Yes, I have been avoiding going to the grocery store! It seems like such an ordeal these days! I needed something for a potluck, and it had to be dessert (I read the flyer too late!). I wanted a finger-food dessert, so I thought I would try making cookies from a cake mix. I remembered having a recipe in Jr. High Home Ec on how to do that. Not being able to find that, I scoured the internet for a recipe.

Here it was:

1 box cake mix
1/4 c oil
1/4 c water
1 c treats (oatmeal, M&Ms, raisins, etc.)

I gave it a try using chocolate cake mix and oatmeal and raisins for my treats. I baked them in the new convection oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. I tested at 10 minutes, but that wasn’t long enough in my oven.

The result: A tasty cookie, but too dry for my likings. Next time, I think I’ll put in a little applesauce to make them more moist.

One of our not-so-healthy, but favorite, treats is the Rice Krispie – Peanut Butter treats with a layer of melted chocolate chips on the top.

The recipe is very simple.

Ingredients:
sugar
corn syrup
peanut butter
margarine
Rice Krispies
chocolate chips

Over medium heat combine:

1c sugar
1c corn syrup

Heat until mixture starts to boil (do not boil too long or you will break your teeth trying to eat these!)

Remove from heat and add 2c peanut butter ant 2T margarine.

Gently pour over the top of 5c Rice Krispies and mix until all cereal is coated.

Now melt chocolate chips (amount depends upon how thick of a chocolate layer you want on top)

I didn’t have any chocolate chips!  I did have unsweetened baking chocolate, so I scoured the internet on how to turn that into something that would pass for chocolate chips.  I found that for 1sq of baking chocolate, you could add 1T of sugar to make the baking chocolate go from unsweetened to semi-sweet.  So I gave it a whirl!  I melted  4sq of baking chocolate with 4T of sugar in the microwave.  What I got was a gritty chocolate mixture — not sweet enough either.  So I added a little milk — still gritty.  Then, I added a little margarine (I used “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!”).  Now I had the consistency that I wanted, but it was still a little bitter.  I added a little corn syrup and a little more sugar.  That gave me the right consistency and flavor. 

The treats were a success with my improvisational chocolate!

French Toast with Happy Heart and Sunfloer Seed Bread

Originally uploaded by improvisationalgourmet

This picture looks a bit funny, and doesn’t do justice to the look or taste of this wonderful French Toast made with “alternative breads.”

While in Wisconsin, I picked up some Sunflower Seed Bread (on the left) from the Ecomart Bakery and some Happy Heart Bread from Phil Markgren’s Spooner Bake Shoppe.

After whipping my eggs (I prefer to use egg beaters for french toast, but I was all out) in my Ninja Blender with a little water (Grandma said use water, never milk for this), I dipped in the bread and browned each side.

I cheated a bit because this is Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup instead of pure maple syrup.

Delicious!

Chicken Basil – Day 2

Originally uploaded by improvisationalgourmet

I love my crock pot, especially for busy days, and especially for cooking chicken! On day 1, I combined chicken breasts, tomatoes, chicken broth, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic, and onion. I served this with couscous and some fruit. When it came time to clear the table, I mixed the couscous with the chicken – flaked the chicken into smaller pieces and then stuck that in the refrigerator. The next day, I served this mixture as the main course, and it was better than day 1!

Quick Supper

Originally uploaded by improvisationalgourmet

A twist on spaghetti for this quick supper has them asking for more. I took whole wheat angel hair pasta, put some spaghetti sauce with some meatballs (you can buy premade sauce and meatballs or make your own from scratch). Added grilled asparagus (toss in olive oil and sea salt and grill until tender) and sliced strawberries. This is quick, easy, and can be pretty healthy!