream' that night entertaining us, just by being herself.  We just laughed ourselves silly!

I often hear one of our male friends at church call her "Amazing Grace". 

She really is!  And I want to be just like her when I grow up.  She is stylish and wears a lot of jewelry & her hair always looks so nice, but is even more beautiful on the inside. 

(That's cause she's full of Jesus!=)

I hafta tell you...one morning she meandered into our Sunday School class late (my hubby teaches the older folks). I noticed she had a hospital band around her wrist, so after class was over, I asked if she'd been in the hospital. 

She told me she'd had a test...an MRI...early that morning, and wouldn't get the results for a few days, but ATLEAST, she said... she was thankful to find out she's NOT PREGNANT!

What a hoot!  Everyone needs a Grace like her in their lives to brighten their days. 

Anyway - since I learned how to make this wonderful candy, I am tickled to share this recipe with you.

I have NEVER 'gotten along' very well with candy thermometers, so I'm very pleased to say that I have been making this candy doing the 'soft ball' test in cold water.

(I put some COLD water in a little bowl...drop a little of the 'sauce' into it, and when it makes a SOFT ball between my fingers, it's done...
I begin testing it after about 15 minutes of boiling, and try again every few minutes, using fresh water each time, until it's 'right on'.)

Whatever works for you is great. 

I LOVE these melt-in-your-mouth goodies, and know I can 'blame' these caramels for atleast a couple of the lbs. I've gained in the last few weeks!

I've been using my own homemade sweetened condensed milk to make these sweet treats and they're turning out perfectly! If you haven't seen that recipe, click here. It will then lead you to Loy's recipe, where I originally became acquainted with this interesting and amazing recipe, but I want to be sure you read my notes too. 

Anyway...on with the show....hope you find time to make these for the holidays.  Of course, I'm giving many away, but enjoying many (too many!) myself. 

Here ya go...I'm going to type it just like Grace wrote it out for me to type up to give to the ladies at Candy Making Night. 

(And if you don't want to dip them in chocolate, you can just sprinkle some sea salt over the top before they set up. These are AWESOME!)
(Eating them plain works too!)

BEST EVER CARAMELS

*1 c. sugar (white)
*1 c. dark corn syrup
(I use light corn syrup and add 2 tsp. molasses)
*1 c. butter (2 sticks)
1 can (14 ozs) sweet condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla

(Throughout the whole demonstration, she would say..."Just buy what's cheapest Honey"...)

Line 8" pan with no stick foil (Or line pan with foil and spray with cooking spray)

Combine * ingredients; bring to boil over medium heat. Boil 4 minutes w/out stirring. Remove from heat; add milk; stir. Lower heat to medium or low. Cook to soft ball (245* or thereabouts),
stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; add vanilla.  Pour into pan.

Because these are soft caramels, it will take about a day for them to set up enough for you to be able to cut them into squares.

(Trust me when I say...IT'S WORTH THE WAIT!)

Grace doesn't give specific instructions for the chocolate, but
I can tell you she uses a bag of semi sweet chocolate chips melted in a double boiler and adds about 1/3 of a bar of paraffin, shaved.
(Or you can add a TB. of Crisco) A double boiler works well so the chocolate stays warm.

Cut into squares or rectangles, dip in chocolate, setting them on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet to dry. 

I keep mine in the fridge, but remove them before serving or giving away, so they can soften a little.

And by all means, if you prefer not to dip the caramels in chocolate, they are great just by themselves.  Little bites of creamy, dreamy sweetness....MMM! I've made a few batches recently, and one batch I just wrapped in waxed paper.  

If only I could share Grace with you in person, I can guarantee these wonderful caramels would taste even better with the gift of her presence.  *-*

ENJOY! ENJOY! ENJOY!

Linked to 12 Days of Christmas Goodies
 Sweets for a Saturday
         Ingredient Spotlight - SCMilk
      Totally Talented Tuesday
Full Plate Thursday
Weekend Potluck
Meal Plan Monday
Candy Plan Monday

One-Dish Pork Chop Potato Casserole

Thought I'd 'throw' a healthy dish in among all these sweet ones this month...

I was so happy to see this recipe at 4littlefergusons.

See?  That Tonya is always inviting me into her kitchen to share in some of the fantastic dishes she makes.

I LOVE IT!  I LOVE IT!!

I already had pork chops in the freezer, and whipped this dish up for dinner the same day she posted this great combination.

One dish meals are always great - it means fewer dishes and quicker clean up right? 

Can't go wrong going in that direction!

Just heat up some veggies and your meal is ready to scarf.
MMMMMM!

ONE-DISH PORK CHOP POTATO CASSEROLE

8 whole boneless pork chops, seasoned as you like

1 - 2 Tb. oil

1 c. sour cream

1 (10 ozs) can cream of celery soup

1/2 c. milk

32 ozs. frozen hash browns, thawed

salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste

1 can french fried onions

1 c. shredded cheese, your choice

Preheat oven to 375. Season both sides of pork chops.  In a large skillet, brown chops on both sides in hot oil. Set aside. (don't want them cooked, just browned). In large bowl, combine sour cream, soup and milk. Stir in hash browns and spices, then half the french fried onions.  Spread hash brown mixture in ungreased 9" X 13" baking dish and sprinkle with cheese. Top with seared pork chops, arranging so that none are on top of the other. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Add remaining f.f. onions and bake 5 minutes longer.

(You want thicker pork chops as thin ones will dry out.  Bone in is always a good option too)

Linked to Melt in Your Mouth Monday
GBP Roundup - Favorite Casseroles
Meal Plan Monday