Since the warm weather is finally here I think it’s time for BBQ’s and picnics so I wanted to share a recipe for potato salad this week. It’s one that my mom makes and it is so delicious. It isn’t like your regular mustard type of potato salad. And I am not exaggerating when I tell you I could eat the entire recipe by myself. It is that good.

Ranch Potato Salad

Ingredients:
2 pounds small red potatoes, cooked
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 cup Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing (I’ve made it with other brands and it is not the same.)
Black pepper
8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

Directions:
Cut slightly cooled small red potatoes into 1 inch cubes. In large bowl combine potatoes, green onions and ranch dressing. Toss gently and dust with pepper. Garnish with bacon. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Just a few simple ingredients.

Yummy Potato Salad

I tried this new recipe last night and we all ate it up and enjoyed it.  Even Hailey didn’t fight me and said she liked it.  So, I thought I should share it.

Cobre Valley Casserole:

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup water
2 (16 ounce) cans refried beans
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 green onions, sliced
1 large tomato - peeled, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup pitted ripe olives, chopped
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, cook beef, celery and onion until meat is browned; drain. Stir in taco mix, water, beans and green chilies if desired; mix well. Pour into a 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until heated through. Top with cheese, green onions, tomato, olives and chips.

With all the snowman fun we’ve been having we just had to make some snowman sugar cookies!

Get all of your ingredients together.

Mix everything together.

We made the cookies in the evening but Hailey was very hyper so we waited until the next day to decorate them.  She didn’t need anymore sugar!

 Add some frosting.

Decorate your snowman.

This is the snowman cookie that we decorated together.

And here is the snowman cookie Hailey decorated all by herself.

In case you want the recipe we used, here it is:

Sugar Cookies

6 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
3 tablespoons of baking powder
1 pound soft butter

Take these four items and blend together using a pasty knife.

In a separate bowl combine:

3 large eggs
3 tsp vanilla

Beat them together and then add to the above ingredients. Roll out on a flour surface and cut into shapes. (I have used powdered sugar instead of flour to add some extra flavor and it makes them extra yummy.)
Bake at 375 for 6 minutes or until golden brown.

Almost every day Hailey looks through her cookbook (The Toddler Cookbook by Annabel Karmel) and picks out recipes that she wants to make.  So earlier this week we made the Cutout Cookies.

Ingredients:
2 sticks of softened butter
 3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Mix butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a large bowl until well mixed.
Add flour and salt and mix together.
Roll our the dough and cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
Bake at 350 for about 14 minutes.  Makes about 30 cookies.

Get everything you need.

You’ll need one of these too- a happy toddler who loves to bake!

Hailey mixing the ingredients together.

Hailey crying while she had to wait for the freshly baked cookies to cool.

Happily enjoying the yummy cookies she made.

Hailey got The Toddler Cookbook by Annabel Karmel for Christmas from her Aunt Ellie and Uncle Matt.  Since Hailey has been sick we haven’t had a chance to try any of the recipes in it until today.  (Although we have “read” the cookbook many nights for her bed time story!)

Anyhoo- Hailey wanted to make the Mini Banana Muffins and we had all of the ingredients on hand.  So- we made some yummy banana muffins this morning.

Ingredients:

1 medium egg
1/3 cup packed soft light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large, very ripe banana (we didn’t have a large banana, so we used 2 small ones)
1/4 cup sunflower or vegetable oil
2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Mix egg, sugar and vanilla.  Whisk together until thick.
3. Mash the banana in a small bowl then add to egg mixture.  Add oil.
4. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in separate bowl.  Then stir in until just combined.
5. Fill muffin liners (or greased muffin pan) about two-thirds full.
6. Bake for 12-14 minutes until risen and firm.  Makes 18 mini-muffins.

Note- we don’t have a mini-muffin pan.  So, we made 9 regular sized muffins.  I increased the cooking time to 20 minutes and they were perfect.

The ingredients

Hailey mixing the egg and brown sugar together.  (Isn’t she cute in her adorable little apron??)

Trying a bite of the bananas while mashing them together.

The finished banana muffins.  Yummy!

Also, now that Hailey is feeling better we should be back next week with some fun winter crafts!