Natural Homemade Living

The Best Biscotti A couple of my favorite things are a perfect cup of coffee and homemade biscotti! I'm all about simple and delicious treats. This is my best biscotti recipe! 😁 If you are no longer enjoying the hard and tasteless biscotti in a plastic wrapper that you find at the store, you should make your own! This recipe might sound complicated but once you make it you will find it is quite simple. Brew yourself a perfect cup of coffee and enjoy it with your homemade biscotti!  Ingredients : 1/2 cup butter  (room temperature) 1 cup white sugar  2 tsp pure vanilla extract or 2 tsp almond extract 3 eggs 2 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt Mix butter and sugar until blended. Add extract and eggs and beat until creamy and smooth (about a minute). You can use a hand mixer for this recipe. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You need to use parchment paper because you will need to lift...

My holiday baking marathon has begun! I decided to use a few recipes this year that I haven't made for years and this was the first one I found. I had forgotten about these yummy bars but back in the day, they were a favorite from our family friend Delores. She was our neighbor, an excellent baker and had a heart of gold. During the holiday season maybe take a little time to reminisce about those who are no longer with us. The happy memories are so heart warming and the kiddos love hearing the stories from the past. I smiled when I found this recipe that our Grandma had received from Delores dated 11/15/1978. 😇 The great thing is that you can make them with gluten-free cereal, which means everyone in our family can eat them! And we all like the part that they are easy to put together, no baking! Marshmallow Bars Ingredients: 1 bag milk chocolate chips (11.5 oz.) 1/2 bag butterscotch chips 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) 1 cup creamy peanut butter Melt these ingredients togethe...

                                                                          It's officially fall and suddenly I am hungry for pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting! SO you know what I have to do...make some pumpkin bars and post my pumpkin bars recipe.  😉 Ingredients : 1 c vegetable oil 1 c brown sugar 1/2 c white sugar 4 eggs 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree Mix the above ingredients together until combined. 2 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 T pumpkin pie spice or 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp cloves Add dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into a parchment paper lined 11x15 baking sheet with sides. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Cream Chees...

                                                              These amazing gooey little bars have been a family favorite for years. I usually have these ingredients on hand and they don't take long to put together.  Ingredients List for the Crispy Rice Layers (divide in half for each layer): 10 cups Crispy Rice cereal  (I use Malt O Meal Crispy Rice cereal because it's gluten free)  8 cups mini marshmallows 12 Tbsp butter Ingredients List for the Caramel Filling: 1 bag Kraft caramel bits (11 oz bag) or Kraft caramels, unwrapped 6 Tbsp butter 1 can sweetened condensed milk Instructions: Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with parchment paper or grease with butter. Start by making the caramel filling in the microwave.  Combine the caramel filling ingredients together in a large microwave safe bowl. (I use a 4-cup Pyrex m...

Soft pumpkin cookies I have to admit that I am one of millions using pumpkin as my favorite ingredient right now. Pumpkin and fall are a perfect match! I've been adding pumpkin to my yogurt with a little cinnamon, pumpkin in my smoothies, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin tea...the list goes on and on. I had a strong feeling that grandma would have a pumpkin cookie recipe and she did! My family loved them and they were great for the lunch boxes! Makes 42 cookies soft, delicious pumpkin cookies. Ingredients: 1 stick room temperature butter (1/2 cup) 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup pumpkin 2 1/2 c flour 1 1/2 c sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder pinch of salt 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4-1/2 tsp ground cloves (I love the flavor so I used 1/2 tsp) Directions: Mix butter, egg and vanilla together. Once mixed, add the pumpkin and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth. I used a cookie scoop and placed the dough onto parchment pa...

 Chocolate Indoor S'mores! I love camping season and everyone loves s'mores made over the open fire. But on rainy days and during the winter months, these fancy s'mores are fun to make and are so delicious! I make a variety of flavors including gluten free. I start with chocolate graham crackers, honey graham crackers, gluten free graham crackers, mint chips, chocolate chips and white chocolate chips (make sure you use a good brand). Small marshmallows or marshmallow fluff are required at my house. Don't forget your favorite toppings. The kids love the chocolate and mint chip combination, they think they taste like thin mint cookies but better!   We love the sprinkled s'mores! Gluten free s'mores  Directions: Break your graham crackers in half or quarters. The gluten free graham crackers I use are already in squares. Place marshmallows on crackers halves and broil them in the oven broiler until they are lightly browned, it takes about one minute....

Everyone in our family loves these little cookies! I remember helping my Grandma and Mom make these delicious cookies! I have seen different names for them, but we have always called them Peanut Butter Blossom cookies. They are yummy-licious! Ingredients: 1/2 c softened butter or shortening 1/2 c creamy peanut butter  1/2 c white sugar 1/2 c brown sugar 1 egg 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 3/4 c flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 bag of chocolate kisses (unwrapped) or you can use chocolate star candies. Mix the butter, peanut butter and sugars together with a mixer on medium speed  Add egg and vanilla and mix until blended. Add the dry ingredients and mix only until the dough sticks together. With your hands, roll dough into one inch balls then roll in white sugar until lightly coated. Place on parchment covered baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes in a 325° oven. Carefully remove baking sheet from the oven and add a chocolate candy kiss on top of each cookie. Place ...

No Bake Chewy Granola Bars I wanted to repost this in case you missed it.  It's one of our most popular pins on Pinterest. My kids especially like chewy granola bars but they seem to be one of those things that just keep going up in price and I'm not sure how healthy they actually are. I have tried a gazillion recipes and my daughter repeatedly gave the thumbs down....until this recipe! This one actually tastes better than the store bought kind. YAY!!  It took me under 10 minutes to make them-love that!  I adapted this recipe from Two Peas and Their Pods. So here's what you need:   1/4 c unsalted butter 1/4 c brown sugar 1/4 c honey 1/4 c creamy peanut butter 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups oats, I use old fashioned oats, but the recipe calls for quick oats 1/2 c crispy rice cereal OPTIONAL: (3/4 c.) chopped pretzels, (1/4 c.) mini Reese's pieces, mini M&Ms, mini chocolate chips, ground flax seeds Spray pan or put a square of parchmen...

We are enjoying a cool, rainy day in the Midwest. It feels like the perfect day off to me. A day for crafts because I need to make a new fall wreath, baking because everyone is begging for treats and of course some cleaning. Today I am making two kinds of our favorite bars, Simply Homemade Pumpkin Bars and our mother-in-law's banana bars, they're the best! Ingredients 1 1/2 c sugar 1/2 c butter, softened but not melted 1 1/2 c mashed bananas, about 3 bananas 2 c all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 c sour cream (I use plain Greek or thick homemade yogurt instead) 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla 1 tsp salt Directions Mix sugar, butter, bananas and sour cream (or yogurt), then add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and stir.  Pour batter into either a greased and floured or parchment lined 9x13 pan. Bake 350F for 25-35 minutes. Test using a toothpick, if it comes out clean, the bars are done.  Place on a cooling rack until they have cooled then frost them using the...

Another favorite cookie recipe from my baking days with grandma, snickerdoodles. I usually have to save some for the freezer right away because my husband and the children love them! Soft cookies are their favorites! Ingredients : 1 c butter, room temperature but not too soft 1 3/4 c sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 3/4 c flour 2 tsp cream of tartar 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt * Cinnamon and sugar mixture = mix together 2 T sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. You'll dip your cookie dough balls in this. Preheat oven to 375F Mix butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs. Add the dry ingredients and mix together. Roll dough into one inch balls then dip into the sugar and cinnamon mixture - (just the tops are ok). Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 5-6 dozen. Sometimes I make mine bigger then I get 5 dozen cookies. Cool on a cooling rack. Freeze a few for later - they'll be gone before you know it! Enjoy! Love and peace, ~...

Another recipe from Grandma's 1929 recipe book. I copied the recipe from Grandma's book and wrote on the back of the recipe card that I was 9 years old. I still remember writing it - I love that! If you've been following you know I use organic and homemade ingredients (such as homemade peanut butter, organic sugars, etc) but this is the original recipe, feel free to substitute as you like or use the original. These are soft, chewy and amazing! If you need a gluten-free peanut butter cookie recipe, we posted one earlier that is almost as good as Grandma's! Here's the link Simply Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies . Ingredients : 1 c butter, softened 1 c white sugar 1 c brown sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 c creamy peanut butter 2 1/2 c flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt Directions : Cream the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla together. Add the peanut butter and beat on low just until blended. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until blend...

Our grandmas were great bakers! Breads, cookies, cakes and pies were my favorite baked goods from the grandmas! I have pictures of me even as a toddler in the kitchen "helping". There were other things I remember like canning, making jam and jellies and who could forget lefse at holiday time? This is still one of my favorite cookie recipes and my family loves them. Grandma would sometimes use salted peanuts instead of sunflower seeds, so feel free to substitute, either way....always yummy! Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 egg 1/2 cup crushed corn flakes 3/4 cup sunflower seeds or salted peanuts 1 1/4 cups oatmeal (I use old fashioned rolled oats) 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda Directions : Cream together the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Don't over mix. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together. I used a medium cookie scoop for the dough and placed on a parchment paper lin...

I haven't ever had an "Oh Henry" candy bar so I'm not sure if this tastes like the real thing or not, but it is still a yummy treat, it's easy to make, and I usually have the ingredients on hand.  I got this recipe years ago from a friend of mine.  Here's what you need: 1/2 c butter 1 cup brown sugar 3/4 c Karo syrup, I have always used the light corn syrup, but I'm guessing you could use either 1 tsp vanilla 4 c. oatmeal, I use "old fashioned oats" but the recipe says "quick cook"  For the topping: 1/2 c peanut butter 1 c. chocolate chips  Heat butter on low heat, add Karo syrup and brown sugar. Heat and stir on med-high until it boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute, remove from heat and add vanilla and stir in oatmeal. Depending how thick you want the bars, you can put in an 8x8 or 9x13 pan. For the "frosting" melt 1/2 c peanut butter and 1 c. chocolate chips in the microwave, in 30 second i...

A favorite treat for the kids are marshmallow treats. They are simple to make and the kids love them! I made these using gluten-free rice cereal. Ingredients : 5 cups gluten-free rice cereal 1/4 c butter 5 cups miniature marshmallows 1 tsp vanilla extract * optional - 1/2 c organic coated chocolate pieces (or you can use m&ms candies) Directions : Melt butter in a large pan on the stove. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and cereal. Spoon mixture into a parchment paper lined or greased 9x13 baking pan. Press into pan using your fingers (I put a little coconut oil on my fingers so the mixture doesn't stick). Wait for them to cool, then cut into squares. Happy snacking! Love and peace, ~ Simply Tammi

I found this old recipe stuck in one of my recipe books. It was from our husbands Grandma Clara (on a side note, my sister Tammi and I married brothers, so we share the same in-laws...and yes, it's legal..we always get asked that). Grandma Clara had made these and had written at the bottom of the recipe "Alias, Darn Good Cookies" as it turned out, it's true, so I am keeping the name. It's one of those recipes that always sounded like a lot of work, but it really wasn't once I started, it only took a few minutes to whip them up and roll them out.   Here's what you need: 1 c. brown sugar 1 c. white sugar 1 c. butter, (Grandma used Crisco shortening, but they turned out just fine with butter) 2 eggs 2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp cream of tartar (if you don't have this, you can substitute the same amounts of  BAKING POWDER instead of the baking soda and cream of tartar) 1/2 tsp salt, I used salted butter instead of adding salt 3 1/2 c f...

  I'm always trying out new cookie recipes. My favorite has always been the chocolate chip cookie, but for a recent bake sale, I really wanted to try something new. This recipe was adapted from the Nestle Toll House white chip bag. The original recipe seemed a little time consuming and had refrigeration involved... (you know I don't have patience for that, so I simplified it a little!)  Here's what you need: 1 c butter 2/3 c sugar 1/4 c grated lemon peel (I didn't use this much, I added a little zest and some lemon extract) 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I used lemon instead) 2 c flour 1/4 tsp salt 2 c Premier White Morsels a.k.a white chocolate chips 1 tsp oil or shortening  In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, lemon peel and extract until fluffy. Gradually add flour, salt and 1 cup chips. Drop cookies on cookie sheet and bake 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes. You don't want these to brown, so take them out when they look just a l...

Another family favorite, this time it's a cookie recipe - m&m cookies! I usually buy the organic chips, but I wanted to be frugal, I had leftover m&m candies from our graduation party (in the freezer), so I used those. These cookies are colorful, chewy on the inside, and a little crunchy with the chocolate candies in them, a great treat for big and little kids! Ingredients : 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup coconut oil (you could use 1 c butter if you don't have coconut oil) 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp baking soda 2 3/4 cups unbleached, all purpose flour 1 cup M&Ms Mix the butter, coconut oil, and sugars until they are creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla, mix well until your dough is on the "fluffy" side.  Add salt, soda, and flour, mix well.    Stir in the m&m candies with a spatula or wooden spoon. * Tip: I...

I just looked at recipes and reviews for at least 20 different homemade granola bars and decided that I would make my own using my favorite ingredients! I figured if they didn't turn out, no one would ever know but if they did turn out, I could post them. Yep - they were delicious! I used my hands to mix them because I wanted to make sure everything was mixed together really well. Ingredients : 4 c rolled oats (I used old-fashioned oats but I'm sure quick-cook oats would work) 1/3 c raw sunflower seeds 1/3 c sliced almonds 1 1/4 c peanut butter, I made homemade peanut butter from our archived recipes, Simply Homemade Peanut Butter 1/2 c honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 T coconut oil, melted I mixed all of the ingredients in a large bowl with my hands, they should be almost a little sticky because you want them to stay together. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and evenly pat the granola mixture into the pan, this will help them hold their shape after baking so t...

This was the first cookie recipe my Grandma gave to me. We made these cookies every visit and they are still one of my favorites. I have made just one change and that is the coconut oil, Grandma used butter. If you have a stand mixer and you mix them until the batter is a little fluffy, your cookies will be soft, almost cake-like in texture. Otherwise (as long as you don't over bake them) they will be soft and chewy in the middle! I make them both ways, it just depends on what you like. I have a couple of variations listed at the end of the recipe. Yummy! Ingredients : 1/2 c coconut oil 1/2 c softened butter (not melted though) 3/4 c brown sugar 3/4 c white sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 tsp salt 2 c white flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 bag chocolate chips (12 oz) I use milk chocolate chips 1-2 c oatmeal (you can use the old-fashioned or quick cooking) Mix the oil, butter and sugars together until they are creamy and rather fluffy. Then add in the vanil...

 I like to make cookies, but I really like eating them!  I am always looking for new recipes to try. This one sounded interesting and most importantly...easy.  I was a bit skeptical at first because there isn't flour in them, but they have turned out and are delicious every time. It is Gluten Free and also has a Vegan Option.  Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies 3/4 c white sugar 1/4 c brown sugar 1 c peanut butter 1 egg (to replace the egg, combine 1T ground flax seeds + 3T warm water in a small bowl and stir.  Allow a "jelly" to form after a few minutes, and use this as your "egg") 1/2 t vanilla Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir by hand with a spoon. Form into 1" balls, I used a cookie scoop but sometimes I roll them in my hands, then place them on a cookie sheet.  With a fork, lightly press and make a criss-cross pattern, then sprinkle the tops with a little brown and white sugar. Optional: you can roll them in a mixture of white and br...