Money Saving Ideas

Here are just a few ideas that I employ to help save money in the long run. 

I make my own laundry detergent (if you would like for me to post the recipe, just let me know)
I use vinegar as laundry softener (if you would like more info, let me know)
I buy dry beans instead of canned beans.  I cook them and then freeze them in 1-2 cup servings and pull them out when I need them. 
I try to hang a lot of my laundry out a clothes line.  Besides the fridge, the dryer is one of the appliances that uses the most energy.

These are just a few ideas that I use.  If you have anymore, please share them.  I believe we would all want to learn ways to save money here and there.

I'm Back

Ok, so I know I have been gone for awhile.  I honestly thought about quitting this blog because I thought no one was reading it.  I figured I would give it one more shot.  I plan on doing a few things differently and see how it goes.  Life has been crazy hectic around here between work and the kiddos.  Hopefully, they will be slowing down soon.  So, please let me know that you are out there in blog land.

Angelhair with Sausage and Spinach

Yum, yum yummy!  This was so good!  This is another recipe from e-mealz.com.  If you haven't checked them out, I highly encourage you to do so.  It has made my life so much easier.  When I first saw this recipe, I wasn't so sure, but I was wrong.  I really do recommend this one.  Hope you enjoy!

Angelhair with Sausage and Spinach

Ingredients:  1lb Smoked Kielbasa or Smoked Sausage

1 cup Chopped Onion

2 tsp Minced Garlic

2 tsp Olive Oil

2 cans Chicken Broth

1/4 cup Water

8 oz Angel Hair Pasta, broken in half

10 oz Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed & drained

1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

In a soup pot, add olive oil, heat through, then add sausage, onion, and garlic.  Saute until onions are tender.  Add chicken broth and water.  Bring to a boil then add pasta.  Cook for 3-4 minutes then add in spinach.  Cook another 1-2 minutes, until spinach is heated.  Add cream, stir, and heat through. 

Wheat Thin-like Crackers

I have been wanting to try to make some more of my food from scratch, both for health reasons and for cost reasons.  When I make these from scratch, there is just 7 ingredients, nothing processed.  I really like these, as well as the rest of the family.  I hope you enjoy them as well. 

Wheat Thin-like Crackers

Ingredients:  1 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 Tbsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Paprika

4 Tbsp Butter

1/4 cup Water

1/2 tsp Vanilla

Combine dry ingredients in a medium size bowl.  Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like large crumbs.  None of the crumbs should be bigger than a pea in size.  Next combine water and vanilla and pour into dry ingredients.  Mix together until well combined.  Do not over mix or you will have a tough cracker. 

Work with only a fourth of the dough at a time, and roll out in to a thin sheet.  As thin as you can get without tearing the dough.  Next cut into 1 inch squares and place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet ( I used a baking stone).  Sprinkle with additional salt and bake at 400 for 5-10 minutes.  When the crackers cool, they will crisp up.  I ended up cooking mine for about 8 minutes. 

New Approach?

So, I'm sort of thinking about giving this blog a make over of some sort.  I will still have recipes, but I'm thinking of adding something else.  I was thinking maybe some information regarding not just food prep but also how our food is grown and my thoughts on it.  When I first started this blog, all these people at work were wanting to contribute, but you know how that goes.  So, this has become my own blog.  I just was thinking of giving you some information and then you can make your own choices.  I was also thinking about giving a peek into my life and the way I would love to live.  I don't know, let me know what you think and what you would like to see.  I would really appreciate it.

Spinach and Black Bean Lasagna

Once again, I apologize for the picture.  I got this recipe from a sweet lady at work who is a great cook.  Everyone couldn't stop eating it, so I snapped a picture as fast I could.  I made this for my mother in laws birthday.  Between 4 adults and two kids, there was only 3 pieces of lasagna left.  I know it may sound a little strange, but, please, just give it a chance.  It is so yummy!  It is a little spicy, so if you aren't into spice, you might not care for it too much.  The only person that thought it was too spicy was a 3 yr old.  Hope you enjoy!

Spinach and Black Bean Lasagna

Ingredients:  2 Eggs, beaten

15 oz Ricotta

10 oz Frozen Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp Salt

4 cups Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

2 can Black Beans, drained & rinsed

1 jar Pasta Sauce

1/2 tsp Cumin

9 Lasagna Noodles, cooked & drained

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix together eggs, ricotta, spinach, cilantro, salt, and one cup of cheese.  In a separate bowl, mash black beans then add pasta sauce and cumin.  Mix well. 

Start assembling the lasagna in a 13x9 baking dish. 

Spread a little of the bean mixture to coat the bottom of the dish.  Layer 3 noodles, spinach mixture, shredded cheese, 3 noodles, spinach mixture, shredded cheese, bean mixture, 3 noodles, bean mixture, shredded cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until golden and bubbly.  Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting.



Chocolate Cherry Cake with Fudge Icing

I got this recipe from a website I frequent to get good recipes, sisterscafe.com.  This cake is so yummy and easy.  My son loves anything with cherries.  I always make it for his birthday, and this year, I made it for my mother in laws birthday.  Hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Ingredients:  1 box Devils Food Cake Mix

2 Eggs

1 can Cherry Pie Filling

1 tsp Almond Extract

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 inch pan.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended.  Please only mix by hand, if you use an electric mixer, it will break up the cherries.  Poor into pan and bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Fudge Icing

Ingredients:  1 cup Sugar

5 Tbsp Butter

1/3 cup Milk

1 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and milk.  Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes while continually stirring.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until smooth.  Immediately pour over partially cooled cake.

Pasta Salad

This is an easy summer pasta salad.  Everywhere I take it, I always get rave revues.  It is just simple and tasty.  It does taste better when you make it the night before.  Hope you enjoy!

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:  1 box of Bow Tie Pasta, cooked and drained

1 bunch Broccoli, cut into bite size pieces

1 bag of cubed Cheddar Cheese, cut into smaller pieces

2 Tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

1 large bottle Italian Dressing

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and refrigerate overnight.  I always save a little of the dressing to put on the pasta salad right before serving.  Can't get any easier, right?

Simple Pizza

This is a quick and easy idea for a meal.  All you do is take a tortilla or flat bread, crisp it up in the oven, put on your favorite pizza toppings, allow cheese to melt in the oven, and viola!  Pizza!  My kids love this, and I tend to eat this a lot on the weekends for lunch. Hope you enjoy!

Another Baked Spaghetti

Ok, so I do realize that I cook a lot of iltalian type dishes.  I guess cause it is one of my favs and they are usually fairly simple to make.  This is a yummy baked spaghetti.  It has a cream cheese and sour cream layer that makes it good and creamy, if you mix it all together.  The family loved it.  Hope you enjoy!

Another Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:  1 lb Spaghetti Noodles, cooked and drained

1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey, cooked and drained

1 jar Spaghetti Sauce

8oz Cream Cheese, room temp

16oz Sour Cream

1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook ground beef and drain off grease.  Add in spaghetti sauce and allow to cook for about 10 min.  Place cooked spaghetti noodles in a greased 13x9 dish.  Mix together the cream cheese and sour cream until well incorporated.  Spread this mixture on top of the noodles.  Pour the sauce and meat on top of the cream cheese mixture.  Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted.

A Tip

First of all, I want to apologize for not posting in so long.  Things have been hectic around here and I haven't tried any new recipes in a long time.  I promise to get back to it soon.  In the meantime, here is a quick tip.  My grandmother gave me a lot of onions, more than we would go through in a week, so I froze some.  First I diced them (an onion at a time)  then spread them out on a cookie sheet and stuck them in the freezer for a few hours until they were frozen.  I then put the frozen onions into a zip lock bag and stuck them back into the freezer.  Now, if I need diced onion, all I have to do is pull out a bag from the freezer.  I put one onion worth in each bag so that I also know how much is in each bag.  Hope this tip is helpful for you!

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

First, I apologize for the picture.  I had to hurry and snap a pic before they were all gone.  These were super easy and super good.  My kids loved them, so that has to say something.  This is a great alternative for lasagna made with meat sauce.  Hope you enjoy!

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients:  9 Lasagna Noodles, cooked & dried

10oz Frozen Chopped Spinach, drained

15oz Ricotta

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 Egg, beaten

Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine spinach, ricotta, parmesan, and egg in a large bowl.  Lay out lasagna noodles and spread a thin layer of cheese & spinach mixture (about 1/3 cup) on each noodle.  Roll up the noodles.  Pour about 1 cup of sauce into the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish.  Place the lasagna rolls on top of the sauce, seam side down.  Pour sauce over the top of the rolls.  Top with mozzarella.  Cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Okay, I know what you are thinking.  Brussel Sprouts ?!?!?!  This is the only way my family eats brussel sprouts, and they are so yummy.  The caramelization gives the brussel sprouts a good nutty flavor.  This can't be any easier to make either.  So, please give it a try and let me know what you thought.  Hope you enjoy!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:  Fresh Brussel Sprouts

Olive Oil

Salt

Preheat oven to 375.  Rinse and clean the brussel sprouts.  Remove the outer leaves and trim the ends.  If they are large brussel sprouts, cut them into halves.  Place on sheet pan and sprinkle with olive oil and salt (I personally like a lot of salt on them), then toss.  Make sure they are spread out in an even layer, then toss them in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and crunchy on the outside.

Baked Spaghetti

This is an easy weeknight dinner to throw together.  A somewhat different twist on the regular spaghetti night with the same ingredients and a few extra.  I really liked this as did the whole family.  Hope you enjoy!

Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:  1lb Ground Chuck or Turkey

1 jar Spaghetti Sauce

1lb Thin Spaghetti

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg, beaten

8oz pkg grated Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Bring water to boil and cook spaghetti.  While spaghetti is cooking, brown ground beef or turkey and add in spaghetti sauce.  Drain spaghetti and combine with beaten egg and Parmesan cheese, mix well.  Layer half of spaghetti noodles, half of sauce then half of cheese.  Repeat the layers and top with Parmesan cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Chicken Salad Pie Remake Into a Casserole

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, things have been crazy and I haven't really thought about cooking new recipes.  I got this recipe from e-mealz (of course).  It really reminded me of the chicken salad pie that I make.  I really liked this a lot!  This is also so much easier and quicker to make than the chicken salad pie.  Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Salad Pie Casserole

Ingredients:  4-6 Chicken Breast cooked and cut into cubes

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 cup Celery, diced

1 can sliced Water chestnuts, chopped

1 cup Cheddar Cheese

1 small can French Fried Onions

Combine all ingredients, except for french fried onions, in large bowl.  Pour into a 9x9 casserole dish.  Bake ate 350 for 40 minutes.  Top with french fried onions and cook an additional five minutes.

Chocolate Pudding Cake

Yummy, yum, yum, yum!   Whenever I'm craving chocolate, I always turn to this cake.  It is so simple to make, and I always have the simple ingredients on hand.  Make sure you eat it while it is still warm.  Of course, it would be excellent with some vanilla ice cream.  Hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Pudding Cake

Ingredients:  3/4 cup Sugar

                  1 cup Flour

                  2 tsp Baking Powder

                  2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

                  1/2 cup Milk

                  3 Tbsp Butter, melted

                  1 tsp vanilla

                  1/2 cup Sugar

                  1/2 cup Brown Sugar

                  1/4 cup Cocoa Powder

                  1 1/2 cup Warm Water

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix together first 7 ingredients in a 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish.

Combine next 3 ingredients together and sprinkle on top of batter.

Pour water over entire mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Cheeseburger "Pizza"

Oh my, where these ever so good.  At first, I will admit, I wasn't so sure about these.  I LOVED them and they were so easy to make.  They were done in 20 minutes!  The longest part was cooking the meat and onions.  I HIGHLY recommend these for a quick weeknight meal.  Hope you enjoy!

Cheeseburger "Pizza"

Ingredients:  1 package English Muffins

                   15oz can Tomato Sauce

                   1 lb Ground Hamburger Meat or Turkey

                   1/2 Onion, Diced

                   1 & 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

                   1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

                   Salt

                   Cheddar Cheese Slices

Split english muffins in half, place on cookie sheet and place under broiler until toasted.

Combine tomato sauce, italian seasoning, and salt to taste.

Brown ground beef and onions in skillet.  When done, add garlic powder.

Assembly:  Spoon 2 Tbsp of tomato sauce on top of each muffin.  Divide meat mixture among muffins.  Place on slice of cheese on top of each muffin.

Return to broiler until cheese is melted.

Ravioli Bake

This a simple, throw together supper.  The only downfall is that it does require about 40 minutes of cooking time.  My husband (surprise) and my oldest really ate it up.  This really is easy to make.  Just purchase all the ingredients and layer it in a dish.  I don't think it could get any easier.  Hope you enjoy!

Ravioli Bake

Ingredients:  1lb pkg Cheese Ravioli, ex: Butoni

                   1 jar Spaghetti Sauce

                   1 pkg Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

                   2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

                   Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 375. 

In a 13x9 baking dish, spread a thin layer of sauce across the bottom of the dish. 

Place half of the ravioli, half of the spinach, 1 cup of mozzarella, and half of the sauce.  Repeat the layers.

Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Cover and cook for 30 minutes.  Remove cover and cook an additional 10 minutes.



Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

This is a yummy casserole.  It does take some time to prepare and cook, so it's not a quick one for the weeknights.  Some similar recipes call for green beans in the casserole, but I just use them as a vegetable side.  Hope you enjoy!

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients:  4 Chicken Breasts, cooked and cubed

                   6oz package Long Grain Wild Rice (I use Uncle Ben's Quick Cook)

                   1/2 cup Onion, diced

                   1 1/4 cup Water

                   1 1/4 cup Mayonnaise

                   8oz can Waterchestnuts, sliced

                   1 can Cream of Celery Soup

                   2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350. 

Cook rice according to package and set aside.

Combine chicken, onion, water, mayo, waterchestnuts, soup, and rice in large bowl.  Mix well.

Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole dish.

Bake for 35 minutes, until bubbly.

Sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Cornbread and Sausage Bake

This is another recipe from e-mealz.  Did I mention how much I love them?  Anyway, the family tore this up.  I used it as a main dish with some green veggies.  It would also be good as a side dish.  Hope you enjoy!

Cornbread and Sausage Bake

Ingredients:   1 lb ground Sausage

                    1 cup Onion, chopped

                    2 Eggs, beaten

                    1 1/2 cups Self-Rising Cornmeal

                    15oz can Cream Style Corn

                    3/4 cup Milk

                    1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

                    1 1/4 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Heat oven to 425 and grease a 2 qt baking dish.

Cook sausage and onions until cooked through and then drain well. 

In a large bowl, combine eggs, cornmeal, corn, milk, oil and 1/4 cup cheese.  Mix well. 

Pour half of cornbread mixture into dish,, top with sausage & onions, and rest of cheese.

Pour the remainder of cornbread mixture on top.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked through.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Peanut Butter Pie

I am a HUGE peanut butter and chocolate fan.  In fact, my favorite ice cream is peanut butter and chocolate.  This recipe came from my son's teacher at school.  This pie is wonderful and so simple to make.  If you love peanut butter and chocolate, you will love this.  Hope you enjoy!

Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:  1 cup Peanut Butter, smooth or crunchy whichever you prefer

                   8 ounces Cream Cheese

                   1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

                   16oz tub Cool Whip

                   1 Chocolate Cookie Pie Shells

Mix together peanut butter and cream cheese until well blended.

Mix in powdered sugar until well combined.

Fold in Cool Whip.

Divide into pie shells.

Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. 

I sprinkle some chocolate chips on top.

Chicken Parmesan

This is probably one of my favorite meals that I make.  I just don't make it too often, and I really don't know why.  I always fully enjoy it.  This is really not that hard of a recipe to make.  I do hope that you try it.  Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:  4 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless

                   2 cups Flour

                   1 cup Breadcrumbs

                   1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

                   1 tsp Garlic Powder

                   2 Eggs, beaten

                   1 lb Spaghetti Noodles

                   8oz Tomato Sauce

                   1 jar Favorite Spaghetti Sauce

                   1 tsp Italian Seasoning

                   1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

                   1/2 cup Mozzerella Cheese, shredded

For coating on chicken, have 3 seperate plates.  On one plate, place 1 cup of flour and season with salt and pepper to taste.  On second plate, place beaten eggs.  On third plate, place 1 cup of flour, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. 

Dredge chicken in to plain flour and shake off excess.  Next coat with eggs and then place into flour, breadcrumb mixture and coat well.  Repeat for other chicken breasts. 

Pre-heat a deep skillet, on medium-high heat, with enough olive oil to come up about 1/2 inch the side of the skillet.  Brown chicken in skillet until the crust is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes a side. 

Meanwhile, combine spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, italian seasoning, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder in separate sauce pan.  Allow to heat through.

Place chicken on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

While chicken in cooking, cook spaghetti noodles.

After chicken is done cooking, spoon a little sauce over each chicken breast and top with some mozzerella cheese.  Place back into warm oven to allow cheese to melt. 

To serve, place noodles on the plate, spoon sauce on top of the noodles, and place the chicken on top.

Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese, if desired.

Crockpot Lasagna

This is an easy, throw together take on lasagna.  The family really liked it, me personally, it was pretty good.  For me, the noodles got a little too mushy.  I like my homemade lasagna so much better, but that tends to be an all day thing to make.  This really works when you are wanting lasagna but don't have all day to make it.  Hope you enjoy!

Crock pot Lasagna

Ingredients:  1 pound ground beef or turkey

                   Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

                   1 6oz can tomato paste

                   1 cup water

                   1tsp Italian Seasoning

                   1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

                   9 Lasagna Noodles

                   3 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese

                   15 or 16 oz container of Cottage or Ricotta Cheese (whichever you prefer)

Brown meat in a large skillet.  Drain fat and add spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, water, italian seasoning, and garlic powder to skillet.  Heat thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, mix the cheeses together.

In crock pot, spoon 1/4 of sauce into bottom, add about three, uncooked noodles, add 1/3 of cheese mixture.  Repeat layers two more times ending with sauce on top.

Cook on low 4-5 hours.

Beef Tips Over Egg Noodles

Sorry for my fingers being in the corner of the picture.  I sure didn't realize it until just now.  This is a really yummy supper that is perfect for the weekends, considering it does take awhile to cook.  At first, after reading the ingredients, I wasn't too sure about this one.  But let me reassure you, this is a keeper.  Hope you enjoy!

Beef Tips Over Egg Noodles

Ingredients:  1.5 lbs Beef Stew Meat

                   1 envelope Dried Onion Soup Mix

                   1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

                   12oz Ginger ale

                   Egg Noodles

Mix together onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, and ginger ale.  Add beef to mixture.  Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 300 for 3 hours. 

Cook enough noodles for your family.  Serve the beef and the gravy over the noodles.

So Simple Bread

Here lately, I've been working on trying to bake bread.  It really hasn't gone too smoothly.  Today, I tried a super simple recipe, with no yeast, and I have to say it is super yum.  It is soft and tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside.  Hope you enjoy!

So Simple Bread

Ingredients:  3 cups Bread Flour

                   1 tsp Salt

                   1 Tbsp Baking Powder

                   1/4 cup Sugar

                   12 oz Beer

                   1 stick Butter, melted

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.  Add beer and mix well.

Put into a greased loaf pan and spread out (the best you can).  Pour the melted butter over the top of the dough.

Bake at 350 for one hour.  Removed from oven and turn out onto cooling rack to cool.  Some butter will be in the pan, if you can, pour on top of the bread.

Stuffed Crescent Rolls

These are a super simple breakfast or snack to make.  You can add whatever you feel like.  Hope you enjoy!

Stuffed Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:  1 package refrigerated Crescent Rolls

                   Whatever filling you would like

                   I used peanut butter and chocolate chips

Unroll crescent rolls and divide into triangles.  Spread peanut butter onto one triangle, sprinkle with chocolate chips, roll up.  Bake according to package directions. 

I also use butter with cinnamon and sugar.  You could easily make these savory as well with cheese, pepperoni, tomato sauce, etc.  The possibilities are endless!

Cherry Pudding Cake

I made this recipe for my son, who loves cherries.  This is super yummy and warm.  I got this recipe from a website that I visit often,  thepioneerwoman.com.  Hope you enjoy!

Cherry Pudding Cake

Ingredients:  Cake- 1 cup Sugar

                              2 Tbsp Butter, softened

                              1 whole Egg

                              1 cup All-Purpose Flour

                              1 tsp Baking Powder

                              1/8 tsp Salt

                              1/2 cups Whole Milk

                              1 can (15oz) Cherries in Syrup, drained, juice reserved

                              1/2 cups Pecans, finely chopped

                  Sauce- 1 cup Juice from Cherries (add water to make one cup if needed)

                              1 cup Sugar

                              1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour

                              1 Tbsp Butter

                              1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

                             

Preheat oven 325.  Generously butter a 9x9 square baking dish.

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add egg and mix well.  Sift flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add flour mixture to mixing bowl, alternating additions with milk.

Add cherries and pecans and mix. 

Pour batter into baking dish, smooth out top and bake for 40 minutes.

While the cake is in the over, combine cherry juice, sugar, and flour in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and boil for 8 minutes or until the sauce is thick.  Turn off the heat and add butter and vanilla. 

Drizzle 1/3 of the sauce on the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.  Spread the sauce over the top of the cake and allow to soak into the cake.  Let the cake sit for 10 minutes.  Serve the cake in bowls and pour more sauce on top.

I topped mine off with some ice cream.



White Beans

I had someone at work ask me for a recipe for white beans.  I told her that I really don't have a "recipe."  I have just always "made" them.  She went online in search of a recipe.  I guess white beans have just always been one of those down home meals that people just kind of make from what your mother or grandmother has passed down to you. So I figured I would let y'all know how I "do" it.  Hope you enjoy!

White Beans

Ingredients:  1 package Navy Beans, dried

                   2-3 Ham Hocks

                   Water

                   Salt and Pepper

Sort beans and remove any stones or bad beans.  Soak overnight in a large bowl of water.  Water should cover the beans by several inches.

The next morning, drain and rinse beans.  Place in a crock pot with ham hocks and cover with clean water, allowing about an inch of water over the beans.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

Remove ham hocks from beans and remove the meat from the bones.  Place meat back in crock pot with beans.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with cornbread and enjoy!

Cowboy Cornbread

I got these delicious recipe from a lady at work.  It is super yummy.  I like to just eat as a meal.  Hope you enjoy!

Cowboy Cornbread

Ingredients:  2 cups Corn Meal Mix

                   1 1/2 cup Milk

                   3 eggs

                   1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

                   1 Onion, diced

                   1 Tbsp Sugar

                   1 can Cream Style Corn

                   1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

                   1 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

                   1 lb Sausage, cooked and drained

                   Dash Garlic Powder

                   1/2 tsp Salt

                   1/4 cup Jalapeno, chopped (optional)

Combine all ingredients and mix very well.  Bake in a greased 13x9 at 400 for 35-45 minutes.

Easy "Beef Stroganoff"

Here is another easy and quick dinner.  It takes a long to make as it does to boil the noodles.  It was a perfect dinner after being outside all day playing in the snow.  Hope you enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:  1 pound Ground Beef or Turkey

                   1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

                   8 oz Sour Cream

                   1 tsp Steak Seasoning

                   1/2 tsp Onion Powder

                   Egg Noodles

                   Salt & Pepper to taste

Brown ground beef in large skillet.  Drain fat.  Add cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, steak seasoning, and onion powder.  Combine well and heat through.  Salt & pepper to taste.

Boil egg noodles until done.

Serve stroganoff over egg noodles.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Here is another yummy soup recipe for those cold nights.  This one is super simple and quick to throw together when you are pressed for time.  Hope you enjoy!

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Ingredients:  1 bunch of Broccoli, florets cut into small pieces

                   5 Tbsp Butter

                   5 Tbsp Flour

                   8 cups Milk

                   2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes

                   12 slices American Cheese

                   1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

                   Salt and Pepper

In a soup pot, bring water to boil, add broccoli and cook until tender.  Drain into colander.

In same pot, melt butter and add flour to make a roux.  Cook for 2 minutes.

Add milk slowly and stir until no lumps.  Add bullion and simmer for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add in cheeses, continuing to stir until melted.

Add in cooked broccoli and salt and pepper to taste.