S'mores Bar

I found this recipe surfing around on stumbleupon.com, you type in your interestes & this handy site gives you suggestions. Really neat.It is also on back of the Betty Crocker sugar cookie bag.



1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
one bag of  milk chocolate chips
4 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and crumbs. Stir in melted butter until soft dough forms. Press into ungreased 13x9-inch pan.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Spread chocolate evenly over crust.

Set oven control to broil. Sprinkle marshmallows over melted chocolate. Broil with top 5 to 6 inches from heat 20 to 30 seconds or until marshmallows are toasted. (Watch closely; marshmallows will brown quickly.) Cool 10 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Serve warm. Store any remaining bars tightly covered.

This dish is best served after a few hours of sitting. Cutting right away is like eating wet cooking. yuck!

Oh how I wish I had a test kitchen and a photographer, lighting and a whole team so my bars would come out perfect. They are delicious! Just please, let it sit ans set a few hours.

My bars

Their bars

Chocolate Cover Cookie Dough

Forget boxes of chocolates, make the perfect gift!

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon water

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in the vanilla, water, flour, chocolate chips, and walnuts, if desired, and mix until well blended. Roll dough into bite-sized balls (or use a small ice cream scoop). Place on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Store balls in resealable plastic bags in the freezer.

Make a double boiler like the one I described in Fiber One Chocolate Cookies. I bought 2 bags of chocolate chips & used what was left & the other bag for the dipping chocolate. Melt the chocolate chips & dip the frozen cookie dough. (Use a spoon and place the dough ball into the melted chocolate. Using the same spoon remove chocolate covered dough ball & place onto tray or waxed paper. ) Place on waxed paper or plastic tray. 

I am a bit obsessed about green living and wastefulness. I am aware of  the amount of non-recyclables my family uses & throws away. I picked up some plastic serving trays at my last job. They were throwing them out. I use them for cooling or drying cookies and candies. You can see the trays in the top photo. I never buy waxed paper, paper towels or trash bags. Less use, less trash & more money.

These were very easy to make and quick. The longest was waiting the 2 hours for the freezer time. These were definitely ready in 3 hours.

I think next time I will try peanut butter or maybe Peppermint Patty. My Peanut Butter Fudge recipe will be perfect for the center.

Red Beans and Rice and Sausage and WOW! (Oh! and tomatoes and onions.)

I go to allrecipes.com & type in a few things I have in the kitchen. I don't want to go to the store & I am not feeling particularly creative tonight. Hmmmm, mild sausage, half a green pepper & too small of an onion to measure.
(Digging deeper in the cupboard of abandoned foodstuff) Rice!  

In a saucepan put 1 3/4 cups of water a dash of olive oil & salt. Bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of rice & let boil for 5 minutes. (Or until you can see the top of the rice. Turn off heat & let the rice soak up the remaining water.

While the rice is boiling put 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a skillet or frying pan and bring to medium heat. You can tell when oil is if you get your fingers wet & flick water onto the hot oil. You will hear a sizzling sound. 

Add the sausage to your oil & cook for 5 minutes. Then add peppers & onions, saute until tender. Add can of red beans.Season with cyan pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper & cumin.

Cover and Set to Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over rice for a delicious (box free) dinner in 30 minutes.

Sleeping Cheeseburgers

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• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 small dill pickles, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
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•  Combine ingredients in a bowl & mix.  Form into 4 patties. I made my burgers smaller so for bigger burgers add an extra pound of beef.

2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Cook burgers on medium heat for 8 minutes. The burgers may fall apart some while cooking but you are going to pocket then so don't worry about it.

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• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound frozen bread dough, thawed
• 8 slices American cheese
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Cut dough into 4 pieces, roll out into rectangles. Place a piece of cheese on the bottom half, place the cooked burger on top of the cheese and place another piece of cheese on top of the burger. Fold over the top of the bread dough and pinch to seal edges.

• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• Brush melted butter over the tops of buns
• Bake in oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until browned. Served with baked french fries, corn on the cob or a tossed salad.
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Homemade Hamburger Helper:Beef Romanoff

I had a pound of hamburger & some leftover butter noodles in the fridge. What to do, what to do.

You will need:

1 pound hamburger

1/2 half onion

1/2 green pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup milk

8 ounces of pizza or spaghetti sauce

16 ounce box of noodles

I browned the ground meat & added diced onions and green peppers. I seasoned with garlic powder, 

cayenne pepper, black pepper & cumin.

Normally I would say, boil the noodles, add oil & salt then drain. Do not rinse but I'm using leftovers! Yay!

Once the meat is browned drained off any grease 

I add the can of pizza sauce and set to simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the noodles & milk.

Let sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken and serve.

20 Minute Peanut Butter Fudge

I found this recipe on Alton Brown's website. He is great to watch in the kitchen, if you've never seen him give him a try. He explains things so that even I can understand it.

1 cup butter

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound (16 ounces) powdered sugar

Butter a 8x8 dish.

Microwave butter and peanut butter for two minutes. Stir to combine. Add vanilla and powdered sugar to peanut butter mixture and stir with a spoon as much as you can. The mixture will get the consistency of sugar cookie dough. You will be able to pick it up all at once. Smooch it around with your hands if the powdered sugar still needs some mixing in. 

Press the fudge into the dish using your hand or a spoon. Place plastic wrap over the top of the fudge & let cool in the fridge. 

Fun with Kool-Aid

I was bored, it's cold & snowing like mad here in Ohio. So here I sit looking at an empty ice cube tray & half a pitcher of Kool-Aid....hmmmmm, I wonder.

I pour the rest of the Kool-Aid into the ice cube tray. What doesn't fit goes into a glass. Waste not want not:) 

Now, I make a new pitcher of Kool-Aid, lemonade this time. I guard the fridge with my life & a spatula making sure no one drinks it. Then in a few hours I have ice for my fruit flavored beverage that won't water it down. So simple, so genius. 

 I like to mix and match flavors and colors. Contrasting reflections of light make me giggle. If you're not a mix it kind of person you probably only have packets of cherry drink mix anyway so ice & pour. No matter how long you let is sit, your fruity ade may become a different flavor but will never be watered down.

 

Fiber One Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are so yummy & good for you. What~Yes, I said it. 

Below is a photo of the ingredients.

 3 C Fiber One cereal
12 ounce bag of chocolate chips
1/2 C peanut butter

To make a double broiler, if you don't have one. Put a cup or so of water into a pot. When it comes to a boil, instead of a lid place another pot of equal or greater size. So that is does not fall into the first pan.

To melt chocolate, place the 12 ounces of chips into the top pan and turn off the heat. You don't want to cook the chocolate, just heat it to its melting point.

When the chocolate is completely melted. Stir in the 3C of Fiber One cereal & the 1/2 c peanut butter.

 Stir until cereal is completely covered and peanut butter is combined.

 Spread onto a cookie sheet. I use a reusable baking mat. Very handy for mo mess clean ups and not scratching my cookie sheets when it comes time to cut the cookie into pieces. You can use corningware or glassware. It doesn't matter. Do not grease the pan.

Use a pizza cutter, bench knife, sharp knife to cut this up into bite size pieces once it dries.

Serve. Yum!

 I like these and the fiber one and peanut butter are good choices in snack eating. You can omit the peanut butter for calorie or allergy concerns.

Chicken Paprikash with Homemade Spaetzel

Mmmmm, comfort food anyone? This is my favorite dish.( I'm talking last meal quality.) Walking into my grandma's house and smelling the chicken & the paprika simmering. (Give me a minute, I'm having a warm and fuzzy moment.)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
12 oz. sour cream 
16 oz. chicken broth  (I use water & chicken bouillon)
1 onion 
3-4 tablespoons Hungarian paprika 
2 tablespoon garlic 
1 tablespoon salt 
1 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1/2 teaspoon ginger 
2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch
olive oil 

 Chop up the chicken breasts into small pieces.

Put the chicken and garlic in a pan; sautee in olive oil.

Chop up the onion into small pieces.

Put the onions and some chicken broth into the pan. Use just enough broth to keep everything covered don't over fill the pan. You can add the rest in when you add the flour.

Stir in the other spices (paprika, salt, black pepper, ginger).

Simmer to let the chicken and onions cook thoroughly. 

When the chicken and onions are fully cooked, add the flour. Use a fork to mix in the flour. Remove from heat and let it thicken for 10 minutes.

Add in the sour cream, and it's ready to serve over spaetzel.

Spaetzel (It's like a soft noodle, Grandma referred to them as little dumplings.)

1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs

Get a pot of water going at a high boil.
Mix the milk, flour, and eggs in a bowl. The batter should be a little thicker than a cake mix: a tiny bit stiff, but definitely not dough.
With a spoon, drop a small amount of batter into the boiling water, and let boil for about 20 minutes. You will watch the little balls sink to the bottom of the pan & gradually float to the top. When they are all at the top, they are done. Use a spatula or a slitted spoon to remove them.

Be advised that you need to keep the water at a high boil for this to work: the surfaces of the dumplings really need to cook as soon as they hit the water. That way they won't stick together.

The dumplings will expand as they cook, so try not to make them very large. You can chop them up with a spatula after you pull them out if you need to.

Pot Roast, My Mother Would be so Proud.

I was so excited to buy a roast from my butcher.
I put a 15 ounce can of French onion soup along with 2 cups of water in the bottom of a dutch oven then added the roast. I seasoned it with garlic, onion powder with black pepper. Cut up three potatoes and  two celery stalks. Put the roast in the center and spread the potato, celery and onions all around the roast.

If you don't have a dutch oven or even a big pot, try a crock pot. All the same steps apply either way.

Put on 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Check, stir if not quite done mack sure there is fluid still in the pot, if not add another cup of water. Check in 30 minutes.

Cut into slices & let sit in liquid for 15 minutes in the off oven. Serve. I served mine with a salad. Lots of veggies for the family and they wont even catch on.