DONNA'S - In The Attic

BIG, FAT, CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES ~

Oh My Goodness . . .

these Cookies are To Die For!

I have been trying some New Recipes lately.

Some have been alright but not good enough to write about

BUT , . . .

this one is DELICIOUS ! ! !

I can definitely recommend it!

Here's the Recipe!

the ingredients ~

 

Ready for the oven!

I rolled mine about the size of a ping pong ball and the Recipe

made 34 Cookies.

 

I know there is one missing and the Recipe said to

let them cool before you take them out of the pan,

BUT . . .

I couldn't wait!

I had one cup of Coffee left over from Breakfast this morning.

OH MY, . . . THEY ARE SO GOOD ! ! !

I got the Recipe from

"allrecipes.com"

It is well worth your time to try it!

Just made another Pot of Coffee.

Wish you were here!

~  DONNA  ~

Enjoying a Beautiful Fall Sunday Afternoon ! ! !

I Love Fall!

What could be better than Football, Napping and

Homemade Soup with Cornbread ? ? ?

Pepper Soup is a Quick and Easy

meal to prepare!

Just a few ingredients I try to keep on hand for days like today.

Pepper Soup

1 lb ground beef - (I cooked mine in the Crock Pot before I added the other ingredients)

1 can Ranch Style Beans

1 can Rotel

1 can stewed tomatoes

2 cans Minestrone Soup

2 cans water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

( *sometimes I add a can of corn just because I like it)

Brown ground beef, drain, then add remaining ingredients.  Cook until bubbly.  The longer it cooks the better the flavor.

Enjoy!

 

I like to make Cornbread from scratch

but on days like today when I'm feeling lazy,

I always fall back on the next best thing ~

Jiffy Cornbread!

 

WISH YOU WERE HERE!

 

~  DONNA  ~

Peanut Butter Cookies ~

These were one of my Favorite Cookies growing up!

I don't bake them a lot now

because . . .

I could eat the Whole Batch!

I LOVE THEM ! ! !

 

I will usually almost burn one pan full

just because I like them that way ~

SUPER CRUNCHY with a little bit of a Burnt Taste!

 

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

(My Mother's Recipe!)

1/2 cup Shortening

1/2 cup Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 1/4 cup Flour

3/4 tsp Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp salt

Mix wet ingredients together.  Combine dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.  Combine and mix the wet and dry ingredients together.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes

 

  Ingredients ~

 Combine sugar, brown sugar, eggs, peanut butter and shortening ~

 Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl ~

 Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well ~

Ready for the pan ~

Drop a spoonful of dough in to the pan

and press the dough down

using a fork in a criss-cross pattern ~

Bake 12 minutes in a 375 degree oven ~

ENJOY ! ! !

 

~  DONNA  ~ 

Deviled Eggs ~

 I know this sounds CRAZY

but . . .

I have been searching Pinterest to try and figure out the best way to Boil Eggs

so they will peel easily without tearing up the egg.

Garry doesn't like boiled eggs so I have just never made them since we married.

I absolutely LOVE Deviled Eggs!

When I was growing up, mother would make them every once in a while

for family get togethers

and they were always SO GOOD!

I have never tasted anybody's quite as good as I remember hers being.

So, after several tries with little success,

I finally got it figured out!

It's so easy!

Simply bring a  pan of water to a rolling boil ~

Add as many eggs as will fit in your pan

and bring to a second boil ~

When they come to a good boil,

put a lid on the pan,

and turn the heat as low as it will go ~

Now, set the timer for 12 minutes and let them cook slowly.

When the time is up,

drain off the hot water and fill the pan with cold water

and a hand full of ice ~

Let it set for 10 minutes.

Now, they are ready to peel - PERFECT!

Cut in half ~

and Dump out the yolk ~

There are a couple of different recipes I like to use,

but today I wanted a sweet taste so I am adding

Mayonnaise, Mustard, Sweet Pickle Relish and Salt.

(My daughter, Lori Beth, shared this Recipe with me)

Stuff the Eggs and Enjoy!

They were Delicious!

~  DONNA  ~

Brownies !

Expecting Company Tonight ~

You can never go wrong with Chocolate for Dessert!

I've put this Recipe on my Blog a couple of times before,

but here it is again.

It's so Quick and Easy!

 

BROWNIES

2 sticks of butter

2 1/2 cups sugar

5 TBSP cocoa

5 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

*Optional - pecans

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Ingredients ~

Combine butter, sugar and cocoa ~

Mix in eggs and vanilla and then add flour ~

Pour into a 9 x 13 dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

That's it - So easy!

DELICIOUS with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream!

 

~  DONNA  ~

Creamy Potato Soup

. . .  with Cold Weather headed our way,

I wanted to share a Recipe with you that is absolutely DELICIOUS!

 

Creamy Potato Soup

Here are the ingredients you will need ~

 

4 Large Potatoes

2/3 C Butter

2/3 C Flour

1 1/2 Quarts Milk

4 Green Onions, chopped

1 Cup Sour Cream

2 Cups Crisp-Cooked, Crumbled Bacon

5 oz Cheddar Cheese, grated

Salt and Pepper to Taste

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

1.  Peel 2 of the 4 Potatoes - Dice all 4 - Boil Potatoes for approximately 20 minutes or until fork tender - Drain ~

 

2.  In a medium saucepan, melt butter ~

 

3.  Slowly blend in flour with a wire whisk until thoroughly blended.  Gradually add milk to butter-flour mixture,whisking constantntly ~

Simmer over low heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens.

 

4.  Partially mash potatoes adding chopped green onions ~

 

5.  When milk mixture is very hot, whisk in potatoes and green onions ~

 

 

6.  Whisk well and add sour cream and crumbled bacon ~

 

 

7.  Heat thoroughly ~ Add cheese - Stir until melted in.  (at this point taste the soup - you can add salt and pepper to taste)

Garnish with grated cheese and bacon ~

SO GOOD . . . Enjoy!

~ DONNA ~

You have got to try these Delicious . . .

Cheese Cream Potatoes ~

Here is what you will need -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cheese Cream Potatoes

4 - 5 large Potatoes or enough smaller potatoes to fill a 9" x 13" Casserole Dish

1 Stick of Butter

1 Large Box of Cream Cheese

1 - 8oz tub of Sour Cream

2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Salt

Pepper

 

Let's get started!

 

1.  Wash and Peel your Potatoes ~

2. Dice ~

3.  Cover with water - Bring to a boil - Boil for 20 minutes or until tender ~

4.  Drain and mash ~

5.  Add Butter, Cream Cheese and Sour Cream ~

 

6.  Cream together ~

7.  Add Salt and Pepper to taste.

8.  Pour in a Casserole Dish ~

9.  Smooth out and top with Cheese ~

10.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  I cover mine with foil for the first 30 minutes then I remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese has melted and it is bubbly around the edges.

Yum . . . Ready to Eat . . . Enjoy!

~ Donna ~

MEMORIES OF MAKING BROWNIES . . .

. . . I don't know why but I have been reminiscing about the way we use to make our Brownies when I was a young girl.

The best I remember we used a Box Mix and we always put a Delicious Icing on them.

As the years went by, we found this Wonderful Brownie Recipe.  I'm not for sure where we got it, but it is a Recipe that has remained a favorite for many years now.

For some reason this new Recipe didn't get the Delicious Icing that had always been a requirement.

I was laying in bed this morning thinking, "You know what, I think I am going to throw a batch of our Favorite Brownies together and top them with a layer of my Favorite Icing!"

I know, the other part of me is thinking "Wow, Delicious but think of the Calories!"

Oh Well, . . . we can always just eat a Smaller Piece!?!?!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

OUR FAVORITE BROWNIES

Ingredients ~

2 Sticks Butter

2 1/2 cups Sugar

5 TBSP Cocoa

5 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla

1 3/4 cups Flour

Pecans (optional)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

1.  Melt butter ~

2.  Add sugar and cocoa - mix well ~

 

3. Add eggs and vanilla - mix well ~

 

4.  Add flour and one last time, mix well!

 

5.  Ready for the greased bowl ~

6.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes ~

 7.  Ready for the Icing!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is the worse thing about Cooking? . . . I think it is the cleanup!

I have found if I will run a sink full of hot soapy water before I start and then put all of my dirty utensils in it as I go, Cleanup is not nearly as bad!

Everything cleans up REALLY FAST!!!

 

 

 

NOW, . . . my Brownies have cooled and it's time for the Icing!

The only kind of Icing that I grew up knowing about was a Cooked Icing, . . .

that's it . . . There's Nothing Better!!!

 

COOKED ICING

Ingredients ~

1/2 stick Butter

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Milk

1/2 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

1 tsp Vanilla

 

1. You will want to use an over sized pan to cook this Icing.  It will need to be able to boil up and also use a pan that will let the Icing scorch.  Start out with the butter, milk and sugar.

 2.  Bring to a rolling boil.  Don't bother it, let it boil!  I clean around the edges every now and then.  Let it boil for approximately 10 min. ~

3.  When it looks like this . . . and starts to stick to the bottom of the pan and scorch, . .  . it's time to take it off of the burner.

4.  Add Vanilla and Chocolate Chips ~

 

5.  Tilt and Stir until the Icing starts to cool and thicken ~

6.  It's ready to pour on your Brownies when it starts to get a shine and sticks to the pan without running back down to the bottom ~

7.  Pour on your Brownies and Smooth out ~

 

They are not nearly as pretty as my Mother's,  . . .  but hopefully just as Delicious!

Ready to Cut and Serve!

The best part of the cleanup . . . 

 

I AM SO EXCITED . . .

to start Blogging again!

. . . and what better way to start then with a Recipe!

We had company over last night for Steak, Potatoes and Salad.  Jana was responsible for the Potatoes.  She made this Delicious Dish!

Spicy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients ~

4 - 6 Potatoes (depending on size)

 

Heavy Whipping Cream, Jalapeno Cheddar Heluva Good Dip and Salt

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

1.  Wash, Peel and Cube Potatoes (you can use any type Potato) -

 

2.  Dump cubed potatoes in a pot of boiling water.  Bring back to a boil.  Continue to boil 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender -

 

3.  Drain -

 

4.  Dump in a bowl -

 

5.  Add Jalapeno Cheddar Heluva Good Dip and Whip -

 

6.  Add Heavy Whipping Cream and continue to whip until Potatoes are of the desired consistency -

 

7.  Add Salt to suit your taste and SERVE!

They were Delicious!

COLD WEATHER AND WARM SOUP . . .

what could be better?

PEPPER SOUP ~

Brown and Drain 1 1/2 lb ground beef

Add

1 can Rotel

1 can Ranch Style Beans

1 can Diced Tomatos

1 can Corn

2 cans Minestrone Soup

2 cans water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring to a boil and then simmer until you are ready to eat.

DELICIOUS!

Of course, you have to make a batch of Cornbread to go along with your Soup.

My favorite is Jiffy Corn Bread Mix but I didn't have any in the pantry.  I settled for the next best thing - made from scratch

and

cooked in a Cast Iron Skillet, . . .  DELICIOUS!!!

Tomorrow all of this will be even better!

~ DONNA ~