Recipe: Oatmeal Cookies

There are a lot of cookies you can buy in the store that taste pretty good, but I’ve never found a store bought oatmeal cookie that tasted very good. Oatmeal cookies are best when they are homemade. And, you can pretend they’re not that bad for you because they have oatmeal in them. AND, they are really easy to make. So, add this cookie to your Christmas cookie list this year. I think you’ll like it.

Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
6 Tablespoons white sugar
6 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon water
1 egg
1 cup oatmeal

6 oz. of chocolate chips, or peanut butter, or butterscotch, or 3/4 cup raisins, or 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (all optional). But, I highly recommend the butterscotch chips (My Personal FAV!)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, soda, and salt – set aside. Blend butter, sugars, vanilla, and water. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture and mix well. Stir in oatmeal and chips/raisins/nuts. Drop by rounded half teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Y’all Enjoy!

Recipe: Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Cracker Jacks. The prize in the ceral box. Homemade ice cream. The ocean floor.

“Good things found at the bottom!” (I feel like I’m playing $25,000 Pyramid hosted by Donny Osmond).

Now I know it is WAY TOO EARLY to be up typing blog posts. But, I wanted to share my Mom’s (Mimi) recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake before I take off for the annual sister’s shopping weekend in Overland Park, Kansas. This cake is really fun because all the good stuff is actually at the bottom of the pan. If you’ve never tried PUDC, it really looks pretty for Christmas Dinner with the red cherries and glazed pineapple on top of the cake. No. The bottom of the cake, which is the top because it is upside down. Now I’m confused. Need more coffee.

Mimi’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 can (1 lb. 14 oz.) pineapple slices
Maraschino Cherry halves

Melt butter in large iron skillet. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly in pan. Drain pineapple – reserve the syrup. Arrange pineapple slices and cherry halves in sugar mixture. I like to put the cherry in the middle of the pineapple. Add enough water to the pineapple syrup to make 1 1/3 cups liquid. Add this and 2 eggs to cake mix. Mix as directed. Pour over fruit. Baike at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes and then turn upside down on a large platter or cake stand. Observe the golden wonderfulness and serve.

Y’all Enjoy! I’ll posted some sister weekend adventures later if my sister will let me use her computer.

Recipe: Applesauce Cake

My dear gardening sister and dear friend Sheila (aka Gypsy Biscuit) both make homemade applesauce. Homemade! And, all I can say to that is – I don’t make homemade applesauce. (hanging head). If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying homemade applesauce – well, so sorry for you. The fresh apple taste can’t be beat. And, their applesauce makes me think of this applesauce cake. Oh, it is very good with a rich, sweetened store bought applesauce – but WOW! I can only imagine what it would taste like if I had a jar of homemade applesauce to make it with. Hmmmm! That gives me an idea. I’ll have to steal some homemade applesauce this weekend while visiting my sister in Overland Park, Kansas. (I’m heading up there for our annual Sister’s Christmas Shopping Extravaganza.) Either way, homemade or not – sweet, delicious applesauce cake. Simple ingredients. Quick. Easy. Wonderful. Nuf’ said. Try it this holiday season.

Applesauce Cake

1 1/2 cups HOT, sweetened applesauce (make sure the label reads ‘sweetened’)
1/2 cup butter (stir into hot applesauce)
1 cup sugar
2 2/3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins (I like using half golden and half regular raisins)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and pour into a greased and lined (with wax paper) tube pan or a greased bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour or until done.

(PS: Drizzle with honey or sweetenen condensed milk mixed with applesauce if you want some frosting of some sort. But I love it plain.)

Y’all Enjoy! 21 days until Christmas