Buffalo Wing Dip

My girlfriend, Janette, has shared a killer recipe with me recently.

Buffalo Wing Dip

1 cup blue cheese dressing

1 cup buffalo wing sauce- I used Frank's wing sauce-it's different from the hot sauce

2 cream cheese packages

2 chicken breasts-cooked and diced

1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese

We had people over for the Frozen Four Championship and this was goobled up. Thanks J.

New Bread Machine

For my birthday a few weeks ago my terrifically, terrific in laws bought me the Breadman TR2700 Stainless-Steel Programmable Convection Bread Maker.

It makes THEE best bread.



Today, I made Whole Wheat Honey Bread and it is killer. I didn't have any dry milk so, I exchanged the 1/8 cup of water for milk and I used my favorite Smart Balance oil instead of shortening.

And to top off my wonderfully, warm slice of yummy goodness, I added a smear of my new found friend.


Ahhh. The smell of bread baking has to be one of the all time BEST smells.

Thanks Mom and Dad! Love ya!

Grasshopper Pie

This is the easiest thing ever. Chickie's boyfriend's Mom makes these wonderful Grasshopper Pies. Chickie has made them for us before but, since she is far away in MN, I just had to make one myself.
First, fill an oreo crust with softened mint ice cream.
Chop up a handful of Andes mints.
Sprinkle on top of the pie.
Crush a few Oreos and sprinkle on top.
Chop up a few chocolate chips and sprinkle on top.
Add some chocolate syrup.
And viola. I would have loved to take a picture of a slice but, yeah, that didn't happen. Make sure you put it back in the freezer for awhile to firm back up.

Brownies

I remember once discussing brownies at our MN playgroup. We were chatting about the Perfect Brownie Pan you see on TV and also that one that has zigzags in it, so each brownie can be considered an end piece. Then on a trip to Michaels I saw a "brownie pan" that was all squares. Cool I thought, but it was like $20. Nope, not going there. So, the ladies and I got to thinking, why not use a mini cupcake pan.

I finally got around to making some the other day and they were so yummy. I am a huge fan of the corners and each one of these babies was a corner. It was so awesome. Well, sorta, because before I took these pictures I popped one into my mouth and after I took the pictures I popped another one. They are TOO EASY to eat. Uh-oh.

And no, I don't make homemade brownies. These were from a box. Shame on me. I have actually never made them from scratch before. My mother-in-law makes wonderful ones, with WAY TO GOOD frosting. I need to make those someday.

Oreo Truffles

I got this recipe from Kathy, one of my MN playgroup mommas. These are amazing and addicting.

Crush 1 package Oreos
Mix in 1 package cream cheese
Roll into balls
Chill in fridge
Cover with melted chocolate

Like most things, my food processor is in storage so, I used the old crush in ziploc trick. However, I couldn't get all the chunks. AND my fingers were getting sore.

Roll into balls. Notice the meat tenderizer. I used it to further smash the chunks.

This time I also made some using Mint Oreos. Since they were Double Stuff I did reduce the amount of cream cheese I used.

Dip in melted chocolate. In MN/ND we use something called almond bark but, I couldn't find it anywhere here. So, I used the chocolate wafers that you use for candy making.

Make sure to cool the balls first because they are easier to dip. I used a toothpick to dip the ball into the chocolate. (Kathy's tip)

Melt a few chocolate chips to make swirls on top.


I added some green food coloring to the rest of my melted white chocolate to use on the mint ones.

Now EAT 'UM UP!

4-H Corn Special Casserole

Ok, so I am not sure why this one sounded good today because normally I would never try something like this. But, the only thing in the freezer is ground beef and chicken breasts. So, since yesterday was chicken, I figured I would look for a recipe for the beef. I found this one. Ryan really liked it and I thought it was pretty good.

Tomorrow or Thursday, I think I may wrap it up the left overs in tortillas, bake in the convection oven and then add sour cream to the top. I couldn't live with out my little convection oven.

Many of the reviews for this recipe said to double the Worcestershire sauce and the hot sauce (I used Franks). I doubled these and actually added just a tad more hot sauce. And I used canned diced tomatoes. I didn't have fresh on hand and I knew my boys would prefer the canned anyway. They are softer.

4-H Corn Special

By: Donetta Brunner

"Donetta Brunner of Savanna, Illinois traces this hearty main dish back to a 4-H cooking project. 'I liked the recipe immediately, and it has traveled through the years with me to become a favorite with my children and husband, too. The only change I've made to the original is to add extra seasonings.'"

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Prep Time:
15 Min

Cook Time:
30 Min

Ready In:
45 Min

Original Recipe Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 2 cups seeded, chopped fresh tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh, frozen or canned sweet corn
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 cup crushed saltine crackers
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Directions

1. In a large skillet, brown beef and onion; drain. Stir in rice, tomatoes, corn, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Combine cracker crumbs and butter; sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

I am so tired of making the same things day after day. I always fall into this slump. I don't mind cooking. I actually like it. But, I DESPISE figuring out what to make.

Yesterday, I did a quick search and found this recipe at All Recipes and tried it. Not bad. I changed it up a little based on the reviews and my families likes. Ryan DOES NOT like onions. It worked out because I had all the items on hand. I probably won't make it a lot, maybe every few months. We shall see. Ryan liked it. Manny, not so much and since Johnsie needs everything separate, it wasn't his favorite either. He did eat the noodles though.

I really don't like egg noodles so, I used some cavatappi I had on hand. I don't have any savory either so, that was not included. To be honest I never knew there was a spice called savory. I had to look it up. Guess it is a type of mint.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

By: Lori Gleason

"I work at home while caring for our two children, so I have to be creative at mealtimes to fix something quick and nutritious that everyone enjoys. This homey casserole fits all the requirements.' --Lori Gleason of Minneapolis, Minnesota"

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Prep Time:
20 Min

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Cook Time:
15 Min

Ready In:
35 Min

Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried savory
• 3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
• 8 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked and drained

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add the broth, carrots, celery and savory. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Pour over chicken mixture. Add noodles; mix well.
3. Transfer to a 3-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

Pics of Sugar Cookies

I knew that I posted pictures of these. I just could not find them yesterday.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

These are my FAVORITE cookies. I got this recipe about 10 yrs ago, from a dear, old friend of mine, who was my Girl Scout Co-leader. Thanks Nancy!

I swore I posted about them already and posted pictures from when we made our Halloween ones but I can't find that post. I really prefer to make a recipe when pictures are included. Not sure why, but that's just me. So, sorry for the lack of photos but still you really need to try this recipe. YUM!

1 c. sugar

1 c. butter, softened

3 oz. cream cheese softened

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg yolk

2 c. flour

Combine sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, vanilla & egg yolk. Blend well. Stir in flour until well bended. Refrigerate dough 2 hours for easier handling.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutters. Bake for 7-10 mins. Cool and remove from cookie sheets.

Caramel Apples

Am I horrible or what? I have never made homemade caramel apples with the kids. Unless, you count those caramel sheets that you can buy and wrap around the apples. And those, we haven't even done for years. And, we have TWO apple trees.

Anyway, Michelle over at My 2 Blessings inspired me to make some. She told me she adds cream to hers to help keep the caramel a little softer.

I didn't add any of the ingredients on the package. Just a little cream.

Viola!

Yum

Lip smacking good!

Picnic Table Talk

This week's Picnic Table Talk from the ladies at ABC and 123 is all about SNACKS!

What easy snacks do you pack for your family?
What nutritious snacks do your children most enjoy?
Do you have any creative tricks for encouraging healthy snacking in your home?
What do you use to pack your snacks in?
Does your child's school have specific requirements for healthy snacks?

I just posted the recipe for our favorite snack, Homemade Granola Bars.

My kids eat a lot of snacks. What kid doesn't? We aren't the most healthiest of eaters and I am trying to remedy that. In our snack drawer right now you can find cookies, chips, crackers, popcorn, pretzels and fruit snacks. I really don't buy a lot of chips. The ones we have are left over from our trip to the lake. However, cookies are a staple. Hubby loves them.

When I make homemade cookies I always use wheat flour and add a little ground flax. I seem to add flax to everything I can. We made banana muffins the other day and of course I added a little flax.

We also always have several varieties of fruit in the house. My daughter loves fruit and will choose it as a snack before anything else. Her favorite is lemons. Go figure.

Since our garden is in full swing right now the kids have been eating a lot of carrots and sliced cucs. And in the Fall when our apples are ready they will eat a few apples a day. They love to just run out and grab one. I also always make applesauce to can, which we eat throughout the year.

I do store all my homemade granola bars in snack size ziplocs. I know I am not being very green but I haven't found a better way to do it.

A Staple in Our House

The Best Home-Made Granola Bars

This recipe comes from Amy, one of my awesome Playgroup Mommys.

Mix all of the dry ingredients first. Then make a well.

This is the oil I use for most things.


Add wet ingredients into the well.


I prefer to mix this recipe with my hands. It must come from all of those times I made homemade noodles with my Nanny.



Press into a 9x13 in. pan. Make sure to grease well. I use Pam Olive Oil Spray.



Not sure why I couldn't cut them all the same size today. They are usually a little more uniform. Oh well.

THE BEST HOME-MADE GRANOLA BARS
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups rolled oats (quick cooking oats are fine. That's what I use)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ (or wheat bran)
1 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
3/4 cup choc. chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or raisins,
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, flour, chips and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well. I use my hands (this is very sticky). Pat and press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 20-30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges (you'll want to start checking them after about 20 minutes; in my oven it only takes 25 minutes - you want them to be just turning brown around the edges). Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut. Place on wax paper and cool completely.

NOTES:
* I use chocolate chips instead of raisins, or sometimes a combination of choc. and peanut butter chips.
* You can replace all or some of the oil with melted peanut butter.
* You can add a bit of ground flaxseed if you like.
* After cooling, I put each bar into a snack-size ziplock bag and keep them in a container in the fridge; the kids can just grab one and go.

Chef in Training

N did end up making veggie soup last night. He was so proud. He has made soup all by himself over at his Gram and Gramps house.

He chopped everything himself. And chose all of the ingredients. The carrots, peas and zucchini were all picked from our garden.

He added 2 chicken breasts, that I cooked for him, a can of diced tomatoes, some celery, 4 cans of chicken broth, 2 bullion cubes, onion powder, garlic powder, and the two things that are his secret ingredients, ginger and rosemary. I let him play around with the amounts and reminded him that it is always easy to add more if you need it. He took his time and also took many "test" bites.

In the end he had a great soup. We all loved it and he was very proud. He even had his friend that came over to hang out today, try some. Funny guy.