Monster Cookies

I am excited to be part of a great group of bakers led by Cynthia from Feeding Big. This group is appropriately named "Fill the Cookie Jar"! Each month there will be a new theme to the cookies that we all bring to "Fill the Cookie Jar". How could I pass up this opportunity?! If you are interested in joining in, and helping fill the cookie jar, please contact Feeding Big here.

For our first month, the cookie theme is Kids Favorites/Back to School. Thinking on that topic, it only took me a minute to remember the Monster Cookies that my mom used to make for us. When mom made them, it was a HUGE batch. I can remember her having to mix the recipe with her hands, because the huge amount of cookie dough her recipe made. She also used a ice cream scoop to portion out her cookies for the baking sheet!

I downsized the recipe quite a bit, so that we aren't eating these out of control.  We don't want to start looking like Cookie Monster!  I will share my mom's recipe below, as well as my downsized recipe! You might notice that I bumped up the chocolate amount in my recipe, just a tiny bit. Can't go wrong with a little more chocolate, right???

I just loved having one of these cookies with a bowl of frozen yogurt!

Monster Cookies (downsized recipe)

3 eggs, room temperature

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tbsp vanilla

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup M & M's

1 cup chocolate chunks (or chocolate chips)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

4 1/2 cup oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine dark brown and white sugar, butter, and eggs. Mix well.  Stir in vanilla and baking soda.  Add peanut butter, M & M's, chocolate chunks, and nuts.  When mixed, add oatmeal and mix well. Drop rounded tablespoonful onto ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool on cookie sheet for several minutes, then move to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Monster Cookies (Mom's full size recipe)

1 dozen eggs

1 pound butter

2 pounds brown sugar

4 cups white sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

3 pounds peanut butter

8 tsp baking soad

18 cups oatmeal

1 pound chocolate chips

1 pound chopped nuts

1 pound M & M's 

1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and mix as best you can in a large roaster or dishpan.  Use ice cream scoop and dip out one scoop of batter for each cookie.  Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until light brown.


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Daisy - Cute Cat Alert!

Meet Daisy. Daisy is our eldest. She gets all the special privelages in the house, because..... well.... because Truckin' Man says so!!

At least twice a day, when I enter our bathroom, this is what I see.

Do you see her?

She's right here!

 All she wants is a few drips of water in "her" tub!

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A Day in the Peterbilt

When I started blogging, I really thought I would share more of the trips from riding along in the Peterbilt. Fact is, it doesn't happen that often. And, when it does, it is usually night time.... not leaving many photo ops!

Yesterday though... The weather turned, so we weren't accomplishing anything outdoors, and today looked to be the nice day. So, Truckin' Man made the executive decision to get his load hauled before the better weather got here. Nothing for me to do yesterday, but ride along!

Ready to roll..... Yes, we live in the sticks!

Just a rainy gloomy day, running on the highway.

Not a great pic, but I really still am amazed at the amount of controls and gauges taken to run one of these!

The things you see on the road. And this was in a city!

I don't like heights, but I love pretty bridges!

Driving through southern Minnesota.

Got to experience my first tire blow out. Not a fan.

My head finally hit my pillow at 2:29 am. 

It was a long, but good trip.

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Comeback Sauce

Comeback Sauce. Apparently, it's a southern thing. And let's face it, they just make things taste really really good in the south! When I first read about Comeback Sauce, it was a Pinterest find, one of those pins that everyone was pinning and repinning.  It lead me back to the recipe from Syrup and Biscuits. From what I have read, it's mainly Mississippi and Alabama. Let me tell you.... These people are smart! I have traveled in the south, but mainly the Carolina's and Texas, so I have never been lucky enough to run into this before.

It looks like there are lots of recipes with every one having their favorite. I love the one that I tried, it was perfect to serve at my dad's retirement party. It was good for so many things! Veggies, chips, turkey sandwich, everything except the cake! Who knows.... Maybe I should have tried it on the cake. Ok, no. I'll stand by my decision and keep it off the sweets.

Comeback Sauce  (Source: Syrup and Biscuits)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4  cup ketchup
1/4 cup chili sauce (look for the ketchup like (Heinz) chili sauce - not the spicy hot stuff)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper


Mix all ingredients well.  Refrigerate for 24 hours before using.
Keep refrigerated. Store in air tight container.

Printable Recipe

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Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue Sauce. I buy it in a jar or a squeeze bottle. Don't you? That is just how I do it, but I recently pinned a recipe for a homemade barbecue sauce, because it really got my attention.

Fast forward one month. We are prepping for my dad's retirement party. We are serving shredded turkey sandwiches, but we (I) wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary, and jazz things up a bit. After getting some southern inspiration from my blogging friend Mandy, over at South Your Mouth, I knew what I wanted to do. A variety of sauces for people to top their turkey with. I definitely was going to go with home made, as I wanted these sauces to be original and like nothing every one had already picked up in the grocery store. 

 

First up, the barbecue sauce I had pinned. O.M.G. This sauce was so good! I will always have this on hand! The ingredients were pantry staples, so no extra trips to the store.

I am still lovin' the turkey leftovers. Heat 'em up. Grab the squeeze bottle of barbecue.  Sauce it up.  You're ready!  

Try this. You will thank me. Trust me!!

Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce (Slightly adapted from: Baked By Rachel)

1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 Tbsp molasses
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp ground mustard
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan, stir until combined. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Cool.  Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Printable Recipe 



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White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies

Sometimes a cookie can take you by surprise. That was the case when my friend had picked out White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies for us to make in our Christmas bake-off. I would never complain about a cookie, but some aren't that exciting to me. Guess what... I can admit when I was wrong.

This cookie is worth getting excited over! They are such a soft chewy cookie, and you just can't go wrong with the white chocolate and dried cranberries! I loved it and have kept the recipe, and now have to share it with you!

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies (Source: Sally's Baking Addiction)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cranberries


In medium bowl combine flour, cornstarch, baking sode and salt.  Mix until combined.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl. On low speed, add flour mixture until just combined. Stir in white chocolate chips & dried cranberries. Cover and chill dough for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop drop onto prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 8-9 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. Do not bake longer than 9 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then move to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy ! ! !

Printable Recipe

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4th of July

It really doesn't seem possible that we have already past the 4th of July. Summer is moving much to fast!

I hope everyone had a great holiday and got in some fun! 

We checked the corn fields last week. 

Definitely reached, and passed "Knee high by 4th of July."

Truckin' Man was happy.

While checking the corn, I caught this gorgeous sunset.

Roofing part of the porch has been Truckin' Man's project over the holiday. Not a huge project, but when you have two days a week to take care of all house and farm needs, little projects are a big deal.

I don't do ladders or heights, so I am in charge of beverages. 

We took some time away on Sunday to go see my bestie, in a little river town, on the Mississippi. 

Flowers are getting to their peak, and are so pretty!

Black Raspberries are ready for me to nibble on when I walk by. I love them so much... My favorite berry! 

The locals here call them "Black caps". What do you call them?

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