Heath Bar Cookies

My Grandmother-in-Law shared this gem with me. Very fab, but ooooh so bad for you.

• 1 sleeve of saltine crackers
• 2 sticks of REAL butter
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 bag of milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup of chopped pecans

Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Arrange saltine crackers on it, one layer thick, corner to corner. Melt butter into a small saucepan, add brown sugar. Mix until it begins to bubble, then remove from heat. Add the baking soda and pour onto crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes, or once it begins to bubble. Sprinkle on milk chocolate chips and bake for a minute to melt the chips. Sprinkle with nuts and allow to fully cool. Break apart, store in a Tupperware container in the refrigerator.

Ranch Oyster Crackers

My friend - Kristie brought these over for a playdate snack, and I loved them so much she sent me the recipe.

• 1 package oyster crackers
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons ranch dip mix

Mix in a large bowl. Add crackers and toss until coated. Store in air tight container.

Monte Cristo

• 4 slices of bread
• 1 egg
• 2 slices of ham
• 2 slices of Swiss cheese
• spreading margarine
• canola oil

Spread the margarine on the outsides of the bread, then dip the bread into the egg. Place bread, egged side down into a skillet with canola oil heated up in it. Layer cheese, ham, and other piece of bread. Cook on mediumish heat for a few minutes, till nice and crispy, flip and repeat. Makes two fabulous sandwiches.

Dog Bed

I made this dog bed out of old sofa pillows that were chewed up by the dogs when they were puppies. It was a great way to "recycle" the, and I was able to use fabric that the kiddos really like. Here is a link to some cute photos of the tiny dude playing around in the pillows before I sewed it all together.

On a sad note, my sewing machine is getting a little worn out. It is only from 1914.

Uno's Frozen Pizza

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Uno Restaurant chain, because they have the best pizza, ever. There aren't really any around us, so whenever I got to Madison, I always try to eat there. Recently I ate at another one in Wisconsin Dells, and it was fabulous. I have seen Uno's frozen pizzas at Wal-mart, but never was brave enough to try one. Today I finally did, and it was wonderful. The best frozen pizza I have ever had. It was about $5, but worth it. The crust was wonderfully crisp and the sauce was everything I could hope for. Even the baby dude loved it, and he's a tough critic.

Cubano Quesadillas

• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• yellow mustard
• sliced pickles
• 2 ounces sliced roast pork
• 2 ounces sliced ham
• 2 ounces sliced swiss cheese

Spread yellow mustard on tortilla, I used a brush for even coverage. Layer on top of mustard: Ham, pickles, pork, cheese, other tortilla. Making up 2 separate quesadillas. Place on medium-low heat grill, flip after 3 minutes, cook for 3 more minutes. Cut with a pizza cutter.

Also, I know the combo sounds gross, but it turns out AWESOME. Even my Johnny, who HATES sliced ham loved it so much we had it twice this week, and it was only Wednesday!

Cherry Essence Prunes

Holy cats, these are good. I am serious. Sunsweet cherry essence prunes. There are orange essence ones as well, but not nearly as tasty as the cherry ones. If you think you don't like prunes, you are wrong.