Zesty Italian Crescent Casserole

Zesty Italian Crescent Casserole
1 lb. hamburger
1/4 c. chopped onions
1 small jar spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. refrigerator crescent rolls
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. butter
     Brown hamburger and onion; drain.  Stir in spaghetti sauce.  Pour into an 8x11-inch pan.  Combine Mozzarella cheese and sour cream.  Spoon over top of meat mixture.  Roll out crescent rolls in one piece.  Place over cheese.  Combine Parmesan cheese and butter.  Crumble over crescent rolls.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until crust is brown and meat is bubbly.  Let stand a few minutes before cutting.

Pallet Project

What do you get when you combine these two items?

 PLUS

EQUALS

 This can be used for anything you want, but I use mine in the entryway as a picture holder.  My dad had a few wooden pallets hiding around the farm, and he helped me cut four boards off of it.  We left the nail heads in to keep it rustic.  My husband helped me make it into a frame.  We put L brackets on the corners to hold it together, and then stapled chicken wire behind it.  To keep the chicken wire from scratching the wall, I found cupboard door stoppers.  We also added two picture hangers.  The total project measures about four feet wide by three feet tall.

I added mini clothespins to hold up our Christmas pictures that we receive each year.  Pretty soon, my holder will be full! 

Time flies...

I can't believe Thanksgiving is almost here!  But then, it seems I say that about everything.  At the start of every month I somehow manage to once again be amazed by how "fast" time flies.  You'd think I'd get used to time flying after 25 years! 
Some nights it seems like time flies, too.  The time between getting off of work and needing to eat seems to be getting shorter and shorter.  That's why I love this recipe.  It literally took me about seven minutes to prepare!  (And no, I didn't actually time myself!)

The recipe says to pat out the crusty French loaf.  I just find the seam and start to unroll it.  It's not perfectly rectangular, but it's quicker and less frustrating!

After it's rolled up, brush with butter & sprinkle on Parmesan cheese.  I always use the "fake" Parmesan because I have it in the house, but I think the recipe intends for grated/shredded Parmesan to be used.

Yum!  It tastes great served with spaghetti or pizza sauce.  If your husband is like mine, you won't have many leftovers!

Mozzarella Ham Stromboli
1 (11 oz.) tube refrigerated crusty French loaf
2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 lb. thinly-sliced deli ham
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
     On a lightly-floured surface, pat dough into a 14x12-inch rectangle (or open/roll out at seam).  Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over dough to within 1/2-inch of edges.  Top with ham.  Roll up tightly from long side; pinch seam to seal.  Place, seam-side down, on an ungreased baking sheet.  Brush top of loaf with butter; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for 5 minutes.  Cut with serrated knife.

(Almost) 2 Years In...

The Moss parents and siblings all had a mini photo shoot the other day, thanks to my SIL of Southern Belle Portraiture.  We don't look much different than when we took our wedding pictures (almost 2 years ago!), besides the wardrobe, of course!

Peanut Butter Ripple Brownies

We had a fun time getting together with some friends this weekend.  We enjoyed a wonderful meal together and then enjoyed eating these extremely healthy bars for dessert.  I do somehow manage to end up taking dessert to many of our get-togethers.  I wonder what that means?...

Swirl the chocolate & peanut butter layers together with a knife.

Bad picture...there weren't very many left!

Peanut Butter Ripple Brownies
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. flour
2 eggs
1 package supreme brownie mix (with a chocolate syrup pouch)
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
     Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom only of a 9x13 pan.  Beat sugar, peanut butter, flour and 2 eggs in small bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes; set aside.  In another bowl, stir brownie mix, chocolate syrup pouch, water, oil, & 2 eggs until well blended; spread in pan.  Drop peanut butter mixture by tablespoonfuls onto brownie batter.  Swirl through batter with knife.  Bake 40 minutes.  Cool for 1 hour.  Frost with Peanut Butter Frosting (see below).  May sprinkle with peanuts.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1 c. (about 1/2 tub) Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy vanilla, ready-to-spread frosting
1/3 c. peanut butter
2-3 tsp. milk (to make a good consistency)
     Stir all ingredients together, using a spoon, until smooth & spreadable.  Frost bars.

I personally think these taste the best when they're warm & topped with vanilla ice cream.  :)

As a side note, please don't think I invented any of these recipes from scratch.  Most of these are from family members, and who knows where they got them from! 

The View...

I'm not talking about the day-time talk show.  Here's the view from my chair tonight:

It was somewhere near 60 degrees today...and he pulls out Christmas lights?!  I love Christmas, but I'm not ready for snow!

Picky

Some might say I'm a picky eater; I prefer to think of myself as selective.  The funny thing is, I'm usually up for trying most new things.  While visiting Tanzania and Trinidad, I tried many new and interesting foods.  I also might be content to never try them again, but at least I ate something new.  I have a limit, though.  There is a food "group" that I refuse to eat or even taste.  It all comes down to one word: FISH.  To me, fish also includes crab, lobster, oysters, scallops, shrimp, etc.  (Even though I know these are technically crustaceans, not fish.  It's all the same!) 
I usually try not to use this word, but I HATE fish.  It gives me the willies.  And it's not just eating fish.  What else don't I like concerning fish?

• Swimming with fish (Not that I actually "swim" much, but who would want to in a body of water where fish relieve themselves & nibble on your toes?!)
• Smelling fish...enough said
• Fishing (Did it once, and once was enough.  And yes, I made my uncle and cousin put the worm on and take the fish off!)

Like I said, I refuse to eat fish.  (I do admit to eating a shark burger in Trinidad because it was the only option.  And I promise it tasted like chicken!)  I remember being stuck at the kitchen table and not being able to choke down my fish sticks, no matter how much ketchup they were smothered in.  But now it's turned into me ordering chicken at Red Lobster :). 
While my husband loves fish, the only type I allow in my house is probably one of the most-hated types for most everybody else: tuna.  This is probably the only seafood dish you'll ever see me eat!  It also helps that it's fast and simple!

Tuna Noodle Casserole
2 c. water
1 1/2 c. uncooked noodles
1 can tuna (in water), drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
10 oz. frozen peas (I use less; about 1/2 a bag)
     Pour water into a 2-quart casserole dish.  Microwave on high for 5 minutes.  Stir in noodles and peas and cook on high for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender.  (Do not cover dish.)  Drain.  Stir in in tuna and soup.  Top with Velveeta slices and allow cheese to melt.  (I usually microwave for about 3 more minutes.)  Stir and serve.

Sweet & Salty

 It's my Mom's fault...it really is, I promise.  She's the one who taught me to mix peanuts and M&M's with my popcorn.  Now that's the only way I eat it!  Anyway, popcorn isn't the topic, but my Mom did teach me to love the mixture of sweet and salty.  When my cousin shared the recipe for her Pineapple Pretzel Salad, it was music to my...taste buds.  :)  Enjoy!

You'll need to crunch about one cup of pretzels.  It's easiest to put the pretzels in a Ziploc bag and crunch with a rolling pin.  No mess!

The best part: pretzels baked with butter and sugar!

Salad sans pretzels.  Don't add them until right before serving, otherwise it can get soggy.

Pineapple Pretzel Salad
1 c. crushed pretzels
1 stick melted butter
1/3 c. sugar
     Mix these three ingredients together.  Spread in pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes.  Cool and break apart.  In another bowl, mix:
1 large can crushed pineapple
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. Cool Whip, softened
     Mix together.  Add pretzels right before serving.

**For a strawberry version, use strawberry cream cheese and fresh or frozen strawberries!