Simply Craig

It was Sunday night.  The family was gathered around watching T.V.  I wanted to make a special treat for them.  I was looking for that perfect something with a whole lot of yumminess. I found it!   Thank you brown eyed baker! Im so glad I stumbled upon your blog. peanut butter. oatmeal. chocolate chip cookies 1 c. flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1 stick (1/2 c.) butter 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter 1/2 c. granulated sugar 1/3 c. light brown sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 egg 1/2 c. rolled oats 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips 1. Preheat oven 350. 2. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. 3. On medium speed, cream together butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract.  On low speed, gradually add flour until combined. Stir in oats, then chocolate chips. 4.  Use a large cookie scoop and drop dough onto baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Cool.  ~Enjoy

My Santa baby has been real good to me this year, so I baked him up something real nice. ok, so maybe I made a little chocolate something for me too. Thanks to my little bakers we were able to whip this up in no time. SNICKERDOODLES  1/2 c. butter 1 cup sugar 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 1 egg 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 2 Tbls. sugar 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1. In mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.  Add the 1 cup of sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar.  Beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl.  Beat in the egg and vanilla till combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in remaining flour.  Cover and chill 1 hour. 2.  Combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat.  Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 375 oven for 10 m...

I love days like today. After dinner the kids decided to clean the kitchen for us. We happily accepted their offer and decided to use our free time to take a much needed nap. We felt rested and rejuvenated. My kids rock! Mr. B.T.C. decided to repay each of them. He set up the massage table and gave each of them a massage. He's such a good Daddy! He multiplied their age by two and that's how many minutes each of them got on the massage table. They loved it! I, on the other hand was in the kitchen. I was in the mood to bake. I volunteered to make homemade bread for girls camp this year. Britley , Breeley and Dawson were right by my side helping me every step of the way. Each of them shaped their own loaf. They've become quite the little bread makers! After the bread was completed we decided we were in the mood for some homemade chocolate chip cookies. They were so good! My sister gave me the recipe. She's quite the baker and I'm never disappointed whe...

Every Tuesday night is chicken night at our house. Which means I'm always on the lookout for another way to cook chicken that doesn't feel like...well,  another chicken dinner. This Kung Pao Chicken was a hit with the family, so it's definitely one worth passing along. Ingredients 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 3 tablespoons cornstarch 6 teaspoons sesame oil 4 green onions, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 3 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy) 9 tablespoons soy sauce 9 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar 3 teaspoons sugar 1 cup roasted peanuts Cooked rice, for serving Directions Prepare rice according to package directions. Combine chicken and cornstarch in a bowl and toss until evenly coated. In a separate bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar. Set aside. Heat sesame oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken and stir-fry until cooked through and no longer pin...

Have you ever looked at grocery shopping as a rewarding experience? I haven't. Until I went to Denver. I wish I could do my grocery shopping every week at Tony's Market. It was just a hop, skip and a jump from where we were staying, right in the heart of the city. There is just something unique about a fresh market. And let me tell you,  fresh  is exactly what you get. My mouth was watering just walking down the aisles. Could you ever say that about Walmart? This market had a large deli, a bakery with cakes that looked almost too pretty to eat, a huge selection of meats and seafood and, best of all, a little bistro that was absolutely deelish! Mr. B.T.C. and I walked down—crutches and all—and enjoyed the best breakfast. While we were eating, I started thumbing through a recipe magazine and quickly decided it was a must-have. When I got home, this was the first recipe I tried. Oh man, was it ever good. One thing I especially liked was that the tostadas weren't deep fried. I ...

WHITE BREAD: Add the following ingredients to a Bosch mixer: 6 cups warm water ¼ cup yeast 1 cup sugar ½ cup honey Cover and let sit in the Bosch for  5 minutes . Then add: ¾ cup olive oil ⅛ teaspoon salt Flour—as much as needed until the dough completely pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Don't add all of the flour at once. Start with about  9 cups , adding it one cup at a time and watching the dough as you go. Continue adding flour until the dough completely pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and knead on low for  8 minutes . Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a thin cloth, and allow it to rise for about  1 hour , or until doubled in size. Punch down the center of the dough. Remove it from the bowl and divide into  5 loaves , approximately 23 ounces of dough per loaf. Shape and place into loaf pans. Cover and allow the loaves to rise for another  1 hour . And this time... DO NOT TOUCH! Bake at  350 degrees for 30 min...

Simple and easy. Simple. Easy. And so good. French Toast 2 eggs  4 egg whites  ½ cup milk  ½ tsp. vanilla  ½ tsp. cinnamon  Pinch of nutmeg or sweet spice blend, optional  1 loaf thick-sliced bread (I used homemade) In a bowl, whisk the eggs and egg whites together until foamy. Whisk in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. You know what to do from here. :) But if you want to turn an ordinary plate of French toast into an  extra-special breakfast , make this syrup. Homemade Syrup 1 cup brown sugar  1 cup whipping cream  1 cup light Karo syrup Blend until smooth. Heat and serve warm over the French toast. Maybe you'll eat every last bite too! It's that good.

Every summer, my sister and I order fresh Utah peaches. Then comes the marathon... Peel peaches. Pit peaches. Slice peaches. Freeze peaches. Repeat... and repeat... and repeat. By the time we're finished, we have enough frozen peaches to last for months. The only question is:  What do we make with all of them? Here are a few family favorites that have become staples in our kitchen. 🍑 Georgia Peach Bread Ingredients 1½ cups granulated sugar ½ cup shortening 2 eggs 2¼ cups peach purée 2 cups all-purpose flour 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1½ teaspoons vanilla 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts Directions Cream the sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then add the peach purée. Mix in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined. Stir in the vanilla and nuts. Pour into two greased and floured 9×5-inch loaf pans. Bake at  325°F  for  55–60 minutes...