Happy Friday, now eat some cherry cobbler!

Happy Friday, everyone!  We're about to get a big nor'easter this weekend, so I was very worried about my trip after work tonight, to the (drum roll) - grocery store!  You know how people are when it snows, they go and buy a ton of microwaveable food that you can't cook when the power goes out;)  I had to go because tomorrow night is Melissa and I's annual holiday party, and I had to get all fresh ingredients for what I'm making:)  Lucky for me, it wasn't too bad and I left unscathed:)  Sunday, when I'm snowed in, I hope to have atleast 5 recipes to share with you, and photos of course! 

But tonight, I finally share the crockpot cherry cobbler recipe.  It comes from my 365 day calendar full of only crockpot recipes, specifically from Michele Ruvola, so thanks Michele!

It came out so yummy - it's hard to describe the consistency of the cake portion, but it's fuller than cake mix, almost like a bread, and scrumptous!  I hope you'll try and enjoy it! 

You'll need:

• one can cherry pie filling - 16-20oz
•  13/4 cups dry cake mix, any flavor - I used yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1.  Lightly spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.
2.  Place pie filling in the crockpot and cook on high 30 minutes, uncovered
3.  While this is cooking, mix together remaining ingredients in a bowl until crumbly.
4.  After the 30 minutes are up, spoon this crumbly mix on top of the cherries
5.  Cover and cook on low 2-5 hours (mine took 2 3/4 hours) - you'll know it's done when a toothpick is inserted and it comes out clean and dry. 

this is it while cooking...if we hadn't eaten it so fast, I'd post a pic of on a plate;)  Next time!

I served mine cool, with whipped cream - I bet it would be really great with vanilla ice cream and warm! 

Have a great weekend everyone and I'll be back Sunday with our party recipes and fun pics:)

Um, so I forgot...

In all the craziness of being back to work full time - and by full time, I don't mean my 8:45-5 usual hours, but pretty much it's been 8:15-5:30ish...busy time of year....anyways, I forgot about Wicked Cheap Wednesdays!  As I said in my post last night, we had cheeseburgers last night, so I don't want to post a "gross" Wicked Cheap Wednesday!  So, here's a family favorite (sorry no pic as I didn't actually make it last night...) - meatpie!

What you'll need:

• 1 lb hamburg
• 1/4 ground pork
• 1/2 white onion
• 3-4 potatoes, or if you use the boxed potatoes, about 6-8 servings of those
• 2 pie crusts

So it sounds pretty similar to the meat dressing, right?   Same taste, with the extra goodness of potatoes and pie crust!

Cook the hamburg with the ground pork and grated onion.  While this is cooking, cook 3-4 potatoes, or again make the good ole boxed ones; if using real potatoes, mash when cooked.  Combine the potatoes with the meat in a bowl.  Place a pie crust on the bottom of a pie dish, put in all of the meat/potatoes mixture, and cover with another pie crust.  Bake at 400 degrees for around 40 minutes.

So easy, so yum, and so cheap!

• 1 lb hamburg - $5.00
• 1/4 lb ground pork - well 1 lb is $3.00, so about 75 cents
• 3-4 potatoes - about $2.00 or boxed potatoes, the same
• one onion - $1.00
• 2 pie crusts - store brand, $2.00

Equals about  $10.75!  Of course throw in a salad if you have those items on tap and you're good to go!  Some of my family members like to put ketchup on top - I think it's gross, but to each their own!

This photo is one I found online that's pretty close, but I'll post a picture next time I make one...now I want it!  I'll have to settle for turkey pot pie tonight though:)  Thanks to kopiaste.org for the picture:)

So sorry!

Oh all, I'm so tired!  This is the first week back working full time since August when I first got sick.  We had cheeseburgers, fries, and canned clam chowder for dinner tonight - eek!  Not good for cheycancook!  I'm just re-adjusting my body to working full time again, so this weeks meals are not much to speak of:) 

We are still enjoying the yummy crockpot cherry cobbler that I'll try to post tomorrow night, and tomorrow night is turkey pot pie, using some leftover turkey from the weekend Thanksmas meal...and I'm hoping to get the husband to make Brinner Friday night, as I have to grocery shop and start preparing for the joint holiday party Melissa and I throw every year...and next week, if you're reading this babe, hopefully I'll have more energy and make better meals:)

Tonight, it's all about resting, SYTYCD, wrapping (I'm so bad at it), and reading...I'm hoping tomorrow night I can make some more cards for co-workers and catch up on my holiday season scrapbooking...I'm supposed to be doing it everyday and I think I'm very very behind...where does the time go!

That's all for now!  Go Russell, Kathryn, or Ashleigh! ;)

Thanksmas = Success!

So our turkey feast has come and gone (the cherry cobbler is still in the crockpot - it's done cooking but we can't eat anymore right now!), and it was wonderful!  I've only cooked a turkey, by myself, one other time, and you just never know...look what happened to the poor Catherine on Christmas Vacation??   Anyhow, I followed the instructions on the turkey itself and also a link I found at allrecipes and wallah!  YUM!  Along with the turkey we had stuffing with sausage (husband's fave - his mom makes it), mashed potatoes, gravy, crescent rolls, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and meat dressing.   Meat dressing is in my top 5 fave foods - I <3 it!   Have you ever had it, or even heard of it?

You need:

• 1 lb hamburg
• 1/4 - 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1 onion, chopped or diced
• 18 saltines, crushed
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• salt and pepper

Brown hamburg and pork together along with the onion.  While that is cooking, crush up the 18 saltines and put into a large bowl.  Add the water to the saltines and mix together.  Once the meat/onion mixture is done cooking (you don't want the meat to be crisp at all), add that to the saltine mixture, mixing together.  Add poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, again mixing all together, and you're done!  So easy, so yummy!

the spread - minus the turkey - the meat dressing is in the orange bowl to the left, sorry it's such a bad shot of all of it!

Sorry Tom the Turkey:(

I'll let you know how the cherry cobbler tastes tomorrow...I can't imagine putting another bite in my mouth for a very long time!

I'm here and what I've been/am up to!

I know when my parents start telling me "your last blog was about beef stew earlier this week" that I am mucho behind!  I apologize for sure - I wasn't sleeping well so I was feeling sick again, then we did our tree thing - bought a tree, decorated it, all while watching Christmas Vacation, then I had my yearly shop til we drop Christmas shopping extravaganza with my brother, and then we celebrated my dad's bday!   WOAH!  Busy! 

Here is what I've been up to - sorry for what may be a long long post!

I don't even remember which night at this point, but one night I made ribs, just store-bought, already bbq'd up ribs, as it was a busy night for us - made some corn muffins, french fries, corn, and honey glazed carrots to go along with it for a pretty quick and easy meal, but one that leaves you full and smiling from the finger lickin!

Thursday night - new recipe!  Made Thai Chicken Crescent Pot Sticker Sandwiches from the Pillsbury emails/recipes I subscribe to.  At first I was very .... let's just say I was wondering why I chose to make this recipe.  It came out better, and tasted better, than I thought it would for sure.  It's not something I would eat often, but it was a nice change:)

You will need:

• 2 tbsp plain yogurt or sour cream ***I freaked out over this, I don't like EITHER, but knew it was needed, so I used sour cream***
• 1 tbsp peanut butter - I used chunky style
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce (I used a few more splashes)
• 1 cup cooked chicken breast
• 1 1/2 cup shredded carrots ***I didn't use these because the husband isn't a fan of carrots - next time I definitely WOULD use them, though, as that crunch is needed***
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1 can, 8 oz, Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls
• dipping sauce if wanted - Pillsbury suggested mango chutney, but I just made a sauce of apricot preserves, about 1/2 cup, lime juice, and a pinch of ground mustard and melted it all together over low heat on the stove

Heat oven to 375.  Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.  In a large bowl,  mix sour cream, peanut butter, curry powder, ginger, garlic powder, and soy sauce.  Add chicken, carrots, and cheese - mix well. 

Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into 4 rectangles.  Place on cookie sheet.  Firmly press the perforations to seal.  

Spoon the chicken mixture onto each rectangle.  Bring the 4 corners up over the filling on each one and press edges to seal shut.

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Dip into dipping sauce, add sour cream on top, or just eat as is:) 

Like I said, better than I thought, had a nice bite to them because of the curry powder, but it's something I'd eat every week.  A nice change though:)

So that leads me to today, as Friday night = enchiladas and last night dinner at my parents' for my dad's bday.  This is what I'm cookin' up, and working on today (and add laundry and cleaning the kitchen, I already did those, but didn't take photos)

A nice cherry cobbler in the crockpot

Yup, a Thanksmas dinner for just the 2 of us :)

And yes, that is a pile of scrapbooking/card stuff I'm working on for the holidays - I hope to get to this because this, besides blogging, is fun and relaxing!


Happy Sunday, everyone!  I'll be back with more pics from our feast tonight - fingers crossed.  I'll leave you with this: