Easter Menu Suggestions

Here are a few recipes that I hope will give you inspiration in creating your Easter Menu plan.  

Appetizers
Cheddar Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Bacon Cheese Dip

Spinach Artichoke Alfredo Dip

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Queso Fundido con Chorizo

Main Dish
Foolproof Eye of Round Roast (check out what I do with the leftovers here)

Sweet Chipotle Pork Roast (the glaze is really good on ham too!)

Pork Chops with Mozzarella & Prosciutto

Meatball Lasagna

Side Dishes
Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

My Favorite Broccoli & Cheese Casserole

Pesto Filled Potatoes

Twice Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Great Granny Brown's Mashed Potatoes

Mama's Buttermilk Biscuits (the BEST biscuit you will ever have)

Creamy Gouda & Garlic Potatoes Au Gratin

Pineapple Casserole

Make-Ahead Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Asparagus Bacon Wraps

Fried Okra, Potatoes, & Onion

Desserts
Birds Nest Cookies

Funfetti Pound Cake

Fudge Ripple Cake

Fruit Salad

Best Ever Coconut Custard Pie

Ugly Pecan Pie

Carrot Cake

Chocolate Fudge Pie

Triple Decadence Pie

Shared with these great blog parties!

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Bird Nest Cookies

You may have already seen this elsewhere, but I had to share it.  Afterall, Easter is nearly here - and my family makes these every year.  I wanted to share our little tradition with you.

The cookies are adorable, and they are super easy - with just three ingredients in the ingredient list.  I can literally make these in 15 minutes - which is the largest reason as to why I choose these to make every year!!

All you need to do is melt your butterscotch chips in a double boiler, or microwave.  Mix in the chow mein noodles.  Using a spoon, or your hand, make little 'nests' with the noodles on a baking sheet.  Stick 3 mini Cadbury eggs of the same color in each nest.  

If you want them to stick better, use a little melted butterscotch as glue - dip a little of the surface of the eggs in it, and stick them in the nest.

Bird Nest Cookies

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Ingredients:

• 12oz bag of chow mein noodles
• 2.5 cups butterscotch chips, melted
• 1 bag mini Cadbury eggs

Instructions:
Mix the melted butterscotch chips together with the chow mein noodles. Using a spoon, or your hands, make little nests with the mixture on a baking sheet lined with non-stick aluminum foil or wax paper.  Press 3 little eggs of the same color in each nest.  Let cool completely before serving.




Shared with these great blog parties!

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Baked Lemon Herbed Tilapia

Did you miss my latest recipe over at Life Around Home?  If you did, don't here - I always share them here too!
This baked lemon herbed tilapia is delicious, budget friendly, and would be perfect main course for Good Friday.  If you don't like tilapia, feel free to substitute another fish - cod, catfish, salmon - it all tastes really good!

This dish tastes so decadent, and at 175 calories per serving, you can afford to indulge!
Click here to get the recipe card!

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Food Finds, April 2012 Elmer's Chee Wees Cheese Curls

Hi everyone!  I am so happy to have you here with me again this month for Food Finds.  If you missed last month's feature, then go on back & check it out.

This month's feature is a recent find, and is a favorite of my entire family's already.  Elmer's Chee Wees in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Elmer's is a family owned company & has been producing their snacks since 1949.  You can read more about their history here.

And, these aren't your run of the mill cheese puffs.  These are really good. As in, I'm eating my favorite flavor in them right now. 

Hot-n-Spicy!

Oh yeah.  They are my husband's favorite flavor too!  They also have Original, Barbeque, & Green Onion.  Or, if you can't decide on a particular flavor, you can go one of their combo packs.

My whole family loves these.  I hope that you get the chance to try them.  And, if you do - let me know how you like them!

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Edible Easter Baskets

While cruising Pinterest the other night, I came across a pin from this site on edible Easter baskets, made with candy packages.  I was instantly in love with the idea, & went to the store the very next day for the components.  
What I love about these is that there are so many variations of it.  You can choose just one kind of candy, and make the whole basket out of that.  OR - you can mix up the candy selections a little.

I chose the later option, obviously.  My kids like so many different kinds of candy that it just seemed like the best option.  Per basket, I used 2 boxes of Peeps (in 2 different colors), 1 pack Snickers Eggs, & 1 pack Hershey's Marshmallow Eggs.  The Hershey's were a little taller than the rest, but I like that because I am planning on putting a couple goodies - like small stuffed bunnies, stickers, & pencils in the back & I like that they have something to lean back against.  
This project is super easy.  
First, let's assemble the basket part.  Tape the candy, end to end, with clear packaging tape.  It holds very strong, & is nearly invisible.  Then, trace the bottom of the 'basket' on some cardboard.  Cut it out & adhere it to the bottom of the candy basket with clear packaging tape or spray adhesive.

Now, time to make the handle.  You can do this a number of ways, but I chose to use something I had on hand.  A paper bag.  

I spray painted a portion of the bag that I wanted to use.  I love this ocean blue color.  It's my favorite & I always have a can on hand!

Wait for it to dry, & then clip it out.  You want the longest portion you can get.
Take that strip, and cut it into 3 or 4 thinner strips.  Tape the ends together with a small piece of clear tape.

Braid the little strips.  Tape each end inside the candy basket using clear packaging tape.  Fill with Easter grass.

Remember, the handle is decorative.  Don't really try toting the basket that way!  The container of the basket is actually pretty sturdy.

Shared with these great blog parties!Beauty & BedlamToday's Creative

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Menu Plan Monday 4-2-12

I am in the midst of a kitchen organizational haul, as I mentioned in Mission Organization yesterday.  Part of the organizing isn't just the material items in the kitchen, but the activities that take place in the space.
Of course cooking is the main activity taking place in the kitchen, and getting my menu planning back into gear helps that go so much smoother.  I haven't made a menu for 3 weeks now, and dinners have not gone smoothly.  So, I'm jumping back on board, and menu planning 2 weeks at a time - although I will still post here on the Mrs once a week.  I am also planning breakfasts along with dinners.   
Here's what our menu is looking like for this week.

Breakfasts

• Cereal x 2 (on two different mornings, busiest ones)

• Bacon Hashbrown Casserole

• Buttermilk Pancakes & Sausage

• Bacon, Eggs, & Buttermilk Biscuits

• French Toast & Sausage

• Breakfast Parfaits

Dinners

• Spicy Pop Pulled Pork with Cilantro-Jalapeno Slaw

• Spaghetti & Garlic Bread

• One Dish Chicken Bake

• Better than Olive Garden Seafood Alfredo, Olive Garden Breadsticks, Salad

• Cheesy Chicken Ranch Bake, Spinach Salad

• Shrimp Tacos

• Green Chile Stew in the Crockpot, Corn Cakes

Check out many other menu plans over at OrgJunkie!

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Makin' You Crave Monday

Welcome to another edition of Makin' You Crave Monday! 
This week, I am sharing my Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing.

Here are my favorites from last week.

Cadbury Egg Fudge from Shugary Sweets

Homemade Goldfish Crackers from The Traveling Spoon

Corn and Bacon Empanadas from Galley Kitchen

A big thank you to all those who shared last week.  So, let's get this party started!  Link up as many things you made this week as you want, & just link back here.  That's it!

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