Recipe: Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

I stumbled upon this recipe via pinterest a couple of months ago and just knew I had to try it! Of course if you visit pinterest and see the photo that the original creator of this recipe posted you'll notice that mine looks not quite as pretty but I'm pretty sure they turned out just as delicious! Seriously, these were gone in a matter of days. I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I did!

Recipe: Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes     Cook Time: 12 - 15 minutes     Servings: 20 cookies (approx.)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine butter and cream cheese until well blended, it should be creamy. Add in sugar & vanilla, once well combined slowly add in flour until well incorporated. Place Oreos in a ziplock bag and mash with your hands or a rolling pin until they're crumbled. The original recipe says to roll the dough into 1in. balls and dip in oreo mixture. I added my cookie crumbs to my dough mixture because it was easier. Do whichever you prefer =). Place dough on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1inch apart. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the cookies are slightly browned and puffed. Allow to cool for a few minutes before transfering to a wire rack, then cool completely. Store in an air tight container.

Recipe: {Sort-of Sweet} Chicken Chili

So, last year (on my old blog), I shared a recipe for white chicken vegetable chili.

As much as I LOVE that chili, and can appreciate how much healthier it probably is than this recipe I'm about to share, I came up with this one because I wanted something more hearty, thick, and chili-like.

The best thing about this recipe is that it took me 20 minutes to make. Tops. Which is perfect for those cool fall evenings when cooking something just sounds like a chore.

I added a little sweetness to this to offset the spicy. I'm a wuss when it comes to spicy. Seriously, it makes me sweat. And I cannot enjoy my food while I'm sweating!!

Okay, anyway. Here it is, hope you enjoy!!

{Sort-Of Sweet} Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 can, drained and rinsed, black beans
• 1 can, drained and rinsed, white beans
• 1 can, drained white chunk chicken
• 1/2 can of chicken broth
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 TSBP ground cumin
• 1/2 TBSP ground oregano
• 1/2 TBSP sugar
• 1 can tomato paste (8 oz)
• 1 can rotel (tomatoes & green chiles), drained
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 TBSP minced garlic

First, I placed my stock pot on the stove and turned it on medium heat. I added the diced onion, roma tomatoes, can of chicken, and minced garlic. I let that simmer about 7 minutes until the onions were tender and the flavors were well blended. The next steps can be done in any order really. Its kind of just like a smorgasboard of ingredients! I then added the tomato paste, rotel, can of black beans, can of white beans and half of a can of chicken broth. Then came the seasonings and sugar. I let that simmer for approximately 10  minutes. Here's what it looked like after cooking before I served it (I'm sorry, it's the only picture I took!)

Mmm. Tasty. I think I'll make some more this afternoon to enjoy while I'm watching football all night! Have a great Saturday everyone! HAPPY FALL!!

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Recipe: Easy Peasy Peach Cobbler

This recipe is almost exactly like the Easy Peasy Berry Cobbler recipe I shared with you, I just switched it up a smidge. It was sooo good!

Easy Peasy Berry Cobbler

Ingredients

• 1 large can (29 oz) sliced peaches, drained
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 cup of sugar
• 6 TBSP melted butter
• 1 large egg
• approximately 1/4 a cup of cinnamon & sugar mixture

Preheat oven to 375. Pour peaches into an ungreased pie pan. Sprinkle with (a little over half of) cinnamon & sugar mixture. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and large egg. Stir until mixture resembles a course meal and pour it over the peaches. Then pour the melted butter all over the top, and sprinlke with remaining cinnamon & sugar mixture. Bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Let cool and serve with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Recipe: Crack Dip

When we were in Florida at the end of July my sweet boy's aunt made some amazing dip that was coined "crack dip". It was so addicting, you couldn't just have a few bites. And it was gone in no time.

I'd been craving it every since we got back home, and I'm sure this is a recipe others have used or know about, but it's new to me so I thought I'd share.

PS- Like most of my recipes, it's super simple too!

Crack Dip

Ingredients

• 1 tub (16 oz) sour cream
• 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
• 1/2 cup of bacon bits
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the sour cream and ranch seasoning mix. Add in the bacon bits and cheddar chesse. Mix it up real good! Refrigerate & enjoy with potato chips or tortilla chips! You won't be able to stop eating it either!

Easy Peasy Berry Cobbler

Source

Before we went on vacation a couple of weeks ago, I helped out with watering flower beds and caring for pups at my sweet boy's parents house since they went out of town a few days before us. His mom had some Southern Living magazines laying around which is where I came across this recipe. In the two weeks since then I've made this twice. It's that simple & that delicious. Give it a try, it won't let you down!

Easy Berry Cobbler

Prep Time: 10 Minutes   Cook Time: 45 Minutes   Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 4 cups frozen berries (I used a mixture of blackberries, raspberries, & strawberries)
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 6 TBSP butter, melted
• Ice cream or other garnishes (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a square 8 x 8 glass baking dish. Place frozen berries in dish and sprinkle with lemon juice. In a medium bowl, combine egg, sugar, and flour until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle mixture over fruit and drizzle melted butter on top. Bake at 375 for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

This post is linked to:

• Strictly Homemade
• Sugar & Dots
• Home Savvy A to Z
• bouffe e bambini
• Handy Man Crafty Woman
• Delightful Order
• Serenity Now
• Momma's Kinda Crafty
• Reasons to Skip the Housework
• Cherished Bliss
• Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy
• Ginger Snap Crafts

Weekly Blogsphere Wrap-Up

I hope everyone has had a wonderful week! Since my move I haven't had a whole lot of extra time for crafting..and it bummed me out that I wasn't able to do any 4th of July crafts, so I figured I'll feature some of my favorite USA inspired posts from around the Blogsphere this week. You all gave me some awesome inspiration for next year and I hope their creativity will inspire you too!!

Last year, Make It & Love It did a make-a-cake series and I just loved this Flag cake she made! I think I'm actually going to try to make one tomorrow, if I do, I'll be sure to post pictures. But I'm sure they won't look anywhere near as fabulous as this!

See?! So presh!!

And then, I came across A Creative Princess & the stinkin' adorable PVC Pipe Flag she made.

If you're having hosting a get together and preparing a meal, be sure to check out Life in the Dub Lane. Her collection of freedom inspired aprons are to die for!

Do you see those RUFFLES?!? sigh..I'm in love.

Yes, I am a grown up, but I think I'll be making some of these super cute Patriotic Pom Pom Sparklers to wear in my hair on the 4th. Check out My Ocean of Notions for the tutorial on hair scrunchies & rings!

Lady Behind the Curtain showed us how to make these almost too pretty to eat Firework Cupcakes..

What a fun idea!!

This project by The Happy Scraps is one I really wish I could have made this year since I finally have a mantle..I'm definitely putting this on my pinterest for next year

I love the extra touches of bows & buttons & ribbon..such a cute design!

I'm awful about only putting a wreath on my door for fall and Christmas, but this super cure firework wreath makes me want to start putting them up for every holiday. Head over to Landee See, Landee Do to see the tutorial. Very simple!!

Have a great weekend everyone! If you've got a fun project, let me know about it in my comments, I'd love to see it!

Recipe: Grilled Tomato Basil Turkey Sandwich

I figured I'd give you a little back story about this recipe. Any of you who know me probably know how much the love of my life LOVES sandwiches. Seriously, he'd eat them for breakfast (if he got up early enough!), lunch, and dinner just about everyday if he had it his way. When we first started dating, I wasn't as big of a sandwich fan as he is, but you know, time does change things. So, the other night he asked if we could have sandwiches for dinner (classic Graham) but I didn't want just turkey and cheese. I thought I'd try something new, go for something more gourmet, and let's just say that Panera's got nothing on this one! Seriously, it was pretty simple and for sure the tastiest home made sandwich I've ever had. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Grilled Tomato Basil Turkey Sandwich

Prep Time: 5 - 10 minutes     Cook Time: 10 mintues     Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 6 slices of bread


• 1 tsp evoo


• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar


• 1/3 cup mayo


• 2 tsp Mrs. Dash tomato basil garlic seasoning


• garlic salt


• butter


• two types of speciality cheeses (I used gouda & muenster)


• turkey

In a small bowl mix the mayo, evoo, vinegar, & Mrs. Dash seasoning. I added a few shakes of garlic salt to this too because I LOVE garlic. On everything. Really. Once the mixture is well combined, spread a generous amount onto one side of each of your slices of bread.

Now, we'll start the layering process. On my sandwiches I placed two slices of muenster cheese, three slices of turkey (folded in half & layered on each other..see picture below) then three more slices of turkey, with the creased part of the turkey where you folded it facing the opposite direction of the first layer. And the I sliced my gouda cheese and placed it on the very top. Here's how they looked once the sandwiches were stacked. Since I think my description was more gibberish than detailed. Sorry!

Then, put your sandwich together and butter the outside of each slice of bread. Sprinkle with garlic salt before cooking, like so. (I know, you probably didn't need a picture for this step, but I kinda went picture crazy making these!)

See that garlic salt in the background? It's like my nemesis. Really. We have a love-hate relationship. I love the taste of it, but hate what it does to your breath! Okay back to the sandwich..so while I was cooking the first sandwich I set my oven to warm, and once I finished grilling the first I put it on a baking sheet and slid it in the oven while I cooked the other two. Then, after the second sandwich was done grilling I slid it in the oven too while I cooked the third. Redundant statement? Possibly. Just letting you know that (obviously!) this worked well to keep the previously cooked sandwiches warm while making the others. They turned out super BOMB. I hope you'll give this recipe a try and let me know what you think! Enjoy =) 

This posted is linked to: bouffe e bambini, Remodelaholic

Recipe: White Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cocoa Cookies

The fall-ish colors in these cookies made my day! Fall is my favorite time of year, and yes I know, summer just arrived. But already I'm excited about pumpkins and cool weather! The color combination honestly didn’t cross my mind while deciding what ingredients to buy, but I think these turned out just stinkin adorable. And delicious.

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

Prep Time: 10 Minutes          Cook Time: 8 – 10 Minutes               Servings: 4 dozen

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1.5 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flower
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Slowly add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well blended. Add your white chocolate chips & peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded spoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Before I put my cookies in the oven I sprinkled a mixture of some extra “chips” on top so that way when they baked there were some pretty colors on top of the cookies, not just mixed in the middle! Bake 8 – 10 minutes. Viola! Hope you enjoy =)

Recipe: White Chicken Vegetable Chili

First off, this recipe is SUPER yummy. Even Graham, who said “that sounds disgusting” had seconds! And it’s pretty healthy for you as well. I’ve had a white chicken chili recipe that I’ve used for years and it’s delicious. But, this time, I thought I’d tweak it just a little and add some more veggies and well, let’s just leave it at YOU HAVE GOT TO TRY THIS ONE!

White Chicken Vegetable Chili

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Serves: 4

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped & cubed
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
• 2 (14 oz) cans great northern beans, one can drained. (substitute 1 can for black beans, if desired)
• 1 (3 or 4 oz) can chopped green chilies
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Toppings: shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, tortilla chips

Start by dicing the onion and mincing the garlic and putting it into your soup pot/stock pot. Don’t turn the stove on yet! We don’t want these to get too tender too fast, and I like to cook these at the same time that I cook my chicken, it really seals the flavor of onion and garlic into the meat. Then cube your chicken breasts. I usually start off doing this with a knife, but always end up just using my hands and pulling the chicken into pieces. =) Add the chicken to your pot and drizzle about 3 turns of the pan of EVOO over the mixture. Turn the stove onto medium-high heat and sauté until the chicken is cooked, your onions should be transparent/slightly brown. While that’s cooking, chop your carrots and celery and add them to the pan. Add frozen corn and peas. If you decide to use one can of black beans and one can of great northern beans, I always drain and rinse the black beans and don’t drain the great northern beans at all. If using two cans of great northern, drain one and add both cans of beans to the pot. Add diced green chilies. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Pour in chicken broth. (If you want more of a soupier consistency, you can use two cans of broth). Mix well and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool, and serve topped with your favorite chili toppings. Add salt to taste. Enjoy!



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Recipe: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Muffins

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Servings: 21

These are so good, they barely last us one evening! And here’s the big shocker: GRAHAM MADE THEM. Now, that’s my kind of snack! One I didn’t have to make and one that was super bomb. We also had the Potato Soup that I showed you how to make here. And two cheese balls with club crackers. And snowball cookies. We were totally pigging out =) Here’s the recipe for those muffins! I got it off of all recipes about a year ago, I think.

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 TBSP poppy seeds
• 2 TBSP milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Preheat oven to 400 F. For easy cleanup use mini muffin pan paper liners, if you don’t have any on hand make sure you grease your pan or you may have a heck of a time trying to get these little boogers out. Start by combining the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Then combine the remaining ingredients, mix well. Slowly add those to your dry ingredients and combine until moistened. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake approximately 12-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from pan. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe: Chicken & White Rice Stew

So, last night I was rushing around trying to get a few things done around the house before America's Got Talent came on (Graham and I love that show!) and it was a quarter ‘til 8 when I realized I hadn’t even started dinner yet. And I did NOT want to miss my shows.

I know. I know. How do I forget that I haven’t made dinner?

No. Clue.

So what’s a girl to do with fifteen minutes?

Well that’s how this dinner came together. I threw some of my staples into a stock pot, tested a few bites, added a few more things, and the result was delicious. And it took all of ten minutes to make. I’d say that it was a definite success for feeding my starving boyfriend, a super yummy dinner, and I didn’t miss a minute of one of my favorite shows. Score.

Chicken & White Rice Stew

Prep: NONE Cook Time: Approx 10 minutes Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 large can (drained) of premium white chunk chicken
• 2 cups of white rice (I used the instant)
• 2 cups of frozen veggies (I used a broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrot mix)
• 1 can (drained) or 1.5 cups frozen peas
• 1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
• 1 (14 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

In a large stock pot mix together all of your ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer on med-low for ten minutes or until rice is tender and vegetables are cooked through. THATS IT =) simple & delish.

If yours turns out like a casserole that you’re scooping out of a pot, don’t worry, mine did too. I’m sure you could bake this as well, I just didn’t have the patience to wait for my oven to preheat.

Recipe: Snowball Cookies

During the winter season, especially around Christmas, you can always find a tin of these snowball cookies under the Christmas tree. They've been a family favorite for years, but one that I never really thought of making once the warmer months rolled around. This year for some reason I've been craving them, so I made a batch and I don't understand why I haven't made them year round before! They taste a lot like cookie dough once they're baked, so if you don't like cookie dough, these probably aren't the cookies for you. If you do like it, I hope you'll find a new family favorite in these cookies too!

Snowball Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes-Chill Time: 1 hour-Cook Time: 12 minutes-Servings: 36

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 14 tsp salt
• 2 cups finely chopped pecans (these are optional, I make prefer mine without)
• powdered sugar

In a mixer on medium speed combine butter, sugar & vanilla. Mix well. Slowly add in flour and salt. Increase the speed on your mixer and continue beating it until it’s creamy. (Yes, it’ll look weird and clumpy and crumbly at first…just keep mixing, just keep mixing, just keep mixing, mixing, mixing..). Refrigerate cookie dough for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper then roll your dough into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake approximately 12 minutes or until slightly brown on top. Remove and cool at least five minutes before dusting with powdered sugar.

Recipe: Potato Soup

So, I know it's officially the summer season and soups and stews aren't too popular on the menu currently, but I can only go so long without this soup. I'm a generally picky eater, but this Potato Soup is delicious. Perfect for a stormy summer night. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

Potato Soup

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 
  
  6 russet potatoes, peeled and diced (into approximately 1.5 in cubes)
• 
  
  6-8 strips of bacon
• 
  
  1 cup celery, chopped
• 
  
  1 cup carrots, chopped
• 
  
  1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 
  
  3 tbsp flour
• 
  
  1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
• 
  
  4 cups of milk
• 
  
  shredded cheese (LOTS of it!)

Start off by peeling and dicing your potatoes, place them off to the side in a large stock pot. Fry bacon, place on paper towel to remove excess grease and allow it to cool. Chop your celery, carrots, and onion and cook in the left over bacon grease until veggies are tender (about 5 minutes). *Note: I'm a huge garlic fan, so I typically add some minced garlic or garlic salt to my veggies while they're cooking for that extra pop of flavor that I love. Feel free to salt or season your vegetables now, but don't overdo it! You don't want to take away from the flavor of the potato soup too much!* In a large mixing bowl combine milk, flour, and chicken broth. Mix until it has a smooth texture. Add your veggies to this mixture, and once cool enough, crumble and add your bacon too. Leave a couple extra strips or handfuls of crumbled bacon to the side to top your soup with. Pour all of the ingredients into your stock pot over the potatoes and mix well. Place on stove and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 35 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in about a cup and a half of shredded cheese (or more if you're like me and LOVE cheese!). Garnish with crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, and chives if desired. Enjoy!

This post is linked to: Handy Man, Crafty Woman, Ask Anna

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Yes, it does taste much better than it looks! =)

This is a pretty simple recipe to prepare and there was more than enough for two people. I reheated the leftovers, and it was just as delicious, so make extra if you'd like!

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 package (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed & drained
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, more if you'd like
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups mixed shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, leaving out 1 cup of mixed shredded cheese to top the dip with. Pour into a two quart (8x8) glass baking dish and top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until heated thoroughly. Plate and serve with warm bread or tortilla chips.



(I told you it was simple!)





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Recipe: Mini Pecan Tarts

These Mini Pecan Tarts pack all of the flavor and goodness you love of a pecan pie in bite size pieces. And, if you happen to be anything like me, these mini tarts will help you avoid chowing down a whole pie in one sitting!


Ingredients

For the crust:

• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened



• 1/2 cup butter, softened



• 1 cup flower

For the filling:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar



• 1 egg



• 1 tbsp butter



• 1 cup chopped pecans



• powdered sugar, if desired

Directions

Crust:
Combine cream cheese, butter, and flour in a large bowl until a ball of dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into (approximately) 1-inch balls. Press dough into miniature cupcake pan, evenly & up the sides to form the tart shells.

Filling:
Mix together brown sugar, egg, & butter. Slowly stir in chopped pecans and mix until well combined. Place (approximately) 1 tsp of pecan mixture into each shell. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. If desired, dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

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