Barbacoa (Pulled Pork)

Cook the following ingredients on low in crock pot for six hours:

1 pork roast (trim fat off first)
1 can of Dr. Pepper or Coke
1/2 bottle of barbecue sauce
Season to taste with onion powder and any other seasoning you like


After it has slow-cooked for six hours it will be very tender.  Then you can either shred the pork with a fork or else cut it into bits with kitchen scissors.  Serve on hard rolls. YUMMY!

Freakin' Amazing Cheesecake

2 cream cheese
16 oz. sour cream
1/4 lb. butter
6 eggs
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice

Let all ingredients come to room temperature.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Blend cream cheese, butter, and sour cream together with mixer on high speed.  Then add cornstarch, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice.  Next, beat in one egg at a time until all are well-mixed.  Pour into a greased 10 inch springform pan.  Place the springform pan into a large roasting pan.  Fill roasting pan with enough hot water to come 1/2 way up the OUTSIDE of the springform pan.  Bake at 375 dgrees for one hour or until the top is brown.  Check after 40 minutes.

After it is finished cooking til the top is brown, turn off the oven and open the oven door.  Let the cake cool in the oven for one hour.  Then remove it from the oven and let it stand for 2 hours.  Refridgerate for at least 6 hours before serving.  Cut into sixteen slices with dental floss.  For best results, wipe floss after each cut.

***This is delicious plain, but sometimes I like to cut up strawberries and add a touch of water and a little sugar and drizzle the strawberry mixture over the cheesecake.  Freakin' amazing!

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

25.6 oz. box of instant non-fat dry milk (about 10 2/3 cups)
6 oz. jar of non-dairy creamer (about 3 cups)  ie. Coffeemate
2 cups powdered sugar
16 oz. can Nestle's Quik drink mix

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  If desired, sprinkle a little cinnamon in it to give it a holiday flavor.  Makes about 17 cups of mix.  Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.  Use within 6 months.

To make a cup of hot chocolate from the mix:
Fill mug about 1/4 full of mix, add hot water, stir.  Great topped with whipped cream or marshmallows.  Enjoy!

***You can put the dry mix into a cute jar and makes a fun holiday gift : )

Cheesy Potatoes

2 lb. bag southern style hashbrowns
1 can cream of potato soup
8 oz. sour cream
1 stick butter
2 cups Velveeta

Spray 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray.  Spread the frozen hashbrowns in bottom of pan.  Cook remaining ingredients on stovetop at medium heat until warm.  Pour the melted Velveeta mixture over the hashbrowns.

If desired, may crush 2 cups of corn flakes and sprinkle on top.

Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour at 350 degrees (until bubbly).  Freezes great for cooking later, too!

Stuffing-Stuffed Chicken

1 box Stove Top stuffing, prepared
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pound the chicken breasts flat, then cover 1/2 of breast with stuffing.  Fold the chicken over and use a toothpick to hold it in place.  Repeat with the other chicken breasts.

Bake at 350 degrees for half an hour or until chicken cooked through.

**can sprinkle dried bread crumbs on top or drizzle cream of mushroom soup on top, if desired.

Chicken Roll-ups

Our oldest son graduated from high school in May and is getting ready to go out into the world on his own.  It is exciting and a little terrifying to know that he will be left to his own devices.  Hope he learned everything he needs to know.  There is something really fabulous about watching them learn how to become interested in things like buying housewares!  Anyway, going through my cookbook to find some of my "cheap and easy" recipes for him...so here we go!

Chicken Roll-ups

1 can cream of celery soup
1 can chicken broth
1 can cooked chicken (12.5 oz)
Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
1 package crescent rolls

Combine the soup and the broth in a bowl.  Pour half of it into the pan.  Set aside.

Combine broken up chicken pieces with equal amounts of shredded cheddar cheese in a bowl.  Fill each crescent roll with the chicken/cheese mixture and then roll up (sorta like you do with pigs in a blanket).  Place them in the pan.  Pour the remaining soup mixture over the top and sprinkle with a little more shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for about half an hour.  Yummy : )

Yummy Taco Corn Bread Squares!

YUM!  I made this one last night for the first time and my family loved it.  I added a little homemade guacamole...it was amazing!  This recipe is not mine...I got it off of Taste of Home magazine's website...but it is too good not to share, so here is the link!   http://www.tasteofhome.com/SiteSearch/FacetSearchResults.aspx?search=taco%20corn%20bread%20squares&st=2&vw=1&page=1&rs=10&sort=0&searchSource=hdrbox-Recipes

Happy cooking!

Busy Birthday Cake Season

I like to make fun birthday cakes for my family, but have no formal training at all...unless you count my ex-husband's mother doing my first cake with me 15 years ago.  I guess that SHOULD count because she is amazingly talented far beyond anything I could do.  Anyway, August to January we have LOTS of birthdays around here.  Here are a couple of other cakes I did that I forgot to post.  Those of you that know my husband know that he LOVES to fish...so here's what he got for his birthday last month...

Katelyn turned 16 back in November and had a 50's themed murder mystery party (very fun, by the way).  It was about a 50's rock star, so of course there needed to be an electric guitar cake : )

I am thinking I will try a Valentine's cake next...Dave has a cousin that has a cake decorating business here in town and she offered to teach me some tricks : )

What to do with Leftover Ham? A Casserole, of course!

                                Baked Potato and Ham Casserole


Whenever I make ham (or any meat for that matter), I hate to see any of it go to waste...so I am always looking for ways to use it.  I found a recipe that actually calls for bacon, but I used ham instead (same thing, right?).  Then I changed things up a bit to make it my own.  SO EASY and YUMMY.

Ingredients:
5-6 large potatoes
Leftover ham : )
1 can of evaporated milk
1/2 cup of milk
2-3 cups of shredded cheese (divided)
1/2 Tbsp. minced dried onions
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of garlic salt (or more depending on your tastes)


Bake five large potatoes (I have one of those microwave potato-baking bags that my mother-in-law gave me...love it!).  Once they are baked, dice them and spread them out in a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Next, cut up your leftover ham and make a layer of that on top of the potatoes.

In a separate bowl, combine a can of evaporated milk, 1/2 cup of 1% milk (or whatever you have at your house), 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, and then season to taste.  For seasonings I used about a 1/2 Tbsp. of  minced dried onions, a tsp of dried parsley flakes, 1/2 tsp. of black pepper, and a little garlic salt...maybe 1/2 tsp.  Once you have it seasoned to your liking, pour the mixture evenly over the ham and potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese (I used the three-cheese pizza blend) over the top, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 or until heated through.  Seriously...I made this thing so fast and it was GOOD!  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients

•  1 1/2cups creamy peanut butter
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 ounces each)
• Colored sprinkles, optional

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth; set aside.
• In crockpot on low heat melt the chocolate chips and candy bars stirring occasionally (until smooth).
• Drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture into paper-lined miniature muffin cups or molds (can be found in cake decorating department) and spread around with an unused paintbrush. Top each with peanut butter mixture (how much will depend on size of mold); top with another teaspoonful or so of chocolate mixture, again spreading it with the paintbrush. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container.  YUM!

Happy Birthday!

My baby turned one and to commemorate the occasion I made her a Winnie the Pooh cake (love you, Wilton's cake pans!). 
We love Pooh Bear at our house.  Even have him on the kitchen wall (no lie...although that one is not by my choosing).  I actually made this cake for my now-15-year-old for her third birthday.  I thought it was so cute I had to make it again.  Here is me, my husband, and our four girls (at a hotel...thus the pic with the bed in the background)...we have two older boys, too...one of them was taking the pic, the other was rehearsing with his band : )

My Cute Little Panda Cake

Last week my daughter turned 13 years old.  She loves pandas, so I decided to try my hand at making her a panda cake.  I have done character cakes before, but just the ones with the ready-made pan that has the shape of the character.  This one is from a template I got off of the Betty Crocker website.  I tweaked the template a little bit and I think it turned out really cute!!!  She was so excited and it was hard for us to cut him up when it was time at her party.  Next week my baby turns 1 and I am doing a Winnie the Pooh cake (I have a Wilton pan for that one).  Hope it turns out as cute!  I will post pics!

Simple Garlic Bread

It's the simple things really...they make a difference between a great meal and an ok meal. Yesterday was my daughter's thirteenth birthday. I made chicken alfredo, which she loves, but also got some hot french bread fresh from the bakery to make garlic bread. Now I have seen a lot of people buy that pre-made throw-it-in-your-oven frozen garlic breads. In my book those never fail to disappoint and I will NOT use them! I make (in my humble opinion) fantastic garlic bread and it is sooooooooooooooooo easy!

All you do is slice the loaf of french bread in one long cut (so there is a top and a bottom). Use softened butter...not margarine...real, delicious, amazing butter. Spread it on the upper and lower halves of the loaf. Sprinkle garlic SALT (not powder) onto the buttery surface. Add a dash of parsley flakes or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese if you like. Wrap it in foil and bake it at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. After you take it out of the oven, cut the vertical slices into the loaf...gives you lots of wedges with which you can enjoy your pasta dish, or maybe even the leftover sauce. Yummm...

Orange Julius

Do you ever go to the mall on a hot summer day and get an Orange Julius? They are a beautiful thing in the summer...sweet, cool, relaxing. Well, my daughter's middle school cooking teacher came up with this recipe for making them at home! They are so delish!

One 6 oz can of orange juice concentrate

One cup milk

One teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of water

2 cups ice cubes

Combine all ingredients except for ice in the blender and blend until smooth. Then, turn blender on liquify. Add a few ice cubes at a time, blending after each addition. Keep adding the ice until the drink is thick and fabulous!

Now, go get your beach towel-catch some rays in your backyard-and enjoy!

Inspired

Ever since my little baby Maya came into my life, I have been feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and like I get nothing done. She is sweet and adorable, but requires sooooo much attention. One of the things in my life that has almost completely gone by the wayside is my experimenting in the kitchen. I feel like I need to make some new things and get inspired. I have been researching some new recipes, so hopefully I will have some good ones coming your way soon! Do you have any good ones to share with me?

Chicken & Black Bean Burritos

I invented this dish on one of those "what can I make for dinner with the things I have" nights. The kids loved it!

In a pan combine:
1 can black beans
1 can cream of chicken soup
3-4 cups shredded chicken
1 Tbsp. diced green chiles
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cook over medium heat until heated through and the cheese has melted. Spoon into tortillas and roll into burritos. Garnish with sour cream and salsa if desired. Serves 4.

Butterscotch Haystacks

This is a holiday favorite from when I was growing up. I tweaked the recipe on the butterscotch chips package a bit and it was yummy! Don't be turned off by what sounds like a weird combination of ingredients. I am telling you...these are great!!!

3 11 oz bags of butterscotch chips
2 cups creamy peanut butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
2 12 oz bags of chow mein noodles

Melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter on low in your crock pot, stirring occasionally. While they are melting, line cookie sheets with waxed paper. Once the butterscotch chips and peanut butter are completely melted, turn off crock pot. Fold in the mini marshmallows, stirring until coated with the mixture. Then fold in the chow mein noodles, again stirring until coated well with the mixture. (If all of the chow mein noodles don't fit initially, you can add them in after you have made some haystacks and there is more room in the crock pot.)

Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the waxed paper. You can either let them sit out to firm up or refrigerate them to firm them up. Refrigerating works faster. Then...enjoy!!! You can also make these with milk chocolate chips!

Ham & Cheese Frittata

Yesterday I was watching a cooking segment on the Today show and they were making frittata. I had heard of it before, but had no idea what it was. As I watched them make it, I decided it sounded good enough that I should try it. So...I went to the Taste of Home website, found a few frittata recipes, and sort of created my own recipe from there. When I ate it, I served it with homemade salsa (sorry...I didn't make that one...it was a gift). It was pretty good!

Ingredients:

* 3 Tbsp. dried, minced onions
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
* 8 eggs
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
* 1/2 cup diced tomatoes

Directions:

* In a large skillet, saute the butter, ham, and onions until tender. Heat through. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
* In a bowl, beat the eggs, water, pepper, and garlic salt until frothy. Stir in the cheese, tomatoes and ham mixture.
* Pour into a greased 9" x 13" baking dish. Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with salsa. Yield: 4-6 servings.

I think next time I will add a little more garlic salt and maybe add mushrooms, potatoes, or broccoli instead of the tomatoes...the kids don't like tomatoes so they picked them out.

Caramel-Pecan Cheesecake Pie

If you like cheesecake and you like pecan pie, you will LOVE this one! I found this recipe in a magazine---gotta give props to Taste of Home---love them!


TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 35 min. + chilling

Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 unbaked deep-dish pastry shell (9 inches) TKA: buy a frozen shell
1-1/4 cups chopped pecans
1 cup caramel ice cream topping (buy a 12.25 oz. jar)
Directions:
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth. Spread into pastry shell; sprinkle with pecans.
In a small bowl, whisk remaining eggs; gradually whisk in caramel topping until blended. Pour slowly over pecans.
Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned (loosely cover with foil after 20 minutes if pie browns too quickly). Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before slicing. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 6-8 servings.

It is fabulous!!!

Quick Southwest Salad

Here is another healthy one from my sister-in-law, Jenny. This looks really yummy and I am gonna try it this weekend. I have a rule about cooking when the girls are at their dad's in Maryland in the summer...I DON'T DO IT!!! But this one is a no-cook recipe. Gotta love it!

Bag of Lettuce (or Romaine, chopped)
Tortilla Chips (crunched up)
Can of Black Beans (drain and rinse)
Can of Corn (drained)
Salsa
Cheddar Cheese
Ranch Dressing

Serve in BIG bowl or set everything out individually. Just layer it and eat! Low-fat, low-carb, yet filling. Yummy and super easy! Jenny says that even her kids like this salad! Serves 4.