Crock Pot Baked Beans

Fast and Easy and Yummy!!!

CROCK POT BAKED BEANS
Place in crock pot:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cans of pork and beans
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 t. dry mustard
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. crumbled bacon, cooked
Stir well and cook in crock pot on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 to 5 hours.

Yogurt Dill Dip

YOGURT DILL DIP
2 containers (6 oz each) Yoplait® Greek Fat Free plain yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed or 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (4 medium)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
1 cup ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots
2 cups broccoli florets
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced (2 cups)
In medium bowl, mix yogurt, dill, red bell pepper, green onions, salt, red pepper and garlic until well blended. Garnish with additional diced red bell pepper, if desired.
Serve with carrots, broccoli and cucumber slices.

Easy Cocktail Sauce

Steve says Justin makes the best Cocktail Sauce. Justin learned to make this when he worked at the family owned HUGO DELI.

EASY COCKTAIL SAUCE
1/2 c. ketchup
1 - 2 T. horseradish (to taste)
Stir.

Fudgy Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

Another delicious Pillsbury recipe. Since it is just the two of us. I make cookie dough and freeze it for later. It works perfect in this recipe, rather than buying cookie dough.

FUDGY CHOCOLATE CHIP TOFFEE BARS
1/2 cup Butter, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (32 squares)
1 bag (8 oz) Heath® Bits 'O Brickle® toffee bits (1 1/2 cups)
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies OR your own favorite chocolate chip cookie dough
1 bag (12 oz) Hershey’s® semi-sweet chocolate baking chips (2 cups)
1 can (14 oz) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tablespoon Butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
In medium bowl, stir 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 1/2 cups of the cracker crumbs and 3/4 cup of the toffee bits. Press mixture evenly in bottom of pan. Refrigerate about 15 minutes or until firm.
Meanwhile, let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. In 2-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips, milk and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Spread mixture over cracker crust.
In medium bowl, break up cookie dough. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup cracker crumbs with wooden spoon until well blended. Crumble mixture evenly over chocolate layer. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup toffee bits.
Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For a firmer bar, refrigerate 30 minutes longer. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows

Herb Green Onion Bread

This recipe is for the bread machine, but, I made it be a big round loaf. I made this in the bread machine when Evelyn and Gary were here. We thought yum. So I made it for the kids today and they all LOVE it. So here is the recipe for all. Karla I hope you like it too. ~ Marcia McCormick

HERB GREEN ONION BREAD
1 1/2 pound loaf 2 pound loaf
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions 3/4 cup
1/2 teas. dried basil 3/4 teas.
1/2 teas. dried thyme 3/4 teas.
1/4 teas. dried rosemary 1/4 teas.
2 Tbls. butter 3 Tbls.
1 cup milk 1 1/3 cups
1 egg 1
3 cups flour 4 cups
2 Tbls. sugar 3 Tbls.
3/4 teas. salt 1 teas.
1 teas. yeast 1 1/4 teas.

Suppose to cook onions, basil, thyme and rosemary in butter til onions are tender. Cool. (opps I didn't do). Add to the rest ingredients. Select basic white bread cycle.
I removed the dough and formed a round loaf. When I baked it in the oven, I baked it at 350 for 35 mins. The onions were fine without the sauteing them. Enjoy.

I have lots of green onions right now in the garden. I could also use my fresh herbs to make this too. When using fresh herb double the amount called for. I need to try this one soon!! ~ Karla

Herbed Cream Cheese

For my Sweet 16 Garden Party last week I wanted to make something using fresh herbs because we were going to learn about herbs. After a little research and a few changes this is what I came up with. The girls liked it and so does my family. I definitely think this recipe is a keeper.

Herbed Cream Cheese
16 oz. cream cheese, softened (light is fine)
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 cloves minced garlic OR 3/4 t. garlic powder (my fresh garlic isn't quite ready to harvest)
2 T. each fresh herbs, chopped: dill, parsley, basil, thyme, lemon balm, chives (my basil isn't ready yet)
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 t. grated lemon peel
1 T. lemon juice or milk, more if needed; for desired consistency ( iused Lemon juice)
Mix cream cheese & butter together. Add remaining ingredients and beat well. Form into a ball and chill for 2 hours. Decorate with fresh herbs at serving time. Serve with crackers.

I spread some of this on flour tortillas and rolled them up and sliced them into mini pinwheel sandwiches. They were really good too.

Red Velvet 4th of July Pies

I was looking for a 4th of July treat and I found this recipe by Pillsbury. I think I will make them 1/2 as big, using 1/8 c. batter and cooking for 8 to 10 minutes.

Red Velvet 4th of July Pies
Cookies
1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 tablespoons red food color
1 box (4-serving size) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling mix
Filling
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups marshmallow creme
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
Heat oven to 350° and spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.
In large bowl, beat cookie ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until moistened; beat 1 minute longer on high speed. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set (do not overbake). Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
In large bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. For each cookie pie, spread about 1/4 cup filling on bottom of 1 cooled cookie. Top with blueberries, raspberries and second cookie, bottom side down.