Quick, Easy Valentines Day Treat

Ahhh, Valentines Day, one of my favorite holidays as a child! I loved decorating my “mailbox,” receiving Valentines and of course the treats! Chocolate is my favorite thing besides coffee, and you can’t have Valentines Day without cholocate.

This year I volunteered to bring cookies in for the girls’ parties but I didn’t want to send in something store bought but I also didn’t want to send a ton of time baking. That’s when I found the perfect treat!  Valentine Wafer Cookies.

What you’ll need:

-Microwave (I did mine on the stovetop)

-Wax paper

-Vanilla wafer cookies

-Dolci fruit dip

-Sprinkles

Directions:

-melt your Dolci fruit dip and remove from heat; be sure not to over heat. I find that I can control it better if I melt it on the stovetop.

-Dip the wafer cookie in the melted Dolci dip. Place on wax paper.

-Pour on the sprinkles! Allow to cool.

-ENJOY!

Yep, they’re that easy and the kids loved them!

 

 

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Turkey Chili Casserole: A Superbowl Fav!

This recipe was the easiest thing I have ever made and the perfect combination of salty and sweet!  Lance and I have been frequenting Trader Joe’s lately, and we sampled some Turkey Chili Casserole and had to make it.

1. Four cans Trader Joe’s Turkey Chili (or about 8 cups of chili of any variety).
2. 12 oz Mexican Blend shredded cheese
3. Trader Joe’s Cornbread Mix (or any cornbread mix)

For the cornbread mix I needed:

• 1/2 cup oil
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pour 8 cups of chili into the bottom of a 9×11 pan. In a large mixing bowl, put all the ingredients together for the cornbread mix, then pour it on top of the chili.  Sprinkle the entire package of cheese on top of the cornbread mixture.  Put in the oven at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until it appears golden-brown.

Game Night Snacks!

Michael and I have some friends that like to have the periodic “game night” !  Its such a great time.  We look forward to sharing snacks and stories, have a few cold ones, and tease each other for hours while we all try to win!  I enjoy this time with friends very much- and always try to contribute by bringing a few munchies to thank our hosts.  The week of this past occasion I was busy as usual- and I was in need for something quick/easy/cheap  (I mean, when are we not) to throw together quickly in between Friday rush hour and our game night start time.

Of course pinterest will always be there for you in your time of need.  I introduce to you the easiest snack I have ever made in my entire life:

Chocolate Pretzel Bites !

This takes 2-3 ingredients and no more than 10 minutes.  What more can you ask for- except to hope your friends will love them (and that I believe was accomplished!)

Ingredients:

• Small bite size pretzels (In my opinion “Snyder’s Butter Snaps” will ONLY do).
• Your favorite type of Hershey Kiss (I prefer the semi-sweets or special darks).
• Your choice of topper (This time I used Reeses’ Pieces)

*In the past I have used Rolos in place of Kisses and nuts in place of candies!  You might even try red and white peppermint striped kisses with red and green M&Ms for a holiday theme! Get Creative!

• Preheat oven at 325
• Line cookie sheet with parchment paper
• Line your sheet with as many pretzels as you have candy to top
• Unwrap and add a kiss to each pretzel (this is the hardest part!)
• Bake for 3 minutes
• Top with final candy
• Let cool

 

 

Let’s get started!

 

I ran out of kisses so utilized my emergency back up Costco sized bag of chocolate chips from the pantry- not as pretty, but my friends would say “Oh I got lucky, extra candy!”

I tried first to hold the candy topper between my thumb and index finger, and with out releasing press into the kiss- I soon learned you need to drop the candy just above the kiss, and then press the candy topper with one finger.

Final result- adorable, and SO tasty!

 

This is the perfect game night snack, no fuss, no mess.   Your hands are mostly free to hide your cards- it only takes two fingers to pop one of these guys in your mouth!

 

Enjoy !

Momma’s Favorite No Bake Cookies

Ever since I was a little girl I can remember my mom whipping up a batch of homemade No Bake Cookies. They were the perfect mix of chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal; I could eat an entire batch all by myself. As an adult they have become my favorite dessert to take to parties, or friend’s homes. Not only are they amazingly delicious but they literally take 15 minutes to make and everyone loves them! I adapted my recipe from b-moviestar.com. The ingredient measurements are the same however the process is a bit different (she also has a healthier version on her website; I prefer the not healthy version :)).

Ingredients
– 2 cups sugar
– 4 tablespoons cocoa
– 1 stick butter
– 1/2 cup milk
– 1 cup peanut butter
– 1 tablespoon vanilla
– 3 cups oatmeal (I use quick oats, but you can use traditional)
– Waxed paper

Combine the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a large pot on medium/high heat. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for one minute. Be sure to not let mixture burn. Remove from heat after one minute and add oats, peanut butter, and vanilla. Mix all ingredients well (do not allow too much time before spooning out; mixture hardens quickly). Spoon out tablespoon sized drops onto wax paper. Allow to cool and harden and ENJOY!

Lemon Herb Vinaigrette

Last night I had the most amazing dressing made my Lance’s cousin, Kelsi Wren for a garden salad we had with wings.  She said it was called Lemon Herb Vinaigrette and the recipe is by Nourished Kitchen.

1 Shallot, Minced

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley

Juice of one lemon

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Kelsi also added black pepper and some honey to give it a little sweetness!

This salad dressing would taste amazing also as a marinade for fish, chicken, and veggies on the grill!

Here are other recipes by Nourished Kitchen for you to enjoy!

http://nourishedkitchen.com/recipe-index/salads-salad-dressings/

Easter Dinner Wrap Up!

I wanted to write a short wrap up about my Easter dinner tablescape and how my meal turned out!  It was just going to be the two of us but our good friends came over and it ended up being a blast (well beside the fact that I feel asleep post meal).  We had so many yummy things to eat but I’m going to feature just a few things and link in the recipes if we used any.

Here is an aerial view of my tables cape. It was very simple with a reused table runner and some springy clothing napkins. i even recycled some Easter grass.

Click on the photos below to get the best recipe for scalloped potatoes!  They were so delicious and a million calories but hey what the heck it was a holiday!

Lamb shoulder from our local butcher was to die for!

Gruyere cheese was so good and made it super cheesy! Click the photo to look get the recipe from Carlsbad Cravings!

The final plated meal. Some of the other sides were wheat rolls with pesto and sundried tomatoes, cooked radishes, and greek green beans!

Did you make anything out of the ordinary for your Easter meal or past holiday meals!  Share with us we always love recipes!