Strawberry Pretzel Pie

This week's dessert brought to you by Amanda.

It didn't really have a name but I made one up, this is perhaps my new favorite dessert.

Strawberry Pretzel Pie

Ingredients:

crust:

2 cups crushed pretzels

1 1/2 sticks of butter

3 Tbsp sugar

Filling and topping:

2 8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 container cool whip

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

1 box strawberry jello

16 oz frozen strawberries (or fresh but frozen work best)

To make crust:

1. Melt butter in microwave

2. mix in pretzels and sugar

3. press into bottom of 9x9 pan or similar

4. bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, cool

Filling:

5. mix cream cheese, 1 container cool whip and 1 cup sugar

6. layer on top of baked crust

Topping

7. boil 2 cups water

8. sir in 1 box of jello and strawberries

9. pour on top of filling

10. let dessert set for 3-4 hours - or if you're pressed for time place it in the freezer for and hour and it seems to taste just as yummy

Enjoy with a friend because desserts with friends cut the calorie count in half ;)

Margarita Pizza

This week our Psalms Bible study made this delicious meal together.

Brought to you by Gabrielle.

Margarita Pizza

Ingredients:

1-2 pizza crusts (we like Publix pizza dough)

1 jar pizza sauce

16 oz mozzarella cheese

4 cloves minced garlic

10 basil leaves

itlaian seasoning

2 big tomatoes

Parmesan cheese

red pepper

1. roll out the dough

2. top with sauce, seasoning and garlic

3. slice tomatoes super thin and place 1 tomato on top of sauce

4. shred cheese and top pizza with cheese

5. place whole basil leaves on top of cheese

6. top with remaining sliced tomato

7. bake according to dough directions

8. cut and enjoy

We ate ours this week with a nice salad with a fresh cucumber from my garden :)

Peanut Butter Brownies

Peanut Butter Brownies

Peanut Butter filling ingredients:

6 ounces of softened cream cheese

1/2 cup Peanut Butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 Tbsp milk

Brownie ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

3/4 cup Cocoa

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, grease a 13x9 inch pan

2. Prepare peanut butter filling by mixing all the PB ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and creamy, set aside

3. Place butter in microwave safe bowl and melt

4. Stir sugar and vanilla into butter

5. Add eggs one at a time, beat well with spoon after each addition

6. Add cocoa, beat until well blended

7. Add flour, baking powder and salt, beat well

8. Stir in chocolate chips

9. Remove 1 cup of the batter, pour remaining batter into prepared pan.

10. Spread peanut butter filling over top

11. Drop reserved batter by teaspoonfuls over filling

12. Using a knife, gently swirl through top layers for marble effect

13. bake 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean

14. Cool on rack, cut into yummy pieces, enjoy with milk or your favorite coffee

15. Share a piece with a friend

We ate this along with Fancy Mac-n-Cheese n the 3rd week of our Psalm Bible study.

Chicken Club Brunch Ring

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
1 (10 ounce) can white chicken meat, drained and flaked
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, chopped
1 cup finely shredded swiss cheese
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 -2 large plum tomato, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper
2 cups shredded lettuce
Change Measurements: US Metric

Directions:
Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

1 Preheat oven to 375°F.
2 In a bowl, combine mayonnaise and mustard.
3 Snip parsley.
4 Chop onion.
5 Add parsley and onion to mayonnaise mixture; mix well.
6 In a 2 quart bowl, flake chicken with a fork.
7 Chop bacon.
8 Add bacon, 3/4 cup swiss cheese, and 1/3 cup of the mayonnaise mixture; mix well.
9 Unroll crescent dough, separate into 16 triangles.
10 Arrange triangles in a circle on a 13-inch baking stone with wide ends of triangles overlapping in the center and points toward the outside (there should be a 5-inch diameter opening in the center of the stone).
11 Scoop the chicken mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle.
12 Bring outside points of triangle up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center or ring (filling will not be completely covered).
13 Slice tomatoes, cut slices in half.
14 Place 1 tomato half over filling between openings of ring.
15 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.
16 Remove from oven, immediately sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup swiss cheese.
17 Using a v-shaped cutter, cut around bell pepper.
18 Separate halves; remove membrane and seeds.
19 Fill with remaining mayonnaise mixture; place in center of ring.
20 Arrange lettuce around the pepper.

We made this the first week of our Psalms Bible study.

Authentic Red Velvet Cake

Paula Deen’s Red Velvet Cupcakes from Food Network

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Garnish with chopped pecans, fresh raspberry or strawberry, or sprinkles.

A Big Spread

Here's who ate dinner at my house 2 weeks ago.
18 teenagers and 6 adults.
Steve and I cooked spaghetti and garlic bread.
The students had traveled from house to house eating salad, appetizers, dinner then last house: dessert!!
As I was prepping for the meal I thought about Jesus and his travels.
I thought about how he hung out with 12 other guys, a group mainly made up of teenagers, and a couple of women.
I thought about those women, preparing a table for 13 plus.
I thought about the fun in moving from place to place with a large group of people, the friendships, the laughs, the inside jokes. How amazing was it to be one of Jesus' original disciples; how amazing it is to be one today.

What a great night!!

Sweet and Sour meatballs

The easiest and very delicious party food that I serve for dinner, because well isn't dinner a party!!

Meatballs
I either buy pre-made frozen meatballs or make my own:
Here's my recipe:
1 pound hamburg
1 egg
bread crumbs (1/4 cup- not sure I eye it)
milk (a splash, again I eye it)
1/2 onion chopped

mix the above and form into balls, cook meatballs on stovetop or broil

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
yummy and oh so easy:
mix together
1- 12 oz jar of chili sauce
1- 10 oz jar of grape jelly
double it for more sauce

add meatballs and let them all cook for an hour or more
yummy!

I serve over rice and with fresh veggies, usually broccoli, my kids favorite!