Double Layer Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

I am a sucker for any combination of peanut butter and chocolate and this pie fits right in with my favorites. I don't have a picture, but believe me, it looked great! It is really simple to throw together also.

1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon cold milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
2 (3.9 ounce) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cups cold milk
4 peanut butter cups, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (but I used as many as I could fit on top of the pie)

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and peanut butter until smooth. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups of whipped topping. Spread mixture on bottom of pie crust.

In a second bowl, stir pudding mix with 2 cups milk until thick. Immediately stir in remaining whipped topping. Spread mixture over peanut butter layer.

Scatter peanut butter cups over top of pie. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Easy Oreo Truffles

I must admit that I haven't actually tried to make these yet and I don't know if this is the real recipe, but it's got to be. I got these from a friend tonight. I can't leave them alone. I'm hoping to get the recipe from her and I will post the one she used, if it's different. If you are still looking for something to take your friends for Christmas treats, try these. They are WONDERFUL!!

1 (16 ounce) package OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided
1 (8 ounce) package Cream Cheese, softened
2 (8 ounce) packages milk chocolate

Crush cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.
Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

You could certainly decorate these with drizzled white chocolate for a fancy touch.

Any Flavor Taffy

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. I was looking for something to do for FHE. This turned out very well considering it was my first time making taffy. We didn't have the kool-aid, so I used jello. I used the big 6oz. package and subtracted 1 c. of sugar from the recipe (since I was replacing it with the jello) and boiled the jello with the other ingredients. It turned out well, but it lacked a little flavor. I'm looking forward to trying it with kool-aid (and I might just double that just in case) and I'm going to pick up some flavored oils today to try too.

2 1/2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup corn syrup
1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (0.13 ounce) package unsweetened, fruit-flavored soft drink mix

Butter 2 large baking sheets, and set them aside.

In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Add corn syrup, water, butter and salt, and stir to blend. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until the mixture reads 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, and immediately stir in the drink mix powder. Quickly pour out onto the prepared baking sheets, and let stand until cool enough to handle.

Grab a few helpers, and butter every one's hands. Stretch (pull) the taffy until it lightens in color, and becomes firm. Roll into bite size pieces, and wrap in small squares of waxed paper.

Shepherd's Pie

This is a good Shepherd's Pie that my husband really likes. It is a little different than the usual Shepherd's Pie, but just as good.
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
5 carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoon ketchup
1 cup water

1 package brown gravy mix

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, finely chopped onion and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside. (*or just make mashed potatoes the way you like them. These were a little to heavy for me so I added in some milk)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.) I just used frozen peas that I thawed and it was just as good. You could use any variety of frozen vegetables.

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup, water, Worcestershire, and gravy packet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Next, spread a layer of mashed carrots. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown

Mexican Casserole

This is basically chicken enchiladas, but not rolled up, rather casserole style. I like this because you can throw it together really fast in the morning and then just put it in the oven when you are ready for dinner. Really Easy!

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 soup can of milk

4 oz. diced green chilies

1 small container sour cream

1 package flour tortillas

grated cheddar cheese

sliced olive (optional)

Mix and boil the first five ingredients. Put a small amount on bottom of 9x13 casserole dish so doesn't stick. Layer torn tortillas on bottom on casserole, add a layer of soup mixture, and a layer of cheese. Repeat and end on top with a layer of tortillas and cheese, then if you want sprinkle the olives on top. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. When I took this out of the oven it was a little runny, but as I let it cool for about 10-15 minutes it set and was the right consistency. This was really easy to make and good also. Enjoy!

Best Brownies

This is a recipe taken from http://www.allrecipes.com/. It is one of their top ten recipes and is so rich and delicious.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar

1-2 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm

Garlic Bread

This is my homemade garlic bread on a baguette.

FRENCH BAGUETTES

1 cup warm water

1 1/2 cups four

1 T. white sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. yeast

1 egg yolk

1 T. water

Put yeast, sugar, and salt in mixer. Add warm water and mix. Add in flour and mix until well kneaded. Let rise for 30 minutes and then roll out into a 16x12 inch rectangle. Cut in half into two 8x12 rectangles and them roll up starting at the 12 inch side. Roll gently back and forth to taper the ends and smooth out air bubbles. Put on greased pan and put diagonal slashes across top about every two inches. Mix egg yolk and water and brush over top of loaves. Let rise about 40 minutes or until double and then bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

After bread is cool cut in half and mix the following ingredients.

1/2 cup butter

2 garlic cloves (mashes into a paste with a pinch of salt and olive oil)

2 T. chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tsp. dried)

2T. chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp. dried)

salt and pepper

Spread butter mixture over bread and put on pan. Drizzle with olive oil and put in oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

I read somewhere if you add a package of instant pudding to your cookie dough, it makes your cookies very chewy. So, I did it and I have amazing cookies--all the time. I usually add vanilla to my chocolate chip cookies, but you can try butterscotch in oatmeal cookies, chocolate in chocolate cookies, etc. This recipe is just the basic Toll House recipe but kicked up a notch with the pudding.

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. butter flavored Crisco
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1-2 t. vanilla
1 pkg. (4 serving) vanilla pudding
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 1/4 c. flour
Chocolate Chips

Cream butter, crisco, and sugars. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and pudding mix. Add soda and salt. Mix in four. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-13 minutes (don't know how long really, just watch them).

American Lasagna

Here is another Lasagna recipe. This is the classic Lasagna style recipe and is so good. I often make this for company and serve with a green salad and garlic bread. I have used this recipe for years and it always tastes good.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
12 dry lasagna noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt.
4. Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Lasagna

Here Jenn, I'll try to balance your sweets with meals (not that I don't mind the sweets). A friend fixed this for me after I had the latest baby. It's so different from the regular lasagna, but it's really good too. I didn't put the ham in either, but I think it would really be good in it.

1 c. Chopped Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1/2 lb. Mushrooms
1/2 c. Butter (I just use enough to sauté--1/2 c.
seems a bit extreme)
3 c. Diced/Cooked Chicken
1/4 c. Ham (optional--I've actually never added it,
but if you want)
16 oz. Diced Tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1/2 c. Chicken Broth
2 T. Minced Parsley
1 tsp. Dry Oregano
1 tsp. Dry Basil
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
10 oz. Lasagna Noodles
3 c. Shredded Mozzarella
1/2 c. Parmesan Cheese

-Boil lasagna noodles according to package directions.
Strain, rinse and set aside.
-Combine cheeses in a bowl.
-Sauté onion, garlic & mushrooms in butter.
-Stir in all the rest of ingredients except cheese and
noodles.
-Bring mixture to boil--cover and let simmer for 2
minutes.
-Layer filling with noodles in 13"x9" pan. Top with
cheese (I sometimes add cheese throughout the layers).
-Bake @ 350° for 20-25 min.

Chewy Caramel

I have this problem...all I can seem to cook lately are treats. So, here is another one.


1 cup butter or margarine
1 pound light brown sugar
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light corn syrup
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Cook for 2 minutes at that temperature. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.
Meanwhile, butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. When the caramel is ready, pour into the buttered pan. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. Remove from the pan and cut into squares using scissors. Wrap individual pieces in waxed paper or cellophane.

Meatballs in Cream Sauce

Again, this is a little more involved, but they are really good meatballs. Serve them over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles. Mashed potatoes are my favorite.


1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 c. milk
2 T. Ketchup
3. T. A-1 Sauce
3/4 c. quick cooking oats
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1/4 c, minced fresh parsley
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
3 T. all purpose flour

Cream Sauce
2 T. butter or margarine
2 T. all purpose flour
1/4 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. chicken bouillion granules/powder
1/2 t. Montreal Chicken Seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth
2/3 c. whipping cream
2 T. minced fresh parsley

In a bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Add beef and mix well. Shape into 1-1/2 in. balls. Roll in flour, shaking off excess. Place in a greased 15 x 10 x 1 baking pans about 1 inch apart. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn meatballs; bake 12-15 minutes more or until the meat is no longer pink. Meanwhile, for sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, thyme, bouillion, chicken seasoning, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add broth and cream; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Drain meatballs on paper towels; transfer to a serving dish. Top meatballs with sauce; sprinkle with parsley. Serves about 6.

Italian Wedding Soup

I decided to post some favorite recipes (without a picture) just because they're my favorite. This soup takes a little more effort because of the chicken, but you can replace it with an equal amount of ground beef (or you could try ground chicken too).

1/2 pound extra-lean ground beef
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, excess fat removed
2 eggs
1/2 dry Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 t. dried basil
1 t. onion powder
pepper, to taste
11-1/2 c. chicken broth (maybe more if you use too much pasta)
5 c. chopped spinach
1-3/4 c. acini de pepe pasta
2/3 finely chopped carrot

In a stock pot heat about 1 Tbsp. olive oil and brown chicken thighs (they don't need to be cooked all the way you just need to get them firmer to grind). In a food processor, chop chicken into fine pieces. In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, chopped chicken, eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, basil, onion powder and pepper. Combine well. Set aside.

In the same stock pot used to brown chicken, heat broth to boiling. Drop meatballs by teaspoon size balls (1/2 teaspoon for smaller meatballs). Add spinach, acini de pepe pasta, and chopped carrot. Return to boil then reduce heat to medium. Cook at slow boil for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Stir gently, as to not squash meatballs and prevent sticking.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

It must be this time of the year, but I just can't stay away from pumpkin recipes. And who can resist when you add in chocolate chips. I used my mini loaf pans making 8 mini bread loaves and I cooked them for about 35 minutes.

3 cups white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (but I always add a little more)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 1 pound size coffee cans, or three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill cans 1/2 to 3/4 full.
Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from cans or pans.

Chicken Vegetable Alfredo Soup

This is really easy and really good too. It comes from Pampered Chef. Serve with the Crispy Bread Bowls.

1 c. chopped broccoli
1/2 c. chopped carrots
1/2 c. chopped onions
1/2 c diced red pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth
2 c. diced chicken, cooked
1 T. snipped basil
1 jar (16 oz.) Alfredo sauce
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese, opt.

Chop carrots, broccoli, and onion (Pampered Chef's food chopper does this really well). Dice red pepper. Place broccoli, carrots, onion, pepper, and garlic in 3 qt. sauce pan. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Meanwhile dice chicken and snip basil. Set aside. Add chicken and Alfredo sauce to broth; simmer 5 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat stir in basil. If desired, ladle into bread bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Crispy Bread Bowls

2 pkgs. refrigerated pizza crust
small amount of oil
grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove dough from pkgs; cut each loaf in half. Place dough cut side down on large round stone (or cookie sheet). Press lightly to form 4-1/2 in rounds.

Brush dough with oil; sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake 21-23 minutes or until deep golden brown.

To serve, slice off top of each bread round; carefully remove centers to for bowls. Place on plates; ladle soup into bowls.