Caramel Apple Sticky Buns

When my parents came to visit last weekend I decided to make this scrumptious treat.  Thank you Pioneer Woman, these were SOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!

Caramel-Apple-Sticky-Buns Recipe

No-Bake Macaroni & Cheese

This is a super easy, fast recipe and we had everything in our house so it was a perfect after work meal.

• 8 ounces elbow noodles (2 cups)
• 2 cups frozen chopped broccoli
• 1 3/4 cups milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

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Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta for 4 minutes. Add frozen broccoli and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and broccoli are just tender, 4 to 5 minutes more.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 cups milk in another large pot over medium-high heat until just simmering. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined. Add the flour mixture to the simmering milk; return to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in Cheddar, Parmesan and mustard until the cheese is melted.
3. Drain the pasta and broccoli and add to the cheese sauce. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat, until heated through, about 1 minute.

We topped ours with classic Tony Chachere's seasoning and Dane pointed out that it would be good to sprinkle more cheese on top and bake 

Delicious Chocolate Cake and Frosting

This recipe comes courtesy of my friend Erin. She made this cake for a BBQ this summer and it is amazing! I love it! (It might have something to do with the 2 sticks of butter....) It is even easy to make, it is the first cake I have made that did not begin with getting a Betty Crocker box out of the pantry and it turned out pretty well :)

Cake

2 c flour
2 c sugar
1/4 salt
1 stick butter
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c water
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c cocoa powder
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c buttermilk with 1/2 tsp baking soda dissolved

Mix together flour, sugar and salt in large mixing bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, oil, water, vanilla and cocoa. Cook until it comes to a full boil. Add to dry ingredients and stir to incorporate. Add the buttermilk/soda mixture and the eggs, stirring vigorously to avoid scrambled eggs :) Pour into a greased sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. (I think this would work in a regular cake pan also, it would just need to bake longer and it would be thicker.)

Frosting

1 stick butter
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c cocoa powder

Right after cake comes out of the oven, cook the above ingredients until they come to a boil. Then remove from heat and add 2 cups powdered sugar. Stir until all lumps of powdered sugar are melted into the frosting. Pour over the hot cake and spread evenly.

Homemade Mac n Cheese

This is a favorite at our house....

2 cups elbow macaroni
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 ground mustard
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 c milk
2 c shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (I use whatever we have, usually mild Cheddar...the recipe suggests mixing half cheddar and half spicy cheese for some adventure)

Cook macaroni. Melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Add milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute, remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Add macaroni to sauce. Pour into 9x9 casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

My Dad's Pizza

I'm sorry I haven't posted anything! I am not the biggest blogging fan, I just try and keep up with my blog for our parents. But here it is at last...a post! I know you are all dying in anticipation
So I may be biased, but I think my dad is the greatest cook ever! And I know it is those fabulous Wilcox cooking genes. But this is one our fav's! His pizza recipe. I will not take credit for it at all because he 100% made it up. The dough, sauce and all!

Dough:
1 package,or 1 tablespoon yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 1/2-4 cups flour

Put yeast, warm water and honey in a bowl and let the yeast proof. After proofed, put in mixing bowl with and add salt, olive oil and flour. Knead for a few minutes. Let rise for 1 hour and punch down. Let rise again for 30 minutes and punch down. Split it in half and roll out one of those halves in a cookie sheet, its super hard to transfer. (this recipe makes 2 pizzas). And be liberal with flour while rolling out because it is sticky dough. (we just roll it out on a cookie sheet because we don't have a circle pan. My dad tosses it, but we aren't that tricky).

Sauce:
28 oz. can of tomatoes, Italian style
3 cloves garlic,crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Blend the tomatoes so they aren't chunky ( if you bought diced or whole tomatoes). Lightly brown the crushedd garlic in 3 Tbsp olive oil. Add blended tomatoes and cook over med/ high heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer for a half hour.

To put it together you have you dough rolled out. Put the sauce on, then mozzarella cheese. Then top with your favorite toppings!

Cook for about 10-15ish minutes at 450 degrees. It may be a little shorter then 10 or longer then 15, I can't remember. Just check that the crust is golden and the cheese is all melty.

This is our FAV pizza!

(here is one we made when Bryan's brother came to visit)

Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Who doesn't love oatmeal cookies? I love this recipe, the spices make your home smell like Christmas while they are baking!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, butter flavored shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light and golden. Do not overbake. Let them cool for 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely.

birthday cakes

since I just celebrated my 26th birthday I thought I'd share how to make one of the most fabulous cakes ever....

Ingredients

1 baked dome cake (baked in a 1-liter bowl, such as Pyrex)
1 baked 9" round cake
4 baked cupcakes
2 to 3 cups pink icing
2 green Hi-C Fruit Slices (hooves)
1 pink Hi-C Fruit Slice (mouth)
2 m&m's (nose
2 m&m's (eyes)
Red shoestring licorice (ears and eyelashes)
1 red Sour Belt (tail)

Instructions
For the basic shape, set a dome cake upside down in the center of a round cake and secure with icing, as shown.Cut one cupcake in half and place it as shown for the ears, then arrange two more cupcakes as legs. Add a cupcake snout.Frost the cakes and cupcakes pink and decorate as shown.

everyone will gwak at your talent and if you make this for your kiddies, I think you might win the title of best mom ever.  you would if I was your child any way.  for more cool cakes you can click here.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Who doesn't love a twice baked potato? Well this recipe is the best I've ever tasted and it is completely fat free!  (ok not really but I bet you got a little excited for a second :) )

8 Baking Potatoes
8 oz Cream Cheese
2 C Cottage Cheese
1/2 C Sour Cream
1/2 C - 1 C Swiss Cheese
1/2-1 C Milk
1 tsp Garlic
1/2-1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash potatoes, rub olive oil and salt on the skin then bake for 1 hour or until cooked well.  Remove from oven and let cool until slightly warm.  Slice off top half of potato.  Scoop out cooked potato and place in a large bowl; keep shells on the baking sheet.  Add remaining ingredients to potato and mix well.  Add more milk if necessary.  Fill empty potato shells with creamed mixture to overflowing.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until starting to brown.

If you like cheesy potatoes as much as I do, you can add cheddar cheese to the top of the potatoes in the last five minutes of cooking.

 

Jenn's Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
8 oz sliced mushrooms
hot cooked rice or angel hair pasta
1/4 c butter
0.7 oz package dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c white grape juice
4 oz chive and onion cream cheese

Place chicken and mushrooms in crock pot. Melt butter in sauce pan; stir in Italian dressing mix. Stir in soup, grape juice (you can substitute milk or water if you don't have grape juice) and cream cheese until combined. Pour over chicken and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Serve chicken over rice or pasta.

Smoked Gouda and Spinach-Stuffed Chicken

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
2 tsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
stuffing (below)

Smoked Gouda and Spinach Stuffing

5 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c shredded smoked Gouda (smoked Swiss would work also)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Drain spinach. Mix all ingredients for stuffing. Loosen skin from chicken but leave attached. Insert stuffing under skin. Place chicken, skin side up in greased baking dish. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes.

A fool's dinner!

chicken pot, chicken pot, chicken pot pie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yum.  if the recent weather has you down in the dumps warm up your soul with this tasty meal....

you'll need....

• 1 (4 1/2-inch) aluminum foil potpie tin
• 1 refrigerated piecrust (most 15-ounce packages contain 2 crusts, enough for 6 of our pies)
• Aluminum foil
• 1 egg (makes enough for 6 pies)
• 2 tablespoons water

• 1 (3.4-ounce) box instant vanilla or white-chocolate pudding (1 box makes enough for 3 pies)
• 1 yellow and 2 orange Starburst candies
• 1 green Chewy Jolly Rancher candy or green Tootsie Roll candy (we found the green Starburst candies to be too pale)
• 1 banana (makes enough for 6 pies)
• 1 to 2 dried apple rings or a 4-ounce bar of white chocolate (1 bar is enough for 6 pies)

hahahah!! Happy April fools! now go out and trick someone!!!!!! (oh and here is the remainder of the instructions!, you can find some more tom foolery here!)

1. Bake the crust:
   Heat the oven to 450°. Unroll or unfold a piecrust on your work surface. Using the upside-down potpie tin as a guide, cut a circle of dough about 1/2 inch larger than the tin. (If you're making more than one potpie, simply cut another circle from the dough. Reroll the scraps to cut out a third.) Crumple a piece of aluminum foil into a 1 1/2-inch ball and set it in the potpie tin. Cover it with a layer of foil to create a smooth mound, then lay the circle of dough on top. (A)
2. Now press the tines of a fork around the edge of the dough to crimp it, then use the fork to gently poke a few holes in the crust. (B)
3. Beat the egg with the water, then brush the mixture over the dough.
4. Set the pie tin on a baking sheet and bake the crust for about 10 minutes. Let it cool completely.
5. Make the filling:
   Prepare the pudding according to the package directions and refrigerate until serving time.
6. Create the faux chicken and vegetables:
   To make the Starburst or Tootsie Roll candies easier to work with, place them unwrapped on a paper plate and warm them in the microwave just until they're slightly softened, about 12 to 15 seconds. (The Jolly Rancher candies will soften from the warmth of your hands.) Once you've shaped them, lay the candies on waxed paper or a paper plate, set apart from each other so they won't stick together.
7. Corn kernels: Roll the yellow candy between your hands or on a clean work surface to create a 4-inch-long rope, then use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut the rope into 1/4-inch pieces. With your fingers, form each piece into a kernel by flattening one end and pinching the other.
8. Chicken: Use kitchen shears or a knife to cut the apple rings into 1/2-inch-wide pieces. If you're using white chocolate, chop or break it into roughly 1/2-inch-wide pieces.
9. Peas: Roll the green candy into a 5-inch-long rope. Cut the rope into 1/4-inch pieces, then roll each piece into a ball.
10. Potatoes: Peel the banana, slice off three 1/4-inch-thick pieces, then cut each piece into small cubes.
11. Cubed carrots: Cut each orange candy into 4 squares.
12. Assemble the pie:
    Just before serving time, spoon about 2/3 cup of the pudding into the pie tin.
13. Add the candies and the fruit to the pudding, then set the piecrust on top.

Turkey Meatloaf

I must admit, I don't like meatloaf. It is usually so dry and gross, but this meatloaf changed my mind, I love it!

1.25 lb ground turkey
1 packet Knorr's vegetable recipe mix (it is in the baking aisle at our grocery store)
4 egg whites
3/4 c old fashioned oatmeal
1 diced onion (we skip this)
1 c salsa
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c ketchup (we skip this)

Mix all ingredients together except ketchup. Grease 9x5 loaf pan. Place mixture into loaf pan. Spread ketchup on top (we skip the ketchup at our house). Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

We usually have some garlic mashed potatoes and salad on the side and it is a delicious meal!

the BEST sugar cookies ever

if you are ever feeling down in the dumps then you need these cookies in your life. not only will they give you a light fluffy sunny feeling and turn your despair around but they will also boost your confidence to levels you've never even felt before! no joke these cookies will do wonders for your self esteem, your popularity and best yet, your ego!

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
3 Tbl spoons of sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 3/4 cup flour.

I mix the wet ingredients first and then the dry. (another great thing about these cookies, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to get it just right!). once all the ingredients have been mixed well together divide the dough in half and wrap in saran wrap and put in the refrigerator for a few hours. I usually let my dough chill overnight, but if you're in a hurry a couple hours should be fine.

also to note, your dough might seem really sticky when you're done mixing it and wraping it with saran wrap, but I don't add any more flour because when I roll the dough out to cut the cookies I always sprinkle flour on the counter and on the rolling pin so it gets any extra flour it might need at this stage in the game. plus chilling the dough makes it less sticky.

now for the icing...

2/3 cup butter mixed with
3 cups powder sugar (add more if needed)
1/2  cup of milk and
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla 
1/2 teaspoon almond extract!

I dare anyone to write and tell me that after they made these cookies they weren't asked by more then one person (who they might not even have known) for the recipe!!!! they're just that good!

Dahlia Cookies!

I make these cookies when I need a change from chocolate! they are so so good! and even better warm....(as I suppose most cookies are)

12 Tbl butter (that's 1 and 1/2 cubes)
1 cup. sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1 tbl ginger
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tea baking soda
1/2 tea salt
1/2 tea cinnamon

Mix all wet ingredients and then stir in the dry ingredents.
If dough is too soft, put in fridge for about 20 minutes.
Roll into 1 inch balls, then roll in a bowl of sugar.
You can flatten the balls if you so desire, but I never do
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

they really are divine, we often get request to make more or pass along the recipe. and if you are scared about buying the molasses and ginger, don't be! I promise you will want to make them again and will be glad you had to buy a big ol' jar of the sticky stuff.

Skillet Baked Ziti

1 Tbls olive oil
6 garlic cloved minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt
1 (28oz) can crushed tomato's
3 cups water
12 oz ziti (3 3/4 cups)
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 oz parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
pepper
4 oz whole milk mozzerla cheese, shredded (1 cup)

heat the oven to 475 degrees
Combine oil, garlic and pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large skillet and saute over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, ziti, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the ziti is almost tender, 15-18 minutes.
Stir in the cream, Parmesan, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer all the ingredents into a shallow 2 quart casserole dish. sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the ziti and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes.
Serve and enjoy! (it is so so good)

Taco Soup

Dane and I were given this recipe by one of my co-workers in Logan and we have been loving it ever since!!

1 15oz can Chilli Beans

1 15oz can black Beans (can use kidney if you don't like black)

1 28oz can Tomato Sauce

1 4oz can Green Chillies

2 15 oz Cans of Corn

1lb Hamburger

1 Chopped Onion

1 pkg Taco Seasoning

1 Bag Tortilla Chips

1 Sour Cream, any size

Grated Cheese

Brown Onion & Hamburger Meat with Taco Seasoning

Combine meat and cans with juices (except the liquid from the corn) in a crock pot and cook away.

I usually turn it on in the morning on low and let it cook until dinner

Serve with Tortilla chips, Cheese and Sour Cream.

Also, avocado is delicious on top

Serving Size: A crock pot full