epic room makeover

hey, readers! we've been a little m.i.a...we know. we're working on it. in the meantime, this is not a recipe, but i really really need your help! i have entered to win mandi @ vintage revivals's epic room makeover giveaway. will you help me win? pretty please??

head over and vote for my epic fail of a room to win an epic makeover! click on the link, scroll down, and vote for #47. it's super easy and takes 5 seconds. i will love you forever if you do it!

Click here to vote!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Where have those dang Howe girls been? Well, let's see.... We have been

*Camping

*Swimming

*Splash Padding

*Shopping

*Lounging

*Eating

*FaceTiming

*Etc...

Basically, we have been doing nearly everything we can before 3 of the 4 of us head back to school aka work and the other one sends her cutie off to 1st grade! We have, however, also borrowed a few recipes off good ol' Pinterest! Now it's time to share a recent one that we really liked! This little beauty came from Six Sisters Stuff. I'm pretty sure we've used their recipes before. All the credit goes to those ladies, but in case you are unfamiliar with their blog we are sharing their recipe over here.

You will need:

1 box of chicken flavored stuffing

1 small can  of Cream of Chicken Soup (Campbell's will always rank #1 in my book!)

1 Tbs. Dijon Mustard
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces

3 C. fresh broccoli florets
2 C. cooked, chopped ham (I actually used lunch meat that I chopped up)
6 slices of Swiss cheese

**Preheat oven to 375ºF.  

**Prepare stuffing as directed on package.  

**Mix soup and mustard in medium bowl then stir in the chicken, the broccoli, and the ham. 

**Pour/spread into 2-qt. (square) casserole dish sprayed with Pam top with cheese slices and stuffing.  **Cover with tinfoil and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.

Toffee Cookie Bars

I ran upon this tasty little recipe yesterday from here and knew I had to try it out. It was so quick and simple and didn't disappoint. If you like the taste of English Toffee, you'll love these little cookie bars that have a similar taste!

(image also from here)

You will need:

1 C. butter, softened

1 C. brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 C. flour

1 C. chocolate chips

1/2 C. chopped nuts (optional in my opinion. :D)

**Cream butter and sugar together, add egg and vanilla and mix well. Stir in flour and then spread in a greased 9x13 pan (she suggested patting it with wet fingers and it worked great). Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes (mine took 17) until cookie looks set and edges are starting to brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Wait about 5 minutes and then spread the chocolate and sprinkle the nuts (if you used them). Quickly cut into bars, let chocolate set (I stuck them in the fridge) and enjoy!

Gooey Baked S'mores

(Picture from here)

During the whole month of June we work cows and get them sent to the summer range.  My awesome sis-in-laws and all their kiddos come out and spend the entire month helping us get this huge job done.  Besides working super hard, we EAT really yummy food.  One of the last days they were all here my sis-in-law made this deee-licious treat for us.  If you love s'mores like I do, but hate smelling like camp-fire (like I do!) then this recipe is for you.  It makes an 8x8 size pan so I double it for my crew.  (Oh. And this is where I found the recipe when I was needing a second dose.)

Baked S'mores

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla 
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately 5 full graham crackers)
1 tsp baking powder
2 or 3 super-sized (5 oz.) chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (or mini marshmallows if you must!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of  8x8 pan.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt.

Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. 

Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. Two 5 oz. Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer.

Spread marshmallow fluff evenly over the chocolate layer. Pace remaining dough in a single layer on top of the creme. This is most easily done by putting the second half of the dough in either a gallon size freezer bag, between two sheets of parchment, or sheets of wax paper.  Then use your palms or rolling pin to flatten it out.  (If using the ziploc use scissors to cut down both long sides of the bag, so it will open up book-style.) Lay the dough down over the marshmallow and then peel off the bag or paper and carefully spread the dough where it is uneven.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely or almost completely for the melty factor before cutting into bars. 

 

These are super rich but so dang good!!  You must try them today!!

 

Enjoy!!





Creamy Pesto Chicken & Bow Ties

Is anyone out there still checking this poor, poor, neglected blog? We have been slacking big time, but I am here to give you a simple, delicious dinner recipe. Lucky for me I actually looked at the back of the Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup can when I was making dinner and decided to tear off this recipe for future reference. We tried it out at my mom's house when both Candice and Mindy were there and we were all fans and definitely thought it was worth sharing with you--just in case you had never tried it before! So, here goes!

(source)

You will need:

2 Tbs. butter

4 chicken breasts (cut into cubes)

1 can (10 3/4 oz) Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 C. pesto sauce (I just bought a small jar by the pasta sauces)

1/2 C. milk

3 C. bow tie pasta, cooked & drained

**Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned.

**Stir soup, pesto sauce, and milk in skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

**Stir in pasta and cook until mixture is hot and bubbling.

There ya have it! Quick, easy, and delicious!!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

  

Image found here

When I saw this recipe on Pinterest I knew I had to try it. I love homemade chicken noodle soup but love thick creamy soups even more. So I knew the comination of both was just too good to be true. Oh no! Let me just tell you, this soup is A-mazing. Even my husband, who is not a fan of soup, said it was one of the best soups he'd ever had. Its definetly a new family fave that I will making regularly.

 Here is what you need:

5-7 C. chicken broth

2 chicken breasts
1 C. chopped carrots
1 C. chopped celery

 (I used peas instead because my kids eat them better)

1 C. diced potatos

½ C. chopped onion

(I just used minced)
1-2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 C. evaporated milk or ½ C. whole milk
8-12 oz uncooked homestyle egg noodles

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken in the broth and then remove and shred.  Then add carrots, celery/peas, potatoes, onions, and noodles. I started out with 5 C. of broth because that is what the origonal recipe called for. But after I added my veggies it had boiled down and there was barely enought left to cover them, so I added two more cups. Simmer until veggies and noodles are tender. Add cream of chicken soup, milk, salt, pepper and shredded chicken. Simmer until heated through and ready to serve. I only added one can of soup and I thought it was plenty thick and really rich. You can add a second one depending on your taste. Also, as a side note. I boiled my noodles separate and added them in at the end. Enjoy!

browned-butter chocolate chip cookies

okay. this recipe is going to change your life. i am not kidding. my cutest friend, chloe, posted these on her blog a while ago, and i finally got around to making them. oh. my. i seriously cannot get over how good they are. these are my new go-to cookies. my picture isn't 100% awesome, but the flavor? totally was. you have to try these!

i'm basically copying and pasting her instructions. i hope she doesn't mind! the process is a little different than the traditional route, but you have to follow it exactly. also, i didn't have parchment paper, so i used pam. i would recommend buying the parchment paper. mine went pretty flat and i think it's because of grease from the pam made them spread out more than they should have.

anyway, no matter what they look like, they are amaaaaahzing ("happy endings," anyone??). also, i was shoving them in fresh out of the oven, and they were good. but the next day, when they were completely cooled, they were blow-your-mind amazing. seriously i love these cookies!

one last thing: don't use your hand mixer. only a whisk!

okay, on with it. here's the recipe:

ingredients:

1 ¾ cups unbleachedall-purpose flour 

 ½ teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
½ cup granulated sugar 

 ¾ cups packed dark brown sugar 

 1 teaspoon table salt (chloe said sea salt makes them taste awesome)

 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

 1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 ¼ cups chocolate chips or chunks

instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
4. Put 12 cookies on each sheet (1-2 tbsp. per cookie)
5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 8-9 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

creamy tomato basil soup

we are just slightly in love with the harry's organic creamy tomato basil soup you buy at costco. yesterday, because of all the rain, i was craving some. but we didn't have any, and i didn't want to go to costco. so my next step was google. obviously. i found a recipe on the taste of homes website, and oh my. it was amazing! my husband reheated some late last night and decided that it is just as good as the kind we buy at costco. success! this coupled with a grilled cheese was perfect.

i modified the recipe so that i could use what i had on hand, and it worked great!

 

image

2 garlic cloves, minced OR 1 teaspoon crushed garlic (i buy it in a jar)
1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1.5 teaspoon chicken boulion granules*
2-1/3 cups water*
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup milk*
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons sugar

in a large saucepan, saute garlic in oil until hot. add the tomatoes, chicken boullion, water and pepper. bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

stir in the milk, basil, and sugar. cook for 1 minute or until heated through.
 
*you could reduce the water by 1 cup, eliminate the boullion, and use canned chicken broth. 
*the recipe called for heavy whipping cream, but i used milk. it was a little runny, so i think using cream would thicken it up

Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes

When I googled Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes for a side to our Sunday dinner, I had no idea the heaven I would be in for when I whipped up these creamy, dreamy little things. They were the perfect addition to our BBQ Lime Chicken. Oh. My. Goodness! I was pretty sure Matt had died and gone to heaven between these two things of beauty on his plate. I couldn't wait to share the recipe with you!! I found them here and you can bet I'll be heading back there to see what else I can make from her website!

 (picture also found here)

You will need:
2 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into cubes

1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 14 ounce container chicken stock

**Pour 3/4 container of chicken stock into a large stove top pan.  Place cubed potatoes in pan and turn on high heat.  Boil potatoes for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are soft.

(I actually used all of it and ended up adding a bit of water before the potatoes were all the way done because the broth had boiled off and I didn't need additional stock, the sour cream made them creamy enough!)
**Drain potatoes.  Add reduced-fat sour cream, garlic, salt, and pepper to potatoes.  

**Using a stand-up mixer or potato masher, mix potatoes.  Slowly add remaining chicken stock to potatoes and continuing mashing until desired consistency. 

BBQ Lime Chicken

you. guys.

i found this recipe last week, and i couldn't wait to try it. it came from this blog and oh my gosh. it was to die for.

to. die. for.

you know you've done it when your husband (who is very mellow about ev-e-ry food and describes everything as 'okay.') says, "babe. baaaaaaaabe" between every single bite. 

trust me. try it tonight!

another bonus is that the ingredients are things you probably already have in your pantry. the sweetness of the honey, the salty of the soy sauce, and the zestiness of the lime are the perfect, mouth-watering combination.

you need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can do whole breasts or kabobs. we did whole) (also, i had plenty of marinade. you could easily do 4 breasts)

3 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

juice of 1 lime

1 tsp. minced garlic

mix together, and marinate chicken for 3+ hours. bbq on medium-high until white throughout. salivate, eat, die, repeat.

ready...go!

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake

I had to make a dessert for a church function, and after hearing about this deliciousness a while back, I decided this would be my cake of choice! If you are a Snickerdoodle cookie fan, you will be in heaven with this scrumptious little cake!  It takes a lot of mixing so if you have a Kitchenaid stand mixer, I highly recommend using it!!

I got this little recipe from Jamie Cooks it Up and if you haven't visited her blog, you totally should. She has tons of delicious recipes that are very family friendly!

 (We all know I am not the best food photographer, especially when my phone is my camera of choice! :D)

You will need:

2 t ground cinnamon

1 C white sugar

**Mix together and set aside--you'll need this two different times. 

Next you will need:

2 1/2 C. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. butter, softened

1 C. sugar

1 C. brown sugar

3 eggs at room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla

1 C sour cream at room temperature 

Directions:

**Grease the inside of your bundt pan with shortening, or spray heavily with Pam Cooking Spray With Added Flour and dust the entire inside of your pan with the cinnamon sugar mixture. You will probably use about 1/3 C. of the mixture. Set aside the leftovers to use in the middle of the cake.

**In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Set this mixture aside for later.

**In a Kitchen Aid mixer or using hand held beaters beat the softened butter on medium speed for 1 minute.

**Add the white sugar and mix for 3 minutes.

**Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and add the brown sugar. Mix for 2 minutes.

**Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for a full minute after each one.

**Stir in the vanilla.

**Grab your dry mixture and add it alternately with the sour cream. When both sour cream and all of the dry mixture are added continue to mix for 2 minutes.

**Spread 1/2 the batter into your pan. Pour the leftover cinnamon and sugar over the top. Spread the rest of your batter over the top.

**Bake at 325 degrees for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

**Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake

A big thanks to my friend Amy and Pinterest for this little bit of heaven! I had to make a cake for refreshments at school on the day we were meeting our new principal. Lucky, Ame had just told me about this little beauty so I was just looking for a reason to make it. Of course, it didn't disappoint. I'm pretty darn sure you'll love it too!

 (picture from here)

You will need for the cake:

1 box of Devil's Food Cake Mix

1 box of instant chocolate pudding (4 oz.)

3/4 C. hot water

3/4 C. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

For the Filling you will need:

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese (softened

1/2 C. sugar
1 egg

 1 C. chocolate chips

For the frosting:

Your favorite chocolate frosting

(I happen to LOVE Betty Crocker's chocolate frosting so I used that. :D)

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
2. In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
3. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and 1 egg with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon filling by tablespoonfuls evenly over top of batter. Using table knife, swirl filling through batter. Sprinkle with nuts.
4. Bake 47 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Spread frosting over cake. Store covered in refrigerator.

Makes 15 servings