Amy's Artichoke DIp

2 cans marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1 c real mayonnaise
1 c parmesan cheese (not the sprinkle kind for pizza)
worcesteshire sauce to taste
hot sauce (like tobasco) to taste

Mix ingredients in a baking dish. Bake at 350 until browning on top or bubbly.


I got this recipe from a friend. My husband doesn't like artichokes so I get this all to myself...and believe me, I can eat it all by myself!

Fake Lasagna Make ahead and Freeze

Plan on buying twice the ingredients and a few 8x8 foil freezer dishes if you want to stock your freezer.

1 lb frozen cheese ravioli
1 lb ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 c mozzarella

1. Brown meat and drain.
2. Pour frozen ravioli into 9x13 baking dish.
3. Top with meat then pour sauce over the meat. Sprinkle with parmesan and then mozzarella.
4. Cover and bake for 45 minutes or write baking instructions on top and freeze.
5. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

In my opinion: This dish was made for me by friends and I loved it. I think your kids will, too.

Cheesy Broccoli-Potato Soup by Betty Crocker

1 carton (32 oz) Progresso® chicken broth
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 bag (12 oz) Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen chopped broccoli
2 cups milk
1 1/3 cups Betty Crocker® Potato Buds® mashed potatoes (dry)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 oz)
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 In 3-quart saucepan, heat broth, onion and frozen broccoli to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2 Stir in milk and dry potatoes until well blended; stir in remaining ingredients.
3 Heat over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot and cheese is melted.

In my opinion: This was a super simple soup. It was a good soup.

Berry Berry Cool Pie by Eagle Brand

1 can (14 oz.) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 cups assorted fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries or blackberries)
1 tub (8 oz.) frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
1 Keebler® Ready Crust® Graham Pie Crust

1. In large bowl combine sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice.

2. Stir in berries. Fold in whipped topping. Spread in crust.

3. Freeze at least 5 hours or until firm. Let stand at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes before cutting. Garnish as desired.

This pie was delicious and a very refreshing treat for our hot summer days.

Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Nachos by Betty Crocker

1 package (16 ounces) mild Mexican pasteurized prepared cheese product with jalapeño peppers, cut into cubes
3/4 cup Old El Paso® Thick ’n Chunky salsa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 package (9 ounces) frozen cooked Southwest-seasoned chicken breast strips, thawed and cubed
1 container (8 ounces) Southwest ranch sour cream dip
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
12 ounces large tortilla chips

1 Place cheese, salsa, beans and chicken in 3- to 4-quart slow cooker.
2 Cover and cook on Low heat setting 3 to 4 hours, stirring halfway through cooking, until cheese is melted and mixture is hot.
3 Stir in sour cream dip and bell peppers. Increase heat setting to High. Cover and cook about 30 minutes or until mixture is hot. Serve over tortilla chips. Topping will hold on Low heat setting up to 2 hours; stir occasionally.

In my opinion: These were good nachos. This was a good deviation from the normal chicken or ground beef Crock Pot recipes.

Cranberry, Apple, and Sausage Stuffing

I am not sure where I originally got this recipe, but it can be found on Food Network's website. I LOVE this recipe!

8 tablespoons (1/2 cup or 1 stick) butter, UNsalted
2 medium onions, finely diced
3 cups chopped celery, (about 6 large stalks)
6 cups coarsely chopped leeks, (about 12) or onions
4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 pound breakfast sausage or Italian sausage, casings removed, optional
6 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, (about 4 sprigs)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves, (about 6 leaves)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, (about 4 to 6 sprigs)
2 cups dried cranberries
1 box stuffing mix (NOT cornbread) (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
2 cups (1 pint), or less vegetable stock
pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute the onions, celery, leeks, apples, and sausage, breaking up the sausage as you cook. After about 10 minutes, add the poultry seasoning, fresh herbs and dried cranberries. Add the dried stuffing mix and moisten with the vegetable stock. Season stuffing mix to taste. Place into a buttered casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes.
3 qt pan was too small...this makes a lot!

This was fabulous! It has become our favorite.

Make ahead and Freeze Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole

This is another dish my friends made to fill my freezer when I was going through some tough times at home. It is fabulous!


1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded
2 c chicken stock
1 3/4 c uncooked rice
3 1/2 c water
2 10 oz pkgs. frozen chopped broccoli
3/4 c onions, chopped
3/4 c green pepper, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
4 T margarine
8 oz Velveeta
1 can cream chicken soup
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 3oz can chopped mushrooms, opt.

1. Cook chicken, rice, and broccoli as directed on packages.
2. Saute onions, bell peppers, and celery in margarine.
3. Drain broccoil and combine with chicken, cheese, sauteed vegetables, undiluted soups, and mushrooms.
4. Fold in cooked rice and turn into a 4 qt casserole dish (or 3-4 small freezer dishes and cover with foil label foil with baking instructions).
5. Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes.

Slow Cooker Jambalaya by Betty Crocker

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
2 medium celery stalks, chopped (1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can (28 oz) Muir Glen® organic diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups chopped fully cooked smoked sausage
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce
3/4 pound uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen
4 cups hot cooked rice

1 In 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except shrimp and rice.
2 Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours (or High heat setting 3 to 4 hours).
3 Stir in shrimp. If needed, reduce heat setting to Low; cover and cook on Low heat setting about 1 hour longer or until shrimp are pink and firm. Serve jambalaya with rice.

Beef Enchilada Casserole (Make ahead and Freeze)

I was going through a hard time a few months ago and some precious friends from church called and said they were going to stock my freezer. And they did! This is one of the many wonderful meals they blessed me with.

2 lbs ground beef
10 corn tortillas, quartered
1 sm can evaporated milk
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chiken
1 lb Velveeta, cubed

1. Brown meat in a deep skillet and drain excess grease.
2. Add canned ingredients and cheese cubes and allow to melt.
3. In a 4 qt casserole dish (or many small freezeable pans), layer the ingredients starting with the 1/3 of the sauce then 1/2 of the tortillas. Repeat layers ending with sauce. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly...or cover with foil and label the top with the directions:

thaw completely
uncover
bake 30 minutes or until bubbly at 350

In my opinion: This was a great dish, I will be making it soon to restock my freezer for nights I'm too busy running kids to dance and soccer practice to cook.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Applesauce by Betty Crocker

6 medium (2 pounds) sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups applesauce
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts, toasted

1 Place sweet potatoes in 2- to 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients except nuts; spoon over potatoes.
2 Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 8 hours or until potatoes are very tender.
3 Sprinkle with nuts.

In my opinion, I thought this was a good recipe. My husband, the sweet potato expert, said they were too sweet for him.

My Cut-out Cookies (double batch)

2 c butter, softened

3 c sugar

2 eggs

2 t vanilla extract

2 t almond extract

5 1/2 c flour

4 t baking powder

2 t salt

1. Preheat oven to 400. In mixer bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in eggs and extracts.

3. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture a little at a time, mixing after each addition. At this point, I divide the dough in two and place in large sealable bags.

4. Roll out dough and use cookie cutters to make your favorite cookies.

5. Bake 6-7 minutes. Cool completely before decorating.

Oven Fried Chimichangas

2/3 cup picante sauce or 2/3 cup your favorite salsa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, chopped with some tops (about 1/4 cup)
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
shredded cheddar cheese, for serving
chopped green onion, for serving
picante sauce, for serving

1 Mix chicken, picante sauce or salsa, cumin, oregano, cheese and onions.
2 Place about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla.
3 Fold opposite sides over filling.
4 Roll up from bottom and place seam-side down on a baking sheet.
5 Brush with melted margarine.
6 Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes or until golden.
7 Garnish with additional cheese and green onion and serve salsa on the side.

Easter Cupcakes

These are the original pictures posted by Betty Crocker that go with the cupcakes my kids made yesterday.

The lamb was extremely difficult to do, especially for my little ones.

You need:

Pre-made cupcakes, I made lemon

Pre-made Icing

Yellow coconut

Green Coconut

Jellybeans or Pastel M&Ms or speckled eggs

Brown, red, and orange M&Ms for eyes and beaks

Easter sprinkles

Marshmallows

any other candy you'd like Handle for basket (we used pipe-cleaner)

Easter Cupcakes

I found the cutest cupcake ideas on Betty Crocker's website. Tonight I threw caution to the wind and put out M&Ms, marshmallows, chocolate morsels, green coconut, yello coconut, and 8 different sprinkles and let my kids each create 6 cupcakes.

Spring Scrub Down by Paula Deen

Ways to Clean with Baking Soda…
Mix it with warm water to clean the inside of the fridge or other appliances.
Blend 4 parts baking soda and 1 part Borax for a nonabrasive scouring powder.

Ways to Clean with White Vinegar…
Add 2 to 3 tablespoons to your dishwasher detergent to cut the grease on dishes.
Make a paste of vinegar and baking soda to clean a stainless steel sink.
Mix it with water, and run it through the coffeepot for a good inside-out cleaning.
Freeze vinegar in ice cube trays, and grind the cubs in the sink disposal.

Ways to Clean with Lemons…
Sanitize wooden cutting boards by rubbing them with lemon juice, then let them set overnight. Wash and rinse.
Use lemon juice on chrome faucets and appliances, then buff ‘til they shine!
Sprinkle the cut side of a lemon half with salt, and use it to clean the inside of copper cookware.
Cut a whole lemon in quarters, and grind it in the garbage disposal to disinfect and deodorize it. (Paula’s favorite!)

“I always keep plenty of lemons, vinegar, and baking soda in my kitchen because they pull double duty- I can cook or clean with ‘em!” - Paula

Freshen the Fridge
Paula says four simple steps make this big job more manageable.
1. Pull out all the food and throw away out-of-date items
2. Wash drawers and shelves, and then wipe down the interior with warm soapy water.
3. Use soap and bleach (and latex gloves!) to clean and sanitize the drip pan, if you have one, underneath the fridge.
4. Vacuum any coils in the back or underneath.

Grease Be Gone!
The grimiest cleaning jobs in the kitchen are the exhaust fan blades, housing, and filter; underneath the stop top; and the oven. For these jobs, Paula finds that the fastest way to cut the sticky mess is to squirt the surfaces with Greased Lightning, an all-purpose cleaner originally created to help mechanics mop up car grease. Just wear latex gloves, and grab a roll of paper towels to wipe away grease. Then wipe with a damp sponge and dry.

Cleaning with Ketchup?
Rubbing ketchup on dirty copper-bottomed pots will restore the shine.