Easy Monster Cookies

1 pouch chocolate chip cookie mix
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) peanut butter cookie mix
1 1/2cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
2 cups M & M's

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir all ingredients except candies until soft dough forms. Stir in candies.
2. On ungreased cookie sheets, place about 1/4 cupfuls dough about 3 inches apart.
3. Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely. Store in covered container at room temperature.

White Chili

Ingredients:
4 cans white beans (navy or great northern)
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 – 1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 – 4 oz. can diced green chilies
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 can Rotel
1 can white corn (you can also use frozen corn)

Directions:
Saute onions and garlic in 1/4 cup of chicken broth until the onions are soft and transparent. Stir in seasonings to combine with the onions then add remaining ingredients. Bring chili to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer to blend flavors.

This can also easily be made in a crock pot. Just saute your onions and garlic and then add everything to the crock pot to simmer.

Another yummy recipe and picture from Dinah's Dishes

Roasted Brussel Sprouts Salad

For salad:
1/2 cup of pine nuts
shaves of parmesan (enough to cover salad)
6 belgian endives
3 heads of radicchio lettuce
1 lb of brussel sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil

For dressing:
1/4 cup of good balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic (use garlic press)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup of good olive oil

Prepare dressing contents and place in container with lid. Refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut bottom of each brussel sprout and slice them into 1/4 inch slices. Spread on baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cooked but still slightly crunchy. Some browned pieces are good - they make a great taste in the salad. Remove from oven and set aside. If you plan to serve the following day, put the brussel sprouts in a bowl with lid and refrigerate.

While brussel sprouts are baking, toast the pine nuts by putting them in a nonstick skillet and browning them on medium heat. Stir constantly because they will burn easily.

Cut endive and radicchio into bite size pieces.

Immediately before serving toss endive, ridicchio and brussel sprouts with dressing. Shave parmesan thickly over salad and cover with toasted pine nuts. Mmm! Mmm!

CK's Moose Munch

30 oz. Crunch and Munch® (any caramel corn) (4---7.5 oz boxes)
1 cup Nuts (almonds or cashews)
12 oz Semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 oz White chocolate chips
2 tsp Crisco, divided

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Set aside.
Place semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 tsp of Crisco in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir. Continue until chips look shiny. Remove from microwave and stir until all chips are melted.
Quickly stir in 1 box of popcorn and 1/2 cup of nuts, if using. Note that popcorn does not have to be perfectly covered with chocolate. Spread onto the prepared cookie sheet, separating kernels as much as possible. Cool completely and break into pieces.
Repeat the process with the white chocolate chips and remaining Crisco. Stir in a second box of popcorn with another 1/2cup of nuts, if using. Add the white chocolate chips and put on the 2nd cookie sheet as described above.
When both pans of chocolate covered popcorn have dried, combine the white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and the remaining 2 boxes of popcorn. Combine the nuts with the popcorn. Store in airtight container out of the heat.

** I added the nuts into the chocolate and white chocolate mix. They are coated with the choc/white choc also.**

Mandarin Orange Salad

Salad Greens (Spinach, Field Mix, Whatever you like)
1‐2 bunches of green onion
1 stalk of celery – sliced
1 pkg of sliced toasted almonds
1 small can of mandarin oranges (I use more if I’m making a bigger salad), drained
Dressing – Mix All and Chill
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce
1/4 cup tarragon vinegar or red wine vinegar (I like the tarragon)
1/2 cup Olive Oil

Feta Craisin Salad

Salad Greens (Spinach, Field Mix, Whatever you like) – I use 2 bags
1 cup Regular Craisins
4 oz. Feta Crumbled Feta Cheese (or more)
1 Medium Red Onion, Thinly Sliced (I used green onion instead)
1 pkg Toasted Slivered Almonds
Dressing – Mix All and Chill (makes a lot of dressing) – I usually cut the dressing
recipe in half)
3/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 – 4 cloves minced fresh garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

This is a Nordstrom cafe recipe.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Cookies

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 c. sugar
2 large eggs
15 oz. whole-milk Ricotta cheese
1/2 t. lemon extract OR 1 t. lemon and/or tangerine baking oil
3 T. freshly grated lemon zest
1 T. lemon juice
1 2/3 c. AP flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt

Glaze
6 T. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 c. confectioners' sugar
3-4 T. lemon juice
Decorating sugar, silver dragees small silver balls), optional

Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine butter and sugar in bowl cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, Ricotta, lemon extract (or baking oil), zest and juice; blend well. Add 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt; blend to combine. Add remaining flour in two parts, blending to combine between each, until a dough forms.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoon 2 inches apart on baking sheets (cookies will spread). Bake until cookies edges are very light golden, about 12-15 minutes. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for a few minutes and transfer to wire cooling rack.

While cookies cool, prepare glaze by creaming together butter and sugar. Continue to mix, gradually adding juice until desired consistency. Decorate cooled cookies, adding dragees or decorating sugar, if desired, before icing sets.