Whole Wheat Cowboy Cookies

I know this is going to sound ironic, but you are going to have to believe me on this one. I know how to cook healthy. Really, I do. I make salads, and whole wheat stuff, and steamed veggies and all. I also know the question that is circling your head at this very moment. 

"Where are they??, Where's all the healthy stuff?? Don't you know that 98% of the human population is at this very moment starting (or restarting) a diet?! 
Show us some healthy stuff!!" 

Yes, I hear you loud and clear. But the thing is, I believe that there is a place for everything and everything should be in it's place.  So having said that, 
Sugar+Whole Wheat≠ Healthy
 Whole wheat flour does not make everything magically healthy. Not a chance. There is no way you can make something healthy (and I mean really healthy) and still have it taste good. And you know what, if it tastes good- its not healthy. I know lot's of people who will disagree with me and tell me "But I have the most amazing whole wheat-spelt-flaxseed muffin recipe, and everyone says it tastes amazing."  That might be true, but please don't compare that to a chocolate chip banana crumb muffin. Its just totally different wavelengths. Now for anyone who has been following my ramblings thus far, you may be slightly confused at the title of this post. Didn't I just say that there's no point in making "Healthy Junk Food"?

 Spot on. These cookies aren't healthy! Gotcha didn't I?

Ok, now a few points about these cookies:

*Don't skip the rice krispies- they give the cookies an awesome crunch

*I am not sure if these cookies will come out the same with regular flour as they do with whole wheat flour- let me know if you switch it, and how it works for you.

*Make these soon- you'll thank me!

*Oh, but don't make them if you really are on a diet- then you'll just be mad at me...

*These are not the same thing as regular chocolate chip cookies
*Sorry for getting so philosophical on you today, next week I'll post something fun, I promise!

Whole Wheat Cowboy Cookies                       Makes 4 dozen cookies

1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup oatmeal (either reg. rolled or quick)
1 cup rice krispies
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Cream together: both sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix until thoroughly combined.
Gently stir in the rice krispies, oatmeal and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping teaspoonful onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for approx. 15 minutes.

Broiled Chicken with Honey Roasted Potatoes

Broiled Chicken
Broiled chicken is super easy to make, with very little effort. Its a flexible food- you can change the seasoning easily to suit your taste. 


1 chicken cut into quarters or eighths - you can leave the skin on or remove it.
Any of the following:
Montreal Chicken Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Paprika
Cajun Seasoning
Salad Dressing
Teriyaki Sauce
Barbecue Sauce

Arrange chicken in an aluminum 9x13 pan. Sprinkle seasonings and/or sauce onto chicken. You can refrigerate it at this point until you are ready to broil the chicken. Adjust your oven rack to be one level higher than usual. Turn your oven on to the broil setting. This is usually 500° but most ovens have a special setting. Broil chicken for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and broil again for 8-10 minutes, depending on how rare/well done you like it.


Honey Roasted Potatoes
1 pound red potatoes, cubed
1 medium diced onion
3 tablespoons margarine, melted ( you can substitute oil, but the margarine makes it creamier)

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons mustard
• salt to taste
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C). Lightly coat a 9X11 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Place potatoes in a single layer in prepared dish. In a small saucepan, melt margarine. Saute the diced onion until it starts to become clear. Add in the mustard,honey, salt and pepper. Cook until it is well combined. Drizzle the honey mustard sauce over the potatoes. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until tender, stirring halfway through the cooking time.

Yellow Cupcakes with Creamy Chocolate Frosting

My little sister's birthday was last week. Yep, this one. And this one. Same one +  She's amazing and I love her. Ok enough mushy stuff. I got her a card, and had The Three Little Monkeys add their artwork to the back. Then  Z-monkey had the cutest idea. 
Let's make her cupcakes and mail them to her. 
 Only my son would think up such a crazy idea, and have complete confidence in his mother to carry it through. And only I would be crazy enough to agree to it. Anyways, who would knew it, but AC Moore has these adorable little cupcake boxes. They even come with little inserts to hold the cupcakes in place. I put a skewer in each cupcake exactly the height of the box to hold it down (in case the mail man turned the box upside down) and put a candy on top to prevent icing from shmooshing all over the window. Then I put the cupcake box in a box just slightly bigger than it and stuffed styrofoam all around the cupcake box. Then I sent it off from the post office and held my breath...

....and held it....












....and held it....








and five days later....



Oh dear, so maybe they got a little smashed, but it was the thought that counts, right? 
Happy Birthday ML!

Yellow Cupcakes                       

                                                                                                                 Makes 12 cupcakes

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon table salt

8 tablespoons margarine (1 stick), room temperature

½ cup sour cream

1 large egg , room temperature

2 large egg yolks , room temperature

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin/cupcake tin with paper or foil liners. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla; beat at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain. Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tin. Bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes to room temperature before frosting.

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

• 2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream or Rich's whip
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa, and set aside.In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with cream. Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, adjust consistency with more cream or sugar.

Here is a great clip from MyBakingAddiction that explains really clearly on how to pipe frosting beautifully on cupcakes.

                      

* It has been brought to my attention that many people have no idea how to leave a comment on blogger ☺This would explain the dearth of comments around here...Anyone who needs help with leaving a comment, check here: Blogger Support or email me. If you think no one cares if you comment, check out what this blogger wrote. I thought they summed it up quite well...*