White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

My very favorite kind of cookie! I just love the combination of white chocolate and macadamia nuts. 

ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large egg
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup coarsely chopped salted macadamia nuts

directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract.

Add flour mixture, mixing until completely combined. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts until evenly distributed (you can do this by hand or with the stand mixer).

Bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are very slightly browned. The cookies will not look cooked in the center, but they will finish cooking while cooling on cookie sheet!

Remove from oven and let cookies rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Jello Pineapple Slices

Pour out liquid from a can of sliced pineapple.

Dissolve a 3 oz. box of any flavor jello in 1 cup boiling water (you could also use the pineapple juice and water to equal 1 cup liquid)

Pour hot Jello water over pineapple rings in the can.

Chill until set.  I would definitely suggest letting it set overnight. I tried taking mine out at about 8 hours and it was still kind of runny. Run hot water on the sides and bottom of can to loosen.  Then cut the bottom of the can and push the mold out or try to squeeze it out of the can. It is a little bit tricky and they don't come out absolutely perfect, but good enough! Cut between pineapple slices and serve.

*Optional:  top a slice with an ice cream scoop of cottage cheese or a dollop of whipped cream.

I think this would be really fun to do at Christmas time and do a red jello and a green jello and then layer them in a pattern on a platter. 

Stuffed Peppers Appetizer

My husband loves a good appetizer and these really hit the spot! In fact, I almost labeled them as a main dish because he loved them enough to just eat these! And they are incredibly easy!

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 lb. breakfast sausage, cooked and drained (I used a roll of Italian sausage)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 package mini peppers, at least 25

Directions:
Blend the cream cheese using a hand mixer, add the sausage and shredded cheese and mix well. Wash peppers and slice in half and clean out the seeds. Mound cheese/sausage mixture generously on each half until you've used it all up. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and then enjoy!

Esquites (aka Mexican Corn Salad)

We all loved this Mexican Corn Salad recipe. The only problem is that I didn't make enough the first time so this is the recipe doubled for future reference. I didn't double the lime juice though because I thought it was a little too intense on the original recipe. 

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 4 cans corn, drained or 4 ears fresh corn cut off cob
• 1/2 Jalapeno seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (or half greek yogurt, half Mayo)
• 2 clove of garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 Tablespoons Cojita cheese (or Mexican blend cheese)
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder to taste
• 2 avocados, diced

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add corn and allow it to char on the bottom of the pan, then stir and char one more time.
3. Add jalapeno, mix and remove from heat.
4. Place corn mixture into a bowl and add mayonnaise, garlic, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, cheese, chili powder and avocado.
5. Gently fold ingredients until mixed through.
6. Serve warm or chilled, your choice. I like them both!

Beef Empanadas

These were a yummy, easy dinner to make, though I will admit it took me a few tries to fold the edges of the pie crust together and make them look halfway decent! I doubled the recipe for my family of 6 and we ended up having some leftovers but not a lot. I froze the extras because we were headed out of town and I wanted to see if they would make a good freezer meal. They froze okay, but I probably won't do it again. I found them on http://numstheword.com/easy-beef-empanadas/ and I made the Esquitas corn salad that's also mentioned on that website. It was a huge hit with all of us!

Ingredients

• 1 package of pre-made pie crust (2 rolls)
• 1 Tablespoon of oil
• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 1/2 medium diced bell pepper, any color
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili pepper
• 1 cup Mexican blended cheese
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375*
2. Combine bell pepper, onion, garlic and oil and saute 3 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add hamburger, cumin and chili pepper to the pan and cook until meat is cooked through.
4. Set pan aside and let cool.
5. While meat mixture is cooling, roll out pie crust.
6. Using a bowl or large circle cutter, cut out 6" round discs from pie crust. You should be able to get 3 from each crust making 6 total with a 7th created out of the leftover dough rolled out.
7. Place 2 - 3 Tablespoons of mixture in the center of each pie disc.
8. Top with cheese.
9. Fold over and seal edges with a fork.
10. Place Empanadas on a cookie sheet.
11. Whisk egg and brush on to tops of each Empanada.
12. Bake in oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

Key Lime Pie Muddy Buddies

This summer I've been trying out lots of different snack recipes since my kids are out of school and always wanting a tasty treat. I really liked these Key Lime Pie Muddy Buddies, especially the graham cracker pieces! I did try to double the recipe because this seemed kinda small for my 6 member family, but I wouldn't recommend it because they do start to get a little soggy/soft by the next day. So it's probably best to just make what you'll eat right away. 

Ingredients

1 c powdered sugar

4 c of your favorite Chex cereal

About 1 c (about four rectangular sheets) graham crackers broken into pieces similar in size to the Chex (see Note)

1½ c white chocolate chips

2 T unsalted butter

1 t vanilla

2 t lime zest

1 T lime juice

Instructions

1. Place powdered sugar in a large zip top plastic bag and set aside.
2. Gently toss together the Chex and graham cracker pieces in a large bowl.
3. Combine the white chocolate chips, butter, vanilla, lime zest and lime juice in a bowl and gently melt in the microwave or over a double boiler. If doing it in the microwave, use 50% power and stir every 15-30 second until melted. It may look slightly thick and clumpy.
4. Pour chocolate mixture over the Chex mixture and gently stir and toss until fully coated, breaking up any large clumps that may form.
5. Transfer the cereal mixture to the plastic bag with the powdered sugar seal and toss until fully coated.
6. Pour out onto a sheet pan lined with a nonstick baking mat or wax paper and allow to cool and harden.
7. Store in an airtight container.

Butterscotch Peanut Butter Muddy Buddies

Today my family hiked to a local waterfall and let the kids play in the water.....and the mud....to their hearts content. At some point during the afternoon they started calling each other their Muddy Buddies which got us all craving a little Muddy Buddy snack when we got home. These are actually a fun twist on the original Chex Muddy Buddy and I really, really love them! You can't go wrong with butterscotch, peanut butter, and loads of sugar, right?!


Ingredients:
6 cups Chex cereal
1 cup salted peanuts
1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Measure out the cereal and the peanuts and put in a large bowl. Set aside. Melt peanut butter and butterscotch morsels on the stove over low heat until creamy and smooth. Stir continuously. Pour melted mixture over cereal and stir gently, so you don't break up the cereal, but so that the cereal pieces are evenly coated. Put the powdered sugar in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and put coated cereal inside. Zip shut and shake until all the pieces are evenly coated with sugar. Pour out and spread cereal mixture onto a baking sheet covered in wax paper to cool. This snack will keep in a tightly sealed container for up to one week (haha! yeah right, not in this house!)

Dorito Dip

This weekend I went to two different parties and took this dip to both of them. It was a hit all around and it was very simple to make with ingredients that I already had on hand.

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz sour cream
4 oz can chopped green chilies
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/3 cup real bacon bits

Using an electric hand mixer combine all ingredients (except bacon) until relatively smooth. Then add bacon and stir to combine. Sprinkle extra bacon on top. Chill for approximately 3 hours to let the flavors mix. Enjoy with Doritos! I used Cool Ranch Doritos. I'm not sure if some of the more flavored Doritos would go well but the Cool Ranch were delicious!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is a recipe I've had for at least 10 years and I used to make it a lot but had kind of forgotten about it. So I made it the other day and decided I'd better put it on my blog so I don't forget about it again. It is really good and I love the sauce! My kids said it is better than going to our local Chinese restaurant. I do double the sauce so there is extra to put on my rice. The recipe below already has the doubled amounts.

Ingredients:
2 - 3 lbs chicken breasts or thighs
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs
garlic salt

Sauce:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup pineapple juice
8 Tbsp. ketchup
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
Rub garlic salt on chicken and let sit awhile. (or sprinkle on garlic salt later when you have the chicken in the pan.)  Put cornstarch in a large ziploc bag, add chicken and shake to coat. Dip coated chicken in beaten egg. Put chicken in sprayed 9 x 13 pan. Make sauce by heating all the ingredients together and adding a bit of cornstarch to thicken it. It needs to boil for a few minutes before it thickens. Stir constantly. Pour a little more than half the sauce onto the chicken pieces and bake at 375 for 1 hour. Save extra sauce to pour over rice or to add to chicken when it's done. Optional: After the chicken is cooked you can top it with pineapple chunks, peanuts or onions.

Sesame Noodles

I was looking for an easy Asian side dish to go with my sweet and sour chicken recipe and I ran across this really easy recipe for sesame noodles. I didn't have any sesame oil, but was able to make a substitute by sauteing 1 1/2 teaspoons of sesame seeds in 1/2 teaspoon canola oil until golden brown. It gave me the sesame oil taste, but I did add a bit of vegetable oil to the sauce to make up for the fact that there was very little actual oil in my substitute. I also didn't have green onions so I just used some finely diced red onion and that worked great. Next time I'll probably add some peas but, alas, I was also out of peas. Um....it sounds like someone should probably go shopping! These noodles can be eaten hot or cold, but I prefer them hot. I'm thinking these would actually be a good alternate to put in my kids lunches for school sometimes. They are super easy to make and the kids gobbled them up.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound (16 oz.) linguine or spaghetti 
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sriracha or hot chili oil
• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
• optional garnishes: extra thinly-sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, coarsely-ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions in a large pot of generously salted water.

Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, vegetable oil, and sriracha (or hot chili oil). Whisk until combined. When the pasta is ready, drain it. Then immediately toss with the dressing and 1/2 cup green onions until the pasta is evenly coated with the dressing. Serve immediately, topped with extra garnishes if desired.

White Chocolate Lucky Charms Treats

I made this yesterday with my kids and they were very easy and delicious. A nice twist on the rice crispy treat! And since I usually have a box of Lucky Charms or a big bag of Malt o Meal Marshmallow Mateys I can make these whenever we need a quick snack. I used white Almond Bark to dip them in and only used 7 ounces. I had a little left over chocolate so I dipped the tops of marshmallows in it and then put sprinkles on them. They were cute and my kids loved them. I didn't manage to get a picture though.

• Ingredients:
• 6 cups Lucky Charms cereal
• 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 10 ounce bag of marshmallows + 1 cup (extra cup is strongly recommended)
• 16 ounces melting white chocolate* (or almond bark or candy melts)

1. Spray 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the marshmallows until they are just about fully melted into the butter. Some chunks of marshmallow may remain. Add in the Lucky Charms cereal and stir until the cereal is fully coated.
3. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan and gently spread out evenly. I sprayed the back of a large spatula with non-stick spray and gently pressed the mixture without packing it down. Allow to set for 2 hours at room temperature before cutting into rectangles or squares, whichever shape/size you prefer.
4. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. Melt the white chocolate according to package instructions. Hold the treat and dip the bottom into white chocolate, making sure to coat it generously. Place treats white chocolate side up on prepared baking sheet. Allow chocolate to set at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Store treats at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Texas Roadhouse Rolls

These rolls were so amazing! I could live on these and nothing else I think!

Ingredients:

4 tsp. active dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water

2 c. milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm

3 Tbl. of melted butter, slightly cooled

1/2 c. sugar 

2 quarts all purpose flour (7-8 cups)

2 whole eggs

2 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar; let stand until frothy.  Combine yeast mixture, milk, 1/2 cup sugar and enough flour to make a medium batter (about the consistency of pancake batter).  Beat thoroughly.  Add melted butter, eggs and salt.  Beat well.  Add enough flour to form a soft dough.  Sprinkle a small amount of flour onto counter and let dough rest.  Meanwhile, grease a large bowl.  Knead dough until smooth and satiny and put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. (I used the dough hook on my Kitchen-Aid to knead this for about 4-5 minutes).  Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.  Punch down.  Turn out onto a floured board.  Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes.  Shape dough into desired forms.  Place on greased baking sheets.  Let rise until doubled.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Baste immediately with butter.  Yield: 3 dozen large rolls 

Chicken Alfredo Rollups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 2 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 (8-ounce) tube crescent rolls (I actually needed 3 tubes)
• 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
• Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before shredding. (I actually used shredded chicken that I had leftover from another meal.)
• In a large bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese, Parmesan, chives, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.
• Remove rolls from the can, separating them into eight triangles. Top each triangle with a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture.
• Starting with the wide end, roll up each triangle, tucking the ends underneath, and dredge in bread crumbs, pressing to coat. Place seam-side down onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.

These were super easy to throw together and don't take long to cook. My kids took leftovers for lunch at school the next day and they were just like Hot Pockets - only they tasted good and weren't full of preservatives! 

Cinnamon Crumb Banana Bread

I tried a new banana bread recipe the other day.  I really liked the crumb topping on this one. I think next time I will throw in some chocolate chips too!

• Ingredients:
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 overripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Crumb Topping
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Directions

In a large bowl of a mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the sugar, egg and vanilla until combined. Add the butter and beat until smooth and the butter is fully incorporated. Beat in the buttermilk and bananas.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet until all the flour is incorporated. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and pour in the batter. 

Make the crumb topping by combining the powdered sugar, flour, cinnamon salt and melted butter. Using your hands, crumble the mixture over the batter in the pan. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Creamy Chicken Flautas

• This was a quick and easy meal to throw together on a busy weeknight. I served it with homemade guacamole and a green salad. 

Ingredients:

• The meat from a rotisserie chicken (mine was a small chicken and I used it all - about 3 cups?)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 cup salsa, store bought
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1½ cup Tex Mex or Mexican cheese blend, I used Kraft
• 10-12 flour tortillas
• ¼ cup butter, melted
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1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
2. In a medium size skillet heat the olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add corn to skillet and cook for another 2 minutes. Add shredded chicken, salsa and sour cream, stir and cook for about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
3. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds so that they're easier to roll. The chicken mixture should be enough to fill 10-12 tortillas.
4. Butter a 9x13 inch baking with some of the melted butter. Lay a tortilla flat and top with a couple tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Tightly roll up the tortilla and place it in the baking dish. Brush with melted butter. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes or until tortillas turn golden brown.

NOTES

For make ahead meals, you could prepare these as noted in the instructions up to and including step 4, cover the baking dish and freeze until ready for baking. Thaw out before baking.

Crockpot Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

1 (6-9 lb) boneless turkey breast
1 (1 oz) packet dry onion soup mix
¾ cup water
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil

Directions:
Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and place turkey and diced onions inside. In a small bowl, mix together the water and onion soup mix and spread evenly over turkey.
In another small bowl, mix together remaining ingredients and sprinkle over the turkey breast.
Cook on low for 8-9 hours (or until turkey is very tender and the seasonings have flavored the meat). Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and make sure it reads at least 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) to ensure that your turkey is fully-cooked.
To eat, remove turkey from slow cooker and slice.

I found this recipe on Six Sister's Stuff and altered it a tiny bit, but it is mostly just the same. The turkey turned out so tender and with tons of flavor! I paired it with mashed potatoes and gravy, cornbread, and vegetables.

Vegetable Cheese Chowder

• I made this soup a couple of nights ago and it was really delicious!  Think Broccoli Cheese Soup meets Potato Soup and falls in love and has a baby they name Corn Chowder and they all live together as one big happy family! 
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• Ingredients:
• 5 1/2 Tbsp butter, divided
• 2 cups chopped carrots (about 4)
• 1 cup chopped celery (3 stalks)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 1/2 cups peeled and cubed russet potatoes, cut 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick (2 large)
• 3 cups chopped broccoli florets (from about 2 heads)
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can corn
• 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk (preferably 1% or 2%)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)
• 1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (1 oz)

In a large pot over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 Tbsp of the butter. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute 3 - 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Stir in chicken broth, potatoes and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and cook 15 minutes. Stir in broccoli and corn and cook 5 minutes longer or until veggies are tender.

• Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 Tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, whisking constantly 1 minute. While whisking vigorously, slowly pour in milk (whisk well until no lumps remain). Cook stirring constantly until mixture begins to gently boil and thicken, stir in heavy cream. Remove from heat and once all veggies are tender pour into the soup and stir. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and parmesan cheese until melted. Serve hot.