On Poinsettia Drive

Easy Shepherd's Pie

This is a winner. Simply, tasty meal that doesn't take a lot of time. The Worcestershire Sauce and Garlic Mashed Potatoes makes this dish extra special. My daughter Stefanie introduced me to this dish.

1 lb ground beef

1/3 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

8 oz frozen mixed vegetables

1/4 cup (1 oz) Cheddar Cheese shredded

1-16 oz pkg. mashed potatoes (or Bob Evans Garlic Mashed Potatoes, already prepared)

Place beef in a large skillet and cook over medium high heat until no trace of pink remains spoon and discard fat. Stir in ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Add vegetables and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Spoon the beef mixture into a baking dish.

Mix the cheese with the potatoes in a medium bowl. Spread the potatoes over the beef and bake until heated through, 10 minutes.

Heat oven 400.

Photo Campbells

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Double Chocolate Nutella™ Cookie Truffles

For all the chocoholics, this chocolate cookie truffles is for you.

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ double chocolate chunk cookie mix

Vegetable oil, water and egg called for on cookie mix pouch

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup Nutella™ hazelnut spread with cocoa

2 cups dark chocolate chips

2 tablespoons shortening

1 tablespoon Betty Crocker™ Decorating Decors chocolate candy sprinkles

1 Heat oven to 375°F. Make cookies as directed on pouch. Cool completely, at least 15 minutes.

2 In food processor, process half of the cookies to fine crumbs. Remove and set aside; continue to process remaining cookies to fine crumbs. Mix all of cookie crumb mixture in food processor. Add cream cheese and Nutella™ spread. Process until well combined and mixture can be pressed into a ball, 1 to 2 minutes. Shape cookie mixture into 52 (1 1/4-inch) balls; place on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

3 In medium bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on High 60 to 90 seconds or until mixture can be stirred smooth.

4 Remove half of the cookie balls from refrigerator. Using 2 forks, dip and roll chilled cookie balls, one at a time, in melted chocolate. Return to lined cookie sheet; immediately decorate top with sprinkles. If chocolate has cooled too much, reheat. Refrigerate truffles about 10 minutes or until coating is set. Repeat with second half of cookie balls. Store covered in refrigerator.

Betty Crocker Recipe

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The Biggest Impact On Your Marriage

Use this tool everyday.

How do we pray when are hearts are desperate and there are no words?
How do we have faith when he has none?
How do we survive when the one that God created for us is walking away from his
Creator?
How do we love our men when they are unbelieving?

Continue reading at Unveiled Wife Blog

When I read these words I think, how do I pray when I am the one who is desperate or where is my faith. Or the times I walk away instead of running to God. How do I love myself when I'm not lovable. God knows my heart but He wants me to talk to Him, He wants me to ask.
Marriages are under attack and our greatest tool is to pray for this relationship. Marriages are joining two sinful people together on a journey through life. That alone spells disaster. There will be many ups and downs but with God's guidance He will walk us through them. Hugs, Linda

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Paula Deen's Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

Apple Butter and Pumpkin Pie. My house smelled heavenly when I made this.

Enjoy! Love, My daughter Melinda

1 cup Apple butter

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground ginger

3 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1 unbaked 9-in pie shell (frozen)

Preheat oven to 425 F

-[Use a spoon to mix] Combine apple butter, pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices in a large bowl. Then stir in eggs (which should already be slightly beaten). Gradually add milk and mix well. Pour into pie shell. Bake for about 40 minutes or until set.

**You may end up with leftover mixture, I would pour the remaining into a cupcake tin.

**If crust starts to burn, wrap tin foil around the crust and finish baking.

Sweetened Whipped Cream:

1 cup cold heavy cream

2 TBsp confectioners sugar

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

-Place cream in medium bowl & beat w/ mixer at medium speed until thick and frothy. While beating add sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

-Dust cinnamon over the whipped cream to finish off.

Paula Deen Recipe

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

The sweet-tart flavor combination of strawberry and rhubarb with a surprising ingredient: orange! Mix a little orange zest and some juice into the fruity filling for a crumb-topped dessert that's sure to impress.

4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (4 to 5 stalks)

4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, if large

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal, such as McCann's

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the fruit, toss the rhubarb, strawberries, 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar and the orange zest together in a large bowl. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit. Pour the mixture into an 8-by-11-inch baking dish and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

For the topping, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt and oatmeal. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is in crumbles. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely, and bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream.

Photograph by Quentin Bacon

Recipe Barefoot Contessa

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A Little Heart

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Hot Ham & Swiss Open Face Sandwich

Eating lite, here is a tasty open face ham sandwich with asparagus.

12 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

6 slices marble rye bread

2 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Harvest Coarse Ground Mustard

1 pkg. (7 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Smoked Ham

6 KRAFT Extra Thin Swiss Cheese Slices

Heat oven to 450ºF.

Toss asparagus with dressing; place in single layer on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 8 min. or until crisp-tender and lightly browned.

Spread bread slices with mustard. Place in single layer on another baking sheet; top with ham, asparagus and cheese.

Bake 2 min. or until cheese is melted.

Found at Kraft

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Country Italian Stew

Tomatoes, beef, chick peas, macaroni and veggies of your choices. Perfect for those chilly nights.

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 lb beef cubes

1 can (14 1/2 oz.) whole tomatoes, undrained

1 envelope Lipton Onion or Beefy Mushroom Recipe Soup Mix

3 cups water

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1 medium onion, cut into chunks

1 large stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup sliced carrot

1 cup sliced green beans

1 can (20 oz.) chick peas or garbanzos, drained

1/2 cup sliced zucchini

1/4 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

In large saucepan or stockpot, heat oil and brown beef. Add tomatoes, then onion recipe soup mix blended with water and oregano. simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Add onion, celery, carrot and green beans. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, and additional 15 minutes or until vegetables and macaroni are tender.

Serve, if desired, with grated Parmesan cheese. Makes about 2 quarts stew.

Picture by Better Homes & Gardens

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Easy Caramel Sauce

Easy Caramel Sauce. Ooey gooey goodness.

1 packed cup brown sugar

1/2 cup half-and-half

4 tablespoons butter

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until it gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat, cool slightly and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold.

2011 Ree Drummond

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Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Walnuts

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Walnuts. This was a favorite at Thanksgiving it ROCKED!!!

Extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, smashed

Pinch of crushed red pepper

1/4 pound pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice (or bacon)

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 pint Brussels sprouts, stemmed and leaves pulled apart

Kosher salt

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the garlic and red pepper and bring to medium heat. When the garlic has turned a lovely golden brown, after 2-3 minutes, remove it from the pan and ditch it – it has fulfilled its garlic destiny.

Add the pancetta and walnuts and cook until the pancetta is crispy and brown, 5-6 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and toss to combine. Season with salt, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sprouts have wilted. Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium-high and let the sprout leaves “frizzle” (brown) for another 8-10 minutes, or until the color is as you want it. Toss or stir during this time. (Don’t be hesitant about letting the sprouts brown – the darker and crisper they are, the better they taste!)

Makes 4 servings.

From Anne Burrell, “Cook Like a Rock Star”

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Enjoy the Journey

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Old Fashioned Applesauce Spice Cake

This is a delightful dessert that brings you back to grandma's house. A perfect dessert full of Autumn flavors. Apples, Cinnamon, Spices, and Walnuts.

1 package Duncan Hines Signature Spice Cake Mix

3 large eggs

1 can Comstock Apple Pie Filling, chopped

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 container of vanilla frosting or make your own

Preheaat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 pan.

Combine cake mix, eggs, apple pie filling and oil in a large bowl.

Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in nuts by hand.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake completely on wire rack.

Combine frosting and cinnamon, spread over cooled cake. Cut into squares.

Photo Duncan Hines

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This awesome blog site feature this recipe this week. Thank you!
The Charm of Home Blog Party

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Chicken Pizza Insalata

I can't begin to describe the creamy yummy flavor of this pizza.

I have found that this also works on a premade pizza dough, flat bread or whatever you like to make your homemade pizza on. If I'm using flat bread I will top it with the chicken mixture and heat it up in the microwave till bubbly. The oven made the bread hard and crispy so I like the microwave better. The Asiago peppercorn salad dressing I found in the produce section of my grocery store.

This pizza is a definite win in my home.

1 lb fresh Bakery pizza dough

1/4 cup flour

1 Deli rotisserie chicken

8 oz shredded Italian-blend cheese

1/2 cup Asiago peppercorn salad dressing, divided

1/4 cup garlic Alfredo (or white pizza) sauce

3 cups mixed salad greens, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup prediced tomatoes

1/3 cup presliced sweet onions

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand one hour (do not remove from bag until stand time completed).

Preheat oven to 400°F. Flour hands lightly and pat dough evenly into lightly greased or nonstick pizza pan. (Or turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to desired thickness.)

Shred chicken (white meat only; 2 cups). Combine chicken, shredded cheese blend, and 1/4 cup dressing. Spread Alfredo sauce evenly over crust; top evenly with chicken mixture. Bake 18–20 minutes (depending on thickness of pizza) or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes.

Chop salad greens and place in medium bowl; stir in tomatoes, onions, and remaining 1/4 cup dressing until blended. Top pizza with salad; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Slice and serve.

Aprons Advice

For best results, prebake pizza dough at 400°F for 10–12 minutes. Add sauce, meat, cheese, and baked toppings; bake 7–10 more minutes or until crust is golden and toppings are thoroughly heated. Toss together salad greens, mix-ins and dressing; place on top of pizza. Slice and serve.

Publix Apron

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Pumpkin Cookies

I love Pumpkin and these sound like such an easy treat. I'm thinking that even if you wanted to use your own sugar cookies dough recipe you could add the pumpkin to that.

1 roll Pillsbury™ refrigerated sugar cookie dough

2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1.Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, break cookie dough into small chunks. Add pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on 2 ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 14 to 16 minutes. Cool on pan 5 minutes; remove to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, unwrap cream cheese. Place in a medium microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until softened. Stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread on cookies.

Making these for Halloween? Transfer icing to a quart-sized resealable food-storage plastic bag, and refrigerate. When ready to ice cookies, cut a tiny piece from a corner of the bag, and squeeze icing out to make jack-o'-lantern faces or crescent shapes for harvest moons.

In a pinch, canned cream cheese frosting can be used instead of the cream cheese and powdered sugar mixture.

A Pillsbury recipe.

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Perfect Mashed Potatoes

An electric mixer creates slightly chunkier potatoes, so everyone knows they're homemade and not from a box. I love this recipe. Southern Living.

Yukon gold potatoes yield a texture that's just right for holding a pool of flavorful gravy or melted butter.

3 lb. Yukon gold potatoes

2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup half and half

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Peel, boil & drain. Peel potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces. Bring to a boil in 1 teaspoon salted water. After you bring to a boil reduce heat to medium-low and cook 16 to 20 minutes or until fork-tender; drain.

Add creamy richness. Add the rest of the ingredients.

Beat until smooth. Beat at medium speed with a hand-held electric mixer 30 seconds to 1 minute or to desired degree of smoothness. (Do not over beat.) Serve immediately.

Recipe Southern Living

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Baked Artichokes with Gorgonzola and Herbs

This sounds so good. Stuffed artichokes are always a holiday treat but adding Gorgonzola, wow!

Salt

4 artichokes

3 lemons, plus 1 lemon

10 ounces mild Gorgonzola cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons cream

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus 1 tablespoon

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons bread crumbs

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Trim the artichokes by cutting off the top 1-inch or so. Cut the stem close to the base of the artichoke so the artichoke can sit up straight, and remove some of the bottom leaves. Using kitchen shears, trim the sharp points off of any remaining outer leaves. Add the artichokes to the boiling water. Halve the lemons and squeeze the juice into the boiling water. Toss in the lemons. Cook the artichokes until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the artichokes and let cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together the Gorgonzola, cream, thyme, 2 teaspoons parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. In another small bowl stir together the bread crumbs and remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the center choke of the artichokes using a small spoon. Stuff the cheese mixture into the center of the artichokes. Place the artichokes into a baking dish. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the artichokes. Drizzle the tops of the artichokes with olive oil. Bake until the artichokes are heated through, the cheese is melted, and the bread crumbs are crisp and golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer the artichokes to a serving dish and serve.

Giada De Laurentiis

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Blistered Green Beans

Quick, simple and savory. Serve warm or at room temp.

2 tablespoons butter

8 ounces green beans, trimmed

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and when melted, add the beans. Let the beans sit and blister for about 90 seconds, then toss and allow to blister some more. Add the soy sauce, toss to coat the beans and serve.

Ree Drummond

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Being Happy

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Cran-Pistachio Cookies

My friend Sheri Commons shared this recipe it came from The Girl Who Ate Everything, Source: Betty Crocker. Thank you Sheri, these cookies are great!

1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix

1 box (4 serving size) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 cup dry roasted salted pistachio nuts, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

optional - green food coloring (I didn't add any but if you wanted them extra green you could)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl stir cookie mix, pudding, and flour. Add melted butter and eggs and stir until incorporated.

Add pistachios and cranberries and mix well.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. The only way you can ruin these cookies is to overbake them! If you bake them too long you will lose the soft texture and they won't be as green. They will not look done but take them out and let them sit on the pan for about 2 minutes. Trust me.

Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Picture Betty Crocker

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Caramelized French Toast

Cinnamon, Brown Sugar & butter. Golden brown and bubbly. I don't remember who gave me this recipe but it is great when you have a crowd for breakfast.

1 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup butter or 1 stick

1/3 corn syrup

3 tablespoons water

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

One loaf of french bread sliced into 1 1/2 inch slices.

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Thin slices of butter on top

Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup and water in a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until mixture is bubbly. Pour syrup evenly into lightly greased 13x9x2 inch casserole dish. Arrange bread slices over syrup. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla extract and salt, stir well. Gradually pour over bread slices. Cover and chill at least 8 hours or overnight. When ready to bake, combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over soaked bread. Drizzle with the remaining butter. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Serves 10

Photo How to Feed a Loon

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