Monday, December 29, 2014

My Favorite Appetizers --- Happy New Years!


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Here are some of my favorite New Years Eve Appetizers. Click on the link below each picture to get the recipe.  Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!  Be safe as you party in the New Year!


Sunday, December 28, 2014

White Eggnog Hot Chocolate


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This hot chocolate combination was super good!  To me it tasted like warm custard...YUM!


Saturday, December 27, 2014

Sea Salted Soft Caramels


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I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!  Mine was perfect!  I was blessed to have both of my kids home with me celebrating the birth of Christ.  I am still behind on posting some of my Christmas goodies.  I have still been under the weather.  Whatever I have caught has now been hanging on for over 3 weeks now...ugh!  Hopefully I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel now.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Pumpkin Spice Cookie Blossoms


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Today I am sharing another recipe from a cookie swap.  This swap is hosted by Julie from White Lights on Wednesday 


Monday, December 15, 2014

Pudding Sugar Cookies


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Today is the Food Blogger Cookie Swap reveal day!  As you look around others blogs today you will see lots and lots of cookies!  This is the first year I have participated in the Cookie Swap.


Sunday, December 7, 2014

Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake


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I am teaming up with 25 other bloggers for an awesome giveaway.  Be sure to get yourself entered at the bottom of this post!





This recipe was just ok for me.  I did not think it was very sweet.  Next time I am going to use this method but use my own cheesecake recipe and see how that turns out.

I saw this recipe on the Rachel Ray show and it was made by the Chews Carla Hall.  I adapted the recipe to use a different crust and a different size cheesecake.

Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
adapted from Carla Hall's recipe on Rachel Ray

For the Crust:

3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3 tablespoons melted butter

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Chicken Noodle Soup


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This Chicken Noodle Soup sure does hit the spot on a cold winter day!  It is a super easy recipe to make.  I have been buying rotisserie shredded chicken from my grocery store.  It's nice to be able to buy my chicken already cooked and shredded but feel free to use your own cooked and shredded chicken.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

50th Wedding Anniversary Cakes


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These are the cakes that I made and decorated for my in-laws 50th Wedding Anniversary back in September.


Monday, November 10, 2014

Beef and Noodles


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This Beef and Noodle recipe is super easy.  

Beef and Noodles

Beef Roast
Bag of Noodles
Beef soup base

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Chicken Taco Soup


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Chicken Taco Soup

3 boneless chicken breast, cooked and diced
5.25 oz can black beans
5.50 oz can dark kidney beans

5.50 oz can great northern beans
5.50 oz can pinto beans
5.50 oz can chili beans
5.25 oz can fiesta corn
15 oz can tomato sauce
28 oz can Rotel tomatoes
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 1/2 C water
2 t chicken soup base
1/2 onion chopped
2 jalapenos, diced

Place cooked chicken and all other ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low for 5 to 7 hours.  Mine was ready after 5 but we were not ready to eat so mine was in the crock pot on low for 7 hours.

Notes:  I used left over chicken I had already cooked so this was super fast for me to throw everything in the crock pot.  You can also use rotisserie chicken for this soup. If desired garnish with tortilla chips, sour cream or shredded cheese.


Sunday, September 7, 2014

Chicken Stuffing Casserole and Summer Fun!


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Whew................ where did the summer go?  My summer has been super busy and has flown by.  I have now used up all my summer vacation time and am looking forward to the fall and my Thanksgiving week vacation.  Cally was home from Portsmouth for the summer.  She again worked at Crown Mini Mart to make some money for the upcoming school year rent expenses.  Billy again

Monday, July 21, 2014

Lazy Cinnamon Rolls


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This past weekend we all went to the Island........ Put-in-Bay that is.   Put-in-Bay Ohio is an island in Northern Ohio on Lake Erie.  It is an island full of party animals.  The island has many Bars and lots entertainment. We find the best entertainment happens around late afternoon after a lunch time full of drinking has occurred. You can stand out on the side walks and be amused the rest of the day with

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Pineapple Zucchini Bread with Cinnamon Swirl


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Yum
Bill and I went on a mini trip this past week.  On Monday and Tuesday we were in Shipshewana, IN.  It is an Amish community like Berlin is in OH.  We had a good time but I do not think we will go back.  It did not seem a lot different than what we can see right here in OH.  Everything in Shipshewana also seemed to be higher priced.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Strawberry Cheese Cake Ice Cream


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Strawberry Cheese Cake Ice Cream.  Bill and Cally really enjoyed this ice cream.  Me, not so much but I do not care for strawberry ice cream.  I did however like that the ice cream had real cheese cake chunks in it.


Sunday, June 8, 2014

Texas Toast Pizza


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 We had another fun weekend!  Bill, Billy and I went to a car cruise in Saturday in Springfield.  We had beautiful weather.  Today Bill and I went to Troy to the Strawberry Festival Car Show.  The weather was cold and rainy.  We would no longer get the car all wiped down and it would start raining again.  We did see some really awesome cars that we have not seen at any other local car shows.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Baked French Toast Croissants


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The weekend went by really fast!  Cally was in her high school friends wedding.  Bill and I had a nice time at the wedding.  It was fun to see Cally and her friends all together again.  


I also got to spend time with Billy.  The time I get to spend with Billy is really special because it is not often now that he has the time to come home and stay overnight with his momma.


Since I had my babies home this weekend I decided to make breakfast.  I used my Baked French Toast recipe but instead of using Texas toast I used croissants.  Oh this was absolutely delicious!  I sliced the croissants in half and then placed them with the sliced side down on the baking sheet.  Then I sprinkled cinnamon sugar on the tops of the croissants.  After baking the underside (sliced side) was gooey and cinnamony good while the outside was cinnamony sugar crunchy!  I am not sure which side I liked better.  The crunch was an extra special surprise.

Baked French Toast Croissants

1/2 C butter
4 eggs
2/3 c half and half (or milk)
1/2 C sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla

topping:
1/4 C sugar
1 t cinnamon

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  While oven is heating up place the butter on a cookie sheet with sides and place in oven so it will melt. 

Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the cookie sheet with melted butter.

In a bowl mix the eggs, half and half, and vanilla.

Cut the croissants in half and then dip the croissants in the mixture soaking well. 

Place croissants in pan sliced side down.  I mix up more cinnamon sugar and sprinkle over the top side of the croissants.  That way it has cinnamon sugar on both side when it is done.

Bake 12 minutes




Thursday, May 15, 2014

White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Toffee Cookies


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These cookies are my absolute favorite cookie of all times.  

I was in Columbus several weeks back to take Billy for a follow up visit with the Surgeon.  While I was standing in CVS to fill a prescription I noticed this White Chocolate Vanilla Bean candy bar and immediately thought how good it would be in a cookie with toffee chips..... That is how this cookie started  


White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Toffee Cookies

2 ½ cups sugar
1 lb. (4 sticks) butter, softened
6 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
8oz bag Toffee Bits
7 oz chopped Vanilla Bean Chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookies sheets or line with parchment paper.

Cream the sugar and butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the yolks and vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients together, then add to the batter in 4 parts, mixing well after each addition.  Add the Toffee bits and chopped chocolate.  Mix until well combined.

Form dough into balls or use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to form cookies. Roll in sugar (I used coarse Wilton Sugar)  and place on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for approximately 10-13 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.


Monday, April 28, 2014

Baked French Toast


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As you have probably noticed I have been MIA from my blog.  My life has been a little crazy lately So needless to say I have been pretty tied by the end of the day.  I do have some recipes to share with you so for awhile I might just be posting pictures and recipes.  If I get time I will tell you a little about what is going on.


Last week I did take Friday off and traveled to Portsmouth to spend the night with Cally in her apartment before the end of school hits this week.  Cally will be home for the summer and again working at the Mini Market/Deli/Gardens.  She mostly works in the greenhouse when she is home over the summer.

I had Billy home for a bit at the beginning of the month.  He needed to be taken care of after having ACL surgery.  He had a snowboarding accident in NY this past winter.  While I enjoyed having him here with me I wish he did not have to go through the surgery.  It was pretty rough.



We had a wonderful Easter at our house.  Bill's mom and dad came home from Florida the week before Easter and we had them over for Easter Dinner.  Cally did an excellent job setting the table and doing the centerpieces!


Baked French Toast

12 pieces of Texas Toast
1/4 C butter
4 eggs
2/3 c half and half (or milk)
1/3 C sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  While oven is heating up place the butter on a cookie sheet with sides and place in oven so it will melt.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the cookie sheet with melted butter.

In a bowl mix the eggs, half and half, and vanilla.

Dip the bread in the mixture soaking well.

Place bread in pan.  I mix up more cinnamon sugar and sprinkle over the top side of the toast.  That way it has cinnamon sugar on both side when it is done but you do not have to add the extra cinnamon sugar if you do not want to.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes






Sunday, April 20, 2014

Limoncello Chiffon Pudding Cakes


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For the Lemon Liquor Spiked Recipe Challenge I decided to make Limoncello Chiffon Pudding Cakes.  The cakes were really moist and the warm gooey lemon pudding surprise in the bottom of the dish was heavenly.



Thanks to Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama and Julie from This Gal Cooks for hosting the awesome Spiked Recipe Challenge!!  Be sure to visit their blogs to see all the other amazing Lemon Liquor Submissions.


Limoncello Chiffon Pudding Cakes
adapted from: Southernfood.about.com

4 eggs, separated
1/3 C Lemon Liquor
1/2 t Lemon extract
1 T melted butter
1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C flour
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 C half and half
whipped cream or whipped topping to garnish

In medium mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks until light and fluffy.  Beat in lemon liquor, lemon extract and melted butter.  In another bowl combine sugar, flour and salt.  Add to lemon mixture, alternating with the half and half, beating well after each addition.  The batter will be thin.  Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, fold into the batter. Divided between 6 buttered ramekin dishes.  Set ramekins into a pan (I used baking sheet with sides) and place about 1 inch of hot water into the pan. place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.  Allow to slightly cool.  Serve warm with whipped cream.

Changes made from original recipe: Lemon Liquor (in place of Lemon Juice), Lemon Extract (in place of Lemon Peel) , half and half (in place of milk). I baked mine in 6 ramekins (in place of 1 1/2 quart baking dish), Also changed the recipe name from Lemon Pudding Cake to Limoncello Chiffon Pudding Cakes.


Sunday, March 30, 2014

Chocolate Peanut Pie


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Chocolate Peanut Pie was the pie I made for the Church Pie Auction.  The pie filling was really creamy and super rich.  My awesome Hubby was the highest bidder for my pie.


Cally made a Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Pie.  Her recipe was adapted from Monica's recipe on Lick the Bowl Good.  Cally used a graham cracker crust, only made the peanut butter Mousse filling, topping the peanut butter mousse with the Chocolate glaze and a ring of whipping cream around the edge.  For the recipe click here Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Pie


Cally's pie brought highest bid in the pie auction at Church last night.  It looked awesome!

Chocolate Peanut Pie
adapted from Taste of Home

CRUST:
1-1/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (20 cookies)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
FILLING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
TOPPING:
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 C powdered sugar

In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

For filling, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Gently spoon into crust.

For the topping: Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form then add the powdered sugar and beat until well set.  If desired you can pipe the whipping cream on top of the pie for the flowered look that I have or you can just spread it out over the top of the pie.

Store in refrigerator. Yield: 8-10 servings.




Sunday, March 2, 2014

Coconut Lime Vanilla Wafers


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Yum
Billy and Cally came home for the weekend.  They only got to stay 1 night because of this storm that the weathermen seemed to blow out of proportion again.  Billy and Cally went up to Columbus last night because Cally had to catch a flight to Florida today and we were afraid with the ice they were predicting that it might be tough getting her there.  As it ends up we could have taken her because as of right now the weathermen were not right on what they were predicting.  They are still saying we are to get a lot of snow overnight but I am not holding my breath on this one.

I made these cookies so Billy would have some goodies to take home with him.  The coconut lime flavor is really tasty 

Coconut Lime Vanilla Wafers

1/2 C butter, softened
1 C white sugar
1 egg
1 Tbps lime juice
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 C flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
sanding sugar for dipping before baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg, vanilla, lime juice and coconut extract.  Combine the flour, baking powder and salt then add dry ingredients into the cookie mixture.

Drop by teaspoons fulls onto ungreased (I used cookie sheets covered with parchment paper) about 2 inches apart.

Bake until edges of cookies are golden brown 12 to 15 minutes.



Thursday, February 27, 2014

Banana Foster Pie for the Cook Book Club


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I have joined Pass the Cook Book Club on Facebook.  Each month we are given a few recipes to choose from.  We then make the recipe of our choice.  This month I chose the Banana Foster Pie.  This recipe comes from the cook book Cooking up a Storm .  This collection of recipes was gathered by  The Times-Picayune of New Orleans.  The recipes were submitted by the residents of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.  The newspaper complied 250 authentic New Orleans  recipes along with the stories of how they became to be made.




The Banana Foster Pie starts out with a simple ice cream pie.  I did make my own graham cracker crust but you can always us a store bought crust if you are in a hurry.  I used Butter Pecan Ice Cream for mine.  To make the pie, let the ice cream soften a little then spoon it into the graham cracker pie crust smoothing it out as you go.  Place the pie in the freezer for at least 3 hours or until ready to use.  After that all you need to do is make the YUMMY banana foster sauce.  This sauce is amazing.  I have never had Banana Foster before. I did only use 1 banana in mine so that I would have more runny sauce than just coated bananas.  This is a recipe that I will definitely make again!

Banana Foster Pie

2 quarts vanilla, almond praline or butter pecan ice cream, softened
1 9" graham cracker crust
4 T butter
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 C dark rum
6 medium bananas peeled and cut into slices

Spread the softened ice cream evenly over the graham cracker crust and freeze until firm 3 to 4 hours

Just before serving, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and rum,  add the bananas and heat through.

To serve, cut the pie into wedges and spoon equal portions of the banana mixture over each

Here is what other club members made:
Sunday, February 23, 2014

No Bake Granola M & M Cookies


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No Bake Granola M & M Cookies

3 Tablespoon butter
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup honey
1/4 Cup peanut butter
2 Cup Granola
1 Cup rice Krispies cereal
6 large marshmallows
1/2 Cup M & M baking chips
1/2 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon olive oil

On stove melt together butter, brown sugar and honey until melted.  Add peanut butter and marshmallows and keep stirring until all is melted and smooth.  Take off stove and add the granola and rice krispies.  Stir until all combined.  Put into a 9 x 13 pan and smooth out.  Take the M & M chips and sprinkle over the cookies pressing down a little to get them to stick.

Put the semi sweet chocolate chips and olive oil in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on high for 20 seconds stir and microwave for another 20 seconds until all chocolate is smooth and melted.  Drizzle over cookies.  You can cut your cookies in any size you would like.


Sunday, February 16, 2014

Chocolate Liquor Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting


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Here is my entry in the Spiked Recipe Challenge.  I have made a Chocolate Liquor Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting.  The cake has a nice chocolate taste and paired with the Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting is delicious!  But of course Chocolate and Peanut Butter were made to go together.

Be sure to visit Frugal Foodie Mama and This Gal Cooks to see all the other fantastic entries.





My choice of Chocolate Liquor was Godiva Chocolate Liqueur



 Instead of greasing and flouring my pans, I greased and cocoa-ed them



Chocolate Liquor Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

cake:
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 C hot coffee
1/2 C Chocolate Liqueur
1/2 C butter, room temperature
2 C sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 C sour milk (1 cup milk with 1 T white vinegar added)
2 C flour

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
1 package Dream Whip
1/2 C milk
1/2 C peanut butter
2 t vanilla extract
2 C butter
5 C powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and cocoa two 8 inch round pans

In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa, hot coffee and chocolate liqueur, set aside

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, vanilla and salt.

Make the sour milk by using 1 C of milk and adding 1 T white vinegar and let it curdle a little bit.  After about 5 minutes add the baking soda to the sour milk.

Sift the flour and alternate mixing the flour and sour milk into the batter.  Once combined beat in the cocoa mixture until it is well blended

Pour batter evenly between pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.  Cool completely on cooking racks before icing cakes.

For the frosting: Beat the Dream whip, milk, peanut butter and vanilla extract until thickened (about 3 minutes) Add the shortening and mix until fluffy.  Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until desired consistency.  I used 5 C of powdered sugar for my icing.

To make the fancy flowers on top of the cake I used Wilton Icing Tip 1M.  I just made swirls with the icing making little flowers all over the top.  I straight iced the edges and then piped little balls around the bottom.


Monday, January 27, 2014

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake with Coffee Glaze


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We are having a horrible winter here in Ohio.  This weekend was no different.  It was cold and snowy.  We woke up Saturday to a driveway full of snow.  Good thing we had no where to be because we would have been going nowhere fast.




Yum

Since we were snowed in I decided to make this coffee cake.  Boy was it good.  The cream cheese adds a nice flavor to the cake.  It was suppose to be in the middle of the cake but for some reason mine sank to the bottom.  I also put on a crumb topping before I baked it but for some reason mine sank into the cake.  Even though I had these mishaps the cake was still really moist and delicious!

My favorite part is the coffee glaze.  I love it almost as much as I love browned butter icing. After I drizzled the glaze over the cake I licked the icing bowl clean and oh was it good.

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake with Coffee Glaze

cake:
3 C Bisquick
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 C Butter, softened
1 C sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 C sour cream
filling:
12 ounce cream cheese
3/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla
topping:
1/2 C Bisquick
1/2 C sugar
6 Tbsp cold butter
glaze:
1 C powdered sugar
1 Tbsp whipping cream
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp strong brewed coffee, slightly cooled

cake: Mix together all the ingredients for the cake until well blended. 

filling: In another mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg, cornstarch, whipping cream and vanilla, mix until well blended.

topping: In a small bowl combine the Bisquick and the sugar.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or using a fork to make the topping crumbly.

To Assemble the cake:
In a 9x13 greased pan put half of the cake batter in bottom of pan and smooth out.  Then put all the cream cheese filling on top of the bottom layer of batter.  Next top the cream cheese layer with the rest of the cake batter.  Lastly sprinkle the topping over the top of the cake and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.  Slightly cool and then top with the coffee glaze

Coffee Glaze:
Put the glaze ingredients in a bowl and mix until a soupy consistency.  If too think add a little more coffee to thin it out.  If too thin add some more powdered sugar.  Then drizzle over top of the cake.