Toffee Fruit Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup toffee chips
*Mix well and chill before serving with apples or fruit of your choice. If making the night before, add toffee chips right before serving. They can dissolve if refrigerated too long.

fruit dip

1 jar marshmallow creme
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

Combine both ingredients and blend with mixer until smooth. Serve with fruit.

Cilantnro Lime Dressing

1 (1-ounce) packet ranch dressing mix
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 jalapeno pepper, cut and seeded
2 Tbs. chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend away!

Bajio Chicken

4 to 5 boneless chicken breasts
6 oz. Sprite
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs. cumin
1 4oz can diced green chilies

Put all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Shred chicken and serve over salad greens, or make tacos and burriots out of the meat.

Chalupa

3-4 lbs. pork loin roast boneless (COSTCO)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans pinto beans
1 Tbs. cumin
2 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. oregano
1 can diced green chiles
1 Tbs. salt
*Cook on low all day in Crock-pot. Serve over corn chips/fritos or in a burrito or like tacos.

Tropical Salsa

2 mangos
1/2 fresh pineapple
1/4 red onion
1/2 red, sweet bell pepper
cilantro
lime

Dice mangos, pineapple, onion and bell pepper. Put in bowl. Chop up some cilantro. Add to salsa. Cut lime and squeeze juices over top. Stir and serve.

Cafe Rio' Taco Meat

1 pork loin or pork roast
1 20 oz. bottle of Coke
2 cups brown sugar
1 bottle mild salsa

Put in crockpot and cook on low all day. Shred meat and serve.

Teriyaki Chicken

1 Tbs. cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp. ginger
*Combine in saucepan and stir over medium heat until thickened. Put over chicken tenders or chicken breasts in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.
*Helpful hint: This recipe made just enough for the 6 of us. I used 8 or 9 frozen chicken tenders. Could easily be doubled for a bigger group.

Buttermilk Refrigerator Rolls

Buttermilk Refrigerator Rolls
**Half recipe below

3 cups Buttermilk (room temperature)
3 cups flour
1 T. yeast dissolved in ¼ cup warm water (first let rise a few minutes)
½ cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten with a fork
2 tsp salt
5 cups flour (sometimes you need a cup more--it should not be too sticky)
½ cup oil
1 tsp baking soda

Dissolve yeast in ¼ c. warm water and let proof a few minutes. Mix the buttermilk, flour and yeast together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Let this stand at room temperature until double in size, about 2 hours.
Add sugar, eggs, salt, flour, oil, and baking soda. Mix well and kneed for 7-10 minutes. Roll out what you want and place the rest in the refrigerator, covered. The next time you want some fresh baked rolls, take from the bowl what you want and again put the rest back in the refrigerator. It will keep for 7 days. (This is perfect for Sunday meals because you don’t have a lot of mess to clean up and it’s quick.)
Let rolls rise on baking sheets until double in size. Time depends on the room temperature, usually 1½ - 2 hours. Dough from the refrigerator will take longer because the dough is cold.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Brush with melted butter if you like.

** 1 ½ c. room temperature buttermilk
1 ½ c. flour
½ T. yeast dissolved in 1/8 c. warm water (first let rise a few minutes)
¼. C. sugar
2 eggs beaten with fork
1 t. salt
2 ½ c. flour (sometimes need ½ c. more—don't make too sticky)
¼ c. oil
½ t. baking soda

Butter Rolls (easy)

3 Tbs. yeast
2 cups warm water
2 Tbs. sugar
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
6 beaten eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
8 cups flour (plus a little more)

*Mix yeast with 2 Tbs. sugar and the warm water. Add melted butter, sugar and eggs. Mix well. Add flour and salt. Mix well and let rise for 2 hours. Punch down and put in refrigerator overnight. The next day, separate dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each part into a circle and brush with butter. Cut like a pie into 12 or more pieces. Roll each piece, starting with the wide end. Place onto a greased cookie sheet with the tail end down. Let rise for a few hours and then bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Check to make sure the middle aren't doughy.

Crockpot Mexican Chicken with Rice

4-5 chicken breasts
1 jar salsa
1 can black beans
1 can corn, drained
8 oz. cream cheese

*Put first four ingredients in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours and then add cream cheese about an hour before serving. Mix well, shred up chicken and serve over rice.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsp. chili powder
2 large garlic cloves, minced, or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
12 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar and colby/jack)
1 14 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream

*Place shredded chicken in a bowl. In another bowl, combine honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic. Whisk together thoroughly. Pour over chicken and mix it up well. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. (I did this a couple hours before dinner so it could marinate).
*Mix enchilada sauce and cream together in a bowl. Pour about 1/2 cup of it into a baking dish. Spread around bottom.
*Prepare corn tortillas by heating on stove in canola oil spray until warm and flexible. (20 seconds on each side). Fill each tortilla with a couple tablespoons of chicken and some cheese, then roll up and place, seam side down, in baking dish. Do this until all tortillas are filled and rolled in dish. Cover with the rest of the enchilada/cream sauce and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings

Who knew a Mountain Dew and Pillsbury Crescent Roll combination could make such a wonderful dessert.

Ingredients

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Mountain Dew ™
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish.
Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew™ over the dumplings.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Banana Pudding

ngredients:
1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whip
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 cup milk
1 5-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding
6-8 bananas, sliced
2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies

Directions
Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

Ingredients:
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 egg, plus 2 eggs
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
Butter, for greasing pan, plus 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 8 tablespoons (1 stick) melted butter, and stir until well blended. Pat mixture into prepared pan and set aside. In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs, and the cocoa powder. Lower the speed of the mixer, and add the powdered sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of melted butter, and the vanilla, continuing to beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in nuts with a rubber spatula. Spread filling over cake mixture in pan.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the cake; the center should still be a little gooey when finished baking. Let cake partially cool on a wire rack before cutting into pieces.

Elvis Gooey Butter Cake

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
Mint leaves, for garnish
Whipped cream, for garnish

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 whole banana
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter together and mix well. Pat into a lightly greased glass 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare the filling.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the peanut butter; beat. Add the banana and butter and mix well. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over the cake mixture. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You want the center to be a little gooey, so do not over bake. Top each cake slice with a mint leaf and dollop of whipped cream.

Gooey Toffee Butter Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 18.25-ounce box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 16-ounce box confectioners’ sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup almond toffee bits or chocolate toffee bits
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well. Pat into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside.
Still using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs and vanilla. Dump in confectioners’ sugar and beat well. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly pour in butter. Mix well.
Fold in toffee bits.
Pour filling onto cake mixture and spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Don’t be afraid to make a judgment call on the cooking time, because oven temperatures can vary. You want the center to be a little gooey, so don’t bake it past that point!
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares. Just remember that these wonderful cakes are very, very rich, and a little will go a long way.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Ingredients
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations: For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

Southern Goo Cake

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cube margarine or butter (1/2 cup), softened
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cups chopped pecans
2 eggs, beaten
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar (about 3 1/2 cups)
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
Preparation:
Mix first three ingredients well; pat into a greased and floured 9 x 12 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup chopped pecans.
Beat eggs, powdered sugar and cream cheese well. Pour onto first layer.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Let cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar

Chocolate Eclair Cake

Ingredients

2 (3 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding or banana pudding or french vanilla (any of them are really good)
3 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (16 ounce) package honey graham crackers
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions

In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and 3 cups milk; mix well. Fold in whipped topping and beat with mixer for 2 minutes.
In a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish, spread a layer of graham crackers on the bottom of the dish.
Spread 1/2 of the pudding mixture over crackers, then top with graham crackers. Spread remaining pudding over crackers; top second pudding layer with another layer of crackers.
To make topping: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1/4 cup milk, cocoa and sugar and allow to boil for 1 minute; remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Mix well and cool.
Pour sauce over graham cracker layer and refrigerate until set; serve.

Pistachio Cake

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
7 drops green food coloring
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.
In a large bowl mix together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs, water, oil, almond extract and green food coloring. Blend ingredients, then beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.
Pour into prepared 10 inch tube pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

All fruit Smoothie

Ingredients
1/2 small honeydew melon, seeded
1 orange, peeled and sectioned
1 apple, cored and sectioned
1 peach, pitted
10 strawberries, hulled
1/2 cup pure orange or apple juice
Directions
1Add all the ingredients into a blender.
2Whizz for about 15 seconds.
3Pour into glasses and enjoy.

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Directions

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in confectioners' sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball. Wrap with plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll the cheese ball in finely chopped pecans before serving.

Scotcharoos

1 and 1/2 cups of sugar
1 and 1/2 cup Kayro Syrup (light)
1 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
9 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
1 6oz bag each of butterschotch and semi sweet chocolate chips

****Bring sugar and syrup to a boil, take off the heat and stir in the PB until it melts. Add the cereal mix it well and spread into a cookie sheet. Melt the chips and spread on top of krispies.

****make sure you take this off the heat just as soon as it starts to boil if you boil it for too long the bars will be hard

****when you melt the chips in the microwave do them on 15 second intervals and stir, make sure you dont burn by cooking for too long, take your time

Sour Cream Pancakes

7 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream (I swapped some with yogurt when I realized I was short, to no ill-effect)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter
Maple syrup

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat; you want it to slowly get nice and hot.

Stir the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in the bottom of a medium bowl. Dump the sour cream in on top and stir it together very gently; it’s okay to leave the texture a bit uneven. Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and stir them into the sour cream mixture, once again, being careful not to overmix.

Melt about a tablespoon of butter in your skillet or griddle and pour the batter in, a 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until bubbles appear all over the surface flipping them carefully and cooking for about a minute on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve in a stack, topped with a pat of butter and a cascade of maple syrup.