Grandma Tatem's Peanut Butter Fudge

"Tatem" is my daughter's middle name which came from my mom's maiden name. My Grandma Tatem, quite possibly the kindest woman ever, had EIGHT children.  Can you imagine??  Sometimes I need a glass of wine at the end of the day and I only have ONE child ... I really can't imagine eight children!!  Needless to say I have A LOT of cousins & relatives on my mom's side of the family and this recipe post happened to be requested by one of my cousins.  I hope I do it justice!

I've had this recipe since March and I FINALLY made it yesterday.  The ingredient list concerned me a little with the amounts ... 2 lbs of sugar, 1 lb of butter ... it just sounded like it was going to make a TON of peanut butter fudge!  Then I got to thinking that perhaps this recipe was doubled??  I mean with such a large family to share with I would imagine all of Grandma Tatem's recipes were doubled or even tripled.  So, I'm going to list the original recipe but you could always choose to make half of it or even a quarter of it (1/4 of it was perfect for my family of 3).

This is a super simple method to make fudge ... no candy thermometer necessary, no stove, no microwave.  Just mix it and refrigerate.  If you're a peanut butter lover like I am you will LOVE it!  Its creamy & delicious!!!

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs powdered sugar
1 lb butter or margarine
2 cups peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla (I recommend increasing this to 1 tsp)
1/2 cup cocoa powder (8 tablespoons)

DIRECTIONS
Blend all the ingredients using a mixer or by hand.  Press into a 9 x 13 pan and refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing.  Store in an airtight container (I kept mine refrigerated to remain firm).  If making half the recipe use a 8 x 8 pan.  I recommend lining the pan with wax paper for easy removal.

My small batch version (because there is NO WAY this girl is having 8 kids)...
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 tablespoons cocoa

I used a 6 x 6 tupperware container and it worked perfectly.

here's me with my Grandma Tatem.
I bet she would have loved my sweet Caroline Tatem!

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

I'm a complete failure today at low carb.  I saw these cookies posted on Facebook a few weeks ago.  I wanted to make them the second I saw the recipe (I have a weak spot for chocolate & peanut butter) but I have been trying to be "good" and eat healthy, low calorie, low carb foods to get ready for summer.  My daughter had a playdate today and of course I used that as an excuse to finally try this cookie recipe.  They taste like little clusters of peanut butter fudge goodness and I can't stop eating them!  This is a perfect cookie recipe for the summer because you don't even have to turn on your oven ...that's right, no baking required!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups quick cooking oats

Add the first five ingredients to a 4 quart sauce pan.  Bring to a rapid boil.  Let boil for one minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir in peanut butter, vanilla and oats.  Drop by spoonful onto a wax paper or parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  (I sprinkled a little sea salt on mine)  Allow to cool for 30 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.  Makes 36-48 cookies depending on what size you make them (1-2 tablespoons per cookie).  I made half a batch and used a 1 tablespoon sized scoop and it made 24 cookies. Also, I didn't have quick cooking oats and substituted old fashioned oats and they worked fine.

Recipe from http://www.browneyedbaker.com

Cinco de Mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Are you celebrating tonight with some yummy Mexican food and margaritas??  I'm making Salsa Chicken for dinner.  I thought I would re-share this recipe and a few others with Mexican flavors.  Enjoy!

Salsa Chicken
Tamale Corn Cakes with Rajas Topping
Blackened Fish Tacos
Empanadas
Black Bean Soup
Jalapeno Poppers
Salsa
Shrimp Ceviche Cups

Ham & Cheese Omelet Roll

If you're planning a brunch or have a large family this is an impressive breakfast dish that's easy to make, tastes delicious and serves 8 people. I made this on Sunday along with some blueberry oat muffins while hosting a brunch.  Everyone really liked it!

INGREDIENTS
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 eggs
8 ounces ham, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 ounces cheddar or Swiss cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)...I mixed 1/2 cheddar/ 1/2 Swiss)
1/4 cup green onions with tops, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 375'.  In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and milk; whisk until smooth.  Add flour and salt; whisk to combine.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, gently whisk eggs until blended.  Add cream cheese mixture; mix well.

3.  Line a large bar pan (or 4 sided cookie tray) with parchment paper.  Pour egg mixture into pan.  Bake 30-33 minutes or until omelet is puffy and golden.

4.  Meanwhile, finely chop ham, shred cheese and slice onions.

5.  Remove omelet from oven; immediately spread with Dijon mustard. Spinkle with half the cheese; top with ham and onions.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Starting at one short side, roll up jelly-roll fashion, removing parchment paper as you roll.  Garnish top with additional shredded cheese and onions, if desired.  Let stand for 5 minutes to allow cheese to melt.  Slice and serve.  Makes 8 servings.  Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated in the microwave (about 90 seconds per slice).

Recipe from Pampered Chef "Main Dishes" cookbook

Blueberry Oat Muffins

I hosted a brunch at my house this past weekend. I made a Ham & Cheese Omelet Roll, hashbrowns, fruit salad and these muffins.  I've made these muffins before as full size muffins but I thought for a brunch that mini ones would be better so my guests would still have room for the egg dish.  My daughter liked them so much she didn't even try anything else I made.  The recipe makes 48 mini muffins so I had enough to send some home with my guests and still have a few leftover for our family. The oatmeal in this recipe gives the muffins a good texture and the orange zest gives a light citrus flavor.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oatmeal (old fashioned or quick oats)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest
1 cup blueberries (I cut mine into pieces so they didn't take over the mini muffins ...if you make large muffins then keep whole)
1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 400'. Spray mini muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners.  Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder in a large mixing bowl.  Stir in blueberries and zest.  Add milk, butter and egg; mix until dry ingredients are moistened.  Spoon batter into muffin cups.  Sprinkle with almonds.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool on a cooling rack.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional).  This makes 48 mini muffins or 12 large muffins.  If making large muffins make sure to increase the baking time to 18-20 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Pampered Chef "Stoneware Inpirations" cookbook  

Black Bean Brownies

I've never heard of black bean brownies until a friend of mine mentioned them a few weeks ago.  I like black beans but I was very skeptical about them being in a brownie.  I promise you that you cannot even tell these brownies are made from black beans.  They are moist and chocolately and gluten free ... and practically guilt free!  There's lots of black bean brownie recipes online and I did try another that called for sugar but if you're looking for a healthy brownie for yourself or children then this is it!

INGREDIENTS
1 can black beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained
3 eggs
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup agave nectar or pure honey
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup chocolate chips plus a few extra for topping if you'd like (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)

optional peanut butter swirl
2 tbs creamy peanut butter
1 tsp agave or honey

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350'.  Line a 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper. Mix the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Spread batter evenly into pan.  If you want to top with peanut butter swirl this step is optional.  Melt peanut butter in the microwave for 20 seconds at 50% power, mix in agave or honey.  Drop by spoonfuls over brownie batter and then swirl with a butter knife.  Top with a few additional chocolate chips (optional).  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Allow to cool, slice into 16 squares.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from http://www.damyhealth.com

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (using a cake mix)

These cookies are super soft and chewy and very simple to make. I love the combination of a soft peanut butter cookie with chocolate chips. My daughter loved these!

INGREDIENTS
1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup margarine
1/3 cup water
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350'.  Cream together peanut butter, margarine, water and eggs.  Stir in cake mix.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Drop by tablespoonful onto cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes (do not over bake ...the cookies will firm up after they cool)  Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet.  Store in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com