Two of my favorite recipes

When I am feeling stressed I like to eat. Thankfully between nursing Grace and a thyroid that cannot regulate, I seem to not be gaining weight even though I eat like I linebacker. Now before you hate me for saying that you should also know that this means that I cannot sleep and am exhausted most of the time so don't be jealous, just be happy for me that I can eat my way through 2011's unending craziness.

I thought I would share two of my favorite recipes, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins - Provided by my neighbor and friend Pam VanDenburg

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas mashed up
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup "other stuff" - oats, nuts, seeds, raisins, dried cranberries, etc.

Mix the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, salt and baking soda) in one bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a second bowl (butter, eggs, yogurt, vanilla and bananas). Combine the wet and dry ingredients. I always add a little milk to make it more moist, maybe 1/4 of a cup. Then fold in the chocolate chips and "other stuff".

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in a greased 12 cup muffin pan.

I let Jack mix the dry ingredients. He really loves helping out. Also, I grease the pan by putting Crisco on a paper towel and rubbing it in each muffin cup. This works every time. My favorite "other stuff" is 1/2 cup of oats and 1/4 cup of raisins. Jack eats these muffins well most of the time.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - provide by my Mother-in-Law, Anne Wiggins (this is Christian's favorite cookie)

Cream Together:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar

Add and beat together:
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add and stir:
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes

This is a favorite at our house. The only change I made from Anne's original recipe was to go from 1 cup of shortening to half shortening and half butter. I found another recipe that used all butter before I got Anne's recipe and all butter just made the cookies run together on the cookie sheet. I like adding a bit of butter because it gives a nice flavor. Play around and see what you prefer.

Hope you all enjoy the recipes. Happy eating!