Rosemary Potatoes

These potatoes are a perfect side to just about any dish and look fantastic. Okay, they taste great as well. My favorite thing about these potatoes though, is that they are sooooo easy and yet everyone thinks you were cooking all day! I decided to cook these with 20 minutes until dinner was served and had plenty of time! I love the microwave method and have switched up the spices many times...so good and so easy it is a new favorite. Hope you cook it up and fool your hubbies soon :)

Rosemary Potatoes

6 small red skinned potatoes, cleaned but not peeled
2T. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. chopped fresh rosemary (1/2 t. if using dried rosemary)
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper

Pierce each potatoes a few times with a fork. Place the potatoes, in a single layer, in a microwave safe baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high until the potatoes are about half tender, about 5 minutes. Carefully remove the plastic wrap, it releases all the steam! Let the potatoes cool and cut them lengthwise into quarters.

Heat the oil and rosemary in a large skillet over med-high heat until the oil is hot. Add the potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot!

Homemade Rolls

I can't take credit for this recipe. I actually can't take credit for any of my recipes. This recipe comes from my good friend Rachel. When we lived in Cleveland, Rachel taught me a little about bread making and I've been making these rolls (and her cinnamon rolls!) ever since. If you want to make wheat rolls, use half whole wheat flour in place of the white flour. I've never done that, but either way they are delicious.



NOTE: Use the timer because this has to be exact.

4 cups whole milk warmed in microwave on high for 3 minutes. Should be luke warm to touch. (Mine is usually luke warm after 2 minutes so just warm it until the milk is luke warm)

1/4 cup yeast

1 cup sugar

**Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and the sugar over the yeast. Let sit for exactly ten minutes.

Then add 4 eggs and 5 cups flour, Beat for five minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes (covered)

Then add 1 cup vegetable or canola oil, 1 Tbsp salt, and 7 cups flour ( I would add 6 1/2 the first time you make them because you will probably use a lot of flour to roll them out and also you will most likely handle the dough more than you will when you are used to the recipe). Mix until well blended. Add 1 stick of butter (room temp). Beat for five minutes. Let rise for 30 minutes (covered). Dough will rise above bowl so keep wax paper or another non-stick cover loosely on bowl. Dump out dough on well floured large surface. Separate into three lumps. Roll each lump into pizza rounds. Then use a pizza cutter and cut as you would a pizza. Then start on the outside edge and roll in towards the middle making crescent shaped rolls. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover very loosely (I cover mine with saran wrap sprayed with PAM and just lookely place it on top of the rolls) and let rise until double again (about 1 hour). Cook at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

You can brush them with butter while they are still hot to make them really moist. I always do this and use salted butter since it gives them more flavor.

Plan about 3-4 hours total time for these to be done. This recipe makes tons of rolls so after you bake them, let them cool completely and then stick as many as you can (still stuck together. if they are stuck together from baking) in a large ziplock bag and freeze in the freezer. To defrost bags, just place on your counter in the morning, they should be defrosted in 1-2 hours. Or you can microwave for 15 seconds.

This is what it looked like after it has been rising for almost an hour. It actually got even bigger and started to spill over the side.

The three rounds you make after the dough has risen for an hour.

Roll each ball into a circle, not paper thin but not too thick.

Cut each with a pizza cutter. I usually cut into eighths, and then cut each of those "slices" into three triangles, so each round will make about 24 rolls (about 70-75 each batch). Some of yours will be smaller and some bigger, it doesn't matter if they are the same size.

Roll them up and place them on a sprayed cookie sheet. I counted how many cookie sheets I own. Eleven. You can also place yours closer together so they "stick" together once they double and are baked. I think it makes them not as dry if you let them stick together, I just don't usually think about it when I'm making them.

Yummy. My kids could eat these unbaked. Don't worry though, we definitely make them wait. They just end up eating three each straight out of the oven!

After they've doubled in size. My kids "helped" me roll them up so some are a little funktified, but they all turn out in the end.

Fresh out of the oven. Mine don't stick together like Rachel's do. If I put in one more row of rolls they would, but I think no matter what these are yummy!

Out of the oven and being smothered with love... I mean, butter. Same thing.

Cream Puff Cake

This recipe is from my Taste of Home magazine and I made it for my grandparents when they came for dinner on Sunday. It was delicious! My neighbor actually brought me cream puffs the same day and, I think, this was much better. Plus, you don't have to fill individual cream puffs!

Ingredients

* 1 cup water
* 1/2 cup butter, cubed
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 4 eggs
*

FILLING:
* 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
* 2-1/2 cups 2% milk
* 3 packages (3.3 ounces each) instant white chocolate or vanilla pudding mix
* 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed (I used a 1/2 pint of real whipping cream and beat it with a little sugar, vanilla, and almond flavoring..I HIGHLY recommend it!!)

Directions

* In a large saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until smooth and shiny(I used a hand mixer and it worked fine).
* Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 400° for 22-26 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
* For filling, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, milk and pudding mixes until smooth. Spread over the crust; refrigerate for 20 minutes. Spread with whipped topping. Chill until serving. Yield: 15 servings.

Rachael Ray's Sloppy Joe's

This is in no way a gourmet meal. I saw it on Rachael Ray at least 3 years ago and thought it looked good so I made it, switching it up a bit, and my family loves it. I usually have most, if not all, of the ingredients on hand too. The sauce is kind of sweet but savory and the pepper and onion are super yummy in here too. I'll give the recipe my way but if you want to see Rachael Ray's version click here (she uses ground turkey, amongst other differences).

I know you are super jealous of my 50 cent Fred Meyer buns. And I'll be the first to admit that these pictures are not the best!

Sloppy Joes

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 to 1 1/2 lbs hamburger (I usually use 1 lb)

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp grill seasoning blend (I use McCormick's Grill Seasoning for Chicken)

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup (8 oz can) tomato sauce

Hamburger buns or crusty rolls

Add oil to pan on medium high heat and add onion and pepper. Let soften for a couple of minutes and add hamburger and brown; drain. Meanwhile, mix the grill seasoning, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce together and mix into the hamburger. Let simmer on low for 10 minutes. Add to buns or rolls and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I actually came across this recipe because my Aunt Jodi asked me to make cookies for Girls Camp, and I didn't want to make plain old chocolate chip. So when I went to make peanut butter cookies I realized that *gasp* I didn't have any white sugar in the house! Really? I have ten boxes of crackers, eight large bottles of ketchup, and enough shredded cheese to get me through any natural disaster, but I don't have sugar in my food storage? Trust me. It was an eye opener.

Anyway, I found this peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe that doesn't call for white sugar. Hooray! It's really good and really easy. And the odd thing? It asks for 1/4 cup of cornstarch in the mix. This is the first time I've ever used cornstarch for anything but thickening gravy. But they taste awesome!

Photo from Allrecipes

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I added a little more. Some other people used M&Ms, which I would have totally used if I had them.)

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.Cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, peanut butter and vanilla.

3.Add flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Stir in chocolate chips.

4.Roll into balls about 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls (or use cookie scoop) and place onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly because they do not flatten much while cooking.

5.Bake for 10 minutes.

Caramelized Onion, Sausage and Basil Pizza

I saw this on Giada at Home the other day and had to make it. Anything with caramelized onions on it has to be good! It wasn't super expensive either. Celeste's pizza dough recipe would be perfect for this too, just put the cornmeal on the bottom of your cookie sheet to make it kind of crunchy. Also, I used regular pork sausage, not spicy, so it was a little different I'm sure than what it was supposed to taste like, but it was still super yummy! If you aren't a gorgonzola fan, you can totally use blue cheese or something more mild like feta (oooh feta would be so yummy on this!). The gorgonzola was strong but it didn't overpower this pizza at all.

Picture Courtesy Food Network (my pizza had wayyyy more cheese!)

Caramelized Onion, Sausage and Basil Pizza

Giada DeLaurentiis


Cornmeal, for dusting
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 onions (about 1 1/2 pounds), thinly sliced (I used Walla Walla sweet onions)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spicy turkey or pork sausage, casings removed, crumbled (like I said, I used regular, but spicy would give it lots of flavor too)
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 (13 to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese (you can totally use more since mine came in a 5oz tub)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (please don't skip this!)

Directions
Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Sprinkle a heavy baking sheet (without sides) with cornmeal and set aside. (I actually baked mine at 425 accidentally and it turned out fine)

In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sausage. Using a wooden spoon, break up the sausage and cook, stirring constantly, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 13-inch diameter circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Spread the onion mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted, about 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped basil. Cut the pizza into wedges and serve.

Almond Joy Cake

My WONDERFUL sister-in-law brought me this cake and it seriously almost brought tears to my eyes! It was soooo good! I obviously had to have the recipe but, I must warn you, do NOT make this cake unless you have somewhere to take it or someone to share it with! Or you WILL eat the whole thing yourself!!
I will post a picture later

Almond Joy Cake

• 1 package chocolate cake mix with pudding
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 24 large marshmallows
• 1 package coconut (14-oz)
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 12 oz pack. Chocolate chips
• 1 cupalmond slices -- toasted

Directions

1. Bake chocolate cake as directed on package.
2. Combine in medium saucepan 1 cup evaporated milk and 1 cup sugar, bring to a boil and stir in marshmallow until Melted.
3. Add 1 package coconut, pour this over cake while both are hot.
4. Melt together the remaining milk, butter and chocolate chips.
5. Stir until melted and add 1 Cup toasted almond slices.
6. Pour on top of warm cake.

*I think it tastes better cold. I would make it the day before and refrigerate until serving.
*My sister-in-law also said that next time she makes this she will poke holes in the cake before pouring on the coconut mixture so it soaks in.

Nilla Wafer Caramel Pops

I got this idea from Kelli and I knew I had to make it as part of the goodie bags for Rix's Bday party. They were so easy to make and actually quite fun! We decided these would be fun for any holiday or event - Valentine treats for school classes or neighbors (add red and pink sprinkles, or heart sprinkles), Christmas treats, dip in chocolate and pipe orange frosting pumpkin faces for Halloween, etc. Or sprinkle with crushed nuts, oreos, etc. Drizzle with chocolate? The possibilities are endless! This is also something fun that your kids could help out with.

I wrapped them in sucker wrappers (I got them at Michaels) and tied a bow.

48 Nilla Wafers

1/2 bag of Kraft Caramels (I like the taste of Kraft better than other brands)

White or milk or dark chocolate (I used the Wilton Melting Chocolates)

Sprinkles

Sucker Sticks (found at Walmart, or craft stores)

Melt caramels with a little water according to package directions. Let cool slightly to it firms up a little. Using a small spoon, dab a small spoonful on one Nilla Wafer. Place sucker stick in caramel, twisting to cover the stick in caramel. Place second Nilla Wafer on top and gently squish together. Wipe any caramel off that squeezes through. Finish with remaining cookies and caramel.

Note: Don't dab all the caramel on the first 24 cookies and then place sticks and second cookie. The caramel will harden up too fast and the second cookie won't stick.

After caramel is cooled, melt chocolate in microwave according to package directions. Dip a sucker in the chocolate, covering completely, and tap off excess. Place on wax paper and sprinkle with whatever you are using to decorate. Let harden. Wrap in sucker wrappers and enjoy!