Four-Cheese Baked Ziti

If this looks rich, that's because it is, but it is oh so good!!! It sets up the same as lasagne and easily microwaves the next day!! This recipe was taken from the latest issue of Country Woman magazine.

Four-Cheese Baked Ziti

1 16-ounce package ziti or small tube pasta
2 cartons (10 ounce each) refrigerated Alfredo sauce
1 8-ounce cup sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1 15-ounce carton Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese (I used a four-cheese blend that included Romano)
1/4 minced fresh parsley
1-3/4 cups shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese

Cook the ziti according to the directions on the package. Drain and return to pan. Stir in both cartons of the Alfredo sauce and sour cream. Spoon half of this mixture into a lightly greased baking dish.

Combine the eggs, Ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, the Romano cheese and parsley (I did not put any parsley in mine). Spread this mixture over the pasta. Put remaining pasta mixture on top and then sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses.

Cover and bake this at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Uncover and let bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. (I actually broiled it for the last few minutes to get the cheese a little brown around the edges.) Enjoy!!

Appetizers Anyone?

This is an appetizer my dear husband made this weekend. He had it at food day at work and tried to replicate it. It tastes great!! I'm not sure I even have a name for it, so let's make something up.

Bacon-Wrapped Smokies (okay that works)

1 package bacon, thin cut
1 package beef smokies
brown sugar

You will need to cut the bacon in half. It's easier if it's still in the package and then take a knife and slice the bacon right down the middle. Wrap a piece of the bacon around each smokie and seal with a toothpick. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Bake at 375 degrees on a rack you can set on top of your baking sheet until bacon is crisp, but not overdone. That way the grease will drip on the bottom of the baking sheet. You'll need to keep checking these.

We polished these off in no time at all. When you get to be older, you also realize that grease has an effect on you. So, maybe eat these in moderation if you can. Enjoy!!

Okay, I've got to start posting something other than recipes. It's just that we've been doing so much cooking lately and I'm always on the lookout for new recipes, that I just assume others are also. Have a blessed day!

Delicious Pumpkin Bread

This recipe was pulled from Allrecipes.com. I love that website!!

Delicious Pumpkin Bread

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Stir the above ingredients into a large bowl. Take a mixing spoon to blend.

Add the following to the above.

2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Beat until well combined. Pour batter into greased 7 x 3 pans and put into preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!!

Cream Cheese Cookies

This is a very easy recipe from over at Making Home. It's cream cheese cookies and it only takes 4 items. I was in the mood to do some light baking this afternoon, so this recipe came in handy.

Cream Cheese Cookies

1 box cake mix (any kind)
2 eggs
1 8-ounce block cream cheese
1 stick butter

This recipe on her site called for 1 egg, but I was having problems getting all the ingredients to blend so I added another egg. Also, I used a german chocolate cake mix. It will help if your butter and cream cheese are at room temperature. Mix all ingredients together and drop by tablespoon onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 13 minutes. I like them just a little underdone. These cookies have the consistency of a cake-type cookie. Enjoy!!

Gumdrop Cookies

I've been experimenting with different types of cookies for the past few months to take to our craft and cookie sale at church. Today, I pulled one from Gooseberry Patch's Christmas in the Country. I must say these are really good, and am thinking about taking several dozen of them. Here's the recipe.

Spiced Gumdrop Cookies (I used the Brach's Spice Drops)

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup gumdrops, chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

First, I should say that I didn't use any nuts. Mix together the sugar, the brown sugar, shortening, beaten eggs, and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients. Add the gumdrops and nuts (if you wish). Mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for a little under 15 minutes. Watch carefully toward the end to make sure they don't get too brown. This made about 3-1/2 dozen cookies for me. Enjoy!!

Holiday Morning French Toast

Even though it's not quite the holidays, there are foods that I just want to start making now. This was one of the recipes I wanted to try. It is from the Gooseberry Patch Christmas in the Country cookbook.

Holiday Morning French Toast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon cinnamon, divided
3-4 granny smith apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup raisins
1 loaf French of Italian bread, sliced 1-inch thick
8 to 9 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Combine the brown sugar, butter, and one teaspoon cinnamon in a lightly greased deep 9 x 13 baking pan. Add the apples and raisins (I omitted the raisins); toss to coat well and spread the apple mixture in the bottom of the pan. Arrange slices of bread on top (I used good 'ole Texas Toast); set aside. Blend together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and the rest of the cinnamon until well mixed. Pour mixture over the bread, making sure all the bread is covered. Cover and refrigerate 4-24 hours (I made before bedtime and left in refrigerator overnight.). Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

It was really good on a cold morning like this morning. After slicing and putting on a serving plate, I drizzled with warm maple syrup. Enjoy!!

Halloween Cupcakes

We have a Halloween party to attend tonight for children with disabilities and our family volunteered to bring cupcakes. These were plain old cupcakes out of the box, and then I used Wilton's Buttercream frosting (idea taken from "The Sparrow's Nest" blog) to finish up. I also used both orange and black edible glitter to make them a little nicer. Cupcakes are one of my favorite things to make and I enjoy decorating them so much!! Have a blessed weekend!!

Country Breakfast Casserole

I pulled this recipe from over at allrecipes.com--one of my favorite websites!! I did modify some of the quantity of the ingredients. Breakfast casseroles are so wonderful!! This is very easy to make and tastes delicious!!

Country Breakfast Casserole

1 lb. of breakfast sausage
1/8 cup of onion (add enough onion for your taste)
1-1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (or your choosing)
5 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons milk
3/4 package (2.64 ounce) country gravy mix
5 slices bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons melted butter (I think I used a little more)
paprika to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 11 x 8 inch baking dish. (I have none that size so I used a 9 x 13.)

Brown the sausage and drain the grease. Mix the onion and sausage together and spread over bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle cheese on top. Whisk the eggs, water, milk, and gravy mix and pour over the cheese and sausage. Take your bread cubes and put evenly over the top. I then drizzled the melted butter over the bread. I did not use any paprika.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes in the oven or until done. I took the tin foil off after the 40 minutes and baked an additional 5-7 minutes so the bread would get crispy. Enjoy!!

I LOVE Cookbooks!!

...don't you? I love very practical cookbooks. This Gooseberry Patch cookbook, Christmas in the Country, has some wonderful recipes that I can't wait to try now that the weather is turning colder. I've picked up many cookbooks throughout the years, and some I just keep reaching for again and again, and I'm sure this will be one of them. You know how it is when you are searching for a recipe, and then you skim the ingredient list, and realize there is not a store near you that sells any of the exotic spices the recipe calls for. I have a few cookbooks like that and I haven't looked at a recipe in them for years. I love comfort foods and this cookbook has plenty of recipes along that line--especially some wonderful breakfast recipes I can't wait to try.

What is your favorite cookbook?

Chicken and Noodles

Chicken and noodles we make at our home are pretty simple. We don't use many ingredients and it's simple to put together. Fall is a busy time around our home with many gardening projects and our children's and church events. I do as much slow cooking as possible.

Chicken and Noodles

8 ounces homestyle noodles
1 large can of Swanson chicken broth (49 ounce size)
2 cans Swanson white meat chunk chicken breast (9-3/4 ounce cans)

Bring your chicken broth to a boil. Cook your noodles in the chicken broth. Read your directions for how long your noodles should cook--normally 10-12 minutes, but some types of noodles take longer. Place your cooked noodles and broth, along with the chicken meat, in a slow cooker on low for a few hours. This can be served for dinner with a vegetable and dinner rolls or bread.

You can also use cooked chicken breasts that you have cut up in place of the canned chicken. I prefer the canned--I think it's because it has the right amount of salt. I don't put any seasonings in this--just pepper when we sit down to eat. Have a blessed day!!

Caramel Apples

As you can tell by the date of this photo, we cheated--we made caramel apples in July!! And we didn't even melt all of the caramels. We happened to be at Cracker Barrel, and they had this kit which came with the sticks, a tray of caramel (all you had to do was heat it in the microwave), and sprinkles, chopped nuts, and toffee bits. The kit was not too expensive--I should have purchased a couple of them, because the next time I went back to Cracker Barrel, there weren't any. I wanted to save it for the Fall, but my son had other ideas so, needless to say, we had them in late July. Now is the perfect time to be making caramel apples with your children, and it is a wonderful way to enjoy being in the kitchen and spending time together!! Have a blessed day!!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I have been experimenting making different types of cookies for a craft and cookie sale being held later this year at our church. I made these cookies last week and my younger son said they "were delicious." This recipe was pulled from allrecipes.com and, if you like peanut butter, you will like these!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap the peanut butter cups, put them in a plastic-type container, and then put them in the freezer. (A lot of the comments on allrecipes.com suggested doing this as they won't melt when you are pushing them into your cookie later--I agree with this.)

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda, then set aside.

Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter, and brown sugar until fluffy, then set aside. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and milk (I would add one more tablespoon of milk to make them a little more moist) to your sugar mixture. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.

Shape these into 40 balls (I believe mine made around 32 or so) and place each ball into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 7-1/2 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. I then sprinkled with decorative sprinkles. Cool and carefully remove from the pan. These are best eaten within a day or two of making them. Enjoy!!

Chicken with Sauce

...Bone Suckin' Sauce, that is! This sauce is wonderful, and the next time you are at Cracker Barrel Restaurant, you might want to pick some up. I originally picked up the original style of this sauce, and then went on-line an ordered some of their thicker style.

Chicken with Sauce

4 chicken breasts
1 jar Bone Suckin' Sauce

Place the chicken breasts (I used frozen) in a slow cooker on low for about 5 hours. Take them out after that time and then cut them into chunks. Remove the chicken juices from the slow cooker and discard. Put the chicken back into the slow cooker and pour the sauce on top. You can then cook on low for another 3-4 hours. Enjoy!!

The sauce is really good, and so I wised up and googled "Bone Suckin' Sauce" and ordered several bottles to keep on hand. I have also used the original style of the sauce with chunks of chicken and pit ham slow cooked together. The combination of the two meats with the sauce also tastes really good! Have a blessed day!!

Brats!!

We love brats!! I should also say that we bought these brats from Kurzweil's Country Meats in the Kansas City, Missouri, area. They've got lots of great meats, but somehow we managed to attach quite well to all the wonderful brats and polish sausage they have! They are delicious! And when we travel to Kansas City or Branson, we always make sure to stop there on the way home.

Brats with Peppers and Onions

1 package of your favorite brats
1 small onion, sliced into thin rings

1-2 peppers (or more), sliced into thin strips or rings

Place the brats in a slowcooker for 2-3 hours on low. When they are heated through, remove them and brown them in 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. (Sometimes if you cook them long enough in the slow cooker, they will brown themselves--this just speeds up the process a little bit.) Then put the brats back in the slowcooker. Take your sliced onions and peppers and put them into the same frying pan with the remaining oil and heat through until a little brown or almost tender. Put the peppers and onion in the slowcooker with the brats and let all heat through. You will be able to tell when it's done by the softness of the peppers and onions. You can either eat these plain or put on your favorite brat buns!! Enjoy

Hot Beef Sandwiches

This is a recipe found over at allrecipes.com. I made them last year for my husband, and he really liked them. Needless to say, they've become a regular in our home.

Hot Beef Sandwiches

1-1/2 to 1-3/4 pounds sirloin tip steak
1 packet of Italian salad dressing mix (dry)
1-1/2 cups water

Place your steak in a slow cooker. Cover with water and add salad dressing mix (I believe mine was the zesty style). Cook on low for 7 hours, then up to high for 1-2 hours. Take the meat out when finished, put on a plate and shred with a fork. (You will know when the meat is done because it will shred very easily.) Place the meat back in the slow cooker for a few minutes to mix with the juices, then serve on your favorite hoagie-style roll. You can use the juices for dipping. You should be able to get 4 sandwiches out of this recipe, depending on how much of the beef you place on each roll. Enjoy!

Sauce for Meatballs

We like meatballs, both homemade and frozen. And if you can find a good sauce or gravy to put on them, they're even better!! This is a very simple recipe that was given to me by another parent at the school where our children attend. She took them for Teacher Appreciation Day, and they loved them!! I make this at home when I'm crunched for time, and it's a great slow cooker sauce.

Sauce for Meatballs

1 cup ketchup
1 cup grape jelly

That's it!! Simply make your favorite meatballs, or use frozen. Put the meatballs in the slow cooker and then add the ingredients above to the slow cooker. You can increase the amount in equal parts if you want more sauce. It doesn't look too appetizing when you add the jelly, but after it cooks down, it's wonderful!! It normally takes 2-1/2 to 3 hours for the sauce to blend together. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Salad

Whenever you are short on time and looking for a quick sandwich to make, this recipe is fast and easy.

Easy Chicken Salad

1 can of white chicken breast (9.75 ounce)

1 to 1-1/2 tbsp. green onion tops

2 to 3 tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese

3 tbsp. mayonnaise

Seasoned black pepper to taste

Mix the first four ingredients together (you may need to shred the canned chicken with a fork), and then add pepper to taste. Serve on your favorite bread. This basic recipe will make 2 to 3 sandwiches. I've also used a little onion powder or some chopped onion if I don't have green onion. This recipe is very easy to double or triple. I've tripled the recipe and then put the mixture on cocktail buns to take to fellowship gatherings. You won't need any salt in this recipe because of the canned chicken. Enjoy!

P.S. If anyone can tell me what to do to make my ingredient list show up with single spacing, I would appreciate it very much.

Sausage Cheese Bake

This recipe was found over at Cooks.com. You can make it for breakfast or for brunch. I've taken it to church events--it's easy to make and tastes pretty good.

Sausage Cheese Bake

1 pound pork sausage
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon mustard
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or use any kind)
2 slices bread

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with Pam cooking oil. Tear the bread into pieces to cover the bottom of baking dish. Saute sausage until brown. Beat the eggs with milk and mustard. Layer the bread, sausage, and cheese in the dish, and then pour the egg mixture over the top. Cover and put in refrigerator overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of mustard--I would cut that amount back to 1/2 teaspoon and use a mustard which is subtle in flavor. Also, the recipe calls for it to bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes--the times I've made this, it takes longer to cook and at a higher temperature. So I bake it the first 1/2 hour at 350 degrees, then bake it another 20-25 minutes at 375-400 degrees and remove the tin foil so it can lightly brown. You may want to see what temperature works best for your oven.

Enjoy!!

Easy Goulash

For a quick and easy meal, try goulash. It's fairly basic and tastes wonderful. Here's the recipe I use.

Easy Goulash

1 pound hamburger

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can tomatoes (15-16 ounce)

1 can tomato sauce (15-16 ounce)

2 cups small elbow macaroni, uncooked

Seasoned black pepper

Salt

Paprika

Saute chopped onion and chopped green pepper in olive oil and set aside. Brown hamburger in same pan used for onion and pepper and drain when finished. Add onion, green pepper, tomatoes and tomato sauce to browned hamburger. While this is simmering, cook the macaroni. When macaroni is finished cooking, add to hamburger mixture. Finish by adding seasoned black pepper, salt, and paprika to taste. Let simmer for a few minutes until heated through before serving.

You can always add an orange pepper or red pepper in place of the green one--or use a pepper from the garden. Also, for those of you who garden and can tomatoes, pull out a jar of those tomatoes instead of one from the grocery store.

Serve with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!!

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Baking is one of my favorite things to do. This recipe is from one of my children's teachers, and it has become one of our favorites.

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup oatmeal

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 ounces chocolate chips

In large bowl, mix the sugar, brown sugar, and butter until creamy. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and eggs into the sugar/butter mixture stirring until well blended.

In another bowl, mix flour, oatmeal, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the above creamed mixture and mix well until blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoon on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes (or until cookie edges start to brown). Let cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet.

These cookies are wonderful!! I mix all ingredients by hand and use a small "scooper" so the cookies are formed the same size. And adding some extra chocolate chips make them a little richer!! You can also place cookie dough by rounded teaspoons onto baking sheet, place in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes, then place the frozen cookies into a container. This way, you will be able to bake a few at a time whenever you want them. It also helps if they are at room temperature before you bake them. Enjoy!!