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Easy Fudge

12/18/2010
Who doesn’t love fudge?!? It’s rich and decadent. Recently I found a recipe for an easy fudge that I decided I needed to try. It is so easy to make and tastes yummy! The best thing is that it only requires 3 ingredients! Yes, I said it right; I only needed three ingredients. Not bad for a delicious piece of fudge.

Stars of the recipe:
- 1-12 oz. bag of chocolate chips
- 1 can of condensed milk
- 1 to 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
- a handful of pecan pieces, optional
Steps:
1. Place the chocolate chips and condensed milk in a microwavable safe bowl.
2. Microwave on 70% power for 1.5 minutes. Stir.
3. Continue the microwave on 70% power for another 1.5 minutes. Stir.
4. If the chocolate is not melted, continue microwaving on 70% power for 30-second intervals until the chocolate is melted.
5. Once the chocolate is melted, add the vanilla and stir. If you add pecans, this would be when they would be added.
6. Pour into a square cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (I also lined mine with foil and then sprayed the foil.)
7. Place in the fridge until it’s hardened. Cut into pieces. Enjoy!
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Menu Planning ~ Week of December 13

12/13/2010
Monday – chicken in the crockpot, mashed potatoes, veggies, roll

Tuesday – Quesadillas (spelling) cheese soup, and raw veggies,

Wednesday – 7 up pork chops, buttered noodles, veggies

Thursday – homemade hamburger helper, veggies, Easy Rolls

Friday – pizza and salad
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Saltine Chocolate Pieces

12/11/2010
These are so addictive!

Stars of the recipe:
- 1 sleeve of about 37 Saltines
- 3/4 c. brown sugar
- 1 c. butter
- 12 oz. (2 c.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 c. chopped nuts (I used pecans)
Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a 10 x 15-inch cookie sheet with foil; spray lightly with cooking spray.
3. Cover the cookie sheet with saltines.
4. Boil sugar and butter for 3 minutes.
5. Pour mixture over saltines and spread evenly.
6. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from oven.
8. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let set for 1 minute, then spread melted chips with a spatula.
9. Sprinkle 3/4 chopped nuts over this and press down lightly.
10. Cut on a diagonal immediately or cool until firm, then break up; pieces can be frozen. Yield: 30 pieces.
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Microwavable Chex Mix

12/11/2010
I’ve made Chex Mix like this for the past two years. It is super easy this way.

(I copied this post and edited it from my old blog.)

The Original ChexParty® Mix

Prep Time:15 min
Start to Finish:15 min
Makes:24 servings (1/2 cup each)

Stars of the Recipe:
- 3 cups Corn Chex® cereal
- 3 cups Rice Chex® cereal
- 3 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
- 1 cup mixed nuts
- 1 cup bite-size pretzels
- 1 cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
- 6 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Steps:
1. In a large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels, and bagel chips; set aside.
2. In a small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High for about 40 seconds or until melted.
3. Stir in seasonings.
4. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
5. Microwave uncovered on High for 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes.
6. Spread on paper towels to cool.
7. Store in an airtight container.
If you don’t want to make it in the microwave, you can use the oven directions instead.

Steps for the oven:
1. Heat oven to 250°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels, and bagel chips; set aside.
3. In an ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in the oven.
4. Stir in seasonings.
5. Gradually stir in the cereal mixture until evenly coated.
6. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
7. Spread on paper towels to cool for about 15 minutes.
8. Store in an airtight container.
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Printable Recipe (Microwave)
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Pecan Nougat Cookies (Shortbread Snowballs)

12/11/2010
This is one of my favorite Christmas cookies. Today I looked at the Southern Plate’s blog and found a recipe for them. I decided I needed to try out the recipe. Oh, my goodness, they were delicious. I put them in the freezer, so I don’t eat the entire batch. They were that good!!!! :)

Ingredients:
- 1 c. softened butter (2 sticks)
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 c. all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 c. finely chopped, ground-up pecans
- powdered sugar
Steps:
1. Cream butter, sugar, and salt until fluffy.
2. Add flour and vanilla, and mix well, scraping down sides as needed.
3. Add nuts and mix until well incorporated.
4. Shape into one-inch balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
5. Bake at 325 for twenty minutes, but don’t let them brown.
6. Cool cookies. When cooled, roll in powdered sugar.
7. Enjoy!
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Menu Plan Monday ~ Week of December 6

12/06/2010
Monday –Bacon and Parmesan Pasta, garlic bread or cheddar bay biscuits, salad

Tuesday – Potato soup, Depression Era bread (freezer), raw veggies

Wednesday –Gingerbread pancakes, bacon

Thursday –chicken, and dumplings

Friday – Primetime meatloaf (refrigerator freezer), scalloped potatoes, veggies

Saturday – left-overs
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December meals

12/01/2010
I can’t believe the year is almost over. Before we know it, it will be Christmas, and then we will be ringing in 2011!

Week of December 1
1. Swedish meatballs over egg noddles, veggies
2. beef veggie soup, rolls
3. sweet and sour chicken over rice, fortune cookies
4. leftovers
Week of December 6
1. Bacon and Parmesan Pasta, garlic bread or cheddar bay biscuits, salad (When I saw this recipe on Pioneer WWoman’sTasty Kitchen blog, I knew I needed to cook it for dinner. My hubby and I agreed we are going to have this instead of spaghetti carbonara.)
2. Potato soup, Depression Era bread (freezer), raw veggies
3. Gingerbread pancakes, bacon
4. chicken and dumplings
5. Prime time meatloaf (refrigerator freezer), scalloped potatoes, veggies
6. left-overs
Week of December 13
1. Quesadillas (spelling) cheese soup, raw veggies,
2. chicken in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, rolls, veggies
3. 7-up pork chops, buttered noodles, veggies
4. pizza and salad
5. homemade hamburger helper, veggies, Easy Rolls
6. leftovers
Week of December 20
1. White castle sliders, chips or fries, veggies
2. tomato soup (request from Wee One), grilled cheese sandwiches
3. Waffle House waffles, hash browns smothered, covered, and chunked breakfast meat
4. chicken nuggets, French fries, veggies
5. Green beans with ham and potatoes (Christmas eve – It will be the two-year anniversary of her death. This was one of the meals she cooked for us. I think it would be a good way to remember her.)
6. Christmas
Week of December 27
1. lasagna, garlic bread, veggies, applesauce
2. Mel’s Chili, cornbread, raw veggies
3. orange chicken over rice, fortune cookies
4. hoagies, leftover chips, and raw veggies
5. New Year’s Eve – hors d’oeuvres
6. New Year’s Day – Annual pork and sauerkraut dinner – (yummy!)
For more great meal plans, visit Mommy’s Kitchen.
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Sweet and sour chicken (or pork)

12/01/2010
This is a simple 15-minute meal if you used already-cooked chicken or pork! When my hubby tasted it, he told me it was better than the sweet and sour chicken you get in Chinese restaurants. Now that’s saying a lot.

(There is no picture because as soon as it was finished cooking, my hubby had to eat so he could get to work.)

Stars of the recipe:
- 1 lb of diced-up chicken or pork (already cooked)
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 cup green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup onion, cut into thin wedges
- 1 (15 oz.) can of pineapple chunks in juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Steps:
1. Preheat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
2. Stir fry green peppers and onion in hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes or till crisp-tender.
3. Remove from wok. Add more oil if necessary.
4. Reheat chicken or pork in a skillet.
5. Drain pineapple, reserving juice.
6. In a small pan, combine the juice, brown sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil; cook for about 1 minute or till thickened, stirring constantly.
7. Return green pepper and onion to skillet. Stir in pineapple and the thickened sauce.
8. Cook and stir until heated through.
9. Serve with rice, if desired.
This post is linked to Eat at Home’s Ingredient Spotlight.

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Menu Plan Monday ~ Week of November 29

11/29/2010
Monday – Grilled Chicken with bbq gravy, pasta Roni, corn, rolls, and homemade rolls

Tuesday – chili (freezer), cornbread

Wednesday – sweet and sour chicken (using leftover chicken from Monday’s meal) over rice, fortune cookie

Thursday – Swedish meatballs over egg noodles, veggies

Friday – veggie beef soup with Arby’s roast beef sandwiches

Saturday – leftovers
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Nantucket Cranberry Pie

11/20/2010
Update 11/2/11: Last week, I was asked by someone from my church to bring a pie to our Thanksgiving service. They remembered this pie from last year, and they wanted me to bring this pie once again.

I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman’s blog. Since I love cranberries, I decided a Thanksgiving dessert would be perfect. Before I could serve it to my whole family on turkey day, I decided to bake one and taste-test it. The taste is divine.

Since I was meeting with my pastor and his wife today, I decided to serve some of it to them. They gave it thumbs up. Now that it’s been tasted, tested, and approved, I’m definitely making it on Thanksgiving day.

If I had to give three reasons why I love this recipe, I would say 1)It is easy to assemble and get into the oven; 2)The taste is amazing; and 3) I’ve never had a pie made of cranberries, so it’s a unique recipe.

Stars of the recipe:
- Butter, For Greasing
- 2 cups (heaping) Cranberries
- ¾ cups Pecans, Chopped (measure, Then Chop)
- ⅔ cups Sugar
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted
- 2 whole Eggs, Lightly Beaten
- 1 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
- ¼ teaspoons Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar For Sprinkling
Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Generously butter a cake pan or pie pan.
3. Add cranberries to the bottom of the pan.
4. Sprinkle on chopped pecans, then sprinkle on 2/3 cup sugar.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 1 cup sugar, melted butter, eggs, almond extract, and salt. Stir gently to combine.
6. “Pour batter slowly over the top in large”“ribbons” to evenly cover the surface. Spread gently if necessary.”Pour batter slowly over the top in large “ribbons” in order to evenly cover the surface. Spread gently if necessary.
7. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. 5 minutes before removing from the oven, sprinkle the surface with 1 tablespoon of sugar for a little extra crunch.
8. Cut into wedges and serve with ice cream or freshly whipped cream.
For great recipes, visit Colleen’s Kitchen Recipe Swap and Eat at Home’s Ingredient Spotlight Cranberries.

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