7 Layer Cookies.... ummmm yes please!

So for my Sister in Laws bridal shower we were asked to share a recipe so I asked my husband what I should  share... he suggested either my twice baked potatoes ( you have not had twice baked until you have had these) or my dads 7 layer cookies. Well since she already has the twice baked cookie recipe, I went with the cookies and decided to share the recipe here. I promise you they are heaven on earth, I have never gone anywhere with these and not been asked for the recipe by every person who has one!!

What you need
1 stick of melted butter
2 - 2 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 bag of butter scotch chips
1 bag of  shaved (flaked) coconut
1 package of sliced almonds
1 can of condensed milk

• Preheat oven to 350
• You want to take a 13 x 9 inch baking dish (I prefer glass), spray it with non stick spray.
• Add the stick of butter and then the graham cracker crumbs. I usually add the crumbs slowly (1/2 cup at a time and spread and press in the dish) you want to cover the entire bottom of the dish and still have them be hard pressed together with the butter, that is why I don't use measurements, it will come out to about 2 to 2 1/2 cups. 
• Add the entire bag of chocolate chips level out evenly
• Add the entire bag of butter scotch chips level out
• Add the entire bag of coconut
• Add the entire bag of almonds
• Pierce two holes in the condensed milk (one on each side of the top) then drizzle out of one of the holes the milk all over the almonds
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes

***The picture is a generic I found online because I didn't make them today but had to share the recipe, yours will be much thicker!!! I promise you will thank me!

Pot Roast... Its whats for Dinner :)

Sooooooo... I LOVE POT ROAST and since it is finally getting cool enough out to bring the slow cooker out of hibernation... its time to roast :)

This time I scoped out Pip and Ebby's Slow Cooker Pot Roast its was super easy and extremely yummy!!!

Below are Pip's directions and my comments (in italics) and her pics.. because I was super lazy :)

You will need:

A 4-lb. roast (I like to use tip roasts, but the options for this are plentiful) -I used a 2.5 lb roast because we are a family of 4 and 4lbs is a lot of food :)

One 10.75-oz. can cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup

One 1-oz. package dry onion soup mix

1 1/2 cups water (for me this did not look like a lot of water)

Throw all of the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours.

Periodically spoon the gravy over top of the roast.

After about 4-5 hours of cooking, add carrots and peeled, cubed potatoes to the slow cooker, if desired. (I added 3 cut up carrots and 2 large pealed and cut potatoes)

***** Me and My Younghans Review*****

For me it was very yummy... I am thinking next time around I may use a touch more water (about 1/2 cup) and also I think I am going to use an additional can of soup to make the gravy thicker. The flavor was good but not as strong as I like it.

Daddy Younghans loved it! Wouldn't change a thing...

Steven and Zack both tolerated the pot roast, but neither would normally be big fans of any sort of pot roast, they are just not old enough to appreciate its glory :)

Over all I give it 3.75 out of 5 stars, due to it just not being quite as flavorful as I would prefer, we will try it again with some modifications. 

Million Dollar Spaghetti... or not???

As an avid Pinterester.. I love discovering and trying new recipes... tonight our family verged out on our normal blah spaghetti and went for Ashley Kaitlin's Being Grown Up Blog's Million Dollar Spaghetti.  I went line by line and direction by direction to follow her model... Below are her directions and my pics :)
 *** NOTES IN ITALICS ARE MY COMMENTS ON THE DIRECTIONS!

Ingredients
1 lb. of Ground Beef
1 can of Spaghetti Sauce
8 oz of Cream Cheese
1/4 cup of Sour Cream
1/2 lb. of Cottage CheeseWhole Stick of Butter
8 oz. of Noodles
Bag of Sharp Chedder Cheese

First: Go ahead and put your over on 350! Boil those noodles!! 

While they are boiling go ahead and mix up the cream cheese, sour cream and 
cottage cheese!! Make sure that it is mixed up VERY well! -I used my kitchen aid mixer to make sure I got it good and mixed

Then.. go ahead and cook that meat!

 Make sure its good and brown and drain it!
Then pour your spaghetti sauce over it! -Issue I saw here was there was no specific size noted on the "can of spaghetti sauce" Cans and Jars very alot, I just a 24 oz jar, because I buy in bulk but only used 16 oz of it because that is a standard Jar Size.

Take a few slices of your butter and put them in the bottom of your casserole dish -Again no specific amount but being butter was used twice in the recipe I used half (1/4 cup) here. 

Then layer HALF of the noodles in the bottom of the dish! - There was no dish size specified I used a 13 X 9 however based on the differences in coverage between her pics and mine I am guessing hers was a 11x7. The only difference I see is that my coverage is thinner than hers. 

Pour that nicely mixed up creamy mixture on top of the noodles.

and SPREAAAAAD it all over!

Then add the rest of your noodles and put a few slices of butter on top of those noodles. -Again I guessed  1/4 cup

Now pour the red sauce and meat on top!

and once again SPREEAAAAD

Now place that awesome casserole in your oven for 30 minutes!

After those 30 minutes take the dish out and pour some chedder cheese on the top and put it back in the oven for 15 minutes! Now there were no specifics on the size of the bag of cheese or if you should use it all so I just covered the top like I would with a lasagna and it seemed to do the trick (about 2 cups), I didn't want it to end  up over cheesy or greasy. 

Then your DONE!

*** Now for Me and My Younghans Review****

It smelled AMAZING!! Sooo good!! 

I loved it, it was super cheesy and creamy which is just my style. I was a huge fan of the texture too.. nice and thick! This is a great dish for a larger family or a potluck because of the amount of food that you have at your disposal and also its a great dish to alternate with the normal lasagna. 

Daddy Younghans liked it but wasn't 100% sold. He is of Italian decent and usually likes his food more authentic and less creamy. But he said he would definitely eat it again and went back for 2nds..but did ask that next time I hold back on the Sour Cream and Cottage Cheese.

Steven... ATE IT ALL.. but he is my eater and loves all things food (its amazing he is sooo skinny).

Zachary (THE PICKIEST EATER) ate it... had to bargain toward the end for him to finish the meat but he liked the noodles a lot (and that is a huge compliment because he does not eat anything).

Over all... 4 out of 5 stars, the loss of one star was due to the vagueness of some of the recipe which made it difficult to follow without playing the guessing game, and because Daddy thought it was a bit too cheesy. This will be a recipe that makes its way into our rotation!!