peanut Butter & Chocolate No Bake Cookies Recipe

When I was a kid there was nothing better than a no bake cookie.  My Mom never made them to my chagrin.  But lucky for me my friend's older sisters made them all the time!  Wahoo!  As an adult I've only made them twice..which is funny to me considering how much I liked them.  It turns out that even though you don't have to bake them you do still have a bit of stove top time and some cooling/hardening time.  This recipe turned out so yummy.  I made them for my daughter's tea party with her cousins.  We didn't even let them cool before we indulged in them.  Give them a try when you have a bunch of kids wanting a tea party.  Or any time for that matter.

You will need Milk, Butter, Cocoa, Sugar, Peanut Butter, and Oats.  Also Vanilla..poor vanilla missed the shot.

Add the Butter, Sugar, and cocoa to a sauce pan and warm over Medium heat.  Add in the Milk & Vanilla and bring the whole mixture to a boil.

Once you are Boiling add in the Oats and Peanut Butter.  Mix together well.

Grab a bit of parchment paper and place dollops of the mixture out to dry.  You can make them as big or small as you want.  Wait until the cool and become hardened...if you can!  Bwahaha!  Ha...ha.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate No Bake Cookies Recipe
Source:  Food Network

2 C Sugar
4 TBSP Cocoa
1 Stick Butter
1/2 C Milk
1 C Peanut Butter
1 TBSP Vanilla
3 C Oats

Combine the Sugar, Cocoa, Butter, and Milk in a saucepan over Medium heat.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  After about a minute or so add in the Peanut Butter, Vanilla, and Oats.  Mix together well.  Spread out a bit of Parchment Paper on your counter and drop the mixture by the spoonful to cool/harden.  Enjoy!

Easy Crock Pot Beef Stew Recipe

When I was pregnant with my second child I watched a show where a chef was making Beef Stew.  At that moment the only thing in the world I wanted to eat was Beef Stew!  I didn't want to eat beef stew though because I was watching my blood sugars and couldn't eat potatoes.  That craving lasted for weeks.  I'm pretty sure I talked about how much I wanted Beef Stew every time I talked to my sister.  Fast forward to the end of the pregnancy and the craving had come and gone so I never ended up making it. 

Fast forward again to my third pregnancy and again I am watching my blood sugars and get a crazy bad craving for Beef Stew again!  So this time I decided I had dog on better eat some Beef Stew!  This recipe makes a very hearty and delicious stew with awesome and tender Beef.  Give it a try on a cool day...or when your pregnancy cravings are driving you nuts.

To start things off you will need a Crock Pot, Canola Oil, Red Potatoes, Onions, Celery, Carrots, Italian Seasoning, Beef cut into 1 inch chunks, Chopped Tomatoes, Salt & Pepper,  Bay Leaves, and Beef Broth.  Shortly before everything is done you will need Chicken Broth, Frozen Peas, and Flour.

Cut your veggies into bite sized chops.  No need to be fussy about the chops..this adds a bit of rustic to the stew toss in your Crock Pot.  Brown your beef with a little Canola Oil and add that to your Crock Pot.  Then toss in the canned Tomatoes, Beef Broth, Bay Leaves, Italian Seasoning, and Salt & Pepper.  Mix everything together well.  Put the lid on the pot and cook for 1 1/2 hours on High and then for another 7 1/2 hours on Low.

About 20 minutes before serving place the Flour and Chicken Broth in a bowl and whisk together well.  Add that and the frozen Peas (no need to thaw) to the Crock Pot and stir well.  Put the lid back on and continue cooking on Low.

Enjoy! 

Easy Crock Pot Beef Stew Recipe

2 Lbs Beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch chunks and trimmed of fat
1 TBSP Canola Oil
2 Medium Onions, chopped into large bits
2 Celery, roughly chopped
4 Carrots, roughly chopped
10 Red Potatoes cut into Fourths
1 28 oz can Chopped Tomatoes
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 14.5 oz Cans Beef Broth
2 Bay Leaves
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 C Chicken Broth

Warm a large skillet over medium heat and add in the Canola Oil.  Going in batches, season the Beef with a little Salt & Pepper, and  brown the Beef on all sides.  Place the Beef on a plate as you go.

Add the Chopped Veggies into the Crock Pot along with the Beef Broth, canned Tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, Salt & Pepper, Bay Leaves, and the Browned Beef along with any juices on the plate.  Stir everything together really well.  Set the Crock Pot to High, cover with the lid and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Then set the Crock Pot to Low and cook another 7 1/2 Hours.

When there is about 20 minutes of cooking time left, Grab the Flour and Chicken Broth and whisk them together well.  Add to the Crock Pot along with the frozen Peas and stir it up.  Place the lid back on and finish the cooking.

Remove the Bay Leaves and Enjoy!

Pumpkin, Black Bean, and Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

I love cooking with Pumpkin puree.  I've even contemplated making my own and freezing it.  I haven't fully felt up to that challenge yet, but maybe one day.  Luckily for me the canned stuff is awful tasty and adds just a little something yummy to a recipe.  Just before I went to the hospital to have my new baby (who will be 7 weeks old tomorrow) I saw this tasty looking delight and knew I had to give it a try.  It was a little spicy..or a lot spicy if you are a 2 year old.  Perhaps this helped to push me into labor.  Then again...I made this two days before I delivered...and I was induced so it really didn't help at all.  But i really recommend this little beauty..and the leftovers freeze well and cook up awful fast when you have a fussy newborn.

You will need Tomato Sauce, Jalapeno, Chili Powder, Cumin, Garlic, Pumpkin Puree, Sour Cream, Tortillas, Pepper Flakes, Onion, Black Beans, and Cheese.

You will also need some shredded Chicken.  You can cook it up or use a bit of left over Chicken for this.

Chop up the Onion, Garlic, and Jalapeno.  I discarded half of the Jalapeno seeds and it still had quite a bit of kick.

Add the Olive oil to a pan and one it's warm add in the chopped veggies.  Cook until they are softened, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the Sour Cream, a bit of the Tomato Sauce, Pumpkin Puree, Chili Powder, Garlic, Salt, and Pepper and mix together really well.

Rinse your Black Beans to get the weird goop off of them.

Add the Beans to the Onion mixture and stir together well.  Add in the Cumin, Pepper Flakes, and Chili Powder.  Also season with a bit of Salt & Pepper.

Add the rest of the Tomato Sauce and incorporate everything.  Let it boil for about 5 minutes to let the flavors meld as the Tomato Sauce reduces a little.

Add about 1/3 of the Pumpkin sauce to the bottom of a large baking dish and spread it out evenly.

Take another 1/3 of the Pumpkin sauce and add it to your Chicken.

Grab a Tortilla and place about 1/4 cup of the Chicken mixture and then about 1/4 cup of the Beans mixture right in the middle.

Top with a sprinkling of shredded Cheese.

Roll the tortilla up, making sure to tuck the ends in as you roll.  Place seam side down in the baking dish right on top of the Pumpkin sauce.

Once you have rolled all of the Enchiladas up top with the remaining 1/3 of Pumpkin Sauce. 

Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded Cheese all over these babies.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and everything is warmed through.

My former baby newly made middle child enjoying the feast.

My oldest really dug in.

Top with Sour Cream, Avocado, and Cilantro.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin, Black Bean, & Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Source:  Tasty Kitchen

Sour Cream Sauce:
1 15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
1 C Tomato Sauce
1 C Sour Cream
2 TBSP Chili Powder
2 Cloves Garlic,
Salt & Pepper to taste

Filling:
3 C Shredded Chicken
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 Onion Chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 15oz cans Black Beans, drained
1 Jalapeno, finely minced and you can remove the seeds and ribs to lessen the heat a bit
2 C Tomato Sauce
2 TBSP Chili Powder
2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
Tortillas
3 C shredded Cheese

Toppings:
Diced Avocado
Sour Cream
Cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.

Warm a pan over medium heat and add in the Olive Oil.  Add the Onion, Jalapeno, and one clove of  Garlic to the pan.  Stir together and cook for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.  Add in the Black Beans, Tomato Sauce, Chili Powder, Cumin, Red Pepper Flakes, and Salt & Pepper to taste.  Stir together and bring to a boil, then lower the heat a bit and simmer, stirring often, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, In a bowl combine the Sour Cream, Pumpkin puree, Garlic, Tomato Sauce, and Chili Powder.  Season with a bit of Salt & Pepper.  Mix about 1/3 of the Pumpkin Sauce into the Shredded Chicken.  Also spread another 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish.

Grab a Tortilla and top with about 1/4 C of the Chicken mixture and 1/4 C of the Bean mixture.  Sprinkle  1-2 TBSP shredded Cheese on top.  Roll up the Tortilla, making sure to tuck in the ends.  Place in the Baking dish seam side down.  Pour the remaining Pumpkin sauce over the top of the Enchilada's and sprinkle with the rest of the Cheese.  Bake 20-30 minutes until bubbly and warm through.

Enjoy!