Sunday, December 15, 2019

Christmas Crack....



It's Christmastime!!  Hooray!  Now you HAVE to make Christmas Crack!!!!! (But just to be perfectly honest, we make this year 'round and always have requests for more, More, MORE!!!)

What exactly is it and why is it called that?  It's an easy version of toffee using saltine crackers.  And it's called that because it's SOOOOOOOO addictive!!!!  I doubt one little bite is going to cut it for you. You're going to want a couple of pieces at least!!!

Here's what you need....
-butter
-brown sugar
-saltine crackers
-chocolate chips



First thing you do is lay your saltine crackers on your cookie sheet.  Trust me when I tell you that laying parchment paper underneath is the easiest way to clean up!!




Next, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil.




Then you'll spread the butter/brown sugar mixture on the saltine crackers.





After that, it all goes in the oven. When time is up, it should look similar to this.




Immediately pour the entire bag of chocolate chips over the sugary, buttery crackers and let sit.




When times up you'll spread the now-melted chocolate chips all over the toffee.




Last, you'll put the pan in the fridge to cool completely. Then you'll break it into chunks of whatever size your family likes best.  Not pretty, but pretty is NOT what matters here. We want FLAVOR!!!





Christmas Crack

-1 sleeve saltine crackers (make sure it's regular and NOT unsalted!!!)
-2 sticks salted butter
-1 cup brown sugar
-1 (12 oz) package of your favorite brand semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  

First, on a parchment lined cookie sheet with sides, lay out all your saltine crackers.  Next, combine butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes and then pour over arranged crackers and make sure you spread it out to cover the crackers.  Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.  Remove and immediately pour entire bag of chocolate chips over the top.  Let sit 5-6 minutes until chips are very very soft and melted and then smooth them out.  Let this cool completely in your refrigerator (it's faster this way!!!) and then, when the chocolate is very firm, break into pieces.  

I am unable to tell you how long this will keep because it's never made it longer than 2 days without being eaten up! 



Wednesday, December 04, 2019

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies...





Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are definitely a Christmas tradition around here.  I've been making these for eons! (just kidding... over a decade, but sometimes that can seem like eons!!!)  My family LOVES these! To me, they taste like brownies in a cookie form.  YUM!!!  The girls love helping out, too, which makes for even more fun.  


WARNING they get super messy with the powdered sugar.  Why is it that the messier things are, the better they taste????


After you've mixed together your dough and it's chilled at least an hour in the refrigerator, shape into 1 inch balls.  




Then roll each cookie dough ball into powdered sugar.  Yep, This is where things start to get messy.  





Place each ball onto a prepared cookie sheet.  You can use cooking spray or use parchment paper. 





Now they're all ready to bake!!  But see what I  mean about the mess?  All over the counter. Y'all should've seen the floor. Yikes!!! 









shared these years ago here on my blog, but wanted to be sure and share them again.  They're very easy to make, great for children to help, and always gets major thumbs up when you share them with others.  




Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

3 eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup PLUS 4 tablespoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
Sifted powdered sugar

Stir all the ingredients together (except for powdered sugar) and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Shape into 1 inch balls and roll into powdered sugar. Place balls 1 inch apart on a prepared cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or till the edges are set and tops are crackled.




Tuesday, November 26, 2019

To. Die. For. Creamy Southwest Salad Dressing...





Years ago I discovered Rachael Ray on Food Network.  I ADORED her show called 30 Minute Meals.  I learned so so much about food and how to cook from watching her. (Thank you, Rachael!!!!).  I was SHOCKED when I watched her make her own salad dressings!!  I know, I know.  That's ridiculous, I get it.  But for some reason, I never even thought about salad dressing coming from anywhere except in a bottle from the grocery store!!!  Since then, I've made many different types of salad dressings. It's so easy and inexpensive, too!  Plus, they always taste WAY better!!!

Today I want to share with y'all the BEST Creamy Southwest Salad Dressing.  I could eat this by the spoonful!!  No joke!!  It's that good!!!!  Don't believe me?  Give it a try!  And let me know what you think!!!  

Tonight we're having tacos for dinner and this dressing will go with just a simple side salad of lettuce and tomatoes.  However, it'll also be really, really good with Chicken Taco Salad!!

Here's what you need...





Creamy Southwest Salad Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 T honey
juice of 1 lime
1 T Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
2 t cumin
1 t paprika
1 t Chipotle Chili Powder

Directions are simple.  Just measure everything out and mix together.  Be sure and taste it to make sure it has the level of salt you like.  



This is so sooo delicious!!  Mmmmm I can't wait for dinner tonight!!!

















Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins...


Autumn is just starting to make itself seen in our neck of the woods.  I ADORE Fall and all things Fall related!!!  Time for apple and pumpkin recipes to make appearances in our home!!!

I recently tried a new muffin recipe- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.  These are SO delicious! (Almost dangerous for a sweets lover like me!!!) They were a hit with our entire family.  




Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

3 eggs, well beaten
3/4 c oil
2  c sugar
1 (15 oz) can of 100% pumpkin (pumpkin only)
2 1/2 c  all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 package of mini chocolate chips to mixture

Mix together the first four ingredients.  Then add in remaining ingredients (yes, you read that right.  Add them all in at the same time.  I see no need for an extra mixing bowl.)  Spoon into prepared muffin tins (either sprayed with nonstick spray or line with muffin liners) and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (depends on how hot your oven runs).  They are finished baking when they are lightly golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the muffin comes out clean. These make 18-24 regular sized muffins (depends on how much you spoon into each muffin tin).  Plenty to enjoy that morning AND to freeze for another day!!!





Your home will smell so delicious when these are baking!! Your family will be happy to be welcoming in the new season with these yummy breakfast treats!


Happy Homemaking!!


Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Chicken Chili Stew...



This, my friends, is my momma's Chicken Chili Stew.  She's made it for years and I still LOVE IT!!!!!  It's so good that it was chosen to be in the town newspaper once when we lived in Augusta.  YUM!!!!!!!  I always keep the ingredients around so that I can make this any time we need a savory, warm meal. 

This is excellent as it is, but I really like adding shredded cheddar and sour cream to mine.  Feel free to add avocado or green onion, too, if you like!!



Chicken Chili Stew

3 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 T oil
2 (15 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained
1 cup of your favorite salsa (cheap store brand works well in this!!!)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oil in dutch oven and cook chicken, onion, and green pepper until chicken is no longer pink.  Add garlic and stir until it's fragrant.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.  Ladle into bowls and add toppings as desired..

Makes 6-8 servings.

Monday, May 14, 2018

Time Saver breakfast!!!! Baked Oatmeal...












Wednesdays are typically our "oatmeal for breakfast" day around here.  Not sure when or why that even started, but it stuck years ago and I haven't changed it since.  

When I say "oatmeal for breakfast", I mean any breakfast recipe that uses oats.  So for us that is either oatmeal pancakes, granola, regular old fashioned oatmeal (with butter, cream and brown sugar! YUMMM!!!) or this recipe I'm sharing today- Baked Oatmeal!!!

This list of ingredients needed is not fancy- butter, sugar, oats, eggs, oil, salt.  Simple.  

But wait.... why did I say this is a TIME SAVER breakfast???  Oh dear friends!  You make this THE NIGHT BEFORE!!!  It takes mere minutes to mix together,  then cover with plastic wrap, stick in the fridge overnight, and then next morning you just take off the plastic wrap and let it bake while you finish getting dressed.  As soon as the timer of your oven goes off, everyone can sit down at the table to eat.  Happy well-fed family and happy mother for extra minutes to get yourself and your children ready for the day.




Baked Oatmeal
1/2 cup oil of choice
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups old fashioned oats
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
Mix all your ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Pour in a buttered 8x8 pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge overnight.  The next morning, take plastic wrap off your pan and bake for 45-50 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  
This makes 6 good sized servings.  

We prefer to serve this with heavy cream drizzled on top.  Super tasty.  Super easy.   




Monday, April 30, 2018

Garlic Cream Cheese Spread...


That's not just any old piece of bread sitting on the side of that dish.  No way!!  That's bread covered in Garlic Cream Cheese Spread!!!

We have been making this DEEEEELICIOUS cream cheese spread for at least 15 years, if not more!!! It's perfect on bagels, spread on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise, and even as a dip for veggies!!!  But our FAVORITE way to eat it is slathered on French bread.  OOOOOOOOH MY STARS!!  Sure you can use butter or even garlic butter on top of your bread, BUT Y'ALL!!  This takes bread to a whole new level of tasty!!!  Be sure and try it soon and let me know how you and your family like it.



Garlic Cream Cheese Spread

1 (8 oz) block of cream cheese, softened
2-3 cloves of freshly minced garlic
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (I use the green can)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 T parsley

In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, garlic, parmesan, and mayonnaise until thoroughly combined.  Stir in Italian seasoning and parsley and mix well.  This tastes great right away, but it's best after it's been chilled in the refrigerator about 4 hours.  



So don't just stand there, get mixing!!  Y'all will SOOOOO enjoy this!!



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