Summer Salad

Today I'm sharing a recipe from my Mother-in-law Linda!!  It's an amazing, easy-to prepare salad.  

Ingredients: 2 Cucumbers

2 Large Tomatoes

2 Ripe Avocados

1 Bar of Sharp White Cheddar Cheese

1/2 Small Onion(optional)

Peel your Cucumber first, then slice and chop into small pieces, chop Tomatoes in small square pieces, chop Avocado in small square slices(as much as possible) and chop Sharp White Cheddar Cheese in small pieces.  Toss together with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Basalmic Vinegar.  

*Tip: If you are not eating the entire salad, I suggest making single servings and toss with Oil and Vinegar, otherwise the next day it gets soggy and the avocado turns black.  You can buy the fruit sprinkle for the avocado to keep it fresher looking.

Enjoy!!  I make this salad at least every two weeks.  

Home-Made Apple Crisp

You cannot have Beef Stew in the Crock Pot without having a yummy dessert to follow.

This is another first time recipe.  I cook all the time, I'm just surprised how much has never grazed our stove.  I feel like the movie "Julia & Julia" except easier recipes and I'm not on a time crunch.  This one is not original, all the thanks goes to Betty Crocker, unless it's noted, all my bloggin' recipes are copy-written and original Christina creations.  I have so much fun just trying new things and adding new flavors.


Apple Crisp

4 Cups of Tart Apples
3/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/3 Cup Butter softened
3/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
3/4 tsp Nutmeg

*Vanilla IceCream if desired

Heat Oven to 375, grease bottom and sides of 8x8 in pan with shortening.

Spread apples in pan, in medium bowl stir remaining ingredients together(except ice cream) until well mixed, sprinkle over apples.

Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with ice-cream.

Teddy Bites

Teddy Bites

4 Cups of Air Popped Popcorn
2 Cups Teddy Grahams
2 Cups Corn Cereal
1 1/2 cups of dried pineapple wedges
1 Package(6oz) dried fruit bits
1 Tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup yogurt-covered raisins

1. Preheat Oven to 350F.  Combine popcorn, teddy grahams, cereal, pineapple and fruit bits in large bowl; mix lightly.  Transfer to Jelly Roll pan spray mixture generously with cooking spray.

2. Combine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in small bowl.  Sprinkle 1/2 of the sugar mixture over popcorn mixture; toss lightly to coat.  Spray mixture again with additional cooking spray.  Add remaining sugar mixture; mix lightly.

3. Bake snack mix 10 minutes, stirring after 5minutes.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Add raisins mix lightly

Tip: I'm wrapping each serving of snack mix in a small cellophane treat bag with ribbon so the kids can take them home at their Fall Party at school.

Oatmeal Scotchies

Oatmeal Scotchies!

This recipe comes via Nicole Lynn.  She is new to Pinterest, so I told her I would love to post this recipe on my blog.  Oatmeal Scotchies will melt in your mouth and they smell amazing, the cinnamon had me running into the kitchen faster than she could pull them out of the oven.

Ingredients:
2 sticks of Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
3/4 Cup packed(super packed) light Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 Cup All purpose flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Cups of Old Fashioned Quaker Oats
2 Bags Hershey's Butterscotch Chips

Prepare:
Heat oven to 375
Mix all ingredients except Chips and Oatmeal.  Add oatmeal, mix.  Add Chips, mix.
Roll in 1 1/2 tsp ball and place on cookie sheets covered with non-stick foil.
Bake 8-10.
Cool for 15min. on baking rack so they don't fall apart.

Cupcake Cones!

I made these for my daughter's 3rd birthday!  They were so easy and a huge hit at her birthday party.
I put them in loaf bread pan and covered it with foil, then cut small slits to fit the cones down in to hold them steady, I left one space open so you can see.  Pour cake mix and bake as directed on box.

 Here they are baked.

This is what it looks like from the beginning.  So EASY!

Pumpkin cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese frosting

These cupcakes were a huge hit at our Thanksgiving Soiree, so I will be making these again.


Home-made Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.
3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS:


8oz cream cheese, room temperature ( I used fat-free)
1/2 cup butter, room temperature (I used light)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
3 cups powdered sugar (add more as needed)

Prepare:

While cake is cooling, make the frosting. Blend together the cream cheese, butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon until smooth. Add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until you've reached a stiff, smooth frosting. In other words, if you use a spatula to pick up the frosting from the bowl and the frosting is dripping off your spatula, you need more powdered sugar. Set the frosting aside or put in covered container in the fridge until cake is cooled and ready.

Enjoy!!! 

1st Annual Tremblay Cookie Swap!!

This year I wanted a girls Holiday party!  So what better treat than making cookies and sharing!  Here are some pictures of our lovely evening.  I hope you can make it next year! ;)

 Your Host: Christina and Catherine!

 Santa Grahams didn't make the swap! My girls ate them all up!!  Maybe next year.

This is another Ehow article I wrote!  Just wanted to share on my blog! :)

How to make a fabulous white Sangria

By mrstremblay, eHow User

Sutter Home Moscato

In my past experience as a bartender this is one of my favorite and easiest Sangria's to make. There are many recipes for Red Wine Sangria's but I love this one using White. This recipe also allows you to make Sangria's for just a few friends or for yourself.
If you like sweet, light-bodied wines, this is perfect.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Sutter Home Moscato(my brand of choice)
• Rose's Grenadine
• Orange Juice
• Limes
• Granny Smith Apples
• Oranges
• Pineapple
• Grapes
• Cookie Sheet
• Cutting Board
• White Wine Stemware

1. • 1
     Sutter Home Moscato
     

     Chill Wine overnight.
   • 2
     Place grapes on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Set in freezer overnight. The frozen grapes will keep the wine chilled while everyone is socializing, and won't water down the wine with melting ice-cubes.
   • 3
     Cut oranges, apples, limes and pineapples in small chunks and place to the side.
   • 4
     I like to make this recipe by the glass, especially if its a small dinner party. Using white wine glasses, pour each 1/3 full of Moscato Wine, add 2 splashes of Orange Juice and a splash of Grenadine, add a few pieces of the fruit of choice, several chilled grapes, stir, and enjoy.

Tips

• Fruit taste better after its been soaked in the Sangria! YUM! My favorite part.
• The Bartenders term for "splash" is a quick pour.
• Making Sangria by the glass rather than the pitcher allows each person to choose fruit they enjoy best.
• Don't drink and drive.

This is another Ehow article I wrote!  Just wanted to share on my blog! :)

How to make a fabulous white Sangria

Sutter Home Moscato

In my past experience as a bartender this is one of my favorite and easiest Sangria's to make. There are many recipes for Red Wine Sangria's but I love this one using White. This recipe also allows you to make Sangria's for just a few friends or for yourself.
If you like sweet, light-bodied wines, this is perfect.

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Sutter Home Moscato(my brand of choice)
• Rose's Grenadine
• Orange Juice
• Limes
• Granny Smith Apples
• Oranges
• Pineapple
• Grapes
• Cookie Sheet
• Cutting Board
• White Wine Stemware

1. • 1
     Sutter Home Moscato
     

     Chill Wine overnight.
   • 2
     Place grapes on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Set in freezer overnight. The frozen grapes will keep the wine chilled while everyone is socializing, and won't water down the wine with melting ice-cubes.
   • 3
     Cut oranges, apples, limes and pineapples in small chunks and place to the side.
   • 4
     I like to make this recipe by the glass, especially if its a small dinner party. Using white wine glasses, pour each 1/3 full of Moscato Wine, add 2 splashes of Orange Juice and a splash of Grenadine, add a few pieces of the fruit of choice, several chilled grapes, stir, and enjoy.

Tips

• Fruit taste better after its been soaked in the Sangria! YUM! My favorite part.
• The Bartenders term for "splash" is a quick pour.
• Making Sangria by the glass rather than the pitcher allows each person to choose fruit they enjoy best.
• Don't drink and drive.