Oatmeal Pies with Salted Carmel

My inlaws always offer us when we go visit Little Debbie's Oatmeal Cream Pies and brings back memories of child hood and ALL the Little Debbie snacks that I consumed when I was young. 

I have been trying my hardest lately to make snacks for my kids instead of buying the ones from the store that has weird ingredients. So what's better than just oats, butter, sugar and vanilla without the preservatives. 

Well here is the most delicious tasty oatmeal pies ever. 

Ingredients

• 1¼ cup (2.5 sticks) butter(cold)
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 large egg(cold)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 cups quick oats

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until well combined, about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to butter and mix on low speed just until combined. Add the oats and stir until just combined.
   
   
3. Use a medium cookie scoop to place dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes until edges start to turn golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
   

BUTTERCREAM 

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbs whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Place the butter, sugar, whipping cream and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
2. When the cookies are cool, sandwich frosting between two cookies. Enjoy!! :)

SALTED CARMEL

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons salted butter, cubed
• 
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook just the sugar. Whisk it occasionally as it melts and cook it until it turns a deep amber color. Then add the butter and stir until it is melted. Add the heavy cream and whisk until the caramel is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool.

Drizzle over Oatmeal Pies. 

*adapted from pinterest

TURKEY BALLS<----lol

Ok ok I know....."that's so inappropriate" this title....well suck it up lol!!!! 

These are to die for!!! In not lying I had two huge plates of spaghetti. I almost made myself sick. AND if you know me you know that I have this ONE rule about spaghetti...."if it's not Henrietta's(my gma) I don't want it....PERIOD". Well I retract that statement, well not in its entirety..it should now say,"I'd its not Henrietta's OR this spaghetti with turkey balls I don't want it". 

Ingredients

• 1 - 1.5 lbs. of ground turkey
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
• ⅓ cup dried parsley
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder
• black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 
• 3 Tbsp tomato sauce

Instructions: 

In a bowl, combine everything

Form small balls of the meat and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment. 

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes (this could be longer or shorter depending on the size of the meatballs).

I used Kroger brand spaghetti sauce, roasted garlic, and added my meatballs in as I heated up sauce. OMGEEEEE, it was soooo good!!

Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms

Ingredients:
8 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, sliced 
1 lb. fresh green beans
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Garlic powder 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Wash mushrooms and let drain. While mushrooms are drying, trim ends of beans and cut beans in half so you have bite-sized pieces. Cut mushrooms into slices. 

Put cut beans and mushrooms into a Ziploc bag. Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pour over, then shake bag so all the beans and mushrooms are lightly coated with the mixture. Arrange on large cookie sheet, spreading them out well so beans and mushrooms are not crowded. Roast 20-30 minutes. Cook until beans are tender-crisp, mushrooms are cooked, and all liquid on the pan from mushrooms has evaporated. Season beans to taste with garlic, salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve hot.

adapted from pinterest

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Who doesn't love lemon and garlic?!?! If you don't, don't worry about the first line 😂😂!!! 

This recipe not only combines two spectacular ingredients but it also can be made in the CROCKPOT!!! Yep that's right...a whole chicken ready by the time you're ready for dinner!!! 

Ingredients

• 4 lemons(sliced)
• 2-3 heads of garlic
• 1 whole chicken 4 to 5 pounds
• Fresh thyme
• Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning 

Instructions

1. Cut garlic heads and lemons in half and lay in bottom of slow cooker.
2. Add thyme.
3. Remove insides from chicken, rinse chicken and pat dry.
4. Season chicken well, inside and out, with rotissierie seasoning or just kosher salt and fresh pepper.
5. Lay chicken on top of garlic and lemon slices. 
6. Cover top of chicken with additional lemon slices and rosemary

1. Turn slow cooker to high, and cook for about 4 hours, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees.
2. When chicken has reached 165, turn off slow cooker and let chicken rest for about 15 minutes.
3. Remove from slow cooker, carve and serve.
4. Liquid from slow cooker can be strained and served over chicken.

Adapted from Pinterest