Easy Queso Dip

Guess what??  It was my treat week this week.  This gave me a chance to try out a new Pinterest recipe.  It seemed to go over well so I thought I would share.  It is super easy!!

1 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 can Rotel, drained
1 pkg. TGI Friday's spinach and artichoke dip (this can be found in the freezer section)

Place all three ingredients in your small slow cooker.  Warm to melt and serve with chips.  How easy is that!

Awesome Baked Beans

I just have to share with you one of my new favorite recipes (again found on Pinterest).  These are some awesome baked beans.  The only comment I got from my family is to double the recipe next time.  I had only made half; unsure how it would turn out.  I will share with you the full recipe.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we have.

2 (15 oz) cans Bush's pork & beans (the only one's in my book)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pkg  onion soup mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 lb mostly cooked bacon

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients except bacon together and spread in a 9×13 dish. Top with cooked bacon. Cover with aluminum foil and bake covered for 30 mins, then uncovered for 15 mins. (Makes one 9×13 dish)

Pineapple & Black Bean Salsa

I got this recipe recently off of Pinterest.  If you haven't checked out their website, you really should.  There are some great links to recipes and a bunch of other great ideas.

1 15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c. chopped fresh pineapple
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and minced
3 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Coarse salt

In a medium bowl, combine black beans, pineapple, jalapeno, red onion and lime juice. Season with salt and serve with tortilla chips.

Maple Monkey Bread

Hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas!  My friend, Carrie, recently introduced me to Pinterest.  It is an awesome website with a lot of recipes.  I have tried a couple from there and made this one this morning for breakfast.  It was really good and super easy!

1 tube Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits
3 Tbsp.. butter or margarine, melted
1/2 c. pancake syrup
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a fluted pan with non-stick spray. Combine the melted butter and syrup in a small bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts (if desired).  Place about half of the syrup mixture in the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture on top.  Lay the biscuits on the bottom of the pan, overlapping edges to form a ring.  Top with remaining syrup and sugar mixtures.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for one minute in the pan, then carefully invert onto a serving platter and enjoy.

Peanut Butter Toffee Cheesecake Brownies

I wasn't quite sure how my treat day was going to turn out at work today.  I was trying out two new recipes and that can be a little scary.  I brought a bunch of clementines as a back up in case something was a flop.  By the way, I think clementines must be in season right now because they are wonderful.  This was the desert I chose to make.

1 box brownie mix
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. water
2 eggs
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
8 oz. Heath toffee chips
1 c. milk chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. whipping cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease 9x13 pan.  In a bowl combine brownie mix, oil. water and eggs and spread in pan.  Set aside pan.  In another bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Mix in milk and peanut butter, then stir in 1 cup of toffee chips.  Spoon this mixture over the brownie mix in pan and try to spread out as much as you can.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until cheesecake mixture is set.  Let cool and place in refrigerator.  After they have cooled some, combine chocolate chips and whipping cream and microwave for 40-60 seconds til smooth.  Spread over the brownies and sprinkle with remaining toffee bits.  Store in the refrigerator.

McDonald's Peppermint Hot Chocolate

So have you tried the new McDonald's peppermint hot chocolate?  I made the mistake and gave in and tried last week Friday, and only because I had a full punch card so I got it free (kind of).  It was very good!  Tonight I tried to replicate it and I must say I thought it turned out really good although I did not do a side by side taste test.

First, I want to say that I always use chocolate milk to make hot chocolate.  Growing up at the truck stop in town our favorite waitress (I think her name or nickname was Bee) would always make it for us this way instead of the powder.  We always felt special when she did that.

So, to start I heated some chocolate milk in a mug in the microwave until hot.  Then I added 1-2 Tbsp. peppermint flavoring syrup (the kind of stuff you add to your coffees) and stirred.  If you were going to do it up like McDonald's you would swirl some whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup on top.  Me, I opted for lots of mini marshmallows. 

Yum!!

"Shout From The Housetop" Apple Dumplings

I was really anxious to try this recipe and tonight was the night.  This recipe makes 16 little dumplings, more than a family of three really needs to eat.  So I thought I would share with my parents and sister.  Wasn't long after I dropped them off and I was getting a text looking for the recipe and telling me I should "shout it from the housetop".  Well, my mom is a good cook so these must be good.  I even got Tristan to try one after telling him about the "secret ingredient".

2 whole Granny Smith apples (I used Honeycrisp because that is what I had on hand)
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Cinnamon, to taste

And now for the "secret ingredient"...
6 oz. Mt. Dew

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Peel and core apples.  Cut each apple into 8 slices.  Roll each slice in a crescent roll and place in a greased 9x13 pan.  Melt butter and stir in sugar until just combined.  Add vanilla, stir and pour over the apples in the pan.  Pour the Mt.Dew around the edges of the pan and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake for 40-50 minutes and serve with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

Mine seemed a little runny when I took them out of the oven.  I did drain some of the liquid and returned them to the oven for just a little bit longer.