So here's what our table looked like on Valentine's Day. The kids love to 'set' the table for us for any special occasion. I love how they add their own special cards for us. We save these cards in their baby boxes and years down the road we open the boxes up and go through the things we have saved. It's alot of fun for the kids.

Another surpprise for Valentine's Day was these delicious peanut butter balls from a friend. She included the recipe so I could make them myself. (The bowl was full before the picture but you can't eat just one.) Here's the recipe for the peanut butter lovers out there.


Peanut Butter Balls

2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups peanut butter
1/4 cup melted butter

Mix together all ingredients. Shape into small balls. Cool in freezer for at least 1/2 hour or longer. Dip into a mixture of 1/2 chocolate bark and 1/2 chocolate chips, melted. Cool on wax paper.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

Teddy LOVES oatmeal. So when I remembered I had this recipe in a book that I had not opened for 20 years, I thought I would make them for him. He loved them too. He ate all 5 that he took and put on his plate. So.....this recipe is for Teddy.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix oatmeal and buttermilk and let set for 15 minutes. Stir in egg, sugar and oil. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into oat mixture just until moistenend.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake @ 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

4 cups sugar
12 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
1 stick butter
1 cup milk

Mix and boil in a dutch oven until sugar is dissolved. Add:

6 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
2 cups coconut

Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper.

Peanut Butter-Fudge Swirls

Had a craving for a peanut butter cookie today so I thought I would dig out one of my old recipes and start baking. These are easy and fun to make but don't last long at our house. One of my kids (who claims he does not like peanut butter) ate a handful and then just looked at me like "what?!" Good thing I snuck some dough before baking because after dinner when I went to get one they had all disappeared! Oh well, maybe next time!

This is the trickiest part of the cookie. Just slowly place the white dough on top of the chocolate dough.


Refrigerate cookie dough so it will slice evenly. Slice into 1/4-inch cookies...


Bake 2-inches apart. Maybe not even 2 inches...


Bake for 10 minutes and enjoy!


1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 square (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

In a large mixing bowl beat butter, peanut butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or until combined. Add about half of the flour. Add sugar, egg, milk, vanilla, soda and salt. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat or stir in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Set one portion aside. To the remaining portion, knead or stir in melted chocolate until thoroughly combined.

To shape dough, place each half of dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Using a rolling pin, roll each half into a 12x11-inch rectangle. Remove top sheets of waxed paper. Carefully invert peanut butter dough on top of chocolate-peanut butter dough. Remove waxed paper from top. If necessary, pat the 2 layers together to form the 12x11-inch rectangle. If desired, trim dough around edges. From the long side, roll up jelly-roll style, removing bottom sheet of waxed paper as you roll. Cut the roll in half. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap, then chill for 4 to 48 hours.

Cut chilled dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until done. Remove cookies and cool on a wire rack.

Cheeseburger Soup

1 pound ground beef
1-1/2 cup chopped onion
1-1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1-1/2 cup celery, diced
1 teaspoon basil
2 teaspoons parsley
8 tablespoons butter, divided
6 cups chicken broth
8 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
3 cups milk
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sour cream

Brown beef and set aside. In same dutch oven, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 2 tablespoons butter until vegetables are tender. (About 10 minutes.)
Add broth, potatoes and beef. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer (covered) for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir 3 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Blend in sour cream.

Pork Steak Delight in the Crock-Pot

Ingredients
•3-4 pounds pork steak cut into strips
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•1 large white onion sliced
•1 green bell pepper cut into strips
•10 fresh mushrooms chopped (I left those out)
•1 pint (2 cups) tomato sauce
•6 tablespoons light brown sugar
•3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
•3 teaspoons salt
•6 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions
1.Brown pork in oil in skillet then drain on double paper towel.
2.Place pork and all remaining ingredients into crock pot then cover and cook on low 6 hours.
3.Serve over hot buttered noodles or rice.

Fast Fruity Delight

This is a Jell-O recipe that kids can make. My kids love how fast this can be done because they can eat it right away. We double the recipe because it only makes 4 servings. Karissa is practicing with her camera so she took the above picture for me.

Fast Fruity Delight:

3/4 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (3 oz.) raspberry gelatin
2 cups frozen raspberries
1 cup thawed Cool Whip

Add boiling water to gelatin and mix in large bowl; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add berries; stir until gelatin starts to thicken.

Stir 1/2 cup gelatin mixture into Cool Whip with whisk until well blended; spoon into 4 dessert dishes. Cover with remaining gelatin mixture.

Can eat right away or refrigerate.