How do you resurrect a blog you haven't posted to for a year? Well, I assume you just start posting again. So here we go!

I didn't do as much Christmas baking this year as usual, but I did make 2 new cookie recipes which were both a hit and will be made again. These Monster Cookies were super easy to make and the dough froze beautifully for a great make-ahead option. Since JR is obsessed with peanut butter, I decided to throw in some peanut butter chips. I think these would also be great with some salty pretzel bits thrown in to balance out the sweetness.

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter ships
• 1 cup plain M&M's 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper, or spray cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

In standing mixer with paddle attachment, cream the peanut butter, butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Add oats and baking soda, and mix until well combined. Add chips and M&M's, and stir until well combined.

Drop the cookies by tablespoonfuls (I use a tablespoon size cookie scoop) onto prepared cookie sheets. (Note: I dropped cookies onto wax paper lined cookie sheets and froze them for a couple weeks before baking).

Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Source: Slightly adapted from Recipe Girl

After a week of heavy meals and overindulgent sweets, it always feels good to switch back to "normal" eating. Yesterday flipped that switch for me. The leftovers were gone and I didn't want anything resembling a holiday meal, and I'm craving crisp vegetables like crazy. This morning was no different. Actually, last night I felt the need to make a good oatmeal this morning since I've been terrible about eating breakfast this past week.

I guess some might say that Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal has an overindulgent holiday feel to it, but pumpkin is a year round flavor in my house. Plus, pumpkin is really good for you, so it's a win all around. Go ahead and start your New Year off right with a big steaming bowl of oatmeal!

Here is what you'll need:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk or unsweetened almond milk (almond milk is super yummy here!)
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/16 tsp ground cloves
• 1/16 tsp ground nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup rolls oats

Combine water, milk, pumpkin, brown sugar and spices in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Add oatmeal. Combine well and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serves 1.

Source: An Adventures in My Kitchen Original

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, however, it seems that Summer is starting to wind down (at least in my area).  I know that there is still time for it to come back strong, but while it's cooler I'm taking advantage of this opportunity to bake.  I miss baking.  Call me a wimp, but I just cannot handle baking in the heat of Summer.  I hope to make up for it now.  This is the third baked good I made in the past 2 weeks.  Unfortunately my first two won't be posted here, at least not until I can figure out what went wrong.

These muffins came about because I started straying from eating a good breakfast.  This is a problem; I need good fuel for brain power throughout the morning.  So early one morning I searched for a muffin recipe.  After realizing all the recipes I was finding called for milk, which I was out of, I almost lost hope.  However, I thought I must have a can of coconut milk in the pantry.  That would work, right?  The reviews of this basic oatmeal muffin recipe lead me to believe that indeed it should adapt well.

Now I had to think about how to flavor them.  What compliments coconut?  I had fresh strawberries and peaches, frozen blueberries, black raspberries and bananas, but none of these sounded right.  I wanted something a bit more tropical.  Lime would work, but that didn't seem like enough, so I took a chance on adding ginger.

The aroma while these baked was heavenly!  The flavors complimented each other really well.  These were a great breakfast option for me, full of good-for-you ingredients.  I will caution you that these are not sweet, but I hope that doesn't stop you from giving them a try.

I made several changes to the recipe which are included here:

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup agave
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup dried shredded coconut 
• 1 tsp ginger

Preheat oven to 425F degrees.

In a large measuring cup, measure coconut milk.  Add oatmeal and allow to soak 15 minutes.

In a small mixing bowl, combine egg, oil, agave and lime zest.  Add oatmeal mixture and combine.

In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt.  Add coconut and ginger.  Add wet mixture and stir until just combined.  Do not overmix.

Divide batter evenly among a 12 cup muffin tin.

Bake 20-25 minutes (mine came out at 20 minutes) until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Makes 12 muffins.

I have a lot of cookbooks, and it seems that each one has just a few recipes that I like.  Weekend Cook was a gift to me and a lot of the recipes use cream of x soup, etc. so there aren't many recipes in it I use, however this one banana bread uses whole foods and is great!  Not only does it use minimal ingredients, it's quick to mix up and is a nice change from the average banana bread.

The first time I made this I thought there was no way the end result would be a bread.  I had everything mixed in the bowl and it seemed soupy, but I thought I followed the directions so I hoped for the best.  I was amazed at the result, a real bread!  After a few times making this I realized the recipe calls for ground rolled oats, but I've never ground them and I like the texture so I've kept them whole.

There have been times when I've only had 2 bananas, so I added a chopped apple or peach and it's worked beautifully.  I've also made this with and without pecans.  I prefer with pecans, but without works too (like today).

You'll want to keep a close eye on this toward the end of the baking time because the edges get dark very quickly.  I think this is due to the honey, however, dark edges don't stop me from enjoying it.

Here is what you'll need:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 3 bananas, chopped
• 1 cup pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.  Pour mix into prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean.  Cool completely before slicing.  Serves 10.

Source: I was not able to find a link to this cookbook online.  It is a collection of recipes contributed by individuals and was a fundraiser in support of local home economics programs.  This recipe is credited to Kay Atkeison, Brookland H.S., Brookland, AR.

So by now you probably think I only have one cookbook, Rosemary Brown's Big Kitchen Instruction Book.  I promise you this is not so!  I have a whole bookcase full, however, I cannot prove that to you because, well, my office is known as the disaster zone of our house.  People think I am a neat, clean, person, but that would all change if they entered my office!

In keeping with my recent unplanned theme, I'm referring to my favorite cookbook again for what has become my go-to oatmeal cookie recipe.  These are my dad's favorite, and he is probably already waiting for Father's Day knowing he will get a batch.



Here is the recipe as it is written:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter with both sugars until fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Sift flour with baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and mix well with butter mixture.  Stir together oatmeal, pecans, coconut, and raisins, and fold into cookie batter. 

Using a small cookie scoop, drop the dough onto parchament lined baking sheets.  Bake for 11 minutes.  Cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes 6 dozen.