Deals to Meals

Pina Colada Cake

2012-01-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

This past weekend my friend threw a 'Fun in the Sun' 30th birthday party for my sister Diana. Here in Utah it is obviously the middle of our cold and dreary winter so she decided we needed to get together and do things that reminded us of warm summer days. We did pedicures, sipped a delicious lemonade slush, had a Tropical Chicken Salad (I will post the recipe later this week), listened to Hawaiian Luau music and had a blast visiting as ladies with no children. Our adorable friend Marianne has three year old triplets so we were especially glad to be able to hang out with her (with four kids four and under she doesn't get out much ;). For the party I decided to come up with a Pina Colada Cake that would go along with our 'tropical' theme. This cake was delicious and light--the perfect cake for a 'warm' winters night ;) The picture is not the best (I forgot to take a picture until the next day after the top had been smashed with saran wrap--oops!). Either way, the cake was delicious! If you have the winter blues and need a little summer pick-me-up, this is the cake for you. Enjoy.

Pina Colada Cake
1 yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/4 c. sour cream
2/3 c. crushed pineapple
3/4 c. coconut milk
2/3 c. oil
Mix together and pour in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until cake is golden brown. When the cake comes out of the oven, pour on it the following:

1 large box vanilla instant pudding
1 1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. coconut milk
1 c. crushed pineapple
1/2 t. vanilla
Combine together and let set in the fridge until the cake comes out of the oven. When the cake is cooked, pour the pudding mixture over the warm cake. Let the cake set in the fridge until it is cooled. When the cake is cool, top with Cool Whip or whipped heavy cream. Sprinkle the top with extra coconut (you can toast the coconut until golden brown in a saute pan if you would prefer).

AMAZING deal on white hard wheat! $9.99 for 50 lbs.

2012-01-25T23:01:00.000-08:00

I just received an email from Honeyville Grain letting me know about their ONE day sale this Saturday (January 28th) beginning at 9 a.m. They have their white wheat on sale for $9.99 for a 50 lbs. bag. This price is one of the lowest prices I have ever seen wheat sold at in the past 10 years. Five dollars for 25 lbs. is incredible!! Stock up (if you live in the Salt Lake area) and purchase your year supply of wheat (100 lbs. per person). Don't be afraid to purchase too much wheat. It will last indefinitely and is an important item to have in your food storage (whether or not you have a wheat grinder). Try our Wheat Blender Waffles..they are the perfect recipe to begin using the wheat in your food storage, without needing a wheat grinder. Hurry in to Honeyville before the wheat is all gone!

Honeyville Farms Hard White Wheat 50 lbs.– Sale price $9.99

Honeyville Farms – Salt Lake City, Utah
635 North Billy Mitchell Rd – (801) 972-2168
Mon – Fri 9-6 Sat 9-4

Pizza Benders--Italian Village Style

2012-01-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

We have a favorite pizza joint that we don't get to nearly as often as we would like. It is a 30-40 minute trip to this restaurant, but it is well worth the drive! It is a little whole in the wall pizza dive called The Italian Village. They make the most amazing 'pizza benders'. I have been going there since I was a teenager in high school and have loved it ever since! The place is not much to look at, and in reality there is not much on their menu I like other than the benders. They are the only thing we ever order and they are all around fabulous. I was craving them tonight and thought I would try a few tricks to see if I could get the dough texture right, the filling and the sauce down. I think we did it! I even used our White Bean Pizza Dough which added a lot of nutrients to an otherwise somewhat unhealthy meal. I hope your family enjoys these as much as we did tonight. They were a HUGE hit!

Pizza Benders
1 recipe pizza dough..I used our White Bean Pizza Dough but you could also use this recipe as well
Marinara sauce (for dipping)--I used Classico but homemade would also be great
Alfredo sauce (for dipping)--I used the quick Magic Mix Alfredo Sauce that uses powdered milk..much healthier and just as delicious as regular alfredo sauce
Mozzarella cheese--you will want lots..the more the better!
Toppings for pizza benders--below are a few of the combinations we did:

Hawaiian Bender: green bell peppers, green onions, pineapple tidbits, ham cubes, mozzarella
Meat Lovers Bender: ham, pepperoni, pork sausage, mozzarella cheese
Supreme Bender: ham, pepperoni, black olives, sausage, green bell peppers, mushrooms, red bell peppers, green onions and mozzarella cheese
BBQ Chicken: cooked chicken cubes, cilantro, red onion, pineapple tidbits (opt), BBQ sauce, mozzarella cheese
Kid's Favorite: pepperoni & mozzarella cheese
Di
Step 1: Make up a batch of your favorite pizza dough recipe. I used the White Bean Dough and it made 12 pizza benders. Let the dough rise for about 30-60 minutes or until it grows to the top of the bowl.

Step 2: Cut the vegetables and meat that you would like used in your bender. Shred the cheese if it is not shredded already.

Step 3: Place the dough onto a lightly floured counter top. Divide the dough into equal parts depending how many benders you would like to make. Cover the dough you will not be rolling out so it doesn't dry out.

Step 4: Place one portion of dough onto the floured counter and roll into a circle about 8-10 inches wide. If you like thin crust, roll the dough out as thin as you can. If you prefer a thicker crust, roll it out a little less.

Step 5: Use a 8-10 inch bowl (or any size) and place it face down onto the dough circle. Trim with a knife the excess dough away from around the bowl.

Step 6: Fill half of the dough circle with your desired ingredients. Do NOT add any sauce to the bender on the inside or it will get too soggy.

Step 7: Sprinkle the inside of the bender with lots of cheese (any cheese or combination of cheeses would do).

Step 8: Fold half of the dough onto the other half. Bring the bottom edge up on top of the top portion of dough to try and seal shut the bender. With a fork, firmly press the fork all the way around the bender half that is open. Cut two or three slits with a sharp knife on the top of the dough.

Step 9: With a large spatula, pick up the bender and place on a greased cookie sheet or baking stone.

Step 10: Beat one egg in a bowl and brush a thin layer of egg all over each bender.

Step 11: Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven at 450 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until benders are golden brown.

Serve benders with marinara and alfredo sauce for dipping. Enjoy!!

Cheesy Broccoli Bake

2012-01-23T20:33:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get bored with steamed vegetables as your stand-by side dish? The other night I was about to steam some broccoli for dinner and decided I would spruce up our side dish with a little cheese and flavor. Of course, butter and cheese will always make everything taste better. This may not go along with your new year's resolutions, but if you want to add a little pizazz to your broccoli, this is definitely on my new side dish rotation. The other great thing about this recipe is it uses Magic Mix which uses up the powdered milk in your food storage. I love having Magic Mix in my fridge to whip together alfredo sauce, cream soups, puddings and MUCH more. If you have never made Magic Mix before, here is the recipe and link so you can see how to use it in your cooking. (I served this with our homemade Country Fried Chicken, Buttermilk Biscuits and Mashed Potatoes..YUM!)

Cheesy Broccoli Bake
3/4 c. magic mix
1 c. water (or milk for an extra creamy sauce)
1 c. shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella works great)
1/2 t. salt (may need a little more when serving)
1/2 t. garlic powder (or one clove fresh minced garlic)
1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. Dijon mustard
3 small bunches broccoli (about 1 1/2-2 lbs.), rinsed and cut into large pieces
1 c. seasoned bread crumbs
2 T. butter

Rinse and cut the broccoli. Place it in a saute pan with a few tablespoons of water. Place the lid over the broccoli and turn the stove to medium heat. Let the broccoli steam for 3-5 minutes, or until broccoli is a bright green color (don't over cook). Drain the broccoli water and place the broccoli in the bottom of a 9x13 dish. In the same pan you steamed the broccoli in, add the magic mix and water together. Turn heat to medium low and whisk the sauce together until creamy and it begins to thicken. Once the sauce starts to thicken, add the shredded cheese, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir the cheese in to the sauce until it is melted. Pour the thick cheese sauce over the steamed broccoli (sauce will be fairly thick, if you need to thin it out to pour better over the broccoli, just add a little more milk). In a bowl microwave the 2 T. of butter until melted. Add the breadcrumbs to the melted butter and sprinkle over the top of the broccoli. Bake the broccoli at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crumbs are nicely golden brown. Serve warm out of the oven.

Mexican Pork Street Tacos

2012-01-21T15:02:00.000-08:00

I know the picture of the street tacos look very similar to our Carne Asada Tacos but trust me they are totally different. Of course, they are both delicious in their own way! These street tacos are one of our family's absolute favorite dinners. We have a hard time stopping after 3-4 tacos because they are so addicting. The other great thing is other than putting the pork in the crock pot, these tacos come together in only a few minutes. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

To make these tacos I placed a frozen pork loin (or boneless pork ribs, butt roast, etc.) in my crock pot for 6-7 hours on low or until fork tender. I sprinkled the loin with garlic, salt and pepper (or Montreal Seasoning) and placed a little water in the bottom of the crock pot to keep the meat from burning. Once the pork was tender I drained most of the juice from the pork and shredded the meat, removing any excess fat. This next step is where all the magic happens to make this meat so delicious and addicting. There is a seasoning called All-Purpose Alpine Touch Seasoning that can be purchased online. All you do to make the pork taste so delicious is sprinkle it with Alpine Touch Seasoning and VOILA! I know it sounds silly and the ingredients in this delicious seasoning are nothing to write home about, but wow..it is yummy! After I tasted this seasoning I wanted to put it on everything I ate and I promise you will too.

Now, these street tacos can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Place a corn tortilla on a warm skillet, sprinkle it with cheese and cover it until melted. Then cover the tortilla with pork, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados or any other favorite toppings.

Personally, the flavor of the meat is so delicious that I only top my pork tortilla with Pico De Gallo and a creamy taco sauce made from 1 T. lime juice, 1/2 c. sour cream, 1/2 c. mayonnaise (no low fat--just use the good ol' Best Foods full fat) and 1-2 T. homemade taco seasoning. This creamy taco sauce is the perfect addition to these tacos. Out of this world good!!

Pasta e' Fagioli Soup

2012-01-18T11:42:00.000-08:00

I have to apologize to all of you for my lack of blogging lately. We have had a few emergencies come up with some family friends this past month, my grandfather is passing away, and it seems that my blog has had to take a back seat for awhile. It's hard to post on a food blog when I haven't cooked dinner for 2 weeks :) It's funny when family crisis' happen you go into survival mode--cereal for dinner, Little Ceasar's Pizza, Krusteaz pancakes, quesadillas or good ol' freezer meals. The last couple of days my sweet friends have brought me dinner and can I tell you how LOVELY it was!! My kids and I were rolling our eyes with delight last night to eat a home cooked, delicious meal. I am grateful for angel friends who are always so kind and willing to help. There is something about a warm meal that warms the soul!! So..this blog post is dedicated to my adorable friends Missy and Debi (and all the others!) who are always there for me--for emotional support, as well as physical ;)

So..since I haven't cooked lately, I am going to share some of the delicious food they have brought me. This Pasta e' Fagioli Soup was so hearty, healthy and full of flavor. It is the perfect dish for a cold winter night and is a great pick me up when you need some delicious comfort food. She also served this soup with Mel's Cheese Rolls with Parmesan Crust. How do you say heaven?? Hope you enjoy Debi's delightful soup as much as we did!

Pasta e' Fagioli Soup

2 t. olive oil

1 lb. Italian or Spicy Sausage

1 onion, diced

1/2 c. celery, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans diced tomatoes (15 oz.)

4 c. chicken broth

2 cans kidney or white beans, drained (15 oz.)

1 t. dried basil

1 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

1 c. small pasta (tube, macaroni, shell, etc.)

1-2 c. baby spinach, chopped into small pieces

2 T. fresh parsley

Parmesan cheese, garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery to the olive oil. Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until the are soft. Add the sausage, and cook until done and well crumbled. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 60 seconds then add the chicken broth. Pour the tomatoes and their juices into the pot. Add the drained beans and seasonings to the soup and simmer partially covered for 1-2 hours. When you are ready to serve the soup, turn the soup up to a slow boil then add the pasta and cook until the noodles are soft. Taste the soup and re-season if needed. Once the past is cooked, add the fresh spinach and parsley. Serve with a bit of Parmesan cheese on top. When reheating the soup the next day, you may need to add more chicken broth.

Bourbon Chicken

2012-01-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

This is a very easy recipe that I thought was really yummy! I've heard rumor that this can be ordered at Chinese restaurants, I've never seen it on the menu but it is definitely good enough to be there. I thought you might like a quick and delicious recipe.

Bourbon Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

3/4 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. garlic powder

3 T. butter

Sauce:

1 cup water

2/3 cup soy sauce

2 T. apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup ketchup

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1 T. cornstarch

Mix the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a bowl. Completely cover each chicken chunk in the flour mixture and place in a greased 9x13. Cut the butter into small pieces and place them evenly around the chicken in the baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, the time can vary depending on the size of your chicken chunks.

Throughout the baking time I turned my chicken pieces so they could get browned by the butter on all sides. If necessary add a few more butter pieces to the pan. While your chicken is cooking combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and ten minutes before you remove the chicken from the oven pour the sauce over the chicken. Continue to bake until the sauce is warm and bubbly. Remove from the oven and serve over sticky rice.

Enjoy!

~Krista

Case lot time again!

2012-01-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

It is case lot time again..yahoo!! For those who live in Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, you are lucky enough to take advantage of the case lot sales at Smiths. For those in Utah, Harmons, Reams and Macey's all have AWESOME deals on many food storage favorites! I went shopping yesterday and was thrilled with my food storage deals. Because I work on my food storage all year, I didn't have too many items I needed. However, there were a few items I was in desperate need...cake mixes, oil, honey and mayonnaise. Who can live with out those? If you are needing to beef up your food storage, this is the week to do it! Many long term grains (wheat, oats, rice, etc.), as well as sugar (sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar, jam and honey) are all on sale for GREAT deals this week. This is the time to build up your supply so you have them throughout the year when these items are not on sale.

Login to our website to see all of the best deals in your area. Remember, our service is only $1.13 a week. You will save that on ONE item by knowing which items to buy, and which ones NOT to buy. On my shopping trip below I had to have a manager approve my transaction--that means I saved over $50 at Walmart. So cool! Happy shopping :)

My shopping list & 2 week meal plan:
13 cake mixes
7 canola oil (48 oz.)
2 boxes Kellogg's cereal
20 lb. sugar
10 lb. calrose rice (Coconut Chicken Curry...a once a month MUST :)
2 sour creams
2 Sara Lee Breads
1 lb. Polska Kielbasa (for Cajun Red Beans & Rice..yum!)
1 lb. carrots
1 bag zucchini
1 pkg. coleslaw (for Fish Tacos)
Celery
Cilantro
1 lb. bacon (BLT Sandwiches)
Large bag tomatoes
Grape tomatoes (for Balsamic Chicken Pasta..a quick favorite meal!)
Limes
Onions
Corn tortillas (for Pork Street Tacos I will blog about this week...Oh my, they are unreal!!)
5 lb. boneless pork country style ribs (For tacos & then leftovers with homemade BBQ pork on our 30 minute rolls..yum!)
18 lbs. honey
4 (64 oz.) apple juice
4 (64 oz.) grape juice
9 Best Foods Mayonnaise (came with Knorr Spinach dip..added bonus :)
12 cans kidney beans (Summer Chicken Chili...can't we eat soup every night? :)
12 cans black beans (Black Bean Soup..great meal for a cold night)
12 cans great northern beans (White Bean Chicken Chili...a family favorite!)
6 cans chick peas
4 grapefruits
12 apples (Cinnamon Waffles with Caramelized Apples...great for dinner or breakfast)
4 dozen eggs (Spinach Bacon Quiche...I will blog about this week)
3 gallons milk

Total (2 week meal plan & food storage): $178.26

Have you ever been to Japan?

2012-01-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been to Japan?

I HAVE....at least sort of!

Last year we started a tradition where all of the grandchildren that are four or older go on a "vacation" with Grandma Lou and Papi and only one set of parents to supervise. Last year it was Hawaii! This year my husband and I were the parents selected to help take all of the kids to JAPAN! Yes, that is right we boarded the "Rising Sun Airlines" and took off on a wonderful adventure to the land of the rising sun. We enjoyed delicious food while eating with chopsticks, practiced origami, learned to write in Japanese kanji and learned to speak a few words.

Can you believe we did all of this in just one night? Well believe it...here are a few pictures of our adventure!

Every grandchild received an airplane ticket and an invitation in the mail to join Grandma Lou and Papi on a vacation to Japan.

I was able to dress up and play with the kids while my husband was stuck in the kitchen cooking, he is the expert on Japanese food.

Here the children are waving and saying, "Sayonara", as they prepare to exit the plane and enter Japan.

Everyone had a place at the table with a name tag and chopsticks, the kids loved it!

The Japanese buffet that my husband put together was delicious. One of my favorite things that he made were potstickers, he refers to them as "Gyoza". The worst thing he had us try was "Mugicha" which is barley tea. It was terrible and tastes just like stinky socks, at least that's what I imagine stinky socks to taste like!

I thought you might enjoy the recipe of my favorite food that night. Here you go...

Potstickers or "Gyoza"

1 lb. sausage

1 onion, chopped

1/2 head of cabbage, chopped to small pieces

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 package wonton wraps, they can be found at Walmart and most stores

Mix the sausage, onion, garlic and cabbage in a bowl. Place a tiny bit of filling in each wonton wrap. Dip your finger in a bowl of water and rub the edges of the wonton wrap. The water helps to seal the wrap so it doesn't let the filling come out while you fry them. From this point you'll want to refer to the back of the wonton package for instructions on folding. It just takes a little practice. I promise you that even if they look ugly, your potstickers will taste delightful. Fry the wontons in oil that has been brought to 350 degrees until they are fully cooked inside. You might need to check the first couple wontons to make sure the sausage is completely cooked. Dip in the following sauce.

Potsticker Dipping Sauce

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix both ingredients together until the brown sugar is dissolved.

Sayonara!

Homemade Pizzas

2012-01-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

I think that traditions during the holidays are the things that make us all smile. Each year my husband and I get together with our roommates and friends from college. Many of us live all over the state and country and so we have found that the week after Christmas we are all available or in town to get together. Several years ago we started the tradition to make pizza. Each person brings their desired toppings and I provide the sauce and dough. My desire to find the BEST of something has continued. So with this fun party planned I was wanting to branch out from my traditional pizza dough recipe and see if I could somehow find something better. Let's just say that YES I did! Now, this pizza dough did take a few more hours of preparation but don't let that scare you away. You simply make the dough the night before and keep it in the fridge until 30 minutes before you are going to use it. Seriously, so easy.

Tip #1 - Make the dough in advance and keep in fridge from 18-48 hours.
Tip #2 - Put your dough out on parchment paper. Now you might think you need to get a rolling pin out, but you don't! This dough is a little different. You just begin pushing it out from the center to the edge. Each time you do this it will create the perfect crust and a beautifully round pizza.

Tip #3 - Place the rolled out dough onto the back of a cookie sheet. I used parchment paper to roll the dough out on. It made for an easy transfer onto the pizza stone in the oven.
Tip#4 - Bake your pizza at 500 degrees, on the very bottom rack and on a pizza stone. I keep my pizza on the parchmant paper and bake the pizza on the stone with the parchment paper. The paper comes out dark brown--so far I haven't started any fires ;)

Delicious!

Tip #5 - The reason you have to have the dough "rest" in the refrigerator for 18+ hours is to develop a chewy texture. Let's just say that this is the first pizza dough that has ever resembled anything close to your favorite pizza place in town.

Just delightful. Enjoy. Let me know if you have any questions. Here is the recipe...When I go looking for the BEST recipes, I have to admit I generally find them being tested and true from Alton Brown from the food network. That is exactly who helped me out here.

Overnight Pizza Dough

Ingredients
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure olive oil
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups bread flour (for bread machines)
1 teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons olive oil
Olive oil, for the pizza crust

Directions-
Place the sugar, salt, olive oil, water, 1 cup of flour, yeast, and remaining cup of flour into the mixer's work bowl.

Using the paddle attachment, start the mixer on low and mix until the dough just comes together, forming a ball. Lube the hook attachment with cooking spray. Attach the hook to the mixer and knead for 15 minutes on medium speed.

Tear off a small piece of dough and flatten into a disc. Stretch the dough until thin. Hold it up to the light and look to see if the baker's windowpane, or taut membrane, has formed. If the dough tears before it forms, knead the dough for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

Roll the pizza dough into a smooth ball on the counter top. Place into a stainless steel or glass bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 48 hours. (I made so much dough, I ended up keeping it until the next day. It turned out JUST FINE!)

Place the pizza stone or tile onto the bottom of a cold oven and turn the oven to its highest temperature, about 500 degrees F. If the oven has coils on the oven floor, place the tile onto the lowest rack of the oven.

Split the pizza dough into 2 equal parts using a knife or a dough scraper. Flatten into a disk onto the counter top and then fold the dough into a ball.

Wet hands barely with water and rub them onto the counter top to dampen the surface. Roll the dough on the surface until it tightens.

Cover one ball with a tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.

Repeat the steps with the other piece of dough. If not baking the remaining pizza immediately, spray the inside of a ziptop bag with cooking spray and place the dough ball into the bag. Refrigerate for up to 6 days.

Sprinkle the flour onto the peel and place the dough onto the peel. Using your hands, form a lip around the edges of the pizza. Stretch the dough into a round disc, rotating after each stretch. Toss the dough in the air if you dare. Shake the pizza on the peel to be sure that it will slide onto the pizza stone or tile. (Dress and bake the pizza immediately for a crisp crust or rest the dough for 30 minutes if you want a chewy texture.)

Brush the rim of the pizza with olive oil. Spread the pizza sauce evenly onto the pizza. Sprinkle the herbs onto the pizza and top with the cheese.

Slide the pizza onto the tile and bake for 7 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Rest for 3 minutes before slicing.

Buffalo Chicken Dip & a Happy New Year!

2011-12-28T14:08:00.000-08:00

Is your menu all planned for your New Year celebrations? I am still debating on a few appetizers, but there is one that will FOR SURE be served at our party this year. I am a big fan of buffalo and blue cheese, so this dip is right up my alley! It is creamy, spicy and full of flavor. I love that it has chicken in it so it gives the dip a little more substance than just cheese. This dip is perfect served with crackers, celery (if you are trying to be healthy ;), bread pieces or tortilla chips. No matter what you serve this dip with, you are sure to love it! Just be careful not to burn your dip (like I did!) when you broil it--the cheese gets nice and golden brown pretty quickly ;) Happy New Year!

Buffalo Chicken Dip
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 c. blue cheese or feta (If you don't like blue cheese use feta..it is delicious with both types of cheese)
1/2 c. ranch dressing
1/2 c. franks hot sauce
1/2 c. green onions, sliced
1/4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed/shredded
Crackers, chips or celery
Cook the chicken until no longer pink and shred for later--I used cooked and shredded chicken I had from my freezer. Set the chicken aside. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream cheese in the microwave until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Add the chicken to the dip. Place the dip in a 8x8 or 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until the dip is slightly golden brown. If you don't have a lot of time you can also broil the dip for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully that the dip doesn't burn. Serve the warm dip with crackers, pieces of bread, slices or celery or tortilla chips.

Christmas Memories, Traditions & Recipes

2011-12-27T11:02:00.000-08:00

I hope you each of you had a wonderful Christmas! We had a great time together and enjoyed being with family and friends. If you have read our blog for awhile you know I am HUGE into traditions. I think traditions are such an important part of family life. They give stability and comfort to children and are what create fun memories for our families. Do you have any favorite family traditions during the holidays? I would love to hear your tradition ideas and share with you some of our favorites. Most of our traditions revolve around food (shocker!), but that's part of the fun, right? Here are a few highlights from this season, and I can't wait to hear your favorites as well.
Every year after Halloween trick-or-treating is over I go through my children's candy and pick out candies that would be fun to decorate a gingerbread house with. I keep these candies in my cabinet until the day after Thanksgiving and then we decorate gingerbread houses with their leftover Halloween candy. A great way to get rid of those extra treats you have laying around. The kids LOVE this tradition! If you want the perfect gingerbread icing recipe that will stick ANY thing to your house, here it is. Be careful...it dries out quickly and turns into cement if you don't work with it quickly enough.

Perfect Gingerbread Frosting
6 egg whites
2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 t. cream of tartar
With a hand mixer or in your Bosch, whip the egg whites until they become frothy. Add the powdered sugar and cream of tartar and mix on high speed until stiff peaks form. Mix for 5-7 minutes until frosting is thick and smooth and then it is ready to use. If you are not using right away, keep a damp towel on top of the frosting and keep in the fridge until ready to use. Works awesome!

Another favorite tradition is our annual adult-only gift certificate exchange. With 15 grandkids under the age of 11 we are a crazy and noisy bunch, so this night without kids is a special treat. After dinner we go back to one of our homes to play this super-fun game. What you do is you have each adult bring a $15 gift card (it could really be whatever amount you can afford). You then are in charge of wrapping or bringing your card in a clever way. For example, if you get a Winger's gift card you can put it inside a raw chicken, an IHOP gift card inside of a pancake, a Subway gift card inside of two slices of bread. The sky is the limit! The wrapping of these cards is what makes this game SO funny! We end up laughing hysterically all night and it makes the game more fun. You sit in a circle around the wrapped gifts and then you pass a set of dice around the circle. If you get 2's, 11's or doubles you get to open and choose a gift. Once all of the presents are opened we then set a timer for 5 minutes. The dice then continue to go around the circle and if you get those certain numbers you get to exchange a present with someone else, or keep the one you have. When the timer runs out you are stuck with the gift card in your lap. The game gets pretty intense when their are funny cards on the line. My brother in law brought a Boy Scout Store gift card wrapped inside a roll of toilet paper. We were all throwing that one around afraid we'd be stuck with it. The more crazy you make the cards, the more fun this game is. Either way...it is a really fun and inexpensive way to get everyone's gifts done at one time and be together. This night is definitely a highlight of our Christmas!

Our family is also huge on competition. Everything is a competition or a contest. This Christmas we decided to have a taste-test to find the best peppermint ice cream and hot fudge. We tried several different ice cream brands and different hot fudge recipes and we came to a conclusion! Farr's Ice Cream makes the BEST peppermint ice cream and Paula Deen's recipe for hot fudge is out of this world amazing!! Here it is:Paula Deen Hot Fudge
1 3/4 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, cut into small pieces
2 3/4 c. chocolate chips
1/8 t. salt
1 t. vanilla extract
In a heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat, bring the cream just to a boil then add the brown sugar and stir just until it dissolves. Add small pieces of butter to the mix until completely melted, then stir in the chocolate chips. Wait 3-5 minutes so that the chocolate is soft before folding it in with a spatula. Stir in the salt and vanilla extract and blend until well incorporated. Let cool for 15 minutes--it will thicken as it cools. Serve over ice cream. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Another favorite tradition is our Bethlehem Dinner. We got this idea from the Eyre's and we love it! You have everyone (kids and adults..it was a stretch for most of the adults, throw on a bathrobe and call it good) dress up and come to dinner assigned as a certain person (shepherd, angel, inn keeper, Mary, Joseph, etc. You then eat dinner that would be similar to what they would have eaten back in Christ's time. We serve Lemon Steak Pitas with grapes, grape juice, almonds, rice pilaf and Fig Newtons for dessert. After dinner we have the children (who are having a Bethlehem picnic on the floor) act out the Nativity story of Jesus' birth. With 15 little kids it becomes quite hectic but is a fun memory for all of the kids.

Christmas Adam is also another tradition our kids look forward to all year. Christmas Adam (in case you haven't heard ;) is December 23rd. Adam came before Eve..get it. We always have soup and bread for dinner, the children open their new Christmas pajamas and then we open a new family game. This year they opened Tetris and we have loved it. The kids then set up their sleeping bags around the Christmas tree and we play the family game. We then read them a few Christmas stories and scriptures and then it is off to bed. My friend has started this tradition and they go out for BBQ for ribs every year. I thought that was SO clever! (Eve was made from the rib of Adam..haha!)
Chritmas Eve is my favorite tradition. The entire family gets together for a fancy Christmas dinner. We eat by candlelight and we try to get all dressed up and make it a special dinner. We always eat Chicken Cordon Blue, Rice, Blueberry Jello, Sarah's Salad, Crescent Rolls, Green Bean Casserole and Chocolate Mousse for dessert. We have been eating this menu for as long as I can remember and it is something we eat only once a year (it takes us all day to make 35 Chicken Cordon Blues). After dinner we deliver our presents for a family in need and then come back to read Luke 2. Off to bed the kids go and the rest is history.
Christmas morning we all get back together as an extended family and have a large breakfast. We serve Breakfast Pizza, Monkey Bread, Muffins and Breakfast Sausage Casserole. Delicious! After Christmas morning is over a nap sure sounds nice!!
Breakfast Sausage Casserole
8-10 pieces of white bread, broken up into large pieces
1 lb. spicy or Italian sausage, browned
2 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
2 1/2 c. milk
1 t. salt
3/4 t. dry mustard
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. milk
Spray heavily a 9x13 pan. Lay white bread on the bottom of the dish. Saute the sausage until golden brown. Spread the sausage on top of the bread. Cover with the shredded cheese. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and dry mustard. Pour on top of the bread/sausage. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge up to 24 hours. When ready to bake the casserole, pour the cream of mushroom and the 1/2 c. of milk on top of the casserole. Bake at 325 for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until the casserole is set up and the top is golden brown. Serve warm.

Hope you enjoyed a few of our favorite traditions that make this time of year special. Stay tuned and I will be posting a few of my favorite appetizer recipes for your New Year celebrations. Thank you to each of you for your love and support throughout this past year. Our blog, website and business wouldn't be what it is today without each of you! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Cranberry Orange Rolls

2011-12-22T19:36:00.000-08:00

Well, if you are an avid reader of this blog you may notice I tend to get on a kick of a certain food and I can't stop thinking (or blogging) about it. This season my favorite flavors have been orange and cranberry! Between our Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding to our Cranberry Orange Waffles, I have been in cranberry heaven! I can't end this holiday season without giving you the perfect recipe for delicious Cranberry Orange Rolls. There are few things better than a warm, homemade orange roll straight from the oven. I am a HUGE fan of cinnamon rolls, but I have to say I think these are even better. I love the sweet and sour combination again of the cranberries and the orange. The cranberry in the cream cheese frosting, although it doesn't look pretty in the picture, is actually beautiful! These rolls are so festive and full of flavor. If you need one more recipe to make this upcoming week, this is the one to try! I wish each of you a Merry Christmas and hope you have a wonderful season with lots of great food, friends and festivities!
**Remember...if you are looking for a last minute gift idea, we are still taking orders for Gift Certificates to Deals to Meals (up until 3 p.m.). Give your family and friends the gift of time, saving money, and delicious recipes all year long! Certificates for under $15 makes the perfect, practical gift! Visit our blog to learn more.

Perfect Orange Rolls
3 c. hot water
3 T. yeast
1 c. sugar
Combine the hot water, yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl. Let sit until yeast begins to foam. Then add:
2 c. orange juice (freshly squeezed or from concentrate)
2/3 c. oil
3 T. lemon juice
Zest of one orange (about 1 t.)
Combine until mixture is well mixed. Then add the flour one cup at a time until the dough is slightly sticky but manageable. Add the salt.
12-13 c. flour
2 T. salt
Let dough knead for 5-7 minutes on low speed until dough begins to pull away from the sides.
Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel and let sit until dough doubles in size (about one hour). When the dough has risen, pour out onto a greased counter top (with a little shortening or cooking oil). Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Roll half of the dough into a large, even rectangle (for the spiral/cinnamon roll shape) or 6 circles the size of a dinner plate (for the crescent shape).

For the orange filling mix together:
1/2 c. orange juice concentrate (not mixed with water)
1 c. white sugar
2 sticks butter
1/2 t. orange zest
Place items in a bowl and microwave for one minute, or until butter is soft. Mix together mixture until smooth. Set aside. Reserve 1/3 c. of the mixture for the frosting.

Roll out the dough (you will do this twice) into the rectangle or circular shapes. Spread a thin layer of the orange filling mixture onto the top of the dough. If you like craisins, sprinkle them on top of the dough. Roll the dough into your desired shape. Cut and place on a greased cookie sheet close together. Cover with a thin layer of saran wrap and set aside until the rolls double in size (about another hour). Once the rolls have risen, bake at 350 for 18-25 minutes (depending on the size of your rolls). Once they are slightly browned on the top, remove from the oven.

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 c. reserved orange filling
Dash of salt
1/2 t. orange zest
1 t. vanilla
3 c. powdered sugar
1 c. fresh cranberries, chopped (optional)
Cream frosting ingredients together until smooth. If adding the cranberries, chop them and fold them into the frosting at the end once the mixture is smooth. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls once they are taken out of the oven. Enjoy!

Roll your orange rolls in the shape of a cinnamon roll or a crescent roll. No matter how you roll-em', you will LOVE them!

Orange Gingersnap Brownies

2011-12-20T15:44:00.000-08:00

I don't know how this is possible, but late last night I was craving a holiday treat of some kind. We have had desserts and treats coming out our ears, but for some reason last night I decided to make, yet another, treat! I figured the new year will come soon enough and I will have to resist those urges. So..I combined a few different recipes and came up with these amazing Gingersnap Brownies. I love orange and after these amazing cookies I decided to infuse these brownies with orange flavor. If you are like my sister and hate anything with orange flavoring, you can keep the orange out of this recipe. They would be delicious with or without the orange. Either way, their smooth, buttery texture is absolutely divine! They are not overly strong on ginger or chocolate, just perfectly subtle. I find myself reaching for another piece to figure out the different layers of flavor. Hope you enjoy them as we did. Happy holiday baking! Four more days and counting ;)

Orange Gingersnap Brownies
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 t. allspice
1 t. cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
3 sticks butter
1/3 c. molasses
2 c. sugar
1 T. baking soda
1/2 t. fresh ground ginger (could use powdered ginger)
1 t. orange zest
1 T. fresh orange juice
3 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, softened butter, molasses and cocoa powder until smooth (about 3-5 minutes with an electric mixer). Once combined, add the remaining ingredients. Spread the brownie mixture into a greased jelly roll/cookie sheet pan. If you want a thicker brownie, you can also bake this recipe in a 11x14 pan, it will just increase the cooking time by 7-10 minutes. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes, or until brownie seems to be cooked in the middle, but not overly cooked. I like brownies more underdone, so cook them to your desired liking. Remove the brownies and let them cool for 30-60 minutes until cooled. In the mean time, make the frosting:

Orange Cream Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
Zest of one orange
2 T. orange juice
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
Dash of salt
Cream the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients. Once the brownies are cooled evenly spread the frosting over the top and sprinkle with extra mini chocolate chips.

Christmas Morning Monkey Bread

2011-12-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, Christmas morning breakfast is one of my favorite parts of this upcoming weekend. Our family gets together for a brunch Christmas afternoon to enjoy each others company, visit, and see what Santa brought all of the cousins that morning. We have everything from Christmas Sausage Casserole to this amazing (& easy!) monkey bread. Monkey bread can be made with caramel or we like ours with a cranberry orange twist. The fruity and sour flavors are perfect for breakfast and have all the flavors of Christmas! Hope you enjoy this bread as much as our family does ;)
Cranberry Orange Monkey Bread
1 c. dried cranberries
24 Rhodes rolls, thawed, but still cold (I use our Lion House recipe for rolls and then roll them into 24 golf sized dough balls--I add 1 c. chopped fresh cranberries to my roll dough once it was about done mixing. One batch of Lion House Rolls will make 1 1/2 of this recipe. You can put 24 rolls in a bundt pan and the remaining rolls in a bread loaf pan or 9x9 pan.)
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. white sugar, divided in half
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 T. fresh orange juice
1 T. orange rind
1 c. powdered sugar
5 t. fresh lemon or orange juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Press about 1 t. dried cranberry into each thawed roll (or add to the dough mixture if you are making homemade rolls--this is what I did). Press the rolls into a 9x13 pan (or bundt pan) that has been coated with cooking spray. Combine the butter, 1/2 c. sugar, cream cheese and orange juice. blend well together and pour over the rolls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size. Combine 1/2 c. sugar, the rinds and any remaining dried cranberries. Sprinkle this mixture over the risen rolls. Bake for 25 minutes, or until rolls seem cooked through and slightly golden brown. Combine powdered sugar and lemon/orange juice. Pour over the top of the cooked rolls and serve. (If serving in a bundt pan, grease the bundt pan heavily and remove the rolls onto a plate a few minutes after serving--drizzle the lemon/powdered sugar mixture over the cooked rolls when ready to serve).
*This recipe works great when made the day before and kept in the fridge until you are ready to bake it in the morning--just cover tightly with saran wrap. Let the bread rise for 20-30 minutes until it is brought back to room temperature and reaches an inch or so away from the top of the pan. Then bake as normal.

Pumpkin Fudge & Peppermint Fudge

2011-12-19T22:05:00.000-08:00

Looking for a last minute holiday treat to share with friends and family? Try these two delicious recipes for quick & easy fudge. The pumpkin fudge was a recipe I found on my friend's blog and it was mouth watering smooth and delicious! If you prefer chocolate and peppermint, try this delicious fudge recipe--the perfect holiday treat!

Chocolate Peppermint Fudge
1/2 c. crushed peppermint candy canes
3 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
2/3 c. + 2 T. evaporated milk
2 T. corn syrup
2 drops peppermint extract
12 oz. milk chocolate chips
7 oz. jar marshmallow cream
1 t. vanilla
Line a 9x9 pan with tin foil and spray it with cooking spray. Place the butter into a medium sized sauce pan. Melt it over medium high heat. Add the evaporated milk, corn syrup and extract. Stir the mixture to combine. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and continue to stir until it comes to 230 degrees or to the soft ball stage. Once it comes to a boil, it should take about 6-7 minutes to reach the correct temperature. Remove it from the heat and quickly add the marshmallow cream, crushed candy canes, vanilla and chocolate. Stir them all together to combine. Pour the fudge into the 9x9 pan. Sprinkle with extra candy cane pieces. Let the fudge cool for at least 2 hours. Cut and serve. Store leftovers on the counter.

Danish Puff Pastry

2011-12-19T13:33:00.000-08:00

Almonds anyone? Well, if you are like me and need a little variety from the traditional Christmas treats...other than Chocolate! Than you will LOVE this recipe. It is a childhood favorite of mine. These almond flavored puff pastries are surprisingly tasty and enjoyed by all. Let me know if you end up enjoying them as much as our family. The recipe is a little different, so read instructions before you begin. If you have any questions just ask!!Merry Christmas~Diana

Printer Friendly Recipe

Danish Puff Pasty

Mix together with pastry blender:
1 C. Flour
½ cup margarine or butter
2 T. water

Heat in Sauce Pan:
½ c. margarine or butter
1 cup water1 tsp. almond flavoring
1 C. flour
3 eggs
Garnish with slivered or sliced almonds

Frosting:
¼ c. butter, softened
1 tsp. almond flavoring
2 T. milk
1 ½ c. – 2 c. powdered sugar
Mix together until fluffy. Add more powdered sugar if needed.

With pastry blender cut in: 1 Cup flour and ½ cup margarine or butter; add with 2 Tablespoons water. This will require lots of folding and mixing with hands. Divide in half on ungreased cookie sheet or on parchment paper. Pat each half with hands until strip is 12”x3”. Place 3” apart. In sauce pan, combine: ½ cup margarine or butter with 1 Cup water. Boil. Remove from heat – put in 1 teaspoon almond extract. Beat in 1 Cup flour, stirring quickly to keep from lumping. When smooth add 3 eggs one at a time – beating well. Divide batter in half – spread evenly over strips. Bake @ 375 for 55-60 minutes. Frost while warm and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Slice in thirds then diagonally.

Orange Cranberry Muffins

2011-12-14T07:12:00.000-08:00

To stick with my theme lately of orange and cranberry I thought I would share this easy muffin recipe with you. I don't think any recipe this year will beat the Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding, but if you need a festive muffin for the holidays, these muffins would be perfect. They are just sweet enough, just sour enough and the extra strudel on top makes these muffins a delightful breakfast side or snack. Happy Holidays!

Orange Cranberry Muffins
1/2 c. orange juice concentrate
3/4 c. sugar
Zest of one orange
1/2 c. craisins
1 c. fresh cranberries, slightly chopped
3 eggs
2/3 c. oil
1 2/3 c. milk
1 T. baking powder
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/4 c. sour cream
4 c. flour
Mix together all of the items except for the flour until smooth.

Orange Streusel
1/2 stick butter
1 T. fresh orange juice
1 t. orange zest
2/3 c. flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 c. white sugar
Slightly melt butter and add the orange juice, zest, flour, salt and sugar. Mix together until crumbly. Sprinkle small pieces of the streusel over the uncooked muffins. Bake muffins at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until muffins are slightly golden.

Christmas Cranberry Orange Waffles

2011-12-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

Wow! Where has the week gone? It must be December or something? I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful Christmas season. I think I am finally finished up with my shopping and hope to sit back and relax a little before the month is over. I have been spending plenty of time in the kitchen and have been enjoying cooking and baking, making homemade toffee, sugar cookies and several batches of my new favorite peppermint chocolate cookies. The last few weeks my favorite ingredient in my kitchen has been fresh oranges. Here in Utah we have an awesome grocery store called Rancho Market that often has oranges on sale for 5 lbs. for a $1--awesome! The next few days I will be sharing with you a few of my favorite holiday recipes that call for fresh, juicy oranges.

These Cranberry Orange Waffles are probably the best waffles I have EVER had. The cranberry butter syrup on top you could drink with a spoon! I love the combination of sweet and sour and the citrus flavors are incredible. Not only are these waffles delicious but they are also so pretty and festive. These waffles would be perfect for a special Christmas morning breakfast ;)

Christmas Cranberry Orange Waffles
4 c. white flour
1 t. salt
1/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. oil
4 t. baking powder
3 eggs-separated
2 c. milk
1/2 c. orange juice
orange zest
1 c. fresh cranberries, chopped
Fold in the egg whites
In two bowls, separate the three eggs placing the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. In the bowl, combine the sugar, oil, egg yolks, milk and orange juice. Blend until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients minus the egg whites. Blend until the flour has all been combined. In the second bowl beat together the egg whites until fluffy and are whipped to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the waffle batter and mix in softly until mixture is barely mixed. Heat a waffle iron, grease well and cook waffles until golden brown.

Cranberry Butter Syrup
1 stick butter
1 c. sugar
1-1 1/2 c. chopped fresh cranberries (I love cranberries and sour so I used more like 1 1/2-2 c.)
3 T. whipping cream or evaporated milk
2 T. freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest of one orange or lemon
Chop the fresh cranberries by hand or in a food processor. In a sauce pan slowly melt the butter and sugar together until the butter is mostly melted. Turn up the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir the syrup and then bring the mixture to a slow boil. Let boil for a couple of minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved and the sauce has thickened. Once the sauce is thick, remove from heat and set aside until waffles are finished.

Sun Oven Christmas Promotion

2011-12-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

We are all looking for great gift ideas this Christmas season so we have partnered up with Sun Ovens to offer Deals to Meals friends a special promotion. We don't sell their products or make anything from them so this is just our way of saying that we love our Sun Oven and have cooked almost everything you can think of in it with tremendous success. Follow this link to see their promotional offer.

Deals to Meals Gift Certificates- The Perfect Holiday Gift

2011-12-03T10:04:00.000-08:00

You can buy a gift certificate starting under $15

$14.50 for 3-months
$19.00 for 4-months
$23.00 for 5-months
$27.00 for 6-months
$52.00 for 12-mo. (over 12% off)
$99.00 for 24-mo. (4 months free!)

You can buy certificates two different ways:

1-Send money via PayPal: With this option you can log-in to your PayPal account and click on the blue "Send Money" tab at the top of the page. On the next page enter payment@dealstomeals.com as the email, enter the dollar amount based on how long the certificate will be good for, and mark the "Goods" option and click "Continue"

2- Send a check: Make a check payable to "Deals to Meals" for the correct amount based on the length of the certificate you wish to purchase. Then mail the check to

Deals to Meals
5526 West 13400 South #502
Herriman, UT 84096

Once a payment has been sent, please send us the the first and last name, state, zip code and email address for the individual(s) you purchased the gift certificate(s) for to gift@dealstomeals.com. We will use that information to create an account for them and will email you the gift certificate that will have their log-in information. Unless specified, the account will activate within 24 hours from the date payment is received.

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

2011-12-02T19:20:00.000-08:00

A few friends of mine are putting together a cookie exchange next week and I had to come up with a cookie that would be festive and fun. I thought of doing the Orange Ginger Cookies but my friend throwing the party was the one who introduced me to those cookies. Those really have become my new favorite cookie. Gingersnaps are pretty common this time of year so I thought I would do something with chocolate and peppermint. These cookies are as delicious as our Peppermint Brownies just in cookie form. The great thing about this dough is it can be frozen for later or kept in your fridge for a day or two. I love having cookie dough in my freezer for those last minute holiday get-togethers. Who doesn't love a warm cookie during the holiday's? Do you have a favorite holiday cookie I should try before I decide on these cookies for my exchange? I would love to hear what some of your favorite treats are during the holidays ;)

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
2 sticks butter
3 eggs
3 c. white sugar
1 c. cocoa powder
3 t. vanilla
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. baking soda
1 c. mint chocolate chips, melted
1/2 c. chocolate chips
2 3/4-3 c. flour
1 c. white chocolate chips (for topping)
1/2 c. crushed peppermint candycanes
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together the butter, eggs and sugar until smooth and frothy. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and combine. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the mint and chocolate chips until smooth (a few small lumps are okay). Pour the melted chocolate into the cookie dough and beat again until smooth. Add the flour to the dough and mix until incorporated. Cover the cookie dough with saran wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or you can leave in overnight. When the cookies are ready to bake, roll into golf sized balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake cookies at 350 for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are to your desired texture. While the cookies are baking, in the same microwave safe bowl you used earlier, melt 1 c. of white chocolate chips or bark. Once the chocolate is smooth and thin, set aside. When the cookies are done, place them on a cookie sheet to cool. Drizzle the white chocolate over the top of the cookie and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy canes.

Fluffy Potato Rolls

2011-11-30T12:14:00.000-08:00

Do you still have leftover mashed potatoes in your fridge like I do? Somehow I brought 20 lbs. of mashed potatoes to Thanksgiving and came home with 19 1/2. Our family tends to over prepare in fear of there not being enough food. That..or everyone else's potatoes looked better than mine--that could have been the case ;) Either way, I have potatoes coming out of my ears.

We have been eating mashed potatoes for days and I have come to a loss at what else to make with my leftovers. That's when I remembered a recipe an old friend of ours used to make with potatoes. Her rolls were famous throughout our neighborhood growing up--soft, fluffy and perfectly white. I found her recipe in my files and was determined to prove to my family that I could still make an edible roll. These rolls turned out perfectly..not flat and tasteless like my last batch. The garlic mashed potatoes in the roll even gave the rolls added flavor and depth. Serve these rolls with one of my favorite soups for a hearty week night dinner: Creamy Chicken (or Turkey) Noodle, Chicken & Wild Rice, Creamy Vegetable Soup, Quick & Easy Chili, Summer Chicken Chili, Creamy Cheese & Broccoli,

Fluffy Potato Rolls
3 c. hot water
1/2 c. powdered milk (or 3 c. warm milk)
3 T. yeast
3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 c. mashed potatoes
1 T. salt
8-10 c. flour (start with eight and see if you need more)
Dissolve the yeast in the 3 c. warm water & powdered milk (or warmed milk). Once the yeast has begun to become frothy add the sugar, eggs, butter and potatoes. Mix until mixture is mostly smooth. Add the salt. Add the flour one cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Add the extra cups of flour only if they are needed and the dough is too sticky. The dough should be soft, but pliable enough to roll into dough balls. Once the roll texture is right, knead for another 5 minutes. Let the dough rest until it rises to the top of the bowl. Once the dough has begun to rise, place it on a counter top that has been greased with a little cooking oil. Cut the dough into equal parts and roll into golf sized balls, crescent rolls or clover shapes (place three small balls in a greased muffin tin). Let the rolls rise on the counter until doubled in size. Bake in a preheated oven on the middle shelf for 15 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown.

Three Terrific Turkey Sandwiches

2011-11-29T06:45:00.000-08:00

The other night I was watching the food network when one of my favorite shows came on, The Best Thing I Ever Ate. It is where chefs around the country talk about the best thing they have ever eaten. This episode was about Thanksgiving favorite recipes. By the end of the show my mouth was salivating. I wanted to jump into the screen and eat the two sandwiches they talked about on this show. They were both very simple and plain, nothing fancy-shmancy, but I could imagine how incredible they would taste.

I could hardly wait to make these and so I crock potted a turkey breast the next day (a week before Thankgsiving) and we ate turkey to our hearts content! Here are three of my favorite ways to eat turkey leftovers. Enjoy!

(I am sorry if your leftover turkey is gone...mine has been for a few days now. Pull back out your roaster or crock pot--it will be worth the effort ;)

Terrific Turkey Sandwich (I made mine a slider version with leftover rolls)
Pulled turkey breast, cooked and shredded (seasoned with salt and pepper)
Rolls or white bread
Stuffing (stove top was recommended from the show)
Cranberry sauce (I like whole cranberry sauce)
Best Foods Mayo (only the best!)
Sliced provolone or cheddar cheese
Cook the turkey and shred. Place a thick layer of mayonnaise on one side of a roll or piece of bread. Spread another layer of cranberry sauce on the other side. Spoon some stuffing onto the roll along with some shredded turkey and a slice of cheese. Press the sandwich together to hold it all in and voila..dinner is served.

Turkey Cranberry Wraps
Shredded cooked turkey
Wraps or tortillas
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced very thin
2 tomatoes, sliced very thin
Pieces of romaine lettuce
Red onion, sliced thin (optional)
Cranberry sauce
Cream cheese mixed with a little mayo, parsley, garlic powder and salt/pepper--mix until smooth and use as a spread for your wraps
Shred the cooked turkey breast. On a tortilla or wrap, spread a generous portion of the seasoned cream cheese mixture. Add a thin layer of cranberry sauce on top of the cream cheese. Place the slices of tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and red onions on top of the cream cheese. Add several large pieces of turkey and roll the wrap up as tightly as you can. Cut the wrap in half and serve.Turkey Avocado Sandwich
Shredded turkey, seasoned with salt and pepper
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Avocado, seeded, peeled and sliced
Slices of provolone cheese
Mayonnaise and mustard
Whole wheat bread (or any bread)
On a piece of thick bread, spread a generous amount of mayonnaise and mustard. Place large pieces of turkey breast onto the bread. Add the sliced tomatoes, lettuce and avocado on to the turkey. Finish with a slice of cheese and press sandwich together.

Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding

2011-11-28T09:45:00.000-08:00

How was your Thanksgiving weekend? I hope you all had a wonderful week and you were able to spend time with family and friends. Isn't this such a great time of year? The food, family, festivities, lights, traditions..it's so great! Our Thanksgiving was a good one, minus a few mishaps and unfortunate events. Nothing major, just funny things that make you appreciate your health and days that go smoothly.

The weekend started with several of my kids getting an awful bout of the stomach flu. This lasted most of the Thanksgiving weekend and ended with my husband and I sick in bed for a complete day. It was strange to be at Thanksgiving dinner and look at an amazing display of pies, cheesecakes, pumpkin rolls, chocolate mousse and be grossed out. Not fun to be sick, but great on the diet! I think this was the first Thanksgiving I have lost a few pounds instead of gained several. So..other than being sick the back window and door to our Explorer fell off (who knew it was recalled several years ago!?!) and shattered all over the driveway. Thankfully no one was hurt, but that was an unexpected holiday surprise. I thought..no worries, I will save the money we will spend on the broken window on my black Friday shopping. Hah! How many of you tried shopping online Friday? Walmart was a joke! I didn't get one item Friday I was hoping to get. Bummer.

Like I said, nothing major. The kicker though....I was the roll-woman this Thanksgiving and I made the ugliest, tasteless, flat rolls in the history of roll making! I had to make four cookie sheets worth of rolls and this is what they looked like (notice my sister's rolls on the right...pretty, fluffy and beautiful!) I was the laughing stock of Thanksgiving (for some reason others have expectations for my cooking??) Anyway..this weekend I had to find something to do with 120 rolls that were barely touched. This bread pudding was the perfect answer to my roll dilemma! If you have leftover rolls that are getting a little dried out and your turkey is just about gone, turn those rolls into this amazing bread pudding. It is so pretty and festive and has a combination of sweet and sour that is spectacular!! I could seriously eat the entire pan of bread pudding. If you have never tried bread pudding, you have GOT to give it a try! It is smooth, sweet and the perfect texture. Even my husband, who for 13 years has been skeptical of bread pudding, gave this a try and couldn't stop until his bowl was licked clean. Hope you enjoy it! Happy holiday baking :)

Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding
Bread Pudding:
White crusty bread (French Bread or Dried-out Rolls)--enough to fill a 9x13 pan nearly to the top, cut bread into 1 inch cubes
1 c. dried cranberries
2 c. heavy whipping cream
3 c. milk
2 T. vanilla
1/2 c. orange juice concentrate
Pinch salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
Zest of one orange
8 eggs
1 1/2 c. white sugar

Spray a 9x13 pan heavily with cooking spray or grease with butter. Cut the bread into cubes. Place the bread into the 9x13 pan until it reaches close to the top. Sprinkle the dried cranberries on top of the bread. In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together until smooth. Pour evenly over the top of the bread. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 60-65 minutes, or until the center of the pudding is soft, but not runny. Remove from the oven and serve with the following:

8 oz. Heavy Whipping Cream--whipped to stiff peaks and then add 2 T. powdered sugar

Cranberry Topping:
2 c. fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 stick butter
1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
1 t. orange zest
1/3 c. freshly squeezed orange juice

In a medium sized sauce pan, melt the butter and sugar until the sugar begins to dissolve. Add the whipping cream and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil for 4-5 minutes until the cranberries soften and the sugar is completely dissolved and no longer granulated. Pour the cranberry topping over the bread pudding and top with the whipped cream.

Deals to Meals New Website Details

2011-11-21T21:30:00.001-08:00

We wanted to thank each of you again for your patience this weekend as we have launched our new website. We are very excited about the new launch and wanted to let everyone know exactly where we are.

First off the new website was targeted to go into beta testing in the next couple weeks with it going live the first part of December. Last night however our hosting company made a critical error that they could not find a solution to, which meant that our website was not functional. We made the decision this afternoon to launch our new website now without beta testing so we could give you access to all of the Thanksgiving deals, meal planner and recipes, even if it meant there would be a few glitches. We appreciate each of your patience and kind emails as we have made this transition and lay the foundation for some EXCITING new features that will be available shortly. Right now Deals to Meals is functioning wonderfully (for an untested new product) and has all of the information members need to make this an amazing Thanksgiving holiday.

Here are some tips, tricks and details about the current website:

The first step we have taken to protect you is to improve the site security. This will require almost everyone to create a new password the first time they login to the new system. This is done by entering your email address that you have been using as your username and selecting the "Forgot Password" link. We know that you didn't all forget your password but this is a system in place that will help you reset and secure your new account. Deals to Meals is excited to provide this great service for only $4.95/month but that is only possible if passwords and accounts are NOT shared. The system can track multiple computers using the same account so we appreciate everyone using one account per family per household.
Once logged in you will automatically be on the page that shows the state's deals that are on your profile. If you choose to view another state please select on the link in the upper middle of the page that says "Choose Another State".
Once you are viewing the store's deals you will see that this page is great but stills has not had all of the features finished. First off until the RED and Blue colors are reintroduced you will see a one or two star system- 1-star being Blue deals and 2-stars representing the Red or best deals. All of our sort and search features will be back soon but are not all visible yet. You can however click on the links at the top to sort items that way.
Like the original version you can select items to add to your shopping list or remove them again if you choose not to purchase them. The items will stay in your cart until you print them off or log out.

Once again this is just the first phase of some fantastic new features as we not only give you more for the same price, but begin expanding into new markets and adding even more of the smaller grocery store chains.

Thanks again for being a member of Deals to Meals and we look forward to an amazing 2012 with many exciting things already happening. As always, and especially now, with our new website please email us with any of your thoughts, concerns, suggestions, or feedback.

Todd & Shandra
Owners
Deals to Meals

Best Homemade Pie Crust & Pumpkin Pie

2011-11-20T00:37:00.000-08:00

What would Thanksgiving be without a homemade pumpkin pie? I am usually too full to eat too much pumpkin pie after dinner on Thanksgiving, but it is one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast Friday morning. Pumpkin pie is so light and melts in your mouth. Below is my favorite recipe for homemade pie crust. It is simple to make (from all food storage ingredients) and is very easy to work with and nice and flaky. After many pies, I have found the most important tip is to NOT make your crust in a food processor or with an electric mixer. Anytime I mix the dough too much it becomes pasty and too sticky. Cutting the dough with knives or a pastry cutter is the way to get your dough to be the best consistency.

Now..onto the ultimate pumpkin pie recipe. Although the Libby's Pumpkin Pie recipe on the back of their can is very good, Paula Deen has stepped it up a few notches with heavy whipping cream (instead of evaporated milk), sour cream (gives it an awesome tang), and butter (of course it's better with butter!). The caramelized nuts on top also brings this pie to a new level. I love the combination of the flaky crust, smooth center, whipped topping and the crunch of the sweet nuts. Together it is a holiday hoe-down in your mouth. No need to look any farther for the perfect pumpkin pie. Scratch one thing off your list ;)

Best Homemade Pie Crust
1 1/3 c. butter shortening
4 T. sugar
2 t. salt
4 c. flour
1/2-3/4 c. cold water
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt together. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender or criss crossing 2 knives until dough is the size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Mixing with a fork until all of the flour is moistened. Gather the dough into a ball and wrap the ball in saran wrapa nd put in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will make the crust more firm and the dough flakier. This recipe makes two single pie shells or one top and bottom pie shell. Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface, into a large circle. Fold dough in half and place half the circle into the pie shell.

Cut the shortening into the flour mixture until the dough begins to break down to the size of a small pea. Use ice cold water to help keep the dough firm and easy to work with.Once the dough is soft, but not too wet, place on a large piece of saran wrap and wrap up to set in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight. The dough in this stage can also be wrapped twice and frozen for a later meal/pie.

Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface. I like to roll my dough onto the saran wrap I have wrapped the dough in, or onto a piece of wax paper. This helps lift up the pie crust easily into your dish. Don't over flour the crust or your pie will end up too dry.
Cut the pie crust one inch around the pie plate. Roll the crust under to create a thicker edge to your pie.
Pinch your pointer finger in between your other two fingers to create a beveled edge to your crust.If using the pie dough for a single cooked crust, poke the bottom of the pan with a fork to prevent bubbling. For the pumpkin pie you can just pour the pie batter directly into the crust.

Paula Deen's Perfect Pumpkin Pie
1 9 inch pie shell (I used the recipe above and with this batter made 9 muffin tin miniature pumpkin pies and one regular sized pie shell)
1 (15 oz.) can unsweetened pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 T. butter, melted
2 1/2 c. heavy cream, divided
1/3 c. sour cream
2 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 t. ground ginger (I used about 1 t. freshly ground ginger)
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch salt
2 t. vanilla extract
1/4 c. powdered sugar (for whipped cream topping)
1/4 c. caramelized nuts (recipe below)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Partially bake the pie shell, according to the package directions. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, melted butter, 1 1/2 c. heavy cream, sour cream, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt and vanilla. Pour into the shell. Bake for 10 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and continue baking for 35-45 minutes. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to serve.

With an electric mixer, whip the remaining cup of heavy cream on high speed until the cream starts to froth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and whip on high until the cream stands in peaks. either spoon or pipe the whipped cream around the edges of the pie and garnish with the caramelized nuts.

Caramelized Nuts (Pecans or Walnuts)
2 T. butter
1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped nuts
In a small skillet melt the butter and sugar over medium heat. Add the nuts, stirring until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour onto aluminum foil. When the pecans are cool, crumble into small pieces and sprinkle the topping on top of the whipped cream.

Two Favorite Cranberry Recipes: Cranberry Salsa & Cranberry Butter

2011-11-19T21:09:00.000-08:00

Do you need something new and fun to make for your Thanksgiving or holiday parties? These two cranberries are some of my favorite quick side dish/appetizer recipes I love to bring to our family get togethers. The cranberry salsa is a sweet and spicy appetizer that your guests are sure to love! The only problem with this dip is it is super addicting. This would be a great item to have on the table or counter while everyone is getting ready to sit down to dinner. The leftover cranberry salsa I have also had with leftover turkey, in a wrap or on a sandwich. It is good no matter how you eat it!
Cranberry Salsa
12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
1/2 c. green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, stem removed (if you like heat, add two)
1 bunch cilantro
1 t. cumin
1 c. sugar
Juice of one lime (about 1/4 c.)
8 oz. block cream cheese
Tortilla chips
In a food processor (or by hand) coarsly chop first four ingredients. Then add cumin, sugar and lime juice. Pulse to desired consistency. Spread the cranberry salsa over the cream cheese when ready to serve. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

I have a weakness--I am addicted to butter! I love butter in any recipe, any time, anywhere and pretty much over anything. If you add sugar and flavor to butter, I am even more in love. This Cranberry Butter is a close second to my all-time favorite specialty butter (Cinnamon Butter). These two butter's are a must-have at our Thanksgiving table. With fresh rolls right out of the oven, who can resist a sweet butter spread..I could count this as dessert. It's almost better than pumpkin pie!

Cranberry Butter
1 stick + 1/3 c. butter, slightly soft
1 t. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
1 t. orange zest
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. chopped fresh cranberries
In a bowl, whip together the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, zest and condensed milk. Add the zest, fresh cranberries and nuts. Keep at room temperature when ready to serve butter with warm rolls.

Still debating which rolls to make for Thanksgiving? Here are my two all time favorite roll recipes: Lion House Rolls & Dinner Crescent Rolls

There's that Cinnamon Butter again. I'm drooling! Try these Dinner Crescent Rolls, they are soft, flaky and pretty all rolled up.

Herbed Butter Turkey Breast

2011-11-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

Let's talk turkey. What would Thanksgiving be without a turkey? Well, too often, it seems the turkey is too dry and too flavorless. I generally have to soak my turkey in gravy to give it some flavor and to moisten it up a bit. Well, this year I think I have figured out the method of cooking the perfect turkey. Now..I have to admit something, I have only cooked a whole turkey twice in my life. It's not my favorite thing to do...too many bones, too many gizzards, too much floppy skin, too much fat...you get the idea. I tend to be a turkey breast kind of gal. They are small, compact and fit perfectly into my crock pot. The other benefit, they are on sale this week, feed my family of 7 twice and there is very little to throw away when I am done.

If you must have the picture perfect turkey to carve on your Thanksgiving dinner table, you can still do that with this method. It was a method I saw on Paula Deen that I thought was totally do-able--basic ingredients, simple, etc. It's amazing what a stick of butter will do :) The flavor that infuses into the turkey is so outstanding! The herbs, butter, garlic, chicken bouillion make for the perfect combination of flavors. Having the turkey cook low and slow for 5-6 hours and sitting in the butter and it's juices makes for the perfect outcome. It may not be the prettiest turkey you'll ever see, but it sure will be the best tasting! One other bonus..the drippings of this turkey makes the world's best turkey gravy...so smooth, buttery and delicious!

(*TIP: If you love turkey breasts as much as I do, login to our website to find out the best deals in your area. In UT they are on sale for $1.29/lb. which is an incredible deal! Buy several and keep them in your freezer for later in the year when you are wanting to remember how delicious Thanksgiving was)

Mix together the herb butter and drizzle/spread the mixture underneath the skin of the turkey. Keep the majority of the butter on the top side of the breast so it can cook underneath the skin and make the turkey extra flavorful.

Cook the turkey breast on low or medium heat for 5-7 hours (depending on the size of your turkey breast). When the turkey is cooked, baste the turkey breast with the drippings from the turkey, shred and serve.

Herbed Turkey Breasts
1 bone-in turkey breast (NOT a turkey roast..those are nasty!)
Herb butter:
1 stick butter, nearly melted
1 t. garlic powder
1 T. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 t. black pepper
1/4 t. ground sage
1 T. chicken base or bouillon
Remove the turkey breast from the wrapping. Remove the gravy packet and cut away the excess skin/fat around the turkey's neck area. Throw this extra skin away. With a knife try and separate the skin over the breast meat as far back as you can. Mix the herb butter together and take out a few tablespoons of the butter to spread over the turkey when it is done cooking. With the remaining butter, spread a thick layer of the butter underneath the skin of the turkey. Drizzle the rest of the butter on top and all around the turkey breast. Cook in a slow cooker for 5-7 hours on low/medium or until the turkey is fork tender and falls apart. Once the turkey is cooked, remove from the cooker and spread the last few tablespoons of butter on top of the turkey breast. Serve warm or cold.

An Untraditional Thanksgiving Pie: French Silk

2011-11-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

There are certain pies that 'must' be at my Thanksgiving table. Pumpkin pie (that's a no brainer) and French Silk. This might not be your typical pie served, but it is so incredibly fabulous that I can't imagine a turkey-day without it! The texture is heavenly and smooth and the richness of the chocolate and the whipping cream all melts in your mouth into one heavenly bite. Add the texture and flavor of the buttery crust and you have an irresistible combination. The only sad part about making this pie is it seems to disappear too quickly! I made this pie the other night and I saved the last (precious) piece in my fridge for breakfast the next morning (I told you it was good!). To my horror my 10 year old son woke up early, found the piece hiding in the back of the fridge, and ate it. AH! I swear he has mom-dessert radar. Hopefully he will think twice before he eats another one of my last morsels again. He got garbage and dish duty the entire day for that nasty trick he played on me! I guess I will have to make a pie all for myself again next week ;)
French Silk Pie
1 sheet refrigerated pie shell (or of course...make your own--here's my favorite recipe)
2/3 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2 t. cocoa powder
1/4 c. semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1/3 c. butter, softened
1 1/3 c. heavy whipping cream (1/2 for pie and 1/2 for topping)
2 T. powdered sugar
Real whipped cream and chocolate curls or pieces

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough into a 8 inch circle. Transfer to a 7 inch pie plate and flute the edges. Poke the bottom of the crust with a fork a few times and bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool until crust is no longer hot.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees or it coats the back of a metal spoon and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Stir in the chocolate and vanilla and mix until smooth. Cool to room temperature. In another bowl, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes (or until the mixture is light and frothy). In another bowl, beat the whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in half of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Once combined, pour the mixture into the cooled crust. Keep the remaining whipped cream in the fridge until ready to serve. Let the pie refrigerate for 5-6 hours or until totally firm. When ready to serve, spread the remaining whipping cream over the top of the pie. Garnish with chocolate curls or pieces of chocolate if desired. Keep cold until ready to serve.

Thanksgiving Feast (and more) for UNDER $85!

2011-11-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

This time of year is so wonderful to think about all of our many blessings. My children and I love the tradition of writing down one thing each day that we are thankful for during the month of November. It is so fun to watch through the years how the children's grattitude has evolved from their toys to things like freedom, close friends, and religion. My family and I watched the movie The Hiding Place (base on the true story of the TenBoom family who lived during World War II) the other night and it has opened our eyes to blessings I hadn't even contemplated before. In addition to many other blessings, this show (and book) helps me realize what a blessing it is to have such delicious food on a regular basis, or really food at all. We are so spoiled to have grocery stores so close and the means to purchase food for our children. So much to be thankful for!!

I have a dear friend who is a single mother of 8 kids. She is a brave and amazing woman and we were talking about the upcoming holiday. She was worried about how she would feed her family the Thanksgiving feast she hoped, on a limited budget. I told her..."Don't you fear...Deals to Meals is here!" We printed off our meal planner for the week along with the grocery list and headed to the store on a mission to get her Thanksgiving dinner under $100. We did that and more! Not only did we get ALL of the Thanksgiving must-haves (mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, yams, green bean casserole, rolls, frozen vegetables, green salad, jello salad, cheese ball and crackers, and gravy--We were also able to get her a half of a ham, sausage, cheese, several pounds of brown/powdered sugar for her food storage, granulated sugar for her food storage, olives, canola oil, olives, pickles, pineapple, mandarin oranges, 4 lbs. of butter, 4 lbs. of cream cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables (bananas, apples, celery, onions, carrots, etc.), chocolate chips, and much more. We got all of this for under $85!! She was thrilled and she is excited about the extra good bargains she will be able to add to her food storage. With 8 kids I am sure the food doesn't last long in her house!

The best part at Walmart was when several managers came over to check out how much money we saved. They said we saved over $50...now that is hard to do when your total only comes to $85. Worth the $1.13 a week? I think so :)

So..if you need help planning your Thanksgiving feast, you have come to the right place! This time of year is my favorite time to stock up on baking items, holiday favorites, and many items you use in your meal planning on a regular basis. The deals this week are INCREDIBLE!! Before you head to the store for your Thanksgiving shopping, make sure you check out all of the best deals on our website. Our menu planner this week is amazing! It has all of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes along with an easy to print out grocery list to make your shopping a breeze. Have fun stocking up!!

Great deals this week! Login to Deals to Meals to find out where the best sales are for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Pumpkin Dip with Fresh Fruit

2011-11-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week! If you are like me you are figuring out assignments, a menu and getting last minute shopping done. If you have not finalized an appetizer for your Thanksgiving feast, this Pumpkin Dip is the perfect solution. It has all the traditional flavors of fall and goes perfectly with fresh bananas, apples or even ginger snap cookies. My friend serves this dip in a small pumpkin that has been carved out and cleaned. It makes for a perfect (and edible) center piece to your Thanksgiving table. Happy holiday prepping!

Pumpkin Dip
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. allspice
1/2 t. powdered ginger
1/4 t. vanilla
Dash of salt
In a bowl, beat with an electric mixer the cream cheese, powdered sugar and pumpkin until completely smooth. Add the spices and sour cream and continue to beat until combined. Refrigerate the dip until ready to serve. Serve dip with gingersnap cookies, bananas, apples, etc.

Applesauce Cake

2011-11-15T07:07:00.000-08:00

My sister in law introduced this recipe into our family and it was an immediate hit. Especially during this time of year when anything with apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and cream taste delightful! This cake is best served warm with the cream drizzle over the top. You can also top it off with whipping cream. This cake is light and absolutely delicious, you'll love it for any holiday party.

Applesauce Cake

1 c. brown sugar

½ c. butter, softened

Cream together and then add

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 c. flour

2 c. applesauce

Mix all together. Bake 350 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Cream Sauce:

½ c. butter

1 c. sugar

½ c. whipping cream or milk

Microwave until sugar is melted. Serve hot cake with glaze on the top.

~Krista

Cinnamon Wheat Waffles & Caramelized Apples

2011-11-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

Cinnamon and nutmeg..a match made in heaven! There is something about the smell and taste of cinnamon during the holidays. It is such a warm and comforting flavor and seems to scream the Christmas season to me. These cinnamon waffles are the perfect Saturday morning breakfast if you want your house to smell like cinnamon, apples, and caramel. Is there a better combination out there? Not to me! Another great bonus..these waffles use healthy food storage items like wheat flour, powdered milk and powdered eggs. A great recipe to help rotate through your food storage favorites! Enjoy ;)

Cinnamon Wheat Waffles & Caramelized Apples
3 1/4 c. water + 2/3 c. powdered milk + 1/4 c. lemon juice (or 3 1/2 c. buttermilk)
1 stick butter, melted
6 eggs (I used 1/2 real eggs and 1/2 powdered eggs with water combo: 1 T. egg powder+ 2 T. water=1 egg)
2 1/2 c. wheat flour
2 1/2 c. white flour
1 t. vanilla extract
2/3 c. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. nutmeg
2 t. baking soda
3 1/2 t. baking powder
For the waffles, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk (or water/powdered milk combo), melted butter and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and continue to whisk until smooth. Preheat waffle maker on medium-high heat. Pour 1/3 c. batter into each well of the waffle maker. Cook 5-6 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter and serve with caramelized apples and whipped cream.
Caramelized Apples (I used apple pie filling, but you can make your own caramel apples with little effort):
3 T. butter
6 fuji or green apples, peeled, cored and cut into
1/4 inch slices
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. cornstarch
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
2 t. vanilla
To make the apples, in a skillet over medium-high heat, melt 3 T. butter. Add the apple slices, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until apples are evenly coated. Cook about 18 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat and stir in vanilla. Set aside until waffles are cooked. Makes 12-14 waffles.

Santa Rosa Chicken

2011-11-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

With Halloween behind us and the holidays quickly approaching it is about this time of year I begin to crave savory dishes. I think my body is telling me I need to balance out the candy and treats that seem to be EVERYWHERE with something salty! This recipe has been in our family's recipe book for years but I have never tried it until the other day. I always seemed to skip pass this recipe thinking it was tricky or I didn't have the ingredients on hand. I was surprised to find that neither is true. This is a fun Mexican dish that isn't the typical tacos, chicken enchiladas or chimichangas that we think of when we are in the mood for Mexican. This recipe is called Santa Rosa Chicken and I served it with fresh spaghetti squash and homemade Spanish rice. Enjoy!

Santa Rosa Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts, cut in half and butterflied before pounding

1 4 oz. can green chilies, diced

Monterey Jack cheese cut into strips

1 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 T. chili powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. black pepper

6 T. butter, melted

Pound chicken to 1/4" thick. Put a spoonful of green chilies and one strip of Monterey Jack cheese in the center of each piece of chicken. Roll up the best you can. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, chili powder, salt, cumin and pepper. Dip each stuffed chicken piece into a bowl containing the melted butter. Then roll the chicken in the crumb mixture. Place chicken rolls, seam down, in a glass baking dish and drizzle with a little melted butter. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake 30-40 minutes longer or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly.

~Krista

Oatmeal Nutella Bars

2011-11-08T08:06:00.000-08:00

This past month it has been fun to experiment with recipes that help us use the oats in our food storage. Here is a quick list of some of my favorite oat recipes I have posted in the past couple of years.

Oatmeal Waffle and/or Pancake Mix
Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins
Butterscotch Oatmeal Muffins
Homemade Granola Bars
Steel Cut Oats with Brown Sugar Crumble
Homemade Granola
Peaches & Cream Bars
White Chocolate Craisin Granola Bars
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Breakfast
Oatmeal Apple Cake with Caramel Nut Frosting

Besides these recipes I am excited to share one of my last oat recipes with you. These Nutella (or fudge) bars are ones that I have been making for nearly 10 years. A friend gave me this recipe many years ago and I have always made them with milk chocolate chips until this past month. I love Nutella and wondered how it would taste in the filling for these bars and the result was even more creamy and had more flavor than the chocolate layer, I don't think I can ever go back to the chips. Don't get me wrong, both versions of this recipe will be gooey and yummy, but if you want a new flavor and twist on an old favorite, try Nutella as the filling for these bars. They are a quick and easy recipe to take to your next gathering. They will be a HUGE hit and are a great way to use the oats in your food storage ;)

Oatmeal Nutella Bars
Crust:
2 sticks butter
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3 c. oats (I used quick oats but regular would do to)
1 c. white chocolate chips
Filling:
2 c. nutella hazelnut spread (or 12 oz. milk chocolate chips)
1 can sweetened and condensed milk
2 t. melted butter
1/2 t. salt

For the oat crust, cream butter, sugar and eggs together. Then add the flour, baking soda, salt and oats. Add in the white chocolate chips (optional). Put 1/2 of the dough flat on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan and spread evenly to all sides. For filling, add together in a bowl the Nutella, sweetened condensed milk, butter and salt and mix until smooth. (If using chocolate chips instead of Nutella, add ingredients together in a sauce pan and cook on low heat until chips are melted). Pour filling on top of the bottom layer of the oat crust. Flattened out pieces of the remaining oat dough on top of the fudge filling. There will not be enough dough to cover the entire top of the filling layer, and that is okay. As the crust bakes it will spread throughout the bars. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until the top of the bars is a light golden brown color. Let bars cool and then cut into pieces and serve. These bars are delicious warm out of the oven with vanilla ice cream!

Two New Muffin Recipes: Maple Nut & Butterscotch Oatmeal Muffins

2011-11-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

I am a HUGE fan of muffins! Doesn't the word muffin sound so much better than cupcake? These recipes could possible qualify for being a cupcake because they both are sweet and delicious, but the fact they each have a few healthy aspects makes me feel okay about eating several for breakfast. If you need a quick muffin recipe for your holiday breakfasts, these two recipes are delicious. They also have the added bonus of using those food storage items you should be stocking up on these next two months. November and December is the best time of year to stock up your storage with basic food storage ingredients.

*The frosting on the Maple Nut Muffin is irresistible--it's like eating a maple doughnut in muffin form...yum!!! I am guilty of eating some of the leftover frosting today by the spoonful--it reminds me of a Maple Nut Fudge I have had before. Finger lickin' good!!

Maple Nut Muffins
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 sticks of butter (I am sure you could substitute some of the butter with pureed white beans or applesauce)
3 eggs
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
2 c. shredded zucchini (or you can use mashed bananas or 1/2 and 1/2)
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans, almonds, etc.)
Cream together the softened butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Add the sour cream and the rest of the ingredients. Pour muffin batter into greased muffin tins or muffin liners and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until cupcakes are golden brown. Remove and let cool while you make the frosting. Makes 24 muffins.
Maple Butter Frosting
5 T. butter, softened
1/2 c. maple syrup (real maple syrup or pancake syrup)
2 T. whole or 2% milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. maple extract
1/4 t. salt
3-3 1/4 c. powdered sugar (I should of added the extra 1/4 c., mine was a little soft)
In a bowl, combine the butter, maple syrup, milk vanilla and maple extract. Add salt and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and spreadable (frosting will thicken a bit as it stands). Spread butter cream on top of muffins.

Butterscotch Oatmeal Muffins
2 c. smashed bananas
2 eggs
1/2 c. applesauce
1/2 c. oil
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. nutmeg
3 t. cinnamon
2 c. quick or regular oats
1 c. oat flour
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. wheat flour
1 1/2 c. butterscotch chocolate chips
Mix together the smashed bananas, eggs, applesauce, oil and brown sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Bake in lined muffin tins at 350 for 15-17 minutes, or until muffins are cooked through and lightly golden brown.

Baking sales & price increases

2011-11-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

This week is a GREAT time to stock up on many of your favorite baking items. These sales will continue the next few weeks as we get closer to Thanksgiving. Nearly every baking item is on sale this week for red/great prices--everything from sugar, flour, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, pumpkin, cranberries, stuffing mix, chocolate chips (at one store they are .85 a bag---SOOOO cool!), coconut, marshmallow creme, and SO much more. Login to our website to find out all of the best deals in your area :)

Also, if you don't already have a good supply of peanut butter, hurry to Costco before prices go up. Peanut butter prices are going up 20-40% depending on the brand. Peanut Butter is already much higher than it has been in years, so stock up quickly before prices continue to rise!

Have fun shopping!

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

2011-11-02T05:04:00.000-07:00

I know summer is over, but I couldn't believe I hadn't posted about my newest favorite salad . I have made this salad no less than 10 times in the past 3 months. I have been on a buffalo kick lately, so this is no surprise, but I can't tell you how awesome the combination of flavors are in this salad. The spicy chicken, creaminess of the blue cheese (or ranch dressing), tomatoes, corn, celery, avocados, blue cheese (or feta cheese), etc. This salad is packed with flavor and is officially now in my top three favorite salads. If there is a warm day left in the next few weeks and you are craving a salad, put this one on your meal planner! It comes together in no time if you have grilled chicken in your freezer. Hope this salad brings back a few of your favorite memories from this past summer. Where does the time go? Only 53 more days until Christmas..ah!

Buffalo Chicken Salad
Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing (or you can use ranch dressing if you prefer):
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. milk
3 T. blue cheese
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1 t. coarse black pepper
Mix together dressing ingredients and keep cold until ready to serve.
Salad Fixings:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning and Frank's Hot Sauce--cook or grill the chicken until no longer pink. Place the cooked chicken pieces in a bowl and smother the chicken in Frank's Hot Sauce to your liking--I like a lot!
2 heads romaine lettuce (you can also add spinach), chopped
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. frozen corn that has been sauted on high heat with butter until golden brown
2 tomatoes, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 c. celery, diced
4 eggs, boiled, peeled and chopped
1/4 c. green onions, sliced
Blue cheese crumbles, garnish (optional)
Place all of the salad ingredients in to a large bowl and serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing on the top. Drizzle with extra Frank's sauce if you like it extra spicy.

Halloween Festivities & Cornbread Chili Waffles

2011-10-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

There is one thing we are not lacking in our home, and that is holiday spirit. We may not be great parents in many aspects of life, but thanks to my husband, our home is a place of crazy-fun holiday traditions. The holiday festivities begin the first week in October with our annual 'Holiday Kick-Off Celebration'. My husband can hardly wait to begin celebrating this time of year. Between Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, our home is an exciting place to be (no thanks to me!). My husband has an addiction--an addiction of holiday cheer. I am generally the scrooge of the family, but thanks to his fun-loving personality the kids have a great time these next few months. These are the best months for delicious food, family parties and favorite traditions.
Our 'holiday kick-off party' always begins and ends with, you guessed it...FOOD! Each year we have the same menu, which is okay with me because it makes the meal planning easy. This time of year I pick all of the tomatoes from our garden and make two of my favorite garden recipes...Homemade Chili and Green Salsa Verde. The homemade chili is a great way to use up those last ripe tomatoes, peppers and onions from your garden. The salsa verde is my FAVORITE way to put those boxes of green tomatoes to use. This recipe for green salsa is amazing on enchiladas, smothered over burritos, in salad dressings, with chips, etc. If you have green tomatoes coming out of your ears...visit this post from last year where I share with you my six favorite green tomato recipes. Delicious!!

Okay...back to our holiday menu. Once I have made a large batch of homemade chili, we love to serve the chili over hot scones or our new favorite way...over a cornmeal waffle. I know this sounds bizarre, but if you love sweet and salty combinations, this is the recipe for you!! I saw this idea on Paula Deen and new I had to give it a try. It did not disappoint. The combination of the hot and spicy chili with the sweet cornbread waffle, topped with cool sour cream, avocados and cheese..it was a party in your mouth. I couldn't get enough of these chili waffles and I am salivating just writing about them. If you don't have plans for your Halloween festivities, give this recipe a try. I can't think of a better meal to start the Halloween fun. Hope you have a spook-tacular Halloween!

My husband & his 'Man vs. Food' challenge. Food won, he couldn't finish his huge plate of chili waffles ;) Notice the large roaster pan of chili. I couldn't live without my roaster oven..it is like having the world's biggest crock pot. A must-have in the kitchen for large families!

Cornbread Chili Waffles
*For the cornbread waffles, I used the cornbread pancake recipe that I blogged about a few months ago. I just played around with the consistency until it made a good waffle. I also cut back the sugar a little (I used about 3/4 c. instead of 1 1/3 c.)...I like my waffles sweet, but this would have been too sweet with the chili. If you don't like the sweet and spicy combination, use Paula Deen's recipe. Her waffles don't have hardly any sugar in them. Either way, they will be delicious!
Garnish waffles with diced avocados, sour cream, shredded cheese, green onions, cilantro, etc.

Quick & Easy Chili
1 lb. spicy ground pork sausage
1 lb. lean ground turkey or beef
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (or you can use more cayenne pepper instead)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans pinto or chili beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
2 cans diced green chilies
4 cans diced tomatoes (or use fresh garden tomatoes that have been cored and diced)
2 cans tomato sauce
2-3 c. chicken or beef broth (depending how thick you like your chili)
2 T. chili powder
2 T. cumin powder
3 T. brown sugar
1 T. salt (or more if needed)
1 t. black pepper
2 t. Montreal Steak Seasoning (or more salt/pepper to taste)
2 t. garlic powder
Cayenne pepper, to taste (depending how spicy you like your chili--you can also add extra jalapeno peppers if you like)
2 T. red wine vinegar (add at the very end of the cooking process for a little zing :)

Cut the onions, peppers and garlic and set aside. In a large soup pot, saute the sausage and beef with the onion until the meat is mostly browned and cooked through. Add the garlic, bell pepper and the seasonings and continue to saute for another 3-5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer the chili on medium low heat until the flavors combine and the soup is nice and hot. If the chili is too thick, add more tomatoes or broth. If the soup needs more substance, add more beans. As the soup simmers it will continue to thicken, and will be extra thick the following day. Loosen up the chili with extra water, broth or tomatoes to your desired liking.

Fall Favorites: Oatmeal Apple Cake, Fall Wreaths & Soup Bowls

2011-10-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

There are few things more fall-ish than apples & caramel. Whether it's a caramel apple, apple crisp, or apple cake, I love apple and caramel together. Add some cinnamon, nuts and coconut and you have a dessert that is a perfect 10 in my book! This bundt cake is extremely moist, dense and smothered in absolute goodness. The coconut caramel topping is better than any-old frosting! It is buttery, sweet and melts all over the warm cake. Serve this cake with vanilla ice cream and you will have the perfect fall dessert.
Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Topping
Cake:
1 stick butter, melted
1 1/4 c. oats
1 1/2 c. boiling water
3/4 c. chopped or grated apples
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 3/4 c. flour
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1 t. salt
In a large bowl, mix together the boiling water, oats and melted butter. Add the remaining ingredients and pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn the cake out onto a cake plate or large platter. Once you have made the topping (below), pour it directly onto the cake while the cake is still hot. Let the cake cool or serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Topping:
1 c. coconut
1 c. chopped nuts (I used almonds, but pecans or walnuts might even be better)
1/4 c. whole milk or heavy cream (you might need a smidgen more)
1/3 c. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
Bring the brown sugar, butter and milk to a slow boil on medium heat. Once the sauce has begun to thicken and boil, let it simmer for 1-2 minutes, making sure the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the coconut and nuts to the sauce. Drizzle the topping all over the top of the bundt cake.

Soup...who doesn't love a warm, hearty soup in the cold weather? Well..my new favorite addition to soup is Mel's Homemade Bread Bowls (I used the Italian Bread Bowls). We had a witches party with 50 women from our neighborhood and we made these bread bowls for all of the ladies. They worked out perfectly and couldn't be easier to make. These also freeze well if you want to make up a batch and freeze half for later. They are the a great addition to ay fall party!

Here are some of my favorite soups: Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup, Garden Beef Stew, Tortellini Sausage Soup, and Chicken Wild Rice Soup. For 16 more soup recipes, browse through our Soup link on the right side of the blog.
Let's get one thing straight..I LOVE to cook, but I am NO Martha Stewart! Crafts and I don't get along very well. There is a favorite craft store just down the street from us that my friends visit multiple times a week. They were appalled that I had only been to this store ONCE in the two years it has been open. I don't know what it is about crafts, but they either cost too much, never turn out quite right, or involve too many nick-nacks that I don't want to bother shopping for. I can live in a grocery store all day, but get me in a craft or sewing store and I start to get stir crazy.

Well, my crafty side decided to come out to play when I saw my friends Halloween wreath on her door. It was seriously the cutest wreath I had ever seen! She mentioned she saw it on Pintrest (I know..I am SO old-school and still haven't signed up yet) and on Our Best Bites. She promised this wreath would be easy, inexpensive and fun to make. I hesitantly gave in, but was pleasantly surprised at how super easy (and fun!) this wreath was to make. Now...my wreath is not Halloween because I am too cheap and wanted a wreath I could keep on my door for October and November. However, the Halloween is MUCH cuter than my fall wreath, but if you are looking for a simple craft project, this is the one for you! If I can pull this off, anyone can :) For the instructions on how to make this wreath, go to Our Best Bites and they will give you easy step-by-step instructions. I am now thinking a Christmas wreath might be fun. Maybe this crafty-thing could become addicting?!? I might just have to dust off my glue gun more often!

White Chocolate Craisin Granola Bars

2011-10-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

Oat month continues! Remember to stock up your food storage this month on oats of any kind (steel cut, quick, regular, instant or whole groats). I am excited to share with you another great way to use the oats in your storage. Last year I posted a recipe for homemade peanut butter and chocolate granola bars, and several of you have shared how much you have loved these over the years. These are a favorite of my children's--mostly because they like the chocolate chips, and they are obsessed with peanut butter and chocolate like their dad.

Well..if you would like a little more sophisticated granola bar, try these White Chocolate & Craisin granola bars. They are heavenly! I love to wrap these up individually and keep them in my purse, take them to the park, send them with the kids to school, bring them to sporting events, or pack anywhere for when I need a little energy boost. I know they are not necissarily 'healthy', but the fact they have flax, oats, dried fruit and almonds, I feel a little better about eating them than the store bought bars. I hope you enjoy these bars as much as I do!
White Chocolate and Craisin Granola Bars
5 c. oats (I used quick oats--but regular or quick would do)
1/2 c. coconut
1 c. krispy rice cereal
1 c. white chocolate chips
1/2 c. craisins
1 1/2 T. milled flax seed
1/2 c. almonds, sliced or chopped
Mix together above ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the following:

2 T. corn syrup (or more honey)
1/2 c. honey
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 c. melted butter
1 t. salt

Mix all of the above ingredients together until all of the oats are coated in the honey and butter. Spray a 9x13 or 11x14 pan and put mixture into the bottom of the pan. Spread the oat mixture into the bottom of the pan until flattened. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Place the bars in the fridge until they are completely hardened and cool. Once they are cold, cut into desired shapes (rectangle). Wrap and store in the fridge, freezer or pantry until ready to eat.

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread

2011-10-20T22:09:00.001-07:00

Before October is over, I couldn't help but share two of my favorite pumpkin recipes with you. This first recipe for Pumpkin Waffles has been a favorite of my family's for over 20 years. We love these waffles for breakfast all throughout the year, but especially during the holiday season. I posted the recipe a couple years back, but just wanted to remind you of these delicious fall waffles ;)This pumpkin bread recipe was given to me from my friend Debi, who is an amazing cook. She brought our family over a loaf the other day and I am embarrassed to say, but I ate nearly half of the loaf myself. I don't think I will be able to make pumpkin bread again without this delightful cream cheese layer. If you are tired of your pumpkin bread with chocolate chips, try this version for a fun, creamy twist. Beware..you have to hold yourself back from digging out the delicious cream cheese layer ;) Yum!

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread
Cream Cheese Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 T. flour
1 egg Pinch of salt
1 T. orange or lemon zest
1/2 t. vanilla
Pumpkin Bread:
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 c. canned pureed pumpkin
1/2 c. cooking oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
Chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour two loaf pans. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese mixture and beat until very smooth. In a large bowl, mix oil, pumpkin, eggs and sugar together. Add the dry ingredients to this mixture. If you are adding nuts, add them now.

Pour 1/2 of the large bowl's mixture (pumpkin batter) into the bottom of both bread pans. Spoon 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture on top of the pumpkin layer of both breads. Spread the top of both loaf pans with the remaining pumpkin batter until the cream cheese layer is covered.

Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick is clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes and then remove from pan. Completely cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. (This bread is much better after it has been chilled).

*Do you want a fun sewing project? Check out my sister-in-law's blog for a darling Pumpkin Table Runner (the one in the food pictures). So cute and festive!