Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Serves: 8 

Total Time: 2 Hours

-8 T of pumpkin puree

-8 T of vanilla

-2 t of cinnamon

-8 cinnamon sticks

-4 cups of strongly brewed coffee

-6 cups of milk

-8 T of sugar

-whipping cream [optional]

Combine the milk and coffee, and pour into the crockpot. Whip together the other ingredients [minus the cinnamon sticks and whipping cream] and pour into the crockpot. Mix together well.

-Cover the crockpot, and cook on high for 2 hours.

Pumpkin Dip

Pumpkin Pie Dip

Ingredients:

·         15 oz can pumpkin

·         3/4 cup brown sugar (Splenda would work too)

·         1 tsp vanilla

·         1/8 tsp cinnamon

·         1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or more to taste)*

·         6 oz fat free Greek yogur

·         8 oz Cool Whip (I used fat-free)

·         cut up apples, bananas, and other fruits/crackers/cookies to dip

Mix pumpkin with brown sugar, vanilla and spices, blend well. Mix in yogurt. Fold in cool whip and chill in refrigerator until ready to eat.
Makes about 6 cups (12 servings).

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

4-8        oz fettuccine or linguine

10          tbsp butter, divided (I know, but I’ve tried it with less and it’s just not the same)

8 oz fresh, sliced mushrooms

3              garlic cloves, minced

2              oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces

2        tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (you can use dried herbs if that’s all you have)

2/3 cup boiling water (from your noodle pot)

1 lb cooked shrimp (feel free to buy frozen-gasp!)

Boil and salt a large pot of water and cook your pasta.  I usually only use about half of an 8 oz box, preferring fewer noodles.

1. While your pasta is cooking, cook your shrimp if necessary and reserve.  If your shrimp are pre-cooked and frozen, quickly thaw them under running water.
2. In a large skillet melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat and saute mushrooms until soft and brown.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Reserve cooked mushrooms and melt remaining butter in the skillet.  Add minced garlic, cream cheese, and herbs.  At this point, I generally feel like something has gone terribly wrong.  The cream cheese doesn’t really melt and starts to look almost curdled, don’t worry about it!  It will all smooth out and be wonderful when we add the water. I promise.
4. Simmer cream cheese mixture until well blended. Get a scoop of boiling pasta water from your noodle pot and mix it in, stirring quickly to smooth out the sauce.
5. Keep sauce hot and add shrimp and mushrooms, mix well and simmer (stirring often) until everything is hot and thickened, about 10 minutes-you wont ruin this sauce by accidentally boiling it so don’t worry.
6. Toss sauce with cooked noodles and serve.

Best Pork Chops EVER!

Best Pork Chops EVER!

1. Ranch Dressing In A Bottle.

2. 3 Cups Fine Dry Italian Bread Crumbs.

3. 1 Small Package Dry Italian Dressing Mix.

4. 2 Tablespoons Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese.

5. 1 Tablespoon Dry Powdered Garlic.

6. 6 Large Loin Pork Chops.

You will want to mix ingredients 2 - 5 in a large bowl and mix together very well. Now pour a layer of ranch dressing out into a plate. Take one pork chop at a time and coat it on the plate with ranch dressing and then put the pork chop with the ranch dressing on it into the large bowl with the bread crumbs and coat it well on all sides. Add more ranch dressing to the plate if you need to.

Have your tin foil lined baking pan setting there ready. Spray the tinfoil with vegetable cooking spray. Place your breaded pork chops onto the tinfoil covered pan and once you have all your pork chops on the pan place it into the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the thick part of your pork chops reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. As soon as your pork chops are done remove from the pan and serve as soon as possible.

Garlic Pesto Chicken with Tomato Cream Penne

Garlic Pesto Chicken with Tomato Cream Penne

1/2 bottle of lawrys Herb and Garlic Marinade
2 large spoonfuls of Pesto
2 boneless chicken breasts.

Cut chicken into one inch strips. Using same knife make slits into chicken. Pour lawrys marinade and pesto over chicken. Marinate over night (I did mine Sunday morning and cooked mine Monday evening so it marinated a while!!)

Sauce:
8 ounces of your choice of pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
2 spoonfuls of pesto
1/2 cup of chicken broth
8 ounces of tomato sauce
1 cup of half and half

Boil water and start on noodles.

Pour entire batch of chicken, marinade and all, into skillet and cook chicken fully (the marinade will evaporate/cook down)

Heat olive oil, cook garlic. Add pesto. Simmer in chicken broth until half has cooked down. Add tomato sauce. Then add milk. Simmer for 5 minutes. Toss pasta in. Add flour if it needs to be thickened. Place chicken on top.