Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These cookies remind me of when I was a little girl and my grandmother would bake on a rainy day.

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cups of all purpose unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 cups of quick cooking oats
• 1/2 tsp. of baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. of salt
• 1/2 cup of butter or margarine at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup of Sun-Maid raisins

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Place oven rack in the center of the oven.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (easier for clean up)
3. In a medium size bowl mix the first 4 ingredients together and set aside. 
4. In another medium size bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter, brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla. 
5. Add the egg and beat again making sure everything is well mixed.
6. With a spoon mix the wet and dry ingredients together well. 
7. Add the raisins mixing again.
8. With a soup spoon measure out the cookie dough (making a rounded ball) and place on the parchment paper. 
9. Press each cookie with the back of the spoon.
10. Place in the oven for 14 minutes.
11. Cool on a rack.
12. Serve and ENJOY!

This recipe will make 20 - 24 cookies.

Sausage Rice Delight

An easy to follow recipe using hot Italian sausage where everything can be prepared ahead of time and cooked 20 minutes before serving. This one skillet dish will serve 3-5 people.

Ingredients

• 6 Hot Italian sausages cooked and sliced. 
• Uncle Ben's or Minute Rice (Follow package directions for 6 servings)
• 1 Tbs. of Canola or vegetable oil
• 1 large cooking onion chopped
• 1 large garlic clove diced
• 1 large red bell pepper chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbs. of Italian seasoning
• Slap Ya Mama white pepper blend seasoning (optional)
• Fresh ground pepper

Instructions

1. Ahead of time cook your sausage and rice. Set aside. If not making right away refrigerate the sausage. 
2. When you're ready to start cooking, in a large electric frying pan (or large stovetop skillet) heat your oil.
3. To the oil add the onions and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes. 
4. Next add the sausage slices and continue to cook and stir. 
5. Spoon out the diced tomatoes using a bit of the juice and add to the skillet.
6. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, ground pepper, and Slap Ya Mama.
7. Add cooked rice and cook until everything is heated through.
8. Serve and ENJOY!

   

Banana Bread on Wordless Wednesday

I've been collecting frozen bananas for a few months and wanted to use some of them up today by making 2 loaves of banana bread. Whenever I bake just one loaf it goes so fast and everyone says why didn't you make more. Well today I did just that.

My recipe is your basic banana bread but I would have added nuts to the mix if I'd had some.

Here is the recipe that I used.

Ingredients

• 5 frozen and thawed bananas
• 2/3 cup of softened (room temperature) butter
• 1+ 3/4 cups of white sugar
• 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 2 beaten eggs
• 3 cups of all purpose unbleached flour
• 2 tsp. of baking soda
• 2 good pinches of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease 2 loaf pans.
3. Remove peels from the bananas and set into a medium size bowl.
4. Mash the bananas and add the butter mixing well.
5. Next add the sugar and vanilla mixing well again.
6. Beat the eggs and then add to the wet mixture mixing well.
7. In a larger bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt mixing well.
8. Add the wet mixture to the dry and beat well. 
9. Add equal amounts to each pan and set in the oven for 60 minutes or until done.
10. Remove from the oven and cool for ten to fifteen minutes.
11. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on a rack.
12. Slice and ENJOY!

Linking up to +Ruchira Khanna over at ABRACABADRA for Wordless Wednesday.