Classic Sugar Dumplins

Sugar & Spice Dumplins



Canola oil, for frying
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
2 cans buttermilk biscuits
Heat 2 inches peanut oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F.

In a shallow bowl, stir together the ground cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Tear apart pieces of each bisquit and roll in your hands to shape a ball. Fry until golden brown. Watch them, they will burn withi seconds.

Drain on paper towels and then toss in the cinnamon-sugar.

This cinnamon-sugar recipe can be used for all kinds of stuff including sopapillas. You can store what you have left in a container.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

It's like pulling teeth to get my husband to eat meatloaf. I make it several different ways. This way and paula deen's cheeseburger meatloaf with sauce he will eat.

I will take pics once I serve it with a salad, baguette and mashed taters!

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Ingredients
1 lb ground chuck
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 (8 ounce) package cheddar cheese, grated
2 large eggs
1/4 cup crushed ritz crackers
1/4 cup miracle whip
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 chopped scallions
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Sprinkle of cumin, sprinkle of garlic powder
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon jack daniels mustard (or 2 of dijon), I used 2.5 or so of the jack daniels and the mustard was overpowering.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Spray meatloaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except ketchup and mustard , mixing well by hand.

In a small bowl, combine ketchup and mustard.

Stir in 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into the meat mixture.

Place meat mixture in baking dish and shape into a loaf.

Spread remaining ketchup mixture over meatloaf.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Stuffed Shells

Yum!













Stuffed Shells
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 box of jumbo shells
1 24 oz container of ricotta cheese
1 pkg shredded mozzerella
1/2 small onion
1/2 green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 egg
1 large jar of preferred spaghetti sauce
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning (for filling)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Boil your jumbo shells for 13 mins in salted water, drain.

Brown your ground meat seasoning with seasonings of your choice. I used salt, pepper, cumin, and chilli powder. When almost browned add in your garlic, onion and bell pepper. Saute until no longer pink. Add jar of spaghetti sauce and turn heat off.

Meanwhile in seperate bowl combine ricotta, egg, 3/4 of your mozzerella cheese, couple of tbs of parmesan cheese and italian seasonings (basil, oregano and parsley) to taste as well as salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon a bit of sauce on bottom of 9x13 casserole. Using a tbs or so fill each shell and place in casserole. After each shell is filled, cover with meat sauce and sprinkle remaining mozzerella and amt of parmesan to your liking.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes until brown, bubbly and the cheese is crusty and melted.

Pioneer Woman's Beans & Cornbread

No need for a pic since she has one on her site. This is one of MY FAVORITE blogs. We had this yesterday and it was to die for!
Try it ;)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/08/beans_and_cornb/

Sugar & Spice Minis!

Sugar and Spice Mini Muffins
1 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/3 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
Topping
2/3 c. melted butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin cups with cooking spray.
Whisk together the first five ingredients in a mixing bowl. With a whisk beat together the sugar, oil, egg, and milk in a seperate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients blending well.
Divide the mixture evenly between 36 mini muffin wells, or 12 standard size muffin wells.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.
While the muffins are baking melt the butter for the topping in one bowl and set aside. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar mixture and set aside. When the muffins are baked remove from the pans while they’re still hot and dip each one in the butter, and then roll in the sugar

M&M Cookies

M & M Cookies

1 cup butter, 2 sticks
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla, I use mexican
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 packages, or about 2.5 cups of semi crushed plain m&m’s


Directions
1
Cream butter and sugars, then add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and finally add m&m’s.
2
Drop by teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet.
3
Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or lightly browned.
4
I make frozen balls of dough to take out and bake as needed.

Southwest Beef & Tater Casserole

Small pic, had to high jack it cause I forgot to take one before my family devoured the entire thing!


Southwest Beef & Taters

1 pound extra-lean ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 can (about 12 to 15 ounces) corn
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 medium potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese



Grease a 13 x 9 casserole with Pam
Heat oven to 375

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef, breaking up, and the onions. Cook, stirring, until beef is browned and onion is tender. Add garlic; cook, stirring, for about 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cumin.
In the prepared baking dish, arrange half of the sliced potatoes, then top with half of the corn and ground beef mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with the remaining cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Serves 6.

Chicken & Stuffing Casserole

Chicken & Stuffing Casserole
INGREDIENTS
3 to 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (boiled in chicken broth)
6 ounces dry bread stuffing mix
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed fat free cream of mushroom soup ( i find the cream of chicken too salty)
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (from boiling the chicken)
3/4 cup milk
1 small can of green chilis

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Layer the chicken in a 8x8 casserole pan sprayed with pam. Sprinkle stuffing mix over the chicken layer.
In a large bowl mix together the soup, broth and evaporated milk. Stir well. Pour this mixture over the stuffing mix, making sure it gets to the bottom of the baking dish (poke around with a fork to let it saturate into the bottom layer). Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until it starts to bubble in the center.

Wham Bam Thank Ya Maam Brownies

These are amazing! I mean seriously so much better than a mix. And a one bowl recipe.

My new favorite brownie recipe!!!

12 T. unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour 12 pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 13×9 inch pan sprayed with Pam.
Melt the butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl.
Whisk in the sugar, then whisk in the cocoa powder, followed by the vanilla extract and eggs.
When mixture is smooth, add salt and baking powder and cinnamon and whisk thoroughly, breaking up any lumps in baking powder and taking care that it is thoroughly distributed.
Scrape sides of bowl and stir (do not beat) in the flour.
Pour into pan and spread to edges.
Arrange nuts over top.
Bake on center rack of oven for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs.

Long time NO post!

Sorry about that. But to make it up to you, I have a dangerous, warm and yummy dessert. That is so easy a child could do it (at least the mixing part)

WARNING: Disclaimer:
This is not in any shape or form low fat. Nor can it be. BUT I did use fat free caramel apple dip if that counts? Ok so it does count. Take my word for it. I can guarantee that next time it won't be fat free tho lol!!!




My version of the MOST DANGEROUS CHOCOLATE CAKE, EVER!


1 coffee mug, I used a tall one

4 Tbsp. cake flour or just regular flour

4 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. cocoa

1 egg 3 Tbsp. milk

3 Tbsp. oil

Small splash of vanilla

I didn't use choco chips, because I'm out. But I did however have little containers of fat free caramel apple dip. I used half of one, but I think a whole one would be better!!
3 Tbsp. chocolate chips, optional

Spray mug with pam

Add dry ingredients to mug, mix well with a fork.

Add egg, mix thoroughly.

Pour in milk and oil and vanilla, mix well.

Here I dropped the caramel dip in. It might be better drizzled on top of the finished cake though.

Add chips, if using.

Put mug in microwave, and cook for three minutes. I put mine on a small saucer just in case. Cake will rise over top of mug, if using a small one. Mine did not. Do not be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little; tip onto a plate if desired. Eat!


And WHY is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?Because now we are all only 3 minutes away from chocolate cake anytime of the day or night!!!

The options for add-ins are ENDLESS! I am thinking about walnuts or pecans or reese cups or heath bars or anything!!!!

So I'm LAZY!

Sorry that some of the pics are big. I usually snap them real fast with my phone and then email them to photobucket and right to this blog. Therefore never adjusting the size. Sorry bout that. If you want to see the full pic, just click on them.

And please excuse my laziness :)

Salisbury Steak in brown gravy

I usually make mine with cutlets, but we were out so I used ground sirloin instead and loved it! I knew I would have to flavor it up and using left over dried onion soup mix (the box comes with 2 pkgs and I had one left over from the to die for crock pot roast) really helped!



Salisbury Steak in brown gravy

1 lb ground sirloin
1/4 cup bread crumbs, I had whole wheat bread left over so I just processed them and used what I had
1/4 cup 2% milk
1 or 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 envelope of dry onion soup mix

Mix in a bowl, make 6 oval shaped patties and brown on both sides in a teeny bit of canola oil.

For the gravy
2 packages brown gravy mix
2 cups water

Removed patties and stir in your brown gravy mix and water. When it starts to gently bubble, add your patties back in and cook until thickened.

Serve with smashed red potatoes like I did!

Healthier For You Pasta Salad

How about that? See I can make healthy food, sometimes..when I want to..

One way to get your husband out of the kitchen is to mention the words diet or low fat..He will run very fast. I definitely recommend it!!



I made a few adjustments to the basic recipe.
* I substituted the tri color pasta for a whole wheat tri colored rotini that barilla makes and it is nutty and yummy!
* I used fat free Zesty Italian instead of the regular
* I used calamatta olives instead of black, only because I had a handful I needed to use quickly
* I tossed in a few finely chopped sun dried tomatoes

Healthier For You Pasta Salad

Half of a box of tri-colored whole wheat rotini pasta
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper (or red bell peppers would be good instead)
1/4 cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced calamatta olives
1/2 cup Fat Free Zesty Italian Dressing
salt and pepper to taste

After your noodles have cooked to your liking (we personally don't like al dente), rinse in cold water and toss with other ingredients and sprinkle a little bit of parmasan cheese on top. Freshly grated is wonderful but in this town you can't find it so I had to use the stuff out of the can that smells like stinky feet.

Chili Lime Compound Butter for corn on the cob

Compound butters are ridiculously easy and versatile. You can make soo many combos and they are great on anything. Especially corn on the cob or steak. MMM.

Chili Lime Compound Butter
1 stick softened butter
1/2 of a lime, juiced and zested
1/2 TBS chili powder
dash of kosher salt
dash of fresh ground black pepper

Take your softened butter and toss in other ingredients. Stir until well blended and make a log out of the butter and place in saran wrap. Freeze until sold so you can cut into chunks. Or if your lazy and impatient like me, leave it in the bowl and brush on your corn lol!

I have also made a cinnamon & honey compound butter that is TO DIE FOR on sopapillas or rolls.

Honey Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sammies a la crock pot

This is so easy it should be against the law. And so yummy you wouldn't believe!
Thank you again Kristin for providing the base for this. I added my own touch but ya know..

Will post a pic when I serve.

Perfect for a hot summer nite. Hardly any clean up and you won't have a hot kitchen.

Honey Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sammies a la crock pot

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 3 smaller ones
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves minced or a dash of garlic powder your choice
1/2 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper, give or take
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 kaiser rolls
1 bottle of Honey BBQ Sauce

Put chicken in crock pot and add your spices to it and then pour your bbq sauce and water over the top and cook on low for 6 hours or so.

Shred and put on kaiser rolls with garnishes of your choice.

Chocolate Cobbler

Oh ya,,I went there... With two of the best words in the dictionary comes this wonderful delight. How in the world could one go wrong?

I will post a picture after we devour the whole thing IF I remember before its gone!hahahah!
Sorry Mr. Diet, your out the door for tonight!



This warm, soft, gooey and yummylicious dessert HAS to and I mean HAS to be served with Vanilla Bean ice cream. It is against the law to not have cobbler and ice cream especially CHOCOLATE! If you don't have any ice cream then don't bother to continue...



By the way with each bite I can personally guarantee an moan or groan and your eyes to roll back in your head. It's THAT GOOD.


Chocolate Cobbler
1 & 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided into 3/4 cup and 1/2 cup
1 cup all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons cocoa, divided into 3 tablespoons and 4 tablespoons
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 & 1/2 cups hot water
Preheat oven to 350°.

Stir together 3/4 cup sugar, flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk with wire whisk like Martha Stewart taught me. It's the lazy man's way of sifting. And if your like me, your too lazy to drag out your sifter.
Stir in milk, butter, and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Pour into an ungreased 8-inch square glass baking pan.

In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, and 4 tablespoons cocoa. Sprinkle evenly over batter. Pour hot water over the top. Do not stir.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until center is almost set. Let stand for 15 minutes, then serve. Use the chocolate sauce in the bottom of the pan to spoon over servings. Garnish, if desired, with ice cream or whipped cream.

Makes 8 servings or in our house, about half of it was gone..

Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes

First let me say that mine do NOT look near as glamorous as hers but they were all the while tasty! And red potatoes are my absolute favorite. This is the perfect combination of crispy, crunchy, soft, salty and yummy!!



Use as many small red potatoes as you have. Boil until fork tender. Drizzle sheet pan with olive oil. Take your potato masher and gently press down on the potato until it slightly mashes. Then rotate the masher 90 degrees and finish flattening it. Of course, you don’t want to absolutely smash it into the pan—you want it almost to resemble a cookie. Repeat until all are flattened. brush the tops rather generously with olive oil. Season with kosher salt, black pepper and herb of your choice. She used rosemary but the fresh I had really smelt like a pine tree and I couldn't make myself use it so I went with Oregano. Bake at 450, and cook them for 20-25 minutes…

Here's her witty post and step by step. I hope you love her as much as I do and as much as I love these potatoes.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

YEEHAW! A spaghetti Kyle will eat! Cowboy style.

Kyle just hates most italian food and I usually cook it just to torture him. He especially hates spaghetti but loves it this way!







Cowboy Spaghetti baby..

1/2 pound Angel Hair
Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
3 slices smoky bacon, chopped
1/2 cup beer, I didn't use this because I didn't have any and I wasn't going to drive 30 mins to get some. But the alcohol does cook out and leaves great flavor!
1 pound ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (14-ounce) can, chopped or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 (8-ounces) can, tomato sauce
8 ounces Cheddar
4 scallions, chopped

Heat a pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and salt the water. Cook according to package directions.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and bacon. Brown and crisp bacon, 5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon. Drain off a little excess fat if necessary. Leave just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add beef and crumble it as it browns. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic and stir into meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Add 1/2 cup beer and deglaze the pan (if you use it). Cook 5 to 6 minutes more then stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Add hot spaghetti to meat and sauce and combine. Adjust seasonings and serve up pasta in shallow bowls. Grate some cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with scallions. Garnish with crisp bacon

What cooking means to me

I just wanted to say that alot of my recipes have the same ingredients, but to me cooking is taking a recipe and adding your own touches and tweaking it to your liking. My recipes are just a base and you can add or take away anything to make it your own. If you don't like an ingredient in the recipe, take it out or replace it and then its all yours!
My mom taught me that cooking is the best way to show someone you love them. Taking the time and effort to put into a meal or dish and sharing it with those you love says more than an item ever could!
So enjoy my recipes and remember that its about fun and making it your own!

Jacey's Green Chilli Patty Melts

I make all different kinds of these so they are very versatile!

Jacey's Green Chilli Patty Melts




1 lb ground beef
1 small can green chillis
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 TBS chopped onion
1 TBS chopped green bell pepper
salt, pepper, chilli powder, cumin
1 TBS Worcestershire
Sliced Cheese of your choice
Sliced bread. We use Sara Lee Honey White Whole Grain

Mix everything in a bowl and make patties really thin.

Cook on grill or griddle about 3 or 4 mins on each side until done.

Take patties off griddle and butter your bread on both sides, or you can brush with canola oil.

While the first side is toasting add your patty and cheese. Then place your buttered bread butter side up on top.

Cook like you would a grilled cheese until both sides are brown and crispy.