Experience has taught me that the key to hosting a successful party – whether it’s for adults or children – is having large quantities of good food. And our daughter’s 9^th birthday party was no exception.

Last Friday, my daughter requested to take cupcakes to school for her birthday treats. Since her party theme was Zany Zebras, I tried my best to make her treats fit the theme. My artwork leaves a little to be desired, but these cupcakes were a hit in the classroom. Kids were pleasantly surprised to bite into the mini Oreo® center. 

That night we hosted six girls for an overnight, and those little girls had big appetites! For supper, I put a new twist on pizza by serving a casserole. Some of our guests had second – and even third – helpings!  Best of all, it’s easy to make and costs less than ordering take-out. Add baby carrots and apples slices to complete the hassle-free, well balanced meal.

Breakfast the next morning was a snap, too. Monkey Bread is not only delicious, but it’s an easy recipe for kids to help make. From the time my kids were in preschool, they’ve been able to help cut up the biscuits and shake them in cinnamon/sugar. Food always tastes better (in their minds) when they had a hand at making it! I just sliced a few strawberries and bananas, fried a little bacon, and poured glasses of cold milk to round out the meal on Saturday morning.

Hopefully, your “little monkeys” will enjoy these recipes, too. I always enjoy swapping ideas with other moms, so feel free to share with me your kids’ favorites.

PIZZA CASSEROLE

Ingredients

• 2 c. twisted macaroni, cooked according to package directions
• 1 ½ lb. hamburger, browned with onion, salt & pepper
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella
• 1, 15-oz. can pizza sauce
• 1, 8-oz. can tomato sauce
• ½ tsp. sugar
• Dash of onion salt, garlic salt and oregano

Directions

Mix hamburger and macaroni.  In a separate pan, mix: tomato sauce and tomato paste, sugar, onion salt, garlic salt and oregano.   Then add the sauce mix to the hamburger and macaroni.  Put ½ of this mixture in a 2-qt. casserole dish and top with half the mozzarella.  Then add the remaining mixture and top with another layer of cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. 

NOTE:  I like to add Hormel’s mini pepperonis to this casserole, too.

OREO® SURPRISE CUPCAKES

Ingredients

• 1 (18 ounce) package chocolate cake mix (2 layer size)
• 1 (8 ounce) package Philadelphia Cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 48 miniature Oreo cookies
• 1 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare cake batter as directed on package.  Spoon evenly into 24 paper- or foil-lined muffin cups, filling each cup about 1/2 full.
2. Beat cream cheese, egg and sugar until well blended.  Place about 1-1/2 teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture over cake batter and add 1 cookie. Cover with remaining cake batter.
3. Bake 19 to 22 minute or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before moving cupcakes from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (There may be an indentation in top of each cupcake after baking.).
4. Frost cupcakes with Cool Whip®. Garnish with remaining cookies.

Monkey Bread

• ¾ c. sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 4 tubes of biscuits (cut into ¼’s)

Place sugar in cinnamon in a plastic bag; shake biscuit pieces.  Arrange coated pieces in Bundt pan.

Syrup:

• 1 c. brown sugar
• ¾ c. melted butter
• 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

Mix well.  Pour over biscuits in Bundt pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  Turn out on cookie sheet to cool.

I heard a bird this week that I haven’t heard since last spring. I know, I know. There’s five feet of snow out there and this is a very small slice of hope in it all, but it is hope nonetheless! It means that soon more and more birds will return to the northland. And soon, we’ll see green again.

In honor of green – and of our trip to Key West last week – I’m sharing a recipe straight from Kermit. Kermit’s Key (West) Lime Shoppe was a popular stop for the Latham group.  And thanks to a recipe posted on foodnetwork.com, we can all enjoy it from the comfort of our own homes.   Below is the recipe for Kermit’s delectable Key Lime Pie. Enjoy!

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

• 2 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup key lime juice
• 1 (9-inch) graham cracker piecrust
• Whipped cream, to garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a mixer on low-medium speed, blend the milk and egg yolks at low speed until smooth. Add the key lime juice and finish blending.
3. Gently pour the mixture into the piecrust and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool for another 15 minutes before refrigerating.
4. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Serve cold and top with fresh whipped cream.

Do you have a favorite pie recipe that screams spring? Oh, who are we to judge? We love all pie!

I heard it, too. The whispers that we would get hit with another storm beginning last night. Cabin fever is setting in, so I thought today, we’d try to battle it by recommending a few good activities you can do inside and out.

To keep you warm on another cold day, I’m also including a good recipe from allrecipes.com.  I figure if Mother Nature’s going to keep us cooped up anyway, we may as well fight back with good food!

Stay warm this weekend and let us know if you liked the recipe and if the activities helped keep cabin fever at bay for another day.

Indoor Activities:

• Build a fort – grab some blankets and get to building. Heat up some marshmallows and chocolate in the microwave and make indoor s’mores. They may not have the magic of the fire, but your kids will still smile when they take a bite.
• Cook – kids love to get their hands into new activities. Have them help plan the menu, as well as make the food. It will definitely be messy, but it should help keep them entertained for another hour.  And, we know how precious 60 minutes can be!

Outdoor Activities:

• Snow Painting – take a few water bottles with squirt tops and pour food coloring into the bottle. That’s all it takes. Let the kids go out and paint the snow!
• Sledding – a classic, and it’s great for getting the kids (and parents) a little exercise during the winter months.

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

3 bacon strips, diced

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 cups chicken broth

2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup half-and-half cream

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Shredded Cheddar cheese

Minced fresh parsley

Preparation Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat through but do not boil. Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley.

As you all know, I love easy recipes that taste great. I know many of you will have a full house this Sunday, or will go to a full house, and may be looking for a dish to share with family and friends as you cheer on your favorite Super Bowl team.

I recently discovered a blog I love to visit every once in a while for great recipe ideas and good writing. Here are a few recipes shared on Ree Drummond’s blog in the Tasty Kitchen portion. The theme of this post was Game Day Grub. Whether you’re rooting for the Saints or the Colts, I think you’ll be able to agree on one thing this Sunday – these recipes make for some happy football fans.

Who will you root for on Sunday?

Baked Sweet Onion Dip

Ingredients

• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese (Very Softened)
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 cup Minced Sweet Onion
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Crusty Bread, Crackers

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, place softened cream cheese. The cream cheese must be very, very, soft (like spreadable butter) to allow all ingredients to blend evenly together. If your cream cheese needs to soften more, place in the microwave for a few seconds.

2. Add mayo, Parmesan cheese, onions and fresh cracked black pepper to soft cream cheese till everything is mixed thoroughly.

3. Place mixture in ramekins or any oven-safe dishes. Bake slowly, for about 30-45 minutes for all ingredients to cook together. When the top crust is brown, almost burnt-looking, then the dip is ready. The darker brown the crust of the dip becomes, the better the flavors are cooked.

4. Serve with your favorite bread and crackers.

And … who could have a Super Bowl party without great sandwiches?

Pulled Pork Pockets

Ingredients

• 1 can (16.3 Oz. Can) Flaky Canned Biscuits (Pillsbury’s Grands® work well)
• 3 cups Pulled Or Roasted Pork, Chopped
• 1 whole Egg White
• 1 teaspoon Water
• 1 Tablespoon Your Favorite BBQ Seasoning/rub
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder

1. Preheat your oven to 350º.
2. Whisk the egg white and water together in a small bowl and set aside.
3. On a floured work surface, roll each biscuit into a six-inch round.
4. Place about 1/3 cup of the pork on one half of each round and sprinkle it with a dash of the seasoning. Fold the exposed half of each round over the filling and pinch and roll to seal the edge.
5. Arrange the pockets on a sheet pan leaving about an inch between each.
6. Cut a one-inch slash in the top of each pocket.
7. Brush the top and seams of each pocket with the egg wash and sprinkle with a little chili powder.
8. Bake until golden brown (about 20 minutes).

Serve with barbecue sauce for dipping.

Enjoy!

I heard on the news today that we’ve received the same amount of snow already this winter that we would normally receive in an entire season!

The one good thing about snowy days is that I get in the mood to bake and cook, so this winter has provided me with plenty of opportunities to do just that!  Today – as local schools are closed again and all community activities are being cancelled – I thought it would be fitting to share one of my favorite recipes to make when the snow starts piling up.

Making a hearty meal and then spending time with my family, watching a good movie or playing games, helps brighten my spirits.  If we’re really lucky, it might get warm enough for us to hit the nearby sledding hill.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and some quality family time, too.

Thick and Hearty Chili

Ingredients:

2 lb. ground beef, browned

2, 15-oz. cans chili beans

2, 15-oz. cans tomato sauce

2, 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes

Onion

3 T. chili powder

Tabasco to taste

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker before your day begins, and it’s ready to eat at supper time!

Buttery Corn Bread

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter or margarine softened (I use butter)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 2/3 cup milk

2 1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar, Combine eggs, and milk. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture.

Pour into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 22-27 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve warm.

Honey Butter

Ingredients:

¾ c. butter, softened

¼ c. honey

Directions:

Cream butter and honey.

The story of the Little Gingerbread Boy has been a favorite of mine since I was a little shaver, sitting on my grandmother’s lap. It’s also become a favorite of my kids. When they were in preschool, we made little, hand-made puppets that help bring the story to life. Now that they’re older, they enjoy spending an afternoon with my mom, decorating gingerbread men and women in various shapes, sizes and colors.

All of us can enjoy this classic holiday tradition in a whole new way with virtual decorating this year. As the folks at farms.com say, “Enjoy! These cookies have no calories, but they are deliciously fun.” Best of all, there’s no mess in the kitchen!

Decorate your “virtual” gingerbread cookie by clicking here.

There’s a lot to be thankful for at Thanksgiving, and on that list is the amazing food we get to enjoy during the holiday. I wanted to share a couple of our family favorites with you.

I love easy-to-make recipes, especially during the holidays. We have enough going on trying to get everyone around the table at the same time, let alone watching a pie to keep the crust from burning. That’s why this Pumpkin Pudding recipe is one of my favorites, because all it takes is a quick mix, and then you can pour it into the crockpot and forget about it until it’s ready to serve.

Another “pour it and forget it recipe” is for cranberry salad. It puts a new twist on a traditional Turkey Day side dish.

What I like about both of these recipes is that, while the food is either warming in the crockpot or cooling in the fridge, it leaves me – and you – time to do exactly what we should be doing on Thanksgiving: enjoying time with family and friends.

Crockpot Pumpkin Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1, 15-oz. can solid-pack pumpkin
• 1, 12-oz. can evaporated milk
• ¾ c. sugar
• ½ c. Bisquick
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 T. butter, melted
• 2 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:

Spray the slow cooker crock with non-stick spray or lightly oil the inside.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand-held mixer at low to medium speed, beat ingredients together until smooth.  Pour the mixture into the prepared crockpot.

Cover and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours, or cook on High 3 to 4 hours.
Spoon into cups and top with whipped topping.
Serves 6.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Mold

Ingredients:

• 1½ c. boiling water
• 1 package (8-serving size) or 2 packages (4-serving size) JELL-O® brand Cranberry Flavor Gelatin
• 1½ c. cold water
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 medium apple, chopped
• 1 c. whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1, 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

Preparation:

Stir the boiling water into gelatin in large bowl for 2 minutes or until completely dissolved.  Stir in cold water and cinnamon.  Pour 2 cups of the gelatin into medium bowl.  Refrigerate about 1½ hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves a definite impression).  Reserve remaining 1 cup gelatin at room temperature.

Stir apple and cranberry sauce into thickened gelatin.  Spoon into 6-cup mold.  Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set but not firm (should stick to finger when touched and should mound).

Stir reserved 1 cup gelatin gradually into cream cheese in small bowl with wire whisk until smooth.  Pour over gelatin layer in mold.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.  Unmold.  Makes 12 servings.

Now that autumn is “officially” here, it was high time to make some of my family’s favorite fall recipes. Since we were hosting friends on Sunday, I opted to prepare a meal that was easy to make ahead of time. All of the meal prep was complete on Saturday, so all I had to do was pop everything in the oven on Sunday. Our menu consisted of meatballs, party potatoes, caramel apple salad, green beans and zucchini bread.

What’s your favorite fall menu? You can submit your recipes by simply clicking on the “comment” button below.

Claudia’s Meatballs

3# ground ham
3# hamburger
3 eggs
2c. crushed graham crackers
1-1/2c. milk

In a large bowl, combine beaten eggs, graham crackers and milk. Add ground beef and ground ham.
Mix well. Shape into balls, about 1/4c. each.
Cook in hot oil in a large skillet until browned, shaking skillet gently to turn meatballs. Drain meatballs on paper towels and top.

Topping:

1/4c. ketchup
1/4c. brown sugar
2tsp. mustard

Caramel Apple Salad

6 small apples, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
1- 8oz. can unsweetened crushed pineapple (do NOT drain)
1- 8oz. box sugar-free butterscotch pudding (unprepared)
1 c. miniature marshmallows
12 oz. Cool Whip®
1/4c. chopped peanuts (optional)

In a large bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients together and stir well. Gently fold in the Cool Whip, and then transfer to another bowl. Chill and serve. (NOTE: Nuts will get mushy, so I usually wait to add the nuts until right before serving.)

There’s nothing better than a summer picnic! I love being outdoors, enjoying beautiful weather and the company of family and friends. I especially enjoy listening to bullfrogs croaking, birds singing and kids giggling?or shrieking with delight as they chase one another with water balloons and squirt guns.

I also think summer picnics are a good opportunity to branch out from the standards: fresh fruit, potato salad and baked beans. I wanted to make use of fresh vegetables from our garden, too. So this weekend I served something new that was a real hit with my family and friends.

Try the following Lemon Orzo Primavera, courtesy of  www.allrecipes.com. I’d love to know what you think of it!

Lemon Orzo Primavera

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp. olive oil
1c. uncooked orzo pasta
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth
1 lemon, zested
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Stir in orzo, and cook 2 minutes, until golden. Stir in garlic, zucchini, and carrot, and cook 2 minutes. Pour in the broth and mix in lemon zest. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed and orzo is tender. Season with thyme and top with Parmesan to serve.

My little garden provides me with big-time enjoyment.  I take great pride in producing fresh fruits and vegetables and truly enjoy using as much “home-grown produce” as I can in a single meal.  This weekend I was delighted to see the green beans were ready.  There’s nothing quite like the first picking of the season!

As I picked beans, I thought about the Hot German Green Beans my great grandma used to make.  (Of course, she didn’t use a recipe.  Thankfully, I was able to find one online at AllRecipes.com).  Memories of time spent with her in the kitchen – wearing my pint-sized, dark green apron with a pocket across the front – brought a smile to my face.  Grandma believed that cooking up a special meal was an act of love, so yesterday I treated my family to a home-grown, home-cooked feast.  To complete the meal, I baked my mom’s chocolate zucchini cake.  I have to admit that I was skeptical to try it the first time she made it, but now it’s one of my favorite desserts.

May these recipes put a smile on the faces of your family members, too!

Lemon Chicken
2 pounds chicken or chicken breasts
¼ c. flour
2 T. oil

1, 6-oz. can lemonade (thawed)
3 T. brown sugar
3 T. catsup
1 T. vinegar
2 T. cold water

Combine the flour with 1 tsp. salt.  Coat chicken thoroughly.  Brown chicken on all sides in hot oil; drain.  Transfer chicken to slow cooker.

Stir together the lemonade, brown sugar, catsup and vinegar.  Pour over the chicken and cover. Cook on high setting for 3-4 hours (time varies).  Remove chicken and pour liquid into saucepan.  Return chicken to cooker and cover to keep warm.

Blend cold water slowly into cornstarch, stir in hot liquid.  Cook until thick.  Service chicken with gravy over rice.  Serves 6.

Hot German Green Beans
Ingredients:
·    1 pound fresh green or wax beans, about 2 cups frozen or canned
·    4 to 6 slices bacon
·    1 onion, chopped
·    1 tablespoon granulated sugar
·    1/4 cup cider vinegar
·    salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Cook fresh beans in a little salted water until tender; cook frozen beans according to package instructions. Drain beans; reserve about 3/4 cup of the cooking or can liquid. Cut up bacon and sauté with onion until bacon is cooked and onion has lightly browned. Add bean liquid and cook until liquid has reduced to 1/4 cup. Add next 4 ingredients and the cooked beans. Heat through and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

Fresh Fruit Salad
INGREDIENTS
·    4 cups fresh strawberries, halved
·    2 cups fresh blueberries
·    2 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
·    2 bananas, sliced
·    2 cups seedless grapes, halved
·    1 (8 ounce) container plain or vanilla yogurt
·    2 teaspoons lemon juice
·    1 teaspoon sugar
·    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1.    In a large salad bowl, combine strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, bananas and grapes. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla; mix well. Serve with fruit.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
½ c. margarine
1 ½ c. sugar
2 eggs
½ c. oil
½ c. sour milk
1 T. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
2 T. cocoa
2 ½ c. flour
2 c. grated zucchini
½ c. nuts
½ c. chocolate chips

Cream margarine, sugar and eggs.  Add oil and vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients, and add alternately with milk.  Fold in zucchini.
Pour into 9×13 cake pan.  Top with chocolate chips and nuts.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes.  Serve with whipped topping.