Two Awards!

Maci of My Yummy Goodness was too kind for giving me the following awards:

The Lemonade Blog for having a refreshing blog.

And...

And the Fabulous Blog.

Thanks Maci!!

Here are the rules…- Add the logo in your blog.

- Add a link to the person who gave you the award.

- Nominate other (refreshing…like lemonade and fabulous) blogs of your choice.

- Don’t forget to add links to those blogs in yours.

- Also leave a message for your nominees in their blogs, informing them about the award.

I have several blogs that I am going to pass along these awards to. I will post them very soon!!

Cake Balls

Last October, I came upon this recipe on AllRecipes.Com, posted by Allison. Since then, I have been waiting for an opportunity to try it. So, today, school was cancelled, kids were home, and it was raining and icing all day so we tried it. Jessi said they were absolutely delicious, but I have to say that next time, I will have to tweak it a little. After they were done, I went back to the website and saw that there were some suggestions that I would try next time. For instance, I couldn't dip the balls into the chocolate because despite how moist they were, they weren't strong enough to stay together. One suggestion from others was to freeze the balls prior to dipping at least one hour. Today, rather than dipping, I spooned the chocolate over the balls. It took a lot more chocolate to do it that way, but was still effective.

Ingredients:

1 18.25 oz. package cake mix

1 16 oz. container prepared frosting

1 3 oz. bar chocolate flavored Almond Bark (Confectioners Coating)

Directions:

Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using any of the recommended pan sizes. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl and stir in the frosting until well blended.

Using a melon baller or small scoop to form bite size balls of the cake mixture. Place the balls into the freezer for at least one hour.

Melt chocolate coating in a glass bowl in the microwave or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Dip the balls in chocolate using a toothpick or fork to hold them. Place them on waxed paper to set.

You can leave as it or dip in sprinkles, coconut, chopped nuts, or drizzle with another flavor of chocolate. Delicious!!

Scramblewiches

I hit the cookbooks the other night looking for a new dinner recipe. I found this one in my Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats. It was an absolute hit with the kids, especially. There were no leftovers! I think Dakota even came back for thirds! I made the recipe as written but I think the next time I will make a few variations on the ingredients. This recipe seems to lend itself to that. My pictures weren't very good but I plan on making it again very soon and I'll add some pics then! This recipe serves four so I doubled it for my family.....:)

Ingredients:
1 Baguette (day-old is fine)
2 tbs unsalted butter
1/2 lb. deli-sliced ham, smoked turkey, pastrami, or corned beef
8 large eggs
A splash of milk
1 tsp hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 deli slices of Swiss cheese (halved lengthwise to fit bread), or 8 slices of Cheddar (2 squares per bread), or 6 slices of Provolone cheese (1 1/2 slices per bread, cut to fit)
Chopped fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley, to garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Farenheit.

Crisp the bread in the low oven, split it lengthwise, and hollow it out. Cut each bread in half again, across, making 4 boats. Switch the broiler on.

Heat large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Add the meat and cook, separating the pieces, for 3 minutes, or until brown at the edges. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Add to the meat and scramble, keeping the eggs a little soft. They will continue to cook in the oven.

Divide the eggs among the bread and cover with the cheese. Melt the cheese under the broiler. Take out as soon as cheese softens and melts. Do not brown or allow cheese to bubble. Garnish and serve.

That being said....I used smoked turkey and cheddar cheese and omited the garnish. I removed the turkey and drained the grease before adding the eggs to the skillet. Then I added the turkey back to the egg mixture and continued. Also, it took quite a while to hollow out 2 baguettes (remember I doubled this recipe) and although the kids liked it, it was pretty crisp. I think that next time, I will use hoagies instead of the baguettes, crisped in the oven. I might even try Velvetta, instead of the cheeses already mentioned in this recipe.

You can try this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!!

Slow Cooker Barbecue

I warned you that I am a big fan of the slow cooker and so is my family! It is a saving grace for work days and provides a great way to serve your family a great meal with little time to prepare. And I've really found that the slow cooker really makes the meat tender and juicy. I like to use it even on days that I am home just for that reason. I make this for the boys in the house because they love it. You can also substitute the beef for chicken or pork and have the same great results. If you use pork, you may have to modify the length of cooking time. Serve on hoagies and add a side dish for a satifying meal. I found this recipe, submitted by Brandy, on AllRecipes.com. I absolutely love that website for new recipes and ideas.

Ingredients:

1- 3 lb. boneless chuck roast
1 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
1 tsp. onion powder (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1- 18 oz bottle barbecue sauce (I prefer Kraft Hickory Smoked)


Directions:


Place roast into slow cooker. Sprinkle with garlic powder and onion powder, and season with salt and pepper. Pour bbq sauce over meat. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.


Remove meat from slow cooker, shred, and return to slow cooker. Cook for 30 min.-1 hour more. Serve hot.

Alison's Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since my last post!! Time has just flown by with the Holidays. I have adapted this recipe from Alison on AllRecipes.com and it has become one of my favorites. I drop everything into the slow cooker in the am before I leave for work and the complete meal is ready when I arrive home. Everyone is starving and ready to eat and we just serve and eat! If you love vegetable soup, you will love this recipe. The consistency is a bit thicker than soup, yet not as thick as a stew. Rachael Ray might call it a "stoup". The ingredients call for 16 oz. frozen vegetables but I often use more than 16 oz. I have also used canned vegetables when I have found that I was out of frozen. I didn't add any carrots today, but I often cut up fresh carrots and add them as well. This recipe is versatile and you can add or subtract what you prefer in your soup. It's a great and easy comfort food!!






Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. cubed beef stew meat
2 cups water
1- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1-16 oz. package frozen mixed vegetables
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 cubes beef bouillon, crumbled
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
3 shakes dried basil

Directions:

Place beef in a slow cooker. Pour in water. Stir in tomatoes and vegetables. Season with bouillon, pepper, salt, and basil. Cook on low for 8 hours.