Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

I love alfredo sauce, I know the calories will kill you, but I love the creamy flavors of the cream and the cheese melted together. Love it! I got the recipe straight off of the Olive Garden Web site, so I Hope you enjoy!

1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup imported Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup imported Romano cheese, grated
6 egg yolks from fresh jumbo eggs
Salt and black pepper to taste

Procedures

1. HEAT milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it begins to simmer. Turn off heat. Slowly whip in cheese, then remove from heat.
2. PLACE egg yolks in a separate bowl and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture. Slowly add egg yolk mixture back into remaining cream mixture. Place back on very low heat and continually stir until simmering. Take sauce off heat so it thickens. (This will increase temperature of egg yolks, known as tempering).
3. SEASON to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta.

North Pole Toffee Cake

This is a Christmas Must!

Ingredients

1 20-ounce package chocolate cake mix
1 12-ounce carton frozen whipped topping
1/2 Cup chocolate syrup
7 Toffee bars (Heath or Skor) crushed
1 Can Piroulines
1 Can whipped cream

Directions

Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. Prepare and bake cake according to package directions. Cool on wire rack. Carefully cut each layer horizontally to make two more layers. In a bowl mix whipped topping with chocolate syrup and 6 crushed toffee bars. Place one layer of cake on serving plate and spread with chocolate mixture. Repeat with remaining three layers. Frost sides and top of cake. Sprinkle remaining crushed candy bar on top of cake. Garnish with whipped cream and piroulines.

Baked French Toast

This in also on the Menu Christmas Day! Prepare this on Christmas Eve,
pop it in the oven first thing Christmas morning and get ready for your mouth to water. Yup, it's that good!

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread

6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups half & half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
11/3 cups packed brown sugar
3 Tablespoons light corn syrup

Directions

Coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange bread slices in bottom of pan; set aside. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk , half and half, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small sauce pan combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Serve with butter, syrup and powdered sugar. Makes 8-10 servings.

Hash Brown Quiche

This is on my Christmas Breakfast Menu this year!

Ingredients

8 frozen shredded hash brown potato patties
1/2 cup butter melted
1 cup cooked ham (or bacon, sausage)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated swiss cheese
8 eggs
2 cups milk or cream
1/2 teas. salt

(if you like veggies throw in some diced green pepper, green onion and mushrooms)

Directions

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Place hash brown potato patties in greased 9x13 inch pan. Pour melted butter evenly over the surface of potato patties and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle potatoes with ham and cheeses. (veggies if you like) In a large bowl beat eggs. Add milk or cream and salt, stir well. Pour mixture over cheeses and ham. Bake for about 30 minutes, until puffy and golden brown. Makes 8 servings.

Hearty Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 tsp. dried parsley flakes

3 1/2 cups Beef Broth

1 can (about 14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes

1/4 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1 1/2 cups uncooked mafalda or corkscrew-shaped pasta

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook the beef, onion, garlic and parsley in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until the beef is well browned, stirring often. Pour off any fat.
Stir the broth, tomatoes and Italian seasoning in the saucepan and heat to a boil.
Stir the pasta in the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir in the cheese. Serve with additional cheese, if desired.

Ginger Snap Cookie Creme Pie

Ingredients

Pie
1 1/2 cup half and half
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 8 oz container whipped topping
1 1/2 cup crushed ginger snaps

Crust
1 2/3 cup ginger snaps, crushed
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup sugar

Topping
15 ginger snaps, crumbled
Whipped cream, optional

Directions

Crust: Crush cookies into a crumb consistency with a food processor or rolling pin. Add butter and sugar. Press mixture into a pie pan. Pie: Pour half and half in bowl and add vanilla pudding. Whip for 2 minutes and set aside for five minutes. Fold in whipped topping and crushed cookies. Pour into crust and freeze 2-3 hours or until stiff. Top with crushed cookies and freeze 2-3 hours.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Easiest Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had 1/2 a can of pumpkin left over from making Pumpkin Bread the other day and went online to try out some recipes I've been wanting to try for awhile. These are from pimp my dinner, they sounded easy and good. I added the Chocolate chips of course, and they turned out very light and oh so tasty. I didn't frost mine since I didin't have any O.J., but I am sure that element of orange would make it that much better, they also would be great with a maple frosting too. I hope you enjoy these!

1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 C. quick oats
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4. tsp. nutmeg
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 egg
2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 C. mini or regular chocolate chips (optional)

Frosting:
powdered sugar
orange juice (no/low pulp)

In a large bowl, mix cake mix, oats and spices. In a separate bowl mix pumpkin, egg and oil. Pour pumpkin mix into dry mix; add chocolate chips. Mix until just moistened. Drop onto lightly sprayed cookie sheets, large spoonfuls. Slightly flatten with spoon (they don't really spread, just puff up). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins. For frosting, mix with a mini rubber spatula sugar and orange juice until it gets to a frosting consistency. Make sure to use a tiny bit of orange juice at a time and add a little more as needed. Spread over cooled cookies.

Bacon Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients
3/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

1 large Garlic clove, chopped coarse

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 (1/2 pound) russet Pre-Baked Potato

2 1/2 cups Chicken Broth

3 tablespoons Heavy Cream

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons minced Fresh Chives

Bacon Bits, and Sour Cream

Preparation:In a heavy saucepan cook the celery, onion and the garlic with salt and pepper to taste in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the celery & onion begin to soften. Cut the peeled potato into 1-inch pieces, add to onion mixture with the broth and the heavy cream, and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Add the grated cheddar cheese to the soup.

When serving, add a dollop of sour cream on top and in the center of the soup. Garnish with bacon bits, cheese and chives.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Stole this from Kirsten's blog and these are sure to please! YUMM-O

Red Velvet Cupcakes

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 1 1/4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
* 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
* 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
* 3 eggs

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons red food coloring

* 1 1/4 teaspoons vinegar (white or apple cider can both work)
* 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/8 cup water

For the cream cheese frosting:

* 1 pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
* 1 stick butter, room temperature
* 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a bowl and set aside.

mix oil, sugar, and buttermilk until combined. Add eggs, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla and water and mix well. Add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time and mix on low, scraping down sides occasionally, and mix until just combined. Be sure not to over mix, or the batter will come out tough.

Bake in lined cupcake pan at 350 for 20 min.

cream cheese frosting:

Whip the butter and cream cheese together in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamed. Gradually add powdered sugar to the mixture and scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.

Apple Crumb Pie

I have been looking for some great recipes of Pie's to take with me to my Thanksgiving feasts, and this one caught my eye, I have always wanted to do an Apple Crumb Pie, maybe this one will be it. Thanks to Martha again for this recipe.

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Pie Crust
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 pounds Granny Smith apples (8 to 10)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make crumb topping: In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Work with fingers until large clumps form; freeze.
2. On a lightly floured piece of wax paper or parchment paper, roll dough into a 14-inch circle. Carefully fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, gently lowering dough into bottom and sides of pie plate without stretching (you will have a 2-inch overhang all around). Refrigerate.
3. Place lemon juice in a large bowl. Peel, core, and slice apples 1/8 inch thick, transferring them to the bowl as you work. Add granulated sugar, raisins, cinnamon, remaining 1/4 cup flour, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss to combine. Transfer apple mixture to pie crust, pressing in firmly. Fold dough overhang over filling, pleating it as you work your way around pie; press dough firmly against filling.
4. Bake 45 minutes, then sprinkle apple filling with crumb topping. Continue to bake until golden and bubbling, 30 to 45 minutes more. Cool at least 6 hours before serving.