Marci's Spinach Salad

My friend Marci hosted Book Club last month and she made this delicious salad.  I love salads and it's such an easy one.

Marci's Spinach Salad

Salad:
1 bag spinach
1 green apple--chopped
Candied almonds or pecans (you can buy these in the produce isle or make your own)
Craisins

Dressing:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil

Mix the dressing and add the chopped apple.  Marinate the dressing/apples for an hour and pour over salad.

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Is there anything better than the crock pot?  It's definitely in my list of favorite things.  These French Dip Sandwiches were delicious and juicy.  Making them in the crock pot is an added bonus.  I skipped steps 1 & 2 and threw my roast in frozen and it turned out great. I had quite a bit extra and I froze the meat for another meal.

French Dip Sandwiches in the Crock Pot

www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com
Time: 10 minutes prep + 6-8 hours in the crock
Yield: 8 servings
Recipe from Our Best Bites

1  3-4 pound beef roast
1  T olive oil
salt and pepper
2  1 oz packages Lipton Onion Soup mix
4  C hot water
2  beef bullion cubes
8  rolls (something with a good sturdy crust on it)
Provolone, Swiss or Mozzarella Cheese Slices (optional)
softened butter

 1. Heat up a large skillet. Add the olive oil to the pan.
2. Sprinkle your roast with salt and pepper and place it in the pan. Let it get nice and seared on each side.
3. Place the roast in your crock pot. Sprinkle the Onion Soup mix over the top. 
4. Let your bullion cubes dissolve in the hot water and then pour it over the roast.
5. Put the lid on your crock and cook on high for 6-8 hours. Take the roast out and shred it up with a fork about 1 hour before you are ready to serve. Put the shredded beef back in the crock and let it cook in all those yummy juices for the last hour.
6. Spread just a bit of softened butter on your rolls. Toast them on a griddle. Then add the meat and some cheese if you'd like.
7. Pour the hot juices left in the crock into small bowls for dipping.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I made these for Sunday dinner last week and they were fabulous.  Yes, I said Sunday dinner.  I'm lazy on most Sunday's and we usually end up with a pretty simple, easy meal.  You must try them!

CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKES

Found recipe at: Chef in Training

PANCAKES:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

CINNAMON FILLING:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Prepare pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, oil and egg, just until batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).

2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a small zip baggie and set aside. You don’t want this to remain super-liquidy. It’s best if it becomes a consistency similar to toothpaste.

3. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl- heat butter and cream cheese until melted. Whisk together until smooth; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; set aside.

4. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Scoop about 3/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Snip the corner of your baggie of filling and squeeze a spiral of the filling onto the top of the pancake. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

5. When ready to serve, spoon warmed glaze onto the top of each pancake.

Chocolate Nutella Cookies

These little gems are so delicious.  I had to give half of them away so I wouldn't eat them all by myself.  These will definitely be made again and again!

Chocolate Nutella Cookies
Recipe from Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
2/3 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder (next time I'm going to add a little less cocoa)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract (you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon vanilla if you can’t find or don’t like hazelnut extract)
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup milk

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325°
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Set the mixture aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth. Add the extracts and beat for another 30 seconds or so. Add the Nutella and beat until smooth.
With the mixer running, add half of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the milk, mixing until combined completely, then add the remaining flour mixture and mix completely. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes (and as long as 2-3 days).
When you’re ready to bake the cookies, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and place them on the lined cookie sheet, allowing about 2″ between the dough balls.
Lightly press the dough balls with the bottom of a drinking glass and then bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are crackly on top and soft, but starting to set. Remove from the oven and allow them to stand for about 5 minutes and then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.