3 sisters clip'n coupons & sharing recipes

Queso

2012-01-13T09:13:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been 2 months since I last posted a recipe. Sorry!

Today I have a recipe that I grew up eating at family get togethers. My Grandma always had a crock-pot full of this yummy cheese dip.

But the other day on Pinterest I saw the exact same recipe with an additional ingredient: Cream Cheese!
I decided I had to give it a try. The verdict....yum!

The cream cheese adds a wonderful creaminess to this queso.
The original recipe said you could use ground beef or sausage. I have never tried ground beef, I prefer the taste of the sausage. But that's just me.

Super Bowl is right around the corner, what a great excuse to try this. :)
Enjoy!!

Queso Dip

1 block (32 Oz. Block) Velveeta Cheese

1 package (8 Oz. Package) Cream Cheese

1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel

1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Mushroom Soup

1 pound Sausage

Brown sausage in a pan over medium heat and set aside. Cut up the Velveeta and cream cheese into cubes and place into a crock pot. Pour in the Rotel and the cream of mushroom soup and stir ingredients together. Place the crock pot on low setting for an hour, letting the ingredients meld. After about 30 minutes, add the browned meat and continue to let cook, stirring as needed.

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

2011-11-06T16:15:00.001-07:00

I am a soup and sandwich type of gal, but unfortunately my hubby isn't. But as we're getting in to colder weather I am craving soups. I think I'm going to have to put this on the menu for this week, sorry Josh! :)

A few weeks ago we had a baby shower for my sister, Shawnna. We decided on having a few people bring soups for everyone. I asked a friend of mine if she could make a soup, which she said 'Yes'. But then she asked if I had any good soup recipes that she could use.

I decided to give her this recipe. Since the baby shower I have had several people ask me for the recipe, so I thought I'd better post it on here.

I promise you this is a delicious and easy soup, so give it a try.

Click Here for a printable version of this recipe.

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Adapted from Allrecipes

4 C.Chicken Broth

2 C.Water

2cooked chicken breasts, shredded or cubed

1(4.5 oz.) Quick cooking long grain & wild rice with seasoning packet

1/2tsp. Salt

1/2tsp. Pepper

3/4C. Flour

1/2C. Butter

2 C.Heavy Cream (I have used milk and it turns out great; Whole, 1% or 2%, but notSkim)

1/2C Chopped Celery

1/2C. Chopped Onion

1/2C. Chopped/sliced Carrot

In alarge pot sauté the Celery, Onion, and carrot with a little bit of butter orolive oil (about 5 minutes or until soft). Then add the broth, water, andchicken to the vegetables, and bring just to boiling. Then stir inthe rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover & remove from heat.

In asmall bowl, combine salt, pepper, and flour. In a medium saucepan over mediumheat melt the butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture isbubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in the flour mixture by Tbsp. to form aroux. Whisk in the cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated andsmooth. Cook until thickened (about 5 minutes).

Stircream mixture into the broth & rice. Cook over medium heat until heatedthrough. 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Buffalo Chicken Tenders

2011-09-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

If you read my last post, you know that my children dont like anything. When I came across this recipe, I thought that most of our children should like it...it is just chicken after all. Well, I was wrong. My husband and I like them and one of our boys but the other 3 did not. Dont let that discourage you though, they are fairly easy and full of flavor. You can adjust the spicyness to the preferences of your family.

Buffalo Chicken Tenders
For the Blue Cheese Dip:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
6 oz blue cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

For the sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp hot sauce (Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce)
1 Tbsp cider vinegar

For the chicken:
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 egg
1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
canola oil cooking spray
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

In a medium bowl, use a fork to stir together the ingredients for the blue cheese dip, mashing the cheese crumbles into small limps as you work. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the hot sauce and vinegar. Set the sauce aside.

Heat the oven to 450. Arrange 3 shallow bowls for dredging the chicken. Put the flour in the first bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the egg in the second, and stir together the bread crumbs, salt and pepper in the third. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.

Coat each chicken strip by dredging it first in the flour and then the buttermilk mixture. Press each piece into the bread crumbs, then transfer the strips to a baking sheet. Space the pieces on the sheet so that they don't touch. Lightly spray the strips with oil.

Bake the strips for 10 minutes. Flip each piece and spray them again. Return the strips to the oven and cook them until they're golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside, about 10 minutes longer.

Brush each baked strip on both sides with the sauce (apply it generously for grown-ups, less for kids who prefer a milder version.) Serve the strips with blue cheese dip and celery sticks on the side.

Recipe from Oct 2011 Family Fun Magazine

NOTE: I didnt make the blue cheese dip because I knew my family wouldn't eat it. I would love to hear comments from anyone who tries it.

Peanut Butter Blondies

2011-09-25T19:02:00.002-06:00

Cooking dinner isnt my favorite thing to do. I think it has something to do with my children. They dont like anything! How can children eat the same things over and over and over. One of our children loves spaghetti but the others don't. Another loves steak and only steak. Another..well I haven't quite figured out what she will eat. I guess she likes popcorn and cold cereal. I shouldn't complain, though. I was extremely picky as a child! I gave my mother fits! I am glad I have outgrown that stage and now love to eat a variety of things.

While cooking dinner isnt one of my favorite things to do, I do enjoy..or rather love..baking treats! Amazingly all of our children like peanut butter treats so I when I found this recipe in the Aug/Sept 2011 Taste of Home I knew I had to try it. Everyone loved them!

Peanut Butter Blondies

2 eggs

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

3 Tbsp milk

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

4 peanut butter cups, chopped

Beat eggs and brown sugar for 3 minutes in a large bowl. Add peanut butter, butter and milk; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in the peanut butter cups.

Spread into a greased 8-in square baking dish. Bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

NOTE: I cooked them for only 18 minutes and they came out perfect.

Chicken & Rice

2011-09-08T16:33:00.000-06:00

This is one of my husband's favorite meals, and one of my go-to meals when I need something easy. It is such a simple dish, but is full of flavor.

I always thought that chicken and rice was a little bland... so I have been looking for a good basic Chicken and Rice recipe. My mother in law gave me her recipe and one day I just kind of played with it and was pleasantly surprised. This is just a basic recipe, you could add veggies to this and it would be great too, but we like it with just chicken and rice.
Enjoy!!

Chicken & Rice

Several Chicken breasts or breast tenders (enough to cover the bottom of a 9X13 dish)

2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup (sometimes I use one Cream of Chicken and one Cream of Mushroom)

1 C. Rice (Not Instant)

1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt

1/4 tsp. Onion Salt

1 Tbsp. Onion Soup Mix

2 Cans of Liquid (You can use water, but I use 1 1/2 cans of Chicken Broth and 1/2 can of Whipping Cream. It makes it alot creamier)

1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or whatever cheese you have on hand)

Pepper (just a dash and sometimes I will add a dash of Ms. Dash)

In a bowl, mix the soup and the liquid. Add the rice and cheese and stir until well mixed. Add garlic and onion salt and mix well. In a greased roasting pan or baking dish place the chicken on the bottom (I use frozen chicken breast tenders and it works great, I sometimes will season the chicken a little with Ms. Dash and Pepper.) Pour the Rice mixture on top of the chicken. Cover and Bake at 350 for 1 1/2-2 hours or until rice is done.

I usually cook mine for 2 hours with frozen chicken. If you use thawed chicken I would check it around 1 1/2 hours. If you don't have frozen chicken breast tenders then get chicken breasts and chop them into large pieces.

Enjoy!!

Tender Grilled Pork Chops

2011-09-01T09:56:00.000-06:00

I love grilling...chicken, steak, and now I really love grilling pork chops!

We had these the other night and they were delicious!

The marinade only has 3 ingredients, so you can't get much easier than that.

I put our pork chops in a brine for about 2 hours and then marinated them for about 4 1/2 (you could marinate a little longer, I was short on time).

If you've never brined anything, no problem, it's easy. All it is is a salt water 'bath' for your meats. I have brined turkey and it always turns out moist and flavorful. And when I did this with the pork chops the result was the same. You can add other seasonings, salt, etc to your brines, but this time all I used was Salt, Water, and a little Seasoning Salt.

Why should you brine? Good question with a good answer. Here's a little info for ya:

"The chemistry behind brining is really pretty simple. Meat already contains salt water. By immersing meats into a liquid with a higher concentration of salt, the brine is absorbed into the meat. Any flavoring added to the brine will be carried into the meat with the saltwater mixture. Because the meat is now loaded with extra moisture it will stay that way as it cooks."
(

From BBQ.about.com)

So how do I brine? Another good question. Usually you add a cup of kosher salt to every gallon of water. I didn't measure mine, I just filled up my bowl added some kosher salt and seasoning salt, stirred it up and then added my pork chops, pretty simple. There are all kinds of different brines out there, but for these pork chops I think a basic brine is best.

You don't want to mess up this chop by overcooking and being left with a dry, chewy chop do you? I read something about grilling pork chops, how to get the perfect chop:
Grilling Thin Pork Chops: Thin chops should be grilled hot and fast. This is really one you should step away from since thinner pork chops will cook so fast. The trick is to grill them like you would a steak, over an intense heat, flipping as little as possible. Preheat your grill to as hot a temperature as it will go. Place the chops on the grill and close the lid for 1 minute. Open the lid and rotate the chops 45 degrees without flipping. Close the lid for another minute. Now flip the chops over and close the lid again. After a minute rotate the chops 45 degrees and finish them off. With a hot, hot grill and thin chops you should have them off the grill in 4 to 5 minutes.
Grilling Thick Pork Chops: Thick chops need a slower heat to get them cooked without drying them out. What you do want to do however is sear the surface to get them cooking. Preheat your grill as high as it will go (if you are using charcoal build your fire hotter on one side for searing with a cooler side to finish them off on). Put the chops on the grill and close the lid. After one minute open the grill and flip the chops. Close the lid for one minute. Now turn down the heat on your grill to medium (or move the chops to the cooler side of your charcoal grill). Rotate the chops to get your cross hatch marks and let them cook for about 3 more minutes with the lid down. After this time flip the chops over and continue cooking for about 4 more minutes. It is best at this point to turn your grill down to its lowest setting (or close the vents on your charcoal grill). Grill until done and the internal temperature is 155-165 degrees.
(From BBQ.about.com)

These chops were a hit and I think I have found my one and only grilled pork chop marinade. We're going to experiment this on some steaks and see if we get the same result.

So here you go a grilling recipe for you to try. And believe me you should try it!

Enjoy!!

Click Here for a printable version of this recipe.

Pork Chop Brine

1/2 Gallon Water

1/2 C. Kosher Salt

1/2 Tbsp. Seasoning Salt

In a large bowl add your ingredients and stir until dissolved. Place your pork chops in the brine. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours up to 8.

Once they are done soaking, drain the brine and give your chops a quick rinse. Then add to your favorite marinade.

Tender Grilled Pork Chops

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Serves 4

4 boneless pork loin chops
1/4 cup olive oil

2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon steak seasoning (such as Montreal Steak Seasoning or make your own*)

Mix olive oil, soy sauce and steak seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and pour into a one-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork chops and set the bag in a baking dish in a way that the pork chops get a healthy dose of the marinade (it may be advantageous to flip the bag over halfway through the marinating time). Marinate in the refrigerator for 3-8 hours (no more than 8). Heat the grill to medium and grill the chops 6-8 minutes per side (depending on how thick they are) until they are no longer pink in the center. Remove the chops from the grill and tent them with foil and allow them to rest for 5-7 minutes. Serve and Enjoy!!

Mom's Fruit Salad

2011-08-31T07:54:00.000-06:00

Here's a fruit salad for you that is quick to put together, but is sure to please! I posted this when we first started this blog, but I thought it was time for a re-post.

My Mom used to make this for family gatherings and everyone always loved it. Now I make it for my family and it has the same reaction. My Mom uses fresh pineapple and says it tastes so good. I have never tried fresh pineapple, but maybe I'll give it a try. I usually add coconut to mine, but this time I made it we had some people over and I wasn't sure if they liked coconut, so I left it out.
You could even add some other fruits to this recipe, like: mandarin oranges, blueberries, etc.

Hope you like it! Enjoy!

Mom’s Fruit Salad

1 Carton of Strawberries
Bananas (I used 3 large bananas)
1 large can of Pineapple Bits, drained
1 Can Peach Pie Filling
1-1 ½ Cups of Coconut

Slice your strawberries and bananas. Then add all ingredients into a bowl and stir until combined.
(You could add blueberries, mandarin oranges, etc.)

Grilled Corn Guacamole

2011-07-27T12:16:00.000-06:00

I Love guacamole. I could probably eat guacamole as a main dish, just give me a bowl and some chips and I'm set.

I was on The Pioneer Woman Cooks the other day and came across this recipe. I knew I had to give it a try. Of course it didn't disappoint. The corn gave the guacamole a nice, new taste.

I didn't really follow her measurements, I just looked at her ingredients and then made it. I also didn't make a big of batch as her. The original recipe asked for 6 avocados and 3 ears of corn, that's alot of guacomole. So I cut it down to 2 avocados and 1 ear of corn.

I also added Chicken Bouillion to my guacamole (this is a little secret ingredient my Mom always adds). I added maybe 2 tsp., I didn't measure I just taste test it. :)

With the other ingredients I just cut them up and then added however much I wanted. I added both yellow onion and red onion.

Usually when I make my guacamole I will add a little bit of my Dad's salsa (I'll have to add that recipe on here). It gives it a nice kick. If you have a favorite guacamole recipe then make your usual recipe and add an ear of corn to it.

The final taste: delicious! It was a hit! We had this with fajitas and everyone loved it.

So if you aren't too afraid of Avocados then definitely give this recipe a try.

Enjoy!!

Grilled Corn Guacamole

Adapted from: The Pioneer Woman

1 ear of Corn, Shucked

2 whole Avocados, Diced

1/2 whole Large Tomato, Diced

1/4 cup Onion, Finely Diced

1 clove Garlic, Finely Minced

2 Tablespoons Diced Fresh Jalapeno (you can leave this out if you want, I added just a little bit to ours)

1/2 Lime, Juiced

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1/4 cup Cilantro Leaves

2 tsp. Chicken Bouillion

Grill corn until nice and golden, with good grill marks on the kernels. Allow to cool a bit, then cut the kernels off the cobs. Set aside.

Halve avocados and remove pit. Cut avocado into a dice inside the skin, then scoop out with a spoon.

In a bowl, combine corn kernels, diced avocados, diced tomato, jalapenos, minced garlic, lime juice, salt, cumin and bouillion. Stir gently to combine. Add cilantro and stir in.

Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies

2011-07-18T21:40:00.001-06:00

Are you craving cookies? Do you happen to have a yellow or white cake mix lying around? Or maybe you decided to try those Cake Mix Rice Krispie Treats that I posted yesterday and have almost a whole bag of cake mix left over. Then this recipe is perfect!

Another great thing about this recipe is that there are only 4 ingredients. Yep, you read that right...4 ingredients!

My Mom used to make these when I was younger and they were always a hit. Trust me, you need to give these a try.

If you did try the Cake Mix Rice Krispie Treats and want to make these cookies with the left-over cake mix, just use a little less oil when making the cookies.

The cookies dough will look a little 'greasy', but don't worry these cookies aren't greasy at all.

Alright, there you go. A great quick and easy cookie recipe just for you!

Enjoy!!

Click Here to print the recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies

1 (18.25 oz) White or Yellow Cake Mix (I use white, but you can use whatever)

1/2 C. Oil

2 Eggs

1 pkg. or 2 C. Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, blend the cake mix, oil, and eggs until combined and no clumps remain. Add the chocolate chips and stir until combined.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.

Makes a little more than 2 dozen cookies. (I used my 1 1/2 Tbsp. cookie dough scoop)

Cake Mix Rice Krispie Treats

2011-07-17T18:10:00.000-06:00

I've seen this recipe on a few blogs and knew I had to give them a try.

I love Rice Krispie treats, but this recipe has a little secret ingredient.

Cake mix!

I never would have thought of adding cake mix, but it was a nice addition. You really can't go wrong with Rice Krispie treats.

I saw a few other blogs add confetti sprinkles...me, I added mini chocolate chips. I'm a choc-O-holic, so I have to give in to my addiction every now and then. :)

I used my favorite Rice Krispie recipe...no not the recipe from those 3 little guys: Snap, Crackle & Pop!

I use the rice krispie recipe found on the bag of the Albertson's marshmallows. The rice krispies that come from this recipe are so soft, chewy & marshmallowy (is that a word?). I use this recipe because the recipe asks for a whole 16 oz. bag of marshmallows, so you will never have those hard, crunch krispie treats when using this recipe.

If you're wondering what you will do with the left-over cake mix, just come back tomorrow and see. I have a great recipe to make with that extra cake mix.
Enjoy!!

Cake Mix Rice Krispie Treats

1/4 C. Butter

1 (16 oz.) bag of Mini Marshmallows

1/4 C. white cake mix

1 tsp. vanilla (this gives it a nice little taste)

6 C. Rice Krispies

Mini Chocolate Chips (optional, but really is shouldn't be) hehe

Grease a 9 X 13 dish and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter over low heat. Once melted add the marshmallows and stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat and add the cake mix and vanilla and stir. Add the rice krispies and stir until well coated.

Transfer the mixture into the 9 X 13 dish. Using a buttered spatula or waxed paper, press mixture evenly into the pan.
Cut into 24 squares when cook.

**My sister also had a trick for pressing the rice krispies into the pan without them sticking to your spatula: Dip your spatula into cold water before pressing the mixture. Repeat as needed until all the mixture is even.

Friday Food Finds: Trifles & Patriotic Trifle recipe

2011-07-08T10:18:00.003-06:00

Have you ever read the definition of 'trifle'?
Trifle: something trivial or insignificant

Trifles are anything but trifle, don't you think? I mean look at it...it's layers and layers of cake, fruit, pudding, whip cream. How in the world is that insignificant? Yes, I know that this definition is not talking about the dessert 'trifle', but c'mon let's give this dessert a little nicer more enjoyable name. So for today's Friday Food Finds we are spotlighting this yummy dessert to show all those poor trifles that they are in no way trivial or insignificant. :)

I have always wanted to make a trifle, but never had the dish to do it. So I finally bought a dish (which was only $6.97 at Wal-Mart) and made the Patriotic Trifle that I shared last week. Overall review: it was AWESOME!! There was not a single bite left.

So ever since then I have been thinking of different trifles that I can try. Here are a few that I found:

Mouth-Dropping Chocolate Trifle from Or So She Says

I'm going to visit my Sister next week and now I am taking my trifle dish so we can make this, yum.

You could also use brownies instead of chocolate cake and oreos instead of toffee. And if you don't want to make home-made whip cream, just use a package of Cool-whip.

Raspberry, White Chocolate, and Almond Trifle from Epicurious

I think my Husband would love this one, He is a raspberry lover. A few changes I'd probably make are: I would use pound cake instead of lady fingers and if I'm in a hurry I might not dip the pound cake into the syrup mixture. But it sounds amazing, so I'm gonna have to give this a try soon.

Seductive Strawberry-Banana Trifle from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

I love Strawberry and Banana. What a perfect combination, so of course when I saw this I knew I had to add it to my list. Plus her post is funny...maybe because I know exactly how she feels. haha.

Patriotic Trifle

So there are 3 trifle recipes to try. Now here is the recipe for the Patriotic Trifle. It was delicious...I promise. I was a little scared by the combo of Jell-O and pudding. I was kind of grossed out, but when I tasted it there was no weird texture or weird taste. Trust me when I say "You've gotta try this!"

I've also added a link at the bottom for a printable version of the recipe. Enjoy!!

Patriotic Trifle

From: Taste of Home

1 package (3 ounces) berry blue gelatin
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin

2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
2 cups cold whole milk
2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 quart fresh strawberries, quartered
1 prepared angel food cake (8 to 10 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes

In two small bowls, combine each gelatin flavor with 1 cup boiling water. Stir 1/2 cup cold water into each. Pour each into an ungreased 9-in. square pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set.

In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in 2 cups whipped topping.

Set aside 1/4 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup strawberries for garnish. Cut the gelatin into 1-in. cubes. In a 3-qt. trifle bowl or serving dish, layer the strawberry gelatin, half of the cake cubes, the remaining blueberries and half of the pudding mixture.

Top with blue gelatin and remaining cake cubes, strawberries and pudding mixture. Garnish with reserved berries and remaining whipped topping. Serve immediately.
Yield: 16-20 servings.

Click Here for a printable version of this recipe.

Chewy Low Fat Banana Nut Oatmeal Cookies (with Chocolate Chips)

2011-07-07T18:06:00.003-06:00

If you're like me and have 3 very ripe bananas then this is the perfect recipe for you.

A couple months or so ago my friend introduced me to these yummy little cookies. She actually left a comment on this blog telling me I had to try these that they were delicious! And of course, she was right. So thank you Kristin for sharing!!

I was a little naughty and decided to add some chocolate chips :). I think I actually liked these better with the chocolate chips...but I'm not sure how that will effect the 'low fat' in this recipe.
I also wish the banana was a little stronger, so next time I might try adding a little more mashed banana.
These cookies were gone in no time and my kids even liked them. So, with my 3 ripe bananas sitting on my counter I think I will be whipping up some more of these.

Click Here to print the recipe from Skinny Taste.

Chewy Low Fat Banana Nut Oatmeal Cookies

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Servings: 15 • Serving Size: 2 cookies • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts

Calories: 175.8 • Fat: 6.7 g • Protein: 3.5 g • Carb: 28.3 g • Fiber: 1.6 g • Sugar: 14 g

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup mashed ripe banana (**I may add a little more next time)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups quick oats

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

(**and if you're feelin' naughty add some chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350°; line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silpat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, with a mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars on medium speed.

Add the egg, followed by the mashed banana and vanilla extract.

Working by hand, stir in the flour mixture and the oats until just combined and no streaks of flour remain; stir in the chopped walnuts.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until cookies become light brown at the edges.

Let cool on baking sheet for 3 or 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container so you don't eat them all in one sitting!

Makes about 30 cookies.

Splenda Lovers: Substitute all the brown sugar with 1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend, and all the white sugar for 1/4 cup Splenda sugar blend. Points remain the same.

Strawberry Ice Cream

2011-07-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

For my second ice cream recipe I decided to share a recipe for Strawberry Ice Cream.

One of my favorite ice cream flavors is chocolate, but I do also love fruit ice cream...including Strawberry.

This ice cream was delicious. The only thing I didn't like was that it wasn't quite creamy enough for me, but that might have been my mistake. I'm thinking I might have not let the custard cook long enough. But don't let that scare you away...this was still delicous (I kept sneaking spoonfuls of ice cream as I was scooping it out of my machine). So give it a try and see what you think.

Enjoy!!

Strawberry Ice Cream

From 'The Ultimate Ice Cream Book'

3 heaping cups of strawberries

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 C. Sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 C. half-and-half

1/2 C. Heavy Cream

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Puree the strawberries with the salt in a food processor or food mill. There should be about 2 cups of puree. Set aside

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar into the eggs until thickened and pale yellow. Set aside.

Bring the half-and-half to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. Slowly beat the hot half-and-half into the eggs and sugar. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly. Be careful not to let the mixture boil or the eggs will scamble. Remove from heat and pour the hot custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl. Allow the custard to cool slightly, then stir in the strawberry puree, cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Stir the chilled custard, then freeze in 1 or 2 batches in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat. For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.

Enjoy!!

Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

2011-07-03T23:48:00.002-06:00

I am finally posting my ice cream recipe. I've been trying to post this for 2 days and have had some major internet issues. But I think you'll forgive me after trying this ice cream. :)

I'm sure you haven't forgotten, but if you have...it's National Ice Cream month!! Yeah!

So for my first ice cream recipe I am going to share this yummy Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream.

This ice cream turned out nice and creamy. Creamy chocolate ice cream with chewy coconut....yum!
Just what I need on a hot day, or even on a cold day, and maybe even for breakfast. Yep I'm that naughty...ice cream for breakfast. haha

So here you go, our first ice cream to celebrate this fabulous month long celebration.
Happy Ice Cream Month!!
Enjoy!

Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

From 'The Ultimate Ice Cream Book'

1/2 C. Shredded Sweetened Coconut

1 C. Sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

1 C. Half and Half

1 1/2 C. unsweetened coconut milk

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted

1 C. Heavy Cream

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place in the hot oven for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar into the eggs until thickened and pale yellow. Beat in the cornstarch and salt. Set aside.

Combine the half-and-half with the coconut milk in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and slowly beat the hot liquid into the eggs and sugar. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly. Be careful not to let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble. Remove from the heat and pour the hot custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl. Allow the custard to cool slightlyi, then stir in the toasted coconut, the melted chocolate, cream, and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Friday Food Finds: Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-01T12:14:00.001-06:00

We have a bunch of people(family) coming in later today for the 4th of July.

I love the 4th of July, there's just something about BBQ's, parades, fireworks that just makes me feel like a kid again. :)

I think mostly everyone does a little barbeque-ing for the 4th, so today I thought I'd share some sides and desserts that would go great with your 4th of July BBQ feast.

And I've included a yummy recipe for you today.

Bacon & Tomato Macaroni Salad from Recipe Girl

I love macaronie salad! This one looks delicious.

Patriotic Trifle from Taste of Home

I have never made a trifle, but have always wanted to. I saw this and decided this year was the year I made a trifle. I've got my trifle dish and the supplies, hope mine looks as good as this one.

Firecracker Cupcakes from Jamie Cooks It Up!

Fresh Raspberry Lemonade from Amanda's Cookin'

We made this a few weeks ago and it was so yummy. We made it a little differently by adding all the pulp of the raspberries to the lemonade.

This would definitely go great with a BBQ. And if you're having company over you should serve the lemonade in Mason Jars!

I saw this idea awhile ago in a Taste of Home magazine:

Get a large bucket/bin and fill with ice. Get some mason jars and pour lemonade into each one. Then put the lid on each mason jar and set the jars in the bucket of ice to keep cool.

Have everyone get their plate of food and grab a 'jar' of lemonade for their drink.

Ever since I saw this I have wanted to have a BBQ and serve lemonade in jars. haha.

Click Here for the printable version of this Recipe.

Here are some other Lemonade recipes:

Chunky Strawberry Lemonade

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade

I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend!! I have some other recipes that I will try to post today and throughout the weekend. Happy 4th of July!!

Oreo Delight

2011-06-22T10:00:00.001-06:00

Today's recipe is a re-post, but it's definitely worth repeating.

It's been awhile since I made this dessert, so I decided to make it last week.

Everyone LOVED it!! They couldn't stop saying good things about this recipe, and couldn't stop eating it. haha

But seriously...oreos, chocolate puding, cool-whip, and a sugary cream cheese mixture...you can't go wrong with that.

I was left with only 2 pieces, so I decided to take some new pictures of this yummy dessert and re-post this recipe.

This is all that was left after my little 'photo shoot'. Sorry I couldn't help myself, it was just sitting there saying 'eat me!'.

Just make this dessert and you will totally understand. Enjoy!!

Click here to print this recipe.

Oreo Delight

35 Oreo cookies (1 whole pkg.)
6 Tbsp. margarine, melted
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened1/4 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
12 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed
3 1/4 c. cold milk
2 pkg. instant Jell-O pudding (small packages)
optional: more crushed Oreos or Andes Mint baking chips to sprinkle on top

Mix crushed cookies and butter in medium bowl. Press firmly onto bottom of 9" x 13" baking dish. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and 2 Tbsp. milk in medium bowl with wire whisk until blended. Stir in 1 1/4 c. Cook Whip. Spread over crust. Pour 3 1/4 c. milk into bowl. Add both pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk for 2 minutes. Pour over cream cheese layer. Let stand 5 minutes. Drop remaining Cool Whip over pudding and spread. Sprinkle more crushed Oreos or Andes Mint baking chips on top. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

You can also use mint oreos. Josh doesn't like mint, so I did plain oreos. It was delicious.

Friday Food Finds: Favorite Food Blogs

2011-06-17T22:00:00.002-06:00

I love new recipes and most of the recipes I find are from fellow food bloggers. I have so many that foodie blogs that I read (well try to read), so I decided for this Friday Food Finds I would talk about one of the many blogs that I love:

Jamie Cooks It Up!

If you haven't visited Jamie's Blog, then you should really stop on by. Here are a few recipes from her delicious blog.

1. Grilled Turkey & Swiss Sandwiches
We made these last Sunday & they were Amazing!!
We added a slice of avocado to each sandwich, yum!!

2. Cherry Chocolate Cake

Oh Yeah!! That's all I have to say.

3. Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

This is on my menu for next week. Yummy!!

4. Crispy Chicken with Creamy Sauce & Bowtie Pasta

Another menu item for this week. :) Looks pretty yummy!

5. Strawberry Mango Popsicles

Since it's finally warming up around here it's time for summer treats.

Well, I could go on and on about all the delicous looking recipes on this blog, but I'll let you look for yourself. Thanks Jamie for the wonderful & delicious blog!!

Until next Friday!

Friday Food Finds: Ice Cream

2011-06-10T21:04:00.128-06:00

***This was supposed to be posted on Friday, but due to technical difficulties (our internet) I am posting it today, yes 3 days late. Sorry.

I scream, YOU scream, WE all scream for ICE CREAM!!! I really do scream for ice cream, it's kind of a weakness of mine. :) I could eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I dreamed about ice cream during my second pregnancy. I always, yes always, have ice cream in my freezer, and no matter how much I've eaten there's always room for ice cream. My husband kind of knows about my obsession, and being the wonderful husband he is, bought me the Kitchen Aid ice cream attachment a couple years ago (yep he's pretty amazing). But I actually haven't used it as much as I would like, so I have made a goal to use it this summer.

And what perfect timing...did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? I had no idea, I think I just found my new favorite month. So, since July is just a few short weeks away I thought it appropriate for this week's Friday Food Finds to focus on ice cream. This is one month long holiday I will be sure to celebrate. Here's a few homemade ice cream recipes to get you started.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream from Brown Eyed Baker

I love chocolate ice cream with Peanut Butter cups, I am definitely giving this a try.

Peach Ice Cream from Homesick Texan
I actually made this recipe a few years ago for a family peach ice cream cook-off. No one wanted to hurt anyone's feelings, so a winner was never chosen, haha. But I remember this ice cream was delicious!!

Tin Roof Ice Cream from Brown Eyed Baker

You can't have an ice cream post without posting some Vanilla & Chocolate recipes, so here are some:
Serious Vanilla Ice Cream from Alton Brown of Food Network
This recipe contains no eggs and had rave reviews.

Chocolate Ice Cream from Alton Brown of Food Network
I'm pretty picky about my Chocolate ice cream, I want it chocolatey, but not overpowering chocolatey, and I want it nice and creamy. I love Alton Brown and he's pretty darn good at what he does, so I'll have to give this a try.

Don't have an ice cream maker....no problem. Here are some links that will solve that problem for you.

Easy Homemade Ice Cream Without a Machine from Kevin & Amanda

How to make Homemade Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker from Brown Eyed Baker

If you haven't noticed there are quite a few Brown Eyed Baker recipes on here. That's because she has a ton of delicous looking ice cream recipes: Strawberry (this one looks amazing), Chocolate (yum), Rocky Road, Blueberry Cheesecake, and so many more. If you're looking for some yummy ice cream recipes be sure to visit her site: Brown Eyed Baker Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts

And Stay Tuned for these recipes I plan on trying and sharing:
Oreo Cheesecake Ice Cream
(I've actually made this before and it is amazing!)

Double Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream
(my hubby is going to love this one)

Raspberry Truffle Ice Cream
(Raspberry and chocolate chunks, yum)

Banana Split Ice Cream
(Dairy Queen has a Banana Split Blizzard that I love,
so I would like to create something like the blizzard, but we'll see how that goes.)

What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Do you have a yummy homemade ice cream recipe?
I hope you enjoy your summer and some delicious homemade ice cream! :)
Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Fruit Pizza

2011-06-09T16:10:00.051-06:00

A few days after I had our newest little baby my sister had a Pampered Chef party. Since my Mom was visiting she decided to go to the party. When she got home I saw her carrying a Ziploc bag with some goodies inside.

I asked her what she had, and being the nice Mother that she is, she told me she had brought home some dessert for me (awww, thanks Mom). I opened the bag to find a slice of this pizza and immediately devoured it.

Oh yes...that Chocolate Chip cookie fruit pizza didin't stand a chance. But since I only got one slice I knew I was going to have to make this soon, so I did. Don't worry...I didn't eat the whole thing myself, I was nice and shared. :)

It's BBQ season and most likely you'll be invited to a BBQ and asked to bring something, right? Well, here's the perfect recipe for you to take. And believe me everyone will love you.

What's not to love? A huge Chocolate Chip cookie topped with a yummy cream cheese, powdered sugar, white chocolate mixture topped with fruit and to finish it...a chocolate drizzle. Oh My!

And for the 4th of July you could try using strawberries and blueberries for Red, White, and Blue.

The recipe asks for an 18 oz. pkg of refrigerated cookie dough, but I just used my sister's cookie recipe (included below) and measured 18 oz. (yep, used my scale). Or you could just split the dough in half and use the rest for yummy chocolate chip cookies and eat them all yourself. Well...I shared a few, and I might have eaten a few for breakfast.

OK back to the pizza...go to the store and buy what you need then get home and make this. Got it? Good, then I'm done. Enjoy!!

Click here for to print the Fruit Pizza recipe.

Click here to print Shawnna's Cookie recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Fruit Pizza

From: The Pampered Chef 'All the Best' cookbook

Prep Time: 30 min. Bake Time: 12-15 min.

Cool Time: 1 Hr. Chill Time: 30 min.

1 pkg. (18 oz.) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough or 18 oz. of homemade cookie dough

2 squares (1 oz. each) white chocolate for baking or 2 oz. white choc. chips

2 tbsp. Milk

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/4 C. powdered sugar

1 C. thawed, Cool-Whip

12-16 strawberries, cut in half

1 can (11 oz.) mandarin orange segments, well drained

1/4 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape cookie dough into a ball and place in center of a baking stone or a large cookie sheet (if using a cookie sheet, spray with Pam or line with parchment paper). Roll dough to a 12-in circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are set. (Cookie will be soft. Do not overbake.)

Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Carefully loosen cookie from baking stone using a serrated knife; cool completely on baking stone or cookie sheet.

2. Place white chocolate and milk in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute; stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Microwave an additional 10-20 seconds if necessary. Cool slightly.

In another bowl combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture and mix until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cooled cookie.

3. Arrange strawberries and mandarin oranges over cream cheese mixture.

Place chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds or until chocolate is melted and smooth. Drizzle over fruit. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Cut into wedges and serve.

Yield: 16 servings.

Enjoy!!

Friday Food Finds: Doughnut Edition

2011-06-03T10:56:00.000-06:00

In honor of National Doughnut Day, yep it's today, I decided it would be fun to do my Friday Food Finds all about doughnuts. My kids and husband...ok and me....love doughnuts. Every once in awhile we'll go to the store and get a dozen doughnut holes (they're only $1) and the kids go crazy, literally :). And sometimes my hubby will surprise us and bring home a big box of a dozen doughnuts and then the kids really go crazy.

I know they aren't the healthiest thing to eat, but they're so good. So here are some yummy doughnut recipes for you to celebrate National Doughnut Day. Enjoy!!

Homemade Glazed Doughnuts from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

I have never been disappointed by her recipes. And looking at these doughnuts I don't think they'll disappoint.

Chocolate Doughnut Holes from Smitten Kitchen

I love Doughnut Holes, so when I saw these I had to add them to my list.

Doughnut Holes + Chocolate= yum!

If doughnuts aren't really your thing then at least give these doughnut muffins a try.

Glazed Doughnut Muffins from My Baking Addiction

Doughnut Muffins from Tasty Kitchen

Alright that's all I've got to share today. Now go make some doughnuts!!

(Pictures from Microsoft Word)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-05-24T17:41:00.001-06:00

Here is another weakness for me....Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I have actually been searching for a good Chocolate Chip cookie recipe, but couldn't find one. Then one day Josh's cousin brought us some chocolate chip cookies. They were big and chewy and DELICIOUS! He had been over at our neighbor's house cooking cookies with their daughter.

After that first bite I was hooked....I HAD to get the recipe.

So after bugging and nagging and annoying our poor neighbor for the recipe, I finally got it! (OK I really didn't bother her too much)

My Mom was just up here visiting and I introduced her to this cookie recipe. We ended up making probably 4 batches of these cookies. I no longer have any butter in my house because of these cookies! haha

A grocery store run is much needed :).

I have one more cookie left from my last batch, but luckily I have some dough already made sitting in my fridge just waiting to be baked.

Just a little bit of info. about these cookies.

*I mix my butter and sugars first and beat them for a few minutes (until the mixture is a whiteish color). Then I add the vanilla and water. Last come the eggs, which I add one at a time beating well after each one.

*For this recipe you add 2 1/2 C. flour and then you add some more flour (usually about 1/2 C. more) to make a firm dough. My last batch I decided to measure the amount of flour I used. It ended up totalling: 11.25 oz. (9 oz. + 2.25 oz.)

*I add about 1 1/2-1 3/4 C. of Chocolate Chips. The recipe asks for 1 1/2 pkgs. This just depends on what you like.

*I use a heaping medium cookie scoop (= heaping 1 tbsp.) for these cookies. You want a bigger sized cookie.

*My cookies usually bake for about 10 minutes.

I am going to continue making these cookies and experiment with the amount of flour. Once I have perfected the amount of flour I will update the recipe with the flour measured in cups and oz.

Do you have a kitchen scale??

My wonderful hubby bought me a kitchen scale 2 Christmases ago and I absolutely LOVE it!! If you don't have one I highly suggest you get one.

(please excuse the flour...I probably should have cleaned it a little better before taking a pic.)

I think mine came from Kmart. Nothing fancy, but I love it.

I told my Mom about my scale and she told me she didn't know what she would use one for. We decided to give her one for Christmas and she now knows what I was talking about when I told her she needed one.

Seriously...Go get a scale!

Yep...that was my last cookie (notice 'was').

Looks like I need to bake some more.

Alright, so there you go, a new Chocolate Chip cookie recipe to try. And believe me you'll be making them often. Thanks Ashley for the yummy recipe!!

Click Here for a printable version of this recipe.

Ashley's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Combine:

1 C. Butter

¾ C. Sugar
¾ C. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Water
2 Eggs

Mix well, then add:
2 ½ C. All-purpose Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda

Mix until combined and then add extra flour to make a firm dough (usually another ½ C.)
Add 1 ½ packages of Chocolate Chips (you can do as much or as little as you want).

Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

**Peanut Butter chips are delicious in these cookies as well as a Butterscotch/Chocolate Chip mixture.

Enjoy!!

New to Coupons

2011-05-11T12:22:00.002-06:00

I have recently had someone ask about couponing. They are just getting started and wanted some tips on what to do and some links to sites that offer coupons and help with couponing.

There are several ways you can coupon.
1- You can continue to grocery shop in the same way you always have, except you begin to use coupons on items you usually buy.
2- You can use coupons to try new products.
3- You can watch sales and purchase items when they are sale and you have coupons. Because these items are less expensive then normal, you are able to purchase more than just one of these items. You can then store the extra items so that next time you need that item you have it on hand. Over time you will spend less money because you are buying things at a better price. (Or this helps free up grocery money for items that dont frequently go on sale but that you like to splurge on.)

There isnt really a right way or a wrong way to coupon. You can use coupons in whatever way you are comfortable. I usually try to do #3 but the year after my twins were born I could only handle doing #1.

Where to get coupons
Most major Sunday newspapers have coupons each week. You can also find coupons online; however, be cautious of the sites that you visit. Recently, I have had 2 family members get viruses from coupons.com. There is also a lot of fraud surrounding coupon sites. I try to visit only well known sites such as the manufacturers, Smartsource.com, Redplum.com, and grocerysmarts.com. Some of the manufacturers have websites for the individual product names such as General Mills, Kraft, Yoplait but they may also have a website that brings all the products together such as eatbetteramerica.com. Many grocery stores have websites that offer coupons as well. Many websites will require you to sign up to receive coupons. To protect my email address and not be bombarded with emails, I created a new email account exclusively for my couponing. I can sign up with companies but I dont have to look through their emails everyday. Before I go grocery shopping, I check my coupon email account to see if any products that are on sale have sent me an email or coupon.
Some couponers like to cut out and/or print every coupon they come across. I find this exhausting. I know what items my family likes and what they dont. I only cut/print coupons for those items. If an item is new, I will cut one coupon and purchase it when it goes on sale. This allows me to try the new item at a better price and then I know if I will purchase it again.

Pinchingyourpennies is a great resource for any couponer. You can search deals by state. Each state has a forum. I dont know how the other states forums work but the utah forum has a thread for each store each week. The administrators list the good deals and rank them on a 5 star rating system. If you are unsure if a price is a good deal or not, these forums are a wonderful help. They will also list any coupons that are available for the sale items.

Store policies
Every store has different policies. Some don't accept online coupons. Some accept competitors coupons while others don't. Some match prices and other don't. Don't be afraid to ask the store employees if you have questions, but please dont be rude to them. They will be more willing to help you if you are kind and patient with them.

Remember that there are others who like to purchase good deals as well. Be considerate of others and don't clear the shelves by buying the entire stock when an item is free or almost free. Purchase what you honestly can use and leave the rest for the rest of us. : )

I hope this helps those who are new to couponing. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Happy Couponing!

Friday Food Finds: April 22, 2011

2011-04-22T21:55:00.000-06:00

I have to admit...I completely spaced it that it is Friday today. :) We were gone all day today and I just realized it's Friday!

Is everyone ready for Easter? I am. Our Easter dinner is planned:

Ham in a bag (I'll be sure to share the recipe, it's from my MIL), Funeral Potatoes, Salad, Deviled Eggs, Bread/Rolls & Jell-O (the glass block one that I shared on last week's FFF). It's going to be just our family and my Hubby's Mom & Dad, so nothing too fancy for just us. :)

Alright, so on to this week's Friday Food Finds.

1. Homemade Scalloped Potatoes from the Brown Eyed Baker

These look amazing! This would make a great side dish for your Easter dinner.

I love scalloped potatoes, so this is on the top of my 'to try' list.

2. Chocolate-Drizzled Strawberries & Cream Pie from Our Best Bites

This lovely recipe was waiting for me in my email inbox when I got home today. It looks amazing and would be great for Easter Dinner. I'm so glad my Mother-in-law just gave me some strawberries. :)

3. Chewy Low Fat Banana Oatmeal cookies from Skinny Taste

Thank you Kristin for sharing this recipe. No, I haven't tried it. BUT...I've been guarding my last 2 bananas that are sitting on my counter until they got nice and ripe. :) I think they're ready!!

I am going to give these a try this week and I will let you know what I think.

4. Three Little Birds dish towel from A little of This-N-That

This isn't a recipe, but it has to do with the Kitchen. I love these dish towels, and how easy would they be to make?!? Yep, they're on my To-Do list. :)

So there are my Friday Food Finds. Hope you enjoy them and I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend! Until next Friday...

Friday Food Finds

2011-04-15T13:16:00.002-06:00

It's Friday once again, and you know what that means....Friday Food Finds!!!

I hope you've enjoyed some of my food finds that I've shared. I've haven't tried too many of them, but they're in my huge 'to try' file and hopefully I'll be trying some of these yummy looking recipes. :)

I am always looking for new breakfast ideas. I saw this and knew I would have to make this very soon. Such an easy breakfast and I know my kids would love them.
Double Cheese & Bacon Egg Biscuits from Picky Palate

I was kind of 'Blog Stalking' Picky Palate and ran across this recipe. Oh My!! These look so yummy!
No-Bake Chewy Cookies & Cream Bars from Picky Palate
And she even made another batch using Nutter Butter cookies!
No-Bake Chewy Nutter Butter Bars from Picky Palate

Easter Treats
I can't wait for Easter! I am so excited that it is so late in April this year. That means, here in Idaho, we can actually have an Easter Egg Hunt outside! Yah! My kids are counting down the days until the Easter Bunny comes.
So, I thought maybe we'll die some eggs this year. That will give me the perfect excuse to make some Deviled Eggs, yum, or this yummy looking Egg Salad Sandwich.
Classic Egg Salad Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

I thought these cupcakes from 'Our Best Bites' were so cute. And it probably wouldn't be very hard to turn them into Bunnies. Just keep the coconut white and use some candy for ears.
{Easy} Spring Chick Cupcakes from Our Best Bites

I had planned to make this for Christmas, but never did. So, I was thinking of making this for Easter. If I do I will definitely post about it. :)
Glass Block Holiday Jell-O from Our Best Bites

Alright, I think I'm done. Hope you enjoy some of my Friday Food Finds. Have a great weekend!

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

2011-04-14T08:00:00.002-06:00

I love crock-pot meals. Especially on those days that I'm feeling lazy...like Sundays. I just made this for our family this last Sunday and everyone enjoyed, as always. But then I started to wonder if I had ever shared the recipe on here, and to my surprise I hadn't. What a horrible person I am!

This recipe originally comes from Jenny over at Picky Palate. I don't remember how I ever came across this recipe, but I'm glad I did.

I didn't make the Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, I just made my normal Pioneer Woman mashed potatoes (potatoes, butter, heavy cream, cream cheese, Lawry's Seasoning Salt & Pepper, cheese...yum). No matter what mashed potatoes you use this will be great. But please, try to make them from scratch. :) I promise you it is worth the extra work. Next time you're at the store and you see the little package of instant mashed potatoes, just keep walking! I know they're so easy to mix up, but this meal really needs REAL mashed potatoes & so does your tummy!

So there you go. A new crock-pot meal for those lazy days. Enjoy!!

Click Here for a printable version of this recipe.

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

From: Picky PalatePork chops
6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup
Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes
5 Tablespoons real butter
1 Cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves roasted garlic (click for directions how to roast garlic)
1- 1 1/2 Cups warm skim milk (any milk will do, I just happened to use skim)
1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

1. Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.
2. Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consitency.
3. Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. Enjoy!!

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

2011-04-13T08:00:00.003-06:00

I love blueberry muffins! I love them as breakfast or an afternoon snack. I especially love blueberry muffins from scratch. You know, the ones with big fresh blueberries. YUM!!

Last week I tried a new recipe for blueberry muffins and my family loved them. So, I had to share it with all of you. The original recipe makes big muffins, but I made just normal-sized muffins. I know I'm no fun. :)

Thes muffins were so yummy. And to make them even better they're topped with a cinnamon-sugar streusel type topping.

You have got to give these a try. Yes, cereal is so much easier, but seriously...STEP AWAY from the cereal...now! These didn't take long at all to mix up and before you know it you are enjoying a delicious blueberry muffin breakfast.

OK, all together now "I am making these muffins tomorrow!" Thank you. I think my job here is done. Enjoy!!

Click Here for a printable version of this recipe.

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

from: allrecipes

1 1/2 C. All-purpose Flour

3/4 C. White sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/3 C. Vegetable Oil

1 Egg

1/3 C. Milk

1 C. Fresh Blueberries

Topping: (I had quite a bit left over, I will probably half this next time)

1/2 C. White Sugar (some reviews used brown sugar)

1/3 C. All-puprose Flour

1/4 C. Butter, cubed, softened

1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tin or line with muffin liners.

Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup (to make 1 cup). Mix this with the flour mixture (Don't overmix, just mix until combined). Then fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To make Crumb Topping: mix together sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

For Large Muffins: bake 20-25 minutes; makes 8 muffins

For Regular Muffins: bake 18-20 minutes; makes 12 muffins

Strawberry Shortcake Dessert

2011-04-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

Update: I know I just posted this as a Friday Food Find, but I told you I was craving this cake. :) So, I decided to make it and wanted to share a few changes that I made. The original recipe is for a sugar-free dessert, but most of the time I don't have sugar-free Jell-o or applesauce just laying around. So, I usually don't make it like the orignal recipe.
I also decided to make cupcakes instead of an actual cake this time. I loved the results!

Here is what I did:
Mix up a white cake mix as directed. Then bake and let the cupcakes cool for about 15 minutes. While they're cooling boil one cup of water. Then add a small (8 oz.) box of Strawberry Jell-O to your boiling water and stir until dissolved.
Now it's time to poke holes into your cupcakes. Using a straw poke several holes into each of your cupcakes.
Transfer your cupcakes onto a cookie sheet, then spoon 2 tsp. of Jell-o liquid onto each cupcake.
Here's a little trick that I did. Do you have any medicine droppers lying around? We do, our pharmacy gives us a new dropper every time we get a prescription. So, I just measured 1 tsp. into the dropper and squirted it onto the cupcake, then did that again to make 2 tsp. So much easier than a spoon.

After I squirted each cupcake with Jell-O I added some sliced strawberries (fresh) on top of each cupcake. I topped each one with 2 slices, and then stuck them in the fridge to cool for 2 hours.

The nice thing about cupcakes is you can keep them in the fridge (covered with saran-wrap) unfrosted until you want to snack on one. When you are craving one of these yummy little cupcakes just get one (or two...or three, I won't judge you) out of the fridge and frost it. Then Enjoy!!

With the cake I felt like we had to hurry and eat it before it went bad, but since mine aren't frosted I have a little extra time to enjoy these babies!!
So give the cupcake version a try, I promise you'll be glad you did. :)

Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake
I'm sorry that I've been such a slacker lately, but I have some new recipes to share with you. So, for the rest of the week, I am going to try to post a new recipe each day. And I promise they won't disappoint.
For my first recipe, I am going to share a simple, yet delicious dessert. I found this in a Taste of Home magazine a few years ago. The original recipe is made with all low/no sugar ingredients. I have tried both the low sugar version and the not so low in sugar version. Both are super yummy. The only thing I didn't like about the no sugar version, after eating the cake I got a weird after-taste from the artificial sweetener.

The first time I ever made this was in Hawaii for a baby shower. For this, I used just regular sugar added ingredients. I had never tried it, but it looked so good, that I decided to take a risk and make it for the shower. It didn't fail me, everyone loved it!

I still remembered that delicious moist cake that I had made so long ago, but hadn't made it ever since. Why?? I have no idea!! But, I actually just made this a few weeks ago for my In-laws. They invited us and some friends over for dinner, and I said that I'd bring the dessert. Their friend can't eat alot of sugar, so this was perfect. Finally, I was going to get to try this cake again (This time the sugar-free version). It was a HUGE hit! Everyone loved it, and our friends even asked for the recipe.

Just look at this...don't you just want to go into the kitchen and make some right now? I know I do. Believe me, this is a recipe that is a must try!! Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcake Dessert (Poke Cake)

1 Pkg. (18 ¼ oz.) White cake mix
1 1/3 C. Water
1/4 C. Unsweetened applesauce
2 egg whites
1 egg
1 pkg. (.6 oz.) sugar free strawberry gelatin
2 c. Boiling water
1 pkg. (16 oz.) Frozen unsweetened while strawberries, thawed, drained & sliced (I have even used fresh strawberries for this step)
1 carton (16 oz.) Frozen whipped topping, thawed
10 fresh strawberries, halved
(If you don't want the Sugar-free cake: Just mix and bake the cake according to directions on box. Then use regular Strawberry Jell-o, and Sweetened Frozen Strawberries. I have even made the cake as directed in this recipe, and then just changed the Jell-o and frozen strawberries.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, water, applesauce, egg whites and egg; beat on low speed for 30 sec. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.
Pour into a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 mins. Or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in the boiling water. Stir in the thawed strawberries. Using a sharp knife, make a diamond pattern in the top of your hot cake (or using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake); immediately pour gelatin mixture over cake. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Spread with whipped topping. Garnish with the fresh strawberries.

Friday Food Finds

2011-04-09T13:38:00.000-06:00

I know, I know....this is not a good sign. Only the second week of 'Friday Food Finds' and I'm a day late. I promise I'll be better. We had some health issues around our house. I had to take my daughter to the doctor, yuck! But nothing serious, so that's good. Hopefully nice weather is right around the corner and we'll all get over our yucky sicknesses.

Alright, are you ready for some more yummy food finds? I know I am. When I saw these I knew I was going to have to try them very soon. :)

1. Snickerdoodle Muffins from Tasty Kitchen Food Blog
I love snickerdoodles! I've shared snickerdoodle bars on here before and now muffins!

2. Cheesy Chicken, Bacon and Avacado Quesadillas from Kevin and Amanda
This is actually on our menu for this coming week. I can't wait to give it a try!!

3. Strawberry Shortcake Dessert from 3 Sisters Sharing Ideas
Yes, this is from our blog. But it is soooo good, I thought I needed to re-post it. I am actually craving this cake right now!! I think I am going to have to make this today. :)
This would be a great Spring/Easter dessert.

So there are my 'Friday Food Finds'. Enjoy!!

Friday Food Finds

2011-04-01T21:33:00.000-06:00

If you're wondering why there has been a lack of recipes around here, I think I have a pretty good excuse. Let's begin my sad, sad story...haha. About 4-5 weeks ago I got a head cold. Nothing serious, right?? WRONG!! I don't know what kind of cold this is that's going around, but it is a pain! I had a fever, cough, stuffy nose, congestion, all that good stuff. And to make matters worse, I couldn't smell or taste anything...and I mean anything!.

Anyway, I'm finally feeling better, but I still can't taste/smell that great. So, what does that have to do with recipes you ask...Well, I've tried some new recipes, but since I can't really taste I don't know how much I really liked them. :) And I'm not going to post something that I don't love, so there you go, my excuse.

But today's post isn't all sad news (okay, maybe my story wasn't that sad, but you could at least feel a little sorry for me :) hehe. I've decided to do something new here on our little blog, I'm calling it:

'Friday Food Finds'

So what exactly is 'Friday Food Finds'? Every Friday I am going to share with all of you some of the 'Food Finds' I have come across. I am always on the 'hunt' for new yummy recipes. Honestly, I think I'd rather be looking through a food blog than spending time on Facebook or checking my email. Yes, I know...I'm such a nerd.

I already have a huge 'to try' list of recipes, but that doesn't stop me from looking for more. :)

Alright, so here is today's Friday Food Finds!

1. Peanut Butter S'Mores Turnovers from Recipe Girl

Oh my!! That is all I can say! I've been talking with my kids about cooking s'more when all the snow is gone. Then I saw this. Now I don't have to wait for nicer weather. :) I am definitely going to have to give these a try. I will probably try some with marshmallows inside also.

2. My Brother's Chicken Tacos from The Pioneer Woman

(Picture from The Pioneer Woman)

I seriously want these things right now! Yummy! I love reading Ree's recipe posts. Not only does her food look so delicious, she writes some of the funniest stuff.

3. Country Buttermilk Bisquits from: That's Some Good Cookin'

Move over Pillsbury Dough Boy!!! These look amazing! I am so all over these babies (and Shannon I know you are too). This recipe comes from Terri's (of That's Some Good Cookin')
daughter who is going to Culinary school. She shares a step by step tutorial on making these amazing biscuits and she even explains some of the 'science' behind cooking these biscuits.
You have got to click on the link RIGHT NOW and go take a look at these biscuits. And I'm serious about the 'right now'. :)

OK. So there are 3 recipes for today's 'Friday Food Finds'. I am going to try really really hard to do this every Friday. Hope you enjoy!! And let me know if you try any of these recipes soon.

Enjoy!!

No Knead, Dutch Oven Bread

2011-03-16T08:00:00.003-06:00

Last week my Father-in-law asked if I would be interested in trying a new bread recipe. He explained that there was no kneading involved and only a few ingredients, but it has to sit for 12-18 hours. He brought over a magazine and showed me the recipe. I was amazed to see that this bread only had 4 ingredients: Yeast, water, flower and salt. So, I told him I'd make it and went home and mixed up the dough.

The next evening we baked the bread. When it was ready to cut everyone had a slice, then another, then another, until there was no more bread.

I have been looking for a nice crusty bread with a chewy center, and I think I've finally found it (Thanks to my FIL). Since our first loaf, I think my FIL and I combined have made close to 12 loaves, if not more.

This is such an easy bread to make, the only thing is waiting 12-18 hours. Once you're out of this bread you wish you had made 2 loaves. :)

On Sunday my hubby and I were looking for a late night treat. I had the idea of sandwiches. So we pulled out our bread and made some sandwiches. Oh My!! They were good! My hubby even said 'These were the best sandwiches I've ever had.' And just an FYI, my husband is not a sandwich guy.

The long, knead free fermentation process allows the dough to develop the good flavor for this yummy bread. And when you cook it you cook it in a dutch oven or a heavy covered pot. By covering the dish it helps creates the humid conditions needed for a crisp crust.

My father-in-law uses his camping Dutch oven for this bread. I use our 'heart shaped' (yes, heart shaped; a wedding gift, we were married Feb. 13th) Le Creuset dutch oven. I'm hoping to buy a normal round dutch oven since I'll be making this bread quite often. But if you don't have a fancy dutch oven, no worries, it says any 6-8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) will work.

I promise you this bread will not disappoint. And don't be afraid to give it a try. I am in no way a professional baker, and this bread turns out great for me every time. So give it a try and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!!

Click Here for a printable version of this recipe.

No Knead, Dutch Oven Bread

From: Mother Earth News (Dec. 07/Jan. 08); adapted from The New York Times

¼ tsp. active dry yeast

1 ½ C. warm water
3 C. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
1 ½ tsp. Salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until well blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferable 12-18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on
it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let raise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat your oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6 to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Yield: One 1 ½ -pound loaf.

Angel Food Cake with Pineapple Whip

2011-03-15T14:16:00.001-06:00

Today I am sharing a delicious dessert that I found on a food blog that I read often. It's the perfect spring/summer time dessert. And right now, as I look out our window (at the snow, blah) I am in need of some 'Spring' in my life. :)

I am so ready for the snow to be gone and for the weather to warm up. But until then I'll just eat this cake, close my eyes and imagine that it's Spring outside. haha

You cannot look at this picture and not tell me that it looks delicious! But not only does it look delicious it TASTES delicious too!

This recipe comes from Favorite Family Recipes, a great food blog that you should really take a look at. I was over there the other day looking through all their yummy recipes and came across this one. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it. So I added it to our menu and made plans to make it.

I made this on Sunday and everyone loved it! Even my cake hating husband like this cake, so that should say enough right there. The pineapple whip with the angel food cake was amazing and topped with fruit is even yummier!

I was going to serve it with strawberries only and then remembered that someone just gave us some kiwi. I'm glad they did, because the kiwi and strawberry were a great combo for this cake.

Alright, I've said enough. You need to get baking and try this cake, seriously!!

Enjoy!!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Angel Food Cake with Pineapple Whip

From: Favorite Family Recipes

1 box angel food cake, prepared in bundt pan (Boxed or from Scratch- I was lazy & used a cake mix)

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1 (15oz) can crushed pineapple
1 small box vanilla pudding mix
strawberries, sliced (or any other fruit you like)

Prepare angel food cake.
While cake is baking, whip heavy cream with electric mixer until peaks form. Add vanilla and sugar, and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine crushed pineapple with pudding powder and stir well. Combine pineapple mixture with whipped cream using a large spoon or spatula until well mixed.
You can either frost the entire cake with the pineapple whip or serve on individual plates, topping with the whip. Either way is great. Top with sliced strawberries or any other fresh fruit.

English Muffins

2011-03-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

It has been a while, a long while, since I have posted any new recipes. We sold our home last fall and spent much of November and December moving out of our home...into a relatives home..and then finally into our new, old home. Our new home is an older home that needs updating so I have spent the last 2 months updating the paint, doors, trim, window covering, lighting, etc. As you can see, I have a really good excuse as to why I havent posted anything. Things are slowing down a bit so hopefully I can start posting again.

While my husband and most of our children love cold cereal, our oldest does not. He likes breakfast sandwiches, breads with jam or pancakes or waffles for breakfast. Last summer when we visited Sheena she made egg & Canadian bacon sandwiches on English muffins. We really liked them but I havent made them too often because 1) I am really not a fan of store bought breads (homemade breads are so much tastier and have a better texture) and 2) English muffins can be kind of expensive (1 package doesn't go very far when you are feeding 6 hungry people). Tyler's new school starts at 7:30am!! I do not like getting up at 6 am to make breakfast so I had to find things that he could warm up and eat quickly. We make other breakfast sandwiches on biscuits but the Canadian bacon sandwiches on English muffins were a little different.

I found the following recipe at shesimmers.com. I believe the recipe originally came from Alton Brown. Shesimmers explains that she has looked for years for a good english muffin recipe that has lots of nooks and crannies. She said that most recipes she came across required the baker to roll our the dough and then cut out the muffins with a biscuit cutter. She said those recipes never had enough nooks and crannies. When she came across this recipe she knew it would turn out better. I also found lots of recipes in cookbooks and online and most, if not all, required you to roll out the dough. I have made this recipe several times and we really like it. I like the muffins better after they have cooled so I usually make it the night before and then we eat them for breakfast or make pizzas out of them for lunch.

English Muffins

½ cup non-fat powdered milk
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp shortening
1 cup hot water
1 envelope dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
1/8 tsp sugar
1/3 warm water
2 cups flour, sifted
Metal muffin rings

In a bowl combine the powdered milk, 1 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 tbsp shortening, and hot water. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool.

In a separate bowl, combine the yeast and the 1/8 tsp of sugar in 1/3 cup warm water. Let rest until the yeast is dissolved.

Add the yeast mixture to the milk mixture. Add the sifted flour and beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Cover the bowl and let rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Preheat griddle to 300 degrees.

Add the remaining ½ tsp salt to mixture and beat thoroughly.

Place the metal rings onto the griddle and coat lightly with cooking spray. Use an ice cream scoop to place the dough into the rings. Cover with a pot lid or a cookie sheet and cook for 5-6 minutes.

Remove the lid and flip the rings using tongs. Cover with the lid and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until golden brown.

Place on a cooling rack, remove the rings and cool.

[The original recipe says to use a #20 ice cream scoop and put 2 scoops into each ring. I have a pampered chef dough scoop –it is the medium scoop- and I put about 1 ½ scoops into the rings. The first time you make it I would just experiment to see how much dough you should put in.]

[For the metal rings, the original recipe says you could use tuna cans with the tops and bottoms removed. I tried to find tuna cans that would work but I cant find any that have a bottom that can be removed so I have been using small pineapple cans with the tops and bottoms removed. They are a bit taller than needed but when I flip the muffins I just push the muffins to the bottom so they touch the griddle.]

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2011-02-23T13:18:00.001-07:00

Last week I decided I was going to do a 2 week menu instead of only a week menu. I listed all the meals that we've tried that we like, and then I went online searching for new ideas. Since I've been pretty picky lately (thank you pregnancy), coming up with meals has gotten a little more difficult. Something will sound so good one day and then a few days later it sounds totally gross.

But one thing that has sounded good is Mexican food. I have no idea why, but I have been craving enchiladas, tacos, etc.

While I was searching the many food blogs I saw several different recipes for Chicken Enchilada Casserole. But all of them had something I didn't like or it just didn't sound too appealing to me after reading the ingredients. I finally found one that seemed to look pretty good, so I printed it out and added it to my Menu.

Then the day came that I was going to make this Chicken Enchilada Casserole. I pulled out the recipe and gave it a look, then I pulled out a family cookbook that my Grandma gave me and looked at one of her recipes (which were both really similar). I decided that both recipes looked good, but needed a little something, so I got to work and my version of Chicken Enchilada Casserole was born!

Since I changed the recipe quite a bit I was a little scared how it would come out, but it was a hit at dinner! We shared this meal with my in-laws and everyone loved it! We ate almost the entire casserole.

I think it could have used just a little salt. It tasted great, but it was missing just a little flavor, which salt was the trick. Another thing...I think next time I make this I might substitute the layer of corn tortillas with tortilla chips. The corn tortillas were good, but I would like to experiment and see the texture of tortilla chips in this casserole.

For my chicken I just boiled 3 chicken breasts in some seasoned water (garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion, and oregano). Once the chicken was done I took it out and shredded it. When I started layering the casserole I dipped the tortillas in the stock before placing them into the casserole dish.

Overall I was very pleased with my little creation and everyone was too. This is a really easy meal to put together and really yummy. If you don't want black beans try using pinto beans or just leave them out all together. But the addition of the beans and corn made it really great.

This meal is definitely going into our meal rotation, so give it a try and let me know what you think.Enjoy!!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

From: 3 Sisters Sharing Ideas

2 Cups cooked & shredded Chicken (about 2-3 chicken breasts)

1 (10 oz.) Cream of Mushroom

1 (10 oz.) Cream of Chicken
½ C. Sour Cream
1 (8 oz.) can Diced Green Chiles
1 (10 oz.) can Ro-Tel Tomatoes
¼ C. onion, chopped
½ C. Corn
½ C. Black beans, rinsed & drained
Salt & Pepper
Cheese, grated- I used Cheddar/Jack, but Cheddar or Mexican Blend would work great also.
Corn Tortillas
Tortilla chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl combine the chicken, cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, sour cream, chiles, Ro-Tel tomatoes, onion, corn, and black beans and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you would like (garlic salt, garlic powder, etc.).
In a greased 9 X 13 dish add a layer of tortillas. You can keep them whole or rip them in half or into bite-size pieces. Then add 1/3 of the soup/chicken mixture and top with cheese. Add another layer of tortillas, 1/3 of the soup mixture and another layer of cheese. Repeat one more time and then on top of the cheese add a layer of crushed tortilla chips.
Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Then sprinkle some cheese on top and place it back into the oven until the cheese is melted, just a few minutes. Then take it out of the oven and let it sit for a few minutes.

Enjoy!!

**If you don’t want to use corn tortillas you can always use flour tortillas instead or use crushed tortilla chips.

Candy Crunch Pudding Parfait

2011-02-12T12:46:00.001-07:00

Since Valentine's Day is only 2 days away I thought I'd better get on the ball and post some Valentine's treats.

So I was thinking the other night of something I could make that I could post on here, and then the thought came to me, What about a Pudding parfait? I've seen tons of cookies, brownies, chocolates, but nothing about pudding. So I went to work...

A few weeks ago I was at my Sister's house and she had made this amazing pudding. I asked her what she did and she said that she just followed some directions for a different dessert on the side of the box.

She should have said 'I'm just that good of a cook'. haha

The recipe that she saw was for 'Candy Crunch Pudding Pie'.

So, with a little (or alot) of help from my Sister and a little thinking from myself I came up with the 'Candy Crunch Pudding Parfait'.

First you start with a layer of that delicious Candy Crunch Pudding. Then add a layer of crushed Graham Crackers. Next a cream cheese/Cool Whip layer. Repeat by adding another pudding and graham cracker layer and top it off with Cool Whip. Mmmm....you can't go wrong with that.

I even had some left over strawberries that I ate along with this....delicous!! You could definitely add a layer of those while your at it.

So if you're looking for a chocolatey treat to serve on Valentine's day or just for a delicious little snack, try this Parfait. It's pretty rich, but it is so good.

Enjoy!!

Crunch Candy Pudding Parfait

Pudding:

1 Large Pkg. Chocolate Pudding Mix (or 2 small pkgs.)

2 C. Cold Milk

4 oz. Cool Whip, thawed

2 (1.4 oz.) milk chocolate English Toffee Candy bar, chopped, divided

Cream Cheese Layer

4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 C. Confetioner's Sugar

6 oz. Cool Whip, thawed

Graham Cracker Layer

5-8 Graham Crackers, crushed (the rectangle kind that you can split into 4 pieces)

Topping

Cool Whip

Graham Cracker Crumbs

Toffee Candy Bar Crumbs

In a small bowl mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and Cool Whip and set aside.

In a medium bowl beat the pudding mix and milk with a whisk for 2 min. Stir in the Cool Whip and all but 3 Tbsp. candy.

In 4-5 small glasses layer your parfaits in this order:

-Pudding

-Graham Cracker Crumbs

-Cream Cheese

-Pudding

-Graham Cracker Crumbs

Top your parfait with Cool-Whip. Then sprinkle some left over Graham Cracker Crumbs and Candy crumbs. You could even top it with a chocolate heart or some strawberries.

Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

2011-02-08T13:50:00.002-07:00

I think enchilada recipes are alot like Cookie recipes for me, if I see a recipe I haven't had I have to try it. It doesn't matter how many enchilada recipes I have or if I have a favorite one. Anyone else have this problem???

I happened to see this recipe on the back of a can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup. It looked good, so I ripped off the label and decided I'd give it a try.

We had this last night for dinner and our 'rating' was: We liked it!

These enchiladas were super easy to make and were good.

Just some things I did: I seasoned my chicken (like always) and next time I make this I will probably shred my chicken. I cubed the chicken last night, but I think I'd like it better with shredded chicken. I also sprinkled extra cheese on top of the enchiladas.

I may try adding onions or green chiles next time also or just add a little more salsa. You could even add rice or black beans to the enchilada filling, yum!

One review on the Campbell's website even said that they tried it with leftover Taco meat.

Overall, a good, easy recipe that will be sure to please the family.

Give this a try and see what you think?

Click Here for a Printable version of this recipe.

Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

From: Campbell's Kitchen

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (you could even use Cheddar, Mexican Style Cheese, etc.)
6 flour tortillas (6-inch), warmed
1 small tomato, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 green onion, sliced (about 2 tablespoons)

1.Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl.
2.Stir 1 cup soup mixture, chicken and cheese in a large bowl.
3.Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side up in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish.
4.Bake for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with the tomato and onion.

RECIPE TIPS
•Ingredient Note: Stir 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed, into the chicken mixture before filling the tortillas, if desired.

Navajo Tacos

2011-02-05T08:00:00.002-07:00

I think I've had this recipe in my 'To Try' file forever, so I finally decided to try it.

The Verdict: They were really good!

I don't know what is going on, but every day right before dinner is done I realize I am starving. So when we sit down to eat I am seriously trying not to stuff my face. haha I'm blaming it on being pregnant! But that is what happened with this meal. I ate this thing so fast, I probably didn't get a real chance to taste it. But it was really good, the bits I did in fact taste.

I found the recipe for this on Gather Round our Table. She uses Rhodes Roll dough to make her scones. That is what I decided to use this time, but next time I will probably try my friend's scone dough recipe: Jessica's recipe from her blog, A Country Girls Livin'.

(You should check out her blog, she has lots of yummy stuff!)

I loved this meal because it's almost as easy as regular tacos, but with a little twist.

Plus, if you have extra scones left over you can have those as dessert with Honey Butter or Cinnamon Honey Butter, mmmm...

So if you're looking for a quick and yummy dinner idea, then give Navajo tacos a try.

I've included the recipe from Gather Round our Table, below, but you can make these however you want. You could even try these using Chicken instead of beef. Try these with the Fiesta Chicken taco meat, mmmm.

Enjoy!!

Navajo Tacos

From: Gather Round our Table

Meat Sauce:1-2 lbs. hamburger

Salt & Pepper
1-2 cans Chili Beans
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning (I like Ortega)

Brown hamburger and season with salt and pepper. Drain grease and add taco seasoning packet and water suggested on the back. Cook 10-15 minutes. Add chili beans (drain first) and stir well. Basically, when I make a small batch I use 1 lb. meat and one can of beans. When I make it for a crowd I add 2 lbs. meat and 2 cans beans. You can also use kidney beans (but I like the creamier chili bean better).
Scones:
Rhodes or Terrell's frozen roll dough
Oil for frying

2-3 hours before dinner, place desired amount of dough on a greased cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Once dough is totally thawed, press each roll out into the shape of a small scone and allow to rest on cookie sheet and rise some more (30 minutes to an hour). Heat oil to about 350 degrees in either a deep frying pan, dutch oven, or electric fry daddy. Fry the scones until they are golden brown on both sides. Remove from grease and place on paper towels.
Toppings:
shredded cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
chopped green onion
chopped tomato
chopped olives
Sour Cream
Salsa
Guacamole

Chewy Pretzel Bites

2011-02-04T13:54:00.002-07:00

Since it's Super Bowl Sunday this weekend every food blog out there is talking about snacks and finger foods. I'm not much of a football person, so I don't get into the whole Superbowl Sunday excitement.

The other day I was looking at some recipes at Mel's Kitchen Cafe and saw the most beautiful thing!!

First....does anyone else love the pretzels that you buy at the mall? Well I do. They're so buttery and chewy and delicious. I am always so tempted when I walk through the mall and I pass the pretzel place. Every now in then I'll buy myself one, I think I deserve it. :) I tried making the pretzels at home a few times, but they never turn out the same.

Back to the story, like I said I was looking around Mel's Kitchen Cafe and I saw a post for Chewy Pretzel Bites. The first thing I saw was the picture of these delicous little bites, but that is all it took. It seriously was like Love at first sight! hahaha

I read on to see how to make these, and to my surprise they didn't take very much work. So I printed the recipe out and planned to make them.

Last night for dinner I made Stuffed Peppers (new recipe), which by the way wasn't very good, but I decided to make these Pretzel Bites also. Halway through dinner the first batch was done. I didn't waste any time trying one.

Let me just tell you, they were DELICIOUS!!!
Everyone in my family loved them.

We had nacho cheese and Cinnamon Honey butter to dip the bites in. Mmmm....they were good.

I'm tempted to host a Super Bowl party just so I can make a huge batch of these and have an excuse to stuff my face. haha OK not really, but they seriously were that good.

So if you are having a Super Bowl party or are going to one, impress everyone with a batch of these. I promise you won't be sorry. And just a little FYI, they taste the best Hot, right out of the oven.

Click Here for a printable version of this recipe.

Click here to view Me's step by step pictures of this recipe.

Chew Pretzel Bites

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Note: if using active dry yeast, increase the yeast to 1 tablespoon. Proof the yeast in the warm water and sugar (let it bubble and foam - maybe about 5 minutes) before adding it to the flour and salt.

*Makes about 2 dozen pretzel bites

Dough:
2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water

Topping:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Coarse salt (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and quite slack. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn't overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Don’t be afraid of the high heat! This is what will help those pretzels to brown up perfectly and stay soft on the inside. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or lightly greasing them.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into about four strips of equal length. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda in a liquid measuring cup (deep enough to dip the pretzel bites into). Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved. Sometimes I have a hard time getting the baking soda completely dissolved, so I just lightly stir up the mixture right before adding each pretzel.

Cut each strip of dough into about 6-8 pieces, about 1 to 1 ½ inches in width. You don’t have to be completely exact, just eyeball it. Dip each pretzel bite in the baking soda solution (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 7-8 minutes or until they're golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time - it won't hurt the other pretzels to chill out for a little longer.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you've used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that's what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave on low heat.

Enjoy!!

Fiesta Chicken Tacos with Homemade Refried Beans & Spanish Rice

2011-02-02T10:52:00.002-07:00

I love tacos because they are so easy! But having the same ground beef tacos with the little 'Taco' packet can get a little old.

While searching for new meal ideas I came across this yummy recipe for Fiesta Chicken Tacos on Gather Round our Table (a great little food blog). I wrote it on my menu right away and wrote down the ingredients I needed. Another plus for this recipe is that it's a Crockpot recipe. There is nothing better than throwing stuff in a crockpot and a few hours later dinner is done.

Doesn't that look yummy? You can't see the chicken too much, but believe me....it was good.

Click here for a Printable Version of 'Fiesta Chicken Tacos'.

Then I happened to find another new food blog, Food Brings Families Together, and found the recipe for Homemade Refried Beans and Spanish Rice.

You may have a recipe for Spanish Rice and like your canned Refried Beans, but believe me these were GOOD. Plus they are authentic 'From Mexico' recipes. You can't get better than that. The refried beans weren't hard to make, they too are made in the crockpot.

yah....you can't take a very pretty or appetizing picture of refried beans. It's just a big brown bowl of mush. But they were very yummy.

And here's the rice.

When I made this we had my Hubby's parents and my Sister and her kids over for dinner. Everyone raved about dinner. Josh (hubby) LOVED the tacos. This is definitely going to be a regular meal at our home.

Click Here for a Printable Version of the Refried Beans & Rice.

Fiesta Chicken Tacos

From: Gather Round Our Table

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 12-15 chicken tenders)

1 can cream of chicken soup
1-2 cups salsa
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix
Fixings for tacos (shells, lettuce, tomato, cheese, cilantro, guacamole, etc.)

Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Pour chicken soup on top, then salsa on top of that, then sprinkle taco seasoning all over the top of that. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours. Shred the meat and serve with taco fixings.
**I usually put my chicken in the crock pot when it is still frozen and it turns out great!

Refried Beans

From: Food Brings Families Together

2-3 cups dried pinto beans, rinsed

6-8 cups water
2 tsp. salt: you may need to add more later
1 tomato diced
2 jalapeno's diced
1 onion, diced
1 T. minced garlic

Place all in a crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours or until the beans are soft. (I know this is a broad time to give you but my beans cook in about 4 hours and my friend when she does it in her crockpot it takes 6 hours to get them soft)When beans are tender pour most of the liquid off the beans. Leave a little bit of liquid, then mash the beans to your desired consistency. I use and immersion blender to do this but you can use a potato masher or the back of a large spoon.

Spanish Rice

From: Food Brings Families Together

2 cups uncooked rice

1 onion, chopped
2 T. garlic, minced
2 T. olive oil
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes (I prefer petite diced for this)
3 heaping tsp. chili powder
3 heaping tsp. chicken bouillon
1 tsp. Salt
2 1/2 cups water

Heat The oil in a large pot. Add the rice, onion, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add all the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Serve with burritos or any other Mexican dish!!

Enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Cereal Crisps

2011-01-31T19:43:00.001-07:00

My friend, Jessica, gave me this recipe months ago. I was addicted as soon as I tried these little treats.

I have been wanting to post this recipe, but sadly I lost the recipe :(

(not a big deal I could've just called her up and asked for the recipe, but hey I'm going for dramatic here).

Jessica actually started her own food blog,
A Country Girls Livin',
and a few days ago I saw her yummy Peanut Butter Cereal Crisps on her blog and I shouted for joy!!! OK, I really didn't shout, but I was pretty happy.

So today, not only am I going to run to the grocery store and buy some Cornflakes so I can make these yummy treats, but being the nice person I am, I'm going to share the recipe with all of you to try.

These treats only have 4 ingredients which is really nice for a quick and delicious treat. And if you're a Peanut Butter lover then you'll definitely love these. Give them a try, they will not disappoint!

Enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Cereal Crisps

From Jessica of A Country Girls Livin'

1 cup Karo (light corn syrup)

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups cereal

Place a piece of waxed paper onto the counter or cookie sheet, set aside. Place the cereal into a large mixing bowl, set aside.

In a medium saucepan stir together the Karo, sugar, and peanut butter cooking over medium heat. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat. Immediately pout over the cereal and stir, stir, stir until coated well. Pour onto waxed paper, spread out with a wooded spoon. Allow the crisps to cool completely. Tear off chunks to serve. Enjoy!
You may also pour the coated cereal into a well greased 9 x 13 glass cake pan. Pressing down to to compact. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Chicken Tomato Alfredo Pasta

2011-01-25T15:09:00.003-07:00

Finally, a new recipe for me to share! I actually have a few I need to share I just haven't gotten around to posting them yet, but I will try to post them soon.
I've tried quite a few recipes lately, but I haven't loved them, so I'm not going to post them on here. But we had this last night and it was delicious, so I had to share it with all of you. It is Chicken Tomato Alfredo from a little blog that I found named Food Brings Families Together. She actually had a few yummy looking recipes that are on my 'To Make' list. But here is one that we tried and liked.

This is the only picture I got to take, my battery died.

You start off by cooking your chicken, onion, and garlic. Then you use an Alfredo sauce mix and add cream and diced tomatoes to make a creamy sauce. Then you add basil and parsley and parmesan and a few other seasonings.
Now you normally would serve this with Fettuccini, but I used Penne. And it was great! I only used one large chicken breast, but the recipe asked for 2. The recipe also asked for mushrooms, but I took a suggestion from Jessie (from Food Brings Families Together) and added 2 cans of diced tomatoes and just left out the mushrooms since I didn't have any. Oh, I also used a little less than 1 lb. of pasta, I like my pasta to be saucy. :)
If you don't have a packet of Alfredo Mix, but you have jarred Alfredo sauce I'm sure you could use that. I would probably use about 1- 1 1/2C. and add a little cream.

This is such an easy meal especially since you probably have almost everything in your pantry. So give it a try, it will not disappoint.
Enjoy!!
Click Here for a printable version of this recipe.

Chicken Tomato Alfredo

From: foodbringsfamiliestogether.blogspot.com

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup olive oil

2 chicken breasts, cubed

1 regular onion, diced

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 cup whipping cream

1 package Alfredo sauce mix

12 oz. Fresh slice mushrooms(optional-sometimes I use them sometimes I add double the tomatoes instead)

1(15oz) can diced tomatoes(if I don't use mushrooms I use two cans tomatoes)

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley or 2 T. dried

2 T. dried basil

1 lb. fettuccini or any pasta you like, cooked

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Heat the oil and the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, onion, and garlic and cook until chicken is no longer pink. While the chicken is cooking, whisk the cream and Alfredo sauce mix together in a small bowl. When chicken is cooked pour the cream sauce mixture into the skillet with chicken. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat while stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in Parsley and basil. Remove from heat and toss the sauce with cooked pasta and parmesan cheese.

Monster Cookies (#2)

2011-01-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

I found these while I was looking for Christmas Cookies, you know when I was supposed to do my '12 days of treats', yah these were supposed to be part of that. :)

The actual recipe name is Holiday Monster Cookies, but the only thing that makes them a Holiday cookie is the Christmas M&M's. So....you don't really have to wait until the Holidays to make these, but I probably wouldn't have waited anyway.

Do you see my new baking mat? My Mom bought it for me for my birthday. Thank you Mom!! I love it!

The original recipe says it only makes 20 cookies. I have no idea how you could only get 20 cookies out of this recipe, unless they are seriously ENORMOUS cookies. When I made these yesterday I used my medium cookie scoop (not quite filled to the top, just below and packed) and it made about 4-5 dozen!

But I'm not complaining....that just means all the more for me to eat. :)

These were really delicious cookies

I've posted a recipe for Monster Cookies before, but this one had a few changes, so I had to give it a try. This recipe doesn't use Karo Syrup like the other recipe I have, and it also asks for coconut, yum!

Either of the two Monster Cookie recipes are equally delicious, give them a try and see which one you like.

If you're looking for a delicious cookie to try with lots of yummy ingredients, then you've got to give these cookies a try.

Monster Cookies

from: tastykitchen.com

1/2 C. Butter, softened

1 C. Sugar

1-1/4 C. packed Brown Sugar

3 whole Large Eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

2 tsp. Baking Soda

1-1/4 C. Creamy Peanut Butter

4-1/2 C. Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

1/2 C. Sweetened, Flaked Coconut

1/2 C. Chocolate Chips

1 C. M&M's + some extra for the tops of the cookies

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix the ingredients together in the order listed. Drop by rounded tablespoon or use a medium scoop onto a parchement-lined baking sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork and press a few of the reserved M&M's into the top of the cookies.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges.

These cookies are best slightly under-done, so err on the side of taking them out too soon rather than letting them get overdone.

-I cooked mine for about 10-11 minutes and they were chewy and delicious.

I Lied!!

2010-12-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

Ok...so my '12 Days of Treats' didn't work so well this year and I apologize. But give me a break I'm 5 months pregnant! ;) hehehe. I have been so busy and I just haven't had much energy to post any new recipe (what is wrong with me???). I hope you all understand and hopefully I get out of this slump.

I cannot believe there are only 3 days until Christmas and I'm so excited this year to spend it with my family. We'll probably cook/bake a few treats, so I will try to post some of them.

Hope all of you have a Merry Christmas!!

Day 2: Buckeyes

2010-12-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

For Day 2 of our '12 Days of Treats' I am going to share another 'Brown Eyed Baker' recipe. For all of you chocolate/peanut butter fanatics, this is right up your alley.

I think I've mentioned before that I get email updates from Brown Eyed Baker every time she posts a new recipe. But I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, because every time I see an email from 'Brown Eyed Baker' I have to open it, and then that usually leads to 'I have to make that!'. So I go to the kitchen and make the treats and then stuff my face with all the delicious little goodies. :)

But I do have to tell you that I did share alot of my Buckeyes this time. It is the season of giving, right??? I'll let other people stuff their faces with these delicious treats. hehehe

These are perfect to make for neighbor gifts, teacher gifts, friends, etc. because it makes so many (7-8 dozen). They're a little time consuming, but whoever you share these with will appreciate it and love you forever. Well....maybe. :)

Alright, there you go. Now get in your kitchen and start making some Buckeyes.
Enjoy!!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Buckeyes

from: browneyedbaker.com

1 ½ cups peanut butter

6 cups powdered sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

¼ cup shortening

1. Line cookie sheet with wax paper. Mix together butter, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla with a wooden spoon in a large bowl.

2. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Set them on prepared cookie sheet and insert toothpick into each ball. Chill in freezer until hard, approximately 30 minutes.

3. Melt chocolate chips and shortening over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from heat. Dip balls in chocolate and place back on cookie sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, approximately 2 hours.

Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Some tips on making buckeyes:

• I find it best to mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. It will take some time to all come together and takes a lot of patience and elbow grease!

• The mixture WILL be pretty dry and crumbly, so when shaping the balls you will need to press the mixture together before rolling it into a ball.

• In order to avoid the toothpick holes at the top of the peanut butter balls, an alternative would be using something like a dipper for coloring eggs to lower the balls into the chocolate.

• This recipe yields 7-8 dozen buckeyes.

12 Days of Treats! Day 1: Monkey Bread

2010-12-14T11:40:00.002-07:00

So I have been back and forth deciding if I wanted to do the '12 Days of Treats' this year. If some of you don't know, I am about 5 months pregnant right now, and lately I haven't felt like cooking. Sad huh? Nothing sounds good or even tastes the same, but I decided I would go ahead and try to share some tasty treats with all of you.

For our first treat I wanted to share Monkey Bread.

I don't know if all of you have tried this, but it is yummy! My Mom used to make this every year on our annual Sipapu Ski trip. I hadn't made it in years, and then I saw this recipe on Brown Eyed Baker and had to give it a try.

My Mother always made hers using the canned Pillsbury biscuits, but the Brown Eyed Baker makes hers from scratch. It's a little extra effort, but it is soooo worth it.

I did change it just a little bit. My Mom always drizzled a brown sugar glaze over the pieces of dough before baking it, so I decided to do that with this recipe also. I didn't use all of the glaze (I didn't want it too sweet). But you can add as much as your heart desires. :)

If you're looking for a delicous Christmas treat to share with your family then give this one a try. I promise you'll love it!

Click here for a Printable version of this recipe.

Monkey Bread

From: Brown Eyed Baker

Dough:

4 tbsp. unsalted butter; divided: 2 tbsp. softened and 2 tbsp. melted
1 C. milk, warm (about 110 degrees)
1/3 C. Water (about 110 degrees)
1/4 C. granulated sugar
1 pkg. instant yeast
3 1/4 C. All-purpose flour, plus extra for surface
2 tsp. Salt

Cinnamon-Sugar coating
1 C. Sugar
2 tsp. Cinnamon

Glaze:
1/4 C. Butter/Margarine
1/2 C. packed Brown sugar

Glaze (to drizzle on top after baking):
1 C. Confectioners’ Sugar
2 tbsp. milk

1. Butter Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Set aside.
2. In a large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar and yeast. Mix flour and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, round ball. Coat large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a draft-free area until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
3. For the sugar coating: While the dough is rising, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Place melted butter in second bowl. Set aside.
4. To form the bread: Gently remove the dough from the bowl, and pat into a rough 8-inch square. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces.
5. Roll each dough piece into a ball. Working one at a time, dip the balls into the melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into the bowl. Roll in the brown sugar mixture, and then layer balls in the Bundt pan, staggering seams where dough balls meet as you build layers.
6. Cover the Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in draft-free area until dough balls are puffy and have risen 1 to 2 inches from top of pan, 50 to 70 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. After the dough balls have risen a second time put together your glaze. In a small saucepan, melt the 1/2 C. Butter. Add the brown sugar and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Let cool for a minute and then pour over the dough balls.
8. Bake your monkey bread until the top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
9. For the glaze: While the bread cools, whisk the confectioners’ sugar and milk in a small bowl until the lumps are gone. Using a whisk, drizzle the glaze over the monkey bread, letting it run over top and down the sides of the bread. Serve warm.

*Note from Brown Eyed Baker: To make without a stand mixer: In step 2, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour, then add the milk mixture to the well. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the dough becomes shaggy and is difficult to stir. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and begin to knead, incorporating the shaggy scraps back into the dough. Knead until dough is smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes. Shape into a taut ball and proceed as directed.

Thanksgiving Desserts

2010-11-23T15:32:00.001-07:00

Can you believe there's only 2 days until Thanksgiving?

I can't believe it! But I am so excited, I love Thanksgiving.

Turkey, Stuffing & Pumpkin Pie....my mouth is drooling just thinking about all the yummy Thanksgiving foods.

So, today I'm going to share some yummy Thanksgiving desserts that you can make for your Thanksgiving Feast. I promise they are sooo yummy.

Thanksgiving Turkey Rice Krispie Treats

First I'll share some cute little treats that my kids and I made yesterday. You could make these for the kids on Thanksgiving because what little kid wouldn't love these?

These were so easy to make and my kids really enjoyed helping me. Once we got to the candy corn though, they just wanted to eat them. :) I was looking for a fun, easy treat to make. When I came across these I knew this is what we would make. I had everything in my pantry except for the Oreos.

If you're looking for a cute kid's treat for Thanksgiving, give this one a try.

Click here to print the recipe.

Cranberry Jell-O Salad

I got this Jell-O recipe from my Mom after she made it one Thanksgiving. It is so delicious! I made it last year for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. Once again I will be bringing this Jell-O Salad for our family Thanksgiving Dinner.

You use raspberry Jell-O and mix in whole cranberry sauce. Then you add crushed pineapple and top it off with Cool-whip. If you aren't crazy about Cranberry sauce, don't let that scare you. This Jell-O doesn't have a strong cranberry taste, but since it has cranberries it goes well with Thanksgiving Dinner. :)

Yummy, yummy recipe, definitely give this one a try this year.

(Sorry no pictures, I'll take one tomorrow when I make this and post it on here.)

Click here to print the recipe.

Deluxe Pumpkin Cheesecake

Last but not least...Pumpkin Pie! But this is not your regular old pumpkin pie. This is the King of all Pumpkin Pies out there. :)

My hubby loves pumpkin pie and he also loves cheesecake, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it out.

Not only does it look amazing, it tastes amazing as well. If you want to impress your guests this year make this pumpkin pie, I promise they will love you!!

(and once again, sorry no picture. I will take one this year though.)

Click here to print this recipe.

Alright, so there you go, 3 yummy treats for you to try this Thanksgiving. Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

Be sure to check back for some yummy recipes using left-over Turkey.

Thanksgiving Turkey and Butternut Squash Gratin

2010-11-19T14:22:00.001-07:00

Last night I did a 'Pre-Thanksgiving' Test Run. I found a new turkey recipe and wanted to try it out before the big day. I also tried out a delicious new side dish that I wanted to share with you today, it is soooo yummy!

First the turkey. I am not one who likes an extravagent turkey, you know the ones that have glazes, I just want a plain, yet juicy & tasy, Thanksgiving Turkey. So I found a recipe that sounded so easy. But in the end I think I like my brined turkey better. I shared this recipe last year, but I wanted to share it again.

Brining your turkey produces the most moist and flavorful turkey without putting alot of work into it. So, I think that is what I am going to do this year. Here is the Brine recipe I use:

Turkey Brine

from: Alton Brown @ Food Network

1 (14-16 lb.) Turkey

For the Brine:
1 Gallon Vegetable Broth
1 Cup Kosher Salt (or reg. salt)
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Peppercorns
1 1/2 Tbsp. All Spice Berries
1 1/2 Tbsp. Candied ginger (I couldn't find this so I just use reg. ginger)
1 Gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick (I have never added the cinnamon stick, I actually forgot this was part of the original recipe)
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

2 to 3 days before roasting:
Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:
Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining. (I always do mine the night before).

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. A meat thermometer should read 170 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (but not touching the bone).
Take a Rest:
No, I don't mean for you to take a rest. :) Another very important step in cooking your Turkey is letting it rest. Take your turkey out of the oven cover it with foil and leave it alone for 30 min. to 1 hour.

And remember your Turkey will continue to cook a bit during the resting period, so keep track of your turkeys temperature. Last night I took mine out when the thermometer read about 167 degrees.

One thing I read while researching about cooking a turkey:
Take your turkey out of your fridge 2 hours before you plan to cook it. Bringing the meat up to room temperature will both cut down on the cooking time and ensure the turkey cooks evenly.
(from: simplebites.net)

And there's the turkey recipe I will be using this year. It has never failed me the 4 years I have used it.

Click here for a Printable version of this recipe.

Butternut Squash Gratin

from: simplebites.net

When I saw this on Simple Bites I knew I had to give it a try. I love squash and this looked delicous. I'm glad I gave it a try because it was great. My Father-in-law, who hates squash, ate it and really liked it (the only reason he tried it is because he thought it was potatoes, hahaha). So here's a new side dish for you to try this Thanksgiving.

3 C. Butternut Squash, in 3/4 in. chunks

1 C. sweet onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 egg

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Mayo

2/3 C. Parmesan, grated (or strong cheddar)

1/3 C. Panko (or breadcrumbs)

Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch baking dish, round or square.

In a medium pot, cover squash with cold water, place a lid on top and bring to a boil over high heat. When boiling, reduce heat so that the water just simmers and cook squash for about 15 min. or until tender. Rinse under cold water; drain. (Do-Ahead: at this point the squash can be stored for up to two days until you are ready to assemble the gratin.)

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan and add onions. Sauté on medium heat, stirring often, until softened. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, beat egg, salt and mayonnaise together. Add 1/3 cup of Parmesan, panko, sautéed onion and squash and fold together gently to combine. Season with pepper and more salt, if needed.

Spoon in to prepared baking dish and top with remaining 1/3 cup of cheese. Bake 1 hour or until heated through and cheese is slightly browned. Serve hot.

Recipe serves up to 8 people.

Do-Ahead: Remove gratin from oven after 30 minutes and cool completely. Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day. To serve: remove plastic wrap and place in hot oven. Bake for about 20 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.

I cut up my squash and cooked my onions the night before. That made it so simple to put together the next day. If you're looking for a new dish for Thanksgiving give this recipe a try.

Click Here for a printable version of this recipe.

I hope all of you have a great weekend.

Check back in a few days for some yummy Thanksgiving desserts!

Breakfast Pizza

2010-11-16T10:58:00.002-07:00

I am always looking for quick and easy breakfast ideas. I'm sorry, but I can handle cereal only so many days a week. :) Quick and easy is really important for me because I really like my bed, so I never want to get up early to make a big breakfast. I know, I'm a lazy bum. But sooner than later my kids are going to be off to school and I'll have no choice....I'll have to wake up early, so don't judge me, please. :)

Back to the recipe. I was looking through some of my cookbooks this last week and came across this yummy recipe. I had all the ingredients in my fridge, so we made it for breakfast on Sunday.

I made a few adjustments and it turned out delicious. The original recipe only used 4 eggs, I added 2 more and I thought it turned out great.

The recipe also asked for Crescent roll dough (you know the one with the perforated edges). This took longer because you had to sit there and pinch all the little edges together. I would definitely use the Crescent roll dough that is available now that doesn't have the perforated edges.

Some additions that you could try for this recipe: onions, ham, sausage, bell peppers. Any of these would be great in this breakfast pizza.

And there you go, another quick and delicious Breakfast idea. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!!

I'm losing my mind, my friend just told me I forgot to put directions how to make this dish. Sorry, here is how you make this breakfast pizza.

Breakfast Pizza

From: Taste of Home Treasury of Christmas Recipes

1 tube (8 oz.) refrigerated Crescent Roll dough

12 Bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1 C. frozen shredded Has Browns

3/4 C. shredded Cheddar Cheese

6 eggs

3 Tbsp. Milk

1/2 C. grated Parmesan Cheese or Romano Cheese

Unroll crescen roll dough into one long rectangle.

Press onto bottom and 1/2 in. up sides of a greased 9X13 in. baking dish. Seal seams and perforations.

Sprinkle with bacon, potatoes and cheddar.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and milk. Pour over the cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until eggs are set.

Yield: 8 Servings

Cinnamon Honey Butter & French Bread Rolls

2010-11-14T15:05:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we went out to eat with my hubby's family. At the restaurant they had the most delicious rolls and Cinnamon Honey Butter.

I LOVE honey butter, but when I saw Cinnamon Honey butter I knew I had to give it a try.

And of course, it was delicious! I'm sorry you can't go wrong when adding honey and cinnamon to butter, right? It just makes it so much more delicious.

I have to confess...I think I want to spread cinnamon honey butter on everything I eat. :)

OK not really, but that's how good I thought it was. Give it a try and see what you think.

Oh, and the rolls that are in the picture are French Bread Rolls (recipe below).

Cinnamon Honey Butter

1/2 C. Butter, softened

1/2 C. Confectioners' Sugar

1/3 C. Honey

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

1 tsp. Cinnamon

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredient and beat until light and fluffy. Serve at room temperature.

Here are some other instructions that I found from Alton Brown that I may try and see if it makes a fluffier butter (the butter in his recipe isn't softened):

Cut the butter into chunks. Place butter into the mixer work bowl and beat at low speed, using the whisk attachment to loosen the butter. Increase the speed to medium and add the honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove butter from bowl and spoon onto parchment paper or plastic wrap. Roll into a log and refrigerate for 2 hours.

French Bread Rolls

from: allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour

In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Pepperoni Pizza

2010-10-26T17:38:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, as I was standing in the check-out line at the grocery store, my eyes saw this delicious looking pizza on the cover of a magazine. I couldn't help myself, I picked up the magazine and turned to the recipe. I decided I'd better buy the magazine. It turned out to be worth the $2.79 I spent. :)

I also want to introduce you to a wonderful product that I always use for my pizza sauce. My sister, Shannon introduced me to Shirley J products last year. I only have 2 products, but the ones that I have I love.

This is the easiest marinara sauce that you will ever make. You just add 1 Tbsp. to one 8 oz. can of Tomato Sauce, mix and you've got marinara sauce. Super easy, right?

Interested in some Shriley J products take a look at their website: Shirley J

Alright, now onto the pizza. The recipe asked for Mozzarella cheese, but I used a mixture of Muenster and Mozzarella cheese. My sister, Shannon once told me that some well known pizza places use Muenster cheese on their pizzas, so that is what I use now.

Photo Courtesy of Familycircle.com

The pizza turned out great, it passed my husband and son's taste test. :) I really liked the texture of the crust. It had a nice crispy crust (not crispy like over-done crispy...good crispy).

Next time I make this I might season the crust a little and then when it comes out of the oven I will butter the crust with a nice garlic-parmesan butter.

So there you go, a new pizza recipe for you to try. Surprise your family tonight with some warm yummy pepperoni pizza. And if you do try this let me know what you think or if you have a better pizza recipe. :)

Sicilian-style Pepperoni Pizza

from October 2010 Family Circle Magazine

Basic Pizza Dough

Makes: 8 servings

1 C. Warm water (about 110 degrees)

1 Pkg (.25 oz) dry active yeast

2 3/4 C. All-purpose flour

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Place water in small bowl and stir in yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 Cups of the flour, sugar, and salt. Make well in the center and add the yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir until dough comes together and forms a ball. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding as much of the remaining 1/4 c. flour as needed (I used my kitchen-aid to mix and knead). Form into a disk and place in a bowl that has been lightly coated with olive oil. Turn disk over and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 2 hours.

Remove dough form bowl and punch down. Roll out into desired diameter.

Marinara Sauce

Makes: 2 Cups

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes, crushed by hand (I'm sure you could just use a can of crushed tomatoes)

1 tsp. Sugar

1/2 tsp. dried Oregano

1/2 tsp. dried Basil

1/2 tsp. Salt

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring so the garlic doesn't burn. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cook with a lid ajar, for 30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

Sicilian-style Pepperoni Pizza

Makes: 12 slices

2 pounds pizza dough, at room temperature, or use Basic Pizza Dough recipe given above

1 C. Marinara Sauce

1/2 tsp. dried Oregano

2 C. shredded Mozzarella Cheese (I didn't measure, I just used as much cheese as I wanted :). And I did Muenster and Mozzarella.)

2 oz. sliced pepperoni (about 1/3 C.)

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Coat a 15 X 10 X 1 in. baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough onto a 15 X 10 X 1 in rectangle. Gently roll up onto a lightly floured rolling pin and unroll onto prepared pan. Push dough into corners.

Spread sauce evenly over dough to within 1/2 of edge. Sprinkle oregano over sauce. Scatter cheese over top. Place pepperoni slices over the cheese. Bake at 500 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until nicely browned on bottom. Remove from oven. (We also added cheese on top of the pepperoni.)

Cool slightly and cut into 12 slices; serve and Enjoy!!

Lasagna Roll-Ups

2010-10-14T20:33:00.001-06:00

While we lived in Hawaii I found this recipe and made it. We really liked it, but I haven't made it ever since. I do that quite a bit, find a recipe that is great and never make it again. :)

While planning our meals for the week I decided it was time to make them again.

I'm really glad that I finally got around to making this again because it was really good. Maybe it was so good because I was really hungry tonight, but all I know is it really hit the spot. :)

Just some notes:

We like to make our lasagna with cottage cheese, so that is what we use (the original recipe did say cottage cheese), but you can replace it with Ricotta if that's what you prefer.

If you want a quicker dinner...use jarred spaghetti sauce instead of making your own. But seriously this sauce wasn't hard to make at all. The thing that took the longest was the noodles.

Speaking of cooking the noodles...another shortcut, if you can find the raw lasagna noodles you could use those, then you don't have to cook the noodles before hand. I looked for those, but our grocery store didn't have them. Sad, huh? (They'll be in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.)

So there you go a new take on Lasagna. Put it on your menu for next week and Enjoy!!

Lasagna Roll-ups

from allrecipes.com with a few of my additions & changes

1/2 lb. Ground Beef

1/4 C. Chopped Onion

1 Garlic Clove, minced

1 (16 oz.) can Crushed Tomatoes

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano

1/2 tsp. dried Parsley or 1/2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1 Bay leaf

1/4 tsp. Sugar (this helps neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes and will bring out the flavor)

Dash of Cayenne pepper

1 1/4 C. Small-curd cottage cheese, drained

1/4 C. grated Parmesan Cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley or 1 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. onion powder

Dash of salt

6 Lasagna noodles (make sure they aren't cracked or broken)

1/2 C. shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your lasagna noodles.

While your noodles are cooking, in a skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic until the meat is no longer pink (I seasoned my meat with a little salt, pepper, and Ms. Dash); drain. Add the tomatoes, salt, oregano, parsley, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, sugar, and cayenne (I also added a little pepper to the sauce). Let simmer for 10-15 minutes (I let my sauce simmer while the noodles cooked.)

Spoon some of your sauce into the bottom of a greased 9-in. baking dish.

Combine the cottage cheese, Parmesan (I also added a little mozzarella as well), egg, parsley, onion powder and a dash of salt. Spread 1/4 C onto each noodle and carefully roll it up (the reason I underlined 'spread' is because I just noticed it said that, I didn't spread my mixture onto the noodle. I just spooned some onto the noodle and rolled it up. oops) Place the roll-up seam side down into your baking dish. Top your roll-ups with the remaining meat sauce and sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!!

**I think I would spread a little bit of the cottage cheese mixture onto the whole noodle and add a glob at the end and roll it up. Even though I didn't spread mine all over the noodle it was still really good.

Banana Pancakes

2010-10-12T12:12:00.000-06:00

Every November we head down to Vegas for a week for a convention that my husband attends. While we're there we get to visit with our good friends, Adam & Lindsay. One year while we were there we all went out to breakfast to The Pancake House.

As I was reading the menu I saw 'Banana Pancakes' and had to try them. I don't know where my obsession with banana pancakes started maybe it was after hearing Jack Johnson's song 'Banana Pancakes'. All I know is that I really wanted to try some Banana Pancakes. :)

I'm so glad I ordered them, they were delicious! Pancakes with big chunks of banana, mmmm....you can't go wrong with that (well, unless you don't like bananas, like my hubby).

So, ever since I had those bananas I have been craving them. I kept thinking about them, wanting to try making them, but never actually tried.....until a few weeks ago.

Josh was gone camping and I was craving Banana Pancakes, so the next morning the kids and I made these for breakfast. Soooo good. I do have to say, I'm sorry to any of you who don't like bananas, you are really missing out! :) But if you like bananas you have got to try these. Enjoy!!

Banana Pancakes

original recipe found here

2 large Eggs

2 C. Buttermilk

6 tbsp. Butter, melted (unsalted)

1 1/2 C. Flour

1/4 C. Sugar

1 tsp. Baking Soda
1tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 C. Diced Bananas (2 large bananas)
1/4 C. finely chopped pecans (optional)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and butter.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and the salt.
Then add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. There may be a few lumps, but don't worry. Then stir in the bananas and nuts (optional)
Lightly grease a large skillet. Heat until hot and then spoon 3 tbsp of batter per pancake. Cook until the tops look dull and a few bubbles pop. Turn over and cook for another minute.

Tip: These freeze well and make a great 'instant' breakfast. Place pancakes in groups of 3 in idividual freezer bags. Just reheat in your toaster oven or microwave.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

2010-10-11T14:00:00.002-06:00

You read that right, Snickerdoodle Blondies!

I get email updates from the fabulous Brown Eyed Baker and this happens to be one of her many tasty recipes. A few months ago I got one of her emails and the subject of this email was 'Snickerdoodle Blondies'. I couldn't pass that up, so I opened that email right away. We were going to a party and had to take a treat, I knew this was what I was going to take (yep, never tried them, but I have faith in the Brown Eyed Baker).

And of course these babies did not dissapoint! My platter was empty, every single blondie was devoured.

So, is that enough convincing?? Are you going to make these delicous little Snickerdoodle Blondies?? I sure hope you do, because who wouldn't? Alright....get cookin'.

Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Blondies

from: Brown Eyed Baker

Yield: 24 blondies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 25 to 30 minutes

2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan; set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla. Beat, scraping the bowl, until thoroughly combined. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined. Give the dough a final stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to make sure the flour is incorporated.
4. Spread the dough evenly into the pan (I found an offset spatula was the best tool for the job, as it’s a thick batter). Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

(Recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction)

Country Apple Dumplings

2010-10-10T21:43:00.001-06:00

I was in a 'Fall' mood the other day and wanted to make a new fall treat. So I searched on Allrecipes and found this Apple Dumpling recipe.

When I read the recipe I wondered if it was really going to be as good as all the reviews said. I made it today for dessert and all I have to say is, YUM!!!

These dumplings are so easy to put together, and they taste delicious....especially with vanilla ice cream

When I made these I was worried that the butter,cinnamon,sugar, Mt. Dew mixture was going to be too much, but it cooked down and turned into a wonderful sauce. (You'll see what I mean when you make these, I thought these were going to turn into a soggy mess).

And there they are. Oh baby, come to Mama!! hahaha I think I'm going to go have another one as soon as I'm done with this post. :)

Alright, enough talking, now it's time for some cookin'. I hope you try these dumplings....soon. Enjoy!

Country Apple Dumplings

from: Allrecipes.com

2 Large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored

2 (10 oz.) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough

1 Cup Butter

1 1/2 Cups White Sugar

1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1 (12 oz.) can or bottle Mountain Dew

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X13 in. baking dish.

Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Seperate the crescent roll dough into triangles.

Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and

place in the baking dish.

Melt butter in a small saucepan (or in the microwave using a microwave safe bowl) and then

stir in the cinnamon and sugar. Pour over the apple dumplings. Then pour the Mountain Dew over

the dumplings.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown. (Mine only took 25 minutes, so keep an eye

on them when making these.)

**I also saw a recipe where they added 1 tsp. vanilla to the butter. And instead of adding the cinnamon into the butter, sprinkle it on top of the dumplings after the Mountain Dew.

Almond Chicken

2010-09-22T19:32:00.001-06:00

Almond Chicken
4 chicken breasts, skinned
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can mushrooms or fresh mushrooms
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. slivered almonds

Place chicken in a 9x9 baking dish. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Note: I used boneless skinless chicken and fresh mushrooms that I sliced.

[I found this recipe in a ward (church) cookbook a few weeks ago. I decided to try it because it looked so easy & I needed something fast for dinner that night. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is delicious!
I am sorry that I dont have a photo--I will try to add one later.]

Creamy Pesto & Chicken Pasta

2010-09-08T09:50:00.001-06:00

0When Josh and I were first married, I wasn't much of a cook. I was always looking for new things to try that were easy enough for a Beginner cook like me. Somewhere I found a recipe similar to this, so we made it and liked it. But I ended up losing the recipe and had to re-create it. Through the years we have made it and it has become one of Josh's favorites. So, here it is....

If you like pesto you definitely have to try this, and the good thing about it is, it's a very quick and easy meal to prepare. So there you go...hope you like it!

Creamy Pesto & Chicken Pasta

6 oz. Farfalle (bowtie) pasta

1 lb. Chicken, cubed

1 pkg. pesto mix or 2 tbsp. of pre-made pesto

1 Can Cream of Chicken

1/2 C. Half and Half or Heavy Cream

Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook your pasta according to directions.

In a skillet cook your chicken until juices run clear (I usually season my chicken a little, but that is optional. I use a little Ms. Dash and pepper). Once the chicken is cooked transfer to a plate.

In the same skillet prepare the pesto, or if you're using pre-made pesto add it to the skillet. Then add the cream of chicken and mix well. Simmer until it's warm. Then add the cream and the chicken. Stir and simmer until heated through.

When the pasta is done drain and add it to the sauce. Toss and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Enjoy!!

Hot Dog Bun Breadsticks

2010-09-08T09:43:00.002-06:00

So with BBQ season you will probably have lots of left over Hot Dog buns. You know, the one or two that are always left over that end up just sitting there until they're moldy or stale.

Well, my Mother-in-law came up with this great idea a few summers ago....Why not use hot dog buns for breadsticks?

So here is how you make these yummy breadsticks..

Get some Hot Dog Buns and split each one.

Garlic Spread:

Melted Butter

Parmesan Cheese

Onion and Garlic Salt

& a little bit of garlic

Mix these together and then spread the butter mixture onto each bun.

Then you can sprinkle a little more parmesan cheese on top. Then Broil in the oven until browned and crispy.

(You can also find Garlic Spread at your grocery store, if you don't want to make your own.)

Sorry there are no measurements, I just kind of add a little bit of everything. Enjoy!!

Tropical Fruit Dip

2010-09-07T17:43:00.000-06:00

Yes, another fruit dip. I made this along with the apple dip for a party we went to, so I decided I would post both of them on here.

This fruit dip is delicious! And it goes well with pretty much any fruit. For the party that we went to I made fruit kabobs and then had the dip in a bowl. But if you don't want to make kabobs just pile up different kinds of fruit onto a platter and place the dip on the side. This is such an easy and delicious dessert you have to try!

The original recipe came from Food Network (Paula Deen). The recipe, from Paula, asks for a fresh pineapple that you later use as the bowl for the dip. It looked really pretty, but I haven't tried the pineapple bowl, maybe next time. Be sure to not to leave out the Lemon and Pineapple juice, it adds a really nice taste to the dip.

So there is my other fruit dip. You've gotta try it, and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!!

Tropical Fruit Dip

Adapted from: Food Network

1 (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1 C. Powdered Sugar

1 C. Cool Whip (I think I added just a little bit extra)

Lemon Juice

Pineapple Juice (I just added some juice, but don't add too much so that it's runny.)

Soften the cream cheese and then whip with the powdered sugar. Next, add the cool-whip and continue to beat until smooth. Add the lemon and pineapple juice and mix well (add just enough juice to achieve desired consistency). Transfer the dip to a bowl.

Serve on a platter with Grapes, Pineapple Bits, Strawberries, and Apples. Enjoy!!

Apple Toffee Dip

2010-08-19T23:27:00.001-06:00

Are you in need of a new tasty recipe? Of course you are. :)

A few weeks ago a friend of mine shared this delicous dip with me. I had to have the recipe! I got it and have made it several times and every time I make this everyone loves it.

This dip is so delicous. And it kind of makes me feel like I'm eating something somewhat healthy....don't the apples make it healthy??? Who knows, but I really don't care because it's too good to worry how fattening it is. :)

This is the perfect dish to take to a potluck or a BBQ or any party. And I promise it won't disappoint! Everyone will be asking you for this recipe. So, here it is....Enjoy!!

Toffee Apple Dip

1 (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, room temperature

3/4 C. Brown Sugar

1/4 C. Granulated Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

4 oz. (1/2 bag) Toffee Bits (other recipes I have seen ask for the whole 8 oz. bag, but I never use the whole bag. Just personal preference)

Caramel Syrup

Cream together the Cream Cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla until combined. Then add your toffee bits and mix well. Transfer the dip to a plate or a bowl. If you want to you can drizzle some caramel syrup on top of the dip and then sprinkle some toffee bits on top. Enjoy!!

My Weakness!!

2010-08-10T16:53:00.002-06:00

Molten Chocolate Cake & Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie

A few weeks ago my cousin Amber came to visit. I decided to have a Girl's Night In. We went out to dinner and then came back to my house for dessert and games. We had alot of fun talking, laughing & of course eating.

I have to confess...I LOVE chocolate! It is truly my weakness. I don't think there is anything chocolate that I don't like. So, when I decided to make desserts for our 'Girl's Night In' I knew I wanted something chocolatey. I remember my Mom telling me about a recipe she had for Molten Lava cake, but unfortunately she was hiking in the Colorado Mountains so I wasn't able to call her. So I searched the internet and found my recipe.

I don't know about anyone else, but I thought this was delicious! Exactly what a Chocoholic is looking for to get her fix. I have been craving this little cake ever since I made them that night. I haven't made these because I know my Husband won't eat them, so you know who will end up eating the whole batch...that's righ, me. Enough with the talking...get in the kitchen and make these. If you are a chocoholic like me, you will be glad you did.

Molten Chocolate Cake

from: Tasty Kitchen

4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate

½ cups Butter
1 cup Powdered Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 whole Egg Yolks
6 Tablespoons Flour
*2 cups Real Whipping Cream (seriously It's So Much Better!)
*2 Tablespoons Sugar
*(I decided to just use canned Whipped Cream)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and place on a cookie sheet.
Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until
chocolate is also melted.
Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.
Divide between cups.
Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. (Do Not overcook, or else you won't get the gooey center)
Let stand 1 minute.
Combine sugar and heavy cream and whip until stiff.
Invert cakes on dishes and top with whipped cream.

Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie

For our other dessert that night, I decided to make this yummy dessert.

What's better than a Chocolate Chip Blondie with ice cream drizzled with chocolate and caramel? Nothing! And to make it even better add some whipped cream and walnuts on top. Mmm....now I'm hungry for some dessert. Maybe it's time for another 'Girl's Night In' so I have an excuse to make these again.

You've got to try these, you won't be disappointed!

Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie

from: Real Mom Kitchen

1 1/2 cup butter, melted

3 cups firmly packed brown sugar
6 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup coconut
2 cups milk chocolate chips
Caramel sauce
Hot fudge sauce
More chopped walnuts (optional, I only had enough to make the pie but more to go on top would have been fabulous)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan (this is the bakers half sheet size - it’s like 11 1/2 inch x 16 1/2 x 1 or you could use 2 9×13 inch pans. The pie may be a little thicker and may take a little longer to cook).
In a large bowl, combine sugar and melted butter; beat with electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla; mix well.
Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to the sugar mixture; mix well.
Stir in nuts, coconut, and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 40+ minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve warm, or reheat individual servings in the microwave (10 seconds for a serving). Top with ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce and hot fudge sauce then sprinkled with chopped walnuts . Or just eat them like a brownie or bar cookie. They are also excellent that way too.
Makes 24.

Silhouette Giveaway!!

2010-08-03T22:14:00.001-06:00

Alright I have another great giveaway to pass on to all of you. Right now there are several websites having an amaing giveaway! Have any of you heard of the Silhouette? I hadn't until I saw this giveaway...Now I want one...really bad!!

So, what is a Silhouette?

The Silhouette is a digital cutting tool for personal use. It connects to your computer just like a printer, but instead of printing designs it cuts them with a small blade. With the machine connected to your computer, you'll get access to all of the fonts on your PC plus the thousands of cuttable designs found on the Silhouette Online Store.

I'm sure you have all heard of a very similar machine known as the Cricut. So, what's the difference? Here's a chart that can help you compare the Silhouette and the Cricut.

This machine can do so many things. You don't have to be a scrapbooker to enjoy this machine. Click here to see what the Silhouette can do.
I really really want one of these. There are so many things I am already planning on doing if I am lucky enough to win this.
So head on over to Sugardoodle, The Idea Room or Cupcake Project for more information on these giveaways and for your chance to win!!

Nice Buns!!!

2010-08-03T13:24:00.000-06:00

Sorry...I had to use that I my post title. :) Yesterday we had hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken burgers. I had some hamburger buns, but they were looking pretty sad. I remembered seeing a recipe for Hamburger buns, so I got on the computer and searched.
I am so glad that I did, because these were great!!

I don't know what it is about homemade bread, but isn't it wonderful? These buns were really easy to put together, and it was nice because I had everything in my pantry (no special trip to the store). Well, the only thing I didn't have was sesame seeds, but those are optional.

We cut each bun and then grilled them for a little bit to give them a little crispiness. Mmmmm....soo yummy!

There was a suggestion to add garlic or onion salt to the dough. I'll probably try that next time and see how that tastes.

Well, it's definitely hamburger season so next time you are having burgers please make these buns! You won't be dissappointed, I promise.

Hamburger Buns

from Rosa's Yummy Yums

1 Cup Water, lukewarm

2 tbsp. Unsalted butter, room temp.

1 Egg

3 1/4 Cups Plain White Flour

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 tsp. Salt

1 tbsp. Instant yeast

1 Egg Yolk + 1 tsp. Water

Sesame Seeds

Sprinkle the yeast into the water and leave for 5-10 minutes, until frothy. Stir to dissolve.

In a big bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.

Turn the dough out onto a floured working surface and knead for about 10 minutes until you've made a soft, smooth dough. (Or be lazy like me and use your kitchenaid) :)

Place the dough in a clean and lightly greased bowl. Cover witha towel and let rise for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each piece into a flattened ball. (I weighed each piece of dough, they were about 4 1/2 oz. each). Place the buns onto a greased baking sheet, cover with a towel and let rise another 30-40 minutes, until they're quite puffy and doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Glaze the buns with the egg yolk and water mixture, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the buns for 12-15 minutes, until they are golden brown. (I probably took mine out a little too early, we were in a hurry. Next time I'll cook them for 15 minutes).

Remove them from the oven and cool them on a wire rack.

Kellogg's Cereal Recall Info!

2010-07-27T10:53:00.006-06:00

Ok so i stumbled onto this information by accident and discovered that I have 2 boxes that were in the recall. So as of June 25, 2010 Kellogg's cereal voluntarily recalled select packages of Corn Pops, Honey Smacks, Fruit Loops, and Apple Jacks. Kelloggs tell you on the website why the recall is taking place.

"These packages are being recalled because we identified a substance in the package liner that can produce an uncharacteristic waxy-like off-taste and smell. The off-tastes and smells are caused by a slightly elevated level of a substance commonly present at very low levels in the waxy resins used to make packaging materials that are approved by the FDA. These resins are also commonly used to coat foods such as cheese, raw fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers. We did not find any substances that are not commonly used in packaging materials. We are working with our supplier of the liner to ensure that this problem does not happen again." They go on to tell which packages are being recalled:

"We are recalling the following cereal products due to an off-taste and smell coming from the package liner. Only products with the letters "KN" following the Better If Used Before Date are included in the recall.Only packages in the white, paper-backed foil liner are affected by the off-taste and smell. Click here to see pictures of these materials. Kellogg's® Apple Jacks®UPC 3800039136 17 ounce package with Better if Used Before Dates between APR 10 2011 and JUN 22 2011
UPC 38000391328.7 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between JUN 03 2011 and JUN 22 2011
Kellogg's® Corn Pops®UPC 380003910912.5 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
UPC 380003911117.2 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
UPC 38000391169.2 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between APR 05 2011 and JUN 22 2011
Kellogg's® Froot Loops®UPC 380003911812.2 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
UPC 3800039120 17 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
UPC 38000391258.7 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
Kellogg's® Honey Smacks®UPC 380003910315.3 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011Again, only products with the letters "KN" following the Better If Used Before Date are included in the recall.

For another other information or to Contact Kellogg's here is the link:

http://consumeralert.kelloggs.com/consumeralert.aspx?id=3870

Rocky Road Crunch Bars

2010-07-19T19:06:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago I was looking through some of my old "Food & Family" magazines. It was a free magazine from Kraft foods that included recipes that used their products. I found the following recipe in one of the magazines and decided to try it. It has become a family favorite in only a few weeks. I use chocolate chips instead of the baking chocolate and it is still really good.

Rocky Road Crunch Bars
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp butter
4 cups marshmallows
6 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal
1 cup peanuts, chopped
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips

Microwave honey and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high 1 minute; stir until well blended. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed; stir until well blended.
Add remaining ingredients; mix well.
Press mixture firmly into greased foil-lined 13x9 pan. Cool and cut.

Original recipe from Summer 2006 Food & Family pg 68

Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti

2010-07-19T11:13:00.002-06:00

A few years ago I was watching 'Paula's Home Cookin' on Food Network and saw this recipe. It looked really good, so I decided to make it. I made it, and ever since then it is a family favorite. Josh loves it and my children love it, I make it often. Any time I have to take dinner to someone, this is one of the recipes I will make.

This is a great dinner to add to your menu, so give it a try.

Photo from Food Network

For this recipe you will be making your own sauce. It is delicious. I use this sauce for other recipes because I like it so much. You're supposed to let it simmer for an hour and a bit, but I have let it simmer for maybe an 30 minutes before, and it tastes just as great. The longer it simmers the better, but if you're short on time you can shorten the time. I also like a little more sauce, so sometimes I'll make a little more or add a little bit of jarred spaghetti sauce to the homemade sauce.

I have added sliced black olives to this recipe and it was great. I have to tell you...definitely use Angel Hair Pasta. I used to use spaghetti, because I always had it on hand, but after I tried it with Angel Hair I will never use spaghetti again. Since the angel hair is so skinny it absorbs the sauce and the flavor. The spaghetti was too thick, so when you ate it it wasn't as flavorful.
This recipe is very easy to cut in half if you don't want to make the full amount. Alright, I think I'm done talking...it's time for you to start cooking. I promise you that this recipe is great, so please give it a try.

Baked Spaghetti

from Paula Deen

2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce

1 cup water

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows

1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

2 small bay leaves

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta

1 cup grated cheddar (I add more cheese, I like it to be really cheesy.) :)

1 cup grated Monterey Jack

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining. Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for 20 more minutes. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5more minutes. Cut into squares before serving.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

(I have never made this, I just add a little of each to my sauce.)

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Preparation tine: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ease of Preparation: Easy

Grill Giveaway from RecipeGirl

2010-07-15T21:40:00.001-06:00

I had to pass along this great giveaway going on right now over at RecipeGirl. Don't we all wish we had a huge fancy grill?? I know I do. Well, Sams Club is giving away a 2-N-1 Modular Gas Grill to one lucky RecipeGirl reader. Here is a photo...

Doesn't that grill look amazing?? It has everything you need for a Summer BBQ party. To convince you a little more why you need this grill...

The grill comes with a rotisserie and sear burner, as well as a split lid for separate cooking

The party cart comes with a small refrigerator, dual walled ice bin with lid, cutting board and trash can
The grill also has granite tops for food/drink preparation
The grill has the ability to be converted to Natural Gas with conversion kit sold on www.Samsclub.com
What else?
Electronic ignition
3 “I” burners – each 11,000/33,000 BTU Main Grill
Total cooking area (main grill) 499 square inches
1 “U” Burner – 18,000 BTU Small Grill
Total cooking area (small grill) 255 square inches
Infrared side burner – 12,000 BTU
Double wall hood, exterior and side panels
Side hood
Firebox smoker box
Control panel with zinc alloy control knobs
Temperature gauge
1 light in each fire box with water proof switch
Fridge
8 HD castors with 4 locking
PE cutting board
Griddle
Dual walled ice bin
3 “S” hooks
Grill Dimensions: 58” x 24” x 47”
Party Cart Dimensions: 38” x 24” x 34”

Now here is where you go to enter.

Just visit RecipeGirl for a chance to win. You can enter up to 4 times. But hurry, the giveaway ends Sunday, July 17th!!

Good Luck.

And if you don't need a grill enter anyway and then give it to me!! :) haha

Breakfast Quesadillas

2010-07-14T12:15:00.000-06:00

Most Sundays, Josh will get up before I do. I have to confess....I like to sleep in. Anyway, some of those Sundays Josh will surprise me with breakfast. One Sunday he came up with these really yummy Breakfast Quesadillas. It's been months since he's made them, so I had him make them again this last Sunday and I took a picture of them. It's a nice twist on Breakfast Tacos. I like these because the tortilla is nice and crispy. I think I'm going to have to have Josh make these again this Sunday. : )

So, all you need is tortillas, eggs, cheese, and anything else you would like. The first time Josh made these, he used leftover Chicken fajita meat, so yummy. We did experiment another time with potatoes, cheese, sausage, etc. Those were a little too thick, but I'm sure you could get it to work and taste really good. I think we used real potatoes that time, so it was a bigger mess and more work; peeling and cutting the potatoes. You could use the frozen country style hashbrowns, that would be easier.
This last Sunday he just used eggs, cheese, and sausage; and they were soooo good.

So first, you will need to make your eggs. Just make regular scrambled eggs, adding whatever you want. This time we used sausage and cheese. Josh also told me that he heard somewhere that using water instead of milk will make your eggs more fluffy.
After the eggs are done, heat up your skillet. Spray one side of a tortilla with cooking spray and place it in the skillet. Sprinkle the tortilla with cheese, then add your eggs. Top with more cheese...oh yes more cheese, and then top with another tortilla.
Cook until the tortilla is browned and crispy. Spray the other tortilla with cooking spray and flip. Cook the other side until browned and cripsy, and the cheese is melted.
When it's done, remove from the skillet and enjoy!
Simple, huh?

Breakfast Quesadilla

from: Josh Perron

Makes 1 Breakfast Quesadilla

2Flour Tortillas

2-3Eggs

1/2 Cheese

Mix-in ideas: Sausage, Bacon, Cheese, Potatoes, Chicken, Onions, Bell Peppers, etc.

First make your scrambled eggs. Add any mix-ins that you want with your eggs. Cook until done, light & fluffly.

Next, heat your skillet. Spray one side of one tortilla with cooking spray and place into the skillet. Spread the tortilla with half of the cheese. Spread the eggs on top of the cheese. Then add the remaining cheese and top with another tortilla.

Cook until the torilla is browned and cripsy and the cheese is melted. Then spray the other tortilla with cooking spray and flip. Cook until tortilla is browned and cripsy and cheese is melted.

Once done, remove from skillet. Cut and enjoy!

Chocolate Waffle Dessert

2010-07-10T08:04:00.001-06:00

Are you ever in need of a quick and delicious dessert? Well, here is one for you.

I remember eating this often growing up. I have no idea where my Mom got the recipe, but it is so good and super easy. All you need is a Chocolate Cake mix (and the ingredients you need to make the cake mix), a waffle iron, ice cream, and any kind of toppings you want.

So, next time you are having company over and need a dessert that will impress, you can make these. I promise they won't dissappoint. I've only made this with chocolate cake mix, but you could try this with any kind. Try it out and let me know how it goes. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Waffle Dessert

1 box Cake Mix- I always use chocolate, but you can use any kind.

Ice Cream

Toppings

Make the Cake mix as directed. Warm up your waffle iron. When your waffle iron is warmed up pour the chocolate cake mix batter into the waffle iron. Every waffle iron is different, so it may take a few tries to get the waffles perfect.

Once the waffles are made top with ice cream.

Then add toppings:

Chocolate Syrup

Caramel

Crushed Cookies

Strawberries

Sprinkles

Candy

Whipped Cream

The possibilities are endless!!! Enjoy!

Strawberry & Banana Cream Pie

2010-07-09T10:01:00.000-06:00

I love summer! Everything about summer is wonderful. But one of my favorite things is the food. I don't know what it is exactly, but I love this time of year.

My hubby's parents just bought a brand new BBQ. Really really nice. It's stainless steel, has a smoker and a rotisserie. So last week, I think we barbequed every night. On Sunday we barbequed and celebrated the 4th of July, I decided to bring a dessert. I found this recipe on Comfort of Cooking. Right away I knew it was going to be good, so I printed it out and made plans to make it for the 4th.

Everything in this recipe is made from scratch. The crust, the custard, and the whipped cream. The crust was really yummy. It reminded me of those 'Sandies' cookies.

If you want to take a shortcut for this recipe you could use Vanilla or Banana Pudding and cool-whip. I would make the crust though.

I've never made a pie crust, so when I made this I wasn't sure it was going to work. It wasn't sticking together while I was mixing it. I was thinking to myself 'Did I leave something out?' But I trusted the recipe and just went with it. And of course it worked perfectly.

I also wanted to say, I tried this the day after and 2 days after I made it, and it tasted alot better. It gave it time for all of the flavors to combine. When I first tried it, there wasn't a really strong banana flavor, but after a day or 2 there was definitely a banana taste. Next time I make this I will probably try using just a boxed pudding. I will let you know how it turns out.

Until then, you should try this delicious dessert. It's perfect for a get together with your friends or for any summer meal.

Strawberry & Banana Cream Pie

from Comfort of Cooking

Ingredients
for the pie crust

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 large egg yolk

for the filling

2 cups whole milk

6 large egg yolks

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ripe bananas, sliced

10 fresh strawberries, sliced

for the topping

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the pie crust...

Mix the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a large bowl, until combined. Scatter the pieces of cold butter over the dry ingredients and cut in with a pastry blender or two butter knives. There will be pieces of butter that are the size of oatmeal flakes and butter the size of peas. Beat the egg yolk with a fork and add a little of the egg yolk at a time to the flour mixture. Mix for a ten seconds at a time. When the egg is in, mix until the dough forms clumps and curds. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that may have escaped mixing.

Butter a 9-inch pie or tart pan. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and the sides of the pan. Press the crust so that the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter the shiny side of a piece of foil and fit the foil, butter side down, tightly against the frozen crust. Bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust is puffed, gently press it down with your fingers. Bake the uncovered crust for 8 to 10 more minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool completely before filling.

To make the filling...

Bring milk to a boil in a small saucepan.
In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt until well blended and thick. Whisking without stopping, drizzle about 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking so the eggs don't cook and curdle. Still whisking, slowly add the rest of the hot milk in a steady stream.

Place the pan over medium heat and, whisking constantly (make sure to get the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, still whisking for one minute before removing from the pan from the heat. Mixture will be thick and silky. (Be warned, once the mixture starts to boil, it will thicken very quickly. Don't be afraid to remove the pan from the flame to whisk it smooth.)

Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let stand for 5 minutes then whisk in the butter, stirring until fully incorporated and the custard is smooth and silky. Transfer custard to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic touches the surface of the custard and refrigerate until cold throughout. Custard can be refrigerated up to three days.

When ready to assemble the pie, slice bananas and strawberries into thin, round slices.

Whisk the cold custard to loosen. Add a handful of banana slices. Stir.

Arrange a thin layer of banana slices on the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange a thin layer of strawberries atop the bananas. Reserve some strawberries for topping the pie. Top with banana custard. Refrigerate while you make the whipped cream.

to make the whipped topping...

With a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat heavy cream until it just starts to thicken. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, spoon whipped cream onto banana cream pie filling. Top with sliced strawberries.

Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan

2010-07-08T08:47:00.000-06:00

I am always on the hunt for new recipes, and I love finding new Food Blogs. A little while ago I came across Favorite Family Recipes. This is one of my new favorite food blogs. They have so many recipes that I saved and am slowly trying one by one.

One day while I was making my menu for the week, I came across their Chicken Parmesan recipe. Now, I have had chicken parmesan maybe 2 times in my entire life, and I have not been impressed. But I decided to give this a try...It was amazing!! You will have to put this on your menu to try.

I followed the recipe and used real tomatoes, but if you aren't in the mood to make your own sauce, then use your favorite jarred sauce. But just so you know, I know the homemade sauce is definitely worth a little extra work. I also used Provolone cheese instead of Mozzarella, and I thought it worked really well, really yummy. Don't look at the recipe and think 'there are way too many ingredients'. There are quite a few, but most of them you will have in your pantry. Trust me...try this recipe!

Chicken Parmesan

from: Favorite Family Recipes

7-8 garden tomatoes (if you don't have garden tomatoes, I would suggest using 1 large can of crushed tomatoes and 1-2 cans of diced tomatoes)

1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 small can tomato sauce
3 chicken breasts
2 eggs, beaten
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 c. Panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. parsley
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
6 slices Provolone cheese (or mozzarella, but we had Provolone on hand so that's what we used and it was amazing!)
1 lb. spaghetti

If you are using fresh tomatoes, peel them and mash them with a potato masher in a medium-sized bowl. Add salt and pepper, set aside. Heat a little vegetable oil in a large skillet and saute onion and garlic. When onions are clear, add the smashed tomatoes. Add basil, oregano, parsley, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a good rolling simmer. Add tomato sauce (to thicken it up a little bit). It still may seem a little watery, but trust me, it thickens up quite a bit after it simmers. Reduce heat a little and simmer uncovered for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.
About 20 minutes prior to serving. Put chicken in a Ziploc bag and add beaten egg and garlic. Smash all the air out of the bag, seal tightly, then work the the chicken around a little bit so it is covered in egg.
On a plate or pie pan, combine bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Heat some oil on medium heat in another large skillet. Remove chicken from egg mixture and press into the bread crumbs. When covered in bread crumbs, add the chicken to the oil and cook for about 1 minute on each side. Place chicken on a greased cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 375-degrees for about 12 minutes or until no longer pink. In the meantime, cook spaghetti to al dente. Remove chicken from oven, add 2 slices of cheese per chicken breast, then return to the oven for about 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Layer spaghetti, sauce, and chicken on a plate, garnish with parsley, then serve!