Smoky Cheese Ball

This recipe is super easy & amazingly delicious. The first time I made this was for one of my class lunches years ago. I made two of them, one for home & one to take. Both of them were devoured. This is one of our favorite get together recipes & it's always a huge hit! 

Ingredients~

2 cups shredded smoke cheddar cheese

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 Tbsp milk

2 tsp A1 Steak Sauce

1 cup finally chopped nuts (pecan, walnut, or almond)

Crackers

Directions~

 Combine cheeses & margarine or butter in a medium mixing bowl. Bring to room temperature. 

Add milk and steak sauce & beat until fluffy. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.

Shape mixture into a ball. Roll in nuts. Serve with crackers

Kelsey's Peanut Butter Pie (no bake)

This is Kelsey's incredible Peanut Butter Pie! She searched high & low for the perfect recipe to make for her class's Dessert Day. This is what she came up with & it was a HUGE hit. She made 4 pies that day & they all disappeared in no time!

Since that day, Kelsey makes this pie for every single family gathering and they are always devoured! This is most definitely a family favorite!  

Ingredients~

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (softened)
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts

Directions~ 

Beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar.
Mix in the peanut butter and milk.
Beat until smooth.
Gently fold in the whipped topping.
Spoon into two 9 inch graham cracker pie shells; cover, and freeze until firm (overnight).

Tips:
*Don't skimp, use name brand when possible! 

*Freeze overnight or at least 8 hours!

*One Thanksgiving the pie wasn't quite frozen in time so we ate one but we let the second one freeze and then we cut it into bite size cubes and but them in a tupperware in the freezer to have with our coffee the next morning. It was the perfect size to sneak a quick treat!

Just line a square or rectangle pan with wax or parchment paper & make as normal. When it's frozen, pop it out of the pan onto a cutting board & slice into about 1 inch squares. 

Jalapeno Pinwheels

This is a wonderful & simple appetizer from my sister-in-law, Reign. These keep really well in the fridge so you can make them 2 or 3 days ahead of when you need them or just make some up to keep in the fridge for snacking. Wade devours these so trying to keep a stash of them is impossible around here, lol. They are a huge favorite, even the kids love them!

Ingredients~ 
1 pkg. flour tortillas 
8 oz. softened room temp cream cheese 
1 pkg sliced ham (lunch meat)
1 jar chopped jalapeno peppers

Directions~

In a bowl mix the cream cheese with two or three heaping tablespoons of canned, diced jalapeno.
Stir together until well mixed.

Divide the cream cheese mixture equally on four or five flour tortillas & spread evenly.
Top with ham, slice ham to fit if needed.
Roll each tortilla up tightly and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Remove from fridge & cut into 3/4 inch slices. 

Variation~  Add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped, fresh cilantro to the cream cheese. 

Honey Whole Wheat Bagels

I just love bagels but they can get expensive with a large family. I figured I had 2 choices, continue hiding them from the kids or learn how to make inexpensively & in large batches. I also wanted them to be healthier. I found out not long ago that my store bought bagels contain cellulose, yuck! When I ran across a Whole Wheat recipe the other day, I knew I had to try it.


I actually combined a few recipes. I found one with the ingredients I wanted but I didn't like the directions. So I searched out other recipes & came up with some awesome whole-wheat bagels!


Best of all.... I usually pay $3.45 for 5 pack of bagels at the store. I made a double batch of these & it cost approximately $3.50 for 20 bagels! That's what I call cost effective!

(You can make regular bagels simply by replacing the whole wheat flour with bread flour 

& the honey with sugar. For best results still use the Tbls of honey in the boiling water)

Ingredients~

4 1/2  cups whole wheat flour
1 pkg dry active yeast
1 1/2 cups very warm (not hot) water
4 Tablespoons honey + 1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sea salt


1 egg
1 Tbsp water

Directions~

In a small bowl, mix yeast and warm water together and let stand 3 minutes.

Mix together 2 cups of flour, salt & yeast/water mixture, slowly combining the remaining flour.

Turn out onto a floured surface & knead until smooth & elastic (approx 5 minutes)

Place the dough in an oiled bowl & allow to rest until it doubles in size. (I waited 45 minutes)

Punch down the dough (if adding anything, like cinnamon & raisins, now is the time).

Divide dough and shape into 10 balls & allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Begin shaping each bagel by stick your finger in the middle of the ball and pulling it apart to create about a 2 inch hole. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

In the mean time, put on a pot of water to boil, adding 1 tablespoon of honey to the water.

After 10 minutes, drop 4 bagels at a time into the boiling water for about 45 seconds, turning each once half way through. Drain on a wire rack or cloth.

Mix egg & water. Brush onto tops of bagels & place onto a well greased baking sheet, a silicone cookie sheet would be optimal, they stuck just a bit on my aluminum ones.

Bake @ 350 for 20-30 minutes, turning once. Keep an eye on them past 20 minutes.

Here are my pics. I tweeked the recipes as I went so they aren't as pretty or smooth as they should be. They do taste WONDERFUL though!

Ready for boiling! Yours will be smoother if you kneaded for the full 5 minutes.

Boiling time! Don't over or under boil or they'll be hard as rocks after baking!

Don't these look wonderful?!? They smell yummy too!

Grilled Bacon Jalapeno Wraps

This is a super easy recipe for cookouts & get togethers. Everyone loves them & they disappear fast.


Ingredients~
6 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
12 slices thin bacon

Directions~
Preheat oven to 425.
Spread cream cheese into jalapeño halves. Wrap wirh bacon.
Place onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for about 25 minutes or until bacon is crispy.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients~
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided
1/2 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 tablespoons butter
6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Directions~
Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours.
Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, splash with a little extra buffalo wing sauce & a squirt of Ranch dressing to serve.

Deep Fried Eggplant, Zucchini, etc,

Everyone loves these, even Liberty who said they were better than a Popsicle! We have tried a few recipes & were never satisfied but after a little tweaking, this one is perfect.

Ingredients~
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. water
1 egg
Medium to lg. eggplant
Oil for deep frying

Directions~
Leaving skin on, slice eggplant lengthwise into pickle like strips, & then slice those in half. Lay them out on a paper towel & sprinkle with salt to allow the excess bitter water to drain. Mix batter ingredients well. Rinse salt from eggplant. Dip in batter and fry until brown. Drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with salt again. & enjoy!


These are really yummy dipped in Ranch or even pasta sauce.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is an awesome Chicken Pot Pie recipe. It takes a little work but it is amazingly worth it. I started with a recipe from a Paula Deen cookbook but I wasn't happy with the use of canned ingredients so I revamped it & made it all from scratch.

Cream of Cheddar Cheese & Celery
2 stalks celery (chopped finely)
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cup milk
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
salt & pepper, to taste

Melt butter & celery in a saucepan over medium-low heat, saute lightly for just a minute or two; add flour and whisk until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat; gradually add milk, whisking to keep smooth. Return to heat and bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly until thickened. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add salt & pepper to taste.

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Pot Pie Ingredients~
Recipe cream of Cheddar Cheese & Celery Soup (recipe above)
1/2 cup milk
1 chicken, skinned, cooked, boned, and cubed
1 medium onion, diced
One 10-ounce package frozen green peas (or one 8-ounce can, drained)
3 carrots, sliced, cooked, and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pastry for top and bottom (recipe below)
Butter to dot pastry

In a large saucepan, heat soups and milk. Stir in chicken, onion, peas, carrots, and salt and pepper. Cook until mixture boils. Remove from heat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour into a pastry-lined 13x9x2-inch pan. Cut pastry for top into strips. Lay over pie filling in a lattice style. Dot with butter. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.

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Pastry Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup Crisco shortening
Ice water

Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water over part of mixture. Gently toss with fork push to side of bowl. Repeat until all is moistened. Form into 2 balls. Flatten each on a lightly floured surface by pressing with edge of hand three times across in both directions. With a floured rolling pin, roll out on floured surface. Roll from center to edge until 1/8-inch thick.

Mother's Rolls by Paula Deen

This is our go to recipe for rolls. They are super easy & just delicious.

Ingredients~

1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1 heaping teaspoon salt
1/3 cup boiling water
1 package yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 egg
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour


Directions~
Cream together shortening, sugar, and salt. Add boiling water. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water; beat egg and add. Combine with shortening and mix all together with flour. Beat well. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until needed. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough and cut into rolls. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown.

Gooey Butter Cake

This cake is amazing! Absolutely amazing.

Ingredients~

Cake:
1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients & mix well.
Pour into lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Prepare filling.....

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar


Directions~
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs & vanilla. Add Butter; Beat well.
Add powdered sugar & mix well. Spread over cake mixture.
Bake 40-50 minutes. You want the center to be a little gooey, so do not overbake.




Variations~

Add 15-ounce can of pumpkin (and a dash of cinnamon & nutmeg) to the filling.

Add a 20-ounch can of drained crushed pineapple to the filling.

Use a lemon cake, add a little lemon juice & zest to the filling.

Use a spiced carrot cake mix, add chopped nuts & carrot slivers to the filling.

Use a chocolate cake mix, add 1 cup of peanut butter to the mix.

Pop's Cornbread Dressing

2 whole chickens
8 cans Butterball chicken broth
2 bags Pictsweet Seasoning Mix (frozen onion, peppers, celery)
4 cups Hoovers Cornmeal
4 cups HOT water
3 stalks celery - diced
salt and pepper to taste
4 bay leaves

Boil 2 whole chickens in a large stock pot of chicken broth until thoroughly cooked. Debone & add meat back into stockpot. Add Seasoning Mix, celery, bay leaves, salt & pepper (to taste). Set to simmer.

Bake two flats of Hoovers cornbread in 2 overly oiled cast iron skillets.
(Cornbread - Mix cornmeal, hot water & a little salt in a medium size bowl until mixture forms a shape-able doughy ball. Press into overly oiled skillets & bake @450 until golden brown, about 30 minutes)

Remove bay leaves. Coarsely crumble cornbread into the stockpot. Add salt liberally to taste. It's should be soupy at this point, but not excessively. Continue cooking while stirring frequently as it thickens, adding more broth if needed.