Mock Almond Roca--YUMMY!

Real English Toffee is quite hard to perfect....however, this recipe for 'Mock Almond Roca' is the second best thing to real English Toffee in our house. I have made this recipe MANY times and have never messed it up....so, if you are a toffee lover, this is a fail proof recipe. The salty taste of the crackers makes this treat have a delicious twist that everyone will love!

Mock Almond Roca
36 soda crackers
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 t. corn syrup
12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
4 oz. slivered almonds

Prepare a 12x15-in. cookie sheet by placing aluminum foil on bottom of pan. Lay soda crackers on foil. Boil butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar for 2 minutes. Pour over crackers. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes. Take out and cool slightly. Put 12-oz. pkg. chocolate chips on top. Return to oven for few minutes. Remove and spread chocolate evenly. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and refrigerate until ready to serve. YUM!

Cranberry Cheesecake Bars

My friend made these the other day and they were DIVINE! This would make a delicious (and EASY) dessert for any Thanksgiving party.

Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups (12 ounce package) White Chocolate Chips
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) can Whole-Berry Cranberry Sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
2. COMBINE flour, oats and brown sugar in large bowl. Add butter; mix until crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve 2 1/2 cups morsel mixture for topping. With floured fingers, press remaining mixture into prepared pan.
3. BEAT cream cheese in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract; mix until smooth. Pour over crust. Combine cranberry sauce and cornstarch in medium bowl. Spoon over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle reserved morsel mixture over cranberry mixture.
4. BAKE for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cover; refrigerate until serving time (up to 1 day). Cut into bars.

Makes 30 Bars

Chilis Paradise Pie

Ok I haven't tried this.. but I just saw it on THIS website... It looks so good and this is one of my FAVORITE desserts!... And I know Laura loves it too:) Maybe we will try in CT next week??

Better Than Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie


1 1/2 cup butter, melted

3 cups firmly packed brown sugar

6 eggs

3 tsp. vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 cups chopped walnuts

2 cups milk chocolate chips



Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a sheet pan. In a large bowl, combine sugar and melted butter; beat with electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to the sugar mixture; mix well. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 40+ minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm, or reheat individual servings in the microwave. Top with ice cream and caramel sauce.

Honey Lime Chicken

Honey Lime Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 TBS. oil

1 20 oz. can of pineapple rings

1/4 c. honey

3 TBS. lime juice

2 TBS. soy sauce

2 tsp. corn starch

Cut chicken into strips and sprinkle with garlic salt. Brown in oil. Drain pineapple rings (reserve juice). Add 1/4 c. pineapple juice to skillet. Cover and simmer 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken. Add honey, lime juice, soy sauce, corn starch and pineapple juice. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thick and clear - about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Allow to cool. Place in freezer bag with chicken, pineapple rings and sauce. Freeze. To serve, thaw, heat until sauce is bubbly and chicken is heated through. Serve over rice.

Yummy! The girl I got this from says this freezes really well too. Cooking double would be just as easy and then you could freeze one. Even the boys loved it.

Chile Verde

This is one of our favorites.. so good!

Ingredients:
1 pork or beef roast (I have had it both ways and both are good. Use which ever you prefer:)
1 15oz can + 1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 4oz cans green chiles
2 bunches green onions
1-2 Tbsp jalapeno pepper
2 Tbsp red bell pepper with seeds
1 tsp garlic salt or powder
1/2 tsp oregano

Directions:
-Cook and shred roast. (I cook mine in my crock pot with some chicken broth and a little worcestershire sauce for about 8 hours and it always turns out tender and good)
-Combine all other ingredients and pour over cooked and shredded roast and simmer at least four hours.

*We eat ours on homemade tortillas with some cheese and sour cream and it's oh so good... Plus it freezes really well so make a bunch and have an easy meal for another day when you don't want to cook! :)

Cheesy Skillet Chicken with Pasta & Broccoli

I tried this last night and it was so good!

Ingredients:
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1- inch pieces
1/2 tsp Salt
Black Pepper to taste
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 med onion, minced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
8oz pene pasta
4 1/4 C water
2 1/2 C chicken broth
4-5 C broccoli
1/2 C oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped
3/4 C heavy cream
3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:
-Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
-Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking; add chicken in a single layer and cook for 1 min without stirring. Stir and continue cooking until most, but not all, of the pink color has disappeared and the chicken is lightly browned around the edges, 1-2 min longer. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
-Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil, onion, and 1/2 tsp salt to skillet; return to med-high heat and cook 2-5 min until onion is softened.
-Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and cook about 30 seconds.
-Add pasta, 3 C water, and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is almost completely absorbed. About 15 min.
-Add broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining 1 1/4 C water. Cover, reduce heat to med and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 2-3 min.
-Uncover and return heat to med-high. Stir in cream, Parmesan and reserved chicken. Simmer until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through.
-Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

YUM!! (Even Travis liked it...) BTW... I got this recipe from www.getoffyourbuttandbake.blogspot.com. Lots of good recipes and ideas if you are ever stumped.

Lemon Cream Cheese Pie with Berries

I made this the other day when Mike and I ate dinner at our Bishop's house. It was really yummy!

8 Ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 8-inch pre-baked crumb crust

2 cups fresh berries, divided

1. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly pour the condensed milk into the cream cheese as you continue beating.

2. Beat until smooth. Whisk in lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.

3. Pour into prebaked 8 inch crust. Puree 1/3 cup of the berries. Drizzle on top of prepared pie. Run a knife throughout the pie to make a swirl effect.

4. Refigerate for 3-4 hours.

5. To serve, top with remaining berries.

Serves 6