Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

I've been holding onto this recipe for awhile now and figured I should probably post it before "pumpkin season" is officially done!!

This was a first for me, making pumpkin seeds. I am not a huge fan but I do enjoy them every so often! I had no idea what kind of recipe to look for and just ended up getting lucky, finding a really good one and making myself look like a pro! :)

This recipe takes less time to prep and cook then it does to clean off the seeds. It is also super easy and a fun little snack.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbls of margarine, melted
1/2 tsp of salt
1/8 tsp of garlic salt
2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
2 cups of raw pumpkin seeds

Step One:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Mix salt, garlic salt, butter, Worcestershire sauce and pumpkin seeds in a small bowl. Spread out onto a shallow baking dish and bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Step Two:
Remove seeds from oven, let cool and transfer to serving dish. ENJOY!

Original Recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/spiced-pumpkin-seeds/detail.aspx

Sticky Buns!

No, I did not pick the name of this recipe. Yes, this recipe will give you "jello" buns if you ate it all the time!! (Which would be easy to do given that these things are AMAZING and SUPER easy to make. )

I found this recipe on Pinterest one morning and decided to run to the store and make them quick. It literally took me all of 5 minutes to throw together and 20-30 minutes to bake! Craig and Andy devoured them just as fast as I did. There were NO leftovers and NO empty stomachs! :)

Ingredients:
One tube of large/jumbo biscuits
1/2 Cup of maple syrup
1/2 Cup of packed brown sugar
3 tbsp of melted butter
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 cup of chopped almonds (optional)
1/2 cup of chopped pecans (optional)

Step One:
Preheat oven to 375 and grease bunt pan. In a small bowl mix syrup and melted butter together. In another small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts (if desired).

Step Two:
Pour about 1/2 of the syrup into the bottom of the bowl. Also, sprinkle about 1/2 of the brown sugar mix on top of the syrup.

Step Three:
Take biscuits and line the bottom of the pan.

Step Four:
Pour the remaining syrup on top of the biscuits and sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar. Place into the oven and bake until biscuits are flaky. (You may need to cover the biscuits for the last 5-7 mins so that they do not burn.)

Step Five:
Remove pan from oven and let cool for about ten minutes. Flip pan onto a plate and let the remaining topping run off onto the biscuits. Peel and ENJOY!!

Original Recipe:
http://all-things-delicious.blogspot.com/2011/03/sticky-bun-breakfast-ring.html

Ravioli Lasagna

P-I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T!!!!! Now that I have everyone's attention, onto a beautiful recipe that I found while spending countless hours on Pinterest. Lasagna seems to be a crowd pleaser for everyone and a go to recipe for dinner parties and family gatherings. The only downfall to lasagna is that it takes forever to make and seems like it takes just as long to bake! The good news is that this recipe was incredibly easy to make and only took an hour to bake.

Perks: -You can use any type of ravioli that you want (cheese, spinach, meat, etc.)
           -This recipe can also be vegetarian.
           -You can make this the night of or the night before!!

Tip: If you are making a 9x13 inch pan, use two bags of ravioli instead of one! (Like I did.)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb Hamburger or Italian pork sausage
1 Jar (26-28 oz) tomato pasta sauce
1-2 packages (25-27 oz) frozen cheese-filled ravioli (or whatever kind you prefer)
2 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (10 oz)
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

• Step One:
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour about a cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of your pan (enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan).

Step Two:

Line bottom of pan with frozen ravioli. (If you are wanting to make this and eat it in the same night, cook the ravioli and than proceed with this step.)

Step Three:
Pour about 1 1/2 cups of sauce on top of the noodles and spread evenly.

Step Four:
Pour 1/2 of the meat onto the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Layer with more ravioli and top off with the rest of the sauce and cheese.

Step Five (If using frozen noodles):
Cover pan and place into the refridgerator for 8 hrs mininium but no more than 24 hrs.

Step Six:  
Place pan into the oven and bake for 45 mins, covered.

Step Seven:
Remove tin foil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cook for another 15 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Step Eight:
Remove from oven, let cool for about 10-15 minutes. Serve and ENJOY!!

• 
  
• Original Recipes:
• Night Before/With Meat:
•  http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/do-ahead-ravioli-sausage-lasagna-recipe/1/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TBSP_Newsletter%202011_06_06%20(1)&utm_content=Total%20Meltdown:%2010%20Irresistibly%20Cheesy%20Recipes
• Day Of/Vegetarian: 
• http://www.cookingwithmykid.com/dinner/savory-sitter-ravioli-lasagna/

Extremely Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Something you should know, I love cheese. Something else you should know, I love Mexican food. When I found a recipe for Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup, I knew it was a must!!

I learned a lot about cooking a thick soup; a little goes a long ways, it is extremely filling and if I served this again, I would make it an appetizer. The soup is VERY good but like I just stated, I could barely finish one bowl because I went into cheese coma from how filling it was. 

I would recommend making it exactly how the original recipe calls. I thought I would throw a little bit more cheese into the soup and ended up regretting it. This is a super easy recipe and would be great served with a mexican feast! :) ENJOY!! 

Ingredients:

1 envelope Taco Seasoning
1-½ pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Diced or 1 rotisserie chicken
½ cups Chopped Onion
2 T Butter
⅓ cups Flour
2-½ cups broth, chicken or vegetable
8-12 oz. 2% Milk Velveeta, cubed
8 oz. Shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican 4 cheese blend shredded cheese
1 jar salsa (any Variety)
1 cup half and half or milk
Fritos, green onion, and sour cream (for garnish)

Step One:

Chicken Breast: In a skillet, add seasoning and diced chicken. Cook chicken until throughly cooked. Drain and set aside.

Rotisserie Chicken: Shred chicken into a bowl and toss with seasoning

Step Two:

Dice onion and saute with butter until onions have become clear. Add flour until blended and than slowly add chicken broth. Stir and let bring to a boil. Once it has reached boiling, let it cook for another 2-3 mins until the soup has thickened.

Step Three:

Cut Velveeta into cubes and add to broth along with shredded cheese and salsa. Cook on medium heat until cheese is completely melted. 

Step Four:

Stir in half and half. Add chicken to soup and heat throughly BUT do NOT boil. Ladle into bowls, top with sour cream, green onion and Fritos (if you wish) and ENJOY!

Original Recipe:

http://cookingwithkrista.blogspot.com/2010/02/cheesy-chicken-tortilla-soup.html