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.

Resurrection Rolls (Empty Tomb Rolls)

I found these on Catholic Icing's blog and can't wait to try them.

Ressurrection "Empty Tomb" Rolls by Catholic Icing Canned Crescent Rolls Small bowl of melted butter Small bowl of Cinnamon/Sugar Mixture Large Marshmallows **Before beginning, melt your butter, preheat your oven to the temperature on your crescent roll can, and cover your pan in parchment paper or aluminum foil, because the melted marshmallows can get messy!

1. Give each child a marshmallow, and tell them it represents Jesus. Have them dip it into the melted butter, and then roll it in the cinnamon sugar. These represent the oil and spices used to prepare Jesus' body for burial. 2. Now give each child a crescent roll, and have them wrap up the marshmallow tightly, pinching it closed as much as possible. The roll represents the linen cloths that Jesus' body was wrapped in. 3. Place your rolls into the oven, which symbolizes the tomb. Bake according to package directions, and pretend it has been 3 days! ;-) 4. an "empty tomb". Isn't that cool?! Jesus has risen! Alleluia, Alleluia! :-)

Firecrackers

Someone at work made these and had them in the lounge for a Relay For Life fundraiser. They were so yummy.

1 box of little saltines minis or (16 ounce) package unsalted saltine crackers
1 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix

Just toss all of it around for a while until the oil is soaked up at the bottom! :)

Irish Cream Poundcake by Paula Deen

Irish Cream Pound Cake with Irish Cream Glaze

1 1/2 - cups butter

2 - cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 - cup granulated sugar

5 - large eggs

3 - cups all purpose flour

1 - tsp baking powder

1/2 - tsp salt

3/4 - cup whole milk

1/4 - cup Irish cream liqueur or Irish cream syrup

Preheat oven to 325.

Spray a 12 cup fluted pan with not stick spray with flour.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at time, beating after each addition. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk., beginning and ending with flour mixture beating after each addition. Stir in Irish cream. Spoon batter into prepared pan, and bake for 1 hour and 15 - 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Drizzle Irish Cream Glaze over cake. Garnish with mint leaves and strawberries if desired.

Irish Cream Glaze

2 cups confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur

Combine sugar and Irish cream whisking until creamy. Drizzle over cooled cake.

It took a little more than 3 T. of the Irish cream to get a good consistency. Just keep adding until you get it the consistency you want. You can also use a little milk instead of adding more irish cream liquer or flavoring. In my opinion: This was DE-lish! I really loved the glaze. I hate to admit it, but this is definitely a heavy/dense cake so be prepared to share!

Grilled Corn with Feta Cheese

recipe by The Neelys
4 ears sweet corn, husked and silks removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Seasoning salt, recipe from Grilled Sweet and Tangy Pork chops
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lime, juiced, plus 1 lime, quartered, for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup crumbled feta

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
2. Rub the corn with olive oil and season with seasoning salt, to taste. Grill the corn until it's charred, on all sides, rotating for about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise, chili powder, cayenne, lime juice and salt and pepper, to taste, together in a small bowl. Remove the corn from the grill and brush the hot corn with the mayonnaise mixture. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

In my opinion: I absolutely loved the flavor of the chili-lime sauce. It may be too spicy for small kids. It was hard to get the feta cheese to stick to the corn so next time I will try brushing on the mayonnaise mixture, adding the feta, and wrapping the corn in foil before placing on the grill. We served these with the Sweet and Tangy Grilled Pork Chops.

Grilled Sweet and Tangy Pork Chops

recipe from The Neelys
4 (1 1/2-inch thick) center cut bone in pork chops
Neely's Seasoning Salt, recipe follows Sweet and Tangy Glaze, recipe follows

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
2. Season the pork chops lightly on both sides with the Seasoning Salt. Remember, we aren't rubbing the chops.
3. Grill the chops for 5 to 7 minutes per side. Brush them with the Sweet and Tangy Glaze the last 5 minutes of grilling. Internal temperature should register 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the chops from the grill to a serving platter and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Seasoning Salt:
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Mix the salt, onion powder, black pepper, garlic powder, celery seed, cayenne, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Reserve a small amount for the Grilled Corn with Feta Cheese recipe. You can store the remaining Seasoning Salt in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Sweet and Tangy Glaze:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup tablespoon real maple syrup
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 dash hot pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and refrigerate if not using immediately.

In my opinion: These were delicious! We served it with the grilled corn with feta cheese. Oh, my! I loved the corn.

Shamrock Milkshake

Picture from Kraft

Mint chocolate ice cream
milk

1. Add both ingredients and blend until desired consistency.

Leprechaun's Fizz

Lime sherbet
lemon-lime soda or ginger ale

1. Scoop out sherbet into cups
2. Pour soda over the sherbet!

These were so simple and really made the kids happy!

Leprechaun's Kiss

1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate,(or green candy melts) melted optional
2 cups boiling water, divided
2 pkg. (3 oz. each) JELL-O LIME Flavor Gelatin
1-1/2 cups cold water, divided
Ice cubes
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP
Whipped Topping Decorations: assorted St. Patrick's sprinkles and candies
1. DRAW heart design or write Valentine's Day message in each of 8 (6-oz.) clear plastic cups by piping chocolate onto insides of cups. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.
2. ADD 1 cup boiling water to 1 pkg. gelatin mix in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in 1 cup cold water; pour into cups. Refrigerate 1 hour or until gelatin is firm.
3. MEANWHILE, add remaining boiling water to remaining gelatin mix; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to remaining cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until thickened. Stir in COOL WHIP; spoon over gelatin layer in cups. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Decorate as desired.