Apple Butter Cookies

Apple Butter Cookies

1/2 c butter, softened
2 c brown sugar, packed
2 egg
1 c oatmeal
1 c apple butter
2 c flour, all-purpose
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 c milk
1 c nuts; chopped
1 c raisins

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, oats, and apple butter. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture along with milk. Beat until blended. Stir in nuts and raisins. CHILL. Drop by teaspoonful onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

7 eggs
2 1/2 cup oil or applesauce
5-6 cups shredded zucchini
3-3 1/2 cups sugar
heaping 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour

Beat eggs, oil and sugar together. Add vanilla. Combine all dry ingredients and add to bowl. Beat in. Stir in zucchini. Pour into three large greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350, till toothpick test is passed.

Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock

4 pounds bony chicken pieces, including necks and backs (Roasted, is best)

2 or more chicken feet, if desired (they REALLY improve the flavor and nutrition of the broth)

1 large onion, quartered

4 carrots, washed and chunked

4 ribs celery, cut in half

1 leek, white part only, cut in half lengthwise

10 sprigs fresh thyme

10 sprigs fresh parsley with stems

2 bay leaves

8-10 peppercorns

2 whole cloves of garlic, peeled

2 Tbsp. white vinegar

2 gallons cold water

Place cool water, chicken bones (and feet), veggies, spices and vinegar in a 12 quart stockpot or crockpot. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. Cook on high until just boiling, then turn the heat down to medium. Skim the scum occasionally. Add hot water, if needed, to keep the bones and veggies submerged. Simmer, covered for 6-8 hours or up to 48 hours. (If simmering overnight in stovetop, turn heat to very low and keep tightly covered.) When using the crockpot, begin on high heat for several hours, then switch to low heat for the remaining time OR start with hot water rather than cold and keep it on low heat. 

Strain stock through a colander or strainer into another large pot. Discard the bones and veggie scraps, but save any meat. Put stockpot in sinkful of ice to cool quickly, then refrigerate overnight. Remove solidified fat from stock if desired. Keeps in fridge 2-3 days, or freeze for 3 months.

When refrigerated, the stock should be almost solid from all the gelatin.

Two Homemade Maple Syrup Recipes

Homemade Maple Syrup #1
Combine in saucepan and simmer 15 minutes:
4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups water

Remove from heat and stir in:
2 tsp maple extract


Homemade Syrup #2
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 cup corn syrup (dark if you have it)
1/2 tsp maple extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Bring sugars, water and corn syrup to a boil, and then simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly, then stir in extracts.

Mia's Granola Bars

I found this recipe at Mia's wonderful blog. Make sure to visit over there!

Mia's Granola Bars

Combine in a large bowl (or mixer bowl)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 2/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 cup honey
4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup jam (I used Royal Anne cherry I canned in the spring)

Stir in:
5 cups oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 wheat germ
2/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds, ground in the blender

Add:
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup raisins

Transfer into two lightly greased 9x13's. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Cut into bars while warm, but allow to cool completely before removing.

Leftover Oatmeal Breakfast Bread

Leftover Oatmeal Breakfast Bread
2 cups flour (I have used both white and pastry wheat with good results)
2 cups brown sugar (I use less)
2 tsp EACH baking powder and baking soda
1 cup oil (I have used applesauce with great results)
4 eggs
2 cups raisins
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups cooked oatmeal

Combine oil (or applesauce), brown sugar, eggs, leftover oatmeal and vanilla in bowl. Mix well. Add all dry ingredients except raisins. Mix just until moistened. Add raisins. Pour batter into a greased 9x13. Bake for 50-60 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Cool before cutting for less crumbs.

Leftover Oatmeal Ideas

What to do with leftover oatmeal? I have a bread I make, but the Lambies were asking for something different. I searched about on the Internet for a while, and came up with all of these wonderful ideas:

This one is from Much More Than a Mom

Cooked Oatmeal Scones

Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
• 1 cup cooked oatmeal
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (or a bit more)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Melt the butter and honey or agave nectar together, and mix them into the cool, cooked oatmeal.
2. Mix in the milk.
3. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
4. Mix the flour mixture into the oatmeal mixture. (If the mixture seems too moist, add a little more flour. It all depends on how moist your oatmeal was. When enough flour has been stirred in, the dough will form a rough ball as you stir.)
5. Form however you like it. Roll out to a 1″ thick circle and cut into wedges; scoop it out with an ice cream scoop and flatten it to 1″ with dampened hands, or just grab chunks with dampened hands, roll into rough balls and flatten to 1″.
6. Bake on a greased and floured baking sheet at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes. I like to take them out when they just barely start to brown at the base so they stay nice & soft & chewy.

This, from PrairieFrog Blog:

Leftover Oatmeal Muffins

Whisk together in a bowl:

1 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t nutmeg

Mix together in another bowl:

1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. applesauce (I make sure oil and applesauce equal 1/2 cup total; the ratio doesn't have to be even, just the total of the two together. Lane's calls for 1/2 cup oil and no applesauce, but we like the apple flavor! You can even do just 1/2 cup applesauce and no oil)

2 eggs
1 c. leftover oatmeal
1/2 c. raisins
1 t. vanilla

Combine two bowls until just moistened. Fill 2/3's full in a greased muffin tin for 18 minutes at 350 degrees.

From Seeking the Old Paths

Peanut Butter Bars with Leftover Oatmeal

2 cups leftover oatmeal, cold and slimy is fine

1/2 cup butter, softened (coconut oil is also yum)

1 cup sweetener…sugar, sucanat, etc….(or honey- if you half the amount, and it doesn’t get the batter too moist)

1 egg

1 cup whole grain flour…wheat, spelt, etc….(Yes, these work with rice flour if you need!)(maybe a bit of extra flour if you used honey to sweeten)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/3 cup peanut butter (we like this better doubled)

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter, sweetener and eggs in a bowl. Add oats and other ingredients; mix well. Spread into greased 9×13″ baking pan. Bake at 350′ for 10-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack; cut into bars. Yield 18 (small) servings.

We have also served this hot, scooped into bowls with cold milk either on top or in a glass beside. It is so yummy for breakfast. The texture seems to be a bit different each time we make it, my guess is because of the varying amount of butter and sugar we add to the original oatmeal pot. It makes great snack bars, or with a few chocolate chips mixed into the batter, a very rich dessert bar for crowds. (We have found that tripling this makes two very full jelly-roll pans full.)

And from the comments of the same blog:

Porridge Bread

2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar

Mix above and let set a few minutes.
Combine:
1 cup cooked porridge
2 cups scalded milk
(break apart the cold porridge into the warm milk add:)
3 tablespoons fat
2-3 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
5-7 cups all purpose flour

Bake 375 for 30 minutes.

From The Menu Mom

Carrie’s Peanut Buttery Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Preheat the oven to 350.

• 1 cup leftover cooked oatmeal
• 1 cup all natural peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup walnuts or peanuts

Mix all ingredients well, then spread into a greased pan. Cook for about 20 minutes. We cut them into bars and they were quite good as an afternoon snack. If you like you could get adventurous and melt some chocolate to spread on top.

From Thrifty Fun

Oatmeal Cake
1 1/2 cups leftover oatmeal
1/2 cup of shortening or butter
1 cup sugar and 1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and oatmeal.
Mix well. Sift dry ingredients together and add to batter. Spread in a 9 X 13 inch pan and bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, Make the topping:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup coconut

Bring butter brown sugar and milk to a boil. Cook slightly over medium heat (about a minute) Add coconut and pecans. Spread on hot cake as soon as you take it from the oven. Return to the oven for 3 minutes.

From Recipezaar

Leftover Oatmeal Muffins

• 1 cup flour (I use white or wheat)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup leftover cooked oatmeal
• 1 cup raisins (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
2. In another bowl, mix together melted butter, eggs, oatmeal, raisins and vanilla;.
3. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
4. The batter will seem thick, but don't worry. Any time I've added extra liquid the muffins turned out crumbly.
5. Spoon batter into 12 greased muffin cups.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes, or until the muffin centers are slightly firm.

From Vintage Recipes

Cooked Oatmeal Bread

• 3 cups thick cooked oatmeal
• 2 tablespoons fat
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 1/2 cakes yeast
• 3/4 cup lukewarm water
• about 5 cups flour

Instructions

To oatmeal add the sugar, salt and fat. Mix the yeast cake with the lukewarm water, add it to the other materials and stir in the flour until the dough will not stick to the sides of the bowl. Knead until elastic, ten to fifteen minutes, moisten the top of the dough with a little water to prevent a hard crust forming, and set to rise in a warm place. When double its bulk, knead again for a few minutes. Shape into loaves and put into greased pans. Let rise double in bulk and bake in a moderate oven for about 50 minutes.

From Cooks.com

COOKED OATMEAL COOKIES

---

1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 c. sour milk or buttermilk
3 eggs
1 c. shortening
1 c. nuts
1 c. raisins or dates
4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. cooked and cooled oatmeal
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soda (in milk)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar; add eggs and mix well. Add vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with milk, eggs and sugar mixture. Fold in nuts, raisins or dates. Drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until brown.


From bakingsheet.blogspot.com

Oatmeal Sourdough
1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup cooked oatmeal (steel cut)
1 ½ cups water, warm
2 tbsp molasses or honey
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp oil
3.5 - 4 cups bread flour


Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add in the flour gradually until the dough comes together into a ball. Turn out dough onto a floured surface, adding extra flour if necessary, and knead until dough is smooth and somewhat firm. Place into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at least 4 hours or overnight.
After the first rise, turn dough out onto a floured surface. Gently deflate it and shape it into a round loaf. Transfer loaf to a parchment lined baking sheet and let rise, covered with a clean dish towel, for 1-1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 425F.
Slash dough two or three times with a sharp knife. Bake at 425F for 40 minutes. The bottom of the loaf will sound hollow when tapped when the bread is done.
Allow bread to cool on a wire rack and come to room temperature before slicing.

Fresh Tomato Soup

Tomato Soup

2 Tbsp red palm oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup carrot, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
8-10 tomatoes, chopped
7 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp coconut aminos
2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp pepper
8 drop hot sauce

Saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the carrots and celery and cook 7-9 minutes until somewhat softened. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Blend till smooth with an immersion blender.

For a creamy soup, combine two cups milk or cream with 2-3 Tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch and stir in. Heat till thick. This makes about 4 quarts.

Trail Mix Cookies

I found this recipe here. It sounds wonderful, doesn't it? I can't wait to try them.

Trail Mix Cookies

1 c. butter (I never use margarine)
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. freshly ground whole wheat flour (or you can use store-bought wheat flour or white flour--I have never used store-bought wheat flour, not sure if it would be too dense. Freshly ground whole wheat is SO light. I probably would use white first. If I used store-bought wheat flour, I may use less than the recipe called for)
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
3 c. whole grain oats (I don't use quick oats)
1 c. sunflower seeds
4 T. ground flax seed (approximately, I just eye-ball it)
4 T. wheat germ (again, approximate, I just pour until it looks right)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1 c. chocolate chips, or raisins, dried cranberries--whatever you like! We, of course, like chocolate chips best!

Combine sugars and butter and cream. Add eggs. Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Add extras and mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

I double this recipe usually and make 2 9x13’s. I add several scoops of this sauce to the meat for the enchiladas. 

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

6 Tbsp oil
6 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/2 cup chili powder
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
4 tsp sugar

Heat oil and cornstarch together for one minute. Add chili powder, cook for one minute. Stir in broth and whisk well. Add remaining ingredients and then lower heat to simmer. Simmer until thick, about 30 minutes. If it thickens too much, stir in additional water to the thickness you desire.

Chicken Parmigiana

Chicken Parmigiana

8 chicken breasts, butterflied
2 cans tomato paste
2 ¼ cups water
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp salt AND pepper
1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning AND oregano
¼ tsp red pepper flakes

2 pounds mozzarella cheese
½ cup Parmesan cheese

Grease 2 9x13’s. Add chicken. In saucepan, combine tomato paste, water, garlic. And seasonings. Bring to a boil. Pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake 10 minutes longer.

Company Fried Chicken

This recipe makes the very best fried chicken I have ever had. My husband made it for me just today!

Company Fried Chicken

4 cups all purpose flour (divided)
2 Tbsp garlic salt
1 tbsp paprika
3 tsp pepper (divided)
2 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
2 whole chickens, cut up (or 15-20 thighs or legs)

In a large bowl or disposable bag, combine 2 2/3 cups flour, garlic salt, paprika, 1 1/2 tsp of the pepper, and the poultry seasoning.

In another bowl, combine beaten eggs with water and then whisk in remaining flour, salt and pepper.

Preheat oil in large cast iron frying pan to 375. We keep a thermometer in the oil and carefully keep it at the right temperature. That's very important in making a crisp, but not burnt crust.

Dip chicken in in egg mixture, then into the spiced flour. Fry chicken pieces in hot oil for 10 minutes on each side. Internal temperature should be 180. Drain well and serve.