Crock Pot Creamed Corn

Can I confess here that I never knew that you could make creamed corn from scratch?

My idea of creamed corn was the stuff you buy in a can by accident when you’re looking for canned corn.

Oh – but how wrong I was!

I discovered this gem recently and had to pass it on!

It’s rich and delicious and so easy to make!

We put it in the crock pot on low before we leave for church – and the corn is hot, creamy and ready to eat when we get home. It’s the perfect side dish for our traditional meat and potatoes Sunday lunch.

I took it to a recent potluck and brought home rave reviews and an almost empty crock pot.

It would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving meal, too!

Crock Pot Creamed Corn

16 ounces frozen corn (I used a fat quart of our home-frozen corn)
8 ounces of cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon white sugar

Melt the butter and cream cheese. Add the milk and sugar.

Stir in the frozen corn and put everything in a crock pot.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cook on high 2-4 hours or low 4-6 hours.

It’s that easy folks!

Enjoy!

I’ve linked this post with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace and Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Dessert

It’s summertime!

The days are longer.

The temperatures are higher and my days are busier!

It sounds like the perfect time to make a yummy ice cream dessert!

This recipe was the inspiration for two of our family favorites, Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream Dessert and Chocolate Ice Cream Dessert. Both of which we’ve enjoyed often.

But would you believe that we have never made the original?!

It was past time to try it.

And it was delicious!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Dessert

1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
6 cups chocolate ice cream, softened, divided.

Filling:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup peanut butter, either crunchy or smooth
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped (I cheated and used about 4 ounces of Cool Whip)

Line the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (9 inch x 3 inch x 5 inch) with heavy duty aluminum foil.

Combine the vanilla wafer crumbs, chopped peanuts, melted butter and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Press half into the bottom of the foil lined pan. Freeze for 15 minutes.

Spread half of the ice cream over the crust and freeze for 1 hour.

(Here’s a hint for the ice cream: a half-gallon carton is the perfect size! Open it up lengthwise and cut the rectangle of ice cream in half. Then cut one of the halves into thirds and squish them into the loaf pan. Put the rest of the ice cream in the freezer till later.)

Meanwhile, for the filling, beat cream cheese and peanut butter in a mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar and milk. Mix well. Fold in whipped cream.

Spread over the ice cream and freeze for 1 hour or until firm.

Spread with remaining ice cream – the pan will be very full. (Just cut the remaining half of the carton of ice cream into thirds and start squishing it in!) Press the remaining crumb mixture on top. Cover and freeze for several hours of overnight.

Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving. using the foil, remove the loaf from the pan and discard the foil.

Cut into pieces with a serrated knife. It should yield 10-12 large slices, or 15 smaller ones.

Enjoy!

I’ve linked this post up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace and Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Cream Cheese Cut-Outs

It’s hard to believe that Matt’s high school graduation and party are in less than 2 weeks!

Although if you were hanging around our kitchen lately – you might guess that something is in the works!

The girls and I have been baking up a storm and filling the freezer with cookies for his big day.

We are making our staple cookie – oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip, our family’s favorite gingersnaps, and these cream cheese cut-outs.

We love these sugar cookies! The recipe originally came from my sister-in-law, who got it from her husband’s grandma. (I guess that means I got the recipe from my husband’s sister’s husband’s grandma!)

They are so moist and easy to roll out and the cream cheese adds a great flavor. We did a sprinkle of just white sugar on these – but have used colored sugars in the past and even frosted them.

Cream Cheese Cut-Outs

1 cup butter
2 cup sugar
2 – 3 ounce packages cream cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the cream cheese, eggs and vanilla.

Add the flour and baking powder. Mix well.

Chill for at least 2 hours. Roll and cut out.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen 2-1/2 inch cookies.

Enjoy!

I’ve linked this post up with Mingle Monday at Add a Pinch, Tasty Tuesdays at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

It’s birthday season again.

Angel Girl begins our round of summer birthdays. It’s been a year of changes for her.

I’m not sure when exactly it happened, but I slowly realized that she never played with the Polly Pockets anymore – and the doll house was sitting idle.

I knew she was growing up when she asked for a cheesecake instead of the traditional birthday cake.

No worries – we all love cheesecake. But there was still a hint of sadness that my little girl is growing up.

No more castle cakes, or flower cakes, or Candy Land cakes (my personal favorite!).

She’s slowly moving into the world of adults.

She picked a chocolate chip cheesecake, and I used two different recipes to create this one. Since I didn’t have any vanilla wafers, I substitutes graham crackers crumbs in the crust. It tasted great – and since we all know that the crust is just the conduit to hold the cream cheese filling together to get it to your mouth – it was perfect! 🙂
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons baking cocoa
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

Filling:

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-in. springform pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Combine sugar and flour; beat into cream cheese.

Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Add the cream, vanilla and chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared crust. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. (Cheesecake top may crack.)

Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Garnish the cheesecake with mini chocolate chips. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12-14 servings.

Enjoy!

I’ve linked this post up with Lisa over at Stop and Smell the Chocolates and at Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Cheesy Chili Dip

It’s graduation time again and it’s time to start making the rounds of all those open houses!

Think sheet cakes and cream cheese mints. 🙂

Our first graduation of the season was my niece Lexie’s – who graduated last weekend from a small Christian school.

It was so small there were only 8 graduates – and each one had in a part in the ceremony. It was a fun evening with hands-down, no questions, the very best graduation address I have ever heard!

The next day at her Open House, my sister-in-law served some really yummy chili dip. People were raving over it as they went back for seconds and thirds and fourths. Many a diet was busted that afternoon- including mine.

The great thing is – it was super simple! It has – are you ready for this – 2 ingredients. Yes, two!

8 ounces cream cheese

1 jar Hormel chili (no beans)

Just heat them together and serve with tortilla chips.

My sister-in-law just dumped them in the crock pot and stirred them together.

Super simple and super yummy – which left us all free to spend time together making special memories.

Perfect!

I’ve linked this post up with Tasty Tuesday and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday.

Creamy Black Forest Brownies

It’s February -finally!

I love this month!

There’s so much to look forward too – my favorite chocolate holiday – Valentine’s Day – and my birthday, and this year there’s even the Olympics!

And…to make it even better…it’s a short month with spring just around the corner!

One of my favorite February flavors is the combination of chocolate and cherries – it’s so Valentine -like!

Dagmar and I put our heads together and came up with this yummy cherry chocolate cream cheese combination.

We started with our classic brownie recipe and added a cream cheese layer, topping it off with cherry pie filling. What could be easier – or tastier!

Creamy Black Forest Brownies

1 – 1/3 cup flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
2/3 cup oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1- 8 ounce package cream cheese (softened)
1 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces Cool Whip
1 can cherry pie filling

Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and chopped nuts together in a bowl. Set aside.

Combine the oil, eggs and vanilla together in a bowl, mixing well.

Pour the egg mix into the dry mixture and combine until just moistened. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Cool completely.

In a bowl, whip together the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Carefully fold in the Cool Whip. Spread this mixture over the cooled brownie. Top with the cherry pie filling.

Store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Cheesecake.

Doesn’t that word just make you smile?

And chocolate chip cookie dough – who doesn’t love that!

Combine the two and you have an divinely delicious, delectable and delightful dessert! (Can we tell we’re studying alliteration!)

This recipe is my sister’s signature cheesecake. It originally came from a Taste of Home cookbook and has become a family favorite.

It’s a little more complicated to make – but we all know that cheesecake is worth it! 🙂 I’m just sorry you all don’t have a sister like mine who will make it for you. (And no – I’m not sharing her name or contact info!)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Crust:

1 – 3/4 cup crushed chocolate chip cookies or Oreo cookie crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine (melted)

Filling:

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cookie Dough:

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1 – 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips (divided)

In a small bowl combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a greased 9 inch springform pan. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and beat on low speed until just combined. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat until just blended. Pour over crust and set aside.

In another mixing bowl, cream butters and sugars on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add water and vanilla. Gradually add flour. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips. Drop this dough by teaspoonful over filling, gently pushing dough below surface. (The dough should be completely covered by filling.)

Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until the center is almost set.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Cool for 1 hour hour longer.

Refrigerate overnight. Remove the sides of the pan and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips before serving.

Makes 12-14 servings.

Ahh…like I said “divinely delicious, delectable and delightful”!

Enjoy!

PS: I’ve linked this post up with my friend Lisa over at Stop and Smell the Chocolates for her Chocolate Friday Fun!

Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

Angel girl shares a June birthday with one of her friends. So when our families enjoyed a meal together this weekend – I knew a special dessert was in order.

Since we were enduring some intense heat and I didn’t really want to turn the oven on – I decided that an ice cream cake would be perfect!

I found a yummy recipe for a peanut butter ice cream cake – but Angel Girl is not on the peanut butter kick that her older sister is – so I made some chocolate alterations.

The final result –

Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

Crust :

2 cups oreo cookie crumbs
1/2 cup melted margarine or butter

Filling:

6 cups of vanilla ice cream (divided)
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces Cool Whip

Line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch x 5 inch 3 inch bread pan with aluminum foil.

Mix together the Oreo cookie crumbs and melted margarine. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared bread pan. Freeze for 30 minutes. Set aside the remaining crumbs.

Spread half of the ice cream over the crust and freeze for one hour or until firm.

Put the chocolate chips and milk in a microwave proof container and microwave until melted, stirring till smooth. Cool.

Beat cream cheese with the powdered sugar. Add the melted chocolate chips and mix well. Stir in the Cool Whip.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the vanilla ice cream layer and freeze for one hour or until set.

Carefully spread the remaining ice cream over the cream cheese layer and freeze for one hour.

Press the reserved cookie crumbs on top of the ice cream and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze at least one hour before serving.

To serve, use the foil to carefully remove the ice cream cake from the pan. Slice with a serrated knife.

What a cool and yummy treat to celebrate the birthdays of two special 11 year old girls!

Cream Cheese Double Chocolate Cookies

I am a soft cookie person. I love a cookie that is gooey and chewy as opposed to a crisp one.

These soft chocolate cookies were a winner! The cream cheese adds to the richness and helps keep the cookies moist.

The chocolate, of course, is what makes them so wonderful!

Cream Cheese Double Chocolate Cookies

3 – 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 – 8 ounce package cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces chocolate chips
1 cup pecan pieces

Carefully sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together and set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together the shortening, cream cheese, and both sugars. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well.

Add the sifted dry ingredients followed by the chocolate chips and pecans and blend well.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Be careful to not over bake these cookies!

Incredible hot from the oven! Fabulous when cooled!

Enjoy!

Mint Brownie Pie

I was thrilled to hear that my good friend and college roommate was planning a stop at my house in route to pick up her daughter!

I haven’t seen Kimmie in 6 years! This called for an amazing chocolate dessert!

Dagmar and I scoured our cookbook collection to discover the perfect “I haven’t seen you in so long- I’m so glad you are here” dessert. (Chocolate of course.)

The winner and huge hit at our meal was this rich chocolate brownie with a creamy mint topping.

Mint Brownie Pie
from Taste Of Home Annual Recipes- 2000

Melt together in a saucepan 6 tablespoons of butter and 2 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate.

Stir in 1 cup of sugar until well blended.

Add 2 eggs and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well.

Stir in 1/2 cup flour until well blended.

Pour into a greased 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Filling:

In a mixing bowl, beat 8 oz. of cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar until smooth.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract and green food coloring (optional).

Fold in 1 carton (8 ounces) of Cool Whip.

Spread evenly over brownie layer, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Remove sides from pan just before serving.

Melt 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and drizzle over the top. Garnish with more Cool Whip and chocolate chips.

Dagmar used her cake decorating kit to make the top extra special. She piped melted chocolate chips into stars and refrigerated them until they were hard.

It was a very special dessert, perfect for our very special company!