Our little miracle arrived this morning so I will be on hiatus for a while until the new year. If I don't get a chance to say it later, I hope everyone of you has a HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON AND A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Vanilla Bean White Truffles

I love the holidays! All the baking just puts me in the mood. Put on some Christmas music and i'm in my own little slice of heaven!! So today I decided would be the perfect day to get busy doing some baking! We do neighbor gifts every year and this year instead of just giving a plate of cookies and driving myself crazy with just those I figured I'd go a bit more crazy and do a variety of things for the plates.
This recipe is one that will be on the plates this year and possibly for years to come!!! It's sssooo good and I hope you'll enjoy it as well!!!

Vanilla Bean White Truffles

4 tbsp heavy cream (or more give or take-it took a tad more than that for mine)
14 ounces good white chocolate
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp vanilla extract
sprinkles for topping

Place the cream in a heat proof bowl and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add the vanilla bean and the all the goodness from inside the bean. Cook until heated through. Remove the bean pod. Using a wire whisk, slowly stir the white chocolate into the warm cream until completely melted. Whisk in the vanilla. Cover and shill for about an hour until pliable but firm enough to scoop.

With a medium sized scoop make rounds of the chocolate mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Roll in hands to smooth and dredge in sprinkles. Set back on baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes or until ready to plate.

*You could also melt 12oz bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate in a double boiler and drizzle over truffles instead of using sprinkles. Or even dredge in various nuts.

WINNER

Arya You won the Baby Center giveaway!!!

Email me your mailing info:

rebekahskitchen@live.com so we can get your prize out to you!!!!

Baby Center

THIS IS NOW CLOSED!


I know this isn't really food related, but since I'm expecting again, it fits.

Are you expecting? Do you know someone who is? Well.....

Whether you´re trying to conceive or are looking for nutritious snack ideas for your preschooler, BabyCenter.com, the Web's #1 global interactive parenting network, is the place to be.

Last year, 7 in 10 babies born in the United States were BabyCenter babies and more than 8 million moms in the United States turn to BabyCenter each month for information, advice and guidance.

As the world´s partner in parenting, BabyCenter offers moms trusted advice from hundreds of experts around the globe, medical advisory board-approved information, friendship with other moms, and support at every stage of your child´s development.

In an effort to be there for mom during her pregnancy and parenting journey, wherever and whenever she needs it most, BabyCenter continually strives to offer valuable parenting tools. Among the latest and greatest include:

• BabyCenter My Pregnancy Today App
• This new, free application for the iPhone and iTouch, guides expectant moms through their pregnancy journey, offering award-winning, medically reviewed health content; advice from obstetricians, midwives, nutritionists, and other experts; daily activities and reminders; and conversation and connection with other moms-to-be in BabyCenter´s community.


• BabyCenter "Preparing for Labor and Birth" Online Class
• The BabyCenter Class is a convenient, at-home option for moms who can´t attend hospital childbirth classes due to hectic work schedules or being put on bed rest. And the price is right, too! For only $39.99, the all-new 2-hour instructional course lets you hear from doctors, ask your questions, and build confidence for your big day. Preparing for Labor and Birth includes: An explanation of the signs and stages of labor; What to expect during labor; Labor and birth stories from new moms; An overview of your pain-management options; A tour of a delivery room; Suggestions for creating your birth plan; A checklist to help you prepare for the big day and more.


• BabyCenter Parenting Books (BabyCenter^® Pregnancy and BabyCenter^® Baby)
• These two new practical and reassuring books provide pregnant women and new mothers with all of the information and support they need during this exciting new time in their lives, with a blend of expert advice and true "mom wisdom." Both are great, highly visual, reference books to keep on the nightstand for that nagging question or concern that inevitably pops up in the middle of the night.


• Mom Answers
• This new interactive tool gives BabyCenter moms an emotionally supportive environment where they can ask questions and get answers straight from other moms who´ve had similar life experiences. It´s like having access to 8 million best girlfriends 24/7.
  


• Milestones
• The new Milestones tool provides BabyCenter moms the ability to quickly and easily record important pregnancy and childhood milestones and share them with friends and family via e-mail, Facebook, and the BabyCenter Community. It´s a fun way to create an online "baby book."

The folks at Babycenter.com and My Blog Spark would like to provide 1 lucky reader with a prize pack containing: two new BabyCenter parenting books (BabyCenter^® Pregnancy and BabyCenter^® Baby), a package of Seventh Generation diapers, a gift card from BabyCenter partner, Shutterfly and a BabyCenter bib.


I received a similar pack and I am so excited to use the diapers and the coupon. The books have lots of information whether you are a new mom or a seasoned veteran. Even if you aren't expecting, this would be a great gift for a new mom!

Good luck-1 entry per person please and include an email address where i can contact you if you win!! Contest ends

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15 at noon (MST)

Good luck!!!!!!!

Iron Foodie

1. Why compete?

I love the idea of being creative in the kitchen. I'm always taking a recipe i've found and tweaking it in a way to make it my own. I've also come up with a few of my own recipes inspired by foods i've eaten and loved. I just love being in the kitchen cooking and baking!!

2. Who's kitchen?

I would love to spend the day in Paula Deen's kitchen. She reminds me of the way my family cooks, down home and from the heart. I would love to be around her and soak up her hospitality and love of cooking and just her enthusiasm for eating what she cooks. I love that!!!

3. What morsel would you swipe?

Probably something desert related. Especially if it's chocolate!!!! Maybe also a pasta dish of some sort. I just can't get enough pasta or desert for that matter!!

4. Childhood in one meal?

Fried chicken, boiled potatoes with green beans, homemade biscuits and corn. This is the meal we ate every Sunday at my grandmother's home. There is no one on this earth (except maybe my mom) that can make the fried chicken like she did. It was one of the reasons I looked forward to seeing my grandmother on the weekends. She was the most amazing cook!!!

5.Mainstream food I can't stand?

Sushi.....I just can't get behind the appeal. I've tried it many times thinking it was just me and I had a block, but I just can't do it. Bleh.....

Wish me luck!!!

CandyLand Winner

Thanks for all who commented!!!

The winner of the Candyland Game is:

KRISTEN J


send me your mailing info asap to rebekahskitchen(at)live(dot)com!!


Thanks!!!!

Candy Land! Wahoo!!

THIS IS NOW CLOSED!

How would you like to be among the first to set out on an all-new colorful adventure through the magical world of Candy Land? With fun, new lands to explore and fantastical characters to meet, Candy Land has been redesigned for an even sweeter experience.

Travel down the rainbow path on a journey of discovery through enchanted lands filled with sweet surprises around every corner. Create delicious treats at the Cupcake Commons to deliver along the way, participate in a thrilling snowboard race down the Ice Cream Slopes with the Duke of Swirl, take a relaxing train ride through Gummy Hills and climb to the top of Chocolate Mountain. Be sure to make friends with Gramma Gooey, Lord Licorice, Princess Frostine and Princess Lolly of Lollypop Woods throughout your adventure, as you race to meet King Kandy at the grand entrance to the Candy Castle.



I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this game for our family to try from Hasbro and My Blog Spark. We played it today and it was just as much fun as the original!!! The game board has been completely re-done and there are new challenges and characters to the game. And here comes the great part!!! Hasbro and My Blog Spark want you to have the same kind of fun so they are ready to give one of you a new Candy Land game of your very own!!!!

All you need to do to win and let me know when you first played Candy Land? Make sure you leave a way to contact you and only 1 entry per person please. I hope you will find as much enjoyment in this game as our family did!! Perfect for family game nights!!!

Good luck and this will end

Friday, October 29, at NOON pst.

Sherpards Pie

This dish gets a bad rap from a lot of people. I am wondering if those of you who aren't fond of it, are that way because of the mashed potatoes on top. I've talked to my mom about this and that is her reason for disliking this dish. She likes the mashed potatoes, but it's something about mixing them with everything else. Not sure. Well I hope you try the way I make it and reconsider. BUt hey, if you just don't like it, then I can totally respect that. There are things out there that I feel the same way about.....


Easy Shepards Pie

• 1 pound stewing beef that has been cut into small bite size chunks (or you could use ground hamburger, turkey sausage, etc)

• 1 16oz bag frozen mixed veggies

• 1 1/2-2C left over or freshly made mashed potatoes

• bbq sauce of choice (will only need about half the bottle)

• 3/4 C shredded cheddar cheese (optional for topping)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brown off the meat but do not cook all the way through, It will finish cooking in the oven.
Add bbq sauce to liking and add the veggies (I added them right out of the bag-if you do this cut back on the amount of bbq sauce you use or it will result in a very runny pie).

Place all ingredients (except potatoes) into a casserole dish. Top with potatoes. Top with the cheese and then add some paprika for color.

Bake for about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let sit for about 5 minutes before eating

Best served with biscuits but feel free to eat it with whatever your family likes!!

Enjoy!!!

Betty Crocker Winner

Forgive me being late for posting and thanks to all who entered the contest and for the those of you who read my blog!!

And now for the part you've been waiting on!!!
the winner is (thanks to random.ord)............

MELODY
of cheat day cafe

Congratulations!!!!!!! I've sent you an email!

Betty Crocker Contest

THIS IS NOW CLOSED

Don't you just love give a ways! I know I do!!! Here's another chance for you to win something!!! Read on!





Gathering the family around the dinner table to enjoy a home cooked meal is a great way to unwind, but there aren´t always enough hours in the day to prepare an entire meal from scratch.

To find a delicious side dish that´s easy to prepare and tastes homemade, look no further than Betty Crocker´s® Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes, which are made with 100% real potatoes.

With a just-like-mom´s taste, Betty Crocker Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes go from stovetop to table in just eight short minutes. Based on a scratch recipe, the Homestyle Creamy Butter variety will have your family thinking you spent hours in the kitchen the next time you serve up a hearty helping. If you prefer an extra kick of flavor, give the Roasted Garlic variety a try. And with two pouches in every box there´s plenty to go around.

Be sure to try the Au Gratin flavor variety, too! For more information, visit BettyCrocker.com, and be sure to follow Betty Crocker on Twitter and "Like" the Facebook page to keep up with all of the latest news on your Betty Crocker favorites!

We are HUGE fans of mashed potatoes in this house and these tasted just like homemade to us. We really enjoyed the garlicy flavors the best but they were all fantastic!!!! Please go out and try them and judge for yourself!!! Really yummy!!!!! (My husband could eat them as a meal!!)

I am pleased to offer another wonderful pirze pack brought to you by the fab people at
Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.

If you choose to participate the winner will receive a prize pack that includes two boxes of Betty Crocker Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes (one Roasted Garlic and one Homestyle Creamy Butter), a serving bowl, a trivet and a serving spoon. FABULOUS!!!!

All you need to do is answer the following question to be eligible:

What do you like to put into your mashed potatoes? cheese, garlic, sour cream, do you love them plain?

One entry per person please and make sure you leave me an email address to contact you!!

This will end Wednesday, October 20 at NOON pst.

Good luck!!!!!!

winner

and the Lawry's winner is.......

HOLLY!!!!

email me at rebekahskitchen(at)live(dot)com with your mailing info.

Thanks!!!!

New Giveaway

THIS IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS!

I have to tell you that I'm totally excited about this giveaway!!!
I love marinades and trying new flavors!!! Through the generosity of My Blog Spark and Lawry's I got to try some of their new flavor marinades! YUM!!!!!!! So excited!!! And I know you will be too!!

A recent Lawry´s survey found that your choice of flavor says more about you than you think. The nationwide poll looked at preferences for tart, spicy, sweet, and savory flavors and found that your choice can reveal some interesting aspects of your personality.

What´s your flavor?

• Joyous Joiners - Tart Flavors
  If you are one for tart flavors, you tend to be extremely happy overall, particularly with your family, finances, work/life balance and even your health. As a Joyous Joiners you are an extrovert who loves to entertain at home, find it very important to join in social events in your community and are active on the greatest number of social networking sites.


• Self-Assured Adventurers - Spicy Flavors If your preference is for spicy flavors, consider yourself a confident, adventurous individual with a passion for travel and cooking. You are the biggest risk taker and although impulsive, you are not reckless - as a Self-Assured Adventurer you also tend to be resourceful, analytical, and most able to "look at the big picture."


• The Sweet Lifers - Sweet Flavors
  As a Sweet Lifer, home and family are close to your heart. You are the kindest and most loyal, although you probably wouldn´t admit that as you are also the most modest. As an individual that prefers sweeter flavors (honey and fruit-infused), you are influenced by your parents, enjoy family entertainment, and consider yourself spiritual.


• The Conventionalists - Savory Flavors
  Your passion for savory flavors shows you have an enthusiasm for politics, enjoy camping and hiking and love outdoor barbeques and American cuisine. Along with the other Conventionalists, you tend to be more introverted than the rest of the groups and often describe yourself as a homebody.

Lawry´s has something for you no matter what your flavor is, including two new marinades and four new Seasoning Mix packets that help create simple meals with an abundance of flavor:

Marinades

• Szechuan Sweet & Sour BBQ gives meat a delicious sweet and sour flavor with a touch of Szechuan heat


• Tuscan Sun-Dried Tomato includes extra virgin olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet red bell peppers and the perfect blend of herbs

Seasoning Mixes

• Asian Style Beef & Broccoli - This easy to prepare stir fry meal will remind your family of their favorite Asian restaurant. The dish combines beef, broccoli and seasonings with a hint of garlic. Serve it over rice and you have a complete, satisfying meal.


• Chimichurri Burrito Casserole - Lawry´s gives the familiar Burrito casserole a new twist with this traditional Latin American sauce. With a few simple fresh ingredients, mealtime just got a lot more exciting.


• Mediterranean Sundried Tomato & Garlic Chicken - Add a taste of the Mediterranean to your family´s casserole. This easy to bake casserole combines chicken, pasta, tomatoes and Feta cheese to easily make a flavorful meal any night of the week.


• Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic and Basil - Chicken Marsala is a restaurant favorite, but it might not make the menu at home. This effortless version comes together on your stovetop with just a few fresh ingredients. Flavorful garlic and basil gives this meal its own Tuscan flair, perfect for serving over pasta or rice.

So would YOU like to win a prize pack from My Blog Spark and Lawry's that contains a Lawry´s marinating dish, a set of skewers, Lawry´s two new marinades, as well as a sample of each of the four new Seasoning Mixes and a bottle of Lawry´s Seasoned Salt? All you have to do is answer the following question:

what's your favorite flavor marinade and what do you put it on?

ONE winner will be picked at random and you have until this Sunday, October 2nd at midnight (PST) to enter!!

Good luck!!!!

Warm Caramel Apple Cake

I made this the other day because I had some apples that were in dire need of being used. If you are lucky enough to get the free Betty Crocker recipe calendar then you are in luck and you have this recipe! This is where I got it. It's really good, whether you eat it warm right out of the oven (which I HIGHLY recommend) or a couple of days later -if you have any left that is.. :)
It was really yummy!!!

Warm Caramel Apple Cake

1/2	cup butter or margarine
1/4	cup whipping cream
1	cup packed brown sugar
1/2	cup chopped pecans-i omitted this because I am too cheap to buy them and i don't live in a place that grows them, plus I doubt anyone would have eaten it with them in it anyway...
2	large cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (about 2 1/3 cups)
1	box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
1 1/4	cups water
1/3	cup vegetable oil
3	eggs
1/4	teaspoon apple pie spice- i just used cinnamon

Topping

2/3	cup Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting (from 12-oz container)
1/2	cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping
	Caramel topping, if desired

	Print these coupons...
	About Concordance™

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In 1-quart heavy saucepan, cook butter, whipping cream and brown sugar over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted. Pour into 13x9-inch pan. Sprinkle with pecans; top with sliced apples.
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and apple pie spice with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Carefully spoon batter over apple mixture.
3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Loosen sides of cake from pan. Place heatproof serving platter upside down on pan; carefully turn platter and pan over. Let pan remain over cake about 1 minute so caramel can drizzle over cake. Remove pan.
4. In small bowl, mix frosting and whipped topping. Serve warm cake topped with frosting mixture and drizzled with caramel topping.

We did not use the topping, I had some whipped topping in the fridge that we used instead and it worked perfectly. The kids almost preferred it that way. I also didn't invert the cake after it was baked. I just invert the pieces as they are cut from the cake. I didn't have a platter big enough.

Hope you enjoy!!!

Mexican Pizzas

I love Taco Bell. All things Taco Bell. Unfortunately we don't go out to eat that often so I've been scrounging for copy cat recipes (plus it's cheaper). My favorite thing there I still can't find a recipe for so if you know of a killer copy cat recipe for the Beef Meximelt I'm all ears. But the other night I found a copy cat recipe for their Mexican Pizza. So I decided to try it out. It wasn't a HUGE success but it was tasty. The kids aren't fond of cilantro and tried to be sneaky about not eating it. Otherwise, it was ok. A bit messy but good none the less (at least to me anyway).

Ingredients

• 12 (6 inch) Flour Tortillas, cooked into crispy tortillas
• 1-1/2 cups refried beans, prepared
• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef, chuck, raw
• 1/2 packet taco seasoning
  
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons pizza sauce, prepared
• 1-1/2 cups Mexican Cheese Blend, grated, prepared
• 3/4 cup Roma tomato, fresh, small chop
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, fresh, rough chopped
  

To make the Crispy Tortillas: Place all 8 tortillas directly on the oven rack of a 350 degrees F oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve on your work surface.

1. Heat the 1 cup of refried beans for 1 minute in the microwave to get hot and reserve for the recipe build.
2. Season the ground beef with salt, pepper and taco seasoning and saute for 8 minutes in a non-stick pan, drain and reserve hot for the recipe build.
3. To build 1 Mexican Pizza: Place 1 crispy tortilla on work surface.
4. Evenly spread tortilla with hot refried beans.
5. Evenly top refried beans with of the cooked ground beef.
6. Top ground beef with second crisp tortilla and evenly spread 1 heaping tablespoon of pizza sauce over the tortilla.
7. Evenly top the pizza sauce with grated Mexican cheese blend and 2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes.
8. Repeat steps 1 through 5 for remaining 3 servings.
9. Place all 4 pizzas, at one time, in 350 degrees F oven on a cookie pan/flat pan, and bake for 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro evenly over the top of each pizza. Serve each pizza whole.

*We didn't cook the pizzas after assembled. And if I were to do this again I would not cook the tortillas before hand but warm them through after assembled. They were very messy!!

Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies

Pregnant=a never ending chocolate craving. Try these the next time you get a craving!!

Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 -8oz pkg cream cheese , softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter - i used a mixture of chunky and creamy
  
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 egg, and milk until smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, 2 cups white sugar, and vanilla. Mix in the remaining 3 eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; mix into the batter. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Remove 1 cup of the chocolate batter. Spread the remaining batter into the prepared pan. Spread the peanut butter filling over the top. Drop the reserved chocolate batter by teaspoonful over the filling. Using a knife, gently swirl through the top layers for a marbled effect.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out almost clean. Cool completely, then cut into bars.

Hawaiian Sandwiches

Our favorite pizza is the Hawaiian. I just love the flavors of the pineapple and ham. I also love it when it has bbq sauce slathered all over it. My mouth is watering just thinking about it-really.Great, now i want pizza!! haha!

Hawaiian Sandwiches

Hamburger buns or hoagie rolls - we used hamburger buns-cheaper and easier!
Deli Ham
Sliced Pineapple
Barbecue Sauce
Deli Sliced Provolone Cheese - feel free to use whatever you family likes best-mozzarella would be fab here as well!!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Assemble melts starting with Ham, Pineapple Slices, BBQ sauce, and Cheese last. Put the top on and individually wrap the sandwich snugly in the foil. Place sandwiches in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Give it 5 minutes to cool and enjoy!! If you are using hamburger buns I wouldn't go the full 15 minutes, maybe shave off about 5 or so minutes. Depends on your oven. Ours were super ooey and gooey. But hey if you like that then go for it (we were split down the middle on who liked the ooey and gooey and who didn't).

Serve these with your favorite potatoe or macaroni salad! SSSSSOOOOOO easy and ssssssoooo good!!!

Pineapple Pepper Chicken (crockpot)

I didn't realize how far off the radar i've become!!! My sincerest apologies!

I've been cooking and eating and forgetting to do anything about it! Guess it's a big case of the lazies!!

So recently I made this fab dish. I originally found it on FabulesslyFrugal.com. I love reading about all her freezer cooking. I'll be using several of her dishes when we get closer to having this baby! The newest one I've tried was a HUGE hit. I didn't make it as a freezer meal, just made it on the night I had it set on my menu.

Pineapple Pepper Chicken (in the crockpot)
2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice-the juice leftover in the cans I used came up just short, you might want to buy 1 extra can of pineapples to make up the difference
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 whole chicken-cut up or left whole, I left mine whole
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks, undrained - *see above note*
1 medium green pepper (or red as the case may be-they are on a super sale at our store so I substituted those-use what you like)

Place thawed chicken and other ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. 30 minute before it is finished add pineapple and green pepper, cook an additional 30 minutes. Serve over rice (we had noodles with ours).

OR: Place chicken in a 13x 9 pan. Heat sauce on stove until it starts to thicken. Pour sauce over chicken. DO NOT over fill the pan. There will be extra sauce. Pour sauce in a container and freeze so you can make this dish again later! Place pan in oven at 350° and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven place peppers and pineapple on top and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

I recommend using the crockpot, but by all means if you don't have the time then use the oven. I like any excuse to NOT turn on my oven in the heat of an AZ summer. Plus in the crockpot you get to smell it's citrusy awesomeness all day long!! I HIGHLY recommend this dish. It was sssssooooooo good. And like me if you use a whole chicken, save the bones for making stock and add whatever juices you have leftover. I did and the stock it made was heaven for sure!!

Thanks Fabulessly Frugal for another FAB recipe!!

Chocolate and Cheese Tunnel Cake

I made this dessert for Father's Day. We are HUGE cheesecake lovers and I thought this was a nice twist on it. I copied straight from my email and now I don't remember where I saw the original recipe. The pictures came with the original recipe. Hope you enjoy!!

Chocolate and Cheese Tunnel Cake

Ingredients
1 cake mix, two-layer chocolate with pudding (I don't see why you couldn't use any flavor cake you'd like-I went with the chocolate this time but may try something else the next time around!)
1/3 c butter
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp butter, melted
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 tsp corn syrup

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, substituting butter for oil; reserve 1 cup of batter.

2

Pour remaining batter into a 12 cup greased and floured fluted tube pan.

3

Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing well at medium speed on an electric mixer until well blended; blend in eggs, one at a time.

4

Pour over batter in the pan; spoon reserved batter over cream cheese mixture and bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes; remove to a wire rack.

5

Combine melted butter, chocolate and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until chocolate is melted.

6

Pour over cooled cake.

Corn dog muffins

This is lunch for today. I got this recipe from a Relief Society meeting. They showed a bunch of camping type recipes that kids could help with. These were really good and everyone seemed to like them!! So I figured I'd give them a shot today. The boys have a friend over and so I whipped these little gems up!

Corn Dog Mini Muffins

1 pkg golden corn muffin mix
1/3 C +1tbsp milk
cooked hot dogs

Mix corn dog mix as directed on package.
Once the hot dogs are cooked, cut into thirds (I ended up cutting my last one into quarters).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Using a mini muffin pan spray and then put a coating of flour in each of the holes.
Fill each hole about 1/3 full. Place a hot dog piece vertically in each muffin.
Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before removing from pan or they'll break apart.

Enjoy!!!!!

Funeral Potates

I had honestly never heard of funeral potatoes until we moved to Utah. Apparently this dish is something people take for the meal after a funeral (hince the name). If you've heard of it and you don't live in UT, well then you get out more than I do! :) But after living in Ut for 4 years I'd never even tried them, much less tried to make them. So I figured now was a good time to try it. I'm ssssooo glad that I did. This is a really good meal. Most traditional versions of this meal do not include the meat or the veggies. I wanted to add some substance to it and make it the main dish. The pepperoni for us was a big hit, but you could absolutely change it for whatever your family likes. Isn't that what this recipe thing is all about anyway? Make how you like it. We loved it and plan on making it again in the near future!!!


Funeral Potatoes

6 c. frozen grated potatoes (I used a mixture of fresh cut potatoes and frozen ones)
½ c. margarine
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pkg turkey pepperoni
1/2 bag frozen peas
1 ½ c grated cheddar cheese
¼ c very finely chopped onion
2 c sour cream
¾ c corn flakes
¼ c melted butter

Mix ingredients in bowl and transfer to a casserole dish. I placed everything in the bowl except pepperoni and then placed half the mixture into dish, topped with pepperoni and then topped off with rest of mixture.
Mix cornflakes/crakers and melted butter, sprinkle over top.
Bake, covered with foil @ 350 for 45 min, uncovering last 15 min. (i cooked mine for 40 minutes covered and then 15 covered-ovens will vary, so just keep and eye on it)

absence

i wanted to apologize for my absence lately. morning sickness has taken a big hold on me and i'm not doing much cooking. because of this pregnancy i'm now completely lactose intolerant and it's horrible because one of my favorite foods is cheese. i'm looking forward to not being sick anymore!

so please bear with me as I hope to soon have some more recipes for ya!!!
thanks!!

BBQ Pork Ribs

This was going to be my Mother's Day meal, but after munching all day no one was hungry when it was time for dinner so we made this last night. It was really good!!! It takes some time so be prepared!!

BBQ Pork Ribs (could use beef ribs as well)
however many ribs needed to feed your family
lawry's bbq dry rub mix (or your favorite rub mix)
favorite bbq sauce (we used a mesquite flavor)

If ribs have been in the freezer thaw the day before in refrigerator completely. The morning you plan to cook these, lay out ribs on sheet pan lined with foil. Remove excess fat from meat. Use as much of the rub as you like and make sure the meat side is well coated with the rub. I did not use any oil to stick the rub to the meat but you certainly can. Let the ribs marinate all day.
Once ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put pan topped with foil in the oven for 1-1/2 hours or until done through. Once out of the oven slather with the bbq sauce and let sit for about 15 minutes.
Eat and enjoy!!!


These were really good!!! I hope you enjoy them as well!!

Breakfast Burritos for Freezing

Happy Mother's Day!! I hope each of the mom's out there had a great day!!!


Here's a recipe that might make your life a little easier!!!

Freezer Breakfast Burritos
1 pound breakfast sausage
8 eggs
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 flour burrito sized tortillas

Brown the sausage slightly and add eggs. Scramble eggs and finish cooking sausage through. Once cooked it's time to assemble the burritos. Place about 1/4C of filling into middle of burrito. Top with cheese. Fold, making sure you bring in sides so none of the filling leaks out. Once folded wrap in aluminum foil. Once all are assembled, place in ziploc baggie labeled with warming directions.

Thaw completely. Preheat oven to 350 and reheat for about 45 min or microwave 1 minute per burrito.

These were really good!! They are perfect for dinner with a salad and chips or just as a snack. Make a ton of them and just keep them in the freezer for whenever you need a quick lunch or snack!!

Happy Eating! Enjoy!!

Taco Empanadas

I saw this originally on Down Home with The Neely's on Food Network. I remembered that I had some taco meat in the freezer and viola! Dinner in a pinch! I'm including only the empanada part, you can use whatever meat mixture you'd like best. I left out the corn kernels from mine and they were still really good! I even had enough to freeze for snacks later!


Cornbread Dough:

* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 cups fine cornmeal
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 cup cold butter, cut in small cubes
* 2 eggs
* 2 tablespoons warm water
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons whole milk
* 1 tablespoons dehydrated lemon peel
* 1 cup roughly chopped corn kernels
* Water, for sealing
* Special equipment: 5-inch round cookie cutter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar and cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and mix in the water, lemon juice, milk, lemon peel and corn. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine to form a soft and pliable dough. Knead the dough until fully mixed. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 5-inch rounds.

Fill each round with 1 to 2 tablespoons of meat filling. Fold the dough in half and dab the edges with water to seal. There should be a 1/2-inch of dough to work with to form the seal. For a tight seal, press with the tines of a fork all around the edge of the empanada. Transfer the empanadas to a lightly buttered baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

Banana Cinnamon Cream Cake

So I know that I'm way behind in posting from Easter. I have no excuse....just been busy and haven't really thought about it. So for the big dinner we really didn't do much out of the ordinary. I made roast chicken and homemade mac n cheese. Chicken was on sale at the store last week and so I went with what was on sale rather than what tradition dictates for Easter dinner (we usually have ham). But I did branch out and made a super yum, banana cream cake. Here is the recipe

Banana Cinnamon Cream Cake
35 nilla wafers, divided
2 C cold milk
1 tub cool whip
2 tbsp melted butter
2 large or 4 medium bananas, sliced
2 pkg vanilla instant pudding
2 tbsp cinnamon (more or less depending on how you like it)

Crush 21 (give or take) wafers and mix with butter. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of round baking dish (9in) Stand remaining wafers vertically around the edge of pan.

Beat the pudding, cinnamon and milk in a large bowl with a whisk for 2 minutes. Stir in whipped topping. Spread half mixture over crust, cover with layers of bananas and remaining pudding mixture. Top with a few extra wafers crushed. refrigerate for at least 3 hours.


I dove into into this like a swimming pool! Soooooo good!! The cinnamon really gives it a great flavor and jazzes up the vanilla pudding! I hope you enjoy!!!

Make Life Sweeter Giveaway!

Melodee was our winner! Thanks to all who participated!

THIS IS NOW CLOSED....THANKS!

Now that spring is in the air, it´s the perfect time to put a fresh spin on Some of your favorite baking classics.

Using Betty Crocker® SuperMoist Cake and Traditional Brownie Mixes, and with a little help from the Safeway family of stores, you can put your budding baking skills to the test to serve up special treats that will have you and your little sprouts ready for springtime!

For great spring recipe ideas, visit BakeSweetMemories.com today. Bake Sweet Memories has delicious recipes for fun desserts using your Betty Crocker favorites, including Easter Bunny Cakes and even morning brunches, like the Impossibly Easy Breakfast Bake, which are sure to brighten any morning!

In addition, from March 24th through April 6th, visit the Safeway family of Stores to purchase Betty Crocker SuperMoist Cake and Traditional Brownie Mixes at the special price of $0.69!

If you miss the sale, check BakeSweetMemories.com for great coupon offers that download right to your Safeway Club card. This Spring, Betty Crocker makes life a little sweeter.

NOw to make things all the sweeter: you have the chance to win a "Spring Sweet Treats" prize pack that includes a silicon baking pan, stainless steel mixing bowl, oven mitt, Betty Crocker mixing spoon, and a $25 Safeway gift card.

Thanks to MY BLOGSPARK, The Safeway family of stores and Betty Crocker one of you will get the chance to win this fab package. Thanks to them I was able to receive the same package to try!! I love it, I love to bake and this really was the icing on the cake for me. I'm really excited about this give away. So to win:

* i'd love to hear what your favorite thing was on the BakesweetMemories website.

for an extra chance
*follow this blog! (separate comment for each)

Good luck and this will end Sunday March 28 at Midnight PST.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

I have to say this isn't an original idea. I tweaked the original to suit our family and it was AWESOME!!! I hope you'd had a great day doing whatever your family's traditions dictate. We don't do much other than wearing of the green and some sort of fun "green" or Irish themed dinner. For the past few years I've done a green themed dinner, but didn't feel like doing that this year. I had been wondering what on earth to do, when I was watching Food Network a couple of weeks ago and Guy Fieri made this on his show. The moment I saw it, I knew this is what I wanted to do. So tonight I got everything ready and made my substitutions not knowing how it would turn out. Some of my subs were pretty radical. But it was AWESOME! Did I say that already! So I must suggest that you MAKE this and make it SOON!!!! My kids even enjoyed it, which in and of itself is amazing!


Corned Beef and Pasta Toss
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup small diced carrots
1 cup diced cabbage
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon season salt
2 cups cooked corned beef, sliced
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tbsp relish
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup fresh peas, or frozen
1 pound cooked linguine

Directions

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the butter and 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add the carrots and cabbage and saute until they are just tender and the cabbage is starting to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Stir in the onions and salt and saute 3 to 4 minutes longer. Add the corned beef and black pepper and cook until the beef is starting to crisp, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally during this process. Add in the cream, half- and-half, the mustard and the relish. Let simmer until the sauce has tightened up a bit, about 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded cheese and adjust seasonings, as needed. Stir in the peas and the pasta, then transfer into a serving dish. Serve immediately.


As an added bonus I added food coloring to the pasta water turning it green. It's a little harder to do with whole wheat pasta, but it sort of looked green. Regular pasta probably would've tinted better.

Easy French Bread Pizza

Tonight's meal is brought to you by one tired momma!! I've been baking a cake for a birthday party tomorrow (not one of ours, for a friend) and I'm beat! So we are having pizza-it's usually standard fare for Friday night, but tonight instead of ordering it (and believe me I was sssooo tempted) we are having this!

Easy French Bread Pizzas
1 loaf whole wheat french bread
favorite marinara sauce, pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce
mozzarella cheese
variety of your favorite toppings (or eat it plain like we are tonight-toppings are just too much to think about right now! lol!)

Preheat oven to 375
Slice bread in half, lengthwise and slather with sauce of choice. If you have small eaters like we do, feel free to cute the pieces down to more manageable sizes.
Top with cheese and your favorites.

Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly!

Enjoy!!

Carribean Chicken

I do need to apologize for lack of pictures. My computer isn't recognizing the pictures from my camera so I can't download any. I guess until I can get it fixed you'll just have to use your imagination!! :)

So here is what's for dinner tonight. This is making my house smell so good right now. This is glorious! I hope you enjoy it too!!

Caribbean Chicken

1/4 C freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1 tbsp veg oil
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
2 tsp ginger (or 1 tsp minced fresh ginger)
2 cloves of garlic, whole
1/2 tsp fresh oregano
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, thighs or tenderloins (i'm using tenderloins this time around)

In a small food processor or a blender, combine all ingredients except chicken. Blend into a marinade, making sure that the garlic is in small bits.

Place chicken in a ziptop baggie (gallon sized) and put marinade on top of it. Refrigerate for 2-24 hours. The longer the better.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade at this point) and cook chicken for 10 minutes on each side or until no longer pink (ovens may vary-you can adjust heat as you see fit).

Serve with favorite sides. We are having this with a four cheese alfredo and a veggie. This would be awesome grilled too!!

Easy cinnamon rolls

My mom use to make these on the weekends and I loved it!! So this morning I got a little crazy and whipped these up. It was so worth it, they are ooey gooey and oh so good!!! Enjoy!

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

* 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
* 3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg, room temperature
* 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* ground cinnamon
* brown sugar

Frosting
powdered sugar and milk, mix until thick and top fresh from the oven rolls!

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the sugar, salt, egg and 1 cup flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
3. Lightly grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Smear the dough with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Go as liberally as you want. I love it extra gooey so I put a ton on it. The more the better as far as I'm concerned! :)
Roll up the dough along the long edge until it forms a roll. Slice the roll into 12-16 equal size pieces and place them in the pan with the cut side up. I got about 11 rolls, but I cut them very large so you may end up with more or less depending on how you cut them.
4. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake rolls until golden brown, about 20 minutes top with frosting.

Shrimp Salad with Wheat Thins

Today for lunch I wanted something light and easy. We are all running in different directions and for 2 seconds I wanted to be able to sit down and enjoy lunch with the hubs and the kids. Of course they had cheese, ham and crackers for lunch and that didn't sound good to me so I whipped this up. Enjoy! I would recommend letting it sit for a while before eating, we ate ours right away and it wasn't as good as I'm sure it would have been had it sat in the fridge for an hour. I just couldn't wait that long! :)


Shrimp Salad with Wheat Thins
1 1/2 C salad shrimp, thawed
1/2C mayo
2tbsp garden veggie cream cheese
2 green onions thinly sliced
2 eggs, cooked and chopped
1tsp dill seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
parsley to taste
1tbsp dried celery flakes
(pretty much whatever seasonings you like)

mix ingredients and chill for an hour. serve with wheat thins.


this makes a yummy lunch or snack! would also be good on bread as a sandwich. You could chop up the shrimp for a finer consistency, but I left them whole.

A Quick dip in the mud

This was for Valentine's Day. We served this with slices of pound cake and nilla wafers. The kids loved it and we had a TON!!!

Dip in the Mud
6 oz (1cup) milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp heavy cream
assorted dippers like cookies, cake, fruit, whatever you like!!

combine chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small saucepan

cook over medium low hear, stirring often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and heated through, about 2 minutes. Divide chocolate dip into 4 small serving bowls or 1 larger bowl for communal dipping.

serve with assorted dippers!!!

Thai for Dinner

Thai for Dinner Tonight!

My mom and dad sent me this little box set of Rachael Ray recipes a while ago and I've just never gotten around to cooking anything in them until now. Here's the one we did last night! Itw as really good and the kids gobbled this up (well they DID eat all the chicken, weren't so crazy about the lettuce underneath....)

I made a few modifications and that's what I'm sharing with you here.

And by the way did I mention that it's good for you too????

Ginger-Soy Chicken on Shredded Lettuce
3 tbsp veg oil
1 1/4 pounds chicken breasts, cut into strips
salt and pepper
ground ginger (I didn't measure, just dumped in until I thought it looked right)
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp curry powder
6 scallions, cut into 2 in lengths, then cut again lengthwise into thin matchsticks
1/4C tamari (soy sauce)
3 tbsp honey
1 head of iceberg lettuce, core removed, shredded (or just use bagged lettuce-i had it on hand so that's what I used)

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat.

Add the veg oil. it should smoke up a bit

Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Stir fry for a minute to sear the meat at the edges, then add the ginger, garlic, and curry powder and cook for 2 minutes more.

Add the scallions and stir fry for another minute, then add the tamari and honey to form a sauce and glaze the chicken. Remove the pan from the heat. Cover a platter with shredded lettuce, top with the chicken, and serve.

picture courtesy of rachael ray's recipe

Snack Mix

Here's an easy snack mix that even the kids can help with. No cooking, backing, etc, required!!

Snack Mix
1 14.5 ounce box honey, raisins & oats cereal
1 14.5 ounce box cinnamon animal shaped graham crackers
1/2 12 oz bag mini m&m's
1/2 bag mini marshmallows

Add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix and put in an airtight container. Yum!!!

Happy Eating!

Making Your Own Fossil Hand Prints

We did this today for our preschool co-op. Really fun and the kids had a great time getting their hands into the gooey mess!! The letter of the day was H and I thought making hand prints would be a fun activity. Hopefully they'll harden in a couple of days and the kids will be able to discuss it at home... we also planted "grass" (actually chives because I couldn't find grass seeds) for the letter G. Fun fun fun!!!


Fossil Mix
1/2C salt
1 C flour
1/2C brewed coffee
1C used coffee grounds

and anything you want to fossilize (rocks, play dinosaurs, seashells, bones, etc)

Add ingredients to bowl and stir until mixed. Turn dough out onto a large sheet of waxed paper and knead it until smooth.

Break of pieces large enough for the imprint you want to make, roll it into a ball and use the heel of your hand to flatten it out.

Press the object you wish to make a fossil imprint of firmly into the dough. You can use more than one object if you like. Carefully remove the object to leave the imprint behind. Let your fake stone dry overnight and you have an imitation fossil!!

This made enough to do 3 small hand prints, you may need to double the recipe if you plan on using objects...

Since this recipe uses coffee and we don't drink it in my house I had fun trying to find a small amount to use and not spend an arm and a leg!! So I found a box coffee singles at Target for $1. It worked perfectly!! So for those that don't drink coffee you can find it there for cheap!!

Have fun!!!!

Haiti disaster relief

If you want to help but don't know how....go here. Every little bit helps!!!

Thanks!

The best chocolate sheet cake. ever

Another recipe I've been hearing so much about is this one:
The best chocolate cake. ever

If you are a fan of the pioneer woman than you no doubt have seen this recipe. I made it for the first time tonight (tonight is a night of firsts......) and OH MY!!! You will certainly need LARGE amounts of milk to wash this down, but when is that a bad thing? I mean really???? So here you go! Thanks....no strike that.......

HUGE, GINORMOUS THANKS

to the pioneer woman for making this and bringing it to the world. You rock...seriously.

And if you haven't been fortunate to make this, then I suggest you look in your pantry, gather all the necessary ingredients and get to baking. you'll thank me (and her).

The best chocolate sheet cake. ever

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• ½ cups Buttermilk
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• _____
• FOR FROSTING:
• ½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1-¾ stick Butter
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

I just want to add that if you freeze it like we did you won't be disappointed by the taste! It was still just as good as it was the day it was made!! So when looking at this cake and thinking "wow that sure does make a lot" feel free to freeze it and enjoy later!

Frito Pie

I've heard so many people talking about this and I never tried, well tonight we had it and it was a hit!!!!! So much so that it's almost gone. The hubs may not get any for lunch tomorrow! Will FOR SURE be making this again!!!

Frito Pie

• 3 cups Fritos corn chips
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 2-1/2 cups chili (your favorite -- homemade, canned, whatever)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread 2 cups of Fritos in a baking dish. Sprinkle half the onion and half the cheese over the Fritos. Pour the chili over the onion and cheese. Sprinkle the remaining Fritos, onion and cheese over the chili.

Bake for 15 or 20 minutes and cheese is bubbly. Serve hot.

Broccoli, Cheddar, Chicken and Spaghetti Casserole

Broccoli, Cheddar, Chicken and Spaghetti Casserole

2 small cans cream of chicken soup

2 small cans cheddar cheese soup

1 1/2 Cups milk

8-10 Cups broccoli florets

4-5 large chicken breasts, diced and cooked in pan. Season liberally (as Emril says...."I don't know where you get your chicken, but mine doesn't come seasoned at the store!")

8oz spaghetti noodles

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook spaghetti until slightly al dente (it will continue cooking in the oven).

Place soup and milk into a large pot over medium heat. Whisk until smooth and heated through, about 5 minutes.

Stir in broccoli and cook for 5 additional minutes to soften slightly. Stir in chicken, salt, pepper and garlic seasoning.

Pour spaghetti into the bottom of 11X7 baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Pour soup mixture over spaghetti. Top evenly with cheese; bake for 20 minutes then cover with foil. Bake for an additional 15 minutes with dish covered with foil. Remove from oven and serve.

This makes a TON, so I would half the recipe unless you want leftovers. This would also be great to make and then freeze the leftovers for another meal. That's what I plan on doing with ours!

HAPPY EATING!!!!

Chicken Bouillabaisse

My dad's birthday is January 1. We were lucky enough to have them here over the holidays so we got to celebrate it with him. So for the occassion I wanted to do something special for dinner. Around here the birthday person gets to choose their dinner. Whatever they want. Well I did it a little differently this time, I chose for him. Sort of a surprise. I did ask him for his dessert and so he knew about that (peach pie....yum!). So I decided to make him bouillabaisse. He loves it and hasn't had it in ssssooooo long. However, not everyone in my house is a traditional bouillabaisse fan so I planned on something a little different. I'm a HUGE fan of Barefoot Contessa on food network. And one particular day I saw her making a chicken bouillabaisse. PERFECT!!!!!! So I had it all planned. And I made it and we loved it and we ate it all!!! I made some minor changes from the original recipe to suit our taste buds. It was sssooo good. We walked away feeling very full and very satisfied. This one is going into my archives to do again!!!
Sorry no picture.......

Chicken Bouillabaisse

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
• 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled
  
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
  
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree
• 2 1/2 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
  

Directions

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it generously with salt, pepper, ground mustard and the rosemary. Place chicken in crock pot.

Place heat on low and add other ingredients except potatoes and carrots. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, checking periodically.

With about 1 hour left add potatoes and carrots to pot.

Cover the pot and let finish cooking until chicken is tender and falling off bone and the potatoes aren't too mushy. Nothing worse than mushy potatoes when they aren't supposed to be mushy! bleh!!

Serve with favorite crusty bread or favorite homemade loaf!!