Cheesecake Parfaits

I promise this won't become just a recipe blog, but lately I've been cooking up a storm {blame it on the belly} and in honor of a sweet holiday coming up in 2 weeks {VALENTINES!}, I thought I'd share an equally sweet dessert. This is a slightly altered Kraft recipe, and it turned out wonderfully:

Cheesecake Parfait

• 1 Pkg- Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 Cups- Milk
• 1 Pkg- Instant Vanilla Pudding
• 2 Cups- Cool Whip, thawed
• 2 Cups Nilla Wafers {coarsely chopped, I tried to cut them in fourths}
• Blackberries {they were on sale, but any seasonal berries will do}

1. Beat cream cheese with your mixer until it becomes very creamy {this is kind of a mess, but you don't want chunks of cream cheese in your parfait}.
2. Beat in milk.
3. Add the dry pudding mix & mix well.
4. Add Cool Whip.
5. Layer wafers, berries, then pudding mixture into your glasses. Repeat & top with Cool Whip if desired.

Oreo Truffle Kisses- Valentine's Treat

I found a sweet treasure in Bakerella's archives!

Check out her Oreo Truffle Kisses {HERE}.

They're very easy to make too:

• 1 pkg Oreos {crushed to a fine consistency}
• 1 pkg Cream Cheese {set out to room temp}
• 1 pkg Chocolate Bark

Mix the Oreos & Cream Cheese. Form them into small balls {I ended up making 28...well that is after eating 1 little one!}. Shape them into Kisses {note: set them in the freezer if they start becoming too mushy on you-I had to do it once during this process}

They look like doo-doo piles here, but I swear they're yummy goodness!

Set your Kisses in the freezer while you melt your chocolate bark in a microwaveable bowl.



Dunk your kisses one at a time in the chocolate, use a spoon to cover the entire kiss & let them slide off back onto your cookie sheet {covered in wax paper}.

See not-so-much like doo-doo here.

Print out your Kisses' messages and cut foil pieces to cover each kiss.

Mine don't look as pretty as Bakerella's, but you get the picture!

{See Gigi...there's even some in there for you & Grandadder. We even ate them in your honor!}

These were an early Valentine's treat. We'll be working on some other things leading up to the celebration.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Some Cheese With That?

Cooking, cleaning, organizing, decorating, and overall NESTing have filled up what little bit of "Me Time" I've had lately. Of course, some of these things I enjoy more than others! But since we have to EAT, I've had a good pile recipes on hand and have also made some of my own along the way.

Here's a yummy and quick recipe for a basic

Cheesy Ham & Potato Casserole

2 Cups- Ham, cubed*

1 pkg- Southern Style Hashbrowns 32oz

1 Cups- Onion, chopped

4 Cups- Swiss Cheese, grated

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

2 Tbsp Butter, melted

1 Cups- Milk

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Grease your baking pan{s}
3. Combine ham, hashbrowns, onion, 2 C of the cheese, and salt & pepper in a large bowl {you'll need a big bowl!}
4. In a separate bowl, mix the melted soup, butter & milk. Then pour this liquid over your ham mixture & stir well.
5. Scoop the mixture into the pan{s} and top with the 2C of remaining cheese.
6. Bake for 35 minutes.
7. Eat & Enjoy!

*for the Ham, I actually buy a 16oz pkg of off-brand deli ham & cut it up. It's cheaper than buying a block of the ham.

'Cue Cups Recipe

I made these yummy-licious Barbecue Cups last night for dinner. But how can you go wrong with a recipe that involves crescent rolls, barbecue, and cheddar cheese? These would be great for Game Day or a Super Bowl Party.

Makes 8 Barbecue Cups {this large preggers lady was more-than-full after 3, so probably 1-2 per person is plenty!}

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1 Tbsp Minced Onion
• 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1/2 C BBQ Sauce
• 1 Pkg Crescent Rolls
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Brown the ground beef & drain fat.
3. Add the onion, BBQ sauce & sugar to the beef.
4. Roll each crescent triangle into a ball & then press each ball it into a muffin tin cup to form a crust.
5. Fill each cup with the beef mixture & top with cheese.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

A hearty helping of meat!

The Scrumptious 'Cue Cups!

Shrimp & Corn Chowder

When the temperatures drop, that cues my mouth to crave deluxe comfort foods. Enter: Campbell's Recipe for Shrimp & Corn Chowder with Sun-Dried Tomatoes. I made this last night and doubled the recipe...for good measure of course.

YUMMMY

• 1 can Cream of Potato Soup
• 1 1/2 C Half-and-Half
• 2 C Whole Kernel Corn
• 2 Tbsp Sun-dried Tomatoes, cut into strips
• 1 C Small Shrimp, cooked & tails off
• 2 Tbsp Green Onions, chopped {original recipe calls for chives}
• Black Pepper to taste

1. Heat soup, half-and-half, corn and tomatoes in a 2 Q saucepan over medium heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low.
2. Cover & cook for 10 min.
3. Stir in shrimp and onions.
4. Season with pepper.

Brownie Fudge Pie

I'm stealing this recipe from our church cookbook, but let me tell you this thing is so stinkin' yummy that I literally ate HALF the pie all by myself in one sitting. YES. It's that good! Oh and it's easy to make too!

• 2 Eggs
• 1 C Sugar
• 1/2 C Butter melted
• 1/2 C Flour
• 1/3 C Cocoa
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 C Nuts chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Beat eggs & blend in sugar & butter.
3. Combine flour, cocoa & salt; add to egg mixture.
4. Stir in vanilla & nuts.
5. Bake @ 350 for 25-30 min.

Ham, Tomatoes, Onions

Confession Time: I used to frequent the Farmer's Market almost every weekend, well if not every weekend. I'd be so proud to pick up local, fresh produce...and then at least 50% would inevitably go bad because I'd forget about it or would be unable to cook during the week. What a waste!

Sad story. True, but sad.

Last night I threw together a couple of homemade pizzas using tomatoes that were about to go bad, the last of my mozzarella, onions, and then sliced up some ham that expires in August. It was a sort of clean-the-pantry meal...but not too shabby!

We enjoyed a tasty pizza meal...
And then I made chocolate chip cookies from scratch- a lovely dessert ending!
The meal was relatively healthy...minus the cookies. But now that I'm on my health-kick and determined to lose 15, I'll be very vigilant about healthy homemade meals.


In similar news, today I'm proud to report that I saved $30 at Publix!

Healthier, cheaper, and less wasteful- Cheers to that!

Easter Celebration

What a blessed Easter we had! Two of my brothers came in town to celebrate the weekend with us and we had a great time.

This is Sunday afternoon while I was cooking lunch {oh & that's a Pier 1 Apron...only $15!}

For lunch I did an easy meal of: Ham and Swiss Mustard Rolls, Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus, and Mashed Sweet Potatoes...oh and Cupcakes for dessert! {rolls & asparagus recipes at end of post}

Don't worry, I wore a white cardigan over this at church {more conservative...but it was hot at home}. The dress was 50% off at New York & Co...in fact that entire store was 50% off on Saturday! I rarely shop there, but was at a Shower on Saturday and someone suggested I boogie over to catch the great sales- I scored 2 dresses!
And here's the whole crew back at the house. I was so excited that the day was lovely, the service was a beautiful worship experience, and what a perfect day to reflect on blessings and the grace that God extends to us.

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Ham & Swiss Mustard Rolls

• 1 pkg Parker House Rolls {I always grab Sister Schubert's brand}
• 1 pkg Deli Ham
• 1 pkg Deli Swiss
• 2 sticks Butter
• 2 T Dried Minced Onion
• 2 T Mustard
• 2 T Poppy Seeds
• 1 tsp Sugar

1. Take rolls out of the tin & slice the circle in half {Trick: I let them barely thaw to keep mostly frozen and slice the entire set in half at once...saves the time of slicing each individual roll when prepping AND the rolls tend to reattach with the melted cheese anyway}. Place the bottom half back in the tin.
2. Heat Butter, Onion, Mustard, Poppy Seeds & Sugar in a pan to a slow boil.
3. Spoon half the butter mixture on the bottom half of the rolls.
4. Layer ham and then cheese.
5. Spoon the last half of the butter mixture on the underside of the top half of the rolls and then replace the top half.
6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
7. Before serving, cut around each individual roll.

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Easy Peasey Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

• 2 Bunches of Asparagus
• 8 Slices of Bacon
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Divide the asparagus into 8 smaller bunches.
3. Wrap bacon to bundle each bunch.
4. Place on a cookie sheet and drizzle with oil and sprinkle salt & pepper.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes {this is also great on a grill...I just don't have one!}

Best Way To Peel A Potato

I'd seen this method before on a mass e-mail, the one with Dawn Wells from Gilligan's Island peeling an Idaho potato {HERE}

But while I was amazed at the ease of peeling, I hadn't tried it myself to see if it'd actually work.

So tonight I tried my hand at it {that white circle in the pot is my clay pot watcher which keeps the water from boiling over...pretty cool stocking stuffer Mom!}'

Oh and if you'd like to submit my kitchen in a contest for a major remodel, please be my guest! Those appliances are original to the home; 32-years old. And I've had good intentions on putting up a backsplash for the past 2.5 years. Don't get me started on those dated cabinets...

While you heat your water to a boil, score the potato around the center {just one cut line}
Dawn Wells suggests on the video to boil for 15 minutes; I was making mashed potatoes so 20-25 min for a whole potato worked better for me {it's a little longer cook time than if you had pre-peeled and cut up your potatoes}. If I were making potato salad, 15-20 min would be an appropriate boil time.

Prepare a bowl full of ice water.

Once your potatoes are finished boiling, remove them and immediately immerse them in the ice cold water.

The peeling will slide right off. No need to work hard at scrubbing and peeling your potatoes, it's an extremely easy way to get the peeling off!

We'll be having more mashed potatoes over at our household now that I know it's so simple to peel a potato. I'm going to try it with sweet potatoes next!

Party Recipes

So TWO whole weeks ago, I mentioned I'd share some of the party recipes that seemed to be a hit at Baby M's Birthday Bash. I suppose better late than never. Without further ado, here they are by order of popularity:

BAKED BRIE Baked Brie is such a simple dish and I just did a fusion of a Pillsbury recipe {CLICK HERE} and added ingredients from another Baked Brie I've had before. For the party I went to Sam's for a 16oz Brie round and used 2 of the Pillsbury crescent roll packages, but you could cut it in half and only use 8oz Brie and 1 pkg of the rolls.

* 2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
* 16oz round of Brie cheese
* Brown sugar {I don't really measure, but a liberal heap to cover the cheese circle}
* 1/2 cup Dried Cranraisins or Dried Cherries {I used Cranraisins at the party}
* 1/2 cup Almonds- either sliced or slivered
* 1 Egg beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Unroll 1 pkg of the Crescent Rolls and arrange the dough to form a square; place dough on baking sheet lined with parchment paper
3. Remove rind from Brie and cut the Brie wheel in half horizontally {so you have 2 identical circles}; place 1 circle on the paper
4. Sprinkle circle with a liberal heap of Brown Sugar, the 1/2 C of Cranraisins, and the 1/2 C of Almonds
5. Place the 2nd circle of Brie loosely on top and lightly sprinkle with more Brown Sugar
6. Unroll the last pkg of the Crescent Rolls and form another square to place on top; fold the top and bottom dough to seal the cheese
7. Brush the top of the dough with Egg
8. Bake 20 minutes
9. Serve warm
10. Enjoy!

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SPINACH DIP Spinach Dip- I definitely "cheated" and just followed the Knorr's Vegetable Soup Mix recipe on the back of the package {CLICK HERE} and here's my cut & paste from the Knorr Website:

MAKES 4 cups dip
PREP TIME: 10 Minute(s)
CHILL TIME: 2 Hour(s)

Ingredients
1 package (10 oz.) baby spinach, chopped or 1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 container (16 oz.) sour cream
1 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
1 package Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix
1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and chopped (optional)
3 green onions, chopped (optional)

Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients and chill about 2 hours.

2. Serve
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CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES

The trick with these was presentation. Just take your finger sandwiches and spread the bottom half with mayo {or Miracle Whip} on the outside and then roll or dip in crushed nuts {I used crumbled pecans}. Obviously this photo was shamelessly stolen as a Googled image...but imagine cute little finger sandwhiches with their bottom halves neatly coated in crumbled pecans. Very fun presentation!

For the salad itself, I just used:

• chicken
• mayo
• salt & pepper
• celery
• red seedless grapes
• green onions
• garlic powder

It's The Little Things

Yes, it's indeed the little things that add that oomph to life!

I had a blast putting Baby M's "Little Man" Birthday Party together...what's even more hilarious is that I was still putting the finishing touches on little things, in my PAJAMAS, when the first 3 guests arrived. Oops!

And while I paid careful attention to the little details, it's a good thing that the big things also tend to work themselves out too.

Here's a brief photo tour of the event.

{note: I didn't personally take these photos as I resolved to enjoy the party after the preparation madness the few hours prior...my philosophy this go 'round is "first-hand memories trump prettier pictures" I don't regret it one bit!}

Dining Room: simple entry with "M" letter and pretty flowers {even though it was a MAN party} Originally I was going to place photos of Baby M for each month of his first year...ummm, that was definitely a little detail forgotten. Oops!

Living Room: tie banner decked across the mantel. I tied men's neckties together and draped them in banner form {using packing tape to secure to the mantel and safety pins to "pretty-up" and secure the tie tails} and then used clothespins to attach large "1"s.
Kitchen: buffet banner. This was the simple birthday banner {HERE} hung on a painted covered canvas. I had an old art canvas that I covered in craft paper and then painted "tie stripes" in the themed colors.

Delicious Necktie Cake: a delectably moist fondant vanilla cake. Baked and decorated by the same talented bakers who did my Baby Shower cake {HERE}

Dessert Table: The cake was front and center of course, but flanked by cheesecake samplers, brownie bites, and then I used 2 of the Mason jars on either side of the banner and inserted some of the candy neckties and moustaches {homemade} as decoration.

Food Table: This was the only photo I have of the food, but it was all delicious {if I may say so myself!}. I had many compliments and several recipe requests. I had assorted pinwheel sandwiches, chicken salad finger sandwiches {each with half dipped in mayo and then pecan crumbles...pretty!}, bruschetta, spinach dip {HERE} and blue corn chips, petite quiches, baked Brie {personal recipe will be shared}, cream puffs and cupcakes.

Cupcake Wrappers: And here's a close-up of the homemade wrappers put to use {I actually took this photo post-party while cleaning up}

Party Favors: Included in each bag was a necktie napkin {HERE}, homemade chocolate moustache-on-a-stick {candy molds HERE}, homemade ribbon bowtie, and chocolates.

I also included a Birthday Moustache Note with moustache cut-outs. I simply found some cool graphics and then created the personalized format in PowerPoint.

And a cute graphic print with famous moustaches. Both found {HERE}

Here's the ribbon bowtie favor modeled by a party guest.

Each of the younger guests received a necktie bib too. Baby Madi got a pink one with a pink bow sewn on the closure.

Here are the kiddos sporting their bibs.

I made Baby M a 3-tiered smash cake.

Here's his birthday hat and personalized plate.

It's the first children's party, so I learned a lot from the event:

1. Hakuna Matata- No worries! The purpose of a party {especially a children's party} is to celebrate so don't let preparations stress you out or feel pressured to have things perfect.
2. Hire a professional photographer- If you can afford it, I think it'd be great to capture the moments. Also, this way you don't make a family member or friend become your photog volunteer {because then they miss out on the celebration}.
3. Check over your "TO DO" List a few times- I forgot some of the little things; albeit the party was still great in a big way. Some things I forgot: month-by-month photos for display in the dining room; put on the party music {I'd chosen a swanky Louis Armstrong music mix}; and fill up balloons before the party {thankfully Nanny C and her family were kind enough to tackle this task as soon as they arrive!}.

I'll have party recipes to come...I think I'm ready to throw another party soon!

Speaking of Viruses

So speaking of Viruses...

Yep, our household is feeling yucky this week {HERE & HERE}. It's just too bad that my sweet tooth isn't taking a break.

Monday night I decided to finally try out the "viral" 5 minute chocolate cake {and when I say "viral", it doesn't make you sick, I just mean it's quickly circulated via the Web}.

Here's the famous recipe:

5 MINUTE MICROWAVE CAKE

4 Tablespoons flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
3 Tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
1 small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

1. Spray mug with non stick spray like Pam
2. Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well
3. Add the egg and mix thoroughly
4. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well
5. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again
6. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts
   
   The cake may rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed.
   Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
   EAT!

My cake was a little eggy, but for a quick chocolate fix I'm certainly not going to complain. I definitely needed to use my oversized mug. Also, I didn't used choclate chips but I think I will add those next time.

I've seen people give mugs with homemade hot chocolate mix inside. This same concept could work for the mug cake if you prepared the dry mix {subbing dry instant milk} and then instructions would only call for adding an egg, 3 Tbsp of oil, and the splash of vanilla. I'm sure there are alternate recipes for this 5 minute cake on the Web too... Must research soon!

Hope you enjoy!