Meal Planning with Connie

Coconut Pecan Brownies   These bars are really moist and rich! Research tells us fourteen out of any ten  individuals  likes chocolate.   ~Sandra Boynton Coconut Pecan Brownies I made these for Sunday School this morning. Everyone said they really liked them. This recipe is a simple way to dress up up a box of brownie mix. 1 box (19.5-ounce) package brownie mix ½ cup vegetable oil ¼ cup water 2 large eggs 1 (15-ounce) can coconut pecan frosting 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream ½ cup chopped pecans ½ cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, combine brownie mix, water, oil and egg. Beat 50 strokes by hand. Fold in frosting and sour cream until well combined. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle pecans and chocolate chips evenly over top. Bake 30 minutes or until done. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Creamy Pasta Casserole I wouldn't exactly call it 'cooking,' but I can make noodles.  That means I can boil water, put the pasta in and wait until it's done.  ~Devon Werkheiser  There is a simple and yummy recipe, Spaghetti a la Philly, found inside the Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese box right now. The addition of cream cheese provides a nice little change to regular, old spaghetti. Here is a link to the recipe on their website: http://recipes.kraftrecipes.com/Spaghetti-A-La-Philly-recipe I tweaked it just a bit to suit our tastes. Here is my take on it: Creamy Pasta Casserole 1 bag (12-ounces) penne pasta 1 pound lean ground beef 1 jar (24-ounce) spaghetti sauce 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed 1 cup shredded cheese of choice (cheddar, mozzarella, Italian blend) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta as directed on package. While pasta cooks, brown meat in large skillet; drain. Return meat to skillet and stir in sa...

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball Peanut butter [is] the pâté of childhood.” ~Florence Fabricant Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball I made this for Sunday School, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. My kids loved it, proclaiming it – “awesome!” It is a soft and a bit messy to work with but worth it! Double the recipe and keep one in the freezer to have on hand when needed! 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 cup powdered sugar ¾ cup creamy or chunky peanut butter 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar 1½ cups (9 ounces) milk chocolate morsels or milk chocolate and peanut butter morsels Graham cracker sticks and apple slices Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until well blended. Spoon onto a bowl lined with a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly, forming a ball shape. Freeze for a couple of hours or until firm enough to keep its shape. Place morsels in flat dish, such as a plate...

Cookies and Cream Cake  It won't last long! Oreo: A confection consisting of a white cream filling sandwiched between two chocolate cookies. The word Oreo comes from a Greek word meaning “appetizing.” Cookies and Cream Cake My kids love this cake! It is fun to make and eat! If you don’t want to spend the extra time making a layer cake, just dump the batter into a 9x13-inch pan, bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, throw on the icing, and sprinkle with crushed Oreos. If time is really tight, use a canned icing. Your kids will still love it! As you can see, my icing job is far from perfect, but my family still thought it was pretty and yummy!! 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix 1-1/4 cups water 1/3 cup canola oil 3 eggs 1 cup coarsely crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (I used 12 Oreos.) Icing: 1/2 cup butter, softened (You can use shortening, if you prefer.) 4 cups confectioners' sugar ¼ cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Garnish: More cream-filled chocola...

This pizza is one of our absolute favorites, and it is so, so easy to make! We love the frozen, prebaked pizza crusts available from Sam’s. They have a nice flavor and crisp texture, especially if baked on a pizza stone. You ask for them at the checkout counter, and they get them for you from the back. They also have frozen pizza dough balls. We personally prefer the taste and ease of use of the frozen, prebaked crusts. At less than a dollar a crust, they’re a bargain! You will need a fair amount of freezer space to store them. A great idea is to split the box with a friend! We go through them so fast, storage isn’t an issue for us! Cheesy Pesto Pizza "You better cut the pizza in four pieces, because I'm not hungry enough to eat six."  ~ Yogi Berra  Cheesy Pesto Pizza Chopped grilled chicken is a nice addition to this pizza! 1 large Sam’s pre-baked pizza crust, thawed (Use a Boboli crust, if you prefer.) ½ cup jarred pesto (Use more or less to suit your taste. ...

Donna blessed us with a yummy batch of sausage balls yesterday at Sunday School! They were wonderful! Donna is a terrific cook and a sweet, sweet friend! Thank you for ministering to us, Donna! Here is a link to my sausage ball recipe on this blog: http://mealplanningwithconnie.blogspot.com/2009/08/recipe-sausage-balls.html This is great time to start preparing these for the freezer! You'll be so glad you have a few batches of these on hand when you need to prepare something quickly for the upcoming holiday festivities! Can y'all believe it is only 46 days 'til Christmas?! Where has this year gone?! Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.  ~Janice Maeditere We will all have lots of opportunities for ministering in the next few weeks. Preparations are well underway at our church for our annual Feeding of the 5000, where we provide a holiday meal for the needy and homebound. Next Sunday, we will bring our Operation Christmas Chil...

This recipe is one I have from my mother.  She had the habit on jotting recipes on yellow legal paper.  I will forever associate those pads with my mom and cooking! Many of her recipes call for oleo. I always have to smile when I see this term. Several years back, a group of us were looking through some recipes and came across one calling for oleo. Not being "from around here," one of the friends asked with a quizzical look, "What in the world is oleo?!" Of course, it gave the rest of us a good laugh. I don't know of a person who was raised in the South during the 50's, 60's and 70's who doesn't know that oleo is margarine!  I grew up on Parkay and Blue Bonnet! What is the difference in butter and oleo?  Butter is made from dairy cream. United States law requires that butter contain at least 80 percent butterfat, which is derived from milk products. Margarine is a nondairy product containing at least 80 percent fat, which is generally deri...