6 Ingredient Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies - Stove Top Cookies

Remember the good old days at school and you got the lunch and it had one of those homemade chocolate oatmeal cookies? Well, this is that exact cookie, okay they taste like candy and not cookies but they call them cookies.

This is a must cookie for Christmas! Everyone loves these, young and old. The Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies are a hit at Christmas parties as well and they are very inexpensive to make and only takes a few minutes of time.

The best part? well, beside they are delicious is that you only have one pot, a measuring cup and one spoon dirty!

They are so simple to make! Using only 6 ingredients.

You`ll Need :

2 cups of white sugar

1/2 cup of whole milk or canned evaporated milk

4 Tablespoon of cocoa

1 stick of butter ( 1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups of oatmeal 

In a large cooking pot add the sugar,cocoa and the milk, mix well. Add the butter.

Over medium high heat, stirring often so not to scorch the sugar, bring the milk, sugar, cocoa and butter to a boil. 

Stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract, mix well. Add the oatmeal, mix well.

Drop from a tablespoon onto foil or wax paper, they will set as they cool.

Allow to cool and store in an air tight container.

I am going to give these cookies I made tonight to my elderly friends, makes awesome gifts for those people who have everything.

These are so simple to make and it does not take much time, Put them into storage bags and into a pretty Christmas bag, or how about filling a new cookie jar with these and there ya go a gift that will last forever. Headed to the Christmas party? Take these in pretty boxes and no one will know that you spent little time on these wonderful and easy chocolate oatmeal cookies.

By Andria Perry

Photo By Andria Perry

Creative Ways To Use Leftover Turkey

With so many side dishes being cooked along with the turkey and stuffing you can have a lot of left overs even after you send everyone home with a plate for tomorrow.

So what do you do with the left over turkey? 

This is what you do, you let the star of that Thanksgiving table shine for a few more days, creating different meals with the turkey.

One - We all will do the turkey sandwich with mayo, lettuce and turkey, that is the easy fix for lunch. Add a sprinkle of black pepper for extra flavor.

Two - Dinner in a Bowl 

Cold dressing cut into thin slices

Chopped turkey

Cranberry sauce

In the bottom put a thin layer of the left over dressing/ stuffing.

Next layer turkey

Top with cranberry sauce.

Three  - Turkey Salad sandwiches 

1 cup chopped turkey

1/4 cup chopped onions

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 tablespoon of sweet relish

Mayo

Salt and Black pepper to taste

Mix all together adding mayo last to your taste, if you like it dry use less. Spread on any type of bread you like.

 Four  - Turkey  Salad

1 cup of chopped turkey

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup pineapple tidbits

1/4 cup of sliced grapes

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup Mayo

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Chopped lettuce

In a large bowl mix turkey, celery, pineapple and grapes. Add sour cream and mayo and mix well.

Divide the lettuce and the turkey salad into two servings, plate up and sprinkle with pecans.

Five - Turkey soup 

1 cup of chopped turkey

1 cup of sliced carrots

1 cup of diced potatoes

1/2 cup of chopped onions

1/2 cup of chopped celery

Salt, black pepper and garlic powder

Cook the potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic powder and celery in just enough water to cover them, cook  till tender, about 15 minutes on medium.

Add salt and black pepper to taste. 

Add the cooked turkey and heat for 5 more minutes. You might even want to home can the soup!

Six - Fried Turkey

This is one of the simplest ways to use left over turkey and one of my favorites.

Any size pieces of turkey

Flour

cooking oil

Garlic powder, seasoned salt and black pepper

In a large skillet heat the cooking oil over medium high heat.

In a large mixing bowl mix flour and the spices. 

Dampen the turkey just a little with water, then roll into the flour mixture, next into the hot cooking oil, brown on both sides. Lay on a paper towel to drain.

You can use that leftover potato salad and green beans for this meal.

And that is how I can do my left over Turkey. 

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

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Pineapple Coconut Pie (Pina Colada Pie) - Cooking With Angie

It is that time of the year once again when we bake for the holidays. Whether you are using old recipes are making up your own its a joy to bake and warm the house and the heart sharing the lovely sweet treats. To make life even better is to cook simple but delicious desserts, like this pineapple coconut pie.

A couple week ago I had a sweet tooth, and it was late and I did not want to go out for something, so I went on a scavenge hunt in the pantry and came up with this pineapple coconut pie. Pineapple and coconut just goes together! No special things to buy just normal foods in the pantry.

Now lets get to cooking!

You will need :

1/2 stick of butter

1 1/2 cup of self rising flour

1 cup of milk

2/3 cup of sugar

1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

2 - 8 ounce cans of crushed pineapple

1 - cup of coconut

Lets cook! :

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Put butter in a 9 x 13 inch cooking pan and put into the hot oven for the butter to melt while mixing the rest.

In a large mixing bowl add the sugar and flour, mix. 

Next slowly add the milk stirring each time making sure there are no lumps.

Add vanilla and mix well.

Remove the hot pan with the melted butter from the oven, carefully pour the batter into the pan with the butter.

Remove the lids from the cans of pineapple and spoon evenly over the batter, juice too. 

Cover the pineapple with the coconut by dropping it by hand over all the top, covering the entire top.

Bake at 375 degrees till the edges are golden brown, about 30 minutes.

And that is how to make my homemade pineapple coconut pie.

Have you ever created your own recipes in a pinch? To add more color and of you have them on hand, place cherries across the top, arranging so that each serving will get their own cherry. Next time I make this pineapple coconut pie it will have cherries on top!

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry

Friendship cake - 30 day cake

I cannot even remember where I learned to make this cake, nor who taught me. But I do recall my step mother bringing the starter home.  Its 35 years old.

The starter is a mixture of fruit juices and sugar, it smells like 90 proof and it will get you drunk of you drank it.

This is how to start the 30 day cakes :

You`ll need a gallon glass jug, 1 pint of the starter juice, 2 large cans of sliced peaches with juice ( I also dice them into small chunks) and two cups of sugar.

Put all the above in the glass jar and stir till sugar is dissolved. Do not put the lid all way on, leave it tilted.

Stir daily.

After 10 days has passed add a large can of pineapple tidbits with juice and 2 cups of sugar. Still till the sugar is dissolved.

Stir daily.

After 20 days add two jars of cherries ~no juice~ and 2 cups of sugar. Stir till sugar is dissolved.

Stir daily.

On the 30th. day  bake the cakes. Makes two cakes.

 Making The Cakes :



Drain the juice off of the fruit and set the fruit aside.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Grease and flour two bunt cake pans, set aside.

For each cake use :

One box of yellow cake mix - sugar free

One box of vanilla pudding mix- dry- sugar free

4 eggs

2/3 cup of vegetable oil

One cup of pecan pieces

One cup of coconut- natural no sugar added

In a large mixing bowl mix the first four ingredients, mashing out any lumps. Add the coconut and pecans.

Pour into the prepared bunt cake pans and bake for one hour at 325°F.

When done they will be golden brown. Carefully, put a plate over the cake pan and flip it over. The cake should come out nicely. Let cool completely before slicing.

Serve with coffee or milk.

Now share the juice and a slice of cake with a friend. Be sure to keep a pint for yourself and your next 30 days cakes.

Note: Since I am a diabetic I do use the sugar free products because there is already sugar in the fruits but you can also use the real mixes that are full sugar.

By Andria Perry
Photos By Andria Perry

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”

4 Layer Mexican Dip - Cooking With A Stockpile

November 5, 2017

Heading into the lifestyle of off grid living I have been trying my best to learn how to preserve my own food, whether store bought fresh or homegrown. Many people home can but many do not and they don`t understand how I make meals with what I put into jars each year so I will do a series to show you how its done.

Lets face it we all love home cooking but we also love something not so healthy some thing we can explore flavor that is not normal down home cooking, some thing that we can easily make at home for a fraction of the price of eating out in a restaurant.

Last night I was in one of those moods, I wanted something spicy but it had to be easy as well. I took a look at the stockpile and the meal came together within a few seconds, Mexican. I have it all so I went for it.

While I can make my own tortilla chips I have not as of yet, I do have all the ingredients but time wise I have not taken any. Cheese, This I would love to learn how to make but I am not that far into the learning process of living all the way off grid, yet. So I had bought the cheese at a buy one get one free sale and the chips at the local Aldi grocery store.

What You`ll Need : 

1 - pint of hamburger meat

1/2 pint of pinto beans - mashed and seasoned

1/2 pint of salsa

Cheese

Tortilla chips

Tools : 

2 - deep bowls

A few spoons

Microwave, stove top or wood burning stove/heat

How to make Mexican Dip: 

First put 1/2 of the pinto bean mixture in the bottom.

Second layer is the meat.

Third layer is the salsa.

Top with cheese for the forth layer.

Serve with tortilla chips. 

NOTE : if you are using heat from a wood stove or stove top heat each before layering in a bowl, if you are using a microwave just heat it as a whole for about 1 minute.

Serving the 4 layer Mexican dip is so easy to make from the stockpile and very fast for those evening that you are over worked and do not feel like cooking or going out to eat.

That is how I use my stockpile. 

By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry

Pork and Rice - Cooking With The Stockpile

November 1, 2017

Heading into the lifestyle of off grid living I have been trying my best to learn how to preserve my own food, whether store bought fresh or homegrown. Many people home can but many do not and they don`t understand how I make meals with what I put into jars each year so I will do a series to show you how its done.

Since I just home canned another pork tenderloin and saved some for dinner I thought this would be a good way to show how I make meals, so easy and very fast after a hard days work, its almost instant.

Menu :

Pork tenderloin with rice

Honey carrots

Spinach

Ingredients Needed :

1- jar of home canned pork tenderloin

1- jar of home canned carrots

1- can of Spinach

1- cup of rice

1- tablespoon of Butter

Honey

Salt and black pepper

Directions :

Remove the pork from the jar into a strainer over a small sauce pan to catch the broth. Set aside the pork.

You should have one cup of broth, add one cup of water. Bring the broth to a rolling boil, add salt and black pepper and one cup of rice, boil one minute, cover with lid and turn eye setting down to low.

Drain half the liquid from the carrots and put them into a small sauce pan. Add the butter and honey to taste. I like mine sweet, you may not. Heat over medium heat till hot and bubbly.

As for the spinach I like mine as is so I just warm it.

When the rice has soaked up most of the broth and is tender add the pork tenderloin, put the lid back on and allow the rice to warm the pork. 

And that is how I make a quick dinner from home canned foods, you know what is in them because you canned them so no worries about reading the ingredients. 

Cooking does not have to be complicated or have a need for spices that you do not have or never heard of to taste good and be healthy.

You might also like : Learning to live free 

By Andria Perry

Photos by Andria Perry