Peanut Butter Balls

These our one of my favorite treats! Christmas is not Christmas without some of these little goodies. My grandmother made these along with many other goodies every single year for us to enjoy. I took some of these to the Christmas party for my son's horseback riding farm and was so glad I had some stashed because there were none left!

2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 cup creamy Peanut Butter
6 Tablespoons Butter (or Margarine)
3 cups Milk Chocolate morsels

Stir together powdered sugar, peanut butter and butter until smooth. Shape 1 inch balls and place on waxed paper. Allow the balls to dry about 20 minutes before dipping. Melt chocolate in microwave for 30 seconds then stir; repeat until smooth. Drop in a few balls at a time into the melted chocolate. Use spoon to turn over and cover, and spoon/fork to gently remove from chocolate and place on waxed paper to dry. Work quickly and reheat chocolate to keep smooth if needed. Let dry; store in airtight container in cool, dry place.

Poppy Seed Ham and Cheese Rolls

Every Christmas Eve my family has these little sandwiches (though we refer to them as 'Party Tea Rolls'). They are super easy and really tasty. Very nice potluck recipe!

I made them this year for the Christmas Party my son's horseback riding farm was having. They are always so good! Sorry for the quick photos.. I was in a hurry to get there on time!

2 packages Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Sliced Sandwich Ham

American Cheese

1/2 cup Butter or Margarine 

1 1/2- 2 Tablespoons Poppy Seeds

1/2 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow Mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice rolls for sandwiches, then layer ham and cheese; place top of rolls on top. Melt butter and stir in poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Pour mixture evenly over the top of the rolls. Let sit for 10 minutes before baking. Cover with foil and bake for 12 minutes (or until cheese has melt) then uncover and bake another 2-3 minutes until light golden brown. 

Layered Spider Dip

We absolutely love layered dips with chips! This is a cute way to make the dip into a 'spooky' snack!

Large can Refried Beans
1 packet Taco seasoning
16 oz Sour cream
Guacamole dip
small can Diced Green Chilies
Shredded Mexican cheese
Large can Diced Tomatoes (drained)
Sliced olives
Chips

Start your layers with spreading refried beans on bottom of a 9x13 dish. In a bowl, mix 8 ounces Sour cream with Taco seasoning; spread over layer of refried beans. Spread guacamole, then diced green chilies, then a nice layer of shredded cheese. Drain tomatoes and spread evenly on top. Place remaining 8 ounces of plain sour cream into a sandwich bag and snip a small amount off one bottom corner of the bag to create a piping bag. Use the bag to pipe sour cream into the shape of a spider web on the top of the dip. Use sliced olives to shape together a 'spider' somewhere on the web. Serve with chips.

Bones & Blood

Simple breadsticks shaped as 'bones' with pizza sauce to act as the 'dipping blood'.

Refrigerated Bread Stick Dough
melted Butter
Garlic Salt
Pizza Sauce

Cut dough into sections, shape into 'bones' by curling down the edges toward the middle. Brush with melted butter and season with garlic salt. Cook according to dough package. Serve with Pizza sauce as 'blood' for dipping.

Chocolate Cherry Mice

These little 'mice' are fun to make and fun to eat! My kids and husband love them!

Semi-sweet Chocolate Baking Chips (some melted, some whole)
1 jar Cherries with stems
Sliced Almonds


Drain and rinse Cherries. Lay out and pat try with paper towel. Make sure your cherries are completely dry before preparing chocolate to dip them.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt about 2 cups of baking chips until smooth.

Hold cherries from the tip of the stem, dip them generously into the melted chocolate. Place the chocolate covered cherries on parchment paper. Take unmelted chocolate chips and add as a nose to front of 'mouse'. Add two pieces of sliced almonds  behind the chocolate chip for 'ears'. Allow to cool and harden completely before serving.

'Love Potion'

I am a huge fan of punch and this is a great one!

12 oz Frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
Raspberry Sherbet
Lemon-Lime Soda
Whipped cream


In pitcher, mix Pink Lemonade according to package directions.

In a separate pitcher, add 2 cups prepared Pink Lemonade and 2 cups Sherbet. Stir. Add 24oz of lemon-lime soda.

To serve, pour into cups and top with whipped cream.

Mummy Pizzas

Your kids can help make them and they will surely love these cute little "spooky" snacks!

1 can refrigerated roll out Pizza dough
Pizza Sauce
String Cheese
Sliced Black Olives

Roll out dough and cut into circles (I used the top of a drinking glass) and place on greased baking sheet. Add pizza sauce and two sliced olives for 'eyes'. Add slivers of string cheese on above and below the olives. Cook according to the directions on the pizza dough package.

Witch Hats

Your kids can help you very easily make these yummy treats.

1 package Fudge Striped Cookies
Hershey's Chocolate Kisses
1 tube orange decorating icing

Turn cookies where the solid chocolate bottom is facing up. Draw a circle around the hole in the center using your icing, then push chocolate kiss down on top.

Mini Smoked Mummies

One of my favorite snacks for Halloween. SUPER simple.. everyone seems to love them.. and SUPER cute!

1 package Mini Smoked Sausages
1-2 pack(s) Crescent Rolls
Mustard

Cut crescent roll dough thin strips. Roll each sausage from top to bottom, leaving space toward the middle to add the 'eyes'. Cook in oven according to the directions on the crescent roll package. Once cooked, use a toothpick to dab 'eyes' onto your mummies. ENJOY!

Italian Sausage, Spinach, and Garlic Alfredo Pasta

This is a family favorite and will STAY in steady rotation in this house. My son who turns his nose up at the sight of spinach absolutely LOVES this meal. He clears his plate and asks for seconds.

I like to buy big family sized bags of frozen spinach and use that one bag to make MANY meals. You can really stretch a buck doing this with lots of frozen veggies.

This recipe uses a base Alfredo sauce like in my Chicken Alfredo Recipe. The trick is to throw in the garlic and only wait a few seconds before adding the cream so the garlic keeps a rich flavor and does not burn and become bitter.

I am going to go ahead and post my recipe DOUBLED.. because it really is that good! You can always half it if you chose.

2 lbs Bow Tie Pasta
1 1/2 cups frozen Spinach
2 lbs ground Sweet Italian Sausage
1 1/2 sticks butter
4-5 cloves Garlic, Chopped
2 cups Heavy Cream
2-3 cups grated Parmesan Cheese (taste your sauce and add to your liking)
Salt, pepper

Prepare pasta as directed on package, adding frozen spinach in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

In large skillet, brown sausage until cooked through.

In medium sauce pan, melt butter, bring to a slow bubble. Add chopped garlic, wait only a few seconds until the garlic is fragrant and add cream. Turn down heat and stir until the sauce thickens. Add in Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Salt and pepper to taste.

Drain pasta and spinach. Return to pot and stir in the cooked meat and garlic Alfredo sauce. ENJOY!

Crock Pot Beef Burgundy

Another extremely easy, throw-together-and-forget-about-it meal with lots of flavor! I put this recipe together, tried it out, and it is a definite keeper!

1 1/2-2 lb Beef Tips or Stew Meat

Salt, Pepper

Garlic Powder

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup

1/3 cup Red Cooking Wine

1 envelope Dry Onion Soup Mix

8 oz fresh sliced Mushrooms (optional)

1 package Egg Noodles (for serving) 

Place meat into Crock Pot. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add soup, wine, dry soup mix, and mushrooms. Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours. Serve over egg noodles and ENJOY!

Crock Pot Enchilada Casserole

This was a hit with the family. I am going to create a very similar recipe of this using chicken as well.

1 1/2 lb Ground Beef
Salt, Pepper
Garlic powder
1 Onion (or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried onion flakes)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Golden Mushroom Soup
1 can red Enchilada sauce
1 small can chopped Green Chilies
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella cheese
5 large flour Tortillas, torn in small pieces

Brown meat and onions in a skillet. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Pour into crock pot; add soups, enchilada sauce and green chilies. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours. 1 hour before done, add shredded cheese and torn tortillas.

Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Beans Soup)

One of my favorite soups! My favorite way to eat this soup is next to a nice italian salad.

2 lbs Ground Beef
1 Onion (or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried chopped onion flakes)
Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon Garlic powder
5 Carrots, chopped
4 stalks Celery, chopped
2 (28 oz) cans diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 oz) cans Red Kidney Beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can White Kidney Beans, drained
1 box (32 oz) Beef Stock
1 tablespoon Oregano
2 teaspoons Pepper
2 tablespoons Parsley
1 tablespoon Thyme
2 Bay leaves
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (at least- I add more to taste after cooking is complete)
1 (20 oz) jar Traditional spaghetti sauce
8 oz pasta (Ditalini is best)
Water

Brown beef in large stock pot with onion. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add all ingredients except pasta and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours. As soup reduces you will need to add a few cups of water to add to broth. During the last 30 minutes add pasta, turn heat to a slow boil and cook until tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

This is one of my favorite crock pot recipes. My husband will even throw this together and is so proud of his work. Definitely a recipe that is kept in rotation in this house. Make sure to cut the veggies nice and thick so they stay nice and hearty through cooking.

4 lb. Roast
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
1 onion, sliced thick
5 cloves of Garlic, chopped in large chunks
5 stalks of Celery, cut in slices
1 bag Baby Carrots, cut in halves
1 bag small Golden Potatoes, cut in halves
1 box Chicken Stock

Season roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder; place in crock pot. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes and chicken stock. Sprinkle more salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.


(My husband likes to make cuts in his roast and slip pieces of garlic into the meat. It is good that way as well!)

Salami and Olive Pasta Salad

I was looking for a new pasta salad recipe and came across a "Salami Lover's Pasta Salad"... PERFECT! This house loves salami. Why not put it in a pasta salad? I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but did take the idea and the other ingredients it involved and created this.

12 oz Rotini Pasta
1 1/2 Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing
3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
8 oz Salami, cubed
1 (2 oz) can Sliced Black Olives
1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced

Cook pasta as directed on package; drain. In large bowl mix pasta, dressing, cheese, salami, olives, onion and bell pepper. Stir well. Chill, then serve.

(I always add more dressing. You can add more once it is chilled if needed.)

Potato Soup

It is so easy to throw these ingredients together in a crock pot and one of my favorite potato soup recipes! I love it thick and creamy! If you like yours a little more 'soupy', go ahead and add both boxes of chicken broth.

You can also choose to use two bags of the frozen potatoes without peppers and onions, and add your own onion, as I prefer to do. I am not a huge onion fan and there are a lot of them in the Potatoes O'Brien.

1 (28 oz) bag Frozen Potatoes O'Brien (small cubes with peppers and onions)
1 (28 oz) bag Frozen Southern Style Potatoes (small cubes without seasonings/extras)
1 1/2 (32 oz) boxes of Chicken Broth
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
2 packages Cream Cheese

In a crock pot, combine both bags of potatoes, chicken broth, and soup. Cook on High for 4 hours. Cube cream cheese and add to soup. Cook on High for 1 more hour or until cream cheese has melted. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with shredded cheddar and bacon.

Sausage and Green Pepper Pasta

This is a super easy, quick and delicious pasta.

1 lb Rigatoni Pasta
1 lb Mild Ground Italian Sausage
2 Green Peppers, chopped
2 cans Italian style Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 1/2 cups Shredded Italian Blend Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 cup reserved pasta cooking water


Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet brown sausage. Stir in peppers and cook until peppers are tender. Stir in tomatoes, basil, oregano and garlic powder. Heat through stirring occasionally.

Before draining pasta, reserve a cup of cooking water. Drain pasta, return to pot. Add sausage mixture,  water, shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese. Mix well, then serve fresh.

Tomato, Basil and Feta Pasta

This is so quick, easy and delicious! You can make this with fresh tomatoes or canned of you have them on hand. No matter what it is very simple and refreshing!

1lb Thin Spaghetti noodles
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2-3 Tomatoes, diced (keep all juices) OR 2 cans Diced Tomatoes, undrained
2 Tablespoons Dried Basil OR 1 cup Fresh Basil, chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste
4 oz Tomato & Basil flavored Crumbled Feta Cheese OR Regular Crumbled Feta Cheese


Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet and cook garlic about 30 seconds. Add in tomatoes with their juices, basil, salt and pepper. Stir together well and heat through. Remove skillet from heat and add cooked noodles to the pan; toss well. Add the feta cheese and stir, then serve.

Mexican Lasagna

This is full of layers and good flavors. It's a different way to enjoy Mexican.

1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Chorizo, remove any casing
1 Green Pepper, finely chopped
1 Onion, finely chopped (or 1 Tablespoon Dried Onion Flakes)
1 or 2 cans Black Beans, drained
2 cans Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chilies, undrained
1 can Corn, drained
1 cup Salsa
1 package Taco Seasoning
2 cans Enchilada Sauce
1 package 10 inch Flour Tortillas
4 cups Mexican Shredded Cheese

Brown ground beef and chorizo together in a very large, deep sided skillet. Add green pepper and onion and cook about 5 minutes. Add black beans, tomatoes with chilies, corn, salsa and taco seasoning; bring to boil then reduce heat and cover, simmering for 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9x13 casserole dish layer 1/3 of meat mixture, 3 tortillas, 1/3 of enchilada sauce and 1/3 of cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with the cheese on the top of the lasagna. Bake for 30 minutes.

Savory Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

My favorite way to eat this meal is over a big bowl of egg noodles. Yum!!

3 lbs Beef Stew Meat

3 cups Beef Broth

1 Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 Onion,cut into wedges

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (28oz) can Crushed Tomatoes, undrained

large bag Wide Egg Noodles

1/4 cup cold Water

2 Tablespoons Corn Starch

Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray. Add beef, broth, squash, onion, salt, pepper and tomatoes. Cook on Low 8-10 hours.

Cook noodles as directed for serving.

After the stew has cooked for 8-10 hours on Low, in a cup or bowl add water and cornstarch; stir to mix very well. Add mixture to the slow cooker and cook on High for 15-30 minutes to thicken. Serve over the hot noodles.