2 new cookie recipes for the holidays

Well good morning! Are you excited that Christmas is just 3 days away?  Our tree is filling up with presents, but the only present I’m anxious to open is the one in my belly.

I did arrive home yesterday to this:

Naava discovered where I was hiding stocking stuffers (in my closet behind piles of clothes on a high shelf), so she managed to eat a bag of peppermint dark chocolate pretzels and a bag of TJ’s rosemary nuts.  Bad dog!  The little butthead was all hopped up on sugar for hours!

Moving on…

I had never had no-bake cookies until I spent my first Christmas with Zach’s family.  I was instantly hooked and had no idea how easy they were to make. 

After looking at various online recipes, this is the  mish-mash I came up with and they turned out fabulously!

No-bake PB cocoa oat cookies:

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons Nestle cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup creamy PB
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/3 cups quick oats

Directions

• Add all ingredients into a pot on the stove
• Heat on medium-t0-high stirring frequently
• Once mixture begins to boil, allow to boil for 1 min (no more than 1 min 20 sec or so)
• Remove from heat
• Add all oats and stir
• Allow to cool on stove top for about 15-20 min
• Drop large teaspoonfuls on waxed paper (lined over cookie sheet or large plate)
• Place cookie sheet in fridge for several hours
• Store in airtight container in fridge or freezer

After tasting some of these, I knew I needed to bake with them:

Cinnamon M&M cookies:

Simply follow the recipe on a bag of a Nestle chocolate chips and instead of adding the chips and optional nuts, add 1 bag of cinnamon m&m’s and about 1/2 – 3/4 cups of chocolate chips. 

Bake at 375 degrees for about 9 minutes.  Cookies will be unbelievably soft and chewy

What are you baking up this Christmas season?

If you have a dog, is she/he as crafty as finding hidden food as my dog is?

WIAW–quick and dirty

Hey there…

I’m writing this on Tuesday night and, well, I’m feeling very overwhelmed.  I feel like I have a million things to check of my to-do list and all are contingent upon other people replying or doing that part.  I hate that.  It makes me feel all anxious and squirmy inside.  Yick.    Perhaps I am starting to need more help in my 3rd trimester pregnancy state – so um, yeah MEEP! Help!

But I still want to connect with all of you!  Today it’s just going to be quick and dirty style – no fluff, no muss.

As always What I Ate Wednesday is courtesy of Jenn at Peas and Crayons – this is like week 5 billion and it is still going strong!

I have been going to town on NuGo bars lately.  Well that’s not true…meaning lately, since I always eat a few a week, but it’s been day after day.  Saturday I had a NuGo slim to tide me over at the wedding I coordinated and Sunday I snacked on this after my (very ho-hum massage).  It was super chewy and quite tasty, but I the Slim bar one for longer lasting hunger satisfaction.

As I’ve said before, I like taking pre-made things and mixing in some fresh ingredients for a little pizazz, which is exactly what I did with the ingredients below:

Though I haven’t dug into this delicious pack, it’s on my list after I complete the rest of September (remember I was overdosing on PB and had to stop myself for awhile).  But PB&Co Mighty Maple, here I come…nom, nom, nom   (6 pack from Amazon for ~$25).

And finally, I decided I want to try to decorate my own cupcakes for my baby shower and needed some good tools. Thanks to my friend Jillian at Sprinkle Massacre, she led me to these: (adorable dog not included)

What’s your favorite PB&Co flavor?

Any good decorating tips?

Best thing you ate today?

Shanna Like(s) Banana (Bread)

Shanna Banana Bread

What do you think of my oh-so-clever title huh?  You can laugh at me, it’s okay.  My brain is running on fumes right now after the big presenation on Tuesday.  In fact, I sent out a email invite to our Executive Advisors for a celebratory dinner and not only did I not adjust for being on Mountain time (versus Pacific as my email is set to), I also picked the wrong day.  No wonder they didn’t show up Tuesday night…whoops! 8)

Would you believe I’ve never made banana bread?  Seems kind of odd being that it’s nearly my namesake..haha.  I have made other breads, just not banana, so when Cooking Light’s October 2010 featured “The Perfect Banana Bread” I knew I had to make it.

Cooking Light PB BB

I’ve taken their PB BB and adapted it (because that’s how I roll!) and what do you end up with?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (or PBCCBB )

Here’s what you need:

• 1.5 cups mashed ripe banana (this was nearly 6 small bananas for me)
• 1/3 cup plain fat free yogurt (I used vanilla fat free)
• 1/3 cup creamy PB (I used Omega-3 JIF creamy)
• 3 tbsp butter (I used Blue Bonnet)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed (I used Trader Joe’s blueberry flaxseed)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice (I used pumpkin pie spice)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (not in CL’s recipe)

Here’s how to make it:

• Preheat oven to 350 deg
• Spray mini-loaf pans (or large loaf pan) with PAM
• In a large bowl combine banana, yogurt, PB, butter, eggs.  Hand mix.
• Next slowly add in both sugars into same bowl until blended
• In a separate smaller bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients (minus the chocolate chips) and stir together until blended
• Slowly add flour mixture to banana mixture and continuously stir
• Stir in chocolate chips
• Pour batter evenly into 4 loaf tins
• Bake for approximately 50-55 minutes (note, if you are baking in a 9×5, this will take longer).  Bread is done when toothpick comes out clean from the center
• Remove, eat, love.

Now how ’bout some pictures?

Mashed nanners

Pre-baking (such a great loaf pan, no?)

Done-zo!

These loaves were soooo enormously tasty.  I loved them.  Simply loved them.  The PB adds a subtle flavor, but truly the chocolate chips are what makes this bread   We ate one that evening, gave one to the bestie, and two remained before I went on work travel.

I returned from Denver yesterday stoked to lay into a warm piece slathered with a bit of butta, and guess what?  No bread   Hubby must have ate it all.  Dangit!

What do you add in to your BB?

Do you ever make a treat, get excited to eat it, only to find it’s gone?