Sloan’s Mint Melt Away Cookies

Sloan loves anything mint, and Mint Melt Away’s are on of her favorites. Sloan and I got to wondering if they could be added to a cookie. The little ones look are chocolate chip size.

We found these at our local Super Walmart store. They were in an odd spot, in from of the deli.

Mint Melt Away Cookies

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 package Mint Melt Aways (12 oz)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk the flour, soda and salt. In a mixer beat sugar, brown sugar, shortening and butter for 2~3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix. Add the Mint Melt Aways and mix. Drop with a cookie scoop onto cookie sheets. Bake 12-13 minutes. Cool on cookie racks.

Tropical Traditions Organic Thick Rolled Oats Review & Giveaway!

This month I had the opportunity to review Organic Thick Rolled Oats from Tropical Traditions. We all know how healthy oats can be. I really love a nice big bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins for breakfast, yup, I could even eat it for dinner! Oatmeal is one of my favorite foods, so I’m very happy that it’s also good for me!

Tropical Traditions Organic Thick Rolled Oats are nice big oats and cook up yummy no matter how they are used.

                              

ORGANIC THICK ROLLED OATS

Oats provide high quality, well-balanced protein. Thick Rolled Oats and other whole grain oats are a good source of soluble fiber. Tropical Traditions Thick Rolled Oats are most commonly used for oatmeal, and cook in about 15 minutes. Thick Rolled Oats can also be used in granola and of course oatmeal cookies.

This recipe was given to me by a friend and since I had this nice bag of oats and a pile of ripe bananas, I thought it was the perfect combination! This makes a lot of cookie dough, and it looks really soft when it’s scooped out, but don’t worry, they bake up perfect! The oatmeal, cinnamon, banana and chocolate are a wonderful combination!

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups of Tropical Traditions Palm Shortening

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup sugar

3 cups bananas, mashed

3 eggs

4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons soda

3 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

5 1/4 cups Tropical Traditions Organic Thick Rolled Oats

3~5 cups chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375. In a large bowl whisk the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and oats. Beat the sugars and shortening for 3 minutes. Add the eggs and mashed bananas and beat. Mix in the dry ingredients then add in the chocolate chips. Scoop onto cookie sheets with a cookie scoop. Bake for 13-14 minutes.

These cookies freeze well. You can also refrigerate or freeze the dough.

Tropical Traditions is giving one lucky Songberries follower a 5 lb bag of Organic Thick Rolled Oats! To enter visit Tropical Traditions and tell me  something you learned or something else you like, leave me a comment telling me, don’t forget you must be a PUBLIC* follower of my blog!

For extra entries you may~

1)Blog about this giveaway (with a link to me &Tropical Traditions)(leave me a link)~5 entries~leave 5 comments

2)Like Tropical Traditions Facebook~2 entries~leave 2 comments

3)Like Songberries on Facebook~2 entries~leave 2 comments

4)Update your Facebook status with the giveaway~3 entries~leave 3 comments

5)Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter~2 entries~leave 2 comments

6)Follow Songberries on Twitter~2 entries~leave 2 comments

7)Tweet the giveaway~3 entries~leave 3 comments

8)Grab my button(leave me a link to your blog&tell me where to find it)~5 entries~leave 5 comments

9)Sign up for my newsletter~6 entries~leave 6 comments

10)Sign up for any of my other giveaways(top right side of my blog)~2 entries each~leave 2 comments

11)Follow me on Networked Blogs(Right side of my blog)~3 entries~leave 3 comments

*The way I check to see if you’re a public follower is by clicking on your name in the comments, which takes me to your profile. At your profile I check to see if my blog is listed.

I want to thank Tropical Traditions  for sponsoring this giveaway. This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will close May 17, 2011 at 12am.

~I received a product sample in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed are mine.

Spicy Molasses Cookies

 

I found this recipe over at The Tasty Kitchen and it happens to be one of Pioneer Woman’s recipes. It is sooo yummy! The dough was a little soft and I was afraid it would need more flour, but they baked up great! My whole family likes them, yup, even Sloan! I will be making these a lot! They make the house smell great too!

Spicy Molasses Cookies

2 cups Sugar

1 1/2 cups Crisco (vegetable Shortening)

1/2 cup Molasses

2 Eggs

4 cups Flour

5 teaspoons Baking Soda

4 teaspoons Cinnamon

4 teaspoons Ground Ginger

1 teaspoon Ground Cloves

1/2teaspoon Ground Cardamom

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk the flour, baking soda and spices and salt. In a mixer, mix sugar, shortening, molasses, and eggs together until well combined. With a cookie scoop, scoop out cookies and roll them in sugar. I like to use the organic sugar that comes in a box because it stays crunchy after the cookies are baked. Place balls on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, allowing to bake for about a minute after cookies begin to crack.

Remove cookies from baking sheet and allow to cool…though these are delicious while still warm.

Oatmeal Munchies

 

This is another recipe that Sloan made at school. This is a little different than my regular no bake cookies because it has some flour in it. I like these so much better. We will be making these a lot at our house!

Oatmeal Munchies

In a saucepan:
4 Tbsp. margarine

3/4 C. sugar

1/4 C. brown sugar

1/4 C. milk

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. cocoa
Pinch of salt

In a mixing bowl:

1/4 C. peanut butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 C. quick oats

1/4 C. flour

In a small saucepan combine margarine, sugar, brown sugar, milk, cocoa, and salt. In a small mixing bowl, measure the peanut butter, vanilla, quick oats, and flour.

Place the saucepan on burner with medium high heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon.

Bring mixture to a boil and let it boil for one minute. (Begin timing when first bubble rises from the bottom of the pan.)

Remove the pan from heat and place on heat-resistant surface.

Add contents of the mixing bowl to the pan. Stir until well mixed. (Mixture should be moist and shiny. If mixture is dry and crumbly, add milk 1 Tbsp. at a time until mixture is moist and shiny.

Scoop onto the cookie sheet with a cookie scoop.

Allow mixture to cool. (They will set up as they cool.)
Makes about 24 cookies.

Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies

Sloan just loves mint and chocolate together, so I came up with this chocolate cookie recipe then I just added the mint chips. Sloan loves them!

Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups mint chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl whisk the flour, cocoa, soda and salt. In a mixer beat the butter and the sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Beat in the dry ingredients and mix well, then mix in the chips.  Drop onto cookie sheets with a cookie scoop. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on racks.

Tropical Traditions Shredded Coconut Review & Giveaway!

 

It’s time for another review and giveaway from Tropical Traditions! This month I choose Organic Dried Coconut. My family loves coconut, well, except Sloan, but she’s just picky. The rest of us love coconut. Tropical Traditions has several varieties of coconut, shredded, coconut flakes and coconut chips.

                              

Tropical Traditions 100% natural Shredded Coconut, Coconut Flakes, and Coconut Chips are made from organic dried coconuts in the Philippines that are grown with no fertilizers or pesticides. This premium dried coconut contains no additives or preservatives, and is not sweetened. Unlike most dried coconut on the market, our dried coconut products are not treated with sulfites to keep them white. They are a great addition to recipes and baking, or just for snacks! Note: The Shredded Coconut is a very small cut, suitable for baking, such as making macaroons. The Coconut Flakes are a larger shredded coconut cut, perfect for garnishing or toppings, such as the top of a coconut cream pie. The Coconut Chips are a much larger cut that can be used as a snack food. You can mix them with nuts and dried fruit, for example.

I found a recipe at Tropical Traditions for Double Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies. They were an instant hit with the coconut fans. Sloan ate one and said it was ok. I will be making these yummy cookies again!

Double Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 cup  butter, room temperature

1/2 cup virgin coconut oil

3/4 cup organic sugar

3/4 cup Turbinado or whole sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

12oz semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups self rising flour

1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the butter and coconut oil in a mixer. Add the sugars, eggs and vanilla with the butter and coconut oil until combined. Mix in the flour and coconut just until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Place on a cookie sheet with a cookie scoop or 2 spoons. Bake cookies until just light golden brown on the bottom for a nice soft cookie, or a little longer if you like a more crispy cookie 10-12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a plate for cooling.

 

Tropical Traditions  is giving one lucky Songberries follower the same (3.5 lb) Shredded Coconut! To enter you must be a follower of Songberries and visit Tropical Traditions and tell me  something you learned or something else you like, leave me a comment telling me!

For extra entries you may~

1)Blog about this giveaway (with a link to me &Tropical Traditions)(leave me a link)~5 entries~leave 5 comments

2)Like Tropical Traditions Facebook~2 entries~leave 2 comments

3)Like Songberries on Facebook~2 entries~leave 2 comments

4)Update your Facebook status with the giveaway~3 entries~leave 3 comments

5)Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter~2 entries~leave 2 comments

6)Follow Songberries on Twitter~2 entries~leave 2 comments

7)Tweet the giveaway~3 entries~leave 3 comments

8)Grab my button(leave me a link to your blog&tell me where to find it)~5 entries~leave 5 comments

9)Sign up for my newsletter~6 entries~leave 6 comments

10)Sign up for any of my other giveaways(top right side of my blog)~2 entries each~leave 2 comments

11)Follow me on Networked Blogs(Right side of my blog)~3 entries~leave 3 comments

I want to thank Tropical Traditions  for sponsoring this giveaway. This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will close April 27, 2011 at 12am.

~I received a product sample in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed are mine.

Ideal Sweeteners Review

                         

Ideal No Calorie Sweetener is different from other sugar substitutes. Finally, someone delivers on the promise sugar substitutes have made for decades! Unlike the leading no calorie sweetener, Ideal really does look, TASTE, cook and bake like sugar. In fact, the taste of Ideal® is actually PREFERRED over sugar*! With its main ingredient xylitol, Ideal maintains its sweetness in baking and cooking, AND delivers volume and texture other sweeteners do not. Ideal is great for people with diabetes and anyone trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I was excited to try out the Ideal Sweeteners! Here’s the some of my favorite recipes made with all 3 types of Ideal~

This is a recipe my mom came up with and I really like them. They have the regular Ideal Sweetener in them. I like them better with the Ideal Sweetener than with Splenda.

Raisin Molasses Cookies

3/4 cup butter or shortening

1 cup Ideal No Calorie Sweetener

1 cup raisins

1 egg

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 cup molasses

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup Ideal No Calorie Sweetener

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl whisk the flour, oatmeal, soda, salt and spices with a whisk. Cream the butter and the Ideal Sweetener. Add the egg and molasses. Mix in the dry ingredients. Drop onto cookie sheets with a cookie scoop. Go back and roll  each ball in the Ideal Sweetener. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on racks.

This is a recipe I found and it doesn’t have any flour in them. I love the peanut butter and oatmeal flavor. I used regular Ideal No Calorie  Sweetener and the Ideal Brown No Calorie Sweetener.

Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup Ideal Brown No Calorie Sweetener

1 cup Ideal No Calorie Sweetener

1 cup shortening

1 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

2 teaspoons soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flax meal

1 cup whole oats

3 cups quick oatmeal

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl whisk the oats, quick oats, flax meal and soda. In a mixer cream the peanut butter and the shortening. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients. Drop out onto cookie sheets with a cookie scoop. Flatten with your hands. Bake for 10 minutes.

I love peanut butter and I was trying to think of a candy that would satisfy the peanut butter craving. I love these and they are so simple to make! The Ideal Confectionery No Calorie Sweetener is wonderful!

Peanut Butter Candy

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup Ideal Confectionery Low Calorie Sweetener

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

Mix all together. Roll in balls, then roll in some Ideal Powdered Sweetener.

To find out where you can purchase Ideal, go here. You can also purchase Ideal online at Amazon.

I am now a big fan of Ideal Sweeteners and even though they don’t sell them in Utah, I know I can purchase them online.

You can also connect with Ideal on these social media’s, Facebook and Twitter. You can also find there blog here.

Go here to get a coupon for Ideal.

Go here for recipes!

~I received a product sample in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed are mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~I received a product sample in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed are mine.

Big Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

A friend of mine at the gym said she was going to make Mrs Fields chocolate chip cookies. She mentioned that a friend use to work at Mrs Fields and gave her the recipe. I’m thinking that this is just the same recipe that has been going around for years. I would think that now days any cookies that are baked at a Mrs Fields comes from a mix, not made from scratch. My friend also claimed that these cookies need to be mixed by hand with a wooden spoon because the secret to making them is to not over mix them. Well, I wasn’t about to mix these up with a spoon seeing that they call for 1 pound of butter and 6 cups of flour. (Maybe I should have, it would have been an awesome workout!) It was really a workout for my Bosch mixer! I had to mix the last 2 cups of chocolate chips in by hand!

These are by far one of the best batches of cookies I’ve made in a while! It makes a hug batch so it’s great if you want to bake some and put the rest of the dough in the fridge. You can also drop them onto a cookie sheet and freeze, then just pop them into a ziplock back and put in the freezer for fresh cookies anytime!

Big Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 lb of butter, room temperature

2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon soda

6 cups flour

6 cups chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl.  Beat butter and sugars for 3 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs. Change beaters in the mixer to a dough hook and add the flour mixture. Add the chocolate chips. I had to finish mixing the chips in with a wooden spoon. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove to cookie racks to cool.

Easy Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

I wanted to make these at Christmas, but never got around to it. Sloan made these for a treat this weekend. She loves chocolate mint anything! These are easy and yummy!

Easy Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4~1/2 teaspoon mint extract

6~8 drops of green food coloring

2 eggs

1 cup mint baking chips

1 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixer beat the cookie mix, butter, eggs, extract and food coloring. Mix in the chips. Drop onto cookie sheets with a cookie scoop. Bake for 8~10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins, Dates and Walnuts

 

 

My daughter told me about this recipe when Chauncey mentioned that he wanted some oatmeal raisin cookies. What could be better, oatmeal, raisins, dates, honey and walnuts! We added 1 cup of white whole wheat flour for part of the flour, just to make them a little healthier. Chauncey made these cookies up and he loves them! The recipe came from Epicurious.

Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins, Dates and Walnuts

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped pitted dates

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk the first 5 ingredients. Using electric mixer, beat butter, vegetable shortening, and both sugars in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in honey, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, raisins, dates, and walnuts. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing mounds 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly.

Bake cookies until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter Review & Giveaway!

This month I got to try Tropical Traditions  Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter! I was excited about the combination, coconut and peanut butter, yum!

 

                                        

Coconut Peanut butter

I was excited to try Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter! I’m a big peanut butter fan (like dipping a spoon into the jar fan). I tried the coconut peanut butter in my favorite Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies and it was a big hit with my family. You can find my recipe here.

Tropical Traditions also has lots of recipes on their bog here.

 

     

Here’s a little information that Dan over at Tropical Traditions told me~

Our Organic Coconut Peanut Butter is mixed with Virgin Coconut Oil which makes it sensitive to temperature.  If you were to store it above 76 it would be more spreadable.  You can also heat it by placing it in a warm/hot bowl of water.  My personal favorite thing about this peanut butter is to take it and warm it up and put it on ice cream. Which once it chills to the ice cream it makes it hard like a candy shell.

Chauncey tried some Organic Coconut Peanut Butter on his ice cream and he really liked the shell it made!

Tropical Traditions  is giving one lucky Songberries follower the same (16 oz) Coconut Peanut Butter To enter you must be a follower of Songberries and visit Tropical Traditions and tell me  something you learned or something else you like, leave me a comment telling me!

For extra entries you may~

1)Blog about this giveaway (with a link to me &Tropical Traditions)(leave me a link)~5 entries~leave 5 comments

2)Like Tropical Traditions Facebook~2 entries~leave 2 comments

3)Like Songberries on Facebook~2 entries~leave 2 comments

4)Update your Facebook status with the giveaway~3 entries~leave 3 comments

5)Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter~2 entries~leave 2 comments

6)Follow Songberries on Twitter~2 entries~leave 2 comments

7)Tweet the giveaway~3 entries~leave 3 comments

8)Grab my button(leave me a link to your blog&tell me where to find it)~5 entries~leave 5 comments

9)Sign up for my newsletter~6 entries~leave 6 comments

10)Sign up for any of my other giveaways(top right side of my blog)~2 entries each~leave 2 comments

11)Follow me on Networked Blogs(Right side of my blog)~3 entries~leave 3 comments

I want to thank Tropical Traditions  for sponsoring this giveaway. This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will close January 29th, 2011 at 12am.

~I received a product sample in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed are mine.