As empty nesters, we are easily overloaded by a full size cheesecake, so I have been experimenting. I finally got it down to six cupcake size cheesecakes which suits us perfectly. These little guys ALWAYS turn out perfect.....no cracks, no sink hole in the center and they are smooth, rich and addicting!! Place six foil (or paper) cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Preheat your oven to 325°. CRUST 1/3  cup graham cracker crumbs 2    teaspoons sugar 2    teaspoons melted butter Mix together and split evenly between ..read more

SUPER EASY Have you ever cooked a whole turkey breast in the crockpot? It is fail proof and super moist and tender!!! It also makes enough broth for a wonderful gravy too!! It is great for ANY holiday or even a week night.  5 pound bone-in turkey breast 1 envelope dry onion soup mix 3 stalks celery chopped 1/2 cup chicken broth black pepper The size of your crockpot will determine how many pounds of turkey you can cook. I've found turkey breasts at the market, weighing as little as 4 1/2 pounds and as much as 7 pounds... but keep in mind it is going to have to fit into your crockpot ..read more

This fast and fun recipe is a delicious chocolate sauce and when you put it on something cold, it turns hard like commercial "Magic Shell" (except a lot more budget friendly). Don't restrict it to ice cream though, how about frozen bananas? 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips  ¼ cup butter ¼ cup canola oil ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract Heat the chocolate, butter and oil until the chocolate melts. I do this in the microwave, starting at 30 seconds on high, then stir, then 15 more seconds and stir and a final 15 seconds and stir. At first, it will seem like the ingredients don't want to ble ..read more

I kid you not, these chicken thighs are the BEST of the BEST and quick and easy to make. They are SUPER moist, SUPER tender and SUPER flavorful. We couldn't stop eating them and they are going straight to the TOP of my FIVE STAR recipe list. 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs  (thawed) Milk to cover 1/4 cup melted butter 1 tablespoon Coleen's seasoned salt (click here for recipe) 3/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup flour 2 teaspoons paprika Put the chicken in a large bowl and cover with milk (I use 2%). Let this sit in fridge for 3 ..read more

I don't know about you, but I have ruined a LOT of expensive shrimp over the years by not cooking it properly. I have been known to turn $20 dollars worth of beautiful raw shrimp into a bowl of shrimp that has the texture erasers!!  Very frustrating for sure!! Well, not any more, my friends!! I have found the easiest, quickest, most fool proof and certainly most delicious way to cook RAW shrimp. Where has this recipe been all my life?? Am I the only one who didn't know this trick? A QUICK 30 MINUTE BRINE 1 cup cold water 2 cups ice (I just used an ice cube tray full ..read more

SERIOUS COMFORT FOOD We call this lasagna (which it isn't) but it qualifies as serious comfort food and has all of the rich, familiar lasagna flavors. 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (browned and drained well) 4 cups of beef broth (not bullion) (1) 15 ounce can of tomato sauce (1) 12 ounce can of tomato paste 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes 1 teaspoon dry oregano 2 teaspoons dry basil 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed (don't leave out) 1 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoons sugar (don't leave out) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper small pinch of red chili flakes (optional) 3/4 pound ..read more

If you like Nutella, you will LOVE peanutella, just think of the possibilities!! Lets see, let me count the ways: on waffles, on pound cake, on warm scones, in a sandwich, with s'mores, on waffles, as a dip for apples and oh yes...right out of the jar with a spoon!!! 2 cups shelled, skinned raw peanuts (see note) 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (best quality you can find) 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt  2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil Spread the nuts on a cookie sheet and roast in a 400F oven for 10 minutes (stirring half way through for even roasting).  NOTE ..read more

We love this recipe, not only because it is easy and tasty, but because of it's excellent leftover possibilities. Green chile roast leftovers make great cold sandwiches or it can be torn apart and tucked (hot) into warm tortillas (with a little bit of the chile gravy & some pepperjack cheese?) It is one of those recipes that tastes even better on day two). 4 pound boneless pork loin roast 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 7 ounce can of roasted green chiles (I use Ortega) 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon dry red pepper flakes (optional) 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 ..read more

I have been tweaking this recipe for a few years and I finally have it just the way we like it. It is one of those easy recipes that you dump everything in the slow cooker and wait for the magic.  Canned refried beans just don't "do it" for us after trying this one. Honestly, I could just eat this with a spoon right out of the slow cooker...forget the toppings. 1 medium sweet onion chopped 3 cups of rinsed (and sorted) DRY PINTO beans (don't soak) 2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. black pepper 3 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. ground cumin 4 ounce can of chopped mild green chiles (do not leave out) 9 cu ..read more

 Buddy, our 5 year old Chiweenie, absolutely LOVES these treats. They are super easy to make (only 4 ingredients) and cost a fraction of most commercial treats. 4 cups oats (processed in food processor to smaller texture) 2/3 cup applesauce (I used unsweetened) 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I use Skippy) 2 eggs (lightly beaten) Put the oats into a food processor and chop until you have a smaller texture. It will take (about) 6 cups of oats to make 4 cups of chopped oats. (I hope that makes sense). Click on this photo see the texture In a stand mixer, mix the chopped oats, applesauce ..read more