Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

I promise that pizza Friday is not going to become a "thing" on here like it is at my house. But, I have another recipe to share with you that is a totally different take on pizza and is quite delicious!

I remember getting an email from Food.com about a year and a half ago that had a recipe for bacon cheeseburger pizza. I immediately forwarded it to Erin saying something about how it combined three of my son's favorite things -- cheeseburgers, bacon, and pizza -- and that I'd have to give it a try. I made the recipe as listed the first go around and was a little nervous as both my son and I aren't big fans of mustard and none of us like pickles. We liked it ok...I  had left the pickles off of half but was surprised to find I liked it more with them than without. So, we all munched a few bites thoughtfully then I jumped up, grabbed the ketchup out of the fridge, squirted some on everyone's slice and voila! We LOVED it! It even started getting the moans of approval from both of my lucky guys. (This happens occasionally when they really like something I make…it’s hilarious…the two of them shoving their pie holes full and making grunts and sounds of delight while they’re doing so).

~Leah

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) prepared pizza crust, your favorite homemade prepared pizza crust, or dough from your favorite local pizza joint or grocery store


• 2 1/2 Tbsp mustard


• 1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled


• 1 cup hamburger, browned


• 1/2 cup dill pickles, diced


• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese


• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


• 1/4 cup white onion, diced


• Ketchup


• Optional Toppings:


• lettuce, tomato, mayo

Instructions

1. Dice the dill pickle and onion then set the pieces on a paper towel to dry.


2. Brown your beef and bacon (separately). Note: this is a great meal to plan ahead for--save some bacon from breakfast and if/when you're browning meat for another recipe, buy a little bit more and then set some aside for this pizza.


3. Apply a thin layer of mustard all over the dough except for the edges.


4. Sprinkle bacon over the entire pizza followed by the onions and then the hamburger.


5. Cover the pizza with cheese and sprinkle a few pickles on the top.


6. Bake at the time a temperature as instructed on your pizza crust.


7. Top with ketchup and any additional toppings you like on your burger.

3.1.09

 

Apple Cake

This past fall I had an abundance of apples to cook with. My mother-in-law has an apple tree that was on overload for some reason. She would go and pick the apples and then bring me a GIANT bucket to cook with. I think I tried every single apple recipe on the planet! I made applesauce, apple butter, apple pie, apple tarts, and this amazing apple cake- all in a 4 week time period. Looking back it seems like I was on a mission to make apples as unhealthy as possible. Even though this cake won't make it on any "diet" menus- it was my absolute favorite from the apple cooking bonanza.

This recipe came from the Taste of Home website. You can link to it here. My Mom had given me a magazine subscription from Taste of Home a while back and I loved it. I always find their recipes to be "normal", in a good way. Simple, down to earth, my-kids-will-actually-eat-this recipes. I would make this cake for any party, a birthday, or just because you have a ton of apples! Its very dense and very rich with a layer of cheesecake ribboned throughout and a brown sugar/praline frosting. Mmmmm.... I might need to go make this again.

~Wendy

Apple Cake

Author: Wendy

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 60 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• Cake


• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened


• 2 cups sugar, divided


• 4 eggs


• 1 c. canola oil


• 2 c. all-purpose flour


• 2 tsp baking powder


• 2 tsp ground cinnamon


• 1 tsp salt


• 1/4 tsp baking soda


• 2 c. chopped peeled tart apples


• 1 c. shredded carrots


• 1/2 c. chopped pecans (or walnuts)


• Praline Icing


• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar


• 1/4 c. butter, cubed


• 2 Tbsp 2% milk


• 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar


• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract


• 1/4 c. chopped pecans, toasted

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in 1 egg; set aside.


2. In a large bowl, beat oil with remaining sugar and eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into oil mixture until blended. Stir in the apples, carrots and pecans.


3. Transfer half of the apple batter to a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan; layer with cream cheese mixture and remaining apple batter.


4. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.


5. In a large saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter and milk to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; whisk in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Sprinkle with pecans.

Notes

If you don't have a bundt pan you can make this in an angel-food cake pan. Just be sure the sides are tight and won't leak. The first time I made this I used an angel-food cake pan and lined it with greased foil to be sure it wouldn't seep through the sides.

3.1.09

 

 

BLT Pizza

Who does not like pizza? With all of the options with dough/bread, sauces, meats, veggies, cheeses...the opportunities are endless and seemingly impossible to not find SOMETHING you like. We have pizza in our house every Friday without fail. It's a quick and easy dinner which is always welcome at the end of a (usually) long week and it makes everyone happy to sit down to dinner (or sit down to movie...a Peter Pan obsession about a year ago led to a "Peter Pan Pizza Picnic Party" one Friday and now the "pizza picnic" happens more often than not with all of us spread out on a blanket in the living room with the lights out watching a kid movie). The only complaint I sometimes get is from my little 5-year-old munchkin if there are no mushrooms on the pizza. Yes, you read that correctly, it is not a typo, I said if there are NO mushrooms on the pizza. One of the pickiest children in the world LOVES mushrooms and gets PO'd when they are not on her pizza. Go figure.

This pizza does NOT have mushrooms on it (which qualifies NOT-picky-but-doesn't-like-mushrooms Erin to like it), but the bacon I'm sure makes up for it.

~Leah

BLT Pizza

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 12 mins

Total time: 27 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise


• 1/4 cup Miracle Whip


• 1 tsp. dried basil


• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder


• 1/8 tsp. onion powder


• 1 (16 oz) prepared pizza crust, your favorite homemade prepared pizza crust, or dough from your favorite local pizza joint or grocery store


• 12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided


• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese


• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


• 1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce


• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

Instructions

1. Combine mayo, Miracle Whip, basil, garlic powder and onion powder and refrigerate for at least a 1/2 hour.


2. Place the pizza crust on an ungreased pizza pan or cookie sheet.


3. Spread mayonnaise mixture over crust.


4. Set aside 1/4 cup bacon and sprinkle remaining bacon, cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese on crust.


5. Bake according to the instructions on the crust you chose, or until done.


6. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and reserved bacon.

3.1.09

Cilantro Lime Pesto

I'm starting a new recipe category...Stuff I Could Eat With A Spoon. Or maybe it's a new Pinterest board? This pesto might be the first pin. It's amazing. And this coming from a girl who could really do without cilantro. I don't HATE it anymore, but stray leaves in my salsa are no bueno. And this green deliciousness is just about 75% full of the stuff. The Food Network recipe I have adapted from uses it as a pasta sauce. It sounds awesome, but I confess I have not tried it. Instead, I followed the lead of this blogger and made some of the best chicken tacos I have ever eaten. My husband and I fought over the last of it the next day and spread it on turkey sandwiches. I'm currently imaging it mixed into some Greek yogurt as a veggie dip, or in an omlet with fresh tomatoes. Oh, the possibilities!

 

Cilantro Lime Pesto

Author: Erin

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems excluded


• 2 1/2 T olive oil


• 2 T sliced, toasted almonds


• 3 T minced garlic


• 2 t. lime juice


• 1/2 cup shredded asiago


• 1 t. salt


• 1/4 cup chicken broth

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients in blender for 2 minutes.


2. Serve tossed with cooked chicken for tacos (plus extra for drizzling).

Notes

Just to let you know, I decreased the amount of salt called for in the original recipe. I felt like my first go round with the full 1 1/2 t. was just way to salty. My advice is to start with the 1 t. (or even less if you are salt sensitive) and add more as needed. It's also very garlicky! If you love it like I do, this won't be a problem. :)

3.1.09

 

Cranberry Crostini

I suppose this would be called a "bonus recipe" this week! If you read the recipe posted yesterday you'll see a cranberry dipping sauce to be used with the Sausage Balls. Over Thanksgiving I had several parties and had to come up with several appetizers for each. Time is tight with two toddlers running around so I tried to be efficient. This Cranberry Crostini used the same cranberry sauce- but in a very different way. I'm always a fan of crostini recipes. Actually as a general rule, I eat any appetizer with bread on the ingredient list. :)

After tasting the cranberry sauce I thought that it would make a great topping for either a cheese ball or crostini. This recipe found a way to mix both. Its another super-simple recipe and perfect for a pre-dinner snack on Christmas to keep hungry tummies (temporarily) satisfied.

~Wendy

Cranberry Crositini

Recipe Type: Appetizer

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Cranberry Dipping Sauce-


• 12 oz bag fresh cranberries


• 3/4 c. brown sugar


• 6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate (about 1/2 of normal size can)


• 1 tsp cornstarch


• Chopped Nuts-


• 2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts


• 2 Tbsp butter


• 1/2 c. brown sugar


• Assembly-


• 1 loaf of italian or french bread (narrow is better)


• 4-6oz cream cheese (low fat can be used)

Instructions

1. Cranberry Sauce- In a medium sized saucepan combine the cranberries, orange juice concentrate and brown sugar. Warm over medium heat stirring frequently until the cranberries pop open. Add in the cornstarch and stir sauce until thickened, usually 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool before serving.


2. Chopped Walnuts/Pecans- In a separate skillet add chopped walnuts or pecans. Heat over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until nuts are lightly browned. Turn the heat down to low and add butter and brown sugar. Continuously stir until butter is melted and brown sugar is fully mixed in. Remove from heat.


3. Crostini- Cut the loaf of bread into 1/4 inch slices. Lay out onto a cookie sheet. Broil in the oven for 2-4 minutes watching closely until bread is browned and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes.


4. Assembly- Once bread is cooled, spread 1 tsp of cream cheese on each slice. Top cream cheese with 1 tsp of cranberry sauce and sprinkle each with chopped nuts. Best served immediately.

3.1.09

 

Sausage Balls

Oh how I wish there was a better name for these. I even tried to think of one, but at the end of the day these are, in fact, sausage balls. So there you go. Regardless of their name- they are great. They are also perfect for any holiday party. Easy to make in advance and season-appropriate if you make the cranberry sauce for dipping!

This recipe came to be during one of my "clean living" phases. About every six months I decide that I should be a better mother and limit my kids' exposure to all evil in the world, starting in my kitchen. So I start madly researching chemical-free, hormone-free, antibiotic-free... you get the idea. It usually begins with a large purchase from Trader Joes or Whole Foods and ends when I see the cost. My last round of clean living mania resulted in a meat share membership through a local farmer, and has actually stuck. Every month they deliver to members in our local area and we meet them in a predetermined location to pick up our portion. Its usually 18-20lbs of pork, beef, chicken and eggs; all hormone and antibiotic free.  The farm name is Walnut Family Farms. If you're in Illinois look them up- its very reasonable and the meat/egg quality is fantastic. My favorite part of the membership is that each month you don't know what cuts of meat you'll receive. As I mentioned in my last post I like to be creative with my cooking. So when I get my shipment its like Christmas! I love to unpack the bag and think about what I can make in the upcoming weeks.  I'm a food dork, I know.

One of our last shipments included a pound of pork sausage. After searching online, through cookbooks and on Pinterest I settled on making sausage balls. There are literally hundreds of Sausage Ball recipes out there. So as usual I took a little something from each one and came up with my own. And since cranberries were on sale at Aldi that week I decided to add a cranberry dipping sauce. You can make each one small for an appetizer dish or make them a bit larger and serve them as a main course with a side of veggies and mashed potatoes. Try them out and let me know if you like them!

~Wendy

Sausage Balls w/ Cranberry Dipping Sauce

Recipe Type: Dinner or Appetizer

Author: Wendy

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 18 mins

Total time: 28 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• Sausage Balls


• 1 lb pork sausage


• 1 stalk of celery, diced


• 1/4 c. diced green onion


• 1 1/2 c. bisquick


• 3 c. shredded cheddar cheese


• 1/2 tsp sage


• salt & pepper to taste


• Cranberry Dipping Sauce


• 12 oz bag fresh cranberries


• 3/4 c. brown sugar


• 6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate (about 1/2 of normal size can)


• 1 tsp cornstarch

Instructions

Sausage Balls

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 16-18 minutes. Remove from the pan almost immediately to avoid sticking.

Cranberry Sauce

1. In a medium sized saucepan combine the cranberries, orange juice concentrate and brown sugar. Warm over medium heat stirring frequently until the cranberries pop open. Add in the cornstarch and stir sauce until thickened, usually 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool before serving.

Notes

Other options for dipping sauce could be BBQ sauce or a mix of equal parts mayonnaise and mustard. I much prefer the cranberry sauce! If you intend on serving these as a main course, I would recommend making the sausage balls into 2 inch balls before cooking. Increase baking time by 3-4 minutes to insure they are cooked through the center.

3.1.09

 

Apple Cider Caramel Cookies

Having literally just seen my first shooting star after numerous attempts at stargazing with my hubby, writing about a cookie seems a little bit silly and insignificant... But cookies are significant too, right? My ideal would be to live in a somewhat warmer climate and go lie on my deck with my lucky guy AND a fistful of cookies. In a perfect world...



So, on with this fabulous little cookie. I'd never been to a cookie exchange before going to Wendy's three years ago and I loved it for multiple reasons. 1. I get to spend some time with girlfriends, 2. I get to take home a lot of cookies, and 3. I get to try out a new recipe. That one can sometimes bite some of us in the a$$. Nothing stinks more than scouring recipe after recipe to find that perfect one, making 80 gabillion cookies that you think are going to fabulous, and realizing they are just so-so – AND, lucky you, you get to share mediocre cookies with friends and acquaintances and not just pawn them off on your 6- and 5-year-old who will ingest anything with a high ratio of sugar (alright, throw my guy in that mix too).

 

I was a bit nervous about trying these out, but after reading positive comment after positive comment, I figured they HAD to be decent.  I mean, pretty much any time there's caramel involved, I'm there. And I was not disappointed.

~Leah

 

Apple Cider Caramel Cookies

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Leah (adapted from Six Sisters Stuff)

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 13 mins

Total time: 43 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar


• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cinnamon


• 1 cup unsalted butter, about halfway melted


• 1 cup granulated sugar


• 1/2 tsp salt (I like to use kosher)


• 1 (7.4 ounce) box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix *Not sugar free*


• 2 eggs


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 1 tsp baking soda


• 1/2 tsp baking powder


• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour


• 1 (11 ounce) bag Kraft Premium Unwrapped Caramel Bits

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Prepare cinnamon sugar by stirring together in a small bowl. Set aside.


2. In a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, salt, and all 10 packets of apple cider mix until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract, then mix in the baking soda and baking powder. Add the flour and mix until just combined.


3. Cover dough and let chill for at least an hour in the fridge.


4. Scoop dough onto the parchment with a standard (size 50) cookie scoop. Flatten the dough slightly in your hand and place three caramel bits in the center. Work the dough around the caramel sealing well and rolling the dough into a ball. Roll the ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place the cookies two inches apart on the sheets.


5. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. After baking, carefully slide the parchment with the cookies onto the counter. Let cool until they are no longer soft but still slightly warm. Twist gently to remove, and cool the rest of the way upside down on the parchment or on a cooling rack.


6. Makes 30-50 depending on size

Notes

If cookies get too cool before you twist them off, freeze the whole sheet for a few minutes.

3.1.09

Gooey Butter Cookies

Oh, I just can't help myself. You knew it was going here right?

I recently whipped up a batch of these gooey butter cookies, planning to blog about them during the month of December. They just so happen to be THE cookie I brought to Wendy's cookie exchange last year. As you recall, I also brought my brand new baby boy with me. And let me tell you, it was going to take one seriously good cookie to compete with those cheeks.

These cookies are so easy and come together very fast, though you do need to plan for some time to chill in the fridge. They are adapted from Paula Deen's recipe, which is inspired by her TO DIE FOR gooey butter cake...run out and make one now if you have not had the pleasure. As far as flavors go, a Google search reveals that people use all types of cake mixes for this cookie. I am definitely a fan of using vanilla cake mix as opposed to chocolate, as I just don't feel like the chocolate has enough ooomph. That being said, I recently made a batch using Ghiradelli brownie mix for the sweets table at our elementary school's holiday shop. I'm pleased to inform you that I think we are getting somewhere. Enjoy!

Gooey Butter Cookies

Author: Erin

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened


• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened


• 1 egg


• 1 box cake mix


• 1 t. vanilla


• powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Cream together butter and cream cheese.


2. Beat in egg and vanilla.


3. Add cake mix and mix well.


4. Chill dough in refrigerator for 2 hours.


5. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls, toss in powdered sugar, and place 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.


6. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350, until bottoms are browning very slightly. Centers should still be soft. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

3.1.09

Thumbprint Cookies

Welcome to Cookie Week at Three Lucky Husbands. Check back later in the week for a few more treats!

I made these shortbread thumbprint cookies for Wendy's annual cookie exchange this past weekend. Love me a cookie party. I think this was her 3rd exchange among this circle of friends and family, and my gosh does time fly. Last year's party found me one week post-delivery of my 3rd baby. My 11 pound 4 ounce baby. You read that right my friends....that's an eleven I wrote there. But since it's going to take a lot more then that to keep me away from the cookies, I packed up baby and shuffled out the door.

This year my sweet (and now totally average-sized 1 year old) boy stayed home with big brother and sister. This mama needed some grown-up time to go along with my butter and sugar. :)

These thumbprint cookies have been a family staple for as long as I can remember. The dough comes together super fast and they freeze well, making them easy to have on hand during holiday festivities. Most importantly, use a good jam...you know, something you could eat with a spoon were it socially acceptable. Enjoy!

Thumprint Cookies

Author: Erin

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cup flour


• 1/2 t. salt


• 1 cup softened butter


• 1/4 cup sugar


• 2 egg yolks


• raspberry or apricot jam

Instructions

1. Whisk together flour and salt.


2. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.


3. Add egg yolk and beat well.


4. Add flour and mix till smooth.


5. Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place about 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.


6. Press each with index finger to make an indentation. Drop jam in to each.


7. Bake 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly browned. Makes 3 dozen.

Notes

This dough can be made in advance, but I recommend letting it come to almost room temperature before rolling into balls. If the dough is cold they will crack while you are trying to indent them. The quickest (and cleanest!) way to fill them is by snipping the corner off a jam-filled sandwich bag.

3.1.09

 

Thumbprint Cookies

Welcome to Cookie Week at Three Lucky Husbands. Check back later in the week for a few more treats!

I made these shortbread thumbprint cookies for Wendy's annual cookie exchange this past weekend. Love me a cookie party. I think this was her 3rd exchange among this circle of friends and family, and my gosh does time fly. Last year's party found me one week post-delivery of my 3rd baby. My 11 pound 4 ounce baby. You read that right my friends....that's an eleven I wrote there. But since it's going to take a lot more then that to keep me away from the cookies, I packed up baby and shuffled out the door.

This year my sweet (and now totally average-sized 1 year old) boy stayed home with big brother and sister. This mama needed some grown-up time to go along with my butter and sugar. :)

These thumbprint cookies have been a family staple for as long as I can remember. The dough comes together super fast and they freeze well, making them easy to have on hand during holiday festivities. Most importantly, use a good jam...you know, something you could eat with a spoon were it socially acceptable. Enjoy!

Thumbprint Cookies

Author: Erin

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cup flour


• 1/2 t. salt


• 1 cup softened butter


• 1/4 cup sugar


• 2 egg yucks


• raspberry or apricot jam

Instructions

1. Whisk together flour and salt.


2. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.


3. Add egg yolk and beat well.


4. Add flour and mix till smooth.


5. Shape tablespoonfulls of dough into balls. Place about 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.


6. Press each with index finger to make an indentation. Drop jam in to each.


7. Bake 18-20 mintues until lightly browned. Makes 3 dozen.

Notes

This dough can be made in advance, but I recommend letting it come to almost room temperature before rolling into balls. If the dough is cold they will crack while you are trying to indent them. The quickest (and cleanest!) way to fill them is by snipping the corner off a jam-filled sandwich bag.

3.1.09

Pepper Cheese Toasts

Do you have one of those friends or relatives that is the consummate host/hostess and is always serving something new and delicious? I have a few but definitely tops on my list is my friend/sister-in-law, Denise. She is always trying new recipes and I would say a good portion of the recipes I'll post will have come from her (sorry, we don't have the funds to provide finder's fees Denise!)

 

This is one that she used to make way back when and I would look forward to having them at her get-togethers. It's a recipe from Pampered Chef that was originally named "North Stars" because they wanted you to use their star bread  pan to make the little breads for the toast. Well, I do not have that pan, and sometimes I just want to be able to make an appetizer that is stupid easy but tasty and using the little cocktail breads from the grocery store makes these completely fit the bill. Don't get me wrong, Denise's with the fresh baked breads was delicious and if you either have a little tube bread pan like that or feel the urge to bake some fresh bread, cut it into thin slices, and then cut it into stars or some other shape to use for these, then more power to ya!

~Leah

Pepper Cheese Toasts

Recipe Type: Appetizer

Author: Leah (from Pampered Chef)

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 12 mins

Total time: 22 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 package sourdough cocktail bread (usually near the deli)


• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese


• 1/2 cup mayonnaise


• 1/2 cup sour cream


• 1 (0.7 ounce) package dry Italian salad dressing mix


• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper


• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.


2. Lay out bread slices (start with about 20-24 and see where you end up with the cheese mixure) on an ungreased cookie sheet.


3. Mix together the cheese, mayo, sour cream, and dressing mix and spread evenly onto each piece of bread (about 1 Tbsp. per toast) and top with the peppers.


4. Bake for 12-15 minutes and serve warm.

3.1.09

Cinnamon Raisin Bars

Believe it or not, at age 35 and with a household of my own I am still treated to my mom's cooking fairly often. On days when I have been desperate for a change of scenery, another set of hands, or the chance to escape to Trader Joe's ALONE for an hour, I load up the children and am on her doorstep inside of 15 minutes. Of course the loading takes twice that long, but driving? 15 minutes. I AM SO LUCKY. I joke that if my husband's job ever relocated us to some exotic locale, my parents had better start cruising realtor.com too. I credit my mom (and dad!) for helping maintain my sanity during the last 6.5 years of adventures in stay-at-home parenting.

And it never fails. When the crafts and science projects have been cleaned up and it's time for us to head home, she hands me a bag of tupperware. Dinner!!! It's just about the nicest thing she could have done for me, short of a spontaneous kiddie sleepover at Mimi's. Let's just say that my husband is happy to hear I'm on my way home with food from my mom's kitchen. She is a fantastic cook and an even better baker. If you hang around the blog long enough, you'll hear me say this again and again.

I began gathering recipes to blog about by immediately heading for the cook book she made me (it's where this other childhood favorite came from). These raisin bars are heaven for oatmeal cookie lovers. My mom first made them from a Betty Crocker cook book shortly after she and my dad married (37 years ago last week!). Enjoy!

 

 

Cinnamon Raisin Bars

Author: Erin

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Filling:


• 1/4 cup sugar


• 1 T cornstarch


• 2 cup raisins


• Cookie Crust:


• 1/2 cup butter


• 1 1/2 cup flour


• 1 cup brown sugar


• 1/2 t baking soda


• 1/2 t salt


• 1 1/2 cup oatmeal


• Icing:


• 1 cup powdered sugar


• 1/4 t cinnamon


• 3 T milk (approximately...enough for drizzling)

Instructions

1. For filling, combine 1/4 cup white sugar and cornstarch in a small pan. Stir in 1 cup of water and raisins. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cool.


2. Cream butter and brown sugar.


3. Stir together dry ingredients and add to butter mixture.


4. Add oatmeal and 1 T of water. Mix till crumbly.


5. Pat 1/2 of oatmeal mixture into greased 9x13 pan. Spread with rasin filling.


6. Mix 1 T of water in to remaining oatmeal mix and crumble over raisin filling.


7. Bake at 350 for 35 min. Cool, drizzle with icing, and cut into bars.

3.1.09

3.1.09

Mac N Cheese Soup

If I ever have another baby I've decided that I will not give them macaroni and cheese, hot dogs or peanut butter & jelly until they're at least 5! Okay that's probably an exaggeration, but I swear those are the only three foods my kids will eat now. I could add ice cream and chocolate to that list but for the purpose of this post I'm staying focused on "main course" foods. Every day at lunch and dinner I try (hopelessly) to come up with something else to feed them. I've looked at every Pinterest post out there on "Creative Foods for Toddlers" to no avail. Although, seriously what kid will eat tofu-stuffed pita bread or salad??? One day I saw a recipe for Mac n Cheese soup on a Velveeta cheese box and it piqued my interest. I also decided that the Velveeta cheese box really shouldn't be my go-to recipe source, so I started searching the internet for a good soup recipe. I landed on the Skinnytaste blog. (One of my favorite by the way!) She has a great recipe posted for Mac n Cheese soup. I found it to be a little too skinny, with a bit too much onion so I made some adjustments and came up with this great dinner soup. My husband likes it, I like it and my kids each ate their whole bowl. Wahoo! We have a WINNER that doesn't come from a blue box! So if your family is like mine and Mac n Cheese is the holy-grail of mealtime, try this version out.
~Wendy

Mac N Cheese Soup

Recipe Type: Soup

Author: Wendy

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 carrots, diced


• 1 celery stalk, diced


• 1 Tbsp minced garlic


• 1/4 c. diced onion


• 2 Tbsp butter


• 2 Tbsp flour


• 1/4 tsp nutmeg


• 3 c. chicken broth


• 1 1/2 c. milk


• 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese


• 1 c. chopped broccoli


• 1 c. chopped cauliflower


• 2 c. dry elbow macaroni

Instructions

1. Boil the pasta according to the box directions until cooked al dente. Drain and set aside.


2. In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter. Add the diced carrot, celery and onion and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the flour and stir until combined. Add the chicken broth, milk, and nutmeg- whisk until combined. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.


3. Add the broccoli and cauliflower and cook until softened- about 5 more minutes. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally add the cooked pasta and serve.

Notes

You can use any variation of cheese that you would like. I like a combination of cheddar and colby, or even cheddar and pepper jack. I recommend using at least 2% milk. I've used skim and it does work fine, just comes out more watery.
Finally, only add the macaroni when you're ready to serve. If you plan to save some of the soup for later, I would add the macaroni to each individual bowl instead of to the larger pot. Once the noodles are added they start to suck up the broth. If you add the noodles and refrigerate, by the time you eat the soup there will be very little liquid left.

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