Creamy Yogurt Jell-O Salad

In the summer it is so nice to eat cool and creamy things and I love a good fruit salad with my dinner. This one is so creamy and light you might catch yourself eating a few too many helpings! The ingredients compliment each other so well and best of all it can be made ahead of time. Enjoy! :)

Creamy Yogurt Jell-O Salad

1 large container strawberry yogurt (any variety works)

1 tub Cool Whip, thawed

1 small box Jell-O cheesecake pudding

2 cups mixed fresh or frozen fruit

 (I used fresh raspberries and strawberries) 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Empty yogurt and Cool Whip into large mixing bowl. Fold together until evenly blended. Next, sprinkle dry pudding mix into the yogurt/Cool Whip mixture. Lastly, add fruit and mix together and refrigerate until serving. Yummm!!!

The Best Brownie Trifle

This trifle was served at our wedding luncheon. For a wedding gift the lady that catered the luncheon gave us a trifle bowl and the recipe to this delicious dessert! Yummm... We have had it quite a few times over the past 2 years because it is chocolate at its finest. Plus it is easy. No need to have any decorating skills just layering skills. So let's get to it!

The Best Brownie Trifle

1 box Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate Brownie Mix 

(Prepared "cake-like" with 3 eggs)

1 large pkg. chocolate Jell-O pudding, prepared and refrigerated

1 large container Cool Whip, thawed

1/2 pkg. Heath toffee bits

HOW-TO PREPARE

* Prepare the brownies as directed on the box and allow to cool completely.

1. Cut up the brownies into one inch cubes and break apart in pan. Place about 1/2 of the brownie cubes on the bottom of the trifle bowl. This is your first layer.

2. Spread 1/2 of the prepared pudding over the brownie cubes.

3. For the third layer, spread 1/2 of the Cool Whip over the pudding.

4. Finally, sprinkle desired amount of toffee bits over the Cool Whip.

* To finish the trifle simply repeat steps 1-4! Voila!

And here I am... eating it! 

BBQ Meatballs

Just wanted to prove that I still can cook! I was looking back on my previous posts and I haven't posted a main dish since Luke was born... and well, that has been 5 months next week! I am going to do better with that. In fact, I have set a goal to make 2 posts a week for right now. One every Tuesday and one every Thursday. So stay tuned for some delicious recipes to come. :)

These BBQ Meatballs came from The Pioneer Woman. She is an amazing cook and has a great sense of humor. I love reading her blog posts and looking at her cookbooks. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE cookbooks?? But not just any cookbook, the ones with pictures! Yummmm... Well, she takes wonderful looking pictures that make me want to try every last one of her recipes. I have a link up on the top right to her cookbook just so you all can see what I am talking about! If you get the cookbook, you will love it too!

BBQ Meatballs 

FOR MEATBALLS 

1-1/2 pound Ground Beef

3/4 cups Old-fashioned Oats
1 cup Milk
3 Tablespoons Very Finely Minced Onion
1-1/2 teaspoon Salt
Plenty Of Ground Black Pepper, to taste
_____
FOR COOKING MEATBALLS
1 cup All-Purpose Flour (coating For Frozen Meatballs)
Canola Oil
_____
FOR SAUCE
1 cup Ketchup
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Tablespoons white vinegar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
4 Tablespoons (to 6 Tablespoons) Onion

 HOW-TO PREPARE

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

* Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes.

* After 5 minutes, remove meatballs from freezer and immediately dredge in unseasoned flour.

* Brown meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place into a baking dish.

* Combine all sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

* Serve with egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty French bread.

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

What if I said that I really don't like Oreo's? Would anyone believe me?? Probably not. I really don't like Oreo's plain but I LOVE Oreo's in things. Yummm... Oreo cheesecake, Oreo shakes, Oreo salad, etc. Yes, that is when I love Oreo's. I found this recipe on Pinterest. I love Pinterest. I have found so many delicious recipes that I could spend the next year just making them and not run out of things to make. Every recipe I have made from Pinterest I have loved, and this recipe for Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes is one of them. :)

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from: catesworldkitchen.com

25 Oreo cookies: 18 whole, 7 crushed 

2 pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

Pinch of salt

Now for the How-To:  

1. First, preheat oven to 275 F and line 18 regular muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Place 1 whole Oreo in the bottom of each lined cup.

3. Beat the cream cheese in a mixing bowl on medium speed. While you are mixing, slowly beat in the sugar and vanilla. Next, pour in the beaten eggs, a little at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. This helps to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

4. Now, beat in the sour cream and salt. Then, stir in the leftover chopped Oreo's by hand. 

5. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tins. 

6. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, 22-25 minutes. 

Cool in pans for about 15 minutes on a wire rack, then let cool on a plate in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

After they have cooled, you can either eat them as is, or you can drizzle a little melted chocolate on top. Either way you decide is absolutely delicious!

 ENJOY!!

Avocado Smoothie

For those of you who have followed my blog since the beginning you probably have noticed that I have posted a few recipes I learned while on my mission in Brazil. This is another one of those recipes. I was first introduced to avocado smoothies in the MTC in Brazil. My teacher took us to a little corner shop that made smoothies of every fruit imaginable. He recommended the avocado smoothie. I thought to myself... "this is probably going to taste like guacamole in a glass!" But I gave it a try. And what do you know, I liked it! And today I would like to share this simple and delicious creation with you. :)

 

Avocado Smoothie

1 avocado 

(if you want tips on how to choose an avocado leave a comment) 

1 large banana

2 cups milk

3 Tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Remove the pit and skin from the avocado and place it in a blender. Now add the banana. Pour approximately 2 cups of milk in as well. (You can adjust the milk. If you like thicker smoothies add less milk, thinner smoothies add more.) Lastly, add the sugar and vanilla. (The vanilla is an addition Dustin and I like but not included in the traditional Brazilian avocado smoothie.) Blend until smooth and serve immediately! 

The end!

Nutty Granola

I love granola. Yumm... Yumm... Yumm... After I had Luke my Grandma Billie came to visit and she brought me some granola and I ate it every morning until it was gone. Then a couple months later she came again and brought some more and once again... I ate it every morning until it was gone. This is good granola people! Best part about it is it gets me to eat some oats! And don't worry if you are the type that needs to have fruit in the morning... just throw some berries on top and some milk and it is delicious! Or if you are the yogurt in the morning type... just sprinkle a little on top and you have a nice extra little crunch! Or just eat it as a snack whenever you want. Just eat it. Because it is good!

Nutty Granola 

6 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup slivered almonds, cashews, or pecans. (Or just mix a little of all three!)
1 cup butter-- 

**don't worry the butter is covering 6 cups of oats so each serving won't have any more than what you would spread on a piece of toast**
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Variations: sunflower seeds, flax seed, coconut, craisins/raisins.

1. Put the oatmeal, nuts, and coconut (optional) in a large mixing bowl. 

2. In a saucepan over medium-low heat melt the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is melted together. Pour over the oats and nuts until well coated. 

3. Pour evenly on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and stir the granola. Bake for another 12 minutes.

6. Let cool on the pan for 10-15 minutes.

7. Store in an airtight storage container after granola has completely cooled.

Chocolate Covered OREO Cake

I would just like to start by saying that this cake is DIVINE! Yummm... I wasn't expecting it to be SO good! I mean I knew it would be good... but I didn't know it would be SO good! I have a feeling it will become a regular go-to party cake at the Hanson home. :)
I try to post recipes that I feel are simple and delicious. I have watched cooking shows that make recipes that would take a day and a half to finally make... and who really has time for that! So, if you are looking for a good dessert that doesn't take much time and ends up looking and tasting wonderful... this is it! I almost made the whole thing during Luke's nap! Give it a try, you will love it.

Chocolate Covered OREO Cake

Recipe from: Kraft Kitchens

 

1 pkg. devil's food cake mix (I used triple chocolate fudge)

4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Or you could use about 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips)

1/4 cup butter

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

12 OREO Cookies, coarsely crushed

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 

Prepare cake batter according to box instructions and divide evenly between two 9'' cake pans. Cool cakes for about 10 minutes in the pans and then remove from pans to cool completely on wire racks.

 

Microwave the chocolate squares and butter (approx. 1 min)  in a bowl and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Set aside and allow to cool. This will be the frosting for the cake.

 

In a separate bowl, combine softened cream cheese and sugar. Beat until smooth. Scrape the sides to make sure all the sugar is incorporated. Add the crushed OREO's to the cream cheese mixture and stir until blended. Now, gently add the Cool Whip to the mixture. This is the filling for the cake.

 

Finally, to put your cake together. Start by placing one chocolate cake layer on a plate. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the layer. Now place the second chocolate cake layer on top. Last of all take the chocolate icing and spread on top to finish off your chocolate covered OREO! 

 

Refrigerate until serving and also keep the leftovers refrigerated... if you have any! :)