My Christmas Goodies

Christmas just got away from me this year.  Before I knew it we were wishing everyone a Happy New Year and were back to work full time and crazy busy.  I had posted earlier some of the snacks I made, but I did take pictures of them so I wanted to share.  The above picture is when Lukas and I put together a Ginger Bread house.  Here are some other pictures.  Lukas and I building the ginger bread house, the M&M chocolate pretzels, brownie covered Oreos, and my little guy wearing the apron my Mom got him for Christmas!  It was a great time...but got way too busy.  I am sure with two kids next year it will be even busier!

Pot Roast

This picture makes no sense.  It has nothing to do with pot roast or food, but they are our eternal beggars!  I think they sit under my feet while I am cooking in hopes of tripping me to have me drop some food.  They look cute...but I don't think their motives are genuine!
This weekend I was craving some really yummy and good pot roast.  I had found this recipe last year, but never got a chance to try it.  The meat was heavenly!  It fell apart, the flavor was beautiful, and I must say I ate some of the leftovers today which were just as good!
This blog Carrie's Cooking and Recipes has so many ideas.  Most of her recipes aren't healthy, but they do impress with lots of flavor.  I have made her Chicken Gyros, Buffalo Chicken Salad, and Potato Skins.  Here is the recipe for the Pot Roast.  It's a great onion and mushroom flavor and I just loved it! 

Carrie's Pot Roast:
Pot Roast Ingredients
3 1/2 pound pot roast (I get arm chuck pot roast)
1/2 cup flour
Sprinkling of Pepper
1/4 cup butter
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup white cooking wine (it's next to the vinegar at the grocery store)
Carrots and Celery- Optional

Gravy Ingredients
Pot Roast Drippings
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk

Directions
In a large bowl or plate, combine the flour and black pepper to taste. Dredge the rump roast in the flour and cover evenly. Shake off excess.  Heat a large pot/dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the butter and then set the floured roast into the hot pan and sear it on one side, about 3 minutes. When that side is nice and brown (the browner the better), flip it over to the other side. When you’ve browned it all over the place, remove the roast to a plate.  Now, with the burner on medium-high, we’re going to deglaze the pan...we’re gonna scrape the heck out of the pan and git all off the bottom. Pour 1/2 cup of white cooking wine in the pan.  Use your whisk to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan. Now add the onion soup mix and mushroom soup.  Stir together.  Now add the browned meat to the pan and spoon some of the sauce on top of the roast.  Cover and bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 3 hours.  After 2 hours I add the chopped celery and carrots.

Set the roasting pan over medium-low heat, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour in the pan.  Whisk the flour into the drippings until the flour is incorporated. Now, whisk in 1 cup of milk while whisking and scraping off the encrusted bits on the bottom of the pan.

Enjoy!

Lovely Christmas...the best time of the year!

Well I must say I didn't know how busy this holiday was going to leave me.  Chasing a 2 1/2 year old around, being sick all the time, and the hustle and bustle of the holiday left me with no energy to post or make anything.  I did make some yummy treats for the family gatherings and tried many many yummy treats I feel like I am off to a very fat start for my 2nd pregnancy.  However, I will be exercising and playing volleyball this pregnancy so hopefully it won't pack on like it did when I had that cute little guy above!

Here are some links to some of the great things I made.

1.  Just like White Castle Sliders from the Big Red Kitchen (these were a big hit!)

2.  These cute little Pretzel Chocolate Kiss M&M treats.

3.  These are to die for!  Brownie covered Oreos from Picky Palate.  (I baked mine in cute Santa cupcake holders.  I tried her way...but I was not patient enough to dig out every gosh darn oreo.  It worked well!)

4.  This was my little obsession Buffalo Chicken Dip from the Rachel Ray show.

I would have to say our Christmas was a success!  In all the hustle and bustle we still settled down and watched some Elf, The Grinch that Stole Christmas (both cartoon, and the one with Jim Carey), Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, A Christmas Story, and It's a Wonderful Life.  I will admit I cried for all of them.  Yes...all of them.  I am blaming the hormones!

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

 

Taco Pie

Sweet glorious lovely taco pie!  I love you, I love you, and I love you!  This was such a good supper.  It stuffed me and the whole little family loved it!  I like lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream on my taco pie.  My husband eats it with only hot sauce and jalapenos on it.  Lukas eats it without all the good veggies on it.  In fact he asked me to take a picture of his plate too...(yeah it was Sunday we didn't do matching plates.)

Taco Pie:

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg of crescent rolls
1 cup taco or cheddar cheese

Optional:  lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, sour cream, cheese, and other veggies for toppings.

Brown hamburger, while hamburger cooks spray a pie dish with cooking spray and put crescent rolls into pie dish to for "pie crust".  Add taco seasoning and finish cooking meat.  Take 1 cup sour cream and place on bottom of pie, put hamburger over sour cream, and then spread 1 cup of cheese over meat(or more if you desire...we did more.)  Bake on 350 for 20 minutes.  Top with your toppings and eat!  I also crushed some chips on the top before baking. 

2 Dried Beef Dips

 This lovely dip pictured to the left is called Dried Beef Dip.  It is baked in the oven and eaten with crackers.  I had a craving for this and oh my gosh it was great!  Love love love it!!!  (PS sorry none of my pictures turned out for this.)



The dip to the right is called Dried Beef Green Pepper Dip.  It's got a little kick, but not too spicy...only for flavor.  This dip is great and eaten with chips!  Very good for football Sunday!

These dips were just wonderful to eat while finally watching the Vikings win a game!  I got both recipes from my Aunt and I don't know where she got them from.  Lovely for parties!

Dried Beef Dip:

Ingredients:
1 package of dried beef
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP minced onion

Combine in a small baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  I usually check on it every 8-10 minutes to stir it.  Eat with your favorite crackers!


Dried Beef and Green Pepper Dip:

Ingredients:
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 green pepper diced
1 package dried beef

Combine ingredients in a small crock pot and melt together.  Eat with chips. 

I love appetizerish food!  ♥

Chicken Bruschetta Bake

This Chicken Bruschetta Bake is one of my go to meals for girls night out.  I have made it a few times for our little girl's night out parties we get together for.  They always love it, but I had never made it for my family.  It's so easy and simple I decided with the lack of energy I am experiencing it would be the perfect meal to make.  You don't even have to cook the chicken first (you can if you want...but it does turn out without cooking it too)!  I got this recipe from Kraft.com.
 
Chicken Bruschetta Bake
Ingredients:
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 pkg.  (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1/2 cup water

2 cloves  garlic, minced

1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tsp.  dried basil leaves

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Peanut Butter...is my new go to food.

Well...all I can say is wow.  I now remember the early pregnancy sickness and never knowing when it's coming.  I had it with my first one and now with this one.  What can I say...I have started eating in the middle of the night, munching small things through the whole day, and napping accidentally quite often.  I confess that I have not been cooking.  We have had frozen pizzas, things that can cook in a crock pot all day, or having good old ramen noodle.  Poor Lukas he doesn't seem to care though.  I try to change up what he is eating, but I just don't have the energy or the desire to cook.  However, there is one thing that has kept me a happy girl and it's peanut butter.  I liked peanut butter before, but now I LOVE peanut butter.

My 3 favorite peanut butter loves have been.
     1.  Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches on whole wheat bread...So so very yummy!  I use Skippy's natural  peanut butter and a good old Dole banana.  These grilled are very good too!

     2.  Peanut Butter Crackers...a wonderful snack that helps me keep sickness away!  Ritz whole wheat crackers and of course Skippy's natural peanut butter!

     3.  Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread.  I make these and keep them in a ziplock baggie for my middle of the night potty breaks and hunger sessions!  I use Smuckers Strawberry sugar free jelly it's very delicious!

Sorry I didn't have anything more delicious or earth shattering, but I am attending a baking party on Saturday and with hopes I will bring some pictures and stories back with some yummy Christmas snacks!