Chocolate Chip Brownies

I made this for my kids for their afterschool snack on the first day of school :) So good!!!

Chocolate Chip Brownies

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz) package fudge brownie mix
1 (6 oz) package chocolate chips (I used swirled)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Prepare brownie mixture according to package directions. Stir in pecans. Pour into greased, floured 9x13 inch pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake for 35-40 minutes or according to packge directions. Yield 12-18 servings.

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Final Photo taken by Me :)

Cherry Crumb Cake

I had come across a recipe for Raspberry Crumb Cake in Woman's World magazine, but the raspberries, unfortunately, were not on sale that week. The cherries were!!! So I used the same recipe, but substituted the raspberries with cherries and voila! An awesome dessert!!

Weight Watchers friends..9 servings in this dish, 7 pts for a slice. Can always divide on your calculator to figure out how to cut your dessert to make it even less :)

Cherry Crumb Cake

Ingredients:

CAKE:

1 3/4 cups yellow cake mix (from 15.25 oz pkg)
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 Tbsp oil
1 egg
3/4 cup sliced cherries

TOPPING:

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup sliced almonds
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
3 Tbsp butter or margarine, at room temp
Fresh cherries, sliced and mint leaves, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F (325F for dark or nonstick pan) Coat bottom and sides of 8" or 9" square pan with baking spray with flour.

In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients, except cherries, with 2 Tbs water on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spread in pan. Place cherries on top of batter.

In small bowl, stir topping ingredients until well mixed. Sprinkle evenly over batter and cherries. Bake 28-38 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with cherries and mint.

Final Photo taken by Me :)

Menu Plan Monday!! August 27-September 2

It is "Menu Plan Monday"

We have a busy week on the road so only have a few days of meals. Here is what we hope to eat this week!

Monday: Beany Burritoes (New Recipe)

Tuesday: Pork Chops with Parmesan Sauce (New Recipe)

Wednesday: Antipasta/Cheeses (Story Night)

Thursday: Tomato Tortilla Soup (were supposed to eat this last week, but ended up out that night)

Friday: Birthday Dinner for Me (Mom's house in WV)

Saturday: Italian Festival and WV Stonewall Jackson Jubilee (Festival Food)

Sunday: Wild Things Game (Baseball food)

Menu Plan Monday! August 20-26

It is "Menu Plan Monday"

Here is what we hope to have for dinner this week :)

Monday: Spicy Citrus Glazed Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta

Tuesday: Story Time! Peanut Butter and Cherry Jelly Sandwiches, Apples & Dip

Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner! Pancakes and Sausage (Didn't have last wk)

Thursday: Fend for yourself (Kindergarten Orientation Night)

Friday: Soup and Sandwich Night! Tomato Tortilla Soup (New Crock pot recipe)

Saturday: Dede and Greg's birthday dinner at the Century Inn

Sunday: Ham and Macaroni & Cheese

Dessert: Cherry Crumb Cake (New recipe, didn't have last wk)


Be sure to check back for new recipes and final photos!

Cherry-Cheese Sandwich Spread

Wasn't sure how this one was going to taste as a dinner, but everyone fell in love with it! Needed something quick and easy and this definitely was. Found in my 3,4,5 ingredient cookbook under 3 ingredients. Can't get much better than that!

Cherry-Cheese Sandwich Spread

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) jar maraschino cherries
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

Directions:

Drain cherries and finely dice.

In bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy and combine with diced cherries and chopped pecans. Mix until they blend well.

Add to bread. Use as open-face sandwiches or make into 3-layered ribbon sandwiches.

Final photo taken by Me :)

Boston Bibb Lettuce Salad

I decided to do one night a week where I went with something a little lighter for dinner. Good for me and good for everyone. The citrus mixed with the salt of the nuts went wonderfully with the lettuce. A great spring salad :)

Weight Watchers friends :) A nice bowl of this salad is only 4 pts :)

Boston Bibb Lettuce Salad

Ingredients:

1 head bibb lettuce, torn into pieces
1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup sliced pecans (can also use walnuts, but my hubby is allergic)

Directions:

In salad bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss before serving.

Final photo taken by Me :)

Menu Plan Monday! August 13-August 19

It is Menu Plan Monday! Here is what we hope to have this week :)

Monday: Asian Style Hamburgers (new recipe)

Tuesday: Bostin Bibb Lettuce Salad (new recipe)

Wednesday: Soup and Sandwich Night! Cherry Cheese Spread Sandwiches (new recipe)

Thursday: Fend for yourself night!

Friday: Band Picnic

Saturday: Genin's Sleepover...Pizza and party food

Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner! Pancakes and Sausage

Dessert of the Week: Cherry Crumb Cake (new recipe)


Be sure to check back for recipes and final photos :)

Asian-Style Zucchini

I needed a side dish for the Asian hamburgers that we made and came across a great deal on some local zucchini at our market :)

Asian-Style Zucchini

Ingredients:

Olive oil
2 large zucchini
2 Tbsp soy sauce
Garlic Powder to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Directions:

Put oil in the pan, let heat. Toss in Zucchini and fry until browned, stirring frequently. Pour in soy sauce and sprinkle in garlic powder and pepper. Flip a few times adding more garlic powder and pepper.

Final photo taken by Me :)

Asian-Style Hamburgers

I found this yummy recipe in my Taste of Home magazine a few days ago and my mouth has been watering ever since! The original recipe calls for basting the burger with the ingredient mix, but I decided to mix it all into the ground beef and it turned out awesome!! Here is my version of the recipe!

Asian-Style Hamburger

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 hamburger buns, split
Leaf lettuce and tomato slices, optional

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together the oil, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic and pepper. Pour on top of ground beef and use hands to mix it thoroughly together. Form into 6 patties, place in a baking dish. Bake 30 minutes at 400F.

Serve with lettuce and tomato.

Final photo taken by Me :)

S'mores Bars

For National S'mores Day, I came across this yummy recipe to serve to my family. So chocolaty and a definite hit!!

S'mores Bars

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 cup mini marshmallows
2 whole graham crackers

Directions:

Line an 8x8 inch baking dish with aluminum foil. Lightly butter the foil. Place the butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave until melted. Mix in the graham cracker crumbs and stir with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Pour the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the condensed milk and chocolate chips. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla and salt. Pour the chocolate mixture over the graham cracker base. Working quickly, spread the chocolate into an even layer and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle the marshmallows over the top of the chocolate. Break the whole graham crackers into small pieces and stick into the chocolate mixture between the marshmallows.

Cover and refrigerate the bars until firm, about 4 hours. Use the foil to lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Use a large sharp knife to cut into squares or rectangles. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 12-16 bars

                                                             
                                                          Final photo taken by Me :)