Eggless Pumpkin Cookies

These are soooo good! They are always a hit when I bake them for church- it about makes my head spin to see how fast they disappear! The original recipe (click here) calls for chocolate chips, but they are equally good with raisins instead of the chocolate chips.

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 to 2 c. of raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Cream the sugar, shortening, pumpkin and vanilla together. Mix until light and well combined.
3. Mix the flour, baking soda and ground cinnamon. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop by teaspoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes or until set. Let cookies cool on a rack.

Mmmm NomNom Noodles

My kids say they know better than to ask me what's for dinner because I always say, "Identifood." For the uninitiated, that means, you'll figure it out when you see it. Maybe. The good news is... they pretty much always love it, and they've been after me to write down how I make stuff, so that someday they can make identifood just like mom. So, for my kids and for you, here's one I made up that I decided to call "Mmmm NomNom Noodles" because that's what the kids said when they ate them :)

Mmmm NomNom Noodles

4 small to medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 small to medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1- 12 oz. pkg spinach fettuccine noodles (I used Amish Naturals Garlic & Parsley Fettuccine here)
1/2 of a 1 lb bag of frozen mixed veggies (you know, the ones with peas, carrots, corn, etc...)
6 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 to 2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
a few shakes of black pepper
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar

Preheat oven to 375
Boil potatoes and sweet potatoes in salted water in a large pot for 10 minutes, then add the noodles and cook for another 10. Add the frozen veggies, let sit for a minute or two to warm, then drain and let stand while going on to the next step.
Melt butter in the pot and add salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir until melted and the seasonings are all mixed in, then mix in the noodle/potato/veg mixture until well coated. Pour into a 9 x 13 casserole dish, top with shredded cheese, and bake for about 12 minutes, or until cheese is nicely melted.
Enjoy! Mmmm NomNom! :)