Category: Recipes

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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
 
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:
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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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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Summer Fruit Salad

Do you 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.

You can see that we make this salad up with whatever fruit–fresh or canned–that we have on hand.

Annnnd 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

   1 container strawberries (cut up)

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
 
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:
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.

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Summer Garden Salad

Ok, ok…I admit it. None of this actually came from my real live garden…yet.

Oh, but it will. Soon…very soon.

And when it does–

oh…my-my.

Summer Garden Salad

Ingredients:

Roma tomatoes–cut in chunks

Cucumbers–seeded and cut in chunks

Snap Peas

Ranch Dressing

Italian Dressing

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

There are no amounts listed because it’s all relative. Normally, if I’m making this just for me–I’ll cut up one cucumber, 2 tomatoes, add a handful of Snap pea pods and toss. Mix equal amounts of Ranch and Italian dressing together and drizzle lightly over vegetables. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese.

This is one salad that stores and travels much better than wilty old lettuce. In fact, it will just make you glad to be alive.

Oh, and Michele M. and Patty Ann–this recipe was for your suggestion to use veggies and snap peas. Hope you like it.
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Mini Shepherd Pies

Just perfect individually or by the fistful–so, if you go about it daintily you could nibble on them for a few days. But if your house is full of big burly brutes then….well then–expect them to disappear a bit more quickly.

Either way–everyone’s happy.

 

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups water
3 tablespoons butter
1-1/4 cups mashed potato flakes
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1 batch Bisquick biscuit dough
1 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat til meat is browned. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until tender; drain. Stir in the ketchup, vinegar and salt; set aside.

Make the biscuit dough and shape into tablespoon sized blobs.

Press 1  dough ball onto the bottom and up the sides of each of 10 greased muffin cups.

Fill with beef mixture.

In a small saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Pour into a small bowl. Whisk in potato flakes until blended. Beat in cream cheese until smooth.

Spread potato mixture over beef. Sprinkle with cheese; press down lightly.

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve to the dudes.

Mini Shepherd Pies
 
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:
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • ⅓ cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/4 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1-1/4 cups mashed potato flakes
  • 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
  • 1 batch Bisquick biscuit dough
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat til meat is browned. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until tender; drain. Stir in the ketchup, vinegar and salt; set aside.
  2. Make the biscuit dough and shape into tablespoon sized blobs.
  3. Press 1  dough ball onto the bottom and up the sides of each of 10 greased muffin cups.
  4. Fill with beef mixture.
  5. In a small saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Pour into a small bowl. Whisk in potato flakes until blended. Beat in cream cheese until smooth.
  6. Spread potato mixture over beef. Sprinkle with cheese; press down lightly.
  7. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.