Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

I found this OMG so dang good cake recipe over at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/. This is now my husbands favorite cake, he is always asking me to make it. You have to try this recipe, you are going to love it.
Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
found at www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com


Mix in pan and bring to a boil:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter

Sift the following and add to the above mixture:
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda

Mix and add to the above mixture:
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Stir well and pour into greased or parchment lined cookie sheet pan (jellyroll pan). Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Frosting
Mix in pan and bring to a boil:
3/4 cup butter
6 Tbsp buttermilk
1/2 cup peanut butter
Take off stove and add:
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp vanilla. Pour over warm cake.

- Happy Thanksgiving
Kristina

I'm sharing this recipe over at
http://www.remodelaholic.com/

Friday, November 18, 2011

Taco Soup- Crockpot style

Yummy! This is one of my family's favorite meals. Per my Memaw the secret to this recipe is the ranch dressing mix, without it it's just not the same.  My grandmother also likes to use hominy instead of corn, however my family doesn't care to much for the hominy so I make mine with corn instead.


Taco Soup- Crockpot Style

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
  • 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
  • 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
  • 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
  • 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
  • 1 (1-ounce) package buttermilk ranch salad dressing mix

Directions
  1. In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain, and set aside.
  2. Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers, taco seasoning mix and ranch salad dressing mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours.
  3. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Hope you enjoy

-Kristina

This delicious recipe is being shared over at:

Monday, November 14, 2011

Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps

I love me some Paula Deen. She has the pretties’ eyes I’ve ever seen and she can cook. I really like her recipes because for the most part they are simple and they do not call for off the wall ingredients that you will most likely never use again. This recipe was a big hit at my home. Hope your family enjoys it too.

                                                        Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps
                                                             (found at Paula Deen)



Makes 12-15 wraps

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan. Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.


-Kristina

Friday, November 11, 2011

What are you Thankful for ????

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection and giving thanks for those things we hold dear. How often do you pause to appreciate what you have in life? Sometimes it’s easy to feel bad because you’re going through a tough time in life. However, remember no matter how bad your situation may seem, there are things to be grateful for in life. Unfortunately, we often look at what we don’t have instead of what we have, and we end up complaining instead of being grateful. Sometimes when we're stressed, it helps to count your blessings. Focusing on the positives in our lives, thinking of what you love can bring a smile to your face and make stress less...stressful. Life’s journey can be difficult and trying at times, but it’s important to stop and remember the things that have gone “right” in your life.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I would like to take a moment to put into words what I’m truly grateful for. I would love to hear what you are grateful for as well.

As for me, I am most grateful for my grandparents especially my Memaw.  My Memaw is an amazing woman; she is my best friend and has made me the woman that I am today. At the age of 50 years old, she had to start all over with being a mother again. After raising 6 kids of her own, and now enjoying retirement she was faced with having to raise 3 of her grandkids ages 8, 3 and 12 months old after losing her daughter (my mother) in a horrible car accident. Without giving it a second thought she took us in under her wing and loved us just as much as she loved her own kids.  There is no way I could ever put into words just what she means to me only the good lord knows. I love you Memaw and thank you for loving me and caring for me, I will be forever grateful for you.


I also thank God for my 3 healthy beautiful kids.  Mackenzie, you truly are a beautiful girl that has a lot of love to give, you have a heart of gold and a beautiful voice just as my mother did I know she’s looking down from heaven smiling every time you sing.  Chase, you crack me up you are always making everyone laugh around you. You are a silly little boy that loves everyone and when dads not home you are the little man of the house always taking care of mom, sister and brother.  Austin, my little love bug you have a beautiful smile that everyone loves. You have never met a stranger; you would talk to a fence post if it would talk back to you. People fall in love with you because you have a BIG loving heart.


Thank you God for my husband of almost 11 years, he is a wonderful husband, father and friend, even though we have had many challenges and obstacles in our marriage this year. You have never given up on our marriage and have done your best to hang in there and work things out. It’s easy to give up, it takes a true man to hang in there and keep his family together.  May 2012 bring us a new beginning.


Dear lord Thank you a million for my Aunt Pam and Uncle Fred, for loving my kids as if they were their own grandkids. My kids look up to you two and will for the rest of their lives, you have 3 kids that love you both more than words can ever explain. I know Tina is looks down from Heaven and is so proud to see what kind of “grandparents” you two are to my kids.


I thank God for my family and sending me wonderful people who believe in me. I also thank God for food, clothing, warm shelter, a car and a good job.

I realized the world is so beautiful, and we’re lucky to live in such an amazing world.

May God bless you and your family this Holiday Season!

-Kristina

Friday, November 4, 2011

Were having WAFFLESSSS..

At our house we LOVE the movie Shrek. Our favorite Character is the donkey he cracks us up. We love the scene where he says to Shrek " And in the morning I'm making Waffles". The way he says it, is so funny.
So tonight were making Wafflesss :) ... I love having breakfast for dinner every once in a while it's a nice change. I just recently bought a waffle maker and I've been making waffles like crazy.. Did you know you can make a bunch, put them in freezer bags and freeze them?? I just discovered that and it’s so much cheaper than buying the frozen ones at the store. So on mornings where we are running a little late my kids grab them out of the freezer pop them in the microwave for 45 seconds and there done and everyone’s Happy J

This is by far my favorite recipe for Homemade Buttermilk Waffles.

Homemade Buttermilk Waffles
(found at bakinglikebetty.blogspot.com)

2 C flour
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
Whisk these dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

3 1/2 C buttermilk
1/4 C oil
2 egg yolks
Mix these wet ingredients in a separate large mixing bowl.

2 egg whites
Using an electric hand mixer, beat these till foamy like whip cream. Don't over do it or you will stiffen them and it won't work. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together, then fold in the egg whites. Use as pancake or waffle mix.

I am Blessed to have such a wondeful and loving family. I love you guys!!

Along For the Ride

Lime Chicken Tacos- CROCKPOT MEAL

This meal has turned out to be one of my families favs. They love the flavor of the chicken and they never get tired of it.  I made a few modifications to the original recipe that I found over at chef-n-training, she had you add the frozen corn and salsa later but since I need supper to be ready when I got off work I added everything at once and it seemed to turn out fine :)  This is a must try.



LIME CHICKEN TACOS
(CROCKPOT MEAL)
(found at chef-n-training.blogspot.com)


·         1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
·         3 Tbsp lime juice
·         1 Tbsp chili powder
·         1 cup frozen corn
·         1 cup chunky salsa
·         12  flour tortillas (6 inches), I like to add a little butter to a pan and slightly toast them on each side.. Yummy
·         sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce, optional
Place the chicken in a slow cooker.  Combine all ingredients above except flour tortillas ( of course :) ); pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken is done and tender.

No need to remove chicken, take two forks and shred the chicken right in the crockpot.  Serve in tortillas with sour cream, cheese and lettuce if desired.


- Enjoy
-Kristina 


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Beef Stroganoff- CROCKPOT MEAL

If you can't tell I am all about my Crockpot, I love it. I just recently purchased one that has 4 different settings (4 hrs/6hrs/8hrs/10hrs). I found mine at Target and it was only like 35.00. My husband and I are away from our house for about 13 hours a day and in my old crockpot I would burn everything. I'm glad to say I havn't runied a dinner yet in the new one!! I love coming home and supper is already cooked, it's GREAT o and the house smells wonderful toooo !!

So Here's what's cooking for Dinner tonight.

Beef Stroganoff-
(found at thecrockstar.blogspot.com)

2 pounds cubed stew meat
2 cans Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
1 small onion diced
4 tabls of Worcestershire
1/2 cup of water
8 oz of cream cheese
couple of dashes of Garlic Salt 

In the slow cooker stir in all the ingredients, except the Meat AND the Cream Cheese. Once combined add the meat and mix together.

Cook on Low for 8 hours. Cut up the cream cheese into cubes just before serving and turn crockpot on high. Stir the cream cheese in until all combined. You might have to put the lid back on and leave for 10 minutes.

Serve over egg noodles.

Hope you enjoy

-Kristina

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

November Meal Planner

Here's what's cooking in November.  I'm hoping to have all of the recipes linked to each recipe title....that way all you have to do is click on the recipe title and it will take you directly to the recipe……but no promises as I'm about ready to pull my hair out trying to figure this out. I know one day (hopefully soon) I will get this down J
November Meal Planner-

Tuesday 1st - Beef Stroganoff (CROCKPOT MEAL)
Wednesday 2nd-Subway Sandwiches
Thursday 3rd- Lime Chicken Tacos (CROCKPOT MEAL)
Friday 4th- Homemade Buttermilk Waffles
Saturday 5th- Calzone Rings
Sunday 6th- Free Night
Monday 7th- Ham and Cheese Sliders
Tuesday 8th- Sausage Jambalaya
Wednesday 9th- Soutwestern Chicken and White Bean Soup (CROCKPOT MEAL)
Thursday 10th- Leftovers
Friday 11th- PF Chang's Mongolian Beef
Saturday 12th- Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken Breast
Sunday 13th- Barbecue Chicken (CROCKPOT MEAL)
Monday 14th- Sweet Chicken Wraps
Tuesday 15th- Taco Soup
Wednesday 16th- Leftovers
Thursday 17th- Chicken Bacon Pasta
Friday 18th- Roast Au Jus Sandwiches (CROCKPOT MEAL)
Saturday 19th- Restaurant style carna asada soft tacos with Guacamole and Corn
Sunday 20th- Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Monday 21st- Easy Quiche
Tuesday 22nd- BBQ Baked Potatoes
Wednesday 23rd- Chili in the Crockpot (CROCKPOT MEAL)
Thursday 24th- Thanksgiving Dinner
Friday 25th- Thanksgiving Dinner
Saturday 26th- Thanksgiving Dinner
Sunday 27th- Spaghetti with/ salad and bread sticks
Monday 28th- Taco Night
Tuesday 29th- Memaw's Broccoli and Cheese soup
Wednesday 30th- So Simple Red Beans and Rice

From my home to your's. God bless you and your Famiily, God bless America, and Happy Thanksgiving.

-Kristina