S'mores Bark

It's no secret that I love s'mores.  A few weeks ago, I posted a recipe for S'mores Bars that used dehydrated marshmallows.  Since then, I have been brainstorming other ways to use the tiny marshmallows.  We had some friends coming over for dinner, and I wanted a quick snack that we could munch on while playing games that night.  Then it hit me, why not take the idea of my Marbled Chocolate Treats and sprinkle marshmallows on top?  So that's what I did and every last piece was devoured!

S'mores Bark

Makes one 8x8" pan (served 4)

You will need:

5 graham crackers
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup dehydrated marshmallows

1.  Line the bottom of your 8x8" pan with graham crackers.  You may need to break them in order to fully line your pan.

2.  Melt the chocolate chips and spread them evenly over the graham crackers.

3.  Sprinkle the dehydrated marshmallows on the melted chocolate and press gently so they stick.

4.  Let the bark sit until the chocolate has hardened (about 10 minutes).  Cut or break into pieces.

Pickle Dip

Last year, Mike and I had a big Super Bowl party with a bunch of our friends.  This year, we decided to keep it simple and just watched the game together.  However, I couldn't resist putting together a fun assortment of food for us to enjoy.  You know that Mike and I love pickles, and so I had a feeling this dip would be a big hit with us.  Mike actually said it was his favorite recipe I made that night!  We've enjoyed this pickle dip a few times in the past few months, and I knew it was a recipe that I had to share with you.  (Better late than never, right?)  If you're a fan of pickles, you're sure to be a fan of this simple and delicious dip!

Pickle Dip

Serves 8

You will need:
1 (8 oz.) block of cream cheese (I used Neufchatel)
1 cup diced dill pickles
1 Tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon dill pickle juice

Mix all the ingredients together and serve with potato chips.

Source:  Happier Than A Pig In Mud

Corn Dogs

I love to make foods that are not only fun to make, but fun to eat as well.  Corn dogs definitely fall into that category for me.  They bring back memories of when I was little--corn dogs were one of my favorite treats!  These were fairly simple to make, it took a few tries to get the hang of dipping the dogs, as I didn't have skewers!  I used a fondue stick instead and it worked well for me, but I'd recommend using skewers if you have them.  Mike and I both liked these corn dogs, and I'll definitely be making them again.  I froze our leftover corn dogs, and Mike enjoyed eating them for lunch at work.

Corn Dogs

Makes 6

You will need:
2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
6 hot dogs
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
6 wooden skewers
oil, for frying

1.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

2.  In a larger bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.

3.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.  Let it sit for 10  minutes.

4.  While the batter is resting, add oil to your cast iron skillet, dutch oven, or deep fryer.  Heat over medium-heat to 375 degrees.

5.  Poke a skewer through the end of each hot dog and roll in cornstarch.  This is really important in order to get the batter to stick to your hotdogs.

6.  Dip cornstarch-covered hot dogs into the batter.  (I transferred my batter to a tall cup in order to dip it easier.)

7.  Place in the hot oil and cook until golden brown, about 4-6 minutes.  If you're using a skillet, you might need to flip the corn dogs in order to cook them thoroughly.  Remove the corn dogs from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Leftover corn dogs can be frozen or stored in the fridge.
Source:  This Mommy Cooks

Funfetti Puppy Chow

I try to eat a healthy diet, but there are some treats I have a very hard time resisting.  No, scratch that...I simply can't resist them!  Some of those include marshmallows, S'mores, almost anything chocolate, and puppy chow.  Today let's talk about puppy chow...

This is a totally new version of puppy chow.  And, it's right up at my list of favorite treats now!  Growing up, I requested a Funfetti cake for every birthday. I love the pop of colors in the cake.  When I saw this recipe that combined my favorite cake and one of my favorite treats, I knew it would become a new favorite. 

I made this to bring to a Youth Group treat.  Fortunately for Mike and I, we had so many ofhter snacks that the container of this Funfetti Puppy Chow never got opened.  My poor students never knew what they were missing out on, and I got to enjoy more than my fair share of this!  I hope you'll give it a try, it has even fewer ingredients than traditional puppy chow and it's so simple to make!

Funfetti Puppy Chow
Makes 10, 1/2 cup servings

You will need:
5 cups Chex cereal
10 ounces (5 squares) vanilla flavored Almond Bark
1-1/2 cups Funfetti cake mix
additional sprinkles, if desired

1.  In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the Almond Bark in 30 second increments until it is melted and can be stirred smooth.

2.  Pour the cereal into a large bowl with a lid and drizzle with the melted Almond Bark.  Stir until the cereal is completely coated.

3.  Sprinkle the cake mix and sprinkles (if desired) on top of the coated cereal and put the lid on the bowl.  Shake the bowl until the cereal is evenly coated.

Store in an airtight container.

Adapted from:  So Very Blessed

Broiled Grapefruit

I don't remember when my obsession with grapefruit began, but I imagine it was back in middle school.  I remember sitting on the kitchen counter (my usual breakfast spot!), eating a grapefruit fo breakfast every morning.  I was estatic when I discovered grapefruit flavored Mentos in Romania!  My companions thought I was crazy for loving them so much, but I had discovered a delicious treat...and unfortunately one I haven't found in the States.

When I started seeing this new trend to broil grapefruit, I was immediately intrigued.  I'd never had grapefruit with anything on it, so I knew the sugar would add a lot more sweetness to this typically tart fruit.  I knew this was a trend I had to hop onto--pronto!  I was impressed by the taste of the broiled grapefruit. I typically eat my grapefruit at room temperature because I think it has more flavor and juice than a cold grapefruit.  Broiling this fruit amplifies the flavor and juiciness even more!

Broiled Grapefruit

Serves 1

You will need:
1 large grapefruit
2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1.  Using a sharp paring knife, cut the grapefruit in half.  Then cut the grapefruit along the rind and between each segment.

2.  Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar over each grapefruit half.  If desired, you could also sprinkle some cinnamon on the grapefruit.

3.  Place grapefruit halves on a cookie sheet and place under a preheated broiler for 3-4 minutes.  The sugar will carmelize and the fruit will become plump.

Serve hot.

As seen at: The Curvy Carrot, Sweet Treats and More, and A Southern Fairytale

Cinnabon Copy Cat

Confession time:  I've never had a Cinnabon!  Have you?  I've heard incredible things about them, but I have to confess, I'm too cheap to buy one.  Plus, I honestly don't know where the nearest Cinnabon is...I'd probably have to drive to the airport.  After making this recipe, I don't need to try a Cinnabon, because these are are so delicious!

Anyway, cinnamon rolls are one of my absolute favorite things to make.  I love rolling up the dough and cutting pretty rolls out.  And yes, these rolls are pretty!  Seriously, I think this dough held up the best of any I've ever made (and I've made a lot!  See here.  And here.  And here.)  The result was a perfectly formed cinnamon roll.

I found this fabulous recipe at Jamie's blog, Our Eating Habits.  I was assigned to her blog for the Secret Recipe Club, and as usual, I had a hard time deciding what recipe to make.  Quite a few of them caught my eye, so I narrowed the list down to 7 or 8 and had Mike choose.  I was thrilled that he choose the Cinnabons! 

This recipe surely did not disappoint.  I did modify it slightly, because the original recipe was made for a bread machine.  I have a bread machine, but I really enjoy making the dough myself, so I re-wrote the instructions to use a stand mixer.  I also did not have cream cheese in the house when I made these, so rather than a cream cheese frosting, I made a basic powdered sugar icing.  I like to pour a thin layer over my rolls hot out of the oven so it soaks in and makes them gooey.  Then after they've cooled, I add another layer of icing.  I hope you'll make these, and if you've ever had a Cinnabon, you'll have to tell me if they're close!

Cinnabon Copy Cat Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 20 rolls

You will need:
Dough:
1 cup warm milk, 110 degrees
2-1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 eggs
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2-1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup margarine, softened

Icing:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

1.  Pour warm milk and 1 Tablespoon sugar into the bowl of your mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top of it.  Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until frothy. 

2.  Stir in eggs and margarine until well mixed.

3.  Add in the flour, salt, and remaining sugar and knead for 5 minutes.

4.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 hour, or until double. 

5.  When the dough has risen, punch it down and let it sit on a floured surface for 10 minutes.

6.  Roll dough out into a 16x21" rectangle and spread softened margarine on top of it.

7.  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over dough.

8.  Roll the dough up length-wise and cut rolls into approximately 1" slices.

9.  Place rolls in a greased 9x13" pan.  Cover and let them rise for 30 minutes. 

10.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes--be careful not to over-bake!

11.  While rolls are baking, combine icing ingredients.  Spread over warm rolls.

Store cinnamon rolls in an airtight container.

Adapted from:  Our Eating Habits, who found it on Allrecipes

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies

One of my favorite flavor combinations is peanut butter and Nutella.  I often spread the two on a tortilla and roll it around a banana for a quick lunch.  I also enjoy peanut butter and Nutella on graham crackers.  One day I got to thinking about making peanut butter and Nutella cookies.  I took two of my favorite cookie recipes and smashed them together--quite literally!  The result was a delicious cookie that quickly became a family favorite!

I was unsure of how to write out this recipe, since it's really 2 recipes.  If it is unclear, or you have any questions, please let me know so I can make adjustments!

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies

Makes 2 dozen cookies

For the peanut butter cookies you will need:
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1.  Cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar together in a mixing bowl.

2.  Beat the egg and vanilla into the mixture.

3.  Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder to the wet mixture and stir until well combined.

Set aside while you make the Nutella cookies.

For the Nutella cookies you will need:
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup Nutella
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Cream margarine, sugar, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.

2. Beat for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

3. Add the egg and vanilla.

4. Add the Nutella and mix well.

5. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until dough is smooth.

6. Fold in chocolate chips.

To assemble the Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies:

1.  Roll peanut butter cookie dough into 1 inch balls and set aside.

2.  Roll Nutella cookies into 1 inch balls and set aside.

3.  Press 1 Nutella cookie ball on top of 1 Peanut Butter cookie ball and flatten slightly.  *You will want to be sure the peanut butter cookie goes on the bottom as it is more dense and will not spread like the Nutella cookie might.

4.  Place cookie on a greased cookie sheet.  Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

5.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookie Source: Tina Reale
Nutella Cookie Source:  Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie idea:  My original

Raisin English Muffins

I am a firm believer in starting your day out right with a healthy and filling breakfast.  Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day, and it's so important to eat breakfast.  Not only does it provide you with the energy you need for the day, it also kick-starts your metabolism, provides you with increased performance at work, and give you more endurance for physical activity.  I feel good knowing that what I fuel my body with in the morning will give it the energy I need until lunch time.

One of my favorite things to have for breakfast is an English muffins.  I love to eat them with a little bit of cinnamon spread, some butter, or as part of a breakfast sandwich.  I've been making my own English muffins for years.  They taste so much better than store-bought muffins, and I really enjoy making them.

English Muffins

Makes 18-24 muffins

You will need:
1 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons honey
1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
2-1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 packet)
5-1/2 to 6 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup raisins

1.  Combine the  milk, butter, and honey in a saucepan and heat until the butter melts, whisking occasionally.

2.  Remove pan from heat and let it cook until the milk mixture is lukewarm.

3.  While the milk cools, pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast over the water.  Gently stir with a fork and set it aside until the yeasts froths.

4.  While you're waiting on the yeast and milk, line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper and sprinkle with cornmeal or flour.

5.  Pour the lukewarm milk into the water/yeast mixture and stir until well combined.

6.  Add 3 cups of flour, salt, cinnamon, and raisins to the liquid and stir with a spoon until smooth.

7.  Stir in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is firm and no longer sticky.

8.  Scrape the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 3-4 minutes.  Let the dough sit for 5 minutes.

9.  Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until the dough is 1/2" thick. 

10.  Cut dough into circles with a biscuit cutter (or a drinking glass).  Re-roll dough and continue cutting dough circles until all the dough is used up.

11.  Transfer cut muffins to prepared baking sheets.  Sprinkle the tops with cornmeal and cover with a towel.  Let the muffins rise for 45 minutes.

12.  Heat a griddle to 300 degrees.  Place muffins on griddle about an inch apart.  Bake muffins for 10 minutes on each side.

Cool muffins before splitting them open with a fork.  Store in an airtight container.

Adapted from: Family Fun

Crock-Pot Lasagna

Do you use your crock-pot often?  I sure do!  It's so handy to be able to make a meal and forget about it while I'm at work.  I enjoy coming home to a delicious smelling house and a ready meal. 

Mike recently requested lasagna, but it can be a time consuming meal to prepare.  I certainly don't have time to make it and bake it after work...unless we want to eat at 8 at night!  We don't, of course, because that's practically bed-time for us! 

One day I got to thinking about using the crock-pot for lasagna.  I didn't see any reason why it wouldn't work, so I thought I would give it a try.  I figured the worst that would happen is it would be over or under cooked and we'd have to order a pizza instead.  I know Mike certainly wouldn't complain about that!  I was thrilled to find out that you can indeed make a lasagna in the crock-pot.  As you can see, it's not quite as pretty as a lasagna in a baking dish can be, but it still tasted delicious.  The edges of my pasta that weren't covered in sauce got a little crispy, but I just cut that off before serving.  That can easily be rectified by adding more sauce.  All in all, this was an easy way to make lasagna without the wait!

Crock-pot Lasagna

Makes 6-8 servings

1 pound ground beef, browned and seasoned

1 jar pasta sauce (I used Newman's Own Tomato & Basil Bombilina)

1-1/2 cups water, divided

9 lasagna noodles (you may need more or less depending on the size of your crock-pot)

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1.  In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, pasta sauce, and 1 cup water.

2.  Spread 1/4 of the sauce mixture onto the bottom of the crock-pot.

3.  Top the sauce layer with 1/3 cup cottage cheese and 1/3 cup mozzarella.

4.  Place 3 lasagna noodles on top of the cheeses.  You may need to break the noodles to fit your crock-pot.

5.  Repeat sauce layer, cheese layer, and noodles 2 more times.

6.  Spread the top layer of noodles with remaining sauce mixture.

7.  Pour 1/2 cup water around the edges of the crock-pot.

8.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Mine was on for about 6 hours and then dropped down to the "warm" setting for another 2 hours before I got home from work.  The noodles were tender and the lasagna was heated through.

Source:  My original recipe

  



S'mores Bars

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I love s'mores!  I love the combination of melted chocolate, gooey marshmallows and crispy graham crackers.  I enjoy coming up with new ways to enjoy s'mores and this is one of my new favorite ways.

I recently purchased chocolate Cheerios, probably because they were on sale.  I don't eat a lot of cereal for breakfast, but I often eat it as a snack.  One day I was looking at the box of Cheerios in the pantry and thinking about what I could do with them.  I also noticed my huge bag of dehydrated marshmallows (like the ones you get in hot chocolate mixes).  I picked up the bag in Shipshewana when I was shopping there a few months ago.  I put those two ingredients together and came up with these bars. 

I brought these to youth group for my girls, who raved over them.  Then I put one in Mike's lunch and he came home that day and said he really liked "those bars" in his lunch.  This is definitely a recipe I'll make over and over again!

S'mores Bars

Makes a 9x13" pan, about 24 servings

You will need:
40 regular sized marshmallows
2 Tablespoons margarine
6 cups Chocolate Cheerios cereal
1 cup dehydrated marshmallows*
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


1.  Place marshmallows and margarine in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on high in 30 second increments until the marshmallows are melted and the mixture can be stirred together.

2.  Add Cheerios to melted marshmallow mixture and stir together until completely coated.

3.  Mix in dehydrated marshmallows and chocolate chips.

4.  Press into a 9x13" pan  and let the bars cool for 1 hour before cutting.

Source: my original recipe, inspired by Kellogg's

*I purchased my marshmallows at a bulk food store.  They are also available online, or I've recently heard that Kraft has started selling them.  If you can't find them, you can leave them out.

Spaghetti with Apple Tomato Sauce

When Tina announced that this month's Crazy Cooking Challenge theme was spaghetti, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed.  To me, there's really nothing special about spaghetti.  It's such a quick and easy dish, one that is usually made when there are only a few minutes to make dinner.  Boil noodles, open a jar of sauce, heat it up and you've got dinner. Right?  Wrong!

Apparently there is a lot more to spaghetti than I thought!  As I began my search for the ultimate spaghetti recipe, I realized how many recipes there are for something I thought was so very simple.  When I came across Joanne's recipe, I knew I wanted to try it.  Her recipe is so different from any spaghetti sauce I've seen before.  It's simple.  No overload of spices, no hours of simmering.  Quick, easy, and delicious.  But wait...apples?  In spaghetti sauce?  That was way new to me, and so of course, I had to try it!

I'm thrilled that I tried this recipe.  Like I said, it's totally different from any spaghetti sauce I've had before.  The apples bring a totally new element into the tomato sauce by adding a bit of sweetness.  I forgot to top the sauce with the cheese before taking a picture, but the cheese added a bit of salty goodness to the sauce.  The combination was fantastic!

Voting has changed since previous challenges, and the Ultimate recipe winner is now chosen by the number of clicks to that recipe.  If you'd like to vote for me, I'd really appreciate it!  Just click on my the thumbnail picture of my recipe below (#83)  Thanks!

Spaghetti with Apple Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

You will need:
1 28-oz can of plum tomatoes (I couldn't find plum so I just used whole canned tomatoes)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
3 tart apples (I used Jonathon), peeled, cored, and grated
1/2 pound spaghetti noodles, cooked
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano

1.  Pour the canned tomatoes into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  (I used my hand-held immersion blender, and it worked perfectly.)

2.  Pour the olive oil into a large skillet (or saucepan) and heat over medium heat.  Add the onions and saute until caramelized.

3.  Stir the tomatoes into the onions and season with the salt.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.  Stir the grated apples into the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer again.  Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The sauce should thicken slightly and the apples should be tender.

Serve sauce over spaghetti noodles and topped with parmigiano-reggiano.

Source:  Eats Well With Others

Crock-pot Beer BBQ Chicken

A little bit of business first...Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway!  I wish I could send you all a prize, but unfortunately that's not quite feasible right now :)  I used a random number generator to choose the winner, and it was:

Congratulations Kristin!  You were the winner!  Please check your email for how to get your prize.

I try to make a Crock-pot dinner at least one time a week.  It's perfect for our Tuesday evenings when Mike has to rush off to his bowling league or for Wednesdays when I need to get to youth group.  I can do the prep work in the morning, plug in the Crock-pot and forget about it until I get home.  Then I just heat up a side-dish when I get home from work and dinner is served!

One great thing about this recipe is that it makes a ton!  Sure, it could easily be scaled down, but I prefer to have left-overs.  It freezes perfectly and it makes a great lunch for Mike to take to work.  Also, I should note, if you prefer not to use beer, you can substitute ginger ale, chicken stock, or just water. 

Crock-pot BBQ Beer Chicken

Serves 8-10

You will need:
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 large)
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces of beer
32 ounces of barbecue sauce

1.  Season chicken with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 

2.  Place in Crock-pot, then add beer and 24 ounces of barbecue sauce.

3.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

4.  After 8 hours, shred chicken using 2 forks, and stir in remaining barbecue sauce.

Serve on toasted buns.  (Please butter and then broil your buns--it adds so much flavor!)

Source:  How Sweet It Is

Sweet Potato Fries

I used to think I didn't like sweet potatoes.  It might be because the only way I'd ever had them was mashed up and covered in brown sugar and marshmallows for Thanksgiving.  Sounds like candy, doesn't it, so what's not to like?  For me, it's a texture thing.  I don't do well with mushy foods, which is why I'm not a fan of mashed potatoes either.  I'm weird...I know! 

Now that we're eating healthier, I thought I would give sweet potatoes another chance.  I love to have thick cut fries with hamburgers (made with ground turkey!), but I thought I'd try making sweet potato fries for me. Mike tried them, and thought they were okay, but he prefers regular potato fries!  I thought these were good, and I'm definitely a fan of sweet potato fries now.

Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 4
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide wedges
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

1. Line a large baking pan with foil; grease foil with cooking spray.

2.  In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes with oil, sugar, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper.

3.  Set potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet.

4.  Bake at 425 until lightly browned around edges, about 15 minutes. Turn potatoes over and bake until softened and browned, about 20 minutes longer.

Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Source:  All You

It's a Keeper Thursday

I'm thrilled today to be able to co-host It's a Keeper Thursday with Christina!

Have you visited Christina's blog before?  If not, hop on over and check it out.  It's full of delicious recipes that she and her family try.  And, if they are "keepers", they get posted on her blog.  I love her recipes, especially her Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes (see my version too!)

So please, join in today by linking up your most recent creations...

A few guidelines to get you started:

*Follow It’s a Keeper and Melissa's Cuisine (see buttons to the left).
*Your link should be a food or craft/project related item. Link up as many as you’d like!
*Add the It's a Keeper button to your sidebar or blog post – help spread the word!  The more the merrier, right?
*Be sure to check out some of the awesome posts that others have linked up! Let them know that It’s a Keeper sent you! 

Now link up, and have fun checking out everyone's fabulous links!