Valentine's Day Dessert

Here is a FAST & EASY Dessert for the ones you
love... It's just a Chocolate brownie cut out with a
heart shaped cookie cutter...topped with a scoop
of vanilla ice cream, Chocolate sauce dipping
down the sides..& a Chocolate heart place on top!!!
It looks harder than it is..I promise...

RECIPE
1 box of Brownie mix (any kind)
ingredients for brownies (eggs, oil, & water usually)
vanilla ice cream

For Chocolate Hearts on Top:
1 bag chocolate melts (like in previous post..from
Walmart or Michael's)

For Chocolate Sauce:
3/4 c. heavy cream
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Make brownies as directed on back of pkg.
(cool & set aside)

2) To make Chocolate Hearts
Take 1/2 a bag of chocolate melts and microwave
for 1 min. on 50% power...then continue at 30 sec.
intervals at 50% power stirring after each one
(until smooth & shiny)

(Line a baking sheet with wax paper for the hearts
to be placed on & to dry)

Take melted chocolate & put into baggie (that
is not pleated) or small Ziplock bag with spoon.
Grab & twist bag tightly at top so chocolate doesn't
come out & cut a tiny bit off the corner so you have
a small hole that you "write" a heart on the prepared
baking sheet. Make as many hearts as the baggie will
hold or that you need. Let cool (I put them in the
refrigerator to speed up the process.) Set them aside

For Chocolate Sauce:
Melt chocolate chips in microwave @ 50% power
for 1 min & then 30 sec. intervals until melted
(Stirring after each interval) stir in cream slowly
to blend & is smooth & shiny

Putting it all together:
1) Cut brownies with heart shaped cookie cutter
2) With ice cream scoop put 1 scoop of vanilla ice
cream on top of brownie
3) Make sure the Chocolate sauce is warm & with
teaspoon drip some sauce on top of ice cream.
4) Place a Chocolate Heart on top of ice cream &
Chocolate sauce....

Superbowl Football Brownies/Blog Hop

Here for the Blog Hop?? Show us what you
have been working on.. It's Below the recipe.
Please link up & show us your talent. We can't
wait to see...

Are you thinking about what kind of foods
to have at your next get together..whether a
"Superbowl Party" or just having friends
over anytime..???

You don't want to be in the kitchen..you
want to be with family & friends..& enjoying
the memories your making. So with that being
said I am going to be giving you a fun recipe that
hopefully makes a 'Touchdown" at your next get
together.

You can make these the day before. These Chocolate
Brownie Footballs are adapted from Betty Crocker.
Thanks Betty.

RECIPE
1 box of your favorite brownie mix (Lg size)
(water, eggs, & vegetable oil called for on mix)

1 tub of white frosting or icing in a tube

Chocolate Ganache
4 (1 oz) semi-sweet chocolate squares
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp. butter

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350F. Line a 9"x 13" pan
with foil so that foil extends about 2" over
short sides of pan. Grease bottom only of
foil with cooking spray. SEE BELOW



2) Make & bake brownies as directed on box for a
9x13 pan using water, oil & eggs. COOL for 1 hr.

3) When cooled take out of pan with foil & flip over on to surface (breadboard, etc.) for cutting out the
footballs.

Peel off aluminum foil and make a template of a
"Football" (abt 3 1/2" x 2") SEE BELOW

If this is all you want to do then just use white icing

to put "Laces" on the football & your done.

OR

4) If you would like to make a ganache then proceed

with taking 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream, 3 Tbsp.

butter getting it hot on stove. (watching to not burn)

Add semi-sweet chocolate squares & blend together

to make ganache. SEE BELOW

It should have a beautiful glisten.

5) BELOW shows the way I did the dipping.
I hand dipped one side of the brownie & put on
cookie rack to dry.
Then after they have dried I put white frosting
into a icing bag (with a small round hole tip) &
decorated the footballs with "Laces." I was happy
with the way they turned out..and they were a big
hit with friends & family.

Super Bowl Rib/Mon. Blog Hop

Blog Hop is below recipe...Show us your great ideas.

I've made Country Style Boneless Ribs for a lot
of years but these are different...I experimented with
the recipe & found some Great flavors (the Dijon
mustard gives it a KICK) to blend in the sauce & a
different way to bake them!! Soooooooo..of course I
wanted to share these ideas with you guys....

Here goes: Pre-heat oven to 250F.

RECIPE
3 -3 1/2 lbs. of Country Style pork or beef ribs (I used boneless)
1 tsp. minced garlic
dash of garlic powder
dash of salt
dash of pepper
BBQ Sauce
2 c. Honey BBQ sauce
1 1/2 c. Brown sugar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Directions:
Line a 9 x 13" pan with aluminum foil
over lapping the sides enough to fold
over top of ribs.

Place Country Stye ribs in pan and sprinkle both
sides with garlic powder, salt, pepper, &
minced garlic. AS SEEN BELOW

Fold aluminum foil over & place in pre-heated
250F. oven and bake for 2 hrs.

While ribs are baking, mix together Brown sugar,

Honey BBQ Sauce, & Dijon mustard into a

beautiful basting glaze. SEE BELOW

After baking for 2 hrs. take ribs out of

oven, drain excess water and grease from

pan, & baste ribs with glaze....put back in

oven for 1 hr..Take out...Optional: baste 1

more time for an even thicker glaze and put

back in the oven for 10 more minutes.. Throw out any un-used sauce since you have been

using a brush back & forth touching raw meat..so for

health reasons you would not use any left

over sauce. After.. Tender, juicy & succulent!!!!

After you make these..you'll have to keep them

hidden or they'll be gone...Before dinner. That's

what my family told me..so be forewarned..

These would be a SUPER football party food.

The glaze could be even put over wings or chicken
legs. Deliciousssssssssssssssss.....Enjoy..

Valentine's Day Gifts (made from Vinyl Decals)

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas....here are some fun Vinyl Decal
items I made that are currently in my ETSY Shoppe..Take a
Peek..CLICK HERE

Favorite 3 Bean Chili

I took 2 completely different recipes from 2
different generations & mixed them together,
omitted some other ingredients & came up with this.
I wanted something that would be especially
nutritious for my family. Great on a cold evening.

My daughter let me know in past weeks how
much she loves black beans, & how good they
are for you sooo I wanted black beans, kidney
beans, & veggies in it plus some lean gr. beef..
but not too spicy.. This is what I came
up with.

Hope you enjoy this as I much as I had coming
up with it....

RECIPE
1 lb. lean ground beef, crumbled
1 yellow skinned onion, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 (14.5oz.) can of crushed tomatoes (not drained)
1 can of tomato soup
1 (15oz.) can of black beans (not drained)
1 (15.25oz.) can of kidney beans (not drained)
1 (16oz.) can of Fat Free refried beans
1 Tbsp. chili powder (more for a spicier chili)
1 c. water

Directions:
In a deep pot combine onions, ground beef, &
garlic. Brown these together (drain off any grease)
Add 1 can of tomato soup, can of crushed tomatoes,
black beans, & kidney beans. Cook on med. heat for
about 10 min. Season with chili powder (to your
taste) Blend in refried beans & water. Simmer
for 10 min or until all are ingredients are blended
together.. Taste...add more of any thing you like....

Toppings
shredded cheese
chopped scallions
tortilla Chips

Re-opening of santasgiftshoppe/Mon. Blog Hop

It has been a wonderful vacation & now it's time to
re-open our ETSY store...this Wed. Jan.11th, 2012.

Above are a few of the Vinyl Decals for Aluminum
Water Bottles (or any smooth surface) available for
purchase @ santasgiftshoppe.etsy.com starting Wed.

What have you been making?? Join our Mon. Blog Hop
and show us your talents...Link up below...