Smothered Bacon Green Beans

Ingredients:
4 cans of cut green beans, 14.5 ounces each
10 slices of bacon cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1/4 cup of light brown sugar
1/4 cup of butter
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 teaspoon of salt

Instructions:
Pour all ingredients into large pot and stir gently to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Enjoy!

Tawnya

First, let me thank my precious family for their willingness to try all the recipes I throw together, using whatever I can find, just to avoid going to the grocery store.  You are such good sports and you have my whole heart.  I couldn’t bring myself to fight the crowd at the grocery store today, so I took a stab at homemade pizza crust.  Did I have the classic ingredients to top a pizza, like pepperoni and, I don’t know, actual pizza sauce… NO!  But I did have spaghetti sauce and seasoned chicken.  I added a ton of mozzarella and a bit of parm and BOOM… we had pizza!  The real story here is the Homemade Pizza Crust.  It was super simple and pretty tasty and I’ll definitely be making it again.  And, who knows, I might even use actual pizza sauce next time.  🙂  Have a super great day!

Homemade Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
2-3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 to 1 cup water

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add olive oil to water.  Pour into dry ingredients.

Using dough hook, mix dough on low to medium speed for about 3 minutes.  Dough should be soft, but not too sticky.  If it seems stiff, add a bit more water.

Lay dough on a floured surface and roll to desired thickness.  No need to roll perfectly.

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.  Carefully lay rolled dough onto baking sheet.

Add sauce and desired toppings.  Bake 15-20 minutes.  Baking time will vary depending on thickness of crust.  Enjoy!

Note:  Use all the fabulous toppings you’d like!  I just raided my fridge and freezer and used whatever I could find.  I used spaghetti sauce in place of pizza sauce for goodness sakes, and it totally worked.  Have fun!

(Recipe Source:  Learning As I Go Tips)

♥Tawnya

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies…  Now, pumpkin, I totally get, but where does Whoopie Pie fit in?  Let’s do a bit of research, shall we?  The nerd in me is loving this part, so thank you for humoring me…  It is believed the first Whoopie Pie was made in the 1920s.  Some give the Amish credit for making the original pie – chocolate cake-like cookies with a vanilla cream center.  An old Amish legend says that children would squeal with delight and yell “whoopee” when they saw they were getting one of these treats.  Over the years, there has been some variation in flavors, but the appearance and shape has remained the same.

I think I’ve tried one of every Whoopie Pie out there and I love them all.  What’s not to love…  a little sandwich cookie cake smothered in a filling I could just sit and eat by the spoonful and, besides, the name makes me giggle. 🙂  Pumpkin is my favorite, though, hands down!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15 ounce can of pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:
8 ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of cinnamon (or more to taste)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (first eight items).

Beat together the brown sugar, white sugar, oil and canned pumpkin.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.

Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Using a pastry bag with a round tip or a zip-top bag with one corner snipped, pipe out circles of batter, starting from the middle and working outward.  Circles of batter should measure about two inches in diameter.

Bake for 11 minutes.

While the cookies are baking and cooling, make the filling.  Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth, followed by the powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.  Pipe filling onto one cookie, then place another cookie on top to make a sandwich.  Enjoy!

(Recipe Source:  Pinterest)
(History Source:  leaf.tv)

♥Tawnya

Just look at this one pan wonder!  Ranch Style Bean Casserole…  It’s one of the most kid friendly meals around.  It’s my Mom’s recipe and was the only dish I knew how to make when I first got married.  I made it a lot!  Thank the Lord Bryan loved it and me!  Look at those cute little spaghettios.  How cool is it that you can buy spaghettios in fun little shapes, too!?!  I do believe I saw Star Wars shapes just the other day.  When my girls were small, we stood in the grocery store staring at spaghettios for what seemed like hours trying to decide what shapes to buy.  We usually ended up with SpongeBob and Princess shapes.  Oh, they were so excited!  Kid friendly meals are the best and this one is quick and simple!  If the kids love it (and your husband loves it), it’s a keeper for sure!

Ranch Style Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 can original spaghettios in tomato and cheese sauce
1 can Ranch Style Beans
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

Cook and drain ground beef.  Add remaining ingredients.  (I add about 1/8 cup of water, but this is optional).  Let simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes or so.  That’s it!  No really…  that’s it!  Enjoy!  🙂

♥Tawnya

Chicken Fried Cheese Burgers, yep, you read that right!  When your average, run of the mill cheeseburger just won’t do, kick it up a notch and chicken fry it.  Sometimes you have to go hard, right?  Now, we don’t do this often, but at times it’s just necessary to fry something.  Suddenly my favorite lines from Sweet Home Alabama are running through my head.  🙂  My Mom made these fabulous burgers in her kitchen.  Sometimes she even smothered them in her famous gravy.  It doesn’t get much better!  Try them and see!  Now, you’ll have to excuse me.  I feel my day will not be complete if I don’t turn on Sweet Home Alabama and, of course, fry something!  🙂  I hope your day is wonderful!

Chicken Fried Cheese Burgers

Ingredients for 4 burgers:

1 pound ground beef
Your favorite burger seasonings
(I use salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and seasoned salt or creole seasoning)
Flour for dredging
Milk
Egg
Oil for frying
Sliced cheese
Hamburger buns
All your favorite burger toppings

Instructions:

Add oil to a skillet and set temperature to medium heat.  I use an electric skillet set to 350 degrees.  Now, do be careful.  The oil becomes quite hot.

Add ground beef and seasonings to a bowl and use your hands to mash until well combined.  Form patties and set aside.

Add flour to a bowl.  To a separate bowl, add milk, egg, salt and pepper and mix with a fork until egg is broken and ingredients are well combined.

For dredging:  Take one hamburger patty at a time and dip into milk until completely coated, then remove.  Lay patty into bowl of flour and, sort of, toss the flour over it until completely coated on both sides, then remove.  Repeat, once more, by placing back into milk mixture and then into flour.

Very carefully place dredged hamburger patty into hot oil.  Fry until each side is golden brown – about 3-5 minutes per side.  Remove from oil and place on plate lined with a paper towel.  Immediately place sliced cheese on each patty and it will melt to perfection.  Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings or slathered in your Mom’s famous gravy!  Either way will be a lot of chicken fried wonderful!  I promise!  Enjoy!

♥Tawnya

Because, when your youngest baby is feeling super yucky and asks for Chocolate Covered Strawberries, you make Chocolate Covered Strawberries… even if it is 10:00pm.  🙂

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Ingredients:

1 pound ripe strawberries
1- 12 ounce package chocolate chips
4 tablespoons shortening

Instructions: 

Line baking sheet with wax paper.  Add chocolate chips and shortening to a microwave safe bowl and melt  according to directions on chocolate chip package.  Carefully dip strawberries into melted chocolate twisting and turning until entirely covered.  Place on cookie sheet.  When all strawberries are dipped, place baking sheet into fridge allowing chocolate to cool and set.  Enjoy!

These are so much fun to decorate!  These were a pretty quick fix with no decorating involved but, next time, I’ll make them fancy.  Strawberries dipped in milk chocolate are Kylee’s favorite.  I LOVE white chocolate dipped!  Tint your leftover white chocolate to make a wonderful, colorful drizzle.  Sprinkles are the best, too!  Anything goes; they’ll be fabulous and fun!

(Recipe Source:  Crème De La Crumb)

♥Tawnya

Monday, April 24, 2017

Oreo Truffles…. fun and fabulous little drops of goodness!  They’re addictive, and I might have eaten too many; I sort of stopped counting after, oh, I don’t know, six.  I couldn’t help myself!  I had to try a milk chocolate one, then a white chocolate one.  I had to try one in little bites, and then I had to try eating one whole.  It was necessary… for quality control.  The really cool thing about these is, they’re even better the next day.  The not so cool thing is when you dream about them all day at work, have big plans to indulge the moment you get home, and find crumbs.  What!?!  Who does that! 🙂  These glorious wonders are perfect for sweet, little school parties or family gatherings.  They’re Kaylenn’s favorite, so I made them for her birthday.  The recipe makes a ton and they’re cute and irresistible.  Try them!  You know you want to! 🙂  I hope your day is dreamy!

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients:

1 package of Oreo cookies
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 cups white chocolate chips
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, divided

Instructions:

Crush the Oreos until finely ground.  Transfer 3 cups of Oreo crumbs to a bowl and add the cream cheese.  Using a spoon, press the cream cheese and then stir until it is completely mixed into the Oreo crumbs and you have a soft, homogeneous mixture.  Scoop about a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball.  Place on a wax paper lined baking sheet.  Once you have scooped all the dough, place baking sheet into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until firm.

In a small bowl, microwave the milk chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of shortening in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth.  Repeat with white chocolate chips & remaining 2 tablespoons of shortening.

Working with one Oreo ball at a time, dip it into the melted chocolate and roll it around to cover completely.  Use a fork to remove it from the chocolate allowing excess chocolate to drip off.  Place the dipped truffle back on the wax paper lined sheet.  Repeat with all truffles and return baking sheet to refrigerator for another 30 minutes.

Use extra chocolate and Oreo crumbs for decorating.  Store in refrigerator.  Enjoy!

(Slightly adapted from The Brown Eyed Baker)

♥Tawnya

Saturday, February 18, 2017

Today I made Cinnamon Rolls for the first time ever and I’m super excited!  The thought of making them from scratch has always terrified me a little, until I came across this recipe by The Stay at Home Chef.  My world is forever changed. 🙂  They were so easy to make and so good!  I ate my cinnamon roll and the rest of Kylee’s while she wasn’t looking.  I couldn’t help myself.  I’m thinking this will be my new Saturday morning tradition.  My family loves cinnamon rolls and it makes me so happy to make them in my own kitchen.   Try them – you’ll be so glad you did!  I hope you’ve had a wonderful Saturday!

 Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:
Dough:
1 cup warm milk (30-40 seconds in microwave)
1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Glaze:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup salted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs.  Add in flour.  Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on to a low speed.
2. Once the flour starts to incorporate into the dough, increase the speed to a medium range.  Add more flour as necessary so that the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  The dough mixture should be tacky, but not stick to your hands.  It should be soft.  Add more or less flour until the dough reaches the desired consistency.  The amount of flour you add in bread making is always an approximation and you should go by feel.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl.  Cover with a towel and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
4. Lay dough on a clean surface.  Punch down the dough and roll into a 12 inch by 18 inch rectangle.
5. Brush the dough with 1/2 cup melted butter.  In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle on top of the melted butter.  Roll up tightly lengthwise so you have one long roll.  Use plain dental floss or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 one-inch slices.
6. Place the slices onto a lightly greased 9×13 pan.  Cover and let rise 30-45 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Bake the rolls for about 14 minutes, until just kissed with brown on top.
8. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the cream cheese glaze by using a hand mixer to whip together the cream cheese and butter in a bowl until light and fluffy.  Whip in powdered sugar and vanilla extract.  Add enough milk to achieve a drizzle-like consistency.
9. Frost the rolls while still warm.  Serve immediately or cool and store.  Stays good for 4-5 days.

Note:  I baked my cinnamon rolls for 30 minutes.  I took them out of the oven when they had a kiss of brown, just as the recipe from The Stay at Home Chef instructed.  They were just right!  Enjoy!

♥Tawnya

Thursday, February 9, 2017

There are lots of chicken spaghetti recipes out there, but my heart will always belong to my Mom’s.  It’s my favorite.  My Mom’s Chicken Spaghetti is creamy and wonderful and just plain perfect on a day like today.  It’s quick and easy, so in no time at all I was wrapped up warm and cozy watching CSI: Miami with a big bowl of this instant comfort in my hands.  Life is rough! 🙂  Happy Thursday, everyone!  Wishing you a warm and cozy evening.

Mom’s Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

6 chicken tenderloins, cut into bite sized pieces
12 cups of water (or less for a thicker consistency)
1/2 stick of butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
16 ounces of spaghetti, uncooked
1 can Cream of Chicken
1 can Cream of Celery
8 ounces Velveeta, cubed

Instructions:

Add chicken, water, butter, salt and pepper to pot and cook on high heat until water begins to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until chicken is cooked and tender.  Return to boil, add spaghetti and cook according to package directions.  Once spaghetti is tender, add Cream of Chicken, Cream of Celery, and Velveeta.  Stir to combine.  Cook on medium-low heat until cheese is melted.  Enjoy!

♥Tawnya

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

There’s no denying my total excitement when I came across this Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe.  I am slightly hooked on Chinese food, and Sweet and Sour Chicken just happens to be my favorite.  Never in a million years did I think I could make it at home, but I can, and I did!  This recipe is super easy and super fabulous and perfectly sweet and sour!  Pair it with this amazing Fried Rice and you’re Chinese take-out dinner is served.  Try it!  You’ll be totally excited, too!  I just know it!  Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Cooked rice for serving

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cut the chicken breasts into small bite-sized cubes.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a pie plate or similarly shallow bowl, add cornstarch.  In another pie plate, add the beaten egg.

Dip each piece of chicken into the cornstarch and then dip into the eggs.  Set aside.

In a large pan, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add the chicken, in batches as needed.  Brown the chicken.  You are only browning, not cooking the chicken.

Place chicken in a 9×13 baking dish.

In a medium bowl, add the sugar, ketchup, white vinegar, soy sauce and garlic salt.  Stir to combine and pour over the chicken evenly.

Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Serve over rice and enjoy!

(Recipe Source:  Chef Mommy)

♥Tawnya