Crispy Chocolate Cherry or Cranberry Treats

Recipe compliments of My Kitchen Cafe



3 tablespoons butter
1 (10-ounce) bag marshmallows
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal (or off-brand works fantastic, too)
1 cup dried cherries or cranberries (I used Craisins-dried cranberries)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

I used an 8 x 8 brownie pan from Williams-Sonoma for this recipe. Line the pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.

Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Add marshmallows, white chocolate chips, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth, about 8 minutes. Stir in vanilla.

Off heat, stir in rice krispies and cherries or cranberries until incorporated. Scrape mixture into prepared pan and press into bottom and corners with a greased spatula. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Melt semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave on low at 30 second intervals until smooth. Pour melted chocolate into a ziplock baggie, pressing chocolate into one corner of the bag. Using scissors, clip a tiny piece off the corner and drizzle chocolate over cooled treats. Allow chocolate to cool, about 45 minutes. Using foil overhang, lift treats from pan. Cut into squares. Serve.

You can also make: Double Chocolate Caramel Turtle Treats
Prepare Crispy Chocolate Cherry Treats, substituting 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chips. Omit the cherries or cranberries and stir in 15 soft caramel candies, quartered, and 1 cup chopped toasted pecans with the rice krispies.

These treats were very easy to make and very delicious! My husband and grandfather wanted to eat the entire pan!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Recipe compliments of Kelly's Recipes

Grilled Pork Tenderloin
by Paula Deen

Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 oranges, juices
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped scallions

1 pork tenderloin (about 12 ounces)
Olive oil, for brushing

Combine marinade ingredients in measuring cup and stir to combine.

Place the pork tenderloin in a plastic, sealable bag. Pour marinade over the tenderloin and seal bag. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat an outdoor grill or preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove pork tenderloin from marinade and pat dry. Brush olive oil onto grill and over meat for extra flavor. Reserve marinade.

Grill tenderloin until cooked through, about 30 minutes to 40 minutes over medium heat. Or roast in oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Allow meat to rest about 10 minutes before cutting into 2-inch serving pieces.

While meat is grilling, bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan, then lower the heat and gently simmer until it is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Stir occasionally. Drizzle a small amount of marinade over each piece of meat.

The pork tenderloin was a major hit at my house! This recipe was super easy and very delicious! I served it with mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, salad and crescent rolls. We will definitely be having this again!

Cake Balls

from Bakerella



1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet.
4. Chill for several hours - make sure they are really firm. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.) THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!!
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra - two forks also works great if your chocolate is warm enough.)
7. Drizzle with extra chocolate bark

*You can use any cake mix and icing. I used strawberry cake and vanilla icing and it turned out perfect!

Easy Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 pinch garlic powder
2/3 cold water
1/3 cup canned tomato sauce
8 El Monterrey taquitos (I used the chicken and cheese ones)
4 ounces shredded cheese Cheddar or Monterrey Jack (I used Kraft Mexican cheese)

Sauce:
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and chili powder and cook, stirring with a whisk, for 1 minute. Dissolve cumin, salt and garlic powder in water. Add to saucepan along with the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Place taquitos in deep baking dish. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of enchiladas. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

*You can use 1 cup of prepared enchilada sauce.
You can put the enchiladas in the microwave and cook on high for 12-14 minutes.

Poppy Seed Chicken

I got this recipe from Kelly's Recipes, but I modified it for our liking.

Ingredients:
2 or 3 chicken breasts, boiled and cut in small pieces (I used 2 bags of Tyson's grilled chicken breast strips)
4 oz sour cream
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
2 tablespoons of poppyseeds (I just shake in the poppy seeds)
Ritz crackers

Directions:
Mix the first 4 ingredients and put in a baking dish. Cover with crushed Ritz crackers. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

*You can double the ingredients to make more.

Easy Cheesy Chicken Rolls

Ingredients:
1 can of Pillsbury crescent rolls
2 chicken breasts - cooked and chopped (I use one package of Tyson's Grilled Chicken Breast Strips)
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup of milk

Directions:
Separate rolls into 8 triangles. Mix chicken and 1 cup of cheese together. Put a small amount of chicken and cheese on each triangle and roll up as you normally would with crescent rolls. Place in lightly greased casserole dish.

Sauce:
Mix 1 can of Cream of Chicken soup, 1 cup of cheese and 1 cup of milk. Heat and stir until smooth.

Pour the sauce over the crescent rolls and bake at 325 for 45 minutes or until rolls are brown.

I usually serve with white rice and a salad.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 packet of ranch dressing mix
1-2 packets of taco seasoning (the more packets, the spicier the dish)
1 diced onion
tortilla chips
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a skillet, brown the ground beef and onions. Once beef and onions are browned, place them in a slow-cooker. Drain the Rotel tomatoes, corn, kidney beans and black beans. Add the Rotel, corn, beans, dressing, seasoning and onions to the slow-cooker. Mix with the ground beef and onions. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, and shredded cheedar cheese. Enjoy! This makes a great cold weather meal!

Welcome to Cookbook Jungle

Welcome to cookbook jungle. I am a newlywed learning to cook. I am always browsing through my mom and grandmother's recipe boxes and the web for delicious, easy recipes.

My grandmother was Martha Stewart before Martha Stewart existed. It's hard to follow in her footsteps, but I am trying. Enjoy the recipes!