S'mores Bars

***these were scrumptious! rory downed about half last night, and i'm sure will polish them off tonight, that is, if i don't get to them first. janae and julia liked them too. anyways...for such a simple dessert, they were really amazing!


S'mores Bars
from Amber's Delectable Delights

Ingredients
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup butter (no substitutions)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
9 crushed graham crackers
1 1/2 cups small marshmallows
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions
- Line an 8x8 pan with foil and spray with PAM.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, 3/4 cup marshmallows and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine the egg, butter, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly until it comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Pour mixture in bowl with the graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate chips. Stir to combine. (Marshmallows and chips will melt a bit).
- Fold in remaining marshmallows and chips.
- Press mixture into prepared pan.Cool until set. Remove foil and bars from pan, cut and serve. - Store in airtight container either room temp or in fridge (if during warm months).

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

*** i loove these cookies. that's all there is to say. they're great to freeze too! i just use my scoop and then freeze the dough, throw it in a bag, and bake off a few whenever i want a fresh, hot cookie! (add about 3-5 minutes cooking time if you use them straight from the freezer)


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
from The Joy of Cooking

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 lb softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
  
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups rolled whole oats

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Sift (sifting is important!) flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl.
3. Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla with a hand mixer at medium speed.
4. Put flour mixture into butter mixture and mix well.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and oats.
6. Spoon 1.5 inch balls onto non-stick cookie sheet. ( I use an ice cream scoop for even size cookies)
   
7. Bake at 350°F for 6-9 minutes, rotating half way through baking. (Should be lightly firm in the center when done)

Baked Potato-and-Broccoli Soup

***wow! this was awesome. so delicious and hearty. we like soups only if they're hearty and filling, so this one fit the bill! great leftovers too! (sorry about the horrid photo!)


Baked Potato-and-Broccoli Soup
from MyRecipes.com via Amber's Delectable Delights

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 (14 1/4-ounce) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth, divided
3 cups peeled, cubed potato (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1 small onion, chopped (i left this out)
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 (8-ounce) block 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
7 teaspoons shredded 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
7 teaspoons fully cooked bacon pieces
7 teaspoons chopped green onions

Preparation
Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup chicken broth until smooth.
Combine remaining chicken broth and next 3 ingredients in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.

Stir in milk and 8 ounces shredded cheese. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese melts. Top each serving of soup with 1 teaspoon cheese, 1 teaspoon bacon pieces, and 1 teaspoon chopped green onions.

Note - We recommend freshly shredded cheese (versus the preshredded variety) for additional creaminess and even melting.

Yield - Makes 7 servings (serving size: 1 cup) (serving size: 1 cup)

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms
from Kotori blog

24 Large Fresh Mushrooms (about 1 - 2 inches in diameter)

1/4 C Green Onions (2), sliced

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1/4 C Butter

2/3 C Fine Breadcrumbs

1/2 C Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Rinse and drain mushrooms. Remove stems; reserve caps. Chop enough stems to make 1 cup.

In a medium skillet cook the copped stems, green onions and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in bread crumbs and cheese.

Spoon crumb mixture into mushroom caps. Arrange mushrooms in a baking pan. At this point you can cover the pan and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Bake uncovered at 425 for 10 - 15 minutes or until heated through. The caps should be soft and the topping should be slightly crisp.

**these were soooo good. if you're a mushroom person, at least. they're best fresh from the oven, so make sure you plan for that!

Artichoke Dip

Artichoke Dip
from Kraft Foods

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

SPREAD cream cheese onto bottom of microwaveable 9-inch pie plate.
MIX artichokes, butter and garlic; spoon evenly over cream cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
MICROWAVE on HIGH 1 min. or until heated through. Serve with crackers or sliced baguettes.



**this one i have to double, as it disappears quickly when my family is involved. also, it's not heated yet in the picture, so sorry if it doesn't look great. :)

Bacon and Onion Pinwheels

Bacon and Onion Pinwheels
from Kraft Foods

10 slices OSCAR MAYER Center Cut Bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients except crescent rolls.
UNROLL crescent roll dough; separate into a total of 8 rectangles. Firmly press perforations together to seal. Spread bacon mixture evenly onto dough; roll up, starting from one of the short ends. Cut each roll crosswise into 4 slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly.