GBP Best-Ever Cookies Cookbook Review & Giveaway!

I was asked by Gooseberry Patch to do a review on a cookbook, and the title won me over right away! Best-Ever Cookies!! Who doesn't like cookies?!

The hard part, choosing which yummy recipes to make. I could make them all!

Since the weather was sunny and warm, more like spring than winter, I went with a more spring/summer recipe. 

Pineapple Cheesecake Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter, softened

1-1/4 cup sugar, divided

2-8oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

20-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

Combine flour, butter and one cup sugar; mix until just blended. Press dough into the bottom and sides of a greased 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min. or until golden. While crust is baking, combine remaining sugar, cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla in a seperate bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and blended. Fold in pineapple and pour over baked crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes, or until a knife tip inserted into the center tests clean.  Cool; cut into bars. Makes 2 dozen.

The second recipe I chose was Peanut Butter-Oat Bars. This went together so fast, and they were gone within minutes!

Peanut Butter-Oat Bars

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

6 cups multi-grain doughnut shaped oat cereal

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine corn syrup and sugar in saucepan over medium heat. Stir until mixture begins to bubble; do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter; mix well. Place cereal in large bowl; add syrup mixture and stir until blended. Press into a buttered 13x9 inch baking pan. Melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat. Spread chocolate evenly to coat cereal. Cool until firm; cut into bars. Makes about 1 dozen.

Enter to Win!!!!!

Now, for the giveaway! I have an extra copy of this book, and I want to give it to someone! Just like with the last giveaway, just leave a comment on this post! If you are on Facebook, let your friends know! We had almost 100 entered last time, and it was so much fun to have so many stop by for a visit! And if you have a blog, I'd love to visit yours! 

Giveaway starts right now, Monday February 28, and will end Friday evening, March 4, at 8:00 p.m. I'll draw a name around 9:00 p.m. Winner will be announced that evening, or the next morning, depending on how on the ball I am after working until 8:30! ;o) Just please make sure I have a way to contact you so I know where to send the cookbook! 

Good Luck!!!  :o)



We Have a Winner!!

Congratulations to Grammy and Papi's Attic!
They left a comment to our giveaway post, and were chosen randomly by random.org as the winner!
I've already sent them an email, and soon they will be receiving the cookbook Mom's Very Best Recipes plus 1 lb. of our Summer Swiss cheese!

Make sure you stop by their blog and visit!

Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment and visited our blog! Stop by often! I add recipes and photos often, and we'll be doing another giveaway next weekend!

Have a great week! :o)

Gooseberry Patch Recipe Review....and a giveaway!!!

I am having so much fun doing the Early Bird Reviews! Gooseberry Patch cookbooks are wonderful and it's so easy to review their recipes!

The cookbook I'm doing a review from this week is Mom's Very Best Recipes. It was so hard to pick just 2 recipes to review, but I can guarantee I'll be making more from this book soon! I've found that the recipes are so easy, and I seem to have the ingredients on hand. Just looking through this cookbook reminds me of the food my Grandma fixed for me. How wonderful to go back to being a kid and coming home to comfort food!

The first recipe I made was with my daughter in mind. She loves mac and cheese and hot dogs, so this was perfect!

Cowboy Macaroni and Cheese

3 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

10-3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

pepper to taste

3 cups Cheddar cheese, divided

Optional: 4 hot dogs, diced

2 cups French fried onions, divided

Cook macaroni, according to package directions; drain and set aside. Blend soup, milk, mustard and pepper; stir in cooked macaroni, hot dogs if using and 2 cups of cheese. Sprinkle with half the onions and mix well. Transfer to a 13x9 inch baking pan sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray. Cover; bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven; top with remaining cheese and onions. Serves 6-8.

The second recipe I made today for our dinner, and it's gone...already! It was yummy! And so easy!

Creamy Wild Rice Soup

6-oz. pkg. long grain and wild rice mix, uncooked

1 lb. ground beef

14-1/2 oz. can chicken broth

10-3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup

2 c. milk

1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

1/3 c. carrot, peeled and shredded

1-oz. pkg. ranch salad dressing mix

Garnish: chopped green onions*

Prepare rice mix as package directs. Measure out 1-1/2 cups cooked rice and set aside, reserving the remainder for another use. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven over medium heat, brown beef. Drain; stir in cooked rice and remaining ingredients, except garnish. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle servings with green onions. Serves 6-8.

*We didn't use the green onions because of a food allergy that my husband has. But they do sound like they would be yummy!

Now, for the giveaway! Gooseberry Patch sent me an extra copy of Mom's Very Best Recipes, and I want to give it to someone!
Very easy to be entered, just leave a comment here on this blog, letting me know you would like to win this book. If you are on Facebook, please share with your friends so that they can have a chance too! When you leave a comment, make sure I have a way to get in touch with you if you are chosen! I'll be posting the winner on this blog and on Gooseberry Patch Facebook page and on my own FB page. And comments left between today, February 16 through Sunday, February 20, 8:00 p.m. will be entered. Drawing will be done randomly Sunday evening at 9:00 p.m.

In addition to the cookbook, we will also be including 1 lb. of our Farmstead-Artisan Raw Milk cheese. Summer Swiss will be the variety, it's been a favorite of mine! :)

Keep checking here also, there will be another giveaway and review next week! We'll be talking about cookies! And who doesn't love cookies?!

Good Luck! :o)

Perfect Attendance!

So far this school year, Miss Emily has had perfect attendance! We're really proud of her! She also received her report card, and in Kindergarten, the grade with 1, 2 or 3's. 1 being the best. She received mostly 1's! :)

I'm planning on taking a day with her, treat her to lunch and possibly a visit to Goodwill. I'm looking forward to this!

She will also have a pizza party with the principal and the other kids who haven't missed. She's really excited about the pizza!