#1,492: Mixed Berry Pretzel Tart

Here is a second, last minute photo as the last piece of tart is about to get eaten!  Why can I not remember to take pictures sooner?!?!?!  This was a huge hit, but personally I would omit the berries from this recipe (I just don't like the texture of it in my jello).  I loved the fresh whipped cream on top though!!!  I doubled the amount of whipped cream and just spread it over the entire tart.  Delicious!

CRUST

2 cups crushed pretzels

3 tablespoons sugar

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING

8 ounces cream cheese

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

7 ounces plain Greek yogurt (not fat-free)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 3-oz. packages strawberry gelatin

1 16-oz. package frozen unsweetened sliced strawberries

1 16-oz. package frozen unsweetened blueberries

3/4 cup heavy cream

Make crust: Preheat oven to 400ºF; mist a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place crushed pretzels in bowl of a food processor. Add sugar and melted butter and pulse to combine. Press pretzel mixture into baking dish and bake for 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Make filling: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes. Fold in yogurt and vanilla. Spread over cooled pretzel crust, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

In a large bowl, dissolve both packages of gelatin in 2 cups boiling water. Stir in strawberries and blueberries and pour over cream cheese layer. Chill until firm, 2 to 3 hours.

Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Cut tart into squares and serve with whipped cream.

#1,491: Cookie Dough Brownies

Mmmm...doesn't that look good?  I wish I had a better picture to post of this one, but I literally remembered that I needed to take a picture as I was about to eat the last piece.  This is all you get folks!  Sorry.  

This went over very well with my family, but especially with my kids.  I wasn't sure I was going to love this frosting because it has flour in it (gasp!), but it was good.  I did add more water to thin this out and make it more like a frosting (sort of).  I also was super lazy and omitted a lot of the brownie ingredient and used a box mix (gasp again!).  Yes I am lazy.  Still delicious though.  

Brownies:
I omitted the original recipe ingredients and made a box mix instead.  If you want the real ingredients/recipe click here.

Frosting :

½ cup butter, softened

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1¼ cup flour

½ tsp. salt

5 TB milk (I used probably close to double this if not more.  I just kept adding a little more milk at a time until it was still thick like frosting, but thinner and more to my liking). 

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Make brownies in a 9x13 pan according to your mix/box directions.  Let cool completely.

FROSTING: Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and mix well. Add flour and salt and stir until fully combined. Stir in the milk and beat until fluffy. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Spread on cooled brownies. 

#1,490: Parmesan Crispix Party Mix

I'm sure I probably got this recipe from my mom a long time ago, but I just found it in one of my recipes boxes scribbled on a scratch piece of paper.  I figured that meant I should make it for a family party (my daughter's first communion) and have this on digital file for future reference.  :)  This was ridiculously easy to make and was a big hit at the party.  My five year old helped me make it...that's how simple it was!  Yep, I would definitely make this again. 

The only real change I made to this recipe was to double the dressing because I thought it was too dry originally.  I think that was a good call. 

7 cups Crispix cereal
2 c cheese crackers (such as cheese nips)
1 c pretzel sticks
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. 

Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce (I used a few shakes of crushed red pepper)

In a large bowl, combine the crispix, crackers, and pretzels.  Set aside.

In a small blender (or a mason jar with a lid), combine all of the dressing ingredients.  Shake/pulse/blend to combine. 

Pour over the cereal mixture and stir well.  (Or just put a lid on your bowl and shake it up really good).

Add the grated cheese and mix again.  Store covered in the fridge until ready to serve.  You can make this up to a day in advance.  

#1,489: Pasta Fagioli Soup

This was a really easy soup to make and I made only a few addition/changes to the recipe. I also threw this all together in a crockpot (minus the noodles!!) and cooked it on high for about 3 hours.  Then I added the noodles that I pre-cooked and served.  So simple, healthy and delicious.

1 lb cooked ground turkey

2 tablespoons  olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 14 1/2ounce can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

2 14 1/2ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth

8 ounce (about 2 cups) small pasta shells (I used ditalini pasta)

1 teaspoon  Italian seasoning

1 bunch fresh kale, tough stems discarded, cut into 1-inch pieces and washed

2 cans small white beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon  tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon  salt

1/4 teaspoon  pepper

Grated Parmesan, for serving

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

Stir in tomatoes, broth and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Add pasta and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

Stir in kale; cook 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium and stir in beans, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Heat through.

Ladle into bowls; garnish with Parmesan.

#1,488: Peanut Butter Avalanche Bars

Here is a real simple, no bake updated version on rice krispie treats!  This does have peanut butter in it so if you have a nut allergy or don't like peanut butter you can forget this recipe.  It is pretty rich so one of these little bars was definitely enough for me.  I did really like it though and I would definitely make this again.  

12 oz bag of White Chocolate Chips

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups Rice Krispies

1½ cups mini marshmallows

¼ cup mini chocolate chips + 2 Tbsp for garnish (I just added 1/2 cup or more to the batter/mixture and didn't add any extra on top). 

Line a 9x9 or 8x8 pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  

In microwave-safe bowl pour in white chips and heat on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir and continue in 30 second increments until chips are melted.

Combine the peanut butter with the melted chips and add the rice krispies.

(Mine was not super hot so I didn't have to let mine sit/cool.  It just has to be cool enough so that the chocolate chips don't melt when you add them in).  Let cool approx 15 – 20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes or so to help cool.

Add the marshmallows and the mini chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly, pressing lightly with the back of your spoon, but do not compact too much, otherwise they will get hard. Press the remaining chocolate chips into the top for garnish.

When the bars are completely cooled cut into squares and enjoy!

#1,487: Cream Cheese Mints

The recipe for these mints have been on one of my pinterest boards for THREE years!  I have honestly been a little afraid to make these because I thought they would be too difficult.  Well, I can tell your right now, not only was this easy to make, but they are GOOD and I will be making these again soon...and probably for a lot of our family gatherings!  SOOOOO simple (and you might even already have all of the ingredients on hand!).

  

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

2 drops peppermint oil

any color food coloring paste (optional) (I used several drops of the liquid food coloring)

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and confectioner's sugar. Mix in peppermint oil. Color as desired with food coloring paste, or leave white.

(I did not do this step. I took about 1/5 of the mixture and rolled it into a log/snake shape.  Then I used a knife to cut into pieces about the size of a dime, but maybe about 1/2 inch thick.  I did not flatten with a fork...an unnecessary step!): Roll mixture into small balls, and place on waxed paper. Flatten with a fork dipped in confectioners' sugar. 

Let dry for about 2 hours on waxed paper, then freeze or refrigerate. (Personally, these are best frozen!!)

#1,486: Spinach and Apple Salad

I really liked that this recipe was one that you could prep (most of it) ahead of time.  I made the dressing and stuck it in a mini blender and let it sit on the counter for a few hours before ready to serve.  Then I just gave it a quick pulse to re-mix and it was to ready to serve. The apple and onion I chopped a few hours in advance too and just kept in small mason jars to keep fresh.

Overall I really enjoyed this salad and I would definitely eat it and make it again.  Two thumbs up from me! It went over well with my family/guests as well! 

1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice

 3 tablespoons cider vinegar

 2 tablespoons olive oil

 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 1/8 teaspoon salt

 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

 1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach

 1 medium apple, chopped

 1 small red onion, chopped

 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (I used Feta)

 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

In a small bowl, whisk the first six ingredients. In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, apple, onion, blue cheese and walnuts. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.

#1,485: Sarasota Lemonade (or Pink Lemonade Moscato)

This went over fairly well but it is really sweet.  My sister and I both got a headache from it and we think it was from the sugar of the pink lemonade, especially since we didn't drink that much.  Would I drink this again?  Yes.  Would I rush to make it again?  No. 

2 bottles Moscato
3 cups Sprite (I probably used more like 1/2 of a 2 liter bottle...at least)
1 container of frozen pink lemonade concentrate
Fresh raspberries

In a pitcher combine all of the ingredients. (I used a water infuser pitcher so I put the raspberries in the center so they weren't floating around/in the drink).  Chill until ready to drink.  

    

#1,484: Strawberry-Banana Jello Salad (aka 5 Minute Jello Salad)

This is such an easy and quick recipe to throw together and is awfully pretty in color, but the texture scared away a lot of people with this recipe.  If you are a cottage cheese lover, you might really like this recipe.  I however really have to be in the mood for cottage cheese.  :) This is another recipe that the kids enjoyed more than the adults did...oh well. 

8 oz container of low fat Cool Whip4 oz box of Strawberry Jello

12 oz container of fat free Cottage Cheese
1/2 pound of Strawberries, sliced
1 Banana, sliced

Put the cool whip and jello in a large mixing bowl and whisk until they are well blended and most of the jello dissolves into the cool whip.   Next fold in the cottage cheese, strawberries and bananas.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

#1,483: Broken Glass Jello

This did not go over well with the adults, but the kids enjoyed it (I still have a ton leftover though!).  Because this was mostly a kid-friendly dish I probably won't make it again, but it was definitely easy and colorful. 

4 small boxes (3 oz. each) of Jell-O in different colors. 

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk 

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin 

Directions: For each flavor, dissolve one 3 oz box of jello in one cup of boiling water. Pour into a container and chill overnight or until firm. After chilling the four flavors, cut them into small blocks.

Carefully mix the blocks in a 9 x 13 pan.

In a separate bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin into 1/2 cup cold water. After the gelatin blooms, add 1 1/2 cup boiling water and dissolve. Add the can of condensed milk. Stir and cool. 

Pour cooled milk mixture over jello and chill overnight. It is a good idea to skim off the bubbles for a nicer finished product.

#1,482: Strawberry Cream Cheese Icebox Cake

First of all, this is not the finished photo and I cannot believe I'm actually posting a picture poor of a picture.  I took this photo "just in case" I forgot to take a finished product one...and I DID.  UGH!  This is supposed to be topped with cool whip and some crushed graham crackers.  It looks way better cut into too.  I don't know if I'll be making this again soon, so feel free to send me a picture of this if you make it!!  :) 

Back to the recipe though, this got great reviews at the family gathering I took it too.  I think this would be really good with other berries as well so if you aren't a fan of strawberries, I'd try something else in its place.  I think next time I'm going to try blueberries only because it'll be faster to add them since you don't have to cut them.  Raspberries would probably be really good too. 

This made a lot of cream filling/mixture and I actually didn't even use it all.  I probably threw away about 1/4 of it because I thought it was too much.  Still delicious though.  I made this later in the evening and served it about noon the next day.  I stopped at the point of the photo (everything minus the final layer of cool whip) and wrapped in saran wrap and stuck in the fridge until it was time to leave for the party.  Then I used a clean paper towel to soak up all of the liquid/water/juice that accumulated on the top from the strawberries.  About 2 hours before the party I topped it with the cool whip, added the crushed graham crackers and put it back in the fridge until time to serve.  It was really, really good!

2 pounds strawberries, sliced
2 sleeves graham crackers
8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 packages (3.4 oz) instant cheesecake flavored pudding (I used french vanilla)
3 cups milk
12 oz carton Cool Whip, thawed and divided.

Click here to see the original recipe and for the rest of the instructions/directions.

#1,481: Watergate Salad

I cannot believe it's actually been 4 weeks since I last posted a recipe.  I am really slacking!  Has it really been that long since I tried something new with/for/on my family?!?!  Obviously you can tell it's a time of year that I'm either really busy or trying to keep our food budget low!  (ps...the answer is both).  I haven't been cooking as many elaborate meals lately and am relying on my low-cost, super fast meals like grilled kielbasa, breakfast for dinner, spaghetti, grilled chicken, etc....

This past weekend as I was prepping for our garage sale I came across some recipes I saved and decided to make this watergate salad because it looked super easy and I could throw together very quickly.  Yes, it was that easy and fast to make too!  My kids loved this...especially the marshmallows, so I added a bit more just for them.  :)  I'd make this again for sure.  

1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

1 pkg.(3.4 oz.) Pistachio Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup Miniature Marshmallows (I probably used closer to 2+ cups)

1/2 cup chopped Pecans

1-1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping (I probably used more like 2 1/2 cups)

Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl.  Stir in Cool Whip.  Refrigerate 1 hour. 

#1,480: Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bread

I sure do love Banana Bread, and I often (a little too often) have very over ripe bananas that need to get used up some how.  Most of the time I throw them in the freezer to use in a smoothie but I had about 6 that we never ate and needed to get used.  Then I came across this recipe for a banana-oatmeal bread from AllYou magazine and knew I had to give it a try (and had to make 2 loaves!).

My kids loved this.  It is really good!  The oatmeal gives it a slightly more dense flavor, but the chocolate chips throughout make it really good!

Makes 1 loaf:
2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1 large egg
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp grated orange zest
1 c chopped walnuts (I omitted)
3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.  Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, oil, orange zest, and 1/2 cup water until thoroughly combined (about 3 minutes).  Reduce mixer to low and add flour mixture in 2 batches, beating after each addition until just combined. 

Stir in walnuts, chocolate chips and oats.  Pour batter into loaf pan and bake until bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (about 1 hour).  (I had to cover mine lightly with flour after about 40 minutes because it was getting very golden in color).  Cool loaf in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely. 

#1,479: Thin Mint (Healthy) Smoothie

Girl Scout Cookie season is just about to come to a close, and a coworker of mine asked if I had ever tried a Thin Mint Smoothie?  Um, no, and why have I not?!?!  So I took to Google to find a recipe that looked easy, and one that I had almost all of the ingredients for.  I have been putting off purchasing a protein powder for a while, but I found a low carb/low sugar/low calorie one at Kroger so I figured it was a good time to try it (in addition to the Thin Mint Smoothie!).  

I actually really, really liked this smoothie.  My kids did too...BONUS!  I think next time I'll omit the rolled oats...I don't think it needs it.  But the rest is quite delicious! 

1 cup frozen spinach (or 2 cups fresh)

1 cup almond milk

2 scoops chocolate protein powder (I only needed 1 scoop of the kind I used)

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/8 tsp peppermint extract

Combine the almond milk, spinach, protein powder, rolled oats, and peppermint extract in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. 

#1,478: Roasted Greens Salad with Balsamic Drizzle

I was kind of surprised by how much I loved this side dish. It was so super simple to make and was a great way to use up some broccoli and brussel sprouts (which is why the kale was omitted...this time).  This is a definite keeper in my roasted veggie recipe box.  :) 

2 heads broccoli, crowns cut into 2" chunks and stem discarded

3 cups kale leaves, chopped into 3-4" pieces, stems discarded (I omitted)

1 lb small/medium Brussels sprouts, stemmed and halved

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp seasoning salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Balsamic Drizzle

1 shallot, sliced

1/2 tsp olive oil

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp honey (I omitted)

For vegetables, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl toss prepared veggies with olive oil, seasoning salt, and pepper.  Transfer mixture onto a large baking sheet and spread evenly, placing kale leaves toward the center of the sheet.  Place sheet on middle rack of oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, checking and flipping vegetables every 8-10 minutes to ensure kale does not burn.  When Brussels sprouts are soft, remove from oven.

For drizzle, add olive oil to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat.  Add shallot and saute until softened.  Add balsamic vinegar and whisk in mustard and honey.  Heat to a low boil for 8-10 minutes, until mixture has reduced to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat.

To serve, place roasted greens in a large serving bowl and drizzle with balsamic mixture.

#1,477: Mexican Tortilla Soup

1 lb. lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)

2 cans  (14-1/2 oz. each) beef broth

16 oz Chunky Salsa

1 can  (7 oz.) corn, undrained

1 cup tortilla chips (1 oz.), crushed (I omitted)

1 cup Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese (I omitted)

Can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Taco seasoning packet

Onion, diced

Cilantro, chopped
4 oz diced green chiles

Brown ground beef and onion in large saucepan; drain.  I added a packet of taco seasoning and made according to the package.  

Add broth, salsa and corn; stir. This is when I also added the black beans, cilantro and green chiles.  I also added this to a crockpot and cooked on low for about 6-8 hours.  If cooking on the stovetop: Bring to boil; simmer on low heat 5 min. or until heated through.

SERVE topped with crushed chips and cheese if desired.

#1,476: Mini Taco Wonton Cups

This recipe was SO simple and was a huge hit.  I obviously didn't add any additional toppings to this as it was photographed, but I added some guacamole, tomato and black olives to my cups.  I will definitely be making these again.  They were fantastic!

24 wonton wrappers

1 pound lean ground beef

1 (1.12 ounce) package Taco Seasoning Mix

2 tablespoons picante Sauce (I used about 1/2 cup)

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Press wonton wrappers into mini-muffin cups.  Bake for 5 min.

Cook beef in skillet until browned. Drain off fat. Stir in taco seasoning mix and picante sauce.

Spoon beef mixture into wonton cups. Top with cheese. Bake about 8 minutes or until wontons are golden brown.  Serve immediately with additional salsa. Garnish with sour cream and sliced ripe olives if desired. Makes 24 appetizers.

#1,475: Triple Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Holy heck did I love this cake!  It was SO moist and the flavor was seriously fantastic! LOVE, love, loved it!  The recipe reviews noted that it could get ridiculously wet and goopy from the milk mixture being poured over it, so I only used about 1/3 to 1/2 of the mixture.  When I ate this the bottom was nice and wet but it wasn't saturated throughout the whole cake.  I actually liked that and preferred it that way.  

Since I used way more Cool Whip than called for, I just added more cocoa powder to the cool whip and a little bit at at time until it was the right amount of chocolate-y to my liking.  :) DELICIOUSNESS!!

1 pkg.  (2-layer size) devil's food cake mix (I couldn't find the 2-layer size, so I just got the biggest box I could find)
Additional ingredients needed for the cake mix

8 oz Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

12 oz. evaporated milk

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping (I used an entire 8 oz container)

Prepare cake batter and bake in 13x9-inch pan as directed on package. Cool cake in pan 10 min., then pierce cake with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.

Melt 7 oz. chocolate as directed on package. Blend milks and sour cream in blender until smooth. Add melted chocolate; blend well. Pour over cake, re-piercing cake if necessary until milk mixture is absorbed. Refrigerate 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, make curls from remaining 1 oz. chocolate.

STIR cocoa powder into COOL WHIP; spread onto cake. Top with chocolate curls. Keep refrigerated.

#1,474: Cookies ‘N Cream Oreo Fudge Brownies

These brownies are so good, but they are SO not healthy.  The recipe below says to make this in a 8x8 pan, but I bought a family size box of brownies so I made it in a 9x13 pan instead. I will definitely be making these again!  YUM!

1 box Brownie Mix

eggs and oil (as called for by the brownie mix)

Heaping 1/2 cup (6 oz) Cookies and Cream ice cream (I used more like 1 c)

1/4 Cup hot fudge topping 

1 pkg Oreo cookies

Preheat oven according to directions on the box and spray an 8×8 baking dish generously with cooking spray.

Combine brownie mix, eggs, and oil as directed on the back of the box, but do not add the water. Add ice cream and hot fudge to the brownie batter and stir to combine.

Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking dish, layer with Oreos, then top with remaining batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes or as directed on the back of the box.

#1,473: Easy Gelatin Salad

As you will see from the instructions below, this was supposed to be a lime jello recipe.  But I was serving this for a family party and needed to use sugar free jello and forgot to get it in lime.  Instead I had a small box of cherry and a small box of raspberry jello (both sugar free) so I just substituted that instead.  This got VERY GOOD reviews at my party and there was very little leftover after lunch!

1 c boiling water

1 pkg lime flavored gelatin (6 oz.) (I used cherry and raspberry)

1 can(s) crushed pineapple in juice (drain and reserve juice)

1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz.), softened

2 c heavy whipping cream

1 c chopped pecans (I omitted)

In a large bowl, pour 1 cup boiling water over gelatin mix. Stir until completely dissolved then stir in 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice. Refrigerate until thickened but not set, about 1 hour. (I only needed to chill mine for about 40 minutes)

Meanwhile, place crushed pineapple and remaining juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.  (I honestly have no idea what this did to the recipe since there was very little juice left anyways.  I will totally omit this step next time.)

With an electric hand mixer, blend softened cream cheese into gelatin mixture until smooth. Stir in cooled pineapple. (As you can probably tell from the picture above, I could not get this totally smooth.  It was still super good though!)

In your stand mixer bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold into gelatin/cream cheese/pineapple mixture, until combined. Fold in chopped pecans.

Pour mixture into Jell-O mold (5-6 cup capacity) or a pretty glass serving or trifle bowl. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set.