Tantalizing Tuesday

Oh My Heck-I just made the yummiest dessert ever!!!  The direct recipe can be found HERE.

Smores Cookie Bars
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Tantalizing Tuesday

Last night we tried something new, Chipotle Pork Tacos with Lime Cilantro Rice from Our best Bites.
Devin and i were the only ones who liked them, but I think my kids just aren't used to chipotle.  For something different give it a whirl, you just might like it!





Chipotle Pork Tacos
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, April 2011
1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced thin
1 ½ tsp grated lime zest
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
2 tsp minced fresh oregano, or a heaping ½ tsp dry
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (use the peppers for heat and the adobo sauce for a mild smoky bite.  I used 1 1/2 Tbs of sauce and no peppers and it was hardly spicy at all.)
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
¼ tsp kosher salt
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 C thinly sliced shallots, or onions
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Recommended:  Lime-Cilantro Rice
Combine thinly sliced pork, lime zest, lime juice, oregano, brown sugar, chipotles, garlic, and salt.  Set aside.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp olive oil.  Add onions and sauté for 4 minutes or until tender.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add 2 tsp olive oil to pan and add pork mixture.  Saute for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink.  Add pork to onions.  Warm tortillas on a hot grill and fill with pork mixture.  Top with sour cream and cilantro. Serves 4.

Lime-Cilantro Rice with Pineapple

1 cup dry white rice, cooked in 2 C water.
2 T real butter
Juice from 1 large lime, or two smaller ones (taste as you go, I add a lot!)
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained. (You may want 2 small cans)
½ – ¾ C chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook rice. As soon as it’s done, toss in the butter and stir to melt. Add lime juice, pineapple, and cilantro. Stir to combine, and then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

* You’ll want to serve this right away, if you don’t, the flavors tend to mellow a bit and you’ll probably need to add more lime juice because the rice kind of sucks it up. If you’re not quite ready to eat when your rice finishes cooking, just toss in the butter and keep a lid on it so it stays warm. Then right before you serve it, toss it all together.            Picture from Our Best Bites                                                                       

Tantalizing Tuesday

Want a fast dinner under 30 min. start to finish?  Why not try Chinese Fried Rice. This is one of my kids favorites, and I have to say I like it too.  I had left over ham this week from potato soup so I used the rest for this recipe, and I might just be able to use the ham for MacnCheese too.

Jarrie's Fried Rice
6 C cooked brown rice
1 T garlic
1 c green onion
1 cup cooked carrots
1 c frozen peas
3 eggs
1 c diced ham, shrimp or chicken
3 T oil
soy sauce to taste.(I use gluten free)

Cook up the rice in your rice cooker, I like brown rice because it is healthier, and my kids can't tell its brown cuz of the soy sauce.

Add 1 T of oil to pan and cook green onion and garlic for 1 min.  Add diced ham. Add cooked carrots and frozen peas.  Saute till fragrant and warmed through. Remove this mixture from pan and hold in a bowl.

Add 1 t oil to pan and cooked whisked eggs and scramble.  Remove from pan and add to bowl.

Now add the last T. of oil and add your 6 cups cooked rice.  Saute for a minute or two and add the mixture in the bowl to the pan.

Cook through and add soy sauce to taste.

Tantalizing Tuesday

I knew I liked Mountain Dew, that it had to have a use other than just a beverage that we consume.  Yea for dessert!!! I tried to get the after pictures when these puppies came out of the oven, but the kids had them devoured before I had a chance!

Easy Apple Dumplings

Ingredients(serves 16)  **But in my family serves 8

• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
• 2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Mountain Dew ™

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew™ over the dumplings.
4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

 

Tantalizing Tuesday

Tasty Blackberry Freezer Jam

4 cups prepared fruit (buy about 4 pt. fully ripe blackberries)

3 cups  sugar, measured into separate bowl

1 box SURE.JELL For Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes Premium Fruit Pectin

1 cup  water 

 

RINSE clean plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.
CRUSH blackberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. (Press half of the pulp through a sieve to remove some of the seeds, if desired.) Measure exactly 4 cups prepared blackberries into large bowl.
MIX sugar and pectin in large saucepan. Stir in water. Bring to boil on medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 min. Remove from heat. Add blackberries; stir 1 min. or until well blended.
FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.
 

Tantalizing Tuesday

Breadsticks or Pizza Dough

3 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2  tsp. salt
6-9 c. flour



In a large bowl combine water, sugar, and yeast.  Let stand for 10 min or until yeast is bubbly. Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 6-8 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl.
Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.


.

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into24 strips with a pizza cutter.  I then add butter, garlic salt, and parmesean cheese.

Twist each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it's okay if they're close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life's greatest pleasures!

Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes

When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks. YUM YUM!

Tantalizing Tuesday

Want a chocolate cake that is super moist and spectacular, try my Momma's Chocolate Buttermilk Cake.

Momma's Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

Dry ingredients:
2 C sugar
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
(set aside)

Melt:
2 sticks butter
add 4 T cocoa
add 1 C hot water
(bring to a boil)

Pour boiled mixture over your dry mixture and while hot add
1 C buttermilk
2 eggs
 1 t vanilla
(beat till smooth)

Pour onto a greased cookie sheet pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  5 minutes before your cake is done make icing.

Icing:
4 T cocoa
6 T buttermilk
1 stick of butter

Heat till boiling, and then remove from stove.  Quickly beat in 1 lb powdered sugar, and add nuts if you wish.  Pour over cake while it is still hot.  This is sooo good with icecream.

Tantalizing Tuesday

I wish I could say that fall is in the aire, but since the last 2 days have been in the 90's it sure doesn't feel like it.  This cheesy soup is very easy, make in like 10 minutes.

Jarrie's Easy Peasy Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 cans celery soup
1 16 oz jar of cheeze whiz
1 32 oz fat free half and half
1 head of broccoli chopped and steamed for 8 min.

Steam up your chopped broccoli and add to the rest of heated ingredients.  Serve with yummy bread.  Serves 6.

Tantalizing Tuesday

This is another family favorite-Quick and easy Taco Salad!! This dump everything in a bowl and mix it up. Can't get any better than that!

1/2 lb cooked ground beef
1 head of lettuce chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
6 green onions chopped
1 can pinto or kidney beans
1 can corn
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese
italian dressing(taste salad till you have the amount of dressing that you like.) Some people like it drenched others not!
crushed Dorito Cool Ranch chips(to your taste) My kids think the more the better.

Cool the cooked beef and add everything in a large bowl.. Do not add dressing and chips until you are ready to serve!

Tantalizing Tuesday

I experienced this dish at a church activity a couple weeks ago. Katsudon is a  popular Japanese food, a bowl of rice topped with a deep-fried pork cutlet, egg, and condiments Absolutely delicious and is probably just as good as eating out.  For the pork we have substituted chicken.

Kara's Katsudon

Part 1: Katsu

Coat chicken with the following:

Bowl 1- 5 Tbs flour, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to tast

Bowl 2- 1 egg beaten

Bowl 3- 5 Tbs Panko Bread crumbs

Fry breaded chicken in just enough oil to cover each piece.  Cut into strips.

Part 2: Sauce

Combine the following and heat in a saucepan until dissolved.

1 C water

 1/4 C sugar

1/3 C soy sauce

1/3 tsp dashi(optional)

(makes 2 servings)

Part 3: Katsudon

Katsu

Sauce

Sliced Onion

1 egg

Place desired amunt of sauce and onions into a frying pan and bring to a boil.  Add katsu strips.  Beat egg and pour over chicken.  Cover with lid and cook till egg is mostly set.  Serve over rice.

PS-I added some zuchinni during the adding onion stage.  It turned out so yummy!

Tantalizing Tuesday

There is really nothing better than homeade fresh peach cobbler.  My mom used to make this all the time, and I can see why everyone liked it so much-Totally delish!  This was the first time I gave cooking cobbler a try, and really all I can say was that it was worth the effort.  So grab your fresh peaches ladies and give it a shot!

Ingredients:


2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 egg
1/4 cup cold water
3 pounds fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
 1.In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, and salt. Work in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cold water. Sprinkle over flour mixture, and work with hands to form dough into a ball. Chill 30 minutes.


2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roll out half of dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Place in a 9x13 inch baking dish, covering bottom and halfway up sides. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

3.In a large saucepan, mix the peaches and lemon juice. Add 1/2 cup butter, and cook over medium-low heat until butter is melted. In a mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups sugar,  cinnamon, and cornstarch; mix into peach mixture. Remove from heat, and pour into baked crust.

4.Roll remaining dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut into half-inch-wide strips. Weave strips into a lattice over peaches. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

5.Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top crust is golden brown.

Tantalizing Tuesday

This Taco Soup is my families favorite soup. I stick all the items in a crockpot first thing in the morning, only takes about 10 minutes and tada-you have dinner at 5:00!

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

Directions:
In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain, and set aside.
Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours.

Tantalizing Tuesday

Today we are going for dessert, what better dessert than
Better Than (you know what) Cake

I box of devils food chocolate cake cooked by package directions
1 lg instant chocolate pudding
4 crusched skor or heath bars
1 12 oz thawed coolwhip

Cook up your cake and let it cool.  Cut into chunks and layer cake, pudding, coolwhip, toffee,  into 3 layers(just like a trifle).  Chill and serve,  so Delish!!  By the way I took some fabulous pictures but had to post some one elses because somehow mine got erased.

Tantalizing Tuesday

These were soooooo yummy, I had 2!!  The recipe was taken from Taste of Home Magazine.  Even my kids liked this.

Open Faced Chicken Avocado Burgers

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 medium ripe avocado, peeled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
4 green onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
BURGERS:
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons prepared pesto
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground chicken
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 4 slices
4 slices Italian bread (3/4 inch thick)
2 cups fresh arugula or baby spinach
8 slices tomato
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
In a blender, combine the first eight ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Chill until serving. For burgers, in a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, pesto, garlic and salt. Crumble chicken over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook burgers in 2 tablespoons oil for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165° and juices run clear. Top with cheese; cover and cook 1 minute longer.
Meanwhile, brush bread with remaining oil; place on a baking sheet. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until toasted.
Spread each slice of toast with 2 tablespoons avocado spread (refrigerate remaining spread for another use). Top with arugula, a burger and sliced tomato. Sprinkle with basil and pepper. Yield: 4 servings plus 1/4 cup leftover spread.

Tantalizing Tuesday

A family favorite is Cracked Wheat Blender Pancakes. This recipe is from my mother in law and is sooooo easy and nutritious. It is by far my favorite pancake, I also like to add a whole banana to the mix as well.

2 C milk
1 1/2 C whole wheat grain
Put both ingredients in blender and blend for at least 5 minutes.
Add:
2/3 oil
pinch of slat
4 eggs
4 teaspoons baking powder
Blend till combined:)

We eat our pancakes with yummy homeade freezer jam or syrup.