Merry Christmas

From our house to yours, Merry Christmas.

Hershey Kisses Stickers

I found this cute idea on Facebook and thought I would share it with all of you!

Find directions HERE

Enjoy!  Mary

Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Bars

I found this recipe a couple of weeks back and tried it last week.  Oh my these little bars are very good! I made mine in the Pampered Chef Brownie pan, but you could easily make them in a muffin/cupcake tin too!

My daughter was here visiting when I made these and the smell of them brought her downstairs to see what smell so good, lol!  I used dried cranberries because I had just gotten a big bag at a local warehouse store to try this recipe with.

 Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Bars

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 cups quick cooking (not instant) oats
1 1/2 cups raisins (or add cranberries, chocolate chips etc..)

Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and spices in Classic Batter Bowl.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and stir in vanilla, egg and melted butter until smooth. Stir in oats and raisins until they are evenly distributed.
Use large scoop and put one scoop into each well of the brownie pan. Push down with your fingers to flatten.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, let cool a few minutes before turning pan over onto cooling rack. Makes about 21 squares.

Now when I made these, I only got 16 little bars out of the recipe, so the number you get may be more or less.

Thanks for stopping by,  Mary

Hi everyone.  I just wanted to drop in and share this yummy recipe that I found on the Pampered Chef website.  They are so easy to make and so yummy too!  Perfect for anytime of the year when you want a taste of summer!

S'more Cups

INGREDIENTS

7 whole graham crackers (1 cup/250 mL finely crushed)

1/4 cup (50 mL) powdered sugar

6 tbsp (90 mL) butter, melted

4 bars (1.55 oz or 43 g each) milk chocolate candy, divided

12 large marshmallows

DIRECTIONS

1

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place graham crackers into a large resealable plastic bag. Finely crush into crumbs using Baker's Roller®. Combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and butter in Small Batter Bowl. Using Small Scoop, place scant scoop of crumb mixture in each cup of Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan. Press crumbs to form shallow cups with Mini-Tart Shaper. Bake 4-5 minutes or until edges are bubbling. Meanwhile, break two of the candy bars into rectangles. Remove pan from oven; place one rectangle into each cup.

2

Cut marshmallows in half crosswise using Professional Shears dipped in cold water. Place one marshmallow half, cut-side down, into each cup. Return to oven 1-2 minutes or until marshmallows are just slightly softened. Remove from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack; cool 15 minutes. Carefully remove cups from pan. Cool completely.

3

Break remaining candy bars and place in (1-cup/250 mL) Prep Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1-1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 20 seconds. Dip the top of each marshmallow in melted chocolate. Turn top-side up and let stand 40 minutes-1 hour or until set.

Yield:

  ,
24 servings of 1 cup

Nutrients per serving:

Calories 100, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 3.5 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Carbohydrate 11 g, Protein 1 g, Sodium 60 mg, Fiber 0 g

U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving:

1 starch, 1 fat (1 carb)

Cook's Tips:

Dipping the Professional Shears in cold water before cutting the marshmallows helps minimize sticking.

The time it takes the chocolate to set varies depending on weather conditions and room temperature. You can refrigerate the cups briefly until the chocolate is set; store them at room temperature.

Store the cups in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Freezing is not recommended.

For a richer chocolate flavor, substitute dark chocolate candy bars for the milk chocolate.

When I made these, I only used one candy bar for dipping the marshmallow tops in, save the extra one for yourself to eat another time!

Thanks dropping by.   Mary

Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July, hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with family and friends!

Vegetable Medley

Here is a quick and easy side dish. I used one zucchini, one yellow squash, one medium carrot, little bit of olive oil and about one tablespoon of butter in a 8" sauté pan. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat, or until done to your liking. Then sprinkle with Pampered Chef Three Onion Rub, as much as you like. Toss and serve. To make the julienne strips, I used Pampered Chef Julienne Peeler.  

I made this just for myself, but you could easily make this for more people, I go by using one of each vegetable for one serving because I like this dish!  If you don't have Pampered Chef's Three Onion Rub, I've made it with fresh pressed garlic and fresh chopped onion (I was too lazy last night to do that, so I went with my rub)!

Enjoy!  Mary

Memorial Day

Thank you to all of the brave men and women to protect and fight for our freedom everyday, God Bless You All. Enjoy the following true story of two who did just that….

Captain Kangaroo passed away on January 23, 2004 at age 76, which is odd,
because he always looked to be 76. (DOB: 6/27/27) His death reminded me of
the following story.

Some people have been a bit offended that the actor, Lee Marvin, is buried
in a grave alongside 3 and 4 star generals at Arlington National Cemetery.
His marker gives his name, rank (PVT) and service (USMC). Nothing else.

Here's a guy who was only a famous movie star who served his time,
but why the does he rate burial with these guys? Well, following is the amazing
answer:

I always liked Lee Marvin, but didn't know the extent of his Corps
experiences.

In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country in the armed
forces often in rear echelon posts where they were carefully protected,
only to be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war bond promotions,
Lee Marvin was a genuine hero. He won the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima. There is
only one higher Naval award... the Medal of Honor.

If that is a surprising comment on the true character of the man, he
credits his sergeant with an even greater show of bravery.

Dialog from "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson": His guest was Lee
Marvin. Johnny said, "Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you
were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima...and that during the
course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely
wounded."

"Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the bottom and they gave me the Cross
for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi. Bad thing about
getting shot up on a mountain is guys getting shot hauling you down. But,
Johnny, at Iwo, I served under the bravest man I ever knew... We both got
the cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap
in comparison. That dumb guy actually stood up on Red beach and directed
his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. Bullets flying
by, with mortar rounds landing everywhere and he stood there as the main
target of gunfire so that he could get his men to safety. He did this on
more than one occasion because his men's safety was more important than
his own life.

“That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends. When they brought me off
Suribachi, we passed the Sergeant and he lit a smoke and passed it to me,
lying on my belly on the litter and said, ‘Where'd they get you Lee?' I
said, ‘Well Bob... if you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the
outhouse!’

“Johnny, I'm not lying, Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man I ever knew.

“The Sergeant's name is Bob Keeshan. You and the world know him as Captain
Kangaroo."

On another note, there was this wimpy little man on
PBS, gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least
suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. But Mr.
Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat-proven in Vietnam with over
twenty-five confirmed kills to his name. He wore a long-sleeved sweater on
TV, to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps. He was a master
in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a
heartbeat.

After the war Mr. Rogers became an ordained Presbyterian minister and
therefore a pacifist. Vowing to never harm another human and also
dedicating the rest of his life to trying to help lead children on the
right path in life. He hid away the tattoos and his past life and won our
hearts with his quiet wit and charm.

America's real heroes don't flaunt what they did; they quietly go about
their day-to-day lives, doing what they do best. They earned our respect
and the freedoms that we all enjoy.

Look around and see if you can find one of those heroes in your midst.
Often, they are the ones you'd least suspect, but would most like to have
on your side if anything ever happened.

Take the time to thank anyone that has helped out for our freedom. With
encouragement, they could be the next Captain Kangaroo or Mr. Rogers

Blogger E-Mail Issues

 It's come to many bloggers attention that a lot of our subscribers are not receiving updates, it has to do with FeedBurner going away.

Unfortunately I was unprepared for this as there was no notice sent out.  I'm trying to find a free service to use but if I can't find one you may have to come to my blog on your own, as I set this blog up as a way to share my creations with everyone and I just can't justify the cost for e-mail services right now.  I'm sorry if this is a hassle for you but like everyone else I have to watch how I spend my money too.  I hope you enjoy my blog enough that you will continue to come by to see my blog.  

Thank you for understanding and I hope to have a solution soon.  Mary

Cheesy Shells and Italian Sausage

I made this dish the other day, one pot on the stove top and it came out really good!  No need to cook your pasta in another pot, win!

Now if you don't have a RockCrok, you can easily make this in a 4 quart pan.  It was so easy and all you need to add to it is some Garlic Bread and a salad.  Oh, I used the Traditional Prego sauce, as this is what we like.  Also, I didn't have the chicken stock, so I just used Vegetable stock that I had on hand and it will come out just as delicious.  I also omitted the Croutons, not in the pantry either.

 Enjoy!!  Mary

Happy Easter

Fast 'N Easy Mac and Cheese

Today I want to share with you a Pampered Chef recipe for Macaroni and Cheese that is made in the microwave, this will be nice this summer, no heat and humidity in the kitchen!  The original recipe called for a bigger batch, but I wanted to try it and I was the only one home to eat it the other night, perfect size for two people.

I used the Round Covered Baker from Pampered Chef, it is a stoneware piece and when I went to put the left-overs away 30 minutes later, it was still warm!

Now when I went to the store this morning to get some cheese, I spotted the Smoked Cheddar cheese and thought, "I bet that would add a lot of flavor to it", boy I'm telling you, that made this mac and cheese gourmet!  It added so much flavor to the dish.  I will be making it this way for sure the next time too.

Now there was more in there, but I just could not wait to try it and then I had force myself not to eat it all!  If you don't like smoky flavor, just use all Cheddar cheese.  I will write the recipe as I made it with the original in parenthesize.


Fast 'n Easy Mac 'n Cheese

1 cup elbow macaroni  (2 cups)
1 cup chicken broth  (2 cups)
1 cup Half & Half  (2 cups)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese  (2 cups)

Oil your Round Covered Baker.  Place macaroni, chicken broth and Half & Half into prepared dish.  Stir and cover with lid.  Heat in the microwave on high for 14 minutes (use turntable or rotate every 2 minutes).  Remove from microwave and add shredded cheese.  Stir and replace the lid and let stand for 10 minutes.  Stir and serve warm.  You can top with bacon, ham or more shredded cheese.  Not all of the liquid will be absorbed.

Now of course, you will need to cook it however it works best in your microwave, some cook hotter then others.  My microwave is a KW 1.25, it is a smaller one too.

If you want this to be completely meatless, then I would use vegetable broth, perfect for Lent then.

I hope you give this a try.  Mary

Pampered Chef Party

My other daughter is having her first time ever Pampered Chef party!!  If anyone would like to place an order, she would be thrilled!  You can have your order shipped directly to you and your credit card is not charged until the show closes.  Here is her link: http://new.pamperedchef.com/pws/marykwessling/guest-landing/8863398542491  Her show will close by March 30th, 2014.

I made this the other night and it is really good!

If you have kids, this is a great gadget and I also have a free e-book with more recipes too!

Here is a cute idea for Easter using the Brownie Pan, I also have a free e-book for lots more ideas too!

Thanks!  Mary

English Muffin Pizza

Hi everyone!!  I don't know about you but I'm glad that Spring is only 24 days away!!  The sun is out here today too, but it's still cold.

I think I mention that hubby has a part-time job, got bored being retired, and his hours are so that he works at night.  So I'm on my own for that meal and I tell you what, it's hard to cook for one!  So I've been on the look out for recipes that I can down size to make for myself, a person can eat only so many sandwiches for dinner before you get tired of it!

I found this recipe over on Plain Chicken for these English Muffin Pizzas and had a light bulb moment!  I could easily make this for myself and make it many different ways too.  So I gathered all the necessary ingredients and had a yummy meal!

This would be great for afternoon snacks for the kids after school or even a family meal.

 I used Pepperidge English Muffins for mine and was pleased with their taste and texture.  I also used Classico Traditional pizza sauce, oh my this is really good sauce too!  I would definitely buy this again.  Then I got mozzarella cheese, shredded, pepperoni and went to town making my pizza. One night I fried up one link of Italian sausage for my meat topping, yum!

Now you spread on as much sauce as you want on the cut side of the English muffin (split in half), then add your meat/toppings, you could add some small diced vegetables, if you wanted, then sprinkle on your cheese.  Bake in a preheat 400 degree oven (I used my toaster oven to bake mine).   YUMM-O!!

English Muffin Pizza

English Muffins, split
pizza sauce
mozzarella cheese, shredded
pizza toppings, the sky is the limit
garlic powder, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place the English muffin halves, cut side up, onto a baking sheet.  Spoon some of the pizza sauce onto each half.  Top with mozzarella cheese and your pizza toppings.  Sprinkle with garlic powder.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned on the edges.

Hope you give this a try, they are good!   Mary

Swiss Loaf

Here is another oldie but goodie recipe. My brother shared this recipe with me along time ago. I really like it and it makes wonderful sandwiches with the leftovers, but my family insist that anytime I make meat loaf it has to be my Grandmother's recipe or they won't eat it, sniff..sniff..I like variety. Anyhoo, here is the recipe.

Swiss Meat Loaf

2 pounds hamburger, I always use lean
1- 8 oz. package Swiss cheese, diced or shredded
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1/2 cup onions, diced
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, you probably could use less, remember old recipe
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup bread crumbs

Mix all of the ingredients together, shape into a loaf and place into a cake pan. If you wanted you could place a rack in your cake pan and than put the loaf on top of the rack to let the drippings fall of the loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour and 30 minutes. Serve 4 to 6.

Sorry no pictures again, but worth sharing with all of you!  Mary

Crock-Pot Beef Stew

Today I want to share with you a crock-pot recipe that I found in a church cookbook.  Aren't those where we find the best recipes in the first place?!  The title of this recipe is Stayabed Stew, as you can bake this in a 275 degree oven for 8 hours if you don't have a crock-pot.  I really like my crock-pot and like findings new recipes to use in it too.  My family really likes this and I usually serve biscuits with it too, but this last time I made Green Chili Cheddar Loaves in my Pampered Chef Brownie pans.  I'll share that recipe later.

I didn't take step by step pictures because you just put everything in the crock-pot except the peas, you add those just before serving.  Oh and the first picture is missing the onions.

Crock-Pot Beef Stew

2 pounds beef stew meat, cubed (I just buy already cubed stew meat)
1 14.5 ounce can peas, drained
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 large potatoes, cubed, peeled or unpeeled
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 10.75 ounce can condensed tomato soup
1 bay leaf

Spray crock-pot liner with PAM.  Mix all of the above in the crock-pot except for the peas.  Cook on LOW for about 8 hours.  Right before serving, add peas and give it a good stir.  Serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

{PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION}

Broccoli Soup

Today it has turned alittle bit cool, so I thought I would share a soup recipe with you. I like to serve it with a crusty bread and of course, some real butter!  Sorry no picture.

Broccoli Soup

2- 10 oz. packages frozen broccoli
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups half & half
1- 10 1/2 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1/2 teaspoon oregano (I use more like 1/8 teaspoon)
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook broccoli according to package directions in a pot large enough to hold all of the ingredients above; drain. Add the rest of the ingredients and heat thoroughly. Serve. Serves 4 to 6.

[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION}

Pioneer Beans

Before I went to work this morning I put the fixin's for this soup in the crock-pot (love my crock-pot). Actually I put some of it togther last night, sliced the green onions and the sausage up to make it super easy in the morning for me. As you can see I served it with corn bread.  It must have been good, hubby had two bowls and three slices of cornbread too!! Still have plenty for another meal or two.

I found this recipe in a magazine back in the early 1980's. It is a recipe from Tabasco, so naturally there is Tabasco in the recipe.

Pioneer Beans

1 pound dried lima bean, I like to use small navy beans when I make it
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced, I use Eckridge sausage
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 beef bouillon cubes
3/4 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce **
6 cups water

Place all ingredients in a crock-pot. Mix well. Cover and cook on High for 8 to 10 hours. Serves 4 to 6.

Now today when I made this I accidentally put it on Low instead and didn't realize it until I came home from work (about 4 hours later). I bumped it up to High for a couple of hours, tried the beans and they were soft, so I put it back down to Low until we were ready to eat. I really think it would have been OK on Low all day. 

**Now this does have alittle bit of a kick to it, if you don't want that, your could add less Tabasco sauce. If you want it more spicy, than add more.

You could easily make half of this recipe.

Hope you all stay warm and cozy........Mary

Happy New Years

Happy New Years to all of you!  I hope you have a happy, healthy year!!!  Mary