Gooseberry Patch - Great deal on101 Slow Cooker Recipe eBook

The only thing better than having a warm, delicious and comforting meal at the end of a long hard day, is knowing that you were able to prepare the meal quickly and with a small amount of effort.  To accomplish this, I love to use my Crockpot to prepare the meal early in the day and then have the reward at the end by just lifting the lid and dipping out the goodies.

I found this great deal on Facebook this morning and knew I had to share.  Gooseberry Patch is known for their wonderful cookbooks and I have many of them in both hard copy and eBook form.  This week, Gooseberry Patch is offering a full size Slow Cooker recipe ebook for only $1.99.  I have several recipe ebooks and find that they are so easy and fun to use by just propping my Kindle or iPad on the counter and searching for the recipe I want to use.  If you have a Kindle or other eReader, this is a great deal.  You can find the details here.

Have A Good One,

http://theycallmejammi.blogspot.com

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

This is an oldie but goodie.  One of my husbands favorites.  These no bake cookies are quick, easy and delicious.  To ensure a moist cookie that hardens correctly, be sure to pay specific attention to the cooking time and addition of oatmeal.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

1 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
1 stick Butter
4-5 Tbsp Cocoa
1/2 cup Evaporated milk
1/3 cup smooth Peanut Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 -2 cups Quick Cook Oats

In a saucepan, over medium heat melt butter and add sugar, cocoa and milk.  Stir over heat until mixture achieves a rolling boil.  Allow to boil for 45 seconds.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter until incorporated.  Stir in oats, until your mixture is thick.  You want  your cookies to hold a good shape when you drop them, but be careful not to add too many oats or your cookies will be dry.

Drop cookies by teaspoonful onto wax paper or parchment paper.  Allow to cool.  Makes approx 24 2" cookies.

Joining the following:
Foodie Friday
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Have A Good One,

http://theycallmejammi.blogspot.com

Entertaining Tip - Snack Container

Here is an entertaining tip for serving chips and snack items, ie crackers, pretzels, etc.  Serve your snacks in clear plastic or glass containers.  These containers are functional and attractive.

Visually, this is so much better than throwing an open sack of chips on the counter.  Your guests can serve themselves easily and your snacks will stay fresh and bug free (in case you are serving outdoors).

 Just a simple tip with big impact.

Jar Cake Desserts

I recently hosted an all day Scrapbook party.  Everyone was invited to begin at 10am and I determined we would have lunch around noon with snacks through out the day.  I wanted to have my lunch completed with minimal prep, so I could spend all my time with my guests.  Sub sandwiches are easy and we have done that in the past, so I decided on something warm.  I made spaghetti, salad and garlic bread for an entree since I knew we would be taking a break from scrapbooking as we ate and wouldn't have to worry about messy food.  I prepared the spaghetti before everyone arrived and kept it in the Crockpot on warm so that it was ready to serve when we were ready to eat.  I made the salad and stuck in in the fridge, so all I had to do to finish and get everyone eating was to bake the garlic bread.  For dessert, I wanted something that would do double duty and work for dessert after the meal, as well as a snack for later in the day. The dessert needed to be easy to serve and of course, tasty.  As I thought of possible options, I also decided I wanted to provide at least two choices.  I decided to serve two cake options using a frozen poundcake and serving in Mason jelly jars.  I prepared a strawberry shortcake and an ice cream cake dessert. 

Strawberry Shortcake
Sara Lee Pound Cake (or a homemade or deli poundcake)
Strawberry Gel
Fresh Strawberries
Whipped topping
Layer cake, strawberries, gel and whipped cream into a mason jelly jar.  Continue layering until jar is full.  Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.  Serve with a spoon.

Ice Cream Cake
Sara Lee Pound Cake (or a homemade or deli poundcake)
Ice cream of your choice (I used Breyers Blast Waffle Cone)
Chocolate syrup
Caramel topping
Whipped topping
Layer cake, ice cream, toppings and whipped cream into a mason jelly jar.  Continue layering until jar is full. Place in freezer until ready to serve. Serve with a spoon.

These desserts are very simple but make a cute presentation.  Best of all, they have an extremely quick prep time while being tasty, tasty, tasty.  There are many variations that you could use for the jar cakes and are only limited by your imagination.  These desserts can be made ahead and kept in your refrigerator for 2-3 days for the Strawberry shortcake or for the ice cream dessert, these could be kept for up to a week or longer.  Great after school snacks, if you want to sugar the kids up.

Parties that I am joining today with thanks to all the wonderful hosts.  Please visit. 

Full Plate Thursday

Foodie Friday

Just Something I Whipped Up

Home Sweet Home

Feathered Nest Friday

Show And Tell Friday

Chicken Braid Solves What's For Dinner

I don't know many of us that aren't busy over the edge these days.  I love cooking and baking, but only on my own terms.  If I am 'forced' to produce a big meal, it takes the fun right out of it.  If I can have the time to think the food through and be prepared, that's another thing.  I like quick and easy recipes when a lot of cooking is involved, so that I don't have to spend a lot of time seperately, on each dish.  When I entertain, I usually cook farmhouse style, where one meal consists of at least two entrees, several side dishes and two or more desserts.  If you come to my table, you don't have to like everything prepared, but you better have some food on your face and a big smile when you push back.  An Unappreciated Cook has a cleaver nearby. 

This  Chicken Braid is the epitome of quick and easy but makes a very delicious and elegant presentation.  This recipe is from a Cooking Show on the ALN Network that I stumbled across recently.  The only stressful or time sensitive piece in this recipe is remembering to thaw the breaddough. 

Chicken Braid

Bread Dough Loaf, thawed (I use Rhodes)
2 Chicken Breast, cooked and shredded (or, use canned Chicken Breast or rotissere chicken from your Grocer's Deli
1/2 cup Thousand Island Dressing
1 egg beaten with one Tbsp water

Place bread dough on a floured board and roll until you have a thickness less than 1/2 inch....you should have a rectangle of dough that measures around 12x15 inches.  Spoon your chicken in the middle of your dough end to end the length of the dough, leaving about an inch on each end.  Squeeze or spoon the dressing over the chicken.  Take a knife or pastry blade and cut the dough on each side of your filling, in approx 1 inch widths....cut in from the outer edge to about 1 inch of your filling on each side, as well.  Don't cut all the way to your filling or you will have a leaky mess when you bake.  Your cuts don't have to be perfect, so don't worry about keeping each side perfectly even.  Beginning at one end, wrap up the end to lay over your filling and then take the first 1 inch cut of dough on one side and fold it over the filling...next, take the first 1 inch cut of dough on the other side and fold it over the filling and the end of the piece you folded from the other side.  Continue to  'weave' until you get to the last two 1 inch cuts on each side.  Fold up the end of your braid and then continue to 'weave' your last two 1 inch cuts on each side.  Brush the braid with the egg wash and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 mins or until golden brown. 

The written description sounds timely and complicated, but it is really very simple.  I apologize for not making pictures of the step by step, which probably would have helped to illustrate.  If you have any questions, let me know.   Clicking on the pictures will make them larger.

I'm joining the following parties.  Please click on the links below to visit these sites and be sure and stop and say hi.

Foodie Friday

On The Menu Monday

Hooking Up with HOH

It's A Hodgepodge Friday

Mancakes For Father's Day

If you are looking for a suggestion for a Father's Day breakfast, Bisquick has an idea for you....

Mancakes with beer and bacon.  You can find the recipe HERE.  Somehow, there is just something so wrong about this, but I can't quite put my finger on it.  LOL. The men in our lives might really enjoy this....or not. 

What do you think.  Will you be giving Mancakes a try?

Starbucks Offer - Free Starbucks Petite

Starbucks is celebrating Tribute Days on March 10 through March 12.  If you visit Starbucks between 2 and 5pm on these days, you will receive a free Starbucks Petite (8 to choose from and each under 200 calories) when you order any beverage. 

Tips For Throwing Together A Last Minute Buffet With Tasty Results

It was football time in Tennessee on Saturday and hubby decided a few hours before the ballgame that he would like to have some folks over.  No need to panic when there are so many ready made ingredients out there that can be whipped into a tasty football buffet with little time and trouble. 

Tyson makes several flavors of ready made wings...we had hot wings after about 22 mins in the oven.  Popcorn chicken for the kiddies. 

Ham sandwiches made from a Kentucky Pride sliced ham, heated in the crockpot and sandwiched between some yummy fresh Sara Lee rolls from the bread aisle.  Slice up some fixings and you are ready to go.

Tex Mex Stew is easy to put together and tastes great with purchased tortilla chips.  You can find the recipe here.

Open some chips up and sit them in a big old bowl so your folks can just ram them arm in and pull our a handful.  I purchased this huge bowl for holding chips at my Halloween Party, but it also just happens to be the Vols team colors, as well)

Dessert is easily solved with a big bowl of candy and a plate of doughnuts. 

There you have a quick, fast buffet and not a single complaint.  Remember that you don't have to stress through preparing party foods...with a little thought and a trip to the local Walmart, you'll be the best cook around in no time. 

Hope you had a great weekend.

Drink Plain Coffee....Nevermore!

Let me introduce you to my little pretties....

These little guys left a lasting impression on me when I was browsing here;

That's right....I saw these last year in the Celebrate Halloween edition...I rushed to Hobby Lobby but alas, they had long since flown the coop. 

I was in Hobby Lobby on Saturday and felt a dark, forboding fall over me and a definite chill in the air as I passed a display table.  What the heck...so I had to do an immediate stop and look over my shoulder.  And guess who was peering back at me with beady black eyes....It was meant to be and I'm never one to be fickle with fate, so these macarbe birdies jumped in the buggy to come live with me. 

Here are the Ravens gracing the table from last year's magazine. 

Wait a second....I seem to be missing something.  Let me take off my reading glasses and turn up the lighting (for you younger folks who can see just fine in low light and without glasses, your day is coming).  Yep.  Looks like we left a brother behind and that just won't do.  I'll have to wait to see if fate intervenes again as I make a point to visit the store again this weekend....is it meant to be?  Let's hope it won't be Nevermore......

I moved my small sideboard into my kitchen and did a little accessory mixing.  Don't worry, the ravens are just roosting here momentarily and will soon fly to the closet for another month.

Here I've added some fabric to lighten the vignette a bit against the dark wood and I've waved goodbye to the birdies. 

I like to use unexpected things for candleholders.  Here I have used a white sugar bowl.

A little green pitcher can become a candleholder with something placed inside to seat the candle.  I've used a bottle of vitamin supplements...talk about unexpected.  Hope I can remember where I put them. 

I'm joining Tabletop Tuesday with Marty At A Stroll Through Life.  Please be sure and click the link to stop by for a visit with sweet Marty.  You won't be sorry.

Speaking of coffee.  I know we weren't but I just didn't want you to nod off on me and not pay attention.  Have you tried this?

I love Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha, but the closest store is about 30 miles away, which is probably a good thing because I could spend a lot of money sucking these delicious concoctions down.  International Delights has come out with several varieties of flavored creamers and I spied the White Chocolate Mocha this weekend while grocery shopping.  What the heck, I thought I would try it, without really thinking it would taste anywhere close to those drinks that I crave.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that although not a perfect match, it's pretty darn close.  For the price, I'm not going to split a frogs hair over the differance.  I have not tried any of the other flavors, but there are several.  Have you tried the white chocolate mocha or any of the other flavors?  Let me know what you think.

Smile! You're Eating Chocolate Cake

Quick.  Easy.  Tasty.  Attractive.   These are just four words to describe this wonderful Butterfinger Cake.  I made this cake for an impromtu weeknight family dinner.  I work full-time so my evening time is at a premium, but sharing a good meal occassionally with my married children and their families is definetly worth the effort. My family loves having meals that Mama cooks, so I am always on the lookout for recipes that are easy to prepare and don't take a lot of time but they have to be up to my standards in taste and appeal.  If I am cooking during the week, I also like to provide a dessert, just to make sure the meal is special.  You know everything that we Mom's cook or bake has to be special.

Butterfinger Cake
1 German chocolate or other chocolate cake mix and ingredients as noted on the box
1 can Eagle Brand milk 
1  8 oz. jar Caramel
1 12 oz container Cool Whip
1 king size or 2 regular Butterfinger candy bars

Prepare cake as directed on box in a 9x13 sheet pan.  In a bowl, combine caramel and Eagle Brand milk and stir until well blended.  When cake is baked and while still hot, poke holes in the cake with the end of a wooden spoon.  Pour the caramel mixture over the top of the cake, allowing it to soak in.  Let cool completely.  When cool, top with Cool Whip and sprinkle with crushed candy bars.  Refrigerate before serving. 

I'm joining the Foodie Friday party at Designs By Gollum.  Please click the link to visit our hostess, Michael, and check out all the yummy recipes provided this week. 
All The Best,

One Of My Favorite Things To Do

One of my favorite things to do when I'm relaxing is to indulge in reading and viewing beautiful photos on home making, decorating and cooking.  I especially enjoy all of the special editions from my favorite magazines, for the fall season and holidays.  I am looking forward to snuggling up in a comfy chair and thumbing through these little goodies that I found this week. 

This compliation of Halloween goodies from Taste of Home looked pretty good, although a quick flip when I picked it up, revealed some things that I've seen before.  I guess it is hard to come up with a whole book of original Halloween themed food every year.  Love these Ghastly Pear Ghosts.

I've already read through the Celebrate Fall edition and although I usually love these editions by Phyllis Hoffman, this one seemed a bit repetetive and I didn't really see any new ideas.   I must admit that the candle in the articoke never gets old. 

I'm always on the lookout for a good mystery...throw in a random murder or two and combine it with a Halloween theme and I'm hoping for a great read.  I saw this paperback while browsing the mystery aisles and thought it sounded interesting.  Has anyone read this series by Leslie Meier? 

On tap for tonight.  Fixing Chicken and Pasta for the family and finishing off with a Butterfinger cake. Yum.  Getting closer to fall always turns my nesting instincts on high.  After dinner, I'll be finding that comfy chair and an ottoman to prop my feet on. 

All The Best,

Long Holiday Weekend Love

This is going to be a stupid statement, but I love long holiday weekends.  When I was growing up, we rarely celebrated the holidays, other than Christmas.  My Mom's favorite saying was "It's just another day."  She still has a tendancy to say this same thing today and it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand-up.  I have always tried to make sure that I recognize special days, like birthdays and holidays for my family because I think it is important to have fun and enjoy each other, every chance we get.  Daily life can be mundane, and working every day is hard and tiresome....that means the weekends should be reserved for something special. 

We had our July 4th cookout and get together on Saturday this year and on Sunday, we had left-overs and enjoyed an outdoor movie after dark - we watched Journey to the Center of the Earth and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.  On Monday, Mike and I went to the movies to see The Last Airbender and had a late lunch at O'Charleys.  I loved the movie...I know the critics have basically trashed it but I enjoyed the story and the visual effects were beautiful...apparently, I'm not hard to please.  I guage a movie based upon it's entertainment factor and how joyful and relaxed I feel when it's over.  I don't worry about whether this was original or that was not possible...it's a movie...it's entertainment...it's not supposed to be realistic.  I can get realism every day of the week, thank you very much.  I don't need to have to think through every phrase for the underlying meaning...let me vegetate and just enjoy.  As a bonus, give me a little kung fu and action to go along with my movie and I'm good. 

You might remember that I planned to use the hay wagon as my serving table this year.  You can read about my idea here.  It worked out great and I'll definetly be using this idea again. 

The troopes were getting really hungry, so I had to snap pictures very quickly.  This is the best shot I got of the overall wagon surface. 

I used a small chest to start the food line with plates and utensils. 

Because of the heat, all cold items were set in an ice bath and this worked out great...the food stayed cold and I did not have to jump right up after everyone was served and rush the food back to the refrigerator.  I used bandanas for napkins and also to cover the food so that it was safe from flying insects.  A little yellow pitcher held extra BBQ sauce for the smoked ribs. 

One corner was dedicated to beverages...off to the left and not shown in the picture, is a Coca Cola cooler of sodas...I used mason jars for sweet tea.  I keep the jars in their original box for storage and after washing, I store them upside down in the box. 

Individual bags of chips were available for the kiddies. 

We played and worked hard to stay cool.

We enjoyed sparklers and fireworks.

I hope you had and opportunity to enjoy your weekend with family and friends.  I'm joining Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for her weekly Outdoor Wednesday party....I almost forgot that it was Wednesday!!  Thanks to Susan for hosting this fun get together each week...please stop by and visit with her and all the party participants. 

All The Best,

mill57@charter.net
http://www.theycallmejammi.blogspot.com/