Chocolate Thin Mints

Chocolate Thin Mints

2 sleeves Ritz Crackers
3 candy canes, crushed
1 bag Andes Mints baking chips (in baking section)

Microwave half of the bag of Andes mints in small microwaveable bowl for about 30 seconds, stir, then another 30 seconds. Stir until melted. Dip crackers in melted chocolate, completely coating cracker with chocolate. Remove with tongs and shake off the excess. Place on wax paper-covered baking sheets. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes after you place them on wax or parchment paper. Let completely dry or refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat with second half of chocolate.

These are so yummy. My friend Summer made these for a cookie exchange a couple years ago and I loved them. I made them for a cookie exchange at Callie's preschool. They are so easy.

Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

I made these for my daughter's preschool. They are super fun and easy to make.

Here is the recipe:

24 chocolate-striped shortbread cookies

12-ounce package of chocolate chips

24 marshmallows

Yellow frosting

1. Set the cookies stripe side down on a cookie sheet.

2. Melt the chocolate chips in microwave.

3. One at a time, stick a wooden toothpick into a marshmallow. Dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, and center it on top of the cookie. Using a second toothpick to lightly hold down the marshmallow, carefully pull out the first toothpick.

4. Chill the hats until the chocolate sets, then pipe a yellow decorators' frosting buckle on the front of each hat.

Hot Fudge Sauce

• 1 cup butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 can evaported milk

Melt butter on medium heat in saucepan.  Add cocoa, then milk.  Gradually stir in sugar and stir constantly until it comes to a low simmer.  Take off heat and add vanilla.
Eat over ice cream or with fruit. (apples, grapes, bananas, oranges, strawberries, etc.)
This is the best hot fuge sauce ever!  I promise!

Caramel Corn

• 2 qts. popped popcorn
• 1 can sweet & condensed milk
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cube butter
• 1 cup Karo syrup
• pinch of salt

Pop popcorn and place in large bowl.  Cook all the rest of the ingredients on stove top to soft ball stage, stirring constantly --to test for soft ball stage put room temp. water in a small bowl and drop some of the caramel in.  If it forms a "soft ball" in the water then it's done--  Mix with popcorn. 
So soft and gooey!  It's my FAVORITE!!

Texas Sheet Cake

• 2 cubes butter
• 4 Tbsp. cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup milk

Bring butter, water and cocoa to a boil.  Pour over all the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Frosting:

• 1 cube butter
• 4 Tbsp. cocoa
• 6 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 lb. powdered sugar

Stroganoff Boats

• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
• 1 tomato
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 3 green onions
• 1 loaf French bread

Brown hamburger, then add Worchestershire sauce and sour cream.  Slice bread lengthwise and place on foiled pan.  Spread hamburger mixture over both halves of bread.  Top with sliced green pepper, tomatoes and grated cheese.  Place under broiler for 5-10 minutes.

Cheese Ball

• 1 pkg. cream cheese
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 3 green onions
• 2/3 can olives; slices
• crushed walnuts

Combine all ingredients except walnuts and mix well.  Form into a ball on plate.  Cover with walnuts--you might have to firmly press them into the cheeseball a little to get them to stay.  Eat with wheat thins or any other cracker you would like.

Grape Salad

• 2 lbs. green seedless grapes
• 2 lbs. red seedless grapes
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Wash grapes.  Mix sugars and cream cheese.  Add sour cream and beat.  Pour over grapes and fold in 3/4 up chopped pecans.  Refrigerate.

Blackened Chicken Tacos

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
• 1-2 tsp. ground black pepper (depends on how much of a kick you want it to have)
• 1-2 tsp. paprika (same as black pepper)
• 3/4 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp ground red pepper
• finely shredded spinach or lettuce
• shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
• sour cream & guacamole (optional)
• tortillas of your choice or scoop-shaped tortilla chips

Cut chicken breats into 3/4 inch wide strips.  In a plastic bag combine black pepper, paprika, dry mustard, red pepper, and salt.  Add chicken to the bag, shaking to coat.  Arrange coated chicken in a single layer in a shallow baking pan.  Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done, at 350 degrees.  Using two forks, pull chicken apart into pieces.  Fill tortillas with chicken, lettuce, cheese, sour cream and guacamole.

Chicken Lasagna Alfredo

Yep, I'm done with pictures.  My pictures just aren't doing to recipe justice.  I got this recipe from my friend Staci.  It's SOO yummy!

• 10 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 1 jar (16oz)  white Alfredo pasta sauce (I use Classico sundried tomato alfredo sauce)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 3 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken
• 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 3 cups (12 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 pkg. (4 oz) crumbled feta cheese
• 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves (about 4 oz)--I use a whole 9 oz bag

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook noodles according to package directions, using shortest cooking time; drain.  In small bowl, combine Alfredo sauce, milk, and oregano.  Whisk until blended; set aside.
2.  Chop artichokes, bell pepper, and onion; plave in large (4 qt) bowl.  Press garlic and add to bowl.  Add mozzarella and feta cheeses.  Add cooked chicken and mix well.
3.  To assemble lasagna, spread 2/3 cup of the Alfredo sauve mixture over bottom of  a 9x13 baking dish.  Top with half of the noddles, overlapping to fit.  Layer half of the spinach leaves over noodles; top with half of the chicken mixture.  Repeat layer, starting with half of the remaining sauce.  After layering, pour remaining sauve over top of lasagna.
4.  Cover pan with aluminum foil.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Carefully remove foil.  Continure baking 10-15 minutes or until bubbly.  Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes for easier serving.  Cut into squares and enjoy!

Mexican Chicken Soup

Okay first off, don't judge this by the picture.  It's a terrible picture.  We have awful lighting in our kitchen, I hate it!  It really is better than it looks.  My family LOVES it.  Everytime we get together my mom makes it and even my step-dad eats it which should tell you something because he is a very picky eater.

Mexican Chicken Soup
2 1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken
1 can mexican corn
1 can cream of chicken
3 cans chicken broth
1/4 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1/2 of a 16oz. block of mexican velveeta cheese (cut into cubes for faster and easier cooking)
No more than 3/4 c. instant rice
1 Tbsp. sour cream

Mix chicken, corn, cream of chicken, broth, and seasoning mix together and heat.  Add rice about 10 minutes before eating.  Take 1 cup soup out and mix with sour cream.  Pour back in.  Put cheese in and cook until melted.  Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

For dinner on Halloween night we had yummy bread bowls from Panera Bread and then we made different kinds of soup to go in them. My friend gave me this recipe. It was so good.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 onion, chopped (I used minced onion flakes)
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped broccoli
1/2 cup butter
3 tbs flour
1 lb. velveeta, cubed
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
3 chicken boullion cubes

Boil all veggies EXCEPT broccoli in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Add broccoli and boil for 10 minutes. Do not drain. In saucepan, melt butter. Add flour. Add milk and cook, stirring constantly until thick(coats back of wooden spoon). Add cheese and other ingredients. Mix until smooth. Add to undrained veggies and heat together but do not boil.

Swiss Stuffing Chicken

Okay so I don't have a picture of this, but it was really easy and pretty tasty. We had it for dinner last night, and I forgot to take a picture.

4-6 Chicken Breasts(raw)
Swiss Cheese
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 C. Milk
1 sm Box Chicken flavored Stove Top Stuffing (dry, don't make it)
1 Cube of butter

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 Pan. Place Chicken Breasts in Pan top with slices of swiss cheese. Mix Soup and Milk and Pour on top. Sprinkle box of stuffing on top. Melt butter and pour on Top of stuffing. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 min. Uncover and cook another 30 min.
I served chicken with rice and broccoli. It was very tasty.

Monkey bread

I love to make this for breakfast and made it for Callie's school for a parents meeting. I forgot how good it is. Excuse the picture, it fell apart because I was trying to hurry and didn't let it completely cool.

Monkey Bread

2 Cans refridgerated biscuits (Pillsbury is what I used)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted

Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and put into ziploc plastic bag. Put biscuit pieces into bag and shake until all are coated. Dump mixutre into a greased bundt pan and pour melted butter over the whole thing. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Let cool and pour onto plate or eat it out of the bundt pan.

Corn bread

I love chili and cornbread together but I have done away with my old cornbread recipe. My friend makes this recipe called Cornbread cake and it is so moist and so good. I made it for our Ward Halloween trunk or treat party on Tuesday night.

Cornbread Cake

2 cups bisquick mix
3 tbs. cornmeal
3/4 melted butter
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Mix all the wet together and add the dry ingredients. Pour batter into 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cut up into squares.