Pocketbook Rolls

Note: The best part about this recipe is the fact that you can keep the dough in the refrigerator and roll out as you need them.

Pocketbook Rolls

Ingredients:
1 cup Crisco
1 cup hot water
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
2 pkgs. yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
6 cups all purpose flour

Directions:
Melt Crisco in hot water. In a separate bowl, beat together sugar, eggs and salt. Add yeast dissolved in lukewarm water; mix well. Add flour. Knead together thoroughly. Allow to stand in refrigerator for 1 hour.

You can leave this in the refrigator overnight or as long as 5 days. Flour dough down and roll out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut in 3 inch circles and fold in half. Put on baking sheet and baste with melted butter. Allow to rise until doubled in size.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 6 minutes or until golden brown. Recipe makes about 50 rolls.

For more great recipes, go and visit Lisa at Blessed with Grace. Bring a recipe with you!

Shrimp Scampi

Note: The only problem with this recipe is that there are never any leftovers!

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:

2 cup cooking oil

1 Tbsp. paprika

4 cloves garlic, pressed

juice from 1/2 lemon

salt

cayenne pepper

24 large shrimp

1/4 lb. garlic butter

12 oz. vermicelli, cooked

chopped chives

Directions:

Prepare marinade of oil, paprika, garlic, lemon juice, salt and cayenne. Marinate shrimp 6 to 8 hours. Drain and sate in garlic butter. Remove and keep hot. Saute cooked vermicelli in garlic butter. Serve mounds of vermicelli with shrimp. Sprinkle with chives.

The Bible.... Through the Eyes of a Child

A child was asked to write a book report on the entire Bible.

I wonder how often we take for granted that children understand what we are teaching???

Through the eyes of a child:

The Children's Bible in a Nutshell

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that.

Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.

Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.

Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.

Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham.

Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.

God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff.

Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore. There were
also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him. Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount.

But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again.

He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

Orange Juice Cake

Note: I saw this recipe a few weeks ago on My Sister's Cucina and decided to try it. My boys ate it up! It is a great breakfast cake. I used the Sister's picture of the cake because they used the pecans when baking and I didn't because that is the way my boys prefer it.

Orange Juice Cake

Ingredients:

Yellow Cake mix
Instant Vanilla Pudding (small box)
1/2 cup Oil
1 cup Orange Juice
4 Eggs
Chopped Pecans (about 1/2 cup, or more if you like)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together. Don't over-mix! Spray bundt cake pan. Sprinkle chopped pecans on the bottom of the pan. Pour cake mix evenly in bundt pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes. You know when it is done when it starts to pull away from the sides and the inside ring. While baking, make your glaze.

Glaze

Ingredients:
1 Stick Butter
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Orange Juice

Directions:
Combine butter, sugar and juice in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and turn off. When cake comes out of the oven, stir glaze well before spooning over hot cake so that the butter gets mixed back in. (When it sits the butter settles to the top.) The glaze will eventually seep through the cake giving it a juicey moistness all over. This is what your cake will look like after the glaze settles in. Let it sit for 1 hour before removing from your pan. To remove from pan, place your plate upside down over the bundt pan and flip.

Copycat Orange Julius

Note: When I was growing up, the MetroCenter Mall was THE place to go. As a teen, we used to like to walk around and part of cruising the mall was to grab an Orange Julius. We could do that because we had our hands free to hold a drink... we weren't texting anybody! Ha!

Copycat Orange Julius

Ingredients:
6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
10 - 12 ice cubes

Directions:
Combine everything except the ice in the blender. Blend for about 1-2 minutes. Add ice one cube at a time. Serve in chilled glasses. Yum.

Classic Dreamy Cheesecake

Note: Today is my sweet niece, Jonna's 17th birthday. She LOVES cheesecake. Enough said.

Classic Dreamy Cheesecake

For the filling:

3 (8oz) packages of Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tbsp good vanilla extract

3 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

For the crust:

about 1/2 a box of Nilla wafers

1 stick (1/2 cup)unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make the crust: In a food processor, blend the Nilla wafers until finely ground. Add the rest of the ingredient for the crust. Pulse the food processor until all ingredients are fully incorporated and small clumps appear.

Pour the cookie mixture into a 9-inch spring form pan. Evenly spread the crumb mixture around the pan then, using a flat bottomed measuring cup or glass, firmly press down on the mixture working all the way around the pan and up the sides to create an evenly thick crust.

Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until crust begins to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for half an hour before adding filling to the crust.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Make sure the highest rake is positioned in the middle of the oven.

While the crust is cooling, make the filling: Add the softened cream cheese to a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the cream cheese with an electric beater or stand mixer at medium speed until nice and workable, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to beat at medium until fully creamed together, another 1-2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Once the crust has cooled, pour in the filling and spread evenly through out the crust using a rubber spatula.

Place the cheesecake into a large roasting pan. Add enough water to the roasting pan to go halfway up the side of the spring form pan to create a water bath , being careful not to pour water into the cheesecake itself! Bake the cheesecake at 325 degrees for about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until completely set.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven and the spring form pan from the roasting pan. Allow the cheesecake to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerate and chill for at least 12 hours before serving.

Serve with your favorite topping. Enjoy!

Olive Hummus

Note: While the boys are in school and the hubs is at work, I like to have a lunch of something that they wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. Enter this recipe for olive hummus!


Olive Hummus


Ingredients:

1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 T. tahini (this is just a paste of sesame seeds)

2T. olive oil

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 C. pitted olives

pinch of salt

fresh ground pepper to taste



Directions:
Put all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth, scraping the bowl down occasionally. The hummus can be thinned with water if necessary. All amounts can and should be adjusted to suit your own taste!

Serve drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkling of chopped olives, if desired. Serve with pita, crackers, corn chips or it can be used as a sandwich spread.

Company's Coming Breakfast Quiche

Note: This is a great breakfast quiche for a big group of family visiting or to share with a new neighbor.


Company's Coming Breakfast Quiche


Ingredients:
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 lb. pork sausauage, cooked and crumbled
8 oz. grated Cheddar cheese
8 oz. grated Pepper Jack cheese
6 to 8 eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk (or more)
2 (8 inch) pie crusts, deep dish

Directions:

Brown pie crust for about 5 minutes. Divide bacon, sausage and cheeses evenly in pie shells. Beat eggs and milk and divide evenly between the 2 shells. If necessary to fill crusts, add a little more milk. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until set in the center.

Grab your favorite recipe and head on over to Lisa's for more Tempt Your Tummy Tuesday recipes!

Alpine Carnival Coffee

Note: I love flavored coffees. Buying them at the local coffee shop is out of the question because they just cost too much. I seriously can't convince myself to pay for a cup of coffee what I would pay for a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. I have enjoyed experimenting at home and these are some of my favorites.

Alpine Carnival Coffee

Ingredients:

1 cup hot coffee

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp brown sugar

whipping cream

Directions:

Add sugars and vanilla to hot coffee. Top with a dollop of whipping cream. Enjoy!

Black Forest Coffee

Black Forest Coffee

Ingredients:
1 cup hot coffee
2 Tbsp chocolate syrup
1 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice
whipped cream
shaved chocolate
maraschino cherries

Directions:
Combine coffee, chocolate syrup and cherry juice. Top with whipped cream, shaved chocolate and a cherry. Enjoy!

Truth

The following aren't my words, but something someone sent me:

Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death!

Make a personal reflection about this.....

It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):

'Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sow, it shall he also reap.

Here are some men and women who mocked God :

John Lennon (Singer):
Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said:
'Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain.
Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, today we are more famous than Him' (1966).
Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.

Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil ):
During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.

Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet):
During A show in Canecio ( Rio de Janeiro while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said:'God, that's for you.' He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.

The man who built the Titanic:
After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be.
With an ironic tone he said:'Not even God can sink it'
The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic

Marilyn Monroe (Actress)
She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said:
'I don't need your Jesus'. A week later, she was found dead in her apartment

Bon Scott (Singer)
The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang: 'Don't stop me; I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell'. On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.

Campinas (IN 2005)
In Campinas , Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend.....
The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car:'My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You.' She responded: 'Only If He (God) Travels In The Trunk, Cause Inside Here.....It's Already Full' Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had diedthe car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact. The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken

Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer)
said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written. In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.

Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus.

Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and He is still alive.

Crab Dip

Note:  After eating crab dip at a party last weekend, the boy's have been begging for more.     I am going to be throwing this together today as a surprise for their College Football snacking.      If it doesn't taste the same, they will let me know. 

Crab Dip

Ingredients:
Imitation Crabmeat (you determine the amount)

1 (8 oz.) Cream Cheese
1 or 2 tsp of milk, more or less as needed
salt and pepper to taste
A few drops of Tabsco, to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, determining quantities based on need. Stir vigorously. Enjoy!

Coffee Punch

Coffee Punch

Ingredients:

1/2 cup instant coffee

2 cups sugar

3 qts. hot water

2 qts. milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

6 oz. chocolate syrup

1 gal. vanilla ice cream

Directions:
Combine coffee, sugar and hot water until dissolved. Place into 2 empty gallon jugs and shake. Add milk, vanilla extract and chocolate syrup to jug and shake well. Chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours. Mixture must be very cold. When ready to serve, pour mixture into punch bowl and fold in ice cream. This will serve a crowd.

Friendship Tea

Friendship Tea

Ingredients:
1 (18-oz.) jar orange-flavored instant breakfast drink
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup presweetened lemonade mix
1/2 cup instant tea
1 (3-oz.) pkg. apricot-flavored gelatin
2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves

Directions:
Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

To use: Mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of mix to 1 cup hot water.

Cotton Gin Fizz

Cotton Gin Fizz

Ingredients:
Orange juice

Ginger ale

Cherry (for garnishing)

Directions:
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add a splash of orange juice and ginger ale to fill. Garnish with a cherry.

Baked Spinach Almond Chicken

Note: I love spinach. Enough said. Hee! Hee!

Baked Spinach Almond Chicken

Ingredients:
2 cups boiled, chopped (or cubed) chicken
1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. salt
2 pkg. crescent rolls
2 Tbsp. sliced almonds

Directions:
Put cooled chicken pieces into a large bowl. Add spinach, bell pepper, cheese, garlic, mayonnaise and salt. Mix well. Place crescent rolls on greased cookie sheet, leaving triangles of dough attached to each other. Pinch seams of dough together to make a rectangular-shaped dough. Place the chicken mixture in a log shape down the center of the dough rectangle, leaving dough on each side. Cut with a knife from the chicken mixture to the edge of the rectangle on each side, making strips that are still attached to the dough under the chicken mixture. Overlap the strips over the chicken mixture for a crisscross effect. Sprinkle the top with almonds. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into smaller pieces to serve.

Cookbook: Screendoors and Sweet Tea

Oh, Mama! I am adding this to my Christmas wish list. Martha Hall Foose is the best kind of southern girl. Not only can she cook, but she would pour you a glass of sweet tea and tell you to grab a chair while she was cooking. She loves to chat while she cooks. She proves that with her great stories that go right along with her recipes.

And, oh my the recipes... They are right off your Mama's Sunday dinner table straight into your mouth kind of food. How about Yazoo cheese straws, Delta Hot Tamales, peach fried pies, cheese grits, ham glazed with Barq's Root Beer, Sweet Tea Pie or sweet potato biscuits? *sigh*

Is there any wonder Southern girls believe the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach?

As soon as I get this book, I plan to whip up a frosty pitcher of her blackberry lemonade and absorb this book and it's 150 recipes like a true Southern novel!

Barbecued Brisket

Note: Brisket is one of the first things I learned to cook as a newlywed. I would cook it for Sunday dinner and we would eat it for leftovers during the week.



Barbecued Brisket



Ingredients:
1 (5- to 6-lb.) beef brisket

3 oz. liquid smoke

Celery salt

Garlic salt

Onion salt

Worcestershire sauce

6 oz. barbecue sauce

2 T. flour

1/2 cup water



Directions:
Place brisket into oblong baking dish. Sprinkle with liquid smoke and salts; marinate overnight. When ready to bake, sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 275 degrees for 5 hours. Uncover; pour barbecue sauce over brisket. Cook uncovered 1 hour. Remove to platter; cool before slicing. Remove fat from sauce remaining in dish. Add flour and water to sauce; stir. Cook until thickened. Serve sauce hot with meat.

Sausage Cheese Balls

Note: This is one of the many items which I make and freeze for quick and easy school morning breakfasts!

Sausage Cheese Balls

Ingredients:
1 pound hot breakfast sausage
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups baking mix

Directions:
Mix ingredients in a food processor or stand mixer, mixing well. Chill one hour. Roll into balls and place on tray.

* Place in freezer. After they have frozen, place them in a zip-top freezer bag. When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place on a baking sheet, and bake 20-25 minutes.

*If you did not want to freeze to bake later, bake at this time but only for 15-20 minutes.

As always, go visit Lisa for more Tempt My Tummy Tuesday Recipes. It is a great way to add variety to your menu! While you are at it, why don't you join us? Every Tuesday!

Smothered Dove Breasts

Note: It is dove season. My next door neighbor is so excited he is like a kid on Christmas morning. Of course he is like that on the start of any new hunting season. He is the true outdoorsman. He wanted a new recipe for all his meat he will be putting in the freezer.

Let me make is CLEAR. I will not be using this recipe myself. I am allergic to wild game. It is much happier anywhere than in my stomach!

Smothered Dove Breasts

Ingredients:
15 dove breasts, filleted
2 large onions, chopped
6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
1 1/2 sticks margarine
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
4 stalks celery, chopped
Garlic salt, to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour
Oregano, to taste
Sage, to taste
Thyme, to taste

Directions:
Batter breast halves in flour. Sprinkle with sage. Melt 1 stick margarine in skillet and brown battered halves on both sides. Remove dove meat and drain on paper towels. Add onions, celery, mushrooms and bell pepper and cook on low heat until onions become opaque. Return meat to skillet and add ½ stick of margarine, bacon, garlic salt, thyme, oregano and sage. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over wild rice.

Recipe found at: The Year of Alabama Food

Crock Pot Chex Mix Party Mix

Note: Chex Mix is a great after school snack and really great for those Friday night game nights. My family loves to play games. Someone always makes a batch of Chex Mix to have on the table. Got to have our snacks while we are talking the "smack".

Crock Pot Chex Mix Party Mix

Ingredients:
5 Cups General Mills Rice Chex Cereal
1-2 cups of dry roasted peanuts (salted or not, your choice)
2 cups pretzel sticks
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t seasoned salt
3 T butter, melted
1 1/2 T Worcestershire Sauce

Directions.
Put the butter into the bottom of your crockpot. Turn your crockpot on low. Add the onion powder and seasoned salt and Worcestershire sauce. Stir. Add your dry ingredients and stir to coat. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours, stirring every 45 min or so. Spread out onto a cookie sheet to cool. Serve and enjoy. Store in a airtight container.

The Value of Time

Imagine there is a bank, which credits your account each morning with $86,400, carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance,
and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!

Well, everyone has such a bank. Its name is TIME.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you.

Each night it burns the records of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits,
the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the “tomorrow."

You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.

To realize the value of ONE YEAR – Ask a student who has failed his exam.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH – Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK – Ask an editor of a weekly.

To realize the value of ONE DAY – Ask a daily wage laborer who has ten kids to feed.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR – Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE – Ask a person who has missed the train.

To realize the value of ONE SECOND – Ask a person who has survived an accident.

To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND – Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have.

Pasta Salad

Note:  This recipe is great to make ahead on Saturday and serve to friends after church on Sunday.     Go ahead and make that call and invite some friends over!

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
4 chopped carrots
Fresh chopped cauliflower
Fresh chopped broccoli
2 cans pitted black olives, drained
Feta cheese
Chopped celery (to taste)
Cooked chicken (1 breast per guest)
Pepperoni (to taste)
2 tablespoons McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning
2 (8-ounce) bottles Wishbone Salad Dressing
2 (16-ounce) packages small screw pasta, cooked and drained

Directions:
Combine all salad ingredients except the pasta in a large bowl. Add Salad Supreme seasoning and dressing and toss. Store in refrigerator overnight. Toss in the pasta.

Football Cupcakes

Note: Are you ready for some football? Friday night is high school football (Go Titans!). Saturday is college football (For Hubs it is "Go State". For me it is "Roll Tide!") Sunday is professional football where we are cheering for Miami Dolphins (Good or bad, people. Good or bad). These cuties are fun to make.

Football Cupcakes

Step 1: Frost a cooled cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) with green frosting, then mark the yard lines with white decorators' gel.

Step 2: For a pennant, wrap a fruit leather triangle around a pretzel stick and plant it in the field as shown.

Step 3: Set a chocolate-covered almond or brown almond M&M football topped with white decorators' gel laces on the field, and you're sure to score points with your favorite sports fans.

Easy, breezy!

Caramel Apple Salad

Note: Since Little Guy has been studying Johnny Appleseed it has had me thinking about apple recipes. This recipe was all the rage around here about two years ago. I think every Pampered Chef party or baby shower or church dinner had at least one of these salads.



Caramel Apple Salad


Ingredients:
6 (2 1/4 ounce) Snickers candy bars, chill and chop
6 apples, cored and chopped into bite sized pieces (Granny Smith and/or Red Delicious)
1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip
1 (5 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding or butterscotch pudding mix (dry mix – do not prepare!)


Garnish:
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping or caramel apple dip (optional)
1/2 cup chopped peanuts, can also sprinkled on top (optional)



Directions:
Mix cool whip and dry pudding mix together. Chop apples and chilled Snickers. Mix together.
Heat caramel sauce a bit in the microwave- just enough to drizzle, not enough to heat up salad.
Drizzle caramel sauce over salad and sprinkle peanuts on top. Chill for at least an hour.

Apple Butterfly

Note: Little Guy is studying Johnny Appleseed at school. He took a Gala apple today for a special apple tasting they are doing in their science center. He is on a big apple kick so when he gets home I am going to have this waiting as his after school snack. No cooking... just something cute.



Apple Butterfly



Ingredients:

1 green apple

caramel topping

2 raisins



Directions:
Wash your apple and quarter. Spoon topping onto plate to be "body" of butterfly. Arrange apple quarters to be the body. Place two raisins in caramel to be the eyes.
(Photo Courtesy of Google)

Cracker Corn Broccoli Casserole

Note: My boys LOVE this casserole. I think I made it six times before any of them noticed that there was broccoli in it. This recipe doubles really easily too.


Cracker-Corn-Broccoli Casserole


Ingredients:

1 box Chicken-in-a-Biskit crackers

1/2 to 3/4 stick margarine, melted

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can cream style corn

1 small can shoepeg corn

1 pkg. frozen, chopped broccoli, partially thawed



Directions:

Crush crackers in a plastic bag (great job for the kiddies) and add melted margarine; mix well and set aside. Drain the whole kernel and shoepeg corn; combine with creamed corn. Add teh broccoli and 1/2 the cracker mixture; mix. Place in a greased casserole dish and cover with the remaining cracker mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Makes about 12 servings.

Copycat Applebee's Honey Grilled Salmon

Note: Hubs is going to order salmon if we go out to eat so I decided to find a copycat version of some of his favorites.

Copycat Applebee's Honey Grilled Salmon

Ingredients:
3/4 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 lemon, juice of (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 (8ounce) salmon fillets (without skin)


Directions:
1. Make the sauce by combining all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat.
2. Stir occasionally until sauce begins to boil, then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until syrupy.
3. Watch the sauce closely to be sure it doesn't bubble over.
4. Preheat barbecue grill to medium heat.
5. Rub each salmon filet with vegetable oil, then add a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.
6. Grill the salmon for 4 to 7 minutes per side or until done.
7. Serve salmon with a small cup of the honey pepper sauce on the side.
Makes: 4 servings

Pizza Bagels

Note: Why buy a box full of Bagel Bites when you can make your own at home for a fraction of the cost? These pizza bagels are great for school lunch, after school snacks, or quick suppers on busy nights.

Pizza Bagels

Ingredients:

bagels, cut in half (we like whole wheat)

jar of pizza sauce

toppings: pepperoni, cheese, olives, bacon, ham, etc...

Directions:

Lay bagels out on cookie sheet. Spoon and spread pizza sauce on bagel halves. Sprinkle with cheese and then desired toppings. Bake until browned and bubbly. Serve.

If freezing. Put in freezer until frozen. Remove and bag according to the servings you need.

Julep's Catfish Tacos

Note: We enjoy eating at Julep's restaurant. They gave us their recipe for Catfish Tacos when we were doing a cookbook for my son's school. We love this dish and hope you do too. Honey, don't you think it is time for a lunch date? I hear Julep's calling our name!

Catfish Tacos

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz.) catfish fillets

2 cup cornmeal (seasoned to taste)
2 jalapeno-cheddar tortillas
2 Tbsp remoulade sauce
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese
1 whole onion
4 eggs
1 cup flour

Directions:
In hot skillet with small amount of olive oil (enough to coat of pan), add onions and immediately reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes or until dark brown. Once finished cooking, fold in cheese until melted. Blacken catfish. Put caramelized onion mixture in middle or tortilla. Place 1 tablespoon remoulade sauce on each tortilla, spread evenly. Place catfish filet on tortilla. Tuck sides of tortilla and roll. (Add remoulade sauce to edges to help edges stick.)

For more great Tempt My Tummy Recipes go to Blessed with Grace.   

Widget

I created a widget for my cooking blog. This widget is a little different from some of the other widgets. It lets you scroll through my recipes and also lets you see the picture I have included.

I hope you enjoy this widget!

Deanna

Cinnabun Cake

Note: We often have breakfast for supper on Sunday night. I like to try out new recipes on this night. We recently tried this one that I found at The Sisters' Cafe. We will be making more of these for breakfast nights!

Cinnabun Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ cups milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 T. butter, melted

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 T. flour
1 T. cinnamon
2/3 cups nuts, optional

2 cups powdered sugar
5 T. milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
In an electric or stand mixer mix the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nuts until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center.Place powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

7Ups!

1. Wake Up

Decide to have a good day.
"Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up!!

The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!!

Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.
"He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3.
"Gossip betrays confidence. Avoid men who talk too much." Proverbs 20:19
"Listen to advice, accept instruction and in the end, you will be wise." Proverbs 19:20

4. Stand Up!!...

For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.
"Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up!!...

To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me". Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up!!...

For something higher.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up!!...

Your Prayers.
"Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING." Philippians 4:6

Chess Squares

Note: I got this recipe from my Mom. It is one of my baby sister's and brother-in-law's favorites so I always make it at the holidays to take home.


Chess Squares


Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix

1 stick margarine, melted

1 egg

1 box confectioners' sugar

8 ounce pkg. cream cheese

2 eggs



Directions:

Mix first three ingredients with fork. Press into the bottom of 9 x 13 pan sprayed lightly with Pam. Cream eggs and cream cheese. Add sugar. Pour over bottom mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Cool and cut.


Options: Try sprinkling chocolate chips on the cake mix layer before pouring the cream cheese over. Try a different flavor cake mix such as chocolate or lemon. Add a little flavoring to your cream cheese mixture such as almond or lemon. Although I love experimenting with this recipe, it seems like everyone's favorite is the "original".

Thanks, Laura!

Laura of Real Mom's Kitchen gave me this sweet award.

I have been reading through her blog and found some great recipes to try!

The first one is the one we are going to be having for supper tonight: Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta My boys will love just the sound of that!

I can't believe that she has a recipe on her blog for Hawaiian Haystacks! I was just telling my husband about one of my all time favorite youth group events when I was growing up. Our youth pastor had everybody over to his house and for supper we created our own meal using all these ingredients. I didn't know what to call it so I called it a bird's nest, but Hawaiian Haystacks so much exotic. I can't wait to recreate this.

And of course you know I am always experimenting and looking for new granola recipes so I will be testing out Laura's as well.

Thanks, Laura, for your sweet award, but the true award is finding your blog!

Snickerdoodles

Note: My boys love these for after school and I love these because the are so simple!


Snickerdoodles


Ingredients:

1 (18 1/4-ounce) box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup oils
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar



Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs and oil together; roll into balls. In a small mixing bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar; roll balls in mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Pantry Pasta Salad

Note: I used to buy those boxed pasta salad mixes, but then realized one night that I could make a huge batch really inexpensively. The boys love just grabbing whatever we have in the pantry and making something new everytime which is how we came up with the name.



Pantry Pasta Salad



Ingredients:

1 box garden rotini

Your choice (use as many or as little as you like):

1 can of sliced olives

1 can of shoe peg corn

1 can of black beans

1 can of mixed vegetables

Fresh garden vegetables - tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, squash, etc...

Meat of your choice - shredded chicken, tuna, taco meat (whatever leftovers you may have or nothing at all)



Seasoning:

1 pkg. Hidden Valley ranch seasoning mix

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup vinegar



Directions:

Stir ingredients for seasoning together and refrigerate. Boil rotini noodles and drain. Add your choice of pasta ingredients. Pour seasoning mix over pasta salad and toss. Serve or refrigerator until ready to serve.

Cupcakes on a Stick

Note: When I posted about making these for treats for Little's Guy's class for his birthday, many of you asked how to make them. Here you go...

Cupcakes on a Stick

Ingredients:

1 box of cake mix

1 carton of cream cheese icing

dark chocolate bark

candy melts - color of your choice

sprinkles

lollipop sticks

Directions:

Bake cake in a 9 x 13 according to the directions on the package. Cool completely. Crumble in a bowl and mix with the carton of icing. You may not need the entire carton. Use what you need to make a "mixture". Roll the mixture into balls. Put on wax paper on cookie sheets and put in the freezer for 30 minutes. Melt chocolate according to package directions. Dip the ends of your lollipop stick in the chocolate and stick in a cake ball. Dip into chocolate. Place back on wax to harden. Melt candy melts. Re-dip top "pops" and sprinkle with sprinkles. Once they are dry put inside plastic bags.

Quick & Easy Beefy Taco Soup

Note: This is what I call my quick and easy family recipe for taco soup. I made up a batch of this with Gustav lurking on the horizon because I knew it would be easy to heat on the grill if we didn't have electricity.

Beefy Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef, browned
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (1 1/4-ounce) packet taco seasoning mix
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Directions:
Stir ingredients together; pour into a slow cooker. Heat on low setting for 6 to 8 hours; stir occasionally. Add water to thin consistency as desired.

Top each bowl with corn chips, soup ceam and a sprinkling of shredded cheese.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Directions:
1 cup of cold leftover coffee with 1/2 C water
2/3 C Dutch-processed cocoa
1/3 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C granulated sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/3 C whole milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position. Spray a 8 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk the instant coffee into the water and set aside. In a bowl, stir together 1/3 C of the cocoa powder, the brown sugar, and 1/3 C of the granulated sugar. Break up any large clumps of the brown sugar and set aside.Melt the butter in a heat proof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water or in the microwave. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until the mixture is smooth (heat it in the microwave using low power if the chocolate does not all melt). Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.Add the remaining granulated sugar, vanilla, milk, and egg to the chocolate mixture and mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth.Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, spread it out, and smooth the top. Sprinkle the cocoa and sugar mixture that you set aside earlier evenly over the batter. It should cover the batter completely. Then drizzle the coffee mixture all over the top of the cocoa mixture.Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the cake is puffed, bubbling, and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Do not overbake. Cool the cake for 20ish minutes before serving; they will fall as they cool. Serve with vanilla or coffee ice cream or whipped cream and berries.Warm leftover cake in the microwave and it'll taste just as good the next day.

To bake in individual ramekin dishes:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and spray 8 ramekins with nonstick spray and set the ramekins on a baking dish.Divide the batter evenly in the ramekins and smooth out the top. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cocoa sugar mixture over the top of the batter. Make sure to cover the batter completely. Drizzle slowly pour 3 tablespoons of the coffee mixture over the top of the cocoa. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffed and bubbling. Cool for 10 minutes before serving; they will fall as they cool. Serve with vanilla or coffee ice cream or whipped cream and berries.Warm leftover cake in the microwave and it'll taste just as good the next day.