Mom's Meatloaf ~ by Sarah

Wes and I had a hankering for meatloaf, so I called Mom and she gave me the rundown on how she makes her delicious version.  Very easy and very delicious!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs
1 c. oatmeal
5 or so butter crackers, crumbled
1 can cream of mushroom soup
a few dashes of Worcester sauce
a long squirt of ketchup
salt, pepper, seasoned salt, garlic salt
1 packet dry onion soup
barbecue sauce

Directions:
Combine all of the above ingredients except the barbecue sauce and mix well.  Pat into a 8x8 or 9x9-inch baking dish.  Top with barbecue sauce in a pretty design.  (The barbecue sauce was my idea.  Mom tops hers with ketchup, but Granddad tops his with barbecue sauce and I like that topping better!)  Bake at 350 degrees for a good hour.  Delish!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chip Cookies ~ by Sarah

A friend of mine posted that on Facebook that she had made these.  I love pumpkin and I love chocolate, so I made them right away.  They are amazingly delicious!  Worth making any time of year!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chip
- 2 cups rolled oats (oatmeal)
- 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
- 1 TB vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside. 2. Next beat butter, sugar and brown sugar until well creamed together. 3. Now add in pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Beat until combine well. 4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until incorporated. 5. Next, stir in your oats. Mix well. 6. Stir in both the white and dark chocolate chips. 7. Drop cookie dough by the rounded tablespoon on to the prepared baking. sheet. 8. Bake cookies for 14-15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. DO NOT OVERCOOK. They will seem a little soft, but will firm up as they cool. You want to keep the nice, soft texture!

Killer Brownies ~ by Sarah

I found these brownies in my Pioneer Cookbook.  I decided to give them a try and I only have one thing to say: Where have you been all my life?!?

Seriously, you must make them.  I have two theories on how these got their name.  They are so incredibly delicious when people eat them they say, "Wow!  These are some killer brownies!"

-or-

People eat them, realize they contain 4 1/2 cubes of butter (yes, you read that right), and they say, "Wow!  These are some killer brownies!  I think I might be having a heart attack!  Please call 911!"

Regardless of their name's origin, they are insanely delicious.  I took them to school yesterday and had people hunting me down all day asking for the recipe.


Ingredients:
4 1/2 cubes butter, melted (I read that applesauce can be a successful alternative to butter when baking.  If you can't get past the butter, try half applesauce and half butter.)
1/2 t. salt
3 c. oatmeal
3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
3 c. packed brown sugar
1 (about 21-oz.) bottle butterscotch/caramel sauce (I have never found them together, so I always buy one jar of each and mix them.)
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl.  Spread half of the mixture evenly on the bottom of a 15x10 3/4-inch pan.  (Make sure it's at least 1/2-inch deep.)  Pat down.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Drizzle caramel sauce over the baked mixture.  Use rubber spatula to spread to within 1/2 inch of the edges.  Sprinkle chocolate chips on caramel sauce, then sprinkle remaining dry mix on top.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cut into squares when completely cool.

Tip: Because of the copious amounts of butter in these, I highly recommend that you keep these in the refrigerator.  If the room is at all warm they really start to get gooey and are hard to hold.  Still delicious, but messy!

Peach Crisp ~ by Sarah

Another Pioneer Cookbook recipe!  I could eat just the topping and be happy!

Ingredients:
1 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. butter, melted
4 c. sliced fresh peaches
1 T. lemon juice

Directions:
Sift together flour, sugars, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.  Blend in oatmeal.  Mix in melted butter using a fork until course crumbs are formed.  Place peaches in a 13x9-inch pan.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.  Cover peaches with crumb mixture; pat down.  Cover dish and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Uncover, then bake 30 more minutes.  Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

Caramel-Apple Streusel Pie ~ by Sarah

This recipe was in my latest issue of Ruralite Magazine. I hadn't seen any pie like it, so I wanted to give it a try. It was amazing!

INGREDIENTS:
6 cups sliced peeled ripe apples (about 6 regular-sized apples--I used Granny Smith)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pie crust--enough for top and bottom
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup cold butter
18 caramels, unwrapped
5 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional--and I opted not to add them!)

DIRECTIONS:
*Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, mix apples and lemon juice. In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, the tapioca, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to apples; stir gently. Let stand 15 minutes. Place 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Pour apple mixture into pastry-lined pie plate.
*In small bowl, mix oats, flour and 3 tablespoons sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Cut second crust into wedges; arrange wedges in an alternate pattern across the mixture. (I wasn't exactly sure what they meant by this, so I did a lattice top...)
*Bake 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat caramels and milk over low heat until caramels are melted. Stir until smooth; add pecans. Drizzle over pie. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 2 hours.

Scottish Scones ~ by Kelsey

Jessie is Scottish.  I am not.  But I can still make scones.  I got this from my Pillsbury cookbook.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease cookie sheet.  Mix together the four, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Mix well.  With a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until crumbly.  Add milk all at once and stir just until moistened.  Gently knead dough (I do it in the bowl) 5-6 times.  Place on cookie sheet and press into a round about 1- inch thick.  Brush the top with 1 tablespoon melted butter.  Sprinkle the top with a little cinnamon and sugar.  Cut into 8 wedges.  Cook for 20-30 minutes.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies ~ by Kelsey

I don't remember where I got this recipe.  They are my favorite cookies, though!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter, brown sugar and white sugar.  Beat in eggs, then vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir into the creamed mixture.  Mix in the oats and chocolate chips.  Bake for 12 minutes at 325 degrees.

Peanut Butter Cocoa No-Bake Cookies ~ by Kelsey

2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking oats
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine sugar, butter, milk, cocoa and peanut butter in medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to rolling boil.  Remove from heat, cool one minute.  Add oats and vanilla. Stir to mix well.  Quickly drop mixture by heaping teaspoons onto foil on cookie sheet.  Cool in refrigerator.