Cookies & Ice Cream

So, I know this isn't anything elaborate....but it's really incredibly tasty. So I thought I'd share.

You will need chocolate chip cookie dough, ice cream, and little glass custard cups like these from target: http://www.target.com/dp/B000FQFDTC/ref=gp_se_search-results-asin-redirect

Press cookie dough into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake in a cake pan....just 'cause they are easier to manage that way...at 375 for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pan from the oven and let cookies cool for 5 - 10 minutes.

Then scoop ice cream into the dish on top of the cookies. It is easiest to serve these placed inside a larger bowl...so you don't have to touch the hot cups.

They are super good! People always love them!

Taco Lasagna

1 1/2 to 2 lb hamburger
1 pkg burrito seasoning mis
1/2 cup water
1 to 1 1/2 mild, chunky salsa
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
1 small jalopino chopped up into small pieces
1 can Hunts Traditional spaghetti sauce
1 pkg Flour tortillas (10)
1 lg carton fat-free sour cream
2 to 2 1/2 cups grated Mexican style cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Brown hamburger; drain off fat. Add the packet of burrito seasoning mix and the 1/2 cup of water. Stir thoroughly and mix in the salsa, corn, jalopino, and spaghetti sauce. Set aside.

Grease one 13 X 9-inch pan and one 8 X 8-inch pan with cooking spray. Put on layer in each pan of soft flour tortillas (you will have to tear one of the tortillas to fit the pan). Spray the tortillas with cooking spray, then spoon sour cream onto tortillas and spread with a spoon. Add a layer of meat mixture over the top and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat layers for 3 layers in each pan. The last layer will be the meat mixture, sprinkled with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly. Makes two Taco Lasagnas.

My changes are just add the sour cream to the meat mixture, it just makes it easier to spread and don't feel like you have to use all that sour cream either. It taste good with just a little. Instead of the burrito seasoning I use spicy taco seasoning and it is really good. I have also put it in the crock pot. It works great because of the circular shape. then let it cook for 30-45 min. I entered this into a contest and won. It is really good and I suggest all to try it and let me know how it goes! Love ya ~ Steph

Healthy-ER Enchilada Casserole

So, I doubled this recipe and made it for Steph, Mel and her family, and my family (minus Garrett) and I think dad had it for leftovers two nights and I ate the last helping this weekend. It's a much more vegetable-y Enchilada Casserole, and I really liked it. The wheat tortillas were really good in it, but I just happened to get them on the discount rack. Otherwise, they're really expensive. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3/4 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tsp chili powder
1 ¼ cups Salsa
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen corn
3 8” whole wheat tortillas (or corn tortillas)
½ cup sour cream
¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions:
Brown beef with onions and peppers. Add chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Add salsa and corn; mix well. Simmer 5 minutes. Spread 1 cup meat sauce over bottom of 8- or 9-inch baking dish; top with layers of 1 tortilla, ½ cup meat sauce, sour cream and ¼ cup cheese. Cover with 1 tortilla, 1 cup of meat sauce and ¼ cup cheese; top with remaining tortilla and meat sauce. Cover with foil. Bake 25 minute or until heated through. Top with remaining cheese; bake, uncovered, 5 minutes or until melted.

Request Granted

You can see the recipe and directions for the pizza dough recipe HERE. For the pre-baked crusts, just bake for 18-20 minutes at 400°. After it's cooled, I just wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge until I'm ready to use them. When you add your toppings, you just bake it long enough for the cheese to melt.

The full recipe will make 4 loaves....each loaf makes one pizza crust. I generally half the recipe and do one pizza and one pan of breadsticks.

If you don't have lecithin and don't want to buy it (you can find it at health foods stores), I've found that the recipe works just as well without it, as long as you are planning to eat whatever you've made that day. If you're making loaves of bread that will be eaten over several days, you'll want to use the lecithin...otherwise the bread dries out pretty fast (and, honestly, I never make my regular bread from this recipe...it feels too dry to me past the first day).

Elair Cake - Reprise

I know how some of you only buy cookbooks for the pictures, and I have already posted this, but it turned out so well, it deserved another effort.

So, I'm going to write it all out again, but add my comments.

Elair Cake

1 1/2 water
1 1/2 cube butter
1 1/2 cup flour
6 eggs

Boil water and butter. Add flour slowly and mix until it forms a ball. Wisk eggs in separate container and then add to flour mixture and mix well.
Pour into large cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 25 minutes.
Cook and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a mixing bowl...
8 oz cream cheese
3 Tbl milk
2 small pkg. Vanilla pudding ( you have to make the pudding first, and instant pudding works fine)

Fold in 16 oz cool whip. Spread over crust and allow it to set up a little so when you drizzle Hershey syrup on top, it won't look like a mess. It is delicious.