•Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars•

School started and I feel like our lives have been crazy.  Plus I have made Cake Pops/Bites for the past three weeks so I haven't done anything very creative in the cooking/baking department:)  But I have this amazing neighbor that loves to spoil us with all of her yummy goodies every once and a while and last week she brought us these.  I called her up to get the recipe and she told me it was off of a can of Crisco or off the package of chocolate chips - funny huh!!  Because they were SO good:)  Also her daughter didn't want to wait to keep baking the cookies so she made them into bars.  Wow I don't know if I will make "cookies" again, this was so easy!!!!

Cookie Bars:
1 c. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 c. flour
1 pkg chocolate chips

Cream sugars with butter, beat in egg, add dry ingredients and stir in chocolate chips.  Press into greased baking sheet and bake at 375* for 10 minutes.  Cool and cut into bars.
ENJOY!!

Monkey Bread!

For our first day of school we decided to make a fun, yummy breakfast.  My mom makes this A LOT for her Seminary students and it's VERY easy.  I know you probably have had it but this is our version and it's good AND great to make the night before!! 

So now it's our new Back to School tradition...

MONKEY BREAD --

24 Rhodes dinner rolls - frozen*

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c brown sugar

1 sm. pkg butterscotch pudding - the kind you cook not instant

4 tsp. cinnamon

Melt butter, sugar, pudding and cinnamon in saucepan till dissolved - don't cook longer.  Place rolls in bottom of greased bundt pan and pour mixture over.  Cover and leave out on counter over night to rise.

Preheat oven to 350* and bake for 30 minutes.

*I accidentally bought Texas Rolls so I just added about 14-16 rolls to the pan and it definitely rose too high and didn't coat them very well.  BUT they sure tasted YUMMY!!!!   Just an FYI:)

EMJOY!

-- Give Me S'more Cupcakes --

I have seen S'more Cupcakes all over the Internet. 

And I wanted to make a fun end of Summer treat for the kids so...

Since we had left over big marshmallows, Hershey bars and graham crackers from our Summer S'more making I decided to whip up a batch.

I had just gotten a new tin full of A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. recipes from Amazon (check it out HERE).  Inside was a recipe that sounded very yummy and quick.  Let me just say it's one I am going to make A LOT!!

Give Me S'more Cupcakes --

2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1/3 c. sugar

1/3 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 c. milk

1 egg

24 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped*

2 c. mini marshmallows*

Preheat oven to 350*.  Line 24 mini muffin cups with paper baking cups (I bought mine HERE).

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, chocolate chips and baking powder in medium bowl.  Whisk milk and egg in small bowl; stir into crumb mixture until well blended.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling about half full.  Press chocolate kiss into center of each cup.  Press 4 marshmallows into top of each cupcake around chocolate kiss.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly browned.  Cool. 

ENJOY!!

*We used the Hershey bars and big marshmallows cut into four small pieces instead.  Doesn't look as pretty as the picture but sure tasted good:)

Yummy Salads --

My Aunt Linda gave my mom this really yummy and fun recipe book a few years back called "Favorites."  It sat on my counter and I used it often.  Well Linda recently moved back to Utah and had us all at her house for my sister's Baby Shower.  At the shower, at my Baby L's Blessing and another time we went to her house she made some AMAZING chicken salads.  The recipes came from a new cookbook from the same amazing women that made the first...it's called "Keeping Up Cookbook" and you can purchase it HERE!!

Shauna Lake's Chinese Chicken Salad --

Salad:

5 c. finely shredded romaine lettuce

1 pkg oriental-flavored ramen noodles, flavor packet discarded

2 c. diced and cooked chicken

1 (11 oz.) can white shoepeg corn, drained

1 large tomato, diced

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 c. chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Dressing:

2 Tbl sugar

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp pepper

3 Tbl white vinegar

1/4 c. oil

Whisk together dressing ingredients. Crumble noodles and toss with remaining salad ingredients.  Dress, toss and serve.

Chipotle Cheddar Pasta Salad --

1 pound pasta, any shape

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, drained

1 c crumbled feta cheese

1 (10 oz) pkg fresh pico de gallo, drained

1 c chopped cilantro

1 c diced red pepper

1 c grated carrots

1 c diced cucumber, peeled and seeded

2 ripe avocados, diced

1 lime, halved

1/2 (12 oz) bottle Brianna's Chipotle Cheddar dressing

Cook pasta in salted water, according to directions.  Drain and run under cold water.  Set aside.

Toss together beans, corn, feta, and remaining salad ingredients.  Squeeze 1/2 lime over the top and cut remaining 1/2 lime into wedges for serving.  Add cooled pasta and toss with enough dressing to coat.  Chill until ready to serve.  Before serving, toss with more dressing, as desired (pasta will absorb dressing as it sits).  Serve with lime wedges.

Enjoy!!

No Name DELICIOUS Salad:)

My aunt served up another FANTASTIC salad for us at my sister's baby shower and funny thing is I didn't get the name of it from her.  So we will just call it an EASY DELICIOUS salad...

Head of Romain lettuce, washed and shredded
1-2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
Roasted corn = place frozen corn on cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake, turning occasionally till roasted.
Diced or shredded cooked chicken (She cooks hers in the oven)
1 sm. onion diced

Dressing = Equal parts buttermilk ranch dressing and Sweet Baby Ray's Barbeque sauce

Toss with salad and sprinkle with Tortilla Chip Strips!!  This is such a refreshing, yummy salad!
ENJOY!!

Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes & Chicken

Scalloped Chicken & Potatoes:
1 box scalloped potatoes (including seasoning packet)
6 chicken tenders
3 cups water
Put potatoes in greased slow cooker first, followed by seasoning packet and chicken. Pour water over all. Cover and cook on low heat 4-5 hours.
 I found this somewhere out there on the internet...don't remember where but I have been dying to try it!  My husband loves Scalloped Potatoes so it was a huge hit at the dinner table.  I LOVED how it was fast, easy and yummy!  Only thing I would do differently is to double it.
ENJOY!!

Chocolate Drop Cookies --

My Aunt Linda C. is an amazing cook!!  I love sharing recipes back and forth:)  She made these delicious cookies for my sister's Baby Shower and we gobbled them up so fast - lol!! 

Chocolate Drop Cookies --
Cream together:
1/2 c butter
1c brown sugar

Add:
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
And beat together

In small saucepan melt
2 1 oz. squares Bakers semi-sweet chocolate
Cool and add to above mixture.

Next alternate:
3/4 c sour cream
and dry ingredients that have been mixed together:
2 c flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt

Drop onto baking sheet 2 in. apart using a small scoop.  Bake at 350* for 10 minutes.  Frost...

Frosting --
Mix together:
4 TBL cocoa
3 c powdered sugar
Than add:
4 TBL soft butter
2-3 TBL milk
1 tsp vanilla
Beat well.  Add more milk or more powdered sugar to thicken or thin frosting

ENJOY!!  These are very tasty and a great bit size cookie:)

☼When Life Gives You Lemons...☼

...Make Pink Lemonade Cupcakes!!

I found a recipe in the "Keeping up Cookbook" for Lemonade Cake and decided to make cupcakes for my daughters Cupcake Birthday Party!!

Lucious Lemonade Layer Cake/Cupcakes:

1 1/3 c. sugar

6 Tbl butter, softened

zest of 1 lemon

3 Tbl thawed lemonade concentrate

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 egg whites

2 c. flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 c. buttermilk

Place sugar, butter, zest, lemonade and vanilla in mixer and mix until well blended.  Add eggs and egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition.  In a separate bowl mix together dry ingredients.  Add dry ing. to batter alternating with buttermilk until all ing. and buttermilk are well blended.  Pour into two well -greased 9" round pans.  Bake @ 350* for 18-20 minutes.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes and remove to cooling rack.

If making cupcakes just place in cupcake liners in muffin pan and bake for about 12-14 minutes.  Remove promptly to cooling rack.

Frosting:

2 Tbl butter, softened

zest of 1 lemon

2 Tbl thawed lemonade concentrate

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Mix together all ing. except powdered sugar and blend well.  Gradually add powdered sugar and beat at low speed untill blended.  Don't overbeat.  Frost cake or cupcakes:)

ENJOY!!

○Mini Cupcakes○

For Ellie's 6th Birthday we had a Cupcake Party!!  I found this FUN idea to make mini cupcakes to pass out.  Over at Confessions of a Cupcake Queen she made these as cupcake toppers.  She used mini confetti sprinkles and Mary Englebreit cherry sprinkles for the tops.

All I could find was these red pearls from Bake It Pretty website.  I still think they turned out ADORABLE!!  Wanna know how I made them??

Mini Reese's PB Cups!!!!!!;)

Yep...just unwrap, frost them, sprinkle on your favorite sprinkles and top with a "cherry" - LOL!!

I made a WONDERFUL cream cheese frosting that made them taste very YUMMY!  They were a hit at the party...

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 c. powdered sugar

Beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla till smooth.  Add powdered sugar, mixing till smooth.  Beat for about 1 minute further to make light and fluffy.  You can add other flavors to this basic vanilla-flavor as well, such as cinnamon, lemon zest, orange zest and white chocolate - to name a few!

I found this recipe in a WONDERFUL cupcake kit I found from Amazon HERE!

~Peanut Butter & Jelly Cuppycakes~

My husbands Birthday was on Saturday! 

So after much debate over what kind of cake he wanted I finally hit the mark when I suggested these babies...

PB & J CUPCAKES --

The cake is very moist and flavorful and the PB frosting is to die for (we have some left over so we may just use it on our sandwiches;).  They were a huge hit that night at his party!!

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup strawberry jelly ----> or really any favorite jelly!!
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Confetti pastel sprinkles, for garnish - I just used gold sugar that I found at Smith's

Directions::
Put an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the sour cream to the butter and sugar mixture and continue to beat until incorporated. Add the eggs and yolk, 1 at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed into the batter. Add in the vanilla and continue to mix. Slowly add the dry ingredients, in increments, and mix until combined.

Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners to fill 3/4 of the way. Put in the oven and bake until the cupcakes are a pale gold color and a cake tester comes out clean, about for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting and filling.

Meanwhile, fit a plain pastry tip to the bottom of a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag and fill with strawberry jelly. Once the cupcakes are cool, insert the tip far into the cupcake and slowly squeeze in about 1 tablespoon or so of jam. Be careful not to overfill the cupcakes or they will crumble and explode. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Frost the cupcakes with the Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting using a pastry bag and a star tip. Sprinkle lightly with the confetti sprinkles, top with a little bit more jelly and serve.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and butter. Beat until well combined, then add the vanilla and peanut butter and beat until well mixed. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar and beat until well incorporated.

{Red Velvet CUPCAKES}

I have been obsessed with CUPCAKES lately!  They are so fun to bake, create and EAT!!;)  So I whipped up a YUMMY batch of my infamous RED VELVET CAKE cupcakes for a friend of mine yesterday...

Go HERE for the recipe!!

Another WONDERFUL tool I used this time was a cupcake filler tube that attatched to my piping bag.  I got it along with a cupcake kit off of Amazon but I have read that you can use any narrow round tip to accomplish this.  Happy baking and let me know if you have ANY questions!

ENJOY!!

-:-Roasted Banana Cinnamon Rolls-:-

I made these YUMMY rolls today-mmmm!!

But I am going to post Picky Palate's photo cause mine definitely didn't look as pretty;)

I mixed up the butter so they were pretty buttery and I didn't let my banana's cool enough - that's what happens when you have a grumpy baby wanting your attention while your baking - lol!!

Boy did they sure taste DELICIOUS though --

Roasted Banana Cinnamon Rolls

2 ripe bananas cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 roll Pillsbury French Bread Loaf
4 Tablespoons softened butter
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 Cup powdered sugar
3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place banana slices and cut up pieces of butter into a small baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes. Next, use a fork to smash roasted bananas until well combined.

2. Unroll Pillsbury French Bread dough into rectangle. Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Place dollops of roasted banana mixture evenly over top. Starting from long end, roll up into log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch slices and place onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until just turning golden brown. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.

3. Whisk powdered sugar and heavy cream until combined; drizzle over top of warm rolls.
12 rolls

BBQ FAVORITES

We LOVE the 4th of July - Especially the FOOD!!
Here are some wonderful recipes that grace our tables all summer when we like to have a barbecue --

Spaghetti Salad:

1 pkg spaghetti noodles - cooked, drained and cooled
1-2 chopped tomatoes
sliced olives
chopped pepperoni
fresh grated Parmesan
1-2 diced avocado's
bottle of Caesar or Creamy Italian dressing

Mix all ingredients together and add desired dressing till coated.  Stir lots because everything tends to mingle at the bottom! ;)  You can add other ingredients to this as well...such as chopped green onions, feta cheese or any shredded cheese, ham instead of pepperoni.  ENJOY!!

BBQ Turkey Tenders:
mmm - these are a tried and true FAVORITE at our house!!

2-3 lbs. turkey tenders or chicken breasts
1 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 c. or 1 can lemon lime soda
1 1/2 T. horseradish

Marinate in Ziploc bag - the LONGER the better.  Toss on the grill and cook till done!  These are sooo yummy and mouth watering - ENJOY!!!!

FrUiT PiZzA - 4th of JULY StYle

I LOVE this Fruit Pizza recipe that is posted HERE!!

So for the 4th of July I doubled it into a jelly roll pan and turned it into a festive flag!

I rolled out two pkgs of sugar cookie dough...

Baked it, let it cool...

And frosted it with the YUMMY cheesecake frosting recipe!

(ps - I doubled the frosting but it was WAAAYY too much so no need to do that but it made GREAT dip for apples and bananas!)

Than I added blueberries and strawberrys to make an American Flag!!

This is a WONDERFUL treat for any BBQ this summer!!!!

Funeral Potatoes

I really like Funeral Potatoes so when I found this easy recipe over at Our Family Treat I thought I would give it a try.  BUT I wanted to make it more of a meal, so we added 1 can of Green Beans and a package of diced ham to it.  My family really enjoyed it:)

FUNERAL POTATOES
Makes 1 9x13 pan

Ingredients:
2 pounds cubed hash browns-thawed
1/4 cup onion
2 cans cream of chicken
1 pint sour cream
10 ounces grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients together. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Then spread out potatoes mixture on the pan. Sprinkle with a little more cheddar and parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.

--Brownie Sheet Cake--

We had this growing up a lot at my house in the summer.  Especially at picnics because you make it in a jelly roll pan and there is a lot to go around.  I LOVE it because it's rich and yummy but not as fudgey as most brownies are -- don't get me wrong I am a huge ooey-gooey brownie fan but when your craving something sweet and cakey this hits the spot!!  And SHHHH they were really yummy for breakfast this morning;)

Brownie Sheet Cake:

In sauce pan combine --
1 c. water
1 c. butter
3 TBL. cocoa
Bring to boil and take off heat to cool slightly.

In a bowl add:
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. soda
Mix together and add --
2 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk -- whisked together

Combine together with cocoa mixture and mix till smooth.  Will be rather runny.  Pour into a jelly roll pan and bake at 400* for 20 minutes.

Frosting:

In sauce pan combine --
1/2 c. butter
2 TBL Cocoa
Bring to boil and take off heat.

Add to 1 lb. powdered sugar
Mix in 1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. milk - add gradually till frosting is smooth (add more milk or more powdered sugar if too thin or too thick)

**Frost brownies while still hot so frosting seeps into the cake;)**  ENJOY!!

Chicken Veggie Casserole

Since I post a lot of my recipe's here, don't really use any of my cookbooks I have collected and have a HUGE mess in my cubbard I decided to clean out and toss a lot of books and recipes that were collecting dust.  I find ones and think they sound good so I toss it in a pile to try later but lately I have just wanted quick, easy recipes.  So I have been trying a lot of the easy ones and tossing the ones that I just don't think will be good for my family.  Which has been great because I have come across some old favorites that I have forgotten about and hand written recipes from my Granny that I will cherish.  She was an amazing cook and I like to think I get my love for cooking/baking from her!!♥
Well this was a recipe that I clipped from a magazine that sounded yummy so we gave it a try last night and I think it will be a keeper...
(ps - stay tuned for lots more - I have been going batty waiting for this baby to come so I have been baking/cooking a lot to pass the days;)

Chicken Veggie Casserole:

1 can cream of mushroom soup or 1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. milk
 --whisked together
2 c. cubed cooked chicken
2-3 c. frozen vegetables
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese
3-4 c. cooked and drained egg noodles
2 c. shredded cheese ( I sprinkled some in mixture and set rest aside to put on top)

Combine all ingredients in a 9x13 dish and mix together well.  Cover and bake 400* for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Halfway through cooking I uncovered and sprinkled more cheese on top and cooked until cheese was melted:)  Enjoy!!

*Cornbread and Fluffy Honey Butter*

Last night for dinner we had Taco Soup and I finally got around to trying this recipe for Cornbread and Honey Butter.  I think I found it on a friend's blog but I can't remember.  Well I am so thankful for whoever I found it from because we were in Heaven - OMG it's so so yummy!!  I found one awhile back but it was dry and the honey butter didn't turn out so I was disappointed because I LOVE cornbread.  The bread was so moist and the Honey Butter - there are no words to describe how tasty it was.  We are going to pop our leftover scones out of the freezer and smoother them with this butter it's so good!!

Cornbread and Fluffy Honey Butter:

The best Cornbread we have ever tasted, seriously:

½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny - don't be alarmed!). Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.

Honey Butter:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).

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!!