I've made these thick, chewy oatmeal cookies for years from a recipe I found online somewhere and they are pure comfort in every bite—rich, hearty, and downright irresistible. Don’t flatten them with a glass—leave them beautifully mounded for that bakery-style texture. I didn’t have a large ice cream scoop on hand, so I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup, and it worked like a charm. They baked up perfectly in 16 minutes—golden on the edges, soft in the middle.

The flavor? Even better the next day—like they settled into their deliciousness overnight. Using a generous scoop makes a huge difference in size and density; they stay nice and thick and don’t spread out much at all. I went all in with 1.5 cups of raisins (yes, it’s a lot, but so worth it!) and added a full cup of chopped pecans for a nutty crunch in every bite. These cookies are everything you want them to be—chunky, chewy, and packed with goodness.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon molasses*
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups rolled oats**
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups raisins (soaked, drained well)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (pecans are my favorite!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
2. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover and let sit while preparing dough.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, spices, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, then eggs one at a time, mixing well.
5. Mix in molasses until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl.
6. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing gently.
7. Drain raisins very well (press out extra moisture). Stir into the dough with pecans.
8. Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, portion dough onto prepared sheets, about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake 15–17 minutes, until golden brown on edges and soft in the center.
10. Cool briefly on trays, then transfer to a wire rack. Store airtight up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months.

Notes

• Use dark molasses, not blackstrap. I prefer Grandma’s brand.
• Be sure to use rolled oats, not quick or steel-cut oats.
• Remove as much water as possible from raisins before adding to dough — this keeps cookies thick and chewy.

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"🐶💕 Maggie says thanks for help keeping her treat jar full 💕🐶”

I've made this sweet omelette several times now, serving it with link sausage and maple syrup and it's  delicious!  The same recipe can also be made using savory ingredients.  This is so easy, and it is just yummy!

Sweet Omelette

3 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar - I'm always watching calories so I use a tablespoon of Splenda

1 tablespoon flour 

tiny pinch of salt, don't leave it out, just a smidge is enough

Cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Steps

Spray and heat 6.5-7" skillet on medium heat.

I put all of the ingredients in a bullet blender to make sure the flour was well distributed.  It worked great but you could also just whisk it thoroughly.

Pour the eggy mixture onto the pan and cover with the lid.

Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then turn to low.  Mine cooks in 7 minutes, it's perfect, just a bit custardy on the inside.  The omelette will puff up a lot and  once the lid is removed the omelet will fall.  Don't panic, it's what its supposed to do.

Savory Omelette

Same recipe, except omit the sugar.  Stir in whatever you like to make it savory before you bake it.  Onions, peppers, bacon, crumbled cook sausage, a dash of hot sauce, grated cheese, hot pepper flakes.  Whatever floats your boat, cook the same way and you will have the easiest omelette you ever made.  With all the inclusions it might take just a minute longer to cook.  Check it at the 7-8 minute mark and determine if it's done.  If you turn to low to cook, your bottom should brown nicely and it doesn't burn.

This entire recipe is 22 grams of protein and 300 calories.  It keeps you satisfied for hours!  If you're into presentation, dust it with confectioner's sugar and add a few raspberries or blueberries...

A trip down memory lane, today.  It's Halloween y'all and when I was growing up people always gave us popcorn balls and apples on Halloween night.  Unlike today, when people give out prepackaged candy, popcorn balls were what people gave us and it was something we looked forward to every year.

I wish I had mother's recipe from all those years ago, but I don't, so I watched Paula Deen make her grandmother's recipe and they look exactly like the ones mother used to make.  So this is her recipe for you today, you can dress them up anyway you like with candy and sprinkles, ours were just always plain, wrapped in waxed paper and tied with twine.  Such good memories...

Grandmother Paul's Popcorn Balls

2 cup sugar

1 1/3 cup water

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

18 cups popped popcorn

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, syrup, vinegar and salt. Cook over high heat until mixture reaches 255 °F (hard-ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Stir in vanilla. Pour over popped corn, tossing gently to coat. When mixture is cool enough to handle, press popcorn into 3-inch balls with lightly greased hands. Cool completely on wax paper

If you want to watch her make them, I enclosed the video link for you.

Here is the link from her YouTube Channel - Paula Making Popcorn Balls

#PaulaDeen
#Halloween
#Popcorn

When it comes to classic comfort food, few dishes are as beloved as roast chicken, and no one does it better than Ina Garten. Known for her warm, approachable style and elegant yet simple recipes, Ina has made this dish her hallmark, especially since it’s a favorite of her husband, Jeffrey. Ina’s Perfect Roast Chicken isn’t just a staple in her home—it’s become a go-to for home cooks everywhere, thanks to its straightforward technique and flawless results. In fact, she makes it for Jeffrey nearly every week! 

The secret lies in the balance of simple ingredients and thoughtful preparation, proving that even the most basic dishes can be truly extraordinary. Get ready to discover why this recipe is so iconic!

1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil

Steps

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Bon Appetit!

The Roast Chicken for Jeffrey recipe is featured in Ina Garten's cookbook Cooking for Jeffrey. This cookbook is dedicated to her husband, Jeffrey, and includes many of her favorite recipes that he loves. The roast chicken recipe is one of the standout dishes, reflecting her signature style of straightforward, flavorful cooking. 

It's Ina's most personal cookbook yet, and is filled with the recipes Jeffrey and their friends request most often as well as charming stories from Ina and Jeffrey’s many years together. There are traditional dishes that she’s updated, such as Brisket with Onions and Leeks, and Tsimmes, a vegetable stew with carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and prunes, and new favorites, like Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken and Roasted Salmon Tacos. You’ll also find wonderful new salads, including Maple-Roasted Carrot Salad and Kale Salad with Pancetta and Pecorino. Desserts range from simple Apple Pie Bars to showstoppers like Vanilla Rum Panna Cotta with Salted Caramel. For the first time, Ina has included a chapter devoted to bread and cheese, with recipes and tips for creating the perfect cheese course. With options like Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschettas and Challah with Saffron, there’s something everyone will enjoy.

If you would like a copy, it's available on Amazon.  Here's your link https://amzn.to/47U6esL

#InaGarten #BarefootContessa #InaGartenRecipes #CookLikeIna #InaInspiration #BarefootContessaStyle #InaGartenFans #InaLovesFood #EasyEntertaining #BarefootContessaRecipes #CookingWithIna #InaGartenVibes #InaApproved #BarefootContessaLove #CookingInaStyle #Pretendcookingshow #Roastchicken #JenniferGarner

Sadly, Paula Deen's Creek House is closed, but we ate there when we visited Savannah in the fall of 2022 and it was hands down the BEST wedge salad I ever ate... 

I've recreated the ingredients so we will always have access to it and I linked to a recipe I found online for candied pecans.  If you love a Wedge Salad, oh my, you're in for a treat with these inclusions!

Iceberg lettuce wedge
bleu cheese dressing
diced tomatoes
Applewood bacon, crisp and crumbled
caramelized pecan halves, see recipe below for candied pecans
bleu cheese crumbles.

Balsalmic Reduction

1 cup balsamic vinegar

Add the vinegar to a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until thick and reduced, about 8 to 12 minutes. The timing will depend on your desired thickness. The reduction will also thicken as it cools.  Assemble salad and drizzle with balsalmic reduction

Candied Pecans - https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/quick-stovetop-candied-pecans/

Toast Pecans First if you have time -

#PaulaDeen #SouthernCooking #ButterLover #SouthernComfortFood #PaulaDeenRecipes #SouthernStyle #ComfortFood #SouthernHospitality #CookingWithPaula #QueenOfButter #SouthernFavorites #SweetTeaAndBiscuits #DownHomeCooking #PaulaDeenClassic #SouthernKitchen #FriedChickenFridays #BiscuitsAndGravy #HomeCooking #ladyandsons #creekhouse #savannah

2 sticks of softened butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
zest of one orange (1 tablespoon)

That's it, couldn't be easier.  I use the balloon whisk on my Kitchenaid, whip butter first, then add the honey, salt and vanilla and whisk again until it's aerated and fluffy.  Stir in the orange zest at at the end and a grating of more orange zest on the top is a nice touch.

I found this recipe from Alton Brown a few years ago, his secret ingredient is bread flour.  He's tweaked it now, and it's even better and it was amazing before this slight adjustment.  The addition of just a bit more bread flour than his original recipe takes it over the top, and he measures in grams, which gives you the exact amounts instead of playing the guessing game with cup measurements.

So here it is, buy yourself a bag of bread flour and make these cookies, just trust me.  They are roll your eyes, moan and smack your lips good.  Even better with walnuts or pecans.  Hubby tells me me to never make another recipe, these are perfect.  Of course always better warm, so I bake off a few at a time and keep the rest in the fridge or freeze them in balls, then toss in a freezer bag to bake later. 

Don't overbake these, you want them just a tad gooey in the center.  In my oven at 375 degrees on a parchment lined insulated cookie sheet, 13-14 minutes results in the perfect cookie.

2 sticks unsalted butter
2  cups bread flour
1/4 HEAPING cup more bread flour - this is the secret to this recipe, heaping that last 1/4 cup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Use the large ice cream scoop for this, not a small scoop.

Bake for 13-14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Hubby is a big fan of Chick-fil-A Sauce, but he goes through it quickly and it's spendy.  I went online, found a copycat recipe from familyfreshmeals.com and they nailed it.  I didn't change a thing, he loves this and it just takes a minute to whisk together and put in a Ball pint jar to store in the fridge.

Ingredients

1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/4 cup barbecue sauce - I use Sweet Baby Ray Original, it's our go to
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise - I use Hellman's Light Mayo

Steps

Mix together and refrigerate for at least an hour.

How simple is this?  Whip up a batch and see if your family doesn't like this as much as ours does...

I've made this meatloaf since the 70's, nothing else I've made compares to this because it's so moist and flavorful.  I assemble it in the morning, put in the fridge, then bake for dinner.  Try it, you won't be disappointed.

~ Jan

2 lbs. lean ground chuck or ground round, I don't like greasy meatloaf
1 lb. roll of Jimmy Dean HOT Sausage
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 bell pepper, finely diced (optiona1)
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 cup ketchup, more for topping
1-2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 can tomato sauce

I bring ground beef and sausage to room temp. for a half an hour before mixing.  It blends so much easier when you do that.

Combine above ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed.

Shape into oval in a large roasting pan.  This is a large meatloaf, you need a large pan.  I make a well all the way down the center to hold the topping.

Mix together topping:

1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon mustard

Spread on top of meatloaf, pour the can of tomato sauce around it, cover and bake, covered,  in 350 oven for two hours.

I never take off the lid, that keeps the meatloaf moist as it bakes.  Sometimes I surround it with yukon gold potatoes that I have halved, cut side down, and carrots.  If I add veggies, I will add another can of tomato sauce so that there is a lot of liquid.  Put the veggies in when you assemble the meatloaf, I like to use Yukon Gold because they don't get mushy.

If you need a roasting pan, here's a link for the large one Granite Roaster

I have a large red one, cause it's just the way I roll and red anything in the kitchen makes me happy.

Here's the link for this if you want to treat yourself 😃 Lodge Red Roaster