::Lemon Buddies::

McKayla actually saw this recipe hanging off the side of a Chex display. They seemed easy enough so we decided to give them a try. My camera was dead and then I couldn't find the charger for some reason. So...no pictures...again. Guess I now have an excuse to help McKayla "count" and "measure" so we can make more. No big deal, these only take about 15 minutes! That's with the help of a 5-year-old. These are just like making Muddy Buddies.

::Ingredients::

9 cups Rice Chex cereal (pretty much just the entire smaller box)

1 1/4 cups white/vanilla baking chips

1/4 cup butter or margarine

4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 cups powered sugar

::Directions::

1. Into a large bowl, measure (dump in entire box) cereal; set aside.

2. In 1-quart microwaveable bowl, microwave baking chips, butter, lemon peel and juice uncovered on high for 1 minute; stir. Microwave again in 30 second increments; stirring between until mixture can be stirred smooth. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into a 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.

3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; gently shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container.

::Cherry Chocolate Cake::

Whoa...that's right, I'm FINALLY posting something. I know, it's been forever...but, I'm sorry. I make no excuses. Any available time I had away from working & school was devoted to McKayla. It's how it goes. So, to start off...here's a super yummy recipe that way easy. I rarely make this cake (it's rich), but wanted to post it. Luckily, my mom is attending a party soon and is bringing a dessert...thanks to her.

She's planning to add fluffs of whipped cream and cherries to the top before the party. So, for now, it's looking a little plain...other than the precious flecks of red surrounding the outside.

Ingredients:

1 large can cherry pie filling (this makes the cake moist and cherry taste is pretty mild)

1 Devil's Food cake mix (using milk chocolate is fine)

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup sugar

flour & shortening

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Grease a spring-form pan with shortening & flour (non-stick spray just doesn't work as well). In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cherry pie filling, eggs, & dry cake mix together for 2 minutes. The cherry acts as the moisture in the cake, there's no need to add water, oil, or anything else. Pour the batter into the greased pan. Bake the cake for approx. 40 minutes. The standard toothpick trick works for doneness.

While you are waiting for the cake to bake, put the sugar, milk, & butter in a saucepan & bring it to a slight boil (only allow to bubble a little around the edges, any more and there will be disaster). Let it boil there for about a minute, just long enough for the sugar to fully dissolve. Take the saucepan off the heat & stir in chocolate chips until melted. Pour the frosting over the cake while it is still warm.

Alternatives:

- You can serve the cake immediately, however, the longer it sits the more moist it will get.

- If you like the extra chocolate, you can pour on the frosting, allow to set while making a second batch. Pour over the first layer.

- The cake can also be made in a 13x9 pan for 25 minutes at the same heat. You'll want to double the frosting recipe to get complete coverage.

- You can also use a floured bundt pan, baking 35-40 minutes at the same heat. Drizzle with chocolate frosting after removing cake from pan.

::Russian Mousse::

I was searching for something easy that wouldn't heat up the house too much. I needed something that could be adjusted to serve several people at a BBQ. I was browsing Facebook and my cute friend, Jessica had just mentioned she was making a mousse for her family's dessert that night and she was nice enough to share. I'm thinking of making it again to share with some co-workers. SO simply...here it goes...

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1 pkg 4 serving size box instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 small container whipped topping (Cool Whip)

Topping of choice: berries, chocolate, etc.

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine milk and pudding. Whisk until thick (this shouldn't take long). Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave, on high for 20 seconds, stir and continue melting at 15 second intervals until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Trust me, I was in a rush last time and it ruins the texture to find chunks of chocolate periodically. When melted, add chocolate to the pudding mixture and whisk in. Fold in entire container of whipped topping until well combined. Cover and refrigerate 20-30 minutes. Serve. I like to divide the mousse into bowls and top with fresh berries. Last time, I wasn't able to find any raspberries (which is my favorite berry with this) so I substituted frozen. I thawed them in the bag and strained out the juice into a measuring cup. I boiled the juice into a syrup, cooled it and used it to make the mousse look fancy-shmancy. This recipe yields about 4-6 servings...if you let it. Super easy, not to mention, super inexpensive.

::Breakfast Pizza::

We tried this a few weeks ago, and I totally didn't even think to get a picture of it. I promise, it's not super pretty to look at, but we have it on the menu for the holiday weekend coming up, so I'll try to give you a look at it then...better, just make it.

Ingredients:

1 tube (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls

1 lb bulk pork sausage (I don't do breakfast sausage - I hate anything sweet on meat, so use what you like. We used mild)

1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (we used a colby jack - again, do what you want here)

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Unroll crescent dough and place on a greased 12 inch pizza pan (I wasn't in the mood, so I used a 13 x 9 - less work when it comes to rolling out the dough); press seams together and press up sides of pan to form a crust. In a skillet, brown sausage over medium heat; drain and cool slightly. Sprinkle sausage, hash browns, and cheddar cheese over crust.

In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, and pepper together; pour over pizza. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (if you or your kiddos don't like Parmesan, you can use more of the same cheese that was used earlier). Bake at 375ºF for 28-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand about 10 minutes before cutting.

Yields 6-8 servings.

Here are some tips...

- When I used my 13 x 9 pan I didn't really have to press the dough up the sides since there was no worry of spillage.

- Since I only had a little less than half a bag of shredded hashbrowns in the freezer, I added the whole bag and put in another egg.

- The first slice, I ate with Tapatío (my favorite hot sauce). The second, with the newest addition to the spice cabinet, Creole seasoning...fantastic. **Side Note: I'm ADDICTED to the Creole seasoning and use it on everything from fries to Alfredo sauce...yeah, it's THAT bad.

::Lemon Cookies::

I came across this recipe on the Betty Croker website. I needed something quick and easy that wouldn't heat up my kitchen too much for a pot luck BBQ. These were perfect. Completely refreshing and not heavy at all. Even the kids went crazy for them. They were the first desert to disappear from the table!

::Ingredients::

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist lemon cake mix

1/3 cup shortening (I used Crisco Vegetable)

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1 container lemon frosting*

::Directions::

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In large bowl, beat cake mix, shortening, butter and egg on medium speed about 2 minutes or until blended.

2. Place on ungreased cookie sheets, dropped by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart. (You know I used a 1 Tbsp. cookie scoop.)

3. Bake 9-12 minutes or until lightly brown around edges. Cool 1 minute, remove from cookie sheet; cool completely. Frost with frosting. Store covered.

According to the website, you can also roll the dough out by separating the dough into 4 equal parts, roll each part 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured surface with cloth-covered rolling pin. Cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes or until light brown around edges.

*I couldn't find Betty Crocker lemon frosting. So, I used a Pilsbury lemon frosting in a can. Here's the tip...I don't ever use the frosting straight from the container. I empty all of contents into a bowl and whip it with a hand mixer (or Kitchenaid for more than 2 cans) and beat it until I like the look. I do this especially before piping onto cupcakes for that "homemade" look.

::Strawberry Cream Cookies::

We tried making these for ourselves today and they are delicious. They'd be so pretty for a little girl's tea or just because really. I'm going to make a second batch for a work party. This first one was a trial and I couldn't stop eating them. They're SO much lighter tasting than you'd imagine. Such a great alternative to heavier cookies.

Above: if you're lazy like I can be...this is how they turn out if you just use a small cookie scoop and skip the rolling.

Below: rolling after using the cookie scoop to make them uniform in size.

::Ingredients::

1 cup butter, softened

3 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

Seedless strawberry jam (any flavor you really like would probably be just fine)

::Directions::

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Add flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle (I used the underside of my 1/2 tsp measuring spoon), make a 1/2 inch deep indentation in the center of each ball; fill with about 1/4 tsp jam. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.

They will still look white on the top, so lift up one or two with a spatula and when they are a light brown, they're done enough. They will stiffen up a little as they cool, so don't worry if they're still a little soft.

Yields about 5 dozen cookies.

::Double Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies::

I love these cookies. They can be a little rich, so I'm sure eating too many of them will make you sick. But, do what you want, just remember...I warned you. I received this recipe from a girl I was working with. She's super cute and a great friend! Still luv Jillyn!

1 cup butter (the more melted, the better)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

Combine and mix until pale and fluffy.

In a separate bowl; combine:

2 cups flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Slowly add to wet mixture in batches.

When well mixed, fold in:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup milk chocolate chips

A cup or so of chopped macadamia nut cookies (add in as many as you'd like, my personal preference is about a cup.

Make sure everything is well combined.

Set your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Drop cookies by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet. I use a cookie scoop - of course - but dropping them onto the sheet is fine and gives them a very natural look. Bake about 8-12 minutes. Cool on racks.

These are just as easy to make as any chocolate chip cookie recipe. They are great. If you're using only 1 or 2 cookie sheets, I like to cover my bowl with a damp paper towel. This keeps the dough moist between batches.

::Snow Cone Syrup::

Around here, we LOVE snow cones. As soon as the weather gets warm enough, we bust out our little snow making machine. Let's just say it's a good thing our freezer is equipped with an ice machine. We'd be going through bags of expensive ice if not. This is part of my summer budget saver...

You can use any simple syrup you favor, I personally like a 2:1 ratio.

2 cups regular sugar

1 cup water

1 packet of powdered soft drink mix (Kool-Aid) - You can use any flavor, even store brands & sugar-free work great. I especially LOVE to use the Kool-Aid Invisible flavors.

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally to be sure your sugar doesn't stick anywhere in the pan and burn. Once your mixture reaches a boil, immediately remove from heat. Stir in the packet of Kool-Aid (it can look a little chunky, but just keep stirring! Sometimes, a whisk is a better tool). I like to let my sugar/water come to a slight boil and sprinkle the drink mix over the top (like blooming gelatin) and I've never had more than 2 or 3 little lumps to work out...

This is the syrup after it's boiled; notice it's not really gooey thick, but coats a spoon.

Allow to cool almost completely and store in a squeeze bottle for easy dispensing. I like to use clear bottles that are usually used to hold condiments like mustard, ketchup, or oils/vinegars. You can use recycled bottles. I've read from a few blogs that people are using water bottles with the sports top, whatever works for you, I guess.

Pouring into the container - I feel like the pan might still be too hot, so I poured the syrup into a glass measuring cup first.

I love doing this, I almost always have everything needed and costs less than 30 cents to make; compared to roughly $3 a bottle for the pre-made stuff, this is a STEAL!!

Our finished product, the light in our kitchen is HORRIBLE, especially at night - SORRY.

This is sure to bring lots of smiles to you and your kiddos. I do not encourage allowing your child(ren) to help with the actually making of the syrup as boiling sugar is VERY hot!! I try to make mine while McKayla is involved with an activity or has gone to bed. Trust me, it's worth spending a little extra time in the kitchen at night or early in the morning to avoid the temptation while waiting for the syrup to cool enough to be used over shaved ice. I really love this idea for carnivals or kids' parties. They are great to keep around and you can't beat the price! You can purchase bottles similar to the ones I use at dollar stores - usually they're 2 for $1, unfortunetly, it can be hard to find clear and are usually packaged together one red and one yellow. I've found the clear ones, like mine at Wal-Mart for 97 cents. If using for a party, you can always add custom labels. I cut the part of the wrapper that specifies the flavor and tape it to the bottle. Since I use these for different flavors every time, I try not to do anything that will stay there permanently.

Enjoy!

::Snickerdoodle Bars::

So, snickerdoodles are probably my favorite cookie and every now and again...I'm in the mood for some, but the work of making them totally takes away any craving I might have. So...I found this recipe from the classic Betty Crocker and figured it was worth a shot. Delicious! I especially like not having to hunt through my cabinet to find the cream of tartar that I keep around only for snickerdoodles.

Ingredients:

Bars:

2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon Filling:

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 to 2 Tbsp milk

1/4 tsp vanilla

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease bottom only of 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on high speed until creamy. Beat in sugars. Gradually beat eggs and vanilla into sugar mixture until combined. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients until combined.

3. Spoon half the batter into pan; spread evenly. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over batter.

4. Dollop teaspoons of remaining batter evenly over cinnamon-sugar mixture.

5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

6. In small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over bars. Cut into desired bar size and enjoy!

::Chocolate Banana Smoothies::

I LOVE these smoothies. They are SO easy and I always keep the ingredients on-hand. It's a quick way to get a little fruit in a kiddo when in a hurry or disguised as a dessert.

2 cups cold 2% milk (use whatever you would usually drink)
1 package (1.4 oz) sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix (I can't ever find this size, so I use the larger box and divide it in half into snack-sized bags.)
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 large ripe frozen bananas, sliced (I slice a banana into chunks and put 2 into freezer bags/containers to freeze--this makes it easy to measure for this smoothie as well as anything else like banana bread.)
2 cups coarsely crushed ice cubes (I almost always leave out the ice)

In a blender, combine the milk, pudding mix and vanilla; cover and process until blended. Add the bananas and ice; cover and process until smooth. Pour into chilled glasses; serve immediately. (Trust me, you want to serve this ASAP-if you don't, the pudding mix starts to get grainy and it isn't yummy.) Yields 4 servings.

::Oatmeal Carmelitos::

This has to be, by far, my favorite treat. I adore caramel. These are so easy and always great for gatherings or work parties.

Ingredients::

Crust:
1 1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cup flour
2 cup quick oats

Filling:
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping (use the jar, not the squeeze bottle type)
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions::
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix crust ingredients and press into bottom of 13x9 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Mix flour and caramel in small bowl and pour over crust in pan. Top with chocolate chips, then the rest of the crust mixture. Bake for 20 minutes.

::Magleby's Rolls::

I rarely eat at Magleby's, I'm really not a fan. However, whenever we have some type of catered event at work, we have Magleby's Fresh. Not completely a bad thing, I am addicted to the rolls. I've found a way to make my own at home. These are great, we use them for Thanksgiving, with soup, or pretty much with any dinner needing a good, savory roll.
They are SO easy to make, I couldn't believe it! Every recipe I came across used Rhodes Texas frozen rolls. I don't really need something that big, plus, we go through so many rolls, I buy them at Costco in a huge bag and make as many or few as I need. Besides, if they're smaller...it's okay to eat a few more, right?

Ingredients:
Rhodes frozen rolls (no exact amount, but the following ingredients will be sufficient for an entire 36 count bag)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the bottle stuff is fine, I'm sort of partial to freshly grated-I buy the tub that's already grated at Costco)
1/4 cup dried parsley
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
1- Spray a large baking sheet. (When making the entire 36 count bag, I use two half sheet pans-aka jellyroll pans-and put 18 rolls on each)
2- Mix cheese, parsley, and garlic powder in a bowl.
3- Roll frozen dough balls in melted butter, then in the cheese mixture. Be sure to completely cover the dough. (You may have extra cheese mixture depending on how many rolls you made. I like to save the mixture in a container or plastic bag in the fridge-we'll use a little in step 7-it will keep as long as the cheese allows, depending on what you use determines an exact time. You can use the mixture at a later date to make more rolls.)
4- Place on pan allowing plenty of rising room.
5- Cover dough to rise. (If using baking sheets, I like to spray a piece of plastic wrap and lay it lightly over the rolls, then cover with a towel.)
6- Allow dough to rise in a warm place, usually around 3 hours or more.
7- Remove plastic wrap. (At this point, I like to inspect my rolls, if there are any large gaps with no cheese mixture, I use the extra I saved to sprinkle the tops.)
8- Place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F. About 15 minutes if using the baking sheets. (I like to cook them at a lower temp. to be sure the middles are fully baked without burning my cheese.)

**If you prefer to use a homemade roll dough, you can. After dough prep., roll into balls and continue with the same steps. Instead of step 8, follow the directions for your recipe.

::Carrot Cake Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting::

I tried these out today and they were SO easy. Such a great fall/Thanksgiving type treat. Since I'm not really a huge fan of pie, I'm pretty sure these bars will be making it to our Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients:

Bars::
1 box (1lb 2oz) carrot cake mix
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp maple flavor

Icing::
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 to 3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with baked spray with flour.
2. In large bowl, beat bar ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Spread evenly in pan.
3. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until top is evenly golden brown and bars spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
4. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk, vanilla and cinnamon with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread frosting evenly over cooled bars. Store covered in refrigerator.

::Pulled/Shredded Sweet Pork::

So, I'm not a huge fan of anything sweet on any type of meat, but I know my friend Jessica (who is such a cute & sweet mommy to 3 precious children) absolutely LOVES the sweet pork salad from Costa Vida. I must admit, I'm a fan of the steak and chicken...so, in my search for the perfect "knock-off" of their ranch dressing, I came across this for her. Figured some other people may be interested as well.

Ingredients:
4 lb pork shoulder roast (the more fat, the better)
1 cup of Pace Picante Sauce (medium works best, but mild is fine)
2 cups brown sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Remove pork roast from packaging, rinse well under cool water.
2. In a separate bowl, mix picante sauce & brown sugar. Wisk together until sugar is mostly dissolved.
3. In a crock pot or slow cooker, place the roast in the cooker & cover with picante sauce mixture.
4. Place on medium heat, cover & simmer. Check every hour or so to rotate roast in the juices. The roast will eventually produce enough juices to make the right consistency, do not add water.
5. Once the roast is fully cooked, it will begin to fall apart. Use a fork to separate meat into smaller segments. Cover & continue cooking.
6. After 8 hours, continue to shread the meat until no chunks remain.
7. If appears to have too much liquid, turn the slow cooker to low & leave with lid off to simmer off excess.


So, that's it for the sweet pork...I've found a few things that make putting it together in a salad taste very close to the Costa Vida made one. To put together your salad:
1 head romain lettuce
1 can Bush's black or pinto beans
3 cups sweet pork
Pico de Gallo (see below)
Tortilla Strips
Cilantro Ranch Dressing (see below)
6 Flour Tortillas
Place a warm tortilla in a bowl or on a plate. Place approximately 1/3 cup of warmed sweet pork & 1/3 cup of warmed Bush’s beans on the tortilla. Place lettuce over the meat & beans. Sprinkle ¼ cup of pico de gallo over the salad as desired. Drizzle with cilantro ranch dressing and top with a healthy amount of tortilla strip crunchies. Serve and enjoy.

Pico de Gallo
1 cup diced tomatoes, seeds removed
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 limes, juiced
1 Tbsp cilantro
Salt & Pepper

Mix all ingredients in bowl, stirring well. Chill.

Cilantro Ranch Dressing
(my personal favorite!)
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk ranch dressing (prepare according to package directions)
2 tomatillos (they look like green tomatoes, you can substitute 3 Tbsp prepared salsa verde-found near the regular salsas)
cilantro-about 1/4 of a bunch
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
1/8 tsp Tabasco

Peel tomatillos & cut into fourths. Clean & rinse cilantro & remove large stems. Pour prepared ranch dressing in a blender, & add cilantro leaves, tomatillos, garlic, lime juice & Tobasco. Blend until cilantro is finely chopped. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until dressing has thickened.

::Easy, No-Bake Cheesecake::

Okay, I haven't posted in forever! This is the time of year our family has always started thinking of treats and yummy stuff to make for the upcoming holidays. We almost always start baking the day after Thanksgiving for treat trays to give to friends. So, I'll post a few of our tried and true recipes from years past as well as a few new ones.

This cheesecake is one I came up with while looking for treats to make for my friend's daughter's blessing. It was spring, so something light and refreshing really seemed to be what I was looking for.

No-Bake Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz whipped topping (Cool Whip)

1 tsp vanilla

graham cracker crust

topping of choice

Directions:

1. Blend cream cheese. You want it softened, but not really at room temperature. Beating it in a bowl for a while after removing it from the fridge makes it perfect.

2. Add in whipped topping, sugar, and vanilla. Mix until well blended. You'll be able to see a slight difference in color from the whipped topping to the cream cheese, so it'll be pretty easy to tell if you haven't whipped enough.

3. Spoon into crust and chill for at least two hours.

4. Top with whichever topping you choose and serve.

My Variations:

::To make these easier to handle on a buffet table, I used Nilla wafter cookies instead of a graham cracker crust. I put one wafer (flat side down) on a sheet pan and used a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop to put the cheesecake mixture on each wafer. Then, I topped with strawberry topping.

::You can also use a different extract other than vanilla. I suggest lemon.

::If you like a chocolate cheesecake, you can use a chocolate cookie crust or sprinkle in mini chocolate chips into the batter.

Please let me know of any variations you come up with! This is the best recipe when you want a quick cheesecake fix or are in need of something quick, especially if you need to make a lot! I doubled the recipe and still had left overs after filling 4 sheet pans and going through 2 boxes of Nilla wafers.

::Chocolate Chip Cookies::

I'm pretty sure I've tried just about every chocolate chip cookie recipe I've ever come across and none of them have ever really worked for me! I don't know what it is. I can bake almost anything else with minimal failure. However, chocolate chip cookies (which should be the simplest things) seem to elude me. Until...I came across this AMAZING recipe. The cookies come out incredibly soft and have a lot of give. Pretty much, it takes a lot of effort (even for me) to screw these up!

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 oz) pkgs instant pudding mix*
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips*
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)*

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Sift together flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until well blended. Stir in eggs & vanilla. Blend in flour mixture. Finally, stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded spoonfuls* onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Edges should be golden brown.

Using the 1 Tbsp cookie scoop this yeilds about 10 dozen cookies! Great for parties or cookie exchanges.

*My Hints*
*You can use any flavor of pudding mix for the recipe. Try changing it up, but I almost always use sugar-free vanilla. Some have suggested chocolate, which sounds fine to me!
*Not many people I know like the taste of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I like them fine in this recipe, however, to switch up the pace a little, I will sometimes substitute with M&Ms.
*Also, I think 4 cups is a little excessive. I add my desired chocolate pieces in 1/2 cup increments to the batter until it looks right to me. Usually about 3 cups for M&Ms and maybe 3 1/2 if I use chocolate chips.
*I am not a fan of nuts in cookies, I know it says "optional" but, ick.
*I almost always use a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop to make these cookies. You can use larger if you'd like or even a teaspoon, I'm not so great at that.

Taco Soup

It's not quite that cold outside yet, but since I've been sick, all I want to eat is soup. This is one of my very favorite recipes! It's really easy and I can put it together the night before and in the morning, set the crock pot on low and it's ready by the time I get home. Plus, leftovers taste amazing. Thank you, Paula Deen! Ha ha...

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
2 cups diced onions
2 (15 1/2 oz) cans pinto beans
1 (15 1/2 oz) can pink kidney beans (red is fine-I can never find pink)
1 (15 1/4 oz) can whole-kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2 oz) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2 oz) can tomatoes with chiles
2 (4 1/2 oz) cans diced green chiles
1 (4.6 oz) can black olives, drained & sliced (optional) (I never do this)
1 (1 1/4 oz) packet taco seasoning mix
1 (1 oz) package ranch salad dressing mix
corn chips, for serving (optional)
Garnish Items (optional): Black olives, sour cream, green olives, cheese, or pickled jalapeños

Directions:
Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix. Cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapeños.