$65 A Week Challenge, Week 3!

You can see how this week's shopping went at the bottom of this post.  In the meantime, here's what's been cooking lately.

One night for dinner I made brown rice pasta with ground venison and added veggies to my canned pasta sauce.  No recipe for this, just a simple quick dinner to put on the table.

Total cost for me to make this meal: about $4

Last week a friend and I hosted a Valentine's Day party for the little kids in our area.  We had a great turn out and it was lots of fun.  I was responsible for cookie decorating so I made a couple of batches of sugar cookies and some frosting and the kids had a blast decorating them and were able to take them home.  

I searched pinterest for a sugar cookie recipe that didn't need to be refrigerated and found this really good recipe over on In Katrina's Kitchen.  It is titled 

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe EVER and I'd have to agree that these were pretty much perfect for what I was wanting.  Go check out the recipe!  Since I was able to get butter for $2 a pound last week, these cookies weren't too expensive to make.  Two batches cost me about $3.25 to make, extra for the frosting.

One of the nights that my husband was out of town last week I made homemade pizza for the kids.  They loved it!  Pizza is always a special treat!  I topped the kid pizza with Antelope sausage that my husband and I made during hunting season along with cheese and olives.  It was super good!

My pizza was a bit more adventurous.  It has the sausage and olives along with zucchini, garlic, green bell peppers, onion and mushrooms.  Then I topped it with fresh tomato after it baked.  SO GOOD!  

Total cost for our 3 big pizzas: about $7

Here's a good pizza dough recipe:

Pizza Dough:

2 1/2 C. Medium Hot Water
1 Tbsp. Yeast
2 Tbsp. Sugar
3 Tbsp. Oil
1 tsp. Salt
6 C. Flour (you can do half all-purpose and half white wheat or 100% whole wheat)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
1. Pour medium hot water in mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and allow to dissolve.
2. Add sugar, salt, and oil. Gradually add approximately 6 cups of flour.  Let mix in electric mixer for about 6 minutes.
3. Place dough on sprayed cookie sheet or pizza pan and press to fill pan, top with sauce, cheese and your favorite toppings.
4. Cook for 12 to 14 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is cooked through.
 

Makes 3 to 4 pizzas.

Now onto this week's shopping.  My husband pointed out to me that I wasn't technically over budget last week since the week before I was actually under budget!  So, I stuck to my $65 budget for this week.  Everything I purchased for this week is pictured above.  The total for this week's groceries was $64.71!  So, I stuck to budget and got a few things I wasn't even planning on getting.  

Here's what I got:

5 dozen eggs, 2 gallons milk, twirly lollipop (not pictured), ham lunch meat, 3 packages shredded cheese, Cinnamon Toaster cereal, celery, 8 oz mushrooms, mayo, 2 liter soda, sliced cheese, taco bell hot sauce, saltine crackers, fresh salsa, tortillas, 1.1 lbs roma tomatoes, strawberry syrup, 1 lb brown rice pasta, 1.79 lbs broccoli, 3 avocados, .61 lbs banana chips, .65 lbs mixed nuts, 2.13 lbs tangelos, 2 lbs carrots, 1.20 lbs yellow delish apples, 2.44 lbs bananas, 2 lbs green cabbage, raisins, hot dogs and Smucker's jam.

I'm so used to buying a FULL cart of groceries every time I go shopping, so I'm getting used to only getting what I need and leaving with a very empty cart compared to what I'm used to.  But, I think it's been going pretty good so far!  

How did you do on your grocery budget this week?

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

I was over at Picky Palate today looking at the recipes that I hadn't seen because I've been in this rut of not wanting to cook for so long, when I came across this recipe for Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies! I knew right when I saw it that I HAD to make them!! I love cinnamon rolls and I love cookies, which you probably already knew since I have so many cookie recipes! These cookies did not disappoint! They taste just like a cinnamon roll, but in a sugar cookie form!

I made my frosting with heavy cream that I had in my fridge, so it took a lot more then the original recipe states. And my frosting was a lot thicker still, but I think I prefer it this way because I was able to pipe it onto the cookies in a cute little design. And so far I haven't been able to try them out of the fridge, like Jenny says to eat them because I've been too impatient and couldn't wait for them to sit in the fridge for the 30 minutes! But they are awesome even if not refrigerated! The recipe does make a TON, so make sure you have a lot of people to share them with! The guys at my hubby's work are going to be the recipients of lots of cookies tomorrow!

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

2 C. sugar
1 C. butter, softened
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. sour cream
6 Cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

8 T. butter, softened and divided
1 1/2 C. packed light brown sugar, divided into 1/4 Cups
1 1/2 T. ground cinnamon, divided

Frosting
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 C. powdered sugar
2-4 T. milk or 1/4-1/3 C. cream, to thin icing

1. In an electric or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined.

2. In 2 batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results.

3. Once chilled, cut each disc into thirds and roll into a 1/8 inch thick oval, about 12 inches X 5 inches. Spread each rolled pieces of dough with 2 Tablespoons softened butter, 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Start rolling from the long end closest to you, rolling into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch pieces of dough then placing onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.

4. To prepare frosting, beat the cream cheese until softened and smooth, slowly add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency. Frost cookies then place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Makes at least 6 dozen

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

What's better than a warm chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk? Nothing! These pudding cookies are soft, moist, and all around yummy!! Add these to your holiday cookie plates and people will surely ask you for the recipe!

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Combine the flour and baking soda. Set aside. Mix the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, pudding mix, and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add the eggs and mix well. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.

Oatmeal Coconut White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

As promised, here is my winning oatmeal cookie recipe from this year's fair. Sorry it's taken me so long to get it up!! This cookie has to be one of my all time favorites, it's crunchy and chewy at the same time. Has some of my favorite ingredients in them and they are just so yummy!! I was kind of worried when I entered it in the fair as an oatmeal cookie that it wouldn't win anything, because it's not your ordinary oatmeal cookie, but luckily the judges liked it! I'm sure you'll love them too!

Oatmeal Coconut White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

½ c. butter (no substitutes)
½ c. shortening (no substitutes)
1 c. packed brown sugar
½ c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
3 c. old fashioned oats
½ cup coconut
1 c. macadamia nut pieces
1 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Cream the butter and shortening together in an electric mixer. Add sugars and continue mixing until nice and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Gradually add flour, a little at a time, mix well but not too much! Add baking soda and salt. Add all of the oats, and mix well. Add the coconut, macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips and mix. Drop by the rounded tablespoon onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes. I bake mine for 10. Let cool on sheet for at least 4 minutes and then transfer to a rack. Store in bags or an air tight container. Enjoy! Makes about 3 dozen.

Loaded Brownie Chipper Cookies

I came up with the idea for this cookie one afternoon while looking at a plate of brownies on my counter. I'm sure that my kids would have eaten the last 4 brownies, but I wanted to see how a cookie with leftover brownies inside of it would turn out. So, I set out to make these cookies. They turned out pretty good!! With the peanut butter and chocolate chips inside, it gives for a nice flavor. And the chunks of brownie inside the cookie are nice and crispy and chocolaty. I'll be making these again for sure if I have any leftover brownies!

Loaded Brownie Chipper Cookies

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups pre-made brownie chunks, cut into ¼” pieces

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a stand or electric mixer, cream together the butter and shortening. Add the sugars and mix until well combined and creamy. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt, making sure that the mixture is thoroughly combined. Add in the peanut butter and chocolate chips, mix until combined. Lastly, add in the brownie bits, only mixing until just combined. Do not over mix with the brownie bits inside of the dough. Place dough onto ungreased cookie sheets with a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, or equivalent. Make sure the cookies are about 2 inches apart and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Coconut S'mores Cookies

The other day I was at the store and bought some coconut marshmallows. I was thinking about making some s'mores cookies and once I saw those marshmallows, I knew I had to make coconut s'mores cookies! I looked online to see if anyone else had ever made s'mores cookies and how they went about dealing with the marshmallows and came across Cookie Madness' version of s'mores cookies. She said that it was best to put the marshmallows on towards the end of cooking, so that is what I did. These cookies turned out so good! If you are looking to make some cookies, please try these! You won't be sorry! I made two different sized cookies. Some really big ones that I used a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop and then I used my 2 tablespoon cookie scoop for the smaller ones. I like the size of the big ones, they are really impressive, but you only get about 12 cookies out of the whole batch.





Coconut S'mores Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 ¼ cups coarsely crushed graham cracker crumbs
3 regular sized Hershey's bars, coarsely chopped and divided
12 large toasted coconut marshmallows, cut with kitchen shears into 8 pieces each

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cream together butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix well. Mix in flour, salt and baking soda until combined. Add the flaked coconut, graham cracker crumbs and 1 ½ chopped Hershey bars, until combined well. To make large cookies, use a ¼ measuring cup to scoop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies look almost all of the way baked. Take cookies out of oven and then evenly divide the marshmallows and the remaining Hershey's bars among the cookies. Bake for another 1 to 3 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown and the chocolate and marshmallow has begun to melt. Do not over bake. To make smaller cookies use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop and scoop onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 or 9 minutes, or until the cookies are almost all of the way baked. Take the cookies out of the oven and evenly distribute the marshmallows and chocolate bars and then bake for another 1 to 3 minutes, or until the cookies are set and the chocolate and marshmallows have started to melt. Do not over bake. Remove onto a cooling rack to cool and enjoy!



Here is a picture of the smaller version of these cookies, I couldn't fit as much stuff on the top of them, but they were still really yummy!

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe won me a blue ribbon at the state fair a few years ago, so if your searching for a winner of an oatmeal cookie, you've found it right here! When I entered it into the fair, I didn't put in the chocolate chips and added a bit more raisins so that it was just a pure oatmeal raisin cookie. I encourage you to try it like that, but with the chocolate chips it takes this cookie over the top! Be sure to use both butter (never use margarine) and shortening in this recipe. It makes the cookie crunchy and soft at the same time, trust me they are killer good. The guys at my husband's work request these babies often and these are always a great cookie to take over to a neighbor's house. Have fun baking!

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ c. butter (no substitutes)

½ c. shortening (no substitutes)

1 c. packed brown sugar

½ c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 ½ c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

3 c. old fashioned oats {can use quick cooking or mix the two kinds}

1 c. raisins

1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Cream the butter and shortening together in an electric mixer. Add sugars and continue mixing until nice and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Gradually add flour, a little at a time, mix well but not too much! Add baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add all of the oats, and mix well. Add the raisins and the chocolate chips and mix. Drop by the rounded tablespoon onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes. I bake mine for 10. Let cool on sheet for at least 4 minutes and then transfer to a rack. Store in bags or an air tight container. Enjoy! Makes about 3 dozen.

Pistachio Cookies

These delicate green goodies are too yummy to pass up! If you love pistachio ice cream or pudding, your gonna love these cookies! These would be a fun cookie to add to a Christmas cookie platter or to serve on St. Patrick's Day, since they have a nice green color to them. If you want a brighter green color, just add a couple of drops of green food coloring. While these cookies aren't too sweet, they are addictive! I hope you love them!

Pistachio Cookies

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening
½ cup powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar, for rolling

In an electric mixer blend butter, shortening and powdered sugar. Add vanilla extract, eggs and pudding mix and mix well. Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix until combined. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, roll in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, leaving about two inches between each cookie. Press down on each cookie with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly. Bake in the 350°F for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies just start to turn golden in color. Remove from oven and transfer to a cookie rack immediately.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies

I came up with this recipe a couple of years ago when I heard someone talking about possibly putting cream cheese into a chocolate chip cookie. The person with the original idea didn't know how to actually make the idea into an end product, so I stepped in and came up with these! They are so good!!! Everyone will be asking you for this recipe!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

2 ¼ cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together butter and sugars in an electric mixer, such as a kitchen aid. Add cream cheese and mix well. Add vanilla extract and egg, continue mixing. Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix until a nice creamy dough forms. Add in chocolate chips and mix until combined. Place dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart, using a small cookie scoop (or about 2 tablespoons). Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, I usually take mine out after 10 minutes of baking. The cookies should be light golden in color, and kind of soft. Let cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, store in a zip loc bag or other air tight container inside of the refrigerator. Eat cold and enjoy with a tall glass of milk!

Have you tried this recipe? If you have, head on over to Tasty Kitchen to rate and review!

Peanut Butter Whopper Cookies

These cookies are soft and chewy with a nice crunch, probably unlike any other peanut butter cookie you've tried before. You could also try making this same recipe with original whoppers if you can't find the peanut butter version. These are sure to be an after school snack favorite!

Peanut Butter Whopper Cookies

½ cup softened butter

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 ¼ cups flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

3.5 oz container Peanut Butter Whoppers, coarsely crushed
sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 375° F.
In a stand or electric mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until creamy. Add egg and vanilla until well combined. Place flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl, stir to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients on low speed, then add whoppers until just combined. Scoop dough with a medium cookie scoop, roll into sugar then place onto a baking sheet, pressing down with a fork to make a criss cross design. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cooked but still soft. Makes about 3 dozen.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I had this idea in my head for a couple of weeks of a cookie that had pretzels in it. First I was thinking of just a chocolate chip pretzel cookie, which would probably be really tasty. But then I got the awesome idea to mix in some peanut butter into the cookie to make a cookie that was kind of like one of my favorite snacks, chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels. I've done it! This cookie is awesome, with a crunch from the pretzel and big bites of chocolate, it's a keeper!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ¾ cups crushed pretzel pieces
1 (11.5 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chunk morsels or chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat butter, peanut butter and sugars until creamed. Add vanilla and eggs and mix well. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix. Finally add crushed pretzel pieces and chocolate chunks, mix until combined. Using a small cookie scoop, place cookie dough on ungreased cookie sheets, making sure they are 2 inches apart from each other. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and store in an air tight container.

Have you tried this recipe? If you have, head on over to Tasty Kitchen to rate and review!

Cookies & Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

One thing that I'm pretty well known for is my cookies. I've been baking cookies ever since I was a kid, every weekend growing up that's what I did. My uncle Ruben would come over just for some of my chocolate chip cookies, which at the time was just the Toll House recipe on the bag. But, he loved them. Today the guys at my husband's work always ask when more cookies are coming and they even request certain kinds! I'm kind of known as the cookie lady, which I'm perfectly fine with! I was actually talking to my mom the other day about how it would be fun to open up a little shop that just sells treats like cookies, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls... stuff like that, but then when I think about it, that would take the fun out of baking for me. So, I'll just stick to what I'm doing and share my recipes with you instead so that you can make them for yourselves!

This cookie is a new favorite in our house and everyone that has tried them has loved them. With the combination of Oreos and chocolate chips, you can't really go wrong! One thing that I've noticed with these cookies is that if you cut the Oreos up into big chunks, your cookies will turn out to be a higher cookie and if you crush the Oreos your cookies will be flatter. The picture here is of the Oreos being crushed, I'll have to make them again with the cookies cut and take a picture of them that way. They also look a lot more grey when you crush them, since little bits of crumbs are being distributed throughout the dough. I actually prefer them with the Oreos cut up instead of crushed, but they are yummy either way!

Edited to add picture of cookies with cut up Oreos instead of crushed Oreos.

Cookies & Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips
20 Oreo cookies, cut up or crushed

Preheat oven to 350°F.
With an electric mixer cream butter and sugars until nice and creamy. Add vanilla and egg and mix. Slowly add flour, a little at a time. Add baking soda and salt and mix well, add chocolate chips and oreo cookies and mix well. Scoop cookie dough by the rounded tablespoon onto a cookie sheet; make sure they aren’t too close though! Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Cool on a rack and enjoy!