Ranch Pork Chops

Again, when we went camping the other weekend I was looking for quick and easy... Quick and easy to throw together before we left for the day and quick and easy to clean up after we ate for the night! :) Hey... we were supposed to be relaxing, okay?? 3 ingredients?? Does that sound easy enough for you? It does to me... I brought those three ingredients along and we had another fantastic crock pot meal at the campground... Yay pinterest!!

Side note - lately I have been using my cream of everything mix that I found on pinterest a while back, but for the sake of "quick and easy" I just bought a can of cream of chicken to bring along... Like I said, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!

Ranch Pork Chops
(recipe found on pinterest via www.livinglaughingandloving.com)

pork chops
1 envelope hidden valley ranch
1 can cream of chicken soup (or use this recipe for cream of everything mix)

Mix together hidden valley ranch and cream of chicken soup. Add up to one soup can of water depending on how long you will be cooking the pork chops in the crock pot. Dump into your crock pot and add pork chops. Give it a stir to cover pork chops and let it cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Cream of Everything Mix

I found this recipe on pinterest and had to try it. I feel like I use cream of mushroom or cream of chicken a few times a week so I thought that this was a good recipe to try and cut back on all the soup cans I use! :) Wouldn't you know that I haven't had a recipe that called for it until just recently... Oh well! Tried it with my Italian Cream Cheese Chicken that we just had and it seemed to work well! Love when I can cut my grocery costs anywhere and everywhere!

Cream of Everything Mix
(recipe found on pinterest.com via www.oneorangegiraffe.blogspot.com)

1 cup nonfat dried milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup bouillon, any type - smashed if you have cubes
4 tablespoons minced onions
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon pepper

Mix together and store in airtight jar.

For the equivalent of one can of cream of anything soup, mix 1/3 cup dried mix with 1 1/4 cup water. Heat until thick.

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

I have been on a huge quick of freezer meals lately... I don't have the time (or haven't made it) to sit down and do a whole bunch at once - the way that I decided to do it was to just double whatever meal that I am making for supper and we eat one and freeze one. That has worked really well for me and we have a bunch of meals stored up in my freezer, waiting for those weeks where the grocery bill is a bit too high when the paycheck is a bit too low or the nights when I want to be able to pull something out quick.

This recipe was perfect for doubling up, especially since the whole family loved it! Even with the broccoli, which at times makes my kids a little leery, everyone thought that it was good. I also love a good freezer to crockpot meal that I can put into a ziplock bag. I don't really love any of the aluminum pans that I have found so far (they are too flimsy) and I hate using all my 9x13's for freezer meals. This makes a lot, so be ready!

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
(Recipe found on pinterest via moneysavingmom.com)

10 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
4 cups chopped broccoli, lightly steamed
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or double up a batch of cream of everything soup mix)
2 cans cream of chicken soup (again, or double up a batch of cream of everything soup mix)
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. To freeze: Divide into four ziplock freezer bags and seal tightly. Freeze flat. To serve: Thaw overnight (or for 8 hours) in the refrigerator. Dump one bag into an 8x8 greased pan or two bags into a greased 9x13 psn. Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.

Chow Mein Hotdish

I love the crunch of chow mein noodles! They are so yummy and I enjoy them in a lot of dishes. I love the big can of chow mein that you can buy, throw the cans together, heat through and eat. Super simple and delish served over chow mein noodles. This is a much healthier, homemade version of that! Just as wonderful and mouthwatering! :)

Chow Mein Hotdish
(recipe found in A.C.C.C)

2 pound hamburger
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup raw rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or homemade cream of everything mix)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I just doubled the cream of everything mix)
2 cups water
1 can water chestnuts, cut up
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 can bean sprouts and juice

Brown hamburger and onions. Add remaining ingredients in a large casserole. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350. Stir every half hour while baking. Add more water if it seems too dry. Serve over chow mein noodles.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

This was one of the best make yourself mexican recipe that I have tried yet! They were so great and I can't wait to make them again. The green sauce was good, but they were fabulous even without the sauce (which was the high calorie part of the recipe)... I also made the refried bean recipe that they suggested with this recipe and that turned out fabulous as well! That will be posted tomorrow. Seriously, making this again - for sure!! The hubs ate three of them and then panicked when he found out how many calories three chimigangas were, even when they are baked. That didn't work out so well for him when he was in the middle of a weight loss competition! So, enjoy - in moderation if you are watching your calories! :)

Baked Chicken Chimichangas
(recipe found on sixsistersstuff.com)

2 (10.5 ounces) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (or cream of everything soup mix)
2 (4 ounces) cans diced green chiles
5 pitted green olives
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese
1 (8 ounces) package shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 pound shredded cooked chicken meat
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup olive oil
1 (8 ounces) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped green onion
1 (8 ounces) container sour cream

Pour the cream of chicken soup into a blender along with the green chiles, olives, jalapeno and lime juice. Puree until smooth, then pour into a saucepan, and warm over medium-low heat while proceeding with the recipe. In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, monterey jack cheese and taco seasoning until well blended. Fold in the chicken. Evenly divide mixture among the 8 tortillas (I actually got 10). Fold each tortilla into a rectangular packet around the filling. Place all chimichangas in a 9x13 glass pan, sprayed with non-stick spray. Brush all sides of each chimichanga with a small amount of olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, pull pan out and turn over each chimichanga. Bake for 15 minutes more. Top with cheddar cheese, green onion and sour cream, as desired.

Lemon Meringue Pie

This post is a hard one to write but I figured today was a fitting day to write it. My grandma passed away this past spring. She was such a wonderful woman and it was one of the hardest moments of my life. She has been in my life for 39 years, took care of me when I was younger and continued to be there for me every step of the way. There are times when I start to think "I can't wait to talk to Gram about this" and then it hits me, I can't do that anymore... I'm not the first one to lose a loved one and I know that I'm not the only one that has that feeling, but it's my grief and it feels like I'm alone at times.

Everything happened quite quickly. One minute she was at home with my Grandpa and I was stopping over dropping off meals and treats and the next minute she was in the hospital. She came home and never made it back out of her hospital bed. That's a hard pill to swallow. In my mind, she never stopped. She was that grandma that was out mowing the lawn at 80... It was really hard to see her laid up in a hospital bed.

As she was in the hospital she told me that she was craving lemon meringue pie. She was a huge sweets fan. I know that I definitely inherited this from her! :) This has never been a favorite of mine, I'm not too partial to meringue, but I knew that this was one thing that I could give her. I came home and found a recipe for lemon meringue and made it for her. By the time that she got home she wasn't eating much, but it was my pleasure to be able to make what she wanted - even if she only enjoyed a bite of it... For my Gram it was the least I could do. So, enjoy... I don't think that I will ever see lemon meringue pie again without thinking of her.

Lemon Meringue Pie
(recipe found at http://www.rockrecipes.com)

Filling
1/3 cup corn starch
1/3 cup flour
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks, slightly beaten
Zest of 2 large lemons, very finely chopped
Juice of 2 large lemons
2 cups water
3 tablespoon butter

Meringue
5 egg whites
11/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

To make the pastry, using a food processor or a pastry blender cut cold butter into flour and salt until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Small pieces of butter should still be visible. Pour cold water over the mixture and work in by tossing with a fork until dough begins to form. Use your hands as little as possible and work the dough as little as possible. Divide dough into 2 balls, flatten into 2 rounds, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes. You can freeze the second round for another time. You can make your dough the previous day but make sure you take it out of the fridge for 10 minutes to warm slightly before rolling out. Roll the dough into a 12 inch round and place in the bottom of a 10 inch pie plate. Trim and flute the edges as desired. Poke a few holes in the bottom of the pastry shell, rest in the refrigerator for an additional 20 minutes before baking at 400 for 12–15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before adding the filling.

To make the filling, in a medium saucepan, combine corn starch, cake flour, sugar and salt. Pour in water and stir constantly over medium low heat until mixture comes to a slow boil. The mixture should be very thick and paste-like at this point. Continue to cook, stirring constantly for another couple of minutes if necessary. Remove the pan from the heat and reduce the flame to low. Pour about a cup of this mixture onto the slightly beaten egg yolks while whisking constantly. Pour the egg mixture back into the rest of the other mixture in the pot, whisking constantly. Return to the stove and cook for an additional 3 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and lemon rind. Finally whisk in your butter one tbsp at a time. Pour the filling into the baked and cooled shell. Let stand for a few minutes while preparing the meringue.

To prepare the meringue, whip egg whites, vanilla, salt and cream of tarter to soft peaks. Very gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat the egg whites. Dollop in heaping tablespoonfuls onto pie. Gently spread over the filling, making sure that the meringue touches the crust all the way around the pie. This will help to prevent the meringue from shrinking. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes or until the meringue is well browned. Cool pie thoroughly in the refrigerator before serving. Keep refrigerated. Dip a sharp knife in cold water to help with cutting the pie into slices and clean the knife with paper towel between cuts.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

This was a simple recipe that I was able to throw together in no time and was done super fast... This would be perfect for those days when I forget to take something out of the freezer and need something quick! It was delicious and a great filling meal for the kids and I!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
(recipe found at pinterest via http://millerfamilyorganizer.blogspot.com)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen
1 cup salsa
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can cream of chicken soup (or use cream of everything soup mix)
1/2 cup sour cream
tortillas

Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Put chicken in the bottom of crockpot and cover with taco seasoning. Mix cream of chicken soup and salsa together until combined. Pour over chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours. Shred chicken and stir in sour cream. Serve on tortillas.

Stuffed French Bread

This was a delicious and EASY meal to throw together. There was definitely not any leftovers with this hearty meal, everyone kept going back for seconds and thirds! It was very tasty and filling.

Stuffed French Bread
(Recipe found at omgchocolatedesserts.com via Pinterest)

1 loaf french bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of everything soup mix)
1 tablespoons milk (or more if needed - I didn't need any)
1 tablespoon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2-2 cups shredded cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. Slice french bread in half (lengthwise), scoop the center of each half and crumble it in a large bowl. Place the halves of bread onto a baking sheet and set aside. In a large skillet place 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ground beef and cook over medium-high heat until the beef is browned, stirring occasionally. Add chopped onion, chopped celery and minced garlic and cook a few minutes until the vegetable is tender. Add soup, mustard, salt and pepper to taste and cook for at least 5 minutes. If the mixture is too thick add a little milk. Add cooked beef mixture to the bread and stir to combine. Spread the mixture in the center of one half of the french bread. Spread shredded cheese in the center of other half of the french bread. and place the bread carefuly back on top of first half. Bake 10-15 minutes (until the cheese is melted). If you don’t want to brown the bread too much or to become too crispy, cover with aluminium foil. Let it cool 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting & the SRC

This months Secret Recipe Club had me really stretching my wings! http://www.healthygreenkitchen.com/ is exactly what it sounds like - a fabulous tool for recipes that are healthy, organic and yummy and SO MUCH MORE... Now I am all about the healthy cooking, but I am not so stocked with the organic side of things! :) This called for a recipe that could handle a little adapting on my part with some of the ingredients and making sure that I had (or could find) everything that I needed.

I found a few recipes that I am going to try really soon - probably this week! They will definitely include her Perfect Blueberry Scones and these Delicious Yellow Cupcakes... This time, since my brother's birthday fell right in the middle of this month's secret recipe club I decided to make these Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcakes... Seriously how can you go wrong?? While mine didn't include anything organic, they still tasted fabulous and I was super happy with the maybe not so healthy version!! The daycare kids helped me make these and got to enjoy them for snack. They were pretty excited with the results as well - one of my kiddos even told his mom I was "the best cooker in the world". Now if that isn't high praise, I don't know what is! :) If you would like to see all that Winnie has to offer and for the "organic" version of this recipe click here. Thanks Winnie for the fabulous treat and I can't wait to try the scones next...



Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
(recipe found at http://www.healthygreenkitchen.com/)

Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Frosting:
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour through salt). In a medium bowl, mix the wet ingredients (sour cream through vanilla). Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well with a rubber spatula. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into cupcake tins that are lined with paper liners. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from the pan. Serve as is, dusted with powdered sugar or topped with chocolate sour cream frosting.

Frosting:
Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler (or use the microwave; about 1-2 minutes.) Add sour cream and whisk until smooth. Frost tops of cooled cupcakes.

Cheesy Chicken Chalupas

Oh these were delicious... Again, a quick and easy meal that I could double with no problems! We had one for supper and the other I stuck in the freezer for another day... That day was not too long away since my family loved this meal!

Cheesy Chicken Chalupas
(recipe found on pinterest via twomaidsamilking.com)

2 (10-3/4 ounces) cans cream of chicken soup (or double a batch of cream of everything soup mix)
16 ounces sour cream
1 (4 ounces) can diced green chilies
1 (2 1/4 ounces) can chopped black olives, drained
3 green onions, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
10-12 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

Mix together soup, sour cream, vegetables and cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of soup mixture for topping; add chicken to remaining mixture. Spoon chicken mixture into tortillas; roll up and place into a 9×13 baking pan coated with non-stick spray. Spoon reserved soup mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with monterey jack cheese. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for one hour. Freeze & Serve Instructions: prepare as directed; do not add cheese. Cover unbaked casserole tightly with aluminum foil; freeze. To serve, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese and bake as directed.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Cheesy Chicken and Rice
(recipe found on pinterest via www.southernplate.com)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, I left mine frozen
1 onion, chopped
1 (8 ounces) box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 (10.5 ounces) can cream of chicken soup (or use cream of everything mix)
1 (15 ounces) can whole kernel corn, drained

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, remove chicken and shred. Add in shredded chicken, cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

These were a delicious alternative to making a big pot pie. I love the heartiness of the meal but it was nice to tone it down a bit with the individual servings. The kids loved these and they were delicious warmed up the next day for lunch too!

Mini Chicken Pot Pies
(recipe found on pinterest via http://quick-dish.tablespoon.com)

1 chicken breast, cooked and diced
1 (14.5 ounces) cream of chicken or cream of everything mix
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 can pillsbury biscuits

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl combine all ingredients beside biscuits. Press biscuits into muffin pan spreading up the sides. Spoon chicken mixture into biscuits and bake for 15 minutes or until biscuits are browned. Let rest while you set the table and then dig in! :)

Chow Mein Hot Dish

This was a great quick meal that I could throw together during naps and pop in the oven so we were ready to roll as soon as the daycare kids were gone... Personally I am a big fan of canned chow mein (should I admit that?) but I love that this recipe is homemade and tastes just as good! I didn't want the chow mein noodles to get soggy, so I didn't add them to the hot dish, we just put them underneath! I love the crunchiness that went with it...

Chow Mein Hot Dish
(recipe found in A.C.C.)

1 pound ground beef
2 small onions, chopped
2 cups celery, diced
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 (8 ounces) can water chestnuts
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 (11 ounces) can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of everything soup)
1 (11 ounces) can chicken and rice soup
2 cups water

Brown beef, onion and celery. Add remaining ingredients and stir together. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Add chow mein noodles the last 15 minutes.

Zesty Corn Chowder

This was such an easy soup recipe to throw together at that last minute and still be ready in time for supper! It was super tasty and I just love a good soup that is healthy and easy to make...

Zesty Corn Chowder
(recipe found on pinterest via readyseteat.com)

2 tablespoons olive oil spread, olive oil or butter
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (10-3/4 ounces each) reduced sodium condensed cream of chicken soup or cream of everything soup mix
1 can (10 oz each) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup water


Melt olive oil spread in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and onion is tender, stirring frequently. Add cumin; cook and stir 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients. Increase heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Glossy Chocolate Frosting and Secret Recipe Club

I am part of a club - shhh... it's a secret club! To find out more about this secret recipe club click here. This was my first assignment and the minute that I saw these pretty things I knew that I had to try them... I started to rack my brain to figure out what I could use them for, cause you all know that I can't have too many sweets sitting around my house or they will be gone! G-o-n-e, gone!! Seriously - look at that glossy frosting, isn't it just so pretty? So, these babies were made up for my son's Kindergarten teacher and classroom para (and of course a few for us!)

Vanilla Cupcakes with Glossy Chocolate Frosting
(original recipe found here)

Cupcakes:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt (omit if you are using salted butter)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
salt (omit if using salted butter)

Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 and position rack in center. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin by placing the cupcake liners in it. Sift dry ingredients together. Cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time and beat for 1 minute after each addition.

With mixer running, add flour and milk alternately, starting and ending with flour. Spoon batter into cupcake liners, about 2/3rd's full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. **Watch your time... I baked mine for 20 minutes and they got a little too done and were a little dry. Remove from muffin tin and let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting: In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the sugar and cocoa. Gradually stir in the cream. Heat over medium heat, stirring until everything is mixed well, smooth and hot,but not boiling. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and a pinch or two of salt, to taste. Set aside to cool. Dip the cupcake upside down into the frosting and let the excess drip off. Place cupcake on a rack to let frosting set.

This frosting was ROCKING on ice cream later! Ria had mentioned that she halved the frosting recipe and still had enough... I'm not good at listening to what others say all the time, so I still made a full batch and found that she was right! :) But I put the remainder to good use! I'm actually thinking of trying the frosting recipe and adding a little bit of peanut butter to it.... That could have wonderful potential! :)

Make sure you stop by and check out the other recipes Ria has to offer at her blog home! Find it here! Enjoy!!

Chicken Taquitos

Taquitos are one of my favorite appetizers to order when we head out to a Mexican restaurant, especially at a certain chain restaurant that we have been to quite a bit in Arizona. this was my first go round with trying to do taquitos at home. They were less time consuming than what I thought they were going to be and not quite as good as when you get them made for you, but they were pretty tasty and definitely a redo at our house! We had them for a main dish, but they would be great for appetizers at a party!

Chicken Taquitos
(Recipe found at cherishedbliss.com via pinterest.com)

4 chicken breast
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4-6 green onions (no more than ½ cup), finely chopped (including the green part)
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
3 garlic gloves, minced
1 small jalapeno, finely chopped
2 roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon oregano
30 corn tortillas
olive or vegetable oil, for brushing the taquitos before baking

First cook the chicken breast in a large stock pot or in a crock pot. If cooking chicken on the stove top, use 2-4 cups of broth. If using a crock pot use about a cup of broth.
Cover and simmer chicken until falling apart tender. If cooking in the crock pot cook on high for 3 -4 hours. Shred chicken once chicken has cooled. If using a stand mixer you do not need to shred the chicken before mixing. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Next in a large mixing bowl, add chicken breast, softened cream cheese, green onions, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, tomatoes, and all seasonings. Mix everything together until combined well. Next, line a baking sheet with foil. Then wrap 5 corn tortillas in parchment paper, at a time, and heat in the microwave on high for about 30 seconds, or until soft and flexible. Now add about 2 tablespoons of chicken filling and spread it in the middle of a tortilla.Tightly wrap the tortilla and place seam side down. Repeat this process until all the chicken filling has been used. Once all the tortillas are made, spray the tortillas with vegetable or olive oil. You may also brush on the oil as well. Cook for 25-30 minutes at 425 degrees. Serve oven baked chicken taquitos with a your favorite hot sauce, green sauce, sour cream, and/or avocado salad.

Weekly Line Up - 4/27-5/4

Another crazy busy week is on the docket for us this week! I can't wait!! The hubs is finally home from 2 weeks at work, my oldest is turning 7 and we have family coming into town... should make for fun and excitement around here!! Lots of baking to do this week - we only get to see Josh's brother and his family once a year when their circus comes into our state. This means we go and spend a few days with them and I like to ply them with goodies!! Talk about sugar overload on my list this week...

Friday - kid party (aka, bowling and pizza)
Saturday - corn dogs (that's what the birthday boy requested!)
Sunday - *fudgy chocolate layer cake, *pulled pork sandwiches, KFC copy cat coleslaw
Monday - tortellini primavera
Tuesday - cheddar and bacon burgers
Wednesday - taco night
Thursday - circus!!
Friday - still at the circus!!

Extras: big dipper oatmeal cookies, *pretzel chocolate chip cookies, *cookie dough bites, *skinny monkey cookies, *cake batter puppy chow, *oatmeal in a jar, *cream of everything mix

Peanut Butter Cheeseball

The next few recipes are from my night of bunco at my house... We usually have a buffet of appetizers, dips, hot and cold - pretty much whatever the host wants to make. Since I love to bake and cook, I usually go all out and try new things! :) I started with this fabulous peanut butter cheeseball. Usually the cheeseballs that I make are more of the savory kind so this was a switch for me. It was delicious paired with all kinds of yummy crackery type "vehicles". Chocolate animal crackers, graham crackers, nilla wafers - whatever floats your boat as long as it is sturdy!

Peanut Butter Cheeseball
(Recipe found at the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Pinterest)

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
dipping items - apples, graham crackers, animal crackers, etc...

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until blended. Spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly forming into a ball shape. Freeze for 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm enough to keep its shape. Place peanut butter and chocolate chips in flat dish. Remove plastic wrap from ball and roll ball into morsels to completely cover, pressing morsels into the ball if necessary. Place ball on serving dish; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until almost firm. (Can be made ahead. If frozen overnight, thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.)

Spinach Cheese Manicotti

Yep - I tried it again! We did another type of manicotti this week and I was up and running, so I made it this time. It went much, much smoother! That might have also been due to the fact that when I stuffed the manicotti, you leave the shells uncooked - much easier! :) It had a lot of prep work involved with it, but it was worth it... The kids all got treats after supper even, which hasn't happened for a long time - but they all devoured everything on their plates!!



Spinach Cheese Manicotti
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

Sauce:
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cans (8 ounces each) no salt added tomato sauce
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dry red wine or vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
2 tablespoons italian seasoning
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons dried oregano

Filling:
1 package (8 ounces) fat free cream cheese
1 1/4 cups 2% cottage cheese
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pacakge manicotti shells
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, wine, italian seasoning, sugar and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, for filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, spinach, parmesan cheese, eggs and salt.

Stuff cream cheese mixture into uncooked manicotti shells. Spread 1 cup sauce into a 13x9" baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange manicotti over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top. Cover and bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until pasta is tender. Uncover; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Pumpkin Pudding

I love Rachel Ray... Her show is hilarious, her recipes are usually pretty simple, but still delicious and I love trying them! To go along with the pumpkin mania that I have been having lately, I found this recipe for pumpkin pudding... I thought that it would be a great snack for the kids and it was, but not only that - I think that it would make a great, quick dessert!! We gathered up the pudding and headed over to my Grandma and Grandpa's for "coffee" and my Grandpa was licking his plate at the end. (For those of you that know my Grandpa, you know that this is a common practice with him!) Still, it has definitely received rave reviews from anyone that has tried it! I think that it would look great in a trifle dish...


Pumpkin Pudding
(recipe found at www.rachelray.com)

1 (14 ounces) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (15 ounces) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (5.1 ounces) package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups heavy cream
1 (12 ounces) box ginger snaps

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin, spices, pudding mix and a 1/4 cup of water. Using an electric mixer, beat everything together until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture until blended and no steaks of pudding remain. To assemble, layer the cookies and pudding mixture in a serving dish, in whatever fashion you like. Cover the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 8 hours (you want the ginger snaps to soften up from sitting in the pudding mixture).