Homemade Pudding Pops

This is a great Summer Treat.  My kids love it as well as my husband.  And it can be made a variety of ways.  I will give you two ways we make it now.

1. Chocolate Oreo pudding pops. (which is what was made in the pictures)
2. Banana Cream Pudding pops recipe will follow.

Pudding Pops!

Ingredients:

• Chocolate Pudding 3.4 oz box
• 2 cups of Milk
• 6 Oreo’s
• 1/2 cup of cool whip
• 8-10 Popsicle sticks
• 8-10 Dixie Cups

Directions:

Combine 2 cups of milk and Chocolate pudding mix in a medium size bowl. Mix for Approx. 2 minutes.

Add Cool Whip and crushed Oreo Cookies.  Blend Well!

Fill Dixie Cup to desired amount.

Insert popsicle sticks into pudding mixture.  They will stand on there own.

Continue adding the popsicle sticks to remaining filled cups.

Freeze for 5 hours. (This is the hard part for the kids.  I don’t know how many times I heard, “Are the pop’s ready yet?”)

Peel off Dixie paper cups & enjoy!

Banana Cream Pops

Ingredients:

• 1 Box of Banana Cream Pudding 3.4 oz box.
• 2 cups of Milk
• 6 Vanilla wafers (crushed)
• 1 chilled banana-slightly mashed.
• 1/2 cup cool whip
• 8-10 Popsicle sticks
• 8-10 Dixie cups.

Follow above directions to make these as well.  Banana cream pops are my favorite. The chocolate Oreo pops are my kids and husbands.  You can also add all sorts of ‘candies’ to this.  Gummy bears, worms, mini-M&M’s.

~Enjoy~

Applesauce

Delicious Applesauce

When you have so many Apples you don’t know what to do with them!

Ingredients:

• 4-6 lbs. of peeled, cored and quartered apples.  Hint: Use a good cooking apple like Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, or  McIntosh.
• 4 strips of lemon peel (optional)
• Juice of one lemon, about 3-4 Tbsp
• 3 inches of cinnamon stick (optional)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until apples are very soft. (They will change color and almost look transparent.)
2. Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick and lemon peels (if used). Mash with potato masher until the desired consistency. The more you mash the smoother it will be.

Ready to serve, either hot or refrigerated. This is delicious with vanilla ice cream.  Freezes easily and last up to one year in a cold freezer.

Recipe Notes:

• Prep time is approx. 45 minutes.
• Sugar’s used are guidelines.  Depending on your taste and the sweetness of the apples you can adjust the sugar accordingly.
• If you use less sugar, more than likely you will want to use less lemon juice as well.
• Add ground cinnamon after mashing if desired.  (my kids love it like this.)

There you go! When you have more apples than you know what to do with!

~Enjoy~

Chewy Caramels

Awesomely delicious chewy caramels to wrap or use in candy making.  My whole family loves this candy treat.  It would be great for Caramel apples!

Kitchen tools needed:

• Heavy Sauce pan ( I use a 6 Quart pot.  However a smaller pot may  be used)
• Candy Thermometer 
• Wooden spoon 
• Parchment paper               

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

 

• 1 Cup Butter (or Margarine) I prefer butter.
• 1 pound light brown sugar (measures out to 2 and a half cups packed)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk ( 14 ounce can)
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/5 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

• Line a 9 X 13 Inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Over medium heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan combine all ingredients.  EXCEPT THE VANILLA…DO NOT PUT THE VANILLA IN…yet.

 

• Bring to a ROLLING boil. Constantly stirring.  You can’t walk away from this.

 

• This is where your candy thermometer  comes in handy.   Heat between 234º and 240º.  The higher the temp the harder the candy will be once cooled.  The lower the temp the easier it is to cut.  I heat mine to 235º.
• Or if you don’t have a candy thermometer-until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water and placed on a flat surface. 
• When desired temperature has been reached.  Cook for 2 minutes at that temperature.
• Remove from heat and stir in Vanilla.
• Poor into your prepared baking dish.

 

• Allow to cool completely at room temperature. Cooling times vary.  I check on mine at around 30 or 45 minutes.  Usually still isn’t hardened at that time.  However, it is hardened enough for me to lift the parchment paper out and set it on the counter to completely cool.
• I let mine completely cool for 2 to 3 hours.  Then I get a big chefs knife.  Take Pam spray and spray my knife and then I cut length wise strips.  I then cut individual pieces. 
• Wrap in wax paper or cellophane.

 

~Enjoy~

And please let me know if you try this delicious recipe and what you think of it.

Pork Chops With Cinnamon Apples

*This is an excellent recipe.  All my children loved it.  Well, with the exception of my oldest.  He is a VERY VERY picky eater.  Granny Smith apples are excellent for this recipe.  However, you can also use Braeburn apples as it works just as well.*

Ingredients:

1 Teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 (4 ounce) Boneless Center-cut loin pork chops (about a 1/2 thick) *This time I used about a each thick pork chop. Just remember to adjust cooking time to fit the size of the meat.*
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Cooking Spray
2 teaspoons of butter
4 cups Apples (about 4 med. sized apples do the trick)
3 Tables spoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Dash of salt.

Directions:

• Combine Sage, salt and black pepper in a small bowl.
• Coat pan with cooking spray.
• Heat oil until hot. -The meat should sizzle once it hit the pan.
• Cooking on Medium/high heat. 

• Add pork and cook approx 4 minutes on each side or until done.
• Once all meat is cooked, in the same pan toss in the butter, apples, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon.
• Cook apples for 5 minutes.  Until crisp, yet tender.  Stirring occasionally.

I drizzle some of the apple sauce right onto the pork chop.  This would be good served with a side of noodles as well.  I just had some potatoes that needed to be used.

~Enjoy~

Reese’s Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (Double Layer)

A Fun Cake to make and Eat!  A family Favorite!  You just can’t eat bit or piece!
**A side note: I am still getting used to my new camera. I am not completely thrilled with it. It will have to make due for now. So, I didn’t get any ‘tutorial’ type pictures. I did manage to get a couple of good end result shots!**

Ingredients:
For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional) 

For Topping:

1 to 1 1.5 packages of mini-reeses cups half or chopped.
Peanut Butter Frosting (recipe will follow)

Directions:

For the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°.  Butter two 9×2” round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.  Place the pans on a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

 

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy.  Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter.  Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in the vanilla.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients).  Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter.  Scrape down the bowl and add the melted chocolate, if using, folding it in with a spatula.  Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 23-26 minutes or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans.  Transfer to wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners.  Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

Peanut Butter Frosting               

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

 Directions:

Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.
Assembly:
To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cardboard circle covered in foil.  Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer.  (If desired, sprinkle with chopped Reese’s cups.)  Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting.  Frost the top and outside of the cake with remaining peanut butter frosting.  Decorate with halved and chopped Reese’s cups as desired.

Hope you All Like Cupcakes….

I will be posting a lot of them this coming year.  I just ordered Two cupcake cook books!  I am so excited.  I also purchased my new camera today….so new recipes with pictures will be coming very soon.

Here are the cupcake cook books that I ordered.  Can’t wait to get them in.

I have 4 kids at home.  So I know I am going to be getting some use out of these.

Keep Cookin’

BBQ Glazed Meatballs

“These meatballs are excellent for a pot luck.  They are delicious by themselves,  Placed on top of Rice and Mashed Potato’s, Place them on a hoagie bun with Mozzarella cheese or even provolone or Swiss cheese.  My whole family loves these.  You can make these two ways for your convenience!”

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds Beef
• 2 Eggs-Slightly beaten
• 4/5 ounces evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (you can use more or less depending on your own tastes)
• 1/2 to a cup chopped onion

The Sauce Ingredients

• 2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
• 1 1/2 cup water (omit this if you bake the meatballs)

Directions:

• In a bowl, mix beef, egg, oats, evaporated milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and 1/2 cup onion. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and arrange in a single layer in the baking dish.

• If using the crock pot method.  Place them directly into the crock pot after forming the meatball.
• In a separate bowl, mix ketchup, garlic, sugar, 1/4 cup onion, and liquid smoke. Pour evenly over the meatballs.

Crock pot Directions:

• Crock Pot baking directions: Place meatballs in the crock pot and then cover with sauce. Then add one and a half cups water. It will look like you have really diluted it too much. Don’t worry about this. It gets thick toward the end. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

Oven Directions:

• Oven Baking Directions: Preheat oven to 350º.  Lightly grease a medium baking dish. Bake with meatballs only (no sauce) for 20 to 25 minutes. After 25 minutes pour the sauce over the meatballs and bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes. Checking frequently. Bake on middle rack. Sometimes it is done before the 30 minutes is over.

Recipe Tips:

• Use Melon Ballers or a Ice Cream scoop to get uniform meatballs.
• Wet your hands/fingers after every three or four meatballs.
•  You can also make these in a electric skillet to keep the meatballs warm.  Take tooth picks and have them as appetizers.

~Enjoy~

Play-Dough Cookies

“Yes, you CAN and Will want to eat these sweet cookies.  Yes, they do take some time to get to the finished product.  It is well worth that time!  The idea’s of this cookie (or what you can shape out of this cookie are just endless!”

                                          

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese
1-1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
assorted colors of paste food coloring
24 lollipop sticks (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350º.
2. In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms. Divide dough into fourths. Tint each with a different food color. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
4.  Working with half of each color, shape dough into 3/4 inch balls and for each cookie place 1 pink, 1 green, 1 blue and 1 orange ball together to make 1 large ball. Shape into a 12 inch long roll (like a snake), starting at one end, coil roll to make a 2 3/4 inch round cookie. Place cookies 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Carefully insert lollipop sticks into bottoms of cookies.
5. Bake for 8 to 17 minutes.  I know that is a BIG time difference.  You just have to check on these cookies.  I found my magic number of minutes for these were about 12 minutes.

The lollipop sticks are optional.  You can form this dough into just about anything.  My husband even made a bike out of some of this cookie dough.  Although, I can’t find that picture.

Here are a few play-dough cookies my kids made just using there imagination. They are a Ladybug, A house and Tree, and the Great State of Oklahoma (where I am from).  We eventually want to make all 50 states!

Have fun and ~Enjoy~

Monkey Bread

“A little over a year and a half ago, I received a phone call from my mom.  And as we were talking.  The subject turned to ‘food’ (imagine that) and she told me about a new recipe she had found that my step-dad, brother in law and I guess my sister as well (I think).  She told me the ingredients and how she made it and she just knew the kids would love it.   And Guess What….She was RIGHT!”

This recipe is perfect for Breakfast.  You can even take it to a pot luck for a dessert.  My whole family enjoys this recipe.  I make it at least twice a month.

Ingredients:                                                                

3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough—(Make sure you get the “CHEAPY” biscuits)
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º  
2. Grease one 9 or 10 inch bundt pan.
3. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag or bowl. Cut biscuits into quarters. I use a Pizza Cutter for this. Makes it quick to cut all the biscuits. Shake or coat 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix.
4. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.
5. In a medium saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.
Bake at 350º for 25 to 28 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 2 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. ( This gets messy) Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

Lettuce Knife????

Kitchen Gadgets! I am pretty sure most of us have at least some kitchen gadgets. I don’t know what it is about kitchen gadgets. That if I see them around, I just have to have them. I do not know why.

However, I have found a couple (okay, maybe more than a couple) of kitchen gadgets that actually work.
Out of all the kitchen gadgets I have….This one is one of my top 10 favorites. This one does it job. And for a small investment of only $4.99. You just can’t beat it.

My Kitchen Gadget today is a Lettuce knife! Have you ever heard of it? I hadn’t. However, about 6 months ago. I stumbled upon it online.

Did you know that using a regular kitchen knife to cut through lettuce will bruise it. Turn it brown. A lot quicker? I didn’t. If you use a plastic lettuce knife, the browning doesn’t happen!!! Not at all. Even after you store your unused lettuce away in the fridge!

It is also good on Veggies as well. My knife is this on by OXO. It has a good strong nice handle. The knife is long so it cuts through even the biggest heads of lettuce. But be careful, the edges even though they are plastic is sharper than you think.

I give this little gadget 5 Stars!  When I ordered it, I wasn’t expecting much….much less than to do it actual job!  I was amazed that it did!  I will tell you I couldn’t find these in any chain store such as Wal-Mart or Target.  I even looked in Kohls.

I purchased mine on Amazon. 

It really is worth it.  This Knife is perfect for a gift maybe with a Lettuce dryer for newlyweds!  It is really useful.  I have chopped up Lettuce with it, Sliced Tomatoes with it, even cut a pie with it. 

If you don’t have one of these, you need to go out and get one and test it out yourself.  I think anyone who cooks will like it.

Until Later,

Get Cookin’!