Oreo Truffles

I saw this recipe on Pinterest a while ago and am finally getting around to trying it out. I was so excited because it only has 3 ingredients and 1 of them is my favorite cookie - Oreos!!

The whole process from pantry to mouth took about 30 minutes (because of freezer/setting time).

No Bake Oreo Truffles

Ingredients:
1 package Oreo cookies
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 package baking chocolate/candy coating

Cooking Directions:
1. Finely chop Oreos in a food processor or blender. Set some aside for a garnish later.

2. Mix cream cheese and Oreos (you may not need to use all of your cream cheese. start with about half and continue adding in until you reach a doughy consistency) and roll into bite-size balls. Place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper and put in freezer for 15 minutes.

3. While truffles are chilling, melt chocolate in a small bowl.

4. Once truffles have chilled, one at a time dip them in the chocolate and return to cookie sheet and sprinkle with the Oreo crumbs you set aside earlier.

5. Let chill and devour!

(photo credit: Chef in Training)

I ended up only using half of the package of Oreos and only about 3oz of the cream cheese dipped in 1/3 of the melted candy coating (which made 15 truffles). But after tasting them, I just might have to make the other half of the package!

The best way to describe the taste of these is that they taste just like Oreos dunked in milk. They have a gooey texture and are completely delicious. Good thing, each one is pretty filling so you won't want to eat too many at once, which just leaves more for later!

Make these. Love them. And remember them the next time you have a party or get together, they'd be perfect!

Creamy Turkey Stew

It turns out that the weather in Southern Louisiana is more unpredictable than in Georgia! One week it's sunny and 70* and the next week it's highs in the 50's and freezing at night. So it's time for some more crockpot soup recipes!

Creamy Turkey Stew
from: Sandra Lee's "Money Saving Slow Cooking"

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds turkey breast cutlets, cut into strips (I used chicken, big surprise, but I already had some in the freezer, and opted to cut them into bite-size pieces rather than strips)
2 8oz packages sliced fresh mushrooms (of course I decided to leave these out since neither the hubs nor I like eating fungus)
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 1/2 cups finely diced carrots and celery
1 cup frozen white corn kernels (I had to use sweet corn, couldn't find any white at the store)
2 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of potato soup
1 packet chicken gravy mix
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
salt and pepper
optional: cooked bacon and fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cooking Directions:
1. Stir together turkey, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, celery and corn in slow cooker. In separate bowl whisk chicken broth, soup, gravy mix and tarragon then pour into slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on high 4 to 6 hours.

3. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with bacon and parsley if desired.

(I apologize, I forgot to take a picture)

This turned out pretty tasty. I do think, however, it would have been better with turkey (but I'm not a huge turkey fan). I will have to remember this recipe around Thanksgiving, it would be great with leftover turkey!

It tasted just like beef stew, but with chicken! And it made great left-overs (which I am a BIG fan of). Thank you Sandra Lee!

Peanut Butter Smoothie

One of my favorite post-workout snacks is a high-protein smoothie. The following recipe can be used with or without the added protein supplement. Either way it's yummy, creamy and high in protein (perfect for before or after a workout session).

(Thanks yet again to Pinterest for inspiring me to create something new and delicious.)

Peanut Butter Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/4 cup milk
1 or 2 scoops homemade vanilla ice cream
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 carton vanilla yogurt
1 banana sliced and frozen (obviously this needs to be done ahead of time)
optional: 1 scoop vanilla protein supplement

Cooking Directions:
1. Add all ingredients into a blender. Blend for 2 minutes until smooth.

2. Pour into cup and sip with a straw and enjoy!

(photo credit: My Recipes)

Pot Roast and Gravy

Southern Living is a treasure of a resource for everything for the home, especially recipes. So, of course, I was beyond excited to receive another one of their cookbooks for Christmas. "Southern Living All-Time Favorites" is a great blend of treats for everything from breakfast dishes to pastas to desserts. Isn't it wonderful to be from the south?! Exactly how do people in the north cook??

After a nice long trip back home to Georgia, the hubs was feeling a bit homesick when we returned to Louisiana. So, I decided that some comfort food would be perfect. So bring on, what else than, the pot roast! I've seen my mom and mother-in-law make numerous pot roasts before, but had yet to make one on my own.

Also, it was a wonderful excuse to use a wedding gift I had yet to break in (yea, yea it's been almost 2 years now). It's the French version of a Dutch oven and after one use, I'm in love! Thank you Aunt Barbara!

Country-Style Pot Roast and Gravy

Ingredients:
4-5lb boneless chuck roast (I used a rump roast because the only chuck they had at the store was HUGE. I got a 5lb rump and put half of it in the freezer)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or enough to fill the bottom of your Dutch oven)
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 cups water
6 red new potatoes quartered (I used russet potatoes because that's what I had on hand)
2 carrots chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 10oz package red pearl onions pealed (I just chopped up one sweet onion, because I already had one)
for gravy:
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper

Cooking Directions:
1. Brown roast in hot oil in Dutch oven. Add soup mix and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours.

2. Add vegetables and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

3. Remove roast and veggies and keep warm. Add flour, salt and pepper (and water if necessary, mine was already soupy enough without it) to drippings. Stir constantly until gravy thickens.

You can serve the gravy alongside your roast and veggies or do like I did: add veggies back into dutch oven and stir into gravy. Slice roast and enjoy the deliciousness!

Oh. my. goodness. The hubs could not stop complimenting me while we were eating (lol). We loved it! The roast was super juicy and the vegetables were perfectly tender without being mushy. Hubs took the leftovers to work for supper that night, he was so in love. Plus now I have the other half in the freezer just waiting to be used in a few weeks.

New Year - New Fiascos

Happy 2012 y'all!! I hope that everyone had a marvelous Christmas and New Year's.

I apologize for my long absence. The hubs and I just got back from a great trip home for the holidays. And I am so happy to announce that I received 3 new cookbooks as christmas gifts that I am excited to tear into! This week I will be getting back into my routine of trying at least one new recipe a week, so stay tuned for more fiascos!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours!