Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

  • Ridiculously Delicious Caramel and Chocolate S’More Bites

    Sep 17, 12 • Helen • Baking, Desserts, Recipes, Sweet Treats1 CommentRead More »
    Ridiculously Delicious Caramel and Chocolate S’More Bites

    I recently did a post about S’More Bites – small, two-bite treats that are really delicious.  But anytime I make something really good, I can’t seem to leave it alone.  I tell myself, “Come on…you can do better!”  While I try not to brag, I can’t let this one escape sharing simply because it is somewhat similar to the previous post.   According to my friend Kent W., these are ridiculous!   And here’s the secret ingredient… ingredients! Megan found these Chocolate & Vanilla and Caramel & Vanilla Marshmallows at the Everything99cents store.  She didn’t buy a bunch because she wanted to try them first.  I thought it would make an interesting deviation on the original S’More Bites. Start with the basic recipe for the graham cracker crust on the S’more Bites page.  Make the crust and press it into the mini muffin pan.  You can turn on your oven now to 350°; set the crusts aside. Prepare the fillings.  Cut the marshmallows in half height-wise.  Unwrap the caramels and cut them in half height-wise.  Kitchen shears work really well to do these steps.  For the candy bars (I used Hershey’s Milk Chocolate is 1.55 oz bars – have 2 or 3 on hand), break into the divided sections and then in half again.  If you are using other chocolate, break into smaller chunks and set aside.  You will want to do this BEFORE you bake the s’more cups, otherwise you won’t be ready when

  • Woven Baked Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

    Sep 10, 12 • Helen • Baking, RecipesNo CommentsRead More »
    Woven Baked Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

    Not only is baking bacon great for feeding the whole family, but try this trick to make the bacon not fall off your BLT!

  • Naylor Family Favorites – Tuna Gravy

    Naylor Family Favorites – Tuna Gravy

    Every family has them…favorites recipes handed down from generation to generation that have the opportunity to get incorporated into new family unions…or lost forever!  We have a list of comfort foods that we love dearly.  We like to share, but sometimes have to twist our friends arms to get them to try concoctions that may sound weird to them, things like “Pink Stuff”, “Funeral Potatoes” and one of Tom’s favorites, “Tuna Gravy”. Yes, this is Tom – years and years ago, of course!  But some things never change – like family favorite comfort foods!  I grew up eating Tuna Gravy.  It’s probably one of those recipes that didn’t cost much to make, would feed a bunch of people and could be stretched by it being more white sauce and less tuna…besides, of course, it was delicious!  For me, its more about the protein being an excuse for the butter and half & half because I love a good white sauce. All of a sudden, Tom is away at college and finding himself not so ready to prepare some of those basic foods that he loves so much.  So, in an effort to help Tom bring some of those comfort foods to his college “living away from home” experience, I will be sharing recipes (with photos) designed to keep those traditions going.  The first will be Tom’s favorite, Tuna Gravy. Tuna Gravy 1/2 cup butter (8 Tablespoons or one cube)

  • Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Jul 31, 12 • Helen • Baking, Cookies, Recipes, Sweet TreatsNo CommentsRead More »
    Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

      Last week, on our trip up to Utah, we stopped for the night at Jake’s house.  As per Tom’s request, Jake treated us to one of his specialties…Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies!  They are soooooo delicious!  Lower in fat than many of our other recipes, the banana adds a delightful flavor that makes it hard to stop eating.  Tom had wanted some for the trip, which Jake kindly obliged us with, but he made enough for us to pick up a few on the trip home to take home and share with Mike.  The cookies are so good that I asked Jake for the recipe.  He didn’t answer me in the affirmative, so I assumed that it was “top secret”…no problem, I didn’t mind.  But I hadn’t gotten my fill of banana cookies, so I determined that I would go with the minor info he had given me and begin my experiment.  You know what?  My first attempt was a winner!  Here’s the recipe. Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup ripe bananas, mashed (How many bananas?  It depends on size – I used 2 1/2 bananas) 2 large eggs 1 cup light brown sugar 1 cup white granulated sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 teaspoon salt 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 4 1/2 cups flour 1 – 12oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips  In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and

  • Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

    Jul 7, 12 • Helen • Baking, Cupcakes, Desserts, Recipes, Sweet Treats6 CommentsRead More »
    Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

    When life (or friends) give you lemons, make lemonade...cupcakes!

  • Sprinkle Cake Cookies

    Jul 1, 12 • Helen • Baking, Cookies, Desserts, Recipes, Sweet Treats13 CommentsRead More »
    Sprinkle Cake Cookies

    For a quick batch of really delicious, colorful cookies, the journey starts with a white cake mix!

  • Confetti Macaroni Salad

    Jun 21, 12 • Helen • Cooking, Family Stuff, Recipes2 CommentsRead More »
    Confetti Macaroni Salad

    At home, we just call it macaroni salad.  But if you’re used to the macaroni salad you find at the grocery deli, calling it macaroni salad would be way off the mark and just plain old wrong!  I have been known to eat store-bought mac salad (on a rare occasion) if its served to me or I’m desperate, but the heavy use of mayonnaise/salad dressing is  not among my favorite group of flavors.   Which brings me to…Confetti Macaroni Salad! Growing up, our family made macaroni salad from scratch.  The distinctive flavor of the home-made salad dressing is something that I actually crave.  It is heavier than a store-bought salad dressing, but really yummy.  Its got that sweet and sour taste that comes with vinegar and sugar, but the mustard makes it delicious!  I resist the urge to make it all the time because the current residents of our house are my pickiest eaters and unless I get visitors, I find myself eating it all myself…wait!  What’s wrong with that! Confetti Macaroni Salad 1 lb. box of Ditalini (salad macaroni), cooked al dente; rinse and drain 1/2 of a red bell pepper and 1/2 of a green bell pepper, top and seeds removed, and diced – cut a few thin slices from the remaining halves of both for garnishing 1/2 of an red onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 large carrot, shredded 1 lb

  • Smiley Face Pizza – Rhodes Guest Post and A Cookbook Giveaway

    Jun 19, 12 • Helen • Baking, Recipes, Rhodes5 CommentsRead More »
    Smiley Face Pizza – Rhodes Guest Post and A Cookbook Giveaway

    It’s almost summer and Mom’s know what that means…children are out of school and looking for something to do…and something to eat.  Why not solve two problems with one solution – Smiley Face Pizza!  This activity can be done with just one child or a whole gaggle of goofballs.  And it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make up a few extra…they warm up nicely and will provide a quick snack later!  Click here for complete directions…and a warning! Yep, it’s time again for a new Rhodes Guest Blog Post.  This is always a treat for me because I love Rhodes Bake-N-Serv Bread products and they’re such a versatile ingredient for quick and easy recipes.  Along with a new Rhodes guest post comes another cookbook giveaway.  Here’s what you have to do: Visit the Rhodes Blog and leave a comment…make sure you leave the comment on the Smiley Face Pizza post!  Next, come back here and leave a comment…that’s two chances.  For a third chance, you can also go to the Rhodes Facebook page,  “Like” Rhodes and leave a comment.  Each comment will get your “name in the hat” for an extra chance to win – one comment per visitor per site, please.   The contest will go until noon (Pacific Time) on Saturday, June 23, 2012 and the winner will be announced later that Saturday evening.   Think of all the fun possibilities.  Let your children have a little fun playing with their food!  Thanks for stopping

  • Cookie Brownie Candy Bar

    Cookie Brownie Candy Bar

      Is it a cookie?  A brownie?  A candy bar?  Well, sort of, if you consider a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup a candy bar.  For the sake of naming the treat, I’m going to consider it such…a Cookie Brownie Candy Bar! I would definitely call this a fully loaded piece of pure delight!   Three treats in one.  I tried, but I couldn’t figure out something cute to call it, so Cookie Brownie Candy Bar will just have to do!   It follows along with one of those new-fangled “hidden” treats inside a treat, and I am especially fond of anything with brownies involved!  Recently, I’ve made the Oreo Stuffed Cupcakes and the Oreo Stuffed Brownie  – those are both delicious!   But that’s one of the hazards of blogging…on to something different. When wandering around the web, I saw where someone had pressed chocolate chip cookie dough in the bottom of a brownie tin, placed a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, top side down, onto the dough and then added brownie batter over the top.  I meant to pin the idea, but I got distracted and then I couldn’t find it.  Don’t you hate it when you do that?  I remembered that it used 1 1/2 pre-cut cookie squares, but I wasn’t sure about the temperature and how long to bake them…blah!  Time for testing!  So here’s the skinny on the not so skinny, but easy to make treat.

  • Cheeseburger Baked Beans

    May 2, 12 • Helen • Cooking, RecipesNo CommentsRead More »
    Cheeseburger Baked Beans

    Last Sunday, after a long, physically tiring day of community service on Saturday, we opted to have a really easy dinner after church, paper plate included!  Cheeseburgers were on the menu, but I wanted to do a side-dish and potato salad was a little much since I’m the only one around the house right now that even likes it.  Something that I used to make for summer barbecues was something more or less without a name…you know, the kind of thing you throw together and call it “those baked beans with hamburger, onions, green peppers and cheese”.  Remembering the dish put me right in the mood for it, and I wouldn’t have to eat it all by myself.  I know it’s not quite time for summer barbecues, but I’ll get a jump on the idea.  This is also a great stand-alone meal, almost like a chili or stew, but a little on the sweeter side like beans’n’wienies…another family dish.  I even gave it a name! Cheeseburger Baked Beans (No baking required!) 1 pound lean ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 2 -28oz. cans of Bush’s Original Baked Beans 10-12 slices American sliced cheese, chopped into about 1/2″ cubes 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed Put the ground beef, onions and green pepper in a 3 quart pan and brown; season with salt, pepper and/or Lawry’s Seasoned Salt.  Drain any fat off…if

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