Brownies :-)

This is very simple to make. All you need is 2 brownie mixes and a big bag of Reese's Peanut Butter cups. Mix the brownies as it says to on the box. Unwrap the candy and place on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. pour brownie mix over top. Now this will take a little longer to cook then regular brownies, about 45 minutes to an hour, you will want to check it a few times. They are great. My FHE group loved them. You could also serve with Ice Cream.

Enjoy!

Lemon Wonders

Leann loves these little cakes. They are her favorite of mine. She always asks for the recipe. Wait till she sees how simple.

Lemon Blueberry cupcakes.

1 white cake mix.

make as directed except use 1/2 the water and the other 1/2 lemon juice.

Bake. Mini size cupcake tins are the best for this.

Frosting:

Powdered sugar. 2 cups.

1/2 stick of butter

mix it.

Add lemon juice till smooth. Also add 2 lemons worth of zest

Top with a blueberry.

Find Leann.

Can also be done with lime.

Salsa!

Leann is always asking what I put in different things I make. I never know, I never have a recipe. So this time I took a picture.

Annie's salsa

12 roma tomoato

juice of two limes

1 green pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 red pepper

1 jalapeno

1 red onion

1 yellow onion

1 bunch of cilantro (no stems)

1 bottle of Brianna's Sante Fe Dressing.

Dice all veggies. Add dressing. Stir and Eat!

Not To Be TRIFLED With....

I was just getting out of the shower this morning, when my sweet little, uninhibited, 10 year old walked in the bathroom with the Food and Family magazine. "We should make this tonight for a family night treat, mommy." He was pointing to the picture of a beautiful bowl filled with pudding, strawberries, pieces of cake and more pudding--and a chocolate-covered strawberry on top. Well, who am I to argue? However, I had to make it my own...so-to-speak...since I didn't have most of the stuff in the recipe. Try it. It turned out DIVINE!!

4 C. sliced, fresh strawberries

1/2 C. Sugar

2-8 oz. pkgs. Cream Cheese, softened

1 1/2 C. Milk

1 lg. pkg. Vanilla Instant Pudding

1-8 oz. carton Whipped Topping, thawed

1-loaf sized Angel Food Cake, cut into 1" cubes

2 squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Combine sliced strawberries and sugar and put into refrigerator. Beat Cream Cheese until creamy and gradually add milk. Add pudding mix and combine. Blend in all but 2 lg. spoonfuls of whipped topping. Spoon half of pudding mixture into a trifle bowl. Top with cubed cake, then strawberries and then the remaining pudding mixture. (Try to refrigerate at least 2 hours. We only had 1 hr. until bedtime by the time I got this done and it was FINE!!!) Melt squares of chocolate in microwave, according to directions on box. Drizzle, with a spoon, over top of dessert. Top with 2 lg. spoonfuls of whipped topping. If you have a little extra chocolate, dip one of the "left-over" strawberries into the chocolate, allow excess to drip off and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Put berry on top of trifle before serving---just to add a little dramatic effect.

Now, just try to stop those little munchkins from diving in!!

Yummy Mashed Potatoes

To go along with the chicken, this mashed potato recipe is a hit.

5 pound bag of potatoes

1 16 ounce tub of sour cream

1-2 packages of pre-cooked bacon

chives

Peel potatoes and cook until soft. Mash them like you normally do (with milk and butter) Mix in sour cream and chives. Heat bacon in the microwave and then tear into pieces. Mix the bacon in with the potatoes and sour cream and mash until fluffy.

Easy Crock Pot Chicken

My crock pot is one of my best friends. I love that I can throw dinner in before I go to work so my sweet family can have a healthy dinner. This has been a big hit at our house and there is virtually no work involved at all. Total prep time is about 5 minutes. That is my kind of dinner.

1 Bag of frozen chicken breasts

2 packets of dry ranch dressing

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup

1 24 ounce tub of sour cream

Put chicken in the crock pot. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl. Pour the delightful mixture over the chicken and cook on low for 6 hours. ENJOY!!!

Easy Steak Fajitas

I actually thought of a couple recipes that didn't belong to my mom. I did not think that was possible. These are so yummy and so quick and easy to make.

1-2 packages of stewing beef

Mushrooms

Green Peppers

Onions (if you so desire)

Tortillas

Sour Cream

Season beef with Lawry's season salt. Brown the beef. Put beef in a separate pan or bowl. Do not throw away juice from the meat cooking. Saute mushrooms in the juice. Add green peppers, onion, and beef. Cook on low until green peppers are slightly tender. Scoop this yummy goodness onto a tortilla and top with sour cream. MMM MMM Good

The World's Greatest Cookie (at least in my world)

These are technically called "Cookie Pops" because you have the ability to put a popscicle stick in them and eat them like a popscicle---but we don't have that kind of time------or patience.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1/2 C. White Sugar

1/2 C. Brown Sugar

1/2 C. Peanut Butter

1/2 C. Margarine, softened

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 Egg

1 1/2 C. Flour

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 tsp. Salt

10-15 Popscicle Sticks (if you are so inclined)

1 Bag Fun-Sized Milky Way, Reese's, Snickers, Rolo's, or Twix--whatever floats your boat.

Combine sugars, peanut butter, margarine, vanilla and egg. Sift dry ingredients together. Mix into butter blend. If you are using the popscicle sticks, put the stick into a candy bar and shape dough around the bars completely covering the candy. If no sticks, just make sure you cover the candy completely with the cookie dough. (Makes about a 3" cookie.) Bake cookies at least 4" apart on a greased cookie sheet for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Do not overcook. Remove from cookie sheet onto cooling rack and cool completely before devouring them. Make sure you have a nice cold glass of milk at your ready. These cookies are hazardous to your diet but there's always the treadmill.

Copied From Our Family Blogspot!

Just to start this recipe blog off.....I'm gonna bless your lives with this recipe I actually made up. Picture that. An original thought that was legit. Shane and the family love it. (Little side note: Brittany made this the other night and called me to complain that the sauce was way-y-y-y too runny. It turns out that if you just buy cans of beer and not a 6-pack, they sell them in a 24 oz. can. Who knew? Not me!! Anyway, just 2-12 oz cans or 1-24 oz. can.

Drunken Meatball Subs

24-30 Italian Meatballs (from Costco)
1/4 C. Butter
1 Onion, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1/3-1/2 C. Brown Sugar
2 envelopes Golden Onion Soup
2-12 oz. cans of Beer (You choose the brand cuz I don't care!)
6-8 slices Swiss or Mozzarella Cheese
A little more soft Butter
6-8 Hoagie Buns

On medium heat, saute chopped onions and garlic in butter until onions are clear, tender and begging for more. (Can't you just smell that?? Makin' me drool!) Stir in one can of beer, the brown sugar and dry onion soup mix. Add the meatballs, (they can be added frozen--the "hot, now non-alcoholic" beer makes them defrost real fast.) Pour the other beer over the top and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and allow this panful of wonderfulness to simmer about 30 minutes. The sauce thickens just perfectly. Should be a golden color. Turn the oven on "Broil" and take out your broiler pan-or a cookie sheet. Open the hoagie buns and carefully ladle 4-5 meatballs with the sauce onto the bottom half of each lightly buttered bun. Cut the slice of cheese in half and lay the 2 halves over the top of the meatballs. Lightly butter the top half and leave it on the pan and put all into the oven, under the broiler, for about a minute. Watch them carefully so they don't burn. (What a waste, that would be!) Take out of the oven and put the top half of the bun over the beautifully melted, cheesy meatballs. (Don't forget to turn the oven off.)

Garnish with chips and a pickle or two.

ENJOY!!!

Great Recipes

My daughters and I have decided that we are going to start a little recipe blog. We love to cook and we are pretty good at it.....most of the time. Thought it was about time we share the wealth. There are many of us......Jackson, Collins, White, Carter, Hanson, Royle, Williams, Rial, Newbold, Schmalz, Bass......the list goes on. If you are a relative and want to join us.....or if you are a great friend and love to eat and if you know we would just drool over something you had to share, GET ON THIS BUS!! Just send me an email at

happyjacksons@gmail.com.

and we'll add you to the list. I love to share and hope you all do, too. Love ya!!

Leann