Chocolate Caramel Apple Cookies

Warning: Upon completion of reading this recipe, you may feel a strong urge to run to your car and go immediately to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for this recipe...Follow your instincts.

Warning 2: Once these are made, you may want to have a plan to share some with others or you will find yourself eating one after the other until before you know it, you have consumed 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Ok, now that that is out of the way....

A friend of mine found this recipe and posted it on facebook yesterday evening. I read the title and thought it sounded like an odd combination. Then I read the recipe. Next thing you know, I am texting my husband, bribing him to pick up the candy bars on his lunch break and bring them home to me. Thankfully, it worked!

I'm pregnant right now and am pretty relaxed when it comes to food choices and don't really cut anything out of my diet, just use good judgement and moderation. However, in my last pregnancy and this one, my one rule has been NO RAW EGGS. This is VERY hard for me because I have a downfall for cookie dough, cake batter, brownie batter... Well, I caved last night and couldn't resist trying this dough. It was just too tempting and was SO good. When the cookies came out of the oven, I burned my mouth on the caramel but I would say it was well worth it.

If you are the type of person who prefers to see pictures of each step of a recipe, then check out the original post where this recipe is located: http://www.hostessblog.com/2011/10/recipe-chocolate-caramel-apple-cookies/

I have not checked out the rest of that site, but after trying these cookies, I definitely will.

So, onto the recipe.

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 10 caramels, unwrapped
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 large apple OR 2 small apples, peeled & diced
• 6 Fun Size MILKY WAY® Simply Caramel Bars, chilled & chopped
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together and set aside. In a large bowl, beat melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla extract, then beat in the egg and egg yolk until the mixture is well blended.

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, heat unwrapped caramels & milk until smooth and creamy, starting with 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring once. If necessary, continue microwaving the caramel in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until completely smooth. Allow the melted caramel to cool for about 10 minutes, then pour it into the wet ingredients.

Fold in the diced apples, followed by the dry ingredients. Add chopped candy bars and chocolate chips and stir until combined.

Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: My husband could not find the fun-size Milky Way Simply Caramel bars. Luckily, they had the full size bars in the check-out line. I used 2 full size (well, 2 full size packages. Each package contained 2 bars that were just a little smaller than a normal candy bar, but larger than a fun-size). I also did not chill mine first and had no problem cutting them. If you do want to chill them, do NOT put them in the freezer or the caramel will be rock hard (don't ask how I know this...)

Are you still reading? Or are you already searching your cupboards to find out which ingredients you need to go pick up?

Enjoy!

Peppermint Marshmallows

These take a little bit of work, but are well worth it. They make great Christmas presents. I like them in a cup of hot cocoa. My husband likes them in a cup of coffee. Friends like to just eat them plain. I also might sneak some of the mixture while it is still gooey, before it sets. No matter how you eat them, they're excellent!

1/2 c. Powdered sugar
1/3 c. cornstarch
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 1/3 c. white sugar
2/3 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. crushed candy canes or mint candies
1/8 tsp. salt

In a small bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cornstarch. Line a 9x13" pan with nonstick foil. Coat with nonstick cooking spray. Sift 2 Tbs. of the sugar/cornstarch mixutre into the pan, tilting to coat sides. Leave any excess in the pan.

Place 2/3 c. water in a large bowl. Sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften for 5 minutes.

In a medium size heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat white sugar, corn syrup, candy cane pieces and salt over medium heat about 7 minutes until sugar and candy are dissolved, stirring occasionally. Pour into bowl with gelatin, removing any larger chunks of candy cane that did not melt.

Beat on high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 10-15 minutes. Spread into prepared pan and smooth top. Dust with 2 Tbs of sugar/cornstarch mixture. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.

Lift marshmallow from pan using foil. With a wet knife, cut into 6 squares. Spread remaining sugar/cornstarch mixture onto a baking sheet. Invert marshmallow block onto sheet; cut each square into 9 pieces. Toss marshmallows in sugar/cornstarch mixture, and set on a pan to set an additional hour. Store, loosely covered, at room temperature.

Enjoy!!

Morning Glory Muffins

I had someone ask about muffin or bread recipes that are low in sugar and have lots of vegetables in them. These still have 1 1/4 c. of sugar, but have lots of good for you things in them. And I'm sure you could reduce the sugar if you wanted. I think I may make a batch of these tonight. I haven't had them in years and used to have them at my grandma's house. They freeze very well.

2 c. Flour
1 1/4 c. Sugar
2 tsp. Baking Soda
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 c. Grated Carrots
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 c. Raisins
1/2 c. Coconut
1/2 c. Chopped Pecans
3 Eggs
1 c. Vegetable Oil
1 Apple, peeled and shredded

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the carrots, raisins, coconut, and pecans. In another bowl, beat the eggs, add oil, apple, and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture only until combined. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until muffins test done.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

This is another recipe that gets credit from my friend Shelley. These are wonderful, easy to make, and feed a lot of people. They are also wonderful reheated.

4 lbs sliced potatoes
2 tsp. chili pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup diced onion (optional)

mix in greased 9 x 13 pan.

add 2-3 tbsp. melted butter.

bake covered with aluminum foil at 400 degrees for 1-hour, or until potatoes are tender.

mix in 1 c. ranch dressing

add 2-cups shredded monterey jack cheddar cheese.

cook uncovered for 10-minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

This is my favorite Zucchini Bread recipe. I haven't had a chance to get any zucchini this year to make some, but hopefully soon. This also freezes amazingly well. To freeze, wrap cooled loaves first in saran wrap, and then in aluminum foil.

3 c. Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
3 tsp. Cinnamon
3 Eggs
1 c. Vegetable Oil
2 1/4 c. Sugar
3 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 c. Grated Zucchini
1 c. Chopped Walnuts, optional

Grease and flour two 8x4 in bread pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a bowl. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared bowls. Bake for 40-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and completely cool on racks before storing.

I also made this adding a brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, rolled oats topping. Unfortunately, I don't have an exact recipe for it. I just combined the ingredients together to my liking and sprinkled on top before baking.

Enjoy!

Pork Tenderloin Marinade

This is a marinade my husband created. He started off with a recipe he found online, but changed several ingredients to what we had in the house (some not even close to what the original recipe called for). The results: amazing!

2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
2 Tbs. Sesame Ginger marinade
1 Tbs. Peach Juice
1/2 Tbs Cointreau
1/2 Tbs. Lemon Vodke
1 Tbs. Brown Sugar
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp. Honey
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
2-3 lbs Pork Tenderloin

Mix together all ingredients. Pour over pork and marinate in refrigerator for 6-8 hours, or overnight. Cook on low in crockpot for 6-8 hours or until tenderloin is cooked through. You can also remove from the marinade and grill for 35 minutes, basting with the remaining marinade.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Brownies

These are some of the best brownies I have ever made. They do take a little extra work, but in the end it is totally worth every second. I have to give credit for these to Gluten Free Girl. Her blog is amazing. If you or someone in your family is on a gluten free diet, you MUST check out her recipes. www.glutenfreegirl.com

8 Tbs. Unsalted Butter
4 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate
1 c. Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 c. Brown Rice Flour
1/4 c. Tapioca Flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and 8in square pan. Chop the chocolate into small slivers. Slice the butter into one-inch pieces. Combine the two flours together.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Place a large metal bowl over the top of the saucepan. Put the chocolate and butter into the bowl and stir, occasionally, as they both begin to melt. As they come to a full melt, stir vigorously until you have a cohesive mixture.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sugar and eggs, whisking vigorously until they are creamed together, with a silky consistency. Add the vanilla extract and alt and stir well. Add in the gluten-free flours and stir. Finally, pour in the melted chocolate-butter mixture and stir, carefully, with a rubber spatula until the mixture has become smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with the spatula. Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes.

While the brownies are baking, fill the sink with ice cubes and 1 inch of water. When the brownies are finished baking, remove the pan from the oven and place it immediately into the ice-water bath, being careful not to splash any water onto the brownies. Leave in water until completely cooled. Refrigeration. These taste great right away but truly are better after sitting in the fridge for a night.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Apple Glazed Pork Loin

This is a great Fall recipe when apples are in season and the weather is just starting to cool...

4 boneless pork loin chops
6 apples (cored, peeled, and quartered)
1/4 c. apple juice
3 Tbs quick-cook tapioca
3 Tbs packed Brown Sugar
1 tsp All Spice
Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a crockpot, lay out the apple slices. With a meat mallet, pound chops to tenderize. Place chops on top of apples. Mix salt, pepper, and tapioca. Sprinkle over chops. In a glass bowl, combine apple juice, brown sugar, and all spice. Pour over chops, making sure to moisten all. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Enjoy!

Apple Cake

Here is a very delicious and simple recipe for an apple cake. Sometime I want to try making it with peaches instead of apples. I'm sure you could try just about any pie filling you like.

1 pkg. Yellow Cake Mix
3 Eggs
1 (21 oz) can Apple Pie Filling
3/4 c. packed Brown Sugar
1 Tbs. Flour
1 Tbs. Butter
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1 c. Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and Flour and 9x13" pan. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, eggs, and apple pie filling. Pour into the prepared pan. Combine the Brown Sugar, Flour, Butter, Cinnamon, and Walnuts. Sprinkle over the top of the batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

I will admit, I started eating this straight out of the oven and it was well worth the burns on my tongue, hehe!

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Apple Muffins

As we are preparing to move, I am doing a bit of organizing. I have so many recipes on loose papers that I'm trying to condense. Either by putting on recipe cards or posting on here. So, I thought I would add this to my long list of muffin or muffin top recipes on here.

Batter:
1 1/2 c. Flour
3/4 c. Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 c. Milk
1/3 cup Butter, melted
1 Egg, slightly beaten
1 cup finely chopped apples

Topping:
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
1/4 c. Rolled Oats

Heat oven to 375. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add all remaining batter ingredients. Stir just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into muffin liners. Combine all topping ingredients together in a small bowl using a fork or pastry blender. Sprinkle on top of batter. Bake 18-23 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before removing to cooling racks.

If you would like to make muffin tops, back at 350 degrees for 13 minutes.

Enjoy!

Homemade Spaghetti-o's

The other night, a friend of mine posted that she was making homemade spaghetti-o's. Someone asked her for the recipe and when she shared it, I realized that I've had it before. Only, when I had it, it was made with spaghetti noodles. This friend recommends elbow or small shells, which I think would taste better with it. I apologize that once again, I don't have exact measurements, but it is pretty much by sight/taste.

Elbow or Small Shell noodles
1 can Tomato Soup
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Shredded Cheese

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain the noodles and stir in the can of tomato soup. Then, add the remaining ingredients to your taste preference.

Quick and Simple.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Cookies to Increase Lactation

I still have not had the opportunity to try this recipe, but have heard from many friends that these taste amazing. The best part about them is that if you are breast feeding and having supply issues or just want to increase your supply to freeze more breast milk, these cookies will help with that! I know there are teas that you can buy to do the same thing. But personally, I would take an Oatmeal Cookie over tea any day! I received this recipe from a friend who has a son the same age as mine. I will definitely be trying these after my next little one is born.



* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 4 tablespoons water
* 2 tablespoons linseed (flaxseed) meal
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 cups flour (whole wheat is best, but regular is ok)
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups oats, thick cut if you can get them
* 1 cup or more chocolate chips
* 2 tablespoons of brewers yeast (be generous)


Directions:

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. Mix together 2 tablespoons of linseed meal and water, set aside for 3-5 minutes. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mix well. Stir linseed mixture and add with vanilla to the butter mix. Beat until blended. Sift together dry ingredients, except oats and chips. Add to margarine mixture. Stir in oats & chips. Scoop onto baking sheet greased or lined with baking paper.


Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies. (shorter time = softer cookies, longer time = crispier cookies)


Serves: 6 dozen cookies (a huge batch)

I like Oatmeal Raisin cookies so I will probably try substituting the chocolate chips with raisins when I make these.

Caramel Frappuccino

A couple weeks ago I was craving a Caramel Frappuccino. However, I refused to spend $5 just for one beverage. So I came home from running my errands determined to figure out the secret to making them at home. I think I pretty much perfected it. I do a lot of it by our taste preferences so I don't have exact measurements for everything. But the worst that can happen is either you don't add enough whipped cream and caramel (so you simply add a little more until it tastes right to you) or you add to much (is there really such a thing as too MUCH caramel or whipped cream?) So here is what I have come up with.

First, we have a whipped cream charger like they use in coffee houses. You could also whip up your own using an electric mixer. It tastes MUCH different than just a can of reddi-wip. So for our whipped cream, I add 16 oz Heavy Cream and 2 shots of Vanilla Syrup (found in the coffee aisle) to our whipped cream charger.

I make 1 K-cup (8oz of coffee) and add about 2 tsp of sugar. If you are using a flavored cup, you may not want to add any more sugar. Once the sugar is mixed in, refrigerate until cold. Once cold, pour into a measuring cup and add an equal amount of milk as you have coffee.

Next, I add about 3/4 c. to 1 c. of Ice to my Magic Bullet. Add in just under half the coffee/milk mixture. I add in some whipped cream and Hershey's Caramel Syrup. Blend until smooth. Pour into a glass. Top with more whipped cream and Caramel.

You can obviously do this using regular coffee if you don't have a Keurig coffee maker. To make larger batches, use a regular blender. We just keep our Magic Bullet on our counter at all times so it is very handy. And in my opinion, it is easier to make two single servings than dig out my full size blender and deal with cleaning it.

Enjoy!

Oreo Balls

I know this is more of a holiday treat but I figured I would share now anyways. In my opinion you really don't need a holiday in order to have Oreo Balls.

1 pkg Oreos
1 - 8 oz pkg Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 pkg White Almond Bark
1/4 pkg Chocolate Almond Bark

Mash oreos finely. Mix together mashed Oreos and softened cream cheese. Roll into small balls. Place on waxed paper on a cookie sheet. Place in fridge for about 1 hr. Melt white almond bark in double boiler. Dip balls into melted almond bark using toothpicks and put back on waxed paper. Melt Chocolate Almond Bark and drizzle over dipped Oreo Balls. Store in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

The first time I ever tasted this, I fell in love. But I figured it was a really complicated recipe. I was very surprised to find out it was one of the easiest recipes ever! I have actually tried two versions. I will post the most common, but then will list the differences in the other version I have tried.

16 ounces cream cheese
2 cans Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread one can of seamless crescent dough on the bottom. Mix together Sugar, Vanilla, and Cream Cheese. Spread over dough. Carefully cover filling with the second can of crescent dough. Evenly pour melted butter on top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 30 mins. Let cool. Refrigerate.

*If you cannot find the seamless dough sheets, you can use regular crescent dough and pinch the seams together.

*The other version I have tried calls for adding 1 egg yolk to the filling. Then, rather than using melted butter on top, you beat the egg white and pour over the top dough before adding the cinnamon sugar.

Homemade Gummies

My son's birthday is coming up soon and I have been looking all over the internet for Bob the Builder items. I found some tool shaped gummies that were cute, but incredibly overpriced. I got to thinking. How hard can it be to make gummies? So I started searching and found lots of recipes. Turns out, it's incredibly easy! The hard part was finding the right recipe. There were SO many variations. So, I simply started making them. The first batch had good flavor, but bad texture. The second had great texture, but not as good of flavor. The third was pretty good, just a little too tough and slightly lacking in flavor. The fourth, today's version, was complete perfection.

So here is what I did to make today's gummies.

1/3 c. water
4 packets Knox Unflavored Gelatin
1 - 3 oz package Jello
1/2 package of Kool-Aid (Mix and match your Jello and Kool-Aid flavors however you would like)

Place water in small saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Let set for a few mins until it thickens to a playdoh like consistency. Cook over low-med heat until you have a thick syrup and all sugars are dissolved. Pour into plastic candy molds (shaped silicone ice cube trays work as well). Let set about 20 mins until firm. Peel from molds. Store in sealed container.

*If you are impatient like we have been while trying to perfect our recipe, you can put the molds in the fridge for about 10 mins.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Yesterday, my family went to pick strawberries. So today, I have been busy in the kitchen making lots of yummy treats with the fresh strawberries. By far my favorite of the day was the Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler. I looked through a lot of different recipes, combined a few, made a few small changes of my own....and the results are phenomenal!

Filling:
3 c. Cut Rhubarb
3 c. Strawberries, sliced
1/2 c. White sugar
2 Tbs. Minute Tapioca
1 tsp Grated Orange Peel

Topping:
2 Tbs. White Sugar
1 c. Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 c. Butter
1/4 c. Milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp Almond Extract

Mix together all filling ingredients. Let set for 30-60 minutes for the fruit to soften and form juices.

Mix together sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut in butter until crumbly. Add milk, egg, and Almond extract. Stir together just until blended.

Pour filling into 8x8in glass baking dish. Drop topping over filling by spoonfuls. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Goes great with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. But also wonderful on its own. In fact, I burned my mouth eating this straight out of the oven because it was so good and I couldn't wait for it to cool down.

Enjoy!

Mini Deep Fried Caramel Apple Pie

I made this recipe up today and it is fabulous! I had to share right away. Before I start though, let me say this is more of what I did, not an exact recipe. But I don't think it really matters. It's really all in your taste preferences.

2-3 medium apples
cinnamon
brown sugar
Caramels (cut into small pieces)
Egg Roll Wrappers
Oil for deep frying

Heat oil to 350 degrees. Peel and thinly slice apples. If you have a vegetable steamer, steam for 10 mins. If not, cook in the microwave until soft. Combine with cinnamon and brown sugar to taste, enough to make a light syrup on the apples. Place approx. 1 Tbs of apple mixture in corner of egg roll wrapper. Add a few small pieces of caramel. Roll up and seal according to directions on Egg Roll Wrapper package. Deep fry 3 or 4 at a time for 2 minutes, then turn over and continue to fry an additional 2 minutes. Remove from fryer and place on paper towels. Let cool several minutes as the filling will be extremely hot.

These are great on their own. But would be even better with a little vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream plus a little additional caramel sauce. In my opinion there is no such thing as too much caramel....

This Blog

I was just thinking about something. I started this blog last year to share my recipes with friends. I love trying new recipes but always enjoy getting them from people I know. That way I am positive it is going to be good. What I didn't anticipate was how much I would be using this blog myself. We often go visit friends or family and I will start talking about some recipe I made. Then, I usually want to make it. Thanks to this blog, I can pull up the recipe anytime from anywhere and have my favorite recipes right at my fingertips. It is also great if I am at the grocery store and decide to make something and want to double check the ingredients. (Thank You Internet on Cell Phone!!)

I know I don't update this as often as I would like, but I never completely forget about it. I also encourage you to scroll back through older posts to see some of the recipes I posted last year that you may have forgotten about.

Texas Caviar

Before getting married, my Maid of Honor threw me a really nice bridal shower. One of the best things she did was send out 2 recipe cards with each invitation and asked everyone to write down 2 of their favorite family recipes for me. Then she decorated a file box and gave it to me with all the recipes. I love pulling recipes from it to try that I know is a favorite of someone I know. This one I tried last summer and loved it. It is a wonderful alternative to chips and salsa.

1 can whole kernel corn
1 can black eyed peas
1 can black beans
(drain all throughly)

4 roma tomatoes
1 large green pepper
green onions

Chop and add to first three ingredients. Add in 1 bottle of Creamy Italian salad dressing. Mix everything together. Let set overnight for best flavor. Serve with tortilla chips.

Three Cheese Chicken Bake

This is one of my favorite recipes. But for some reason, it always tastes better when my mom makes it. This is how the recipe is written. However, we usually use about 9-11 noodles and double the sauce ingredients to make it thicker and creamier. It goes great with salad and rolls. Enjoy!

6-8 lasagna noodles
3 Tbs Butter
1/2 c. finely Chopped Onion
4 oz can Mushroom pieces (drained)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 c. Milk

Cook the noodles in boiling water according to package instructions, drain. Melt butter in frying pan. Add onion and mushroom pieces; saute until onion is tender. Stir in cream of Chicken Soup and Milk.

1 1/2 c. Cottage Cheese (I don't like the chunks so I puree it first)
2 c. diced cooked chicken
2 c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 c. Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Lay half the noodles in a greased 9x13 in baking dish. Top with half the sauce, 3/4 c. Cottage Cheese, 1 c. diced chicken, 1 cup shredded cheese, and 1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese. Repeat layers, except for last 2 cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until all is heated through and bubbly. Top with both cheese and bakes 2 more minutes.

Hot Dog Casserole

I'm not a big fan of hot dogs. But if I am going to eat them, I do enjoy this casserole. However, now that I have discovered Turkey Hot Dogs, I think I will like this casserole even more. It is quick and easy to assemble. There aren't any specific measurements for this, it goes by how large of a batch you want to make and how much of each ingredient you like.

Grease Casserole Dish.

Layer:
Potato Slices
Salt
Cut up Hot Dogs
Dried Onion
1/2 can peas

Repeat a second layer of each ingredient.
Mix 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup with one can of milk.
Pour over Casserole, cover with foil.
Bake at 325 for 1 hour

*May need to bake slightly longer depending on the thickness of the potatoes.

Crockpot Turkey Breasts

This is probably one of the absolute simplest recipes I have. And it is excellent for a make-ahead meal. Goes great with just about anything as well. I prefer to use boneless skinless turkey breasts, but have a hard time finding them. So I usually end up buying a whole, bone-in turkey breast. Either way works. Just obviously a little less work if you don't have to pick bones out when the meat is done.

1 full bone-in Turkey Breast (or 3-4 lbs boneless, skinless)
1 bottle Italian Dressing
1 cup water

Put all in crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours until meat shreds apart with a fork.

This makes great sandwiches. Store in some of the juice for extra flavor.

Marinade for Pork Tenderloin Kebobs

Now that grilling season is upon us (Well, in our house we grill all year round), I thought I should begin sharing more grilling recipes. This is a tasty marinade that goes great with pork. We had it last summer, used on pork tenderloin for Kebobs. When I make marinade for Kebobs, I usually keep a little separate from the raw meat that I can use to dip the meat and vegetables in while eating. Also, any excess marinade can be brushed onto the kebobs while they are on the grill to add a little flavor to the vegetables.

3/4 c. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1/4 c. Honey
1/4 c. Pineapple Juice
1/4 c. Lime Juice (about 2 limes)
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1-1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
1/4 tsp Five Spice Powder
1/4 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Whisk together, pour over about 2 pounds of cubed pork tenderloin. Marinate at least 2 hours. Can make a day ahead and marinate overnight. Makes 8-10 kebobs.

I also like to put my meat and marinade in a Ziploc bag to make it easy to rotate the meat in the marinade.

Lemon Bars

I love lemon bars. I am picky about which brand of boxed lemon bar mix I will buy. And I always end up adding extra lemon juice. I also like lime bars, but have yet to find a packaged brand I like of those. Well, a few months ago a coworker brought in a pan of the most wonderful lemon bars I had ever tasted. I asked her about them and she made them from scratch. The best part: The recipe is incredibly simple.

1 c. Butter, softened
1/2 c. White Sugar
2 c. Flour


4 Tbs Flour
1-1/2 c. White Sugar
4 Eggs
2 Lemons, juiced


Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Blend together first 3 ingredients. Press into bottom of ungreased 9x13 pan

Bake 15-20 minutes, until firm and golden

Whisk together remaining sugar and flour. Whisk in eggs and lemon juice. Pour over baked crust.

Bake for 20 additional minutes. Bars will firm as they cool.

*Also try replacing the lemon juice with lime juice and a couple drops of green food coloring for lime bars.

*For a festive party tray, make a batch of lemon and one of lime, cut into bars, and arrange in a checker board fashion

Strogaloaf

A couple weeks ago we went to our favorite grocery store on a Saturday. They had lots of samples and one of those samples was a cheese tray. We tried several and my favorite was the Garden Jack. I decided to buy a brick of it and the lady doing the samples gave me a recipe that used that cheese. We decided to try it that afternoon and were immediately thankful we did. It is very tasty.

8 oz. Sour Cream
Half of a 1.5oz Packet Dry Beef Stroganoff Mix (found near gravy mixes)
2.5 oz Package Dried Beef
1 tube Crescent Roll Baking Dough
1 c. Shredded Garden Jack Cheese
1 Tbs Melted Butter
Waxed Paper
Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Dice beef, mix in bowl with sour cream and stroganoff mix. Place crescent baking sheet on waxed paper and spread out until you have an even rectangle. (If using regular crescent roll dough, pinch seams together with moistened fingers).

Spread sour cream mixture wot within 1/2" of sides and ends. Sprinkle shredded Garden Jack cheese over top.

Start rolling on one end, lifting waxed paper to ease job. Place on cookie sheet covered with Parchment Paper, seam side down. Pinch sides shut. Brush with melted butter (sprinkle with Garlic Salt, optional). Bake 15-20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before slicing.



We have already made this recipe a few times. If you can find Dried Beef in a deli, I would highly recommend using that over the prepackaged version. It is good either way, but definitely better with the deli meat.

This is meant as an Hors d' Oeuvre, but last night we made it for our meal and I served it with Steamed Fresh Green Beans.

Cheeseburger Soup

I stole this recipe from a friend's blog. She often posts recipes and every one that I have tried, I have loved!! I made this earlier this week and even with the leftovers, it is great! We will definitely be making it again. It's really quite simple, just a little time consuming. But well worth it in my opinion. I was happy that I happened to have all the ingredients in the house for it, with the exception of Basil. And I will tell you that I didn't think it was missing anything by not having it in. Also, as I have said before, I don't ever have Chicken Broth on hand, I just use water and Chicken Granules. If you have a little bit of time, I highly suggest you try this recipe. Enjoy!



1/2 lb ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. parsley
4 tbsp. butter (divided)
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced, peeled potatoes
1/4 cup flour
2 cups processed cheese (velveeta)
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

in stockpot, brown beef, drain and set aside.

in same stockpot, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley with 1 tbsp. butter until vegetables are tender (about 10-min.).

add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. reduce heat, cover and simmer for 12-minutes or until potatoes are tender.

in small skillet, melt remaining butter. add flour. cook for 3-5 minutes until bubbly. add to soup; bring to boil and cook for 2-minutes. reduce heat.

add cheese, milk, salt and pepper.

cook and stir until cheese melts.

remove from heat and add sour cream. stir.

Beef Roast

This is one of the simplest roast recipes I have found that yields incredible flavor. I don't think I have posted it, but if I already have, I apologize. Obviously this is a really great recipe.

1 Beef Roast
2 packets Dry Italian Dressing mix
1/2 jar Banana Peppers & Juice
3-4 c. Water

Pour all ingredients over roast in crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hrs. Shred with a fork.

The peppers add a great flavor and after being cooked for 8 hrs, there is very little spice left. If you prefer extra spice, you can add the remaining peppers and juice when you shred the meat apart. This makes excellent sandwiches and freezes well.

Bubble Pizza

This is a recipe I used to make every time I got together with a certain friend. You can make it as simple or as complex as you would like. Just have fun with it and try different combinations. This also reheats really well. I will post the most basic form of the recipe, then add a few tips.

2 tubes Buttermilk Biscuits
1 can (16 oz) Pizza Sauce
1 - 1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef; Browned and drained
2 c. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cut the biscuits into quarters and mix with the beef and pizza sauce in a large bowl. Put into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Feel free to add any pizza toppings you would like. If you don't have the listed combination of cheeses, then just use whatever you have on hand. Rarely have I ever followed this recipe just as it is listed. It's just so quick and easy and like I said, can be customized to your favorite tastes or to what you have on hand.

Granola Bars

I love granola bars. But I have a hard time finding ones that I truly like in stores. However, I do happen to have an amazing, and simple, recipe for them. I don't make them very often and I don't know why. Every time that I DO make them, I love having them in the house and tell myself I will start making them more often. The best part about them is that you can completely customize them to your tastes. So first, I will give you the recipe the way it is written. Then I will give you my tips.

1 c. Creamy Peanut Butter
1 c. White Syrup
3-4 cups Oatmeal (uncooked)
1 c. coconut
1 c. raisins
1 c. sunflower seeds
1 c. chocolate chips

Heat together peanut butter and syrup until well blended and melted, but do not boil. While that is heating, mix remaining ingredients together in a large bowl (except chocolate chips). After PB/Syrup mixture is heated, pour over ingredients and stir well. Let cool slightly, then stir in chocolate chips (if they go in too early they will just melt). Spread into 9x13 pan and press down firmly. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into bars and wrap in saranwrap. Store in refrigerator.

Basically, you can add any ingredients you want. Just make sure to use at least 3 cups of oatmeal, and have 7 cups total of ingredients. So I usually do 3 1/2 cups oatmeal, 1/2 c. coconut, 1 c. raisins, 1 c. sunflower seeds, and 1 c. mini M&Ms.

You could use other dried fruits, maybe try some toffee bits. Possibly even try some mini-marshmallows for a s'mores type granola bar. The possibilities really are endless. These are great to grab on the go, or to stick in lunch boxes.

I personally haven't tried using anything but peanut butter, but I'm wondering if you could substitute in sunbutter or soybutter for people with nut allergies. And then adjust the rest of the ingredients to items that person could have. Just a thought. I would be interested in hearing if anyone ever tries that.

Beef Burgundy

I don't think I have posted this one yet. Maybe I have, but I don't think so. Anyways, it is a favorite in our house. Very easy to make and reheats well.

1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp paprika
1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1-in strips
1 Tbs Olive oil
1 can (10-1/2 oz) condensed French onion soup, undiluted
1/2 cup burgundy wine or beef broth
3 cups hot cooked noodles

In a large ziptop bag, combine flour and paprika. Add Beef strips and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown meat in oil. Add soup and wine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Serve with noodles.


Note: I have always used Burgundy wine, but I imagine it would still be good with beef broth. Also, the noodles I tend to use have to boil for about 12 minutes. So I usually start bringing my water to a boil while I am browning the beef. That way I can usually add my noodles to the boiling water at the same time as I add the soup and wine to the beef to simmer. That way, both get done about the same time and you have fresh, hot noodles to go with your beef burgundy

Broccoli Chicken Skillet

My mom and I tried this recipe a couple weeks ago and really liked it. I admit I was a little hesitant when reading through the ingredients when I got to Raisins...But I liked it. We debated whether to add them or not and in the end decided they would be easy to pick out if we didn't like them. I'm glad we added them. I know my husband doesn't like raisins that have been cooked in any way. So if you would prefer, you could easily leave them out. The recipe says this makes 4 servings but I personally say it makes at least 6. Unless you and 3 other people are REALLY hungry.

1-1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 cup julienned carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of broccoli soup, undiluted
1 cup dry stuffing mix
1 cup milk
1/4 cup raisins
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded colby cheese

*In large skilled, saute chicken and vegetables in oil for 5-6 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.

*Stir in soup, stuffing, milk, raisins, and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat; cover and let stand until cheese is melted.


Note: I could only find Broccoli Cheddar soup so that is what I used. It worked fine. Plus I added extra cheese to the top so a little extra cheese flavor in the soup didn't bother me one bit!

Blueberry Muffin Tops

I apologize again for my lack in blogging. I blame it on how much time I have been spending in my kitchen cooking and baking recently. I am currently making at least 2 batches of Muffin Tops per week, usually more. I have also been giving them away and people LOVE them. I almost hate to even admit this, but I have eaten 4 Blueberry Muffin Tops today. They are by far my favorite.

For batter

* 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
* 1/3 cup whole milk
* 1 whole large egg
* 1 large yolk
* 3/4 teaspoon Almond Extract
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 9 oz fresh blueberries (can use 12 oz of Frozen Blueberries - thawed and drained)




For topping

* 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
* 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup sugar


Preheat oven to 375 (350 for dark or non-stick pans). Grease Muffin Top pans (or regular muffin tins)

Melt butter over low heat. Meanwhile, mix together dry ingredients and set aside. Once butter is melted, remove from heat and whisk in Milk. Next, add whole egg, egg yolk, and almond extract. Whisk together well. Add to dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Carefully fold in blueberries. Pour into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 18-20 mins (May need to bake longer for regular muffins). Cool on baking racks for 10 mins. Remove from pans to cooling racks to finish cooling off. Enjoy warm or room temperature.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This recipe came from a Hellmann's Mayonnaise ad a few years ago. Since then it has become one of our favorites. However, I have adapted mine slightly from the original recipe. So here is how I make it.

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 c. Italian Bread Crumbs
1 c. Mayo
1/2 c. Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a glass casserole baking dish with non-stick spray. Blend together Mayo and Cheese in one bowl, and put crumbs in another. Using a spoon, spread mayo/cheese onto each chicken breast, then roll in Bread Crumbs. Place in baking dish. Continue until all Chicken is coated. If there is any leftover mayo/cheese or Bread Crumbs, add to tops of pieces in the dish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until Chicken is done. Goes great with a green vegetable.

Pineapple Orange Muffins

These aren't even out of my oven yet, but they smell amazing and I've already had requests for the recipe. So here it is. I will tell you that I doubled the recipe, which made 2 dozen muffins. And I used 1 cup Pineapple juice, and 1 cup Orange juice.

I have a new obsession with Muffin Tops. If you have never had one, you are missing out. They are so delicious. I received 2 muffin top pans for my birthday last Saturday and have already made 5 batches of different home made muffin tops.

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp orange zest
1 cup pineapple or orange juice
1/4 cup shortening, melted, or vegetable oil
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix together dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together egg, orange zest, juice, shortening/oil and crushed pineapple. Add dry ingredients and mix just to combine, do not over mix. Scoop into lined muffin tins and bake for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Edited:

My first batch of Muffin Tops I baked at 375 (my pans are dark, non-stick) for 18 minutes. They were a little over done. My second two pans I put in at 350 for 12-13 mins and they came out perfect!

I think next time I will try adding some mandarin oranges as well as the pineapple tidbits.