#ReleaseBlitz: Bar Bites by J. Kenner & Suzanne M. Johnson

Food: Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

So I decided to try to make my own version of my co-worker's oatmeal/berry cookies. I found a recipe, modified slightly and here is the end result, yummy oatmeal & cranberry cookies that are delicious and easy to make.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cooking Time: 10-12 Minutes

Yield: 30 Cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 Eggs

1-1/2 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

One 6-ounce package dried cranberries

Directions:

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 375°F.  In medium bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. 

Step 2:

In separate bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt. 

Step 3:

Add the oats/flour mixture to the butter mixture in portions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Step 4:

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Food: Pretzel Sticks

So today I decided to make some more candy-coated pretzel sticks. My daughter turns five on Thursday and I thought she could take some to daycare to share with her class mates.

What you need:
pretzel sticks/rods
Meltable chocolate or morsels
Sprinkles

How to:
Place morsels in a microwave safe container
Microwave on a defrost setting for about 4 minutes, stir, then in 30 second intervals, stirring in-between until the chocolate or morsels have completely melted.
I prefer to take a small butter knife and spread the chocolate on the pretzel rod.
Then I roll he coated rod in sprinkles.
Next I place on wax paper in the freezer for about 5 minutes so it sets.
I then place each rod in a bag and twist tie it and store in the refrigerator. You can buy the bags at craft stores in the cake section.
I usually keep going until the chocolate runs out.

I keep switching from chocolate to morsels as the ones pictured below are coated in Butterscotch "morsels" but you can also buy white or milk chocolate bits in the baking section.
The sprinkles I used today were just whatever I had on hand.

Food: Chicken Pot Pie

I made the most delicious chicken pot pie. So delicious in fact, that I wanted to share this with the world. Using a Pampered Chef® recipe and my Deep Covered Baker it was quick, easy and ... wait for it ... delish!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Total Time: 1 Hour, 5 Minutes

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:
½ cup (1 stick) butter (melted)
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
2 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves 
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup 2% milk
1 medium onion (if desired)
2 cups frozen mixed peas and carrots
½ pkg frozen puff pastry sheets (1 sheet, thawed)
1 egg
1 tbsp water

Directions:
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 375.  Add butter and flour to 4qt cooking pot, whisking until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat 6-8 minutes or until mixture is light golden brown, whisking occasionally. Add stock, whisking constantly until smooth. Add thyme, pressed garlic, salt and black pepper to pot. Simmer, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cooked chicken and milk.

Step 2:

Meanwhile, finely chop onion. Add onion, frozen vegetables and chicken mixture to Deep Covered Baker, mix well. Unfold pastry onto lightly floured surface, seal seams and roll to an 11½-in length. Score pastry lengthwise in half and then crosswise into four rectangles to make 8 rectangles. Lay pastry over filling; press edges against sides of baker to seal. Trim excess pastry. Whisk together egg and water, lightly brush over pastry.

Step 3:

Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Remove baker from oven; let stand uncovered, 10 minutes before serving.

Pie filling bubbled over a little but this was still yummy!

Pampered Chef® Deep Covered Baker ordered from Angie Adams.

Angie's Pampered Chef® Business Page

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