Cookie Bar Delight

This recipe is SOOO easy and SOOO good. My friend brought it to Bible Study the other night and we were just about fighting over who got the last piece! I took it to my family reunion after that and the same scenario played out there as well. I must warn you that the only thing bad about this recipe is that you can't stop eating it, don't say I didn't warn you!

Cookie Bar Delight

2 rolls slice and bake cookies, your choice
2 - 8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups sugar
3 eggs

Put 1 roll cookie on bottom of greased 9x13 pan (slice and lay on bottom). Mix together cream cheese, sugar, and eggs and spread over cookie. Layer remaining roll on top. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Chocolate "Souffle" Cake

The tip on adding coffee reminded me of this yummy recipe. This is really easy and every one always loves this cake. It is so good served warm with whipped cream (preferably the real deal)!

Chocolate “Souffle” Cake
Family Circle Oct. 15, 2003, “Cake Mix Magic”, pg. 152

1 box (19 ounces) dark-chocolate cake mix
3 ½ c. strong brewed coffee (decaf is fine)
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
¼ cup freeze-dried coffee crystals
½ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Heat oven to 350°. Coat oval or rectangular baking dish (3-quart) with nonstick cooking spray.

In bowl, combine cake mix, 1 cup brewed coffee, eggs, oil and dried coffee. Beat on low until moistened, 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high; beat 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate. Spread in prepared dish.

Bring remaining 2 ½ cups brewed coffee to simmer. Sprinkle brown sugar and cocoa over batter. Pour hot coffee over top. Transfer dish to oven.

Bake in 350° oven until top is puffed (center still jiggly), 40 minutes. Transfer to rack; dust with sugar.

Serve warm cake in bowls topped with whipped cream.

2 Yummy Tips for a Box of Chocolate Cake Mix

A tip from a college friend. Instead of using water in a chocolate cake mix, she used coffee from her coffee pot. Make sure it is room temp, don't add hot coffee. Some times if I don't have the full amount leftover in my coffee pot, I use what I have and finish it off with water.

I also sprinkle between a teaspoon and a tablespoon of cinnamon in the mix!

A Devil's Food Cake Mix is my favorite!

Hey everyone! First I just wanted to say thanks so much for inviting me to be a part of your great blog! I am feeling muy importante! :) As I was riding the high tide of this fantastic feeling, it occurred to me that I was unsure what to post. I mean, it's a little intimidating. I don't know some of you very well. What if I post something that everyone hates? Is there excommunication on a recipe blog? Ah, the pressure!! Bonki suggested the recipe for these little gems. I think they are best had with a glass of sweet tea on the back porch in the still and quiet of a Summer afternoon...um,yeah. If you are like me, they will be sneakily consumed long after you've told your kids they've had plenty of cookies for one day, thank you very much.

Orange Sugar Cookies
(a tea cake like sugar cookie- Dave's grandpa said they were like his mother used to make for him. Awwww)
from the Belton Church of Christ Cookbook

Oven 350 degrees

1 1/3 cup butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
6 cups of flour
4 tsp baking powder
4 Tablespoons orange juice
Grated rind of 2 oranges (orange zest)

Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs, rinds & juice. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Roll out dough on floured surface. Cut out and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Do NOT brown.

Tip: (all for free- I know- hard to believe) Use the same size cutter per sheet of cookies, so you can time them to avoid browning. I don't know what happens when they brown.. I have never let this occur.. I cannot vouch for your personal safety or that of your family if there is browning. You are on your own.)

Love & Hugs,
Karise G.

Taco Chicken Bake

8 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast -- cut into 12 pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 3/4 cups chunky tomato sauce (15oz can)
1 1/2 tsp taco seasoning mix
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
1/2 cup whole kernal corn
1 1/2 cups hot cooked noodles, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fat free sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8x8 inch baking dish with olive oil flavored cooking spray. In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, brown chicken pieces, onion, green pepper, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato sauce, taco seasoning, parsley flakes and olives. Add corn and noodles. Mix well to combine. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Evenly sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes. Cut into 4 pieces and top with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Fruit Crisp

I bought a bunch of great blueberries at Sam's the other day and ran across this recipe over the weekend. It is yummy and easy too!

4 cups fruit (blueberries, raspberries, peaches, apples)
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 T. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place blueberries in baking pan and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Rub topping ingredients together until they resemble coaurse crumbs: sprinkle on top of berries and bake for 35-40 minutes, until crust is golden brown and berries are bubbly.

I also added some cinnamon and oats to the topping. My topping was more powdery than crumbly. It was easy and good!

Chicken Breasts in Phyllo

My sister gave me this recipe and I made it tonight and it was really good and different! Enjoy!

Ingrediants:

3/4 cups mayo (I subsituted mostly sour cream and feedback was not good with mayo)
1/2 cup green onions, chopped (I may have used a bit less than this)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 t. dry tarragon
1 clove garlic, chopped (I used the prechopped garlic in a jar)
6 chicken breast halves salt/pepper to taste (I used chicken tenders and put 2 in each wrap)
12 sheets of phyllo dough
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated (I covered the tops of all wraps...we love parmesan!)

Directions:

1. Combine first 5 ingredients to make sauce.

2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Keep package of phyllo covered with a damp cloth. Place a sheet of dough on work surface and quickly brush with melted butter. Place 2nd sheet of dough on top of first and brush with butter. (I used 4 sheets as suggested by my sis)

4. Spread 1 1/2 T. of sauce on each side of chicken breast.

5. Place chicken in corner of dough, fold corner over chicken, then fold sides over and roll chicken up in the dough.

6. Placed in an ungreased 9x13 pan. Repeat with remaining chicken.

7. Brush chicken packets with remaining butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

At this point, you can refrigerate or freeze. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

COMMENTS--This may sound complicated but it was pretty easy. I had never worked with phyllo before, so I know it will be much faster next time. Just FYI...phyllo has to be thawed overnight in fridge or room temp 5 hours. I, of course, did not know this, but used the defrost setting of my microwave for about 45 seconds and it was fine. Again, I used 4 sheets of phyllo for each chicken breast half as my sister suggested. She said the sauce mixture kind of seeped through when she made it with 2 sheets. My kids both ate it, but my hubby LOVED it. I made fresh yellow squash and a spinach salad with walnuts and a raspberry vinaigrette.

German Apple Puff Pancake

Another new breakfast thing I made this morning. It turned out really good and yummy. I might would make a little more "batter" next time because I think more batter might make it taste even better. If I make it again and try that, I will repost with my modifications included. Until then, enjoy!

Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter, divided in half
4 large apples, peeled and sliced (I used Granny Smith)
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
4 large eggs
1/3-1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)

Directions
1. Set oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
3. Place 2 Tbsp butter in each of the pans.
4. Place the pans in the oven and bake until the butter has melted; remove from oven.
5. In a bowl, beat the flour, 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, sugar (if using) salt, milk and eggs until smooth.
6. Arrange the apple slices into the two pans onto the melted butter.
7. Divide the batter evenly between pans, over the apple slices.
8. Mix the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the batter in each pan.
9. Bake until puffed, and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Tater Tot Casserole

This is a kid-friendly dish--I got it out of a Taste of Home magazine (this picture is on their website--I did not take it of my own! :} )

Ingredients:

1/2 C chopped onion

1/3 C sliced celery

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 can condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted

1 pkg (16 oz) frozen tater tots

1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

* in a skillet, cook onion, celery and ground beef until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender. Drain, stir in salt & pepper

*spoon mixture into a greased baking dish--spread soup over meat mixture (seems like I may have added a little bit of milk to this part in the past--to help my soup spread out evenly...?)

Top with frozen potatoes.

*Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese--return and bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese melts

A recipe from Tara G!

hey i had a recipe for your blog - we make this all the time and LOVE it!

Black Bean Burritos

1 lb ground turkey
1 can of Rotel
1 can of black beans, partially drained
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 packet of ranch dressing

Brown turkey meat in a large skillet and drain off extra grease. Add rotel, beans, taco seasoning and ranch to skillet with the turkey. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking.

Serve wrapped in a tortilla - you can top with sour cream, guacamole, and cheese.

Chocolate Graham Cracker Squares

My mom made these for us the whole time I was growing up--they're nice for a quick dessert or snack, and you'll probably almost always have these ingredients on hand.

ingredients:
graham crackers
2 TBS butter or margarine
3 TBS cocoa
1 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 TBS water

instructions:
1. melt the butter in a pan
2. add in the cocoa & water
3. stir in powdered sugar & add vanilla
4. add more water (or a little milk) as necessary to make the chocolate the right consistency to spread
5. spread the chocolate icing on half of a graham cracker and top with the other half
6. let them cool a little and enjoy!

Random notes...

I was making a Deceptively Delicious recipe the other night and it called for Buttermilk--I never have this on hand, but I called my mom and she said you can add 1 & 1/3 TBS vinegar to 1 Cup of milk and it makes "buttermilk"...I thought this would be a good tip to share. By the way, I was making J. Seinfeld's chocolate "beet" cake and it turned out great! I'll definitely use this recipe again (I figure most of you have her cookbook or I'd post the recipe).

Also, another random note here--Trent is out of town and I didn't feel like cooking a big dinner, so I got one of those Bertolli skillet dinners from the frozen section (it comes in a bag and serves two); this is the second time I've had one of these meals and they are really good!! Just thought I'd share in case you ever need a quick meal. They definitely don't make enough for a family of 4, but they're good for 2 people who aren't starving or for one person who wants a little left over!

Best Apple Pie Muffins

I made these tonight to take to Joy for the Journey tomorrow. They are good (kind of a lot of work for just muffins), but you can try them out tomorrow night if you are going!


Ingredients

Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (I had to use more flour than this...not sure how much, just added it until it was more crumbly)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Muffins
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups diced peeled firm tart apples (such as Spy, Granny Smith)

Directions

1. Topping: In a small bowl toss together sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon until crumbly; set aside.


2. Muffins: In a large bowl whisk together brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda and salt.
4. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.
5. Fold in apples, mixing just until combined.
6. Spoon into greased muffin cups filling 3/4 full.
7. Sprinkle topping over evenly.
8. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and tops spring back.

Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot

I made this for the first time tonight. It was really yummy AND everyone in the family ate it. SO easy and the chicken literally fell off the bone. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large roasting chicken (with pop-up timer if possible)
1 cup onion, chopped

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the spices.
2. Remove any giblets from chicken and clean chicken.
3. Rub spice mixture onto the chicken.
4. Place in resealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
5. When ready to cook, put chopped onion in bottom of crock pot.
6. Add chicken.
7. No liquid is needed, the chicken will make it's own juices.
8. Cook on low 4-8 hours.
9. Note: I highly recommend a pop-up timer in the chicken because some crock pots cook faster/slower than others (my crock pot cooks this recipe in 4-5 hours).

Kay's Biscuits

This is my mom's homemade biscuit recipe; I made them this morning and noticed that my recipe card looked faded. I decided to go online and see if I could find a free template to redo this recipe. Anyway, since I had the recipe out already, I decided I'd share it. This recipe makes about 6 biscuits (so if you want more, you'll need to double everything).

I love these biscuits--they're plain, they kind of crumble when you eat them...they're not like canned biscuits at all; I thought it might be easier just to post a picture of them so you could see. They're wonderful with any kind of butter & jelly or I also love them with honey. Enough rambling--enjoy! :)

Preheat oven to 400

Ingredients/Instructions:

1 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp sugar

1/4 C shortening

1/3 C milk

1. Mix dry ingredients together

2. add in the shortening (mix it using a fork or a pastry blender until crumbly)

3. add in the milk & stir

4. roll them out & cut dough

5. bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown

Easy Beef & Broccoli Stir-fry

I was looking for a good & easy beef/broccoli recipe on the internet; I found this one and tried it--it's definitely a keeper! Couple of things to note--I copied the recipe just like it was printed on the internet, so I didn't necessarily do everything exactly like it said (i.e., the "divided" part). Also, I didn't have the kind of beef that was recommended...probably if I had mine would've been more tender--next time I'll try another kind of beef. One more thing--I used frozen broccoli florets, but I steamed them first so they would be softer in the mix. Hope you enjoy!

3 Tbs cornstarch, divided
1/2 C water, plus
2 Tbs water, divided
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb boneless round steak or charcoal chuck steaks, cut into thin 3 inch strips
2 TBS vegetable oil, divided
4 C broccoli florets
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1/3 C soy sauce
2 TBS brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger ( I only had minced ginger--the kind that comes in a little jar that you keep in the fridge, but it worked great; however b/c I think it's probably stronger I only used 1/4 tsp--it seemed to add just the right amt of flavor)
hot cooked rice

1. in a bowl, combine 2 TBS cornstarch, 2 TBS water and garlic powder until smooth.
2. Add beef and toss.
3. In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tbs oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm
4. Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes
5. Return beef to pan
6. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger & remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan.
7. Cook and stir for 2 minutes
8. Serve over rice

Fresh Peach Pie

* From the Southern Living Annual Recipes Cookbook, 20th anniversary edition*

1 9-inch baked pastry shell
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 T brandy (I substituted with apple juice/cider...although the brandy would make it taste really good)
6 large fresh peaches, peeled & sliced
3 T lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup whipping cream
3 T powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

* Beat butter at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and brandy/juice. Beating well. Spread in bottom of pastry shell. Chill.
* Combine peaches, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar. Cover & chill.
* Beat whipping cream at high speed until foamy. Gradually add in powdered sugar and vanilla. Beating until soft peaks form. Cover & chill.
* Drain peaches. Arrange over butter mixture. Dollop whipped cream mixture over peaches (I spread it out all over and covered the peaches). Serve immediately.

Note: Assemble this pie at the last minute and the crust will stay crisp and not soggy.