Author: Nicole

Hi thank you for stopping by. I am very excited to have you here. Pull up a chair and have a seat, this is the view from my side of the table.
Recipes

Dump Brownies (Make Now … Cook Later)

Nicole



In an effort to cut out as many pre-made boxed items I can from our diets I have been trying to find things that I can make ahead of time that will be just as easy to use when I need them.  I love boxed items because they are easy I just don’t like all the additives that can be found in the boxes.

This is a super easy recipe that can be stored in a zip bag and used when you need it.  (To me) they taste identical to Betty Crocker brownies! I like to call them dump brownies because you can dump everything in a bag, and then when you need them they are basically ready to go just add the wet ingredients.

Another great thing about these brownies is it’s something you can throw together when company is coming over. With the holiday approaching you may have guest stopping by and it’s nice to have something warm in the oven to serve them. Plus your home will smell wonderful when they walk in the door.  

These brownies are also customizable! You can add marshmallows, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, caramels, and so on to these brownies. Yumm-O!

I do not know who to give credit to when it comes to these brownies so if I owe you credit please let me know. I found them by clicking on a dead Pinterest link.

Dry Ingredients (For the make-ahead bag)
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Flour
  • 1/3 Cup Cocoa
  • 1/4 tsp. Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder.

Wet Ingredients to add later
  • 2 Eggs,
  • 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil,
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla.

Directions:

Bake in an 8×8 pan at 350 degrees for 25-45 minutes. Mine took 45 minutes, but the original recipe states 25 minutes. 

This was after 10 minutes on the table!!


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Recipes

Parisian Green Beans

Nicole




I love green beans and I am always looking for new ways to make green beans. Sometimes you just get tired of the same plain Jane recipe. I remember a recipe my dad made called Parisian green beans. I have no idea why they were called Parisian other than the wine in them, but I do remember them tasting amazing so I thought I would try making them myself. I am sure happy I did. They turned out perfect and bursting with flavor. They cook quickly and have a nice end result.

Ingredients:
  • 8 ounces of frozen green beans
  • 1 tablespoon dry onions
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Pepper to taste

Directions:
  1. In a skillet add water, beef bouillon, butter, wine, pepper, dry onions, and bring to a boil. Once your mixture begins to boil cover and cook down to half the original amount of liquid.
  2. Once you are at half the liquid add green beans, cover and simmer until the green beans are tender and your liquid thickens. 

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Recipes

Grilled Potatoes

Nicole



One of my favorite blogs to visit on a daily bases is Under the Big Oak Tree. Alison is always posting delicious looking recipes with mouthwatering pictures. One recipe that I have been dying to try is her Grilled Potatoes Recipe. Although I commented on it a few months ago I am finally getting around making it. I am so far behind its ridiculous!

This recipe is fantastic! I made it with the grilling directions except I put them in the oven. I also added precooked bacon bits to each potato. In order to make sure I got the onions and bacon bits between each piece of potato slice I propped each one open with a small sliver of butter. Oh my goodness they were so good. Everyone said they would have rather eaten the grilled potatoes than the main dish. I thought that was funny! The potatoes come out nice and crispy and the onions taste grilled. I think next time I make these I am going to add even more onions to each potato. They are delicious!

These are really great! I highly recommend making these tatars! Visit Under the BigOak Tree for this recipe and many more!!


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Recipes

Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake (Copycat)

Nicole

If you are looking for a wonderful, incredible, and AMAZING recipe then you have stumbled upon the right one! Oh my goodness we loved this cheesecake. It will be a holiday staple in our home. I hate crust and I hate the bottom of a cheesecake until now. The bottom crust on this cheesecake taste like toffee…yumm so good!

I love the Cheesecake Factory but I have never tried their pumpkin cheesecake. I always get the white chocolate macadamia nut. Yes, always! I don’t know how close to the real thing this recipe is, but if the real thing is better than this one then I can’t even imagine how good it must be. This recipe is simple fantastic. It taste like a creamier version of a pumpkin pie, but with a toffee bottom. So good!!

It’s super easy to make, takes what seems like forever to bake, and it worth every second of it!


Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (divided use)
  • 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 3/4 cups sugar (divided use)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus
  • 1 pinch salt (divided use)
  • 2 lbs cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 cups sweetened whipped cream
  • 1/3 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped (I left these out)

Directions:

  1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
  2. Brush a 10 inch springform pan with some of the butter; stir remaining butter into graham cracker crumbs with 1/4 cup sugar and pinch salt.
  3. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of pan , packing it tightly and evenly.
  4. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
  5. Cool on rack, then wrap outside of springform pan with heavy duty foil and place in a roasting pan.
  6. Bring a medium pot of water to boil.
  7. Meanwhile beat cream cheese with a mixer until smooth; add remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar and beat until just light, scraping down sides of bowl and beaters as needed.
  8. Beat in the sour cream, then add pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves and beat until just combined; pour into cooled crust.
  9. Without pulling rack out, gently place roasting pan in oven and pour boiling water into roasting pan until it comes about halfway up side of springform pan.
  10. Bake until outside of cheesecake sets but center is still loose, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
  11. Turn off oven and open door briefly to let out some heat.
  12. Leave cheesecake in oven for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from roasting pan and cool on a rack.
  13. Run a knife around edges of springform pan, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  14. Bring cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
  15. Unlock and remove springform ring.
  16. To finish, place a dollop of whipped cream on each slice and sprinkile with toasted pecans.

 Original Recipe Source


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Recipes

Country Club Chicken

Nicole


I can’t even begin to tell you just how ridiculously good this recipe is. I planned to make it on a Sunday night, but somehow ran out of time. We ended up having it on a Monday which was a very bad day considering how time consuming this recipe can be. No regrets though! This recipe was well worth the time invested. It was very easy to make and came together easily too just plan on having extra time for all of the steps. The flavor is incredible… I mean over the top incredible. Saying this is a restaurant quality recipe is an understatement.  


This is one of those recipes you save for a night when you are having guest over for dinner. They will be very impressed with this little ditty! I know everyone in my house was impressed. The sauce alone over pasta is well worth the time.

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 1 large onion
  • 7 oz. fresh mushrooms
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 5 slices bacon
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2/3 cup sharp cheddar
  • Beef Bouillon cube
  • 1 apple
  • butter
  • Salt & pepper

Directions: 
  1. Mince the onion and clean and slice the mushrooms then set aside.
  2. Season the chicken breasts with a generous amount of salt and pepper and set aside
  3. Cook the bacon and don’t clean out the pan the bacon drippings make this recipe what it is.
  4. Drain the bacon on a paper towel and set aside.
  5. Add butter to the dripping and quickly brown the chicken breasts on both sides, then transfer them to a casserole dish.
  6. Add onions to the skillet and cook for five minutes or so.
  7. Next add the sliced mushrooms, and allow them to sauté for a few minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
  8. Add crumbled bacon to the skillet, crumbled bouillon cube and then add in the wine.
  9. Add cream of mushroom soup and mix in well. Next add in sharp cheddar and mix in. 
  10. Now pour the sauce over the chicken breasts so that they are well coated.
  11. Put the casserole in a preheated oven at 350F (175C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Until the chicken is super tender and the sauce is all hot and bubbly.
  12. While your chicken is cooking cook your spaghetti as directed on the packaged.
  13. Once your spaghetti and chicken are ready plate with the spaghetti on the bottom topped with chicken then the mushroom cream sauce over the top.

Original Recipe Source

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