{broccoli and ham ring}

My friend Julie told me about this recipe, and when I heard how much her family loved it, and how quick and easy it was, I knew I had to try it. She found the recipe at www.ordinarycuisine.blogspot.com. I made a couple of changes to it, and it was a definite hit with our family as well.

BROCCOLI HAM RING

1 cup chopped ham
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard ( I used 1 T. Dijon, and 1 T. honey mustard)
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together, except rolls. Set aside mixture. Unroll crescent dough and separate into 16 triangles. Arrange 4 triangles with the wide end corners touching to make a square. Fill the gaps with 4 more triangles (wide ends towards the middle). Now there are 8 gaps so fill them with the remaining 8 triangles. There will be lots of overlapping. Scoop the ham mixture evenly in a circle around the wide ends of the triangles. Bring the outside points over the mixture and tuck under the wide ends. Some of the mixture may still show through. After doing this, I molded mine into a circle by squishing a little here and there. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

*I decided to try filling the crescent rolls individually, instead of making a ring. I placed two crescent rolls together, forming a square, filled it, then sealed the edges.

{buttermilk syrup}

I'm not kidding...once you try this, it's especially difficult to go back to traditional maple syrup. This is fantastic, and your kids will devour it! The buttermilk is magic, because it doesn't even taste like buttermilk once it's done! We serve ours over waffles. My friend Melissa gave me this recipe, and our life hasn't been the same since. :)

BUTTERMILK SYRUP

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 stick butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Bring sugar, buttermilk, and butter to a boil, then turn off the heat and add remaining ingredients, whisking well. Because of the soda, it will be frothy until it starts to cool.

{refreshing punch}

This is a stand-by of mine, and I make it regularly. It's easy, light, and can be served with just about anything.

Per punchbowl:

1 can white grape juice frozen concentrate
1-2 liters Sprite
limes and lemons
ice

Mix the grape juice and Sprite together (it really is mostly to taste--you can do whatever ratio you prefer). Add ice, and float lemon and lime slices on top.

{cinnamon & sugar sour cream muffins}

I made these for my family this week, and they were literally gone within hours. It has been a favorite since my childhood, and myu love for them has definitely passed to my own kids. This recipe made 24 mini muffins, and 6 larger muffins.

2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1-8 oz. carton sour cream
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
cinnamon & sugar mixture

1. Grease muffin tins (12 large or 24 small)
2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. Measure sugar into large bowl, then mix in butter.
4. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream.
5. Stir in flour mixture.
6. Spoon batter into muffin tin, about 1/3 full.
7. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture, then add more batter until 2/3 full.
8. Sprinkle all the tops with sugar--it will form a nice crust on the top.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Enjoy!!

{chicken pasta salad}

Spring is coming, which always makes me hungry for yummy salads. This is certainly no exception. It does require starting the night before with a quick marinade, but certainly worth the effort.

CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, marinated overnight in:

1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. thyme

Grill the chicken, then cut up into 1/2 inch cubes.

Salad:

20 oz. multi-colored corkscrew pasta
1 c. broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. purple onion, diced
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
1/2 c. red pepper, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1/4 c. + 1 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Grilled, marinated chicken

Dressing:

1/2 c. olive oil
4 T. lemon juice
1/2 c. mayo
2/3 c. sour cream

Combine salad ingredients, toss with dressing. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

{fast & easy orange rolls}

With this recipe, you can fulfill the craving without all the work. These truly are fast, easy, and delicious!!

ORANGE ROLLS

2 cans refrigerated Pillsbury biscuits
zest of 1 orange
3/4 c. white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted

Mix the last four ingredients together. Dip biscuits in the mixture, making sure to cover all sides. Place on end in a greased bundt pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

{o henry bars}

I made this recently for a BBQ, after having not made in them a quite awhile. I remembered how easy they were, and how yummy!!

O HENRY BARS

1 c. Karo
1 c. sugar
2 c. peanut butter
5 c. Rice Krispies
1/2 package chocolate chips
1/2 package butterscotch chips

Bring Karo and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan, then remove from stove. Add the peanut butter and cereal, mixing thoroughly. Spread in a greased 9x13 baking dish, and press down. Melt the chips in the microwave, stirring well. Spread over the top evenly. Refrigerate until firm; cut into squares.