Gingered Ground Beef

1 T Sesame Oil
1 lb. Ground Beef

(I usually 1 and a half these ingredients because I like things extra flavorful)
3 Cloves Minced Garlic
1 t. fresh minced Ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar

Brown the beef in a skillet with the sesame oil. Once it's cooked through, add all the remaining ingredients. Stir well while cooking for a few minutes. Then cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Serve over rice. Super easy and super flavorful!

Pumpkin Fluff

Pumpkin season is upon us!!!  I've seen several sweet pumpkin dip recipes floating around Pinterest and decided to give it a try.  I added a little nutmeg to mine and it was perfect.  It's not overly sweet or overly pumpkin, it was just right.  We loved eating our pumpkin fluff with apple slices and graham crackers.  As we were eating it I was thinking how yummy this would be as a hot chocolate topping!

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1 (8 oz) tub of cool whip

Apples slices, graham crackers, animal crackers, etc.


Beat pumpkin, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg all together until combined and creamy.  Then fold the cool whip into the mixture.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Easy Indoor S'mores

 

I had this super easy dessert at my in-laws house a few weekends ago.  It is a quick and easy s'mores recipe, as easy to make as rice krispie treats but soooooo much better.

4 cups honey graham cereal

3 Tablespoons margarine

6 cups miniature marshmallows

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

cooking spray

Spray a 9x13 dish well with cooking spray.  Measure the graham cereal into a large and set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan melt the margarine over low heat.  Then add the marshmallows and corn syrup and stir until the mixture is smooth and completely melted.  Next, stir in the chocolate chips  and stir until completely melted and incorporated.  Remove the mixture from the heat and pour over the graham cereal.  Stir the cereal mixture well.  Pour and press the cereal mixture into the prepared dish.  If desired, you can sprinkle a few more marshmallows on top.  Let it cool completely before cutting into squares.

Caramel Popcorn

This is my sister in law's caramel popcorn recipe and we LOVE it. I'm finally posting it here so we don't have to text them every time we want to make it. I don't know why we can't remember it because the recipe is really very simple and it makes yummy ooey gooey caramel popcorn. And it is made in the microwave! Super easy.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup karo syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

Pop the popcorn kernels in an air popper or whirly pop. Be sure and remove any old maids.

Combine the first five ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Cook it in the microwave for five minutes, stirring it all together half way through at 2 1/2 minutes. After it has cooked for five minutes remove it and add the baking soda (it will get nice and bubbley).

Pour the microwave caramel over the popcorn and carefully stir it all together. All done. Then try not to eat the whole thing yourself.

Posted with Blogsy

Snowman doughnuts

Powdered doughnuts
Frosting (both white and chocolate; I put mine in sandwich bags with one corner snipped so I could have better control for decorating)
Candy corn

Each powdered doughnuts gets a little white frosting in its center to hold the candy corn nose in place (I'll definitely use a lot less next time.  It really needs just a little but I was in a rush.)

Then use the chocolate frosting to make eyes and the mouth.  Super easy for a classroom party or special breakfast.

Pumpkin Poke Cake

I love pumpkin season!  Let the recipes begin!

Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 small can of pumpkin puree

1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

Frosting:

1 8 oz. tub of cool whip

1/2 bag of Heath Toffee Bits

Caramel Sundae Sauce, for drizzling (I think I used a third of a small jar)

Instructions:

Combine the cake mix and pumpkin puree until well blended.  Pour the batter into a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Bake at 350 according to the directions on the cake mix box.  I baked mine for about 25 minutes.

Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes.  Then using a wooden spoon end, poke holes all over the top of the cake about an inch apart.  Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake, filling in the holes.  Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.  

Spread the cool whip over the top of the cake.  Drizzle the caramel over the top and sprinkle on the heath bits.  Refrigerate the cake for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight for best results.

German Pancakes

This yummy hot breakfast has lots of names.  German pancakes, hootenannys, or, as my husband grew up calling it, "stuff in the oven."  Whatever you want to call it, it is delicious.  It is one of our favorite sweet breakfasts.  And it's quick and easy.

Here it is all puffed up and ready to be taken out of the oven.  Mmmm.

Ingredients:

9 eggs

1 1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. salt

4 T. butter

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Melt the butter and pour it into a 9x13 baking dish.  (I usually put it in the 9x13 in oven and let it melt while the oven heats.  Just keep an eye on it).  Mix together all the other ingredients until well blended.  Then pour the batter over the melted butter and bake for 20 minutes.  We serve ours with maple syrup.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

I love when a new found recipe is delicious.  I found it on pinterest but the blog is found here.  The pin claimed that the pasta dish tasted like hot spinach artichoke dip, which I love.  I made it and we LOVE it.  We've already eaten it several times.  It's a quick weeknight meal and it's meatless.  

Creamy goodness.

Ingredients:

12 ounces of pasta

1 t. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced (I used three, we love garlic)

8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

1/2 a lemon, juiced

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. red pepper flakes

14 ounce can artichoke hearts, packed in water, chopped

10 ounce box of chopped, frozen spinach, with excess water removed

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large pan melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the garlic to the butter and cook until fragrant.  Then add in the cream cheese and stir it until it's completely melted.  Next, slowly stir in the milk.  Then add the sour cream, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes.  Add in the artichoke hearts, spinach and parmesan cheese.  Cook until everything is heated through, stirring occasionally.  

Drain the pasta and add it to the spinach and artichoke mix and mix well.  You can season with additional salt or lemon juice if you want, I didn't think it needed it.

Spring Style Cup of Dirt Dessert

I was in charge of the treat for the preschool Easter party today.  It's been a busy week and I wanted something easy and cute.  I decided to do a spring style cup of dirt dessert.  It's easy and yummy.  I've always used chocolate pudding and chocolate sandwich cookies, but I thought the vanilla was a nice change.  And add a peep on top for a color pop and you're done!  Best of all the kids really liked it.

2 large boxes of vanilla pudding, made according to directions (I made mine the night before so all I had to do in the morning was assemble.  I also used whole milk to make it more rich.)

1 large package of vanilla sandwich cookies, crumbled (I used two rows.)

1 package of gummy worms (I used two worms per cup.)

12 peeps (I used purple and blue chicks.)

12 clear 9 oz cups (be sure and get the clear ones so you can really see the layers and the worms.)

With each cup place 1/4 cup of pudding in the bottom.  Then stick the worms in and drape them over the side of the cup so they don't fall in.  Next, add a layer of cookie crumbs.  I think mine were about a 1/2 inch think.  Then add another 1/4 cup layer of pudding, and top it with another layer of crumbs.  Add the peep on top and push it down a little to keep it in place.  And you're done.  This recipe makes, you guessed it, 12 dirt cups.