Brisket

The first time we made this recipe was for Easter, and it was QUITE the winner.. all thanks goes to Pioneer Woman! It was SO SO SO SO good. Seriously, you MUST try this recipe.

• 2 cans Beef Consomme (surprisingly, Tri-City Walmart didnt have Consomme.. so we used Beef Broth-- it works perfectly)
  
• ½ cups Lemon Juice
• 1-½ cup Soy Sauce
• 5 cloves Chopped Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke
• 10 pounds Beef Brisket (ours was closer to 12 pounds)
  

Preparation Instructions

Combine first five ingredients in large roasting pan (a disposable is just fine). Place brisket in the marinade, fat side up. Cover tightly with foil. Marinate in refrigerator for 24-48 hours. (I started marinating it Wednesday night when I got home from church, and we cooked it Saturday morning). When ready to cook, place pan covered in foil into a 300-degree oven. Cook brisket for approximately 40 minutes per pound.

When fork-tender, transfer whole brisket to a cutting board. Slice against the grain and place slices back into the cooking liquid. Serve immediately, spooning juice over the slices. Barbeque sauce may be used, if preferred.

You may store pan in fridge for up to two days or freeze for use at a later date. If fat collects and hardens at the top, remove and discard.

It is JUST as tender warmed up as it was the first day. SO SO SO good!!!

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Chicken

Here is my first recipe that we tried with things straight from my pantry or freezer. I had a jar of roasted red peppers and a box of pasta in my pantry. I had chicken breasts in my freezer and heavy whipping cream and parmesan cheese in my fridge. I found this recipe in cooking light (ours was not as light since we used heavy whipping cream instead of fat free half and half). But thats what the purge is all about right?

We did add the chicken to this dish, and it was delicious! I highly recommend it.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Chicken.

• 1 pound uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)
• 2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• Thinly sliced fresh basil (optional)

Preparation

Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add bell peppers; cook 2 minutes or until heated through. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.

Place bell pepper mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Return bell pepper mixture to pan; cook over low heat until warm. Combine half-and-half and tomato paste in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir tomato mixture into bell pepper mixture, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Stir in ground red pepper.

Combine pasta and bell pepper mixture in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup cheese, tossing to coat. Spoon 1 1/3 cups pasta into each of 6 bowls; top each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese. Garnish with basil, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

424 (23% from fat)

Fat:

10.7g (sat 5.6g,mono 3.7g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

17.6g

Carbohydrate:

62.9g

Fiber:

3g

Cholesterol:

32mg

Iron:

2.9mg

Sodium:

383mg

Calcium:

222mg

Mindy's Coneys

My friend, Mindy, introduced me to this recipe, therefore, the recipe now claims her name. Its really yummy, kinda sweet and super easy! You serve it over hotdogs.. or can just eat it plain on the bun. Yum.

Mindy's Coneys

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion

2 tbsp mustard

2 tbsp vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp water

1 tsp worchestershire sauce

1/4 tsp celery seed (I dont use this, simply because I dont know what it is)

1/4 tsp hot sauce

Add ketchup as needed. Brown mean with onion- drain. Add other ingredients except ketchup- mix well. Add ketchup to keep loose. Simmer partially covered, one hour.

Yummy!

Pasta Fagioli

So, I had all the ingredients on hand for this dinner. I found it on the blog where the lady used her crockpot every day for a year. This particular recipe caught my eye, because when we lived in Hot Springs.. people LOVED Olive Garden. It was their favorite. It is NOT Craig or I's favorite.. but this was always something that Craig got.. and he really liked it! So, I thought I would try it.. and it was really good. Craig says its better than Olive Garden's. :) What a good husband.

Pasta Fagioli

-1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
--1/2 large red onion, chopped
--1 cup carrots, chopped
--2 celery stalks, sliced
--2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)
--1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
--1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
--4 cups beef broth (check label for gluten!)
--1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce
--2 tsp oregano
--1 T Tabasco sauce
--1/2 tsp salt
--1/4 tsp black pepper
--1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time (I used TJ's brown rice fusilli)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger crockpot, or cut the recipe in half. This makes a lot.

Brown the meat on the stovetop, and drain well. Let it cool a bit.

Chop up the carrots, onion, and celery. Add it to the empty crockpot.
Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tobasco sauce. Stir in your meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta.

Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.

Serve with a bit of parmesan cheese if you have it.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

I do love the crockpot. And I do love this recipe, in fact, it is one of our favorites!!!

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 jar salsa
1 bag frozen corn (or 2 cans of corn, drained)
1 can black beans drained

Put chicken, salsa, corn and black beans in the crock pot on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Shred the chicken.

We put this in tortillas with a little bit of cheese and sour cream! YUM! But you could also top taco salads with this mixture!

Enjoy!

Mini Skillet Meatloaves

I know that people have differing opinions on meatloaf. I dont ALWAYS love it.. it depends on who makes it, and how much I trust them. :) But trust me, this is really really really good. I found this recipe in my December issue of the Food Network Magazine. Craig and I love love loved this recipe!

Mini Skillet Meatloves

1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 small onion, finely minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
1 1/2 pounds meatloaf mix- we used ground turkey, but you could use any kind you like
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup ketchup
1 to 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1. Mix the breadcrumbs, milk, parsley, egg, Worcestershire sauce, onion, chili powder and garlic in a large bowl. Add the meat, season with salt and pepper adn mix with your hands until combined. Shape into six 3 to 4 inch oval loaves.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the loaves and brown about 3 minutes per side.

3. Whisk the ketchup, sugar and vinegar in a bowl and brush a few tablespoonfuls over the m eat. Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet, cover and simmer over low heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

4. Transfer the loaves to a plate. Add the remaining ketchup mixture to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring, until thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve meatloaf with the hot glaze.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that they give you another idea to use the leftovers for.

Meatloaf Quesadillas

Crumble up the leftover meatloaves (about 2 cups)
1 14.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 scallion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 8 inch flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix first six ingredients together in a bowl.

Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place a tortilla in the pan, sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese, then top with one quarter of the meat mixture and another 1/4 cup cheese. Top with another tortilla and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Serve with sour cream.

Note: We didnt use butter, we just made the quesadilla on a cookie sheet, and broiled it in the oven for a few minutes! :)

YUMMY!

Husbands Delight

I found this recipe while blog surfing. Its called Husbands Delight. Its super easy, not very expensive, and really good. AND it makes enough for two 8x8 dishes.. which is great for freezing and serving later.

Here is the recipe.

2 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 (8oz.) cans tomato sauce

1 (8oz.) block cream cheese

1 (8oz.) sour cream

1 bunch green onions (chop about 4-5 stalks in the bunch)

1 (12oz.) package medium egg noodles

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar

Brown the meat with chopped onion and drain. Add tomato sauce, sprinkle generously with garlic salt, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Cook noodles. Mix noodles with cream cheese, sour cream & green onions.

In 2, 8 by 8 dishes or one 9 by 13 dish layer: meat, noodle mixture, 1/2 cheddar cheese and then repeat. Bake at 350 for 30 min. or until heated through and bubbly.

Serves 10-12

Baked Potato Soup

I love potato soup. I rarely make it, because I am always disappointed. When I go out to dinner and order baked potato soup, its always so yummy. And then when I make it, its just missing something.

Well, I found this recipe on the blog where the lady used her crock pot every day for a year. And let me just tell you. We LOVED it. And will do it again. And I was not disappointed. At all.

Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced in 1 to 2-inch chunks
--1 teeny onion, diced
--4 cloves garlic, minced
--1 teaspoon seasoned salt
--1/2 teaspoon black pepper
--1/2 teaspoon red pepper (we used cayenne, I think thats the same. ha)
--2 quarts chicken broth
--2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, to add at the end (we used the 1/3 less fat, I wasnt sure how the fat free would melt)
--crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese and green onion or chives as garnish (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup, or a hand-held immersible blender. I suppose you can also leave the potatoes in chunks, if you really wanted, but I wanted a smooth soup.

After smashing the potatoes, crumble in both packages of cream cheese, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Stir a few times during the 30 minutes.

Garnish with crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onion or chives.

Easiest Tortilla Soup EVER

This is the EASIEST tortilla soup recipe ever. And it is super yummy too. Thanks to my friend Julie Harris, who first introduced this soup to me. It was definitely a staple when Julie, Denise and I would have Tuesdays or Thursday Dinners.

Tortilla Soup

1 Family Sized Can of Cream of Chicken Soup (I use the 98% fat free.. so its like 3 cans, because they dont make it in Family size)
1 can of Rotel
3 chicken breasts (cooked) and diced
tortillas

Ok, are you ready for this.

Cut as many tortillas as you would like into strips (they are the tortillas in your tortilla soup)
Dump everything else together.
You can put in alittle water if you want to make it less thick.
Warm.
Eat.

Mexican Corn Dip

The first time I had this dip, was at a Sunday School party at Crossings. And ever since then it has been a go to snack!! Super easy and super good!!

Ingredients
2 cans of Mexicorn, drained
8 oz Sour Cream
8 oz Cream Cheese
8 oz Monterrey Jack shredded cheese
8 oz Cheddar cheese
1 package of dry Ranch dressing mix
1 chopped jalapeno
Garlic Salt

Mix together and chill.

See EASY!!!

Seafood Dip

This is a recipe that I got from Paula Dean, from the Food Network. We all really loved this dip!!! Super easy!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 of a 10 3/4-ounce can cream of shrimp soup (discard top half and use bottom part of soup)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 pound freshly grated Parmesan (that is 2 cups)
  
• 1 (6-ounce) can crabmeat, picked free of any broken shells, drained
• 6 ounces shrimp, fresh or canned, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, and celery and saute for 2 minutes. In a bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, Parmesan, crabmeat, shrimp, and pepper. Stir the sauteed vegetables into the seafood mixture and spoon this mixture into a lightly greased 8 by 11-inch casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with toast points or crackers.

Note: I had a bag of frozen shrimp leftover in my freezer. So, instead of doing the crab and shrimp, I just did 2 cups of frozen shrimp. It was really really good!!!

Crockpot Roast

I am LOVING using my crockpot. It is so wonderful! Even if I am home all day, it is so nice to just put something in and forget about it!

My husband loves roast. My mom never really made it, but when I would go over to my friend Amanda's house during college, her mom would always make one on Sundays... they were so yummy!

I found a recipe that sounded super easy and really good. So we tried it. And loved it!

Ingredients

• 1 beef roast, any kind (I had bought a pork roast because it was major on sale, either would be good, I am sure)
  
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package brown gravy mix, dry
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package dried Italian salad dressing mix
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package ranch dressing mix, dry
• 1/2 cup water
  
• (I used 1 1/2 cups water, because I also added onion, potato and carrots)
  

Directions

1. Place beef roast and veggies in crock pot.
2. Mix the dried mixes together in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast.
3. Pour the water around the roast.
4. Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

YUMMY!

Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

First of all, let me say, I am not a big soup person. I am really not a big brothy soup person. But, ever since it has gotten cooler, all I can think about is using my crock pot and trying out new soups! Wierd, I know!

When we made this, we just made a batch of cornbread, and called it a meal! Perfect!

I will definitely do this one again. In fact, I think I may cook up a batch and freeze for lunches!

Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

--1 pound chicken (I dont know what 1 pound is, but I used 5 chicken breasts)
-- 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
--4 cups chicken broth
--1 cup sliced mushrooms
--1 cup frozen corn
--1 jar prepared salsa (16 oz) (I got medium, and it was not too hot. In fact, I think if I had gotten mild, like I normally do, it wouldnt have had enough flavor)
--1 1/2 tsp cumin
--1/2 cup sour cream (to stir in at the end)
--shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, cilantro (all optional)

The Directions.

Bake the chicken (I cooked 30 minutes at 350 degrees)
Chop chicken into bite sized pieces

Add all ingredients into the crockpot, except the sour cream.

You can cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5.

If you'd like to thicken the broth (I did this), you can use your immersible blender to blend a bit of the beans and chicken. If you don't have one, scoop out 2 cups of the soup and carefully blend in your traditonal blender. Stir the mixture back into the crockpot. (Remember, I dont LOVE brothy soups)

Stir in the 1/2 cup of sour cream before serving, and garnish with shredded cheese and avocado slices.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Brownies

I love reading blogs! They are so much fun! And I love love love finding fun recipe blogs that give me even more fun things to try out.

I found this particular recipe from this blog.

I knew we just had to try it! My friend, Julie came over one evening to catch up, so it was a perfect time to try it!!

Peanut Butter Brownies

2 boxes Brownie mix with chocolate chunks

Peanut Butter layer:

1/2 C. peanut butter

2 C. powdered sugar

1/2 C. butter

2 tsp. milk

Chocolate Glaze:

1 C. chocolate chips

1/4 C. butter

Mix brownies according to the directions on the box. Line a 13 x 9 pan with foil (or parchment paper) and spray with pam. Bake brownies.

Let cool at least an hour. Mix 1/2 C. butter (softened), peanut butter, powdered sugar and milk with mixer until smooth. Remove brownies from pan, remove foil and place on a tray. Ice brownies with peanut butter filling.

Melt 1/4 C. butter and chocolate chips in microwave. Stir together until smooth. Spread across the top of the peanut butter filling. Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes. Store in fridge and either eat chilled, room temp, or warmed up.

Makes lots! Super rich so you can cut them small.

Tips:

When I made these, I did not need to make such a big batch so I just did one box of mix in an 8 x 8 dish. I still made the full amount of PB even though I had cut the brownies in half. It made for a thick, fluffy layer. Then I cut the chocolate glaze recipe in half.

We discovered after Julie left, if you put the brownies in the microwave for us a few seconds, it make all the difference. SO SO yummy!!!

A Different Cheese Dip

Everybody loves the cheese dip with Velveeta and Rotel... yum! Well this is just as delicious, IF not more so! And just as easy!

I got this recipe from my mom, who got it from my aunt who lives in Houston!

A Different Cheese Dip

2 8 oz bars of cream cheese (I use the low fat, I am not sure how the fat free melts)
2 cans of Rotel (I use mild, and have recently discovered the Walmart brand.. let me tell you.. tastes JUST the same)
1 lb sausage (you know.. like Jimmy Dean)

-Brown the sausage
-Combine, the cream cheese, rotel and sausage in a slow cooker. Until melted.
-Serve with chips... YUM!

(Ok, the last time I made this, I kept the cream cheese out for a couple of hours to let it soften. It helped with the cooking process. By helped with, I mean it shortened the length of time it needed to cook in the slow cooker.)

Banana Bread

I got this recipe from my mom. I am not really sure where she got it. BUT, it is really easy and really tasty. It has the texture of like a coffee cake, but the taste of banana bread. Really, how can that be bad?

I love making cakes in a bundt pan, because they are so easy to transport. So this is a really easy item to bring, if you are having a potluck type breakfast, or if you are needing to bring something to someone who is sick or having surgery, or just because you are nice. :)

Banana Bread

1 box yellow cake mix
1 package Jello Instant Banana Cream Pudding and Pie Filling
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 bananas mashed (I have used up to four.. if they are all going bad.. ha)
4 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix together, pour into bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.
Let cool for 15 minutes before putting onto plate.

Enjoy!

Creamy Taco Salad

This is one of our very favorite go to recipes! I got this recipe of a friend of mine's blog. We grew up together in the same neighborhood. I love that it is so easy, and really something that you make all the time, but is just alittle different. We all really loved the flavors.

Creamy Taco Salad

creamy taco salad

1.5 lbs ground turkey, browned and drained

1 can light red kidney beans, undrained

1 package taco seasoning

1 8 oz bottle of fat free thousand island dressing- I did not use the full 8 oz. I just kinda squeezed till it looked creamy and then tasted it. You know thousand island dressing is pretty sweet, so I didnt want it TOO sweet.

and of course... all of your regular taco salad items such as tortilla chips, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese etc!

brown meat and drain. place meat back in pan and add beans, seasoning and dressing. cook over low heat until warm. then just "build" your salad as you like...

I seriously think you should try this recipe! :)

Sooner Cookies

I was reading my Better Homes and Gardens, and there was a recipe for "REd Velvet Whoopie Pies". My husband LOVES red velvet cake! Those of you who came to our wedding, remember his cupcakes were red velvet. I had never really made or eaten much red velvet before the love of my life. Anyway, I thought the recipe sounded delicious and thought he would love them. And love him he did!

But we did decide to change the name. The cookies are the perfect OU colors and we both agreed they would need to be a staple at our OU watch parties. So in our house, the "Red Velvet Whoopie Pies" are known as the "Sooner Cookies". Hope you enjoy!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies or Sooner Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1 oz bottle red food coloring (2 Tbsp)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment; set aside. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, set aside
In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating after each addition just until combined. Stir in food coloring
Spoon batter in 1 or 2 inch diameter rounds about 1/2 inch high on prepared baking sheets, allowing 1 inch between each round
Bake 7 to 9 minutes for 1 inch cookies or 9 to 11 minutes for 2 inch cookies, or unitl tops are set. Cool completely on baking sheets on rack. Remove cooled cookies from baking sheets

Whoopie Pie Filling
In a medium mixing bowl beat 1/4 cup softened butter and half an 8 ounce package softened cream cheese until smooth. Fold in one 7 ounce jar marshmallow creme.

To fill, dollop Whoopie Pie Filling on flat sides of hal the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat sides down.

Refrigerate in airtight container up to 4 days. Let stand at room temp 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!!

Balsamic Chicken Drumettes

This is a keeper. It is another recipe that Giada did on the Food Network. It has several ingredients, but is very easy. We will probably make this alot during football season. It calls for chicken drumettes, but I really think you could use wings, or even chicken breasts.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 5 sprigs of rosemary (I left this out, simply because we do not keep this on hand)
  
• 5 garlic cloves, halved
• 10 to 12 chicken drumsticks
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley ( I left this out too, again, we dont have it on hand)
  

Directions

Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves, in a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar. Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little air as possible in the bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria). Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve.

Use a pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.

Cook's note: I like the rosemary and garlic flavors in the background. Brushing the cooked drumettes with the reduced marinade helps the flavors along. Also, re-moistening helps the parsley and the seeds to adhere.

I am telling you. Very Very good!!!

Salty Sweet Brownies

I first made these brownies for our youth girls, they LOVE them. I always enjoy ways that you can make store bought brownie mix even more special.

Salty Sweet Brownies
1 store bought brownie mix (family sized)
1 1/2 cups pretzels (broken into pieces)
24 bite size snickers

-Mix brownies according to packaged directions.
-Pour into a greased 9x13 pan
-Sprinkle the broken pretzels on top (I did not use the full cup and a half, I just used enough to cover the top.
-Cut the snickers into small pieces and sprinkle on top of pretzels. (Obviously, you can use more or less. The original recipe was for an 8x8 pan of brownies and they suggested using 2 king sized candy bars. Just for reference)
-Bake brownies according to package directions.
-Let cool completely before serving (thats what the directions said, although, I dont know why you couldnt serve them warm?)

Again, super easy and super yummy!

Enjoy!

Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter

The first recipe is the Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter Sauce. I got this recipe from Giada from the Food Network. I have made this with both ravioli and tortellini.. whatever I have in my freezer. It works with both! :) And it seriously takes 3 minutes total once your water comes to a boil. Its great! And it makes your kitchen smell super good too!!!

Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter Sauce

• 18 to 20 ounces store-bought ravioli (cheese, mushroom, or squash) (I used the Walmart brand of cheese ravioli, it is 25 oz and I think its like $2)
  
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes (the brand that I used, took 3 minutes total, once the water boiled), until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

Slow Cooker Pork BBQ Sandwiches

We love this recipe and when we make it, we know we will have plenty for leftovers. I love the crock pot. And I love to try new recipes with the crock pot. It makes things so easy. And it makes your house smell yummy throughout the day!

I got this recipe from the magazine Mixing Bowl.com.

We didnt have hamburger buns, but we did have potatoes. So I baked us some potatoes and we have BBQ potatoes. Yum.

Slow Cooker Pork BBQ Sandwiches

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 cup favorite bbq sauce
1/2 cup chopped onion

Place all ingredients in a 5 to 5 1/2 quart slow cooker. (I have no idea what quart of a crock pot I have... just a regular one.. and it worked fine). Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove meat and shred using two forks. Return to cooker and mix to coat meat. Serve hot on sandwich buns (or potatoes).

note: I did add a little bit more BBQ sauce after shredding the pork.
note: I have also done this same recipe with a beef roast.. works just as well!

Nutter Butter Banana Pudding Trifle

I have to give all credit to Southern Living. I found this recipe a while back, but I didnt make it for a while, since all the problems with peanuts. But when I did make it... yummy!!!! I always love a dessert that you can put in a trifle dish. They are always so pretty.

Nutter Butter Banana Pudding Trifle

3 cups milk
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 medium size ripe bananas
1 1lb package peanut butter sandwich cookies
2 cups sweetened whipped cream

1. Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, 15 to 20 minues or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted.

2. Fill a large bowl with ice. Place saucepan in ice, and let stand, stirring occassionally, 30 minutes or until ixture is thoroughly chilled

3. Meanwhile, cut bananas into 1/4 inch slices. Break cookies into thirds.

4. Spoon half of pudding mixture into a 3 qt bowl or pitcher. Top with bananas and cookies. Spoon remaining pudding mixture over bananas and cookies. Top with sweetened whipped cream. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours.

Note: The pudding has thickened enough when a distinct trail is left in the mixture when you stir with a spoon. The cookies will soften the longer the dessert chills.

Enjoy!

Mexican Casserole

I found this recipe in a magazine called Mixing Bowl. We really enjoyed it, it was super easy. And definitely something that we would prepare again!!!

Mexican Casserole

1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 1.25 ounce package taco seasoning
1 small onion, chopped
1 10.75 ounce can condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup (I couldnt find this, so I used a can of Cheddar Cheese soup)
1 10.75 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 10 ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilis
1 12 ounce bag of nacho flavored tortilla chips, crushed
1 8 ounce package shredded mexican cheese
Sour Cream and Salsa (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a larage skillet, brown meat and onion; drain. Add taco seasoning and cook according to package directions.

2. In a 9x13 pan, layer bottom of dish with half of the crushed chips. Set remaining chips aside. In large bowl, combine seasoned meat and onion mixture, nacho cheese soup, cream of mushroom soup and undrained diced tomatoes with chiles. Mix well. Top chips with meat mixture. Layer with remaining chips and top with cheese.

3. Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top servings with sour cream or salsa, if desired.

Yum!