What to do with instant oatmeal?

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What's cooking What's for Leftovers readers?  This has been a great spring break week, but since we've been so busy, I haven't actually been doing a lot of cooking.  The other day I did make peanut butter cookies for our Community Group.  We did not bring a single one home, so I think everybody liked them.  For breakfast that morning, I had fed Celia and Charlie instant oatmeal.  This was my first time preparing it, but it is like a gold mine.  It is so easy to make and they loved it!  Well, I made Celia's great, but I think I got distracted with Charlie's and did something wrong (I know you're asking yourself, who messes up instant oatmeal!?).  To thicken it up, I had to open another packet.  Instead of making a huge amount of instant oatmeal, I saved the rest of it and added it to the peanut butter cookies.  According to Belinda, it made the cookies look healthy :)

Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
1 Cup Peanut Butter
2 Eggs
3/4 Cup Pecan Meal (Finely chop pecans in your food processor if you don't have pecan meal)
3/4 Cup Honey
2 TBSP Instant Oatmeal (You can add a whole packet if you don't have one open already)
1 TBSP Baking Powder
1/4 Cup Flour
M&M's (Optional)
Powdered Sugar (Optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together peanut butter, eggs, pecan meal, honey, instant oatmeal, baking powder and flour until dough forms into a large lump.
3. Place dough in freezer for fifteen minutes.
4. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Take cookie dough out and roll into small balls.  Place several M&Ms on top of balls (optional).  Put remaining dough back in freezer.
5.  Bake in oven for 11 to 13 minutes.  Cookies are finished when they puff up and start to turn light brown.  Take out of oven, sprinkle with powder sugar (optional) and let cool.  Repeat until dough is finished.

**Makes 2 and 1/2 dozen cookies** 

What to do with pancake mix? Part 2

It's funny how weekends are supposed to be filled with relaxing downtime, but they often end up being busier, but more fun, than the work week!  We've had an exciting weekend hanging out with friends and family!  In fact, some of them are still hanging out in our kitchen.  We also got to eat out at some really great restaurants.  But don't worry What's for Leftovers readers, I still managed to squeeze in a couple of new recipes.  This one is a variation of a recipe I read in a Guideposts a while back.  It's called a Finnish Pancake.  I told Celia and Charlie it was a 'GIANT' pancake.  No matter what you call it, it's delicious.  After you finish baking it, make sure you let it completely cool.  This gives the inside time to settle.  Top with fried apples and powdered sugar for a breakfast treat or a great dessert!

Fried Apples
Ingredients:
8 Medium Apples
1/4 Cup Honey
2 TBSP Butter
1/2 Cup Water
Pinch of Salt

1. Spray a large frying pan.
2. Peel Apples.  Cut into large slices and put into frying pan.
3. Add honey, butter, water and salt.
4. Cook on high heat until water has evaporated.  While cooking, stir frequently so apples don't burn.  Lower heat and continue cooking until apples are soft and smell like apple pie filling.


Finnish Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 Cup Pancake Mix
2 1/2 Cups Milk
4 Eggs
1/4 Cup Honey
4 TBSP Butter
Powdered Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Spray a 10"-11" round baking pan or skillet with PAM. 
3. Pour pancake mix, milk, eggs, honey and butter into a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into baking pan.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.  Top should be golden brown when 'Finnished'.
5. Let cool completely.  After slicing, top with powdered sugar and fried apples.
 

What to do with a little bit of icing?

We went over to our friends' house for dinner last night and I made a chocolate cake for dessert.  Thanks to the modern convenience of cake mix boxes and icing tubs, it turned out great!  However, I had just a little bit of creamy, chocolaty icing leftover.  I definitely thought about just getting a spoon and eating it, but in the end, I made it into something new.  These are very easy to make and a great chocolate fix.  You might want to make them and hide them for yourself.

Chocolate Graham Cracker Balls
Ingredients:
4 Whole Cinnamon Graham Crackers
3 TBSP Chocolate Icing
2 1/2 TBSP Peanut Butter
1 Tsp Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Powdered Sugar

1. Smash graham crackers into small bits.  You don't want to grind them to a powder so your balls have some crunch, but you don't want them too big so they won't hinder you when you're rolling your balls.
2. Mix in 2 of the TBSP of chocolate icing, 2 1/2 TBSP of peanut butter and 1 Tsp of Powdered Sugar.
3.  Fill a small pot with water.  Place on the stove and place a bowl on top of it.  (or if you have one, use a double-boiler).  Heat your water and pour your chocolate chops into the bowl.  Mix in 1 TBSP of chocolate icing with them.  Heat water until your chocolate becomes a large, soft ball.  Make sure you stir constantly so your chocolate won't burn.
4. After chocolate melts, pour into graham cracker mixture.  Mix until smooth.  Roll chocolate mixture into small balls.  Roll these balls into powdered sugar.  This recipe will make 12 to 15 balls.  Place in refrigerator until ready to eat.