Corn Flake Candy

This one isn't a recipe I found on Pinterest (although I have seen similar variations of it on there), but rather one that my mom has been making for us for years.

It's super easy and a very tasty treat for any peanut butter lover.  Hunter's family loves when I make this stuff--it doesn't last long at those gatherings.

What you need:

1 cup light Karo syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup smooth peanut butter

6 cups corn flakes

wax paper

That's it!

The key to this recipe turning out right is preparation.  Once things get going, they go rather quickly, so it's best to have everything laid out and measured out ahead of time.

Pour the cup of Karo syrup into a small pot.

 Using the same measuring cup as you did for the Karo, spoon sugar into it.  This is a tip to help get the remaining syrup out of the cup easily--the sugar crystallizes it making it much easier to spoon out.

On a medium-low heat, stir the syrup and sugar together until a light rolling boil occurs.  The mixture should become smooth and somewhat runny.  Stir frequently to prevent scorching.

Once it begins to lightly boil, add the cup of peanut butter and remove the pot from the heat.

Stir the peanut butter in until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Pour it over the corn flakes.

Fold the mixture into the cereal until the flakes are coated evenly for the most part.

Immediately spoon clumps of candy onto wax paper.

Keep spooning until you run out!

Note:  if you need to place these in a dish to transport or set out to eat, place a piece of wax paper between the layers of candy.  If not, they will all stick together and you will end up with one big lump of cornflake candy instead of bite sized goodies.

I made this batch to send to work with Hunter as a Valentine's gift to him and his buddies that are on turnaround graveyards for it.  He requested these to take to work a while back, but he doesn't know I made them for him :)  I kinda feel sorry for all those guys stuck out there all these nights, but especially this one, instead of being home with their loves.  I have a feeling these little sweeties won't last long out there tomorrow night...

Enjoy!

love, angie

Cornflake Candy

Ingredients

1 cup light Karo syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup smooth peanut butter

6 cups corn flakes

wax paper

*The key to this recipe turning out right is preparation.  Once things get going, they go rather quickly, so it's best to have everything laid out and measured out ahead of time.

1.  Pour the cup of Karo syrup into a small pot.

2.  Using the same measuring cup as you did for the Karo, spoon sugar into it.  This is a tip to help get the remaining syrup out of the cup easily--the sugar crystallizes it making it much easier to spoon out.

3.  On a medium-low heat, stir the syrup and sugar together until a light rolling boil occurs.  The mixture should become smooth and somewhat runny.  Stir frequently to prevent scorching.

4.  Once it begins to lightly boil, add the cup of peanut butter and remove the pot from the heat.

5.  Stir the peanut butter in until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

6.  Pour it over the corn flakes.

7.  Fold the mixture into the cereal until the flakes are coated evenly for the most part.

8.  Immediately spoon clumps of candy onto wax paper.

9.  Keep spooning until you run out!

Pinterest Recipe--Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie Pasta

Surely there can be a shorter name for this dish...

Back to my Pinterest menu challenge.  You can catch the other recipes and posts I've done already here and here.  This is one of the first recipes I remember pinning, and here I am finally making it:  Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie Pasta.

Original Source 

It was a little more involved that the others (and than I was expecting), but it was still very doable by someone who's not a pro in the kitchen.  First of all, the chicken is fried; I had assumed it was baked.  That intimidated me a little because I have the tendency to burn the outside of things I fry, and often the inside remains uncooked--with chicken, that just wouldn't be acceptable.  Surprisingly enough, everything turned out perfect!  Just follow her instructions and you'll be just fine.

*Notes:  I cooked extra pasta than the recipe calls for (after the fact).  I chose to mix the sauce and pasta together before serving, and the ratio was far too high on the sauce--even if they were served separately, the recipe produced a whole lot of sauce for only 12 oz of noodles.  I added another 6 oz and it was still a little heavy on the sauce for my liking (especially since it's so creamy).  So next time I make this, I will either double the amount of pasta or cut the sauce mixture in half.

*The pasta and sauce was super quick and easy to make and could easily be served without the chicken (the meat and frying was the involved part...).  However, they compliment each other nicely, and the salty/crispy of the chicken balances the creamy richness of the sauce.

*The chicken is pretty irresistible when it's hot--I had to make myself stop munching on it!  Reheated, it loses its crunch.  It's still pretty tasty, but the crunch adds another level to it.  For that reason, this meal is better served right after cooking it.

Mine, Bella's plate.  Her plating skills are better, but at least they looked similar!

Again, in normal circumstances, I would pair this with some veggies (the thought of asparagus with it sounds delish) and possibly a bread of sorts...but with Hunter's schedule and my having to have "dinner" cooked in the middle of the afternoon, I'm lucky to have anything made on time.  Plus, it has to be made by mid-afternoon but won't be eaten by either of us until 3-8 hours later...  I'm so ready to be back to a normal routine!

And very importantly again...

the wee one says "yum!"

happy feasting,

angie

*Visit my Pinterest "Food Fun" board; Follow me on Pinterest*

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce  and Bowtie Pasta Time: 45 minutes Yield: 6 servings Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up! 3 large chicken breasts 5 C corn flakes 3/4 C flour 1/2 t salt 1/2 C milk 6 T olive oil   1   12 oz package bowtie noodles (farfalle) Sauce:  1   10 oz container Philadelphia Cooking Cream (Italian Cheese and Herb Flavor) 2 cans cream of chicken soup 1 C chicken broth 1/2 C milk  fresh parsley, chopped (optional)    1. In a small food processor crush the corn flakes into crumbs.  2. Add the 1/2 t salt to the 3/4 C flour. Stir to combine.  3. Place the flour, milk and crushed cornflakes each into their own separate pan.  Loaf pans work well for this. If you don't have three loaf pans, do not dismay.  You could use pie tins, or round cake pans...what ever works for you.  4. Place your chicken breasts in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and seal the top.  Pound the chicken flat with a meat mallet. You will really be thankful for the  Ziploc bag in this step. Who wants a bunch of chicken guts flying around their kitchen?  Not me...that's who.  5. Take a pair of sharp kitchen scissors and cut each breast in half.  6. Dredge the chicken in the flour. Be sure it gets covered on both sides.  Lay the floured chicken onto a small cookie sheet and slide the sheet into the freezer.  Let it hang out there for about 5 minutes.  7. Start cooking your pasta.  8. Remove the chicken from the freezer and dredge each piece in the milk and then  immediately into the corn flake crumbs. Again, be sure both sides are covered well.  9. Add the olive oil to a hot skillet.  10. Carefully lay each chicken piece into the hot oil. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt  and pepper. Cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes.... or until the underside of each piece is nice and golden brown. Turn the pieces over.  If the bottom of the pan is dry add just a bit more olive oil to the side of the pan.  Swirl the pan around a bit to let the oil flow to all sides.  11. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium.  Let the chicken cook for about  7 more minutes, being careful not to burn the bottoms. Burned bottoms are not advised.  In any shape or form. Thank you.  12. When your chicken has been cooked through remove it from the pan and place it  on a plate. Cover with tin foil.   13. Into the same pan pour your broth. Philly Cooking Creme, Cream of Chicken, and milk. Whisk the sauce around and let it get all warm and bubbly.  Should only take about 3 minutes.  14. Slice your chicken into strips and serve over your cooked pasta and sauce.  Garnish with chopped parsley if you choose.  Enjoy

Pinterest Recipes--Cube Steak & Gravy

If you missed yesterday's post and recipe, I explained that I wasn't able to do a full two weeks of new recipes as originally planned due to being crazy busy...  But I am still trying several new ones and sharing them with you!

Tonight was Cube Steak and Gravy--Winner, Winner, Crockpot Dinner!  Not only was it delicious, but it's a crockpot recipe which means I automatically love it because of how easy it is.

Original Source

Super simple, only a few ingredients, cooks on low all day (or on high for a few hours and low for a few if you're in more of a hurry like I was).  I served it over rice and it was fabulous.  Even the baby bird approved!

Cheep Cheep, feed me, feed me!

Learning how to do this spoon thing--she's getting pretty good at it.

Mmmmmm. ( complete with raised inflection to show true enjoyment!)

I ate a big bowl of it, I sent Hunter to work with a big bowl of it, and she ate a whole big girl sized bowl full of it--this will be one that stays in my recurring recipe mental file for sure.

enjoy,

angie

*Visit my Pinterest "Food Fun" board; Follow me on Pinterest*

Crockpot Cube Steak and Gravy

Cube steak (family sized pack)

2 cans (10.75 ounce size) cream of mushroom soup

1 envelope onion soup mix

3/4  cup water

Salt and Pepper to taste (Angie--and Tony's, can't leave that out!)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low all day. Serve over rice, noodles, mashed potatoes or with your favorite side dishes.

Pinterest Recipes--Taco Pasta Bake

If you'll remember this post a couple of weeks ago, I challenged myself to try out some of those recipes whose pictures and descriptions entice me on Pinterest.  I figured that if I'm going to dream and drool over the pictures, why not try to create some of the stuff I pin?

I haven't been able to dedicate the full two weeks to Pinterest recipes as I had originally hoped--who knew that the first two weeks (actually the whole month) of February would be so busy and involved?!  Anywho, based on our schedule and the nights I'll be home to cook (and how long it took me to get to the grocery store this check...), I've decided to try the following recipes I found on Pinterest:

1. Taco Pasta Bake
2. Cube Steak/Gravy
3. Breakfast Casserole
4. Cheeseburger Soup
5. Crispy Chicken Pasta
6. Creamy Garlic Pasta

Tonight (really this afternoon since I'm cooking around Hunter's turnaround schedule), I made the Taco Pasta Bake.  

Original Source

It was a hit!  Because we're on a weird schedule, I didn't make anything to go with it, which I would change next time.  It needs some veggies and bread to compliment it.

But overall, it was a pretty simple and fairly cheap recipe to follow (especially if you buy in bulk and keep browned ground meat on hand like I do).  I might also add a little more cheese just because we are big cheese people (especially me!).

And most importantly...

it passed the test of the littlest judge :)

happy feasting,

angie

Ingredients

1/2 – 3/4 of a bag of large noodle pasta like ziti
approx. 1lb of ground beef
1 pkg/envelope of taco seasoning
1C water
1/2 pkg of cream cheese
1 1/2C shredded cheese (I used marble)

Directions

1. boil pasta until just cooked, drain, run cold water over it

2. brown ground beef

3. mix together taco season and 1C of water, pour over cooked beef and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced

4. add the 1/2 pkg of cream cheese to the beef mixture, stir until melted and combined, remove from heat

5. put pasta in your casserole dish or pot, mix in 1C of the shredded cheese

6. top pasta and cheese with beef mixture, gently mix until the pasta is coated

7. top with remaining 1/2C of shredded cheese

8. bake at 350 uncovered for approx 30 minutes

a Pinterest Menu

Earlier this week, my BFF sent me to her board to find a Pinterest recipe she had found, tried, and loved.  This may have led to a small Pinterest stalking session of her food board (I mean, I had to scroll through there to find the one I was looking for anyway!), which gave me what I hope was a fabulous idea!

For the first pay period/two weeks of February (and if it goes well, maybe the whole month), I will be trying a new recipe from Pinterest every night.  I'm taking these last two weeks in January to go through and find the ones I want to try, print out the recipes, and make out a grocery list.  Then starting February 1, we'll be off to the exciting task of a new to us meal every night!

Hopefully I'm up for the challenge and hopefully I get some fabulous new recipes to add to my book of keepers :)

I'll post the recipes I make on here as well as our review after I cook it.  So hang around--and maybe even join us on our challenge!

love, angie

a handy tip

A few years back, my mom shared a brilliant cooking tip with me.  It's one that I use ALL the time.  And it's all about ground meat.

It's so hard for me to keep fresh meat and actually use it all before it expires.  Plus if you only buy a pound at a time as you need it, you're spending quite a bit o' cash.

So the secret:  brown and season it (Tony's, garlic powder, and minced onions are my staples of choice), drain it, separate it into quart size freezer bags, and freeze.  Then when you're in need of a pound of ground meat, pull it out, pop it in a pan with a little bit of water to keep it from scorching, and heat it up enough to thaw it out.  Makes things so much easier when you're cooking.

So now after just a little bit of prep time, I have five pounds ready to go.  Bring on the casseroles, tacos, Hamburger Helper, and anything else I can think of!

I always have at least one bag in my freezer ready to go (this is ground beef, but I also usually have some ground turkey done as well).  It saves so much time and hassle when I'm ready to cook.  Hope it helps!

love, angie

Cookin' Up a Storm!

I have always enjoyed cooking (it's really the cleaning up after part that detracts me from the idea...), but when you work full time, it's tough to find the energy and umph at the end of the day to plan a meal.  I know I could have been one of those responsible and organized people who would plan out a menu, or even better, cook up a large amount of a free day and freeze the extras making the work day meals so much easier.  However, that required to much energy and umph too--and the tiny little detail that we needed to be home on a weekend!

But all of that is about to change!  The past two summers I have had full intention of sitting down with my cookbooks and trying all of these new meals--yeah, that didn't go far.  BUT, since I'm not having to go to inservices or get ready for the next school year, that little goal is happening!

My favorite cookbooks are not the kind you buy in the store, but the ones that are compiled by the people you know--like church groups and communities.  So I sat down with my Feeding the Flock (from Boulevard, the church where I grew up) and Table Ties (from Surgicare, the place where my sister Mel works) cookbooks and began my list.  I read through every recipe.  Anything that sounded promising--and somewhat doable for my cooking abilities!--gotten written down on my list.  From there, I got my handy dandy weekly planner notepad and actually wrote out a menu.  It included nights that I wouldn't need to cook as we had other plans and such, along with the page numbers and cookbook where the recipe could be found.  AND the real kicker--I'm actually sticking with it!!

Last week I cooked a roast and rice and gravy--major accomplishment for me!  The first time I tried that (and it was in the crockpot...I thought those recipes couldn't be messed up...), the meat was extremely tough, the gravy was clumpy, and my rice cooker kapooped and the rice was crunchy.  Needless to say it was a disaster.  But this one was good!  This weekend we had steak, crawfish etouffee, and baked potatoes for Hunter's birthday party (we also had homemade snickerdoodles and homemade red velvet cake!).  This wasn't a new recipe, but nonetheless, I cooked!  Last night I made jambalaya, woot woot!  Granted it was a super simple recipe that you make in the rice cooker, but my boy liked it and was proud of me!

Today is Hunter's birthday so I definitely couldn't get away with not cooking.  Normally I would have tried his favorite of red, beans, and rice, but we're saving that for next week.  Tonight I'm braving chicken spaghetti and homemade beer bread (we even have this sweet cinnamon honey butter to spread on it...).  Hoping it's tasty!

Finally, one of the greatest parts of cooking--Hunter takes the leftovers to work the next day instead of going out to eat which saves us tons of money!  I've also saved money by checking my pantry and actually making a grocery list based on what I need for the recipes on my menu.  Before I would just stop at the store on my way home from work.  I'd pick up things I thought I needed (when in reality I already had it) or buy things with plans of making something specific.  But the tired and busy would kick in and the food would go to waste before I even cooked it.  No more!  I hope to be in a good habitual swing of meal and grocery planning by the time little AJ gets here--the more routine I can have taken care of, the better off I'll be!

It sounds like a pain, but it's so worth it!  Make a menu, coordinate the list.

And if you have any delicious recipes you'd like to share, please don't hesitate to pass them my way!  Happy cooking :)

love, angie