Pampered Chef Party Online

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to extend to all of you an open invitation to visit my Online Pampered Chef party!!  I know of some really great items that I'm going to get to give to my daughters for Christmas this year.  Here is the link to either browse or shop, if you would like.  Your order will be shipped directly to you. My party starts on November 18th, 2013 and will close on December 10th, 2013.

Here is the link: http://new.pamperedchef.com/pws/marlenedavis/guest-landing/8848524197019

Here is a PDF of gifts for under $10.00.

Have fun looking!  Mary

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

Hi everyone, so sorry about not posting more but hubby has a part-time job now (he was bored sitting around doing nothing in retirement, so he's back to work again) and a lot of times I'm here in the evening by myself.  It's hard to make recipes when it just one eating.  I have been thinking about adapting some of my favorites and seeing if I can make them so it serves just two, we shall see.

I found this recipe on Facebook one day and it looked so good and with cooler weather now upon us, it just plain sounded good too!  I had so much left over that I frozen two containers of it for another really cold day.

This recipe is very thick and has a lot of chicken to it, so it is very filling.  The original poster showed her served over rice, but I just had chips on the side with mine.

This recipe is really easy to put together too, just dump everything in a crock pot.  I will tell you that I added the chicken to the middle and not on top like she instructs you to do.  I did cook mine on LOW for 6 to 8 hours rather than High, and it was just fine.  Also I did not add the one tablespoon of chili powder and cumin, I didn't want if real spicy, I just used one teaspoon of each and it was fine for my family.  If you like spicy, you can adjust those two spices to your taste.


Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
 Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 10 • Size: 1 1/4 cups • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 5 pts
Calories: 203.7 • Fat: 1.4 g • Carb: 33.3 g • Fiber: 10.0 g  • Protein: 16.9 g

Ingredients: 

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 16-oz can black beans
• 1 16-oz can kidney beans
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
• 2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 24 oz (3-4) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• chili peppers, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions: 

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream (extra points).

I copied the Weight Watchers information from her blog for any of you that are following WW.  You can click on the link above to go to her blog.

Well, this is my share for today, hope to be back sooner!  Mary

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

Today I want to share with all of you a sure easy, cheap recipe that I found on Splitcoaststampers website.  Some of the demonstrators for Stampin' Up! have shared some of their inexpensive and easy recipes that they make when they have stampers over.  Everyone was raving about how good this recipe is, so I just had to try it and today it was cool enough to have the oven on.

All you have to do is empty your cake mix and pureed pumpkin in to a mixing bowl.

I used my hand held mixer to blend it all together, it will be really thick too, but boy does it smell heavenly.

I have some Pampered Chef Brownie Pans, but you can use your muffin tins too.  I added papers for easy of clean-up.  I probably should have spread the mixture out some but next time I make them I will.

Here they are all done baking.  Let them cool.

Here are two of them, one with cream cheese icing and one plain.  Hubby likes his iced, I like mine plain.  Some of the ladies stated that you can use any flavor of cake mix and some have even used Angel Food cake mix.  Another way to bake this mixture is to spread it into a 9x13" greased cake pan, then ice with cream cheese icing.  Either way you make these, they are GOOD!  Very moist too.

Pumpkin Muffins

1 box Spice Cake mix (18.25 oz.), no eggs, oil or water
1 can Pumpkin (15 oz.) puree, not the pumpkin pie mix

Place cake mix and pumpkin into a mixing bowl.  With a hand-held mixer, mix until well blended.  Place cupcake liners into 24 muffin wells, add mixture to each well, until evenly divided.  Bake at 350 degrees, for 15 to 20 minutes, until done when tested.   Remove from oven and cool.  Makes 24 muffins.

For the Pumpkin Cake:
Mix the above together but spread into a Greased 9 x 13" cake pan, bake at 350 for 20 to 25 mins, until done when tested.  Cool and ice with your favorite cream cheese icing.

I hope you enjoy this treat, we are!     Mary

How to Make Half A Recipe

Today I'm going to share a picture that I found on Facebook.  It is very simple to use and it shows how to halve a recipe and also how to make a third of a recipe.  I know that some of the recipes that look so good on the net and Facebook are for those feeding a family, usually four or more, but with it just being the hubby and me, it takes us along time to eat and let's face it, after two times it gets boring too.

I sent this picture to my two daughters, "Mom, how to you cut a recipe in half" was the question.  Really girls you don't know how to do this?  It's really simple math.  So when I saw this, I shared it on my page and told them this was for them.  I was surprised had how many times it was shared by other people who I know on Facebook.  So I thought I would share it here with all of you to.

I hope this also help some of my followers too!  Have a great week!  Mary

No Bake Energy Bites

I made these energy bites last month and forgot to post them.  I found this recipe on Facebook!  These are a good treat during the summer because you don't have to turn the oven on.  I do store these in the refrigerator but they won't last for very long either.  I hope you give them a try.  Mary

Disclaimer:  This is not my picture, but one found on Facebook, sorry I don't know who to give credit too.

Crock-Pot or Oven Chart

CROCKPOT OR OVEN CHART

CROCK POT OR OVEN chart.  Crock pots are great for summer and Fall so you can enjoy your beautiful day and have dinner waiting when the day is over.
It's fairly easy to convert your favorite recipes for crockpot use.

     Stovetop                                             Crockpot
                                            High Temp                     Low Temp
15-30 minutes:               1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hrs              4 - 8 hours
35-45 minutes:               3 - 4 hours                      6 - 10 hours
50 minutes - 3 hours:     4 - 6 hours                      8 - 16 hours

I found this chart over on facebook and thought I would share it will all of you.
Link HERE

Have a great week-end.   Mary

Fun Activity for Children and Parents

Are you hearing "Mom, I'm bored there's nothing to do" at your house this summer?  Well, I found this post on my Facebook page and click on the link, it shows all over the world where you can go and pick your own fruits and vegetables!  I've done this in the past with my girls and they always seemed to enjoy picking a little but also being able to run in the fields too!  The link to a field or picking site is HERE.  Not only do you find where to go, but at the bottom of the page they have links on how to preserve the fruits and vegetables you've picked!  Good way to get the kids to try new food too!

Have fun,      Mary

Skor Bars

Hi everyone, how have you been?  Well summer has finally made it here in our part of the world!  Now if it just doesn't get too hot!

I saw a picture of these bars on Pinterest last week and they just looked to yummy not to try, but when I  went to the site, there was not recipe!  So I had to do a google search and found a recipe that I wanted to try.  Can you believe that these bars are made with Ritz cracker crumbs and sweetened condensed milk?  You won't once you try one.  Some of the recipes said to bake and others said no baking required, but I went with the baked version for the ones I wanted to try.  I found my recipe HERE.  Let me tell you, these are good!  I used my mini food processor to make my crumbs and it doesn't take long to put these bars together either!

Skor Bars

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (11.3 oz) box Ritz crackers, my box was bigger, so I used three sleeves of crackers
• 1 (8 oz) bag toffee bits (Heath is what I used)
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place all of the Ritz crackers in a food processor and process until they are fine crumbs. Pour them into a bowl.
3. To the bowl of crackers, add 1 cup of the toffee bits and the can of sweetened condensed milk. Stir until combined. Press into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven.
4. Immediately pour the chocolate chips evenly over the top of the bars. Allow them to sit for a few minutes to melt, then spread evenly over the top. (If they aren't melting, stick the pan back into the oven for a minute or two.) Sprinkle on the remaining toffee bits. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Well, there you have it, a fairly quick recipe, total time around one hour, from start to finish.

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Have a great day!    Mary

Biscoff Rice Krispie Bars

Hi everyone!!  I hope you had a great week-end.  Our Sunday was a day for just laying around and doing nothing!  Besides, it was over cast and cool too, good day to be in the kitchen making some goodies!

I found this recipe for these Rice Krispie Bars over on Pinterest.  When I saw this pin I knew exactly who I had to make some of these for.  My friend, whom I use to work for, loves Biscoff, and I will be seeing her on Tuesday, so I will give her a big ol' plate of these to enjoy.  She will have some help, as her sons and she will going on a road trip, nice snack for them to take with them!  You can see step by step pictures on the original posters blog HERE.  Of course I had to try one and so did hubby.  He thought they would be good with a cup of coffee in the morning and I thought they were good at anytime of the day!

Biscoff Rice Krispie Bars

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup Biscoff Spread

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Put Rice Krispies in a very large bowl and set aside.  In a small to medium sauce pan, combine sugar and corn syrup and cook over low heat until sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from the heat and stir in Biscoff Spread until well combined.  Pour Biscoff mixture over the Rice Krispies and toss and mix together until the cereal is completely coated.  With buttered hands, spread and gently press mixture into a well-greased (foil-lined) 9 X 13 inch pan.  Allow mixture to cool and then remove foil from pan and cut into squares.  Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.

If you enjoy Biscoff, then you really need to try these bars!  Very good.

I hope you enjoy this post and this recipe, see you soon!      Mary

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Memorial Day

Thank you to all who have serviced and will service.

Free Hershey's School Bus Wraps

While surfing the internet this morning I came across this website for a free template for wrappers for Hershey's Nuggets, they are so cute!  You can find the free template HERE.  

If you would like to purchase a template for the school bus that you can put the wrapped nuggets in, you can find it HERE.  Sorry I don't have a picture to share, but you can hop on over to Lorri's blog and see how cute they look together!

Have a great Sunday!!   Mary

Sion Fruit Salad

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had a great week-end with your love ones, I did, but I'm ever so glad to sit yesterday and not do a darn thing too!  Landscaping is hard, hot, dirty work!  But we got it done and the outside of her house looks just a cute as the inside now.  Below are some of things we planted in her yard.  

As you all know I rode the train down on Friday morning, so I told my daughter to leave some things, cooking wise, for me to do.  So when I got there, I made some deviled eggs, cupcakes and Sion Fruit Salad.  Now when my daughters were in high school (school name was Notre Dame de Sion, hence the name), I was on the cookbook committee for salads.  We had to make each recipe and rate them so they could decided if they wanted them to be in the cookbook.  Well this is a recipe I tried and the kids just fell in love with it and when we had an open house for one of the girls when they graduated from high school, I served this recipe and again the kids went crazy for it, so when I made recipe books for my daughters to take with them when they left home, I made sure and included this recipe.  Everyone at the Pampered Chef party liked it too, oh and my daughter had a wonderful turn out and did very well with her party too!!

Sorry I don't have step-by-step pictures, but I don't think you will really need any either, it's that simple!

Sion Fruit Salad

1 -21 ounce can peach pie filling, dump it all in

1- 20 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained

1- 16 ounce box frozen sliced strawberries, thawed

3 large bananas, sliced

Mix all together in a bowl to hold mixture.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Now sometimes I will cut the peach slices in half and my daughter likes to add a large can of drained Mandarin oranges to her salad.

That's it, how simple and easy to make and so yummy too eat too!  It's a perfect salad for the upcoming party's that happen at this time of the year too because you can make it the night before.  The bananas will stay nice looking for at least two days too.

Well I hope you try this simple recipe too, you won't be disappointed either!   Mary

Ninja Blender Cover

Hi everyone, I hope your week is off to a great start, it's nice and sunny here today, maybe Spring is here to stay!

I'm sharing with you today the blender cover that I made to cover my daughters' blender with.  I used the same material that I used to make her mixer cover with.  Now her small appliances will stay nice and clean while out on the countertops.  I have no pattern to send you too, I had to make my own.  I did take some packing paper and did a rough measurement and sewed it together, slipped it over the blender and adjusted the size before I cut out my strips of material.  Then I cut out muslin and quilt batting and sewed all three layers together, zig-zag the raw edges and sew it all together.  She is very pleased with how it came out too!  I'm going to her house this week-end and will give it to her then.  She is also having her first Pampered Chef party, if any of you need any PC items you can order them from her website HERE.

Well off to make a birthday card, hope you have a great day tomorrow!  Mary

Mixer Cover

Hi everyone!  I hope you are all doing well, we are plugging along here at my house!

Recently my daughter asked me if I could make a cover for her KitchenAid mixer and I told her that I would have to look around for a pattern.  Well, I found this pattern HERE.  It didn't look to hard but it was time consuming as I had to quilt the material before I could make it.  This one in the picture is actually one I made for my daughter's friend, so by the time I was working on this one, I was an old pro at it, NOT!!  No, really it's not hard to do at all.  After I bought this pattern, naturally I found a free one online, isn't that the way it seems to go.  My daughter took her cover with her before I got a chance to take a picture of it.  Now she wants a blender cover to match her mixer cover.  Oh, that little round thing on the from it suppose to be a rosette, but I'm not sure she will want it on there, I just have it pinned on, so she can easily remove it too.

Well, this is all I have to share for now, see you later!    Mary

Happy Easter

Hope you all have a wonderful day!  Mary

Baked "Fried" Chicken

Hi everyone!  I hope you are all doing well.  I've been busy around here, so sorry for not posting or sharing lately.  I've been "busy" finding new recipes over on Pinterest to "pin" and try, this is one of those recipes.  Hubby just raved on about this chicken and and it's good!

Now it does call for buttermilk but you can use just plain milk and I also baked my tenderloins for 15 minutes on each side instead of 20 and it was good but not dried out.  It's not a very hard recipe to make and my clean up went really fast too.  I put two small potatoes in the oven while I was mixing everything up and they were ready at the same time the chicken was too.  Now when you get ready to turn your chicken, don't use tongs to turn it (crust will fall off), us a thin metal spatula to turn with and also to serve with too.

Well this is my recipe for today, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!    Mary

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloin
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt (I use Lawry’s Seasoned Salt)
• ¾ teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoon paprika
• ½ stick butter (or ¼ cup)
• Buttermilk
• 1 gallon-size Ziploc bag (optional)

Instructions

1. Place thawed chicken breasts in a bowl of buttermilk and let soak 20-30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Combine and mix thoroughly flour, salt, Season All, pepper, and Paprika in a gallon-size Ziploc bag or bowl.
4. Cut ½ stick of butter into a few pieces and place in a 9- x 13-inch pan. Melt butter in preheated oven.
5. Spread melted butter around the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the pan with cooking spray, if needed, to make sure that there are no dry spots.
6. Shake excess milk off of chicken and completely coat each piece in flour mixture. Either shake in the bag until coated or dip each piece in the bowl until coated.
7. Place each piece of chicken in the preheated pan
8. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn each piece of chicken over and continue baking for 20 more minutes, or until cooked through.

HERE is the original recipe

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Crockpot Taco Soup

Hi everyone!  I wanted to share this yummy crock pot soup with all of you.  Basically what it is an open can and dump soup, except for browning your hamburger and onion together.  Now if you don't want to make it in the crock pot, you can always make it on the stove top too, I like the crock pot the best because you can make it in the morning and know dinner is ready in the evening.  I always serve mine with sour cream, shredded Cheddar Cheese and Tostito chips, we like the scoop ones.

It makes a whole crock-pot full of soup, so make sure you have plenty of help to eat it, serves 8.

Crock-Pot Taco Soup

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 - 16 oz. can chili beans, with liquid

1 - 15 oz. can kidney beans, with liquid

1 - 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, with liquid

1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 cups water

2 - 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 - 4 oz. can diced green chile pepper

1 - 1.25 oz. package taco seasoning mix

In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned, over medium high heat. Drain, and set aside. Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers and taco seasoning mix in the crock-pot. Mixing well to blend. Cook on LOW setting for 8 hours.

I like to serve mine with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips. If you want it spicer, replace one can of diced tomatoes with 1 can of Ro-tel tomatoes.

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I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com

Hope you enjoy it.......Mary

Crock Pot Potato Soup

Hi everyone, I hope you haven't given up on me, I'm still here, just busy!

Today I want to share with you a recipe that I found over on Pinterest, boy is this ever good and very easy to make too.  Now I don't have step by step pictures, but basically your just dump everything into your Crock Pot and go.  

Now when I made this, I did put the chicken broth and cream of chicken soup in first and stirred it really well to incorporate the two ingredients together, then I added the rest of the ingredients, except the cream cheese and let it cook on Low for 5 hours.  So now on to the recipe.

Crock Pot Potato Soup

Ingredients

1 bag frozen hash browns (I used the Southern diced/cubed)
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup (or your own homemade version)
1/2 c chopped onion (you can used dried onion flakes)
1/2 tsp black pepper
8 oz block of cream cheese, softened

Directions

Add all ingredients except the cream cheese to your crockpot and cook on low for 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese, cook an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with shredded cheese or bacon bits, or both!

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Well there you have it an easy dinner, must have been good, hubby had two bowls of it!   Thanks for stopping in, Mary.