Top 10 Recipes of 2011

 My husband Stan and I

Picking just ten recipes from all of the posts in 2011 was really hard for me.  After staring at my blog for over an hour, I finally gave up and in listed the help of my husband, Stan.

Here are Stan's picks for the Top 10 Recipes of 2011:

10. Italian Sausage Sandwiches

We didn't agree on this one.  Stan wanted this sandwich to be number one on the list and I wanted to put my Slow Cooker Taco Soup recipe as number 10.

We compromised and put the Italian Sausage Sandwich as number ten, besides it is a great sandwich.

9. Roasted Potatoes 
   A perfect side dish to almost any meal.

8. Banana Chimichangas
   One of my all time favorite desserts.

7. Mango Salad
  A unique crowd pleasing salad to take to your next potluck.

6. Mini Lasagnas
   An easy twist to a classic dish.

5. Slow Cooker Lava Cake
   A simple shortcut way to make a Lava Cake.

4.  Blueberry Strata
   A yummy breakfast that will make you go back for seconds.

3. Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Mexican Coleslaw
   A tasty slow cooker meal.

2. Pretzel Toffee
   Stan's favorite treat!

1. Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins with Strawberry Butter
   Two great recipes your sure to love.

Stop back by on Tuesday for my

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: My Favorite Tip of 2011

It is hard to believe 2011 is coming to an end.  This year has just flown by for me!  Out of all of my Tuesday's Tips & Tricks posts for this year, below is my favortie.  It is the easiest way to clean your contact grill.

 

 

The weather in New Mexico, the last week has been cold and snowy.  I usually grill out all year long, but when the temperature dips to -9 degrees, it is time for me to move the grilling inside.  

Typically, I spray the grill with cooking spray before I cook on it.  If I forget, I use this tip:

Clean your contact grill the easy way; after you finish grilling up a tasty meal, while the grill is still hot, unplug the grill, and place several damp paper towels on the grill then close the lid. While you eat, the steam from the wet paper towels will loosen baked on food.  Making clean up a breeze. 

 Check Back on Friday, for my list of

Top Ten Recipes of 2011

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Merry Christmas!

 

My niece Calli

 

Wishing you and your loved ones a very 

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

XOXO,

Linda

Mocha Pudding

Mocha Pudding

6 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup French vanilla flavored coffee drink powder
2 (5.9 ounce) boxes instant chocolate pudding mix
8 tablespoons whipped topping

In small bowl, pour 1/4 cup milk.  Microwave 40 seconds or until hot.  Add coffee drink powder.  Mix well.

In medium bowl, combine 6 cups milk, coffee mixture, and pudding mix.  

Whisk 2 minutes.  

Pour into small coffee mugs or serving dish.  

Top with whipped topping.  

Top with chocolate if desired.

Refrigerate until time to serve.  Makes 8 servings.

 This pudding has a a delicious combination of creamy chocolate pudding and a hint of coffee.  If you like a strong coffee flavor, just add a little more coffee powder to the hot milk.  Prepared as above, it has a mild coffee flavor that will please even the non-coffee lovers in your life.

You can have this recipe ready in just a few quick minutes.  It gives a surprising twist to traditional chocolate pudding.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my 

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Muffin Trick

 Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins & Strawberry Butter

I occasionally get distracted when I cook and bake.  According to my husband, Stan, I always get distracted when I cook or bake.  What can I say, between the phone, email, blogs, my husband, and our dog Buddy, there are lots of things to catch my attention.

Our Dog Buddy

We enjoy having muffins for breakfast at our house.  But, one thing I hate about muffins is how quickly the bottoms of them can burn.

My phone rang one day just as I was making a batch of muffins.  I chatted and laughed with my sister as I filled the muffin pan with batter and popped it in the oven.  Too many minutes later, I remembered I had muffins in the oven.

In a panic I pulled them out; just knowing the bottoms would be very brown.  To my surprise, they were perfect.

As I cleaned up the muffin pan, I found the reason why they didn't over bake on the bottom.  I had two muffin pans stacked together making a do-it-yourself air bake muffin pan.  By stacking the pans, I had created a pocket of air that protected the bottom of the muffins.

Now when I bake muffins, I make sure to stack the muffin pans together, so I can talk all I want and not ruin breakfast.   I also use this trick when I bake cupcakes.

See Stan, sometimes good things happen when I am distracted!

Check back of Friday, 

for my Mocha Pudding recipe.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Slow Cooker Chocolate Covered Peanuts

Slow Cooker Chocolate Covered Peanuts

1 (24 ounce) package chocolate flavored almond bark, break into pieces
1(12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts

In slow cooker, place chocolate almond bark 

and semi-sweet chocolate chips.  

Cover with a lid.  

Cook on low 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes until melted.  

Add peanuts.  

Mix well. 

Drop by tablespoon onto wax paper to cool.

Cleaning Tip

I hate to clean hardened chocolate out of my slow cooker.  To make clean up easier, while the slow cooker is still warm, I wipe the inside of the slow cooker with paper towel.  Then clean up is no big deal.

Don't let the unassuming ingredients fool you.  This recipe is simple, but packed with so much flavor, people won't believe that it only has three little ingredients.

Pack it up and put it in a basket, and you have a delicious gift for the foodie in your family.

  This recipe can be found in my cookbook called, MY KIND OF COOKING.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my 

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Stop Burning the Cookies

Cookies can go from almost done to burnt, in a flash.  Carryover cooking can help prevent a cookie disaster.  When I would bake cookies with my mom, she would always remove the cookies from the oven just before they were done.  Then she would leave them on the hot baking sheet to cool, before transferring them to a wire rack.  The heat from the pan would continue to bake the cookies.  This also allowed the baking sheet to cool, helping to reduce the chance that the next batch of cookies would burn.

I still use that tip from my mom when I bake cookies.  But, I also use insulated baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, to help guarantee perfect cookies every time.

Check back on Friday for my,

Slow Cooker Chocolate Covered Peanut recipe.  

It only has 3 ingredients!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Candy

 Chocolate & Peanut Butter Candy

1 (1pound) package vanilla flavored Almond bark, broken into pieces
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 (6 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, add vanilla bark.  Microwave on high 2 minutes. 

Add peanut butter to melted vanilla bark. 

Mix Well.

Spread on wax paper or parchment paper lined baking sheet.  

In another medium bowl, add chocolate chips.  Microwave on high 1 1/2 minutes.  

Pour melted chocolate over peanut butter mixture.  

With a butter knife, make swirls to combine slightly.  

Cool. Cut or break into pieces.

This is one of our favorite candies.  If you like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, then you will love this recipe too.  It is also super quick to make.  From start to finish, it will only take you about five minutes.

This year when I went to buy my baking supplies, I noticed they had a different size vanilla flavored bark.  Instead of the one pound package, they now had a twenty four ounce package.  If you run into the same problem at your store, change the recipe to:

1 (24 ounce) package vanilla flavored almond bark, break into pieces

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Follow the instructions as listed above.

  This recipe can be found in my cookbook called, MY KIND OF COOKING.

Stop back by on Tuesday, for my 

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!