I made my family Rachel Ray’s incredible lasagna recipe last night, but used turkey meat and turkey stock… every bite was delicious! Don’t forget to let me know your favorite recipes + link so I can add them to my Wednesday WOW series.

1 bag of chocolate chips

1 cup sugar

2 sticks butter

30+ club crackers (I also use saltine)

Now, start singing your favorite Christmas carol and mix it all together.

Preheat oven at 400.  Cover a jellyroll pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  Layer the crackers side by side on the bottom of pan.  Melt the butter and 1 cup of sugar until boiling.  Pour the melted butter over the crackers.  Bake in the oven for 12 minuets or until golden brown.  Pour the bag of chocolate chips over the cracker mix & bake again for 10 SECONDS ONLY!  Spread the melted chips over the top evenly.  Refrigerate or freeze until hard. Before serving- peel off the edge of foil and start breaking into pieces.  Santa’s Warning: you will eat yourself sick with Kringle Krunch and you will NOT have any leftovers.  I want to know what your crazy kids say when you make this special treat!

What’s your favorite treat to make for Christmas- leave your recipe link in the comments.

Yes, I’ll admit it’s slightly crazy that two of my WOW Thanksgiving dishes involve canned cream corn, frozen hash browns, dehydrated potato flakes and french-fried onions. But, I bet that your family will love ‘em so much, you’ll catch them sneaking out before Black Friday to munch on left overs. (thanks April for the yummy recipe ideas)

Paula Deen’s corn casserole

You’ll need:

1 can whole kernel corn (drain)

1 can cream-style corn

1 package corn muffin mix (8 oz.)

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup shredded cheddar

This couldn’t be easier: 1) preheat the oven to 350 degrees 2) mix all ingredients, minus the cheese, together 3) pour into a greased baking dish.

After the casserole has baked for 45 minutes, or is set in the middle and golden brown, sprinkle with cheddar and put it back in the oven. Let the cheese melt, take the casserole out and enjoy this ridiculously buttery, semi-homemade dish.

Sandra’s mashed baked

You’ll need:

4 cups frozen hash browns

2 packages of butter and herb mashed potato mix (if they are 4 oz. each—or 1, 8 oz. package)

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 cups boiling water

2 cups french-fried onions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in the hash browns. Let them cook for about 5 minutes and then drain, being sure to keep 2 cups of the boiling water. Mix all ingredients together and then add the boiling water. Put in a greased casserole dish and bake for 35-45 minutes. Sprinkle with the french-fried onions and bake for another 5 minutes.

C’mon .. you know you luv craziness.

9 MORE DAYS LEFT TO ENTER MISSION TRIP GIVEAWAY- ENDS 12/2

Crazy Links I Love:

We are adopting a beautiful baby girl from Ethiopia and are hosting a fundraiser to help raise the funds to bring her home. Our agency told us we would probably have to wait up to a year for the referral of a healthy baby girl even though we were also on the special needs list. So we were unprepared when God started things moving faster and we got our referral after only two months. Now we are hurrying to pull the funds together before we leave for our court trip on December 1st. The fundraiser is called Give Five. We are asking people to donate $5 to help us raise $6,000. At our website www.projectfindher.org you can read our call story, our blog and follow our progress as our airplane graphic flies to Ethiopia and back. We also have a new t-shirt design on our site. Please come take a look.

If you have enjoyed or learned from this post, please share it:

In the middle of all my mission trip GIVEAWAY(here) craziness- I started to feel hungry for comfort food. This Chicken Pot Pie recipe is #1 on my favorite food site. I have made it several times for my family and it keeps getting better and better. What is your favorite comfort food during the cold season?

Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast

By: Brenda Arnold
“This is a very easy recipe for a delicious pot roast. It makes its own gravy. It’s designed especially for the working person who does not have time to cook all day, but it tastes like you did. You’ll want the cut to be between 5 and 6 pounds.”

Thank you, for the yummy Turkey Chili Recipe. If you have a delicious, easy recipe to share with my crazy readers for Wednesday WOW, please email me.

• 2 pounds ground lean turkey
• 1 large yellow onion – diced
• 2 green peppers – diced
• 2 cans tomato soup (if you use condensed, you’ll want to remember to add water – though I DON’T as I like it to have a thicker consistency)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 cans black beans – rinsed and drained
• 2 cans corn – rinsed and drained

To taste:

• Chili powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Garlic powder
• Cumin
• Red pepper flakes
• Salt

Cook the turkey ahead of time and drain. Add all ingredients to a crock pot (or stove top pot) and stir together. I set my crock pot on high for 4 hours.
I have a bad habit of tossing in more seasonings every time I walk by the crock pot. Makes for some really spicy chili – but oh, so good!!

Tex-Mex Slow Cooker Chicken was a dinner recipe selection in the Cozi Family Dinner Club, where we share family dinner recipes and then talk about how they went.

“This is the easiest chicken recipe I have! My kids love the chicken tacos we make with this. Leftovers are good heated or cold. I have even frozen half the recipe for use a couple week later.”

Make this delicious Tex-Mex chicken to serve with hard taco shells or tortillas and your favorite toppings like cheese, sour cream, salsa and olives.

Ingredients

• 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 packets taco seasoning
• 1 can (8 oz) green chilies
• 1 can (15 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, not drained
• 1 can (15 oz) mexicorn or canned corn, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 oz) red beans, rinsed and drained

Hands-on Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 12

Upside-Down Pizza in a Pan

Here’s a clever dish that turns a crowd-pleaser on its head. It’s got all the fixings of a traditional deep-dish pie, such as cheese, pepperoni, and onions, but it’s prepared with the crust on top, casserole-style, so it’s easy to take and share.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 2 (15-ounce) cans Italian-style tomato sauce

• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 cup chopped pepperoni
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 (13.8-ounce) package prepared pizza dough

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the turkey and continue to cook and stir, breaking the meat into small pieces, until it is no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomato sauce, basil, and pepperoni and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add the pepper, then transfer the mixture to a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish.
3. Scatter the cheese on top and layer on the pizza dough. Bake the casserole until the dough is golden, about 20 minutes. To serve, spoon out portions with a large serving utensil.

Q- What’s your favorite pizza topping that your kids love?

I found this yummy sandwich that will feed a crowd or my 17 year old son!  It’s super easy to make and no-fuss make-ahead kind of crown pleaser.  I would have to substitute the “read meat” for turkey or deli chicken, but everything else looks delicious!

What is your favorite sandwich to make for your family?

Ingredients

• 2 loaves (1 pound each) unsliced Italian bread
• 1 package (8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (softened or cubed), softened
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound thinly sliced fully cooked ham
• 1 pound thinly sliced roast beef
• 12 to 14 thin slices dill pickle

Directions

• Cut the bread in half lengthwise. Hollow out top and bottom of loaves, leaving a 1/2-in. shell (discard removed bread or save for another use).
• In a large bowl, combine cheeses, onions, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce; spread over cut sides of bread. Layer with ham and roast beef on bottom and top halves; place pickles on bottom halves. Gently press halves together.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cut into 1-1/2-in. slices. Yield: 12-14 servings.

Have you ever wondered what the most popular recipe is in mom land?  Well, I found the most popular recipe with 5 stars and 2,615 reviews on allrecipes.com and the winner… Banana Crumb Muffins!!  I’m making these on Sunday for my hubby’s 42 birthday!!  These look sooo yummy!!

If you have a recipe to share with readers- leave your link in the comments!  Thank you for sharing  your yumminess!

PS: Don’t forget to purchase your Man Up tee for Father’s Day – Store closes midnight on Thursday!

Banana Crumb Muffins

Rated: Submitted By: Lisa Kreft Photo By: Joann Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 35 Minutes Servings: 10

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 bananas, mashed 3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon butter

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2.	In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3.	In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4.	Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

My friend and blogger, Jamie Jo shared this simple, delicious recipe years ago and it’s still a family favorite.  You can make it really healthy, too by adding low fat ingredients.  I like adding a yummy salad and sweet corn for sides.

What is your favorite recipe you’re cooking this week for your family? (You can also link it up here in the comments)

Turkey Poppy Seed Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground turkey
1 yellow onion, shopped
8 oz. can tomato sauce
8 oz. egg noodles
8 oz. Neufchatel (low fat) cream cheese
1 cup low fat (1%) cottage cheese
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1 T poppy seeds

Directions

Makes 8 servings. Brown the turkey and onions in a skillet; drain fat and add tomato sauce. Set aside. Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese and poppy seeds; toss with hot, drained egg noodles and mix well. Spread 2/3rd of the noodle mixture in an 9 x 13 pan, top with turkey mixture, leaving a 2″ border of noodles. Top with remaining noodles. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes.

Number of Servings: 8

Did you wake up and watch the royal wedding or host a watch party?  It was so fun celebrating William and Kate’s big day with Hannah.  I have to admit it would have been amazing being there in the middle of the crowd, wearing a big crazy hat and screaming when they kissed on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.  I thought it would be yummy to indulge our sweet tooth and share this chocolate biscuit cake, that was chosen as the groom’s cake for the wedding.  I heard it has been one of Prince William’s favorite desserts since he was a child.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Yield: One 9-inch cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Chill Time: 3½ hours

1½ cups plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
30 ounces 60% bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoons Lyle’s Golden Syrup (or substitute honey)
2 7½-ounce packages lightly toasted butter biscuits (like Le Petit Beurre), coarsely choppedFor Glaze:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1. Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Stir the butter and chocolate together in a large saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Stir in the cream and golden syrup (or honey). Remove from the heat and mix in the chopped biscuit pieces to evenly incorporate. Pour the chocolate mixture into prepared pan; smooth top. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or overnight.

2. To make the glaze, put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool slightly, stirring occasionally, until the glaze is slightly thickened but still pourable.

3. Wrap a warm, damp kitchen towel around the cake pan. Remove the pan sides. Invert the cake onto a wire rack set on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Remove the cake pan bottom and peel off the parchment paper. Pour glaze over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides; spread as needed to cover the cake. Refrigerate until the glaze sets, about 30 minutes.

(Recipe adapted from Today Show)

Zoie is my inspiration behind deceptive recipes this month on Wednesday WOW series!!  If you have a picky eater, I really want to know how you deal with the craziness with patience and creativity in the kitchen.

Spaghetti Pie
From Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld

• Non stick cooking spray
• 3 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti or angel hair pasta
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey or sirloin
• 1/4 cup broccoli puree
• l large egg white
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2-2 1/2 cups bottled spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup carrot puree
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.

2.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente.  Drain in a colander.

3.  In a small bowl, mix the ground turkey or sirloin with the broccoli puree, egg white, Parmesan, and garlic.  Form 1/2 inch balls from the mixture.

4.  In a large bowl, stir the cooked pasta, spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese, carrot puree, and salt and pepper.  Spoon mixture into the pie plate and smooth the top.  Scatter meatballs on top and sprinkle with mozzarella.  Bake, uncovered, until the center is firm and the cheese is bubbly, 25-30 minutes.

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I would love for you to link up your favorite recipe today in the comments.  If you have a yummy post to share- leave your blog link.

I confess, I really love deceiving my kids by hiding healthy stuff in their food.  My crazy kids (Michael, Hannah and Zoie) have three very different eating habits… see if you can guess?

1. One eats everything in sight- it’s all good!
2. One eats most things, but small portions!
3. One eats literally nothing, but french fries and fruit (no meat!)

This month on Wednesday WOW Recipes, I’m going to feature a new Deceptively Delicious recipe.  I’d love for you to test it out on your kids and let me know if it’s a winner!  You can always leave me, in the comments- your blog permalink if you have shared with bloggers a yummy recipe.  I love swapping recipes and learning from you- the mom pros!!

 

 

Ingredients

1	cup water
1	cup sweet potatoe, pureed (about 1/2 cup)
1/4	tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (optional)
1	cup pancake mix
1	Nonstick cooking spray
1	tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil

Directions

1. 1. In a large bowl, mix the water, sweet potato puree, and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, if using. Add the pancake mix and stir just to combine – the batter should be lumpy.
2. 2. Coat a griddle or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil, and spoon the batter onto the griddle or pan, using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.
3. 3. Cook until bubbles form on top of the pancades and the batter is set, 2 to 3 minutes. Then use a spatula to flip the pancakes and cook them until golden brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Serve with maple syrup to taste.

Sometimes I try to come up with creative recipes to test on my family.  I’m not the best cook in the kitchen, but I love the satisfaction of my son gobbling up a meal and the simple words… “Aw Mom, awesome!”  I have made meatloaf for years, in fact, it was the first meal I made as a newlywed.  I will never forget the look on his face when I scooped out a mush of meat and plopped it on his plate.  Secretly, I was wondering why the meat wasn’t in a pretty neat loaf like the picture in my Betty Crocker cookbook, but had no idea I had made a big mess up.  I thought 1 pound ground meat, actually meant baking the meat first.  Yep, I cooked the meat before baking the loaf.  Even though it was disgusting, Mr. Awesome ate the crumbly loaf with a smile.  I think he secretly told my mom what happened, because the next day, I had a meatloaf 101 lesson.

I found this adorable meatloaf recipe on a fun cooking blog, Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy. You can make these “MEATLOAF CUPCAKES for April Fools Day!  Succulent and flavorful little “cakes” of meat with a rich and buttery mashed potato “icing” piped on top.  Are they not adorable?  Are they not brilliant?  They are!  They are!  Now, let me tell you how they came to be.”

You can read more about these delightful meaty cakes here.

I have a new on the right side bar – just click that you “Like” and you are there to hang out with me and have some crazy daily discussions about love, life, and mommyhood!

 

 

Our sweet friend Sarah Yocum made these yummy Marshmallow S’mores with the girls and we all went crazy!  They are to die for, especially if you are snow bound at home, like we are today!

Lasagna Soup

This is one of my favorite WOW recipes, it never fails to impress!  It’s easy to make so don’t let the long list of ingredients intimidate you.

• 1 cup diced or shredded carrots
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 6-8 cups beef broth
• 1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 can of condensed tomato soup
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 1/4 cups mafalda or other small pasta
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, brown the ground beef or turkey and drain well. Add onions and carrots; saute 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and continue to saute 3-5 minutes. Add beef broth, tomatoes, tomato soup, and Italian seasoning. Simmer over low heat 25-30 minutes to combine flavors. Add pasta and cook 6-8 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute.

To serve, place 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese in the bottom of bowl and ladle hot soup over the top. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Garlic bread is a MUST with this soup!

I also like to serve it with Parmesan crisps. To make the Parmesan crisps spread 2 tbsp. of shredded Parmesan cheese thinly into a 4-5 inch circle on a preheated nonstick skillet. (it should look lacy) Cook 1-3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. To turn, lift an edge with a spatula, carefully grab with your fingers and turn over. Transfer to a paper towel to cool. These are SO easy to make but look and taste impressive!
You can also make these with cheddar cheese. Just make sure to keep the layer of cheese thin so they will be crispy. They are also yummy crumbled over a salad.

Marcy’s Fish Tacos

I am so honored to be Kari’s guest today.
I am going to share with you my recipe for Fish Tacos, they are CRAZY good!  If you have never had Fish Tacos, you may be thinking that they sound strange; but trust me, they are worth trying.  I have had a ton of requests for this recipe and everyone who tries them, loves them.
The fish for these tacos is super easy, I buy the Trident ultimate fish sticks from COSTCO.  I know it’s cheating but for a weeknight meal you can’t beat them.  If you can’t find the Trident ultimate fish sticks then look for a high quality whole fillet fish stick…no minced fish!  You could also use unbreaded fish or make your own.

Bake the fish according to the directions on the back of the package. I usually use 1-2 pieces per taco.
This sauce makes the taco!

Cilantro Sauce

• 1 bunch of cilantro- washed and dried
• 1/4 cup of REAL mayo
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 clove of garlic peeled
• juice of 1 lime
• salt and pepper to taste

Throw all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend away. If you would like a thinner sauce you can add 1-3 tablespoons of milk.
If you really want to impress someone, make this salsa to go on top.

• Tomato Avocado Salsa
• 2 cups plum tomatoes diced ( about 2 med)
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1 avocado diced
• 1 jalapeno minced-optional
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; toss well.

You will also need shredded cabbage and warm corn or flour tortillas to make your tacos.

To assemble tacos: Place fish into warm tortilla , top with cabbage, cilantro sauce, tomato avocado salsa and/or hot sauce.

*Quick Tip- Make your cilantro sauce and salsa early in the day and refrigerate. When you need to make dinner, all you have to do it put the fish in the oven and warm your tortillas. EASY!  As a busy mom, I’m all about quick, easy, healthful meals that I can get on the table in a hurry.  These fish tacos are perfect when you don’t have a lot of time…if you plan ahead.

I hope you all enjoy these tacos as much as we do!