Monday, January 30, 2012

Super Bowl Round Up

The "Big" game is right around the corner and it's time to start thinking about the game day food, which in my opnion is just as important as the game. In fact I'd even venture to say the commercials and the food make the game!

I know there will be some people that disagree with me but I can't honestly say I care who wins. Please take mercy on me and my lack of football committment!

Here are a few of my favorite recipes for your Super Bowl Buffet line!



 
 
 
 

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Oreo Puddin' Poke Cake

A few weeks ago I called my nephew and asked him what he wanted for his birthday. He really couldn't come up with much other than a gift card and of course he wanted a cake. No preference what kind of cake so I was left to my own to figure out what cake to try out on him.

I was searching high and low and I came across the The Country Cook's Oreo Puddin' Poke Cake. It looked and sounded divine. I had previously tried her Spasanga recipe and posted it for you. I figured since I loved that recipe so much she wouldn't lead me astray with this new cake recipe. And boy was I right! I love her blog. It just "talks" to me. I think we are kindred souls or something or just share the same taste buds!

I made this cake and delivered it to my nephew. The night I was making the cake the hubby was literally drooling over it and asked what I was making him. I sheepishly said nothing and that it was for the nephew. He wasn't too impressed. Luckily I told my nephew and he was sure to said a big piece home with me for his uncle. Of course his dad grinned and said better take a picture and post that on the ol' blog! After inhaling the cake my hubby looks at me and said when are you making the next one? I take that as a sign of a mega hit!



Oreo Puddin' Poke Cake
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Ingredients
1 box chocolate cake mix (Plus ingredients to make cake)
2 (4 oz.) packages of Instant Oreo pudding
4 c. milk (2% or higher)
Crushed Oreo cookies (optional)

1. Make cake mix according to directions and bake in a greased 9x13 pan.

2. Right before the cake is done mix the pudding mixes and milk in a bowl. Make sure to whisk out all of the lumps. Let the pudding mixture sit for about 2 minutes. You want it somewhat thickened but not set like pudding.

3. When cake is done, immediately poke holes over the cake using the end of a wooden spoon in about 1 in. intervals. Pour pudding mixture over warm cake. Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes. Put in the fridge to set up which takes about an hour.




4. When cake is set sprinkle with crushed Oreo cookies. If you don't plan on eating all the cake just sprinkle Oreos on what you will eat or they get soggy.

Recipe from: The Country Cook


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Friday, January 20, 2012

Goof Balls

I'm stuck. On dessert. Have you noticed?

Don't worry I've ate other meals, but nothing worth writing about it. It seems like I'm a on a cooking block...instead of writer's block. Nothing is scrumptious enough to share with you other than my tried and true recipes. Wish me luck on getting out of my slump!

This yummy little Goof Balls are addicting. Terribly addicting. I always make them for Christmas, but I should really make them more often, or not. The thing is ... they'd go straight to my hips. My hips are plenty big as it is so I might ban them to Christmastime.

The recipe originates from my Aunt Cheryl. She's a master in the kitchen. I knew I "had" to have the recipe when I had them the first time. She also makes one wicked apple pie. I have that recipe yet.. but I have yet to attempt that one. Pies scare me. I need to embrace them and get over my fear. Someday a pie might just show up on this little old blog if you are lucky!


Goof Balls
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Ingredients
1/4 lb soft butter
2 c. crunchy peanut butter
2 c. powdered sugar
3 c. Rice Krispies

12 oz semi sweet choc chips (or white almond bark)
1 tbsp Crisco

1. Combine butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar and Rice Krispies. Chill 1 hr.

2. Form mixture into balls the size of a walnut. Melt chocolate chips or almond bark with the Crisco in a double boiler (you can microwave this also). Dip balls into chocolate mixture.

3. Set on waxed paper. Store in refrigerator.

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Strawberry Vanilla Poke Cake

I've been thinking I should make this recipe for awhile but I've never got around to it. It's a frequent visitor at meals when I go to other people's houses. So I made a phone call to my hubby's stepmom one Sunday morning and requested the recipe.

I needed something simple and fast to make for a dessert and this fit the bill.My mom had hemmed a pair of jeans for the hubby and decided that for her "pay" she wanted to come over for Creamy Chicken Enchiladas. This is the one recipe she refuses to make saying that it's my "treat" recipe when she's craving it. My little bro also loves these, so I made sure to invite him over to or I wouldn't hear the end of it!  Plus I had all the ingredients on hand which is an extra WOOHOO in my life. I try to avoid the grocery store as much as possible because I can never walk out of there with just what I went for even if it was a box of cake mix!

Now I couldn't just leave the cake as is could I? I jazzed it up with a layer of vanilla pudding between the cake and the cool whip layer. It was terrific. If you don't have vanilla pudding mix you surely can get by without it, but it was fun to dress it up a bit. I used all sugar free mixes but you can use the regular ones too. I knew it was a hit when Mom said, "You will blog this one right?!"



Strawberry Vanilla Poke Cake
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Ingredients
1 box white cake mix (prepare with ingredients on box)
1 box (.3 oz) strawberry jello mix sugar-free
1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix sugar free
1 container (8 oz) cool whip
1 1/2 c. water
2 c. milk

1. Prepare your cake as it calls for on the box. When the cake is done baking poke holes in the cake with a fork. Place in the fridge to chill for 3-4 hours.

2. Prepare jello with 1 c. boiling water and 1/2 c. cold water. Mix together until jello mix is dissolved. Pour over the cake. This will seem like a lot of liquid but the cake will absorb it and it won't become mush. Trust me!

3. Place the cake in the fridge while you prepare the vanilla pudding mixture. Mix the vanilla pudding with 2 c. milk. Let it sit until it gets set. Smooth over the top of your cake. Top with the cool whip.

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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Vanilla Pudding

This recipe comes from when I was in about 5th grade and in 4-H. Each month at the meetings a few kids had to do "demonstrations". My friend, Lucy, made this pudding and we have been hooked ever since. It's soooo easy and so yummy.

Young and old love this recipe. My niece is in love with it and so is my hubby and her daddy likes it too. It's great plain but we found out while camping that if you throw a few strawberries in it right before you eat it that makes it super yummy!

Excuse the picture...I made this when the hubby had his wisdom teeth out and he was not waiting patiently for me to serve him a bowl of this!



Vanilla Pudding
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Ingredients
2 boxes instant vanilla pudding
1 container Cool Whip
4 cups milk

1. Mix pudding and milk together. Let sit until it is thick. Add Cool Whip and mix together.

2. Enjoy!

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Monday, January 9, 2012

Griddle Steaks

I don't grill. I struggle with steaks. They scare me.

Until now.

This is seriously the most amazing steak recipe, if you call it that, I have ever had. It beats my hubby's grilled steaks hands down. He even admitted it! He also said that he's never had a steak at a restaurant that good either. Plus it was fast and easy. I didn't even have to marinate it.

This story goes something like this. My mom doesn't like to make steaks either. My mom is sure mentioned a lot in this blog isn't she? It's just cause I love her so dang much!

Lil brother enters the picture telling mom how awesome these steaks that his roommate makes are. We beg, plead, bribe etc. but little bro does not follow through on telling us how the roomie makes these. Us ladies then in return take matters into our own hands, wait, MOM takes matters into her hands. I won't take credit.

Luckily for us roomie works at the grocery store. Mom tracks him down one day and he tells her how he makes the steaks plus leads her to the seasonings and shares his secrets. Then the story goes like this, mom makes steaks, raves about steaks, brings me seasoning, I make steaks, rave about steaks, YOU make steaks! Got it?? Remember it's winter and I live in MN so this is double awesome because we can have "summer" food inside!!!



Griddle Steaks
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients
Steaks, of your choice
Seasoning Salt
McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning

1. Preheat griddle to 300 degrees. Place steaks on griddle. Seasoning the steak with the two seasonings. Apply a liberal amount, or at least I did, but I like seasoning!

2. Flip the steak after 5-10 minutes. Seasoning other side of steak. Continue to flip steaks every 5-10 minutes until steaks are cooked to your desired doneness. Mine took about 30 minutes. It will depend on the cut and thickness of your steaks also.

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Friday, January 6, 2012

Tortilla Pinwheels

I always get excited when I go to someones house for an event and these are sitting on the table. I figured it was about time I tried to make them, well I tried once and it wasn't pretty. I learned quickly that the key to making these little babies is good flour tortillas. I found those in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. The other tortillas I got were flaky and it was pretty! It's also easier to cut these when they are stored in the fridge to let the cream cheese firm up.

The hubby daringly tried these (Daring for him!) and he fell in love too. I don't think I'll tell him that there are black olives in them. *GASP* He'd never eat them again. Little white lies never hurt anyone did they?

If you are starting to look forward to planning a Super Bowl Party these would be perfect!



Tortilla Pinwheels
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients
8 oz sour cream
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
4 oz can diced green chilies, drained
4 oz can chopped black olives, drained
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. chopped green onions
Garlic powder, to taste
Seasoned Salt, to taste
5-10" flour tortillas

1. Mix all filling ingredients together, except tortillas. Divide filling and spread evenly over tortillas; roll up tortillas.

2. Roll each tortilla up in plastic wrap, twisting the ends. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

3. Unwrap; cut into slices. Lay pinwheels flat on glass serving plate.

Yield: 50 Pinwheels

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Pepperoni Roll

I found this during my many hours wasted in the wonderful world of Pinterest. Does anyone else find this website sucking hours out of their day?

As soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it. We love pizza and this was a little bit of a different twist on it. I had all the ingredients at home so I knew it was a match made in heaven.

This is perfect for a busy weeknight meal or to make during a football game. You can add whatever toppings you like on your pizza. The biggest thing is you need to thaw the bread dough. I took it out before I left for work in the morning and by the time I got home it was HUGE. I mean it was taking over the pan I had it on. If you use this technique make sure you use a good size pan. I made one of these and it was a little to much for 2 people so I would say it would feed 3-4 people. Plus my hubby tends to eat a lot so it might just feed for of you! I might just hate him for staying so skinny!!


Pepperoni Roll
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients
1 loaf frozen bread dough (I used Rhodes), thawed
Pepperoni
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Pizza Sauce
Olive Oil
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Powder

1. Roll the bread dough out into a square approximately 11 x 11. Brush dough with olive oil. Spread a light coating of pizza sauce over the dough. If you prefer more pizza sauce add more!


2. Lay pepperoni over the pizza sauce. Sprinkle the cheeses on top of the pepperoni. Lightly sprinkle the Italian Seasoning on, but be careful not to use to much this can get strong fast! Sprinkle a little garlic powder over the cheese.


3. Roll up the dough starting at one edge of the dough. Place roll on baking sheet. Brush olive oil on the top of the roll.


4. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Take out of the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes. I know its really tempting to dig in, but you want to let it set up and cool a bit!

*To thaw bread I placed it on a jelly roll pan and covered it with plastic wrap. Put a little cooking oil on the plastic wrap on the side that will be touching the bread dough so it doesn't stick. It will take a couple hours to thaw.

Adapted from: What About Pie


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