Category: Food

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Muddy Buddies

I’ve recently been informed–by the male population of this household–that the Gracious Rain Recipe tab is highly deficient–in that it does not contain a certain recipe apparently most essential to the happiness, health and well being of said male population. duh.

Anything for you my darlings…

Muddy Buddies

Ingredients:

9    cups Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Wheat Chex
1    cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2    cup peanut butter
1/4    cup butter or margarine
1    teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2    cups powdered sugar

Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
In 1-quart pan, slowly melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter on low heat. stir until melted and mixed thoroughly and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake the wits out of it until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool.

Store in airtight container in refrigerator–or just pour it in a bowl and watch the wolves converge. Ours lasted about an hour.

Seriously.

 

Muddy Buddies
 
Print
:
Ingredients
  • 9    cups Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Wheat Chex
  • 1    cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • ½    cup peanut butter
  • ¼    cup butter or margarine
  • 1    teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-1/2    cups powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
  2. In 1-quart pan, slowly melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter on low heat. stir until melted and mixed thoroughly and 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 the wits out of it until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool.

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Peanut Butter & Jelly “Sushi”

Tell the truth…

Have you ever, in your whole life–seen a kiddie snack this adorable?

No. I’m sure you certainly have not.

Come with me. I’ll show you how to make them yourself.

Start with the basics:

Bread

Peanut Butter

Jelly

Cream cheese

Squish the bread flat. This step gave me the perfect chance to use my cute little roller again.

Load 3 pastry bags with jelly, cream cheese, and peanut butter. That should keep things tidy.

Somewhere along the way, trim off one edge of the bread—I found that this really helps when you are pinching it all closed, at the end. As you’ll see in the pictures, I didn’t do it for some and it was harder to seal.

Pipe in a line of peanut butter…

and fold the bread down over it.

Now pipe a line of jelly…

and fold it over again.

Lastly, pipe a line of cream cheese and fold over one final time.

Be sure to pinch the “seam” together so that it will hold is cute little sushi shape. Cut in 3/4 to 1 inch segments with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. You may need to plump the little dears back into shape–but it will work.

Feel free to try other fillings, if you like. We tried a strawberry cream and look how adorable!!

They were a huge hit with the hobbits…

huge.

And just think…

you didn’t believe your kids would ever eat sushi!

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Summer Jam Squares

If I’m sharing this little sweety with you–you must be in with us…deep. No, I mean, like, you know, family.

Summer Jam Squares

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups rolled oats

2 cups brown sugar

1-1/2 cups butter

1-1/2 cups summer jam–peach, raspberry, strawberry, plum–whatever!

Directions:

Measure first four dry ingredients together  and set aside. Cream brown sugar and butter together until soft and fluffy. Slowly add dry ingredients and blend until soft and crumbly. Pat 1/2 of the crumbs in a jelly roll pan.

Press firmly or roll with a dowel or small rolling pin–like this one, my favorite little baking utensil at the moment. Next, carefully spread jam over the top of crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the jam layer until covered. Press the crumbs gently to set in place. Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes or until top is golden brown. Slide a knife or spatula around the edges as it cools to keep hot jam from sticking to the sides. It will be easier to slice this way–trust me. Cool completely then cut into squares.

Prepare to be adored…

and rightly so.

Summer Jam Squares
 
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Ingredients
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsps. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1-1/2 cups butter
  • 1-1/2 cups summer jam--peach, raspberry, strawberry, plum--whatever!
Instructions
  1. Measure first four dry ingredients together and set aside.
  2. Cream brown sugar and butter together until soft and fluffy.
  3. Slowly add dry ingredients and blend until soft and crumbly.
  4. Pat ½ of the crumbs in a jelly roll pan.
  5. Press firmly or roll with a dowel or small rolling pin--like this one, my favorite little baking utensil at the moment.
  6. Next, carefully spread jam over the top of crust.
  7. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the jam layer until covered.
  8. Press the crumbs gently to set in place.
  9. Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes or until top is golden brown.
  10. Slide a knife or spatula around the edges as it cools to keep hot jam from sticking to the sides.
  11. Cool completely then cut into squares.

 

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The Guy Can Cook

Who knew?

Before he left for his mission, I would have bet good money that he didn’t know what ginger root actually was. Imagine my surprise to find him in the kitchen peeling and mincing the darn stuff.

And his way with yellow pepper was lovely to behold.

Dude. We’re impressed.

Next, he took some of these…

stripped, spiced and pan fried…

added his pretty vegetables…

and mixed it all together with hot pasta.

It was incredible.

Just think…a handsome man who can cook…

and give a great back rub.

Priceless.

Yes, yes.

It’s soooo good to have him home…

for a lot of reasons!

—–

Click HERE to enter our Summer Readathon Giveaway!!

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Summer Fruit Salad

Have somewhere to be quick and need to bring a potluck? Well, here’s a super fast, incredibly easy and magnamoniously tasty fruit salad, that will likely become a family favorite.

Yes, I made up the word magnamonious.

Ingredients:

8 oz. Cool Whip Frozen Topping

8 oz. Yogurt–any fruit flavor or vanilla

Whisk both together in a bowl and add:

1 can pineapple chunks (drained)

1 can mandarin oranges (drained)

2 chopped apples

Add any other fruit chunks that you want by the cupful–such as strawberries, pitted cherries, raspberries, grapes, or peaches. Just keep adding whatever floats your boat, until you’re ready to quit. Any combination is fabulous and there is no way to do this one wrong.

Feel free to use my magnamonious word…

at your leisure.

Happy Summer y’all.

 

 

Summer Fruit Salad
 
Print
:
Ingredients
  • 8 oz. Cool Whip Frozen Topping
  • 8 oz. Yogurt--any fruit flavor or vanilla
  • Whisk both together in a bowl and add:
  • 1 can pineapple chunks (drained)
  • 1 can mandarin oranges (drained)
  • 2 chopped apples
Instructions
  1. Add any other fruit chunks that you want by the cupful--such as strawberries, pitted cherries, raspberries, grapes, or peaches. Just keep adding whatever floats your boat, until you're ready to quit. Any combination is fabulous and there is no way to do this one wrong.