Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

I don't remember how I found this recipe...it could be that I subscribe to the blog and get her updates, but I think another blog I frequent mentioned it. Either way, I found it and couldn't wait to try it. K's birthday was yesterday and he isn't usually a chocolate fan, but has lately been requesting choc/pb so I made this. It's cooking right now and smells wonderful...and its in the crock pot so no heating the house up!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake-shared from A Year of Slow Cooking
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar(divided)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp oil
1 cup boiling water
3 tbsp cocoa powder

Combine flour, powder, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar. Mix well. Soften peanut butter in microwave for 30 secs. Add to flour along with milk, vanilla, and oil. Stir well. Spread into bottom of greased slow cooker. Whisk together water, 1/2 cup sugar, and cocoa. Pour on top of batter. Cook on high for 2-4 hours until cake is cooked through.Start checking at 2 hours.

**I won't lie...I doubled this recipe. So we will see how long it takes to cook. It was delicous and so easy to make! Our dinner guest loved it and my mom did too. K couldn't really taste it due to his allergies, but rest assured it is good! Picture to come.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

While at the grocery store, we ended up going down the cookie aisle. Of course A saw them and wanted some, so I said we could make some cookies when we got home. I wanted oatmeal chocolate chip, he wanted peanut butter. I had only taken out 2 sticks of butter(now of course I could have done oatmeal peanut butter, but I wanted them safe for Q), so I quickly looked up a recipe that didn't need butter. I had my doubts about it, but they taste just like regular cookies but with out all the extra stuff usually required for cookies.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies-from Tasty Kitchens

1 cup peanut butter
1 scant cup sugar
1 egg

Mix together. Place in rounded tsp on cookie sheet, press down with fork in criss cross on top. Cook for 8-10 mins in preheated 375 degree oven. They will get slightly brown on the outside.

**chocolate chips are optional! but if you do use them make sure they are gluten free!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I decided to try a new oatmeal chocolate chip cookie...they are good, but very sweet. This of course was AFTER I cut the sugar, I should have cut it down more. So if you do not like overly sweet cookies, I'd cut down the sugar to at least a cup if not less...

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies-adapted from What Megan's Making
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar(this is what i lowered it to)
1/1/2 sticks of butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix together brown sugar and butter until creamy. Add in vanilla and egg and mix. Sift together flour, soda, powder and mix in salt. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mix. Mix until incorporated. Fold in oatmeal and chocolate chips. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 mins until browned.

**Mine were thing and crispy, but that could be do to many factors(warm butter, the weather, pan im using etc) I like them this way so I don't mind!

Chunky Monkey Smoothie

I have been on a smoothie kick lately, but I'm always looking for new ideas instead of the same ol' same ol'. I came across a Chunky Monkey Smoothie from Cooking During Stolen Moments. The first time we had it, we LOVED it. Now I've modified it and its even more delicious!

Chunky Monkey Smoothies

3 cups light chocolate soy milk
3 frozen bananas
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter(approx)
1/4 to 1/2 cup light vanilla yogurt

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth!

**you can also use regular chocolate milk.

Oatmeal Pie Crust

This recipe was also found on Finding Joy In My Kitchen. I recently found a healither version of a graham cracker crust so I used part of that recipe with SnoWhite's. It seemed to work well...and it does taste pretty good.(Yes I just ate my dessert before my dinner!) It doesn't have a flaky texture of a normal pie crust, its more chewy, but it seems to work in this recipe. You can of course always revert the the original.

Oatmeal Crust- adapted from Finding Joy In my Kitchen

1/4 cup flour
1/2 whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick cook oatmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp light olive oil
2 tbsp light vanilla yogurt
4 tbsp ice cold water






Mix together flours, oatmeal, and salt. Slowly drizzle in oil, mix in yogurt. Add in water until dough becomes sticky. Place in greased pie pan and press out using wax paper. Fill with filling of your choice.

**To prebake: pierce dough with fork several times and place in oven at 400 degrees for 10 mins or until golden brown.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

I have been dying for a yummy dessert and seen as its valentine's day I decided to splurge...a little anyway. I was reading Sno White's blog and she had some delicious looking recipes up. I had decided I wanted to try the Amazing Baked Fudge, but I then went and gave my valentine, K the option of the fudge or a cookie pie, of course he picked the pie! So here is my version.

PB chocolate Chip Cookie Pie- adapted from Finding Joy In My Kitchen

4 tbsp melted butter, cooled
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg, well beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup each peanut butter and chocolate chips
1 unbaked pie crust(recipe to follow)

Cream together sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla. Add in flour. Mix well. Fold in chips and place into pie crust. Bake for 30-35 mins at 350.(originally the recipe calls for 40-45, but mine was done early!)It should still be gooey.(I do have pictures and will add them as soon as they are uploaded.)

Valentine Cupcakes OR Strawberry Muffins

I discovered this recipe one year when I went strawberry picking and ended up with 10 lbs or more strawberries. I got home and hulled and sliced them all...and wasn't sure what to do with them. I found this and it is delicious. I have since altered quite a bit, but the original recipe will be linked so you can see what it looks like. I was attempting pink muffins for v-day and I knew I didn't have any red food coloring as I used it in Red Velvet Cookies. They are not quite as pink as I would like, but the pink buttercream frosting will help!

Valentine Cupcakes- adapted from All Recipes

2 cups of fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced
1.5 cups flour
1.5 cups + 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1.5 scant cup of sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 eggs, beaten(i used 1 cup of egg substitute)
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans(optional)

Place strawberries in bowl and lightly sprinkle with a little sugar. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar. Blend in oil, eggs, and applesauce. Add in strawberries and stir. Stir in pecans. Divide into muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 mins or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Kid Help: measure/pour/mix, line muffin tins, help slice strawberries using strawberry slicer, or they may just jump on the back of the couch and watch YOU do it all!.

**this can also be made into 2 bread loafs and allow them to cook for 45-50 mins. I have also made it in a bundt pan as I do not own 2 bread pans.

While these are great on their own, I have some leftover buttercream frosting that I will have to use up. So I took 1 cup of frozen strawberries and thaw them. Sprinkle 1 tsp of powdered sugar on them and then mash/blend them to make juicy. I will then add it to the frosting for a nice pink tint and frost away! While this has the option to be successful, I'm not convince that it is. The strawberries made the frosting very "soupy". I still topped them and stuck them back in the fridge. I think I like them best plain...but not everything in my kitchen can be successful! But perhaps you will have better luck! It could also be that I've cut out a lot of sugar so maybe the frosting is just to sweet for me and I LOVE frosting!

**I have been trying to take pictures of food and well I need more practice. I will post pictures if I am able too. Sometimes having a kid helper I can't get good shots!