Crockpot Apple Caramel Pie

WARNING! This is NOT a low-cal recipe!! But, if you want to make a super easy dessert for your family that will make your house smell yummy, then make this recipe! 

I made the following recipe for my guys at home, and they sang my praises! They did the dance of joy around me and chanted my name over and over! They declared me the wife and mother above all others!

Ok, that's a lie. That didn't really happen, but the recipe was a hit! 

The hardest part about this recipe is unwrapping the caramels. No, wait, that's another lie. The hardest part about this recipe is having to resist eating the remaining caramels.     

 

Apple Carmel Pie

Makes 8-10 servings

Prep. Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 3 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4- to 5-qt.

2-crust refrigerated pie dough pkg.

2 22-oz. cans apple pie filling

1 tsp. cinnamon

12 caramel candies

1. Press one crust into half the bottom of a cold slow cooker, and an inch or so up half its interior side. Overlap by ¼ inch the second crust with the first crust in center of slow cooker bottom. Press remainder of second crust an inch or so up the remaining side of the cooker. Press seams flat where two crusts meet.

2. Cover. Cook on High 1½ hours.

3. In a bowl, mix together pie filling, cinnamon, and caramels.

4. Pour mixture into hot crust.

5. Cover. Cook on High an additional 1½ hours.

This is from the Fix It and Forget It cookbook - one of my favorite lines of cookbooks!

Taco Soup

I am trying to get back into regular blogging now that school is back in session and things are settling down a bit. It was a busy Summer, but so much better of a Summer/Fall/Winter than '09 was for obvious health reasons. That fact also has me a little sad because here we are, the last day of August. Summer weather is about over here in Iowa, and I have enjoyed it so much. I have not been pain-free by any means, but I have felt better than I have in over 2 yrs. I was able to be up and around more during the day. My naps were 1-2 hrs instead of 3-4hrs. I could get groceries by myself! I know that cold weather is the worst time for FMS, and I really don't want this "better-feeling-me" to end. I'm trying to stay positive though. If I could survive last years brutal Winter, I can survive anything. :)

Anyhow, to try to get me started again, I wanted to share a recipe that was shared with me. I made it for my mom who came up to help organize my pantry for me (yes, that's right, I'm organizing challenged).

Crockpot Taco Soup

2lbs ground turkey (can also use beef)
2md diced onions
3 (15oz) cans of beans, undrained  (can use pinto, kidney, black or garbanzo) -I used a  mix of kidney & black
1lg can crushed tomatoes
1lg can diced tomatoes -I used petite-diced because I'm not a fan of big chunks of tomato
1-2 small cans diced green chilies
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (let thaw while getting everything else ready)
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 envelope ranch dressing mix

Brown the ground meat and onions in a skillet; drain the fat, then pour into a crockpot.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.

Optional garnishes: sliced green or black olives, shredded cheddar or jack cheese, pickled jalapenos, crushed tortilla chips, diced avocado or guacamole, sour cream, chopped onions, chopped green peppers, corn bread.

This recipe is super yummy, super easy, and it's also gluten-free!

Chicken & Spinach Lasagna

I have had requests for this recipe that I posted a picture of in Saturdays Project 365 post, so here it is. This recipe is gluten-free, but you can easily adjust it and use non-gluten-free items if you want to.

Chicken & Spinach Lasagna

Pam olive oil spray
1 each: red, green, yellow bell pepper, cored & diced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, diced
2c frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2c Portobello mushrooms, chopped (I eliminated due to my allergy to mushrooms)
4T balsamic vinegar
a pinch or two of each: fresh basil, thyme, oregano, mint, nutmeg
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2c gluten-free chicken broth
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4c gluten-free marinara sauce (you will need more if using uncooked noodles)
1 box rice lasagna noodles, uncooked or cooked - makes no difference
15oz small curd cottage cheese or ricotta
8oz cream cheese, softened
4oz shredded mozzarella cheese (I grate mine fresh)
4oz grated parmesan (I grate mine fresh)
1 egg, lightly beaten
dash nutmeg
4oz mozzarella for topping - optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of your 9x13 lasagna-style baking dish with Pam.

In large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add peppers, spinach, garlic, onion and mushrooms. Stir for a couple of minutes. Lower the heat and add the balsamic vinegar and herbs; season with nutmeg, sea salt and pepper. Stir and cook for approximately 5 minutes; add the broth. Continue to cook until the liquid is reduced and the veggies are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

When the veggies are cooked, remove the pan from heat and stir in the chicken pieces. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cheeses with the egg, and dash of nutmeg. You can also add some finely chopped parsley if you wish.

Spoon 1/2 the marinara sauce into teh bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.

Cover evenly with the veggie-chicken mixture, pressing down with a spatula to make a dense, compact layer. Spoon a little sauce over the layer.

Top with another 1/3 of the lasagna noodles, and press down.

Spread the cheese mixture in an even layer. Top with remaining lasagna noodles and press firmly.

Cover with remaining sauce, allowing the sauce to seep in and around the sides of the dish.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top. Add a sprinkle of herbs if you like.

Cover the lasagna loosely with foil. Bake for 50-60 min, or until lasagna is hot and bubbling.

Makes 9 very generous servings. 

NOTES:

Allow the baked lasagna to sit for a few minutes before serving. This allows it to set up and makes it much easier for slicing and serving.

If you use uncooked noodles, you will need more sauce to allow the noodles to simmer  and soften while cooking.

I froze individual servings into baggies. It reheats great!

When I made this to have for the fair, I stuck with the 9 large servings, because I knew that's all I'd have. At home, I'd be tempted to cut into 12 servings instead and have a salad along side it. You'd still have plenty.

Nutrition Facts Gluten Free GF Chicken Lasagna
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	468
Total Fat	14g
Saturated Fat	6.6g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	90mg
Sodium	906mg
Carbohydrate	49.8g
Dietary Fiber	6.4g
Sugars	12.4g
Protein	36.2g
Vitamin A 53% Vitamin C 158% Calcium    36% Iron 18%

BBQ Pork Chops

As I mentioned in my last Project 365 post, I got a new crockpot, and let me just tell you I am so in love with this thing! Not only does it have Low, Medium & High settings, but it has two different hourly options within each of those. Of course, it also has the always popular "Keep Warm" option. Mama Likey.

I made a new recipe in it night before last and Jay liked it enough to get seconds. You need to understand that he rarely likes anything I make, because I try to cook as healthy as possible and he's old school where he'd prefer everything covered in thick gravy or cheese.

Anyhow, on to the yummy recipe:

BBQ Pork Chops

6-8 center cut boneless pork chops (1/2" thick)

Pepper to taste

1 cup thick BBQ sauce (to keep it more low cal I used Waldens 0cal sauce, plus it's GF)

14oz can stewed tomatoes (my guys don't like tomato chunks in their food, so I ran them through the food processor

10oz pkg frozen vegetable blend

Mix BBQ sauce, tomatoes and vegetables together. Mix well and set aside. Sprinkle the chops with pepper. Spray your crockpot with Pam or insert a disposible slow cooker liner (greatest invention ever!) Spray a skillet and set it on med/high setting. When pan is hot, add chops and quick brown them on each side. Remove them from the heat and place half the chops in the crockpot. Pour some of the sauce mix over them. Then add the rest of the chops and top with remaining sauce mix. 

Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and cook for 6-7 hrs or until meat is tender, but not dry.

***Note*** I had to leave and didn't have the time to wait an hour to turn it down, so I just cooked on low for the entire time and they still came out great.

To go with it, I mixed up some seasonings and parmesan cheese. I quartered some baby potatoes (halved the little ones) and put them in a baggie with the seasoning/cheese mix and shook them well to coat the potatoes. I put the potatoes in another crockpot and cooked them on low for 3 1/2-4hrs.

If you try the chops, let me know if you enjoyed them!

Am I A Paula Or A Rachel?

Ok, question....does Paula Deen bake? Or does she just cook? Because I feel I am slowly (think snail pace) starting to get a grasp on cooking. Baking on the other hand is still light years away.

I know Rachel Ray has said she can't bake, so maybe I'll just try to aspire to be like her.

In regards to the scalloped potatoes and ham (with the ham inadvertantly left out); I did not open the pans back up and put the ham in. By the time I had endured all that I had in that ordeal, I was beyond ready to be done. Therefore, I took the easy way out...I put the ham in freezer bags and taped them to the top of the baking dishes. LOL I figure that when I thaw the dishes out to cook, I'll toss the ham in quick at that time.

Being a glutton for punishment, today I decided to tackle baking. Keep in mind that I need to bake something that is not only gluten-free, but also sugar-free. Converting a recipe to gluten-free is much more difficult, so I have been selecting GF recipes and then using Splenda or Stevia.

For today I selected something that I thought was an easy recipe: a crumb cake. Easy peasy right?

WRONG!

The recipe I chose uses a flour mix that you have to make up ahead of time. Soooooo, I got out those ingredients and got that all mixed up. Then I had to mix up the crumb topping so I got out all those ingredients and mixed that. Then, finally I was able to tackle the cake mix. It wasn't that it was hard, but holey-moley did it use a lot of ingredients. Keep in mind, I'm a reforming Betty Crocker cake maker. Eggs, oil, & water - boom, you're done.

By the time I got the cake in the oven, my kitchen looked like a bag of flour threw up all over it. Seriously, it was everywhere. It wasn't pretty. I also found some crumb topping in my hair. I have no explanation for that.

I do have to admit that the cake smelled yummy-licious as it was baking. When I took it out of the oven, it looked yummy-licious as well.

Jay came in the house and said "ooooo, is this a cake?" (not much gets past him lol). "Is this an afternoon on a Friday kind of cake?"

Me: "Would you like to have a piece of cake? LOL" (this man loves cake)

We cut the cake and each took a piece. I told Jay that I wanted his honest opinion. If I am going to have to cook/bake, the last thing I want to HAVE to do is cook/bake one thing for them, and one for me. I mean, I don't like cooking, remember? As if I want to have to do double duty? I don't think so.

I ate my piece of cake and thought it wasn't too terrible. Not a fav recipe for me, and I tried to think of ways to make it better. It was just dry, and I want a moist cake - like Betty makes. Plus, it had an after-taste from the Stevia. Splenda would have been better to use.

Then I made the mother of all mistakes. I asked Jay what he thought - keep in mind, I had asked him for his honest opinion.

Me: So, what did you think? (trying to sound super positive while noticing his piece of cake was still on his plate, only missing one - maybe two -bites)

Jay: The crumb topping was ok.

Me: You haven't finished your piece of cake yet.

Jay: No I haven't.

Me: You going to?

Jay: No I'm not.

Ok then.

Yep, I'm thinking me and Rachel Ray might have something in common.

Baked Oatmeal

I had a few requests for my baked oatmeal recipe, and I'm happy to share it, so here ya go. Any adjustments I made, I listed in parenthesis. Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal

Mix together:
1c oat bran (I substituted gluten-free oatmeal and it still comes out great)
1c oatmeal (I used gluten-free oatmeal)
1 1/2t baking powder
1t baking soda
pinch of salt (I omitted)

Blend together:
1 egg (I used egg beaters)
1c fat-free evaporated milk
1/2c fat-free plain yogurt (I used greek yogurt since it has least amount of sugar that I can find)
1/2c unsweetened applesauce (I use the pre-portioned containers...they are each 1/2c)
1 1/2t pure vanilla extract
1t ground cinnamon
1t pumpkin pie spice -rounded
1/2t nutmeg
3 splenda packets (I use stevia)

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8x8" pan with Pam.

* Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.

* Stir well.

* Scrape into the pan quickly and put into the preheated oven
immediately.

* Cook for 25 min. - until top is golden brown and sides begin to pull away from the edge of the pan.

* Cool for a few minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack (I never have good luck with that. I find it works better for me to cool it completely, and then cut it into squares. Then they lift out cleanly).

Makes 4 LARGE servings. Cut into 6 servings if you plan to have fruit, protein or something else with it. I make a double batch and cut it into 9 large servings.

Options: You can add fruit (blueberries are great!), dried fruit, nuts, jam, or chocolate chips to the recipe for varitey.







*** I wrap each individual piece separately and freeze them. When you want to eat one, just pop it in the microwave for one minute and it's good to go. You can also toast them if you prefer.

Dip Recipe

I received an awesome dip recipe in an email, and it's so yummy that I had to share it. Best of all...it's fat free! Woot!

1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
Fat Free Ricotta Cheese

Blend in food processor.
May also add in garlic, salt and/or pepper to your desired taste.


How easy is that??? The red & green would also be cute and festive for the upcoming holiday season wouldn't it?

Here's our pumpkins. Well, some of them anyhow. Ashley & Chelsea have each taken 2 to their dorms, and we have good friends who have 3 young children and they each got one. I know we have given others away as well, but as you can see, we still have plenty left, plus 4 or 5 still on the vine.

While they are festive for decorating, I would actually like to attempt some baking with them.

For this reason I am asking people to please share your favorite pumpkin recipe. It can be for cake, bars, cookies, bread, etc. Just not pie! I do not make pies. My "aunt" Sara Lee makes the pies around here. ha.

Please keep in mind that I am the cooking opposite of Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray and Julia Childs. In other words, I sometimes struggle with boiling water properly. What I'm saying is, please share recipes that are so easy a child could make them. I still struggle with those, but am getting better.

I look forward to trying all the yummy recipes!!!

Friday At The Fair

I went into the 4-H builing today and saw all the exhibit items that had been selected to go on for juging at the state level. Some of the items are pretty amazing.


There were posters that are health related, such as this "Stop The Pop" one explaining why you shouldn't drink soda (kind of ironic that I stood there reading it while sipping on a diet coke).







There were projects an posters related to animal health. There were also many woodoworking items, sewing projects, creative arts, and home furnishing items.






When I saw the craftsmanship and detail that went into the woodworking projects, it was often hard to remember that these items were made by children.







One of the most creative things I saw was this tractor made entirely of soda cans.They were all spray painted and welded together and the wheels actually turned.








They also have baked items on display. Everything from pies or cookies that are recipes handed down from Grandma, to new creations they came up with on their own.






I went back to the ag building and walked through the rows and rows of vegetables, fruits, seeds, and flowers that have been judged. I saw 5 plates with 5 cucumbers on each. What makes one of those plates the blue ribbon winner over the other is beyond me!





Outside the ag building they have the largest pumpkin competition. These people are serious about their pumpkins. I talke to a woman who said their family was on pumpkin duty in shifts. During their shift is was their job to make sure the pumpkin was watered every hour. They also spread something on it daily, but she wouldn't tell me what it was, because that's their winning secret. At night they draped a wet sheet across the pumpkin, if it was your shift, you got up hourly to make sure the sheet was still wet. See......they are SERIOUS about this pumpkin stuff!

Remember how I posted a couple of weeks ago that we had something that had started growing out by our front steps? Well, it turns out to be a pumpkin plant. This shot was taken right before left home to come to the fair. We're pretty excited to see no less than 7 or 8 pumpkins growing on it, but I can guarantee you there will be no assigning of shifts, and I will not be breaking into anyones house to find out what to wipe on it. If they grow, they grow. If not, well, better luck next time. ha!

Well, that's it until tomorrow!!

Cavatina

I posted on Facebook last week that I was looking through my cookbooks to find recipes to make for the fair. I wanted things that I can freeze in individual containers so the kids can thaw them out and reheat them in the camper. Tends to help save money by doing that when you are camping at a State Fair for 2 weeks.

My mom mentioned a particular recipe, Cavatina, and I already knew I would be making that one, because when I asked my kids what they'd like, all 3 answered with that recipe. It's been a favorite of mine for many years, and of my kids also.

Chel from Leaving A legacy, and 2 different non-blogger friends asked what it was, so here's the recipe ladies. If anyone decides to make it, be sure to let me know what you (and your families) think!

Cavatina
1/2 box Rotini noodles
1/2 box shell macaroni
1/2 box mostachelli noodles
2lbs ground beef, browned & drained
3 cans pizza sauce with cheese
1 lb mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

Boil all the noodles together. Put 1/2 the noodles in the bottom of a large baking dish.

Combine the ground beef and pizza sauce.

Pour 1/2 of the meat mixture over the noodles.

Top with 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese.

Put remaining noodles, sauce & cheese in the dish in the same order as before.

Bake at 350* for 20 minutes.


Tips: This recipe makes a LARGE amount. When I normally make it, I put it into 2 pans and freeze one. This dish freezes well.

If I am freezing it, I will add in 1 extra can of sauce, so it's not too dry when reheating. I don't think it's too dry, but my family prefers more sauce.

If you don't tell your family, you can substitute ground turkey for half (or all) of the ground beef, and they'll never know the difference (but you didn't hear that from me *wink*).

To Milk or Not To Milk

I tried a new recipe and I have it posted on my other blog. The main reason I'm telling you about it, is because there is one part that has me confused. You can find the recipe by clicking here: Broccoli Pasta Bake

Go ahead, head on over there, read through the recipe, wipe the drool from your chin (yep, it's THAT good), and then come back here for the question. Go on, it's ok, I'll wait.

*insert jeopardy theme music*

Hey there....welcome back! Doesn't that recipe sound sooooo good? Let me tell you, it IS good! It is also one that I have bookmarked to make again and again. I want to try freezing it (both before and after baking) to see how it handles that. It would make like easier if it could be made ahead of time.

Anywhooooo....on to the question:

In the recipe, it calls for dry milk powder. You have to buy a big ol' box of that stuff for 2 little tablespoons. Recipes like that make me crazy, because, while I do LOVE this recipe, it'll take me a months worth of making it just to use up all that dried milk....if the box doesn't tip over and spill all over the pantry before then.

Plus, did you notice what I'm adding it to? Milk.

So my question is.....can't I just add more skim milk to the recipe instead of the dry milk? Would it really make a difference?

Come on all you cooks and chefs.....help me out here. :)

Menu Ideas Needed

Let's play pretend.....

Pretend your a college age guy/girl. The college you are at is far enough away from home that you only get home at Christmas and summer break. If you were able to fly home for one night and have a good home-cooked meal, what wouldl you want the menu to consist of?

Would you choose a meat, potatoes, veggies kind of meal?

Would you choose a casserole?

What kind of dessert would you like that you normally wouldn't be able to get while at college?


Ashley is bringing several of her college friends to our home for supper and relaxing in the hot tub. Many of them are from out of state (most from Texas), and they are craving home cooking, which I've offered to provide them (Ashley's assured them that if she can survive 18 years on her mothers cooking, they can survive one night).

I'm just struggling with what to make.

Ideas are GREATLY appreciated!!!

Saturday Stirrings

Carol over at I Throw Like A Girl hosts Saturday Stirrings where she and others post great recipes. I don't usually participate since we all know my lack of cooking abilities. However, this week she did a Mug cake recipe, and that reminded me of the Cake In A Cup recipe that I posted last Fall, so I decided to re-post it again.

Is it cheating to re-use a recipe? If I haven't used it in SS before? I hope not! lol

Ok, the recipe is here: Cake In A Cup

The best part about this recipe is that it could NOT be any easier. Seriously! And it makes great gifts. I made up 2 batches of the mix and put them in baggies for my girls for college and included a new cute mug to go with. It is perfect for dorm living and it is super easy! Ashley commented that even "R", a super clumsy guy that lives on the floor above her, likes making this and supposedly "R" is like me and has trouble walking and chewing gum.

They (and their roommates) loved it so much that over Christmas break they made up several batches to take back with them to give to their friends. One of our nephews made some to give to Grandparents and Aunts/Uncles for Christmas.

Head on over to Carols to check out more great recipes!

Bread Pudding

I included a picture of some bread pudding I made in my project 365 photos and I had people comment and email that they'd like the recipe, since I made it a healthier version, so here ya go:

Ingredients:

6 slices of day old bread (I used Sara Lee's 100% multi-grain bread)
2 tbsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter ~ squeeze

1 c. Egg beaters

2 c. Skim milk

3/4 c. Splenda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

Can add 1/2 c raisins (but I left these out)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

Tear bread into pieces into an 8" square baking pan. Drizzle the ICBINB over the berad and sprinkle with raisins if used.

In a medium mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, splenda, cinnamon & vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 min, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

NOTES:

Now, in the picture I posted (which is also here to the left), you can see that I obviously did not use wheat or multi-grain bread. That's because I was out when I made that particular recipe, but the next time I made it I did use the multi-grain (45 cals per slice) bread, but forgot to take a picture of it...which explains the white bread picture.

This is the easiest recipe ever, which you know has to be true, because I didn't screw it up...and that's rare! If you're in the mood for some comfort food, try this recipeIt's really good! I promise, you won't regret it!

Nutritional Info:

If you figure in 6 total servings (which are good size servings and that's exactly the size you want when having something this yummy), here's the stats per serving:

Calories: 110

Total Fat: 2.3

Sat Fat: 0.6
Cholesterol 2.0
Sodium 262.5
Total Carbohydrate 16.8
Dietary Fiber 2.5
Sugars 1.3
Protein 9.8

And if you are following Weight Watchers, it figures out to only 2 points per serving. How awesome is that???

Chocolate Heaven

Warning: This is NOT a low calorie recipe. This is a "it's towards the end of winter, we survived it, and I'm going crazy waiting for Spring warmth to arrive, so give me some comfort food NOW" kind of a recipe. And, as one of my daughters would say "this is to die for!", so you know it's good.


Chocolate Heaven

Start with:
1 box brownie mix
2 eggs
2/3 c oil
1/4 c mudslide (You can use chocolate milk if you don't want alcohol in it)

Mix well. Pour into 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

In small bowl mix together:
1T instant coffee
1T hot water

Add to coffe mixture:
8oz pkg cream cheese - must be room temp for easier mixing
1/2 c sugar
1 egg

Mix with a spoon first so it doesn't splatter all over, then mix with blender until well mixed.

Fold in:
1/2c mini chocolate chips.

Spoon mixture over the top of brownie mix in pan.

Drag a butter knife through it to create a marbled effect.

Bake 350 degrees for 40 min.

When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Thanks Mom

My mother is the Martha Stewart of rural America. Seriously, she makes wonderful foods and desserts all from scratch, her plants are all thriving, and her home is always immaculate. Let me just say right up front...those genetics have obviously skipped a generation, at least where I'm concerned.

She sent me a bunch of tips recently that she had received. They really are great and I wanted to share them here. I have no doubt my mother not only has done these most of things, but probably came up with a few of them on her own. Gooooo mom!

Here's the great tips:

*Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it. (I love this, because I can't stand those stringy things)

*Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

*Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

*Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking. (I will now be looking at pepper bootys before buying them)

*Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

*To really make scrambled eggs or omelettes rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream,
cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up. (diet, schmiet...dump in that heavy cream and enjoy!!)

*For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt chocolate mint patties
in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting. (This is one I am thinking she came up with. Martha's got nothin' on her).

*Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe
if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

*Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm! (This one HAS to be hers...she has made something like this before)

*Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works. (My son is very excited to try this one. As a matter of fact, guess what he asked if we could have for supper?)

*Easy Deviled Eggs: Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

*When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving. (Allows you to have more heavy cream in your eggs that way...Bonus!)

*To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

*To keep weeds away: Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers. (I giggle when I think of her sending me this one. Green thumbs is something I also didn't inherit from her)

*Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

*Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

*To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

*To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings. (This one has me saying "Well duh! Why didn't I think of this before?")

*Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing pantyhose. Place pin in seam of slacks and... ta da!... static is gone. (I'm trying to figure out how this one works, but since I don't wear panty hose, I'll just have to trust that it does)

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out. (that sounds so slick! get it? slick..slippery..slides right out. I crack myself up)

*Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box ofyour car. When the window fogs, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth! (I'm totally going to try this!)

If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

*Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair. (Unless you're into that whole French 'au natural' kind of look)

*To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever! (I'll be trying this one also. Here on the farm we deal with those nasty little bugs constantly)

*Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it home, can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed.

My dad sold and repaired appliances for years and he can definitely vouch for this next tip:

*The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around thehouse for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean as I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes. He told us that he wanted to show us something; hetook the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material. I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well, the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make yourclothes soft and static free along with that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box, well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that extends the life of the dryer at least twice as long!

Thanks for these mom!! Love ya!

No Breaking Bread Together

Yesterday both my girls came home from college for the day. It did this mama's heart good. It also did my heart good watching them do their laundry while they were home. I stood there with my mouth wide open saying things like "So you DID pay attention all those times I showed you how to fold?" and "Wait...you don't just dump all your clean clothes on your floor by your bed like you did at home? How do you find anything?" hehehe....they didn't find my mom humor nearly as funny as I did. I cracked myself up!

I knew they were coming, so I decided to surprise them by making some of their favorite foods to take back with them. I made goulash which has been their favorite supper meal since they could pronounce it, and I divided them up in single serving containers. I also made up muffins, cookies and cupcakes. They were not only surprised, but super excited with it all. They were extra excited when they found out I made enough goulash that they could eat some here before they had to leave again.

I planned to give them each a loaf of banana bread too. "Planned" is the important word here. Neither of them got their bread. Oh, I made them each a loaf, but they chose to leave them here. Actually, I believe one said she could leave it in her trunk to jack up her car if she had a flat, while the other said she'd just leave it in her trunk to help weigh down the back end of her car so it wouldn't slide as easily. Kind? No. Grateful for what their mom did in the name of love? No. Truthful ~ yep.

I tried a new recipe for the bread machine. This recipe is NOT a keeper, unless you're looking for a replacement car jack, weight for your trunk, a doorstop or bookend. To say they turned out extremely hard is a MAJOR understatement. Chelsea thought she was really funny when she pretended to try to bite into one and after each attempt she'd yell: Call 911! .... until we reminded her that you don't reach your dentist through 911.

My mother-in-law happened to stop by to drop something off, and the girls said "Here Grandma, since you stopped by to see us, you can have this lovely loaf of bread." She explained that she had no idea they were even home, and once she was handed the bread she said "Ok, next time I won't stop unannounced, just please, keep the brick, I mean bread."

Everyone's a comedian.

Even the dogs got in on the sarcasm. Ringo is known as our garbage disposal. This dog will honestly eat everything ... everything except this bread. He just sniffed it and walked away. Tucker tried to play with it, so Jay suggested throwing it to see if he'd fetch it. We decided that might be a bad idea because if it accidentally hit him, it'd likely kill him. So, the bread ended up in the trash, and that page was torn out of the recipe book.

My family found it very funny to sing the song "Let us break bread together on our knees....."

only they changed it to:

Let us break bread together with a hammer.

or

Let us break bread together with a saw.

...and they went back and forth naming different tools.

Mama's not feeling the love.