Wreath Button Frame

As soon as I came across this creation on Pinterest, which originally came from this blog, I knew I wanted to make it.  I already had an extra frame at home and ended up finding buttons in the dollar section at Target.  This pretty creation is now sitting on my kitchen counter, resting on a plate holder.  Love it! Here's how I did it...

I used a spool of ribbon to trace the center onto white paper.  

I ended up using only 2 of these containers of buttons.  

I didn't glue anything first.  I just lined it all up because I didn't want to glue it down and it not work.  I started with the largest buttons, placing them around the circle I drew.  Then, I went around the outside with medium size buttons and put the smallest ones in the inner center.  Once everything was lined up, I started hot gluing them down. 

Once they were all glued down, I flipped the paper over and secured the frame.  

Last, I made a bow and hot glued it to the top of the wreath.  I also used some extra ribbon on the corners of the frame to add a little more detail.  

Crockpot Jambalaya

Again, I've found another delicious crock pot recipe.  And again, thanks to Pinterest.  The recipe comes from Plain Chicken. I took her advice and prepared the meal the night before and threw it in the crock pot in the morning.  Very easy.  I'm glad I saved it for a cold night because it was perfect. Plus, there was a lot leftover so I enjoyed it for lunch a few times as well.  


Slow Cooker Jambalaya

approximately 5-6 servings

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced 
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 tsp minced garlic
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
white rice or instant rice (I used 2 packs of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice - Garlic & Butter flavor)

In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, garlic, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.  (I do this the night before and put it in the fridge.  I put it in the slow cooker before I leave in the morning.)

Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Mix in cooked rice cook for about 15 minutes to warm through.

Pampered Chef- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

I'm still in search of the prefect recipe for my cookie exchange this weekend.

When I made these, I was still working towards my Pampered Chef recipe goal.  I'm doing a great job of stocking up on cookies for the season.  As of now, I have 5 dozen frozen cookies, three different kinds!

  Again, any cookie recipe that is ready to bake in 10 minutes or less gets a thumbs up from me! These are delcious.  I think next time I'll use creamy peanut butter, there was something about the peanut chunks that I didn't love.  But, I still managed to eat way more than I should have!  

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2	cup crunchy-style peanut butter
3/4	cup vegetable shortening
1/2	cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2	cup granulated sugar
1	egg
1	teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4	cups all-purpose flour
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/4	teaspoon salt
1	package (6 ounces) chocolate morsels

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Measure peanut butter, shortening and brown sugar into Classic Batter Bowl using Measure-All® Cup. Add granulated sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined.
2. In Small Batter Bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to peanut butter mixture; mix well. Stir in chocolate morsels. Using Medium Scoop, drop batter 2 inches apart onto Rectangle Stone. Bake 10-15 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes; remove cookies to Stackable Cooling Rack to cool.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Pampered Chef- Powered Sunshine Cookies

Surprised to see another Pampered Chef recipe?  

I had a goal this month to try 10 new PC recipes.  

I forgot about the goal.  

I remembered the goal this weekend. 

I've been baking for hours each night when I get home from work to meet this goal. 

 I like crossing things off my list and don't want to admit to the world that I didn't meet the goal.  

Which is why I chose this quick and easy cookie recipe.  I'm also still testing cookie recipes for my cookie exchange this weekend and freezing for the 

holiday craziness. 

These cookies- light, fluffy and tasty! 

Powdered Sunshine Kisses

Ingredients:

1	package (18-19 ounces) lemon cake mix
1	egg, lightly beaten
1/3	cup vegetable oil
2	tablespoons water
1/3	cup pecans, chopped
	Powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine cake mix, egg, oil, and water in Classic Batter Bowl; stir with Mix 'N Scraper® until thoroughly combined. Mixture will be slightly dry.
2. Chop nuts with Food Chopper. Transfer nuts to Batter Bowl using Handy Scraper; mix well. Using Small Scoop drop level scoops of dough 2 inches apart onto flat Baking Stone.
3. Bake 13 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 3 minutes on Baking Stone; remove to Stackable Cooling Rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Cool completely. Fill Flour/Sugar Shaker with powdered sugar. Sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar.

Yield: 3 dozen

Pampered Chef- Ham and Cheese Calzones

Do you have leftover ham from Thanksgiving?  I definitely had a good amount.  But there was a problem...I was out of sides! No more mashed potatoes, no more sweet potatoes, no more stuffing.  Yes, I could easily whip up some of these things, but it wouldn't be the same.  So I set out on a search for a recipe to use my leftover ham in.  By now you should know how obsessed I am with crescent roll dinners.  Which is exactly why I chose this recipe. Loved how these guys turned out.  D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.   

Ham & Cheese Calzone

Ingredients:

2	tbsp (30 mL) mayonnaise
2	tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
1	cup (250 mL) fresh broccoli florets (about 2 oz/60 g)
1	8-oz (250-g) slice smoked deli ham (about ½ in./1 cm thick)
1/2	small onion
8	oz (250 g) Swiss cheese, grated, divided
1	tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil, divided
2	pkg (13.8 oz/283 g) refrigerated pizza crust
1	oz (30 g) Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Combine mayonnaise and mustard in Classic Batter Bowl; mix well with Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. With Utility Knife, cut broccoli into small florets; dice ham. Using Food Chopper, coarsely chop onion. Grate Swiss cheese withUltimate Mandoline fitted with grating blade. Combine broccoli, ham, onion and half of the Swiss cheese in batter bowl; mix well.
2. Lightly brush Large Bar Pan with 1 tsp (5 mL) of the oil using Chef's Silicone Basting Brush. Unroll one package of dough onto bottom of bar pan, gently stretching and pressing dough to cover bottom. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese to within 1 in. (2.5 cm) of edges; spoon ham mixture over cheese. Unroll remaining dough directly over filling, matching edges of dough and shaping to fit as dough is unrolled. Trim 1/2 in. (1 cm) off sides of dough with Utility Knife. Press edges to seal with Mini-Tart Shaper. Brush remaining oil over dough. Using Utility Knife, make 12 slits, in three rows of four each, into top crust.
3. Bake 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, grate Parmesan cheese usingMicroplane® Adjustable Grater; sprinkle over calzone. Return calzone to oven; bake 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is deep golden brown. Slice with Pizza Cutter; serve with Mini-Serving Spatula.

Yield: 4 servings

Pampered Chef- Celebration Cookies

Celebration Cookie Mix

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/2 cup white or semi-sweet chocolate morsels

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup pecan or walnut halves, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. In Small Batter Bowl, layer ingredients as follows, gently patting each layer before adding the next ingredient: granulated sugar, cranberries, chocolate morsels, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats and pecans. Cover with lid. Attach the preparation directions below and give it as a gift.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

                                             RECIPE AND HOW TO BAKE...

Celebration Cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 recipe Celebration Cookie Mix (see above) 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, combine butter, eggs and vanilla; mix until well blended. Add cookie mix to butter mixture; mix until well blended. Using Medium Scoop, drop 12 level scoops of dough, 2 inches apart, onto Rectangle Stone. Flatten dough slightly using back of scoop. Bake 13-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove to cooling rack.

(C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2011

http://www.pamperedchef.com

Mini Rolo Brownie Bites

Looking for a quick treat that is sure to please a crowd?  This is it. 

 I've seen a few Rolo brownie recipes floating around on Pinterest.  I wanted to make them, but wanted to create a bite sized treat.  So, I used my mini muffin pan, my all time favorite Pampered Chef product.  These sweet treats took me just 10 minutes to make.  I put half on a plate for hubs to take to work and froze the other half.  Of course I taste tested a few too! 

I'm trying to freeze half of all the sweets I made right now to help me prepare for the holiday rush that is right around the corner.  I'm sure these will freeze well and I can't wait to add them to my cookie plates in a few weeks.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 

36 Rolo candies- unwrapped 

1 box of brownie mix & ingredients with mix (egg, oil, water)

Directions: 

1.  Prepare brownie mix according to the directions on the box.  Also, preheat oven to the temperature stated on the box.  

2.  Using the Pampered Chef small scoop, scoop the brownie mix into the Pampered Chef mini muffin pan (sprayed first). 

3.  Place an unwrapped Rolo into the center of the brownie mix.  

4.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

5.  As soon as they come out of the oven, take a knife and use it to go around the edge of the brownie.  This will separate the brownie from the pan and will keep it from sticking or breaking when you take them out. Let them cool for a few more minutes before you put them on a cooling rack to cool completely.  

Yields 36 cups

Pampered Chef- Enchilada Soup

The weather down in FL is getting chilly and I love it!  I checked the weather before I planned my meals for the week (don't ask) and couldn't wait to add some soups and slow cooker meals to the menu when I noticed the low temps.  I'm working on a Pampered Chef cooking challenge right now, which is why I chose this recipe. I used my crock pot for the soup and cooked it on low for 8 hours.  I cooked the meat and added all of the ingredients to the crock pot.  Mix it a few times, pour it in a bowl, let it cool for a minute and top with shredded cheese. Simple as that! 

*I served it with tortilla scoops.  

*My changes are noted in red.  Original directions are posted below.  

Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:
3 1/2   cups beef broth 2   cups water 1/2   pound 95% lean ground beef *used 1lb of ground turkey 1/2   cup diced red bell pepper 1   garlic clove, pressed 1/4   cup masa harina (instant corn masa mix) or all-purpose flour                * 8 oz tomato sauce		2   cans (10 ounces each) enchilada sauce 1   can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed 1   cup thinly sliced zucchini *2 Tbs chopped jalapeno pepper 1/4   cup snipped fresh cilantro 2   tablespoons lime juice Grated Monterey Jack cheese (optional) *small handful of shredded mexican cheese before serving

Directions:
1.	Using Easy Read Measuring Cups, measure broth and water; set aside. In (4-qt.) Dutch oven, cook beef over medium-high heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles. Add bell pepper and garlic to Dutch oven; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add masa harina, enchilada sauce, beans, broth and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer.
2.	Add zucchini to soup; simmer, uncovered, 2-3 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and lime juice. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with cheese, if desired.
Yield: 8 servings (about 10 cups) Nutrients per serving: (about 1 1/4 cups): Calories 130, Total Fat 3.5 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Carbohydrate 14 g, Protein 10 g, Sodium 680 mg, Fiber 3 g

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Some of my favorite items...

Simple Slicer

Mini Muffin Pan

Trifle Bowl 

Microwave Chip Maker 

Large Bar Pan