Happy Blogiversary to Me!!

Well folks, my blog officially turned 1 year old today!!  This is pretty exciting, so I knew I had to make something delicious to celebrate, but also something that wasn't 1 million calories...after all, I don't really need to get any bigger at this point.  Being 8 months pregnant is rough on a body, and it's only going to get worse!  Yikes!

I decided to make these delicious looking cheesecake stuffed strawberries I've been seeing all over the web, and boy, they did not disappoint!  They are super easy to make, and a fun, yummy, hand-held dessert.

Here they are whole:

And here's a look at the middle:

Mmmmmm!!  Definitely try to get large strawberries when you make these...the bigger the better (for filling).

I have really enjoyed blogging this year, and I hope this coming year I can continue to try new things and share them with you, despite the busyness of being a new mom.  :)

Here's a look at the top 5 most viewed recipes on my blog this past year:

#5:  Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

#4:  Cool Mt. Crumpit Peppermint Patty Brownies

#3:  Cappuccino Cake

#2:  Brookies

And finally, the most popular recipe on the blog is...drumroll please...

Gooey Strawberry Cookies!!  (a much deserved first place)

Thank you all so much for reading - here's to year #2!!

P.S.  Happy Birthday Granny!!!  Love you bunches!

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
Source:  The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 lb large strawberries
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife.  Prep all of the strawberries and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill the strawberries with cheesecake mixture.
Once strawberries are filled, sprinkle or dip the tops with graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.

Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes

Remember on the last post how I mentioned a certain "knock-your-socks-off" dinner?

Yeah...meet these cheesy, flavorful, shrimp stuffed potatoes.

It's kind of like eating a loaded baked potato...except no bacon, add lots of shrimp.  Although, bacon would be a GREAT addition!

This was our dinner one night last week, along with salads and green beans (see, now the calories in the potato are balanced out with 'green'!).  They are really delicious, and I wish I could've eaten one of the leftovers...sadly, I can't eat much shellfish while pregnant.  I haven't been eating any at all, but I made an exception for 1 potato the night I baked them, and boy was I happy!  Make them for your family, and you'll all be happy too!  :)


Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes
Source:  food.com
Original recipe serves 6; can be easily halved


6 large Idaho potatoes
vegetable oil, for coating
8 TB butter
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling
2 cups grated monterey jack cheese
2 cups sour cream
salt & pepper
1 lb shrimp, peeled, cleaned, and sauteed (I thawed out some frozen shrimp, cleaned and peeled them, then patted dry, coated them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and sauteed in butter.)
paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Begin by washing potatoes, drying them, and gently pricking them with a fork on the sides.  Coat each potato with vegetable oil (I also salted the skins), place on foil covered pan, and bake for approximately 1 hour or until done.
Place the butter in a large bowl.  Remove the potatoes from the oven and slice each potato in half (Instead, I sliced the tops off the potato to make 1 large stuffed potato rather than lots of halves).
Gently scoop out the potato and place in the bowl.  Using a mixer on high, mix the potatoes, butter, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste.  Fold the shrimp and both cheeses into the mixture.
Gently stuff the mixture back into the potato shells, making sure not to break them.  Pile the mixture as high as you can on top of the potato shells.
Sprinkle each potato with cheese and paprika for color.
Bake in the oven for approximately 20 to 30 minutes until browned on top.

Pepperoni Bites

Tomorrow is the last day of school.  HALLELUJAH!!  I am one step closer to being free for the summer!  One of the things that I will MISS from being at work are the days we all bring in food (birthdays, holidays, etc.).  It's always a great opportunity to try new things and learn new recipes.

The last time food was brought in, I could not hardly stay away from these Pepperoni Bites that my friend made.  They are bite-size, which is always dangerous for delicious snacks.  I felt like I could eat more and it "wouldn't really add up to that much".  : /

She gave me the recipe and I immediately made them that weekend for a cookout we were hosting.  They were a hit once again!  They are very simple to make, with such a good flavor.  Buttery, soft and crisp from the crescent rolls, salty and creamy from the filling....mmmmmmm...

Here are a pan of them that I made.  Just looking at them now makes me sad that they are gone...no more for me to eat....wahhhhh!!!

Here's what the middle looks like:

They are baked on a cookie sheet, but if you are making a batch for a party, they stay nice and warm if you line your crockpot and put them hot from the oven into the crockpot set to "warm".

Pepperoni Bites
1 7 oz. bag of pepperoni slices (I used Hormel Original)
1 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
2 cans of regular Pillsbury crescent rolls

Put all the pepperoni slices into a chopper or blender and chop until they are ground up.  Dump this into a bowl and mix well with softened cream cheese. For ease of the next step, cover mixture with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until it becomes firm.

Preheat oven to 375.  Unroll crescent rolls into 8 triangles each.  Then cut each triangle into 3 smaller triangles.  Place a dollop of pepperoni/cream cheese mixture into the center of each small triangle and fold the dough all the way around the mixture, forming a ball.

Place pepperoni bites on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 until they are golden brown (follow crescent roll package directions for how many minutes).

Enjoy!  And don't say I didn't warn you about how addictive they are!!

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

Let me start by saying Happy Mother's Day to all my readers, and a special Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mom! :)  I am really blessed to have such a special mom, and one who I have learned a lot from that will help me raise my own child.

For those of you who have not already heard, I am excited to say that we are expecting a GIRL!  I could not be more thrilled!  We haven't even started working on her room, but there is already a small row of pink clothes hanging in her closet.  :)  Not to mention pink booties, mittens, toys...etc...lol

I definitely took a turn for the better once I hit 16 weeks.  Now, I'm 20 weeks and I still get very sleepy by 9:00, but I haven't gotten sick/nauseous at all in 4 weeks.  I have really been able to enjoy my growing baby and feel her kick (not as wonderful when you're trying to get to sleep on a work night and she thinks it's time for a dance party).

Being that I do get more tired earlier in the evening, I love dinners that don't take much work.  Who doesn't??  These slow-cooker chicken caesar sandwiches are very tasty, AND fall under the "easy" category.

The top 2 reasons why I love them:

1.  They are smothered in caesar dressing.  My hubby and family can tell you that, if given the choice, I will ALWAYS choose caesar salad over a regular garden salad in a restaurant.  I love a good caesar dressing, and I found a good one for these sandwiches.

2.  The chicken is cooked in the crockpot, so by the time you have to shred it, it is MUCH less of a tedious process than usual.  Shredding chicken is probably my LEAST favorite cooking task.  And sooooooo many recipes call for shredded chicken.  Help me somebody!!  Thankfully, this chicken ends up being so tender that it is so easy to shred.

If you are a fan of caesar salad, definitely give these sandwiches a try!  (My husband, as usual, wouldn't let me put lettuce on his...and he still ate 3 sandwiches in one sitting...but please, the rest of you - eat your lettuce!)

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything via Sweet Treats and More

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used boneless/skinless chicken breasts)
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing (Make sure it's a creamy Caesar - I used 1 cup of Marzetti Supreme Caesar from the produce section)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (if you don't have fresh use around 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns

1. Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

2. Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Place chicken on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds, discarding any fat.

3. Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. Add caesar dressing as desired, about 1 cup. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve.

Happy 1st Birthday, Katie!

It's hard to believe our Katie is already 1 year old...where does the time go??  *sniff sniff*

I think it's safe to say she has enjoyed her birthday, though.  I baked her some "pupcakes" (recipe below), and she got some presents, as WELL as plenty of love and attention - as if she didn't already get that.

Happy Birthday Katie Ruth!!  :)

She looooved the pupcake...oh my goodness.  She refused to eat if off the plate, so like a civilized doggie, she took it to eat on her pillow.  And made a huge, crumby mess.  But hey, it's her birthday!

She also loved her presents...a new stuffing-less Bobo and a hard pretzel chew that's chicken flavored.  Oh yeah, and the cutest little treats called 'Quacks'!  :)



It was impossible to get a still shot-she was a playing machine!

Yes, some people probably think that we spoil her.  But why not?  Even though we have our first baby on the way, Katie is also our baby and we love her very much.  :)

This is her the first day we got her:

What a cutie!!!!!!!  I miss her being this small!

But if she never grew, would this be as much fun??  :)

We love you Squirrel!  Hope you've had a great 1st birthday!  Don't grow up too fast...and also...learn how to behave.  lol

Cheddar Pupcakes

Source:  Slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from The Dog Ate It

*Note- I halved this recipe to only make 5 pupcakes.  It will make 10 if you do not halve it.

1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup traditional rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup applesauce
½ cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together and fill into paper-lined muffin tins.  Bake for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Cool completely before feeding to your pup!

Oatmeal Scotchies

How is it possible that this is only the 2nd cookie recipe I've ever posted??  I don't get it either.

Don't hate on my napkin...I realize it's not winter anymore, but they're all I have!

My hubby is the one who requested these cookies.  Someone brought them in at his work, and when I asked them for the recipe, they said "Just look at the back of the butterscotch chip bag!"  Well, there is 1 change for those of us living in humid climates, but for the most part - go Nestle!

These cookies are sweet and satisfying (I think due to the oats).  But don't go thinking you can eat just one when they're warm from the oven...the night I made them, I definitely ate my fair share.  Of course, some are for me, and some are for the baby.  ;)

If you like butterscotch, definitely try these cookies!  And make sure to eat your fair share warm from the oven like I did (even if you're not pregnant).  :)

Wow...not only can you see the crumby detail of the cookie, but you can also practically see my fingerprint. 

Oatmeal Scotchies
Source: Slightly adapted from Nestle

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (If you live in a humid climate, increase the flour to 2 cups.  This is what I did.)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened (margarine? seriously? get real people. butter all the way)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange (I used vanilla extract)

3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats

1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Butterscotch Flavored Morsels

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. (I like using baking sheets lined with parchment paper.)

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies.  (I baked 7 minutes for chewy cookies and they were perfect).  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Happy Easter!

I hope that all of my friends and family have had a wonderful Easter Sunday!  Jordan and I had a nice, relaxing day starting with church, then a home-cooked lunch and a walk outside with our Katie.  :) 

I hope in the 'fun' of Easter we all continue to remember and celebrate our Savior who died for our sins while we were so unworthy, and ROSE from the tomb to reign in heaven!  We are so blessed to have such a loving, merciful Savior to call our own if we choose to follow Him!

I love this song and thought it would be perfect to share with you today:

P.S. I will be making a shopping trip to get some Peeps and Cadbury cream eggs on sale tomorrow!  Mom, can you believe I haven't had any as of yet?  I know, it's unheard of!!  :O