Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

 We had these last night and they were really good. I think what really made them was the toasting of the hamburger buns, it made them so warm and yummy.

2 pounds ground beef, I did 1 beef 1 ground turkey
1 onion diced
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup flour
1Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
buns
American cheese slices

Directions
In a large pan, brown ground beef with chopped onion. Crumble and cook until no longer pink. Drain grease.

Put the rest of the ingredients into your slow cooker and mix thoroughly. Add ground beef mixture into your slow cooker, stir all together

Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. ( mine was starting to stick at about 3 so i just turned it to keep warm)

This is the most important step. When ready to serve toast hamburger buns. Put butter on the buns then toast them in a skillet until golden brown-not burnt :)
Place filling on warm buns and top with cheese. Enjoy

slightly altered from www.thecountycook.net

Saturday, April 28, 2012

French Chicken Broccoli Supreme

I didn't take a picture of this. Sorry. But it is very yummy. It reminded me of Chicken Divan- but instead of the mayo/sour cream/cream of chicken soup sauce in Chicken Divan, this has a cheese sauce. Big hit with the kids!

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh broccoli- Break in pieces, and steam for 2 minutes.
3 cups cooked chicken breasts  – Break up in small pieces
3 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese divided
2 tubes Ritz Crackers
1 stick melted butter
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Sauce:
1/3 cup Butter- melted
1/4 cups Cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 cup COLD Water
1/3 cup Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 Cups Milk
1 1/2 cups of the above Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

In greased 13×9 pan, layer the broccoli and chicken, then set aside. In saucepan over medium heat, combine the melted butter, cornstarch dissolved in water, chicken broth, seasonings, and milk. Stir well, and continue stirring until sauce has thickened. Turn heat down to low, and add 1- 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over the chicken and broccoli. Top with 1- 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese.

Melt the butter. Add the poppy seeds, and stir well. Crush Ritz crackers in large zip-lock bag with a rolling pin. Don’t crush too small. Add crumbs to the melted butter. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the grated cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.

** I omitted the cornstarch because I substituted the milk with heavy cream. I (as I always do!) added extra cheese to both the sauce and the grated cheese layer.

Adapted from getoffyourbuttandbake.

Carmelitas

These are SO good. So good, in fact, that I didn't get to take a picture before they were gone! I will make them again- and I will post a picture when I do ;)

32 caramel squares, unwrapped
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until completely smooth; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda. Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8x8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.
*A stint in the fridge will help them cool off if you're pinched for time. They shouldn't be served cold, but all of that molten caramel takes a long time to cool down. They should be stored and served at room temperature.
**To make a 9x13" version, simply double the amounts.

Thank you luluthebaker!!

Roasted Chicken and Corn Chowder

I love using rotisserie chicken. I use them a few times every week. They just make things quick and easy! This recipe was a perfect candidate for another rotisserie chicken. Yum. I love using rotisserie chicken. I use them a few times every week. They just make things quick and easy! This recipe was a perfect candidate for another rotisserie chicken. Yum.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 Anaheim chili pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bag frozen corn kernels
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried thyme
4 cups chicken broth
5 potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tsp cornstarch
2-3 cups roasted chicken breast ( torn or cut into bite size pieces)


Directions:

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions, garlic, bell pepper and Anaheim pepper. Cook while stirring for about 5 minutes until softened. Add corn, salt, pepper, cumin and thyme. Stir. Add chicken broth. Stir and add potatoes and heavy cream. Add roasted chicken to the soup. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Bring to a simmer. Add cornstarch mixture. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are soft.

This recipe was altered quite a bit from the original.

Adapted from goboldwithbutter.

Slow Cooker Apple Cobbler


This dessert is so easy! And really very tasty! It doesn't taste like a cobbler to me- more like an apple cake.

1 can Apple Pie filling
1 Yellow Cake mix
6 tbsp Butter- melted

I added a sprinkle of cinnamon on top of the pie filling. Yum. And of course we enjoyed it a la mode :)

Pour the pie filling into the bottom of your Crock Pot. Sprinkle cinnamon (about 1/2-3/4 tsp) on top. Pour the cake mix over it (unprepared) and spread it out. Pour the butter on top. Do not stir. Put the lid on. Bake on low for 4 hours. Do not overbake- your topping will get dry.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Twice Baked Cauliflower

1 head cooked cauliflower
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
cheddar cheese, shredded
4 strips bacon, cooked & crumbled
Chopped green onion
sour cream

Butter, salt & pepper the cauliflower. Place in an individual-serving baking
dish, then top with the cheese. Microwave until the cheese is melted. Top
with bacon and green onions. Top with sour cream. Try not to drool as you
eat....

Banana Bread



Ingredients
. 2 cups whole wheat flour
. 1 teaspoon baking soda
. 1/4 teaspoon salt
. 1/2 cup sugar free applesauce
. 3/4 cup honey
. 2 eggs, beaten
. 3 mashed overripe bananas

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5
inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate
bowl, mix together applesauce and honey. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas
until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to
moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick
inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for
10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Bang Bang Shrimp

This is a 'copycat' recipe of Bonefish Grill's Bang Bang Shrimp, which is amazing!
I omitted the lettuce with this recipe. I felt that the lettuce and cabbage together were a little overkill. Also, I would 1/2 the sauce recipe. There was WAY too much sauce.
Shrimp:
  • 1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined (weight after peeled)
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp canola oil
  • 3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
  • 4 tbsp scallions, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, Thai sweet chili sauce and Sriracha. Set aside.
Combine lettuce and cabbage and divide between four plates. Set aside.
Coat shrimp with cornstarch, mixing well with your hands.
Heat a large skillet or wok on high heat, when hot add oil. When oil is hot add the shrimp to hot pan and cook tossing a few times until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and combine with the sauce coating well.
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1/4th or recipe Old Points: 5 pt • Points+: 5 pt
Calories: 215.7 • Fat: 7.6 g • Protein: 23.8 g • Carb: 11.9 g • Fiber: 1.0 g • Sugar: 6.3 g

Sodium 443.9 mg
Adapted from Skinny
Taste.

Cream of Zucchini Soup


Adapted from SkinnyTaste-- my new favorite website for recipes!!

Cream of Zucchini Soup
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
• 1/2 small onion, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 small zucchini skin on cut in large chunks
• 32 oz fat free chicken stock
• 2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
• salt
• pepper

Combine chicken broth, onion, garlic and zucchini in a medium pot and cook on medium heat.

Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Purée: Add the sour cream. Using an immersion blender, purée till smooth.

Stir in remaining ingredients, and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot.

Optional: Top with 2 tsp parmesan cheese - 1 point extra
Servings: 4 Size: 1 cup Old Points: 1 pt Points+: 2 pt
Calories: 65.3 • Fat: 1.0g Protein: 3.5 g Carb: 11 g Fiber: 2.8 g

Olive Penguins

My kids love these. I saw them on Taste of Home- but the recipe called for minced onion, horseradish, salt... all kinds of things. I did it with plain ol' cream cheese . Seriously mine were 3 ingredients compared to the 11 ingredients on the recipe. Anyways, that was my inspiration :) To see the full recipe you can click here.
  • Cut a slit from the top to bottom of 1/2 of your olives. Carefully (to not tear your olive) pipe your cream cheese into the middle of the olive. Cut a small triangle out of each carrot slice; press triangles into the other half of the olives for a beak. On each notched carrot slice, position an olive so the white chest is lined up with the notch. Place the beaked olive, hole side down, over the 'body' olive so the beak, chest and feet are aligned. Carefully insert a toothpick through the top of head into body and carrot base. You can wrap a green onion or pimento around the neck for a scarf if you want.

Monday, February 27, 2012

3 Ingredient Pulled Pork

This recipe is SO easy. And it's our favorite bbq pulled pork! I don't remember where I got this recipe- but we've been making it for a really long time.

4 cups Root Beer
1- 16 oz bottle of your favorite bbq sauce
3 (ish) lb pork roast

Put root beer and pork roast into the crock pot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on low for 4 hours. Shred pork. I just shred it in the crock pot- it just falls apart and it leaves the meat mixture a little 'chunky'-- we like it that way. Add the bbq sauce. Serve on rolls. I prefer sesame seed kaiser rolls. My kids like slider rolls.

Cheeseburger Soup

Cheeseburger Soup
3/4 cup Carrots- shredded
3/4 cup Celery- chopped
3/4 cup onion- chopped
6 cups Potatoes- chopped
5 cups Chicken Broth
1 lb Ground Beef
4 tbsp Butter
2 lb Velveeta cheese (1 big block)- cut into 1" squares
1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cups Milk
1 cup Sour Cream
2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Brown ground beef. Remove from pan. Set aside. Add to pan 1 tbsp butter, the carrots, celery and onions. Cook until veggies are tender- about 8-10 minutes. Add potatoes, broth, basil, black pepper and ground beef. Simmer until potatoes are tender- about 10 minutes. While that's simmering, in a small sauce pan, melt remaining tbsp butter. Add flour. Cook for 1 minute. Add milk (warm milk works best). whisk together. Add to soup. Reduce to low heat. Add cheese and sour cream. Stir until cheese is melted.

This recipe makes a TON of soup. We had enough for all 7 of us for at least 2 meals, with some still leftover.

(Very slightly adapted from Taste of Home)

Friday, February 24, 2012

Boston Cream Pie



This cake is YUMMY!!! I seriously wanted to eat the entire thing!!

1 yellow cake mix (and ingredients called for on the package)
1 cup cold milk
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cups Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream
Chocolate Glaze:
2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven and prepare cake mix according to package directions. Line two 9-inch round pans with parchment paper or spray thoroughly with cooking spray. The only way you can mess up this cake is if your cake sticks to the pans so make sure that doesn't happen. Bake cake according to package directions; until golden brown and center passes the toothpick test. Once done, let cakes cool and invert on a wire rack to cool further.
Beat 1 cup of milk and pudding with a whisk or mixer for 2 minutes. Gently fold in whipped cream. Let stand 5 minutes. Stack cake layers on serving plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers.
For the glaze: Microwave chocolate and butter on high for one minute in a small microwave safe bowl. Stir until chocolate is melted. Add powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons milk; mix well until smooth. Spread over the top of the cake immediately letting drip down the sides. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

*** I will double the chocolate sauce from now on. Who doesn't want more chocolate sauce!?!
Adapted (lightly) from thegirlwhoateeverything

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Ashland Bread

This is the easiest and fastest wheat bread ever!!! LOVE it!!

Ashland Bread
adapted from With Love and Butter
A yeasted batter bread, Ashland Bread receives only one, brief rising and is extremely easy. Yields 2 medium loaves

6 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
3 cups warm water
3/8 cup honey (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons quick-rise yeast (or 3 packets/1 strip)
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat bran
1 cup wheat germ
4 tablespoons brown sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Generously grease two 4 x 8-inch loaf pans and sprinkle one tablespoon sunflower seeds in each.
Place the remaining 4 tablespoons sunflower seeds and the rest of the ingredients in a mixer bowl and blend with the dough hook at medium speed for 8 minutes. Divide the batter between the 2 pans. This dough is very sticky so don’t be alarmed. Just plop it in there, it bakes up all rustic and pretty. Loosely drape with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place just until the batter reaches the top edge of the pans. This will take only 10 to 14 minutes if you're using fine-grained whole wheat flour and 20 to 30 minutes with a coarser grind. When you set the loaves to rise, preheat the oven to 400 degree F with the rack in the center position.
Remove the plastic wrap and bake the bread for 15 minutes, rotate the pans, and bake another 10-15 minutes. The bread will be firm to the touch and molasses-colored, but won't rise much above the rim of the pan (don't look for a rounded top). Remove from the pans and cool on a rack but you must eat half of one all by yourself before it cools. Enjoy with butter or cheese

Austrian Bread Spread

This is so easy and so yummy!! Huge hit everywhere, with everyone!!

8 oz Cream Cheese- softened
1 stick of Butter- softened
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Mustard
2 tbsp Red Onion- finely minced
2 tbsp Green Onion- chopped

Mix together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining ingredients, reserving 1/2 tbsp of green onion for garnish. Mix well. Add the green onion garnish. Serve with bread slices. I got a few different breads from Panera-- Sesame Semolina, Cracked Rye and Country. Loved them all!!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Shrimp Tacos

(Sorry for the picture quality. My camera isn't working- so I had to take a picture with my phone.)

I cannot find the original recipe- so I can't give credit to whoever came up with this recipe (I will keep looking- and if I find it, I'll post it on here). But let me tell you. These are A-MA-ZING!!! I LOVE them. I crave them. They are SO yummy!!!!! And SO easy!! They are light and refreshing.


INGREDIENTS:
Slaw:
Mix together.
4 Cups shredded Green Cabbage
3 tbsp Lime Juice
1 1/2 tsp dried Oregano

Dressing:
Blend together.
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Cilantro
1/2 Avocado
3 tbsp Lime Juice
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 lb cooked Shrimp (deveined, peeled, tail off)-- very lightly season with salt and pepper.
1 Cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Corn Tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS:
Lightly fry your corn tortillas (about 30-45 seconds on each side). Add your shrimp, dressing, slaw and top with cheese. Serve warm.

***You can of course top it with other toppings- tomato, fresh cilantro, whatever you like.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

One day I'll get fancy with my food pictures. Maybe I'll even stop using paper plates ;). Until then, I'm keepin' it real. Don't judge!!

These are SO good!! Even my picky little eaters ate seconds (and thirds!). My tips at the bottom of the recipe!!

1 small, onion, peeled & diced (use a sweet onion if you can find it)
3 chicken breast halves
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic, minced (2-3 cloves)
salt & pepper (to taste)
6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 lb. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce (we like Las Palmas brand, but any brand is great)
1/2 c. heavy cream

Saute onion in a little butter until it becomes transparent and soft. In a crock pot* add chicken, chicken broth, sauteed onion, chili powder, garlic, and salt & pepper. Cook on low for about 8 hours (or high for 3-4) adding more broth if needed (you don't want it to cook out completely). Remove chicken from crock pot and shred, then return to crock pot and simmer another 5 min. Drain out some of the juices (but not all of it... keep about 1/4 c.) and add honey and lime. Place seasoned, shredded chicken in a Ziploc bag and seal tightly, pressing out as much air as you can. Marinate at least 30-40 minutes.. longer if you can (I did about an hour). While chicken is marinating spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray, then pour about 1/2 c. of enchilada sauce over the bottom. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and shredded cheese, saving about 1 c. of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with heavy cream. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top. Serve hot and top with your favorite enchilada toppings.

*If you don't have a crock-pot, just boil chicken in the same ingredients in a large pot with a little extra chicken broth until cooked through and can shred.

*** MY TIPS*** I used a rotisserie chicken. I didn't let anything marinate. I just sauteed the onion for a minute, added the garlic, let it sautee for about 2 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of chicken broth, the lime juice, honey, salt, pepper and chili powder. Let it simmer together for about 5 minutes. Then follow remaining directions. It took about 15 minutes to put it all together and then about 45 minutes to bake.
Adapted from favfamilyrecipes.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Crepes

We make these very often in our house! My kids love them!!!! My kids like them with Cool Whip, fresh chopped fruit and cinnamon sugar. They are DE-LISH. I have just recently tried more savory filling. Super yummy!! You can store them in the fridge for about 5 days (they won't last that long).

1 1/4 c Flour
2 tbsp Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Oil
1 cup plus 3 tbsp Milk

Mix together. Put about 1/4 of mixture on a pan or griddle. Spread out thin. Cook for about 30-45 seconds on each side.

Crepe

YUM-O!!! My new favorite!!! I don't have a name for it...

1/2 cup fresh spinach
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms (I used shiitake because that's what I had.)
2 eggs, slightly scrambled
2-3 tbsp chopped onion (I prefer sweet onion.)
1 tbsp butter

Melt butter in a frying pan. Add onion. Sautee for about a minute (not quite translucent). Add mushrooms. Sautee for about another minute. Add spinach. Sautee for about 30 seconds, until spinach just begins to wilt. Add eggs and cook until eggs are cooked through. Put eggs in a crepe, roll and top with hollandaise sauce.

Recipe for CREPES
Recipe for HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

Easy Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (if using salted butter, skip the added salt)

Method

1 Melt the butter slowly in a small pot. Try not to let it boil – you want the moisture in the butter to remain there and not steam away.

2 Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne (if using) into your blender. Blend the egg yolk mixture at a medium to medium high speed until it lightens in color, about 20-30 seconds. The friction generated by the blender blades will heat the yolks a bit. The blending action will also introduce a little air into them, making your hollandaise a bit lighter.

3 Once the yolks have lightened in color, turn the blender down to its lowest setting (if you only have one speed on your blender it will still work), and drizzle in the melted butter slowly, while the blender is going. Continue to buzz for another couple seconds after the butter is all incorporated.

4 Turn off the blender and taste the sauce. It should be buttery, lemony and just lightly salty. If it is not salty or lemony enough, you can add a little lemon juice or salt to taste. If you want a thinner consistency, add a little warm water. Pulse briefly to incorporate the ingredients one more time.

Store until needed in a warm spot, like on or next to the stovetop. Use within an hour or so.

Makes about 1 cup of sauce, good for about 4-6 servings.

Adapted from Simplerecipes

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Pork Potstickers

These potstickers were super yummy!!! It looks like a lot of instruction- it's really not. It's not complicated at all.
Ingredients
  • 1 head Napa cabbage, shredded
  • 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chicken stock
  • 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 cup finely minced scallions
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pkg wonton wrappers (round, if you can find them)
Instructions
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the cabbage and blanch it for 1 minute. Drain the cabbage, rinse it immediately with cold water, then drain it again. Over a sink or bowl, squeeze small handfuls of the cabbage to release as much water as possible, then wrap it in two layers of paper towels and squeeze again. Wrap and squeeze the cabbage one more time, then set it aside.

Whisk together the egg white, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Stir in the cabbage, scallions, ginger, and garlic. Add the pork and stir the filling until it's thoroughly combined.

Fill a small bowl with cool water. Lay 4 dumpling wrappers on a work surface, covering the remaining wrappers with a damp cloth.

Spoon 2 level teaspoons of the filling onto the center of each wrapper. Using your fingertip, moisten half of the outer edge of the wrappers with water.

Pick up each wrapper and bring the opposite edges together over the filling, forming a taco shape. Press the edges together, pinch a few pleats to seal the dumpling, then gently squeeze around the filling to eliminate any air pockets.

Transfer the stuffed dumplings to a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper, spacing them so they don't touch. Keep them covered with a damp cloth while stuffing the remaining dumplings.

Refrigerate pork and shrimp dumplings, on a baking sheet covered in plastic wrap, for up to 2 hours before cooking. Vegetable dumplings should be cooked or frozen immediately (moisture in the filling can soften the wrappers).

Heat 1-1/2 teaspoons peanut (or vegetable) oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Arrange half the dumplings in the skillet and cook, without disturbing, until their sides are golden, about 2 minutes.

Add 1/4 cup water and immediately cover the pan, reducing the heat slightly. Cook shrimp and vegetable dumplings for 3 minutes, pork for 5 minutes.

Uncover the pan and raise the heat again. Cook off any remaining water, shaking the pan a few times, and continue frying the dumplings until their sides become crispy, about 2 minutes more.

Transfer them to a plate and serve immediately, or keep them covered in a warm oven until the remaining dumplings are cooked.

***slightly adapted from FamilyFun recipes.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Pecan Pie Bars


These were so yummy!! And so easy!! You know I like easy ;)

Very lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Put down a roll of crescent dough (I love this stuff!!) Bake it at 350* for about 7 minutes.

Now for the filling. I know it sounds like a lot- but really- it's so good.

Filling:
6 eggs
2 cups light corn syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups chopped pecans

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl mix together the eggs, corn syrup, 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 4 tablespoons margarine, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans. Spread the filling evenly over the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until set. If the top starts to brown, cover it with aluminum foil.

Cool. Cut into squares.

Adapted slightly from the-girl-who-ate-everything.

Phat Cow Fudge

This fudge is amazing. Best I've ever had.

Phat Cow Fudge

20 ounces Hershey's® milk chocolate bars, broken into pieces.
1(12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, cut into pieces
4 cups sugar
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
4 cups frozen mini marshmallows
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups walnuts or pecans, chopped
*Place four cups of mini marshmallows into the freezer until frozen.

In a large bowl, place broken milk chocolate bars, chocolate chips and butter pieces; set aside. In a large pan, combine sugar, evaporated milk and 2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows. Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring constantly, then, continue to cook and stir at a light boil for 7 minutes.

Remove from heat and immediately pour over the chocolate/butter mixture. With a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted and loses its shine. Don't worry if it looks separated, just keep stirring. As it starts to cool it will lose its shine. Stir in the vanilla. Add the frozen marshmallows and walnuts/pecans. Spread into a large buttered cookie sheet (for a full batch I used two 9x13 baking dishes).

Cool completely. You can speed this up by putting it in the refrigerator. Cut into pieces and serve. Store in an airtight plastic container. Makes about 60-70 pieces.

***Make sure to freeze your marshmallows. It seriously makes all the difference.
Use a larger pot/pan to make your marshmallow cream-- Mine wasn't big enough and the stuff expands!!

Adapted from the-girl-who-ate-everything.

PB Brownies

Not the best picture. But I had to snap one while there were fingers grabbing at the plate- so it is what it is!
I made these brownies on accident a few months ago, for a cub scout meeting (I was going to make a peanut butter cream to put on top- but I ran completely out of time.). They were a huge hit. And so easy!!

Make your brownies. Yes, I make my brownies from a box. When you get the brownies out of the oven, put some crunchy peanut butter on top. Dollop a tbsp here and a tbsp there- all over the top. Give it 30 seconds or so to start melting. You can also put them back in the oven (turned off but still warm) for a minute if you want. Then just spread the peanut butter over the top. Let it cool. Top with mini chocolate chips. As you can see in my picture, my family can't wait for the brownies to cool, so my chocolate chips on top are half melted ;)

Enjoy!!