Snack Mix

We made the following snack mix for Austin Kieff's birthday party (I will be posting pictures soon):

Combine:
cheerios
honey nut cheerios
pretzel sticks
miniature marshmallows
peanut butter m&ms
plain m&ms.

The combination is pretty tasty! Austin Kieff calls it his "munch stuff."

Made Up Recipe

What do you do when you are bored? I like to cook or draw. As drawing requires quiet and uninterrupted concentration, I usually cook. An almost two-year old does not allow for much uninterrupted personal time!

The following is a recipe I made up on Sunday evening. David enjoyed it and even said he would like to have it again sometime!

Laura's Pork Skillet

4 cubed boneless center-cut pork chops
3 large red potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 finely chopped bell pepper
1 finely chopped onion (or lots of dried onion flakes!)
Rosemary
Black Pepper
Salt
Garlic Powder

Pour 2-3 T of olive oil in a large skillet. Toss in potatoes and pork chops. Season with Rosemary, pepper, salt and garlic to taste. Add onion. Cook until done, stirring occasionally (20-30 minutes on medium heat).

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This recipe is courtesy of my friend Rhonda. She made this for my birthday today. It is WONDERFUL, especially when it is just a little warm!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

2 rolls of choc chip cookie dough
2 cups of sugar
3 eggs
1 8 oz box of cream cheese

Cut one roll of cookie dough into ¼ inch slices and place in bottom of 9X11 pan. Mix sugar, eggs and cream cheese in separate bowl. Pour over cookie dough. Cut remaining roll of dough and place over mixture. Cook in oven at 350* for 45 minutes.

Easy Cheese Straws (wafers)

1 lb butter
1 lb sharp cheese
5 c all purpose flour
2 c rice crispies
1 t paprika
1/2 t crushed red pepper

Allow butter and cheese to warm to room temperature. Mix butter and cheese together (it works best if you use your hands to mix). Mix in paprika and red pepper. Mix in flour a little at a time. Mix in rice crispies a little at a time.

Roll in to small balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press with a fork to flatten. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes (depends on size of the ball).

Recipe of the Week

I found this recipe while visiting the Parents website

Campbell's® Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole
From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 5 minutesBake: 50 minutesStand: 10 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
halves1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Stir the soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper and vegetables in an 11 x 8-inch (2-quart) shallow baking dish. Top with the chicken. Season the chicken as desired. Cover. Bake at 375°F. for 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Top with cheese. Let casserole stand for 10 minutes. Stir rice before serving.

Trim It Down: Use Campbell's® 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup instead of regular soup and use low fat cheese instead of regular cheese.

Mexican: In place of onion powder and pepper use 1 teaspoon chili powder. Substitute Mexican cheese blend for Cheddar.

Italian: In place of onion powder and pepper use 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed. Substitute 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan for Cheddar.