ICY DAYS

I showed a picture of our front yard yesterday with the ice on everything.

This is our backyard. So.....as I said I was going to do Monday, I baked bread. 3 loaves of good, nutritious Whole Wheat Bread.


As always with my bread pictures, I have one that we have already cut into, because we HAVE to have a good, hot piece the minute it comes out of the pan and we can cut it. Hot bread with butter!!! YUMMY and in this case I opened up a jar of Strawberry Rhubarb Jelly that had been given to us by friends at Christmas. Oh my, was this ever good!!!!

The recipe made 3 loaves and here are the other two. As I write this we have already eaten (devoured!!) the first loaf and I had to get another out of the freezer this morning. Nothing like fresh, home made bread, and especially the good, healthy whole wheat type.

Yesterday I decided to make some cookies

Harvest Pumpkin-Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

That's Mickey's hand trying to grab one while I was taking the picture!!

These were absolutely one of the BEST tasting cookies I've ever made. They aren't the prettiest but the best tasting. Plus they are at least somewhat nutritious because of the pumpkin, oatmeal, raisin and walnuts.

I had a whole bunch of Spl*enda packets I wanted to use up. I got the recipe off of the Spl*enda site on the Internet. Oh, how did I do anything before using this wonderful internet??!! The hardest part of making these was opening a BUNCH of packets to make a 1/2 cup!!!! They are so tasty I am posting the recipe:

Harvest Pumpkin-Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup SPL*enda Sugar Blend (as I said I used the individual packets and I didn't use a full 1/2 cup, but close)

1/2 cup SPL*enda Brown Sugar Blend, packed (I did not have this so just used regular light brown sugar)

1 cup pumpkin

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup raisins

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Spray baking pans with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, sugar & brown sugar in large bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract; mix well. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in walnuts and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.

3. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and set in centers. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Serves: 48 (I got 55)

Bake and ENJOY!!

We are still iced in so I'll go see what I want to bake today. I have 1/2 the opened can of pumpkin left so I'll make something with pumpkin. If it's good....I'll share it. Have a great day. "This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice in it!"