Toffee Chocolate Grahams

My favorite Christmas candy is English Toffee, but I have not been able to make it for a couple of years. I found this recipe on a blog called Stephanie's Kitchen. I am over sugared right now, but when I need a sugar fix this is what I am going to make.

Chocolate Graham Cracker Toffee

6 whole graham crackers(depending on the size of your crackers you may need more)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Arrange graham crackers in a single layer in a 8X10 inch pan. Add the butter and brown sugar to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour the mixture evenly over the crackers. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips. The chocolate will immediately start to melt, and using a spoon or knife, spread the chocolate to cover the sugar mixture evenly. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top. Let the pan cool to room temperature and then chill until chocolate is firm. Break into pieces.

Granola Pancakes

For those of you who have Emilee's Granola recipe you need to try this!! Next time you make a batch when it comes out of the oven before it gets to dry through it in some pancake batter and make pancakes. SOOOOOO GOOOOOOD! I saw it on Diners Drive Inns and Dives, tried it, liked it:)

My new favorite drink

I love hot cocoa--YUM!  However, sometimes I want that hot-cocoa-snuggly-socks-cozy-blanket feeling without spending my calories on hot cocoa.  You know.  So, this is my new favorite thing.  Warm 8 to 12 oz. of skim (1%, whatever) milk in the microwave for a minute and a half.  Add one teaspoon flavored creamer (my new favorite is vanilla caramel) and one teaspoon sugar.  Stir it well and hold that warm cup in your hands as you smell the deliciousness.  Drink up with no guilt.  And save your calories for when you can really splurge on AMAZING cocoa, instead of that crappy Wal-Mart brand stuff you buy for your kids.  :)

Pizza/Calzones/Baked Potatoes

What does Pizza, Baked Potatoes and Calzones have in common? Ingredients!!!! I made homemade Pizza the other night and felt kinda guilty at how much I spent. I justified it cause we were feeding the Missionaries but when I figured out what to make with the remaining junk I felt better:)

Shopping List

1 can olives

1 carton mushrooms

1 Lrg yellow onion

1 gr bell pepper

1 pkg pepperoni

mozzarella cheese

1 jar spaghetti sauce

Betty Crocker pizza crust (super cheap and work great for me)

Pillsbury ready made dough (in the roll canisters like the Biscuits and Crescent rolls)

Potatoes (we already had these as I'm sure most people do)

Divi up all ingredients between the Pizza, Baked Potatoes and Calzones (1 roll made 3 med ones, 2 for dinner and 1 for Mike's lunch. 375 for 14 minutes but watch them, we dipped the calzones in pizza sauce). Very nice!!!

Sat-Pizza, Sun-Potatoes, Mon-Calzones.

Pumpkin Doughnuts

We are trying these doughnuts tonight on the recommendation of Katie from No Big Dill.  I'll let you know how they turn out.

Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

I made this for dinner today and it was oober yummy and well received by the Mikey.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

3 Pound beef boneless chuck roast

1 C. BBQ sauce

1/2 C. apricot preserves

1/3 C. green bell pepper

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp. packed brown sugar

1 small onion, sliced

12 kaiser or hamburger buns

1. Trim fat from beef. Cut beef into 4 pieces. Place beef in 4 to 5 quart slow cooker.

2. Mix remaining ingredients except buns; pour over beef. Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours or until beef in tender.

3. Remove beef to cutting board; cut into thin slices; return to cooker.

4. Cover and cook on low for 20 to 30 minutes longer or until beef is hot. Us slotted spoon to remove meat from drippings. Fill buns with beef mixture.

Note: apricot preserves can be substituted with peach or orange marmalade.

I used a vinegar based BBQ sauce so if you don't I recommend adding 1 or 2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar. Also I diced the onions instead of slicing them and shredded the meat because it was so tender and moist it was falling apart.

Hedgehog's Yellow Cake

This is Olivia's new favorite recipe because it comes from her second grade reader and is attached to a story about a hedgehog whose friends help him bake a cake (very cute).  It's basic, but delicious, reminding me of good sugar cookies.  I can think of a lot of ways to dress this sucker up.  (Grandma Nielson's fudge frosting anyone?)

Hedgehog's Yellow Cake
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1-1/4 cup self-rising flour (or 1-1/4 cup regular flour, plus 1/2 tsp. salt and 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder)
1 tsp vanilla (good vanilla--Watkin's is the best)
1. Ask an adult to set the oven to 350.
2.  Butter a 9-inch round pan.
3. Mix butter and sugar together in a bowl.
4.  Add eggs, one by one.
5.  Add vanilla.
6.  Mix in flour.
7.  Put batter into pan and bake for half an hour.
8.  Eat warm with a glass of milk.