Thanks Mom - Oatmeal Cookies

By Chef Diane

This year for Valentines, instead of spending tons on money for candy for everyone in my family, I decided to bake some delicious homemade cookies for friends and neighbors.  Trouble is, everyone has their favorite.  My father likes peanut butter, mostly cause everyone else stays away from them!  My mother likes sugar cookies, my daddy's neighbor likes chocolate chip, and my son likes the oatmeal.  I spent 2 days baking packing and mailing cookies to everyone, and the first batch I made were the oatmeal.  The others could be delivered locally.  I have added a little extra to my oatmeal cookie mix, and I included the recipe below.  Instead of plain raisins, I have found a raisin/craisin mix that has light and dark raisins, and crasins.  I  use half a bag of these, and I have enough to make 2 batches.  I also add chopped pecans, for protein and deliciousness!

The first oatmeal cookies were created during the late 1800's in England. These cookies, however, were not the same consistency as we know of them today; they were more oatcakes than actual cookies. During the Middle Ages, spices, nuts, and raisins were commonly added to oatmeal cookie recipes.

Oats are not only tasty, but they are very nutritious too, they are full of fiber, and help to lower cholesterol too.  Today is Oatmeal Cookie day, for a delicious snack, try this recipe to make yourself and family a treat, but if you don't have time to bake today, you can always get the store bought kind, or even an oatmeal cream pie.  

Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 cup raisins

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well. 

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered. 

• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time Time: 08 min

(All images from Google) 

Oh Yum! It is National Pancake Week

Yum! Pancakes!!

By Chef Terry

Pancake Week is grounded in ancient tradition. During the Middle Ages, it was common practice to prepare for Lent by purging the pantry of luxurious foods such as eggs, butter, and milk. These ingredients often became big batches of pancakes. To this day, many communities around the world feast on pancakes all the way through Shrove Tuesday--also known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras--before the season of moderation begins on Ash Wednesday. In fact, another name for Fat Tuesday is Pancake Day. [Source: All Recipes.]

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Here are 10 favorite pancakes of America:

Pineapple upside-down

Banana nut

Blueberry

Ginger

Oatmeal

Silver oak

Orange buttermilk

Buttermilk

Chocolate

Gingerbread

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My favorite pancakes are:

Blueberry

Pecan

Walnut

Buttermilk

Chocolate Chip

Buckwheat

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Diane’s favorite are:

Plain

Blueberry

Buckwheat

Buttermilk and

Chocolate Chip

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What are your favorite pancakes?

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Enjoy a fun filled week of pancakes and try a new one as well.

National Hot Breakfast Month – 2013

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By Terry Orr

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!  That is a fact – yet far too many people either skip or skimp on this meal.  One recent article stated that the average person only spends four minutes eating breakfast. Four Minutes. How on earth can you have a hot, healthy breakfast in four minutes?

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I make an effort each morning to take at least 30 minutes, be generally 45-60 minutes to enjoy my breakfast.  I start with some fresh fruit along with my morning medications. Then to my entrée – egg white omelet, blueberry pancakes, or hot oatmeal most days with some sort of breakfast meat and wheat toast.

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Growing up in Missouri – breakfast was important meal – while we did not have large breakfasts during the school week – we sure made up for that on the weekends.  Creams of Wheat and Oatmeal with fruit were favorites on school days – especially on the cold mornings.

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Now that you have successful gotten through January – take a few minutes most mornings and have a good hot breakfast!

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National Oatmeal Month

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By Chef Diane

The boss can tell you I am a creature of habit.  When it is warm outside, I like to start the day off with a bowl of bran flakes, soft and soggy with milk.  However, if it is cold outside, I like to warm up my insides with a nice hot bowl of oatmeal, with brown sugar and cinnamon.

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Not only is Oatmeal delicious and sticks to your insides, and give you energy during the morning, but it is also great for your health.  It reduces the cholesterol in your blood, and provides fiber to keep you regular.

You don't have to just have a warm bowl of oatmeal though.  You can have oatmeal in cookies, breakfast bars, even add it to pancakes or other foods.  It’s not just for breakfast either, you can enjoy it any time of day.  Ehow.com lists some other ways to enjoy oatmeal:

Keep the oatmeal handy. Mix oatmeal into homemade meatballs and meatloaf to help meat hold its shape better during cooking. Make a unique pie crust by using oatmeal for half the flour. Add oatmeal to thicken chili. Stir oatmeal into muffins, pancakes and breads for nutty flavor and healthy fiber.

Cleanse skin with an oatmeal scrub. Homemade or store bought, an oatmeal scrub is a natural way to get rid of dead skin cells and exfoliate hands and face. The oatmeal relieves itchy skin and protects against dryness.

Pamper your dog with oatmeal shampoo. Oatmeal reduces inflammation and itchy skin. Allergic dogs often bite at their paws and rip out fur to attack inflamed skin. Use the oatmeal pet shampoo as directed to ease itching from allergies, hot spots, irritated skin and insect bites.

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Make oatmeal clay for rainy day child play. Mix 1 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water. Children can mold and form the knobby clay into shapes. Use a blender to grind oatmeal into powder for smoother clay. Make colored clay by adding food coloring to the water. For another day of play, let the artworks dry. The hardened oatmeal clay can then be decorated with non-toxic paint. This oatmeal clay is fun but not edible.

Treat poison oak or other rashes with an oatmeal paste. An old home remedy advises soaking oatmeal in water to make a paste. If a smooth paste is needed, blender the oatmeal into powder before adding water. Put the oatmeal paste liberally on the rash and leave it for up to 20 minutes. Folklore says as the oatmeal dries, it absorbs the oils that make the poison itch and spread. Peal off the paste and wash the affected area gently.

Pack an oatmeal poultice for day trips. Put a couple tablespoons dry oatmeal in an old clean sock for the travel kit. When rash strikes or insects bite, soak the oatmeal sock in water. Apply as a cooling pack to ease the bites on children and pets. Repeat as needed. A wise camper also packs oatmeal cookies for the people and oatmeal treats for the dogs. Take a well-earned cookie break and celebrate National Oatmeal Month.

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January is National Oatmeal month, so this month, stop by the grocers and grab a box of instant, or can of rolled oats, and see how many different uses you can come up with before the month is over.

Oatmeal Cookies

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By Chef Diane

In case this is your first time to visit this site, I have one thing to share with you about me.  I love to bake.  I love baking, but not the eating, so I bake cookies and treats and send to friends and family on a regular basis.  Of course each person has their own favorite, so I try to fix that for them.  I have found that most of the men folk I bake for all love oatmeal cookies with raisins.  I usually bake sugar cookies, or chocolate chip, but to make the guys happy I will occasionally bake them oatmeal.  I have tried the store bought mix, but it doesn't have raisins, only chocolate chips.  I have also tried the already made dough, just heat and eat.  But that just doesn't do it for me either.  So I started with a can of Oats, and just looked on the back for a recipe.  I changed mine up just a bit, I added a mixture of raisins and craising and a little nutmeg and some chopped pecans.  I thought they were pretty good, and the craisins gave it a little extra zip.

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The first oatmeal cookies were created during the late 1800's in England. These cookies, however, were not the same consistency as we know of them today; they were more oatcakes than actual cookies. During the Middle Ages, spices, nuts, and raisins were commonly added to oatmeal cookie recipes.

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Oats are not only tasty, but they are very nutritious too, they are full of fiber, and help to lower cholesterol too.  Today is Oatmeal Cookie day, for a delicious snack, try this recipe to make yourself and family a treat, but if you don’t have time to bake today, you can always get the store bought kind, or even an oatmeal cream pie.

(Google Image)  

Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

1 cup raisins

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonful’s onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 08 min

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National Hot Breakfast Month - Oh Yeah!

Ham, Eggs over easy, Hash browns
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By Akindman,

February has been named National Hot Breakfast Month. The history of celebrating Breakfast in the month of February was actually created by the Jimmy Dean Foods division of the Sara Lee Corporation. Jimmy Dean Foods is known for producing heat-and-serve breakfast dishes (most notably with Jimmy Dean Brand Sausage) and found that over 60% of Americans eat cold cereal or another non-hot breakfast each day. This is why they started a month-long holiday to promote interest in hot breakfast options.

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
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Today we always hear that breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, but why? First, breakfast starts your day off right and gives you needed energy to get your body going for the day. Second in regards to weight loss, having a complete diet also gives the body balance and weight control. Not only can it help improve the way your body functions, but it also helps with improving focus and performance at school and at work.

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Egg White Omelet
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 With my diabetes and other health related issue, eating regular eggs was no longer an option so I eat egg whites these days - it was amazing how quickly I learned to enjoy them.  They are good and good for you!

Omelet with English Muffin
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Southern Favorite with Grits
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Sunny Side Up with Sausage, Bacon, Potatoes and Toast
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Belgium Waffle
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Breakfast Wrap
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Omelet
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Hot Oatmeal with Fruit
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 Oatmeal and Cream of Wheat were our primary breakfast weekdays during school.  Our weekends we enjoy much heartier meals.

Breakfast Potatoes
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French Toast with a Twist
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 One of my all time favorites is French Toast.  The type of bread and ensuring the toast is cooked properly are key to success.  There are hundreds of ways to fix French Toast - so get in there and have fun!

Grits
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 Grits is a southern specialty that I learned to enjoy while stationed in Jacksonville, Florida many years ago.

Nice Choice for Breakfast
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Eggs over on Hash
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One of my favorite Diner's
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 Silver Diner is a local chain that serves Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner daily. There food is very good and staff very attentive to customers.

Tall Stack of Hotcakes
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 Remember when you were a kid and having pancakes/hotcakes!  Stacking them as high as the adults would allow you - then watching syrup flow over the top and down your stack - with your fork at the ready!

Hamburger Gravy over Biscuits
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 Granny used to make hamburger on Friday or Saturday evening - always leaving one patty out for breakfast and just covering the pan overnight, because we were going to have hamburger gravy and biscuits for breakfast.  What a treat for us!  Great tasting and stayed with you all morning long.  What fond memories.

Steak, Eggs and potatoes
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