Back to School....Back in the Kitchen!

I have loved having my kiddos home for the summer. We have been so relaxed and haven't followed any schedule.  That works for the summer, but we are on day 3 of school and I'm sure the rest of you know that things just don't run as smoothly if there is not a schedule. So, even though I would prefer the relaxed days of summer, I am looking forward to a routine....which includes home cooked meals that (hopefully) will be planned ahead of time! Along with Back to School, I wanted to do another GiveAway! I wanted to do it when I hit 100 "Likes" on my FB page, but just didn't get around to it. I already have my GiveAway Item! So, stay tuned as I get this Back to School...Back in the Kitchen routine down this week. There will be a GIVEAWAY SOON! Thanks to all of my followers!

Baked Beans

Jim's mom shared this recipe with me.

3 cans Pork and Beans

1/3 cup Brown Sugar

3/4 cup Ketchup

2 tsp Worchestire Sauce

3/4 lb of Hamburger browned with 1/2 of a small diced onion

1/2 lb Bacon cooked and broken up

*I add 1/2 of a green pepper diced up.

Combine all ingredients, giving it a good stir mix it all up.  Bake at 300 degrees for 2 hrs.

*I covered mine with tinfoil for the first 1 1/2 hours, then uncovered the last half hour.  Covering them helps so they don't dry out completely. I diced the green pepper up so small that the kids had no clue they were in there. 

*This is a good recipe to go with any meat.

Chocolate Malt Icecream Cookie Cake

This is the cake Karissa chose for her birthday cake!  Oh YUMM!  Very Rich! Will cure any chocolate cravings you may be having!  This is also a Betty Crocker Recipe.

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

2/3 cup chocolate-flavor malted milk powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons water

1 egg

1/2 cup hot fudge topping

1 cup crushed chocolate-covered malted milk balls

2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened

2 cups chocolate ice cream, softened

1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Or line 9-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving about 2 inches of the foil overhanging sides of pan; lightly spray with cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir cookie mix, 1/3 cup of the malted milk powder, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms. Press 1/2 of dough into bottom of pan. Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until set. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, press remaining 1/2 of the dough into 10-inch circle on large ungreased cookie sheet. After removing cookie crust in springform or 9-inch pan from oven, bake dough on cookie sheet 12 to 13 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool 15 minutes.

Spread hot fudge topping over crust in springform or 9-inch pan. In medium bowl, break apart large cookie until crumbly. Stir in crushed malted milk balls. Sprinkle 1/2 of the crumbled cookie mixture over hot fudge; press lightly.

In large bowl, combine both softened ice creams and remaining 1/3 cup malted milk powder until well blended. Spread ice cream mixture over crumbs in pan. Gently spread whipped topping over ice cream. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Cover with foil. Freeze at least 5 hours or until firm. To serve, remove sides of springform pan or lift dessert using foil out of 9-inch pan. Let stand 5 minutes. Use hot wet knife to cut into wedges or squares. Store covered in freezer.

**When grocery shopping for the ingredients, the store was out of the cookie mix. I made up my Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.  I replaced the white chocolate chips with baking chunks of milk chocolate. Only make half of the cookie recipe if making it for the icecream cake.

Meat Balls

This recipe was shared with me from a friend back home.  It is great for feeding a large group. I prepared 100 meatballs and took to a friend's potluck dinner.  I thought for sure there would be leftovers.  The pan was empty by the end. It is very quick and easy!!

This recipe is also found at Kraft Foods . Com 

2 lb. lean ground beef

1 pkg.  (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1 cup water

2   eggs

1 bottle (16 oz.) KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce

1 can  (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce

**More sauce recipes listed below.

Make It

HEAT oven to 400ºF.
LINE 2 (15x10x1-inch) pans with foil; spray with cooking spray. Mix meat, stuffing mix, water and eggs until blended. Shape into 50 (1-1/2-inch) meatballs; place in prepared pans.
BAKE 16 min. or until done (160ºF). Meanwhile, bring barbecue sauce and cranberry sauce to boil in large saucepan on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
ADD meatballs to sauce; stir to evenly coat.

*Serving Suggestion

-Meatballs in sauce can also be served in a slow cooker set on LOW.

-If you don't have 2 (15x10x1-inch) pans, use any other shallow baking pans instead. Just make sure the meatballs are spread into a single layer in each pan.

*How to Freeze Meatballs

-Loosely pack cooled meatballs in freezer-weight resealable plastic bags. Lay bags flat in freezer so meatballs will freeze individually. Store in freezer up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator several hours or overnight before using as desired.

**Sauce Recipes

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp mustard

Combine in saucepan and heat til bubbly.  Pour over fully cooked meatballs.

**This recipe is the sauce that goes over my mini meatloafs.

---------------

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 cup canned undrained crushed pineapple in juice

Combine 30 fully cooke meatballs with BBQ sauce and pineapple in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer and heat til completely warmed.

---------------

1 jar (12 oz) grape jelly

1 bottle (12 oz) chilli sauce

Combine ingredients in saucepan and heat through....till it bubbles good. Pour over fully cooked meatballs and stir til evenly coated.

--------------

1 jar (12 oz) grape jelly

2 Tblsp mustard (or more if you like)

Combine ingredients in a saucepan and heat through. Pour over fully cooked meatballs and stir til evenly coated.

Watermelon...An Easy Way to Cut It!

My favorite way to eat a watermelon is COLD!  I remember when Mom and Dad would get a watermelon they would put it in a bucket or a cooler and let water from a hose run on it til we were ready to eat it.  Oh soo GOOD! We would always slice a huge piece for everyone and lay it on a big plate, then dig in!

*****

Here is how I cut my watermelon.

 Wash your watermelon.  I wipe it down with a wet paper towel.  When cutting, you push stuff from the outside through the watermelon. I set the watermelon on a cookie sheet to keep the juice from getting all over.

**

Cut a slice off the top and bottom.  It will stand on it's own then.

Cut the rine off in sections going from top to bottom.

 Cut into 4ths

Take one of the 4ths, lay it on a flat side and slice into 1"-2" slices.

Take half of the section you are working with, lay it on the flat side with slices stacked ontop of each other and slice into 1"-2" strips. 

Turn the section a 1/4 of a turn and slice again creating little squares/chunks. Cut the other section of the 4th that you were working with.  Continue cutting the rest of the watermelon the same way.

 Place in a large bowl and serve.

**It seems when I have a watermelon all cut up we eat it better.  If we just cut a slice off at a time, we never finish it. This watermelon is a seedless watermelon.  Watermelons with seeds have such a better flavor, but trying to remove the seeds for all the kids gets frustrating.

**I learned this way of cutting it from a sister in my Hyrum ward. This is about the only way I cut a watermelon.  I catanlope the same way...but I only cut it into halfs then start with the slices.