Back to the grind

The big kids have started school (3rd and 1st grades) and Bankston Hays (3 yr old Preschool) starts tomorrow. We are excited about the new year - new teachers, new friends, new things to learn! To celebrate the first day of school we had a special treat as an afternoon snack.

I am kinda on a recipe kick, so I'll share one that caught my attention :) I first saw this recipe on a blog I can no longer find, but great old Google read between my search words and lead me right to an almost identical dessert (if not the same recipe)!

Frozen Caramel Toffee Ice Cream Dessert

1 box Ice Cream Sandwiches

1 jar Hot Fudge

1 jar Caramel

12 oz. Cool Whip

Toffee Bits

Unwrap ice cream sandwiches and layer bottom of casserole dish (1 sandwich thick). Top ice cream sandwiches with Cool Whip. Heat hot fudge in microwave until runny and drizzle on top of Cool Whip. Drizzle caramel on top of Cool Whip. Sprinkle Cool Whip with toffee bits. Then layer with ice cream sandwiches, Cool Whip, hot fudge and caramel. Top with toffee bits. Freeze until ready to serve.

This dessert was super easy and super yummy! Throwing in different nuts - peanuts, pecans, almonds - would be good, too :)

Celebrating Kris!

Yesterday was Kris' birthday! The kids and I were excited to celebrate such a great husband/daddy. Kris and I went to see Harry Potter the night before (for our anniversary), so his big day did not entail too many great or exciting plans. However, we kept with our tradition and celebrated lunch with a few friends at our our house. The tradition includes Kris choosing the lunch menu - I'll make whatever he wants ;) The kids love this - always putting in their suggestions.

Birthday Lunch Menu

Shrimp Lasagna (A dish my mom makes that we LOVE - rumors hace it that my brother requested the same meal for his birthday a few weeks ago! The link takes you to a similar recipe I found online.)

Spinach Salad

Sister Schubert Rolls

Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding

I did not take any pictures of his special day, but I thought I'd share two of the recipes with you. Both are DEE-LISH!

(photo credits)

Shrimp Lasagna

12 oz. Angel Hair Pasta

15 oz. jar Chunky Salsa

1 lb. bag Shrimp (frozen, tiny)

8 oz. Mozzarella

Mix:

2 large Eggs

1 cup Evaporated Milk

1 cup Yogurt (plain)

8 oz. Feta Cheese (crumbled)

8 oz. Swiss Cheese

1 tsp. Parsley

1 tsp. Basil

1 tsp. Oregano

2 tsp. Garlic (minced)

Spray 9x13 pan with Pam.

Layer from bottom to top:

1/2 of Pasta

Salsa

1/2 of Shrimp

Remaining Pasta

Yogurt Mixture

Remaining Shrimp

Mozzarella

(photo from Flickr)

Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding

2 bags Pepperidge Farms Chessman Cookies

6 to 8 Bananas (sliced)

2 cups Milk

5 oz. box Instant French Vanilla Pudding

8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)

14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk

12 oz. Cool Whip

Line the bottom of a 9x13 dish with Chessman Cookies. Layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the cool whip into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Resurrection Rolls

A few years ago a good friend recommended trying this recipe with the kids on Easter weekend. It is a neat recipe because you read the Resurrection story along with the preparation/cooking steps.

Resurrection Rolls
1 can Crescent Rolls
8 large Marshmallows
1 stick Butter (melted)
Cinnamon Sugar


Read John 19 while the oven is pre-heating to 350 degrees.

Explain the symbolism of the ingredients:
Marshmallow - represents Jesus, all white and pure because He was without sin
Melted Butter - represents the embalming oils
Cinnamon Sugar - represents the spices used to prepare Jesus' body
Crescent Roll - represents the cloth used to wrap Jesus


Each child took turns making their way down our assembly line.

Take a marshmallow and roll it around in the melted butter.


Take butter-coated marshmallow and roll it around in the cinnamon sugar.


Wrap the butter and cinnamon sugar coasted marshmallow with a crescent roll (making sure to pinch the dough, sealing it together securely).


Explain that the oven symbolizes the tomb. Place the Resurrection Rolls in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.

While the rolls are baking read John 20:1-18.

Open the tomb and remove the Resurrection Rolls. After they've cooled break one open and find that the marshmallow is no longer there.

Jesus is alive!

mmmmm...my favorite pie

Between myself and Kris, we now only have one surviving grandparent.

Meet my maternal grandmother, Jewell Evelyn...

As a rite of being the first grandchild, I had the honor of "naming" my grandmother, and so she became "Jewella".

Jewella has always been involved in our lives - visiting on holidays and special occasions, taking us to DC, introducing us to the Amish and Mennonite countrysides, cooking up some delicious meals over the years (love, love, love, love, love her fried squash), starting and continuing our collections (Santas and Madame Alexander dolls are two) and even housing me while I completed my 12 week internship in college. While some of these traditions continued through the last few years, a few did not. Unfortunately, Jewella lost her husband (my grandfather, Gran-Gran) to Leukemia in March of 1985. I had just turned 10 and the memories of his diagnosis, battle, and death are real. I was not old enough to completely understand, but I was old enough to feel it. Over the years I watched my grandmother seclude herself, watched her life stop as if she should no longer live since her husband did not. She stopped traveling, stopped visiting our house, stopped the lively and social life from before and took to re-living the memories of her past life instead of making life anew. It was sad. But we all just accepted it. She couldn't be changed. She was making her own decisions and this was the way she wanted it.

Fast forward 25 years, she has now had a few strokes and gradually has needed more care, but continued to live alone, refusing any help. This past summer she fell and cracked her back, had surgery, and received rehab at an inpatient facility. It became very clear that she would no longer be able to live alone - her short term memory had suffered. Plans began to be made and the standing decision was for her to move in with my mom, almost 200 miles from her own home.

I was very supportive of this decision. After all, Jewella deserves it. Though I was very concerned for my mom. I knew how unhappy my grandmother could be and I knew it meant my mother "giving up" her recent (as in 2 months!!!) retirement to care for her mom and it would limit my mom's going and doing. Even with all that said, Jewella deserves it.

Once the move was made and she got settled in, things started looking up. She now had a doctor that listened, read between the lines, and cared. She had a daughter that was fixing her meals, tending to her daily needs, and seeing that therapy was arranged. And, she had interaction with people - including her great-grandchildren (my sister's kids live in town). Within a few weeks (and with some medication changes) she was a different person. She is now happy - even laughing. She is now agreeable - even speaking appreciation for my mom. She is enjoying life - even traveling and spending the night out of town!

What an answer to prayer! It is not all a bed of roses, but so much better than we ever imagined. And we are thankful!

In the heart of thankfulness for Jewella and the spirit of Thanksgiving I thought I'd share a recipe of her's that is my all time fave!!! My mom would make this pie often and I loved it every single time. It is absolutely delicious when warm and just as tasty when cooled off. Enjoy :)

Jewella's Chocolate Pie

FILLING:
Butter (size of an egg, softened)
3 Egg Yolks (reserving whites for Meringue)
3/4 cup Sugar
3 tbsp Flour
3 tbsp Cocoa
1 cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
Pie Shell (baked)

MERINGUE:
3 Egg Whites (yolks used in filling)
6 tbsp Sugar

Cream butter and sugar.
Add egg yolks and beat well.
Mix flour and cocoa and add to above mixture.
Add milk.
Cook over low heat stirring constantly until very thick.
Add vanilla.
Pour into baked pie shell and set aside.

Beat egg whites on high until thick.
Slowly add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time.
Beat till it stands in peaks.

Pour meringue on top of pie.
Bake at 350 degrees till lightly browned.

FLASHBACK: Kris turns 38!

Kris' birthday falls the day after our anniversary. We usually celebrate our anniversary in some way so Kris' birthday ends up being a little more low key. For the past couple of years I have cooked whatever Kris requested and had a few people over. This year we had steak, twice baked potatoes, and steamed broccoli. It was so good.

He is such a good daddy!


We also enjoy singing "Happy Birthday" to him and letting him blow out a candle :) I rarely make a traditional birthday cake for the celebration. Over the years we have had red velvet cake, ice cream cakes, and even blueberry pound cake. But this year we put a candle in Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake!



This was absolutely delicious! Everyone gave it a thumbs up!


Applebee's Reeses' Peanut Butter Cup Cheeesecake
(recipe found at cdkitchen.com)

CRUST
2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs - (more if needed)
1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts -- coarsely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter -- melted
4 tablespoons golden brown sugar - (firmly packed)
1 pinch salt

FILLING
4 packages cream cheese - (8 oz ea) -- room temperature
1 1/2 cup golden brown sugar - (firmly packed)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 cups Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in 3/4" pieces

TOPPING
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips - (12 oz)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup water

DIRECTIONS
For Crust:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter 9-inch spring form pan. Mix chocolate cookie crumbs, chopped peanuts, melted butter, brown sugar and pinch of salt in bowl until well combined. Press mixture evenly onto bottom and sides of pan. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool. Reduce oven to 325 degrees.

For Filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and brown sugar in large bowl until smooth. Add peanut butter and vanilla extract and beat just until blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add whipping cream and beat until smooth. Stir in peanut butter cup pieces. Pour filling into crust. Bake until sides of cake are set, but center still moves slightly, about 55 minutes. Cool cake in pan.

For Topping:
Place all ingredients in microwavable bowl and heat at 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue to heat at 10 second intervals until chocolate is barely melted. Do Not Overheat. Stir until smooth and pour over top of cheesecake, spreading chocolate to edges.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Happy Birthday, Kris!
You are the best!

Fruity-licious Treat

The kids absolutely love this quick and easy after school snack! It is a simple twist on the old favorite Rice Krispy Treats...just with a fruity kick.


1/4 cup Butter
10 oz. bag Marshmallows
11 oz. box Fruity Pebbles Cereal

Melt butter over medium heat. Once heated, add marshmallows. Turn down to low and let marshmallows melt. Once the consistency of syrup, add Fruity Pebbles and stir. Pour into 9x13 casserole dish and let set. Cut into squares and serve.

Loaded Potato Soup

You never know what kind of weather we are going to get around here. Over the last week we have seen big, beautiful snow flakes leave us with a couple of inches of snow, rain and more rain make the days long and dreary, the sun with its warmth tease us with 65 degree temps, and now we are looking at a projected high of 47 degrees!


The night it snowed we let the kids stay up and see the big flakes. Here they are enjoying them (none other than in their pj's).


Since we hardly ever receive snow, we have to make the most of it! When we wake up to this beauty it brings a smile to our soul :)


When we are fortunate enough to have a true winter day. I love to warm it up with pot of soup. One of my most favorite is Loaded Potato Soup!


Loaded Potato Soup

Dump the following ingredients in a crock pot and let simmer for 30 minutes:
1 bag frozen Hashbrowns (cubed or shredded)
1 can Chicken Broth
1 can Water
chopped Onion

Mix the following ingredients into the above mixture and let simmer on low all day:
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Milk
**I am not a big fan of celery, so I have substituted with another can of Cream of Chicken Soup

One hour before serving add the following ingredient and let melt:
1 block Velveeta

Optional toppings include:
Sour Cream
Bacon Bits
Chives
Shredded Cheese
Green Onions

(Photo above taken from allrecipes.com)

Seafood Bisque

I enjoyed this most awesome recipe a year or so ago at Bunko. With this past weekend's temps dipping a little, I got the desire for a big pot of soup to warm us up. It didn't disappoint!

Seafood Bisque
2 cans whole kernel corn
3 cans potato soup
1 can chicken broth
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 qt half n half
2 Tbsp Tony Chachere's seasoning
2 small cans mushrooms, drained (optional)
crab/shrimp/crawfish as desired

Melt butter with half n half in large pot. Soften cream cheese and mix in. Add all other ingredients and cook on low for 30-45 minutes.

**I went to Corner Market and got them to steam me 1 lb of small shrimp. I told them not to add seasonings since they were going in a soup. I also found prepackaged, real (not imitation) crabmeat at Corner Market and used about half the pack.

**I read in one of Robert St. John's articles that you should make bisque the day before you are going to serve it and refrigerate it so all the ingredients/seasonings can blend together. That's what I did, but I ate some as an appetizer Wed.night to make sure it tasted good before serving it to you guys and it was delicious then!!

***My friend passed out this recipe after we were all raving about it. I typed it up just as she did for us - so the extra points are hers, not mine :)

Oh, yes I did!

I find that a lot of my recipes call for chopped onions. I like chopped onions...especially sauteed in butter! But I loathe chopping onions! Anyone with me here? Chopping onions causes me major pain. They make me cry. And I mean those big ol' crocodile tears that are uncontrollable. Then my eyes continue to burn for a while. I can do it, I will do it, but I will not like it.

Earlier this week it was that time again. I needed some sauteed onions for what I was making and my stash was depleted (I have been known to have one BIG cry fest and chop several onions, saute them, and freeze them). I was not looking forward to it. However, I remembered seeing an ad that just might help me out. The ad was for onion goggles. Yep, onion goggles.


Wouldn't you know these onions came with an "onion goggle" price, too?!?

I got to thinking about this concept. Would Wes' swimming mask do the job?


For no more tears, I was willing to try!

Oh, yes I did! I wore the above snorkel mask while I chopped the onion. And I am proud to report that I remained tear free - for free! (Guess I want be storing that piece of summer equipment after all!)

On the subject of onions, another pet peeve of mine about chopping onions is the way my hands continue to smell of onions for quite a while after I am finished chopping. No amount of soap seems to help. I came across a tip (I think from Martha Stewart) a year or so ago that really works!! All you need is stainless steel. Got a stainless steel sink? That will work. Used a stainless steel knife to chop the onion with? That will work! All you need to do is rub your hands on the stainless steel when you are finished. VOILA! The after-chopping-onion-smell is history!

FLASHBACK: Chocolate Ice Cream

When Kris and I were engaged and getting ready to be married, we were blessed with several very generous wedding showers. These showers wer given to us by very dear friends of our parents, our churches, and friends from college. We were fortunate to receive so many great gifts that enabled us to stock our house with things we needed and things we wanted. Out of those gifts there were a few items that we had not registered for, and at the time we probably saw those gifts as , let's say, odd.

Well, one such gift has turned out to be such a useful gift. One that has called our names several times over the years. One that was put to use over and over throughout this summer - our Electric Ice Cream Maker.


If you are fortunate to own an Electric Ice Cream Maker, you must try this oh-so-simple recipe!!!

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

1/2 gallon Chocolate Ice Cream
1 large container Cool Whip
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Pour all three ingredients into the ice cream maker. Pour ice and rock salt (alternating) around container. Turn on and let freeze.

The ice cream tastes just like a Wendy's Frosty. YUM!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

BooMama is hosting a recipe party over on her blog. She wants us to share our favorite dip recipes. And being the appetizer kind of gal that I am, I knew I could contribute! My only problem was choosing a favorite :)

There aren't many appetizers I wouldn't choose over real food on any given day. And this dip is no different! I first tasted this recipe years ago at a Sunday School party and have since made it on numerous occasions. I love that it is served warm and is super cheesy. That rates as delicious on my scale!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

8 oz bag Parmesan/Mozzarella Cheese (grated)
1 cup Mayonnaise (Hellman's tastes best with this recipe)
1 can (14 oz) Artichoke Hearts (drained and chopped)
1 pkg (10 oz) Frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed and drained)
3 cloves Garilc

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together half of cheese, mayonnaise, artichoke hearts, spinach and garlic. Spoon into a 9 inch pie plate (recipe can be doubled to fill a 9x13 casserole dish). Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly brown.

I have served this dip with tortilla chips or toasted french bread rounds and both were delicious. I honestly can't imagine anything on earth making this delicacy taste bad! With football season here, maybe this dip will find its way to your tailgating table. Hopefully you'll agree with me...YUM-O!

My kind of day

Today was just right. Ever have those kind of days? It started off with ALL of us getting to sleep in a little later than usual. We did not have a set plan for today other than "do what needs to be done". We headed outside and before we knew it all kinds of things were accomplished!
-yard work completed
-storage room cleaned out and re-organized
-teak patio furniture sanded
-old flower pots emptied and stored
-kitchen cleaned
-den picked up

And we still had energy for the fun stuff!
-Kris and Wes through the baseball
-Bankston Hays enjoyed singing
-Ann Elise made mud pies
-all three kids worked together to make a mud fort for the Star Wars and medieval knights figurines
-good bit of bike, scooter, and 4-wheeler riding

You know it is a good day when:
-your children do not ask if they can watch TV
-your children do not ask for a snack
-your baby is so sweaty, dirty, and sand-encrusted that you have to bathe him before naptime
-ate a deeelicious supper of grilled pork chops, homemade macaroni and cheese, black eyed peas, and cornbread
-got to eat outside on a clean patio because the weather was perfect (and kept your kitchen clean!)
-the kids are bathed and ready for devotion before 8 pm

Wanna try the deeelicious pork chops we grilled tonight?? We have used this marinade recipe twice and it's a keeper!


Grilled Pork Chops Marinade
1/2 cup Water
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
3 T Lemon Pepper Seasoning
2 cloves Garlic
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

Mix all ingredients and pour over pork chops. Allow to marinate at least two hours. Grill for 15 minutes.

Cooking Tip/Newest Favorite Recipe

I really enjoy cooking and I want our family to have sit down meals together. Soon after Bankston Hays was born I realized that was becoming more and more of an undertaking. Finding the time to shop, prepare, and cook and the effort to clean-up was becoming less and less. I solved it by "cooking double". Whenever I am going to cook a casserole, I try to double it. Then I freeze the extra casserole for later. This helps keep a supply of good meals to pull out on those most common "busy days". If it is a recipe the kids will not eat (yes, I was one of those mothers that said my children would eat whatever I put in front of them - they don't), instead of doubling it, I just split it. I try to keep 8x8 throw away pans available and I'll split the casserole into two of them - freezing the second for later. This has been a very easy adjustment and has made meal time easier. It is also nice for when a friend has a baby or other need - you have a meal ready to go!

I wanted to share my newest favorite recipe! My mother-in-law actually found this recipe on the Food Network website. She made it first and I loved it. I have made it a few times since and tweaked it a little to our liking (well, mine and Kris' liking - the kids don't eat it). It is a keeper! I am also including the recipe for the rolls I serve with it. Super Duper easy! I call them BSU rolls because they used to make them and serve them at the Missions Banquet.

Chicken and Wild Rice and Green Bean Casserole

4 Skinless Chicken Breasts (boiled and cubed)
2 cans Green Beans (I used French Style Green Beans)
1/4 jar Roasted Red Peppers (diced)
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 box Zatarain's Wild and Long Grain Rice (made according to directions)
2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
pinch of salt

Bake at 375 degrees until bubbly and browned.


Easy BSU Rolls

2 cups Bisquick
1 cup Sour Cream
1 stick Butter

Melt butter in microwave. Add Bisquick and Sour Cream. Spoon into muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned.

Yummy, Yummy!

Last night for supper we had this yummy dish!

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
1 can chicken broth
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
Optional ingredients: 7 oz chopped green chilies (drained), 1/2 cup diced pimientos, Ro-tel
6-8 flour tortillas
cilantro
salsa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 baking dish with Pam.
Melt butter in medium pan over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is tender.
Add flour, cook and stir 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in chicken broth; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Add cream cheese; stir until melted.
Stir in 1/2 - 1 cup cheese, chicken, chilies, pimientos, rotel.
Spoon about 1/4 -1/3 cup mixture onto each tortillas.
Roll up and place, seam side down, in the baking dish.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.
Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with salsa if desired.


I just had to share the recipe! A family in our Sunday School class brought us these enchiladas after Bankston Hays was born. I thought they were delicious and have thought about wanting the recipe often. Well, a few weeks ago I ran into her at church and told her I wanted to know how she made them. (A funny story-that same day another girl asked her for the recipe and she had taken them the same enchiladas after their child was born! Beware, they are a love for postpartum women!) She later e-mailed me the recipe. Try them! They do not disappoint!

A: Appetizers

I love appetizers - most of the time I enjoy them as much, if not more, than the meal! I enjoy having a little something to munch on as I get acquainted with people, as I read a menu, and as I visit with those I love. Appetizers can be sweet, salty, crunchy, or smooth - as long as they are yummy!

In honor of the "A" in Thankful I am posting two of my quick-fix, all-time favorites. I hope you can squeeze them into your holiday plans...they will not disappoint!

Something sweet and crunchy...

Toffee Apple Dip
8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
8 oz bag Toffee Chips
8-10 Apples

Blend first four ingredients. Stir in Toffee Chips. Slice apples (soak apples in pineapple juice if not ready to serve or to preserve).
*May be served cold or room temperature.
**Store in airtight container up to five days.

Something salty and smooth...

Baked Pimento Cheese (Southern Living Magazine, December 2004)
1 1/2 cups Mayonnaise
1 jar (4 oz) Diced Pimentos
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Onion (finely grated)
1/4 tsp Red Pepper
8 oz Extra-sharp Cheddar Cheese (grated)
8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese (grated)

Stir together first five ingredients in a large bowl. Add cheeses. Spoon mixture into casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until dip is golden and bubbly. Serve with your choice of crackers (I have used Ritz, Club crackers, and Wheat Thins).

Cheesy Rotel Chicken Soup

A few years ago, a friend of mine hosted Bunko at her house and served this yummy soup. She had her house all decorated and festive for Fall - serving this soup in hollowed out mini pumpkins! It was precious. But the taste was even more impressionable! After mentioning the soup in my "TWO fun things today" post, I thought I would share the recipe with y'all!

Cheesy Rotel Chicken Soup

1 stick margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
2 cans white shoepeg corn
1 can Rotel
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned
desirable amount milk, heavy cream, or half & half

Saute' onion in butter until tender. Add Velveeta cheese and let melt. Pour entire cans of all other ingredients into a crock pot. Add cheese and onion mixture. Chop/shred chicken into bite size pieces. Add chicken to crock pot. Cook on high approximately one hour. Then add milk/heavy cream/half & half to increase volume until desired amount obtained (I usually use 2 cups of milk). Continue to cook in crock pot until soup is warm or until ready to serve. Freeezes well!

If you try it, let me know what you think!

PS - this recipe holds a special place in my heart as it was what I was preparing when I went into labor with Ann Elise...I was chopping chicken at 6:30 pm when I first stopped to start timing my contractions..made it to the hospital ER at 7:50 pm, was complete, and she was here (without drugs) by 8:10 pm. OH YES! It holds a special place in my heart :)

Sweet Treat

Just about every day this week we have a little fun planned! After school today we made Nutter Butter Ghost Cookies. Have you ever seen them? I think they are precious and so easy to make! I plan for Wes and Ann Elise to take them to school tomorrow for their friends. Here is how you make them:

You need 1 tray of Nutter Butter Cookies, 1 bag of Chocolate Chip Mini Morsels, 1 package of Vanilla Almond Bark

Melt Almond Bark in a double boiler until smooth and runny. (please excuse my "double boiler")

Dip Nutter Butter Cookies into Almond Bark, one at a time. Hold the cookie by one end and cover most of the cookie.


Place cookie on wax paper. Add three Chocolate Chip Mini Morsels to make two eyes and a mouth.

Let dry (10 minutes or less...not long). Bon appetit!

I promised!

Honey Mustard

1 quart Kraft Mayonnaise
1 pint Mustard
24 ounces Honey
2 tbsp Vinegar
6 tbsp Oil
1/8 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Mix all ingredients. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes approximately 4-5 cups.

Top Secret Recipes

Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and come away realizing that something you had was the best you have ever had?!? Sure you have! Then you find yourself searching and searching for the closest product or recipe and it still is not quite right? Well, I have recently come across a website featuring top secret recipes (the title links to the website). I am impressed and want you to know about it, too! They have lots and lots of recipes from all sorts of restaurants featuring all types of foods. (Some of the recipes free and others are not...I have only looked at the "free" ones so I am not exactly sure what is entailed if they are not "free")

When it comes to menu planning for our family of five, it just about always includes chicken and salad. With that comes the need for condiments and/or dressings. Ranch and Honey Mustard dressings top the list at our house! I have been making our Honey Mustard from scratch for about 10 years now (I'll share that recipe next week) and we love it. But, I had never tried making our Ranch dressing...until this week! I made the following recipe and it is delicious!!!!


Outback Steakhouse's Ranch Salad Dressing

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (Buttermilk Recipe)
3 cups Mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
3/8 teaspoon Red Pepper
3/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Mix all ingredients together. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes approximately 4 1/2 cups.

Starbucks Lovin'...

One of my all time favorite treats is a Caramel Frappuccino from Starbucks.



I love that it is coffe. I love that it is sweet with caramel. I love that it is cold and slushy. I do not love that it costs close to $5 to enjoy. So, I decided to Google for a recipe and came across several! I am looking forward to trying this soon...maybe this weekend!!!


STARBUCKS CARAMEL FRAPPUCCINO
(taken from http://www.legacyofhope.org/frappe.html)

3/4 cup double-strength coffee, cold
1 cup low-fat milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons caramel
2 cups ice

1. Make double-strength coffee by brewing with twice the coffee required by your coffee maker. That should be 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per each cup of coffee. Chill before using.
2. To make the drink, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses, and top each glass with whipped cream and drizzle additional caramel over the whipped cream. Serve with a straw. Makes 2 "grande" drinks.