Homemade by Jenny

Over the summer, I found this recipe online and Halloween finally came around for me to try it. I've made them twice already. The candy corn adds just that extra bit of sweetness! Candy Corn Crispy Treats Recipe Source: KraftFoods.com Ingredients: ¼ c. butter 6 c. miniature marshmallows 6 c. crisp rice cereal (rice krispies) 2 c. candy corn, chopped Orange food coloring (or yellow + red) Directions: In a large sauce pan, melt butter and marshmallows. When marshmallows are completely melted and smooth, add food coloring to desired shade of orange. Add rice cereal and candy corn. Mix well. Press into the bottom of a greased 13X9 inch pan. Once cooled, cut into squares.

Last November, I attended a dinner party thrown by some women at church for those who serve in the Primary program. As a Primary Sunday School teacher, I was lucky to be able to attend. The theme of the dinner was centered primarily around pumpkins... there were pumpkin dinner rolls and something else I had never seen before: "Dinner in a Pumpkin". The woman who cooked it said that she made it every Halloween for her family. It was one of the cutest ideas I had ever seen and I hadn't forgotten about it so I decided to attempt it this year for our Halloween dinner. Over the weekend, my husband and I took our 2-year-old to the local pumpkin patch and we picked out a pumpkin special for this meal. I then got home and looked all over the internet for recipes and they were all so different. Keeping in mind my husbands picky eating habits, I combined and edited a few of the recipes I found and this is what I came up with! Stuffed Pumpkin Dinner Recipe Source: Creation by Jenny,...

I absolutely love layered desserts. they're fun to make and fun to eat. A few weeks ago, my dad mentioned to me that he wanted something blueberry for his birthday dessert. While we were still on the phone, I began searching for something blueberry that my mom could make for his 60th birthday (60 seems to be the magic number this month... my dad turned 60 on Oct. 8th and my father-in-law turned 60 on Oct. 16th). Unfortunately, my parents live thousands of miles away so I knew I would not be able to make the dessert myself. Anyway, I came across this layered blueberry dessert and my pregnant body said I just HAD to have it. This past weekend, my church had a Pig Pickin' (it's a Southern thing...) but luckily it went by another name this year: Fall Festival. I like that name better because it sounds less carnivorous. Someone else cooked the gigantic pig and everyone else brought a side dish or a dessert, so I took this as my perfect opportunity to satisfy my pregnancy cravin...

As mentioned previously, my husband planned a birthday dinner for his dad's 60th birthday. German Chocolate Cake is one of his favorites, so my husband made it to go along with the Austrian dinner. This was the very first time he had ever made a cake from scratch! I tried not to help, but I did end up doing a few things (like separate egg yolks from egg whites... and I also made the frosting because it was getting late). And of course it wouldn't be proper to post this recipe without giving credit to the family member the recipe came from: my maternal grandmother Mary Baynor Whitley. She died young so I never got to meet her and therefore cannot ask where she got the recipe. Perhaps it could be traced even further back in the family. So in her words (or what my mom had written down), you will need: 1 (4 oz.) bar Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate ½ c. boiling water 1 c. butter 2 c. sugar 4 egg yolks, unbeaten 1 tsp. vanilla 2 ½ c. cake flour ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1 c. but...

As I mentioned in my previous post, my husband made an Austrian dinner for his father's 60th birthday. Along with his grandmother's Austrian Goulash , he also made Spaetzle. Before we get too far into this, you might be wondering, "What is spaetzle ?". Well, spaetzle is a type of egg noodle of soft texture found in the cuisine of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary. I also mentioned that my husband's paternal grandmother (Luise Kathrein Sparrow) came from the Tyrol area of Austria. Spaetzle is another one of the dishes she made often for her family. She topped it with butter and cheese and so that is how my husband makes it. However, I have seen other toppings such as crumbled bacon, onions, parsley, etc. I love it when my husband makes this dish because (1) I get to sit back and do nothing in the kitchen for a change, and (2) He begins talking about his grandmother. When we make our family recipes, it brings back fond memories of the ones who used to make...

This weekend, my husband's father celebrated his 60th birthday. As a birthday present, my husband wanted to cook his dad an Austrian dinner. My husbands paternal grandmother is from the Tyrol region of Austria and introduced a few of her favorite dishes to her children and grandchildren. I think this meal was a real treat for everyone, especially for me because my husband (who is not too big on cooking) was the head chef in our kitchen over the weekend and I got to assist for a change. I got him the necessary recipes and he did great! I'm SO proud. The first thing he made was his grandmothers Austrian Goulash. We were able to make this on Friday even though my father-in-laws birthday dinner wasn't until Sunday. It's one of those dishes that tastes even better a day or two after it is cooked. The first thing you need to do is to chop up 4 large onions (we used 6 because this is what makes the gravy. More onions=more gravy). In a large pot, combine the onions with 2 Tbsp....

This is one of my favorite but seldom made recipes. It is extremely high in calories (part of why it tastes so good) so I only make it about once a year on a special occasion. For right now, that special occasion is Bridget's birthday. I made this on both her 1st and 2nd birthdays because it's very kid-friendly to eat. Here is what you'll need: 3 lbs. chicken (skinless & boneless) 5 cans cream of chicken soup 2 c. sour cream 1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chiles 2 c. grated jack cheese 2 c. grated cheddar cheese 12 flour tortillas First, steam (or boil) the chicken. After it is fully cooked, chop it up into small pieces (this is also the time to trim any fat from the chicken). In a very large mixing bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, green chiles, and 2 c. of jack cheese and 1 c. of cheddar cheese. Mix well. Then add the chopped chicken. Spread 12 flour tortillas with mixture, roll up, and lay in casserole dish (I use two 9X13 casserole dishes because onl...

A couple of days ago, my friend Tiffany shared a recipe for a Nutella Mug Cake (which I plan to make very soon once I learn to stop eating all of the Nutella right out of the jar). On the same website, I found another mug cake to try: Chocolate Fluffernutter Mug Cake . If you're too lazy to click the link above for the recipe, here it is: 4 tablespoons white sugar 4 tablespoons self-rising flour 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 3 tablespoons melted butter 3 tablespoons peanut butter 3 tablespoons milk 1 egg marshmallow fluff for topping Melt butter in microwave in a large mug. Then add the sugar, flour, and cocoa powder. Mix. Then add the milk and the egg. After mixing well (with a fork), add the peanut butter. Put in the microwave for 1 1/2 - 3 minutes (depending on your microwave wattage). Insert a toothpick to know when it's done. Top with marshmallow fluff. Microwave for 10 seconds. Drizzle chocolate syrup if desired. The result?: Ooey gooey goodness.

1 c. ketchup ¾ c. brown sugar ½ Tbsp. soy sauce ½ Tbsp. apple cider vinegar Combine all ingredients in saucepan and cook on medium heat. Serve with Savory Sausage-Cheese Balls recipe.

This recipe came from my father-in-law. I think he got it out of a magazine, but don't know which one. It was really good when he made it so I had to give it a try. Around the holidays, I cook a similar sausage cheese ball, but it's a lot more biscuit mix and cheese, and of course less meat. These sausage balls are very meaty. 2 (16 oz.) packages of sausage (Jimmy Dean--I used the Sage flavor), raw 4 c. shredded cheddar cheese 1 ¾ c. all-purpose biscuit mix (Bisquick) 1 c. onion, finely chopped (I tend to add a bit more onion than the recipe calls for) ½ tsp. garlic powder ½ tsp. pepper Combine all ingredients and bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Cool on pan. *Makes 8 dozen Serve with Savory Dipping Sauce recipe. The first batch I put on wax paper, hoping for an easy clean up. The sausage balls stuck to the paper! Second batch I put directly on the pan and they turned out great. Because the meat is raw, it releases a lot of grease while cooking and that helps, whereas in my holiday...

A delicious, easy, quick snack! 1 can refried beans 2 containers avocado dip 1 (16-oz.) container sour cream 1 can olives, chopped Shredded American cheese Tomatoes, chopped Use 9X13” pan. 1st layer – beans 2nd layer – sour cream 3rd layer – avocado dip 4th layer – olives 5th layer – cheese 6th layer – tomatoes Sprinkle chopped green onion on top. Keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days!