mmmmm, mondays: monster cookies

these cookies are so good it's stupid. they are like crack. seriously...i think i ate them for breakfast several days after convincing myself they were good for me. i determined that anything with peanut butter and oatmeal in the ingredients list must be healthy. i was justifying my addiction. if you have a new year's resolution to lose weight, don't make these. seriously, they are that good. you won't be able to stop.

monster cookies

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon corn syrup

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

4 1/2 cups oats 

1/2 cup flour

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup m & m's

preheat oven to 350 degrees. mix eggs, sugars, vanilla, corn syrup, baking soda and salt. add the peanut butter and melted butter. mix well. add the flour, oats, chocolate chips, peanut chips and m & m's.

spray baking sheets with non-stick spray. scoop out dough by heaping tablespoon. form into a ball and press down lightly onto the baking sheet. bake for 10-12 minutes. 

let the crack addiction begin.

pressed down before baking

mmmmm, mondays: heavenly fudge

i'm going to be real here. fudge is my holiday weakness. i could eat an entire tray of it myself. it's one of those treats my grandmother used to make for me and it holds not only value for its deliciousness but sentimental value as well. honestly, any dessert that consists almost entirely of chocolate, butter and sugar is probably on my top ten list. this recipe is simple and delicious. my five year old has helped with the stirring process the last two years and it turns out amazing. looking for something to share with your neighbors? this just may be the dessert for you.

heavenly fudge

1 1/2 cups butter

6 cups sugar (yep...you read that right!)

1 1/3 cup evaporated milk (a little less than one 12 ounce can)

2 packages (12 ounces each) semi-sweet chocolate chips (use chocolate chips 

         and not baker's chocolate.) 

2 (7 oz.) jars of marshmallow cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

melt the butter in a large saucepan. add the sugar and the evaporated milk and mix. bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly (this is a great time to bring in the kiddos and have them take turns stirring). continue boiling over medium heat for five minutes. stir constantly to prevent burning. 

remove from heat. add the chocolate chips, marshmallow cream and vanilla and mix until fully melted and incorporated. pour into a buttered 9 x 13 pan and a 8 x 8 pan (there should be enough to fill both.) cool at room temperature and cut into squares. heaven!

mmmmm, mondays: kahlua cake

i love easy recipes. making a simple cake that has kahlua inside is just and added bonus. this cake is a crowd pleaser and is about as basic as they come: semi-homemade with a twist. love, love, love!

kahlua cake

1 chocolate cake mix with pudding in the mix

4 beaten eggs

2 cups sour cream

3/4 cup kahlua

3/4 cup oil

1 bag milk chocolate chips

pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. generously grease and flour a bundt pan. in a large mixing bowl, mix cake mix, eggs, sour cream, kahlua, and oil until well blended. add chocolate chips and combine until incorporated into the cake mix. pour into cake pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. test cake with a knife to make sure it is cooked through. allow to cool and then transfer to a cake platter. serve warm with vanilla ice cream and sliced strawberries. enjoy!

what have you done?

yesterday was a long day. it included a three hour meeting, kids who refused to nap, exhausting details. at about 4:30 in the afternoon, i had reached my limit. i went in search of some therapy to aid me through the rest of my day. my secret chocolate stash is hidden in the pantry. it is somewhere between a boxed brownie mix and some unopened cake frosting. i usually can get by with one small square of chocolaty goodness, leaving the rest for another desperate day.

everything fell apart yesterday, however, when i went to find my stash, it was gone...all gone. the only person who knew of my stash was my husband. i'm sure you can imagine how well that phone call went. he swore that he only ate a couple...a couple of the whole bars of chocolate. he was certain that there was more in the pantry. only, there wasn't any more chocolate. "why would you do that? what do you need chocolate for?" the questions continued. it all boiled down to, "what have you done?"

i ended up digging through the pantry like a crack addict until i found an unopened bag of chocolate chips. it wasn't as good as my normal chocolate but it did suffice in a pinch. still, my husband showed up at home that evening with a new stash of chocolate. he's a smart man. it's now back in the hiding place. maybe i should find a new spot to hide my treasure. it looks like the children aren't the only ones i need to keep it from.

mmmmm, mondays: o'henry bars

i'm not sure where this recipe originated but it's one of my husband's favorite desserts from his childhood. he just celebrated his 40th birthday so this one's for him.

o'henry bars

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups oatmeal

1 bag chocolate chips

3/4 cup peanut butter

cream butter, brown sugar and sugar. add oatmeal. press into an 10 x 13 pan and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. remove from heat and cool.

melt peanut butter and chocolate chips over low heat. pour mixture over cooled oatmeal pan. spread chocolate mixture to coat oatmeal completely with a layer of chocolate. place in refrigerator to cool until ready to serve.


cut into 2-inch square bars.