Turtle Cookie Balls
by Brett at Mama Loves Her Bargains

• 70 Nilla wafers
• 3 tablespoons butterscotch ice cream topping
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 packages of Baker’s Semi Sweet Chocolate Squares (8 squares total)

Directions:

1. Crush the Nilla wafers into fine crumbs (GREAT for kids!!)
2. Mix in cream cheese and butterscotch topping. (Soften cream cheese first. Trust me)
3. Use a cookie scoop and form into small balls. (Good for kids)
4. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes
5. Melt chocolate in microwave.
6. Dip the balls into chocolate and place on parchment or waxed paper. Sprinkle with chopped pecans before the chocolate dries.
7. Refrigerate and serve! Delicious!!

* Note – I think for more turtle flavor these would be great with crushed up heath bars added to the cookie ball.
*** For easier dipping take a plastic fork and remove the 2 middle tines. Place the balls in the chocolate and roll to coat. Remove using the modified fork and place on waxed paper.

Thanks, Mama Loves Her Bargains!

Reindeer Cookies
by Mackenzie at The Centsible Family

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks – softened)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• red and brown M&M’s
• chocolated-covered mini pretzels

Directions:

• Combine flour and baking soda together in separate bowl.
• Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large bowl or mixer until creamy and smooth.
• Add eggs and beat well. Gradually add flour and beat into mixture.
• Scoop cookie dough into one teaspoon sized balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheets.
• Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven when cookie is still soft enough to add the M&Ms and have them stick. Do not over bake the cookies.
• Immediately add two chocolate-covered mini pretzels to the top and the M&M’s (two brown and one red) to the face.
• Let cool about 20-30 minutes before removing from the parchment paper.

Notes:

• I used a one-teaspoon scooper I had for the cookie dough. These cookies spread out a lot so when I tried my three-teaspoon scooper it was definitely too big. The one teaspoon sized cookie seems to fit the M&M’s and pretzels just right.

Thanks, The Centsible Family!

Overloaded German Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
by Jenny at Healthified Mom

Ingredients:

Cookies

• 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 T shortening
• 1/2 c butter, softened
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 T strong brewed coffee
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 T cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Filling

• 3/4 c flaked coconut, toasted
• 3/4 c chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 T sweetened condensed milk

Chocolate Drizzle

• 1/2 c white chocolate chips
• 1 T shortening

Directions:

1. Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon shortening in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring until smooth (do not overcook). Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, coffee, vanilla, and melted chocolate.
3. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, stirring between each addition.
4. Roll into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Using the tip of your thumb, make a deep indentation into the center of each cookie.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire rack and cool completely.
6. For the filling (while cookies are baking), combine the coconut, pecans, and vanilla. Stir in enough sweetened condensed milk to form a still mixture. Fill baked (but cooled) cookies with 1 rounded teaspoon of filling mixture.
7. Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon shortening in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring until smooth (do not overcook). Drizzle over cookies. Once chocolate has set, store cookies in an air-tight container.

Notes:

• Make sure you don’t overcook the chocolate mixture. Stir well in between each cook cycle. Once it is completely melted, it’s ready! Instead of the chocolate chip / shortening mixture, you can use candy melts (from Michael’s).
• Be sure you don’t burn the coconut or pecans while toasting in the oven. They toast quickly and will be ruined if burned.
• For the chocolate drizzle, you can use white chocolate or milk chocolate. I used white chocolate to make them prettier.

Thanks,  Healthified Mom!

 

This would be a great recipe idea for a potluck event.  We are big fans of Mexican-type dished in my family.

Chicken BLT Taco Salad

Ingredients

Dressing:
1/2 cup Old El Paso® Thick ‘n Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup French dressing

Salad:
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
6 cups torn romaine or iceberg lettuce
1 medium yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into thin wedges
1 1/2 cups shredded Colby-Monterrey-Jack cheese blend
1/4 cup sour cream, if desired
1 cup small triangular tortilla chips

Prepare:

1. In medium bowl, mix dressing ingredients until well blended.
2. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towel; reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Add chicken to skillet; cook and stir over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes or until browned and no longer pink in center. Cool slightly. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chilled.
3. In deep 3-quart salad bowl, layer lettuce, chicken, bacon, bell pepper and tomatoes. Top with dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 24 hours.
4. Just before serving, top with cheese, avocado, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Recipe and image courtesy of BettyCrocker.com & Stretching Your Budget!

My kids would go bonkers over this recipe.  I mean, it’s a dessert with Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal!

Cinnamon Toast Crunch® Ice Cream Pie

	About 5 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch® cereal, finely crushed to make 3 cups
1/2	cup butter, melted
1	jar (12 oz) caramel topping
1	carton (1/2 gallon) vanilla bean ice cream
2	cups finely shredded coconut
1	container (8 oz) whipped topping
1/4	cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch® cereal, uncrushed

1. In ungreased 10-inch deep-dish pie plate, mix 3 cups crushed cereal and melted butter with fork until well combined. Press mixture firmly in bottom and up sides of pie plate to make crust.
2. Reserve several tablespoons caramel topping for garnish. Pour remaining topping into bottom of crust.
3. Allow ice cream to soften slightly while toasting coconut. In 3-quart nonstick saucepan, heat coconut over high heat, stirring constantly, until coconut is golden brown. Transfer coconut to plate; cool.
4. Spoon slightly softened ice cream into large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup of the toasted coconut. Spoon ice cream into crust-lined pie plate, using spatula to create mound in center of crust. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
5. To serve, spread whipped topping over top of ice cream. Drizzle caramel topping over individual servings of pie; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cereal and the toasted coconut.

Coupons:
-$1.00/2 General Mills Cereals, 6/19 SS or 7/10 SS
-$1.50/2 General Mills Cereals, printable
-$.55/1 General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch, printable (sign up required)

Thanks, Stretching Your Budget!