Pinwheel Jello Flowers

(PSSST!  My Butternut Squash Bake was featured at this linky party this week - yippeee!  Check it out...other delicious recipes there I MUST try soon...A Themed Baker's Sunday - Imagine that!)

 A BAKER'S Sunday!! *-*

Onto the recipe of the day...

This is such a FUN recipe!

I made these lovely 'bouquets' for our Thanksgiving table centerpieces.

I've also made them for wedding showers and graduation open houses.

It's easy to use a color theme if need be, or just make it colorful

in the ways you want.

Having green and red 'flowers' for the holidays would add a nice touch.

They're easier to make than you probably think....the hardest part is getting folks to EAT THEM!

Seems no one wants to destroy the 'bouquet'.

Two simple ingredients...three, if you want to count the water.

Jello & Marshmallows!

(Gotta tell you a quick story here...I use to be a cook for a Christian school and preschool.  I would fix lunch for up to 70 students and teachers.  One time when I typed up a new grocery list, without thinking, I automatically typed MARSHAmallows.  The staff loved to tease me and often called me MarshAmallow after that=)

I made a smaller plateful for the kid's table too.  I think they

only ate one, but there was a lot of curiosity & conversation about them anyway.

 Just remember that sugar free jello doesn't work for this recipe...it's gotta be the sugar full. 

Give 'em a try.  They're impressive because they look like they take a lot of work, but in actuality, they don't. 

PINWHEEL JELLO FLOWERS  

1 (3 ozs) box jello, regular, not sugar free

1/2 c. hot water

12 lg. marshmallows or 1-1/2 c. mini marshmallows

In a large microwaveable bowl, place jello along with hot water.  Microwave for 1 minute on high; stir until dissolved, then add marshmallows; microwave 1-1/2 minutes more, then stir until totally melted.  This takes a few minutes. Pour the mixture into a greased 8" square pan.  (I normally use oil). Refrigerate until set - about 45 minutes.  The marshmallows will rise to the top. 

Cut into strips about 1/4 - 1/2" wide, and roll up into a 'flower'.

The mixture is pretty strong so don't worry about pulling on it. Just be gentle as possible.  I lay it on a piece of waxed paper, then roll it up and add it to my 'bouquet'. 

To make 'stems' and 'leaves';

dissolve 1 sm. box of green jello with 3/4 c. boiling water.  Stir until dissolved. Pour into oiled 8" square pan or pie plate; chill until set.  Cut into desired pieces and add to your bouquet.

Don't worry about them being perfect - Only God can do that! *^*

They really are quite tasty - if you can get your family/guests to eat them!

I MUST ADD A NOTE HERE....

One of my sis-in-loves tried this and I had to share her ideas and picture.  She put waxed paper in the bottom of the pan, lightly greased it, and after it set, took it out of the pan and cut the strips with a pizza cutter!  Seems like she's always teaching me something!  =)

This was the comment she left me at Facebook....

Really ez and very quick work with the pizza cutter too! I'll bet a mini leaf cookie cutter would make some great leaves too. Thanks for posting, I'm sure I'll make this again!!! =)

Linked to

Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Totally Tasty Tuesday
My Thirty Spot Holiday Blog Hop
Gooseberry Patch Roundup
Weekend Potluck
Freedom Fridays
Meal Plan Monday

Rich Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips

After seeing this...my December calendar page...I knew I would have to begin the month with a chocolate chip cookie recipe. 

SO Come along...my Chocolate Chip Friends....

Thanks once again for taking time to visit my blog.

Honestly, I have so many cookie recipes in my drafts, and am hoping to share them this busy month of baking.

So this is just a 'taste' of more to come....

I am a Cookie Monster and love trying new recipes. I hope you'll join me in doing that this month also.

MMMMMMM! 

Give me a glass of milk and sit me down - QUICK!

These cookies are calling my name...LOUDLY!

I love cookies, especially with the combination of peanut butter and chocolate.

This recipe would be another good one to consider making for a cookie exchange or for gift giving.

I love that you dip the tops of these cookies in sugar - it adds a little sparkle to the holiday.  You could even try red or green sugar?

This recipe makes a small batch (about 2 dozen) so if you just want a few cookies to satisfy that sweet tooth, these would be a great choice.

RICH PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

1 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1-1/4 c. all purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. chocolate (or peanut butter) chips

granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375. Place brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and egg in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, or mix with spoon.  Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Shape dough into 1-1/2-inch balls . Dip tops of balls in granulated sugar.  Place balls, sugared sides up, about 3" apart on UNgreased cookie sheet (do not flatten).

Bake 9 - 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Yield: about 2 dozen cookies

Linked to Bake with Bizzy

No Peek Chicken

This is a great family meal and oh-so TASTY!
If you're looking for easy and delicious...look no further.

THIS IS JUST WHAT YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR!

It's a wonderful dish to prepare early in the day and have ready to put in the oven after lunchtime. You'll have about 3 hours to get other things done while it's baking.

I made this often for my family as our kids were growing up, and we still enjoy it.

It was always a great dish to cook in the oven on Sundays while we were at church.

STILL IS! 

I LOOOVE walking into a house that smells wonderful and has dinner ready and waiting for us.

I made this recipe the last time I visited our daughter...it's a good reminder of great meals past...cherished meals together.

Though I have to say, we rarely ever ate chicken breasts when we had kids at home. I was reminded of that recently when I saw chicken legs on sale for 49 cents a lb. if you buy 10#.

Those are the kinds of sales we ALWAYS looked for back then.

Hubby prefers the breasts and now we can live a little 'higher on the chicken'. =)

Feel free to use legs or thighs. It turns out wonderful either way.
The chicken will be very tender and the gravy that it makes is wonderful with the rice.

Add a salad or veggie and your family will think you are wonderful!

Use whatever soups you have on hand, or whatever your family prefers.

It's easy enough to change it up to your likings. 

Try it...you'll like it...you may even LOVE it...like we do!

NO PEEK CHICKEN

1-1/2 c. instant rice, uncooked

6 chicken breasts

1 (10-3/4 ozs) can cream of celery (or chicken) soup
1 (10-3/4 ozs) can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. water

1/2 - 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 300. Grease 9" X 13" baking dish. Place rice in bottom; cover with chicken pieces. Mix soups together with water; pour over the chicken and rice, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the onion soup mix over the top. Bake  covered  for 2-1/2 - 3 hours.

Serves 5 - 6

And don't forget....NO PEEKING!

Simple Apple Dumplings {Family Favorite}

My dear mama made apple dumplings often when we 4 kids were growing up. Some Saturdays, she'd bake all day long - mostly pies - but would make apple dumplings too, and that's what we'd have for Sat. night dinner.

We had NO clue how spoiled we were!!

My mom's sisters and families would come for a visit from an hour away, and mom would do all the hard work of making pies from scratch, and dumplings too.  Her sisters brought pies and cakes, but mom was the 'official' pie maker in my family. 

She labored long hours making the crust from scratch, rolling out the dough, cutting the squares and wrapping them around the apple slices, sprinkled with cinnamon/sugar. 

As much as I appreciate her labors, and recipes, I think I have discovered an easier way to make dumplings!

The comment I put in my cookbook recipe notes for this dish, says I won't ever use another apple dumpling recipe after trying this one.

This is the best. So yummy with little work.

Crescent rolls are such a versatile ingredient and they add to the ease and heartbreakingly deliciousness of this dessert.

 

Since my hubby is diabetic, and I rarely make anything using the full sugar amounts, I do use Splenda, so this is a favorite because I can use diet soda as well. 

I have also used diet 7-Up instead of the Mt. Dew.

One of my sis-in-loves, Vicki, who is an awesome cook herself, says this makes the best 'sauce' of any other dumpling recipe she's tried.

Bake them in the morning and then reheat to serve if you'd like. We have always liked ours with a little milk in the bowl, but of course, they're terrific with ice cream too.

Really no need to drizzle some caramel syrup since the sauce adds great flavor.

Give 'em a try!  You won't be sorry at all.

Maybe they'll become a favorite at your house like they are at ours.

ENJOY EVERY TASTY BITE!!!

SIMPLE APPLE DUMPLINGS

8 Granny Smith, or any baking apple

(I prefer galas - use your favorite)

2 - 8 ozs pkgs. (reduced-fat) refrigerated crescent rolls

2 sticks butter

(I cut back to 1)

1-1/2 c. sugar

(I use 3/4 c. xylitol)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 - 12 ozs. can Mt. Dew soda

(I use diet 7-Up or Sprite)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9" X 13" baking dish.  Peel and halve apples.  Separate crescent rolls; roll up apples in crescent rolls from big end to little end. Place in prepared pan. In small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. In saucepan, melt butter; add sugar/cinnamon mixture. Pour mixture over the apples, then pour the Mt. Dew around all the dumplings.  Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until apples are tender.  Serve warm with ice cream or milk.

Tip: I cover the pan with foil after 30 minutes as the rolls tend to brown too much after that length of time in the oven.

Linked to Crazy Sweet Tuesday
                 Totally Tasty Tuesday
            Tea Party Tuesday
        Bake with Bizzy
                Fit & Fabulous Friday
   Recipe of the Week
    Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party
Ingredient Spotlight
Weekend Potluck

Cheesey Chicken Chowder

                                                                                  

(Since this is one of our family favorites, I'm reposting an older post) -

This is a MUST-TRY, especially during colder weather... soup seems to warm us inside and out. It's truly comfort food.

And a wonderful recipe to help use up some of that leftover turkey.

Someone recently asked me the difference between soup and chowder.  I said I thought that chowder is thicker.

What do you think?

This is another recipe that has been published in two of the American Profile cookbooks and in their nationwide publication. I have a friend who lives on the West coast and she got to see this recipe in print before I did!

 

I received notes from women (unknown to me) from out of state, and even a long distance phone call letting me know how much they enjoyed this delicious recipe, after reading it in American Profile.

What a kick!!!

This is my 'go to' recipe when I need something in a hurry (I keep cooked, diced chicken ready in the freezer).  This is the dish I take most often to a grieving family or to someone ill.

And I always! get raves.  It's really quite simple - you can choose to use frozen veggies if you want something quicker. 

Because it is a thicker soup, I've been known to add more milk to stretch it to feed more mouths.

Serve with a salad or sandwich and you're all set to enjoy!

TRY IT...YOU'LL LIKE IT!

CHEESEY CHICKEN CHOWDER

3 cups chicken (reduced-sodium) broth

2 cups diced, peeled potatoes

1 cup each - diced carrots & celery

1/2 cup diced onion

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

(we prefer 1-1/2 cups velveeta)

2 cups diced cooked chicken

2 - 3 Tb. dry chicken soup base, optional

 

In large pan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat.

Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour and mix well with whisk. Gradually stir in milk and cook over low heat until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in cheese and heat until melted.

Add to broth and vegetables along with chicken.

(If using soup base, add now)

Cook and stir over low heat until heated through.

 

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

(When I'm in a hurry, I use frozen hash browns and frozen mixed veggies, along with the fresh chopped celery & onions - cooking the fresh ingredients a few minutes before adding frozen)


Linked to Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Gooseberry Patch Roundup - Soups
Meal Plan Monday