Teedy's Gigantic Awesome Oatmeal Cookies! (With Photos)

I've never been an extraordinary baker but I can make some hell-fire cookies! The cakes I bake taste pretty good but they usually come out looking like a but if a disaster. My husband, Peto, is an excellent baker, so his help is making my cakes look a bit better.

I always make a huge array of cookies for Christmas to share ith family and friends. My specialties are Double Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter with Chocolate Toffee Chips. This recipe is one that I created recently to put a spin on my basic Oatmeal Cookie Recipe. The addition of something as simple as almond extract makes for a rich fantastic flavor.

When I give cookies as a gift I tend to make them bite sized or standard. When I make cookies for at home consumption, I make them GIGANTIC!!!!

This recipe makes 24 standard cookies or 12 Gigantic cookies

Teedy's Gigantic Awesome Oatmeal Cookies!

1 cups all - purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup oats
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream margarine, oil, vanilla and almond extracts, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients until well blended. Mix in oats, nuts and chocolate chips. Drop from a tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. I like to make nice large balls and flatten them just a bit. I love GIGANTIC cookies!!!

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Let set up on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy them with a glass of cold milk or my favorite, a cup of steaming dark roast coffee. Mmmmmmmm....

Now...

Go, eat!!

If you enjoy the recipes, please share my blog with your friends. If you have a recipe you'd like to share in Friendly Foods, please send it in. Photos are also appreciated! teedycooks@gmail.com

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Citrus Water, Ginger Chicken, Couscous & Spicy Cabbage (With Photos)

First I will begin this little food exploration with the Citrus Water. A great way to make water more appealing and delicious is by dropping in fresh fruit. Almost any fruit can be added to water to make it tasty and gorgeous! Some people who have no interest in drinking water need a little encouragement. My favorites are, lemon and red grapefruit, melon and cucumber, red and green apple & green grapes and strawberry. The one I choose for this dish is lemon and red grapefruit because it compliments the flavors in the Ginger Chicken.
 

Add a few slices to your water and put it into the fridge until its time for dinner. You want it to sit for a while so that the fruit can lightly flavor the water.
 
Now onto the chicken!
 
This is an easy dish yet full of flavor. It makes a good weekday meal but can also be served for an intimate dinner party with friends. Just add a nice bottle of white wine.
 
I don't have this in true recipe format, but it's easy to follow.
 
I like to get nice large boneless skinless chicken breasts and that way you only need one per person. I wash the chicken breast under cold water and then pat dry with a paper towel. Lay the chicken breast on an antibacterial chopping board or a plate and score it in a crisscross pattern, making sure not to cut all the way thru.
 

This process makes the seasoning embed itself into the chicken, giving you delicious flavor through the chicken.
 
 
 
Finely mince, 1 teaspoon of each, garlic, pickled ginger and cilantro (coriander). Sprinkle sea salt and crushed red pepper over the chicken breast to taste and then press the minced ingredients into to your chicken.
 
 

Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and set your oven at 185C. I use a paper towel with olive oil and rub it along the bottom of a glass baking dish to bake my chicken.
 
Now you can prepare your cabbage. I slice my cabbage into long thin strips, wash it and place it into a medium stock pot. On top I add minced garlic, sliced red onion, and a spice mix that I prepare of 17 spice no salt seasoning, cayenne pepper, smoked sea salt, paprika powder, white pepper and dried oregano.
 

 

I drizzle a little vegetable oil over the top and turn it on a medium heat. I stir it around and only cook it until the cabbage and onions soften slightly. I like a nice crisp to the vegetables.
 
I prepare my couscous according to the box directions but I always use chicken broth instead of just water for more flavor. I stir in sliced green onion, cover and set aside until its time to serve.
 
I pop the chicken into the oven for 25 minutes or until the chicken runs with clear juice. 15 into cooking I sprinkle sliced green onion over the chicken.
 
When the chicken is done I take it from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. I place a chicken breast onto a bed of the spicy cabbage and the couscous next to this lovely fragrant birdie!
 

 

 

 
 
Now...
 
Go, eat!!
 
If you enjoy the recipes, please share my blog with your friends. If you have a recipe you'd like to share in Friendly Foods, please send it in. Photos are also appreciated! teedycooks@gmail.com
 

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Glorious Food (Photos Only)

Organic Asparagus

Fabulous Fresh Mushrooms sautéed in butter

Long Smoked Salmon

 

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Spinach and Feta Breakfast Casserole

Egg casseroles are fantastic! You can use a wide variety of ingredients to make one so the options are endless. When doing this particular style casserole for brunch you can have Greek side dishes. For example, instead of regular toast you can have oven toasted pita and a Greek Salad. Be adventurous! Food can be an adventure.

This casserole has to be chilled at least 8 hours before baking, so it's perfect to prepare the night before and then pop it into the oven the following day. This recipe is great for a special breakfast or a brunch. The serving size is for 8-10 people but you can, of course, cut it in half.

Spinach and Feta Breakfast Casserole
Servings: 8 – 10

1 box of Caesar croutons
¼ cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
10 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
¾ teaspoons Greek seasoning blend (recipe follows)

Greek Seasoning Blend

2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Mix all of the herbs and spices together and store in an airtight container. It makes about 1/4 cup.


Lightly grease a 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle croutons evenly over the bottom of the dish.

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add spinach and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and spread evenly over croutons. Sprinkle mozzarella and feta evenly over spinach.

In a medium bowl, gently beat eggs. Don't over beat the eggs, there's more mixing to follow. Add cream and milk, whisking to combine. Pour over casserole. There should be no need to add extra salt. The cheeses are salty so you don't want to over do it. Sprinkle evenly with Greek seasoning blend, cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until top is puffed and golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into generous squares to serve.

Now...

Go, eat!!

If you enjoy the recipes, please share my blog with your friends. If you have a recipe you'd like to share in Friendly Foods, please send it in. Photos are also appreciated! teedycooks@gmail.com

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Mississippi Mud Pie

I first learned how to make this pie when I was about 13 years old. There was a cooking show that came on PBS in New Orleans in the days before The Food Network. I saw a little lady from Lafayette, Louisiana make this and I immediately began to aggravate my mom to get the ingredients. When she saw how simple it was she agreed and I insisted on making it myself.

When it was done, we were both surprised by how delicious it was. Really simple ingredients but lots of taste.

In the recipe below, I've substituted Cool Whip for homemade whipped cream. I like the taste of homemade whipped cream but you can, of course, use ready made whipped topping if you desire.

 

Mississippi Mud Pie

1/2 stick butter
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

Mix butter and flour well. Add chopped pecans, mix until pecans are well coated. Press firmly into bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Let it cool for 1/2 hour.

FIRST FILLING:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 &1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
2 pints heavy cream, whipped to firm peaks with 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar.

Mix well and spread on crust.

SECOND FILLING:

1 package instant chocolate pudding
1 package instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups cold milk

Mix well and spread on top of cream cheese mixture. Spread remaining whipped cream on top of pudding mixture and refrigerate.

 

This is a really fun dessert to make that can be made easily with tiny people. By tiny people, I mean kids. It's super tasty and has an incredibly fun name!


Now...

Go, eat!!

If you enjoy the recipes, please share my blog with your friends. If you have a recipe you'd like to share in Friendly Foods, please send it in. Photos are also appreciated! teedycooks@gmail.com

 

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Vatican's Homemade Mayonnaise (Friendly Foods)

Eddie Cox and Vatican Lokey are two of my most favoritest people in the whole of the wide, wide universe. (I am aware there are grammatical and spelling issues in that sentence. It's intentional.) They have been true and amazing friends for many, many years. I grew up around them and watching them on stage helped me learn how to be a performer, not just a singer.

Eddie and Vatican are also very good friends with my mom, whom I call, Shorty Cupcake. I call her that because she's super sweet and stands only 4 foot 11 inches tall. They visit her often and look out for her since I'm on the other side of the Atlantic.

 

Vatican & Eddie!

Vatican is great in the kitchen and he has contributed some recipes to Teedy Cooks. He sent me a mail today with one of those tasty lovelies! You'll find the mail with his recipe for Homemade Mayonnaise below...Hi Sweetie,

Eddie suggested I send you the recipe for Shorty Cupcakes' favorite homemade mayo.

It looks more complicated than it really is.

The most important things to remember:
All the ingredients MUST be at room temperature.
The key to good mayo is patience at the beginning.
Each egg yolk can take up to but no more than 3/4 cup of oil. Any more than that will cause the mayo to separate and be ruined.

I look at mayo as more than just a condiment. I see it as another part of the total nutrition package we should be getting everyday. My recipe is not the basic, but I have worked to refine this recipe for maximum nutritional efficiency.

All the oils I use are cold-expeller pressed.

Tools
Spatula, Bowl, Electric mixer, tablespoon

Base
Yolks of 3 free range organic chicken eggs
1 Tbs dry mustard or 2 Tbs stone ground or spicy brown prepared mustard

Oil Mixture
1 3/4 cups canola or safflower oil
1/4 cup each toasted sesame oil and extra virgin olive oil
Blend thoroughly.

Acid Mixture
3 Tbls. Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbl. Balsalmic Vinegar or Salata Salad Vinegar
1 Tbl. lemon juice
1Tbs. Liquid Amino Acids (or comparable amount low salt soy sauce)
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp stevia extract powder
2 Tbs. nutritive yeast flakes, dissolved in mixture (optional)
Mix these together thoroughly and set aside.

Final Ingredient
3 Tbs. boiling hot water

Start the water boiling now. On the highest speed possible beat the egg yolks for at least a full minute or until they get lighter and more viscous. Add the mustard and beat again for another minute. At this point begin adding the oil to the mixture one tablespoon at a time. (IMPORTANT! You cannot stop adding the oil for any reason until you have added at least a third of a cup. If you stop before that point the mixture collapses and you have to start all over again.) Constantly push the splatter back into the mixture to ensure even distribution of the oils. After the 1/3 cup has been added you can add the acid mixture by single tablespoons and mixing well in between doses. Be careful with the acids to oil ratio. Too much acid makes the mayo thin.

Once you have used up all of the oil and have the consistency you like, add the tablespoons of boiling water to the mayo one at a time. The boiling water sets the sauce and prevents it from separating.

Place into a clean jar with a good seal and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.

You will be very, very surprised at how good fresh homemade mayo can be. With time the process becomes second nature. I have not bought prepackaged mayo in the stores for over two years, and I even give batches to friends on a regular basis.


Now...

Go, eat!!

If you enjoy the recipes, please share my blog with your friends. If you have a recipe you'd like to share in Friendly Foods, please send it in. Photos are also appreciated! teedycooks@gmail.com

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