Bird's Nests

When I saw these over at Crafting Chicks I thought they were absolutely adorable! I thought they would be the cutest little treats to make for Easter and then I realized I had almost everything on hand and couldn't wait another month to try them out! So I gathered what I had on hand and ended up being able to make four of them.


Ingredients:
- around 2 cups of Fiber One cereal (I just used what was left in my bag)
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- around 1 1/2 cups of mini marshmallows (I just used what was left in my bag)
- easter egg candy (Reese's are our favorite!)
- Peeps

Directions:

1. Melt the butter on low heat and then add the marshmallows like you're making rice krispie treats.

2. Once the marshmallows are melted remove from heat and add in the cereal.

3. Spray your hands with cooking spray (very important - these are SUPER sticky) and mold the cereal into nests once they aren't so hot.

4. Wait a few minutes while the nests firm up a bit and then add your eggs and Peep.

Even the kiddos were pretty good at helping and had lots of fun - making them AND eating them of course!!!

A super cute little treat to add to a bag with some ribbon and Crafting Chicks tags!

ENJOY!

Cinnamon Toast Pretzels

I got this recipe from Your Homebased Mom a few Christmas's ago and it was delightful. I fun twist on your regular chocolate covered pretzels. A perfect combination of salty and sweet - too perfect because I always end up eating too much!

Ingredients:

1 bag (18 oz.) small pretzels

2/3 C oil

1/3 C granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Extra cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

White chocolate for drizzling

Directions:

1. In microwave safe bowl pour in pretzels. Mix together oil, sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Pour over pretzels and mix well, making sure to coat pretzels.

2. Place in microwave for 2 minutes on high. Check after first minute as they might burn. Stir the mixture and continue cooking. Microwave for 1 minute more.

3. When out of the microwave, stir again to make sure they are all coated.

4. Spread the pretzels onto two cookie sheets. You want a single layer of pretzels. While they are still hot sprinkle additional cinnamon sugar over the top.

5. Melt white chocolate and drizzle over the top of pretzels. Once white chocolate hardens put into air tight containers.

ENJOY!

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!

Black and White Chippers

Picky Palate was one of the very first cooking sites I started following. And I think this just might have been the first of her recipes I tried. I was instantly in love. I could eat the dough all day long (and sometimes I do!) - It tastes just like a thick brownie batter with white chocolate mixed in...by far my favorite cookie!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Add the salt and vanilla.

3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 8 minutes until fluffy but still soft. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

ENJOY!

Red Enchiladas

Another Hungry Girl winner! I love Mexican food - by far a favorite of mine! Luckily, that food is all about the flavor and most of the time can be transformed into some pretty healthy stuff. My hubby said this about these when reheating them the day after, "Mmmm...these really are pretty good." I tell ya - it's the spicy-ness!!! I guess they're a keeper around here :)

This recipe makes 2 enchiladas. Each enchilada is 3 Weight Watcher Points Plus Points.

Ingredients:

2 large corn tortillas (I actually use high fiber low carb flour ones)
1 slice fat-free cheddar cheese, cut in half
2/3 cup enchilada sauce
1/3 cup fat-free refried beans
1/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp. taco sauce (I used the Taco Bell jarred kind)
1/2 tsp. taco seasoning mix, dry
Optional toppings: fat-free sour cream, chopped scallions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a pan sprayed with nonstick spray, cook onions over medium heat until they begin to brown (about 2 minutes).

3. In a small dish, combine the onions with the refried beans, taco sauce, and taco seasoning. Mix well.

4. Spray a small baking dish with nonstick spray. Heat tortillas in the microwave until slightly warm. Lay the tortillas on a clean, dry surface, and then spread about 2 tbsp. of the enchilada sauce onto each one.

5. Place one half of the cheese slice on each tortilla.

6. Then, evenly distribute the bean mixture into the center of each tortilla.

7. Wrap the tortillas up tightly, and place them in the baking dish seam side down. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas.

8. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes (until the enchiladas are hot). Remove dish from the oven, sprinkle shredded cheese over the enchiladas, and then return it to the oven for about 5 minutes (until the cheese is nice and melty).

ENJOY!