Cooking for Me

Special Wishes for Holiday Week Menu

It was a vote… No Bake Cookies and Taco Pizza

Taco Pizza (Thank you Pioneer Women)

1 package of Betty Crocker Pizza Crust Mix (or similar brand)

1/2 Cup Hot Water (not boiling water)

Taco Toppings*

STEP#1. Heat oven to 450°F use parchment paper and grease with a little puddle of oil

STEP#2. Stir Pizza Crust Mix and hot water until all mix is moistened. Cover; let stand 5 minutes.

STEP#3. Press dough into 12-inch circle (or divide to make two smaller pizzas) on the greased parchment paper. If the dough is sticky, put some flour on your hands while pressing the dough into a circle. Add the black beans and cheese.

STEP#4. Bake 12 to 17 minutes on lowest oven rack until crust is golden brown.

STEP#5. After baking it, add the lettuce, tomatoes, and crushed taco chips. Drizzle with sour cream mixture.(Put the sour cream mixture in a large plastic bag, nip off the corner of the plastic bag and drizzle it over the pizza.)

Hint-to make it extra yummy, brush the crust with garlic butter after baking and sprinkle it with some parmesan cheese.

*TACO PIZZA TOPPINGs

Black Beans-one can- Put into a sauce pan. Don’t drain-add 1 tablespoon taco seasoning, heat with medium heat, mash with a potato masher and cook to reduce the liquid. Stir occasionally. They will resemble the texture of refried beans.

Monterey Jack OR taco blend shredded cheese

Head lettuce or iceberg lettuce Thinly sliced greens(Thinly sliced greens are called a chiffonade-that’s French for ribbons or rags. Roll the lettuce into a tight roll and slice thinly.)

Tomatoes fresh-diced small

Sour Cream with some hot sauce mixed in

Taco Chips-crushed a little

Other options you might enjoy-cilantro, avocado, salsa, taco sauce, cooked hamburger, sausage, or chicken.

No-Bake Chocolate Cookies

STEP #1 Measure all your ingredients before you begin-this is your ‘mise en place’ – the gathering place. These cookies take about 2 minutes to make so the ingredients must be ready to go.

STEP#2 Measure 3/4 cup peanut butter. Measure 2 ½ cups Quick Oats

Set these aside.

STEP#3 Put one stick of real butter in a heavy saucepan-cut it into pieces to make the melting faster. Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder,              1 & 1/2 cups sugar and 1 /2 cup milk. Bring this to a rolling boil,

Stirring all the time. Boil for exactly 60 seconds!!!

STEP #4 Add the peanut butter and stir until melted. Add the Quick

Oats and stir-Stir- STIR!!

STEP#5 Use a cookie scoop and make round shapes on parchment

paper. Let them rest for at least 20 minutes. Enjoy.

Cake Mix Easy Cookies (For those who don’t eat peanut butter!)

STEP#1 In a large bowl, mix one cake mix (the flavor of your choice)

2 eggs and 1 /2 cup vegetable oil. Mix well.

STEP#2 Use a cookie scoop and parchment paper to scoop out the

cookies. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes. Cool and enjoy.

Optional ideas-Stir-Ins-Chopped nuts-walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pecans,

chocolate- carmel-toffee-cinnamon chips, sprinkles, cinnamon.