Mom's Mint Brownies!

This was my first attempt to make my Mom's mint brownies.....it turned out okay....they tasted soooo good....but definitely didn't LOOK as good as my Mom's. But I guess she has had a lot more practice than I have. And I'm not shy...I will post things if they taste good but don't look so good!:) Everyone should still try these out though! These are perfect to make when you need a ton of something for a shower or a Christmas party. You can cut them small and they can go a long way! They are really addicting. Here is the recipe...it is a little bit of a process, but totally worth it! Enjoy!


Brownie

3 cups flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 eggs
3/4 cups oil
3/4 cups buttermilk or sour milk(just add a little vinegar to normal milk to make sour milk)
3 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups hot water
Mix all ingredients together and bake in greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 to 35 min. Check at about 25 min. Mine cooked a little faster, but that could just be my oven.

Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter softened
1/2 tsp. mint extract
4 tsp. milk(I had to use a little more....just add a tsp at a time until it is a spreadable consistency)

Spread on cooled brownies. Always make sure you have enough frosting on your knife so that it doesn't pull up the brownie! You don't need to spread it all the way to the edge because when you cut them into squares you trim off the edge pieces.

Chocolate Topping

12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup butter

Melt slowly in small pan. The chocolate must be LUKEWARM before you put it on top of the frosting. If it is too warm it will melt the frosting. You can put it in the freezer in a different bowl and stir it every once in a while to make sure it doesn't harden. But if you leave it too long you will have to reheat it again. So just check it periodically. The chocolate will set more once it is on the brownie.
Let set for a while. Trim around edges and cut into smaller brownie squares. And Serve!

Parmesan chicken with Pasta Rags

I wasn't sure if I was really going to ever post a recipe on here since I don't make anything too exciting, but......I made this chicken last night and let me just tell you it tasted like something I'd order from Olive Garden. I found the recipe from Betty Crockers website, and the directions were pretty easy to follow, and it turned out soooo good! You can also use any kind of pasta you want, and add whatever else to the pasta mix you want! I used 2 chicken breasts but had extra stuff to make more, I would say this recipe makes enough for about 4 chicken breasts. Enjoy :)


Chicken
3
cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2
teaspoon seasoned salt
3
tablespoons olive oil
1
tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2
cup Progresso® garlic herb bread crumbs
1/2
cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 1/2
lb boneless skinless chicken breast halves or thighs


Pasta
8
oz uncooked lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces
1/4
cup olive oil
1
clove garlic, finely chopped
1
package (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen spinach, thawed, drained
1/2
teaspoon seasoned salt
1
cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2
tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Garnish, if desired
Fresh basil sprigs
Shaved Parmesan cheese


1. Heat oven to 475°F. In shallow microwavable bowl, stir together 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, 3 tablespoons oil and butter. Microwave uncovered on High 1 minute or until butter is melted; stir.

2. In another shallow bowl, stir together bread crumbs and grated cheese. Coat chicken pieces with garlic mixture; coat with crumb mixture. Place in ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan.

3. Bake about 20 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut. Meanwhile, cook broken lasagna noodles as directed on package. Drain; cover to keep warm.

4. In 10-inch skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 clove garlic; cook and stir 1 minute or until tender. Stir in spinach and 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until spinach is cooked. Add cooked noodles, tomatoes and chopped basil; cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot. Serve pasta mixture with chicken. Garnish with basil sprigs and shaved Parmesan cheese.

Parmesan Corn Chowder

Sorry this picture isn't that great. But hopefully you get the idea. This recipe is Jen Alvarez's that Cari and Alisa gave to me a while back. (hopefully she doesn't mind me sharing it) It has been raining all day...well, pouring...and soup just sounded like the perfect meal. This soup is so good! And so easy! Try it...I am sure you will love it!

Parmesan Corn Chowder

2 cups water

2 cups diced peeled potatos

1/2 cup sliced peeled carrots

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 cups milk

1 can cream style corn

1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded parmesan cheese

In saucepan combine the 1st five ingredients and bring them to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 12-14 minutes or until veggies are tender.

In separate saucepan melt butter. Add flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Slowly add milk. Cook until sauce thickens. Add sauce to vegies or vice versa. Add creamed corn and cheese and cook for 10 more minutes! Enjoy!

Homemade Oreos with a Holiday Twist!

I was feeling somewhat ambitious tonight....well, enough to make cookies (so I guess that isn't super ambitious) and decided to make homemade oreos which I have been craving for a while now. I know most of you have this recipe already or some version of it, but a while ago I saw a cute idea for the holidays and thought that I would try it out. These are the easiest cookies to make and they turned out so fun....at least I thought so! Enjoy!

Homemade Oreos

2 boxes devils food cake mix

4 eggs

2/3 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil. Roll into balls. You may want to flatten them slightly with two fingers. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool and then frost with cream cheese frosting. You can use either homemade frosting or storebought...whatever you feel up to that particular day. This is a recipe I have for homemade:

6 oz cream cheese

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup margarine

4-6 cups powdered sugar

Once the cookies are frosted dip edges in crushed up candy canes or peppermint pieces.