It worked!! Amazingly Easy Caramels.

Like the majority of stay at home moms these days......  I have been spending a small portion my day wasting time on Pinterest.  Yes, I am willing to admit that it is "kinda-sorta" a big waste of my day.   But, it has more potential for doing good around the house than Facebook does!!!   I love to peruse the outfits that are put together and dream of wearing them and, of course,  I always look amazing.  (Don't forget this is my day-dream.)   I love to look at all of the projects I could make and pictures I could take.  Who doesn't right??  And don't let me forget all of the decorating ideas that I pinned on my Holiday board.  This brings me to all the cooking ideas.......WOW!   This place really lets me channel my inner Martha Stewart.....just without all of the embezzling.    Now Bedazzling........  that is a whole other story.  BRING ON THE GLITTER BABY!!!!!


Let me get back to that cooking stuff.  I found this recipe for making caramels in the microwave.  I needed to justify my love for Pinterest.  I had about 6 minutes to spare and all the necessary ingredients.  This stuff blew me away with the easy factor.   It might be amazing to layer it in some brownies or  bar cookie.   Maybe some apple pie????   The yum factor here is above a 10!!!   I might be giving this stuff as gifts to teachers and friends.  


Here goes....


1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Combine that together in a microwavable dish.  (I used a large batter bowl.)
Heat for 6 minutes and stir every 2 minutes.

Stir again and pour into a lightly greased dish.

Let cool and cut into pieces and wrap individually into wax paper squares.  I wonder if parchment paper would be better?

Enjoy......  Merry Christmas!  From me and Pinterest.

A Thanksgiving Classic............

A year or so on facebook...the lovely Julie H. commented on a post of mine about making Thanksgiving dinner.   I mentioned that this stuff was a staple at our house.  I like it just because I can forget about it and worry about something else that needs to be baking.  I found the recipe in a Southern Living magazine and adopted it as mine.  Some might call it plagairism.  I call it MINE.  You decide..............




CROCK POT DRESSING...
Ona’s Slowcooker Cornbread Dressing

4 ½ cups cornbread crumbs (I typically make cornbread the day before.)
1 (16 oz) pkg herb stuffing mix (Pepperidge Farm)
2 (10 3/4) oz cans cream of chicken soup
2 (14 oz) cans low sodium chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon rubbed sage  (sometimes I forget to buy this stuff..)
½ teaspoon salt – (I always use kosher sea salt)
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter, cut up

Stir everything together in a LARGE bowl. Pour it into a large lightly greased crockpot & dot it with the butter.
Cook, covered, on low for about 4 hours or until cooked through & set.



so easy...so yummy...and it totally leaves the oven ready for something else!!!!!     Don't forget the slow-cooker liner and you will avoid clean-up too!!!!!   Oh yeah!

It might have been nicer if that picture of my crock pot showed the actual dressing.  I think I was just bored with a camera last year........  I  also think I should have washed the outside a little bit better.

• 

**** 11/27/2014 edit   This year I altered it just a bit and made the stuffing even more amazing.  I cooked a tube of Jimmy Dean sausage and added it to the stuffing along with about a half can of chicken broth.   No words can describe how remarkably amazing the stuffing is with this small change of BIG FLAVOR.

Would someone please make this for me?

Ok,  last week on GMT they had a girl on there making appetizers.  She made this and all the teens in the audience were going crazy for this stuff.  This stuff is all I have been thinking of when I am in the kitchen or grocery store.  I am avoiding it.  I think it might be amazing and I am afraid to go there.  Anything with BACON!!!!!

Here goes............

Get a brownie pan and layer this stuff in it.

1 brick of cream cheese....softened and spread out.
1 jar of pumpkin butter
crumbled bacon
green onions
toasted pecans

I saw a bag of "Stacy's Pita Chips" at Sams yesterday.  They were gingerbread flavored.  Would that work?
Wheat thins might also be a good one to dip into it.

Someone?  Please?  Make this and let me know!!



11/29/11....... Here is the official picture of that madness.  It was awesome.  It was different.

Broccoli-Cheese Chowder!

This is another one of those amazing comfort foods I crave when it starts getting cooler.   My kids love it.  Yes, they eat broccoli.  They also eat asparagus and mushrooms.  (Yes, I am bragging here!)

1/2 stick of butter 

1 onion, chopped

saute this together.  

Add about 6 small portabella mushrooms, chopped.  

Stir it around for a few minutes.

Add a can of chicken broth and heat.

chop a small package of velveeta and add.

Dump in a can of cream of mushroom.

Keep stirring occassionally.  

Cook a bag of "steamFresh Broccoli" and chop finely.

Add the broccoli to the soup stuff.  Add some 1/2 & 1/2 or maybe about a half cup of milk if you need some extra liquidy goodness.  Heat until serving time.

Top it with some chopped bacon.  Yum!

What I want to do............

This is what I want to do right now.  I don't want to sort those horrible socks.  I don't want to sweep for the umpteenth time today.  I don't want to be a big girl today.