BBQ Cowboy Casserole {Recipe}

So way back when I had my baby, we had neighbors bringing us dinner for a few days.  We received all kinds of yummy food. One neighbor, who is an amazing cook, brought us what looked like a Shepard's pie.  But this little beauty had a little twist.   It was Bar-b-que sauce instead of tomato soup.  It was to die for delicious.  It is amazing what just one change can do to a recipe.  So I hit her up for the recipe and I am sharing it with you.  This is a version of a Martha Stewart recipe I was unable to find on the internet.  I have altered it a bit. I give you BBQ Cowboy Casserole or twisted Sheperd's Pie.  Whatever its called it's delicious.

Easy Homemade Fruit Roll Up's

Last week I attended SNAP!  While  hanging out with some fantastic bloggers I pulled out my Cracked Fruit.  I passed it around and had a little myself.  One of the girls asked what it was and if the recipe was on my blog.  I guess I thought everyone knew how to make homemade fruit crack. So I have never share my super amazing treat with you all. Easy Homemade Fruit Roll Ups!!

I have a love of all things fruity. Have I mentioned I have a fruit allergy??  I am super allergic to most fruits and some veggies.  I have a really hard time getting enough in my diet. A friend gave me this quick and easy recipe. An I LOVE it.  I can have a yummy sweet treat without all the sugar and preservatives.  It only takes 2 ingredients and your stove. This is my go to healthy snack.

Homemade Croutons {Recipe}

Salad Season is on its way. I can feel it!  Fresh fruits and vegetables are just waiting to spring up in home gardens every where.  And who doesn't love yummy croutons to top off their salad.  I love to make Chef and Cesar salads in the summer for my family with fresh homemade croutons. A few years back I was in a class with a chef who shared his homemade croutons. They are simple and easy.  They have no preservatives (which isn't a problem cuz they probably won't even make it to a ziploc for later.) These yummy little croutons could even become your evening snack like popcorn only better.

10 tips for Perfect Wheat Bread

For the past 7 years I have been making homemade Wheat bread. I have taken classes on grains and bread making.  I have tried several recipes over the years.  I decided that any  recipe can be great if you just have the right tips. So over the years I have found what works best for me. So today I am sharing my tips for amazing wheat bread. For my wheat bread recipe click {Here}

Chicken BLT Salad + Kraft Fresh Take = Delicious!

Recently I had the opportunity to try the new Kraft Fresh Take.  Have you seen those in the store? You can find them in the bagged cheese section of your local Walmart. Kraft Fresh Take are Cheese and flavored bread crumbs to make any dish just that much better.  I had seen them and wondered how they tasted.  With lots of flavors to choose from I took the plunge and bought a few to try. With salad season coming I needed a few new ideas.  I came up with a few old salads made new.

My first recipe is a Chicken BLT Salad

Tyson Family Meal Night {Cheese Steak Crescents}

Having dinner around the table is important to our family. We eat dinner together at least 5 nights a week. But some nights I am just not in the mood to make anything. I try really hard to keep a menu and plan ahead, but some nights I just don't have it in me. So I checked out Tyson's refrigerated meal products and recipes online. There are so many to choose from. After searching for a bit I came up with this simple and delicious recipe. It came together in minutes and my family loved it! Cheese Steak Crescent Rolls!

Starbucks {Knock off} Peppermint Brownies

Tis the season for peppermint brownies!  I love these little things.  Saturday was my free day from my 8 week healthy challenge.  I just had to make them. So I decided to share my recipe with all of you.  These are just like the Starbucks peppermint brownies. So yummy!  Warning you will need to find someone to share these with or you will eat them all.  Also I recommend a tall glass of milk!

BBQ Brisket (Recipe)

It's Brisket season.  My family loves Brisket.  It is one of those meals we have every so often. More, when I can find it on sale. For St. Patty's day we usually have corned beef brisket & cabbage just for a change.  But when we have brisket any other time we use this recipe.  It is delicious. I love that I can prepare it the night before and put it in my crock pot first thing in the morning.  It cooks all day and makes your home smell great. It is fall off the bone good! Serve with Garlic mashed potatoes and Grilled asparagus.  Yum!

5 week meal rotation calendar

Ever ask yourself what should I make for dinner??? I do, and it galls me. To understand my frustration let me start by admitting I am not a Type A personality. My craft room has half-finished projects scattered all over it, my house is not spotless or ordered, my children don’t do their chores or homework without constant prodding, and my husband sometimes comes home to a pile of unfolded laundry on the bed and front room full of toys.

I am, paradoxically, a prepper. Emergency preparedness and food storage are right in my wheel house. I get a great deal of satisfaction in seeing my storage shelves fill with food and having enough water to fill a small pool should the need arise.

Because of my love of preparedness and my complete disdain for coming up with a daily menu, I developed what I have named my 5 Week Meal Rotation and made it part of my Command Center {here}. 

Breakfast Smoothie

The past few weeks I have been participating in a Get Healthy 8 week challenge. I have teamed up with 15 other ladies. We have pledged to get healthy.  For more information to start your own group click here.

In starting the challenge I was worried about meeting all the requirements.  My number one worry was consuming enough fruits and vegetables.  I have terrible allergies to raw fruits and vegetables.  This makes meeting the requirements difficult.  So today I am sharing one way to get a serving of fruits and veggies in before lunch time.

Cheeseburger Soup {Recipe}

I love warm soup on a Cold snowy day. There is just something comforting about it. I try to have at least one dinner a week be soup.  This weeks recipe is one of my favorites, Cheeseburger Soup.  This creamy soup is packed full of flavor and veggies. Perfect for a cold winter day!

Chicken Bowl Casserole {Recipe}

Have you ever had the chicken bowl at KFC???  It is one of my favorite things there.  I love the flavors all coming together.  Potatoes, corn, cheese....Yummy!  I decided to make my own.  Its just like making a Shepherds pie only chicken instead of hamburger. Comfort food at its finest!

I love this go to meal.  It is a back up I keep on busy days.  You can make it ahead and bake at your leisure.  It also make s a great meal to make and take to a sick friend or new mom just add a salad and rolls for a complete meal.

Fried Scones {Recipe}

Many people hear the word Scone and thing of the crumbly bread like treats they sell at Starbucks or your local coffee house. I am a Utah girl. In Utah they are more like fry bread or Beingets.

Side note: Beingets are the best if you haven't tried on find them and don't share. 

Cafe Du Monte, in the French quarter of New Orleans are the best.  I loved getting these 

when I flew into New Orleans, even if they were made at the Airport. 

I have looked may places to make Scone dough.  Recently I was purchasing it from a local food storage store made by Augason Farms.  Super good stuff. They even have Gluten Free. I still buy it for my food storage but I also came across this recipe from a friend and fell in love.  It is super simple to make and you don't need anything fancy to make them.  I don't even use my Mixer.  I just do it by hand. Here is how you do it!!
Dissolve:
4 1/2 C. Hot water (105*)
1 Can Evaporated Milk
3 TB Yeast
Add:
1 C. Sugar
1 1/2 TB Salt
1/3 C. Oil
Slowly add 13-15 Cups of Flour (at 10 cups start monitoring closely until it doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl.)
Let rise until doubles in size. About 30 minutes. Rise again for 30 minutes. Roll dough on floured surface about 1/2 inch thick. cut into squares or shapes.  Fry in 3 inches or more of oil or bake on greased cookie sheets at 350* for 10-15 minutes. Serve with Honey butter, powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar.

This recipe makes A LOT of Scones.  For my family of 6, I half the recipe.  We have plenty to eat and some left over for a midnight snack or breakfast.  You can also make half into scones and the other half into bread.   It makes about 2 loaves.

These are also fantastic for Navajo Tacos. Cut your dough into larger pieces. Fry them up and add  all the fixins' instead of honey butter. I hope you family enjoys these as much as mine does!!
To make a printable version of this recipe head over to Recipe Magic.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs {recipe}

Party food is almost here.  This {Sweet} recipe is just what you need for your next party! They are super easy to make and cook up in a crock pot.  Just fix it and forget it.  Every member of family loves these.  It is one of the few meals they will all eat until they can't move.

Bag of Pre-made plain meatballs.  I get mine at walmart.
2 Cup Ketchup
2 small cans Tomato sauce
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1/2/ cup white sugar
1/4 cup Vinegar
2 TB. Worcestershire Sauce
2 TB pineapple juice (add pineapple chunks to your liking)*
1/2 cup diced green pepper for flavor

Mix all ingredients in a crock pot for 2 hours. 1 hour on high, 1 hour on low. Serve over rice for dinner. Or for a party serve with toothpicks as a side.

*(For the pineapple I use a small can of chunk pineapple and just add the whole can. Juice and chunks. If you like lots of pineapple add a larger can but only the 2 tbls of juice.)

Chocolate Mousse Balls

These little lovelies are a family favorite.  They kind of don't last a day in our house. These yummies have 2 simple ingredients and come together in about 30 minutes.

4 large chocolate bars (6 oz each or larger)
1 large Cool whip
Nuts
coconut
Nilla wafers

Break up chocolate bars in to pot or microwavable bow.  Melt chocolate on low heat in double boiler or in Microwavable bowl.  Stirring every 30 second or so until melted.

Fold cool whip into melted chocolate. Until completely mixed.

Let sit for a bit to allow the chocolate to solidify a bit.

Next using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop mixture into balls and roll in nuts, wafers or coconut   I think they would be super yummy rolled in potato chips. Place rolled ball onto wax paper.  Place in cool place to set up.

Enjoy a few for yourself and share a few with your neighbors.  They melt in your mouth!!