Rice Crispy Treats

*Tips and Tricks for the Holidays*
Yes, it's that time of year again. No one settles for the plain and ordinary every thing must be festive! If you are looking for a quick and easy way to liven up your rice crispy treats you can use holiday themed cookie cutters to make trees, stockings, stars, bells and more. These can be found at your local dollar store. Along with holiday shapes you can add red or green icing, sprinkles, colored sugar, or even a drizzle of chocolate across the top. Use your imagination and be creative. I would love to see pictures of what you come up with.

Rice Crispy Treats:
3 tablespoons butter
5 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups rice crispy cereal

Optional toppings:
Icing (any flavor/color)
Chocolate drizzle
Sprinkles
Colored sugar

In a microwave safe bowl combine marshmallows and butter. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stopping at half way to stir and scrape down sides. In a mixing bowl combine rice crispy cereal with the marshmallow mixture. Stir thoroughly so all cereal is coated. Transfer mixture into a greased 9"x13" baking dish. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Remove from fridge cut into squares or use cookie cutters to make holiday shapes. Can be served plain or topped with your choice of optional toppings such as icing, sprinkles, colored sugar, or chocolate.

Slow Cooker Beef and Noodles

*Important Note*
This dish takes a long time to cook but little effort so please make sure to plan accordingly. The meat needs to cook for 24 hours before serving.The dish takes 25 hours total to make and it is best served immediately after completion.

3 beef rib steaks
3 envelopes powdered brown gravy mix
3 cans beef broth
2 cups sliced portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup diced onions
1 stick butter
1 bag egg noodles

In a bowl whisk together the 3 envelopes of Brown gravy with the 3 cans of beef broth. Place the 3 rib steaks, onions, and mushrooms into the slow cooker on low. Pour the gravy mixture over top of all the ingredients making sure everything is completely submerged. Let cook for 24 hours on low stirring and checking occasionally. After 24 hours remove the meat from the liquid. Return the liquid to the slow cooker on low heat. Separate the bones from the meat and discard them. Shred the meat and return it to the slow cooker with the liquid that is already in there. Add the stick of butter and the bag of noodles. Let cook on low for an hour stirring occasionally to make sure the noodles are cooking evenly and not sticking. Serve immediately. Also freezes nicely for future meals.

Nutella Hot Cocoa

1 tablespoon nutella
8 ounces milk
Coffee mug
Optional toppings:
Mini marshmallows
Whipped cream

Pour the milk into the coffee mug and microwave on high for one minute. Remove the mug from the microwave. Stir in the nutella. Return to microwave for two minutes on high. Remove from microwave. Stir to finish mixing the milk and nutella. Serve immediately. Optional toppings: mini marshmallows or whipped cream.

Sweet and Sour Ham Roast

Ham roast
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 can pineapple chunks
3 tablespoons Brown sugar

Sauce:
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Pineapple chunks you baked the ham roast with

Start by baking the ham roast. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl mix together 1 cup pineapple juice, 1 cup orange juice, can of pineapple chunks, and 3 tablespoons Brown sugar. Place ham roast in baking dish and pour mixture over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 4 hours or until meat is completely done. Remove from oven, drain but save pineapple chunks. Also leave the oven on because you will be returning the meat to it shortly. Shred the roast and return to baking dish.

In a sauce pan on medium heat combine all sauce ingredients stirring until well mixed. Let sauce start to bubble then remove from heat and pour over the meat in the baking dish. Stir so all the meat is thoroughly coated then return to baking dish to the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. Goes great with fried rice!

Fried Rice

1 cup uncooked rice
1 stick of butter
2 cups chicken broth
1 can of peas and carrots mix
1/2 cup diced onions
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
pepper
Salt

Melt the stick of butter in a frying pan on medium heat then add the rice. Let the rice fry for 3-5 minutes stirring constantly because it will stick to the pan. Add the two cups of chicken broth and let it come to a boil then reduce heat and let the rice finish cooking and puff up. Once most of the broth has been absorbed add the rest of the ingredients. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serves 4.

Sugar Free Banana Pudding

2 boxes sugar free instant vanilla pudding
1 package sugar free shortbread cookies
5 bananas
4 cups milk
Whisk
2 Medium mixing bowls

In the first mixing bowl whisk together 2 boxes of pudding and 4 cups of milk then set aside in the fridge to firm up. While the pudding is firming up in the fridge thinly slice the bananas and crumble the cookies to powder. In the second mixing bowl put a layer of sliced bananas and cookie crumbles. Remove the now firm pudding from the fridge and scope half of the pudding into the bowl. Add another layer of bananas, cookies and pudding. Complete the dish by covering the last layer of pudding with the remaining banana slices and cookie crumbs. Can be served immediately or stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Cooking Humor

I can always use a laugh while I'm cooking. Sometimes you get so wrapped up in prep and recipes and construction that you forget to take a step back and just enjoy the process!

The hiatus is over!

After a much needed summer hiatus I am back with tons of new recipes to help get you through the busy holiday season. I spent the summer vegetable, herb, and flower gardening so I am trying to incorporate a fresh element to a lot of my recipes. I also spent the summer geo caching so I tasted some very ummmm interesting food at times some of which I'm still trying to forget!  However, some was down right delicious and has been the inspiration behind a few new dishes. Today I am feeling in the holiday spirit so I am going to bake a sweet and savory ham roast and some creamy Mac and cheese. These recipes and pictures of the finished product will be posted later so make sure you check back! Happy holidays now lets eat!