Fascinating Find - Two Ingredient Cookies

Last week I confessed to you that I have been trying to reduce my sugar intake. In my search for low sugar treats, I found this two ingredient cookie recipe. The cookies can be mixed up in seconds and you can add nuts, dried fruits, or chocolate chips for variety.

Pictured above is the pumpkin and oat version with chocolate chips, but I also tried the banana and oat version (also with chocolate chips). My kids preferred the pumpkin cookies, but I liked the banana cookies best. Although we ate these cookies as a dessert, they would also be good for breakfast. And, next time I make the pumpkin version, I plan to add some cinnamon.

You can find these recipes over at The Burlap Bag.

Banana and Oat Cookies
Pumpkin and Oat Cookies

Recipe Note: I have found that my cookies do not spread while baking, instead they remain the exact shape that I scoop out onto the pan. Next time, I will flatten them slightly after scooping them on to my baking pan.

Orange Dressing

Due to all of the fresh lettuce that my neighbor has been providing us, we have been eating lots of salads lately. I have gotten into the habit of making up a batch of dressing and using it little by little all week long. I tried this Orange Dressing for the first time a couple of weeks ago. And, it got two thumbs up with everyone at my house.

Although we tried the dressing on several different salad combinations, we definitely liked it best on a main dish salad with lettuce, chicken, sliced almonds, green onions, and mandarin oranges. I think that it would also be good on a pasta salad. 

Orange Dressing

¼ cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard (Dijon, Spicy Brown, etc.)
2 tsp. honey
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Measure all ingredients into a jar and cover tightly. Shake to combine. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

This post has been linked to the Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party.

Rosemary

 

Last week, my neighbor called me on her way home from work saying that a friend had given her a huge bunch of fresh rosemary. I was thrilled to take some off of her hands. So, tonight I made roasted potatoes with fresh rosemary. Yumm!

And, when I did my grocery shopping this morning, I was thrilled to find a whole chicken that was reduced for quick sale. (Perfectly in keeping with my New Year's Frugal Kitchen Goal.) It is going to be so tasty roasted with my fresh rosemary! How do you like to use rosemary?

 

This post has been linked to Mop It Up Mondays.

Homemade Onion Soup Mix

Our favorite dip for veggies, chips, and pretzels is Onion Dip. And, intead of purchasing dry onion soup mix to prepare the dip, I have been making my own for years. Many recipes also call for an envelope of dry onion soup mix and this homemade version can be used in place of the purchased mix. I like to use a couple of tablespoons of this as the seasoning in my Meatloaf sometimes too. And, the prepared onion dip is also great on baked potatoes!

Onion Soup Mix

¾ cup dried, minced onion
4 tsp. onion powder
1/3 cup boullion (beef or chicken)
¼ tsp. celery salt
¼ tsp. sugar

Measure call ingredients into a jar. Shake to combine. Two heaping tablespoons is equal to one envelope of onion soup mix.

For Onion Dip: Stir together 1 cup sour cream and 1 heaping tablespoon of mix.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Lately I have been watching my sugar intake. But, I still have a bit of a sweet tooth, so I began searching for some kind of satisfying treat. I have tried several recipes, and they have all been very tasty. However, this is my favorite one so far. 

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars have no sweetener of any kind. The dates add all of the sweetness. But, the dates are not the predominent flavor, the peanut butter is. My picky kids have no idea that this is a healthy dessert and I LOVE that! Eventually I would like to try this recipe with almond butter too. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup pitted dates
¾ cup natural peanut butter
½ cup unsweetened coconut
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
½ cup oats

Measure dates, peanut butter, coconut, and cocoa into the bowl of a food processor. Process until the dates are finely chopped. Add oats little by little until mixture forms a ball. Remove from processor and press into a samll baking dish (I use a 9x6 glass pan). Refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars.

This post has been linked to The Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party.

Trail Mixes

My kids love trail mixes, and we are constantly trying new variations. The one pictured on the left is equal parts golden raisins, peanuts, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. My little one does not like regular raisins, so recently I bought some golden raisin to see if she would like them better. And, she does. So this variation is a hit with her.

While making up my grocery list a couple of weeks ago, my oldest suggested the trail mix pictured on the right. It is equal parts dried cherries, raw almonds, and white chocolate chips. This one I love! And both of my girls are thrilled when I put it in their lunch bags. 

As a side note, the jars that I store these trail mixes in are up-cycled. The local honey that I purchase comes in them and they use a regular mouth canning lid making them perfect for many different things in my kitchen.

This post has been linked to Mop It Up Mondays.

Kielbasa and Rice

Dinner time is completely different at our house now that it is just me and the kids. We eat a lot more Pizza, Tacos, and BBQ Turkey Burgers (my kids prefer these over beef burgers). And, honestly I have grown tired of these dinners. But this week I dug out my recipe for Kielbasa and Rice hoping that the kids would like it for something different. It had been years since I had made it, so none of them remembered it. But, they were pleased with it; and, I was happy to serve something different. I think I need to dust off some of my other old recipes and see what else they might like.

Kielbasa and Rice

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. kielbasa or polish sausage, sliced
2-14oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp garlic powder
3 drops hot sauce
1 cup brown rice
1 cup water

In a large skillet sauté kielbasa in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a full boil on high heat. Cover, and reduce temperature. Simmer for 40 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir and serve.