Cowboy Cookies

Have any of you ever eaten these before? Oh.my.goodness. They are basically an everything but the kitchen sink cookie, or for those of you Bulldog Deli fans like a Royal Supreme. Unless you have lots of willpower, I suggest you invite some friends over so you don't eat all 3 dozen of them...They're that good! I'm posting the original recipe, but then I'll tell you how to make them even better.



1 c. soft butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp.vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp.baking soda
1 tsp.baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. oatmeal
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (whole bag)
1 c. chopped pecans
4 oz. hershey bar, broken up

Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the remaining ingredients, one at a time. I do this all in my Kitchen-Aid mixer with the paddle attachment. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

**Ok, here's what I do: I don't add the hershey bar at all. Instead of the whole bag of chocolate chips, I do half a bag of semisweet chips and half a bag of white chocolate chips. I had butterscotch morsels, so I threw some of those in there too! I also add about 1/2 cup of shredded coconut. Raisins or dried cranberries would be really good too. Feel free to add or swap your favorite ingredients for the last 3 ingredients in the original list. Enjoy!

The Help

I just got done reading this book this afternoon and I highly recommend it, especially those of you who are from Mississippi! It is the story of three women who are trying to shed light on what it is like to be "The Help" in white people's houses in Jackson during the Civil Rights movement. The story is told from the perspective of three women, Abilene, Minny, and Skeeter. Both Abilene and Minny are maids and Skeeter is collecting their stories for a book she's trying to write. Throughout the secretive process, the three women develop a bond and understanding between them that none of them expect. This book is both sad and funny and really makes you realize how much things have changed in the last 50 years.

Being from Jackson, it was really neat to know all the of the places they were talking about in the book. They are about to get started on turning this book into a movie, but most of it will be shot in Greenwood, instead of Jackson. So, if you are like me and like to read the book before they butcher it as a movie (most of the time), then I would add this to your reading list.

Random Musings

I just realized that I forgot to reveal the project I was working on. So, if you come over to my house, you will be greeted by this:


Isn't it cute? I got the idea from a craft blog and the wreath part is made out of styrofoam floral wreaths I got from the dollar store. The whole thing cost around $10. I am really pleased with how it turned out.

Moving on...I am getting ready to head to Texas tomorrow to see my parents, Sarah, and Presley. I'm getting pretty excited! They have an awesome outlet mall that I can't wait to hit up as well as THE best Mexican restaurants ever. My favorite thing to order is shrimp tacos. Yum! I'll be sure to take a picture to share with ya'll so everyone can be jealous. Don't worry though, I will share a recipe that I found for shrimp tacos that is a close second!

So until next week, I will leave you with one last picture for the week.

What is this you may ask? Strawberry Fig Preserves!! If you have ever spent the weekend at my house, then chances are you have probably spread this delicious jam on some buttered biscuits. My grandmother and I usually make this every summer and I was beyond thrilled when I found a ginormous fig tree in our new backyard. Jackpot!! I don't have any pictures yet of the finished product in cute little jars since they have to rest upside down overnight, so I guess you'll just have to make a visit to Starkville and try for yourself!

Creamy Tomato Basil Shrimp Pasta

I made this shrimp pasta for dinner last night and it was delicious and easy, my favorite combination! This recipe came from the Kraft Food & Family magazine which USED to be free, but of course now you have to buy. Sterling's grandmother had an extra copy, so I got mine for FREE! You can probably still get many of the recipes free from Kraft's website. Anyway, back to the recipe.

3 cups farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked *

1/4 cup Kraft Sun-Dried tomato dressing, divided

1 lb. uncooked peeled deveined shrimp

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

4 oz. (1/2 block) reduced fat cream cheese , cubed

2 cups grape tomatoes

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

8 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips (I used dried)

salt, pepper, and garlic powder (I don't measure, just add until it tastes good!)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook shrimp in a skillet in 2 T of dressing. Cook until pink and remove from skillet.

Add remaining dressing, broth, and seasonings to skillet. Cook 2 minutes, then add whisk in cream cheese and parmesan cheese until melted. Stir in tomatoes and shrimp.

Toss pasta with sauce and top with fresh basil. I added green onions for color since I didn't have fresh basil.

* The recipe calls for bowtie pasta, but as you can see in the picture, those aren't bowties. Wanna know why? Well, when I was at the store, the only whole wheat bowties I could find were $2.50 a box! So, I got the store brand whole wheat rotini instead for $1.00. When I get home, the hubby informs me this is unacceptable since bowtie is his favorite and he despises rotini. Seriously?! It all tastes the same! Luckily I had some whole wheat linguine in the pantry. Crisis resolved

Summer Squash Pie

This recipe is my great-grandmother's and is a perfect side dish for the summer and a great way to use up any leftover squash. I made it the other night, but forgot to take a picture (I will have to remember to start doing that!) I make it in a glass pie plate and it turns out similar to a quiche, but not as eggy. Even if you don't like squash, you are sure to love this dish!

2 cups diced squash (you can also use zucchini)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 c. Bisquick
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c.parmesan cheese (or cheddar or whatever you have!)
salt, pepper, and garlic powder

*The other night I also added roasted red peppers, and it was great!

Mix all together and pour in a greased pie pan. I like to sprinkle with paprika to add a bit of color. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Did I mention how EASY this recipe is?

I'm Back!

It has been an extremely long time since I have posted anything, and I don't know if anyone is even reading anymore, but I'm back! I have deleted all the old posts (especially that last soapbox from the dear hubby...surely you did not think that was me!) and am starting with a clean blogging slate. I am going to try and do better this time around, but no promises.

Since I am off for the summer, I have been doing a lot of laying by the pool, relaxing, reading, crafting, and stay-at-home wife sorts of things like home canning, so I thought I would share some of what I have been up to. Another thing I want to start doing is sharing recipes that are delish as well as book reviews because frankly there really is not much other excitement in our lives at the moment!
So for now, please let me know if you are still out there and I will leave you with a sneak peek of my latest project. Any guesses as to what it will be???