Mashed Taters in the Crockpot

Good Morning!

How has everyone been doing with 'Be Flexible'?

Did anything happen this past weekend that you threw caution to the wind and opted for spontaneity instead?

There is still plenty of time to work on this weeks challenge.

In the mean time let me show you how to make one of the ultimate comfort foods.

Here is What You'll Need:

- 5 lbs of cubed Russet Potatoes

- 1/3 cup warm milk

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

- 1-1/4 cup sour cream

- 2 oz of cream cheese

- 1 stick of butter cut into small cubes

- 1 garlic clove minced

- not pictured - 1-1/2 cups chicken broth

Place your peeled/cubed potatoes into crock pot.

(remember to spray non-stick spray for easy clean-up later).

Add broth and butter and cook on high for 4-5 hours.

Now mash your potatoes!

Add remaining ingredients and continue mashing.

Serve up your warm, yummy mashed potatoes!

This made a LOT of mashed potatoes so I divided my recipe in half and froze the 2nd half for another day!

I hope you all are staying warm.

We had 65º weather on Friday and then SNOW on Saturday.

Brrr!

Not cool NC, not cool ;)

Have a blessed Monday!

Reese's Pie

I have a taste treat for anyone who needs a Valentine's Day sweet!

Here is What You'll Need:

- 1 chocolate cookie pie crust

- large box of instant chocolate pudding

- 1-1/2 cups of milk

- 8 oz tub of cool whip

- 15 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!

In a large bowl mix the pudding and milk.

Whisk in the cool whip.

Unwrap Peanut Butter Cups and cut into bite size pieces.

Fold Peanut Butter Cups into the pudding mix.

Spoon mixture into cookie crust.

Freeze for at least 3 hours.

Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with a little bit of peanut butter and chocolate goodness!

I hope you all have a Blessed Tuesday!

Parmesan Meatloaf

I'm back.

Again.

Where have the days gone?

Are we seriously almost half way thru the month of February?

Today I'm going to share one of my favorite recipes!

Lately when have company over for dinner OR when someone we know has a baby, I make either my Chicken Enchiladas or this.... Parmesan Meatloaf!

Here Is What You'll Need:  

- 2 lbs hamburger

- 2 eggs

- 1/4 cup bread crumbs

- 1/2 teaspoon basil, thyme, and oregano

- 2 cloves minced garlic

-1 small onion finely chopped

- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

- 1/2 pasta sauce

- 1/2 cup shredded italian cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350º

Lightly grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, add beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt & pepper, and parmesan cheese.

Gently mix ingredients with your hands.

Don't over handle.

Place in greased pan.

Top with pasta sauce.

Bake for an hour.

Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Remove a 2nd time and allow to set for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Yet again I failed to get a finished photo....we scarfed it all down too fast!
I think most of you know what Meatloaf looks like so I'm not too concerned....but if not, shoot me a message and the next time I make this (which will be soon) I'll be sure to take a final picture!

I hope you had a Blessed Monday!

Pecan Pie

I know that Thanksgiving was a few weeks ago, but Christmas is only 2 weeks away and maybe just maybe you make pie for Christmas too?

I love Pecan Pie.

LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

And prior to this year I had a very hard time getting it to set right.

Today I am going to share a recipe that worked!

Here Is What You'll Need:

- 3 eggs

- 1 cup sugar

- 1/2 cup light corn syrup

- 3/4 stick margarine, melted

- 1 cup chopped pecans (I used pecan pieces, I like that better)

- 1 unbaked pie shell

DO NOT PREHEAT...

In a bowl, beat your eggs.

Mix in your sugar.

Then add the corn syrup and butter.

And finally the pecans.

Mix well.

Pour into your pie shell.

Place your pie into a cold oven.

Turn oven to 300º and bake for 1 hour.

Where is the after picture you ask?

I ATE IT!

All of it, Bwahahahaha!

Okay maybe I didn't eat it all, our friends helped, but let's just say I was over eager to dig in and forgot to get a final picture.

Do you make pie for Christmas dinner?

If not, what is the Christmas dessert?

I hope you have a Blessed Tuesday!

Baked Parm Spaghetti

Being a Mom is a hard gig!

Everyone knows that Mom does more than just mother.

We are nurses, teachers, activity coordinators, chauffeurs, housekeepers, and of course 5 star chefs!

Okay maybe not 5 star chefs, but we do have to keep the menu changing to please our clientele, at least until they are old enough to understand that what we give them is what they will be eating.

My little food critique is a special case.

The girl doesn't and has never allowed us to spoon or fork feed her.

No baby food in this house.

She went straight from milk to finger foods.

After a while meal prep for a toddler becomes a game of "What can she feed herself vs. what will she eat".

This dinner was a first for all parties and well....let's see how it turned out:   

First things first coordinate dinner with your little person ;)

Okay maybe not really, but doesn't she look a little skeptical of the menu?

Here Is What You'll Need:

- 3/4 of a box of thin spaghetti

-2 cups pasta sauce

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

- 1 tablespoon basil leaves chopped

- salt and pepper to taste

-1 lb ground beef

-1/2 onion chopped

-3 cloves minced garlic

Preheat your oven to 350º

Cook spaghetti according to package

Chop your onion.

Add olive oil to a skillet set to medium heat

saute onion, salt, and pepper for approximately 5 minutes.

Add your garlic and stir for another minute.

Now add your beef, break it apart and brown it up nicely.

Stir in 1/2 of your pasta sauce...

and 1/2 of your basil.

Mix well.

Remember that pasta that you were cooking...it's up!

Toss in pasta.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Add 1/2 of the spaghetti mix, top with 1/2 cup pasta sauce, and 1/2 of each cheese.

Repeat.

Look at all that CHEESE!

Bake for 20 minutes.

It should look a little like this when it's done.

Now for the taste test....

Despite her look of skepticism, the pasta sauce all over her face is proof that she likes it!

She actually loved it.

I'm guessing it has something to do with the mozzarella, but it really doesn't matter the reason :) 

The joys of feeding a toddler are never ending...

well at least until they are older.

But it's fun to watch them try new things and experience new flavors.

What are some of your little ones favorite finger foods?

Bitsy loves hot dogs, scrambled eggs, orange slices, and pepperoni!

I hope you have a Blessed Monday!  

Cookies & Cream Popcorn!

Tis the Season!

I don't know about everyone, but this time of year I just want to give a little something special to EVERYONE I know.

Unfortunately, our budget is not as giving!

What's a girl to do?

I found a solution!

A sweet treat for all the neighbors on your street!

(Like the rhyme?  You can use that!)

Here is What You'll Need:

- Popcorn

- Vanilla Almond Bark

- Oreos or similar type cookie

Yup that's it.

3 ingredients and you are well on your way to being loved by everyone!

Follow the directions on the container of popcorn.

I popped mine on the stove top with a little bit of oil.

I popped 1/3 cup of kernels to get approximately 9 cups give or take.

Now follow the directions on the package of Almond bark.

You'll use the entire contents of the package.

While this is slowly melting take your cookies (about 1/2 the package) and smash them up in whatever manner you find fitting.

I put mine in a ziplock bag and roll over them with a rolling pin about 1000 times.

Once you have all your ingredients you'll want a BIG bowl.

Pour EVERYTHING in the bowl.

Cover it and SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE!

When you are done shaking I highly advise that you cover a counter with parchment or wax paper and pour your popcorn out evenly on top of it.

Allow it to cool entirely.

Once cool you can package it up in little baggies and disperse it amongst all the special people in your life!

Make sure you sneak a little for yourself.

You're pretty special too!

And there you have it folks, a sweet treat for all the neighbors on your street.

What other sweets do you gift during the holidays?

Puppy Chow?

Cookies?

I hope you all have a blessed Tuesday!

P.S. the giveaway for the Woolzies Dryer Balls has ended and I'll be announcing the winner tomorrow!

Pork Chop Casserole

I normally don't cook the same day I grocery shop.

Dinner on grocery day consists of throwing a pizza in the oven.

However, we were lazy and had done that the previous 2 nights.

Yes, that's right, I didn't cook Friday or Saturday night, I'm human.

Since I spent Saturday Christmas shopping and getting my hair cut, I was too worn out to ALSO get groceries.

That meant that I needed to go to the store Sunday, post church, while Bitsy was napping.

It also meant I was going to be cooking....

So what do you cook when you really don't want to?

How about something that doesn't involve much work?

That's what I thought!

Here Is What You'll Need:

-2 (10.5 oz) cans of French Onion Soup (I had never ever used this stuff before)

- Salt & Pepper to taste

- A few tablespoons of Vegetable Oil

- 4 to 5 Bone in Chops

- 1 cup of rice (not pictured)

Preheat your oven to 375º

Spray your baking dish with non-stick spray.

Generously rub your chops with salt and pepper.

Pour your oil into a pan and sear/brown your chops.

This will take less than 1 minute/side.

You don't want to cook them, just brown them.

Now the next few steps were a learning experience for me so I'll show you what I did....

and then I'll tell you what I SHOULD have done!

I poured my rice and soup into the bottom of my dish....

and then layered my chops on top of that.

What I should have done is layered the chops in the dish and covered it with the rice and soup.

The reason being is that the chops on the very top dried out a bit during the next step, but the ones that were submerged in the french onion goodness remained moist and juicy.

Learn from my mistakes!

Now you'll want to TIGHTLY wrap the top with foil.

It needs to be tight so that the steam can not escape and the rice will fully cook.

Place this in the oven for 1 hour.

Once it's done serve up your chops on a bed of rice and enjoy.

I seriously devoured the rice!

It was so soft and yummy and well my pork chop was one from the top so it was a bit dry....

So learn from my mistake and bury those chops in that delectable rice!!!

I hope you have a Blessed Monday!

Don't forget to enter the Woolzies Giveaway!

Apple Pie

My brain is still delighting in all that was Thanksgiving!

Turkey, Stuffing, Sides galore or and don't forget the PIES!

Today I'm going to show you a no fail apple pie.

Seriously it's easy and guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!

Here Is What You'll Need:

- 2 thawed pie crusts

- 8 apples (I used Granny Smith this year)

- 3/4 cup sugar

- 1 tsp cinnamon 

- 2 Tbsp flour

Preheat to 425º

First you'll mix your sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a bowl.

Sprinkle a bit of it in the bottom of your 'bottom' pie crust.

Now comes my favorite part.

If you don't have one of these cool apple peeler/corer tools I highly suggest you get one!

They are so much fun to use and pretty to look at.

If you don't have one and don't want one, then you can go ahead and peel all your apples and slice them into thin slices.

If you do have one....let the fun begin!

This handy tool will peel your apples and spiral cut them...

....which allows for the easiest pie making ever!

Break off sections of your apple either whole circles or just 1/2 circles,

and begin layering them in your pie crust.

After each layer you'll want to sprinkle your sugar/cinnamon/flour mixture over it.

Keep layering and sprinkling and layering and sprinkling until your apples are piled nearly double the height of your pie crust.

You want them high because as they cook they will settle and soften.

Now carefully (I was not careful enough...) lay your top pie crust over your filling and press your edges together.

Cut a few slits in the top, sprinkle with a little cinnamon and sugar, and you are ready to cook!

Bake at 425º for 20 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 350º for the remaining 30-40 minutes.

And there you have it!

Apple Pie.

An American Classic that serves as a wonderful post thanksgiving breakfast!

Oh don't act like pie for breakfast is a bad thing ;) 

Next week I will share a Pecan Pie recipe with you....after all you are going to be making pie again for Christmas right?

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?

I hope you had a Blessed Tuesday!

P.S. tune back Wednesday for a product review and GIVEAWAY!