These are so easy and so good… a little salty.. a little sweet.. chewy, crunchy… yum. I called them Chocolate Caramel Pecan Pretzels.. which was a mouthful! Someone informed me that they are Pretzel Turtles. That’s sooo much easier to say. I never knew they had a name. Thanks! 😉

This is the kind I used. You could use full sized Rolos if you like.

My Grandma made ham this way… my Great-Grandma did too. For as long as I can remember, it’s been a tradition in our family to have Coke Ham at the holidays. We aren’t too crazy about turkey in this family.. so the turkeys get pardoned at our house at Thanksgiving… Christmas too. 😉 The Coke helps break down the fat, and tenderizes the meat. At least, that’s what I assume it does. I totally just made that up. I’m not really sure what kind of magical sorcery happens when it cooks, but whatever it is.. it’s yummy.

It doesn’t get any easier than this either, and the flavor is awesome.

This year I bought an electric Oster Turkey Broiler that sits on the counter top. It was awesome! It kept the oven free for any other baking I needed to do. Money well spent.

We were in Austin last month and we ate at a place called The Oasis. The view overlooking Lake Travis was gorgeous. If you are ever in town, it’s a must see. I had the Chicken Diablos off the menu and my tastebuds fell in love. I decided to do my best to recreate them tonight for dinner. I got pretty close, if I do say so myself.

What you’ll need

3 boneless chicken breasts

bacon cut in halves or thirds depending on size of strips

jalapeños halved and sliced into strips and then cut in half again (you’ll want each piece to be about 1/2 inch long)

3/4 cup sweet bbq sauce

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

toothpicks

Hammer, beat, pound (whatever the proper term is for this) the chicken out until its about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into small, a little larger than bite sized pieces. Wrap the chicken around a strip of jalapeño and then wrap bacon around the chicken. Secure with a toothpick. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 until bacon is crisp. In a small bowl, add bbq sauce and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Mix well and brush over chicken. Return to oven for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with left over bbq sauce for dipping.

View from our table

The smell of banana bread is filling my house. It is wonderful!  That has to be one of the best aromas in the world.. the smell of fresh baked bread. Mmmmm… mmmmm

What you’ll need

3 ripe bananas

3/4 cup of sugar

1 3/4 cups of flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup butter (save the butter wrappers!)

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tablespoon of milk

Cream butter, sugar, and milk in large mixing bowl on medium speed with mixer. In separate bowl combine flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add dry ingredients to mixing bowl a little at a time and mix until combined. In the bowl that held the dry ingredients, add 3 ripe bananas and mash well with a fork. Add bananas and mix well. Pour into buttered loaf pan (this is where the butter wrappers come in handy 😉 ).  The loaf pan I used is 9 1/4″ x 5 1/4″.  **I dusted the bottom of the pan with cinnamon and sugar. It gives the bread a yummy crust on the bottom. Use flour instead if you like. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes. Bread is done when knife or toothpick comes out clean.

That’s a mouthful, in more ways than one. I wasn’t quite sure what to call this yummy cake. I thought about “Gain 5 lbs Instantly Cake”.. “Straight to the Hips Cake”.. “Instant Cavity Cake”.. you get the idea. It will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth.

Sinful!

What You’ll Need

1 Box Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (plus any ingredients to prepare according to box directions)

1 Jar of Caramel Topping

1 Jar of Fudge Topping

1 Bag of Heath Chips (found by chocolate chips in baking aisle)

1 Box Jello Instant Chocolate Pudding

1 Tub of Cool Whip

In large mixing bowl combine dry cake mix, and instant pudding mix. Add ingredients that the cake mix calls for plus an extra 1/3 cup of water. If you aren’t using jumbo eggs, add 1 extra egg. Beat with mixer until combined. Pour into 9×13 pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean. Heat caramel in microwave until it pours easily. While cake is still hot, take a wooden spoon handle and poke holes all over the cake… or you can use what I used.. the handle of a knife. 😉 Drizzle caramel sauce all over the hot cake making sure to get plenty in the holes. Let cool completely. Top with cool whip then sprinkle heath chips all over. Drizzle with caramel and warmed fudge. Store in refrigerator.

I may need to invest in a treadmill. 😉

These crackers are so addicting.. you won’t be able to stop at just one. I promise. If you like to give your tastebuds a little kick, these are a must try.  Trust me. 😉 This Fire Crackers Recipe is the bomdiggity… and so, so, easy. Yum!

What you’ll need

1 Box of Saltine Crackers

1 1/4 Cup of Canola Oil

1 pkg of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

3 Tbsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (most recipes call for 2 Tbsp but I like extra pepper in mine)

2 Gallon Size Ziplock Bags

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese divided evenly between bags (optional)

Place 2 sleeves of crackers in each bag.  In separate bowl, add oil, ranch seasoning mix, crushed pepper and garlic powder. Stir until mixed well. Pour 1/2 of the mixture over the crackers in each bag. Seal and tumble until all crackers are coated. Then add (optional) Parmesan cheese and tumble again. I usually set the bags flat on the counter and just tumble them a few times over the course of an hour or so. You can tell when they’re ready because you won’t see any of the liquid pooling in the bottom of the bags.  The longer they sit, the more the crackers will absorb all of the yummy goodness. You can store them in the baggies or transfer to an airtight container. That’s it! You might want to make a double batch, because one doesn’t last very long around this house. 😉

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I remember my grandmother making these and they were always so good. I love stuffed bell peppers, so this was what was for dinner tonight and they were a big hit!

4 large bell peppers (can use green, red, yellow)

1 small yellow onion – chopped

2 cloves of garlic – minced

1/2 tsp italian seasoning

1 lb (ish) lean ground beef (I had a little more than a pound so I used it all)

1 small can of sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup cooked minute rice

1 small tomato diced (or 1/2 can of diced tomatoes)

1/4 cup sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup Bisquick

Cut bell peppers in half and remove stems, seeds, and membranes. Boil in water for 5 minutes then drain and set aside. Brown hamburger meat with onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, italian seasoning, mushrooms, sour cream, rice, and Bisquick. Mix well. Arrange peppers in casserole dish and fill each halve with mixture and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and place back in oven long enough for cheese to melt.