Simple Vanilla Coffee Creamer (3 ingredients)

I love this stuff!

The recipe comes from my dear friend, Mesu Andrews...who is a famous author! She had her 3rd Biblical fiction story released this past March...and this recipe of hers is in my new cookbook....arriving next week! 

(If you don't have time for the chatter, just scroll down for the recipe=) 

Mesu grew up in Indiana - that's where she lived when we met several years ago, but now she lives in WA state.  I was elated when she was able to stop by this summer for a visit, on her way to visit a daughter in this corner of the world. I also got to be with her dear hubby, her mother, whom I adore! and meet her youngest daughter for the first time...along with her grandson Garrison.  Here's a photo of me with Mesu (on the right) and the baby.

All of her books are VERY interesting reads...I have several friends who are just hooked on them and can't wait for the next book to come out!
I highly recommend all of these. Each chapter begins with a passage of scripture, and Mesu builds the details of how things might have happened on the scripture. 

LOVE AMID THE ASHES - Story of Job

 

LOVES'S SACRED SONG - Story of King Solomon 

LOVE IN A BROKEN VESSEL: Story of Hosea & Gomer through Mesu's creative mind

She has plans for 3 more books in the works...an amazing and talented woman! 

Anyway.....

Mesu a big coffee drinker and has me hooked on this too. 

I use it in my iced coffee and hot coffee as well.  

And...I make it using my Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk...I use xylitol for half the sugar amount (the recipe makes 3 cans-worth) so I can still make yummy desserts for us with less sugar. (The recipe is VERY simple and uncomplicated.)

But of course, feel free to use store purchased s.c.m. if desired. 

This creamer is pretty sweet, so I've been adding more milk than the original recipe calls for. 

                                                                       

If you love vanilla creamer in your coffee (or cocoa?) you're gonna thank me for sharing this. 

SIMPLE VANILLA CREAMER

1 (14 ozs) can sweetened condensed milk (low/fat free is fine)

2 c. milk (I use 1%)

1 Tb. vanilla extract

Mix in a quart jar....keep refrigerated.  Shake the jar before pouring. 

DE-LISH!

Linked to Weekend Potluck

3 Gloriously Cheesey Side Dishes {Blast From The Past}

 HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY TO OUR GRANDDAUGHTER, CLAIRA RUTH! 
We've seen so many changes and maturity in her this last year.
She's great at writing us love notes that read...
"Nana & Papa, I love you so, so, so, so, so, so much!"
What a Sweet Girl!!!! 


This yummy dish can be made ahead & frozen before baking.
The crunchy topping adds so much to the terrific flavor. 

Make-Ahead M-M-Macaroni & Cheese

This is a family favorite that is a staple at our meals together. 

One my mom made when I was growing up, so lots of fond

memories for me come along with this one. 

Cheesey Cottage Potatoes

This is a very simple-to-make dish that your family will love!
Creamy, Cheesey Cabbage.  OH my!

Cheese Scalloped Cabbage

Tasty Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs always seem to be the first dish to be gone whenever our family gets together.

I think that's probably true at most potlucks and picnics too.

When I saw this 'dressed up' version from Kim at Sunflower Supper Club I knew I had to try them.  We loved them too...especially hubby.

I omitted the hot sauce, just because I was making for grandkids to eat, but next time I will be adding it...just for him.

I also substituted Greek yogurt for the sour cream, but that's always an option, so just use what your family enjoys most and you'll be all set. 

I also used a garlic pepper I had instead of plain pepper.  We love pepper at our house, so I used more than the original recipe too!

DEVILED EGGS 

1 dozen hard boiled eggs

1/3 c. mayonnaise

2 Tb. Greek yogurt, or sour cream

1-1/2 tsp. white vinegar

1-1/2 tsp. dijon or spicy brown mustard

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. Frank's hot sauce, optional

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. garlic/pepper blend

(or ground pepper)

After peeling eggs, cut in half lengthwise.  Remove yolks; place in medium bowl and place egg whites on platter. 

Mash the yolks with a fork.  Add mayo, Greek yogurt, vinegar, mustard, sugar, hot sauce, kosher salt and garlic/pepper. Combine until smooth, using a fork. Either place mixture in ziploc bag and cut a hole in one end to pipe into the whites, or just use a spoon. 

Garnish with paprika.

Pineapple Pretzel Salad

OH YUUUMMM!  

This sweet and salty salad is so good and so very easy to put together! 

I've never thought to 'candy' pretzels before, but these were easy and very addictive.

After seeing this recipe at Tina's Mommy's Kitchen I knew I would love this...as I do all of Tina's down home recipes! 

Mix up the pineapple salad in a matter of minutes, (4 simple ingredients!) and when ready to serve, stir in half the pretzels, then top it with the rest.

I made this for the first time for my hubby's recent sibling get together and I got some great comments on this unusual salad. I even had to be sure to leave some 'extra behind for the hostess.

I thought it was great the next day too.  The pretzels barely softened, and the taste was still outta this world!

I reduced the amounts of sugar/butter and it was terrific.

PINEAPPLE PRETZEL SALAD 

1 ½ c. pretzel sticks (broken in half)

  1/3  c. sugar  

1/3 c. butter, melted

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened 

1/2  c. powdered sugar

1 (20 oz) crushed pineapple, drained

1 (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl add pretzel sticks, melted butter and sugar together. Stir until pretzels are well coated. 

Pour mixture onto foil-lined baking pan. (The nonstick is great!!) Bake the pretzels about 

8 minutes, checking to make sure they're not getting over done.  (The sugar/butter mixture will bubble up over the pretzels). 

Remove from oven; pour onto another sheet of foil and spread out to cool, making sure they're not sticking together. Set aside until salad is ready to serve.  

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together using an electric mixer. Add pineapple and stir until combined. Fold in the whipped topping. 

Just before serving mix half the candied pretzels into salad; top with remaining pretzels.

Linked to Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Weekend Potluck
    Full Plate Thursday 
Meal Plan Monday 

Yogurt Pudding Pops

When I saw this simple recipe from my buddy, Lark of  Lark's Country Heart, I knew it was something I had to make for chillin' in the heat of this summer.

Using a sm. box of pudding mix (we use sugar free), I exchanged

Greek yogurt for the cool whip called for in the original recipe.

Waiting for them to freeze was the only hard part.

Try them soon! You can feel good about giving your kids a healthy treat. 

I bought my mold for $1 at the dollar store. 

YOGURT PUDDING POPS 

2 c. milk (I used 1%)

1 sm. pkg. (4 serv. size) instant pudding mix

(I used vanilla, but banana or lemon would be great too)

1 c. Greek yogurt

Whisk together the milk and pudding mix. Chill about 15 minutes.

Fold in Greek yogurt.  Pour into molds. Freeze at least 8 hours. 

If you don't have molds, just pour into paper cups. Freeze half an hour, then insert a popsicle stick, or even part of a straw, for a handle. 

(When I was ready to enjoy one, I placed that one into a small cup of warm water to loosen it). 

Caramelized Veggie Trio & Weekend Potluck #78

WELCOME TO WEEKEND POTLUCK!!

AND....

When I share something worth sharing...again....

This is one of my all-time favorite dishes. Red taters, fresh green beans, caramelized onions in a (balsamic) vinegar

sauce...TO.DIE.FOR!  Great to use that produce from your garden or the Farmer's Market.

Caramelized Veggie Trio

Now, let's take a quick peek back at last week...

The recipe with the most clicks was ~

Coconut Cake Squares by Sweet Little Bluebird

Recipes that caught our attention ~

 

Grilled Steak Fajita Quesadillas by I Thee Cook

 

Crock Pot Swiss Chicken by The Home Heart

And, a personal favorite ~

Raspberry Cream Pie with Coconut Crust by Everyday Mom's Meals

Your hostesses ~

• The Country Cook~ Brandie
• Sunflower Supper Club ~ Kim & Julie
• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Frugal Family Favorites ~ Tabitha
• 4 Little Fergusons~ Tonya

Remember that when you link up, it shows on all FIVE blogs. Plus…

We TWEET. We PIN. We LIKE.

Linky Guidelines:

If you wish to be a featured recipe or for us to promote your recipe either on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you MUST follow these instructions.

1. Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.
2. LINK BACK HERE from your post so that others can find the fun. (Need help linking back? Read this or watch this great instructional video.) Please use a direct link within your post.

When you are kind enough to follow our guidelines, we work hard to get you as much exposure as possible so that your time here is well invested. We want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone!

You can now PRE-ORDER my new cookbook!

For now, I am taking pre-orders. Expecting books to arrive by August 15 and yours will be among the first mailed out.

Oh what a thrill to have another cookbook creation! I am just beside myself in awe that God would bless me this way. 


This page will become a tab on my blog Home page.  

Of the 202 Total Tasty Recipes in this book...

Over 100 recipes have "6 Ingredients or Fewer"...
Several have only 3 or 4...some even only TWO!

  Over 50 are 'Lighter Choices'...most of them giving you options for fat/sugar free ingredients....and some Weight Watchers Points!

Here are a few 'tastes' of the recipes included in this latest release...

Appetizers 

*Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

*Groovy Guacamole

*Pineapple Ham Crescents
*White Chili Dip 

Beverages....
*Easy Eggless Eggnog
*Skinny Banana Raspberry Shake
*Orange Julius
*Sunshine Punch (Lighter Choice)

Soups...
*Black & White Bean Chili
*Crockpot Meatball Soup
*Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

Salads...
*Arctic Pink Freeze 
*Fruited Broccoli Salad
*"Pink Cadillac" Jello Salad (Lighter Choice)

Veggies & Side Dishes...
*Ballpark Beans
*Hot Pineapple Casserole
*Microwave Corn on the Cob

Breads & Breakfast...
*Best Ever Breakfast Casserole
*BLT Breakfast Muffins
*Cherry Quick Bread

Main Dishes...
*Crockpot Stroganoff Meatballs
*Scalloped Potatoes & Pork Chops
*Potato Chip Chicken Strips (with Healthy Honey Mustard Sauce)
*Oven Chili Dogs

Desserts...
(There are 45 of them!)
*Dad's Favorite Lemon Chess Pie
*Luscious Lemon Sheet Cake (3 ingredients)
*Skinny Chocolate Cupcakes with Glaze
*German Chocolate Bars (5 ingredients)
*Crockpot Cheesecake
*Black Forest Trifle (Lighter Choice) 
*Creamsicle Pudding (Lighter Choice)

Cookies...
*Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Blue Ribbon Winner)
*Orange Creamsicle Cookies
*Super Sized Sugar Cookies
*Waffle Iron Cookies

Candy...
*Best Ever Caramels
*Coconut Balls
*Two Tone Fudge

This And That...
*Bacon Roses
*Garlic & Parmesan Chex Croutons
*Poppin' Peanut Butter Popcorn

Kids Korner..
*Orange Cream Pops
*Peanut Butter Magic Shell Ice Cream Topping
(3 ingredients & sugar free option)
*Chocolate Dipped Spoons

Homemade Mixes & Substitutes...
*Homemade (Sugar Free) Chocolate Bars/Chunks
*Homemade Fabric Softener
*Simple Vanilla Creamer (3 ingredients)


To use your credit or debit card, please use PayPal to send payment to my email address...thebetterbaker@gmail.com, (Paypal link below) and be sure to include your mailing address and let me know how many books you'd like...or send a check to: Marsha Baker, PO Box 938, Pioneer, OH  43554.


The price is $15 each, plus $4 shipping per book. (OH residents add $1.05 tax)

SORRY - USA ORDERS ONLY!!!!

I'm hoping you'll consider giving them for Christmas gifts!  I LOVE being able to sign them so if you have names you want me to add, please let me know.


HAPPY COOKING and EATING!!!! I'd really love to hear what your favorites are...

Easy Strawberry Pink Lemonade

I wouldn't really consider this much of a recipe...it's sooo simple, but wanted to share. We always have lots of these flavored 'sticks' on hand to doctor up bottled water. 

This makes 2 - 3 servings, and is made in a matter of minutes.

It truly is EASY!  And very refreshing.

Easy Strawberry Pink Lemonade 
found at Kraft.com online. 

EASY STRAWBERRY PINK LEMONADE

1 pkt. (0.13 oz.) (sugar free) On-The-Go (Pink) lemonade flavor drink mix

2 c. cold water

1/2 c.  frozen strawberries

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and frothy.

Serve immediately over ice. 

Yield: 2 - 3 servings  

Linked to 
Gooseberry Patch - 5 Ingredients or less 
Weekend Potluck

Killer 7-Up Biscuits (4 ingredients!)

These really are KILLER biscuits. 

(It's also one of the easy recipes included in my upcoming cookbook=)

With only 4 simple ingredients, they go together quickly, and only take about 15 minutes to bake.

They are light and fluffy and the crusty buttery crust makes them 'over the top'.

 

In this photo, one biscuit is right side up, and the other is upside down so you can get a glimpse of that yummy buttery crust. It's difficult to see how nicely the biscuit has absorbed the butter in the one on top, but trust me, it has plenty of butter too. 

Though I reviewed at least 4 similar recipes at blogs, I have to admit I got the idea for the name of these biscuits from sweet Tonya at 4 little Fergusons. I know this recipe is all over the internet, in different forms and fashions for making them. I made up my own measurements and the process for shaping them into biscuits.

So...this is my version and we love it. When I helped in a college kitchen this past summer, cooking for about 100 teens, this recipe was made 3 times in

2 weeks. 

Great to serve with breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Would be awesome with beef stew over them or just on the side. 

YOU.WANT.SOME!!! 

KILLER 7-UP BISCUITS

6 Tb. butter, sliced

2-1/2 c. Bisquick

(I use Heart Smart)

1/2 c. sour cream

(or Greek yogurt)

1/2 c. (diet) 7-up, room temperature

Preheat oven to 450*. As you are preheating, melt the butter in a 9" X 9" baking dish in the oven, watching closely so it simply melts, and not browns. (It could burn when baking the biscuits if overdone).

In large bowl, place Bisquick, sour cream and 7-Up.  Mix with fork until blended. 

Flour your hands. Make 9 biscuits, placing on top of butter, and patting down some, re-flouring your hands as you form each one. (It isn't necessary that the pan be totally filled.) 

Bake about 12 - 15 minutes or until top is browned.

No need to serve with butter as the crust will take care of that part for you. 

I remove one at a time from the pan when serving. 

Reheat in oven or toaster oven...if you have any left.  We even enjoy them cold.

Linked to Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck 
Gooseberry Patch - 5 Ingredients or less 
Full Plate Thursday
Meal Plan Monday

German Baked Beans

As the food columnist for a local newspaper, each year I GET to serve beans to folks on the street (sidewalk, actually) in celebration of the town's Bean Days! It happens every 3rd weekend in July.

I filled an 18-qt. roasting pan with these yummy beans.  I made this recipe 6X over. 

It's an easy recipe to throw together.

I chose this recipe this year, and hadn't even made it first.  One of my favorite bean recipes includes sauerkraut, and this one included applesauce too.  I figured that could only sweeten it up.

There were MANY folks who said these beans were the best (there were 11 businesses serving them). The beans sweeten the sauerkraut, and they are delicious together. 

I got the recipe from a local newspaper a long time ago. I also added smoked sausage and onion, as I love both of those flavors in my beans.

We normally serve over 200 samples, but because of this year's high heat and humidity, we only served about 150+. So I got to bring some home for my hubby, whose nickname is BEAN, to enjoy.  Though he's diabetic and can't eat much at one time because of the sugar content. 

This recipe is a keeper and I hope you and your family will enjoy it sometime soon.  This dish would be awesome to take to a potluck, picnic, or reunion. 

GERMAN BAKED BEANS

2 (15 ozs) cans pork and beans

(I used half canned baked beans)

1 (14 ozs) can sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

1 c. unsweetened applesauce

1/2 c. brown sugar 

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground mustard 

1/2 - 1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced

Preheat oven to 400* 

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to a 2-qt. baking dish, coated with nonstick cooking spray.  

Bake uncovered for 1 - 1-1/2 hours (or cook in crockpot on low for 4 - 5 hours)

Yield: 8 servings

Linked to Foodie Friends Friday 
Gooseberry Patch Roundup - Octoberfest
Weekend Potluck
Meal Plan Monday
Full Plate Thursday

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert & Weekend Potluck #77

WELCOME TO WEEKEND POTLUCK!

And...

When I share something worth sharing...again

A great make-ahead summertime dessert using ice cream sandwiches.        It's a real knock out!

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert 

Sadly, the top three recipes with the most clicks from last week's recipe party did not link back. Please remember that if you want to be featured, we need a little link within your post. If you don't want to be featured... well... carry on as usual. *-*
 

The recipe with the most clicks (and a link back) was ~

Gooey Cookies and Cream Bars by With a Blast/p>

Recipes that caught our attention ~

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork by Cooking Mimi

Black Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies by Flavors by Four

And, a personal favorite ~

Healthy Coffee Shake  by Mercy is New

Your hostesses ~

• The Country Cook~ Brandie
• Frugal Family Favorites ~ Tabitha
• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Sunflower Supper Club ~ Kim & Julie
• 4 Little Fergusons~ Tonya

Remember that when you link up, it shows on all FIVE blogs. Plus…

We TWEET. We PIN. We LIKE.

Linky Guidelines:

If you wish to be a featured recipe or for us to promote your recipe either on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you MUST follow these instructions.

1. Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.
2. LINK BACK HERE from your post so that others can find the fun. (Need help linking back? Read this or watch this great instructional video.) You can use a direct link within your post.

When you are kind enough to follow our guidelines, we work hard to get you as much exposure as possible so that your time here is well invested. We want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone!