Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip

Of course we went to a Superbowl Shindig last night and watched the game ate yummy food with friends like good Americans.  One of the things I brought was Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip which was scraped clean out of the bowl.  (And who would have thought that my non-chocolate-loving husband gave it 2 thumbs up.  Go me.)  But seriously, this stuff is G-O-O-D!    

1 8oz. package of cream cheese (not fat free)

1 stick of unsalted butter

2/3 cup owdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup of mini chocolate Chips

Soften cream cheese and butter.  Mix all ingredients (except chocolate chips) on low speed with hand mixer until smooth.  Gently stir in chocolate chips.  Refrigerate for one hour.  Serve with graham crackers.  

Microwave {Air-Popped} Popcorn

We have another snow day today and I had requests at 10 AM for our current favorite snack - popcorn.  Instead of making it on the stove, I made it quick and in a smaller portion for Jude in the microwave.  Less mess and a bit healthier than cooking with oil.

I put 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels in a brown lunch bag.  Close the bag by folding over the top a few times.  Then, for our microwave, I pop it for 2 minutes.  Add on salt and our favorite white cheddar, and it's good to go!  

Snow Ice Cream

We are part of the snowpocalyspe that has hit the US of A.  (So much that our Christmas break is continuing an extra day today...)  A friend sent us this Ice Cream Snow recipe and we made it after dinner last night.  Jude gave it 2 bouncing thumbs up (a sign he really really likes something).  And making it broke our cabin fever for a few minutes!  

4 cups of fresh snow 

1 cup of milk or cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy!

Plenty of snow here to make more tonight!!

  

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I love finding good soup recipes to enjoy during the fall.  This is one of my favorite soups to make, but since Ryan has no love for broccoli, I don't get to enjoy it very often!  I recently made this for friends and kept a few bowls for myself.    

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons margarine

6 cups water

6-8 bouillon cubes

8 oz. egg noodles

2 - 10 oz. package of frozen broccoli

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

6 cups milk

1 lb. cubed velveeta cheese

To make:

Saute together onion and margarine.  Add water and bouillon cubes and bring to a boil.  Add noodles, cook 3 minutes.  Then add broccoli, cook until tender.  Stir in garlic powder, milk, and velveeta.  Heat until cheese melts.  

Enjoy!  

{Crockpot} Cheese Tortellini Soup

I love a good crock pot recipe, especially one for soup this time of the year.  This recipe came from a recipe exchange I did this spring and we finally tried it out for the first time a month or so ago when the fall temperatures hit.  Ryan, Jude, and I especially love it!  (Jude keeps telling me that "spinach in soup is really really good!")  

Cheese Tortellini Soup 

1 bag frozen tortellini (approximately 12 oz. - I use cheese, but meat would work, too.) 

1 small bag of fresh spinach

2 cans of Italian style diced tomatoes

1 box or 4 cups of chicken broth

1 block of cream cheese

1 pound of roll sausage (optional) 

1. Brown sausage and drain (if using).

2. Chunk up cream cheese.

3. Put all ingredients into the crock pot.  (You can put tortellini in now or later.)

4. Cook on low for 4 - 6 hours.

5. If you didn't add tortellini in with other ingredients, add it an hour or so before serving.

I've only made it without the sausage and just using cheese tortellini - we are fans.  

Here are the leftovers I enjoyed for lunch the next day - yum.  

Apple Cinnamon Slow Cooker Steel-Cut Oatmeal

School mornings can get a bit hectic here.  And in doing a lot for everyone else in the morning, I'm usually the last one to eat breakfast.  A friend shared this recipe and I made it earlier this week.  It was nice to have my own breakfast "done" and ready to enjoy.  I started my crock pot at 11 PM and when I woke up with Michael at 4 AM (to the smell of baking cinnamon) I turned it off.  Mostly because my crock pot cooks very fast.  The next time I make this I might do it during the day when I don't have to worry about it overcooking/burning and then just store it in the fridge for the week.

Apple Cinnamon Slow Cooker Steel-Cut Oatmeal  (Recipe found here.)

2 apples, peeled and cored, cut into 1/2 pieces

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup uncooked steel cut oats    

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1tablespoon ground flax seed

1/4 teaspoon salt

Coat inside of slow cooker with cooking spray.  Add ingredients and mix together.  Cook on low for 7 hours (this time varies).  Can be stored in fridge, just mix 1 cup of oatmeal with 1/3 cup of milk and heat in microwave.

Baked French Toast

No one eats the ends/heels/butts from a loaf of bread around here.  And that's actually fine by me.  (I don't like them, either.)  I stash them away in the freezer and make this French toast when I have about 6 loaves worth of crusts, about 12 pieces of bread total.  (Can you tell my grandparents lived in the Depression?)  I made it as a "special" breakfast for the first day of school last week.  

(I made this in an 8 x 10 pan and it made 12 pieces.  I also made it the night before.)

Ingredients:

12 end pieces from loave(s) of bread (or just use 12 pieces of bread)

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups of milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Grease baking dish.  Tear bread into dish.  Mix remaining ingredients and pour over bread, soaking it.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Serve with syrup if you wish.  

My kids gobbled this up and headed out the door with full bellies!       

Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas

We tried a new Mexican dish the other night....and it was something I could make before the dinner hour!  (That alone makes me a fan!)  I thought they were going to be waaay spicy, but these had just the right amount of kick to them.  However, I also did not top these with the picante sauce and cheese.  So technically they weren't enchiladas, but we enjoyed them nonetheless!  

Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas

1 medium onion

1 1/2 cups shredded chicken

1 1/2 cups picante sauce (divided)

3 oz. cream cheese (cubed)

1 tsp. cumin

2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese

8 flour tortillas

Cook onion in butter about 2 minutes.  Add chicken, 1/4 cup picante sauce, cream cheese, and cumin.  Heat thoroughly.  Stir in half of shredded cheddar cheese.  Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla   Place seam down in greased baking dish.  Top with remaining picante sauce and cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Roasted Parmesan Green Beans

This is another recipe I got from my MOPS recipe exchange.  I made these with fresh green beans the other night for dinner and they were delicious.

Roasted Parmesan Green Beans

12 oz. green beans, trimmed - wash and dry

2 teaspoons olive oil

salt

fresh cracked pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425.  Lone baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Lay green beans on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Toss to evenly coat.  Spread beans out on baking sheet.  Bake 10 minutes.  Shake pan to turn.  Bake additional 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.  

Avocado Dip

We broke out the Mexican food early even though Cinco de Mayo is still a few days away...  Mostly because this dip is awesome...and mostly because we currently have an awesome houseguest!  :)  This is a lighter, almost whipped, version of a guacamole.  So delicious that there are no leftovers to be found here!  

Avocado Dip

1 package of cream cheese (softened) (I used Neufchatel cheese)

2 avocados

1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper sauce (red hot) (although I didn't have any and this turned out just fine)

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

Combine all ingredients until well blended.  Serve with your favorite tortilla chips (and margaritas!).  

Have a happy weekend!

Three Cheese Manicotti

With Lent in full swing, I'm sharing one of the meatless numbers that we enjoy on Friday nights.  This recipe is easy and can be made while your children nap (**bonus**)!

Ingredients:

12 manicotti shells

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

8 oz. softened cream cheese

1 jar marinara sauce

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

(1 tablespoon Italian seasoning - optional)

Directions:

Cook manicotti in large pot according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water; drain again.

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.  Mix 3 cups mozzarella with softened cream cheese and Italian seasoning.  Stuff the manicotti with the cheese mixture and place in prepared baking dish.

Spoon marinara over manicotti.

Sprinkle manicotti with remaining mozzarella.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 10 minutes longer, remove and enjoy!

(Another option is to thaw and drain 1/2 cup spinach and add to the cheese in step 2.) 

Monday Menu

Monday

Daddy has a business dinner = Macaroni and Cheese for all!

Tuesday

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Garlic Bread

Wednesday

Ground Turkey Tacos

Thursday

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry 

(Why have we only just discovered La Coy's Sweet and Sour Sauce?!?!  So yummy!!!)  

Friday 

Pizza Rolls

Bon Appetite!


Linking up with Rachel.

"Energy Bites" (AKA, "guilt-free" treat)

I pinned these from my friend Jessica.  I was looking forward to trying them as soon as I saw that they "might taste like a healthier version of a no-bake cookie."  Sold.  

(The original recipe can be found here.)  I made mine with:

1 cup dry oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup ground flaxseed 

(I goofed and didn't grind mine, so my first batch was more crunchy...)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

Stir everything together and place in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes.  Roll into balls (about 1 inch in diameter).  Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

They are a yummy little treat!  Enjoy!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup {Crock Pot!}

I recently had this soup at someone's house for lunch and everyone agreed that it.was.delicious!  And we alllllll asked for the recipe, especially since it was served out of a crock pot!  The hostess found the recipe here.  I made it and kind of tweaked it a bit...

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8 oz.) package mushrooms
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
3 chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts, drained *I am not a fan, so I omitted these*
2 cups cooked brown rice *I used leftover rice*
2 cups whipping cream
optional garnish: toasted slivered almonds

Add olive oil to large skillet on medium heat.  Cook celery and onion, then add in mushrooms, and garlic.  Cook until softened.  Combine this mixture, chicken broth, chicken breasts, frozen corn, and water chestnuts in crock pot, cover, and cook for about 6 hours or until chicken cooked through.  Uncover and shred chicken.  Stir in cooked rice and whipping cream.  Cover and cook to warm newly added ingredients.  Garnish if you wish.

This is delicious....both the smell of it cooking and then once it lands in your belly.  Enjoy!    

Navy Bean and Ham Soup

We were gifted a Christmas ham again this year by Ryan's boss.  I made ham and navy bean soup with some of it the other day and it was delicious!  And perfect for the cold January weather we've had recently.

Ham and Navy Bean Soup

1 cup dry navy beans

2 cups cubed ham

1 Tbsp. butter/margarine

1 medium onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 cups sliced carrots - optional :)  

Rinse beans.  Combine beans and 4 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Let stand covered for 1 hour.  Drain and rinse beans, set aside. 

In a large pot melt 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine.  Cook onion and celery, add cubed ham.  Cook until softened.  Stir in beans, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and 5 cups of fresh water.  Bring to boiling, reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 1 - 1 1/2 hours (or until beans are tender.)  

Add carrots if desired.  Simmer, covered for 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.    

**For other ways we've used our hams in years past click here.**  

Chili Cheese Dip

This is an easy appetizer to make - and a good way to use leftover chili, too!  And 100% fool-proof.

Ingredients:

1 to 2 cups of leftover chili OR 1 can chili 

1 block of cream cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spread softened cream cheese on the bottom of a pie pan.  Spread chili on top of cream cheese.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Cheese should be melted on top.  Serve with frito chips and don't think about the calories.  

For other ways to use up leftovers...

Pizza Rolls (made with leftover tomato meat sauce).

Mexican Rice (made with leftover rice). 

Favorite Christmas Treats

Talking all about sugar today...one of my favorite food groups!  

Every year my sisters, mom, and grandma spend a day baking Christmas cookies.  Clare has always enjoyed the years we have been in town on this day!  Here are some of our family favorites...

1. Pressed shortbread cookies.  

2.  Gooey butter cookies.  

3.  Mocha chocolate chip cookies. 

4.  Cake balls.

OK, now I'm hungry!  Go forth and bake!  

Peppermint Hot Cocoa

I pinned this idea last year and made it this year for Christmas gifts.  

(Is it just me or do mason jars make everything look sweet?)  

Peppermint Hot Cocoa

(**for 1 pint jars**)

1/2 cup powdered milk

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

1/4 cup crushed peppermint (I used starmints, could also use actual candy canes.)

Layer ingredients as you wish in a pint size jar.  To make hot chocolate, mix all ingredients in a bowl, add 1/3 cup of cocoa mixture to warm milk (we tested it with water and milk was much better...yes, even though powdered milk is an ingredient).

Sip and enjoy!

PS - Last year my sister-in-law gifted us with homemade vanilla, similar idea can be found here.

PSS - And last year I made up these "cupcake socks" for gifts.  

Linking here.

Easy Homemade Fudge

This fudge has been a classic Christmas recipe in my family for a long time.  It was always our gift to grade school teachers every Christmas.  And made with 3 ingredients it couldn't be any easier, or (according to my kids) more delicious!  :)

Ingredients:

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 - 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Very lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.  Melt chocolate chips over low heat, stirring and watching constantly and stirring occasionally.  Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.  Stir until all ingredients are well combined and fully melted.  

Pour into pan and refrigerate until fudge has hardened.  Cut and enjoy!   

Gram's Best Brown Sugar Cake

My mom introduced us to this cake and it is delicious.  It tastes a bit sweeter than a coffee cake...maybe the amount of brown sugar has something to do with that!

Gram's Best Brown Sugar Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

1 small vanilla instant pudding

4 eggs

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup oil

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans (optional) 

Mix first six ingredients in a mixing bowl for 3 minutes.

Add brown sugar and (optional) nuts.

Pour into greased bundt cake pan.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cool in pan for 15 minutes.

Invert onto a plate and dust with powdered sugar.  

Yum!

Linking here.