Cinnamon French Toast Bake from Pillsbury

I originally pinned this to my {NOM NOM NOM - SWEETS} board on Pinterest a few months ago. There are so many things to pin on Pinterest, many of them fall by the wayside after the reach it to my board and never come to fruition, but I couldn't get this one off my mind. I've always been a sucker for cinnamon rolls - especially warm ones that are a little bit gooey. I had to try this. The kicker though, of course, is that pesky Weight Watchers plan I've been telling you about. This does not fit in. At all. I tried to calculate points but I swear to you when I entered all of the info and then submitted for a calculation, the response, "LOL" is all that came back. ;)

I decided to save it for a special occasion. Then it's ok, right? Well, no, probably not.... but I'm nothing if not realistic, and that realism tells me that eliminating indulgent sweets from my life entirely is not a path to success. It's a path to regrettable binge-fests. So I scheduled this baby for Easter breakfast and bought the calories... err... ingredients.

Fast forward to Easter morning, and it was as if God spoke to me saying, "Sarah, you do not need those calories. You will not make that dish!" No lie. I woke up with an excited little boy and sat down to watch him search for Easter eggs and felt my entire back compress like an accordion, one vertebra at a time. I was paralyzed. I was in excruciating pain and unable to move. Aside from wondering how the crap I was going to get better, my first thought really was that it was a message from God. No lie... this is how my brain works. I appreciate the help from above, but perhaps next time he could make it so that the Pillsbury Grands are out of stock before I get to the store rather than immobilize me? I'm just sayin'. 

I never did get the dish made on Easter. I didn't really get off the couch until Wednesday, actually. We ended up having this for supper last Friday night. Easter was over, but I had the ingredients on hand and had to use them up.

I don't think I have ever in my life put so many calories or grams of sugar in one baked dish, but I forged on. I'm not really a huge sweet eater, so I wasn't sure I would like it. I thought it would be too sweet. Like, sickeningly sweet. Cinnamon rolls plus butter plus 3/4 c. of syrup (!!) PLUS the icing that comes with the rolls? I was scared. 5 eggs seems like a lot, but they have a LOT of sugar to balance out. 

Fortunately, I was scared for no reason at all. This dish was deeeeeelish!! Sweet, yes. But overly sweet? Not really. No more so than any other coffee cake or cinnamon roll you might have tried.

The bake cuts nicely into squares, and we served it up with sausage links and fresh fruit on the side. (Note that we serve on small kid-sized plates these days. That's one way to make sure your portions don't get out of hand.) We had a ton of leftovers and it reheated well, although the first serving is always the best. This dish could also be made ahead of time and then popped in the oven when it's time.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup melted butter

2 cans Pillsbury® Grands Cinnamon Rolls

5 eggs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 heaping teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup maple syrup (I really think you could drop this to a 1/2 cup without effecting the flavor)

Melt butter and pour into ungreased 13×9" pan. Separate cans of dough into 5 rolls reserving the icing for later use.  Cut each roll into 8 pie shaped pieces and add to buttered baking dish.

Beat eggs in medium bowl. Add cream, cinnamon and vanilla and beat until well blended. Pour over cinnamon roll pieces.

Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle 3/4 cup syrup over the top. Bake at 375 for 20 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. I cooked mine for 20 mins and the center was VERY gooey. Too gooey. This cuts better and tastes better (even to someone who likes gooey rolls) if it is firm. I would recommend checking the center as it cooks and taking it out when the consistency at center matches that at the edges. Cool 15 minutes.

Remove the covers from the icing and microwave on medium or 50% power for 10 to 15 seconds. (Should be thin enough to drizzle.) Drizzle icing over the top. 

The recipe I pinned originally was found {HERE} on the aptly named Oh My Sugar High! site. They suggest sprinkling with powdered sugar and serving with syrup if desired. Not only did I not desire, I just don't think it's necessary. 

I think my husband gave the best compliment..... "We never have to go to Cinnabon again!"

Good thing, too, since the local one closed. We used to visit once a year to split a roll, and that's about how often this dish will make it into my rotation. It might be an Easter standby from now on. I mean, unless God has other plans.... 

See's Original Chocolate Chip Cookies

If there is one thing I love, it's chocolate chip cookies. I grew up on the traditional Nestle Toll House variety, but have always wondered if there was something else out there... something better. I've been collecting recipes on Pinterest and trying different chips in search of the *best* chocolate chip cookie. This year, I decided to buy a bag of chips from my new favorite chocolatier: See's Candies. 

I love their chocolates, their lollipops, their truffles. To be honest, I've yet to find anything I *don't* like from See's, so it seemed like a safe bet. The chips were a bit pricy at $5.75/lb., but can we really put a price on culinary perfection? Nooooo... *wink* 

I couldn't believe how BIG the chips were. In fact, "big" is an understatement... these suckers are HUGE. Ginormous. Each chip is about the size of a nickel, maybe a bit bigger. Just seeing the size of the chip was the beginning of the end for me. I like a traditional sized chip. In recent years, my grandma started making her Nestle Tollhouse Cookies with their chocolate chunks rather than their chips and I even thought those were too big. BUT, I paid nearly $6 for these babies, so I wasn't going to let size deter me. I pressed on... 

I followed the See's Original Chocolate Chip Recipe on the bag (see below) and baked off a batch, fully prepared for heavenly chocolate chip cookie bliss, but I never quite achieved that state of sugar induced nirvana I was hoping for. The chips were hard to mix into the dough because they were so large. I ended up with some cookies that only had one chip and others that had several. They baked out very flat, but to their credit never got hard or crunchy (a serious pet peeve!). In short, I was disappointed. I wouldn't buy them again. In my honest opinion, Nestle wins this battle in a landslide. 

Here's the recipe if anyone would like to try it. I'm tempted to try it with the Nestle chips just for shiggles, but we'll see if it ever happens. 

1 c. Butter - cream well

1 c. Light Brown Sugar

Add gradually to above: 

1 c. Sugar

Beat into the above:

2 Eggs

1 1/2 t. Vanilla

Mix together, add to above, blending well:

2 1/4 c. Flour

1/2 t. Salt

1 t. Baking Soda

1 c. Chopped Walnuts (I omitted. I have a serious aversion to nuts in cookies.)

2 c. See's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 375˚ F 8-10 minutes. Yield @ 4 dozen cookies. 

There is also a recipe on the back of the bag for See's Gooey Brownies. I've been lamenting the fact that I didn't try those instead. I probably would have liked them better, even though I'm not really a brownie fan in general (but seriously, a GOOEY brownie? Who can resist that? Although honestly, since trying the Chocolate Cookie Dough Brownies that Bakerella posted a few years back I've never tried another brownie recipe. When you find something you love you just stick with it! 

Maybe there is a lesson to be learned here. If I love Nestle so much, why do I keep looking for something better? 

Chicken Can-Can

This is one of the easiest recipes I've ever tried. As much as I enjoy recipes that are truly made from scratch, some times it's nice to have something like that that you can just whip together in an instant with a few things from the pantry. It's warm and creamy and tasty. What more can you ask for? Oh, and it also bears a striking resemblance to the Cream of Chicken Noodle Soup that Campbell's used to sell (1. Why did they stop? 2. Can you tell I was a Campbell's Soup kid? This is the second post in two days that mentions the brand. Love that stuff! Homestyle Chicken Noodle is my all time favorite. I could eat it at every meal to this day. Nom.)

Anywho... here's the recipe that grandma clipped from an old issue of Taste of Home Magazine:

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed chicken noodle soup, undiluted
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 can (10 oz.) chunk white chicken, drained
1 can (5 oz.) chow mein noodles (note: I would not use these again the next time)

In a large skillet, combine the first five ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken; heat through. Serve over chow mein noodles or substitute with any noodle of your choice.

***************
When I made this, I used the chow mein noodles the recipe called for - partly because I like them, and partly because I had half a bag in the cupboard leftover from some chop suey we had a few weeks back. I was not a fan of the taste combo here at all. Not even a little bit. Ptooey. BUT, the creamy chicken stuff was super good on its own, and it totally reminded me of that old Campbell's soup. Next time I make this, I'll be using some type of noodle that resembles those in the chicken noodle soup. Something straight, thick, and flat. Maybe some of those home made noodles you see in specialty shops. That would be perfection.

I will probably also use "real" chicken rather than canned chicken. The canned chicken tasted fine and worked great and was über easy, but it kinda skeeves me out and I'm not sure why. Next time I'll probably use some shredded chicken breasts (I like to boil chicken breasts with onion and then shred them in my Kitchen Aid Mixer. One of the many things Pinterest has taught me.) rather than the canned stuff.

The days are getting shorter and the temps are dropping up here in NE Wisconsin. It's the perfect time to whip up some of this comfort food...

Enjoy!

Beef Barley Soup

This isn't one of grandma's recipes, but it's still new to me so I thought I'd share it here. I was looking for some comfort food, and wanted something easy to throw together in the crock pot and found this in one of my Gooseberry Patch cookbooks (love those books!). It's in the "Slow Cooker Recipes" book on page 109 if you have a collection yourself. :)

Overall, it was a hit. Both my 4 year old son AND my husband enjoyed it so I'd call that a success. The only commentary from the hubsy was that it was a little bland, and I concur. I think the recipe has plenty of salt between the actual salt and what is contained in the bouillon, but it could use a little cracked pepper to zip it up a bit. I don't like spice, but it has to have a little something to give it some oomph.

Here's the recipe:

2 c. carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (I just sliced up some baby carrots we had on hand)
1 c. celery, thinly sliced
3/4 c. green pepper, diced (I omitted)
1 c. onion, diced (I just used one whole onion, didn't measure)
1 lb. stew beef, cubed
1/2 c. pearl barley, uncooked
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
3 cubes beef bouillon
2 T. catsup
1 t. salt
3/4 t. dried basil
5 c. water (maybe next time I'll substitute in some beef broth here?)

Layer vegetables, beef and barley in a slow cooker; add seasonings. Pour water over all; do not stir. Cover and cook on low setting for 9 to 11 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.

******************

I would definitely make this soup again, but with a few minor adjustments (pepper, beef broth). I had enough for four bowls and was able to freeze two meals worth to boot, so I'd say that's a win. There's nothing better than just being able to whip some home made soup out of the freezer for supper at the end of a long day!

Enjoy, and let me know if you try it!

Tater Tot Taco Salad

Did you know that mini tater tots existed? I had no idea. I saw them on the ingredient list and thought I was in for another wild goose hunt for random ingredients, but they were right there in the freezer section next to their larger counterparts. Huh. Who knew. Unfortunately, I fear this will lead to more purchases of the little buggers just because tater tots rock. And anything that rocks is always ten times better in a tiny poppable size, isn't it? It is.

This is another recipe from grandma's stash, and I chose to try it partly because I've been yearning for all things taco and partly because I had every single ingredient except for the tots in my fridge or freezer.  Or so I thought. Turns out I was wrong. My shredded lettuce, which I swear looked just fine in the morning, was all brown and wilty by dinner time, and apparently I forgot that I ate that tomato with some cottage cheese on top (NOM!) for lunch the day before. Whoops. So, our tater tot taco salad experience was sort of lackluster, but it was still good enough to have me wanting to make it again. I think that says a lot right there.

Here's the recipe:

2 c. frozen tater tots
1/2 lb. ground beef
2 T. taco seasoning
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. sliced or stuffed ripe olives
1 c. shredded lettuce
2 T. taco sauce
1/4 c. sour cream

Bake tater tots according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning.  Divide tater tots between two serving plates or bowls. Top with taco mixture, cheese, olives, lettuce, taco sauce and sour cream.

Yield: 2 servings.

What I liked about this recipe: It was SIMPLE. I love simple. It was also fast and yummy and didn't make a huge mess in my kitchen. All the things I look for in dinner recipes! I also love that it makes only 2 servings, but is easily doubled or even tripled.

What I didn't like: Well, mostly the fact that I realized too late that I didn't have everything I thought I did on hand. Otherwise, no complaints at all!

Be sure to let me know if you try it, and stay tuned. I think there will be a breakfast casserole coming up soon...

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

See! I told you I had more recipes to share! My mom brought me a boatload of ripe bananas, and I decided that , rather than yet another banana bread, I'd try something new. I found this gem in grandma's recipe stash and set to work.

Now, let me tell you this was a first for me. There was a day when I wouldn't even clip or attempt a recipe if it had more than, say, five ingredients. It just seemed like way too much work. But, I'm happy to say I have matured as a baker since those days and therefore this was feasible. Tedious, but feasible. :)

Here's the recipe for you:

2/3 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 c. mashed bananas (about 4 medium)
1 c. milk (I used skim. You know, to keep it low cal. LOL.)
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 t. baking powder
1 1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
4 c. confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Dash salt

1. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas and milk; mix just until combined. Combine the flour, banking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed mixture; beat for 2 minutes.

2. In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into batter. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth. Spread over cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 15 servings

What I liked about this recipe: It was DELISH! I was seriously concerned that the frosting would be too sweet (as it is by itself), but when coupled with the cake it was a perfect combination. The cake itself was very dense and very filling, almost like a carrot cake would be. I also appreciate the new alternative for over ripe bananas!

What I didn't like: It took For. Ev. Er. to cook. I checked it at 30 mins, and then again every five minutes thereafter. I didn't add up the entire time, but I was probably around 50 minutes of total bake time and my toothpick was still coming out with a little bit of batter on it. The edges were starting to get a little too brown for my liking, so I pulled it out even though it was still a tiny bit doughy, and it turned out fine. I have no idea whose oven could cook this in 30 minutes though, because the top was barely even set in that amount of time. But, I guess if you make it it's best to err on the side of caution and start checking at 30 or 35 mins like the original recipe suggests. It could also be because I didn't measure my bananas, and instead just used 4 medium (as the recipe comparison suggests) sized ones. Maybe I had over 2 cups in there, but it couldn't have been that much over. Who knows. Bottom line though is that it turned out and was divine. The other small issue I had was that the frosting recipe makes a boatload of frosting. Probably more than you need. I slathered it all on though - hate to be wasteful, you know! :)

So, there you have it! Let me know how it turns out (and what your final cook time was) if you decide to try it! And stay tuned for that Tater Tot Taco Salad recipe! That was a super fast dinner if ever I saw one. Just my style!

Peanut Butter n' Jelly Bars

I can't even believe it myself, but I am blogging again in less than a week with a new recipe. Woot! AND, even better, I've tried two MORE new recipes since making this one and plan to share those, too. This is unprecedented territory, people. :)

I made these bars for the family reunion last weekend. I thought I'd try them out - I like to try new recipes for big events like that, so that if I don't care for it I'm not stuck with a whole pan. There's always *someone* who will love it! I thought these would be a hit with the kiddos, but I'm honestly not sure if any kids even got any, because the adults were gobbling them up first! They were sooooo easy to make, they're definitely going into my "must have" recipe book for future use.

Here's the recipe:

1 tube (16 1/2 oz.) refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
1/2 c. peanut butter chips
1 can (16 oz.) buttercream frosting (I used cream cheese - couldn't find the buttercream)
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. seedless raspberry jam or grape jelly (I used grape, and didn't measure - just put a few dollops on and swirled)

Let dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. Press into an ungreased 9x13 dish; sprinkle with peanut butter chips. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 - 18 minutes or until lightly browned and edges are firm to the touch.

In a small mixing bowl, beat frosting and peanut butter until smooth. Spread over bars. Drop jam by teaspoonfuls over frosting; cut through frosting with a knife to swirl the jam.

Yield: 2 dozen

What I liked about this recipe: As I said, it was super easy to make! It's also kid friendly, as little hands could help press the dough into the pan, sprinkle the chips, spread the frosting, etc.

What I didn't like: Unless you have most of this stuff on hand, or watch for sales, it's kinda pricy to whip together. I think it cost me about $10 for everything I needed (dough + frosting + jelly + chips). Granted I didn't use all of the chips or jelly, but they are not normally things we keep on hand so now my husband is suffering through pb & j lunches and I have 3/4 of a bag of pb chips in the freezer to use up somehow (maybe on more of these?!). I will also say that the jelly doesn't really "swirl" per se. It's kinda clumpy and no where near as pretty as the photo that is with the original recipe that was clipped from Taste of Home. I'm wondering if they didn't heat their jelly a little bit before swirling it? I guess if appearances matter, you could try that....

SO! There ya go! Two of grandma's recipes down, and two more waiting in the wings (Tater Tot Taco Casserole and Banana Cake)! Stay tuned!

Colorado Peach Cobbler

With few exceptions, I can say that everything I learned about cooking, I learned from my grandmother. I spent every weekend at my grandparents' house in the country and my grandma was an amazing cook. Every Sunday she prepared a meal fit for a king (i.e. grandpa ;) ) including dishes and courses that most families were only treated to on Sundays. There was usually dessert, and Christmas was the biggest treat of all, when she baked a huge variety of cookies and bars for the family to enjoy through the holiday season.

Over the years, grandma clipped and collected several recipes from various magazines, friends, and newspapers, and when she passed away last spring I inherited the majority of them (mom saved a few to try, too). I have finally organized them all into a binder, and am excited to work my way through them - all things that caught her eye that she never got around to trying. My goal is to share them with you here as I make each one, but I've had several blog related goals since the fall of 2009 when we lost our son Henry and none have come to fruition, so bear with me if this never pans out! My intentions are good though, and that has to count for something. :)

I'll start you out with this delicious dish that grandma clipped from an old issue of Taste of Home. Judging by the style of the art around the recipe, I'd guess it was originally printed in the early 90's. I made this last week for a movie night I was having with two of my girlfriends. I think the general consensus was NOM NOM NOM! It was seriously tasty! Here's the recipe:

Colorado Peach Cobbler

1 c. Sugar
2 T. Flour
1/4 t. ground Nutmeg
4 c. sliced fresh Peaches

Topping:
1 c. Sugar
1 c. Flour
1 t. Baking Powder
1 t. Salt
1/3 c. cold Butter (or margarine, if you aren't a purist *wink* )
1 Egg, beaten
Ice cream, optional (Seriously, who opts out of ice cream. Wait. I know one person *cough*Karen*cough* Other than her though... Who? NO ONE!)

In a bowl, combine sugar, flour and nutmeg. Add peaches; stir to coat. Pour into a greased 11" x 7" x 2" baking pan (Note: I used a 9x13 because my 11x7 was wayyyy back in the cupboard and I was too lazy to take everything out to get to it). For topping, combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt; cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs (mine was a little lumpier than that, but it still worked fine). Stir in egg. Spoon over peaches. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden. Serve hot (YES!) or cold (meh.) with ice cream if desired (pfft).

Originally submitted to the magazine by Clara Hinman of Flagler, CO. She notes that she has used other fruits that are in season with this recipe, but that her family likes it best with peaches.

What I liked about it:
I really liked the way the salt complemented the sweetness of TWO FULL CUPS of sugar. I remember thinking as I was making it that it was going to end up being sickeningly sweet, but it wasn't at all. It was a perfect balance of salty/sweet with that dollop of vanilla bean ice cream on top.

What I didn't like:
It seemed to flatten out after baking. When I took the picture, it was all puffy and pretty, but it fell as it cooled. Granted it would have stayed higher in the pan had I used the 11x7 dish like I was supposed to, but still... Not the point. ;) This didn't affect flavor at all though, and I'd probably use the 9x13 again next time (likely for the same reason).

So, there you have it! The first of my grandma's "recipe's to try" collection. If you try it, be sure to leave a comment and let me know how you liked it!

Crispy Mexican Truffles

I was recently asked to bring a dessert with "international flair" to a potluck gathering and decided to try this recipe for Crispy Mexican Truffles that I found in a recent issue of Taste of Home magazine. I am not a fan of spicy foods, and wasn't sure about the combination of chocolate and pepper, but these truffles were surprisingly light and delicious. My husband thought the pepper gave them a hint of raspberry flavor - I'm not sure how that's possible, but when I tried one, I knew what he was meant. It adds just the slightest bit of tang, and you don't even taste or notice it until you're done. The slightest bit of heat is left on your tongue after you've eaten the sweet stuff. Yum!

Here's what you need to make them for yourself:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 c. confectioners' sugar
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
2 t. vanilla extract
1 c. crushed cornflakes (I stuck mine in a ziploc bag and went over it with the rolling pin, then poured into measuring cup)
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. cayenne pepper

.....and the directions:

Beat cream cheese until smooth in a large bowl. Beat in the confectioners sugar, chocolate, and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until easy to handle. I made this much of the recipe the day before I needed them, and then stuck it in the fridge (covered) overnight. It worked out great, but if you do the same, I would advise you to take the mixture out of the fridge a good 20 minutes or so before you plan on completing the next steps. It's impossible to work with it it's too cold (or too warm/soft, for that matter).

Combine corn flakes, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small bowl. Shape chocolate mixture into 1" balls; roll in cornflake mixture. The spices fall to the bottom of the bowl, so be sure to really ootch (is that a word?) your truffles around to get them coated with both spice and (corn flake) crunch. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Like I said, these were a hit! Everyone who tried one wanted more, and they were one of the first desserts on the table to disappear entirely. I don't think I'd take them anywhere that might get too warm though (think: summer picnic) unless you have a way of keeping them cool on the table. Otherwise they might get a little messy.

Enjoy, and let me know how you like 'em if you decide to try them!

Butterscotch Pecan Cookies

Merry Christmas, friends! As usual, it has been too long since my last blog post. I blame Facebook! I was just doing some baking for Christmas, and thought I'd share this recipe here since I haven't posted in awhile, and it's not (to my knowledge) one of the more common cookie recipes out there. I found this in a Taste of Home magazine over a decade ago and it was an instant favorite. Here are the details:

1 pkg. Butter Recipe Cake Mix (18.25 oz.)
1 pkg. Butterscotch Pudding (3.4 oz., instant)
1/4 c. Flour
3/4 c. Vegetable Oil
1 Egg
1 c. Chopped Pecans

Combine the first five ingredients and mix well. Stir in pecans (dough will be crumbly). Shape by tablespoon of dough into a balls; place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes; remove from pan.

Yield: 4 dozen

There's still enough time for you to whip up a batch for Christmas, right? I made them this morning in about a hour, start to finish. I apologize for the cruddy iPhone picture - this whole blogging idea was kind of a last minute thought. But, a cruddy picture is better than no picture at all, right? Well, sometimes... :) That pic was taken after they came out of the oven, just as an fyi. They don't spread too much. I baked mine for 12 mins, and they got a little golden brown on the bottom but not so much on the tops.

Let me know if you try them, and have a Merry Christmas!!

Peanut Butter S'more Bars

I have had this recipe in my recipe box for ages, clipped from an old (seriously, probably ten years ago) issue of Taste of Home magazine. If you aren't familiar with the magazine and do any amount of cooking, you should definitely look into it! It's an excellent resource filled every month with delicious mouth watering recipes to try. Or, in my case, clip and save for ten years and then try. Whichever.

The whole family enjoyed these bars (as well as a couple friends who live near by), but I'll be honest with you, they are are sweet. Like, almost too sweet (is that even possible?). I don't think I will make them again as a treat for the family because it's just too much sugar for us to eat in a week, but I'm sharing them here because they would make an awesome addition to any family reunion, potluck, or bake sale you might need an idea for. They were soooo quick and easy to whip together. A definite winner in that respect.

1 tube (16.5 oz.) refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
3 1/2 c. miniature marshmallows
3/4 c. milk chocolate chips
2 t. shortening
1 1/2 c. milk chocolate M&M's

Let dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. Press into bottom of ungreased 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned and edges are firm. Sprinkle with marshmallows; bake 2-3 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffy.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Sprinkle M&M's over marshmallow layer; drizzle with melted chocolate. Chill until set before cutting, but serve at room temperature (they taste better that way).

I would also encourange you to cut them small, because as I said earlier they're a pretty sweet little treat. Better to come back for seconds than feel like you have to throw half of your bar away because it's too much sugar...

Let me know if you try it!

Grandma's Rhubarb Cake

Topping

1 1/4 c. Sugar

1/3 c. Flour

1/2 t. Cinnamon

1/2 t. Nutmeg

6 T. Butter or Oleo (softened)

1 c. Chopped Nuts

Combine all ingredients with a fork or pastry cutter, set aside.

Cake

2 c. Flour

1/2 c. Sugar

1 t. Baking Powder

1 t. Salt

2 T. Butter or Oleo (cold)

1 c. Milk

1 Egg

4 c. Fresh Rhubarb

1 pkg. (3 oz.) Raspberry or Strawberry Jell-o

Method

Grease 9x13" pan. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add milk and egg, mix well. Pour batter into pan. Spoon rhubarb evenly over batter. Sprinkle dry jell-o over rhubarb. Sprinkle topping on and bake 40-45 minutes at 375 degrees or until topping is light golden brown and rhubarb is bubbly. If fresh rhubarb is not available 2 cups (20 oz. pkg.) of frozen rhubarb thawed and drained can be used.

This cake is a family tradition for us. Grandma used to make it every year when the rhubarb was ready for picking. I just made it for the first time myself and it was so yummy. We enjoy it warm with vanilla ice cream. Let me know how you like it if you try it!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

I just got an envelope from my friend (and Pampered Chef consultant) Jackie yesterday, and in it was the current Season's Best Recipe Collection. In that booklet, I found this recipe and I knew I had to make it. Like, NOW.

The best part was that I had just about all the ingredients on hand (LOVE when that happens, by the way). I'm a sucker for a Rice Crispy treat, and love those ones with the melted butterscotch and chocolate chips on top (we call them "Scotcheroos" in our family, but I've seen different names).

This recipe makes a bar that is kind of a cross between a Rice Crispy treat and a Take 5 candy bar. NOM! It's the perfect combination of salty and sweet.

Here's the recipe:

1/4 c. Dry-Roasted Peanuts, coarsely chopped

1 2/3 c. Coarsely Crushed Pretzels, divided

3 c. Crisp Rice Cereal

3/4 c. Butter, divided

1 bag (10.5 oz) Mini-Marshmallows

1/2 c. Light Corn Syrup, divided

1 bag (10 oz.) Peanut Butter Morsels

1 c. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Start by mixing 1 1/3 c. of the coarsely crushed pretzels (reserving 1/3 c. for later use) and the rice cereal in a large bowl. Melt 6 T. of butter, then add marshmallows and heat/stir until marshmallows are completely melted. Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal mixture and stir well (Hint: spray your spatula with non-stick cooking spray before mixing - that way it won't stick to the spoon). Spread mixture into the Pampered Chef Medium Sheet Pan, if you have one, otherwise a 9x13 pan would work as well. It should look something like this: Next, combine 2 T. of butter and half of your corn syrup until melted, stirring often. Stir in the peanut butter chips and mix until all the chips have melted. The mixture will be very thick - almost like real peanut butter (which kind of made me wonder why they didn't just use real peanut butter, but whatever. It probably wouldn't set up right). Spread the peanut butter mixture over the Rice Crispy base like so:

Finally, combine the remaining butter and corn syrup and melt it. Once melted, add the chocolate chips (sneak a few as a snack, I always do). Stir until all the chips have melted, then spread evenly over the peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and reserved pretzels. You can either stick it in the freezer for 5-10 mins to set the chocolate, or just let it set on the counter if you have the time and/or willpower to wait longer before you eat it. When all is said and done, it should look like this:

Yield: 24 bars Serving: 2 bars (LOVE that part)

Calories per serving: 260 (are you KIDDING me? That's awesome for as good as this tastes)

Total Fat: 12g

Sat. Fat: 9g

Cholesterol: 15mg

Carbs: 35g (Seriously, if you're worried about carbs, why are you making this?)

Protein: 4g

Sodium: 410mg

Fiber: 1g

As I was eating my first piece, I was thinking that if you really wanted to knock this out of the park and impress your friends, you could stop after the peanut butter step, then cut into small bite sized squares and set them in the freezer to set. Then, instead of making the ganache, melt a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1-2 T of shortening (to thin it) and DIP the frozen squares in the chocolate (OMG), then roll them in the pretzel/peanut mix (though your pretzels would have to be way small for this to work properly).

*drool*

Enjoy, and as always, let me know if you try it. Also, if you're in need of a Pampered Chef lady, take a peek at my friend Jackie's page. She is very sweet, and goes out of her way for her customers. I really can't say enough good about her. I don't get anything for it, so please don't think I'm trying to sell something. I just like to enable people, that's all.

Harvest Pumpkin Ghosties

Holy hotcakes, Batman! I can't believe it has been three months since I've blogged over here. I'd like to be able to tell you it's because I've been so busy blogging on my family blog, but sadly that just wouldn't be true (although that one has seen a little more action than this one has). I really do intend to blog more... it's just a question of when. I find myself thinking of things during the week that I could blog about, but then I think who really cares about that? Maybe y'all would enjoy reading my ramblings. Who knows. Maybe one day I'll follow through on all those thoughts. But for now, I bake. Here is my latest adventure:




Ooooo.... Aaaahhhh....

Go ahead, drool a little. You know you want to.

I found these super adorable ghost tins at Target this week, and HAD to buy them. It's similar to the feeling you get when you walk past a bag of M&M's (or cute shoes! or jeans that fit!) on sale. You don't NEED them, but yet you cannot help yourself from buying them. We have an infusion this week, and I had been wanting to make a treat to take in for our nurses, so I quickly brainstormed some options for these guys. Brownies? Cupcakes? I opted for brownies. I searched my beloved allrecipes.com, and found a recipe for Harvest Pumpkin Brownies that come complete with white frosting (how very ghostly!). It was a match made in halloween heaven.

Here's the recipe I used:

1 can (15 oz.) solid pack pumpkin
4 eggs
3/4 c. vegetable oil
2 T. Vanilla Extract
2 c. Flour
2 c. Sugar
1 T. Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 t. Ground Cinnamon
2 t. Baking Powder
1 t. Baking Soda
1/2 t. Salt

FROSTING:
6 T. Butter, softened
1 (3 oz.) pkg. Cream Cheese, softened
1 t. Vanilla Extract
1 t. Milk
1/8 t. Salt
1 1/2 c. Powdered Sugar

In a mixing bow, beat pumpkin, eggs, oil and vanilla until well mixed.

Combine dry ingredients; stir into pumkin mixture and mix well. Pour into 24 ghost cups, or 24 cupcake liners, or a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in one comes out clean. I baked mine for about 30 minutes, just because my cups seemed a little fuller than they should have been. Cool before frosting.

In a small bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, milk, and salt until smooth. Add powdered sugar; mix well. Frost, and store in the fridge.

Here we have my puffy ghosts (I really thought they'd be flatter and more brownie like, but no such luck) awaiting frosting....

My thought was that as flatter brownies, they would be well below the edge of the tin even after frosting and I could stick each one in a cello bag and tie with a cute little halloween ribbon. These puffed up quite a bit though, so I get no points for presentation this time. My first ghost was decorated with black gel and sugar flakes as seen below, but it quickly became apparent that neither was a good idea. The frosting dried too quickly for the flakes to stick well, and the gel was already starting to run. Boo. (No pun intended).

SO, hubby got to sample the flake-y gel-y ghost, and all the others just got chocolate chips for eyes. I should have had mini-chips, but hey... I'm not perfect. Any other night I would have run to the store to get some, but since we've been experiencing the equivalent of category 3 hurricane winds for the past two days, I decided to stay home snug in my Smurfette jammie pants and go with the bigger chips. I'm sure they won't be denied!

As always, let me know if you try them!

OH, and believe it or not, I actually stamped this month! I made two sympathy cards about two weeks ago, and GET THIS.... totally forgot to take pictures before sealing them. Arrgghhhh. I'm out of the blogging habit, I guess!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Here's another yummy new recipe I tried this week (last night... at midnight... to be exact)! I just tried a small piece for breakfast, and it is DELISH! It's a nice dense bread like my grandma makes, but with the added goodness of a peanut butter crumble and a ribbon of chocolate.

Peanut Butter + Banana + Chocolate = LOVE!

Topping
1/2 c. Flour
1/2 c. Brown Sugar, packed
1/4 c. Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 t. Ground Cinnamon

In a small bowl, stir all topping ingredients until crumbly; set aside.

Batter:
1/2 c. Butter, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1 1/4 c. Sugar
2 Eggs
1 c. Ripe Banana, mashed
1 t. Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 c. Flour
1 1/2 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Baking Soda
1 t. Ground Cinnamon
1 1/2 c. Semisweet Chocolate Chips

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture until just moistened.

Divide half of the batter between two greased 8x4" loaf pans; sprinkle with half of the topping. Top with chocolate chips. Repeat layers of batter and topping.

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

I entered the recipe in SparkPeople's Recipe Calculator, and although I'm not convinced that site is an exact science by any means, it gives a good estimate of nutritional value. I entered 24 servings for this recipe (12 slices in each of two loaves) and it came up with 236 cal per serving. OUCH! So, if you're watching calories, do what I do.... make two loaves, take one to church, and farm out the other one to family and friends so you're only tempted to eat one piece. ;) I *think* this link will give you the full nutritional rundown, but I'm not entirely sure how long it will work.

As always, let me know if you try it, and thank you for continuing to follow my blog despite my shortage of paper crafts. I haven't sold anything.... I'm pretty sure I'll get back to it eventually, I'm just not at that place yet.

Spicygingersnap Bars

My church is having a weekly bake sale in conjunction with our local Farmer's Market, so I've decided to help out and make a treat. I had this recipe stashed in my box of clipped recipes*, and since I had everything on hand I thought I'd give it a whirl. The recipe is called "Soft Spice Bars," but the description (from a Taste of Home magazine) noted how they tasted so much like old fashioned gingersnap cookies. After they were done and cooled, hubby and I each tried one. I asked him if he thought I should label them Soft Spice Bars or Gingersnap Bars. He suggested Spicy Gingersnap Bars. Of course, all of my SCS friends will know why that made me smile... For the rest of you, you'll just have to wonder. ;) Or ask. Whichever.

Spicy Gingersnap Bars
3/4 c. Butter
1 c. Sugar + 2 T., divided
1/4 c. Molasses
1 egg
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
2 t. Baking Soda
1 t. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 t. Ground Cloves
1/2 t. Ground Ginger
1/2 t. Salt

In a mixing bowl, combine butter, 1 cup of sugar and molasses. Beat in egg until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt; stir into the molasses mixture. Spread into a greased 15x10x1 (jelly roll) pan. Sprinkle with remaining sugar**. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not overbake. Cool on a wire rack before cutting. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen.

They were so easy to make, and they were done in no time. This is my favorite bake sale recipe to date. So easy to whip up in a hurry. As always, let me know if you try them!

* Do you have a system for organizing recipes? Mine is this: I clip recipes I like, and store the clippings in a Sterlite (plastic) container that is meant to hold 3x5 index cards. I made dividers and have them somewhat grouped into categories (cakes, side dishes, main dishes, etc.). If I make something from a recipe in the box and it's yummy, I'll transfer the recipe to a recipe card and store it in my keepsake recipe book. If I'm not crazy about it, I pitch it.

** I totally forgot to sprinkle the sugar on top before baking, so I sprinkled some powdered sugar on afterwards instead. And while doing so, had a little flashback to that one scene from Flowers In The Attic where the maid is sprinkling poison over the kid's cookies. Eeeeek!! :)

Oh, and by the way... I totally forgot to add the egg, too. *sigh* So, yours might puff up a bit more than mine did.

Note to self: Do not try to bake while engrossed in a deep and meaningful telephone conversation. *ahem*

The Only Lemon Poppyseed Cake Recipe You'll Ever Need

Hi Friends!! I'm still not crafting, but I am still cooking and trying new recipes, so I thought I'd share. My grandma had a birthday a few weeks ago, and this is the cake I made for the occasion. Lemon Poppyseed is her favorite flavor (and conveniently mine, too!), so I knew I had to find something yummy for her.

Oh.

My.

Word.

"Yummy" does not even begin to do this cake justice. It's AMAZING. It's like a little piece of heaven on a plate. It's... well, it's the only lemon poppyseed cake recipe you will ever need. Ever!! It is just that good. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. Lemon Cake Mix
1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
4 Eggs
3/4 c. Vegetable Oil
1 1/4 c. Water
1/3 c. Poppy Seeds

1 (21 oz.) can of Lemon Pie Filling

1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. Instant Lemon Pudding Mix
1 c. Milk
1 (8 oz.) container of Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and vanilla pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs, oil, water, and poppy seeds, as shown below.

I buy my (Holland Blue) poppyseeds (and most of my other spices... their vanilla is divine, by the way) from Penzey's Spices. Check 'em out if you're looking to replace the boring old store brands with something a little fresher. While you're there, sign up for their catalog. It always has awesome recipes in it. Anyhow, where were we? Oh, yeah...

2. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely. NOTE: When the cake comes out of the oven it will have a beautiful domed top that will sink as it cools. the cake will also pull away from the edges quite a bit... fear not! We'll fill in that space with something yummy in a minute...

4. Spread lemon pie filling over the cooled cake. (See, I told you!)

5. In a large bowl, mix instant lemon pudding with milk. Mix well and let stand about 5 minutes until fairly set. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over pie filling.

Mmmmm.... lemon-y Cool Whip!!! YUM! I love Cool Whip anyhow, but this takes it to a whole new level.

6. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Sometimes I don't care for leftovers of those salads (like Pistachio Salad, for example) that mix Cool Whip with pudding because after a day in the fridge the texture of the cool whip changes completely. I'm happy to say that it was not a problem at all with this cake. We were still eating on it a few days later and it was just as good as day one.

Here's the finished product:

Let me know if you try this, because I would love to know what you think of it. It got rave reviews from the entire family, and the neighbors who were lucky enough to score a few pieces, too. I'm sure you'll love it!

White Chocolate Snack Mix

Do I have your attention?

;)

I haven't blogged over here in awhile, so I thought I'd do a quick post just to let y'all know I'm still alive and kickin'. I made this AMAZING snack mix last week, and thought I'd share it with you all. I am not a fan of white chocolate at all - AT ALL - but this mix is absolutely divine. You'll have to try it some time. It makes a huge batch, and everyone gobbles it up! I took it to a party and people literally hovered around the bowl!

Here's the recipe:

5 c Corn Chex
5 c Cheerios (I used multigrain)
2 c Salted Peanuts (I used Dry Roasted)
10 oz Tiny Twists Knot Pretzels
1 lb M&M's
2 - 12 oz bags White Chocolate Chips
3 T Vegetable Oil

Mix first five ingredients in a large bowl. Combine chocolate and oil in a sauce pan over low heat until chocolate is melted. Pour melted chocolate over cereal mixture and stir until coated. Spread mixture out on waxed paper to dry, then break apart to serve.

Seriously... sooooo good!

I haven't been crafting much lately at all. I go through phases where I think I might just sell off all of my stuff, and then I come to my senses. I have been struggling with stamping, because I keep thinking of all the nights when I would rush to get the kids in bed so I could get a few extra minutes to stamp, when I would give every piece of me to have a few of those minutes back with Henry right now. :( Stamping has taken on a kind of negative connotation for me, and I think that is what is keeping me away from my craft space. But, even if it weren't for stamping, bedtime was still bedtime, so I know I am just being irrational... but it still is a bit of a trigger for me, so for the time being I'm laying low.

Maybe I'll just start posting yummy chocolate laden recipes instead. heh. Kidding!

Take care, and you'll hear from me soon...

For My Friend

Here's a card using one of the February new releases from Sweet n' Sassy Stamps. The set is called I'd Pick You, and the main images is of this bunny giving the flower to the mouse, but I saw a card with this layout a few weeks back (thanks, Cassie!) and thought I'd try it on this set. What do you think?

I used some SU! rub ons on the base (which, by the way, I am still not a fan of), and some blue gingham that I picked up at JoAnne's.

I also wanted to share this Pepperoni Bread that I made recently:


Doesn't it look yummy? It was! You can find the recipe >>HERE<<, but I would recommend eliminating the seasoned salt (it was too salty for my tastes), and adding a little minced garlic or garlic powder. You can also experiment with the toppings you use inside the bread. I think our next one will be filled with Canadian bacon and pineapple. Oh, and I'd double the cheese next time, too... Other than that, it's perfect! :o)

Hungry for dessert? Try this amazingly sinful Oreo Delight (scroll to bottom of post for recipe) I made for my Mom's birthday this week!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

My mom celebrated her birthday on Monday, so we had her over for some cake and showered her with birthday gifts!

Here she is with her gift from Henry. I helped him pick it out. ;o) He looks very pleased with my decision though!



Great-Grandma and Jack watched from the chair:

Here's mom with the bottoms to the jammies that hubby and I bought her. My mom lives in jammies when she's home, and it's hilarious, because she is so particular about them. They have to be two pieces, and those two pieces have to coordinate. She would not be caught in a red top with purple bottoms. Me? I wear whatever I grab first. Her? Not so much! You can see the coordinating tank top over her knee there. She loved them!

And here's mom with the birthday cake I made for her. One of the moms I chat with online suggested Paula Deen's Butterscotch Delight, but mentioned that she'd also seen it made with Oreos, so I combined a few recipes to make this Oreo Delight:

Does it look yummy? Because IT WAS! Holy man... you have no idea. It was soooooooo good! Quite possibly the best tasting dessert I've ever tasted in my entire life!

Here is the (combined) recipe I used:

Oreo Delight

1 (20 ounce) package chocolate sandwich cookies
1/2 cup butter

Crush cookies into bite size pieces. Reserve 1 cup for top. Melt butter and mix with rest of cookies. Press into 9x13 pan.

8 oz. Cream Cheese, at room temp
1 cup Powdered Sugar

Beat these together in a bowl.

3 cups Heavy Cream
3/4 cup Sugar

Whip these together until it forms stiff peaks.

2 - 3.4 oz packages Chocolate Fudge Instant Pudding Mix
3 cups Milk

Prepare pudding according to package directions using the 3 cups of milk. Fold 1 cup of whipped cream into cream cheese mix and spread over crust. Spread the pudding over that layer, and cover the whole thing with the rest of the whipped cream. Sprinkle the top with the reserved crushed Oreos. Chill overnight.

I have to tell you, it is NOT like me to go through this much effort for a recipe. I am the kind of person who will usually only try recipes if they include 3 or less ingredients and 2 steps. I found the Cool Whip variation of this recipe on allrecipes.com, and there was a day when I would have just made that.... but now I know why people go through the extra effort. If my mother's words ever came back to me, it was while tasting this recipe because it's totally true: you get out of it, what you put into it. Although I'm sure it's much easier, I'd lay money on the fact that the Cool Whip version doesn't taste nearly as good as this does!

If you decide to try it, leave a comment here and let me know how you liked it!