Breakfast Ring

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped broccoli
1/4 cup chopped onion
3oz cream cheese
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3/4 cup cubed cooked ham
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cans (8 oz each) crescent dinner rolls

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add broccoli and onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs, milk, salt and pepper until well combined. Add egg mixture to vegetables in skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When eggs are set but still moist, stir in ham and cheese.

Unroll cans of the dough; separate into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles on large round stone with short side of the triangles toward the center of the circle, overlapping into wreath shape and leaving a 4 inch hole in center.Spoon egg mixture onto widest part of dough.

Pull end points of triangles over filling and tuck under dough in center to form ring - some filling may be visible.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Serve warm.

My suggestion: add more ham and also sprinkle some cheese on the top after you remove it from the oven

Mini Ham Puffs

Ingredients:
1 pkg (2.5 oz) processed ham or smoked turkey, finely chop
2 T. finely chop onion
1/2 c. (2 oz) shredded Swiss or cheddar cheese
1 egg
1 T. snipped fresh parsley
1 1/2 t. Dijon mustard
1/8 t. ground black pepper
1 pkg (8 oz) refrigerated flaky biscuits

Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly spray Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan with Pam. Finely chop ham & onion using Food Chopper; place in Batter Bowl. Add cheese, egg, parsley, mustard and black pepper; mix well.


Separate each biscuit into three layers. Press one layer of biscuit dough into each muffin cup using lightly floured Mini-Tart Shaper. Using Sm-Scoop, fill each muffin cup with a scoop of ham mixture.

Bake 12-14 min. or until puffs are light golden brown. Remove from pan; serve immediately.

Yield: 24 appetizers
per serving: (2 appetizers): Cal. 110, Fat 6 g, Sat. Fat 2 g, Chol. 25 mg, Carb. 8 g, Pro. 4 g, Sod. 260 mg, Fib. 0 g

Chocolate Covered Prezels

Ingredients:
1/2 package of white almond bark
mini pretzels, large pretzel sticks, or large pretzel twists (not the "buttery" kind - plain, dry, pretzels)

Not too much to this... just melt almond bark in microwave safe bowl for 90 seconds. Stir. If it isn't melted completely microwave for 15 second intervals. If the almond bark doesn't thin enough add a touch of vegetable oil and mix.

In bowl drop a few mini pretzels. Turn and coat with almond bark with a fork. Pull pretzel out and drop onto waxed paper. Let set.

Note: When using sticks you could also melt chocolate almond bark for dipping and drizzle on pretzels that are coated with white almond bark.

Pecan Candy

Ingredients:
1 can condensed milk
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups pecans

In a heavy saucepan mix condensed milk and sugar before turning on heat. Cook on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until soft ball stage. (Soft ball stage is when candy forms a ball in cold water.)

Add vanilla and butter (this will make a noise!). Stir until combined. Add pecans and combine.

Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper or spread out and cut into squares or break apart.

Note: We tossed it into the freezer with a cutting board holding the wax paper to have it harden quicker.


Updates: The photo above is not the correct color, it should be more of a carmel color. We made this a 2nd time around and cooked it a bit longer making in darker.

Cornflake Cookies

Ingredients:
1 lb milk chocolate or chocolate almond bark
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup walnuts (either purchase already chopped or you will need to chop them)
1 cup dates (I purchased the chopped version so that I won't need to chop them)
5 cups cornflakes

Melt chocolates in microwave for 90 seconds in microwave safe bowl (use a large bowl as all ingredients will end up in this bowl - 8 cups +). Stir. If chocolates are not completely melted microwave for in 15 second intervals and stir.
Chop dates and walnuts if needed.

Stir in remaining ingredients.


When making this I had too small of a bowl (8 cup size) to mix things nicely... so... a bigger bowl :)

Drop mixture in spoonfuls onto wax paper. I found that the Pampered Chef's medium Stainless Steel Scoop works great for this when making these this year! Let set.

Once they have hardened you can stack them in a tin or other air tight container until you are ready to enjoy.

Lasagna

Ingredients:
2 lbs to 3lbs ground beef
4 cloves of garlic
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 package of 8oz package of wide lasagna noodles
1 12oz container of cottage cheese
8 oz Swiss cheese; shredded
4 oz mozzarella cheese; shredded


Brown beef and garlic in large skillet.

When beef is no longer pink add tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano and tomato sauce. Mix. Let simmer for 20 minuets.


In stock pot boil water with recommended salt amount on pasta box.

When noodles are soft, drain. In 9x13 pan place one layer or noodles. I can fit four the long way and then one on a short side. Divide ground beef into three even sections in pan.

Layer one section of the beef on top of the first layer of noodles.

Divide cottage cheese in three sections. Drop spoonfuls of one section of cottage cheese on ground beef. Divide Swiss and mozzarella cheeses into three sections. Sprinkle one section of Swiss and one section of mozzarella cheese on top of cottage cheese.

Repeat noodle layer, ground beef layer, cottage cheese layer, cheeses layer twice.


Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

Note: This lasagna is always better the next day when reheated. The first day it will fall apart on your plate. The next day you will be able to get an actual square piece out of the pan.

Scrambled Eggs

So this is one of those... no recipe items that I make often... and for Trisha - who claims to have always loved my eggs... this ones for you!

First, crack two eggs into a bowl... don't leave any egg shells in there either! Add a splash of milk. I'd say about 2 Tablespoons or so. Add salt and pepper to your liking or save that until they're done - either way. Whisk to mix.


Start a frying pan on medium high with a Tablespoon of butter in it (margarine or cooking spray works too... but butter tastes so much better!)


When butter has completely melted add a droplet of the egg/milk mixture. If it starts to form add the rest of the mixture. If not, then your pan isn't hot enough yet.


Now this is all preference... you can either chop up the egg or leave it kinda "whole"... Depends on my mood as to what I do... when serving it to others though I usually chop it up.


When there is no "juice" left you're done...


In photo: Scrambled eggs with my mom's homemade strawberry jam and butter on white toast.

Whopatooli

1 bottle of Rum
1 bottle of Vodka
1 package of Fruit Punch Kool-aid (the premixed kind)
2 liters of Sprite
2 liters of Raspberry Ginger Ale
100 slices of mixed fruit
6 cans of beer optional

Cut pieces of fruit (strawberries, apples, pears, pineapple, grapes, watermelon, peaches, banana, kiwi, anything else) and set aside.

Mix rum, vodka, kool-aid, sprite, ginger ale in a large container (I bought a tote from Target after Halloween). Add pieces of fruit and let soak overnight with the cover on.

Add beer if you want to just before serving as this increases the alcohol content but if added earlier will be "stale" and taste nasty.

Scoop or pour Whopatooli into a punch bowl and add some fruit and ice cubes.

Watch out as the fruit has soaked up a ton of the alcohol... don't give these to the kiddies! I made this for a party that we threw for our birthdays. It was a hit!

Why?

So I thought I would start this blog as a place where I can show the recipes that I'm making often... and even those not so often. I really want a place where I can have the whole recipe and ingredients from any computer. Some of these will be recipes that I grew up on, some are Pampered Chef ones (hummm wonder why?), and some are just found in other ways.

I'm planning on posting pictures of it when I make it... and of course give any helpful hints as needed.

So let's get to cooking... or baking... oh heck, how bout just eating????