{Recipe} Crockpot Baked Potato Soup

Scrolling through Facebook recently I came across one of those quick recipe videos....you know the ones where they go through the steps in 30 seconds or less.  It was for potato soup in the crockpot.  It looked easy and delicious.  Two of my favorite things! The only thing is, it looked sooo thick! So after reading through some comments I decided to 'tweak' the recipe in true Jennifer fashion.  I also wanted to stretch it to feed 8 instead of 6. I was so impressed with how it turned out I wanted to share before I gobbled it up!

Crockpot Baked Potato Soup

adapted from 12 Tomatoes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 32 oz cubed frozen hash browns

1 32 oz box low sodium chicken broth

1 16 oz box low sodium chicken broth

1 10 oz can cream of onion soup

1 8 oz cream cheese

1 package precooked bacon, chopped

salt and pepper 

shredded cheese for garnish

optional garnishes: chopped green onion or chives, more bacon

Make It:

Place hash browns, chicken broth, soup, and bacon in crockpot. Stir together. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook on low for 7 hours.

Once the soup gets nice and hot and bubbling, cube the cream cheese and stir in. After an hour, stir to make sure the cream cheese is incorporated. 

Garnish with cheese and enjoy the yumminess! 

*Notes: I had a little trouble with the cream cheese melting through so next time I make it, I may put it in at the half way point.  I had started it early before going to school/work so by the time I got home it had been 7 hours already, then I mixed the cream cheese in. It was still sooo good! And so easy!! I served 8 and had just about 1 serving left over perfect for lunch today!

And as you can see....I like lots of cheese!!

Here's to curl up and have some yummy soup weather!

{Recipe} Pretzel Spoon Snowmen

I love baking, especially Christmas baking! I have for several years made Christmas goodies for neighbors, the mail carrier, garbage collectors, etc.etc.... Even made a tray a few times for my husband to take to work which I really miss doing.  I have a few tried and true treats that I always make...sugar cookies and an oatmeal cookie...either with raisins or cranberries. Then I make a candy type treat.  This year I wanted to use some supplies I had in the cabinet and make a circle pretzel snowman face.  All I needed was the pretzel.  I looked and looked and there was none to be had! What was available was a pretzel spoon!

Looked like the perfect snowman shape to me!!

All I did was dip in white chocolate, added an upside down pumpkin sprinkle for the nose and then used an edible ink pen to make eyes, mouth, and buttons.  Totally cute and easy!! 

Pretzel Spoon Snowmen

Pretzel Spoons

white chocolate

orange sprinkle of some kind

edible ink pen (found at Hobby Lobby)

Follow instructions on package to melt chocolate.  Using a fork drop pretzel in chocolate. Tap to remove excess chocolate and then lay on wax paper. While still wet add orange sprinkle.  Let harden.  Once harden drawn on eyes, mouth, and buttons.

Makes a lot!!

Lil' Hunkie and I had fun making these! And some fun Christmas memories too!

{Recipe} Spicy Candied Turkey Bacon

I love making food gifts.  

When I'm stumped on what gift to get, making a treat is fail proof for me.  

This past week I had such a scenario! I've wanted to try making spicy candied bacon for a while now  and this scenario was the perfect reason to!  I'm sharing because I did read a few recipes and none of them were for turkey bacon, which is what I chose to experiment with and it turned out soooo yummy! And I also used my toaster oven!

Spicy Candied Turkey Bacon

1 regular package of turkey bacon

brown sugar

ground cheyenne pepper

I heated the toaster over to broil.  My toaster oven has a pan with a rack.  I put foil on the pan and sprayed the rack with Crisco (Pam would work to).  Next, I laid out  5-6 pieces of bacon on the rack.  Then, I covered each piece with brown sugar and sprinkled on the cheyenne pepper, this is to your taste.  The person I made this for loves spicy! I didn't go too crazy but some pieces were hotter than others.  Put the pan in the toaster oven and baked for 8-10 minutes. (I started out at 10 minutes with the first 2 batches but then had to adjust the time down for the last 2 batches.)

Let cool.  Store in an air tight container. 

Makes about 22 pieces.

I did managed to package up a dozen for the gift I needed but just about ate the rest before my husband could taste!  He accused me of eating one, saving one, eating one, saving one...... ☺

I did change the foil on the pan after the first 2 batches as the left over brown sugar was getting burned and smoking a little. Other than baking the bacon in batches, this was so easy and very yummy.  You could even do a non spicy version!

There may be more of this yumminess in the near future as Father's Day gifts! 

And the distant future as a new treat in my Christmas goodie boxes!

Did I read there's only 20 Fridays till Christmas somewhere?

I think I did.

Well shoot.

☺

Happy Thursday lovelies!!

{Recipe} Easy Homemade Thin Mints

I'm going to let you in on one of my little entertaining secrets. 

 Well, this might be the only one I have!

One of the easiest things to add to a dessert menu is a homemade mint. It takes one ingredient....a bag of mint chocolate wafers! Melt and mold and done! My local Hobby Lobby has had the white chocolate for a while now. Recently, I noticed a dark chocolate and gave it a try last month for a bridal shower. They were a hit! While checking out with them the cashier informed me that someone told her that you dip a Ritz cracker in the dark chocolate mint and get a thin mint. 

I had no choice but to try that!!

Verdict: total success!!

Now looking through Pinterest this can also be achieved with Andes chips found in the baking aisle. But now you know it can be achieved with these too!....

Easy Homemade Thin Mints

1 Package Dark Mint Flavored Candy Wafers

1 and 1/2 sleeves of Ritz Crackers

Directions:

Melt wafers according to package. Using a fork dip cracker in chocolate. Tap the fork on the side of the container to remove excess chocolate. Place on wax paper to dry.

Store in an air tight container.

Watch them disappear!!

  

Probably adding these to my Christmas goodies I make!!

Happy Thursday!!

{See my Link Parties page for the shares!}

Throwback Thursday

Time for another Throwback Thursday share!

For more about what that it is check out here.

 

Throwback Thursday-Craftiness

Ode To The Homemade Baby Gift



I like to make baby gifts like burp cloths, onesies, blankies.  I loved the idea of a diaper cradle as opposed to a cake and this post has proved to be one of my most popular.  This was when I crafted at night and have since learned that blog pictures look better in the daylight! Ha! But when you're a mom you gotta do what ya gotta do!

 

 

Throwback Thursday-Recipe

Easy Peanut Butter Pie

 

Thanks to my sister's recipe for Easy Peanut Butter Pie this post is my 2nd most viewed recipe!

I love that it makes 2, which means you can share or just keep in the freezer for later!

 

Aw what great posts these were! Thanks for liking them!

 

Happy Thursday!

 

{See my Link Parties page for the shares.}



Throwback Thursday-Blogging Style!

I thought it'd be fun to do a new kinda post inspired by none other than the 

hashtag Throwback Thursday!

Throwback Thursday simply means you share a picture of something in the past as a way of a happy memory. (This is totally my definition! Ha!) Of course this is popular on Instagram but can be shared now on Facebook since the addition of hashtags. 

So I'm doing it blogging style! And today it's my top craft and my top recipe!

(click on titles to view post)

Throwback Thursday-Craft

Inspired Mini Dessert Stand

This is actually my most viewed post ever and still counting!! Amazing!! 

And I still have it, I moved it from my craft room to my china cabinet!

Throwback Thursday-Recipe

Easy Peach Preserves

Yep this was a Father's Day gift idea.  It's so easy and can be made with any stone fruit.

So #throwbackthursday is pretty fun! Have you dabbled in the hashtag before?

Happy Throwback Thursday!!

☺

{Recipe} 3 Ingredient Bean Dip

One of my favorite soups growing up was Campbell's Bean with Bacon. I can't remember when it was, possibly in college...that I noticed it came with some recipes on the inside of the label. One of them being a dip recipe.  Now I have tried searching for it and didn't really discover what I thought I remembered it being. So this may very well be the Jennifer version! It's still good! 

And easy to add what you want to make it your own!

3 Ingredient Bean Dip

1 can Bean with Bacon soup

1 cup favorite salsa

1 cup shredded cheese

Empty soup into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 2 minutes. 

Add salsa and cheese and stir to combine.

Serve with tortilla chips.

I made nachos with this and added sour cream and it was soooo good!

Happy Thursday lovelies!

{See my Link Parties page for the shares!}

{Recipe} 3 Ingredient Veggie Dip

Who's ready for the Super Bowl?
We are not fanatics in our house and honestly I may not even watch it this year. But if I was at home in my comfy clothes watching I'd want to be munching on this yummy dip.  In case you missed me sharing this over at Tatertots and Jello last month for New Year's well then here it is for the biggest football game of the year!

Back in the summer I was needing something a little different to take to our monthly ladies meeting at church other than a dessert and found Lipton's Vegetable dip and soup mix at my local grocery store.  Well I just glanced at what it took to make the dip and when I got home I hadn't gotten enough ingredients. So I improvised and made my own version! And then upon further inspection of the box I just really combined 2 of the recipe suggestions! Ha! But it was a hit and I had people wanting the recipe! I made it again for my bunco babes and they loved it too!

3 Ingredient Veggie Dip

1 packet Lipton Vegetable soup and dip mix

 8 oz cream cheese, softened

8 oz sour cream

Mix all ingredients together.  

Let chill for 2 hours and serve with your favorite crackers and/or veggies.

Tips: *This is pretty thick after chilling. You can add 2 tablespoons of milk to thin.

*My favorite cracker to serve with this is one that is seasoned with rosemary, the rosemary just adds another layer of flavor to the dip! (I used Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuts today.)

*Instead of serving this as a dip, spread onto crackers, add a slice of cucumber and you have a 

simple hor d'oevere! Yes I did try this combination and I wanted to eat them all!

So easy and yummy!
And if you're digging the 3 ingredient recipe then I'll be sharing another one next week that's perfect for the game too!

Happy Thursday!

{See my Link Parties page for the shares!}

{Recipe} Peanut Butter Bread

When I was growing up my sister and I baked a lot. My mom had a set of 3 McCall's cookbooks...a cookie one, a cakes and pies one and a home-baked breads one.  We used them so much that the majority of them are no longer bound! Well I was going through them a couple of weeks ago and organized them and discovered missing pages.....pages that contained the best Coffee Cake recipe ever. So I called my mom and asked if she could look for them and praise the Lord she found them! I will be sharing that recipe soon!

Another recipe, though, caught my eye....Peanut Butter Bread.  I had never had such a thing so I gave it a go! And results were yummy!

Peanut Butter Bread

2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups milk

Optional: peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.  Sift flour with baking powder and salt; set aside.  In large bowl, using portable electric mixer, or with wooden spoon, beat peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla until well combined.  Gradually add milk, beating until well blended.  Add flour mixture, beating until mixture is smooth.  Pour into prepared pan; bake about 1 hour or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

Notes: before baking I sprinkled peanut butter chips on top.  Next time I will put them on the inside too, they were a great addition!

I used a mini square pan and baked for about 20 minutes with my oven set on convect. 

 They do need to be stored in an air tight container to prevent drying out.

Recipe courtesy of McCall's Home-baked Breads. 

♦♦♦♦♦

I love this kind of recipe because, except possibly for the peanut butter chips, you'd have everything on hand and is perfect if you need to make something in a pinch!

Here's my Instagram of the home-baked breads edition....

.....they are more like a booklet, but you can see where we taped it! Ha!! I did look on Ebay and discovered a variety of these, apparently there was a series so I might have to add to my family heirlooms!

Let me know if you try this recipe out!!

Happy Thursday lovelies!!

{See my Link Parties Page for the shares.}

{Recipe} Tostada Soup

For some people fall may be the best time of year to eat soups.  I, on the other hand, love soup anytime! Soup is a great thing to serve if you have a lot of people you need to feed, it's probably one of the easiest things to make a lot of! My mom was given a yummy, feeds a lot Tostada Soup recipe years ago and I recently fixed it for my bunco group and they loved it.  

Tostada Soup

2lb. hamburger meat

1 med. onion, chopped

1 med. green bell pepper, chopped

1 can Rotel 

1 can beef broth

1 can chicken broth

1 large can tomato juice

1 can pinto beans, optional

grated cheese

tortilla chips

In large soup pot, brown meat with onion and bell pepper, drain fat.  Add Rotel, broths, tomato juice, and beans, if desired.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Place chips in bowl and pour soup over chips.  Top with grated cheese and enjoy! Enough for 6 or more servings.

Notes:  I used a can of ranch style beans instead of pinto beans and added sour cream as a topping.  You can put this in the crock pot on high till nice and heated through and then keep on low. I fed 8 people with this recipe! 

I'd love to hear if you try this out!!

Happy Tuesday!!

{See my Link Parties page for the shares!}

{Recipe} Red Onion Chutney

I made this yummy red onion chutney for a personal shower that I hosted last month and made it again this past weekend for my family to try.  While cooking, it dawned on me that since I was making it again I might as well share it! I made it and served it a little different this time so some of the seasonings and how to serve are up to the cook!

I used 2 different recipes as my guide...Kitchen Geekery's version and My Baking Addiction's version.  This is one of those recipes that has to simmer a while so expect to be the kitchen for half the day!

Red Onion Chutney

Ingredients:

1 large red onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 yellow onion (leftover and needed to be used so this is optional)

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

3 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 bay leaves

Optional: crushed red pepper flakes

Make it:

In a large pan heat oil. Slice onions and add to pan. Add the bay leaf.  Cover with lid and cook over medium heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring periodically. Next add vinegars, brown sugar, cinnamon and red pepper flakes.  Stir everything together and simmer for 30 minutes until chutney is thick.  Remove the bay leaves and serve. Store in jars or airtight containers.

A few notes:

I didn't measure my red pepper...looked around a teaspoon probably a little more because it was spicy! You can use a de-seeded, finely sliced red chili or jalapeno or none at all.  The first time I made it I didn't add any heat nor did I use bay leaf because I thought I didn't have any...it was still good! And you can use salt and pepper to taste as well.

It is common to serve this with goat cheese on crostini.  Goat cheese is very tangy so if you're not sure your guests will like it you can mix it with 1/2 a block of cream cheese or just use cream cheese. I've done both now! I also tried out a new seasoning I picked up at Williams Sonoma...

....I mixed 1 tablespoon in to 1/2 block of cream cheese and mmmm so good! It is a lot of flavor going on but I liked it!

I had my family try the chutney with plain cream cheese.  They didn't really like it! Ha! I think it was the fact that it was onions and sugar so I might try and lessen the sugar a bit to see what kind a difference it makes. 

Oh well....I could eat boats loads of it! Well maybe not boats loads.... ☺

Anyone else like it as much as I do?

Happy Thursday!!

{See my Link Parties Page for the shares!}

{Recipe} Easy Tomato Bisque

So one of my first 'food' posts was about this awesome soup you can get in the deli section of Walmart...Tomato Basil Bisque.  We don't buy our groceries at Walmart so when I do happen to be there 9 times out of 10 I bring home at least one bowl! It's that good!  

Well about 2 weeks ago I was enjoying it so much that I wondered if maybe I could try and make it then I could have it anytime! I read the ingredient list....tomato...basil....butternut squash puree.  Hmm...I've never worked with a butternut squash before.  So I researched a little and figured I could make a decent version without the squash. And I actually found something at the store that made my experiment turn out great!*

Vintage Gwen's Easy Tomato Bisque

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

can of vegetable broth

*can of Progresso's Recipe Starter in Creamy Parmesan Basil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon oregano (per your taste)

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in butter till soften.  Add garlic and cook till nice and fragrant.  Then add broth, tomatoes, and basil recipe starter.  Season with oregano, salt & pepper and heat through, just to a boil.  Remove from heat and puree in a blender in about 4 batches. Serve, I'd say this would feed at least 4.

Seriously so easy and ready in about 30 minutes from start (chopping onion) to finish (ladled into serving dish).

I was so proud of it!  Hubby doesn't like tomato or soup so he didn't share in my excitement but my mom and sister liked it! The Progresso recipe starter took the place of half & half and I'm impressed with it. 

I know I'll be making this again! Let me know if you try it out!!

Happy Monday!

{See my Link Parties Page for the link ups!}

{Recipe} Spaghetti Squash For One

One of my Instagram pals recently Instagrammed that she was having a spaghetti squash. It looked good! I've never tried it, I know where and what have I been doing, right? So this last time when we bought groceries I scooped one up and thought I'd give it a whirl!  And I'm so glad I did!  

I know it may be silly but I'm amazed! Maybe it's because I'm used to good ole' homegrown yellow squash. Or because spaghetti squash is well, just amazing! The taste reminded me of yellow squash, which I like, but it looks like spaghetti. A healthy substitute for spaghetti! Thanks God!

Of course I was the only one who ate it.  {I actually got laughed at because I cooked it in the microwave!} Hubby cut it for me, getting a little off center so I wound up with 3 pieces...the 3rd being small as in about one serving size.  So the two bigger halves I put in an 8x8 glass pan with water in the bottom, covered with plastic and cooked for about 10 minutes. Let it sit for a couple minutes and then raked it with a fork and watched the magic before my eyes!  I tried it with just butter, black pepper and Parmesan cheese.  Yummy.  Then the next day I added some to crumbled cornbread, added some sun dried tomato vinaigrette, shredded cheese and black pepper. Yummy again. Finally I created the dish I am about to show you a picture of.  Pretty simple and pretty tasty! And great if you're eating solo!

Spaghetti Squash for One

1/4 of a spaghetti squash

1/2 can of Italian stew tomatoes

Parmesan cheese

Place squash in a microwave safe dish. Pour about 1/4 cup of water in. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes.  Let stand for a couple of minutes then using fork rake squash.  

Heat tomatoes either in microwave or stove top, which ever you prefer.

Serve with a sprinkle or two or three of Parmesan cheese.

Seriously thinking about keeping one on hand for the 2 nights a week I have to eat solo. So glad I tried it out! If you've got any good recipes I'd love to have them!

Happy Monday!

{See my Link Parties page for where I might share at!}

{Recipe} Bacon & Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Well I realized recently that it's been a while since a shared a recipe! And that I better fix that! On my last grocery shopping trip I bought stuff for some yummy stuffed mushrooms, a favorite!  It was after all my birthday last week so why not!  This recipe came from the mushroom container itself!! 

Bacon & Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

8oz cream cheese, softened

1 sm finely diced onion

4-6 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled

{reserve bacon fat}

16oz mushrooms

Shredded cheese

8 mushroom stems, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350.  Clean mushrooms, remove stems. Saute onion & mushroom stems in bacon fat until tender.  Drain off excess fat.  Mix crumbled bacon, onion & stems with softened cream cheese until smooth. Stuff each mushroom cap with cream cheese mixture.  Place in a shallow baking dish.  Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or can use broiler for 10-15 minutes.  Serve hot.

*A few notes...

(1) This time I used dehydrated onion to see how it would work.  Worked like a charm without crying my eyes out! Yay for a shortcut!  

(2) When you mix creamy cream cheese with bacon fat you get a 'rich' flavor.  I drained off some fat before sauteing my stems and onions so just know you might need to make adjustments with the bacon fat!

(3) I cooked this batch in my toaster oven with the broil setting and they turned out great!

Enjoy!! Let me know if you try these out!!

Happy Monday!

{Have you entered the August Bash giveaway yet?}

{Recipe Test} Texas Sheet Cake

So I've never made a Texas Sheet Cake before.  I recently had some buttermilk that needed to be used up and so I searched for a recipe.  I Googled but I like looking through my cookbooks.  My mother in law got me the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (you know the red and white checked one)  when we got married and I can always count on it!

The recipe I found is called Chocolate-Buttermilk Brownies but is also know as Texas Sheet Cake.  Which I knew of but never made before.  BHG describes it as "so rich and decadent, it fits much better under the definition of 'brownie'."  Well I'm not sure if I agree....it's in between cake and brownie to me. And since it's not a full fledged brownie then I say cake!  But really who cares about what to call it if it's yummy? Am I right?

Texas Sheet Cake

courtesy of BHG

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 recipe Chocolate-Buttermilk Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 15x10x1 inch or a 13x9x2 inch baking pan; set aside.  In a medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2.  In a medium saucepan combine butter, cocoa powder, and 1 cup water.  Bring mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add the cocoa mixture to flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until thoroughly combined.  Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Beat for 1 minute (batter will be thin).  Pour batter into the prepared pan.

3.  Bake about 25 minutes for the 15x10x1 pan, 35 minutes for the 13x9x2 pan, or until wooden toothpick comes our clean.  

4.  Pour warm Chocolate-Buttermilk Frosting over brownies, spreading evenly.  Cool in pan for 1 hour.  

Enjoy!!

Chocolate-Buttermilk Frosting

In a saucepan combine 1/4 cup butter, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 3 tablespoons buttermilk.  Bring to boiling.  Remove from heat.  Add 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  

Frosting...

Frosted and cooling....

This is very yummy!!  

I don't always have buttermilk on hand though so not sure how often I will make this.

But at least now I can say I've made it!!

Give it a try and let me know!!

Happy Monday!!

{Just might link this up! Check out my Link Parties Page!}

Easy Peanut Butter Pie

Hunkie's birthday was this past Monday.  Not gonna lie...he doesn't care for birthdays.  Which is like the equivalent of rain on a parade for me.  He wouldn't let me make a cake or a special dinner.  I did manage to get him a gift...a new shirt from Lil' Hunkie and make a pie!  I just so happened to need to make a dessert for one of our Pastors this week and so I relied on my sister's trusty Peanut Butter Pie to kill two birds with one stone.  This recipe is so easy and makes 2 pies!

Peanut Butter Pie

courtesy of my sister, Erica

8oz cream cheese

1 cup peanut butter-I used smooth but use whatever you like best!

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

12oz Cool Whip-about 3/4 of a 16oz tub

2 graham cracker pie crusts

1 Hershey chocolate bar, chilled

Melt together in microwave-safe bowl, cream cheese and peanut butter for 1-2 minutes, just enough to melt and stir together with spoon.  And powdered sugar and Cool Whip, mix well.  Pour into graham cracker crusts and chill in freezer for 1 hour.  Before serving, grate chocolate bar on top of pies.

Enjoy!!

This is so yummy and yep it's all gone!

Sharing at my favorite parties!

Link Party Page

Happy Thursday!!