The best playdough

Combine in saucepan:
3 cups flour
3/4 cup salt
3 tsps cream of tartar

Add and whisk until smooth:
3 cups water
3 T. oil food color (or if I don't have oil food color I just add oil and add food color at the end)

Cook over medium heat until nearly set.

Add 3 T. imitation vanilla extract

Store in a ziploc bag. this will last a long time.

Cheesey Chicken Cordon Bleu Rice Casserole

YUM! this is good and not too hard to make.

2 T. oil olive
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1/2 lb. diced ham
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
4 T. butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
14 oz chicken broth
3 cups cooked rice of choice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella or swiss cheese

preheat oven to 350

heat oil in large 5 quart rimmed skilled over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic (i just used powder), ham, and chicken (i boiled my chicken to cook it). Cook for additional 5 minutes. Melt butter, stir in flour, add salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Slowly stir in chicken broth until well combined. Stir in cooked rice. Transfer to a 9X13 baking pan. Top with cheddar and mozarella (I used swiss) cheese. I also mixed the cheese into the dish.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

This was so tasty and my kids loved it.

Cinnamon Knots

**I just made these...delicious!! The kids devoured them!

8 balls of Frozen yeast roll dough (such as Rhode’s)

1 cup sugar

2 T cinnamon

1 stick margarine, melted

Place dough balls on plate sprayed lightly with baking spray to prevent them from sticking. Allow to thaw but not rise.

Once thawed, melt margarine in microwave. Stir cinnamon and sugar together in separate bowl. Roll out dough into tube about six inches long. Tie into knots. OR...you can dip in butter and cinnamon and then tie in knots.

Dip into margarine and then roll into cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on greased pan and cover with greased plastic wrap. Leave in warm place and allow to rise until double in size (about one and a half to two hours).

Bake at 350 for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until brown. For an added treat, prepare the following cream cheese icing to be served with rolls.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 stick margarine or butter

1 1/2 to 2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp butter flavoring (can substitute Vanilla)

1 T cinnamon

Soften cream cheese and margarine by leaving out on counter until it reaches room temperature. Combine the two in a mixing bowl and mix until well blended. Add sugar. Mix until smooth. Add flavoring and cinnamon, mixing until well incorporated and icing is creamy.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

This blog must be resurrected! I have gotten so many great recipes from here and I'm in need of more quick dinner recipes. I wish I had a great one to share, but today I only have a treat.

These are SO good! Of course they would be, they are from Paula Dean!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars


Ingredients

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
* 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
* 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* Streusel topping, recipe follows
* 1/2 cup caramel topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping.
Streusel Topping:

* 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.

Yield: approximately 3 cups