Last Minute Thanksgiving Dessert Recipe

This recipe is super easy and SUPER DUPER yummy. A coworker brought these in a few weeks ago and I immediately scooped up her recipe so THANK YOU Gina for helping me discover my new favorite dessert.

INGREDIENTS

1 box (19.5 oz) fudge brownie mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

2 eggs

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 roll (16.5 oz)  refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark pan). Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Make brownie mix as directed on box using oil, water and eggs. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 25 minutes.  

 

2. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat butter, milk, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pecans and vanilla to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside until brownies are baked.  

 

 

3. Immediately pour praline mixture evenly over partially baked brownies. Cut cookie dough crosswise into 4 equal pieces; cut each piece into 4 slices. Carefully place slices in 3 rows of 5 slices each, using last slice to fill in spaces. (Spaces between cookie dough pieces will spread during baking to cover top.) 

 

4. Bake 23 to 28 minutes longer or until cookie topping is deep golden brown. If serving as bars, cool 2 hours; cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. If serving with ice cream as dessert, cool 20 to 30 minutes; cut into 4 rows by 3 rows.

 

 

Recipe: Cabage Salad aka Cole Slaw

I know that I have been MIA lately. I apologize and beg your forgiveness. I appreciate those of you who have stayed around.

Today, as a token of my appreciation, I present to you a delicious, low calorie snack/lunch/side dish that is perfect for spring and summer especially once BBQ season hits.

Now, I know that most people probably know how to make cole slaw. I realize that this isn't a ground breaking recipe. BUT I didn't know how to make it, had never made it before, and wasn't sure how it would turn out. Being on a diet that allows me to have three 100 calorie snacks a day is great. Except I get so sick of eating those pre packaged snacks, and some fruit is actually way over 100 calories per serving. This recipe has allowed me to bring a filling snack to work, and also given me more side dish choices for lunch and dinner.

Ingredients:(makes one serving)

1 1/2 cups of pre packaged cole slaw mix. (I use the kind with green and red cabbage and carrots)

1 table spoon lite mayo

1 table spoon white vinegar (red works too but i only had white on hand)

course black pepper
salt

Instructions:
Place cole slaw mix, mayo, and vinegar in a bowl.
Mix
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate. Serve chilled.

Easy right?! The best part? One serving is only 55 calories!

Recipe: Key Lime Pie

This is the most delicious pie in the history of pie. I didn't even know I liked key lime pie before I tasted this at book club a few months ago. I would actually have dreams about this pie after that, and craved it and whined about it. Finally, I asked Jess to share the recipe with me and Lord Hill made it for Thanksgiving. He's making it again for my birthday this week and I can't wait to eat it!!
So, without further ado...

Ingredients
* 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
* 3 cups sweetened condensed milk
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 3/4 cup key lime juice (Lord Hill juiced fresh limes but I have been told bottled lime juice works too)
* 1 tablespoon grated lime zest

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime rind. Mix well and pour into graham cracker crust.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface of pie. DO NOT BROWN! Chill pie thoroughly before serving. Garnish with lime slices and whipped cream if desired.
   

Recipe: Bruschetta with Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella

 Ingredients:

• 1 large tomato
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• basil leaves, chopped or dried (I used dried but if I had fresh I would have used it)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
•  1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
• olive oil  in a misto sprayer or have a brush to spread it

 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• rinse and dice tomato
• slice bread and place on baking pan.
• lightly coat the bread with olive oil spray or with brush
• bake bread till it is lightly toasted, around 5 minutes or so.
• in a glass bowl combine tomato, basil, olive oil, and vinegar
• add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• slice mozzarella  and place slices on the bread right out of the oven
• spoon tomato and basil topping over the mozzarella

Serve and enjoy! Makes a great appetizer or lunch.

Thursday Night's Dinner

Okay, so remember back on Thursday when I made a quick stop post and said I was working on a new recipe? Of course you do, because you all love me so much and remember every word I write. Right?
Well...

It was okay. It wasn't fabulous. It was definitely edible and good. Lord Hill had seconds which is always a good sign. It's great for a quick meal when you didn't really have anything planned and it's really good for kids. I'm sure my nieces and nephews would love it. So without further ado here is the recipe with some photos.

Lady Hill's Cheater Meat Pies

Ingredients:

• 1 Package of Pilsbury Biscuits. (I used Grands but would probably use original in the future)
• 1 lb of ground beef (you can of course substitute this with any kind of ground meat)
• Your favorite BBQ Sauce
• Salt (optional)
• You will also need a cupcake pan and a skillet.
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (or whatever your package of biscuits tells you to do)
2. Lightly grease the cupcake pan (I always use my misto sprayer thingy)
3. Brown the ground meat in the skillet.
4. Press each biscuit into one of cupcake spots. Form a little basket.
   
5. When meat starts to brown add about 2 table spoons of BBQ sauce and mix well
   
6. When meat is completely browned, DRAIN the meat.
7. Add a "good amount" of BBQ to the meat and stir. (This will depend on how much you like BBQ sauce and how saucy you want your meat to be in general.)
   
   
8. Add a dash of salt to taste. (This step is optional)
9. Spoon meat into the little biscuit baskets you made earlier. (See first photo)
   
10. Bake for the amount of time on the biscuit package. I found that 15 minutes was perfect.
    
11. Remove from oven, let stand for about 3 minutes. Serve!
    
    
    (the one on the right has cheddar cheese melted on top.)
    
    
     

What is your quick and easy go to recipe when you haven't planned anything for dinner and your family is "starving" ?
 

Fruity Pebble Treats

On Sunday a friend hosted a recipe swap/makeup party. I tend to dread these things b/c I don't really cook or make things so I'm never comfortable with what I choose to bring and never bother bringing a recipe.

Well, this time was different. It was a brunch. I jokingly said I was going to just bring a box of cereal and some milk. Then, I remembered that while Lord Hill and I were away for anniversary we ate a Chinese buffet that had these delicious little treats. I went looking for a recipe and didn't find one that quite worked the way I wanted to.

THIS one over on Laura Rebecca's Kitchen would have been great if I had a bowl that would work in my microwave.

So instead I played around in my kitchen late Saturday night and this is what I came up with. They were a hit and there were no leftovers at the end of the party. 

½ Stick of Butter (you can also use margarine as a substitute)
10.5 oz bag of mini marshmallows
6 cups of fruity pebbles
wax paper
9x9 pan
Non stick spray

Line your pan with wax paper so that all the sides are protected. Lightly spraying the paper with non stick spray will help as well.

-In a large pot melt the stick of butter on medium heat.
-Mix in mini marshmallows slowly making sure to coat in butter.
-Stir the mixture continuously (grease your spatula/spoon before hand)
-Once all the marshmallows are melted and are in a liquidy state slowly start to mix in the fruity pebbles.
-Once all of the cereal is evenly coated spoon into the pan.
Spread it out evenly. Place a sheet of wax paper on top so that you can press the cereal into all of the corners and evenly throughout the pan.

Let Cool. Cut into squares. You can also roll into balls or shape by hand once the mix has started to cool but has not hardened. 

Sausage and Peppers

As you may or may not know I am domestically challenged. This is the reason for this blog after all...
Well the area I suffer the most is in the kitchen. I cannot cook. Or rather, I DO NOT cook, b/c as it turns out I can cook pretty darn well when I put my mind to it.

Lord Hill has been asking me to make one of my signature dishes for a little over a week so this Saturday I finally got around to it. It's Sausage and Peppers and I thought I'd share my recipe with some step by step photos.

Be sure to let me know if you give it a try!

INGREDIENTS:

• 7 Sweet Italian sausage links
• 3 Green Peppers
• 1 or 2 large Spanish onions
• extra virgin olive oil in a misto sprayer... you can use PAM or another cooking spray or just plain olive oil if you choose.
• Salt

1.  Spray pan with olive oil. 
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. Slice peppers and onions into thin strips and place in pan. Mix well and sprinkle a dash of salt.
   
   
   
   
4. Bake at 350 degrees.
5. Brown Sausages in a pan.
   
   
   
   
6. After sausages are browned take out the peppers and onions and mix well. Place back in oven and continuing baking until peppers and onions start to soften.
7. Chop up sausages into bite size pieces and continue to quickly brown all sides of pieces.
   
   
   
   
8. Add sausage to pepper and onions. Mix well. Add another dash of salt and lightly spray with olive oil.
9. Bake for 20 minute or until peppers and onions are the texture you desire.
   
   
   
   
10. Serve over white rice.