Meal Planning with Connie

I received an email invitation to join the Gooseberry Patch Cookie Blog Hop! Be sure to join the fun by adding a link to your favorite cookie recipe below!  Don't all these recipes sound delicious?! Also, check out the newest release from Gooseberry Patch, Best-Ever Cookies ! Yum!

This is one of my “pantry creations". I had these four ingredients on hand and decided to try to concoct a little something for us to have during Sunday school fellowship time.  These little candies were a big hit with our class. Makes a large batch! Plenty to share! Peanut Butter Rocky Road Krispies Peanut Butter Rocky Road Krispies 1 (16-ounce) package chocolate candy coating 1 cup crunchy peanut butter 3 cups mini marshmallows 4 cups Rice Krispies Combine Rice Krispies and marshmallows.  In a separate bowl, melt chocolate coating according to package directions.  Stir peanut butter into melted chocolate coating.  Add Rice Krispies mixture to chocolate mixture.  Stir well to coat Rice Krispies and marshmallows.  Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

This recipe is great for those nights when time is really short! It is also a great way to use leftover meat! You'll just need to add desired amount of your favorite barbecue sauce. You can make the barbecue from left over chicken or pork or beef roasts. You can also use a commercially prepared container of meat, such as Lloyd’s or Corky’s. Picking up 1½ pounds of meat from your favorite bbq joint is another great option! Zapping your potatoes in the microwave will help this meal to come together quickly. Here is my favorite way to make baked potatoes in the microwave: Best Microwaved Baked Potatoes Begin by setting your regular oven to 450 degrees.  (You're going to bake the potatoes for few minutes in your regular oven after microwaving to help crisp the potato skins!) While oven is heating, wash and scrub baking potatoes well. (Russets work best for baking!) With a fork, pierce the skins of the potatoes in several places. This will allow steam to escape and prevent ...

If you google Vanilla Wafer Cake, you'll find links to about a million recipes for this cake.  I decided to try this one, as it was the predominant recipe.  Nilla Wafer Cake Nilla Wafer Cake This dessert is very moist and dense! Although it doesn't make a really large cake, because it is so rich, it goes a long way! 6 eggs 1 cup Baker's sweetened, flaked coconut (bagged or canned) ½ cup milk 1 cup butter, melted (optional - I didn't add this to mine.) 1 (12-ounce) box Nilla Wafers, coarsely crushed 2 cups sugar 1 cup chopped pecans Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a Bundt pan with baking spray, such as Baker’s Secret. Beat eggs well in a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients to the beaten eggs. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Weeknight Cornbread Dressing Southerners love cornbread dressing. Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more of a "holidays only" dish. This wasn’t true in the not-so-distant past. Large pans of this moist, dense dish could be found on Southern tables year round. My mom could have a steaming pan of dressing on the table before you could say scat! In the past, there was more of a tendency not to let any food go to waste. Because all Southern kitchens had leftover cornbread and biscuits, making dressing was the solution for making use of these leftovers. When I was growing up, there were very few days we didn’t make a pone of cornbread. This tradition has also faded from many of our kitchens. In too many homes, cornbread is no longer "our daily bread". Thus, there is a lack of leftover cornbread that needs using. Leftover cornbread and biscuits freeze really well. I keep a large zippered bag for each in my freezer and add leftovers, as we have them. Biscuits or co...

For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. 'The flowers have already appeared in the land; The time has arrived for pruning the vines, And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land. 'The fig tree has ripened its figs, And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. " Song 2:11-13a It is absolutely beautiful here in Pontotoc today!  The yellow bells are blooming. The birds are chirping.  The air is crisp and clear!  Oh, the wonder of God's handiwork! I made this breakfast casserole for Sunday school fellowship time. It got good reviews! Sausage Roll Breakfast Casserole Sausage Roll Breakfast Casserole This casserole is a fun, quick breakfast casserole to make!  1 package sausage-stuffed rolls (such as Sister Schubert’s), thawed 8 large eggs 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon white or black pepper dash of cayenne peppper 4 cups whole milk or half-and-half 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated Coat a 9x13-inch...

Here’s a fun appetizer that is great for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day! Pesto Pinwheels You can a few chopped roasted red peppers, chopped pimentos, or a handful of finely chopped sundried tomatoes to the cream cheese/pesto mixture. This is especially festive at Christmas!  A bit of cooked, chopped chicken and shredded Parmesan cheese is good in these too! 2 tablespoons of pesto 1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese, softened 1 jar of roasted red peppers or pimentos 4-6 flour tortillas Combine pesto and cream cheese Spread about 3 or 4 tablespoons of pesto mixture on each tortilla. Roll up each tortilla into a tube shape. Wrap each roll individually with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or two*. To serve, cut each tortilla roll into 1 to 1-1/2 inch pieces. *This recipe can be made up to two days in advance. Prepare rolls and refrigerate until serving time. Remove from fridge, slice and serve. These freeze really well. Slice and lay in a single layer on a parchment-l...