Oreo Truffles

Source- Central Cooking, but you can find the recipe everywhere you turn!

I was surprised at myself to find that I didn't blog about these last year when I made them for my family Christmas.  They were such a huge hit.  My mom is a huge baker, and makes enough treats that no one else needs to bring any desserts.  But after how popular they were last year I knew I needed to make them again.  Of course they were huge again.  

Funny Story- I made these at my house so I didn't have to worry about finding the time when we reached my sister's house.  We get 20 minutes on the road and I realized I had left them in the fridge.  So we had to buy the stuff to make them all over again.  Of course once we got home we had a whole tub of truffles to ourselves.  Not a good thing when they are as good as these are.   Also, after my uncle tasted them for the first time he offered to pay the postage to ship him the tub we had left at home.  

Ingredients

• 1 pkg Oreos
• 1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use any kind of chocolate you'd like
• Sprinkles for topping

Preparation

• Crush all the Oreos.  I use my food processor, but you could do it by hand.
• Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper
• Mix Oreos with cream cheese until well blended.  I use my stand mixer to make sure it is well mixed.
• Form into small balls and place on cookie sheet.
• Refrigerate for 45 minutes.
• Melt chocolate.  I use a double boiler, but you could use the microwave.
• Dip truffles into melted chocolate and cover completely.  Place back on cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle with sprinkles while still wet.  
• Put back in fridge for a couple hours, or until firm.  
• Eat!!

Some Notes

-You can set aside some crushed Oreos before mixing with the cream cheese to use as the topping for the truffles.  

-Two forks work best for working to cover the truffles with the melted chocolate. 

A Year in Review

When I got home from our long weekend I found my Google Reader full of everyone doing a review of 2010.  So I thought I'd join the crowd. 

I've decided to highlight events, food, and books from 2010.

We'll start with the food.

Top 10 recipes I made in 2010 (in no particular order)

1. BBQ Chicken Pizza

2. Grilled Steaks with Sweet-Spicy Hoisin Sauce

3. Chocolate-Cream Cheese-Peanut Butter Bars 

4. Garden Pasta Salad 

5. Beef Stew

6. Enchilada Casserole

7. Creamy Taco Mac

8. Spinach Artichoke Dip

9. Creamy Fiesta Salsa Chicken

10. Beef & Cheese Manicotti

 

What did we do this year?  Oh yeah, we had a baby!!  ;)  Time certainly flies after having a baby.  I can't believe our little man is 6 months old!  

He's celebrated his first Christmas and New Year's. 

Other than having the baby, H and I didn't manage to do much this year.  We went to my family reunion over Labor Day Weekend.  I did start school in October, and will finish the beginning of June.  Hopefully 2011 will bring us more adventures and even more fun with our little man!! 

I'm a huge reader.  I managed to finish reading 168 books this past year.  Not quite as good as 2009 (195), but pretty dang good for having a brand new baby for half the year. 

Choosing just 10 may be hard, but I'll do my best! 

Top 10 Books Read in 2010 (in no particular order)

1. Eternal Hunter by Cynthia Eden

2. The Mane Squeeze by Shelly Laurenston

3. Jacob by Jacquelyn Frank

4. Shoot to Thrill by Nina Bruhns

5. Fantasy in Death & Indulgence in Death by JD Robb

6. Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts

7. Dark Hunter Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon (I've read 1-15 and gave 5 stars to 6 of the books)

8. Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

9. Watch Over Me by Lucy Monroe

10.Into the Lair by Maya Banks

I've set a goal of reading 150 books in 2011.  With school finishing in June, and hopefully getting a new job shortly thereafter I have no idea what my reading time will be like.  

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Source- Meijer Meal Planner

I'm not really sure how I'm going to source these recipes.  Meijer.com is the website for the grocery store that H and I shop at.  They have a meal planning tool where you can look through their recipes, add them to a list, and then add all the grocery items to a shopping list which you can then print.  Very convenient and they even offer coupons for some items.  

This was the first recipe H and I tried from the meal planner. 

The pizza crust I bought came with 2, so I actually doubled everything and made 2 pizzas for us.  Leftovers are fantastic.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 pre-cooked 12-inch pizza crust or focaccia
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place pizza crust on baking sheet, brush lightly with small amount of olive oil.
• Bake 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven, leaving oven on.
• Cut chicken breasts into 1/2-inch wide strips; sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper to taste.
• In medium skillet heat remaining oil over medium-high heat.
• Add chicken; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
• Spread barbecue sauce on heated crust.
• Top with onions, red peppers, chicken, and cheese.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Next Time-  H and I both loved this pizza.  He actually raved about it for a few days after.  The flavor is awesome.  H will definitely be asking me to make this again.  I think I'd be willing to add more red onion then I did.  I was worried about it being overpowering, but I think baking them took away their power. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Source- adapted from My Grandma

I changed things up a bit with this recipe.  The original is regular ole Banana Nut Bread.  I decided to change things up a bit by adding some chocolate chips because I was craving something chocolate, and lo-and-behold I was out of walnuts. 

I always use bananas that I've frozen and then thawed out.  If you have a banana going brown throw it in your freezer instead of throwing it out.  Then whenever the mood strikes you for something with mashed bananas, you just have to pull out 1 or 2 of these guys and let them thaw.  

If you want to sub the walnuts for the chocolate chips, make sure they are chopped well and you only need 1/2 cup.  

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup mashed banana, I use 2 full bananas
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
  

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix dry ingredients- flour, sugar, soda,  and powder
• Add wet ingredients- banana, butter and eggs
• Beat until well blended
• Mix in chocolate chips
• Spray bread pan with cooking spray
• Pour mixture into pan
• Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (My oven cooks faster so mine only needed about 50 minutes)

Next Time- I really liked the addition of the chocolate chips, as did my H.  I'll certainly be willing to make it this way again.  I also want to try it this way with the addition of the walnuts. 

Beef & Cheese Manicotti

Source-Giada De Laurentiis via Food Network

I love Giada.  Her recipes are so good, and some of them are so easy.  This one takes a little bit of time, but trust me, it is well worth it.  And since it is just H and I there were lots of leftovers, which both of us love.  Especially since we both liked this recipe so much.

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 14 (8-ounce package) manicotti
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Preparation

• Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. 
• Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.
• Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. 
• Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.
• Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. 
• Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. 
• Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. 
• Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. 
• Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. 
• Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. 
• Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.

Next Time- Wow is this dish good!!  H really liked it too.  It may be a bit time consuming filling the shells, but it's worth it.  Nothing needs to be changed!

Roasted Rosemary Pork Chops

Source-Betty Crocker

Not sure what to say about this recipe.  I was just looking for another pork recipe since I bought a family pack when it was on sale. 

I used up our potatoes with the beer braised beef, which is why I omitted them.  Didn't take nearly as long to cook with just the onions and no bone in the pork.  But faster isn't a bad thing!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic-pepper blend
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 3 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups) (omitted)
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-wide wedges
• 4 bone-in loin pork chops, 1/2 inch thick

Preparation

• Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. 
• In large bowl, mix mustard, oil, rosemary, garlic-pepper blend, seasoned salt and paprika. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the mustard mixture.
• Add potatoes and onion to remaining mustard mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Place vegetables in pan.
• Roast uncovered 25 minutes. Turn and stir potato mixture. Brush pork chops with reserved 1 tablespoon mustard mixture. Add pork chops to corners of pan.
• Roast uncovered 15 to 20 minutes longer or until pork is no longer pink when cut near bone and vegetables are tender.

Next Time- These had great flavor, and H and I both really liked the red onions.  It'd be nice to try this with the potatoes next time, but nothing else needs to be altered. 

Beer Braised Beef with Onions

Source-The Pioneer Woman

A sad note, I don't have a dutch oven that is oven safe.  So instead of wallowing in my inability to make this recipe, I decided to adapt things a bit and use my slow cooker.  Took about 4 hours instead of 3 for the meat to reach that fall apart doneness.

Ingredients

• 1 whole Chuck Roast, 2 1/2 To 5 Pounds
• Salt And Pepper To Taste (Be Generous!)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 whole Onions, Peeled And Sliced Thick
• 5 cloves Garlic Chopped
• 2 cans Beer
• 1 teaspoon Ground Thyme
• ½ teaspoons Rosemary Leaves

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
• Heat oil in a large dutch oven over high heat.
• Season meat generously with salt and pepper. Sear meat on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove meat from pan. Lower heat to medium.
• Throw in onions and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds. Pour in beer, and add thyme, rosemary, and salt to taste—about 1 teaspoon. (Do not undersalt!) Add meat to pot, put to submerge, and place lid on pot.
• Cook in oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until meat is fork tender and falling apart.
• Shred meat with two forks. Serve on dinner plates and spoon juice and onions over the top.
• Serve with very crust bread to sop up the juice.

Next Time- I wish I had had the crusty bread Ree mentions!!