I So Need To Give These A Try

You've probably all heard about Pinterest, RIGHT?  If not you can check our some of My Pinterest Boards and see what I have been interested in doing.

Here are just a few of the Sweet Treats that I find mouth watering GOOD and worth of a try!  It would, however, take me a month of Sunday to make it through all the great Sweats that I have pinned.


Homemade Snickers Bars from the Browned Baker

 Cookie Dough Dip - from Add a Pinch

Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Bars - from Chef in Training

Homemade Girl Scout Samoa Cookies - from Baking Bites

Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Roll - from Mel's Kitchen Cafe'

 Red Velvet Cheesecake - from Willow Bird Baking

So there you have just a few of my favorite sweet finds.  Now the hard part....which should I bake up first.
If you haven't found my Pinerest Boards yet you can find them all HERE.  Post me a comment when you've stopped by the boards, just so I know you came.

New Favorite Food - Idaho Falls Photography

This past week I met up with some photo friends for lunch, photo lessons and photography.  Her in Idaho the weather is just turn from winter to spring and then back again.  I wish that winter would make up it's mind and give in to spring.  Really, enough already.
Anyway the photo group was a great get away.  Lunch was amazing, we had the most amazing homemade spaghetti sauce, fresh fruit salad, green salad but the dessert was to die for.
The dessert is what I wish to share with you my blogger friends.
Butterscotch Brownies topped with caramel sauce and a side of french vanilla ice cream.  Are you licking the monitor yet?

Here's a photo, I know it's not great but I was so excited that my hands were just shaking and I forgot all about checking my aperture. LOL! Ü
The group host was gracious enough to email me the recipe for the brownies.  You just know when you have a recipe that is too good to keep to yourself so I am sharing it with you my blogger buds so that you to can enjoy this wonderful dish.

Butterscotch Brownies

       ~from Mormon Country Cooking
3/4 cup (1 1/2) sticks of butter best not to use margarine in this
3 cups brown sugar packed
3 eggs, beaten
2 1/4 cups flour, sifted or stirred and measured
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla (If not pure vanilla the real thing then double the amount)
1 cup grated or flaked coconut (optional but good to put in)
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped ( can use pecans or omit)

Grease 9x13x2 baking pan.   Melt butter, remove from heat.  Blend in brown sugar.  Stir in beaten eggs.  Blend in sifted dry ingredients, then add vanilla, nuts and coconut.  Spread in prepared pan.  Bake 35 min. or until just done.  Do not over bake!  Cut into bars while still warm!

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 min
*Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel ice cream topping!

This post has been submitted to the following Friday Photo Challenges -

Show and Tell Friday

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Chicken & Spinach Enchiladas with Guacamole Salad

Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with lots of flavor.  And did I mention that these two dishes are so simple and quick to make?

To make the enchiladas even easier, I used 1/2 of one of those rotisserie chickens from the deli.

Chicken & Spinach Enchilada
3/4 cup diced onion
1 Tbsp. minced garlic (I always have a jar in the fridge)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. oil
Sweat the above in a large skillet until soft, 4-5 minutes

Toss in -
1 bag fresh baby spinach (6oz.)
cook until wilted, about 1 min.

Stir in-
2 cup shredded chicken
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 Philadelphia Original Cooking Creme
Stir until combined; simmer 4-5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread 1 cup of Red Enchilada Sauce on bottom of backing dish.  Fill each flour tortilla with 1/3 cup filling, then roll.  Place enchiladas in dish, seam side down, then top with 1 cup of additional Red Enchilada Sauce, leaving edges dry.  Sprinkle enchiladas with 1 cup of Monterey Jack Cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees  15-20 minutes or till cooked through and bubbly.

Guacomole Salad with Cumin-line Vinaigrette
For the vinaigrette, whisk:
2 tbsp. each lime juice and red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. shpped fresh clianto
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. ovlive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the salad, arrange:
2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

For vinaigrette, whisk together lime juice, vinegar, cilantro, garlic, and cumin in a blow.  Drizzle in oil while whisking, then season with salt and pepper.

For the salad, arrange tomatoes on a platter.  Drizzle half of the vinaigrette over tomatoes; top with avocado and onion.  Season salad with salt and pepper and drizzle remaining vinaigrette over salad.

This is such a simple recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare.  Your family will think that you cooked all day.  SHHH that will be your secret and mine.  Added bonus is that it give you a new way to serve up all those garden tomatoes that have been piling up.

Taste of Old Time Magic

I have a fond memory of Christmas past.  My mother, gone now but not forgotten, would stir up the most mouth watering treats.  This time of year I find myself hunting for and cooking up my moms favorite treat.  Thanks mom for being such a cooking mentor. 
One such treat that was only made and shared at Christmas time was my mom Spiced Nuts.
I've seen several knocks of this recipe but they just don't compare to the original.  Don't know where of when mom got this recipe or how long it's been in the family.
Today was my first time trying to duplicate what my mother did with ease.
Scared and nervous as I am more a cookie and pie maker.  Candy making is not something that I do well.
I always remember mom making her Spiced Nut Recipe with walnuts.  I decided to mix things up a bit and use not only walnuts but pecan and almonds.
I am so proud of myself!  This Christmas recipe couldn't be easier.  Even I could do it with success.
Here is the finished product.  So very addictive.  So very sweet.  So very easy.

Now if you are wanting to make up a quick treat for Santa instead of the usually cookies, here is what you do -

Spiced Nuts

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup boiling water

1 tsp white corn syrup

1 tble cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dry ground ginger

1/8 tsp dry ground cloves

 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups shelled whole nuts (your choice) placed in a very large mixing bowl

Add sugar, boiling water, corn syrup, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in a medium sized sauce pan.  Stir till sugar and spiced are dissolved over medium heat.  Continue cooking without stirring until syrup reaches the thread stage on a candy thermometer. (230 degrees F)

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the mixture over the nuts that you have in the large bowl.

Mix, fold and stir nuts and syrup mixture until the mixture turn to sugar on the nuts.  This will take a couple minutes, just keep stirring.  Once nuts are sugar covered pour out on to a lightly sprayed cookie sheet, separating large nut clusters.  Cool, package and share.

Sound harder that it really is.  I double the recipe and it works out great.

Enjoy and have yourself a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Entered in the following Holiday Photo Challenges.

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli