Peanut Butter Cookies - Kid Created

This is not exactly a microwave or a crock pot recipe, but it's fun and the cookies are very good.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped peanuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven  or convection microwave to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Stir in peanut butter and mix thoroughly.
4. Add the eggs, stirring in one at a time, then add the vanilla. Mix well.
5. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture. Stir in peanuts (optional).
6. Roll dough into small balls. Place on the cookie sheet then use a fork to flatten slightly in the middle (crisscross).
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on baking sheets for 4 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 36 cookies.

Beef Tacos and Cheese Rollups - Kid Created

Occasionally, we have taco night. Doesn't everybody? My grandchildren do not like tacos, but they like cheese rollups. My daughter doesn't like hard shell tacos. So tonight we made everything everybody likes...in the microwave!

1 lb ground beef

1/2 pack taco seasoning

Shredded cheese of your choosing

Cheddar cheese dip or spread

Shredded or cut lettuce

Chopped tomatoes

Sour cream

Hard shell tacos

Flour tortillas

You are basically doing the same thing you would if you were cooking the meat on the stove, but you are doing it in the microwave.

Put the ground beef into a microwave safe dish. Add the half packet of taco seasoning and 1 tablespoon of water. With a spatula, chop beef until completely broken up. Cook on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from microwave and chop with spatula again, also making sure taco seasoning is thoroughly mixed with beef. Cook for another 1 1/2 minutes. My microwave is 1100 watts and the two cycles were sufficient. If you have a lesser wattage, cook another minute at a time until beef is done. Drain drippings from meat.

Grab a taco shell and add the condiments of your choosing and enjoy!

For the rollups:

Take a flour tortilla and spread with cheddar cheese dip. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Roll up and heat in the microwave on high for 15 seconds. My grandson likes meat, so we also added meat to his. My granddaughter does not eat meat, so hers was just a cheese rollup. His was served with a side of fresh tomatoes. Hers was served with fresh strawberries. They had yogurt for dessert.

My daughter used the tortillas instead of hard taco shells.

It is not halloween! It is July. My grandchildren found their last year's halloween costume and just had to "squeeze" into them and play dressup. They also went trick-or-treating in the kitchen.

Food, family and fun!!! Life is good. Our family is very blessed.

Stew Pot - Kid Created

1 small can of kernel corn
1 pound stew beef
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans Veg-All or other mixed Vegetables
1 teaspoon sea salt
whatever leftovers you have in the refrigerator
(we had about a half cup each of green beans and butter beans)

Put all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Eat with sweet corn muffins ... and butter. Our kids say that's the best part. A side of fruit is also pretty agreeable.

The kids are 5 and 2. It was so easy for them to make this stew. The only thing they could not do was open the cans.