Classic Pecan Pie

I make this pie every year for one of the guys my husband works with. I've been doing this for four years now and will keep on with it. I do make this pie for holiday parties as well, but only when asked...for some reason, not all people LOVE pecan pie the way I do! The nerve! LOL!

Ingredients
1 (9 inch) pie shell
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Prick pastry shell in several places with a fork and bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, salt, and pecans. Mix well, then pour into pie shell.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes; if crust is getting too brown, cover edges with aluminum foil. When done, pie will be a little loose in center, but will set as it cools; do not overbake.

I put my pies onto a wire rack to help cool the bottom.

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

When I was looking up cookie recipes, this recipe ended up being one of those little pop-ups and it linked to Jif's website for the full recipe! I forgot about these cookies, its been years since I've had them, and I remember now how freaking good they are!!!!

Ingredients
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
3/4 cup Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter
2 cups packaged biscuit mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar
Hershey Kisses milk chocolate candy pieces, unwrapped

Directions
HEAT oven to 375°F.

BEAT sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter in large bowl until smooth. Add biscuit mix and vanilla; mix well.

SHAPE into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned around edges (do not overbake). Immediately press a chocolate candy piece in center of each cookie. Cool.

Snickerdoodles

Rob LOVES Snickerdoodles, so I thought I'd make some to go with all the other cookies...I mean, why not? I already made something like 300 cookies...what's another 100, right? These are pretty easy to make once you get rolling with them.

Ingredients
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Stir in the eggs. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. In a small bowl, stir together the 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the cinnamon. Roll dough into walnut sized balls, then roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar. Place them onto an unprepared cookie sheet, two inches apart.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be slightly brown. Remove from sheets to cool on wire racks.

Double Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies!

These cookies are freaking AMAZING, and probably the easiest cookie I have ever made in my entire life! I think this one will become a staple of my household! I was kind of weirded out by the recipe, but was amazed when they were done! I fully recommend these cookies to anyone who is wanting to make a chocolate chocolate chip cookie!!!

Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets (or line them with parchment paper).

In your Kitchenaid stand mixer or a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs and oil until well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Again, I went with 9 minutes for my bake time because I like the chewy cookies! I just can't say it enough how fantastic these cookies are!!!

Sugar Cookies!

Holiday cookie making isn't complete without SUGAR COOKIES!!! These tasty cookies are easy to make and are even yummier when you frost them and add colored sugar...mmm...

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (no substitutes)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions
In a mixing bowl, cream sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. Add eggs and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.

On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-in. cookie cutter; place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 7-8 minutes or until light golden brown. Decorate if desired.

I used Betty Crocker white cookie frosting I found in the baking isle at Kroger's, it tastes really good, not overly sweet, but sweet enough to just add to the sugar cookie.

On a side note, here's a picture of what you DON'T want to do with sugar cookies. For some reason I was thinking you could put preserves in sugar cookies...well, it didn't work and it wasn't until they were in the oven that I realized that it is Shortbread cookies you do that with, NOT sugar cookies...Sheesh!

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

I SWEAR by my Oxo cookie scoop...this thing is a freaking dream! It makes chocolate chip cookie making so much easier! I also swear by using parchment paper when making cookies. Not only do the cookies just slide right off, it also makes for quick and easy clean-up of your cookie sheets!

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 cups butter, softened
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.

In your Kitchenaid Stand Mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Slowly blend in the flour mixture. Finally, add in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown. (I usually only do the minimum because I prefer a chewier cookie).

Buffalo Chicken Dip!

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law a couple years ago...this Buffalo chicken dip is absolutely to DIE for! It is a must for parties or family gatherings. I made this batch on Thanksgiving day to take to my mom's house and snack on prior to dinner.

Ingredients

1 can white chicken in water

1 block cream cheese (softened)

1c sour cream

Franks Red Hot Sauce (to taste)

1.5 c shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

In a microwave safe bowl put cream cheese and sour cream and mix well with hand mixer (until no lumps). Add chicken, cheddar cheese and Franks (I usually end up using about 1/4 cup of Franks in mine, I like it spicy). Blend everything together with a spoon and microwave it or place it in a small crock pot on low.

Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, pretzels or anything else that may sound good to you. Beware...this stuff is like CRACK...you will keep going back for more!!!

Cornish Game Hens

I haven't had Cornish hens since I was probably 14 years old. When Rob and I went grocery shopping a couple weeks ago they were on sale so we bought a package of them! I am intimidated a little bit by poultry other than boneless breasts. I was totally clueless how to prepare these babies, but I found directions online and went to work! They were super easy, I was surprised!

Ingredients

2 Cornish Game Hens

Butter

Poultry seasoning

Montreal seasoning

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

Rub the hens with soft butter (on top of AND under the skin). Season with your chosen spices (I used the ones listed above). Put hens into a roasting pan and put a little water in the bottom. Place in oven and let bake for about 30 minutes, then you will want to start basting the birds (baste every 10-15 minutes). Total baking time is about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Let them stand for few minutes then serve them up.

SIDE NOTE: Use the leftovers to make chicken stew or soup. YUM

Breakfast Scramble

Every now and then I make this delicious breakfast scramble. It is super easy to make, which makes it nice for a busy weekend day when you don't have a lot of time to slave over the stove making a super fancy breakfast!

Ingredients
1lb Regular flavor bulk sausage (I use Jimmy Dean's)
1 package Simply Potatoes (cubes)
4-5 eggs beaten (add a splash of milk to make a fluffier egg)
1/2 to 1 C of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
In LARGE skillet, crumble and brown sausage. While sausage is cooking, prepare potatoes per package instructions in a separate pan. When sausage and potatoes are cooked, add potatoes to the sausage in the large skillet. Slowly add egg mixture and scramble it together with the sausage and potatoes. When its all done, serve into a bowl and sprinkle cheese on top. The heat from the skillet will melt the cheese. Eat it up...YUM!!!

Sugar's!!!

When Rob and I ordered our wedding cake last year, we also were to receive a 1 year anniversary cake of our choice. Since our wedding, our baker sadly went out of business to take care of her sick son. We were unable to collect on our cake, which is fine because of the issues our baker is dealing with. Then I remembered that a lady I use to work with has a small home based cake company...Sugar's! Rob and I ordered our cake from her, we got the berry bomb in a heart shape! The cake was amazingly delicious that Rok now has a customer for life! Check out her website sometime, her cakes are AMAZINGLY good!

Homemade Butter...Yup...

I found this recipe on Confections of a Foodie Brides blog. It is a super easy recipe to make butter and butter milk! The butter is very good, an must have for your holiday dinner!

1 cup organic heavy whipping cream

Put the cream into your food processor and turn it on. For full details and instruction, please click the link above to Confections blog.

A New Taco Bake...

Rob's grandma gave me this recipe before she passed away (she was always giving me recipes whenever we went to her house). This is my favorite Grandma Grace recipe! I haven't made it in ages...I wanted taco bake but I wasn't feeling the richness of Lindsay's taco bake. This one is more hearty with only shredded cheese on top.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup (Regular or 25% Less Sodium)
1 cup Pace® Chunky Salsa or Pace® Picante Sauce
1/2 cup milk
6 (6 inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cook beef in medium skillet over medium-high heat until beef is browned, stirring to separate meat. Pour off fat. Add soup, salsa, milk, tortillas and half the cheese. Spoon into 2-quart shallow baking dish. Cover. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Skillet Ham, Cabbage and Potatoes

I am burned out on all the "usual" stuff, so when allrecipes emailed me this recipe I decided to give it a go. It sounded different, but in a good way. Rather than getting ham and cutting it in cubes I just purchased Dearborn Ham from the deli department and had them "shave" cut it. I would suggest Dearborn Ham for this recipe...its the best! I also made Mrs. T's special crescent rolls...mmmm...delicious goodness!

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 small head cabbage, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup water
3 large potatoes, scrubbed and sliced
1 dash seasoning salt
1 dash paprika
2 cups cubed cooked ham

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onions in the margarine. When tender add cabbage and stir. Pour water over, cover and simmer gently on medium low for ten minutes.

Add potatoes and mix. Cover again and allow to simmer for ten more minutes. Additional water may be needed. Sprinkle seasoning salt and paprika over cabbage and potatoes. Allow to simmer covered for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until cabbage is soft and potatoes are nearly cooked. Mix ham in and finish cooking until ham is hot and potatoes are done.

Click here to go directly to the recipe. Photo is a stock photo from allrecipes...I was too lazy to take a picture. :)

Mild Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas!

Wow, I haven't posted in a long arse time! Sheesh!


Well, I made these enchiladas on Tuesday for "Debate Date Night" (don't ask). Anyway, the were absolutely delicious! If you are a cheese and sour cream lover like I am, you will LOVE these enchiladas. I also made baked flan for dessert...see my older posts for my flan recipe.

This recipe is from Allrecipes.

Ingredients
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat (I used 2 cans of cooked chicken)
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup black olives

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the chicken, onion, 1 cup Cheddar cheese, and 3/4 cup sour cream.
3. Disperse the mixture evenly among the 8 tortillas. Roll into enchiladas, and arrange in single layer in the prepared baking dish.

4. In a saucepan over low heat, melt together the remaining Cheddar cheese and sour cream. Pour over the enchiladas, and top with tomatoes and olives.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Shelly's Hot Mess Chicken and Famous Potatoes w/ Spinach Salad

I decided to put together this dinner together tonight because I have been so engrossed with my invitation business this past week that I have been sort of ignoring my poor husband. I felt so bad about so I put together a delicious dinner at the table complete with wine and water served in our pretty crystal we got for our wedding...I was also able to use our pretty silver serving platter and fancy serving utensils and placemats, napkins and napkin rings...ok, ok, so I wanted an excuse to actually use all this stuff...LOL.

I made Shelly's famous potatoes and her hot mess chicken (see nomnomnom in my favorites). Along with the hot mess and famous taters I made my famous spinach salad with homemade lemon olive oil dressing. I also made a loaf of homemade italian bread with italian spices in my bread maker (and I am happy to report actually doing a good job at it!). I have to say, I was very intimidated by the chicken recipe, but it was really super easy!

Excuse the jacked up walls in the background...we're in the middle of demoing our kitchen.

Hot Mess Chicken (recipe copy/pasted from Shelly's blog)

Hot Mess ChickenServes: However many you can fit on the pan
-Large skinless boneless chicken breast (I filleted it then pounded it)

-Thick sliced bacon (I used thick pepper crusted bacon..mmmm...)

-Red Onion

-Fresh Leaf Basil (we grow basil in our garden, so it was super fresh! fresher the better)

-Small can petite diced tomatoes

-Provolone Cheese

-Toothpicks

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Yup.

2. Get a baking sheet that has edges and line it with foil (easier clean up!). Then take a rack from your toaster oven and put that on top of the foil so there is a gap. Or if you wanna be all 'top chef'... just use a broiler pan =)

3. Take a chicken breast and put it between some plastic wrap and pound it with a meat mallet. Or a big can of beans will work! Not too thin... maybe like an even half inch. Or if you wanna get crazy and skip the next step... pound it out into a really big flat piece that is about a quarter inch thick.

4. If you stuck with the half inch option, take a knife and slit the chicken open (parallel with the countertop) and open it like a book. Don't cut it all the way open.

5. Lay in some provolone, a handful of diced red onion, a couple spoonfuls of tomato, and a few leaves of basil.

6. Fold up the chicken. Now lay out 3-4 slices of thick sliced bacon and put the chicken in the middle. Wrap the ends of bacon up over the chicken and overlap them. Secure with a toothpick. Try and cover most of the open seam to keep the goodies in.

7. Place on the rack or broiler pan. I like to pour some italian dressing all over it, but that's up to you. Put in the oven for about 30-35 minutes. The bacon should be pretty crisped and the chicken cooked thru. Yummm.

Shelly's Famous Potatoes

-5 cups chopped red potatoes (about 5 large) (I used idaho potatoes cuz I'm not a fan of reds)

-1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (I skipped the red cuz we don't really like it)

-1/3 cup diced green bell pepper

-1/2 cup diced sweet onion

-1 teaspoon garlic salt

-1/2 tablespoon montreal steak seasoning

-4+ tablespoons butter or margarine

-Foil

1. Lay out about 2 feet of non-stick foil or non-stick sprayed regular foil.

2. Wash & scrub red potatoes clean. Chop up potatoes into bite sized pieces and place in single layer onto center of foil.

3. Dice peppers and onion and sprinkle onto potatoes, toss with hands if necessary.

4. Place little chunks of butter or margarine over top, space out as necessary.

5. Sprinkle garlic salt and steak seasoning evenly over mixture (amount may be adjusted to taste). We are not shy with either of them in my house!!

6. Fold foil up over the mixture, covering everything. Take another piece of foil and wrap in opposite direction to make sure the packet is leak-proof.

7. Place on grill at medium heat (about 350-400 degrees) for 35-45 minutes (flip over packet halfway through cooking), depending on your grill and your potato firmness preference.

8. Cut open foil pouch and serve, careful of the steam!

Lemon/Olive Oil Dressing

- 1 large lemon

- 1 tbsp fresh garlic

- 1/2 c olive oil (the darker the better)

Zest part of the lemon, cut it in half and juice the heck out of it. Add the garlic and the olive oil and wisk together. Serve over a bed of baby spinach with bacon bits, tomatoes and shaved Parmesan cheese...delish!

Chicken Kabobs and "Special" Crescent Rolls

We made some super fantastic chicken kabobs last night with these most delicious crescent rolls using a recipe of my best friends MIL! I'll call them Mrs. T's Famous Crescent Rolls!!! The kabobs were pretty standards, chicken, green pepper, white onion, 1 can white potatoes, and mushrooms. Rob put some curry seasoning on them with some extra red pepper powder and a little brush of olive oil. I made the Indian Rice that I blogged below with the kabobs. Now, on to the delicious crescent rolls!

Ingredients
1 tube crescent rolls (Pillsbury or store brand)
4 oz of cream cheese softened in the microwave to make it spoonable
Honey

Directions
Roll out the rolls as you normally would then add a spoon full (tsp) of cream cheese to the large end of the crescent roll. Roll them up and kinda pinch the ends so the cream cheese doesn't ooze when you bake them. Bake according to the package instructions (no extra time needed). Pull them out and put some honey on top of them and spread it around. Let them sit for about 5 minutes.

I suggest eating them with a fork! They are so freaking good! Its like a dinner roll and dessert in one!

Italian Sausage and Peppers

I LOVE this recipe! I actually picked it up from the Italian restaurant I worked at years and years ago. It is super simple and so delicious! I generally do a combination of sweet and spicy Italian sausage, but this time I just used sweet sausage.

Ingredients
4 links of fresh Italian sausage (sweet, hot or both) Cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large green pepper cut into large pieces
1 small to medium red bell pepper cut into large pieces
1 small yellow bell pepper cut into large pieces
1 small orange bell pepper cut into small pieces
1 small to medium Spanish onion cut into large pieces
1 jar Traditional Ragu sauce (yeah, I'm lazy like that)
various Italian spices (garlic, basil, oregano...)
Olive oil (to coat pan)
Cooked spaghetti noodles

Directions
Cook the sausage pieces until they are completely done. Add enough olive oil to coat the pan (leaving the sausage in it). Add all of the peppers and onion. Mix everything together and cover with a lid for about 10 to 15 minutes on medium/medium low heat. Remove lid and add about 3/4 of a jar of Traditional Ragu (enough to coat the sausage and veggies). Add a little garlic (powder), oregano, basil, cracked red pepper to your preferred taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes (until the sauce heats up).

Put some spaghetti noodles into a bowl, dish up the sausage and peppers over the noodles and serve with some Romano cheese (shaker cheese) and some garlic bread. YUM!!!

Yummy Chicken Stir Fry

One of my favorite things to make is chicken stir fry. Its nothing special, but tastes super yummy! You can make it with a chicken bullion base or a soy sauce base...I prefer the chicken base then putting a little soy sauce on the finished product. I generally make white or brown rice with my stir fry, but I forgot the buy some at the store and I didn't want to waste any of my basmati rice...so I did what any other domestically challenged person would do, I used Rice-A-Roni Fried Rice flavor and added 1 egg to it.

Stir Fry Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into small pieces

1-2 chicken bullion cubes

1/2 lb pea pods

1/2 lb bean sprouts

2-3 baby bok choy

1 tbsp flour

water

dash of salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

In a large skillet (or better yet, a wok), cook the chicken (with some salt and pepper) until it is thoroughly cooked (I'm paranoid so I cook it until it starts to brown). Add about a cup of water and the pea pods. Cover and let the steam cook the pods for a couple minutes. Next, add the bean sprouts and replace the cover. Cook for another minute. Add a touch more water and the bullion cubes then mix the flour with some water and use it as a thickening agent and thicken the chicken stock. The final step is adding the bok choy. Mix everything up and serve with rice.

I've Been Tagged!!!

The rules:
Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What was I doing ten years ago?
Working a dead end job that I hated!

What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today?
1. Wash the towels
2. Clean the bathroom
3. Put laundry away
4. Dust the house
5. Make dinner (nothing special, chicken on the grill, rice and mixed veggies)

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Fruit Naturals Grapefruit Cups
2. Snikers
3. Cheese cubes
4. Cookies
5. Pineapple

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Pay off debt
2. Have a kick butt house built on 200 acres of land
3. Travel the world for a year
4. Take my family on a dream vacation for at least 2 weeks
5. Go on a shopping spree (clothes, furniture, car...)

Places I’ve lived:
1. Waterford, MI
2. Hazel Park, MI
3. Southfield, MI

Jobs I’ve had:
1. Fast food manager
2. Administrative Assistant
3. Business Coordinator
4. Controller

I will be tagging:
1. Shelly - http://lovestonom.blogspot.com/
2. Steph - http://lokiskitchen.blogspot.com/
3. Lindsay - http://lovedeliciousness.blogspot.com/
4. Amy - http://amyvan317.blogspot.com/
5. Tori - http://hyperpinkmini.com/ (sorry, I know you were tagged already...but... :-) )

Taco Bake (Yummm)

I love Lindsay (Iheartkeith on theknot...love deliciousness on blogspot) for this recipe! I have made it twice now and it tastes better each time. I swear it gave me my "O" face (lol). I used regular taco seasoning the first time, but this time I used Ortega Jalapeno and Onion and it was fabulous!!! The left overs are just as amazing! This dish makes me happy!

Ingredients

1 lb. ground round (or turkey or chicken)

1 package taco seasoning

15 oz. can tomato sauce

8 oz. seashell pasta

8 oz package cream cheese (softened in microwave)
1/2 c. sour cream

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I like mild cheddar)

Directions

Brown ground beef, drain. Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, cook pasta according to directions. Drain.

Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in separate bowl.

Spray bottom of 9 x 13 pan with Pam. Put pasta in bottom of pan. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta. (This is kind of hard to do. Just dollop spoonfuls of the mixture about an inch apart and spread the best you can.) Spoon ground beef mixture over this. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

Bake @350 for 30 minutes. Cool about 15 - 20 minutes before serving.

Delicious Fruit Salad

I made this fantastic fruit "salad" and fruit dip for my best friend, Jennifer's, Mehendi party on July 2. I purchased the bowl that the salad and dip is in from Bed, Bath and Beyond and it was the best $29 I spent. The bowl I think really made the salad look so much nicer than if it were in just a regular glass, metal or Tupperware bowl.

Fruit Salad Ingredients
(any portion of)
Strawberries
Honeydew
Cantaloupe
Grapes (red and green)
Kiwi
Pineapple
Fresh Mango
Blueberries

Chop all the melons up, slice the kiwi and strawberries, mix it all together and PRESTO you have fruit salad!

Fruit Dip
8-16 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 large container of Marshmallow Fluff

Using your stand mixer (or hand mixer if you don't have a KitchenAid), beat the cream cheese on medium until it is smooth (lumps = bad). With your mixer on low, start adding in the marshmallow fluff to the point where your mixture starts to form somewhat solid peaks. You can add food coloring (I used red in the picture) to make your desired color or just leave it white...it tastes fantastic no matter what!

The fruit dip also makes an excellent cake frosting (white cake with fruit dip frosting makes me drool thinking about it)

Enjoy!

New Kitchen Coming Soon!

Last night Rob and I talked about the projects that are left to do with our house. We made a list of what needs to be done and took a bunch of measurements. We are getting new carpet throughout our house and after that we are going to start our kitchen remodel!!! The remodel will start "hopefully" at the end of the summer! We are going today to order all of our cabinetry and purchase the items needed to make our pretty tile counter top and back splash and all the other miscellaneous supplies. We are taking advantage of the Lowes or Home Depot 10% off for opening a credit card...we figure we may as well get everything and use the 10% at one time! Yay for saving a little bit of money!!!

We are doing white cabinets with a tanish floor and the tiles for the counter are all tanish colors and we will be accenting with some "special" tiles to make the kitchen look prettier!!!

Check back in the next couple months for remodel updates!!!

Basmati Rice

Basmati rice is an Indian rice that is quite different from regular long grain rice like Minute Rice or other rices along those lines. Its a longer rice that requires either being rinsed or soaked in clean water. The rice above is what I have found in the local grocery store and is very good. Its about $5 for this 1lb bag.