Biscuits and Gravy

While the biscuits are a relatively new recipe for me, I've been making this gravy for years. You can use sausage or bacon grease in place of the butter if you want the flavor. And FYI a stand mixer makes the biscuits much easier to make.

BISCUITS:
3 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup butter
1 cup milk

GRAVY:
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

BISCUITS: mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl than cut in butter with a knife until the mixture resembles crumbs. Than add the milk and mix until it forms into a dough. Roll the dough to about 3/4 inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.
GRAVY: melt the butter in a sauce pan over med/high heat. than add the flour and mix until it's smooth. Continue to heat while you slowly add the milk and whisk until it thickens. Salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Spasagna

Baked Spasagna is one of my favorite meals from Cheddar's restaurant. I was so excited when I found a similar recipe on the internet and I must share it with you. You will notice that I did not add the ground beef to the sauce in this photo. That's because on this particular day my family requested meatballs instead. (meatball recipe coming soon)

16 oz spaghetti noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup milk
olive oil (for baking dish)

MEAT SAUCE:
1/2 pounds ground beef
24 oz jar of spaghetti sauce

Cook ground beef and than mix with spaghetti sauce and set aside.
Cook noodles according to the package. Rinse and drain noodles.
Mix together mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese and milk. Than use your hands to mix it with the noodles.
Rub a baking dish with olive oil and than pour the spaghetti mixture in the dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. After it's done and slightly cooled cut into squares and top with the meat sauce.

Cinnamon Bites

I didn't get this recipe from the internet or from a book...I made it up. And I don't know what to call it. It's not really a cinnamon roll or baked cinnamon doughnuts. I guess it's more like monkey bread or pull apart bread (only you don't pull it apart). I don't know so I will just call them cinnamon bites.

1 can Grands biscuits
1/4 cup butter (melted) or use spray butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
ICING:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cut each biscuit into fourths (an 8pk of biscuits makes 32 bite size pieces). Mix cinnamon and sugar together. Dip each biscuit piece into melted butter and than roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place about an inch apart on a cookie sheet and bake according to  the directions on the can or at 350 for about 10 minutes.
While the cinnamon bites are cooling mix 2 cups confectioners sugar and the milk (1 tablespoon at a time) until you get a desired thickness. Than add the vanilla. Mix and pour over the cinnamon bites.

Chocolate Pudding

I never knew chocolate pudding was so easy to make. I am was always buying those little pudding cups but they just aren't big enough to fulfill that hankrin you get for puddin'. Here is an easy recipe I found on Pinterest and it's do die for!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/8 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups milk

Combine all of the dry ingredients into a sauce pan. Slowly mix in the milk and heat on med/high. Stir, stir, stir until it thickens. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract. Cool in the fridge. That's it...the hardest part is waiting for it to cool.

Chocolate Milk Smoothie

I love this smoothie because its basically chocolate milk sweetened with a banana. I also love it because it's healthy for my kids and they don't get all the sugar and other additives that they would get from the store bought chocolate milk.

1 cup milk
1 Tbs cocoa powder
1 banana
1 Tbs peanut butter
Blend it and enjoy!

I  like to use dark chocolate cocoa powder because it contains the highest concentration of flavonoids which are a form of antioxidants (actually I'm just a sucker for dark chocolate). Peanut butter is high in protein and the banana has potassium...what more could you ask for in a Delicious smoothie?

Hot Chocolate

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup hot water

1 cup heavy cream

3 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients in a 2 quart sauce pan. Add the hot water and mix over med/high heat. Stir until it begins to boil. Slowly add the milk and cream and heat for about 2 minutes longer (do not let it boil after adding the milk). Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract.

Note: If you do not want to use heavy cream than leave it out and replace it with milk.

topped with cool whip and a mini candy cane

Cookie Dough

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk

Put all of the ingredients in your mixer and mix it on low. It tastes best after it has been in the fridge for at least an hour.

NOTE: This recipe is not meant to be baked!