Fruit Pizza

There are many ways to create a fruit pizza. You can make your own sugar cookie dough but when you don't have the time, the premade is just as good. I love making this for parties. It's easy and I can just store in the refrigerator until party time. 

Ingredients
1(16.5 oz) refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough
1(8 oz) package Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla

Fresh Fruit, Sliced- You can get creative but I usually use Strawberries, Blueberries, and Kiwi.
Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray  pizza pan with cooking spray. I2. Spread Cookie Dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. 3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. In a bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla  until fluffy. 5. Spread mixture over cooled crust. 6. Arrange fruit over cream cheese. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pizza.

Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Crisp

Since it is too cold to go out, making sure there are snacks available is important. After dinner I love to have some Apple Crisp. I made this on Thanksgiving this year and forgot to take a picture. I will add one next time I make it! I threw some Pecans in this time because I had extra and it was really great.

Ingredients

6 Apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Caramel sauce
1 cup Flour
1 cup Oats
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp Ginger
1 cup Butter, melted
1 cup Pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Place Apples in slow cooker. Sprinkle with Cinnamon. Stir in Caramel.
2. In a bowl, mix the Flour, Oats, Brown Sugar, Nutmeg, and Ginger until well blended.
3. Stir in Butter. Stir in Pecans if you are using them.
4. Add to Apples.
5. Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours.
6. Uncover before serving so that the Oats mixture will harden.
Serve with Ice Cream if desired.




Featured Beer

I know that I have not done this in awhile but today's featured beer is Great Lakes Christmas Ale. This beer is the perfect compliment to a holiday meal. It's a strong one though so watch out. 

Butterfinger Pie

I made this last night for my friend's birthday. Butterfingers are his favorite candy so I went with it. Since it is still so close to Halloween it was cheaper to buy a bag of Butterfinger mini's. You can just as easily buy a few of the regular size bars or the fun size to make it as well. You can also make your own Graham Cracker Crust but I was short on time so I bought one pre-made.

Ingredients

8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1 tub of Cool Whip
1 bag of Butterfinger minis, crushed
1 Graham Cracker Crust


Instructions 

1. In large bowl, whip Cream Cheese until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip.
2. Stir in 1 cup of crushed Butterfingers.
3. Spread over Graham Cracker Crust.
4. Top with the remaining crushed Butterfingers.
5. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Graveyard Dirt Cake

Happy Halloween! Here is an easy Halloween dessert that you can make no matter where you are celebrating. Adults and kids both love this one. I used Milano cookies for the "graves" but you can use anything that you want to decorate. I used chocolates that were shaped like pumpkins, witched, and skulls because that it what I found in the store. Use anything you like!

Ingredients
1 (20 ounce) package Oreo cookies 
½ stick Butter, softened
8 ounce package Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Powdered Sugar
3 cups Milk
2 packages instant Vanilla pudding
12 ounce Cool Whip
Milano Cookies
1 small package Gummy Worms

Instructions
1. Crush Oreos. Spread 1/3 of the crushed Oreos into a 13x9 baking dish (or any serving dish that you want to use). Set aside the rest. 
2. Mix Butter, Cream Cheese, and Powdered Sugar. 
3. In  separate bowl, whisk the Pudding and Milk. Fold Cool Whip into mixture. 
4. Combine Butter mixture with Pudding mixture and blend well. Spread 1/2 the mixture over the Oreo cookies in the dish. 
5. Add 1/3 crushed Oreos on top followed by the rest of the Pudding. Place Gummy Worms between each layer as desired. Top with the remaining Oreos. 
6. Place Milano cookies into the dessert to look like graves. Add any addition candy that you like as desired. Get creative!
7. Chill for 3 hours before serving. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

I made these the other day and they were terrific. I will try making hem with dark chocolate next time because that is Shane's favorite.  


Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted Butter, melted
• 2 cups crushed Pretzels
• 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 1/4 cups Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions

• Spray an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. 
• Place melted Butter, Pretzels, Powdered Sugar, and 1 cup Peanut Butter in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Spread evenly into baking pan. 
• Place Chocolate Chips and remaining 1/4 cup Peanut Butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on HIGH power in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Pour over bars and spread with a spatula to evenly coat. Chill for at least 1 hour to set, slice into bars.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pecan Bars

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose Flour
1 tbsp Pumpkin-Pie Spice
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup (2 sticks) Butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
2 tsp Vanilla 
1 can Pumpkin
10 oz Package Pecans
1/2 package semisweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. 

3. In separate bowl, use electric mixer to cream butter and sugar until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in pumpkin and mix well. Gradually stir in flour mixture low until  combined. Fold in  pecans and chocolate chips. 

4. Pour into lightly greased 9X13-inch baking pan.  Bake bars for 35-40 minutes. 

5. Cool completely and cut into squares. 

Strawberry Cheesecake

Shane requested a Strawberry Cheesecake for his Birthday. Here's what I did.

Ingredients

1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust
2 (8oz) packages of Cream Cheese, room temperature
2 Eggs
2/3 cup Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla

Topping
10 oz Strawberries
1/4 cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Cornstarch

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Blend Cream Cheese, Eggs, Sugar, and Vanilla with electric mixer until smooth.
3. Puree topping ingredients in blender.
4. Add to sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Let cool.
5. Spoon Cream Cheese Mixture into Pie Crust.
6. Use a Teaspoon to drop Topping Mixture on top.
7. Swirl with a knife.
8. Bake for 40 minutes.
9. Cool and refrigerate until serving.

Cookie Bars

I was about to make some Chocolate Chip Cookies when I realized I had some extra ingredients I wanted to use up. So I added them to my dough and make these delicious cookie bars.

Ingredients
3/4 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Butter, softened
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Egg
2 1/2 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Pecans, chopped
1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chip Morsels
1 cup Butterscotch Morsels

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix Sugars, Butter, Vanilla and Egg until well blended.
3. In separate bowl mix Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt.
4. Gradually stir the Flour mixture into the Sugar mixture to form dough.
5. Mix in Pecans, Chocolate Chips and Butterscotch.
6. Press Dough into 13 x 9 baking dish.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Sticky Bars

A few weeks ago, a good friend of my family passed away. She was a huge influence on me and was the one who introduced me to some great foods such as Pepperoni bread. She also made the most delicious dessert ever that she called Ooey Gooey. When I heard the news I immediately went out and bought the ingredients for Pepperoni Bread. Unfortunately, I have no idea what was in her Ooey Gooey but I gave it a try. My version is not even a little bit close to hers. I was initially disappointed but everyone that tired these thought that they were tasty.

Ingredients
20 finely ground Oreos
1/2 stick Butter
1/2 cup Macadamia Nuts
1 cup Coconut
1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Butterscotch Morsels
1/2 cup Semi- Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Melt butte in 13x9 baking dish. Remove from oven. Pour Oreos over the bottom of the pan. Pressing the mixture down onto the bottom of the pan to form a crust.
3. Sprinkle Macadamia Nuts and Coconut over the top.
4. Pour Sweetened Condensed Milk evenly over the top.
5. Top with Butterscotch and Chocolate Chip Morsels.
6. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Featured Beer

When I made these I was enjoying a Winter Warmer Ale by Elevator Brewing Company. Long story short, this six pack did not last long.