Quick, Easy, Yummy Vanilla Popcorn

I got this recipe from my mom! Gotta love recipes like this :)

1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Light Karo Syrup

Boil those 3 ingredients together for about 2 minutes until golden. Then remove from heat and add:

1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla

Then toss with popcorn. For a more sticky popcorn double the recipe, or use 1 bag of microwave popcorn. I use 2 bags and less stickyness. ENJOY!

Little Kid's Pictures...November 2009

My mom and sister took my 3 youngest (at the time) to get thier pictures done the day after Thanksgiving. The last time I took them Emilee was 2 months old. I love the pictures and they were in and out of there in 30 minutes. I could not believe it. Needless to say, I will leave all the picture taking to them :) cause they are so good at it!!

Christmas Dinner 2009...

So we kept our Christmas dinner this year pretty simple, but still good. The menu was "Gorgonsola-and Mushroom-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Merlot Sauce", Mashed Potatoes and Gravy and a salad. For dessert it was pumpkin pie and a triple chocolate cake (my mom bought them both from Sam's Club). It was all so good. The beef tenderloin was GREAT and is a recipe worth keeping around....and pretty easy :)

Beef Tenderloin...

1 beef tenderloin (about 2 1/2 lb)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 oz)
1 cup soft bread crumbs (about 1 1/2 slices bread)
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or Roquefort cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt) or regular salt

Merlot Sauce...
1/2 cup currant jelly
1/2 cup Merlot, Zinfandel or nonalcoholic red wine
1/4 cup beef flavored broth

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1. Heat oven to 425°F. To cut beef so that it can be filled and rolled, cut horizontally down length of beef, about 1/2 inch from top of beef, to within 1/2 inch of opposite side; open flat. Turn beef. Repeat with other side of beef, cutting from the inside edge to within 1/2 inch of opposite edge; open flat.
2. In 10-inch skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and liquid has evaporated. Cool 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs, cheese and parsley; toss to combine.
3. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over beef to within 1 inch of edges. Tightly roll up beef, beginning with long side. Turn small end of beef under about 6 inches so it cooks evenly. Tie beef with kitchen string at about 1 1/2-inch intervals. In shallow roasting pan, place beef, seam side down, on rack. Brush with oil; sprinkle with salt. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in center of thickest part of beef.
4. Bake uncovered 30 to 40 minutes or until thermometer reads at least 140°F. Cover beef loosely with foil and let stand about 15 minutes or until thermometer reads 145°F. (Temperature will continue to rise about 5°F, and beef will be easier to carve.)
5. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat all sauce ingredients to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly reduced and syrupy. Remove string from beef before carving. Serve beef with sauce.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.


Time-Saver...

Pick up a prepared sauce in a gourmet food store to save time.
Special Touch...
Use extra sprigs of parsley to garnish the beef.

Of course I made some changes...I used blue cheese inplace of gorgonzola and my beef tenderloin was almost 4 pounds and that fed my my family and my mom and step dad. Therefore, added a little bit more blue cheese and mushrooms and parsley when stuffing it cause my piece of meat was a little bit larger. It is such a great recipe :) ENJOY!!!

Christmas 2009...and much, much more...

Well, I can honestly say I am so glad that Christmas has come and gone...even though my Christmas tree has only been up for 3 weeks. There was just not a whole lot of Christmas spirit around our home this year. Just A LOT going on I guess. We were blessed with a beautiful baby girl early in the month so I concider her our Christmas Gift!! She is wonderful...they all are!!

It was GREAT to have my mom and stepdad here or Christmas. I feel spoiled to have had my mom here for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has been so long since I have spent the holiday's with her. I miss her not having her so near anymore.

A new year is upon us with so many things and new adventures to look forward to. First thing on the list...my baby girl's baby blessing next week....ALREADY!! She is almost 4 weeks old. I really wanting to hold off until February...but we will see what we decide to do. It seems we just go day to day anymore. Planning never seems to work out for us!!

Chapel Fudge

Very, Very Yummy!!

4 Cups sugar
1-1/3 Cups canned milk
20 large marshmallows
2 tsp. vanilla
1 Cup margarine
1 12 oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large saucepan, cook sugar, milk and marshallows on medium-high heat, stirring constantly. When mixture comes to a rolling boil, set timer for 10 minutes and continue to sti constantly. If the mixture starts to burn, slightly reduce the heat. After cooking, remove from heat and add vanilla. Place margarine and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot marshmallow mixture over the margarine and chocolate chips, and beat for 5 minutes. Spread into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Let cool. Makes 35-40 pieces of fudge.

Variations:
You can use milk chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Mini marshmallows, nuts, or coconut may be added to the mixture right before spreading it in the pan.

When I made this I forgot to add the vanilla....oops!! I also used milk chocolate chips! It still tastes great. Oh yes....and everything is better with butter...I did not use margarine :) ENJOY!!!

Heavenly Chocolate Mousse Bars UPDATE....

The "Heavenly Chocolate Mousse Bar" Recipe that I posted a few days ago is AMAZING!! SO GOOD and EASY!! Right up my lane! These were so good. We had company over Saturday night for dinner and I made these for dessert....and they were a hit. My husband asked me to please keep that recipe handy. Therefore it had to be good :) The only thing I did was used my own homemade sugar cookie dough. SO GOOD!! Gotta try them...you will love them too!!!

Thanksgiving Day Breakfast

This breakfast recipe is really YUMMY! I wish I would have had the time or remembered to take pictures of it all.

Swiss Woods Souffle and Hashbrowns
Swiss Woods Souffle Ingredients:
8 to 10 slices bread, torn in pieces
5 eggs
2 cups milk, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup shredded Emmenthaler Swiss cheese

Directions:
Arrange bread in an ungreased 9 x 13-in. baking dish. Whisk together the eggs, 1-1/2 cups milk and seasonings, pour over bread and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat unitl no longger pink; drain. Spoon over bread. Combine the soup, cheeses and remaining milk, spread over sausage.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until the top is puffed and center appears set. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. About 6-8 servings (we doubled this recipe).

Thanksgiving Eve...

This was a CRAZY, packed day!! Tate had to dress up like a pilgrim for school and take part in a Thanksgiving Feast. The family members were invited to attend and we were bringing a ham. We were to dress up as indians. Thank goodness for my mom!! She got an outfit together for Tate and the girls. The looked GREAT. Of course I did not take pictures but she did. I will post them once I get them from my mom. They all looked GREAT!! The kids loved it....even Tate!

So, after the feast at the school we headed home to get cooking and baking for the next several day's of our company. My sister and her family arrived that evening. BUT...on Tuesday after we picked Tad up from the airport we went to this International Market and my mom got so much STUFF...so much asian stuff that she had no idea what it was or how to use it. She knew Tad would. So, for dinner Wednesday night we had all sorts of Asian food...of course Tad's culinary skills came to good use. It's a good thing he likes to watch Iron Chef :) Tad was in charge of dinner and mom and I took care of dessert...I was supposed to do it, but I got busy cleaning floors and left it my mom to tend to.

For dessert we made a Caramel Chocolate Trifle. I love trifle's cause they are easy and feed a large group. This one was really good.

Ingredients:
1 package (9 ounces) devil's food cake mix
2 packages (3.9 ounces eaech) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 jar (12-1/4 ounces) caramel ice cream topping
1 package (7-1/2 or 8 ounces) English toffee bits or almond brickle chips

Directions:
Prepare and bake cake according to package directions for an 8-in. square baking pan. Cool on a wire rack. Prepare pudding according to package directions.
Cut cake into 1-1/2-in. cubes; place half of the cubes in a 3-qt. trifle bowl or large glass serving bowl; lightly press down to fill in gaps. Top with half of the whipped topping, pudding, caramel topping and toffee bits; repeat layers. Cover and refrigerate until serving. About 16 servings.

Thanksgiving 2009

Well, I was very blessed to have my mom and my sister and her family here for Thanksgiving. My aunt Cinda, uncle Jay and cousin Lindsay also joined us for dinner. It was GREAT to have such a house full and enjoy every minute of it. So my mom got here the night of November 21st. Tad flew out to Wisconsin the morning of November 22nd. So my mom was here to stay with my incase I was to go into labor or something....(yea right, like that would have happened). That morning after I got Tad to the airport my mom and I sat on the couch looking through recipes for a few hours and we got our whole menu planned for Thanksgiving Day all the way through Sunday. It was fun and of course all the food was GREAT!!!! LOVE IT ALL!! So, I am going to start posting the recipes...they are all so yummy. Although I am rather late posting them...I hope someone can find some use for them maybe for Christmas dinner or just wait till next year!!

Heavenly Chocolate Mousse Bars

I am going to make these tomorrow. They sound GREAT and look GREAT too!! Anything with Chocolate Mousse sounds good to me! Plus I need to try out some new recipes so I can decide on what Christmas goodies to deliver to friends this year. I love baking during the holiday's :)

Ingredients:

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz.) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
Butter and egg called for on cookie mix pouch
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions:

1. Make cookie dough as directed on package. Spread in bottom of ungreased13x9-inch pan. Bake at 350°F 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown; cool.
2. Microwave 1 cup chocolate chips uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes or until melted. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Beat melted chocolate into cream cheese. Beat 1 cup whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold whipping cream into chocolate-cream cheese mixture until well blended. Spread over cooled cookie base. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour or until set.
3. Microwave 1 cup chocolate chips uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes or until melted. Whisk or stir in 1/2 cup whipping cream until blended. Spoon warm chocolate mixture over mousse; spread evenly. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set.

I cannot wait to make these :)

5 wonderful children....

Ok...so it finally HIT me this morning that I have 5 children and 4 under the age of 4. YEP...I AM NUTS!! So, at 7:09 this morning they were all still sleeping and I did not have the heart to wake them up, or maybe I was just enjoying the piece and quiet. That was probably it!! I love quiet time. Anyways. We need to leave the house no later than 7:40 - 7:45 in order to get Tate to school on time. Since he brought home his report card and it showed 7 tardies I have been trying to make it a goal to not have so many. So by 7:15 this morning Shaelee wonders out of bed, then finally I decide to wake up Emilee and Tate around 7:20, but they did not want to get out of bed. It was great. Needless to say he was about 10 minutes late to school this morning and I have not yet made it to Costco today...which was at the very top of my to-do list for today. Now, I am going to go after I get Tate from school....with my 5 wonderful children :) WOW...5 kids!! I cannot believe it!! They are all well worth it though (it's a good thing, too :)

Kaylee's Welcome Home

Kaylee's Homecoming....Thursday, December 3, 2009. So much love!!!

Kaylee Jane Moats...

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 I went to the my regular doctor's appointment. Once again, my blood pressure was high for the 3rd week in a row, so we agreed that that day was a good day to have a baby. I was excited!! So at 3:14 that afternoon we welcomed Kaylee Jane Moats. She is beautiful! She weighed 7 lbs 2 oz and 20" long. A HUGE difference from my last one...nearly 10 pounds and 23". I am still amazed at her size. She has quite a bit of hair....thank goodness. She is loved so much by her brothers and sisters. Not to mention that her mama and daddy are pretty fond of her too :)

Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

These are so good. I dug out the recipe cause I love it for the 12 days of cookies!! So yummy!!

Ingredients:
1 (19.5-oz.) box Pillsbury Brownie Classics Traditional Fudge Brownie Mix
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 can chocolate fudge frosting

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, beat brownie mix, melted butter, cream cheese and egg 50 strokes with spoon unitl well blended (dough will be sticky).
2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets to make 24 cookie; smooth edge of each to form round cookie.
3. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and peanut butter with spoon until mixture forms a ball. With hands, roll rounded teaspoonfuls of peanut butter mixture into 24 balls. Lightly press 1 ball into center of each ball of dough.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 14 minutes or until edges are set. Cool on cookie sheets at least 30 minutes.
5. Remove from cookie sheets. Spread thin layer of frosting over peanut butter portion of each cooled cookie.

These are really yummy!!

Quick and Easy Caramel Corn

This very good and very easy. Huge hit in this house :)

Popcorn, popped, to fill one big bowl (I usually use 2 packages of microwave popcorn.)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cube butter
30 large marshmellows

Melt the sugar, butter and marshmellows on low. Drizzle of popped popcorn and mix.

I also like to use the movie theater popcorn. The salt and the sweetness goes great together :) ENJOY!!!

The beef has arrived...

Our beef has arrived...and boy oh boy...the freezer is packed :) Love the sight of that. For Christmas this year my mom and stepdad bought Tad and I a half of beef. SO WONDERFUL. My uncle brought over 7 boxes of meat yesterday....7!! Thank goodness we got the freezer fixed. Guess what...we are having pork tonight....oh well. We did have steaks lastnight and they were so GOOD!! Not sure how well it is going to move if we end up doing so but until then...beef is whats for dinner :)

Thank you so much mom and Jessie....We are very GRATEFUL!!!

Fresh Cranberry Salad

I Love This!!!!

Ingredients:
1 12oz bag fresh cranberries
1-1/2 cup sugar
1 20-oz crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups miniature marshmellows
1 cup pecans (I like mine chopped)
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Directions:
Grind up cranberriers; stir in sugar and let sit overnight in the refrigerator. Add pineapple to cranberries. Stir in marshmellows and pecans. Whip cream until stiff and fold gently into cranberry mixture.

This salad I love at Thanksgiving time and Christmas time :) Makes about 6 servings.

Baked Cranberry Sauce

In 2005 for we celebrated Christmas and Thanksgiving together at my mom and step-dad's place in Kanarraville, UT because they were going to be gone for the Christmas Holiday. It was a lot of fun and we all shared recipes. I compiled a book of all the recipes we used for the meals that were prepared for those 3-1/2 days. That's one thing about the Holidays...always sooooo much GREAT food. This Baked Cranberry Sauce is very simple...yet really good.

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup orange marmalade
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all ingredientes. Pour into a greased baking dish, 11x8-inch. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cranberries are tender. Serve warm or cold. Refrigerate leftovers.

This is one of my mom's recipes.

Stuffing Ball Recipe

These are GREAT! I love them and could eat them everyday and SO EASY!! (even better, I think!!)

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground pork
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
3/4 cup cranberry sauce
1 egg
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:

HEAT oven to 325ºF.
COOK meat in large skillet until cooked through, stirring frequently; drain. Place in large bowl; cool slightly. Stir in stuffing mix.
ADD cranberry sauce, egg and water; mix well. Shape into 16 balls; place on foil-covered baking sheet. Brush with butter.
BAKE 20 min. or until done (160ºF).

Make Ahead:
Prepare and shape stuffing balls as directed. Freeze in airtight container up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator, then bake as directed.

Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Yummy, Yummy!!!!

Ingredients:

• 5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• salt
• chicken stock
• 1/2 cup cream or half-and-half
• salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly grated nutmef, to taste

Directions:

Place sweet potatoes in a pot, cover with water and bring to boil; salt the water and cook the potoatoes until tender. Once tender, drain cooked potatoes and return to pot. Mash potatoes with little chicken stock and cream. Then add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. SO GOOD!!!!

Turkey Meatloves with Gravy

This was a new recipe for me lastnight and it was good. The gravy turned out good, too. I was a bit hesitant to try ground turkey, as was my husband but it really was good. I served it with the Sweet Potato Puff and a salad. MMMMM.....Love comfort food :)

Meatloaf Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted and finely chopped
• 1-1/2 cups chicken stock, divided
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped (I used half of a large onion, finely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (I used dried and added a little extra)
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons marmalade (I used pineapple-apricot preserves)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Gravy Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Splash of Orange Juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the meat with the bread, splash of stock (1/2 cup or so) egg, shallot, thyme and the marmalade combined with mustard, salt and pepper. Form 6 mini meatloaves and arrange them on a parchment paper baking pan. Cover with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and roast until golden brown, 20 minutes or so.

For the gravy, over medium heat in a skillet, melt butter. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in a splash of orange juice, Worcestershire sauce and 1 cup of chicken stock. Thicken for a few minutes and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

I like to slice the mini meatloaves and then pour the gravy over each sliced loaf.

VERY YUMMY!!!

Sweet Potato Puff

This is GREAT!! I love it. Even though the recipe calls for sweet potatoes I have never made it with them, I have only used yams and it is GREAT!!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Crunchy Praline Topping Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 3/4 cup corn flakes, crushed
• 1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Directions:
Place potatoes in a mixing bowl, mix at medium speed for 45 seconds. Add milk, suagr, eggs, butter, nutmeg, and cinnamon. At medium high speed beat for about 1 minute. Spread mixture in a greased 9-inch pie plate or square baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until set.

Place all topping ingredienst in mixing bowl. Stir until mixed well. Spread on hot puff. Bake for about 10 minutes longer.

Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This is a VERY HOT DISH!!

Lastnight I used frosted flakes in place of corn flakes and omitted the brown sugar and it was just as good.

ENJOY!!!!!

Thanksgiving Recipes....

Well, I had a request today to start posting yummy Thanksgiving Day recipes. I have a few so be on the look out :) I love Thanksgiving and all the GREAT, YUMMY food. Gotta love the holidays.

Thanksgiving at The Moats' Home...

So, today I got news that Thanksgiving is going to be celebrated at my house this year with a good portion of my family. My first time ever hosting a big holiday...rather exciting. Even better if Baby Girl Kaylee decides to come that week :) So it is looking like we are going to have my mom and stepdad and my sister and her husband and her 4 kids on top of my family!! How exciting!

Mandarin Chicken Recipe

This recipe came out of the ever so famous Worldwide Ward Cookbook that I LOVE!! I made this last week. It was good!

Ingredients:
4 to 6 chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter
1 11-oz can mandarin oranges, drained, juice reserved (I used 2 cans but only saved juice from one can)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstach
1 tsp mustard
1 Tbsp vinegar
1/4 cup apricot-pineapple preserves
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Saute chicken breasts in butter until brown, about 10 minutes. Mix mandarin orange juice, soy sauce, and constarch together, then add the remaining ingredients, reserving a few Mandarin oranges (or the extra can). Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook, covered for 30 minutes, turning the chicken occassionally. Put the reserved Mandrin oranges on top of the chickn and cook uncovered for 5 additional minutes. Serve with rice.

Creamy Chicken Chowder Recipe

This is a new recipe for me. I made it for dinner tonight and it is very good. Gotta love meals that can be done in the crock-pot.

Ingredients:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used canned chicken)
1 11-oz can whole kernel corn with sweet peppers, drained (I used regualar corn without sweet peppers cause that is what I already had on hand)
1 10-3/4 oz can condensed cream of potato soup
1 4 oz can diced green chile peppers
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro (I probably used a little bit more cause you can never have enough cilantro)
1 1-1/4 oz envelope taco seasoning mix
3 cups chicken broth
8 oz sour cream
1/2 of an 8 oz package of cream cheese wpread with jalepeno peppers, cubed (I used half of regual cream cheese, then chopped up a jalepeno and deseeded half of the pepper before chopping it up)

Directions:
In a 3-1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker combine chicken, corn, soup, undrained chile peppers, cilantro, and taco seasoning mix. Stir in chicken broth. Cover; cook on low heat setting for 4 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 to 3 hours.

Stir about 1 cup of the hot soup into the sour cream. Stir sour cream mixture and cheese into the mixture in cooker; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until combined.

I garnished it with grated cheddar cheese and more chopped jalepenos and cornbread. It was really yummy....there is no leftovers :)

Almost Ready...

Well, I think I can say I am almost ready for baby Kaylee. Last Sunday I spent the day washing baby clothes. Today I have spent the day washing burp rags, baby blankets and cradle bedding. It is almost all put away where I want it and I am just about set. All I need now is a few things for me...like new PJ's. What is it about new pajama's and the hospital. Having new pajama's to get into after having a baby makes things feel better...or atleast I think so. So I am still on the hunt for new pajama's. Other than that...All I have left to do is pack a bag and oh yes...I still need to clean the carseat and the swing. Those will get done this week. Hard to believe how fast this time is going by. I guess when you have 4 other children and a husband and 2 dogs, that keeps a person pretty busy. Not to mention we looked all summer for a house. WOW...hard to believe the time is almost here. I am just about ready.

New Bows....

I just posted new bows on my Sweet.Bee.Bowtique Blog...take a looksy :)
www.sweetbeebowtique.blogspot.com

Layered Mint Chocolate Brownies

This is another GREAT recipe out of the Worldwide Ward Cookbook. While at Women's Conference I became hopelessly addicted to the mint brownies....mmmmmm, so yummmy!! Well, in this cookbook there is a recipe for these Layered Mint Chocolate Brownies. I thought I might as well give it a whirl and try them out. Maybe bring back some great memories....and BINGO....these are really, really, really GOOD!! I even had to make a little variation and they are still DELISH!!! You got to try them :) The Recipe is as follows.....

Brownie Ingredients:
1 Cup butter, melted
2/3 Cup cocoa powder
2 Cup Sugar
4 eggs
1-1/2 Cup flour

Brownie Directions:
Mix butter, cocoa, and sugar; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in flour. Spread into a greased 9 x13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

Mint Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 Cup butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
1-3 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp mint extract
Green food coloring

Mint Frosting Directions:
Mix butter and powdered sugar. Add only enough milk to make a smooth consistency. Add mint extract and enough food coloring for a light green color. Frosting will be thick. Spread over cooled brownie layer. Refrigerate until firm.

Chocolate Topping Ingredients:
1-1/2 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 Cup butter

Chocolate Topping Directions:
Melt chocolate chips and butter in microwave for 2-3 minutes. Stir well to combine. Pour over frosted brownies, covering frosting completely. Refrigerate until topping is set and hardened. Let brownies sit at room temperature for atleast 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into 24 small squares with sharp knife.

Ok....I had to make a few variations. First...I should have only baked them for about 22 minutes. 25 was too long and the edge of the brownies were very crisp...even though the center was good, it could have been baked less. Then for the frosting...it calls for only a half a cup of butter. I found that when I was mixing the butter and the powdered sugar together that it was not combinding like it should so I added another half of cup of butter. It worked much better. Oh yes, I was certain that when I started these brownies that I had mint extract....NOPE! I was wrong, but I did have peppermint so I used that in place of the mint and it turned out really good. Everyone who has tried them has loved them :) Finally...with the chocolate topping I think I would cut the recipe in half and drizzle the chocolate over the frosting rather than try to cover the whole pan of frosted brownies. Either way....they are really good. The top chocolate layer does set up very fast...I did not put them back in the fridge after putting the topping on.

I must be on a mint kick because as I am typing up this recipe I am eating mint M&M's...mmmmm!!! I love the holidays.

Jerrie's Cheese Ball Recipe

This is a really good cheese ball recipe that I got out of the Worldwide Ward Cookbook. I got it when I was at Women's Conference this past March and so far every recipe I have tried out of it is GREAT...including this one. (I forgot to take a picture of it.)

The recipe is as follows:
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 8.75-oz can crushed pineapple, drained well
1/4 Cup green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 Cup green onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 Cup chopped pecans, divided
2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Mix all indgredients, reserving half of the pecans. Form into a ball and cover with the reserved pecans. Refrigerate several hours. Serve with gingersnap cookies.

I am sure I used more then what was called for on the chopped pepper and onion, but it was GOOD!! I did serve it with gingersnaps but it is also really good with wheat thins. Enjoy!!

Scentsy Party Tonight....Yummy Treats!!

So my Scentsy party is tonight, and even though I am not quite sure what kind of turn out I will have...there is going to be some yummy snacking going on :) I am baking brownies right now...not just any brownies. Layered Chocolate Mint Brownies....MMMMMM (I hope they bring back Women's Conference Memories). Then I am making a Jalepeno and Artichoke Dip, and a Sundried Tomato Dip. Last but not least this Cheese ball thats sounds Great and you eat it with Gingersnap Cookies. How yummy does that sound. I will be sure to post all the recipes...so be on the look out.

New Blog.....

I have set up blog just for my bows and other fun stuff! Check it out at http://www.sweetbeebowtique.blogspot.com/. I just started listing the bows that I have for sale that are left over from the craft fair that Kira and I took part in this past Saturday. I still have a few to add and will continue adding my new creations.

Birthday Girl Emilee Turns 3

I cannot believe that my little Emilee is now 3! She is such a sweet little girl who has a personality like none other. SO...since mom was not in the mood to throw a birthday party we decided to go ChukeE Cheese'S. She had a GREAT time. All the kids had fun. It was well worth the 2-1/2 hours that we spent there...even if the pizza is terrible!! After our fun time we headed home to have birthday cake and ice cream....oh yes, and opened presents. It was a very good day :)

Where does the time go???

Emilee's Birthday Cake

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/lets-party-cake?WT.mc_id=taf_recipe_BC

The cake that I wanted to make....well, I did make the one I wanted, but I did not follow it to a T!! Plus I was basing the colors off of Tinkerbell...Lime Green and Purple, and that part turned out good but...I could not find the Tinkerbell cupcake toppers that I had bought. All in all I guess it turned out good. The Birthday Girl liked it.

The bottom layer of the cake I did an 8" single layer cake and then the first cupcake layer was supposed to be 7 cupcakes...I only did 3. The second layer of cupcakes was supposed to be 4...I only did 2. The final cupcake was right on :) I did not read the directions clearly I guess, otherwise I would have had enough cupcakes. Since my count was short I used toothpicks to secure the cupcakes when I stacked them. I used skittles for all the dots.

Chalupa and Apple Crisp Update....

All in all both recipes were GREAT!!! The Chalupa was a BIG HIT!! It was very yummy. Everyone with the excpetoin of myself and my kids made it like a borrito. I made mine and the kiddos taco salad style. I am so grateful that I bought the electric roaster at Costco yesterday because I started the Chalup out in a 12 quart dutch oven in the oven and it was to the rim...as soon as I got home from Costco I transfered it all to the new roaster and it was great. Had I now done so I am afraid I would have had a HUGE mess in the bottom of my over. Once those beans cooked and all the juices from the pork came out it would have overflowed - Easily.

The Apple Crisp Desert was GREAT. The only variation I would make next time is to do more apples and less time. I started mine about 3:00 and by 7:00 it was done. Once I finally got into it to dish it out it was about 7:30 so it sat in the crock pot for another 30 minutes and cooked. I am guessing with more apples it may take the 4 hours but with the apples I used, which was 4 medium sized, it could have easly been done in 3 hours.

All in all, my dinner was a HIT and everyone enjoyed it. Our visit was GREAT, too!!

Praline Apple Crisp

Here is what I am making for desert tonight to go along with my yummy smelling chalupa....MMMMM. This is a new recipe for me, so I will update on how it ALL turns out.

INGREDIENTS
6 medium-size crisp tart apples (Granny Smith or Braeburn), peeled if desired, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 6 cups)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup toffee bits
Ice cream, if desired

DIRECTIONS
1. Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix apples and cinnamon to coat. Place in slow cooker.
2. In medium bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, flour and butter with pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Stir in pecans and toffee bits. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over apples.
3. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours. Serve apple crisp with ice cream.

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/showrecipe.aspx?rid=37949&tab=recipe

Chalupa Recipe

Now this is GREAT food for a big crowd or to freeze leftovers :)

3-1/4 Cup Dry Pinto Beans - soaked over night
3 lbs pork (pork roast, shoulder or butt)
7 cups water
½ cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 cans green chili's, diced

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker on low heat for 5-7 hours. Uncover for last 30 minutes to allow the liquids to thicken up. Serve like a taco salad with taco salad fixings.

I don't have a slow cooker large enough for this so I am doing mine in the dutch oven and the heat is set at 275 degrees. I plan on eating by 5:30 or so.

Taco Salad Fixings I am Using:
Shredded Lettuce
Crushed Tortilla Chips
Chopped Onions
Fresh Sliced Jalepeno's
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream
Salsa

How cute is this....

The other night I was laying in bed and when I lay down at night is when the baby gets active. So...Shaelee had come in and I told her to put her hand on my belly and she could feel Kaylee kicking. Shaelee put her hand on my belly and Kaylee quit moving, of course. Then Shaelee asks "Is Kaylee in her camper?" Meaning was my belly Kaylee's camper. I chuckled and said "yes, you could call it her camper." Then Shaelee crawls up into bed between Tad and I and lays down with her hands behind her head and her legs crossed and says, "Kaylee is like this, she is in her camper with a pillow and a blanket just like this". This was a priceless moment :)

Southwestern White Chili....Yummy!!

This recipe is for posted just for Kira :) This is really good and I have never had any bad luck with it...Good Luck.

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 15-1/2 ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 4-ounce cans diced green chile peppers
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 ounces)

Optional - For topping
Sour Cream
Crushed Tortilla Chips
Chopped Olives
Chopped Jalepenos or Dinced Canned Chile Peppers

Directions:

1. In a 3-1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker place the ontion, garlic, cumin, oregano, red pepper, beans, 2 cans chile peppers, broth, and cooked chicken. Stir to combine.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4 hours. Stir in the cheese until melted.
3. Ladle the chili into bowls. Top with optionalal toppings!

This chili is GREAT and so EASY :) Enjoy!!

My Favorite Bows....

I have been making A LOT of bows lately and out of all of them, and all the ones I have made in the past....These are by far my favorite. I love how all of them turned out. I wish I had enough of the plaid ribbon to make some more for my girls. I guess if I don't sell them at the craft fair, I will have plenty for my girls. I am seriously addicted to making bows.

Very Good Potato Soup Recipe

I got this recipe from my sister several years ago and it is a favorite.

Ingredients:
2 quarts water
6 medium potatoes, chunked
1 cup buter
1 large onion, chopped
15 chicken bouillon cubes
3 garlic cloves
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
Bring water and potatoes to a boil, lower heat and simmer until potatoes are very tender. Saute butter, onions and garlic together in small pan. Carefully spoon half of the cooked potatoes out of the liquid into a blender. Add onions, garlic and butter to the blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot with cooking liquid still in it and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add bouillon cubes. When cubes are dissolved, add cream cheese and sour cream. Stir until melted and serve. It is very YUMMY!!!

Snoozin' Kids....

So we sent the older three kids upstairs to play. I told Tad that they were being too quiet and I bet they had fallen asleep. So I had to go upstairs to check on them. When I did...this is what I found...the three of them snoozin' on the bean bag. It was way CUTE!!

Apple Muffins

Today I made these really good Apple Muffins. My favorite part of fall is baking. So... here is the link to the recipe (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Muffins-2/Detail.aspx). I made 2 changes...I used about 2-1/2 cups of chopped apples and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. They were really yummy. Great for breakfast too, but I have left them out on the counter all day and there is only 4 left, I think. They are not too sweet either :)

Our Trip to the Orchard...

So, Tad worked on Saturday and I ventured to the orchard with all the kids. Had I known what to expect I would have liked it better. We went to the Gilcrease Orchard, which is in Las Vegas. I did not know until after I unloaded all the kids that you could drive through it, which I should have done. So between Shaelee saying she is tired and very hungry, and Emilee telling me she can't walk cause she will fall and get hurt, TJ falling asleep and Tate asking 1,001 questions....I HAD ENOUGH. We were there for an hour and all the trees were pretty much picked over. All that is in season right now is Apples, Pears and Pumpkins. People were only leaving there with pumkins. After all that we dedcided it was time to go and meet Daddy for lunch. It was quite an adventure.

http://www.gilcreaseorchard.org/

Christmas Bows Now on Etsy....

Look at how cute these are.....

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7755511

Autum F.H.E.

We had a GREAT F.H.E. We decided to do a picnic on the family room floor. I put a big blanket on the floor and had finger foods for dinner. We did BLT's cut into quarters, little smokies wrapped in breadstick dough (smaller version of pigs in a blanket), Velveeta salsa cheese dip and chips. It was easy and good.

Afer we ate we read a few stories from th September Friend and then....we played AUTUM Bingo. For the markers I got some of the Branch's Autum Mix (Candy Corns and Pumpkins). It was a lot of fun. Shaelee won the game.

There is this GREAT website called DLTK Kids. It is a great site for all sorts of kid friendly crafty ideas and agreat place to make custom games, such as BINGO, Dominos, Memory. There is a ton of stuff here and it's all FREE!! So...this is where I got the AUTUM BINGO. I printed up 12 so had extras. I laminated mine so that they would last longer with my kiddos. Check it out!!!

http://www.dltk-kids.com/

Libby's Old Fashion Soft Pumpkin Cookies

So, left over from the Pumkpin Gingerbread recipe (which I still need to post) I had canned pumpkin that needed to be used up so I made these cookies....they are so good. Not too sweet, but I should have added some chocolate chips or rasins to them. They are still good though. Here is the link...and there are a ton of other yummy sounding pumkin recipes :)

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?id=32364

More Bows, Bows, and More Bows....

New Bows Now Listed on Etsy....

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7755511

Banana Bread.....mmmmmm, GOOD!!!!

I had some bananas that need to be used up so I made some banana bread and it is GOOD!!! Here's the Recipe...

Ingredients:
1 cup (optional) chopped walnuts or pecans...(I used pecans)
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking poweder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled (I only have salted butter so I used that and omitted the 1/4 teaspoon of salt)
3 ripe bananas (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place oven rack in middle. Spray or grease and flour bottom and sides of 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nuts. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly foild the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combinded and the batter is thick and chunky. Don't over mix the batter or the bread will turn out rubbery. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool and then remove from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature, or freeze to use at a later date.

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Something about baking and fall!! MMMMMMMM!!!! I found this recipe for a Deep Dish Apple Pie and it sounds so yummy :) I am going to make it tomorrow when I have more energy.

Ingredients:

9 medium (about 3 pounds) Golden Delicious or Newtown Pippin apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoon(s) coarsely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup(s) sugar, for filling
1 tablespoon(s) sugar, for crust
3 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour, for filling
2 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour, for crust
1 teaspoon(s) salt
3/4 cup(s) butter-flavor shortening
2 tablespoon(s) (1/4 stick) margarine or butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

1. In large bowl, toss apple slices with ginger, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons flour.
2. In another large bowl, mix salt, 2 1/4 cups flour, and 1 tablespoon sugar. With pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With fork, stir in 6 to 7 tablespoons cold water until dough is just moist enough to hold together. (If dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time.) Shape dough into 2 balls, 1 slightly larger than the other.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll larger ball of dough into a round 2 inches larger all around than inverted 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate. Gently ease dough into pie plate; trim edge leaving 1-inch overhang; reserve trimmings. Spoon apple mixture into pie crust; dot with margarine or butter.
4. Roll remaining dough for top crust into 11-inch round. Cut short slashes or a design in round to allow steam to escape during baking. Center round over filling in bottom crust. Trim pastry edge, leaving 1-inch overhang; reserve trimmings. Fold overhang under; bring up over pie-plate rim and pinch to form high edge, then make decorative edge. Reroll trimmings. With knife, cut out apple shape and 2 leaves; arrange on pie.
5. Place a sheet of foil underneath pie plate; crimp foil edges to form a rim to catch any drips during baking. Bake pie 50 to 55 minutes until apples are tender when pierced with a knife. To prevent overbrowning, cover pie loosely with tent of foil after 30 minutes. Cool pie on wire rack 1 hour; serve warm. Or, cool completely to serve later.

Oh goodness....sounds even better with some good vanilla ice cream :)

Preschool Taday...Letter "D"

Today is my turn for preschool and the letter we are working on is "D". So we here is what I have and with the "D, d's" that are cut out we are going to decorate with dots....sticky dots and dots out of cardstock that we will glue one or just color them! We are going to read Dr. Sues ABC... book and do some other fun stuff!!! Our snack is going to be dougnut holes and apples with fruit dip. I hope the kids enjoy it :)

Ok...Now that it is over with, it was well worth the time put into it. All the kdis had a good time...I think! We did the "D" book that I made, a little worksheet that required some good listening skills and they all did really well. Then we read Dr. Suess ABC... After that came the fun stuff...decorating the "D,d's". For me that was the best part!! The kids all had fun with that. Then we played with DOMINOS...it was noisy but fun! And finally...snack time!! DOUGNUT holes and apples with fruit DIP!! It was all good!!! Looking forward to the letter "H". That's my next letter!!

Butterfly Birthday Party

WOW...I am like way slacking in posting pictures. Here are the pictures from the butterfly birthday party for the Butterfly Shaelee.....