Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats
1½ cups Ghirardelli caramel flavored baking chips
2 small Gala apples, peeled, cored and diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars. Add in the eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. While mixing, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir in the caramel chips and apples making sure they are evenly distributed.

Place golf ball sized scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookies are golden brown. Let rest for a minute to two on baking sheet before removing to wire rack to cool.

Turkey Sloppy Joes

1 tsp oil
1 small onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 lb. ground turkey
Salt and pepper
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup BBQ sauce (recommended: Stubb’s Original)
½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tbsp red vinegar

Add oil to  skillet and place over medium high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper; saute for 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Transfer ingredients to a small bowl.

Add ground turkey to skillet and season with salt and pepper; break up meat as it cooks. Once turkey is cooked, add the onion/bell pepper mixture back in. Then add ketchup, bbq sauce, Worcestershire, and vinegar. Sir well to combine and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes longer. If sauce looks too thick, add a tbsp water.

Serve on hamburger buns. Or serve over elbow macaroni.

Optional: Add ½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese to skillet just before serving; cover with a lid until cheese is melted.

Oreo Cookie Frosting

This is not difficult, just a bit unusual. If you prefer a frosting that's a bit easier to make, try adding Oreos to your favorite buttercream frosting.

1 cup milk
5 tbsp flour, preferably Wondra
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 tbsp vanilla
10 Oreo Cookies



Gradually add milk to flour until well-blended.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened.  Remove from heat; cool completely.  (Cover with waxed paper to avoid “skin” forming.)

Beat butter and sugar for  five minutes, scraping sides of bowl often.  Beat in cooled milk-flour mixture. Add 1 tbsp vanilla.  Beat just until combined. Fold in chopped Oreo cookies.