Kashina's Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

I always try to be healthy, but sometimes I try harder. This last week I was running a lot and eating a lot of greens, but my body was telling me it needed some protein. Meat didn't sound good, nor did eating a handful of nuts, so I decided to try a peanut butter smoothie! Delish! I want one right now thinking about it... I probably will go and make one! The kids loved it, Todd loved it, and I loved it, three very hard groups to please! We tried it again with bananas... no go. The kids and I didn't like it with bananas at all so keep the bananas out.
Todd drinks a carnation supliment drink for breakfast every morning so that is what I used for our 'chocolate' part you could probably use any kind of chocolate drink powder or syrup... or if you are hardcore healthy use some dark chocolate chunks... or leave out the chocolate (*cough* crazy person *cough*) up to you!

Here's What You Will Need:
1 1/2 C Almond Milk
1 1/2 C 1% Milk
2 pkgs Carnation Chocolate Drink Mix
1/2 C Peanut Butter (mmmmmm)
1 tsp Vanilla
2-4 C ice (depending on how thick you like it)

Place all ingredients in the Vitamix in the order listed. Blend... Enjoy

This makes enough for all five of us to have LOTS! My guess is about 4 large adult servings.

NO bananas... Ok try bananas in it, AFTER you have tried it normal... not as good huh?

Ginger Snaps

I LOVE Ginger Snaps, but for my finiky taste buds they are a hit and miss treat. My best friend from high school used to make the best ginger snaps ever, but whenever I tried her recipe it didn't work for me. I like my ginger snaps not to snap, ha ha! I like them soft and chewy and this recipe totally nails it! You can't leave the cookies out in the air or they wont be as soft, so keep them in an air tight container if you want them to stay soft and chewy longer! Enjoy! Writing this out makes me want to make them and eat them again, dang it!

What You Will Need:

1 C Sugar
1/4 C Molasses
3/4 C Oil
2 Eggs
3 C Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Cloves
1 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 375. In a mixer (unless you are awesome and hardcore and do it by hand), mix sugar, molasses, oil, and eggs until combined. Combine all dry ingredients together in a bowl and slowly combine everything together. Using a cookie scoop ( to make the cookies even) scoop out dough, roll into a ball and coat with white sugar. Lightly press down on a cookie sheet. (I used the bottom of a flat glass cup). Bake 8-10 minutes. Yum!

The handsome Ginger eating his Ginger Snap! 

Garlic Sticks/Knots

Yield: about 40 knots

Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

Here is What You Will Need! 

Dough

1 3/4 c (415ml) Warm Water (115°F)

1/4 c (55g) Olive Oil

1 t (5g) Sea Salt

1 T (15g) Sugar

1 1/2 T (17g) Active Dry Yeast

approx. 5 1/2 c (700 g) all-purpose, unbleached Flour (I used 4 1/2)

Garlic Coating

1/8 c (30ml) Olive Oil

2 T (30g) unsalted Butter

4 cloves Garlic, finely crushed

1/4 c (60ml) finely chopped fresh Italian Parsley

Sea Salt to taste 

Parmesan to taste

plus extra Olive Oil and Flour for making the knots

Directions:

Combine water, 1/4c (55g) olive oil, sea salt, sugar, and active dry yeast in a large resealable container or bowl. Mix to dissolve yeast.

Add flour.  Mix to incorporate flour, cover, and set in a warm spot to proof until doubled in volume (usually 1-3 hrs depending on initial water temp and warmth of proofing area). I used my microwave. 

Chill the dough for a bit (will keep fine in fridge for several days if you want to make the dough ahead of time) to make it easier to handle (this can be skipped if you don't have the time) then set up your knotting station.  Put out a large wooden cutting board and oil liberally.  Grab a rolling dowel or pin and oil.  Grab a pizza cutter or something similar to slice dough in strips. Put container of flour within easy reach. Line several sheet pans with parchment paper or silpats and place within easy reach.

After sheet pan fills up, cover with a dry sack towel, and place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise.

Preheat oven to 400° F

After knots have doubled in size, take off dry sack towel and place sheet pans in the oven.  Bake for approx. 12-15 min. or until golden.

While knots are baking, make garlic coating.  Warm olive oil, butter, and garlic in a small saucepan (if you like your garlic with less of a bite, cook it for a few minutes in oil/butter mix until soft & slightly golden).  Add chopped parsley and set aside.

After removing knots from oven, while still warm, either brush with garlic coating, or place knots in a large bowl and toss with garlic coating. Season with sea salt and Parmesan cheese to taste.

Best served warm.

Cake Mix Sugar Cookies

These are pretty good as far as 'non Jean's Sugar Cookies' go. I like them... maybe not as much as I like Jean's but they are good esp if you like the cakey sugar cookies you can buy. 

Cookies:
1 18 oz box white cake mix with pudding in the mix
2/3 C flour
2 large eggs
1/3 C Vegetable Oil
2 T Sour Cream 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together cake mix and flour.  Add eggs, oil and sour cream and mix on medium speed until incorporated.  Batter is pretty stiff.  Use a cookie scoop or roll into approximately one inch balls and bake on a baking sheet. When I used the cookie scoop, they didn't turn out as pretty. If you don't want the bottoms to brown you can line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Use the heel of your hand or a glass dusted with sugar to gently flatten cookies to about a half inch thick. Bake approximately ten minutes until just set.  Let cool about one minute on the pan and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 T heavy cream or milk
1- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 C powdered sugar
1 T meringue powder (didn't use and they turned out fine)
Food coloring or sprinkles as desired

Beat butter on medium speed for about two minutes until smooth.  Add cream and vanilla and beat about one more minute to incorporate.  Add sugar, one cup at a time mixing on low speed until incorporated until you reach the desired consistency.  Add meringue powder  (this will help your frosting crust so that you can stack the cookies without smearing your frosting all over the place, I use a sheet of wax or parchment paper in between layers).  You want the frosting to be fairly stiff so that it doesnt run off your cookies.  Frost cooled cookies and decorate as desired.  Store cookies in an airtight container.

Lasagna Soup

Anyone who knows me, knows that my absolute favorite dish is my Momma's Lasagna. When I saw that there was such a thing as 'Lasagna Soup' I knew I had to try it! We were not disappointed! I should probably only make this in the Fall/Winter but I know I will probably make it year round! Enjoy!

One of the blogs I read started with ‘here is what you need', instead of ingredients... I liked it! If I remember to I am going to use that from here on out

Here is what you need: Serves 6-8
1 lb ground beef (raw)
3 cups of beef broth
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 TB dried parsley
1 TB dried basil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1, 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1, 6oz can of tomato paste
1 cup V8 (or any vegetable drink)
2 cups uncooked shell pasta
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of water
top with shredded cheese if wanted

1. First mix together the can of tomatoes, and tomato paste in crockpot.

2. Next add broth, beef, garlic, parsley, basil, onion, V8 and salt/pepper.

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.

4. When 30 minutes are left of cook time, add in the 1 cup of water and noodles. Stir to combine. Put lid back on and continue cooking for 30 minutes.

NOTE: If you brown your hamburger you can whip this up in a couple of hours if wanted. Just make sure everything in the crockpot is nice and hot, half hour before you want to eat add your noodles.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

1. 1 cup flour
2. 1 1/2 Tbs brown sugar
3. 1 tsp baking powder
4. 1/2 tsp baking soda
5. 1/2 tsp ground allspice
6. 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
7. 1/4 tsp salt
8. 3/4 cup milk
9. 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
10. 1 egg
11. 1 Tbs vegetable oil
12. 1 Tbs vinegar

For the Cinnamon Cream Syrup

1. 1/2 cup white sugar
2. 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3. 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
4. 1tsp ground cinnamon
5. 1 tsp. vanilla extract
6. 1 cup water

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture, just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

For the Cinnamon Cream Syrup

1. Stir all ingredients together in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, stir occasionally until boiling. Let it boil for a few minutes while stirring until it thickens. Remove from heat and set aside until needed.

Best Bread Machine Recipe Yet

I have had my bread machine for a few years, and this recipe is the ONLY bread recipe I have ever had turn out! It was perfect bread, yay!
I don't have a picture, because we ate the entire loaf way too fast! Next time I will take a few shots!

BEST BREAD MACHINE BREAD YET!

1 C warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2 Tbsp white sugar

1 (.25 ounce) package bread machine yeast

1/4 C vegetable oil

3 C bread flour

1 ½ tsp salt

Place the water, sugar and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let sit and develop for 10 minutes. Add the oil, flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Select Basic Bread setting, and press Start.