Caramel Praline Cheesecake

So after a very long time away from Oh-Damage, I thought I had better get my act together and get a recipe done. This recipe, of course, is another dessert. I mean, really what else is there, right? Actually, my daughter, Melanie, brought this recipe to a family reunion and I fell in love with it. I love pecans and I love toffee and I love cheesecake so when you put it all together you just can't go wrong. If you want a yummy, pretty easy dessert give this recipe a try. Pretty darn good!





The ingredients are pretty basic but you might not have all of them on your shelves. It begins with a sugar cookie packet. I didn't have the Betty Crocker but I did have a Krusteaz so I used it. I think I like the Betty Crocker better-just my opinion.


























Cut the butter into the cookie mix with a couple of knives or a pastry blender. When is resembles little peas, pat it into a sprayed 9x13 pan.






Mix the cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla and egg all together and then add the caramel topping. Mix well and then spread evenly over the hot crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes depending on your oven.







Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the top. If you see little specks of nuts in the topping - yep, I didn't read the recipe enought times to figure out that you didn't mix the nuts and toffee bits into the crumbs, so I just dumped in the nuts and then had to scoop them back out-but there are a few in there. Don't do that. Just mix the nuts and the toffee bits and spread over the top of the crumb mixture.





Remove from the oven when it is golden brown. Let cool and then refrigerate for 2-3 hours before adding the caramel topping.







MMMM! Once again, a very yummy dessert to take to your next family party or just eat the whole thing yourself. If you like pecans, then you will love this dessert.








Caramel Praline Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS
Cookie Base and Topping
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup toffee bits
Filling
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 cup caramel topping
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Place cookie mix in bowl; cut in butter using pastry blender or fork until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, 1/4 cup of the caramel topping, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
3 Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over partially baked cookie base. Sprinkle with reserved crumb topping, pecans and toffee bits.
4 Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup caramel topping. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator

Chocolate Mousse Dessert

MMMMMM! Another fast and easy dessert. I seem to like them don't I? This is a dessert that will leave everyone asking for the recipe. If you love chocolate, you will love this. I used Heath toffee bits but you could pick your favorite candy bar and chop it up. You could even use more than one kind of candy bar if you wanted to. I also sprinkled the toffee bits on top but grating chocolate on top is really good too.





The ingredients are pretty basic. The Jello Mousse is pretty new to the market and is so rich and chocolatey. You need two boxes of the mousse to make sure you have enough for two layers. If you make it in a 9x13 for a party, say, you would need three boxes for sure.





It helps if you have the cake cut into pieces and all of your ingredients ready to go before you start to layer. Mix the mousse last because it gets very thick.






Layer any way you want. I started with a little mousse in the glass but if you are doing a big bowl, I would start with the cake. There is not a lot of mousse and I would just use it in the two layers. Of course, you can always use another box of mousse if you want it really creamy and chocolatey!







Yummy! This is just so good you can't pass it up. Try it today. If you love chocolate this recipe is for you:)










Chocolate Mousse Dessert

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
2 Pkgs. Jello Chocolate Mousse
1 pint Whipping Cream
Heath chocolate covered toffee bits OR
any kind of candy bars chopped up


Mix cake as directed and bake. Let cool.
Cut into cubes-set aside

Beat whipping cream until thick. Sweeten and add vanilla- set aside

Mix mousse according to directions (will get very thick)

In a trifle or pretty bowl, layer cake cubes, mousse, cream and toffee bits. Repeat layers ending with whipped cream. Sprinkle with toffee bits or shave a chocolate bar on top.

Refrigerate. Enjoy!

Poppy Seed Dressing

This salad dressing is alot like the expensive Poppy Seed dressings you can buy off the shelf. It is deeelish and it only takes a couple of minutes to make. Store in your refrigerator and you can use it any time to dress up an ordinary salad and make it taste special.






The ingredients are basic. You probably have them hanging around the house.








Mix mayonaise, sugar and vinegar together in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the poppy seeds. Refrigerate.

This salad dressing can dress up any salad but it especially yummy on salads that have some spinach and some fruit in it. I love lots of yummy things in my salad (minus tomatoes:) ) This salad has red leaf lettuse, spinach, red onions, fresh mushrooms, mozzerella cheese, walnuts (I prefer pecans or almonds) and mandarin oranges. It would be awesome with craisens or strawberries too. The cool thing about this wonderful salad is that you can put anything you love into it and top it off with this yummy, inexpensive dressing. ENJOY!!!



Easy Poppy Seed Dressing

1 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 Tbls. poppy seeds

Mix all together and refrigerate!

The Marlboro Man Sandwich

This heavenly little sandwich caught my eye quite awhile ago and I just now got around to making it. I had it really worked up in my mind how wonderful it would be and I really think it was a yummy as I had imagined. It is pretty straight forward and if you like meat, you will absolutely love this sandwich. Don't just salivate over the photo, get the stuff and try it out-I promise, you won't be sorry:)




The ingredients are pretty basic. The cube steaks are a little pricey but when you consider what you would pay for this kind of sandwich in a restaurant, you would be paying a whole lot more.







Slice up the onions and then saute them in a couple a tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Cook them slow so they get done and not too brown. Remove from the skillet when they are done and set aside.





Cut the cube steak against the grain. Salt generously with the Lawry's Seasoning Salt. Toss to cover.




Brown the meat in the butter and when the pink is almost gone, add the onions back in and the Worchestshire sauce, tabasco sauce and more butter. Stir together and get ready to serve.




Butter the buns and toast on a skillet or griddle. This little griddle is my Grandpa Gibbons and it toasts so good. He used it to cook pancakes on when I was a little girl and I was lucky enough to get it when my parents died. (Just a little side note)




Pile the meat on the bun and add some of the sauce over the top. Put the top on!
OOOOHHHH MAN! What can you even say? Just open wide and devour every little bit!




This sandwich is really as good as it looks. You can dress it up with peppers, mushrooms and provolone cheese if you want. Actually, that would be amazing. Try it out. It's easy and OH so yummy!





The leftovers:)



The Marlboro Man Sandwich

Ingredients
• 1 whole Large (or 2 Small) Onions
• 2 sticks Butter (lots And Lots Of Butter)
• 2 pounds (to 3 Pounds) Cube Steak (tenderized Round Steak That's Been Extra Tenderized)
• Lawry's Seasoned Salt (or Similar Seasoned Salt)
• ½ cups (approximately) Worcestershire Sauce
• Tabasco Sauce, To Taste
• 4 whole French/deli Rolls (earthgrains Are Best!)
Preparation Instructions
Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.
Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.
Add 1/2 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 tablespoons butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.
Butter halved French rolls and brown in skillet.
To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and devour!

Knock You Naked Brownie

Before you get your feathers all ruffled, I DID NOT name these brownies. I don't like to change the name of others recipes so I left it the way that it is. This recipe caught my attention and I have had the ingredients assembled for awhile. So here it is. Call it what you want but it is definately a must try.





The ingredients are pretty basic. Pioneer Woman says the cake mix has to be German Chocolate. I just might try a different kind of chocolate next time I make these.





Mix the cake mix, nuts, melted butter and evaporated milk together. It will be thick. I didn't have enough nuts and didn't want to run to the store so I just added the nuts I had to the second half of the dough for the top.






Press half of the mix into a 9x9 pan that has been greased or sprayed well. Pat the other half out into a square that will fit on top. I think next time I will pat it out on wax paper so it will be easier to move into the pan.








I was a little worried that the caramel was too runny but it actually is perfect. I unwrapped the caramels before I started the brownies and I'm glad that I did. It took me forever to unwrap the things so maybe get those unwrapped and started melting and then put the brownies together.






The recipe calls for 1/3 cup of chocolate chips spread evenly over the caramel. Well as you can see by the photo, that just wasnt't enough from me. Sometimes I just can't help myself and I have to tweek a recipe. I added about double the chocolate chips. Top with the other half of the crust and bake til it's done. Let cool on the counter and then wrap and put into the refrigerator for a few hours.





Well, I ate these brownies and nothing happened, if you know what I mean. My clothes are intact but this recipe did leave me jumping up and down and yelling Yippee!!!! I guess I'm just crazy like that. Try it out and see what happens to you:)


Recipe: Knock You Naked Brownie
Ingredients
• 1 box (18.5 Ounce) German Chocolate Cake Mix (I Used Duncan Hines)
• 1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• ⅓ cups Evaporated Milk
• ½ cups Evaporated Milk (additional)
• ½ cups Butter, Melted
• 60 whole Caramels, Unwrapped
• ⅓ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• ¼ cups Powdered Sugar
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.
Press half the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.

In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.
Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.

*Adapted from the standard/classic “Knock You Naked Brownies” recipe. These brownies don’t really knock you naked…but almost

My version of Baked Potato Skins or Twice Baked Potatoes

This is my version of Baked Potato Skins. As alot of you know, many of my recipes aren't really written down. I kind of make things up in my head. When my kids or others ask for a recipe I have to give it from my head and sometimes I am guessing. When I cook without a recipe, I add a little of this and a little of that til it tastes good. We like potatoes at our house and so I decided to try this out. I have made twice baked before where I cut just the very top of the potato off and scoop everything out but this time I wanted them to be a little more crunchy. So, good luck trying to follow. The great thing about these potatoes is that you can add anything and everything that you love on top. Try them out with peppers, mushrooms, grilled onions or green onions, the sky's the limit. LOL





These potatoes are really easy and taste really good. If you are looking for a side dish for any meat, these work great. Happy Eating:)


Baked Potato Skins or Twice Bake Potatoes

Bake as many medium sized potatoes as you want.
Bake them without foil so the skins crisp up a bit,

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out most the pulp (leave a little rim) into a bowl. Add a little salt and a little garlic salt and pepper, butter, a little sour cream and a little milk and mash them all together. Taste to make sure it's flavorful. Brush the insides of the skins with some melted butter and place under the broiler with the rack two slots below the broiler. Broil until the skins start to get crunchy. Watch them so they don't burn. Remove them from the oven and scoop some of the mashed potato on top of each skin. Top with bacon bits, shredded parmesean cheese and shredded cheddar cheese. Return to oven on middle rack and let heat through. At the end, turn the broiler back on and let it really get the cheese bubbly. Enjoy

Garlic Bread Spread and, of course, Garlic Bread

Okay, so I am trying really hard to have recipes that aren't filled with sugar to put on this blog-but I am dying to try a brownie recipe that I am sure will be on here in nothin flat. For today, however, I thought I would try this easy little seasoning for garlic bread. Who doesn't love garlic bread, Right? There are a couple of recipes that I like that call for garlic bread seasoning. Have you ever heard of that? Well, it's expensive and you don't get much. This recipe lets you make it at home at a fraction of the cost and tastes so so good. So here it is! Garlic Bread Seasoning. Ta Da:)





Not too many ingredients. You will probably have most of these on your shelf. I did have to go buy Marjoram!






Measure out everything-not like this-just in a bowl-this is for the photo op. Anyway, measure out everything-it easy!








Mix everything together and put into an air tight container. Store in your refrigerator for up to 3 months.







Mix 1 1/2 Tbls. with 1/2 cup (1 stick) soft butter and spread this deliciousness on your favorite french bread, baquettes or hoagie buns cut in half down the middle. You can wrap the bread in foil and bake or just stick it right under the broiler to get it fast and toasty.




How do you say MMMMMMMM or OOOOOOOOHHH? This recipe is definately a keeper. Literally, it will keep in your fridge for up to 3 months. You can sprinkle it on baked potatoes or other veggies but, hey, garlic bread is the best. Try it, you'll love it.


Garlic Bread Seasoning

1/2 c. powdered Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. marjoram
2 tsp. parsley