Oreo Truffles

I got this yummy recipe from another blog I follow, The Sisters Cafe. As soon as I finished them I was being stalked by my children and the neighbor kids too. They loved them! Hope you do too:)

1 bag Oreo Cookies, ground up in blender or food processor
1 1/2 8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
2 cups dark or milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate or almond bark for drizzling

1. Combine ground Oreos and cream cheese in mixer using paddle attachment until well mixed. Roll into 1 inch balls (makes about 30) and place onto baking sheet or tray. Refrigerate overnight or until very firm.

2. Melt milk or dark chocolate in microwave for 1-2 minutes on 70% power. Using 2 little spoons, dip balls into chocolate and place onto parchment paper to harden. Once dry, melt white chocolate and spoon into the corner of a ziplock baggie. Snip a small corner and drizzle back and forth over the truffles. Let dry.

Italian Bread

3 cups warm water
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
7 cups all-purpose flour


Add the sugar and yeast to the warm water and let proof.
Stir in 4 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
Beat in the salt and then add enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Knead until as soft and smooth as a bambino's behind. Turn in a greased bowl, cover, and let double in size. (I put it in the oven with the light on - perfect rising temperature.)
Once doubled, punch down and divide into three. Place back in the bowl, cover, and let rise.
Once doubled again, punch down and form into three fat "footballs." Grease heavy cookie sheets and sprinkle with corn meal. Place the bread on the sheets, cover with a towel, and let rise.
Once risen, mist with water and place in a preheated 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) oven. Mist loaves with water and turn occasionally while they bake. Bread is done when golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Directions

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Cherry Mash

Yummo, is all I have to say:). No, but really, these remind me of my childhood and are very easy to make. My 11 year old son made a batch the other night! Whip some up for your next holiday party or cookie exchange and enjoy! Merry Christmas!

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter (I used butter) or 2 tablespoons margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup half-and-half or 1/3 cup undiluted evaporated milk
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup cherry chips (I only found these at Target)
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1Combine sugar, butter or margarine, salt and half and half in saucepan. Boil on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in marshmallows and cherry chips. Spread in 8 or 9" square pan which has been lined with parchment or wax paper. Melt chocolate with peanut butter in a small pan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in peanuts. Spread evenly over cherry layer. Let set in refrigerator. Cut into 1" squares with warm sharp knife (hold under hot water and then dry before cutting).

Pine Bark

This is one of my family and friends' favorite treats during Christmas. I got the recipe from Paula Deen many years ago, and i thought I'd share it with you.

35 saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
5 (4 oz) hershey bars, broken in pieces
Line a jelly roll pan with foil. Lightly spray with non stick cooking spray. Place crackers, salty side up, in pan. In a saucepan, boil butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract. Pour mixture over crackers and bake at 400 degrees for 4-6 minutes. Remove from oven, top with candy bars, and spread evenly as chocolate begins to melt. Cool completely in fridge. Break into pieces and enjoy.

Dinner Rolls

I had lunch one day at my friend, Dana's, house and she made these wonderful dinner rolls. I'm baking them right now, and they were super fast and easy. Thought I'd share on here in case you needed something warm and homemade on this cold day. Enjoy!

2 to 2 ¼ all- purpose flour
1 envelope yeast
2 Tbs sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup milk
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp butter
Combine ¾ cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Heat milk, water, and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees, use thermometer).  Add to flour mixture.  Beat 2 min at med, scraping bowl occasionally.  Add ¼ cup flour, beat 2 min on high speed.  Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth about 8 to 10 min.  Cover and let rest 10 min.  Divide into 12 equal parts.  Shape into balls.  Place in greased 8-inch round pan.  Cover and let rise in warm. Place until doubled, about 30 min.  Bake in 375 oven for 20 min or until done, then remove from oven and brush with butter

Chocolate Frosting

So, my husband wanted chocolate cake. I had a mix for the cake, but no frosting. I whipped this recipe up, after finding it on all recipes.com. Oh my gosh, I can't get enough of it! It's so delicious! Someday when I own my own B & B, this will be my chocolate frosting! Please make and enjoy:)

2 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar
6 tbsp cocoa powder
6 tbsp softened butter
5 tbsp evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
Sift the sugar and cocoa powder together into a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream your butter with your hand mixer. Add to the dry mixture and pour in milk and vanilla. Whip with hand mixer until blended and smooth. Add more milk if you want it softer. Should be light and fluffy, and will frost a 9 inch cake perfectly. Try to keep your finger out of it, I dare you :)

Shrimp Dip

This dish has been a staple at all of my family's holiday dinners since, well, forever. Love it! Serve with wheat thins or other cracker to snack on before the big dinner.

In your 8x8 pan layer a block of cream cheese, followed by a layer of chili sauce, then a can of baby shrimp (drained), then diced onion, diced green pepper, and finish with a heavy sprinkling of shredded mozzarella. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Chicken Fried Steak

So, my family requested chicken fried steak this week. I'm not a big fryer, well I really don't do it at all, but I've gotta keep the troops happy. This a variation on Paula Deen's recipe. I don't really measure unless I'm baking, so here goes.

2 lbs round steak
1 1/2 cups flour
Garlic powder, seasoning salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
Season your steaks with the garlic powder. In a bowl, mix together flour, seasoning salt and pepper. Heat your oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Dredge your steaks in the flour mixture and place in the oil. Brown on each side and then place on a paper towel lined plate.

Gravy:
1/4 cup butter
4 cups water
2 Tbsp flour
Salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, chopped
In the same skillet, melt the butter. With a wooden spoon, scrape up all the good bits off the bottom. Add flour and cook till bubbly and light brown. Slowly pour in the water, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the steaks back into the skillet. Sprinkle the green onions over the meat and cover. Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes.
This dish was a huge hit at my house! They declared it better than the school's chicken fried steak;)

Lemony Green Beans

I made this dish last night. It's a variation of a recipe I pulled out of a magazine. They were a huge hit, but my 9 year old daughter especially loved them. She scraped the bowl clean:)

1 lb. Fresh green beans
2 tbsp sour cream (I used low fat)
The juice of 1 lemon
Fresh parmesan
Salt and pepper

Steam your green beans until crisp tender. In a bowl, mix together the sour cream and lemon juice. Add the cooked green beans, mix, and salt and pepper to taste. Shave the Parmesan over the top and serve.

Tomato soup

It's finally soup weather! I made this yummy soup tonight and paired it with "fancy" grilled cheeses. A crowd pleaser.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
2 stalks of celery
2 lbs tomatoes
Sugar, salt and pepper

Put your olive oil in a soup pot and heat over medium high. Chop all your veggies and add to pot. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Purée until smooth with your immersion blender. If you don't have one, purée in batches in your blender or food processor. Transfer to a bowl and sugar, salt and pepper to your taste.

Gazpacho

So my garden is overflowing with ripe tomatoes. Here's a great recipe to use up your fresh garden goodies. So easy too!

7-8 small tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 cucumber, peeled
1/2 large red onion
3 garlic cloves
12oz tomato juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
A drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper

Roughly chop all your veggies. Chop them in your food processor in batches. Pour into a large bowl. Put in remaining ingredients, salt and pepper to taste. Chill until you're ready to serve. The longer it sits, the better it gets!

Salsa

I have a ton of tomatoes ripe in my garden, so I whipped up this salsa tonight and it's yummo!

5-6 ripe tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro
1 onion
1 lime
Garlic powder, salt and pepper


Stem and core your tomatoes. Coarsely chop and put in your food processor. Place the cilantro in there too, stems and all. Put in 1 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and pulse till smooth. Dice the onion. Pour your salsa in a bowl, stir in the onion, squeeze in lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy with tortilla chips!

French Potato Salad

I had some wonderful potato salad at a tea room in Hannibel, mo. This is my re-creation and it was a huge hit with the adults and kids in my house.

5 or 6 poatoes, peeled and chopped in bite sizes
1 jar Grey Poupon country Dijon (this must be specific, it's the main part of the recipe)
Salt

Boil the potatoes till fork tender, not mushy. Drain, put in a bowl, and mix with the mustard. You won't use the whole jar, start small and mix till the potatoes are lightly coated. Salt to taste and serve. Enjoy!

Pesto Bread

This is one of my kids' most favorite recipes. I only make it in the summer when my basil plant is flourishing though. My oldest son made it last night and it was delicious!

Pesto:
3big handfuls of fresh sweet basil
Olive oil
Parmesan
1 garlic clove
Salt

Bread:
1loaf Italian bread
2 tomatoes diced
1 container goat cheese or 4-5 slices provolone

Put the basil in a food processor. Pour a few glugs (sorry I don't measure!) of olive oil in. Put about a 1/4 cup Parmesan in. One garlic clove and a pinch of salt. Pulse until fully chopped and blended. Taste, and salt accordingly. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425. Slice your bread in half longways and place on a baking sheet. Spread the pesto on your halves, sprinkle with tomatoes and cheese. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melty and the bread is toasty. Enjoy!

Zucchini and ricotta pie

Our family enjoys going to farmer's markets and this year we planted our own garden. Zucchinis are one of our fresh garden faves! I came upon this recipe in Rachael Ray and adapted it to what we had on hand. Very good, hope you enjoy!

2 zucchinis, thinly sliced
1 store bought pie crust
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp dried thyme
5 eggs, beaten
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup milk
1 pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Place your pie crust in you pie pan. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high. Add the zucchini and cook, turning, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme and remove from heat; let cool to room temp. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, Parmesan, and milk. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in the zucchini. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and sprinkle with more Parmesan. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing.

Hot Dog and Corn Muffins

So, I got this idea from a friend. The kids loved having them in their lunchboxes or just as an after school snack.

1 pkg all natural hot dogs
2 boxes Jiffy corn bread mix
1 can corn
Eggs and milk

Mix the cornbread mix together with the eggs and milk, according to the package directions. Cut up the hot dogs into small, bite size pieces and put them in the mix. Drain your can of corn and put the corn into the mix. Stir together. Fill muffin cups up almost all the way. Bake in your 400* preheated oven for the recommended amount of time or until the muffins are done. Cool and enjoy!

White Sangria

Spring weather is here, finally! Time for some cool, yummy drinks on the patio. I got this recipe from a good friend, and I love it. Hope you do too!

1 bottle white zinfandel
1 cup peach schnapps
1 liter Sprite Zero

Mix together in a pitcher with whatever fruit you want, grapes, peaches, pears, apples, etc. Chill and serve.

Pizza Burgers

So, my youngest son made up another new recipe. He's 8 now, but still going strong in the recipe creativity department. Maybe he'll be a chef someday:)

1 lb ground beef
1 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 small onion
1 can pizza sauce
Buns
Provolone slices

Mix the beef, oregano, garlic, parsley and salt and pepper together in a bowl. Form into patties and grill. Meanwhile, slice the pepper and onion and saute in a pan. When the burgers are close to being done, top with slices of cheese until melted. Serve on buns topped with pizza sauce and peppers and onions.

Spinach, Tomato and Tortellini Soup

1 bag cheese tortellini from freezer section
1 bag baby spinach
1 large can of diced tomatoes
2 boxes of chicken broth
1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic

Chop up the onion and garlic and saute lightly in the bottom of your soup pot. When tender, add the broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, add tortellini and cook according to package directions. Add spinach right before serving, and just let it cook for a second. Salt and pepper soup to taste and serve with parmesan cheese on top. Kids love it!

Crockpot Roast

Everyone has their own variation on this one, but here's mine.

1 1/2 lb rump roast
Potatoes
Carrots
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 can green beans

Put the roast in your crockpot. Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix over the top of it. Chop as many potatoes and carrots as your family will need, and place them around the roast in the pot. Put the 2 cans of mushroom soup on top and pour in one canful of water. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low 8-10 hours. Right before roast is done, add the can of green beans to simmer with the veggies. Serve with fresh bread and a salad.

Locker Walker (Shrimp and Crab Pasta)

My youngest son, made this recipe up when he was 6 years old. Not sure why he named it Locker Walker, but its a new fave around here. Enjoy!

1 lb wagon wheel pasta
1 lb raw, deveined, peeled shrimp
2 small cans, crabmeat
1 small onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil
1 tbsp butter
Italian parsley, chopped
Grated parmesan

Put the pasta on to boil. Meanwhile, put about 3 tbsps of olive oil in pan. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil, careful not to burn the garlic. Then add in the shrimp. Cook until pink. Add in canned crabmeat and butter. Salt and pepper to taste, and add a handful of the parsley. Serve over the cooked and drained wagon wheels, topped with more parsley and the parmesan. Great with Italian bread to soak up the extra sauce.

Sausage Stars

This recipe is stolen from a really good friend, thanks Kim! I thought I'd share a recipe that my husband loves, and that would be good for Super Bowl Sunday.

1 lb. hot sausage, browned and drained
2 c. Sharp Cheddar, shredded
2 c. Monterey Jack, shredded
1 sm. can chopped black olives, drained
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 c. milk
2 pkg. wonton wrappers (in refigerated section)




Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix Hidden Valley Ranch, mayo and milk together. In separate bowl, mix sausage, cheese and olives. Combine the two. Bake wonton wrappers for 7-8 minutes in muffin pan, until golden. Remove from oven. Stuff and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve warm. Lots of people also add red and/or green pepper, if you would like.

To make ahead: bake wrappers, cool and store in airtight container. Make sausage mix and refigerate until ready to bake.

Chicken Pot Pie

My husband requested Chicken Pot Pie for dinner last nite. Instead of buying one from the freezer section, I found a recipe in a Good Housekeeping Cookbook and adapted it to our tastes. It was a huge hit!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 potatoes, diced
3 carrots, sliced
2 parsnips, sliced
3 stalks of celery, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 pie crusts from the fridge section at your store

Turn your oven on to 425. Cook the chicken breasts in the oven, with some salt and pepper on them. Meanwhile, saute the veggies together in some olive oil, in a skillet, until they are tender. Salt and pepper according to your taste. Whisk together the milk and flour in a bowl. Pour the chicken broth into a saucepan, and stir in the milk mixture. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Pour the veggies into a 13x9 casserole dish and pour the chicken broth and milk over the top. Stir to combine. When the chicken is cooked through, chop up in bite size pieces and add to the dish. Unroll your pie crusts, and cover the pan. Cut a few slits in the top. Put in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the insides are bubbly. Serve with a green salad.

Pizza Pasta

This is a recipe I made up one day in desperation to make something new that satisfied the kids' taste for pizza, but wasn't pizza once again. Now its a staple at our house.

1 lb spaghetti
1 jar Ragu, whichever flavor you like
1 small carton cottage cheese
1 pkg of shredded mozzarella
1 pkg of pepperoni, diced up


Boil the spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in an oven safe casserole dish, combine the spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese and pepperoni. Sprinkle with 1/2 the mozzarella and some garlic salt. After draining the spaghetti, pour cooked spaghetti into the casserole dish and stir to combine. Top with the rest of the mozzarella and bake in a 350 oven till the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Chicken and Veggie Soup

I made this tonite. I found a recipe in the Food Network magazine, but I didn't like how it ended, so here's my adaptation. It was a huge hit!

3 chicken thighs, skin on
4 carrots, sliced
3 parsnips, sliced
2 leeks, tough outer layers removed and then the rest chopped
1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed, and leaves chopped
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp whole allspice
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 bunch italian parsley
2 boxes chicken broth
salt and pepper

Pour chicken broth in soup pot. Put in parsley, and spices. Simmer for 10 minutes. Place whole chicken pieces in pot and cook until chicken is done. Take chicken out, strain out parsley and other whole spices with slotted spoon, and then put carrots, parsnips, leeks and swiss chard in. Add water accordingly. Simmer until veggies are tender. Meanwhile, pull chicken off of the bone and chop. Add back into the soup pot and heat through. Serve with crusty bread.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

So, it seems I have an Italian theme going, so I wanted to share a favorite Mexican recipe at our house. Served with cheese and sour cream on top, its so yummy!

1 can chicken breast
1/2 lb little pasta, for example ditali
2 cartons chicken broth
1 can enchilada sauce
1 little can green chiles
1 can creamed corn

Place all ingredients in your soup pot, except the pasta. Bring to a boil; pour in pasta. Cook until the pasta is done and serve. So fast and easy and my kids love it! Enjoy!

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

My husband and I recently went to Italy to celebrate our 10th anniversary. The food was fabulous, of course, but one of my hubby's faves was spaghetti carbonara. I'm going to try to recreate it the best I can. Let me know what you think!

1 pound spaghetti
4 eggs
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons Pecorino Romano, plus extra, for serving
2 teaspoons cream, optional
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 slices pancetta

Directions
Boil the spaghetti in salted water until it is al dente. Drain and set aside.

Beat the eggs. Add the black pepper and cheese to the beaten eggs. Set aside. Add cream to this mixture, if desired, for a creamier dish.

Put the oil in a saucepan with the pancetta, and saute for 5 minutes. Add the spaghetti into the pan and saute for another 3 minutes.

Turn off the flame (this is important) and add the egg and cheese mixture to the pasta and mix. Serve with additional Pecorino Romano on top

Frittata

Okay, I make this different every time, but this is how I made it tonight. You can add whatever veggies or cheese you have on hand. You could even add some kind of meat, I just never do, for a vegetarian meal one night a week.

Ingredients
12 eggs
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup milk
Chedder cheese, shredded
Salt, pepper and thyme

Saute the red pepper and onion in olive oil and 1 tbsp butter, in an oven safe skillet. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and spices. When the veggies are translucent, pour in the egg mixture. Top with the shredded cheese. Cook over medium low, covered, until almost set. Put in the oven on high broil until the top is totally set and browned.

Serve with steamed asparagus and toasted English muffins.

Lemon Spaghetti

Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

So, I'm creating this blog to share my personal recipes and hopefully help other moms and home cooks out there create yummy meals. My kids think I'm a trained chef. They have very adventurous palates and like me to try new recipes all the time. They, of course, have their favorite standbys, Mommy's comfort food, but most days we try new things. I recently introduced them to Indian food. My almost 11 year old son couldn't get enough goat curry, my 8 year old daughter wouldn't try it and ate iceberg lettuce and tomatoes (she's my least adventurous) and my 7 year old son proclaimed it too spicy, but the saag paneer was good. At least they looked past the "yucky" look of it and tried it! So, anyway, I hope you enjoy my blog and leave me comments or suggestions whenever you want to!