Meatloaf Please!

This recipe was sent in by Liddell Cothran! Enjoy this classic meatloaf recipe!

Liddell's Meatloaf
1 lb. ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb. pork sausage
1/3 cup ketchup
2 cups dry bread crumbs
2 t. prepared mustard
1 egg
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 small onion, chopped
1/3 cup milk
-Combine beef and sausage with bread crumbs, egg, onion, milk, salt and pepper. Mix well. I use my hands. Pack mixture into a 5 x 9 loaf pan. In a small bowl, combine ketchup, mustard and brown sugar. Spread over top. Bake @ 350 for 1 hour or so. I like to double my topping and put more on the last 20 minutes of cooking.

We hope you had a great weekend!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams!:)

Mushroom & Cheese Grit Canapes!

Enjoy today's appetizer recipe for mushroom and cheese grit bites! Sure to WoW you!

Mushroom & Cheese Grit Canapes
¾ cup mayo
¾ cup parmesan cheese(freshly grated)
1 jar of sliced mushrooms(chopped)
¾ can of French fried onions rings
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 packets(or more) of the cheese instant grits
-make grits according to package, stir in shredded cheese. Put grits in to Pyrex dish and refrigerate until grits are set. Flip grits out of dish on to cutting board and cut in to small circles with cookie cutter-bake grit circles at 350 for 8 minutes. Mix mushrooms, mayo, parmesan cheese and fried onions together-spoon on top of grit circles and bake until golden brown.

We hope everyone has a great weekend!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

P.S. It's GrEaT to be an Auburn Tiger!

Baked Parmesan Dip!

Today's dip is served warm on sliced baguettes! Yum!

Baked Parmesan Dip
3 oz of cream cheese
1 package of frozen, chopped spinach-thawed and drained
1 cup of mayo
1 whole onion, minced
1 whole garlic clove, minced
1 cup plus 2 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp of black pepper
½ tsp of paprika
1 whole Artisan Baguette, cut into slices
-Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together with a hand mixer, reserving the paprika and extra 2 tablespoons of Parmesan for the top. Place into an ovenproof dish and add the extra Parmesan and sprinkle paprika over the top. Bake at 350 degrees till hot and bubbly, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot to spread on baguette slices.

Cupcake Wishes and Cookies Dreams! :)

Eggnog Spice Bundt Cake!

Here's to kicking off the Holidays with a yummy dessert! Enjoy!

Eggnog Spice Bundt Cake
1 box of spice cake mix
1 box of instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding mix
1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
¼ cup of canola oil
1 cup light eggnog
1 whole egg
3 whole egg whites
1 1/3 cup of toasted, chopped pecans(optional)
Powdered sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a nonstick bundt pan with cooking spray. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, yogurt, oil, eggnog, egg, and egg whites in a large bowl. Mix until creamy. Stir in pecans(optional). Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 40 to 45 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. When cool, dust with powdered sugar.

Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

A Side of Boats!

Try this yummy side dish of stuffed succhini boats! Mmmm!!!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats
3 large zucchini
½ onion
1 ½ cup regular ground sausage
Thyme, to taste
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Minced garlic, to taste
¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese
-Preheat oven to 350. Wash zucchini, cut ends off, and cut in half lengthwise. Put in a microwave-safe dish with a little water to steam and microwave for about 10 minutes or until soft. Scrape out the seeded center of the zucchinis and put centers in a separate bowl. Dice and saute half an onion and add to the bowl with the zucchini filling. Brown sausage with thyme, crushed red pepper, and garlic and add to the filling. Add parmesan cheese to the filling, reserving some for topping. Place zucchinis on a cookie sheet and fill with the sausage filling. Sprinkle with reserved parmesan cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and filling is hot.

Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup!

This soup will come in handy for the cold days ahead! Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup
3 cups of cooked wild rice
1 whole large onion, diced
1 whole carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
Dashes of salt and pepper to taste
1 whole dried bay leaf
¼ cup of olive oil
1 cup flour
8 cups of chicken broth
1 tbsp of Dry Sherry(optional)
1 cup fat-free half and half
-In a large soup pot, heat oil to medium-high. Add onion, carrot, celery, and chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add bay leaf. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes, or until the veggies are softened. Sprinkle in flour, a little bit at a time, stirring and cooking until flour is blended in. (Don’t let it brown.) Slowly add chicken broth, stirring until the broth and roux are blended. Add the wild rice and adjust your seasonings. Heat thoroughly. Add the sherry and the half-and-half. Reheat gently, but do not boil. Remove bay leaf before serving.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Fried Green Tomatoes!

Serving up today's recipe....a classic movie and appetizer.....Fried Green Tomatoes! Enjoy!

Fried Green Tomatoes
1/4 cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
1/3 cup of flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cornmeal
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
chipotle powder(optional)
2 whole Medium, Firm Green Tomatoes, Sliced 1/2-inch Thick
-Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat.
Place the flour, egg and cornmeal in separate bowls and season with salt and pepper. Add the chipotle powder, if using, to the cornmeal. Dredge tomato slices, one at a time, in the flour, shaking off excess. Then dip into the egg, shaking off the excess, and coat with cornmeal.
Place coated tomato slices in the skillet with heated oil and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, or until golden. Repeat with remaining tomatoes. Drain on a paper towel-lined dish, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

We hope you all have a great weekend!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Chocolate Cheese Ball Dip!

When you think of dips most of the time you think of salty/savory.....well today we have a dip that is sweet and filled with chocolate!! MMmm! Enjoy!

Chocolate Cheese Ball
1 - 8oz.. pkg. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans, divided
Graham crackers, butter cookies, pretzels (break graham crackers into fourths)
-In a bowl, combine cream cheese, conf. sugar, butter, brown sugar and vanilla, beating with an electric mixture until smooth. Add chocolate chips and 1/2 cup pecans. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Shape mixture into a ball and roll in remaining 1/4 cup pecans. Serve with crackers, cookies or pretzels.

Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Banana Pudding!

Today's dessert was sent in by Barbara Quinney(Becca's Mom) and is a classic dessert of Banana Pudding!

Banana Pudding
1 Lg. Box Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 8 oz. cream cheese
3 cups milk
1 large cool whip
1 can Eagle Brand milk
Vanilla Wafers
4-5 bananas
-Soften cream cheese. Mix in Eagle Brand milk. Add 3 cups milk and pudding mix. Mix in 1/2 cool whip and layer-wafers, pudding, bananas....end with cool whip on top.

Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Mexican Rice!

Today's side dish is a basic Mexican Rice that would pair great with tacos, quesadillas or enchiladas! Enjoy!

Mexican Rice
2 tbsp of canola oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of long grain rice
1 can of rotel(10oz)
2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp of cumin(or more to taste)
1 tsp salt
fresh cilantro, chopped
-Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add rice and garlic. Stir constantly, making sure the rice doesn’t burn. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Add Ro-tel. Stir to combine and let cook for 2 minutes. Finally, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 additional minutes or until rice is done. Add more liquid as needed; rice shouldn’t be sticky. Just before serving, sprinkle lots of freshly chopped cilantro over the top.

Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Taco Crunch Casserole!

Good Morning Everyone! This week we are starting off with a Taco Crunch Casserole sent in by Jane Glover. Enjoy!

Taco Crunch Casserole
1 lb ground beef
1 onion chopped (I only used half of a big onion)
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
1 can sweet corn
1 packet of taco seasoning
2/3 cup water
8 oz of salsa
fritos (crunched)
1 pack of mexican blended cheese
-Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef with chopped onions. After browned, add the water, taco seasoning, salsa, sweet corn and green bell pepper and mix together. Let it simmer until it thickens a bit (about 5 minutes). Use casserole dish (any size) and layer 1/2 meat mixture, then cheese, then fritos, then the other half of meat mixure, cheese and fritos again. Cook for 20 minutes.

We hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Pop..over for an appetizer! Ha! Get it?!

Today's appetizer is a cheesy garlic popover that will melt in your mouth! Feel free to mix different cheeses in to these mini's too! Why? Because cheese is good any way!

Mini Cheesy Garlic Popovers
3 tsp oil
1 whole egg, plus 1 egg white
1/4 cups milk
3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp garlic seasoning
3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1. Spray a 24-count muffin tin (or 2 12-counts, or 4 six-counts) with cooking spray. (A popover tin would work also.) Add a few drops of oil, about 1/8 teaspoon, to each cup. Pop the tin into a 425-degree oven and heat for 5 minutes. Whisk together milk, egg and egg white. Stir in flour and seasoning. Once everything is incorporated, dump in the cheese! Divide batter between preheated cups and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until only slightly brown. Immediately remove popovers from the pan and serve warm. Yum.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend! Good Luck to the Auburn Tigers! It's their Homecoming weekend!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Chunky Bean Salsa Dip!

Dip Day Oh Yeah! Today we have a chunky bean salsa brought to you by April Barnette. Enjoy!

Chunky Bean Salsa
2 cans black beans-drained and rinsed
1 can whole corn-drained
1 can Rotel-drained ORIGINAL
1 can Rotel-drained HOT
1/2 large purple onion-chopped
1 bunch cilantro-chopped
2 TB olive oil
1 TB red wine vinegar
3-4 TB lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
-Mix all and refrigerate at least 24 hours. Best served with organic white corn and blue corn tortilla chips. Optional: Chop and add avocado before serving.

It's healthy and yummy!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

A Festive Fall Dessert!

It's Fall so we've GoT to have some kind of pumpkin dessert right?! What better than a super simple pumpkin muffin!?!? Enjoy!

Easy Pumpkin Muffins
1 package of yellow cake mix
1 can of pumpkin pie filling
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
1/2 tsp ginger
dash of nutmeg
-Preheat oven to 350 and grease paper liners in muffin tin. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pumpkin pie filling and spices until smooth. Spoon equal amounts of batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. *You could even put a little cream cheese icing on top for a little treat!*

Please remember to send any Fall or Christmas recipes to two.hungryhippos@yahoo.com
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

A Side of Risotto!

This cheesy risotto dish will warm your belly and serve up great with grilled or baked chicken! Enjoy!

Risotto with Spring Peas & Asparagus
5 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped leak
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
4 cups hot chicken broth divided
1 pound asparagus, cut in to ¾ inch pieces
1 ½ cups frozen peas
¾ cup grated asiago cheese
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
garnish with cheese too!
-heat butter, leek, onion and garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes-stirring. Add rice and cook, stirring. Add 2 cups of chicken broth, ¼ cup at a time, allow liquid to be absorbed, cook until rice becomes creamy(20-25min). Add peas and cook for 3 minutes, remove from heat and add cheese & cream. Stir and garnish with cheese!

Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Serving Up a Main Dish!

Today's recipe is a yummy Italian dish with a twist! You are surely going to LoVe these Lasagna Rolls!

Lasagna Rolls
1 lb. ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup(8oz) of ricotta cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
-preheat oven to 350. brown meat in skillet, drain. Stir half of the jar of spaghetti sauce into skillet with meat. Set remaining sauce aside for later use. Mix egg, ricotta cheese and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Spread each noodle with 2 heaping tbsp full of ricotta mixture. Top evenly with ¼ cup meat mixture and 2 heaping tbsp mozzarella cheese. Roll up each noodle, starting at one of the short ends. Place in greased 8-inch square baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheeses; cover with foil. Bake 45min. or until hot and bubbly.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween weekend!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Pesto Please!

Today's appetizer is sure to make you drool! Puff pastry, pesto and parmesan......can't go wrong with those ingredients! Thanks to April Barnette for sending this delicious recipe in!! Enjoy!

Pesto Palmiers
1 box puff pastry
1 jar sun-dried tomato pesto or basil pesto
freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 TB water
-Preheat oven to 400.After the pastry dough thaws to room temperature, unfold and lay 1 pastry sheet on a non-stick surface (either lightly flour the counter top or use a Silpat nonstick mat). Cut the sheet in half. Spread pesto thinly but not too sparingly. Cover with a thin layer of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Roll the longest edges of the pastry sheet inward (like a scroll) so that they meet evenly in the middle. You may have to pinch or press the pastry seam together so that the pastry log doesn't come unrolled. After the pastry is rolled into log, in a small bowl, beat one egg and add 1-2 tablespoons of water to create an egg wash. With a pastry or basting brush, coat the entire surface of the log with the egg wash. Slice the pastry log into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. Place the pastries pieces flat on greased cookie sheet (so that one of the exposed pesto sides is touching cookie sheet) 2 inches apart. Bake on 400 until "puffed".

We hope you have a SpOoKy HaLLoWeeN!!!!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Dip Day....Pumpkin Style!

With Fall in the air what better dip to have today than a Pumpkin Pie Dip! Thanks to Marissa Anderson Mabes for sending in this scrumptious Fall recipe!!

Pumpkin Pie Dip
8oz softened cream cheese
2c powdered sugar
15oz can pumpkin pie filling
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Beat cream Cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add pie filling, cinnamon, and ginger; beat well. Cover – chill 8 hours
Notes and Serving Suggestions:- Serve with Ginger snaps or green apple slices

We would love to have more seasonal recipes! Please send them to two.hungryhippos@yahoo.com Happy Fall Y'all!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

SWEEEET!!

If you like coffee, ice cream and sundae's then you'll LoVe this! Jen Schaeperklaus sent in this sweet recipe! Enjoy!!

Coffee Sundae
18 oreos
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter
2/3 of carton (1/2 gallon) of coffee icecream
1 small can evaporated milk
2 squares of unsweetened chocolate
pecans (for garnish if you like)
-Crush oreos. Mix melted butter with oreos and press mixture into a 9x9 square pan. Freeze.
Spread coffee icecream (softened) on top of frozen oreo crust.
Melt 1 T. butter, 2 squares chocolate and sugar. Slowly add milk, cook until thickened (about 4 min.). Let cool and spread on top of ice cream. Freeze and garnish with pecans.

Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Tuesday's Side Dish!

The recipe for today is a super yummo side dish that was sent in by Liddell Cothran Courtney.
Enjoy!

Roasted Potatoe Salad with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1/4 cup butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Blue Cheese Dressing, recipe follows
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large shallow roasting pan with non-stick aluminum foil.In a large bowl, combine potatoes, olive oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, tossing gently to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes, until potatoes are tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and cool.In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onions; cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and add vinegar. Stir until vinegar evaporates, about 1 to 2 minutes.In a large bowl, combine potatoes, onions, and Blue Cheese Dressing. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Blue Cheese Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 (4-ounce) container crumbled blue cheese
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
-In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, blue cheese, sour cream, horseradish, and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate. Yield: about 1 cup

Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Breakfast is Better!

Today's dish is a breakfast casserole sent in by Katie Hardy. This recipe is great for breakfast, brunch or dinner!! Enjoy!

Breakfast Casserole
2 1/2 cups seasoned croutons
1 pound spicy pork sausage
4 eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained and chopped
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 sprigs fresh parsley, for garnish
-Spread croutons on bottom of greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Crumble sausage into medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain off any drippings. Spread sausage over croutons. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until well blended. Stir in soup, spinach, mushrooms, cheeses and mustard. Pour egg mixture over sausage and croutons. Refrigerate overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until set and lightly browned on top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve hot.

We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Please remember to send recipes to two.hungryhippos@yahoo.com (We need some more appetizer and side dish ideas!)
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Pinwheel, Pinwheel Spin Me Around!

Today's appetizer is a pinwheel treat! So easy and So good!! Big thanks to Brooke Warren for this great recipe!

Mushroom & Cream Cheese Pinwheels
8ozcream cheese with chives
1 can Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar of sliced mushrooms
Dash of garlic powder
-Chop mushrooms in to smaller bites, stir mushrooms, garlic powder and shredded cheese in to cream cheese, unroll crescent dough and split in half(or you can split dough in to 4 separate rectangles), spread cream cheese mix on top. Roll the dough up in to a log and then wrap in aluminum foil(let chill in the fridge or freezer to firm up), when firm slice in to 1/2 inch(or smaller) pieces. Bake at 350 for about 14 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly! *You could even add bacon to make even tastier!*

Okay y'all.....it's the weekend!! WoHoo!!! Enjoy the fall weather!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Dip Day is Back!

Here we are again on Dip Day...YaY! Thanks again for this simple Corn Dip sent in by Lowery Lane Smith!

Corn Dip
l can shoepeg corn, drained
l can mexicorn, drained
l cup mayo
l can chopped green chilies
l bunch green onions, chopped
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
6 oz. monterey jack cheese, grated
red pepper to taste
-Combine all ingredients and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Almost to the weekend!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Something Sweet For You!

Below is a super easy, super yummy sweet dish! Special thanks to Lowery Lane Smith for giving us this recipe! Mmmmm...can't wait to make these!

Glazed Crackers
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In sauce pan, combine butter and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla and chopped pecans. Arrange crackers on two baking sheets. Spoon pecan mixture over crackers. Bake six minutes. Remove and sprinkle both chips over crackers. Return to oven and bake 2 more minutes until chips are melted. Remove and cool.

There you go! Enjoy the Sweetness!!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Bacon Makes it Better!

One of our motto's is Bacon Makes It Better and with this side dish....it does! Enjoy!

Green Bean Bundles with Bacon
1 lb. green beans with the ends snapped off
8 slices lean, regularly sliced bacon
3 Tbsp. real butter (no substitutions!)
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. white sugar
1 Tbsp. minced red onion
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
-Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. If you're using fresh green beans, wash and snap the ends off. When the water is boiling, briefly boil (blanch) the beans for 2-3 minutes or until the beans have turned bright green. Quickly drain and rinse in cold water until the beans have cooled. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.On a cookie sheet, divide the green beans evenly into 8 piles. Carefully bundle each pile of beans with one slice of bacon and return to the baking sheet. When the oven is ready, place the pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and sizzling. While the bundles are in the oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. When the butter is bubbly, add in the onions and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are softened and fragrant. Reduce heat to low and add in vinegar, sugar, and salt. Remove from heat and set aside. When ready to serve, place bean bundles on a serving platter and drizzle with sauce. Serve immediately.

Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Monday's Main Dish!

Morning! Below is a classic New Orleans dish that is sure to knock your socks off! It was sent in by Erin Haines and is a family recipe straight from The Big Easy!

Classic Nawlins style Red Beans and Rice by Diane Trest (Erin's mom)
My mom tells me the story that Red Beans and Rice were cooked all day on Mondays while the laundry was drying on the line or something like that, back in the day in New Orleans. So its tradition to eat Red Beans on Mondays.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. kidney beans (Mom swears by Camellia, but sometimes they are hard to find)
1 ham bone (We get ours at Honey Baked Ham for like $7)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red pepper (or 1 teaspoon-ish of dried)
2 bay leaves
2 Tablespoons of Tony's Chachere's Creole Seasoning (you can find this in the spice aisle)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of thyme
2 Tablespoons of Parsley
1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 turns of the knob of McCormick Garlic Pepper Seasoning
dash of Tabasco
1 lb. of Turkey Kelbasa Sausage
Directions:
Day 1 -The night before take the beans and soak overnight in cold water. Make sure the bowl is a lot larger so the beans can expand during the night.
Day 2 - Drain the soaked beans in a colander. Take a handful at a time and pick out the gravel and dirt particles. Rinse the beans and put them along with ALL (except the sausage) other ingredients into a heavy 8-10 quart pot. Add enough water to cover the beans and spices. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then lower and let simmer on low heat for 2.5-3.5 hours (or until the beans are tender and a thick natural gravy has formed). During cooking, stir frequently (3-4 times each hour) and scape the sides and across the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching.
As the beans soften, mash some against the side of the pot or between two spoons. The result will be a thick creamy sauce. If the mixture appears to dry or be too thick, add 1 cup of water.
*Approximately 2 hours into cooking time remove the ham bone. If you leave it too long it will break apart and ham bits will be floating in your red beans. Its mainly there just to add flavor.
* About half an hour before the beans are finished add the sliced sausage (we usually cut our into little half moons to get more sausage) and reseason with 1 Tablespoon of Tony's and 1/2 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder.
Remove the Bay Leaves (good luck finding them!) and Serve over rice and enjoy!!

We hope everyone had a great weekend!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

We Made It!! It's Friday!

Shwew! We didn't think we were ever going to make it to Friday.....but we did! Below is an easy recipe that would be kid friendly too!

Pretzels with a Cheesy Mustard Dip
2 cans breadstick dough
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
½ tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp coarse salt
-preheat oven to 375, separate dough to 24 sticks. Twist and stretch in to a 22inch rope. Twist in to pretzel form. Brush with egg whites and bake 12 to 18 min. In a small bowl combine butter and garlic powder. Brush on pretzels and sprinkle with salt after out of the oven.
Cheesy Mustard Dip
1(8oz) shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup grated smoked cheddar cheese
1 cup whole milk
3 tbsp whole grained mustard
½ tsp pepper
-Combine cheese and milk, melting over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat and add mustard and pepper. Serve warm with pretzels!

Okay....we know what you're thinking.....today is not dip day, so why is there a dip!?!? Well in special circumstances, dips that go perfectly with appetizers can be included on Friday's! There's always exceptions to the rules when food is included!! Ha! Ha!
We hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and...... WaR EaGLe!(We really need some team spirit after last weekend! Jeepers Creepers!)
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Dip Day is here again!

Today's dip is great because it's not your typical spinach or artichoke dip.......it's got roasted red peppers.....and cheese ofcourse! Try this dip with some warm baguette slices and you will be the HiT of the neighborhood! Bon Appetite!!

Cheesy Roasted Red Pepper Dip
7oz jar roasted red peppers (about 1C diced)
4 cups grated pepper jack cheese (3/4 lb)
8oz cream cheese
3/4 cups mayonnaise
2 tbsp minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
-Preheat oven to 350. Remove peppers from jar and blot excess water with paper towels. You want to make sure they are dry so they don't add moisture to the dip then, dice them up. In a bowl, soften cream cheese in microwave so it will be easier to stir. Add in mayo, onion, garlic, and dijon. Stir to combine and then add in grated cheese and the diced peppers. Place in an 8x8-ish dish (pie plate works). Place in the oven and cook for 30-45 minutes. It will start to bubble and brown on the outside edge, and you want it to be bubbly all the way through to the center. It will be nice and golden brown on top, especially around the edges. Serve immediately. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, crackers or veggies. However my favorite is soft, warm baguette slices.

We're almost to the weekend...YaY!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

You're giving me a toothache!

This dessert is so sweet it will give you a toothache! Not only is it super easy to make, it's also super yummy to eat! This Hershey Bar Pie is sent in by Jen Schaeperklaus, Brett's sister-in-law, and you will be thanking her! Trust me people, you don't want to miss out on this treat!

Hershey Bar Pie
pillsbury ready made pie crust - baked
3 lg hershey bars
1 tbsp milk
3/4 of large container cool whip - softened
-bake pie shell and let cool. melt hershey bars and milk over a double broiler, let cool. add cooled chocolate to softened cool whip in large bowl and fold together. add mixture to cooled pie crust. freeze for a few hours before serving. garnish with hershey kisses, can also add rest of cool whip to top of pie!

Keep sending those recipes in and remember to take some pictures!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

I'll take a SIDE of that!!

Today's recipe is a classic side dish that every Southern Girl needs to know! The twice baked potatoe! Mmmmm!! Thanks to Wren Dickens for sending this tasty recipe in to Two Hungry Hippos!

Twice Baked Potatoes
4 large baking potatoes
1 16 oz. sour cream (can sub fat free)
1 medium onion diced fine
1 stick of butter or margarine
8 oz of sharp cheddar cheese (can sub fat free), plus a little extra for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
-Wash potatoes and wrap in tinfoil. Bake potatoes at 500 degrees until tender, usually about an hour. Slice potatoes length wise and scoop out the insides into a mixing bowl. Combine all other ingredients in a mixing bowl except for 1 oz of the cheese, add salt and pepper to your liking. Re-fill potato shells with filling, careful not to overfill. Sprinkle the extra cheese on top of each potato. Bake at 375 degrees or until tops are browned. Option: You may add bacon, omit onions and sub fat free cheese or sour cream!

This recipe is so great because it can go along side anything! You can also add all sorts of toppings to make it your own! We hope you enjoy it!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Straight up goodness!

Happy Rainy Monday Morning! Below is a recipe that can only be described as 'straight up goodness'! Chicken-good, biscuits-good, alfredo sauce-GOOOOOOOOD! Enjoy!

Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Casserole
1 tbsp butter
2 cups of sliced fresh mushrooms
½ cup chopped onion
1(16oz) jar of Alfredo sauce
¼ cup of milk
2 cups of chopped cooked chicken
2 cups of green giant select frozen broccoli florets, thawed
¼ tsp dried basil leaves
1 (7.5oz)can of Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits
1tbs of butter, melted
1 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese
-heat oven at 375 and spray 8inch dish with pam. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Cook mushrooms and onion in butter, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in Alfredo sauce, milk, chicken, broccoli and basil. Cook until mixture is thoroughly heated and bubbly, stirring constantly. Spoon into baking dish. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit in half crosswise. Arrange around edge of baking dish, overlapping slightly. Drizzle biscuits with melted butter; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Don't forget to check out the labels section for specific theme recipes and send in recipes or pictures to two.hungryhippos@yahoo.com! We hope you had a great weekend!! Happy Fall Y'all!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

TGIF! Here's an Appetizer!

If you love pizza as much as we do, you'll LoVe these! It's a yummy pizza crust wrapped around cheese and pepperoni! MmmmM GooD! Watch out friends because these pizza snacks will go fast!

Stuffed Crust Pizza Snacks
2 cans of Pillsbury pizza crust
2 cups of shredded mozzarella
48 slices of pepperoni
¼ cup of olive or vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp of dried Italian seasoning
2 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese
1 jar of pizza sauce, heated
-Heat oven to 400°F. Spray two 9-inch pie pans or one 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Remove dough from both cans. Unroll dough; starting at center, press out each dough rectangle with hands to form 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle into 24 squares. Top each square with cheese and pepperoni slice. Wrap dough around filling to completely cover; firmly press edges to seal. Place seam side down with sides touching in sprayed pie pans. In small bowl, combine oil and Italian seasoning; mix well. Drizzle over filled dough in pans. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400°F. for 16 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm pizza bites with warm pizza sauce.

ATTENTION FRIENDS!
We have created a Label Section! You can find this new section under our profile on the right side of our blog. It will allow you to click on the theme for each day and find recipes! For example, if you click on Appetizers, you will find all the appetizers that we have posted! We hope you enjoy our new blog addition! (A special thanks to Rhonda and Laura for this awesome idea!!)

We hope everyone has a GrEaT weekend! Good Luck to everyone's teams......especially those Auburn Tigers!! War Eagle Hey!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

It's Dip Day! Woop Woop!

Okay everybody.....we have a great Dip Day on our hands! Today's dip was sent in by Jacquelyn O'Brien-busy wife, realtor and mother of 2! This buffalo chicken dip is easy to make and will work great for parties or tailgates!

Buffalo Chicken Dip
6 cooked chicken breasts
1 bottle of hot wing sauce
1-8oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 cup buttermilk
1-8oz. bag of shredded cheese
1 bag of Fritos or Corn chips
Chop chicken put in baking dish and pour whole bottle of hot wing sauce and mix together. Heat cream cheese, buttermilk and ranch mix until smooth. Pour over chicken top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (May cook in crock pot on low for 30 min.)

Don't forget: Send recipes or ideas to two.hungrhippos@yahoo.com!
Since we have had one full week of recipe posts, I thought I would remind everyone of the designated theme days.....here they are:
Monday-Casserole/Main Dish Day
Tuesday-Side Dish/Random Day
Wednesday-Dessert Day
Thursday-Dip Day
Friday-Appetizer Day
When you send your recipe in you can label it Monday recipes or Tuesday recipes.....etc.
It's almost the weekend....get excited!!
Cupcake Wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

It's Hump Day!! Let's have something Sweet!

To get you over the 'hump' in the week, we decided to make Wednesday Dessert Day! This recipe is perfect for football season.....especially if you're an Auburn Tiger!! These Tiger Brownies will fill your belly and show team spirit at the same time! Enjoy!

Tiger Brownies
Filling: 2 packages(3oz each) of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
8 drops of red food color
8 drops of yellow food color
1 egg
Brownies: 1 box of fudge brownie mix
½ cup of vegetable oil
¼ cup of water
2 eggs- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening. In small bowl with electric mixer, beat filling ingredients on medium speed until smooth; set aside. In large bowl, stir brownie ingredients with spoon until well blended. Spread half of brownie batter in pan. Spoon filling mixture over brownie batter; gently spread to cover. Top with spoonfuls of remaining brownie batter. To marble, pull knife through batter in wide curves; turn pan and repeat. Bake 26 to 30 minutes or until set. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until set. With hot, wet knife, cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

So if you're not an Auburn fan....you can make the cream cheese mixture whatever color you want.....but I'm pretty positive the orange looks best!! HeeHee! War Eagle!
Cupcake wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

Hi-Ohhhhh! It's Tuesday!

Okay.....so on Tuesday's we thought we would do side dishes, but we may not always have a side dish recipe......in that case we will post a random recipe! However, today's post will be a side dish! Here it is:

Corn & Bacon Casserole
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
4 green onions, diced
¼ cup butter, melted
2(8oz) cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3(16oz) frozen corn packs, thawed
1(12oz) bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 cup crushed potato chips
-preheat oven 350, in a skillet cook red bell pepper, green onions in butter over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add cream cheese stirring until melted. Remove from heat. Add sour cream, salt, pepper and stir. Add corn, bacon and stir. Spoon in to dish, top with chips. Bake until hot and bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes.

If any of you have good side dish recipes, we would love to have them! We don't have that many right now and want to build our side dish library!

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read All About It!:
Two Hungry Hippos now has an email address for you to send your recipes and ideas to!
Please send all emails to:
two.hungryhippos@yahoo.com
We have already received a few recipes from friends and are super pumped about them! Thank you for taking the time to do that!!

Becca&Brett want to thank everyone for their support! This blog has been so much fun for us! We are having a blast and we hope you are getting some new, fun recipes!
Cupcake wishes and Cookie Dreams! :)

We're back on the wagon......it's Monday!

Monday's are going to be casserole/main dish days! So here we go! This recipe was sent in by none other than Barbara Quinney, Becca's mom! It is a yummy dish that can be made for breakfast, brunch or dinner! Here it is...enjoy!

Sausage-Cheddar Quiche
1-9 inch pie shell
1-lb. ground pork sausage
1 1/2 c. (6oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
4 lg.eggs, beaten
1 c. milk
paprika
Bake pie crust at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Brown sausage and drain. Cool. Combine sausage, cheese and next 5 ingredients. Spoon into pie crust. Beat eggs and milk until blended. Pour over sausage mixture; sprinkle lightly with paprika. Bake 324 degrees for 50 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. (Can substitute beef for sausage)

We hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend and that you have cupcake wishes and cookie dreams!
P.S. Don't forget to take pictures of your wonderful creations!!

Happy Friday!! It's Appetizer Day!

Good Morning To All!
Today we are posting a Super-Duper Appetizer! This recipe is great for parties, tailgating or as a snack!! The recipe was sent in by Janna Rutland, who by the way is a FaNtAsTiC cook! Ch-Ch-Check it out!!

Stuffed Jalapenos
8 large jalapeño
1 pkg cream cheese
1c cheddar cheese
Dash of garlic saltDash of salt
Hickory smoked bacon
Preheat oven 450. Split jalapeño in half length and remove all seeds. Mix cream cheese and cheddar together adding spices. Stuff peppers wrap bacon and hold with toothpick. Cook until bacon crisp.

Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this recipe! It is SO good! Don't worry, they aren't spicey b/c the seeds are taken out!

Side Note: If you ever make one of the recipes that we post....we would LOVE for you to send us a picture!

We hope everyone has cupcake wishes and cookie dreams! :)

It's Dip Day! Oh Yeah!

Hey Friends!
Since it's football season and people tailgate or watch games together, I figured Thursday could be Dip Day! Here is an easy recipe for a yummy dip:

Hot Spinach & Bacon Dip
1(10oz) pack of spinach, thawed
2(8oz) cream cheese, softened
1(8oz) sour cream
½ cup mayo
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1(12oz) package of bacon, cooked & crumbled
Tortilla chips
-preheat oven 350. Drain spinach & press between towels, set aside. In a bowl beat cream cheese, sour cream, mayo and garlic until creamy. Add cheeses and spinach-beat until blended. Add bacon, stir. Put in lightly greased dish and bake until brown, bubbly 25 minutes. Serve with chips.

Hope you all have a great day and a full belly! :)

This is IT!

HeLLo Ladies and Gentlemen! This is our very first post EVER!! Wohooo!!! Since we are just now learning our way around this blog....there will be no recipe post today. But rest assured there will be one tomorrow. I hope this finds everyone hopeful and happy! Have a gooder night! :)