Pinterest Recipes

Like everyone else in the world, I've become a big fan of Pinterest.  I've been pinning things since last May, but it's only been in the last few months that I've started using some of the recipes that I've found there.  I think a lot of it has to do with how much time Teddy takes up.  I need to do something that is for me and makes me feel accomplished.  After Tillie was born I started sewing more.  That doesn't really work right now since Teddy doesn't nap.  I can, however, cook with him in the bumbo watching.

1. Slow-Cooker Baked Potato Soup - This is the best potato soup recipe I've ever tried.  I don't have an extra large crock pot, so last time I made this I halved the recipe.  It's still too much for just Tim and I so I have the extra soup in the freezer.  We already ate one of the containers and it seems to reheat well.  I peel half of the potatoes and use Lawry's Season Salt.

2. Crash Hot Potatoes - These look so good, but Tim and I were underwhelmed.  However, I didn't have any rosemary in the house so I omitted that and just added a little extra seasoning.  They didn't have enough flavor.  It probably would be better if I tried them again with rosemary, but even then there are other potatoes that we like more than are less work.  Although, they weren't that hard.  If you've made these and love them, let me know!

3. Pretzel, Rolo, Pecan - I made these this Christmas because I remembered that a friend had sent me some the Christmas before.  Super-duper easy.  I didn't have pecans in the house so I used dry roasted peanuts.  That made them taste like a Take 5!  (I'm also now noticing that my "repin" doesn't go to the actual recipe post.  The "recipe" is also on the rolo bag.)

4. Easy Chicken Bake - Lynnae made this dish for us when Teddy was born.  Tim and I both liked it and asked her for the recipe.  After she sent it I found it online too, so I pinned it.  It makes a TON, especially since Tim and I don't really eat that much.  We sent leftovers to my brother's house and Tim took some to school for lunch.  I love how the stuffing gets crunchy on top -- it tastes like croutons!  I'm sure the leftovers lose the crunchiness, but the stuffing still adds all that great seasoning.  It's a great, easy casserole.

5. Best Coffee Cake - Tim and I have a disagreement about this.  I would call this recipe a crumb cake because I think coffee cake has pie filling, frosting and crisscross dough.  I guess the Pioneer Woman agrees with him.  Two weeks ago we skipped church because Teddy had been crabby, I was tired and it was actually snowing.  Tim wanted to so some baking so he made this recipe.  He halved it, but it was still too much.  The 8x8 pan still had 1.5 sticks of butter in it!  It was good, but it was too rich for us that early in the morning.  We may make it again, but I'd definitely pair it with fruit or something to balance it out.

6. Twice Bake Potato Casserole - Why yes, I do love potatoes!  This is another recipe I halved.  We had this  when Dave came over for dinner and everyone agreed it was good.  When I made it I also used less cheese and bacon than the recipe called for.  When I make it again I'll also use less sour cream.  (I used light sour cream.)

7. Pretzel Rolls - These were so fun!  It was weird how much they tasted like pretzels.  I used my Kitchen Aid to do some of the kneading and I wish I had used it for all of it.  I made these a week ago and my wrist still hurts from it.  (Yes, I am lame.)  I think I made my rolls smaller than the recipe called for.  I had 12 medium sized ones and my sheet was pretty full.  I cut up the rest of the dough evenly and came up with 12 small rolls.  I ate them with thin slices of medium cheddar, but I think they would be great with Schuler Cheese Dip too.  I stored them in a brown paper bag and reheated one in the toaster oven the next morning and it was still fine.  Some were too hard and some were too soggy by the third day though.

8. Baked Manicotti - I made this last night.  It was delicious!  I used low-fat ricotta and halved the recipe.  I cooked 4 rolls last night and have 4 rolls in the freezer.  Tim and I each at one roll and he has one for leftovers today and I'm sending the other one over to my mom's try.  I just used jarred sauce(hello, whiny baby in the house!) and added some browned grounded beef to it.  I served it with Caesar salad and garlic bread.  I'll definitely make this again.

9. Caramel Brownie - This was my only failure.  I had so many people repinning it that I actually just deleted it from my board so that no one would make the mistake of trying to make it.  I made this one Saturday afternoon to take to a camp function that evening.  Tim tried one right out of the oven and said it was good, but we might want to cut the edges off as they were a little hard.  I let it continue to cool and when I tried to cut it to put it on the plate I literally couldn't  cut through it.  I used a glass baking dish.  When I was at Meijer's last I noticed that the Betty Crocker cake mix I used was 18.25oz.  Maybe that was the issue.  I decided it wasn't worth trying it again.  I had to soak the pan in water for two days to be able to get it out.

Have you made any pinterest recipes?  What do you love?