Strawberry Dip

I got this idea from some friends and made this for a church event. It was not only delicious but really easy. All I did was mix equal parts strawberry yogurt and Cool Whip. Serve with fresh fruit and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

Grayson and I made chocolate chip cookies today, so we made ice cream sandwiches with them (I love serving these as a dessert). I think these are best when the cookies are still warm, and I used chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. Yum.

Chili

I made chili for the first time tonight. It was really easy to make and turned out delicious. I cooked it in a pot, but Ryan also makes this in a crock pot sometimes.

1 to 2 lbs. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) tomato sauce

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes

1 large can light red kidney beans

Chili powder to taste

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Brown ground beef in a large pot. Add chopped onion and stir periodically for a few minutes. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans. Add chili powder. I used 3 kinds--chili powder, green chili powder, and chipotle chili powder, but normally we just add plain chili powder. I simmered this on medium low for about an hour and a half, stirring periodically. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and biscuits.

Zucchini Muffins

My friend Jody gave me this recipe. They are so easy to make and so good.

3 eggs, beaten
2 ¼ c sugar
1 c oil
3 t vanilla
2 c peeled, grated raw zucchini
3 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
½ t baking powder
3 t cinnamon

Mix first 4 ingredients well and add remaining ingredients. Bake in greased muffin pans at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until lightly brown.

I only got 3 zucchini, and grated it was about 1 1/4 cups. They still turned out delicious, but next time I'll probably get 5 or 6. I also mixed about a tablespoon of butter with about 1/4 cube of cream cheese, some powdered sugar, and a splash of vanilla to make a cream cheese frosting. These muffins are absolutely delicious without the frosting, and with it as well. With the frosting it tasted a lot like a pumpkin roll, which is one of my favorite desserts ever.

Baked Chicken and Couscous

I made this for dinner a few nights ago. It was so easy and I thought the plate looked really pretty on the table. I just used Shake n' Bake to coat chicken breast and pork chops, then baked them for 20 or so minutes. I then cooked couscous and steamed vegetables, and that was it. Delish.

Cinnamon Rolls

So here's my take on cinnamon rolls: lots of work, lots of time, lots of mess, but SO good. They're awesome as an occasional treat. I found this recipe on Cooks.com and have used it several times. The rolls are nice and soft, and my favorite part is that you pour melted butter and sugar in the bottom of the pan before you put the rolls in so the finished product has a yummy crust on it.

Dough:
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1 c. warm water (105-115 degrees)
2/3 c. plus 1 tsp. granulated sugar, divided
1 c. warmed milk
2/3 c. butter
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
7-8 c. all-purpose flour, or more if needed

Filling:
1 c. melted butter, divided (2 sticks)
1 3/4 c. granulated sugar, divided
3 tbsp. ground cinnamon

Creamy Glaze:
2/3 c. melted butter (1 stick plus 2 tbsp)
4 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4-8 tbsp. hot water

In a small bowl mix together warm water, yeast and 1 tsp. sugar and set aside. In a large bowl, mix milk, remaining 2/3 c. sugar, melted butter, salt and eggs; stir well and add yeast mixture. Add half the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour until dough is slightly stiff (dough will be sticky). (Bonny's note: I only used 7 c. flour.)

Turn out onto a well-floured board; knead 5-10 minutes . (Bonny's note: I kneaded for about 7 minutes.) Place in well-buttered glass or plastic bowl, cover and let rise in warm place free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Bonny's note: These rolls get really big, so I only let them rise for 1 hour.)

When doubled, punch down dough and let rest 5 minutes. Roll out on floured surface into a 15x20 inch rectangle.

To prepare filling: Spread dough with 1/2 cup melted butter. Mix together 1 1/2 c. sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over buttered dough.

Roll up jellyroll-fashion and pinch edge together to seal. Cut unto 12 to 15 slices. Coat bottom of a 13x9-inch pan and an 8-inch square pan with remaining 1/2 c. melted butter, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in pans. Let rise in warm place until dough is doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until rolls are nicely browned. Cool rolls slightly.

To prepare glaze: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix melted butter, powdered sugar and vanilla; add hot water 1 tbsp. at a time until glaze reaches desired spreading consistency. (Bonny's note: I used 5 tbsp. water.) Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

The author of this recipe calls them "Cinnabunns Cinnamon Rolls" and says, "Just like the ones in the mall!" I personally don't think they taste like "Cinnabon's" rolls, but like them just as much, if not more. The recipe also says you can add 1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts and/or 1 1/2 c. raisins to the filling if desired, but I have never done that.

I like to serve these right out of the oven, but they are just as delicious the next day if warmed in the microwave for 20 seconds.

So like I said, lots of work, but great finished product in the end. Enjoy!

Blueberry Banana Parfait

These were so easy to make and turned out so well. I thought they looked great, and I loved the juicy fresh pineapple, the creamy pudding, and the burst of blueberry flavor. Yum! I came up with this as I was wandering around the grocery store today.

1 package (5.1 oz) vanilla instant pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
Fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed)
1 banana, sliced
Cool Whip
Fresh pineapple (optional)

Prepare pudding as directed on box (whisk 3 cups cold milk with pudding mix for 2 minutes, let sit for 5 minutes). In a clear glass, layer pudding, several banana slices, and a generous spoonful or two of blueberries (I used frozen berries that I thawed in the fridge for several hours). Layer more pudding on top, then another layer of bananas and blueberries. Top with Cool Whip and garnish with a pineapple wedge.