My Crowded Kitchen

2012-02-27T00:44:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to announce that we will be under construction this week. Our complete blog makeover is under way. Please check back in with us for the final reveal.

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I Keeps It Real: A Day At The Beach

2012-02-24T23:13:00.002-07:00

I think we all at one time or another in our lives have experienced what I call a 'Lucille Ball' moment. Maybe not, it might just be my family, so never mind that statement. It's been a long standing joke with my mom and I, from the time I can remember. My mother is always saying, "I just had a 'Lucy' moment" or telling me I had one.

Then you have what Jeff and I call a 'Clark Griswald' moment. For Jeff and I, It just seems like nothing can ever go smooth for our family when we travel, something always goes wrong. It's become pretty comical actually. I use to get so bent out of shape about it, and now we just laugh. You name it it's probably happened. Loosing suitcases, running out of gas, tickets, accidents, {accidents, yes, plural, not our fault btw} Just to give you an idea of what kind of accidents I'm talking about, here's one... Jeff's car caught on fire while driving home. He pulled over and jumped out of the car, ran across the road and it exploded, catching one acre of our Indian reservation on fire before the fire department arrived. No joke! { I wasn't laughing on this one!} I want to find a sign that says, "Griswalds on board" or something to that nature and stick it on the back of our truck when we travel.

+    = Disaster!

Between my 'Lucy' moments and Jeff's, 'Clark' moments, if you combine the two when we are both having a "Moment" at the same time, disaster is just right around the corner. But totally a match made in heaven for sure. You'll get where I am going with this in a minute.

When Jeff and I lived in San Diego, Californ-I-A, we would hit the beaches with the kiddos and have picnics all the time. SD was a beautiful place to live. Busy, but beautiful. Jeff, suggested we try a new beach one particular weekend. I was up for it! Beach, sun, sandcastles, picnic, I'm there! I asked, "Well, what beach are we going to?!" Jeff, replies and says, "Oh, I don't know. How about we just drive around and look for a new one?!" {The 'Clark' in him speaking.} Being the adventurous type that I am, I was all in! We pull up to our destination to see a steep embankment.  People are coming and going, fully dressed I might add. I said, "This must be a really good beach with all these people coming and going. It's probably one of those secret coves that only the locals know about." OH. YEAH. it was!

Now note, we couldn't see the beach, sand, or the people from where we were at. We grabbed the kids and our large cooler. All dressed up in our board shorts, flip flops and americana t-shirts. Looking like your typical beach going family. Half way down the trail, Jeff turns to me and says, "Is it just me or are these people that are walking up the trail staring at us like we shouldn't be here?! Tiff, I've heard them snicker and whisper something about our kids." I responded, " Maybe they think our kids are too young to climb down this steep embankment. Or maybe they think we have too many kids." Neither one of us realizing that we were getting ready to land right in the middle of a nude adult cove! Yes, that's right, totally nude! No wonder why we were getting stared and snickered at the whole way down the trail. Oh, but it gets better. Jeff and I parked our cooler, totally oblivious to the people around us. We spread out our blanket and started to prepare our beautiful picnic lunch. My oldest, who was 8 at the time, turns to us and says, "Uh, mom, dad, why is that guy naked?!" I turned and squinted my nearsighted eyes to see this completely nude man coming from the ocean water and gasped! Jeff's gasp soon followed. I said, "Jeff, grab the kids quick, let's get out of here. This guy is butt naked!!!!" Still, not realizing we were visiting a nude cove. As we looked further down the cove, we started seeing nudeness all over this little cove, on the beach, lying on their towels, walking by the water, swimming in the ocean. It's like when you become pregnant, before you got pregnant you never noticed a pregnant women, but now that you're pregnant, you start noticing other pregnant women all over the place. I don't even know if that made any sense at all, but hopefully you got where I was going with that. Now let me say here, "We have no issues with the human body, we were just taught to be modest and not walk out in front of others completely buck naked, so this completely caught us both off guard." We had never seen so many nude people walking around so free like, with no inhibition before. I'll never forget the look on both Jeff's and my face. We turned around, looked at each other with our jaws dropped wide open and quickly turned our backs sheltering our kids from all the freeness going on. We quickly started gathering up our things, trying not to make a big deal out it for the younger ones and started hiking back up the trail. The younger kids were crying, "Why can't we play at this beach. We are really tired! We don't want to hike back up." On the hike back up the trail, the oldest decided to make up a song about being naked, and started singing it I might add. As I'm trying to shush him all the way back up the trail, the younger ones caught on and started yelling, "Who's naked?! We didn't see any naked people!" As I continue shushing all the way back up the trail, my deep and darkest fear came true. People started walking towards us, on their way to, "Naked as a Jay Bird Cove!" I hear this roar from my lil' Jay's vocal cords, "Why were they NAKED?!!!" The word naked just kept getting louder and louder. No matter how much I told them to be quiet, naked was going to be the word of the day! So be it.

We had heard about these beaches in our lifetime, but never in a million years thought we'd ever come across one! But leave it to us to find one out of the blue! Yeah, total 'Lucy & Clark' moment on our behalf. For the life of me I don't know how both of us missed all the nudies around us. Spreading out our blanket as if we fit right in. I can just imagine what these people were thinking. I bet they started taking bets on how long it would take our family to realize where we were at and that we didn't belong there. I have lived 36 years on this earth and have met hundreds of people, but the people I have met never seem to have these kinds of things happen to them. Except for my lovely sister, mother and Jeff. Is it in the blood? Wonder why it is these things seem to happen to us?! LOL The more and more family stories I hear from my past relatives, the more and more I think I've come from a long line of 'Lucille Ball' & 'Clark Griswald' blood lines lol. Thank goodness I can laugh about it!

Photos compliments of Photobucket.com

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Fabulous Friday #7

2012-02-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

We/I are so excited to host Fabulous Friday. We'd love for you to link up with us and share your family friendly recipes, home decor, tips, crafts and DIY projects. We can't wait to see all the yummy and fabulous things you bring to the party! Most importantly, it gives me a chance to meet you! We hope you'll join us!

We will share features at next weeks party. We will also pin to MCK's Fabulous Friday Link Party Board on Pinterest.

A big thank you to all who linked up last week!

Check out our Features Before we begin.
If you'd like to pin our feature picks, please click on the link provided and pin from their site, thanks!

Hot Eats And Cool Reads Mini Garlic Monkey Bread

Feeding My Temple Apple Pie With Cinnamon Roll Crust

Country Momma Cooks Almond Cream Cheese Danish

Thank you for linking up. You can grab our button of on the right side bar if you'd like.

Let's Get This Par-tay Started!

Here are the rules, only a few.

Grab our button or add a text link to your post so that others can participate too.

Link up your fabulousness
{Please No giveaways or advertisements.}

We would LOVE for you to become follower of My Crowded Kithcen by google friend connect, Facebook or RSS.

Have a fabulous Friday and please visit some of the other fabulous links! Make sure to leave comment love for whoever you visit.

When you link up, the most recently uploaded entry will show up as number one. So, look in the first spot for your entry.

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Minestrone Soup Recipe

2012-02-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

I love minestrone soup! Served with sour dough bread, whipped buttah and a salad, woohoo, I'm one happy gal. This recipe is packed full of vegetables, beans and fresh herbs. I turn to this recipe when I need something quick, easy and tasty. I like to think I'm eating at the Olive Garden without the price tag. :)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, quartered and sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 zucchini, quartered, cut into 1 inch pieces
5 small red potatoes, washed and cut into cubes
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans 14.5oz. each diced tomatoes
2 cans 15.25oz. each kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 can 14.5oz. green beans, drained
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
5 beef bouillon cubes
kosher salt, to taste
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup elbow macaroni
fresh parmesan cheese, grated, optional

Directions
In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring until tender. Add minced garlic an cook until fragrant, making sure not to burn garlic.
2. Turn heat to high, add 8 cups water to pot along with potatoes, zucchini, basil and thyme; season with beef bouillon cubes, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Boil until potatoes and zucchini are fork tender. Reduce heat to medium.
3. Add canned tomatoes, green beans and kidney beans; simmer for 30 minutes. If soup is to thick add 1 cup of water {or more} if needed and adjust seasonings. Add pasta and cook just until tender. Remove from heat. Add chopped fresh spinach, stir. Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Serve with sour dough baguettes, whipped butter and a fresh garden salad if desired.
Printable Version

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Uncle Danny's Beef Jerky

2012-02-22T00:00:00.007-07:00

While vising my parents and the rest of my big family in Southern Oregon, my uncle brought over some beef jerky for the gang and I to try. My kids and I went nuts over this. I was so excited to get this recipe from him! I refuse to buy beef jerky for my kids, because it's so expensive and the fact that the kiddos no sooner open a bag and it's gone whithin two seconds flat. I'm so happy that I have a really tasty beef jerky recipe we all love. Hope you enjoy it too!

Start with a 1 large London Broil, Tritip, or any other lean cut of beef. {about 3 1/2 pounds}
Have the butcher cut it into jerky strips or do it yourself if you have a meat slicer.
Trim any fat off the strips.

Marinade:

1.......18oz BBQ sauce
( I use Kraft Spicy Honey or Sweet Baby Ray's
if you prefer original, that will work also )
2/3.....cup of soy sauce
1 1/2.. tsp of liquid smoke
1...... cup of worcestershire sauce
4...... heaping tbsp of brown sugar
1...... tbsp garlic powder
1...... tbsp coarse ground black pepper

Directions to marinade:
Mix all of the above ingredients well in a blender. Marinade for at least 24 hrs. {we prefer 24-48hrs.}
After marinating, place strips on racks of dehydrator. Sprinkle a little more coarse black pepper on each strip. Dehydrate for 8 hours.

Note:
I use a Nesco food dehydrator/Jerky maker.
I dehydrate the meat 8 hours on high.

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Mexican Pizza

2012-02-20T00:00:00.001-07:00

So, hows your Monday going so far? It just seems like the weekend goes by way to fast for me. How about you? Everyone has been so sick over here. I started it by spreading my nasty little germs to the rest of my family. :( Hope your households are all well!

We very rarely go through the drive-thru. The only time we will is when we have a bunch of restless, whining, hungry children in the car that absolutely can't withstand the drive home. You just know they're going to have major melt down in 4. 3. 2. 1 blast off! "Quick, feed them!" is always the first thing out of my mouth and it always seems to work. You'd think I'd be seasoned enough after having five kids to have an emergency snack case in my truck, but no, I don't. Note to self, get emergency snack case! The other day, we drove them through Taco Bell, the light bulb came on! Ah, yes, I can make Mexican Pizzas for dinner one night next week. Thus, MCK's version of a Mexican Pizza was born. Yields 3 Mexican Pizzas

Ingredients
1 can 16oz. vegetarian refried beans
1/2 pound ground beef
1 can 14.5oz. diced tomatoes
1 can 4oz. green chilies
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
MC Cormick taco seasoning, to taste
6 flour tortillas
olive oil, for brushing tortillas
1 tomato, diced
cheese, desired amount
fresh cilantro, chopped, desired amount
sour cream, desired amount

Directions
1. In a medium sized frying pan, brown ground beef until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Season ground beef to taste with taco seasoning. Set aside.
2. Heat refried beans per can directions. Set aside. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. In a small saucepan, combine chilies, canned tomatoes, chili powder and cumin, cook until heated through. Set aside
4. Make little slits on tortillas to prevent puffing while in oven. Brush each tortilla front and back with olive oil. Place tortillas on middle oven rack and bake for 5 minutes or until lightly golden brown and crisp.
5. Remove tortillas from oven, reduce oven temp. to 350 degrees F. Assemble pizza by spreading desired amount of refried beans, meat and cheese tortilla. Top pizza with a second tortilla. Scoop about 1/3 cup {or more if desired} of tomato/green chilie mixture on top of second tortilla, next top with desired amount of cheese. Place pizza on a small baking sheet and bake until cheese has melted. Remove pizza from oven, top with fresh diced tomato, sour cream and fresh chopped cilantro. Cut pizza into wedges if desired.
Note: You can fry the tortillas in oil, just until crisp on both sides. You will still need to slit them so they won't puff up. I personally prefer the tortillas fried, but baking them was just as good too!
Printable Version

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Fabulous Friday #6

2012-02-16T17:37:00.005-07:00

We will share features at next weeks party. We will also pin to MCK's Fabulous Friday Link Party Board on Pinterest.

A big thank you to all who linked up last week!

Check out this cute idea before we begin.

If you'd like to pin our feature picks, please click on the link provided and pin from their site, thanks!

Valentine Mug Cookies From Things That Make You Say Mmmm.

Congrats! You can grab our button of on the right side bar if you'd like.

Let's Get This Par-tay Started!

Here are the rules, only a few.

Grab our button or add a text link to your post so that others can participate too.

Link up your fabulousness
{Please No giveaways or advertisements.}

We would LOVE for you to become follower of My Crowded Kithcen by google friend connect, Facebook or RSS.

Have a fabulous Friday and please visit some of the other fabulous links! Make sure to leave comment love for whoever you visit.

When you link up, the most recently uploaded entry will show up as number one. So, look in the first spot for your entry.
Thanks funkypolkadotgiraffe for the inspiration!

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Link up to your original post and not your main blog.

Rosemary & Thyme Roasted Chicken With White Wine Gravy Recipe

2012-02-16T00:00:00.013-07:00

This is one of my "Go To" recipes whenever I am bringing someone a meal. It's an all time favorite for everyone over in my neck of the woods. Jeff and I don't drink, but I do cook with cooking wines for flavor. I believe it is the white cooking wine that gives this gravy it's delicious flavor. I like to serve these birdies with my garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli with cheese sauce. The broth that comes from these chickens is amazing for chicken noodle soup. It amazes me how using a few ingredients can give off the most amazing flavor.

Ingredients
2 whole fryers, washed and giblets removed {about 4- 4 1/2 pounds each}
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
25 garlic cloves
4 sprigs organic fresh thyme, or to taste
1 large sprig organic rosemary, or to taste
2 Washington or Braeburn apples, cored, chopped into 1 inch chunks
1 cup white cooking wine
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash and remove giblets from inside of chickens, pat dry. In a large roasting pan with lid, place chickens.
2. Wash, cut, core and chop apples, set aside. Peel garlic cloves. {I buy garlic, in bulk, already peeled from Costco.}
3. Season chickens to taste with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Remove rosemary and thyme from stems and sprinkle liberally all over chickens. Put garlic and apples around the base of the chickens and on top of birds, stuff a couple cloves of garlic into each of the cavities. Pour 1 cup of white cooking wine around the base.
4. Cover roaster with lid and roast on the confection roast setting of your oven for 3 hours, basting throughout roast time. The last 30 minutes of roast time, remove lid to brown chickens.

White Wine Gravy

Ingredients
Juices, apples and garlic cloves from roasting chickens
four chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup water
1/3 cup cornstarch

Directions
Once chickens are cooked, remove chickens and set on desired platter. With a slotted spoon, scoop apples, garlic and place into a medium sized saucepan. Separate fat from juices, add juices to saucepan along with water, and bouillon cubes. With a hand blender, blend juices/apples/garlic/bouillon cubes until smooth. Slowly blend in cornstarch. {Start with a little bit of cornstarch from the 1/3 cup, add more or less if needed, due to the amount of juices you have left over after separating the fat.}
Printable Version

I always seem to leave something out of the ingredient picture. This time I left out the cooking wine and butter. ;)

Wash, core and chop apples.

Season with kosher salt to taste.

Season with fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Remove thyme from stems with fingers and sprinkle over chickens.

Remove Rosemary from stem with fingers, pinch and slide. Sprinkle all over chickens.

Your stems should look naked like this.

Put apples around the base of the birds and on top.

Next put garlic cloves around the base of the chickens and on top. Stuff a couple into each cavity too!

Time for the cooking wine!

Pour 1 cup of cooking wine around the base of the chickens.

Your chickens should look something like this before baking. Drizzle 2 tablespoons melted butter over the tops.

Cover roaster with lid and bake for 3 hours basting throughout roast time. The last 30 minutes of roast time, remove lid to brown chickens. This was my grandmother's roaster!

Remove chickens from roaster and set on desired serving platter.

Time to make the white wine gravy! Remove garlic and apples from roaster with a slotted spoon and put them in a medium sized saucepan along with juices.

With a hand blender, blend juices/apples/garlic/bouillon cubes until smooth.

Don't look at my dirty stove top! I scoured it after I was done, I promise! ;)

Slowly blend in cornstarch. {Start with a little bit of cornstarch from the 1/3 cup, add more or less if needed, due to the amount of juices you have left over after separating the fat.}

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Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

2012-02-15T00:52:00.002-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted a GF recipe. This one is for my sweetie pie. Jeff, has been ~~asking~~ begging for a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Before going GF, his favorite cookie was homemade chocolate chip. There are a few things he has craved since going GF, one, pizza, the second, chocolate chip cookies. Happy to report his belly and taste buds are very happy now. The kids went nuts over these. They actually said, "Mom, these are better than your non-GF version." Wowza! As most of you know, I set out to learn GF baking and so far I've been pretty happy with some, but not all of my recipes. Now to try and make a GF pizza crust, any great recipes that you know of? Hugs

Ingredients
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons potato starch
1 cup sweet sorghum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup organic sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup butter, salted, room temp.
2 eggs
1 teaspoon 100% pure vanilla
2 cups milk chocolate chips {Nestle'}

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. {I use confection setting}In a standing mixer, beat butter, Crisco, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. Scraping down sides if needed. {About 8 minutes} Beat in eggs.
2. In a separate medium sized bowl, combine flours, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda; whisk. Slowly add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Shape cookie dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let set for about a minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

Reminder: Always make sure your work surfaces, utensils, pans and tools are free of gluten. Always read product labels. Manufacturers can change product formulations without notice. When in doubt, do not buy or use a product before contacting the manufacturer for verification that the product is free of gluten. Thanks about.com
Printable Version
Shared at: bizzybakes
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Milk Chocolate Ganache Cookie Bites

2012-02-14T00:22:00.012-07:00

Happy Valentines Day! I'm in some serious trouble! I created these yesterday after thinking I'd like a chocolate version for my Lemon Pie Cookie Bites. Yes, these are definitely a keeper! The best part, they were as easy as sliding off a greasy log backwards! Just a few steps to a little piece of chocolate heaven. A chocolate cookie crust filled with a milk chocolate ganache filling and topped with chocolate covered pecans. Can I get a woot woot?! I'm going to spread the chocolate love and share them with our neighbors today. The kids are getting ready to walk out the door with several boxes of these little decadent treats. Hopefully our neighbors will love them as much as we do. Have a fantastic day with the ones you love! Yields 48 + the ones I ate that I forgot to count! ;) I think it may of been 3 or 4. Shoulders shrugged with a grin on my face. I just couldn't help myself, it's chocolate!

Ingredients
1 package 15.25 oz. Oreo Chocolate Creme Cookies
6 tablespoon butter, salted, room temp.
2 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 cups heavy cream
4 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup pecans or pretzels
2 squares of chocolate flavored almond bark, melted

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. {convection setting}
2. In a food processor, pulse cookies until fine. In a separate medium sized bowl, combine cookies and melted butter, use a fork or pastry blender to incorporate butter.
3. Line mini muffin tins with paper cup liners, press about 1 tablespoon of cookie crumb mixture into paper cups {we have two muffin tins that hold 24 individual mini muffins}
4. Bake for five minutes. Remove from oven, let cool. Do not remove liners from muffin tin.
5. While crust are cooling, lets start making ganache by heating 2 cups of heavy cream over medium high heat whisking continually. Watch very carefully, bring just to a boil. Turn heat to low. After the cream has come to a boil, add milk chocolate chips and vanilla, whisk continually until chips have melted. Return heat to medium and whisk in corn starch 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue whisking until ganache mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.
6. Meanwhile, melt chocolate flavored almond bark per packaged directions. Add pecans or pretzels and stir making sure that each is covered. Spread onto a piece of waxed paper and stick in the refrigerator for a quick set. Once almond bark has set, remove nuts or pretzels from the refrigerator and chop. Next, fill cookie crusts with ganache and top with chocolate covered nuts or pretzels. Place in the refrigerator over night.

Notes: You will have approx. 1 cup of cookie crumb mixture left over. Place in the refrigerator to use for later use on ice cream sundaes or ???
Printable Version

After you've pulsed you cookies in your food processor, add melted butter. Using a fork or pastry blender combine the two to make your cookie crust.

Line mini muffin tin with mini paper liners. Fill liners with about 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie mixture, bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove, let cool.

Let's make the milk chocolate ganache! I forgot to put the cornstarch in this picture, my bad.

Heat 2 cups of heavy cream over medium high heat, whisking continually and watching carefully. Bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

Add milk chocolate chips and vanilla extract, continue whisking until chips have melted.

Turn heat back up to medium, whisking continually, add corn starch one tablespoon at a time. Continue whisking over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Note: At this point the ganache should still be pourable, but the longer it cools at room temp. it will thicken even more.

Melt almond bark per packaged directions and add nuts or pretzels to the bowl. Stir to coat.

Spread coated nuts onto a piece of waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for a quick set.

Chop those nuts!

I forgot to take pictures of the assembly, so....

Fill the chocolate cookie crust with ganache filling slightly to the top of each paper liner, leaving a bit of room for the chocolate covered nuts or pretzels. Place in the refrigerator over night. EAT!

Shared at:

crumbsandchaos countrymommacooks answerischocolate simplysweethome

flourmewithlove funkpolkadotgiraffe foodcorner ladybehindthecurtain newlywedsblog bizzybakes foodiefriday

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And The Winner Of Our Cake Pop Giveaway Is.....

2012-02-14T00:22:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that we have a winner!

Chris Verkerk, you are our winner! Congrats!

You will have 48 hours to claim your prize. Please email mycrowdedkitchen at gmail dot com.

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 9 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

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1 Year Anniversary Month Long Giveaway Continues...

2012-02-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

Our next prize is a bella kitchen panini grill a $50.00 value.

I am so supper dupper excited about this prize! I love Panini sandwiches! I hope you do too.

To participate in this giveaway...Leave a comment under this post telling me what kind of Panini you plan on making if you win.

For additional entries (please leave a separate comment for each)

• Become a follower of My Crowded Kitchen blog.

• Like My Crowded Kitchen on Facebook.

• Blog about this giveaway.

• Share our status post about this giveaway on Facebook.

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White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

2012-02-13T00:00:00.002-07:00

These are one of my absolute favorites! I only make them once a year. really. It makes me cringe to pay the price for these tasty nuts. My kids have been begging for these delicious cookies, so I figured it was time to indulge a bit. I was especially excited to photograph these babies on my grandmother Honey's depression glass. To top it off, I photographed on my grandfathers mother's marble table that has been in the family for well over 100 years. Love. love the history behind these pieces. Yields 3 dozen

Ingredients
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup butter, salted, room temp.
2 eggs
1 teaspoon 100% pure vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 package 12 oz. white chips
1 package 6 oz. macadamia nuts, dry roasted with sea salt, chopped. {6 oz. nuts = about 1 1/4 cup chopped}

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. {convection setting} In a standing mixer, beat butter, Crisco, sugars, vanilla for about 8 minutes on high speed, scraping down sides if needed. Next, beat in eggs.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, whisk.
3. Slowly add flour mixture to creamed mixture. Stir in chips and chopped nuts.
4. Roll cookie dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet, bake for 12 minutes. Let cookies set for one minute before transferring to a cooling rack.

Printable Version

Shared at: countrymommacooks
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The Pintegrety Pledge

2012-02-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

I normally don't post on the weekend, because I like to take this time with my family. But something has been brought to my attention that needs to be addressed to help spread the word. I'd like to touch on pinning on Pinterest that is becoming a growing problem in the blogging community. But this isn't necessarily just for bloggers, it's for all people who pin on Pinterest. This issue has just been brought to my attention by a few of my blog friends. I was completely unaware and you may be also? Bake Aholic Mama, had a wonderful guest post by Christina, from The Scrappy Housewife that touches on this issue. For my fellow blog friends, at the end of reading the post there's a cute little button you can grab over at The Scrappy Housewife to place on your blog that sates, "I Practice Pintegrety Pin Responsibly Take The Pledge!" I encourage you to take a moment out of your day and read it. And for my readers that don't own blogs and pin on Pinterest, I encourage you too! You will help a lot of bloggers that take hours writing up posts only for their work, at times, to be taken from them. To learn more on this growing epidemic, click on the links above. Thanks so much everyone! Have a great weekend. Thanks Bake Aholic Mama & The Scrappy Housewife!

I took the pledge, will you?

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Grandma Karen's Pecan Sandies

2012-02-08T00:00:00.003-07:00

Oh me, oh my! I can't say enough words to do this cookie justice. It's buttery, pecan flavor just makes you want to do the happy dance. I'm a glutton for butter cookies, add nuts and I'll do the Michael Jackson moon walk in my kitchen or all over the house, it don't matter. My mother-in-law gave this recipe to me years ago and I cherish it. After my fist bite, I knew I couldn't live without the recipe. I only make them once a year around Christmas, because they're so addicting. Thanks mom, for sharing your recipe with all of us!

Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temp. salted
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons 100% pure vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
Powdered sugar, for rolling cookies

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a standing mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and water until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes, scraping down sides of mixer if needed.
3. Stir in flour and nuts.
4. Shape dough into one inch balls and place about two inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool, roll cookies in powdered sugar. EAT and Repeat!

Notes: G-ma's directions say to chill dough 3-4 hours. I'm naughty, I can never wait that long. So, I don't and cheat on the directions. I don't chill the dough and they turn out just fine, however I do live in the northwest where it's colder. For you warmer states I would suggest following G-ma's directions on chilling.
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And The Winner Of Our $50.00 Gift Card Is.....

2012-02-07T22:14:00.000-07:00

Imagine the bells and whistles going off for Cherie Marcri!

Congrats to Cherie Macri, who won our first Anniversary giveaway prize, a fifty dollar gift card.

Congrats Cherie, so glad you won! Please contact us with your mailing address at mycrowdedkitchen at gmail dot com to claim your prize within 48 hours.

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1 Year Anniversary Month Long Giveaway Continues

2012-02-07T19:51:00.004-07:00

For the Month of February, every week we will be starting a new giveaway. Hope you'll join in on the fun! I couldn't wait! The anticipation was killing me smalls! I can keep a secret real well, but when I buy something for someone I always want to give it to them before hand. So, even though we haven't announced our winner yet for the $50.00 gift card, {winner will be announced in a few hours.} I wanted to get this one started. This giveaway ends 2/14/2012 12:00am MST

Our next giveaway is a Cake Pops package which includes: 1, Bake Pop Baking Pan & Accessories kit, 1, 15.25oz. box Betty Crocker Super Moist Cake Mix, 1, Easter Sprinkle Set by Wilton and 1, 8inch Angled Icing Spatula. A $30.00 + Value.

To participate in this giveaway...

Leave a comment under this post telling me what kind of cake pops you plan on making if you win.

For additional entries (please leave a separate comment for each)

• Become a follower of My Crowded Kitchen blog.

• Follow My Crowded Kitchen on Facebook.

• Blog about this giveaway.

• Share our status post about this giveaway on Facebook.

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Gourmet Dipped Strawberries

2012-02-07T00:42:00.002-07:00

Thank goodness I got most of my recipes done for the week this past weekend. Because I'm sick, I spent all day yesterday loafing on the couch, looking like a ragamuffin in my bleached stained yoga pants, they're comfy and I just can't throw them out. Do you have a special pair of comfy pants that you just can't throw out? Here's a quick little idea for Valentines Day or quite frankly any day when chocolate and strawberries are involved. I love dipped strawberries, I especially love making them extra special with a little added somethin' somethin'. These are very simple to recreate. Why spend top dollar for hand dipped gourmet strawberries when you can make your own right in the comfort of your own kitchen. Use your imagination with the toppings and get creative. I like to serve these on Valentines Day and give them to my house full of sweetie pies.

Ingredients
strawberries, desired amount
vanilla flavored almond bark, or white chocolate desired amount
chocolate flavored almond bark, or milk, dark or semi sweet chocolate desired amount
pecans, chopped fine, desired amount
mini semi sweet chips, desired amount

Directions
Melt chocolate per packaged directions. Dip strawberries in desired flavored almond bark, then in desired topping, set on a sheet of waxed paper at room temp. Don't refrigerate or your strawberries will perspire after you bring them to room temp. Keep finished strawberries at room temp., covered lightly with plastic wrap.
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Shared at: Newlywedsblog
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Mexican Lasagna: Freezer Meal

2012-02-06T00:00:00.020-07:00

Ah, beautiful Monday! Are you awake yet?! I'm working on it, but still not quite there. How bout those Giants? I'm not really a football fan, so it really didn't matter to me who won the game. I know, gasps coming from some of you die hard football fans. :) Yeah, I'll admit, it's pretty much all about good food, good company for me. While the guys were all in the living room watching the game, Honey and I, were like busy little Suzy homemakers in the kitchen. Today, I will share another family favorite that I grew up on. Every time mom would make this, my sis and I, would go nuts. Served with our Mexican rice and tortilla chips puts this meal over the top. My kidlets love this meal, they actually beg for it. This also makes a great freezer meal too. I'm working on putting more freezer meals together for us busy moms. I really like pulling a prepared meal straight from the freezer, how about you?!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/3 cups taco seasoning {McCormick brand, we buy in bulk at Costco other wise, use 1 1/2 packages of your favorite taco seasoning brand}
2 cans 10 oz. each Ro-Tel tomatoes & green chilies
1, 16 oz. can tomato sauce
18 corn tortillas
2 eggs
1, 8oz. container ricotta cheese
4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium pan, brown ground beef until no longer pink, drain of fat, season with taco seasoning.
3. In a medium sized pot, over medium heat, combine hamburger, tomatoes, and tomato sauce cook until heated through.
4. Beat eggs and ricotta together. Set aside
5. Spray a 3 quart baking dish. Layer the following starting with the meat mixture first, then lay down six of the tortillas, next spread ricotta cheese mixture then grated cheese, repeat, ending with meat sauce on top. Top with remainder cheese and bake for 30-45 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Note: If using as a freezer meal, prepare as directed without baking. Use a covered baking dish or disposable tins with lids found at the Dollar Store or Walmart to freeze meal. If using disposable tins make sure to cover tin with foil before placing the plastic lid or cover on top, then freeze. To bake, bring to room temp. and bake as directed, keeping foil on and making sure to remove plastic lid or cover on baking dish.
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Shared at: skiptomylou

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Getting To Know Me, Getting To Know All About Me. And. My Heart

2012-02-02T02:19:00.001-07:00

Hey there!

With a new year comes new changes for us. Last year, there were a couple different subjects that I kept getting e-mails on. One, I've received several e-mails on wanting to know more about our family life and incorporating that/them here with the recipes. Two, I have received several different e-mails on my heart surgery. So, we are working on incorporating more family moments, along with something new called, I keeps It Real. I started "Keeping It Ever So Real" last year, but stopped. Until, I recently had a friend tell me, "She'd really like to see more of my real life and I keeps it real stories, because she really gets a kick out of it when I share, it makes her feel good that she's not the only one that things happen too!" LOL. Trust me, with five kids, you name it, it's happened! You can count on it. And what one doesn't think of the other will. My Crowded Kitchen is full of mistakes, grace and love.

I will start this new year by sharing my heart surgery since it seems to keep coming up. Please know that this was an extremely sensitive time for my family and myself. Our faith played a very huge role in my story and it is what got us through this most difficult time.

I want to share something with all of you. I want you to get to know me and not just the woman who provides daily recipes. The only way for that to happen friends is for me to open up and share. This is a bit hard for me to do, to be so open and vulnerable. But, I believe that God allows us to go through trials and tribulations to help others and to change us as individuals so that we may grow. To use what we have experienced to help others when they are in need and in a same type of situation. That we may have empathy on another human being that we may not of had, had we not experienced. In this post I'm just going to spill it. Oh no! Here we go, juicy juicy stuff coming your way... Are you ready? 9 years ago, I died on an operating room table. I was diagnosed with a fixable heart condition that ended up taking my life and I am living to tell about it.

Let me go back to the beginning. I was living my life like every other day. I had just had my third child, Jay, he was a couple months old. When all of a sudden one day my heart started acting wacky, it was beating out of control. My mom, called the paramedics and I was given a drug to slow my heart rate, rushed to the hospital only to be asked if I was a drug user! "WHAT?! {In the Ducks voice from the Aflac commercial}I don't do drugs." I said. They ran tests anyway for drug use, which came back negative. This was the first attack of many. These episodes continued for 2 years. We were on a first name basis with the paramedics, they were coming out to our home a couple times a week, taking me to the hospital. My attacks continued to get worse. I was under the care of a cardiologist who kept telling me, "I was fine, it's just stress, you're to young to have a heart issue. It's just that your heart is beating fast due to stress." he'd say. I would of course argue and say "No, there is something really wrong." I was young, but I knew that my heart wasn't right. My cardiologist never once put me on a heart monitor to see what my heart was doing. He would just hand me a prescription for drugs to keep my heart beating normally and if that prescription didn't work he would prescribe another. You see, what I had was tricky to catch, my heart would act up and go into rages, then as soon as it would start it would stop and act totally normal again. It was a hit and miss type thing, so when I would go for an EKG my heart was fine. We got a few readings from the paramedics and hospital only stating it was tachycardia, which they believed to be stress related. If only my cardiologist at the time would have sent me home with a heart monitor, but that's water under the bridge now.

By the end of the two years, I was hopeless, I was weary, broken. I was at the feet of my Heavenly Father every minute of the day. I was mentally and physically frail. I would call my mother and cry every other day. I would ask her, "To please be sure to help Jeff, raise up our children." I would cry and tell her, "How much I loved my husband and my kids and to make sure they knew how much I loved them every day of their life." I really felt in my mind and heart like I was going to die. These heart episodes were taking there toll on me. My life as I knew it was over. I couldn't drive, because I once had an attack coming on and quickly pulled over on the side of the road, because I was starting to faint. I had to have someone with me at all times, because of these attacks. I remember my babies standing over me crying, while I was laying on the floor, passing out do to my heart rate. This was when Jeff, called for in home help for someone to stay with us while he was at work and hired a maid. It got so bad that I had to shuffle when I walked, because any excitement or even walking normally would start one of these attacks. {I have to say something about this shuffling business... Jeff and I, were in Walmart and I was shuffling, I had a couple behind me that was in a hurry, I guess? They were so rude and made really mean comments, like I was taking a Sunday drive and some other stuff. I guess, because I wasn't elderly and didn't look like I had any physical aliments. In their mind I was just being slow. Even though these people were so terribly rude to me, it taught me a lesson, to always be patient with people, because you really never know what they are going through.} I lived this way for two years. I would cry out to God. I would beg Him to heal me. After two years of these episodes, God stepped in and came to my rescue.

I yet again, had another appointment with my cardiologist because of a doozer of an episode. I ended up being placed in ICU, because my heart wasn't even beating. It was beating so fast it wasn't pumping the blood, it was just quivering. This ended up being my last hospital visit before my surgery. I remember being 30 minutes early to my appointment, sitting in the car with Jeff. We prayed together. My prayer specifically was this... "Heavenly Father, please let me get another Dr. today. Please allow them to find out what's wrong with my heart and properly diagnose me. Amen." I shuffled into my appointment and was told, "Mrs. Tiffany, your Dr. was called away on an emergency, we can reschedule or you can see the head cardiologist." I opted for the second choice, thank. you. very. much. I saw the head honcho, he took a look at my chart and said, "You know, you've been coming here for almost two years, I think we better send you to a specialist that deals with the electrical pathways of the heart." Now, you can only imagine what I am thinking in my head at this point. Make a long story short, I was seen by the specialist, he said a few choice words about the care I had been under for the last two years and gave me a big hug, handed me some tissues and said, "Don't you worry honey, we are going to get to the bottom of this!" He then sent me home with a heart monitor. Well, he was right, within the first day of being on the heart monitor we caught one attack, and within the first week, five. I was diagnosed with SVT, aka super ventricular tachycardia. {Whew! It took a week or two for me to learn how to pronounce this one.} I was scheduled for surgery the next week.

What was supposed to be and hour in a half surgery ended up being almost six. Jeff, was pacing the hospital floors, little did he know they were trying to revive me. I had many pathways that were in need of an ablation instead of just one or two like the Dr. thought. When they were all finished they tested my heart, basically to see if it worked right and there were no more pathways that needed to be ablated. Whatever they did, my heart couldn't take and it stopped. From what I was told, my Dr., the one who went to bat for me, jumped on top of me and was pounding my chest, that didn't work so they pulled out the paddles and shocked my heart many times before I came back. When all this was going on at the hospital, my mom was awoken from a deep sleep, God told her to start praying for my life. She wrote a pray letter, praying for God to allow me to live. She was crying out to Him, she had no idea what was going on at the hospital, all she knew is that she was prompted to pray for my life. I have the letter to this day kept in a safe place. I just can't share it, it's to personal. I pull it out every other year, shed some tears and go on with my day. God is amazing! I am happy to report that I have been episode free for 9 years. God allowed me to go through this to change me for the better, to appreciate life, to learn patience and perseverance, and to never judge people for their inequities. I hope you get to know me a little better through this. From now on, I will share my family life and heart aches too! No pun intended on the heart.
Blessings, Tiff

Lemon Pie Cookie Bites

2012-02-01T00:00:00.017-07:00

These made me want to shake what my momma gave me! It's no secret that I love. love. love. anything lemon. I was in Costco last week and came up with this idea after seeing something similar in chocolate, which I plan to concoct this week. The lemon filling recipe comes from a friend, Christina, who shared it with us a while back. I slightly adapted the filling by adding more lemon juice and removing the rind in this recipe. Hope you all are having a great week! Yields 48 cookie bites.

Ingredients
2 cups lemon cookies, processed until fine
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
4 egg yolks, room temp.
1 whole lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, process cookies until fine.
3. In a medium sized bowl, combine cookies and melted butter with a fork or pastry blender.
4. Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. Press about 1 tablespoon of cookie crumb mixture into mini muffin tin. {We have two muffin tins that hold 24 individual mini muffins.}
5. Bake for five minutes. Remove from oven, let cool. Do not remove cookie crust from muffin tins.
6. Bring water to a boil. Combine sugar, salt and cornstarch in a medium sized bowl, whisk.
7. Slowly add dry mixture to boiling water, whisk until thickened and transparent (be careful to keep stirring through the whole process, so the mixture does not stick to the bottom of pan)
8. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks. Add a bit of thickened mixture to whisked egg yolks, whisking quickly so eggs do not cook.
9. Slowly return egg mixture to transparent mixture, whisking swiftly until blended.
10. Whisk about three minutes until eggs are cooked.
11. Remove from heat add lemon juice, vanilla & 1 tablespoon butter. Scoop about 1-1 1/2 teaspoons of hot mixture into each cookie crust. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. gently pop out each cookie bite with a butter knife and place on desired serving tray. In a standing mixer, beat heavy cream and powdered sugar until thick. Top cookie bites with whipped cream.

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Shared at: recipesformyboys newlywedsblog Foodcorner answerischocolate thingsthatmakeyousaymmmmm

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Happy 1 Year Anniversary To Us! $50.00 Gift Card Giveaway

2012-01-31T19:51:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Haaaaappy Anniversaryyyyyyyyyyy!

I can't believe that we are celebrating our 1 year anniversary. It's went by so fast! A new year, means new changes. I started by chopping all my long locks off and updating my picture. A little torked about the picture, as I am 10 pounds heavier than last years picture, thanks to all the taste testing I've had to do. Excuse me, while I hit the gym hard and eat gourmet chocolate bon bons, I mean salads for the next few months. A few changes are to be expected this year. I'm not the least bit techy, so we have hired Tonya, a very talented woman to give us a complete make-over from head to toe, which should be completed late February early March. We are really excited and looking forward to the up coming changes and think that you will like them too. It's been an amazing year, I have met a lot of wonderful, talented friends and I look forward to meeting many more! Thank you for all your love and support throughout this past year. Thank you for supporting us through Jeff's cancer and my kidney surgery. Thank you for tuning in each and every day, without you MCK would be nothing, nada, zip! We appreciate our friends and love them like our own! Okay, enough of the mushy stuff, let's get the PAR-TAY started!

We wanted to start our 1 year anniversary off with a bang! To do this we are giving away a $50.00 gift card to be spent almost anywhere your little heart desires. We will be doing weekly giveaways the whole month of February, so make sure you come back to check in. For some reason, I don't think you'll be sorry, but that's because I know the prizes. :)

To participate:

If you don't already, like us on Facebook. We love our friends! Make sure to write on our wall and let us know we've got a new friend.

Submit your contact information, click on the little blue frog down below once the submission starts. Submission starts Feb. 1, 2012 at 12:00 midnight MST.

Blogger Friends, these giveaways are totally for you too!

All information given is to contact our winner. No funny business here!

Read our giveaway page for more details on our giveaways.

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Red Potato & Bacon Salad

2012-01-31T00:00:00.009-07:00

I threw this together real quick the other day for lunch, it was a huge hit. Oh, so yummy! What can get any better than potatoes and bacon? The combination of the red onions, potatoes, bacon and fresh rosemary, drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt sent this recipe over the top. The whole family went absolutely bananas over this warm potato salad. The kids said, "They would love this served with scrabbled eggs for breakfast." We will definitely be making this on a regular basis.

Ingredients
12 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 large red onion
6 slices bacon, thick sliced
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, peel needles from stem
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
kosher salt, to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. on confection roast. In a large sized pot, boil water. Meanwhile scrub and quarter potatoes. Parboil potatoes for 8 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh rosemary, toss.
2. Place bacon on a separate small baking sheet.
3. Place the potatoes on the middle rack of the oven and the bacon on the top rack. Roast potatoes for 30 minutes, or until tender and light brown. Remove bacon after 20 minutes or until crisp. Drain fat from bacon, pat dry with paper towel. Cut bacon into thin strips, about 1 inch in length.
4. Toss potatoes with bacon slices, season with fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt to taste.
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Shared at: funkypolkadotgiraffe mrshappyhomemaker

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Apple Pie Cookies With Crumb Topping

2012-01-30T00:00:00.002-07:00

Last night, I wanted to make cookies, but Park, my son, wanted a apple pie. "How about apple pie cookies" I said. He looked at me as if I'd just fallen off the turnip truck, I probably did. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but that's the fun part of cooking and experimenting in the kitchen for me. Happy to report that they turned out yummy, and I had some very satisfied takers on this end. Jeff, was a bit bummed, because they weren't gluten free, but 6 votes out of 7 isn't a bad score at all! Packed full of sauteed granny smith apples, oats, spices and a crumb topping, these will go down in our book for sure. Have a marvelous Monday. Yields approx. 3 dozen

Ingredients For Apple Saute
2 granny smith apples, cored, peeled and diced
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions For Saute
Peel, core and dice apples. In a medium sized pan, combine butter, apples and cinnamon and stir over medium heat until apples are tender. Remove from heat, set aside.

Ingredients For Crumb Topping
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoon butter, room temp.

Directions For Crumb Topping
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
2. Combine the above ingredients in a medium sized bowl, use a pastry blender or fork to make crumb. Spread crumbs out onto a small baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, tossing twice through out bake time. Remove from oven. Using your spatula break mixture up into crumb like pieces. Set aside. Note: Keep oven on.

Ingredients For Cookie Dough
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temp.
1/2 cup Crisco
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions For Cookie Dough
1. In a standing mixer, combine butter, Crisco, sugars, spices and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Scraping down sides if needed. Next, beat in eggs.
2. In a separate large sized bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, whisk well.
3. Slowly stir in dry ingredients to creamed mixture until combined. Next, stir in sauteed apples.
4. Roll out cookie dough into 1- 1 1/2 inch balls and lay 2 inches apart on a large baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes, remove from oven and put about 1-1 1/2 teaspoons of crumb topping on top of half baked cookie. Return to oven and bake for 6 additional minutes. Remove cookies from oven let set on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in a covered container, in a cool dry place. Or freeze in gallon sized Ziploc bags.
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Shared at: Skiptomylou answerischocolate

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Butterscotch Rolls

2012-01-27T12:16:00.003-07:00

I've had my medium sized hot chocolate with a shot of caramel syrup this morning, so my motor is starting to get a kick start. These past few days I've been taking some time with the family and focusing on them, so we will not be hosting Fabulous Friday today.

I grew up on this recipe. My momma, would always make these quite often for my sister and I. I would come home from school and smell these delightful tasty rolls from the doorstep. I now make these for my babies and they go nuts over them like we did as kids. I love. love. love. the fact that you rely on frozen bread dough. This recipe is super easy and very tasty. Have a fabulous Friday!

Ingredients
1 loaf frozen bread dough, cut into 32 one inch pieces
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 package 3.9 oz. butterscotch pudding {not instant}
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions
1. Thaw loaf per packaged directions. Cut loaf into 32 pieces, about 1 inch each.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, pudding and chopped nuts.
3. Melt butter. Dip bread dough into butter, next dip into pudding mixture making sure to cover each piece completely. Arrange pieces in the bottom of your prepared tube/bundt pan. Continue layering pieces around the pan one layer at a time. You should have three to four layers once you're finished.
4. Cover tube/bundt pan with a clean dish towel for 1 hour and let rise in a warm place.
5. About 1/2 hour before rise time is up, preheat oven to 350 degree F. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
6. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto desired round serving plate. Serve warm.
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I keeps It Real

2012-01-26T00:00:00.068-07:00

     Every now and then you'll get a I keeps It Real Post.

I can totally laugh at myself. I'll just say it how it is, "At times I'm a big dork."  But, I do wonder if I am the only woman this has happened to. The other day I was all dressed up, and ready to hit the town. Now, dressed up for me is hair done, make-up on, a nice hand bag, great shoes and my nice jeans. You know the jeans, the ones that make you feel and look good all over. I was a mile down the road from my house feeling all good about myself and the way I was dressed. Haven't you ever felt this way? Trust me, it's a good day if I'm able to get dolled up. Usually, I just throw a girly ball cap on, gym clothes and hit the gym. Anyway. Feeling all good about my self this particular day, boppin' my head to whatever was on the radio at the time. Just as the sun came through the window, I looked up in the rear view mirror, only to see a stinkin' chin hair that was staring me in the face! This sucker was as long as an eyebrow hair in all it's glory. I thought, "Great! I'll just pluck it at the next red light. Is this what I have to look forward to in my older age? As if, my body hasn't experienced enough having five kids!" I couldn't wait to get to the next stop light and reach for my bag. But, I kept getting green lights! What is it about lights? When you want them to be green their red and when you want them to be red to fix your make-up or pluck a hair, their green! I don't get it. Finally, I came up on a red light and looked all around to make sure no one was going to see me pluck it. I probably brought more attention to myself by looking like a total creeper. I reached down for the bag and low and behold, no tweezers! "What? Oh yeah, left them on the bathroom counter, since I thought I got them all. Obviously I can't see for beans." So, I used the next best thing, my stubby little fingernails. Do you know how hard it is to try and do this with no fingernails?! Finally, after about 15 minutes, no joke, I got that stinker, victory was mine! Although, that all ended once I took another look in the mirror to see my poor chin lookin' all red and blotchy. I've decided I need to invest in one of those mega magnify glass bathroom mirrors, like the one your grandma had or has and make sure I look in it everyday before I leave the house. Sorry, just a bunch of ramblings from a tired mom. I know I can't be the only one, right?! Gasp! Maybe I am?

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Valentine Brownie Parfaits

2012-01-25T00:00:00.014-07:00

Are you ready for Valentines Day? I know what I'm making for dinner and dessert, but that's about it. Jeff and I, will probably get the kids to bed, snuggle, and watch a movie on the couch. Yeah, I know we are real exciting people. But, I might get you excited with this dessert. It's super easy and really yummy. Win win! I was able to find these pretty ~~crystal~~ fake vases at the dollar store, that worked perfect for the presentation of this dessert. If you have real ones even better, but I wasn't about to serve my kids in a real crystal glass, so I settled for plastic! Glass and my kids don't mix. I guess that's not really a fair statement, since I just recently shattered my beautiful pitcher. I bought a Mikasa glass pitcher about two months ago. When I bought it, I said to Jeff, "How long do you think this is going to last? I give it two months max!" Jeff, just grinned. Well, thinking that it would be one of the kiddos breaking it and not muah, no, I would never! Well, guess what? I turned around and knocked that sucker with my elbow straight into the kitchen sink and it shattered. I was a bit upset, but laughed, because I knew the thoughts I had and the comment I made to Jeff. I'm keeping these lips shut from now on!

Ingredients
1 box brownie mix + ingredients to make
vanilla ice cream, desired amount
1 can cherry pie filling, desired amount

Directions
Make brownies per packaged directions. Cut cooled browines into bite sized pieces and stick in the bottom of a fluted glass or Dollar Store vase. Next scoop vanilla ice cream and top with cherry pie filling, repeat, ending with cherries on top.
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Chocolate Toffee Coated Cinnamon Chex Mix

2012-01-24T00:00:00.001-07:00

I have a huge food crush on Cinnamon Chex. I'll eat them straight from the box, no milk required! You know, I tend to have several note pads of food ideas that pop into my head. It's so weird when and how they come to mind. The other day I was driving home, I started thinking about my Cinnamon Chex and how there better be some left in the box when I got home. My kids are known for putting an empty cereal box back in the pantry. It's almost like they want you to grab it, pick it up, and once you do, you know you've just been burned. Oh, the sheer let down of getting your hopes up for a bowl of cereal, then sike, no cereal for you! Why, they do this, beats me. I find myself sometimes standing there shaking the box, like if I shake it enough times, something might just appear. But, it doesn't. Anyway. On the way home, I thought how good would it be to take Cinnamon Chex, toffee pieces, pecans, white chocolate and cinnamon chips, mix it all up and go to town. I couldn't shake this one, usually it just gets jotted down on my list that I will eventually get to. But, this one kept popping back up in my mind, so I just had to do it! Boy, this was sure nummy! It's definitely not going to last long.

Ingredients
1 box 13.5 oz. Cinnamon Chex cereal
1 bag 8 oz. Health English Toffee Bits
2 cups pecans, chopped
1 cup white chips
1 cup + 1/2 cup cinnamon chips, reserve 1/2 cup set aside
3 squares almond bark, melted

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine cereal, pecans and toffee bits onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes tossing twice throughout bake time.
3. Add 1 cup white chips and 1 cup of cinnamon chips to Chex mixture, put back in the oven for 3 minutes or until chips have melted. Remove from oven, toss.
4. Meanwhile melt almond bark per packaged directions. Add remainder 1/2 cup cinnamon chips to Chex mixture, without tossing. Drizzle Chex mixture with melted almond bark, without tossing. Let cool on baking sheet. Once almond bark has set, store in a covered container in a cool dry place.
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Shared At: Newlyweds

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Gluten Free Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

2012-01-23T09:57:00.002-07:00

First, how was your weekend? Ours was yapsolutley wonderful! I love when we have no plans, and no one needs to be drove from one place to another. This weekend, I got my booty back in the gym for the first time in two weeks. My body isn't thanking me much this morning, I'm sore all over. But, I slept really well!

This was super-d-duper-ty good! Jeff absolutely loved this cake. The whole gang said, "It was better than a regular homemade chocolate cake!" Wowza, that makes me so happy! I have really just started going for it with gluten free baking. I'm. not. afraid. anymore! Jeff, is doing fantastic and has adjusted quite nicely. He says, "It's easy when you have this staring you in the face!"

Ingredients
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup 100% cocoa
1 cup sugar {we used organic}
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 cup water
1 egg, room temp.
all-purpose vegetable shortening, to grease baking dish
cocoa, to powder baking dish

Directions
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2.2 quarts baking dish, sprinkle with cocoa.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine flours, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt; mix well.
3. In your standing mixer, combine water, vinegar, egg, melted butter and vanilla; beat.
4. Add dry ingredients to standing mixer; mix well on high for about 2 minutes.
5. Spread batter into prepared baking dish, bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temp.
4 tablespoons 100% cocoa
1-2 teaspoons milk

Directions
In a standing mixer, combine the above ingredients and beat until smooth.

Printable Version

Reminder: Always make sure your work surfaces, utensils, pans and tools are free of gluten. Always read product labels. Manufacturers can change product formulations without notice. When in doubt, do not buy or use a product before contacting the manufacturer for verification that the product is free of gluten. Thanks about.com

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Edible Snowman: Food Art With Ty

2012-01-19T00:45:00.000-07:00

Our son, Ty, loves art. He is more into abstract pieces. He designs, paints, draws, photographs, and it all blows me away. Every now and then you will find him in our kitchen concocting food art for our posts. We haven't had much of a winter this year in Idaho. Yesterday, we got our first heavy snow of the year. Instead of going out side to build a snowman, Ty, decided to stay in where it's warm and make an edible one! Smart young man! I was going to say, "Smart kid!" But, sometimes I forget he's 6 foot 6 inches and almost 18. Yes, he's still my baby! :) This cute little guy would make a great surprise breakfast for your kidlets. Have a thankful Thursday.

If you're joining us for the first time, every Thursday, is "Thankful Thursday". I started this a while back and it's just stuck. Feel free to leave us a comment letting us know what you are thankful for.

Me, I am thankful for the healthy giggles throughout our home on a daily basis.

This was before he knew he was going to be eaten. The picture above was when he found out!

Yields 1

Ingredients

2 large eggs, whites only for body and head

2 whole peppercorns, for eyes

1 black olive, for mouth, optional, sliced thin

Carrot sliver, for nose

tomato pieces, for buttons

cheese stick for scarf, peeled thin

1 regular sized muffin tin

1 mini sized muffin tin

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 4oo degrees F.

2. Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.

3. In a small bowl, crack eggs discarding yolk, keeping whites; whisk egg whites with a fork.

4. Using your judgment, pour a small amount of egg white for body into regular sized muffin tin, pour the remainder for the head into the mini muffin tin; again use your judgment. Bake for five minutes, remove the mini muffin tin with egg white; continue to bake the regular sized muffin tin with egg white for five more minutes. Remove.

5. Assemble snowman

Printable Version

Our snow day!

This was his first test. He decided to use the whole egg instead of egg whites. His second test, he used egg whites. He said, "Using the whole egg was too yellow for the snowman."

The man behind the edible snowman. Meet Ty, our son and food artist.

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The Smackdown: Roasted Mixed Vegetable Stuffed Potato

2012-01-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Monday, I posted our roasted mixed vegetable recipe and had left over veggies to use. This potato is coming to smackdown our Loaded BBQ Chicken Stuffed Potato. You won't even miss the meat! The kiddos went bananas over this, we did too! This baby is packed full of a delicious variety of roasted mixed veggies, topped with cheddar cheese and drizzled with a secret sauce. Well, okay, not so much a secret, but a fave in our home. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Ingredients
1 large red potato
1/8 teaspoon olive oil
roasted mixed vegetables, desired amount *Click on link for recipe
cheddar cheese, desired amount
1 tablespoon ranch {we used Hidden Valley}
1 tablespoon BBQ sauce {we used Bull's- Eye brand}
freeze dried chives, desired amount

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Drizzle oil onto a piece of foil, wrap potato in foil, bake until soft. {about 1 hour}
3. Slice potato down the middle and gently pop open.
4. Fill potato with desired amount of cheese, vegetables and more cheese; return to oven until cheese has melted.
5. Meanwhile combine ranch and BBQ sauce; stir.
6. Drizzle potato with ranch/BBQ sauce mixture, sprinkle with chives. Serve.

Printable Version

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Dressed Up Brownies

2012-01-17T00:00:00.009-07:00

Here's a quick & easy way to dress up boxed brownie mixes.
I refuse to buy pre-made items that I know I can make at home. I don't know about you, but I get a great satisfaction out of baking and replicating items that I would of paid $$ top dollar for at a specialty store or bakery. My mom, is the queen at making easy ordinary boxed items and turning them into a master piece. This is one of her beautiful transformations of a boxed brownie mix. Thanks mom!
Have a tremendous Tuesday!

These are on there way to a good home today!

Ingredients
2 boxes 19.5 oz. each, family size + ingredients to prepare
1 cup hot fudge topping, divided if using 2, 8x8 disposable pans
3 squares of vanilla flavored almond bark or 1/3 cup white chocolate, melted
2 8x8 disposable pans with lids or 1, 3quart baking dish

Possible Topping Ideas
nuts, desired amount
toffee pieces, desired amount
mini semi-chocolate chips
mini M&M's
chopped Andre's mints
candy bars, chopped, different varieties
toasted coconut with drizzled caramel- {I frost with caramel ice cream topping, sprinkle coconut, then drizzle with chocolate}
turtle brownies- {frost with caramel ice cream topping, sprinkle with chopped nuts, then drizzle with dark melted chocolate.}
smores brownies- {I still frost with fudge topping first, top with smashed graham crackers, marshmallows, drizzled melted dark & white chocolate.} If you have time, dip the graham crackers in melted chocolate, let set, then break grahams into pieces.
mint brownies- add a teaspoon of mint extract to the mixture before baking, frost with fudge topping, top with chopped Andres mints; drizzle with melted chocolate.
Really, the possibilities are endless.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Confection setting.
2. Prepare brownies per packaged directions, pour mixture into two, 8x8 disposable pans or one, 3 quart baking dish. Bake as directed. Let brownies cool completely.
3. If using two 8x8 disposable baking pans, divide fudge topping spreading 1/2 a cup onto each brownie, if using 3 qt. baking dish spread 1 cup over the top of the entire brownie. Top brownies with favorite toppings and drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Note: I pour my melted chocolate in a Ziploc bag, and cut a tiny piece off one corner. Less mess. I can simply toss, no cleaning involved like there would be if I used my decorating bags. I like to use disposable baking pans to deliver to neighbors and friends, then I don't have to worry about getting my dishes back!
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Roasted Mixed Vegetables With Olive Oil & Garlic

2012-01-16T00:34:00.002-07:00

I really enjoy my veggies, how about you?! One of my best girlfriends gave me her recipe for roasted green beans with garlic. Oh man, oh man are they delish! My family just can't get enough of them. They actually beg for them! Now, what kid do you know begs for vegetables? I know these kids exist, because I own a few of them. But most times, your catching your precious little ones, tossing them to the dog, who even turns up his nose, right?! Unless you have a crazy dog like ours who eats tomatoes???? This side dish is absolutely crazy good, with a robust garlic flavor. It's just down right tasty! I took my bestie's idea and shook it up a bit by using mixed veggies. Oh, goodness these were so good. They were even better the next day. I used the left overs to make stuffed veggie potatoes that will be featured tomorrow. Okay, just jumped off the soap box. Have a marvelous Monday!

Ingredients
4 cups mixed vegetables, Kirkland signature brand
4 cups stir fry vegetables, Kirkland signature brand
1 1/2 cups red onion, chopped
1 whole green pepper, julienned
20 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil, desired amount {I had a pretty generous hand, just don't drown them in it.}
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
kosher salt, to taste

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. We used our convection roast.
2. Combine vegetables on large baking sheet with green pepper, red onion and garlic; toss.
3. Drizzle liberally with olive oil, season with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
4. Roast 1 hour our until they reach your desired tenderness; tossing throughout roasting time.

Notes: I place my baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Left overs are even tastier the next day as the flavors marry. Store left overs in a covered container and refrigerate. To re-heat, place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F. until heated through, or then there's the microwave, either way works fine.
Printable Version

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Strawberry Cheesecake Shooters

2012-01-12T08:13:00.002-07:00

Just for kicks I'm doing a re-post on this recipe. This was one of my earlier posts.

Here's my spin on a strawberry cheesecake shooter. I went for the graham crackers and realized I was completely out. There was a huge bag of pretzel staring me right in the face. I grabbed them and never looked back! Yields 6 shooters.

Ingredients

2 cups pretzels

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 package 8oz. cream cheese

1/3 cup powdered sugar

3 cups fresh strawberries, crushed

8oz. whipped topping, Cool whip

Directions

Place pretzels in food processor, process until fine. Place processed pretzels in a medium sized bowl, add melted butter, stir. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in a standing mixer until cream cheese is soft and sugar is incorporated, scraping down sides if needed. Wash and remove stems of strawberries, crush with a potato masher. Add sugar to your taste.

Take pretzel and butter mixture and place in the bottom of glass. Pressing down the best you can. {Place cream cheese mixture in a pastry bag or ziploc bag. If using a ziploc bag cut a small piece off the corner of the bag.} Pipe the cream cheese mixture in the glass. Next spoon in the strawberries. Top with whipped topping. Enjoy!

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Gluten Free Banana Cake With Buttercream Frosting

2012-01-11T00:33:00.004-07:00

Yay for cake! I love cake, how about you? The last few days I have been working on making GF recipes. This one was a hit in our home. The guys loved this. It makes me so happy when I make something they love and compliment on, it really blesses my little heart. I guess it helped their taste buds a bit by having that yummy buttercream, fatty fat, frosting on the cake. The flour blend that I used has protein and I can't forget the bananas, there's a bit of health going on here, so I threw them a bone with the frosting. They were happy, so that makes this momma happy! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Ingredients

1 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 3/4 cup baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temp.
2 eggs, room temp.
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 very ripe bananas {I'm talkin' black}

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 2qt. baking dish. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine flours, baking powder, sugar, and xanthan gum; whisk.
3. In a standing mixer, beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. About 10 minutes
4. Beat in eggs, and bananas, stir in vanilla and milk.
5. Stir flour mixture into creamed mixture just until incorporated.
6. Spread batter into prepared baking dish. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
7. Frost with butter cream frosting.

Butter cream Frosting
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

In a standing mixer, beat butter and sugar; continue beating, add milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Reminder: Always make sure your work surfaces, utensils, pans and tools are free of gluten. Always read product labels. Manufacturers can change product formulations without notice. When in doubt, do not buy or use a product before contacting the manufacturer for verification that the product is free of gluten. Thanks about.com

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Chicken Enchiladas: Freezer Meal

2012-01-10T00:00:00.003-07:00

The gang has been asking for enchiladas, I have been putting this meal on the back burner, because I really haven't felt like cooking lately. Yeah, I know, gasp! Do you ever feel that way or am I the only one? It all started after Christmas. I have just felt whooped. I haven't been sleeping lately, what's this about?! Jeff, told me the other day I had huge black circles under my eyes. What!? Did you have to tell me this when we are in the middle of the supermarket?! I even had concealer on! Not that I'm vain, just didn't know that I had big black circles under those peepers. You know when you are shopping and you find that little rinky dink mirror in the store they put next to the sunglasses to see what you look like? Only, the mirror is so tiny you have no idea, what you look like! Well that was me the other day. I could only see one eyeball in that doggum mirror. Uhhg! For the one eye I did see, he was right, darnit. I looked whooped. Time to get some sleep. But not just quite yet, gotta share this recipe. Okay, time to sleep. Goodnight. yields 30 enchiladas

This is a great freezer meal! When I am feeling like super woman, I freeze 5 enchiladas to 6 small disposable tins, making 6 pre-made dinners. When the hubs and I go on a date, the kiddos have dinner. I will also pull these out for a quick meal when I don't feel like cooking. I dislike when you have a freezer meal that doesn't taste as good as before it's frozen, don't you? These are not that way. The chicken is still moist and they tasted like they had just been freshly prepared.

Ingredients
5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 garlic cloves
1/2 large sweet onion, quartered
2 cans 28 oz. each enchilada sauce {we use El Pato Brand, Mild}
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cube chicken bouillon dissolved in 1/3 cup hot water
fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 can 10 oz. Rotel tomatoes, drained
cilantro, fresh, chopped, desired amount {to top enchiladas before baking}
sweet onion, chopped, desired amount {to top enchiladas before baking}
green onions, fresh, chopped, desired amount {to top enchiladas after baking}
4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded {combine mozzarella and cheddar in a bowl}
4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded {combine mozzarella and cheddar in a bowl}
non-stick cooking spray
30 ct. corn tortillas

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, combine onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, sugar, garlic powder, and fresh cracked pepper. Process until consistency is "Paste Like" scrapping down the sides if needed.
3. Place chicken breast in a 3 t. baking dish and spread onion paste mixture over chicken; meanwhile dissolve bouillon cube in 1/3 cup hot water, pour over chicken. Cover and bake 1 hour 30 minutes or until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from oven, shred chicken in it's juices {DO NOT DRAIN JUICES}the chicken will soak up the juice and the juices will help make the chicken moist. Stir in drained Rotel tomatoes. Let shredded chicken cool. Cover until ready to use.
4. Heat tortilla and keep warm. Meanwhile, in a medium sized pan, heat enchilada sauce over medium heat; just until hot. Keep on low, stirring occasionally. By heating the tortilla and the sauce this will help make the tortillas soft and pliable, other wise your tortillas will break when folding.
5. Spray desired baking dishes with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside
6. Dip warm tortillas in hot enchilada sauce, fill tortilla with about 2 tablespoon shredded chicken and about 2 tablespoons cheese. Fold and put in desired baking dishes. Top enchiladas with a small amount of shredded chicken, spoon sauce over the top of each enchiladas, next top sauce with cheese, fresh chopped cilantro, and chopped sweet onion. Cover with a sheet of foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, bake for 45 minutes.

Printable Version

Before baking boneless skinless chicken breast, spread onion paste on top. Pour bouillon water on top of onion paste. Cover and bake.

All assembled and ready to bake or freeze.

Right before baking. Cover with a sheet of foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Yummy!

Notes: To make freezer meals you will need disposable tin baking dishes with lids and foil, or your handy dandy Pyrex dishes with lids. Assemble as directed. DO NOT BAKE, let cool. Freeze. If using disposable tins, once cooled, cover with foil, then cover with lid. Stick in freezer. If using Pyrex baking dishes, assemble as directed. let cool. Place Pyrex lid on top and freeze. To reheat frozen enchiladas, if using disposable tins, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. remove plastic lid, leave foil on and place on a baking sheet; cook until heated through. If using glass Pyrex, let dish come to room temp. Remove lid. Cover with a sheet of foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F. Until heated through.

Additional notes: I prepared ours in {two} 3qt. Pyrex dishes plus one small disposable tin that held five enchiladas.

Freezer ready!

Shared At: athriftymom forkfulofcomfort

Edible Finger Paint

2012-01-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

My kids love this! To tell the truth, I dig it too. I wanted to post this on the blog, as it was only posted on our face book page. I wanted to share all the fun photos here for our readers. This will dry like regular paint and smells yummy enough to eat. Yes, I have actually tasted it, the things we do for our kids to make them laugh!? I have been known to lick a few or more paintings every now and then! The kidlets get a great kick out of it. Have a marvelous Monday!
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
6 cups water
desired flavorings
desired colorings

Directions
In a medium sized pot, combine sugar, flour and water together; and cook over low heat, stirring consistently until thick, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely and spoon contents into individual cups, flavor with desired flavoring extracts and desired coloring. Paint your little heart out!
Printable Version

Now come on, you know you just want to lick that off the paper!? Pass!

Ah look, SpongeBob Square Pants. I think!?

Chicken Salad: Made With Bone Suckin' Sauce GF Friendly

2012-01-06T00:00:00.005-07:00

We told you earlier this week about our new favorite sauce, called Bone Suckin' Sauce. Today we will announce our winner on face book for our Bone Suckin' Sauce giveaway. We can't wait! This recipe was concocted from the left over ingredients from our Loaded BBQ Chicken Stuffed Potato recipe, that was also made with Bone Suckin' Sauce. I'm telling you gals and guys this sauce is the bomb diggity! Have a fabulous Friday!

Ingredients
organic baby spinach, desired amount
romaine lettuce, desired amount
grilled chicken, sliced, desired amount and smothered in Bone Suckin' Sauce
red onion, sliced, desired amount
gluten free crunchy fried onions, desired amount
Bone Suckin' Sauce, desired amount {GF}
cheddar cheese, shredded, desired amount
green onions, chopped, desired amount
sour cream, desired amount, {Darigold brand is GF}

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine sliced chicken and desired amount of Bone Suckin' Sauce; set aside.
2. Wash romaine and spinach, shake off excess water. Lay lettuce and spinach on desired sized plate.
3. Next top lettuce with smothered chicken slices, cheese, crunchy onions, sliced red onions, chopped green onions and top with sour cream. Drizzle with Bone Suckin' Sauce for the dressing.

Disclosure: Make sure to check your product labels well for GF labeling, as companies can change their products without notice.
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Gluten Free Waffles

2012-01-04T23:59:00.003-07:00

Can I get a woot woot! Picture Honey and I, doing the chicken dance in the middle of the kitchen, and singing Dora the explorer's, "We Did It" song. Seriously, didn't look graceful at all, but I had to do a celebration dance with a song! I mean, for the love of waffles. Honey and I, have been experimenting,trying to concoct a gluten free waffle. I had bought some really yummy GF waffles last week at the store that came 6 to a box, pricey to say the least for 6 waffles. In my family, six waffles doesn't go very far, in fact, that could very well be Ty's portion {Our 6 foot 6 inch teenager.} You see, I'm feeding an army of four growing boys and one sweet little princess, that right now, eats like a bird. I bought the waffles for Jeff, but came down one morning to find the whole gang sittin' around the kitchen eating his GF waffles. They were as happy as can be not realizing they were GF."Thanks for buying us waffles mom!" "Um, those are gluten free waffles for your dad, didn't you read the box?" I replied. The kids said, We are so sorry mom. We really like these, we think they are better than Eggo waffles! Do you think you could make these?" After three attempts, {so wish I would of taken pictures!} Honey and I, came up with this recipe that has the family smiling from ear to ear and her and I, doing the chicken dance, singing, "We did it"!

Have a thankful Thursday!
I am thankful for Skype. My mom bought our family a webcam, now I can see my precious family when I talk to them. Yay!

Ingredients
2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour, recipe HERE
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups Welch's 100% white grape peach juice {frozen}

Directions
1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum, whisk.
3. Beat eggs, add eggs, oil and juice to flour mixture, whisk well.
4. Pour waffle mixture onto hot waffle iron and cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Note: These freeze well. Let waffles cool completely before freezing. To reheat, place waffles in your toaster at a low setting and heat until heated through.
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Loaded BBQ Chicken Stuffed Potatoes GF Friendly

2012-01-03T00:00:00.003-07:00

We all went ape for these! I created this recipe to use our new favorite sauce, Bone Suckin' Sauce. I also went as far to make the crunchy onions in a gluten free version for Jeff. We really enjoyed these stuffed potatoes, the flavor of all the ingredients goin' on was amazing. Join us for our recent giveaway, as we are giving away one 16 ounce jar of Bone Suckin Sauce this Friday 1/6/12 on our face book page. Yields 7 stuffed potatoes

Ingredients

Gluten Free Crunchy Fried Onions
1 large sweet onion
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups GF all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
canola oil for frying {approx. four cups}

Directions

Gluten Free Crunchy Fried Onions

1. With a mandolin, slice onions very fine.
2. Beat eggs, add to onions, stir. Meanwhile fill a medium bowl with GF flour, set aside.
3. Heat oil to 375
4. Take a handful of onions at a time and coat with GF flour, shake off excess flour, fry coated onions in oil until crisp.
Printable Version

Ingredients

Loaded BBQ Chicken Stuffed Potatoes

7 large baking potatoes
5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
salt, to taste
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1 bunch green onions, chopped
cheddar cheese, shredded, desired amount
sour cream, desired amount {Darigold Brand is GF}
Hot Bone Suckin' Sauce, desired amount
olive oil, to coat potatoes
foil, to wrap each potato

Directions

Loaded BBQ Chicken Stuffed Potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and dry potatoes, place about 1/8 teaspoon of olive oil onto each piece of foil; roll potatoes to coat each side, wrap in foil and bake approx. 1 hour or until tender. {Once potatoes are baked, keep in the warming drawer of your oven until ready to serve.}
2. Meanwhile prepare olive oil marinate by combining 1 cup olive oil and two tablespoons minced garlic, set aside.
3. Wash chicken and pat dry. Season chicken to taste with fresh cracked pepper and salt; place chicken into olive oil marinate, making sure to coat each piece with garlic and oil. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Grill chicken breast on low heat on your outside grill until chicken is cooked through. Slice chicken breasts into thick cut slices and place in a bowl. Add desired amount of Bone Suckin' Sauce to chicken making sure it's "Saucy" and coated well with the sauce.
5. Prepare potatoes by slicing down the middle of the potato and popping it open gently. Generously place "Saucy" chicken slices into potato, top with desired amount of shredded cheddar cheese, desired amount of GF Crunchy Onions, desired amount of green onions and desired amount of sour cream; take additional Bone Suckin' Sauce and drizzle over the entire potato. Serve.
Printable Version

NOTE: Make sure to check your product labels well for GF labeling, as companies can change their products without notice.

Additional Notes: We used our left over ingredients to create a Bone Suckin' Chicken Salad the next day. The results were amazing! Recipe to come.

Shared at: forkfulofcomfort

Energy Snack Mix

2012-01-02T00:00:00.007-07:00

With the kids runnin' and gunnin' from game to game, I like to keep this yummy snack mix on hand for a healthy boost. My kiddos love it! I like the extra crunchy goodness of the soy nuts, and the sweet taste of the carob and cranberries combined makes a delicious combination. Have a marvelous Monday! Yields approx. 6 cups

I like to store my snack mix in convenient grab and go packages.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups salted soy nuts
1 cup carob chips
1 cup pecans, chopped, roasted
1 cup pumpkin seeds, roasted
1 cup dried cranberries
salt to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl combine soy nuts, carob chips, and cranberries; stir and set aside.
3. On a baking sheet combine chopped pecans and pumpkin seeds, sprinkle with salt to taste; bake for 10-15 minutes. Make sure to watch for burning. {Let cool completely before adding to soy nuts, carob and cranberry mixture.}
4. Once pecans and pumpkin seeds have cooled, add to soy nut mixture; stir.
5. Make individual 1/2 cup serving bags or store snack mix in a container with a lid in a cool dry place.
Printable Version

Giveaway

2012-01-01T22:41:00.002-07:00

Jeff and I had the privilege of tasting Bone Suckin' Sauce. We were given this sauce as a gift and have been so pleased with it that we wanted to tell you about it and do a giveaway. We love it so much, that in a three day period we have almost went through 3, sixteen ounce jars, now that's some serious lovin' goin' on! I concocted two recipes with this sauce that the family went nuts over. They will be posted over the next couple days. Bone Suckin' Sauce, will be a staple in our home from here on out. Jeff said, "He couldn't be without this sauce, so I better find somewhere to buy it in bulk." The kids were lickin' their chops and little fingers during dinner. Our little man came in and asked for seconds. He said, "Momma, this sauce is so tasty, I just can't get enough!" I agree, this is one of the best sauces I have tasted in a long time, so good, that's why we are giving away 1 sixteen ounce jar to one of our readers/FB friends. We wanted you to taste what we are talking about, and see if you'll dig it as much as we do!

No need to concoct any fancy schmancy recipes or run circles to enter this giveaway, just simply leave a comment for us on our FB page under the Bone Suckin' Sauce giveaway. One winner will be picked by Random.org Winner will be notified on FB, Friday 1/6/12

Here's a little information on Bone Suckin' Sauce.
Awards & Accolades
A+ Health Magazine
#1 Battle of the sauces
Rated #1 in USA
#1 Newsweek
#1 Food & Wine

All Natural
Fat Free
Gluten Free
35 calories per 2 tablespoon serving
0 saturated fat
0 trans fat
0 cholesterol
sodium 100mg
total carbohydrate 9g
dietary fiber 0g
sugars 8g
protein 0g

Disclaimer. We are not affiliated with the company Bone Suckin' Sauce. We were not paid for our personal review. The comments are strictly our personal opinion on the product.

Mexican Shredded Beef

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

I love Mexican food! You know what I love most? Eating it in the comfort of my own home. This is my mom's recipe and I think she nailed it! To me, it tastes just like the recipe they use at my favorite Mexican restaurant. Usually I fry corn tortillas for tacos, but lately I have been serving this yummy shredded beef in a crunchy taco shell. Jeff and I ate at a Mexican restaurant that served their shredded beef tacos this way, I loved them so much that I started serving them this way too. The best part about this recipe, it all gets thrown into the crock pot! Have a fabulous Friday!

Ingredients
31/2 pound rump roast, trim fat from roast
2 teaspoons chili powder
4 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 tablespoons dried chopped onion
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cans 10oz. each RoTel original tomatoes

Directions
Combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, dried chopped onion, garlic, sugar and tomatoes in your slow cooker; stir. Add roast to slow cooker, spooning some of the tomato mixture over roast. Set slow cooker to low and cook all day until meat is easily shredded with a fork. Shred meat inside the slow cooker with the tomato mixture. {Don't discard tomato mixture or juices, you will want to stir this into the shredded beef.} Serve as desired.
Printable Version

GF Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies

2011-12-29T00:02:00.009-07:00

I am so excited! Let me start by saying, no one would know this recipe was gluten free. I have started my GF baking journey for Jeff, and have been surprised at some of my concoctions, they haven't tasted icky at all. {That is, after my first attempt at making GF peanut butter cookies. Let's just say that didn't go over very well. Oh, all right, I'll tell you about it down below.}My goal has been to make baked goods that didn't taste yucky or have a textural consistency of grit. Recipes that no one would know or be the wiser that they were GF. In the beginning, I tasted some pretty nasty GF baked goods, so bad, that my nose is crinkled and my taste buds are cringing while I am typing! {Yes, one recipe was mine, and a few not so tasty bought food items.} After my first attempt at my so called peanut butter cookie recipe, I called my sister since she is completely GF. I asked if the nasty after taste I was tasting in my cookie recipe was normal?! She laughed so hard, she fell off the chair while I was talking to her on the phone.{I wish I had Skype then.} Once she got up off the floor, she answered while laughing, "Yes! I know exactly what you are talking about, it's the nastiest taste you have ever tasted. "Tiffy, did you eat the dough raw, like. you. would. when. we. were. kids?! What flours did you use?" I replied, "Um, well, maybe I did, okay I did! I used bean flours, why?!" She started laughing again! "Tiffy, you are NOT to eat it raw, especially if you are using bean flours. No wonder you are getting that nasty after taste. Don't use the bean flours!" Even after the cookies were baked they tasted nasty! Hey, I can be honest, I. stunk. it. up! That was my first attempt at baking GF. After that first attempt, I was nervous taking on the whole GF baking concept, but after learning my flours, I am starting to feel adventurous on stepping out and starting to experiment.

Give me a good challenge and I'm all over it. This has been exciting for me, a new adventure, but means I have to step out of my "Comfort Box" and learn a new way of concocting recipes for Jeff. I like a good change, I embrace it. I enjoy jumping right in, learning everything there is to know about what ever it is I'm about to do. I have some what of an adventurous side, can you tell?! Now, I'm not the type that goes jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, but I would jump out of an airplane with one! Jeff and I, have had a very blessed life, a life with a few health adventures, but a great one. {I pray that we are given many more years together.} Some where along the way, I've had to learn to embrace change and like it and to step out of that "Comfort Box". After all, I really had no choice with some of our circumstances. I think it's better to try and have a good attitude about the circumstances that you are given than be miserable.{Trust me, I still struggle with this, but I try.} After my heart surgery almost nine years ago, I learned that life is extremely short and I better live it to the fullest and step out of my "Comfort Box" every once in a while. I don't sweat the ticky-tack stuff any more, like locking my keys in the car or leaving Red Box movies on top of my truck and driving away, only to retrace my steps to find them ran over and ruined, yes, all me! There's no need anymore in my eyes to sweat things like this. When you have faced your husband having cancer and going through treatments, and on a separate occasion been told your husband maybe has two to six months to live, because of a suspected cancerous mass in his liver, and you have died on the operating table while having heart surgery, experienced six miscarriages and again faced cancer with your husband having melanoma, the little ticky-tack things just don't matter. So, I choose to step out of that "Comfort Box" every now and then. I am finding out the more and more I do so, the easier it gets! So, Gluten Free Baking, I'm going to conquer you!

Have a Thankful Thursday!

Ingredients
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup millet flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup 100% pure cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup salted butter, room temp.
1 large egg, room temp.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup white morsels {Nestle' premier white morsels are GF}
1/2 cup semi-sweet morsels {Nestle' semi-sweet morsels are GF}
1/2 cup dried cranberries {Ocean Spray brand, aka craisins are GF}

Direction
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine flours, salt, baking soda and cocoa, whisk well.
3. In a standing mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in egg.
5. Stir in flour mixture until combined.
6. Stir in morsels and cranberries.
7. Take about 11/2 teaspoons of dough and roll between your palms into a ball. Place dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 10 minutes or until center is set. Let cookies set on baking sheet for about 2 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
Printable Version

Disclaimer: Make sure to check your product labels well for GF labeling, as companies can change their products without notice.

Notes: The confection setting is used for all our baking. Butter, unless stated is salted, eggs are large sized. If you would like to have white morsels showing on the tops of each of your cookies, right before baking press additional morsels into each dough ball.

This post is linked to LifeAsMom

Gourmet Pretzel Rods

2011-12-27T00:00:00.005-07:00

I love creating in the kitchen, that's no secret. I especially love it when there are no recipes to follow and you are free to create and make a masterpiece out of something so plain and ordinary. I do these every year for Christmas and like to keep them on hand for that last minute homemade gift. Wouldn't these also be cute for a birthday party or for your lover on Valentines day?! My two favorites were the mini M&M's and the mini chocolate chips. Chocolate upon chocolate, maybe that's why?! Have a tremendous Tuesday! What are your New Years plans? We are only 4 days away! Are you ready?

I won't say it wasn't messy!

Ingredients

1 package pretzel rods
1 package vanilla flavored almond bark
1 package chocolate flavored almond bark
sprinkles, different varieties
nuts, chopped fine
mini M&M's
toffee pieces
mini chocolate chips
peppermint candies, crushed
spearmint candies, crushed
Whatever else you can think up

Directions
1. Melt almond bark per packaged directions, set aside.
2. Dip pretzels into desired flavor of almond bark.
3. Coat pretzels with desired amount of toppings. Drizzle with additional almond bark if desired.

Notes: Below are some pictures as a guide. But again, there is no right or wrong way, use that noggin' and get creative!

Shared at: funkypolkadotgiraffe blessedwithgrace

Potato Skins GF Friendly

2011-12-26T00:00:00.019-07:00

hee-hee can you tell I took this picture at night?! I love me some good light! I wish it didn't get dark at 5pm! Oh, well. Life goes on.

Potato skins happen to be one of my families favorite appetizers! As a young girl growing up we had a tradition on Christmas eve night to serve appetizers of all sorts. This was another one of my favorite childhood memories growing up. It was like a green light to have all the yummy foods that you wouldn't ordinarily get to have other wise. I have carried this tradition on into my family, and my kids look forward to Christmas eve night when they get to put their two, or shall I say five cents in on what they'd like to see on the buffet table. This Christmas eve, one of the kids asked for our homemade potato skins. This was one appetizer of many. We had BBQ Chicken Strips a GF version,{which I will post later} Chicken Wings, Potato Skins, Southwest Egg rolls and Homemade Easy Guacamole served with tortilla strips. Oh! I guess I should mention I threw in a salad- just to bring some health to the table! These skins are super simple, and pretty tasty if I do say so myself. I do most of the prep work the night before to make assembly a snap. These would be great for your New Years Eve partay! Have a marvelous Monday!

Ingredients

28 little red potatoes, baked and cut in half
1 pound bacon {talk to your butcher to make sure it is GF}
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
freeze dried chives, desired amount
sour cream, for garnish optional
salt, to taste
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Directions
To make assembly a snap:
The night before you are going to serve your potato skins, rub each potato with a small amount of olive oil and wrap in tin foil. Bake at 400 degrees F. until potatoes are tender. Unwrap and let cool. Meanwhile cut bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp. Drain of bacon fat, discard. Lay bacon pieces on a paper towel to absorb any extra grease. When bacon has cooled, place in fridge. Shred cheese.

1. Cut prepared potatoes in half length wise, scoop out pulp {don't throw it out, save for later use}
2. Place about 1 teaspoon {more if needed} of shredded cheese into each cavity of potato skin.
3. Top with desired amount of bacon pieces. {make sure to ask your butcher or check your labels for GF}
4. Sprinkle with desired amount of freeze dried chives
5. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes
6. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
6. Garnish with sour cream. {we use Darigold brand}

Notes: You will have about 1 cup of bacon pieces left over. I do this on purpose so we will have this on hand. We use our bacon pieces for salads and breakfast burritos or whatever else we think of. When it comes to the potato pulp, we fry this up, and make breakfast potatoes, scramble some eggs and throw the bacon, potatoes and some cheese into a burrito. The potato pulp can also be used to make a small serving of potato salad that serves 2-3 people. To make the sour cream look pretty and not plopped on, I stick it in a cake decorating bag with my choice of desired tip and pipe it down the middle of the skin.
Printable Version

Make breakfast potatoes with the potato pulp!

2011-12-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas. We hope you have a very blessed day.

Jeff, Tiffany, Ty, Shark, Jay, Sulley and Honey

Maria's Mexican Rice GF Friendly

2011-12-22T12:01:00.001-07:00

When I was little I grew up In Southern California, this is where I met my dear friend Maria. I met Maria in sixth grade, Maria was the type of person who would see someone being picked on and befriend them, take them under her wing and tell the rest of the world to take a hike! I truly admired her for this. Maria and I ended up being close throughout middle school and high school. We had many memorable moments like sleep overs, trick or treating, boyfriends, singing La bamba, {which I completely massacred, but she still loved me anyway.} and even marriage. Maria, was one of my brides maids in our wedding. If I didn't have a sister, she would of been my maid of honor. I have had a lot of laughter with Maria, she is one the funniest people I know and I am blessed to have her as a friend. One night while spending the night at my house, she jumped up and said, "I know let's cook for mom and dad!" I replied, "Okay!" I believe we were in ninth grade at the time. We decided on making a Mexican meal. We had mom drive us to the store, because we didn't want to be seen peddling our bikes down the street. We certainly didn't admit that, but come on, we were big time now, we were freshman, and freshman meant that we were no longer a juvenile, no longer in middle school. We made it out of their by the skins of our teeth. Now we were onto a new adventure, where kids were being "Trashed Canned" and given "Swirlies" just for being a freshman. Where you didn't need to bring a paper or book to read in the rest room, you had the walls to keep you occupied, and where you were judge by the shoes and clothes you wore. Yeah, we were really moving up in the world lol!

We managed to cook a yummy meal, don't ask me how with all the "Girly" laughter in that kitchen. I'm sure mom and dad were thinking, oh dear what did we get ourselves into? Maria, brought to the table this amazing, authentic, Mexican rice recipe, that mom just had to have after she tasted it. It's been in the family ever since, that would be 22 years now! This is one of our "Go To" recipes without a shadow of a doubt.

Ingredients
3 cups long grain rice
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 can 8 oz. tomato sauce
2 cubes chicken bouillon {Herbox brand is GF}
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
5 cups water + 1/2 cup
1 cup corn, frozen

Directions
In a large pot, brown rice in olive oil; add onion and continue stirring occasionally, making sure rice doesn't burn. Meanwhile dissolve bouillon cubes in 1/2 cup HOT water. Add tomato sauce to the rice and the 1/2 cup of bouillon water along with salt, garlic powder, corn and five cups of HOT water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and cover pot with lid. Simmer 20 minutes. DO NOT LIFT THE LID! You may be tempted, but fight the urge.

Notes: We use a non-stick Teflon coated pot. Make sure to set your timer. Right after it is cooked, I sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top while still in the pot, put the lid back on and let it melt, for a little extra somethin' somethin'. My favorite way to eat this is with a little bit of salsa on top and served with tortilla chips, {the round kind, so I can just scoop it right up.} Oh, so YUMMY!
Printable Version

Thank you DF for sharing our childhood together, and this awesome recipe. I love you!

Mini Chocolate Chip Orange Loaves

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

This year I decided not to make my cookie/treat platters. With all that we have been through this year, I just wanted to focus on being still and relish on my family. Instead I have been making different goodies here and there and we get to enjoy them that same day. This bread was full of flavor and smelled delicious when you unwrapped it. A burst of orange aroma filled the air when you took the wrapper off, it was heavenly to say the least. Yields 8 mini loaves

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup pumpkin spice coffee creamer
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons orange rind
1/3 cup butter

Directions
1. pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a standing mixer, beat eggs, creamer, orange juice, orange rind, and vanilla. Blend in butter.
3. In a separate medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sugar and chocolate chips, mix well.
4. Stir in flour mixture to cream mixture, until well combined.
5. Grease and flour a mini loaf pan, spread equal amounts into each section of the pan. Bake on confection setting for 20 minutes or until center is set.
Printable Version

Original recipe by: Family Favorites cookbook

Adapted recipe/photos/directions by: My Crowded Kitchen

Soft Brown Sugar Cookies + Gluten Free Version

2011-12-19T00:00:00.004-07:00

This is my all time favorite sugar cookie recipe! My mom passed this recipe down 20 years ago. I remember her making these for Christmas when I was a little girl. My sister and I, helped my momma cut them out and decorate them anyway we'd like. This is one of my favorite childhood memories. My gang, all got together in the kitchen and decorated these yummy cookies with my moms frosting recipe with lots and lots of sprinkles. I like to use this particular frosting recipe for my sugar cookies, as the outside dries some what hard and makes it easier for shipping purposes. Yet, it's still soft underneath. I love letting the kids let loose when it comes to decorating cookies, they have so much fun! This is one Christmas tradition that my family does every year. We give the kids free rein on the supplies, and my floor looks like one big sugar cookie afterwards, but it's so much fun! I figure that's what a broom and mop was made for, right? This recipe was also adapted to meet Jeff's gluten free diet. You will find the GF recipe under the original recipe, along with the frosting recipe that is safe for my GF peeps! Have a marvelous Monday!

Disclaimer, No hair was pulled in the making of this post! I'm real scary huh?! I wondered why all the kiddos laughed when they entered the kitchen. I forgot I had hung my "Scary Sign". I heard them saying, "Yea right! Mom would never do that! She can't be mean, look at that silly little face and a heart that says love mom." You gotta give me credit for trying. They still honored my note, and were obedient little kidlets and didn't touch them.

I took some of the frosting and put it in a separate bowl, added red food coloring and peppermint extract to make the candy canes look and taste like a peppermint candy.

Soft Brown Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, room temp.
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions
1. In a standing mixer, cream butter, sugar. beat on high speed for about 4 minutes. Beat in egg, vanilla and grated orange peel.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder, whisk with a wire whisk or fork. Stir in the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined.
3. Chill dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch. on a lightly floured surface. Cut out desired shapes and bake for 6 minutes in a pre-heated 400 degree F. oven.
Once removed from oven, let the cookies set for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Let cookies cool completely before frosting.
Printable Version

There's ol' blue eyes aka my GF guy with his cookies!

Gluten Free Soft Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple extract
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 3/4 cups Bobs Red Mill gluten free all-purpose flour
2/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon clabber girl or Rumford Aluminum-Free baking powder

Directions

1. In a standing mixer, cream butter, sugar. beat on high speed for about 4 minutes. Beat in egg, vanilla and grated orange peel.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder, whisk with a wire whisk or fork. Stir in the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined.
3. Chill dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch. on a lightly floured surface with rice flour. {Do not use the Bobs Red Mill all-purpose flour to flour your surface, as this gives off a nasty taste.} Cut out desired shapes and bake for 6 minutes in a pre-heated 400 degree F. oven.
Once removed from oven, let the cookies set for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Let cookies cool completely before frosting.
Printable Version

Powdered sugar is usually gluten-free, but it is important to always check the label. Some brands even label the package as gluten-free. Most commercial powdered sugars are blended with corn starch to keep them fluffy. Occasionally, some manufacturers have been known to use wheat products instead of corn starch, so ALWAYS check the label every time you buy!
You can always make your own powdered sugar just by putting sugar in your blender or food processor until it's fluffy! Then you'll KNOW what's in it! Thanks answers.com

Cookie Frosting Recipe

4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup Crisco

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Directions

In a standing mixer, cream everything together and call it a day! Pretty easy huh?!

Printable Version

There is a cookie in that pile of sprinkles, I just know it!

Yep! There it is.

All that hard work deserves a cookie break. Look at the green frosting on her eyebrow. She worked hard!

We managed not to go into a sugar comma, and had a fabulous time as a family decorating, laughing, teasing and just hanging out!

How Do You Cook Your Bacon?

2011-12-16T00:00:00.005-07:00

Look at it Sizzle!

Forget the traditional way of frying bacon on top of your stove with a frying pan and grease splatters to clean up afterwards. Some of you may already know this, some of you may not. The other day, while I was on FB one of my friends asked everyone if there was a way not to get burned by the splatters that bacon so graciously gives while frying it on top of the stove. I told her that I bake my bacon. She didn't know about this, it made me wonder how many other people out there didn't know that this could be done. She wondered if it still came out crisp, and if the oven was a complete mess with grease spatters. My answer... Yes, your bacon comes out just as crisp cooking it in the oven and no, your oven remains clean. Win win! I was very busy entertaining last week, my parents came to town. One morning I cooked a big breakfast for them and the rest of the fam, I started laying my bacon on the baking sheet. My mother said, "What are you doing?" I cook my bacon in the oven, I replied. My mom didn't know about this technique either. I thought I'd post this easy, less mess, no splatters technique. Have a fabulous Friday and we will see you Monday, with a brown sugar cookie recipe.

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay bacon on non stick baking sheet and bake until crisp, {you don't need to flip the bacon.} Place a layer of paper towels on a plate to drain off fat. Remove bacon from baking sheet and lay on paper towels to absorb the grease. Discard grease. Unless your like my grandmother and keep it in a container for later use. {Sorry, I can't go there!} I'm sure it makes some pretty darn good somethin' or others, but it grosses me out. I can't help but think of it clogging my arteries sitting in that can. I know it doesn't make sense, especially while I'm shoveling my face full of bacon. Like that won't clog an artery or two.

Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispy Treats

2011-12-15T15:12:00.005-07:00

Before you say huh?! A Gluten Free recipe??? Continue reading below after the ingredients and directions. Things are changing just a bit around these neck of the woods. But I promise, just a bit! On another note, these were very tasty. Different from your traditional rice krispies treats, but still very good. If you are making treat platters for Christmas and you have someone that is GF intolerant this would be a welcomed treat for them. I am so new to baking gluten free and what we have decided to do for Jeff's health, that I am taking baby steps to satisfy Jeff's sweet tooth. I'm excited to see where God will take my baking techniques to satisfy my husband and our GF buddies.

Ingredients
1 box 11.5 oz. envirokidz organic gluten free koala crisp cereal
1 bag 10 oz. chocolate/vanilla marshmallows
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions
1. Spray a 3 qt. baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium non stick pot, melt butter and marshmallows together stirring continually. Once marshmallows are almost melted, add peanut butter and continue stirring until peanut butter is incorporated.
3. Next add entire box of cereal to melted marshmallow mixture, stir.
4. With a sprayed silicon spatula press cereal in to baking dish and let cool. Cut in desired sized pieces.

Printable Version

We have recently decided that Jeff will go gluten free after overloading ourselves with facts and talking to a naturopathic Dr. The term gluten free is not new to us. It's spoken in the naturopathic world quite often. Jeff and I, are naturopathic minded and know the term very well. We also believe that there is a time and place for traditional medicine, however we like to treat naturally first. We do have family and friends that are GF as well. My sister is and has been GF for quite sometime and it has changed her health dramatically. So dramatically, that she went from not being able to have children to having a baby this last year. From what I have been reading, there are so many underlying causes that can be associated with a gluten intolerance that it can be over looked. Here are some of the symptoms for gluten intolerance that I was unaware of before reading. Autoimmune diseases, mood disorders, nutritional deficiencies, neurological conditions, cancer, downs syndrome, internal hemorrhaging, organ disorders, tooth enamel defects, autism and behavioral disorders and cystic fibrosis just to name a few.

It's not easy giving up all you once knew and re-programing your brain to become GF. But, I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep Jeff healthy. Jeff has had a hard time this year after having cancer and his lymph nodes being removed. His immune system has been compromised and isn't fighting viruses the way it should. When he gets sick, he's sick for weeks. We have been told it would be best for Jeff to be on a GF diet, because of past and present cancer and his immune system misbehaving the way it is. Jeff has started to go gluten free. In the mean time, I just got my first bag of GF all-purpose flour and Xanthan gum last week and have started experimenting. Whew! It just about killed me to pay for it, in fact, mom stepped in and payed the bill, thanks mom, you blessed us tremendously! I want to bless Jeff with sweet treats. He can tend to have a major sweet tooth at times, and I certainly don't want him to be left out when the kiddos and I are sitting there munching away on a tasty cookie or cake.

This doesn't mean that I will not post normal everyday recipes. All this, just simply means, from here on out, and from time to time, I will be adding gluten free recipes on My Crowded Kitchen. I know there are so many great sites that can help with this new adventure of ours, and I am looking forward to trying a new way to bake for Jeff. It has now become my mission to bake yummy, edible,{lets hope anyway} baked goods for Jeff. I have tasted some gluten free baked goods from my sister, and they were down right disgusting! Sorry! {No, she didn't make them, are you kidding she'd kick my hiney if I said that about her baking.} There was just an awful after taste. I'm finding that it's the combination of GF flours used. I want my baked goods to be absolutely delicious and when someone grabs a cookie from the jar, they will have no idea that it's GF. I'm working on it! I was able to do that with peanut butter cookies the other night, so that excites me! I'm concerned about the cost of these flours as I don't have much wiggle room to make mistakes, like I would with regular flour. I'm also pretty funny when it comes to textural aspects of food, so this should be a very interesting challenge to take part in. I have started doing my homework on other flours and ingredients, I am shocked at how costly some of the items are that will be needed for baking. However, I am blessed to have my mother and sister helping me on this end with information and support. If you have any information that can be passed our way I am humbly grateful! Thanks!

Many hugs, Tiffany

Highlighted Information provided by: Living Gluten-Free For Dummies. {Yea, that would be me lol!}

Creamy Peppermint Hot Chocolate

2011-12-13T00:00:00.001-07:00

With the cold weather upon us, we love to drink hot chocolate. Our jumbo sized jar of cocoa is almost gone, sigh. I can't remember where I saw this idea, I only remember seeing the name creamy peppermint hot chocolate and knew I had to try it. We have tried this recipe with different kinds of ice cream and it is absolutely delish! Try adding a bit of peppermint extract to your cocoa for an extra somethin' somethin'. I think my favorite is the mint and chocolate chip flavored ice cream with a drop of mint extract. This makes a cute and festive drink for Christmas.

Ingredients
1 hot cocoa packet + water or milk to make it
1 scoop peppermint ice cream
1 drop of peppermint extract, optional
1 peppermint candy, crushed

Directions
1. Make cocoa per packaged directions. {Making sure to leave enough room for a scoop of the ice cream.} Add peppermint extract, stir. Place a scoop of peppermint ice cream on top and top with crushed peppermint candy.

Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour

2011-12-12T20:44:00.001-07:00

Here's the recipe we use when a recipe on My Crowded Kitchen calls for gluten free all-purpose flour.

Ingredients
2 cups white rice flour
2/3 cups potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca flour

Directions
Combine the top three in a Ziploc bag shake well. Prior to use shake again.
Printable Version

Au Gratin Potatoes

2011-12-08T00:23:00.001-07:00

I love Au Gratin Potatoes. They have a special place in my heart. I remember every Sunday after church we would head over to grandma Evelyn's house for a big pot luck. This was one of the dishes I would look forward to. Grandma's house was always full of people, some I knew, some I didn't. Grandma had an open door policy, anyone was welcome. This dish was one of my absolute favorites as a kid, and it still is. Have a thankful Thursday!

What are you thankful for today? Me, well, you're about to hear some mushy stuff! I am thankful for the love my husband has for our family. He goes above and beyond to meet all of our needs. He gives of himself freely, and unselfishly. I just want him to know that it doesn't go unnoticed and I am very grateful for the father, husband and friend he is to all of us. Thank you Jeff, I love you and I am very thankful for you!

Ingredients

4 large baking potatoes, washed, peeled and sliced into 1/4inch slices

4 garlic cloves, processed

1 small yellow onion, quartered, processed

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

3 cups heavy cream

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded + 1/4 cup extra {for topping potatoes}

1 teaspoon salt

fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Bacon, desired amount, crisp {for topping the potatoes}

Directions

1. Spray a 3 qt. baking dish with non stick cooking spray, set aside.

2. preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

3. Wash, peel and slice potatoes; set aside.

4. In a food processor, combine onion and garlic cloves, process until fine.

5. In a medium sized saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, salt and pepper until combined. Whisking constantly, whisk in heavy cream. Keep whisking until flour mixture has slightly thickened. Whisk in cheese, continue whisking until cheese has melted. Remove from heat and stir in onion/garlic mixture, set aside.

6. Lay down one layer of sliced potatoes. With a spoon spread small amounts of cheese mixture over first layer of potatoes, repeat until all layers have filled the dish. Pour remainder of cheese mixture over the top of potatoes. Cover potatoes with a piece of tin foil sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and if desired top with additional cheddar cheese and crisp bacon. Stick back in the oven until cheese has melted. Top with more fresh cracked pepper. Let set for 5-8 minutes before serving.

Printable Version

Note: In the picture above I did not put the extra cheese or crisp bacon on top, as I was out. We use the large baking potatoes from Costco.

Slice potatoes into 1/4 inch slices.

Lay down one layer of sliced potatoes at a time, with a spoon spread small amounts of cheese mixture, repeat. Pour remainder cheese over potatoes.

Bake 400 degrees F. For 1 hour 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Nutella Pumpkin Pie

2011-12-07T00:00:00.002-07:00

I just love pumpkin pie, you know what else I love and can't ever be without? Nutella! I'm addicted to the stuff. I have been caught a couple times behind the the pantry door with a spoon in the nutella jar and nutella on my lips, smacking away like no ones business. While making our pies for Thanksgiving, I had an idea for a Nutella Pumpkin Pie. Jeff, absolutely went nutso over this one. He marked his name on it, and ate the whole pie within a two day period. Both of us are now paying the price for our misbehavior, we are back in the gym trying to work off our Thanksgiving feast. We both gained a few pounds over the Thanksgiving week, all because Jeff went on vacation, wink.wink. I don't know what it is when he goes on vacation! It's like someone gives us the green light to graze all day!? We sure have a great time while we're doing it, but when the dust settles and we get back on the scale, we know we were b-a-d! At least we have each other to hold accountable and work each others booties off! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Note: This yields two 9 inch pies

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
4 teaspoons cocoa
1/2 cup nutella
4 eggs
1 can 29 oz. 100% pure pumpkin
2 cans evaporated milk
2 unbaked 9 inch pie shells, store bought or Nanaw's recipe
Whip cream, optional

Directions
1. preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a standing mixer, mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and cocoa.
3. Beat in eggs, stir in pumpkin and Nutella. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
4. Pour equal amounts into each unbaked pie crust. {about 4 cups each}
5. Bake pies for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F bake for 60 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for at least two hours. Decorate with fresh whipped topping, refrigerate until ready to serve.
Printable Version

Western Sweet Potatoes

2011-12-06T00:00:00.013-07:00

As most of you know we go meatless at least twice a week. I haven't been able to post dinner recipes due to the lighting issues I'm experiencing. {Oh, honey cakes! Christmas is right around the corner and I sure would like that professional lighting kit!}We eat dinner around five, so night pictures with a flash do not turn out very well. So, I've been baking instead. Last night, dinner came early, as everyone had basketball practice. I was able to capture a dinner picture while I still had natural light to work with. Remember when I told you Jeff dislikes sweet potatoes? Well, I'm finding out after 20 years, It's they way they are cooked and seasoned. As I was peeling the sweet potatoes, he looked at me like he was getting the short end of the stick. He was giving me the stink eye. I said, "Now hold your horses! I'm not making them the way you think, I promise!" He let out a deep sigh. Boy, that poor man is traumatized by little ol' sweet potatoes. I just laughed and went along with my business. The sweet potato aroma swept through the house, making it smell delicious. Guess. who. slowly. inched. his. way. over?! When he saw all the goodness that was going into them, he reached for a fork, took one bite, and was a happy camper. Win win! This recipe was inspired by Alexia Foods.

Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup corn, frozen, thawed
1 can 15 oz. black beans, drained, rinsed
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
olive oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into chunks, Chop onion and red bell pepper.
3. Combine potatoes, red bell pepper and onions and place on a large baking sheet. Liberally drizzle olive oil over potato mixture.
4. Cook for 30 minutes, tossing once throughout cook time. Remove from oven and add thawed corn, beans and seasonings; toss. Return to oven for 10 minutes longer. Remove, from oven and drizzle honey over potato mixture, toss; return to oven and cook 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro, toss. Serve warm.
Printable Version

Shared at:

gooseberrypatch
polkadotsonparade
lilluna
foodcorner
simplysweethome
fingerprintsonthefridge
answerischocolate

$100.00 Giveaway Winner

2011-12-05T11:19:00.002-07:00

Congratulations Kathryn W. Harvey, you are our $100.00 giveaway winner!

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 1 Powered by RANDOM.org

Kathryn, was our very first Face Book friend. Congratulations again! Kathryn, you will have 48 hours to contact mycrowdedkitchen at gmail dot com to leave your mailing information. If we don't hear from you within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

Homemade Caramel Covered Bugles

2011-12-05T00:00:00.026-07:00

OK, I'll be the first to admit, I'm a bad influence when it comes to food. When my besties lived here, we'd go out and I'd be the first one to order something deep fried that could be dipped in ranch. Sorry, p-l-e-a-s-e don't take me out back and hogtie me! The other day, I purchased a bag of caramel Bugles. Have you ever had these? Oh. My. Goodness! I almost ate the whole bag in a matter of minutes. It was my first time ever eating them. If you haven't tried them yet, and you are the type that likes crunchy, caramel, sweet, and salty all combined together, than I suggest you give them a whirl. There's that bad influence coming through again, sor-ry! When I picked up the caramel Bugles, I also picked up a bag of original flavor. I. don't. even. know. why. I never buy Bugles, ever. I guess, I had one of those weak moments. I did a complete no-no and went to the store on an empty stomach. This is what happens when I go to the store hungry, I come home with things that I would almost never buy. The kiddos love me for it, in fact they welcome it. I can just see their little brains working overtime, hoping and wishing for me to leave the house hungry. Well, never again kids, nev-er! I have got myself in to a heap of trouble, all because of those stinkin' good caramel Bugles. Remember the original bag of Bugles I told you about? Well, the light bulb came once again. Oh, me and that light bulb, It's got me into some trouble in the past. We just, won't go there. I thought, h-e-y I have those original Bugles in the cupboard, I betcha I can concoct a crunchy caramel Bugle!!! I did! It worked! Now I'm in some serious trouble. Ain't that the berries! But, no worries! I've conspired with the kids and made up little individual bags for our neighbors as a pre-Christmas treat. My behind and thigh problem, solved. Have a marvelous Monday.

Today, someone is going to be $100.00 richer, is it you!? Be on the look out for our announcement on Face Book! We are on pins and needles over here.

Ingredients
1 bag 7.5 oz. original bugles
1 cup butter, unsalted
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
1. On a large baking sheet spread out bugles, set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
3. In a heavy duty 2 qt. sauce pan, combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place on medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
4. Continue to boil until candy thermometer reaches the firm ball stage. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. {Syrup will foam.}
5. Evenly pour hot caramel mixture over bugles. Working quickly, toss gently with a spatula. Try and spread the bugles out, try and keep bugles from clumping together. {do not worry if they do}
6. Place coated bugles in the oven for 45 minutes, stirring and tossing with the spatula every 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and spread bugles on to waxed paper. When cool enough to touch start separating them if desired and let cool completely. Store in individual sealed bags or in an airtight container in a cool dry place.

Note: No need to worry about bugles spreading out evenly when you first pour the caramel over them. Work as fast as you can and do your best. After the first 15 minutes in the oven the caramel will re-melt and it will no longer be sticky. It's easier to go back and re coat the bugles by using your spatula every 15 minutes. Make sure to toss and stir the bugles every 15 minutes. The bugles will look glossy and feel greasy, let them set out and dry completely before storing.
Printable Version

Below you will see how we packaged up our treats.

We first sealed the Bugles in individual clear plastic packages, found at most party supply stores. We then placed the clear packages into a Christmas decorated bag found at the Dollar Store. Next we put them in a cute little brown bag also found at the party supply store and tied a cute tag to the bag.

Giveaway

2011-12-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to update you on our $100.00 giveaway. I received several wonderful emails on the subject and want to thank you for your input. We will be moving forward and picking a winner this Friday. The contest will be closed to any new participants. The first 100 people who became a friend of My Crowded Kitchen's fb page will be entered into the contest. A winner will be picked Monday 12/5/11 by Random.org. Thank you all for your support! We look forward to tomorrow.

Sweet Potato Souffle

2011-12-02T00:00:00.007-07:00

This is one of our absolute favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. My mother gave me this recipe years ago and I adapted it to fit our taste. My hubs absolutely can't stand sweet potatoes. I'll never forget our first Thanksgiving together, I was serving him and I asked, "Would you like some sweet potatoes?" Oh. my. goodness. he got the most disgusting look on his face and said, "Oh, NO. THANK. YOU!" We all started laughing. My mother made it her mission to find and make a recipe that he would like. Many Christmas's ago mom served this dish, we've been making it ever since. Jeff had no idea that he was eating sweet potatoes, he was sucking it up like a hoover, and asking for seconds! I'd say, he quickly out grew his dislike for sweet potatoes. He still won't eat the traditional sweet potato dish with the melted marshmallows, you know the one? But, he welcomes this side dish every year on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Have a fabulous Friday and great weekend. See you Monday!

My helper!

Ingredients

24 oz. cut sweet potatoes, drained

3 eggs

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

1can 12oz. evaporated milk

1 box yellow cake mix

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup pecans, chopped

1/4 cup toasted coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a 3 qt. baking dish, set aside

2. In a standing mixer, mix the first seven ingredients.

3. Pour sweet potato mixture into greased baking dish.

4. Spread cake mix evenly over the top of sweet potato mixture.

5. Melt butter and drizzle on top of cake mix. Top with nuts.

6. Bake for 45 minutes

7. Top with toasted coconut. Serve warm

Printable Version

Adapted recipe/photos/directions by: My Crowded Kitchen
Original recipe: Source unknown

Nanaw's Apple Pie

2011-12-01T00:58:00.001-07:00

I just love me some apple pie, ala mode style that is! I asked everyone what kind of pies they wanted to see on our Thanksgiving table. One of the requests, was Nanaw's apple pie! I was totally going to make it even if it didn't get voted upon, because it's simply, that good! I am so thankful that my mother saved all our families recipes and kept them safe to pass on to my sister and I. I can't remember if I told y'all this or not... but, I never got a chance to meet my great Nanaw, as she was killed in a car accident before I was born. I have been told that she was an amazing cook. By the taste of her pie and other recipes, I'd have to say I agree. My two little ones wanted to help make our apple pies for Thanksgiving. I had such a blast with them, they make me laugh every single day. I am thankful for their precious little laughs and smiles. Have a Thankful Thursday!

She was a BIG help! Sure, I had to clean up another mess, but the memories I have of her helping me are priceless.

Ah ha! Caught you! I knew my apples were disappearing.

Ingredients for filling
6 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon flour
1 deep dish pie crust, store bought or Nanaw's pie crust recipe, below

Ingredients for crumb topping
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, room temp.
1/2 cup sugar

Directions for topping
Combine flour, butter and sugar in a small bowl, use a fork or pastry blender to incorporate, cover apples with topping.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash apples. With an apple cutter, cut apples {you should have 8 wedges} remove skin from apples; Place apples in a medium sized bowl.
3. Add sugars, cinnamon and flour to apples, stir.
4. Pour apples into pie crust, top with crumb topping.
5. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake for 60 min. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.
Printable Version

Nanaw's pie crust recipe

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup crisco

6 tablespoons ice water

dash of salt

Here are some great step by step directions for you to follow. They are very similar to my nanaw's directions.

How to make a pie crust

Printable Version

Chewy Cherry Cranberry Granola Bars

2011-11-29T00:00:00.009-07:00

Chewy Cherry Cranberry, now that's a mouth full, try and say that five times in a row! My kiddos went nuts over these! Oh, for the love of honey, these were good! This one is going into my repertoire for sure. I was excited to make a quick and healthy snack in no time flat. In the past I have made several different granola bars that were either to dry or just blah tasting. Low and behold I found and adapted one that everyone liked, including myself. I love that this recipe is swift, flavorful, and interchangeable depending on our/your taste buds. I've had several different requests for our next batch. The MCK gang has requested mini chocolate chips, peanut butter, and cinnamon raisin. I'll get to work on those straight away gang. Have a tremendous Tuesday!

Please excuse the chipped paint nail. I'll get around to painting them again someday or. not.

Ingredients

3-31/2 cups granola {we buy granola in bulk at Winco, I believe it's vanilla flavored}
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup honey
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
1. Spray a 13x9 baking sheet with non stick cooking spray, set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine granola, dried fruits, and nuts; set aside.
4. In a medium saucepan, heat honey and sugar over medium heat until candy thermometer reaches 225 degrees; making sure to stir continually.
5. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour honey mixture over granola mixture and stir until granola mixture is coated evenly.
6. Press granola firmly into the baking sheet.
7. Cool for 1 hour. Cut into desired sized pieces.
8. Wrap bars individually in plastic wrap, or store in a gallon sized zip lock bag.
Printable Version

Adapted recipe/photos/directions by: My Crowded Kitchen
Original recipe from: Cooking in Style The Costco Way 2006

Spicy Layered Bean Dip

2011-11-28T00:00:00.005-07:00

Hey everyone! We hope you had a wonderful and thankful Thanksgiving. We had a very quiet day lounging around the house preparing dinner and enjoying each others company. After dinner Jeff, wanted to go out on Thursday night to catch some pre Black Friday sales. He was so sick, he ended up catching our ickies. He popped a couple Tylenol and off we went. The two of us had a fantastic time. We scored a bunch of terrific deals, and laughed at how crazy busy it was, but I think I was super surprised by watching everyone else and their actions. Hmm... let's see, I witnessed hyperventilation over a deal, yelling, screaming, fist fights, some people were even standing guard on certain deals that hadn't even started yet. It was crazy to say the least, but we are finished Christmas shopping and that makes us happy! After all the shopping we were so tired the next day, we decided to just kick it on the couch and watch family movies most of the morning. It was close to lunch and I started hearing the famous "I'm Hungry" cries. This is one of my "Go To" recipes when I want to throw a quick, tasty appetizer their way to hold them. I like to bring this to social gatherings, showers, bbq's you name it, it even works for a quick lunch. They were all full and completely satisfied, I didn't even have to make lunch, now that's a first! Woot woot! Have a marvelous Monday!

I just had to share this Thanksgiving day picture with all of you, it cracks me up every time I see it! Honey, was so into the Black Friday ads, she had no idea I was snapping pictures. Good thing Jeff took what he wanted from the paper first. There were ads scattered all over the floor below her, and she had them completely covering my counter top as well. It kept her busy while I finished the last touches of our meal. You gotta love the beanie hat over my soup terrine lol! I guess one of the boys thought that was a great resting place for it?!

Ingredients
1 can 30oz. refried beans
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
pickled jalapenos, drained, chopped, desired amount {we use 1 small can}
cheddar cheese, shredded, desired amount
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
freeze dried chives, optional

Directions
1.In a medium sized pot, heat beans over medium heat, until heated through. Spread beans evenly onto desired serving platter, let cool.
2. Meanwhile shred cheese, chop tomato, onion and pickled jalapenos; set aside.
3. Combine sour cream and taco seasoning, stir.
4. Spread sour cream mixture over cooled beans. Next layer cheese, pickled jalapenos, onion, and tomatoes; sprinkle with freeze dried chives if desired. Chill for at least 30 min. Serve with tortilla chips or pita chips.
Printable Version

Early Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T00:00:00.059-07:00

My Crowded Kitchen gang would like to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. We hope you all have a very blessed day. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for tuning into us each and every day. We appreciate you more than you'll ever know. Eat lots of yummy food, and we'll see you back here on Monday. Take care everyone! Hug hug, kiss kiss, hug hug, big kiss, little hug, kiss kiss, little kiss. Off to make my pies! Let's see, pumpkin, banana cream, lemon, cherry and apple. Yea, I think that will just about cover it! Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings from,

Jeff, Tiffany, Ty, Shark, Jay, Sulley, Honey and Mo

I would like to share a thankful thought with all of you. Mo has a very special story that I would like to tell you about. Four years ago, I started praying for the right dog to come into our home, one that would love my kids and have a submissive heart. Several months ago my prayers were answered. Mo, was not intended to be here with us or anyone else for that matter. He was going to be put to sleep in another town over 100 miles away. But, thanks to a very special lady who happened to see an amazing dog and not just a number, kept Mo for longer than she was supposed to at the local doggy pound. I don't have a name or even know the lady that saved Mo that day, all I know is she found a temporary home for Mo right here in my hometown. This temporary home took our Mo, and cleaned him up from head to toe. Mo, was covered in burs and his hair was matted very badly and he smelled terribly. They had no idea how long this boy was roaming the streets trying to find food, shelter and water. From what I was told they believed that someone had abandoned him and left him to fend for himself. When we got Mo he had some issues that needed to be worked through. He wasn't potty trained, he needed to learn some basic manners, he also had a bit of separation anxiety, but the love that he showed our family was unbelievable. We loved on Mo with all our hearts, we never gave up on him. {Even though there were a few times I thought about it! God kept reminding me where he came from and the life he had before us.} I was thinking about this the other day... Mo is just a dog, but look how much he has grown in such a short amount of time by just lavishing him with love and kindness. What if we, as people, showed this love to certain humans who come into our life that aren't so easy to deal with? Yes, this can be extremely hard to do, but could you imagine the possibilities?! Mo is now potty trained, has learned his basic commands and knows that when we leave the house we are most definitely coming back for him. He still is a work in progress, but aren't we all? I am very thankful for the ladies that cared for him before we got him. I am also extremely thankful for our Mo. The love and joy he brings our family everyday is priceless.

Vanilla Chocolate Dessert Cups

2011-11-22T08:53:00.006-07:00

Are you ready to get some oohs and ahhs at your next gathering? I wanted to make a completely edible dessert that would be tasty as well as pretty. The best part, these cups are super-duper easy to make with very little fuss involved. All you need is a 1 inch pastry brush, some almond bark, foil baking cups and you're on your way to a pretty, elegant dessert in no time. I decided to serve ice cream sundaes in ours, but you can put anything your little heart desires in these babies. Have a terrific Tuesday!

Ingredients
1 inch pastry brush
foil baking cups, desired amount
almond bark vanilla or chocolate flavored coating, desired amount

Directions
1. Place 2-4 baking cups inside each other, set aside.{This is to make it a little more sturdy to handle while coating the cup.}
3. Melt coating according to packaged directions.
4. Dip pastry brush in coating and coat the inside of baking cup, making sure to get in all the nooks and cranny's, let coating set, repeat if needed.
5. Gently tear away foil baking cup from chocolate coating and fill cups with desired fillings.

Notes: Keep cups in a cool dry place until ready to fill and serve. These would look amazing filled with a cream cheese filling and topped with a variety of fruit.
Printable Version

This post is linked to: athriftymom

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Nutella Pumpkin Pie

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$100.00 Giveaway Winner

Homemade Caramel Covered Bugles

Giveaway

Sweet Potato Souffle

Nanaw's Apple Pie

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Spicy Layered Bean Dip

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Vanilla Chocolate Dessert Cups

Chicken Enchiladas: Freezer Meal

Chicken Salad: Made With Bone Suckin' Sauce GF Friendly

Loaded BBQ Chicken Stuffed Potatoes GF Friendly

Potato Skins GF Friendly