Healthier Chewy Oatmeal cookies

These turned out so good, I started with this recipe and then tweaked it a little bit.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup applesauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups rolled oats

optional:

about 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

dash of cloves

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease cookie sheet.

Cream butter, sugars, and applesauce. Add eggs one at a time mixing in between, then add vanilla and mix. Stir in dry ingredients, then add oats and mix. Add optional ingredients, making sure that batter is well mixed.

Place on baking sheet by rounded spoonfuls. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then place on cooling rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Marshmallow-Almond Key Lime Pie

I found this really good pie here, and had to share it

Marshmallow-Almond Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted, divided
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, divided
• 1/2 cup key lime juice
• 1 tablespoon grated key lime peel
• Dash salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1-3/4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 4-1/2 teaspoons butter
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

• Place the flour, brown sugar and 1/2 cup almonds in a food processor. Cover and process until blended. Add melted butter and honey; cover and process until crumbly. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a large bowl, beat the milk, 5 ounces cream cheese, lime juice, peel and salt until blended. Add egg yolk; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a large saucepan, combine marshmallows and butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Add cream and remaining cream cheese; beat until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
• Beat marshmallow mixture until light and fluffy. Spread over pie; sprinkle with remaining almonds. Yield: 8 servings.

Coconut Haupia Cream Pie

This is a bit involved but well worth the time. You can save some time by using either a regular pastry crust or graham cracker (you can even use premade) and still have a great pie. I think the crust from this pie could also work really well, and it's quite a bit easier.

Crust

1 cup unsalted butter

2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup melted butter

Haupia Pudding

6 oz coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1/4 cup cornstarch

Coconut Bavarian Cream

1 rounded T unflavored geletin

3 T water

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 1/2 cups milk

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (toasted if you like)

To make the crust:

preheat oven to 350

Mix butter and vanilla together, add egg, flour, salt and mix together. Place dough on a greased baking sheet and bake 15 - 20 min. Let cool, refrigerate 1 hour. Crumble 2 cups of cookie, add melted butter and mix by hand. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a pie plate and the rest up the sides. Bake another 15 - 20 minutes.

Make the pudding next:

In a saucepan combine coconut milk, sugar and 1/2 cup milk bring to a slow boil. In a bowl mix together the remaining 1/2 cup milk, and the cornstarch. Mix until there are no lumps, then slowly add to the hot mixture stirring constantly till thick. Remove from stove and pour into the pie crust. Refrigerate until cold and set.

To make the cream:

Soften geletin with the water in a small bowl, set aside. Whip the whipping cream and set aside. Combine milk, egg yolks and sugar in a stainless steel or glass bowl and set over a double boiler. Cook until the mixture coats a spoon and you can run a finger through it and a line remains. Remove from heat and add the set geletin; mix well. Set hot bowl over an ice bath and stir until it cools and starts to thicken. Fold the whipping cream in, in 2 parts. Add coconut and fold in. Layer this on top of the pudding in the pie plate and chill 2 more hours.

Lighter Cole Slaw

I don't know that there is anything really unique about this coleslaw recipe that I came up with, but it's a great alternative to the regular old slaw recipe. It's still sweet and tangy like the original, but it's lighter and it can be outside without worrying about it being in the heat.

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar (you could use apple cider vinegar too)

1/2 cup oil (I used canola)

about 2.5 tablespoons sugar

pepper to taste and salt if you like

about 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 bag shredded cabbage and carrots

whisk together the top ingredients and pour over the cabbage and carrots. Mix well.

*if you like more tang you can up the vinegar and canola to 1/3 cups

Mock Champagne Punch

My parents were looking for a punch recipe that wasn't red (since they just got new carpet) for a graduation party they were hosting! I found this recipe for them and it was a huge hit. This punch can also be put into a champagne fountain.

Ingredients

2 cups simple syrup, chilled

1 (32 fluid ounce) bottle raspberry flavored carbonated water, chilled

1 (64 fluid ounce) bottle white grape juice, chilled

2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage, chilled

Directions

1. In a large punch bowl, mix together simple syrup, carbonated water, white grape juice and lemon-lime soda.

Makes 60 servings

Ice Cream Crunch

This is our favorite summer time dessert. If you make it at least a day in advance and it has a chance to freeze hard- you can slice it into "ice cream bars." We usually enjoy it the evening of the day we prepare it and just use a fork to eat it. We almost always double the recipe and make it in a sheet cake pan.

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 cups crisp rice cereal

2 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans)

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

In a 3qt saucepan cook the butter and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves.

Mix the cereal, coconut and nuts. Add the caramel mixture and stir until well mixed. Press half of the cereal mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Spread the softened ice cream over the cereal mixture. Top with the remaining cereal mix. Freeze until firm.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

A few weeks ago I went to a great restaurant in town. They had an amazing Curries Broccoli soup, so as soon as I came home I had to find a recipe that was similar. And yes I know this is cauliflower, not broccoli, however I had all of the ingredients on hand so I made this and boy am I glad. So first here's the actual recipe I found, then I'll tell you all what I added and did different!

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 onion, cut into chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, halved
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon curry paste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the cauliflower, onion, and garlic on a baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
2. Bring vegetable stock, coconut milk, and curry paste to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the roasted vegetables, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Carefully puree the soup in a blender until it has reached your desired consistency, serve, and enjoy!

* I use Patak's curry paste, since I don't like the flavor of Thai curry paste. I find it at Cost Plus World Market.

Okay so now for my changes, lol. A while ago I posted my Coconut Curry Chicken which is really similar, so I kind of merged the two.

1) I steamed the cauliflower and the onion instead of roasted. A friend roasted hers and said it didn't add any extra flavor so it's up to you. Once it was done I blended it in the blender with the broth will it was smooth.

2) I marinated chicken in the curry paste like in the chicken recipe, then I sauteed it in the soup pot till done.

3) Next I poured the rest of the ingredients into the soup pot, including the pureed cauliflower and onions, and stirred. Then I also added matchstick carrots to the mix., and simmer it all.

It was so similar to the flavor and texture of the soup I had that I think next time I make it I'll also add finely chopped broccoli with the carrots.

Banana Dessert

Crust:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Pat into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Second layer:

1- 8oz package, cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 container Cool Whip (12oz)

Mix thoroughly. Spread gently over crust.

Third layer:

1 small package instant vanilla pudding

1 small package instant banana pudding

2 cups cold milk

Whip until thick. Pour over second layer.

Fourth layer:

3 large bananas, sliced over the top of the pudding layer.

Fifth layer:

Gently spread cool whip over the top of the dessert. Refrigerate until serving.

Butter Cookies

These are our favorite cut out cookies! They're rich and border on the edge of being crisp- instead of soft. We love the flavor and they don't puff up while baking so your designs stay put through baking.

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, unbeaten

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually add the flour and baking powder. Chill until firm. Roll out, cut, and bake at 350 degrees until the edges start to brown (I'm thinking 10-12 minutes, but my directions just say, "until they start to brown")