York Peppermint Pattie Brownies

1 1/2 c. butter (3 sticks) melted
3 c. sugar
1 T vanilla
5 eggs
2 c. flour
1 c. Hersheys Cocoa
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
24 York Small Peppermint Patties

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir together butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs. Stir until blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt- blend well. Set 2 c. batter aside. Spread the batter into a 13x9 GREASED pan. Unwrap the patties. Arrange in a single layer over the batter at 1/2 an inch apart. Spread the remaining batter over the top. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely.

Almond Roca

1/2 c. butter
2 c. sugar
3 T. water
2 large Hershey Almond Bars

Lightly spray a cookie sheet. Grate one Almond Hershey bar and place the rinds on the cookie sheet. Melt the butter in a pan on the stove. Add the sugar and water to the butter and bring to a rolling boil- stir frequently until it turns the color of a dark caramel. (Can stir in small chopped almond pieces here if desired right before you take it off the burner.) Spread on top of the grated chocolate on the cookie sheet. Top with another grated Hershey Almond Bar and cool in the freezer for 1/2 an hour. Break into pieces.

Snickerdoodles

1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 2/3 c. sifted flour
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt

Mix all ingredients together. Roll into small balls and roll in a cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Lemon Bars

Crust:
1 c. soft butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 c. flour

Filling:
4 eggs
6 T lemon juice
2 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour

To make the crust, cream the butter, sugar, and flour. Spread and press into a 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
To make the filling, beat the eggs, and add the lemon juice. Mix the sugar and flour together, and then add them to the egg mixture. Pour the filling over slightly cooled crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until set. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. chocolate chips
1 egg
1/3 c. peanut butter (I like crunchy pb for this part, but either works)
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. flour
1 c. oatmeal

Icing:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T creamy peanut butter
2 T milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugars together. Add the egg and peanut butter and mix well. Stir in the dry ingredients. Press into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. While that is cooking mix up the icing. Remove bars from the oven and drizzle with the icing. Cool completely.

Peanut Butter Bars

picture courtesy of www.stylishcuisine.com

First off... these are SO good. I used to make these when I had roommates... and then had to refrain, because I would put them in the fridge to cool off and come  back 20 minutes later to find out that my roommates had eaten them ALL without leaving me any haha. They tend to disappear quickly!!

1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. dried oats
4 c. powdered sugar
1 c. softened margarine
1 (12 oz) bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix and press the ingredients into a sprayed 9x13 inch pan. Melt the bag of chocolate chips and spread the chocolate on top of the peanut butter mixture in the pan. Refrigerate for 1/2 of an hour. Cut the bars. Replace back in the refrigerator and cool for 1 hour.

Russian Tea Cakes (Nut Butter Balls)

1 c. butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. almond extract or 2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 c. finely chopped walnuts

Mix all ingredients together well. Roll into balls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cookies until light brown (about 15 minutes.) When slightly cooled, roll in powdered sugar.  Then promptly stuff your face :)

Chalupa Supreme (Taco Bell Copy Cat)

Chalupa Indian Fry Bread
2 1/2 c. flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 T vegetable shortening
1 c. milk
canola oil for frying

Supreme Filling
1 lb ground beef
1/4 c. flour
1 T chili powder
1 t paprika
1 t salt
1 T dried onion flakes
1/2 c. water
cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes

To make the Indian fry bread mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Add the milk and stir. Shape the dough into a cylinder and cut into 8 equal sized pieces. Flour hands, and then work the pieces into 6 inch rounds. With a fork poke the dough (keeps large bubbles from forming while frying.) Heat your oil on the stove between med and med-high heat until for about 15 minutes until it is warm enough to fry. Fry in oil until golden brown. Place on a paper towel lined sheet to drain off excess oil. Keep warm in oven.

For filling: Mix the dry onion with the water and let stand for 5 minutes. In a small bowl combine the chili powder, paprika, salt, flour, and onion after its sat. Brown the ground beef. Once browned, add the chili powder mixture and simmer for 2 minutes until flavors combine.

Top your Indian Fry Bread as follows: beef mixture, sour cream, lettuce, shredded cheese, and then tomato. Fold in half like a taco and enjoy.

Lemon Drop Cookies (Cream Cheese Cookies)

1/4 c. butter
1/4 t. vanilla
1 (8 oz) cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1 box cake mix (LEMON)

This can be done with several different kinds of cake mix (devils food, chocolate, lemon, rainbow chip, etc.) However, lemon stands to be my favorite! Cream the butter, cream cheese, egg yolk, and vanilla together. Add cake mix and mix together. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Form the dough into tsp sized balls, and then roll in granulated sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet (if it is an old pan grease it really lightly.) Press down on cookies lightly. Bake cookies 10 minutes---DO NOT OVERBAKE. These are also fun to make several different flavors at a time!

Wendy's Frosty

4 c. vanilla ice cream
8 t. nesquik chocolate
1 c. milk

combine all of the ingredients in the blender. blend on medium stopping to stir several times with a long spoon. Makes about 2 servings technically, however.... its easy to consume it entirely by yourself, so you best double or triple the recipe if anyone else is present :) Adjust nesquik chocolate to own personal preference

Girl Scout Samoa Cookies

Cookies:
1 c. butter softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Topping:
3 oz sweetened shredded coconut
12 oz bag of caramels
3 T milk
1/4 t salt
12 oz bag semisweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar together and then add the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well with mixer. (I split this part into 2 or 3 batches--->) Roll the dough into between wax paper until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies using 1 1/2 inch cookie cutter (or just the top from one of your spice bottles). Use the end of a straw to punch holes in the center of cookies. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until bottoms are light brown.

Make topping by spreading coconut evenly on a baking sheet. Toast the coconut at 300 degrees for 5 minutes and then stir it. Put it in for 5 minutes again and then stir. Repeat 2 more times until the coconut has been in for roughly a total of 20 minutes until it is light brown. Let it cool.

Unwrap caramels and add them to a bowl with the milk and salt. Microwave high 3-4 minutes until smooth, stirring each minute. Stir in toasted coconut. Use a spatula to spread caramel coconut on each of the baked cookies.
When the topping sets up, then melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds. Dip the bottom side of each cookie into the chocolate and place it on wax paper with chocolate coated side down. Add remaining chocolate into a bag with the corner snipped off, or a pastry bag if you have one. Drizzle the chocolate over top of the cookies. Let cookies set. Enjoy :)

Snicker Salad

6 apples
6-7 snickers bars
1 jar whipped topping

Cut the apples up into small pieces and place in a bowl. (While I'm cutting them up I normally throw some of the whipped topping into the bowl as well and mix it, it keeps the apples from turning brown.) Cut the snickers into small pieces and place in the bowl. Mix in the whipped topping and refrigerate.

Fruit Dip

Plain Yogurt
Whipped Topping
Instant Vanilla Pudding Powder

Equal Amounts of Plain Yogurt and Whipped Topping mixed well together. Then mix in vanilla pudding powder to taste. Refrigerate and serve with fruit (Or just dip your finger into it like me :) )

Another good rendition of this recipe is to use Strawberry or Raspberry yogurt mixed with the whipped topping. No pudding powder needed for this one.

Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

I don't know about you... but I used to be a girl scout so long ago. I have to admit... my favorite thing about it was the cookies. So, I've found a way to make a girl scout cookie thin mint (oh yes) recipe :) And I'm so excited about it that I had to put it on here. Yum Yum Yum. These are awesome broken up in ice cream by the way!

Chocolate Cookie Wafers:
1 (18.25 oz) Pkg Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
3 T shortening, melted
1/2 c. cake flour, measured then sifted
1 egg
3 T water
Non stick cooking spray

Coating:
3 (12 oz) bags of semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 t. peppermint extract
6 T shortening

Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl, adding the water a little bit at a time. When mixed and dough forms cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough to just under 1/16 of an inch thick (you know how thick they are :) )To cut, use the top of a spice shaker, or another top with a 1 1/2 inch diameter cutout. Put the cookie dough rounds on a lightly coated with cooking spray cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the wafers from the oven and cool completely.
Combine the chocolate chips with the peppermint extract and shortening and heat in the microwave, stir gently in 30 second intervals until smooth. Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate, tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so extra chocolate drips off, then place the cookies side by side on a wax paper lined sheet. Refrigerate until firm. Makes roughly 100 cookies

Baked Steak Burritos

1/2 c. butter
1 pkg (1 oz) taco seasoning mix
1 1/2 lb beef boneless sirloin tip steak cut into bite size strips
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
12 (6 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 med. green onions thinly sliced
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
1 c. shredded mexican cheese blend

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a 10 inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the taco seasoning mix. Add beef strips and cook 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally until desired doneness; drain. Place the refried beans in a microwaveable dish and microwave for 2 minutes stirring once or twice.Spread each tortilla with beans. Top each with beef, cheese, and onions. Roll up, folding in the sides. In an ungreased 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish, place the burritos with the seam side down. Pour enchilada sauce over the burritos. Sprinkle with mexican cheese blend. Bake uncovered 7-12 minutes until burritos are heated and cheese is melted.

Cheesy Bread Sticks

1 1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

Parmesan Cheese

Cheddar Cheese

Garlic Salt

Italian Seasoning

In a large bowl  combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes until the yeast is bubbly.Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger Spray a glass or metal bowl (retains heat better) with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. (if using this for pizza popper dough.... stop here.) Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter. Sprinkle cheddar on top of each strip and press lightly to stick. Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes. Before placing in the oven, drizzle melted butter across the top, and then sprinkle garlic salt, grated parmesan cheese, and italian seasoning across the tops of the breadsticks. Preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

These can also be sprinkled with just butter and cinnamon/sugar :) 

Pizza Poppers

 (picture courtesy of ourbestbites.com)

1 Recipe for Pizza Dough/Breadsticks (found here)
Marinara Sauce
grated parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil
garlic powder
italian seasoning
mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out your pizza dough onto a floured surface, roughly 12 x 6 inches. Using a pizza cutter (roller) slice the pizza dough into about 20 squares. Put your pizza toppings on each square, NOT WITH THE MARINARA. Take for example if I was making normal pepperoni poppers. I would put JUST the pepperoni and monterey jack cheese into the dough. Capeesh? Capeesh. When all of your dough squares have the toppings you want on them, take each corner and pinch together, you want to wrap the dough around the toppings without any holes, so the toppings are encased in its own little pizza dough ball. Spray a pie pan with non stick cooking spray. Then place each of the dough balls with the seam side down into the pie pan. Brush the tops of the balls with melted butter, and then sprinkle parmesan cheese,garlic powder, and italian seasoning on the top. Cook at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is light brown. I think I only cooked mine for 10 because our oven is hotter than normal. Then when they are done and hot you DIP them into warm marinara sauce :)

Restaurant Style Salsa

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes with juice
2 cans (10 oz) Rotel- diced tomatoes and green chiles
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 whole jalapeno quartered and sliced thin (oh yes, with the seeds and all)
1/4 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/2 c. cilantro
1/2 of a lime juiced, or 1 T bottled lime juice

Combine the whole tomatoes, rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get salsa to the consistency you like- 10-15 pulses. Test the seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or with cheese nachos.

Cilantro-Lime Rice (Cafe Rio Copy Cat)

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Black Beans (Cafe Rio Copy Cat)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Costa Vida Chicken Copy Cat

1 bottle Italian Dressing (low fat or light)
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves minced garlic
5 chicken breasts thawed
1 recipe for Cafe Rio Lime Rice (found here)
1 recipe for Cafe Rio Black Beans (found here)
Lettuce
Cheese
Sour Cream
Tortilla Shells

Cook the Italian Dressing, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and chicken breasts on low in the crock pot for 4 hours. Shred the chicken, and replace in crock pot. Cook for 1 additional hour. While the chicken is cooking that last hour begin the lime rice and beans so that they will all finish at the same time. When all are finished, warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds, and then layer on the tortilla the rice, beans, chicken, sour cream, lettuce and cheese. I even threw in some homemade hot salsa (found here) in mine. This made a lot of chicken, we ate these for 3 days straight they were so good :)

Cookie Monster (Craigo's Copy Cat)

 ! ALERT!WARNING !

 (Not for the faint of heart or those unwilling to die and go to warm chocolate heaven!)

1/4 c. butter
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 c. flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. oatmeal
1 egg
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. vanilla
2/3 c. chopped walnuts
Vanilla Ice Cream
Whipped Cream Spray
Chocolate and Caramel syrup (for ice cream)

Cream the butter and both sugars together. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix with the flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Spray the bottom of your cookie monster pan (or if you don't have one a normal pie pan will do) with cooking spray. Squish your cookie dough into the bottom of the pan. Turn oven on 350 degrees. Cook the dough for roughly 10 minutes or so, (the top of the cookie will be done... the middle of the cookie will be mostly done.) Pull out the pie pan. Layer on top of the cookie (while it is still warm) the ice cream. Then spray whipped topping all across the top, and then drizzle chocolate syrup and caramel over the top. Then clean up the drool from the floor that you made while waiting to sink your teeth into this warm chocolatey heaven on earth. Serves 4 people.

Crock Pot Lasagna

1 Jar of spaghetti sauce
1 lb ground beef
1 jar small curd cottage cheese
6-7 uncooked lasagna noodles
4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can stewed tomatoes

First, pour the spaghetti sauce into a bowl and add 1/3 cup of water to it. Grease the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray. Brown ground beef in a skillet, and then add the entire bowl of cottage cheese & stewed tomatoes to it. Stir. Start layering in the crock pot in order- sauce, beef/cheese/tomato mixture, noodles (uncooked- you will want to break them up into pieces and spread evenly across), sauce, and then cheese. Keep layering until you have used all of your beef mixture. Top with cheese last. Sprinkle italian seasoning on top. Turn the crock pot on low for 4.5 hours.

Banana Bread

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 2/3 c. mashed  bananas (about 3-4)
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. sour cream
2 large egg whites (I just throw the whole egg in)
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
chopped walnuts (opt)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the sugar and butter together until well blended. Add the banana, milk, sour cream and eggs. Beat or mix well. Add in flour, soda, and salt. Beat until well blended. (Walnuts are good to add here if desired.) Coat bread pans with cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cook for 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack. Remove from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Enchilada Pie

Corn Tortillas
4-5 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
Cheddar cheese
1 Large can of Las Palmas green enchilada sauce

Boil the chicken until done, and then shred. In a 13 x 9 pan spread a little bit of the enchilada sauce, just enough to coat the bottom. Layer corn torillas on top of the sauce (I rip the shells into 1/2's before I layer them). Once you have a full layer add a layer of chicken. Then add a layer of sauce. Then add a layer of cheese. Then repeat all over again with more tortillas, chicken, sauce and cheese until the pan is full and you've used all your chicken and sauce. Make sure the top layer has some sauce on it and cheese on top of that. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cook until the cheese on top is all bubbly.  Serve with sour cream.

Nana's Wayside Wheat Bread

2 1/4 c. warm water
2 1/2 T yeast
1 T sugar to proof
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil
1/2c. - 2/3 c. honey
1 1/3 c. oats
2 t. scant salt
1 T heaping gluten (opt)
2-3 c. wheat flour
3-4 c. white flour

combine the warm water with the yeast and sugar and let it sit till proof. Add the eggs, oil, and honey. Mix. Combine the oats, salt, gluten, wheat flour, and half of the white flour in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and stir for 5 minutes (with a kitchen mixer with dough hooks) (or just knead and stir the best you can without one.) Add the rest of the white flour. Divide the dough into 3 balls and hand knead.  Coat a separate bowl with oil, and place the dough in the bowl. Let the dough rise until doubled, or when the poke test leaves the whole finger imprint in the dough. Coat the bread pans with spray, or crisco/flour. Let the dough rise again in the bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or for muffins about 20 minutes. Makes 2-3 loaves. (I also use this dough to make into hoagie sized buns for sandwiches)

Mountain School Bread

Before I start I have to say that this is in all honesty... the best (healthier) tasting bread you'll ever eat. Almost like cake.

2 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 c. shredded carrots
2 bananas mashed
1 c. olive oil (has to be olive oil, I learned the hard way when I ruined an entire batch once)
3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Mix all of the wet ingredients together, and then add the dry. Mix until combined. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes until the center is done when a toothpick is inserted.

Creamy Alfredo Sauce

1/2 c. butter
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese
1 c. half and half (I just use milk)
1/3 c. parmesan cheese
1 t. garlic powder
pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan melt the butter. Once the butter is almost melted, cut the cream cheese into 4 pieces, and put them into the sauce pan (melts quicker in smaller pieces.) Once the butter and cream cheese are mixed well together add the half and half (or milk,) parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and then shake pepper on top to taste. Stir all together until well mixed. Once all the ingredients are mixed together and heated turn off the burner and set aside so the sauce can thicken up. Stir every few moments. Pour over your favorite pasta, and warm breadsticks are amazing to dip in the extra sauce! (You can also use this as the sauce on an alfredo pizza)