Girl Scout Chocolate Mint Cookies

Girl Scout cookie time always makes me so happy...until I moved to Ft. Drum. I, for some reason, can never find a girl scout to purchase 8 billion boxes from. So, I have taken matters into my own hands.

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What you need:

• 2 cups mint chocolate chips
• 70 Ritz crackers

Directions:

I used Andes mints. Mmmm. Next time I want to try the lightly salted Ritz and see if it makes a difference.

Melt your chocolate in 30 second increments in microwave, stirring after each increment until smooth and completely melted. It only took me a minute total.

Dip crackers one at a time. Try not to lick your fingers too much.

Place on wax paper until the chocolate sets. Store in an airtight container.

If you like Thin Mints, make these...they are well worth it and pretty dang close. I think the Ritz cracker adds a little bit of texture difference than a regular Thin Mint and there is a touch of saltiness that isn't in the original, but I didn't mind that because it reminded me a little of chocolate-covered pretzels. I also put mine in the freezer because that's how I eat my Thin Mints :] I'm just excited to have such a simple way to get my fix of them all year round!!

Recipe courtesy Food.com member Wineaux

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

My husband created a monster. A jalapeno monster. I cannot get enough of these peppers! Add bacon into the mix and you have a problem just waiting to happen!!

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What you need:

• 25 fresh jalapeno peppers
• 14 to 16 oz. cream cheese
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 32 oz. bacon

Directions:

This is an incredibly violent recipe. First, chop off all the heads of these little peppers.

Cut them in half lengthwise.

Now spill those innards. For me, it's easiest to take a spoon to remove the veins and seeds. Also, do this AWAY from your face so jalapeno juice doesn't splash in your face.

Look at those beauties!

The original recipe was too messy for me so here's what I did: Mix the cream cheese and the cheddar cheese together.

Cut the bacon in the package, right down the middle. I didn't end up using all 32 oz.

Fill the pepper with cheese.

Wrap with bacon.

Set on a baking sheet...I was scared of juices dripping so I lined my pan with aluminum foil and had something underneath my baking sheet in the oven.

Bake at 450 for 10 to 15 minutes or until bacon is cooked all the way.

I had 50 of these suckers to myself. I froze them and have been nuking them and also rebaking them for late night snacks. They are unbelievably easy and delicious!

Recipe Courtesy Food.com member AZRoxy63

Roasted Chicken & Zucchini Stuffed Biscuits

This is my own spin on Grands! Taco Melts. I couldn't get enough of it and I wanted to experiment. I absolutely love zucchini and I really liked the flavoring behind the turkey I made for Thanksgiving, so I KNEW that I wanted to incorporate both of those things in my experiment.

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What you need:

• Chicken tenderloins
• 1 to 2 zucchini, cubed
• 1 medium onion, diced
• Thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lemon
• 1 can biscuits (8 count)

Directions:

Cook chicken, shred it.

Saute onions, zucchini, garlic, thyme to your preference and salt & pepper to taste.

After zucchini and onions are tender, add chicken and stir to combine.

Use 1/2 your lemon and squeeze juice over chicken and zucchini. I put the other half in my garbage disposal to make it less smelly :)

Roll out biscuits into 6-inch circles on a greased cookie sheet. Place a spoonful of mixture on each biscuit with cheese of your choice.

Fold sides of biscuits into the center and pinch to seal. Bake at 375 for 9 to 14 minutes.

Serve with cheese on top!

Original Recipe: Sarah E @ fantasticalsharingofrecipes.blogspot.com/

Shepherd's Pie

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What you need:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 tbsp. vinegar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. hot pepper
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 15 oz. can corn, drained
• 3 large potatoes
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. butter
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Dash of pepper
• Shredded cheddar cheese

 Directions:

Boil potatoes until soft. Mash with milk, butter, 1/4 tsp. salt and dash of pepper.

Look at these fanciful pinch bowls I got for Christmas! First time I got to use them. Did I mention my mother-in-law is amazing??

Combine ground beef, vinegar and seasonings. Cook in skillet until brown.

Add onion and cook until onion begins to become translucent.

Drain if needed and add to crockpot.

Spread corn over meat.

Spread potatoes over corn. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Sprinkle top with cheese a few minutes before serving.

What a good hearty comfort meal! One of my favorites and this one has a tiny bite to it :)

Kinda Like Chik-fil-A Chicken Nuggets

I made the chicken nugget form of this recipe - just like those Chik-fil-A nuggets. The kids loved them!!

And I actually got a good picture!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls (Copycat)

The one thing I really loved about Ft. Gordon (among other things) was that there were Cinnabons EVERYWHERE. Ft. Drum has Dunkin' Donuts...blehhhh. I miss Cinnabon a bunch. Here's how I coped with my broken heart:

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What you need:
Rolls:

• 1 pkg. dry yeast
• 1 cup milk, warm
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour

Filling:

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup margarine, softened

Icing:

• 8 tbsp. margarine
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. Add sugar, margarine, salt, eggs and flour.

Mix well until a dough is formed.

Knead gently into a large ball on a lightly floured surface.

Put dough in a bowl (I used the same one I mixed it up in), cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour or until it has doubled.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 21 by 16 inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.

For Filling: I didn't soften my butter. By the way, I don't do the whole margarine thing. So I melted my butter down. Spread the melted butter onto the dough. Also...this is about the time you want to get that oven preheated to 400 degrees.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon for filling.

Sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough.

From the long end, roll the dough up tightly.

Pinch the seams.

Cut into 1 3/4 inch slices.

Place in a lightly greased baking pan. I used the rest of my melted butter. I had a lot of butter! Let rise for an hour, uncovered. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. I had to cook mine for 15 or more minutes. I didn't time them, just kept an eye on them.

To make icing: combine ingredients and beat with a mixer until fluffy.

When the rolls are done, spread the icing on top of the rolls.

Drool!!!
Recipe Courtesy Food.com member Lightly Toasted

Made this recipe again on 10/19/2011 - it turned out much better using my Kitchenaid Mixer. They are DEAD ON!