Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

This Sunday I was home from church with a sick little baby girl so I had some extra quiet time while everyone else was away.  So I decided to make a treat....okay....so it's not any different from when I have a houseful...I still make treats.  But I guess I just got a little bored since the baby was sleeping.  I wanted something simple, and something that I had all the ingredients on hand since it was Sunday.  So I figured this would be good.  And kid-friendly =)

Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

(Recipe from Chef in Training)

• 6 cups Rice Krispie Cereal
• 20 Regular Oreos chopped
• 5 cups mini marshmallows
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

1. Spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, pour measured Rice Krispie Cereal.
3. Chop and mash Oreos. You can do this by putting them in a ziplock bag to help keep the mess under control. You want the Oreos to be a variety of sizes from chunky to finely crushed.
4. Add Oreos to Rice Krispy cereal and stir to combine.
5. In a medium sauce pan, heat butter and marshmallows together over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they melt together.
6. Pour melted marshmallows over cereal and oreos and use a spatula sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to quickly combine all the ingredients.
7. As soon as all the cereal is combined, spread mixture into the prepared 9×13″ dish. Use the spatula to press the mixture around the dish, and flatten as needed.
8. Let sit until completely cooled.
9. Drizzle with melted chocolate or sprinkles if you want.

French Dip Crescent Sandwiches

I had been craving french dip sandwiches for forever! (and no it was a pregnancy craving, I had been wanting them since before I got knocked up, just never got around to making them)  I was cruising though the world of Pinterest and found this recipe.  It looked yummy!  I posted a link on my Facebook page saying I wanted to make it and my hubby piped in that he wanted me to make it and then a couple guys from his work would pay me to make some.  Score!  I made $15 off them =)  Anywho....it was a big hit with them all and they were asking when I would make them all dinner again.  My kids wolfed down 5 each and they usually only eat 1 or 2 roll-ups of any flavor.  So, moral of my story....go make some!

The original recipe is from
Mama Loves Food

French Dip Crescent Ingredients:

• 2 packages crescent rolls, 8 count
• 1 pound deli roast beef, thinly sliced ( I used both from the deli and some good quality int he lunch meat section....they both tasted great!)
• 4 ounces Swiss or provolone cheese, cut in 16 equal sized pieces (or you could shred it)
• optional: Horseradish Sauce (I didn't use it)
• optional: Au Jus for dipping (click on the link fo rher homemade recipe that is yummy!)

French Dip Crescent Directions:

1. Unroll crescents onto a large cookie sheet.
2. Spread a small dab of horseradish on each crescent, then place a slice of roast beef and a piece of cheese on each crescent.
3. Roll crescents starting from the wide end and ending at the narrow end.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes, until crescents are a golden color.
5. Serve with Au Jus and enjoy!

Although my hubby loved them, he said that they would have been better with my homemade rolls.  Mine are nice and flaky and the butter flavor doesn't overpower the dish. If you want to make your own crescent rolls, here's my awesome homemade recipe for Crescent Rolls.  Just scroll to the bottom of the page.

These also freeze great so you can make extras, cook them, and then freeze the leftovers in a ziploc freezer bag and then take them out when you want a quick meal.  To freeze the Au Jus, you can pour the juice in an ice cube tray and when frozen, pop them out and put them in a baggie and store with the leftover roll-ups.

Chicken Roll-ups

These are some of my favorite things!  They are pretty easy to make and everyone in my family loves them! (always a plus when everyone will eat what you make, right?)  I originally got this recipe years ago, from who knows where and have been making it ever since.  I don't always do it the same each time, depends on my mood but here's my basic recipe:

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (if they are small, use 3, if they are big, use 2)

8 oz. cream cheese

2-3 pgks. crescent rolls (I make my homemade ones but if you are short on time, Pillsbury will help you out)

2-3 cans of chicken gravy (once again, I make my own, but if you want to use canned stuff, it works)

1 can mushrooms, optional

2 tbs. melted butter

garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, other seasonings you prefer, just use to taste.

1/2 c. butter, melted (may need more)

1 c. bread crumbs, plain or Italian (may need more)

Here's a quick tip before you cook your chicken:  add a cube of boullion while you are cooking it and it adds lots of extra flavor.

In a bowl, combine your chicken, cream cheese, mushrooms, 2 tbsp. melted butter and seasonings.  Mix until there are no cream cheese lumps.

Spread out your crescent rolls (or roll out and cut into triangles if making your own). Place a heaping tablespoon onto the crescent rolls.

Roll up to form a bundle, starting from big end.

Roll the bundle in the melted butter, then roll in the bread crumbs.

Place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for about 14 minutes at 375, or until golden brown.

While those are cooking, either heat or make your gravy.  If you are using the canned stuff, add some onion and pepper to it to give it a bit more flavor.

Once the bundles are finished, pour some gravy over before serving.  Have a yummy dinner!!

These freeze great too so don't worry about making extras =)

Gravy Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon (let it dissolve in teh water before you add it to the pan)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup butter
• seasonings to taste: pepper, garlic, poultry seasoning, etc

Melt half the butter in a sauce pan, saute onions.  Add the flour to make a roux (kind of like a paste). Add the other half of the butter, water, and bouillon.  Add other seasonings to taste Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until thickened.

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-ups

The other blog I contribute to, Talented Terrace Girls does a monthly challenge.  One of us girls picks an object and the rest of us have to make something with it.  Usually it's some sort of craft item.  But this month I was in charge of picking so I picked my favorite recipe....my homemade crescent rolls.  They all had to make something with it.  This is what I chose.....mainly because I saw that everyone else made something sweet so I wanted to be different.  I'm glad I did because everyone loved it.  I can't take all the credit for the recipe though....I got the idea from the wonderful lady of at One Crazy Cookie.  She does a great job at making family friendly meals.  I haven't had one of her recipes not be a hit.  You should go check her out.  Anyway....back to the yumminess....I loved that these were small enough for my kids' hands.  Plus, they also freeze great so now I have something to pullout of the freezer for lunch.  There are so many things you can do with these too.  You can add onions, bbq sauce, peppers, different cheese, or sauces.  Pretty much think of your favorite hamburger, and do it!

Bacon Cheeseburger Bundles

1 lb hamburger

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup French Fried Onions

6 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 can crescent rolls or homemade crescent rolls (see below)

1 packet dry ranch seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season, brown and drain the hamburger.  Mix cheese, onion, and bacon into the beef mixture.

Place about 1 heaping Tablespoon of the mixture onto each crescent roll.

Fold dough over mixture. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown.

My kids dipped theirs in ranch, but you could dip yours in whatever sauce you heart desires.

To use for this recipe just make the dough, let rise and then divide in half.  Roll each half out into a rectangle and cut into triangles like the canned stuff.  This makes about 4 cans worth of rolls so the extra you can make into actual rolls and freeze for dinner sometime.

Homemade Crescent Rolls

Ingredients

4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions
with a bread maker:
Put liquid ingredients in bread maker, then add dry ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add yeast, make sure it doesn't come in contact with liquids. Then put your bread maker on dough cycle. When that is finished, remove dough from machine.
Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Spread with butter. Cut into 10 to 15 wedge. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Place rolls with point under on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 12-15 minute or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter when they come out.

or without a bread maker:
Dissolve yeast in warm water.
Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in remaining flour until smooth. Scrape dough from side of bowl. Knead dough, then cover it and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1-1/2 hours).
Punch down dough. Divide in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Spread with butter. Cut into 10 to 15 wedge. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Place rolls with point under on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour).
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 12-15 minute or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter when they come out.

Pizza Bites

I found yet another way to do pizza for the kiddos. (They would live off pizza if I let them).  This was way easy!  Since it uses biscuits, you don't have to wait for your dough to rise

• 
  

Ingredients:
3 cans Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits (10 biscuits per can) or use my biscuit recipe below
 pepperoni slices
Block of cheese
1 beaten egg
Parmesan
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder
pizza sauce, ranch, garlic butter, whatever you like to dip your pizza in

Cut the block of cheese into at least 28 squares. Flatten a biscuit out and stack pepperoni and cheese on top.

Gather up the edges of the biscuit.

Line the rolls up in a greased 9x13 in. pan.  Brush with beaten egg.  Sprinkle with Parmesan, italian seasoning and garlic powder. 

 Bake at 425°F for 18-20 minutes.

These were really good.  I loved using a different crust.  These freeze great so if you don't eat them all, put them in a freezer bag for later.  As I was making them, I thought they would be great with egg, sausage, ham, and cheese inside and then you would have breakfast bites =)  Maybe that's what I'll make Sunday before church.....

• Biscuits
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 15 to 20 times. Pat or roll dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. 

Rainbow Swirl Sugar Cookies

I found this idea originally for Dr. Seuss cookies.  They really do look like treats that they would serve down in Whoville =)  And they taste fantabulous too.  They are super easy.....but a bit time consuming.  they make a fun activity to do with little kitchen helpers too =)

What you need:
your favorite sugar cookie recipe (i'll put mine at the end)
sprinkles, 2 bottles (if you do the full batch of my cookies)
food coloring

Separate your cookie dough into 4-6 bowls.  I only did 4 because I only wanted 4 colors, but do as many as you want.  In each bowl, color your cookie dough.  Then roll each color into grape sized balls.

Then take one ball of each color and roll it into a ball (don't over mix the colors or you get a brown mess.....that's what my 3 -year old's cookies ended up like =)  )

 Then roll it into a log (snake) about 8-12 inches long.

Then roll your dough (make a snail shell) and twist the dough as you roll it.

Then dip the edges in your sprinkles.

Put them on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes-10 minutes, depending on your stove (mine did 8 and they came out perfect).  Let them cool on a cooling rack and enjoy!

Usually I have to have frosting with my sugar cookies so I was worried that they might be a little blah but with the added sprinkles it gave it a bit of extra flavor.

My kids loved helping do them.  I put my 6 year old to work rolling the balls (I had to fix quite a few =)  ) and then my 3- year old helped with dipping in the sprinkles....until he got distracted watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  I love when I can find a fun kitchen recipe/activity that the kids can do =)  But they both loved making their own "snakes and snails."  If you want to get your kids involved in the kitchen....give this a whirl =)

My favorite sugar cookie recipe:

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. butter or margarine (if you use margarine, make sure you chill the dough before handling)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract (optional, if you don't use it, use a total of 2 tsp. vanilla)
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream sugar, butter and cream cheese.  Add in the egg and extracts.  Then add dry ingredients.  Chill for about 30 minutes- 1 hour before using or the dough will be sticky. Roll the dough out and cut it with cookie cutters (or use for the rainbow cookies above).

I usually have to add a bit of extra flour to mine when rolling it out.  I use a mixture of flour and sugar so it keeps some of the sweetness.  If you use these for roll out cookies, bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes, depending on how thick and soft you want them.  I like mine soft, but if you like them crunchier then bake 8-10 minutes.

Taco Roll-up

My family loves tacos.  But you can only have tacos the same way so many times before you get sick of it.  I decided to change things up a bit.  Everyone loved it!  They wolfed it down and I think my daughter ate more than my husband....which is surprising because he can pack it away =)  I'm positive this will be a new regular taco meal for us.  The great thing too, is that it is easy to customize to your families tastes.  We don't do spicy (okay, my husband does but me and the kids don't) so we like it mild but it would be so easy to put a bit of fire in this recipe.

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 to 1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup water

1 can white or pinto beans

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. oil

(Or use a can of refried beans and you won’t need these)

 flour tortillas ( I would recommend the biggest ones you can get)

 salsa (I used mild since me and one of my kids don’t do spicey)

 shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican cheese blend

Drain your can of beans, but leave a bit of juice.  In a skillet, heat the oil, garlic, and onion powder.  Mix in the beans and heat until the beans soften.  Mash them with a potato masher, or put them in a food processor to make really smooth (I don’t like chunks of beans).

Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet and brown over medium-high heat. When the meat is cooked (about 10 minutes), drain the fat. Add the taco seasoning and water, then stir and simmer the mixture for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the beans.

(it tastes better than it looks! I promise!)

To give the filling a smooth consistency, pour the beef mixture into a blender or food processor, eliminate any large chunks from the mix.

For each wrap, heat a tortilla in the microwave for 10 seconds. Spread about 1/2 cup of the beef mixture evenly over it, then top with a layer of salsa and cheese.

 Roll it up and tuck in the ends.

Tightly cover each sandwich in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Cut in half at serve.

I ended up using fajita size tortillas (that was what I had on hand and didn’t want to go to the store) So Instead of ½ cup on each, you just add about 2 tablespoons, about 1 tablespoon of salsa and cheese.  If you do them smaller, then they are more kid-friendly and easier for little hands to manage.

(these didn't roll as well as a bigger one would have, which is why I say get the big ones. But this is a good snack size. =)  These would also freeze great!  Just throw them on a pan, flash freeze, then put in Ziploc freezer bag and take one out when you want one.  Just reheat in the microwave or you could even bake in the oven and get a crunchier shell.

 The great thing too, is that it is easy to customize to your families tastes.  We don't do spicy (okay, my husband does but me and the kids don't) so we like it mild but it would be so easy to put a bit of fire in this recipe.

 If you want to spice it up, add some green chilies, red or yellow peppers (I wish I would have had some on hand and I would have done that!). 

Pizza Pretzels

My family LOVES pizza =)  I think we could eat it several times a week and be good with it.  So I am always trying to find new ways to make it.  I found this idea on Pinterest and had to give it a whirl.  Needless to say, it was a big hit.  I need to make these again, and this time triple the batch so that I can have some leftovers =)

Pizza Dough:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2-2/3 cup hot water (120-130°F)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Italian Seasonings, optional (I used about 1 tablespooon)

Combine flour, yeast, salt, seasonings and sugar in the bowl. Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. Gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. If you are one of those lucky people with a Kitchen Aide, use that.  I used my bread machine and just put the setting on "dough" to knead the it. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Continue mixing until the dough forms a ball, then knead for 1 minute.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.  Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray, cover and let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes.

Filling:
shredded mozzarella cheese 
shredded parmesan cheese
 pepperoni slices
chopped mushrooms
chopped olives
whatever your family likes =)


1 egg slightly beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning


Preheat oven to 400ºF. 

Cut the prepared pizza dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each out into a rectangle.

(I doubled the recipe so I could freeze some for later....but there weren't any left to freeze after my family devoured them)

 Scatter the cheese and toppings over the dough. Brush the one of the long sides with a little egg wash then, starting with the opposite side, roll the dough up into a log, enclosing the toppings inside. Shape the log into a pretzel and transfer to a baking sheet.

Brush the top of the pizza pretzel with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. 

Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

So they didn't exactly look like pretzels but they were still great =)  The good thing with these is you can put whatever toppings you like in them.  Have the kids help do their own.  And everyone can choose their own dipping sauces: ranch, marinara, garlic butter, or plain.  Whatever you want, you can do.

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Cookie Dough Truffles

I found this recipe and after reading it, I think I gained 5 pounds just from thinking about how many of these I would eat.  Turns out I ate more than I thought and gained 10 pounds =P.  I actually made these back in December (hence the Christmas sprinkles).  They were so simple and fast (expect the freezing part).

Cookie Dough Truffles

1/2 C butter, softened

3/4 C brown sugar, packed

2 1/4 C flour

1  -14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 t vanilla

1/2 C mini chocolate chips ( I used mini m&m's)

2   -12 oz bags semi sweet chocolate chips ( I only used 1 but have 2 on hand, just in case)

1 T shortening, divided

Sprinkles to decorate 

Cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the mini chocolate chips. Shape into 1 inch balls and place on a sprayed cookie sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours.  

In a liquid measuring cup, melt your chocolate chips in the microwave. Only heat it for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating interval. Add about 2 t of shortening to the chocolate and stir to incorporate. Dip each frozen cookie dough ball into the chocolate and then place on wax paper to set.  Sprinkle the sprinkles on top while the chocolate is still soft. Put the truffles back in the fridge to set for about 15 minutes.

One of the best things about this......no raw eggs!  So you don't have to worry about salmonella when you like the beaters and sample the dough (because I know you can't resist cookie dough)....which has never bothered me before but some people are worry worts....(knock on wood because now I am going to get sick next time I eat half a batch of cookie dough).  

Also....this is a great one to let the kiddos help you with.  No cooking required.  While you dip, let them sprinkle of cookie dough).  

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