Kris Krinkle Cookies

 Hello friends!  I am sorry it has been this long between recipes, but I think it is "game on" again, and nothing is in my near future, but baking and cookies, I mean cooking.  Craft show season is over, and the holidays are upon us!!  I LOVE Christmas!

At a recent show, my daughter in law bought some crinkle cookies and I, in my old age had completely forgotten about crinkle cookies!  Oh they were so good, my memory just went back to my childhood!  I remember one of the nuns at CCD made these often, and I loved it.  See, I KNEW before my life ended I would find something nice to say about Sister Michaeline.  My mom would be so proud.  Anyway, I found an old recipe and wanted to make it a bit more festive and into a "Red Velvet" sort of cookie . I mean, Santa's suit IS red velvet, and it would only be fitting to leave a red and white cookie out for him to eat on his travels, right?  This would be an awesome one to make for my "NO BROWN" cookie trays!  I have discussed my disdain for brown cookie only cookie trays, in case you are new.  You know the ones, right?  Someone delivers them and they all look like they could be dried up poo, but nobody wants to try one to make sure.  You know it now......

One more thing.  I can tell you this dough can be refrigerated for days.  Don't ask me how  know.  Ok, do.  I mixed up the dough on Monday evening.  Maybe it was Tuesday.  Crap.  Anyway it is Friday and I just baked them off.  SO, keep that in mind if you are doing weekend baking, mix up one kind of cookie every night and have the dough all ready!  This one will stand up for sure!

When you roll these out, make sure to pop the dough into the fridge between batches.  It gets a bit messy when it warms up but isn't impossible.  They are so worth it!

1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
1/2 cup oil
6 T cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
red food coloring (gel or paste)
2 cups flour
PINCH of salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a bowl combine flour, salt, and baking powder together, set aside.  In a large bowl combine the sugar, oil, cocoa powder, vanilla and eggs.  Mix until combined well.  Add in milk and continue to mix.  Carefully add in the flour mixture and mix until it is completely combined and smooth.  Now, add in your food coloring, you can add a bunch at once or go little by little until you reach the read you like but I can assure you, it will take quite a bit!  Once you get there, cover your cookie dough and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Place your powdered sugar in a bowl.  Roll your dough into about 1 inch balls, and roll in the powdered sugar and place on to a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake for approx 10 minutes and let cool on the cookie sheet 2-3 minutes before removing.  Remove to cooling rack and carry on with the rest!

ENJOY!

PS My dough doesn't look very red.  Ugh.......it was!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Biscuits

Tis the season for quick recipes, am I right?  Christmas parties, school programs, office parties, shopping, baking, ack!  Who is done shopping?  I am NOT.  I am usually done before Thanksgiving, but this year has been far to full of "life" surprises to get done yet so I am still working on it.  I am doing craft shows up until the weekend before Christmas and frankly, I am to exhausted for huge meals this month!

These little biscuits were suggested to me by my husband.  I think he anticipated them to be for a snack or appetizer, and while they can certainly fulfill those titles, they could also be a great lunch or dinner.  They turned out a bit bigger than I anticipated which was NOT a bad thing.  These are easy to do, with easy ingredients and I bet the kids would enjoy helping.

You are welcome to use canned chicken, or chunks of chicken, I poached and shredded mine.  Ham, you can use the packaged thin sliced variety or have the deli counter slice it thin, just above shredded.  I used a block of Swiss but if you want to use shredded, it will work perfectly.  Make sure to use the BIG OL' biscuits, with the bits of butter and flaky.  This recipe is for 16 of these bundles of love!   Now, on with the show!

2 containers of large biscuits (16)
8 ounce block of Swiss cheese cut into small squares to fit inside
1 lb thin sliced ham (16 pieces)
2 lg chicken breasts poached and shredded
3 T. melted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt

Preheat your oven to the temperature on the biscuit container.  Prep all ingredients.  Take one biscuit and using a rolling pin or your hand make it thinner, and bigger.  We need to make these big enough!  Now wrap a piece of chicken and cheese in a piece of ham and lay it on one half of the biscuit.

Now grab the center and seal it over the ham to the other side. Then seal all the way around using a fork to ensure a good seal!

Repeat with all of your biscuits.  Here is what they will look like or should look like before baking.

Bake for the time recommended on the biscuit containers.  When they are done, immediately brush with melted butter, Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with a pinch of salt!

ENJOY!

Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

All I had to do was the type the title, and I went and grabbed another one.  You guys, seriously, these are amazeballs.

My daughter in law and I have been doing craft shows nearly every weekend.  WELL, 2 weekends ago we happened to be set up straight across from the bake sale people.  Whhaattt?  She brought two of these over and I went to a place so happy in my mind, I had to go home and figure it out, find a recipe, find a place to buy them or better yet, track down the nun who made them and beg for her recipe.  Well, none of those things really happened, but, I did find a couple of recipes online.  I tried them and neither were just the way "the ones" were at the bake sale.  So I started combining, adding, taking away, dancing the Na' Na' in between and it all just seemed to be the perfect mix.  So I baked them up, they looked and SMELLED perfect, I let them cool 10 minuted and waited for that glorious moment I was going to have another one of these in my chops and BAM.........not done all the way.  WHAT?  What kind of cook, someone who has been food blogging for 5 years, makes THIS kind of mistake?  Me.  So, I just looked at them, like, like a dog who ate a 20.00 steak off of the counter.  I threw them in the fridge, after all, almost raw dough is good to, and started again.  This time, was going to be different, I was going to bake them longer, and let them sit a bit longer, and waaaaaa-laaaaa!  Here is what I got!  I love the texture of these, which you might find a bit, almost "creamy" but not.  Cookie like but not.  Oh, just make them.  They are indescribable!

I think these would be an awesome addition to your table of holiday desserts, or just a nice snack to have sitting around the house so you can  wait for your next physical appointment and find out you have gained 5 lbs since April and then come home and eat more all the while............OMG...........sorry, small tangent there.

Here is what you need for these undeniably sweet treats!

2 2/3 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 eggs
3 T. granulated sugar
3 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease your 9x13 baking pan.  In a bowl mix together flour, bakng powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In a mixer bowl or a larger bowl cream together butter and sugar until smooth.  Add in eggs and whisk to combine.  Add this mixture to your flour mixture, or, as it may be your flour mixture to THIS mixture and mix until combined.  Pour into your baking pan and spread out evenly.

Now mix together your sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle liberally over the top.  Do it from high above, make it RAIN my friends!

This is the important part.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  DO THE TOOTHPICK TEST on the center.  I can't deny that chilled half cooked cookie dough isn't delicious, but, shoot for the moon, and cook it all the way!


Much love to you all.  I sometimes forget to thank you often enough for your support, not just here on my website, but my social media as well.  Your kind emails, your recipe requests, I do my best to return them all!  I am forever grateful for all of you, my friends

ENJOY!

Creamy Swiss Mushroom Soup

Evening friends!  By the time you see this, you will be in a panic over Thanksgiving preparations.  Is my turkey going to be dry?  How am I supposed to deal with my annoying in-laws?  I make the worst pies ever, I should have bought them!  I hope my nephew is over his conjunctivitis!  Oh great, here comes my sister who picks in everything!  WHY, WHY, WHY did I offer to host Thanksgiving......AGAIN?

The good news is, everyone will eat, everyone will drink and everyone will fall into a food coma for so long, you have time to pack their bags packed and have their cars warmed up!  "Oh your up? Nice to have, you, toodles"!  Maybe if you are lucky, they will be nice enough to bring you a fabulous unique gift!

In fact, remember to take your host or hostess something nice for having you!  Some think it is an old fashioned practice, I say, "bring me presents"!  Heh, did I say that out loud?

I mention gifts, because well, I want to share a great gift idea with you.   How about that adorable bowl and plate in my cover photo?  I received it from Uncommon Goods!   
I love this company.  How can you not love a company that not only provides a platform for artists, and designers, but gives back as well!  As an independently run company, they have the ability to support causes they believe in and support the world!  If you place an order, $1.00 will be donated to a non-profit that they support, there are several to choose from and YOU get to choose!

The truth is, yes, I was gifted these items, including those "Pinch and Dash" salt and pepper shakers, LOVE!  But there is nothing "unique" you can't find here.  Even kids will enjoy the gifts available to them!  You not only give a gift, you, in a way, give a lesson in giving.  I think it is a great idea and knowing that my purchase will also support a good cause, just is the coolest thing.  I wish I lived in Brooklyn, where Uncommon Goods is headquartered.  I would creep on that place daily, they would give me things, just to get rid of me.  (pats myself on the back) Good idea.  Anyway, when I found out I could choose what I wanted, of course being the soup obsessed human I am, I needed soup bowls of some sort.  These ROCK!  I love to serve food on crisp, clean, white dishes.  Just my preference, and these were perfect for feeding my OCD tendencies.  I wanted a nice, comforting soup, one that you needed a stack of crackers for, or a big ol' grilled cheese, (OMG WHY didn't I dunk a grilled cheese in this?!?!).

Oh, WAIT!!!!  I forgot!!

Uncommon Goods has been so kind as to offer to send one of you, a duplicate of what they sent me! ACCKK!  I know right?!?  A set of 2, plates with bowls and an adorable set of "Pinch and Dash" salt and pepper shakers!  What do you have to do to win?  OK, here it is.......ready?
Leave a comment on this post!  NOT on Facebook, NOT on Twitter or Instagram.  Here.  If you haven't registered please do.  You will need to leave your email address along with your comment as I will have to contact you to provide your address to Uncommon Goods so they can ship your prizes. 

I will pick the winner on December 3rd, at noon CST!

Now on to the recipe!

2- 8oz cans of mushrooms, drained
4 T. Butter
5 T. Flour
1 T. Chives
4 cups half and half
8 ounces Swiss Cheese
1 bouillon cube (2 if your cubes make only 1 cup of broth, if you use the softer cubes ex. Knorr that makes 2 cups, use just one)

Yes, the answer is yes, I used canned mushrooms for this, you can use fresh but use about 18-20 ounces, and cook them down in your butter straight away! Even if you use canned, chop them up if you like small unidentifiable pieces or keep them just sliced as is.

In a medium pot on medium heat, melt your butter.  Add in your drained/cleaned mushrooms and saute for about 3-4 minutes.  Add a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper!

Now add in your flour.  Let's face it, it is going to look like vomit.  Flour added into veggies, in this amount always looks like vomit.  I can't help my honesty, the facts are the facts. My mother's voice is going off in my head right now, "Christine Ellen why in God's name would you use the word VOMIT, can't you think of a more adult word"?

On medium/medium high heat, stir in the flour and continue to stir for about 1 minute, constantly.  Add in 1 cup of half and half, Stir until smooth.  Add in the rest of your half and half, your bouillon cube, and your chives and stir until combined.  Let simmer while stirring for 2-3 minutes, add in cheese and guess what......?  Stir some more!  When your cheese is melted and your soup is creamy and delicious it is time to serve it up!

This will easily serve 4 as a meal, in my opinion.  Especially if you don't forget the "big ol'" grilled cheese!!

I can't believe I used the word "vomit" in a food blog post.  Just goes to show you, some of us never grow up!  Make sure to get registered and leave your comment including your email address below!

ENJOY!  And thanks to Uncommon Goods for partnering with FoodThoughtsOfaChefwannabe!!!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Let's talk muffins.  I love them.  Do you?  But you know one thing I Dis-like about them?  I don't like when they have fake flavoring in them.  Fake blueberry, or strawberry or apple, fake anything for that matter.  That being said, I think you will find these muffins to be the most fresh tasting muffins you have had in a long time.  A combination of fresh apples, added two ways, and some cinnamon, make these simple, a little sweet, and a lot delicious!

I had been over at my sisters house to pick up a few things she had left for me and along with it was a bag of apples.  Not sure if they were from her yard or someone elses but, SCORE, fresh apples are always a good thing!  I kind of love to play with muffin flavors and since I it had been awhile since I had done so, I knew the first apple recipe on the list was going to be muffins.  Now, I will admit, when you get to mixing fruit flavor, to a girl who isn't wild about fruit, it gets a little creepy for me.  So I decided to go with just a simple flavor, of ONE fruit, and complimentary flavors that were NOT fruit.  I am actually sitting here chuckling at myself.  Is it obvious I am not a fruit lover.  Just a few I will eat, odd, I know.

I think these would be perfect for any morning, they will freeze like a dream, and I think you should make a double batch because of the obvious reasons.  Obviously I think Thanksgiving morning would be the perfect time to try them out since they can be made ahead and just yanked from the freezer the night before.  Nobody will know you weren't up all night slaving away for their holiday enjoyment.

Make sure to follow the apple directions, it makes the flavor more intense, makes the muffins SO moist and face it, it makes the dang muffin what it is! HA!

You will need:

3 medium apples (directions below)
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup veg oil
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup instant oats

A little more brown sugar to sprinkle on top before baking!  

Preheat your oven to 375.  In a bowl combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk to combine and set aside.  In another bowl or your mixer bowl, combine your oil, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon.  Whisk to completely combine.  Add in flour mixture, and quick oats and mix until JUST combined.

\

Now for the APPLES.  Peel your apples, and use 2 of them to dice into about 1/2 inch pieces.  Use your third peeled apple to GRATE into the batter.  This will create a flavor and level of moistness you won't want to miss out on!

Scoop into muffin liners.  I also spray the top of my muffin tins with nonstick spray the muffin tops dono't stick!   Fill them a bit fuller than cupcakes so you get that classic "muffin top".  Trust me it is better on muffins than me!  Sprinkle tops with brown sugar (or white). I got about 15 muffins.  Bake for 20-23 minutes.  Just do the toothpick test and make sure they are done.  They will carryover cook a bit out of the oven as well.

Now get ready to NOM NOM NOM on these babies!

ENJOY!

PS.  I realize these muffins look like "nothing special" but the fresh apple flavor just can't be beat, and I hope you give them a go for yourself!

Mom's Mac and Cheese

Hiya!  Been spending a lot of time walking down "food" memory lane with my mom and one of my sisters recently.  We were talking about our favorite foods that mom made.  Every year on our birthday we got to pick our meal, and I always picked her spaghetti and meatballs.  She made meatballs about the size of her fist, and sauce that cooked all day, with her homemade tomato sauce, etc.  I am guessing I was 20 years old before I knew spaghetti COULD be made in under 12 hours. HA!

ANYWAY, my sister was speaking about my moms mac and cheese.  Now, to be honest, I only remember having it a handful of times, on special occasions.  We grew up without a lot of money and so we didn't get to indulge in boxes of mac and cheese like many other kids, or anything really that wasn't truly homemade.  When I think about it now, it was awesome, at the time, I just wanted what other kids had!  My sister, #1 (first practice child) still makes her mac and cheese this way which I had no idea about.  OK, well not exactly the same but I wanted to make it just like my mom did.  I used every processed thing she used, and do NOT feel bad!  So for some of you this recipe may be out the door before it even starts, for some of you, it may be your dream, for me, it was an awesome step back into my childhood.  I don't think any other food of my moms that I have eaten, literally made me close my eyes and say, "OM-GOSH, this is like being a little kid, in Ord, NE, eating mom's food". This did.  While I love that about it, and while I enjoy it, I don't make macaroni and cheese on the regular like this.  But once in awhile, when I am missing my mom's cooking, this will cure all that ails me!

Thanks mom for the food memories, thanks for all the birthdays you made spaghetti and meatballs when you probably didn't want to and thanks for laughing now about all the things you had to do to stretch a buck.  I will never forget 32 ounces of macaroni with 1lb of hamburger in it for goulash, or your canning pot full of chili with 2 lbs (on a good week) of hamburger and 20 cans of beans.  I love you for all those things and thankful in hindsight that we grew up like that, but mostly that those days are so far behind you.

Now, make sure when you cut up the cheese you cube it in perfect squares, tiny squares, because if my mom finds out you didn't, she is NOT going to be happy.  Oh yes mom, I love you for your OCD and thank you for passing it on to me! HAHAHA

Here we go!

16 oz. cooked elbow macaroni
16-18 ounces of Velveeta cheese, cubed very small (my mom is watching)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 T melted butter
3/4-1 cup of milk

Breadcrumb Topping
1 cup breadcrumbs (not seasoned!) I used my homemade
3 T butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Boil your macaroni for the low end of time.  If it says 10-13 minutes, go 9 or 10. Feel me?  Drain and let cool.  This is the one time I won't give you side eye, if you rinse it with cold water.  Stop the cooking and separate.  Do that right away and then before adding to your bowl.

Now prepare your breadcrumb topping.  In a small skillet, melt your butter, add in breadcrumbs and toast up for 2-3 minutes, when they are golden brown and the butter is absorbed, turn off and set aside.

In a large bowl, add cream of mushroom soup, milk  and melted butter.  DO NOT add salt.  I repeat DO NOT add salt.  Do you KNOW how much is in that soup and cheese?  OK.  Good.  Mix to combine, now add in rinsed and drained macaroni and the cubes of cheese.  Mix just until combined.

Pour into buttered 9x13 or any casserole dish it will fit in to, and smooth the top.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs like toasty, buttery rain and bake for 30-40 minutes.

There you go.  This is how my mom made baked mac and cheese.  While I make it different for my family, this turns back the clock to happy memories as a child.  I hope you enjoy as well!

Caramel Apple Dump Cake

Good evening my favorite people!  I hope this finds you all enjoying some nice fall weather and pretty colored trees!  It is definitely getting chilly here in the Midwest and I could NOT be happier if I am honest.  I am not a heat girl.  I like hot weather for a week or so, and then I am ready to not sweat and get dirty.  I prefer getting my dirty on in the.........KITCHEN.

So this cake, which may be familiar to some of you, was not, to me.  My friend "Coop", who btw, is an amazing singer.  If you are in Ohio, and you haven't driven to hear her sing at any number of Opry Houses or the like, you should.  Ask her to sing you some Patsy Cline.  You can check her out on Facebook!

You won't find a harder working, honest, mother, wife, grandmom or woman around.  She has been a friend for years, though we have never met in person we "met" on a step-parenting website probably 12 or 13 years ago!  Anyway, she had posted that her and her son, Chad were making this cake one evening.  She had me at "caramel apple".  I mean seriously, nothing can be bad if it contains those 2 ingredients.  I made her send me the recipe, and have made it twice...BUT, so have my kids, so, I don't feel so bad.

This is definitely a shortcut cake.  It uses apple pie filling and a box cake mix.  No judgement, just listen to me this time and do it.  I need to make it again, (haha, right) and dump a spoonful on top of some ice cream.  Oh yeah!  Now I was directed to dot the butter on top, but I found melting it and drizzling it on worked better for me AND, I used more than I was supposed to.  You are going to FREAK when you see the amount of butter I used but I only did it, after my son said he did it and I felt like I had to try it because, well, I mean, he can't make it better than me.  NOT going to happen.  Read me?  So freak out, if you want, you can even leave me freak out comment on my social media, I won't care because I know the joy this baby brings to her family and how good a spoonful is when you wake up in the middle of the night hungry.  I mean, IF that happens to you.  Again no judging.  HA!

Heeeere we go!

2 cans of apple pie filling
1 jar of caramel ice cream topping (I used more of this as well so about 1 cup)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 yellow cake mix
2 sticks or 1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 350.  I sprayed my 9x13 pan with some nonstick cooking spray.  Dump in both cans of apple pie filling and if you are like me the entire jar of caramel sauce and cinnamon.  Mix it right in the cake pan.  Now sprinkle the yellow cake mix over the top and then carefully drizzle the butter on top of that, covering every bit of it you can.  The original called for 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter and to dot it on top.  I found melting it, just made it better for me.  Now bake for 55-60 minutes, I went a full 60 because The Real Housewives was on and I wasn't missing the last 5 minutes to grab the cake.  Priorities people.  The caramel will bubble up through the top in some places and it will be hotter than the sun, so please let it sit a good 15 minutes before you even consider how good it might be warm. 

I am not responsible for the burning off of tongue or mouth skin if you don't follow my directions.

ENJOY!

Chicken and Biscuits

Hello again!  I have been so busy, working on crafting for a couple of big shows coming up and not spending as much time in the kitchen as I need or like to.  That will be changing soon!  I promise!

I was at my son and daughter in laws the other day and decided I would test a new recipe on them.  It was a hit and among the moans and groans my grandson blurts out, "NONNA, dat mell dood"!  It was priceless.  I can't believe he and his sister will soon be 2.  I don't know where the time goes!  Wait, yes I do, it has OBVIOUSLY been walking all over my face, because what else would be leaving all of these new lines?

ANYWAY.... with the arrival of fall, is the arrival of comfort food.  It is almost like that fact that it is fall makes it OK to indulge regularly.  At least semi-regularly.  No excuse needed, it is just fall, it is what is done in the fall.  The gym?  No, that is for spring and summer.  Fall is for comfort food!

Enjoy this as much as my family did and I hope someone in your life hollers at you and says, "MMMM, da melll DOOD"!

1 T olive oil
1 T butter
3 lg chicken breasts, cubed. uncooked
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups diced carrot
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
1 can of 8 over sized buttermilk biscuits

In a large pot add in your butter and oil.  When the butter has melted add in the chicken, poultry seasoning, onion powder and salt.  Stir often and cook until chicken is cooked all the way through.  This will depend on the size of your chunks of chicken but I would guess 5-7 minutes.  When it is done, remove from the pot, leaving all of the liquid behind.

Now add in your carrots, celery and onion.  Saute for about 4-5 minutes, until they are tender crisp.  We aren't going for mush, we want a little bite to them veggies, but we want to cook them so they are a bit more tender.

When they are at your desired level of tender crisp, add in flour, and stir, coating the veggies for about 1 minute.  Now add in chicken stock and cream/or half and half.  Stir to get the flour dissolved, add the chicken back in,  and bring to a boil, let simmer heavily until your mixture begins to thicken.

Pour into a greased or sprayed 9x13 pan and place your refrigerator biscuits on top.  Bake according to biscuit directions.  Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

Brownie Chews

OK, let's be honest with each other.  Some recipes are made from the best mistakes ever.  Some mistakes, turn into beautiful, chewy, decadent, better than s...well a lot of things, brownie chews.  Some recipes just do that.  Here is my story....

Many of you know we just went through a horrible life situation and while my son was in the hospital, I took a walk and found myself in the hospital gift shop.  Do hospital gift shops have the CUTEST stuff or is it just me?  I find myself actually excited to visit someone so I can go to the gift shop.  Sad.  But true.  Anyway, I needed some chocolate and FINALLY was able to pick up a bag of Sheila G's Brownie Brittle.  As it turned out I got 2 pieces while my son finished off the bag.  Undeniably, they are awesome,  really.  And while I am not a "crunchy edges" kind of girl, they were just the bomb.  (I am the chewy stuff inside girl)  So I set out to make my own version.  I didn't want to use a box brownie mix, (pats self on the back).  I found a recipe for it at www.babble.com.  I tried this recipe, and it burned.  So the second time I tried it, I decided to experiment.  Lord help us all, because it worked.  I decided instead of double baking them, I was going to bake them one time.  Their recipe calls for putting them in the oven a second time and I just didn't feel like I wanted to do that.  So I didn't.  Just thank me now if you want.  If you are the chewy stuff in the middle kind of person, just THANK ME NOW!

So while these ingredients are the same as the recipe, the method is very different and outcome is even better, I think, that you can imagine.  Let me share with you my happy experiment, wait, or was it an accident?

You will need:

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg white
1/3 cup flour
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
 3/4 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
mini chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a standard size cookie sheet, by spraying with nonstick cooking spray, laying a piece of parchment over it and then spraying again with nonstick cooking spray.  OR, use a silicone mat.   (SILPAT people feel free to send me a nice one)

I melted my butter right in my mixing bowl in the micro, then add sugar and vanilla, mix until combined.  Add in your egg white, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and pinch of salt, whisk until smooth and whisk lickable.

Now pour on to your prepared pan.  Spread it out a LITTLE bit, maybe 8x11 maybe 10x12, no bigger, remember it will spread in the hot oven.

Bake for 14 minutes, remove from the oven, sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, any amount you deem acceptable and let cool completely.  You can cut with a knife or use kitchen shears like I did.  They will be chewy, and perfect.  I have no more to say, just make them, please.

ENJOY!

Grandma Smith's Meatloaf

I call her mom (OK sometimes Ethel or...OK, maybe even pirate hooker once or twice), everyone else calls her Grandma, Mema, Nana Moo, and "ama".  Let me tell you a bit about my mom.  She grew up in the town they still live in, her father the county attorney and her mother a stay home mother.  She had 2 sisters and 2 brothers, all of whom have sadly passed away.  She had a cow.  She milked it AND rode it around town.  Yes, they lived in town with a cow.  And people shake their heads at society today?!? HA!  (had to mom)  She went to school, and college, she was a ....you ready for this?  Lingerie model for a few years, can you say HOTTIE?  Or should it be more like "scandalous"?  She fell in love with a tall, dark, handsome soldier from a foreign land, Philadelphia.  He was her boyfriends roomie in the hospital! WHAAAT?  He was stationed at the Army-Air Force base in Lincoln, NE.  She was a teacher, she intended to be a lawyer, but, life had other things in store.  Ten "other" things to be exact.  During her 82 years of life, and probably most of that as a mother, she became famous for her meatloaf.  Seriously though, I should call and make sure she isn't pregnant, the woman obviously doesn't know how it happens, and I want my info to be accurate....

Anyway, a fun little briefing on my mom.  Marlene is her name.  Actually, her name is Mary.  There was a typo on her birth certificate, and so, she is Marlene who was supposed to be Mary.  Her stripper name.......oh nvm, I forgot I wasn't going to tell that part.

Btw for anyone who is going to tell me that last comment was disrespectful, has NO idea the relationship I have with my mom.  She would shake her head and say "CAH-RIS" yes in 2 syllables and then just laugh..  So no worries.  My mom and I butt heads on a regular basis, but at the mature age of 83, even on the phone I can tell when she wants to say something, but just knows to zip up.  I do the same.  ALTHOUGH I am a bit more persistent, hopefully by the time I am her age, I will have matured.  I love her with all of my heart, and I will embarrass her, make her laugh, make her wonder if I was really switched at birth and her biological child is out there somewhere, and hug her and did I mention love her, forever!

As a kid and young adult I hated meatloaf.  I swear, if it wasn't meatloaf it was roast beast  every Sunday.  And God bless you mom but those roasts, were so dry, even the poor bay leaf on top was screaming for a drink.  Her recipe doesn't call for ketchup but I was sure she always used to put it on top.  I also think she used to triple this recipe because there is no way one loaf pan of meatloaf would cover 12 mouths!  One of my sisters, #3, had her write her recipe out and  then gave each of us kids, a towel she had the recipe printed on.  How cool??!?!

This meatloaf has only a few ingredients, and it may be close to some of your recipes, or seem like it would be a little blah, but it has great flavor and even if it didn't, it is my moms, you better love it too!  My brother Jimmy,  dreams about this stuff, he is coming next weekend and I think I will surprise him with a meatloaf!

Easy as it is, here it is!

2 lbs ground beef (I use VERY lean since the sausage has a lot of fat) ALSO her recipe says 3lbs, she has corrected it to 2.
1 lb pork sausage
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups saltine cracker crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  She says to basically mix it all together, being careful not to over mix, making the meat mixture tough.  I say saute your onions first, you do what you want.  Toss it all in a bowl, and get your hands in there, just like my mom did.  Mix to combine, place in a loaf pan and bake 1 hour.  I actually think mine took about 20 extra minutes.  Like I said I swear she used to put ketchup on top but, it isn't in the recipe.

So, from my mom's 7X10 kitchen to yours.................enjoy this special recipe that she nourished us with for years and years.  Love you ma!

ENJOY!

PS. Phone verification, yes, she did put ketchup on top.  I KNEW it!  I don't like it that way so, no harm over there!

BEST Taco Salad

Let's talk taco salad.  I mean, most are about the same old same old.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE, LOVE taco salad.  I have a few stipulations.  No beans, no onions and no beans, in case you already forgot.

Oh wait, HEY everyone!  How rude of me to not greet  you properly, this taco salad just gets me all confused inside, and I can't think straight.

OK, but seriously, other than my daughter in law joining our family and the beautiful twin grand littles she carried and birthed, this taco salad is right up there with the top reasons I love her so much.  She is kind and has a heart the size of Texas and all that mushy stuff to, but this salad.  Have I mentioned I LOVE her taco salad?

She made it for me yesterday.  A lot of it.  Which is exactly how much of it I ate.  This is not your ordinary taco salad, or, at least to me it isn't.  It is the BEST which is why I named it that!  It has a couple of unexpected flavors that just work beautifully.  You might think to yourself, "really, in a TACO salad??" and the answer is yes.  Just do it, try it, now!

Here is what you need:
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 head of lettuce (this will obviously vary so just close your eyes and pick one)
1 medium cucumber
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 bottle Catalina dressing
1 lg back of Nacho Doritos

Get out a large bowl, you are going to need it.  Chop your lettuce and slice your cucumber.  I like to slice the cucumber in half rounds.   Cut your tomatoes in half and toss them in as well, add in meat and combine.  Add in 1/2 cup shredded cheese and mix again.  Start adding in the Catalina dressing a little at a time until you reach the amount you think you want. (usually about 10 ozs)  Now crush up half the bag of Doritos and add them in along with the rest of the cheese.  Let chill about 2 hours before serving.  NO, it does not get soggy.  I know someone is going to ask, so just to clarify!  And don't skip the cucumbers, they are divine in this.  I think grilled chicken or ground chicken would be fantastic too!

ENJOY!

Peanut Butter Pudding

Hello everyone!  Long time, no see, I know.  I wish I could share with you all that has been going on, but without permission from family, I can't do that.  What I can say is that I appreciate every good thought, every good vibe, every prayer, every little private message, and tweet, and Instagram message.  Knowing I have this troop of friends I have never met, sending positivity our way, is a gift that I consider a blessing.  Thank you to you all for sticking around a dead silent page, and still visiting the website regularly anyway.  My greatest thanks for that.

That being said, I decided to remake a recipe that I used to have up on the website.  I paired it with edible chocolate bowls and it was a hot mess.  It looked like a pile of vomit in a brown bowl and let's just face, it was NOT so delicious to look at.  Oh, that whole chocolate bowl fiasco...  ESPECIALLY for a woman who is terrified of balloons.  Stop laughing............OK,  don't.

This pudding is my husbands dream in a bowl.  No, I am not kidding.  OMG.  My puppy is under my desk and I just felt her breeze over my toes...let me get the cardiac kit.

Anyway back to heaven in a bowl.  Yes, if you love peanut butter it IS.  I would not personally recommend chunky peanut butter but, the world is your sandwich.  Make sure to take a little taste of this while it is warm.  Then prepare for a life changing moment.

Here is what you need:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup half and half
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium sized pan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Gradually whisk in the milk and half and half.  (NOTE : IF you do not have, half and half on hand, use 2 cups of milk.  I do it often!)  Place over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly.  When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and boil for one minute, continuing to whisk baby!

Remember that part about reducing the heat to low, or you WILL be eating this burnt and I won't feel bad! HA!  Remove from the heat, and whisk in the peanut butter and the vanilla extract.

Keep whisking until your pudding is smooth.  Pour the pudding into a dish and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap touches the top of the pudding all the way around!

If you don't you will get that funky skin that some people find appealing (insert barf noises) that is especially gross when it is the color of peanut butter.  Chill until chilled. (teehee)  2 hrs. should do it!
ENJOY!