500 Fans & a Giveaway!! (Update & Winner!)

CONGRATS & HURRAY!  The winner of the first item (cookbook) in this giveaway goes to comment #1 - silbook.

Winner #2 - the holiday recipe cards goes to
comment #14 - catfish_kisses@yahoo.com

Please contact me within 48 hours.


YAHOOOOOOOOOOOIE!!!

I am SOOO doggone beside myself to know I actually have 500 'likes' at Facebook!

That absolutely blows.my.mind!

THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOOO MUCH!  You are the best and I am honored that you are willing to be a follower of my blog.

I decided a while back that if/when the time came to reach 500 fans, I would use this lovely Taste of Home Christmas cookbook as a giveaway, and a second giveaway would include these cool holiday recipe cards that are

4" X 6".

The cookbook has gorgeous photos and recipes like...

- Cranberry Sweet Potato Bake

- Gingerbread Pancakes

- Praline French Toast

- Coffee Punch

- Cookies 'n' Cream Fudge

- Eggnog Fruit Bread...

and MUCH more!

YES!  There's going to be TWO gifts!

#1 -The cookbook and #2 - two sets of lovely holiday recipe cards.

The first name chosen will win the cookbook...the second will win the cards.

There are only 2 things you HAVE to do to enter.

1. Must be a Fan of Recipes & Recollections from The Better Baker at Facebook.

2. I want to know about one recipe I have posted that you have made or you want to make.

**For an EXTRA entry....

Become a Follower of The Better Baker blog, then come back here and tell me.

LADIES & GENTLEMEN...START YOUR OVENS....ER, UH....RATHER...

LET THE COMMENTS BEGIN....

(Be sure to leave your email address if need be)

(Winner will be chosen next Monday, August 15th)
Contest will close at noon.

SPREAD THE WORD PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

Fun Summer Day Cooking & Crafting at Nana's

Summer slips by so quickly...and somehow those grandkids seem to grow more in the summertime.

HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?

Earlier in the summer, I began planning a day to spend with granddaughters, Charlie (12) & Chloe (10), so we could make memories in the kitchen, before they went back to school. They live just a few minutes from us and that makes it so nice!

What a fun day we enjoyed!  We were VERY productive too!

The first thing they did was make a dessert for them to take home, using swiss cake rolls. It was filled with pudding and needed to set. They cut the rolls into 1/8's and lined the bottom of sides of a springform pan.
(I lightly greased the pan first)

TA-DA!!!

Click here for a copy of the Chocolate Swirl Delight recipe at Taste of Home.

They enjoyed 'octopus & seaweed' for lunch....they loved it!

(ramen noodles tinted green)

It's difficult to see, but this octopus had a ketchup smile & eyes...or you could use mustard.

For instructions for making Octopus and Seaweed click here

And for dessert, I surprised them with 'fish sticks' (vanilla sugar wafer cookies coated with peanut butter, then dipped in crushed corn flakes) and mini burgers (mint pattie between two vanilla wafers - red frosting(ketchup)...white frosting(mayo)...and coconut tinted green for the 'lettuce')

We made paper towel butterflies and they took a 'flock' of them home...

For instructions for Paper Towel Butterflies at Skip to My Lou, click here

We also tried our hand at making tissue paper flowers.  The girls are soo crafty and talented I often feel like they're teaching me!  They did a beautiful job!

To watch a simple video with instructions for making these flowers, click here

(I'm a very visual person and seeing this made it so much easier to do)

We also made homemade ice cream...outside.  A simple and fun recipe in the "Kid's Corner" of my cookbook, and one I love to share. The girls often ask to make this cooling recipe - it's just too fun!

KID-FRIENDLY ICE CREAM IN A BAG

1 c. light cream (I used half vanilla flavored creamer) MM!

3 Tb. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

qt. size ziplock freezer bag

2 gallon size ziploc freezer bags

crushed ice

rock salt

Mix first 3 ingredients together and pour into the qt. bag. Squeeze the air out and place it into a gallon bag (for safety sake). Squeeze out the air and seal. In the bottom of the second gallon bag, place some ice cubes and rock salt.  Place the other bags on top, then fill in the sides with more layers of ice cubes and rock salt so that it is higher than the level of cream. Then this is what you do...(it took us about 10+ minutes)

and this is what we got...

...with chocolate syrup on top...

Next....

I love recipes that require the kiddos to unwrap candies, so we made Rolo Brownie Bites with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting.  OH MY!

These were simple to make and very tasty.

Photo credit: Cook Lisa Cook

Check out this cool recipe at Cook Lisa Cook

A.MA.ZING!

We also made Cow Pies (Candy)....a simple and easy Taste of Home recipe that even young kids to help with.

Click here for this easy 4-ingredient recipe.

This is a our "Grand Finale" picture with everything we did this fun day...

(Except the ice cream of course, cause it was gone)

We also played a couple of games of Sorry too!

What a sweet memory-making day!  I hope when the girls are grown, and I'm gone to my Heavenly Home, they will treasure these times in their hearts as I do now.  

I think we all slept good that night! *_*

(Eventually, I'll repost these recipes one or two at a time...)

Taco Chicken - Family Favorite

(This awesome recipe has been featured at a couple of linky parties=)

If you like a little zip to your meals, this is a wonderful dish to try.

My favorite ethnic dishes are Mexican.

I can't count the times I've seen friends who haven't crossed my path for some time...years even...and they'd tell me they're having my recipe for taco chicken for dinner, or they had recently enjoyed it. It has simply become laughable!

This is a popular dish and a great one to serve company too!

One of my friends told me she made this recipe -- (from my cookbook) - took it to share with her son and wife, and the 4 of them cleaned up this dishful of 'YUM' - a 9" X 13 panfull!

The crumbs on top and bottom are taco chips - I love that it can be made up a day ahead too.

Try it, I'm guessing you'll think it's 'muy bien'...

(*Update - Feb. 2016 - I recently served this at a potluck in the RV park where we stay here in Florida.  I received 5 THUMBS UP from across the room and came home with an empty dish!! I baked it for just about 2 hours in my 
CASSEROLE CROCKPOT! It was a real winner). 

TACO CHICKEN  

3 - 4 lb. chicken

1 onion, chopped

1 stick margarine

1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes (with green chilies),

drained & mashed

1 (10-3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (10-3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup

1 cup grated cheese

1 (7 oz) bag taco (or nacho) chips - {Doritos}

Boil or bake chicken; remove meat from bones; save 1 cup broth. Preheat oven to 350. In large skillet, saute onion in margarine. Add tomatoes, soups & broth. Heat and cook until thickened. Break 1/2 the chips into the bottom of a greased 9" X 13" X 2" pan, covering the bottom. Layer chicken over chips, then pour soup mixture over the top. Sprinkle remaining chips over chicken, then sprinkle with cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.

Leftovers are great too - if there are any.

 

Linked to 

Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Totally Tasty Tuesday
Wonka Wednesday

Mix It Up Monday
Mop it up Monday
Recipe of the Week
Ingredient Spotlight - Tomatoes
GBP Roundup - Chicken
Weekend Potluck
Meal Plan Monday

'Lightened' Snickers Ice Cream Pie & Happy Birthday Wishes

I decided to share this recipe with you because it's what I'm fixing for my beloved husband's birthday today!

What a precious blessing to have the privilege of growing old with my high school sweetheart!

I still get goosebumps when I look at him. 

He's a Marine...and doesn't break out into a smile very often, but...

I have always adored how he smiles at me with his eyes. And...I love how he smiles when he's surrounded by our grandchildren, like in this picture...

(Daughter Deb's girls...Claira on the left side of the picture...Kaity on the right)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUGARBEAR!

(I like to tease him that I have to feed him sugar-free, because he's already 'sugar-full'=)

When I was ready to make this pie, I couldn't find the frozen non-fat yogurt called for, so I got the sugar-free vanilla ice cream that was availble (Prarie Farms brand is very tasty.)

It only takes a few simple ingredients and you're on your way to a cooling and refreshing treat.

Once the ice cream is softened, this can be mixed up in just a matter of minutes.

I like to leave ripples of peanut butter so I have something to bite into!

We have certainly enjoyed every bite of this tasty dish. Trust you will too!



SNICKERS ICE CREAM PIE
(From The Better Baker)
1 pint (2 cups) vanilla non-fat frozen yogurt, softened
2 TB. chunky peanut butter
1/2 pkg. (1/4 cup) sugar free dry instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup (fat free) frozen whipped topping, thawed
lite chocolate ice cream syrup
In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well - pour into 8" pie pan. (I spray a couple quick sprays with Pam...just to make it easier to get out of the dish). Cover tightly and freeze until set.



Before serving, drizzle 2 tsps. lite chocolate syrup over entire pie.

Note: This was originally a Weight Watchers recipe...using non-fat frozen yogurt.  Serves 8 - 2 points each.

If you have a larger family and want larger portions, feel free to double the recipe and pour into 9" or 10" pie plate.

​


Linked to Fit & Fabulous Friday

Sweet Fellowship at Sweetie-Licious!

I'm so tickled & honored to have had a guest post at The Sweet Details this past weekend...please check it out!

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Recently, I got to experience a darling little bakery in DeWitt, Michigan - 2 hours from my home - Sweetie-Licious is its name.

So tickled that I got to cross this off my 'bucket list' after seeing a write up about this adorable place in the American Profile "Pie it Forward"

The owner, Linda Hundt, has won 14 national awards! Crisco is considering putting her face on their cans! AND...since we were there, Angie has received an email from Linda, saying how sorry she was to miss us, and inviting us back again for the holidays.  How special!

Her motto is "Eat pie, Love life".

I LOVE THAT!

 I was blessed to share in this lovely time with some special friends - two of them being bloggers!

Angie (A'lil Country Sugar) came to one of my booksignings last November...and we've become really good 'buds' ever since!

She only lives about 25 minutes from me, so we are always happy when we can make a lunch date and catch up to each other in person. I've learned more from her than she'll ever know.

Her lovely daughter, Randi, went with us.  Randi wants to be a chef, so she is a girl after our hearts!

(My dear friend Lois went along and was our photographer=)

This was the 3 of us getting ready to eat lunch outside...fun!

from l to r - Me, Angie, Randi

We got to meet - for the very first time! - another blogging friend, Joelle
(Joelle) who took the day off work to come spend time with us!  We had a blast chatting about the 'blog-o-sphere'!

It was an adorable place full of nostalgia and vintage collections....

Most importantly...lots of yummy pies, muffins & cookies - soooo many choices! 

I enjoyed a terrific cherry key lime muffin that was the best!

I brought home a very delicious choco/peanut butter pie - piled high with whipped topping!

Every bit as good as it looks!!

I enjoyed a chocolate cherry brownie while I was there...it tasted like a cherry cordial and was mighty fine!

The sweet fellowship was the best treat of all!

Can't wait to do it again Gals!