Roasted Chickpeas

I've got an interesting snack for you today.  I have seen recipes for this floating around on the internet and thought I needed to give it a try.  These have a very satisfying crunch!  I like that you can season them in whatever flavor sounds best to you and add as much or as little salt as you like.  This is definitely a great, healthy snack!

Roasted Chickpeas

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Olive oil
Seasonings

Drain and rinse chickpeas.  Lay them on a paper towel to dry.  Pinch them to remove the skin.  (This takes a while, but it's kinda fun!)  Pat them dry.  Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with oil and roll them around so they're all covered.  Roast at 400 for about 35 minutes.  Remove from the oven and pour them into a bowl.  Season to taste.  I added salt, garlic and onion powders, basil and oregano.  You could also do a Mexican spice blend with chili, onion and garlic powders, cumin and dried cilantro.  It's all up to you!

Everything Cookies

This is my mama's recipe.  She calls these everything cookies because they have a little bit of everything.  I would argue that they should be called everything but raisin cookies, because I think putting raisins in cookies might be a sin.  Raisins have their place in cereal or trail mix, but not cookies.  I put my own little twist on these by adding butterscotch chips and cinnamon.  Yum, yum!

Everything Cookies

3/4 cup shortening or butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter (I always use reduced fat creamy)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups oats
1-2 cups chips (My mom always uses chocolate, but any kind would be good.)

Beat the shortening/butter and sugars until fluffy.  Blend in the peanut butter and then the eggs and vanilla.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Slowly add it to the mixture.  Add the oats and then stir the chips in by hand.  Drop spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Easy Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Apart from a bowl of cereal, breakfast can't get much easier than this.  And this is certainly a nice break from a bowl of cereal.

Easy Apple Cinnamon Rolls
From Six Sisters' Stuff

1 tube of refrigerated crescent rolls
1 can of apple pie filling

Place rolls in greased baking dish.  Top rolls with apples.  Bake according to package directions.  You may need to add a couple minutes to be sure they are done.  Top with icing.  

Sprite Biscuits

These have been making their way around Pinterest, although known as 7Up Biscuits instead.  I had Sprite on hand so I used that instead.  I love how easy these are!  They're not too salty or too sweet and very fluffy.  The butter also makes the bottoms nice and crispy.  We will definitely be having these again at our house!

Sprite Biscuits

2 cups biscuit mix (such as Bisquick)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)
1/2 cup Sprite or 7Up
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 450.  Place butter in the bottom of a square pan and put it in the oven for the butter to melt while you mix the dough.

Cut the sour cream into the biscuit mix.  Then add the Sprite and stir until well combined.  At this point you can either pat out the dough on a floured surface and cut out biscuits, or you can take the shortcut like I did and just divide out 9 lumps of dough.  Place the biscuits on top of the butter.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Frozen Coke

This takes me back to my childhood!  When my sister and I were in elementary school we loved to go to Target and get a frozen Coke.  I don't know how, but somehow this magical drink tastes even better when frozen.  Most Target stores don't sell this anymore.  Now it's been replaced with flavors like white cherry and blue raspberry.  Couldn't they at least make these fruity drinks in their proper colors?  Anyway, this isn't even a recipe, but I came across this idea on the internet recently and knew I had to give it a try.  It's almost as good as Target's!

Frozen Coke

Since this really isn't a recipe, I'll just give instructions.  You must have a small electric ice cream mixer.  I have the ice cream making attachment for a Kitchen Aid mixer.  Turn the mixer on and pour in as much or as little coke as you'd like.  You could use other soft drinks too, I suppose.  Allow it to churn for 5-10 minutes or until it is the icy consistency you'd like.  Pour and enjoy!

Sausage Balls

This really isn't an exciting post, but I wanted to blog this recipe just so I'd have it on hand the next time I want to make these.  These are you standard sausage balls.  I made these for a shower this past weekend.  They're always a hit!  My tip - use your food processor to grate the cheese.  This will save time and arm muscles!

Sausage Balls

1 lb. hot sausage (I think Owens is spicier/better than Jimmy Dean.)
1 lb. extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups biscuit mix

Mix all ingredients.  If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer, use the dough hook and mix as much as you can.  Then use your hands to mix until all the crumbs are mixed in.  Roll into balls and place on a baking rack on a rimmed cookie sheet.  (You can just place them on the cookie sheet, but using a baking rack allows all the grease to drip down underneath the balls.)  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Meatloaf

This is my Mama's recipe (although I think it originally came from Betty Crocker).  It goes perfectly with some green beans and a cheesy, starchy side.

Meatloaf

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian)
1 can tomato sauce
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
chopped onion (optional)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce plus a little extra for the sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
brown sugar

Combine the beef, bread crumbs, 2/3 cup tomato sauce, milk, egg, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mustard, pepper and sage.  Mix well.

In a small bowl, mix the remainder of the tomato sauce with Worcestershire sauce and sugar until you like the way it tastes.

You can bake the meat 1 of 2 ways.  You can bake it in a loaf pan at 350 for about 90 minutes, or you can form 1/4 lb. patties and bake them on a baking sheet at 375 for about 20 minutes.  Top with sauce before baking.  Reserve extra sauce to spoon over meatloaf before serving.

Fruit Pizza

You're just going to have to trust me that this is a very pretty dessert.  I made this Saturday night when we had company over for dinner, and I was throwing it together at the last minute as they walked through the door and didn't get a picture.  I love how easy this is and the fruit is nice for a summer dessert.

Fruit Pizza

1 package sugar cookie dough
8 oz. cream cheese (low fat)
powdered sugar (about a cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
fresh fruit, washed and cut

Press cookie dough into a tart pan or round pizza pan.  Bake at 350 until starting to turn golden brown.  Allow to cool completely.

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla on high until spreadable.  I didn't measure the sugar.  Just add enough until it is sweet enough for you.

Spread cream cheese mixture on top of cookie.  Top with fruit.

Broccoli Salad

Here's a great summer salad recipe!  It's from Paula Deen, so you know it has to be good!  This is a perfect side dish for grilling out!

Broccoli Salad
Adapted from The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook

2 heads broccoli, chopped and washed
6 to 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix together mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar.  Add to broccoli mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Fiesta Chicken Casserole

This is a popular recipe in our family!  As Aaron pointed out - it has 2 of his favorite foods - rice and tortilla chips.  Even my little wannabe vegetarian gobbled this up, completely unaware that he was eating chicken!  This recipe has lots of flavor and is super quick to throw together.

Fiesta Chicken Casserole
From Plain Chicken

3 cups cooked chopped chicken
1 cup instant rice (uncooked)
1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles, undrained
1 tablespoon Southwestern or Taco seasoning (I just throw in a bunch of seasonings, no mix)
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

Combine chicken, rice, soup, Rotel, seasoning, milk and 1 1/2 cups of cheese.  Pour into a lightly greased square baking pan.  Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Top casserole with crushed chips and remaining cheese, bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted. 

Southern Vanilla Ice Cream

I call this "Southern" because I'm pretty sure this is not the way they make ice cream up north.  As long as I can remember my family has been making this recipe (or similar, at least) for homemade ice cream.  When I was in middle school we invited our neighbors over to enjoy a bowl with us.  They were from Philadelphia, and after eating a few polite spoonfuls they stared at us like we were crazy for eating ice cream soup.  True, this is much softer than your traditional ice cream, and you have to eat it quickly because it melts faster too.  But this will always be my favorite.  Add a crushed Butterfinger bar and it's just about perfection!  I have modified this slightly from my Nanny's original recipe so that it will fit in my Kitchen Aid ice cream maker attachment for my mixer.

Southern Vanilla Ice Cream

3 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 cup sugar
1 small can evaporated milk
2-3 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon flour
dash of salt
2 cups half-and-half
1 1/4 cup whole milk

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Mix the yolks and sugar until creamy, then fold into the egg whites.  Add evaporated milk, flour, salt and vanilla, gently folding until well combined.  Add half-and-half and milk, stir to combine.  Follow ice cream maker directions for freezing.  Place in freezer for a few hours before serving.

Note: You can substitute the milk and half-and-half with any combo of these two or heavy cream that you like.  In total you need 3 1/4 cups.

Fudgy Brownie Cookies

If you're craving something chewy and chocolatey I've got the perfect fix!  I found these on Pinterest and they did not disappoint.

Fudgy Brownie Cookies
From Tasty Kitchen

1 package fudge brownie mix
1 & 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons water, or more as needed
1 cup chocolate chips

Whisk together brownie mix, flour and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, followed by butter and water.  If the batter appears like there is too much flour, add 1 more tablespoon of water.  Batter will be very thick.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Press dough down slightly.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  

Roast Beef Sandwiches

In case it isn't obvious, I've fallen behind on posting lately.  This summer has been crazy busy!  I think when you have small children the summers are actually busier than the school year.  Last week we were on vacation.  My souvenir was a lovely stomach bug that kicked my tail for days.  Not exactly fuel for trying new recipes.  Anyhow, I'm feeling a thousand times better and back in the kitchen!  I hope to have a handful of new recipes for you this week.  Let's start off with a quick and easy but still terrifically tasty dinner!  These sandwiches remind me of a Philly cheese steak, but they're super easy!  Enjoy!

Roast Beef Sandwiches

1 lb. deli roast beef, sliced thin
6 slices provolone cheese
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 sandwich buns (we love the Hawaiian sweet rolls)

Sautee onion over medium heat until starting to turn golden brown.  Add some oil/butter/cooking spray as necessary to keep from burning and sticking.  Tear roast beef into small pieces and add to onion, stirring to combine.  Season as you like.  Sometimes I add garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce.  Cook for a few minutes until heated through.

Split buns and place open sides up on a cookie sheet.  Pile beef and onions on bottom sides of the buns.  Top with cheese slices.  Broil until cheese is melted and buns are toasted.  Place bun tops on sandwich and serve.