PLAYING CATCH-UP

Okay, so I'm shamefully admitting that I am officially 3 weeks behind in blogging!! I'm going to play catch-up this week and post the pics and recipes from Oct. 13th and Oct. 20th. I haven't received all of the recipes from last Sunday yet, but once I do, I promise I won't delay so long in getting them posted.

I know there are MILLIONS of folks out there in the blogosphere who are anxiously waiting to see the latest update from the Tis So Sweet group ;)

I believe this serious moment was brought to us two weeks ago by Brandi Thomason...PREEEEAAAACCCCHHHHH!!

Another serious-looking moment from last week. I promise we really do have fun!! I just don't seem to capture it on camera :)

Yummy food (and Buddy sneaking in the picture)

More yummy food from last week!

Digging in!

Without further adieu, here are the recipes from the last two weeks!!

DELI SANDWICHES

Contributed by: April Hocutt

2 pkgs dinner rolls

1/2 lb shaved Virginia ham

1 pkg swiss cheese

1 stick of margarine

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp poppy seed

2 tbsp spicy brown mustard

Dash of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Stir butter, mustard, sugar, poppy seed, and salt & pepper on low in a saucepan until butter is melted to make the sauce. Cut the bread in half (whole loaf - bottom and top half in one piece) and cover the bottom of the bread with sauce then add the ham and cheese. Add the top layer of the bread and cover with the sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.

BETTER-THAN-THE-MALL'S DOUBLE DOOZIES

Contributed by: Katie Davis

COOKIES

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (12 oz bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips

BUTTERCREAM FILLING:

4 cups powdered sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1-2 tbsp milk or whipping cream

COOKIES: Preheat oven to 375F and set your butter out so that they become room temperature. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.  Beat butter, both sugars, and 1 tsp vanilla extract in mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in a dry ingredient mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets (or rounded teaspoons if you want to make mini-double doozies!). Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool COMPLETELY before assembling your doozies so that the icing doesn't melt out of the cookies.

BUTTERCREAM FILLING: Beat 1 cup of room temperature butter until creamed (try not to have to melt in microwave or else consistency will not be right - your butter will be ready when it can be dipped into like ice cream). Make sure there are no lumps! SLOWLY add 4 cups powdered sugar (warning: if you go too fast, your kitchen will look like it's snowing!). Add 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 1-2 tbsp milk or whipping cream and beat on high for 2-3 minutes. At that point, taste your icing (you know you want to!). If you want it more firm, add more powdered sugar. If it needs thinning out, add more milk.

Assemble by sandwiching that delicious frosting betwixt two cookies and presto! Double doozies!

MEXICAN SPAGHETTI 

Contributed by: Holly Glover

2 chicken breasts

1 pkg spaghetti noodles

1 can Rotel

1 block Mexican Velveeta cheese

Boil chicken. Boil noodles on stovetop and melt the block of cheese with the Rotel. Shred chicken and put in cheese then mix with noodles & serve.

PINEAPPLE CHEESE CASSEROLE

Contributed by: Alison Smith

2 - 20 oz cans pineapple chunks, drained

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp flour

2 sleeves Ritz crackers

1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350F. Place pineapple in casserole dish. Mix cheese, flour, and sugar; then pour over pineapple. Melt butter with cracker crumbs and place over mixture. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes and enjoy!

HOT CORN DIP

Contributed by: Lauren Billings

1 - 11 oz can Mexicorn, drained

1 - 4.5 oz can chopped green chilies, drained (or you can substitute jalapenos for more kick!)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (1/2 of an 8 oz block)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients and spread into a greased 8" baking dish. Bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly around edges. Or you can use a small crockpot. *Key is to keep the dip warm and melty.

CROCKPOT MEATBALLS

Contributed by: Mallory Bradley

2 - 1 lb bags Publix frozen meatballs (keep frozen - do not need to thaw)

1 - 18 oz bottle Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce

1 - 32 oz jar grape jelly (not jam)

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Serve warm and enjoy!

CINNAMON ROLL CAKE

Contributed by: Laura McInish

CAKE:

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

TOPPING:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix everything together except for the butter. Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350F for 28-32 minutes.

GLAZE:

2 cups powdered sugar

5 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

While warm, drizzle the glaze over the cake.

FUNFETTI DIP

Contributed by: Jaimie Burch

1 box Funfetti cake mix

2 cups vanilla yogurt

1 cup Cool Whip

Graham crackers

Mix together cake mix, yogurt, and Cool Whip. Serve with graham crackers and enjoy!

HOT MEXICAN BEAN DIP (a.k.a. TEXAS TRASH)

Contributed by: Holly Glover

1 block cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

2 cans refried beans

1 packet taco seasoning

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix well cream cheese, sour cream, refried beans, and taco seasoning in a serving bowl. Pour shredded cheese on top and melt in oven on 350F until bubbly.

CHOCOLATE DELIGHT

Contributed by: Brandi Thomason

1 box Pecan Sandies or short bread cookies

1 gallon ziplock bag

1 large box instant chocolate pudding

1 stick butter

2 - 8 oz tubs Cool Whip

1 block cream cheese

1 candy bar of your choice (optional)

Melt butter & crumble cookies (I put them in gallon ziplock bag and stomp them or crush with rolling pin). Pour melted butter in bag & knead into cookie until well blended. Mix pudding as directed on box & set aside. Press your cookie into bottom of dish for crust. Mix 1 tub Cool Whip & cream cheese with mixer. Spread all of this on top cookie crust. Next, spread all of chocolate pudding on top of cream cheese mix. Then, top off with remaining tub of Cool Whip. **Optional: crush up your favorite candy bar and sprinkle on top for extra flavor and decoration. Chill for at least 1 hour in fridge.

FIRE CRACKERS

Contributed by: Meghan Handley

1 lb (4 sleeves) unsalted saltine crackers

1 cup canola oil

1 - 1 oz packet ranch dressing mix

1 to 2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Line crackers on ends (like dominoes) in air tight container. In a small bowl, mix oil, ranch, red pepper, and garlic powder. Continue to stir to prevent the peppers from settling on the bottom. Spoon mixture evenly over crackers, like drizzling icing on cake. Close lid tightly and flip the container over every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes. Lightly shake back and forth until to make sure all crackers get coated. Store in a ziplock bag. Will keep for about a week -- if they last that long!

PIZZA BITES

Contributed by: Lauren Billings

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

Mozzarella cheese, diced or grated

Pizza toppings of your choice (i.e. ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.)

Marinara/pizza sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough (usually 400F). Unroll pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares. Place cheese and desired toppings on each square (Note that you're not putting the marinara sauce on the dough - it's for dipping after). You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind. When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter (I've used both and there not much difference in result) and then sprinkle with garlic, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese (I mixed all of these together and then sprinkled them on top). Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them! Doughs vary, so I'd check them after even 10 minutes. Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

MEXICAN BEAN DIP (SERVED CHILLED, NOT WARM LIKE HOLLY'S ABOVE)

Contributed by: Mallory Bradley (borrowed from my MIL, Julie Bradley)

1 - 16 oz can Old El Paso refried beans with green chilies

1 - 8 oz tub light sour cream

1 taco seasoning packet (I used Publix brand)

2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

Chopped green onions and jalapeno slices to taste

Fritos or Tostitos scoops

In a small bowl, mix sour cream and taco seasoning well. In a shallow dish, layer the refried beans on bottom, then spread the sour cream mixture on top, and top it off with the shredded cheese. Add green onions and jalapenos as desired. Chill in fridge for about 10-15 minutes. Serve with Fritos or Tostitos.

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Tonight, I leave you with 2 things:

1. A picture of my sweet niece Katelyn cheesing with Buddy...

You also get this bonus picture of a cat in a jar...because it makes me laugh...

2. The Word of God.

"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 2:13

Lord, help me to be still and prepare myself to be in your presence and live for you and you alone each and every day. Guard my mind and my heart from the tiring distractions of this world, and help me to stay focused on you so that I will not grow weary and lose heart. In your name, Amen.