Roger's Spicy Pretzels

For the past 3 years Brad’s boss has given him a big bag of these spicy pretzels at Christmas time.  Brad has learned that if he brings them home, they are gone really fast.  This year the 2 older boys tasted them and loved them too.  Brad's boss, Roger, graciously gave us the recipe.  YUMMY! 


2 bag of Rold Gold Tiny Pretzels
1 Cup Olive Oil
3 TBSP Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 TBSP Lemon Pepper
1 TBSP Cayenne Pepper
1 TBSP Garlic Salt

Mix oil and dry ingredients and pour over pretzles.  Mix gentle to coat pretzels. Pour pretzels out on cookie sheets to dry.

ENJOY! 

Sloppy Joes for a Busy Mom

This is a recipe I recently tried and all 4 of my boys loved it and requested it again and again.  It only has 3 ingredients and take about 10 minutes to put together!  It’s awesome for those nights when you need something really quick! 

• 1 pound Sausage or Hamburger (your choice)
• 1 can Manwhich Sloppy Joe Sauce
• 1 can Large Biscuits

Cook your meat.  Add Manwich Sauce to the meat.  Put in 8x8 pan and place your unbaked biscuits on top.  Put in oven on 375 for about 10-13 minutes or until biscuits are browned.  That’s it!  ENJOY!!!!

No Bake Cookies

These cookies are my boys FAVORITE cookies ever and Daddy’s too.  When I need a quick sweet treat (or a gluten free one), these are usually what I end up making. 

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 cup milk or cream
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cups uncooked minute oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter

Combine sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine.  Bring to a boiling and boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and then oats.  Drop from spoon onto waxed paper and let set.
 
NOTE:  The amount of time you let them boil is very important.  If you boil them too long, the cookies will be dry and crumbly.  If you do them for less than a minute, they will be runny and not set up.

Recipe was taken from the Holdeman Christian Home Cookbook and I tweaked it a little to our liking.

Michelle’s Cake Pops

A couple years ago a friend of mine, Michelle Gosney, shared this recipe of cake pops with our Mom's group.  We have made them so many times and they are one of the boys favorite treats.  They are so easy and fun!  

• 1 box of cake mix (whatever flavor you want)
• 1 can of frosting (whatever flavor you want but preferably something that will go along with the cake flavor you picked)
• White or Chocolate Almond Bark (or colored candy melts)
• Cake Pop Sticks

Bake cake as directed on box.  When it comes out of the oven, crumble it into a bowl and stir in the frosting.  Using a cookie scoop, drop them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  Put them in freezer until they are set up well.  Mold them into balls with your hands. 

Melt the candy melts or almond bark in microwave.  Stick the cake pop sticks in the almond bark and then stick into the cake pop so the stick will set inside the cake pop.  Then take each cake pop with the sticks in and dip them into the almond bark mixture.  

My boys love to sprinkle sprinkles on them too.  You can get as creative as you want with these.  As you can tell, ours are not perfect but the boys (and Hannah) had fun making them.

These also can be frozen for a long time in a closed container and they keep very well.  

Velda’s Crock Dill Pickles

Last year I made my first ever crock of fresh dill pickles after my Mother-in-law gave me her recipe and showed me how to do it.  I’m hooked on them now and have already made two batches this summer out of cucumbers from my garden.  They are SO YUMMY!  They never last long around here.  Between Winston and I, we finish them off quickly. 

• 6 cups water
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 tsp. mustard seed
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1 clove garlic
• Dill Weed (preferably fresh out of the garden) – Enough to put some on the bottom and top of the crock
• 1 large or 2 small grape leaves (helps keep pickles crisp)

Wash cucumbers well.  Put garlic clove and dill weed in bottom of crock, then fill crock with small to medium cucumbers.  Put another layer of dill and then the grape leaf or leaves on top.  Bring your water, vinegar, salt and mustard seed to a boil, then pour over the cucumbers covering them.  Place a plate over the cukes and set a jar of water on top to hold it down.  I don’t have a crock so I use my crock pot and then just turn the lid upside down which works perfectly to hold the pickles down into the water. 

They will be ready in 3 days or sometimes the smaller ones are ready to enjoy the 2nd day.  ENJOY!!!

Cheeseburger Soup

My Mother-in-law shared another scrumptious recipe with me recently.  It’s perfect for a cold day.  She got it from this website. 

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced peeled potatoes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups (8 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions: 

In a 3-qt. saucepan, brown beef. Add the onion, carrots and celery, sauté for 5 minutes. Add the broth and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts.

ENJOY!

Breakfast Pizza

A lot of Saturday mornings, especially on the ones that Brad is able to be home, we like to cook a big breakfast.  Usually we just do the usual of scrambled eggs and sausage or pancakes.  This past Saturday, I thought I would try something different.  I looked up recipes and found this one on this website for Breakfast Pizza.  I made a few changes to mine that are different from the one listed on the website. It was a big hit and everyone loved it! 

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 envelope country gravy mix
• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1. Separate crescent dough into 16 triangles and press into a bar pan.  Bake at 375° for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage and onion over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink; drain.
3. Prepare gravy according to package directions.Add the prepared gravy sausage mixture and stir until combined; set aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add egg mixture; cook and stir until almost set.
5. Spread gravy mixture over prepared crust. Top with eggs followed by cheese. Place in the oven for a few more minutes until eggs are set and cheese is melted.
6. ENJOY!

Cherry Applesauce

My mother-in-law mentioned one day to me recently about how easy and yummy this dish is to make.  We tried it and we’ve had several times now.  The boys love it.  It’s a fast dish to go with any meal. 

• 1 large container of applesauce (I buy the cinnamon flavored one but you can do plain too)
• 1 pkg. of cherry Jell-O (don't prepare, just pour in dry)

Combine the two and ta da… you have yummy cherry applesauce!
 
WARNING… It’s a TAD BIT MESSY BUT WILL BRING LOTS OF SMILES! 

Velda’s Pumpkin Muffins

A couple weeks ago my Mother-in-law gave me this recipe and said I should try these sometimes.  I did. Oh my, these are so yummy and moist!  It’s really hard to just eat one.  Enjoy!

• 18 oz. yellow or spice cake mix
• 15 oz. can of pumpkin (not pie mix)
• 2 tbs. oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup raisins or more if you want

Mix this all together, put in muffin pans, and bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes.  You could also put white chocolate chips in instead of raisins. 

White Chicken Chili

One cold day last week I was searching on pinterest for a new recipe that looked appealing to me.  I found this one at this website and tried it.  It is my new favorite white chili recipe.  I’ve tried others before but this is my favorite so far and this one is very easy!

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts
2 – 14.5oz cans black beans (rinsed)
2 – 14.5oz cans sweet corn (one drained, one with liquid)
1 can Rotel (I use Mild – but add more Ro*Tel or a hotter version to spice it up)
2 pkgs Ranch dressing mix
2 – 8oz pkgs cream cheese
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2-1 cup gluten-free broth (optional)

1) Place the raw chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.
2) Pour the beans, corn and Rotel over the chicken. Mix in the ranch mix and spices.
2a) This is a thick chili. If you are concerned with the thickness, you can add chicken broth to thin it down some. It won’t change the flavor much; just the consistency.
3) Lay the cream cheese on top of the chicken, beans, and corn.
4) Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
5) When done cooking, stir in the cream cheese and shred the chicken.

Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring–A Busy Mom’s Recipe

My family loves monkey bread but it’s a little time consuming and since this Mommy doesn’t have a lot of time these days, I’m always looking for easy and quick recipes.  I ran across this recipe on facebook last week.  I tried it one morning and it is so easy, quick and DELICIOUS!!!
 

• 2 small tubes refrigerator buttermilk biscuits OR 1 tube Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits
• 3 Tbsp. butter melted
• 1/2 cup pancake syrup (any brand you like)
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds (optional)

Spray a fluted pan with non-stick spray.  Combine the melted butter and syrup in a small bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts (if desired).  Place about half of the syrup mixture in the bottom of the pan.  Then sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture on top.  Lay the biscuits on the bottom of the pan, overlapping edges (closely together) to form a ring.  Top with remaining syrup and sugar mixtures.  Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for 1 minute in the pan, then invert onto a serving platter to enjoy!
ENJOY!

Charity’s Pumpkin Layered Dessert

For Christmas this year I was in charge of making the dessert.  I searched and searched for something new that I thought everyone would like.  I ran across this recipe in the Holdeman Mennonite “Prairie Range” cookbook.  It’s Charity Leving’s recipe.  It was a hit and so yummy!  We will definitely be making this again in the future.  Better than pumpkin pie in my opinion!

• 2 C. graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup melted oleo
• 1 1/2 pkg. cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 12 oz. cool whip
• 1 cup milk
• 2 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
• 1 can pumpkin with spices

Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted oleo and pat into 9x13 pan.  In a bowl mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar, folding in the cool whip last.  Spread onto crust.  Beat milk and pudding 1-2 minutes, stir in pumpkin, mixing well.  Spread over cream cheese layer.  Refrigerate.  Add a layer of cool whip on top just before serving.  I sprinkle a little cinnamon on top to make it a little more festive. 
ENJOY!

Velda’s Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Velda shared this recipe with me a while back and it is a favorite around here. 

• 3-4 chicken breasts (chopped or shredded)
• 1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (10oz.) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (8oz.) cans diced green chilies
• 1 (10oz.) pkg. of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 12 corn tortillas (I use flour tortillas too – can use either)
• 16 oz. sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place chicken in large saucepan and cover with water. 
2. Sprinkle in handful of oregano, add garlic powder and salt. 
3. Boil about 20 minutes and shred from bones.  Save broth. 
4. Mix soups, sour cream, green chilies in large pan.  Add only enough broth to slightly thin.  Re-season as needed.  I usually add some garlic salt and seasoned salt. 
5. Simmer on low 15 minutes.  Add chicken and diced onion. 
6. In casserole dish, arrange 6 tortillas flat across bottom or you can tear them up into pieces and spoon in 1/2 the sauce, sprinkle 1/2 the cheese.
7. Repeat – tortillas, sauce and cheese
8. Bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes. 

ENJOY!

Chelsey’s Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Last month at our M.O.M.S. Christmas Dinner my friend Chelsey Ewing brought this Pasta Salad for all of us to enjoy.  I had never had a pasta salad like this before.  I could have ate the whole bowl.  It was so delicious!  I asked her for the recipe because I wanted to make it for my family’s Christmas lunch.  It was a big hit!  Thanks, Chelsey for sharing your recipe!  I didn’t put spinach leaves in mine because I couldn’t find any at our grocery store that day but it was still great without the spinach leaves and kept for several days.

• 4 Cups Chicken Breasts (Cooked and Cubed or shredded)
• 1 16 oz. pkg. rotini (or any other kind of pasta you want to use)
• 3/4 Cup Celery
• 3/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion
• 5 Oz. pkg. Dried Red Cherries
• 1 1/4 Cup Mayo
• 1 1/4 Cup Brianna’s Poppyseed Dressing (Wal-mart has it)
• 1 1/2 cup tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 5 oz. pkg. baby spinach leaves (stems removed)
• 1 Cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans (I didn’t use pecans)

Cook pasta according to directions and rinse.  Pat dry.  In large bowl combine celery, chicken, onion, and pasta.  Combine mayo with dressing, salt and pepper.  Fold in 1 3/4 cup dressing.  Mix into the pasta mixture.  Reserve 3/4 cup dressing. Refrigerate salad covered 12-24 hours.  Before serving add remaining dressing, spinach, cherries and pecans. 
ENJOY!