Kit Kat Bars

This recipe is from my mom.  They are a big hit whenever I make them, I wouldn't say they taste like a Kit Kat Bar but whatever they taste like, it's delicious!

Ingredients:

2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. butter (softened)
1/3 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 c. chocolate chips
2/3 c. peanut butter
Box of club crackers

For some reason I added the butterscotch chips to this picture, you don't need them for this recipe. Sometimes it gets a little crazy around here and things like this happen.  So just to clarify, you don't need butterscotch chips.


Directions:
Place crackers in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Have enough crackers available for 2 more layers. I usually open two packages so they are ready to go because you need to get them on quickly.

In a medium saucepan combine butter, graham cracker crumbs, white and brown sugar and milk. Stir constantly for 5 minutes at a boil.

Spread 1/2 of this mixture over the club crackers, add another layer of crackers and spread the remaining mixture over the crackers and then top with a layer of club crackers.

In a small saucepan or in the microwave, melt together the chocolate chips and peanut butter.

Spread over the top of the crackers, then refrigerate to set. Keep refrigerated.

Serve and ENJOY! These bars are hard to photograph, mainly because as soon as I tried cutting into the pan I had children surrounding me like a pack of wolves.  I had to quickly photograph the bars before they disappeared! 

I'm linking up here:

The Best Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Here is my favorite, easy as pie or in this case cake, banana cake recipe!  Also, this cake is not a light cake, it has cream cheese, butter and sour cream in it!  Although it does have fruit in it.  That counts, right? 

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
2 to 3 medium ripe or overly ripe bananas
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 c to 1 c sour cream

Make the cake according to the box directions. Smash, mush and pretty much annihilate the bananas, then add them to the cake mix. Add 1 tsp. baking soda and sour cream, mix into batter. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until cake is done in the middle.
I usually end up putting my cake in the freezer for a while to cool down and it helps when you put the frosting on so you don't get crumbs in the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8oz Package of Cream Cheese softened
1/2 c Butter softened
2 c Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Mix all ingredients in a bowl on medium speed. You can add more or less powdered sugar depending on how sweet you want the frosting to taste.
Frost your cake and then refrigerate for a while before serving.

Keep cake refrigerated. Enjoy!

I'm linking up here:

Superbowl Food Inspiration (Prepare to gain 10 pouinds)

Superbowl and food. You can't have one without the other! If you are hosting a party or perhaps you are attending a party and need to bring something yummy, look no further than these two links below! I had to wipe the drool off the keyboard so I could type this post. Looking at all the yummy goodness may cause you to gain 10 pounds, so browse with caution! If you have something delicioso that you are making for the big game tomorrow, feel free to post your link in the comment below.

10 Superbowl Dips to Make Your Party a Hit


Super Bowl and Game Day Recipes. Because it's all about the Food!

Meal Plan Feb. 1st - Feb. 24th

I'm going to be ambitious and make a meal plan for almost the entire month of February! I am thinking if I am planning for two weeks already what's another week or two? So, there might be a repeat or two but I'm hoping to make both meals at the same time and freeze one.

Feb. 1st - Hawaiian Ribs in the crock pot over rice


2nd - Pasties they were on my meal plan last week but we didn't get to them so here they are for this week.

3rd - Sausage Potato Soup

4th - Homemade Pizzas!

5th - Potato Soup I have a lot of potatoes that I need to use up!

6th- Leftovers and lazy Sunday day, usually ends up being eat whatever you can find!

7th - Tator Tot Casserole a favorite at our house.

8th - Spaghetti & meatballs

9th - Hamburgers and Hot Dogs on the grill - hoping we can get our grill dug out and use it, I've been craving some good grilled burgers!

10th - Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff with egg noodles

11th - Eating out

12th - Stromboli This recipe is requested about once a week at our house.

13th - Leftovers and lazy Sunday

14th - Valentines Day! Italian Bow Tie Pasta and Super Easy Eclair cake


15th - Easy Beef Enchiladas

16th - Chicken Rice Soup and bread

17th - White Chicken Chili

18th - Leftovers night

19th - Eating out

20th - Grandma Lorraine's Goulash

21st - Taco night

22nd - Brinner with waffles,  pancakes, hashbrowns, eggs & sausage

23rd -  Stuffed Shells, garlic bread and salad

24th -  BBQ Meatloaf , mashed potatoes and corn casserole

25th -  Leftovers again!

I'm linking up at Mommy''s Kitchen! 

Lemon Bars

Last night I really was craving lemon bars or/and pineapple upside down cake. I gave in and made the lemon bars and they are oh so yummy! My friend gave me this recipe and I love it, thanks Jess!

Lemon Bars

Crust:
2 cups flour
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix with mixer until crumbly. pat into a greased 9x13 pan and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Filling:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp lemon juice

Beat together and pour over baked crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min.
Sprinkle with powder sugar when it's cooled.

I'm linking this recipe up at:

Egg Bake

This is one of my favorite egg bake recipes. easy to make, not a lot of work and tastes great!

Egg Bake

1/2 lb bacon
Box of croutons
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
4 C milk
10 eggs
1 tsp dry mustard

In the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish layer the croutons then the cheddar cheese. In a large bowl whisk all 10 eggs together, then add in the 4 cups of milk and 1 tsp dry mustard. Pour egg mixture over the croutons and cheese. You can top with either cooked or uncooked bacon, I prefer to use the already cooked bacon because it gets kind of crisp on top the egg bake. Refrigerate overnight or for several hours. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

Meal Plan Jan. 14th-27th

Since November life has been busy and well, I haven't had a meal plan in quite a while. It's time to get back to planning because everyday at 4pm I wonder what we are having for dinner. Not cool. So here is what we are having the next two weeks:

1. Pasties

2. BBQ Meatloaf

3. Peperoncini Beef Sandwiches

4. Buffalo Lasagna

5. Pasta Fagioli

6. Chicken Pot Pie from Allrecipes

7. Leftovers

8. Fish and french fries (A kid friendly meal)

9. Egg Bake & Pancakes

10. Eating Out

11. White Chicken Chili

12. Ravioli Casserole

13. Mexican Chicken


I am hoping some of the new meals I'm trying are a hit with my children because I'm getting tired of the same ol' meals. :)

If you have a meal plan, I'd love for you to link up below.

Monday Meal Madness

This week I'm posting one of my favorite crock pot recipes that a friend gave me. Just the other day while I was perusing the pages at A Year of Slow Cooking, I saw the recipe and fell in love again!   Stephanie's recipe varies a little from mine but not much at all.  :)
This will be going on my menu next week,  I have enough food for this week and would switch out a meal but it's birthday week around here and when it's your birthday, I make you your favorite dinner.  We've already had stromboli and  beef stroganoff. and next on the menu is spaghetti.

Peperoncini Beef in the Crock Pot

Beef Pot Roast (any size)
16oz beef broth
one package dry onion soup mix  (I've started skipping this part and using real onion instead)
2 cloves of garlic (I love garlic so I probably use more!)
1 jar peperoncini peppers


Let cook all day in the crock pot until it's falling apart.  We serve this on toasted french bread with provolone cheese melted on top.  Yummy!  You can use the broth left over in the crock pot as an au jus for dipping.

I'd love for you to link up below with one of your favorite recipes!  I'm always looking for new recipes to try!  I'm also linking up at :

and:

Thanks and Happy  Monday!

Peperoncini Beef in the Crock Pot

Peperoncini Beef in the Crock Pot

Beef Pot Roast (any size)

16oz beef broth

one package dry onion soup mix (I've started skipping this part and using real onion instead)

2 cloves of garlic (I love garlic so I probably use more!)

1 jar peperoncini peppers

Loaf of french bread or hoagie rolls

Slices of provolone or swiss cheese

Let cook all day in the crock pot until it's falling apart. We serve this on toasted french bread with provolone cheese melted on top. Yummy! You can use the broth left over in the crock pot as an au jus for dipping.

Monday Meal Madness - Cheesy Potatoes

Well I've finally figured out how to use the linky tool on my blog, it only took me 6 months! So, my new blog feature is Monday Meal Madness. I will post a recipe every Monday and you can link up with your recipe as well! I am looking to add some new meals to my rotation so hopefully you can all join in and post some of your favorites each week. It doesn't have to be the main course either, I consider dessert a part of the meal, along with salads, sides, appetizers, or whatever else. Here is my side dish that I am posting, I know a lot of people have this recipe but there are a lot of variations on it.

Cheesy Potatoes

2 pounds hash browns thawed (you can use either the shredded or cubed, I prefer the cubed)
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chickens soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 375 degrees for one hour or until lightly browned on top. You can also make these in the crock pot.

Some people like to top these with crushed up chips, saltines or Special K cereal. I don't top mine with anything because I like the crisp top of the potatoes.

I also have been adding 1/2 can cream of mushroom soup to give it some more flavor and then not using an entire cup of sour cream. This recipe is one that you can definitely play around with and there are quite a few different versions out there. Thanks for linking up and don't forget to check out some other links that people post. It's always fun to get new recipes!

I'm also linking up at:

Oreo Truffles

My friend shared this yummy recipe with me. It's another quick and easy one, so if you don't have a lot of time, this might be a good one for you. Sorry for the instructions but this is what I did and it worked for me.

1 package Oreo cookies
1 8oz package of cream cheese (softened)
1 12 oz bag of white chocolate chips

I placed the Oreo cookies in a large freezer bag and then went to town with my rolling pin, crushing and rolling those Oreos into a fine crumbly mess.   I then dumped the crushed up cookies into a mixing bowl, added the softened cream cheese and mixed it all together until it looked like a big bowl of mud. Yummy, right? I then rolled the mixture into about one inch balls. I placed them on a cookie sheet and refrigerated the balls for about an hour or so, pretty much until they weren't sticky to touch. It was suggested that I place a toothpick in each one before they hardened to make it easier to dip them in the white chocolate but I just didn't have a lot of luck with that method. Here's how mine looked before they went dipping!  Not my prettiest or most perfectly rolled balls but they get covered in chocolate, so who's gonna see them?   If you will be eating these at my house this weekend, just ignore this picture.  Ahem....so anyways, back to the recipe.

Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave until it's nice and smooth and perfect for dipping in. Cover your tray with wax paper, less mess to clean up off the tray. I dropped the yummy balls of Oreo goodness into the bowl of white chocolate, swirled it around until it was covered and then just dug it right out with a spoon and placed it on the wax paper to harden. I then set the tray of Oreo truffles in the refrigerator for an hour to make sure they set. Transfer the Oreo truffles into a covered container and keep refrigerated.

Here they are, in all their glory, ready to be eaten! 

You could also use semi-sweet chocolate chips or maybe mix half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate chips for dipping instead of the white. Another idea is to save some of the Oreo you crushed and sprinkle the crumbs on top right after you dip it. I'm sure you could also use candy cane crushed up. You could also drizzle some of the extra dipping mixture on top and make a pretty design.  However you decide to dip them and decorate them, I'm sure they will be gone in no time, these are really  yummy!!!!

New Recipe: Yummy Bars

If you're looking for something fast, easy and yummy then this recipe is for you! My mom made these bars and I remember them being a special treat just at Christmas time. They are so easy to put together, definitely a recipe the kids can help with and usually most ingredients you already have on hand. Just make sure you give yourself enough time to let them chill in the fridge!

Ingredients:
16oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
12oz butterscotch chips
1 c. smooth peanut butter
3 c. miniature marshmallows (you can use the colored ones to change it up a bit too.)
1 c. peanuts

Melt together in the microwave the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter. (I melted this together on the stove top and it didn't turn out well so use the microwave, trust me on this!) Mix in the marshmallows and peanuts. Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan and let set in the fridge.
See, wasn't that easy!!!

This is what it will look like about part way through melting it.

After adding in the marshmallows and peanuts this is what it will look like in the pan.

And this is what it should NOT look like!  This is the one I did on the stove, still tastes good but doesn't look quite as appealing!

I cut this corner piece out for blogging purposes and promptly put it back in the pan!  Ok, I ate it.

Creme De Menthe Cake

This is one of my favorite cakes to make but more importantly one of my favorite to EAT! I am not a huge mint/chocolate fan, it's ok, sometimes I like eating but I don't crave York Peppermint Patties or Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. This cake is a hit every time I make it.  I got this recipe from my mom, she always made this cake for me for my birthday!

You will need one box of yellow or white cake mix, Creme De Menthe liqueur or syrup, one 8 oz. jar of hot fudge sauce and a 12oz. container of whipped topping. I have included a picture of my bottle of Creme De Menthe in case you wanted to see it. We only use it for making this cake so I am pretty sure this bottle could last us at least 10 years! Maybe we should make this cake more often!

Prepare the box mix as per the directions on the box except you will replace 1/2 of the water in the cake mix recipe with the Creme De Menthe. Bake according to the box directions. When the cake is baked and cooled, you are ready to spread the hot fudge topping over the cake. I warm mine up a bit in the microwave for ease of spreading but you don't want it to be hot and really runny. After the hot fudge topping is on, mix in a tablespoon or two of the Creme De Menthe into the whipped topping container and mix well. Spread the whipped topping on top of the hot fudge layer and then refrigerate the cake for at least a few hours before serving. Enjoy!

A few notes, alcohol bakes out of the cake so if you are concerned about using alcohol in your cake, it's fine. Really it is.
My husband makes my birthday cake every year and he didn't take pictures while making my cake so I only have a picture of one lonely piece.
Someone suggested to me that I try it with a chocolate cake mix but I just can't bring myself to do it.  So if you try it with a chocolate cake mix instead,  I'd love to hear your reviews on it!!!

Two New Recipes for fall and they are both desserts!

In case you don't know this about me, I will share it here. I hate pumpkin food, such as muffins, cake, donuts, cookies, pie, bars and whatever else people make with pumpkin, all I can say is "yuck."  I am also allergic to apples so I don't do apple crisp, apple cider, apple pie, apple whatever else there is.   So, when I think of fall, I don't envision all the apple and pumpkin food I can make. Nope, I'm out for the chocolate, caramel, caramel, maybe more caramel, perhaps some molasses and maybe even some cinnamon! Here are two recipes I am going to try this month and I'm on the lookout for some recipes that have caramel in them so if you have one, I'd love for you to link it in the comment section below.

 Cramel Salted Cupcakes by Lemonde Makin Mama

Amaretto Cake with Cinnamon Swirl

Meal Plan Oct. 8th to Oct. 21st

I am so not in the mood for meal planning but it must be done as tomorrow is grocery shopping day. Somehow I ended up with extra meals leftover from the last meal plan. Here it is....
1.  Grilling out with our neighbors - brats/hot dogs and potato salad
2.  Grilling again- chicken, baked potatoes and corn on the cob
3.  Small Group night  no meal needed
4.  Brinner -- pancakes, hashbrowns, sausage and eggs
5.  Chili with Corn Bread
6.   Stuffed Shells with garlic bread and corn
7.   New Recipe - Enchilada Casserole
8.   Leftovers
9.   Stromboli and Creme De Menthe Cake (My birthday favorite!) will post recipe soon.
10.  Hawaiian Ribs with rice and green beans
11.  Eat out 
12.  Italian Bow Tie Pasta garlic bread and peas
13.  Sloppy Joes , french fries and broccoli
14.  Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie

Cooking in the crockot - Lasagna

I was hoping to have a new meal to share earlier in the week but this week has just been flying by! Maybe the birth of my niece on Monday threw things out the door, not really sure but what a great reason to have your week go haywire! Anyways, this wasn't on my menu plan but I have all the ingredients for it and I thought I'd give it a whirl. So today I'm making crock pot lasagna! I even remembered to take some pictures, woo hoo! I got the recipe from Stephanie at A Year of Slow Cooking. and if you haven't been over there to check out her blog yet, what are you waiting for!?! 

I based my meal off of Stephanie's recipe but varied mine a little bit.  I used 9 lasagna noodles, you want the regular noodles not the oven ready.  I used one jar of spaghetti sauce but added some tomato sauce to it, I was hoping to add some diced tomatoes but I didn't have any on hand.  I added some crushed garlic to the spaghetti sauce as well.  I used about 9 meatballs chopped up and threw those in the spaghetti sauce.  I used a larger container of cottage cheese, mixed in two eggs and some parmesan cheese. 
I used my oval shaped crock pot and this worked out well.  I could do 3 noodles across but I had to break off some of the sides of the noodles to make them fit.  I added meat to my lasagna, I had some frozen meatballs that I chopped up and threw in with my spaghetti sauce.  I didn't get a picture of it but start with a layer of meat/spaghetti sauce in the bottom of your crock pot.  Then place the noodles on top.  I had already started putting this together in the crock pot before I thought about taking pictures.  So this is already a layer or two in but you get the idea.  Like my jagged broken noodle?

 Next I put my layer of cottage cheese or ricotta (whatever you perfer)  over the noodles.

Then I put the mozzarella over the top of the cottage cheese.  My cheese looks funny because I was trying to be all frugal and thought I could shred my own mozzarella.  I am saving you from pain and ugly cheese clumps by telling you to just by the shredded cheese, it's not worth it! 

Finally, top with your  meat/spaghetti sauce mixture.  I also ended my layers with this and it worked out well.  I also put 1/4 cup of water in my spaghetti sauce jar and shook it up and poured it over the top.  This also could be why the lasagna was really lwatery but not sure.

Then I sprinkled some real shredded cheese and some parsley flakes on top. 

This is what it looked like after cooking on high for 4 hours.

My camera doesn't take the best pictures but here it is, ready to be devoured served.

Another picture, maybe not the prettiest lasagna but it was yummy and that's all that really counts in my book. 

Mine was a bit watery but that could be from my scary chunky shredded myself mozzarella that came from the freezer.  My kids really liked this, well at least 3 out of 4 did which is a rarity in this house.  In fact, the eldest child asked if we could have this for dinner every week.  I will be making this again, I liked throwing it all together in the crock  pot and then walking away for 4 hours.  I let it sit for another hour after it was done on the warm setting and it was still hot and yummy.  If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.  If you try this, I'd love to know what you thought so please feel free to come and leave a comment!  Enjoy!