Black and Blue Muffins

Pin It Breakfast food is amazing any time of day.  I love having a muffin as a snack.  I also love sharing breakfast goodies with others.  These were sent to work with my husband along with some Snickerdoodle Muffins and all I got back was an empty platter.  I also tried to make these healthier by adding some whole wheat flour and substituting some of the oil with applesauce.  If whole wheat isn't your thing feel free to use all white flour. 

Black and Blue Muffins
1 1/2 cups allpurpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/8 cup oil
1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup blackberries

Topping:
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray muffin pans with cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a bowl.
3. Make a well in the middle and add wet ingredients to the middle. Stir with a fork until just combined. Batter will be lumpy.
4. Stir in berries.
5. In a separate bowl use a pastry cutter or fork to cut butter  into flour and sugar until it forms pea size balls. 
6. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle topping on top of muffins.
7. Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Pin It Looking for a quick and delicious side dish?  Look no further.  This fried rice is super fast and easy and you probably have all of the ingredients in your fridge right now.  And if you don't you can definitely substitute with what you have.

Vegetable Fried Rice
2 cups cooked rice
1 egg
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup frozen edamame
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3-5 Tbsp soy sauce
Optional: dash of soyaki sauce
green onions for garnish

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok.  Add vegetables and stir fry until starting to get brown and tender.
2. Add egg to skillet and stir vigorously until cooked and broken into bits.
3. Stir in rice and soy sauce.  Cook for about 2 minutes or until heated through.

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake Bars

Pin It Another awesome use for over ripe bananas!  These bars are a cross between banana bread and chocolate chip cookies.  It definitely has a more cake-like consistency than banana bread or muffins.  It makes a great breakfast or fast snack with a glass of milk.  I made a pan of these for work and they were gobbled up quite quickly.

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake
Original Recipe from Onesie Twosie
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 medium sized bananas, mashed
1 large egg
1 1/2 - 2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a jelly roll pan (or 9x13 pan for thicker bars).
2. Beat butter and both sugars until creamy.  Add bananas, vanilla and egg.  Mis until smooth.
3. Slowly add flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Spread mixture into pan. Optional: Sprinkle top with brown sugar
6. bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6.

Garden Vegetable Medley

Pin It My parents have an awesome garden and they are very generous with sharing their vegetables with me.  All of the veggies, except the mushrooms came from their garden for this dish.  This is a simple substitute for your usual vegetable at dinner.  It also looks pretty on your plate.  You could use any vegetables that you have in you fridge or that you grab from the farmer's market.  I think eggplant or asparagus would be an excellent addition.

Garden Vegetable Medley
1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed an cut in half
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 small summer squash, thinly sliced
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1. In a large skillet heat olive oil.
2. Add veggies and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper.

Mixed Berry Breakfast Cake

Pin It My husband likes to take baked goodies to work.  I love making baked goodies so it works out perfectly.  This is probably one of the best coffeecake recipes I have ever tried.  It was so good I made it twice in one weekend because I was sad I gave the first one away.  It is fluffy, moist, berry perfection.  It is absolutely perfect with a cup of coffee.  It's the perfect way to start your morning.

Shared at Weekend Potluck and Strut Your Stuff Saturday.

Mixed Berry Breakfast Cake
Recipe adapted from Eat Drink Pretty
1 stick butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package nonfat cream cheese
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
2-3 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries, unthawed ( I used blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and cream cheese until smooth.
3. Beat in sugar and eggs until fluffy.  Add vanilla extract.
4. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.
5. Slowly add dry mixture to wet, alternating with milk, until just mixed.
6. Stir in berries.
7. Smooth batter into a greased 9x13 pan.
8. Mix cinnamon and sugar.  Sprinkle on top of batter.
9. Bake 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool before cutting.

Grilled Cauliflower

Pin It I'm getting the most out of my grill before it is too cold to go outside.  I was grilling some chicken skewers for dinner and was planning on making cauliflower as a side dish.  Well I had a few extra skewers so I decided to put the cauliflower on and see what would happen if I grilled it.  The result was terrific.  I was also incredibly easy.  This is going to become a regular side dish when we grill.

Grilled Cauliflower
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
4 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning (or seasoning of choice)

1. Skewer cauliflower on wooden or metal skewers.
2. Brush with butter and sprinkle with seasoning.
3. Grill over high heat for about 10 minutes or until tender, turning several times.  Feel free to add additional butter or seasoning as it cooks.

Tiny Steakhouse Potatoes

Pin It I love teeny tiny tiny potatoes from Trader Joe's.  They cook so fast and they look good on your plate.  I had a bag that I was just planning on roasting with Albert's go-to seasoning Season All, but wanted to switch it up a bit.  We were having steak for dinner so my steak seasoning was already out on the counter.  I sprinkled some on the potatoes before baking.  I loved the smokey, peppery flavor that it gave the potatoes.  Dip them in a little steak sauce or ketchup and they are amazing!

 

 

Tiny Steakhouse Potatoes
1 lb Teeny Tiny Potatoes, or potatoes cut into small chunks
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 Tbsp steak seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss to coat.
3. Sprinkle with steak seasoning.
4. Bake 25-35 minutes or until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.   (I test mine by poking them with a fork) I also recommend turning the potatoes half way through baking to ensure they are crispy on all sides.

Apple Walnut Bread

Pin It I love fall and all of the awesome things that go with it!  Apple picking is near the top of my favorite things about fall list.  This bread is an awesome way to use some of those apples when you don't feel like an apple pie.  It is also relatively healthy.  This makes a delicious breakfast or a yummy snack on a fall day.  Great for sharing too!

Shared at Weekend Potluck Strut Your Stuff Saturday and Sweet Confessions

Apple Walnut Bread
Original Recipe from Skinny Taste
1 large apple, peeled and finely diced
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp agave syrup or honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups applesauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour *or all purpose
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
brown sugar for the topping **optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl combine apples, lemon juice, agave and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.  Toss to coat and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites, applesauce, oil, sugar and vanilla until it starts to thicken.
4. Sift together flour, baking soda and remaining spices.  Slowly add to wet mixture and mix until just moistened.  Don't over mix or your bread will be dense and tough.
5. Fold in apples and walnuts.
6. Pour into a greased 9x5 loaf pan.  Sprinkle top with brown sugar.
7. Bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool before slicing.

Pumpkin Cake Cookies

Pin It It's fall and that means it's time for pumpkin desserts.  These cookies only have 4 ingredients!  These cookies are moist, soft and chewy.  They really are more cake-like than cookie.  These would be great to take a fall party.  These are sure to get gobbled up quickly.

Shared at Weekend Potluck and Strut Your Stuff Saturday .

Pumpkin Cake Cookies
makes 3 dozen cookies
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can pumpkin
4 oz cream cheese
2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese, pumpkin and pie spice until creamy and well blended.
3. Mix in the cake mix, scraping the sides to combine all ingredients.
4. Scoop large spoonfuls of dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle tops with pumpkin pie spice.
5. Bake 12-14 minutes or until bottoms are golden and cookies can be removed easily.

Crunchy Cheesy Chicken

Pin It It's getting to that time of year when I don't mind turning my oven on to make dinner.  Over the summer it was so hot I didn't want to turn the oven on for anything so we did a lot of grilling.  This is a fabulous weeknight meal.  It can be whipped together in about 5 minutes and then you just put it in the oven and forget it for about 40 minutes.  And what's not to love about cripsy, crunchy, cheesy chicken?  While the chicken is cooking whip up a few side dishes and you have a fantastic dinner.

Crunchy Cheesy Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Get out 3 plates or shallow dishes.  Place flour in one, egg in one and cheese and breadcrumbs in the third dish.  Mix cheese and breadcrumbs together.
3. Dip chicken in flour, then egg, then cheese/breadcrumb mixture.  Pat the cheese/breadcrumbs on the chicken so it sticks.
4. Place chicken on a foil lined baking sheet.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your chicken.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Muffins

Pin It Everytime I make chili I have to make cornbread.  I usually just make a pan and cut squares.  Today I was feeling creative and decided to spice it up a bit.  I originally was just gong to make cheddar cornbread, but I had an open jar of jalapenos that were just asking to be used.  Don't let the jalapenos scare you.  These are not too spicy at all and you can definitely adjust the amount to your liking.  These are absolutely fabulous with my Weeknight Chili!

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
1 box cornbread mix (I used Krusteaz Honey Cornbread mix)
ingredients to make cornbread according to box
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 4 oz can diced jalapenos, well drained 0r 1/4 cup chopped jalapeno slices*adjust amount according to taste**
12 jalapeno slices

1. Make cornbread according to box directions
2. Stir in jalapenos and cheddar cheese.
3. Fill 12 greased muffin cups with batter.  Top eacah muffin with a jalapeno slice.
4. Bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Weeknight Chili

Pin It It's finally starting to look and feel like fall!  I'm so excited to light my fall scented candles and wear long pants and sweaters again.  Fall also means it's time for chili!  I love making a big pot of chili on rainy weekend days.  It's just so comforting and there are always leftovers for lunch during the week.  I call this recipe weeknight chili though because it is so simple and fast that it makes a great weeknight dinner during the cool months.

Weeknight Chili
1 lb ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 can chili beans
1 can chili tomatoes
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 packet chili seasoning
2 tsp white sugar

1. In a large soup pot brown ground beef with the onions and garlic.  Drain grease and return meat to the pot.
2. Add beans, tomatoes, water, seasoning and sugar.  Stir well.
3. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Let simmer for at least 30 minutes. 
4. Serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream and green onions.
**I think this gets better the longer you can let it simmer.  It's great after 30 mintues, but fabulous after an hour**

Glazed Chocolate Banana Muffins

Pin It I had some bananas in my freezer and they kept falling out every time I opened the door.  I decided it was time to use them up.  I started browsing Pinterest and stumbled upon some chocolate donut muffins that didn't have any bananas in them, but looked amazing.  So then I found some chocolate banana muffins that I thought would be great with glaze on top.  I tweaked both recipes and this scrumptious breakfast treat was born.  The muffins themselves are relatively healthy.  The glaze kinf of ruins that, but you could definitely enjoy these without the glaze.  This is a fabulous way to use up those brown bananas!

Shared at Weekend Potluck, Sweet Confessions and Strut Your Stuff Saturday.

Glazed Chocolate Banana Muffins
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 5.3 oz container plain or honey Greek yogurt (or about 1/2 cup)
1 egg
4 Tbsp melted butter
3 medium over-ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp vanilla almond milk (or regular milk)
1 cup chocolate chips **optional

Glaze
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp hot water

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place paper liners in 12 muffin cups.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine bananas, yogurt, egg, butter, milk and bananas.
4. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until just moist.  Do not over mix or your muffins will be dense.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Fill muffin cups 2/3 of the way full.  Bake 18-24 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let muffins cool for about 10 minutes before glazing or it will just soak in.
8. Whisk together all ingredients for the glaze.  Dip muffin tops in the glaze and allow to dry before serving.  If desired let glaze dry and dip in the glaze again for double glazed muffins. (That's what is pictured)

Healthy German Chocolate Bites

Pin It I'm all about healthy desserts, but they need to taste delicious, not like cardboard.  These are little bites of heaven.  You would never guess that they only have 6 ingredients and NO SUGAR!  Sounds too good to be true, right?  Don't be fooled.  These taste just like a brownie with nuts and coconut... really!  I literally ate the first entire batch in a day.  I just kept nibbling and pretty soon they were all gone.  These turned out so well I'm going to experiment with some new flavors too. 

Healthy German Chocolate Bites
Original Recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie
3/4 cup pitted dates
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp shredded coconut
1/2 cup pecans

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor.  Pulse until ground into fine bits.  It will be crumbly.
2. Roll into balls (or any other shape you want - would make a nice bar shape)
3. I store mine in the fridge so they are less sticky, but you can leave them at room temperature if you want.

Sweet Chili Mustard Glazed Salmon

Pin It So this is part 2 of my amazing anniversary dinner recreation.  The salmon that I had was coated with this delicious sweet chili and mustard glaze.  Even my husband who despises mustard kept stealing bites off my plate.  This is ridiculously easy, but sooo tasty.  I think this is my new favorite way to make salmon.  Serve with Lentil Stir Fry for a faboulous dinner!  Enjoy!

Sweet Chili Mustard Glazed Salmon
2 6oz. salmon fillets
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
1 tsp stone ground mustard

1. Mix chili sauce and mustard together in a small bowl.
2. Grill salmon over medium high heat 3-5 minutes per side until cooked through.
3. Brush glaze over salmon during the final minutes of cooking.  (If you do it at the beginning it will stick to your grill and burn).

Lentil Stir Fry

Pin It Lentils have always scared me.  They are ugly, flat beans.  I was just never tempted to cook them or eat them until my husband and I went out to dinner for our anniversary this year.  We went to a fancy restaurant with a fancy menu and extensive wine list.  It was absolutely amazing!  I really wanted to have the salmon as my dinner, but the side dish that it was served with was....lentils.  I probably could have substituted something else, but I decided that if this upscale place thought lentils were acceptable, I could at least try them.  I'm so glad I did!  They made them in a stir fry loaded with lots of fresh veggies and it was surprisingly delicious.  I liked it so much I actually went out and bought lentils so I could recreate it at home.  I'm looking for other ways to incorporate lentils into my meals, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Lentil Stir Fry
1 cup uncooked lentils
1/4 cup edamame
1/2 cup snow pea pods
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp soy sauce or Island Soyaki sauce

1. Cook lentils according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet or wok heat oil.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant. (Don't let it burn)
3. Add edamame, carrots, peas and onion to the skillet.  Cook until starting to brown and get tender, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Carefully stir in cooked lentils.  Pour soy sauce/soyaki over veggies and toss to coat.

Biscoff Smores Brownies

Pin It I've been seeing a lot of recipes with Biscoff Spread in them lately and I've been intrigued.  I didn't find it in my local supermarket and to be honest I didn't put much effort into searching for it anywhere else.  Then last weekend I went to a little Italian grocery store and they had it.  As soon as I saw it I knew I had to buy it.  My sister-in-law was also equally amused.  The rest of my family thought we were crazy for buying a spread that tastes like cookies.
Well they quickly changed their tune when I brought these brownies to our Labor Day BBQ.  These are addicting.  While they are quite rich, gooey and sweet, you cannot eat just one.  In a word: AMAZING!  I can't wait to find new recipes to use with the remainder of my Biscoff Spread!

Shared at Weekend Potluck, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, and Sweet Confession Sunday.

Biscoff Smores Brownies
Adapted from Bake at 350
For the Biscoff swirl:1/2 cup Biscoff Spread
4 ounces cream cheese
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
For the brownies:1 cup dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup flour
3/4 cup marshmallow cream

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Beat together all of the ingredients for the Biscoff swirl with a hand mixer until fluffy and well combined.
3. In a medium saucepan melt the butter.  Turn off heat and stir in sugar then return to heat and heat until hot, but not bubbly.
4. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa, salt and baking powder.
5. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
6. Stir in flour.
7. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
8. Drop heaping tablespoons of Biscoff swirl and marshmallow cream evenly over top of brownies.  Use a knife to swirl making sure each bite will have a little taste of everything.
9. Bake 25-30 minutes or until swirl is set.  Brownies may be a bit jiggly.  Allow to cool completely for easy cutting.

7 up Biscuits

Pin It I found these biscuits on Pinterest a while ago, but never had a reason to make them.  This week I made a point to fit them into our weekly dinner menu and boy were they delicious.  I literally had them in the oven in less than 5 minutes.  My husband was also super impressed.  They are buttery, flaky, fluffy and not at all dry or crumbly.  These will definitely be making a repeat appearance at dinner.

7 up Biscuits
Original recipe from Plain Chicken
2 cups baking/biscuit mix (like Bisquick)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7 up

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut sour cream into biscuit mix.  Pour in 7 up and stir til moistened.
3. Sprinkle extra biscuit mix or flour on a flat surface and pat dough to about 3/4 inch thick.  Cut out biscuits. (I used a drinking glass because I don't own a biscuit cutter)
4. Pour melted butter in the bottom of a 9 x 9 pan.  Lay biscuits on top of butter.
5. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Oreo Pudding Pops

Pin It It has been so hot lately that I have been craving cold snacks, but I didn't want to have all of the calories of ice cream every day. (I could definitely eat it everyday, but my waist line would not thank me).  I remembered Jello Pudding Pops from when I was a kid.  Those things were amazing.  I decided to try to make my own.  I used sugar free pudding and fat free cool whip to cut down on calories and you would never know it.  These are perfect for satisfying your sweets craving without all of the guilt.

Oreo Pudding Pops
1 package sugar free chocolate pudding
2 cups skim milk
1 cup fat free whipped topping, like Cool Whip
1 cup crushed Oreos

1. Mix pudding and milk and whisk until well combined and smooth.
2. Carefully fold in whipped topping until mixture is uniform in color.
3. Stir in crushed Oreos.
4. Pour mixture into pudding molds or small cups.  Insert popsicle sticks.
5. Freeze over night or until firm.

**I had to run my popsicle mold under warm water to get my popsicles to release.

Chicken Party Nachos

Pin It I think nachos are a great party food.  They are a crowd pleaser and easy to make.  However, I hate that some chips have tons of toppings and other chips have barely anything on them.  By the end of the night all that is left is a pile of topping-less chips.  That's how these gems came to be. I call them Party Nachos because they are perfect for a party.  Every chip is perfectly topped and they are the perfect finger food.  No need to worry about toppings dripping on your clothes.I made these for my husband's fantasy football draft party and they were gobbled up.  I'm definitely keeping these in mind for the rest of football season!

This recipe was shared at Six Sisters' Link Party and Trick or Treat Tuesday .

Chicken Party Nachos
15 corn tortillas
1 can refried beans
2 Tbsp taco seasoning
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked/grilled and chopped into small pieces
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

For serving:
jalapenos
salsa
sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Lay tortillas on foil lined baking sheets.
2. Mix taco seasoning with refried beans.  Spread a thin layer of beans on each tortilla.
3. Place chicken on top of beans.
4. Sprinkle with cheese until toppings are well covered.
5. Place in oven and bake 5-8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
6. Allow nachos to cool slightly before cutting or all of the cheese will fall off.
7. Using a pizza cutter, cut each tortilla into 4 pieces.  Serve with sour cream, salsa and jalapenos.

Beef Broccoli

Pin It I love Chinese food.  I love how quick it is to cook and how amazing the leftovers are for lunch the next day.  I like to try to make it healthier by using reduced sodium soy sauce and loading up on lots of veggies.  This entire meal was finished in less than 30 minutes.  This would be great for a busy weeknight, but your family will be super impressed.

Beef Broccoli
Adapted from Six Sister's Stuff
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, minced (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
½ cup water
¾ cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch

1 lb thinly sliced sirloin or flank steak, sliced into strips
2 cups cooked broccoli, fresh or frozen
cooked rice for serving
green onions, chopped

1. In a large skillet heat oil.  Add garlic and ginger and saute for about 1 minute (watch closely).
2. Add soy sauce and water.  Dissolve brown sugar in the sauce and bring to a boil.  Boil for 2-3 minutes.
3. Dissolve corn starch in 2 Tbsp water and pour into the sauce for the final 30 seconds.  This will help thicken the sauce.  Remove sauce from heat.
4. Cook steak strips in a skillet until cooked through.
5. Add steak and cooked broccoli to the sauce skillet.  Return to low heat until ready to serve.
6. Serve over rice with green onions for garnish.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Pin It I think my quest for soft chocolate chip cookies has finally ended.  I know I've said that before, but these cookies remain soft even after several days.  The secret ingredient is a box of instant pudding mix.  Why didn't I think of this sooner?  These cookies are moist, chewy and delicious.  I will definitely be making these again soon and probably experimenting with some new pudding flavors too.

 

Chewy Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Original recipe from See Jane Cook

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugars, add pudding mix until blended.

3. Stir in the eggs and vanilla.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda with a whisk then add it to the butter mixture.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips.

6.  Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Crock Pot Apple Pork Loin

Pin It It's apple season and I have lots of apples at my house from a recent apple picking trip.  According to my husband this pork is "lick the plate" good.  It is also probably one of the easiest crockpot recipes I have ever made.  The apples almost melt away and make a nice sauce for the pork.  I was worried that the honey would make this too sweet for a dinner item, but I didn't notice much sweetness at all.  Go get some apples and make this delicious dinner!

This recipe was shared at Six Sisters' Stuff Link Party.

Crock Pot Apple Pork Loin
2 lb boneless pork loin (mine was slightly smaller and worked just fine)
2-3 Jonathan apples, thinly sliced (or any variety of apple you want)
2 Tbsp honey
garlic, salt, pepper
water

1. Slice slits 3/4 of the way through the pork, 1 inch apart.
2. Place 1 apple slice in each of the slits.
3. Season pork with garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Lay a layer of apple slices on the bottom of your crock pot.
5. Place the pork on top of the apples and drizzle the honey on top.  6. Layer the remaining apples on top of the pork.
7. Pour 1/2 - 1 cup of water into the crock pot or until it is about 1/2 inch deep.  This will keep the pork from drying out and help create a sauce.
8. Cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. 
**I cooked mine for 8 hours on low and it was fork tender and fell apart like pulled pork

Snickers Dip

Pin It My friends and I recently had wine and dine night and I was in charge of an appetizer/snack item.  I wanted something sweet, but didn't want something heavy like a baked good.  This dip is to die for!  I was tempted to just eat it by the spoonful, but refrained so that there would be some to actually take with me.  This is definitely a keeper!

Snickers Dip
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 8 oz container whipped topping
1 regular size Snickers bar, finely chopped

1. Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. 
2. Fold in whipped topping until well mixed.
3. Stir in Snickers.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Serve with pretzels or graham crackers

Loaded Smashed Potatoes

Pin It I was on a baked potato kick and made them multiple times in one week.  Then my husband spoke up and asked for a little variety.  That's where these puppies came from.  I used the same technique as smashed potatoes, and just added some toppings.  They were phenomenal.  I could have made an entire meal of just these potatoes (and I just might one of these days).

Loaded Smashed Potatoes
*makes 6 side dish servings
2 large baking potatoes, cut into thirds (so you have 3 thick round chunks)
butter
seasoned salt
shredded cheddar
bacon bits
green onions, chopped

1. Boil potatoes until fork tender.  Transfer potatoes to a foil lined broiler pan.
2. Smash each potato flat with a potato masher.
3. Place a small dab of butter on each potato, season with seasoned salt.
4. Sprinkle on cheddar and bacon bits.
5. Place under broiler for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
6. Top with green onions before serving.

**These were delicious served with sour cream

Cheddar Beer Dip

Pin It Looking for a super simple, fast, crowd pleasing appetizer to take to your next gathering?  This dip just might be the answer.  It can be whipped up in about 5 minutes and it is sure to get gobbled up quickly.  I'm also going to keep this one in mind for Super Bowl parties.

Cheddar Beer Dip
2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 packet ranch dressing mix
6 oz. beer (1/2 can)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping

Pretzels, carrot sticks, crackers for dipping

1. Combine cream cheese, sour cream and ranch  mix until smooth.
2. Stir in beer until well incorporated (using a hand mixer will speed this up).
3. Fold in cheddar cheese.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Tastes best when allowed to sit overnight in fridge.
5. Top with extra cheese before serving.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Pin It Yes, that decadent piece of cake contains vegetables and yes, it is just as delicious as it looks. The zucchini dissolves into the cake when it bakes and makes it nice and moist.   I got a giant zucchini from my grandma and needed to do something with it before it went bad.  I made this cake a while ago and got rave reviews so I found the recipe and made it again.  It was just as good the second time around.  I like the added bonus of getting some veggies for dessert.  I was even able to trick Albert into eating some.   You could definitely get kids to eat this without them knowing there was a vegetable hiding in it.  Enjoy!

Recipe shared at Strut Your Stuff Saturday and Weekend Potluck.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Original recipe from King Arthur Flour

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream, buttermilk, or yogurt

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour **or omit and use 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons instant coffee granules **optional

3 cups shredded zucchini (about one 10" zucchini)  * I used the shredder blade on my food processor

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Icing
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until smooth.

3. Beat in the eggs.

4.Stir in the sour cream, buttermilk, or yogurt alternately with the flour.

5..Add the cocoa and espresso powder, mixing until smooth.

6. Fold in the zucchini and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into greased 9x13 pan.

7. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top springs back when touched.

8. To ice the cake: Slide the cake out of the oven, sprinkle it evenly with the 1 cup chocolate chips, and return it to the oven for 5 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

9. Remove the cake from the oven, and use a cake spatula or rubber spatula to spread the chocolate chips into a smooth glaze. Cool on a rack.

Summer Mango Salsa

Pin It When it is so unbearably hot outside you have to have some cool snacks on hand.  This salsa is perfect for the dog days of summer!  It is sweet, tangy, crisp and refreshing.  This would be great to bring to a potluck or to enjoy by the pool.  Kids would love it too.

Summer Mango Salsa
1 ripe mango, diced
2 cups strawberries, diced
juice of 1 lime
6-10 mint leaves, thinly sliced (could substitute basil leaves or omit completely)

Cinnamon pita chips

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss gently.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
2. Enjoy with cinnamon pita chips or dipper of your choice.

Steak Fajitas

Pin It I love the sizzle of fajitas cooking.  I also love how fast you can whip up an entire dinner when making them.  I marinated my steak for a few hours before cooking to help tenderize it and it worked wonders on my cheap cut of steak.  These were bursting with flavor from the marinated steak and the fresh veggies.

Steak Fajitas
1 lb thin cut steak
1/2 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano

2 bell peppers, cut into strips
1 large white onion, sliced

flour tortillas

Optional toppings:
sour cream
shredded cheese
guacamole
fresh cilantro leaves

1. Place steak, lime juice, oil and spices in a gallon size zip top bag, squeeze it a bit to mix everything together, and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour before cooking.
2. Remove steak from bag and pat dry with a paper towel.  Cook steak in a skillet over medium high heat about 3 minutes on each side or until deisred doneness. 
3. Remove steak from skillet and set aside.  In same skillet saute peppers and onions until starting to get tender and browned.
4. Slice steak into thin strips against the grain and return to the skillet.  Toss with peppers and onions.
5. Serve in warm flour tortillas with toppings of your choice.

BBQ Chicken Salad

Pin It I love BBQ chicken pizza.  If it is on a menu, I will order it.  So when I had some leftover BBQ chicken I was really tempted to make a pizza, but I was short on time and I decided that I could probably make a healthier choice. I decided on a salad.  It has all of the ingredients from a BBQ chicken pizza (minus the crust) with a delicious BBQ ranch dressing.  Healthy, yet satisfying.

BBQ Chicken Salad
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, grilled and basted with BBQ sauce
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Red onion, sliced
Red pepper, diced
shredded cheddar cheese

BBQ Ranch Dressing
2 Tbsp ranch dressing
1 Tbsp BBQ sauce

1. Arrange salad ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix dressing ingredients together until uniform in color.
3. Pour dressing over salad

My Favorite Pasta Salad

Pin It My first job was working for a catering company.  This was their most popular side dish.  I made it so much that I memorized the recipe.  It has since become my family's go-to pasta salad for wedding showers, baby showers, picnics, potlucks, birthday parties, pretty much any family event includes this pasta salad.  Pictures don't do this salad justice.  It has a pretty presentation and it pleases everyone.  It is tangy, sweet, salty and crisp.  This is also an amazing lunch for the days to follow (If you are lucky enough to have leftovers)

This recipe was shared at Strut Your Stuff Saturday.

My Favorite Pasta Salad
Dressing:
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
1/2 Tbsp dry mustard
1 cup sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until well combined- about 2 minutes.

Pour over:
2 lbs cooked pasta (I prefer bowtie or spiral because it holds the dressing well)
1 jar pimientos
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced (any color)
2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 cup mini pepperoni slices or sliced salami ***optional

Notes-
*This tastes best when refrigerated for a few hours before serving to let the flavors blend.
*Don't pour all of the dressing over the pasta at first because it will soak in while it sits.  Pour extra dressing on right before serving.
*Make a double batch of dressing and use it for salads or for your leftovers

Grilled Pineapple

Pin It So I'm always trying to be healthy and this is the perfect dessert for those of you wanting to jump on the healthy train without sacrificing all sweets.  It's sweet, crisp and tangy.  Sometimes I enjoy mine with a scoop of ice cream on top (ok, not so healthy...).  This would be a great end to a summer BBQ.

This recipe was shared at Trick or Treat Tuesday and Weekend Potluck.

Grilled Pineapple
1 pineapple, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp honey
sprinkle of cinnamon

1. Slice pineapple into 1/2 inch rounds.  There is no need to core it before grilling.  I think the pineapple would  fall apart on the grill if you did.
2. In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, honey and cinnamon.
3. Grill pineapple for about 3 minutes per side over medium-high heat.  Brush on lime juice mixture.
4. Pineapple is done when the outside starts to caramelize and there are nice grill marks.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Pin It Albert has a sweet tooth, but he is super picky about his treats.  I usually just buy refrigerated cookie dough at the store and bake them about once a week so Albert has something to snack on.  Well he decided that store bought cookies have too many chocolate chips in them and that they get stale quicker than homemade cookies.  (He's crazy, I know).  Well my track record with chocolate chip cookies is not great.  They usually turn out hard as a rock and they don't spread out.  I always just use the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag.  I have had this problem my entire life despite constantly trying to improve them.  Well, I'm happy to say that I finally found a recipe that turned out perfect!  These are moist, chewy and the perfect thickness for a good cookie.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
*Recipe from Lovin' From the Oven
2 cups all-purpose flour
 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 3/4 cup butter, melted
 1 cup packed brown sugar
 1/2 cup white sugar
 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
 1 egg
 1 egg yolk
 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Cream melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar in a mixer.  Add vanilla and eggs and mix well.
2. Sift the dry ingredients and slowly add them to the mixer.  Mix until just combined.
3. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
4. Dough will be very sticky.  Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
6. Using a medium cookie scoop, place cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
7. Bake 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.

Strawberry Nectarine Poppyseed Salad

Pin It I've been on a salad kick for lunches lately.  I think it has something to do with all of the fresh produce that we have in the house from going to farmer's markets.  It inspires me to eat healthy.  I also just recently started making my own salad dressing.  It is surprisingly simple and so much healthier than bottled stuff because you know exactly what is in it.  I also used some of my Glazed Pecans for this salad to add some crunch.  This salad is crisp, sweet and healthy...all around summer perfection.

Check out Trick or Treat Tuesday for some craft and recipe ideas!

Strawberry Nectarine Poppyseed Salad
**Adjust amounts depending on the crowd you are feeding
Romaine lettuce
Nectarines, thinly sliced
Strawberries, thinly sliced
Glazed Pecans
Red onion, thinly sliced

Poppyseed Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp white sugar, or to taste (I like mine a little sweeter)
2 tsp poppyseeds

1. Whisk all dressing ingredients together until well combined.
2. Arrange salad with romaine on the bottom and nectarines, strawberries and onions on top.  Sprinkle with glazed pecans.
3. Drizzle with dressing when ready to serve.

Glazed Pecans

Pin It So I know this might seem like more of a winter/holiday item, but it's not.  I love having glazed pecans in my salads.  They are also a delicious snack.  My mom has always made these and I always shied away from making my own for fear that it would be a mess to clean up and that they had to be complicated to taste so good.  With only 3 ingredients and 5 minutes total cook time you should be able to make these year round, not just at Christmas.  You don't just have to use pecans either, any nut can be glazed the same way. 
Come back in the next few days to see how I used these up!

Glazed Pecans
1 cup chopped pecans
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp water

1. Place all ingredients in a skillet on medium high heat.
2. Stir continuously until sugar melts and coats nuts.  Cook for about 3 minutes after the sugar melts.
3. Spread nuts onto a piece of wax paper to cool.
**Clean up is a breeze if you wash your pan while it is still warm.  I didn't want to wait to find out what would happen if I let the sugar harden.

Boneless Hawaiian Pork Ribs and Veggies

Pin It So here's one meal we used the Hawaiian sauce on.  This meal just screams summer.  Fresh veggies, grilling, delicious sauce...mmmm.  I also liked that almost the entire meal could be cooked on the grill.  The only thing I had to cook inside was some rice.  The leftovers were delicious the next day too!
This recipe was shared at the Weekend Potluck.  Check out all of the delicious recipes!

Boneless Hawaiian Pork Ribs and Veggies
2 lbs boneless pork ribs, country style
1 green pepper, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
1 small summer squash, diced
1/2 cup pineapple, diced
Hawaiian Sauce

**any vegetables would be delicious.  Next time I plan on using some red pepper and shredded carrots.

1. Heat grill to medium high heat.  Cover a grilling basket with foil for the veggies.  My basket is from Target or Kohls.  If you don't have a grilling basket, fold a piece of foil to make a shallow dish.
2. Cook meat on one side of the grill, basting with sauce and cook veggies on the other side.  Boneless pork ribs should cook about 5 minutes per side depending on the size of your pieces.
3. When vegetables start to brown, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the Hawaiian sauce and let the sauce and veggies simmer for 3-5 minutes.
4. When pork is almost done cooking, add it to the veggie pan so that it really gets coated in the sauce.
5. Serve over rice, with extra sauce if desired.

My grilling basket

Just before serving

Hawaiian Sauce

Pin It I'm the queen of sauces.  I choose restaurants based on their condiment selection.  For example, I love Bandana's BBQ because they have about 8 different sauces just sitting on the table for me to enjoy.  I go to Red Lobster just because of their pina colada sauce and TGI Friday's because of their balsamic vinaigrette.  My husband makes fun of me all the time because of my obsession with smothering food in sauces because he is the complete opposite and hates adding sauce.  I was thrilled when I found a recipe for a sweet and sour type sauce while browsing Pinterest.  Silly me didn't pin the recipe and didn't bookmark the page so I can't give credit to the original inspiration.  If it is you please let me know!  Anyway, this sauce is fabulous.  Get excited for several yummy recipes coming later this week using this delicious sauce.

Hawaiian Sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Soyaki sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp cornstarch

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.  Whisk to combine the cornstarch.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until sauce thickens. 
3. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.  Sauce will thicken when cooled so I bring mine to room temperature before using.

Garden Vegetable Quinoa

Pin It I'm always looking for interesting side dishes for dinner.  While I do love baked potatoes and pasta, I get bored.  I had a box of quinoa and had just gone to the farmer's market and inspiration struck.  I chopped up some veggies and tossed them with quinoa.  Simple, delicious and healthy.  Use any fresh vegetables that you have on hand.  Next time I make this I plan on adding some asparagus, squash and eggplant.   A great summer side dish!

Garden Vegetable Quinoa
1 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked according to package directions
2 cups diced fresh vegetables (I used onions, peppers and cherry tomatoes)
olive oil
garlic powder
salt and pepper

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions and set aside.
2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Saute vegetables for 3-5 minutes or until starting to get tender. 
3. Season veggies with salt, pepper and garlic.
4. Stir quinoa in with veggies.  Allow to cook for about 3 minutes or until quinoa is heated through and flavors combine.

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Scallops

Pin It Summer grilling season is in full swing.  I bet I use our grill at least 4 nights a week when the weather is nice.  Tonight I tackled scallops.  These were absolutely amazing.  I definitely regret not making a double batch so I could have leftovers (or just eat 3 helpings for dinner).  We will be having these in the near future for sure.

Bacon Wrapped BBQ Scallops
12 oz scallops - I used small 40-60 count, but feel free to use any size you want (I will probably use larger next time)
8-10 slices of bacon
1/2 cup BBQ sauce of your choice (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ)

6 skewers

1. Lay bacon on a papertowel covered plate and microwave for 2 minutes or until partially cooked.  (You could also partially fry the bacon on the stove, just don't cook it all the way)
2. Wrap bacon around scallops and place on a skewer.  Because my scallops were small I could get 3-4 scallops wrapped with one strip of bacon.
3. Grill skewers for about 1-2 minutes per side, basting with BBQ sauce.
4. Scallops are done when they become opaque.  Bacon will also get crispy.

Chubby Hubby Truffles

Pin It I saw this recipe a few months ago, but never had a reason to make them until this weekend.  My brother and sister in law were in town and I brought these over for dessert.  They were inhaled and they were such a hit that they were requested for my sister's wedding shower in a few months.  These are a mixture of sweet, salty, crunchy and creamy...All the best parts of a dessert rolled into one delicious ball.

Chubby Hubby Truffles
Original recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff
1 cup crushed pretzels
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 Tbsp butter, softened
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Toppings:
1/4 cup crushed pretzels
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp vegetable oil

1. Mix peanut butter, butter and brown sugar in a bowl until well combined.
2. Stir in pretzel pieces.  Then mix in powdered sugar.
3. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop rounded balls onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Remove balls from fridge.  Melt chocolate chips and vegetable oil in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds.
5. Dip  balls into chocolate and return them to the wax paper cookie sheet.
6. Melt peanut butter and vegetable oil in microwave for about 30 seconds or until able to be drizzled.
7. Top truffles with pretzel pieces and peanut butter.
8. Return truffles to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.
9. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Smashed Potatoes

Pin It I try to avoid packaged pasta and potato dishes because of the ridiculous amount of salt and preservatives in them, but cooking potatoes as a side dish can get kind of boring.  You can only eat so many baked, mashed or roasted potatoes.  When I found this recipe on Pinterest I knew I had to try it.  Besides being creative this side dish will not heat up your kitchen because you do not have to bake these at all.  Just a short trip to the broiler and you are done.  This is more of a method than a recipe.  Feel free to use any seasonings or toppings that you want.

Smashed Potatoes
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
6-8 small Yukon gold potatoes (depending on the size of your crowd)
olive oil
shredded parmesan cheese
garlic salt

1. Place your potatoes in a large pot, covered with water.  Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.
2. Drain potatoes and place them on a foil covered broiler pan.  Smash potatoes down with a potato masher so they become flat and spread out.
3. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garlic salt (or any seasonings you want).
4. Place potatoes under the broiler on low for 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Oreo Brownies

Pin It I'm working at a summer camp for gifted children during the month of July.  I'm super busy and exhausted at the end of each day which explains my lack of posting recently.  (I will try to get better).  Anyway, we always have snacks in the kitchen area of camp for all of the teachers and assistants.  I made these to share and they were inhaled by lunchtime.  Everyone kept asking for the recipe and it's so easy it's almost embarrassing.  I will definitely be making these again.

Check out Weekend Potluck for some amazing recipes! Also head over to Strut Your Stuff Link Party for some great recipes and craft ideas.

Oreo Brownies
1 box brownie mix - plus ingredients to make brownies (oil, eggs, water)
20 Oreo cookies, divided
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Make brownies according to box directions.  Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Pour half of the brownie batter on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan.
4. Press 16 Oreos into the batter.  Pour remaining batter on top of Oreos making sure to cover the cookies completely.
5. Crush the remaining 4 Oreos and sprinkle on top.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Snickers Apple Salad

Pin It Who loves no bake desserts???  I do, especially when the temperature has been in the triple digits for over a week.  This 3-ingredient gem is perfect for a potluck, picnic or just for snacking.  It can be whipped together in under 5 minutes and doesn't require time to set in a refrigerator or anything.  What's not to love?

Snickers Apple Salad
6-8 granny smith apples, cubed (leave skin on)
1 tub whipped topping (like Cool Whip)
2 regular size Snickers bars, chopped

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

**Leftovers are good for about 2 days