TheKitchenCookie

Today was a day that I had brownies on the brain. This was the second recipe I prepared today with a brownie crust. I've been thinking of this cheesecake for several weeks and today was the day to give it a shot! My daughter keeps begging to eat it but I think she will have to wait till Sunday. With company coming for lunch and supper I think we'd better keep it till then. I did sneak a taste tonight and was quite pleased with the combo. Theres some caramel in there too. It's a rich, decadent dessert that will go far. While I was putting the Nutella Whip on top my daughter kept opening her mouth wide and going pretty close to the edge of the cheesecake pretending to take a bite. She doesn't usually pay much attention to cheesecakes but this one must have caught her eye for whatever reason.☺ For the brownies: I used a basic brownie recipe that I found here and adapted it slightly but boxed brownies would work just as well. ½ cup all purpose flour ¼ teaspo...

I had some boxed ice cream in the freezer and I usually only buy that kind when I want to cut it in 1 inch sheets for special desserts. It's been in there for a while but I just wasn't getting it used so today I decide to bake some brownies and indulge in another gooey chocolate & peanut butter dessert. The kids loved it! Of course my husband and I did too but I'm pretty sure I won't be eating too much of it! The scale won't go anywhere near where I want it to if I do!! Ingredients: boxed brownies melted peanut butter vanilla ice cream fudge topping Cool Whip chopped peanuts Prepare brownies according to package directions. Cool and spread a generous layer of melted peanut butter over them. Top with a 1 inch layer of ice cream. Pour warm hot fudge topping over the top and put into freezer till it is firm again. Spread Cool Whip on top and drizzle with peanut butter and fudge topping. Chop some peanuts and sprinkle over top. Return to freezer until...

Lately I've been on a spicy food binge and decided to try it out on some grilled burgers by adding salsa when I mix the ground beef instead of eggs like I usually do. I mixed them yesterday so the flavor was well distributed. I added a slice of Pepper Jack Cheese and some Spicy Southwest Mustard. Yum!! And that grilled Vidalia Onion on top there? Oh my! I could eat those by themselves! YUM!! Ingredients: 3 lbs. ground Beef 1 cup Salsa 1½ packages Ritz Crackers, crushed Garlic Powder Salt Pepper Mix well and shape into 4 ounces burgers. Grill and lightly brush with Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue Sauce. Add Cheese and condiments of your choice. I also brushed the onion with a bit of sauce. We had these tonight with our first corn on the cob of the season and some super yummy brownie ice cream dessert. The children thanked me and assured me that it was a wonderful supper!☺ Linking to: The Tattered Tag Made It Monday This Weeks Cravings Hunk of Meat Monday Be Blessed!

I didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning because I had to leave early to drop the children off at school for a field trip and I had a grocery run right after that. So by the time I got home I was good and hungry and I knew I would need more than yogurt and fruit to get me through that last weedy flowerbed. And because I've been wanting to make a sweet horseradish sauce/spread (thanks to Quiznos) I decided to have a sandwich for brunch with some fresh pears and strawberries. Yum! it sure hit the spot and I loved the tangy zip of the horseradish! I mixed 2 teaspoons Honey Mustard, 2 teaspoons mayo, 1 teaspoon horseradish and a teaspoon sugar and spread some on a piece of seedless rye bread with deli roast beef, swiss cheese, lettuce tomato and banana pepper rings. It was delicious! Be Blessed!

                                   Moist and Delicious! Years ago I made this coffee cake that I had  found in my sisters cookbook and while the flavor was good I wasn't entirely satisfied with the way it looked. The original recipe asks for the cream cheese layer on top of the batter with raspberry jam on top of that. The raspberry jam looks pretty when you put it on but discolors as it bakes and ends up being a murky color so I decided to leave it off and put the cream cheese with fresh or frozen raspberries layer in between the batter for a layered effect. I liked this much better! It gives it a very good raspberry flavor and the goodies go all the way through. I also set it on a baking sheet to bake because the first one I made was too brown on the sides and bottom. Th...

~food that is pretty always tastes better~ I know that Yogurt/Granola/fruit Parfaits are nothing new, but I always feel more at peace when there is a pretty picture at the top of my blog ☺and those are some of my favorite colors, and red raspberries are in the top 5 of my favorite fruit list. AND this is what I enjoyed for my lunch today. I was trying to clean out my fridge before we leave and was lucky enough to actually have something good in there. The Granola is homemade and the yogurt is just plain, but I added vanilla and SomerSweet to give it life and flavor. It was yummy! And the yellow tulip was picked for me by my sweet daughter last night ☺and given to me with a sweet note that she wrote. She amazes me that she knows just when I need things like that! Today she told me after cleaning up her super messy room. "Whew, Mom my legs hurt! Now I know how YOU feel when you have to pick up my stuff!" Haha, she is "sugar and spice" and I think that's NICE!! ☺...

                                                            It's what's for lunch- The last few days this has taken away my hunger at lunch time. I know it looks like there is mostly  banana pepper rings  and not much else in there. That's because there  are quite a few of them in there  (I like them!)  but there's also some yummy turkey breast and a thin slice of Farmer's cheese and some lettuce, a little bit of mayo, and lots of  Spicy Southwest Sauce   (I like THAT stuff TOO!!) The only thing that would have made it better is a  juicy tomato  from the garden. But as you know those are not yet available and the ones from the store are still in thei...

A Childhood Favorite These cookies may look plain and -well okay, a little boring. But do not let yourself be deceived! Just because they don't have chocolate chips or peanut butter or something else to set them apart does not mean you should easily pass them over. They are super delicious when they are fresh and warm with a cold glass of milk. The edges are crisp and the center is chewy. Yum!! It's hard to keep milk in the house when we have these. They are simple, quick and a nice break from the usual cookie with all the add-ins. They"re great in a bowl of cereal, in lunches with a glass of milk, or as a snack. I love the oatmeal in them, it makes them seem a little more wholesome.☺ Preheat oven to 375°. 2 cup flour 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened 2 eggs ½ teaspoon vanilla 1½ cups oatmeal Additional sugar Place the first 6 ingredients into a m...

Amazing Flavor I've had the recipe for this coffee cake in my recipe stash for  years and never made it. Every time I would clean out my books I just couldn't pitch it. I think the shape of it was what intrigued me. After tasting it today,  I   can.not.imagine.why it took me sooo long to make it!!   It is   absolutely scrumptious!!! I mean how could it not be good??!! Maple syrup, butter, brown sugar, maple icing, and of course the soft warm dough. Two of my sons took a bite and the one said,"I might have to come back for more, that stuff is good!" and the other one said,"That thing is AMAZING!" And it was so easy to prepare. So without further ado here it is. Ingredients: 3¼-3½ cups all purpose flour (Gold Medal), divided 3 Tablespoons sugar 1½ teaspoons salt 1½ Tablespoons Instant Yeast ¾ cup milk ¼ cup butter, melted 2 eggs Filling: ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 Tablespoon white sugar 1 Tablespoon flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 Tablespoons bu...

I felt the need for a good old reuben sandwich today but didn't have the traditional ingredients so I improvised. I have to tell you here that I didn't feel one bit deprived when all was said and done. It was fabulous! 2 pieces Pepperidge Farms Pumpernickle Rye bread 2 thin slices turkey ham 2 slices Muenster cheese Sauerkraut, squeezed dry Spicy Southwest Mustard Olive oil, for brushing lightly on the bread Panini Press Totally worth the time it took to make this ! Aahhh it was delicious! I will be having more of these in the future ☺. After all I have a whole bag of sauerkraut that my family won't help me eat, ha - it would'nt be good to let it go bad, now would it? Linking to: Food Fight Friday Foodie Friday Weekend Wrap Up Yum ~Top 5 Hunk of Meat Monday Be Blessed!

On Saturday I just couldn't wait any longer. I HAD to plant SOMETHING! It was reasonably warm outside, though the sun kept hiding. I told Serena that "I'm going out to plant stuff, would you care to help?" She was right there more than happy to dig in the dirt with me. I don't propose to know a whole lot about growing and drying herbs but I know that my cupboards are full of them and that that's where all the flavor come from, so most years I like to plant at least some with the idea that I can dry them for winter use. Doesn't happen real often but hey, this might be the year that I get it done! ☺ We planted parsley, flat and curly leaf, sweet basil, lemon basil, lemon balm, Marjoram, thyme, and a bunch of other stuff and two kinds of lettuce. S was totally in her glory as she helped prepare the bed and did some digging. All the while humming or singing very softly to herself "She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes". ☺ ...

This is another one of those recipes that has been around forever and I've been making it for my family for years. AND it's another FAVORITE of ours. It's just hard to get enough peanut butter and chocolate!! Don't overbake these, they should be a little bit chewey in the middle. They are delicious with a glass of very cold milk or a cup of hot coffee or tea. Ingredients: 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup butter, softened ¾ cup creamy peanut butter 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups oatmeal 2 cups all purpose flour (Gold Medal) Chocolate Chips Peanut Butter Icing Cream butters and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and soda and give it a stir. Add oatmeal and stir then add flour and mix well. Press into a 15½ x 10½ bar pan. Bake @ 350° for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips (desired amount). Return to oven for a few minutes till the reach spreadable consistency. Spread evenly. C...

This is a great way to get those veggies in and it's easy to change the toppings to suit your family's tastes. And it goes well with  summer meals when you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I made these instead of salad today because I really thought the kiddos would eat it, buuut... it was not to be.  There was a reason I only made a half pan rather than a full one. Something deep inside had told me that they might not be impressed. I told them that there is nothing on there that they don't like (except the tomato, and that can be removed) but they passed the plate around and would look at me and say I'm going to be stuffed by the time I'm done with what I have. Haha, the apologetic looks on their faces made me chuckle. So because I'm a good Mom I left them off the hook and even let them have dessert. That's why they like me, I think.☺ What you'll need: 1 tube Crescent Rolls 1½ Tablespoons Ranch dressing mix ½ cup mayonnaise...

Aaahhhh Grilling Season is Here!! Or at least very much around the corner! I am very happy about this!! Now I can add new flavors to our meals and eat outside, well soon anyway. Today I knew it was supposed to be a little warmer than it has been for a while, not balmy but warmer at least, and I've been hankering for these yummy bites of grilled deliciousness so I wrapped them up and grilled them along side of some Italian Sausages that we had for our lunch as well. Loved every bite I had too! Most of the children eat these but I have one whose tastebuds continue to challenge me to find ways of pleasing them.☺ I don't worry too much though because at his age I was a picky eater and my food wasn't even allowed to touch on my plate! Goodness! one would never suspect that now! All this to say I think he'll come around if I give him time.                         ...

                                                                Family Favorite If you need an easy dessert to go with whatever you are serving, and if you love peanut butter and chocolate the way we do, I am telling you now that this is the one you want! Creamy, peanut buttery, cool, and chocolatey with a yummy crust that I always use instead of the one that is usually called for with this dessert. The original recipe calls for a crust made with chopped peanuts and the name of the dessert varies, some call it Jimmy Carter Pudding, but I just use my standard delight crust recipe and call it Peanut Butter Delight. It really doesn't matter what you call it, it's deliciou...

I have two recipes in my cookbook stash for this casserole but am not 100% pleased with either of them so yesterday I decided to see if I can change that. I did some tweaking and changing and will share the end result with you all. It is full of flavor and my family enjoyed it. ☺That always makes me happy! I first made the croutons that I wanted to use which are so easy and lightly seasoned with Original Mrs. Dash and Garlic Salt and melted butter. I stick butter, 1 loaf  Italian wheat bread, cubed, seasonings to taste, bake at 350° till crunchy. See? Super easy! What you'll need: 3 lbs. (approx.) chicken tenders Runions Coating Mix Butter, for frying ½-¾ lb. deli ham (I used turkey ham) 8 ounces shredded  Swiss cheese (I used Muenster because I didn't have Swiss and because the children don't enjoy that flavor). 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Paprika 1 (10½ oz.) can cream of mushroom soup 2/3 can milk Trim the tenders and roll them...

chocolate.mint.yum! I've had a 'mint-y chocolate-y cheesecake-y bee in my bonnet' for a while now, so yesterday because it was dreary outside and because I was reasonably caught up with this marathon we call life (and summer isn't even here yet, sigh) I decided to try it out. It turned out just the way I imagined it in my mind. Not too chocolate-y and not too minty but enough of both to be pleasing. ☺ I combined a bar recipe and a cheesecake recipe and tweaked both of them a little to suit my fancy and I'm happy to share the results with you! Turn oven to 300°. Spray a 8 inch Springform pan. For the crust: 20 mint oreos 4 graham crackers 2 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons butter, melted Put the first 4 ingredients into a gallon sized Ziploc bag, or a food processor if you have one. If you use the bag method crush the contents with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs. Add melted butter and mix thoroughly. Press ...