Chocolate-Coconut Pinwheels

The taste of this cookie will remind you of German chocolate cake!

1/3 cup margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

FILLING
1 3-ounce package cream cheese- softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts

For filling, in a mixing bowl beat cream cheese, the 1/3 cup sugar, and the vanilla till smooth. Stir in coconut and nuts. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl beat margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add about half of the flour, the 1 cup sugar, the cocoa powder, egg milk and soda. Beat till thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour.

Roll half of the dough between waxed paper into a 10 x 8-inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling over dough. Roll up from one of the long sides. Moisten and pinch edges to seal. Wrap in waxed paper or clear plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dour and filling. Chill 3 to 24 hours.

Cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 8 minutes or till edges are lightly browned. Cool cookies on wire rack. Makes about 72.

Granola

16 cups oats (rolled or quick)
1 1/2 cups each sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnut pieces (or almonds or pecans), cocnut, dry milk
1 1/2 cups wheat germ (optional)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup honey
1 cup oil
2 cups apple juice (I prefer pineapple juice)
1 TB vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in LARGE bowl. Microwave honey and oil 1-2 minutes on high to soften honey, then beat well. Add vanilla and pour all liquids into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until thoroughly combined. Bake in 5 batches at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Add dried fruit (raisins, chopped apricots, etc) after the granola has cooled. Store in airtight container.

Note: This make a LOT of granola, but it doesn't usually last very long at our house. I like to almost double the amount of liquid (oil, honey, juice). I just think it makes better granola. This makes an excellent breakfast or snack!!!

Mom Mobley's Tortellini Soup

During the family reunion in July Mom Mobley made this WONDERFUL soup! I'm so excited to add this to my recipe collection!

Tortellini Soup

1 ½ pounds hot Italian sausage

1 ½ pounds mild Italian sausage

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 garlic cloves, minced

2 large onions, diced

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup sliced celery

4 cups sliced zucchini

1 cup lentils

4 cups tortellini

1 29-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 29-ounce can tomato sauce

8 chicken bullion cubes

3 quarts water

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (combination basil, oregano, sage, etc.)

Brown the sausage and cook through. Drain well. In soup kettle cook garlic, onion, and mushrooms in olive oil. Add water and bring to a boil and bullion. Add lentils, and cook for about ½ hour or until lentils are nearly soft. Add salt, pepper, seasoning, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer for a couple of hours. Add vegetables and cook for 15 minutes. Add tortellini and cook an additional 15 minutes. Serve to the troops.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Garrett and I love this recipe...seriously, we've made it at least 4 times in the last 2 weeks. The great thing about it is that all of these ingredients are so common that you most likely have them at home already. All you need are the bananas. I hope that you like it as much Garrett and I do!

1 3/4 c. flour, divided
2/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. mashed ripe bananas (2-3) bananas
1/3 c. softened butter
2 Tbsp. milk
2 eggs
a handful and a half of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, combine 1 c. flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add mashed banana, softened butter and milk.
Beat with electric mixer on low speed until blended, then on high speed for 2 minutes.
Add eggs and remaining flour, beat until blended. Stir in nuts.
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan; cool thoroughly on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Just Cook Already

I know that we're supposed to submit our own recipes, but I just found a new blog in which I have just become a huge fan of; Just Cook Already. They have tons of fabulous recipes and creative ideas.

Check it out....the Chocolate Bottom Banana Bars are to die for!I hope you enjoy the blog as much as my belly has!

Blondies, Blondie Cookies & Caramel frosting

All I have to say is....YUM!!!

Blondies

melt 2/3 cup butter, 2 cups brown sugar.
Mix with 2 eggs, 2tsp vanilla, add 2 cups flour, 1tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp soda, 1 tps salt
Put in a 9x13. Bake at 350 degrees for 23- 25 min. Eat plain or put the Caramel Frosting from below on it.

caramel frosting
1/2 c butter
1 c brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar
melt butter and brown sugar over med heat. Stir and boil 2 min, remove from heat and stir in milk then cool until it is luke warm about 30 min. Gradually stir in powdered sugar and beat until it is spreadable if it is too stiff, add milk 1tsp at a time until desired consistency is reached.

It refrigerates well, and is YUMMY!

For Blondie Cookies, use your favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and instead of using white sugar; replace it with brown sugar. Make sure you also use the other brown sugar in the recipe as well. Mix and bake according to your recipe and then frost with Caramel Frosting.

Corndog Casserole

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that the name of this dish may be a little bit unappetizing. However it really was decent and QUICK....which we all know is important at times. And the kids liked it!

Ingredients:
2 cups thinly sliced celery
1 1/2 cups sliced green onions
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds hot dogs
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons ground sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (8.5 ounce) packages dry corn bread mix
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, saute celery and green onions in butter for 5 minutes. Place saute mixture in a large bowl; set aside.
2. Slice hot dogs lengthwise into quarters, then cut into thirds. In same skillet, saute hot dogs for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add to celery/onion mixture and mix all together. Set aside 1 cup of mixture.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, sage and pepper. Add all but reserved 1 cup hot dog mixture. Stir in corn bread mix and 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese. Mix all together and spread mixture into a shallow 3 quart baking dish. Top with reserved 1 cup hot dog mixture and remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
5. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Note: I didn't include the celery, it's not popular in our home.
Also, the recipe calls for A LOT of sage! Next time I will either cut the sage down a lot or not include it. The sage gave it a stuffing taste.
I also didn't do a whole pound and a half of hot dogs, I used 1 pound plus 3 leftover hot dogs I had thrown in the freezer. Stuart thinks it needed more hot dogs, but I thought it was fine the way it was.