Peanut Butter Cup Bars

Well, it's official. It's Fall. The "Season of Eating" has begun. And, man, my body seems to know it. One would think I was about to hibernate for the winter with the amount of food I have been craving. But trying not to eat. You know, because I LIKE to fit into my pants. Without having to leave the top button undone.

Nonetheless, even though my top button may be in peril, this recipe is so good I can't resist making it. TODAY. It was passed on to me by my mother in law, Anita. It's one of my husband's FAVORITE treats....oh, who am I kidding...we all love it, and I will eat WAY more of it than I should.

Core Secrets, or maybe the Stairmaster, anyone?

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

2 sticks of margarine, melted
1-1/2 cup of peanut butter; divided
3-1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix together 1 cup of peanut butter, all the powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and melted margarine. Pat this into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Melt chocolate chips and remaining 1/2 cup of peanut butter, mix together. Spread over the top of the first layer. Chill. When hard, cut into bars.

Au Gratin Sausage Skillet

This recipe was given to me by someone... unfortunately, I can't remember who the heck it was. I know I started making this the first winter we lived in Alaska, but there is where my memory ends. Whoever gave this to me though, has my eternal thanks, because this dish is GREAT!

Au Gratin Sausage Skillet

1 pound cooked kielbasa or polish sausage, halved and sliced 1/2 an inch thick
2 TBSP canola oil
1 (5.25 oz) package Au Gratin potatoes ( I generally use the Betty Crocker brand, but any type will do, I think!)
2 1/2 cups of water
1 (8 oz) package frozen California Blend vegetables
1 to 2 cups (4-8 oz)shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, cook sausage in oil until lightly browned. Add potatoes with contents of sauce packet and water. Cover and cook over medium heat 18-20 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender, stirring occasionally. Add veggies. Stir. Cover and cook again 8-10 minutes or until veggies and potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with the amount of cheese you would like. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for about 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

I like to serve this with a fresh green salad, or cut up fresh veggies. A nice, fresh roll or biscuits is awesome too, if you have the time to make some. An alternative...use the freezer rolls that you can just pop in the oven and bake straight from the freezer. They're pretty tasty too, and QUICK!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Here's a fabulous lasagna recipe that my family just LOVES. If you don't have the 5 quart slow cooker called for in the recipe, you can still make this in a smaller 3 quart slow cooker. The difference is this...if you use the smaller slow cooker you will get a very deep, 3 layered, cheesy lasagna, but it will be impossible to scoop out in perfect layers... everything will just meld together as you spoon it out. Don't let that bug you though, it will still be full of tomatoe-y, cheesy goodness! In contrast, if you use the larger 5 quart slow cooker, you will get a traditional 3 layer lasagna that will cut and plate just as if you had cooked it in a pan in your oven.

This recipe is from Taste of Home's 2001 Quick Cooking Recipes Annual Edition. It was submitted by Lisa Micheletti.

1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 package (8 ounces)no-cook lasagna noodles
4 cups (16 ounces)shredded mozzarella cheese
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a skillet, cook beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, salt and oregano, mix well. Spread a fourth of the meat sauce in an ungreased 5 quart slow cooker. Arrange a third of the noodles over sauce(break the noodles if necessary). Combine the cheeses, spoon a third of the mixture over noodles. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining meat sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hoursor until noodles are tender.

I serve this with either fresh, buttered bread or garlic cheese toast. A green salad is also a great addition...especially if you're like me and can easily gain 1/2 pound per luscious mouthful of lasagna!

Happy Eating!

Halloween Menu

Is Halloween dinner a "frightful" proposition for you? Are you thinking of having people over but don't have a clue what to make? At our place, we try to scare up a delicious, fun meal that is so simple, the kids can help make it! Here's our spooky Menu for this year:

Mummy Toes
Pigs in a blanket

Worms 'n Guts
Al dente spaghetti noodles chopped into small pieces, and mixed with our own home made spaghetti sauce

Cheese Filled Jack-o'-Lantern w/ fresh green peppers
(Cheese and Bread Ring)

Googly Eyeballs
Green Olives with pimento!

Peanutty Halloween Cookie Pizza

Soda for the kiddos, and favorite cocktails for us!

Recipes
Mummy Toes (recipe and photo above courtesy Pillsbury Halloween Cookbook, Oct 2007 edition)

24 cocktail size hot dogs
1 can Pillsbury refrigerated cornbread twists
2 TBSP Old El Paso cheese and salsa dip or ketchup
24 sliced almonds, if desired

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut a wedge into the end of each cocktail hot dog to look like a toenail. Unroll dough, seperate at perforations into 8 breadsticks. With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each breadstick into thirds, making 24 pieces. Wrap one piece of dough around each hot dog to edge of toenail. (Bottom edge) Place seam side down on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 3 minutes. Fill each toenail with 1/4 tsp dip or ketchup. Insert almond to look like toenail. Serve warm.

Tip: To easily fill toenails with dip or ketchup, use a resealable food storage plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe filling into toenail through snipped corner.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 pound hamburger
2-3 cloves garlic
4 shakes dried oregano, or more to taste (can also use Italian Seasoning if you prefer)
1-28 oz can tomato sauce

Brown hamburger in deep pot. Crush garlic and add to browned beef mixture with oregano. Stir. Cook approximately 1 minute. Add can of tomato sauce, bring to a slow boil. Turn heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer while your spaghetti noodles are cooking, or about 5-10 minutes. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti!

Cheese Filled Jack-o'-Lantern (recipe courtesy Pillsbury Halloween Cookbook, Oct 2007 edition)

8 oz block Colby Cheese
6 TBSP butter or margarine, melted
1/2 tsp garlic powder ( I will probably just use fresh crushed garlic as my hubs is allergic to garlic powder)
3 cans Pillsbury Golden Layers refrigerated flaky original biscuits
7 slices (1/2 oz each) American Cheese
1 red or orange bell pepper
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heavily grease 12 cup fluted tube cake pan with shortening. Cut Colby cheese into 30-1 inch cubes. Mix melted butter and garlic powder in small bowl. Using 1 can at a time, wrap one biscuit around one cube of Colby Cheese, forming a ball shape, pinching tightly to seal. Dip entire ball in garlic butter. Place in pan, continue with remaining biscuits.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden brown. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof serving plate. Top with American cheese slices, cover with pan. Let stand 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Cut eyes, nose and mouth from red bell pepper, place on cheese to make Jack-o'-lantern face. Place small glass in center opening of jack-o'-lantern: fill glass with bell pepper strips. Slice to serve, or pull apart. You can serve this with pizza or spaghetti sauce for dipping!

High Altitude: Bake 40-45 minutes.


Peanutty Halloween Cookie Pizza (recipe courtesy Pillsbury Halloween Cookbook, Oct 2007 edition)

1 roll Pillsbury Create 'n Bake refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup Halloween colored candy coated chocolate candies
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/4 cup vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting (from 1 lb container)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 inch pizza pan with foil; grease foil with shortening. Break cookie dough into 2 inch pieces; arrange evenly in pan. With floured fingers, press to form crust.

Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Use foil to lift crust from pan. Carefully remove foil from crust; place crust on serving platter or tray. Spread peanut butter over crust. Sprinkle with chocolate candies and peanuts.

In small microwaveable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on high 10 to 15 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle. Transfer to small resealable food storage plastic bowl. Cut small hole in 1 corner of bag; drizzle over cookie pizza. Cut into wedges or squares.

Tip: Up the Fear Factor, and pipe the frosting in a spider web design


Decorations:

To make a ghostly looking table, place a pumpkin in the middle of your table. Spread a white table cloth over the table and pumpkin. Tie the sheet at the bottom of the pumkin to resemble the head of a ghost. Leave the rest of the sheet draped across the table to serve as your tablecloth. Draw a face on the ghost head with marker, or glue or velcro on a face using felt scraps, paper cutouts, candy, or whatever you want! Put some lit taper candles in spooky holders, and have some cute Halloween paper products to use to set the table. This is VERY easy, and there is not much cleanup...just toss your used dishes after everyone's done eating! You can leave your table set up all night...it's perfect decor for Trick or Treating!