Apple Cranberry Crisp

INGREDIENTS

2/3 c. oatmeal (not instant)
3 Tbsp flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp margarine
3 Tbsp cornstarch
4 c. apples (peeled and sliced)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/5 Tbsp lemon juice (have used orange too)
1 c. fresh/frozen cranberries

DIRECTIONS
1. Set over to 375 degrees
2. Mix oats, flour, 1/3 c. brown sugar and melted butter
3. In separate bowl, mix the rest of sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon
4. Add apples, lemon juice and cranberries to step 3
5. Place fruit mixture in 2 quart dish
6. Sprinkle with oat topping
7. Bake 35-45 minutes

Serve warm with ice cream

Avocado Black Bean Salsa

INGREDIENTS

1 avocado
1/2 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 tomato (diced)
cilantro to taste
salt to taste
lime to taste

DIRECTIONS

Basically mix all ingredients together until you get the flavor you like.
Eat as a dip with chips, with pita bread, inside a tortilla,...

Good for a lunch/snack.

Grilled Cheese Pizza

This is a good quick toddler lunch and they can help prepare it too!

Mozarella/Provolone Cheese
Bread
Pepperoni (I use the mini's for my toddler)
Butter
Pizza Sauce (I have used spaghetti sauce)

Butter one side of bread. On the opposite side of the bread, add cheese, pepperoni, and pizza sauce. Grill the sandwich as you would grilled cheese (with butter side out). Dip with pizza sauce if wanted.

Oatmeal Cranberry Drops

1 c. flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp orange zest
3 c. quick oats
1 c. white chocolate chips
1 c. dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and both sugars in separate large bowl until creamy.
4. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and orange zest.
5. Beat in flour mistrue.
6. Stir in oatmeal one cup at a time.
7. Add chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
8. Drop heaping teaspoonfulls on cookie sheet, 1 inch apart and bake for 10 minutes

** I got this recipe from Parenting magazine (Dec/Jan 08)

Million-dollar Caramel Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. white sugar, plus 1Tbs
1 c. packed light-brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2.5 c. flour, plus 1/4 c.
3/4 c. cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
2 Heath candy bars
1 bag Rolo chewy caramels

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Beat butter and sugars until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
3. In separate bowl, mix 2.5 c. flour, cocoa, baking soda. Add dry mixture to wet mixture a little at a time and blend well. Sprinkle extra flour if dough is too sticky. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Chop Heath bars and toss with 1 Tbsp sugar
5. Wrap a piece around each caramel, forming a 1 inch ball and covering the candy completely. Dip top of the dough ball into the candy topping and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Cookies will look quite soft, but don't overbake. Cool in pan slightly, then move to a rack.

This is from the Parenting magazine (Jan 09)

Chocolate Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 large egg
1tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with wax paper.
In the bowl mix the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla and beat. Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt and then add to the butter and egg mixture. Stir until just mixed. Fold in the the chocolate chips.
Make each cookie about 1 1/2 T, spacing about 2 inches apart.
Bake for approximately 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes about 24 - 3 inch round cookies.


I've also used butterscotch, caramel, and reg. chocolate chips in these. My favorite is white chocolate (surprisingly! I don't normally like white chocolate!)
(Can't remember where I got this, probably somewhere online)

Zucchini Bread *****

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini


DIRECTIONS
1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

I got this recipe from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Moms-Zucchini-Bread/Detail.aspx
This is a new big winner. I made it before our long flight to Asia to try and get some veggies into my toddler en route. Shockingly both he and my husband loved it!