Godiva Chocolate Pecan Caramel Cookies

When Kyle cooks, he doesn't care about using real food or not: unless I am standing over him forcing him to choose good ingredients. As such, he sometimes finds recipes that he loves that I do not approve of (but, to be nice...because I have to...I eat them. HA!) These are his FAVORITE cookies. Hard to blame him.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces chopped dark chocolate (recommended: 2 (1.5 ounce) Godiva Dark Chocolate Bars)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
18 pieces chocolate or vanilla caramels (recommended: Godiva chocolate or vanilla caramels)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugars and butter together until fluffy, using either an electric mixer or by hand. When mixture is light and fluffy, add egg, and beat to incorporate. Add vanilla and beat to incorporate.
3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients slowly to butter mixture and mix to thoroughly combine until a soft dough is formed. Stir in chopped chocolate and pecan pieces until blended.
4. With a (2-ounce) ice cream scoop, scoop cookie dough and place 1 caramel into the bottom of each cookie, using extra dough to cover the caramel so that it is not visible. Lightly press each cookie onto the sheet pan or baking sheet, in rows of 3 by 4. Repeat until no dough remains. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are golden on top. More baking time may be needed, depending on your oven.

Kristin's Divine Turtle Cheesecake

This seems to be a week of unhealthy foods...but we will go with it. Warning: this will kill any diet that you might be on, but it's worth every bite!!

INGREDIENTS:
2 C graham crackers (crushed)
3/4 C butter (melted)
3 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese (softened)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 C sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C chocolate chips

CARAMEL SAUCE:
1/2 bag (7 oz) caramels
1/3 C whipping cream

CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
4 oz dark chocolate chips
1 tsp butter
3 T whipping cream

TOPPINGS:
Mini chocolate chips
Chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine melted butter and graham cracker crumbs.  Press to bottom on 9-inch springform pan.  Bake in oven for 5-10 minutes to lightly set.
2. Combine cream cheese and milk, beating until smooth.  Add sugar, eggs, and vanillla.  Mix until smooth.  Add chocolate chips.  Pour over graham cracker crust.
3. Bake at 450* for 10 minutes to set.  Then reduce oven to 200* and bake for 45-75 minutes more, until set.  Remove and cool.
4. For caramel sauce, stir caramels and whipping cream over low heat until smooth.
5. For chocolate sauce, combine ingredients over low heat and stir until smooth.
6. To finish:  Pour some chocolate sauce over cheesecake and down sides, then do same with some caramel sauce.  Spread chocolate chips and pecans in center of cheesecake.  Pour rest of chocolate sauce over cheesecake.  Spread more chocolate chips and pecans in center of cheesecake, then finish with remaining caramel sauce.  If desired, finish with another layer of chocolate chips in center of cheesecake.

NOTES:
I like to put Heath candy bar bits in the cream cheese mixture and sprinkled on top of the finished product, along with the chocolate chips.  It adds one more bit of decadence to this dessert!

For a "healthier" version (HA) you can skip all the additions for pure, sweet, simple vanilla cheesecake.

Hershey's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a theory. Hershey's must ask every single grandma of the world for their best chocolate chip recipe ever...and then try out every one to find the best. Seriously. One of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes, courtesy of Hershey's. When I do make them, I don't change a thing.

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 C (2 sticks) butter (softened)
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 pkg (12 oz) chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cream butter, sugars, and vanilla.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add flour, soda, and salt, mixing well.  Add chocolate chips.
2. Drop by rounded teaspoon onto cookie sheet.  Bake at 375* for 8-10 minutes.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

Yet another recipe used by both sides of the family.  Whenever I make this, I have to make a lot because the kids gobble it up! I use raw sharp cheddar and organic cream of mushroom. I have considered making my own mushroom soup...but laziness always gets the better of me!

INGREDIENTS:
2 lb frozen hash browns
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C butter (melted)
1 pt sour cream
2 C grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 C milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. In large bowl, combine butter and soup.  Add remaining ingredients and place in a casserole dish.
2. Cover and bake at 350* for 45 minutes to 1 hour (until tender).

Lori's Dill Dip

Our family recipe. This can be found at nearly EVERY gathering, no matter how big or small. I eat everything with this dip:  crackers, chips, veggies, and more.  Be warned:  it is addictive!

INGREDIENTS:
1 C sour cream
1 C mayo
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 T minced green onion
1 T parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp dill
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
Dash of pepper


DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix all ingredients.

Mom's Banana Bread

There is no other recipe that can beat this one! It is my mom's recipe and it is absolutely amazing. So amazing I tend to overlook the sugar and the flour. I will never turn down her banana bread, but if you want to make it with real food, just use whole wheat flour instead of the regular flour, and use honey and applesauce instead of the sugar. I like to add walnuts too, but it is all to taste!

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 C sugar
1 C butter
4 eggs
6 bananas (overripe)
5 C flour
2 tsp baking soda

DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix ingredients.  Grease and flour three bread loaf pans.  Bake at 350* for 50 minutes.

Drew's Chicken Marsala

We all LOVE when my brother-in-law, Drew, makes his Chicken Marsala! It is to die for. I have never had it better in any restaurant I have gone to. Like all of his recipes, there are some measurements he has, but some he just does by instinct and taste. But hey--it makes it fun, right? Right.

INGREDIENTS:

Olive Oil

Butter

Pasta (I use whole wheat)

1 lb chicken (diced)

1 C flour

1 T tarragon

Salt and Pepper

SAUCE:

1/2 lb mushrooms

5 oz Marsala wine

8 oz chicken stock

DIRECTIONS:

1. Toss (dredge) chicken with flour, tarragon, and salt/pepper.  Heat pan with oil and butter.

2. Sear chicken in pan.  Remove and add mushrooms to pan.  De-glaze pan with Marsala wine and reduce.

3. Add chicken stock, reduce and season as desired.  (You can thicken it with water/corn starch mix.)

4. Add chicken and toss together.  Pour over pasta.