Alex Guarnaschelli's Garlic Bread

I found this recipe in a magazine (People I think) while I was at work. It looked so good I made a copy and tried it. I took it to a party and everyone devoured it! It's a little spicy so I made a regular garlic bread for the kids, but this is a great alternative to regular garlic bread.

1 whole head garlic, plus 3 cloves peeled
5 tbsp olive oil, divided
4 tbsp softened butter
1 large loaf italian bread
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried chili flakes (optional, I added them)
1/2 tsp salt

Split the whole garlic in half horizontally, drizzle with 1 tbsp oil. Wrap in foil and bake at 350 until soft about 40 minutes.

Cut bread in half lengthwise

Finely mince 3 raw garlic cloves and combine with butter and remaining olive oil. spread evenly over bread and sprinkle with oregano, paprika, chili flakes and salt.

Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skins and spread evenly over the bread. Wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight. ( I did over night, I also did it a couple hours before we were going to eat and it was just as good. I guess the longer the better, but I would say at least 2 hours)

Preheat oven to 350. Bake bread in foil until hot, 25-30 minutes. Slice and serve hot.

Unbelievable Mac and Cheese

We went to my niece's birthday party a couple weeks ago and my sister in law Kristin made this YUMMY mac and cheese. I have been looking for a good homemade mac and cheese recipe and trust me this is the one!! My girls ate it and loved it. Dave loved it because it has bacon! I had to have her email me the recipe so here it is!

7 Tablespoons Unsalted butter

1 clove of garlic minced

1 1/2 cups coarse bread crumbs ( I used Panko in the one I made for you guys)
1 bag for real bacon bits (or 6-7 peices of bacon, cooked and crumbled)

salt and ground pepper

1 pound elbow macaroni

1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk-warmed

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese-shredded

2 cups fontina cheese-shredded ( I used Dubliner cheese in the one I made, but any sharp cheese would work)

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

in a large frying pan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender but not browned about 3 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and stir until coated with butter. I then added crumbled bacon. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Cook the macaroni according to the directions until not quite al dente-it will go in the oven and cook more. Drain and set aside. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the pot used for the pasta and melt over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Reduce heat to medium-low and let bubble for 1 minute without browning. Gradually whisk in the milk, raise the heat to medium and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses along with the mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the pasta. Spread in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle evenly with the buttered crumbs. Bake until the crumbs are browned and the sauce is bubbling about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

Fiesta Chicken Casserole

 

Michelle made this for lunch during our Sister Saturday Spectacular. It was easy to make and everyone loved it. Even the kids ate it. There was none left! I'm not sure where this recipe comes from because she found it on pinterest and the recipe is in the description and when you click on the picture, it takes you to the twitter login page, so if you know where this came from let me know. We would love to give credit for this recipe.

 

2 cups chicken breast grilled & cubed

 2 cups medium shell pasta cooked

  2 cups cheddar/jack cheese blend

 1 can of cream of chicken soup

 1 can Rotel

1 can green chilies

 1/2 cup of milk

  Cover with cheese

salt and pepper to taste!

 

Cook noodles according to the package

Mix all the ingredients together and place in a 9x13 pan

Cover and Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Boston Cream Cupcakes

 

We made these cupcakes for our Sister Saturday Spectacular (it's working title, I think it changes every month), I found this recipe on America's Test Kitchen and everything is made from scratch, the cupcakes, the filling and the frosting. But after making these, you could totally make these WAY easier. Just get a box of white cake mix and make cupcakes, get a box of vanilla pudding, and a jar of chocolate frosting. These were good and it's fun sometimes to make things from scratch, but next time I would take the easy way out.

 

This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen

 

It’s important to bake these cupcakes in a greased and floured muffin tin rather than paper cupcake liners, so the chocolate glaze can run down the sides of the cupcakes.

 

PASTRY CREAM
1⅓ cups heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces) sugar
Pinch salt
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl, then whisk in the cornstarch until pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

 

Slowly whisk the hot cream into the egg mixture to temper, then return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, about 1½ minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 2 hours.

 

CUPCAKES
1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
3 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup whole milk, room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin.

 

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the butter into the flour mixture, one piece at a time, about 30 seconds. Continue to beat the mixture until it resembles moist crumbs, 1 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat in the milk and vanilla, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until smooth, light, and fluffy, 1 to 3 minutes.

 

Using a greased ⅓-cup measure, portion the batter into each muffin cup (about three-quarters full; do not overfill). Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through baking. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

GLAZE
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
⅔ cup heavy cream
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Microwave all of the ingredients together, whisking often, until melted and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Let the glaze cool, uncovered, until it is thickened but pourable, about 20 minutes.

 

 

ASSEMBLE THE CUPCAKES

 

 Cut around the inside edge of the top of each cupcake, removing a cone-shaped piece from each cupcake, and fill with 2 tablespoons of pastry cream. Trim and replace the cupcake top and set each cupcake on a wire rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup). Pour the glaze over the cupcakes, letting it run down the sides. Refrigerate the cupcakes until the glaze has set, about 10 minutes, before serving.

 



Cheesy Potato's

 

I have made these twice now, I made them, and we loved them, but we are huge potato lovers in this house. But I went to dinner at my sisters last night and made them and they went fast! Even my niece that doesn't like potatoes ( I know, who doesn't like potatoes??)  loved them, so I guess that means they are SUPER GOOD! They are easy to make and I usually have these ingredients on hand, so these will become a new staple for dinner!

 

This Recipe is from Get Of Your Butt And...BAKE

 

 

5 large potatoes

1 pint whipping cream ( 2 cups)

Salt and Pepper

2 tsp. Parsley flakes

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

 

Cut your potatoes into thin french fry strips, and lay the fries, in a 9×13″ glass pan. ( I used my awesome mandolin, made it way easy to cut the potatoes)

 

Pour all of the cream over the top of the fries. Salt and pepper them generously. Sprinkle at least 2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese over the top. Sprinkle Parsley flakes on top of the cheese. Cover with foil, and poke a fork through the top of the foil, 2 or 3 times to allow a little steam to escape. This way, your cream doesn’t boil over into your oven!

 

Cook at 400 degrees for about 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Place your oven rack in the middle of the oven. During the last 15 or 20 minutes of baking lower your rack one more step. This makes the bottom of your potatoes, brown and crispy.

Raspberry Rolls

 

I made these the other day and thought they were so good! I have to share them. You could use any berry you want. I think I am going to try them with blackberries next!

I changed a couple of things, I didn't have all purpose flour so I used bread flour, I also didn't have active dry yeast, so I used my bread machine yeast, which is like rapid rise yeast. I used the same amounts though and didn't have a problem. I also had to cook mine for longer than what it says, becuase they were still doughy in the middle. I added another 10-15 minutes on at the end. I also covered them with aluminum foil so the tops didn't burn.

 

 

I got this recipe from Food of Love

 

 

Rolls-

1 cup milk

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

        One 12-ounce package frozen raspberries, not thawed

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Icing-

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 tbsp heavy cream

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp good vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, warm the milk over moderately low heat until it's 95°.

 

Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and stir in the sugar and yeast. Let stand until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.

 

Add the softened butter, eggs, grated lemon zest and salt.

 

Add the flour and beat at medium speed until a soft dough forms, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is soft and supple, about 10 minutes longer. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands 2 or 3 times. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly buttered bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.

 

Butter a 9x13 glass baking dish & set aside.

 

 Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it into a 10-by-24-inch rectangle.

 

In a medium bowl, toss the frozen raspberries with the sugar and cornstarch. Spread the raspberry filling evenly over the dough. Tightly roll up the dough (cinnamon roll style) to form a log & cut into 12 pieces and arrange them in the baking pan, cut sides up. Scrape any berries and juice from the work surface into the baking pan between the rolls. Cover the rolls and let them rise in a warm place until they are puffy and have filled the baking pan, about 2 hours.

 

Preheat the oven to 425°.

 

 Bake the rolls for about 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 & bake another 10-15 minutes or until they are golden and the berries are bubbling. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 30 minutes.

 

In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar with the butter heavy cream & lemon juice & vanilla extract until the glaze is thick and spreadable. Top warm rolls with icing.

Garlice Cheesey Bread

I LOVE BREAD! I love to make it, and eat it. It is a weakness! I love that it takes all day to make, that your house always smells good when you're making it and I love eating hot bread! I found this recipe and had to try it! Bread and Cheese together and all melty...YUM!

Original Recipe found at Lauren's Latest

Ingredients:
1 cup Warm Water
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 envelope Active Dry Yeast (2 1/4 Teaspoons)
1 teaspoon Salt
3 cups Bread Flour
Olive Oil, For Greasing Surfaces
⅓ pounds Sharp White Cheddar, Or Any Other Cheese You Prefer
½ cups Garlic Butter ( i just made my own garlic butter I will put the recipe at the bottom)

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir water, honey and yeast together. Let yeast proof 5 minutes. Once you know yeast is active, stir in salt and the flour in 1/4 cup increments. If you are using a stand mixer, be sure to not increase your speed higher than a 2 or ‘stir’. Once dough starts pulling away from the sides and the bowl seems to be pretty clean, set a timer for 5 minutes and walk away. Let the machine knead the dough. After 5 minutes, dough should be smooth and tacky but when touched shouldn’t leave any dough on your fingers.
Grease the bowl and the dough. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Punch down dough and cut into two equal portions. Form into two long baguettes the length of the cookie sheet. I like to twist mine because it looks cool, but it also keeps its length and doesn’t shrink. Cover with plastic wrap and rise 30 minutes. Start to preheat oven to 400 degrees F and place dough close to the oven where it’s nice and warm. Once oven is preheated, remove plastic wrap, from the dough reduce oven to 350F, put the bread into the oven and bake 20 minutes.
In the meantime, slice the cheese into thin slices and melt the butter.
Pull loaves of bread out of the oven after 20 minutes and brush with the melted garlic butter. Bake another 5-7 minutes or until bread begins to turn a golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes.
Cut 1-inch slices 3/4′s of the the way through the loaves. Brush garlic butter in between each slice and fill with a slice of cheese. Bake another 3-5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.
Serve immediately.

Garlic Butter

1/2 c butter softened

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp parsley or 2 tsp fresh parsley

1/2 tsp oregano

2 tbsp parm cheese

Mix all the ingredients together.

Meatball Bubble Biscuits

My girls loved these. They were so cute and fun to eat.  I  made my own meatballs. It would be super fast and easy to use the pre-made ones from the store like the recipe says. I will add my meatball recipe in case you want to make your own. I also made them ahead of time and just covered them and put them in my fridge so when it was time for dinner all I had to do was throw them in the oven. Nice and Easy!

This recipe comes from Kathie Cooks

Meatball Bubble BiscuitsSource: Barbie F.

1 can Pillsbury golden layers biscuits - each pulled into 2 layers
10 frozen fully cooked Italian style meatballs - thawed and cut in half
2 sticks string cheese - cut each into 10 pieces
1 T. parm cheese
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 c. marinara sauce

Heat oven to 375. Separate biscuits into 2 layers. Place 1 meatball half and one piece of cheese into each biscuit, wrap dough around it and seal edges. Place seam side down into 9 inch round cake pan. Sprinkle with parm cheese, garlic pwd. and italian seasoning. Bake 18-20 min or until golden brown. Serve warm with warm sauce.

Here is my meatball recipe...

1 lb hamburger

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

1 onion finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 c Parsley

1/4 c Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 450.

 Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Don't over mix, just enough to combine the ingredients. Roll into balls, place on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the center of the meatballs are cooked through.

(If I have leftover meatballs I usually freeze them and take them out when I need them. The still taste yummy and you would never know the were frozen.)

Lasagna Soup

I love soup! Even in the summer. It doesn't matter if it is hot or cold. Usually I like my soups, cream based, but I tried this one and really liked it! I made my soup and cooked it in the crockpot all day. Then I added my noodles and the cheese in the bowls like it says in the recipe. It gets kinda crazy around here after school and it was nice to have dinner pretty much done.

The recipe is from A Farm Girl's Dabbles

for the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the cheesy yum:
8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Turkey Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Chiles, Cumin, Cilantro, Lime and Tomato-Avocado Salsa

This recipe is from kalyns kitchen. We all really liked them. The kids even at them!

Turkey Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Chiles, Cumin, Cilantro, Lime and Tomato-Avocado Salsa
(Makes about 8 tacos, recipe adapted from Molly Watson's Turkey Tacos, discovered via Twitter from Marisa.)

Ingredients for Tacos:
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic (I used minced garlic from a jar, but fresh garlic would be even better)
1-2 T diced green chiles (I used about half of a 4 oz. jar of diced green chiles, recipe called for fresh chiles which would be a bit hotter)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chile powder (recipe called for cayenne)
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 large bunch cilantro, finely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups chopped cilantro. I used 1 cup in tacos and 1/4 cup in salsa. Use more or less cilantro to taste.)
2 T fresh lime juice
2 large heads romaine lettuce (or use iceberg, Boston lettuce, or butter lettuce)

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan then add minced garlic and diced green chiles and saute about 1 minute. (I used a non-stick pan. If you use fresh garlic and chiles, I'd cook them a bit longer.) Add cumin and ground chipotle or cayenne and cook about 1 minute more. Then add turkey and salt and cook over medium-high heat, breaking apart with the back of the turner as it cooks. Cook about 5 minutes, or until turkey is starting to brown.

While turkey cooks, thinly slice green onions and set aside, then wash cilantro, spin dry or dry with paper towels, and finely chop cilantro. Cut off root end of lettuce, discard tough outer leaves, and wash lettuce and spin dry in salad spinner or dry with paper towels.

When turkey is lightly browned, add sliced green onions and cook about 2 minutes. Turn off heat, then stir in 1 cup chopped cilantro and 2 T lime juice.

Ingredients for Salsa:
2 medium avocados, diced
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T olive oil (optional)
sea salt to taste

Instructions:
Peel and dice avocado, place in glass or plastic bowl and toss with lime juice. Stir in chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, and olive oil, season to taste with salt.

To ssemble tacos:
Spoon 2-3 large spoonfuls of turkey mixture into each piece of lettuce. (I used the inner more folded pieces of lettuce and saved the flatter outer pieces for using in salad.) Top meat mixture with salsa. You could also eat this mixture inside whole wheat tortillas or pitas, or even corn tortillas if you're not a South Beach dieter.

Memorial Weekend Cooking Bananza

My sister, sister in laws, and my mom have been getting together once a month and having a baking bonanza day. We find recipes online (mostly pinterest) or wherever and we try them out. Some have been complete failures and others have been really good. We thought we would put them on here to let you know what we have tried and liked.
This month we decided to do this for my dad's birthday. It always falls around memorial weekend, so we asked him what his favorite meals were and he gave us a list. We made some from scratch like his favorites spaghetti sauce, cole slaw and pork chops. Those are all pretty basic recipes. Although the cole slaw in my family is just cabbage, vinegar and oil. YUM (No yucky mayo) We got a recipe for the best potato salad from my aunt and if I can get her to write it down I will post it on here.
Then we got some treats off of pinterest and made a bunch! It was an awesome weekend! Happy Birthday Dad!

These are the ones we tried this month...

Peanut Butter Cup S'Mores 

salted Carmel pretzel chocolate chip cookies

S'More Cups

Lemon Meringue Pie

buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake

breakfast casserole

Cinnamon Rolls

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup S'mores

These were so GOOD! I love anything with Reese's peanut butter cups! mmmmm....I got the recipe from melssweetlife.wordpress.com I did double mine and put them in a 9x13 pan, because and 8x8 pan wouldn't last very long with my family!

yield: 16 large/20 small squares
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 16 peanut butter cups, regular size
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking dishing with parchment paper; coat lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl of the bowl of stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Scrape down the sides. With the mixer on low, stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, and graham cracker crumbs until mixed.
3. Spread 2/3 of the dough on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Lightly press the peanut butter cups into the dough, then spread marshmallow fluff on top. Press the remaining dough on a non-stick surface into the shape of an 8×8 square. Place the square on top of the fluff and press down lightly.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. Allow to cool for at least two hours* to give the bars a chance to set, then remove from the pan and cut into squares with a large, sharp knife.

*Originally I said the bars needed to cool for 8 hours, but after making them again I’ve realized they’re ready to go after only about 2. I also bet they are DAAANG good straight from the oven

Salted carmel pretzel chocolate chip cookies

If you were there when these came out of the oven you didn't get them! Michelle got the recipe from www.thediaryofdaveswife.com

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup kraft carmel bites
1/2 cup crushed pretzels

preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a mixer with the paddle attatchment mix together butter and sugars until fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla.mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips, carmel bites, and pretzels.

drop dough onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. let cool 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

S'More Cups

These s'more cups were so good! Jen got the recipe from texascottage.blogspot.com

7 whole graham crackers (1 cup finely crushed)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted

4 bars (1.55 oz each) milk chocolate candy, divided

12 large marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place graham crackers into a large resealable plastic bag. Finely crush into crumbs. Combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and butter in a small bowl.
Place 1 tablespoon of crumb mixture in each cup of a mini muffin pan. Press crumbs to form shallow cups. Bake 4-5 minutes or until edges are bubbling. Meanwhile, break two of the candy bars into rectangles. Remove pan from oven; place one rectangle into each cup.
Cut marshmallows in half crosswise using shears dipped in cold water. Place one marshmallow half, cut-side down, into each cup. Return to oven 1-2 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly softened. Remove pans from oven to cooling rack; cool 15 minutes. Carefully remove cups from pan. Cool completely.
Break remaining candy bars and place in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on high 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 20 seconds. Dip the top of each marshmallow in melted chocolate. Turn top-side up and let stand 40 to 60 minutes or until set. Makes 24 cups.

Note: Store the cups in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Freezing is not recommended.
For a richer chocolate flavor, substitute dark chocolate candy bars for the milk chocolate.
Each cup has 100 calories and 6 g fat.

Recipe courtesy of Sallie @ texascottage.blogspot.com.



Lemon Meringue Pie

Jen made this dessert for my dad's birthday. It was pretty easy and it was good! She got her recipe from jennysteffens.blogspot.com

Lemon Pie
2 small pies 8" or 1 large 10"

1 pastry crust (store-bought or homemade)
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
6 egg yolks
1 cup of fresh lemon juice*
1 tablespoon of lemon zest*

Put pastry crust into pie plate. I used a ceramic quiche dish because all of pie tart pans and pie plates are packed!

In a mixing bowl, stir together condensed milk, egg yolks, juice and zest. Mix until combined. Pour into the crust.


Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until set. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate.



Swiss Meringue

4 egg whites
1 cup of sugar
1 pinch of cream of tarter

In the top bowl of a double boiler (glass bowl sitting on a sauce pan with simmering water), whisk together egg whites, sugar and cream of tarter. Cook mixture in the double boiler over medium low heat for 3-5 minutes, or until sugar has dissolved. If you rub the mixture between your fingers, you should be able to tell if the sugar has dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to your kitchen aid fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high for 7-10 minutes. The mixture will cool and froth into a thick meringue as it whips. Pile the meringue onto the chilled pie. Toast the tips with a mini torch or put it under your oven broiler for 1-2 minutes.


Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake



This was so good you will want to make 2 because it will be gone before you know it! Jen got this receipe from www.alexandracooks.com
Serves 6-8
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk
* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.
4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Breakfast Casserole



This was a fast easy and yummy recipe we made up at the cabin. Jen got this recipe from Bran Appetit.

Makes: 12-18 servings
Ingredients:

• 1/2 – 1 pound sausage
• 1 package crescent rolls
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 Tsp oregano or rosemary
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place a skillet over medium heat and add the sausage. Break up the sausage as it cooks, letting it brown completely.
3. Unroll the crescent rolls and spread them out in the bottom of a 9×13 pan, pressing the seams together to make one large sheet of dough.
4. Spread the sausage over the dough.
5. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the sausage.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, oregano or rosemary, salt, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the top of the casserole.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the crust is golden and the eggs are set.

Baked Cream Cheese Speghetti Casserole

Again Pinterest is the blame for this recipe! We made it the other night for our annual Oscar party, and I thought it was really good. Plus it was way easy to make. I got the recipe from here.

12 oz spaghetti
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (28oz)
1 lb hamburger
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 clove of garlic minced
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/2 c Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan.

In a skillet brown meat and drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and set aside.

Cook the noodles according to the packet. Drain noodles and place in a bowl. Add the italian seasoning, garlic and cream cheese, mix until cream cheese is melted and the noodles are coated.

put a little bit of the sauce on the bottom of your pan. Then put in the noodles and cover with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle the parm cheese on top and bake for about 30 minutes!

Enjoy

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

I have become obsessed with Pinterest and all of the yummy recipes on there! I found this one, tried it and loved it! You can find the original recipe here. I stole her picture too.

You are never going to believe how easy this is to make!

1 envelope taco seasoning
6 pieces of boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar salsa (16 oz)

Stick it all in your crockpot and cook it for 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. When it is done the chicken will shred easily. Use whatever taco shells you like (I used soft taco shells) and then put whatever toppings you like on it.

SO GOOD.

Browned Butter Crinkles

These cookies are so good! The cookies are good without the frosting, but the frosting is AMAZING and is great on other things, other cookies, cake, cupcakes, etc.

2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/3 cups flour

Beat butter and sugar together. Add egg yolks and salt, and then add soda and vanilla. Fold in flour. Stir until combined. Form balls the size of walnuts. Chill dough balls for one hour. Dip tops in sugar. Press flat with the bottom of a glass and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool completely before frosting.

Browned Butter Frosting

1 stick of butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream-you may need more to get the right consistency

In a small skillet, brown butter over medium heat until golden brown flecks appear. Butter will become a little foamy. Stir occasionally to make butter cook evenly. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream. Beat on medium high until a creamy texture forms. Spread onto cooled cookies.

Blackberry Cobbler

This one is from The Pioneer Woman. It is very good!

1 stick of butter, melted
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup milk
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries-you can use any kind of fruit that you want

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup of the sugar with the flour and milk. Whisk in the melted butter. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Sprinkle the blackberries evenly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the blackberries. Bake for one hour, or until golden brown and bubbly. When 10 minutes of cooking time remain, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the top.
Serve with whip cream or ice cream.

Cinnamon Rolls

I wrote this recipe down a long time ago, I can't even remember where I got it. Well I decided to make it yesterday and found out that it make a TON of rolls,I ended up with 40 rolls! so you could totally half this recipe and be okay.

**Ohh and it takes 24 Hours**

In the Morning (in the biggest bowl you have)

1tbsp yeast

1 quart (4cups) warm water

1 c. sugar

mix together and let it sit

At Noon

1 c. oil

1 c. sugar

6eggs (beaten first)

1tbsp salt

mix in enough flour to make dough ( it took me 13 cups)

mix it all together and form into dough ball. You will need to cut in half and put into two bowls to raise unless you have a HUGE bowl.

In the Evening

1/2 c butter (melted)

2 c. brown sugar

2tbsp cinnamon

(mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together)

roll dough out into a rectangle, about 1/2 inch think. Brush with melted butter. Spread the cinnamon/sugar mixture all over the dough. If you divded the dough in half, only use half of the butter and the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Roll the dough into a log. Then cut the dough into rolls, however big you want them. place them in a greased pan. I used 9x13 pans. Set out on the counter over night.

The next morning

Bake the rolls at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

make a cream cheese frosting or a powdered sugar glaze and frost the rolls. I made a powdered sugar glaze from my betty crocker cookbook and I doubled it...

 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

 2tbsp butter (softened)

 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

 1 to 2 tbsp warm water

Feta Cheese and Spinach Orzo Pasta

 Beleive it or not I got this of the container of feta cheese!

1 Cup orzo pasta

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2tbsp olive oil

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/4 tsp salt

2 oz feta cheese

dash of fresh ground pepper

cook pasta in boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, saute garlic in olive oil; add spinach and stir until hot.

Drain pasta and stir into spinach mixture. Stir in salt and pepper, then gently fold in feta cheese.

(serves 4)

This would be really good as a side to chicken or pork or..well, anything really,because it is yummy!!