Smores Pie II

My first smores pie was a hit, but very, very rich.  I wanted to attempt another one, using half the cookie dough. And that is exactly what I did. This dessert took about 20 minutes to make and another 10-15 to cool and harden.  It was darn tasty.  I'll be keeping the ingredients on hand at all times when I need another quick go-to dessert.  Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

Mini Marshmallows (large will work too)

Baker;s Dipping Chocolate in Milk Chocolate 

1 tub of Cooke Dough (or break and bake)

Directions: 

Press cookie dough into a pie pan.  I slightly greased mine, even though I probably didn't have to.  I allowed the cookie dough to soften a but before pressing it also.  Bake the cookie dough as directed on the package but take it out two minutes before it is done.  I baked at 350 for 10 minutes, then took it out.   Next, pile the marshmallows on top of the baked cookie dough.  Put it back in the oven for a few minutes, until the marshmallows start to expand.  Once marshmallows have slightly expanded switch the oven to a low broil.  This will slightly brown the marshmallows.  I only left it in for about a minute.  Then, melt the chocolate according to the directions on the cup.  With a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the marshmallows.  Cool.  We didn't want to wait long, so we put it in the freezer for 10 minutes.  Cut and serve.  

Buffalo Chicken Bundles

One of my favorite things about football season is making buffalo chicken dip.  It is hands down, one of my favorite dips.  Not only to make, but to eat as well.  When thinking of a meal I wanted to make for my Mr's birthday, I thought up this creation.  I had all the ingredients for the dip and a can of crescent rolls.  I put them together to make my new favorite bundle.  These are AH-Mazing! Next time, I'll probably add chopped celery to the mix.  You've got to try these.  

Ingredients: 

1 can/roll/tube of crescent rolls

1/4 cup of blue cheese dressing

1/4 cup of buffalo sauce

2 cups of shredded chicken

1/2 cup shredded cheese (any kind) 

Directions: 

Unroll dough into 4 squares (2 triangles together).  Pinch together edges.  

2.  Place chicken into a mixing bowl.  

 3.  Add both dressings to the bowl and mix.  

4.  Scoop mixture towards the bottom of the dough squares.  

5.  Sprinkle cheese on the top of the chicken mixture.  

6.  Fold dough over and pinch all edges together.  

7.  Brush a little EVOO and spices over the top of each bundle. We used a spice mixture. 

8.  Bake at 375 for 12 minutes or until dough is slightly brown. 

9.  ENJOY!

Stromboli

When I grew up we had pizza for dinner every Friday night.  It was our family tradition, one I plan on continuing when I have kids.  Hubs and I love pizza and enjoy making it on our own.  I saw a picture on Pinterest, which was my inspiration for this dish.  To be honest, I didn't know whether to title this post stromboli or calzone.  I can never remember the difference.  Either way, this is an easy dinner, perfect for a Friday night.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 

Pizza Dough (I used Pillsbury ready made dough)

Pepperoni (1/2 cup)

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (2/3 cup)

Italian Spices 

EVOO

**any other toppings you desire**

Directions:

1.  Unroll dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  

2.  Pile your toppings down the middle of the dough.  

3.  Pour cheese over toppings.  

4.  Cut the edges of the dough.  I used a smooth knife, you can also use kitchen scissors. 

5.  Fold edges over the center.  I started at the top and folded in a downward slant.  

6. Pour 2 tbs EVOO into a small bowl.  Add spices.  I added basil, oregano and garlic salt.  

7.  Brush mixture over the dough.  

8.  Bake at the temp and for the amount of time directed on the dough. I think mine was 375 for about 12-15 minutes.  

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

This is the first recipe I've made from Eating Well.  I found the website from Pinterset and will definitely be spending more time on there.  Healthy and delicious, I'm there!  This side looked yummy, so I decided to make it.  There are only a few ingredients and very little time is spent making them.  I made the tomatoes with parmesan crusted tilapia.  I cooked the fish and tomatoes together at 450 for about 12 minutes.  All in all, it was a tasty and healthy dinner.  

 4 servings

Active Time: 5 minutesTotal Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tomatoes, halved horizontally
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

I'm on a tomato mozzarella kick this summer!  When I came across this Kraft recipe, it went directly on my weekly menu for the following week.  The recipe has over 1,000 reviews and received 5 stars.  I'm no grill master, so I have to give hubs the credit for preparing the recipe.  I probably couldn't have done it as well as him! We both really enjoyed this chicken recipe.  I added a dash of balsamic vinegar to mine, which sent it over the top for me.  This is definitely a 5 star dish! 

what you need

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1/4 cup  KRAFT Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing, divided

1 tomato, finely chopped

1/2 cup  KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

make it

HEAT grill to medium heat.

COVER half the grill grate with sheet of heavy-duty foil. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag. Add 2 Tbsp. dressing; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. Remove chicken from bag; discard bag and dressing.

PLACE chicken on uncovered side of grill; cover with lid. Grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine remaining dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil.

TURN chicken over; place on foil. Top with tomato mixture. Grill, covered, grill 8 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF).

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

I'm not a fan of Red Lobster, but I do love their biscuits. I mean, isn't that why most people go there anyway?  So, imagine being able to make them at home! When I came across a recipe online for their biscuits, I was giddy with joy.  I went to the store right then and made them immediately. They are perfect.  I ate way too many and have a feeling they will become a weekly staple in our household.  

Here is where you can find the recipe below.

Recipe: Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick biscuit mix
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degree. Mix biscuit mix, milk, and cheddar cheese until soft dough forms; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix melted butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley; brush generously over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Make 10-12 biscuits.

Diaper Clutch

I've seen many diaper clutch tutorials over the past year, many which I have bookmarked.  Recently, I wanted to make one for a special little baby that will be arriving shortly.  I went through all of my tutorials and decided to use this one over at A Lemon Squeezy Home.    She has an awesome downloadable template that I used for this project.  The entire thing took me less than an hour and I was thrilled with how it came out.  I was able to fit 3 diapers and a personalized wipes case in the clutch I made.  Head on over to A Lemon Squeezy Home and make one yourself! 

Binky Clips

Binky clips have been on my to do list for months now.  It's one of those things that I had never been able to get around to.  Usually, because another project came up.  But, the upcoming birth of Brittney's baby boy gave me the  motivation I needed.  I followed the tutorial over at Seven Sisters.  These were so so easy to make.  I'm kicking myself for not making them sooner.  I could have added them to many many baby shower gifts.  I especially love how the ribbons are interchangeable.  So, all you really need is one paci and one clip for each gift with a bunch of different ribbons.  One for every day of the week if you wish.  The options are endless.  

Supplies:

One Inch Ribbon

Iron on velcro 

Mitten clips 

Iron

Directions:

Measure and cut your Ribbon. I used heat to seal the ends.  

Place sticky side of velcro onto ribbon, turn ribbon over and iron on.

Make sure to leave enough room between the velcro for the binki and clip to fit. You'll end up with two pieced of velcro on each side of the ribbon.  

That's it, plain and simple! 

Felt Wine Bags

This was the second project from my crafternoon.  My friend emailed me this project and I wanted to make it RIGHT AWAY.  What a great idea and a perfect hostess gift! The tutorial for this project can be found here.  She provides step by step instructions with pictures, which I forgot to take.  Her tutorial is for a no sew wine bag.  I didn't have stitch witchery and did have my machine out, so I decided to sew mine.  I just did two straight stitches on each side, stopping an inch from the bottom.  It was simple, only taking me a few minutes.  I added some of my favorite felt flowers to doll them up! I am completely obsessed with these bags and will be making tons more over the holiday season.  

Here are the directions from Under the Table and Dreaming...

No-Sew Felt Wine Wrap

Materials Needed:Felt
Stitch Witchery
Pinking Shears {or regular scissors}
A Bottle of Wine, Champagne, etc.

Double over a single cut of felt {so the crease is at the bottom} and cut a piece measuring 6 inches wide by 24 inches tall {you may need to adjust the measurements as wine bottles do vary in size}. I used pinking shears to give the edges a little design.

Sit the bottle right side up and place in the center of the felt; the top edge of the bottle resting on the guideline - trace around the bottom of the bottle.

Lift up the top layer of felt and proceed to cut out the traced circle. {this only needs to be done on the top layer} It is pretty easy if you fold the top layer of felt in half and cut small slit into the center of the circle.

The next step is to seam the sides. This can be done by sewing or simply using stitch witchery. [Stitch Witchery is a polyamide fusible web that permanently bonds two layers of fabric together - and yes it works on felt too!]

Cut two strips of the stitch witchery, one for each side. Place each strip in between the felt as close as you can to the outer edges of each side, leaving a one inch opening at the bottom crease. {as shown above} Lightly press with a steam iron set to the wool setting. Keep the iron moving at all times when placed on the felt, as if left in one spot it will melt the fibers. It only takes 30 seconds or so to fuse.

Once the sides are together, seam the top in the same fashion. Depending upon the size of your actual bottle you may need to trim the top just a bit.

Chocolate Cola Cake

I've been doing a lot of cooking lately, but not a lot of baking.  I used to make D sweet treats to bring to work all the time and I haven't done so in months.  So, I decided that I was going to send it something to work with him on Monday.  I went to Pinterest to find a recipe from my sweet treats board.  I decided to go with this cola cake because we had some left over cola from a party and neither of us drink it.  I also didn't need to go to the store for any of the ingredients, which is always a plus.  The cake was as easy as it seems.  It was out of the oven for less than 10 minutes before I dove in. Hubs and I ended up eating the cake for dinner, it was that good.   The sweet smell of chocolate and cinnamon filled the house for hours afterward.  Loved it! 

Recipe from Confessions of a Chocoholic 

preheat oven to 350, and grease up (I like Crisco) a 9×13 (or so) pan.

mix:
2cups flour
2cups sugar
1/2tsp salt
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp cinnamon

in a saucepan over medium high heat stir this up good until it boils:
1 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup coca-cola (from bottle is my preference!)
1/2 cup buttermilk

now take off heat and add that to the flour mix & whisk until combined.

Then add:
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract

mix, put in pan, bake it for about 30minutes. Yes, it’s a quick bake. Don’t over-bake it!

when cake is nearly done make the glaze by mixing in saucepan:
1/2cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup coca cola

once that boils, remove and slowly stir in 4cups of confectioners’ sugar until nice and smooth. Then add in about a cup of chopped pecans, and give it a stir.

once cake is done and out of oven (toothpick should come out clean), pour this warm glaze right over the top of the hot cake!

wait.

let it set… let it cool for a few minutes at least…

enjoy warm or cold. (next day/etc. feel free to microwave for a few seconds to warm it up… so good)