Home Sweet Homemaker

I’m going through a tomato and basil phase, but my book club doesn’t mind. This was a hit at book club recently so here’s the recipe, girls! It is from the Stoneware Sensations Cookbook by Pampered Chef.
Ingredients
1 package refrigerated pizza crust
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, [...]

Here’s the one that got Jocelyn started on marshmallows. This recipe is from the Kraft Food & Family website.
Ingredients
3 squares Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate; divided
2 packages Cream Cheese; softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups Whipped Topping; thawed
3/4 cup Miniature Marshmallows
1/3 cup Cocktail Peanuts; chopped
1 Oreo Pie Crust
Instructions
Microwave 1 of the chocolate squares in small microwaveable bowl [...]

South Beach Diet Phase 2. Yum. Easy marinade and quick preparation. Cook times seem too long, but we’ve only used sirloin and not the flank steak the recipe calls for. Excellent and easy. Top of stove preparation so the oven can be used for something else. Visit Allrecipes.com for recipe.

South Beach Diet Phase 1. This is an easy-to-make side that goes well with any main dish as long as you time it right so everything is hot and ready simultaneously. It’s also an “easy to wing it” dish meaning if you don’t have all of the veggies, don’t sweat it. I would call it [...]

Here’s one of those cakes that gets better with age. There’s something about those pecans and coconut hanging out together in the bottom of the pan for a day that is just delicious. I’ve known people to say “I don’t like coconut” but this cake changes their minds. The cream cheese/butter/powdered sugar combination is ugly [...]

Who knew a bulletin board could make such a huge difference? I actually carried out an idea that I read about in a recent Good Housekeeping magazine. I covered a cork board with fabric, stapled a desk calendar to it and assigned each family member a sharpie of a specific color. I thought it would [...]

My first step toward home-havenness is the office/playroom where my family spends most of our evenings together after dinner. Actually, I shouldn’t say that the office is the first step, since the kitchen is a continual and simultaneous step toward clutter-free living. Then there’s that ever-growing mountain of dirty clothes. In so many ways, housework [...]

This recipe is based on Party Pesto Squares by Pampered Chef. Instead of topping the squares with tomato and green onion, I step up the flavor by piling on the bruschetta. My infatuation with tomato and basil lives on! By the way, Jocelyn’s words for tomato and pesto are “may-mo” and “pay-po”.
Ingredients
1 roll round buttery [...]

The butter pecan cake mix really sets this apple crisp apart from all others. Very easy to make and serves a crowd.
Ingredients
2 cans apple pie filling
1 box butter pecan cake mix
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1 cup walnuts
Instructions
Pour two cans pie filling in a 9 x 13 pan. Top with dry cake mix. Sprinkle with [...]

I am so grateful for the women who come to my home for book club every Monday. First of all, Mondays are the hardest day of the week because my girls have been used to their daddy being home all weekend but then he has to go back to work. It gives me something to [...]

I decided to go for a variety of genres this month since July didn’t fare well on the reading front.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
I remembered Judy Blume from childhood and was reminded of her books when my mom and nephew started their “Judy Blume book club” during our beach vacation this [...]