Snickerdoodle Cake

Ok I seem to be on a roll with the desserts lately so I'll add this one too! This is another recipe that you use a cake mix to make.

1 package white cake mix
1 Cup whole milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter melted
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. Mix together the above ingredients until batter is smooth. Divide the batter between the two pans and place them in the oven side by side.

Bake cakes for 27-29 minutes until they are golden brown an spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes and then invert them on a wire rack to cool. Place another wire rack on top of the cakes and flip them over so that they are right side up and allow to cool completely.

When cool frost with this frosting:

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

1 stick of butter at room temperature
3 3/4 cups confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon


Mix the ingredients together and make sure to add the cinnamon after the vanilla. Frost your cake. Delicious!!!

Tater Tot Casserole

1 pkg of tatertots

1 can cream of chicken soup

Brown and drain 1 pound ground beef or turkey

1 can of green beans (french style)

1 soup can of milk



Brown meat and drain. Put back in the pan and add the soup and the milk- warm through. Add green beans and warm through. Put 1/2 pkg tatertots on bottom of 9X13 pan, then the meat mixture then tatertots. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and then sprinkle with cheese and bake for another 10 minutes. (Check to see that the tater tots are cooked all the way through- if not place back in oven for another 10 minutes)

Snickerdoodles

Here is another family cookie recipe. Yes I am in a cookie making mood.

1 cup Shortening
1 1/2 C Sugar
2 Eggs

2 3/4 C. Sifted Flour
2 teaspoons cream tartar
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

*You can make them snickerdoodles by mixing 2 teaspoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a bowl and then rolling the dough in balls and then rolling them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Or

*You can add chocolate chips/ or m&ms to the dough and mixing them in before dropping the cookies on the cookie sheet with a spoon or a cookie scoop.

*Another option is to put scoops of cookie dough on the cookie sheet and then 1 minute before they are done- pull the cookies out of the oven and place 1 unwrapped hersheys kiss on top of each cookie and then bake for the last minute.

Bake 8-10 minute at 400 degrees ( I usually stay closer to the 8 minutes- they are not completely done when you pull them out but they continue to cook a little on the cookie sheet as it cools.

Enjoy! They are addictive!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know that everyone has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and this is mine. This recipe is a family recipe that has been shared through many generations.

3/4 Cup Shortening
3/4 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar

Mix well

Add 2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups of Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

2 C quick Oatmeal
1 cup chocolate chips

Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees

I always double the recipe so that I can make twice as many cookies- these don't last long at my house!

Butterscotch Cashew Scotchies

My husband is not a chocoholic like me- he would be content with anything caramel or butterscotch. So I found this dessert for him. I love recipes that use cake mixes because they are so fast and there is minimal mess to clean up after!

1 pkg plain yellow cake mix
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 stick of butter melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped lightly salted cashews
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Combine the ingredients (except for the cashews and butterscotch chips) in your mixer and mix them together. When it is all mixed together pour in to a greased 9 X13 pan and spread to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the butterscotch chips and the chopped cashews over the top of batter and then place in the oven for 27-29 minutes.

Italian Crockpot Chicken

I seem to have something going with the Crockpot recipes lately! Anything that makes life easier around my house I am all for! I love the crockpot!! This recipe came from my sister in law! This is a great one for a couple of reasons- one it is easy and two it is low in calories!

All you need is

1 Crockpot

4-6 chicken breasts or chicken pieces (maybe more then 4-6 pieces)
1 package of Italian Dressing (the packet that you would use to mix your own italian dressing- only don't make the dressing- use it dry)

Place the chicken in the crockpot and then pour the Italian Dressing mix over the top. The great thing about a crockpot is how meat keeps its juices and moisture - this makes the meat tender after cooking- melt in your mouth tender! Cook your mixture for at least 4-6 hours on high.

Serve with rice or noodles! Delicious!!!

Crockpot Mexican Chicken

With three little kids- I am always on the lookout for recipes that are quick and easy but also something that the whole family will eat. This is a recipe that meets those criteria. You can start this in the morning and it will be ready to eat by dinner time!

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can diced tomatoes- drained
1 cup Salsa
2 cups of cheese
chopped onion- optional

4-6 chicken breasts (mine are usually frozen when I put them in the crockpot- that is why I cook them for so long.

Mix the Cream of Chicken Soup, diced tomatoes, and salsa together in a bowl. Place your chicken breasts in your crockpot and then pour the mixture over the top. Cook on high for 6 hours. Right before you are ready to serve them mix in the 2 cups of cheese.

Pour the extra sauce over rice. Delicious!