A Simple Easter Recipe

 

Here’s a recipe for a simple Easter treat so easy and tasty that it might well become an annual tradition.

All that you need is a refrigerated roll of "crescent rolls", a package of large marshmallows, a little butter, and an oven.

Commemorating the events of Easter, the rolled out crescents represent the linen cloth that was wrapped around Christ, who is depicted by His culinary equivalent: a large, snow-white marshmallow.  Each cloth is “anointed” with a touch of butter before entering the “tomb” at about 400 degrees and baked as desired.

A miracle occurs when the tomb is opened and the shroud is empty!  Children will love this, the rolls will be a delicious and sweet addition to an Easter breakfast and the preparation parallels the Easter tradition.

Have a Happy Easter and a happy spring to all!!!

• It Wouldn’t Be Easter Without Hershey’s Candy — Celebrate with This Hershey’s Giveaway! (susanheim.blogspot.com)
• Easter Sunday Activities for Families (socyberty.com)

Cream Puffs

 

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

• 1 cup cold milk

• 1 pkg (4 serving size) Vanilla or white chocolate instant pudding

• ½ cup thawed cool whip

• 1 square Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate, melted                                                     

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface; roll out to 10” square. Cut into nine circles with 3” cookie cutter or rim of glass. Place on baking sheet. Bake 10 min. Remove to wire racks to cool. Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Cover. Refrigerate 15 min. Cut pastry circles horizontally in half. Spoon pudding mixture evenly onto bottom halves of pastry; cover with tops. Melt chocolate and drizzle. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Soft Cheese Pretzels

 

History

Pretzels come in many sizes, shapes and even flavors.  They have been a favorite snack food for people of all ages for hundreds of years... but did you know that pretzels were first developed as a Lenten food?  Pretzels were first made in the early 600’s as an option to satisfy the abstinence and fasting laws.  Milk, fat, and eggs were forbidden during Lent. A young monk baked the first pretzel using water, flour and salt. Early Christians would pray by crossing their arms and touching each shoulder with the opposite hand. The monk shaped the strips of dough in the form of praying arms. These little breads are known as “bracellae” which is Latin for “little arms”.  In German, the word became “bretzel”. These pretzels were sometimes called “Pretiola” meaning “little reward” and were often given to children as a reward for reciting their prayers. The three holes in the pretzel represent the Holy Trinity. Through the years, the pretzel became a symbol of good luck, long life, and prosperity.

Pretzel Time!

Making pretzels can be a fun family event – here is an easy recipe that does not call for yeast and includes cheese. These will not taste like traditional pretzels –they are more similar to cheese straws. You can change up the recipe a little by adding mustard (yellow or Dijon). For a little zip, add a bit of cayenne pepper and/or chopped jalapenos. Or make "peanut pretzels" by omitting the cheese and using 2 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter instead of the butter and using 2 tablespoons chopped salted peanuts instead of the coarse salt.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

Directions

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese and milk, stirring until dry ingredients are slightly moistened. Be careful not to overmix. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10-12 times.

Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut dough lengthwise into eight 1-inch strips. Twist each into a pretzel shape; brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.  Place on lightly greased baking sheets and bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool pretzels for a few minutes on wire racks; serve pretzels warm.

Makes about 16 pretzels.

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Tomato, Basil, and Cheddar Soup

 

Here's a recipe for a delicious tomato soup. When paired with the Super Scrumptious Grilled Cheese Sandwich, these two make quite a combo. Enjoy!

Ingredients

(Makes 6 servings)

• 2 28-oz. cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped, loosely packed
• 2 tsp of oregano
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

Over medium heat, add the olive oil to a large pot. Add the chopped onion and allow to cook until tender, about three to four minutes. Add in chopped garlic and cook for an additional two minutes. Pour in the two cans of tomatoes (juice and all) and the vegetable stock. Stir in the basil, oregano, sugar, and salt and pepper. Place the lid back onto the pot and allow to simmer ten minutes. At the end, stir in the Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese until well blended. Use either an immersion blender or food processor to puree the soup if you prefer a smooth texture. Garnish with chopped basil and grated cheddar cheese if desired.

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Rolo Pretzels

 

These are perhaps the tastiest, most simple treat to prepare for the holiday season. With barely any effort, you can have loads and loads of these delightful snacks just in time for your holiday party.

Ingredients:

Rolos

Smaller pretzels (such as Snyder's or Rold Gold)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. While the oven is preheating, line up the pretzels on a cookie sheet. Place one Rolo candy on top of each pretzel, and then place an additional pretzel over the Rolo, making a "Rolo-pretzel sandwich."

Place the cookie sheet (now covered in "Rolo-pretzel sandwiches") into the oven for about three minutes. The Rolos should have begun to melt, but not liquefy, which is PERFECT. Remove the tray from the oven. Using a fork, press the pretzels down. Allow some time for the caramel and chocolate from the Rolos to set. (You can speed up this process by placing them in the fridge.)

**Microwave: Instead of using your oven, place five of these Rolo-pretzel sandwiches on a microwave safe plate and cook on medium power for 35 to 45 seconds.

Now you have the perfect combination of chocolate, caramel, and pretzel! All under five minutes of preparation time! Enjoy!

Turkey Chili

 

Where's the beef?!

Hint- it's not in this recipe. Now that the cold weather is approaching, here is a recipe for a satisfying, filling way to warm up on those chilly evenings, beef-free.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground turkey

• 2 cans of Trader Joe’s marinated bean salad (undrained)

Cherry Cheese Bars

 

A trip to the bakery is always such a treat, and now you can cook these pastries in your very own kitchen! To get that warm, bakery feel in your own home, just follow the directions:

Crust:

• 2 cups flour

• ½ lb. oleo, melted

• 2 teaspoons sugar

Mix above ingredients together & pat into pan-cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until brown.

1^st bowl:

• 8 ounces cream cheese

• 1 cup confectioner's sugar

Mix together.

2^nd  bowl:

• 1 packet Dream Whip

• ½ cup milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip together.

Combine the 2 bowls and then spread on the crust. Cut into squares & top with your choice of canned pie filling, cherry pie filling is the best.

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

 

With football season now in full swing, most of us seem to be always looking for yummy recipes for tailgating parties or at home get-togethers. Here is one which I hope will prove to be a big hit during your game viewing sessions.

Ingredients:

2 (10 oz) cans chunk chicken, drained

1 ½ cups cheddar cheese

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1 bunch celery, cleaned & cut into 4” pieces

1 cup Ranch dressing 

1 (8 oz) box chicken-flavored crackers

¾ cup pepper sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot)

Directions:

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm.  Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly (approx 30–40 minutes).  Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

Kicked Up Macaroni and Cheese

 

Are you in the mood for something special, yet simple? Well, I've got the perfect option for you. Have some macaroni and cheese kicked up a couple of notches tonight. The kids will love it, and so will you!

Ingredients:

- 1 ½ cups rotelle pasta
- 3 tsps. hot pepper sauce
- 4 tbsps. butter, divided
- 1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
- ¾ tsp. salt
- 2 tsps. chili powder
- ½ tsp. ground white pepper 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook for 8 – 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsps. butter.  Whisk in flour and cook, stirring,  1 minute. A little at a time, whisk in milk, mustard, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minute, then remove from heat and whisk in pepperjack, cheddar and parmesan until smooth. Stir in cooked pasta and pour into shallow 2 quart baking dish. Melt remaining 2 tbsps. butter. Stir in bread crumbs and chili powder. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes.

Cocktail Meatballs

 

Whether you're looking for something to complement your pasta (spaghetti, shells, ziti) or you just want a quick, easy-prep appetizer- meatballs are the way to go! And won't you feel proud when you say that you crafted them yourself? Prepare to show off your skills as you prepare meatball treats that taste better than those in the freezer aisle.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 (8 oz) can jellied cranberry sauce

1 egg

¾ cup chili sauce

2 tbsps. Water

1 tbsp.  brown sugar

½ cup bread crumbs

1 ½ tsps. lemon juice

3 tbsps. minced onion

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, water, bread crumbs, and minced onion.

Roll into small meatballs.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, turning once.

In a slow cooker or large saucepan over low heat, blend the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice.

Add meatballs, and simmer for 1 hr before serving.

Enjoy!

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