Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars

OMG! I cannot wait to try this recipe out. I think my boys will LOVE them. I heart you Duncan Hines.

Cookie Bars:

1 pkg Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Classic Yellow Cake Mix

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Drizzle:

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tsp shortening

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease and flour 13 x 9-inch pan.

For cookie bars, combine cake mix, melted butter, brown sugar, water, eggs, 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and pecans in large bowl. Mix with spoon until thoroughly blended. Spread in pan.

Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely.

For drizzle, combine 1/2 cup chocolate chips and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high power for 30 seconds; stir. Repeat until chocolate is melted. Drizzle over cooled bars. Allow chocolate to set before cutting into bars.

Heavenly Maple Syrup Muffins

Heavenly Maple Syrup Muffins..... need I say more?????

Ingredients:
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup maple syrup
***GLAZE***
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin pans, or place liners in cups if preferred.

Soften margarine, blend in sugar and salt. Add dry ingredients and blend with pastry cutter until crumbly. Mix in oats.

Blend milk and syrup together and pour over dry ingredients, stirring only until just combined. Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins test done.

Mix the butter, powdered sugar and maple syrup. Spread glaze over muffins when they have cooled slightly.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage

Another great recipe score from Family Fun. This is one of my hubby's favorite meals... and a cinch to prepare. I have never added sugar or vinegar to mine in the past... but I am eager to try this variation. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The slow cooker is the perfect way to go for this traditional dish, since it must bubble away untended for hours, in any event. Be sure to serve with crusty bread, and Dijon mustard and horseradish on the side.

Ingredients

• 4 cups hot water
• 2 tbsp. cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

• 1 large or 2 medium onions, cut into wedges
• 1 3-lb. corned beef round or brisket, packaged with spices
• 8 small white or yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
• 1 head of green cabbage (about 1 1/2 lbs.), cored and cut into 10 wedges

Instructions

1. In a 6-quart electric slow cooker, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, pepper and onions, mixing well. Place the corned beef in the mixture. Scatter the potatoes over the top and along the sides.

2. Cover and cook on the High heat setting 4 hours. Remove the lid and scatter the cabbage wedges over the top. Cover and continue cooking on High 3 to 4 hours longer, or until the beef is tender. To serve, carve the beef into slices and serve with the cabbage and potatoes, with some of the cooking liquid spooned on top of the beef to keep it moist. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Blueberry Muffins.

From Williams-Sonoma. Enough said.

These sweet, buttery muffins are delicately spiced, with a cakelike texture. Fresh blueberries are best, but if you have only frozen berries, stir them into the batter without thawing, or their dark juice will turn the muffins purple.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 cup milk
• 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup blueberries

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 400ºF. Butter 16 standard muffin cups.

In a bowl, stir and toss together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, butter and eggs until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Add the blueberries and stir just until evenly incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about three-fourths full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan. Makes about 16 standard muffins.

Smothered Pork Chops

Smothered Pork Chops

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Beef Stock

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Vegetable cooking spray

6 bone-in pork chops, 1/2-inch thick (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 medium onion, sliced (about 1 cup)

Stir the cornstarch, stock and black pepper in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth.

Spray a 10-inch skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute.

Add the pork and cook until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the pork from the skillet.

Remove the skillet from the heat.

Spray the skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute.

Add the onion and cook until it's tender-crisp.

Stir in the cornstarch mixture.

Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens.

Return the pork to the skillet.

Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.

source campbell's

cheddar potato soup

stay warm with this hearty soup. once again, i can't recall which magazine it came from. it has been in MY recipe book for years now. i offer you two time saving tips for this recipe.

#1- i use a hand blender right in the pot to avoid transfering small batches of soup into the blender.

#2- i have used canned potatoes to save time and it still came out AWESOME!

Enjoy!

Cheddar Potato Soup

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

2 T butter

4 cups potatoes, diced & peeled

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups milk

¼ t pepper

Dash paprika

*Sauté onion & celery in butter until tender. Add potatoes and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer 10-15 min or until potatoes are tender. Puree small batches in blender until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in cheese, milk, and paprika. Simmer until cheese is melted. Serve with croutons.

Serves 8

Cornbread is good for the soul.

Super Moist Cornbread

2 cups self rising cornmeal

2 cups buttermilk

1 large egg

1 T sugar

1/3 cup butter

* Stir together first 4 ingredients. Melt butter in 8 inch cast iron skillet in a 425 degree oven for 5 minutes (tilt skillet to coat evenly with butter).

Pour batter into skillet and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cornbread from skillet immediately and cool on rack.

Corn Casserole

This recipe is a holiday favorite in my house. I scored the recipe from my friend Cindy who is a fantastic cook. Super simple.... NOT low fat (but who cares?).... and really YUMMY!

Corn Casserole

1 can creamed corn

1 can regular corn, drained

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 box jiffy corn muffin mix

2 T sugar

* Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

meat loaf with bacon

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped with seeds
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 pounds meat-loaf mix (1 pound lean ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 1/2 pound ground veal or lamb)
• 4 strips thick-sliced bacon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a medium skillet, over medium heat, heat the oil with the onion, celery, garlic, and jalapeño and cook until the vegetables are tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the salt, cumin, and nutmeg. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then blend in the milk, tomato sauce, and bread crumbs. Add the meat and cooked vegetables and stir or work with your hands to combine. Pat into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Cut the bacon strips in half and lay over the loaf, tucking the ends in.
2. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the meat loaf registers 150° F. Remove from oven and pour off the fat. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.