Edible Aquarium

The kids LOVE this...thank you Kris for sending me the recipe book!!!! I'm not going to post the recipe unless someone wants it but it's super easy=)

Strawberry Twinkie Jubilee

This is sooooo good. I'm not going to look up the nutritional information though...

Ratings:

Mom: 8 1/2

Hunter 10

Corrine 9

Strawberry Twinkie Jubilee
Items Needed:
14 Hostess Twinkies
2 boxes strawberry gelatin
2 cups hot water
2 boxes vanilla instant pudding
1 cup milk
1 container whipped topping
1 pint of strawberries, sliced

DIRECTIONS:
Line 13 by 9 inch cake pan with Twinkies. Mix gelatin with HOT water. Stir in cherries. Pour over Twinkies. Mix pudding with cold milk. Pour over dessert and top with whipped topping. Decorate with strawberries and refrigerate.

Thin Mint Crackers

These were soooo good and cheap! We substituted semisweet chocolate chips for the bittersweet. We'll be making them again...and they taste lots better than they look=)

Thin Mint Crackers

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound bittersweet chocolate

80 buttery round crackers

1/2 teaspoon peppermintextract

DIRECTIONS:

1.Using a double boiler method, melt the chocolate coatings over hot tapwater for 15 - 20 minutes. Stir . Do not cook or get water into thechocolate.

2.After it is melted, stir in a couple drops of peppermint flavor into thechocolate.

3.Dip crackers into the melted chocolate and then place onto a cold cookiesheet and put into the refrigerator to set. (A freezing tray to rest thedipped cookies will keep the bottoms neat looking.)

4.In a few minutes take them out and package in candy cups. The cookies arebest kept at room temperature or a cool dry place away from any odors.

Farmers Market

After snapping all the beans I boiled them with bacon and red potatoes(all from the Farmers Market). Delicious!

Potato Skins

These were a big hit! Justin was screaming that I wasn't feeding him fast enough even!

POTATO SKINS WITH CHEESE AND BACON

8 baking potatoes

2 lbs. bacon

1 lb. Cheddar cheese (shredded)

Bake potatoes until done. Cut in half and clean out majority of potato leaving skin and about 1/8 inch of potato. Fry bacon until crisp then crumble; set aside. Fry potato skins in bacon grease until crisp (turn them one to two times). Drain skins on paper towels. Mix inside of potatoes with cheese and put back in the potatoes. Top with bacon. These toppings can be varied - olives, tomatoes, salsa, chicken, ground beef, barbeque sauce, various cheeses. Broil until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and chives.

Bacon Veggie Fried Rice

I think I'm the fourth person on the recipe group to make this...after the rave reviews we had to try it. Served this with lettuce wraps...

Ratings:

Sabrina 10

Hunter 10

Corrine 18,000

Justin "BITE!!"

Bacon veggie fried riceINGREDIENTS

1 1/3 cups uncooked white rice

1 2/3 cups water

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1/4 pound bacon, cut into strips

1/8 cup soy sauce

1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed

2 green onions, chopped

DIRECTIONS

In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, season eggs with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in small frying pan, pour in eggs. Coat the bottom of the pan with the eggs, in order to cook them evenly; cook for about 3 minutes. Flip the eggs, cook one minute more and remove them to a cool surface. Let them cool, then cut them into thin slices. Set aside.

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

Spoon remaining 2 teaspoons oil into the skillet with the bacon fat. Stir in rice; break up any clumps and toss to coat with oil. Stir in bacon, soy sauce, peas, eggs and green onions. Stir and cook until heated through, approximately 3 minutes.

Chicken N Dumplings

I had a ton of chicken I'd cooked and deboned to use up. Comfort food at it's finest!

Ratings:

Sabrina 9

Hunter 10

Corrine 9

Justin loved the dumplings and gravy but not the chicken

Chicken and dumplings

Ingredients:
5 pounds cooked cut up chicken pieces
4 cups chicken stock
2 green onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
parsley
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground black
pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pot place chicken pieces and add the chicken stock, onion, celery and 3 teaspoons of the salt. Put heat on medium low and simmer, partially covered, 15 to 20 minutes.

2.To Prepare Dumplings: In a large mixing bowl beat together the egg and milk. Add the flour, remaining salt and baking powder and mix all together. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is crumbly. Add 1 tablespoon of the parsley and mix. In large spoonfuls, drop dumpling mixture onto the top of the simmering chicken. Cover the pot and let all simmer for 10 minutes more.

3. To Make Gravy: Remove dumplings to a large serving bowl. Cover and set aside, keeping warm. Stir 1/2 Cup flour into the stock. Bring all to a boil, stirring constantly, to thicken. Return dumplings to pot, stir gently. Serve with remaining parsley.

Creamy Lemon Squares

I gave this a 9 and everyone else gave it a 10.

Creamy Lemon Squares

1 cup graham crumbs
½ cup flour
1/4 firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 non-hydrogenated margarine
1 pkg (250g) cream cheese - light or regular softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp of flour
3 tbsp grated lemon peel
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp icing sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 8 inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan, set aside.
Combine crumbs, ½ cup flour and the brown sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.: press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min.
Meanwhile, beat cream cheese spread and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and 2 tbsp flour - mix well. Blend in 1 tbsp of the lemon peel, lemon juice and baking powder, pour over crust.
Bake 25 to 28 min or until centre is set. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with icing sugar and garnish with remaining lemon peel, if desired, just before cutting into squares to serve. Store leftovers in fridge. Makes approx 16 squares.