Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

If you have hockey players who need to carb load, then you need this Slow Cooker Baked Ziti in your life.  In 2 hours and 45 minutes I had a huge bowl of pasta deliciousness!  It’s meatless, and it didn’t even dawn on me until after I put it all together.  Too late at that point, but it didn’t need it.  The fresh basil is a MUST! Don’t skip that part.  Add some meat if you want, but I promise it was so good without it.  A salad, veggie and garlic bread on the side just topped off this fabulous dish. 

No need to double.  I promise you this recipe makes a ton.  Enjoy! 

Get the Slow Cooker Baked Ziti Recipe Here! 

Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

Southern Banana Pudding

God Bless America and God Bless Banana Pudding!  What are some of your favorite holiday foods?  

No matter what your plans are for this 4th of July weekend, make it a safe and healthy one! 

Get this delicious Banana Pudding Recipe here!

Southern Banana Pudding

Pioneer Woman’s Parmesan Chicken

Dinner tonight.  It was easy to make, tasted delicious and the kids loved it! It gets two thumbs up from me! 

Here is the link to the blog I snatched it from.  Show them some love and try this recipe! 

Get the recipe here! 

Pioneer Woman’s Parmesan Chicken

Chili Mac

Need a quick, cheap and hearty comfort food that fills you up and tastes great? Well, this Chili Mac receipe might be your new best friend! 

I literally threw this together on a whim and the kids couldn’t get enough it! 

The stuff you need: 

1 lb ground chucked, browned and drained 

1 16 oz bag of rigatoni, cooked 

10 oz of canned chili w/no beans (I used Wolff) 

1/2 of a 32 oz block of velvetta cheese, cubed 

3/4 cup of milk (May add more depending on consistency) 

Seasonings of your liking to season the beef 

What to do: 

 Brown the ground chuck and season to your liking (I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder). Drain.  At the same time boil your rigatoni.  After you drain your beef add about 10 oz of canned chili.  (I used 1/2 of a 19 oz can of Wolff chili with no beans).  Let that start simmering.  Start cubing your velvetta cheese and add it to your beef and chili mixture.  Stir occasionally until cheese is melted.  Drain your noodles once they are done.  Add your cheesy beef and chili mixture to your noodles and stir.  Easy, right? Enjoy! 

Now, off to hockey practice! 

Chili Mac

Sunday afternoon No Bake Cheesecake

Cleaning out the pantry and I discover a Jello No Bake cheesecake (which is the hubby's fav) and a refrigerator pie crust left over from the holidays.  I ditched the boxed graham crust, popped the refrigerator crust in the oven, added some caramel and pecans and here you have it. A caramel pecan no bake cheesecake in a flaky crust. Best of all worlds! :) 

Sunday afternoon No Bake Cheesecake

Cinnamon Chips

These chips are a ridiculously delicious snack that will disappear before you know it.  So don't say I didn't warn you!!

Ingredients:

6-8 Flour Tortillas
1 Tbs. Butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  In small bowl, melt butter in microwave 30 seconds and set aside. In another small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar. Set aside. Lightly brush both sides of a tortilla with the melted butter and place on a cutting board. Sprinkle tortillas with cinnamon and sugar. Use a pizza cutter to cut into 6-8 wedge pieces. Place on an ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat for all tortillas. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Let cool.  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Chips

MS Walk - Walking For A Cure!

This year my fellow co-workers and I, along with our families, are walking for a MS (multiple sclerosis) cure!  Please join us in this cause by clicking on the link below and reading about our goals!  Thank you in advance for your time and support!

Wyoming, Cody - Walk MS 2013 presented by First Interstate Bank of Wyoming: Frontier Neurosciences: Walking For A Cure - National MS Society

MS Walk - Walking For A Cure!

Ham and Swiss Rolls

Perfect for Game Day, Game Night or just a quick dinner for those busy hockey practice nights, these mini Ham and Swiss rolls are easy, delicious and always a crowd pleaser.

Recipe originated from www.tidymom.net

What You Need:
Sliced Ham, about 1/2 loaf
5 slices Swiss cheese
1 package Hawaiian Rolls
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp poppy seed (optional)

How To Make It:
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Take the rolls out of the package leaving them intact. Slice the entire loaf in half with a knife to create a top and bottom layer. Place the bottom layer in a 9 x 13 pan.
2. Place the ham and cheese on bottom layer of rolls, then put the top layer over the ham and cheese.
3. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour mixture over the rolls.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool before slicing.

Ham and Swiss Rolls

King Cake

It's not Fat Tuesday in our house without slicing into a delicious King Cake.  Living in Wyoming you can't just run to Kroger and grab one from the bakery.  First of all, there is not a Kroger in these parts.  Second, they have probably never even heard of a King Cake, or country ham for that matter, but we will save that discussion for another post!  As a result I have had to suck it up and make my own in order for us to continue with our favorite Fat Tuesday tradition.  I have to give credit to Homemade by Holman for sharing this delicious recipe.  Happy Mardi Gras everyone!  Enjoy!

Dough:

1/2 cup half and half

2 TBsp butter

1 package active dry yeast

1/3 cup warm water 

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus more for rolling
Zest of 1 lemon

Scald half and half over medium heat, remove from heat and add butter.  While mixture cools, stir together warm water, yeast and 1 TBsp of the sugar in bowl of a stand mixer and let stand until foamy.  When half and half mixture is cooled, add to yeast mixture.  Add remaining sugar and egg and beat until well incorporated.  Add salt, nutmeg and flour one cup at a time.  Stir in lemon zest and switch to dough hook attachment.  Knead with dough hook for about 5-7 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.  It will still be fairly sticky.  Oil a deep bowl and transfer dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours until doubled in size.  

Filling:

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 TBsp cinnamon

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup melted butter
2 TBsp bourbon ( I used Woodford Reserve)
1/2 cup raisins

Combine bourbon and raisins in a small bowl and set aside.  Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon and flour and then stir in melted butter.  

Punch down dough and turn out onto a heavily floured surface.  Roll dough out into a large rectangle about 12x16 inches.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spread filling mixture over dough in a thin layer leaving about a one inch edge free around the whole rectangle.  Drain raisins and sprinkle over filling.  Begin rolling dough like a jelly roll from the wide edge.  Roll tightly and transfer to baking sheet.  Form dough into an oval, seam side down and pinch edges to seal.  Using cooking scissors, cut slices into top of dough about every two inches approximately 1/3 of the way through dough.  Cover with a towel and let rise an additional 45 minutes in a warm place.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake approximately 30 minutes until golden brown.  

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 TBsp lemon juice

2 TBsp half and half

3/4 cup granulated sugar

Food coloring in green, yellow and purple

Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice and half and half until smooth.  Pour over cooled king cake.

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and a couple drops of yellow food coloring and stir together.  Transfer to a small bowl or plate.  Add 1/4 cup sugar and a couple drops of green food coloring and stir together.  Transfer to a small bowl or plate.  Add last cup of sugar and purple food coloring and stir to combine.  Sprinkle sugar over icing as desired.

King Cake

Banana Pineapple Ice

Going through my pictures, I found this one of Banana Pineapple Ice that I made last Summer. This is a really bad picture, but this healthy five ingredient dessert is a delicious treat! Hope you enjoy!

What you need:
2 Cups unsweetened apple juice
2 Cups mashed ripe bananas
8 oz fresh crushed pineapple in its own juice
2 tBsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour into an 8 inch square dish. Cover and freeze for 1 1/12 to 2 hours or until almost firm. Transfer to a large bowl. Beat for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Return mixture to dish; freeze until firm. Remove from freezer 30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition facts: 1/2 cup serving
Calories: 79 calories
Fat: 0
Sodium: 2 mg
Carbs 20 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 1 g
Diabetic exchange: 1 fruit

Banana Pineapple Ice