Cinnamon Graham Cracker Cake

Graham crackers have been one of my most FAVORITE snacks since I was a little girl! So imagine how excited I was one I came across this recipe!! I am usually not a cake fan, but with homemade cream cheese frosting...how can you go wrong?! It was a hit here at home, as well as at my husbands office (whenever I make desserts and there is alot, I send them with him to work. Otherwise, I will probably polish it off...sigh).




Cinnamon Graham Cracker Cake
submitted by Camille

32 squares cinnamon graham crackers, crushed
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
5 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk

To make graham cracker crumbs: Place graham cracker squares into a large plastic ziplock bag, and using a rolling pin, crush crackers into crumbs. Preheat oven to 325 degree's. Grease and flour a 9x13 glass baking dish. Mix graham cracker crumbs with flour and baking powder. Set aside. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, vanilla and cinnamon. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool completely.

Icing

1/3 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Cream together softened and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Add vanilla and then mix again. Then spread evenly over cooled cake.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Meatballs are a big hit over here at my house. I usually make our fave Manhattan meatballs (which I didn't realize I have never posted on here. I will do that soon), but wanting to switch it up, but still wanting the whole fam to like the meal I searched around my fave recipe sites until I saw this one at My Kitchen Cafe. I tried it out and everyone loved it! Yay! It will now make it's regular rounds at the dinner table at our house.

FYI- I didn't use her meatball recipe, I just used the sauce. I used the meatball recipe from my Manhattan meatballs and just added her sweet and sour sauce. Or you could go an even easier route and buy frozen meatballs and just make the sauce to go with. Oh, and I double the sauce like she mentions to do if you like more sauce. Love it.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
(submitted by Michelle)
recipe from My Kitchen Cafe

Serves 4-6
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cup quick oats
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Form into about 12 balls, each about 2 inches in diameter. Place in a casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below). Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Combine ingredients and blend thoroughly. Heat in a small saucepan until combined and sugar is dissolved and pour over meatballs. (This dish is not overly abundant on sauce so if you enjoy things a bit saucier, double the sauce ingredients.)

Quick and Easy Breadsticks

This is about the third or fourth time I have made these breadsticks. They are so yummy that we all eat them too quick and before I know it they are gone and I didn't get a picture! Super yummy with soup, salads, pasta, etc. They are so quick and easy to make, I can whip them up in under an hour. 



Quick and Easy Breadsticks
(submitted by Michelle)
recipe from Sisters cafe


1 ½ cup warm water
1 Tablespoon yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 ½ cup flour
½ tsp salt
Butter for pan

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar and let it sit and bubble for a few minutes. Add the salt and flour. Knead for 3 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. (I just mix it all up in my standup mixer)) Melt 3-4 Tbsp of butter and pour most of it onto a cookie sheet. Roll dough to cover cookie sheet. Cut to desired width, then twist or lay flat on cookie sheet. Brush remainder of butter on breadsticks and sprinkle with garlic salt, parmesan cheese, and parsley (or whatever seasonings you like). Raise for 10-20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. You can roll them out to fit a cookie sheet and they will be pufffy and soft. If you prefer a thinner, crunchy breadstick roll them out to fit a cookie sheet and a jelly roll pan.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I found a new recipe blog last fall and quickly got sucked in a read almost every single one of her recipes. I wanted to make them all! After seeing this recipe for Broccoli Cheddar soup I quickly bookmarked it to make for an upcoming meal. It did not disappoint! I am not a huge broccoli fan, and my Hubs is even less of one so he was pretty sceptical, but LOVED this soup. The key was blending it all together in a blender at the end. Most definitley a keeper!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
(submitted by Michelle)
recipe from Annies Eats

Ingredients:
6 tbsp. butter, divided
¾ cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped or shredded
4 cups small broccoli florets
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ tsp. onion salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Add the onion to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the carrots to the pan and cook a couple minutes more.  Stir in the broccoli, chicken broth, onion salt and garlic powder.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
In a medium saucepan, melt remaining butter.  Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, whisking constantly.  Whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes.  Once the mixture has thickened, whisk in the cheese until completely melted.  Remove from the heat and add the cheese sauce to the soup pot.  Allow to simmer until warmed through and broccoli is tender.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  If desired, puree the soup with an immersion blender for a smooth texture.

Brownies for a Crowd

I have been using this recipe for over a year now. We love it. We like them even better the next day. Weird how some foods are like that. I also love that it makes a big sheet full, a great recipe for parties or family gatherings. The chocolate icing on top is SO GOOD! I have used it on other desserts, because we like it so much. Also, this is for a cookie sheet (with edges of course). Do not make it in a cake pan.

Brownies for a Crowd

(submitted by Michelle)

from Sisters Cafe

3 cups sugar

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp cocoa (I prefer Dutch-it is darker)

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups melted butter

5 eggs

2 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

Mix together and spread on a buttered cookie sheet (standard stainless steel). Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes. Be sure to not overcook. Frost

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter

3 1/2 tsp cocoa

6 TBsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Powdered Sugar--just add until you get the consistency you want. If it gets too thick just add more milk.
Boil together, remove from heat and add powdered sugar. You can add nuts into the frosting or sprinkle on top if you like.

(please excuse the yellow picture. My settings were off without me knowing).

Carrots Dijon

I have been making these carrots for a couple of years. Not sure why I haven't yet posted them on here!!!! LOL!!! They are so VERY GOOD!!! If you don't like cooked carrots, I dare you to try these!!! You will after this!!! This is the mustard sauce I used for our BBQ Chicken Strips that I posted a few days ago. So, so yummy!!!! Do try!!!




Carrots Dijon
submitted by Camille
(from my friend Mary L.)

1 16oz bag of baby carrots
2/3 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/8 cup yellow mustard
1/8 cup Dijon mustard

Steam carrots on stovetop or in microwave to desired doneness.
Combine butter, brown sugar, yellow mustard, and Dijon mustard in a small saucepan on very low heat. Allow everything to melt, very slowly. Whisk together. Pour over cooked carrots.

Easy BBQ Chicken Strips

Simple. Easy. Everyone loved. Not much else to say....is there?! LOL!!!!

Oh yeah, these tasted really good dipped in ranch, or a sweet mustard sauce that I will post later this week. Enjoy!!!!!



Easy BBQ Chicken Strips
submitted by Camille
(adapted from Kraftfoods)

1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 pouch Original Shake 'N Bake
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup shredded Romano Cheese
8 small boneless skinless chicken strips

Preheat oven to 400 degree's. Mix BBQ sauce and mustard in pie plate or shallow dish; set aside. Mix Shake 'N Bake, garlic powder and Romano Cheese in separate pie plate or shallow dish.
Dip chicken in bbq sauce mixture, then in Shake 'N Bake mixture. turning over to evenly coat both sides. Place in single layer on foil-lined cookie sheet.
Bake 20 min. or until chicken is cooked through.