Baked Pecan French Toast!

This is so tasty and you can make it ahead which is always good for a mom with crazy kids like mine ;]6 eggs
1 1/4 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
8-10 slice French Bread (10in diagonal slices)

Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and spices. Spray 9x11 pan with Pam or butter. Layer bread and egg mixture. Cover. Refrigerate overnight. Uncover and spread topping evenly. Bake until golden @ 350 degrees for 40 mins.

Topping (combine in small bowl)
1/4 c soft butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c chopped pecans
1 tbsp light corn syrup

Chicken and Sausage Bake

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ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed

1/2 pound polish sausage, sliced 1/4 inch thick

(I used the whole 14 oz package of kielbasa. You could also use Spanish chorizo sausage for a true Spanish flavor.)

1 (16 ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans

1 can Italian-style tomatoes, drained

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chicken broth

4 green onions, sliced

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium heat; add garlic and chicken. Cook until chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add sausage, beans, tomatoes, thyme, salt and broth to skillet; stir. Cover skillet with an ovenproof lid or heavy aluminum foil. Place in oven until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add onions to skillet; stir. Drizzle remaining oil over top. Cook uncovered for 10 more minutes.

Heath Bars

40 saltine crackers
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400.
Line cookie sheet with crackers so they are flat and close together.

In saucepan bring butter and sugar to a boil on medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour mixture evenly over crackers then place in oven for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips, and place back in the oven for 1 minute. Lastly, take out of oven and spread chocolate evenly over the toffee.

Let sit in fridge for 2 hours then brake up and enjoy!

IHOP French Toast

Ok, this is super easy and the main reason I am posting it, is because until a couple months ago I didn't have a good french toast recipe and now I have two! So here is the first one. The second one will be up soon!

IHOP French Toast

2 eggs
½ c milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
3 tsp butter
6 slices thick-sliced bread
1 tbsp powdered sugar

Beat eggs in a large shallow bowl. Add milk, vanilla, flour, and salt to the eggs. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer. Be sure the flour is well combined. Dip the bread into batter, coating both sides. Drop the bread into a hot skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes per side. Butter the toast and sprinkle powdered sugar or use syrup. Enjoy!

Oven Baked BBQ Ribs-EASY!!

Ribs: 1-2 Rack of Ribs, Spare Ribs, Boneless or Bone-In (can use any kind of ribs)
1 Bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Regular Flavor BBQ Sauce (regular size or medium sized bottle)
1 Cup Orange Juice
Garlic (about 1 tsp powder or 1 clove-use to desired taste)

Put Ribs in a disposable baking pan. Mix remaining ingredients together. Pour over ribs. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake on 350 for 2 - 2 1/2 hours. These will be nice and tender. If you want them to be a little crispier remove the tinfoil for the last hour. Delicious either way!!! We like to spoon the sauce over mashed potatoes. You can thicken it if you want to.

chocolate dipped peanut butter pretzel bites

I saw these on www.stephanieskitchen.com and loved them. I made her version and didn't really like the peanut butter filling. It had brown sugar in it which made it seem like I was eating sand. So, I found my favorite peanut butter filling recipe from my Mrs. Fields cookbook and now we have the perfect pretzel bites.

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Peanut Butter Filling:

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Blend peanut butter and butter together until smooth. Slowly beat in confectioners' sugar and then add the vanilla. Beat until smooth. Roll into one inch balls and squish between two square pretzels. Dip into melted chocolate. I used almond bark this time, but I prefer to work with Wilton's candy melts.

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I have also used this filling to spread over cooled brownies and then spread melted chocolate on top of it. You can also take a small chocolate chip cookie (like Chips Ahoy or you could use the mini vanilla wafers) and press a ball of peanut butter filling on top then dip in chocolate. Kind of like a bonbon type of treat. Really, there are so many possibilities with this filling. I'd love to hear your ideas!

Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

banana cake ingredients:

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2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed very ripe banana (2 medium bananas)

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directions: In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Using a mixer, beat the eggs, sour cream, butter and bananas; slowly add the dry ingredients and blend just until moistened. Divide batter between two 8-inch cake pans sprayed with cooking spray and dusted with flour. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and top with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. Add some chopped walnuts if desired.

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Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

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4 ounces softened cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups confectioners sugar

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Using a mixer, mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until well blended. Add half of the confectioners sugar and mix until creamy. Add the milk, cinnamon and remaining confectioners sugar and beat until creamy and smooth.

Bacon and Veggie Quiche

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Ingredients:

8 oz. bag frozen hash browns, thawed and drained

3 eggs

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup diced red pepper

1/4 cup diced onion

1/4 cup chopped broccoli

8 slices turkey bacon, cooked and chopped

1/2 cup shredded cheese

pinch on cayenne pepper

pinch of salt

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1. Preheat oven to 450. Spread defrosted hash browns in bottom and up sides of a buttered pie or quiche dish. Pat hash browns with a paper towel to remove extra moisture. Bake until potatoes are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and lower the temperature to 350.

2. While crust bakes, whisk eggs, half-and-half and milk together. Add veggies, bacon, cheese and seasonings. Pour into potato crust and bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes at 350. (mine took almost an hour) Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6.
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* For softer veggies, saute in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes before adding to quiche mix.

chicken and calico beans

This dish is sweet and tangy and a great way to stretch the family budget by making use of any leftover meat. Try using leftover turkey, ham or pork roast in place of the chicken. Delicious!

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Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbs. prepared mustard

1 teas. white vinegar

1 teas. salt

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 (16 0z) can red kidney beans, drained

1 (16 oz) can baked beans

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Directions:

*Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in a cast iron pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes.

*Combine ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar and salt in a small bowl.

*Add chicken and beans to skillet; stir well. Pour ketchup mixture over chicken and beans; stir to coat.

*Place cast iron pan or dutch oven into preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes. Serve with a side of corn bread.

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** You can also use white beans or pinto beans instead of the kidney beans. And I cooked the chicken in the iron skillet before I cooked my veggies so I didn't have to dirty another pan.

caramel glazed apple cake

Another great cake!

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cake:

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

3 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teas. baking soda

2 teas. cinnamon

1/2 teas. nutmeg

1/2 teas. salt

5 apples, cored, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1 1/4 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

2 1/4 teas. vanilla extract

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caramel sauce:

4 Tbs. butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

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*or you can do what I did and just use the caramel ice cream sauce

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1. preheat oven to 325. Butter and flour (or spray with cooking spray) a 9x13 inch pan.

2. To prepare cake, beat both sugars and oil in a mixing bowl until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Gradually add to the egg mixture, mixing just until blended. Stir in apples, pecans and vanilla; pour into pan.

3. Bake for 50-75 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan while preparing the sauce.

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4. To prepare the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in both sugars and salt; cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add cream and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

5. Poke holes in the cake with a fork. Pour on the sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired. Makes 12 servings.
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And it's healthy....right?

I mean, look at all those apples!