Krispy Bars

These are rice krispy treats taken to a whole new level. My mother-in-law shared this recipe with me and I will forever be grateful! They're quick and easy to make and will change the way you look at rice krispy treats forever. They're not even a little bit good for you but they are good for holiday baking, parties or just as a treat from time to time. 

1 cup white sugar

1 cup corn syrup (caro)

2/3 cup peanut butter 

5-6 cups of rice krispies

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

3/4 cups butterscotch chips

Bring the sugar and syrup to the a boil. Remove from heat and stir in your peanut butter. In a greased 9x11 (or 9x13) pan, spread out your rice krispies. Pour the mixture over the top and stir it all together until the cereal is coated. Press the rice krispies in the pan, making a smooth layer. Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips over low heat (or in the microwave) and spread it over the rice krispy mixture. Put it in the refrigerator until the chocolate/butterscotch hardens. Cut (you might need a chainsaw, but it's worth it!) and serve! 

Mama Rasberry's Mac & Cheese

If you listen to Kidd Kraddick in the morning, I'm sure you've heard Kellie Rasberry talk about her mama's famous mac and cheese. I saw the recipe and knew without a doubt that it would be added to my Thanksgiving menu...and probably a lot more menu's afterwards. It's rich, creamy and cheesy beyond belief. And it heats up perfect the day after and the day after...

16 oz package of elbow noodles, cooked in salt water

1 lb of medium cheddar cheese

1/2 lb of muenster cheese

1 pint of heavy whipping cream

3 eggs, beaten in the whipping cream

1 stick of butter

Boil the macaroni until tender. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and cover it with a layer of macaroni. Layer slices of cheddar and muenster cheese on top followed by several pats of butter. Add another layer of noodles followed by cheese and butter. Mix the eggs and whipping cream and pour over the top of the casserole. You know what to do with any leftover butter...add it to the top! Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. I stirred mine occasionally to speed up the melting process. Once the cheese is melted and no longer runny (you want a custard consistency),  serve immediately while it's hot. 

This is by far my favorite macaroni & cheese I've ever tasted and I will be hard pressed to make it any other way again. Enjoy...and thank Kellie Rasberry! 

Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey

I call this "perfect" Thanksgiving turkey because I've made it for the past 3 years and it hasn't let me down once. It always comes out tender and juicy and for lack of a better word...perfect! Feel free to make this turkey any day of the year...I'm sure the results will be the same. 

6-7 lb turkey 

1 stick of butter

1 bottle of injectable Tony Chachere's creole butter marinade

Emeril's Turkey Rub seasoning 

Paprika 

Salt and pepper 

Prepare the bird by removing any innards and/or gravy packs. Stuff it with stuffing and place it in a big roasting pan that leaves you plenty of room on all sides. Inject the entire bottle of marinade into the turkey. Don't inject it all into the same spot...spread the love around. After you do that, melt the butter and pour the butter over the turkey. Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper and turkey rub. Use as much or as little as you'd like. Cover the turkey and bake for about 1.5 hours. Remove cover and baste the turkey with the drippings in the bottom of the pan. Leave the cover off and bake for another 1.5-2 hours, periodically basting the turkey. When it's done, the internal temp of the dressing should be about 165, which would mean the turkey is even hotter. Carve it up and serve with your Thanksgiving...or Sunday feast. Enjoy! 

Farmers Breakfast Casserole

I decided I was going to start a new Thanksgiving tradition this year and start the day with a breakfast casserole. I'm already going to consume a million calories this afternoon, so why not get a head start? This was very simple to make and it is amazing! 

1 package of crescent rolls (I used the buttery, flaky layers, obviously)

1 lb turkey sausage (or regular, whatever floats your boat)

1 cup cheddar cheese (I used sharp)

1/4 cup milk

3 eggs, beaten 

1 cup of baby Bella mushrooms, chopped

1 cup of white onion, chopped 

1 tsp of oregano 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Preheat your oven to 350. Fry and crumble sausage in a skillet with the onions. Take your crescent roll dough and unroll it, pressing it together to form a dough on the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Layer the sausage and onion and mushrooms on the crescent dough, followed by the cheese. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oregano, salt and pepper and pour it over the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until dough is golden brown and eggs are cooked. Let cool for a few minutes and then cut and serve! 

 *side note: You may want to pour a little grease off of it after cutting because we all know cheddar cheese is notorious for creating greasy dishes.*

Enjoy! 

Beef Stir Fry

My husband picked stir fry for his birthday dinner. He's usually the one that makes stir fry in our house so I told him that he would have to make it so I wouldn't ruin it...and he believed me! I have my moments but I'd never make him cook his own birthday dinner. Well, needless to say, when he returned home from work the stir fry was waiting for him. I think I did pretty well for my first try. Well enough to share the recipe with you... 

1-2 lbs beef flank steak, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups of broccoli, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cups of baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp ginger paste

salt and pepper to taste

First, boil your broccoli. You'll want it to be just barely fork tender. Saute your green pepper and onion in a skillet with the worcestershire sauce, ginger and garlic. In another skillet, heat your olive oil on medium and brown your steak on both sides. It won't be completely cooked through but you don't want that. Flank steak tends to get really tough the longer it cooks. Last, combine your flank steak, mushrooms, green pepper, onion and broccoli into one skillet (preferably a wok if you own one) and add the soy sauce and any salt and pepper you want. Cook for about 10 minutes until steak is cooked through. Serve over rice or asian noodles.

Enjoy! 

Oven Beer Can Chicken

Thanksgiving is in a few days so what better time to practice baking a bird? I've made "rotisserie style" oven baked chicken in the past but when I found Weber's Beer Can Chicken seasoning the other day, I was intrigued. I've never actually had Beer Can Chicken but being raised in the part of the country I was, there's nothing about those three words combined that sound bad together. Here's what you'll need:

Whole chicken (mine was a little over 4 lbs)

Weber Beer Can Chicken seasoning (I found it at Walmart)

Paprika 

4 tbsp melted butter 

Wash and prepare your chicken. Place it in a greased oven-safe baking dish and pour melted butter over the top. Be sure and brush it around to cover the entire chicken. Next sprinkle a layer of paprika (I love the color it gives the chicken) and then a layer of Beer Can Chicken seasoning. Pop it in your preheated 350 degree oven and bake until thermometer reads 165. That was about 2 hours for mine. Oven times may vary so after an hour and a half I'd check it to be on the safe side. That's all there is to it. Carve it up and serve it. It's tender, juicy and delicious and makes me want Thanksgiving Thursday to speed up its arrival time. Enjoy! 

Banana Sponge Cake with White Chocolate Glaze

I'm not sure there's a photo that could do this cake justice but just take my word for it...you will never have a spongier, moister cake than this. Think the texture of a Twinkie but better! Once again I had some old bananas that needed used up and I didn't necessarily want to make banana bread again so I started looking for other recipes. I kept running across banana sponge cakes but the recipes were either in a foreign language or needed to be converted from the metric system. I was intrigued though so I decided to try my best to convert the recipe although math is something I should never be trusted with. But, it worked! And the result is this amazing creation that makes me say, "banana bread who?" Preheat your oven to 325 and prepare to be wowed...

3 very ripe bananas

3 eggs 

1/8 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda 

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

1 cup sugar 

1 cup bread flour (this may be the secret so I wouldn't substitute this for wheat, all purpose, etc.)

1/2 cup white chocolate chips 

1 tbsp almond milk (could use regular milk, I'm sure) 

Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder together in a small mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine banana, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Mix it until it's a thick, liquid consistency. Fold in the flour mixture and blend together very well. Last, add the vegetable oil. Pour into a well greased glass baking dish. Cook for 40-45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. In a small microwave safe dish microwave the white chocolate chips and almond milk until melted. Stir it up and pour it onto the banana cake. Stick it back in the oven for about two minutes to re-melt the chocolate because it hardens up fast. When you pull it out, smooth the glaze around the cake with a spatula. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then slice and enjoy! 

Copycat Starbucks Frappuccino-Regular & Skinny

If you're anything like me & millions of other people, you love Starbucks. Every ridiculously overpriced drink. In an effort to satisfy cravings & save money, I started buying the bottled mocha frappuccino. They're still pricy but not quite as bad when you buy bulk. But why couldn't I just make my own? I took to Pinterest and found what appeared to be a good recipe, so I made a couple minor changes and prepared some for this morning...

1 cup of brewed medium blend Starbucks coffee (the kind you can buy at Walmart & make in your own coffee maker) 

3 tbsp chocolate syrup (I used sugar free but feel free to use any kind you like)

2 tbsp sugar (I used Truvia but again, use the real stuff if you so desire)

Mix these 3 ingredients together. Put in the fridge or freezer until it cools down (about 15 minutes). When you take it out, add 1/4 cup half and half and pour it into the blender with 1.5 cups of ice. Blend until smooth and creamy. Top with whipped cream and chocolate chips if you want to feel like you're getting the Starbucks treatment but I promise it's just as delicious without. 

When that turned out so well, I knew I needed to figure out how to make a more guilt free, "skinny" version that would rival the Light Mocha Frappuccino I normally drink. Here's what I came up with...

1 cup brewed medium blend Starbucks coffee 

3 tbsp dark chocolate chips

2 tbsp & 1 tsp of Truvia 

I mixed that together until the chocolate chips melted and put it in the freezer to cool down (about 15 minutes). Meanwhile I melted 1tbsp of butter and added it to 1 cup of almond milk to make my own half and half. Once the coffee was cooled, I added the homemade half and half, stirred it up and put it in the blender with 1.5 cups of ice. Blend until smooth. 

As you can see from the picture above, the regular version is more creamy but they are both delicious. I'll be using both recipes in the future. Feel free to experiment with the base and I'm sure you can come up with lots of other copycat Starbucks recipes to suit your taste. Enjoy! 

Chicken & Mushroom Alfredo Bake

I'll be the first to admit that I kind of have a thing for chicken and mushrooms together so there will probably be plenty of future posts that include these two ingredients. Just a forewarning! I've made this a couple of times in the past and used spaghetti squash as a pasta substitute and that worked out awesome in case you're strictly counting carbs or want to sneak veggies in somewhere. There's a lengthy process involved here as the alfredo sauce is actually a healthy, lightened up version made out of cashews. Yeah, I know, I was skeptical the first time I tried it too. Here goes...

1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 6 hours

8 chicken tenders, diced

2 cups baby bella mushrooms, chopped

2 cups pasta of your choice

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 cup mozzarella

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1.5 - 2 cups of water

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350. Pan fry your chicken in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add 1 tbsp minced garlic, garlic powder and onion powder. Fry until it is cooked through and has a nice golden brown color. 

Take your soaked cashews, drain the water off of them and pour into a food processor or blender. Process them until they form a paste. Add 1/2 cup of water and process some more. Add 1 cup of water and continue processing until it forms a milky liquid. Meanwhile have 1 tbsp garlic sauteing in 2 tbsp of olive oil and pasta boiling until tender. Pour in the cashew liquid and stir until it thickens. Add parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste and continue stirring. Once the cheese is melted, add your chicken and mushrooms to the sauce. You can add up to 1/2 cup water if the sauce is too thick for your taste.

In a greased glass baking dish layer your pasta and pour the chicken/mushroom/sauce mixture over the top. Coat it with the mozzarella cheese, cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. 

When you take it out the cheese will be melted and you will be ready to devour this delicious alfredo bake. Serve with salad and/or garlic bread and enjoy! 

Crockpot Turkey Chili

Once upon a time, chili was 1 of maybe 5  things that I could make with confidence. Back then my chili consisted of hamburger, tomato sauce, kidney beans and a packet of chili seasoning. I've tweaked it over the years and have put together a foolproof chili recipe, sure to please everyone! 

1 lb ground turkey

1 packet chili seasoning

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles

1 can *chili ready tomato sauce (Hunt's brand)

1 can *chili ready kidney beans 

Salt and pepper to taste 

*the chili ready indicates that it is seasoned and ready specifically for use in chili*

Combine all ingredients except the ground turkey in your crockpot. Stir together and cook on low for about 4-6 hours. Turn your crockpot to warmer and cook the ground turkey before adding it to the crockpot at well. Cook for another 30 minutes or so and serve. It's even better the next day...enjoy! 

Mardi Gras Fried Cabbage

I dubbed this dish Mardis Gras Fried Cabbage because the bright colors make it look like a party in a pan. I liked using the red cabbage instead of the regular green cabbage because it didn't wilt completely so there was still some crunch to each bite. It made for a more enjoyable texture in my opinion. 

You'll need:

1 package smoked turkey sausage, chopped

1/2 red cabbage, chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

4-5 baby Bella mushrooms, chopped

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp fat (can be oil, bacon grease, lard...it's up to you!)

2 tbsp Nature's Seasons (seasoning)

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Melt your fat source in a skillet (I used cast iron) and then add your cabbage, onion, mushroom and garlic to sauté. In another skillet brown your sausage. After the veggies have fried for about 25-30 minutes, season them and add the sausage to the skillet and cook together for another 5-10 minutes. 

This turned out to be surprisingly filling and delicious. It was my first experience with fried cabbage and definitely won't be my last. Enjoy! 

Cajun Pork Cutlet & Mushrooms

Fried pork cutlet is my husband's favorite meal. Yes, I'm talking about the cheap, ground, $2 a pound pork cutlet. I give in and make it from time to time but tonight I decided to dress it up a little to make it more enjoyable for me. You'll need:

2 Pork cutlets (double recipe if needed)

1 cup Baby Bella mushrooms, chopped

2 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

2 tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 tbsp olive oil 

Melt butter in a skillet on medium. Coat pork cutlet lightly in flour and place it in the hot skillet. Season one side with Cajun seasoning. Flip after a few minutes and season the other side with more Cajun. Meanwhile in another small skillet sauté the mushrooms and add a tsp of garlic powder for extra flavor. Once your pork cutlets are golden brown and cooked through (about 10 minutes), pour mushrooms over the top and serve. 

This turned out delicious and was a very quick, simple and CHEAP meal. Enjoy! 

Best Baked Salmon

I've tried so many salmon recipes calling for flavor additives from ginger to lemon to honey and have been thoroughly disappointed with them all. When it comes to salmon, I've learned that less is more. You'll need:

Salmon, however many pieces you need to serve 

Butter

Salt and pepper 

See, less is more! Preheat your oven to 350. Take each piece of salmon and top it with a dollop (about a teaspoon) of butter. Salt and pepper it generously. Wrap each piece in foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. And voila, you're all done! I served it tonight with brussel sprouts and wild rice and enjoyed a delicious meal in 30 minutes. 

Balsamic Chicken & Mushrooms

Balsamic vinegar used for cooking has always intimidated me because the smell is so strong and I could never decide whether it was a smell that I wanted to discover the taste of. I decided to bite the  bullet and try making balsamic chicken and mushrooms. 

8 thawed chicken tenders, cut into chunks 

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp butter or olive oil 

1 cup heavy cream 

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

1 small package of baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste 

Sauté your onion in the 2 tbsp butter or olive oil until carmelized. Add your chicken, salt and pepper and cook the chicken until lightly browned. Put the chicken and onion in a bowl and sit aside. Add your chicken broth to the skillet and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream, balsamic vinegar and mushrooms and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add the chicken and onions back in along with the Parmesan cheese and cornstarch to thicken. Season with garlic powder and more salt and pepper if needed to suit your taste. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring it often. (Note: you can always omit the cornstarch if you prefer a less thick sauce.) Serve over rice, pasta or spaghetti squash or eat it alone like I did. 

The verdict? Amazing! It's a perfect combination of flavors that your taste buds will thank you for. Enjoy! 

Showroom Chocolate Chip Cookies

*photo taken after 2 cookies were already inhaled. 

I call these showroom chocolate chip cookies because my husbands reaction upon seeing them was, "those look straight off the showroom floor." I am the queen of making ugly cookies so if I can create these, anyone can! These are very soft, chewy cookies so if you like them hard and crunchy you might want to move along because these aren't for you.

1 stick unsalted, softened butter 

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup Truvia

1 1/2 cups flour 

2 tsp cornstarch 

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg 

2 cups chocolate chips  

Preheat oven to 350. With a mixer (I used a hand mixer) cream together the butter, truvia and brown sugar. Add vanilla and egg and continue mixing. Add the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and mix some more. Last, pour in your chocolate chips, stir it all together and try to avoid devouring the bowl of dough. Line a silver cookie pan with parchment paper. Scoop 6 big scoops onto the pan and flatten them down. (If you have another pan do 6 more or you'll have to cook them in 2 batches.) Cook for 10 minutes. Pull them out and let them stand for about 10 minutes to firm up. They will seem like they aren't cooked all the way but after 10 minutes they are ready to go. Enjoy a dozen (hopefully not all at once!) chocolate chip cookies!  

Crockpot Pepper Steak

I've got chocolate chip cookies baking right now that I can only hope will rival this delicious supper from tonight. Pepper steak is another new meal for me...I had never eaten nor cooked it but I love steak and peppers so why not? I started out following a recipe but had definitely made it my own by the time we sat down to eat it. You'll need:

1 pack of stir fry beef (1.5-2 lbs)

1 green bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

1 red bell pepper 

*I liked the color variation but you can use all one color if you prefer.

1/2 onion, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes with onion, celery & green pepper added

1 package of Lipton Onion Mushroom soup mix

3 tbsp corn starch 

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 cups whole wheat egg noodles

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tsp ginger paste 

1/2 cup beef broth 

1/2 cup sugar (I used a no-calorie artificial sweetener) 

Put meat into the crockpot. Mix soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar and onions together. Pour over the meat. Cut up all your peppers and add it to the crockpot as well. (If you prefer really crunchy peppers then wait to add them an hour prior to serving.) Pour in your beef broth and season with salt and pepper. Cook on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours pour in diced tomatoes and stir in soup mix and cornstarch. This will thicken the sauce.

Boil pasta until done and add it to the crockpot. Set to warmer for another 30 minutes and enjoy a hot, satisfying meal!