Warm Gooey Home Made Brownies - MMMM!

My mom used to make home made brownies when I was growing up...I don't even think I saw her use a box mix. I loved them!! All warm, gooey, chocolatey - melt in your mouth goodness:) So I was excited to come across this yummy looking recipe and can't wait to try them...

Brownies from Amy’s Bread
Recipe from The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread.
3 & 1/3 cups (20 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 & 3/4 cups chopped nuts, toasted (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9″x 13″ baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
Melt butter, half of the chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler (or microwave). Let mixture cool to warm.
Whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla just until mixed. Over-mixing will cause crumbly brownies. Fold in warm chocolate mixture.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold dry ingredients into chocolate mixture until just combined. Stir in remaining chocolate chips and nuts (if using), mixing just until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Spread to an even thickness. Bake 32-36 minutes. The edges will be slightly firm and the center will be soft when they are fully baked. Do not over bake. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Makes 12 large or 24 small brownies. These brownies may cut better if they are chilled first.

I AM AN ADDICT!!

Hi my name is Shannon, and I am an addict. They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. My addiction is CHOCOLATE!!
Not just any chocolate or some fancy, expensive, imported stuff - NOPE just good old WF, inexpensive, store bought, delightfully delicious CHOCOLATE!! They call it Almond Bark but I call it HEAVEN♥
When I love to dip - anything - I reach for this...Well I needed to make chocolate covered Oreo's for a friend and of course when you have to make them for someone else it never fails you have a catastrophe!!
I used good old Oreo's and they just crumbled when I put Popsicle sticks in them, so I sent my wonderful hubby to the local grocer. He is an amazing man you know!! He solved my problem by buying DOUBLE STUFFED OREO'S - they worked like a charm. They were the WF brand that had a fun flower design on them and I loved how they looked after being dipped.
So if you have a sweet tooth try these out...
After sticking sticks in them place the Oreo's on a wax paper covered cookie sheet and let them harden in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
Melt your chocolate squares in the microwave at 30 second intervals so it doesn't burn and stir till smooth. Dip them and tap off excess chocolate...
Line them up on a foam block to harden...

And than devour their CHOCOLATELY goodness!☺ I am not an Oreo fan but OMG these are so so good!!
Other wonderful things to dip:
Marshmallows
Strawberries
Cinnamon Bears
Graham Crackers
Cake Balls
Cheese Cake Balls
Brownie Balls
I think in a perfectly chocolately world you could dip anything!!
Well maybe not veggies☺

!Go NS BRAVES!

Last week I was given the opportunity to make brownie bites for a friend's daughters MS graduation. I had the worst experience with them and it took me days to figure out!! I had bought a Betty Crocker brownie mix that called for 2/3 cup oil and I under cooked them to avoid the crunchy edges I have had in other batches. So they turned out a gooey mess. I ended up at the last minute making another batch with the same mix (that's all I had) but I over cooked them and added less cream cheese. They turned out OK, but I suggest using another brand that contains less oil when using them for balls to be dipped.
But on a more exciting note, I purchased this really cool new tool at Micheal's. It worked so well dipping and making neat swirls on top of the chocolates. Like I said I had a tough time so it worked only when they were really cold. I made the best of my situation and double dipped the ones that ended up too gooey to dip and turned the rest into brownie cups with a mold I got (I will post more on that after I finish making up those☺). Their colors are purple and gold so I had fun experimenting with this fun gold dust that a friend of mine gave me. I had purchased golden yellow that turned out looking orange...the kids told me it looked like fry sauce - LOL!! So the dust was a great alternative. I thought they turned out amazing and for the first time was rewarded graciously for my hard work.

SuPeR eAsY SoFt PrEtZeLs

Super Easy Soft Pretzels as seen on Kara's Kitchen Creations:1/2 cup warm water2 Tbsp yeast (I use SAF)
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
4 cups flour
Add yeast to warm water. Add milk, salt, and sugar. Stir in flour to make a stiff dough. (Unlike most bread recipes, you want plenty of flour. That makes the pretzels chewier.) Knead on floured counter a few times. Let dough sit for about 5 minutes. Form into pretzels following the instructions below. Bake at 400 for about 15-18 minutes. Yum! -Makes about 10-12 pretzels
Pinch off a small ball of dough.
Roll it into a rope about 14" long.
Cross the ends over.
Now bring the ends down to the bottom of the pretzel.
Place the pretzel on a greased cookie sheet and tuck the ends under.
Keep forming pretzels till you run out of dough. Then brush all of them with milk.
If you want, you can sprinkle toppings on the pretzels.
We have tried poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic salt and Parmesan, and cinnamon/sugar. Or you can sprinkle them with salt. Most of the time I just leave them plain-and they are still heavenly!
Notes:
-Sometimes I replace some of the white flour with freshly ground whole wheat flour and it works wonderfully and is more healthy.

Are Those Eggs Still Good To Use?

I found this on Tip Junkie today and thought I would share. I am always wondering if my out dated eggs are still good to eat or cook with.

Ever have an egg in your fridge and you were not sure if it was still good or not? There is an EASY way to find out. As eggs go bad, gases are produced inside the egg. As those gases are produced, the egg becomes more and more buoyant.
Here’s what you do!
Fill a glass with water, place your egg inside.
If the egg sinks to the bottom, it is still good and will be for some time.
If the egg floats to the middle of the glass, it is still good but needs to be used soon.
If the egg floats all the way to the top, you need to throw it away.
I swear knowing this is going to really impress someone at some point in your life.

{Hats off to the Graduates of 2009}

My mom needed a treat for her graduates next week and thanks to Bakerella I found a really fun idea...

Graduation Cap Pops!!

I found Ghirardelli chocolates in squares, miniature PB cups, chocolate almond bark, mini M&M's, Twizzlers pull-n-peels, and sucker sticks.
Place the PB cups in the freezer for 15 minutes to harden, this makes the wrappers peel off better and the chocolate won't stick. This makes them look better around the edges. Than allow the pb cups to come back to room temp while you heat the chocolate according to package instructions. Dip your sucker stick in the melted chocolate and carefully insert into the pb cup about halfway. If they are still frozen they will break. Allow the sticks to set up.
Unwrap your squares, with a toothpick dab a small amount of chocolate on top, and place mini M&M over the chocolate. Than draw a line with your toothpick and place the licorice on top.
I wrapped the licorice around and under so it would take shape and hang better. Let set up well.
Last dip the end of your pb cup on the stick into some chocolate and place the chocolate square on top. Stick them into a foam block to dry. Mom my is going to bundle three of them in a sack and tie them up with ribbon and a tag. These are going to be so fun and tasty for her students. I thought they turned out so adorable and look yummy!!

++10 meals in 1 hour++

This week has been CRAZY!! But I found some great deals on meat and decided to do some freezer cooking. I purchased about 18 lbs. of chicken, 7 lbs. of hamburger and freezer bags.

I placed all but 7 chicken breasts in the crock pot and cooked on high for about 4 hours. After the chicken was cooked and cooled I spent about a half hour cutting, cubing, bagging and labeling the chicken. I than cooked half of the hamburger meat with a little dried onion, made patty's with the other half, bagged it and labeled it all. It took me less than an hour and about $25 for all the meals. Here is what I now have in my freezer:

1. - 2 chicken breasts marinated for grilling

2. - 1.5 lbs. cooked hamburger - Taco's

3. - 1.5 lbs. cooked hamburger - Mexican Manicotti

4. - 5 raw chicken breasts mixed with ingredients for Creamy Italian Crock-pot Chicken (see older post for recipe)

5 & 6. - 8 hamburger patties - stacked on wax paper ready for grilling

7. - cooked and cubed chicken - Chicken Enchilada's

8. - cooked and shredded chicken - Haystacks

9. - cooked and shredded chicken mixed with taco seasoning - Chicken Quesadilla's

10. - cooked and cubed chicken - Chicken Spaghetti

[Party Pleasers!]

This weekend I hosted a party and everyone really enjoyed the food so I promised to post the recipes. I made the cake pops and brownie/cake balls for dessert and I already posted them so check out this link for the recipe - CAKE POPS. I got creative using the left over chocolate and vanilla almond bark and double dipped the red velvet cake pops I had made and I thought they were easier and looked really fun:) I served these in a fun glass vase and the cake pops in fun cups full of sugar. The rest of my menu was spinach dip served with crackers and sourdough baguette, veggies with dip, fruit with dip and a lemonade slush

Spinach Dip
1 pkg Pic-A-Sweet chopped frozen spinach
1 16 oz. Sour Cream
1 c. Mayo
1 pkg Knorr Spinach dip
1/2 c. chopped water chestnuts (optional)
Place frozen spinach in pan, cover with water, bring to boil and boil for 3min. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain well. Cool spinach in fridge and than add remaining ingredients. Chill for 4-6 hours. Serve with crackers and sour dough baguette.
(I didn't have time to chill that long so I made sure the spinach was nice and cold and chilled the dip for an hour before I served - it still tasted really good:))

Fruit Dip
2 pkg 8 oz. Cream Cheese
2 jars Marshmallow Fluff
2 tsp. Vanilla (optional)
Use blender to mix all ing. well. Serve with fresh fruit: Apples, strawberries, bananas, etc.

Lemonade Slush
3 c. Sugar
8 c. Hot Water
1 can Frozen Lemonade (or favorite frozen drink)
2 liter Sprite
Dissolve sugar in hot water, add thawed can lemonade, mix well and place in gallon freezer bag. Freeze. When ready to serve partially thaw, dump into bowl and pour Sprite over top. It will turn slushy. You can garnish with lemon wedges:)

--My Favorite Meatballs as seen on GTU--

This recipe was featured today on Good Things Utah and looks delicious. Check out Jenny Stanger's book called Dinner on Ice at her website FreezerDinner.com for more great tips and meals. I love bulk freezer cooking and can't wait for my copy to come in the mail to get more good ideas.

My Favorite Meatballs
Yield: 20 meatballs, Meatballs will last up to 4 months frozen

Ingredients:
1 large onion, finely diced
1 C seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 C water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
2 T parsley flakes
1 C grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 large eggs
2 t salt

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot skillet sauté diced onions with olive oil and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. In a large bowl, mix together the meat, eggs, cheese, parsley and bread crumbs. Add the onions and season with salt. Use your hands to mix it together. Add the water, it should be quite wet. Shape into golf ball size balls. Place meatballs in a hot skillet to brown the sides. Then place them on a cookie sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes. Cool and then use some right away and freeze the rest. Freeze on a cookie sheet for 1 hour (flash freeze) then pour all meatballs into a large zip top bag, label and freeze.To serve: Warm meatballs in the microwave and serve with spaghetti sauce on bread, over noodles, with a sour cream sauce or served as appetizers with a BBQ sauce etc...

Swedish Meatball Sauce:
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:
6 oz sour cream
1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup
1 Cup of water

Method:
Mix together the sour cream, soup and water in a medium sauce pan and stir until boiling. Salt and pepper to taste (you can add in crumbled bacon and sliced green onions for freshness and flavor) add 8-10 defrosted meatballs to the sauce and serve over a cooked pasta of your choice.

*Pizza Crust*

I have been making homemade pizza's at our house a lot lately and would love to find a recipe so I don't have to keep buying the dough. I came across this one and heard it's the best. Can't wait to try it tonight:)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups flour
Directions:
Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the oil, salt and sugar. Let yeast mix sit for about 5 minutes. Add the flour and mix well.
Dump onto a floured surface. Knead into a smooth dough (about 5 minutes). Roll out and press down on a greased pizza pan (if you have it, dust with cornflour after greasing the pan).
Add toppings.
Bake at 425 degrees for around 12-15 minutes, until the crust looks crispy and lightly browned.

~~You can never go wrong with CHOCOLATE and PEANUT BUTTER~~

I had this dilemma...
A smooth, milky, melted bowl of chocolate and a pan of smooshed up peanut butter bars.
What was a chocolate loving girl like me suppose to do?
Remind myself that everything dipped in chocolate tastes better!

Last week while trying to come up with other flavors of cake balls I made a pan of peanut butter bars and was going to try and shape them into balls, put them on sticks, and dip them in chocolate - Oh my goodness - Heaven! I love Reese's PB Cups! They are my absolute favorite treat!! So when I came up with these my mouth was watering just thinking of the combination on a stick. BUT...after adding more peanut butter to the cooked and crumbled bars it became a mess. All week I have been trying to think up something to add to the mixture to make it stick together and form balls. Well nothing came to me and I figured I had to do something with it.
So low and behold the ginormous PB Cup...
I took silver cup cake liners, spread a small dab on the bottom of the liner, sprinkled the PB bar mixture into the cup filling it about 2/3 full, and than spreading more chocolate over top.
I placed them in the freezer for about 5 minutes to set up and VIOLA -- HEAVEN!!!!
Well we will admit (my dear hubby was the taste tester) they are a bit BIG and RICH!
So not wanting to have 50 huge PB cups in the house with a PB cup addict I decided to whip up something a little less overwhelming.
I put wax paper on a jelly roll pan, spread 3/4 of the melted chocolate all over the wax paper....
Sprinkled the PB bar mixture (see recipe at the end) over the chocolate, smashing it down into the chocolate...
Take the remaining chocolate and drizzle over top...yours will look prettier:) I ran out of chocolate and attempted to make it look edible. They are a little messy so spreading more chocolate over top to create another layer instead of drizzling may help.
Put them in the freezer to set up and cut with knife or pizza cutter and ENJOY!! Thank goodness we are going to a BBQ tonight and I can share these. Because my diet just isn't going to work with a huge pan full of PB and Chocolate:)

PEANUT BUTTER BAR RECIPE:
3/4 c. Margarine or Butter
3/4 c. Sugar
3/4 c. Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp. Salt
3/4 c. Peanut Butter
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 1/2 c. Flour
1 1/2 c. Quick Oats
Cream sugar and margarine. Add eggs and vanilla, and than peanut butter. Gradually add combined dry ingredients. Pat into a jelly roll pan and bake 350* for 10-12 minutes. Cool.
To make the PB mixture for the PB Cup Bars crumble the cooled bars and add 1 cup peanut butter. Mix together until very crumbly and prepare as suggested above.

Chocolate Strawberry Crispy Pie

Another recipe from GTU...sounds yummy!! I want to try it this weekend:) But I love chocolate and raspberries so I am going to use raspberry sherbet - HMMM! I will post some pics after I make it!

Ingredients:
½ cup chocolate flavored syrup
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups crisp rice cereal
¼ cup dairy sour cream
1 quart favorite flavor ice cream
Butter an 8” pie plate; set aside. In medium microwave-safe bowl combine chocolate syrup with chocolate chips; microwave on high for 45 seconds or until hot. Stir until smooth. Remove ¼ cup chocolate mixture to small bowl; set aside. Add cereal to remaining chocolate mixture and stir to coat; cool slightly and press mixture evenly into bottom and up the sides of pie place. Place in freezer for 20 minutes or until firm. Combine reserved ¼ cup of chocolate mixture with sour cream. Spoon half the ice cream into pie, drizzle with chocolate sauce. Top with scoops of ice cream and remaining sauce. Decorate with berries - raspberries, strawberries, etc.!

Ranch Pork Chops

4-6 pork chops (I purchase the center cut and not the assorted variety)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In one shallow container, mix together the flour and Italian seasonings. In another shallow container, pour in the Ranch dressing. Trim all fat from the pork chops and then dredge in the flour. Dip the pork chop into the dressing on both sides. Place pork chops on a greased baking dish and sprinkle the tops with a little Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 35 minutes.

Cafe Rio Salad - YUM!!

A friend of mine sent this to me today and I am so excited!! Really this is my favorite salad! Hope you all enjoy it!! YUMMY!!!!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


BLACK BEANS2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")

Sweet Pork2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork rib meat)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness but any will work)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.
Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.
In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.
Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

Salad Dressing
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalepeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds) Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!

~CAKE POPS~

These cake pops are the most HEAVENLY little treat!! I came across them on BAKERELLA's blog and fell in love. She is an amazing, creative cook that is very talented. Mine are nothing compared to her creations. So check out her blog for more than a dozen ideas on how to make and decorate these fun new "pops"!!

I went crazy and made three different batches in one day. I baked basic boxed brownies, boxed strawberry cake with confetti frosting, and a homemade red velvet cake with frosting from scratch. That is why my pictures are all different. The recipe for each of them are at the end. I made a lot of mistakes and my last batch of pops turned out the best so please read and follow all directions if you want to learn from my mistakes - lol!!

I wanted to get them all baked fast, so I used a 13x9 pan, two round, and two heart pans. But any cake pan will do :)

Basic Cake Pop Recipe:
1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can frosting (16 oz.)
Wax paper
1 pkg chocolate or vanilla bark (Kroger brand is good) or any color chocolate melts
Lollipop sticks

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (I use the back of a large spoon, but it may be easier to use fingers to mix together. But, be warned, it will get messy. Also, you may not need the entire can of frosting, so start out by using almost the entire can and add more if you need to.) I will admit I used the whole can and it made them too soft and not really cake-like, made it harder to roll and keep ball shape. So I prefer to use about 3/4 of the can:)

Brownie Pops:
I used a basic brownie boxed mix and after cooling I stirred in a 8 oz. pkg of cream cheese. I would suggest not using the full package if you don't want them to be as gooey as mine were (they sure tasted yummy though). They were harder to roll, keep shape, and dipping was a challenge. So use 1/2 of an 8 oz. pkg!! These were my favorite dipped in the white chocolate.

Red Velvet Cake and Frosting Recipe:
1 cube Butter
1 c. Sugar
Beat together till fluffy.
2 Eggs - add one at a time and beat well.
Make a paste of 2 Tbl. Cocoa and 2 oz. Red Food Coloring (2 bottles). Add to above mixture.
Add:
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 c. Buttermilk
2 3/4 c. Flour (sifted)
Alternate the milk and flour.
Last add 1 Tbl. Vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp. Soda
Mix really well - Bake 300* for 25-30 minutes.
Frosting:
Cook together -
1 c. Milk
5 Tbl. Flour
Cream 2 cubes Butter and 1 c. Sugar.
Add 1 tsp. Vanilla to cooked mixture and than add to sugar mixture. Beat till smooth and creamy - this takes quite a long time to fluff up.

Some other ideas and instructions for making cupcake pops click on the link below!! Have fun and ENJOY!!
cupcake pops

I had to take a picture of my RED hands from rolling the red velvet cake balls. Luckily it didn't stain! This was from the two bottles of red food coloring you add to the batter. Mine were a little gooey from using too much of the frosting though.

Roll mixture into quarter size balls or egg shapes and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50) Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between.)Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.)Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up. This is a very important step...I learned the hard way and my balls kept falling off the sticks. My last batch I got fed up, went back to her blog and found out I was suppose to stick them in freezer. Wow did they work so much better!!

Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don't tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too.Place in a Styrofoam block to dry. During this process I was having problems and not enough sticks, so I just dipped mine into chocolate. I wanted them to look like speckled eggs so I added pink and purple sprinkles to the white, vanilla bark. If anyone knows a good trick to dipping chocolates and making them look pretty -PLEASE- let me know. Mine didn't look as well as I hoped!!

I packaged some of them in fun Easter/Spring bags and tied them with a pretty bow!

The fun speckled egg pops I put in flower pots with "Nest" Krispy Treats (basic rice krispy treat recipe that I substituted chow mien noodles instead of rice krispy's) and chick Peeps for decoration. These where a fun treat that we gave to our family and friends for Easter!!

{CREAMED EGGS ON TOAST}

This has been a tradition in my family since I was little and it just isn't Easter without making it. It's fun to serve for breakfast after searching for eggs all morning and the dyed eggs turn the mixture many exciting different colors. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!!

White Sauce:
1/2 c. Butter
3/4 c. Flour
Milk
1 1/2 dozen Hard Boiled Eggs
Melt butter in pan, stir in flour - it will make a paste. Stir in a little milk at a time to thin out, keep stirring till it gets thick, than add more milk. I don't really measure it, just keep adding little at a time till it gets smooth with no lumps. You need to keep cooking and stirring to cook down the flour mixture. This gets rid of the flour taste. Add salt and pepper to taste (my mom usually doesn't use as much salt but my husband likes it to taste not so bland so he adds quite a bit - up to you). Over the years I have played with my white sauce to get it as good as we like it, so if you have better measurements and directions for a white sauce let me know?!
Peel and grate your hard boiled eggs into the mixture and stir till warmed through.  Serve over toast.  I usually use about 1 1/2 dozen eggs for this amount. It feeds 5-6 people. ENJOY!!
(my brother-in-law enjoys this sprinkled with some tobasco sauce - hehehe)

++Quick Delicious Banana Cake++

This is a great way to use up your banana's that are starting to turn brown. Sorry the pictures do the taste no justice and I am still learning new tricks to taking food pictures (and listening to my hubby chuckle as I take snapshots of our food). It's very moist, yummy and makes your house smell so good while it's baking!!

Banana Cake:
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 c Butter - softened
1/2 c Banana's (3 medium)
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Soda
1 c Sour Cream
2 Eggs
2 c Flour
3/4 tsp. Salt
Cream sugar and butter, add wet ingredients, mix together dry ing. and stir into batter. Mix well and bake at *375 for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Frosting:
1/4 c Butter
2 c Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 Tbl. Milk
Melt butter over heat and stir till it starts to brown. This will caramelize it. Take off heat add vanilla, powdered sugar, and slowly add milk to get smooth consistency. If frosting is too runny or thick add more pd sugar or milk till you get it smooth.

Cool cake and frost. Enjoy!!

~PINK DEVILED EGGS~

Ingredients:
4 hard-boiled eggs
1 small can beets
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon mustard
Remove shells from hard-boiled eggs. Cut eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out the yolks into a small bowl. Pour juice from can of beets into a cup. Dip each egg half into the cup for 1 minute. Remove and turn upside down on a paper towel. Mix egg yolks with mayo and mustard. Fill egg whites halves (now pink) with yellow deviled egg mixture.
These eggs do not taste like beets!

♥CrOcKpOt BrEaKfAsT cAsSeRoLe♥

Recipe...
32 oz. frozen or freshly grated hashed browns (we baked our own potatoes first, then grated them)
1 cup of your favorite salsa
1 lb. turkey sausage (pre-cooked bacon would work too!)
2 C. shredded cheese
One dozen eggs
1 C. milk
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of dry mustard
Grate/place the hashed browns in the bottom of a lightly sprayed crockpot. Pour salsa on the potatoes. Crumble sausage or bacon on the hash browns; sprinkle cheese on top. Mix the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Pour eggs over the entire mixture. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours - and ENJOY!
Give it a try! Or modify the recipe to make it tasty for your family!

--Parmesan Crusted Chicken--

A couple weeks ago I ate at TGIF and had this and it was to die for. So I got excited when I found a recipe over on Pioneerwoman.com and I can't wait to try it - YUM!!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 chicken fillets (or boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
2 sun-dried tomatoes, jarred
1 tsp Italian herbs
1 tsp basil
cayenne pepper

Crumbs:
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
Lawry’s garlic salt
1 tbsp Parmesan
1/2 tsp oregano

Directions:
Preheat oven 425 F. I used thawed 4 chicken fillets and put them in an oven dish, spooned the mayonnaise mix on top, and covered them with the spiked breadcrumbs. Now just put the chicken in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until done all the way through.

How to Soften Butter in a Jiffy...

I found this nifty little trick over on Be Different Act Normal's blog and wanted to share. I always wondered why my cookies end up flat? Now I know it's because I get in a hurry and melt my butter in the microwave and than cream the sugar with it. She suggests...
"You put the butter in between to sheets of wax paper and roll it flat like you would a pie crust. You then peel it off the wax paper and put it in the bowl to cream. For the best results, you have to have softened butter. Creaming the butter and the sugar is actually a really important step. You want the sugar to be able to punch a million little holes into the butter. These air pockets help the cookie rise and make them light. Her obsession with Good Eats is where she got that lovely piece of information and it has served her well."

TaStY ApRiL FoOlS DiNnEr...

What's for dinner this April Fools' Day? Cookie fish sticks and tart taffy peas.

Gelled Juice and Faux Fish Sticks
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Lemon-flavored gelatin
Red food coloring
1. Following the package directions, mix up a box of lemon-flavored gelatin (we added a drop of red food coloring to darken it). Pour the mixture into clear glasses and insert a drinking straw into each. Place the glasses in the refrigerator to set. When they're ready, serve the jiggling juice to the next parched target (or two!) looking for a cool drink.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Cornflakes
Sugar wafer cookies
Peanut butter
Green taffy candy (we used green apple AirHeads)
Seedless strawberry jam
1. For the fish sticks, place a couple of handfuls of cornflakes in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Cover 2 sugar wafer cookies with peanut butter, then toss them in the cornflake crumbs to coat. 2. For the peas, tear off and roll small pieces of the taffy candy into balls. If the taffy is too stiff to work with, microwave it for about 6 seconds. 3. For the ketchup, use a fork to stir a few teaspoons of the jam until it's smooth. (I even added red food coloring to make it look more red)

Colorful Cupcakes

The first surprise here: there's not a grain of sugar in these cupcakes. The second surprise: your kids will love them anyway.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Meat Loaf
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Potato Frosting
3 cups mashed potatoes
Food coloring
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin tin cups with foil bake cups. 2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the meat loaf ingredients until well combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the lined cups (the liners should be about three quarters full). 3. Place the filled muffin tins on cookie sheets and bake the cupcakes for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. 4. Divide the mashed potatoes among three small bowls and stir a few drops of food coloring into each batch to create blue, yellow, and pink pastel frosting's. Spread a generous dollop on each cupcake.

All recipes courtesy of www.familyfun.com :)

Coconut Shrimp or Chicken with Dipping Sauces

Coconut Shrimp (or Chicken)
3 c. shredded coconut12 (16-20 or 26-30 ct.) raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 c. flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. garlic powder
salt & pepper
Canola oil
Coconut Shrimp Method:Lightly toast the coconut on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until coconut is slightly brown.Butterfly each shrimp by splitting lengthwise down the center, cutting three-fourths of the way through. Dredge the shrimp in flour and then dip in egg. Press the shredded coconut into the shrimp and then fry in 350 degree canola oil until golden brown. (I found it was easier to brown in the oil and then finish cooking the shrimp on the bottom rack of my oven on broil for 1-2 minutes until cooked through).

Serve with Jalapeno Jelly or Pina Colada Dipping Sauce (or both!!).

Jalapeno Jelly:
1 c. red wine vinegar
1 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 green jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 small red bell pepper, minced
1 package liquid pectin
Place all ingredients, except pectin, in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the pectin and bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and cool.

Pina Colada Dipping Sauce:
4 oz. liquid pina colada mix
3 oz. sour cream
3 oz. crushed pineapple, drained
Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE PB PUDDING CAKE

Saw this on GTU today...
Chocolate and Peanut Butter - can't go wrong - looks DELICIOUS!!

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup chocolate milk or milk
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup peanut butter flavored pieces
½ cup semisweet chocolate pieces
½ cup chopped peanuts
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ cups boiling water
Coat a 3 ½ or 4-quart slow cooker liner with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a bowl stir together flour, the 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, and baking powder. Add chocolate milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir until batter is smooth. Stir in peanut butter flavored pieces, chocolate pieces and peanuts. Spread batter evenly in bottom of prepared slow cooker. In a bowl combine the ¾ cup sugar and the remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa powder. Gradually stir in boiling water. Pour evenly over batter in slow cooker.Cover; cook on high-heat setting for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until a wooden toothpick inserted 1 inch deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let stand 30 to 40 minutes to cool slightly before serving. To serve, spoon the warm cake into dessert dishes. If desired, top with scoops of ice cream. Spoon pudding mixture over the cake and ice cream. Makes 8 servings.

FrIeD TwInKiEs...

I have heard about these and finally found the recipe on GTU...yeah can't wait to try them!!

Ingredients:
6 twinkies
popsicle sticks
4 cups vegetable oil
flour for dusting or powder sugar
1 cup of milk
2 tbl vinegar
1tbls oil
1 cup of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Chill or freeze twinkies for several hours or over nite. Heat 4 cups of vegetable oil in deep fryer to about 375 degrees. Mix together milk,vinegar and oil in another bowl blend flour baking powder and salt. Whisk wet ingedients into dry and continue mixing until smooth refrigerate while oil heatsPush stick into twinkie lengthwise leaving about 2 inches to use as a handle dust with flour and dip into the batter rotate twinkie until batter covers entire cake. Place carefully in the oil, the twinkie will float so hold it under with a utensil to ensure even browning. It should turn golden brown in 3 to 4 min depending on the size of your deep fryer, you might be able to fry only one at a time, two at the most. Remove twinkie to paper towel and let drain. Remove stick and allow twinkie to sit for about 5 minutes before serving. You can put powdered sugar on them while they are hot and then more when they are cooled. You can top them with choclate syrup or carmel or cool whip and strawberries for a deep fried short cake. The toppings are endless...

Recipe's that need to be tried...

As I was searching today I came across these two recipes that sound YUMMY and I can't wait to try them...I will let you know if they are keepers!! :)

SCRAMBLED EGG MUFFINS
1/2 lb. bulk pork sausage (or bacon or ham)12 eggs1/2 C. chopped yellow onion1/4 C. chopped green pepper (optional)1/2 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. pepper1/4 tsp. garlic powder1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
Cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Beat eggs in a bowl ad then add onion, green pepper, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir in sausage and cheese. Spoon by 1/3 cupfuls into greased muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

BLUEBERRY KUCHEN1 1/2 C. all purpose flour3/4 C. sugar2 tsp. baking powder1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg1/4 tsp. salt2/3 C. milk1/4 C. butter, melted1 egg, beaten1 tsp. vanilla extract2 C. frozen or fresh blueberries
TOPPING:3/4 C. sugar1/2 C. flour1/4 C. butter
Combine first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add milk, butter, egg & vanilla and beat for 2 minutes or until well blended. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle with blueberries. Combine sugar, flour and butter in a small mixing bowl and toss with a fork until crumbly; sprinkle over blueberries. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until lightly browned.

Our new "Favorites" at our table...

Easy Southwest Chicken

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 jar Salsa
5 boneless, skinless frozen Chicken Breasts
Mix the soup and salsa together. Pour over chicken in greased slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice and sprinkle with shredded cheese. It would even taste good with black beans and corn mixed in. This is very YUMMY and will quickly become a family favorite.


Mexican Manicotti

1 lb. Ground Beef
1 16 oz. can Refried Beans
2 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Oregano
1 8 oz. pkg. Manicotti
1 19 oz. can Enchilada Sauce
2 cups Sour Cream
2 cups Mexican style shredded cheese
Cook Ground Beef. Boil Manicotti according to package (suggestion: cook them on the tough side, easier to fill and they will continue to cook in the dish). In a bowl combine beef, beans, chili powder, and oregano. Spoon into shells and arrange in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour Enchilada sauce over top. Cover and bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Uncover and spoon sour cream over top (personally we didn't like the sour cream cooked on it, we would prefer to spoon on top after you melt the cheese) and sprinkle with cheese. Bake additional 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted. Other toppings: diced green onions, tomatoes, sliced olives, etc.
This reminds me a lot of Mexican Lasagna just not all the work. We absolutely love this...especially Dalton who gobbled it up and had 3 more helpings. :)


Slow Cooked Mac and Cheese

1 16 oz. pkg Elbow Macaroni
1/2 c. Melted Butter
2 Eggs, beaten
1 12 oz. can Evaporated Milk
1 can Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 c. Milk
4 c. shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 tsp. Paprika
Cook Macaroni according to pkg. directions. Drain and place in Crock Pot. Add melted butter. In a bowl combine eggs, evaporated milk, soup, milk, and 3 cups of cheese. Pour over top of noodles and stir to combine. Cook on low for 4 hours. Sprinkle with reamaining cheese and cook additional 15 minutes till cheese melts. Sprinkle with paprika. So yummy and reminds me of good homemade mac and cheese.


Chicken Spaghetti

4-5 Chicken Breasts, cooked and cubed
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cans diced Italian Tomatoes
1 lb. Velveeta Cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Mushrooms with Juice (Thanks to my husband we don't add this but still tastes good)
Combine above ingredients in Crock Pot and cook about an hour on Low.
Then Add:
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 tsp. Dried onion
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Season Salt
1/2 tsp. Salt
Cook an additional hour. Serve over Spaghetti Noodles.
OoOH this is so so good. Very creamy, flavorful, and delicious!!

My thoughts EXACTLY----

So I came across this on "Cooking on Clover Lane" and it is my philosophy to a "T"!! Just thought I would share...

I abhor when people (anyone!) complains about food. Especially people in this house. It does not fly, let me tell you. I grew up in a house where you ate what was put before you, and you liked it. We finished our plates and went out to play. I can't remember EVER hearing any talk of whether what we were served was "good" or not. It was food! It was made for you! You are lucky! There are people that are starving, STARVING!, all over the world. Too bland? Don't care. Think mushrooms are gross? No one cares but you, so push them aside and zip it! Did your nose just wrinkle up? How incredibly rude! I just can NOT tolerate pickiness or analysis of any kind.
Sensitive palate? Oh, please! I think all food issues are all CONTROL issues. That's my inner psychologist coming out, but I'm right and you know it.
My mom had a rule about pickiness. My brother Andy knew it well. If you simply could not stand what was being served, help yourself to the Saltines. By the way, Andy is the youngest. I have no recollection of that option till he was born. For a couple years, he ate row after row of Saltines. I don't think he ever complained about it. He'd just go get the box after prayers and crunch away at the dinner table. I'm sure it crossed my mother's mind that he might acquire a good case of scurvy one day, but no, he's a strapping 6'5".
My rules? Ritz crackers. A little better than Saltines. I stepped it up a notch. I do try to avoid all that trouble by really cooking food everyone loves. Or at least likes. Or tolerates.
And the more people around your dining room table, the harder that gets.
I do not cook Halibut Steak with Eggplant Sauce. Or Borscht Horseradish Terrine. I'd go through a whole box of Ritz in one dinner if I did that.
So, I guess what I'm saying is I do know that recipes that require Campbell's Condensed Soups are NOT appearing anytime soon in the pages of Bon Apetit. I do know that it is slightly Midwestern (and not in the good way) to use your Crock Pot at least 3 times a week.
I also don't have the time or the inclination, truthfully, to spend hours in the kitchen preparing some fancy dish that requires my concentration. Not right now. I'm concentrating on getting one kid working on his Algebra 1 and finding the other one's shin guards for soccer practice. The halibut would be charcoal in a minute. I also cook almost EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. I'd burn out fast if I tried something new every night.
So until my life slows down a bit, my idea of a good meal is "home-made and liked by most."
One day I might get to Beef Cheeks Braised in Red Wine with Orange Zest, but right now, I'd rather have to time to kiss my sweet little baby's cheeks. Wasn't that cute? I was thinking of saying something about his other cute little baby cheeks, but then thought, this is a blog about food, and mind my manners, darnit!

Tasty Desserts...

Apple Pie Almost

8-9 Apples (I prefer yellow)
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 c. Water
Peel and slice apples, place in bottom of 9"x11" pan.
Sprinkle on cinnamon and pour on water.
Topping:
1 c. Butter or Margarine
2 c. Sugar
1 1/2 c. Flour
Mix to make a crumbly type mixture
Spread evenly over apples and Bake at 400* for 1 hour.
Oh so Yummy!!

Chocolate Waffle Cookies

Heat Waffle Iron and spray with Pam
Beat together:
1 c. Melted Butter
1 1/2 c. Sugar
4 Eggs
9 Tbl. Cocoa
2 c. Flour
2 tsp. Vanilla
Spoon 1 heaping spoonful into all 4 corners and heat for approx. 1 min. 50 sec. (depending on waffle iron), they should be able to lift out easily with a fork but they wont brown or be crispy. Let cool and serve with favorite chocolate frosting, powdered sugar, or make larger ones and top with vanilla ice cream and fudge sauce. Extremely Yummy and my kids favorite!!

Taco Soup....

This has become a family favorite and great to have on a cold winter night. Hope you enjoy....

Easy Taco Soup -
1 lb. hamburger browned with small onion (I sprinkle 3-4 tbls. dried onion cause doug doesn't like real onion)
Drain meat and pour in remaining ingredients:
28 oz. stewed tomatoes chopped
16 oz. kidney beans with liquid
17 oz. canned corn with liquid
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
Bring to boil and than reduce heat to medium/low and simmer - the longer the better (about 1/2 hour). Top with toppings similar to tacos, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, olives, and use Fritos to scoop with or crumble in soup. Enjoy!!

This is great the next day...in fact we think it's better! I usually make it the day before and heat in crock pot the next day!

Bush Family Thanksgiving Menu

Ellie’s Thanksgiving Menu

- Turkey
- Bread
- Cereal
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Taco’s
- Sprite and Root Beer
- Ice cream and Brownies


To Prepare you wash your hands and put pretty clothes on…

Turkey – Put it on the rack and than in the oven for 20 minutes.
Bread – Put sour cream on it, get a pan out and put it in the oven for 6 minutes.
Cereal – It’s the ABC’s kind with marshmallows – just put milk in it.
Mac & Cheese – Get a bowl, put cheese in it and cook for 6 minutes in the microwave.
Taco’s – Put sour cream and cheese on a taco – cook for 6 minutes in the microwave.
Ice Cream – Get chocolate ice cream from the freezer.
Brownies – Get them from the fridge and just put chocolate on them – don’t cook them.
Drink – You just get it from the fridge and put in a cup.
Enjoy!!


Dalton’s Thanksgiving Menu

- Fish
- Turkey
- Bread
- Pink Juice
- Ice Cream and Popsicles

To prepare put on a dressing thing and these on your hands (An apron and Hot pads).

Fish – Put it in a bowl and cook it in the oven for 42 minutes.
Turkey – Buy it at the store, it’s frozen so put it in the oven and bake for 8 hours.
Bread – Take the bread out of the bag and put in the oven for 40 hrs. – now it’s toast so put peanut butter on it to make a smiley face. Use grapes for the eyes and nose.
Pink Juice – Take water, milk and Strawberries – mix it and it turns pink – like pink Lemonade.
Ice cream – Chocolate and Pink Popsicles
Enjoy!!

Quick, Easy, and YUMMY...

Easy Chicken Quesadilla's

4 Chicken Breast's cut into bite size pieces and cooked
1 pkg Fiesta Blend Shredded Cheese
1 pkg Tortilla Shells
1 cup Sour Cream
1 pkg Taco Bell's Taco Seasoning

After cooking the chicken sprinkle about 2-4 tsp. taco seasoning and mix until coated. Chop the chicken - I used my Pampered Chef chopper. Place one tortilla in a pan sprinkle with cheese, chicken and top with another tortilla grill until crispy and golden brown on both sides and cheese is melted. Mix the sour cream and another 2-3 tsp. of taco seasoning - I added slowly until I got desired flavor. Cut Quesadilla with pizza cutter and enjoy with your dip. It would also taste yummy spreading the dip on the tortilla, sprinkling with cheese and chicken and than grilling it. Serve with rice - we recommend Birdseye Steamfresh Southwest rice (found in the freezer section).
These were a hit at our house last night...it was quick and easy. Enjoy!!

My Grocery Game Plan....

I thought I would share with everyone my game plan for grocery shopping and hopefully give you some helpful tips. Each month I start out with a set amount per pay check for our groceries - We get paid twice a month and I allow more for one shopping trip than the other to accomidate for other things - i.e. shampoo, cleaning products, etc. So I go shopping usually a few days after our pay days. The day before I sit down with my little calander (I have one my mom gave me that has days down the left and columns on the right - 4 boxes for each day of the week). I have only found these at a store in Farmington and I don't know who sells them - sorry. But any calander would do. I write down a meal plan - what's for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner for each day up until the next pay day. I also include on each day if we will be out of town or other appts., usually in the 4th column. So when I go to make my grocery list I will only write down what I need, it really helps with impulse buying as I go down each aisle. I don't always stick to the order of the menu but I always know I have those things on hand for that particular meal. Than comes the list. I have been typing up my lists lately cause it helps me have more room. Plus I have been using coupons and this way I can write details on what brand I have to buy and deals that are available. I usually write a C after that product so I know it has a coupon. Than I check to see in store deals and make a note next to each item where is the best deal and price so I can price match at Wal-mart. I will than include things on my list that I know are great deals to add to my food storage and this way helps me save next time on my budget.
My sister-in-law found a great website called www.grocerygame.com that does all the brunt work for bargain shopping. They compile a list of in-store deals plus coupons to save you lots of money at certain stores. The two that I have found in my area are Smith's and Albertson's (Ogden). You can join for a few weeks for only $1 so I suggest you try it out. She has saved tremendously. Alot of the deals are great for stock piling and they tell you what is good for now and what is good for food storage. I have tried it a few times but it really hasn't worked quite as well for me yet. Mainly because when I come into town it's not as easily for me to run to 3-4different stores for all that I need. I have to bulk shop enough for 2-3 weeks. I believe it would work if I was able to go shopping once a week - they publish the deals only from Sunday to Tuesday and I am not always able to go shopping on those days. I have learned to use coupons and do my own homework for what I need, plus Wal-mart will price match all competators adds. I don't get the adds though and so I still use this site to check out in-store deals. Another helpful tip - I have been shopping in Evanston because there is no food tax in Wyoming. This may not work for all of you because it is quite the drive but if you are ever that way it's good to know and helps you save a little bit.
It sounds like a lot of work to go grocery shopping but I feel that it has saved my family alot. I feel so silly handing the cashier my stack of coupons and correcting her for each price match but I walked away last trip saving myself $75 dollars and a overflowing cart of groceries for under $200 dollars. This not only included food but our personal necessities as well for 2 1/2 weeks. If any one has any questions or would like to see details (lists and menu's) of my grocery game plan please feel free to contact me. I love sharing money saving ideas with family and friends cause we can all use a little help during these challenging financial times. I hope I included something that helps you the next time you shop. Luv ya all....

3-4 Ingredient Recipes

These are three of our favorite recipes that I feel are extremely easy. Can't go wrong with only a few ingredients and a crock pot...

Creamy Crock-pot Chicken
- 4-5 Frozen Chicken Breasts
- 2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 pkg. Dry Italian Dressing
- 8 oz. Cream Cheese
Place chicken in crock-pot, mix other ingredients, and pour over chicken. Cook on low for about 6 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Serve with rice (our favorite) or mashed potatoes.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- 25-30 Frozen Meatballs
- 1 Jar Salsa (mild)
- 1 Can Cranberry Sauce
Place meatballs in crock-pot, mix ingredients, and pour over meatballs. Cook on low for about 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Serve over rice.

Crunchy Ranch Chicken
- 4-5 Chicken Breasts (1 1/2 lbs.)
- 3/4 C. Corn Flakes (crushed)
- 1/2 C. Fresh-grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/3 C. Butter - melted in bowl
- 1 envelope Dry Ranch Dressing
In shallow pan mix together the flakes, cheese, and dressing. Dip Chicken in butter and than press and coat into the corn flake mixture. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. YUMMY!!

ENJOY! Let me know what ya think?

So it Begins...

After posting a recipe on my other blog I came up with the idea to share with everyone all of my favorite recipes and shopping tips. So the Tummy Yummy blog was created!! I love finding, trying, and sharing dishes that I know my family enjoys. Since we recently moved farther away from the city we don't have major grocery stores near by and only a few resturants to eat at. So I have learned to create a food budget, meal plan, and cook more for my family. I admit we used to eat out so much - I really don't enjoy cooking and fast food was so convienant. But reality hit about a year ago when we realized we were spending alomst a third of our grocery budget eating out. We needed to start saving money and that's when I decided to meal plan and cook more for my family. Than moving out here has become my challenge to make our budget stretch to each shopping trip, create a food storage, and find fun new recipes that my family would enjoy. Cooking has become fun for me and I enjoy the way it has benefited my family.
So check back often for fun recipes, tips, and ideas to help bring cooking back to your family table. Please send me feedback and any recipes that you would love to share with me and others. Hope you enjoy our newest blog.