Peanut Butter Blossoms

These are some of my favorite cookies. If you like peanut butter cookies, you'll love these.

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. shortening

1/2 c. peanut butter

1 egg

1 1/4 c. flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

Hershey's Peanut Butter Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix all ingredients together and form into balls. I use my Pampered Chef small scoop & it's just the right size.

3. Place on ungreased pan 2" apart.

4. Bake for 10 minutes.

5. Then open oven & put a kiss on each cookie & press down just a little bit, then bake for an additional 2 minutes.

6. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

This recipe will make about 2 dozen cookies. I usually double or triple the recipe since we have a large family, we like leftovers & I usually give some away.

A few tips:

1. If you try to move the cookies from the pan too soon after taking them out of the oven they will break. This is the case with pretty much every cookie recipe. Wait for about 5-8 minutes.

2. Make sure not to overcook the cookies, or they won't be as soft & the kiss will burn.

3. These cookies are best when warm. So when you're craving that cookie the next day just pop it in the microwave for about 10 seconds & it softens & warms the cookie just enough to make the kiss melt in your mouth. Yum! Enjoy!

Funeral Potatoes!

I know the name sounds terrible but it's not as bad as what our mom used to call these. This yummy potato dish got it's name from being such a popular dish that is served at almost every LDS (Latter-day Saint) funeral there is. It really is a great potato dish that I'm sure your family will love. There are actually several versions of Funeral Potatoes so this is my version.

Funeral Potatoes

8 lg. or 12 sm. potatoes

2 cans cream of chicken soup

salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbs. Mrs. Dash

1 pint sour cream

1 c. grated cheese

crushed potato chips (about 2 cups crushed)

1. Peel & cube potatoes, then boil. Drain water & put potatoes in a large mixing bowl.

2. Mix in soup, sour cream, cheese & seasonings in with potatoes.

3. Mix well & pour half of mixture into 9x13 baker.

4. Sprinkle more cheese over then pour rest of mixture in pan & sprinkle more cheese on top.

5. Sprinkle crushed chips all over potatoes.

6. Bake at 450 for 20-25 min. Enjoy!

Chel's Ziti Pasta

I was going to make the Party Pasta Bowl recipe from Pampered Chef but decided to change it just a bit. Although some of my kids were skeptical to try it (because it was something new), they loved it. It did turn out quite yummy!

Chel's Ziti Pasta

1 package uncooked ziti pasta

1/4 c. chopped onion

1 lb. lean ground beef (I always get the leanest ground beef I can find)

3 garlic cloves, pressed

2 ts. Italian Seasoning

1 jar/can (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained (I like to get the ones with seasoning in them)

1 egg

2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 ts. parsley

1/4 ts. black pepper

2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese

1. Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain when fully cooked. Cook ground beef, add chopped onion and pressed garlic.  Cook until beef is fully cooked.  Remove from heat.  Add Italian seasoning, tomatoes and spaghetti sauce.  Lightly beat egg, then add to meat mixture.  Add mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, parsley and pepper.  Mix sauce with pasta in large bowl, pour into 9x13 stone baker and add more mozzarella cheese on top.  Bake at 450 degrees for 25 min.

Corn Casserole

I'm making this tonight as a side to the Beef Taco Bake, so I'm doubling the recipe. I'll add Photos later!

Ingredients:

1 - 15 1/4 oz can whole kernel corn, drained

1 - 14 3/4 oz can cream-style corn

1 - 8 oz package corn muffin mix (I use Jiffy)

1 - cup sour cream

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 350'

In a large bowl, stir together all the corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream and butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13 inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with cheese. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve warm. This makes 6-8 servings.

Beef Taco Bake

I'm making this tonight for a large family get together so I am tripleing the recipe. As a side I will be making a Corn Casserole.

Beef Taco Bake

1 lb- ground beef (I used 2 lbs and 1 lb Italian Sausage)

1- 10 3/4 oz can Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup

1- cup Salsa

1- 4oz can Diced Green Chile Peppers

1/2- cup milk

1- cup shredded cheese (about 4oz)

8- Corn tortillas - cut into 1 inch pieces

(you may use 6 flour tortillas if you prefer)

Cook the beef in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until well browned, stirring often. Drain off the fat. Preheat oven to 400' Add to meat: soup, salsa, milk, tortillas and 1/2 the cheese. Stir. Spoon the mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish. Cover and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly. Remove and add the remaining cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Pepperoni Pizza Twist

This is another Pampered Chef recipe. Can you tell I like them? I actually love their products even more than their recipes. The stones are so awesome, I bake on them almost everyday (as you can see by how dark they are in the pictures).

Pepperoni Pizza Twist

1 package (3.5 ounces) pepperoni slices, diced

1 can (3.25 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 garlic clove, pressed

2 packages (11 ounces each) refrigerated French bread dough

1 egg

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning Mix

2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 can (15 ounces) pizza sauce, warmed (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Dice pepperoni. Chop olives using. Snip parsley using kitchen shears (I used dried parsley).

In a bowl, combine pepperoni, olives, parsley, mozzarella cheese, flour and garlic (I used granulated garlic because I didn't have any garlic cloves); mix well.

2. Place bread dough, seam sides up, on smooth side of a cutting board. Using a knife, slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open flat. Lightly sprinkle additional flour evenly over dough. Using a baker's roller, roll dough crosswise to a 4-inch width, creating a well down center of each loaf. I use my pizza dough recipe.

3. Spoon half of the pepperoni mixture down center of each loaf. Gather up edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal. Place loaves, seam sides down, in an "X" pattern on a rectangle stone. Crisscross ends of dough to form a large figure "8," keeping ends of dough 1 inch from edge of stone and leaving two 1 1/2-inch openings in center of twist. I would recommend adding some tomato sauce w/ seasoning inside--it was good, but pretty dry & I think the sauce would make it better. I also forgot to add the black olives--had them chopped, just forgot to put them in.

4. Separate egg over small bowl. (Discard yolk or set aside for another use.) Beat egg white and seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough. Using serrated bread knife, cut a 3-inch slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling. Instead of the seasoning mix, I just put Italian Seasoning in mine.

5. Grate Parmesan cheese over loaf. Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove to cooling rack; cool 10 minutes. Cut into 16 slices. Serve with warm pizza sauce, if desired.

For the greatest Pampered Chef consultant contact Kelly!

Quick Apple Crisp

This was very yummy. This is another Pampered Chef recipe. It is indeed quick. My 11 yr. old helped me make it & it took us about 15 min. to prepare while our dinner was baking. That was from start to finish, peeling the apples to it being ready to go in the oven. This time I didn't use the nuts & I think I liked it better without them.

Quick Apple Crisp

5 Granny Smith apples

1 package (9 oz.) yellow cake mix

2 Tbs. sugar

1 T. ground cinnamon

1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted

1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Vanilla ice cream or thawed, frozen whipped topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Peel, core and slice apples using Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer. Cut apples in half with a sharp knife. (I cut mine into quarters). Place apples in deep dish baker (or a pie pan or 8x8 pan).

Combine cake mix, sugar, cinnamon, butter & nuts in a bowl (I used walnuts, but pecans would be good too). Mix until crumbly then sprinkle evenly over apples.

Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping, if desired.

For the greatest Pampered Chef consultant in the Phoenix Metro Area contact Kelly!

Spaghetti Sauce Casserole

This is a very yummy casserole that most of my family loves. I got this recipe from my sil, Kristi.

Spaghetti Sauce Casserole

1 lb. hamburger

1 pkg. Spaghetti Sauce Mix

2 eight oz. cans tomato sauce

3/4 pint sour cream

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls

2 Tb. butter

mozerella cheese

parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°. Cook hamburger. Mix in Spaghetti Sauce mix & tomato sauce. Pour mixture in bottom of a deep dish baker (or pie pan). Spread sour cream on top. Spread cheese over, then lay out raw crescent rolls flat on top (do not roll them just lay them flat), putting the wide end of the rolls at the outside. The points of the rolls will overlap a little in the middle but that's alright. Melt butter & drizzle on top, then sprinkle parmesan cheese all over the top.

Bake at 375° for 18-25 min.

Darin's Super Scrumptious Spaghetti

Darin made this spaghetti for me on our second date & I joke with him that I fell in love with him for his spaghetti. (which of course isn't true - I love the man and the sketti)


Ingredients:

1 - 16 oz package Spaghetti

1 - can Spaghetti sauce any flavor

1 - can Italian diced tomatoes

1 - green bell pepper (diced)

1 -red bell pepper (diced)

1 - med. onion (diced) - I prefer a sweet onions or the purple kind

1 lb Mild Italian Sausage (you can use hamburger if you prefer)

Directions:

Brown Sausage in a skillet.

In a separate skillet grill the onion and peppers till slightly caramelized.

Add them to Sausage after it is fully cooked.

Add Sauce and Tomatoes. Mix Well. Let simmer while you boil spaghetti

I usually add a little salt to the water and 1 tsp E.V.O.O. while spaghetti cooks.

Drain but don't rinse (helps the pasta absorb more of the sauce).  You can either add spaghetti directly to sauce or put back into pot with 1 tsp of E.V.O.O. mixed in and serve separately.  I was cooking for a large group when taking these photos so I missed getting the pasta (maybe I'll add later) - that is also why it appears to be more in skillet then what recipe calls for.

Arizona's Beauty

After seeing Rachelles beautiful sunset photos, I thought I'ld add this one
I recently shot while going out to my Sister Bridgette's home.