Scotcheroos

Courtesy of The Girl who Ate Everything
http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2008/10/scotcheroos.html

Difficulty Level: Easy

Since it's mother's day today, I wanted to post this yummy recipe. Dusty and I made these last night for one of our good friends and they turned out delicious. Here you go:

Scotcheroos
1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup corn syrup

6 cups Rice Krispies

1 ( 6 oz. ) bag chocolate chips

1 ( 6 oz. ) bag butterscotch chips

In large saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Heat to dissolve sugar and bring to boil; remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Add Rice Krispies and mix until well blended. Press into buttered 9X13 inch pan. In small saucepan, melt together chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Spread combined mixture over top of Rice Krispies mixture. Cool. Cut into 36 bars. More like 16 bars if I am eating them.

Lemonade Layer Cake

Courtesy of Cooking Light
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lemonade-layer-cake-10000000249959/

Yesterday was Jack's birthday. He turned 10 - I feel old! I made him this Lemonade Layer Cake, and he loved it. So, give it a try. Here  you go:

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free buttermilk
• Cooking spray
• Frosting:
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition.
Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
To prepare frosting, place 2 tablespoons butter and the next 4 ingredients (2 tablespoons butter through cream cheese) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat). Chill 1 hour.
Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Courtesy of Cookin' Up North
http://cookinupnorth.blogspot.com/2011/07/cinnamon-roll-cake.html

Sabrina, Sam and I wanted to make a dessert a few weeks ago - but, it had to be something that didn't take more then an hour. Well, we made this and it was DELICIOUS! Cinnamon rolls usually take so long so this is an alternative to that. So yummy - give it a try.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cake:
3 c. flour
1/4 tsp.salt
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Topping:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Mix everything together except for the butter. Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes.

Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla


While warm drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Cheesy Enchilada Stack

Courtesy of Chef in Training
http://www.chef-in-training.com/2011/09/cheesy-enchilada-stack.html

I made these last night and everyone really liked them. We did make two stacks instead of one. Pretty simple recipe - and a different alternative to enchiladas. Hope you enjoy:

• 1 lb. Lean ground beef
• 2 (10 oz) can Red Enchilada Sauce (Our favorite is the Old El Paso brand)
• 6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• 1 (8 oz) bag Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 (16 oz) can refried beans (or you can make your own)
• 2 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies
• 1 bunch green onions

Cook the beef in a skillet over MED-HIGH heat until well browned. Drain off fat.

Stir 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in the skillet with the beef.  Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Place 1 tortilla onto the baking sheet.  Top with 1/3 of the beef mixture and 1/4 cup cheese.

Top with 1 tortilla, half the refried beans, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, 1 can drained green chilies, and 1/4 cup cheese.

Repeat the layers one more time.

Top with 1 tortilla, remaining beef mixture and 1/4 cup cheese.

Top with remaining tortilla.  Cover the stack with aluminum foil.

Bake at 400 F for 40 minutes or until the filling is hot.  Uncover the stack and top with remaining enchilada sauce, cheese and green onion.

Bake 5 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Cut the stack into 6 wedges.

Lasagna Soup

Courtesy of A Farmgirl's Dabbles
http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/2011/03/24/lasagna-soup/

I made this soup tonight for dinner, and it was a hit. The kids loved it! That's always a plus in my book. And, it wasn't too difficult to make! Give it a try. A few things: I just used egg noodles instead of what it called for, I didn't use basil leaves - just added some dried basil, and I did add the noodles the last 5 minutes of cooking.

for the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the cheesy yum:
8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Servings:  8

Cafe Rio Chicken & Cilantro Ranch

I honestly don't know where I found this recipe, but I made it tonight and it was delicious. I'm using the leftover chicken to make enchiladas tomorrow. Enjoy!

Chicken
2 lbs. chicken breasts
1/2 small bottle of Zesty Italian dressing
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 packet ranch dressing mix, mixed with 1/2 cup water - I omitted the water
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

Place all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Shred with fork and serve in salads, burritos, tacos... etc. Great for freezing.

Cilantro Ranch
1 packet ranch dressing mix (not buttermilk)
1 c. mayonaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice from 1 lime
1 jalapeno (if you want mild, remove the seeds)

Put all in a blender and mix. That's it!!

Taco Soup

Courtesy of Our Best Bites
(http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/01/taco-soup/)

Rating: 4 starts
Difficulty Level: Easy

I think I took a mini vacation from everything - BUT not cooking!! I've been baking and cooking a lot, so I'll try to update some of the yummy recipes I've been trying. Here is a perfect recipe for the cold winter time. It is SO delicious!!  Oh, and I always cook my soups in the crockpot - makes this a lot easier.

Taco Soup

Recipe from Our Best Bites

1 lb. extra lean ground beef (93% lean or or leaner)
1 onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1.25-oz. packet taco seasoning (about 1/4 c.)
3 c. water, divided
2 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
2 15-oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
Toppings: Pico de Gallo, light sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips, guacamole, etc.
Heat a large soup pot over medium. When ready, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. When almost brown, add the taco seasoning and 1 c. water. Add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 2 c. water, bring to a medium boil, then, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for at least 15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings. Makes 10 12-oz. servings.
Slow Cooker Instructions: After browning the meat, place all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for about 6-8 hours.
Freezer Instructions: Because of all the canned goods, you’ll just take up a lot of space in your freezer if you freeze the whole recipe. However, after it’s been cooked, the leftovers freeze extremely well. You can even try freezing individual portions in 12-oz. freezer-safe containers and then reheating them for a quick lunch.