Watermelon Jolly Rancher (alcohol)

My daughter and I decided we were going to have an adult beverage today. We were staring at the bar trying to decide what alcohol to use and Brittney chose Smirnoffs Watermelon Vodka. It was my choice on what to mix it with. I decided on peach soda. Wow we ended up with the most refreshing drink and it tasted EXACTLY like a watermelon jolly rancher! So all i can say is here here to accidental kitchen concoctions lol

 

Watermelon Jolly Rancher (Alcohol)

 

1 shot and a splash of smirnoffs watermelon vodka
can of peach soda
crushed ice


1
fill glass 1/3 full with crushed ice. pour in watermelon vodka. add peach soda to top of glass and stir gently. Enjoy!!

I have been feeling under the weather for the last two days, on top of that the temps here are in the high 90s and with the heat index..ugh. So no baking for me : ( I had taken out some pork chops and decided the crock pot was going to be doing the cookin lol. This was simple and easy and so tasty. Even my picky son gobbled it up and asked for seconds.

 

CENTER CUT PORK CHOPS AND NOODLES WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY AND BROCCOLI IN GARLIC BUTTER

4-5 one inch thick center cut pork chops
2- 32 oz cartons of cream of mushroom soup
2 large onions cut in rings
1 bag egg noodles (i use wide)
steam in the bag broccoli
unsalted butter
minced garlic
garlic powder, onion powder, minced onion, pepper



1
Place chops in bottom of slow cooker. Add both cartons of cream of mushroom soup. Add onions and season generously with garlic powder, onion powder, minced onion, pepper, and salt
2
Cook on high for about three hours or until chops are almost cooked through. Remove chops and place them in a baking dish with whatever gravy is on them when removed from crock.Turn crock down to keep warm. Now Bake chops on 350 for about 40 minutes or until chops are fork tender. Return to slow cooker until ready to serve.
3
Prepare egg noodles according to package directions. And steam broccoli according to package directions. While noodles are cooking and broccoli is steaming heat butter in small saucepan, add minced garlic and garlic powder and pepper. Stir constantly so garlic doesnt burn. Heat all the way thru.
4
Drain noodles and put broccoli into a bowl. Pour garlic butter over broccoli.
5
Place one Pork chop, a heaping spoon of noodles and a nice serving of broccoli on each plate. Spoon gravy over noodles and pork. (my daughter had the gravy on her broccoli too lol) Enjoy

No Bake Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie doesnt have to be just for the fall...here is a great recipe you can make in the hot summer months and you dont even have to turn on the oven. This is delicious, easy and requires no baking. Guarenteed to be a favorite all year long~

No Bake Pumpkin Pie



CRUST (YOU CAN MAKE THIS OR USE A 9 IN PREPARED GRAHAM CRUST)
1/4 c sugar
1 1/4 c crushed honey graham crackers (or you can use the cinnamon)
1/2 t cinnamon
5 tablespoons melted butter
PUMPKIN PIE FILLING
1 pack of unflavored gelatin (about .25 oz)
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
1/8 t nutmeg
1/8 t allspice
1/2 t salt
2 beaten eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz)
TOPPING
additional cinnamon
whipped cream or cool whip (optional)




1
CRUST:Stir all dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir in melted butter. Press mixture into bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.
2
Combine gelatin, cinnamon, ginger,nutmeg, allspice and salt in a heavy sauce pan. Stir in milk and eggs and mix all together well. Let this mixture stand for about a minute. Now put this on burner of stove on low. Cook for about 10 minutes until gelatin dissolves and mixture thickens up, stirring constantly. Once thickened remove from heat.
3
Stir the pumpkin into mixture in sauce pan until thoroughly combined.
4
Pour into prepared pie crust, sprinkle with additional cinnamon and chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
5
Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream or cool whip if desired.

Frosted Crisp Lemon Cookies

I found this recipe on the side of a Krusteaz Lemon Bar mix. I tweaked it to my liking a bit and added the anise frosting and also lemon frosting and came up with these. The cookies are crisp and refreshing and a great summer treat. My daughter loves thick crisp cookies, she is not a fan of softer types. So I wanted something she would enjoy also. She loved them. I made 36 large cookies and there are none left. lol. I made 12 plain unfrosted, 12 with anise frosting and 12 with lemon frosting.

 

Frosted Crisp Lemon Cookies

krusteaz lemon bar mix
2 sticks of softened butter
2 eggs
2 c flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 t vanilla
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
FROSTING
lemon extract
anise extract
1 can white frosting (not the fluffy or whipped cream kind)
sugar (granulated)

1

Cream together butter and pouch of lemon filling mix from krusteaz box. Add in vanilla and pure lemon extracts

2

To this add 2 eggs and stir until well blended

3

Now add in flour, pouch of crust mix from krusteaz box, soda, and salt. Stir this until dough forms. You may have to knead the dough with your hands. (If sticky add flour to your hands before kneading)

4

Take HEAPING Tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Roll in bowl of sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Be sure to place balls at least 2 inches apart because the expand. (I fit 12 cookies on a tray)

5

Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until cookies are golden and set.

6

Allow cookies to cool and then frost with preferred frosting (we left some unfrosted cause my daughter hates frosting)

7

split can of frosting in half to one half add anise extract and to other half add lemon extract, stir both to blend well. Frost cookies.

Mango Strawberry Upside Down Cake

A new twist on an old favorite. This cake turned out amazing! I made two 9 inch rounds and have one slice left lol. I was craving pineapple upside down cake but had no pineapple. I was just not in the mood for a trip to the grocery store so i checked out my freezer for frozen fruits and this is what i came up with. The first cke was gone before it even had a chance to cool down lol and the second one i put in the frig and that was gobbled up shortly after. Its not the prettiest cake in the batch but it is certainly one of the tastiest.

Deneece's Mango Strawberry Upside Down Cake

1 box vanilla cake mix
	2 tablespoons butter melted
	1 1/2 t vanilla
	4 tablespoons coconut juice or coconut rum (i used rum)
	1/4 c plus 2 t pineapple juice
	1 c pineapple, coconut or mango yogurt (i used pineapple mango)
	1 egg
FOR FRUIT TOPPING
	1 16 oz bag frozen mango chunks (the kind with no juice)
	1 16 oz bag frozen strawberries (the kind with no juice)
	3/4 c light brown sugar
	5 tablespoons butter, melted

1
Prepare Fruit topping: Melt butter in small sauce pan

2
Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved

3
Pour into 2 9 in cake pans that have been lightly sprayed with non stick spray. Even out on bottom of pans

4
Arrange fruit in pans evenly. Both mangos and strawberries are put into pans while still frozen

5
Prepare cake: Put all ingrediants in a large bowl and mix with electric mixer until well blended. (If mix is too thick to spread onto fruit add some more pineapple juice.)

6
Divide batter between two pans and spread gently and carefully over the fruit.

7
Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until cake is set and knife inserted in center comes out batter free.

8
Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes or so. Then invert pans onto serving plates gently tapping or shaking to loosen cake onto plate. Remove pans

9
Can be served warm or cooled. We tried it warm and then again cool and each way had its own unique taste. The mango and strawberries when combined with the coconut and pineapple work together to tantalize your tastebuds. This one is a keeper and we will be making it often.

Nanas Homemade Hard Candy

Nana taught me how to make this candy many years ago. We would make so many flavors and her candy dishes were always filled with them. I decided to make them with my son and fill our candy dishes like nana did. We made many flavors, the possibilities are endless, rootbeer, peppermint, wintergreen,cinnamon, spearmint, anise,lime,strawberry, orange, you name it you can make it. I match the color food coloring i use to the flavor of the candy. When you make several flavors the candy bowls are just bursting with color, much like a stained glass window. And the candy is bursting with flavor. So easy and fun to make and a great way to fill up those candy bowls like they did in the good ole days.

Nana's Homemade Hard Candy


3 3/4 c sugar
1 1/4 c light karo syrup
1 c water
1 teaspoon oil flavoring or 1 tablespoon extract flavoring
food coloring
powdered sugar


1
Sprinkle cookie sheet with powdered sugar and set aside
2
Combine sugar syrup and water in a saucepan and continuously stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
3
Continue to cook without stirring until a candy thermometer reaches 290 degrees. (Between 34 and 45 minutes)
4
Remove from heat and add food color and oil or extract. (if using oils do NOT inhale over the pot while adding the oil. it is very strong and can take your breathe away)
5
Pour mixture onto prepared cookie sheet and allow to cool completely. Once completely cooled lay a clean towel over top of sheet and break candy into pieces by taping with a hammer. Sprinkle candy again with powdered sugar

If you are making several flavors and colors like we did, after all the flavors are broken into pieces mix them together and put into candy dishes or bowls for a tasty beautiful stained glass effect.

These make beautiful favors for parties and showers

Chicken,Broccoli and Potatoes in a Creamy Garlic Sauce/Savory Chicken and Rice Soup

Soooooooo I have had some major upheavals in life the past few weeks and I havent had much time to even breathe, so I woke up the other morning and decided I needed to cook something for the family. (we had been eating pizza and take out for a few days..yuk!) Anyway I grabbed the crock pot and some chicken lags I hadnt put in the freezer from the frig yet after grocery shopping, threw in a few things that sounded like they meshed and came up with the most delicious meal. The food didnt make it till dinner cause the house smelled amazing and the minute they realized the crock was on keep warm they decided they wanted to eat it right then. When every one was finished there were leftovers but not enough to feed my brood again the next day. So I packed up the chicken seperate from the sauce and remaining veggies, pu them in the frig and next morning decided to use them as a base for soup. Wow in went a few on hand ingredients and out came such a savory soup that once again it was gobbled up in minutes. There was a grain of rice and a piece of broccoli left...I threw that out since I didnt think I could base anything on it for yet another meal. lmao. This is two days meals if you have left over and both meals are great!

Chicken,Broccoli and Potatoes in a Creamy Garlic Sauce/Savory Chicken and Rice Soup

Chicken,Broccoli and Potatoes in a Creamy Garlic Sauce:
Ingedients:

10 to 14 chicken legs
	1 large bell pepper, cut in slices
	1 large onion, cut into rings
	1 jar ragu roasted garlic parmesan sauce
	1 jar ragu classic alfredo sauce
	1 t pepper
	1 t garlic powder
	1 t minced onion
	1/2 c parmesan cheese
	1/2 c milk
SIDE DISH
	2 cans sliced potatoes
	2 bags "steam in bag" broccoli
ADDITIONAL GARLIC POWDER, PARMESAN, SALT AND PEPPER

Turn crockpot on high and put chicken legs in pot. 

2

Add bell pepper strips to crockpt

3

Add onion slices to crockpot 

4

In a large bowl mix together 2 jars of sauce, pepper, garlic powder, minced onion, parmesan cheese and milk. 

5

Pour over the chicken in the crockpot, using a spatula to work sauce down around sides and in between chicken legs. 

6

Sprinkle with additional pepper and cover. Cook on high 1 hour and then turn down to low for additional 4 or 5 hours or until chicken is down and very tender.

7

Using a slatted spoon, remove chicken and keep warm until ready to use. (i put mine in a tightly covered pyrex and let sit in oven, at no temp) 

8

Drain sliced potatoes and add both cans to sauce in crockpot. 

9

Steam broccoli in bag as instructed on back, using the least amount of time suggested. Empty broccoli from both bags into saucce in crockpot. 

10

Add additional garlic powder, salt, pepper and parmesan now to taste. Stir and cover crockpot. Allow to cook for additional 20 to 30 minutes so they take in the savory garlic flavor. 

11

Add serveral pieces of chicken to plate. Add broccoli and potatoes. Top it all with some peppers and onions and then spoon the sauce over the top. Be sure to Serve with some bread since everyone is going to want to sop up that sauce : ) Enjoy!

12

Save all leftovers for tomorrows lunch. We're making Savory Chicken and Rice Soup : )


Savory Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

 

left over chicken, broccoli and potatos from my creamy garlic chicken,broccoli, and potatoes
1 c boiling water
1 large (or 2 small) chicken bouillion cubes
1 pouch uncle bens boil in a bag rice (cooked for 12min and left in pouch to drain)
1 can sliced carrots
additonal veggies or potatoes if desired


Remove chicken from bones and set aside
Put leftover sauce and broccoli and potatoes in a large sauce pan and heat. Meanwhile desolve bouillion in cup of boiling water. Stir to dissolve. Add disolved bouillion and water to sauce and veggies on stove.Stir to blend


Drain canned carrots and stir in to soup on stove

Add chicken previously removed from bone to soup. and stir into broth.

Cut open rice pouch and add rice to soup stirring to mix it thru

Sprinkle with pepper and blend in.

With slatted spoon Place some of the rice and chicken and veggies in each bowl

Ladle in some of the savory broth

Serve with a grilled onion, tomato and cheese sandwich and enjoy

Better Than Reese's Bars

I had some cake mix and some frosting and decided I would try to come up with something new for the family. My step dad and my son both love peanut butter and everyone in the house loves reeses peanut butter cups. I threw the cake mix together with a few add ins, added some peanut butter to the chocolate frosting and this is what we got. They didnt last more than an hour in the house and i am already getting complaints that i havent made more. How can something so easy taste this good?

Better Than Reeses Bars

Ingredients:

1 box pillsbury golden butter recipe premium cake mix (moist supreme)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 c water
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1/2 c milk chocolate morsels (i use ghirardelli)
FROSTING
1 cantainer of chocolate fudge frosting
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1 t vanilla
assorted sprinkles




Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your baking pan with non stick cooking spray. (I used my perfect brownie pan, cause i am addicted to it lol. But you can use a 13 x 9 pan. The end result withe the perfect brownie pan probably produces a thicker bar since the pan is smaller.)


Put cake mix, peanut butter, water and egg in a large bowl and mix on low speed. Then on medium speed until you have a soft dough.

Add chocolate chips and work into dough with clean hands

Cover baking pan bottom evenly with dough and press down to fit entire pan
If using perfect brownie pan, insert divider now

Bake in oven 20 to 25 minutes or until bars look golden and are puffed up.(in the brownie pan it took 22 minutes) Remove and cool completely.

Cut bars and transfer to serving plate.

In small bowl combine frosting, and peanut butter. Mix on low speed till well blended

Add vanilla and blend in well

Frost cooled bars with frosting and decorate with sprinkles or chopped nuts. (I usually pipe my frosting on so it looks pretty but I wanted these to have frosting on every bit lol)

Grab a bar and a big glass of ice cold milk and enjoy. But better hurry up cause they dont stay on the plate long.

Blueberry Shortcake Bowls

I bought a new kitchen toy. It's called the Better Baker Bowl Maker (available online and at Bass Pro Shop) Anyway I just had to try it our so I decided to make some shortcakes in it, this is what I came up with. I wasnt sure how the pan was going to work so I used a box mix but now that I know it makes perfect little cake bowls I am going to try this with every cake recipe I have lol and also I am going to make individual meatloafs in it then fill them up with my famous mashed potatoes : ) The pan is so versatile it makes bowls on one side and mini muffins on the other. The possibilities are endless. Cornbread bowls filled with chili, bread bowls for individual dips you name it. Anyway these were delicious.

1 box butter cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 c softened butter
1 c water
2 cans blueberry pie filling (you can use any of your favorite flavors)
slightly frozen cool whip or white icing
non stick cooking spray
YOU WILL ALSO NEED THE BETTER BAKER BOWL MAKER



Tell us how you work that kitchen magic! Enter each step of the process by clicking the edit button. Add as many steps as you need, we don't mind a bit.

1
Combine mix, eggs, butter and water in large bowl. Mix on low till blended and then on medium for about two minutes. Spray the cake bowl pan with non stick cooking spray making sure to get inside of each bowl well.

2
Carefully pour some batter into each of the six bowl molds. filling to the center rim.

3
Bake in 350 oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until cakes are completely done

4
Allow to cool completely and then gently invert pan and shake cake bowls loose.

5
Add pie filling to hole in each cake bowl and then top with slightly frozen cool whip, whipped cream or icing. Top off with additional fruit from pie filling.

6
I made a total of 18 bowls. Be creative use your favorite cake recipe and fruit fillings.