Twix Caramel Brownies

Mmmmmmm! I've been DIETING, ya know, trying to get back in shape after carrying TWINS around all last year. Well, these BROWNIES have been calling my name and I just needed to have one. I found the recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod—a great recipe blog!

Twix Caramel Brownies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped Twix candy bars
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Place butter in medium saucepan on the stove. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; stir until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt; stir until combined. Stir in Twix candy bar chunks. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Drizzle caramel evenly over the brownies. Using a toothpick, swirl caramel into brownies. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool brownies completely in pan on a wire rack. Once cool, cut into squares and serve.

Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

At our house it is PLAY-OFF time! The end of the football season always makes me want YUMMY appetizers. This DELISH recipe with salty crisp bacon and a sweet sauce ALWAYS hits the spot!

Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

1 pound bacon

2 cans whole water chestnuts
1/3 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chili sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a frying pan, brown the bacon until almost done and then drain on paper towels. (Just make sure you can still bend it!) Cut each strip of bacon in half. Wrap bacon around water chestnuts, secure with a toothpick and place on a wire rack that is on top of a cookie sheet with sides. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

While chestnuts are in the oven, mix together the Miracle Whip, sugar, and chili sauce. When chestnuts are done baking, transfer to a baking dish and pour sauce over top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until sauce is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm!

TIP: If you don't like Miracle Whip, you can substitute regular mayo instead. Also, if you want to stretch the recipe a little farther, try cutting the bacon slices into thirds instead of halves. There's still plenty of bacon to go around and it doesn't hurt the out come at all!

Easy Winter Fruit Salad

This time of year, the FRUIT starts to get boring, doesn't it? Well, to dress it up a little, I like to make this super EASY salad. My family always enjoys it—it just seems like an extra special TREAT.

Easy Winter Fruit Salad
1 to 2 red apples (I like Gala or Fuji)
1 to 2 Granny Smith apples
2 to 4 clementines
2 bananas
1 container Yoplait blackberry or raspberry yogurt
1/2 to 1 cup Cool Whip, to taste

Chop the apples and place in a large bowl. Peel the clementines and put the segments into the bowl with the apples. Slice the bananas and add to the other fruit. Pour the yogurt over the fruit as well as the Cool Whip and mix all together. Chill until ready to serve.

TIP: The bananas and apples may turn brown if you make the salad in advance. Try tossing with some lemon juice, orange juice, or even pineapple juice before mixing into the salad to prevent browning. Also, another great addition to make the salad go a little farther . . . mini marshmallows and/or chopped nuts!

Easy Ham Fried Rice

This is a great HEALTHY meal by itself, or you can fatten it up a BIT by serving it with some yummy EGG ROLLS or wontons. Either way, it is scrumptious!

Easy Ham Fried Rice

2 eggs

2 cups cooked rice (I like to use leftover so it's not so sticky)
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup thinly sliced cooked carrots
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Lite soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce, optional
Black pepper

Heat a large frying pan with a touch of oil  and then fry the eggs. Chop up eggs in the pan with a spatula and then add the rice, ham, peas, carrots, and onion. Toss all ingredients in the hot pan until heated through, then add several shakes of soy sauce until desired taste is achieved. Do the same with the Worcestershire and pepper. Makes 4 servings.

TIP: You can half a bag of frozen peas and carrots instead of what's listed above. It makes it even easier! Also, I like adding a shot of sweet and sour sauce to the mix for another great flavor.

Coconut Shrimp Curry

We love CURRY at our house! This is a pretty MILD version, so if you're not sure how you feel, this is the RECIPE to try it. It's very EASY and tastes sooooo good! (Sorry for the not-so-great pic!)

Coconut Shrimp Curry
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cups thinly sliced baby carrots
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup water
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup toasted coconut
24 to 30 deveined raw shrimp, with tails removed
1/4 to 1/3 cup sour cream
Warm cooked rice

In a large frying pan, saute the onions and carrots in the oil until mostly tender, about 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle the curry powder over top and stir in well. Add the water, tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and coconut, stirring to combine. Let come to a boil and then thicken, about 5 or 6 minutes more. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in the sour cream until well combined and then serve warm over rice. Makes 4 servings.

TIP: As I said, this is a pretty mild version, so if you really love curry, try adding a little more curry powder—maybe 2 teaspoons to start. (The curry flavor does get stronger if you let it sit for a while—any leftovers are great!) Also, if you don't like shrimp, substitute about 1 pound of chicken cut into small cubes. It's fantastic too!

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Tacos

I love SHRIMP and I love tacos, so when I get the opportunity to put them TOGETHER, I'm in heaven! These little tacos are super HEALTHY and full of FLAVOR—that's not a combo you can always find. Hope you like them!

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Tacos

1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons lime zest

2 tablespoons lime juice

20 raw deveined shrimp, shells removed

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (or more if needed)

1 tablespoon olive oil

White corn tortillas, warmed

Chopped lettuce

In a bowl, mix together the sour cream, cilantro, cumin, and lime zest and juice; set aside until ready to use (or refrigerate if making in advance of dinner). 

In another bowl, toss the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning to coat. Heat the oil in a frying pan and then cook shrimp until done (about 3 or 4 minutes or when the shrimp has "pinked" all the way through!). Put 4 to 5 shrimp in each tortilla, then top with a heaping scoop of the cilantro-lime sour cream. Top with lettuce and more cilantro, if desired. Eat warm!

TIP: A single tortilla does the job, but if you double up the extra tortilla will hold everything together even more securely. :)  Another great addition is more lime juice! Just squeeze over the shrimp when done, and even more over the taco when it is all put together. Mmmmmm!

Garlic Blue Cheese Burgers

My husband and I have an OBSESSION with anything garlic and blue cheese, so obviously these BURGERS really hit the spot! Is there really anything better than a good JUICY burger to finish out this year's menu? :)

Garlic Blue Cheese Burgers
1 pound hamburger (I typically use 80/20 for burgers)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 to 2 tablespoons A1 Steak Sauce
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbles, plus more
Onion, thinly sliced (but kept in rings)

In a bowl, mix everything but the onion. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal parts and make into patties. Cook on a grill pan according to desired doneness. While cooking, throw circles of onion rings into pan to brown. Serve onion and more gorgonzola cheese on the burger (on a bun of choice!). Top with favorite burger condiments.

TIP: You can add more or less cheese to these burgers, if you prefer. Also, try using other cheeses for fun—I don't think you can go wrong. For hard cheeses, just shredded or cut into very small cubes. And try serving with some yummy Sweet Potato Fries!

Sweet Pork Salad

MERRY! MERRY!

This yummy salad has become a CHRISTMAS dinner tradition with my extended FAMILY and we look forward to it every year. The BEST thing about this pork is that it's not only great on a SALAD, but it is also AMAZING in burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and even as a baked potato topping. The POSSIBILITIES are endless!

Sweet Pork Salad

1 1/2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs

1/2 cup sweet barbecue sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 to 6 tortillas, warmed

Grated cheddar cheese

1 (15-ounce) can black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

Cubed avocado, optional

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Cilantro to garnish (optional)

Put the pork ribs, barbecue sauce, and brown sugar in a slow cooker for 4 hours on high heat, or 8 hours on low heat. When done, shred with two forks and keep on low or warm heat. Lay tortillas on individual serving plates and sprinkle with the cheese and beans. Top with the pork, lettuce, and avocado, if using. Serve with the super yummy dressing on the side (which is also great for dipping quesadillas).

TIP: For something totally different with the leftovers—try using any leftover meat (warmed) and dressing on a hoagie bun with a little lettuce and cheese (melted on top) the next day. It makes one yummy sandwich!

Oreo Mint Truffles

This is one of the EASIEST and yummiest treats to make for the HOLIDAYS. You've probably seen recipes LIKE this one all over. Try it and take some to your neighbors!

Oreo Mint Truffles
1 package regular Oreos, crushed or blended to fine crumbs
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 to 2 packages Andes Mints, unwrapped

In a bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs and cream cheese until well blended. (I use a big spoon at first and then move on with a fork to make sure it really starts sticking together.) Roll the "dough" in your hands to make 1-inch balls; set them on waxed paper on a baking sheet.

In a small pan, melt the Andes Mints over low heat and stir until smooth. Drop a ball or two into the chocolate and roll around with 2 forks until coated. Place back on the waxed paper. When done, place the tray of dipped balls in the fridge to harden. Makes 35 to 40 truffles. 

TIP: I like to fancy up my truffles with some melted green mint chips. Once they've set in the fridge, I melt about 1/2 cup mint chips in the microwave (stirring every 15 to 20 seconds until they are smooth) and then drizzle it over the truffles. It looks so pretty and festive that way!

BONUS TIP: Try other combinations with your favorite snack cookies! I also mixed a package of Nutter Butters with the cream cheese and dipped the balls in milk chocolate. Topped it with a drizzle of melted peanut butter chips and it turned out yummy! Obviously Mint Oreos would be great, but what about some lemon cream cookies mixed with the cream cheese and then dipped in dark chocolate? That could be REALLY good! :)

Zucchini Bread

I just decided to use some of my frozen shredded ZUCCHINI from this last summer because I LOVE this bread so much! It is such a great COMFORT food . . .

Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and then pour into 2 loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

TIP: Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Try serving with a little cream cheese spread over individual slices. It's yummy!

Marshmallow Brownies

My sister-in-law, Amanda, made these brownies back when I was HUGE with child (or children). I loved these homemade little BEAUTIES! They are from this great little blog called SIX SISTER'S STUFF. Check it out!

Mom's Famous Marshmallow Brownies
1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 bag mini marshmallows

Soften the margarine and blend in the sugar and cocoa. Beat together and add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the flour, salt, and vanilla. Spread mixture into a large greased cookie sheet (10 x 15 x 1). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with 1 bag of mini marshmallows. Return to the oven for 3 minutes, or until soft and puffy. Cool and frost with your favorite chocolate frosting.

TIP: I used the chocolate frosting from my School Lunch Peanut Butter Bars. And, another great addition to these brownies would be some chopped walnuts sprinkled in with the marshmallows to make them into Rocky Road Brownies. Yum!

Veggie-Stuffed Meatballs

OK, so I know my PIC isn't that great, but these meatballs look a lot better in real life and are absolutely DELICIOUS! They are the perfect way to get your KIDDOS to eat some veggies, especially on a day like today.

Veggie-Stuffed Meatballs

1 egg 

1/3 cup shredded carrot

2/3 cup shredded potato

1/3 cup shredded zucchini

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pound ground beef

1 can cream of mushroom soup, condensed

1 can cream of chicken soup, condensed

1 1/4 cups milk

Warm mashed potatoes

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 1/2-inch balls.

In a large skillet, brown meatballs in oil in small batches; drain. Put into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine the soups and milk; pour over meatballs. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with mashed potatoes.

TIP: If you don't like one of the veggies used in the meatballs, just increase the amount of another veggie you do like! Also, these would be great served over rice as well. 

Layered Enchilada Casserole

Just after I had the twins, a great neighbor brought a CASSEROLE over for us to have for dinner one night. We LOVED it so much, I decided to come up with my own version. YUM!

Layered Enchilada Casserole
1 can cream of chicken soup, condensed
1 cup sour cream
1 can diced green chiles
White corn tortillas

1 bag taco blend or Mexican shredded cheese

1/2 to 1 cup corn

1 green onion, thinly sliced

5 to 6 chicken tenders, boiled and shredded (or more if you want it extra meaty)

In a bowl, combine the condensed soup, sour cream, and green chiles. Spread a spoonful of the mixture in the bottom of an 8-inch square glass pan. Top with the tortillas to cover, overlapping where necessary. (I broke my tortillas in half and placed the flat edges around the outside of pan.)

Sprinkle a layer of cheese over the tortillas, followed by half the corn and some of the green onion. Top with half of the chicken and then cover with half of the sauce mixture. Top with more tortillas and repeat layers (leaving a little of sauce and onion for the top). Do one last layer of tortillas and spread the reserved bit of sauce over top. Sprinkle with more cheese and green onion. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbling around the edges.

TIP: You can leave out the green onion and corn if you don't have it and the recipe will still be delicious. Also, feel free to add other ingredients that would make it your own. Oh, and we topped ours with some fresh chopped cilantro for a bit of color.

Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Frosting

These cookies are the perfect TREAT for fall and winter! For me, PUMPKIN is the ultimate comfort food "flavor" this time of year. I'm OBSESSED and just can't get enough!

Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter, room temp
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt


Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of salt

2 to 3 cups powdered sugar 

1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With a hand mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until combined. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients and beat until just mixed. Use a tablespoon-sized scoop and drop dough onto a cookie sheet, keeping cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes and then cool on a wire rack.

To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt. Slowly add the powdered sugar until the desired taste and consistency is reached. Fold in the chocolate chips and then frost the cooled cookies with a nice thick layer! Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

TIP: You could add the chocolate chips to the cookies instead of the frosting, but having them in the frosting tastes extra good for some reason—and its just different from the same old pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!

Cheesy Leftover Turkey Bake

This is a great recipe that will use up your LEFTOVER turkey! I found a recipe like this in a COOKBOOK I was recently looking at, but made quite a few changes to make my FAMILY happy. It turned out to be winner!

Cheesy Turkey Bake
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 onion, chopped or diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup uncooked rice
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups cubed leftover turkey (you can also use rotisserie chicken)
1 can cream of celery or cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 2 cups grated cheddar or colby jack cheese

In a saucepan, brink the broth, onion, and celery to a boil; reduce heat. Add the rice and cover, letting simmer for 15 minutes. Put rice in the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch square pan. Sprinkle the peas and turkey over top.

In a bowl, combine the soup, milk, and salt and then spread over casserole. Top with the cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Makes 4 servings.

TIP: Cover the casserole when baking to avoid burning the cheese on top. You can remove covering about 5 to 10 minutes before casserole is done. Also, feel free to change out the peas for other yummy veggies like chopped up broccoli! And, if you want to freeze this meal, layer it all in a foil pan, wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze. Just thaw and bake to eat later.

Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel

I posted this recipe before, but this pie is so SCRUMPTIOUS it deserves a shout out for the HOLIDAY season! I make it for Thanksgiving, but it's so good, I always want to make it AGAIN for Christmas. Everybody likes sweet CRUNCHY streusel, right? Well, it's even better on top of PUMPKIN pie!

Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Pie
1 (16-ounce) can pumpkin
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust


Pecan Streusel
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup firm butter
2/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, spices, and salt until smooth. Pour into the pie crust and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 minutes more. 

In the meantime, prepare the streusel. In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in the chopped pecans.

Sprinkle the streusel over the pie (after the 25-minute "baking round") and then bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until golden brown and the filling is set. Let cool about 2 hours and serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.

TIP: You can cut down on the brown sugar in the streusel topping if you prefer, but I wouldn't do less than 1/3 cup. Also, when the pie comes out of the oven, it's going to look puffy and like it's overflowing your crust. Well, once it cools it settles and looks fabulous, so don't worry!

Ham and Broccoli Cheese Soup

This is another great soup recipe from Jenny Stanger's FREEZER MEALS cookbook. It's nice and creamy, and SUPER easy to make. My family polished it off with no problem!

Ham and Broccoli Cheese Soup
2 cups cubed potato
1/2 cup chopped celery, optional (I added this to the recipe because I had some on hand)
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups milk
2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli

In a saucepan, bring potatoes, celery (if using), and water to a boil. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender; set aside.

In a large saucepan, saute the ham and onion in the butter until onion is tender. Stir in the flour and pepper until smooth and a nice roux has formed. Gradually stir in the milk. Add the potatoes and their cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or more and stir until thickened. Reduce heat to low and then stir in the cheese and broccoli until cheese is melted and soup is heated through.

TIP: Eat now or let cool so you can freeze for a meal sometime down the road!

Pasta with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

A few weeks back I made and posted about a YUMMY pumpkin trifle—and ended up with leftover canned PUMPKIN. Well, this is what I came up with! SUPER easy, and pretty delish if I do say so myself!

Pasta with Pumpkin Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup fresh grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
Thyme (I did a few hefty pinches of dried)
Garlic salt
Pasta of choice, cooked according to directions

In a pan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour until well combined, then add the milk gradually while stirring. Continue stirring and heat the mixture a few minutes more. Gradually stir in the pumpkin. When completely incorporated, add the cheese and stir until melted. Season with thyme and garlic salt according to taste and then serve over pasta with more Parmesan sprinkled over top. Yummy!

TIP: This is also great the next day if you have any leftover. You can just reheat in the microwave slowly, in 30-second intervals until warm. If it is a little thick, add some more milk, a little at a time. Also, if you'd like this to be EXTRA good, try using cream or half-and-half instead of milk!

BONUS TIP: I also browned some chopped onion and served that over the pasta, then topped with the pumpkin sauce. Sooooo good!

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

This is a recipe I found in a neighborhood cookbook. We LOVE muffins at our house and these are EXCELLENT! Spread some butter on one straight from the oven—its HEAVENLY!

Raspberry Lemon Muffins
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup cream or whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Combine all ingredients in a bowl except raspberries. Gently fold in the raspberries. Spoon into muffin tin and bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

TIP: This would be delicious with other types of berries—strawberries, blueberries, you name it! You could also try using different flavored fruity extracts to mix things up as well.

Bacon, Beef, and Barley Soup

This is the perfect HEARTY soup to serve one of these lovely FALL days! I would almost call it a STEW because its very thick and rich. I bet your FAMILY will like it as much as mine did. :)

Bacon, Beef, and Barley Soup

4 bacon strips, chopped

1 1/2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

4 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups fresh baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup medium pearl barley

2 cans beef broth

1 can diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic, undrained

1 (12-ounce) jar home-style beef gravy

1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain. In drippings, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink.

In a 5-quart slow cooker, layer the potatoes, carrots, corn, and barley. Top with the beef mixture and bacon. Combine the broth, tomatoes, gravy, and pepper and then pour over top. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 9 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Stir before serving.


TIP: Serve this with some yummy crusty bread for a very rounded and fulfilling meal!