Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Comfort Food ~ Giveaway


No, I'm not giving away comfort food!  I suppose my post title might give that impression.  Haha!   

Most of my cooking these days falls into the "quick and easy" category, and this recipe and another for chili that I will share definitely qualify.  If you are a fan of Ree Drummond's blog, then you may have seen this recipe on her blog.  It's called Cherry Cheesecake Shooters.  This is my version of her recipe and my photo.  You can find the compete recipe here with step by step photos showing how to put this together.  It's a really simple yet tasty little dessert to serve your family or guests.  Best of all, if you use canned pie filling, it is very quick to put together.  Enjoy!

Cherry Cheesecake Shooters

 1-8 ounce package cream cheese
1 can (14 ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 sleeve (8 whole) Graham Crackers, crushed
1 can cherry pie filling
1/4 cup sliced almonds, optional

Crush the graham crackers and spoon into the bottom of
small wine glasses.  If not using almonds,
reserve a few graham cracker crumbs for garnish.

Mix cream cheese and approximately 3/4 of the can of
sweetened condensed milk in a medium bowl with an
electric mixer until fluffy.

Carefully spoon the filling mixture onto the crumbs in each
of the wine glasses.

Top with a large spoonful of the cherry pie filling and then top
with a few sliced almonds, if desired.  (I used a few reserved
crumbs for garnish.)

This is a smaller version of Ree's recipe and it made enough for about 6 servings, depending on the size of the wine glasses.  My glasses are of average size.

Next up...Chili!


Also on the menu was my Quick and Easy Chili.  I made quite a large pot so that we would have enough for anyone who might drop in and it is good the next day, too, if you like leftovers.  Now there are a gazillion chili recipes out there and I've shared a little more involved chili recipe here that we like, but my Quick and Easy version is our favorite.

Quick and Easy Chili
1-30 oz can chili-style beans
1-30 oz can red kidney beans
1-30 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 med. onion, diced  (I used dried onion flakes)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef

Place first five items in a large pan like a dutch oven.  
Brown ground beef and diced onion, drain.
Add browned ground beef and onion to bean mixture and heat through.  

Serves 8 more or less, depending on how many bowls they want!

Note:  I often make a similar recipe for just BG and I using two 15 ounce cans of beans and one can diced tomatoes and 1 pound of ground beef.  I add a small can of tomato sauce, and onion flakes, but omit the chili powder.  It's good, too!

How is your week going?  Our water heater conked out again last night and BG decided that it was time for a new one.  He's taking the day off so he can go pick one out and get it installed.  In the meantime, we are roughing it without hot water!  Have you ever washed your hair in really cold water?  That will wake you up!!

My Giveaway:  I have added a couple of pairs of handcrafted earrings to the gift card in my giveaway.  There may be another surprise or two, I haven't decided yet.  The drawing will be on February 15, according to the GYB guidelines, so be sure to sign up soon if you haven't already done so.  You don't have to be a participant in the Grow Your Blog party to enter!  
   
I'll be giving moral support helping BG with the water heater as best I can, so if I don't get around to your blog today, you know we are hard at work so we'll have hot water!!  Happy Wednesday to you!  And enjoy having hot water, too.  :)

Until next time...

46 comments:

  1. Your recipes sound very good.
    I have a blog of recipes.

    I found you site through another site.

    Have a good day. ;)

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  2. LOVE the recipes. YUM! YUM! Good luck with the hot water heater.

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  3. That dessert looks SO good. I am a huge fan of condensed milk and love to eat it as is - strange I know and not overly healthy!!

    Week is going good but very hot here (yes it is summer) but 100F each day for a week (and into next week) isn't fun at all, especially with no air-conditioner in the house. Very pleased to be at work during the day.

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  4. Hi Cheryl,

    Yummy recipes, both the sweet and the savoury, and beautifully styled, too, thank you!

    I hope you get your water heater installed and working soon, as I, for one, DO know what it is like to wash your hair with freezing cold water! In the summer, it's quite refreshing, but in the winter, it's downright daunting! I actually shiver before a drop hits my head!

    Poppy

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  5. YUM-YUM, I love both the chili and the cheesecake shooters. Thanks for sharing the recipes! Have a happy day!

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  6. Brrrr.....the water must be freezing. I did it once when we were having problem with our water heater. And oh boy, I got out of the shower as quick as lightning.

    Thank you for the recipe so perfect for quick-fix dessert.

    Hope you find that perfect water heater soon.

    Blessings

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  7. First off, your weekend sunset image below is breath taking!!! Seriously.

    And your dessert sounds scrumptious. And oh so very easy. I'm wondering if I could break it down and just make TWO glasses of it.

    And chili....one of my favorite 'soups'!! Delicious post Cheryl!!

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  8. that chili looks yummy good. ( :
    being that it is so cold lately. yum!! i love how you dress them up the the fun glasses. really love the polka dots. wonder why they look so cute? you just want to say "awww". so cute, right??!

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  9. My husband was watching her show this past weekend... I think he may have a little crush on Ree! Or maybe her food. :)

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  10. Nice recipes. Thanks for sharing.

    Lately I have been modifying my own recipes too for the sake of healthy eating.

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  11. Oh my, yummy in my tummy, now you went and made me hungry, thanks for the recipes, Francine.

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  12. Cheryl! These look so delicious! I cam going to make both recipes! It's all in the presentation and you captured both foods beautifully!

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  13. Love these recipe, I am bookmarking them , thanks for sharing. Hurry, hurry to help BG with the water heater, I know what it is like to be without hot water, sometime My dh likes for me to be around to be a go-for! ~smile~

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  14. This dessert looks light and delish!! With all of this cold weather that we all are having, there's nothing to warm the body like a nice big bowl of chili! Sounds good right now.
    This really isn't a good time to NOT have hot water...so get out there and help your man get it going...Y'all stay warm!!!!
    shug

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  15. You featured these so beautifully! It really makes me want to try them.

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  16. i pinned both of these, yum, yum, yum!

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  17. Cheesecake is always a good idea ;)

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  18. Cheryl, it is not fair to show me all this yumminess this close to lunch. Especially since I have no such yumminess on my lunch menu today. :)

    These shooters look like the perfect Valentine dessert!

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  19. We are all here to enter the comfort food giveaway! heehee! Have a good day my friend! I think I entered...I better go check! Hugs!

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  20. The shooters and the chili sound good!! I like the pictures too, great set ups, they're very appealing.

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  21. the shooter looks divine... and we make our chili like that except with out the soup and the meat is ground turkey.

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  22. We just replaced our water heater....that cost a fortune and it sucked. We had cold water for 3 days before we put the new one in...ugh..

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  23. Too bad you're not giving away the food as it looks so good! Hot water, one of the true blessings of civilization good luck on restoring yours.

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  24. great food, presented beautifully!!

    my chili recipe is similar...i use an envelope of chili seasonings mix and a mix of green and red peppers also. i love chili, there's so much you can do with it and it just gets better and better if your lucky enough to have leftovers!!

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  25. No hot water is brutal in this weather. Bet you set an Olympic record for hair washing. Hope by now all is well again.

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  26. Hi Girlie, You know not to add me to your giveaway list.. Thanks..

    Your simple chili recipe sounds delicious... This is the season for Chili for sure. It was MINUS 6 here this morning...

    This must be the 'season' for broken hot water heaters.. Another blogger talked about their breaking on her blog today.

    Have a good day.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  27. I love your photos - and your food - I want to win those! Your food looks so wonderful.

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  28. I hope all is going well with getting the new hot water heater up and running. A cold water hair wash sounds very unappealing especially at this time of year.
    I am having a family Super Bowl get together and was looking for a dessert to make. Most of us like chocolate, but my son's girlfriend loves cheesecake and cherry pie. So you can imagine how delighted I am to find your recipe today. It looks so pretty and will be just perfect. Thanks so much for the timely suggestion :).
    The chili sounds yummy too. Your presentation is so cute.

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  29. Looks yummy! Chili is always good in wintertime. Get that hot water working again!

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  30. Devious looking comfort foods you've shared. I like the red and white jug in the first photo, I have a couple of pieces in a blue and white pattern that is similar.

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  31. Easy and good are great for recipes anytime, Cheryl, and we really like cheesecake so may have to try these shooters. You are so right about so many chili recipes. we all have our favorite(s) and yours looks delicious. Really liked the framing effect in your photos.
    Thanks for letting me know you enjoy the Photoscape photo editing program. I downloaded it on my desktop PC, but got extra programs that I didn't want or need. I decided to delete them all and just keep using my old favorites.

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  32. I am glad I just had supper a few minutes ago or I would be starved!

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  33. Those recipes sound wonderful. I just love the Pioneer Woman and I am thrilled with her new cookbook, too! Blessings to you and I hope u you are having a great week so far. xo Diana

    ps. LOVE the polka dot cup!

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  34. Such yummy looking food! thanks for sharing! xoxo Jen

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  35. Hey! Where's the blob of peanut butter on the plate for that chili? A bite of peanut butter, a bite of chili.. bite of peanut butter, bite of chili.....

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  36. Another fan of The Pioneer Woman here! Your dishes look wonderful. Being inside in this cold weather has opened up some new culinary doors!

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  37. You have an absolutely fantastic blog. You are amazing blogger.
    I ♥ your blog!

    Feel free to my blog dear:
    http://maryannfashionn.blogspot.com/

    Kisses ♥

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  38. The Pioneer Woman has some really good looking recipes-I love her bruchetta-and the guys ate it up pretty fast-lol that dessert looks delcicious too.
    Kathy

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  39. Great outdoor photos. Food photos are tasty too, or course. Would love to enter your giveaway drawing, thanks!

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  40. Those shooters sound rich and yummy!
    Quick and easy are my kind of recipes.

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  41. ah but a comfort food giveaway sounds quite delicious!

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  42. Wow, the recipes look so yummy;I will try them for sure.
    When we first moved in to our hoe 8 years ago. The very first night the water heater didn't work. I was so frazzled and complaining then I thought about my pioneer ancestors who would have had to go down to get the water from the creek and bring it back; start a fire and then boil the water for the bath. We are just so blessed I think. Blessings for this one!

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  43. Hello , my name is Dawn your my one stop on the blog party, Hope that I soon will be friends with all of you cyber neighbors. I just say that 600 plus bloggers that sign up to the Party and I am only up to 320 whew a lot of good read and great giveaways. Thanks for this opportunity to join friends with you and be apart of your giveaway. Can't wait to see more of your great projects in the making. My site http://overboardcreations.blogspot.com/and contact info is ovr_brd@yahoo.com
    I don’t have a lot of blog time in. but I like all things creative. I lost my mothers chili recipe moons ago, and I have been searching for something if not the same for years. I think you are the closes recipe for easy chili I found. I can't wait to try it out.

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  44. Those cheesecake shooters look delicious and a perfect accompaniment to the chili! I'm not quite sure how to enter the giveaway but please include my name in your drawing. Thank you!

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  45. Thanks for the yummy sounding recipes!! :)

    Pray your water heater is all back to Hot water again...we had that issue here, just about 4 months ago...had to get new one. Definitely looove Hot water! lol

    Please enter me in your Give-a-way too..thank you! & Happy Valentine's Day!!!

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  46. Love the idea of the Cheesecake shooters. Truly enjoy the birds photos. Cannot feed our birds or they will become cat food!

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