While trying to come up with ideas for what type of cookie to bring to a Taylor Swift themed birthday party, I tried to choose between Cowgirl Cookies or Smore's Cookies.  In the end, I decided to go with both!

  These cookies are more of a bar-type cookie.  They are very soft, and very sweet, so I would advise cutting them into smaller than normal portions!  They are very good, though, and that is the important part!   The only alteration I will make to them next time, and I will be making them again, is to crush up some extra graham cracker pieces and add it to the dough.  Other than that, delish!

Ingredients: 

1 package graham crackers, broken into squares
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
11 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*F.  Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.  Arrange graham crackers to cover as much of the bottom of the pan as possible. 
Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.   Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix thoroughly.
Add flour minx to sugar mix and combine well.
Fold in chocolate chips and marshmallows.
Drop by tablespoons over graham crackers and press down to cover and spread evenly.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. 

  A friend of mine's daughter was turning 10, and wanted a Taylor Swift theme for her birthday party.  Her request of me was to bring cookies.   I wanted to come up with a cookie that would somehow fit the theme, without taking too much effort, since I would be short on time to make them.  I decided on these cookies, which pretty much have that "everything thrown in" feel, and Smore's Cookies.   Both make me think of cowboys and cowgirls,  of sitting on hay bales around a bonfire in cowboy boots and skirts, of lightly strummed guitars while the stars twinkle overhead.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch or peanut butter chips
1 cup broken pretzel pieces

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the butter and sugars.  Beat until smooth.
Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Dissolve baking soda in hot water. 
Add baking soda water and salt to butter mixture and stir until blended.
Add flour, one cup at a time, mixing well between additions. 
Fold in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pretzel pieces.
Drop by tablespoons onto prepared pan and bake for about 10 minutes.

   I had decided on the menu plan to make chicken drumsticks for tonight's dinner.  As I went into the kitchen to get it started, I realized I had absolutely no idea as to how I wanted to prepare them.  I knew I wanted something tasty, not fried, and not horribly difficult to make.  I took a look around the kitchen to see what we had, and decided to try my hand at just throwing some stuff together that sounded good.  What I came up with was perfect!  I am pretty dang proud of myself, because it is very rare that I pull something out of thin air.  I am usually a play-it-by-the-recipe cook, and it's almost always from a recipe! 

 The chicken came out slightly sweet, but with a hint of earthiness and bite that made it easy on the taste buds.  (It looked pretty, too, but I had to take a picture with my daughter's Ipod, since the camera is currently out of the area while my boyfriend is away.)  Here's what I did, with a guesstimate on the quantities, since I just threw stuff in without measuring:

Ingredients:

• Package of chicken drumsticks, skinned (about 1 pound's worth)
• 1/3-1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Dijon style mustard (or two very large tablespoons)
• The juice from one medium orange
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, crushed
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I'm a bit of a wuss with spicy... adjust to your taste!)

Directions:

1.   Arrange chicken in a baking pan.  (I used a glass 9x13-inch pan, and did not have any need to grease it.)
2. Over low-med low heat, stir together honey and mustard until melty and combined.  Add remaining ingredients.  Adjust spices as desired to suit your tastes.  *Note:  The sauce on the stove tasted much sweeter than it actually turned out on the chicken.
3. Once well combined, pour over chicken.  (I let mine sit, covered, for a couple hours, but I don't believe this is actually necessary.  I just already had stuff in the oven!)
4. Bake at 375*F for 45 minutes, or until meat no longer pink and juices are clear. 

I served this with rice and corn.  My kids actually both liked it!  Score one for me!

  I bought some zucchini at the store a week or so ago, and never figured out what I wanted to do with it.  Since I was having company over today, I wanted to have something a little sweet, but not overly so.  Zucchini bread entered my head, but then this recipe popped up on Pinterest and I figured it sounded good enough to try.  I am glad I did!   They turned out delicious!  My children and I are not big pineapple fans, but the pineapple lent just enough sweetness without being overpowering.  I may even add a little bit more next time!

 Ingredients:

4 eggs
1&1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup oil
1&1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup crushed pineapple
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1&1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1&1/2 teaspoons baking soda



Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well blended and smooth. 
2. Stir in zucchini and pineapple.
3. In another bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add gradually to egg mixture until completely combined.
4. Pour into greased or paper-lined cupcake pan, filling about 3/4 full.
5. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes.