Chocolate S'mores Pie

Ingredients:
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bag jumbo marshmallows
1 ready-made graham cracker pie crust

Directions:

1. Into a microwave safe bowl add: 1 cup sweetened comdensed milk
2. Place bowl in microwave and heat for 30 seconds.
3. Into bowl add: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4. Stir with spatula to combine.
5. Place bowl in microwave and heat in 5-second intervals (and stir) until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.
6. Pour mixture into a ready-made graham cracker pie crust.
7. Take 1 bag of jumbo marshmallows (28-30) and place marshmallows in concentric circles on top of the chocolate.
8. Bake at 425 degrees in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until marshmallows are a nice golden brown.
9. Remove pie from oven and let sit on cooling rack for 5 minutes. For easier slicing, spray knife with cooking spray.

Make an extra and freeze for later!

Blueberry Crumb Cobbler

Mix the following in a large bowl:
1 cup white cake mix
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 TBSP lemon juice

Mix well and then add 3 cups of blueberries. Mix together with a spoon until blueberries are evenly coated. Pour into a 9''x13'' baking pan.

Into a small bowl, add:
1 1/2 cups white cake mix
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup oats
6 tablespoons butter, cut

Using a pastry knife or fork, blend mixture. The butter should be crumbly.
Spread this mixture over the blueberries.

Then top it all off by sprinkling 2 TBSP of brown sugar.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees until the topping is a nice brown color.

Strawberry Margarita Pie

1 can sweetened condensed milk
Margarita mix - liquid, not frozen
1 package frozen strawberries, thawed
1 lime
1 container whipped topping
1 prepared graham cracker crust

Mix the following:
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup Margarita mix
1 cup strawberries, sliced (best if you buy frozen sliced & sweetened - thaw before making pie)
lime zest - fresh from 1/2 a lime (or more if you would like it to be extra lime-y)

After that is mixed well, fold in:
1 3/4 cups whipped topping

Pour this mixture in a ready-made graham cracker crust. Cover pie and freeze.
Take out of freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken in Cream Sauce

2 cups Minute rice, uncooked
1 can (14oz) chicken broth, divided
6 Ritz crackers, finely crushed
2 TBSP parmesan cheese
6 chicken breasts
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup chive & onion cream cheese spread
3/4 pound (1 bunch) asparagus spears, trimmed, steamed

Cook rice as directed on package, using 1 1/4 cups of the broth and 1/2 cup water.
Meanwhile, mix cracker crumbs and parmesan cheese on plate. Rinse chicken with cold water; shake off excess water. Dip chicken in cracker mixture, turning to coat.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook 5-6 minutes on each side or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Place chicken on serving plate. Set aside; keep warm. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and cream cheese spread to same skillet. Cook on med-heat until mixture just comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer 3min or until sauce thickens. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve rice and asparagus with chicken.

One Bowl Chocolate Bliss Cookies

2 pkg (8 squares each) Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate, divided
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, slightly softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Corsely chop 8 chocolate squares, set aside. Microwave remaining 8 squares in large microwave bowl in high 2 min, stirring after 1 min. Stir until completely melted. Add sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla; stir until well blended. Add flour and baking powder; mix well. Stir in chopped chocolate and walnuts.
* Note: if omitting nuts, increase flour to 3/4 cup.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 12 to 13 min or until cookies are puffed and shiny. Cool 1 min; move cookies to wire racks. Cool completely.

Chocolate Walnut Coconut Bars

11 Honey Maid Graham Crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups crumbs)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 pkg (8 oz) Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups flake coconut
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup raisins
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9''x13'' baking pan with foil, leaving 3 inches of foil extending over short sides of the pan. Create handles by crunching up extended foil; grease foil lining. Mix crushed grahams and butter. Press evenly onto bottom of prepared pan.

Sprinkle chocolate, coconut, walnuts and raisins over crust. Pour sweetened condensed milk over mixture in pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan. Lift out of pan onto cutting board, using foil handles. Cut into 32 bars to serve.

Sweetened condensed milk is a canned milk product used in desserts and candy. Don't confuse it with evaporated milk , which is unsweetened and won't perform well in this recipe.

Cheesy Mac-Topped Casserole

1 pkg (14oz) Mac-n-cheese dinner
1 lb ground beef
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/ 2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg (9oz) frozen green beans, thawed and drained
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare mac-n-cheese as directed on box. Meanwhile, brown meat with garlic and oregano in large nonstick skillet; drain. Add tomatoes with their liquid and the beans; mix well.
Spoon meat mixture into 13''x9'' baking dish; top evenly with mac-n-cheese. Cover with foil.
Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven; uncover. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Makes 6 servings, 1 1/2 cups each.
390 cal, 11g fat, 4g fiber, 30g protein

Berry Lemonade Slush

1/2 cup Country Time Lemonade Flavor Drink Mix (dry)
1/2 cup water
3 cups ice cubes
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

Measure drink mix into cap to 1 qt line (1/2 cup). Empty into blender container.
Add remaining ingredients; cover. Blend on high speed 10 sec. Turn off blender. Stir with spoon; cover. Blend an additional 5 sec or until smooth, using pulsing action.
Serve immediately. Store leftover in freezer.

Makes 4 servings, 3/4 cup each.

Chili Lime Chicken with Black Bean Salsa

Mix the following ingredients:
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp grated lime peel
2 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP olive oil
and add to 6 chicken breasts, coating evenly.

Put the chicken on the grill over med heat for 6-8 minutes on each side.
OR preheat oven to 375 degrees, place in shallow baking dish or baking sheet and cook for about 25 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking mix the following ingredients to make the salsa:
1 cup black beans
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 TBSP cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP jalapeno, chopped (if desired)

Serve the salsa over the cooked chicken.

Double or triple the batch, place in freezer bag and stick into the oven to cook later!

Potato Tips

1. Choose firm, heavy, well-shaped potatoes.
2. Store potatoes in a dark, cool, dry spot, such as a pantry shelf. Keep seperate from onions, which emit a gas that will age potatoes quickly.
3. If potatoes grow sprouts or green spots, cut them out prior to cooking (and cut away the surrounding area), as they taste bitter.

Peanut Butter Fudge-Topped Chippers

1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate whipped ready-to-spread frosting
1 (18 oz) pkg. Pillsbury Refrigerated Ready to Bake! Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt peanut butter chips in small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in frosting. Cool about 10 minutes or until firm enough to shape.
2. Place cookies on ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 14 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, shape peanut butter mixture into 20 (1-inch) balls.
4. Immediately press 1 ball into center of each hot cookie on cookie sheet. Cool 2 minutes; remove cookies from cookie sheet.

Chicken Crescent Almondine

1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 c. mayo
1/2 c. sour cream
2 Tbs minced onion
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 can sliced water chestnuts (optional)
1 can mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can crescent rolls

Topping
2/3 c shredded cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 tbs butter, melted

In large sauce pan, combine soup, mayo, sour cream, onion, chicken, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and celery. Cook over med heat until hot and bubbly. Pour into 9x13 baking dish. unroll crescent rolls into two rectangles, trimming to fit dish. place rectangles over hot chicken mixture. combine cheese and almonds, sprinkle over dough, drizzle with butter. bake at 375 for 20-20 min or until rolls are brown. (you can also read the instructions on the back of your crescent rolls to see how hot and how long to cook)

curry

3/4 cup mayo
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 can cream of chicken
3 cups cooked rice
5 chicken brest, cooked , shred or cube
2 heads of broccoli, steamed
2 cups of graded cheese

in a 11x13 pan layer rice, chicken and broccoli,
in separate bowl
mix mayo, lemon juice, curry powder, cream of chicken.
poor on top of rice, chicken, broccoli.
put in oven 350 for 25 min. take out and sprinkle cheese on top

One-Pan Chicken & Potato Bake

4 bone-in chicken pieces
4 large potatoes
1/4 cup Zesty Italian dressing
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken and potatoes in 13x9-inch baking dish.
Pour dressing over chicken and potatoes; sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Makes 4 servings.

Tasty Corn Salad

In a medium skillet over medium heat add:
3 cups corn
1/4 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 tsp taco seasoning
1 TBSP olive oil

Stir occasionally while cooking, heat until warm.

Creamy Rice with Peas and Mushrooms

1 sm onion, chopped
1/4 cup Zesty Italian dressing
1 pkg (8 oz) fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups minute white rice, uncooked
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook and stir onion in dressing in large saucepan over med-hi heat 2 min or until tender.
Add mushrooms, cook 2-3 min or until tender.
Add broth and peas, stir. Bring to a boil.
Stir in rice and cream cheese, cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 8 min. Stir in lemon peel and parmesan cheese. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh dill, if desired.

Makes 8 servings, 2/3 cup each

Family Sausage Supper

4 oz uncooked vermicelli or spaghetti, broken
4 Tbsp margarine or butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (4.5 oz) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 (1lb.) pkg frozen broccoli cuts
1 (1 lb) smoked sausage or polish sausage ring, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 to 2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook vermicelli to desires doneess as directed on package. Drain, rinse with hot water. Return to saucepan . Stir in 1 Tbsp of the butter. Cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, melt remaining 3 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Add onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and broccoli; cook about 5 mins or until broccoli is thawed, stirring frequently.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add sausage, oregano and garlic powder; mix well. Cook about 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
4. Place warm vermicelli on serving platter. Top with sausage and vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 (1 1/3 cup) servings

Lime Garlic Chicken with Rice

1 package (1 lb, 4 ozs) bone-in skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2 limes)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp pepper
2 TBsp butter ot margarine
1 cup uncooked instant rice
chopped parsley, if desired

Place chicken in 3-4 quart slow cooker, add remaining ingredients except rice and parsley.
Cover and cook on low heat setting 8-10 hours. During last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in rice.
Remove chicken from cooker. Place cooked rice on each serving plate. Top with chicken. Spoon any remaining juices over chicken. Garnish with parsley.

6 servings - 215 cal - 9g fat - 17g carb, 16g protein

Double/triple the batch and freeze for cooking later!!

All-in-One Veggie Mac and Cheese

1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 pkg Mac & Cheese Dinner
3 cups frozen veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans or peas - mix them up!)
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Bring water and milk just to a boil in saucepan on med. heat. Add Macaroni; reduce heat to low. Simmer 6 min or until macaroni is tender.
Add vegetables; cover. Cook 3 min until liquid is almost absorbed and vegetables are heated through.
Add cheese sauce mix and butter. stir until well blended.
Makes 4 servings.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

AKA: "Peanut Butter Baby Blessings"

1 pkg (8 squares) Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tub (8oz) cool whip, thawed

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Microwave chocolate in large mucrowaveable bowl on high 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Stir in peanut butter until well blended. Cool to room temperature. Gently stir in whipped topping. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Scoop peanut butter mixture with melon baller or teaspoon, then shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Store in refrigerator.

Can also prepare as directed but roll in finely chopped pecans, toasted coconut, grated white or semi sweet baking chocolate or finely crushed cookies.

My pictures make them look like Munchkin donuts, don't they?

Easy Cookie Truffles

AKA: "Baby Blessings"

1 pkg (20 oz) sandwich cookies - you can use oreos, generic or all natural (no hydrogenated oils, no transfat, 1 g saturated) Joe-Joes from Trader Joes like I did
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
2 pkg (8 oz each) Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted.

Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use (cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin)
Crush remaining cookies to fine crumbs; place in a med. bowl.
Add cream cheese, mix until well blended.
Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1 inch in diameter.
Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use). Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles. covered, in refrigerator.

How to: For easy dipping, place truffle ball in melted chocolate to coat; roll if necessary. Lift truffle from chocolate using 2 forks (this will allow excess chocolate to run off) before placing on wax paper.

Potatoes O'Brien

6 or 8 potatoes - cubed - peeled or not - Red, Gold, White, or whatever kind of potato will do. (Or a combination, the more the merrier.) Frying Pan with oil & butter Chopped bell peppers - Green, Red, Yellow, Orange, or any combination crushed garlic Some onion Salt & Pepper seasonings - savory, italian seasoning, rosemary, or whatever Put potatoes, onion, & peppers in pan with oil and butter, season until it looks about right. Brown until you are happy with the texture.

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Bites

4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour; mix well. Refrigerate 15 mins or until dough is easy to handle.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls, place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 min or just set (do not over bake). Let stand on cookie sheet 1 min; transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

JAZZ it up: customize these drops with a variety of toppings. Right after they come out of the oven, press 1 of the following options onto each cookie : a waltnut half, a marshmallow half with cut edge dipped into colored sugar, half of a caramel, corsely chopped candy canes, a drizzle of melted semi-sweet chocolate, etc.
Makes about 5 dozen.

Double Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (2-3 bananas)
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups Banana Nut Crunch cereal
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
Beat eggs in a med. bowl. Add bananas, oil and water; mix well.
Add to flour mixture; stir until just moistened. (batter will be lumpy)
Stir in cereal and walnuts. (I like to also add chocolate chips)

Pour evenly into 4 greased mini loaf pans.
Bake 40 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pans 10 mins. Remove from pans, place on wire racks. Cool completely.

Mojito Shrimp with Rice and Salsa

Start rice first:
2 cups rice
4 cups water
2 TBSP cilantro
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
2 TBSP plive oil
Mix and start cooking in a rice cooker or on stove top (bring to boil and then simmer for 20 mins, covered). During the last 4-5 minutes of cooking, add 1 cup of kidney beans to rice.

Then start shrimp:
4-5 cups of shrimp
2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
2 TBSP olive oil

In a large skillet over med-hi heat, cook shrimp for 10 minutes or until the shrimp are opaque(depending on size of shrimp).

While shrimp and rice are cooking, make salsa:
1 cup limeade concentrate
2 TBSP mint, chopped
2 TBSP cilantro, chopped
2 cups mandarin orange slices
3 TBSP brown sugar
gently mix to combine

When ready to serve: rice, shrimp and then spoon some salsa over shrimp to taste.
Serves 6

Freezer Meal Option: Place rice ingredients in one bag, shrimp in another and salsa in a third. Place all three bags in one gallon freezer bag for cooking at a later day - don't forget to include cooking instructions!

Zesty Home Fries

2 lbs red new potatoes (about 6 potatoes) cut into large chunks
1/2 cup Zesty Italian dressing
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large red onion, cut into chunks
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 slices bacon, crisply cooked & crumbled
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss potatoes with dressing and pepper in greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Spread into a single layer. Bake 20 mins. Stir in onions, continue baking 20 min or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley and bacon; stir. Top with cheese. Bake an additional 2 min or until cheese is melted.