Chicken Crescents

I remember having these growing up but never really liked them;)  It's funny how our tastes change as we get older because these are so good and filling.  My kids really liked them and Ellie told me I needed to give the recipe to Grandma so she could make them the next night at her house when they went to spend the night!!  I found this version of the recipe from a friend but my mom's recipe calls for a can of mushrooms (husband doesn't like) and she uses a different sauce but I like this one better!:)  ENJOY!!

Chicken Crescents:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 Tbsp. milk
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I used the chicken I cook in the crock pot with Italian dressing - mmm)
1/2 small onion
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2-8 oz. cans crescent dinner rolls
melt butter to brush on top
1 cup crushed seasoned bread crumbs

Blend cream cheese, butter and milk in a medium bowl until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, except rolls and bread crumbs. Mix well. Open crescent rolls and separate into squares instead of triangles. Place 1/4 cup of meat mixture and seal any opening. Dip in melted butter, then dip tn crushed bread crumbs. Place on cookies sheet crumbs on top. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Sauce: Mix and heat 1 can cream of chicken to 1/2 can milk.

Easy "Pleasey" Taco Salad

Ok I know everyone has  probably had or made Taco Salad but I am going to post my recipe since it's become our favorite.  I used to have it at my SIL Jodie's a lot in the summer and just never really made it till now.  And my family LOVES it...we have made it every week for the past month.  It's so YUMMY!!

Taco Salad:

1-2lbs. browned hamburger seasoned with a little taco seasoning
chopped head of lettuce or 1-2 bags of favorite salad
Cheese flavored Doritos
2-3 cups Shredded Cheese
1 can Black Beans - rinsed and drained
1 can Corn  - drained (optional)
Favorite Salad Dressing -- we LOVE Ranch or Thousand Island
Other Toppings:
Salsa
Olives
Tomatoes

You can mix all of it together and pour desired amount of dressing over top and toss.  But since it makes a lot and the chips go soggy the next day if we have leftovers I just mix hamburger, cheese, black beans and corn in the pan after browning my hamburger.  Than we crush desired amount of Doritos into a seperate bowl, add lettuce, meat mixture and drizzle with dressing & top with a lid and shake!!  We do it in a small bowl for individual servings...this way each person can add what and how much they like.  The kids really have fun with this part and they get to eat what they want on it:)  You could add chicken instead of beef if you prefer.
ENJOY!!

=TaCo BaKe=

Years ago I was in a Freezer Meal Food Group...I LOVED it!!  We would spend ALL day one Saturday a month cooking, preparing and wrapping 12 meals that we would stock our freezer with.  I really miss it:(  But I still enjoy fixing all the recipes that we made, because they are so easy.  This is one I haven't had or made since than and I really regret not making it more often.  It is so so YUMMY!!  Last night my son devoured his and my daughter said she wanted to eat the whole pan...so it's definitely a good one for kids:)

Taco Bake:

1-2 lbs. ground beef
1 sm. onion or 1-2 Tbl. dried onion
1-2 tsp. taco seasoning
1 can tomato soup
1 c. grated cheese
1 pkg. flour tortillas, cut into bite size pieces (I use my pizza cutter)
1 c. salsa
1/2 c. sour cream or milk

Cook hamburger, onion and taco seasoning.  Then add soup, salsa, sour cream or milk and half of the cheese.  Pour into pan, add cut up tortilla's and mix well.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese (I add lots more than 1/2 c. because we LOVE cheese).  Bake at 400* for 30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Tip:  Make in disposable pan, cover with tin foil and freeze.  Thaw and bake as instructed when ready to eat!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie's With a TWIST!!

I have come across some A-M-A-Z-I-N-G chocolate chip cookie ideas lately and have been saving them in my drafts.  But since we are getting real close to having this baby I am running out of time to try out the recipes for myself.  So I will just post them for all of you to enjoy!!  I found the first two recipes over at The Idea Room's blog (LOVE her blog) and the last one was posted on Be Different Act Normal's blog a few weeks ago. 
Have FUN & ENJOY!!

Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Bowls--

Ingredients
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions
To make the cookie cups, beat together the shortening, butter, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the salt, baking powder, and flour, then gradually stir them into the batter. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a flat disk, and wrap it in plastic. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 375º. Turn two 12-cup muffin tins bottom side up and cover 10 of the cup bottoms with squares of aluminum foil (use every other cup so there's some space between them). Grease the foil with shortening and set it aside.

Unwrap 1 disk of dough, place it between 2 sheets of waxed paper, and roll it out to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 4-inch circles of dough and place each one over a cup bottom, smoothing out any cracks. Repeat with the other disk, rerolling and reusing any scraps.

Bake the cookie cups for 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Let them cool for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and cookies together from the muffin pan. Peel off the foil and let the cups cool completely on a rack. Just before serving, fill each cookie cup with a scoop of ice cream. Makes 10.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes --

Yield: 24 cupcakes.  **Recipe courtesy of  Annie's Eats**
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

For the filling:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. milk
2½ tsp. vanilla extract

For decoration:
Tiny chocolate chip cookies
Mini chocolate chips

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.

To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

Chocolate Chip Cookie S'mores --

Ingredients:
Canola oil
3 bananas
10 store-bought chocolate chip cookies (the larger the better)
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup small marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Brush grill with canola oil.
Cut the bananas in half, lengthwise and grill, skin side down just until warm. Remove warmed banana from the skin and cut again in half.

For assembly:
On a piece of aluminum foil, place 1 cookie. Top evenly with banana slices, marshmallows, chocolate chips, graham cracker crumbs and top with another cookie. Wrap foil around the sandwich and place on the grill until warmed through and melted.
**Recipe and Photo courtesy of Food Network**

{Chocolate Chip Carmel Bars}

I found this recipe over at Our Family Treat last week and made them last night for dessert.  Very easy and very good:)  My family gobbled up it's ooey gooeyness in seconds!!

Chocolate Chip Carmel Bars --

Ingredients:
1 box of yellow cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup mini milk chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup Skor toffee chips

32 caramels
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cube butter

Mix together the cake mix, vegetable oil and eggs. Then mix in different chips. In a greased 9x13 pan, press half of the mixture. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. While that is in the oven, melt in a sauce pan the caramels, sweetened condensed milk and butter. When crust is done, pour sauce over the crust. Then sprinkle in chunks the rest of the mixture. Bake for another 22-25 minutes. Let cool before serving.

○Tator Tot Casserole x2○

My family loves Tator Tot Casserole but my husband is not a fan of mushrooms so I don't make it very often.  Which is funny because he LOVES this and he's willing to pick out the mushrooms while eating it...funny huh:)  So here is my version of a popular recipe and my friend Sara sent me another way her family enjoys it that I can't wait to try...

TATOR TOT CASSEROLE:
Brown 1-2lbs. ground beef with chopped small onion**
Place in 9x13 baking dish.
Pour 2 cans cream of mushroom soup** with 1/2 c. milk over top and mix well.
Arrange 1 pkg. Tator Tots over top of mixture.
Sprinkle 1 pkg cheese over top.
Cover and bake 350* for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.  Enjoy!!

**My tips --
We found Kroger brand tator rounds that have a strong onion flavor so we omit the onion and use those.
Since my husband doesn't like mushrooms I substitute one can of mushroom with one can cream of chicken (still tastes good).
I also uncover mine after 30 minutes and continue baking to give the tator tots a more crunchy flavor that my family enjoys.
This can be made in a disposable pan, covered well and frozen.  Just thaw and cook as instructed.

TATOR TOT CASSEROLE #2:
Brown in a large pan -
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped

Then add -
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups canned milk
2 pound package tater-tots

Mix lightly. Simmer 25-30 min.
Serve over rice.

--BBQ Chicken--

I have had this recipe in my drafts for over a month and finally got around to trying it...
Oh I wish I had sooner! It is DELICIOUS!! My mouth is watering for more as I type;) We all played out in the sunshine while it cooked last night and I could smell it's goodness drifting out the kitchen window. My son said it looked gross and made his eyes water...from all the soy sauce...but he gobbled it up and than some after his first bite!!
I have tons of other recipes waiting to be tried and posted but for now give this simple yummy chicken a try --

EASY BBQ CHICKEN

1 C. ketchup
1/2 C. vinegar
1 C. sugar
6 TBL soy suace
1 TBL mustard
1 TBL cornstarch (possibly more)

Brown the chicken. Combine ingredients and pour over the chicken in covered baking dish. Bake @300 for about 1 1/2 hours. Then enjoy! I would just use about three chicken breasts for the recipe above, but I like a lot of sauce.
--Sorry can't remember where I found it:(

○RESURRECTION ROLLS○

So I know that Easter is over but after hearing my mom rant and rave about how GOOD these were I thought we would give them a try.  We missed having family night since my kids went home for a few days with my parents so tonight we made these as a family and went over this lesson with the kids.  I was very proud of my kids when they started going over the story with us and how they understood why the rolls were hollow:)  I loved their excitement to see that the marshmallow had disappeared. 

Oh and BTW these are so YUMMY!!  I think you can use the recipe any time of the year to teach your kids the importance of Christ's Resurrection and enjoy a tasty snack to go along with it!

RESURRECTION ROLLS
----------------------------------------------
Crescent rolls
melted butter
large marshmallows
cinnamon
sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls. The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in.

Give each child a large marshmallow cut in half, this represents Jesus. Have them dip the marshmallow in melted butter, which represents the oils of embalming. Then dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar which represent the spices used to anoint the body.

Then wrap the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll up, but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside.) This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death.

Place in cupcake liners and in a muffin tin. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The oven represents the tomb.

When the rolls have cooled slightly, the children can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, He is risen. (The marshmallow and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty.)

○Reese's Peanut Butter Egg Cookies○

OMG when you combine my ABSOLUTE favorite treat with a cookie of course I am going to try making them!!  And let me just say they are SoOoOo YUMMY!!:)  Jenny over at Picky Palate is A•M•A•Z•I•N•G and created the softest, chewiest, melt in your mouth goodness of a cookie!  If you hav any Reese's PB eggs left over you should really try these...of course you can just use regular PB cups too!!  ENJOY!!!!

Reese's Peanut Butter Egg Cookies --

2 sticks softened butter

1 Cup packed brown sugar

1 Cup granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons corn syrup

2 large eggs plus 1 egg white

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 Cups chopped Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs, 12 total eggs (find them in the Easter Candy Section, quick!) You can also use regular Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter, sugars and corn syrup until well combined….light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the chopped Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs. Mix only until just combined. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until just turning golden around edges. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Eat with tall glass of milk!!

...ok if the cookie dough looks like that and trust me tastes so delicious...

...they will definitely taste even better cooked!;)

P.S. Mine turned out a little flat, so I need to adjust my recipe for my difference in elevation.  I will let you know if it works since I haven't tried any recipes with the chart yet.  You can find that here!  Also I think I would add MORE PB cups cause it just ain't enough for me;)  Now if I could just stop eating them so my kids have a taste when they get back from Grandma's house!!

•BEST EVER Banana Bread•

For my sister's wedding we bought banana's to dip in the chocolate fountain and my mom bought WAY too many.  So she gave us a big bunch of them, which I added to our already overflowing basket of banana's at home!!  They slowly started turing very ripe and my kids don't like them unless they are "fresh!"  Well I had to do something with them and what better thing to bake than a batch of banana bread AND banana chocolate chip muffins - YUM!!  My SIL Jodie (from her SIL Katie) gave me this recipe and it's the best I have ever had!  Plus it calls for ALOT of bananas and makes plently...which is a good thing because we have been devouring them!!

BEST EVER Banana Bread and Muffins --

1 c. Butter

3 c. Sugar

6 Eggs

3 c. Sour Cream

4 tsp. Soda

2 tsp. Vanilla

4-5 Mashed Bananas

1 tsp. Salt

5 c. Flour

1 pkg Chocolate Chips (optional)**

Cream together the butter, sugar and eggs.  Mix together in a seperate bowl the sour cream and soda, let stand until foamy.  Combine and add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Place in 4 greased and floured 9x5 in. bread pans.  Bake 350* for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

TIPS:

Low fat varieties of sour cream and butter works well.

Can be halved.

**I placed half of the mixture in 2 bread pans WITHOUT chocolate chips and baked for 50 min.

Than I added 1 bag of choco chips to remaining batter and made muffins.  I cooked them for about 10-12 minutes.  It made approx. 40 muffins:)  These are SoOoOo good and we have already finished off half of them....they made a GREAT breakfast for my kiddos!!

WEIGHT WATCHER'S FRUIT SALAD

Today we had a Spring Easter Brunch with our Ward at the Church and I volunteered to bring fruit.  I have always loved this salad, it's tasty and low fat...

WEIGHT WATCHER'S FRUIT SALAD:
14 oz. pineapple - drain but save the juice
10 oz. mandarine oranges - drained
2 apples- diced
2 kiwi - cut up
2 bananas - sliced
1 c. grapes - halved
1 pkg. strawberry-kiwi jello
Mix all ingredients and sprinkle about 1/4 of the pkg of jello over top and stir, if too dry add some of the saved pineapple juice.  Chill till ready to serve. 
I like to add the bananas and kiwi right before serving because those seem to go mushy fast.  You can add as much jello as you like but it turns it pink:)

Another WW recipe I came across while googling this one (my mom couldn't find her recipe for awhile;) calls for about the same ingredients but uses pudding so I thought I would add it here too.  ENJOY!!

WEIGHT WATCHER'S SALAD:
1 c. sugar free fruit cocktail
1 c. pineapple tidbits
1 banana, sliced
1 apple, sliced or diced
1 box sugar free vanilla pudding, dry
Mix all ingredients together using juices of fruit cocktail and pineapple for liquifying pudding.

♣GREEN Velvet Cake Balls♣

I have been baking up a storm this past week:)

But I had to try the famous Red Velvet Cake Balls in GREEN!!

I used my homemade recipe that you can find HERE and used 1 bottle of GREEN food coloring instead of 2 red.  I cooled the cake, added about 1/2-3/4 of the homemade frosting and mixed it well with a spoon.

Rolled them into cute little balls...turning my hands a pretty shade of GREEN!!  Placed them  on a cookie sheet with wax paper and put them in the freezer for 1/2 hour.

Then it's time to dip!!  I mentioned telling you all about my new easy dipping method last fall and got horrible morning sickness and never got a chance to make them.  So here is my tutorial...

First - melt your chocolate according to package.

Then stick a ball on a toothpick (I stick toothpick into the flat end of the ball) and dip about 3/4 of ball in chocolate.

Second - place on a foam block to dry.

Third - take half dipped ball off the toothpick and redip just the bottom of the cake ball into the chocolate.

Fourth - place on clean wax paper to dry again.  Next I would drizzle with more chocolate or white almond bark, but I accidentally put holes in my bottles warming them up in the microwave:(  And you can't find baking stuff around here!!

The next thing of course would be to DEVOUR this scrumptious little treats...

But beware they may turn your mouth GREEN!♣

I definitely prefer the homemade recipe over the box mix any day!!!!

Of course I had little helpers that were dying to try some dipping of their own.  So I gave them toothpicks, let them dip away and we sprinkled them with yummy lemon, lime sprinkles:)

BROCCOLI SOUP

I also enjoy making fun festive GREEN meals for my family on St. Patrick's Day! 

So this year my husband requested Broccoli Soup in bread bowls:)

I remember seeing this recipe over on Cooking On Clover Lane and thougth I would give it a shot!  I never made broccoli soup before because I thought it would be hard, but believe me this was very easy!!:)

BROCCOLI SOUP:

1 box vegetable broth

1 c. water

1 sm. container half & half

4 oz. cheddar cheese (we added more cause we love cheese)

1/2 c. flour (I ended up adding about 1/4 more because it wasn't thickening up)

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper (or as my husband said "Honey grab the black powder" - Hahaha - sorry had to share)

4 c. fresh broccoli chopped

Bring to boil all ingredients except broccoli, reduce heat to low, add broccoli and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until broccoli is tender.  We served ours in bread bowls and sprinkled cheese over top:)

ENJOY!!

(Somewhere Over the RaInBoW)

To help celebrate St. Patrick's Day we made festive RAINBOW cupcakes!

YUMMY!!

I have been seeing them around on other blogs and have been dying to try them out myself.  Even though they are a very LoOoOoNg process I LOVED the way they turned out!  I found a wonderful recipe to make your cake box mix taste good too.  We topped them with a delicious marshmallow frosting which gave it a fun cloudy look:)  And they tasted DE•LI•CIOUS!!!!!!!!!!

RAINBOW CUPCAKES:

1 white cake mix

1 sm. pkg instant pudding - vanilla

     (Tip -- you can use same recipe for any cake mix, just use chocolate pudding for chocolate cake)

8 oz. sour cream

4 eggs

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. oil

First mix together cake mix with pudding, then add remaining ingredients and beat well. 

Seperate batter evenly into 6 different bowls and add food coloring to get desired colors.  I just mixed till I got it bold enough....

Today I found this guideline or someone even suggested using gel dyes and it creates more vibrant colors ....

RAINBOW COLOR DROPS OF FOOD COLORING --
Purple 9 red and 6 blue drops
Blue 12 drops
Green 12 drops
Yellow 12 drops
Orange 12 yellow and 4 red drops
Red 18 drops

Than place about 1 tsp of each color batter into cupcake liners to fill 1/2 - 3/4 full.  I even saw someone do layers, which was just as cute:)  Bake 350* for 15 minutes.  Frost when cooled.

MARSHMALLOW FROSTING:
1 lb. butter - softened
2 jars marshmallow creme
1 lb. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
Beat all ingredients till fluffy!  I then put the frosting in a ziploc baggy, cut the tip and swirled frosting onto the cupcakes.  I would have used my frosting bag but I don't have a tip big enough, but the baggie worked just as good!

Here is another frosting recipe if you don't prefer marshmallow:)

COOL WHIP FROSTING:
2 sticks butter (1 cup) - softened
3/4 bag powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix together and slowly add milk to get desired thickness.  She adds about TBL at a time.  Than fold in a tub of Cool Whip.  I haven't tried this one so let me know if you do and I need to tweak the recipe!

♣HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY♣

Another fun festive RAINBOW treat is fresh fruit served with YUMMY fruit dip --

My kids and husband devoured this creative snack and really thought it was fun.  Here is my fruit dip:

MARSHMALLOW FRUIT DIP:

1 8 oz. cream cheese - softened

1 jar marshmallow fluff

2 tsp. vanilla

Beat till creamy and fluffy.  Chill.  Serve with favorite fruit!

I came across this idea on another blog and she included fruit ideas and another version of fruit dip --

Red - Strawberries, apples, cherries, watermelon

Orange - Mandarin oranges, navel oranges, canteloupe

Yellow - Pineapple, banana, apples, pears, lemons

Green - Apples, pears, grapes, limes

Blue - Blueberries

Violet (Purple) - Plums, grapes, pears
Pot of Gold - Bananas
Clouds - Sm. Marshmallows

(I cut the apples and bananas over two hours before I served it and they weren't brown. How? Using a basting brush, spread lemon juice over the cut sides. EASY!!!)

FRUIT DIP:
8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened works best)

8 oz. Sour Cream

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 oz. package of instant vanilla pudding

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix it all together. Chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve. And DEVOUR!!

~ReD VeLvEt CaKe~

I recently commented about my red velvet cake and frosting recipe on Bakerella's blog and realized I didn't have it written out very clear.  I copied it directly from a recipe card of my mom's that she has used since I was little.  So she probably wrote it out the way she would understand it:)  Well I decided to post it again since I got so many emails about it!!  I LOVE using this recipe for my cake pops, especially since it's so hard to find red velvet cake mix in a box around here.  I am thrilled to be making them next week for St. Patty's day and I am going to experiment making the batter green instead of red.  I will post after I am done!  Maybe I will attempt some shamrocks...we will see;)  Hope this recipe helps and PLEASE let me know if you have any more questions!!

Red Velvet Cake and Frosting Recipe:
1/2 c. Butter or 1 Stick
1 c. Granulated Sugar
Beat together till fluffy.
2 Eggs - add one at a time and beat well.
Make a paste of 2 TB. 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 TB. Vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp. Soda
Mix really well - Bake 300* for 25-30 minutes.

Frosting:
Cook together -
1 c. Milk
5 TB. Flour
Cook till thick, stirring constantly to avoid burning and then add 1 tsp. Vanilla.
Cool well before adding to butter/sugar mixture or it will melt butter and be runny.
Cream 1 cup of Butter or 2 sticks and 1 c. Granulated Sugar.
Mix together and beat with hand mixer till smooth and creamy - this takes quite a long time to fluff up.  The mixture will turn from a yellowish color to more of a white color.  Then frost the cake and...
Enjoy!!

^High Altitude Baking^

Since we recently moved I have been having a hard time with getting my favorite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies to turn out:(  They are flat and hard!  My mom suggested it is from my change in altitude.  So I was excited when I came across a tip from Bakerella to check out this website....

HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING

I am around 5600 ft so I am definitely going to try adjusting this recipe and see if it helps.  Like she says, try out the original recipe first cause it may just work and if not then make adjustments.  My mom is at about 7000 ft so this will help her cookies as well...shhh don't tell her but her cookies are always flat!;)  Hope this helps some of you and a recipe that never turns out quite right!!

*Cake Mix Tips*

I LOVE using cake mixes from a box...especially for my cake pops!  But I am not a fan of how sometimes they just don't taste moist or as good as homemade.  So I got excited when I found this tip on a blog (sorry don't remember where I found it).

'I make wedding and other celebration cakes that people rave about and they all come from a box. My best secret is 1/4 - 1/2 cup of sour cream mixed in at the end of chocolate, yellow or other dense cake mixes for the moistest treat ever.
You can also throw in a small tub of any flavored yogurt with your white cakes, yellow cakes, butter cakes.
For filling or frosting try the same flavor of yogurt with cool whip or fresh whipped cream and a stabalizer. Add a layer of fresh fruit, another layer of pie filling or glaze = yummo.
Also if you think of ANY candy bar you love, you can't go wrong. Throw them in, layer them in or dissect the little guy to figure out its bits and peices and turn your cupcake into its little clone. Caramel, truffle or peanut butter centers, crispy chocolate, gnachey outsides. The world is yours!!!
I have personally been on a year long fast from sugar. Can you tell? I still bake it all for others and love to encourage them to enjoy so I can live vicariously:)'

•Scrumptious Soft Pretzel's•

I have been doing a little preschool with my kids each week and since our letter for the day was "P" we decided to make pretzels.  I found an easy kid friendly recipe and gave it a try...

Soft Pretzels
1 1/2 C warm water
1 pkg yeast (or 1 T)
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
4 C flour
Add sugar to warm water then sprinkle yeast on top. let it float for a min. then stir to dissolve the yeast. Let sit for 10 min. as yeast activates and starts to foam. Add salt and flour and knead 5-10 min; adding more flour as needed to reduce stickiness. Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll into snakes. Twist into pretzel shape and place on nonstick baking sheet.  Make an egg wash with one egg and 1T water, lightly beaten together. Brush pretzels with egg wash then sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. Bake @ 425 for 15 min. or until lightly browned.  Serve with nacho cheese or brush with butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on them!:)
*For left over pretzels, brush with butter and sprinkle with parmesan and broil one minute. It makes a yummy treat.

I let the kids roll, shape and brush on the egg wash so our pretzels looked very "pretty!"  They didn't turn out as golden brown as I had hoped...I think it was from not enough egg wash, but they sure did taste good:)

♥YUMmy Valentines Day Treats♥

So I have been slacking on my treat making and dipping this year.  I really wanted to make cake pops but time and exhaustion from this pregnancy has taken over. But the kids and I did spend an afternoon dipping a few tasty treats for our family and friends.  I turned our left overs into a festive Valentine center piece for a family party that we had:)

We dipped and sprinkled--

Marshmallows

Oreo's - chocolate and vanilla ones

Rice Krispie treats that we cut into hearts

and since my husband is a HUGE fan of chocolate covered cinnamon bears I made him some of those (cinn. lips too)!:)  They took awhile and didn't turn out as pretty as I had hoped but they sure are YUMMY!!

Ingredients we used--

*Kroger Chocolate Almond bark

*Kroger Vanilla Almond bark colored pink (use paste not liquid food coloring)

*Valentine Sprinkles

*Sucker Sticks

*Wilton bottles for drizzling

*Anything you would like to dip:)

 My next task is to dip strawberries in our left over chocolate...all the stores were sold out but I eventually bought some and they are my favorite!!!!!  Next month I have some very yummy new treats I wanna try for St. Patty's Day....So stay tuned!

◘TORTELLINI SOUP◘

You are going to find that a lot of my recipes are going to be coming from the blog Our Family Treat...because she posts some really yummy ones, they are easy and my family is enjoying them:)  Especially this one!  It was so so easy (my kind of recipe) and a huge hit at our dinner table last night!!  Since the weather just isn't cooperating and we keep getting more snow it's great to serve warm, filling soup for dinner.  So try this one out, you won't be dissappointed;)

Tortellini Soup --
3 cans chicken broth
3 cans Progresso Tomato Soup
2 8 oz packages cream cheese
1 family size package of tortellini
1 tablespoon dried basil

Boil chicken broth. Then add tomato soup. Reduce heat. In a separate bowl, microwave the cream cheese until soft-for about 30 seconds. Remove and add about a cup of the soup. Whisk together to get the cream cheese all melted. Add cream cheese and tortellini to soup and let simmer for about 10 minutes-or until tortellini is cooked. Serve immediately!

~Cream Cheese Vegetable Soup~

This soup is REALLY GOOD...a new favorite at our house:)  I found the recipe once again over at Our Family Treat!!  I just LOVE their blog and check it regularly for fun new recipes...check it out!

Cream Cheese Veggie Soup --
2 chicken breasts (shredded-I actually used some frozen chicken that I had cooked up in the crockpot with Italian dressing and it was so good!)
4 potatoes-peeled and diced
1 cup of carrots-diced
1/2 cup of celery-chopped
1/2 of an onion-chopped
1/2 cup milk
4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons flour
1 8 oz block of cream cheese-softened
salt and pepper
Shred cooked chicken and set aside. Saute onion in a little olive oil. Then add carrots and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth chicken, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. In a bowl mix together flour and milk and then add to the soup. Then add cream cheese and salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 10 more minutes, or until cream cheese is all the way incorporated. Enjoy!

Tip: When it comes to chicken-I like to once or twice a month take a day and cook about 8 pieces in the crockpot in italian dressing. Cook it on low for 4-6 hours, then shred and freeze for when you need it.  (I have started doing this with my chicken too and LOVE it...I used it for enchiladas, chicken spaghetti, haystacks, etc. and it's delicious!!)

○POP UP Pancakes○

P.S. THESE ARE YUMMY!!  Huge, huge hit at our house:)  So easy!  My husband keeps ranting and raving about them!!  They remind us of crepes.  Try them...you won't regret it;)
I found these over at Make and Take and I think we need to have them for dinner next week:) MMMMMM

Pop Up Pancake Recipe – makes 24 muffins or fills a 9×13 baking pan
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
dash salt
Preheat oven at 400*
I like to blend all the ingredients in my blender. I have tried to whisk it or even use the electic mixer, but it seems to get the most smooth with a blender. Then grease your muffin tins or baking pan. My mom likes to bake these in a jelly roll pan.
Bake them for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden on top. Use a knife to pry them out, hopefully they were greased well enough and should pop right out.
Now they are ready for toppings. I love syrup, powdered sugar, and fruit. You could even use fresh Strawberry Jam. We usually load it all on and dive in. What do you use to top your pancakes with? Maybe peanut butter or honey?

○○Chocolate Chip Vanilla Pudding Cookies○○

I LoOoVe finding fun, new chocolate chip cookie recipes and I definitely found one that is YUMMY!!

My husband's cousin BP has a recipe blog I just discovered and I visit it regularly for new recipes...
OUR FAMILY TREAT
His wife Lindsay found this recipe from Allrecipes.com and it is really GoOoD!:)

Chocolate Chip Vanilla Pudding Cookies --
1 C. Softened Unsalted Butter
3/4 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Sugar

Cream together and add...
1 3.4 oz. box of Vanilla Pudding
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix well and add...
1 tsp. Baking Soda
2 1/4 C. Flour
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (I added LOTS...a little more than a whole pkg...we love choco chips;)

Preheat oven to 375* and bake for 11-12 mins. (I like mine not so dark so I under cook them by leaving them in for 10 min.)

A little tidbit of info...
My husband bought me new cookie sheets for Christmas -- isn't he sweet;)  Well he bought some cheap brand from Walmart (3 for like 12 bucks).  I seriously can not remember the brand but they came in a three pack, are not completely flat, and the biggest one is a nice size (longer then a jelly roll pan).  If I come across them I will repost the brand.  But my point is I LOOOOVE them.  NOTHING sticks to them...I bake pizza on them and now these cookies and I didn't have one piece of food stick that I had to scrap off.  I just rinsed them with soapy water when I was done.  My kinda pan!!;)  They are pretty flimsy so I don't know how long they will last but for now they are my favorite pans.  Oh and they cool off quickly.  Usually my pan is so hot in between sticking a new batch of cookies on them that they start to melt and I have to use my hot pad to stick back in the oven....nope I could grab it with my hand within a few minutes. NICE!!

~Potato Lasagna~

We have discovered a new favorite at our house...
I have wanted to try this for awhile now and regret not doing so sooner!
Everyone, including the kids kept saying how Yummy our house smelled while this was cooking:)
Potato Lasagna --1 jar Alfredo sauce or 2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
3 large potatoes, sliced lengthwise about 1/8 inch thick
5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt (I prefer garlic salt)
Pepper
1-1/2 cups diced ham
1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen broccoli, thawed
2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Alfredo sauce and milk. Spread 1/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Then layer 1/3 of the potatoes over the sauce in the dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
In a separate medium bowl, combine the ham, broccoli and 1 1/2 cups of the Swiss cheese. Mix well and spread 1/3 of this mixture over the potatoes in the baking dish. Then top with another layer of potatoes, followed by the ham mixture, finally topping all with the remaining Swiss cheese and Parmesan cheese. Pour the remaining Alfredo sauce over all.
Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake at 350 degrees for additional 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
OPTIONAL: She used two medium zucchini’s (diced) in place of broccoli and she said it was just as good!
THIS DISH IS AWESOME. You must try it!!! You won’t regret it.
Sorry can't remember where I found the recipe:(

◄EASY FRIED ICE CREAM►

For our Church Ward party we celebrated Feliz Navidad and ate Fried Ice Cream for dessert...YUMMY!!
It was so easy to make so I wanted to share the recipe with you ----

EASY FRIED ICE CREAM
1/2 c. Melted Butter
1 c. Coconut
3/4 c. Sugar
4 c. Crushed Cornflakes
1 ctn. French Vanilla Ice Cream

Melt butter and mix with coconut, sugar and cornflakes. Spread a little more than half on the bottom of a 9x13-in. pan. Cut the carton of ice cream into slices and lay over the mixture.
TIP: Before you start to spread ice cream let it sit out a bit and soften enough to spread evenly. Squish down while spreading to get mixture to stick better:)
Another suggestion is to sprinkle some cinnamon over top to give it a more authentic fried flavor.
Than sprinkle remaining corn flake mixture over top and freeze until ready to serve.
Serve with caramel sauce and chocolate sauce (homemade is best) or BOTH and whip cream!! You can top with favorite fruit such as strawberries as well.
ENJOY!!

♥Sweet Potato Pie♥

I know I have been slacking...
Life has been crazy! But I promise I will get some yummy recipes up over the next little while:)
For now here is a very delicious recipe for sweet potato's -- I will admit I am not a fan of them. Until I tasted these...MMMMM. Great for your Thanksgiving dinner!!

SWEET POTATO PIE
1 lg can Yams
1/2 c. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 lg Eggs
1/2 c. Milk
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
4 TB. Melted Butter

Topping:
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
1/2 c. Flour
4 TB. Melted Butter
1/2 c. Chopped Pecans

Preheat oven 350*
Drain Yams, mash, add sugar and salt. Mix well. Whisk remaining ingredients and add to Yams.
Pour into round pie dish. Mix together topping ingredients and sprinkle over Yams.
Bake 35-40 minutes till bubbly and brown. ENJOY!!

○RoAsTeD aPpLeS n' CrEaM cArMeL tOpPeD bRoWnIeS○

I recently discovered a new website PICKY-PALATE.com and I fell in LOVE with these brownies:) Who could go wrong with brownies, carmel and creamed apples? So I gave them a try yesterday and WOW they are YUMMY!! I didn't make them as thick as she did but they still turned out wonderful...
Give them a try this fall and enjoy!!☺ Than check out her great site for more fun recipes!
Roasted Apples N’ Cream Caramel Topped Brownies

1 Box Pillsbury Brownie Mix, Family size, 9×13
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons butter
4 small-medium baking apples, peeled and thinly sliced
4 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 Cup chopped walnuts (or other nut of choice)
Prepared Caramel sauce, warmed in microwave (I use the caramel apple dip or ice cream topping)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Pour into a 11×7 inch (makes thicker brownies) baking dish that’s been lined and sprayed with tin foil (easier to remove and cut brownies). Place softened cream cheese and sugar into a mixing bowl, mix until smooth. Place dollops of cheese over brownie batter. Use a butter knife to carefully swirl without dragging against the bottom of dish.

2. Place butter into a large skillet over medium heat to melt. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped walnuts. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour evenly over brownies. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until center of brownies are cooked through. Remove and let cool completely before cutting into squares. Just before serving, drizzle with caramel sauce.
8 large brownie squares

Good Ole Family Fun...

This weekend I got together with my wonderful cousins and we mixed, rolled, froze, dipped and drizzled till our hearts were content:) We tried some old and some new recipes for making cake pops/balls and I wanted to share them...
Here is the links to my other Cake Pop adventures--

Basic Cake Pops
Cheesecake Balls
Bakerella's Blog for further instructions and ideas - gotta give credit where credit is deserved:)

Over the past few months I have worked out a lot of my kinks and perfected my dipping methods. So here is a few tricks I have had up my sleeve that will make this process a little easier:
-Really pay attention to the type of chocolate you use. I have found that Kroger is the best and Western Family brand would be my second choice. DO NOT use gourmet chocolates...tastes the best but doesn't set up.
-Double check the boxed brownies you purchase...the more oil it calls for the greasier they will be and harder to keep shape. I actually prefer the WF brand as well. Plus start out with 1/4-1/2 of the 8oz. of cream cheese.
-Now my dipping technique...I will explain and than post pics next time I do this (sorry I keep forgetting to take them). If you are not putting them on sticks like in my basic instructions than put the balls in freezer till firm, almost frozen. My freezer will set them up in about 30 minutes. Than insert a toothpick into the flat part of the ball and dip in chocolate a little more than 3/4 of the ball up to the toothpick (do not cover whole ball). Tap excess off and twirl and tap to smooth. Place in foam block to set up. The faster you dip the less chance they will thaw out. If they start to fall off toothpicks place back in freezer to set up.
After they have hardened on foam block remove from toothpick and dip bottom of the ball into more chocolate and place on wax paper to set up. Then drizzle with more chocolate. Of course you can indulge yourself with a taste or wrap in bags, tie a pretty bow and share. Enjoy!!
I apologize if it's confusing I will get some photos up!!:)
-Another trick I learned was BUY some bottles at your local craft store that have a tip on them for drizzling. I usually would just use a baggie with the end cut off till I discovered using these this weekend. They were $2 for 2 of them (found in the baking section at my Micheal's) and I use one for chocolate and one for vanilla. They are a great investment.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask:)
Here is a new recipe we tried and some I plan on doing...

Cookie Dough Truffles --
3/4 c. Brown Sugar
1 Stick Butter
2 c. Flour
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 c. Mini Chocolate Chips
Cream together the sugar and butter. Then add flour, vanilla, milk, and choco chips. Place in fridge for 1/2 hour. Roll into balls, place on wax paper and firm up for another 1/2 hour. Than dip into melted chocolate. Enjoy:) The kids all LOVED these!!

These two I plan to try...

Blonde Brownies --
2/3 c. Melted Butter
2 c. Brown Sugar
2 lg Eggs
1 1/2 Tb Water
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Salt
2 3/4 Flour
2 c. Chocolate Chips
Mix first 7 ingredients, then add flour. Blend together. Add chocolate chips and stir. Spread in 9x13 pan. Bake 340* for 2-24 minutes. Or until edges start to brown. Cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies --
1 cup margarine
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chunky peanut butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and peanut butter until smooth. Combine the flour and baking powder, then stir into the peanut butter mixture. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Spread the dough out flat on the prepared pan.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops of the bars look dry. Cool completely in pan.

To make the balls I would mix with chocolate frosting. And roll as instructed. I will play with these recipes and let you know how they turn out:)

BuTtErMiLk SyRuP -mmm sounds good huh??

For the twins 5th Birthday Party at the beginning of August we served waffles - it was a Lego Party for the boys. I made our family's famous BUTTERMILK SYRUP - mmm it's so yummy!! So I promised I would post the recipe for everyone. Sorry it's a little late...

BUTTERMILK SYRUP--

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1-1/2 c. Sugar
• 3/4 c. Buttermilk
• 2 Tbs Corn Syrup
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Vanilla

Combine everything except vanilla and soda in a saucepan and bring to boil. Remove and stir in vanilla and soda...be careful it may foam up and over your pan. Serve warm over pancakes or waffles. ENJOY!!

DIPPING QUEEN!!

As you all know I love to dip EVERYTHING...
Brownies
Oreo's
Cakepops
Marshmallows
Cinnamon Bears
Fruit
...You name it I might have just DIPPED it!!
Well this last week I have been working on a Cakepop/ball Fundraiser for my mom to raise money for the Relay for Life my family is participating in. So I having become dipping CRAZY!! LOL!☺
I will post more about the fundraiser later but I wanted to show you my most recent recipe and a little Thank You I helped my mom whip up for her WONDERFUL nurses at the hospital --

These are Strawberry Cake Pops (hence PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness;)!!) arranged very pretty in a pot to say a huge Thank You to all those that have helped my mom along in her treatment! I sure hope they enjoy them!!:)

This is my newest dipping excursion...
I took Philadelphia Ready to Eat Cheesecake Filling (you could use a homemade recipe if you prefer). Than I scooped balls out with my Pampered Chef Scoop and rolled them in Graham cracker crumbs.

Place the cheesecake balls on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Place them in the freezer to firm up - about 15 minutes. When ready to dip warm chocolate according to package. Dip and drizzle. Package or EAT!!:) For other tips and recipes check out my other posts for CAKE POPS!

OOOHH Don't they look YUMMY!?☺

Now my husband has been such a great help...he's quite the Dipper! LOL So I had to give into his promptings to dip a Strawberry Twinkies in chocolate! It actually looks really GOOD!! But too sweet for me:) He said it was YUMMY...and that's all that matters!

Happy Dipping!!

♫♪Fruit Pizza - Yummy Yummy♪♫

I have a wonderful SIL Jesica who sent me this recipe for Fruit Pizza and I just had to try it!☺ It was very easy and Ohhh so TASTY!! Take the refrigerator Sugar Cookie dough and bake at 350° for 12 minutes - Let cool completely!
Than take 1 1/2 c. Powdered Sugar, 1 c. Cool Whip and 1-8oz. pkg Cream Cheese - blend together till smooth. Spread over top of cooled cookie.
Add your favorite FRUIT!!
VOILA!! A tasty dessert...
Oh than you can't forget to add a dash of one sweet taste tester!!
Doesn't it look good enough to EAT...well grab your fork and dive right in!!

Thanks Jesica for a very YUMMY new dessert we will be having A LOT at our house!!☺

CAR BAKED COOKIES☺

Even though when I first found this I thought baking in your car was just a joke...I actually think it would be fun and I agree it won't heat up your house!! So if you would like to try making cookies and baking them on the dashboard of your car check out this link --
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Choco Chip Cookies
Tips for Baking in the Car!!
They sound really yummy and when I get a chance I think we need to whip up a batch!!☺

♥MY NEW TOY!♥

I have this wonderful SIL who gave me this fun little dipping pot for my birthday...
I am in LOVE-it's AWESOME!!
Works great for melting, dipping and keeping the chocolate warm throughout the process.
It helped me make these YUMMY chocolate covered strawberries this weekend☺
Highly recommend it to those that are addicted to dipping like I am!!

---Cookin' Up A 4th of July Celebration---

Nothing is more fun than having a great BBQ on the 4th of July with good friends!!
This year I wanted to make a festive cake to go along with our Celebration.
So I baked a Red Velvet Cake and topped it with blueberries and raspberries (another alternative is strawberries☺) to make a beautiful flag!:)

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 TB. 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 TB. Vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp. Soda
Mix really well - Bake 300* for 25-30 minutes.
Frosting:
Cook together -
1 c. Milk
5 TB. Flour
Cream 2 cubes Butter and 1 c. Sugar.
Add 1 tsp. Vanilla to cooked mixture, cool and than add to sugar mixture. Beat till smooth and creamy - this takes quite a long time to fluff up. Frost and add fruit on top.
Enjoy!!

Adding to the theme of the fun cake we served refreshing drinks...
Red Tampico Tropical Punch
White Pina Colada's
Blue Berry Kool-Aid

Another fun recipe I like to make in the summer and take to BBQ's --
Italian Spaghetti Salad:
1 pkg. Cooked Spaghetti Noodles
1 jar Creamy Italian Dressing
1 can Olives - drain and slice
2 cans Diced Tomato's rinsed and drained
1 pkg. bite size Pepperoni
Optional veggies that you might like - carrots, celery, green onions.
Cool spaghetti and add about 3/4 of the bottle of dressing or till well coated (too much dressing may cause it to go runny). Than add other ingredients. Mix well.
Chill before serving. I like to make the night before-tastes better the longer it sits.
Enjoy!!