Perfect Dessert for a Mexican-themed meal!

Here's a favorite dessert of ours that I'm posting especially for my CBS ladies!!! I've seen this in the blog-world for a long time, but liked the allrecipes version better! I tried to simplify it though. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie

2 (8oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. mexican vanilla extract
2 (8oz.) pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup honey

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Unroll one can of crescent roll dough, and press it into the bottom of your dish until there are no seems. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough, lightly pressing seems together. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon, and set aside. Melt your butter in the microwave. Pour the butter over the top of the cheesecake. Sprinkle your cinnamon and sugar mixture over the butter layer. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

* Then store leftovers in fridge and eat the next day cold! It keeps a crunchy crust - we love eating it this way even better!!!

Triple "S" Salad

My husband and I were joking about this post so I'm dedicating this to him! We just celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary this past weekend! Wow, it seems like it's been WAY longer than that! (Ha Ha Ha) But, it's been so worth it...3 children later and loving every minute of it!

As, I was posting this recipe my husband was peeking over my shoulder and helping me out on what to name it. We decided it's the Triple "S" salad! Steven's Strawberry & Spinach Salad!! He's absolutely in LOVE with it...almost as much as he loves me!!! I had made it for bunko a couple weeks ago and it was a big hit with the girls as well! I found it on All-recipes and tweaked it just a little to our liking. We also like to put some grilled chicken on top of it too, but believe me it's wonderful all by its little lonesome! Enjoy!!!

Steven's Strawberry & Spinach Salad

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon finely, chopped onion
  
• 10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup feta cheese

Directions

1. In a blender, blend together the sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. After it's all blended, add the sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Cover, and chill for one hour.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, walnuts, red onion, and feta. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. ENJOY!!

Tara

Crockpot Mondays...

Mondays have become my "crockpot cooking" days! This is the day that I call all my CBS ladies and now my daughter is back into tumbling. So, needless to say, I have no time for cooking in the evenings on this day of the week! I got this great recipe over at Jadi's Favorite Recipes - thanks Jadi for making my life easier!!! I'd love to hear from y'all if you have any crockpot favs - I need all the help I can get!!! :O)

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans
1 (11 oz) can of corn
1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can of green chilies
1 envelope of taco seasoning
1 envelope of hidden valley ranch dressing mix
garnishes of choice

Cook and drain the ground beef. Add all ingredients to the crock pot. Do not drain cans. Stir it all together and cook on high for a couple of hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Garnish soup with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. You can also use avocados, chopped green onions, and cilantro if you desire.

Cold front coming...

Even though our cold front tomorrow will only bring our "high" temp down to 70 degrees - you might still consider this recipe. We had it awhile back when it was really cold and it really hit the spot. It is a combination of several white chili recipes I found. It was wonderful!!!

Creamy White Chili

3 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1 can (15 1/2 oz.) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) chicken broth
2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies (or jalapenos if you prefer)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz. Monterrey Jack Cheese
Garnishes: sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and fried tortilla strips

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese, sour cream and cream. Add your garnishes at this time. Serve immediately. Makes about 6 servings.

He is Risen!!!

This would be a great side dish to your Easter Dinner today! I found it over at Back to the Cutting Board. Thanks, Emily for a great recipe - it was perfect paired with our ham awhile back!!!

Scalloped Pineapple

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted (I didn't use a full cup)
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
3 eggs, beaten
4 cups finely torn, and packed down, white bread
2-3 tbsp. milk (I skipped this)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Add crushed pineapple and mix well. Fold in the beaten eggs. Fold in bread and stir with wooden spoon until it’s all incorporated. Pour in greased 13×9 dish. Spread milk over the top to moisten. Bake about an 1 hour, until the edges start to get crispy and the top is a lightly browned. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.