Slow Cooker Rump Roast Marsala Recipe

Whether you work or a busy mom, nothing is easier than using a slow cooker. Mine is used often and through the last 30 years I have gone through only two slow cookers they last a long time with loads of uses. This is just one of the many favorites in our home. This will be one of yours too!

Slow Cooker Rump Roast Marsala Recipe

1 (3 pound) boneless beef roast, such as bottom round or rump roast

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, cut into thick slivers
1/4 cup water
1/2  cup beef broth
3/4 cup Marsala wine
1 pound of baby bella mushrooms washed, clean
oregano and granulated garlic 
Sprig fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon flour or cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter

Place the roast in a shallow baking dish and rub with the salt and pepper, granulated garlic and a little oregano. Using a thin sharp knife, poke slits all over the top and sides of the roast and stuff each slit with a garlic halves. Add 1/2 cup Marsala wine. Refrigerate overnight.
 Place the beef  in the crockpot adding 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup broth, and  marinade wine from the pan, into the bottom of the pot. Place mushrooms on top of the meat.  Put the crockpot on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove the roast and let sit while making the gravy.
One half hour before cook time is completed, put crockpot on high and add the remaining wine. Add a large sprig of fresh rosemary to the sauce. Stir the cornstarch or flour into the remaining 1/4 cup broth and then whisk into the sauce. Put into the crockpot cook until thickened. Remove the rosemary sprig, stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slice the beef.  Serve the sauce and mushrooms. Great over boiled rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.

Here are more to try:

Crockpot Lava Cake
Dulce De Leche
Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Crockpot Pizza Potatoes
Stuffed Zucchini
Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Crockpot Lasagna
Chicken and Portabello
Chicken mushroom stew
Best Boston Butt Roast
Cheesy Broccoli Chicken
Pork and Pineapple
Ham, Cabbage and Potatoes
Chicken Caccatorie

Best Recipe Views in 2016

First and foremost HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my readers. Wishing you health, happiness and good food in 2017. 

Thanks for your continued support this year. The number 1 most viewed can be seen by scrolling all the way to the end, it had 1 million views this year. Enjoy! 

Bing Cherry Loaf

Egg in a HOLE

  Stuffed  Pork Tenderloin 


Meatloaf Cupcakes

Pepperoni Marinara Cups

 

                                                         

                                           Slow Cooker Cheesecake 

                                           Antipasto Sub Sandwich

                                                 

                          Pepperoni Pizza Cupcakes

 

                   Flour Tortilla Raspberry Dessert

     Number 1 recipe of the YEAR goes to:

 

                                  Italian Stuffed Meatloaf with 

                   over 1 million views

Baked Mixed Fruit French Toast Recipe

I love to mix and match fruits for this great baked french toast. We used leftover rolls this year the sweet ones. They made the perfect baked french toast and the fruits with added cinnamon smelled awesome baking. This is one I make every Christmas for the family along with a baked stratta.

Baked French Toast

2 cups half-and-half or whole milk

4 eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 apple paired and sliced
1 banana sliced
1 cup blueberries

6  slices of leftover Panettone bread, Hawaiian  sweet rolls or 8 slices of bread

Optional prepared fruits :  apples, blueberries, banana, peaches, raspberries,  use fresh sliced

Beat eggs, milk, sugar, spices, vanilla, together in a separate bowl set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a 3 or 4 quart pan regular baking dish or a throw away aluminum pan with nonstick cooking spray, add two tablespoons of butter and melt in the oven .

Layer bread like a lasagna, put a layer of bread on the bottom, fruit, end with bread and pour egg mixture over the top, allow to sit for 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until middle is set. Serve with cooked bacon, breakfast sausage or ham slices on the side.

Crescent Roll Breakfast Pizza Recipe

I let nothing go to waste in my refrigerator. I found leftover Italian sausage, potatoes and roasted peppers and turned leftovers into a delicious breakfast pizza. See how easy it is to transform leftovers into a delicious new meal! I look forward to coming up with new ideas and and remember you can use anything your family likes.

Sausage Peppers and Potatoes and Italian Classic

Crescent Roll Breakfast Pizza Recipe



1 can of  refrigerated crescent roll dough spread into an oil sprayed pan ( I used 9 inch deep square)
2 cooked and sliced Italian Sausage links ( I make this often with leftover sausage peppers and potato casserole)
Roasted Peppers
1 cup hash browns or leftover cut up baked potatoes
mini pepperoni
3 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
salt, pepper to taste
2 cups shredded  cheese ( provolone, mozzarella, colby or sharp cheddar) 

Optional ingredients you can add: mushrooms, chopped tomatoes juice squeezed out,  finely diced eggplant, shredded zucchini. chopped ham, cooked bacon, pork breakfast sausage, chopped tater tots, diced onion, chopped spinach, chopped escarole, 

Beat the eggs and milk together add salt pepper set aside.  Add the toppings of choice above on the top of the dough I used roasted peppers, Italian sausage, pepperoni and cheese with leftover cut up baked potato. Sprinkle with around 2 cups of shredded cheese of choice. Pour eggs over the top and bake on preheated oven of 375 degrees until browned on top around 30 minutes.

Salted Caramel Toffee Bites Recipe

This didn't last long, crunchy, soft caramel and chocolate. This is so addictive you will not wait for Christmas to make it. One of the easiest candy kind of cookie I have ever made. It really is amazing how fast this decadent confection comes together everyone loves it! 

Salted Caramel Toffee Bites Recipe

Line an extra large cookie sheet to fit 48 saltine or ritz style crackers using parchment paper on it and not overlapping crackers.

In a medium saucepan add:

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar

Melt butter in a saucepan add brown sugar boil for 3 minutes stirring constantly.

Pour the caramel mixture over the crackers and quickly smooth over the crackers.

Add over the top of the caramel mixture around 12 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chips over the top and bake at 350 degree preheated oven for 7 minutes.

Spread the chocolate over the top with an offset spatula. Chocolate will be nice and soft and spreadable.

Decorate with assorted sprinkles, peanut butter chips, pecans, cherries or anything other topping you like. M&M's are great on top also.

Place the whole tray into the freezer until set around 30 minutes. Remove from freezer. Break in all different sized pieces. Makes great gifts, it's delicious. The best way to store this is in a plastic freezer bag and then to a airtight container. I place it in the refrigerator until I am ready to serve it to my guests or give away as gifts.

Cinnamon Butter Cookie Recipe

There is something about drop cookies that I love. Since I was a child around 11 years old, I had my first cookbook from Better Homes and Gardens. Red, white checkerboard hard copy. The pages are dirty and worn now and did I ever get my use of it. I made just about everything in that book. This is an adapted recipe from there. They used shortening instead of butter in their recipe. I find that shortening came out more like shortbread and biscuit tasting. I really love this recipe and it's so easy. Drop the dough on the cookie sheet and bake, cool then dust with powdered sugar!

Cinnamon Butter Cookie Recipe

1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar (more for the tops)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 sticks butter ( 1 cup) softened

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream in a large bowl softened butter with sugars.
Add the salt, vanilla, cinnamon and flour and beat till well blended Stir in the pecans.  Drop teaspoonful of the cookie dough  on a cookie sheet  lined with parchment paper around two inches apart. Bake at 350 for around 12 minutes or until edges start to brown. Cool around 10 minutes and sprinkle/dust with powdered sugar.

No Bake Peanut Butter Oreo Bar Recipe

Do you have peanut butter cup lovers in your home? This is the easiest no bake recipe that they will go nuts over. I adore this recipe. More of a candy to me or cookie candy. Whatever you decide to call this it's simply delicious!

Here's what you will need to prepare first:

Tin foil
Oil spray
13x9 pan

Get this ready by lining the pan with foil spray it set aside.

No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Oreo Bars

3 cups peanut butter filled Oreo Cookies Crushed (you can also use chocolate graham crackers or regular graham crackers)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter melted

Mix together and press onto the prepared foil lined pan.

Filling:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/3 cups peanut butter
1 stick butter melted

Mix all together and spread of the oreo crust.

Topping:

2 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter 

 Place in a microwave proof bowl to melt the chocolate and peanut butter checking every 1 minute intervals till melted (approx. 2 1/2 minutes to melt total stirring each minute).

Pour over the filling layer smooth over with a spatula. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes. Cut into squares.  I store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

Christmas Story Potatoes And Hot Dog Recipe

Growing up we didn't have lots of money and meals like this were very often. Dad would get that big old fry pan out and saute potatoes and hot dogs together. The potatoes would cook a long time until crispy then he would throw in the hot dogs sliced up. 
He never used the colorful ones I used what I had today thinking of him when I made these.

 One year in the 1960's we had a horrible blizzard on Christmas day and couldn't get out of the house there was no way to go anywhere and too dangerous to drive. 

We lived on Lansing St in Utica New York. Nice to go back in time and remember some comforting moments.
The original plan was to be at my brother Lukes house for Christmas Day dinner. The menu was lasagna, ham, turkey and all the trimming and of course the big Italian meal leftover from Christmas Eve mom made she would bring. 

Well my Dad  just looked out the window and said since there was nothing we could do we had to stay home and he would could was we had. He always made the best fried potatoes. They were soft inside and almost tasted like a potato chip on the outside. His famous fried potatoes and hot dogs it was that blustery day.  Mom had the day off from cooking and Dad did it all. We had a wonderful Holiday and made the best out of it while watching the blizzard come down through the window. That's what I miss about those days. The simple appreciated pleasures in life and life long memories made. Thanks Dad and Mom for the wonderful memories etched in my brain forever. Until we meet again.

Fried Potatoes And Hot Dog Recipe

Sliced potatoes ( I used the three colors red, purple and white)

Sliced Hot dogs

Vegetable or Canola oil

Fry Pan

Add oil in the bottom of a large fry pan or one large enough to accommodate the amount you're making for the family. Heat oil on low heat Place the potatoes in when oil is heated. Cook until they crisp on the outside then around the last 30 minutes put on high heat. Add the hotdogs.

Fry until the potatoes get crispy and golden then

 until the hot dogs begin to brown.

Salt and pepper them to taste.

thanks dad

Chocolate Cookie Wrapped Kiss Recipe

Chocolate Cookie Wrapped Kiss Snowball Recipe

1 cup butter softened
2/3 cup sugar
Cream together for 3 minutes.

Add:

1 2/3  cups flour
1/4 cocoa powder
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla 
Blend until dough forms
 Refrigerate 1 hour.

Unwrapped hershey kisses (I make 30 cookies with this recipe)
Powdered sugar for rolling them into after baking

Using 1 tablespoon dough per kiss roll dough around the kiss. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degree preheated oven until set around 7 to 8 minutes. Cool completely. Roll into powdered sugar.

Magic White Chocolate Christmas Bars

If you want an easy magic cookie bar that will make everyone think you took all day to make then this is the one.
White chocolate, dried cherries and pistachio will make everyone's day a little more cheery.
These festive little bars are so simple and look great on that cookie tray for the Holiday tables.
 I make them all year round to match
the colors of the holiday.
Get creative mix and match to your Holiday color theme.

Blueberry, white chocolate and red cherries are also perfect for the patriotic holiday. 

Magic White Chocolate Christmas Bars

1- store bought pie crust dough to fit 13 x 9 inch pan ( or use 2 cups graham cracker crumbs)
1 recipe or 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk (click here for the recipe)
Pistachio nuts
 Pick what dried fruit you like : Dried Cranberries, Blueberries,  Cherries, Pineapple, Apricots ( I used cherries)
White chocolate chips ( prettier than dark for Christmas however use dark if you like or even a mixture)
Optional: Coconut 


Spread dough out in 13 x 9 lightly sprayed pan.

Pour evenly over the top the sweetened condensed milk.

Sprinkle evenly with chips, berries of choice dried, nuts and coconut if using.

Bake at 350 for around 30 to 35 minutes just until the top sets and edges are brown.

More recipes using condensed milk:

coconut poke cake
coconut flan
caramel banana flan
condensed milk pound cake
pumpkin cheesecake bars
Irish Cream Liqueur
chocolate pecan pie
frozen peanut butter cheese pie
peanut butter chocolate brownies
Amaretto hot fudge sauce
nutella pudding
that skinny chicks mounds bars
Layered  chocolate coconut cookies

For more tips like this one check out this page of tips and tricks for baking!  CLICK HERE 

Coconut Cherry Almond Cookies

These are a buttery rich cookie with almond flavor. They are always on our cookie tray every year. I love these myself personally anytime but during the holiday tinted green they sure make a great addition to any cookie tray.

Coconut Cherry Almond Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
Cream together until light around 3 minutes
2 drops green food coloring (optional)

Add:

1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs yolks save the egg whites
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Garnish:

Finely chopped nuts or coconut to roll dough in
chopped maraschino cherries for the center
Reserved egg whites beaten 

After the dough comes together wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Using flour if dough is sticky, roll a teaspoon of dough into a ball. Dip into reserved egg whites then into nuts or coconut. Add cherry to the center. Bake at 350 for 7 to 8 minutes until set and edges begin to brown.

Cool completely before storing.

Baked Ziti Recipe

The easiest way to feed a crowd is to make this kind of casserole. Everyone raves about it no matter where I bring it or serve it at home. I can't believe how every time they have it the same thing is said, boy this is the best you ever made. The secret really to making a great baked ziti is to let it sit overnight in the refrigerator and the next day heat it up by baking it making sure it has plenty of sauce over the top and cheese.
 Give it a chance to meld in the flavors makes a big difference overnight.

Perfect to take for any family gathering, picnic, holiday, they will love you for making this!

Baked Ziti Recipe

1 lb or more for your crowd of ziti pasta cooked al dente (a little bite left in the pasta)
2 - 16 ounce containers of homemade sauce or store bought
1 pound loose sausage store bought or homemade ( I like hot use what you like) saute with hamburger, drain set aside in bowl
1 pound hamburger (I use ground sirloin) saute with sausage drained set aside in bowl
Optional spices to sprinkle on the top: dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, granulated garlic (or fresh when in season)
grated cheese
3 cups mozzarella cheese whole milk 
1- 15 ounce container Ricotta cheese store bought or homemade add 1 tablespoon garlic powder


In a greased 13x9 pan add sauce, a little ziti, half the Ricotta,  top with half the cooked meat,  more sauce, mozzarella, grating cheese and repeat until you use up everything. Place in refrigerator overnight or you can bake it right away if you like on 350 degrees just until heated around 35 minutes. I like to broil the top of the cheese at the end for 3 to 4 minutes watch it till it gets nice and brown on top. I sprinkle dried herbs on top or fresh when in season before serving for extra flavors along with grated cheese usually pecorino romano.

Apple Upside Down Cake Mom's Recipe

Apple's just shout out fall to me. This made me want to get cozy by the fireplace with a nice cup of cocoa or warm cider and watch an old time movie. Making this reminded me of my childhood with my mom peeling bags of apples and coming up with several cake, pies and new way to use them. She used any kind of fruit with this cake batter she had on hand. 
I have tried her recipe with pineapple, peaches and blueberries. I even used fresh cherries this year for the first time. Can't make up my mind which one I like better. Served warmed is best. 

Apple Upside Down Cake Mom's Recipe

Bottom layer

Topping:

1 stick butter or margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 apples pared and cored or other fruit of choice

Melt butter, add the cinnamon, sugar, mix together and pour onto a brownie size pan and parchment paper lined.


Slice two large apples or (two cups of other fruit of your choice) place on top of this mixture.


Batter:

1 stick butter, margarine or use 1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg

 In a medium mixing bowl blend sugar, butter together for 2 minutes until well blended. Add all other dry ingredients except milk, alternately with the milk and vanilla last into that mixture.  Spread this thick batter over the apple mixture.

Bake on a preheated oven on 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until set in the middle.

Cook and serve slightly warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice. cream.

Pecan Chocolate Caramel Blondie Recipe

I am not a huge fan of pecan pie but these bars are a similar taste except for adding chocolate chips in the center which totally made me a huge fan. The texture and filling is just awesome and I love how easy they are to make and serve to guests. Perfect dessert option for the busy cook and great alternative to making a pie. 
They will all ask you for the recipe I promise!

Pecan Chocolate Caramel Blondie Recipe

Dough

1 cup flour
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter softened
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together in a bowl until well blended divide in half

Filling:
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup whole pecans
6 ounces ice cream topping caramel

Garnish:
Optional: cinnamon sugar mixture

Assembly for bars:

Line a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pat half the dough into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar on top.

Sprinkle with 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips and half a jar of ice cream caramel topping
 (around 6 ounces) over the top of the chips

Add the rest of the dough on top evenly as best as you can.

Top with around 1/2 cup whole pecans and add more cinnamon sugar  on top of dough if desired

Bake at 350 degrees for around 25 minutes. Cool completely, cut into bars.