Marshmallow Deliciousness

I got this awesome and fun recipe from the Taste of Home holiday book.  This recipe is quick, easy, and very yummy.  If you wanted to you could put an appetizer tooth pick into the marshmallow and then you have a nice little handle for the marshmallow.  I however, did not due the full recipe, I cut it in half and it still made a lot of marshmallows. So here is the full recipe and might I add that this is fun to do with kids too.

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz bag) marshmallows

1 (14 ounce) package caramels

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup butter or margarine

5 cups crisp rice cereal

Directions:
Line a cookie sheet with wax paper to set the finished marshmallows on.  In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, combine caramels, milk and butter. Cook and stir until caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth. Dip marshmallows in caramel mixture; roll in cereal.

Easy Mini Cheesecakes

So I really love cheesecake and when I found this recipe it was awesome. This recipe is both good and very easy to make.  I am a big fan of single servings because it cuts down on the mess and the bake time usually :)  This recipe is great if you are going to a party and you totally forgot that you were supposed to bring something. No worries, this only takes a couple of minutes to prep and just 20 minutes to bake. You can always leave the garnish on the side for those that want it this way you don't add it to the warm cheesecake.

Ingredients:

2 packages of 8oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
12 Oreo Cookies, Vanilla Wafers, or  GF Ginger snaps
garnish: strawberries or cherry pie filling

Directions:

Heat your oven to 350°F.  Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Add eggs, one at a time until well blended.  Place liners in a 12 count muffin tray, then line with a cookie each. Now top with the cream cheese mixture and bake for 20 minutes or until the centers are almost set.  Then let them cool before adding the garnish and you are ready to serve.

New England Clam Chowda

Ever since the first time I tried New England Clam Chowda, I absolutely loved It! Every time I'm back east I make sure to eat as much of it as I possibly can because unfortunately, I can't get wicked good chowda here in Arizona.


While I was off for maternity leave for my second little bundle of joy I decided I was going to make clam chowder for a few reasons. One I had an abundance of potatoes because they were on sale :) Two I knew that it would be a good gluten free meal that hubby could enjoy since he needs to stay away from wheat. And three, I just really wanted a good clam chowder recipe that I could use especially around lent. The nice part about this is that you can through it all in the crockpot and it is super easy to make, not very time consuming at all.  Also I use chicken broth because I am not starting out with fresh clams but you could use all clam juice instead of chicken broth. So here is what I ended up with which is based on Emeril's New England Clam Chowder recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I did.


Ingredients:


6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
2 cans (14.5oz can)of chicken broth
1 bottle of clam juice
2 cans of minced clams (don't discard the juice)
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
extra butter for garnish


Directions:


In a large pot cook the bacon until it is nice and crispy. Discard all the grease except for 2 tablespoons. Add the 4 tablespoons butter, onions, celery and cook until softened. Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaves and cook until the vegetables are thoroughly wilted, be careful not to brown them. Add the potatoes and clam juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the broth thickens slightly and the potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. I like a thicker broth, so I mashed some of the potatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat, Discard the thyme stems and bay leaves, stir in the clams, cream, and season with the pepper and the salt to taste. When you serve it put a pat of butter on top and oyster crackers on the side.

Easy Cranberry Sauce

So I came across this amazing recipe the other day and even though our family uses the jellied cranberry sauce that comes in a can I was quite curious to try this recipe.  One of the things that attracted me so much to this recipe is that it is really quick and easy to make.  Which is always a plus in my book with a two year old and another one on the way.  The outcome was phenominal to the point where Ed doesn't really care for whole cranberry sauce and he totally loved it!  I promise you that this recipe will only take you about 10 minutes to make and you can make it the day before you need it if you want.  Here is the recipe and hope you enjoy!

1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup Cognac/Brandy
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
pinch of kosher salt

Put everything in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Then let it simmer until the cranberries have burst and the sauce starts to thicken.  You can serve it warm or chilled, however you prefer, it is very yummy either way.