No Bake Cookies

I love no bake cookies!! They are my favorite cookie to eat & make especially with my super easy recipe.

No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1 stick butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

3 1/4 cup oatmeal

In a large microwavable bowl, combine the first 3 ingredients & microwave for 5 minutes. Stir in butter & peanut butter until melted. Add vanilla & oatmeal until combined completely. Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper to set up.

Bruschetta Pizza

Every Wednesday I try to bring something fun to share at our small group meeting. Last week I was trying to think of something I could bring & my husband suggested trying to make a pizza out of the extra bruschetta I had. This was very easy & everyone enjoyed it. Like any pizza, you could add any topping you want but keeping it simple worked well.

Bruschetta Pizza

Pizza dough (I use my bread machine & make my own)

Brushetta (I used a large can of diced tomatoes with their juice & added 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, & 1 tablespoon parmeasan cheese)

artichoke hearts, diced (optional)

mozzerella cheese

1 tablespoon garlic powder

I rolled the dough out & baked it in a 9x13 in baking dish so that it would be easier to travel with but you could easily bake it however you would normally bake a pizza. I baked the dough for 10 minutes at 350 degrees so that it wouldn't get soggy.

Next I added the tomatoes & artichokes (if using). Top with mozzerella cheese & sprinkle the garlic powder on top of the cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted & golden brown.

Black Bean Soup

Since it has been freezing temperatures around here until lately, we've been eating a lot more soup. This recipe I originally found on a website (see below for link to original recipe) but I modified it so that it would be thicker & more of a meal. It's incredible quick & easy to make with a lot of flavor & is a healthier option.

If you know how I cook then you'll know that the ingredients below are my best guess at how much I really use when making this recipe. I usually just throw ingredients into the crockpot & not worry about it until supper time. I recommend playing with the recipe until you find a mix of ingredients that you enjoy.

Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans

1 cup salsa

1 can rotel (chopped tomatoes with chilies)

1/2 cup corn

1 tablespoon cilantro

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 box chicken/vegetable stock

In a blender/ food processer, blend 1 can of black beans with salsa & some stock until smooth. In a crock pot or stock pot, mix the remaining ingredients with blended mixture & heat over medium heat until heated through. If using a crockpot, heat on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

Want to see the original recipe? Click here.

Chicken Dip

We love to eat at my office & come up with as many reasons as possible to bring food in. Last week we had a retirement party for one of my coworkers so I brought in the chicken salad or chicken dip as my family calls it. It's a very simple recipe that's best if you make it a day ahead so the flavor has time to develop.

We call it chicken dip because it's a lot creamier than most chicken salads. However, when I made it for work, I just added a lot more chicken so that it would make a better sandwich.

Chicken Dip

1 large (12 ounce) can white chunk chicken

1 small can water chestnuts (optional)

1 cup sour cream

1 cup miracle whip

1 small bunch scallions

1 box Knorrs dried vegetable soup mix

Mix ingredients together & let set over night. Best served with crackers.

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Parmesan

Yet another attempt at eatting healthier coming from the http://www.eatbetteramerica.org/ website. I had my doubts about this recipe at first since I've made spaghetti squash in the past & didn't find that it was anywhere close to a replacement to pasta. This baked chicken parmesan adds a lot of flavor.

Speghetti Squash Chicken Parmesan

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 lb), cut in half
1/4 cup rice flour or all-purpose flour

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Place chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish and pierce in several places with fork. Pour buttermilk over chicken, turning to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Place squash, cut sides up, in microwaveable dish. Cover with plastic wrap; microwave on High 10-20 minutes or until fork-tender. Using a fork, scrape flesh from squash. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 375°F. Spray large baking dish with cooking spray.

In shallow dish, combine flour, 1/4 cup of cheese, and the garlic powder. Remove chicken from buttermilk, reserving buttermilk. Coat both sides of chicken with the flour mixture; dip in reserved buttermilk. Coat chicken again with flour mixture. Place in sprayed baking dish. Spoon about 2 tablespoons spaghetti sauce onto each chicken breast and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake 25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 160°F and the juices run clear.

Meanwhile, heat remaining spaghetti sauce in medium saucepan over medium heat. Serve with the chicken and spaghetti squash.

* I never keep buttermilk on hand because you never need very much for recipes. Instead, I add a tablespoon of lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk.

To view the original recipe, please click here.