Pot Roast

The Perfect Pot Roast. It's a much loved thing around our house. However, I think it took about 4 years of trying and failing EVERY time I attempted to make it to finally find what now works perfect EVERY single time. Here are my secrets (learned from my momma of course):

1. I always buy a chuck roast. Others may work well too but I never stray from the chuck roast - when I can find them for $1.99 a pound I always stock the freezer.

2. Put it in a pot in the oven at 350 degrees and douse it with water and about 32oz. of beef broth. Enough to just cover the entire thing in liquid.

3. Cook it for a minimum of 4 hours. If it's still tough - COOK IT LONGER. Cook it until it falls apart. The longer the better.

4. About two hours till I'm ready to serve it I add the carrots, potatoes, and sometimes onions and mushrooms. Then I add 1 onion soup mix packet along with the veggies. If the roast isn't covered with liquid anymore I add more water so the veggies have enough to cook in.

About 2 Weight Watcher PointsPlus per ounce

That's it - Perfect every time!

ENJOY!

Pot Pie

I got this recipe from my best buddy Kierste at SweetPea Recipes (check out her site for way more yummy goodies) - it is perfect for these cold winter days. It is warm and yummy and perfect for using leftover turkey.

An 1/8 of the pie is 9 OLD Weight Watcher Points (I need to figure out the new Point Value)

Ingredients:

1 double pie crust (I use Pillsbury)

2 cans Cream of Potato soup

1 c. frozen mixed vegetables (I used 2 cups)

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

thyme

sage

salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Mix the last 6 ingredients together (herbs and seasonings to taste).

2. Press bottom crust into pie pan. Place filling inside pie crust.

3. Top with other crust, seal and flute edges.

4. Cut slits into the top of the crust.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

6. Cover crust edges with aluminum foil for first 20-25 minutes, then remove.

ENJOY!

Snickerdoodles

One year for a Christmas present my little sister gave me some recipes and a cute little snowman holder. I've tried other Snickerdoodle recipes and this one has still come out as the best!

Gale Gand (little sister gave to me from school)

Ingredients:

Topping

3 Tbs. sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

Dough

3 ½ cups flour

1 Tbs. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cinnamon

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbs. light corn syrup

2 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

2. To make the cookie dough, stir together the dry ingredients.

3. In a bowl cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue to mix, then add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended.

5. Chill dough 1 hour if it’s sticky or difficult to handle.

6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

7. Roll balls of dough about the size of a walnut then roll them in the cinnamon and sugar to coat.

8. Place on an un-greased sheet pan about 2 ½ inches apart.

9. Bake for 10-12 minutes until puffed up and the surface is slightly cracked.

10. Let cool on the sheet pan a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Cooking Time:

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.

ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are by far one of our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Our best friends in from college introduced it to us many years ago and it's still a winner at our house.

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar

1 ½ cup brown sugar

1 cup butter

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

4 ½ cups of flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 small packages of instant vanilla pudding (THESE ARE THE KEY!!!)

Chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Cream both the sugars with the butter.

2. Add the eggs and vanilla.

3. Sift and add flour, soda, and pudding.

4. Add desired amount of chocolate chips.

Cooking Time:

Bake at 375 degrees for 6 minutes.

ENJOY!

Strawberry Poke Cake

This is one of those summer favorites. We love the strawberry one - but raspberries would be just as good. Easy, pretty, and oh so good. Check out Kraft for this recipe and so many other good ones!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix

1 cup boiling water

1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

Directions:

1. PREPARE cake batter and bake as directed on package for 13x9-inch pan. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Pierce cake with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.

2. ADD boiling water to gelatin mix in small bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water; pour over cake. Refrigerate 3 hours.

3. FROST cake with COOL WHIP. Refrigerate 1 hour. Top with fresh berries.

ENJOY!

Starbucks Coffee Cake

This the most perfect coffee cake. Perfect for a breakfast, brunch, party, or dessert. I absolutely love it! If you like cake and cinnamon - you'll be in love. Picky Palate always pulls through- head on over there to see MUCH more appealing pictures :)

Beth’s Starbuck’s Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

(half recipe)

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix (plus ingredients on back of box)

2 Sticks cold salted butter
2 1/4 Cups flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 ¾ Cups brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla
Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Directions:

1. PREHEAT oven to 350.

2. PREPARE cake mixe in large bowl according to directions on box. Spray 9X13 pan with non-stick spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until center is just barely set.

3. WHILE cakes are baking, prepare crumb topping. In large bowl of electric mixer combine, butter, flour, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla until all crumbly.

4. IMMEDIATELY after cake is removed from oven, break crumb topping into marble size pieces with fingers, sprinkling over top. Put back in oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes (topping will begin to look a little less wet/raw). Let cool fully then dust with powdered sugar, using a sieve.

5. CUT into squares and serve.

ENJOY!

Granola Mix

Jedda at This Little Project posted this yummy recipe and although I had never make granola before I decided to give it a try. My cute little hubby is trying to put on some muscle and so is always looking for "healthier" things to snack on that may also have more calories to help put on weight. Well I shouldn't have made this and left it in the house because I'm gonna be the one putting on the pounds - I can never keep my hands off of it!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups oats3/4 cup puffed rice cereal3/4 cup sunflower seeds (salted, roasted)1 cup crushed peanuts 1 cup raisins or craisins (or 1/2 of each)2/3 cup brown sugar1/4 cup honey4 Tbsp. butter2 tsp vanilla extract

I also just added whatever I had on time. Sometimes I put in some M&Ms or walnut/pecans, etc.

Directions:

Go to her site to see how to make yummy bars. This is what I did...

1. Mix all the dry ingredients.

2. In a medium saucepan boil the sugar, honey, butter, and vanilla.

3. Mix it all together.

4. Bake it in a 400 degree oven on either a cookie sheet or 9x13 pan. for about 10 minutes.

5. Let it cool and crumble into bite size granola pieces.

ENJOY!