Chex Muddy Buddies

This is such an easy and delicious snack...albeit, maybe not the most healthy option, but great to satisfy those chocolate/peanut butter cravings. I made my brother a whole batch to share with his girlfriend for Christmas. I couldn't stop snacking on them. I recently made them again (with a slight tweak that I will discuss at the end) for this weekend's upcoming Gasparilla Extravaganza Children's Parade. We are going with our friends and bringing my niece. It will be a long day, so we will need snacks. I also had a bunch of Chex left, so what else to do with them, but to make these? Oh by the way, we always referred to this as "Puppy Chow."

Chex Muddy Buddies
(Printable Recipe)

9 cups Chex cereal (you can use any you like or even combine some)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (see below for a yummy recommendation)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar


1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. You can even freeze this recipe.

For my substitution I divided the entire recipe in half and instead of having all chocolate, I used white chocolate for half. My hubs said he thinks he likes the white chocolate better! I thought it was taste funny with the peanut butter, but it doesn't. The white chocolate and peanut butter combo actually tastes a lot like Reese's Peanut Butter Cup peanut butter and very little like white chocolate.

SO GOOD!
Oh here is the nutritional info from http://www.chex.com/

1 Serving (1/2 cup): Calories 220 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 4g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 200mg; Total Carbohydrate 30g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 17g); Protein 3g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 6%; Iron 25% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 MyPyramid Servings: 1 tsp Fats & Oils *% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Skyline Chili

There is a restaurant in Clearwater called Skyline Chili. They originally started up in Cincinnati, Ohio and have a few chains around the country. Their chili is really more like a chili sauce which can be served over pasta, fries, hot dogs, etc. My husband LOVES their 3-way chili (more about this in a bit) and has taken me over there for a few lunches throughout our courtship. Yum...that's all I have to say about it. Immediatly upon tasting it, I noticed a hint of a cinnamony flavor...my hubs HATES cinnamon....or so he says. I read over their menu and the original owners (who of course made the recipe) are Greek.
We have had this chili on pasta and on fries....I have had it as a burrito filling...all so good! I found the following recipe on recipezaar.com and tried it at home. Almost exactley the same. It is still missing something, and I can't put my finger on it....but close enough that I would never miss the original recipe. I have made it twice over the past few weeks and we just love it! I hope you try it and enjo! Serving suggestions at the end of the recipe. (PS- some of the ingredients may sound strange, but believe me, combined they taste amazing!)

Skyline Chili knock off
(Printable Recipe)

1 cup onion finely chopped (no chunks in chili at the restaurant- I grated mine with a cheese grater- oh and feel free to use more, the hubby says he doesn't like onion, so I am starting small and putting more in each time)
2 pounds ground beef (I used 90% lean with no problems)
4 cups beef stock
16 oz tomato sauce
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp vinegar (I used white)
1/2 oz grated unsweetened chocolate (or substitute cocoa powder- look for conversion on this)
2-4 cloves of garlic smashed or finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste depending how spicy you want it)
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves

1. Brown onion over medium high heat. Add broth and ground beef. Seperate ground beef so it is fine (no clumps). Bring to a slow boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, assemble spices and other ingredients. (I usely put all the ingredients in 1 bowl and dump in at the same time). After simmering 10 minutes, put all other ingredients into the pot. Allow to simmer uncovered for 1 hour.
3. Skim off fat (if you have any, with 90% lean there isn't even enough to skim).
4. Serve over pasta, in a burrito, over nachos, over hot dogs, on a baked potato, on french fries, on a salad, etc.

Now at the restaurant, their most ordered dish is the pasta...they serve it different ways....3-way, 4-way, 5-way.
The 3-way is the spaghetti, chili, and a heaping amount of finely shredded cheddar cheese
The 4-way is the 3-way with either diced onions or red beans
The 5-way is the 3-way with both red beans and diced onions

I prefer mine with onions and NO beans. I also will sometimes ask for tomatoes. Oh one other thing, they always give you a bowl of oyster crackers with your meal. Yum...hope you like it!

Smile.ly—Be Heard. Be Happy.

Smile.ly—Be Heard. Be Happy.

My cousin who has savingyoudinero.com blogged about this website a few days ago. If you join, they will give you free samples that you can try and share your feedback on. There are also places on the page to share brands that you like with others. You can get some great information on products that others like and some people even share where you can find coupons.
Check it out!

Cheesy mashed potatoes

This Christmas I got the urge to try a bunch of new and different recipes. I was watching the food network (as always) and Giada De Laurentis was making this recipe for mashed potatoes. They sounded so yummy I knew I had to try them. I know it not a great idea to try new recipes for the first time on a holiday, but when else am I going to make such a decadent dish?
Well I made it, and EVERYONE loved them! My sister told me that my niece never eats mashed potatoes....well she ate her serving and asked for more! I got so many compliments. This may become a family tradition!

Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes
Courtesy of Giada De Laurentis
(Printable Recipe)

4 pounds peeled and cut into small pieces (so they boil faster)- I used 5 pounds of Yukon Gold
1 cup whole milk
1 stick butter melted
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesean
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp plain bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan and set aside.
2. Cook potatoes in salted boiling water until tender. Drain the potatoes and return to same pot. Mash well.
3. Mix in milk and melted butter. Mix in mozzarella and 3/4 cup parmasean cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer potatoes to prepared baking sheet. Mix remaining parmesean cheese and bread crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over potatoes.
5. Bake until golden brown.

Nut Crescents - aka Sand Tarts

These are one of my favorite Christmas cookies. My mom makes them every year. This year, I decided I wanted to make them. This would let me try out the recipe and give my mom some help with the hectic holiday baking. Funny enough, the night before I was going to make them, Paula Deen made them on her cookie swap show. Her recipe is the same, the only difference is she cooks them lower and slower. I will put her recipe here. You may be wondering why they are called sand tarts. The cookie has almost a sand like texture because it crumbles and melts in your mouth. It is SO delicious!

Nut Crescents aka Sand Tarts
Courtesy of Paula Deen
(Printable Recipe)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar (you will need more for dusting the cookies after they bake)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans (almost to consistency of raw sugar)

1. Preheat oven to 270F.
2. Using a mixture on low speed cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the vanilla. Add in the flour. Mix in the pecans with a spatula.
3. Take 1 Tbsp of dough and shape into a crescent. Place 1-2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake 40 minutes.
5. While still warm, dredge cookies in confectioners sugar. (Careful because they break easily when warm) Allow to cool completely on racks. Store in airtight container.

YUM!

Apple Strudel

I made this recipe for Thanksgiving last year and this past Thanksgiving as well. It is always a huge hit. So much easier than pie and just as tasty, if not more tasty. I might make it for my dad for Christmas, because he is asking for pie.

Apple Strudel
Courtesy of Peppridge Farm
(Printable Recipe)

1 sheet of thawed puff pastry (1/2 of a 17.3 ounce package- there are 2 sheets per package)
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 large apples, cored, peeled and sliced thinly (original recipe calls for Granny Smith, but I used a mixture with Gala and Granny Smith)

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. In a small bowl, beat egg and water. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add sliced apples and toss to coat.
4. On a lightly floured surface, unfold sheet of puff pastry. Roll into 16x12 inch rectangle with the short side closest to you.
5. Spoon the apple mixture onto the edge closest to you. Roll up like a jelly roll. Tuck in edges to seal. Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture. Cut slits on top of pastry.
6. Bake 35 minutes, or until browned. Let cool for about 20 minutes before serving.

This would be SO good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Low Fat Chicken Alfredo and a Contest

Tonight I made a very yummy dinner. Chicken Alfredo. Instead of cream, I used skim milk. In order to have a low carb meal, serve over low carb pasta, or even just eat it alone. My picker eater hubby liked it and so did I!

Low Fat Chicken Alfredo
(Printable Recipe)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup grated parmesean cheese
(I used other cheeses that I had in the fridge and needed to use up)
1 tsp garlic powder
3 cups skim milk (or more or less depending on desired consistency)
Salt and pepper to taste


1. Over medium high heat, cook cubed chicken until no longer pink. Drain any juices.
2. Melt butter in pan with chicken. Add flour. Allow to cook for about 1 minute. Add milk, spices, grated cheeses. Bring to slow boil. Allow to thicken.
3. Enjoy!