Cracker Candy Bars,

You are going to love these! Trust me....


 2 Sticks real Butter

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

Club Crackers (1 sleeve should make 1 pan)

1-12 oz pkg chocolate chips =white or milk chocolate, but NOT semi-sweet

1 Cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line rectangular cookie sheet with foil. Spray foil with non-stick spray.

Line cookie sheet with crackers. Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar. Low boil about 1 to 2 minutes, until sugar dissolves and mixes well. Add baking soda. Mix. Pour over crackers. Bake in oven for 8 minutes. It will still be liquid and golden brawn. Pour chocolate chips over crackers. As they melt, spread like frosting. Top with pecans if you wish!

Brownie/Cookie Dessert

I had seen this dessert recipe floating around different blogger sites (not sure where it originated). I could not wait to try it. Today was the day!

One Betty Crocker Brownie Mix 
One Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie mix


Prepare both of these as directed on the package.
Pour the brownie mix in a 9 x 13 pan. Drop spoonfuls of the cookie dough into the brownie batter. Bake at 350 degrees until done.


Top with Chocolate Ganache.


Chocolate Ganache


12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels.
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

6 Tbsp butter

In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage. Pour over the chocolate morsels.Let stand about 20 seconds and stir until smooth. Pour over brownies and let set before cutting.

Oh my goodness!  It was AWESOME! 


Definitely a keeper......

Zucchini Cake Bread

This is a family favorite recipe. Naturally, when I got my first cute little zucchini yesterday out of the garden, I couldn't wait to make it. I'm taking it to a friend who just lost her mother.

For the recipe, go here!

Plum Cake

Ok, I apologize up front! Just click off this post if you don't need any talk about sweet stuff.

Now....for those who are still with me. You have to try this batter cake. It's got baby food in it. It's got fruit in it.

Yeah, that's right; it's got two containers of plum baby food in it. I just love baby food.

I'm telling you it is so yummy! 

I encourage you to hit the baby food aisle at the grocery store and make this. Here's the recipe. 

2 c. sugar

2 c. flour

1 c. oil

3 eggs

2  jars plum baby food

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. cloves

1 c. nuts

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl to mix on medium speed. Bake at 350 degrees in a bundt pan for approximately an hour.

Side notes:

I will tell you that you can use plum with anything else in it. I think mine was two jars of plums with bananas. Whatever you can find will work. And if you don't care for cloves, just dump more cinnamon in!!

I'm also going to put an ooey gooey confectioner's sugar drizzle on top.

I warned you to click off......

A Sure Thing...You Need It!

Oh my gosh....These are so good!!!  The bonus is there are no fancy ingredients. You can probably make them without even going to the store. I did. Well, except I was a few pecans short. So I just crushed some almonds and threw them in with the pecans. YUM! (Here's what mine looked like before I cut them in squares with my pizza cutter.)

Cleta Bailey's Toffee Squares

Ingredients

• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 2 cups Chocolate Chips (milk Or Semi-sweet)
• ¾ cups Finely Chopped Pecans

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and flour and mix until combined. Spread on cookie sheet with an offset spatula until thin. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle on chocolate chips. Return to oven for 1 minute. Remove from oven and spread chocolate thinly over the cookie layer.

Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Cut into squares.


I first heard of these through Pioneer Woman. Well, say no more. 

Are Cinnabons Sinful?? 

Well, I sure hope not. I so recommend these. I got the bakery mix at Sam's. The box comes complete with everything to make these wonderful little things twice. (Each one will make 18!!)

What a great thing to keep on hand when you get caught and need something quickly.

Take my word for it.....you won't regret the purchase.

You'll Fall For This Fall Dessert!

There are so many variations of apple crisp. I really haven't found one I don't like. So I'm here to tell you, if you haven't made this one......"Try it. You'll like it!"

Butterscotch Pecan Apple Crisp

1 12 oz. pkg Butterscotch chips

¼ c. brown sugar

¼ c. flour

½ t. cinnamon

4 apples, peeled and diced 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the chips, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Set this aside. Now place the apples in a 9 x 13 dish.  Sprinkle the butterscotch chip mixture over the apples and bake for 20 minutes.

While this is baking,  prepare the topping.

Topping…

½ c. flour

½ c. brown sugar

4 T. softened butter

1 c. chopped pecans

¾ c. oats

Sprinkle the topping on the apple mixture. Now bake for approximately 30-40 minutes until apples are tender.

Side notes:  1) I used Golden Delicious apples. 2) I doubled the cinnamon--just because I love it. 3) I threw in a little extra sugar. Yeah, just because I love it!!

Enjoy!!

Smores Bars

If you have never made these, I suggest you go to the store right now and buy the stuff!! If you have made them, I've probably just thrown another cravin' on ya! They are so yummy. I made them for last night's bible study. Oh my goodness.....

1/2 cup butter, soft

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 king-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bars

1 small jar marshmallow cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluffy stuff. I made balls as if I was making cookies and flattened with a rolling pin and my hands then arranged them on top.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

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Hey, if you are one of the Texas Blogging Gals, don't forget to get in on the giveaway! It ends September 1.

Cupcakes and Cars

Glory and Jonah decorated cupcakes with me yesterday. We went with white cupcakes (pretty safe) and a mixture of two kinds of canned frosting--butter cream and vanilla. (Try that sometime!!) I purposely went with small dabs of frosting on them though: I didn't want to give them a sugar high late in the evening. And of course, no cupcake is complete without those glorious, fun-to-do sprinkles.

Glory enjoyed hers tremendously without any other thing needed. Jonah had his with cars on the side.

Oh, and I guess we did OK. They both slept fine and got up at their normal times for me. Whew!

Pulling Out the Singer and Scraps

Because I need a project, I decided to start another quilt. I still have plenty of "magic fabric" from a garage sale find, so I am not purchasing any material. It's more fun knowing it's not costing me anything. It will truly be a scrap quilt. But that's ok.  Don't let the sneak peek of some of the fabric scare you. I THINK it will be ok........

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Several of you asked about the pie. Well, so easy....

Graham cracker crust

1 can Eagle Brand milk

1 sm. can frozen lemonade (partially thawed)

1 sm. carton Cool Whip

Mix all ingredients. Pour into crust. Chill. Can top with more Cool Whip or whipping cream.

So Simple

I wanted to make a dessert yesterday. I am sure we have all made a Lemonade Ice Box Pie many times. I don't know why I seem to forget about this simple, quick, and delicious treat. And what is better than a homemade graham cracker crust?!!!

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Weekend Pics

First and mostly importantly......

And then......

Banana-Split Cheesecake

Ok, you know me and desserts. Here is the next one I will be trying!

Ingredients

CRUST:
1 cup packaged chocolate cookie crumbs (such as Oreo)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted
Cooking spray


FILLING:
3 (8-ounce) blocks fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs


TOPPINGS:
1/3 cup canned crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1/3 cup strawberry sundae syrup
1/3 cup chocolate syrup
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
16 maraschino cherries, drained

Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°.
To prepare crust, combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl; toss with a fork until moist. Press into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.
To prepare filling, beat cheeses and sour cream at high speed of a mixer until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, banana, flour, and vanilla; beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time; beat well after each addition.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan; bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Cheesecake is done when the center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge. Cool cheesecake to room temperature. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours. Top each serving with 1 teaspoon pineapple, 1 teaspoon strawberry syrup, 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup, 3/4 teaspoon pecans, and 1 cherry.

From "Cooking Light" -- seriously!

TOO CUTE!

First, we have this. One of the ladies at my bible study this week made this great treat for us. Have you ever seen such a cute little cake!!! Don't doubt us....we eventually gave in and put the knife to it. Awesome!




Next, we have these. Jonah and Glory had a great time getting outdoors late yesterday afternoon. It's rained so often around here that it has been difficult to be able to get out and play.

And then these. A sweet little senior citizen at church just made these for me. (If you missed my post this week about learning from older adults, read it.) I am so proud of the potholders. You can't go to Target or Wal-Mart and buy these. They are made with care, pride, and love!

Have a great weekend!

Taking Care of Business

First, I'm participating again in Keelie's TWOC. She did a great job detailing Christmas foods around our place. (We always have the traditional meal on Christmas Eve.)

I'm going to share several recipes for some old favorites of my mom and mother-in-law on our family recipe blog Pass Your Plate. Head on over there and be sure to follow along if you're a fan of good southern cookin'! These are going to be salads although they sort of taste like dessert!

Also wanted to mention that I enjoy getting in the kitchen and doing alot of baking this time of the year. Obviously, my last giveaway was all about desserts! I've already started trying the posted favorites of some of you fine ladies!

Here's my slab of  Cranberry Crunch Bark (Amy's) I just made. Yum cranberries and almonds!

I could eat the whole slab!!!

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Traveling Longhorns (Red Hen) passed this cute little thing on over to me. She remembered my bathroom redo and wanted me to have it to go along with the room. Thank you!

Here are the rules of this award: Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
Pass the award to bloggers who like to smile and/or laugh. Hey to my readers this morning, would you like it, too? Then grab it.

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Thena at Patiently Waiting passed this precious award to me. Although I have been slow to get it out here, I am appreciative of her kind thoughts.

As it has been passed along to me, here are the rules of the "One Lovely Blog" award:

1. Accept the award.

2. Post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

3. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award. So I'm just taking the easy out...I am passing it on to any of my readers who need a little "pick me up" this morning. All of your blogs are awesome!

Ok........I think I'm caught up!! Have a great day! We've got the umbrellas back out--more rain today.

White Chip Pumpkin Spice Cake

This cake recipe from "Very Best Baking" is so perfect for Fall and is so yummy delicious. Did I mention easy, too? It's just perfect for any occasion this time of the year! I'm so impressed with it I want to link it up to my own giveaway. Is that against "giveaway rules" around here?

1 pkg spice cake mix
3 large eggs
1 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
2/3 cup Evaporated Milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup White Chocolate Chip Morsels
White Chip Glaze (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour bundt pan.
Combine cake mix, eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, and vegetable oil in large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until moist. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes; stir in white chips and pour into bundt pan.
Bake 40-45 minutes . Cool in pan on wire rack for 25 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Pour half of glaze on cooled cake; serve with remaining glaze.
White Chip Cinnamon Glaze:
Heat 3 Tablespoons Evaporated Milk in small sauce pan and heat over medium just to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1 cup white chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

ENDS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 AT 10:00 PM

When Life Gives You Scraps..............

Not sure whether you will think I've lost it or not!  I'll chance it! 

The flowered material was an old dress of days gone by. The yellow fabric was scraps of an old pillow case. 

Put the two together with just a few straight seams with the cute little.............

And WAALAA. I had an apron!

I was sort of proud of my first attempt. Hopefully, when I hook it up to the great sites below, they won't suggest I not come back! Keep your fingers crossed for me. I was sort of thinking about my second giveaway. I have lots of scraps and other patterns. Hmmmm....

P.S. Don't forget to share a favorite dessert recipe with us HERE. (You can make it an easy post, too, by just getting that good one out of your archives.) This 2010 Pillsbury Calendar along with other goodies just may be yours!

Oh dear friends, keep these wonderful recipes coming. You actually have until Friday, October 23, to get one. So that' s a whole week from now to dig in the recipe box or through the archives to find that one you want to share! Keep them coming. I'm stocking up on sugar and flour!

So for the details ....................scroll down!

Ok.....Fall is here! I know we have all started to think holidays--Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! There are great ideas and giveaways popping up everywhere. As promised, I've got another couple of them myself.

I wanted to make these two giveaways easy, fun, and useful. For any of you that know me just a little, I thoroughly enjoy food and baking! Thus, the birth of the first of two back-to-back giveaways.

Here's what the winner of this giveaway will receive!

A "Pillsbury Dessert Recipes"16-month 2010 calendar

A Fall Notebook/Journal

Homemade Salsa and Jelly (made by ME!!)

So.....To enter, do your own post about one of your favorite recipes for a fall or holiday dessert!! Might be a cake, candy, bars, pie, or cookies. Basically anything that has sugar in it works for me!! Then just come back here and hook up to Mr. MckLinky with me.

Now by entering you not only have a chance to win this gift, but you get to see each other's favorite desserts right here. Think of how many you can browse through when you want to try something different.

And the second way to get an extra entry is to just send someone else over for the contest. The more the merrier! You'll get credit for how many you send. Just tell them to mention your name.

New Cake Recipe

When I read this recipe on a new friend's post, I told her I would have to try it. She had just gotten the recipe from another online friend. So here's the cake...........Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce.

Wait!! Don't leave me yet. I know apple cake sounds really boring. But this caramel sauce is to die for. I made it for a ladies' gathering. They loved it! 

I have decided even if I'm not hungry, I'll just get a straw and drink the sauce!!


Cake:
3/4 c. butter
2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 c. all purpose flour
2 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
4 cups peeled, finely chopped apples (Granny smith or McIntosh)
1 t. vanilla

Sauce:
3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch cake pan. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift together dry ingredients and add to egg mixture alternately with apples. Stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve warm......oh yes by all means!

Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Immediately remove from heat and spoon over individual servings of warm cake.

**Just a side note. I added a little extra cinnamon and vanilla. I so love both of these!

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Then........

Now........

Love you, Jenna!