Category Archives: Nico in the Kitchen

Jan 24

Breakfast Success

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I’m always trying to get my picky toddler to eat more. Today we attempted Homemade Pancakes, oh yes from scratch. I was in charge of mixing the eggs, milk, and vegetable oil, and Thade was in charge of the dry ingredients. He loves to stir! He liked seeing how the batter came together, but still a little reluctant to try the pancake. I asked him to try just one bite with Maple Syrup, and he loved it! He has even requested pancakes for breakfast tomorrow 🙂

Jan 9

Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

I’ve had a few requests for the Oatmeal Cookies that we have been snacking on. I started with the Hershey’s White Chip Apricot Oatmeal Cookie Recipe, and then I edited the recipe to fit my hubby’s tastes. Although the White Chip Apricot Cookies are pretty tasty too.  It is a very simple Oatmeal Cookie to make, and a great base to add in any of your cookie favorites.

Oatmeal Cookies:

3/4 Cup (1 1/2 sticks)  Margarine, softened (I’ve even melted it and it works just fine)

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar

1 Egg (I use large)

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract (you can add in a little more if you like)

1 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

2 1/2 Cups Quick Oats

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Beat margarine, granulated sugar, and dark brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add flour and baking soda; beat until well blended. Stir in Oats and Vanilla. Loosely form rounded teaspoonfuls dough into balls; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
  3. Bake 7-9 minutes or just until lightly browned; do not overbake. Cool slightly, and move cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

I also like to use my melon-baller to make mini-cookies, I bake those for only 8 minutes. The last batch I made were Giant Oatmeal Cookies, I would bake those for the full 9 minutes.
They are pretty tasty cookies, and I hope you enjoy the recipe.  Let me know if you make a batch and how they turn out 🙂

Jan 9

Yummy Oatmeal Cookies :)

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I made a big batch of Giant Oatmeal Cookies on Saturday, and I’ve found my new favorite way of enjoying them. I had one with Peanut Butter, and another with Peanut Butter and Nutella swirled on top. The plain Oatmeal Cookies just needed a little something for me, and the Peanut Butter did the trick. Both cookies go great with a Big Cup of Coffee 😉

Jan 3

Christmas Dinner Budget

For Christmas Dinner I worked extra hard on shopping around and saving where I could. I did pretty good too, and I had plenty of leftovers for extra meals. I had 7 adults and one picky toddler to feed 🙂

Here is what was on the menu, and the savings too:

  • Turkey $15.00- I paid $10.96
  • Ham $10.00- I paid $10.19 (coupon of $1.00)
  • Corn $1.00- I paid $1.00 (bought on sale)
  • Stuffing 2 Boxes $2.00- I paid $1.76 (bought on sale)
  • Russet Potatoes 10 lbs for mashing $5.00-I paid $1.68
  • Crescent Rolls (2) $3.00- I paid $2.00 for 2 (on sale and $1.00 in coupons)
  • Chicken (for noodles) $7.00- FREE my Mom brought Chicken from Angel Food
  • Homemade Noodles $3.00- FREE I had everything in my pantry
  • Celery $2.00- I paid $.88 (on sale)
  • Baby Carrots $2.00- I paid $1.68
  • Black Olives $1.00- I paid $.99 ( on sale and $.51 in coupons at Walgreens)
  • Easy Cheese $2.00- I paid $2.97 (no savings there, bummer)
  • Baby Bel Cheese $3.00- I paid $2.98
  • Camembert Cheese $4.00-I paid $3.29 (on sale at local grocer)
  • Truscuits $2.00- I paid $2.00 (item was on sale)
  • Townhouse Crackers $2.00-I paid $1.50 (item was on sale + $.50 in coupons)
  • Garlic Salt $1.00- I paid $.50
  • Poultry Seasoning $1.00- I paid $2.12 (ouch, that one was pricey for such a tiny jar)
  • Chicken Broth 2 Large Containers $4.00-I paid $3.00 (on sale and $1.00 in coupons)
  • Margarine $1.00-I paid $.68

I had estimated that the meal would cost $71.00, and with shopping around and using coupons I only paid $50.16! I was $20.84 under Budget, and I had $4.01 in coupons too.

I am proud of those savings, in Christmas past I haven’t done quite as well in the saving department, but having a menu planned really helped me stay on track. I learned to take the time and shop around for the best deals, and stick to my budget. It worked out pretty well, and we all had way too much to eat 🙂

Jan 1

New Year’s Eve Dinner

We are staying in this New Year’s Eve, and enjoying a big dinner. I’m making Rib-eye Steaks, Steak Fries, Hominy, and Chocolate Bundt Cake. We might even pop open a bottle of wine for a New Year’s Eve Toast at midnight 😉

I hope that everyone has a safe and very Happy New Year!