Delicious Memories of Mine

Seven Layer Bars (7 layer bars)

2012-01-19T13:19:00.002-06:00

I have heard of these 7 layer bars (or seven layer bars) ... and thought I'd try it out last week.

They were gone in a day and a half. My family LOVED this recipe! Not to mention super easy to make.

Actually, for me, it's a 6 layer bar. I didn't add nuts to it. I'm not fond of nuts in my food. Separate? Yes. In my food? No.

Here is the recipe (from Eagle Brand)

1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs

1/2 c butter/margarine

1 can sweeten condensed milk

1 c chocolate chips

1 c butterscotch chips

1 1/3 c coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the margarine/butter and then mix it with the crumbs. Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam, and then add the crumb mixture, pressing down. Pour half of the sweetened condensed milk over the crumbs. Add the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and coconut (nuts too... if you wish). Finally, pour the rest of the milk over the top, and then back for 25 minutes or until light brown on top.

Let it sit for 10 minutes, and then take a knife and lightly make indentions on where you want the bars to be cut. Let sit for another 10 minutes, then place in the fridge. Cutting it will be much easier when it is cold and hardened.

I also took pictures!! (surprise surprise!)

Yummm.... look at it up close!

Spreading the rest of the milk on top.

What it looks like when it comes out of the oven!

Wait about 10 minutes after pulling from the oven. Then, lightly cut into squares (I managed to get 35 bars). Let it sit for a bit longer, then place in the fridge for a few hours. You'll be able to cut into bars MUCH easier when it's cold since it has already been cut.

Mistletoe Cookies

2012-01-05T08:33:00.002-06:00

A few years ago a dear neighbor brought me these green cookies shaped as a wreath with red hots as the ornaments. I loved them. Over a year ago, another friend brought these same cookies to a church activity, and I remembered that I loved them.

So this year, the girls and I decided to make them on Christmas Eve. Only .... the wreath part didn't happen (the circle part). It just was too messy to make them into circles. So we just plopped them down on the wax paper ... and I called them Christmas Blobs.

When we took the cookies to a dinner on Christmas at a friend's house, one of the husbands said "hey, these look like mistletoes!" so we renamed them Mistletoe Cookies!

We love them! Here is the recipe (I got it from allrecipes)

1/2 cup butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 tsp green food coloring
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups cornflake cereal
1 package cinnamon red hot candies

Microwave marshmallows and butter on High for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave on High for 2 minutes more. Stir.
Add and mix quickly the coloring, extracts, then cornflakes. Drop by spoonfuls in clumps on greased wax paper and decorate with 3 red hots each.
Once cool, transfer to lightly greased serving/storage tray with lightly greased fingers.

Sierra Nuggets (aka ... full of spices chocolate chip cookies)

2011-12-13T14:08:00.002-06:00

Many many years ago when I was a little girl, my aunt made these cookies. I fell in love. Their spices just created an amazing explosion in my mouth. I make these every December for Christmas == but are good anytime of the year! The ingredients are out of this world -- but I promise, they are extremely good!

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

CREAM TOGETHER:

1 c butter 1 c brown sugar 1 1/2 c sugar

ADD:

1 Tbsp milk 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

BEAT & ADD:

2 eggs

STIR IN:

1 c corn flakes (dry & crumbled) 3 c oats

SIFT TOGETHER THEN ADD:

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp mace

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

STIR IN:

4 oz coconut 1 pkg chocolate chips

Drop by well rounded teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet (or parchment paper). Bake 10 minutes or until done. Yields 8 dozen.

AMY'S NOTES: I did not sift all those dry ingredients... I added them to the mixture and they turned out fine. I also always bake w/ parchment paper -- I never have to grease the cookie sheet or anything, and my cookies always turn out perfect! It always states that it yields 8 dozen... but w/ my cookie scooper, it yields maybe 5 1/2 dozen? If you make them smaller, then for sure it will make that many. I also found that my time needed 11 minutes -- wait until it gets a little bit golden before you take them out.

Another side note: Since I didn't want to make the entire batch of cookies in one time, I used my cookie scooper and dropped them into a mini muffin pan and placed it in the freezer. When they froze completely, I took them out with a spoon, and put in a freezer bag. Now I'm able to make a few cookies at a time whenever I want!

Peach Crisp

2011-09-19T09:35:00.000-05:00

Book Club was last Thursday night, and I'm hankering for fall desserts. Even when it's 99 degrees outside in the middle of September... I want it to be fall!

Found this recipe online at allrecipes.com, and modified it a little to fit my needs.

It's most definitely a keeper!

List of Ingredients

6 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted & sliced

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 c flour

1/2 c oatmeal

1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

couple shakes of nutmeg

1/2 cup butter

**Note: I used canned peaches!! I just didn't add any of the juice to the pan.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease an 8 inch square baking pan.

Place peaches in the bottom of the baking dish, and sprinkle them w/ almond extract.

In a bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, sugar, brown sugar, spices and salt. Cut the butter into the flour mixture w/ a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles crumbs.

Sprinkle the flour mixture in an even layer over the top of the peaches. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the peaches are bubbling and the topping is browned.

**Amy's Notes: I doubled the recipe to make a 9x13 pan, and got the big can of peaches at Sam's Club ($3.90). I didn't use all of the peaches, but I did make sure I got a lot in the pan. I also used half margarine and half butter -- make sure it's softened first! Serve with vanilla ice cream! Super yummy!

How to make whipped cream

2011-09-14T11:08:00.000-05:00

I have the hardest time remembering how to make whipping cream. It NEVER turns out right! Thankfully, I found a good tutorial online ... somewhere... and I tried it out last night when I made my husband's birthday cake.

Cast of Ingredients

16 oz of heavy whipping cream

sugar (start with 2 Tbsp)

vanilla (1 tsp)

First of all, get the mixing bowl you are going to use, and the mixer tool (not the actual mixer, but those ... things!) and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

After the bowl and beaters are chilled, pour the heavy whipping cream in the bowl, and add the vanilla and sugar.

Whip on medium until soft peaks are formed when you left your mixer.

Taste ... if it needs more sugar, add a little at a time. **NOTE: some people add sugar and vanilla at the end .. I added it at the beginning by accident and it still was OK.

If you want to make chocolate whipping cream, add 3 Tbsp of cocoa powder plus another 1 1/2 tbsp of sugar (taste it as you go).

Here is a GREAT link for more flavors and whipping cream recipes

Just an FYI: One cup of whipping cream equals 2 cups of the whipped cream. For the above recipe, you can always cut in half for a smaller portion!

BBQ Chopped Salad

2011-08-30T08:41:00.002-05:00

I love BBQ chopped salad! Every time I go to BJ's, I order it. Cheesecake Factory has it .. and I am in love!! I knew it would be relatively easy to make -- but I do have one picky child who has a slight aversion to vegetables. If SHE will eat this, then I know I have a winner!!

I searched the internet to find a relatively easy recipe, and from there, just created my own salad.

Ingredients

1 head of iceberg lettuce

1/2 of a jicama

1 can of corn (drained)

1 can of black beans (drained)

2 roma tomatoes (cut small)

1 green onion, cut thinly

1 avocado

Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)

grilled chicken w/ BBQ sauce on top

1/3 cup of BBQ sauce

1/3 cup of Ranch dressing

(optional) French's Fried Onions

It was a time consuming process all at once -- but if you could have some of these already cut up, then it could be assembled fast. While the chicken is grilling, cut up the lettuce into small pieces, cut up the jicama, tomatoes & green onion. Drain the corn and black beans. Cut up the avocado.

I had four plates -- and one head of iceberg lettuce was too much, so maybe start with half a head? I just piled on the toppings, complete with the chicken on top. Mix the BBQ and the Ranch dressing together, and that is the dressing that goes on top of the salad. I did not use very much on each person (because of the calorie and sugar count!) -- but enough to give it some taste. I did add some French's Fried Onion on the top of it (b/c BJ's has onion straws on top of theirs) -- but next time I will do without. I couldn't even taste the onions on it! Probably next time I would do two avocados instead of one for four plates.

Next time, I might even do two parts of BBQ to three parts of Ranch dressing. (Maybe do 1/4 cup of BBQ and 1/3 cup Ranch? -- not sure, but I do remember tasting the Ranch dressing more at the restaurants).

Did my one said child eat the salad? Yep! My other salad eating child proclaimed it to be "the very best salad I have ever eaten!" It truly was delicious!

Coconut Lime Banana Zucchini Bread

2011-08-29T14:59:00.002-05:00

Wow! That was a mouthful to say and to type! I got this recipe from a friend of mine (Jen)'s friend Cynthia (thanks Cynthia!)! She posted on Facebook that she was making this bread, and I was curious and asked her to share the recipe! She did! I'm not sure where she got the recipe, but I made it today! It was delish!

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 of a stick) softened butter

2 eggs

1 to 1 1/2 cups smashed bananas (about 3 bananas)

1/4 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)

3 tbsp apple juice or applesauce

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1 tbsp coconut (to sprinkle on top)

1 zucchini, grated

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

approximate 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice (about 1 lime)

Directions:
1) Mix the first three dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2) Mash up the bananas with a fork and set aside.
3) Crack two eggs and toss them in your mixer. Add the butter. Add the sugar and beat everything on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the bananas, zucchini, yogurt, apple juice/sauce, vanilla and coconut.
4) Mix until well blended. Add the dry ingredients. Mix until moist. Pour into greased bread pan (spray w/ Pam first!), and then sprinkle coconut on top. Bake for approximately an hour at 350 degrees.
5) Prepare the glaze: mix 2 ingredients into bowl until glaze is slightly runny.
6) When bread is done, let it cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then take out of pan and pour glaze over the top (put wax paper or pan down to catch the drips).
7) Cut a slice, place a bite in your mouth, sigh and close your eyes. Yummm! Feel all those flavors come together and party in your mouth!

Amy's Notes:

OK, I added a full stick of butter!! OOPS! It was still delicious (probably made it even more delicious?). I also used unsweetened applesauce, not apple juice. I did not follow the directions to the T (meaning I added the eggs after I beat the butter and sugar -- it still turned out). And finally... I added a ton more coconut on top than what the recipe called for. I also baked for about an hour and 7 minutes -- it probably could've been reduced to about 325 for 10 minutes after the hour b/c some of the middle was still runny!

Whoopie Pies!!

2011-04-16T19:16:00.000-05:00

I had to laugh when I titled this post "Making Whoopie Pies." I almost titled it "Making Whoopie", and then thought that probably sounded a little dirty... and totally inappropriate from a mom who blogs mostly about her girls....

It seems like Whoopie Pies are everywhere these days. I see them advertised at my gas station of all places, they're featured in magazines! Featured on blogs! So, I decided they must be really really awesome, and when I saw the recipe in my February Family Fun magazine, I knew I had to get my little baker and get to baking.

So we did! And we learned a lot! First lesson to learn? READ ALL THE DIRECTIONS THOROUGHLY! Remember in 5th grade where you get a paper that has all these questions on it, and you answer away and think "wow, I'm SO going to ace this quiz!" Then when you get to the bottom, the last question said "do not answer any of these questions, and turn into the teacher now." gulp Oops. FAILED big time!

Now, I am trying to teach Maddie how to read a recipe, and when I realized that we were doing it incorrectly, it was a great teaching experience. Now I hung my head in shame.... and happily, they still turned out wonderfully!

I was practicing my photography with my camera on manual -- so I used this opportunity to snap pictures of Maddie in action.

we did an "oops" here.....

I love all the flour on her face!

You can get the recipe complete with pictures on the Family Fun website, but I transferred it over for you as well.


Cake

2 cups flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

FILLING

½ cup softened butter
1½ cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup marshmallow crème
1 teaspoon vanilla
Red food coloring (optional)

1) Heat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and vanilla extract.

3) In a large bowl with a hand mixer set at medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until evenly blended, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg, increase the speed to high, and beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute more.

4) Pour half the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture, and beat at medium speed until combined. Add the buttermilk mixture and continue beating until just blended. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat again.

5) Use a cookie scoop or spoon to place a heaping tablespoon of batter on a prepared cookie sheet. Add more mounds of batter, evenly spacing them, until there are nine on each sheet. Slightly flatten each mound with a spoon.

6) Bake the cakes one sheet at a time for 10 minutes (they should be moist and spongy). Let them cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Reline the sheets and scoop, shape, and bake the remaining batter.

7) Using an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat all the filling ingredients except the coloring in a medium bowl until evenly blended, about 2 minutes. If you want to give the filling a Valentine hue, fold in drops of red food coloring until the desired tint is reached.

8) To make each pie, spoon and spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling onto the bottom of a cake, then gently press another cake on top.

Death by chocolate cupcakes.... literally!

2011-02-05T16:28:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago I found this amazing recipe on Amanda & Kevin's blog and I knew I had to try it out.

Chocolate cupcake.

Chocolate Mousse inside chocolate cupcake.

Chocolate frosting on top of chocolate cupcake with chocolate mousse inside.

Chocolate candy on top of chocolate cupcake with chocolate mousse inside with chocolate frosting on top.

I mean... what's there not to love about this cupcake? It's a recipe that was created JUST FOR ME!!

So, I made these for Katie's birthday. Let me say... it was divine!! and time consuming.....

Here is the recipe:

List of Ingredients:

1 box Devils Food Cake Mix

1 small box Jello Chocolate Fudge instant pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

Chocolate Mousse Filling

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 cups milk chocolate chips

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 stick softened butter

2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup of boiling water

1 bag mini Snickers (I used Reese's Peanut Butter cups)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake tins with liners. To prepare the cupcakes, place the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, milk and sour cream into stand mixer. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Scoop the batter evenly into the cupcake liners. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cupcakes are cooked through and a toothpick comes clean from center. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and let cool.

2. To prepare the mousse, melt the milk chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, whip the heavy cream with a stand or electric mixer until it looks like whipped cream and stiff peaks form. Fold melted chocolate chips into whipped cream until well combined, then transfer batches into a piping bag. When cupcakes have cooled, press the tip of the piping bag into the center of the cupcake, about 1 inch deep. Squeeze the mousse into the cupcake while pulling the tip out. It doesn’t take much, just one firm squeeze is perfect. Continue filling all the cupcakes.

3. To prepare the frosting, beat the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa and vanilla & hot water until well combined and a nice frosting consistency. Spread over cupcakes then top with chopped Snickers (or other candy).

Makes 24 cupcakes. (actually, for me, it made 33)

While I loved Amanda's directions and beautiful pictures on her blog that went well with the recipe, I found that I had a few more steps that I needed to do.

First of all, chill the chocolate mousse!! After you get done making it, put it in the fridge for a bit to harden up.
Let your cupcakes TOTALLY cool (like, for several hours!) before you pipe it inside the cupcake.
If you do the Reese's PB Cups, buy like 3-4 of the packages of candy (I'm talking about the individual sized that has 8 in a package?... like for $1 each? I bought only 1 package, and it only covered 8 cupcakes).
and finally, Amanda didn't have anything liquid for her frosting, and I used this recipe that came out of my Better Homes & Garden cookbook (it's the no-cook Fudge frosting), but it calls for boiling water... butter, vanilla, cocoa powder & confectioners sugar is NOT going to make frosting, something liquid needs to be added, so start w/ 1/4 cup of boiling water and go from there).

This recipe is MOST definitely a keeper for our family! I think I'm going to try a French Vanilla cake mix next to see how that would taste w/ chocolate mousse!!

::drooling::

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

One final picture??

Good for You Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies

2010-09-14T18:04:00.004-05:00

I found this recipe years ago in a magazine, of which I can't even remember. However, it is SO delicious, and slightly a little healthier than a regular version of a chocolate chip recipe!

Ingredients:
1 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 c dk brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1 stick margarine
1/2 c applesauce, unsweetened
2 egg whites
2 1/2 c oats
12 oz chocolate chips

Combine flour, soda, cinnamon & salt in small bowl. Beat brown sugar, sugar, margarine & applesauce in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg whites & vanilla; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, chips & if you prefer.... nuts. Drop onto greased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 375 for 9-10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 12-13 minutes for crispy.

Amy's Notes: I'm such a dork sometimes. I didn't read the directions all the way through, and tossed everything in a bowl starting with the flour. Guess what?! IT WAS FINE!!! I also didn't have margarine, just butter. I also didn't have unsweetened applesauce, so I used applesauce with cinnamon. I also didn't have dark brown sugar... just light brown. All in all, they tasted AMAZINGLY awesome! Oh, and I used parchment paper to bake the cookies on.... for 10 minutes for chewy! Take them out before they get brown!!

Texas Caviar (or in other words: Black Beans & Corn Salsa)

2010-06-26T18:09:00.003-05:00

This is NOT what the recipe makes! This is due to my three friends eating almost the whole bowl before I remembered to take a picture
... it's almost gone!

I seriously love this recipe. Some people call it Texas Caviar, some call it "Black Beans & Corn Salsa" I don't care what you call it... just make it!

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 c diced red onion

Dressing:
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt & pepper each
4-6 Tbsp lime juice
**can add 1/4 c cilantro
**can add pickled jalapeno slices

Combine all ingredients and let mingle... overnight, if possible! If not possible, then at least 4 hours before you plan to serve or eat. You can also add green pepper, tomatoes, chopped parsley, garlic, etc. Just keep the proportions the same!

Amy's Notes: I have none! Just eat with tortilla chips or even add to salads! Top a grilled chicken with this!

pepper jelly + canning!!

2010-06-26T17:54:00.002-05:00

I had an opportunity a few weeks ago to host a Ball Canning party by House Party. They gave me EVERYTHING I needed to start canning... everything but the food. So while my mom was here in town, I made her teach me how to can. And can we did!!

First we started out washing our cans, lids & bands. Some people put it on the sanitize cycle on their dishwasher, but I don't have that cycle on mine. So we placed the jars inside a simmering hot pan of water (first time we submerged, the second time I did not submerge the jars). Set the lids in their own little pan and we started making the jelly!!

Ingredients:

4 1/2 c finely chopped green bell pepper (about 4 large)
1/2 c finely chopped jalapeno pepper (about 4 small)
1 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 pkg (1.75 oz) Ball No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin
2 c sugar
1 c honey
12 Ball (4 0z) jelly jars w/ lids & bands

1) Prepare canner & jars as directed.

2) Combine green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, & vinegar in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down over high heat, stirring constantly.

3) Add sugar & honey. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.

4) Ladle hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4 headspace. Wipe rim and center lid on jar. Screw band on until fingertip-tight.

5) Process filled jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Leave sitting on counter for 12-24 hours.

Amy's Notes: OK.... get a chopper if you've got one. I have a Pampered Chef chopper, and that literally saved my life! My hands too! For the jalapeno peppers, I wanted it a little hot, but not so hot that kids can't eat it, so I left two of them w/ the veins & seeds, and seeded/deveined the other two peppers. Another note to myself: start the pan w/ hot water quite a while before it's needed. The first time I canned, it took FOREVER and a day to get it boiling (always put the lid on it, which I didn't). The second time I canned, I added the lid and started the heat about half an hour before I needed to start.

If you have any leftover or run out of jars to place into, put the rest in a sealable container and eat over cream cheese with crackers!!

This is a perfectly little gift to take someone... like a hostess gift!
Or a little Christmas present for that someone!!
Make a whole bunch NOW so you're ready for whenever!
Seriously, the easiest recipe ever!

Many thanks to the Ball company for supplying this recipe! It's a winner!

lemon bars

2010-05-20T11:23:00.003-05:00

I was a lemon bar virgin. Never made them before... never *gasp* had them before! I really had NO clue what they were supposed to look like! I went searching for the perfect recipe, and found that almost all of the recipes were the exact same, only some had more flour, or less flour... some had less lemon, or more lemon... some called for lemon juice in a bottle, others said you HAVE to use fresh lemons. So, I used Paula Deen's recipe.

Ingredients
Crust:
2 c all purpose flour
1 c confectioner's sugar + more for dusting
pinch salt
2 sticks butter, at room temperature, + more for greasing

Filling:
4 eggs
2 c granulated sugar
6 tbsp all purpose flour
6 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

Make the crust by combining the flour, sugar & salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. You may need to dip your fingers in a little flour or confectioner's sugar to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the filling, mix the eggs, granulated sugar, flour & lemon juice. Pour this over the baked crust and bake for 25 minutes longer. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar, if desired, when the bars are done.

Amy's Notes: I used Pam, not butter to grease my pan. I baked everything according to the directions, and it all turned out very yummy! On the actual website, you can see all the "well.. I would have done this... or that" type of tips, but I didn't use any of those. When I pulled it out of the oven, I was sure I did it wrong. Nothing looked like jelly for the lemon filling. But, it was there. I made it Friday night, and cut it up on Saturday morning!

Guenther House Quiche Muffins

2010-04-27T20:57:00.000-05:00

I had this recipe at a baby shower held at my friend Katie's house a few weeks ago. I kept going back for seconds... and thirds... and I finally stopped at fourths. They were SO delicious!!! These really are perfect for brunches, or breakfast/brunch baby showers!

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/3 c butter @ room temp
1 1/2 c Bisquik
1 c cooked & crumbled sausage
1 c shredded zucchini
1/3 c chopped green onion
1/3 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 c shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 c mozzarella or provolone cheese

Heat oven to 350. Grease muffin tins. Combine milk, butter, eggs, and Bisquik. Stir in sausage, zucchini, onion & cheeses. {at this point the mixture can be refrigerated overnight.} For regular muffins, bake about 20 minutes. For mini muffins, bake 15-18 minutes.

Amy's Notes: I doubled this recipe b/c I didn't want to let the sausage go to waste. I made SO many muffins! I baked 1 large tin of muffins, and two tins of mini muffins. I'm freezing the mini muffins now.... and so we can just pull them out and reheat when we want them!

starbuck's blueberry muffins

2010-04-26T20:30:00.003-05:00

At work we have a Starbucks to cater to everyone. I love their pastries. So far my favorites are the Pumpkin Scones and since a few weeks ago, their Blueberry Muffins. Ooh, I'm in HEAVEN when I eat these (which have only happened twice). These muffins are so incredibly light, and are definitely not a heavy muffin. I scoured the internet for a knock off recipe, and I found it!!

Ingredients

1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c soft butter
1 1/2 c pastry flour *** see notes
1/2 c milk
2 tsp baking powder
1 c wild blueberries
1 egg, beaten
1 grated lemon, rind of

Cream butter & sugar together, until light & fluffy. Add the egg, and mix well. Sift dry ingredients together. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with milk. Make sure you begin and end with the flour (not sure why it works best this way, but it does). Toss blueberries with lemon rind and carefully fold into batter. Do NOT overmix! Fill a muffin tin with paper or grease w/ butter. Fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated 375 oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from tins & cool on rack!

isn't this pretty? It really had a beautiful color... but this is what your dough will look like

Amy's Notes: OK... my first thought when I read this recipe was "what in the heck is pastry flour?" I scoured my store for pastry flour, and I finally asked a little old lady if it was the same thing as cake flour. She said yes. WRONG! It's not! However, if you add a little more cake flour, then it's OK. Basically, for each cup of pastry flour, you add 1 cup + 2 tbsp of cake flour. So, by my calculations, I added 1 1/2 c + 3 tbsp of cake flour instead of pastry flour. Next, I didn't have wild blueberries. I have blueberries from the store, so I used those. I also sprinkled some sugar on the top of the muffins before they baked. This recipe yielded about 14 muffins for me.

Results? Oh.My.GOODNESS! These are hands down (and feet if I can count those) the BEST blueberry muffins I have EVER eaten (OK, other than Starbucks). These are the best homemade muffins ever. They are so light, so moist. I baked for about 18 minutes as 15 minutes for me was still a little wet.

how to boil an egg

2010-03-06T12:13:00.004-06:00

I can never get it right. Ever. I always have a grey or green outline when I boil my eggs. Ick! I googled months ago to find a "how to", and found one! Used it several times! But now I can't find it again.... I think I found the website, but not sure. I'm using it this time, just in case I can't find it AGAIN!

1) Place eggs in a saucepan. Cover them with cold water, add an inch or two above the eggs. Do NOT salt the water. Place on burner on HIGH heat.

2)Place on burner on HIGH heat. Once they start to boil turn on the timer to 3 minutes.

3) When the timer goes off, quickly take off the heat, put on the lid and reset the timer to 8 minutes.

4) When 8 minutes are up, take to sink and run cold water over them for about a minute, let them soak a bit to cool off. They will peel best if you set them in the refrigerator for about 1/2 to 1 hour, but you can eat them now!

What to do if your egg......

If the egg stays at the bottom - it is fresh.

If the egg is at an angle on the bottom - it is still fresh and good to eat.

If the egg stands on its pointed end at the bottom - it is still safe to eat but best used for baking and making hard-cooked eggs.

If the egg floats - they're stale and best discarded.

pumpkin scones

2010-02-28T21:33:00.004-06:00

A few months ago, my coworker & friend Angie went & bought some Starbucks at work. She came back holding a bag, and split a scone with me. She said "these are always gone by the time I get one, but they had one left, so let's try it!". Oh.My.GOODNESS! I was in LOVE. Starbuck's Pumpkin Scones are so delicious... but are only available for a few months.

So, I scoured the internet in hopes of finding a recipe, and I found one!!
It was a little time consuming, but it was SO worth it!!

Ingredients for Scones
2 c flour
7 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 c canned pumpkin
3 tbsp half & half
1 large egg
6 tbsp cold butter

Ingredients for Plain Glaze
1 c plus 1 tbsp powdered sugar
2 tbsp whole milk

Ingredients for Spiced Icing
1 c + 3 tbsp powdered sugar
2 tbsp whole milk
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cloves

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2) Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 tsp each cinnamon & nutmeg; 1/4 tsp each cloves & ginger in a bowl... combine.
3) In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half & half, & egg.
3) Cut butter into cubes, then add it to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry knife or fork to combine. Texture will be like cornmeal when you are done.
4) warning... messy! Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then form the dough into a ball. You might have to eventually use your hands (I did). Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1 inch thick circle and use a pizza cutter & cut however you like (I do circle, cut in half, and just start making triangles from there). I get between 6-8 pieces.
5) Place parchment paper (not necessary, but I love it!) on a cookie sheet, and place your pieces a little apart from each other. Bake for 14-16 minutes, until scones are light brown.
6) While scones bake, prepare plain glaze by combining ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix until smooth.
7) As scones cool, use a brush to paint a coating of the glaze over the top & sides of the scones.
8) As the white glaze firms up, prepare the spiced icing ... and drizzle this thicker icing over each scone.
9) Let dry for 1 hour before serving.

Amy's Notes: I doubled this recipe b/c I wanted to take some to work. Now, since I doubled everything, I realized I probably didn't need to double the glazes.... there was quite a bit of it left over. The texture of this scone is absolutely out of this world.... so yummy!

....no cook fudge frosting

2010-02-20T10:46:00.003-06:00

In our family, we have a traditional birthday cake. I always make a two layer cake.... french vanilla for some, & some sort of chocolate cake for others. The topping is always the same: Better Homes & Garden's No-Cook Fudge Frosting. Every birthday my girls always request this cake & icing. One year I added canned strawberry frosting and piped big circles for Maddie's birthday cake. I remember when I was a teenager, and I wanted to make a chocolate cake. I added way too much hot water, and thought "oh, it's OK". Well, when I went to spread (OK, poured it on) my two layer cake... it went over my cake. Down the side. On the counter. Then on the floor. It.was.a.mess!! My mom came in laughing after shrieking my name a few times! Apparently, I have to add more sugar if I add too much water!

Ingredients
(taken from the Better Homes & Garden cookbook)
4 3/4 c sifted powdered sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c margarine or butter, softened
1/3 c boiling water
1 tsp vanilla

Mix powdered sugar & cocoa. Add margarine, boiling water, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed till combined. Cool for 20-30 minutes or till of spreading consistency. Frosts tops & sides of two 8 or 9 inch cake layers.

Amy's Notes: OK, I don't sift my powdered sugar. And I didn't know there was "sweetened cocoa powder!" I always use butter... and I now make sure my frosting is the right consistency before I frost. Sometimes that means adding more water b/c it's just too thick for me to spread. Don't want to get crumbs on my frosting! AND.. most importantly! Put your bowl in the sink when you mix this up w/ your electric mixer. Otherwise the fudge frosting will fly EVERYWHERE! Better to trap it in the sink than wiping if off the walls.

Warning! Warning! Warning! This recipe is VERY rich! But very delicious! Have milk on hand!

.... crock pot pinto beans

2010-02-07T20:08:00.003-06:00

I think I did it!! I found THE recipe for our pinto beans!! I always add too little water (which result in dry beans, or burnt if you are like me...), or not enough flavoring (which turn out to be BLAND beans), or the WRONG flavors....

However, I've been playing around for 13 years people... 13 years trying to find the right combination. I think I found it. So easy, and SO few ingredients!! My husband LOVES pinto beans, so we stock up on pinto beans from the cannery. It's a great CHEAP dinner... and lots of possibilities you can do with beans. Make a "build your own dinner w/ pinto beans", or beans with fried potatoes & cornbread... or... well, that's all that I do, really. Just those two type of dinners.

Anyways, here is what I use:

Ingredients
2 cups dried pinto beans
6 cups of water
1 can of Rotel (you determine spicy level)
3 cut up pieces of bacon
salt

First, measure out your beans, and put it in a colander. Take out all the halved pieces.. and rocks. I would like to know how rocks get in here! Rinse it. Put a liner in your crockpot (it's a MUST for me nowadays!), and dump the rinsed beans inside. Place the water (you can add 8 cups if you want....). Dump the can of rotel, or any off brand of tomatoes with chile's (I also like Aldi's brand!). Cut up the bacon (leave it raw), and dump it inside the crockpot.

Turn it on high and let it cook all day. When it's near the time to eat, taste it, and add salt. I typically have to salt, then taste, then salt some more, and taste again. The bacon & the Rotel gives it a great taste! Now, I did try the HOT Rotel once, and let me tell you, my husband LOVED it, but it was WAY too hot for me & the girls!! So, we stick with the regular Rotel. We're creampuffs......

Maddie & I love our beans over Frito's with sour cream & cheese. Mike & Katie eat the beans as a burrito. We also make "Big Daddies", which are fried flour tortillas and you basically build it up as a tostada. Make sure to add diced pickles at the end for that dinner! Yumm!

cast iron green beans

2010-02-05T18:00:00.000-06:00

This recipe is hands down, my most favorite side vegetable. It's probably not THE healthiest for you, but man oh man, is it my favorite!! This works best in a cast iron skillet.

Cut up in small piece, 3 slices of bacon. Chop up about 1/3 of an onion. Saute it in the skillet until the bacon is almost done cooking. When this is done, add 3 cans drained green beans (the cut kind, not the french style green beans).

Sprinkle salt & pepper over the green beans, and let it cook on medium for about 10-15 minutes, stirring every now & then.

Take a few bites here & there until it has reached PERFECTION!!

cream of anything soup

2010-02-04T21:17:00.003-06:00

**disclaimer: I have NOT made this soup, but every woman in my family has made this over & over & over again.... using different vegetables. I subscribed YEARS ago to this "receive a new recipe every day" via email, and this was one of the recipes. My aunt & my grandma both say this is THE best recipe they have ever tried, and have thanked me over & over & over again for this recipe.

I have yet to try it, but if these awesome ladies who are amazing cooks love this recipe, chances are, it's a winner!

In a soup pot melt & brown: 4 tbsp butter & 4 tbsp flour

Add: 1 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, dash cayenne pepper

Add: 1 1/2 c milk, 2 c chicken broth, 1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash, 1 tsp onion powder or chopped onion

Choose & add one of the following vegetables (pureed or chopped) & the corresponding seasonings:

*2 c asparagus + 1 tsp lemon juice, dash of ground nutmeg or mace

*1 1/2 c green beans + 1/2 tsp thyme, dash garlic powder, 1 bay leaf

* 1 c carrots + 1 Tbsp parsley, 1/2 tsp basil

*2 c cauliflower + 1/2 tsp curry powder

*1 1/2 c zucchini + dash nutmeg

*1 1/2 c mushroom + dash nutmeg

If you try this recipe out, let me know which vegetable you tried, and what tastes the best!!

homemade hot fudge

2010-01-26T21:04:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago we had a few of Mike's work friends over, and for dessert we had brownie fudge sundae. I've been wanting to try this recipe of homemade hot fudge for SO long (like years!). Instead of forking over $2-3 for a small jar of hot fudge, I was able to make this for much cheaper, and had SO much leftover!

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 can evaporated milk
2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Melt the butter in a pan, adding the chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Add the evaporated milk and the powdered sugar. Bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp vanilla.

butter yaki & won tons

2010-01-17T19:15:00.002-06:00

In continuing with my winter vacation stories.... I have to show the pictures of a big tradition that my family has. Ever since I was a little girl, we have made a dinner called "butter yaki". Now, my spelling of this Japanese dinner might be off, but in short, you cook it in an electric skillet, using butter to cook the vegetables & marinated meat. My family "adopted" a man named Floyd, who lived in Kansas City to go to dental school when I was little. He was the one who taught the family this amazing meal. I have also heard he named his daughter after me as well.... :)

There is a lot of preparation for this dinner. My parents start soaking the chicken (or steak) in homemade teriyaki sauce the night before. My mom likes to cut up the meat when it's still partially frozen and cuts it very thin (that way it cooks faster). Then she pours the marinade over the meat and places it back in the fridge.

We use all different kinds of vegetables. Broccoli, sprouts, potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, snow peas... you name it! We all give our opinion on what we want in our stir fry....

This is my dad. He's the cook of the night... always the cook the night we have butter yaki. It's just the way we roll in our family. Dad cooks the butter yaki. He takes a little of each ingredient and stirfries it... and serves it to us. Then he does it again: melt butter, add meat, & add veggies. He usually does about 3-4 rounds of this. We always have leftovers. Mom makes the rice and fries the won tons. Oh, won tons you asked? Now, THIS, is my most favorite food in the ENTIRE world. Other than chocolate. Every year my mom always asks me what I want for my birthday dinner, and it's always won tons. I would be perfectly happy with just won tons. Nothing else.

It also takes a bit of time to prep these babies. You mix up the mixture of chicken, green onions, soy sauce & egg whites. Then you buy the won ton wrappers, spread a little in the middle, and fold it accordingly. My girls are now helping with the job that my brother and I held for so many years. I love teaching them the tricks that I learned... {use the fingers!}

Then, my mom fries them. Yummm! Keeps them warm in the oven until it's time to eat.

In order to fully appreciate won tons, we dip them in a sauce made out of mustard & soy sauce. One can also use plum sauce. Very delicious!

My dad this year made virgin strawberry margaritas for us (the kind in the bucket, w/ ginger ale). Again, a very special dinner for our family! We don't get it often, but when we do get it, it's a special treat for us!

Won Tons:
1 chicken breast
2 egg whites
4-5 green onions
soy sauce (dribble)

Put all in a food processor and blend (process? mince?)

Spoon a small amount in the middle of a won ton wrapper, place water on the outside edges of the wrapper, fold into a triangle, then take the corner and fold into the top part of the triangle. Do this for the opposite side. Place on a cookie sheet that has cornstarch on the bottom to prevent sticking while it's waiting to fry!

Teriyaki Marinade
1 3/4 c water
grated ginger root (fresh!) -- maybe a tbsp?
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c soy sauce

Heat water, then add brown sugar so it melts. It's always equal parts brown sugar & soy sauce, and double that amount in water. So if you need to marinate a TON of meat, then that's the portions you need to use!

the most beautiful gingerbread cookies ever

2010-01-10T19:27:00.003-06:00

my friend kristen is amazing. she came in carting these type of cookies at church one sunday for the young women. i was jealous. they were too beautiful to eat! then one day, katie babysat for kristen, and came home with a bag of these babies! they were the best gingerbread cookies i have ever eaten! i took several pictures because they were simply a work of art.... and i begged kristen for the recipe. she was so sweet, and she gave me the recipe! i have a few other recipes of hers to share later on as well! she said she got it from her husband's aunt, who got it from possibly the mormon essentials cookbook. Enjoy!

Cast of Characters
aka ingredients

5 to 5 1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp b soda
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 1/4 c unsulphered molasses
(Kristen prefers Brer Rabbit Full Flavor, but couldn't find it, so used Grandma's)
2 eggs, beaten

Melt shortening in large saucepan until just melted, not hot. Add in order: sugar, molasses and eggs; mix well. Cool slightly, then add four cups dry ingredients and mix well. Turn mixture onto lightly floured surface. Knead in remaining dry ingredients by hand. Add a little more flour, if necessary, to make a firm dough.

Roll out dough- bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes

i will post the royal icing recipe she used shortly!

holiday pretzel treat

2009-12-14T22:08:00.003-06:00

A few years ago, I found this recipe, and it was so incredibly easy, that I put my then little kids to work on helping me make these yummy treats. Since then, my girls have made these every year. It's a family favorite (OK, it's a favorite b/c I don't have to bake or slave over a stove... they can do it all!).

Preheat oven to 170 degrees.

Place a bunch of square pretzels on a cookie sheet. Line then up as close as possible.

(note to myself: comb Maddie's hair before pictures are taken! EEKS!)

This is where your kids come in handy! Make them unwrap a bunch of Hershey kisses. It'll take a while. Trust me. Oh, and buy a few bags of kisses b/c chances are, they all won't make it to the cookie sheet.

Place the Hershey kisses on top of the pretzel.

Place in the oven and leave for 4-6 minutes. I had to leave for 7 minutes b/c my chocolate was still too hard by 6 minutes.

Dump some M&M's on the table.

When you pull out the cookie sheet, immediately have your kids put one M&M on top of each kiss, squooshing it down.

Tada! Place in fridge for about 10 minutes to harden up!

You could also use a Rolo candy with a nut squishing it down! A turtle!

Cheddar Chowder

2009-12-06T17:31:00.002-06:00

I had this years ago at a bridal shower, and it was so divine! So fattening too! Serve this with warm bread and a salad on the side!

Ingredients for soup:
2 c diced potatoes
1/2 c diced carrots
1/2 c diced celery
1/4 c chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 c water

Ingredients for white sauce:
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
2 c milk
2 c grated cheese
1 c cubed ham

Mix all vegetables except white sauce ingredients and bring to boil. Boil for 10-12 minutes while making the white sauce.

To make the white sauce: melt butter in a saucepan and add flour to make a paste. Add milk and stir constantly over low to medium head. Heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add cheese. Pour sauce into vegetables (do not drain the water!) and add ham. Heat thoroughly and serve!

Amy's Notes: I buy the small packages of diced ham found in the meat department by the bacon & lunch meats. It's the perfect size!

Potato Soup

2009-12-06T17:27:00.002-06:00

I love a good, warm, hearty soup on a cold winter night! This is definitely hearty!

Ingredients:
5+ potatoes
1 small onion
2-3 stalks celery
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c evaporated milk
2 tbsp margarine
1 can cream of chicken soup
a little water & a lot of salt & pepper
Mrs. Dash
shredded cheese (optional)

Peel & cut potatoes. Dice up onions & celery. Boil potatoes, onion, & celery until tender. Drain and mash a little. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until warm. I add Mrs Dash because it gives it a little bit of a different taste! Top with cooked bacon, chives, cheese, etc if you'd like!

The key here is to add until it tastes perfect! (and I'm talking about the salt, pepper & Mrs Dash).

saucy parmesan chicken

2009-11-30T20:45:00.001-06:00

Found this amazing recipe in the Kraft's magazine a few years ago. This is a keeper! And it's FAST!

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken breasts (I use chicken strips/tenders)
1/4 c Italian dressing
1/4 c parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients in a resealable bag. Turn over several times to coat well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate, making sure chicken is not overlapping each other. Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken on a piece of foil. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Amy's Note: I use the cheapest Italian dressing I can find. It works just as well as the expensive stuff!! I also use the chicken strips/tenders for this recipe. Also this recipe is great with buttered parmesan noodles!

chicken parmesan strips

2009-11-30T20:40:00.002-06:00

My grandma gave me this Weight Watchers recipe a few years ago, and it's HEALTHY!! It's also very yummy! My girls love this recipe! I love to stock up on the chicken tenders/strips when they're on sale and use it in this recipe.

Ingredients
1 lb chicken strips
1/2 c skim milk
1/3 c nonfat dry bread crumbs
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp black pepper

Place chicken in shallow bowl and cover with milk. Cover & refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours. Combine rest of ingredients. Dip chicken pieces into crumb mixture to coat well. Place on sprayed baking sheet. Spray each piece of chicken with olive oil spray. Bake 20 minutes or until brown and done. {bake at 350 I think ... maybe it's 400?! Just watch it!)

Amy's Note: I only have Italian bread crumbs on hand, so it gives an extra taste! I also don't spray each chicken piece with olive oil spray. You don't need it!

fruit dip

2009-11-30T20:34:00.002-06:00

Years ago, when I worked/helped at the LDS Mission home preparing for new missionaries to enter the mission field, (and where said goodbye to the old missionaries), the Mission President's wife gave me a few recipes that are keepers. Here is one of them:

Ingredients
1 jar marshmallow cream
1 container whipped strawberry cream cheese
1/2 container Cool Whip

Mix together and serve with fruit!

Very delicious!

mayonnaise cake

2009-11-30T20:30:00.001-06:00

I know... the name sounds gross, right? But, it's the moistest, chocolatey'est (is that a word?) cake ever! And it's the ONLY thing I eat with homemade ice cream!

Mix together:
2 c sifted flour
2 tsp baking soda
3 large tbsp cocoa & more (& more?? How much is.... & more? I don't know!)

Add:
1 c cold water
1 c sugar
1 c salad dressing (y'know, mayonnaise?! Salad dressing! The cheap stuff!)
1 tsp vanilla

When mixed, pour in greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

chocolate angel food cake

2009-11-30T20:27:00.000-06:00

Since I'm on a roll, and I'm doing chocolate stuff, here is another favorite my mom made when I was growing up. This is soooo yummy!

Ingredients
2 12 oz pkg chocolate chips
4 eggs, separated
1 pint whipped cream (or 2 containers Cool Whip)
2 tbsp sugar (do not use if you're using Cool Whip)
1 Angel food cake
1 c nuts, chopped

Melt chocolate chips. Add egg yolks and beat. Set aside and let cool. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold in egg whites, then the Cool Whip. Break the cake in pieces and put in a 9x13 pan. Cover cake with chocolate mix. Sprinkle with nuts (I hate nuts in my food, so I disregard). Chill several hours. Can be made one day ahead!

chocolate mousse pie

2009-11-30T20:21:00.002-06:00

Yummmm.... I love this frozen pie. My mom used to make this pie for Thanksgiving dinner, after the French Silk pie was retired from Thanksgiving at our house.

Ingredients:

1 pkg Baker's German Sweet Chocolate Bar
1/3 c milk
2 tbsp sugar
1 3 oz softened cream cheese
1 container Cool Whip
1 8-inch graham cracker crust

Heat chocolate and 2 tbsp of the milk in saucepan over low heat, stirring until chocolate is melted. Beat sugar into cream cheese; adding remaining milk & chocolate mix and beat until smooth. Fold chocolate mixture into whipped topping, blending until smooth. Spoon into crust. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours. Store in freezer.

rod's super fudge

2009-11-30T20:16:00.004-06:00

Since it's the holidays, and that means my favorite foods come out at this time of the year! Every year since I can remember, as soon as Thanksgiving came, my dad whipped out his famous fudge. (hence the name "Rod's Super Fudge"). This is a family favorite, which has become MY family favorite, and it's the most requested recipe to have or thing I'm requested to make! The tip to this recipe is to keep the fudge COLD after you make it! Don't let it get to room temperature otherwise it's not as awesome.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
4 c sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 pkg chocolate chips (try milk choc or semi-sweet, they both give different flavors!)
2 giant sized Hershey bars
1 jar marshmallow cream
1 c nuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter, sugar & milk in huge saucepan; after it starts boiling, cook for 5 minutes at a rolling boil. Remove from heat and beat in remaining ingredients. Will make one 9x13 pan and 1 9x9 pan of fudge, or will fit one cookie sheet (jelly roll pan). Let cool in fridge & cut. Make sure you keep it cold (best when it's cold!) and keep in airtight container.

Amy's Notes: Last year I noticed Hershey's stopped making their usual giant sized Hershey bars candy bar. Bummer. I used the slightly smaller bars, but I could tell it didn't taste as 100% as it could. This year I'm going to use another bar, but maybe half of a bar?

Another tip to have, is to have every ingredient unwrapped and ready to go. This is a FAST thing to make, and you're not going to have time to unwrap each thing and put it in. So prepare beforehand!

pumpkin pancakes

2009-10-21T21:38:00.003-05:00

I found this amazing recipe on allrecipes.com last Saturday morning. I had about a cup full of canned pumpkin leftover from my pumpkin cookies and I didn't want it to go to waste. I found this, and it was AMAZING! My girls loved this.... Mike didn't touch it though (said something about not liking pumpkin, but he loves his pumpkin pie.... go figure!). Even more, Katie requested this for her birthday breakfast in January! Can you say... Ka-CHING?! Winner!!

Ingredients:

2 c flour

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 c milk

1 c pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp vinegar

In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil & vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough until combine.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle. Use approximately 1/4 c for each pancake. Brown on both sides & serve hot. Warm your syrup!!

Amy's Notes: I didn't have allspice. So, I used a whole bunch of pumpkin pie spice (like 2 tsp?) and it was still good.

{Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies}

2009-10-11T17:29:00.003-05:00

My mom made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies every Thanksgiving (well, maybe a few years she made them). She used mini chocolate chips in it, and they were "oh... SO moist!" I fell in love with them. But, I kept hearing several friends tell me "try THIS recipe, it's the BEST", and so this year, I am trying a new recipe. It's my friend Rachel's recipe. I had to change it around a bit due to some of the ingredients I was short on, but it still is a very moist, yummy cookie!!

Ingredients
1 c butter

1 c shortening

2 c sugar
2 c pumpkin
2 eggs
2 c chocolate chips
4 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Cream shortening, sugar, pumpkin and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips, Bake until light brown (about 10 minutes). Bake at 350 for 10 min.

Amy's notes: I used mini chocolate chips, a full 12 oz bag. That way, you definitely get SOME chocolate on each cookie. Also, this cookie does not spread while baking. So, when usually you can get 12 cookies on a cookie sheet, you can get about 18-20 cookies or even more b/c you can space them together very closely. This entire recipe makes about 5-7 dozen (I stopped counting b/c I was eating them as I was baking.....)

caribbean lime coolers

2009-08-02T17:23:00.003-05:00

This recipe was featured in Betty Crocker's Cookies & Bars magazine this month, and it is out of this world! So delicious! If you love anything citrusy, then THIS is your cookie to try!

Caribbean Lime Coolers
(makes 2 1/2 dozen)

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/2 c coconut
1 tbsp grated lime peel (about 1 lime)
3 tablespoons lime juice (or about 2 limes)
6 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1/4 c powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, coconut, lime juice, lime peel, butter & egg until soft dough forms.
2. On ungreased cookie sheets (I used parchment paper), drop dough by level tablespoons 2 inches apart (or do like Maddie did to get 4 dozen: make them really really tiny)
3. Bake 9-13 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4. With small strainer, sift powdered sugar over cooled cookies. Store covered @ room temperature.

homemade chocolate cupcakes

2009-07-04T14:24:00.004-05:00

I recently found an awesome cupcake recipe on Bakerella .... a really cool blog dedicated to all things yummy & bake-able. (just click on the word Bakerella if you wish to see the website) She made cupcakes by scratch. Whoa.... by scratch? Never done it before! I'm usually using my trusty box of cake mix. However, this recipe was from Martha Stewart, and how could it be bad if it's from Martha Stewart??!! Well, the recipe was SO simple, so easy..... and involved few ingredients and ONE bowl! Away I baked...... and they were SO delicious! WAY better than cake mix cupcakes, I must say!

My fudge frosting is from my Betty Crocker recipe book. I use it on ALL of my chocolate cakes. So incredibly yummy!

Ingredients

Makes 18 to 24

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup warm water

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons safflower oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Amy's Notes: This was very runny batter ~ and I was very hesitant that I did it right (since cake mix batter isn't very runny)... but it's supposed to be runny, so you did it right! If you don't have buttermilk, just take 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar & add enough whole milk to make a cup, let sit for 5 minutes!

No-Cook Fudge Frosting

(from Betty Crocker's recipe book)

Cast of Characters:

4 3/4 c sifted powdered sugar

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 c margarine or butter, softened

1/3 c boiling water

1 tsp vanilla

Mix powdered sugar & cocoa. Add margarine, boiling water, and vanilla. Best w/ an electric mixer on low speed till combined. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Cool for 20-30 minutes or till or spreading consistency. Frosts tops & sides of two 8 or 9 inch cake layers.

chipotle's basmati rice

2009-06-23T17:35:00.002-05:00

I love Chipotle's rice they add to the burrito bowls! It is SO yummy! Thankfully, I found the recipe online, and it is a TRUE recipe that they use!

Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter

2 tsp. fresh cilantro

2/3 cup white basmati rice

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Lime

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

Add cilantro after fluffing rice.

chocolate covered bananas

2009-06-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

My grandma made this for me when I was a kid... and I.LOVED.IT!

I think she dipped hers in chocolate chips that were melted. Then sometimes she rolled the banana in nuts.

My mom made some too, but she used Magic Shell, and those were so yummy too!

Peel & cut your bananas in half, and stick a popsicle stick in the middle of each one. Place on a tray and put in freezer for 3 hours.

Maddie brought home some Heath Magic Shell from a leftover ice cream party. I put it in the fridge.

Apparently it is the WRONG thing to do, because it was hard. There was a little section on the back (in tiny letters, I have to add!) that says "DO NOT REFRIGERATE!" Oops! So, I ran under hot water for a few minutes until I had some that poured out. The Magic Shell will harden almost immediately, so you will not be able to roll in nuts, M&M's or anything fun.

If you wish to use melted chocolate chips, don't freeze your banana first.... chop your banana in half, then roll in chocolate, then you can easily roll in a bowl full of nuts, chopped M&M's, etc. Just place in freezer for a few hours.

blueberry streusel scones

2009-06-09T08:03:00.005-05:00

I'm on a scone making kick, and I found this recipe online (joyofbaking.com), and just HAD to try it out! When blueberries finally went on sale, I bought a pint and went to work!

Ingredients

2 c flour

1/4 c sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

6 tbsp chilled butter

1 c fresh blueberries

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c cream or milk

Streusel Topping

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp chilled butter

For the scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Cut the butter into small pieces & blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the blueberries. In a small measuring cup combine the cream, beaten egg & vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently for or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut the circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk.

For the streusel topping: in a small bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender (or fork), cut in the butter until crumbly. Top each scone with a teaspoon or two of the streusel mixture.

Bake the scones until nicely browned @ 425 degrees, about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These are best eaten the day they are made, but can be covered and stored for a few days!

Amy's Notes: I used buttermilk instead of milk or cream, just because I've been using buttermilk with all my other scone recipes. If you use frozen blueberries, do not thaw first! Also, the recipe calls for unsalted butter, which I never have on hand. I used both salt & salted butter, and it tasted fine. You could just omit the salt if using salted butter. Also, make sure you bake on parchment paper! This always helps when baking cookies, scones, etc!

Orange Cranberry Scones

2009-05-22T20:26:00.004-05:00

picture by me

This is the same similar scone recipe as the Cinnamon Raisin Scones, but a few ingredients have changed.

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour

3 3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 c sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 stick butter

1 c buttermilk

1/2 c cranberries (or Craisins)

zest of 1 orange

Glaze
1 c powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp orange juice

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse & crumbly. Add cranberries & orange zest. Stir in buttermilk to form a soft dough. Turn out (knead just a little bit, to bring it together) on a floured surface. You can either cut in circles, or place in a big circle (leave it about 1 inch high) and cut in half, then cut 4-5 triangles on each side.

Place scones on a baking sheet. (I used parchment paper under my scones!). Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes (depending on what size they are.... I had to let mine bake for 15 minutes), or until your toothpick comes clean. Brush with glaze when they are hot!

Cinnamon Raisin Scones

2009-05-22T20:24:00.004-05:00

picture by me

My sister in law Rachel gave me this recipe. I made this for the first time yesterday, and WOW! It was amazing!!

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
3 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c raisins
2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze

1 c powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp milk
couple shakes of cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse & crumbly. Add raisins. Stir in buttermilk to form a soft dough. Turn out (knead just a little bit, to bring it together) on a floured surface. You can either cut in circles, or place in a big circle (leave it about 1 inch high) and cut in half, then cut 4-5 triangles on each side.

Place scones on a baking sheet. (I used parchment paper under my scones!). Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes (depending on what size they are.... I had to let mine bake for 15 minutes), or until your toothpick comes clean. Brush with glaze when they are hot!

friendly french bread

2009-05-05T16:45:00.002-05:00

This recipe is from a friend in Overland Park. She is a fantastic baker. She shared her recipe a few months ago on her blog, and I have since made this twice, and each time it was "ooh, so yummy!"

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c hot water

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

1/3 c olive oil

2 tbsp SAF yeast

6 c white flour

Combine water, sugar, salt, olive oil, and 3 cups flour in mixer. Add yeast and then add the last 3 cups of flour. Lex mix until well combined, and then let rest for 10 minutes. Mix again for just 5 seconds, then let rest for another 10 minutes. Do this a total of 4 times and then put dough on floured surface. Knead to handle stage. Cut into 2 equal parts and roll each into a 9x12 rectangle. At this stage, you can put butter and garlic powder on the dough, or pesto sauce or just leave plain (whatever you like). Roll up and cinch the seam together and put both facing each other on a cookie sheet, seam side down. Slash the top with a sharp knife 3 times and brush with a beaten egg on top. Let rise for 30 minutes and then bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, in the middle of the oven. Voila! Crispy on the outside, soft & delicious on the inside!

Makes TWO big loaves!

mike's favorite banana nut cake

2009-04-21T11:31:00.004-05:00

Mike loves his Grandma... even more when she made him his favorite cake. Traditionally it's in a jelly roll pan (big oversized cookie sheet), with sliced bananas on top with whipped cream over that. Here is Grandma's Banana Nut Cake (or otherwise known as "Mike's Favorite Banana Nut Cake").

Ingredients:

2 c mashed bananas (4-5 bananas)
1 c buttermilk
1 c margarine
2 c sugar
3 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, separated
2 1/4 c sifted flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 c chopped nuts

Sift flour 4 times, then measure. sift all other dry ingredients 4 times (except sugar). Cream sugar & margarine. Add egg yolk then sifted flour. Mix, add milk, mix, add bananas & nuts. Add rest of dry ingredients. Fold in stiffly beatened egg whites. Bake in greased & floured deep cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Put in refrigerator after cool. When ready to eat, slice bananas and place on top. Whip real cream w/ 1/2 c sugar & place on top.

Amy's Note:
The first time I made this recipe, it took me FOREVER! So, I decided that the next time I made it, I wasn't going to sift my flour, and it still turned out great. I'm going to make it today in a bundt pan, but I'm not going to stiffen my egg whites either. I'll let you know if it turns out or not. :)

ETA: OK, Mike refused to touch it in a bundt pan. ::GRR:: I guess he wanted to put his sliced bananas & whipped cream on top, and doing it in a bundt pan didn't allow him that freedom. However, it was very delisious. I kept it in the fridge!

{amy's chocolate chip cookie}

2009-04-15T09:12:00.002-05:00

This is actually the recipe from the back of Nestle's Tollhouse cookie recipe. This is literally the ONLY recipe that I can make a darn good chocolate chip cookie. I don't know why, but it's the only one. My trick is to use half shortening, and half butter (that is left at room temperature!). Oh, and I watch the timer, and pull the cookie sheet out when the cookies are just starting to turn a little bit brown, but not quite. They still remain very movable after they cool when I do that. Love these cookies!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 c butter (1/2 c shortening 1/2 c butter)

3/4 c sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 pkg chocolate chips

Combine flour, soda & salt. Put aside. Beat butter that is at room temperature (DO NOT MELT!!) & shortening with sugars, eggs & vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool and eat!

Amy's Notes:

**My mom introduced me to parchment paper. Now I never do any baking without this. My cookies literally slide off my cookie sheet and are baked PERFECTLY with this stuff!

**I never combine my flour, soda & salt and set aside. I do it all in one pan, but just start w/ the butter/eggs/sugar first, then add the flour, soda & salt. I'm too lazy to dirty up more dishes, I guess...

{red beans & rice}

2009-04-15T09:07:00.002-05:00

I've made this a couple times in my married life. It's a huge dish, but it's very delicious!! It's a little spicy, but not too bad.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 c brown or white rice

1 c canned tomatoes (1 can)

1 c grated cheese

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 c cooked red beans (1 can), drained

2 1/2 c water

Heat oil, add onion & garlic, cook over medium heat until soft. Add rice and stir to coat. Add tomatoes, break them up with a spoon. Add chili powder, sugar, salt & cayenne pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add beans & water. (use liquid from tomatoes, if they were canned!). Add cheese. Transfer to an 8 cup casserole and bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour.

{black beans & corn salsa}

2009-04-15T09:02:00.003-05:00

My mom gave me this recipe. I love it. You can make it as mild as you like, to as hot & spicy as you'd like. I like mild. I want to be able to eat. :)

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can corn, drained

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 c diced red onion

Dressing:

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt & pepper, each

4-6 tbsp lime juice

**can add 1/4 c cilantro

**can add pickled jalapeno slices

Mix & let flavors mingle overnight, if possible. At least 4 hours if you can't let it sit overnight. You can also add green peppers, tomatoes, chopped parsley, garlic, etc... if you want to add some different types of veggies, flavors, colors, etc. Just remember to keep the proportions the same as above.

Serve with tortilla chips, or on salads!

Amy's Notes:

**I always start with 4 tbsp of the lime juice and adjust my taste to the dressing.

{cheesy asparagus}

2009-04-13T09:14:00.004-05:00

Last week I was thumbing through my huge stack of magazines that are piling up on me. I found this recipe that looked pretty yummy & simple. I love simple. Anything that is few ingredients, I'm going to try. I made this for the first time yesterday for Easter dinner, and it was a winner.

Ingredients:

1 lb trimmed asparagus

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp each salt & pepper

1/3 c grated parmesan cheese

lemon zest

Toss 1 bunch (1 lb) trimmed asparagus in 1 tbsp olive oil with 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper. Spread in an even layer on a baking pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 c grated parmesan cheese (not the stuff you put on spaghetti... the real stuff!). Roast at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with lemon zest.

Amy's Notes:

*I could do without the lemon zest. It was good with it on ... but it also made me think "uhh.. I can also do without as well". The family loved this recipe! Even my picky Katie ate seconds on it, so it for SURE is a winner!

*Leave the asparagus in a long stem. Just trim the bottom portion of the vegetable.

{potato casserole}

2009-04-13T09:09:00.003-05:00

This yummy recipe is always made on holidays for my family. Why only the holidays? Because it's loaded with tons of fat (sour cream, butter, cheese, etc), and frankly because it costs so much money to make! We love it so much though.... I think I need to start making it more often and just freeze half of it in the freezer (9x9 pans). This dish generally goes by Holiday Potatoes, Funeral Potatoes, but I just call it potato casserole.

Ingredients:

3 - 12 oz pkg shredded hash browns, thawed

1/2 c melted butter

1/2 c diced onion

salt, pepper

1 can cream of chicken soup

12 oz sour cream

10 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Mix together, bake at 45 minutes at 350 degrees in a greased 9x13 pan.

Amy's Notes:

*After several years of getting tired of biting into onions that still tasted a bit strong, I started sauteeing them a bit before I added them to the recipe. It takes out the strong onion taste, but still adds to the recipe!

{coca cola ham}

2009-04-12T20:44:00.003-05:00

This is more of a reminder to myself of what TO do the next time I bake a ham. Considering it was the first time I've ever made ham...... ever, it turned out REALLY awesome. I'm typing it up so I don't forget how I made it. It's going to look a little juvenile the way I type it, but oh well..

I had a spiral cut ham (bone-in). It came w/ a packet of honey glaze that I had to add water & heat up on the stove.

I poured a can of Coke on the bottom of my huge roasting pan, and dumped the ham face down (tiny part of the ham was sticking up). Covered it all with foil. Then, I didn't baste it. Couldn't find my baster thing. I was supposed to, but it turned out delicious without basting it.

I baked it for 1 hour at 350 (it was cooked already), then took it out, place it on my roaster flat (skinny part of the ham was laying sideways now), separated some of the slices, and spread the glaze over it. Then baked it for another 10 minutes at 425.

It was so delicious.....

{creamy parmesan mashed potatoes}

2009-04-10T21:23:00.003-05:00

(picture is not mine... it's Kraft's)

I love my Kraft Food & Family magazine. It's free, and comes out every quarter. I have tried numerous recipes from them, and they ALL are delicious. This recipe came from my new magazine. We tried it tonight, and it is most definitely a WINNER (and a keeper!). It isn't very calorie friendly, but I think if you use low-fat (or even fat free) cream cheese & sour cream, it could be a little friendlier to your hips.

Ingredients:

2 lb. red potatoes (about 8), cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz of Philadelphia's 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, cubed
1/2 cup Light Sour Cream
3 Tbsp KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

PLACE potatoes in large saucepan. Add broth; cover. Bring to boil on high heat; simmer on medium heat 15 min., stirring after 8 min. Uncover; stir potatoes. Simmmer, uncovered, 5 to 6 min. or until potatoes are tender and most of broth is absorbed.

ADD cream cheese. Reduce heat to low. Mash potatoes slightly until cream cheese is melted. Add sour cream and Parmesan; mash until potatoes are smooth and heated through.

Amy's Notes:

**I thought "uhh... 1 cup of broth isn't enough!" well, it is, and I drained part of my entire can of chicken broth out of my pan to make it about 1 cup of broth. Just make sure you follow the directions CLOSELY!! It really does resemble the mashed potatoes you might find at Applebee's or Chili's!

{crumb top for pies}

2009-04-09T10:47:00.002-05:00

My sister in law Tiffany gave me this recipe, and hands down it's one of my favorite crumb recipes ever! I used this recipe to teach a "how to make an apple pie" class at our church's women's group years ago. It was "ooh'd" and "ahh'd" over & over. I think this would work well on peach pies, apple pies... anything! And, it saves me time from having to make a double pie crust (which I dislike very much!)

Ingredients:

2/3 c brown sugar

1/2 c flour

1/2 c oats

1/3 c softened butter

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients with a pastry blender or a fork. Sprinkle over the top of any kind of fruit pie (apple, peach, etc) or a crisp. Bake as directed with your pie.

Amy's Notes:

*If you forgot to pull your stick of butter out of the fridge or freezer to soften, pull it out, slice it through and lay it out in a circle. It will soften within minutes.

*Adding coconut is an option as well.....

{single pie crust}

2009-04-09T10:38:00.003-05:00

My grandma makes the best pies. Her pies are always so flaky. I'm not a big fan of pies, since it takes FOREVER to make one. But, I always get so many compliments on my pies every single time I make it, so it makes it worthwhile..... sometimes. :)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 c sifted regular flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c Crisco

3 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift flour before measuring, combine salt & flour. With a pastry blender, cut in Crisco until uniform; mixture should be fairly course. Sprinkle with water. Work dough into a firm ball with hands. Press dough into a flat circle with smooth edges (make sure flour is under your dough!!).

Amy's Notes:

*I have the hardest time transferring my pie crust over. Just wrap it around your rolling pin and transfer it over.

*I didn't add the baking time to bake this (sorry!), if you're making a cream pie. Most of my pies are apple or pumpkin, so it needs to be a raw dough when you add in the filling. If you do bake it by itself, then use a fork and punch holes throughout the pie so it doesn't bubble up, Then watch it carefully.

*One fun memory I have when my grandma or even my mom made pies. They would always use the leftover dough to make cinnamon crisps for us. LOVE it! So if you have leftovers, sprinkle cinnamon sugar on it and put it in the oven for your kids. :)

{lasagna}

2009-04-09T10:27:00.003-05:00

This is my mom's recipe. I had to have her come over one day after I was married to show me how to make it. It turned into an all day event. ::rolling eyes:: But, I have it down to a pat now, it DOESN'T take me all day, just an hour or less. :) Serve with a delicious salad & garlic bread.

Ingredients:

16 oz box lasagna noodles

1 egg

1 container cottage cheese (large)

2 tbsp parsley

parmesan cheese (1/4 cup in & on top)

2 - 8 oz mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 lb hamburger

1 onion, chopped

2 jars spaghetti sauce

Boil lasagna (see my notes!). Brown hamburger with onions in it. Drain the cottage cheese. Mix egg, cottage cheese, parsley, 1/4 c parmesan cheese, 1 package of mozzarella cheese & garlic powder. Mix spaghetti sauce with hamburger after it is browned & drained of fat. Spread a little sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan, layer with noodles, then add a little cheese mixture, then sauce. Do it again with noodles, cheese mixture then sauce, etc. Keep going until you get to the top or you run out of cheese mixture & sauce. Add another package of mozzarella cheese on the top, and sprinkle with 1/4 c of parmesan cheese. Bake for 40 minutes - 1 hour at 350. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Amy's Notes:

*I no longer boil my noodles. Some people prefer to boil the noodles, but now I save myself even more time and buy the "no boil" noodles. SO easy!

*I buy the cheap spaghetti sauce (like the 99 cents in a tin can kind). I can't taste a difference anyways, so why not go cheap? Especially with all the ingredients it can get a little expensive, cut corners on brand names whenever possible!

*Make SURE you let it sit for a bit before serving! Otherwise your beautiful lasagna will turn into a soup if you serve it immediately after pulling it out of the oven!

{green chili chicken enchiladas}

2009-04-09T10:18:00.002-05:00

This is the ONLY recipe I know by heart. Sad, isn't it?! It's not spicy at all, and only one kid will eat it (Katie refuses to eat anything Mexican, it seems... except burritos). This is made kind of in layers, so it's more of a casserole type of enchiladas than a rolled enchilada.

Ingredients:

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

1 can diced green chili

1 c diced onion

1 big can of chicken

corn tortillas

tons of grated cheese (1-2 bags)

OK... here is where it gets kind of tricky. If you want to make a full 9x13 pan, then double the chicken, green chilis, onion (but keep the cream of soups the same). I usually do a 9x9 pan, or a pan that is still rectangle but slightly smaller than 9x13.

Combine all the soups, chicken, onion (NOTE! I usually saute my onions a little first so it gets the strong "oniony" taste out a bit!!). Layer a thin spread of soup mix on bottom of dish. Layer with tortillas, soup mix, then cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Amy's Notes:

*Sometimes I make this and freeze it, so I have a fast meal on hand.

*I don't always use just cheddar cheese. Sometimes I've used a mixture of mozzarella cheese & cheddar (which is fantastic!), and also the Kraft brand "Mexican" mixture of cheese. That adds a little bit of zing to the taste, I think!!

*and I mentioned the onion. I saute my onions from now on b/c some onions I buy are just SO strong! When I saute them, it takes out the taste a bit.

*I'm too lazy to boil my chicken, then shred it. So, I just get out a can of chicken from my food storage/pantry and cut it open. Easy!

{fettuccini alfredo}

2009-04-09T10:11:00.004-05:00

I found this recipe on topsecretrecipes.com.... it's a knock off recipe from Olive Garden's Fettuccini Alfredo, and SO yummy (and very much high calorie... SORRY!!)! Sometimes I top it with grilled chicken, sometimes I don't. Serve it with a salad & long rolls, and it's perfecto!

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 c heavy whipping cream

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

pinch salt

1/2 c parmesan cheese

Melt butter in saucepan over medium/low heat. Add garlic, cream, salt & pepper and bring mixture to simmer. Turn head down if it reaches a rapid boil. Add cheese & continue to simmer for 8 minutes.

Amy's Notes:

*Make sure the water for the fettuccini is boiling when you start this, and dump the pasta in the water. This alfredo sauce will take awhile to cook (maybe 20 minutes?)....

*This sauce would also be good on a pizza with chicken on it!!

{peanut butter easter eggs}

2009-04-08T15:42:00.004-05:00

I found this on allrecipes.com, and I'm hoping to make this for this upcoming weekend!! There were too many "it's fantastic" reviews for it NOT to be bad, which is why I'm adding it before I'm even trying it!

Ingredients

1 (16 oz) package confectioners' sugar

1 c creamy peanut butter

1/4 c butter

1 tbsp milk

8 (1 oz) squares semi-sweet chocolate

1 tbsp shortening

In a mixing bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter & milk (if needed for moisture) until blended. Shape mixture into two 1/2 pound eggs or make a bunch of smaller eggs. Freeze eggs for 1 hour.

While the eggs are freezing, cut semi-sweet chocolate into small pieces & place in top of double broiler w/ shortening. Melt over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Stick a long-tined ford in top of each peanut butter egg, dip it in melted chocolate to cover then drain on waxed paper. When the eggs are cooled & set, decorate the eggs to suit your fancy.

Amy's notes:

*Use more milk if needed to bring it together (not so crumbly)

*Use milk chocolate chips for dipping

*some people liked using half chunky peanut butter & half creamy peanut butter

*lessen the amount of sugar if it is too sweet

*can use a heart shape for Valentine's Day, etc

{monkey bread}

2009-04-08T15:29:00.003-05:00

this recipe is from my friend Jenni back in Kansas... she made these one day just as an after school snack. I was amazed ANY woman would make anything w/ yeast & bread just for an afterschool snack!

Monkey Bread
Cream together:
2 T butter

2 T sugar
1 egg
1 t salt
1-2 T yeast

Add alternatively:
3-3 1/2 c flour
1 cup water

Let rise 20-25 minutes, then roll into a rectangle, and cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch squares (I used a pizza cutter), dip it in 1/3 c melted butter. I put these in a bundt pan (you'll lay these sporadically all over the pan) and let rise again. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350.

-----------------------------------------------------

I'm so inexperienced when it comes to letting dough rise, and I didn't use the type of yeast that doesn't need proofing, so if this turned out great, then I know this is a dummy's guide for great dinner rolls! Thankfully, the Texas heat really does a great job at letting dough rise (if I set it on the grill outside and NOT on the ground, it rises!!).

I have seen monkey bread also made where you cut them in circles, and line them up in a bundt pan standing up (circles standing up), then you can just pull them off.

Course, one friend used to dip hers in butterscotch pudding (the dry mix) then line them up circle wise. You can also dip these in butter, then dip again in cinnamon sugar, for a yummy breakfast treat!

{homemade banana ice cream}

2009-04-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

Using my family's basic recipe for homemade ice cream, we tweaked it a little one night and instead of making butterfinger ice cream (which is Mike's favorite of all), we made banana ice cream (I had 6 small bananas that needed to be disposed of, and fast!)

It was OUT OF THIS WORLD! and worthy of its own post. :)

Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Banana Ice Cream

2 cups sugar

6 eggs

6 bananas (we froze for an hour)

1 tsp of vanilla (or a little more if you like vanilla)

2 quarts of half & half

a little bit of milk if needed to fill the canister (which we didn't)

We took a blender and blended up 3 eggs, 3 bananas, 1 c sugar and some half & half then poured it in the ice cream maker container. Then we did it again w/ the rest of the ingredients. Freeze as directed according to your ice cream maker. FANTABULOUS!!

When we make butterfinger ice cream, we use 6 butterfinger bars, crushed, and lessen the sugar to 1 3/4 cup.

{knock off manwich}

2009-04-08T15:25:00.002-05:00

Knock Off Manwich

one 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp Worchestire sauce (or however you spell it)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Let simmer for about 5 minutes or so, and it's DONE! The mixture is enough for a pound of hamburger, so double accordingly if you have a huge family. I love this moreso than Manwich itself, which is almost too sweet in a way. This was a little sweet, but not overbearingly sweet.

Definitely a LOT cheaper than buying Manwich!

{broccoli cheese soup}

2009-04-08T15:24:00.000-05:00

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 c chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

1 (16 oz) pkg broccoli florets

2 ½ c milk1/3 c flour¼ tsp pepper

8 oz Velveeta

Heat large saucepan coated w/ cooking spray over medium high heat. Add onion & garlic, saute for 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and broccoli. Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Combine milk & flour, stirring until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat, add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Place 1/3 of soup in a blender or food processor (or hand blender) and blend until smooth.

Yield: 6 servings (1 1/3 cup each).

Both of my girls eat this…. and one of them HATES vegetables (Katie). VERY yummy with fresh bread or rolls on the side.

{strawberry mozzarella salad}

2009-04-08T15:20:00.003-05:00

My favorite salad in this entire world.... I tried this at my friend Mandi's house last year, and I slightly changed it a bit, but it's become my favorite salad hands down. I made this for our church's Christmas party, and it's been a hit since. I know the recipe has been passed too & from all parts of the US!

Add lettuce (the above was butter lettuce, which I'm not sure what that is, but I guess any kind of nice green lettuce will work), slice up some strawberries.

We had bought the small mozzarella balls and sliced those up, but I think those mozzarella sticks will work good too.

Then, crush up some candied pecans (we loved the glazed Pecan Pie flavored Pecans). Add those three ingredients to the lettuce.

Then, mix up these ingredients for the poppy seed dressing:
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
3/4 c oil
1/3 c sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp poppy seeds

Normally, one could add 1 tsp finely chopped red onion, but I had forgotten it, and it was still delicious! I did not pour all of the dressing over it, maybe about 1/4 cup. I saved the rest in one of my new "oh so cute" mason jars. I have managed to make this salad a few more times, and every time I eat it, I just am "mmmmm-ing" all over again!

{sweet 'n spicy pulled pork}

2009-04-08T15:18:00.001-05:00

So easy, only 3 ingredients. Eat your hearts out!

Sweet 'n Spicy Pulled Pork
1 1/2 c salsa (I used Pace Picante, medium)
1 1/2 c brown sugar
3-4 lbs pork roast

Mix the salsa & brown sugar together. Sit the pork roast in a crockpot, pour mixture over top of roast. Cook on high for 6-7 hours. It will shred by itself. I helped it along by shredding some more and pulling all the fat out at the end. No need to add water as the water will come out of the pork roast.

This recipe is so yummy, so moist, and yet sweet but a little spicy! I took those mini rolls from Sam's so we ate it like a sandwich. Mike wants me to add a habanera pepper next time. Yikes!

{golden sweet cornbread}

2009-04-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

Golden Sweet Cornbread
1 c flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
2/3 c white sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 c milk
1/3 c vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x9 pan w/ Pam. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeals, sugar, salt & baking powder. Stir in egg, milk & oil until well combined. Pour batter in pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

This is fantastic with butter & honey (or honeybutter!).

{chicken tortilla soup

2009-04-08T15:15:00.001-05:00

I have been dying to try my friend Calli's recipe of Chicken Tortilla Soup. I finally gathered all the ingredients for this soup, and after serving it to my family, it is a WINNER! Enjoy this recipe that will for sure keep you warm! Couple it up with my recipe for sweet cornbread, and you'll be in heaven!

Cindy's Famous Tortilla Soup

2 Chicken Breasts

5 Cloves of Garlic

1 Large Can (I think I used 3 normal sized cans) of Green Enchilada Sauce

3 (8oz) Cans of Tomato Sauce (I used 2-15 oz cans)

2 Cans of Corn (drained)

2 Cans of Sliced Olives (drained)

1/2 Teaspoon of Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

Cook the chicken breasts in enough water to cover along with the garlic, cumin, and salt. Take breasts out, cool, and shred. To the chicken water, add all the other ingredients. Bring to a slight boil, then turn down to medium and add chicken. Cook on med-low for about 10 minutes, or until chicken has had a chance to reheat. Put in a bowl and serve with cheese, sour cream, and shredded tortilla chips. I also didn't use sliced olives... I used chopped olives, but it still turned out very yummy!

{meatloaf}

2009-04-08T15:13:00.001-05:00

MEATLOAF

2 lbs ground beef

2 eggs, beaten
1 c oats
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped green pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp basil

Mix all together by hand and place in a loaf pan. Cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees, or until done.

{texas sized cinnamon rolls}

2009-04-08T15:08:00.003-05:00

OK... these probably aren't "Texas sized", but they were the largest cinnamon rolls I've made so far. My friend Lisa has 11 kids: 9 boys & 2 girls ~ surely she can make good rolls, right? I had her cinnamon rolls a few months ago, and I truly thought she bought them from the store. Imagine my surprise to see her super large pan filled w/ this amazing treat. Yes, she made them! From scratch! (I sometimes make my cinnamon rolls from frozen bread). So, I told her the next time she made the rolls, to let me know.

Sure enough, one Friday afternoon comes around and she's calling me on the phone! "Amy!! I'm making my rolls!" I said "OK, be there in 5 minutes!". So away I went, w/ a huge bowl in my hand, to learn all the secrets of cinnamon roll making (and I learned a lot!).

Cinnamon Rolls
makes 4 dozen
2 c milk + 1 stick butter
melt in the microwave, let cool a bit
Mix:
2 pkg yeast (that's under 1 tbsp x 2, so under 2 tbsp)
3 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
salt (1/2 tsp - 2 tsp)... says recipe calls for 2 tsp but she likes sweeter rolls,
so she uses about 1/2 tsp
Mix milk & flour stuff
Add 1 egg & beat
Add about 3 cups more flour

Knead for 10 minutes & rise for 1 hour or double in size (punch)

Roll out into rectable, and sprinkle cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, etc.

Do all that extra stuff you love, and let rise again, bake at 350 for about 14 minutes or until done.
Now, we did not use a mixer, we used our HANDS (and a whisk & wooden spoon)! Let me tell you, I am very grateful for my Kitchenaid mixer.... but I did learn that we can use our own hands for this, and it turns out just fine! I did also learn that when we roll it out, it should NOT stick to our rolling pin! Mine was always sticking.

Thanks Lisa for the great tuturial! My first batch (I had to bake them all in 3 pans) was undercooked (ugh), but my 2nd pan was a little overdone. One of these days I'll get it. Why does everyone else's rolls always turn out better than mine? After you pull them out of the oven, drizzle the frosting over it immediately.

Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (or almond extract)

{banana bread}

2009-04-08T15:01:00.004-05:00

One of my fastest & easiest banana bread recipes. This only makes one loaf, but it's incredibly moist & yummy! Sometimes I add in a handful of chocolate chips, and one can add nuts in it, but since I'm not partial to nuts in my food... I keep them out. :D

Ingredients:

1 c sugar

2 c flour

2 eggs

1/2 c oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 mashed bananas

Mix all well together. Bake at least 1 hour or until done at 350 degrees.

{easy raspberry lemonade}

2009-04-08T13:58:00.000-05:00

This recipe is perfect for a shower of any sort. Just add a few raspberries & mint leaves to a tray of ice cubes, cover with water & freeze. My family LOVES this recipe!!

Ingredients:

1 12 oz can frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate

3 c water

3/4 tsp lime juice

1 12 oz can lemon lime pop

1 c fresh raspberries, garnish (optional)

1 c crushed ice

1 c fresh mint, garnish (optional)

In a large punch bowl, combine raspberry lemonade concentrate, water & lime juice. Stir in lemon lime soda & crushed ice. Serve immediately.

{death by chocolate}

2009-04-08T13:26:00.000-05:00

This is an amazing 4 layer cake created by my friend Leisa. I am a chocoholic lover by nature, and I can't even get through a single slice of this b/c it's so yummy & rich!!

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker Devil’s Chocolate cake mix
1 box 3.9 oz chocolate pudding
4 eggs
½ c vegetable oil (or canola)
¼ c water
8 oz sour cream
1 c chocolate chip (milk chocolate)
1 tsp vanilla

Use two cheesecake pans (so you don’t have to worry if it’ll all come out!). Spray with Pam that has the flour in it.

Take out 1 tbsp of the dry cake mix, place it in a bowl. Pour the 1 cup of chocolate chips in to coat it so it doesn’t sink to the bottom of the pan when baking.

Mix all ingredients above, adding the coated chocolate chips very last. Mix for 30 seconds slow, then 2 minutes on medium speed. Add chocolate chips, mix briefly. Pour equally into both cheesecake pans, and bake at 350 for approximately 32 minutes. This time may vary, so pay attention to your cake! Use a toothpick to check if it’s done. Let sit for 10 minutes to cool.

Frosting Ingredients:
1 ½ cans of Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Frosting
1 ½ cans of Betty Crocker Cream Cheese Frosting
¼ tsp orange extract
1 large Hershey bar, chopped up finely

Open one can of the milk chocolate frosting. Pour the orange extract inside, and let sit. You can also use any other flavoring extract (raspberry, etc) if you’d rather have something different.

By now, the cake will be cooled. You will need to take the cheesecake pan off (the bottom of the pan will be holding the cake still). There is an adjustable cake leveler that you can find at Walmart for around $2-3.00. It is level, so you drag it across the counter, and it slices it in half according to where you want it. Slice both cakes in half. Take one part of the cake, and place it on the platter. Add some cream cheese frosting over it, and sprinkle some chopped chocolate pieces over it. Do this w/ all the layers, but when you get to the top layer, you will spread the chocolate w/ orange over the top & on the sides.

Now, to do the chocolate curls: buy 2 big bars of the Symphony Milk Chocolate (you may not use it all). Put it in the cooling oven (it’ll still be a little warm). You will want it a little flexible. Open it up, and on the side (where it’s thin), take a vegetable peeler, and slide it away from you, creating a long piece of chocolate. You will have to create the curls with your fingers. Place it on the top of the cake & arrange. This is the most time consuming part of the entire cake! When it isn’t curling well anymore, place the bar back in the oven to become a little more flexible. You may do this every 10 curls!!