Snickers Bar "Salad"

Who am I kidding? It's a dessert. And seriously; it's so easy, a whole post about it would be ridiculous.

And it's so quick, I forgot to take a photo of the ingredients:

6 Snickers bars, chopped
1 big container of Cool-Whip
6 large granny smith apples, cored and sliced

This is all I've got for you (just before the big stir!)

And it's so good, I have no photos of the leftovers.

Really; it's that good.

And tune in next time for the promised "Devil's Sex Cake!"

Apple Dumplings, Simple and Delicious

If you've never had The Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings before, you are really missing out! They're one of the easiest things to make (Yes, Matty, even for you.) I've been making them for years, as they are the favorite of everyone in my house and beyond, and to prove it, I'll tell you that Kendall requested Apple Dumplings for her "birthday cake" when she had her birthday sleepover tonight. (That reminds me--while they're in the oven, I'd better find some candles!!)

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 granny-smith apples
2 pkgs Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
cinnamon (enough to sprinkle as pictured below)
a few ounces of Mountain Dew soda/pop

(As you may have noticed, this recipe is not for the calorie/fat conscious. If you must be health conscious, simply close your eyes while you eat it; I've heard that cuts the calories and fat in half!)

Ready? First, put the two sticks of butter in a 2-quart saucepan to melt on low. While it's melting, cut and peel the apples however you like to do it. I use the fun apple cutter...

but I suppose it would have been easier to simply peel the apple and then cut it. It's a horse-apiece, I guess.

There are eight dinner rolls per package. Sixteen dumplings fit nicely in a cake pan (two per person.) The apples I bought today were very small, so I used about a slice and a half for each one. Simply set them at the wide end, roll them up, and place the apple-filled crescents in your cake pan.

By the time you've finished, the butter should be melted.

Add the sugar, and stir, but not too much; it should still be grainy. Remove from heat and add the vanilla (Or not; I've accidentally left it out before, and it turned out fine.)

Pour butter/sugar mixture evenly over all.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Now for the odd part. Carefully pour some Mountain Dew down the rows and around the edges.

I would guess that you only need about 1/4 cup. If you use too much, they'll be swimming in liquid. When that happens, I just take a turkey baster and suck some of the juice out, so that they don't get too soggy.

[BTW, if you're especially observant, you will wonder why in the world these apples are now in a ceramic pan, instead of metal. (If you did notice, I'm very impressed!!) The reason is that I made two pans worth for Kendall's party, since I had to feed 14 girls.]

Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees, or until they are nice and brown and you are drooling.


Remove from oven and let stand for a minute or two, or you won't be able to use your tongue for a few days (which might be good, what with the week's worth of calories and fat you'll be consuming.) Serve with or without vanilla ice cream.

Here's the birthday girl enjoying her "cake."

For the record, the girls loved the apple dumplings. In fact, one of them inspired a new name for them, when she asked, "May I have another piece of heaven, please?"

Need I say more?

Glazed Meatloaf

I think I know what meatloaf heaven is like; I was there again tonight when I ate a plate of leftovers (Is there anything better, really, than meatloaf leftovers?) The recipe for this wonderful meatloaf, which has a delightfully-sweet taste, came to me via my second cousin, Sara Olson. Sara is a Mennonite, and if you know anything about Mennonites (besides the fact that they wear dresses and cute bonnets), you know they can cook. (Or is that just a stereotype?  I'm sure someone will let me know, haha.) Anyway, Sara's meatloaf is to-die-for, and it's unlikely that I will ever use a different recipe, now that I've tried hers, so it's only appropriate that I share it.

Ingredients:2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed saltines (about 30)
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 tsp salt (we like kosher)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper

Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 T mustard

First, prep your ingredients. Think about how artistic food can be. Is it just me (a Wisconsinite), or does this cheese look gorgeous next to the carrots
?

And speaking of carrots, why is it that every time I peel carrots, I think of women's legs?

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl...

And then, be very, very brave, and mix it with your bare hands!!


I'm shocked that I did that, actually (Usually, I wear sandwich bags on my hands when I tough raw hamburger, cuz it grosses me out).

At this point, check on your rice.

Did I catch you with that one??  Only kidding; there is no rice in this recipe; it was for the sick dog.....


Yeah, you know your dog is sick when he won't touch a peanut butter sandwich.

Pat the meatloaf into a 9 x 13 baking dish. What?!! I packed it all into a bread pan, obviously...

no wonder it overflowed a little bit and took forever to cook. (Still, I'd do it the same way again.) Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Mix glaze ingredients....




and pour over meat.

Allow me to interject here to insist that you never, ever, ever skip this glaze part, as it is the most wonderful part of the recipe (next to the cheese and carrots inside the meatloaf, of course.)

Bake 10-15 minutes longer. (Add a half hour or more if you cook it the way I did; in a stone loaf pan.)  I wonder if Martha Stewart shows pictures of her cooking messes or just pretends they all turned out perfectly?


Be sure to use a meat thermometer if you aren't sure. 170 degrees is good.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

FYI, my photo is missing a vegetable...


because I got impatient with the cooking time and ate the broccoli long before the meatloaf came out of the oven.  One might think I spoiled my appetite by eating a ton of broccoli, but thankfully, I did not; I ate every single bite of my supper.

And then I went to stuff an Imodium tablet down the dog's throat....

Baked Mostaccioli

My SIL, Mary Sue (or MerrySue, as she likes to be called) has some great recipes! For example, I got the Confetti Scalloped Potatoes recipe from her, and this one is also incredible. I made it last week, for Kyle's end-of-the-year swimming banquet potluck, and the pan was the first one to go empty.

Ingredients:

8 oz. mostaccioli noodles (I used about 12)
1.5 lbs ground beef (I used 2)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic (I used 3)
1 28-oz can tomatoes
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1-4-oz can mushrooms (I used 12 oz. of fresh mushrooms)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried basil (Yeah, that's what's in the baggy pictured, Silly!)
1/8 tsp pepper
1 large bay leaf (Why do they call them bay leaves? I wonder.)
1 lb. sliced mozzarella (I used shredded)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, cook ground *beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic

until meat is browned and veggies are tender. Meanwhile, clean and slice your mushrooms. A very good chef once taught me not to wash mushrooms, but to instead wipe them clean, like so...

Drain the fat off the meat mixture. Stir in undrained tomatoes, sauce, paste, undrained mushrooms (or fresh, sliced), water, salt, sugar, basil, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While that deliciousness is simmering, put the water on to boil the pasta and read this hilarious post from Matty, who made this delicious dish a little differently.]  BOIL THE PASTA (There-That's for you Matty-types.)  Drain and set aside.

Remove bay leaf from the simmering sauce and stir in the mostaccioli.

Turn half of the meat mixture into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Layer half the mozzarella on top. Top with remaining meat mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil (the non-sticky kind or sprayed with olive oil) and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until heated through. Remove foil. Put remaining mozzarella cheese on top of casserole. Bake for another 5 minutes or more.

Serve with garlic bread and a nice salad. Serves a small crowd of hungry young men.

Note: I put this together and stuck it in the fridge (without baking it) for the next night. After school, I ran home and threw it in the oven straight from the fridge, so it took an full hour and a half to cook. It was well worth the wait :)


*I included a pound of venison this time, and it was delicious!

Confetti Scalloped Potatoes

In Wisconsin, we like our *cheesy potatoes. This recipe is a crowd pleaser and comes from my SIL, *Mary Sue.  Matty, you should definitely try this one--It's even easier than the Easy-Peasy Bars From Heaven and is really, really delicious!!

Ingredients:

1 bag Ore-Ida Potatoes O'Brien (The recipe only calls for 16oz. The bag is 28 oz. I used most of it.)

1/2 stick butter
1 can Campbell's Cream of Whatever soup (really, use whichever one you like.)
1 soup-can of milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
dash of pepper
1 cup crushed cheddar-flavored crackers (we like Cheez-Its), divided

Oops-What the heck is that little white thing in the pic?! Garlic?! I did NOT use garlic in this recipe; I think it snuck over from the other ingredients on the counter; you know how garlic is always showboating in recipes. Just ignore that, okay? Now let's get crackin'!

In a bold and daring move, I actually chose not to measure the crackers!!  Join me on the wild side and just throw some in a sandwich bag and pretend that each little square is a bit stress in your life; take it out on the crackers inside, til they're all smashed up!

Set those aside.

Next, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Now, here's where I actually adapted the original recipe (which is something I'm usually too chicken to do, so Go Me! I'm such a daredevil!)  Instead of the original call for 1/2 cup chopped onion, a small green pepper, and 2 tablespoons of pimiento, I just bought the kind of hash browns that already had those ingredients in the bag.  Because I didn't need to saute anything, I also cut the original 1/2 cup butter to 1/4 cup. It really turned out really well, so my recipe reflects these changes.

Stir in potatoes, soup, and milk. I took this pic for you to see how much of the potatoes I used (about four cups.) And yes, it was supposed to be a soup can of the milk, not a cup. (I hope we survive!!)

 Stir. Then add the cheese, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the cracker crumbs.

Pour into a buttered, shallow casserole dish. If you forget to butter the pan, feel free to dump everything back out again, wash the pan, butter it, and move back to the previous step. (Not that I did that or anything....)

Top with remaining cracker crumbs and bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. [Yields 6-8 servings.]

Get ready to be showered with praise for your fine work. Everyone loves these. 

*Warning:  This recipe calls for a double-dose of Lactaid, if you (like me) are lactose intolerant.  (How is it possible that I would live in Wisconsin and have this affliction? I love milk and cheese, but they do not love me. Thank heaven I can pop a pill or two and indulge :)

[P.S. If you're lucky enough to have a copy of our first family cookbook, this recipe can be found on page 37.]

Easy-Peasy Bars from Heaven

Okay, that's not really the name of these bars. I think my cousin Julie was actually trying to ensure that no one else in the family would want any of her "Dump Bars" when she named them, haha.  Honestly, though, they're called Dump Bars because all you have to do is "dump" all of the ingredients in the bowl and mix them up. I made them for the Music Boosters Chili Lunch. Let's just say I brought an empty container home, and we'll forget about the name, okay?  Here's how you, too, can be a baking superstar....

Ingredients:

 

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

5 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup chocolate chips

Dump all of the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) into a bowl.

 

I have to take this moment to ask--Raise your hand if you ever decided that since hot cocoa is great, then cocoa powder must be incredibly delicious, so you tried to eat a spoonful of Hershey's Cocoa, only to find

yourself spitting violently?!

Back to the yum....Mix until all ingredients are moistened.

   

Take a moment here to stop and smell the chocolate, smell the roses, or in my case, watch the snowflakes and wonder how much more winter you can expect....

Spread in greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top (do not stir.)

Did you notice the lone escaped chocolate chip? (I didn't have the heart to crop it out.)

Admire the beauty of it all....

  

(Did you see Lincoln's face in there? Good--neither did I, but I thought I'd check.)

Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven. Let cool a bit and then slice before taking them to your event.  (Make sure you save twelve one for yourself, or like me, you will come home with an empty container!)

Beef Barley Soup

Saturday is our big Soup Swap, so I was busy tonight whipping up my contribution; my sister Mary's delicious Beef  Barley Soup.

Of course, every soup is better when it's made with TLC, so that's why I was thrilled when my dear friend, Dawn, offered to come over and help.

She served as Peanut Gallery, Personal Assistant, and even brought us Chinese food to sustain us through the night. Her fiance Jerry showed up when most of the work was done (haha) but we truly enjoyed his company as well. I'd like to take this time to thank Dawn for not making too much fun of my obsessive measuring! :)

And now, back to the soup!

Ingredients (makes 11 cups):
1-2 soup bones
1 lb soup meat (chuck roast or stew meat)
1 1/2 cup chopped onions
1 3/4 cup sliced carrots
1 3/4 cup sliced celery
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs parsley
2 tsps salt
1/8 tsp pepper
9 cups water
1-2 16-oz canned tomatoes (basil & garlic flavor)
1 cup uncooked pearled barley
3 T chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic (more if you like)
beef bouillon

I multiplied the recipe by FIVE for the soup swap. Don't try this at home...(unless you're feeding a crowd or have a ton of freezer space, haha!)

Cut meat into cubes.

Kiss the helper.....

then slice the carrots, celery, and onions.

Go crazy with the garlic if you like, and set it aside for later. In a heavy 4-6 qt. pot, put the bones, meat, onions, 1 cup of the carrots, parsley sprigs, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and water.

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer about 2.5 hours.  Skim yucky stuff off the top.

Remove bones and return meat from bones to soup.  Add remaining carrots and celery, tomatoes, garlic and barley (I rinsed the barley and checked for scary things in it first.)  You may also want to add some beef bouillon at this point. Partly cover, and cook 45 minutes to an hour, til vegetables and barley are tender.  Just before serving, stir in chopped parsley. Makes 11 cups.

I'll be honest and tell you that as I type this, the soup is still in the cooking stage, so I won't be able to post a pic of the results until tomorrow. What?!  It's 12:21am--cut me a little slack, will ya?! [Update: It turned out wonderfully as the pic I added added to the top of this post! :)]

P.S. I also want to thank my friend and colleague, Sarah, for giving me the beautiful apron for Christmas. As I said, every good soup is made with TLC, and with Dawn's, Mr.4444's, and Sarah's help, this one is sure to be a winner!

P.P.S. Dawn "forgot" her Chinese food leftovers! I'm pretty sure she did it on purpose; something tells me she'll be stopping by on Saturday for a taste of the soup! :)

For a printer-friendly copy of the ingredients and directions, click here.