Things that make you say: "Mmmmm"!

Lemon Thyme Chicken and Potatoes

2012-01-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

I found a recipe here and modified it quite a bit to my tastes- & to simplify it. I LOVED this dinner. everyone in my family had seconds. The chicken was so tender & it was all so flavorful!

2-4 chicken breasts, halved
all-purpose flour for dusting
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 c. chicken stock
zest and juice from1 lemon
4 thyme springs, or 1 tsp dry thyme
2 bay leaves
6 potatoes cut into wedges

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the chicken and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned (12 to 14 minutes).

Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, lemon juice & herbs. Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes. Transfer the skillet to the oven, cook for 35-45 minutes, until the meat and potatoes are tender. At about the half-way point, stir to coat the potatoes with the sauce.

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What Makes You Say Mmmmm? Monday Linky PARTY!

2012-01-22T20:32:00.001-07:00

Another week has passed, and yet again I have loved the submissions. Thanks for filling my linky each week and sharing your great recipes. If you haven't had a chance to check out some of the links posted last week. Make sure you do. They will impress you!

Before I start with the featured recipes, I want to extend the invitation to any bloggers who are interested in co-hosting this weekly linky party. If you would like to, leave me a comment or send me an email. I would like to rotate co-hosts.

This week we had a few recipes with lots of hits that I want to highlight for you.

The busiest link this week was the Hippo Cupcakes from Cherished Handmade Treasures. These are SO cute! I really want to make these with my kids sometime. I know they would adore them. And, so simple!

A very popular link this week was the Cuban Style Black Bean Soup from In Him We Live and Move.... I have to admit, this was one of my favorites posted as well. I grew up in South FL where there was a strong Cuban influence. There was a restaurant that I used to love to go to that served black beans & rice... anytime I hear Cuban & black beans, I get excited!

And finally the Pork Stir Fry from Stella B's Kitchen was very popular. I know why... look how good this looks!

Thanks so much for these amazing recipes! Can't wait to give them all a try.

Now, on to the party. Did I mention it's my birthday Tuesday? It really will be a party!! Let's get linking... Grab a button & share.

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Herby Cooking With Children- Guest Post

2012-01-21T10:15:00.001-07:00

I am excited to share a guest post with you today. This post come from Sam @ Lavender World. Glad to have Sam here sharing wonderful ideas on cooking with herbs!

Herby Cooking with Children

Many children will adore cooking with herbs, however if you produce a spice rack they will see it as a shelf full of magical ingredients and will want to overload a dish with flavour.

Teaching them that quality is better than quantity is the key to their success in creating flavoursome dishes that the whole family will love and not just the teddy bears at the picnic!

Starting the lesson by explaining the herbs they already eat everyday can be a revelation, for you as well as the little ones.

Children will love seeing where the sage from their sage and onion stuffing comes from or where the rosemary from the Sunday roast is grown. The more children are involved in the growing process the more likely they are to want to try the finished product, so try to begin early by sowing seeds and watching them mature to herbs you can use in cooking.

Mama Italiana!

Most children appreciate Italian cooking, whether it is a family lasagna or tagliatelle with meatballs they will adore making their own sauce and contributing to the family meal. Basil is your friend here, as not only does it grow very quickly, it is readily available in most garden centres and supermarkets.

Let the children try the basil fresh from the plant, and then make a simple tomato sauce allowing them to bash the garlic and chop some onions to fry gently for five minutes until golden. Add fresh tomatoes or canned chopped tomatoes and allow bubbling over a low heat letting the onion infuse. You can add other vegetables too such as peppers, grated carrots and celery, all according to your child’s taste.

A pinch of sugar works well to bring out the flavour of the fruit, and then let your children taste before adding the basil. To add the basil simply tear the leaves, (little ones love this), dip in a little olive oil, and throw in. Leave for five minutes before serving.

Daddio Americano

Burgers and fries are always a winner with children; they can shape the patties and help to cook them adding their own ingredients along the way. A myriad of herbs can be added however sticking to one will ensure all the family are in agreement about taste.

Teaching your children the basic flavour combinations helps if you grow your own,

· Lamb Burgers benefit from a little fresh mint added to the mince

· Pork Burgers will taste richer with sage

· Beef Burgers will adore a little rosemary

· Fish Burgers will love some Rosemary

· Chicken Burgers will sing with a little thyme added

Mince whichever meat you choose, and lay the strands horizontally. Add your herbs and some salt then roll into a sausage shape to place in the fridge. After an hour remove the sausage and cut off discs, or burger shapes to fry on a barbecue, on a griddle pan or in a shallow frying pan.

To add a little extra Martina Mercer zing, try adding the herb of choice to some mayonnaise and mix in with a little lemon juice to bring out the flavours, and hey presto your herb cooking just met with a feast fit for a family of four!

Thanks Sam!! If anyone is interested in guest posting- I would be happy to have you on board- anything cooking or nutrition related.

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Vanilla Cake Batter Truffles

2012-01-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

These truffles are very quick & easy to make- No baking is required! Plus, there are only 4 ingredients!! How easy is that? They are super sweet & very addicting. It's one of those "bet you can't eat just one" treats. I made them for a little gathering of friends & we kept popping them in all night long.

Vanilla Cake Batter Chocolate Truffles
1 c vanilla cake mix
1/4 c sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 2 c chocolate chips

Directions: In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients, except chocolate chips, and stir to combine.
This mixture should be quite solid and not runny, but not so dry that you can’t mold it into balls. If you find that your mixture is a little too runny, add a touch more cake mix. If it’s a little too dry, add more sweetened condensed milk/agave. I ended up using about 1.25 c of cake mix to get the perfect consistency.

After you’ve made the dough, refrigerate or freeze for about 15 minutes and then remove and roll into balls.

After the balls have been made, refrigerate or freeze for 15 minutes minutes or until well-chilled, ensuring the melted chocolate will adhere and set up properly.

Melt the chocolate chips, and dip the chilled cake batter balls into melted chocolate. I placed them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper (or parchment paper). Place truffles in freezer or fridge to set up. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

I found this great recipe from this blog.

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Fruit-Filled Breakfast Puffs

2012-01-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

We made these for breakfast this morning & they were wonderful! They are like mini German pancakes. My kids loved them- they especially enjoyed choosing what flavor of jam to put on top. We used blueberry and peach all fruit spread.

2 eggs
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. milk
1 Tbsp cooking
1/4 tsp salt
2 c. fresh fruit- kiwi, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, oranges, etc.
2 Tbsp jam, warmed, any flavor
Lightly coat four ramekin dishes or 4 inch foil tart pans. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients, but the fruit, until smooth. Divide batter among the prepared pans. Bake @ 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until brown and puffy. Turn off oven: let stand in oven 5 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately transfer to bowls. Spoon fruit into the center of each pancake. Drizzle fruit into each pancake. Drizzle fruit with warmed jam.

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What Makes You Say Mmmmm? Monday Linky

2012-01-16T06:36:00.001-07:00

We had another great week of links and I have really been enjoying checking all of them out. Thanks for always linking up & sharing your talent. This week, in the spirit of new year healthy eating resolutions, I am featuring a few of the great healthy recipes that were linked up. Enjoy exploring these wonderful blogs!

At Cooking For my Kids- this amazing Greek 5-Layer Dip was posted. I really want to try this one!

The Lovely Cupboard linked up her Vegetarian Lentil Tostados. They look amazing- plus her photography is beautiful!

Home Cooking shared a Roasted Parsnips and Carrots recipe- looks amazing. I love roasted veggies!

And, last but not least, Cheese Curd in Paradise liked up Thai Noosle soup- this looks amazing! What a fun twist on chicken noodle soup.

Now- to add your fabulous new recipes. You guys always make me so hungry!! Link 'em up!

Broiled Cinnamon-Sugar Grapefruit

2012-01-14T13:43:00.002-07:00

I don't normally love grapefruit. I grew up in Florida & actually had a pink grapefruit tree in my backyard, but was never particularly fond of them- unless they are completely DOUSED with sugar!
Last week I received 2 white grapefruit in my Bountiful Basket. So, I decided to try something new. It was surprisingly tasty! I think I could eat it again, in fact...that says a lot from me! My husband & kids all enjoyed it as well. If you enjoy grapefruit, you should definitely try this one! It is simple, too- takes just 4 minutes to cook.

1 Grapefruit
1 tsp butter
sprinkle of cinnamon & sugar- about 1 Tbsp

Turn oven on to broil setting. Slice grapefruit in half, remove the white center & slice between the sections. Put into a ramekin dish. Place the butter on top & sprinkle some cinnamon & sugar. Broil for 3-4 minutes. Eat with a spoon. It will be warm & juicy!
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Homemade Gummy Candies

2012-01-12T13:08:00.003-07:00

I recently made some homemade gummy candies for my kids. They were super simple & fun to make. My kids LOVED eating them. They tasted just like regular gummies that you can buy. You can make virtually any flavor, since they are made with Jell-O. We made berry blue- yum!
Here is what you will need:

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin The boxes I bought came with a few envelopes in each box.
1 small pkg. Jell-O- any flavor, with sugar

1/3 c. water (a little more (add an extra Tablespoon or two)

A mold to pour it into- I used small shape ice cube trays- you could use any molds, though. Smaller is better.

To make: Pour all the gelatin into a pot & mix with water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until melted & dissolved completely. Pour into molds quickly. This recipe only filled 1 mold.

Let cool & remove from the molds. To speed up the process, put into the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes.

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What Makes You Say Mmmmm? Monday Linky

2012-01-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

This was the week of the best of the best. We got several links with people sharing their best posts of the year. These were the most popular- and rightly so. You have got to check them out, these ladies are all amazing!

Flour Me With Love shares her Best of 2011 post- the top 10 recipes of 2011. Yum! You won't be disappointed, with any of them. Look at this Inside-out Peanut Butter Cup.

Melissa's Cuisine shared her Top 11 of 2011. These also all look amazing. I am especially intrigued by her Mess-Less smores

The Farm Girl also did a favorites of 2011 post. I always love seeing all of her amazing things.

Now... on to the show. Let's get linking! Have a great week.

Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows

2012-01-07T09:33:00.004-07:00

I made these to go along with some homemade hot chocolate (I will share that recipe with you soon) for neighbor gifts this year for Christmas. They were so yummy mixed into hot chocolate. I was surprised by how easy it is to make homemade marshmallows. I have seen recipes for them a lot, but never tried. I am really glad I finally did. My kids LOVED them so much. If you aren't a peppermint fan, just switch the peppermint for vanilla extract.

Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows
from Alton Brown - makes about 9 dozen
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp peppermint extract (or vanilla to make regular ones)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick spray

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 10 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the peppermint extract during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. It will be a taffy-like consistency at this point. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. If they last that long.

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What Makes You Say, "Mmmmm?" Linky is back!

2012-01-02T07:30:00.002-07:00

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. We had such a wonderful break. It's always hard to get back into real life, though.

I am excited to share with you some of the popular links from our last linky a few weeks back. These are always my favorite posts. I love seeing what everyone links up, and checking out all of your blogs. Have fun!

Here are the most popular links this week:

From Hun... What's For Dinner?- these beautiful Parmesan Knots.

From Sevens... The Art of Homemaking- Key- Lime Snowballs. How good do these look?

From A Little Nosh- Korean Egg Toast. Yum!

Thanks to all who linked up in the past. Can't wait to see what you'll bring this week.

Ham and Potato Crockpot Breakfast

2011-12-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

On Christmas Eve we had a ham for dinner. Since we had extra family staying at our house, I wanted to have a nice breakfast the next morning. However, I never want to cook on Christmas morning. So, I decided to try out a new recipe. After we cleaned up our dinner, I chopped up some of the ham and made this casserole. You cook it overnight in the crockpot and it is ready for you in the morning. It was delicious! I loved waking up to a wonderful smelling breakfast already made for me. (I actually started smelling it in the middle of the night. My father-in-law thought I was up at 3 cooking. Yeah, right!) Plus- best part- it was so simple to throw together.

Here is the recipe:

1 dozen eggs
1 bag frozen hash browns
1 diced onion
1 diced green bell pepper
2 cups grated cheddar or jack cheese
1 lb cooked ham or bacon
1 c. milk
salt & pepper

Layer the hash browns, diced veggies, meat and cheese- I did about 3 layers of each. Beat the eggs, milk, salt & pepper. After all of the other ingredients are layered, pour the eggs and milk over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours. Mine cooked for 12 hours and it was wonderful.

Note: To simplify even more, buy the o'brien hash browns with the onions & peppers already in it.

No-Fail Egg Noodles

2011-12-29T12:09:00.001-07:00

You know those thick yummy home-made noodles in chicken noodle soup. That's what these are. They are so good. I absolutely LOVE them. I made a pot of chicken noodle soup with these and it seriously makes the soup so much better. It is a true comfort food for me. They are really easy to make. You can double them and freeze them for later if you want, too. Or, they can be stored in the fridge for a few days for later use as well.

Homemade Egg Noodles

1 egg

2 egg yolks

3 Tbsp cold water

1 tsp salt

2 c. flour

Beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients. Knead until smooth.

Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/8" thickness. Cut into strips- I just used a pizza cutter. You can store them in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months. Cook 7-9 minutes in boiling water. Serve any way you like- but they are fabulous in chicken soup!

Blogging Break...

2011-12-19T12:08:00.002-07:00

I am taking a blogging break for a few weeks to celebrate with my family. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

Homemade Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I made gingerbread houses with my kids. I have bought the store kits so many times. Each time I do, I think that I should have just made it. I finally tried it, and I am never going back to those yucky old store bought ones. We had so much fun making them ourselves. The smell of gingerbread baking is heavenly. It is really quite simple- such a fun holiday tradition!

I have a template for you to cut your own out to make your own. To download it, click here.

We invited cousins over to join in on the fun. We made our own royal icing to glue it all together, too. The recipe is below as well. I didn't buy candy, we just used things that we had at home, and they turned out great! We decorated with sprinkles, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips and Hershey Kisses. All without a trip to the store...not bad, eh?

Gingerbread house recipe

2 2/3 c. Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. ginger
2/3 c. Molasses
1/3 c. Packed brown sugar
1 egg
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 c. Oil

Mix all of the ingredients together. Roll out the dough on a greased piece of foil. Place foil onto a cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 20-30 minutes. You want it to be very firm. I actually baked mine for 35 minutes, with 2 tray in the oven.

Right out of the oven, cut out the shapes. Lay the pattern pieces right on top of the cooked gingerbread. Cut it before it cools, because it gets hard. If it is still quite soft, return to oven for 5 or 10 more minutes. I put the cut pieces back into the oven for about 10 more minutes. Then once it cooled, it was very crisp. It needs to be very firm to stand up.

Each recipe should make 1-2 houses depending on how thin you roll it. I did a double batch and got 3 houses out of it. I probably could have gotten 4 if I rolled it a little thinner.

Royal icing recipe

3 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 lb powdered sugar

Beat thoroughly with an electric mixer until the icing stands up in peaks. It takes 5 minutes of beating, or so. Use rig away, because it will harden. When not in use, keep it covered with a damp cloth to retain moisture.

To assemble, use 2 side pieces, 2 roof pieces, 1 front and 1 back piece, and 2 chimney pieces. Spread icing on each section that will be attached to another piece. Hold the pieces together for a minute or so until icing sets a little. Spread or pipe icing on where you would like to add decorations.

Look at those happy sugar-filled faces!

What Make You Say Mmmmm? Linky

2011-12-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

Well... I am getting a pretty late start today. Sorry about that! I am excited to tell you that I have finally upgraded my linky to have photos! Yeah! It sure looks nicer this way & you can show off the beautiful pictures of your recipes & crafts that you are sharing with us. Before we get to the linky, however, I would like to spotlight a few of the great ones from last week.

Last week's most popular link was the Crickpot Chicken Marabella from Just Our Style. It looks so great- I love Greek food. This is a must-try for me!

Also very popular were the Christmas Caramels from Stella B's Kitchen. I am a HUGE fan of homemade caramels. I love making them at Christmas time.

And another hot link was Homemade Candy from Homemade-My Kitchen. I love all of these great holiday recipes!

So- let the linking begin! Grab a button, if you please! :)

Christmas Cookie Time!

2011-12-08T06:58:00.001-07:00

Christmas cookies are the best. We all love them and we all love to share them! I am going to re-cap some of my favotrite cookie recipes. I have a LOT of favorite cookie recipes because they are some of my favorite things!!

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Homemade Peppermint Patties

Melt Away Cookies

Peanut Blossoms

Oreo Truffles

Chocolate Florentine Cookies

Welsh Cakes- an old family recipe, always a staple around holiday time!

Pretzel Turtles- not a cookie, but a fun holiday treat.

Candy Cane Cookies

Enjoy the baking!

What Makes You Say Mmmmm? Linky- & Creamy Chicken Italiano

2011-12-05T07:14:00.001-07:00

Welcome back to another What Makes You Say Mmmmm? Monday Linky. I was excited to see so many amazing entries last week. You guys are all incredible! Thanks for sharing your talents with me & all of my readers!

Before we go on to the linky, I want to share a little story & recipe with you. To just keep it simple, it's been a rough week here- with lots of sick kids. Yesterday, I had to be at church early & my husband was staying home with 2 sick kids. I hadn't eaten all day & came home to a delicious smelling meal cooked in the crock pot. I was thrilled! My husband DOES NOT cook. Ever. So, this was a big sacrifice for him & a huge blessing to me.

I have a cookbook, that I love called Fix It and Forget It. It's a crock pot recipe book. So, he pulled that out and searched through it to find something that we had the ingredients for, and found all of the ingredients in our kitchen (that alone was amazing to me!) and made it all. It's a simple recipe, and it was delicious. I was truly impressed.

Here is the recipe that made my day yesterday:

Creamy Italiano Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
1/4 c. water
8 oz. pkg cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup

Place chicken in the crockpot. Combine the salad dressing and water and pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 3 hours.

Combine cream cheese and soup and mix until blended. Pour over and cook an additional hour on low.

Serve over rice or noodles.

________________________________________________________________________________

Now, that being said... I want to share some of the amazing links from last week.

The clickiest link was from Farm Girl Recipes- Her Rolo cookies look incredible don't they? I don't blame everyone for clicking on it!! Plus, she takes suh incredible pictures. It makes my mouth water just looking at it.

The Kentucky Black Bottom Pie from Recipe Swagger was also very popular this week. Wow! Doesn't that look incredible?

I LOVED these edible ornaments from Red Ted Art's Blog. This would be such a fun project to do with my kids over the holidays.

Guess there is a dessert theme going on. It is the season, right?

So, let's get linking. Be sure to stop by and visit some of the other amazing things that others are linking up as well. And, please grab my button or link to put in your post. Have fun!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2011-12-02T15:40:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was one of those days. I think a lot of you will know what kind of day I am talking about. The kind of day when you wake up thinking about what kind of warm gooey chocolatey thing you can eat. But, you resist in the morning and in the afternoon, too. Finally, by dinner time you can hardly take it anymore. Instead of what to make for dinner, you look for what dessert you can make. I had it planned way ahead of dinner. I knew I was going to make this recipe. Or, maybe I am the only one who thinks this way... I had sick kids whining and a crying baby hanging on my leg through every step of making it, but I got it made. (That sounds awful. I wasn't ignoring them. It's just what they do at dinner time.) Boy, am I glad I did! This bread is amazing. I am still enjoying it, thanks to the fact that it makes 2 loaves. The first was almost gone last night. Luckily, I have a whole bunch of zucchini in my freezer leftover from my garden in the summer.

I got this recipe from Our Best Bites. I have loved everything I have made from these girls!

2 c. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c. veg. oil
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. sour cream
3 c. grated zucchini
1 c. mini chocolate chips (I just used regular ones)

Topping:
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 loaf pans and set aside. Combine oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs and beat until slightly fluffy. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix well. Stir in the zucchini. Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide batter between 2 pans and sprinkle the topping over each.

Bake @ 350 for 50-60 minutes. Check it at about 45 minutes. Let it cool 5-10 minutes and remove from pans to a cooling rack. Be sure to eat while warm and gooey.

Hope it fixes your need for chocolate like it did mine.

p.s. I had it for breakfast today, too. What? It has vegetables in it. and eggs.

DIY: Homemade Laundry Detergent

2011-11-30T15:24:00.001-07:00

This is a project I have been wanting to try for some time now. I am glad I finally took the leap and tried it. It was so easy- and is much more inexpensive than buying regular detergent. Plus it works just as well!

Here is what you will need:

Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup Borax
1/2 Soap bar

Grate the bar soap with your cheese grater.

Add to a large saucepan with about 2 c. hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot water. Add the melted soap, Borax and Washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water. I found a great water jug that is 5 gallon. It works perfectly because it has a spout.

Use 1 cup (give or take) per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).

Optional:
You can add between 10 to 15 drops of essential oil (per 2 gallons) to your homemade detergent. Add once the soap has cooled to room temperature. Stir well and cover. Essential oil ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil, lemon

Some Tips:

For the bar soaps required in the recipes, you could try Fels-Naptha, Ivory soap, Sunlight bar soap, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, and Zote. Don’t use heavily perfumed soaps.
Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found in the laundry and cleaning aisles.
You can make huge pails of this at once, or smaller quantities.
Use a few empty liquid laundry detergent bottles to store the detergent. Just make a big batch and pour in bottles, cap then use as needed–shake before use. I found a great water jug that I put mine int. It is 5 gallon, so that is the ammount I made.
Making homemade laundry detergent is not an exact science. If the soap turns out differently than expected, still give it a try since the soap ingredients are all there. If the liquid detergent gelled into a solid mass, try mixing in more hot water. If it’s too thin, try adding more soap or Borax or Washing Soda.

What Makes You Say Mmmmm? #4 and Bread Cornucopia

2011-11-28T09:58:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all who linked up last week.. I hope your Holiday was wonderful- full of lots of good foods. I ate so much that I was inspired to work out this morning. I have honestly had trouble getting back into the swing of exercising since I had my baby. But, Thanksgiving put me over the edge! Good food tends to do that! :)

I did a really fun project for out Thanksgiving this year. I made a cornucopia out of bread. It was a huge hit. Nobody needs to know how easy it was, though. They can all just be wowed!

I used foil to form a cornucopia. It used a lot of foil...

Then I made a simple pizza dough recipe- or you could use the Pillsbury pre-made bread sticks. Cut the dough into strips to wrap around the cornucopia.

Spray your foil with cooking spray.

Wrapping...

My little helper

All wrapped up. Put it ona cookie sheet to bake.

Whisk an egg and brush the dough before baking. This makes it shiny.

Bake @ 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. Check to make sure it isn't getting too brown. If it is, reduce the temp a little. But, you want the inside to be cooked through.

Take out the foil- this was tricky- be really careful not to break the bread. Let it cool completely before trying.

Fill with some beautiful foods. I was going to do dip and veggies, but ran out of time, so I filled it with fruit instead and it ended up being an AMAZING centerpiece.

Now...on to our linky. I would like to highlight a few of the favorites from last week.

I LOVE the sound of this Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili from Cherished Handmade Treasures. Doesn't that sound amazing?! I am a huge fan of soups- especially now that cold wather has set in.

Also, I really loved the Holiday Recipe Collection over at Just Give it Your best. She shared a TON of recipe favorites for the holidays. Make sure to check them out.

Link up anything you made this week- I love getting crafts & recipe here. Share your favorites. Be sure to spread the word so we can get some more links this week. Have a great week!

Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

2011-11-27T06:15:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things to do with Thanksgiving leftovers is to make turkey and rice soup. After eating the regular leftovers for a few days, it is something refreshingly different. Plus, it's freezing here right now, so a warm bowl of soup is just what I want! It's a really simple thing to put together since the turkey is already cooked.

1 c. Diced carrots
1 c. Diced onions
1 c. Diced celery
2 cloves minced garlic
(any other veggies you want to add in- corn, green beans, potatoes, diced tomatoes...)
2 c. cubed turkey
1/2 c. rice (I like using wild rice)
5-7 c. broth
Season with some tasty herbs (rosemary, parsley, oregano, thyme, a bay leaf, choose your favorite), salt & pepper

Saute the onions, garlic, carrots & celery in a little olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover until rice is cooked through and vegetables are tender-crisp. If you want to make it easier, precook the rice.

Make it creamy & add in 1 c. cream and 1/4 c. flour to thicken before serving.

Pam- Review and Giveaway & King Ranch Chicken

2011-11-26T06:35:00.001-07:00

Everyone loves a good non-stick spray for cooking. It is pretty much essential in the kitchen. I was excited to receive a free can of Pam cooking Spray and a free can of Hunt's tomatoes to try and review here. I am a member of a website called Smiley360 where I get to try products and review them.

The fun thing is, I also get to send one of my readers a special package as well. It will include a coupon for a free can of the new and improved Pam cooking spray, a coupon for a free can of Hunt's tomatoes, as well as a little step-by step guide with several recipes to use your free products. To enter, see instructions below.

The recipe I chose to make was King Ranch Chicken. My family really enjoyed this recipe- plus I always enjoy trying new recipes. Here is the recipe:

King Ranch Chicken

Pam
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can Ro Tel diced tomatoes & green chiles, undrained
2 c. chopped, cooked chicken breast
12 corn tortillas (6 inch) torn into bite-size pieces
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam. Melt the butter in a pan and cook the onions, peppers and chicken. When cooked through, add soups and tomatoes. Layer 1/3 each of tortillas, chicken mixture and cheese evenly in the pan. Repeat layers twice more. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

I liked it served with beans and guacamole. Yum!

So, if you would like to win this giveaway for:
1 coupon for FREE a can of Pam cooking spray,
1 coupon for a FREE can of Hunt's tomatoes,
1 recipe pamphlet

Here are 5 chances for you to win:
1. Leave a comment on this post with a way for me to contact you (Mandatory entry)

2. Become a follower of my blog (Extra entry, leave another comment)

3. Like Things That Make You Say: "Mmmmm!" on Facebook (Extra entry, leave another comment)

4. Post my blog button on your blog's page, be sure to leave a link to your blog in the comment so I can check it out. (Extra entry, leave another comment)

5. Share this giveaway on Facebook (Extra entry, leave another comment)

Giveaway closes Saturday Dec. 3rd @ midnight.
Thanks for reading!

Funny Food for Friday

2011-11-25T15:55:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We sure did!

I wanted to show you something...

I somehow inherited this cookbook that, for some reason I haven't gotten rid of. I think because it makes me laugh. But I thought I would share it with you guys- to make you smile. Maybe because it is just the thing you need for someone on your Christmas list. Maybe.

Now, this is for real. I really do have this on my shelf. Some of the recipes are pretty normal, but some are really out there. They use lots of oleo cooking oil- does that even exist anymore?

I was skimming the reviews at the beginning of the book to see what the critics had to say. Maybe they will convince you of the greatness of this cookbook:

-This is it. This is sholy it. Yep. This is good.

-What fun! This book makes you want to spit in yer skillet and start cookin' vittles!

-Looking through it, it's clear to me what I am!

-The food goes from awful with lots of oleo to very good.

Here are some of the recipes that have caught my eye as I have browsed through it:

Single Boy's Breakfast

Take one pound of pork sausages. Cook them evenly, pour off fat. Add one and one half box soda crackers crumbled. Pour in one cup of boiling water. Cover tight and steam five minutes. Serve with fried sweet potatoes and plenty of hot, black coffee.

Lucy's Guaranteed Stewed Prunes

1 lb box prunes

1/2 c. sugar

1 lemon (sliced)

Dump your prunes in a pot and cover with cold water. Put them on the fire and bring to a slow and easy boil for 15 minutes. Now add your sugar and lemon and cook 15 minutes more. Remove from teh fire and cool. Serves 8.

Delicious with cheese dishes, and good for you too.

Kiss Me Not Sandwich

Spread Mustard on bread. Then slice onion on one and cover with the other. Ice tea helps wash it down.

Here are titles of a few more:

Cooter Pie (anyone know what this is??)

Four can Deep Tuna Pie

Aunt Donnah's Roast Possum

Rabbit Pie

Liver-Hater's Chicken Livers

Plain Ol' Potato Pone

Klebert's Cold Crawfish Soup

Broiled Squirrel

Butt's Gator Tail

Ham-Lima Salad

Cucumber Eggs

Surprise Salad

Soda Cracker Pie

Wow! Right?

What Makes You Say Mmmmm? #3 and Apple Cranberry Stuffing

2011-11-21T05:25:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all who linked up this week. I love visiting all of your wonderful blogs and seeing your amazing ideas. Isn't the blogging world amazing?

So it's finally the week of Thanksgiving! I love this time of year. I love spending time with family baking all of our favorite recipes. I thought I would share a new recipe I will be trying this week. I'll let you know how it goes, but I am pretty sure, by what's in it, that it will be amazing!! I am excited to try it.

Apple Cranberry Stuffing

1 1/2 c. cubed wheat bread
3 3/4 c. cubed white bread
1 lb. ground sausage
1c. chopped onion
1 Tbsp fresh sage
2 tsp. fresh rosemary
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/3 c.fresh parsley
1 c. diced celery
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
3/4 c. dried cranberries
1 c. chicken or turkey stock
4 Tbsp butter

Spread the bread onto a cookie sheet. let it get stale, or bake @350 for 5-7 minutes. Put it into a large bowl. Cook sausage and onions. Add the celery and spices. Pour over bread and mix. Pour broth and melted butter over the top. If you will not be stuffing this into the turkey, you will want to add more liquid. Mix in diced apple and cranberries. I will be baking this separate in a greased casserole dish covered for 40 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes more.
Recipe from here.

Now on to the links from last week:

With Love and Chevrons linked up some Mini Pumpkin Creme Pies that look delicious!

The Farm Girl shared her Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate. I have GOT to try this one!

Thanks so much for sharing! I hope everyone has an amazing Thanksgiving Holiday.

Link up your favorites again pretty please! :)