Chocolate and Berries Yogurt Dessert

This was a huge hit at a recent bbq I went to! Yummy, sugary, frozen dessert topped with fresh fruit!

Ingredients:
  ~ Chocolate chip cookie base (I used this recipe, but you can use any double chocolate chip recipe)
  ~ 1/2 cup fresh strawberries (or raspberries)
  ~ 4 containers Yoplait Whips strawberry mist yogurt (or raspberry mist) **I'm pretty sure this has "bad" dairy in it. Yogurt is okay for people allergic to milk, but there are some additional lactose ingredients in the "Whips". I made a dairy-free version using regular Yoplait strawberry yogurt and it still worked.**
  ~ 1 cup whipped cream (or this dairy-free version)
  ~ 2 tablespoons hot fudge topping (I used Hershey's chocolate syrup)
  ~ 1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:
1. Prepare cookie recipe.

2. On a greased cookie sheet, drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls to make 6 cookies. Bake according to recipe. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a cooling rack.

3. Press the remaining cookie dough into the bottom of a springform/cheesecake pan. Bake for approximately 15 minutes (because it is thicker than a normal cookie the cooking time can vary). Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup raspberries or strawberries and yogurt. Spread evenly over cooled cookie crust.

5. Crumble the 6 cookies and sprinkle over the yogurt layer.

6. Carefully spread the whipped cream over the cookie crumbs (I found that using a frosting spreader worked really well).

7. Freeze covered for 4 to 5 hours, or until firm. Will also freeze well overnight.

8. About a half hour before you plan on serving, remove from freezer and remove the sides of the pan.

9. Drizzle some chocolate sauce over the top of the whipped cream. Top with blueberries and remaining raspberries/strawberries. Drizzle with more chocolate sauce.


Source: Betty Crocker

Amazingly Delicious Dairy Free Whipped Cream

After many many trials, I finally found a dairy-free whipped cream recipe that actually tastes really good. The one I posted on here before tasted good mixed in with other things, but not by itself. This one I was having a hard time not eating it with a spoon!

Ingredients:
  ~ 1/2 cup soy milk
  ~ 1 cup powdered sugar
  ~ 1 teaspoon vanilla
  ~ 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Combine soy milk, powdered sugar, vanilla and 1/2 cup vegetable oil in blender. 

2. Add remaining (1/4 cup) vegetable oil.

3. Blend until it has a consistency similar to "real" whipped cream.

4. Taste it to make sure that it is sweet enough, and add more of necessary ingredients. Depending on the soy milk you use, you may need to add more sugar and/or vanilla.

Jello Frosting

Very very easy frosting recipe. Great because you can make any flavor you want (I can't wait to try it with some fun Jello flavors like Peach or Pina Colada). Doesn't keep well though, so make it the day you're planning on serving it. It starts to separate when it's refrigerated. Tastes a little like meringue.

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 3oz. package of Jello
  ~ 2/3 cup sugar
  ~ 1 egg white
  ~ 1 teaspoon vanilla
  ~ 1/2 cup boiling water

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients except water into a metal mixing bowl.

2. Turn the mixer on high at the same time as you add the boiling water.

3. Whip on high for 5 minutes, no more, no less. The frosting won't look like frosting until it has been whipped for 5 minutes.


Source: Coleen's Recipes

Jello Infused Cupcakes

Very simple and delicious! Good way to dress up a boxed cake mix.

Ingredients:
  ~ 1 box white cake mix (plus eggs, water and oil required by mix)
  ~ 1 3oz. box of flavored Jello
  ~ 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Prepare cupcakes according to box.

2. Allow cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in pan.

3. Using a straw or fork, poke a hole (or holes) in the top of the cupcakes.

4. In a separate bowl, mix Jello powder and boiling water until the power is completely dissolved.

5. Pour Jello liquid into holes, being careful not to spill any (it will set like regular Jello and will get sticky and messy).

6. Put cupcake pans in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

7. Frost with whatever frosting you prefer (I used this frosting).

Sausage Stuffing for a Turkey

This recipe has been passed down from my grandmother to my mom to me.. It's not your typical Thanksgiving stuffing..

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 1/2 sticks unsalted margarine
  ~ 4 stalks of celery, chopped
  ~ 1 onion, chopped
  ~ salt
  ~ pepper
  ~ poultry seasoning
  ~ 2 cups chicken broth
  ~ 1 box Bell stuffing
  ~ 2 lbs ground beef
  ~ 1 roll of sausage

Directions:
1. Melt 1 stick of butter in a large frying pan.

2. Chop the celery and onion and add to the melted butter. Allow them to cook for a minute or two, to soak up some of the butter.

3. Add the meat, using a wooden spatula to break the beef and sausage into small-ish pieces. Sprinkle salt, pepper and poultry seasoning over the pan.

4. In a separate pan, melt the remaining butter.

5. In a large bowl, combine the stuffing mix, butter and chicken broth.
 
6. Gradually add to the pan of meat and mix well.

7. Cool completely before putting in the turkey.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 1/4 cups flour
  ~ 1 teaspoon salt
  ~ 1 teaspoon baking soda
  ~ 2 sticks unsalted margarine, softened
  ~ 1 cup sugar
  ~ 1 cup packed brown sugar
  ~ 2 eggs
  ~ 1 tablespoon vanilla
  ~ 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  ~ 1 bag of chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.

3. Using a mixer, combine butter, both sugars, eggs, vanilla and cocoa. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until well combined.

4. Stir in chocolate chips using a wooden spoon. 

5. Drop cookies on cookie sheet using a spoon.

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes and cool on a baking rack.


Source: Food Network

Dairy-Free Whipped Cream

I've never been able to have Whipped Cream... but whenever it is at a family gathering, I love to smell it. I know that sounds weird, but it just smells amazing! Out of all of the dairy things that I've never been able to have, the only one I've ever really wanted was whipped cream. Cheese? Eck. Milk? Eck. Whipped cream? mmmmm I didn't think that this recipe was over the top delicious, and neither did my real whipped cream loving husband, but I think it's okay mixed with other things, or on top of fruit. By itself, it leaves a kinda strange aftertaste..

Serves: Not very many..

Ingredients:
  ~ 1/4 cup soy milk
  ~ 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  ~ 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  ~ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Pour soy milk and 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a blender. Combine on highest speed.

2. Drizzle remaining (1/4 cup) vegetable oil in, and continue blending.

3. Add maple syrup and vanilla (original recipe said to only add vanilla if you weren't using vanilla soy milk. I used vanilla soy milk and still thought it needed it.)

4. If it isn't thick enough, you can add more vegetable oil. It doesn't get all fluffy and thick like regular whipped cream though because soy milk doesn't have the fat that regular milk/cream does.

Ooh La La Peanut Butter Pie (For Dogs)

Today is our beautiful little girl (who just happens to be a dog)'s fourth birthday. We can't believe it has already been four years!! But at the same time, we can't even remember life before her!

So when her birthday comes around, she always gets a big special doggie treat. She doesn't eat any people food (aside from a couple fruits and vegetables that she loves), so something different is always special. Something that to her is "people food". Last year she got Carrot Muffins. This year Peanut Butter Pie. (Carrots and Peanut Butter are two of her favorite things!)

Ingredients:
Crust
  ~ 1 1/2 cups of flour
  ~ 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  ~ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  ~ 2 tablespoons cold water
Filling
  ~ 1 1/2 teaspoons flour
  ~ 1 cup milk (I used soy milk because that was all we had)
  ~ 2 egg yolks
  ~ 1 cup peanut butter
  ~ 1 tablespoon minced mint, plus whole-leaf mint for garnish (I omitted because I didn't have any)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour and shortening until dough forms 1/4" balls. Sprinkle in cinnamon.

3. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water at a time over mixture and gently toss with a fork until a crust forms into a ball. (The original recipe said 4-5 tablespoons, but I did 3 and it was too watery.. I had to add more flour.)

4. Flatten pastry ball on a lightly floured surface and roll to a 1/8" thickness.

5. If you want to make mini-pies, cut five 6" crust rounds and fit into 4" mini pie pans and trim excess. I made one large pie, in a regular sized pie pan. 

6. Bake 10-12 minutes and cool.

7. Place all filling ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

8. Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens. Do not let mixture boil!!

9. Cool and pour into pie shell(s). Refrigerate until set.

10. Before serving, you could garnish with a bit of cream cheese and fresh mint.

Source: The Good Treats Cookbook for Dogs 

Hot Dog and Potato Skillet Dinner

Sometimes I make things up. Especially when I didn't have time to get to the grocery store all week and the only form of meat we have in the house is a bag of hot dogs in the freezer and three cans of tuna fish. It's summertime, so my husband would have been perfectly content having hot dogs on the grill and some macaroni salad, but frankly, it's only the beginning of June and I'm already getting sick of that. After a very intensive search of "hot dog recipes", I finally came across one that didn't seem entirely gross. And I could make it happen (somewhat) with the few things I had on hand. I did make a couple changes though. Here's the original recipe from Betty Crocker. As strange as it looked (and as strange as the ingredients sound), it was incredibly easy and pretty yummy.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
~ One can of sliced potatoes (healthy, I know.. but I didn't have any "real" potatoes)
~ 1/2 cup soy milk
~ 2-3 tablespoons of flour
~ Salt
~ Frozen green peas
~ 3 hot dogs (uncooked, but not frozen)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, combine can of potatoes, soy milk, salt (as little or as much as you'd like. I don't like a lot.) and flour. Stir until the potatoes are completely coated and the flour is completely combined (not clumpy).

2. Add the peas (again... as many or as few as you'd like. Here I like a lot.) and stir until they are separated from each other and coated in the "cream" sauce.

3. Allow it to simmer on medium heat for a couple minutes.

4. Slice the hot dogs into 1/4" slices. Add to the skillet.

5. Stir until everything is coated by the sauce.

6. Serve. (and field questions from your husband about what this weird dinner you're serving him is).

Tropical Rice

I absolutely love rice! I eat a lot of it. And this is one of my favorite ways to make it. It combines rice with two of my other favorite foods, pineapple and coconut, and is incredibly simple! I always make much more than we can possibly eat for dinner, just to make sure that I have leftovers for lunch the next day.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
  ~ 2 cups of uncooked rice (regular or instant)
  ~ 1 can of crushed pineapple (roughly 20 ounces)
  ~ 1/4 cup of shredded coconut

Directions:
1. Cook the rice. Doesn't matter if you do this on the stovetop or in the microwave. Just prepare it however you usually do.

2. In a large baking dish (I use a large Corningware dish), mix the cooked rice, coconut and pineapple. You don't have to use the amounts of coconut and pineapple that I listed above. Add as much or as little as you'd like.

3. Bake in a pre-heated oven for roughly 15-20 minutes. I never cook it at the same temperature or for the same amount of time. I usually make this when I'm cooking something else in the oven, and just keep checking on it to make sure it isn't burning. You do want the top to look a little crispy though.. that's what adds to the amazing taste!

Oven French Fries

Source: food.com

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

• 8 potatoes
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt
• Cooking spray

Directions: 

1. Wash potatoes and cut them into french fry sized strips.
2. Put the strips in a bowl of cool water to wash some of the starch out of them.
3. Drain the potatoes well, then add the olive oil and a little bit of salt to the bowl.
4. Mix well, until all of the potatoes are coated.
5. Spray a cookie sheet with the cooking spray and place the potatoes flat on top.
6. Cook at 350° for 20-25 minutes. For the last 5 minutes or so, cook under the broiler.