Crack Brownies

from Vanessa

**no illegal substances involved**

50 light caramels
1/3 c skim evaporated milk
1 package german chocolate cake mix
3/4 c melted butter
1/3 c skim evaporated milk
2 c milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In heavy saucepan, combine caramels and 1/3 c evaporated milk.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray (like Pam).

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, melted butter and the other 1/3 c evaporated milk.  Stir by hand until the dough holds together. Divide dough in half and press first half of dough into prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over baked crust. Pour caramel mixture over the chocolate chips. Crumble the other half of the dough over caramel layer. Return pan to oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove and cool before serving.

My brother-in-law calls these crack brownies because they are so good he can't stop eating them!  They are addicting!

Husband Rating:  5 stars
Boys say:  thumbs way up!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup, the less fat kind
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1/2 package dry onion soup mix
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken in 9x13 pan.  Mix first four ingredients and cover chicken with that.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1.5 hours.  I added frozen broccoli to this and topped with sliced almonds.  This was an attempt to copy a dish my sister-in-law made for us over spring break.  It was not nearly as good.  I'll try to get her recipe!  The broccoli was mushy.  I would just do that on the side next time.  I guess it was not flavorful enough for us.  Most everyone had cereal later that night!  I guess this wasn't "better than cereal!"

Husband rating:  2 stars
Boys say:  thumbs down

Sweet and Sour Pork

6 pork chops about 1/2-1 inch thick

sweet and sour sauce

green onions

Place pork chops in a 9x13 dish.  Cover with your favorite sweet and sour sauce.  Sprinkle chopped green onions on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  We then chopped the pork and put it on rice.  We had cooked sugar snap peas with this.  Easy, yummy, cheaper than take out and healthier too!

Husband rating:  3.5 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Lemon Herb Chicken

1 3/4 c chicken stock
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
4 skinless chicken breast halves

Stir the stock, lemon juice, basil, thyme and pepper in a bowl.  You can grill this and baste the chicken regularly with the mixture.  You could bake the chicken in the lemon mixture for about 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

I made the potatoes without the red pepper flakes this time and they were great.

Oven Roasted Potatoes
adapted from allrecipes.com submitted by JMRYGH

1/8 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine oil, garlic, basil, marjoram, thyme, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir in potatoes until evenly coated. Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet. Roast for around 45 minutes in the preheated oven; turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

I cooked the asparagus in a little water in the microwave for 5-6 minutes.  Then I drained the water and tossed with a little butter, some kosher salt and pepper.

Husband Rating:  3.5 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Easter-Ham, Rolls, Apple Walnut Salad, Funeral Potatoes

Slow Cooker Ham from allrecipes.com submitted by LITTLEMSTXTHANG

2 c packed brown sugar
1 8 lb ham

Spread about 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar on the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the ham flat side down into the slow cooker - you might have to trim it a little to make it fit. Use your hands to rub the remaining brown sugar onto the ham. Cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours.

I added a small can of pineapple tidbits and only cooked for about 4 hours, per the recommendations of other reviewers on the site.  It was still a little drier than I like and would probably do it for less time next time.

Apple Walnut Salad  

2 handfuls baby spinach
1 romaine heart chopped
1 apple chopped
1/4 chopped walnuts
1/4-1/2 cup Craisins
poppy seed dressing

Combine spinach and romaine.  Add dressing (I like Brianna's Poppy seed Dressing) and toss to coat.  Add apple, walnuts and craisins.  

Potato Casserole

1 bag hashbrowns

3 tbsp butter

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 c sour cream

1 c milk

3 tbsp finely chopped green onions

3/4 c shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

3/4 c dry bread crumbs

2 tbsp butter, melted

3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Place hashbrowns in a a 2 or 3 quart casserole dish.  Pour melted butter over potatoes.  Mix together soup, sour cream, milk, green onions, and cheese.  Pour evenly over potatoes.  Toss crumbs with melted butter and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle on top of casserole.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.  Makes 8-10 servings.

Husband Rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Chicken Yakisoba

adapted from recipe submitted on allrecipes.com by Allrecipes

2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts-cut into bite-size pieces
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp Asian-style chile paste
1/2 c soy sauce
3-4 c coleslaw mix
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
12 oz yakisoba noodles

1.  Heat 2 tbsp canola oil and sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook and stir chicken and garlic in hot oil until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir chile paste into chicken mixture; cook and stir until chicken is completely browned.  Add soy sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour chicken and sauce into a bowl.

2.  Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in the skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir coleslaw, onion, carrots and salt in hot oil until cabbage in wilted; 3-4 minutes (I put the carrots in first and cooked those for a couple of minutes.  The carrots cook much faster than the coleslaw.  By putting the coleslaw in later they are ready about the same time).

3.  Stir the chicken mixture into the coleslaw mixture.  Add noodles; cook and stir until noodles are hot and chicken is no longer pink inside.

Husband Rating:  3
Boys say:  thumbs up

Where are all the recipes?

If you ever see a week where I don't have seven new recipes showing on the blog, just check the "Week at a Glance" page.  I may have gone out or done something I already have on the blog.  So we did eat something that day!  I just didn't have a new recipe to put in a new blog entry.

I have to give a shout out to Olive Garden!  Last week my husband and I had a date night planned.  We like to find little gems and try new things.  But that day we were both tired and didn't want to go far.  We went to the local Olive Garden and had a great meal.  I had the spaghetti with Italian sausage.  I actually cleaned my plate!  I never, ever do that.  I guess I needed some carbs!  Of course, I felt it the next morning at my work out, but it was yummy!  Also, we ran in to friends who had frozen lemonades.  Those are refillable and I didn't know about them.  So I'm going for those next time!

Have a great week!

Melanie