Ham & Swiss Sliders

These are SO much better than just your everyday ham and cheese sandwich!  They are great party food - whether it's a football game with friends or a baby shower!  The sandwiches can be made a day ahead and stored in your refrigerator until you're ready to bake.  As for the mustard sauce, even the pickiest child in my house will eat these! :)

Enjoy!

Ham & Swiss Sliders
recipe adapted from here


24 Dinner Rolls (you'll want the good ones from the bakery)
24 Pieces Honey Ham (double this is you're using small pieces of ham)
24 Slices Baby Swiss (I cut the deli slices in half)
1/4 Cup Mayonaisse
1/4 Cup Miracle Whip

Mustard Sauce
1/2 Cup Butter, melted
1 Tbsp Poppy Seeds
1 Tbsp Minced Onion
1 1/2 Tbsp Yellow Mustard
1/2 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In small bowl, mix together mayo and Miracle Whip.  Spread mixture inside each side of the cut bun.  Place a slice of ham (or two) and a slice of cheese on the bun and close.  Put on baking sheet or heavy pan; laying close together.

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients for mustard sauce with whisk.  Use a basting brush to coat the top of the buns until all the topping is used.  Let mixture soak and set into buns for 10 minutes.  Cover with foil and bake 12-15 minutes until cheese melts.  Remove foil and bake another 2-3 minutes to crisp up the buns.  Serve warm.

Old Fashioned Banana Bread

How can a person ever have too many banana bread recipes?!  This bread is nice and dense and does not require any oil, unlike a lot of other recipes.  This has become one of my go to recipes and would also be wonderful with the addition of nuts.
Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Banana Bread

1/2 Cup Butter, softened
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs (room temperature)
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
1 Cup Bananas, mashed
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour loaf pan.  Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy - slowly add eggs, 1 at a time.  Add sour cream, bananas, vanilla and mix well.  Then, add all dry ingredients, mixing until combined.  Slowly add buttermilk and pour mixture into prepared pan.  Bake for 50-70 minutes until toothpick in center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan - finish cooling on wire rack.

Yields - 1 Large Loaf

Rolo Turtles

Thanks to pinterest, I came across these beauties and decided I wanted needed to make them!  These are a super easy Christmas treat.  Watch out though, they're dangerously addicting!  My kids also loved helping to make them!

Enjoy!

Rolo Turtles

Pretzels (I used the square snaps)
Rolos (to save time, buy the ones by the checkout - you won't have to unwrap them)
Pecan Halves

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place pretzels on a cookie sheet (line with parchment paper if desired), leaving a little room between each pretzel.  Place one rolo on each pretzel.  Put in the oven for 5 minutes - chocolate will look shiny, but not completely melted.  Once out of the oven, place a pecan half on each rolo - making sure not to push down too hard and make a mess.  Be careful not to burn yourself on the pan or hot caramel.  Let cool for 10 minutes, then place in the fridge to finish setting.  Once completely cooled, store in an air tight container.  These will keep longer in the refrigerator, but can be kept at room temperature.  If storing in the fridge, pull out 30-60 minutes before serving to soften the caramel.

Ree's Perfect Au Gratin Potatoes

I'm a big fan of The Pioneer Woman and just about all of her recipes call me to them (more like YELLING..."bake me, cook me!")...this one got put into rotation pretty much as soon as I read it.  I love garlic.  I love potatoes.  I love to cook with cream.  I love these au gratin potatoes!!

Enjoy!

Perfect Potatoes Au Gratin

4-5 Russet Potatoes
2 Tbsp Butter, softened
1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Whole Milk
2 Tbsp Flour
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tsp Salt
Ground Pepper, to taste
1 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Smear softened butter over bottom of baking dish.  Slice potatoes, then cut into fourths.  In separate bowl, whisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.

Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the dish - pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes.  Repeat this two more times; ending with the cream mixture.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and really bubbling.  Add cheddar cheese to top of potatoes and bake for 3-5 more minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Allow to stand a few minutes before serving.

Banana Spice Cake

In another attempt to use up some ripe bananas my monkey's left behind, I threw together this easy cake.  This cake has a wonderful spice undertone and I love how light and fluffy it is.  I simply dusted mine with powdered sugar, but some kind of glaze would taste wonderful too!

Enjoy!

Banana Spice Cake

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
1 Small (3 3/4 oz) Box Vanilla Instant Pudding
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
4 Eggs
1/3 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Water
3 Medium Ripe Bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour bundt pan OR 10" tube pan and set aside.  Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl.  Mix on low until combined, then continue mixing on medium speed for 4 minutes.  Bake for 50-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto rack to cool completely.

Banana Honey Oatmeal Bread

If a person eats an entire loaf of healthy banana bread, does that mean it's not healthy anymore?!  Because I could eat an entire loaf of this stuff!  I have a house full of monkeys and more often than not, do not have "left-over" bananas to bake with.  Fortunately this week, my monkeys left me a few to work with.  I ended up making this not-your-every-day healthy banana bread.  It is full of texture, flavor, ohh so moist, and not a single pinch of sugar added!

Enjoy!

Banana Honey Oatmeal Bread

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Oats
1 Cup Mashed Ripe Banana's (approximately 2-3)
2 Eggs
2/3 Cup Honey
1/3 Cup Sour Cream or Yogurt
1/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In medium bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, soda, and salt with whisk, then stir in oats.  In mixing bowl, beat remaining ingredients until well combined.  Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture until just combined.  Pour batter into greased loaf pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean from center.  Cool for 15 minutes in pan before removing, then finish cooling on wire rack.

Peaches 'n Cream Cake

What is better than warm cake with fruit and cream (cheese)?!  I came across this recipe awhile ago here and was finally able to whip it up.  Oh goodness, did we love this cake! From the cake layer, to the warm chunks of peaches, to the smooth cream cheese, and cinnamon/sugar crust on top - this did not disappoint!

Enjoy!

Peaches 'n Cream Cake

Cake:
1 1/2 Cups Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 Cup Milk
6 Tbsp Butter, melted

Filling/Topping:
29 oz Canned or 1 Qt (home canned) jar or 3-4 Cups fresh Peaches
16 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
6 Tbsp reserved Peach Juice
Cinnamon/Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray/grease 9x13" baking pan and set aside.

In large bowl, sift/whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cornstarch.  Make a well in the center and add wet ingredients.  Whisk together until well combined and pour batter evenly into pan.

Slice peaches into bite-sized pieces and evenly distribute across the top of the batter.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and reserved juice until smooth and creamy.  Dollop cream cheese mixture over the top of the batter and then spread with a spatula  the best you can (perfection is not necessary).  Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar generously across the top of the cream cheese mixture.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until the edges are puffed and golden.  The cream cheese with be slighly bubbled.  The cake is done when it no longer jiggles in the center.  This cake should be stored in the fridge, but it best eaten warm or room temperature (hope that makes sense).

Chicken Noodle Casserole

This is a super simple casserole that is sure to please everyone in the family.  Use a rotisserie chicken bought from the store, leftover roasted chicken or turkey, or even use a couple cans of chicken.  You can pretty much wing this recipe and change up ingredients to suit what you have in your kitchen.  One of the things I love the most about the ingredients list for this casserole...it doesn't require "cream of something" soup.  :)

Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

14-16 oz Pasta (I used bow-tie on this occasion)
1/2 Cup Butter
6 Tbsp Flour
4 Cups Chicken Broth
1 1/2 Cups Half & Half (or 3/4 cup milk & 3/4 cup cream)
1/2 Tsp Chicken Seasoning
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Pepper
3-4 Cups Chicken, cut up
1/2 Cup Parmesan, grated
2 Cups Frozen or 1 Can Peas 
3/4 Cup Parmesan, shredded

Cook pasta al-dente per package instructions, drain.  In large sauce pan, heat butter until melted.  Stir in flour and seasonings - stir constantly until smooth and bubbly.  Slowly add in broth, then half and half and bring to a boil, stirring constantly - boil and stir for 1 minute.  In 9x13" pan, stir together noodles, cream mixture, grated parmesan, and peas.  Top with shredded parmesan.  To serve immediately: bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes , until good and bubbly.  To freeze for another day: after topping with parmesan, do not bake.  Cover dish well and freeze.  When ready to use; completely thaw dish in refrigerator and bake according to directions.

the newest taste tester :)

hope this helps explain the crickets around the blog...

introducing: wyatt
born: 7.29.11
weight: 7 lbs 1 oz

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

I love lemonade, especially strawberry lemonade!  So, when I came across this recipe, I just had to whip up a batch!  Let me tell you, these beauties are INCREDIBLE!!  The cake is so moist and yummy (and delicious right out of the oven warm).  I will NEVER pick up a box mix of strawberry cake mix again!  Then, with the simple lemon frosting topping them off, it's the perfect pairing!

Enjoy!!

Strawberry Cupcakes

1 White Cake Mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 - 3oz Box Strawberry Jello mix
1 Cup Fresh Strawberries, mashed/pureed
1 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Buttermilk
4 Eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In mixing bowl, stir together cake mix and jello powder until well combined.  Make well in center and pour in strawberries, oil, buttermilk, and eggs.  Mix on slow speed until just combined, scrap down the sides.  Then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes (this is important).  Pour batter (approximately 1/4-1/3 cup) into prepared cupcake pan (I use liners).  Bake for 15-20 minutes - until tooth pick comes out clean.  Put on wire rack to cool completely before frosting.


Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 Cup Crisco Shortening
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
1 - 8 oz Brick Cream Cheese
1 Tbsp Clear Vanilla Extract
2 lbs Powdered Sugar
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp Lemon Curd (this can be made from scratch or purchased in a jar by the jams/jellies)
1-2 Drops Yellow Food Coloring
Milk, as desired

Cream shortening, butter, and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.  Add vanilla and beat until smooth.  Slowly add powdered sugar and salt (sifted together) to creamed mixture until well combined.  Add lemon juice, curd, and food coloring - mix well!  If frosting is too thick or sweet to your taste, add milk until desired consistency (I added approximately 1/4 cup milk).  Frost cooled cupcakes!