Frozen peanut butter slices = FAIL

So, my friend Angela posted this video the other day and I was MIND BLOWN! https://www.facebook.com/FoodNetwork/videos/10154994813336727/

EVERY TIME Aaron eats peanut butter more ends up crusted on the knife than actually on his sandwich! If this works it could be a game changer in our kitchen. 

And besides, cold Reese’s are some of the best things on this planet! Frozen peanut butter… Hello!

She looks confident. What could go wrong? And if it fails what am I out? Some peanut butter and possibly my dignity? OK I’m game. 

Step 1: Assemble the necessary ingredients and tools. 

Step 2: Schmear a glop of  PB on the parchment. 

Step 3: Roll (relatively) thin – I think this is where it all went to hell, there must be such a thing as “too thin”. 

Too lazy to look for a rolling pin? NO PROBLEM!

Step 4: Freeze overnight. 

Yeah… maybe I rolled them too thin because they pretty much defrosted instantly and made a gooey mess. A delicious mess but a mess nonetheless. And NO, I did not drink the vodka and make these drunk. Although, not sure that would have impacted the final outcome. 

I ate what I could of one square without getting it up my nose and fed the rest to the dogs. They didn’t mind licking the goo up as much as I did, at least once they stopped trying to eat the damned paper. I totally get why the kid in the video was licking – although they at least took the PB off the paper. Mine was the low carb version. 😂

I still have about 5 in the freezer.  Don’t worry, they won’t go to waste. 

“Can’t screw these up” Cookies

OK I’m not much of a chef. No one, and I mean NO ONE, is signing up to eat my cooking.

What can I make? Baked chicken. And even E would argue that one.

Boys are hungry? There’s always cereal. Or scrambled eggs.

But when it comes to baking, I’m the one. And one of my go-to recipes is based on cookies E’s grandma made. I’ve altered it over the years and you can add and subtract and still literally not screw them up!

Want them healthy? Add wheat germ or flax. Have a variety of chips or candy pieces leftover from other recipes? Throw them in. Granola or toasted coconut? Sure, why not. No nuts? That works.  Like nasty ass raisins? I guess you could put them in, too. Not sure why you’d want to though. YUCK!

Last night, I was craving cookies but after taking the butter out to soften, I discovered we were out of eggs. When we got home from the grocery store, we were short the soft butter. #thanksdogs

Try #2: today, we’re short on oats and vanilla. No problemo.  And chips? A mix of peanut butter, semisweet, and dark that finished off 2 bags I found in the refrigerator drawer. I offered to throw mini M&Ms in but E said, no.  Next batch – if the kids (and E) don’t finish off the bag.

The original:

Unlike most recipes, this one is so forgiving you don’t have to be precise about measuring, no sifting, and don’t bother folding in the chips and nuts. It makes no difference so just dump it in and go. Why can’t all cooking be this easy?

Today’s batch came out thin and crispy probably because I ran out of oats. (BTW you can use quick cook, steel cut… heck I’ve even used packets of instant oatmeal.)

Bake until you can smell them – or for those that insist on timers (REALLY?) they bake for about 10 minutes.  And don’t be my children (or dogs), cool them for a few minutes on a wire rack or you’ll burn the hell out of your mouth.  You’ve been warned.

What do you need besides the ingredients? A decent mixer, cookie sheets, silicone baking mats, cookie scooper (mine is from Pampered Chef), and a wire rack. You probably should have a place to hide them from your “helpers”, too. #thanksdogs

Want to REALLY kick these up a notch? Make cookie sandwiches with either frosting (gag) or ICE CREAM! Dip them in chocolate and you have homemade It’s Its. OMG!

These cookies are my absolute favorite.  Besides how easy and quick they are to make, they hold a very sentimental place in my heart.  Whenever E and I would go up to visit his grandparents, there were ALWAYS cookies in the freezer waiting to welcome us after the 4 hour drive.  A freezer literally filled with Pringles cans of cookies.  And, chances are a can (or 2) was snuck into the car as we pulled out of their driveway a few days later.

So, unless your dogs have eaten your butter, go bake cookies for your loved ones.  Or yourself.  No judging here.