S'Mores Bars

Dear Steph,

I promised your husband I would post this recipe, and I try to keep my promises. I apologize if this creates an immediate cooking obligation for you.

Love, Me

S'Mores Bars

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 king size chocolate bars (I used one milk chocolate, one semi-sweet)
• 1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow fluff/creme

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 inch square baking pan. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour, crumbs, powder, and salt. Divide dough in half and press half of the dough into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Place chocolate bars on top of dough. Spread chocolate with marshmallow fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of fluff. (This can be tricky- make little discs with the dough and set them on top of the marshmallow layer.) Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Watch out- these are rich. But so delicious- I served mine at a church function tonight so I could be certain there would be no leftovers to tempt me later.

Lemon Crumb Squares

My friends were getting together for a little birthday lunch yesterday, and the hostess mentioned she never minds when a get together is "heavy on desserts." I'd had this recipe in my binder for a few weeks wanting a reason to try it, and that was all the incentive I needed.

Lemon Crumb Squares
from Pioneer Woman

1/2 cup butter, soft
1 1/3 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350. Combine butter, flour, sugar, oats, salt, baking powder in a bowl. Press half of the mixture into a greased 8x11 pan (you can also use a 9x13- press it thin). Whisk together the lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk and pour over crust mixtures. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over bars, then very lightly press in. Bake for 20-25 minutes until edges are golden brown, then cool and cut into squares.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Oatmeal Pancakes
from Cooking Light

1/4 cup flour
1 cup quick oats
1 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
2 T canola oil
1 large egg

Blend in blender and cook them up on a lightly greased griddle. (You could mix by hand in a bowl, but then your kids are going to say things like, "Why do my pancakes have lumps in them?" Just blend those healthy oats into oblivion and save yourself the headache.) Yields 12 pancakes, 4 pancakes contain 275 delicious calories. Yum.

Texas Sheet Cake

I have made several variations on this recipe over the past few months, and I think I finally found my "keeper." Next time, however, I am doubling the frosting. Because I like frosting.

Texas Sheet Cake

Cake:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup water
1/4 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. In a saucepan, combine butter, shortening, water, and cocoa and bring to a rapid boil. In a bowl combine sugar and flour. Pour saucepan mixture over sugar and flour and mix well. Add buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, soda, and cinnamon. Beat well. Pour into a greased 10x15 jelly roll pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

Frosting:
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup cocoa
1 pound powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4-6 T milk
chopped nuts (optional)

In a saucepan, bring butter and cocoa to a boil. In the bowl of your mixer, combine butter mixture, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Mix well, adding milk until desired consistency and frosting is smooth and creamy. Frost cake while it is still warm.

Zucchini Pie

I think zucchini in anything but a savory item is a crime brought on by the desperate need to rid oneself of the overflowing zucchini affliction. Zucchini Cake? Seriously???? That's not cake, it's a cruel joke. So, my zucchini goes in dishes like this:

Zucchini Pie

3 cups grated zucchini
1 small onion, finely diced
1 cup flour (Scant. Don't pack it in there.)
1 cup grated cheese (Try something smoky, like provolone or havarti)
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup oil
4 T grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, reserving 1 T of the Parmesan. Spoon the mixture into a 10 inch pie plate that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with the reserved Parmesan. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Seashell Salad with Buttermilk-Chive Dressing

Seashell Salad with Buttermilk-Chive Dressing
from: Cooking Light

8 ounces uncooked seashell pasta
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (I substituted dill because dill tastes like summer to me)
1/2 tsp EACH salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, mined
2 cups loosely packed baby arugula or spinach
1/4 cup cooked prosciutto or bacon, finely diced

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Add peas to pasta during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well.
2. While pasta cooks, whisk together mayo, buttermilk, chives, thyme or dill, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add to pasta mixture and arugula, toss to coat.
3. Sprinkle with prosciutto/bacon and serve.

Arugula and spinach get soggy if left in dressings, and I think that is gross. Therefore: Add the greens to only the amount of pasta salad you plan on eating. Bruce had this for dinner last night with some leftover diced spicy honey chicken, and it was so delicious as a main course.

Coconut Cream Pie

Last January Bruce entered the Spudman Triathlon under the condition that I would be waiting at the finish line with a pie. I acquiesced, and the flavor he chose was coconut cream.

This is a coconut cream pie fit for a man who has swam 1 mile, biked 25, then ran 6.

Coconut Cream Pie

1 baked 9" pie crust

2/3 cup white sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups milk

4 egg yolks

2 T butter

4 tsp. vanilla

1 cup shredded coconut

In a large sauce pan, stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in milk and egg yolks. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture boils. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla, and coconut. Pour into pie shell, then let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap (stick the wrap to the top of the pie so you don't get a weird skin) and refrigerate until serving.

Feel like a Banana Cream Pie? It's the same, only don't add coconut (obviously). Slice bananas to cover the bottom of your baked pie shell, then pour the cream mixture over them. Cool and refrigerate the same as Coconut Cream.

P.S. Don't feel like you have to complete a triathlon to deserve something this delicious.

Zucchini Cheese Casserole

Since we are on the topic: another favorite Zucchini Casserole, this one from my friend Janet.

Zucchini Cheese Casserole

3 medium zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 sliced tomatoes
1 lb. lowfat cottage cheese
1 tsp dry basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
3 T parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Saute onion in olive oil until soft. Whip cottage cheese, basil, and oregano in blender until smooth. Lightly grease an 8x8 casserole dish, then alternate layers of zucchini, onions, and cottage cheese (think lasagna style). Place tomatoes on top, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Paula Deen's Squash Casserole

Is your zucchini coming on? Bruce picked a very large one from our garden last night, which got me thinking about my favorite ways to cook zucchini and yellow crook neck squash. Here's one of them:

Paula Deen's Squash Casserole
6 cups large diced yellow squash and zucchini
Vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 T butter
1/2 cup sour cream
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup crushed crackers or bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350.

Saute the squash in a little vegetable oil over medium heat until it is soft. Line a colander with a clean tea towel. Place the cooked squash in the lined colander. Squeeze excess moisture from the squash and set aside.

In the same skillet, saute the onion in the butter for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and mix all ingredients together except cracker crumbs. Pour mixture into buttered casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 25-30 minutes.