Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Magic Toffee

My brother called and gave me this recipe. Super easy, Super yummy, and I bet you have everything you need right now! 
 This is so easy that I included step by step pics, because you're not gonna believe me!
Seriously!

1 Pkg Saltine Crackers
1 C. Butter
1 C. Brown Sugar
1 Pkg Chocolate Chips

Line cookie sheet with foil
Layer crackers
(I sprayed mine, but you don't need to)

Melt Butter and Brown sugar in pan.
When it starts boiling, stop stirring and boil 3-4 mins.
Seriously. Don't stir it! Resist the urge

Immediately pour Carmel over crackers
Put in 400 Degree oven for 8 Mins

When it comes out put choco chips on top, wait a min, spread chocolate

Cool. This takes 30-45 mins.

Break up and enjoy

Thanks bro for this awesomly easy recipe! It's a total Keeper!


Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Veggie Noodles

I made this for lunch today and we LOVED it!! It's fresh. It's healthy. It's full of veggies. It's good! I asked the Hubs if there was anything he would want changed and he said "This is a no talking meal"  - Which I took as a No. =)
The  best part. You could make this Veggie style super easy!

1 Small Zucchini
1/2 Small Yellow Squash
8oz sliced Baby Bella mushrooms
2-3 carrots sliced on a diagonal
4 Chicken Tenders
1 C Chicken Stock
1/2 C Cream of Chicken Soup
3 Tbl Butter
2-3 Tbl Flour
1/2 pkg Spaghetti noodles

Heat oven to 350, Cook frozen chicken tenders 20 mins. Chop.
Get water boiling for noodles
Heat lg Skillet coating the bottom with 2 Tbl Olive oil. Saute Carrots for 5 mins, Add Butter and mushrooms, cook till Mushrooms are brown and tender. Add Zucchini and squash until tender. add sprinkle flour on veggies, stir, add chicken stock and simmer till thick. Add Soup and chicken. Simmer 5 mins (or until your noodles are cooked to your liking). Add noodles. I like to use the starchy cooking liquid from the noodles to thin out sauce if needed.

Serve, Enjoy!!
I guarantee this will become a family fav.
To make it more vegetarian friendly, just leave out the chicken. Use Veggie stock, and Cream of Mushroom soup, instead of chicken.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Chocolate cookie Cheesecake!

 This is the best Cheesecake I have ever made! granted it's the first cheesecake I've ever made....
I stayed up all night New Years Eve making this one and it was Totally worth it!! My hubby and I Rocked out while we waited for it to bake. We watched the fireworks at the Space Needle at Midnight. And all though I made this for a New Years Day celebration we were going to it was worth the tired eyes! This one is For SURE a keeper! Super rich, super addicting, Super Yummy!!!
Best made 1-2 days in advance!!! Serves 14-20 depending on slice size.

Adapted from this recipe

1 C. Chocolate cookie Crumbs (1-1 1/2 rows with center removed)
1 C. Chocolate Graham Cracker Crumbs
4 Tbl melted Butter
1/4 C Brown Sugar
Combine in a medium bowl and press evenly on to bottom and up 1 in up the side of a 10'' spring form pan. Bake 350 for 5 mins. Set aside

2 lb (4, 8oz squares)  Cream Cheese softened
1 1/4 C White Sugar
1/3 C Heaven whipping Cream
2 Tbl Flour
1 ts Vanilla
4 Eggs
In a large bowl beat Cream Cheese until smooth (5 mins) Gradually mix in sugar, cream, flour, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Beat eggs in 1 at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.
Pour 1/3 of the batter into pan. top with Chocolate, cream filled, cookies.
Pour remaining batter on top of cookies.
Bake at 350 for 65-70 mins. I baked mine in a water bath*. If you choose to NOT use the water bath. Only bake for 45 mins.
Combine 16 oz Sour Cream, 1/4 C white sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla.
When Cheese cake is done baking, pull out of oven and carefully top with sour cream mixture. Return cake to oven and bake for 15 mins (7 mins w/o water bath). Turn oven off and leave in oven for 30 mins. Remove cheesecake.
Combine 1 C whipping Cream and 1 1/2 C chocolate chips in saucepan. Stir over low heat until Chocolate melts then stir in 1 tsp vanilla. Pour mixture over cheese cake while still warm. Let cool completely on wire rack, Move to Refrigerator and chill at least 8 hrs! remove 30 mins before serving.
The best way to cut this is to have a glass of HOT water and a napkin or towel. Dip sharp knife in hot water, wipe dry, cut. Do this before EACH cut and you will have perfect slices of cheesecake every time!


What are you waiting for?! Make this, NOW! and prepare yourself for some serious compliments!!

*Water Bath. This is how I do mine. I use a roasting pan with rack. I wrap the outside of my spring form pan in foil (because I'm paranoid about water getting in) and I set my cheesecake in the pan on the rack. Fill it with hot Hot HOT water till it's just about an inch up the side of the pan.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Pizza 101

Pizza Dough
2 Tbl Yeast
1/2 C Warm Water
2 tsp sugar
put in bottom of mixer and let dissolve and foam
while that's working heat, melt and dissolve
1 1/2 C Milk
1/2 C Shortening (I use Olive Oil)
4 Tbl Sugar
Microwave for 2 mins, stirring after 1 to make sure your sugar is dissolving. Add to your yeast slowly while mixing, then add 4 C Flour and 1-2 tsp dried pizza seasoning. Mix well. Dump onto floured surface and knead. roll into ball and let rest.

Toppings:
Whatever you would like. We used (because it's what we had on hand):
Olives
Tomatoes
Ham
Mushrooms
Cheese

Sauce:
Your fav. Spaghetti sauce.
 Here's how you do it:

Spread dough out to desired size
Spread sauce
*sample sauce if desired*

Spread Cheese

Dump on toppings

Bake for 20 mins

Enjoy!!


My boys had so much fun making their own pizza! It is work but Totally worth all the clean up!