The Rickett Chronicles

{#54} Must Try Tuesday: January 31, 2012

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000-06:00

Can you believe this is the last day of January? Truthfully, I am glad because January is not my favorite month and winter is not my favorite season. Although it really hasn't been cold here, I am ready for spring.

Here are some yummy recipes that I found on my favorite blogs this week. Enjoy!

Italian Cream Cupcakes

Source: confessionsofacookbookqueen.com via Wende on Pinterest

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White Chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Blossoms

Source: cookiesandcups.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Raspberry Cheesecake Cookie Cups

Source: alli-n-son.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Chicken and Cheese Flautas

Source: framedcooks.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Texas Chicken with Lime Butter

Source: cooklisacook.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Caramel Pecan Biscuit Bake

Source: asouthernfairytale.com via Wende on Pinterest

These recipes have been Pinned and Stumbled. I hope it brings you lots of viewers.

Recipe: Not Your Mama's Cheese Dip

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-06:00

With the Super Bowl next Sunday, I thought this would be a perfect time to share a very yummy cheese dip recipe that we eat. We are grew up with the classic dip of Velveeta and Ro-tel tomatoes and this one has those ingredients too. It also has a few extra ingredients that takes it over the top to yummy delicious goodness. I have been making this version for years and it is always gobbled up. In fact, I pour this over enchiladas and it takes it a whole new level. It can be made in a crock pot or on the stove and you could easily add ground beef or sausage to add even more goodness.

Enjoy!

Not Your Mama's Cheese Dip

(recipe by Wende Rickett/The Rickett Chronicles)

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Ingredients

1 can chopped green chillies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1-1lb Velveeta cheese
1 small can evaporated milk
1 can diced tomatoes (fire roasted is best, but plain is good too)

Directions

Cube Velveeta. In a large saucepan or crock pot, add all ingredients, stirring to mix well. If making in the crock pot, turn on low and occasionally stir cheese dip to make sure the ingredients are incorporated. If making on the stove top, cook on medium-low heat and stir frequently until cheeses are melted.

Linked To:
*Mrs Happy Homemaker: Makin' You Crave Monday
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*Permanent Posies: Tuesday Tasty Tidbits
*Chef in Training: Tuesday Talent Show
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made from Scratch Tuesday

Recipe: Thin Mint Brownies

2012-01-28T00:34:00.000-06:00

It's Girl Scout Cookie time! It is also the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts. I have three Girl Scouts who are working hard to sell cookies to get to summer camp this year. We have a huge goal (1000 boxes of cookies) and we are already a quarter of the way there! So, needless to say, I have to buy several from each of my girls. As my Grandma Lewis would say, "If you kick one, you have to kick them all." I have been doing a lot of kicking...lol.

Did you know that Girl Scout cookies freeze beautifully? I actually have several cookies from last year still in my freezer. Not only are they good for eating with a big glass of milk, but they are fun to bake with. Last year, I made Tagalong Cupcakes that were so delightful. So, when I found a lone package of Thin Mints in the freezer recently (I must have hid them from the family and completely forgot about them), I thought they would be so SO good in brownies. This recipe couldn't be any simpler because it uses a box mix, but you could certainly make scratch brownie and add the Thin Mints. The brownies were awesome because they were fudgy and dense.

If you see Girl Scouts selling, please support them and buy a few (or a case) cookies. Once you have consumed massive quantities to satisfy your fix, hide the rest in the freezer to enjoy during the rest of the year.

Thin Mint Brownies

(recipe by littlebrowniebakers.com)

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Ingredients

1 sleeve (half the box) Thin Mints

1 box brownie mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick spray. Crush the Thin Mints into medium size pieces. Combine all the ingredients into a mixing bowl. Do not use an electric mixer. The batter will be stiff. Once the ingredients are combined, pour mix into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting.

Linked To:
*Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for a Saturday
*Be Different Act Normal: Show and Tell Saturday
*A Well Seasoned Life: Sweet Indulgences Sunday
*I Heart Naptime: Sundae Scoop Link Party
*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sunday
*The Foley Family: Sunday Funday
*Everyday Mom's Meals: Church Supper
*Petite Hermine: Sunday Link Party
*The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up
*A Simply Klassic Home: Simply Klassic Sunday
*My Sweet and Savory: Meatless Monday
*Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
*11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven: Homemaker Monday
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*Permanent Posies: Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits
*Chef in Training: Tuesday Talent Show
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made from Scratch Tuesday
*Mrs Happy Homemaker: Makin' You Crave Monday
*Skip to my Lou: Made by You Monday

Sunday Inspiration

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-06:00

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said,

out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

(John 7:38)

Recipe: Easy Cheesy Enchiladas

2012-01-23T00:30:00.000-06:00

I think I have mentioned at least a hundred times how much I LOVE Mexican food. It was my favorite while I was growing up, I consumed massive amounts during my pregnancies and it is my favorite to cook for my family. Unfortunately, my children didn't inherit my crazy love of all things Mexican. They do however, like dishes that are mild and have lots of cheese and these enchiladas totally fit the bill!

It's also no secret that one of my favorite blogs is Favorite Family Recipes. Last month, when they posted this recipe, I knew that I would be making them soon. I am trying to cut down on the amount of meat that we consume, so these enchiladas were perfect with their cheesy goodness. The sauce was so yummy that I will now be making my own sauce for my other favorite Mexican recipes.

If you love enchiladas as much as we do, you must make this recipe as soon as possible. Enjoy!

Easy Cheesy Enchiladas

(original recipe by Favorite Family Recipes)

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Ingredients

Sauce

2 tbsp oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 14 oz. can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup chicken stock

Enchiladas

12 corn tortillas

3 tbsp oil

4 green onions, chopped

3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded and divided

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small pot over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until tender. Add chili powder, cumin, tomatoes and stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Soften each tortilla for 15 seconds on each side in the oil, shaking off any excess. Transfer to a plate covered with paper towels. Repeat with each tortilla. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13" pan and set aside. In a bowl, combine the scallion, cilantro and three cups of cheese. Fill each tortilla with about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and roll up as tightly as possible. Place the rolled tortillas in the prepared pan. When all the tortillas have been rolled and placed in the pan, ladle the sauce evenly over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake until bubbly and brown on top, about 15 minutes. Remove and enjoy!

Linked to:
*The Sweet Details: Savory Sunday
*My Sweet and Savory: Meatless Mondays
*Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
*11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven: Homemaker Monday
*Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker: Your Recipe, My Kitchen
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*A Southern Fairtytale: Mouthwatering Monday
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesday
*It's A Blog Party: Show Me How
*Inside BruCrew Life: Trick or Treat Tuesday
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
*Simply Sweet Home: Friday Favorites
*Bacon Time at the Hungry Hungry Hippo: Anything Goes
*Ekat's Kitchen: Friday Potluck
*KB and Whitesnakes Home: Simply Delish
*Just Winging It: Show Your Stuff
*Blissful and Domestic: Feature Friday Linky Party
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sunday
*Everyday Mom's Meals: Church Supper
*Petite Hermine: Sunday Linky Party
*A Simply Klassic Home: Simply Klassic Sunday
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made from Scratch Tuesday

Recipe: Nutella Swirl Banana Bread

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-06:00

Banana bread is a favorite at our house and this is the only way that I can eat bananas. Just before Christmas, I bought one of these big bags of very ripe bananas for next to nothing so that I could make some banana bread for our friends and family for Christmas. I have a recipe that has never let me down...super moist and delicious every time I make it! I made a few loaves but really wanted to jazz up the next few batches. Chocolate and banana just seems to go together and I though about adding some chocolate chips to the batter but then I had a light bulb moment....nutella! I mean, who doesn't love that yummy goodness! I decided to give it a try and let me tell you it was so good my family devoured the first loaf before it even had a chance to cool down. It has just enough chocolate yum, but it is not so overly sweet that you can't enjoy the wonderfulness of a slice. I think it is kind of pretty too! It was well liked by all my family and friends and my children have already requested it several times.

Enjoy!

Nutella Swirl Banana Bread

(original recipe by Wende Rickett/The Rickett Chronicles

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Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups banana (about 4 medium), mashed
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 nutella, divided

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas and vanilla, beat well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients mixing until just combined. Do not over mix. Spoon half the batter into the pan. With a spoon, dollop 1/3 cup nutella over the entire surface of the batter. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan. Dollop 1/3 cup nutella over the surface of the batter. With a knife, insert into the batter and gently swirl the batter and the nutella. Place pan in the oven and bake 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven to a wire rack and cool about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Linked To:

*It's A Keeper: It's A Keeper Thursday

*Talking Dollar and Cents: Sweet Temptations
*Momnivore's Dilemma: Creative Juice
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
*Something Swanky: Sweet Treats Thursday
*A Creative Princess: It's A Party!
*The 36th Avenue: Party Time
*Mom on Timeout: Taking a Timeout Thursday
*Somewhat Simple: Strut Your Stuff
*Simply Sweet Home: Friday Favorites
*Alli-n-Sons: Sweet Tooth Friday
*Ekat's Kitchen: Friday Potluck
*Stuff and Nonsense: Friday Unfolded
*Designs by Gollum: Foodie Friday
*Just Winging It: Show Your Stuff
*Country Momma Cooks: Link & Greet Party
*Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*Welcome to Bacon Time at the Hungry Hungry Hippo: Anything Goes
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sunday

{#53} Must Try Tuesday: January 17, 2012

2012-01-17T23:00:00.000-06:00

It has been the usual crazy busy week so I will be keeping this short and simple. I found some great recipes to try very soon!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Source: thewaytohisheart.wordpress.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Hot Dog Buns

Source: annies-eats.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Eclairs in a Jar

Source: meandmypinkmixer.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Very Easy Cheesy Oven Baked "Giuveche"

Source: photolifesite.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Amish Country Bread

Source: cookingmisadventures.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Fluffernutter Pancakes

Source: wiseanticsoflife.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest

Linked To:

*Finding Joy in My Kitchen: Friday Favorite Finds

Recipe: Pimento Cheese Cornbread Muffins

2012-01-16T00:30:00.000-06:00

I love to have bread with soups, stews and chilies. I think that it makes the meals. But, cornbread can get kinda boring after a while so I wanted to somehow "jazz" it up one night when we were having Sausage Potato Soup. I wanted the muffins to be cheesy but different cheesy. My kids love pimento cheese so I thought it would be a great add in to my packaged corn muffin mix. It was just the right amount of cheesy with a little extra flavor. Even better is when you split the muffins and spread some pimento cheese on them. These are super easy to bake because it is made from a buttermilk/cornbread mix plus a few more ingredients. I think this would also be good for chili or we love to have a pot of pintos and cornbread.

Enjoy!

Pimento Cheese Cornbread Muffins

(recipe by Wende Rickett/The Rickett Chronicles)

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Ingredients

1 package buttermilk cornbread mix + the additional ingredients needed on the back of the package

1/3 cup pimento cheese spread

Directions

Heat oven according to package directions. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with liners and set aside. In a mixing bowl, add package mix plus ingredients listed on the package. (One of the ingredients on my mix was melted butter, but I omitted.) Add pimento cheese and gently mix until just combined. Scoop mix into muffin pan, about 2/3 of the way) and place in oven. Bake as suggested on the package or until the muffins are golden and the baked through. Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes before serving.

Linked To:
*My Sweet and Savory: Meatless Mondays
*11th Heaven's Homemaker Haven: Homemaker Monday
*Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker: Your Recipe, My Kitchen
*Talking Dollar and Cents: Muffin Monday
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made From Scratch Tuesday
*This Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday

Sunday Inspiration

2012-01-15T00:00:00.000-06:00

Do not be afraid of loving God's gifts.

What better way to serve the Lord than to delight in his gifts.

{#52} Must Try Tuesday: January 10, 2012

2012-01-10T10:50:00.001-06:00

After a week of beautiful warm weather here in Texas, we are back to cold and rainy days. I am no way complaining about the rain after being so long without it, but it does make my yard a complete mud puddle which makes it more fun to get my girls in and out of the car. So, I will continue to appreciate my muddy yard because that means we are getting the rain we so desperately still need.

So now that we are back to colder days and nights, I have been looking for comfort foods. There were some great recipes on the blogs this week. These were some of my favorites that I can't wait to try.

Enjoy!

Vegetable Soup with Parmesan Dumplings

Source: cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Source: thismommycooks.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Brie, Spinach & Artichokes

Source: thekitchenismyplayground.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Chicken Suiza Melts

Source: siggyspice.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Cheesecake Pancakes

Source: partygurle.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Strawberry Sweethearts Cocoa

Source: twopeasandtheirpod.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Sunday Inspiration

2012-01-08T01:35:00.001-06:00

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the

Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17

Recipe: Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2012-01-07T11:00:00.000-06:00

This month, I am participating in Mom's Crazy Cooking Challenge. Every month there is a new theme challenge. The great thing about this challenge is that you choose a specific recipe from another blogger. You then bake and blog the recipe showcasing the blog that you selected the recipe from. You also get to vote on the best "ultimate" recipe for the month. The challenge this month is chicken noodle soup. My family LOVES soup, especially chicken noodle, so this challenge was great for us.

As I was searching for a perfect soup that my family would enjoy, I came across the blog Let's Dish and found Danelle's recipe for Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. What grabbed my attention was the fact that it was a creamy soup instead of a broth based soup. With the addition of frozen egg noodles, I knew that this would be a soup my family would devour. I was right!

This soup is not only creamy, but hearty, belly warming goodness that my family gobbled up with only enough left for the girl's to have in their lunch the next day (and that is only because they begged for us not to eat it all gone so they could enjoy it again for lunch). So, thanks to Danelle, we now have a chicken noodle soup recipe that my family not only enjoyed that night, but have requested several times since.

Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

(slightly adapted from the original recipe by Danelle/Let's Dish)

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Ingredients

2 tbsp butter

2 cups carrots, shredded

1 cup celery, peeled and chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

6 -7 cups chicken broth

3 boneless chicken breasts

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

1 16 oz pkg frozen egg noodles (I used dumpling noodles)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Thaw noodles according to package directions. My noodles were wide so I cut them in half. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, celery and carrots and saute until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add 6 cups chicken broth to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add chicken breasts and boil until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken breasts from the pot and dice; set aside. Add the milk to the pot and return to a boil. Gently stir and add a few noodles at a time (if you incorporate the noodles one or two a time, they will not stick together) to the broth. Add diced chicken back to the pot and cook for an additional 15 to 25 minutes. (Because my noodles were thicker, it took about 25 minutes for them to cook all the way through.) Once the noodles are tender and cooked through, add cream of chicken soup and simmer for a few more minutes. If your soup is too thick, add a small amount of chicken broth until desired consistency is reached. If it is not thick enough, add more cream of chicken soup. (I only added one can of soup, because it was super creamy and thick.)

Linked To:

*Simply Sweet Home: Friday Favorites
*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sundays
*Everyday Mom's Meals: Church Supper
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*Petite Hermine: Sunday Linky Party
*Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
*11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven: Homemaker Monday
*Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker: Your Recipe, My Kitchen
*DIY Home Sweet Home: More the Merrier
*A Southern Fairytale: Mouthwatering Monday
*Marvelously Messy: A Marvelous Mess
*It's A Keeper: It's A Keeper Thursday

Recipe: Sausage Potato Soup

2012-01-03T07:52:00.000-06:00

My family has an extreme love for smoked sausage. If given the opportunity, my kids would want a sausage meal at least once a week. One of their favorites is dirty rice that I make with smoked sausage. I got to admit, I love it too. I recently bought a couple of packages and then put them in the freezer and promptly forgot I had them. So, when I was going through my freezer the other day, I came across those gems. I thought about making our favorite dish, but I wanted to try something else and shake things up a bit. I must say that this soup did the trick. My family gobbled it up. Even my non-loving potato eater enjoyed it. I served it with my Pimento Cheese Corn Muffins (recipe to come) and it was the perfect meal for a cold winter's night.

Enjoy!

Sausage Potato Soup

(slightly adapted from Greene Acres Hobby Farm)

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Ingredients

1 package fully cooked beef smoked sausage, diced

6 - 8 medium red skinned potatoes, peeled and diced

1 can corn (or use frozen)

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

In a large pot, brown sausage and drain. Remove sausage from pot and set aside. In the same pot, combine potatoes, corn, broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes for until potatoes are fork tender. Add milk, cheese and sausage. Stir soup until cheese is thoroughly melted. I wanted my soup to be a bit thicker, so I made a cornstarch slurry and added to the soup.

Linked To:
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy
*It's A Blog Party: Delicious Dishes
*33 Shades of Green: Tasty Tuesday
*Permanent Posies: Tuesday Tasty Tidbits
*Chef in Training: Tuesday Talent Show
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made from Scratch Tuesday
*My Sweet and Savory: Let's Do Brunch
*Sugar and Dots: What I Whipped Up Wednesday
*Turning the Clock Back: What's Cooking Wednesday
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
*Fugal Follies: Frugal Food Thursday
*Mom on a Timeout: Taking a Timeout Thursday
*Simply Sweet Home: Friday Favorites
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sundays
*Everyday Mom's Meals: Church Supper
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*Mom's Crazy Cooking: This Week's Cravings

{#51} Must Try Tuesday: January 3, 2012

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! I pray that you had a wonderful holiday. As much as I love the holidays, I am glad they have come to end so we can get back to normal around here. The girls went back to school yesterday so now I can get my house back in order. My favorite blogs are back in full swing and there have been so great recipes to bookmark.

Have a great week!

My youngest daughter is a cookie dough fanatic
so I can't wait to make these for her!

Source: alli-n-son.com via Wende on Pinterest

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This buttercream recipe looks awesome!

Source: myownblogreview.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest

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I haven't been on a Carnival Cruise,

but I might have to now after seeing this...

Source: acraftycook.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest

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Yum! Yum! YUM!!

Source: chef-n-training.blogspot.com via Wende on Pinterest

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This looks like yummy goodness!

Source: favfamilyrecipes.com via Wende on Pinterest

All of these recipes have been pinned on Pinterest and Stumbled.

Linked To:

*Finding Joy in My Kitchen: Friday Favorites

Menu Plan: Week of January 2, 2012

2012-01-02T07:37:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I, for one, am kind of ready to get back to normal. Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays but I am ready to get back to the everyday routine. I am hoping that this will be an easy week as we try to get back to school so I am keeping our meal plan easy too.

Have a great week!

Meal 1

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Cheesy Toast

Meal 2
Ham and Cheese Roll-Up
Green Beans

Meal 3

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan
Salad
Garlic Bread

Meal 4

Creamy Spaghetti Casserole
Salad

Meal 5
Leftovers

Meal 6
BLT Sandwiches

Roasted Potatoes

Meal 7

Dining Out

BAKING

Mandarin Orange Muffins

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Butterbeer Cupcakes

Linked To:

*Org Junkie: Menu Plan Monday

Top Five Viewer Favorite Recipes of 2011

2011-12-31T12:00:00.000-06:00

All this week, I have been sharing my family's favorite recipes from this year but these are the most viewed on the blog. I am excited to share these with you and can't wait to bring you some new recipes for the upcoming year!

Here are the top five recipes that were the most viewed:

This recipe has so many views and with good reason...it is SO good!

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

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My obsession with finding the very exact recipe for

hashbrown casserole at Cracker Barrel finally came to an end this year!

After years of searching, I finally found it!

Copy Cat *Cracker Barrel* Hashbrown Casserole

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I created this truffle recipe for a recipe challenge and I am

so glad that I did! Not only are they simple and easy to make,

they taste like yummy goodness!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles

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I came across this recipe on Pinterest and it has

quickly become a favorite go to our house.

Crock Pot Soup

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I make this recipe at home frequently because we

do not live very close to a Pizza Hut. This is our

favorite pizza both at home and at Pizza Hut.

Copy Cat *Pizza Hut* Stuffed Crust Pizza

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Thanks for making this such a fabulous year!

See you in 2012!

Countdown to 2012: Best Desserts

2011-12-31T01:10:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to be joining SnoWhite at Finding Joy in My Kitchen for her annual countdown. I participated last year and it was interesting to look back on my blog to see the recipes that I made over the past year.

I love to bake! I didn't get to bake as much as I like to this year with the very long heat wave that we went through here in Texas. It was just too hot to turn the oven on unless I had to. However, I did manage to make some desserts that my family and friends loved. Here were our favorites:

Aunt Melva's Buttermilk Pie

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Blue Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles

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Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

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Cherry Limeade Cupcakes

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Peppermint Fudge Cupcake Jars

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Tagalong Cupcakes

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Grandma Lewis' Chocolate Pie

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Countdown to 2012: Best Crock Pot Recipes

2011-12-30T06:19:00.001-06:00

I am so excited to be joining SnoWhite at Finding Joy in My Kitchen for her annual countdown. I participated last year and it was interesting to look back on my blog to see the recipes that I made over the past year.

I love to use my crock pot year round, especially in the summer so I don't heat up my house using the oven. There is nothing better than walking into the house after a busy day and be greeted by the wonderful smells of dinner already made.

These were our favorite crock pot dishes this year:

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

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Smothered Pork Chops in the Slow Cooker

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Crock Pot Pintos

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Crock Pot Soup

Countdown to 2012: Best Main Dishes

2011-12-29T00:00:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to be joining Finding Joy in My Kitchen for her annual countdown. I participated last year and it was interesting to look back on my blog to see the recipes that I made over the past year.

We definitely had some favorite main dishes this year. Some were meatless, some were not. As a family, we are trying to add more meatless dishes in our menu rotation next year.

These were our favorite main dishes this year:

The Best Baked Ziti

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Bubble Up Enchiladas

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Navajo Tacos

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Smothered Pork Chops in the Slow Cooker

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Roasted Roma Tomato Lasagna

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Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

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Copy Cat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole

Countdown to 2012: Best Soup/Stew Recipes

2011-12-28T00:00:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to be joining Finding Joy in My Kitchen for her annual countdown. I participated last year and it was interesting to look back on my blog to see the recipes that I made over the past year.

We didn't make as many soups as we like being that it was hot here in Texas for so long, but any time cold weather rolls in, I do like to make a pot of soul warming soup. These were our favorite soup recipes:

Crock Pot Soup

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Taco Soup

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Cheddar Chicken Chowder

Menu Plan: Week of December 26, 2011

2011-12-26T08:35:00.000-06:00

Whew! Christmas is over, now on to the next holiday! I don't know about y'all, but I am getting tired of food so this week we are keeping it simple.

Have a great week!

Meal 1

Pasta with Chickpea-Tomato Sauce
Garlic Toast

Meal 2

Sausage Potato Soup
Cheesy Corn Bread

Meal 3

Pumpkin Pancakes

Meal 4

Honey Sauced Chicken

Rice

Broccoli

Meal 5
Leftovers

Meal 6
Family Movie Night
Snack Foods

Meal 7

Dining Out

BAKING

I am taking a week off from baking!

Linked To:

*Org Junkie: Menu Plan Monday

Countdown to 2012: Best Breakfast Recipes

2011-12-26T00:00:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to be joining Finding Joy in My Kitchen for her annual countdown. I participated last year and it was interesting to look back on my blog to see the recipes that I made over the past year. Some recipes were more of a hit than others, but they were all delicious to my family.

Here are the best recipes that we tried for breakfast.

Streusel Topped Pumpkin Spice Muffins

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Cinnamon Biscuit Balls

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Mandarin Orange Muffins

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Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

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Pumpkin Pancakes

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Streusel Topped Cranberry Pear Butter Bread

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Oatmeal Craisin Breakfast Cookies

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Homemade Yogurt

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T14:27:00.004-06:00

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Wishing you and yours a Merry CHRISTmas!

{#50} Must Try Tuesday: December 20, 2011

2011-12-20T09:20:00.001-06:00

I can't believe Christmas is only a few days away. There have been so many awesome recipes on the blogs this week, but here are a few that I want to try.

Enjoy!

We love Mexican food so I can't wait to give these a try

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

Miz Helen's Country Cottage

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Bacon and artichokes! This bread has got to be good!

Bacon, Onion, Artichoke Artisan Bread
I'm a Mom, Not a Professional

~~~

I bet this would be great on Christmas morning...

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
Debbie Does Dinner

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OMG! Does this look good or what?

Ham Stuffed Biscuits
Mrs. Happy Homemaker

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We are chick pea fanatics especially my girls...
strange I know, but they will love this soup!

Garbanzo Bean Soup
Grown from Scratch

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I can't wait to give this amped up pork roast a try!

Sweet Chipotle Pork Roast
Mrs. Happy Homemaker

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I have been looking for a yummy basic vanilla cupcake...
this looks like a winner!

Frosty Vanilla Cupcakes
NancyCreative

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These amped up Mexican Wedding Cookies look
better than any that I have made in recent years...

Stuffed Snowballs
Crazy for Crust

~~~~

Linked To:

*Finding Joy in My Kitchen: Friday Favorite Finds

Recipe: Cranberry-Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

2011-12-18T12:45:00.000-06:00

I was recently invited to a finger foods recipe party...my favorite kind of party! I love appetizers, snacks, finger foods, chips and dip...whatever you want to call it, this is my food group. I have some favorite recipes, but I wanted to do something different so I did some searching. I came across this recipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe and knew immediately that this was the recipe I was looking for. I was right! The dip was a success at the party and at home.
The tart cranberries, spicy jalapeno and the cilantro all mixed to make the most perfect topper to cream cheese. I mixed up the cranberry mixture in the morning and let it sit in my refrigerator for 6 hours. I stirred it every now and then to make sure all the delicious goodness was well mixed. An hour or so before serving, I whipped my cream cheese to a lighter texture and spread it in my serving tray. I then poured the cranberry mixture on top. One thing I should have done because I was transporting, was to pour off some of the liquid. It made it a bit more messier and sticky. After the party, I had a little leftover and stored in the refrigerator for a treat the next day. It was even better!

I have a family party coming up and this recipe just might make an appearance there as well. It is just that good!

Enjoy!

Cranberry-Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

(slightly adapted from the original recipe by Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

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Ingredients

12 ounces fresh cranberries
5-6 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese, softened
Chips/Crackers, for serving

Directions
Pulse the cranberries in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped. Add the green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pulse until the ingredients are well combined and very finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a covered bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours (or overnight) so the flavors have time to develop and the cranberries lose a bit of their tartness.

When ready to serve, beat the cream cheese in a mixing bowl until light and creamy. Spread the cream cheese in an even layer on a serving plate or 9-inch pie dish. Top with the cranberry-jalapeno mixture, spreading evenly over the top of the cream cheese.

Refrigerate for up to an hour before serving. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Linked To:
*The Sweet Details: Savory Sunday
*I Heart Naptime: Sundae Scoop
*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sundays
*Petite Hermine: Sunday Linky Party
*Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
*11th Heaven's Homemaker Haven: Homemaker Monday
*Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker: Your Recipe, My Kitchen
*DIY Home Sweet Home: More the Merrier Monday
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*Delightfully Dowling: Mangia Monday
*Marvelously Messy: A Marvelous Mess
*Keeping it Simple: Motivate Me Monday
*The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*It's A Blog Party: Delicious Dishes
*Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesday
*33 Shades of Green: Tasty Tuesdays
*Chef in Training: Tuesday Talent Show
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made From Scratch Tuesday
*Permanent Posies: Tuesday's Tasty Tidbit
*Sugar and Dots: What I Whipped Up Wednesday
*This Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked
*Turning the Clock Back: What's Cooking Wednesday
*Around My Family Table: Turning the Table Thursday

Recipe: Santa's Hat Mix

2011-12-16T10:30:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was ~~researching~~ completely wasting time on Pinterest, and came across a pin for Santa Hat Pretzels. They are super cute and thought it would be a great treat to make up for our teachers. I thought it would be even better if I added them into a snack mix. I was right, not only are the pretzels easy to make and tasty by themselves, but adding them to a mix makes them even better.

I did make a slight change to the recipe. The first couple of pretzels I dipped just didn't look right. So I dipped them twice. The first time I allowed the chocolate to set. After the second dip into the chocolate, I immediately dipped each pretzel into the sanding sugar. As for the mix, you can add whatever you like. I think red and green candies would be nice...maybe some craisins...whatever rings your jingle bell! Always add any candies after the mix has been coated in chocolate. I made two batches of the snack mix because I wanted a good pretzel to snack mix ratio.

Enjoy!

Santa's Hat Mix

(slightly adapted pretzel recipe by Free-n-Fun Christmas)

(original mix recipe by Wende Rickett/The Rickett Chronicles)

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Santa Hat Pretzels

Ingredients

mini pretzel twists

white chocolate almond bark

red sanding sugar

mini marshmallows

Directions

Melt bark according to package directions. Dip each pretzel halfway in the chocolate and lay on waxed lined baking sheet. Place baking sheet in refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to allow chocolate to set. Remove baking sheet from refrigerator. Dip each pretzel, one at a time, again in the bark and then immediately into the red sanding sugar allowing a little of the white chocolate to show. Place back on the tray. Once you have finished dipping each pretzel, place the baking sheet back into refrigerator for another 10 to 15 minutes. While the baking sheet is in the refrigerator, cut each mini marshmallows in half. Remove tray from refrigerator. Using the chocolate as "glue," dip a marshmallow into the bark and then place on pretzel. Allow the chocolate to set before adding to the mix.

Santa's Hat Mix

Ingredients

3 cups Rice Chex cereal

1 to 1 1/2 cups roasted peanuts

3/4 to 1 cup mini marshmallows

1/4 to 1/2 cup red hot cinnamon candies

2 tbsp red sanding sugar

Santa Hat pretzels

7 ounces (half bag) candy coating

Directions

Melt half of the candy coating according to package directions. I microwaved the candy coating in a glass bowl for one minutes and let it sit inside the microwave for another minute. Add sanding sugar to candy coating, and stir until smooth. On a wax lined baking sheet, add cereal, peanuts and marshmallows. Drizzle candy coating onto cereal mix. Put the cereal mix in a large bowl and gently stir until everything is coated. Spread the mix back onto the lined baking sheet and spread out. Allow to dry for at least 30 minutes. Once dry, break apart the clumps and add to a serving bowl. Add pretzels and cinnamon candies and gently mix with your hands.

Linked To:
*Ali-n-Son: Sweet Tooth Friday
*Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hippo: Anything Goes
*EKat's Kitchen: Friday Potluck
*Stuff and Nonsense: Fridays Unfolded
*Designs by Gollum: Foodie Friday
*Six Sister's Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday
*Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for a Saturday
*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sundays
*Petite Hermine: Sunday Linky Party
*Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
*11th Heaven's Homemaker Haven: Homemaker Monday
*Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker: Your Recipe, My Kitchen
*DIY Home Sweet Home Project: More the Merrier Monday
*Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*Marvelously Messy: A Marvelous Mess
*Keeping it Simple: Motivate Me Monday
*Sumo's Sweet Stuff: Market Yourself Monday
*Dittle Dattle: Amaze Me Monday
*Here's to Handy Andy: A Pinterestng Party
*Skip to My Lou: Made by You Monday
*The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*It's A Blog Party: Delicious Dishes
*Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesday
*33 Shades of Green: Tasty Tuesdays
*Crazy for Crust: Crazy Sweet Tuesdays
*Chef in Training: Tuesday Talent Show
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made From Scratch Tuesday
*Permanent Posies: Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits
*Sugar and Dots: What I Whipped Up Wednesday
*This Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked
*Turning the Clock Back: What's Cooking Wednesday
*Raising Homemakers: Homemaking Link-Up
*Around My Family Table: Turning the Table Thursday
*Ivy and Elephants: A Very Ivy and Elephant's Christmas
*The 36th Avenue: Give Me Sugar and Party Time
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday

Recipe: Aunt Melva's Buttermilk Pie

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

There are two pies that I make year round. My Grandma Lewis' Chocolate Pie and my Aunt Melva's Buttermilk Pie. These are the only pies that my family eats. Both pies are creamy and delicious, but this buttermilk pie is so SO very good.

Aunt Melva is my step-father's only sister and while he is no longer with us (but still loved and missed everyday), my family and I get to enjoy her company every chance we get. Aunt Melva is a very southern lady who is always perfectly put together, but better than that, she is gracious with a very kind heart.

If you have never had the opportunity to enjoy this most delicious goodness, you are deprived! You may think that buttermilk pie is the most unappealing pie in the universe. I mean, after all, it is made with buttermilk! I personally do not enjoy a cold glass of buttermilk, but my husband and twin daughter's do...icky! This pie reminds of creme brulee with a light sugar crust on top with the most incredible creamy filling. Once you have tried a slice, you will wonder why you have deprived yourself.

I have tried a couple of different recipes but this one can't be beat! This pie is best served very cold. You could serve it with a dollop of whipped cream but it really doesn't need anything.

I hope you enjoy Buttermilk Pie as much as we do!

Aunt Melva's Buttermilk Pie

(original recipe by Melva Watson McDonald)

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Ingredients

2 cups sugar

2 tbsp AP flour

5 large eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp vanilla

1 pie shell, deep dish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend sugar and flour in a large bowl. Add eggs and buttermilk, stirring well. Add butter and vanilla and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Pour into a pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes or until pie is set but still slightly "jiggly" in the center. Allow to completely cool and then refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Linked To:

*Raising Homemakers: Homemaking Link Up

*At The Well: Tempt My Tummy
*This Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked
*Turning the Clock Back: What's Cooking Wednesday
*The Project Queen: Turning the Daunting Into the Doable
*Someday Crafts: Whatever Goes Wednesday
*My Girlish Whims: Your Whims Wednesday
*Remodelaholic: Recipe Link Up
*Bizzy Bakes: Bake with Bizzy
*Something Swanky: Sweet Treats Thursday
*It's a Keeper: It's A Keeper Thursday
*Around My Family Table: Turning the Table
*Talking Dollar and Cents: Sweet Temptations
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
*Somewhat Simple: Strut Your Stuff
*What Allie's Making Now: Making it with Allie
*A Glimpse Inside: Catch a Glimpse
*Mom On Timeout: Taking Timeout Thursday
*Tidy Mom: I'm Lovin' It
*A Creative Princess: It's A Party!
*Designs by Gollum: Foodie Friday
*A Well-Seasoned Life: Sweet Indulgences Sunday
*LambAround: Not Baad Sunday
*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday
*11th Heaven's Homemaker Haven: Homemaker Monday
*Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesday
*33 Shades of Green: Tasty Tuesday
*Crazy for Crust: Crazy Sweet Tuesday
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made from Scratch Tuesday

{#49} Must Try Tuesday: December 13, 2011

2011-12-13T23:28:00.000-06:00

We are racing to Christmas and it is super busy at our house. This is the last week of school for my girls and then we have two weeks of vacation. We are hoping to do a lot of nothing! Nothing includes watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and all the other holiday specials, making cookies, drinking hot chocolate and watching movies. Doesn't nothing sound awesome??

We might even try making a few of these yummy recipes. Have a great week!

Enjoy!

I am not a fan of chocolate pudding,

but I could possibly learn to like this...

Baked Chocolate Pudding

Crazy for Crust

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How beautiful do these buns look?

Even better..they are stuffed with delicious goodness..

Stuffed Buns

Treat & Trick

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Oh! Sweet! Love!

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Something Swanky

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This looks like snack heaven!

Cranberry-Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip
Mel's Kitchen Cafe

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Linked To:

*Finding Joy in My Kitchen: Friday Favorite Finds

Recipe: White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

2011-12-07T11:00:00.000-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! This is my first holiday recipe to try and I am so glad I did! I find the original recipe on Mindika Moments. Although she has not posted in awhile, she has some fabulous recipes that I can't wait to try.

This fudge is made with cream cheese. I have never made fudge with cream cheese and I am glad that I did give it a try. It is super creamy and even more super easy to make! I love the combination of peppermint and white chocolate and so did my family. My girls had lots of fun unwrapping the candy canes and helping me grind them in the food processor. This fudge comes together very fast and easy so there is not a lot of fussing over a candy thermometer. You only need to melt your chocolate over a double boiler. The original recipe calls for a white chocolate baking bar, but my little grocery store doesn't carry such fancy things so I substituted white chocolate chips. But I will be making this recipe again with the bar to see how the fudge turns out.

I am submitting this recipe as part of this month's Crazy Cooking Challenge at Crazy Mom's Cooking! Please stop by and vote for my recipe. While you are there be sure to take a peek at the other challenger's recipes.

Join next month's challenge: Chicken Noodle Soup!

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

(adapted from the original recipe by Mindika Moments)

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Ingredients

1 8-oz package cream cheese, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

1 1/4 tsp vanilla

1 12-oz bag white chocolate chips

1 cup crushed peppermint candy canes

Directions

Line a 8x8 baking pan with waxed paper extending over the sides to form "handles." Set aside. In a large bowl, add cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until very well blended and smooth. In the top of a double boiler, add white chocolate chips and slowly melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Stir the chocolate and peppermint into the cream cheese mixture mixing until well blended. Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the peppermint to sprinkle on the top. Spread mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle reserved peppermint on top. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until firm. Cut into small squares.

Linked To:

*Sugar and Dots: What I Whipped Up Wednesday

*Around My Family Table: Turning the Table Thursday

*Talking Dollar and Cents: Sweet Temptations
*Momnivore's Dilemma: Creative Juice
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
*Somewhat Simple: Strut Your Stuff
*Something Swanky: Sweet Treat Thursday
*Mom On Timeout: Taking A Timeout Thursday
*Alli n Son: Sweet Treat Friday
*Simply Sweet Home: Friday Favorites
*Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hippo: Anything Goes Linky Party
*EKat's Kitchen: Friday Potluck
*Designs by Gollum: Foodie Friday
*Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday
*A Well-Seasoned Life: Sweet Indulgence Sunday
*This Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked

{#48} Must Try Tuesday: December 6, 2011

2011-12-06T08:02:00.000-06:00

Wow! Christmas is coming fast! My kids will be out of school next Friday and I must admit that I am so far behind. I have not done any baking. I just started shopping. However, we do have our tree up! It has been so crazy busy but really I must stop making excuses and get it in gear.

Here are a few fantastic looking recipes that I can't wait to try! Enjoy!

How yummy and refreshing do these look?

Lemon Bar Cookie Cups

The Wednesday Baker

~~~~

I love pasta dishes in the winter...

it warms up the house and fills bellies!

Three Cheese Manicotti with Meat Sauce

Like Mother, Like Daughter

~~~~

I love artichokes and this looks like a fabulous appetizer!

Elegant Artichoke Cups

Carol's Corner

~~~~

This quinoa salad looks amazing!

Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate

Traditional Foods

~~~

Linked To:

*Finding Joy in My Kitchen: Friday Favorite Finds

Recipe: The Best Baked Ziti

2011-12-05T14:58:00.001-06:00

In my efforts to incorporate more meatless meals into my family's diet, I have been searching for hearty dishes that will fill their bellies up. Some recipes my family have loved and some they haven't. Pasta dishes always win because they are satisfying and tasty. Tasty, according to my family, because they usually have lots of cheese! I came across this dish on Maggie's Vittles and Bits. If you have not been to her blog...you MUST! She has some fabulous recipes and this dish is a real winner! We ate this dish up and enjoyed it with a salad and some crusty bread. I used penne pasta because my little grocery store doesn't carry anything "fancy" like ziti. Penne is pretty exotic around these parts. I also made her Spicy Tomato Sauce and it is so hearty and delicious. This dish was perfect and will be added to our regular dinner menu rotation.

Enjoy!

The Best Baked Ziti

(original recipe by Maggie/Vittles and Bits)

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Ingredients

16 oz ziti pasta (or penne)

2 cup small curd cottage cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese

3 1/2 cup Spicy Tomato Sauce (or any good quality jarred sauce)

3/4 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine cottage cheese, eggs and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Set aside. Grease a 13x9 baking pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook about 5 minutes. (The pasta will finish cooking in the oven. This prevents the pasta from getting soggy.) Drain pasta. Return the now empty pot to the stove over medium-low heat. Add cornstarch, garlic powder, cream and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove cream sauce from heat and add cottage cheese mixture along with 1 cup of the tomato sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine and add pasta. Stir to coat the pasta thoroughly with the sauce. Transfer pasta to prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Pour remaining 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce over the top and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle chopped basil, pepper and remaining 1/4 cup parmesan over the top. Then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup (or more) mozzarella cheese. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remover foil and back and additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Linked To:
*Everyday Sisters: Sharing Sundays
*The Sweet Details: Savory Sunday
*LambAround: Not Baad Sundays
*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sundays
*Petite Hermine: Sunday Linky Party
*My Sweet and Savory: Meatless Mondays
*Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
*11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven: Homemaker Monday
*Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker: Your Recipe, My Kitchen
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*Delightfully Dowling: Mangia Mondays
*A Southern Fairytale: Mouthwatering Monday
*Marvelously Messy: A Marvelous Mess
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*It's A Blog Party: Delicious Dishes
*Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesday
*33 Shades of Green: Tasty Tuesday
*Permanent Posies: Tasty Tuesday Tidbits
*Chef In Training: Tuesday Talent Show
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made From Scratch Tuesday
*Around My Family Table: Turning the Table Thursday
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
*Somewhat Simple: Strut Your Stuff
*Designs by Gollum: Foodie Friday
*Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday
*This Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked

Recipe: Spicy Tomato Sauce

2011-12-05T14:29:00.001-06:00

Pasta dishes are a favorite here at our house. I love to make my own sauce when I can and we have an absolute favorite, Roasted Roma Tomato Sauce. It is a sweet sauce that is made with roasted roma tomatoes and it oh-so-good. Recently, I came across a recipe for baked ziti on the blog Vittles and Bits, that I wanted to try. In the recipe was a link for Spicy Tomato Sauce and because I didn't have any roma tomatoes available, I thought I would give it a try. I am so glad I did. I did adapt the recipe just a small bit for my family's liking but the sauce was hearty and perfectly seasoned and it made the ziti dish taste so good! It made a large pot, that while it was cooking smelled unbelievable, so I had enough for our baked ziti and lots of leftovers.

Enjoy!

Spicy Tomato Sauce

(adapted slightly from the recipe by Maggie/Vittles and Bits)

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Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 8-oz can tomato paste

1/2 cup beef broth

1 cup water

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp dried parsley

1 tbsp dried basil

2 heaping tsp black pepper

1 heaping tsp salt

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low. Add fresh garlic. Oil should be hot enough that when the garlic is added, it will sizzle, but not too hot that it will burn the garlic. Brown the garlic just slightly, until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add water, broth, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste and stir until heated through. Add parsley, basil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer the sauce for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Recipe: Zebra Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-11-27T21:49:00.001-06:00

For my oldest daughter's birthday this year, I wanted to make a cake for her. In the past, we have purchased cakes, but because it was her 10th birthday, I wanted to make it special for her. My baby loves zebra print and pink. A couple of month's ago, I came across a recipe for a zebra cake and I knew that it would be the perfect cake for her.

The cake itself is very easy to make. I simplified it even further by using a box mix. I actually used two mixes, one vanilla and one strawberry. I was able to make a two layer cake and about 16 cupcakes. Now, if I had it to do over again, I would have done a vanilla and chocolate cake mix so you could really see the stripes. Or perhaps, made the pink brighter by adding food coloring. As you can, the pink baked up somewhat light making it a bit harder to appreciate the stripes. I wish I had some really good pictures to show you of the inside of the cake, but unfortunately, the lighting at the restaurant we celebrated her birthday at was very dim. The cake was very moist as evident by all the cake on the plate but I also left my cake knife and server at home so we were cutting it with a butter knife and using fork as a server.

I don't claim to be an expert at frosting cakes. I just kind of go with it and hope it all comes out. My daughter loved her cake and that is what mattered. I will be remaking this soon but this time I will use a vanilla and chocolate mix or maybe even make it from scratch.

Enjoy!

Zebra Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

(recipe by Wende Rickett/The Rickett Chronicles)

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Cake

Ingredients

1 box vanilla cake mix with ingredients as listed on the box

1 box strawberry cake mix (or chocolate) with ingredients as listed on the box

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9" round cake pans with non-stick spray; set aside. In two large bowls, make cake mix following the instructions on the back of the box. To make the stripes, spoon about three tablespoons of vanilla batter into the center of the cake pan. Next, spoon three tablespoons of the strawberry (or chocolate) batter into the center of the vanilla batter. This will cause the vanilla batter to spread. Continue to alternate batters in bulls-eye fashion until all batter has filled the pans halfway. You will now have rings of each batter on the outer edges of the pan with thicker rings in the center. Very lightly tap pans to allow air bubbles to escape. Place pans in oven and cook according to package directions or until a skewer into the centre comes out clean and the outside is golden. Cool in pan for five minutes and then turn out the cake onto wire racks to cool completely. Prepare cake for icing, you may need to trim the tops a bit to make sure they are level. Place first layer on top of cake platter. Add a small amount of the frosting and frost almost to the edge of the cake. Add top layer. Crumb coat the cake and chill for 30 minutes. Once the cake has chilled, remove and frost however you want. I piped my frosting with a large star tip. On the top, I swirled the star. I place the tip on the cake and piped a star and then swirled in a the shape of a "c" but going counter-clockwise. I then filled in any holes with a star. I piped the sides with the same tip, starting from the bottom, drag the tip to the top. I then ran a continuous line horizontally for two rows. I then covered any empty spots with stars. Place the cake back in the fridge until ready to serve.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
1 8-oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

4 to 5 cups powdered sugar, depending on the consistency you need

1 to 2 tbsp half and half (or milk), if needed

Directions

Mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla until well mixed and smooth. Add a pinch of salt and mix. Add two cups powdered sugar to cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth and incorporated. Add one cup of the remaining powdered sugar at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. If it gets to thick, you can add a little half and half to thin it out a bit.

Linked To:
*My Sweet and Savory: Meatless Monday
*Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
*11th Heaven's Homemaker Haven: Homemaker Monday
*Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker: Your Recipe, My Kitchen
*DIY Home Sweet Home: More the Merrier
*Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*Delightfully Dowling: Mangia Monday
*A Southern Fairytale: Mouthwatering Monday
*Marvelously Messy: A Marvelous Mess
*Keeping it Simple: Motivate Me Monday
*Sumo's Sweet Stuff: Market Yourself Monday
*Skip to my Lou: Made by You Monday
*The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up
*Dittle Dattle: Amaze Me Monday
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*It's a Blog Party: Delicious Dishes
*Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesday
*33 Shades of Green: Tasty Tuesdays
*From Mess Hall to Bistro: Made From Scratch Tuesday
*Chef in Training: Tuesday Talent Show
*My Sweet and Savory: Let's Do Brunch
*Sweetology: Tea Party Tuesday
*Crazy for Crust: Crazy Sweet Tuesday
*Somewhat Simple: Strut Your Stuff
*Sugar and Dots: What I Whipped Up Wednesday
*This Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked
*Bizzy Bakes: Bake with Bizzy
*Around My Family Table: Turning the Table Thursday
*Talking Dollar and Cents: Sweet Tempations
*Something Swanky: Sweet Treats Thursday
*Alli n Son: Sweeth Tooth Friday
*Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for a Saturday
*A Well-Seasoned Life: Sweet Indulgence Sunday

Recipe: Blue Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-11-20T08:30:00.001-06:00

This year, my daughter decided she didn't want pink cupcakes to celebrate her birthday with her classmates. She wanted blue and white (our school colors) cupcakes to celebrate our varsity girl volleyball team that went to the state championship and come home ranked third in our great big state of Texas. Go Lady Cougars!

Well, I aim to please my baby girl but I had planned on making white cupcakes with pretty pink frosting. I turned to the internet in search of blue velvet cupcakes and found several recipes. A couple of recipes I found weren't exactly blue but a shade of green with a blue tint. I came across a couple more that were very vibrant and a beautiful shade of blue, but I didn't have the right food coloring gel to make those cupcakes. I also couldn't just run right out and pick up the needed colors because I am 45 minutes away from the nearest big store and my little country grocery store doesn't carry things like food coloring gel. So, I searched through the gels that I had and this is what I came up with. They were a deep dark blue which was perfect for our team color and thank goodness not a shade of green in them. Best of all my daughter loved them!

These really aren't traditional blue velvet cupcakes because I used a box cake mix and added coloring. A traditional velvet cake is made from scratch with buttermilk. At some point, I would like to make a traditional velvet cake, be it red, blue or green, but for now I am completely happy with the results I achieved with my shortcut.

Enjoy!

Blue Velvet Cupcakes with

Cream Cheese Frosting

(recipe by Wende Rickett/The Rickett Chronicles)

{print}

Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 box white cake mix with ingredients as listed on the box

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp cornflower blue food coloring gel

15 drops of blue food coloring (the liquid kind you dye your Easter eggs with)

1 smidgen of red food coloring gel

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with liners. In a large bowl, following the cake mix instructions, add ingredients for cake and mix. In a small bowl, add cocoa powder and food colorings, mixing to make a paste. Add paste to cake mix bowl and mix until very well blended. Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners filling about 2/3 of the way up. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until done. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1 8-oz package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

4 to 5 cups powdered sugar, depending on the consistency you need

1 to 2 tbsp half and half (or milk), if needed

Directions

Linked To:

*Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker: Your Recipe, My Kitchen
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in you Mouth Monday

*Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
*11th Heaven's Homemaker Haven: Homemaker Monday
*Talking Dollar and Cents: Muffin Monday
*DIY Home Sweet Home: More the Merrier Monday
*Delightfully Dowling: Mangia Monday
*A Southern Fairytale: Mouthwatering Monday
*Marvelously Messy: Marvelous Mess
*Sumo's Sweet Stuff: Market Yourself Monday
*The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up
*Skip to My Lou: Made by you Monday
*Project Queen: Turing the Daunting Into the Doable
*Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
*All the Small Stuff: Tuesdays at the Table
*Hoosier Homemade: Cupcake Tuesday
*33 Shades of Green: Tasty Tuesdays
*Chef in Training: Tuesday Talent Show
*Permanent Posies: Tuesday Tasty Tidbits
*Reasons To Skip the Housework: Tuesday Timeout
*My Sweet and Savory: Let's Do Brunch
*Bizzy Bakes: Bake with Bizzy
*Sweetology: Tea Party Tuesday
*This Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked
*Stuff and Nonsense: Friday's Unfolded
*Designs by Gollum: Foodie Friday
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
*Talking Dollar and Cents: Sweet Tempations
*Somewhat Simple: Strut Your Stuff
*What Allie's Making Now: Making It With Allie
*A Glimpse Inside: Catch a Glimpse
*A Creative Princess: It's a Party!
*Ali n'Son: Sweet Tooth Friday
*Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hippo: Anything Goes
*EKat's Kitchen: Friday Potluck
*Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday
*Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for a Saturday
*Be Different, Act Normal: Show and Tell Saturday
*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday
*A Well-Seasoned Life: Sweet Indulgence
*LambAround: Not Baad Sunday
*J&M's Eye Candy: Strut Your Stuff
*Petite Hermine: Sunday Linky Party

{#47} Must Try Tuesday: November 22, 2011

2011-11-17T16:11:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you are all cooking, baking and enjoying family and friends. Here are some fabulous recipes that I found this week!

Enjoy!

Oh my sweet goodness!

Artichoke Dip Grilled Cheese

Hun...What's for Dinner?

~~~~~

Another version of spinach and artichoke dip...

this time with pasta!

Cheesy Penne with Spinach and Artichokes

Crumbs and Chaos

~~~~

I have been wanting to try to make these

cookies for years...now I have no excuse!

Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

Mother Thyme

~~~~

Yummy! Yummy!

Perfect appetizer for the holidays...

Smoked Gouda Cheese Straws

Olla-Podrida

~~~~

I have some Girl Scout shortbread cookies that

I think would be great for these cuties...

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Our Life in a Click

~~~~

Mmmmm....I think this would be perfect on family movie night...

Nutella Hot Cocoa

Everyday Mom's Meals

~~~~

How yummy would this be for breakfast on

Thanksgiving or even Christmas morning?

Apple-Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

Cooking with Chopin

~~~~

My girls are HUGE iCarly fans and

would totally get a kick of these...

Spaghetti Tacos

The Misplaced Midwesterner

~~~~

How unique are these...not to much yummy looking....

Sugar Cookie Cupcakes

Flour Me With Love

~~~~

Linked To:

*Finding Joy in My Kitchen: Friday Favorite Finds

Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

When I found out the Improv Cooking Challenge this month was pumpkin and cream cheese, I couldn't wait to play around with the combination. I thought about making some muffins or maybe some pumpkin cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting. But what really sounded good to me was a pumpkin cheesecake, but I didn't really have time this month to devote to making a good and proper cheesecake. It came to me one day, that I could make truffles with a pumpkin cheesecake inside. Now, I have never in my life made a truffle, but have wanted to for some time. I searched through some blogs for a recipe but all of them required making a cheesecake first which I just couldn't do. So, I played around with the ingredients one day and I think that I came up with a pretty good "faux" cheesecake center that requires no baking. I had several people try them and everyone enjoyed them. I love it when a plan comes together!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles

recipe by Wende Rickett/The Rickett Chronicles

{print}

Ingredients

1 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup crushed shortbread cookies
1/2 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup powdered sugar

10 tbsp pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

white candy coating

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the candy coating. Mix until smooth. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Scoop mixture by the tablespoon and roll into a ball form. I actually used a cookie scoop. Place the balls on a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet and place back in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours or longer. The balls will still be somewhat soft but should hold their shape. You could also freeze them for a hour if you want them to be more firm when you are dipping them in the chocolate. Melt candy coating according to the package directions. Dip each ball into the chocolate working quickly and place back on the lined cookie sheet. You can drizzle a little chocolate on any "bald" spots. Place them back into the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

Linked To:
*It's A Keeper: It's A Keeper Thursday
*Talking Dollar and Cents: Sweet Temptations
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
*Frugal Follies: Frugal Food Thursday
*Somewhat Simple: Strut Your Stuff
*What Allie's Making Now: Making It with Allie
*Something Swanky: Sweet Treats Thursday
*A Glimpse Inside: Catch a Glimpse
*Mom on Timeout: Taking a Timeout Thursday
*A Creative Princess: It's A Party
*This Chick Cooks: These Chicks Cooked
*Momnivore's Dilemma: Creative Juice
*Sugar and Dots: What I Whipped Up Wednesday
*My Girlish Whims: Your Whims Wednesday
*Project Queen: Turning the Daunting into Doable
*Remodelaholic: Recipe Linky Party
*Someday Crafts: Whatever Goes Wednesday
*Simply Sweet Home: Friday Favorites
*Alli n-Son: Sweet Tooth Friday
*Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hippo: Anything Goes
*eKat's Kitchen: Friday Potluck
*Designs by Gollum: Foodie Friday
*Just Call Me Blesses: Fabulous Friday Link Up
*Six Sister's Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday
*Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for Saturday
*Be Different Act Normal: Show and Tell Saturday
*A Well Seasoned Life: Sweet Indulgences Sunday
*Lamb Around: Not Baad Sundays
*I Heart Naptime: Sundae Scoop
*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday
*J&M's Eye Candy: Strut Your Stuff Sunday
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sundays
*Everyday Mom's Meals: Church Supper
*Petite Hermine: Sunday Link Party
*Cupcake Apothecary: A Themed Baker's Sunday
*Skip to My Lou: Made by You Monday
*It's A Blog Party: Delicious Dishes
*Mandy's Recipe Box: Totally Tasty Tuesday

Weekly Meal Plan: Week of November 28, 2011

2011-11-13T19:42:00.001-06:00

Whew! Last week was so busy getting ready for Thanksgiving and wrapping up at school for a long week that there were several nights we just grabbed something quick. I just could not find time to get into the kitchen and cook. As a mother, I felt some guilt feeding my kids fast food and frozen pizza, so I have made it my goal to have a very well stocked pantry and some meals in the freezer for the next time that I have zero time to get into the kitchen and cook a meal. And wahoo! It is finally getting cold enough for us to enjoy soups more often so I have planned several nights of yummy soup!

Have a great week!

Meal 1
Spaghetti

Garlic Bread

Salad

Meal 2

Taco Soup
Corn Bread

Meal 3

Creamy Cheddar Cheese Soup

Crusty Bread

Meal 4

Hamburgers
Curly Fries

Meal 5
Leftovers

Meal 6
Red Velvet Pancakes

Meal 7

White Chicken Chili
Pimento Cheese Corn Muffins

BAKING

Mandarin Orange Muffins

Linked To:

*Org Junkie: Menu Plan Monday

Recipe: Streusel Topped Pumpkin Spice Muffins {Revisited and Updated}

2011-11-11T09:20:00.001-06:00

I am in the process of updating the pictures of my older recipes. While I do not claim to be very good at taking photos, I am trying and learning. And, let's be honest, anything is better than what they were!

We love all things muffin in our house. My family loves them for breakfast, with their lunches, snacks...you name it. These muffins are one of are very favorites (I think I say that about all the muffins I make) especially during the fall months. When they are baking, not only does my house warm up from the oven, but the most delightfully warm scent fills the air. These are super easy to make because they require three ingredients for the muffins...spice cake mix, canned pumpkin and water. You can add the streusel topping, which takes these over the top, or you can leave them "naked."

The recipe can be found here with newly updated pictures.

Enjoy!

Linked To:
*Alli n Sons: Sweet Tooth Friday
*Six Sister's Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday
*Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for a Saturday
*Be Different, Act Normal: Show and Tell Saturday
*A Well Seasoned Life: Sweet Indulgences Sunday
*LambAround: Not Baad Sundays
*Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday
*J&M's Eye Candy: Strut Your Stuff Sunday
*Flamingo Toes: Think Pink Sundays
*Petite Hermine: Sunday Linky Party
*My Sweet and Savory: Meatless Monday
*Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
*11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven: Homemaker Monday
*Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker: Your Recipe, My Kitchen
*Talking Dollar and Cents: Muffin Monday
*DIY Home Sweet Home: More the Merrier
*Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms: Melt in Your Mouth Monday
*Delightfully Dowling: Mangia Monday
*A Southern Fairytale: Mouthwatering Monday
*Marvelously Messy: A Marvelous Mess
*The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up

Must Try Tuesday: November 15, 2011

2011-11-10T08:05:00.002-06:00

It feels like only yesterday it was hot and dry here....oh wait...that was yesterday! Last week we had cooler temperatures but this week we are back in the 80's. I thought we were going to have some fall like temperatures from here on out, but I guess not. And can you believe it? Thanksgiving is next week. Crazy!

I found a ton of great recipes this week. Here they are!

Enjoy!

This is a quick and easy meal for any weeknight...

Ham and Cheese Rollups

Walking on Sunshine

~~~~

I love pork and apples...and it's a crock pot meal!

Apple Butter Pork Chops in the Crock Pot

Crystal & Co.

~~~~

Pumpkin + Apple Butter + Buttercream= Yummy!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Apple Butter Buttercream