Recipes for living, loving and laughing:Jo, Elliott, Cloey & Zoey's adventures

For those who haven't heard there is an addicting, fun, and illuminating site called Pinterest . These are a handful of the top pins of 2013. Click here to see them all . FOOD Meatball Bubble Biscuits Wrap refrigerated biscuits around purchased meatballs for a super-easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer.                                                                                                   1 can (12 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Jr. Golden Layers® refrigerated buttermilk or flaky biscuits 10 frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs (about 5 oz), thawed, each cut in half 2 sticks (1 ...

Here’s what you’ll need: Print Crockpot Cantonese Sweet and Sour Chicken Crockpot Cantonese Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients 2 lbs. of chicken (I used chicken tenders because they were on sale. I did not use the whole bag) small onion, sliced red pepper, sliced green pepper, sliced 20 oz can pineapple 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 clove garlic, crushed 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 2 Tbs. cornstarch 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup water 1 Tbs. soy sauce 1/2 tsp. salt Instructions Put the chicken, onion and peppers in the crockpot. I added my chicken frozen. Drain the can of pineapple. Set the pineapple chunks aside for later. Mix the juice with the rest of the ingredients and pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or high for about 4-5 hours. A bit before serving add the pineapple chunks. Serve over rice. source

They don't come much easier than this! I usually make it even easier and will for sure when we are on the road by using disposable pans. We recycle everything so a few "bad habits" we can live with. You will need: 2 cups milk chocolate chips 2 1/2 cups prepared chocolate frosting 1 cup chopped walnuts Line one 8x8 inch square pan with foil. Lightly butter the foil. In a small saucepan melt the chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove the melted chocolate from the heat and stir in the frosting and the nuts stirring until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and refrigerate until firm. Once firm cut in small squares. From All Recipes

Great information at this link.

Freekeh with Brussels Sprouts, Apple, Dried Cranberries, Honey & Pomegranate  This is a great recipe. The article starts like this: When Freekehlicious approached me about a professional collaboration featuring this ancient grain, Freekeh,  I said yes without a shred of hesitation. What better way to celebrate this ancient grain with fall/winter seasonal ingredients on this momentous occasion, Thanksgivukkah ! This hybrid of Chanukah and Thanksgiving holiday comes around only once in a lifetime. This year the first day of Chanukah falls on Thursday, November 28, 2013, Thanksgiving. Next time these two holidays will collide will be in 77,798 years.

If you have never had the many recipes made with popcorn, you will just have to forgo your diet and try one. Funfetti Popcorn ingredients: 2 bags microwavable kettle corn or white popcorn 1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips or vanilla candy melts 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1-1/2 cup white or yellow cake mix 1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles directions: - Pop the popcorn in the microwave, following packaging instructions. Transfer popcorn to a large bowl, being careful to pick out all of the unpopped kernels. - Melt the white chocolate chips or candy melts in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each 30 seconds until it is fully melted. - Stir in the vegetable oil to the melted chocolate until smooth. Then add the cake mix to the chocolate - the mixture will be thick, but mix until well-incorporated. - Drizzle the chocolate/cake batter mixture over the popcorn and add half of the sprinkles. Use your (clean) fingers to toss everything together until evenly coated. - ...

That's right...if you haven't heard the news bacon is making its way into everything. If you like bacon and you like brittle, you'll love this. What you’ll need: 9×13″ Baking Sheet Room Temp Butter, just to coat the Baking Sheet 1 1/2 cups Sugar 1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup 3/4 cup cold Water Pinch of Salt 1 lb Crispy and Crumbled Bacon 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 1 tsp. Baking Soda A hammer! Directions: Brush a 9×13″ Baking Sheet with butter and set aside. Combine the Sugar, Corn Syrup, Water and Salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Cook, swirling occasionally, until mixture reaches the softball stage on a candy thermometer (238 degrees). Stir in the crispy and crumbled Bacon, continue to cook, stirring often so the Bacon doiean’t burn, until the mixture is amber in color! Carefully stir in the Vanilla and Baking Soda. The mixture will foam up in the pan. Pour the mixture on...

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided 2 cups self-rising white cornmeal mix $ 1 1/3 cups buttermilk 1 cup self-rising flour 2 large eggs, lightly beaten $ 5 to 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth $ 3/4 cup butter, divided $ 3 cups chopped sweet onion (about 1 large) $ 2 cups chopped celery $ 4 large eggs, lightly beaten ...

I am not much of a cook but have tried to make some dishes around various holidays. They can't be replicated in a supermarket because for the most part the recipes are handed down from one generation to the next. These recipes aren't found in cookbooks and every family has a slight variation in their "formula." My grandmother was the first person I watched cook. In Yiddish, Bubbe - sounds look goody- means grandmother. They say that smells conjure up feelings and that makes a lot of sense. Do you know that the best smell to have in your house if it is for sale is bread baking? My Bubbe also made great apple pies, but my one attempt was a disaster. After she died when I was 15 my mom took over making the kugels. No one makes them better than my Bubbe did; though my mom's are better than mine are. A kugel is a noodle pudding. I have grown up with it so it is a food that is commonplace especially around the holidays. Kugels, though, can be eaten at any ti...