ROCKIN' SMORES BARS

Chewy, gooey, buttery, and just plain heavenly. Found in
our Family Fun Magazine.

1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. crushed graham crackers
3/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
3 (1.55 oz) milk chocolate bars (could also use chocolate chips)
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme (I bet mini marshmallows would work, too.)

Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Add the crushed graham crackers, flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix until combined. Spoon half of the dough into the prepared pan. Spread it evenly. Break the chocolate bars into pieces and arrange over top. Next, spread the marshmallow creme over the chocolate. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining dough over all and flatten slightly. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

OLIVE GARDEN MINESTRONE SOUP

My husband is usually the one that makes this at our house and it turns out great every time! Great for cool fall and winter evenings and re-heats great for lunch the next day!


3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced white onion (about 1 small onion)
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup frozen cut Italian green beans
1/4 cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk)
4 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
4 cups vegetable stock (Swanson is good)
2 15-ounces cans red kidney beans, drained
2 15-ounce cans small white beans
or great northern beans, drained
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup julienned or shredded carrot
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups hot water
4 cups fresh baby spinach (optional)
1 cup small seashell pasta

Heat two tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or stock pot. Sauté onion, zucchini, green beans, celery and garlic in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.

Add stock to pot, plus drained beans, tomatoes, carrot, spices, and hot water. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired soupy thickness.

Makes about eight 1 1/2-cup servings.

SALAD WITH CRANBERRIES, FETA,

& TOASTED NUTS

From CD Kitchen.

1 pkg. (10 oz.) mixed salad greens
1 c. dried cranberries
1 pkg. (4 oz.) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c. chopped toasted nuts (your choice: walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds,etc)
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. honey
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

Layer salad greens, cranberries, cheese and nuts in shallow salad bowl or on large serving platter. Whisk vinegar, honey, mustard and pepper in small bowl. Slowly add oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until well blended. Pour over salad and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

MONKEY BREAD MUFFINS

You know that ooey, gooey goodness known as Monkey Bread? Alot of people serve it for Christmas morning because it's that good. Well, here is an easy method that is simply TO DIE FOR! I served it as dessert after some warm soup on a cold and windy day. 5 out of 5 thumbs were way up! Recipe found at Stephanie's Kitchen.


2 tubes of refrigerated biscuit dough (20 biscuits total)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 T. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 and spray your muffin tin with nonstick spray. In a bowl, cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. (I used my kitchen shears). In a large bowl or resealable bag, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Add about half of the dough to the cinnamon-sugar mixture and move around until coated. Fill each muffin cup with about 6-8 pieces of dough-using up all the dough pieces. In a small saucepan, bring the butter and brown sugar to a boil. Spoon about a tablespoon of the carmelized goodness over each muffin cup. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until baked through. Best when warm just out of the oven.
Now, you might see that bubbled out caramel "mess" on the muffin tin and think "Man! What a mess." But let me tell you, we were fighting over that brittled yumminess and cleaned it off in no time. ;)

BUNUELOS

A really tasty Mexican treat.

1 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt
12 medium flour tortillas
oil for frying
garnishes: we like honey and whipped cream but caramel or chocolate sauce would be good, too
brown paper bag

Preheat 1 inch on oil in a pan to 375. Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl; pour into paper bag. Cut tortillas into 4 triangles. Fry each triangle in the oil until lightly browned and crisp, turning once. While still warm, add to sugar mixture in the brown paper bag and shake gently to coat. To serve, drizzle with honey and top with whipped cream.

SOUR CREAM CHICKEN ENCHILADAS


4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or cut into chunks
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp minced onion
1 4 oz can green chilis (or less to taste)
1 pkg medium sized flour tortillas

Mix ingredients together and fill tortillas. Place seam side down in a greased 9x13 pan. May sprinkle more shredded cheese on top if desired. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Makes approximately 6-8 enchiladas.

CARAMEL APPLE SALAD
Weight Watchers Friendly

4 granny smith apples, chopped into bite size pieces
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple (in own juice, slightly drained
1 small box instant butterscotch pudding
1 8 oz. container Cool Whip
dry roasted peanuts

Combine pineapple and dry pudding mix together in a bowl. Add chopped apples and stir to combine. Fold in Cool Whip. Chill for a few hours before serving. If desired, top with chopped peanuts. If I am trying to pass this as dessert, I reserve a little of the Cool Whip and put a dollop on each serving, a drizzle of caramel syrup, and then the chopped peanuts.

To make this Weight Watchers friendly, use sugar free pudding, fat free cool whip, and omit the peanuts.
WW=6 servings 3 points each)

ACTUALLY SOFT & CHEWY
RICE KRISPIE TREATS

I don't know about you, but for years whenever I would make these
cereal treats, they always turned out hard, dry, and less than great.
I found this version and a few tips* on Recipezaar, and now I can say
I make great ones!

1/4 c. butter
16 ounces marshmallows
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups Rice Krispies

Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add marshmallows and allow to melt, stirring constantly until *ALMOST* smooth. Remove from heat and add vanilla and cereal. Stir until cereal is completely covered with marshmallow mixture. Pour into a greased  9X13 pan. *DO NOT*  pack down. Allow to cool 2 minutes then gently press down just until they are flattened evenly. Cool completely and cut into squares. Enjoy!

BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN BAKE

This is an easy, pretty healthy recipe from Kraft's Food & Family Magazine.

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (my husband has issues with canned tomatoes so I used spaghetti sauce instead)
1 pkg. chicken flavored stuffing mix
1/2 c. water 2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 c. 2% milk shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Mix tomatoes, stuffing mix, water, and garlic just until stuffing is moistened. Layer chicken, basil, and cheese in a casserole dish or 9 X 13 pan. Top with stuffing mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

JUNIOR MINT BROWNIES
Weight Watchers Friendly

1/4 c. butter
32 (about 3 ozs.) Junior Mints candies
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 large egg
1 large egg white

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom of an 8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Combine butter and mints in a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Microwave on high for 30 seconds or until soft. Stir until smooth, and set aside. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Sift together flour, soda, and salt in a bowl. Combine sugar, cocoa, egg, and egg white in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add mint mixture and beat well. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean; cool completely on a wire rack.

NOTE: Two large (1.5 ounce) mints or 6 miniature chocolate-covered peppermint patties (such as York) may be substituted for 32 junior mints.

Makes 16 brownies  WW Points each: 3

CHICKEN POT PIE SOUP

2 tsp. oil or butter
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
ground pepper to taste
4 c. water
2-3 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 c. sweet peas
fresh dill or 1/2 tsp. dried dill, optional
2 T. butter or margarine
2 T. corn starch
1 1/2 c. milk
1 pkg. chicken gravy or country gravy mix
2 c. diced chicken
pie crust for single-crust pie (optional)

Heat oil or butter in a large stockpot. Add onions, carrots and celery. Cook for 2 minutes. Season to taste with pepper. Cook an additional 3 minutes. Stir in water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer as long as desired, but at least 5 minutes. (I had mine simmering for 30 minutes.) Cook potatoes in salted water until tender. Add peas for the last minute or so. If using fresh dill, add a few sprigs in with the potatoes and then remove when the potatoes are done. Drain potatoes. In a small saucepan, prepare gravy mix as per package directions. Set aside. In a separate pot, melt butter. Add corn starch and stir and cook 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened. Add prepared gravy mix and stir to combine. Add chicken and vegetables. Simmer until ready to eat. Can top with crumbled pie crust or we have done Ritz crackers and that was good too.

PUMPKIN BUTTERSCOTCH MUFFINS
Print Friendly Version

Thank you, Allrecipes.com. This super simple and quick recipe could not be more moist or delicious. The butterscotch chips really make 'em.

1 cake mix, your choice (spice, yellow, white, lemon, or orange)
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 pkg. butterscotch chips (I used 1/2)

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper liners. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until smooth. Fold in butterscotch chips. Spoon equal amounts of batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If making mini muffins, bake at 350 for 8-10 min.

I was filling these really full, and I got 16 muffins. I was making a double batch and just for fun, added about 1/4 c. of canola oil to the second batch to see if it made any difference. I don't think it changed the flavor or moistness at all, but the tops seemed to look a little smoother and more cakelike.

STUFFED YELLOW SQUASH

A really great way to use some of your squash bounty!
2 medium yellow squash
4 slices bacon
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 c. diced green pepper
1/4 c. grated carrot
1/4 c. diced mushrooms
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
3 T. butter, melted
4 T. grated parmesan cheese

Cook whole squash in enough boiling water to cover them for 10 minutes or until tender but still firm. Cut stems off and then cut in half. Scrape out pulp with a spoon. (You may discard the pulp or save it for the filling minus the seeds). Allow to drain and cool slightly. Meanwhile, fry bacon in a skillet. When crisp, remove bacon and most of the drippings from the pan. Add diced vegetables and saute for 5 minutes. Combine vegetables with crumbled bacon, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and butter. Spoon stuffing into squash. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

OREO ICE CREAM DESSERT


My mom-in-law first gave me this recipe and I have used it many times to wow birthday party guests or other crowds. I recently made it for my sis-in-law's baby shower and it was another hit. So I am posting it by request!

28 crushed Oreo cookies (can also crush a few more to sprinkle on top)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1 jar hot fudge topping (I like Mrs. Richardson's Hot Fudge Topping)
1 (8 oz) cool whip

Melt butter & mix in Oreo cookie crumbs. Press into a 9x13 pan.
Freeze for at least 30 minutes until set.
Soften vanilla ice cream and spread over cookie crust.
Freeze for at least 30 minutes until set.
Pour jar of fudge topping over ice cream and try to spead evenly.
Freeze for at least 30 minutes until set.
Spread cool whip over fudge topping. (Optional sprinkle 2-3 crushed Oreo cookies over cool whip. Store in freezer. Take out 1-15 minutes before serving.

VARIATION: Use mint chocolate chip ice cream in place of vanilla and drizzle with caramel topping right before serving. Tastes almost exactly like Winger's Asphalt Pie!

TACO SOUP


There are many variations on this recipe so you can pretty much make it how your family likes it or with what you have on hand. I like this version because it just doesn't get much easier than opening up cans and dumping them in a pot! :)

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can corn
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans (or 1 can kidney beans & 1 can black beans)
1 (4 oz) can mild diced green chilis
1 pkg taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients - no need to drain beans or corn, just use their juice for the liquid. If needed, you can add a tomato sauce can full of water.

In a crockpot, cook on low for 4 hours.

In a pot on the stove, bring to a boil and let simmer for 5-10 minutes to heat through and blend flavors.

To serve, sprinkle broken corn chips into a bowl, add soup, then sprinkle cheese on top. My family also adds a spoon full of sour cream and stirs that into each bowl of soup.

HOMEMADE CHEESE RAVIOLI

This may sound daunting at first. But if you have never tasted the delicate texture of "fresh" pasta, you deserve to! These come together easily once you get the techinique down.

1 pkg. wrappers (these work so well)
1 15 oz. carton ricotta cheese, strained*
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. parmesan cheese (the stuff in the green can)
1 egg
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. dried parsley

*Strain your ricotta cheese by placing into a fine mesh strainer and letting the excess water drip out for about an hour.
Combine ricotta with cream cheese, parmesan, egg, nutmeg, and parsley. Begin assembling the ravioli by placing a teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrapper. (You can add more if the wrapper is bigger, but if it's squishing out when you seal them, it's too much). Dip your fingers in a bowl of water and wet the edges of the wrapper. Fold in half and seal all edges. Place on a baking sheet or pan while finishing the rest. To cook, bring salted water to a boil and add ravioli, cooking about 3-4 minutes or until they float. Serve with your favorite pasta sauce.