Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Layered Krispie Treats

Ok this dessert is sooo good. If you like peanut butter and chocolate together, you will fall in love! Although there is a good bit of peanut butter so I think when I make it next time I'll cut it down by 1/2 C or so making it 1 1/2 C instead.

Ingredients:
6 Cups rice krispie cereal
1 large bag mini marshmallows
1/4 Cup butter
2 Cups creamy peanut butter
50 mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, quartered
1 1/2 Cups melted chocolate to drizzle

Directions:
Place cereal into a large mixing bowl, set aside. Place marshmallows and butter into a large bowl and microwave until puffed up, about 3 minutes. Remove and pour into cereal, mix to combine then pour into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish and press to make even. Melt peanut butter until nice and runny, about 45 seconds. Pour in quartered peanut butter cups, stir gently then pour over treats. Drizzle melted chocolate over top and refrigerate to harden. When set, cut into squares and serve!!

Lemon Bars

This lemon bar recipe is delicious! I got this from my mother-in-law, thanks Barbara!!

Ingredients:
Crust:
3/4 C marg.
1/2 C powder sugar
1 1/2 C flour
Filling:
3 eggs
1 1/2 C sugar
3 Tbl flour
6-7 Tbl lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all of the crust ingredients together until it crumbles. Press into 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine filling ingredients. Pour onto hot crust and bake for another 15 mins.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

These cookies are really good. The actual cookie is a pretty mild lemon taste, almost short bread type cookie. The glaze definitely gives it a nice kick, the lemon is much more pronounced in it. I know the ricotta might sound weird to some of you out there, but it doesn't really effect the taste. Just thinking about these cookies is making my mouth water!! And I can't remember where I found this recipe--sorry!


Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)
3 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
zest of one lemon
For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp. lemon juice
zest of one lemon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a fork to combine and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well to incorporate, scraping down the bowl between additions. Add the ricotta cheese, the lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix to combine. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

Spoon the dough onto the baking sheets (about 1 tablespoons per cookie). Bake for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, in a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk until smooth. Spoon a small amount of glaze onto each cookie and spread gently using the back of the spoon. Let the cookies sit to allow the glaze to harden, about 2 hours. Store loosely covered.

Creamy Ricotta Spaghetti Sauce

This sauce is not your average spaghetti sauce, it's very creamy...and amazing. We ate it on chicken mozzarella ravioli that we got from Costco...yum! But it would be good on any noodles...fettuccine, penne...whatever!

Ingredients:
8 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 onion (chopped)
1 C half & half
1/2 to 3/4 C of ricotta (to taste)
3 cans of crushed tomatoes (pureed in blender)
1 C parmesan cheese
bunch of fresh basil, or dried basil to taste
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp of italian seasoning

Directions:
1. Saute garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is clear.
2. Add 1/2 & 1/2 and ricotta cheese and stir until melted.
3. Add tomatoes, bring to a boil, then down to a simmer.
4. Add parmesan cheese and the rest of the seasonings.

Ross's (red sauce) Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Can you tell this is Ross's recipe?!? : ) Whenever he makes up a recipe he insists it has his name in the title...LOL, too funny. Any who I came home from church the other day (Ross stayed with the boys because Braden woke up SUPER sick) to this yummy dinner Ross cooked up for us. Such a NICE surprise! And to top it off, it was really good! SO I thought I'd share...

Instructions:
1 Can of Corn (drained)
Cooked noodles (macaroni, or some other small noodle is best)
1 Can of Enchilada Sauce
1 C chedder cheese
1 Can shredded chicken
1 packet of taco seasoning

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a casserole dish and top with even more cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins and finish off with a broil to get the cheese nice and crispy! It's as simple as that!

Edible Play Dough

Ingredients:
1/4 C Margarine (melted)
1/4 C light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Mix the margarine, corn syrup, salt and vanilla. (add in food coloring as well)
2. Mix in powdered sugar and knead in until play dough consistency.
3.Give it to your little one to play with and enjoy!

Skillet Chicken Sausage, and Spinach Pasta

Ingredients:
Chicken Sausage (amount depends on amount of people eating)
Spinach, chopped
Spaghetti Sauce
Mozarella Balls (not technical term...)
Cooked Pasta (Penne or whatever is desired)

Directions:
1. Cut up chicken sausage into chunks and cook in skillet with a small amount of olive oil.
2. Add desired amount of spaghetti sauce and then spinach. Bring to boil.
3. Add pasta to sauce and mix.
4. Add mozarella balls right before serving
5. ENJOY!