Special K Loaf-Vegetarian

I'm not a vegetarian, however I have many friends and family members who are. I've tried to compile a variety of meatless options for those who don't eat meat, and this is by far, my favorite vegetarian recipe to make. This is something my parents have made since I was a child, so I have many fond memories of it! It may not sound very appetizing, but trust me, it's delicious :) Think of it as a meatless meatloaf or casserole.

Here's what you'll need:

3 lbs of cottage cheese

4 eggs

7 1/2 cups of plain Special K cereal

3 small to medium diced onions

3/4 cup of finely chopped pecans

1/2 cup of brown gravy mix (usually about 2 packets of dry mix if using McCormick's)

3/4 cup of melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 and combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Grease a large baking dish and add the mixture, smoothing it out evenly.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes uncovered, until the top has browned and the loaf doesn't "jiggle" in the middle if shaken lightly.  Let it rest for several minutes, and then enjoy!  I'd suggest serving it with mashed potatoes and a vegetable :)

Andes Mint Fudge

Okay, so I realize I just posted a fudge recipe, but this one is really good too! I brought this to a Christmas party last weekend and everyone loved it, especially the mint filling part. This recipe is relatively simple, but will taste like you put a lot of effort into it!!

Here's what you'll need:

2 1/2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips
1 can of sweetened condensed milk, divided
1 tsp of peppermint extract
1 tsp of shortening
3-4 drops of green food coloring
1 bag of Andes mint chips

Start out by lining an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick aluminum foil. Mix 1 1/2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips with 3/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk, and heat in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring until completely melted.

Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the bottom on the baking dish and place in the refrigerator to chill. Combine the white chocolate chips with the remainder of the sweetened condensed milk, and heat in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring until completely melted. Once it is completely melted, add the peppermint extract and 3-4 drops of the green food coloring, until you get the desired color.

Pour the green melted mixture on top of the set chocolate fudge, and spread evenly. Place the pan back into the refrigerator to set, while you work on the top layer.  Combine the rest of the semi sweet chocolate chips with the shortening, and melt in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring until completely melted. Pour the chocolate onto the green mint fudge and spread evenly.  Top with Andes mint chips.  Refrigerate until set, and then cut into bite size pieces and enjoy!!

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

Christmas is definitely my favorite time of the year, however it is also very hectic! With holiday parties booked every weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it makes it hard to find enough time to make something delicious for every party. Therefore, I tend to stick to easier recipes that take less time to make, have few ingredients, but taste delicious!! One of my "go to" recipes is salted caramel pretzel bark. It is simple and tastes amazing! Plus, the ingredients are rather inexpensive compared to other traditional Christmas treats...it's a win-win situation! This recipe has always been a hit, and I constantly have people asking me how to make it.

Be very careful when you make this. It's so addictive that you may end up eating it all before you get to your holiday party!! 

Here's what you'll need:

2 sticks of butter

1 cup of packed light brown sugar

1 bag of small pretzels 

1 bag of milk chocolate chips

Course sea salt

Preheat your oven to 350, then line a baking sheet with non-stick foil, and lay the pretzels out in a single layer. I try to fit as many as possible and will break some in smaller pieces to fill in any gaps. I would also suggest, that if you're making this for a holiday party, to try and find holiday shaped pretzels. I found some star shaped ones last year, that made this recipe even more fun and festive. 

Melt the two sticks of butter over medium heat and then add the brown sugar. Stir until the mixture starts to boil.  Stop stirring and allow the mixture to boil for 3 minutes, without touching it. It's going to be very hard not to stir it, but resist the urge!!

Carefully pour the mixture as evenly as you can over the pretzels. Don't worry if there are some gaps, because it will fill in evenly when it's in the oven. Put the tray in the oven and allow it to bake for around 5 minutes. Remember to be very careful when handling this hot caramel, you DO NOT want it to burn your skin!!

After you remove the tray from the oven, immediately sprinkle the bag of chocolate chips over the pretzels and caramel, as evenly as you can. Allow it to sit for 1-2 minutes, until you notice the chocolate chips starting to melt/soften. Take a butter knife and gently spread the chocolate, until the entire top is covered in chocolate. Make sure to fill in any and all gaps. Sprinkle with course sea salt, and then chill in your refrigerator until it is set.

Once the bark is set, break it into small pieces and enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Cup Fudge

Ok, so here we go. This is my first official blog post! I've been thinking about starting a blog for a couple of years now, but just never got around to it. I love cooking and doing diy projects. I can't tell you how many people ask for my recipes or instructions to replicate the things I've made. Hopefully this will be an easy way for everyone to get the information they want!!

It's the Christmas season (in case you haven't been in any stores lately) which is my favorite time of the year! Although I like to focus on making healthy food for my family, sometimes you have to splurge :) One of my favorite things to have around the holidays is fudge. Traditionally fudge has been pretty basic. However, the possibilities are endless. Combine fudge with my favorite candy of all time, Reese's peanut butter cups, and you have the most amazing combination ever!!

This recipe makes a lot, but it goes fast. So trust me, it's worth it! You can always halve it if you really want to.

Here's what you'll need:

1 bag of Reese's peanut butter chips
3 bags of milk chocolate chips
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
24-48 Reese's peanut butter cups (the more, the merrier!)

Use a 9x13 pan and line the bottom with between 1/2 to 2/3's of the peanut butter cups. You can chop them in quarters if you want, or leave them whole. Melt the chocolate chips with 1 1/2 cans of the sweetened condensed milk. You can do this in the microwave or over the stove. If you use the microwave, do it in 30 second increments and stir so it melts evenly. If you use the stove, be careful you do not overcook it, and make your fudge tough. Keep the heat low and stir constantly. As soon as the chocolate is melted, remove it from the heat. A double boiler method works best! Pour the chocolate into the pan, over the peanut butter cups. Next, using the same method as you did with the chocolate, melt the bag of peanut butter chips with 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk. Pour over the chocolate and swirl with the peanut butter, if desired--it looks nicer that way :) Then, take the rest of your peanut butter cups and chop them in quarters. Sprinkle them on top and gently press them into the fudge. Refrigerate until the fudge is set, then cut into squares, and enjoy!!

Let me know any feedback you may have. I'd love to hear from you :)