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Therapy of the Day – PEOPLE CHOW (Recipe)

28 Apr

I’m pretty sure that someone very dear to my heart was reading my blog the other day…

Because after reading the comments I wrote on my therapeutic chocolate indulgences…

These two bags were swiftly delivered into my hands.

OHHHH dear friends.

Have you ever heard of People Chow?

It’s as close to heaven as crunchy chocolate snacks get.

Here is the recipe.

People Chow

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 12 cups Rice Chex cereal (or anything crunchy)

Directions:

1.  Melt butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter on low heat.

2.  Mix in crunchy stuff.

3.  Pour mixture into a brown paper bag.

4.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and shake it, shake it, shake it.

5.  Put in the freezer until hard.

6.  Eat and enjoy!!!

I guarantee that if you are going through a tough time, this stuff will help take the edge off – at least a little bit.

Now I am off to take one of my giant People Chow Ziplocs with me to the hospital to share with the nurses.

It’s dangerous having too much of it around. :-)

Happy People Chow-ing!

Recipe – Sunshine Cake

6 Apr

This is one of my favorite Spring-y dessert recipes.

I pulled it out of a Paula Deen magazine several years ago and I’ve been baking it every year ever since!

Sunshine Cake

Ingredients for the Cake:

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 (3.4 oz) box vanilla instant pudding
  • 1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, undrained
  • 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained
  • 2 eggs
  • Vanilla Pineapple Topping (recipe below)

Directions for the Cake:

Step 1 – Combine the cake mix with the vanilla pudding.

Step 2 – Add the oranges, pineapple, and eggs.  Mix well.Step 3 – Pour the batter into a greased/sprayed 9×13 baking dish.

Step 4 – Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely before adding the Vanilla Pineapple Topping.

Ingredients for Vanilla Pineapple Topping:

  • 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained
  • 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
  • 1 (12 oz) container Cool Whip

Directions:

Step 1 – Combine the pineapple and pudding mix.

Step 2 – Fold in the Cool Whip.

Step 3 – Spread on top of the cooled cake.Store cake in the refrigerator!

Enjoy with these recipes for the BEST EASTER BRUNCH EVER.

Happy Sunshine Cake-ing! :-)

An Irish Feast for St. Patrick’s Day – FREE Printable!

8 Mar

Make this St. Patrick’s Day extra special by planning a festive Irish Feast for your Happy Home!

Here is a great menu suggestion that the whole family will enjoy!

Click Image for Idea

The Happy Hubby and I just LOVE this Irish Beef Stew recipe.

We’re not huge on Corned Beef and Cabbage, so we’re pretty thrilled that we found something else to eat that still seems authentic enough. :-)

Click Image for Idea

Have you ever had the biscuits at Red Lobster??  This recipe comes out wayyyyy better than those – and it couldn’t be easier. :-)

I guarantee that these Leprechaun Treasure Biscuits will have your Happy Home fighting over the last one as if they really were treasure!

Click Image for Idea

Who could resist eating their fruit when displayed in such a glorious manner???

Just looking at that presentation brings a smile to my face!

Or, if you don’t have time to cut up all that fruit, a simple green salad (like my famous Broccoli Salad of Wonder) would do the trick. :-)

Click Image for Idea

For dessert, these simple Rainbow Sugar Cookies from Katherine Marie Photography are just the thing for your little leprechauns.

Simply press M&Ms into refrigerated sugar cookie dough and bake.  Adorable!

Or, as another easy alternative, decorate some green frosted cupcakes with Skittles or Lucky Charms.

And there you have it!

An entire meal that celebrates March 17th!

If you’d like to have a printout of all the recipes in one place, simply click the link below. :-)

Click Image for Printable

Click HERE for your FREE Printable St. Patrick’s Day Feast!

Don’t forget to have everyone wear as much green as possible, sport their leprechaun ears, and discuss the important questions presented on these FREE Printable St. Patrick’s Day Conversation Cards.

Happy Irish Feast-ing! :-)

Recipe – BBQ Chicken Pizza

24 Feb

It seems that when I am pregnant all I want to do is eat pizza.

And chocolate.

But that’s a whole ‘nuther post! :-)

In fact, when I was pregnant with the Happy Buddy, the Happy Hubby drove me all over creation trying to find a pizza place that would make me BBQ Chicken Pizza.  For some reason, our little city was severely lacking in this particular deliciousness.

When one chef finally agreed to make it for me – special order – I almost leapt over the counter to give him a big hug!

With this pregnancy, I thought I’d try to make it a bit easier on the hubs and find a recipe good enough to satisfy the craving in me.

Here it is!  And it’s wonderfully simple…

Easy BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients -

1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1 (10 oz) can refrigerated pizza crust
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (ain’t nothing like Sweet Baby Rays!)
2 (6 oz) pkg refrigerated grilled chicken strips
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese with peppers (if you don’t mind the heat!), shredded

Directions -

1.  Saute first 4 ingredients in olive oil for about 8-10 minutes; drain well.

2.  Press pizza crust into a lightly greased 9×13″ pan.

3.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

4.  Spread 1/2 cup BBQ sauce evenly over crust and arrange chicken over sauce.

5.  Add onion mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

6.  Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if you’d like!

Whether you are pregnant or not, this pizza will make its way into your regular meal rotation, I’m sure.

Happy BBQ Chicken Pizza-ing! :-)

A Valentine Recipe – Applesauce Jell-O

7 Feb

When I was a little girl, one of my favorite recipes that my mom would make was Applesauce Jell-O.

It was just the thing that made me feel better when I was sick, cheered me up when I was sad, and tasted really great alongside those chicken patties we ate so many of. :-)

Now I make it for our Happy Home and I can’t even tell you how much the Happy Hubby loves it.

Applesauce Jell-O couldn’t be easier to make, but the 4 hour chill time might drive you crazy as you wait for its deliciousness!

Ingredients:

  • Large (6 oz) box of Strawberry Jell-O
  • 1 large (24 oz) jar of applesauceStep 1 – Pour the Jell-O powder into a large bowl.Step 2 – Pour 2 cups boiling hot water into the bowl.Step 3 – Stir for 2 minutes, or until Jell-O is completely dissolved.Step 4 – Pour the jar of applesauce into the bowl.Step 5 – Stir and then put the bowl into the refrigerator.  Chill for 4 hours or until Jell-O is firm.Step 6 – Scoop the Jell-O into a bowl and serve on Valentine’s Day as special part of your Valentine’s Day dinner! Happy Valentine’s Day Applesauce Jell-O-ing! :-)

Yum Yum.

19 Jan

I used my new baking sheets the other day. :-) If you would like our Happy Home’s All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, go HERE.Happy Chocolate Chip Cookie-ing! :-)

Recipe – Christmas Trash

10 Dec

My Aunt Tina is amazing.

As I was growing up, whenever a major holiday arrived, she’d send each of my brothers and me a card with a crisp dollar bill inside.

It was just a dollar, but because it was from Aunt Tina – it was something truly special.

When I moved off to college and I didn’t get my card and dollar that first holiday away from home, I think I called her and asked her why in the world she thought that college=no more holiday dollars. :-)

She still sends me cards.

The other magical thing about my Aunt Tina (among a gazillion other things) is her recipe for Trash.

Oh, good heavens, my friends.

You better start praying for self-control now, because once this recipe hits your Happy Home, your hips you will never be the same again!Ingredients:

  • 3 cups Rice Krispies cereal
  • 3 cups Reese’s Puffs cereal
  • 2 cups salted peanuts
  • 2 cups pretzel sticks, broken
  • 1 (12 oz) bag milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a bowl.2.  Pour the chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish and microwave according to package directions until smooth.3.  Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal mixture.4.  Mix everything together really well.  At this point, you may want to add more of the cereals, peanuts, or pretzels depending on how much chocolate you have.  Just keep adding and mixing until it looks right!5.  Spread the yummy-ness onto a cookie sheet that is covered in aluminum foil.

6.  Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.7.  Remove from refrigerator and break apart.  Package up your treat and toss in a few Christmas M&M’s for a festive presentation!You could pass these bags of Trash out to your garbage men (they might get a kick out of the recipe’s name), the person who hands you your food at the Chick-fil-A drive-thru (they know us by name), or even to the people who live in the Best Decorated House on your street.

All of the bags that you see packaged here were meant to be for the guests at a Christmas party my mom was throwing.

But I ate them all. :-)

So much for self control!

Merry Christmas Trash-ing! :-)

Recipe – French Onion Beef

29 Nov

I’m aware that what you see above looks like a big pile of slop, but I promise you that it’s a big pile of DELICIOUSNESS. :-)

This is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes.

And the Happy Hubby has given it his stamp of approval for the ‘A-List’.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 lb boneless beef round steak, 1/2-3/4 inch thick (I had a second package of steaks, but had already thrown them in the slow cooker before I remembered to take some pictures for you!)
  • 1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 large onion, sliced, separated into rings
  • 1 can (10 1/2 oz) condensed French Onion soup
  • 1 package (6 oz) 10-minute herb stuffing mix
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:

  1. Spray a large slow cooker with cooking spray.  Cut beef into 6 serving-size pieces.  In cooker, layer half each of the beef, mushrooms, and onion; repeat layers.  Pour soup over top.
  2. Cover; cook on LOW heat setting 8-10 hours.
  3. In medium bowl, mix stuffing mix, butter, and 1/2 cup liquid from slow cooker.  Toss to mix.  Place stuffing on top of mixture in slow cooker.  Increase heat setting to HIGH.  Cover; cook 10 minutes longer or until stuffing is fluffy!
  4. Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and cook until cheese is melted.

What a perfect meal to enjoy after a day outside in the cold stringing Christmas lights! :-)

Happy French Onion Beef-ing!

A Thanksgiving Feast of Recipes

16 Nov

Can you believe that we’re just about a week away from Turkey Day?!

If you’re a super duper planner, you may have already figured out what your Happy Home is serving for Thanksgiving dinner months ago.

Or maybe your Happy Home does the same feast every year because it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without Grandma’s stuffing or Nana’s creamy mashed potatoes.

OR maybe you’re adventurous and want to try some new recipes this year.

Well, then you’ve come to the right place. :-)

Photo Source

I made a Sausage Apple Stuffing a few years ago and the Happy Hubby has begged me to make it every year since!

Photo Source

You all know it.

You all love it.

The Corn Casserole of AMAZINGNESS.

There isn’t a holiday celebration in our family where this casserole doesn’t make an appearance.

And then a quick disappearance!

Photo Source

This recipe for Cranberry Casserole was introduced to me a few years ago by a dear friend.

I had a mom bring this to our November MOM group at church – and there wasn’t a crumb left in the dish!

It is a really yummy substitute for cranberry sauce!

Photo Source

I looove this easy recipe for Bean Slop.

It’s tangy and sweet and you can make it the night before!

And, I apologize, Happy Home Friends, but I can only deliver side dish recipes for you.

I have never cooked a turkey in my life.

It’s on my Bucket List of stuff to do before the good Lord takes me home. :-)

And you will not find a mashed potato recipe here either.

For me, trying to make mashed potatoes is an insurmountable task.

I will let you in on a dirty little secret that will probably shock you… but our Happy Home is all about Betty Crocker’s Instant Mashed Potatoes in a box {gasp}.

But, I digress!

I put all 4 Thanksgiving recipes in a fun FREE Printable for you!

Click HERE for your FREE Printable Thanksgiving Feast Recipes!

If you liked this FREE Printable, please ‘Like’ the Fairy on Facebook and stay up to date on all the Happy Home magic!

Happy Thanksgiving Feast-ing! :-)

*Please note that some of the links to the photos used in this post have recipes that are slightly different than the recipes in my FREE printable! So if you want the Apple Sausage stuffing recipe that I use every year, click for the FREE Printable*

Recipe – Yummy Pumpkin Cookies

23 Oct

I featured these lil’ scrumptious beauties last year when I posted about the Pumpkin Party we threw with some friends.

I baked up another batch yesterday and toted them along to this year’s Pumpkin Carving Extravanganza.

It seemed that everyone at the party was more interested in eating the cookies than in carving the pumpkins!

That’s when you know you’ve found a winning recipe!

Plus, it helps that it takes like 2 seconds to make them.

AND your Happy Home will smell ridiculously good.

The Happy Hubby kept walking into the kitchen to sniff while they were baking.

Allow me to share the magic!

Happy Home Fairy’s Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Ingredients -

  • 1 (18 oz) package carrot cake mix with pudding in the mix
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 can cream cheese icing
  • Candy corn pumpkinsDirections -
  1. Mix cake mix, pumpkin, butter, and egg.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
  2. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and set in center.
  3. Cool 2 minutes.  Remove to wire rack and cool 15 minutes.
  4. Frost cooled cookies with icing.  Press 1 candy corn pumpkin into center of each cookie.  Note – If waiting to eat cookies second day, hold off putting the little candy corn pumpkin on top as the colors tend to bleed on the icing if left to sit too long.
  5. Since he came into the kitchen so much while your cookies were baking, make sure you fix a special plate for the Happy Hubby. :-) Happy Pumpkin Spice Cookie-ing! :-)
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