Old-Fashioned Bacon Meatloaf

Why do so many cooks still act like they assume only women cook? For instance, aside from using "y'all" all of the time, Paula Deen frequently addresses her audience as "ladies" or "women" even though she has two sons who love to cook. On Spanish-speaking cooking shows, the male and female hosts address the audience as "señoras" ("ladies" or "women"). I just don't get it; it is so frustrating to me. Click here for more...

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies & Bars

I've been working on my paper these past few days (deadline was extended to the 28th), but I've been cooking, too. I don't have much time to write on here as before, so I'll just post mostly photos and the recipe for now. Those are the most important parts anyway, right?
I made oatmeal raisin cookies and bars using the well-known recipe, Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, from the Quaker's Oatmeal canister. They were as good as usual.
If you don't like scooping out cookie dough, it is much easier to make the bar version.

Oh my!

Yum!

O-M-G! Look at those raisins!

They taste very good with or without a cinnamon sugar glaze on top as well. Just be sure not to overbake them, so that they stay soft and chewy. Enjoy!

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Bars
from Quaker Oats Yield: 4 dozen (48 cookies)

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked) (I had only 1 1/4 cups, and it worked fine)
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips (optional; omit cinnamon)

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Cookies: Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Bars: Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan (or 9x9 if using half of the dough). The dough will be hard to spread, but it will eventually happen. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Store tightly covered. 24 BARS.

HIGH ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: Increase flour to 1-3/4 cups and bake as directed.

Oatmeal Pie Muffins

I first saw these muffins on Southern Plate under the name of Pecan Pie Muffins, and I was planning on making them since they only required 5 ingredients (4 if you subtract the nuts). Then, the other day, I spotted more pecan pie muffins on Bake at 350 and knew that that was a sign to finally make these.

Well, as many of the regulars of my blog know, I abhor nuts of any kind, so I usually solve the problem by making nut desserts without nuts, as I've done with my Pecanless Pie Tarts or Cinnamon Swirl Bread.

I thought over and over about making these muffins without nuts, and it seemed like it wouldn't taste right. So, in order to retain some of that "meatiness" in the muffin, I added oats in place of pecans, and they came out perfectly!
These are so quick to make that I had halved the recipe and then decided to make another half portion, since I wanted a full dozen. You need only one bowl, and you don't need to use a mixer.
Make these promptly; they will take only a few minutes!

Oatmeal Pie Muffins
(sounds better than Oat Pie Muffins or Oat Muffins)

adapted from Southern Plate and
Bake at 350 (the latter got the recipe from Make Ahead Meals)

2/3 cups melted butter (Southern Plate's recipe calls for 1/2 cup of butter)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oats
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, room temperature

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Spray the muffin pan with Baker's Joy (I love this stuff), cooking spray, or butter.

Melt the butter, and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, put in the rest of the ingredients. Add the melted butter. Do not overmix. Spoon the mixture in the muffin pans. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Store: When the muffins are completely cool, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze them for up to 2 months!