Tuna Noodle Casserole

I am sure you have all made this before...it is really good if you like tuna. Which, the kids did not. hehe!

2 cans (10 oz.) cream of mushroom soup

1 cup milk

4 cups hot cooked egg noddles

2 cups frozen peas

2 cans (12 oz. each) tuna, drained

2 T. dry bread crumbs

1 T. butter

Stir soup, milk, peas, tuna and noodles in a casserole dish. Bake at 400 degress for 30 minutes. Stir. Mix bread crumbs with butter in a bowl and sprinkle over tuna mixture. Bake for 5 minutes more.

For a cheese topping: Sprinkle 1 cup cheddar cheese over top.

Cheesy Crock-pot Chicken

6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 can cream of chicken soup

1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

Rinse chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix undiluted soup and pour over chicken in crock-pot. cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over rice or noodles.

Chocolate Cream Cupcakes and Ganache Frosting

1 box chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup cour cream

2 Cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup grated chocolate for garnish

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and sour cream until smooth.,

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Cool completely in a wire rack. When cooled, cut the tops off and pull out some of the cake filing. Leaving a solid wall of cake to support filling. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form and add powdered sugar i think it needs to be a little sweeter and added quite a bit more sugar to mine. Add whipped cream by spoonfuls to the holes of all cupcakes and top with lid. Frost with desired frosting and garnish with grated chocolate.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

1 Cup heavy whipping cream

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat cream in a saucepan until it comes to a boil

Remove from hear and pour over chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. Stir and mix together. You can pour it over the cakes warm or wait till cooled. I think easier when it is warm.

This recipe came from THIS book....GET IT!

Zesty potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives

I am a big time meat and potatoes kinda girl, so I am always looking for different potato recipes, and this one is pretty darn tasty and easy when you cook it in the steam bag. Got it from a Taste of homes magazine.

4 Medium potatoes, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 T. olive oil

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Additional salt and pepper to taste

1 T. chopped chives

sour cream, optional

Combine all ingredients in a medium or large ziplock zip n' steam bag. Seal and shake to mix ingredients. Place bag in microwave and cook on full power for 7-minutes or until potatoes are tender. Allow bag to stand 1-minute before handling. Gently shake bag to distribute seasoning.

Carefully open bag and spoon into serving bowl. Season with salt & pepper and sprinkle with chives. Serve with sour cream if desired. Yield: 4 servings

Apple Cider

I think this recipe came from Martha Stewart...great recipe :)

Ingredients

• 20 whole cloves
• 5 lady apples
• 1 gallon apple cider
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• Zest of 1 orange, removed in large strips with a vegetable peeler

1. Press 4 cloves into each lady apple. Place cider, cinnamon, orange zest, and studded lady apples in a large pot, and warm over medium-low heat. Let steep for 1 1/2 hours, without boiling, until aromatic and flavorful.

Award-Winning Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are probably the best chocolate chip cookies Ihave ever had. They are plump and soft!

Award-Winning Chocolate Chip Cookies:

4 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
4 Cups chocolate chips
2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 (3.4 oz) package vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp. baking soda

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar & white sugar. Beat in the vanilla pudding mix until blended. Stir in eggs & vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally stir in the chocolate chips. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 11 minutes in the oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Egg, Ham & Cheese Roll-Up

I made this for New Year's Day breakfast and was a big hit. Looks really fancy, but super easy to make and YUMMY!

Ingredients:

12 Eggs

4 Oz. Cream cheese

2 cups diced ham

2 cups of cheddar cheese

green onions to taste

1 tsp of salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat eggs and cream cheese together till fully blended.

3. Spray bottom and sides of pan with cooking spray then line with parchment paper.

4. Pour egg mixture into bottom of pan and bake in oven for 30 minutes.

5. After removing from the oven, spinkle the cubed ham over the cooked eggs and then the cheese and onions.

6. Roll the eggs starting at the wide-end and by lifting the parchemnt paper until it's all the way rolled up.

7. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes.

8. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese and some ham, then slice and serve!

* I didn't add onions to mine, but instead just topped it with some salsa....YUMMY!

OREO TRUFFLES:

I actually got this recipe from my friends blog...Thanks Chelsie! DANG good, even better after a few days of them sitting in the fridge. Can't go wrong with chocolate, Oreos, & Cream cheese :)

OREO TRUFFLES:

8 oz. cream cheese
1 pound Oreos
1 pound milk or dark chocolate
1/2 pound white chocolate

Grind Oreos to find powder in food processor. With a mixer, blend cookie powder and cream cheese until thoroughly mixed (there should be no white traces of cream cheese). Roll into small or large balls and place on wax-lined cookie sheet. Chill 45 minutes.

Line two cookie sheets with wax paper. In double-boiler, melt milk or dark chocolate. Dip balls and coat thoroughly. With slotted spoon or fork, lift balls out of chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off. Place on wax-paper-lined cookie sheet. In separate double boiler, melt white chocolate. Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls. Let cool.
Store in airtight container, in refrigerator.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I LOVE this recipe, some of my VERY favorite cookies....perfect for fall :) I've also discovered I really like taking pictures of food. Craig thinks I am so silly!

Ingredients:
2 1/4 Cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Spice
1 tsp. Salt
1 Cup margarine
1 Cup Sugar
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Cup Chocolate chips
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:
Combine flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, & salt together. beat butter & sugar until creamy. Beat in pumpkin eggs & vanilla. Mix in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop on greased cookie sheet by teaspoon. Bake @ 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Cafe Rio @ Home

Craig and I, LOVE Cafe Rio. The only problem is that it is expensive! So, we found some recipes for their food. We made it last night and it turned out SO GOOD! It was a lot of work though and our kitchen was a disaster after we were done. But, well worth it and it was fun. It turned out REALLY close to the original. So here it is for all you Cafe Rio fans out there.

Café Rio Dressing
1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make per recipe)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
1/4 bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño (Use the seeds too if you like it spicy. You could substitute a few drops of green Tabasco for the jalapeno.)

Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.

Cafe Rio Chicken
1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic—minced
5 lbs chicken breast

Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

Cafe Rio Rice

3 c water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t garlic –minced
½ bunch cilantro
1 can green chilies—or equivalent fresh
¾ t salt
1 T butter
½ onion
3 c rice

Blend cilantro, green chilies and onion together in food processor. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes.

To Assemble: Put some black beans, Mozzarella cheese, some green enchilada sauce, the chicken, lots of juice from the chicken (from the crock pot), the rice, into a large flour tortilla. Fold up into a burrito. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and smother in the Cafe Rio dressing (my favorite part). Put in the oven on broil until the cheese is melted. ENJOY!