Mom's No Bake Cookies

My mom always bakes cookies and brownies, but it the summer its way too hot to turn on the oven so she makes No Bake Cookies. I funny thing is I don't remember her making them, just a half empty cookie sheet in the frig.
Mom's No Bake Cookies
makes 24-36 cookies
2 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoon cocoa powder
3 cups quick oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
Mix together sugar,butter, milk and cocoa in big pot over med high heat. Bring to rolling boil for 90 seconds, timing very important. Remove from heat. Add the oatmeal, vanilla and peanut butter. Mix well and drop by teaspoon onto wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill in the frig.
I always thought No Bake Cookies where super healthy (because of the oatmeal) but I had no idea how much sugar there was so I halved recipe.

Chocolate Coconut Pie

When I was a child if my mother did not know what to make for dinner, there was one cookbook which always had the answer. More-with-Less complied by Doris Janzen Longacre is a master price of thoughtful Mennonite cooking. The recipes come from Mennonites all over the world but my heart alway jumps when I read towns like Newton, Hesston and Hillsboro Kansas. I only wish the cook at my college opened her copy more offten!

Last year my mother and I had more fram fresh milk and eggs than we knew what to do with so we started to make a Coconut-Custard Pie from More-with-less. We changed the recipe a bit using butter not maragirne and adding chocolate. It has become a new family fav.
Chocolate Coconut Pie
makes one pie
4 eggs
6 Tbs butter(unsalted)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup coco powder
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup coconut

Pop everthing but the cocnut into a blender and blend. Then add the coconut and blend a few seconds. Pour everything into a pie pan. It may still look like a mess but pie will settle in the oven and make its own crust.

Bake for 50-60 min at 350f or 175c. The pie will still have some wiggle. Cool and chil in the frig for a few hours. ( You can eat it right away, but I think its better cold.)

Creamy custered with a rich chocolate crust and crispy coconut top. Yummy!

Sweet Brussels

With only one afternoon to explore Brussels we spent our time in and around the Grand-Place. But what would a trip to Belgium be without chocolate!

Also enjoyed Pistachio Macaroons.

Trash for Paul anyone???