Amazing Pepperoni Pizza

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package dry active yeast
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons oil
3/4 cup pizza sauce
12 oz sliced mozzarella cheese
1 3/4 oz slices of pepperoni (about 25)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper


Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 12x9 sheet. Mix together flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in yeast. Make a hole in the center of flour mixture. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 cup lukewarm water in the center of flour. Mix until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surfaceand knead gently for 5 minutes. Roll out dough and press into prepared sheet. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Then bake 5-7 minutes. Top with sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. Sprinkle with oregano and black pepper. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons oil and bake 15-20 minutesor until golden brown.

Additional notes:
4 star rating: ****
I love this pizza and the crust is sooo good!

Fried Cheese Balls

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz shredded pepper jack cheese
8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 cup  roasted red pepper (diced)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon cajun seasoning OR cayenne pepper seasoning

breading:

flour

milk

bread crumbs

Mix all ingredients together (except breading ingredients) Roll into small balls. Refrigerate 1 hour. In 3 separate bowls, put flour, milk, and bread crumbs. Roll balls in each bowl (in that order) Drop them in hot oil until brown.

Additional notes:
4 star rating:****
 Every cheese lovers dream!

Rolo Fudge Cookies

1 box Betty Crocker ultimate fudge brownie mix
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/3 cup oil
7 oz (or more) Rolo candies (unwrapped)
powdered sugar (for dusting)

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowling beat together eggs and oil. Next mix in brownie mix and flour. Mix until smooth. Make a ball of dough, press rolo in the middle and wrap dough around candy. (make sure all the candy is covered in dough) Bake on a greased cooking sheet for 8 minutes in preheated oven. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Additional notes:
5 star rating:*****
This are so good and addicting!

Lemon pepper chicken

4- boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon season salt
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning (or more if you desire more of a lemon flavor)

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken breasts on a greased cooking sheet. Spread butter generously over chicken breasts. Mix seasonings together in a small bowl. Sprinkle seasonings over the chicken. Bake until no longer pink.

Additional notes:
4 star rating:****
I love the strong lemon flavor of this chicken.

Jalapeño ranch chicken

4- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon season salt
1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
8 slices jarred jalapeño peppers + juice
ranch seasoning packet

Preheat oven to 350. Lay chicken breasts on a cooking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray, Cook about 6 minutes or until whitish. Make a cut into the middle of each chicken breast, but not cutting all the way through. Mix together all spices in a small bowl. Put spices in the cut of each chicken. Then put olive oil over the spices. Bake chicken breast until done and no longer pink. Put 2 jalapeños on top of each chicken breast and a little juice. Sprinkle with ranch seasoning.

Additional notes:
4 star rating: ****
The spices really bring out the flavor of the chicken. The tangy-ness of the ranch and  the spice of the jalapeños give it a little kick.

Cinnamon rolls

 DOUGH:
1/4 cup butter
2 cups milk
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 package yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

Melt butter and milk in microwave for 1 1/2 minutes until very warm. Set aside. Combine 2 cups flour, salt, yeast, and sugar. Add milk mixture. Adds eggs. Mix well. Add 4 cups flour. Mix well. Place dough on floured surface, knead until smooth. Add more flour, if sticky. Grease a large bowl. Place dough in bowl. Spray dough with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. about 30 minutes. ( I used a heating pad) Turn risen dough on floured surface and cut in half.

CINNAMON SPREAD:
1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
4 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

Roll each piece of dough out to a 9x13 rectangle. Spread dough with butter. Mix together in a small bowl cinnamon, sugar, and brown sugar. Then sprinkle buttered rolled dough with suar cinnamon mixture. Roll up from 9" end and cut into 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch sections. Place on greased baking sheet. Repeat with 2nd half of dough. Let rolls rise for 30 minutes in a warm place, again. Bake rolls at 350 for 25 minutes.

FROSTING:
1/2 stick butter (room temperature)
1 bag powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
milk

Whip butter. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread frosting on warm rolls.

Additional notes:

5 star rating: *****

Time consuming, but Ooooh so delicious!

Irresistable cherry cake

CAKE:
1 package white cake mix with pudding
1 package cherry gelatin
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/2 cup liquid from cherries
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 eggs


FROSTING:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 stick butter (room temperature)
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup chopped cherries
1-2 tablespoons liquid from cherries


Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2- nine inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients, except for the chopped maraschino cherries, using an electric mixer. ( beat 5 minutes) stir in chopped cherries. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges to remove cakes.

For the frosting:
Combine cream cheese and butter with electric mixer on low. Add powder sugar, then cherries, then the cherry liquid. Mix well. Frost cakes tops. Put one cake on top of the other and frost sides. Put any extra cherries on top, if desired.

Additional notes:
5 star rating: *****
This is my husbands favorite cake. I made this cake for the first time on Valentines day 2008. Which was our first Valentines day together. He loved it so much, he asks for it every year for his birthday!

Strawberry bagel supreme

6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest (grated)
2 teaspoons FRESH lemon juice
3 cups diced strawberries
(8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
6-8 pkg bagels (flavor of your choice) toasted

In a skillet over high heat, add brown sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook 1 minute until sugar melts. Add strawberries. Cook 1 minute. Spread cream cheese over toasted bagels. Top with strawberry sauce. Cut each half bagel into fourths. You can refrigerate strawberry sauce for 2 days. Or freeze up to 1 month.

Additional notes:
This is so good! Its perfect for an appetizer at a party. Or a breakfast treat!

Caramel bars

Ingredients:

 4 sticks salted butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
4 cups flour
1 (14oz) bag caramel candy
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars until creamy. Add 2 tablespoons vanilla. Gradually add flour, mix until a soft dough forms. Preheat oven to 325. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Press 1/2 of the dough into the bottom of the dish. Place the remaining dough in the refrigerator. Bake the prepared dish in the preheated oven for20 minutes. Then let cool 15 minutes.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine unwrapped candies, heavy whipping cream, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Microwave 1 minute. Stir. If not melted completely, microwave 30 seconds and stir. Repeating until melted. Pour caramel over crust. Sprinkle with sea salt. Remove remaining dough from the refrigerator. Crumble it over the top of the caramel. Return to the oven 25-30 minutes. Let cool before cutting.

Additional Notes:
4 star rating ****

These caramel bars are very good, but ooh so sweet! Cut into small bars, I bet you can handle more than one.