Peanut Butter Candy

Sweet treat time! This peanut butter deliciousness is the perfect treat to share at work or with friends and family during the Holiday season. Super easy to make AND makes a ton!

Ingredients:

1 cup Captain Crunch peanut butter cereal
1 cup Rice Krispies
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 12oz bag Nestle Toll House white chocolate chips

In large bowl, combine cereal, peanuts and marshmallows.
In microwave safe bowl combine chocolate chips and peanut butter. Microwave 2 minutes in 30 second increments. Stir peanut butter and chips every 30 seconds.

Pour peanut butter chocolate mixture over dry ingredients and stir to coat. Dollop teaspoon size servings on wax paper and allow to set, 30 min to and hour.
Makes 70-80 candies.

Keep in airtight container!

Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Pear salad

This time of year we tend to forget to give our bodies the nutrients it needs, I therefore decided to make a spinach salad for my lunches this week. 
The following recipe will be a lunch portion, but is pretty easy to make for dinner, large crowd, etc. I will also be brand specific on certain things as I am not sure how substitutions for them would work. IF, you make this, and change and ingredient or substitute  something, please let me know what you did! 


Ingredients: 

• heaping handful of fresh baby spinach
• about 1 Tbs cranberry orange goat cheese: found at Whole Foods
• 1/8 small red onion: diced
• 1/4  Bosc pear: sliced or diced
• 1/2 Tbs Whole Foods German mustard
• 1-2 Tbs Garlic Expressions salad dressing (I buy at Fresh Market, but sometimes you can find it at Publix)
• a palm full of crushed raw walnuts

In plastic container(lunch size) add spinach, goat cheese, onion, pear, and walnuts. In separate small Glad container, combine mustard and salad dressing. 

Once you are ready to eat: dress your salad in it's own container and shake to coat. Lunch is served! 

I finish my lunch with a clementine for dessert. 

A nice healthy winter meal! 

Em's Tips/Tricks: 

• Prep everything and store in your fridge. This makes making a lunch during the work week so easy. 
• Store your washed spinach in an air tight container. 
• Pre-dice your onion and store in ziploc bag or plastic container. 
• I don't recommend pre slicing your pear as it will brown on you and the goat cheese is easy to crumble over your salad when you are building it in the lunch container. 
• Can't find the cranberry orange goat cheese? Substitute regular goat cheese, Craisins, and a splash of orange juice. 
• No Bosc pear? Ask your grocer for a good sub....you simply want a pear with a bite to it. 
• Sub spicy mustard for German. 

Turn this salad into an entree and serve with pork, steak, grilled chicken, or salmon. 

Novice chefs want to know how to make a bigger salad? 

• 1 bag baby spinach
• 1/2 cranberry orange goat cheese log
• 1/2 to 1 whole Bosc pear
• 2-3 Tbs mustard
• 1/4 cup salad dressing(or more if you like your salad more dressed)
• 1/2 cup crushed walnuts

Picture to come today once I make lunch! :) 

Cranberry Pineapple Cake

A follow up to the apple dump cake. This version would be another great option for a holiday dessert, either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Cloves make me think of the holidays and cooking the cranberries alone will make your house smell divine.  

Ingredients: 

1 cup fresh cranberries(or half a bag)

1 tsp cloves

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 can crushed pineapple

1 box yellow cake mix

1 stick unsalted butter(cut into thin slices)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 pan.

In small saucepan combine cranberries, water, sugar and cloves. Cook on medium low heat until cranberries burst open. (5-10 minutes)

In bottom of 13x9 pour cranberries and pineapple. Sprinkle DRY cake mix over top. Disperse pats of butter over dry cake mix. 

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until top is golden brown. 

Refer to my apple dump cake for tips on how to make less servings. :)

Apple Spice "Dump" Cake

So first off, I am not a fan of the title "dump" cake, but the concept is genius. The idea is that you "dump" all ingredients into the pan with no bowl or stirring required. This dessert couldn't be simpler and I am sharing with you just in time for the holidays! You can wow your family, friends, co-workers, whomever!
The recipe I am sharing with you is enough for 2 servings, keeping true to my website title, but you can easily make the entire 8 serving recipe. (see bottom of post for how to make the bigger serving)

Ingredients:

3 apples; peeled and sliced( I used Pink Ladies)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 cup water
1 box Duncan Hines Spice cake mix
4 tbs butter sliced into 8 thin slices
cooking spray
small casserole dish(I have a dish that is about 4x7)

• each box of cake mix contains exactly 4 cups dry mix which easily allows you to make smaller servings and save the rest for later

Heat oven to 350. Coat casserole with cooking spray.
In small saucepan combine apples, spices, and water. Cook on medium low heat covered, until apples are fork tender.
Pour apples into buttered dish. Top with 1 cup of dry spice cake mix. Place 8 pats of butter over top the DRY cake mix.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until top appears golden brown.
Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
Happy Thanksgiving ya'll!

Okay for all of you out there that now want to make this for your entire family for Turkey Day, here is the 8 serving recipe.

6-8 apples; peeled and sliced
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1/2-1 cup water
1 box Spice Cake Mix
1 stick of butter cut into thin slices

Same as above, except use a 13x9 pan!
Easy peasy! :)

Beef Tostadas

As promised, here is my final meal using the SAME chuck roast we started with over a week ago.
Remember, we have now had chili, roast, stroganoff and now tostadas. That is 4 different meals using one chuck roast!
You're. Welcome. :)


Beef Tostadas

Ingredients:

remaining chuck roast(1/2-1cup)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chili powder
2 hefty tbs refried beans
2,  8 in tortillas(flour or corn)
About 1/2 cup monterray jack cheese(divided)
sour cream
lettuce: chopped

Preheat oven to 350.
Reheat chopped beef in small skillet. Season with pinch of cumin and chili powder.
Heat refried beans in microwave. In small skillet toast tortillas on both sides over medium heat in a smidge of EVOO.
Evenly distribute beans on each tortilla coating it like sauce on a pizza. Top with beef and cheese.
Place in over and bake about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Remove, cut into "pizza" pieces and sprinkle with chopped lettuce and a dollop of sour cream!
Yum-o and easy!

Chuck Roast Stroganoff

If you haven't noticed, this is yet ANOTHER meal using the same chuck roast we used both in the chili and on its own!
This meal is probably one of my all time favorite meals and it's a leftover meal.
Serve with a fresh green veggie( I enjoy broccoli or green beans) and over egg noodles or rice.

"Leftover" Chuck Roast Stroganoff

Ingredients:

8oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup leftover roast chopped
1/2 cup leftover beef broth (this is the yummy beef juices I told you to save from the roast)
1/2 cup sour cream

Heat 2-3 Tbs EVOO in large skillet to medium heat. Add mushrooms and allow to brown 5-10 minutes. (Do Not Add Salt!)
Once mushrooms have cooked down some, add chopped beef and heat through maybe 5 minutes.
Pour in beef broth and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. (your liquid should cook down a little)
Finally stir in sour cream. Done!
Believe it or not: 4 servings!

To me, this is comfort food at it's best. :)

I am still pondering what to do with the remaining beef I have leftover, so stay tuned!

Crock Pot Chuck Roast

As promised, here is my super easy recipe for a beef crock pot roast using the same roast I used in the chili. The roast in total was about 2.75 lb and I used 3/4lb for the chili and the remaining 2lb went in the crock pot. 
This meal is proof that you can eat on a budget AND not get bored with meals. From this one roast I will have chili, roast, and beef stroganoff. I might even be able to make beef fried rice! That's 4 meals from 1 roast! 

Crock Pot Chuck Roast

Ingredients: 

2lb chuck roast
1 box beef broth
1 medium/large onion sliced
2-3 garlic cloves smashed
salt/pepper 
EVOO

Heat 2-3tbs EVOO in large skillet to medium/high heat. Thoroughly season roast with salt and pepper. Sear roast in skillet on all sides. 

• Searing is super important: it seals in all the juices in the roast and provides a lot of yummy flavor! 

Place roast in crock pot and cover with onion, garlic, and beef broth. You want the roast completely covered in liquid, so you can add water(after box of broth) if needed. 
Cook on desired amount of time. I let mine cook on the 10 hour setting. Come hour 8, your meat will be pull apart tender. 
Serve with rice and a green veggie. 
4 servings if you just want roast OR
1 roast serving, 1-2 stroganoff servings, 1-2 fried rice servings. Hot damn that's awesome! :) 

• Roasted broccoli: Toss fresh broccoli with EVOO and season with salt. Roast in oven on foil lined cookie sheet at 400 degrees about 10 minutes. 
• Jasmine Rice: Boil 2 cups water add 1-2tsp salt. Add 1 cup rice to boiling water. Cover with lid, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 min. Don't check it! Leave the lid on the entire 30 minutes. 

Forgot to take a finished product pic! Oops! 

• Save your leftover roast AND it's yummy juice. You will use both for your stroganoff the next night. 
• Shopping ahead, you will need sour cream and mushrooms to finish off your stroganoff. 
• Save your leftover rice and you are one step ahead in making fried rice! 
• If you choose to make the fried rice, you will need an egg and any veggies you like!

Stay tuned for stroganoff and fried rice posts! :)