Peanut Butter Heath Cookies

1/2 c shortening
3/4 c creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 c packed light brown sugar
3 TBSP milk
1 TBSP vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 c flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) HEATH Bits 'O Brickle Toffee Bits, divided

Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add egg; beat just until blended.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

Stir in 1 cup bits of Heath; reserve remainder for topping.

Drop by heaping teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. (I have tried these rolled into balls, and just heaped. The heaping spoonfuls seemed to have a better texture to me...)

Bake at 375° for 7 to 8 minutes or until set. Do not overbake.

As cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle each with remaining Heath bits.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Comments from the cook: These are INCREDIBLE and becoming a fast-favorite around here. Someone brought them to a choir rehearsal, and I died at first bite! I tinkered with it just slightly...as I prefer to sprinkle extra Heath bits on after cooking. Too many on the outside of the cookie, when cooked, will turn really tacky and hard to chew. We have enjoyed these with a smidge of ice cream between them too!)

Originally shared by Kathy Fredrickson. Found on the back of the Heath bits package!

Mom's Tuna Casserole

4 servings elbow noodles
8 oz Velveeta (they have a new lower fat one!)
1/2 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c milk
1 can tuna, drained
crackers/chips, crumbled for topping

Boil elbow noodles to doneness. Place in Pyrex dish.

In a separate pan, heat Velveeta, cream of chicken soup, and milk. Stir until smooth. Add tuna to mixture and stir together.

Pour cheese mixture over noodles. Stir together to make sure all noodles are coated.

Crumble crackers or potato chips on top just to add a bit of saltiness and crunch.*

Bake for 30 min at 350°, uncovered.

Serves 4+.

* I like to think this step is what makes this a Mormon Mom recipe :)

Comments from the cook: Special thanks to Brian, who LOATHES all things fish, for letting me make this tonight. His fish-hating wife gets a hankering about once a year for a little bit of tuna, and this hits the spot. Brian ate a good-sized portion, and didn't even gag ONCE. He did need a few pieces of bread to get the tuna taste out of his mouth afterward, but I'd say that's pretty good progress!

Originally shared by you guessed it..Mom!

Fluffy White Frosting

1/2 c water
1 1/2 c sugar
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Add egg whites, vanilla, salt, and baking powder to mixing bowl. Beat on high speed (I used my KitchenAid) until stiff.

Measure water and sugar into saucepan. Heat. Boil for 30 seconds after it clears.

Add syrup (now very hot) to egg mixture, beating constantly. Continue beating on high 4-5 minutes.

Frosting will be very thick, but soft and easy to spread. It will begin to set up shortly after, so have your cake ready to go beforehand. Makes 6 to 8 cups (or more?)... plenty to cover a 2-layer cake. I just did the one layer (above) and had some left over.

Comments from the cook: Tasty when served warm, but AMAZING when served chilled!

Originally shared by Mary Sleight, my grandmother.

Hamburger Soup

1 large can tomato sauce
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can green beans
1/2 lb. ground beef
celery salt, to taste
season-all, to taste
water

In a large stock pot, brown hamburger. Stir in celery salt (I use about a TBSP).

Add tomato sauce and about 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add season-all to taste.

Bring potatoes to a boil in a separate pot and cook until done.

Bring carrots to a boil in a separate pot and cook until done.

Combine all ingredients in stock pot and simmer for a few minutes.

Serves 4-6.

Comments from the cook: In the past, I have boiled the carrots and potatoes in the tomato sauce/hamburger mixture - covered. It takes longer, and can be really messy to keep opening it to test done-ness. The last couple of times, I have boiled each ingredient separately and have been very pleased with the minimal cleanup. More dirty pots, but less time scrubbing the stove-top!

Originally shared by Alane Sleight, my MOM!

Brown Sugar Muffins

1/2 c margarine or shortening, softened
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c milk
2 c flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients together and pour into greased muffin tins.

Bake 15-20 min at 375°.

Makes about 16 muffins.

Comments from the cook: These are my new favorite! They are nice and chewy, and are the perfect companion to homemade stew. Brian's mom even made them for breakfast sometimes. Their sweetness is just right, and they're likely to become a staple around here.

I accidentally used butter instead of margarine, and it browned the edges perfectly. Next time, I will probably try them with wheat flour, just to change things up...

Originally shared by Debby Mathias, my mother-in-law

Easy Crock-Pot Teriyaki Chicken

5-6 chicken tenders (or up to 3 chicken breasts)
2/3 c soy sauce*
1 1/3 c water*
4 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP grated fresh ginger (or 1 1/2 TBSP ground ginger)
2 garlic cloves, minced

Place chicken in slow cooker.

Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken.

Cover. Cook on high 1 hour. Reduce heat to low, and cook 6-7 hours.

Serve over rice.

*This is a pretty salty recipe, naturally, with soy sauce as the base. Kirsten even suggested tinkering with the amounts. We made it with 1 c soy sauce and 1 c water most recently. It's still a little too salty that way, so if you try it, I'd recommend going with the soy sauce and water amounts listed here instead. If you try it before we do, let us know how it turns out!)

Comments from the cook: The picture above is more proof that we really do eat broccoli with everything!

Originally shared by Kirsten Burrup Pratt, a dear friend who made this for us once (who found it online).

S'mores Bars

1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 c flour
3/4 c graham cracker crumbs (about 6 sheets of graham crackers)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4-1.5 oz milk chocolate bars
1 c marshmallow cream

Set oven to 350°. Spray an 8 inch pan with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, graham crackers, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Press half the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Place the chocolate on top of the dough, breaking it up to make it fit. Spread marshmallow cream over the top of the chocolate. Gently press the other half of the dough on top of the marshmallow cream.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and cut into squares.

Comments from the cook: We ate these warm with a little bit of soft-serve frozen yogurt on top. Delish!

Originally found on: Rookie Cookie's website (text taken from her website)

Quick and Easy Breadsticks

1 TBSP (heaping) yeast
1 1/2 c warm water
1 TBSP (heaping) malted milk powder
1 TBSP honey
4-4 1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP parmesan cheese (optional)
1/4 tsp garlic salt (optional)
1/4 tsp basil leaves (optional)
butter, partially melted

Mix yeast, warm water, malted milk, and honey together.

Add flour and salt to yeast mixture.

Roll out. Brush with partially melted butter.

Combine parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and basil leaves (optional). Sprinkle over top of buttered dough.

Using pizza cutter, cut dough into desired segments.

Raise 15 minutes.

Bake for 12 min at 400°.

Comments from the cook: We ate these with spaghetti, and they were excellent! Our first batch was a little on the thick side, and we will likely roll them out to be a little thinner next time.

Originally shared by Debby Mathias, my mother-in-law