Chocolate Choodle Cookies

BEST COOKIES EVER!! That's why I typing it in all caps!! These are the cookies the school makes and our family just loves them!!! This makes about 4 dozen cookies, or more depending on your scoop size!

1 lb. + 1 1/4 oz. butter ~ softened

3 1/2 c. sugar

3 eggs

1 qt. + 1 c. flour

1 5/8 t. cream of tartar

1 5/8 t. baking soda

2/3 c. + 2 t. unsweetened cocoa powder
To roll cookies in...

3 2/3 oz. powdered sugar

Cream butter and sugar together, add eggs. Combine all the dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture. Scoop {we used a #30 scoop, it's about 1 3/4 t.} and roll the dough in powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheet 4x5 and slightly flatten. Bake @ 325°  for 4 minutes, turn, turn then bake another 4 minutes!!

Enjoy!

Chicken Ranch Pasta

This was so good and so easy and again....Justin liked it so that's a huge plus!!! And I got it off Pinterest {I LOVE Pinterest}!!The recipe comes from Plain Chicken as does the yummy picture...

It really turns out as yummy, bacony, and creamy as it looks!!

8 ounces penne pasta

1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp dry ranch dressing seasoning mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
1/3 cup cooked, chopped bacon
2 cups cooked chopped chicken 

In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In same pot melt butter. Add flour and stir. Cook flour for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Continue cooking until sauce thickens. Stir in ranch dressing mix and cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Add chicken, bacon and pasta.  Stir to coat.

Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

This was soooo good!! John  and the kids loved it!! It will be a regular on the menu rotation for sure!!! And it's fairly inexpensive and super easy!!! It comes from The Country Cook, she has alot of great food!  The picture comes from her as well!! If you want a more detailed version of how to layer everything, visit her site to see all her pictures, she goes step-by-step!! 

Ingredients:
It was cheesy, bacony heaven!! We had corn and I made rolls using this recipe!!!
1 (32 oz.) bag frozen tater tots
1 (3 oz.) bag bacon pieces
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk

Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray

Layer half of the frozen tater-tots on the bottom
Sprinkle with a 1/3 of the bacon
Then a 1/3 of the cheese
Add the diced chicken on top and season with salt & pepper {I used some season salt too}
Then 1/3 of the bacon and cheese
Then the rest of the frozen hash browns on top
Finish with the remaining bacon and cheese
Pour the milk over the top
Cook until chicken is 165 degrees

Easy Crockpot Soup

Justin ate two bowls and has requested it twice now so it must be good!! It comes from Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour as do the pictures....it links to all her soups!! 

1 30 oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns 

3 14 oz. cans of chicken broth

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1 pkg. cream cheese {don’t use fat free.  It WON’T melt!!!}

In a crock pot, combine everything EXCEPT for the cream cheese.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat.  About 1 hour before serving, add cream cheese and keep heated until thoroughly melted.  Serve with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, or green onions.

Chicken Ranch Tacos

These were good and fast!! Had  'em for Sunday dinner!! The recipe and picture come from "Do you smell that"? She made hers on the stove top but I threw it in the crock pot and let it go for 4 hours while we were at church!! I followed the version off pinterest and it was very yummy!! Go visit her blog for stove top version.

Chicken tenders ~ I used a full bag of Tyson's and I threw them in frozen
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. ranch mix
1 can chicken broth

taco shells
shredded cheese
shredded lettuce
ranch
salsa
tomatoes
and anything else you like on your taco's

I just dumped in the frozen chicken, sprinkled over the taco seasoning and ranch, then added the chicken broth and let it go for 4 hours. Remove chicken, shred with fork, add back to crock pot until ready to assemble. I just put a scoop of chicken some cheese, lettuce, ranch, and salsa!

Two Timin' Pasta Bake

This was super yummy and super fast!! Another Pinterest find!! Even Justin likes it so ya know it has to be good!! The recipe comes from Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour!! The pictures are her too!! She has TONS of yummy recipes to try!!! Go check her out!!

So here it is.....

Two Timin' Pasta Bake







1 box penne pasta

1 (15 oz.) jar Alfredo sauce

1 (24oz.) jar Marinara sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to directions and drain. Mix the sauces together in a large bowl.

Add the mozzarella and stir to combine.

Then toss in the penne and toss to coat.

Pour pasta into 9x13 baking dish and cook on 350 for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

I made some Amish White Bread {easiest bread EVER} to go with it and it was so yummy!!!

Another Pinterest find!!! Comes from Cravings of a Lunatic and the colorful picture too!!! Go check her out!!

Ingredients:

1  bag of mini marshmallows

10 cups Trix cereal

1/4 cup butter

Instructions:
Place the butter and marshmallows in a glass bowl and pop in the microwave for about 2 to 3 minutes to melt ~ I just did it on the stovetop Stir well. Mix in your trix and stir.

Pour into a large greased pan (9 x 13 or 11 x 11) and press down with a spoon.

Cut into squares ~ the cool lookin' part ;) If you spray your spoon with non stick spray before using it to press down the krispies it works really well. ~ I just buttered my hands and used them

Pepperoni Cheesestick Pizza Roll Ups

Another kid-friendly {easy}, yummy {everyone loved it} dinner!!! Recipe comes from The Girl Who Ate Everything along with the picture!!

1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough
4 cheese sticks, halved
1 (3.5 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
optional - marinara or ranch sauce for dipping

Garlic Butter Glaze:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take each triangle of crescent roll dough and place about 6 pepperoni on the bottom of the triangle. Place half of a cheese stick on top and roll up. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown.

While rolls are cooking, combine the melted butter, Italian seasonings, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl.

When rolls are done remove from the oven and brush with the garlic butter glaze. Serve with marinara or ranch for dipping.

I served a green salad and potato chips {cause my kids think chips are a side dish}.

Cowboy Casserole

Another one from Pinterest!!! These are recipes I have tries and the family has liked!!! This one they loved!! This comes from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary along with the pictures!! She has tons of great things I want to try!!! Like the Dill Pickle Dip found here..................

 http://www.thecuttingedgeofordinary.blogspot.com/2012/03/dill-pickle-dip.html

 Anyway back to the casserole which she says "looks like dog food - tastes delicious"!!!

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped

{I used minced in the jar}
1 can (15.25oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 bag (30 oz) frozen tater tots (I used Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns)

Let the Crispy Crowns sit on the counter to defrost for an hour or so.

In a large skillet cook the onion until tender and translucent. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the beef and cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain the mixture and place into a large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the soup, milk and sour cream. Whisk until smooth. Add to hamburger mixture and stir to combine. Add corn and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Gently mix to combine.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer half of the Crispy Crowns on the bottom, pour the hamburger mixture over the top and then layer with the other half of the Crispy Crowns. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy.

Serve with some jello or green salad and some rolls and it's a yummy dinner!! The leftovers are even better!!

Acorn Cookies

This poor neglected little cooking blog!! Where I have been you ask?? On Pinterest!!! What's Pinterest you may ask?? If you don't know what it is go here.....it will change your life!!

I made these darling, yummy tasting cookies for Thanksgiving and they were gobbles {get it "gobbled"} right up!! And they are super easy!! The recipe and picture was found here at Six in the Suburbs.....





1. Melt 1/2 bag of Mini-Chips {5 second interval in the microwave, stirring really good each time} {I just used a can of already made chocolate frosting}
2. Dip the flat end of the Hershey's Kiss into melted chocolate and top with a bite-size Nutter Butter {I spread a little frosting on the end of each kiss and then stuck cookie on}
3. Dip the flat end of a Mini-Chip into the melted chocolate and stick it to the Nutter Butter {again just used a tiny dab of frosting}

So there are a few different ways to do it!!! And any way you choose will be just yummy!! She also suggests if you have someone with a peanut allergy you can use Nilla Wafers.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough topped Brownies

If you're a fan of raw cookie dough you will love these {and there are no eggs so it's safe to eat}!! I had to hurry and get the cookie dough part on the brownies before I ate the whole bowl! I got the recipe from a dear sweet lady in our ward who made these for a Young Women Activity ~ Kim Arzola! The girls gobbled them right up! I managed to sneak one home to John and he loved them! They were quite easy to do so I made a bunch for a carnival at Halle's school! I am making more tomorrow night so I will snap a picture then!!

Start by making a box brownie mix of your choice, as directed, on the box. Let cool completely!
Then make the.....
Cookie Dough Topping
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 T. milk ( I use evaporated milk)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. flour
Mini chocolate chips {as much as you want}
Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour and mix well. Spread over cool brownies.
I made a cookie sheet full of these by using 2 brownie mixes and tripling the Cookie Dough Topping since I had to make quite a few! They were very yummy!

This was a really good, comforting, easy to make soup!! It comes from Chef Mommy {who sited 365 Days of Crockpot as the source on her blog}! The picture is hers too! Doesn't it look yummy? Well it is/was! The girls loved it, John loved it, Jace thought it was ok {he spotted the celery and it kinda went down hill from there ~ picky kid}, and Justin didn't try {which he wouldn't anyway I'm sure ~ again cause of the celery, little brat}!



4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice
1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half and half (I used fat-free half and half)
1 cup grated carrots (I diced mine) ~ I used the shredded one they have in the bag
1 cup diced celery

Directions:
Combine broth, water, carrots, celery, chicken and rice (along with seasoning packet) in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Take out chicken and shred with two forks and then add back into slow cooker. In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, and flour. In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour mixture by tablespoon to form a roux. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Stir cream mixture into slow cooker and then let cook on low for 15 more minutes. Served with quick baking biscuits! And I usually double recipes but this made enough to feed the family and have a little leftover for John's lunch!

Meatball Sliders

Doesn't happen too often but every once in a while the kids slip something in the grocery cart and I don't catch it!! Usually a candy of some kind!! Well we were in Sam's Club around Superbowl time and Hannah slipped these in the cart...

A huge bag of meatballs! She had a sample of one and decided we needed a whole bag!! {Seriously don't know how I missed that one}! So tonight we had Meatball Sliders! They were pretty yummy!! I didn't have an exact recipe {not really that hard though} but followed this from The Girl Who Ate Everything. The picture is hers too!

24 frozen meatballs, thawed

2 cups marinara sauce
8 ounces sliced provolone or mozzarella {used swiss}
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
24 dinner rolls or 8 hot dog buns cut in thirds {I use the King's Hawaiian Rolls, perfect size}


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9X13 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Warm the meatballs in the marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Separate the dinner rolls or hot dog buns and place one saucy meatball on the bottom roll. Top with mozzarella or provolone. Place the top roll on and push down slightly. Place meatball slider in the pan and continue to assemble the rest of the sliders. Microwave butter in a bowl in the microwave until melted. Add garlic powder and Italian seasonings and mix well. Brush tops of buns with melted butter mixture.
Toast in oven for 8-10 minutes or until toasted. Served with french fries and a green salad!! On the menu for tomorow.....Swedish Meatballs!!

Valentine's Heaart Cake Dessert {super easy & super cute}.....

or for any occasion for that matter when ya wanna show a little love!!! I know it's late but I found this super cute and super easy {I know I said that already, but it really is} dessert at Real Mom Kitchen {the picture is hers too} and knew the family would love it!

1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup frozen raspberries
Twinkies
1.In a small sauce pan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Whisk the water into the sugar mixture until well blended. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and gently stir in raspberries. {I added my raspberries during cooking, constantly stirring, and then strained the sauce through a mesh strainer with the back of a spoon so I was left with a smooth sauce, my kids aren't "chunky" fruit fans, and poured it into a squeeze bottle to drizzle over Twinkies}. Allow the mixture to cool.

2.Cut Twinkies in half diagonally, a sharp diagonal, starting about 1 in. down from top left to 1 in. from bottom of opposite side. {I threw my Twinkies in the freezer for about 20 minutes so they were a little more firm when I cut them}. For each heart, put 2 halves together on a plate. Spoon raspberry mixture on top and around hearts.

This is my picture!! Not quite as pretty! I was going to add a few fresh raspberries but forgot!!! But they all loved it!! Even Justin!! You could also drizzle with chocolate sauce too, yum!!
Hope everyone had a very Happy Valentine's day!!!

Bow-Tie Lasagna

This was very good!! So easy to whip up!! It comes from Chef Mommy who got it off Tasty Kitchen. The picture is hers also!!







1 pound ground beef
3 cups bow-tie noodles
3 cups spaghetti sauce ~ I used Prego
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3/4 cups mozzarella cheese
½ cups sour cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
Directions:
Cook ground beef in a non-stick pan. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. After noodles are cooked, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in your spaghetti sauce. Add the ground beef and seasoning. In a small bowl combine the sour cream, mozzarella and Parmesan. Add to the pasta mixture and fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley and additional Parmesan.
I added a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese when adding the other cheeses because that's what I always put in my lasagnas and because the girls love it! Served with green salad, green beans, and french bread! It was a winner!! And I didn't double it and had enough for John's lunch!!

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

I got his recipe from Good Food, Good Fun {she makes so many yummy things}which she adapted from Tasty Kitchen! This was really quick and easy and did I mention yummy??

6 pieces Frozen Chicken ~ I used a bag of frozen tenders
16 ounce Sour Cream
1 package (1 Oz. Package) Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 cans (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Mushroom Soup ~ I used one big can, I think it's 26 oz.
Your Choice Of Noodles ~ I used curly egg noodles

In a slow cooker, add all of the chicken. In a separate bowl, add the sour cream, onion mix, and soup.

Pour mixture over the frozen chicken in the crock pot. Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours. When there is about an hour left, start boiling the noodle of choice. Take chicken out and shred. Add chicken and drained noodles back to the crock pot when noodles are done cooking. Mix well.
I added a dollop more of sour cream on top and some Parmesan cheese! We had green beans, rolls, and salad! The kids each had seconds!!!

Chalupas

It really doesn't get much easier than this!! And the kids loved it {except for the beans, but I made 'em eat 'em anyway and they all lived and didn't complain too much}! The recipe come from the Recipe Girl! I found the recipe at Real Mom Kitchen and she linked up to the Recipe Girl! The picture is from Real Mom Kitchen! Like I said...super easy! It's mainly a taco, but it's an easy way to "mix it up"!

Nonstick cooking spray
(Eight) 6-inch flour tortillas- or use corn if you’d like, but they should be fried first
2 cups refried beans
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese blend
1 cup fresh salsa
1 cup sour cream
2 cups finely chopped lettuce (optional)
1 cup guacamole (optional)

1. Preheat the broiler. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place 4 tortillas on the baking sheet and heat on the center rack in the oven for 4 minutes.
2. Remove the baking sheet from oven and turn over the tortillas. Spread each tortilla with 1/4 cup refried beans and top with 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until the cheese is hot and bubbling and the tortillas are crisp, 5 to 7 more minutes. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
3. Serve immediately, topping each tortilla with salsa & sour cream. Add lettuce and guacamole too, if desired.
Tips:
*Have leftover taco meat? Crumble it on top to make this meal more substantial.

I did cook up some hamburger and added that and of course the kids added ketchup and ranch!! Served with some chips and jello!!

Eyeballs

Made these for Halloween!!! Super easy and super tasty!! They have been floating around for a while and I can't remember exactly where I saw them! But it's a good project for the kids to help with!!

donut holes

white chocolate

red gel icing

black gel icing

blue, green, brown m&m's

plastic forks

Melt white chocolate of your choice using your favorite method of melting....stove top or microwave. Insert fork into donut hole and dip into white chocolate, completely covering donut hole. Put on wax paper and add m&m on the front. Repeat with rest of donut holes. I put them in the freezer for about 20 minutes to set up firm. Then add "veins" with red icing and a "pupil" with black gel icing!!!

We had these Halloween
Night!!! The kids had fun
eating "eyeballs"!!





Here's one of my helpers....

I was wishin' he'd covered one eye when I took the picture!! That would've been funny!!!



Strawberry Pretzel Salad

I know this has been around a while but it was a first for us and it was a hit!! Especially with J~Bear!!! He loved it! It comes from The Girls Who Ate Everything. This picture is from her blog also!!! So yummy!

2 1/2 c. pretzels (crushed fine)
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 c. butter
1 (6 oz) pkg instant strawberry jello
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen strawberries or small container (16 oz) sliced fresh strawberries (I prefer fresh)
1 ( 8 oz ) pkg cream cheese
1 c. sugar
8 oz. cool whip

Combine pretzels, brown sugar, and melted butter and press into a greased 9 X 13 pan. You can use more butter if the crust isn't sticking together and make the pretzels more crushed than I did. Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes.
Make jello according to directions and add the strawberries. Refrigerate until partially set. *If it is not set enough it will leak through your cream cheese layer and make your pretzels soggy. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Blend in cool whip. Spread over cooled crust. Pour jello over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate.

Chopped Ranch Salad

I discovered this recipe from a couple of different blogs on the same day and they were pretty similar. One was from Blogging...It's whats for dinner where she just had the salad part and the other was from John's niece, Sherelle Christensen where she had something similar and put it in a pita! So good!! I just made a big bowl of this so my measurements aren't going to be exact! You could make enough to feed 6 or more or just make enough to feed one!!

Pita pockets ~ I used whole wheat
chicken ~ cooked and diced
tomatoes ~ diced ~ I used 3
1 lb. cooked and crumbled bacon
cucumber ~ peeled and sliced
2 head of hearts of Romaine
Prepared Ranch dressing
cheese of your choice ~ either shredded or diced into small cubes, if you use cubes I would add it to the mixture, if you use shredded I would just put it on top!!

Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Add ranch and toss to coat! Serve in pita's {I warmed them in the microwave for about 5-20 seconds to warm and soften a little bit} and top with cheese! Remember you can adjust this to feed alot or just a few! You can mix everything together except the ranch and keep in the refrigerator and add ranch as needed if you're making this for one or two people and have for several days! Next time I am going to add sprout and some diced avocados. Oh and salsa would be good too!!