Crock-Pot Lasagna

Tonight for dinner I decided to try a crock-pot lasagna, I mean geez, how hard could it be, right?

Here is what you will need:

Spaghetti Sauce (I made my own, but you can use 2 jars of your favorite kind)

 2 15oz. containers of Ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1tsp. dried basil

1/4-1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

In a bowl, mix these 4 ingredients well together.

And last, but not least the noodles. I thought this kind would be fun and easy to scoop out, but you can use regular lasagna noodles and break them to fit in the crock-pot.

 Start layering your items. First Spaghetti sauce, then noodles, then cheese mixture. You can repeat this up to 3 times. Put the lid on the crock and cook for 4 hours on low. Then sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese or any other cheese you would like.

 Serve with garlic bread and a salad!

Red Velvet Swirl Brownies

I just need to tell you how much I LOVE and am addicted to Pinterest! It has sooooo many good recipes that I don't know if I will ever have time to make them all. But, I did try one that was absolutely my FAVE!!

RED VELVET SWIRL BROWNIES

~ yields 16 squares using a 8" x 8" baking tray 

INGREDIENTS for brownie layer:

Unsalted Butter – 8 tbsp (1 stick) – melted

Sugar – 1 cup

Vanilla Extract – 2 tsp

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – 1/2 cup

Pinch of salt

Red Food Coloring – 1 tbsp

Vinegar 1 tsp

Eggs – 2

All Purpose Flour – 3/4 cup

Cream Cheese Layer:

Cream Cheese – 8 ounces (softened)

Sugar – 1/4 cup

Egg – 1

Vanilla Extract – 1/2 tsp

DIRECTIONS for Brownie Layer: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking tray.

2. Mix together butter, sugar and vanilla

3.Then add vinegar, food coloring and eggs

4. Last, add all dry ingredients and pour the batter into greased baking tray.

Directions for cream cheese layer:

1. In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients

2. Pour over the brownie batter in the tray in stripes, or you can drop the cream cheese mix in by the tablespoonsful.

3. take a knife and swirl the brownie mix and cheese mix, being careful not to scrape the bottom of the pan.

4. place in 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely (if you can, as you can see I didn't wait) and ENJOY!!

Yummy Popcorn

Not everybody knows this, but besides October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is also National POPCORN Month! I only know this because little "S" has a preschool teacher who LOVES popcorn! Her favorite popcorn treat is to take 2 kernels of popped popcorn and 1 M&M and pop them in your mouth and eat together. I must admit that it is REALLY good! 

I also found a recipe for some really yummy popcorn that has very quickly become my favorite!!

“L” Family Favorite Popcorn

10 cups popped popcorn

1 cup butter

¾ cup sugar

1 (3 ounce) package any fruit flavored gelatin (we like watermelon)

1 TBSP. corn syrup

3 TBSP. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease (or use parchment paper) 2 jelly roll pans. Generously butter a heavy 2 quart saucepan.

Distribute popcorn evenly on pans. Place in oven to keep warm.

In saucepan, over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, gelatin, corn syrup, and water. Heat to 250 degrees or 265 degrees on a candy thermometer or until small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball (or soft ball)

Pour mixture evenly over popcorn and stir to coat. Return popcorn to oven and bake 5 minutes, then stir and bake 5 minutes more.

 Turn popcorn onto a large piece of foil. Let rest until cool enough to handle and make balls, or cool completely and break into clusters. Keep dry!

Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies

Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter or shortening

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. allspice

2 tsp. baking soda in 2 cups applesauce

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix applesauce and soda together.

In another bowl mix together flour, salt and spices

Cream shortening and sugar together. Then add eggs and vanilla. Fold in applesauce/baking soda mixture. Next add flour/spice mixture, mix until well combined. Then mix-in chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonful on to parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes and remove from pan

Makes 4-5 dozen cookies

Fun Idea for Halloween Time

(pictured Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies)

Around here, we usually have a fun Halloween tradition to "BOO" another family. Well, this year someone beat us to it. And, they had found an easy way to print off your own, rather than take theirs and get copies of it. I know all to well, that if I probably have to go to a copy shop, it won't get done. So you can go here and get your own copy, as well as some ideas of what gift to give with your "BOO'S". 

Happy Haunting!

Why didn't I find this earlier?

Ok folks, I was in the baking section of my grocery store and I found this...

Have you tried it yet? It's amazing. No more greasing and flouring pans, just spray. I have made banana bread and pumpkin bread and they just slide out of the pan. I think it's a great find for all the holiday baking I will be starting soon. Hope this helps you out, and sorry if this is old news to you. I can be a little slow to figure things out.

Yummy Breakfast Idea!

I have been addicted pre-occupied with a new website that I have found, and you may have heard of it, it's called Pinterest. They have the most awesome ideas and that is where I have found the yummy recipe for these....

 Then I had some leftover peaches and decided to make a really good smoothie. Not to mention that it was WAAAAY less expensive than going to buy a smoothie some where. 

Orange Peach Smoothie

1 large peach, peeled and sliced

¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate

2 TBSP. honey

2-2 ½ cups milk

6-10 ice cubes

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. 

Yummy Comfort Food

 As fall is getting here, I am more and more into the baking and cooking mood. I had a pumpkin bagel with pumpkin schmear, TOASTED {of course} today for breakfast and it got me into the fall season {which starts tomorrow people!}. I love warm things to eat in the fall and winter. SO...without delay....here is my yummy recipe for today!!

Homemade Mac and Cheese

¼ cup butter

¼ cup flour

1 cup chicken broth

3 cups milk (about, you may need more or less depending on how thick you like your sauce)

2-3 cups grated, sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup grated, Swiss or Gruyere cheese

½ tsp. ground mustard powder

¼ tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. chives

½ tsp. tarragon

½ tsp. thyme

1 box elbow macaroni, cooked al dente

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Add mustard and nutmeg and let cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth and milk; whisk until smooth and thickened. Then add salt, pepper, chives, tarragon, and thyme, let cook for another 1-2 minutes. Then add cheeses, slowly. Make sure the sauce is NOT boiling when you add the cheese or it will lump up and not be good. Add in the cooked macaroni noodles and stir to coat. Then pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish or 9x13 pan. Cook at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

*you can also add a breadcrumb topping to add a little extra flavor and crunch. I use about

 ¾ cup seasoned breadcrumbs, 3 TBSP. grated parmesan cheese and 3TBSP. olive oil. Stir together and sprinkle on top of mac and cheese.

Using Your Extra Fall Veggies

Is your garden winding down? Are you wondering what to do with all of your leftover veggies? Well, I was listening to Martha Stewart's radio show on Saturday morning, and the lady on there was talking about what she was going to do. She was going to make a Minestrone Soup and freeze it so that she had all of her fresh veggies in the winter! I thought this idea was BRILLIANT!!  So, I rushed home and made some! Here is what I put in mine...  

Minestrone Soup

1 large onion, minced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

 3 stalks of celery, diced

3 medium zucchini, diced

6-12 oz. green beans, diced in 1” pieces

6 small, or 3 large tomatoes, peeled and diced

2 baking potatoes, peeled and diced

6 cups beef or vegetable broth

1-1½ cups orzo pasta, or other small pasta (ABC pasta would be good for kiddos)

1 TBSP dried basil, and oregano or Italian seasoning

1 tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, add about 3 TBSP. olive oil, onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 10-15 minutes for the veggies to get tender. Add green beans and zucchini and cook for 10 minutes more.. Then add the potatoes, tomatoes, and broth. Let simmer until all vegetables are tender, then add the pasta, salt and pepper.  Cook until pasta is al dente.

*serve with a drizzle of olive oil and parmesan cheese

** you can also cool this and put in the freezer for up to 6 months for a fresh soup in the middle of winter!! 

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

I can't always get to my favorite cupcake shop. So, I have created this recipe to get me through. My whole family even liked them (even the picky one that doesn't like frosting)!!

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

1 box yellow cake mix, prepared (I used the butter recipe, and they were so fluffy)

1/2 c. butter, softened

3-4 c. powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4-1/2 c. milk

3 TBSP. strawberry jam

1 pint fresh strawberries, halved

6 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix and prepare cupcakes according to package instructions. Let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar, salt,vanilla, and milk. Mix until you have a pretty thick, but fluffy frosting. Then add strawberry jam, mix until combined. Set aside.

In a small bowl, add chocolate chips and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between intervals, until chips are melted and smooth. Dip halved strawberries in chocolate, and set on waxed or parchment paper until they are set.

Frost cupcakes and place a chocolate dipped strawberry on top of each one.

Make sure you store these covered, in the fridge.

YUMMY!!!

In Memory of "Bomps"

Today is June 14th, which is Flag Day. It is also my grandpa (aka Bomps) birthday. He was one of the greatest men I have ever known. So today, I dedicate this recipe to him.

Lasagna
1 jar spaghetti sauce (store bought or homemade), 16 oz. of mild Italian sausage, 12 lasagna noodles, 2 containers ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, 1 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. parsley flakes, 2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

In a large skillet, brown sausage. Add spaghetti sauce to warm.

In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, eggs, seasoning, parm. cheese and 1 c. of mozzarella cheese.

In a 9x13 pan, spray with non-stick spray. Coat the bottom of the pan with spaghetti sauce. Start layering noodles, cheese mixture, noodles, sauce, and repeat until all the noodles have been used up. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 mimutes (unless you use the oven ready noodles, then you will want to cook for 45 minutes). Serve with a side salad and garlic bread!

YUMMY!!!

This is one of my "Bomps" favorite meals. I miss him all of the time. This has been a great meal to remember him today!!