PUMPKIN COFFEE CAKE

We all know I have a LOVE for anything Pumpkin, so when I came across this I just had to try it. The house smells so YUMMY when this is baking!!

INGREDIENTS

1 package (16oz) pound cake mix

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

6 tablespoons water

2 eggs

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

TOPPING

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoons melted butter

Spray a 9 inch round cake pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pumpkin, water, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the side of the bowl and beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan.In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Sprinkle half over the batter. Pour remaining batter over the crumbs and spread carefully. Sprinkle with remaining topping.

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 pkg dark chocolate cake mix

1 pkg instant chocolate pudding mix

1 16 oz sour cream

3 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preaheat oven to 350. Grease a bundt pan. Mix together ingredients and pour in pan. Bake for one hour and then cool. Top with powdered sugar!

CHICKEN BREAST SUPREME

CHICKEN BREAST SUPREME
Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

4-8 strips of bacon

16 oz sour cream

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 can of sliced mushrooms

1 jar of dried beef (this is found near tuna or spam)

Wrap the chicken in bacon and put in pan
Mix up all the other ingredients. Tear up the dried beef into small pieces (this is what gives the meal the real flavor)
Pour mixture over chicken and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours

Serve with white rice and pour the extra sauce on top. If we had company - we would add vegetables or a salad and rolls - but since it's just us - we just had this. TASTY!

GRAHAM CRACKER BROWNIES

Graham Cracker Brownies

2 packs of graham crackers (minus 4)

1 bag of chocolate chips

1 can of sweet condensed milk

Mix all of ingredients together, until gooey.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put it in a glass pan, (it's easier to get out). Bake until golden brown (could be gooey on inside) or cook it as long as you feel :)

Gingerbread Playdough!

Basic Playdough Recipe: MIX: 1 c. flour, 1/2 c. salt, 1 T cooking oil, 1 T. cream of tartar, 1 c. waterMAKE IT YOUR WAY: add color, or 1 t. of flavor (peppermint, vanilla, lavender, whatever..), or in the case of gingerbread-1 T. of cinnamon, 1 t. of allspice, 1 t. of cloves...whatever spices you want until you have the scent you want.

PROCESS: Mix all the ingredients, the place them in a pot, heat at medium, and stir constantly until the wet liquid dries and pulls away from the pan (this takes about a minute). Pop it out of the pan, and knead with your hands until smooth. If it's still sticky, add some flour.

Breakfast Christmas Morning

I am really into making something up the night before to pop in the oven first thing Christmas Morning. This is SUPER easy, which is a plus and I HAVE made this actually this morning and it was VERY tasty.


3 cups croutons
1 C shredded cheddar
4 eggs, beaten
2 C. milk
½ t salt
½ t ground mustard
1/8 t onion powder
Pinch pepper
Real bacon pieces

Layer croutons in 7x11 pan.
Mix next 7 ingredients in a mixing bowl and pour over
croutons.
Sprinkle with bacon pieces and cover with plastic wrap

Remove plastic wrap and bake in 325
degree oven for 1 hour. Heat
sausage in microwave according to
package directions.
*freezable

M&M/Pretzel Goodie

Start by lining a cookie sheet with wax paper, then fill the sheet completely with square pretzels. Top each pretzel with a peppermint Hershey Kiss (which I've only ever found at Target & Meijer did have some). Heat your oven to about 170 degrees and WATCHING CLOSELY warm them for 5 to 6 minutes. You want to soften the Kiss, not melt it (or it turns into a big mess)! When it's soft, you can press an M&M on top. Chill for 5 to 10 minutes to set

Peppermint Bark

All I used was Ghiradelli white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a package of candy canes

I melted the semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave and poured it on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
Let it cool for at least an hour
Crush candy canes in a zip lock bag
Then melt and pour the white chocolate chips and sprinkle candy canes on top
Let it harden then break into pieces..super easy!

Rocky Road Bars

All you need is:

2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 bag)

1 2/3 cups of butterscotch chips (1 bag)

1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or creamy whatever you have in the pantry)

9 cups of mini marshmallows (1 bag)

1 cup of dry roasted peanuts

All you do is:Line a 13x9 pan with foil

Microwave both chips and peanut butter in a large uncovered bowl for about 2 1/2 minutes, stir and if needed microwave some more for about 15 seconds. Stir until melted. Cool for 1 minute. Stir in your marshmallows and peanuts.

Spread the mixture into your foil lined pan. Refrigerate until firm.
Cut into squares

Super Simple Fudge

Ingredients

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup butter

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DirectionsPlace chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter in large microwaveable bowl. Zap in microwave on medium until chips are melted, about 3-5 minute, stirring once or twice during cooking. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour into well-greased 8x8-inch glass baking dish. Refrigerate until set. Of course, you can also melt the chips in a pot on the stove with your milk and butter, I usually do it this way, but in a pinch, the microwave is quicker. Enjoy!

PB Balls...I must have for the Holidays!

2 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup of PB
6 tbsp of butter
almond bark (chocolate).
Mix the 3 ingredients together & then roll into balls, place on wax paper. Melt the almond bark on the stove top on LOW until melted. I always dip the balls with an ice cream scooper, it seems to coat them really well. Let dry & serve! YUMMM-O!

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESE BALL

I am trying to come up with many ideas to serve at parties this week, since I am sure everyone has LOTs of Holiday gatherings.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESE BALL
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in confectioners' sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball. Wrap with plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll the cheese ball in finely chopped pecans before serving. But it can be hard to form a ball so I skipped the nuts and just put the mixture in a bowl. (I think it's better that way!)

Cherry Limeade Punch

LOVE SONIC for their Cherry Limeade. So when I came across this I just had to make it. Believe it or not it is definitely close to Sonic. I have served this up at a couple gatherings and it got good reviews!! It's very yummy. This recipe is just 1-1-1 so you can double or triple accordingly.

Cherry Limeade Punch
1 can frozen limeade concentrate
1 bottle Sprite
1 jar of maraschino cherries
1 lime
Put in the limeade and then add the sprite. Pour in the juice from the cherries. Then add the cherries and sliced up lime for looks and taste.

Green Bean Bundles

We and I say we because normally Troy is in charge of making these, for most of our gatherings. They are a BIG hit and oh so yummy!!

Ingredients:2 or 3 cans of whole green beans
Bacon slices
1 stick of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
tsp of garlic salt
Wrap a handful of green beans in half a slice of bacon. That makes one bundle - keep going for as many bundles as you would like to have.
Melt a stick of butter and stir in one cup of brown sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you would like it).
Add a teaspoon of garlic salt. Pour over bundles.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Then put under the broiler for 4-5 minutes at the end. DELICIOUS!

Baked Crescent Churros

Prep Time: 15 Min
Total Time: 30 Min
Makes: 12 churros

INGREDIENTS:-
2 tablespoons sugar
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
-2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS:
- Heat oven to 375°F.
In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
- If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate into 4 rectangles. Press each to 6x4-inch rectangle, pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles. Press each to 6x4-inch rectangle.
- Brush tops of 2 rectangles with melted butter; sprinkle with about half of the sugar mixture. Top each with remaining rectangle; press edges lightly. Brush tops with melted butter.
- With sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each rectangle stack lengthwise into 6 strips. Twist each strip 3 times; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Brush tops with any remaining melted butter; sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.

Crock Pot

Love the Crock Pot, especially on lazy days or working days!

Slow Cooker Chicken Lasagna
5 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 C. cooked cubed chicken

1 can cream mushroom soup

1 can cream onion soup

8 oz sour cream

1 C. milk

salt & pepper

Add all ingredients to large zipper bag. Zip to seal. Squish around to mix.

Additional ingredients needed when ready to cook:

9 dry lasagna noodles

2 C. shredded Colby jack cheese

1 C. shredded Parmesan cheese

Layer 1/3 chicken mixture in bottom of slow cooker.

Cover with 3 noodles, breaking to fit.

Sprinkle with 1/2 Colby/jack cheese.

Repeat layers ending with chicken mixture.Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.Cook on low for 4 hours. Serve with a green salad.

BEER BREAD

This recipe is pretty easy, and it's wicked good! I don't really like the taste of beer, but I like this bread. The beer taste is pretty subtle. I think that it's best to use a lighter-colored beer for this recipe. You can also use a clear soda, like Sprite or ginger ale. If you use soda instead of beer, the bread tastes sweeter. Beer Bread Recipe

3 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
12 ounce bottle of beer

Preheat oven to 375. Mix the ingredients in a bowl. Pour into a greased loaf pan, spread butter on top of the batter. Bake for about 45 minutes, until bread is golden brown and pulling away from the edge of the pan.

GINGER SNAPS

Since I have been home with sick kids for almost a week now, it was time to get back to baking. I baked these last night, not only did they make the house smell awesome they taste GREAT...especially with a good cup of coffee!!

Gingersnaps
2 1/4 cup flour1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup white sugar
In large mixing bowl, place half of the flour. Add the brown sugar, shortening, molasses, egg, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. (FYI: I put in a little extra ginger, cinnamon and cloves.)
Beat with electric mixer on medium to high until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat in remaining flour.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in white sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes or until edges are set and tops are crackled.