Rantin' & Ravin': Recipes

Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP & PIECES COOKIES!!!

I really think peanut butter is a guy thing.

Don't get me wrong. I love peanut butter, but every guy I know LOVES peanut butter!

Our anniversary is a couple of days away and I want to make him something he loves! These are super yummy and chewy!

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups your favorite candy or chocolate chips (I used 3/4 cups of each)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or tin foil, set aside
In medium bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In mixer cream butter and both sugars together on medium speed, beating until light and fluffy 2-3 minutes. Turn mixer to low and add in egg and vanilla. Turn mixer back up to medium and mix until incorporated, scraping sides when necessary.
Turn mixer to low and add in flour mixture until dough comes together.
Stir in candy until evenly distributed.
Drop by heaping tablespoon onto lined baking sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes until edges are just golden. Make sure not to over bake.
Remove from oven, let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes, and then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes 2 1/2 Dozen

BEST EVER BANANA BREAD!!!

I love bread!

I don't discriminate. It's all good to me.

I'm usually a cheap date. Take me to a restaurant and plop down the bread basket and I will fill myself up on that and order a salad or a soup and I'm good to go. (Oh, you're a waiter/waitress? Never worry, I always tip big. Yes, usually over 20%.)

One of the things the holidays do to me is turn me into a baking fool. Well, this year, I just wasn't into it. I don't know why, but it just wasn't there. It came back this morning!

Banana bread is one of my favorites. However, with two little boys under the age of 4, bananas don't last very long here. This time I set them aside just for this purpose and told my 3 year old at least a dozen times a day for 5 days, that those were not for him. (Insert pouty lipped , big brown eyed puppy dog eyed boy here.)

I found this recipe on the back of the flour bag about 3 years ago.

It's name was just begging me to come and try it.

I've never regretted it.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c sugar

1/2 c butter

2 eggs

3 - 4 ripe bananas

1/2 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 c chopped nuts (whatever kind you like) optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix flour, baking soda, salt. Set aside.

Mix sugar and butter till smooth. Add eggs, milk, vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add bananas.

Mix in flour mixture.

Pour batter into pans. (I use these here. Best for gift giving)

Bake for 1 hour.

Place on cooling rack.

Cool for 1 hour.

Sometimes I add toppings to my bread too. The one pictured above is a cinnamon sugar butter mix.

1 T of butter

2 T of sugar

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

Stir it together.

Make the mixture into little chunks and plop on top of the bread before cooking.

It melts into the top and adds an extra little yumminess!

When I add nuts. I put 3/4 c in the mix and add the other 1/4 c on top before baking.

What do you add to the top of your banana bread?

BROWN SUGAR GLAZED CHICKEN!!!

Do you ever struggle with a meal calendar?

Sometimes I have a hard time coming up with something the husband will enjoy and that the boys will enjoy too! Ya with me on this one too, huh?

Yeah, well this recipe is so good (husband and kid approved)! I made it with chicken, but can easily be used with pork chops!

Ingredients:

4-5 boneless chicken breasts or pork chops

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub your sugar/spice mix on both sides of each chicken breast, using all of the spice mix. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. After the oil is hot, cook the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.

Add some yummy steamed veggies and you'll be good to go!

Note: I've also used the ingredients, sans the chicken/ pork chops, as a rub on a turkey breast. Rub all over and bake the turkey as directed on the packaging.

HOT SPICE PUNCH!!!

Every Christmas my husband has to have one drink!

It's a tradition with his family.

They love to serve this!

It's so yummy and was a perfect side to my Cream Cheese Pound Cake last night.

Here is the recipe:

22 Cups of Water

12- 20 Whole Cloves

3 Sticks of Cinnamon

Simmer in a tall pot till water turns a golden brown.

{This took us about 30 minutes when on med-low heat}

Once golden brown add:

1 tall can pineapple juice {I think it was between 40 - 46 oz}

12 oz can frozen orange juice

12 oz can frozen lemonade

3 Cups of Sugar

Serve hot

APPLE PIE SNICKERDOODLE COOKIE BARS!!!

Whew! That's a mouth full!

One of the things I love most about Fall is all of the baking!

We aren't really pumpkin eaters, but we LOVE apples!

Here is a yummy, fall inspired treat!

Only three ingredients - unbelievably easy & delicious

These bars are the best of both worlds … apple pie and cookies! These are a great dessert top with vanilla ice cream for an a la mode treat!

Ingredients
One 16.5 oz tube of Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
One 20 oz. can of apple pie filling
Cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup of granulated sugar & 4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon)

Instructions
Press 2/3 of the cookie dough into the bottom of an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan.
Sprinkle with 2/3 of the cinnamon sugar.
Spread the apple pie filling over the cookie base.
Take small amounts of the remaining cookie dough, flatten it slightly and place over the pie filling. It will not cover the pie filling completely.
Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake in a 350* oven until the cookie dough is baked - mine took about 35-40 minutes.
Allow bars to cool and cut into squares.

Recipe from: Just A Pinch Recipes

28 DAYS OF THANKSGIVING!!!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!

It's my holiday!

Christmas Eve is done with my family, Christmas Eve is done with my husband's family. We rotate Easter between both sides. So, I get a little giddy when Thanksgiving comes around!

Here are some of my favorite crafts, treats and activities for you and your family to do this Thanksgiving season.

Activities:

Thankful Tree

Last year we started a Thankful tree tradition. It's only a tradition because we are going to do it again this year. Check back next week to see our new Thankful tree. With this one I took a couple of sheets of brown scrapbook paper and cut out the base and branches of the tree. Then I hand cut all of those leaves. Luckily last year was only 22 days! But we assigned each person a color and each day we rotated writing down something that we were grateful for. We listed things like each other, family, friends, the military, to live in a free country, toys, cats, a job, cars... You get the idea.

Thanksgiving Countdown

I used this pattern and my oldest and I created a chain link countdown. This is so fun!

Many Thanks Wreath Countdown

Food Drive

You can organize a food drive. If you don't have time to do that, never fear. I usually give my boys some money and we head over to the grocery store and each of us pick out as much non perishables we can get and deliver them to our local food bank or shelter. It's a great way to teach the young ones about giving.

Send a Thank You card to our soldiers

Make sure to do this one right at the beginning of the month, they send them out after the first week of the month. Send them here:

Holiday Mail For Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Do not include a picture or name, nothing personal. Just a simple card thanking them for their service!

Visit a Corn Maze

Go and pick some apples!

Crafts:

Button Indian Corn Napkin Rings

Kid Friendly Place Cards

Treats:

The Best Pumpkin Bars

Reese's Turkeys

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies with Reese's Pieces

Pumpkin Rice Krispies

Turkey Quesadilla

Pumpkin Brittle

Pumpkin Pie Poptarts

Scrumptious Apple Pie

Tepee Treats

And don't forget...

Add this to last to year's post and you'll have 50 ideas for Thanksgiving!

YUMMY BROWNIES!!!

OH.MY.YUMMINESS!!!

I found this recipe, here. And I had to try it for myself.

Here is what you need.

Here is what you do.

Make your brownies per the package instructions. Let it cool completely.

Microwave the marshmallow fluff for 30 seconds, stir halfway through. Frost the brownies and let it cool.

Microwave the frosting for 10 - 15 seconds and then frost it like a cake.

You can either let it cool or jump right in. It's good either way. And it's good a couple of days later too!

PULLED PORK SANDWICHES!!! YUM!!!

I'm a Southern girl!

BBQ sauce is in my blood!

A BBQ for me is more than burgers and hot dogs. (Psst! Nathan's are the best hot dogs. EVER!) A BBQ is ribs, kabobs, chicken and yummy pulled pork!

This is seriously the best recipe I have ever tried!

This recipe only requires 4 ingredients and 1 machine!

Pork Butt {mine was about 2 lbs}

1 can Pepsi {You can use Coke or Dr. Pepper}

1/2 bottle barbecue sauce {Sweet Baby Ray's is the only way to go!}

Seasoning Salt

6 simple steps!

1. Cover roast completely with seasoning salt.

2. Pour Pepsi and barbecue sauce in the CrockPot and mix together, then place roast in CrockPot.

3. Cook on low for at least 6 hours {I usually do 7- 8}, even longer for more tender pork.

4. After 4 hours {I wait for about 6, it just makes it easier to shred}, take two forks and shred the pork.

5.Let it sit and cook for the remaining time, it soaks up the flavor and tenderizes even more! Keep on warm while serving.

6. Put on roll or bun and enjoy!

Original recipe pulled from Ally's Sweet & Savory Eats

I can usually get about 10 - 12 sandwiches from a 2 lb pork butt!

CHRISTMAS HAM!!!

Do you bake a ham for Christmas? Or do you stick to turkey? What about lamb?

My family is mixed. My dad's side of the family is Cuban. We eat pork, yummy, yummy pork! My mom's side does a ham and so does my husband's family. I like to mix it up! This year, I didn't get to make a turkey for Thanksgiving, so we are having a turkey.

Did you see the yummy five recipes I posted for turkey? You can find it here.

But I didn't want to leave you out if you love ham for Christmas dinner. So, here are a few recipes for you!

Honey Butter Ham

Ham with Currant-Rosemary Glaze

Honey-Orange Baked Ham

Mustard-Maple Glazed Ham

Holiday Baked Ham

THE BEST SIDES FOR YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER!!!

Did you enjoy the "Perfect Turkey" post?

Well, no turkey is complete without its side dishes. I have found 3 of everything I could think of to help you make your turkey even more perfect!