Rainbow Chip Cookies

These cookies are a simple cake mix cookie, just one you may never have thought to use, Rainbow Chip! If I were to choose a box cake/cupcake as my favorite it would be Betty Crocker's Rainbow Chip cake mix, and don't forget the best part, frosting! So if you want a fun, easy, and yummy cookie give this one a try!


1 box Betty Crocker's Rainbow Chip cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil
Betty Crocker's Rainbow Chip frosting

Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil until fully incorporated. Roll into about 1 inch balls, then flatten with a a drinking glass, or if your lazy like me I just used my hands. Cook at 375 for 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool completely and frost.

Chicken Rolls

Ok so I know a lot of people have had these or something similar, but I've tried a few different recipes and this one still holds my heart as the best. My mom made these all the time growing up, and now my nephew frequently requests them whenever he's over. These are always a crowd pleaser, young or old they're loved by all! They take a little time to throw together so they're maybe best for a Sunday meal, but like anything else the more you do them the quicker you get. I can usually have them ready to cook in 20 minutes or so, but they are well worth the time. Sorry this is another a little of this a little of that recipe, but it's one that you really can't ruin so don't over think it.

8 oz. block cream cheese
3-4 T. milk
1/4 t. poultry seasoning (don't worry if you don't have this, really just kind of season to taste)
salt and pepper
1/4 t. garlic powder
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded ( I throw them in the crock pot season with a little s&p, dried onion flake, and pretty much whatever I'm feeling like:)
about a 1/2 16 oz. bag of frozen petite peas (even if you don't love peas you really don't notice them and it's a great way to sneak in a vegetable, and I use the rest of the bag to serve on the side)
2 pkgs. pillsbury crescent rolls- I usually end up making about 10 rolls
1-2 c. crushed corn flakes (great way to include the kids, throw them into a ziploc bag and squish away, I always keep some left over for another time, or to top of casseroles, also you really can't substitute the cornflakes they really work the best)
4 T. melted butter

In a medium bowl combine cream cheese and milk with a mixer, add just enough milk to make it creamy, don't worry you can't mess it up as long as it's not runny your good. Add chicken and peas and mix together with a spoon. Put your crushed corn flakes in a bowl and your melted butter in another. On a greased cookie sheet start by taking one crescent roll and slightly stretching it out. Put a large spoonful of chicken mixture in the middle. Pull up corners of crescent and pinch all edges together. Dip roll in butter and then roll in corn flakes. Repeat until all of chicken is used. Cook in oven at 375 for 20 minutes.

Heaping spoonful, you want enough that you kind of have to stretch the roll to pinch all the sides together :)

Fold up all sides

And voila!

A-Mazing Coconut Bread

So again I didn't get a chance to take a picture of this before it was all gone:( I brought this to my cooking group this month, the theme was favorite recipe and this recipe quickly came to mind. I'm not sure if you can even consider this "bread" it's closer to a cake because it's super sweet. This is no different than making a banana bread, except you pour a sugar glaze over the top and allow to sit for 3 hours (trust me it's worth the wait I promise!!) Just be careful this stuff is super addicting and can be eaten too quickly to admit:) Enjoy!

4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
2 t. coconut extract
3 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 c. buttermilk-gotta go for the real stuff..I tried to substitute it yesterday and it didn't work nearly as well
1 c. coconut
1 c. chopped nuts - optional (we prefer it without and I actually like nuts, but it's just a preference)

Glaze
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. water
3 Tb. butter
1 t. coconut extract

Beat eggs in large bowl. Add sugar, oil, and coconut flavoring until mixed thoroughly. In separate bowl sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add half of flour mixture to sugar and mix well. Add half your buttermilk to sugar mixture and mix. Repeat process until no more flour or buttermilk. Stir in coconut and nuts. Pour into 2 well greased bread pans. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes ( I had to cook mine closer to an hour, I'm not sure if that is based on my mom's oven or just the recipe so check it after 40 minutes if it's still really doughy cook another 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean) In a small saucepan bring the water, sugar, and butter to a boil stirring constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add coconut flavoring. Slowly pour over hot bread and allow to sit for 3-4 hours. Don't panic if it takes a minute to come out of the pan it's awfully sticky with all that sugary glaze:P

Sausage and Rice Casserole

So don't write this recipe off until you hear me out. This recipe comes from my recipe group that my friend Ryanne Walker does once a month. This was probably the most popular dish that night. It sounds totally strange with the almonds, chicken noodle soup, and rice, but trust me it's really good and relatively easy, but you do have to plan ahead because it takes an hour and a half to cook. Anyway I hope you enjoy it as much as we did:)

Ok so this looks kind of like a Rice-a-Roni, but I promise it's much better and worth the extra time:)

1 lb bulk pork sausage (I used Jimmy Dean's Regular pork sausage, the kind that comes in a tube)
1 onion, minced
4 c. water
2 pkgs. dry chicken noodle soup mix (such as Lipton or you can use store brand)
1 c. uncooked long grain rice
1/2 c. slivered almonds-I've made it without and it's still good, but it does add a fun extra texture

Cook sausage and onion until sausage is no longer pink. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil and add soup mixes and allow to cook for a couple minutes. In a greased 9x13 pan add sausage, rice, soup, and almonds. Cover and allow to cook at 350 for an hour and a half.

Cranberry Marinated Chicken

Finally a new meal idea! I've posted several desserts lately but have had no new meals that I've really liked lately until this one. This one comes from one of those 5 Ingredients or less cook books. This is similar to the Russian chicken that a lot of people do (If you don't know what that is I'll post the recipe to that one as well and you can try both of them.) I wasn't totally sure if I'd like this one or not, too be honest I've never really tried cranberry sauce before it's just never appealed to me, but I love this and I hope you will too!


1 8 oz. Russian Dressing (I saw another one that used Catalina which is probably good as well)
1 16 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce (definitely go for the whole berry, I was tempted not to but it was definitely necessary)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
4-5 chicken breasts

Mix dressing, cranberry sauce, and soup mix together. Pour over chicken and marinate at least 1 hour. Cover and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, uncover and cook another 20-25 minutes (I just realized I forgot that step but it still turned out great, serve over rice and enjoy!

Russian Chicken

1 8 oz Russian dressing
1 c. apricot preserves (I've used peach, apricot-pineapple, all of which are good)
1 envelope onion soup mix
4-5 chicken breasts

Combine dressing, preserves, soup mix, and pour over chicken. Cover and cook at 350 for about 40-45 minutes.

FYI- I cut my chicken breasts in half you can also use chicken tenders just adjust cooking time for maybe 25-30 minutes.

Reese's Bars

If you love chocolate and peanut butter, you'll love these! The best part about these is that they require no cooking which is great in these hot months! I originally saw these on allrecipes.com, but when I saw that thegirlwhoateverything had posted them I knew they must be good, and they were every bit as good as I had hoped. Plus these are like no fail bars, I completely forgot to measure my graham crackers after crushing them and was just shy of 2 cups chocolate chips and they still turned out great! Sorry again I have no picture I made them for primary and was in a hurry so they were gone too quickly.

2 1/2 cups graham cracker, crushed into fine crumbs
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Combine graham crackers, peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar (you can use a mixer or if your lazy like me they stir up really quickly as well.) Press into a 9x13 pan. Melt chocolate chips in microwave and spread over top. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until chocolate it set, if kept in the refrigerator too long they become a little on the crunchy side, I prefer them room temperature.

Sugar Cookie Fruit Tart

So this is probably not a new recipe for most, but I had this a couple of weeks back at a barbecue and thought it was so good I'd make one myself. This recipe is super easy and this is the perfect time of year to make one because of all the fresh fruit and berries available. So if you want a quick and easy treat, one that you could almost say is healthy with all that good fruit, give this one a try!

1 tube of refrigerated sugar cookie dough
8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
fresh fruit of your choice such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, kiwis..

On a lightly greased cookie sheet, pizza pan, or tart pan if you have one, roll out cookie dough to form large cookie to about an 1/8 of an inch. Cook at 350 for 15-18 minutes until slightly browned. Allow cookie to fully cool. In the mean time mix together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and until fully incorporated. Frost cooled cookie leaving about a half and inch around the edge. Top frosted cookie with fresh fruit.