Friday, April 16, 2010

MORE BAKE SALE IDEAS! CANDY & COOKIES - YUM-O!

This is such a delicious and easy cookie with only two ingredients!  How much easier can it get?? It is fun for the kids to make, and sells fast at a bake sale. A wonderfully quick recipe for an enjoyable treat. 

credit:
Pink Sherbet Photography


CHOCOLATE - PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES

1-15 oz. roll refrigerated ready-to-slice peanut butter cookie dough
48 miniature peanut butter cup candies

Preheat oven to 350. Slice cookie dough into 3/4" slices.  Cut each slice into quarters. 
Place each quarter into ungreased mini muffin pan. 
Bake 8 - 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately
press an unwrapped peanut butter cup gently and evenly into cookie.  Cool before removing from pan.  Refrigerate until firm.  Recipes makes 4 dozen cookies.

I also make this with chocolate chip cookie dough.

Source: Southern Living Magazine, January, 1985


CANDY BAR COOKIE SQUARES

1 - 18 ozs. pkg. yellow (or chocolate) cake mix
1/2 cup pkg. brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
3 snicker bars (2.07 ozs ea), chopped

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together and bake in an ungreased 9" X 13" pan
for 25 - 30 minutes.  Cool; cut into squares.
(Feel free to use any kind of candies you have!)

credit: ttarasiuk

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

ROASTED ASPARAGUS...AND MORE!

credit: woodleywonderworks

'Tis the season for thinking about spring 'crops'...like asparagus.

We love to eat it fresh-roasted and I wanted to share this simple recipe idea.  I'm also including a link below for a combo of different veggies.  Sounds yummy to me!  My friend Lois loves to roast assorted veggies together and it's a wonderful dish!

Use about 2# of fresh asparagus spears - bend them toward the bottom and they'll break off where the tough part begins (I learned that from food network and it works great!) Wash and dry the stalks; spread them out, in a single layer, on a cookie sheet. Drizzle a couple of Tablespoonsful of olive oil over them - stir around so it all gets coated - then sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Depending on the size of the stalk, bake at 400 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes, turn the asparagus over, then roast until tender - 12 - 15 minutes longer. 

We love to eat these with our fingers right off our plates.  Try them - you'll like them!
Another recipe I devour quickly is an asparagus casserole.  I'll share that one soon too.

Don't forget to check out the recipe below too.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Monday, April 12, 2010

MAKE IT A MEATLESS MONDAY!

OK Gals - I wanted to suggest that you try a meatless meal, and the soup below is a great dish to 'build around'.  It's a good way to get enough vegetables for the day, and helps you to stay frugal. Maybe you could choose one day out of the month to enjoy a meatless meal??  I enjoy ordering the '4 vegetables' on the menu at Cracker Barrel - and I certainly need to eat more veggies.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

We enjoyed this soup (my revisions below) along with fresh tomato, cucumber and onion salad - topped with our favorite Ranch dressing.  And a side of cottage cheese too.  You could add a muffin, or even a grilled cheese sandwich.  And a cookie or pudding for dessert would top it off nicely. 

This is how I made my soup...just in case you want an easier option...
  • I used a bag and a half of frozen broccoli instead of fresh
  • I sauteed chopped onion, celery and carrot in olive oil, then added the chicken broth - brought it to a boil, then added the broccoli, and allowed it to simmer atleast 15 minutes, or until tender. 
  • I used the amount of chicken broth called for, but reduced the cream by half.  I also used half the amount of cheese too - it was plenty!
  • I made a roux, by melting 3 Tb. butter, then adding enough flour to whisk in until you have a thick paste.  I added the cream to that mixture, whisking as you go, and then the cheese, stirring until it melts.  Add to the broth and vegetables when it's time.
  • Instead of whirring the soup in a blender, we prefer a hearty soup, so I just mashed the cooked veggies with a hand held potato masher.  It leaves smaller chunks, and gives you something to bite into when enjoying.
  • If you wanted to add meat, I suggest cooked chicken or even diced ham.  Would make a great one-dish meal!

I found this info at the WebMD site...
Go Meatless More Often



Eating vegetarian meals more often is a slimming habit, according to WebMD's "recipe doctor," Elaine Magee, MPH, RD. Vegetarians weigh up to 20% less than meat eaters. While there are several reasons for this, legumes play an important role. Bean burgers, lentil soup, and other tasty legume-based foods are simply packed with fiber. Most Americans get only half of this important nutrient, which fills you up with fewer calories.

Friday, April 2, 2010

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