Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

I've had these cinnamon chips hanging around my house for a while now. They were all the rage last fall and I couldn't find them in any grocery store, it was so frustrating! I finally found them a few months ago but just got around to using them. I had to find the perfect recipe just in case I can never find them again. I saw a recipe for oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies on Pinterest from I <3 Naptime, so I just used my own oatmeal cookie recipe and added cinnamon chips. They were amazing. Gray and I devoured them.

3/4 cup soften butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup cinnamon chips

Heat oven to 375. Cream butter, white sugar and brown sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until stirred well. Add oats and cinnamon chips. Drop onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Easy Cheesy Bacon Biscuits

Yum. Yum Yum Yum. I have been wanting to make these since Picky Palate first posted them. Now these are not something you should eat every day but they were a fun indulgence for sure!

1 can of biscuits

2 tbsp butter

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 slices of bacon crumbled or 1/4 cup of bacon bits

Heat oven to 350. Melt the butter in the bottom of the pan. Lay the biscuits down. Top with mozzarella, then bacon, then cheddar. Bake for 15 to 22 minutes. Serve warm.

Cherry Limeades

This was another great pinterest find! This recipe is from Pouty Pink Princess. It's such a fun afternoon treat, A loved it and so did I!

Lemon-Lime Soda (I used Sprite Zero)

Grenadine

Limes

Combine 2 tbsp of grenadine for every 8 oz of soda. Squeeze a few limes into the mixture. Garnish with limes and serve cold.

Hot Orzo Chicken Pasta Salad

My friend Megan made this for us when we first got home with A. It was so delicious and light. When I first saw what she brought I wasn't sure Gray would really like it but he did! Of course I had to get the recipe from her and she was more than happy to share it! This is a great summer dish.

2 Chicken Breast (cooked and shredded)
1 box orzo
2 Zucchini (chopped)

1/2 onion (chopped)
3/4 cup of Feta

1/3 cup of Pine nuts (toasted)
Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup and 1 tbsp olive oil

Cook the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, saute the zucchini and onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Drain the pasta and put in a large bowl, mix in all the ingredients. Serve right away or reheat later. Serve warm.

Key Lime Pie Bars

I found this recipe over at Tried and True Yummy Recipes, of course I adapted it a bit! I love Key Lime so so much, especially in the summer time! Some friends came over the other night and this was the perfect dessert on a hot summer night. I might have eaten the leftovers for the next morning for breakfast...

Crust:

2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/4 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Butter (Melted)

Filling:
1 8oz cream cheese, softened
2 14oz cans sweetened condensed milk
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cup lime juice

Heat the oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs with sugar and butter. Mix well and press into the pan. In a large bowl combine the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk with a hand mixer. Add in one egg yolk at a time then the lime juice. Pour into the crust. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool for 1 hour then place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Taco Puffs

This is another new favorite from Cassie Craves! Easy, delish and totally kid-friendly if your kid eats real food, mine doesn't therefore he wouldn't touch them! Gray and I ate all of them though so that was fine. These will be going into the rotation for sure, of course they are slightly adapted to fit our taste! Thanks Cassie for another winner.

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion (chopped)

1 envelope of taco seasoning

1 tube of large refrigerated biscuits.

1 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar or mexican blend)

Heat oven to 400. Brown the ground beef and onion, then add the taco seasoning. On a greased cookie sheet flatten out the biscuits. Add beef and cheese to half of the biscuits then top with the other biscuits. Pinch the edges together to seal. Top with cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

This recipe was featured over on Eat at Home Cooks Ingredient Spotlight for Ground Beef

Sweet Black Bean and Corn Salsa

My friend Julie made this for a cookout we went to a few months ago. Everyone there went crazy over it and we devoured it so quickly! I got the recipe from her right away but just now got around to making it. I think this is a keeper for sure!

2 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)

2 can of corn (drained and rinsed)

1 red onion (diced)

1 green pepper (diced)

1 cup canola oil

1/2 cup vinegar

1 1/2 cups sugar

In a sauce pot combine the canola oil, vinegar and sugar. Heat over medium low heat to dissolve the sugar. While that is heating, combine the black beans, corn, onion and green pepper in a bowl. Once the sugar is dissolved pour over the black bean mixture and stir well. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Creamy Chicken Pockets

This is another fabulous recipe thanks to Pinterest, it's slightly adapted from Pennies on the Platter. Even better, I had all the ingredients already in my kitchen!

2 tbsp olive oil
2 small chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls

Heat oven to 375. Combine cream cheese, butter and milk. Add in the chicken, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Separate the crescent rolls into triangles or squares. Scoop a tablespoon of filling into each triangle and wrap the dough around the filling, be sure to seal the dough together well. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.

Caramel Banana Bread

This amazing recipe came from Taste and Tell. When I found it, I just had to try it right away. I love banana bread and add caramel icing? Yes please! I could have eaten this whole loaf so I sent most of it to work with Gray so that I could escape the calories. Go make this right now, you will not regret it. I did have to use a little more cream in my icing but I adjusted the recipe to what I used, it was just not then enough to be able to spread over the bread.

For the Banana Bread:

1 3/4 cups flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs

Heat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together. Then add the bananas milk and eggs. Mix until combined. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. Cool completely then remove from pan and top with caramel icing.

For the Caramel Icing:

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar

Combine butter and brown sugar in a pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the heavy cream and powdered sugar. Once all the lumps are gone pour over the banana bread.

Guacamole Bacon Burgers

I got the idea for this burger from Real Mom Kitchen but I totally changed it made it our own. This is my ideal burger for sure. Dripping in gooey pepper jack, crunchy bacon and guac, nothing is better in my book!

2 cups Guacamole

1 lb Bacon (fried)

Buns

Cheese

1 1/4 lbs ground beef

2 tsp taco seasoning

1 tbsp bacon grease

1/4 cup red onion (chopped)

1 egg

In a bowl combine the ground beef, taco seasoning, bacon grease, red onion, and egg. Make 4-6 hamburger patties, make a hole with your index finger in the middle (this is so they don't swell). Cook the burgers on the grill over medium heat until they have reached desired doneness. Top with cheese, guacamole, and bacon.