Oreo Brownies

So I have a thing for brownies.  I love baking them and adding different little touches to them.  I have made them with Symphony Bars in the middle or Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Bars in the middle.  I have also used Ande's Mints......basically the options are endless.  But, this time I tricked these brownies out even more!  My husband and kids L.O.V.E. these Oreo Balls.  I mean, LOVE!  So I decided to deconstruct them and top a brownie with their ingredients.  Let me tell you something......they are to die for!  Serve these at your next gathering!

Ingredients:

A box of your favorite brownie mix (I always make Ghirardelli Double Chocolate mix)
Water
Oil
Egg
1 package of Oreos
8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
Candy Making Milk Chocolate (ex. Candiquik or Almond Bark)

Directions:

-  Prepare and bake your brownies according to the directions on the box.
-  Once they are baked, let them cool completely.
-  In a food processor, combine the package of Oreos and 8 oz. of cream cheese.  If you do not have a food processor, place Oreos in a large baggy and crush until fine with a rolling pin.  Then in a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and crushed Oreos.
-  Spread mixture on top of cooled brownies.
-  Following the directions on the package, melt the chocolate in the microwave.
-  Spread melted chocolate evenly over Oreo layer.
-  Refrigerate until ready to serve,

Stuffed Mushrooms

Y'all. Make these stuffed mushrooms.  It is The Pioneer Woman's recipe.  Need I say more??  I will say I made them for a dinner party and they were gone in no time!  

Ingredients:

24 ounces, White Button Mushrooms

1/3 pound Hot Pork Sausage (I used regular sausage)

1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced

4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced

1/3 cup Dry White Wine

8 ounces, Cream Cheese

1 Egg Yolk

3/4 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt And Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

-  Wipe off or wash mushrooms in water. Pop out stems, set aside.

-  Chop mushroom stems finely and set aside.

-  In a skillet cook sausage. Let it drain on a paper towel.

-  Add onions and garlic to the same skillet you cooked the sausage in; cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.

-  Pour wine into the pan and scrape all the little bits off the bottom, allow liquid to evaporate.

-  Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for 2 minutes and set aside to cool.

-  In a bowl, combine cream cheese and egg yolk. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

-  Add cooled sausage and cooled mushroom stems. Stir mixture together.

-  Smear mixture into the cavity of each mushroom, creating a sizable mound over the top.

-  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

-  Allow to cool for ten minutes before serving.

Our Little Lady is Turning One - A Lady Bug Party

My family loves lady bugs.  They have a special meaning for us.  I will spare you the details now but if you would like to read why we love them, click here.

So, it was a no brain-er that my daughter's 1st birthday party would be lady bug themed.  I love the way it turned out.  I kept it simple and made everything (except the cake and her outfit) myself.  I hope you get some great ideas for your next party!

 Click here for the Broccoli and Grape Pasta Salad recipe

 For the Ruby Lemonade Punch recipe, click here

Peanut Butter Nutty Bars

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR PEOPLE!  These bars are incredible.  These are a variation of my Hello Dolly bars and they complete me.  I love chocolate and peanut butter and graham cracker crust so these are pretty much a perfect dessert in my eyes.  The best part is they are a cinch to make!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, melted
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. peanuts, chopped
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter chips

Directions: 

-  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-  Place butter in a 9x13 baking dish and melt in the oven.
-  Remove pan from the oven and stir graham cracker crumbs.  Once combined press into an even layer in the pan.
-  Drizzle can of sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crust.
-  Top with chopped peanuts, chocolate chips and finally the peanut butter chips.
-  Press nuts and chips gently into the condensed milk.
-  Bake at 350 degrees for  25-30 minutes or until edges begin to brown and bubble slightly.
-  Let it completely cool before cutting and serving.

Let's Party!

So, to revive this little domestic blog of mine I thought I would start doing party posts!  Who doesn't love a good party?  I know I do and I am always looking for ideas, thank you Pinterest, to make my next party fabulous.  I will posts pictures from my kids birthday parties and showers I have helped host.  Hopefully my "Let's Party" posts will help you with your next soiree!

My first "Let's Party" post is from my daughters TWO SWEET birthday party last year.  I hope you find an element or two to help you with your party.  Don't forget to think outside the box!

I have started a business!  Please go to Noni Pies website and check it out!  Order your pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas today!  Thank you for your support!

Question.....

I am thinking about adding other content to this little blog.  I would love to talk about products, decor, party themes, stores, shops and things in general that I like or I guess don't like.  I would still post recipes and food related things but thought I would add other content too.

What do you think???  Would you like me to only post recipes or would you welcome other content??

Let me know what you think!

Beef, Snow Peas and Rice

If you have been following my blog for a while I'm sure you have noticed I do not make a lot of Asian inspired recipes.  The main reason is that my husband isn't a huge fan.  He likes it but never requests that I make it or that we go out to eat to get it.  We are a Mexican food family for sure, but I happen to like Asian food as well.  When my husband is out of town, which isn't often thankfully, I always pick up Pei Wei for dinner for myself.  I decided recently to try cooking an Asian inspired dish I saw the Pioneer Woman cook on her show.  I LOVED it.  My husband ate it but wouldn't request it again and my kiddos ate enough to get dessert.  Make it tonight and you be the judge.  It got two thumbs up from me!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs flank steak cut very thinly against the grain
1/2 c low sodium soy sauce
3 tbs sherry or cooking sherry
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs corn starch
1 tbs minced fresh ginger
8 oz fresh snow peas
5 whole scallions cut in half inch pieces
3 tbs peanut or olive oil
Your choice of rice cooked according to the package

I added a small clove of minced garlic to the marinade.

Directions:

-  In a measuring cup mix the soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, corn starch and ginger.
-  Place sliced meat in a bowl and pour half the marinade over the meat and toss.  Reserve the remaining half.
-  Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.
-  Add snow peas and cook for 45 seconds.  Remove snow peas from the pan and set aside.
-  Allow the pan to heat up again and add 1/2 the meat and half of the scallions.  Spread the meat out in a single layer but do not stir. (you want the meat to get really brown in the shortest amount of time possible)
-  Flip meat over and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.  Remove meat and set aside.
-  Repeat with the remaining half of the meat.
-  Add snow peas, all of the meat and the remaining marinade to the pan.  Stir and cook for about 30 seconds.
-  Remove from heat and serve immediately over rice.

Raspberry Bars

I have a major sweet tooth.  I mean MAJOR.  Anything chocolate is my favorite.  9 times out of 10 I will pick the chocolate dessert over everything else but every once in a while something fruity and sweet sounds good.  Enter the Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Oatmeal Bars.  That woman is a savior in the easy and delicious recipe department.  She made hers with strawberry jam but I am partial to raspberries so I used raspberry jam for mine.  A-MAZING!

Ingredients:

1-3/4 sticks cold butter cut into pieces
1-1/2 c all purpose flour
1-1/2 c quick oats
1 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
10 to 12 oz raspberry jam

Directions:

-  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9x13 baking dish
-  In a bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
-  With the hook attachment of an electric mixer, cut in cold butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.  If you do not have an electric mixer you can do this step by hand with a pastry cutter.
-  Pour half the mixture in the pan and pat lightly so it is a little tight.
-  Spoon raspberry jam evenly over the surface and gently spread it around.
-  Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the jam and pat lightly.
-  Bake for 30-40 minute or until the top is golden brown.
-  Remove from oven and let it cool completely before cutting it into bars and serving.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

I love the Pioneer Woman.  Her recipes are always tasty and easy.  This recipe is no exception.  It is flavorful, doesn't require a lot of ingredients and my whole family loved it!  She even said this freezes well so double the recipe and have one for dinner tonight and put one in the freezer for a quick meal on soccer or baseball practice night.

Ingredients:

1-1/4 lbs Ground Chuck
1-15 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bag egg noodles
1/2 c sour cream
1-1/4 c small curd cottage cheese
1/2 c. sliced green onion
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

I added:  garlic powder and oregano to taste to the meat and sauce.

Directions:

-  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-  In a skillet cook meat until browned through.
-  Drain fat and stir in tomato sauce salt and pepper.
-  Let the meat and sauce simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
-  Cook noodles according to directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
-  In a large bowl combine sour cream, cottage cheese, black pepper and green onion.
-  Add noodles to the sour cream mixture.
-  To assemble, add half the noodle mixture to a 9x13 dish, top with half the meat mixture and then layer with half the cheese.  Repeat with noodle, meat and a final layer of cheese.
-  Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
-  Serve with a salad.

Welcome Mix and Match Mama Readers!

 I have followed Shay's blogs for a while now and I just love her.  I live in the same area as she does and was fortunate enough to bump in to her one day at Chick-fil-a.  I debated whether or not to introduce my self and I am so glad I decided to say hello!  She is super nice and was genuinely interested in my blogs.  She asked me to email her the links, she visited them, left me sweet comments and now she is directing all of her readers to my little recipe blog.  So Nice, right?!

So, in honor of "Mix and Match Mama Day" on my blog I have posted two of my favorite recipes.  I make Taco Spaghetti A.LOT. during the fall and winter months.  It is just so comforting!  We like it so much around here that I rarely make traditional spaghetti anymore.  Chocolate Cobbler has become a staple in our house.  It is too easy to make.  You can adjust the recipe for a large crowd or a single serving (which can sometimes be a bad thing for my waistline).

I hope you enjoy these recipes as well as others on my blog.  I would love your feedback!  Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Thank you again to the Mix and Match Mama!  And to my followers, go check her blog out if you haven't already !  You will LOVE it!

 Taco Spaghetti
Ingredients:

8 oz. spaghetti, cooked

1 lb. ground turkey

1 (16oz.) jar salsa of your choice

1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1/2 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese

1/4 c. sour cream

Directions:

- In a large skillet cook meat until brown all the way through.

- Stir in salsa, tomato sauce and taco seasoning.

- Bring to a boil.

- Reduce heat to a simmer and add cooked spaghetti.

- Mix well.

- Serve on individual plates and top with cheese and sour cream.

Chocolate Cobbler
Ingredients:

1 c. All-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
7 tbsp. cocoa powder, divided
1 1/4 c. sugar, divided
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. melted butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 c hot tap water
vanilla ice cream

Directions:

- In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and 3 tablespoons of the cocoa and 3/4 cup of the white sugar. Reserve the remaining cocoa and sugar.
- Stir in milk, melted butter and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
- Pour mixture into an un-greased 8x8 baking dish.
- In a small bowl mix the remaining white sugar, brown sugar and remaining cocoa.
- Sprinkle evenly over batter.
- Pour hot tap water over all. DO NOT STIR!
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until center is set.
- Let stand for a few minutes.
- Serve hot topped with vanilla ice cream.

Crock-pot Ribs

These ribs could not be easier to make or be more flavorful and tender!  My husband was a HUGE fan and my kids loved them too!  I pinned the recipe from here.

Ingredients:

8 bone-in country style pork ribs or 2 1/2 pounds bone-in beef ribs
1 cup ketchup
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP molasses
1 garlic clove, minced
2 TBSP dried minced onion
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

-  Place ribs in your crock-pot.
-  In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients.
-  Pour over ribs.
-  Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until meat is tender.

Veggie Spiral

Well, it is supposed to be a spiral but is more like a circle with more veggies shoved in the middle.  I think it still looks pretty and like it took a lot of time to make, when in reality it is pretty quick and easy and tasty too!  I pinned it from here.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil 
1 large sweet yellow onion cut in half and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 russet potatoes, unpeeled
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
3 large Roma tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Dried thyme, to taste
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

-  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-  In a large skillet, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until tender.
-  Pour onions and garlic into the bottom of your round baking dish.
-  Slice the potatoes, zucchini, squash and tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick.
-  Layer the slices in your dish on top of the onions in a single layer formed to look like a spiral.
-  Season with salt, pepper and thyme.
-  Drizzle with olive oil and cover with foil.
-  Bake for 35 minutes.
-  Remove foil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
-  Return to the oven for another 25-30 minutes.
-  Remove from oven and serve!

Creamy Orzo with Asparagus and Parmesan

Ummm, SO.GOOD!  I made this as a side dish for our Father's Day dinner.  I love orzo these days so this really hit the spot!  I pinned it from here.  

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo

1 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 tbsp butter or margarine

1/4 to 1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

-  Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. 

-  Cook the orzo until tender, about 10 minutes.

-  After the orzo has been cooking for about 5 minutes, add the asparagus to the same pot.

-  Once the orzo and asparagus are cooked and tender, drain and return to the pot.

-  Quickly add the parmesan cheese and butter. 

-  Stir thoroughly, allowing both the cheese and butter to melt. 

-  Slowly add the cream to the mixture, while stirring. 

-  Continue to stir and add cream until you reach your desired consistency.

-  Season with salt and pepper to taste.