Candy Bar Pie

Here's another recipe from the "Mother-in-law files". You can use any kind of candy bar you'd like in this. I used Milky Way Caramel simply because at that moment, IT Guy thought those candy bars looked good while he was standing with me in the candy bar aisle. Snickers would be great....and I think Reese's would be fantastic. I'm not sure why this is called a pie unless it's because of the crust. It tasted more like cheesecake to me. But...whatever you call it, call it good!


Candy Bar Pie


 


1 9" pie crust ~ precooked in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes

5 candy bars ~ any kind (I used the mini Milky Way Caramel kind. I bought two snack packs for $1.00 each. Each package had 6 candy bars in them and I used 10.)
1/2 cup sugar
12 ounces cream cheese ~ room temperature
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup peanut butter ~ I used chunky because that's what I had...but smooth is fine
2/3 cup chocolate chips
3 tablespoons heavy cream


Cut each candy bar into small pieces and sprinkle into precooked pie crust.


In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, cream cheese and eggs until well mixed.


Add sour cream and peanut butter and beat well.


Pour mixture over pie crust and smooth.


Bake at 325 degrees until the middle is set.


Chill pie overnight and drizzle with ganache.




Ganache


In a small bowl, microwave the heavy cream until hot but not boiling. Add chocolate chips. whisk to smooth. Drizzle over chilled pie.

Here we go!

Place your pie crust in the pan. 

Bake the empty crust for about 5 minutes.

Chop your candy bars into small chunks.

Then sprinkle them in the prebaked crust.

Combine the cream cheese, eggs, and sugar.

Then add the sour cream and peanut butter.

Pour the cream cheese 

mixture over into the crust.

Then bake! Allow to cool.

Heat your cream in the microwave 

for little bit. You want it hot but not 

boiling. Maybe 45 seconds to a minutes. 

Then add the chocolate chips. 

Let them sit in the hot cream for a bit.

The whisk until smooth.

Drizzle over the pie/cheesecake.

Chalupa

My mom used to make a dish when I was a kid she called Chalupa. I know there are lots of different recipes out there with this name. Here's one from my MIL. The door to our garage is right around the corner from the kitchen so cooking smells waft out there. We rarely use our front door so going in and out of the garage, you always get a nose-full of whatever's cooking. It was a GOOD day to come to my house when I cooked this. I'm surprised the whole neighborhood didn't end up knocking on the door. It smelled SO good...and tasted even better!


Chalupa




1 2 pound pork loin roast
1 pound dry pinto beans ~ soaked overnight
1 onion ~ diced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons red chili powder
Salt to taste
2 4-ounce cans diced green chilies

Spray your crock pot with cooking spray.

Place pork loin in the bottom of the crock pot.

Add beans that have been soaked and rinsed.

Add onion and green chilies.

Add spices.

Stir a little combine and cook on low 6 - 8 hours or on high 4 - 6.

When the meat is done, remove and shred then place back in the crock pot.

Serve on a bed of Frito's then add fixin's like:

Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Grated cheese
Sliced olives
Diced onion
Sour cream
Salsa

Here's all you need. Except I forget

to put the salt in the picture.

Throw everything in your crock pot.

Give it a stir.

This is cooked half way through.

Whew! What a messy crock pot.

But this is all cooked.

And here's all the yumminess!

Fritos on the bottom, then the

Chalupa then all the rest of the stuff!!

Chow down!!

Red Velvet Crackles

I had such success with the Lemon Crackles the other day I figured I'd try something else. How fun are these? We loved them just as much as the lemon ones. If you don't want to use crushed Oreo's to roll the cookies in,  then just use some powdered sugar. I wanted more of a chocolate taste but I'm thinking the powdered sugar would be awesome, too!! These are SO easy, don't make a ton and are not overly sweet...but they give you that cookie satisfaction!

Red Velvet Crackles



1 Red Velvet cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
12 Oreo cookies OR 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs and oil.

Chop the cookies in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. Pour into a shallow bowl.

With a small cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough into the crumbs and press crumbs into the dough ball.

Place rolled cookies onto prepared baking pans and bake for about 8 - 9 minutes until set.

Cool. Makes about 2 dozen.

Here's the line up. I found these 

mini Oreo's at Walmart for a buck. 

I show two in the picture, but only used 

one...and not even the whole package. FYI.

Mix the cake mix, eggs and oil 

in mixing bowl until combined.

Whizz the cookies in your food 

processor or place the cookies in 

a plastic bag and beat the daylights 

out of them with a rolling pin.

Roll the dough balls in the cookie crumbs.

Place on your prepared cookies sheets and bake.

Allow to cool then enjoy!

Pepper Steak

Here's another recipe from... dun-dun-DUNNNN...The Mother-in-law Files. When I served this to IT Guy and told him it was one of his mom's recipes, he looked a little confused. He told me he didn't remember eating this when he lived at home. Too bad for him....because it's REALLY good!

Pepper Steak

 

1 pound round steak ~ cut into small serving sized pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion ~ sliced
1 clove garlic ~ minced
1 beef bullion cube
1 1/4 cup water ~ divided use
1 14-ounce can stewed tomatoes
2 green bell peppers
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet. Add olive oil.

Add meat to the skillet and and cook for about 15 minutes.

Add onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper.

Dissolve bullion cube in 1 cup of the water and pour over meat and onions.

Cover and allow to simmer about 20 minutes.

Add tomatoes and bell peppers and stir. Cover and simmer another 10 - 15 minutes.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup of water, cornstarch and soy sauce. Stir into meat mixture.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 5 more minutes to heat through.

Serve over cooked rice.

The line-up....

Cook the meat in some olive oil for a bit.

Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper.

Mix the water, corn starch and soy 

sauce....then the water and the bullion cube.

Pour the water/bullion into with the meat. 

Simmer for a little while.

Then add the tomatoes and the bell peppers. 

Cook for a few more minutes.

Then add the cornstarch, water 

and soy sauce mixture.

Let it thicken up some then serve over rice or noodles!!

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

These are so yummy! And easy! And...you can switch up the jam to anything you like! This recipe is easily doubled to feed a larger family and it's great for an anytime snack or for breakfast! Next time I make them, I'm going to crumble one into my yogurt! Very good, these are!!

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars



1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 inch square pan. Line with foil and spray the foil.

Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats.

Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until crumbly.

Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Spread the jam almost to the edge.

Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top, and lightly press it into the jam.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned.

Allow to cool then cut into bars.

The line-up.

Spray your pan then cover it in foil, 

then spray the foil.

Combine the brown sugar, oats, 

flour, salt and baking powder.

Then cut in the butter.

Press two cups of the mixture into your pan.

Top with jam...almost to the edge.

Then top with the remaining crumb mixture... 

pressing down lightly but firmly. 

I used the bottom of a measuring cup.

Bake...then cool. Then unwrap.

Then cut into squares.

So tasty!! Love these!!

White Chocolate Lemon Crackles

Lemon is a favorite of IT Guy so I was pretty sure when I made these, he'd be a fan. I was right. One of the great things about this cookie is not only how easy they are, but how great they taste! They're so fresh and light but the white chocolate makes them gives them a substantial cookie texture. They're good right out of the oven but are better the next day!!! Yum!                                                                                           
White Chocolate Lemon Crackles



1 box lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 12-ounce package white chocolate chips
½ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pour cake mix into a large mixing bowl.

Add eggs, oil, lemon juice and zest and mix until well blended.

Add white chocolate chips.

Roll by teaspoonfuls into balls or use a cookie scoop.

Roll dough balls in powdered sugar until lightly covered.

Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

Bake for 6 to 9 minutes or until done.

Cool on wire racks.

The goods.

Place the cake mix, oil, eggs, lemon 

zest and juice in a mixing bowl.

Mix it up them stir in the 

white chocolate chips.

Then place the powdered sugar in 

a small bowl them add a scoop 

of cookie dough. Roll the dough 

ball around in the sugar then form into a ball.

Place the dough balls on your 

prepared cookies sheets and bake.

See how pretty they are?

And they taste delicious!!