Mmm… Monday #11: Cream Puff in a Pan

19 Jul 2010 7 Comments

by Wifey in Mmm... Monday Tags: , , ,

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert.
~Jason Love

It’s been a while since I’ve posted one of these (thank God for auto-posting so I don’t have to actually do it on the day it posts!

This is slightly browner than what I'd like but still was awesome.

This recipe was introduced to my family from one of my childhood friend’s moms. I can’t believe I totally forgot about it until my mom mentioned she was making it. So I’ve made it twice now in the last month… once as a dessert to go with a meal I made a friend’s family after she had surgery and then again for our FRG’s 4th of July BBQ.

It’s so yummy and kid-friendly… who wouldn’t love chocolate syrup drizzled on top of whipped cream! Come to think of it, it’s PMS-friendly too!

Cream Puff in a Pan

Spread on the cream cheese, pudding and milk mixture

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup margarine
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 2 (4oz) packages of instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 12 oz of whipped topping
  • Chocolate syrup as a drizzle

  1. Preheat oven to 350.

    Mmm... hungry already!

  2. Bring water and margarine to a boil in a saucepan. Take off heat and immediately stir in flour.
  3. Beat in eggs one at a time. Spread onto a greased 10 x 15 baking sheet.
  4. Bake  until very lightly browned (about 25 minutes). Let cool.
  5. Beat softened cream cheese in mixing bowl until smooth, add pudding and milk. Mix until blended, spread over cooled crust.
  6. Top with whipped topping, drizzle chocolate syrup over top. Ready to serve or refrigerate until ready. I put toothpicks in top to keep foil off the topping.

Notes: My mom has tried fat free topping and it is a little runny.  I love “French Vanilla” pudding vs the regular vanilla.

Mmm… Monday #10: Pistachio Pudding Salad

24 May 2010 2 Comments

by Wifey in Mmm... Monday Tags: , , ,

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts.  Coincidence?  I think not!
~Author Unknown

Pistachio Pudding Salad, "Green Fluff" or Watergate Salad

This recipe is something that my family has always made. We call it Pistachio Pudding Salad, my husband calls it “Green Fluff” and I’ve recently found out the universal name is Watergate Salad. It’s always made in my family for the major holidays. And now for Huzzy’s birthday, too. This is one of his most favorite things ever.

Ingredients

Make a paste with the pineapple juice.

1 package instant pistachio pudding mix
1 small can of crushed pineapple
1 8oz tub of Cool Whip (double everything else if if you use the larger tub)
1 12oz bag of colored mini-marshmallows (white will do, but there is a definite taste difference)
1 can of stemless Maraschino cherries (size is up to your preference)

Mix in the Cool Whip

1. Drain crushed pineapple, setting juice aside in a cup.

2. Place the pudding mix in a medium to large bowl. Add in enough pineapple juice to make a paste.

3. Thoroughly mix in Cool Whip.  Be careful not to over-mix.

4. Fold in marshmallows.

Add in the marshmallows and then the cherries!

5. Add in Maraschino cherries, either whole or sliced in half, leaving a handful for garnish.

6. Garnish the top of the salad with the rest of the Maraschino cherries.

Enjoy! Let me know if you make this and how you like it. I’ve found that many

in the Pacific Northwest have never heard of this, but it’s a staple in the Midwest… or at least Michigan!


Mmm… Monday #9: Fruit Dip

17 May 2010 4 Comments

by Wifey in Mmm... Monday Tags: , , ,

This special feeling towards fruit, its glory and abundance, is I would say universal…. We respond to strawberry fields or cherry orchards with a delight that a cabbage patch or even an elegant vegetable garden cannot provoke.
~Jane Grigson

So I was begged to provide the recipe for this fruit dip. This amazing ambrosia of a dip that my Grandma makes. I’m giving you fair warning: this stuff is addictive. And is not pleasant to a woman’s hips or a man’s gut. But it is so delectable that you really couldn’t care less. And you will give yourself permission because you are eating it with fruit, which is, after all, very healthy. Don’t worry, I’ll let you keep your fantasy… just don’t ruin it for me, either!

Grandma’s Fruit Dip (Ambrosia)

Ingredients

Are you ready for this? Because it’s a long list. Better get a piece of paper and a pen.

  • One 8oz package of cream cheese
  • One 15 or so oz tub of marshmallow cream (fluff)
  • Fruit of your choice (strawberries are best in my opinion, but apples, bananas, etc are all amazing)

Seriously, that’s it. You just blend them together with a hand mixer or on a very low setting with a stand mixer. And no, I don’t have photos because my hips can’t take it so I haven’t made it lately.

I’m ducking and running before you try it. Because you are going to curse the day you read this… and love every minute of it.

Mmm… Monday #8: Veggie Pizza

10 May 2010 4 Comments

by Wifey in Mmm... Monday Tags: , , ,

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.
~Doug Larson

It’s been a while since I’ve done an “Mmm… Monday.” Apparently it’s been nearly four months. But I’ve been too busy with DCO school, moving, Huzzy’s deployment and other stuff. And my camera died.

I got a new camera on Friday, so it’s time to go back to Mmm… Monday!

This week’s recipe is one that my mom used to make all the time in the heat of summer (ya know, when it was 90+ and we didn’t have any A/C!). Rather than cooking over a stove or baking for a long time, she’d make this. It only requires the stove for about 16 minutes, so it doesn’t heat up the house too much.

And, you get many servings of veggies. I can even add veggies I don’t like (like radishes) and not even taste them because of all the other flavors. It’s awesome.

Huzzy loves it and so does his former roommate. In fact, I got his former roommie to take care of the dogs once if I made it for him. Of course, I did!

Vegetable Pizza

Ingredients
-2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
-2 packets of cream cheese
-1 bottle buttermilk ranch dressing (you’ll use probably 16-20 ounces)
-Any veggies you want
(I generally use broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, cucumbers, carrots and celery)

Uncooked dough rolled out.

  1. Preheat the oven according to the directions on the crescent rolls.
  2. Roll crescent rolls into cookie sheet (that has an edge on it) and pat together so there are no gaps. (I don’t always need all of the dough).
  3. Bake crescent rolls according to package directions (until starting to turn lightly brown).

    Choose your veggies.

  4. Let cool completely.
  5. Cut up vegetables into small pieces (less than 1/2 inch in diameter).
  6. Whip cream cheese and buttermilk ranch dressing together (enough dressing to make it creamy but not runny at all). Will be very thick.

    Okay, you didn't get a photo of the entire pizza. It was kinda eaten before I remembered to get one. But you got a photo of the last two pieces before I ate them this evening!

  7. Spread mixture onto cooled dough.
  8. Add vegetable toppings. Load it up… no mixture showing!
  9. Cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

You can actually eat it right away, but everyone agrees that it is best when it’s cold. In fact, it’s at its very best the next day! Enjoy!

If you try it, please let me know how you like it.

Mmm… Monday #7: Slow Cooker Root Beer BBQ Beef Sandwiches

25 Jan 2010 2 Comments

by Wifey in Mmm... Monday Tags: , ,

Dory: Okay, he either said, “move to the back of the throat,” or he “wants a root beer float.”
~Finding Nemo

It’s another slow cooker recipe that I totally want to try. This one (from Betty Crocker) caught my eye because it involves root beer as an ingredient! The cafe at the museum where I work uses Sprite for cooking its chicken breasts and Coke for cooking its hamburgers… and it actually is fantastically tasty!  So I hope that this will be good too!

Slow Cooker Root Beer BBQ Beef Sandwiches

From BettyCrocker.com

Ingredients
1 boneless beef rump roast (4lbs)
2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup root beer
Dash of salt and pepper, if desired
16 sandwich buns

  1. In 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, place beef. In 4-cup measuring cup or bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the barbecue sauce and the root beer; pour over beef.
  2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 10 to 12 hours.
  3. About 20 minutes before serving, remove beef from slow cooker; place on large plate. Pour juices from slow cooker into 12-inch skillet. Cook over medium-high heat about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until juices are thickened and reduced to about 3 cups. Meanwhile, shred beef with 2 forks; return to slow cooker.
  4. Stir remaining 1/2 cup barbecue sauce into reduced juices in skillet; pour over shredded beef in slow cooker. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Spoon about 1/2 cup beef mixture into each bun.

Makes: 16 sandwiches
Serving Size: 1 sandwich
Calories: 310 (50 from fat)
Total Fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 60mg
Sodium: 570mg
Total Carbs: 34g

Mmm… Monday #6: Sour Cream Cookies

18 Jan 2010 4 Comments

by Wifey in Mmm... Monday Tags: , , ,

Cookies are made of butter and love.
~Norwegian Proverb

Oh my do I love my sweets. They are the reason my  hips don’t match the rest of me! HA! Anyway, recently someone asked about sugar cookie recipes to send to the troops. I told her about my Sour Cream Cookies and how they are much yummier than sugar cookies. Don’t laugh and don’t cringe at the name, ya’ll.  They taste awesome. I won an award for them. A HUGE award. It was for the best cookie at the county fair.  Seriously, the trophy was 3 1/2 feet tall. And at 11, it was pretty close to being as tall as I was!

So I thought I’d share this recipe with you. It’s seriously A. MAZ. ING. They are cut-out cookies and can either be frosted or sprinkled. I usually sprinkle. They are usually part of my Christmas cookie repertoire.

Beware. They are addicting. What’s even worse: they make 7-9 DOZEN. So if you don’t give them away to friends, your addiction will be on your hips. I’m proof of that!

Sour Cream Cookies

Ingredients
2 c. shortening (1 c. Crisco & 1 c. butter is best)
4 c. sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
2-3 tsp lemon extract
2 c. sour cream
2 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp baking power
2 tsp baking soda
10 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp salt

1. Cream shortening & sugar, add eggs, vanilla, lemon extract & sour cream.

2. Mix together, stir in dry ingredients.

3. Chill dough (I usually do it for four hours or overnight)

4. Roll out to ¼ inch thick and cut into shapes. Add sprinkles

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. They should be just starting to brown on the bottom or not even at all. If you get them where their entire underside is golden brown (like most cookies), they’ll become too dry.  They may be slightly too soft when you take them out, but they will set completely while cooling on paper.

Enjoy!  Let me know if you make this and how it turns out :)

Mmm… Monday #5: Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

11 Jan 2010 10 Comments

by Wifey in Mmm... Monday Tags: , , ,

Food for thought is no substitute for the real thing.
~Walt Kelly

I’m in the process of gathering recipes for when I finally get to live with Huzzy again (hopefully VERY soon!).  I’m doing a huge hunt

I used red and yellow bell peppers along with the green bell peppers. I think it makes it prettier :)

for slow-cooker recipes. First because it’s cheap and second because when I get a job out there, most likely I’ll have to do an hour to

hour-and-a-half commute either into Seattle or Tacoma.  When I get home, there’s no way I’ll be up for cooking dinner. And I can’t trust Huzzy to boil an egg without burning it, so it’s up to me (yes, my plan is to teach him to cook… but when you’ve only lived together for seven weeks out of your nearly year long marriage, it’s kinda hard to do that!).

So here is one recipe that I found from Allrecipes.com. It has great reviews (4 1/2 star with 953 reviews!) and I think it something we’d both love.  I think I’d add some red Bell peppers to it to make it a bit more colorful. Maybe some yellow Bells as well.

Oh, and I love how Allrecipes.com lets you change the serving portion so you can adjust the recipe. That’s awesome!

Brown sirloin strips and place in the slow cooker

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips
  • garlic powder to taste
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cube beef bouillon
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt

    Combine the ingredients and mix together before cooking.

Directions

  1. Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.
  2. Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
  3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Notes

All finished! I put it on egg noodles first but rice is even better!

I found that many of the reviewers said they would buy the pre-sliced beef stir fry strips. I might have to do that if it’s not too much more expensive. Also, like I said, I’d  add some other color peppers in there for looks.

Do you have any favorite slow-cooker recipes?

Mmm… Monday #4: Pumpkin Bread

04 Jan 2010 3 Comments

by Wifey in Mmm... Monday Tags: , ,

Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.
~Jim Davis

My mom made the most amazing pumpkin bread over the holidays. So I thought I’d share the recipe with you. It’s pretty easy. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos, so you’ll have to trust me on how awesome it looks/tastes.

Ingredients:

  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2 cups pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3 1/3 cups flour

Combine the ingredients in the order listed. Pour into a greased bread pan(s). Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.  Makes 8 small loaves or 1-2 large loaves.

Mmm… Monday #3: Cathedral Cookies

14 Dec 2009 1 Comment

by Wifey in Mmm... Monday Tags: , ,

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.
~Charles Schulz

Today’s Mmm… Monday is one of my favorite Christmas cookies. Second favorite to Sour Cream Cookies (which I’ll post eventually). They are very quick and easy to make, but the coconut can make a mess.  They are called Cathedral Cookies because the colored marshmallows make them look like stained glass windows.

Ingredients

12 oz. chocolate chips
1 stick of butter
10 oz of colored mini-marshmallows
1 cup of nuts (optional… and I don’t use them)
1 bag of coconut
Wax paper

  1. Melt and let cool the chocolate chips and butter.  Don’t let cool to the

    Photo from TasteofHome.com

    point of the chocolate hardening, just enough not to melt the marshmallows.

  2. Add the marshmallows and the optional nuts. Fold in.
  3. Spread coconut over wax paper.
  4. Spoon the mixture in a long line down the wax paper (about a foot long).
  5. Roll the wax paper around the mixture (like a log).
  6. Place in refrigerator and let cool completely.
  7. Cut into pieces.

That’s it.  And it’s oh-so-yummy!!

Mmm… Monday #2: Homemade Enchiladas

07 Dec 2009 1 Comment

by Wifey in Mmm... Monday Tags: , , ,

Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

Mix the rice and meat mixture with enough sauce to JUST cover it.


~Fran Lebowitz

Today’s Mmm… Monday is a favorite of mine. My mom started making it when I was a young teenager. It’s been afavorite of my friends when they come over for dinner.  I made it last night because I was really hankering for it. Of course, making it for just one person means that it will last me for several days, but that’s okay because it is one of those rare foods that taste BETTER the day after! I do try to make it as healthy as I can.

Homemade Enchiladas–Wifey Style

Ingredients
1lb ground turkey (or hamburger)
3 cups brown rice (or white rice)
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can spaghetti sauce
1 can salsa
6-8 large tortillas (I use low-cal whole wheat)

Spread thin layer of sauce on the pan.

  1. Brown the ground turkey (including seasoning as you wish) and prepare the rice as directed on the box.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. When both are finished, combine them into one pan on the stove.
  4. Add enchilada sauce and spaghetti sauce until the the mixture is just covered (don’t add too much so that it is runny).
  5. While the mixture heats on the stove, spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce and enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 11″ x 13″ glass baking dish.
  6. Now it’s time to put them together. Spoon the mixture into a tortilla. Be generous. Add a couple of spoonfuls of salsa and sprinkle cheese on top. Fold it over and place it smooth side up.  Do this until the baking dish is full.

    Add mixture to the tortilla and top with salsa and cheese.

  7. Spread spaghetti sauce and enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas in the dish. Use a spoon to push the edges of the tortillas down into the baking dish. Make sure all parts of the tortillas are covered.  If the edges are sticking up and/or you have places that do not have sauce on them, they will dry out and become hard.
  8. Spread cheese over the entire dish.
  9. Place the dish, uncovered, in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted on top.
  10. Enjoy!

This dish can be made as hot or as mild as you like with adjustments to the salsa and possibly adding Tabasco in it.

If you make it, let me know how it turns out!

Fold tortillas over and place in baking dish.

Spread sauce on top.

Add cheese and bake until melted.

Mmm... enjoy!

Previous Older Entries