Campfire S'mores without the campfire

This is the easiest and quickest treat for you and your family. 

Ingredients:

Bag of chocolate chips

Bag of mini marshmallows

Pack of graham crackers

Pour the chocolate chips into a non stick baking dish and cover with the mini marshmallows. Bake on 350 until the marshmallows are golden brown. 

I actually line the bottom of my pan with graham crackers and then I add more to the side with each serving. 

As I said its a very quick and easy treat to fix and with winter here.... Oh who am I kidding, s'mores are terrific all year long!

Pecan bars

I found this recipe in Pinterest and we tried it out in place of a pecan pie this year. Oh my word!!!! This is the best dessert ever!!! My husband is not a pecan pie fan at all, but he LOVES these pecan bars and they're super easy to make! 

Ingredients:

For crust:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt

 

For topping:
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar (I used dark)
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups chopped pecans

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9×13-inch pan with foil, leaving enough for a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

2.First make the crust by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in the flour and salt and mix until crumbly.

3. Press the crust into the foil-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

 

4. While the crust bakes, prepare the filling by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan and stirring it over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped pecans.

5. Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it to cover the entire surface.

6. Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.

7. Remove the pan and allow the bars to fully cool in the pan.

8. Use the foil overhang to lift out the bars and transfer them to a cutting board. Peel off the foil, slice into bars and serve.

Recipe- Cheddar Broccoli Soup

I began today with making a Cheddar Broccoli Soup from scratch with a recipe that called for grated Sharp Cheddar cheese and I ended up having to throw the whole batch out because the cheese curdled despite following the recipe to a "T"; so I rushed out to get more ingredients! 

The pictures above are my final product and here's what I did:

Ingredients:

1 box chicken broth

2 cans evaporated milk

1 can whole kernel corn

2 tbl spoons minced garlic

1- 1lb bag of frozen broccoli cuts

2 jars Ragu double cheddar cheese

In a saucer pan I took 2 tbl spoons of butter and sautéed the corn and minced garlic. Then, in my big pot I took 2 tbl spoons of butter and 1 tbl spoon of flour and made a small amount of roux. Next, I added the chicken broth and evaporated milk. Once that became hot I added the sautéed corn and garlic along with the broccoli cuts. Finally, I added the jars of Ragu double cheddar cheese sauce (it took 2 for me because I added until I liked the cheesy flavor). I added some additional seasonings like garlic and onion powders, dried minced onions, seasoning salt, and kosher salt to taste. This recipe will easily yield 8 hearty servings! 

If you try this recipe please let me know your thoughts and experience!

Liquid detergent---I love it!!!!

Duggar Recipe: Liquid Laundry Soap

One of the numerous, out-of-the-box ways the Duggars save money is by making their own liquid laundry soap. 

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

(Front or top load machine-best value)

Ingredients: 

4  Cups - hot tap water

1  Fels-Naptha soap bar*

1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda**

½ Cup Borax

Directions: 

-Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Visit the Fels-Naptha website to find a store in your area that carries the product.

**Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!