What a GREAT and YUMMY idea!!

Have you seen Pintrest?  I'm kinda hooked!  Well, looking at it anyway.  I'm afraid to get started because I am afraid it will become an obsession! I saw this awesome idea on there and had to share!  All you do is pour some Capri Sun into a popsicle mold and add sliced fruit.  It's so pretty, I don't know if I would eat it! 

If you haven't checked out Pintrest, you must!  It is a wealth of ideas!!

Sour Cream Banana Bread

First of all, I have to say, that I don't really care much for banana bread.  I don't really like banana's.  I have to be in the right mood to eat them.  My sister made this bread and asked me try it, and it was AMAZING!  I can't really taste the banana's, and it is very moist and crumbly.  It reminds me more of a pound cake!  Oh, it's so good!  This is my new recipe for banana bread!

Sour Cream Banana Bread

1 cup Margarine

1 & 1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 & 1/2 cup mashed bananas

4 cups + 2 Tbsp. flour

1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 & 1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup walnuts chopped (optional)

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and beat.  Add bananas and beat.  Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl and add to the creamed mixture.  Add sour cream, beat until smooth, stir in nuts.  Pour batter into 2 large greased and floured loaf pans.   Bake at 350 for 1 hour.  To test for doneness insert a sharp knife into the center of the bread.  If it comes out clean the bread is done.

This bread is very moist and freezes well.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nothing says fall like pumpkin cookies!!  These have become a staple at our house the past few weeks.  It's good and bad.  Good as in they are my favorite cookie, bad on the diet!!!  I have posted this before, but it's been a few years, thought I would share it again.  This is my recipe I have used for years and it's by far the best that I have found!


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp milk
2 cups chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

1) Pre-heat oven to 375
2) Combine sugar and shortening. Add egg and beat well. Add pumpkin and vanilla.
3) Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and mix by hand until combine
4) Dissolve baking soda in milk and add to above.
5) Add chocolate chips. Mix well
6) Bake for 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie

 You can make these yummy cookies like this, as a frosted cookie.  I used toffee sprinkles on top.

Or you can make them into whoopie pies!  They are so good.  The recipe came from Family Fun.

Pumpkin Cookies:

2 eggs
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin
3 cups flour
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
t tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Filling/Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tsps. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. milk ( I added this, it was way to thick the other way)
4 to 5 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat the eggs, brown sugar, oil and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth.  Add pumpkin.  In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture a 1/2 cup at a time, blending each time until smooth.  (It will be a very sticky dough)

Drop heaping tbsps. of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  bake the cookies for 12 minutes.  Cool completely.  Fill the middle with cream cheese frosting or frost the top of the cookies.

The Perfect Cupcake

The Perfect Cupcake

1 pkg. cake mix (choc. or white)

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

1 pkg. small dry pudding mix (choc. or vanilla)

Mix all the ingredients together until well blended. I use muffin liners, but I usually spray them with Vegalene, just to make sure the cupcakes slide out easily. Fill each muffin cup 2/3rds of the way full. Bake at 350 for 15-16 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

This recipe will yield the yummiest, moistest, perfect shaped and most beautiful cupcake you have ever seen! I topped these with a vanilla buttercream frosting. Oooh, so delicious.

Brownies

My oldest who is almost 8, wants to learn to cook! It's awesome, but so far his cooking consists of sweets only! He helped me to make these brownies and was so proud. I had to take them to a fireside, just to get rid of them because he and I couldn't stop eating them!

Brownies
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening (butter)
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1 c. walnuts

Cream shortening, sugar and egss. Add flour and other dry ingredients. Add in walnuts, chocolate chips, whatever your heart desires. Place in a greased 13x9 baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

This could be co nsidered a bread or a dessert. Anyway you look at it, it's yummy!
Zucchini Bread

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 cups grated zucchini, peeled

3 cups flour

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

Nuts

Raisins

or my favorite, cinnamon chips!!!

Mix oil, sugar and eggs. Add zucchini and vanilla. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Place in a greased bread pan Bake at 350 for 50 - 60 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

Cute 4th of July Goodie Plate

I love the 4th of July! I made up these fun little plates to take around to my Visiting Teaching ladies. I absolutely love sugar cookies. I have the best sugar cookie recipe, you can get it here. The cute tags and much more, you can find here.

And this is my new favorite Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

Beat 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened, 1/4 cup butter, softened, 2 Tbsp. sour cream and
2 tsps pure vanilla extract in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 4 cups powdered sugar until smooth.

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles:

3 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 & ½ cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs

¼ cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Using a mixer, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add in eggs. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until well blended.

Mix together the ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon. Shape into 1 & ½ inch balls and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until light and golden. Don’t over bake!! Makes about 3 dz.

I originally got this recipe from Jadi's Recipes.

Hamburger Rolls

These were one of my favorite things that we used to eat at school lunch when I was in high school. Good ole' Piute High! Definitely a comfort food.

Hamburger Rolls

Use this roll recipe to make your dough. You can use any roll recipe that you have. This is just the one that I use and love. TRIED AND TRUE!

Brown 1 lb. of hamburger. Season it with dried onions, salt, pepper, cilantro, whatever floats your boat. Drain your hamburger and add 2 cups of cheese to it. Mix well.

Roll the dough out 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with hamburger mixture. Roll up and cut the dough just as you would cinnamon rolls. About 1 inch thick slices. Place in greased 13x9 pan. I had some left over meat, so I sprinkled it on the top of the buns. Let rise for about 20 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

You can serve this with a cream sauce, cream of mushroom soup or brown gravy. My family prefers the brown gravy.

You can do many variations of this recipe. You could do different combinations on the filling. I know people who do tuna as the filling. Blah! But my husband and I were discussing this and we think shredded chicken and cheese would be great also, served with chicken gravy.

The New Way to eat Graham Crackers

My kids still love the frosting on top!

For me, it's sugar free Cool-Whip, sprinkled with raspberry crumbles. Simply heavenly!

Pudding and Cool whip Pops

Pudding Pops:

Mix 1 small box of pudding with 2 cups of milk. . Put a small scoop into a small cup. Add a scoop of cool whip on top of that and then top with more pudding. Insert Popsicle sticks and freeze.

To eat, pull out of freezer and run warm water around the cup to release the pop from the paper cup.

We also make these and use our morning smoothies to make a healthy afternoon treat. The kids love the soft layer of cool-whip in the middle of the pop.

Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the best cookies. So soft and sweet. I've had this recipe in my binder for years. I copied it down out of an old cook book that a friend of mine had.

Pudding Mix Cookies:

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 box vanilla/butterscotch pudding
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2& 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups chocolate chip (I do 1/2 choc. and 1/2 butterscotch)

Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend until well blened. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well blened. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

(Sugar Free) No Bake Cookies

I'm on a quest to compile a recipe book full of healthy cookies and goodies!!! Is that possible? I made these the other day and they were so good! They don't harden up the way a normal no bake cookie does. They are pretty soft, but so good! Just a bit crumbly.

I took my original recipe and played around a bit with the measurements. I got about 18 cookies out of this patch. The almonds were an after thought, just to make it a little bit healthier! For the most part, I think this is a pretty healthy cookie!!

Sugar Free No Bake Cookies

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup Xgave, or could use 1/2 cup splenda brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp. + 2 Tsp. cocoa powder
1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut butter, depending on taste
2 and 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Melt butter in a pan. Mix in Xagave, milk and cocoa. You will need to whisk it until the cocoa is blended and no lumps are in the sauce. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Take off burner and stir in peanut butter until smooth. Stir in oatmeal and almonds. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and let cool.

Homemade French Fries & Secret Hamburger sauce

MMMMMMM! These were another Hoover's secret! Homemade, greasy french fries! Divine when dipped in the secret sandwhich sauce, which I am going to share with you today. It's so simple, it's unbelievable.

You need, Mustard, Mayo and pickle relish. I don't remember ever making it up with a recipe, it was just throw everything together and make it up until it tasted right. We would serve a thick layer of this on the bottom of the bun, a sprinkling of shredded lettuce, and then the meat. We made a mean bacon cheeseburger! Then top with the other half of the bun. No ketchup, just this famous hamburger sauce!

Homemade Chicken Fried Steak

When I was growing up, I worked as a waitress in this little cafe, Hoover's. It had been around since the 1920's and it was the coolest place to work. The secret to their success was homemade chicken fried steak and this to die for hamburger sauce! I will have to share that one of these day's. It was heavenly!

Anyway, I can't stand to order chicken fried steak at a restaurant because I hate those yucky frozen, deep-fried patties! GAG ME! But this, is one of those things I make when I am looking for comfort food. And they are pretty easy.

Cube Steak, enough for your family

eggs

bread crumbs, I use stuffing

seasonings and lot's of butter

Take your cube steak and tenderize it by pounding it out with a meat mallet. Take your eggs and whip them for an egg coating. Dip steak in egg and then cover in bread crumbs. Fry your steaks in a pan that is heavily coated in butter. Before you flip each steak, put more butter down or you will burn your steak.

Cook thoroughly and enjoy! Don't make this alot because it is defiently not healthy, but it's sure delicious!

Spaghetti & Meatball Cupcakes

I think these are pretty cute. My cute neighbor, Ashley, who is only 13 made them for a family party a few weeks ago. She brought a plate of them over to us and I thought it was such a cute idea.

They dyed the white frosting with yellow food coloring and some how cocoa powder was involved. Not sure on that detail. But you just take the frosting and swirl it all crazy over the top. Then you add spoonfuls of strawberry jam for your sauce. Top with a whopper and grate a little white chocolate on top for Parmesan cheese!

So cute. The girl's got talent!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Hmmm, these were tasty! A bit crumbly, but super yummy! I just came off another round of HCG and am looking for recipes to make. The kids wanted cookies on Sunday so I tried this recipe and of couse had to cheat and try a cookie! I want to try and make them with Splenda and see how they are. I guess I need to run to the store for some white sugar Splenda and try it. They were also very flat and they spread a bunch on the pan, but who cares if they are pretty as long as they taste good!

Flourless Peanut butter Cookies

1 cup all-natural chunky or smooth peanut butter
1 cup sugar (1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar)
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with butter and set aside. In a mixer combine peanut butter and sugars until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg and baking soda and mix for another 2 minutes. Roll into walnut sized balls and create a cris-cross pattern with a fork. If Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a baking sheet for two minutes.

Recipe, via Joy of Baking

Sloppy Joe's

I love Sloppy Joe's. They are seriously one of the easiest things to make. Especially for big family functions or church functions. And, I'm not a
Mamwhich kinda gal. I like the homemade kind. Super easy and you probably have all the ingredients on hand to make it.
Sloppy Joe's
2 lb. ground beef
onion, chopped
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp. mustard
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp. Apple Cider vinegar
2 small cans of tomato sauce

Season hamburger meat and brown with onions. I also like to throw in some dehydrated peppers with mine. Drain grease. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.

This is a good recipe to play around this. It's the base I use when I make mine, but sometimes we leave the BBQ sauce out and sometimes we don't use as much brown sugar. Just modify it to fit the taste of your family.

Easy Peasy Cheesecake

Oh so easy!!! Seriously tasty and you probably have the ingredients on hand. And it only takes about 10 minutes to make.

Easy Cheesecake

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 ready to use graham cracer pie crust

Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed utnil well blended. Add eggs, mix until blended. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

I made my crust............

1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup melted butter

Combine the graham cracker crums and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mix in melted butter. Press into pan until even on all sides. Put the crust in the reezer until the filling is done.