Oatmeal Scotchies

I'm not the biggest fan of butterscotch. I prefer chocolate whenever possible. But back when we lived in Wisconsin, one of my co-workers brought these to work and I loved them. I couldn't stop thinking about them for weeks. She said she just used the recipe on the back of the bag of butterscotch chips. So, the other day I was at the store and decided to buy a bag of butterscotch chips to make those unforgettable oatmeal scotchies. They were so good!! I will have to start making them more often.

Oatmeal Scotchies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla (I used 2 tsp.)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups flour
1 bag butterscotch chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix then add dry ingredients and chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Butterscotch Bars

How much do you love it when friends/neighbors drop a treat by unexpectedly?
One of my favorite things ever.
Treats taste so much better when someone else makes them.  Don't you think?
Our friend Wendi brought these to us the other night and I ate two of them before she could even drive away.
I asked her for the recipe and she directed me to our ward cookbook.  I should have known.  Only good things come out of that book.
(The recipe was submitted by our friend, Marlene)

3/4 cup oil
1 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
2 1/4 cups wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

*Combine oil, honey and brown sugar.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Spread out thin on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. milk
3 cups powdered sugar

*Melt butter over low heat.  Stir in sugar and salt.  Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add milk.  Stir hard.  Put back on heat, boil again and then cool until warm.  Stir in powdered sugar and beat until smooth.  Spread over bars.

Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kiss Cookies

Oh. my. gosh. Do yourself a favor this Fall and go straight to Target and get yourself a bag of these beauties. They will bring you happiness. I promise. Buy 2 bags. One to snack on and the other to make these delicious cookies. I'm obsessed!! Recipe from Picky Palate.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbs. vanilla
1 cup pumpkin
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (I didn't have nutmeg so I used pumpkin pie spice instead)
1 bag chocolate chips
35 pumpkin spice kisses, quartered

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla and pumpkin. Then, add dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour in chocolate chips and kisses. Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Spinach Apple Salad

One time I read that Jennifer Anniston ate the same salad everyday for lunch while taping "Friends."
I thought that was weird...until I started eating the same salad everyday for lunch.
This is my new favorite salad.

Baby spinach
Diced up apple
Grated parmesan
(My favorite parmesan is the Grana Padano from Costco)
Chopped up almonds
(I use dry roasted almonds and chop them with my chopper)
Balsamic vinaigrette
(My favorite is the one from Fresh and Easy)

*Start with the spinach in a bowl and then add as much apple, parmesan, almonds and dressing as you like. 

Crock-pot BBQ Beef

A few weeks ago, while visiting my aunt in Utah, I came across this recipe while browsing through one of my grandma's cookbooks.  It was a Rival crock-pot cookbook and had lots of good recipes.  We have a favorite bbq sauce that we buy (Sweet Baby Ray's) but it was fun to try out a homemade sauce and it was really good.  We liked the flavor a lot.  Perfect for feeding a big group during this Fall season of parties and gatherings.

1 1/2 cups ketchup
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
2 Tbs. worcestershire
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

*Mix well and pour over a roast in the crock-pot.  Chuck roast is my favorite for shredded beef.  Cook all day on low and serve on warm rolls.

Sweet Republic

A couple of weekends ago, we went on a fun date night with our friends, Trent and Mary Jo.  It started with dinner at "The Backyard," and ended with ice cream at Sweet Republic.  Mary Jo's sister told her about the ice cream place.  It was featured in bon appetit magazine, on the food network and a whole lot of other places that recognize amazing food.  I was so excited when she was telling me about it and we knew that we had to go there as soon as possible.  I thought about it all week.  It's located in north Scottsdale off of Shea so it took a little time to get there but I'm here to tell you that it was WELL WORTH THE TRIP!  Please, for the love of all things sweet and creamy, do yourself a favor and go to Sweet Republic.  100% natural, handcrafted, artisan ice cream.  Flavors that you've never heard of and flavors that you already love. Sundae creations straight from Heaven and sauces that will blow your mind.  Not to mention the fresh baked cookies and homemade marshmallows.  Is it cheap?  No.  Is it worth every single cent?  Yes.  


(My favorite flavor was the salted butter caramel)  

Homemade chicken noodle soup

My mother-in-law gave me this recipe. Its pretty easy and tastes so good on a cold or rainy day!

-Rotisserie chicken from Costco
(obviously you don't have to use this chicken but I'll explain how I use it below)
-4 Cups water
-potatoes
-carrots
-celery
-onion
1 cube bullion
1 can cream of chicken
salt/pepper

Noodles-
1 egg
1/2 C flour
**Mix egg and flour. Roll out really thin. Sprinkle with flour on top. Fold dough. Sprinkle again with flour and fold. Cut into thin strips for noodles.

I usually buy a chicken from Costco and after we have some of it, I freeze it. Then when I use it for this soup, I boil it in 4 cups of water. Once the chicken is thawed, take the chicken off of the bones and place in water used to boil chicken. Then add your noodles (I add these 1st since they take a while to cook), chopped veggies, cream of chicken, bullion, and salt/pepper to taste.

Let cook and simmer together until noodles and veggies are cooked.