Easy Ham and Cheese Croissants

I hope you all had a great weekend celebrating with your families. I don't know about you, but I ate entirely too much. This is a quick, easy recipe for dinner or you can use for brunch.

Ingredients:

slices of ham

shredded cheese

can of crescent rolls

Preheat oven to package directions. Unroll crescent rolls and tear into individual triangles. Place ham and cheese on individual triangles.

Roll into crescent roll shape leaving the end of the roll on the bottom to secure ingredients inside.

Bake for 11-13 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Sausage and Cheese Muffins

Looking for a quick and easy recipe to share Christmas morning, then this is it. Merry Christmas to you and your families. May you know the reason for the season!

Sausage and Cheese Muffins

1 lb. sausage, cooked and drained

1 1/2 c. sharp shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cheddar cheese soup

3 c. Bisquick

1/2 c. water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a mini-muffin pan. Cook sausage and drain. Mix sausage with Bisquick and set aside. Combine shredded cheese, soup and water together. Add cheese mixture to bowl with sausage and Bisquick, and mix until dough is formed. Spoon into mini-muffin pan and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tops are brown. Enjoy!

Spiderweb Cupcakes

These were so easy to make and were a hit with the junior class at school! The needed ingredients and step-by-step instructions are below.

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix

1 container white icing

1 tube black or orange gel icing

plastic spider rings

Halloween cupcake holders

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners, fill 2/3 full and cook according to package directions. Let cool.

Place icing in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 5-second intervals until smooth and cupcakes can be dipped in icing to coat top. Don't overheat or icing will become too runny. You will have to try this a couple of times to know the exact consistency.

Dip cupcake tops in icing and coat to the top of the cupcake liners. Let set.

To decorate, draw three circles on the tops of the cupcakes with the gel icing. Using a toothpick, start at the center circle and gently pull the toothpick outward to draw the gel icing out to look like a web.

Place a spider ring in the center of each cupcake atop the spider web. Place on a spooky tray and enjoy!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Paula Deen's Pimento Cheese

I love this recipe! It can be used as a spread on sandwiches or as a dip at a party. This is a favorite at school and the teachers I work with often request it.

Paula Deen's Pimento Cheese

1/2 tsp. Paula Deen House Seasoning (recipe below)

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 c. grated Sharp Cheddar cheese

1 3-oz. package cream cheese (room temperature)

2 to 3 Tbsp. pimentos, smashed or diced

1 tsp. grated onion

Cracked black pepper

House Seasoning:

1 c. salt

1/4 c. black pepper

1/4 c. garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to six months.

Beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy with an electric mixer. Add all of the remaining ingredients and beat until well blended.

Grandaddy's Camp Stew

This was one of my favorite dishes as a little girl! My grandaddy use to make it during the holidays and had an old cast iron pot he would make it in over a campfire. Love that I have those memories!

Ingredients:

3 cans BBQ meat

1 can chicken (5oz.)

2 cans tomatoes (16 oz.)

1 can whole corn

1 can cream-style corn

1 can lima beans

1 onion, diced

3-4 cooked potatoes, cubed

Cook potatoes and cube into bite-size pieces. Add all ingredients to crockpot and cook for 3-4 hours. Serve with cornbread.

Recipe Exchange

Megan from Kitschy Suburbia is hosting a Fall recipe exchange. Sounds like a lot of fun and an easy way to get some new recipes to try. Go check out all the details and join in on the fun!

Grilled Chicken and Veggie Tortellini

This recipe is in the August 2010 Southern Living magazine. It was an easy "throw together" dish this week. Here is the recipe:

4 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise

2 skinned and boned chicken breasts

1 Tbsp. freshly ground Italian herd seasoning

1 (19-oz.) package frozen cheese-filled tortellini

1 (7-oz.) container refrigerated reduced-fat pesto

2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat grill to 300 to 350 (medium) heat. Sprinkle zucchini and chicken with seasoning.

2. Grill zucchini and chicken at the same time, covered with grill lid. Grill zucchini 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until tender. Grill chicken 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until done.

3. Meanwhile, prepare tortellini according to package directions.

4. Coarsely chop chicken and zucchini. Toss tortellini with pesto, tomatoes, chicken, and zucchini. Serve immediately. Garnish, if desired.

M.I.A.

5 varsity football games, 4 junior high football games, 39 varsity volleyball games, 19 junior high volleyball games, Sunday school, parents' nights, faculty/staff dinner, grandparents' day, AWANA Cubbies, 1st birthday party, two weddings, professional development, Chamber Ambassador meetings, kick-off of Alabama football season, board meetings, Lower School cheer camp.... and the list goes on and on...

SORRY to all of my readers (all 2 of you) for being M.I.A. for the past month! To say that the past month has been extremely busy is an understatement. I have finally gotten into a better schedule for myself and my life has a little more order than it has the past month. I have also had to say no to things that added stress to my life instead of being something I enjoyed. I am already feeling better and feel less stressed out about all the many things I already have on my calendar that I must do.

With all that said, I will try to post a new recipe each week. I hope you all have a blessed weekend! Thanks for sticking around and reading my blog. I will have a new and easy pasta recipe to share this weekend!

Easy Summer Snack

This is an easy snack to make on a hot summer afternoon. It would also be yummy to serve as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

One ripe tomato

Soft spread cream cheese

Town House Toppers - Garlic and Herb

Cut a slice of tomato to your desired thickness, and then slice into eight-quarters. Spread each cracker with cream cheese. Place one wedge of tomato on each topper. Serve and enjoy!

Simple and easy!

Blueberry Bread (but not homemade...)

I needed to make blueberry bread the other night and I need it quick! I would normally cook it from scratch, but didn't have the time so I used a boxed blueberry muffin mix and it turned out great! Here are some photos from start to finish!

(I am in LOVE with my new Racheal Ray bakeware! Cooked evenly and so easy to clean.)

(Don't hold the dirty oven against me! I haven't had time to clean it.. but it is on my to-do list!)

Mmmmmm... So good!

P.S. Have you checked out all the FUN giveaways on my personal blog -

Some Days You Gotta Dance?

If not, head over there now! The first one ends on Monday, July 19th!

CSN Review: Deni Cookie Press

The generous people at CSN Stores have offered me the chance to review a Deni Automatic Cookie Press. With 200+ stores, CSN carries everything from bakeware to dining room tables.

I added a cookie press to my wish list for Christmas, so I am super excited I will be receiving this a little early. My dad makes the best cheese straws and I hope that I will be able to use my cookie press to make some as well. I will post that recipe soon!

I can't wait to get my new cookie press and share a review with you. I also plan to to try some new recipes and decorating ideas. So become a follower so you won't miss my review!

Paula Deen's Chocolate Cobbler

Image from Bake or Break

Paula Deen's Chocolate Cobbler

This would be a yummy addition to your 4th of July BBQ!

1 stick butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup self rising flour

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened

Add melted butter to a 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Mix together the four remaining ingredients and spoon on top of the melted butter.

Filling:

4 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup toffee bits

1 1/2 cups boiling water

Combine the first four ingredients and sprinkle over the first mixture. Pour water over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Happy 4th of July!

P.S. Go check out this yummy recipe for Watermelon Lemonade over at Brown Paper Packages!

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 c. plain flour

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. water

1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients together. Add in liquid ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour mixture into a paper lined muffin tin. Bake 16-18 minutes. Ice with your favorite icing or use the butter cream icing recipe below.

Butter Cream Icing

1/2 c. Crisco

1/2 c. softened butter (not melted)

4 c. powdered sugar

2 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and shortening. Add sugar, milk and vanilla. Blend until creamy.

Enjoy!

Toasted Pecans

This is one of my favorite recipes to make and give as gifts during the holidays!

Pour 4 cups of pecan halves (or almonds) onto a large baking pan, spreading them out evenly. Melt 1/2 cups of butter or margarine in a saucepan. Add 4 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of garlic salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce. Stir the liquid mixture and drizzle it over the nuts. Stir them just a little to make sure they are completely coated.

Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Stir them periodically to make sure they toast evenly.

Pour them onto paper towels to absorb any excess butter. Once cool, place them in an airtight storage container to keep them fresh until you are ready to serve or gift them.

Start of "What's Cooking in Paige's Kitchen?"

I am so excited to create this blog where I can share favorite recipes with my readers! Check back soon as I post about new cake recipes.