Pretzel Toffee

Pretzel Toffee

1 (9 ounce) bag tiny twist pretzels
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (12 ounce) package plus 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cover a 15x10 inch baking pan with aluminum foil.

Arrange pretzels in bottom of the pan, in a single layer.

In large saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add brown sugar. Mix well.  Bring to a boil.  Boil 2 minutes.  Do not over cook; it will be hard to pour and cover the pretzels with the brown sugar mixture if you do.

Carefully pour brown sugar mixture over pretzels.  

Bake 10 minutes.  Remove carefully from the oven.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over top.

Let stand 5 minutes. Spread chocolate smooth.

Cool.  Refrigerate 1 hour. Peel aluminum foil away from toffee.

Break into pieces.

At Christmas I saw several recipes for Saltine Toffee.  Pam of Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, posted her recipe for it in December.  It must be a Midwestern thing, because not only did my mom make Saltine Toffee, but my grandmother and my great grandmother also made it.

Our friends Fareed and Annette (owners of Passion Radio Network) gave my husband Stan and I a couple of nights at the Strater Hotel for Christmas.  While we were there we went to a little candy shop and had Pretzel Toffee.  My husband and I both loved it, so when I got home I changed my recipe for Saltine Toffee to Pretzel Toffee.  

Annette and Fareed

Right after Christmas, Fareed fell outside of the radio station and broke his leg in two places.  He had surgery to place a rod in his leg and it has been a long road to recovery for Fareed.  He is missed around the radio station.  Going in to record my shows is just not the same without him there.

Fareed loves chocolate; so to help him feel better, I made a batch of Pretzel Toffee for him yesterday and today I am going to drop it by and check on him.  Please keep Fareed and his wife Annette in your prayers.

Giveaway! 

Enter my giveaway, for your chance to win a copy of my cookbook, 

MY KIND OF COOKING, and a kitchen plaque!  

For more details, check out my post about the Giveaway.

Linked up with:

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!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Giveaway!

On April 1st, I will be drawing a name from the followers of my blog and my new Facebook page, to win a copy of my cookbook, MY KIND OF COOKING, and this plaque! 

I will be giving away a copy of my cookbook, MY KIND OF COOKING.  This cookbook has over 500 yummy recipes using only 3, 4, or 5 ingredients.  It has everything from appetizers to desserts and everything in between.  It also includes slow-cooker recipes!

Included with the cookbook is the plaque below.

I think cooking for family and friends is one of the best ways to show that you love them.

When I saw this plaque, I had to pick one up for me, and one for the Giveaway.  Weather you are a gourmet cook or just learning, when we cook from a point of love instead of seeing it as a chore, everyone will appreciate it.  By hanging this plaque in my kitchen, I hope I will remember this lesson on those rare days when I don't feel like cooking. 

Sign up for your chance to win!

Follow: Sign up to follow my blog by clicking the "Follow" button on the right side of the page.

My New Facebook Page: Click the "Like" button on the right side of the page, then leave a comment saying you did so, for an extra entry. 

Comments: Leave comments on any posts I make from now until April 1st for extra entries!  Each comment will count as an entry.

The giveaway is open to all of my Followers and Facebook Fans, regardless of where they live.   If your name is drawn and you have a blog, I will mention your blog address on my "Fast Food Fridays and The Cross Connection" radio shows on the The Passion Radio Network, and post your blog address on my blog.

 On Friday, I will be posting my Pretzel Toffee 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!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

Chicken Stroganoff

4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 (6 ounce) jar mushrooms, undrained
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of mushrooms
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Spray inside of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.  In slow cooker, place chicken.  Pour mushrooms over chicken.  Spoon soup on top.  Cover. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.  Add sour cream.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well before serving.  Serve over noodles.  Makes 6 servings.

.

 

This is the busiest time of the year for us, and the slow cooker is a lifesaver for me!  I can put everything in the slow cooker, go about my day, then come home to a delicious meal.  

We love this recipe.  It is comfort food make easy.  I cut up the chicken the night before, so in the morning it only takes a couple of minutes to put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker. The result is tender chicken in a creamy sauce with mushrooms through out.

A recipe is only a suggestion.  Personalize it by adding other ingredients.  I would love to hear how you would make this recipe your own?

Giveaway! 

Enter my giveaway, for your chance to win a copy of my cookbook, 

MY KIND OF COOKING, and a kitchen plaque!  

For more details, check out my post about the Giveaway.

Linked up with:


and

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!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

The Stan-wich

Are you an adventurous foodie, or do you tend to play it safe?  My husband Stan, comes from a long line of adventurous foodies.  The creation of the "Stan-wich" actually began when his father and uncle were faced with a culinary disaster.

Like any great adventure, this one begins long ago and far away, Des Moines, Iowa  in the late 1960's to be exact; you know a lot of strange things happened at that time. A Lactose Jedi and his young apprentice, (some people just call them Milk Men) were out for a long day of dairy deliveries.

They had stowed their survival provisions on ice, which consisted of  bread, cotto salami,  and brown spicy mustard. Stacked top of their hearty lunch was a meager breakfast of store bought cinnamon rolls.  Little did they know, as they set out to satisfy the thirsty masses, tragedy was about to ensue.

Out in the middle of nowhere, hungry from a grueling morning of heavy lifting, our two hero's pulled over only to discover that the bread for their sandwiches had become soggy.  Without a grocery store in site, necessity became the mother of invention.  In place of the soggy bread, the cinnamon roll became the foundation for a new and exciting culinary creation.

This sweet and savory sandwich has been a guarded family secret for nearly four generations,  so secret in fact, that it didn't have a name until my husband made it part of an on air fundraiser for the Passion Radio Network.

 My husband, Stan.

Our guest host Bill Scott, broke out his man card, stepped up to the plate and consumed this gastronomic delight.  It was love at first bite for Bill.  Almost without thinking the name "Stan-wich" rolled off of his lips, and the vision for making this marvelous morsel a household staple was born. 

 

Our friend Bill Scott.  Christian author of the soon to be released book,

The Day Satan Called

We promised the listeners of the Passion Radio Network, that we would post the recipe on my blog, so here it is!

The "Stan-wich"

 1 package Hostess cinnamon rolls

6 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

6 slices cotto salami

Place 1 Hostess cinnamon roll on a plate.  

Spread 1 teaspoon of spicy brown mustard over the frosting.

Top with a slice of cotto salami.
Repeat process with remaining ingredients.

I know it is a strange combination, but I hope you will give it a try.  You never know, you may come to love the "Stan-wich" too!

In loving memory of Bob and Dave Burgett, 

co-creators of the "Stan-wich".

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!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Shredded Beef Tacos

Shredded Beef Tacos

3 pound rump roast
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning

In slow cooker, place roast. In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour over roast.

Cover. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours.

Remove roast to a cutting board. Shred using two forks. Place shredded beef in large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of liquid from the slow cooker.  Mix well.

 Serve with tortilla shells and your favorite taco toppings. Makes 12 to 15 tacos.

This recipe only takes a few minutes to make, as you run out the door to start your busy day.  When you return home, your house will be filled with the delicious aroma of a home cooked meal.  

The beef is tender and juicy, with lots of spicy Mexican flavor.  If you like things on the mild side, use mild salsa and mild taco seasoning.  You can even cut back on the amount of taco seasoning you use and replace part of the salsa with diced tomatoes if you like it extra mild.

We have two foreign exchange students living with us and they love quesadillas, so with the leftover beef that is what we made.  I served the remaining liquid from the slow cooker as a dipping sauce. 

The winner of the Giveaway is:

Christy Hoffman

Check out Tuesday's post for details about April's Giveaway!

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!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Quesadillas

My husband recently returned home from a trip to Mexico.  Being the great husband that he is, he brought me home gifts!  Stan knows how much I enjoy trying the local cuisine when I travel, so when he travels without me, he tries to find a local food product to bring home for me to try.

He found a real treasure when he purchased two discs of cheese.  Unfortunately he did not find out the name of the cheese, only that it is made from cow's milk.

As soon as he unpacked the cheese, I began to slice it to make quesadillas.  The cheese is soft and has a mild creamy taste.  It melted perfectly as I grilled the quesadillas.

I enjoy making quesadillas.  They are my go to meal when I have a small amount of leftovers that need to be used up.  You can put almost anything in them; leftover chicken, beef, pork, fish, beans, vegetables, apples, pears, eggs and bacon, you get the idea.  My husband's favorite quesadilla recipe is my Chicken Surprise Quesadillas. 

Do you make quesadillas?  And if you do, what do you put in yours?

Giveaway! 
The drawing is this Friday!

Enter my giveaway, for your chance to win a copy of my cookbook, 
MY KIND OF COOKING, and a set of knives!  

For more details, check out my post about the Giveaway.

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!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Roasted Potatoes

Roasted Potatoes

2 pounds fingerling potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Toss to coat.  Pour onto a baking sheet.  Bake 45 minutes.  Makes 5 to 6 servings.

 

When I was shopping at the grocery store last week, I spotted this bag of mixed fingerling potatoes.  It contained red potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, and purple potatoes.  I love to try new food products, so I grabbed a bag.

Typically when I roast potatoes, I will just put the potatoes on the baking sheet and drizzle olive oil and seasoning, then toss them to coat.  For this recipe, I wanted to make sure every potato was evenly seasoned, so I tossed them in a large bowl instead.  It was an extra step, but each bit was perfectly seasoned, so for me it was worth it.

I loved the addition of the purple potato!  It put a fun new twist to a good old standby recipe, without changing the flavor.

Giveaway! 

Enter my giveaway, for your chance to win a copy of my cookbook, 
MY KIND OF COOKING, and a set of knives!  

For more details, check out my post about the Giveaway.

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!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!