Candy Cane Punch

This was also on the menu for Christmas Eve. I had seen it on Pinterest and wanted to try it because it just looks so darn cute! Not only was it cute... it was delicious! I can imagine that this recipe will be hanging around our holiday parties for a while! 

Candy Cane Punch

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of tasteofhome.com

Ingredients

1 (18 oz) jar strawberry jelly -NO SEEDS!

2 liters lemon-lime soda, divided

1.5 quarts peppermint stick ice cream

mini candy canes, optional


Directions
In a large saucepan, melt jelly with 2 cups soda. Chill the jelly mixture and remaining soda. Just before serving, place 6 cups ice cream in a punch bowl. Gently stir in jelly mixture. Add remaining soda. Add remaining ice cream by scoopfuls. Garnish with candy canes if desired. Enjoy!!!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

I made this for Lucas's families Christmas Eve party, and it was a huge hit!! Everyone LOVED it! I have made it before for my family also, and the reaction was exactly the same. I am pretty sure you can't go wrong with one! It is a crowd pleaser for sure!

*I haven't gotten a picture of this yet, but I am making it again for New Years Eve so I will try to snap one before it gets eaten! No guarantees though! :)

Jalapeno Popper Dip
Recipe Courtesy of americanfood.about.com


Ingredients:
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temp
1 C mayonnaise
1 C shredded Mexican blend cheese (half jack, half cheddar cheese)
1/2 C parmesan cheese
1 (4oz.) can chopped green chilies
1 (4oz.) can diced jalapenos
1/2 C parmesan cheese
1 C panko bread crumbs
1/2 stick butter, melted

Directions:
In a food processor, add first 6 ingredients and mix until smooth. Do not drain either of the cans of peppers. Spread the dip into a 2 qt casserole dish, or a 9x13 pan. In a bowl, mix panko, butter and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the dip. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbly. Served with bite sized pieces of french bread or buttery crackers. Enjoy!!

Baked Potato Soup

We had this for dinner tonight and it was so delicious! Lucas said it is one of his favorite soups of all time. And the best part is that it was so easy to put together!

Baked Potato Soup

from  http://pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com/

1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns {I used Ore Ida}

3 14oz. cans of chicken broth

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1/2 pkg. cream cheese {don’t use fat free.  It WON’T melt!!!} 

Combine everything in pot and bring to a boil. Add cream cheese and let melt. We added some bacon to ours, and you could also do cheese, sour cream, green onions, or whatever suits your fancy! Enjoy!!

Frog Eye Salad

Sorry about the lack of recipes for the past few months! We found out we are having baby #2, which we are so excited about! But as a result of this new babe,  I have lost my desire to cook, poor Lucas. :) Good things these babes are worth it! 

I did manage to make this frog eye salad for our family Halloween party this year though, and I had a few requests for the recipe. It is so easy and yummy! It always reminds me of my Aunt Vicky- this was her signature dish she would bring to all our family get-togethers when I was growing up. 

Photo Courtesy of foodsnots.com

Frog Eye Salad

1 C Sugar

2 Tbsp Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

3 Egg Yolks, beaten

1 3/4 C Acini Pepe (Italian pasta in macaroni section of store)

2- 11 oz. Cans Mandarin Oranges

1- 13 oz Can Crushed Pineapple

1/2 - 1 C Mini Marshmallows

2 Bananas, sliced

1- 16 oz Cool Whip

Add Acini to 2 qt. boiling water and boil for 8-10 minutes until tender. Strain and let cool. Drain pineapple and reserve the juice. Add water to the pineapple juice to make 1 3/4 C liquid. Combine pineapple juice, sugar, flour, salt, and egg yolks and boil on medium heat until thick. Add acini to this mixture and let set in the refrigerator at least 3 hours, if not overnight. When completely cool, add oranges, pineapple, banana, marshmallows and cool whip. Fold together and serve. Enjoy!!

Healthy Brownies??

Yep! You heard me right! As far as I can tell, these brownies are gluten free and pretty diabetic friendly. I usually cringe at the thought of making a delicious dessert "healthy," but these were great! The ingredients aren't things that I usually have on hand, but I could get them all at walmart, so they are pretty available. 

1 C dark chocolate chips (if you want to use a bar, it's about 6 ounces)
½ cup coconut milk (either canned, or I used some from "silk" that I got by the milk)
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups almond flour (got in the gluten free section at walmart)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened dried dates 

White chocolate chips (optional

Blend dates and coconut milk in blender until dates are broken up in small pieces. Melt dark chocolate chips and coconut milk mixture in a small saucepan over very low heat. When chocolate is completely melted, remove saucepan from heat. Stir eggs into saucepan containing chocolate/coconut milk mixture. Next, stir in almond flour, salt and baking soda. Grease an 8x8 baking dish

with oil of your choice. Pour batter into baking dish, then sprinkle with white chocolate chips over batter. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Cool and serve.  Enjoy!

Ranch Potato Salad

I love this potato salad! It is so different from what I am used to, but it so good! I got this recipe from my mother-in-law, and every time I see her bring it to a bbq I know that I am in big trouble, because I always eat WAY too much of it! 

Ranch Potato Salad

What you need:

(*NOTE: I am not going to put the amount of things you need. This is such an easy salad you just add the ingredients to your liking. And it will vary depending on how many potatoes you use. As a general rule, I cook 2 potatoes for each person being served.)

Red Potatoes

Bacon

Green Onions

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Ranch

Clean red potatoes and cut them in to bite size pieces. Put in a pot and fill with water until the potatoes are covered. Bring water to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender. 

While the potatoes are boiling, cut raw bacon in to small pieces and cook in a pan until you reach your desired crispiness. 

Wash and cut green onions in to small pieces. 

Shred cheddar cheese. 

When potatoes are done cooking, drain the liquid and allow them to cool. When they are cool, mix potatoes with bacon, onions and cheese. Add ranch until you have reached your desired consistency. Enjoy!!!

Energy Granola Bars

Lucas just got back from a 4 day hike with the scouts. Since they had to carry all the food they were eating with them on their backs, they mostly had a few different variations of rice and beans, with a few dehydrated eggs. Yuck! So before they left, I made a big pan of these to give them a little something sweet to help them make it through. When Lucas came back he reported that everyone loved these! Some of the boys even hiked back to the truck (it was a VERY steep 1.5 mile hike) to get some more the 2nd day! They were a big hit! 

These are pretty sweet and packed with energy, so I am not sure I would make these just to munch on around the house. But if you are headed out for a hike, these are great!

Energy Granola Bars

from wildbackpacker.com

What you need:

1 C peanut butter

3/4 C honey

3 C quick oatmeal

Plus any other add ins you think sound good!

Combine the peanut butter and honey in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat. Stir constantly until mixed thoroughly. Remove from heat and add in the oatmeal and any optional items. Press into a 9×9 inch ungreased pan and let cool. Cut into bars and store in plastic baggies. No need to refrigerate.Makes 16 (2×2 inch) bars. Enjoy!!

No Bake Cookies

Everyone needs a good no-bake cookie recipe. Kinda like how everyone needs a good chocolate-chip cookie recipe, only this is much easier! We LOVE no bake cookies around here. Most of the time they don't make it long enough to set up, they get scooped up with a spoon and eaten as quickly as possible. I know that a lot of people make their no bakes without the peanut butter. I grew up with peanut butter no bakes, so for me this is just strange!!! It's like a quesadilla without the cheese! But, to each their own I guess. Here is my recipe for peanut butter included no bake cookies! 

No Bake Cookies

What you need:

1/2 C butter

2 C sugar

1/2 C milk

3 C quick oats

4 Tbsp cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 C peanut butter

Melt butter in a 2 qt saucepan. Add  sugar and milk and stir in well. Bring mixture to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Take off heat and add quick oats, cocoa and vanilla. Mix well then add in peanut butter. 

Spread a piece of wax paper on your counter to put the cookies on. Use a tablespoon to scoop the mixture out and place on wax paper. Let set for a minute, and enjoy!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I wish that this picture could do this meal justice, but it clearly doesn't. Although it might not look too appetizing in this picture, this recipe is so good! It is one of my favorite quick, go-to meals to make, and Lucas loves it. I have made it a few times for dinner with guests, and everyone else that has tried it loves it also. So this one is a winner!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

You will need:

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

4 pieces of swiss american cheese (stay with me here, it is so good!)

8 pieces of lunch meat ham OR 4 thick pieces of ham

bread crumbs/panko /crushed corn flakes or anything else you would like to add to the top

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pound chicken pieces out until thin. You can use a meat pounder, or if you are like me and don't have one of those quite yet, you can put your chicken between two pieces of wax paper and pound it with a rolling pin. 

Now lets talk about  the fact that this recipe uses american cheese. Yes, it is the kind that comes in their own wrapper. Yes, I normally hate pasteurized cheese and never use it in any other recipes.  Yes, it makes this recipe so extra delicious and the cheese that melts makes a really yummy sauce! If you are REALLY opposed to using it, I understand. And normal swiss cheese will still work great. But if you want to go out on a limb, I really don't think you will be disappointed!

So layer your cheese and ham on your chicken and roll up. You can keep it together with a toothpick if it doesn't look like it is going to stay.

Sprinkle your bread crumbs or whatever else you want to use for a crunch on top and add any other seasonings you like.  I use some regular old salt and pepper, and if I am feeling fancy I will add some dried herbs. Whatever sounds good!

Put the four pieces of chicken in a 8x8 casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through. 

Enjoy!!

Un-fried Ice Cream

This un-fried ice cream is, simply put, AMAZING!! I brought it to a BBQ that we had for Lucas's birthday where both sides of our families were there, and since then everyone has requested it again. It has the perfect coco-nutty taste and the crunchy topping with the ice cream is irresistible!  So if I am going to give you this recipe, I feel that I have to give you a warning to come with it. It is addicting and even if you are "trying to eat more healthy" you will find yourself going back for more and maybe even licking the pan. Unless you have extreme self control that is. And if that is the case- I envy you. You are a superhero in my mind. 

From the kitchen of Erin Permann

Un-Fried Ice Cream

What you need:

1 gallon of vanilla ice cream (I usually end up using a little less than the whole gallon)

1 C butter

1 1/2 C brown sugar

1 C shredded coconut

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 (8 oz) pkg. sliced almonds

3 1/2 C. crushed Rice Chex

Crush your Rice Chex. I have found that putting about half of a regular size cereal box of Rice Chex into either a plastic bag to crush or a food processor yields the right amount.  

Then remove your ice cream from the freezer.  You need to be able to slice the ice cream like bread so it is easy to layer. You can either slice it in the container and scoop it out, or you can squeeze the whole container on to a cutting board and slice it that way.

Melt butter and sugar together over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil mixture for 1 minute. Remove from heat and immediately add coconut, almonds, Rice Chex and cinnamon. Press half of the mixture into a 9x13 pan. (Glass works best if you have it.)  Cover the mixture with the sliced ice cream and smooth over the edges so it covers the entire mixture. Cover the ice cream with the rest of the coconut mixture. Cover with saran wrap and then tin foil to prevent freezer burn and freeze. Serve once it has had some time to harden up. Enjoy!!!

Steel Cut Oats

I love eating steel cut oats in the morning! They are so filling and healthy, and give me a great start for the day. The best part is that I can make a whole batch one morning and it will last me for a week. They are also so diverse and you can add really any extra ingredients you like. Whether it is nuts or fruit, and any kind of sweetener is good with it. So give it a try! You will feel healthy and filled.

What you need:

2 C steel cut oats

7 C water

1/4 tsp salt

AND any other ingredients your heart desires!

Bring water to a rolling boil and add the steel cut oats. Lower temperature and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed. Make sure you stir a few times, especially at the end to make sure it doesn't get burnt. 

I also love to eat my steel cut oats with milk that I pour over it after it is done cooking. Yummy! 

Enjoy!!

* You can also cook steel cut oats in the crock pot overnight. I tried this once and it worked pretty well, but the edges where the cereal was touching the crock pot got a little crisp! I am sure with some trial and error you could find the perfect recipe!

Strombolli

If I was forced to eat only one food for the rest of my life, this would definitely be in the final three choices. (That's a pretty big decision though, so I can't say for sure.)  :)

This is something that my family has been eating since I can remember. It is basically a delicacy at our house, and whenever we feel like really impressing someone, we pull out this recipe.  I don't think I have ever seen anyone eat this that hasn't loved it. It really is so incredibly delicious! I think that this recipe played in a big hand in getting Lucas to marry me too. :) 

So here is the recipe for the ultimate super food. Its magic powers will impress everyone who eats it, and might even score you a spouse! 

Strombolli

What you need:

3 loaves of frozen Rhodes bread dough

1 lb Italian sausage

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese

1/2 Romano cheese

Spaghetti or Marinara sauce for dipping

About 5-6 hours before you will be making strombolli, put your three loaves of frozen bread on a cookie sheet and cover it with a damp towel. Leave it on the counter so that it can thaw out. (I have made this recipe with home made bread too, and it turns out pretty good also. Although I still prefer to use Rhodes bread.)

When you are ready to make your strombolli, cook your sausage along with Italian seasoning until it is fully cooked. Drain meat.

 Yes, that is a potato masher. It is the most wonderful thing to cook meat with, because it breaks it all up so easily. The biggest downer? Metal on a Teflon pan. I know I shouldn't do that, but I can't help it! It just works so great!

Shred  both cheeses and mix to combine. 

Take 1 loaf of thawed bread and either roll it out in to a rectangle or just stretch it to get it to the size you desire. I usually just pick it up and stretch it and then spread it out more when it is on the pan. When you have your bread all spread out, put 1/3 of the shredded cheese on it, covering it all the way to the edges. Then put 1/3 of your cooked sausage covering the cheese.

Roll up the loaf like you would a cinnamon roll loaf. Put in oven and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Slice and dip in spaghetti or marinara sauce. Enjoy!!

Roasted Broccoli

The first time I made this Lucas asked me if it was some sort of candy broccoli. :) Not because it is sweet at all, but because it is so good, and it is so hard to stop eating it! I made a whole 9x13 sized pan full of it, and Lucas and I easily ate all of it. It is amazing how much roasting the broccoli changes the flavor.

So if you like broccoli at all, you need to try this recipe! It is so delicious and really healthy too, which is always a great bonus. Even if you don't like broccoli, maybe you should consider this recipe too. It really is that good. :)

Roasted Broccoli

What you need:

Broccoli (in the amount you would like)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Salt

Use as much broccoli as you you think you and your family will eat. Lucas and I eat a lot of it, so we probably aren't a good gage as to how much you will need! But I bought a large bag of pre-cut broccoli at Winco for about 3 dollars and used half of it. 

After your broccoli is rinsed and dried, put it on a cookie sheet or in a casserole dish.  Drizzle the broccoli with olive oil. Season to your liking with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Toss the broccoli to combine all the flavors. You can also add many other spices or seasoning that sound good! Last time we made it, we added some lemon juice and parmesan cheese to it after it came out of the oven. 

Bake broccoli at 425 degrees until the edges start getting brown/black. (With my large pan of broccoli it about 30-40 minutes.) Take it out of the oven and enjoy!!!

Winner!!!

I got up this morning so excited to see who won this great prize! Random.org chose...

#6- The winner is Kasey!

Congrats!! E-mail me with your information so I can get your prize mailed to you! 

recipeaddiction1@gmail.com

Easy Blender Salsa

Don't forget to enter our giveaway!! It will end tomorrow at 8:30 AM!

My freshman year of college, I had a roommate that made this salsa for me. I immediately fell in love! We would make huge batches of this stuff and my two roomies and I would sit down and eat the whole bowl in one night. It was a staple in our apartment- that is for sure!

I am also so grateful for this salsa, because it turned my dislike for onions in to a love for onions. :) It might sound crazy, but it is true. I credit this recipe for me longer have to pick onions out of salads or off of salads and burgers. I will be forever grateful!

Blender Salsa

What you need:

2 (14 oz) cans stewed tomatoes

1 can diced green chilis

1 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how much heat you like)

 4 green onions

1/2 bunch of cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

Pour stewed tomatoes and diced green chilis in blender. Add red pepper flakes, green onions and lime juice. Pulse the blender until onions are chopped up. Add cilantro and blend for a few more seconds. 

Serve and enjoy!

*Tip: Try to choose limes with a thin, smooth skin. You have less of a chance of them being bitter.

Ice Cream Sandwich Sundae

We are having our second round of garage sales tomorrow. Man they are a lot of work! I will be happy when it is over , that's for sure!

After a busy summer day, a quick cool treat always sounds good! This is just the ticket! It is so simple and it looks so fancy, you will impress everyone with it! You can get creative with it and put any toppings sound good on it. Have fun and enjoy!

Ice Cream Sandwich Sundae

What you need:

Ice cream sandwiches

Whipped cream

Chocolate sauce

Caramel sauce

Ice cream nut topping

Maraschino cherries

Putting these together is the easier than scooping ice cream! Just put your ice cream sandwich on a plate and top with your favorite toppings. The options are limited too. Bananas would be so delicious if you like banana splits, and sprinkles and candy would be a big hit with the little ones. 

Serve, enjoy and impress everyone with this cute and delicious dessert!

Recipe Review: Cheat Day Cafe's Layered Mexican Casserole

I am not quite sure how I came across this blog, but I am so glad that I did! Melody from

  Cheat Day Cafe has so many yummy recipes on her blog that I would love to try. And I love the idea behind her blog; that every now and then you need to have something that isn't quite caloric friendly. :) So for the recipe review this week, I decided to try her layered mexican casserole. It is such a fun and delicious twist on the classic taco and Lucas and I loved it! I also made my easy homemade salsa to go with it that I will be posting the recipe for soon.  So make sure you check back for that too!

Cheat Day Cafe's Layered Mexican Casserole

What you need:

1 lb of ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp taco seasoning

1/4 tsp ground cumin

2 C. salsa (I used my homemade salsa for this too!)

6 flour tortillas

1-2 C grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook ground beef and onion together in a pan until meat is all the way cooked through and the onions start to caramelize.  After meat is done, add black beans, taco seasoning, cumin and salsa to the meat and let it heat through. Layer 3 of your flour tortillas on the bottom of a casserole dish, sprayed with non-stick spray. Spread half of your meat mixture over the tortillas, and put half of your cheese over the top of that. Layer the remaining three tortillas, remaining meat and remaining cheese. 

Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let cool a little. 

While your casserole is baking and cooling, chop up some toppings! I used some olives, lettuce, cilantro and tomatoes. I put them on my casserole just like Melody did when she made it, because it just looked so gosh darn good. A dollop of sour cream in the middle completed it!

Serve and enjoy!

Thanks Melody! Make sure you grab a featured button!

Also, don't forget about our GIVEAWAY we have going on! 6 more days to enter!

Oatmeal Pancake Mix and a GIVEAWAY!

This mix makes the most delicious, hearty pancakes I have ever had. They are a big hit in our house, especially with me because once the mix is made it only takes 5 minutes to have a nice hot stack of pancakes for breakfast. Delicious!

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

What you need:

3 1/2 C quick oats

3 C whole wheat flour

2 C all purpose flour

3 Tbsp sugar

3Tbsp baking powder

1Tbsp salt

1Tbsp baking soda

1 C vegetable or canola oil

Mix all of the dry ingredients together. Slowly mix in oil. I had all of my dry ingredients in my bosch mixer, and mixed in the oil while it was running to it would get all incorporated. Once it is all mixed together, store the mix in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks on the shelf, or .... basically forever in the fridge. (It will be gone much quicker than it can go bad!) 

When you are ready to make some delicious pancakes, mix together 1 C mix, 1 C milk and 1 egg. The mixture will seem a little runny, but as you are heating up your pan, the oatmeal will absorb some liquid. I use a 1/3 C measuring cup to dish out the batter and it will make about 9 pancakes. Enjoy!!

And now for Recipe Addictions very first GIVEAWAY!

I have been debating whether or not I really want to give these things away, because I would love to keep them for myself! Up for grabs a perfectly cute apron and awesome teal grill pan.  I used a grill pan to cook the pineapple in my Grilled Pineapple and Chicken sandwich. I seriously love my grill pan and use it all year round. It is perfect for when you want those pretty grill marks without going through the work of firing up the grill.

So how do you win this awesome prize? Simple!

Mandatory Entry - Become a public follower of Recipe Addiction and leave a comment saying that you are!

and for additional entries

-Get on Facebook and tell others about this giveaway, and leave a comment saying you did (worth two entries!)

-Become a networked blog follower through Facebook, and leave a comment

-Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the blog address (worth two entries!)

Easy peasy! The giveaway will end next Wednesday, July 20th at 8am when I will announce a winner! (Winner will be picked through random.org)

Good luck!

Grilled Pineapple and Chicken Sandwich

Wow, we realized today how much work garage sales are! Lucas and I had our first one today since we have been married, and I am amazed at how much stuff you can accumulate in just 3 years. It does feel good to be rid of some of the things we never use and clear a little more room. 

By the time we got done with the sale, we were starving and in the mood for something good. I walked in to the kitchen and saw the nice fresh pineapple I bought the other day and knew exactly what I wanted to eat. Lucas and I have been making this sandwich since we were first married, and it is one of our favorites. Easy and delicious, and you can top it with whatever you have on hand. It definitely hit the spot, and I hope you like it too!

Grilled Pineapple and Chicken Sandwich

What you need:

1  chicken breast, cut lengthwise in half

1 fresh pineapple, cut into slices

1/4 C of you favorite BBQ sauce

Mozzarella cheese (or whatever cheese you have on hand)

*Optional toppings

avocado

lettuce

tomato

red onion

mayo

or anything else that suits your fancy!

Season your chicken to your liking. I seasoned mine on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Saute until brown and cooked completely through. While you are cooking your chicken, use a grill pan or outdoor grill and grill your pineapple slices. (You could also cook it on the same pan as your chicken if you do not want to grill.) When chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove from heat and cover in BBQ sauce. Put cheese on top and allow to melt. 

Toast your bun and spread a little mayo on one side. Stack your sandwich with chicken with BBQ sauce and cheese and grilled pineapple. Add any other additional toppings you have around. Enjoy!!

Recipe Review: Cupcake Diaries Carmelitas

I have decided that there are so many delicious recipes on so many great recipe blogs that I am going to start doing recipe reviews. It will be a fun way to introduce new recipes and get to know other recipe bloggers better. So for my first ever recipe review, I have chosen Cupcake Diaries carmelitas. These yummy bars are so good, they are dangerous. They were really easy to make and the only thing ingredient that I had to get that isn't normally in my pantry was the Mrs. Richardsons butterscotch carmel ice cream topping that I found at Winco. The recipe suggested that this was the best kind to use for these bars, and it turned out great! 

So without further ado, here is our first Recipe Review!

Carmelitas

found at Cupcake Diaries

What you need:

2 C flour

2 C oats

1 1/2 C brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 salt

2 1/2 sticks butter

1 (12 oz) bag milk chocolate chips

1 jar Mrs. Richardsons butterscotch carmel ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Melt butter and pour in mixture. Mix to incorporate all the dry ingredients with the butter. Press half of  your mixture in to a 9x13 pan. Bake for 17 minutes. 

Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the first layer. Then heat carmel in microwave for 2- 30 second increments. (60 seconds all together) Pour warm carmel over chocolate. Sprinkle the second half of oats mixture over the top of the carmel. Bake for 17 more minutes. 

Remove from oven and let the bars cool completely. You may need to put them in the refrigerator to speed up the cool down, because you will be dying to try them by now! 

When the pan is completely cooled, cut into bars and serve. Enjoy!!

Please grab a featured button!

Guacamole Potato Skins

Happy 4th of July!!! I hope you are having as great of a day as we are. We went to the parade this morning and now we are taking a break and napping before we go to our BBQ and fireworks.  I decided to make a little snack to hold us over before dinner and this is what I came up with! Lucas sure loved it, and they were gone in no time. Our family might not be too happy that we didn't save any to share, because they were delicious! I will definitely make these again to share. Yummy!

Guacamole Potato Skins

What you need:

4 potatoes

1/4 C chopped pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni)

1 C shredded cheddar cheese

1 avocado

2 Tbsp sour cream

1 Tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp garlic salt

Wash potatoes and poke holes in them with a fork. Microwave for 15-20 minutes until they are tender. Let the potatoes cool, or they will be too hard to cut apart. While potatoes are cooling, mix together avocado, sour cream, lime juice and garlic salt for your guacamole. Chop up pepperoni and shred cheddar cheese. When potatoes are cool, slice lengthwise into quarters. Scoop out most of the potatoes leaving about 1/4 inch on the skin. Dice up 1/2 C of the potatoes you scooped out, and mix with pepperoni. Spread mixture on potato skins and top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. Take out of oven and top with guacamole. Enjoy!!

Featured!

Today is shaping up to be a fantastic day! It is only 10:30 and I feel like I have already gotten so much done, including shopping for the 4th of July!! Wahoo! I cannot believe it is just 3 days away! It is such a great day to celebrate, and I have to admit that here in Idaho Falls we have a pretty awesome celebration. The fireworks here are AMAZING! Really. Like the best in the west. :) AND you can't beat all of the delicious food that naturally comes with the 4th of July. BBQ's are honestly one of my favorite things in the world. 

Also, I  am so excited because I was featured today on a great blog, Extreme Personal Measures.  Check it out here! 

Have an awesome 4th of July weekend! 

Pork Tamales

I remember the first time I had a tamale was when I was in high school and my dad took me to the farmers market. There was a local Mexican restaurant selling them there and my dad bought me one. I immediately loved it and couldn't believe it had taken me so long to try tamales!

This is my second time making tamales. The first time... well.... lets just say it wasn't all that successful. Somehow the meat ended up tasting just like ketchup and I mixed the masa all wrong so it was really course and dense. Lucas still ate them with a smile on his face though- what a good man. :) 

I am happy to say that this round of tamales turned out much better! The flavor is really good and the masa has the right texture. (It's amazing what reading the directions will do for you!) The great thing about tamales too is that you can add any flavor you want. You can do beef, chicken, pork or even sweet tamales. Your imagination is the limit! Next time I am going to try a chicken tamale.

Tamales can take a lot of time to make. I made my meat in the crockpot one day, and then assembled the tamales and cooked them the next. It took me about an hour and a half to assemble all the tamales, which isn't too bad. And it would be really fun to get a bunch of people together for a tamale party to make a whole bunch! So without further ado, here is what I did for my simple tamales.

Pork Tamales

What you need:

2 lbs pork roast

1 (28 oz) can red enchilada sauce

Corn Husks

Masa flour mixed according to directions

(This is where I went wrong last time. I just looked at the ingredients and put them all together in a bowl without whipping my shortening first. Bad mistake! Make sure you follow the directions for a great Masa dough.)

Cook meat in crock pot with enchilada sauce on high for 6-8 hours until meat is really tender and shreds easily. Remove meat from crockpot and shred. Mix the remaining sauce in with shredded meat. I refrigerated mine until the next day when I assembled my tamales. 

Soak corn husks in warm water for about an hour until pliable. Spread a large spoonful of prepared masa dough on to center of corn husk. Make it about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Put a tablespoon of shredded meat in the center, and fold corn husk over to seal the tamale. 

Steam in a large steamer for 90 minutes. Remove tamale from corn husk and enjoy either plain or with your favorite salsa or hot sauce.

Root Beer Float on a Stick

It has been so nice and warm here the past few days. We have spent lots of time playing in the sun! Since us Idahoans aren't used to this warm weather, we really needed a treat to cool us down. I saw these on Pinterest and they looked so good, so I decided to try them out. MMMMMM!! They were delicious! A sweet, creamy and cool treat.

Root Beer Float on a Stick

Photo Courtesy of Smile Monsters

What you need:

3 cans root beer

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

Whisk root beer and sweetened condensed milk together slowly so it does not foam up too much. Pour in to popsicle molds or dixie cups. Let set in freezer for about an hour before putting popsicle sticks in. Freeze for 3-4 more hours. Enjoy!!

Greek Orzo Salad

My brother-in-law got back in January from serving a 2 year mission for our church in Rome Italy. While he was there he acquired a very European taste for food, and has missed it so much! I decided to make this salad to take over to a dinner at my in-laws house, and I thought he would love it. Turns out I was right! He congratulated me on making the best tasting thing he has had since he got back in January! It really was so good. It was so refreshing too, perfect for summer!

Greek Orzo Salad

What you need:

2 C. uncooked orzo pasta

2 cucumbers

2 medium tomatoes

1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 C kalamata olives, pitted

1/4 C chopped red onion

1/2 C crumbled feta cheese

1/2 C red whine vinegar

1/2 C olive oil

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt

pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook orzo pasta until done. Drain and let cool while you peel and chop cucumber, dice the bell pepper, and dice the tomatoes. All all the vegetables, onion and cheese to the pasta. In a separate bowl, whisk together red whine, olive oil, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour over pasta and veggies and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!!

*NOTE: You can also use fresh basil as a garnish or in place of the dried basil. Just use a little less fresh as it has a more powerful taste.

Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

While Lucas while eating this he kept saying things like, "This is perfectly seasoned." "I really love this." "This is one of my new favorite meals." "Jess. This is seriously so good."  I think he liked it. :) And I have to agree! I was worried that it was going to be too spicy for me, but the salsa cooled it right down and all I could taste was great flavor. 

You may also be wondering, "Isn't avocado salsa just guacamole?" I am here to tell you that there is a big difference in taste and texture, and I am now a lover of avocado salsa.  It was so delicious!! 

Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

from Martha Stewart

What you need:

2 chicken breasts (I cut each in half lengthwise so I had 4 pieces of chicken)

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

Combine cayenne, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rub on both sides of chicken breasts. Put in pan and cook until cooked completely though. While chicken is cooking, make your salsa.

Avocado Salsa

2 small avocados, chopped

1/2 large mango, chopped

1 Tbsp  red onion, chopped

1 Tbsp lime juice

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Spoon over cooked chicken and serve. Enjoy!!

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

Lucas and I were watching Americas Test Kitchen and saw this recipe. I love pizza as much as the next guy, and this looked so good! I am so glad we tried it. The crust is different from any other pizza crust I have tried since it has the cornmeal baked right in. Our favorite part was definitely the sauce. So even if you use it in another pizza recipe, give it a try! It is so good!

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

adapted from Americas Test Kitchen

What you need for crust:
3 1/4 C flour
1/2 C yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 C warm water

Mix all crust ingredients together in mixer. (I used my Bosch mixer.) Since you are using instant yeast, you do not need to worry about activating the yeast first. Knead the dough in miser until it is fully incorporated and smooth Let dough rise in mixer until it has doubled in size, or you can transfer it to another bowl greased with some olive oil to let it rise. While it is rising, make your sauce.

For the sauce:

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 C grated yellow onion

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1 minced garlic clove

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1/4 tsp sugar

salt and pepper

2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Heat butter in pan. Add onion and oregano. Cook onion until moisture is drawn out and onion turns a golden brown. Add garlic clove, crushed tomatoes and sugar. Bring to a simmer, and reduce down for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste and basil.

To put pizza together, divide the dough in to two, and spread out in two 9" cake pans. (I didn't have 9" so I used 8" and it worked fine.)  Make sure the dough goes up the whole side of the pan. Put about 1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the crust. I know this is a little backwards, but I guess that is how they do it in Chicago! Then add half of your sauce. Put desired toppings on, we used turkey pepperoni, and sprinkle with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes and 450 degrees, and let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan after you take it out of the oven. Slide the pizza out of the pan, slice and enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. Perfection. Most of the chocolate chip cookies I make spread out on the pan flat as pancakes and they seem pretty greasy. These were nice and chewy and had great flavor. This is definitely a keeper and will be my new go-to cookie recipe!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

from the kitchen of April Moedl

What you need:

1/2 C. shortening

1/2 C. buter, softened

2 eggs

3/4 C brown sugar

3/4 C sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 to 3 C flour

1/2 pkg. chocolate chips

Cream together shortening, butter, eggs, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla. Add salt, baking soda and flour. Mix well. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 350. 10 minutes in my oven was perfect! Let them cool a little on the pan, then transfer. Yum!!

Sesame Chicken

I originally wanted to do this recipe with chicken wings, but when I went to the store and saw that they were ten dollars a pack, and these drumsticks were four dollars a pack, I decided to try these out. They turned out great!

Sesame Chicken

What you need:
4 lbs drumsticks
2 Tbsp oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh ground ginger
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp sesame seed oil
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp sesame seeds
chives (optional)

Heat oil in pan and add garlic and ginger. Stir in to oil for a few seconds, then add chicken. Make sure you don't burn your garlic before you add the chicken or it will be bitter. Brown your chicken on all sides. Add soy sauce, sesame seed oil and brown sugar. If the sauce is already a little thick, add some water. Reduce the sauce down while continuing to flip the chicken so it cooks evenly on all sides.  When the chicken is almost done, add your sesame seeds. Continue to cook until chicken is done and sauce has glazed the chicken. Remove from heat and garnish with chives. Enjoy!

French Breakfast Puffs

Have you ever had a recipe that you wanted to try the second you saw it? And did? Well, that is what I did today with these French Breakfast Puffs. I was looking for another recipe in our neighborhood cookbook, and saw this one. I quickly glanced over the ingredients to make sure I had all of them and 30 minutes later I was eating a delicious melt-in-your-mouth breakfast puff! When I first took them out of the oven I wondered if they would just taste like muffins, but they are even better in my opinion! Try them, you won't regret it!

French Breakfast Puffs

from the kitchen of Robin Manship

What you need:

1/2 C. shortening

3/4 C. sugar

2 eggs

2 1/4 C. flour

2 1/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 c. milk

melted butter

1/2 C. sugar

2 Tbsp cinnamon

Cream together shortening, sugar and eggs. Add remaining ingredients and put into greased muffin tins without papers. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove from tins and roll each muffin in melted butter, then in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Enjoy!

Green Chile Quiche

I am always looking for quick and easy breakfasts that Lucas will love. He isn't the biggest fan of breakfast food. (At least for breakfast, it's a different story if it's for dinner.) I made this because I knew it would be right up his ally. He loves it! It's really different from all of the other breakfast foods that we normally have around here, so this is a refreshing change. Definitely a keeper!

Green Chili Quiche

You will need:

 1 can (4 oz) green chilies

3-4 C. grated cheddar cheese

2 C. milk

1 C. Bisquick

4 eggs

Spread chilies in baking dish. (I just used  a regular old cake pan sprayed with cooking spray.) Cover with cheese. Blend milk, Bisquick and eggs in blender until smooth and pour over cheese and chilies. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. 

Chocolate-Coconut Macaroon Cups

Where would we be without Martha Stewart? After dinner tonight, I was craving something sweet but didn't want to spend a lot of time baking, or make a big mess. These were the perfect solution! One bowl, a few simple ingredients I always seem to have on hand, a muffin tin and 25 minutes later I had a delicious sweet treat. 

Chocolate-Coconut Macaroon Cups

What you need: 

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

 7 ounces coconut (half a bag)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together egg whites, sugar cocoa powder and salt with whisk until well combined. Mix in coconut until it is all combined. Spoon in to greased muffin tins and top with sliced almonds. Bake for 25-30 minutes until almonds are golden brown. Enjoy!