Roasted Red Potatoes

I know everyone probably already has a recipe like this, but I just LOVE these...and so does Tony & the kiddo's! It's SO easy too.

Roasted Red Potatoes

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1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash and dice red potatoes into bite size pieces. Just cut as many as your family will eat. We usually do about 3-4 pounds of potatoes, that way Tony has some leftovers to take for lunch the next day.

3. Place in a big enough bowl to toss (preferably with a lid), and drizzle with some olive oil. You don't need too much, I use maybe 1/4 cup for all those potatoes.

4. Then add a packet of onion soup mix. I usually just always use 1 full packet. Sometimes this flavor is stronger than other times just depending on how many potatoes I decided to do, so if you like a stronger flavor you might want to either cut back on the potatoes or use more soup mix.

5. If you have a lid for your bowl put it on and shake the bowl until the potatoes are coated really well. If not, just use a large spoon to stir it all together. You could also use a large baggie with a ziplock to shake if you're not making a whole lot.

6. Pour potatoes onto a large cookie sheet and spread into a single layer. (I also usually spray some cooking oil on the sheet before I put the potatoes on...you probably don't need to do this as they are already coated in oil, but it seems to help them from sticking to the pan for me.)

7. Put in the oven and cook them for about 45-50 minutes or until they are tender when stabbed with a fork!:)

They are now ready to enjoy. My kiddo's like them with ketchup, but I think they're just as good plain.

Orange Marmalade rolls

I got this recipe for the Pioneer Woman (man I love her recipes!!!) and just added one extra ingredient to the glaze because I LOVE the orange flavor in my rolls. These were SOOOO good. This is actually what we made and took around to friends for Christmas with a note attached that said "Here's a sweet treat "rolled" up with Chirstmas wishes for you!" Pretty cheesy I know...but that's the kind of gal I am!:) Here it is:

Orange Marmalade Rolls

Recipe from Pioneer Woman

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The dough:

1 quart whole milk (I've used skim before and couldn't tell a difference...so whatever you have on hand I think would be fine.)

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 packages yeast

8 cups (plus 1 cup extra, separated) flour

1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

1 scant teaspoon baking soda

1 heaping tablespoon salt

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before it starts to boil). Turn off heat and leave to cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour. After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir mixture together. The dough is now ready!!!

Preparing Rolls:

1/2 jar of marmalade (PW used Bonnie Mama's orange marmalade but that stuff is pretty expensive...so I tried walmarts brand of orange marmalade and it was fantastic!!!)

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Sprinkle rolling surface with generously with flour. Take half of the dough and roll it out into a long rectangle. Spread the marmalade over the top. Pour on the butter, and then sprinkle on the brown sugar evenly. Sprinkle with salt (I never did this...). Beginning with the long side farthest from you, rollt he dough in a long roll toward you; begin careful to keep it tucked tightly. Pinch edge to seal. Cut rolls into 1 to 1 1/2 inch rolls and place into buttered pans. (I use my 7" round cake pans...but this makes about 7 of those, and I don't have 7 cake pans so I just use the aluminum ones...those you can take to neighbors or friends or whatever and not have to worry about losing a cake pan!) Allow to rise for at least 20 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

While the rolls are baking prepare the glaze:

2 pounds powdered sugar

6 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup orange juice

1 dash salt

1 teaspoon orange extract (this is an ingredient I added because I like more of an orange flavor...also I didn't have any orange juice when I made them once and just used milk instead and the orange extract and it was just as good!)

Mix all ingredients together, thining with more milk or orange juice to make the mixture pourable.

Immediately drizzle orange glaze over the top of the warm rolls. Serve warm (this way is the best!) or at room temperature.

Congrats...you've just made the best orange rolls EVER!!!:)

Snickers Cookies

These cookies were REALLY yummy...I served them at my Christmas piano recital and got a lot of comments about them! The only thing I would change would be to just melt some milk chocolate chips or a Hershey's bar or something and drizzle that. I wasn't too fond of the chocolate glaze. But you definitely need to try these!!

Snickers Cookies

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1 cup butter

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

60 miniature (bite size) Snickers candy bars (these are the smallest size ones – NOT the fun size)

chocolate glaze (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 . Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to peanut butter mixture. Take 1 Tbsp. of dough and flatten into round shape in palm of hand. Place Snickers bar in center and fold dough around it. Roll in palms of your hand to form a smooth ball with the Snickers bar totally covered with the dough. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and place on a wire rack to cool. Drizzle top of cookies with chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1 Tbsp. milk

Mix powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa and milk. Add additional as needed to thin mixture enough to drizzle from spoon.

These cookies were REALLY yummy...I served them at my Christmas piano recital and got a lot of comments about them! The only thing I would change would be to just melt some milk chocolate chips or a Hershey's bar or something and drizzle that. I wasn't too fond of the chocolate glaze. But you definitely need to try these!!

Drip Beef Sandwiches

We had these for our "Super Bowl Party" that we didn't watch the super bowl at, but instead watch a movie as a family! (now if the Steelers had been playing it would have been a different story:))

These were positively scrumptious!!! And really easy to make...just throw everything together and then let it cook!

Drip Beef Sandwiches

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman
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This isn't the best picture...sorry...don't judge this until you try it!

1 whole Beef Chuch Roast, 2.5 to 4 pounds

1 can of beef broth

3 heaping tablespoons of Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1/2 jar (16 oz.) Pepperoncini Peppers, with juice

Buttered, toasted Deli Rolls

Combine all ingredients in a heavy pot or dutch oven. Mix it around to combine seasoning with the liquid. Cover and bake at 275 degree oven for 5 to 6 hours or until it is fork tender and falling apart. Remove from oven and shred the meat using 2 forks.

Prepare your rolls (I found some deli style rolls...can't remember what they were called at our local grocery store that were pretty much little mini french loaves and they worked wonderfully and were so good!!!) by cutting into two parts, top and bottom, and buttering. Place under the broiler in the oven until they are browned. Keep a close eye on them as they will brown quickly! After they are browned pull them out of the oven and take half of them off your pan. Put the meat on the remaining rolls on the pan and top with cheese. (I used pepperjack which was really good but you could use any kind you like.) Then place back under the broiler just to melt the cheese. Take them out and put their other half on top and serve with the juices from the roasting pan to dip.

Make sure to put some of the pepperoncini peppers on the meat...they were SOOOO good and really gave the sandwich that extra kick!! And sorry again, but I forgot to take a picture of the final product...we just wanted to eat (it was fast sunday:)) and so that fell by the wayside!:)

Chicken Fried Rice

This is a requested Recipe.  Sorry it took me so long to get it on here and I don't have a photo for it either! Hope you like it. If you just want plain old fried rice without the chicken you could certainly leave it out!

Chicken Fried Rice

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2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts-cut into bite size pieces and salted

4 eggs-slightly beaten

3 cups rice-cooked

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 Tablespoon ginger root

3 cloves garlic-minced

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables-petite cut

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Heat oil in a large skillet. Cook chicken on a medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Push chicken to the side of the skillet and pour in eggs. Stir eggs until cooked. Add vegetables, rice, soy sauce, and seasonings-in that order stirring about 1 minute after each addition. Continue stirring and cooking over medium heat until combined and rice and vegetables are heated.

The best Apple Pie EVER!! (And Pie Crust Recipe)

I know I just posted a recipe for Apple pie...just disregard that one and make this one!!!! First off, sorry there is no picture of the pie...we ate it so fast I didn't even think about a picture it was so good! My friend Brittony made it and gave it to us. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Seriously it is so good and Tony's favorite dessert is Apple pie and I've never really been good and making them, but I don't think this recipe can go wrong! So Tony's happy that he'll probably get more apple pie! So here it is!

Scrumptious Apple Pie

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1 pie crust

6 to 7 cups peeled and slice Granny Smith Apples (Brittony said she just used Gala's and they were really good, although I've heard that Granny smith are the best to use because they are tart and complement the sweet really well...so whatever I guess!:))

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/2 cup sugar

4 Tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup quick oats

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 jar (or more) caramel topping

In a bowl mix peeled apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter, then add in brown sugar, oats, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Add apples to prepared pie shell and top with crumb topping. Cover crust edges with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove foil from crust and place back into the oven for another 30 minutes. Chop pecans, and when five minutes remain, sprinkle them over the pie. Finish baking.

Remove the pie from the oven and pour 1/2 jar (or more) of caramel topping over the top. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

(This is HEAVEN with some vanilla ice cream while it is still warm!)

Now for the BEST pie crust I've had. I don't like to make pies that much because I HATE making pie crusts, so whenever I make a pie I buy my pie crust and they really aren't that good, so I've never become a big fan of pie, but this pie crust was melt in your mouth good. The layers seriously just melted in my mouth! So when I make my next pie, hopefully remembering how good it was will help me through the process!:)

PERFECT PIE CRUST

1 1/2 cups crisco

3 cups flour

1 egg

5 Tablespoons cold water

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 Tablespoons of cold water, 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 tsp. of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Separate the dough into thirds. Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into ta large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of cough (about 1/2 inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it's a good idea to put them in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes to chill.)

When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it's a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the counter top use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it's about 1/2 inch larger, in diameter than that of your pie pan.

With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter onto the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

These recipes were found by my friend Brittony at pioneerwoman.com. LOVE HER! (both of them!:))

Pumpkin Pancakes

Conference weekend always gives me the perfect opportunity to try new recipes and to bake! I've been wanting to try some pumpkin pancakes for a while and found this recipe on the internet! (can't remember where...so sorry!!)  They were SOOOOO yummy!!!

Pumpkin Pancakes

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1 1/2 cups pancake mix

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 large egg

1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3/4 cup canned or pureed pumpkin

1 cup water, more or less

In a medium bowl, mix the pancake mix and spices together.

In another bowl, whisk the egg and the brown sugar together. Stir in the oil, the pumpkin, and most of the water.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until just combined adding more water to obtain the right consistency. (The recipe doesn't call for them, but we thought they'd be really good with some chocolate chips in them as well, so I added milk chocolate chips to the batter before cooking...either way they are really good!)

Serve hot with maple syrup, whipped topping, and sprinkled with nutmeg! ENJOY!