Two Maids a Milking

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2012-02-14T09:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Fell free to link those yummy recipes up below!!

SUPER week in Indy!

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

I am SOOO proud to be a Hoosier and what a great week last one was! The Superbowl festivities were a blast! The city (and state for that matter) pulled off a tremendous party and it was an honor to be a part of it!!

Although I didn't get to do the zipline, I did get to participate in The Today Show - which I have always wanted to do!!! Even though it wasn't NYC, it was awesome! Jenna Wolfe was really great and so genuine when she talked about Hoosier Hospitality!

Here are some of my memories from the week!

4:30 AM - the morning of The Today Show

Look closely and you'll see the rain just pouring down on us! It was SOOO cold and wet!

This was directly before she ran in to pull up her hair and throw a hat on!!

When You Wish Upon a Star...

2012-02-08T11:07:00.000-05:00

Dreams come true!!

I had a dream come true a couple of weeks ago! We completely suprised our kiddos with a long weekend trip to Disney World!

It was their first time to go and they had absolutely NO CLUE until we got to the airport! It was fantastic - lots of smiles, laughing, tears (on my end!!) and just pure excitement!

I have been planning this for a couple of years but wanted to wait until our Little Man was old enough to enjoy it. So, we took off over MLK weekend and had a really, really great time! The kids were perfect ages (3, 5 and 7), the weather was cool but nice and the crowds were not bad at all! For you Disney moms out there - we only had to get 2 fast-passes and our longest wait was about 17 minutes! We spent two days at Magic Kingdom and one day at Hollywood Studios.

Check it out:

Little Man's favorites = Airplane ride getting there, seeing Bullseye and Woody (from a distance - was scared to death of the characters!) and the Buzz Lightyear ride

Wild One's favorites = Rapunzel, the Pirates of the Carribean ride and playing in the web at Honey I Shrunk the Kids

Miss Bug's favorites = Meeting Belle, Aurora and Cinderella, the Snow White ride, the Tiki bird house and swimming in the heated outdoor pools

Mom and Dad's favorites = The electric parade, fireworks, family-friendly atmosphere and making unforgettable memories with the kids!

Blueberry Doughnuts - 2 Maids a Baking

2012-02-07T11:17:00.000-05:00

My hubby and I both have a special place in out hearts for blueberry doughnuts.

I know, a match made in heaven!!

While these don't taste exactly like our favorite from a local bakery they taste good in their own right!!

If you have a different recipe I would love to try it!!

Add the flour, sugar

baking powder,

salt,

and nutmeg and mix.

Add the buttermilk.

Slightly beat 2 eggs and

add to the mixture.

Add melted butter and mix together.

Make sure your blueberries are dry. I cut some of mine in half because they were pretty large.

Add a couple teaspoons of flour to the blueberries so they don't bleed into your batter.

Fold gently into the batter.

I poured the batter into a large plastic bag.

Cut off one of the corners.

Use the bag to help fill the pan 2/3 full and bake.

Make the glaze by adding milk and vanilla to the powdered sugar.

Whisk together.

Pour or dip doughnuts in glaze.

I put a cookie sheet into a another pan so the glaze can drip.

Enjoy!!

Blueberry Doughnuts:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat ove to 425 degrees. Spray doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together. Beat until combined. Fold in blueberries. Fill each cup approximately 2/3 full.

Bake 7-9 minutes or until the top of the doughnuts spring back when touched. Let cool in pan for 4-5 minutes. Finish with glaze.

Makes 12 doughnuts.

Powdered Sugar Glaze:
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In bowl, whisk all ingredients. Dip or pour glaze over doughnuts. Glaze will set in 10-15 minutes.

Can't wait to see what you have made!!

Link those recipes below!!

Mac and Cheese #2

2012-01-31T10:13:00.000-05:00

If you remember back a couple of weeks ago, I posted about my quest to find the best Mac and Cheese - one of my favorite foods!

So, here we go - this is a super simple recipe that only calls for 5 ingredients. It's easy to make, tastes great and this is MY family mac and cheese! It doesn't matter who makes it for family dinners - my mom, SIL or I - we always make it this way!!

Just a few simple steps:
1) Boil macaroni, drain and put into casserole dish

2) While it's boiling, chunk up your cheese - although you can choose any kind, we always use COLBY!

3) Add milk to your cooked macaroni. No measurement here - just until it comes up maybe 1/3 of way from bottom. You can look at the side of dish to measure!

4) Add salt and pepper and stir it around a little.

5) Add your cheese chunks - mix them in. I usually poke some down to the bottom and the sides.

6) Bake at 350 for 45 minutes covered with foil and then 15 more minutes without the foil to brown the top! Enjoy!

My Little Man saying 'cheese' for Mac and Cheese! This recipe gets great scores for being easy to make, simple ingredients and tastes great. Although I really like this mac and cheese and was raised on it - I'm still working on that one that is out of this world! Stay tuned!!

Link up your recipes below!

Can't wait to see what you link up this week for 2 Maids a Baking!!

Fiesta Chicken Chowder

2012-01-27T10:07:00.000-05:00

Here is a yummy soup to warm you up on a cold day!!

In a plastic bag combine flour, seasoning and chicken and shake to cover.

Saute the chicken.

Remove and keep warm. In the same pan saute the onion.

Add garlic.

Stir in water, tomatoes, corn, rice, chilies and beans.

Add remaining fajita seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the soup, cilantro, lime juice and chicken.

Heat through.

Enjoy!!

Fiesta Chicken Chowder:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 envelope fajita seasoning, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups water
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Mexican stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (11 ounces) Mexicorn, drained
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 can 11 ounces) condensed nacho cheese soup, undiluted
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour and 2 tablespoons fajita seasoning; add chicken. Seal bag and shake to coat. In a large saucepan, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.

2. In the same pan, saute the onion until onion is tender; add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the water, beans, tomatoes, corn, rice, chilies and remaining fajita seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until rice is tender.

3. Stir in the soup, cilantro, lime juice and chicken; heat through

Chocolate Bundles with Chocolate Sauce

2012-01-24T07:31:00.000-05:00

Here is a recipe that would be perfect for your Valentine!!

I can't wait to make them again and stuff them with apples and caramel!!

This is simple enough it would be lots of fun to make with your kids!!

Start with your puff pastry.

Sprinkle your surface with flour.

Allow puff pastry to thaw, covered for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Start your egg wash by beating the eggs.

Add the cream.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. I'm not very good at tearing it out!!

Unfold the pastry and cut the sheet into four 4 by 4 squares.

Brush the entire surface of each pastry square with the egg wash.

Pick out your favorite candy. There only happened to be 2 snickers left by the time I made these... I blame the hubby!! hehe!

In the center place 2 chocolate kisses and 2 mini candy bars.

Pull the corner of each square up around the chocolate and twist the top of the dough to complete the 'bundle."

Brush the exterior of the bundle with more egg wash.

Place the bundles on the cookie sheet.

Bake about 35 minutes, until golden brown.

To make the chocolate sauce,

in a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil and add the chocolate pieces.

Whisk until the sauce is smooth.

Slice up some strawberries to make it look pretty!!

Top with sweetened whipped cream and enjoy!!

Chocolate Bundles with Chocolate Sauce

Bundles:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough

2 eggs

1 teaspoon whipping cream

8 chocolate kisses

8 miniature chocolate candy bars

Chocolate Sauce:

1/2 whipping cream

4 ounces milk chocolate broken into small pieces

Sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Sliced fresh strawberries, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. To make the bundles, allow the puff pastry to thaw, covered, for 30 minutes at room temperature. When it is pliable, unfold the pastry and cut the sheet into four 4 by 4-inch squares.
3. Beat the eggs and cream together to make an egg wash. Brush the entire surface of each pastry square with the egg wash. In the center of each pastry square, place 2 chocolate kisses and 2 mini candy bars. Pull the corners of each square up around the chocolate, and twist the top to complete the bundle. Brush the exterior of the chocolate bundle with more egg wash.
4. Place the bundles on the cookie sheet. Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown.
5 To make the chocolate sauce: In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from heat and add the chocolate pieces. Whisk until the sauce is smooth.
6. Puddle the chocolate sauce on a plate and place a bundle on top. Top with whipped cream and additional chocolate sauce, if desired. Serve the bundles garnished with strawberry slices.

Can't wait to see what you have been busy cooking up!! Link all those great recipes below!!

Blackberry Bran Muffins - 2 Maids a Baking

2012-01-17T09:45:00.000-05:00

Hello there! I am finally starting to feel better! So sorry I haven't been around much and haven't been around to visit. I will be making the rounds soon!!

Since it is January I thought I should have one recipe that falls in the "healthy" category.

Don't let the "healthy" fool you, they still taste awesome!!

Start by adding your bran flakes to a mixing bowl.

Add your buttermilk,

sugar,

baking soda,

salt,

maple flavoring,

oil,

and flour. I added 1 cup whole wheat flour

and 1 1/4 cup white flour.

Mix all the ingredients together.

Should look something like this.

Refrigerate for 6 hours. I usually make the dough the night before and bake the muffins in the morning.

Spray your muffins tins.

Scoop and place in the pan.

Press down on the balls to cover the bottom of the pan.

I had some blackberries that I popped in the freezer late this summer.

Add a couple to each muffin. You could also add any other fruit you would like. I have also made them with a small teaspoon of fruit preserves. Just make sure you don't get the preserves on the side of the pan of the muffins will stick.

Top with another scoop of muffin batter.

Press down and bake.

This dough stays fresh in your fridge for up to 6 weeks. Which I love because I can bake what we will eat and pull it out a week later and bake them up again!

Enjoy!!

Blackberry Bran Muffins:
6 cups bran flakes
2 cups buttermilk
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
1/8 cup maple flavor
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1 cup blackberries/fruit or fruit preserves

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before baking. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until done. Batter stays good for up to 6 weeks.

What have you baked lately?

Link up all your great recipes below!!

Linked to:
Trick or Treat Tuesday
Muffin Monday

Mac and Cheese

2012-01-10T10:02:00.000-05:00

I am on a mission...

Yes - you read correctly, to find and make the World's BEST mac and cheese!

Since this is one of my all-time favorite foods and of course, it generally works well for a household with 3/5 of the members under 7 years old - I'm looking for a few things:

1) Easy to make
2) Tastes great
3) Simple ingredients
4) My kiddos will eat it!
5) And most importantly - plenty of ooey-gooey cheesiness

So, I will be sharing some recipes over the next few months with the discoveries that I've made. Including the mac and cheese that I was raised on and usually my 'go-to'!

I decided to start off with a REALLY simple recipe and one that comes from my hub's side of the family.

Amish Macaroni & Cheese
2 cups (uncooked) macaroni
4 cups milk
1/2 stick butter
3/4 lb. velveeta
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350, put 1/2 stick of butter in a 9x13 baking dish and put in oven for a few minutes until melted. Remove from oven and add 2 cups of macaroni (uncooked). Shake it around until coated with the butter.

Add 4 cups of milk to this baking dish, 3/4 lb. velveeta (chunked), salt and pepper. Mix around a little and put back in oven. Cover with foil and bake for 40 min. Uncover and bake another 5 min. to brown the top and for it to thicken up.

Let it sit and cool a few minutes before serving. This will also help it continue to thicken a little.

There you have it! This recipe gets an A+ in simple and easy to prep. You only dirty one dish, the ingredients are simple, it takes very little time to make and if you have milk going out of date - it's a great way to use it up! My thing about this mac and cheese is that I'm a fan of the real deal when it comes to cheese so; it only gets a C+ for ooey-gooey cheesiness. But - the simplicity of this recipe may win out and it does taste good - so, why don't you give it a try and let me know what you think!

Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Wrangler Jeans!!

2012-01-09T09:17:00.000-05:00

Enough said. I LOVE me some Wranglers!

I have always had a soft place for Wrangler jeans - it is something about their ruggedness that just says hard work to me! They are durable, heavy duty and they look great! So, I love when my kiddos wear them around the farm. I know that no matter what they get in to, the jeans will hold up!

I used to work at a Country Western apparel store for years while growing up. I sold everything from boots, hats, belts, leathers, feed, tack to brush poppers and Wrangler jeans! I remember spending hours organizing and folding children's jeans and thinking a couple of things... 1) would I ever have little ones to dress in Wranglers and boots and 2) would they be comfortable - they were really 'stiff' jeans!

Needless to say, 20 years later, I am finding myself super excited to put my kids in their Wranglers. They have changed in many ways - they come in all sizes, they are a softer denim for comfort and they have adjustable waist tabs!

So, I was really excited when Wrangler offered to send us a pair of jeans for Miss Bug! When they came in the mail - I was totally shocked at how stylish they were! So was she!!! Check them out:

If you would like to enter to win a pair of your own Wrangler Kids jeans, please visit the Real Farmwives of Americas page and sign up! The website to enter is: http://www.realfarmwivesofamerica.com/

And, here's to many more years of Wrangler jeans for our family!!

While Wrangler did give me a pair of jeans to review on this blog all thoughts, pictures and opinions shared here are my own.

Happy Tuesday - 2 Maids a Baking

2012-01-03T09:24:00.001-05:00

Hey there!

Happy Tuesday!!

You might have noticed I took a vacation from 2 Maids a Baking last week.

I hope you all enjoyed the holidays, got to spend quality time with your families and ate a lot of yummy food!

I must confess that there hasn't been much baking around these here parts after our marathon cookie baking day the Friday before Christmas.

I did however make these cinnamon rolls. But I have already blogged about them...

With the new year we want to hear from you!!

What types of recipes would you like to see more of?

Cookies and Bars
Cakes
Yeast Bread
Quick and Easy Desserts
Desserts with "funky" ingredients
Kid friendly recipes
Breakfast recipes

Let us know!!

I promise to be back at it next week!!

I can't wait to see what all you overachievers have been up to in the kitchen! :)

Link up your recipes below!!

Go visit other recipes and make some new friends!!

Super Yummy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2011-12-29T11:02:00.000-05:00

I made this dip a couple weeks ago for a girls night snack!! It was so good!!

I plan to make it again for New Years!

A big thanks to our facebook friend Kelly for sharing the recipe with us!!

Start by putting all your ingredients in a crock pot including the alfredo sauce.

Cheese

Mix.

Add cream cheese.

artichokes

garlic

crushed red pepper

and spinach

Heat until blended and enjoy!!

Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

6 oz shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese (not the grated stuff in a can)

8 oz mozzarella cheese

16 oz jar of Alfredo or garlic Alfredo sauce

8 oz cream cheese

10 oz package frozen spinach, chopped

14 oz can artichoke hearts, chopped

1 heaping tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic or 6 to 8 cloves if using fresh

Mix it all together in a crock-pot and heat until well blended.

Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, pita bread, whatever you like!

Linked to:
Trick or Treat Tuesday @ Inside BruCrew Life

Christmas Ornaments

2011-12-14T17:27:00.000-05:00

Lots of things have changed in my life since becoming a mom and one of those has certainly been our Christmas Tree!!! We went from artificial and very formal (white lights, red ribbon, gold ornaments, etc.) to REAL and very homemade!

Last year was our first venture out to choose and cut down a real tree and we had so much fun that we decided it was a must-do every year! This year, we went to our friend's farm - Sickels Tree Farm and had a blast. We decided on a pine tree instead of a fir tree and just love it. It's so full and pretty and smells great!

So, I still stick with the white lights but we have ditched the ribbon, garland and gold balls for an ornament-only Christmas tree. And, like most kids - we make EVERYTHING in our house an ornament!! Toys, cars, food, hair bows, etc...

Here are some photos of our tree this year!

I still have some of our original ornaments - this from our wedding day...

I have had these snowflake ornaments made every year with our kids photos on them. LOVE them!!

And, LOTS of homemade ornaments from the kids - probably my favorites!

We even have some homemade decorations for our bedroom doors!!!

What does your tree look like this year??

Turtle Cake - 2 Maids a Baking

2011-12-14T17:13:00.001-05:00

This is one of my family's favorite items to bake at Christmas time (or any time really!!)

If you like Turtle chocolates - this is a dessert for you! It's simple to make and only takes 6 ingredients!

Mix 1 German chocolate cake mix, 1/2 C. evaporated milk and 3/4 C. butter. Put half of this mixture into greased 9x13 cake pan and bake at 350 for 10-12 min.

While this is baking, melt together 1 (14 oz.) pkg. of caramels - I used these caramel bits and 1/2 C. evaporated milk. Pour gently over the baked cake.

Spread 1 C. walnut pieces and 1 C. chocolate chips on top. Then spread the other half of cake mix mixture on top and put back in oven at 350 for 20 min. Enjoy!!!

I had a taste tester waiting for this one!!!

Turtle Cake:

1 German chocolate cake mix

1 C. evaporated milk

3/4 C. butter

1 (14 oz.) pkg. of caramels

1 C. walnut pieces

1 C. chocolate chips

Mix 1 German chocolate cake mix, 1/2 C. evaporated milk and 3/4 C. butter. Put half of this mixture into greased 9x13 cake pan and bake at 350 for 10-12 min. While this is baking, melt together 1 (14 oz.) pkg. of caramels - I used these caramel bits and 1/2 C. evaporated milk. Pour gently over the baked cake. Spread 1 C. walnut pieces and 1 C. chocolate chips on top. Then spread the other half of cake mix mixture on top and put back in oven at 350 for 20 min. Enjoy!!!

Lemon Bars - 2 Maids a Baking

2011-12-13T07:57:00.000-05:00

I love making lemon bars this time of year!!

It is like a little bite of summertime!!

I little bite of sunshine to help you get through the winter!!

Plus they are a pretty addition to any holiday cookie tray!

Start by making the crust. Add flour,

butter

and powdered sugar.

Mix until crumbs are formed.

Pour the crust in a 9x13 pan and pat down lightly.

Bake for 15 minutes

While the crust is baking start the filling. I use the same bowl because I don't like to do any more dishes than necessary!! Add you eggs.

And beat them a minute.

Add sugar,

flour

lemon juice

and lemon extract.

Pour filling over hot crust.

Bake and let cool.

Top with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Enjoy!!

Lemon Bars:

Crust:
2 cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar

Filling:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon extract

Mix crust ingredients until a crumb mixture. Pat in the bottom of a 9x13 pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until edges are slightly brown. Mix filling and pour over hot crust and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until center has set up.

15 Gourmet Grilled Cheese Recipes

2011-12-08T11:09:00.001-05:00

Baby it's cold outside.

Which means it is perfect soup weather!

And since grilled cheese is soups best friend. I thought it would be fun to feature a post dedicated to this yummy creation!

I must be honest I have been a very traditional grilled cheese eater until recently.

There was the Gouda Grilled Cheese. Which I made with a tip from Beyer Beware on how to make a killer grilled cheese.

I took it up a notch when I tried the Hamburger Grilled Cheese

I saw on Mommy's Kitchen that she bakes her grilled cheese.

http://pinterest.com/pin/97531148149876756/

My friend Goodeness Gracious uses 3 types of cheese in her grilled cheese.

But, I was feeling like taking a risk so I turned to Pinterest to find some gourmet grilled cheeses.

I found love at first sight when I found this baby with avocado!

Avocado Grilled Cheese
http://pinterest.com/pin/97531148149822472/

I can't wait to try this one!!

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese
http://pinterest.com/pin/97531148149822470/

You can't go wrong with pizza grilled cheese!!

Pizza Grilled Cheese
http://pinterest.com/pin/97531148149833797/

My favorite food in mac and cheese, so I was totally excited when I found this picture!

Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheese
http://pinterest.com/pin/97531148149876924/

I even found a way to enjoy my favorite summer salad via grilled cheese with the caprese grilled cheese.

Caprese Grilled Cheese
http://pinterest.com/pin/97531148149876842/

I even found a Mexican inspired grilled cheese.

Mexican Grilled Cheese
http://pinterest.com/pin/97531148149876839/

I found the perfect summer grilled cheese, goat cheese and strawberry grilled cheese.

Goat cheese and strawberry grilled cheese
http://pinterest.com/pin/97531148149876834/

Who wouldn't love this Italian grilled cheese?

Italian grilled cheese
http://pinterest.com/pin/97531148149876843/

I thought these mini grilled cheese were adorable and perfect for any party.

Mini grilled cheese
http://pinterest.com/pin/97531148149876846/

I found this brilliant idea of using grilled cheese as croutons!!

Grilled Cheese Croutons
http://pinterest.com/pin/97531148149876844/

Last but not least this super yummy looking peach grilled cheese.

Peach Grilled Cheese
http://pinterest.com/pin/176033962/

Linked to:

Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday

Cranberry Treasure Cookies and a Giveaway- 2 Maids a Baking

2011-12-05T14:02:00.001-05:00

We have something super exciting for today's 2 Maids a Baking!!

My friends The Real Farmwives partnered with Gooseberry Patch for a virtual cookie swap with recipes from the Gooseberry Patch Online Recipe Box! Gooseberry Patch also gave us a COOKBOOK to GIVEAWAY to one lucky person who links up a cookie recipe!!

Miss Cris from Goodeness Gracious kicked it off Tasty Cookie Pops for Miss Heather.

Heather from 3 Kids and Lots of Pigs made some yummy looking Graham No-Bake Cookies for Miss Marybeth.

Miss Marybeth from Alarm Clock Wars baked up some 3-2-1- Lemon Cookies for Miss Meggie

Miss Meggie from Hoosier Farm Babe made some awesome looking Granny's Chocolate Fudge Cookies for Miss Jeanette.

Miss Jeanette from FenceRow to FenceRow made some tasty Black Bottom Banana Bars for ME!! Thanks Jeanette!

Today is my day to bake for Miss Megan at Gal in the Middle!! I remembered that Megan use to work for the cranberry growers and so I found the perfect recipe for her!!!

Cranberry Treasure Cookies!!

Head on over to the Real Farmwives page for the recipe!!

We are having a joint linky party with Real Farmwives and 2 Maids a Baking this week!!! One lucky person will WIN a Gooseberry Patch Cookbook of their choice for sharing a recipe with us!!!

Rules:

Link up your cookie recipe below!

You can enter up to 5 recipes

If you don't have a blog you can post your recipe in the comments on either blog (up to 5 as well)

*If you are seeing this post in a reader you have to visit either of the blogs to see the widget to enter

NOTE: To be officially entered for the cookbook you must enter through the widget below and click, "I did this."

Thanks!

Sausage Potato Casserole

2011-12-05T09:54:00.000-05:00

Years ago, a great friend of mine made this dish for our family. I had gone back to work after having Miss Bug and she was SOOO gracious to make us a few meals those first couple of weeks back to work for me. This is one that has stuck with us! It's quick, easy and only takes 5 ingredients!!!

Start with browning 1 pound of sausage and drain.

Add sausage, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and 1 can of milk. Pour into casserole dish.

Slice a few potatoes pretty thin and lay them on top of the mixture. (I'm a peel-on kinda gal but either way is fine!)

Top with cheese!

Bake at 350 for 45-60 min. and enjoy!!!

Linked to:
Beyer Beware - Hunk of Meat Monday

Layered Greek Dip

2011-12-01T10:31:00.001-05:00

I had some girl friends over and one of them is known to love her veggies and greek salad... the other one not so much... sorry Alicia!! Although, she did introduce me to these incredibly easy Pumpkin Spice Muffins!!

So I found this recipe and I just knew Rachy would love it!!

I'm not sure if she didn't even sneak some for breakfast!!

The crazy part is I don't like half of the ingredients.... mainly the cucumbers, black olives and cream cheese.

But, it is so good I just pick around them!!

Start by adding your seasoning, lemon juice and garlic to your cream cheese.

Spread in a baking dish or pie pan.

Add a layer off Hummus.

Sprinkle on the layers of cucumbers, tomatoes

olives and black olives.

Toss on some parsley, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 3 hours before serving.

Enjoy with pita chips, fresh veggies or bread!!

Layered Greek Dip:

Adapted by Our Best Bites from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. dill weed or Greek seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. hummus
1 c. seeded, diced cucumbers
1 c. seeded, diced tomatoes
1/2 c. chopped Kalamata olives
1/3 c. chopped green onions
1/2 c. crumbled Feta cheese
1/8-1/4 c. minced fresh parsley

With an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, seasoning, garlic, and lemon juice until light and fluffy. Spread in the bottom of a pie plate or a small, shallow baking dish. Then spread a layer of hummus. In order, create layers by sprinkling the cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onions, Feta cheese, and parsley. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with pita chips, fresh vegetables, and/or flatbread

Linked to:
Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday
Foodie Friday Linky

Double Chocolate Fantasy Bars - 2 Maids a Baking

2011-11-29T09:47:00.000-05:00

Calling all chocolate lovers!!!!

This recipe is for you!!

A BIG thanks to my facebook and IRL friend Julie for sending it to me!!

I think she needs to start her own blog, what do you all think?!?!

Start with a box of chocolate cake mix. Julie recommended German Chocolate... I had Devil's Food...

Dump in a bowl.

Add oil

and egg.

Mix until crumbly.

Save 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and pour the rest into the bottom of your pan.

In a sauce pan add the rest of the ingredients.

Including your sweetened condensed milk

vanilla

salt

and chocolate chips.

Mix until blended.

Should look like this!

Pour over your crust.

Add your remaining cake mix mixture.

And bake!! Julie said the edges are her favorite with this recipe!! I would have to agree!!

And of course enjoy with a tall glass of ice cold milk!!

Double Chocolate Fantasy Bars
1 chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup veg. oil
1 egg
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 can Eagle Brand
1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350. Combine cake mix, oil & egg; mix together until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture. Press remainder in greased 9 x 13 pan.

In small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Cook & stir until chips melt over medium heat. Pour over crust. Top with reserved crumbs. Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Cool & cut into bars.

Can't wait to see what you have baked this week!!

We have something really exciting planned for next week!! Stay tuned for the details!!!

Linked to:
Mandy's Totally Tasty Tuesdays
Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday

A lot to be THANKful for!

2011-11-21T19:29:00.001-05:00

This Thanksgiving, I have a LOT to be thankful for! My family, friends, church, community, and especially the past 5 years that I have worked on our family farm promoting the industry that I love so much. We wrapped up our farm tour season just a couple of weeks ago and we had another fantastic year! The weather was great, my employees were terrific and the customers kept coming!!

MANY thanks to each and everyone of you that spent your valuable weekend time at our place this fall. We truly appreciate you experiencing the farm with us and we hope that you created many fond memories with your families!

Here's a look back at 2011 Experience the Farm:

Thanksgiving Birthdays! - 2 Maids a Baking

2011-11-21T19:09:00.001-05:00

Birthdays near holidays = craziness! We have two Birthdays in our family that fall during the week of Thanksgiving. My Little Man celebrates on the 20th of Nov. and my blogging partner and sister-in-law celebrates on the 23rd --- Happy BD Liz!

So, admist the planning and prepping for Thanksgiving, we celebrated our Little Man's BIG 3rd Birthday this past weekend! (Or maybe I should refer to him as the cowboy or our little buckaroo!) He wanted a cowboy party! And, I gotta say - since I have two older daughters, I am really loving these boy-themed parties!!

Here's a look at the fun he had...

What a great day - he got some new farm toys and of course, his favorite - Woody!!

Link up all those great recipes below!!

3 Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Muffins - 2 Maids a Baking

2011-11-14T21:33:00.000-05:00

I had some of my girls over this past weekend and we did what any girls would do! Bake, drink and watch movies!! It was so much fun and I have a number of recipes to share with you!!

This time of year seems to fly by with all the fun extra holiday festivities. This recipe has 3 ingredients and can be tossed together in a flash.

Oh, and it tastes so good!!

Pour the cake mix into a mixing bowl

add a can of pumpkin

and water.

Mix together

until it looks like this.

Scoop into your muffin tins.

Bake and enjoy!!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

1 box of spice cake mix
1 can pumpkin
2/3 cup water

Mix all ingredients and back at 350 for 25 minutes or until done. Muffins will be super moist.

What have you baked up lately?!? Link all those yummy recipes below!

3 Freezer Cooking Recipes for your Crock Pot

2011-11-14T08:46:00.001-05:00

Mommy's Kitchen posted this blog post on freezer cooking for your slow cooker on her Facebook page a while back and I thought brilliant!

I don't use my crock pot very often during the week because I am usually in a hurry to get out the door in the morning for work. I would rather get an extra 30 minutes of sleep than chop veggies in the morning!

Lucky for me my local grocery store was having a sale on meat so I stocked up for my freezer cooking for my crock pot cooking day!

After I saw this post I did what any Pinterest loving gal (yes I love it!! It took me a while to get on the bandwagon but consider this post my Pinterest flag waving debut!!) would do and created a board where I could pin recipes for my crock pot freezer cooking day!!

Here are three of the recipes!!

They all have one common ingredient!! Onion soup mix!! I just love these little packets of goodness!! They make like so much easier!!

Recipe # 1 A Latte with Ott A.'s Apricot Chicken.

This recipe is so easy and I had all the ingredients already in my kitchen!

4-6 chicken breasts

1 cup apricot jam

1 package dry onion soup mix

1 cup Catalina or French Salad Dressing

Mix ingredients together and pour over chicken in a freezer bag. Remove from freezer, place in slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with your favorite sides!

Mix up all the ingredients

and pour of chicken in a freezer bag.

I love to use my measuring cup, one less dish to wash and the handle neatly rests on the bowl so you don't have dirty handles!!

Recipe # 2 Eat at Home's Hash Brown Casserole

1 bag frozen, shredded has brown potatoes

8 ounces sour cream

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 of a small onion, chopped

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (or a bit more if you like) (I added 2 cups)

1 ham steak

*Note - I doubled most of these recipes, one less time I have to wash dishes!! I also portioned them according to how much I thought we would eat. With only 2 of us sometimes recipes make too much and we we aren't the best leftover eaters!!

Mix all ingredients and place in a freezer bag. Place ham in its own freezer bag. Pull both bags out of the freezer and make a foil tent for the ham and place it on top of the hash browns in the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until done.

Mix up all your ingredients except the ham.

Place in a freezer cooking bag.

Place ham in a separate freezer bag.

When you are ready to cook pull out of the freezer and place the hash browns in the crock pot. Make a foil tent for the ham and place on top of the hash browns.

Via

Recipe # 3 My Beef Burgundy originally guest posted on Beyer Beware

3 lbs of beef stew meat
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
6 oz. mushrooms
3/4 cup burgundy or red wine
1 pkg onion soup mix

Combine all ingredients and cook on low 8 hours in the crock pot. Serve over rice or noodles.

Mix all ingredients.

Pour in freezer bag.

All my meals in the freezer!!

Linked to:
Beyer Beware Hunk of Meat Monday

Harvest 2011

2011-11-09T10:52:00.000-05:00

I honestly can't wait until Harvest 2011 is over!!

I also can't wait to have dinner with my hubby at a table or go out to eat with my husband!! I don't even want to think how long it has been....

Here are some pictures from Harvest!

Working hard? Or hardly working?!? hehe!

Got corn and milk?

My hubs!!

And yes, even I have had my turn in the combine!!

We even have part of next year's crop, our winter wheat in the ground and coming up!!