Top Eleven Recipes of 2011

It has been really fun to go back through all the recipes from 2011 and remember what was made this year. Gray and I set down and talked about the different recipes and this is the list we came up with for our top Eleven recipes of 2011.

11. Durkee's Chicken

10. Mini Toffee Rolls

9. Cream of Tomato Soup

8. Self Frosting Nutella Cupcakes

7. Bruschetta Chicken Bake

6. French Dip Sandwiches

5. Black Bean Hummus

4. Creamy Chicken Lasagna

3. CocaCola Cake

2. Quick Beer Pizza Crust

1. Panko Crusted Salmon

I'll be back at the start of 2012 with some great recipes!!! Thanks for all your support this year friends. I love having this blog and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Spinach, Mushroom, Sundried Tomato Boursin Pasta

The idea of this recipes came from Baked Bree but I gave it a big makeover based on what we had and what sounded good for us. Hints the slight name change. This was awesome pasta!!! I love boursin so I had very little doubts that it wasn't going to be great.

1 package bowtie pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bag baby spinach
1 package Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced

1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
fresh pepper

Cook the pasta according to the directions. In a pot saute the spinach in olive oil with garlic and place in a bowl. Combine the milk, chicken broth and boursin in the pot. Once it's melted add sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, dill, fresh pepper and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Stir well. Stir in pasta and spinach. Let the mixture sit together for 5 minutes. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

BBQ Chicken Crescents

The recipe for these babies came from Plain Chicken. They are so quick and fun! We had them for dinner one night but they would be perfect for a party!

8 fully cooked fried chicken fingers
4 slices provolone cheese, cut in half
1 can crescent rolls
1 cup BBQ sauce

Heat oven to 375. Roll out the crescent rolls into triangles. Put bbq sauce in a bowl. Dip a chicken finger into the bbq sauce. Top the chicken finger with half a piece of cheese. Roll up the crescent and place on a greased cookie sheet. Continue until all the chicken fingers and crescent rolls are gone. Bake for 18 to 2o minutes.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I love love love Broccoli Cheddar Soup but I am kinda picky about it. This soup was amazing! Warm, cheesy and filling! The recipe is from Cassie Craves.

6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion (chopped )
1/4 cup AP flour
2 cups half-and-half
3 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups broccoli florets
1 large carrot (diced )
2 1/2 cups grated sharp white and/or yellow cheddar cheese (plus more to top with)

Melt butter in a pot, saute the onion until tender. Add the flour and whisk it in, cook until golden brown. Slowly whisk in the half and half until smooth. Add the broth, bay leaves and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Add broccoli and carrot, simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves. Place soup in blender and puree until smooth. Add it back to the pot. Add cheese and stir in. If soup is too thick, add water to thin it out. Pour into bowls and top with cheese.

Chicken Fried Steak

Yum. Yum. Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum. This is PW's recipe. Did I mention it is good?

3 pounds Cube Steak
1-1/2 cup Whole Milk (plus 2 more for the gravy)
2 Eggs
3 cups All purpose Flour (plus 1/3 cup for gravy)
Seasoning Salt
1/4 tsp Cayenne
Black Pepper (and plenty of it!)
Canola Oil
Salt

In one boil mix the eggs and milk together. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, seasoning salt, cayenne and lots of black pepper. Place the meat on a dish then have a clean dish to place it on once you get it all coated. Dip it in the milk mixture then the flour mixture then back in the milk mixture and back in the flour mixture and place on the clean plate. Continue with each piece of meat. Heat oil in a skillet. Drop in a a bit of flour to test if it's ready. Once it's ready place the meat (a few batches at a time) into the oil. Cook until crispy and brown on both sides. Repeat with all the meat, adding a little more oil if needed.

If there is lots of grease remaining then remove all but 1/4 of a cup from the skillet then whisk in 1/3 cup of flour. Cook until a golden brown color. Add milk and cook until thick, if it gets too thick add a little more milk. Season with salt and lots of pepper.

Top the steak with the gravy and serve right away!

Mini Garlic Monkey Breads

Real Mom Kitchen, at this point, need I say more?

2 (7.5 oz) cans Grands Biscuits
6 tbsp butter (melted)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Mix together the remaining ingredients. Dip each biscuit into the mixture and place into muffin tin. Place 3 pieces into each tin. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

Fireside Coffee

My BFF Bekah passed this recipe along and said I HAD to try it right away! It took me a few weeks to get around to but I finally did! In fact I forwarded the recipe to my mom and told her to grab the ingredients and we would mix it up together and split it! It makes a good amount and we ended up making several rounds for gifts after we heated up a cup! Oh it's so so so good! The recipe is from The Dudley's blog.

1 cup instant coffee
2 cups Swiss Miss cocoa (try to find the large container, makes it easier)
2 cups Cremora (you can only get this at Wal-Mart, hints getting mom involved, I DO NOT GO to Wal-Mart. Ever. Period. Except once and that's a long story)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar

Mix everything together in a bowl. Mix 3 to 4 tablespoons with one mug of boiling hot water. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Pockets

Gray loves buffalo anything! I am not always a huge fan but these were good! I knew he would love them and I always try to make a meal or two a week that I know he will really really enjoy so I am glad I tried these. The recipes came from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch.

1 can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
5 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
1-2 tbsps Frank's Red Hot sauce
2-3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Heat the oven to 350. Mix together the cream cheese, hot sauce and worcestershire sauce. Add the chicken and stir well. Separate the crescent rolls into four rectangles. Spoon the chicken mixture on the crescent dough and seal the edges well. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve hot.

Easy Crock Pot Potato Soup

Who doesn't love potato soup? Who doesn't love their crock pot? Easiest dinner ever created and perfect for a cold winter night! The recipe is from Pearls, Handcuffs and Happy Hour.

42oz of chicken broth

1 30z bag of shredded hashbrowns

1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 pkg cream cheese

Place everything in the crock pot but the cream cheese. Stir together and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. 1 hour before cooking cut the cream cheese into pieces and stir into the soup. top with cheddar, chives, bacon, sour cream, ect. Serve hot.

Savory Chicken and Broccoli

Oh Yum. This was a great dish. I really wasn't sure about it while I was making it but it ended up being warm and gooey and absolutely wonderful, I adapted it a bit and made it to fit our taste. The recipe is from Confabulation in the Kitchen.

1/2 cup butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 can chicken broth
Black pepper and salt to taste
1 baguette

2 tbsp olive oil
1 package frozen broccoli (steamed until bright green)
2 large chicken breasts (cooked and sliced)
1/2 cup grated cheddar

Heat oven to 375. Cut the baguette into crouton pieces. Heat olive oil over medium high heat and saute the bread, cook bread until toasted. Season with salt and pepper. In a pan melt the butter, add the flour and cook for a minute. Season with pepper. Add the chicken broth and turn off the heat. Stir until thick. Layer the baguette, broccoli and chicken. Pour sauce over. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Mini Toffee Rolls

I posted the recipe for Mini Cinnies a few weeks ago and these are similar but with TOFFEE! Real Mom Kitchen hit another home run. Gray devoured these and I had to fight to get some. Oh my goodness. They are chewy, sticky, messy goodness! They would be so fun and easy to make for the holidays. I cut the recipe in half since it was just two of us eating them but I am posting the full recipe.

6 tbsp butter (softened)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup toffee bits
2 80z cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
4 1/2 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Cream together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir in the toffee bits. Separate the crescent roll dough into 4 rectangles. Spread the toffee mixture on the dough and roll up. Cut into 1 inch pieces and place in a greased glass dish. Bake at 375 for 14 to 16 minutes.

In a bowl combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and drizzle over the toffee rolls. Serve warm.

Pretzel M&M Cookies

My brother LOVES pretzel M&Ms so when he came home from college one weekend I made these for him. They were really good!!!! My brother called me once he was back at school and said he had to hide them from his roommate :) The recipe is from Two Peas & Their Pod.

2 1/2 cups AP flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups pretzel M&M's
Sea salt (for sprinkling on cookies)

Heat oven to 375. Combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate bowl cream together the sugars and butter until smooth. Add eggs then vanilla extract. Slowly add the flour mixture on a low speed until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and M&Ms. Drop spoonfuls of the batter on to a parchment lined baking pan two inches apart. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

This is the BEST chicken for tacos. So flavorful and so easy!!!! This recipe is from Stephanie Cooks!

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 tsp cumin

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove from crock pot and shred. Serve with taco shells and all the fixings.

Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers

Oh yes, this was good stuff. What I love about orzo is it always makes a ton! We eat leftovers for lunch every day so I try to make a meal or two that I know is going to give us lots. This was a great dish that we will be making again. The recipe is from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Chicken Breasts (cooked and shredded)
1-2 red bell peppers (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp dried thyme
3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
1 lb orzo pasta
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 tbsp dried parsley
Squeeze of lemon juice

Boil pasta and when it is done reserve a cup of water. While pasta is boiling heat a pan with olive oil and saute peppers, mushrooms and thyme. Add chicken and garlic and cook for about a minute. Add cream cheese and melt then add the cup of pasta water and bring to a boil. Stir in salt and pepper. Add the orzo, Parmesan, parsley and lemon juice. Stir and let heat for a few minutes. Serve hot.

Spinach Dip

I love a good spinach dip but never made one before the other night. I found a particular recipe online and told Gray about it, his first question was if the spinach was fresh or frozen, it was frozen. He asked me to find one with fresh spinach. I found this one that I had pinned on pinterest from The Comfort of Cooking. Oh.My.Goodness. There were 4 of us and we ate the entire thing. It was amazing. I think this is my new favorite dip recipe!

2 tbsp olive oil
6 oz. baby spinach
8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded, plus some extra for the top)
1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1 cup sour cream
5-6 cloves garlic (minced)
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend together cream cheese, mozzarella, parmesan and sour cream. In a pan heat the olive oil then saute the spinach and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach to the cream cheese mixture and blend together. Pour into an 8x8 pan. Top with more mozzarella. Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes.

Apple Toffee Blondies

After we went apple picking I knew these were one of the first things I wanted to bake with them! These are sweet, like REALLY sweet, but delicious and crumbly, crumbly in a good way. This recipe is from Cookies and Cups.

Bars:
2/3 cup Butter (room temperature)
2 cups Light Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
2 cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup Apple (peeled and chopped)
1/2 cup Toffee Bits

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking pan. Beat together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla until fully blended. On low add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in apple and toffee bits. Pour and spread into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Do not ice until completely cooled.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter in saucepan. Add milk and brown sugar then bring to a boil. Whisk in powdered sugar. Let the frosting cool until it is thick enough to spread. Spread on to the bars and let cool before slicing.

Cream of Tomato Soup

This is hands down one of my favorite soups. It is SO easy, I mean simple simple simple easy! Gray and I both love this and we make it often during the winter. This recipe is from Real Mom Kitchen, if you didn't know, I am a big fan of her recipes!

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups tomato juice or V-8 juice
1/4 tsp baking soda
2-3 cups milk
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried basil (optional)

Melt the butter then add flour and whisk until smooth. Add the tomato/V-8 juice. Stir until it thickens. Whisk in baking soda, 2 cups of milk, sugar and salt. Cook until heated and desired thickness. Taste, add more milk if needed. Stir in dried basil. Serve hot.

Lunch Lady Bars

I think these are Gray's new favorite little treats. They are super moist cookie bars and are all kinds of amazing. The recipe is from Delicious Meliscious.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup canola oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine the oil and sugars. Add one egg at a time and combine then add the vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry then fold in the chocolate chips. Grease a baking dish. Pour the batter into the dish, spread evenly and bake until golden brown.

Crock Pot Roast

I love my crock pot. It makes dinner easy breezy and turns out some delicious meals that seem like they would take hours to prepare. I love love love a roast in the crock pot. This is a nice solid roast recipe, nothing crazy just ultra flavorful and very tender. This recipe is slightly adapted from Crepes of Wrath.

3 to 4 pound boneless chuck roast
32oz low sodium beef broth
1 6oz can tomato paste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp paprika
3 tsp allspice
10-15 baby carrots
1 onion (sliced thinly)
8-10 red potatoes (quartered)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the beef broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and sugar in the crock pot. Add the paprika, allspice, salt and pepper. Add half your veggies then place the roast down over them then add the remaining veggies. You want the roast to be almost fully submerged in the liquid, if it's not then remove some of the veggies under it and place them on top. Cook on low for 7-10 hours.

Cheese Breadsticks

Who doesn't love cheese sticks? These were good, easy, and just the right addition to a big bowl of pasta. I found this recipe over at My Recipe Box.

Dough:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tso salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp oil

Topping:
1/4 cup prepared Italian salad dressing
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
dash black pepper
1 to 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a mixing blow combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Combine the water and oil in a separate bowl then add to the flour mixture. Mix and add flour as needed to form a soft ball in the mixing bowl. Knead the dough for several minutes on a flat surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl combine salad dressing, sugar, salt, garlic powder, oregano, thyme and black pepper.

Once the dough is ready, punch it down. Place on a greased pan and pat down until you reach the desired shape. Brush the dressing mixture over the bread then top with cheeses. Bake at 450 for 11 to 13 minutes. Slice and serve warm.

Creamy Caprese Pasta

Just looking at this picture is making me hungry for this pasta! This yummy recipe was found over at How Sweet It Is! This recipe is all kinds of delicious and was a big hit with both Gray and I!

1 lb whole wheat penne or ziti pasta
1 cup tomato/pasta sauce
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 oz fresh mozzarella (cut into cubes)
1 pint of grape tomatoes (cut in half or quartered)
5-5 fresh basil leaves (chopped)

fresh mozzarella cut into thin slices (enough to top some of the dish)

Heat oven to 350. Boil the pasta according to directions. As the pasta cooks, heat the pasta sauce in a saucepan. When warm add the cream and parmesan. After the pasta is cooked and drained, add to the sauce. Stir in the mozzarella cubes, tomatoes and basil. Pour into a baking dish. Top with fresh mozzarella circles. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm.

Stuffed Baked Apples

These were such a quick and fun dessert to make for Gray and I! I found this recipe over at the Jane Deere blog, I adapted it to fit our taste and what we needed.

3 Apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tbsp butter (softened)

1/2 cup quick cooking or old fashioned oats
1/2 cup Heath Bits O’ Brickle
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup apple juice

Heat oven to 425. Cut two of the apples in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the apples in a dish. 4 tbsp of butter and the remaining ingredients except the apple juice. Fill the apples with the mixture. Cut the remaining 2 tbsp of butter into 4 pieces, place on top of the filling of each apple. Pour the apple juice into the bottom of the dish. Bake in oven until the apples are fork tender, around 20 minutes.

Tomato Bacon Grilled Cheese

It's fall. I love fall. And I love this grilled cheese. It's simple and easy and can be attributed to know one because I have seen it on tons of menus. My love for it comes from my mother though, I'm not sure I have ever seen her eat it but whenever she sees it on a menu she would always talk about how it's one of her favorite sandwiches. It really is devine.

2 pieces of bread

4 strips bacon (cooked)

2-3 slices of tomato

1 piece sliced cheddar cheese

1 tbsp butter

Melt half the butter in the pan over low-medium heat. Place on piece of bread down, lay down bacon, tomato then cheese and top with the other piece of bread. Let it cook on one side until it is nicely browned, lift from pan and melt remaining butter. Flip and let grill on the other side until brown. Serve warm.

This recipe was also linked over at the Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight for Bacon.

Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice

Easy Easy Easy!!!! This recipe is from Southern Plate, it's the perfect warm, filling and easy recipe to make on a busy night! Did I mention it is easy?

3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Onion (chopped)

1 Box of Long Grain and Wild Rice with Seasoning (cooked)

Place chicken in crockpot, add onion and cream of mushroom soup. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Before serving add cooked rice and stir in. Serve hot.

Mini Cinnis

Real Mom Kitchen has some of the best easy breakfast recipes I have ever seen. I have posted many of them already. I love being able to fix breakfast at home on the weekends but truthfully, I am only going to put in so much effort on a Saturday morning, all these recipes are super simple and very delicious. I adore these little mini cinnamon rolls and could eat WAY more than I should. I also cut this recipe in half for our family.

2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated crescent creation dough or the rolls
6 tbsp butter (softened)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Create rectangles out of the crescent roll dough. Combine the butter, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. Spread the butter mixture onto the crescent roll dough. Roll up and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place in a 8x8 greased pan. Bake at 375 for 14 to 17 minutes or until done. After removing the pan from the oven make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract by whisking until smooth. When the cinnis have cooled for 5 to 8 minutes, drizzle with glaze. Serve warm.

Parmesan Garlic Bread

This is another adapted recipe from Simply Scratch. Gray and I both thought this bread was the perfect addition to any meal, it was flavorful and still had a nice crunch. It would be wonderful to dip in a good pasta sauce!

1 loaf of Italian Bread
2 stick of Butter (softened)
3 cloves of Garlic (minced)
2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese

1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Dried Parsley
Salt and freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste

Combine the butter, garlic, parmesan cheese, onion powder, and parsley. Add salt and pepper, mix until combined well. Cut Italian bread down the middle and spread the butter mixture on it. Broil until desired doneness is reached.

Baked Penne with Chicken and Tomatoes

This is a great great recipe for the fall and winter, it was so gooey and cheesy! Yum. The recipe is from Cinnamon Girl and very very slightly adapted.

6 tbps butter
salt and pepper
1 pound penne pasta
1 tsp olive oil
2 chicken breast (cooked and shredded)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 garlic cloves (minced)
6 cups whole milk
1 can diced tomatoes (drained well)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

Heat oven to 400. Boil pasta. In a deep pan, melt butter. Add flour and garlic, whisk for 1 minute. Continue to whisk and slowly add the milk, 1 cup at a time. Bring to a simmer and whisk often. Add tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Stir in mozzarella and immediately remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper. Add chicken and pasta to the mixture. Pour into a grease 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining parmesan cheese and bake for 25 minutes.

Bacon and Cheese Red Potatoes

This was another quick invention when I realized that I was missing an ingredient for a different recipe! Gray and I both loved these and I will be making them again and again!

8-12 red potatoes (quartered)

4 tbsp butter (melted)

4 pieces bacon (crumbled)

1/4 cup diced onion

1/2 tsp lowery seasoning

1 cup shredded cheddar

Heat oven to 375. Mix all the ingredients together, pour into a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, top with cheddar and return to oven for 10 to 15 more minutes. Serve warm.

This recipes was linked over at the Eat at Home ingredient spotlight for bacon.

Swirled Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

I love anything with a pumpkin cream cheese combinations! These were wonderful, just as I expected! This awesome fall recipe is from The Baker Chick.

6 tbsp butter (melted and slightly cooled)
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup water
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 container (8 oz.) cream cheese (room temperature)

Heat oven to 350. Put the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a bowl and mix until smooth with a mixer. Beat in two eggs, pumpkin and water until combined. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and nutmeg. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. In a small bowl beat the cream cheese, 1 egg and 1/4 cup of sugar until smooth. Spoon the cream cheese mixture on top of the pumpkin mixture then swirl together. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

Pesto Green Beans

I feel like I am posting the easiest recipes in the world right now, I love easy! Who doesn't love easy? I found this recipe over at 400 calories or less.

1 lb green beans

1 tbsp prepared pesto

Steam the green beans until desired tenderness. Toss in pesto and serve right away.

Honey Mustard Club Sandwich

This is my version of the BLT Club from Simply Scratch. I'm not a huge deli meat fan but I do love a good club sandwich as long as the deli meat is cut thin. In my opinion this is the perfect turkey sandwich! This recipe is for 1 sandwich.

2 pieces white bread (toasted)

2-4 slices of turkey

1 slice cheddar cheese

1 slice provolone cheese

2 slices tomato

3-4 rings red onion

4 slices of bacon (cooked)

Mayo

Honey Mustard

Coat both slices of bread with mayo. On the bottom piece layer cheese, then turkey, then bacon, then onion, then tomato. On the top piece of bread add a thick layer of honey mustard. Slice and enjoy!

Crock Pot Coke Marinated BBQ Pork

Everyone does the rootbeer pork all the time and I have tried but it's just too sweet for me. The other day I had a boston butt and knew that I wanted to use it to make BBQ and I had a bottle of coke, so I went for it. Also if you are wondering what in the world that is on top of my pork, it's Orangeburg style BBQ sauce. It's a South Carolina thing and it's a sweet and slightly tangy sauce. Oh I could just drink it, it's my favorite with a mustard based sauce being my second runner up. Gotta love the south and all our different BBQ sauces.

1 Boston Butt Roast

3 cups Coca Cola

Salt and Pepper to taste

Marinated the boston butt for 1 to 12 hours in 2 cups of Coca Cola. Place the meat in the crock pot, put a fresh cup of coke in the bottom. Salt and pepper the meat. Set to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours. Shred and serve with your favorite sauce.

Perfect Party Cookies

I made these adorable and delicious cookies for my son's 5th birthday party! They were a huge hit, I love that they were fun and festive sitting on the table. The recipe is from Stephanie Cooks and she hit a home run when she created this recipe!

1 cup flour
1 cup yellow boxed cake mix
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup butter (melted then slightly cooled)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
4 tbsp colored sprinkles

In a bowl stir together the flour, cake mix and baking soda. In a separate bowl beat together the butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until creamy. Add the sugar and brown sugar and stir in. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir. Stir in the chocolate chips and sprinkles. Heat oven to 350 and refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Keep dough cool if not being baked. Cool for 5 minutes on pan then place on a baking rack.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

When I saw this recipe on Plain Chicken I just knew that I wanted to try it! I love these quesadillas and next time I think I might use a spicy ranch instead of regular ranch. I love making quesadillas, they are just too easy.

Tortillas

1/3 cup mushrooms (sliced)

1 cup chicken (cooked and diced)

1/4 cup ranch dressing

5 - 6 pieces of bacon (chopped)

1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese

Spray pan with cooking spray. Lay tortilla on pan, on one half of the top with cheese, bacon, mushrooms and chicken then drizzle with ranch dressing. Fold the empty half over and press down. Flip after a few minutes and cook until both sides have browned and are crispy. Repeat until all the quesadillas are done.

Grilled Broccoli and Lemons

We love broccoli but normally we just steam it, when I saw this recipe I knew we had to try it right away! I loved it and would eat it this way every time, Gray liked it but wasn't as crazy about it as I was. This recipe is from the Noble Pig blog.

1 bunch of broccoli, sliced into large pieces
2 lemons, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper

In a bowl, coat the broccoli and lemons with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, rotate the broccoli as needed. Remove from grill when tender and slightly browned. Squeeze the lemon over the broccoli before serving.

Peach Cobbler

This is the peach cobbler recipe my mom has always made! It reminds me of 4th of July at the beach.

5 to 7 fresh peaches, diced

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup and 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup self rising flour

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350. Toss the peaches with 1/4 cup sugar. Place in a 8x8 baking dish. Mix together butter, 1 cup sugar, flour, egg and vanilla. Pour over peaches. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cover with foil if it starts to brown quickly but isn't done. Serve warm with ice cream.

Cinnamon Biscuit Fritters

I love an easy, semi-homemade breakfast recipe! Real Mom Kitchen as the best ones! These were simple and delicious for a lazy Saturday morning and I think they will go into heavy rotation at our house.

Fritters:

2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
6 tbsp butter, melted
1 16.3 oz pack Grands Biscuits

Glaze:

1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1- 1 1/2 tbsp hot water

Heat oven to 350. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Dip Biscuits into butter then completely into the sugar mixture and place on a greased pan. Repeat until all the biscuits are done. Bake for 13 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven. In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over the biscuits. Serve warm.

Quick Beer Pizza Crust

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, I figured it would be good enough pizza. Gray and I both loved this recipe and it could not be more easy. We will be making this a lot! I found the recipe on pinterest and it's from Bluebonnets and Brownies.

4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil

1 12 oz beer (room temp)

Combine four, yeast, baking powder, salt and olive oil. Add beer and mix by hand or with a mixer using the dough hook. Mix for 7-9 minutes if using the mixer, longer if mixing by hand. Form a ball out of the dough and let rise for 30 minutes to 2 hours. When you are ready heat the oven to 450. Roll the dough out on a pizza stone or baking pan. Place the rolled out dough in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and top with desired topping. Place back in the oven until the pizza is golden brown. Remove and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes before cutting.

New Potatoes with a Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

This is one of my favorite new side dishes. They were soooo good and they seemed kind of fancy but are way easier than how fancy they seem to be! This recipe is from A Farm Girl's Dabbles.

3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt (divided)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (divided)
7 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
3 lbs small red potatoes (quartered)
3 tbsp minced chives
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Heat oven to 400. Combine 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, garlic, and potatoes. Spread over a lined sheet pan. Bake for 1 hour, flip after 35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes after coming out of the oven. After the potatoes come out of the oven remove the garlic and squeeze out the pulp into a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and whisk well. Toss the potatoes in the vinaigrette. Serve warm.

Cream Cheese Pie

Some people might call this cheesecake but it's not, it's a pie and it is deliciously not cheesecake. Slightly similar but different yet totally amazing. I found this recipe on blogging...it's what's for dinner.

1 Graham Cracker Crust (homemade or store bought)

Filling:

16 oz cream cheese (softened)

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

Topping:

1/2 pint sour cream

3 1/2 tbsp sugar

Heat oven to 350. With an electric mixer beat together cream cheese, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice and sugar until smooth. Pour into the pie crust. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the pie is set. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk together the sour cream and sugar and pour on top of pie. Bake for 5 more minutes. Remove and refrigerate for at least 5 hours before serving.