Two yummy recipes

So throughout the years I have collected recipes from all kinds of places. I love getting yummy recipes. Some I get off the internet, in magazines, off food boxes, the newspaper, friends, etc. I'm pretty much always on the lookout for good recipes. So I have a great collection, yet I have made very few of them. Well I decided I should start making the recipes and that way I can keep them if they're good or throw them out if they're not for us. I have recently come across two yummy recipes I wanted to share.

I found this recipe off of the Rachel Ray show. It is actually Dr. Phil's wife's recipe for granola bars. Somehow I followed the recipe exactly, not something I usually do, but it didn't look at all like the picture, instead of granola bars, it's just kind of granola. I doubted it at first, but it's so yummy and I kind of like it this way. Adam loves taking some in a baggy to school and I love snacking on it throughout the day.

Peanut Marshmallow Granola Bars

Non-stick cooking spray or melted butter, as needed for pan
3 c large marshmallows
3/4 c nut butter, such as cashew, almond, peanut or hazelnut
1 10 to 12-ounce box brown rice cereal
1/2 c dried cranberries
2/3 c chopped pecans, toasted
2/3 c chopped cashews, toasted

**Instead of pecans and cashews I used raw sunflower seeds and peanuts (chopped). I also used much less cereal than it called for. I would add a cup at a time so you don't add too much cereal.

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, zap the marshmallows and nut butter, stirring after 1 minute, until melted, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the brown rice cereal, cranberries, pecans and cashews to the melted marshmallow mixture and stir gently to combine – be careful not to crush up the bits of cereal too much.

3. Either wet your hands or spray them lightly with the nonstick cooking spray and turn the cereal marshmallow mixture out onto the greased baking sheet. Press it into the pan using your slick hands so that it's evenly distributed. Set the pan aside and let the bars set up, about 30 minutes.

4. Cut into bars.

This cookie recipe I just found on the internet. So we have so many friends that are willing to babysit Collin, since we aren't paying them monetarily I decided we could them with food. I love making desserts and giving some away. So we decided to drop off goodies with Collin when people watch him, is that extrinsic motivation or what! Does that make you all want to babysit now?ha ha just joking. So I wanted to find a new cookie recipe, we have lots of yummy ones but I wanted a new one so I found this yummy one at a random website. I love the chocolate cookie and the white chocolate chips are just perfect.

White Chip Chocolate cookies
1 c butter, softened

2 c white sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 pkg white chocolate chips * It would also be yummy to mix white chocolate and chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in the white chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are set. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
** I like softer cookies so I cooked them for 7 to 8 minutes. Then let them sit for just as long as it takes to be able to get them off the cookie sheet.They would also make great ice cream sandwiches. YUM!!!!