Golden Graham Spiders

Golden Graham Spiders
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These spiders may look scary, but they taste delicious. Coconut tinted with black food coloring give the spiders their ‘hairy’ appearance. They make the perfect addition to your Halloween treat table! This is one of the recipes that I submitted to BettyCrocker. For details on how you can submit your own spooky recipes for the chance to appear on the homepage this Halloween or to find other delicious treats, click here.
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Golden Graham Spiders
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1 cup Golden Graham cereal, crushed
8 oz package of chocolate almond bark
2 Tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
½ cup raisins
½ cup rolled oats.
1 cup coconut
Black food coloring
Miniature pretzels, about a half-cup
Writing icing, red
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In a glass bowl, mix coconut with a few drops of black food coloring. Stir until complete coated, adding more if needed. Set aside. Melt almond bark according to package directions. Mix in peanut butter and stir until smooth. Add cereal, raisins, and oats. Drop by tablespoonful onto wax paper, making the candy in an oblong shape. Before candy hardens, top each one with the tinted coconut.. Break pretzels into small pieces reserving the ones that are slightly curved to make your spider legs. Coat each pretzel ‘leg’ with melted chocolate and attach to the spiders side. Someone may be counting, so be sure to use four legs on each side. Reinforce the legs by drizzling a little melted chocolate on each side after they are attached. Sprinkle a little more coconut on top. Take the red writing icing and add two red dots on the front of each spider for eyes.

Simple Cookery Fried Rice

This is a dish that works well for brunch or for dinner. If you don't like sausage, substitute chicken, ham, beef or even make a vegetarian style. You can also add different veggies to stretch the meal. While the title says 'fried' rice, I don't really fry it. I use Uncle Ben's brown rice because it's ready in under two minutes in the microwave and has no added sodium. If you use one of the flavored blends, taste your dish before you add any salt. You can also use a mixture of brown, white or wild rice.
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Simple Cookery Fried Rice
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2-3 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 pound mild sausage
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste (I don't use any)
1 medium onion
1 can mushrooms, drained
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce (to taste)
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Brown sausage with garlic powder and pepper. Add onion and mushrooms. Continue cooking until onions are tender. Drain excess grease. Mix in soy sauce. Toss in rice and continue to cook another 1-2 minutes until well blended.
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Check out more great recipes at The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Simple Steak Sauce

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Steak sauce can be very expensive. Of course, one of my friends would say that a properly cooked steak needs no sauce. That may be true, but I like to use steak sauce on everything from burgers to fries. I came up with this recipe in desperation one night when I was completely out of any 'store-bought' sauce. You can use any type of grilling or steak seasoning, though I prefer Mrs. Dash because there is no added salt. If you prefer a bold sauce, add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce.

Simple Steak Sauce
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1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Grilling Blend
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
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Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving to allow spices to absorb some of the liquid. Refrigerate any leftovers! It isn't necessary to add salt since there is plenty in the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.
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Check out more great recipes at The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Steel Cut Oats

I grew up with quick cooking oats. Sometimes we would have rolled oats. I had heard of steel cut oats and was always curious about them. But, I figured they took a long time to cook. I also figured you needed to stand over the stove while cooking them, so I was hesitant to try it. But, in the end, the prospect of an even healthier oatmeal won out.

The oats look kind of dubious when you first open the can. But, they cook up easy and have a delicious nutty flavor. I followed the package directions and only had to stir twice during the twenty minute cooking time. They ended up perfect. I sprinkled mine with a little cinnamon and added some honey.

So, the next time you are searching for oatmeal, try steel cut oats. The brand I tried was a traditional Irish brand, but Quaker sells them too. I've even seen some store brands. And, if you're in a hurry in the mornings, cook a big batch up. It warms up nicely for a quick breakfast.

Taco Casserole

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This is just one of those thrown together casseroles that ended up tasting great. I had some leftover ground beef and cooked noodles and needed something for dinner. You could add your own favorite ingredients or use part of a taco seasoning packet instead of the spices I've used.
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Taco Casserole
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1/2 pound ground beef
1 small onion chopped
8 ounces noodles, cooked according to package
1 cup medium salsa
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
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Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Season ground beef with cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Brown ground beef and onion over medium heat. Drain. Combine beef mixture, noodles and salsa. Pour into shallow casserole dish. Top with cheese and bake 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

For more great recipes, visit this week's The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Chicken & Dumplings

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Growing up, I never thought I liked chicken and dumplings. Grandma always ended up leaving some bones in the pot no matter how careful she was in cooking. One day, Mom made this version and I discovered that I loved them! There is something warm and satisfying about a pot simmering on the stove. I used canned biscuits, but you could make your own dumplings. A friend of mine uses flour tortillas cut into strips, and that version is delisious too. This is a great way to use leftover chicken. The chicken I used was from a leftover deli chicken, so I didn't add any salt to my dish.
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Chicken & Dumplings
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3-4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 can biscuits, 8 count
2 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups water
salt & pepper to taste
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Combine chicken, broth, water and soup in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Cut biscuits into quarters & drop into pot. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Halloween 'Boo' Bags

I was given a wonderful opportunity to submit a Halloween recipe to BettyCrocker.com for possible publication on their website. I actually came up with two recipes and will be posting the next one closer to Halloween. If you're interested in submitting your own recipe, click here. Their website also has great recipes, contests, coupons and much more. These little Halloween ‘Boo’ Bags are not only cute, but they are completely edible right down to the handle. The chocolate covered bars stand up to look like bags filled with Halloween treats.
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Halloween ‘Boo’ Bags
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Ingredients for the bars
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10 oz bag of large marshmallows
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
3 cups Trix cereal
1 cup Cheerios
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
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Butter an 8x8 pan and set aside. Combine Trix, Cheerios, pecans and cranberries in bowl and set aside. In a heavy sauce pan, over low heat, melt butter. Add marshmallows and stir until melted and blended with butter. Add cinnamon and vanilla. Stir well. Add cereal mixture. Pour into 8x8 pan. Smooth down top with the back of a buttered spoon on spatula. Allow to cool at room temperature.

When mixture is cooled, cut into 9 equal size bars. The bars will still be a little soft, so you can mold them, if needed, so they will stand up right. Place bars in the freezer for ten minutes.
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Ingredients for decorating the bars
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16 oz almond bark
Writing icing
Candy corn for decorating
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While bars are chilling, melt almond bark according to package directions. Remove bars from freezer. Dip each bar in the chocolate, leaving about half an inch uncovered, and stand upright on wax paper. Once chocolate is hardened, apply the handles. Coat the inside first inch of each licorice stick with the melted chocolate. Apply each end to the side of a bag and hold in place until the chocolate hardens, about 20 to 30 seconds. You can reinforce the handle by adding a little melted chocolate around the seams.
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To make signs for your bags, put wax paper on a cutting board. Spread a thin layer of melted chocolate on wax paper. Make the area large enough to write all of the words you want on your bag. With writing icing, spell out the words you want, like RIP or Boo. You can even use names if you want. Leave enough room between each word to cut out signs. With a sharp knife, cut around your words. Lift the wax paper and remove each sign. Put a little melted chocolate on the back of the sign and place it on the front of the treat bag. The chocolate will harden and hold the sign in place.
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Store in air tight container overnight. If you are not serving the bags the next day, refrigerate them until ready to serve.

Hamburger Noodle Casserole

This casserole has always been a family favorite and one of the first ones Mom taught me to make. I updated it to use whole wheat noodles and ground sirloin instead of ground beef. We always liked the noodles a little 'crunchy' on top. But, if you don't, just cover the casserole dish before baking.
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Hamburger Noodle Casserole
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1 pound ground sirloin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1 pkg wide noodles (8 oz)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions. In medium skillet, brown ground sirloin, pepper, salt and garlic powder. Add onion and green pepper and cook an additional 2 minutes. Mix milk and soup in a large bowl. Add ground beef, noodles and cheese. Pour into deep casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Pillsbury Cheeseburger Pot Pie

Pillsbury sent me this great little cookbook full of recipes for Pot Pies & Casseroles. When I saw the Cheeseburger Pot Pie recipe, I had to try it. I pretty much followed the recipe with two exceptions. Instead of using ketchup, I substituted Manwich Sloppy Joe sauce. Also, I sprinkled some seasoned salt on top of the pie crust. Check out the full recipe - Pillsbury Cheeseburger Pot Pie.

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Check out more great recipes at this weeks Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap!

Tuna & Vegetable Casserole

I really wanted to follow the recipe I had on hand for a tuna casserole, but I was lacking some of the major ingredients. So, I came up with this dish instead. It's a great way to use up some leftover rice and vegetables. Or, you can substitute your favorite ingredients.
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Tuna & Vegetable Casserole
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2 cups cooked brown & wild rice (I used Uncle Ben's)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can albacore tuna, drained (6 oz)
1 can mushrooms slices, drained (4 oz)
Frozen mixed vegetables (16 oz pkg of broccoli, cauliflower & carrot blend)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup French's onions
1/2 cup water
salt & pepper to taste
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Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook vegetables according to package directions or re-heat leftover vegetables. Combine rice, soup, water, tuna, mushrooms. Add vegetables, cheese, salt & pepper. Cook covered at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Top with onions, reduce heat to 350 degrees, and cook an addition 8-10 minutes until onions are browned. (Note: I did not add any salt or pepper to the dish because the leftover rice I used was an herb blend and well-seasoned.) Here's a picture before the topping is added.