Slow cooker marinara

As you know...my hubby is Italian.  I am always trying new Italian sauces and dishes.  This was so easy.  I tripled the recipe and froze the 2 additional batches.  It smells so good and does not heat up the house in the summer...Perfect!
This is not my pic, I did not think to take one and it is frozen now.

Super Easy Recipe~
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp dried basil ( I added fresh when I served it like in the pic...I always add fresh basil, it is fresh and pretty)
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the slow cooker.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Add 1/2-1 cup of water to moisten it up also to bring it to the consistency you prefer. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Go about your day doing fun things and dinner will be easy! Enjoy~

Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies

It is raining in Texas today.  What a perfect excuse to bake....that and the fact I usually have 9 or more teenaged boys here....so I need to keep up on my baking to satisfy the growing boys! They just came out of the oven so I am sure they will be devoured in a few minutes.  I think I will add more pretzels next time!

~Recipe~
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cupbrown sugar
1/4 c white sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c chocolate chips
1 cup caramel bites*BEST invention EVER*
1/2 cup crushed pretzels * I will use more next time*

Oven to 350
Cream the sugars and butter until light and fluffy...you know the drill don't over mix...Add the egg and vanilla and blend well.  Mix in the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda.  Stir in the caramel chips, chocolate chips and pretzels.  Drop on cookie sheets and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, barely golden...watch carefully as not to over bake.  Let cool on the sheet  for 5 minutes and transfer to the wire rack. Basic cookie batter with different add ins....enjoy~

Chicken Avocado Salad on Croissants

Super summery! I made these last weekend and we had them by the pool for a light dinner.  Tony loves bread so I made sandwiches out of the salad but it would be wonderful on a bed of lettuce or in a tomato, or in an avocado half...the options seem endless! Be creative!

~Recipe~
There are no real measurements in this....make as much or as little as you like!
chicken, cooked and shredded I had some left over roasted chicken and it was perfect!

avocado I used 2 for 4 servings of the saladmayogreen onion, slicedcilantro, just a touchlime juice to tastesalt/pepper to taste
Mix and serve! Easy and wonderfully light! Enjoy~

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppies

Easy and YUMMY!! I made these for the kids a few weeks ago and they were a hit and then we had a TON of boys here the other night so I threw these together and they were eaten in a hurry.

~Recipe~

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef*I use turkey* and I added 2 additional pounds because I had a few extras to feed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp steak sauce*I used A-1*
1 cup beef stock
salt and pepper to taste
Dinner rolls
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded provolone

In a large pan heat the oil~ over med-high heat. Add the ground meat and brown for about 5-6 minutes.  Add the chopped veggies and cook about 3-4 minutes, until they are tender. Stir in the A1 sauce and the beef stock, sprinkle  in the salt and pepper and bring to a bubble and let simmer and cook for about 3 minutes.  Spit open the rolls and scoop the insides out, toast under the broiler.
Melt the butter in a medium pot over med-high heat.  Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute, whisk the milk in slowly and bring to a boil. Let this cook until think about 2 minutes.  Take off the heat and stir in the cheese and let it melt.  To serve place the meat on the buns and top with the cheese....YUM!!! Easy an sooo delish! Enjoy~

Strawberry yogurt cake

YUM!! This is a great dessert or a brunch/breakfast addition.  I was unsure how the strawberries would cook but they were fantastic!

~Recipe~
1 c softened butter
2 c sugar
3 eggs
3 Tbsp lemon juice, divided
zest of 1 lemon
2 1/2 c flour, divided
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 ounces plain or vanilla Greek yogurt. I used vanilla
12 ounces strawberries, diced
1 cup powdered sugar

Oven preheated to 375 degrees
Prepare a bundt cake pan
Sift the flour, salt and baking soda together. Add the lemon zest ad mix well. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat eggs in 1 at a time. Stir 1 Tbsp of the lemon juice in. Alternate adding the flour and yogurt, beating until they are just mixed.  Toss the strawberries with the remaining 1/4 c of the flour.  Mix carefully into the batter.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 60 minutes. Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan.  Finish cooling on a wire rack.  Once the cake is cooled whisk the 2 Tbsp lemon juice with 1 cup powdered sugar to make a drizzle. Pour over the cooled cake. YUM! ENjoy~