Triple Chocolate Turtle Fudge

Triple Chocolate Turtle Fudge 

www.bettycrocker.com

Ingredients

4 1/2

cups sugar

1/2

cup butter

1

(12-oz.) can (1 1/2 cups) evaporated milk

4 1/2

cups miniature marshmallows

1

(12-oz.) pkg. (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips

12

oz. sweet baking chocolate, chopped

2

oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2

teaspoons vanilla

1

cup chopped pecans

25

caramels (from 14-oz. pkg.), unwrapped

2

tablespoons water

1Line 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over sides of pan; grease foil. In Dutch oven or 4-quart saucepan, combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk; cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. Without stirring, boil 5 to 6 minutes over medium heat or until candy thermometer registers 234°F. Remove saucepan from heat.

2Add marshmallows, chocolate chips, sweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate; stir until all chocolate is melted. Stir in vanilla and 1/2 cup of the pecans. Quickly spread mixture in greased foil-lined pan.

3In medium saucepan, cook caramels and water over low heat until melted, stirring frequently. Drizzle melted caramels evenly over fudge. Sprinkle remaining pecans over caramel. Cool 2 hours.

4Use foil to lift fudge from pan; remove foil. Cut into 1-inch squares.

El Paso Grilled Turkey Patties

El Paso Grilled Turkey Patties

www.bettycrocker.com

Ingredients

1

egg, slightly beaten

1

package (20 oz) lean ground turkey

1/4

cup Progresso® plain bread crumbs

2

tablespoons Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix (from 1 oz package)

1

cup Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa

1

medium avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped

4

cups shredded lettuce

1Heat gas or charcoal grill. In medium bowl, mix egg, turkey, bread crumbs, taco seasoning mix and 1/4 cup of the salsa. Shape mixture into 4 patties, 1/2 inch thick.

2When grill is heated, place patties on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill over medium coals; cover grill. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until patties are no longer pink in center.

3Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix remaining 3/4 cup salsa and the avocado. To serve, place 1 cup lettuce on each serving plate; top with turkey patty and 1/4 of avocado mixture.

Spritz Candy Cane Cookies

Spritz Candy Cane Cookies
www.pillsbury.com

3/4 c sugar 1/2 c shortening
1/2 c softened butter
1 tsp peppermint extract
1 egg
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash salt
6 drops of red food coloring
15 hard peppermint candies, finely crushed

Heat oven to 375 F.  In large bowl, combine sugar, shortening and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add peppermint extract and egg; beat until well combined. Add flour, baking powder and salt; mix well.
Divide dough in half. To 1/2 add food coloring; mix until well blended and uniform in color.
Attach star template to cookie press. With press lying on its side, fill one side with half of the white dough, fill the other side with half of the pink dough. Press dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, forming 4 inch strips. Bend tops of each strip to form cane shape. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake 375 F for 4 to 7 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.  Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet. Immediately sprinkle cookies with crushed candy.

Tip: To speed up the shaping process, press out a line of dough along the length of the cookie sheet near the edge. Cut the dough into 4 inch pieces. Use a toothpick to curve the top of each piece, forming the cane's handle. Continue process to fill the cookie sheet.

Sunday, what a great day

for once the humidity is down low enough so it doesn't feel like someone is sitting on my chest. Lets hope it stays this way a couple days, which would be really nice.

I have a pet peeve, so tired of seeing the Dyson commercial on TV. I think it's admirable don't get me wrong that he was able to make a vacuum cleaner that works so great, BUT does it have to be so expensive that the normal family or person can't afford to buy one. I will never be able to afford to buy one. But I can dream about it LOL. Have to have dreams and hopes.

Today for dinner, yes we normally eat dinner on Sundays early. It was something my mom did and most Sundays we do. We usually make a meal that you won't typically make during the week.  Today we tried some very new to us. BBQ roast.

I decided to make Texas BBQ. Let's just say it was AWESOME.
 Grill Mates® Slow & Low Smokin' Texas BBQ Rub

This is what I used. I had a chuck roast, last night I rubbed this seasoning on the roast, wrapped it in tinfoil and put it in the frig till today.   At Noon hubby turned on the bbq'er and he put the roast on still all wrapped in tin foil, and let it cook for 3 hours (which our roast wasn't that big so this was a bit too much time for it and the bottom got a little burnt) but it was still nice and juice and sooooooooo good. Paired it with the salt potatoes and Bush's Grillen Beans and some cherry tomatoes. Great Dinner, it really was. If you ever want a great rub, try this one. I am going to make the rub myself next time, cause I really like a little less salt and now I have the package I just need to make some. Happy Grilling everyone

Philadephia Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

This is what I decided to make for dinner tonight. I got the recipe from  A Taste of Home Cooking, which she got the recipe from Rachael Ray.

It was actually quite good but next time I make I am going to make some changes to the recipe. Here is the recipe. My husband really liked it, till I mentioned the changes I wanted to make and then he decided that would be better LOL. Men
Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Adapted from Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 softball-sized onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons steak sauce  (I used the 1/4 cup as Rachael Ray did)
1 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 cup provolone, shredded

In large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil and then brown the ground beef, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and green pepper and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.

Split open rolls and remove most of the soft insides, leaving a bed to hold the meat mixture. Toast the rolls and set aside.

While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the cheese.

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll.

Now for my changes, going to substitute a package of beef gravy instead of the beef broth. I like my sloppy joes thick and this one is a little runny for me. I not a fan of soggy bread LOL
The cheese sauce I didn't care for, I used cheddar cheese instead of provolone cause I am not a fan of provolone. But saying that Philly cheese steaks need to American cheese on them or cheese wiz LOL.  But other than that I did like them and would make them again.  

Macaroni and Cheese

Everyone is always looking for the best macaroni and cheese and everyone thinks theirs is the best. I am no different. Thru watching the cooking shows on Food Network, particularity Drive Ins, Dinners and Dives (which I just happen to love, it's one of my favorite shows). I have perfected our families macaroni and cheese, well at least that is what my husband and 8 year old daughter say anyways.  Here is a picture of the mac and cheese I made tonight for dinner.

and it was very very good. So instead of doing a Pinterest recipe  would make one of my own for once.

Mac and Cheese

8 oz Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese - or what ever your family likes.
8 oz Monterrey Jack Cheese
about 8 slices of American Cheese
1/2 container of Deli Parmesan Cheese - I usually by Stella Brand and its in the specialty cheeses in the Deli
3 cups of milk - I use 2% but you can use what ever you want even Heavy Cream
1/4 cup of butter
1/3 cup flour
a squirt of yellow mustard or you can use dry mustard about a tsp full
1 box of Cellentani - that is the pasta I love to use the most. It holds on to the cheese plus there is some in the pasta but you can use what ever you want
I a lot of times will use about 1/4 lb chuck of Velveeta, I like that creaminess it adds to the mac and cheese, but I didn't have any tonight. 
I use a 9x9 baking dish, sometimes cause it really fills the pan I will use a slightly bigger pan. LOL Depends on how lazy I am.  Sprayed with Pam
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

I cook the pasta and leave it just a tad bit more al denta cause I bake my pasta, love that crusty cheese top it gets.  Grate your cheese while your pasta is cooking.
Drain the paste and I just leave it in the strainer, I don't like to dirty too many dishes so I use the same pan as I boiled the pasta in to make the cheese sauce.
Put the butter in the pan, melt it.
Add Flour and stir untill mix together and cook for at least a 1 or 2  minutes. Its important to cook the flour so that your sauce won't taste floury or pasty
Pour in your 3 cups of milk and whisk, continue whisking till it comes to a boil. This is the only place you want this cheese sauce to boil. It's the only way to tell how thick your sauce will be,. You want it to be thick like a nice thick gravy.  If your sauce boils with the cheese in it, it makes it grainy.
Once it has boiled turn your heat down to low, you just want it to keep the sauce warm while you add the cheese.
I cut the American cheese in chunks and add that first, once that has almost all melt if I am using Velveeta I add that next. Then the rest of the cheeses one at a time, leaving a good hand full for the top of the mac and cheese.  You can turn your heat off now when most of the cheese is melted. Just finish whisking till all the cheese is melted and mixed together.
Squirt in a good squirt of yellow mustard, stir in the pasta put it your baking dish and top with the rest of the cheese. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is as crusty as you want. Dinner is ready. 

Served it with some Italian Chicken Sausages and tomatoes. It was yummy

Dinner Tonight

I know I haven't posted in a few days but really haven't been cooking anything out of the ordinary of us anyways. LOL

Today's dinner was very yummy. I really out did myself tonight.
Marinated boneless chuck steak - that I pounded out to be thinner than it was.
and warm potato salad with a warm bacon vinaigrette. check it out
Roasted Potato Salad with Bacon, Caramelized Onions and warm bacon vinaigrette.

I didn't have any red onions so I just used white onions and it was soooooooo good.
This recipe comes from The Cozy Apron

Best Steak Marinade in Existence -so the recipe said. We liked it, I won't call it the best cause I have had better that I really like but it's different and that is what I was going for, Now next time I do it thou cutting down on the basil, it was just a bit too much basil in there. Check out the recipe it comes from All Recipes
 I do have a recipe from one of the dinners we had last week that my family really loves beyond the veggies for my husband. He is just not a veggie person, he will tell you he likes them but I know better.
sorry don't have a picture of my dinner 

Italian Chicken with Veggies

you will need
3-4 chicken breast - I do boneless
spaghetti
Italian salad dressing
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
some good Parmesan cheese - not the kind in the can, actually get some from the deli so much better

Do this in the morning  to mid morning.
Marinate 3-4 chicken breast in Italian salad dressing
    now this past week I used a Mediterranean Salad Dressing by Wishbone and OMG it was sooooooo good but use what your family likes.
Cut the zucchini and summer squash down the middle, place in a storage bag and dump some Italian dressing on them. Situate them so that the squash insides are resting in the dressing. 
Let everything marinate till dinner time,
Have someone grill the chicken breast, summer squash and zucchini. Till done Watch the squashes cause you don't want them too soft. Want some bite to them  Save the marinate from the squash
Boil some spaghetti. After the spaghetti is done, drain and put back in the pan. Dumb the marinate from the squash into the pain with the spaghetti and any more from the bottle depends on how much you want. I tend to like a lot LOL Keep warm on the stove till the veggies and chicken are done,
When the squash is ready, cute into bit size pieces add to spaghetti.
cut the chicken along the top but not quite thru the whole peices, you want to fan it out across the top of spaghetti, if you want to.
Put some spaghetti, veggies, place chicken on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. This is really good.