THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS LINKY PARTY #14 (SUPER BOWL POTLUCK) and Chocolate Camping Cake

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky Party #14

The Theme is: Potluck Ideas for Super Bowl Sunday

The kids at the Summer BBQ Kick-Off
in our beautiful backyard!

We are the get-together house and pot-lucks are very common around here. Super Bowl, Memorial Day, Labor Day, 4th of July and so many other holidays. Our house is always a gathering of family and friends who come over to BBQ, swim, watch a football game, play a little poker and just have fun being together. It's even my kids favorite time, they love when other people come over. Last year my 11 year old son, came to me to and said "mom we need to have a BBQ to kick off the summer", we did and it was a blast!

This year on Super Bowl we are going to a friends house to watch the game and to celebrate a birthday. It will be a pot luck and the list of food that should be arriving already sounds wonderful: Macaroni Salad, Chips & Salsa, Homemade Cookies (from me: White Chocolate Lemon Cake Cookies), Pineapple French Bread and Candy Apple Salad. It all sounds delicious!

What are you doing for Super Bowl this year? What is your favorite Potluck food? We'd love to hear from you. I am hoping to get some great ideas from all the link-ups from this week's linky party! And did you get a chance to see last week's amazing SOUP link-ups, there is over 61 soups to choose from (and you can still get in on it.. TODAY is the last day to link-up).

I have so many recipes that I would bring to a potluck and many of them have already been shared here on my blog, so I thought I would highlight my favorites, plus share a family recipe that my husband loves, his moms Chocolate Camping Cake.

This is the ONE and ONLY thing my mom brings & it's the most requetsed too! Mom's Potatoes
A new dip we tried Caramelized Onion Dip (hot dip)

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Check out these Crock-Pot Recipes from THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS great for a Pot Luck !

Deviled Eggs

Looking for something healthy: Healthy Cobb Salad

Mighty Meaty Nachos

We NEVER throw a party with out this: Pan Fried Onion Dip

And lasty if you are looking to bring a dessert, how about a PIE from THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS!

Camping Cake
recipe is from my mother-in-law, she's been making this since before my husband was born over 50 years ago and it is still a family favorite for many.... and now my 11 year old has taken this over as "his favorite cake too"... this is always my husbands birthday cake I bake every year, besides making it 10 or 12 times throughout the year for pot lucks and "just because"

1 box Deviled Food Chocolate Cake Mix
1 box of Jello COOK & SERVE Pudding (can NOT be instant; either size box is fine, I use big box)
Chocolate Chips
Walnuts (or favorite nuts)

Not alot of directions to this cake and you'll be amazed at how easy it is! Make the pudding according to the directions on the box (the cook & serve, add the milk and cook on the stove; yea, that's the one!). Then add the dry cake mix to the cooked pudding and mix well (you do NOT add anything else, no eggs, no oil, no nothin'). Pour into a greased 9x13 pan, sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts (about 1/2 a bag, more if you'd like). Bake. (approx. 30-35 minutes; I usually follow the cooking directions on the back of the cake box) Cut & Serve! The cake is extemley moist and everyone loves it!

This post also linked to: Made by You Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Homemaker Monday, mmmMonday, Just Another Meatless Monday, Show and Tell,

*****************************************************

This is a BLOG HOP PARTY so please hop
around and read all the POTLUCK/SUPERBOWL ideas!

Here is a complete list of the past weeks and a list of what's coming up on This Week's Cravings!

Everyone is invited, if you don’t have a blog, then please post your recipe HERE in the comments for others to see.

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/search/label/THIS%20WEEKS%20CRAVINGS" target="_blank "><img src="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/ThisWeeksCravingsButton.jpg" /></a>

Please only link recipes with this theme!
This week's theme is: POTLUCK/SUPERBOWL

This is your chance to share your FAVORITE POTLUCK RECIPE!

The SIMPLE Rules: (Click for complete list of guidelines for This Week's Cravings)

1. Please stick to the THEME and only link up recipes that go with our theme for the week. 

2. Add our button and/or a DIRECT link back to this post, inside of your post (not just on a wall of linky parties, this is rude and doesn't allow YOUR readers to come back to the linky party and see all the fun recipes! Which this is the intent of a linky party in the first place).

3. Also we'd love for you to hop around and visit the other link-ups! After all it's a BLOG PARTY and it's not fun for everyone linking up if you don't hop around and say Hello!!!


PLEASE follow the simple rules, so everyone can enjoy the linky party! If you forget to link back or add a button IN YOUR post you will receive a gentle reminder to add it, before we delete your post! THANKS A MILLION!

This Week's Cravings Past & Future Recipe Links

January 10 - Pizza - Pizza - Pizza

January 17 - Pies (Dessert or Dinner)

January 24 - Soup

January 31 - Potluck Item for Super Bowl Sunday

February 7 - Valentine's Cookie & Treats

February 14 - Potato and/or Sweet Potato Recipes

This is a BLOG HOP PARTY so please hop around

and read some GREAT recipes!

Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken or Crock-Pot Salsa Chicken or Salsa Roast

These are two VERY simple, easy & fast preparation meals for a busy families! My family is always going in different directions and I should really use my crock-pot more often! Which right now I am going to add to my 2011 Goal List. (yes, I have a small goal list started for 2011.. now I have 4 goals and will add more as I see fit!!!)  Monday & Wednesday nights are the hardest for dinner, and it would be wonderful to have a crock-pot meal ready, so that my girls can eat before they have a 3 hour dance practice (sometimes I do not get home in time to cook for them if I am running my son around!) AH, PROBLEM NOW SOLVED!

Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken

4 to 6 boneless chicken breast (I suppose all kinds of chicken pieces would work)

1 bottle BBQ Sauce (homemade BBQ Sauce or store bought & I will be on the hunt for gluten-free, for next time)

Place 1/2 bottle of sauce on the bottom of the crock-pot then layer in chicken pieces, pour the remaining bbq sauce on top and then let it cook! (Do not over-cook; 4 hours is about enough depending on your crock-pot). Once the chicken is cooked, turn on your broiler and lay the pieces out on a cookie sheet and bake for just about 5 minutes to let it crisp up a bit! We serve ontop of a bed of rice, DELISH!!!

Crock-Pot Salsa Chicken or Salsa Roast

4 to 6 boneless/skinless chicken breast or 1 Shoulder Roast (beef or pork) 

1 medium to large size jar of Salsa (our favorite is the pineapple Vons/Safeway store brand)

Place chicken or roast on the bottom of the crock-pot and add in the entire jar of salsa. (Do not over-cook; 4 to 6 hours (for chicken) and 6 to 8 hours (for roast) is about enough depending on your crock-pot, and you want it to just shred in your hands). Once the meat is cooked, shred with the salsa that is in the crockpot and mix it all up (we leave in crock-pot for parties and events to serve it). This meat makes GREAT taco meat (chicken, beef or pork)! Just lay out all the fixin's and make the best taco you've ever had, I promise the meat will be delicious!

Tina's 2011 "everygrowing" Goal List

1. $150 per week Grocery Budget (so far so good.. only went over $24 bucks.. ONCE!)

2. Pay off all Credit Cards (and cut them up) in 2011! Thank You Dave Ramsey!

3. TWO date nights with my husband per month (we each plan one and on $20 bucks or less)

4. Crock-Pot Meal every Monday & Wednesday!

I do expect this list to grow and grow as the months progress!!!

Cream of Broccoli Soup (Dairy & Gluten Free)

My daughter, at her
happy place "Disneyland"

I am excited to share that I made my first official Dairy Free & Gluten Free recipe! And I am here to tell about it! Really, it wasn't that hard and it was actually very tasty. I was really surprised. My (17 year old) daughter is having some stomach issues and we are at the beginning stages of figuring all of this out. In the mean time, she is on a dairy-free and gluten-free diet! Yes, I have been blog hunting like crazy looking for gluten-free recipes. We had some broccoli left from last week's farmers market and of course she wanted Broccoli Cheese Soup, so in searching I found this great blog Living Free which had a recipe for Broccoli & Potato Cream Soup, the next best thing!

Cream of Broccoli Soup
original recipe from Living Free, adapted and changed to fit our needs

3 cups water, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 small head of fresh broccoli, diced
3 carrot sticks, diced
3 medium potato chopped into cubes (leave skins on)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups Almond milk, divided
1/2 cup chicken broth (I couldn't find vegetable broth, so I am hoping the chicken was okay)4 tablespoons rice flour, divided
2 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Boil the onion, broccoli, carrots and potato in a large sauce pan with 2 cups of water for about about 15 minutes. Drain the water and place the veggies in a blender or food processor. In saucepan, add oil, 1 cup of Almond Milk, and 1/2 cup of chicken broth, whisk in the rice flour and corn starch and bring to a low boil. You’ll want to make sure you whisk this until there are no ‘chunks’ and its very smooth. Once it is well blended, add in 1 cup of water and bring to boil, again.

Meanwhile, microwave the additional 2 cups of Almond Milk for 3 minutes. Add the milk from the microwave to the pan and whisk well. Then add the vegetable puree (we left it a little chunky) and continue to simmer on the stove for about 35 minutes.

Soup will thicken as it continues to simmer, add a few seasonings of your choice (if desired) and its ready!

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Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Disclaimer: I am in no way a doctor, nutritionist or otherwise knowledgeable about a Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free diet. I am just a mom stumbling and falling along the way trying to figure out what to serve my daughter. If I make a mistake I apologize. I try and read every label, but there may be times when I mess-up! I advise you to check ALL labels of the brands of products you are using to ensure that they are Dairy-Free and/or Gluten-Free.
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This post is also linked to: Show & Tell, Real Food Wednesday, Mouthwatering Monday and Meatless Mondays

Family Meal Planning (1-24-11)

Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning! 

I have to say I am SUPER DUPER bummed this week. After 4 straight weeks of doing "perfect" on my $150 weekly grocery budget, I went over $24 bucks! I know, I know, don't beat myself up, it will all work out in the end! But when you are using the CASH envelope system (thanks to Dave Ramsey, I LOVE it) and the envelope is EMPTY, it is way more shocking then just swiping the debit card and knowing you went over by a few bucks! Yes, yes, I WILL take it out of next week's budget (so next week we've only got $125 and I am STICKING to it)!

My GREAT finds at the Famer's Market this week ($25 bucks) and we are eating healthy too!

Well, let me just explain a little where my $150 went this week! One of my twins is having MAJOR stomach problems, doubled over and in pain every time she eats! So, YEP.... most of you are already saying it! A Gluten-Free (and a little Dairy-Free) diet starting NOW! I went to one of my favorite stores Sprouts and bought $80 bucks worth of Gluten-Free and Dair-Free products. That left $70 for the other 4 of us in the family. (and dang Ziploc bags are expensive $10 bucks from my budget just for those, I usually buy in bulk at Costco, but gotta do what'ca gotta do). And I am HAPPILY reporting that just after ONE WEEK my daughter feels so much better (she is also on two pills and under a doctors care, so eventually we will figure out if it is gluten, dairy or IBS).

We are all adjusting and finding things we've taken for granted: Paper Plates! I have to share another story of my sweet 11 year old boy. Saturday night we had finally ran out of our mega-supply of paper plates. Now, I am not earth-friendly over the top, haven't always been budget-friendly either and so when we run out of paper plates, we buy more and there is never an issue. (and yes we use them every day/night for every meal). So, the stack was empty and my son says "Mom, what do I do we have no paper plates", I yell back "Use a real plate", he comes out into my scrapbook room (yes with other moms in the room with me) and says "Is this a real plate?". Okay, seriously we were on the floor, laughing so hard. That is SO BAD that my son does NOT even know what a real plate is?  Okay, obviously he knows, we eat on them at Christmas, Thanksgiving and special occasions. (They are actually very cute and pretty too). But, I guess they are just not used all the often and he wanted to make sure he was allowed to use "that plate" for just microwaving some nachos with cheese. Oh, the lessons I am teaching my kids now that we are ON A BUDGET!

My plan for this week, with my oh so, very limited budget was too look back at the "freezer checklist" I made from last week and see what I could dream up with what we had on hand! Here is my PLAN (with lots of easy meals and left-overs too!) Good luck with your own Family Meal Planning. I'd love to hear if you have any short cuts, tricks or tips.

Check back and we will link the actual recipe!

(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

Baked Potatoes with Mighty Meaty Nacho Cheese Sauce

Eggs, Zucchini & Potatoes (Gluten-Free)

Broccoli Cream Soup (Gluten & Dairy Free)

Berry Smoothie

Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich (just bread, peanut butter, banana & honey...ENJOY!)

Banana-Chip Yogurt

Steak and Skillet Potatoes with Bacon & Cheddar

Homemade Pizza (Shaved Asparagus Pizza for the Girls)

Catalina Cranberry Chicken

This post is linked to: I'm an Organizing Junkie: Meal Plan Monday, Mouthwatering Monday GCC Shopping Round Up, Homemaker Monday, Feasting in Fellowship and Market Yourself Monday

Also don't forget our linky party

this week is ALL SOUP recipes

"THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS"

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS LINKY PARTY #13 (SOUP) and Hummus Mushroom & Potato Soup

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky Party #13

The Theme is: Soup

This is one of my first ever totally homemade soups. I've only made two or three other soup recipes, as I am not a huge fan of soup. Living in Southern California there are not many cold nights here and for me to eat soup is has to be really really cold (I think today it was atleast 75+ degrees outside, so NOT soup weather). This soup was of course delicious, and that's why I am blogging about it! It was like WOW DELICIOUS, it tasted so good and I am so glad I made it.

It was kinda of funny, never in a million years would I have cut out a recipe for soup, let-alone a soup called Mushroom-Hummus. I don't like Hummus and I hate mushrooms. My twins like mushrooms, which is one of the only reasons we have them in the house. But, while I was reading the Food Network Magazine I came across this recipe and I just knew we had Hummus (that no one liked) in the refrigerator and we had left-over mushrooms from my girls Mushroom Egg Salad recipe, we made a few days ago. And thus was born an idea to get rid of that left over stuff without going to the store and buying anything else. I almost came up short on the white wine (as I do not drink wine either, but I had one of those individual sparkling wines someone must of left in my refrigerator). The goal is to clean out our refrigerator and pantry to help with this challenge of being on a new-low grocery budget. This is just one of those GREAT steps to savings money, using ingredients you have on hand.

Hummus Mushroom & Potato Soup
recipe has many many changes for our need/taste and to use what we had on hand but was adapted from another recipe seen in Food Network magazine called Jay's Mushroom-Hummus Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
2-4 tbsp diced onions
1 cup of diced fresh mushrooms
kosher salt and pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp white white (we only had sparkling white wine and it worked perfect)
6 cups chicken broth (on hand I had chicken stock and chicken broth, so I mixed them)
4 to 6 potatoes (we peeled them, diced them, then microwaved them for 4 to 6 minutes before adding them in to the soup)
2 tsp Grandma's Salt (or any all-season salt)
3/4 cup hummus
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp parsley
scoop of sour cream

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper, cook for approx 10 minutes until they are nice and done but not burnt. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. (By this time your diced potatoes should be done in the microwave too) Add the diced potatoes, broth and season-salt; simmer for about 30 minutes.

Stir in the hummus into the soup. Then transfer 1/2 of the soup mixture into a blender and puree (remove cap to let steam escape), then return to the sauce pan and simmer for about 15 more minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with sour cream.

(Directions taken from the original recipe from Food Network... I have no idea why it's 3 minutes of this, 1 minute of this and so on and so on. But whatever it does, it made the soup turn out extra extra delicious!)

This post also linked to: Meatless Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday Delicious Dishes and Hearth and Soul Hop

Just read about the 5th annual Virtual Soup Swap over at A Southern Fairytale; I think I will drop off some cans today and can't wait to participate in 2012! Awesome Idea!!!

*****************************************************

This is a BLOG HOP PARTY so please hop
around and read other SOUP recipes!

Here is a complete list of the past weeks and a list of what's coming up on This Week's Cravings!

Everyone is invited, if you don’t have a blog, then please post your recipe HERE in the comments for others to see.

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/search/label/THIS%20WEEKS%20CRAVINGS" target="_blank "><img src="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/ThisWeeksCravingsButton.jpg" /></a>

Please only link recipes with this theme!
This week's theme is: Soup

This is your chance to share your FAVORITE SOUP RECIPE!

The SIMPLE Rules: (Click for complete list of guidelines for This Week's Cravings)

1. Please stick to the THEME and only link up recipes that go with our theme for the week. 

2. Add our button and/or a DIRECT link back to this post, inside of your post (not just on a wall of linky parties, this is rude and doesn't allow YOUR readers to come back to the linky party and see all the fun recipes! Which this is the intent of a linky party in the first place).

3. Also we'd love for you to hop around and visit the other link-ups! After all it's a BLOG PARTY and it's not fun for everyone linking up if you don't hop around and say Hello!!!


PLEASE follow the simple rules, so everyone can enjoy the linky party! If you forget to link back or add a button IN YOUR post you will receive a gentle reminder to add it, before we delete your post! THANKS A MILLION!

This Week's Cravings Past & Future Recipe Links

January 10 - Pizza - Pizza - Pizza

January 17 - Pies (Dessert or Dinner)

January 24 - Soup

January 31 - Potluck Item for Super Bowl Sunday

February 7 - Valentine's Cookie & Treats

February 14 - Potato and/or Sweet Potato Recipes

This is a BLOG HOP PARTY so please hop around

and read some GREAT recipes!

WINNER of the SPIKE MAGIC SEASONING !!!

Thank You to all my readers new and old! I am so glad you found MOMS CRAZY COOKING! Thank you again for following, facebooking with us and in general reading my recipes that I enjoy making for my family and sharing with all of you in BLOGworld!! I appreciate your comments and for participating in my very first Blog Giveaway & Review! SPIKE MAGIC SEASONING with Mushroom Egg Salad

WINNER of my FIRST Blog giveaway!

SPIKE Magic Seasoning
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CONGRATULATIONS Comment #26

vickdn said... I am already a follower of your blog :)

Mighty Meaty Nachos

National Cheese Lover's Day!
Yep, today calling ALL Cheese LOVER'S.
What is your FAVORITE Cheese Meal?

My twins and I die for this CHEESE Nacho Sauce, anywhere, anytime, anyplace. BRING IT ON!

Mighty Meaty Nachos

www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes

32 oz Velveeta Cheese

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chillies

1 lb Sausage, browned and drained

1 lb hamburger, browned and drained

1 small jar of salsa

1 can cream of mushroom soup small, fajita size flour tortillas (or just use chips if don't want to make fresh) 3-4 cups vegetable oil kosher salt 

Melt Velveeta cheese on stove top, then add in Rotel, meat, salsa and soup. Mix together. Keep warm in crock-pot.   To make chips: Heat about 1" of oil in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Cut tortillas into 1/4th to make chip size. Heat chips in oil for about 1 minute on each side or until goldenbrown. Remove chips to a bowl lined with paper towels sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Together it makes Mighty Meaty Nachos!

This post is also linked to: Creative Share Blog Hop, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Strut Your Stuff

White Chocolate Popcorn

This is such an easy snack to make and how appropriate that today is

NATIONAL POPCORN DAY! I am just loving all these fun "food" days!

Also pictured is a few Chocolate Dipped Pretzels! I made these goodie bags for my girls dance team!

White Chocolate Popcorn

from my scrapbook friend Paula

2 bags of Microwave Popcorn (with BUTTER)

1 lb of melting White Chocolate

(also a little colored melting chocolate if you wish to color it up a bit)

OPTIONAL: m&m's, pretzels, any kind of nuts, etc

Microwave both bags of popcorn, one at a time. Then lay out all the popcorn on a piece of wax paper. You need to lay out all the popcorn so that you can hand pick out each kernel that did not POP. Repeat this for the second bag. Then melt the white chocolate in the microwave (starting at 40 seconds at a time, so that is does not burn). Use an extra large bowl and mix all of the popcorn with the white chocolate. Also if you are going to add in any add-in's (ie: m&m's or nuts or pretzels) do this at this time. Mix it all together with the melted chocolate and then spread out back onto the wax paper, let set up and you are finished. (Unless you are adding in a "colored" chocolate. Like picture above "purple chocolate"; then once popcorn mixture is spread back onto your wax paper, all you need to do is melt a little bit of colored chocolate and drizzle over the top (let set and it's ready to serve)!

This post is linked to; Gold Star Wednesday, Transformation Thursday, Made by You Monday, Get Your Craft On and Tuesday Night Supper Club

Family Meal Planning (1-16-11) and Freezer/Pantry Checklist

Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning! 

The weeks are just flying by and my weekly grocery shopping is going perfectly with my new $150 dollar per week budget (feeding a family of 6, soon be be 5)! This week I hit Costco ($62.93) and Vons ($64.00) = Total $126.93; and the rest I will spend at the Farmers market for fresh fruit and veggies. We covered what we needed and a few treats (4 gallons of ice cream; everyone likes a different kind, but 4 gallons is ALOT cheaper then one evening out at Dairy Queen, so we are doing GREAT). I also stocked up on Hamburger and Turkey Meat from Costco. I buy the large packs of each (I divide the hamburger by 8 and divide each of the 4 packs of Turkey meat in half which gives me 8 sections, then I add the half hamburger and half turkey meat to a ziploc bag and freeze for later). We now have 8 packages of hamburger/turkey meat (uncooked) in the freezer. With eating hamburger meat only about once or twice a week, this will last at least 4 to 6 weeks until I have to buy it again! Next week, I will do the same thing with chicken (I will buy a couple big packages and then separate them into 4 to 6 pieces of chicken per ziploc bag). 

I also took on the challenge and actually COMPLETED my freezer/pantry checklist. I was shocked. Not just shocked, but amazed and a little overwhelmed, that I found 16 cans of peas. What in the world am I ever gonna do with 16 cans of peas (please leave me recipes if you have ideas for peas). I am still wondering how that happened. But, I made my check-list and it is helping me be more creative. I am truly excited about the recipes I am dreaming up. A random can of Cheddar Cheese soup (lookin' at making Corn Chowder), some left over meatballs in the freezer, 3 bottles of Terryiaki sauce (I know we will be making my grandma's Pineapple Terryiaki Chicken soon) and a few other crazy things you'll have to wait and see what recipes I come up with.

Here are the two challenges I am following Frugal Follies and Good Cheap Eats

I am also having my first-blog giveaway this week. You could win 10 bottles of SPIKE Magic Seasoning. Make sure to click on over to the original post and comment to win!

Here is my PLAN for this week...I pre-made a few of these things on Sunday to save me some extra time during the week. Good luck with your own Family Meal Planning. I'd love to hear if you have any short cuts, tricks or tips.

Check back and we will link the actual recipe!

(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

Blackberry Smoothie
Almond Chicken Salad
Papa's Fish Fry Recipe

Yogurt & Homemade Granola
Hamburger Pie
Sweet Omelet
Mushroom Egg Salad
Alpine Chicken
Grandma's French Toast
Steak and Skillet Potatoes with Bacon & Cheddar
Pineapple Crisp
Blueberry Muffin Tops

Cream of Broccoli Soup (GLUTEN-FREE)

This post is linked to: I'm an Organizing Junkie: Meal Plan Monday, Homemaking Link-Up Day and GCC Shopping Round-Up

Also don't forget our linky party

"THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS"

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS #12 (PIES) and Hamburger Pie

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky Party #12

Pies (Dessert or Dinner)

National Pie Day is the 23rd : National Pie Day is a special day that is set aside by the American Pie Counsel to bake and cook all of your favorite pies. On this day, you are also encouraged to bake a few new pie recipes. And most importantly, it's a day to eat pies!

I decided to bake my grandmothers Hamburger Pie for this Pie Day so that I could share it with all of you! This is a recipe that I do not ever remember having as a kid, but when I was an adult my mom shared this recipe with me and it's one of her favorites. And it is now one of my kids favorites too! It's funny I shared this recipe with my mother-in-law and one of my adult nieces and now this is one of their favorites recipes too. I think they have made this recipe more times then me.

When I made this pie for my mother-in-law in a store bought crust, she quickly taught me how to make homemade crust and BOY what a difference. Now, I wouldn't make it any other way. There is nothing like a homemade crust to complete a delicious pie.

Hamburger Pie

from my Grandma Betty 

1 lb ground beef/turkey (we use 1/2 and 1/2)
1 small onion, diced

1 tbsp Garlic Salt (used my new SPIKE Garlic Seasoning today)
1 can Cream of Mushroom
3 thick slices of Velveeta Cheese, cut into chunks
2 Pie Crusts (see recipe below)

Brown onion in tbsp of butter, then add ground beef. Cook til just about done, not all the way done; drain. The add soup, seasoning, and cheese, mix until cheese melts. First lay one pie crust into the bottom of the pan, then pour in meat mixture, lay another pie crust on top and seal the edges. Put a few fork marks in the top and bake at 350 for approx. 45 minutes.

Easy Homemade Pie Crust

from my Mother-in-Law Charlotte 

2 cups flour
1 cup Butter Flavor Shortening
1/2 cup COLD water
pinch of salt

This recipe will make enough for a top and bottom pie crust for a normal size pie tin.

Mix flour, shortening and salt with a pastry knife (or a fork if you don't have one). Once it's all mixed together then add COLD water and continue mixing. Cut into half and roll out one at a time onto a flour surface. Roll until you get your desired shape (ie: round for a pie tin).

This pie recipe works great for this Hamburger Pie, Chicken or Turkey Pot Pie and also is wonderful for dessert pies too!

This post also linked to: Made for you Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Making the World Cuter, Homemaker Monday, Tuesdays at the Table, Recipe Swap Thursday, Show & Tell

*****************************************************

This is a BLOG HOP PARTY so please hop around and read

other Pie recipes, some dessert and some dinner !

Here is a complete list of the past weeks and a list of what's coming up on This Week's Cravings!

Everyone is invited, if you don’t have a blog, then please post your recipe HERE in the comments for others to see.

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/search/label/THIS%20WEEKS%20CRAVINGS" target="_blank "><img src="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/ThisWeeksCravingsButton.jpg" /></a>

This week's theme

PIES- PIES - PIES

This is your chance to share your FAVORITE PIE RECIPE, I am NOT a great pie maker, so I hope that all of you share some really cool recipes for me to try!!!

The SIMPLE Rules: (Click for complete list of guidelines for This Week's Cravings)

1. Please stick to the THEME and only link up recipes that go with our theme for the week. 

2. Add our button and/or a DIRECT link back to this post, inside of your post (not just on a wall of linky parties, this is rude and doesn't allow YOUR readers to come back to the linky party and see all the fun recipes! Which this is the intent of a linky party in the first place).

3. Also we'd love for you to hop around and visit the other link-ups! After all it's a BLOG PARTY and it's not fun for everyone linking up if you don't hop around and say Hello!!!


PLEASE follow the simple rules, so everyone can enjoy the linky party! If you forget to link back or add a button IN YOUR post you will receive a gentle reminder to add it, before we delete your post! THANKS A MILLION!

This Week's Cravings Past & Future Recipe Links

December 27 - Favorite New Years Recipes

January 3 - GET HEALTHY Recipes

January 10 - Pizza - Pizza - Pizza

January 17 - Pies (Dessert or Dinner)

January 24 - Soup

This is a BLOG HOP PARTY so please hop around

and read some GREAT Pie recipes!

PB & J Spirals

This is a perfect afternoon weekend snack with the kids! Arrived in my mail a few weeks ago was the Taste of Home GRAND PRIZE Winners Cookbook, I really thought "I do NOT need another cookbook". But, I was so wrong, this cookbook looks amazing. My daughter looked through cover to cover and she came across this recipe and said "Let's make it right now!", and of course we did! She is my PB&J girl! Eating this hot right out of the oven is the only way to go!

PB&J Spirals

Taste of Home Grand Prize Winners Cookbook 2010

1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls

8 tsp creamy peanut butter (we used chunky, it's the only kind we like)

8 tsp grape jelly (or whatever your favorite kind may be, mine is Marionberry from Oregon)

1/4 cup unsalted peanuts

2 tbsp confectioner's sugar

Optional: We did some with bananas, peanut butter and honey. (these were equally good)

Unroll the dough and separate into triangles. Spread 1 tsp of peanut butter and 1 tsp jelly on the wide side of triangle; sprinkle with peanuts. Roll them up in crescent shape and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 11 -13 minutes or until lightly browned. Dust with confectioner's sugar. Serve Warm.

This post is also linked to: Meatless Monday, Delicious Dishes, Let's Do Brunch, Works for me Wednesday, Ultimate Recipe Swap and Tasty Tuesday Bloghop



SPIKE REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: Mushroom Egg Salad

My first GIVEAWAY starts today

from SPIKE Magic Seasoning!

I am hosting my first ever MOMS CRAZY COOKING Giveaway with Spike Magic Seasoning!

The Spike family of seasonings are all natural, made without preservatives or additives,

and have Zero calories per serving.

I was contacted to review SPIKE Magic Seasoning and to be honest, I had never heard or seen it before. I of course said yes, because as a cook, I LOVE to try new things. I received my package full of seasonings and created my first recipe that week (see below). Since then we have been experimenting and trying new recipes (watch for more to come) and adding SPIKE Magic Seasoning where we see fit! (Not only do I cook, I have 17 year old twin daughters who love to get in the kitchen too). Just yesterday my daughter was making simple scrambled eggs and she added the SPIKE Magic Herb Seasoning and she loved it.

This first recipe we created was just another one of our every day Egg Salad recipes, one of my daughter just LOVES to make. As soon as we run out, she is in the kitchen whipping up another batch. We decided to revamp it a little and add in some SPIKE! And I can tell you that it gave it that WOW-POP of flavor to make it just a little bit extra special. I know adding SPIKE to this recipe will be a permanent change.

Mushroom Egg Salad with SPIKE

5 Hard Boiled Eggs

2 tsp Minced Garlic

2 tbsp chopped Onions

1/2 cup Mushrooms, diced

1-1/2 tbsp Sour Cream

1-1/2 tbsp Mayonnaise

1/2 tsp Mustard

2 tsp of SPIKE Magic 5 Herb Seasoning

First hard boil large eggs, and cool. Meanwhile saute' onions, garlic and mushrooms in a small sauce pan for 5-7 minutes until cooked to your liking. Once eggs are cooled; peel, dice and mash slightly (my girls like chunky egg salad). Mix the eggs, mushroom mixture and all of the remaining ingredients. Refrigerator and Serve on your favorite bread! DELICIOUS!

GIVEAWAY details !!!

You will receive a box of spices similar to the above box that I received for this review; box will be shipped direct from SPIKE!

(This giveaway is open to US residents only and must be 18 years or older. Winner will be selected via a random drawing on Saturday, January 22, 2011. Winner will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.)

Starts Friday, January 14, 2011 – Ends Friday, January 21, 2011

Giveaway Rules: To receive an entry please do any, all or some of the following and MAKE sure to leave a SEPARATE comment for EACH item you do that way you'll have more chances to WIN!  GOOD LUCK!

1.           Share this Giveaway with your friends on FACEBOOK. (you can do this by copying and pasting the permalink onto your facebook page, so your friends can have a chance to WIN too!)

2.           TWEET or BLOG about this Giveaway (and then leave the URL in the comments).

3.           "LIKE" MOMS CRAZY COOKING on Facebook ! (if you are already a MOMS CRAZY COOKING facebook fan; just let me know with a separate comment)

4.           Comment what your favorite SPIKE Magic Seasoning is and what recipe you love making with it? If not, which spice would you like to try?

5.           Become a FOLLOWER of MOMS CRAZY COOKING (or comment if you are already a follower)!

That's 5 chances to WIN a whole LOT of SPIKE MAGIC SEASONING!!!

Happy Blogging & Good Luck!

This post is also linked to: Transformation Thursday, Try New Adventures, Food on Fridays, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin' It Friday, Inspiration Friday, Flaunt It Friday, Friday Favorites, Home and Family Friday, Fun with Food Friday, Fat Camp Friday, FAB Friday, Feature Yourself Friday, Simply Link Party Spend Less and Save More, Show and Tell, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday and It's a Hodgepodge Friday

CONGRATULATIONS Comment #26

vickdn said... I am already a follower of your blog :)

(winner choosen 1/22/2011 at 8:51am)