Creamy Crock Pot Chicken

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken

You will need:

vegetables (any mix you like!)

Flavoring ( whatever "Cream of ____" you like)

Chicken breasts

Optional:

crushed garlic

ginger

herbs (don't put in until last hour of cooking)

salt & pepper

Throw all the veggies in the crock pot first,

then dice up the chicken pieces & throw those in,

Then pour on the soup,

and put on the lid!

Cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

I made some pasta to go with it & called it a meal!

cheesy rolls

 You will need:

1/4 cup butter

2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated

1 Tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup cheese, shredded (any kind)

1 tube canned refrigerator biscuit, plain or buttermilk (8-10 biscuits)

To make:

Melt butter & combine with parmesan cheese, basil, & garlic in small bowl.

Put the shredded cheese in a separate bowl. Remove biscuit dough from can & separate into individual biscuit rounds. Flatten each one & place a little shredded cheese in the center, folding the dough around the cheese to form a ball.

Pinch dough together to enclose the cheese.

Dip the ball into melted butter mixture & roll it around to cover completely.

Place on baking sheet  at 375 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown.

These are fabulous with lasagna or spaghetti!

Kringle's Cutouts

Ready to make some fabulous sugar cookies?!

You will need:
2/3 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp & 1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

To make:

Cream the butter, sugar, milk & vanilla in a large bowl at medium speed.

Beat in the egg

Combine flour & baking powder in a separate bowl & then add to creamed mixture.

Take all that & separate it into 2 balls & cover & refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 375, roll out half the dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a floured surface & cut into shapes.

Place each cookie about 2 inches apart, bake 7-9 minutes.

Frost & decorate!

Rosemary Chicken

One of the BEST marinade's you'll ever have!

This is one of my ALL TIME favorite dishes to make.

You know those ones where you make when you have a large amount of people coming over and need to make sure you make something that is a SURE hit.

Yep, this is one of those!

You will need:

4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless

juice of 1 lemon

4 Tbsp EVOO

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

fresh rosemary sprigs

salt & pepper

To make:

Place chicken in 9X13 baking dish.

Mix together the lemon juice, EVOO,

 garlic & rosemary sprigs & pour all over chicken.

Season with s&p. 

Cover with plastic wrap & marinate 2 hours at least in fridge.

Bring chicken to room temp. before grilling.

Place on grill until thoroughly cooked.

Enjoy your amazing cooking skills!

Easy Egg Noodle's

Easy Egg Noodle Side Dish

Ingredients:

3 cups egg noodles

2 Tbsp. butter

1/4- 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

pepper

1/2 tsp. parsley

1/4- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook the egg noodles according to package & drain.

Return to hot pan & stir in butter.

Sprinkle on garlic salt, pepper, & parsely.

Stir to coat, then stir in Parmesan & serve!

Baked Chicken

This is probably the easiest recipe ever, but I have never made baked chicken!

So I found a quick, yummy one!

Here it is:

4 chicken breasts ( you can do either skin/bone or boneless/skinless) I did the latter.

1/4 cup butter, melted

1-2 tsp. seasoned salt

To make:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray dish with nonstick cooking spray

Rinse chicken with cool water & pat dry

Place chicken in dish & brush it with all the melted butter.

Sprinkle the seasoned salt all over it.

Throw it in the oven for 50-60 minutes or cooked through.

Add any sides you want with it!

I did large butter noodles w/ garlic mashed potatoes

Baked Potato Soup

I love making this soup, it is super easy, & really fills you up!

You will need:

2 large  baking potatoes

3 Tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (optional)

1/3 cup butter (optional)

1/3 cup flour

2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill OR 1/4 tsp. dried dill

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 cups milk

3/4 cup american or cheddar cheese ( i like to add more!)

4 slices bacon, crispy cooked & crumbled

To make:

Prick potatoes & put them in 425 degree oven for 40-60 minutes.

Let cool completely

Cut potatoes in half & scoop out each potato.

Discard skins.

In a large saucepan, cook 3 Tbsp. green onions in butter until tender. Then stir in flour, dill, s&p. Add milk all at once. Cook & stir until thickened & bubbly.

Be careful not to have the milk burn the bottom.

Add potato pulp & 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese.

Stir until cheese melts.

Ladle up into bowls & garnish with more cheese & the crumbled bacon!

Tip: I love to get some yummy thick french bread slices to use to dip!

BEST Winter Chili

This is the EASIEST recipe and by far my ABSOLUTE favorite chili recipe!

It is my go to on cold winter nights and I often find myself craving it.

It can be made in the crock pot which is what I usually do,

I love smelling it cooking throughout the day and making the house smell good.

Or you can cook it on the stovetop!

What you'll need

2 pounds hamburger meat

1 can of dark red kidney beans

1 can of chili beans- any variety you like

1 can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce

2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes

1-2 Tablespoons minced onion (according to your preference)

1 Tablespoon chili powder, adding more as needed

To make

This recipe can either be made on the stove or in a crock pot.

You also can add anything else you like in your chili!

Cook & drain hamburger meat.

Throw everything else into a crock pot and cook low for 4 hours or stovetop cook it and let simmer for 30 minutes. 

Remember to add as much chili powder as you like starting with 1 Tbsp and working up to your comfort level.

Enjoy!

Also great paired with cornbread, garlic toast, or rolls!

Peanut Butter Butterscotch Chocolate Rice Krispies

WARNING: THIS RECIPE MAKES DELICIOUS TREATS THAT ARE HARD TO RESIST EATING JUST ONE!

This is one of my all time favorite Christmas time treats to make!

They are SO simple & quick!

Ingredients:

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups rice krispies

chocolate & butterscotch chips

To make:

Bring the corn syrup & brown sugar to a boil, then turn off heat.

Add the PB until it dissolves & is creamy.

Add the rice krispies & stir, stir, stir!

Put in a 9 X 13 pan & sprinkle butterscotch & chocolate chips all over the top.

Put the whole thing in the oven just long enough for the chips to melt a little.

Then spread chips all over top & let cool completely before you dive in to savor your deliciousness!

Goulash

 

I LOVE making Goulash on a cold winter day. My dad used to make it all the time & the love of it has been passed on to me.

Enjoy!

1 pound elbow macaroni
2 pound ground round ( can also use ground turkey)
1 large onion diced
1/2 small green pepper diced
2-3 tablespoons minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
2 large cans of diced or stewed tomatoes in tomato juice

1. Brown ground meat with the onion, pepper and garlic.
2. Add canned tomatoes w/ juice
3. Let simmer for about 1-2 hrs
4. Cook Macaroni

lemon glazed rings

For the cookies:

3 cups all purpose flour, plus more for surface

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp coarse salt

2/3 cup sugar

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

3 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

For the glaze:

3 cups confectioners' sugar

7 to 8 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (4 lemons worth)

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp nonpareils for sprinkling

To make the cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Make the cookies: combine flour, baking powder, & salt in bowl. Pulse sugar & zest in a food processor until combined, about 2 minutes.

Beat sugar-zest mixture & butter in a mixer on medium speed until pale & fluffy (2 minutes).

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each one. Add vanilla & lemon juice. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, & beat until combined.

Scoop 1 Tbsp dough & transfer to lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 4 inch rope. Bring ends together, overlapping a little, & press together to form a ring. Repeat with remaining dough. Transfer rings to parchment lined baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until pale golden on bottoms & edges (about 18 minutes). Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Now make the glaze:

Whisk together confectioners' sugar & lemon juice in small bowl until smooth. Dip the top side of each cookie into glaze, letting the excess run off. Return cookies to wire rack, glaze side up, & sprinkle with nonpareils. Let dry all the way.

They can be stored at room temp for 3 days & makes about 6 dozen!

Lemon Linguine

Lemon Linguine

This recipe makes the amount of a side dish, but I made it into a main course meal with salad & bread.
Go ahead & add more of what you like & make as a side or meal

·        8 ounces linguine

·        3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted

·        1 tablespoon lemon juice

·        1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

·        1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

·        1/2 teaspoon  lemon-pepper seasoning

·        1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1.         In a saucepan, cook linguine in boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine butter, lemon juice, basil, garlic powder and lemon-pepper; cook and stir until butter is melted. Drain linguine; add to butter mixture and toss to coat. Add Parmesan cheese and toss.

Christmas cards

In honor of the holidays quickly approaching, I wanted to let you all know about a fabulous company.

Shutterfly.

As a person with a passion for photography, I am always on the hunt for the best quality place to print my photos.

 I have tried every place I can think of….

Rite Aid, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Walgreens, Meijer, Snapfish, Winkflash, etc.

 and I have always been disappointed. 

Then one day I came across Shutterfly & I was blown away at the print quality. 

My photos always come back stunning, clear, glossy, & here’s a bonus…

they have very reasonable pricing!

 That is a very important feature to me because I love to score a deal!

As I have been preparing for Christmas cards this year, I am moving on from making my own handmade cards to ordering from Shutterfly. 

I know that they will look professional & outstanding. 

I have ordered cards from them before, when I graduated from college I made some & was impressed by the thick paper quality they were printed on.

 I look forward to ordering my cards from them this year and encourage you all to do the same! They have TONS of various types of cards & no doubt you will be thrilled with the outcome.

To view  their Christmas cards go to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

And they also have fantastic holiday photo cards, see the designs here: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

Combine 2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Then in another bowl, mix 2 lightly beaten eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup canola oil, & 1 tsp grated lemon zest

Stir wet ingredients into flour mixture until moistened.

Fold in 1 1/4 cups raspberries

Fill 18 muffin cups 2/3 of the way full & bake @ 400 for 18-20 minutes.

*I sprinkled some sugar on the top about 1/2 way during baking too, for a little extra*

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

    2  tablespoons  olive oil

       1    medium onion, chopped

       3    cloves garlic, sliced

      1  can (28 ounces)  whole tomatoes

       1  can (15 ounces)  tomato sauce

    2  tablespoons  tomato paste

       2  teaspoons  sugar

   1/4  teaspoon  salt

    1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

    1  can (14.5 ounces)  basil-and-oregano diced tomatoes, drained

      1/2  cup  fresh basil leaves, chopped

   1    box (16 ounces) ziti

       1    bag (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

       1/4  cup  grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions

Heat oven to 375°. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

For Sauce:

 Heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. 

Add onion and cook 4 minutes. 

Add garlic and cook another minute.

 Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, breaking tomatoes apart with your hands or a wooden spoon. 

Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper.

 Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. 

Stir in diced tomatoes and basil.

Ziti and Cheese:

 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. 

Add ziti; boil 10 minutes, stirring. 

Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

 Add half the sauce to bowl with ziti.

 Stir to coat. 

Pour ziti mixture into prepared dish. 

Top with remaining sauce and then sprinkle with the cheeses.

Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned. 

Cool 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Mini strawberry shortcakes

A few weeks ago I was trying to make another dessert & it didn't work out, so instead I created something super easy that you can take as a dessert appetizer!

I crumbled up lemon cake & sliced up some strawberries & topped with whip cream.

They're mini strawberry shortcakes!

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie

 As the weather gets chilly, this is the perfect dessert!

• 1 Pillsbury single pie crust (or your own recipe if desired)
• 1 15-oz. can pumpkin
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 to 1-1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 3 slightly beaten eggs
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• Sweetened Whipped Cream (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare and roll out Pastry for Single-Crust pie (below). Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. For filling, in a large bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Add eggs; beat lightly with a fork until combined. Gradually add milk; stir until combined.

3. Carefully pour filling in pastry shell. To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie crust with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake about 25 to 30 minutes more or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.

4. To serve, top with whipped cream.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

1 box chocolate cake mix, any kind you like

Bake the cupcakes according to package.

To make the Peanut Butter icing you will need.....

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temp.

3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

chopped peanuts (optional)

Place the confectioner's sugar, pb, butter, vanilla, & salt in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down bowl with spatula as you go.
Add the cream & beat on high speed until mixture is light & smooth.

Frost each cupcake with pb icing & sprinkle chopped peanuts, if desired!

Banocolate Cookies

These cookies are like eating banana bread in the form of a cookie! I wasn't in a mood to add the chocolate, so instead I added butterscotch chips!

Delish!

1 ripe banana

4 oz. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 cup flour

½ tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup oats

4 oz. chocolate, broken into small chunks 

Preheat to 350. Grease 2 cookie sheets with butter.

Peel & slice banana & put in food processor. Add butter, sugar & egg until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, & oats & pulse until combined. Transfer to bowl & stir in chocolate chunks. Drop by spoonfuls onto sheets. Flatten then & bake 15-20 minutes.

Mini pizzas

I love making Mini Pizza's & I got this recipe from my sister in law!

all you need is:
4 or 5 tomatoes
EVOO (enough to coat the pan)
salt
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
oregano & basil
pinch of sugar
Mama Mia's personal pizza crusts (they come 3 in a package)
Sesame Seeds
Mozzarella Cheese
pizza toppings: pepperoni, bacon, veggies, pineapple, etc.



This is super simple,
for the sauce, dice up the tomatoes & put enough EVOO in pan to coat it. Then put diced tomatoes, chopped garlic, oregano & basil (however much you like), sugar, & a tiny bit of salt & mix together. Put on medium-high heat until the tomatoes turn into more of a sauce (8-10 minutes).

While the sauce is going, take the pizza crusts out of the package & place them on large cookie sheet. Brush them with EVOO & sprinkle sesame seeds on edges.

Then add the sauce to each pizza, cover with mozzarella cheese & add whatever toppings you like.
Then just throw in oven (the temp is on the pizza crust package) I believe it is 400 degrees.
Cook until cheese is melted & crust is slightly browned (about 7-9 minutes)

Enjoy!!

Fruit tart

I have tried a few different ways to make this,

but they required too many ingredients and this one worked out quite well. 

Such a quick dessert! Just grab a graham cracker crust, add some vanilla pudding, and any fruit you like!

You will need :

a graham cracker crust

vanilla pudding cups

kiwi

strawberries

blueberries

apricot jelly

*any other fruit you like*

To Make:

I bought a graham cracker crust (careful not to break it!)

Then vanilla pudding cups and emptied them into the center

then sliced up some kiwi, strawberries & added blueberries.

and this time around, it took NO TIME! 

Then I found a recipe for a glaze over top & it turned out great!

Take 1/2 cup apricot jelly & in a saucepan, melt jelly with 1 Tbsp. water

Brush glaze over fruit & serve!

Roasted Garlic

I how i LOVE roasted garlic. The stuff is amazing, really. On a fresh baguette, on pasta, in potatoes, you name it!

Here is all you need to know to do it yourself!

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.

Place the garlic heads in a baking pan. Drizzle a couple teaspoons of EVOO over each head.  Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.

Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. Use a small small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove.  Pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.

All finished! 

You can then add to mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, warm bread, anything! I've even known people to eat it right out of the skin!