Caramel Delight Bars

Another super simple recipe for very delightful bars.

Ingredients

1 pkg. caramels
3/4 c. butter, softened
1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 pkg. yellow cake mix

Grease a 9x13 pan. In large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, butter and 1/3 cup evaporated milk (and if desired walnuts). Mix by hand until dough holds together.
Press half of dough into prepared pan. Reserve remaining dough for topping. Bake at 350º for 6 minutes. Melt caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk over low heat or microwave until melted. Set aside. Spread caramel mixture over baked crust.
Crumble remaining dough over caramel mixture. Return to oven and bake 15 to 18 minutes. Cool and cut into bars and serve.
Sometimes I add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips on top of the caramel mixture before topping with dough.

Creamsicle Fudge

One of favorite holiday fudge recipes is orange fudge.  It tastes like a Creamsicle ice cream treat.  The easy recipe yields 2 1/2 pounds of melt-in-your-mouth goodness!
Ingredients
1-1/2 teaspoons butter for greasing the pan
3/4 cup butter
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 package white baking chips (10 or 12 ounces)
1 - 7 ounce jar marshmallow creme
3 teaspoons orange extract
12 drops yellow food coloring
5 drops red food coloring
Directions:
Grease a 13-in. x 9-in. pan with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter; set aside.
In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cream and remaining butter.  Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.  Bring to a boil; cook for 4 minutes, stir continuously.  Remove from the heat; stir in  chips and marshmallow creme until smooth.
Remove 1 cup of fudge mixture and set aside.  Add orange extract and food coloring to the remaining mixture; stir until blended.  Pour into buttered pan.  Drop the reserved marshmallow mixture by tablespoonfuls on the top; cut through with a knife to swirl.  Cover and refrigerate until set.  Cut into squares.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

A great dip that tastes great and fits nicely into a low-carb. diet!  One of my favorites at a party as well.

2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
1 cup hot sauce (I used Space Aliens)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Serve with celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces

Enjoy!

Holly Wreath Treats

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package large marshmallows
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoons green food coloring
• 4 cups cornflakes cereal
• 1 package cinnamon red hot candies

In a saucepan over low heat, melt together the marshmallows and butter.  Add vanilla and food coloring, then stir in the cornflakes.  Drop by spoonful on to wax paper, shape into wreaths and decorate with red hots.  

Eight Minute Cheese Cake

This is a quick recipe for making a cheese cake or mini cheese cakes for dessert.

Prepared graham cracker crust
1 - 8 oz package cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 - 8 oz container of Cool Whip

Cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla.  Fold in the Cool Whip.  Pour into prepared crust and top with your favorite cheese cake topping.

Pound Candy

This candy is easy to make, tastes great and makes a very nice gift!

1 pound chopped walnuts
1 pound brown sugar
1 pound butter
12 oz milk chocolate chips

In sauce pan over medium heat melt the brown sugar and butter.  Bring this mixture to 300º on candy thermometer.  Line a cookie sheet with foil, butter the foil and sprinkle with with walnuts.  Pour the brown sugar mixture over the walnuts.  Top this mixture with the chocolate chips.  When the the chips melt spread the chocolate over the mixture.  Cool over night, then break apart.

Christmas Chocolate Butter Cookies

These are one of the easiest holiday treats I make.  They can be enjoyed year-round.  Simple, soft, chewy and good!

1 - 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup of butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 (18 oz) boxed cake mix
confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350º.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the egg, then beat in the almond extract.  Beat in the cake mix.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Roll the batter into Tablespoon sized balls and and roll in confectioner's sugar.  Place on cookie sheet and bake 12 minutes.  Can sprinkle with more confectioner's sugar if desired.

Easy Toffee Bars

One of our favorite holiday goodies is Toffee Bars.  These bars are easy to make, taste great, and only require 6 ingredients!
Hope you enjoy this holiday favorite as much as we do!

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 - large Hershey chocolate bars

Cream butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla together.  Add flour, and spread onto a 12x15 inch cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes at 350º.
Break up 2 large hershey bars and put on top of the hot toffee crust.  When the chocolate melts spread evenly over top.  Cut into bars while still warm.

Holiday Greetings from the North Pole!

You can send a message to your favorite elf for Christmas.

The Portable North Pole makes creating a personalized message with photographs easy.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The temperature is dropping outside, and nothings warms a family like a bowl of soup!
One of favorites this Chicken Tortilla Soup, easy to make and filling.

1 can fiesta nacho cheese soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 2 /3 cup milk
1 pound cooked and cubed chicken breast
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

Put ingredients into a crock pot.  Cook on low for up to 8 hours.  Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour crean and tortilla chips.

Oreo Truffles

We started our holiday baking today.  One of our favorite treats are the Oreo Truffles!  A small bit of yummy!

One package of Oreo cookies, crushed into small crumbs
1 - 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese
Almond bark
Crushed candy canes

Mix Oreo crumbs and cream cheese together, chill.  Roll into small balls and dip into melted almond bark.  Place on parchment paper, and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.  Let set and store in air-tight containers.

Cinnamon Ornaments

Easy to make ornaments that smell wonderful!

Mix together:
1 cup Cinnamon
3/4 cup of applesauce
2 Tablespoons Elmers Glue

Form into a ball.  Roll out and cut into shapes with cookie cutters.  Let dry overnight.

Simple Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 pound ground beef

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons steak seasoning blend (can add more)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

In a medium sized skillet brown the ground beef.  Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the beef and combine.  When the meat has browned, add onion to the skillet.  Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat until onions are soft (about 5 minutes).  Add tomato sauce and paste to pan.  Stir ingredients and reduce heat to simmer and cook  5 minutes longer.  Serve on your favorite buns with your favorite sides.

If your family likes green or red peppers, you can add chopped peppers with the onion.

smarTouch Gloves from ISOTONER

Great gift idea for Christmas!  With these gloves from ISOTONER, you can operate handheld touchscreen devices while keeping your fingers warm. 
They are compatible with most touchscreen devices including smartphones, mp3 players, ATM's, gas pumps and GPS devices.
What makes them work?  The thumb and index finger are embroidered with conductive thread that conveys an electrical impulse to the touchscreen, allowing for pinpoint accuracy.
Other features:  Non-slip palm improves grip and they are water repellent.

Kool-Aide Play Dough

3 cups of flour
1/2 cup salt
2 packages of Kool-Aide
1 Tablespoon Alumn
3 Tablespoons Vegetable oil

Mix the ingredients, stir in 2 cups of boiling water.  When cool knead in more flour as needed.

Tater Tot Hotdish

Cozy up to a plateful of piping hot comfort food.  This easy recipe is a family pleasing, belly-warmer!

1 1/2 pounds browned ground beef, drained
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can french cut green beans

Mix the ingredients above and put into a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish.  Cover with 1 pound of frozen Tater Tots.  Bake at 350º for 1 hour.

Banana Bread

This recipe will make 3 small loafs or one large loaf of bread.
You can add your favorite chopped nuts.  Or, my families' favorite, mini chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 350º
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
3 medium bananas, mashed

Mix ingredients together and pour into loaf pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake for 50 minutes

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf in 4.5 Minutes!

I love wearing a scarf, and this tutorial gives you step by step visual instructions on 25 different ways!

You can revisit one of the 25 mini-lessons by clicking on it!

Taco Soup

Simple and Easy to make!

Taco Soup

1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 cans chili beans
2 cans sweet corn (do not drain)
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 package of taco seasoning

Pour ingredients into your crockpot.  Cook on low for 8 hours.
Serve with:  Shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream and olives.

Welcome to Simplified!

After multiple requests by friends to start a blog to share my recipes, I have decided to take the dive in to cyber space!
I am hoping that this blog will provide simply recipes and inspiration for any home!  If your home and life is as busy as mine, I know you appreciate when things are simple too.  
I hope to see you soon - to make things simplified!