Pot Roast and Asian Green Beans

2 lb rump roast
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup mix
milk to thin

In a bowl mix cream of chicken soup, onion soup mix and enough milk to be stirable (you know...like 1/4-1/2 cup.) Pour over roast and put in a crock pot for 8 hours. By the time it's done, the meat should be shredded goodness and you have instant gravy for mashed potatoes. You can also add a little Kitchen Bouquet - a little secret I use to thicken, brown and season the gravy...if you haven't tried it...DO IT!! Enjoy a simple, easy dinner!

Asian Green Beans

1/2 lb fresh green beans
2 T hoisin sauce
2 T soy sauce
2 t minced garlic
1 small shallot, minced
olive oil

In a skillet, heat olive oil and add shallots. Cook 2 minutes. Add green beans and 3 T water. Allow green beans to steam until liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix hoisin sauce, soy sauce and garlic. Add to green beans and saute till thick and beans are coated well. Enjoy!!

*If you haven't tried hoisin sauce...it's a MUST! Trust me! It's a classic Asian flavor.

Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons

Have you ever bought a package of coconut and used a tiny bit and had tons leftover and you don't know what to do with it? Well I was having this problem and so I searched for the perfect macaroon recipe. These are DIVINE!!! Totally light and fluffy and completely delicious!

1 pkg (14 oz) coconut
2/3 c sugar
6 T flour
1/4 t salt
4 egg whites
10 oz semi sweet chocolate

1 t vanilla
1 T sugar
water

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine coconut, sugar, flour and salt. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in coconut mixture. Drop by tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto greased and floured baking sheets

Bake 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Combine vanilla and sugar in a bowl. Add enough water so it becomes a liquid again. Brush over tops of cookies. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely.

Melt chocolate. Dip cookies halfway into chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is firm. Enjoy!

*I thought of the vanilla/sugar wash because I forgot to put the vanilla in the cookies and they were already in the oven...but this way is INCREDIBLY good!!!! Try it!! (or you can just add 1 t vanilla to actual cookies.)

*Adapted from a Holiday Desserts book I have.

Zucchini Bread

Do you have tons of extra zucchini from your garden??? This is the BEST recipe out there! It was so completely moist and delicious...believe me...just try it.

3 cups flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
3 t cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c applesauce
2 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
3 t vanilla
2 1/2 c grated zucchini

1/4 c brown sugar
2 t cinnamon

Grease and flour 2 8by4 loaf pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Beat eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and sugars until well combined. Add sifted ingredients slowly until just incorporated. Fold in zucchini. Pour into prepared pans. Mix 1/4 c brown sugar and 2 t cinnamon and sprinkle over top of both batters. Bake 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

*Adapted from allrecipes.com

Quick Potato Chips

Surprisingly, these are DELICIOUS! They are SO light and crisp and are in my opinion better than acual greasy potato chips. They are very comparable to kettle chips. Just try them because they are SOOOO easy!!!



3 medium red potatoes

Olive oil

Any seasonings you like: salt, vinegar, chili powder, seasoned salt, garlic salt, onion salt, cumin, curry powder...ANYTHING you like on chips!



Layer three paper towels on a microwave safe plate. Scrub potatoes and cut SUPER thin...as thin as you can. If you have a mandolin, it would be the best, but I didn't use one and was able to get them pretty thin. Brush both sides with olive oil and the seasoning of your choice. Arrange on prepared plate not overlapping.



Microwave on high for 3 minutes, turn and microwave 2-3 minutes longer or until chips are crisp and brittle. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Let sit for 1 mintue. Store in airtight container.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Oh man! These are sinfully good! I'm SO sorry that I've only been doing like party foods and desserts, but I've thrown about 3 showers in the past month and my brother is getting married in a month and I'm doing the luncheon food...so I've been trying out different recipes to see what I want to make. But who doesn't like party food?!

1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 1/2 sticks real butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 c sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
12 mini peanut butter cups, quartered
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In mixer cream peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add sugar to butter and cream till light and fluffy. Add vanilla then eggs one at a time. Mix until combined. Add dry ingredients little by little until well combined. Stir in peanut butter cups and chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes before browned. Let sit on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then remove to cooling rack. These are really soft even after they are cooled.

Three Cheese Spread

This is incredibly amazing! You can make it a ball, a log, or just a generic cheese spread. Any way it's delicious and perfect for a party!

8 oz. block sharp cheddar cheese

4 oz. block pepper jack cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon onion powder
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheese-Its crumbled

Unless you have a food processor fitted with a shredding disk, grate the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. After shredding them, just chop with a large knife into smaller pieces. With a hand mixer, cream cream cheese, garlic and remaining seasonings for one minutes. Add in other cheese and mix well.

If making a ball or log, shape how you want it to look and roll it in Saran Wrap and place in the fridge for several hours to harden. Before serving, remove from fridge and roll in crushed Cheese-Its.

If using as a cheese spread, add a little milk to thin it out to spreadable consistency. Serve with crackers.

*Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Mini Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

How cute are these?!?! I am absolutely in LOVE with them! They are the perfect baby shower food...dainty and all. The frosting is a little creation of my own and it's the perfect combination of cream cheese to strawberry. Definitely try these!

1 French Vanilla cake mix (the only kind I use now)
1 8oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 stick real butter, room temperature
1/2 t vanilla
1-2 cups powdered sugar
1/4-1/2 cup homemade strawberry Jam (or store bought...but only if you must!)

Make cake mix according to box directions and bake in a mini muffin tin (I didn't use muffin liners.) Remove from oven and let sit in pan for a few minutes and then remove to cooling rack and cool completely.

Cream cream cheese and butter until smooth with no lumps. Add vanilla and powdered sugar until desired consistency is met (I like my cream cheese frosting to taste more cream cheesey than sugary...so I usually always add less powdered sugar than the recipe calls for.) Stir in strawberry jam. You can add more or less depending on how you like it. You can also add food coloring to make it more pink or even red. Spoon into pastry bag or corner of a Ziplock bag and pipe onto tops of cupcakes. SOOO YUMMY!!!

*My own little creation*