Oatmeal Coconut Chewies

Usually I am not a fan of cookies that don't have frosting or chocolate in them.  I saw these one evening on Sisters Cafe and they seemed simple and easy.  They rocked!  I couldn't eat enough.  I love that they are chewy, but still have some crispness. I even made my kids eat store bought cookies so I could have the last three.   Delicious!

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to cool room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup quick oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are set but not overly browned (bake a few minutes longer for a crispier version).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen.  My husband wanted something with chocolate and peanut butter that was a dessert and not a cookie.  It was delicious and so easy. 

1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix (18 Ounce Box)
1 package Instant Vanilla Pudding (3.9 Oz)
1 package Instant Chocolate Pudding, 3.9 Oz
3 cups Cold Milk, Divided
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
1 tub Whipped Topping (8 Oz), Defrosted, Divided
1 package Mini Peanut Butter Cups (12 Ounce Package, Chopped)

Prepare cake mix as directed by combining the mix with the additional required ingredients specified in cake mix package (typically water, eggs and oil). Bake in 9 x 13 pan at the time/temp required by the package instructions. Cool. Cut into 1 inch cubes.
Empty pudding packages into separate bowls. Add 1 1/2 cups of milk to each bowl. Beat with whisk for two minutes. Add peanut butter to the vanilla pudding. Mix until combined. Stir 1/2 cup whipped topping into each bowl.

 Layer half of the cake cubes into trifle bowl. Cover with chocolate pudding, half of the remaining whipped topping and half of the chopped peanut butter cups. Add the rest of the cake cubes, the vanilla pudding mixture and the remaining whipped topping.

 Top with remaining chopped peanut butter cup candies.

Beef Pepperoncini Sandwiches

I had a roast that I needed to use and I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen.  It was so easy and so good!    I couldn't believe how much flavor it had and I ate way more than I should have.  I also made this recipe again and substituted the beef for chicken.  It was equally delicious!

4 pounds Beef Pot/Rump Roast
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 jar Pepperoncini's, sliced
Italian Hoagie Rolls
Sliced or shredded cheese of your choice
Mayonnaise

With a sharp knife, puncture holes around roast multiple times. After each time you pull the knife out, use your finger to stuff the garlic deep into the roast. If you love garlic make lots of punctures, if not then do less.

Place the roast into a crock pot. Dump juices from the pepperoncini jar over the roast.  Throw the sliced pepperoncini’s in the crockpot with the beef and juice.
Cook roast on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours until you can easily shred the beef.  Toast rolls.  Add cheese and mayo if desired. Fill with beef and enjoy warm.

Grilled Poblano and Avocado Salsa

One of our meals this last week was shrimp tacos from a website call Eat, Live, Run.  The tacos were yummy, but the best part of the dinner was this salsa.  I have seen lots of salsa recipes with grilled corn and pepeprs and I have never tried them.  I just wanted to eat the salsa and skip the shrimp.  My little one year old couldn't get enough.  She kept yelling for more.    This salsa tasted like summertime!  Delicious!

1 ear corn, husked
6 scallions, white and light green parts only
1 poblano chile
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved  (I used two roma tomatoes instead)
1 large (or 2 small) haas avocado
1 small bunch cilantro, minced
juice of two small limes
1 clove garlic, minced
1./2 salt
1 T olive oil

Heat your grill up to medium high.

Brush corn, green onions and poblano chile with olive oil and place on grill. You want everything to have a nice char to it—to chile should be black and the corn and onion should be charred. This will take about five minutes, flipping occasionally with tongs.

When done, remove veggies from grill and let cool on a plate. When cool, peel the now black skin off the pepper, remove the seeds and chop into small dice. Run your knife down the corn to remove the kernels from the cob and place into a bowl with the pepper. Chop onion and place into bowl as well.

Add chopped avocado, tomatoes, and cilantro to the bowl and add lime juice and salt.