Easy Lasagna

Easy Lasagna

Ingredients:

- 1pkg lasagna noodles

- 1 large jar of spaghetti sauce

- 1 bag shredded mozzerella

- 1 bag shredded italian mix cheese

- 2 lbs ground beef

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix hamburger with spaghetti sauce and put thin layer on bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Add a layer or lasagna noodles.

3. Add layer of spaghetti sauce mixture, mozerella, italian mix, & noodles.

4. Repeat until dish is full. Ending with a thin layer of cheese.

5. Bake for about45-50 minutes. Remove from oven & serve.

guilt free french fries!

Guilt-Free French Fries!

fitnessmagazine.com

Ingredients:

- 4 tablespoons olive oil

- 4-5 baking potatoes, scrubbed

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

- 1/4 cup parmesan

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; brush with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Set aside.

2. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/2inch thick wedges. Transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablspoons; toss to coat. Sprinkle potatoe wedges with the salt and black pepper, toss to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.

3. Bake in a 450 degree for 12 minutes. Turn potatoes; sprinkle with the parmesan. Bake for another 10-12 minutes more or until tender and golden.

Cherry Enchiladas...

Cherry Enchiladas

allrecipes.com

This recipe takes a little bit of time to make. Not so healthy, I will admit, but yummy.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 water

- 1/2 cup butter

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 10 flour tortillas

- 2 cans cherry pie filling (apple works great.)

- 2 tablespoons white sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1 tablespoon crushed almonds (optional)

Directions:

1. Grease a 9x13in baking dish. Combine the water, butter, and 1/2 cup white sugar in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil.

2. Place a few spoonfuls of the cherry filling in each tortilla.

3. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish.

4. Pour the hot liquid over the 'enchiladas' making sure to coat the tops completely. (The mixture will be watery.) Cover and refridgerate overnight.

5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon and almonds in a small bowl; sprinkle over the top of enchiladas.

6. Bake for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until outside edges of tortillas are golden brown. Cool slightly and serve.

Kabob Packs...

Kabob Packs!

So I've really been craving some good kabobs (we had them at our wedding reception, and although I didn't get to eat one- yah not even one- I heard they were to die for) so I was determined to make some that were just as good, until I didn't have an skewers and, what do you know, I really didn't want to go to the store. So I made grilled kabob packs- thank you Betty Crocker for this recipe.

Ingredients:

- 1/3 cup pineapple preserves (I used apricot and it tasted amazing!)

- 2 tablespoons brown sugar

- 1 tablespoon soy sauce

- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

- 4-5 boneless chicken breasts- sliced into 2 inch cubes

- 1 red pepper- cut into 1-2 inch cubes

- 1 green pepper- cut into 1-2 inch cubes

- 1 cup pineapple chunks ( I used about 1.5 cups)

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

*I added mango for more flavor.

Directions:

1. Heat gas or charcoal grill. In a large bowl combine preserves, brown sugar, soy sauce and crushed red pepper.

2. Cut 4 sheets of heavy duty foil. Divide chicken, bell peppers, pineapple and preserve mixture among foil sheets. sprinkle with salt.

3. Bring up two side of foil so the edges meet. Seal edges. Allow space for heat circulation and expansion. Fold other sides to seal.

4. Place packets over grill on medium heat. Cover grill; cook for 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip over the packets, making sure you do not puncture the foil. Cook for another 10-12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and vegetables are crisp-tender.

5. ENJOY!

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips
allrecipes.com (with a few changes)

I had a ton of fruit that I didn't want to go bad and I was in a sweet mood, so I set out to find a really yummy recipe, and this hit the spot and it was really fun and easy to make ( it's a little time consuming, but I suggest a food chopper to make things go ALOT faster)- I'm all about that! Feel free to switch in your favorite fruit for something new!

Ingredients: Dip

- 2 kiwis, peeled and diced

- 3 apples ( I used Golden Delicious) peeled, cored and diced

- 2 cups raspberries, frozen or fresh.

- 3 cups strawberries, diced

( I then added some peaches and mangos, but use what you want!)

- 1 tablespoon white sugar

- 1 tablespoon brown sugar

- 3 tablespoon fruit preserves; any flavor. ( I used apricot)

Chips:

- 1 pack flour tortillas (10-12)

- Butter flavored cooking spray ( I used I can't believe it's not butter spray)

- 4 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

HINT: if you don't have time to make the Cinnamon Chips, Cinnamon graham crackers work!

Directions:

1. In large bowl combine all fruit, white & brown sugar and fruit preserves. Mix well and chill in fridge for about 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

3. Cut tortillas into triangle wedges and spray with butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle with desired amount of cinnamon sugar and spray with cooking spray again. Lay the wedges onto a cooking sheet. ( I cut all tortillas into wedges, sprayed them, then put the cinnamon sugar in the bottom of a gallon sized ziploc and put the sprayed wedges into the ziploc and shook. It was a lot easier than doing them one by one.)

4. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture!

chicken packets...

Chicken Packets.

super easy, super yummy, super fun.

Ingredients:

- 4 oz cream cheese

- 1 13oz cans chicken or 3-4 chicken breasts; chopped

- 1/4 tsp parsley

- 2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls

- 1 tbs finely chopped onion

Directions:

1. Combine the above ingredients (besides the crescent rolls) and mix well

2. Open one package of crescent rolls. DO NOT divide into triangles. Keep every 2 triangles together, forming 4 rectangles.

3. Pinch the seams closed and pat each one into a larger square.

4. Put a spoonful of the chicken/cream cheese mixture into the center of each square. Fold the corners up into the center.

5. Repeat with all 8 rectangles.

6. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

fruit pizza...

Fruit Pizza
Perfect for a Fourth of July dessert!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup butter

- 3/4 cup sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 1/3 cup flour

- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

OR

Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

Topping:

- 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese

- 1/2 white sugar

- 2 teaspoons vanilla

- Any fruit that you want on top. ( I usually use kiwi, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple and/or strawberries)

Directions.

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Mix in egg.

3. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt; stir into creamed mixture until just blended. Press mixture into ungreased pizza pan.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool

5. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla until light. Spread on baked crust.

6. Top with desired fruit!

have some fun with it! :)

mango salsa...

M a n g o S a l s a!

fabulous!

Ingredients:

- 1/2 medium onion, chopped

- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

- 2 ripe mangos, peeled, seeded, and diced ( I acually used frozen mango- works just fine)

- 1 fresh red pepper, chopped

- 2 tablesppons coarsely chopped cilantro

- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon pepper

- 1 tablespoon minced green onion

- 1 tomato, chopped

Directions:

1. Saute onion in olive oil or butter until lightly browned.

2. Toss all ingredients together gently.

3. Serve with tortilla chips ( also REALLY good served atop grilled chicken)

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Ok these are the PERFECT chocolate fix...seriously so yummy!

Ingredients:

- 1 3/4 cup flour

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1/2 tsp. baking soda

- 1/2 cup cocoa

- 1/2 cup shortening

- 1 cup sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 tsp. vanilla

- 1/4 cup milk

Also you'll need:

1 bag large marshmallows

1 tub chocolate frosting

Mix the first 4 ingredients together and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, mix the remaining ingredients

together and slowly add the dry ingredients.

The dough will start to form a large ball when finished mixing.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

Take out and add half a large marshmallow

then put back in the oven for 1-2 minutes.

Allow the cookie to cool then add some chocolate frosting on top! Delicious!

Three-Cheese Beef Pasta Shells...

Three Cheese Beef Pasta Shells

from Betty Crocker

I had some hamburger that I needed to use and this seemed like a perfect recipe to use it on!

Ingredients:

- 1 box jumbo pasta shells

- 1 lb ground beef

- 1 jar chunky tomato pasta sauce

- 1/4 cup water

- 1 container (8oz) chive and onion cream cheese

- 1 1/2 cup Italian Blend cheese

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

- 1 egg

- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:

1. In medium bowl, mix pasta sauce and water together. Pour 1 cup of mixture in bottom of 13x9 inch baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, mix cheese spread, 1 cup italian cheese, the parmesan cheese egg and cooked ground beef.

3. Spoon mixture into cooked shell until full.

4. Arrange filled shells over sauce in dish.

5. Pour remaining sauce over shells, covering shells completely.

6. Cover with foil.

7. Bake 40-45 minutes or until cheese filling is set. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. If desired, sprinkle with parsley and enjoy!

yeah. yum.

slush punch...

Slush Punch

This punch is served at every holiday, family get together, and special occasion. Why? Because it's my favorite and everyone knows it, and most importantly because it's delicious!

Ingredients:

- 1 pkg of Kool Aid

- 1 cup sugar

- 1 can frozen lemonade

- 1 can pineapple juice (the big one)

- 2 liter bottle of 7-up

- 2 liter bottle of Fresca

Directions:

1. Mix all together and divide into 2 gallon sized Ziploc bags.

2. Fill the remainder of each Ziploc with water.

3. Double bag the Ziplocs to avoid a mess.

4. Put in freezer overnight.

Next Day:

1. Slice with knice into punch bowl.

- SIDENOTE- the punch will not melt to become slush and that's where the knife comes into play again. You will need to slice and cut the frozen punch into pieces and chunks if you want your punch to be slushy!

2. Add a 2 liter bottle of 7-up and a 2 liter bottle of Fresca.

lemon bread...

Lemon Bread!

Yes, I'm still on my kick of lemon, but trust me, this is so yummy, and hits just the right spot!

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups flour

- 1 cup sugar

- 1 tsp. salt

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 cup milk

- 1/2 cup oil

- 1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel OR 3/4 tsp. lemon extract

(If you want a glaze on top, I used the juice from the lemon, and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, but this bread is great with or without a glaze!)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2. In small bowl, lightly beat eggs, then beat in milk, oil and lemon.

3. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredietns and stir just until blended.

4. Pour batter into greased and floured loaf pan.

5. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

SiMpLy AmAzInG! :)

Apple Brown Betty...

Apple Brown Betty

from Crockpot

This is absolutley delectible!

Ingredients:

- 6-7 cups apples, peeled and cut

- 1 cup bread crumbs

- 1tsp cinnamon

- 1tsp nutmeg

- 1/8 teaspoon salt

- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

- 1/2 cup butter, melted.

- 1/4 cups walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Coat Crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Place apples in bottom.

2. Combine bread crumbs, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, brown sugar, & butter.

3. Spread over apples.

4. Cover. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours

5. EAT IT UP!

Sweet Turkey Wraps...

Turkey Wraps

I'm always down for a quick, healthy, available lunch or dinner. I love any kind of wrap and when making these, I usually make more than we need and put them in the fridge for a quick lunch the next day.

Ingredients:

-1 (80z) pkg cream cheese

- 1/2 cup pineapple (fresh or drained canned will work)

- 1 package Mission tortillas ( for wraps I ALWAYS use the spinach herb)

- sliced turkey (if you prefer ham, use that)

- lettuce

- tomatoes, sliced thin

Directions:

1. Blend the cream chesse and pineapple together until creamy and smoothy. Spread the cream chesse mixture on half of the wrap.

2. Top the cream cheese with turkey/ham, lettucem and tomato. fold in the edges and roll up from the end. ENJOY!

Optional Tips: SO many variations to making a wrap. For a ranch wrap, substitute the pineapple out for 1/2 cup of ranch dressing. For a turkey cranberry wrap, substitute the pineapple out for cranberries (I use canned cranberries)- SO good.

Be creative! :)

orange picante chicken...

Orange Picante Chicken

from campbell's kitchen.com

When I got this recipe from a friend, I was a little concerned when I took a look at the ingredients, it didn't seem possible that some of these ingredients were going to taste good together. Once again, I was wrong! Trust in this recipe! You will not be disappointed!

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

- 4 boneless chicken breasts

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 cup Pace Picante Sauce (any salsa will work)

- 1/4 cup orange juice

- 1 1/2 tablespoon packed brown sugar

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a 1- inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 1- minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir the picante sauce, orange juice and brown sugar in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Serve chicken and sauce with rice or pasta. ENJOY!

baked mac and cheese...

Baked Mac & Cheese

I was in need of some good soulful food, and this mac and cheese certainly hit the spot. Luckily I had all of the ingredients on hand!

Delicious!

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup of butter

- 1/4 flour

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 2 cups milk

- 1/4 cup Velveeta Cheese, cut up

- 1 package of cheddar cheese, shredded

- 1 box of elbow macaroni, cooked, drained

- 3 tablespoons plain bread crumbs

- Paprika (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan on low heat.

2. Blend in flour and salt, stir & cook for 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened.

3. Add prepared Velveeta cheese and 1 1/2 cups of shredding cheese: stir until melted.

4. Stir in Macaroni

5. Pour into oven safe casserole pan

6. In seperate bowl, melt remaining 1 tablesppon butter and toss with bread crumbs.

7. Sprinkle casserole with remaining shredded cheese and bread crumb mixture.

8. ( I then sprinkle paprika on top of casserole)

9. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Amazing Pizza Dough...

Amazing Pizza Dough

You ready for this?!

How much easier can you get!? We usually make personal pan pizzas, due to the difference in pizza topping choices, at least once a month, and luckily my mom shared this "box" of goodness with me. I found that it makes about 4-5 servings and goes a long ways in the kitchen! The directions are easy to follow and all you need is oil and hot water.

PS. also an amazing recipe for easy cinnamon rolls!

Mexican Fajitas

Ingredients:

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 orange or yellow pepper

2 chicken breasts (of steak if you prefer)

1 packet of McCormicks Fajitas mix

Boil and shred chicken. Heat oil in medium skillet and add sliced peppers. Allow peppers to soften while cooking and then add chicken. Mix Fajita mix with water and mix with chicken and peppers. Wrap in tortillas and enjoy! YUM!

We usually add sour cream, lettuce and cheese...seriously delicious!

Cinnamon Syrup

A great alternative to switch up the usual maple syrup!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup (Karo Syrup)

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup evaporated milk

Mix all ingredients, minus the evaporated milk,together in a pan and bring to boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup evaporated milk.

*Refrigerate after using but reheat and serve again.

Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas...

Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas

Yummy Yummy in my tummy with plenty of leftovers!

Ingredients:

- 4-5 cups chicken diced

- 1 bag mozzarella cheese

- Flour Tortillas (8-10)

- Sliced Olives (optional)

Enchilada Sauce : mix the following in a large bowl

- 1 bunch green onions - chopped

- 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

- 8 ounces Sour cream ( I usually add a little bit more)

- red pepper- (spice to your taste)

In each tortilla spread a big spoonful of sauce, place 1/4 cup of chicken & grated cheese on top. Roll up and place all 10 enchiladas in a 9x13 pan. Cover Enchiladas with remaining sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until tortillas are a crisp light brown.

Simple Baby Quilt

This rag quilt is the simplest quilt I've ever made. Its perfect for a baby blanket.

Materials:

1 yard of patterned material (3/4 back panel and 1/4 yard for quilt squares)

1/4 yard of coordinating material

Quilt batting

1. Cut material into 4x4 inch squares.

2. You'll need 64 squares to make a 32x32 inch quilt.

3. Sew one side of the squares back to back. (I made about 1/4 inch seam but depending on how much fringe you want you can make it larger.)

4. Create a row of 8 squares my continuing Step 3.

5. Sew all of your rows together the same way you sew the squares together so you have a leftover seam to cut the fringe.

6. Sew your back panel and quilt batting to the front panel of quilt squares. (I sewed the back down the middle and across the middle as well as the outside to make sure that the batting stays in place- sorry no picture!)

7. Get ready for a hand workout. Cut all the seams making the fringe or "rag" look. Also cut the outside seam.

8. After cutting the fringe put the quilt in the dryer for a few minutes to "fluff" it up and make the fringe stand up.

The final product: an adorable baby quilt!

beef taquitos...

Beef Taquitos

I know that you can buy taquitos at your local grocery store and for some people that may work and be much easier, but for my family, we have a monthly menu and we stick to it every night...except tonight. I didn't want to go to the store, so I decided that I would attempt to make taquitos, and the attempt payed off! Obviously I came up with this on the top of my head, so let your imagination roll and don't fear to experiment!

Ingredients:

- 1 medium onion (finey chopped)

- 1 clove garlic (minced)

- 1 lb ground beef

- 1 cup salsa ( I used mango and pineapple salsa for more flavor)

- 1 package of corn tortillas ( I had a few left over)

- 1 package of cheddar cheese

- Sour cream

- salt and pepper to taste (optional)

1.Heat oven to 400. Heat and cook ground beef in large skillet.

2. Once beef in cook throughly, stir in onion, garlic and salsa. Heat for 3 minutes and use salt and pepper to taste.

3. Place your tortillas on a plate with a damp paper towel over them and microwave them until they are warm and moveable/pliable. (You will see in the photo below that I didn't heat mine for long enough the first round and they broke and tore, so I ended up heating mine for about 1-2 minutes the 2nd time around and it worked perfectly.)

4. Top each tortilla with your beef mixture and sprinkle cheese evenly over the beef.

5.Roll up your tortillas and place them in a foil-lined baking sheet.

6. Brush the top of the rolled tortilla with oil.

7. Bake until the filling in heated all the way through and the tortillas are crunchy and lightly browned. (about 8-10 minutes.)

8. Serve and ENJOY!

We mixed sour cream and salsa together to make a nice dipping sauce. yUmMy!

easy sweet and sour chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken in Crockpot

For one of my bridal showers, the host asked everyone to bring their favorite recipes to put in a recipe box for Kalob and I, which we use all the time, and this is one of our favorites. Best part= it's super easy with only 4 ingredients!

Ingredients:

- 4-6 chicken breasts

- 1 cup Catalina Dressing

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1/2 cup mustard

Mix Catalina Dressing, brown sugar and mustard. Place chicken breasts in crockpot and pour sauce over. Cook on High for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

SIDE NOTE: I usually put some mango and pineapple with the chicken to add a little bit mroe color and flavor. :)

ENJOY!

simply burpcloths.

I was lucky enough to get some of these amazing burp cloths for my baby shower by one of my mom's best friends, which led to more made by my mom when she came after Hudson was born, and now, I decided I needed more (really I didn't, I just wanted some different colors to match some more outfits), which then turned into me making them for a double baby shower the other night, which is now leading to this post so everyone out there can make them for themselves or others!

simplicity.

promise.

1. Go to your local fabric store and pick out your fabric. I went to Joanns and went straight to the scrap pieces or 1/2 yard squares for $1.99. One of these squares can make 2-3 burp rags.

2. Go to your local Walmart or Joanns and buy a pack[s] of burp cloth diapers. Usually comes in a pack of 4 made by GERBER.

ps. target has burp cloth diapers but they are GIGANTIC and will NOT work for these burp rags unless you want a blanket!

4. Wash and Dry your fabric and burp cloth diapers. This will prevent shrinking and fraying later on. Trust me, you will wash them often!

5. Iron ( I find it easier to starch as well) your fabric and burp rags out flat.

6. Take your fabric and measure the length and width of the MIDDLE of the burp rag, (see orange line below. HINT: it is more padded in the middle than the side) keeping in mind that you will iron and starch all of the edges of your measured piece to prevent fraying.

7. You are ready to sew! Take your measured fabric and sew to the middle and padded part of the burp cloth.

DONE AND DONE.

SO simple and easy right?! I have about 30 of them. Honestly, I don't think you can have too many! :)

ritz mock apple pie

Ritz Mock Apply Pie

Believe it or not I made this in my 8th grade nutrition class! I finally found the recipe and made it today! Yes, it does taste like the real thing! :)

Ingredients:

-pastry for a 9inch double crust pie

- 36 ritz crackers, crushed

- 1 3/4 cups water

- 2 cups white sugar

- 2 tablespoons cream of tartar

- 2 tablespoons lemon juice

- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

- 2 tablespoons butter

1. Roll out half of the pastry in the 9in pie plate. Place cracker crumbs in prepared crust. Set aside.

2. Heat water, sugar, and cream of tartar to a boil in saucepan over high heat; simmer for 15 minutes. Add lemon juice and cool.

3. Pour above syrup over cracker crumbs. Dot with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon

4. Roll out remaining pastry and place over pie.

5. Trim, Seal, and Frute edges. Slit top of pie for steam to escape.

6. Bake at 425 for 30-35 minutes or until crust is crisp and golden. Cool and Serve.

Ham & Egg Brunch Braid

Amazing for brunches and breakfast for company! Very pretty and very yummy!

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup chopped green pepper

- 2 green onions

- 4 oz cream cheese

- 1/2 cup milk

- 8 eggs

- 1/4 tsp salt

- pepper to taste

- 1 tsp butter

- 2 pkg (8 oz) crescent rolls

- 1/4 pound deli ham

- 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Place cream cheese and milk on high in microwave for 1 minute. Separate 1 egg use white for later. Whisk eggs and salt and pepper into cream cheese. Saute green pepper and green onion with butter. Add egg mixture and ham and mix to a soft scramble. Remove from heat. Spread crescent dough on a stone or cookie sheet. Make a slice for the braid and add egg mixture. Braid and brush with left over egg white.

Bake for 25-28 minutes at 375.

*I'll post pictures when I make this next so you can understand the braid part.*

Crock-Pot Italian Chicken

This is a staple in our house. So quick. So easy. So yummy.

Ingredients:

- 1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese

- can cream of chicken soup

- 1 pkg dry Italian salad dressing

- 1 cup milk

- Chicken breasts (2-4 depending)

Mix softened cream cheese with cream of chicken soup, dry salad dressing and milk. Place chicken in crock-pot and our mixture on top. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or 6-8 hours on low. Serve over noodles or rice.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Bars

Ingredients:

- 1 pkg. chocolate chip cookie mix

- 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese

- 1 tsp. vanilla

- 1/2 cup sugar

Mix the dough as instructed on the package. Spread 1/2 the dough on a greased 8x8 pan. Combine sugar and cream cheese with a mixer and spread over the dough. Add remaining dough on top.

Cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. (The bars will still be a little "jiggly" when you take it out of the oven but don't cook for over 30 minutes they will solidify as they cool.) I like them best after they are cooled in the fridge. :) So so yummy!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Batter Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup cold water

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tsp. baking powder

Sauce Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup water

- 2 tbsp. cornstarch

- 2 1/2 tbsp. vinegar

- 1 cup ketchup

- 1 cup sugar

Defrost chicken breasts and cut into bite size pieces. Mix all sauce ingredients and heat to almost a boil. Turn down the heat and the sauce will thicken as it cools. Heat oil in deep frier to a medium degree. (You only need about an inch of oil.) Serve over rice.

Scotcharoos

Hubby absolutely LOVES these little treats...

Ingredients:

-1 cup Karo syrup

-1 cup sugar

-1 cup peanut butter

-6 cups rice crispies

-1 pkg. chocolate chips

-1 pkg. butterscotch chips

Melt Karo syrup and sugar until boiling in the microwave. Stir in peanut butter and rice crispies. Place mixture in a 13x9 pyrex pan. In a separate bowl melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Pour chip mixture over the rice crispie mixture and put in the fridge to harden and cool.

Mandarin Jello

Mandarin Jello

This will pretty much blow your mind. haha. I'm not much of a jello person (how am I mormon right?) but this is simply amazing and comes from my great grandma bea's collection- which means it has to be delicious! This is just in time for those summer bbqs and get togethers!

Ingredients:

-2 small boxes of orange jello

- 1 small can frozen orange juice

- 1 small can crushed pineapple (drain and save the juice)

- 1 can mandarin oranges (drain and save the juice)

Topping:

- 1 small pkg instant lemon pudding.

- 1 cup milk

- 1 container cool whip.

Dissolve the jello in 2 cups of boiling water. Pour into a 9 x 13 pan. Add the orange juice and juices from the pineapple and oranges. Stir in the pineapple and oranges. Set until firm.

Mix together:

- 1 small pkg instant lemon pudding

- 1 cup milk

- 1 container of cool whip.

Spread over the jello and serve!

North Stars

North Stars

If I'm attending a family function, these are present. They are delicious appetizers,so easy, and I promise...they will be a hit!

Ingredients:

- 1 loaf baguette bread

- 1 cup shredded swiss cheese

- 1 pkg Italian salad dressing- dry mix

- 1/2 cup mayo (NOT miracle whip)

- 1/2 cup sour cream

Combine swiss chesse, salad dressing mix, mayo and sour cream. Set aside. Slice bread into 1/4 ince slices. Spead mix on bread. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

For variation, add thin slices of cucumber, red/green peppers, or tomato's.

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken...

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

- 4-6 small boneless chicken breasts

- 3 tablespoons flour

- 1/3 cup orange marmalade

- 1/3 cup barbecue sauce

- 2 tablespoon soy sauce

- 1 tablespoon grated gingerroot

Toss chicken with flour in slow cooker.

Stir in all remaining ingredients: cover with lid.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

We usually cut up the chicken and have it over rice. ENJOY.