Tangy Cucumbers

Simply cut cucumbers and add Italian dressing in a bowl. Delish! It's crunchy, tangy, filling, fast, and truly delightful. Thanks for the idea Laurie!

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies

Kate brought these to me a couple of weeks ago, and they were soooo good!

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Karo Syrup (light)

1 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter (12 oz.)

6 Cups Rice Krispies

Melt together sugar, syrup, & peanut butter. Add rice krispies, & coat. Pour into jelly roll pan.

Frosting:

1 Small Bag Milk Chocolate Chips

1 Small Bag Butterscotch Chips

Melt together on low.

Pour over bars to frost.

Swiss Chicken Casserole

Swiss Chicken Casserole (from Tasty Sensations)

Preheat oven to 350.

Place 4 chicken breasts in greased glass dish. Cover with lots of swiss cheese. On top of that, pour 1 can cream of mushroom soup mixed with 1/4 c. milk. Top with 1 c. of Italian flavored bread crumbs (or stuffing - crushed), pour 1/4 c. melted butter on top. Bake for 50-55 minutes.

This looks similar to the crockpot version I've made. My family really liked it. I'm not a mushroom fan, so I always substitute cream of chicken for cream of mushroom.

Menu Plan Monday

Sunday: Dinner at Nana's

Monday: Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder, biscuits, potatos, ice cream and fudge sauce

Tuesday: Quesadillas

Wednesday: Chicken Swiss Casserole

Thursday: Dinner from Richeys

Friday: Date night, kids get macaroni

Saturday: Leftover buffet

One Can Caramels

One Can Caramels (from here)

3/4 lb. real butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can light Karo syrup
1 can granulated sugar
1 can light brown sugar (packed)

(Yes, you literally use the milk can to measure all the other ingredients! The only dishes are the pot and the spatula! That is my kind of recipe!)

Mix all the ingredients in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil.For ice-cream sauce or fondue- boil 5-10 minutes (the longer you boil, the thicker/harder it will get.) You can reheat the sauce on the stove, in a fondue pot or in the microwave!

For actual caramels- boil approximately 25 minutes, until the color of a brown paper bag (soft ball stage). Pour into a cookie sheet (with a rim!!). Let cool. Cut into pieces and wrap in waxed paper.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese in Crock Pot (from here)

1 large box macaroni- cooked and drained
2 Tablespoons oil
2 sticks margarine
1 large can evaporated milk
1 cup milk
1 large onion, chopped fine
3 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1 can Cheddar cheese soup
Oil crock pot, mix all ingredients, using only 1/2 of the grated cheese. Put mixture in crock pot and put remaining cheese on top. Let simmer in crock pot for 4 or more hours.

Variation: Makes a freezer meal

8-oz. box macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons oil
13-oz. can eveporated milk
3 cups shredded cheese
1/4 cups melted butter

Mix all. Put in ziploc. When time to serve, thaw and put in crockpot for 3-4 hours on low. We usually have this with salad and jello.

Thai-Style Pork

Thai-Style Pork (from here)

2 lbs. boneless pork chops
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 T. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 T. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Hot cooked rice.
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
Lime juice, optional

Place pork chops in slow cooker. Combine the teriyaki sauce, vinegar, pepper flakes, and garlic; pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until meat is tender. Remove pork and cut into bite-sized pieces; keep warm. Strain cooking juices into a large saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in peanut butter; add meat. Serve with rice. Sprinkle with onions and peanuts. Drizzle with lime juice if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Ravioli Casserole

Ravioli Casserole

1 pkg. ravioli
1/2 jar Prego traditional sauce
mozarella cheese
pepperoni

Cook ravioli according to directions on package (use 1 whole package per casserole). Drain, and pour in casserole dish. Mix with 1/2 jar of spagetti sauce (I prefer Prego traditional). Cover with a layer of mozzarella cheese, and a layer of pepperoni. Bake at 350 until cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes. (This picture is before I baked it.) Easy! Easy! This would be a simple one to double and freeze a second one for later.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Crockpot Fajitas (left over from yesterday)

Tuesday: Crystal's Green Chili Enchiladas

Wednesday: Baked potato bar

Thursday: Dinner trade

Friday: Date night, Temple and dinner

Saturday: Soup and Salad bar for lunch (Isabel's baptism), Birthday dinner that night--eat out

Crockpot Tacos

(recipe from Heather Richey)

Crockpot Tacos
1 package of stew meat
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
little bit of water
1 pkg. fajita or taco seasoning

Put those 3 ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. Then remove and shred.

Serve with corn tortillas (heated on griddle w/ olive oil).

Toppings:

cilantro--chopped
shredded cabbage
tomatoes
fresh limes
avacodo
sour cream
cheese
Ranch

Spider Cookies

Found this one on Stie-My Favorite Things and she's right! Martha Stewart has nothing on her! I can't wait to try this one with my kids!

Here's what you do:

Take your favorite sugar cookie recipe. And instead of spending hours rolling the dough flat, cutting shapes with cookie cutters, and essentially having flour all over every crevice in your kitchen, make little dough balls and flatten them with your hands. Shhh. Don't tell Martha. It works just as good and takes half the time.

Then mix up the frosting glaze before you bake your cookies. I cannot stress this enough. The cookies will not work if you don't frost them right out of the oven.

For the glaze:
2 3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. shortening
3 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingredients well. Separate about 3/4 cup of the glaze into another bowl and add desired food coloring. Put the colored glaze into a pastry bag with a small writing tip.

Now, when your cookies are RIGHT out of the oven - and I mean piping hot - take a few off the tray and begin frosting them with the non-colored glaze (I leave the rest on the tray to keep them warm until I frost them). Pipe the colored glaze in a bulls eye like this: Then take a toothpick (or BBQ skewer in my case) and start in the center of the bulls eye and lightly draw lines going to the edge of the cookie. Repeat all around for spiderweb effect. [Hint: I never put the next batch of cookies in the oven until I have decorated the first. You HAVE to do this when the cookies are warm, otherwise the glaze doesn't melt on the cookies and they will look dumb. Trust me. I learned that the hard way.]

Stick in a few [hopefully lead-free] plastic spiders and VOILA! A Halloween treat. From my heart to yours. Enjoy.

Thanks Stie!

Lasagna Roll-ups

Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients:
8 lasagna noodles, cooked
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 pound ground beef, browned
1 jar Prego (or other spaghetti sauce of your choice)
1 pkg. Italian blend shredded cheese

Preparation:
Spread 1 oz. cream cheese on each lasagna noodle. Combine Prego and hamburger. Put some on each noodle. Roll and place in baking pan. Top with remaining meat and shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Toffee Chip Apple Dip

Nana's Toffee Apple Dip

8 oz. cream cheese
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. white sugar
1/2 c. toffee chips

Blend together and let set for a few hours--preferably overnight. Serve with apple wedges.

Scrumptious 1-Minute Hot Fudge Sauce

Nana's Hot Fudge Sauce

2 Tbs. butter or margarine
4 oz. semisweet baking chocolate chopped in small pieces
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
dash salt

Place butter or marg. and chocolate in a 5 cup or larger microwave -safe bowl. Microwave on high 25-30 sec. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth, microwaving a few more seconds if needed. Add sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt. Stir well. Microwave approximately 30 sec. more (just enough to warm sauce) and serve.

Store remaining sauce in airtight jar or container, warming in microwave as needed as needed. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Chocolate Nut Clusters

Chocolate Nut Clusters This is a super easy recipe for making candy in the slow cooker. These also make wonderful holiday gifts packaged in pretty tins.

32 oz jar unsalted peanuts or your choice of nuts

8 oz (2, 4-oz bars) of German sweet chocolate

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

24 oz chocolate almond bark (confectioners coating)

Put in the crock pot in the order listed; cook on Low 2-3 hours. Stir and drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. They will harden without putting in the refrigerator.

Number of servings: 70 pieces

(found this one here)

Sugar Cookies

(Takes 3 hours)

2 c. sugar
1 c. butter/shortening (or 1/2 of each)
4 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla (or 2)
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. baking powder
1 c. sour cream
6 c. flour

Mix all--chill 1 hour. Roll on greased/floured counter 1/2-1/4 in. thick. Cook at 350 for 9 minutes. If buying frosting, buy rich and creamy vanilla frosting and add color if you want.

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder (from here)

3 chicken breasts, diced
1/2 cup chopped onions
1-2 cloves minced garlic
3 Tbsp butter
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup hot water
1/2 to 1 tsp ground cumin
2 cups half and half
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (14 3/4oz) cream style corn
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies, undrained
1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 medium tomato, chopped
fresh cilantro

In a dutch over or large saucepan, brown chicken, onion, and garlic in butter until chicken is no longer pink. Dissolve the bouillon in hot water. Add to pan along with cumin; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add half and half, cheese, corn, chilies, and Tabasco sauce. Cook and stir over low hear until the cheese is melted. Stir in chopped tomato. Serve immediately. Garnish with cilantro. (Notes: I always use cilantro and I just add some into the soup at the end instead of just as a garnish. Also, I like a little bit thicker soup so I made a roux using 2Tbsp butter and 2Tbsp flour, microwaved it, stirred it up and added it to the soup to thicken it. And lastly it is great with tortilla strips!)

Pepper Biscuit Pull-Apart

1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt, if desired
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil leaves
4 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 (12oz) can refrigerated flaky biscuits
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup shredded Mozzerella cheese
2 Tbsp grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400. In small bowl combine first 4 ingredients, set aside. Seperate biscuits. Place one in center of ungreased cookie sheet. Arrange remaining biscuits in a circle around center biscuit with edges slightly overlapping. Gently press into 10inch circle. Brush with olive oil, top with bell peppers and cheeses. Sprinkle garlic powder mixture on top. Bake 12 to 15 min or until golden brown.

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork

2 t. fennel seed
2 t. salt
2 t. pepper
3-6 cloves garlic
4-5 lbs. pork roast (can be an inexpensive cut)

Chop ingredients into paste. Coat top of roast. Cook in slow cooker for 3-5 hours, the longer the better. Use fork to pull apart meat.

Chex Party Snack Mix

Party Mix: (found it here)

7 cups assorted cereal (oat, rice, wheat in assorted shapes)
1 cup peanuts
1 cup mini pretzels
1 cup butter melted
4 T. Worcestershire
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. onion salt

Instructions:
Combine cereals, nuts and pretzels in crock pot. Mix melted butter with remaining ingredients and pour over the cereal mixture, tossing to coat. Cook uncovered on High for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

3-4 chicken breasts, cubes
1 can refried beans
1/2 onion, diced
1 can diced green chilies (I usually omit these because my kids don't like them.)
16 oz sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
12 burrito size flour tortillas

Saute the onion in a large frying pan on medium-high heat until translucent and slightly browned. Add the chicken and season with lemon pepper and season salt.

In a medium mixing bowl mix together the soups, sour cream and the green chilies.
Spread a thin layer of refried bean on each tortilla, then place about 1/3 C of meat mixture down the center of each tortilla. Place a generous dollop (about 1/4 C- 1/2 C) of soup mixture on top of the meat mixture. Place a handful of cheese on top of the soup mixture (you will have some of both cheese and soup mixture left).Roll up each tortilla, and place side by side in a large casserole dish (This makes enough for me to make two pans full, and I usually freeze one.) Evenly pour and spread out the remainder of the soup mixture over the top of the rolled burritos. Repeat with the remaining cheese.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Picture from Mique.