Mrs Happy Homemaker

Butterfinger Caramel Chocolate Cake

2012-02-29T09:24:00.000-05:00

***This is a re-post of one of my favorite cake mix recipes, back from when I had recently started this website. Had to share it again during the cake mix series, for everyone who missed it way back when. You know, since I have more than 3 readers a month now - haha***
Baking is my favorite of all the cooking genres. Very few things taste as heavenly as a freshly baked cake completely from scratch. Honestly though, how many of us have the time to whip up one each time we have a sweet tooth? For that reason, it is always wonderful to have some standby recipes of extremely easy, delectable desserts. This is definitely one of them.
Butterfingers.
Caramel.
Chocolate.
Whipped Cream.

Are your taste buds quivering yet? I know mine are, and I just had a piece of this cake!
Here is what you need.

Bake the cake mix in the 9x13 via the package instructions.

When it is done, immediately poke holes all over the hot cake using a fork.

Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk & caramel ice cream topping. Pour it over the the hot cake. Put it in the refrigerator & let it chill for a couple of hours. That caramel-ly sauce is going to soak into that cake & it's GONNA BE GOOD!!

When it is well chilled, spread the container of Cool Whip all over the cake.

Put the 8 fun sized Butterfingers in a Ziploc bag, & crush them with the back of a spoon, a can, or if you're like me-the bottom of a hot sauce bottle :)

Sprinkle the crunched up candy bars on top of the cake.

Slice you up a good sized hunk of it, & ~~devour~~ enjoy!

Butterfinger Caramel Chocolate Cake

Add this recipe to ZipList!

Ingredients:

1 box of Devil’s Food Cake Mix

1 (15oz) jar caramel ice cream topping

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8oz) tub of Cool Whip

8 fun size Butterfingers (or 2 king sized bars) crunched up

Instructions:

Prepare the cake mix in a 9x13, according to the package directions.

As soon as the cake is finished baking, poke holes all over it with a fork.
Whisk together sweetened condensed milk & caramel ice cream topping. Pour it over the hot cake.
Chill for 2 hours in refrigerator.

When chilled, spread Cool Whip over the cake. Sprinkle candy bar pieces over top.

Shared with these great blog parties!

Gooey Butter Cake

2012-02-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

Today's entry into the Out of the Box series is a personal favorite of mine. Gooey Butter Cake. I have been making this recipe for the last decade, and I can never get enough of it. My middle child recently told me that she even wanted it for her birthday cake this year.
Everyone that tries it goes on & on about it - and then are just so amazed by how simple the recipe is. All the ingredients are common, simple items - so there is certainly no excuse not to make this today.

There are 2 parts to making this. First, the crust.

Mix all the ingredients together & spread in a greased baking pan.

Now, time for the gooey topping.

Mix all of those ingredients together until smooth & creamy. Spread on top of the cake batter layer.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.
I went ahead and made a second cake using chocolate cake mix, just to see how it turned out. Not as good as the traditonal yellow cake mix one, but still really good! (Picture of the completed chocolate one further down!)

Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then dust with powdered sugar. It will sink a little as it cools further.

Gooey Butter Cake

Add this recipe to ZipList!

Ingredients:
For the crust:

1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the gooey topping:

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix cake mix, melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, & 2 eggs together. Pat into a greased 9x13 baker.
Beat cream cheese, 2 eggs, & 2 teaspoons vanilla extract together until smooth & creamy. Spread on top of cake batter crust.
Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cake will sink a little as it cools.

Shared with these great blog parties!

Makin' You Crave Monday

2012-02-26T19:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to this week's edition of Makin' You Crave Monday!

This week, I am sharing my Double Chocolate Pancakes, made out of a boxed cake mix, as part of my Out of the Box series.

Here are my favorites from last week.

Fluffernutter Fudge from Shugary Sweets

Chili Cheese Potato Skins from Instant Mommie

Blueberry Lemon Pancakes from Peanut Butter and Peppers

Thank you all so much to all who linked up last week. I can't wait to see what is in store for this week!!

Mission Organization - Week 8, My Dresser

2012-02-26T12:52:00.002-05:00

This week, I am tackling the most cluttered surface in my entire house - and the shocker to this one is that it is not in my kids room.
It's in MY room. And, it's my dresser. It's terrible. Dreadful even. Covered with every beauty product bought in the last 2 years, plus powder dust that travels from my loose powder every morning to the top of my dresser, and everything on top of that dresser - 3 containers of hairspray, every receipt from my pocket from forever ago, and even an empty Coke can.
Yep - dreadful.

I ended up throwing away every receipt, and every old product I had. Then, switched all my makeup from the old decrepit make-up case that I have had since I was a teenager to a really cute one that my mother gave me, minus the old make-up.

Gave it a good dusting, put everything that belonged back - and my dresser looks nice again now!

I hung my biological Daddy's wallet (I have 2 daddies - one by blood, one by marriage - both my 'real' dads) on the mirror, directly above the last picture ever taken of the two of us not long after the birth of my first daughter nearly 12 years ago, before he passed away.

Look at all the receipts and old products that I threw away!

This mission was definitely accomplished!

Double Chocolate Pancakes (Out of Cake Mix!)

2012-02-24T07:00:00.003-05:00

I wanted to take a different approach to the 3rd recipe in my Out of the Box series - and after pondering about it for a bit, I thought I would try coming up with a really decadent pancake. One that is even more decadent than the typical chocolate chip pancake.
I had a milk chocolate cake mix, and decided that I wanted to use that - and then add chocolate chips to it. I also decided to use buttermilk instead of regular milk to perfectly balance out the flavor, and contribute to the texture as well.

I tried these 2 different times, and on the second time - I had it. The perfect double chocolate pancake. I am so very excited to bring this recipe to ya'll. It was so much fun creating them, and even more fun eating them!

They are so simple to make - and requires really simple pantry ingredients. No fancy stuff here!

Combine all the ingredients except the chocolate chips with an electric mixer. Fold in the chocolate chips. Look at that perfect creamy batter!

Preheat a buttered griddle or pan on medium-high heat. Place big spoonfuls of batter on the pan, and cook about 3-5 minutes on each side.

Serve with warm syrup. Eat up! Enjoy :)

Double Chocolate Pancakes

Add this recipe to ZipList!

Ingredients:

1 box milk chocolate cake mix
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients except for the chocolate chips together with an electric mixer until smooth & creamy. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Preheat a buttered griddle or skillet on medium-high heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until done. Serve with warm syrup.

Shared with these great blog parties!

Funfetti Pound Cake

2012-02-22T07:00:00.003-05:00

In yesterday's post, I made a German Chocolate Pound Cake out of a boxed mix with a tub of prepared icing mixed into the batter. It turned out so good, that I felt the itch to try that same principal - but with different flavors.

All the obvious ones came into my head - but when I saw that box of funfetti cake mix staring back at me, I could make no other! I also had a tub of rainbow chip icing - so it was fate. A funfetti pound cake must be made.

I used the same recipe on this as I did with the German Chocolate pound cake, switching out the icing & the mix with the corresponding flavors. Really - can you imagine the endless possibilities of pound cake flavors that you could come up with?
The funfetti pound cake turned out moist and delicate in texture - and the flavor was the classic vanilla poundcake with little hints of the funfetti flavor. It was really good, and disappeared at a record rate of speed thanks to my husband and kids. Ok, ok. You caught me. I also did a number on it :)

Funfetti Pound Cake

Add this recipe to ZipList!

Ingredients:

1 box funfetti or rainbow chip cake mix
1 tub rainbow chip chip or funfetti icing
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups water

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Combine everything minus the tub of icing together using an electric mixer or whisk. Gently stir in the icing.
Grease & flour a bundt pan - or spray with Bakers Joy. Fill the pan with the batter. Bake for 50-60 minutes.
Remove to a wire rack & cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then invert it onto the rack, and cool an additional 10 minutes before slicing.

Shared with these great blog parties!

German Chocolate Pound Cake

2012-02-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the first recipe in 'Out of the Box' week! This week, I plan to bring you easy, time-saving, yummy recipes that start off with a cake mix.
For the first recipe in this series, I have to give a shout-out to the elderly lady in the grocery store several weeks ago. She told me how she makes her German chocolate pound cake by mixing cake mix & store bought coconut pecan icing together. She swore by how good it was, and when I decided on doing this week of boxed mix recipes - her words instantly came to mind.
Now, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about the outcome of this. The thought of combining prepared icing into my pound cake seemed a bit odd, but also intriguing.

The result was the most moist pound cake I have ever made. And, it came from a mix! You seriously could never guess. This recipe is ingenious! This cake disappeared so fast - nobody in my family could stay away from it, myself included.
You really must give this a try - you won't be disappointed.

All you need is german chocolate cake mix, coconut pecan icing, eggs, water, & oil.

Combine everything but the icing with an electric mixer or whisk.

Gently stir in the coconut pecan icing.

Spray a bundt pan with Bakers Joy - or lightly grease & flour.
Notice my bundt pan? It was my Grandma Millie's. She passed away a couple years ago, and I love that I have this. I think of her everytime that I use it :)

Pour in your cake batter. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for an hour.

When done, let the cake cool inside of the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove from the pan, and cool for at least another 10 minutes before slicing.

German Chocolate Pound Cake

Add this recipe to ZipList!

Ingredients:
1 box German Chocolate pound cake1 tub coconut pecan icing4 eggs1/2 cup vegetable oil1 1/3 cups water
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Combine everything except the tub of icing together with an electric mixer or whisk. Then gently stir in the coconut pecan icing.
Grease & flour a bundt pan - or spray with Bakers Joy. Pour the cake batter into the pan. Bake for 1 hour.
Cool in the pan, on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, and cool an additional 10 minutes on the rack before slicing.

Menu Plan Monday 02-20-12

2012-02-20T14:24:00.000-05:00

Here's what our menu plan is looking like this week:

Oven Baked Pork ChopsPasta SaladBlack Eye PeasCornbread

Marinated Chicken BreastsCheesy Ranch PotatoesFried Corn & OnionsCheddar Garlic Buttermilk Biscuits

Chicken Salad on Homemade Croissants

Loaded Baked Potato SoupPotato Skins

Whiskey Glazed Baby Back RibsBacon Wrapped Jalapeno PoppersStuffed Mushrooms

Jalapeno Chicken PoppersYellow RicePinto Beans

Fried Pork Chops & GravyGranny Brown's Mashed PotatoesGreen BeansMama's Buttermilk Biscuits

Check out many other menu plans over at OrgJunkie.com

Out of the Box Series

2012-02-20T10:00:00.006-05:00

I have acquired quite the collection of cake mix thanks to couponing - and honestly, I don't use them as much as I think I will when I get them. Recently, when I was reorganizing my pantry - I came across a multitude of boxed mixes, and some of them needed to be used FAST.
I know that a lot of you are looking for recipes that are more of a semi-homemade type of thing, so I thought it would be neat to do an 'Out of the Box' series.
So, check back tomorrow for the start of Out of the Box!

Makin' You Crave Monday

2012-02-19T19:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to another edition of Makin' You Crave Monday!

This week I am sharing my recipe for the Best Ever Iced Coffee - using the cold brew method! If you're a coffee lover like me, this will be your new addiction for sure!

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

Here are my top 3 from last week.

Bread Machine Pretzel Rolls from The Rickett Chronicles

Peanut Butter Truffle Cupcakes from Loving Life, One Meal at a Time

Marshmallow Chocolate Cake from The Terrace Housewife

Mission Organization - Week 7 TakeOut Menu Binder

2012-02-18T20:58:00.000-05:00

This week, I have decided to get rid of the takeout menus on my fridge - I would much rather have pictures that my kids drew on there anyway!! I have several binders in a box in & thought I would make a TakeOut Menu Binder to keep them all organized. I found some inspiration on the 'net and set to work.

I found this great free printable packet of sheets to help organize your DIY takeout binder! It has cover sheets, and places where you can write down phone numbers, how you liked the dish you got, & etc.

I divided my binder with 3 tabs for easy navigation.

The first tab has the printable sheets above (minus the cover sheet) - a few copies of each.

The second tab houses the take-out menus. I placed them inside of clear plastic sheet protectors so they would last for a good long while. You can even print some menus off of your favorite restaurants websites to keep in your binder.

The third tab houses take-out coupons. I placed them inside of plastic sheet protectors too.

Now, if we are going to be doing take-out - all I have to do is reach for this binder & make the call. No more looking for the menu, trying to remember if I liked a certain dish last time, and those money saving coupons are readily available too.

Cheddar Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

2012-02-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

Ok. I admit it. I despise mushrooms. Really & truly.
Why - then you ask - why am I posting a recipe for them?
I love these. I don't know why, or how, that I like them being my hatred for mushrooms is so high. But, I do. The divinity of the stuffing that goes into it just cancels out all my bad mushroom feelings.

I can't eat mushrooms any other way either. This is it. I came up with the recipe a few years ago. My husband loves mushrooms. Absolutely adores them! So, I set out to make him a irresistible stuffed mushroom. I used ingredients that I already had on hand, and he went on and on about how amazing they were. He went on to such affect that I got curious, so I hesitantly tried a bite.
Oh my. So glad I took that first hesitant bite. If I didn't, I would certainly be missing out on a mouthwatering existence. Yum yum yum!
These are really easy - so what are you waiting for? Jump on the bandwagon!

Take your mushrooms and run a knife around the stem of it to loosen it up - then pull the stem out. Don't throw away the stems! We'll get to those in a second!

Using a spoon or butter knife, carefully scoop out the side rim of the mushroom. See the difference when you do that? It makes more room for that yummy stuffing.

Take your reserved mushroom stems, and cut off the woody stems. The woody part is the part of the stem that doesn't connect to the mushroom. The part you want to keep is the one that attaches into the mushroom.

Dice up the stems rather fine & go ahead and dice your onion & mince you garlic cloves too.

Now, that those are are all done - let's get started on what makes this dish. The filling!
Fry your bacon in a frying pan until crisp. Drain on a paper towel, and reserve the grease in the pan.

Now, make sure you cook extra bacon if you are prone to snack on the bacon while cooking - or have little bacon thieves having around like I do.

Toss the diced mushroom stems & onion into the hot bacon grease. Give it a good seasoning from some salt & pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes.

Turn off the heat, and break the cream cheese into chunks and add it to it. Stir until it has melted and is all combined.

Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese & crumble in the bacon.

Spoon the filling into the hollowed out mushroom caps, really packing it in there. Heap some of it on top too. That's yummy! Sprinkle with a little bit of paprika.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Cheddar Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Add this recipe to ZipList!

Ingredients:

1 container whole fresh mushrooms, around 12-16
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound bacon
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened - broken into chunks
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt, pepper, & paprika to taste

Instructions:
Remove the stem from the mushrooms, and hollow out the cap. Reserve the mushroom steps, and cut off the woody end & discard. Dice up the remaining part of the mushroom stem & set aside along with the onion & garlic.
Fry the bacon in a pan until crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper towel, and reserve the grease.
Saute the diced mushroom stems, onion, & garlic for 5-7 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Turn off the heat and add the cream cheese. Stir until melted & combined. Mix in the cheddar cheese.
Spoon the filling into the hollowed out mushroom caps. Pack the filling in, and pile any extra on top of the mushrooms. Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Spicy Pop Pulled Pork Sandwiches w/ Cilantro-Jalapeno Slaw

2012-02-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

I was watching Ree Drummond's (a.k.a. Pioneer Woman) new show on Food Network a couple weeks ago, and watched her prepare her Spicy Pop Pulled Pork & Cilantro Slaw Sandwich. My mouth was watering the whole time, and I knew - I HAD to make this, and I had to do it soon!

I am so glad that I didn't wait on this one. And, I just had to share it with all of you. It's just THAT good. The meat gets all dark on the outside, and nice and moist on the inside. And the cilantro slaw is the perfect contrast to the pork. I really believe that the slaw is what makes this whole sandwich. On Ree's blog, she made this a while back - but she added jalapenos to the slaw. I did the same, and it was just delicious.
I switched the recipe up a little, but stuck to the roots for the most part - and it is just out of this world good. This will be made again & again!

Spicy Pop Pulled Pork Sandwiches w/ Cilantro-Jalapeno Slaw

Add this recipe to ZipList!

adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

1 whole pork butt (pork shoulder)
1 whole onion, peeled & quartered
salt and pepper
2 cans Dr. Pepper soda
11oz can of Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
12 whole good quality Kaiser or Deli rolls
12 tablespoons butter
1 16oz package shredded coleslaw mix
2 whole jalapenos, seeded & minced
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Instructions:
For the meat:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Generously salt & pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in your covered roaster.
Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (include the sauce). Pour in both cans of Dr. Pepper. Add brown sugar to the liquid & stir in.
Place lid tightly on pot, then set pot in the oven. Cook for at least 6 hours, turning roast 2-3 times during the cooking process. Check meat after six hours; it should be falling apart. Use 2 forks to test. If it doesn't fall apart, return to the oven for an additional hour.
Remove meat from the pot, and place on a cutting board of other work surface. Use 2 forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat. Strain as much of the fat off the top of the cooking liquid as you can & discard it. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid, and keep warm until ready to serve.
For the slaw:
Combine the coleslaw mix & sliced jalapenos in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix mix, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, & cayenne pepper. Pour over coleslaw mix. Toss to combine. Cover & refrigerate for 2 hours.
Before serving, toss in cilantro leaves.
For the sandwiches:
Butter both halves of your rolls, then brown them on a griddle or skillet until golden and crisp on the surface. Load up each sandwich with shredded pork, & then REALLY load them up with the slaw.

Twice Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

2012-02-16T07:00:00.003-05:00

I love sweet potatoes. It's a vegetable that tastes like a dessert - so really, what's not to love?
As much as I love sweet potatoes, we don't eat them nearly enough for my liking. Not because I'm not craving them - but because I get tired of making the same recipes over & again. I needed a sweet potato change-up!

Enter these Twice Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. These came to me while making twice stuffed baked potatoes, and I thought 'Why not?'. I know I can't be the only one who has thought of such a concept, and I don't really care. I'm just glad that these made their way into my tummy. Because, that is all that matters at the end of the day, right?

There are no exact measurements in this recipe & that is part of the beauty to it. Customize the fire outta this one!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take as many sweet potatoes as you want to cook, poke some holes in them with a fork, and then roll them individually in tin foil. Put them on a baking sheet & bake them for an hour.

Remove from the oven, and let cool for a bit before removing the foil. Once cool enough to handle, take the foil off & slice the potatoes down the middle - in half, but not all the way through.

In a small skillet, melt a couple tablespoons of butter. Pour in some chopped pecans (I use 2oz for 4 sweet potatoes), and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

Mix in a few tablespoons of brown sugar, and cook for another minute or two - stirring often.

Mmmm, pecans.
Stuff the inside of the sweet potatoes about halfway with mini marshmallows. Really cram them in there because they deflate once baked & cooled a little.

Divide the pecans among however many sweet potatoes you use.

Cram some more mini marshmallows on top of that. Really - cram them in!

Bake them on 350 for about 15 minutes, or until the marshmallows have started to brown a little.

Enjoy!

Twice Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Add this recipe to ZipList!

Ingredients:

sweet potatoes
butter
brown sugar
chopped pecans
mini marshmallows

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Using a fork, poke holes in the sweet potatoe(s). Wrap individually in tin foil & place on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour.
Let cool until they have cooled enough to handle. Remove the tin foil & split down the middle.
In a skillet, melt a couple tablespoons of butter. Throw in some chopped pecans (about 2oz for 4 sweet potatoes) & cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Mix in a couple tablespoons of brown sugar, and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from the heat.
Stuff mini marshmallows into the sweet potatoe(s) - really cramming them in - until halfway full. Top with the brown sugar pecans. Finish off with more mini marshmallows, packing them in as well.
Bake for about 15 minutes on 350 degrees, or until the top of the marshmallows are lightly browned.

Valentines Day Recipe Round-Up

2012-02-14T14:22:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentines Day everyone!
Are you planning on making a special treat tonight for your hunny - or for your kids? Well, if you need a little more inspiration, here is a round-up of some Valentines recipes here on the Mrs.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Valentines Baked Pretzel Dogs

Cocoa Cayenne Encrusted Salmon & Strawberry Spinach Salad

Chicken Noodle Soup with Heart Shaped Carrots

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

Heart Shaped Pepperoni Pizza

Chocolate Covered Strawberries & Cream Pie

Last Minute Valentine Cupcakes

New Grocery Coupons - Cereal, Laundry Detergent, & Juice

2012-02-14T11:29:00.001-05:00

Pebbles Giant - $1.00 off one Pebbles Giant Size cereal
http://lm.logicalmedia.com/z/29761/CD14312/cid=16906076

Honey Bunches of Oats - $1.00 off 1 Honey Bunches of Oats cereal
http://lm.logicalmedia.com/z/29761/CD14312/cid=16906079

POM Wonderful® - $1.00 off on any ONE bottle POM Wonderful® juice
http://lm.logicalmedia.com/z/29761/CD14312/cid=16965007

Welch's® - $1.00 off any 4-Pack of Welch's® Fruit Fizz
http://lm.logicalmedia.com/z/29761/CD14312/cid=16961062

Wisk® - $2.00 off 1 bottle of 100 oz or larger Wisk® Laundry Detergent
http://lm.logicalmedia.com/z/29761/CD14312/cid=16964013

The Best Iced Coffee - Cold Brewed!

2012-02-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

Coffee is my best friend in the morning. Actually - who am I kidding? Coffee is my best friend all day. I drink it like it is the essence of life.
Actually, I think it just might be. ;)
I love coffee in all forms. Hot, cold, - even in food. Today, we are going to talk about the perfect iced coffee though.

I'm completely serious. This makes the most perfect cup of iced coffee you have ever had. If you weren't a coffee addict before, well - I'm about to turn you into it.
So, come on - let's get your coffee fix.

You will need 2 - 5 gallon food safe buckets. I picked mine up from Lowes for a little over $2.00 a piece.

Pour in one pound of coffee into one of the buckets. Then, pour in 2 gallons of cold water. Seal with the corresponding lid, or even tin foil in a pinch. Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Now, it's time for that other bucket. Set a sieve on the other bucket & line with a cheesecloth. Slowly & carefully - pour the coffee mixture through the cheesecloth lined sieve & into the other bucket.

Using a spoon, press out any other liquid from the grounds with a spoon. Waste nothing!

You can do a double strain if you like.
Store in a beverage dispenser or pitchers in the fridge.

To serve - drizzle in a couple tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk (more if you are using a larger glass) & a couple splashes of milk. You can use flavored coffee syrups if you want a vanilla or other type of flavor. Stir it up really good - or if you are using a mason jar, put on the lid and give it a good shaking. Taste, and add more sweetened condensed milk or regular milk if you feel the need.

The Best Iced Coffee

Add this recipe to ZipList!

Ingredients:

2 5-gallon food safe buckets
1 pound ground coffee
2 gallons cold water
milk (a splash or two per serving)
sweetened condensed milk (2-3 tablespoons per serving)
*Note: Use skim milk, 2%, whole, sugar, sugar substitute, whatever! Adapt to your liking!

Instructions:

In one of the buckets, mix together the coffee & water. Cover & let sit for 24 hours. Set up a cheesecloth lined sieve on top of the additional bucket. Pour through the sieve into the other bucket. Strain a second time if you would like. Store in a beverage dispenser or a couple of 1-gallon pitchers in the refrigerator.

Mix in milk & sweetened condensed milk (or whatever additions of your choice) and combine well. Taste, and adjust to your tastes if you need to.

Valentines Baked Pretzel Dogs

2012-02-13T19:00:00.001-05:00

Just in time for Valentines Day - my newest recipe over at Life Around Home, Valentines Pretzel Dogs! Perfect snack or meal for the kiddos, and easy too. You might even already have everything on hand to make it. Make sure you don't cook these for more than 10 minutes, or the cut ends of the hot dogs will start to curl up a little making the heart shape not as pretty. You can even opt out of the cooking part all together, and just do the heart & arrow theme with a hot dog weenie straight out of the fridge.

Click here to get the recipe card.

Check out the rockstar list of blog partie s I link with!

Makin' You Crave Monday

2012-02-12T19:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to another edition of Makin' You Crave Monday!

This week I am sharing Blueberries and Cream Oat Bars.

We had tons of yummy things linked up last week, and here are my top 3!

Strawberries & Cream Bruschetta at Crumbs & Chaos

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies at The Misadventures of Mrs. B.

Homemade Yogurt at Babblings and More

I can't wait to see what is in store for this week!

Cocoa Cayenne Encrusted Salmon & Strawberry Spinach Salad

2012-02-12T13:00:00.002-05:00

In case you missed it, I wanted to share with you all my latest recipes over on Life Around Home - Cocoa Cayenne Encrusted Salmon & Strawberry Spinach Salad. The two make a wonderful pair for a romantic Valentines dinner - and it's so good, you will think of any excuse to serve it any time of year.

Go here to print out the recipe cards.

Shared with a rockstar list of linky parties !

Mission Organization - Week 6, The DVD Shelf

2012-02-12T08:00:00.002-05:00

This totally should have been posted yesterday, but this past week has been some kind of crazy busy. We all have those weeks, right?

This week, I'm going to show you how I started storing our DVDs so I could get rid of the DVD shelf in my living room. Not only to save on space, but to remove yet another obstacle that my daredevil toddler boy could pull down on top of him.

Image:IkeaHackers - forgot to take my before pic but it looked 98% like this!

This one began with a purchase - a purchase I should have made a very very long time ago. One word - Discgear. Whoever invented these things was a complete genius. You can literally fit hundereds of DVDs and CDs in just a tiny little space. It has a pull out organizer where you can write the name of the media you are storing there beside of the assigned number. What is nifty about it is all you do is pull out the little organizer, find the dvd name & matching number - and then slide the pointer to that number on the dial and press the eject button. The media disc you were looking for pops right up for easy grabbing.

I am in love with this contraption. And no, before you ask - no one paid me to say it. Found this one completely on my own, and I really do love it.

So, I went from a HUGE stand full of dvds & games to just 2 of the DiscGears - and now only a fraction of space is being used. They sit comfortably on my tv stand, and even look pretty too.

Lowes Foods Super Doubles Savings - Round 2

2012-02-09T13:23:00.000-05:00

Alright, so I have returned for round 2 at the Lowes Foods super doubles! I fared well again, and I am pretty ecstatic about the deals I scored.
Everything in the picture cost $83.22 before coupons. After coupons, I paid out $20.65 - a total savings of $62.57!
Here's what I got:

1 package Pampers diapers
2 boxes Cheez-It Crackers
6 bottles Coffeemate coffee creamer
2 packs Lunchables
2 packs Wholly Guacamole
1 box Archway double chocolate cookies
1 pound Johnsonville breakfast sausage
1 Red Baron Pan Pizza
2 boxes Betty Crocker cake mix
2 tubs Betty Crocker icing
1 package Chi-Chi's flour tortillas
2 bottles Kikkomen soy sauce
1 6pack Dannimals yogurt smoothies
1 package Reynolds slow cooker liners
3 McCormick seasoning packets

The grocery store had forgotten to take down the sale price for the pizza from last week. Last week it was on sale for $3.99 and this week it was full price at $6.99. He honored the old price since the sign was still up, and I doubled a $1.50 coupon making it $0.99! I'm usually not big on frozen meals, but I have an upcoming surgery on Monday - so this will come in handy, and be much cheaper than take-out!
With the guacamole & tortillas I got for cheap, I see a couple of Mexican meals in our future too :)
I plan on going back every day until my surgery on Monday, getting what I can - and then planning our meals for the upcoming weeks around what I get for extra cheap.

Lowes Foods Super Doubles Savings - Round 1

2012-02-08T08:40:00.001-05:00

Today marked the first day of Lowes Foods super doubles. Some of you have these in your area, and some of you don't - but I wanted to share my savings with you all.
The picture above shows everything I got in my coupon savings today. Before coupons, the total was $88.60 and afterwards I got it down to $22.34. A total savings of $66.26!
Here is exactly what I got. I even got 3 pounds of meat!

1 V8 Splash Juices
2 Muellers small sea shell pasta
1 package Smithfiled bacon
1 package Johnsonville smoked sausage
1 package Johnsonville chicken sausage
3 cans Hunts diced tomatoes
2 packs Activia yogurt
1 pack Febreeze set & refresh
1 bag Steamfresh frozen broccoli
2 packs Alexis oven red roasted potatoes
1 bottle All laundry detergent
4 boxes Cocoa Puffs
2 6-packs Deer Park water
2 packs Crave cat treats
2 packs Marcal napkins
1 package Kraft homestyle mac n' cheese

If you have a Lowes Foods in your area, you can go here to get the deals (coupons matched with sales). For those who have a Harris Teeter in their area, they are doing super doubles next week and you can get those deals here when they post. For both stores, you can double 20 coupons up to $1.98 in value. You can do this once a day for the whole week of super doubles.

Blueberries & Cream Oat Bars

2012-02-06T12:00:00.004-05:00

It has been a while since the last time the Secret Recipe Club has taken place, but I sure am glad to see it back!

This month, I was assigned Katrina's blog - Baking And Boys. I love finding new sites with tastes similar to mine, and tons of new recipes to look through. What a great set of recipes she has over there - you should really go take a look.
I have a ton of blueberries in my freezer from pickings in a local no-spray family farm. As in gallons. So, when I saw Katrina's recipe for her Blueberries & Cream Oat Bars, I knew this was the recipe for me. We love blueberries, and with our huge supply of them, I could definitely use some more recipes.

Oh. my. word. These things are ah-mazing! I ended up doubling the recipe, omitting the nuts, & using full fat cream cheese. These were the perfect balance of creamy & berry - absolutely perfect. We had a guest over when I made these too, and he just couldn't get enough of them. Heck, neither can I.

Blueberries & Cream Oat Bars

Add this recipe to ZipList!

Ingredients:
For the crust:

3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1.5 sticks butter, melted

For the Blueberry Filling:

3 1/3 cups frozen blueberries
6 heaping tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons lemon juice

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with non-stick aluminum foil.
In a large bowl - mix oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, & cinnamon. Add melted butter & stir with a fork (or electric mixer) until evenly moistened. Mixture will be crumbly. Reserve 1 cup for topping. Press remaining mixture firmly into your pan, and bake for 12 minutes to set crust.
Prepare cream cheese filling. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the sugar, vanilla, & salt and mix well. Beat in the 2 eggs. Pour filling over baked crust.
Prepare blueberry filling. In a small saucepan, combine the blueberry filling ingredients. Turn heat to medium, and cook for 7-10 minutes - until mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat & pour over the cream cheese filling. Sprinkle the reserved oat mixture over top.
Bake for 30 minutes, until top is browned & filling is bubbly. Let cool completely in pan set on a wire rack. When cool, chill for an hour before cutting. Lift foil by ends onto a cutting board. Peel off foil & cut into 24 bars. Store in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.

Menu Plan Monday 2/6/12

2012-02-06T11:52:00.000-05:00

Here is what our menu plan is looking like for this week.

Grandma Betty's Hamburger Packets

Baked Pork Chops, Granny Brown's Mashed Potatoes, Beans, & Mama's Buttermilk Biscuits

Green Chicken Chile & Cornbread

Baked Scallops, Pan Roasted Asparagus, Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

Spicy Pop Pulled Pork & Jalapeno Cilantro Slaw

Jalapeno Chicken Poppers, Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

Mini Shrimp & Spinach Pizzas

Have you done your menu plan for this week?

Check out many more menu plans over at OrgJunkie.com!