Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze

You thought the last one was bad for you, you'll really like this. But, I've gotta say, the taste is pure heaven. I hope some of you dare to try it like I did because it was sooooo worth it! Do you guys check the Pioneer Woman's website? How often? I love it because she has pictures of every little step (perfect for me who sometimes needs a little extra help) and then just the printable recipe at the end.
The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

Alfredo Sauce

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley and serve.

Note: I didn't have cream so I used canned (evaporated) milk. Delightful.

Tiny Pies in a Jar

Check out the instructions for these darling pies here

Divinity

In honor of Grandma Brown, I made Divinity the other day and thought it'd be appropriate to post here.

Divinity

• 4 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium sized pot and boil until it gets to the hard crack stage. You don't have to keep stirring it, just put the lid on and check it every once in awhile. It will also change color a little bit and be yellowish. Beat the egg whites until stiff...if it makes peaks when you pull out the beaters then you're good to go. Add the candy mixture to the egg whites very slowly. If you're using a hand beater, first make sure it's a sturdy one (I blew one up on my first divinity attempt), and you'll need someone else to help you pour the candy in. If you've got a kitchenaid, just whip it on high and pour the candy in yourself, I repeat, very slowly! Continue beating until it starts to lose it's gloss. Mix the vanilla in by hand and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper (or tin foil if you're out!) Enjoy! This always reminds me of Grandma!

Easy Breezy Breadsticks

1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 c warm water
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 c flour

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in quite warm water. Mix the rest of the ingredients. (The girl I got this recipe from used her bread maker). Roll the dough out into rectangle and cut 1" wide and however long you want your breadsticks to be. Butter the top before cooking. Can add garlic salt, parmesean cheese, basil, etc. You can raise them a little before putting them in the oven, but she said that they raise plenty in the oven too. Cook at 375 for 20 min.

Zucchini Soup

So, if you're like me, you might just have a lot of zucchini that you are running out of ideas on how to use. This is a recipe that my mom just recently tried and it was delicious so I decided to try it today. Just finished it and added a few extra spices and it is delicious.

1 onion (diced)--I used yellow onion
1 Tbsp. butter--I used olive oil

Saute the onions until transparent. Add the following:

4 cups chunked zucchini (if you want the soup to be dark green leave peel on or peel it for lighter green)
3 cups chicken broth

Cook 15-20 min. or until tender. Puree the whole mixture in blender, then pour back in pan.

White sauce:
In separate pan melt 1 cube butter. whisk in 3/4 cup flour. Continue whisking while adding milk (half and half was the original recipe, but evaporated milk works wonders--I used 1 1/2 cans evaporated milk). Stir until smooth but be ready to take it off because it thickens in a hurry.

Add white sauce to puree zucchini mixture and whisk it in until smooth. Add 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg (I also added a couple dashes of cinnamon and "Pumpkin Pie Spice"). Salt & pepper to taste. The original recipe said to sprinkle with cheese before serving, but I didn't and it was delightful.

Sundance Tortilla Soup

This recipe is one I got from Ashley, but she hasn't shared it so I guess I will. It is one of my favorites because it is so dang fast and easy!


2 soup size cans broth (I just use water and put in a boulion cube)
1 large can tomatoes (blended)
1 bag frozen corn

Put on low heat on stove.

chop & add to soup:
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 red onion (or sometimes I use yellow)
1/2 jalapeno (sometimes I just skip this)
1 tsp cumin (I've never used it before, but today's the first)

Salt & pepper to taste. Add 1/2 cup chopped cilantro about 10 min before serving (I don't think I've ever measured it). Garnish with cheese, chips, avacado slices, lime wedges, and sour cream. (Now, in my opinion the garnished is where it's at!)

(Also, I always just add everything to a crock pot and put in on low throughout the day or high if I want it now.) As I have just demonstrated this recipe is VERY forgiving on what you add, leave out, or improvise. It's definitely a must try!

The Most Dangerous Cake in the World

I got this recipe from a many times forwarded e mail my mom sent me. I tried it and loved it, but it really is the most dangerous cake in the world because it's small, easy and so fast.

5 Min. Mug Chocolate Cake

4 Tbsp plain flour
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp baking cocoa
1 egg
3 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp chocolate chips
a small splash of vanilla
1 coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well.
Add egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in milk & oil and mix well
Add the chocolate chips and vanilla, mix

Put mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes.
(The cake may rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed.)

Allow to cool a little and tip out onto a plate, if desired. (I just eat it out of the mug)
Can be shared between two but...why?
Have a large glass of milk on hand for this one.

(sorry I don't have a picture, it doesn't look very good even though it tastes good)

Thanks

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you faithful bloggers. This blog is great and I promise I will post something soon, happy to be a part of it. Keep the recipes coming... I'm always looking for Vegetarian.

Key Lime Tart

Crust:

Pre-made Graham cracker pie crust or:

9-10 graham crackers

2 Tbsp Sugar

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. 

Grind Graham Crackers and sugar in food processor until fine crumbs form, Add butter and mix in. 

Put mixture in a 9" tart pan and press into bottom and up sides .

Place on baking sheet and bake for about 10 min. 

Filling:

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 5-7 limes); of fresh or bottled key lime juice

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

Slivered zest for garnish, optional

In medium bowl, combine milk and egg yolks and mix with a wire whisk. 

Add lime juice, sugar and salt. Mix until smooth.

Poor mixture into crust (warm or cool is fine), leaving an 1/8 inch at the top.

Bake until filling is set around the edges but still jiggles in the middle when bumped, about 20-25 min.

Cool completely at room temp. and then place in fridge to set for at least 2 hours

Serve, garnished with zest if desired. 

So yummy! We didn't have enough limes to make 3/4 cup lime juice so we did 1/2 cup lime juice and 1/3 cup sugar and it turned out really good. 

I wondered if you did it in the little individual pie crusts ,but I didn't know of you had to do different baking temp and/or time. Does anyone know?

Bajio's Slow-Cooker Chicken

This recipe isn't an authentic Bajio's recipe, but it tasted exactly like something at that restaurant. It was delicious and super easy, so I thought I'd post it.

Ingredients:
-2 cans black beans
-1 can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
-16 oz. mild or medium* salsa verde (it's green sauce for those of you like me who didn't know what that was. *This is quite spicy, so I'd only go with hot if you really love heat in your food.)
- 1 small can green chili peppers
-4 small frozen chicken breasts (I used two large ones)
-3 oz cream cheese
-tortilla shells (optional)

Throw all of ingredients into a slow cooker except for cream cheese. Cook on high for about 5 hours. Drain half of excess liquid and put in cream cheese a half hour before serving.

The chicken falls apart and is perfect for a stew or for a delicious chicken enchalada. This is how we had it, and it was perfect. With a salad on the side, you'll feel just like you're at Bajio's.

Kahlua Roast Pork

This is a recipe that I was supposed to get to Darla a long time ago, but I am only now getting to. (Sorry about that!) Since I was sharing with her anyway I thought I would put it on here :)

Kahlua Roast Pork
-7 to 8 lb. picnic pork roast (or any pork roast with a bone)
-1 to 2 tsp. plain salt (to taste)
-1 (4 oz.) bottle liquid smoke
-6 to 8 cups water
Place roast in crock pot or roasting pan; add water to surround roast. Pour smoke flavoring over roast. Sprinkle salt over roast. Crock pot: Cook on HIGH for 8 to 10 hours. Oven: Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 hours.]

*I have never followed the directions strictly and its always been great. I just use smaller portions of all of the ingredients (an 8 pound pork roast would last Jer and I WAY too long- I always get the smallest one I can find). Serve it over rice and it is wonderful!

Pound Cake

I'm out of my slump. I've started making things again, so I'll hopefully be posting more :)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups sugar

5 eggs

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp almond flavoring

Preheat oven to 325

Combine ingredients in mixing bowl and mix on medium speed for 10 min. 

Pour into greased and floured bundt pan, (batter will be very thick)

Bake for 1 hour. Test with toothpick

I accidentally forgot to put in the Almond Flavoring and it was still pretty good. 

Snickerdoodles

For the topping:
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For the cookie dough:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

To make the cookie dough, stir together the first five ingredients.
In a different bowl with a paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue to mix, then add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Chill dough 1 hour if it's sticky or difficult to handle.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll balls of dough about the size of a walnut then roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Place on an un-greased sheet pan 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake for no longer than 10 minutes (if you like the soft, chewy ones) until puffed up and the surface is slightly cracked. Let cool on the sheet pan a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Note: I thought that I had corn syrup when I started, but I didn't so I used HONEY instead and they turned out phenomenally! (Plus healthier, huh?) Can you substitute corn syrup for honey all the time or was I just really lucky?

Authentic Mexican Tacos and Salsa

Ok so here is one for ideas. One thing that is yummy and not so healthy in some ways is mini potato tacos. This is totally hispanic but it is pretty inexpensive.
For the tacos you need:
Corn tortillas (soft ones)
Mashed potoatos (be it instant or real)
Cheese (your prefered kind)
Oil

For the Salsa:
3-4 roma tomatos
2-3 tomatillosFresh Garlic
Japanese Chilies (They come in little dried packets in the hispanic section and they are small and red)
Salt

First take your ingredients for the salsa except for the chilies and the salt and put them in a pot with a little water, cover and simmer on low.

While that is simmering heat up your tacos in a pan. (warm up the pan and cook both sides of the taco so they are soft and warm or hot) You want to heat them up so that they are soft enough to fold into tacos. Put the heated tacos inside a towel to keep them warm. At the same time heat up a pan with oil in it to fry the tacos. When the oil it ready take your tacos and fill them with cheese and potoatos. I know this sounds like a wheird combination but it is really yummy. Fry the tacos and pull out and set them on a paper towel.

For the salsa once the salsa seems pretty cooked and soft put all of the ingreidents into the blender. If you want not very spicy salsa only use one chilie. If you would like a little more spice in your life use a little more but beware they are pretty hot if you get just the right one. Salt to prefered taste and blend in blender. (If you have a plastic top for your blender it would be better to use a plate as the lid so some of the steem can get out....learning from experience if you don't you could have one great explosion:)Note: if you want tomatillo salsa instead use more tomitillos instead of roma tomatos.

Then once finished cooking tacos and Salsa is finished salsa up your tacos and enjoy!!!If you have any questions let me know. I know there are not really exacts on things but this is authentic so you know how those kind of recipies go. I got it from a lady in our branch when I helped her make these and when I asked her for amounts she said whatever I wanted!!! Got to love those kinds of recipies leaves room for the imagination :D I guess!?#@!!

Grilled Slow Cooker Ribs

Ok, this is for you meat eaters, or rather for your husbands. I have never really been a fan of eating tons of red meat, but these are soooo tender , flavorful, and delicious (and take very little preparation time). Even if you've never loved ribs before, I encourage ya'll to try this. It is delightful!!!

3 1/2 pounds pork loin back ribs
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons liquid smoke
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup cola
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce

1. Spray inside of 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. Remove inner skin from ribs. Mix brown sugar, salt, pepper, liquid smoke and garlic; rub mixture into ribs. Cut ribs into 4-inch pieces. Layers ribs and onion in slow cooker. Pour cola over ribs.
3. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until tender. Remove ribs from slow cooker. Drain and discard liquid.

4. Heat coals or gas grill. Place ribs on grill. Brush with barbecue sauce. Cover and grill 4 to 6 inches from medium heat 15 minutes.

or another option for step 4:
4. Pour barbecue sauce into shallow bowl. Dip ribs into sauce. Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour any remaining sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on low heat setting 1 hour.

Dinner Rolls

3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
1 tsp. salt
1 package regular or quick active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1/2 cup very warm water
1/2 cup very warm milk
1 large egg
Butter or stick margarine, melted, if desired.

Mix 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, 1/4 cup butter, salt and yeast in large bowl. Add warm water, warm milk and egg. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Place dough in large greased bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm plae for 1 hour or until double. Push fist into dough to deflate. Shape dough as desired into rolls and let rise again for another 30 minutes or until double. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Do ahead option: once the rolls are shaped, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate 4-24 hours. Remove from fridge before baking and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until double. Bake as directed.

Terri's Favorite Wheat Bread

I found this one online about a year ago on www.waltonfeed.com and it quickly became my favorite wheat bread.

3 T. yeast and 1 t. sugar dissolved in 1 cup water

In a large bowl mix:
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup oil
2 T. salt
3 3/4 cups hot water
5 T. lemon juice or vinegar (this softens the gluten and makes the bread softer)
6 cups whole wheat flour

Add disolved yeast to bread mixture and mix for 7-10 minutes to get the gluten working. Add gradually 6 more cups of wheat flour (You might not need all 6 cups-be careful not to add too much flour, just enough to get past the sticky point). Knead for 5 minutes or if kneading by hand 10 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Divide and shape into 3 loaves. Place in greased bread pans. Rise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

English Muffin Bread

This is a yummy and easy quick bread that Sylvia always makes.

2 pkgs. yeast (2 Tbsp.)
6 cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk (powdered if you want)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cups water

Combine flour, yeast, sugar, salt and soda. Use hot water for powdered milk and use hot water. Mix all together. Pout into 2 loaf pans that have been greased and floured. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Asparagus-Fennel Pasta Salad

This is one of my personal new favorites. It is a warm salad (that has been a necessity for me all winter long) and quite healthy. Definitely worth branching out and giving it a try! (The picture was from online so it doesn't look quite the same... course, it never does look like the pictures, does it?)

45 min | 25 min prep | SERVES 14

1	lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2	medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1	small fennel bulb, sliced
2	tablespoons olive oil
8	ounces uncooked penne pasta
4	medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
12	pitted Greek olives, sliced
1	cup minced fresh parsley
Vinaigrette
1/4	cup olive oil
1/4	cup lemon juice
2	garlic cloves, minced
1/2	teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/4	teaspoon pepper
1	cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Place asparagus, onions and fennel in a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan. Drizzle with oil; toss to coat. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, olives, parsley and roasted vegetables. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper until blended. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

Click here for Nutrition Facts

Ok, so I'll be honest. We didn't do it quite like that. First of all, what are fennel bulbs? We skipped that and just put garlic (so much flavor, it was delicious). And to save time I didn't use any dressing viniagarette or other and it was perfectly moist and flavorful without it. Tim just used Italian dressing. But we added the fetta to the salad. SUPER TASTY!!!

My New Favorite!!!

ok - I HAVE to share this with ya'all because I think that this woman could be my kindred spirit if I ever met her (at least in a lot of ways). She views food the same way I do and her cooking blog is therapeutic for me to read (although I think I've actually gained weight reading her recipes). So - here it is, a little bit of country goodness. I have only tried a few of her recipes, but trust her 100% in the food arena. As a side-note if you have some free time to surf, check out her "confessions" page too - so interesting! Oh, how I would love to live on a ranch with my own cowboy and herd of hoodlums :)

http://thepioneerwomancooks.com

Peanut Butter Balls

So, I'm actually not going to post the recipe, but the link to the Peanut Butter Balls recipe on the Cast Sugar blog. These are super easy and incredibly addicting. Enjoy!

Beef Taco Bake

I am always in need of recipes that I can decide in a minute on what I want to have and something that will be ready in less than 30 minutes. I was surprised when I found this recipe! Amazing and oh-so tasty!!! Sadly, no picture.

1 lb. ground beef
1 can (10- 3/4 oz.) condensed tomato soup
1 cup thick and chunky salsa or Picante Sauce
1/2 cup milk
4-6 flour tortillas (8-inch) or 6-8 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut/torn into 1-inch pieces
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)

1) In medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned, stirring to separate meat. Pour off fat.

2) Add soup, salsa, mild, tortillas and half of the cheese. Cook until heated through.

3) Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Makes 3-4 servings

Cider Basting For Turkey

Ingredients

1 cup apple cider or juice (I used raspberry apple juice and it was awesome)
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup butter
Crushed Basil (we used Italian seasoning because that is what we had in the house and it was great)

Directions

Use for a whole turkey or turkey breasts or just to moisten stuffing

Warm butter in a pan. Add cider, orange juice and lemon juice, all flavored with a bit of basil. Cook over low heat until mixed well and baste turkey.

I am sure you are all wondering why the turkey recipe but it was buy one get one free turkeys and you can't pass that up. But this recipe is awesome especially the gravy that you make from the drippings. Nice and Sweet!!!

Easiest Pasta Salad Ever

OK - this one is a summer favorite, even with my kids and is so EASY! Seriously - takes all of 15 minutes to prepare and it's lovely.

1 lb Rotini (I like the multi-colored stuff)
1 bottle Italian Dressing
1 large cucumber
3 tomatoes
1/2 lb mozzerella cheese
1 can jumbo olives

Cook the pasta, drain, add the chunked cucumber and tomato, chunks of cheese and whole olives - pour 1/2-3/4 bottle of dressing over and chill. You might need to add a little more dressing before serving. So yummy, and even good left over :) No-one will know how super easy it is. Perfect for barbeques, picnics and ward parties.

Citrus Cupcakes

The only time this whole year I get to see it, but I saw this recipe this morning on Good Things Utah and I just can't wait to try it out. There is a video of how to do it too on abc4.com

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons unsalted California butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
Grated zest from 1 lime
Grated zest from 1 orange
Grated zest from 1 lemon
1 2/3 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup California milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

3 large egg yolks
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted California butter
Silver cake beads (dragées)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour insides of 12 muffin cups or insert paper liners.
With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, sugar and citrus zests until smooth.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, stir together milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mixture will curdle slightly.
With an electric mixer on low speed, alternately add dry ingredients and milk to butter mixture in 3 additions, stirring well after each addition. On medium speed, add eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition. Beat for 1 minute.
Evenly divide the batter between cupcake molds.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.
Remove cupcakes from pans.
Cool completely before frosting.

Whisk together egg yolks, eggs and sugar. Whisk in lemon juice.
Cook in a double boiler or on stovetop over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Transfer lemon mixture to a bowl. Cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in butter.
Cover mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle silver cake beads on each cupcake.
Cupcakes Yield: 12 cupcakes
Frosting Frosting Tip Dip the knife or spatula in hot water before frosting for a smoother look.

Classic Quiche

1 (10 oz.) package of frozen chopped spinache, thawed and drained
1 cup cottage cheese
4 eggs
5 oz. of cheese, grated
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cloves garlic, minced

Mix together and pour into partially baked pie shell. Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees. I sometimes put pre-cooked ham in it and I think it makes it more like a meal, but it is tasty without the ham, too, for you vegetarians!

Bacon & Tomato salad

Cook and crumble 1 lb. bacon. Set aside
Chop 4 large tomatoes
1 small bunch green onions - chopped
In a large bowl tear up 1 head romaine lettuce
cook 1 pkg. pasta noodles - rinse in cool water, drain and add to lettuce.
Add tomatoes, onions and bacon. Pour 1-2 cups ranch dressing (Made from scratch) over just before serving.
Yummy!!

Chile Verde

Trudy Joy shared this recipe with me:
Brown pork of some kind that you cube up. When you brown it season with some garlic and onion salt. After it's brown add:
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can chopped green chili's
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper
Simmer for atleast 1 hour. Serve over bean burritos. For those warm a large can of refried beans, with 1 cup grated cheese. 1 cup salsa and onion and garlic powder. Let simmer while you make the Verde. On a tortilla spread a light layer of sour cream add a little cheese and some beans. Then smother with the verde sauce. It's yummy!

Caramel Brownies

1 14 oz package caramels
1/3 c. evaporated milk
cook on low - stir until melted. It can also be done in the microwave zapping it one minute at a time and stirring in between.

1 box German chocolate cake mix
1/2 c. melted butter/margarine
1/3 c. evaporated milk

Stir until dough holds together. Form 1/2 of dough to greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 min. Sprinkle 3/4 cup chocolate chips onto baked dough. Pour melted caramel on top. Crumble remaining dough on top of caramel. (it is hard to crumble the dough, so what I do is take small pieces of dough and flatten them out and place them on top of the caramel) Bake 15-18 min. Cool, then refrigerate for 30 min.

Alfredo Chicken Tortellini

1-1/2 cups frozen cheese tortellini1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (6 oz)-cut into 1" cubes

3 bacon strips chopped (bacon bits)

3 tsp minced garlic

1/8 tsp. adobo seasoning

1/3 cup chopped onions

1/3 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 cup frozen chopped broccoli

Cook Tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook and stir the chicken, bacon, garlic and adobo seasoning over medium heat until chicken is fully cooked. Add onion and red pepper and cook

In a medium bowl, combine soup, milk, cour cream and Parmesan cheese; stir into cooked chicken mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 min.

Drain Tortellini and add to chicken mixture. Stir in broccoli and heat through.

Yeilds: 3-4 servings

Notes:

We didn't use the peppers or the onions and we didn't have adobo seasoning (I don't even know what it is and we couldn't find it in the store) and it still was very yummy. It also looked like there was too much sauce for the noodles, so we added about 1 cup more and it worked perfectly, but it makes a lot, probably for 4 people. We loved this dinner, it was so good, but it filled us up really fast so be careful.

Chocolate Suprise Cookies

1 box devil's food cake mix
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
reeses cup minis or rolos (I personally like rolos the best)

Mix the cake mix, oil and eggs together (it will seem very dry). Roll into 1 inch balls. Flatten out and place rolo or reeses in the middle. Cover the candy completely with the dough. Place on ungreased baking pan. Bake at 350 for 9-10 min.

it's just a simple cookie recipe but they are soooo good it doesn't matter how bad they are for you :)

Crepes

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes

1 cup milk

3/4 cups flour

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. salad oil (olive oil works too)

4 eggs

salad oil (or pam)

The day before, make batter. Beat all ingredients except eggs with a rotary beater. Add eggs and beat until blended. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

The next day, heat an 8 inch skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles. Brush with salad oil or spray with pam. Pour a 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet tilting until it covers the pam completely. Cook until the top is dry and the bottom is lightly browned. Turn and brown on the other side. Remove to wire rack; cool completely. Repeat with rest of batter.

Top with whatever you want. Raspberries, strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate, butterscotch, powdered sugar, etc.

Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Prep time: 5 minutes Bake time: 45 minutes

1 and 1/3 cups water

1 can cream of chicken soup

3/4 cups rice, uncooked

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Mix together in 13x9x2 pan with a whisk. Place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts on top of the rice, and put more black pepper over the chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the chicken is done. Immediately after removing it from the oven, top with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Apple Crisp

4 cups sliced, pared apples

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/3 cup flour

2/3 cup brown sugar - packed

3/5 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup melted butter or marg.

Place apples in a 8X8 pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and oats. Add butter. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Sugar Cookies

1 cup marg

1 cup sugar

Cream together. Add 2 eggs 4 Tbsp. canned milk with 1 tsp. soda dissolved

1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. vanilla.

Cream together. Chill 2 hrs. Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Calzones

Ingredients:
12 Rhodes Texas rolls, thawed but still cold
Flour
Pizza toppings of your choice
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup pizza sauce, heated

Directions:
Press 3 rolls together and, using a little flour, roll them into a 12 inch circle. Make three more circles with the other rolls. Combine pizza toppings, cheese and Italian seasoning. Divide mixture equally and spoon onto one half of each circle. Fold dough over (like a turnover) and pinch edges together. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. To serve, dip in heated pizza sauce.

*These are so good and easy!

Cream of Tomato & Basil Soup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
4 Tbsp butter
1 ea small red onion, diced
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups canned diced tomatoes (or 1 12-oz can)
2 cups heavy cream
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Procedures

1. MELT butter in a heavy sauce pan. Add red onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add white wine and reduce by 3/4. Add tomatoes and heavy cream, bring to a simmer and reduce by 1/2.
2. PUREE soup in a food processor. Stir in 2 Tbsp chopped basil, salt and pepper.
3. GARNISH with remaining fresh basil and tomatoes and serve.

Polish Sausage Supper

• 1 (16-oz.) package of Polish Sausage (sliced into desired thickness)

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 6 Russet potatoes (or 9-10 red potatoes) (Washed, sliced/diced)

• 1/2 yellow onion chopped

• 3 long carrots sliced

(if you don't have those veggies or just want something else, I commonly use green beens)

• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup.

Put sausage into skillet with olive oil. Add potatoes, onion, carrots. Stir until slightly brown. When veggies get a tiny bit tender (not completely done yet) and add soup. Turn heat down and simmer for 1/2 hour or until vegetables are soft.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large diced white onion
4 Tablespoons bacon pieces
2 teaspoons garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes chicken bullion
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound sliced russet potatoes, or 3 large potatoes
1/4 of a bunch of kale

1. Sautee Italian sausage and red peppers in pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, sautee bacon, onions and garlic for approximately 15 minutes or until the onions are soft.
3. Mix together the chicken bullion and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.
4. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about 1/2 hour.
5. Add cream and cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage.
7. Add Kale just before serving.

Zucchini Bread

Mix together:
3 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
6 tablespoons vanilla
1 cup oil
1 cup applesauce
6 eggs
4 cups ground zucchini
Add:
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons cinnamon
6 cups flour
Optional:
1 package chocolate chips
OR
1 package nuts

Spray 4 bread pans with pam (or grease and flour). Pour mixture into prepared pans. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar and chocolate chips (optional). Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Yields 4 loafs.

Caesar Chicken Pasta Salad

Caesar Dressing: (Makes about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small squirt anchovy paste
1/2 cup bottled mayonnaise
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream

In large bowl, whisk together garlic, mustard, lemon juice, anchovy paste, and mayonnaise. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in oil. Gradually stir in cream.

Pasta and Chicken Salad:
Farfalie (bowtie) pasta
Romaine lettuce
Grilled and sliced chicken breast

Toss together with caesar dressing. Top with fresh parmesan and croutons.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz.) pkg Cream Cheese
1 can (14 oz.) Artichoke Hearts, drained, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Spinach frozen chopped, or steamed
1/4 cup Mayonnaise (do not use Miracle Whip)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup Romano Cheese (You can use all Parmesan)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil
OR
1 tablespoon Basil Fresh
1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese grated
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature. Cream together mayonnaise, Parmesan, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, and garlic salt. Mix well. Add the artichoke hearts and spinach (careful to drain this well), and mix until blended. Store in a container until you are ready to use. Spray pie pan with Pam, pour in dip, and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the top is browned. Serve with toasted bread.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Clean and stem about 1 pound of mushrooms. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet hole-side up.

Combine in bowl: 1-8 ounce package cream cheese
2 Tablespoons Parmesean cheese
1 can shrimp (broken are fine)
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Cream together with a fork. Place about 1 Tablespoon of the mixture into each mushroom. Bake on a foil-lined pan uncovered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Slow-Cooked Chili

Prep: 25 min.
Cook: 6 hours2 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (16 ounces each) dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (16 ounces each) light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 can (15 ounces) pizza sauce
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Yield: 14 servings.

(Note: it is very good just skipping the meat as well!)