Cookies For Breakfast

Mmmm! I just made these cookies for the first time and lost count of how many I ate! They're so good and even better, healthy! I can't wait to serve the kids cookies for breakfast! I'll be the coolest mom ever;) (I pulled this out of a Nick Jr. magazine.)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 &1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 &1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup store bought applesauce

1/4 cup orange juice

3 tblsp unsalted butter, melted

3 lg egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

Heat oven to 350*. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the applesauce, juice, butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Mix with a spoon to blend; stir in raisins and apricots. For each cookie, drop 2 generous tblsp of batter onto baking sheets. Bake 10-11 minutes, until just set and lightly browned around the edges. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Nothing Says Fall Like Homemade Applesauce

When I did my student teaching, the teacher I was working with had a ton of fun fall activities to do with the students. One math activity we did involved apples and graphs (what's your favorite apple: red, yellow, or green?) Then we cut up all the apples, added some water and sugar and voila! Applesauce for our afternoon snack. I've added a few more ingredients so that the sauce tastes more like apple pie without the crust! I love making this on a rainy fall day. By the time I'm done my whole house smells like baking apples and spices. Yum!

8-10 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar (you can add more to make a sweeter sauce)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tblsp butter

Place ingredients in a crock pot and simmer on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours.

NOT The Blue Box

I got this recipe from "wondertime" a wonderful family magazine that has since stopped publishing (boo hiss). I *love* homemade mac and cheese and this was soooo good. Definitely worth all of the prep and melting time. And the bacon totally made it!!!

ann's macaroni and cheese (with bacon, of course)

10 oz. extra sharp cheddar, grated

4 oz. monterey jack, grated

4 oz. velveeta, cubed

4 oz. cream cheese

1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk

1 tsp. dijon mustard

6 slices extra thick bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

salt and pepper to taste

12 oz elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs

2 oz. parmesan, grated

Heat oven to 350*. Put cheeses (except parmesan) in the top of a double boiler (if you don't have one, set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with about 1 inch of water in it) and melt over simmering water, stirring frequently. Gradually add milk, whisking until completely smooth. Whisk in mustard, bacon, salt, and pepper. Pour into a 9X9 inch baking dish, add macaroni, and toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and parmesan; sprinkle over the top. Bake until crumbs are browned and cheese is bubbling, 25~30 minutes.

Monday's Menu

• rotisserie chicken
• mashed potatoes ( I add 1/2 & 1/2, garlic, and shredded cheese)
• corn
• fresh vienna bread
• jell~o salad: 1 pkg. peach jell~o, cool whip, cottage cheese, & a can of mandarin oranges. So simple! (My mom used to make this all the time, but with canned crushed pineapple. I'm not a big fan of canned pineapple, so I sub the oranges, but you could vary the recipe with any flavor jell~o and canned fruit you like.)

Banana Sour Cream Cake

{I think I got this out of the Cit Pat. It's yummy!}

1 pkg yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup oil

18 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Beat first 5 ingredients with a mixer on low until moistened, scrapping bottom of bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured 9X13 in. pan. Bake @ 350* for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack.

For frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter with mixer on medium until blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition.

Remove cake from pan. Cut cake crosswise in half using serrated knife. Place one cake half on plate, spread frosting on top. Top with remaining cake half. Frost top and sides, press nuts onto sides. Refrigerate leftovers.

Creamy Lasagna

{I got this recipe several years ago from a Quick Cooking magazine. This makes 2 8X8 in. dishes. Eat one now and freeze one for later!}

2 lbs ground beef

1 can (29 0z) tomato sauce

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

6 oz cream cheese, softened

16 oz sour cream

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

4 green onions, chopped

12 to 14 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

Cook beef until no longer pink, drain. Add the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 15 min. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, half of cheddar cheese, and onions; mix well.

Spread about 1/2 cup meat sauce in each of 2 greased 8 in. square baking dishes. Place 2-3 noodles in each dish. Top noodles with with about 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture and 2/3 cup meat sauce. Repeat layers, twice. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top of both lasagnas.

Cover and freeze 1 casserole for up to 1 month. Bake other casserole, uncovered @ 350* for 25-30 min. Let stand 15 min. before cutting.

To use frozen lasagna: Thaw in the refrigerator for 18 hours. Bake uncovered @ 350* for 40-50 minutes or until heated thru.

Where's My Bib? I'm Drooling!

Well, I've been wanting to do this for awhile now~ start a blog dedicated to all things food in Hosmerville: cooking and baking and eating and drinking and... well, you get the picture. Quite simply, I LOVE FOOD! I love to look thru cook books and food magazines, love to plan menus and try new ingredients. I love spending time in the kitchen and seeing what's new on the grocery shelves. I would love to go to culinary school, if just for the fun of it. Money is tight right now so we mostly stick to the basics and that's why I call myself a "wanna be" foodie.