Buttery Sweet Chex Mix

I first had this recipe at a holiday party when I was a kid.  I don't remember who brought it but know that they shared the recipe because it has been a holiday staple for me ever since!

I didn't take any pictures of the process of making it because my brain has been a bit tired these days... but the recipe is worth sharing and easy enough!

Sweet Chex Mix

18oz box Golden Grahams
18oz box Chex (Corn, Rice, Bran, etc)
2cups Coconut Flakes
16oz Slivered Almonds

Mix together in a large bowl or cookie sheet.  I usually use my 18quart open roasting pan and spray it lightly with non-stick cooking spray before adding the ingredients.  I also usually buy a box of Corn Chex and a box of Rice Chex and use half of each.

1 1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 cups Light Karo Syrup

Boil to Soft Ball Stage (134degrees).  I use a candy thermometer because I've found that going under the 134 temp leads to soggy chex mix and going over, even by a little, leads to brittle mix.

Pour candied syrup over chex mixture and mix thoroughly.  Allow to cool and then gently break into chunks into serving bowl, holiday bags, etc.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Linking up with Kelly's Korner - SUYL - Desserts!

If you like chocolate and peanut butter - this is The. Best. Sheet. Cake. Ever.

I've already made it three times this summer.  Because it is a sheet cake, it is thinner than a typical cake.  My nieces and nephews all call them brownies, but they are nothing like a fudgey, chewey brownie.

The recipe is a cross between the Pioneer Woman's Best Chocolate Sheet Cake and The Girl Who Ate Everything's Peanut Butter Sheet Cake and my husband's Grandma's Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe.

Picture Courtesy - The Pioneer Woman

Enjoy! (I keep forgetting to take pictures when I make this, so pictures are courtesy of two of my sources for the recipe - The Pioneer Woman and The Girl Who Ate Everything)

Picture Courtesy - The Girl Who Ate Everything

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Ingredients:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup Cocoa

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour

1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:
3/4 cup butter
6 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1 lb powdered sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium pot add the peanut butter, water, cocoa, and butter and bring to a boil.  Allow mixture to boil for 30sec to 1 min.  Remove from heat.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, brown sugar, and flour. Add to the chocolate-peanut butter mixture. (I use my KitchenAide, so I add the chocolate-peanut butter mixture to my sugar/flour combination)
4. Add the salt, baking soda, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla to the bowl and mix well.
5. Stir well and pour into greased or parchment lined cookie sheet pan (jellyroll pan). Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

For the Frosting:
1. In a small pot bring the butter, milk, cocoa, and peanut butter to a boil.  Allow mixture to boil for 30sec to 1 min.
2. Remove pan from the heat and add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
3. Pour frosting over the warm cake.

Good Friday Potato Soup

It always amazes me at how hard it is to fast on Good Friday (or any day that you are purposely choosing to fast, for that matter).  On any given day I can go through it and eat very little and hardly think about it... but on days like today, food is the ONLY thing I can seem to think about!

This may be why my soup tasted so good to me, but I'd like to think that it was really good.  Especially considering I grew up HATING potato soup.  I mean seriously detesting the stuff.  I can remember sitting at the table for an hour or two after everyone else because I just couldn't force myself to eat the five bites required of me.  But, as I've got older, I have revisited foods that I previously detested and quite often find that they are actually quite palatable...

So, my soup:

.5 small onion, finely chopped
3 baked potatoes
1 can (14.5oz) chicken broth
1.5 cup whole milk
0.5 cup sour cream
1 can condensed cream of potato soup
1 handful shredded mozzarella cheese (guessing about .5 - 1 cup)
1 handful shredded cheddar cheese (again, about .5 - 1 cup)
1 tsp salt
pinch of pepper (I'm not overly fond of peppery stuff, so many people might prefer more)

In saucepan, saute the onion in butter until translucent.  Add all other ingredients and heat through over low to med-low heat.  Be careful not to scorch the milk/sour cream

Easy stuff!  But it sure was yummy!!

Greek Orzo Salad!

I know it's finally summer when the sun and weather prompt me to crave Greek Orzo Salad... it is one of my go-to salads for hot summer days, potlucks, or any other occasion I can use to make it.  It takes a little bit of prep work in the form of chopping, but is so worth it!!

You start with boiling 1 1/2 cups of orzo pasta according to package directions.  I prefer my pasta less al dente, so tend to cook it the full amount of time.  If you like a little bit of extra bite in your pasta salads, cook it a minute or two less than package directions.  Also, I've found that salting my water and making sure it is at a full rolling boil before adding my pasta helps keep the orzo from sticking to itself.  When cooked, drain and rinse in cold water to cool pasta down and stop the cooking process.

While pasta is cooking, start chopping!!  I use:

• 2 -3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 - 1/2 red onion, finely chopped (feel free to use more, I'm not an onion lover so prefer to keep the taste mild!!)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives (you can also use a 2oz can of sliced black olives if you prefer a milder taste, just drain before adding)
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Look at that yumminess in a bowl!!

Add your pasta, along with:

• 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano 
• up to 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I did not have any fresh parsley so I sprinkled just a little bit of the dried stuff - I tend to go light with the dried herbs since I don't like the graininess it adds when eating the salad)

Then make your dressing:

• 6TB Olive Oil
• 5TB Red Wine Vinegar
• 2TB Lemon Juice

Mix these three together until combined.  You will notice that it almost seems to thicken after stirring a minute or two - this is the sign that it is fully combined!

Pour over salad and mix (I tend to not always use the full amount having 1 - 2TB remaining depending upon how saturated the salad looks).  Refrigerate for at least an hour or even overnight.  The flavors meld together and are so good the longer it sits before eating!

Then just enjoy!!  My kids eat it really well and even my husband eats it (who doesn't care for tomatoes, olives, or cucumbers)!!

Adapted from Greek Orzo Salad Recipe and comments posted on AllRecipes.com

***************** July 28 Update ********************************

Linked to The Larson Lingo's Summer Salad Swap - Enjoy the salad party!!