Chocolate Caramel Cookies!

I love caramel, and I love cookies. So this is a wonderful recipe, in my opinion! However, be warned. If you don't like to get messy, don't make this. Your hands will be one chocolatey, gooey, disgusting mess!

Chocolate Caramel Cookies

1 c butter, softened

1 c sugar

1 c brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 c chopped walnuts

48 chocolate covered caramel candies (Rollos)

Beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in white & brown sugars. Beat in eggs & vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, and cocoa. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in nuts. Cover & chill at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375. Divide dough into 4 parts so you can work on 1/4 at a time. Keep the remaining dough in the fridge until you're ready for it, otherwise it's too gooey. Divide the 1/4 dough into 12 pieces. Quickly press each piece around a caramel candy. Roll into a ball, completely covering the caramel candy (otherwise caramel may leak out during baking). Place each ball 2-in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 8 min. Let cool 3-4 min. on baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!

Pecan Pie Bars

Growing up, my mom always made pecan pie. However, I couldn't stand it! I thought pecans were gross! But I found this recipe for pecan pie bars. I figured my parents would enjoy it. But I have to admit, while they were cooking, I thought it smelled amazing! So I had to try one. Turns out I do enjoy them! :)

Pecan Pie Bars

2 c flour

1 c brown sugar, divided

1 c butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 c chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 9x13 baking pan. In lg. bowl, cmobine flour, 1/2 c brown sugar, and butter. Spread on bottom of prepared pan. Bake 20 min. In a mixing bowl, beat together egg, condensed milk, vanilla, and remaining brown sugar. Stir in pecans. Pour on top of baked cookie layer. Bake 25 min. Cool & cut into bars. Store at room temp.

Thimble Cookies!

I know I haven't posted in a while, so be prepared: I'm making up for it now! Things have, surprise surprise, been crazy, as usual! Two thirds of my kids are sick. Ear infections, viruses, sinus infections. Ahhh! I think cooking has become a therapy for me. So here we go. Recipe #1. Thimble cookies! :)

Thimble Cookies

1/2 c butter, softened

1/4 c sugar

1 egg yolk, beaten

2 tsp lemon juice

1 c flour

1 egg white

1 c finely chopped nuts (I use pecans, but walnuts are good, too)

1 c raspberry jam (calls for raspberry, but I used caramel apple jam)

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter & sugar. Add yolk & lemon juice; beat well. Stir in flour until well blended. If dough seems too coarse, add just a little bit of water. Form into 1-inch balls & dip in beaten egg yolk, then nuts. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Make a deep indentation in center of each cookie. Bake 5 min., then quickly indent centers again (you may want to use a spoon because they're so hot!), and continue baking 10 min. Fill center of each cookie with jam. Cool completely. Enjoy!

Peppermint Bark!

I got this recipe from my sister, and I LOVE it! Elijah enjoys helping me make it, too. I don't have a kitchen mallet, so we just use a hammer. I also don't have a double boiler, but I always just make it in a pot. Anyone who's going to the party tomorrow, expect to be able to try this! We have some in the fridge right now, cooling for tomorrow. :)

Peppermint Bark

2 bags white chocolate chips

12 lg. candy canes

couple drops peppermint oil

Line baking sheet with wax paper & set aside. Put 11 candy canes in a ziplock & pound with kitchen mallet, breaking into many pieces. Set aside & repeat with remaining candy cane. Melt chocolate in a double boiler, stirring constantly until melted (important not to overcook!). Stir in peppermint oil & 11 crushed candy canes. Remove from heat & pour onto prepared baking sheet, spreading evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining candy cane on top, pressing in slightly to adhere to the chocolate. Refrigerate until firm. Break into pieces. Stir in airtight container in fridge. Enjoy! :)

Chili!

Growing up, I could not STAND chili. I thought it was nasty! All those beans - ICK. So if you're the kind of person who LOVES a chili loaded with beans, don't look to me! But if you like your chili with just a hint of beans, this recipe's for you! I've discovered that I like my chili with just a few beans, a fair amount of meat, but a lot of tomatoes! And then I add lots of cheese & sour cream. But that's just me! This is a recipe that Isaiah will chow down on, but Elijah won't touch it. Also, my dad's a hunter, so he keeps us stocked with deer meat. So while I'm writing this as venison, feel free to change it to beef! (For the record, though, I made this the other night for my friend Beth, and she really enjoyed it. She said it didn't taste gamey at all!)

Venison Chili

2 lg. cans (25 oz.) petite diced tomatoes

1 small can (15 oz.) petite diced tomatoes

1 can seasoned pinto beans

3 lbs. venison, browned & drained

1/4 c diced onion

2 packets chili seasoning

Mix all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on Low 8 hours. Enjoy! :)

Deep Dish Brownies!

I know I've posted a brownie recipe before, but I found a new one! And this one's delicious, too! We had several friends over today (Abbey and her kids and Beth), and everyone seemed to enjoy them. Elijah sure did - he kept wanting more. So did Isaiah, but that's nothing new.

Brownies

7/8 c flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c butter, melted
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8-in baking dish. In a lg. bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder & salt; set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar & vanilla. Mix in the eggs. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until just blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted near middle comes out clean, about 35-40 min. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecake!

I hate trying to lose weight anytime, but especially around the holidays. It's almost impossible! Especially when I find all these great recipes that are just begging to be tried! But if you're like me and can't resist trying them, just remember that you can always share your creations! That's what I do! (Just ask my parents, in-laws, or grandparents! :) Here is an excellent cheesecake recipe. And if you want to try to convince yourself it's not tooo tooooo bad, just remember that it's got pumpkin in it, so it's got to be somewhat healthy, right? :)

Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecake

2 graham cracker crusts

cheesecake:

3 x 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 c brown sugar

15 oz. can pumpkin

2/3 c evaporated milk

2 eggs

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 c crushed toffee candies

Topping:

8 oz. sour cream, room temp

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

caramel topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Beat cream cheese & brown sugar until creamy. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Beat well & pour into crusts. Bake 60-65 min. or until edge is set but center is still moves slightly. Remove from oven; top with toffee. For topping, combine sour cream, sugar, and vanilla & mix well. Spread over warm cheesecakes. Bake 8 min. Cool completely. Refrigerate overnight. Drizzle with caramel before serving.

Just a side note about the caramel: Caramel syrup does NOT work well! If you want to keep the drizzle looking nice (and not running all over the place), use actual caramel ice cream topping, not the syrup. Lesson learned! (Probably should have been common sense. Oh well. That's what I get for trying to make it easy!)

Pumpkin Muffins!

I LOVE days when all 3 boys take a nap! Granted, Elijah FOUGHT it for all he was worth - I think it took him about an hour to finally give in. But he seriously needed his nap. He needed one yesterday, and I didn't push it like I should have. But boy was I regretting that last night! He was such a pill while we were trying to get a little shopping down. Whew! But anyway, he's down, and since all were quiet, I was able to go ahead & make pumpkin muffins for tomorrow. (Our Care Group is having our Christmas brunch. Yay!) I think these muffins are pretty tasty, but for once, don't take my word for it - just ask Elijah. He LOVES them. I made these Thanksgiving, along with the casserole, and Elijah probably ate about half a dozen little ones. (When I make muffins, I make the regular size, but I also make the mini muffins. Those just seem to be easier for the boys.) This recipe will make either two dozen regular muffins OR a dozen regular muffins and 24 minis. :)

Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 c sugar

1/2 c vegetable oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

8 oz. pumpkin

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 c water

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine sugar, oil, and eggs. Add pumpkin & mix well. Add each additional ingredient alternately with the water, mixing well with each addition. Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake at 350 30 min. Enjoy!

Sausage Casserole!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I know we did. We had Josh's parents over for breakfast, then for dinner, we went to my parents' house. When Josh's parents came over, I fixed a sausage casserole. It's a recipe I got from my sister. Technically, it's called breakfast pizza. But I don't understand exactly why it's called that, so I just call it a sausage casserole. I think it's better than most sausage casseroles I've had, though. It's pretty much the only one Josh will eat. I hope you enjoy it! :)

Sausage Casserole

6 eggs
8 oz. cream cheese (doesn't taste as good if you use light cream cheese...)
1/2 tsp salt
pinch pepper
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar, divided
1 pkt. country gravy mix
1 lb. sausage

Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs, cream cheese, salt & pepper until well blended. Spread 1/2 c cheddar cheese in bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Bake 15 min. Remove from oven & pour egg mixture over the cheese. Bake 25 min. Meanwhile, brown the sausage & crumble. Fix gravy according to packet instructions. Remove casserole from oven. Spread with the gravy. Top with sausage & remaining cheese. Bake 10-15 min., until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Cheesy Crouton Chicken!

So another craving I went though when I was pregnant was croutons. I got them by the bag at Sams, and I still had some leftover. I do still snack on them (a crunchy snack, and a little better for you than chips), but I still have several left, too. I keep wondering how they'd be on chicken. Well, now I'm going to find out! I love croutons, and I love cheese! Let's toss them on some chicken & find out how it tastes! It's in the oven now - I'll let you know how it turns out!

Cheesy Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of broccoli soup
1 c shredded cheddar
1/3 c sour cream
1 c croutons

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish. Spread the soup over the chicken, then the sour cream over the soup. Top with cheese and croutons. Bake 45-50 min., until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Enjoy! :)



The chicken was a success! I thought it was really good! And you all know how picky Elijah is - he said it smelled good, and he tried it without me having to twist his arm or anything! Although he still didn't like it, but I'm not taking it personally - so far the only chicken he really likes is breaded chicken tenders... But I'm thankful he at least tried it! :)

Apple Bread!

Once again, we have let Elijah pick what he wants for dinner tonight. So tonight, we're going to have burgers. (The one thing he is absolutely guaranteed to eat!) Probably just burgers & baked beans or fries. However, Elijah & I did actually do some cooking today. I had made some Caramel Apple Jam, and I had a few apples leftover from that. So Elijah & I made some Apple Bread this afternoon. :) (When cooking, I usually use Granny Smith apples, just because I think they have a better flavor. Although one of my friends says that they are one of the most nurtritious apples...)

Apple Bread!

1 1/4 c oil

3 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 apples, finely chopped

1 c nuts, chopped (I used cashews because that's what I had)

2 c sugar

3 c flour
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix together oil & sugar. Add eggs, salt & baking soda. Then add flour, apples, nuts, vanilla, and cinnamon, mixing all well. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 300 for 1 1/2 hours. Cool before cutting. Store in airtight container in fridge. Can also be frozen. Enjoy!

Buffalo Sauce!

Things have still been crazy around here! I don't know exactly what the problem's been, but not one of my boys has slept through the night in at least a week. It's crazy! They all wake up around 11:00, then one will wake up at 12:00, another at 1:00, another at 2:00, and then all three around 3:00 again. Sheesh! I don't know if it's just because all of our schedules are off since Josh is on the midnight shift this week or what, but it's definitely gotten old! Especially since when I'm tired, healthy eating (the little bit of healthy eating I did to begin with, anyway...) goes straight out the window, and I turn to convenience or fast foods for meals. (Needless to say my weight goes right along with my sleep! Depressing...) Anyway, I let Elijah choose what he'd like for dinner tonight, so we're having mac & cheese and popcorn chicken. I'll give the boys their popcorn chicken plain, but I'll put sauce on mine & Josh's. We tend to use a lot of buffalo sauce, just because we eat so much chicken. We usually buy our buffalo sauce - what can I say? I'm lazy! But the ingredients to make it are things that I pretty much always have here in the house, so if we ever do run out, it's really no big deal.

Buffalo Sauce

1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 c hot sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix well & store in airtight container until ready to use.

Cola Ham!

By now, I'm sure you've figured out that I am all about easy recipes! And easy usually means slow cooker. Slow cooker + 1-2 ingredients = happy me! So once again, dig out your slow cooker! (Unless you're like me - I've gotten so I just keep it out most of the time anyway because I know I'm going to be using it!) Cola ham is a pretty cheap meal to make, too, depending on the ham you get. I used a turkey ham tonight, just because it was cheaper than regular ham.

Cola Ham

1 ham

12 oz. soda, your choice (I used Dr. Pepper tonight)

Place ham in slow cooker, and pour soda over it. Cook on low 3-4 hours. Enjoy!

Tomato Soup & Croque-Monsieur!

Ever just need some comfort food? Things have been a bit crazy here (but what else is new?)... On our way to take Josh dinner yesterday, Elijah got sick, and he's still sick today. It's about to drive him crazy because I won't let him eat much. But oh well! So far, he's the only one to come down with it. I'm just praying! But anyway, with how crazy things have been, I just wanted some comfort myself! So I pulled out my last can of tomato soup. (I'd been saving it for meatloaf, but some things are just more important! :) So today's menu is nothing fancy. So since it's not much, I'm also including the recipe for a French version of grilled cheese, Croque-Monsieur. I'm not putting that much effort in today's meal, but it really is a good sandwich, and it goes great with tomato soup!

Tomato Soup

1 can condensed tomato soup

1/3 c water

1/3 c milk

1/8 c sour cream

1 Tbsp basil

Mix all together in pan, and heat over medium until simmering.

Croque-Monsieur (makes 3 sandwiches)

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp mayo
4 Tbsp butter, softened

6 slices bread

6 slices Swiss cheese

12 slices thinly sliced deli ham

4 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/4 c water

1 Tbsp oil

Spread 2 Tbsp butter on one side of each slice of bread. On 3 slices, spread some Dijon over the butter, then top each with 4 slices of ham. On 3 remaining slices, spread mayo and top with 1 slice of Swiss. Put the slices together to make ham & cheese sandwiches. Then whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, eggs & water until blended. Set aside. Heat remaining butter & oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dip both sides of each sandwich in egg mixture, then fry until browned, flipping to brown each side. Enjoy!!! :)

Pesto Chicken & Pasta!

Remember how I told you you'd be using that leftover pesto again soon? Well, here you go! I've made this before, and it turned out pretty good! And I really like it today, because I haven't had a chance to make it to the grocery story yet. I already have the pesto, and I keep various boxes of pasta on hand, along with cans of chicken. I also always have cream of chicken soup in my pantry. So assuming you've got the majority of ingredients in your house already, chances are pretty good you don't have to spend too much to make this meal! (You can also use actual chicken breasts for this - just cut it into chunks first. Also, it calls for bow tie pasta, but just use whatever you've got!)

Pesto Chicken & Pasta

1 box uncooked bow tie pasta

2 Tbsp butter

1 can chunk chicken, drained

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 c pesto sauce
1/2 c milk

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, and set aside. Heat butter in skillet. Add chicken & cook until browned. Add remaining ingredients (except pasta). Bring to a boil. Cook on low about 5 min. Add pasta and heat through. Enjoy!

Cashew Snaps!

Sorry nothing was posted yesterday. Dinner was nothing special - just hot dogs & a can of baked beans. I don't know how everyone else is doing with the time change, but it's been really hard on Jonah! Whew! So between his schedule being all off and then our computer having issues, nothing really got done yesterday. Although on another note, since I was out of town this past weekend and Josh was the one doing the grocery shopping, we only have so much to fix in the house anyway... So dinner tonight's not much special, either - just quiche again. (Josh did get milk & eggs, and we've got cheese in the freezer.) But in keeping with our new Wed. tradition, we did make cookies again today. When I was pregnant, I went through a little cashew phase. But that didn't really last too long, so I still had a huge tin of cashews in the cabinet. I dug those out this morning, and I made cashew snaps. I thought they turned out pretty good, but I think the next time I make them, I'll add a little vanilla for a bit of a stonger taste.

Cashew Snaps

1/2 c butter, softened

1 1/4 c brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 c chopped cashews

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/4 c flour

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease cookie sheets. Cream together the butter, egg, and brown sugar, then add in other ingredients, mixing until well blended. Drop by half teaspoonsful on greased cookie sheets, and bake 11-15 min. in preheated oven. Enjoy!

Garlic Ranch Chicken!

Hey guys! Sorry nothing was posted this weekend. I was out of town! My mom, sister, her daughter, Jonah, and I all met in Hagerstown, MD, for the weekend. We spent the time shopping & having fun! At least, I had fun - I know I can't speak for them! I have to say, I was really impressed with how well Kaelyn (13 months) and Jonah (4 months) did. They were so well behaved! :) I didn't watch my eating at all, though. But I don't feel too guilty about it. We did a TON of walking. But I'm back now! And dinner on the menu tonight? Garlic Ranch Chicken! I'm making this because it makes a lot - enough to share. I'm making enough for my family & for a friend's family as well. I hope she likes it! It's another slow cooker recipe. I had to send Josh out last night to get me a new one. When I got home from MD yesterday, I found the part of the lid in the sink & the rest in the dishwasher. At least dishes got done... At least it's just the lid that's broken. You can find a replacement lid at crockpot.com. However, they're out of stock right now. I use my slow cooker so much, especially with it getting colder, so we just got a new one. Once the lids are back in stock, I'll still order one. I miss my old slow cooker! But with two, I'll be able to make things even easier! :) Anyway, on to the recipe... :)

Garlic Ranch Chicken

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or more or less, depending on how many you want) can even be frozen)
1 bottle Ranch dressing
3 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp savory
1/4 tsp celery seed

Place chicken in the slow cooker. Pour the Ranch over the chicken, then sprinkle with the garlic, savory, and celery. Cover, and cook High for 1 hour. Turn to Low heat, and cook another 4 hours. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Latte!

I've been on such a Pumpkin Spice coffee kick lately! Really, though, this time of year, I've been on a pumpkin-anything kick! :) I never make it to Starbucks anymore, but when I use to go, my two favorite drinks there were Caramel Apple Cider and Pumpkin Spice Latte. However, I found a recipe that's pretty much just as good as their Pumpkin Spice Lattes! Next time I have a get-together, I'm going to try to remember to make this! Let me know what you think!

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

1 1/2 c brewed coffee

4 c milk

4 Tbsp canned pumpkin

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/3 tsp ginger

1/4 c sugar

3 Tbsp vanilla

Pour the coffee & milk in slow cooker. Whisk in other ingredients. Cover & cook high for 1 1/2-2 hours.
Whisk again before serving.

Top with whipped cream and some cinnamon sprinkled. :)

Grilled Cheese with Pesto!

Again, since I just bought cheese at the Cheese Shop, I'm pulling out another cheese recipe! Here's an oldie but goodie, with a slight twist. Even Elijah likes grilled cheese! Although he just likes PLAIN grilled cheese, nothing but bread & cheese. But for those of you who like some flavor, try some grilled cheese with pesto! I usually buy my pesto (what can I say? I'm lazy!), but it is fairly easy to make. I'll include a recipe for that, too. This sandwich is really good with tomato on it, too, but that really depends on the kind of pesto you use. It may be a bit too much if you use the sun-dried tomato pesto, which is what I've got this time. There's also traditional pesto, though, which is just pretty much herbs and oil. And don't worry about having too much pesto - I've got two more recipes coming in the next week or two that also call for pesto. :)

Grilled Cheese with Pesto!

2 slices bread
butter
1-2 slices tomato
2 slices cheese (I used 1 slice Provolone & 1 slice American, but also good with Swiss or even 2 slices each)
1 Tbsp pesto

Spread one side of both slices of bread with pesto. Top each bread slice with a slice of cheese, then place tomato in the middle & put together to make a sandwich. Spread outside slices of bread with butter & fry in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until golden brown & cheese has melted (about 5 min. each side). Enjoy!

Pesto

2 c fresh basil leaves
1/2 c flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 c chopped walnuts
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp lemon juice
pinch cayenne pepper
1 c olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Blend basil, parsley, nuts, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne pepper & Parmesan in a food processor. Slowly pour oil in while still mixing, then add salt & pepper.

Apple Cookies!

The Pumpkin Drops last week were a huge success! And a huge hit! We made so many that we sent some to school with Elijah for his teachers, some to work with Josh, and took a bunch to church. Elijah enjoyed giving them out so much that he asked if we could do it again today and share them at church tonight. :) I love it! But since he's been sick, I waited until he was already at school to make them. I know he'd have enjoyed helping, but I'd rather not take a chance on passing his little germs around! So today, I made Apple Cookies. I don't think they're quite as good as the Pumpkin Drops, but they are good. The recipe calls for raisins, but since I don't like raisins, I left them out. It also calls for walnuts. I'm fairly certain I bought the nuts, but I couldn't find them anywhere! So I had to do without those, too. I think that's why I'm not as crazy about the way the Apple Cookies turned out. They're good, but a little bland. I should have at least used another apple. Oh well! I'll know for next time!

Apple Cookies

1/2 c shortening
1 1/3 c brown sugar
1 egg
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/3 tsp nutmeg
1 c chopped walnuts
2 c apples, chopped
1 c raisins
1/4 c milk

Icing:
1 c confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp butter
3/4 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp half & half

Preheat oven to 400. Beat shortening & brown sugar together until light & fluffy. Add egg & beat until well blended. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Stir half of this into the egg mixture. Next, add the apples, nuts, and raisins to the egg mixture. Then add the remaining half of the spice mixture to the egg mixture, and pour in the milk. Mix well. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Drop from tablespoon about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven 10-12 min. Remove to cool, and while still warm, spread with the icing.

Icing:
Combine all ingredients (adding more half & half if needed) & stir until a smooth glaze consistency.

Hash Browns!

Dinner tonight is going to be Bacon-Cheddar Quiche. So for a side, how about some easy hash browns? I've got a couple of potatoes that have just been sitting around - if I don't hurry up & use them, I'm going to have to toss them! Dinner tonight's fairly simple. I love that these are a couple of recipes where I usually have all the ingredients on hand. And those times when I need a bit of onion but don't have any in the house, I use either some of the dried minced onion or a packet of the onion soup mix. Still tastes the same! :)

Hash Browns

2 medium potatoes, shredded and rinsed (water should run clear)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1/3 c flour
1 egg
salt & pepper to taste
oil for frying

Place potatoes, onion, flour, egg, and salt & pepper in a bowl & mix. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil starts sizzling, place about 1/2 inch layer of hash browns in oil. Cook until browned on the bottom, then flip & brown the other side. Remove from pan & drain on paper towels. Enjoy!

French Onion Soup!

This past weekend, Elijah, Jonah, my friend Beth, and I spent the morning in West Virginia. It was a beautiful drive! The leaves are changing color on all the trees, and then there was a dusting of snow/ice (but the roads were perfectly clear - my kind of snow!)... Like I said, beautiful! Why on earth would we drive all the way out there, though? Well, there's this tiny little town called Gap Mills. My mother's the one who first told me about it. When she told me she drove out there for cheese, I thought that was a bit crazy! And you may very well think that, too. This is one of those things you probably just have to see to understand. When you go, on one side of the road, there's the teeny tiny little bakery, and directly across from it is a cheese shop. The bakery has amazing pepperoni rolls, but they also have apple dumplings, sandwich rolls, pumpkin apple muffins, cookies, etc. The cheese shop has a ton of different cheeses - pepperoni cheese, garlic-herb yogurt cheese, Bermuda onion cheese, jalapeno-habenero cheese, in addition to the tradition Swiss, mozzarella, cheddar, etc. So if you buy cheese, you should find a recipe where you can use it, right? And since it's chilly, it's good soup weather! So tonight: French Onion Soup! I have never made French Onion soup before, other than just dumping a can of Campbell's French Onion soup in a pot. But that's a bit watery... just not the same! So I'm trying it tonight. The recipe I have is one where you make it in the microwave. Pretty simple. However, things are never simple in this house! Elijah's been complaining about his ears hurting, so he's got an appointment later this afternoon. And Isaiah's been out of town with my parents - he's coming back today. We'll probably leave to go trick-or-treating at Tanglewood Mall (depending on Elijah's doctor appointment, that is) fairly soon after he gets home. So I'm just throwing everything in the slow cooker. That way it should be ready when we get back from Elijah's appointment, and it will stay warm for Isaiah, too. We'll see what happens!

French Onion Soup

3 c water
1 can beef broth
3 Tbsp butter
4 cubes beef bouillon
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 large onion, either thinly sliced or diced (however you like your soup!)
your choice of cheese (provolone, Swiss, mozzarella...)
croutons or toasted bread

Place all ingredients in slow cooker, stir, and cook High 4 hours. After spooning into bowls, top with croutons or toasted bread and the cheese (we're going to be using provolone tonight!). Enjoy!





This turned out really good! In my opinion, anyway. Josh wouldn't even try it - he said he doesn't like French onion soup. And we had to leave before Isaiah got back, so it was just me. But I thought it was good. I did add a little sour cream and seasoned salt, though. Not much, just enough to add a little flavor.

Ranch!

Ranch is a HUGE favorite in this house. We go through a lot of it. When I buy it, I buy it by the gallon. We use it for everything - chicken, lasagna, veggies, fries... If you go through as much of it as we do, you may find it cheaper to just make it yourself. This is another recipe from Miserly Moms that I just thought I'd share. To be honest, it's not one I make very often. While I like it and think it does taste like Ranch, Josh is a bit pickier than I am about his Ranch (although I'm like that with my ketchup...). Anyway, here's the Ranch recipe! (Play with it a bit yourself - I think it's almost a bit too runny, but that might just be me.)

"Ranch" Salad Dressing

3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 c mayonnaise
1/2 c buttermilk (or 1/2 c milk + 1/2 tsp vinegar)
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine ingredients and blend well until smooth. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Tastes best if chilled overnight before serving.

Spaghetti!

Dinner tonight is pretty simple, something even Elijah can't turn down (as long as I get his out before I add the meat...)! Spaghetti! I have to say, I love to make my own sauce. And of course, since I rarely actually write it down, I always have something different each time. But what's wrong with that? It always tastes good!
The mix that I always start with is one I got from Miserly Moms by Jpnni McCoy. Anyone who is trying to cut costs, this is a must-read! It has tips on everything from making your own Ranch dressing to crafts for kids to saving money on groceries to gift ideas! With all these prices that are skyrocketing, finding ways to bring our bills down is something I'm always on the hunt for!

Spaghetti Herb Mix

1/2 c garlic powder
1/2 c onion powder
1/2 c dried oregano
3 Tbsp dried basil
3 Tbsp dried thyme
3 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar

Mix well and store in airtight container. Makes 10 servings or uses. To use, blend 16 oz. diced tomatoes with 1/4 cup of the mix.

That's the recipe exactly like it is in the book. However, I tend to make some changes. With the mix, 1/2 c onion powder is just too much for me, so I tend to cut it back to somewhere between 1/3-1/4. I also think 3 Tbsp thyme and 3 Tbsp salt is a bit much, so I cut those in half. One last note about this recipe, if you make it as it is above, it will be a bit dry with just the 16 oz. tomatoes...

My Spaghetti Sauce!!!

1/8 c spaghetti herb mix
16 oz. petite diced tomatoes
29 oz. tomato sauce
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic

Mix all and heat until bubbling. Then mix with cooked spaghetti noodles. Serve with Parmesan cheese if
desired. Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup!

Yes, I pulled my slow cooker out again. And once again, I just threw everything in and waited to see what happened. It turned out! Yummy! Super easy, super good. My kind of cooking! And even better since it has so few ingredients...

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 block Velveeta cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
10 oz. broccoli, cooked & drained
small onion, chopped
dash paprika

Toss everything in the slow cooker & cook low 4 hours. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Drops!

Elijah & I made Pumpkin Drops last night for the first time! All day yesterday, he'd been begging to make cookies. I gave him the choice between Pumpkin Drops or Apple Spice Cookies - he wanted to make Pumpkin Drops. He helped measure the ingredients, dump everything in, and stir. They turned out really good! And the cinnamon icing is delicious! After they baked & cooled, I asked if he was ready to try one. Keep in mind, it was his idea to make these, and he requested the Pumpkin Drops. "No thank you. I don't like them!" Sigh. Go figure. Oh well! At least he had fun making them! We made so many, we shared with family, friends, and I'm sending a bunch with Josh to work tonight! (And if we see you at church tonight, you just might get one yourself! :)

Pumpkin Drops

1/2 c butter flavored shortening
3 c sugar
15 oz. pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 c milk
6 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp all-spice
1/2 tsp cloves

Frosting:
1/2 c butter, softened
2 1/2 c confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375. In a lg. bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Beat in pumpkin, eggs, and milk. Add each other ingredient (except the frosting ingredients) one at a time, mixing well with each addition. (If dough seems too thick, just add a tiny bit of water.) Grease baking sheets. Drop by tablespoon-fulls about 2 inches apart. Bake 10-13 min., until lightly browned. Cool slightly before frosting, then cool completely & store in refrigerator.



To make frosting, combine all ingredients & beat until smooth.

Mac & Cheese!

Who doesn't like Macaroni & Cheese? It's definitely a favorite in this house! Although I have to admit, sometimes I get a little tired of it straight from the box! So if you want to dress it up a little, here's a great recipe! (Although if you have a kid who is super-picky about his mac & cheese, like Elijah is, they probably won't even try this. Elijah doesn't think it's mac & cheese since it's got the bread crumbs... Sigh.) If you want to jazz it up even more, add some diced tomatoes or green pepper. Yum!

Mac & Cheese

8 oz. pkg. macaroni (although if you already have a box of mac & cheese, go ahead & use it! just makes it a little cheesier!)
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
12 oz. small curd cottage cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c melted butter


Preheat oven to 350. Cook macaroni noodles according to the directions; drain. In a 9x13 baking dish, stir together all ingredients except the bread crumbs & butter. In a small bowl, mix together the butter & bread crumbs. Sprinkle this over the macaroni mixture. Bake 30-35 min., until top is golden. Enjoy!

Elephant Ears!

So this weekend, I was a huge slacker. Pretty much the extent of my cooking was just stirring sugar in my coffee! I spent a lot of time on the go with my parents, so that meant less time at home. We went to see Goodnight Moon at Hollins University on Sat. It was pretty cute - I have to admit, I'm impressed. Anyone who can take such a boring book (just being honest - the book where NOTHING happens!) and turn it into a little musical that actually has characters is pretty talented. :) Then yesterday, Elijah had Preschool Sunday at his preschool where they had breakfast for us and then the kids sang a couple songs in the church service. Then we rushed home, changed, and headed to the circus! We even took Isaiah (left Jonah home with Daddy, though). I'm glad we did. He was a little restless towards the end, but for the most part, he was fascinated! Clapping his hands, cheering... It was a lot of fun! Elijah's favorite parts of the circus were the performers with the swords and then elephants. So, in honor of his favorite circus animal, our recipe of the day is Elephant Ears! If you've never had one, they're really good! I remember I'd get one as a special treat every now and then when I was out with my Daddy.
Another plus about this recipe? Remember the other day when we made the tortilla casserole? We only used half a pack of tortillas. If you still have them, you can use the leftover tortillas to make this quick version of Elephant Ears. (A longer version would be actually making the dough & all yourself. Feel free to do that if you want, but I'm all about fast & easy!)

Elephant Ears

5 tortillas
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
oil for frying

Mix together cinnamon & sugar and set aside. In a skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of oil. Fry one tortilla at a time in the oil, browning on each side. Coat with the cinnamon/sugar mixture & serve immediately. Enjoy! :)

Beef Meatballs with Picante Glaze!

I found this recipe when I was digging through the coupon section of a Sunday paper one time. It's actually a Pace recipe (Campbell's?), I just added a bit of my own to it as well. If I didn't know that grape jelly really is a good ingredient in sauces (such as for the Little Smokies), I'd be really cautious. But I actually like jelly-based sauces, so I look forward to trying this one. Yep, it's my first time making it! I'm really curious to know how everyone else will like them. My guess is it'll be like every other recipe - Elijah won't even try it but everyone else will, and everyone else will enjoy it! But I'll let you know for sure!

Beef Meatballs with Picante Glaze

1 lb. ground beef (although I'd bet it's good with chicken or turkey, too)
1/4 c dry bread crumbs
1 tsp minced garlic
1/8 c finely chopped onion
1/3 tsp fennel
1 egg, beaten
16 oz. Picante sauce
1/3 c grape jelly

Heat oven to 375. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Mix beef, bread crumbs, garlic, onion, fennel, egg, and 1/4 c picante sauce in a large bowl. Shape mixture into 40 1-inch meatballs & place meatballs on baking sheet. Bake 15 min. or until cooked through, turning once halfway through. Heat remaining picante sauce & grape jelly in a skillet over med-high heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook 15 min. or until mixture is reduced to 1 cup. Add meatballs to skillet & cook until hot, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice or on toothpicks.

Apple Betty!

It's fall! And in addition to pumpkins and leaves, it means lots and lots of apples! (Check out Recipes for All on Facebook for another apple recipe today - Tarte Tatin.) I love apple pie, but I can't say I always like having to make a crust. The solution? Apple Betty! Pretty much just an apple pie without the crust! Delicious and easy - my kind of dessert! A great way to finish any meal. Dinner tonight is Ham & Swiss Stromboli, and I think even Elijah would eat that to get some Apple Betty... (and in case you were wondering, that bumpy pumpkin in the picture is the one that Elijah picked out!)

Apple Betty

4 c apples, cored, peeled, thinly sliced
1/4 c orange juice
3/4 c flour
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c butter

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9-in. pie plate. Place apples in the pie plate and sprinkle with orange juice. In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, and spices. Cut in the butter until it produces coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the apples. Bake 45 min. Enjoy! (Especially good over icecream...)

Lasagna!

Time to dig out your slow cooker again! I do have another lasagna recipe, but this one is Josh's favorite. (The other one - a 5 cheese lasagna - is my favorite, though. I think Josh just prefers this one because it has meat while the other one does not.) I got this recipe from my friend Stacey. It's another super-easy recipe! But then again, aren't most slow cooker recipes? I tend to do most of my slow cooker recipes on Sundays - that way I can throw everything in when I get up, and it's usually ready right around the time we get home from church. If that's something you want to do, too, just make the meat sauce the night before, store it in the fridge, and then just grab it when you're ready for it the next morning. Another thing that I really like about this recipe is that it uses cottage cheese instead of ricotta. I don't know why, but something about ricotta cheese just grosses me out. Ugh!

Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
29 oz. tomato sauce
1 c water
6 oz. tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp basil
1 pkg. uncooked lasagna noodles
12 oz. small curd cottage cheese

Brown beef, cooking it over medium-high heat, along with the onion & garlic. Drain. Add the tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, salt, and spices. In the slow cooker, layer the meat sauce, lasagna noodles, and cottage cheese. (Makes about 4 layers.) Cook on Low 3 hours.

Salsa Chicken!

This is a recipe I got from my friend Beth. I usually try to add something to recipes to sort of make them my own, but let's face it, there's nothing I could add to this one! Although I guess you could add some chopped onion or green pepper... It's so incredibly simple - I LOVE recipes where you can just use the meat even when it's frozen! Another wonderful thing about this recipe is that it's so cheap to make! I found seasoned pintos on sale - 39 cents each - so I stocked up. Now usually I hate beans. Really. Seriously. Beans are GROSS. They are disgusting and have no purpose except to be pushed around on your plate and make the other food look good. But they are incredibly nutritious, and to be honest, you can't even really taste them in this. (Otherwise I would definitely have had to take them out!) It does look disgusting when it's cooking (that's beans for you!), but at least it tastes good once it's done! And it's healthy, too... Also a plus! :)

Salsa Chicken

8-10 pieces frozen chicken
16 oz. jar salsa
1 can seasoned pinto beans
1 can black beans

Put chicken in slow cooker. Pour salsa & beans over it. Cook on Low 8 hours. Stir & shred. Serve over rice.

Serve with sour cream or extra salsa.

Tortilla Casserole!

This is an easy & tasty casserole that you fix in the microwave. If you want to take a break from your stove completely, you can even brown the meat in the microwave.

Tortilla Casserole

2 lbs. ground meat (I used venison because that's what I had, but you can use turkey, beef, chicken...)
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz. taco sauce
1 can tomatoes & diced green chilies
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp hot sauce
4 tortillas
16 oz. sour cream
6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Place the meat and onion in a skillet & brown over medium heat. Once the meat is brown, drain, and stir in the taco sauce, can of tomatoes, cumin, and hot sauce. Grease a 9x9 inch microwave safe dish. Place 1 tortilla in, sprinkle some of each of the cheeses, then spread some of the meat mixture over the cheese, then spread some sour cream on top. Top with another tortilla and layer again, and another time, ending with a tortilla on top. Place in microwave and cook on high 8-10 minutes, until heated through. Cool 2 minutes in microwave, then remove with oven mitts. Enjoy!


When I made this tonight, I didn't think to add the tomatoes. It's good without, but tomatoes would definitely have added a nice flavor! If you don't like diced green chilies, just add a plain can of diced tomatoes. Also, if you don't like hot things, just leave the splash of hot sauce out - it just adds a little flavor, too.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup!

I love that it's getting to be fall! I love the cooler weather - partly because cool weather means good soup weather! Although if I'd checked what the weather was supposed to be like today, I probably would have decided to fix something else... It's suppose to be close to 80 today! But I already have all of the ingredients for potato soup, and since we have a play date at the park later, I can just throw it all in the slow cooker so it's ready when we get home. This is actually a recipe my friend Connie sent me; I just added a bit to it. This is my first time ever fixing this recipe. Actually, it's my first time ever fixing potato soup! I use to always buy the frozen potato soup. So I'll have to let you know how it is! Until I got married, I would have sworn I didn't like potato soup at all. Turns out I just don't like potato soup with dumplings in it. Oh well - that's a good thing about cooking yourself - you can make whatever changes you like! Anyway, I'll let you know how it turns out!

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

2 bags Simply Diced Potatoes with Onions (beside the eggs in the grocery store)
2 cans chicken broth
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c sour cream
1 can cream of potato soup
1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 tsp chives
1/4 tsp coriander
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/3 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp paprika
3.10 oz. pkg bacon bits

Add all to slow cooker & mix well. Cook on High 3 hours, then reduce to Low for 1 hour. Top with cheese and more bacon bits, if desired.



Another success! :) It tastes REALLY good! I think next time I make it, though, I'll chop up some onion, too, and Josh suggested I try it without the Ranch mix. Josh & Isaiah are enjoying it, too. Elijah, however, is sticking to his cheese crackers.... (If you want to try the original recipe that Connie gave me, just leave out the sour cream, chives, coriander, minced garlic, celery seed, paprika, and bacon.)

Octopus & Shells!

Here's a fun & simple recipe you can do with your kids. After all, what kid doesn't like mac & cheese and hot dogs?

Octopus & Shells (or Octopus & Seaweed)

8 hotdogs
1 pkg. either mac & cheese, shells & cheese, or Ramen noodles
green food coloring (unless you're using the shells & cheese)

Boil one large pot of water. Take each hot dog & quarter it lengthwise, only about halfway though. (Make sure it's all still attached!) You can even cut it into 8ths if you want. Drop each hotdog in the boiling water. (Kids may have fun watching the "legs" curl up while boiling.) While the hotdogs are cooking in the water, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. After the pasta is cooked & drained, add the food dye if it's plain mac & cheese or Ramen noodles. This makes the seaweed! If you made shells & cheese, you can still add the food dye if you want, or you can leave it just as shells. Either way! Then place a serving of pasta on each plate. Remove the hotdogs from the water & place on a paper towel to drain. Place a hotdog on each serving of pasta. You could even give each octopus a face with mustard or ketchup. Enjoy!

Brownies!

Okay, so I know brownies aren't exactly a dinner item. BUT my in-laws have 2/3s of my boys tonight, so I'm hoping (and praying!) that my husband & I can actually go out tonight. Yes, we'd have Jonah with us, but since he's still in his infant carrier, it's almost like he's not really there. As long as he eats beforehand, anyway! If we don't go out, I'll be making tortilla casserole; if that's the case, I'll be posting that recipe later as well! But either way, here is my all-time favorite brownie recipe. I know there are brownie mixes, but once I found this, I haven't gotten a mix again.

Delicious Brownies!

*2 c sugar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 c butter, melted
1/2 c cocoa powder
1 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c chopped nuts (optional, and your choice of nuts!)
1/4 c white chocolate chips (again, optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in the order given. With the white chocolate, you can either melt it and then drizzle on top after the brownies have baked, or you can do it the easy way (which is what I do!), and that's just go ahead and toss them in as well. (Drizzling makes it look nicer, but mixing them in is just plain easier.) Grease a 9x13 greased pan and bake 20-30 min., until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean.

* You can substitute the sugar with artificial sugar, but be warned, the taste goes, too! I tried it, and the brownies just didn't taste nearly as good. Still good, and extremely moist! But not as tasty. Just a side note!

Baked Herb Chicken!

We eat a LOT of chicken in this house. Mostly just because it's pretty much the cheapest meat. But there are also a ton of ways to fix it! So tonight, we're going for baked herb chicken. I'm changing up the recipe a bit, though, so it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.

Baked Herb Chicken

2/3 c dry potato flakes
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1/2 c grated Parmesan
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp caraway (optional)
1/4 c butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, combine potato flakes, Parmesan, and herbs; mix well. Dip chicken in melted butter then cover with potato flake mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake 45-60 min., or until chicken is tender & golden.

The chicken turned out very tasty! Elijah (my pickiest eater!) still didn't eat it, but he almost did, and that's saying something! Lol. Anyway, if there had been any more than 1/8 tsp caraway, it would have been too much. But I liked the hint of flavor this little bit provided. I know not everyone would, though, so I'd say that herb's optional rather than absolutely necessary. (Just thought I'd throw it in because that's one of those spices I rarely use...) I think this may be one of my new favorites!

Stuffed Pepper Soup!

Dinner tonight? Stuffed Pepper Soup! I love stuffed peppers, but I never make them. With three kids, who has the time to put much preparation into dinner? It seems like every time I set foot in the kitchen, that's when my baby decides he's hungry. Most of my cooking gets done after he's fed, when he and my 17-month-old are asleep and my 3-year old is playing nicely. I love slow cooker recipes because you can usually just dump everything in, set the timer, and walk away. (Now if only they invented kitchens that clean themselves!) I've made this recipe before, but this is my first time fixing it in the slow cooker. I'll let you know how it turns out, and how well it goes over with my family!

Stuffed Pepper Soup

1 lb. ground beef (or venison!)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 c diced onion
29 oz. can diced tomatoes
29 oz. can tomato sauce
14 oz. can chicken broth
1/3 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp savory
salt & pepper to taste
1 c brown rice

In a large skillet, brown the meat. Drain; place in slow cooker. Add all other ingredients to the slow cooker, and stir. Cook on Low 4 hours. Enjoy!



Soup was a success! Although it only took 4 hours to cook, so I changed that. Isaiah (17 months old) likes it, but no surprise that my 3 year old just wants pbj! Off to take some to my husband at work now! :)