Family Foodies

These bars are so simple. They take about 10 minutes to whip up. They taste like a homemade Reeses!

Peanut Butter Layer Bars

Peanut Butter Layer:

• 2 cups cookies crumbs  finely ground (I use GF gingersnaps)
• 2 sticks of butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter)

Chocolate layer:

• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 tbl peanut butter

1. Mix together butter, crumbs, sugar, and peanut butter until blended. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 pan.
2. Pour chips into microwave safe bowl and add the peanut butter. Microwave for 1 minute and stir. Spread over 1st layer and chill for at least 1 hour.

Warning: You will be lucky if these bars last more than a few days. They are very addictive!

Last week Friday my Dad had went into the hospital and it was pretty late when he did. A few tweeters made my night by responding and asking about my Dad! Twitter moves so fast sometimes that it’s so hard to keep track of who is sayinig what! I just want to say a special Thank You to these Tweeters! It meant the world to me!

In case your wondering my Dad is doing great he back home now and in a little pain. My Dad went in and they said he had pancreotitis. They ended up removing his gall bladder and cleaning out the bile duct.

Again Thank You!

This is one of my favorite memes. I love seeing everybody’s questions and answers! This meme is really easy to start click the button to the right and answer the question there. Go back to your blog and make up a question and go back and link up your blog. It’s really that easy and it’s a lot of fun.

My Question for you is: What are your favorite Christmas Cookies?

I have a few favorites. The Ultimate Cashew Cookie is a new favorite in this house. I also like pecan fingers, chocolate chip, and peanut butter kiss cookies.

Here is my recipe for the Ultimate Cashew Cookie. I apologize for no pictures for this one.

Ultimate Cashew Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 stick Crisco Butter Shortening Sticks
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup cashew halves

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375. Beat shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed,  until well blended. Beat in egg. Add flour, salt and baking soda, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips and cashews.
2. Drop by rounded tablespoon 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Place a cashew half on top of each cookie.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling rack.

I wanted to share with you another Foodie blog this week. This one is called Annie’s Eat’s. I absolutely love this blog. She is really creative when it comes down to cookies.

Let me tell you a little bit about Annie. She is a resident physician who doesn’t have a whole lot of free time. Annie says when she has free time she loves to be in the kitchen baking up treats for friends and family. Annie started blogging in 2007. If you would like to know more about Annie visit her About Me page.

Here are a couple of her blog posts that are just in time for Halloween.

• Halloween Sugar Cookies
• Spider Web Chocolate Fudge Cake
• Pumpkin Pie Bars
• Caramel Apple Cheese Cake Pie

Today I have spent the day baking again. I love it when I get a chance to bake. I like to freeze a lot of what I bake and give some away. The kids will be set when it comes to muffins before the weekend is over.

Tomorrow is going to be another rainy and cold day so I will be in a baking frenzy again. Today I made a very moist Cherry Pie Filling Bread. I added some chocolate chips too it. I tell you it’s the most perfect treat!

Cherry Pie Filling Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 (20 oz) can cherry pie filling
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Beat together eggs oil and vanilla.
2. Sift dry ingredients together and add to egg mixture.
3. Stir in cherry pie filling and nuts by hand.
4. Pour into 2 greasesd loaf pans.
5. Bake at 350 for 50 – 60 minutes.

By Susanne Myers – The Hillbilly Housewife

Earlier this week we talked about planning ahead for holiday meals and one of the things I mentioned in that past was to make and freeze some dishes ahead of time.

I’ve been freezer cooking for years, but it took me a while to realize that I can apply the same principles to holiday cooking. Now I have a whole repertoire of dishes that I can make and freeze in the weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here are a few of my favorites.

We love cookies and pies, especially around the holidays. Thankfully I can make almost any pie and most cookies head of time and freeze. Give it a try with these sugar cookies that are always a big hit with the kids.

Freezer Sugar Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons margarine (1 stick), at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Cream the margarine and sugar in a large bowl until it is light and fluffy. I use my hand mixer. A kitchen-aid type mixer will work as well. If you are making this by hand, use a whisk and really work the sugar and margarine until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the milk and vanilla and continue stirring until it is incorporated into the mixture. Add the egg and mix again.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and slowly work it into the margarine and egg mixture. Continue mixing at low just until all the flour is mixed in. Don’t overmix it or your cookies will be tough.

Shape the dough into a log that’s about one and a half inches thick, wrap it in plastic wrap and either refrigerate overnight or freeze.

When you’re ready to bake your cookies preheat your oven to 350F. Slice your cookies 1/4 inch thick, place them on a cookies sheet and bake them for about 12 minutes on the middle rack until they are golden brown.

Another favorite of mine are freezer casseroles. I don’t know about you, but it seems like I’m constantly asked to bring some sort of side dish for various parties, dinners and functions.

Mixed Vegetable and Walnut Bake

Ingredients:

2 lbs. total of fresh broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and zucchini
1 1/2 C prepared ranch dressing
1 t flour
1/3 C butter style bread crumbs
1/3 C walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Set the oven temperature to 400 degrees and allow it to heat while steaming the vegetables.
Fill a large pot 2/3 full of water.
Bring the water to a full boil over high heat.
Add the vegetables carefully to the boiling water.
Allow the vegetables to steam 12 minutes or until crisp tender.
Drain the vegetables well.
Layer the vegetables into the bottom of a large baking pan.
Pour the salad dressing into a small mixing bowl.
Whisk in the flour until smooth.
Pour the mixture over the top of the vegetables.
Place the bread crumbs in a bowl.
Add the walnuts and toss until combined.
Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the vegetables.
Bake 15 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 4 servings

To reheat place in a 400 degree oven for approximately 15 minutes or until completely heated through.

Ranch Style Oven Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 (1 oz.) pkg. ranch style dressing mix
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 C butter, melted
4 white potatoes, sliced

Directions:

Allow the oven temperature to heat to 400 degrees.
Brush 2 cookie sheets with most of the melted butter.
Layer the potatoes in a single layer on the sheets.
Brush the top of the potatoes slices with the remaining butter.
Place the dressing mix into a small mixing bowl.
Add the Parmesan cheese and toss to combine.
Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the prepared potatoes.
Bake 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Makes 6 servings

To reheat do not thaw.  Place in a preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 25 minutes or until heated through.

Cheese Topped Butternut Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, peel, remove seeds and cube
1/2 C real mayonnaise
1/2 C onion, chopped very fine
1 egg, beaten
1 t sugar
1/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 C saltines, crushed
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

Place the squash in a saucepan and just cover it with water.
Place the saucepan over high heat and bring the water to a brisk boil.
Once boiling reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook 20 minutes or until the squash is very tender.
Drain the squash well and place it in a large mixing bowl.
Use a potato masher to mash the squash well.
In a separate bowl combine the mayonnaise and onion.
Add the egg and stir well to incorporate.
Sprinkle in the sugar, salt and pepper and blend them in to the mixture well.
Add the mashed squash and mix until well combined.
Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Spray a 1 qt. casserole dish with a non stick cooking spray.
Spread the squash mixture into the prepared casserole.
Place the crushed crackers into a mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the cheese over the crackers.
Pour the melted butter over the crackers and toss to coat well.
Spread the cracker mixture over the top of the casserole.
Bake 45 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown.

Makes 6 servings

To reheat place the frozen casserole in a 350 degree oven for approximately 25 minutes or until completely heated through.

Susanne Myers – The Hillbilly Housewife

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I also have a growing collection of ebooks on frugal homemaking and cooking topics. You can find the Hillbilly Housewife Ebooks here and please remember that 20% of my profits on these ebooks during the month of October will be donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation to further breast cancer research.