Yummy Pumpkin Crescent Rolls

My family LOVES this recipe. I also made it for a work pot luck and it was a big hit. I like it fresh out of the oven with some whipped cream but if you really like pumpkin you will probably like it better after it has been refrigerated. Super easy to make!!

Pumpkin Crescent Rolls

2 tubes of refrigerated crescent rolls
1 block of cream cheese
1 cup of canned pumpkin
Add in pumpkin pie spices (from the recipe on the can)
3 T Sugar
4 T Sugar

Makes: 32 mini croissants

Roll out crescent rolls, and cut each lengthwise in 2.

Place 4 T Sugar, and Cinnamon in bowl; set aside

Beat remaining ingredients together until fluffy and creamy. Spread mixture over crescent rolls. Roll each mini crescent roll and toss in sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake 375* for 15-18 minutes.

** Best after Refrigerated**

Dip!

I got this recipe from a friend a few weeks ago.

Pickle Wrap Dip

8oz- Cream Cheese

8oz- Sour Cream

3 Packages of Buddig Ham (That cheap lunch meat Stuff)

1 Jar of Pickles- I get a large jar of Zesty Dill Spears (SO YUMMY)

Mix everything together and eat with crackers! Yummy! When it sits the juice from the pickles turns the dip yellow, ignore the color because if you like pickle wraps you will LOVE this dip!

Shrimp Cocktail Soup

If you like shrimp cocktail, you will like this soup. It is wonderful for summer because it is served cold.

2 qts. tomato juice
4 cups chopped celery
1 green pepper, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 bottles seafood cocktail sauce
1-2 Tbs horseradish
3 Tbs vinegar
2 Tbs worchestershire sauce
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1-2 lbs. tiny salad shrimp

Combine all inredients and refridgerate at least overnight. Will keep for several days in the fridge. (I leave out the green pepper because I hate green pepper. Also, I usually don't use all 4 cups of celery, especially if I use 2 lbs. of shrimp.)

Mandarin Salad

This is such a yummy salad!!!

2 pkgs romaine lettuce

2 green onions

11 oz. can of mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 c. slivered almonds

3 TBS sugar

Dressing

1/2 tsp salt

1 TB parsley

2 TB sugar

1/4 c. salad oil

2 TB vinegar

dash of pepper

In a small pan on medium heat cook almonds and sugar, stirring contatnly until coated.

Mix dressing and chill.

Combine oranges and salad and dressing right before serving.  If you do it too early the salad gets 'soggy'...  I think some red onions would be good in this too!!

Pork Carnitas

This is the first time I have posted a recipe, although I do have a few that I wanted to post. Tacy found this recipe in a magazine so I tried it for dinner on Sunday. We all loved it...even Durell who doesn't really care for cilantro. It is very easy to put together and it just cooked while we were in church.

Pork Carnitas

2 lbs. pork loin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

(I didn't cut it in 1-inch pieces, I just cut the loin into about 4-5 chunks)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup cilantro leaves, plus 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 large onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp. orange zest

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I didn't have these so I left it out)

1 can low-sodium chicken broth (I used regular broth)

zest and juice of one lime

1 pkg. soft corn tortillas

lettuce, sour cream, salsa (optional)

1. Combine pork, garlic, 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, onion, oregano, orange zest, salt and red pepper flakes in slow cooker. Pour broth over top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours (I cooked mine on LOW for 8 hours because of the larger pieces).

2. Remove pork from slow cooker using a slotted spoon . Let cool slightly, then shred meat. Mix shredded pork with 1/4 cup cilantro, lime zest & juice, and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Serve in warm tortillas with lettuce, sour cream and salsa, if desired.

PER TACO: 204 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat.); 22 g protein; 16 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber

Carolina Style Barbeque Chicken

After having a lusciously fun weekend...me and Daron got home Saturday night and were too pooped to go to the grocery store to get stuff for Sunday dinner.  We figured we had plenty of stuff at the house to be able to scrap something together, especially since our church doesn't start till 2! (yuck)

So I got up this morning and figured I'd go through some of my cookbooks to see what I could conjure up...and let me tell you...this recipe is going to become a staple at this house!  Hannah and Bryan had eaten dinner at their moms house, so it was going to be just me and Daron eating dinner.  But, after we started eating the chicken, we made such a big deal of how good it was that they both came over and had a piece of chicken as well...and I was REALLY looking forward to having 2 pieces...OH WELL.

What was nice is that most of the ingredients are things you most likely already have, so it shouldn't take a special trip to the store to get an ingredient.  Well...maybe not the Franks Red Hot...but that stuff is a staple at this house...so we happened to have plenty!

CAROLINA STYLE BBQ CHICKEN

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves or thighs (but I figure you could use any type of chicken, we thought it would be good with wings!)

3/4 c. packed light brown sugar, divided

3/4 c. yellow mustard

3/4 c. Franks Red Hot

2 TBS. vegetable oil

2 TBS. worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper 

Place thawed chicken in a Ziploc bag.  Combine  1/2 c. of the brown sugar with all of the other ingredients in a bowl.  Pour 1 c. of the mixture over the chicken in the bag, seal it, and let it marinate for at least an hour but as long as overnight (ours marinated for about 6 hours and it was perfect)

Place chicken on a well-oiled grill, reserving marinade.  Grill over high heat 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (duh), turning and basting once with marinade.  Do not baste during the last 5 minutes of cooking, cause then you won't kill the nasties that are in the marinade.  Discard any remaining marinade, and serve chicken with reserved sauce.

Shortly before the chicken is done cooking, take the marinade that you set aside at the beginning, add the remaining 1/4 c. of brown sugar, and bring it to a boil on the stove.  Reduce heat, simmer 5 minute or until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens slightly, stirring often. 

SO YUMMY!!!!!! 

Amazing Banana Bread!!!

Ok, so I have never done this before but I thought I would share a treasure with you all. The other day I had some bananas getting ripe and banana bread sounded delicious so I set out online to find a recipe to try. I found a recipe for Buttermilk Banana Bread on a blog, The Kitchen Cafe, that Katy has mentioned in her blog. It is absolutely amazing so try it!

It was simple to make and I topped it with a glaze which my family loved. I did add chocolate chips and walnuts. The walnuts were a big hit but the chocolate chips weren't as popular. Also I noticed that the loaf with the chocolate chips took quite a bit longer to cook so take that into consideration if you go that route.

Dijon Green Beans

Jessie and I made these green beans the other day for dinner. I thought they sounded really good, and my mom (who hates green beans) thought they were delicious. When she cleared the table she at the extra green beans, so she must have liked them.

1-1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

place beans in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, for dressing, whisk the vinegar, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Drain beans; place in a large bowl. Add tomatoes and onion. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

I suggest letting the sauce sit on the beans for a bit so they can absorb some of the flavor. I noticed when I made it the onions tasted a lot like the sauce because they had sat in it for longer.

Bread Bowls

I learned this nifty little trick from my mom.  Buy one of the bags of Rhodes frozen bread loaves.  Once the loaf has thawed, cut it into thirds and then roll each piece into a ball.  Place each ball on a greased jelly roll pan, I usually do 3 to a pan cause they get pretty big.  Let the balls raise until they are about the size of a bread bowl.  Once they are big enough, carefully brush the tops with an egg wash and then bake according to time and length on the back of the bag.  I HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE!  I like do do a whole bag at a time so I can have bread bowls on hand.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

My parents started making this salad a few years ago and since then it has become a regular in their house.  I made it last week and forgot how good it was!  I made it on a Tuesday and someone requested I make it again for Sunday! 

2 c. crushed pretzels
1c. and 3 TBS. sugar
3/4 c. melted butter
8oz. cream cheese
8 oz. cool whip
1 pkg. strawberry or raspberry jello
20 oz. frozen strawberries or raspberries (my Walmart only has 16 oz. frozen bags of whole strawberries, I used one bag of those, microwaved them for about 10 seconds, just enough so I could slice them, but they still needed to be mostly frozen to set up the jello, so don't thaw them!)
2 cups boiling water

Mix the pretzels, 3 TBS. sugar and butter together.  Press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and bake for 9 minutes at 350.

Mix together cream cheese, cool whip and 1 c. sugar and cool whip. Spread on cooled pretzel crust.

Dissolve jello in boiling water, then add berries and stir till thaw.  Let it sit in the fridge until it just barely starts to set up.  When it's barely starting to set up, spread on the other layers in the 9x13 and let it set up the rest of the way.

I think this is even better the 2nd day when the bottom layer is a little 'softer'...
I do have to admit I had to make this a couple times before the layers set up nicely.  But, the good thing is, even when it doesn't set up, it's still yummy to eat! You just have to use a bowl!

Olive Garden Breadsticks

I was looking at a blog the other day to see if there was a new recipe I wanted to try. She had added a recipe for Olive Garden breadsticks! I knew I had to try them...since I am a big fan of these. We had them for dinner tonight and they were great! I knew I needed to post it on here since I have many great memories of the "OG" from my college years with Katy! :)

the general blog address is here

the website for the breadsticks is here

Freezer Meals: Smokey Chicken Burritos, Dijon Noodles, Greek Chicken Orzo

Okay, I hope I can make this easy to understand and follow. I feel like now-a-days, I can't hardly make a sentence without confusing everyone because my thoughts are so jumbled!

Anyway, this is three great recipes that you can make with one 3 pound bag of chicken. They're all freezer meals, or you can make them fresh. They're nice if you work, because you can take one Saturday, cook up your chicken, assemble the freezer meals, and pop them in the freezer. Then when you need a quick meal, just pull it out, do the last minute things to it, and you're done! We made the first one (Smokey Black Bean Chicken Wraps tonight, and I LOVE it! I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the Greek Chicken one, but haven't made the Dijon Noodles one yet). Hope this makes sense and I hope you all enjoy!

Make Ahead Chicken

Cut 3 lbs Boneless,skinless Chicken Breast into 1/2 inch cubes
Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in skillet, add chicken and cook 7-10 minutes. Drain if necessary.
Divide Chicken into three portions.

Smoky Black Bean Chicken WrapsCombine:
Chicken
1 can (15 oz) Black beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 Tablespoons Smoky Barbecue Rub (I just got some Barbecue rub in the spice section at Walmart)
2 cups cooked rice
Heat through.
Serve on flour tortillas with shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and barbecue sauce.

Dijon Chicken Noodle TossFreezer Bag #1
Chicken
2 cups frozen peas
Freezer Bag #2
1/4 lb deli ham, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Seal bag #2 and place into bag #1; seal. Freeze
To finish:
Cook and drain 12 oz. uncooked rotini pasta
Place:
1/2 cup water (omit if not frozen)
bag #2 (ham and soup) in skillet
Heat through.
Add:
8 oz. Sour Cream
Reduce heat and then add bag #1. Cook until chicken is hot, stirring occasionally.
Toss cooked pasta with 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley. Sprinkle with 1 ounce grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Greek Chicken and Orzo SkilletFreezer bag #1
chicken
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
Freezer Bag #2
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) garlic and onion flavored diced tomatoes
3 Tablespoons Greek Rub (I got this at Walmart in their Spice section)
Seal bag #2 and place into Bag #1; seal and freeze.
To finish and serve:
Add Bag #2
2 cans (14 oz. each) chicken broth
1/2 cup water
In skillet and bring to a simmer over med-high heat.
Reduce to medium heat, add:
1 lb. uncooked orzo (I always use mini bow-tie pasta instead of orzo)
Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add bag #1, cover and cook 5-7 minutes or until orzo is tender adn zucchini begins to soften.
Remove from heat; top with 2 oz crumbled feta cheese. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup coarsley chopped pitted kalamata olives (optional)

Cheese Blitz

I got this recipe from my Aunt Launa a long time ago, but I never made them.  I make chicken enchiladas the other night (I'll save that recipe for another day) and thought it would be fun to have these Blitz things for dessert. (I remember her telling me they tasted like churros)

They were pretty easy to make, and I thought it might be fun if you had little kids, then they could help remove the crusts and smash the bread!

1 loaf white bread, crusts removed, and slices flattened as thin as possible
3/4 c. melted butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 TBS. cinnamon
2-8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2 egg yolks
1/4 c. sugar

Cream the softened creamed cheese, egg yolks and sugar together.  In a separate bowl mix together the brown sugar and the cinnamon.

Spread the cream cheese mixture on the flattened bread.  Roll the bread into a tight roll.  Dip in butter, then coat with brown sugar mixture.  Place on baking sheet. 

Once you've done that with all the slices, bake at 400 degrees for 10-13 minutes.

Omelets

The other day I was getting my haircut and the lady that was cutting my hair told me about a way she makes Omelets. Katy told me they did it at camp. But I never went to camp, so its new to me.

She put 2 eggs and whatever ingredients she liked in an omelet into a bag and boiled it for exactly 13 min ( i did 15 just in case) and it turned into a perfect omelet. She makes a few ahead of time and that way she could just heat them up for breakfast throught the week.

My dad told me he heard it was a great thing to do for big groups for breakfast because then you can boil as many as can fit in the pot.

P.S- I made the Chicken Corn Chowder the other day and it was quite tasty!

Chicken Corn Chowder

I've been craving soup in a breadbowl lately.  So the other day I made a bunch of breadbowls from Rhodes dough in preparation to make soup sometime this week.  I found what looked to be a really good Chicken Corn Chowder recipe at http://www.melskitchencafe.com/ ...so I tried it last night and it was a lot better than I though it would be.  Not that I doubted the recipe, just my skills as a cook.  There was a little bit of prep...just getting the stuff cut up...but I did that all while Bryan cooked the chicken on the grill for me.  Also, I didn't let it simmer for quite long enough...so after it's all mixed toghter...let it simmer for at least 20 or so minutes so everything blends together.  It was still yummy though without simmering!!  Really nice flavor!

Here you go...

2 TBS EVOO
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped (I omitted this cause we didn't have one and it was fine!)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed (only adds flavor, no heat whatsoever)
1/4 c. thinly sliced or cooked chopped ham (I just chopped up some lunchmeat we had)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (14 oz) chicken broth (I just headed up 28 oz. of water and added boullion cubes)
3 TBS flour
1 1/2 c. frozen corn (I acutally used like 2 cups cause that is what my steampack had in it and Daron didn't  want to waste it)
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz. softened cream cheese (almost melted so it doesn't get lumpy when you add it to the milk)
1 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Saute celery, pepper, onions, jalapeno in olive oil in a large pot until tender.  Add the garlic and ham and cook for a few more minutes.  Whisk the flour into the broth in a sperate bowl then add to soup.  Stir in the corn and chicken.  Bring to a low boil and reduce heat.  Whisk together cream cheese and milk in a bowl until smooth, then add into the soup as well as the salt, pepper and cheese.  Simmer on low until ready to serve.

Like I said, there was some prep to this soup...but it was REALLY GOOD, especially in the bread bowl!!

Cheddar Biscuits

I found a recipe for Red Lobsters cheddar biscuits, and while I've never actually had one, they sounded REALLY GOOD... so me and Hannah make some to go with Sunday dinner yesterday, and let me tell you, these will become a staple in our house I think.  They were SO GOOD!  This recipe made quite a few...so I wouldn't double it or anything unless you are cooking for a huge crowd!

Biscuits
5 cups Bisquick
3 oz. finely shredded cheddar cheese (we may of used more than 3 oz.)
11 oz. cold water.

Spread
1/2 c. melted butter
1 tsp. garlic powder ( ours turned out overly garlicy...so I would lessen the amount probably by half)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 ts.p onion powder
1/8 tsp. dried parsley

Add the Bisquick and cheese to the cold water and mix till firm. Use a small scoop and scoop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

While they are cooking mix together the spread and spread over biscuits after they are cooked.

Check out this blog

You can click on the picture above and it will take you to Jamie's blog. I was introduced to her blog several months ago and I absolutely love it. Her recipes are easy (and printable) and the ingredients they call for are usually things you have at home already. Also, she is one funny lady. Her blogs crack me up! I have tried several of her recipes and have not had any of them fail. I've tried her won tons, easy breadsticks, cinnomon rolls, lasagna casserole (just last night), pizza rolls, french bread, stuffed french toast (there's others but I can't think of them off the top of my head), and several of her desserts.

Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:

1 Can Enchilida Sauce (red)

1 small can of chilis (mild)

1 can of cream of chicken

2 2/3 C. milk

1 can of chunked chicken (or you can use cooked chicken breasts)

1 can of Fiesta Nacho Cheese Sauce

You can just heat this on the stove or stick it in a crock pot.

You can fry up tortilla strips to put on top of the soup (or just serve with Tortilla Chips). Also, we like to garnish with sour cream and grated cheese.

It's a quick and easy meal because all you really have to do is open up some cans! :) I usually keep these ingredients on hand and it tends to be one of my "go to" meals when I don't know what I want to make.

Crock pot Italian Chicken

This is a great meal for Sunday. You can put it in your crock pot and have it ready when you get home. I think of it more as an alfredo than Italian, but either way, it's good.

6 chicken breast halves
8 oz cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian dressing (dry)

Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Mix cream cheese, soup, and dressing together and pour over chicken. Cook on low all day (or on high for 4-5 hours). Stir before serving over rice or spaghetti noodles.

Oatmeal Bread

This is my FAVORITE bread!! SO good!!

2 cups boiled water
1 cup oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp yeast
5 cups flour

Pour boiled water over oats, flour, sugar, butter, and salt. Mix and let cool until luke warm. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add to oat mixture (make sure oat mixture isn't too hot or it will kill the yeast) add flour and knead until it's smooth and elastic like. Put in a greased bowl and let it rise until double. Punch down and rise until double again. Break into 2-4 balls and put in greased loaf pans. Let raise until rounded. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (or until done, check center to make sure it's done).

Parmesan Bread Sticks

SUPER yummy bread sticks to go with any italian meal!

2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 env yeast (about 1 TBSP)
1 1/2 cup hot water
1 1/2- 2 cups flour
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup butter
1 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 cup shredded Parmesan
parsley

mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add hot water. Add flour. Dough should be sticky. Mix in the 1/4 cup oil. Let rise 'til double. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a 9x13 baking dish. Roll out dough in a large rectangle (about 15"x20" and 1/4" thick). Use a pizza cutter to cut dough into strips about 1 1/2 " wide. Fold strips in half and twist. As you set the twisted strips in the baking dish, roll it in the melted butter to coat. When all strips are laid in the dish, top with garlic salt and shredded Parmesan. Sprinkle with a few flakes of parsley. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

French Bread

This is my go to white bread recipe. I use it for pizza crust, bread bowls, and french bread. It's super easy if you have a kitchen-aid.

1/2 cup warm water
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp salt
5 Tbsp oil
2 cup hot water
6 cups flour

Dissolve salt, yeast, and sugar in the 1/2 cup of warm water. Add 3 cups of the flour and the oil and hot water. Mix then add the remaining 3 cups of flour. Knead and let it rest for 10 minutes. Repeat that 5 times (knead and rest for 10 minutes. Sometimes when I'm in a hurry I only let it rest for about 3 minutes, but still do it 5 times. The bread will still turn out, but it will be more dense).

Form into 3 or 4 bread loaves (or bread bowls) and let it rise for about 20 minutes. Slash the top with a serrated knife (/// for loaves and in an X for bowls). Bake at 375 for 15 minutes (note: If you make your loaves bigger, the might take longer to bake.) I usually freeze this bread, then when I need a loaf of bread, I just pull it out, let it thaw then stick it in to over to warm up before we eat.

Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

This is a great recipe for a brunch, or dessert. It's super yummy and all the ingredients are things that you always have on hand (well, I do, except the whipping cream). Enjoy!

Cake~
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
8 oz sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream the first 6 ingredients together. Then add the last two. Pour half of the batter into a greased bundt pan.

Mix:
3 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pour over the batter that's in the pan (you can do more cinnamon and sugar if you want, because this is the yummy part). Top with remaning batter. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Whipped Cream~
2 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla

Whip until stiff. Serve cake warm with whipped cream on top. (It's also good cold with whipped cream on top. That's what I had for breakfast today, since I had some left over from yesterday).