Apple Oat Muffins

Found this recipe on the Internet. It is a tasty little morsel that is very filling. The original recipe was for 12 muffins, I cut it to 6. It said to shred the apple and I left it in chunks. I also substituted almonds for walnuts. 202 calories per muffin

1 cup oats
1/2 cup & 2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 & 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup buttermilk - used less so I could use the whole egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup apple - I used Gala
1/4 cup almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake papers. In large bowl combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in apple chunks and nuts.

In medium bowl beat buttermilk, oil and egg until well blended. Stir liquid into dry ingredients until moistened, batter will be very thick and lumpy.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin-pan cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins begin to brown and toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. Immediately remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or cool on wire rack to serve later.

Ice Cream Cake

This is a super simple dessert. Taking off the wrappers of the ice cream sandwiches is what takes the longest. The best part about this is that you can use as many or as few sandwiches as you would like. I used 36 sandwiches, 1 large cool whip and 1 small cool whip to serve 22 people. You can change this up by using different flavors of ice cream sandwiches and using crumbled Oreos, chocolate chips or any other favorite toppings.

20 ice cream sandwiches
1 large tub cool whip
hot fudge sauce
caramel sauce
2 Heath or Skor bars, chopped up

Place 10 ice cream sandwiches side by side on a cookie sheet, platter or in a 9x13 pan. Frost with 1/2 the tub of cool whip. Repeat last layer. Drizzle hot fudge and caramel over the top and sprinkle with candy bars. Freeze at least 1 hour. Serve with hot fudge and caramel.

Cornbread Croutons

Jamie commented the other day about the cornbread croutons on her salad so when I knew that she would be home for dinner I thought I would try and make some for her. I halved the recipe but I won't do that again just because they are so tasty you don't need a salad to enjoy them.

Mix up Donna's Delicious Cornbread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on large cookie sheet and spray with Pam. Pour into prepared cookie sheet and bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes then run knife around edge and turn cornbread out of the pan and remove parchment paper. Turn the heat up on the oven to 425. While oven is heating up cube cornbread. Spread cubes on cookie sheet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

Spread browned cubes on cooling rack and cover with towel. Let air dry overnight or until crunchy.

Lemonade Cupcakes

If you like lemon then you will like these, they almost make you pucker. Some other options that I have been thinking about are use either raspberry lemonade or strawberry lemonade and make raspberry or strawberry cream cheese frosting. I ended up with leftover lemonade and I should have used it in the frosting. I think that will be a for sure thing next time. This would also work well as a cake.

Lemon cake mix
Instant lemon pudding
1 can (6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
Zest from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lemon
4 drops yellow food coloring
Powdered sugar

Make cake according to the directions on the box but add lemon pudding. Bake according to the directions on the box as well.

Mix lemonade concentrate and powdered sugar. Pierce top of warm cupcakes every with long-tined fork or skewer, wiping fork occasionally to reduce sticking. Drizzle lemonade mixture evenly over top of each cupcake. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.

Cream butter, cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice and food coloring together. Add enough powdered sugar to create the frosting consistence that you want. Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Tortellini Salad

Another tasty potluck recipe.

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 shallot, minced
1 lb. asparagus
2 - 9 oz. packages fresh tortellini
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 oz. Parmesan cheese

Whisk the olive oil, basil, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Cook asparagus, boil 3 minutes, don't discard water. Transfer asparagus and cut and mix with vinaigrette.

Cook tortellini according to package in asparagus water. Drain and mix with asparagus and vinaigrette. Chill 30 minutes.

Toast the pine nuts in small skillet over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Slice tomatoes into halves.

Just before serving stir the nuts, tomatoes and Parmesan into salad.

Cookie Bars

These were so good and I don't like coconut but it didn't bother me in this recipe.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Melt butter in microwave then pour into a 9x9 pan. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over butter. Evenly pour condensed milk over the crumbs. Sprinkle on the coconut, chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 350. Let pan completely cool before removing bars.

Ranch Potatoes

This was another delicious recipe from the potluck.

1 pkg Ranch dressing seasoning
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
3 lbs. Red potatoes
Seasoned salt
Oil

Wash and cut potatoes into quarters. Dip potatoes in oil then put them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the mixture of ranch dressing, bread crumbs and a dash of seasoned salt on the potatoes. Bake until soft at 350 for about 40 minutes.

Chicken Wonton Cups

When Mom and I were visiting Jamie, Beau and Christopher in Oklahoma the wives had a potluck because they all felt like they were in a rut with what they fixed. This was my favorite that wasn't a dessert of course.

24 Wonton skins
12 oz Chicken, cut into bite size pieces
Fajita dry packet
Onion, diced
Red bell pepper, diced
Ranch dressing
Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray and place one wonton skin in each tin. Bake until slightly crisp, about 3 minutes. While wonton skins are baking, cook chicken with fajita packet.

Fill each cup with 4 - 5 pieces of chicken, onion, red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon ranch and cheese. Cook until cheese is melted, about 4 - 5 minutes.