Neiman Marcus Cookies

I received this recipe years ago when I got married. My husbands Aunt gave it to me, and I just love these cookies. There are many different recipes and variations out there, but I always come back to this one!

2 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
5 c. flour
5 c. oatmeal (place in a blender and blend until it's a fine powder)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
12 oz. chocolate chips
Hershey bar grated
1 c. chopped nuts (I use walnuts)

Pre-heat over to 375 degrees
1-Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla.
2-In a bowl mix together flour, oatmeal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add chocolate chips, grated Hershey bar, and nuts.
3-Roll into walnut size balls and place 2 in. apart on a cookie sheet.
4-Bake 8 min @ 375 degrees.

This makes 112 cookies (can be halved)
*Tip: Try adding 1 c. coconut. YUM!!

Easy Beef Stroganoff

My Mom used to make this when I was younger, and it's always been one of my favorites! It's now one of MY family's favorite dishes also. I like it because it's yummy, easy and filling. Not to mention the leftovers are SO GOOD! {and I'm not a fan of leftovers!}

2 lbs. ground beef
2 Tbsp. minced onion
1 pkg. Stroganoff mix (Lowry's/ Great Value)
1 can cream mushroom soup (I use 1 1/2 cans, because I like mine creamy)
1 c. sour cream
milk
1/2 tsp pepper
Rice or Egg noodles (whichever you prefer... we like rice better)

1-Cook rice or noodles whichever you prefer, set aside
2-Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, add your minced onion while it's cooking. Drain hamburger, place back in skillet.
3-Add package of Stoganoff mix, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and pepper. Combine thoroughly.
4-Add milk, until creamy (It's different every time) just be sure you don't get it runny!
5- Place meat mixture on top of noodles or rice and serve warm.

*Tip: We add a dollop of sour cream to the top of ours, makes it super yummy! Serve with salad and rolls.

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treat

These are SO delish and SO easy! My neighbor brought over some of these, and I fell I love! If you're in a pinch and need something quick, give these a try!

6 c. Rice Crispy's (I've also used corn checks before and they were delish!)
1 c. light Karo syrup
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. sugar.

1-In a large pot stir Karo syrup and sugar together until well blended. Bring to a light boil and turn down the heat.
2-Add peanut butter and mix well.
3-Add rice crispy's, mix well, poor into greased 9x13 baking dish. Let cool, cut and enjoy!

Chicken & Hominy Soup (by accident!)

This was a TOTAL oops recipe, but has turned into a new family favorite! I started making my chicken tortilla soup the other night but halfway through I realized I had no black beans or chicken breasts!! So I tweaked it a bit and came up with this. I was shopping the other day and hominy was on sale so I grabbed 2 cans. I have never fed my family hominy before so I wasn't sure if they'd like t or not. Well... they LOVED it! Not too shabby for an oops!

4 c. (2 cans) chicken broth
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
*Combine ingredients and bring to a boil*

2 cans hominy (rinsed & drained)
1 can corn
2 cans of canned chicken (12oz. ea.) *I buy mine at Costco* (Shred with forks)
1 /2 c. salsa
1 small yellow onion (diced small)
lime wedges (optional)
Sour cream (option)
Shredded Mexican blend cheese (optional)
avocado (optional)

1-Once you have brought the top 4 ingredients to a boil, turn it down to med. heat and add all the remaining ingredients.

2-Simmer until all ingredients are warmed through and onion is translucent/ tender.

3-Serve in bowls topped with sour cream and shredded Mexican blend cheese and warm cheese quesadillas. Throw on some avocado slices and give it a squirt of fresh lime juice!

*I have made this 3 times now and have tried a few different things in it. One of my new favorites is 1 can of stewed tomatoes. Just be sure you mush them up really well with your hand before you add them to the pot. Also avocado slices for the top is yummy!*

Pioneer Woman Apple Dumplings

First off  I must say how EASY these are. And did I mention DELISH?? Oh, even the picture makes my mouth water! These are my new favorite desert to make. One problem though... I need to learn to pace myself! I could eat them EVERYDAY!! Try em'!

2 whole Granny Smith Apples

2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
2 sticks Butter
1-½ cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Cinnamon, To Taste
1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda

1-Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

2-Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

WARNING: Prepare this dish at your own risk. It is beyond imaginable.

Check out my new blog!

I started a new blog, come on over and check it out! Besides the fact that I LOOOOVE cooking, I also enjoy party planning, crafting, DIY projects and interior design. I started this blog to share my ideas, and the ideas of others with everyone in the blogging world. Hope you enjoy it and pass along the word! Become a follower today!! partiesdecorandmore.blogspot.com

*Note I just started the blog yesterday, so there aren't many posts yet. I'm just getting started, but it will give you and idea of what's to come!!* Thanks for stopping by :0)

Easy Greek Salad

This salad is really good AND really easy. I usually serve this with a pizza or lasagna. It is a good subsitute for a regular green salad.

1/2 bag baby spinach

1 c. grape tomatoes (cut in half)

1/2 c. crumbled Feta cheese

2 Tbsp. salted sun flour seeds 

Newmans Own Balsamic vinagrette salad dressing

1-Place spinach, halved tomatoes, Feta cheese and sun flour seeds in a medium bowl

2- Toss lightly with forks

3-Drizzle dressing over the the top

4-Serve chilled

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

This dish is SO EASY. And one of my "go to" recipes when I can't think of anything to make. My kids LOVE this and almost always have secconds! Serve with warm rolls, and a salad and you have dinner done in no time flat.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
1 pound (1 large head) of broccoli florets, cooked (I don't reccomend using frozen)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 Tbsp. mayo (can use light)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I always end up using about 1 1/2 c.)
1 c. dry stuffing mix (I used Herb flavored or a good cornbread stuffing. Chicken flavor would work as well)
pepper to taste
garlic salt to taste

1-Pre heat oven to  350 degrees.
2- Cut chicken breasts in to 1 in. chunks place in large skillet on the stove, and add 1/2 c. water. Add dash of pepper and dash of garlic salt to season. Let chicken cook entirely through, or until all water has evaporated. If you like, you can brown your chicken at this point. (I always do)
3- In a small bowl, mix together soup and mayo. Set aside. In a 9x13 baking dish layer chicken, broccoli, soup mixture, and cheese. Sprinkle dry stuffing mix over the top and bake in the oven for 25-30 min.

*I have made this before and the top turned out a little too crunchy. Here are a few tips that might help. Take 1/4 c. water and pour evenly over the top of the stuffing to soften. Also you can add a few pads of butter to the top. This seemed to help me!

*Tip: Add a can of corn or 1c. frozen, cooked corn. If you do this, be sure to add another 1/2 can. of soup!*

Oreo Delight

My new brother-in-law LOVES Oreo's. Oreo cake, oreo ice cream, oreo's and milk, you name it. So when we had him and my sister over for dinner one Sunday, I decided to make this dessert just for him. It turned out AMAZING. I think even I have a new found love for Oreo's now!

1 package Oreo's, crushed
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 (12 oz) cool whip, thawed
3 1/4 c. cold milk
2 packages chocolate INSTANT Jell-o pudding

1- Mix crushed cookies and butter in a medium bowl. Press firmly onto the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Refrigerate for 10 mi. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and 2 Tbsp. milk in a medium bowl w/ wire whisk until well blended. Stir in 1 1/4 c. cool whip. Spread over crust.
2-Pour 3 1/4 c. milk into bowl. Add both pudding mixes, beat with wire whisk for 2 min. Pour over the cream cheese layer. Let stand five min. Drop remaining cool whip over pudding and spread. Sprinkle more crushed Oreo's over the top. Refridgerate at least four hours before serving.

*If your like me, then you love the MINT Oreo's! You can use the mint cookies for this recipe as well. At the end sprinkle Andes mints baking chips over the top. Yummm!

Stuffed Mushrooms

These. Are. So. Good. Even my husband who is not a "mushroom lover" likes these. I have made these as an appitizer for a lot of parties, and I am always asked for the recipie afterwards. Warning: you can't eat just one!!

12 whole fresh mushrooms, washed and dried
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened (could use light)
1/4 c. grated parmesean cheese
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (could use less if you like, for less of a "kick")

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking sheet with non stick cooking spray. Carefully break off stems of mushrooms. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding the tough end of the stem.
2- Heat oil in a large skillet over MEDIUM heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Fry until any moisture has disappeared. Be sure to not burn the garlic (thus the medium heat)  Set aside to cool.

3- When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot, stir in softened cream cheese, parm cheese, black pepper, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. The mixture should be very thick. Taking a small spoon fill each mushroom cap with a generous ammount of filling. Place on prepared baking sheet.

4-Bake for 20 min in the oven or until liquid starts to form under the mushrooms.

Strawberry Cheesecake Shake

Need I say more??? MMMMMMMMMM :0)

1 3oz. package cream cheese, softened (can use light but NOT fat free)

1 c. milk (can use 1%)

2 c. vanilla ice cream

1/2 of a 16 oz. can of strawberry pie fillling

1 c. fresh strawberries (I use more because I like mine "chunky")

1-Place cream cheese and milk in a blender. Cover and blend until combined. Add ice cream, pie filling, and 1 cup (or more) of strawberries. Cover and blend until nearly smooth. Serve immediatley!

*I think it would be delicious to throw in 1/2 c. crushed graham crackers. Mmmmm I will try that next time!! You can't make these just once!

Sub Sandwiches For A Crowd

I love making these every time we are invited for a pot luck or are having friends over for game night. You can slice these up so they are bite size like an appetizer, or make them bigger as your main dish! Enjoy!

1 loaf of French bread

1/2 of an 8 oz. carton of sour cream ranch dip (pre-made, or you can make your own)

1 c. shredded lettuce (I always add more)

3/4 c. shredded carrots or 1/2 c. julienned carrots

8 oz. thinly sliced roast beef, ham or turkey (my hubby likes all 3!!)

1/2 medium cucumber, shredded (adds a GREAT flavor!)

4 oz. thinly sliced mozzarella or provolone cheese from the deli

1 large tomato thinly sliced

1-Cut the bread in half horizontally. Spread ranch dip on each sides of bread. On one half of the bread layer lettuce,carrot,meat,cucumber,cheese, and tomato. Secure with toothpicks the portions you wish to cut.

*You can add more veggies or toppings of your choice. I have just found these to always be a favorite and kind of out of the ordinary!

*Serve with crunchy potato chips and a light pasta salad

Hazelnut Coffee Coolers

What better way to cool down in the hot days of summer! Have yourself one of these! So good, betcha' can't just have one!!

2/3 c. instant coffee (dry) CAN USE NON- CAFFEINE granules

1 1/2 c. hazelnut flavored coffee creamer

1 c. water

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

8 c. milk (can use 1% but NOT skim. They turn out too runny)

Whipped cream for garnish (optional)

Cinnamon for garnish 9optional)

1-Mix coffee, creamer, water and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon in a medium bowl, stirring until coffee is dissolved.

2- Pour into 2 ice -cube trays. Freeze about 3 hours or until cubes have hardened. Once they are frozen, remove from trays and place in a freezer bag.

3-For each serving place 2 coffee cubes, 2/3 c. milk and 4 regular ice cubes into blender. Cover and blend on high speed about 20 seconds or until slushy. Pour into glass. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon

*This will make about 12 servings

*Try crushing of toffee bits or a Skor candy bar and sprinkle it over the top of the whipping cream. YUMMMM!

Southwest Potato Salad

I LOVE potato salad. Just plain old regular potato salad (with my Mom's twist of course!) But if you are in a potato salad rut, give this a try. It has a bit of zip to it and goes great with burgers or grilled chicken!

3 lbs. red potatoes, washed, skin LEFT ON, cubed, cooked

1/2 c. mayo (can use light)

1/2 c. sour cream (can use light)

1/2 c. salsa

1/4 c. canned, chopped green chilies, drained

1/4 c. olives, sliced, drained

2 large tomatoes. seeded and chopped (about 2 c.)

1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained

1-In a large pan boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain. Let cool about 10 min then cut into cubes

2-Mix mayo, sour cream, and salsa in a large bowl. Gently stir in potatoes and remaining ingredients.

3-Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

*If you want, you can add cooked cubed chicken to this and it is so good. I used about 2 cups.

Pepper Rub For Steaks

Around our house we LOVE steaks! Especially in the summer when we are grilling all the time. This is a great pepper rub that's not too spicy.

2 Tbsp. cracked peppercorns

1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. garlic salt

*This is enough for about 4 large steaks

Chinese Cabbage Salad

My husband is in LOVE with this salad. He always asks, "when are you making that cabbage 'stuff' again?"!! For someone that is not big on cabbage (at all) this sure pleases his taste buds! It is super easy and goes great with burgers or steaks.

1 large head cabbage, rinsed, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

2 packages of Ramen noodles, crunched up (chicken flavor)

1/2 c. slivered almonds

2 c. cooked, cubed, well peppered chicken

Dressing:

4 Tbsp. vinegar

4 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. salad oil (vegetable oil works fine too)

seasoning packages from noodles

1-Cut up all your veggies and place in a large bowl. Add you almonds, Ramen noodles, and cooked chicken. Set aside.

2- In a small bowl combine all ingredients for your dressing and mix well. Pour over salad and toss to coat.

3- Chill in fridge for at least an hour before serving

*The last time I made this, I added a small can of Mandarin oranges and it was DELISH!

Oriental Chicken Kabobs

One word. AMAZING!! Seriously these are so good!! The sauce to dip them in is delish!! I served these with homemade fried rice. Great family meal!

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, pressed

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (this adds "zing" but is far from hot)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 in. wide strips

metal, or wooden skewers (about 8 will work)

1-Combine peanut butter, water, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, brown sugar, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for one minute or until smooth; let cool. Remove garlic from sauce and set aside

2-Take you chicken strips and thread onto your skewers

3-Cook kabobs on the grill for about 6-8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning once. Be sure to baste your meat once or twice while cooking.

4-Serve with reserved sauce for dipping over fried rice.

*Tip: If you are using wooden skewers be sure to soak them in water for at least 20 to keep them from burning on the grill)

*If you would like, you can always grill veggies on skewers to serve with this as well. We use green and red bell peppers, onion wedges, and pineapple. Cook until crisp tender on the grill. DON'T BURN!! Use the upper rack!

Quick and Easy BBQ Sauce

I HATE running out of my favorite store brand BBQ sauce but , sometimes it happens!! Here is a quick and easy recipe that even the kiddos will like!! Even better, almost ALL of us have these ingredients on hand 24-7!

1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. Worcerstershire sauce

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Kokomo Quencher

I love making different drinks to try all the time. I came across this one awhile back and it is sooo delicious. Keep in mind that you can also freeze this and serve it "slushy style" also.

2 bottles Sprite or 7 UP

1 bottle (40 oz.) Dole brand Light orchard peach juice (any peach brand will work just use light)

5 c. pineapple juice, chilled

2 c. fresh or frozen blackberries (or berries of your choice. Raspberries are great in this!!)

1 can (15 oz.) real cream of coconut (usually found by the Asian foods)

Lime slices, optional for garnish

1-Combine all ingredients in a LARGE punch bowl, serve in goblet glasses with a lime wedge to garnish.

Stir-Fried Beef Fajitas

In our house we LOVE Mexican food but, Fajitas have to be my all time FAVORITE!! I usually make chicken fajitas, but these are just as good and they change it up a little bit!!

1 lb. boneless chuck shoulder steaks, cut 1/2 in. thick (really just use whatever is on sale!!)

1 green or red bell pepper, cut length wise into thin strips

1 medium onion, cut lengthwise into this wedges

1 cup cheese

1 cup salsa

2 avocados peeled, and cut lengthwise into strips (optional)

lettuce (optional)

Marinade

2 Tbsp. o.j.

2 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. minced garlic (I just use it out of the jar!)

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. grounds oregano

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1-Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl.

2-Trim fat from meat and cut lengthwise into 1/8 in. think strips (Just eyeball it, not too thick not too thin!!)

3-Place beef and half of the marinade mixture in a Ziploc freezer bag, seal tight and mush to coat the meat well.

4-Marinade for 6-8 hours, or even overnight if you like

5-Place onion, peppers and remaining marinade in a Ziploc freezer bag, seal tight and mush to coat veggies well. Let marinade for same amount of time as the beef.

6- Remove veggies from marinade and cook in a medium size skillet on medium heat until crisp-tender. About 3 min.

7- Remove meat from marinade and use same skillet to cook the meat. Cook just until brown. )DO NOT overcook!!)

8- Combine veggies and meat together, toss to coat and warm through.

*Serve with warm flour tortillas, avocado wedges, salsa, cheese and lettuce if desired.

*Just to add extra flavor I always squeeze fresh lime over the meat and veggies once they have finished cooking. Yumm!!!