Cookies and Cheesy Bruschetta Dip! Yumminess

This is going to be an interesting week!  With Fathers Day coming up, I have several orders to get ready plus two birthday cookie cakes.  That is going to be a new adventure for me.  One of the things I love about baking is that it challenges me to be creative.  I'm excited to see how these turn out and I will definitely post pictures!  I am also making golf balls, tees, putting greens along with a set of hunting/fishing cookies.  Very fun and I know the Dad's will love them.  

In the mean time I just have to share this super delicious bruschetta dip I made.  It was sooooo super good we literally ate all of the dip hot out of the oven!  I'm not kidding!  And so stinkin easy you won't believe it.  Here is what you need:

1 block of mozzarella cheese

1 container of campanari (Small, sweet) tomatoes

1 bunch of fresh basil

Crackers or baguette to dip

All you do is:

Cut up the mozzarella in cubes.  Place in bottom of 8x8 baking dish.  Chop up the tomatoes.  (I like to put them on a paper towel and salt them and let them "sweat" a bit; which gets some of the moisture out and really pumps up the flavor...but that's just me...).  Chiffonade the basil (that's all fancy for cut it up).  Grins~.  Put the tomatoes on the mozarella cubes then sprinkle the basil on top.  

Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes until it's all bubbly and gooey and looks something like this:

Enjoy!

Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

I should know better than to not post anything for a whole week!  Way too much has happened around here and in the kitchen.  I made these yummy chewy chocolate oatmeal bars for the aviator to take on his trip to South America.   I like to send send him off with a snack to share and they turned out pretty good!

These were really easy to make.  Start by creaming the butter and sugars.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly.  Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Mix well until all ingredients are incorporated.  Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.  I used the Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips since Aviator man doesn't like things to be too sweet.  You may notice that the white chocolate chips are not in the picture.  That's because they were an after thought....but I ended up sprinkling them over the top (as you can see in the picture) and this added a nice touch.  Just the right amount of sweetness.

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars:

1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 C Brown Sugar, packed

1/2 C granulated Sugar

1 Egg

1 t Vanilla

1 1/2 C All Purpose Flour

1 t. Baking Soda

1/2 t Baking Powder

1/2 t Salt

2 C Old Fashioned (not instant) Oats

2 C Chocolate Chips

1/2 C White Chocolate Chips 

Spread the dough in a 9x13 bar pan.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  

The guys said they were good but even better when they cooled and with a glass of ice cold milk!  Enjoy!