Butterscotch-Toffee Cheesecake Bars

Staying with the butterscotch theme, I added the hubby's 2nd favorite--Heath! Taste of Home posted this on Facebook the other day and I knew I had to make it. It was almost too easy to fix AND eat. ;)  By the way, my secret to anything that requires cream cheese is to let it get to room temperature--in this case, I pulled it out the night before and prepared it this morning so that I could chill it in plenty of time before lunch. Be prepared--you will have to fight yourself (almost physically) to stop eating them :)

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/butterscotch-toffee-cheesecake-bars?trkid=FBPAGE_TOH_20161020_Dessert_Fall_Romance_DetailPage

Duncan Hines Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I bought an industrial size box of Duncan Hines brownies for "emergencies". I noticed that on the back of the box there were recipes for other yummy treats, so I tried the Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. I liked the oatmeal and chocolate chips, but next time I think walnuts will make these cookies perfect. They are a little rich, but if you remember that they are really brownies shaped like cookies it helps. Maybe I can add the ingredients and make bars instead of cookies next time--oatmeal brownies :) Super easy and worth making for your chocolate lovers :)

https://www.duncanhines.com/recipes/cookies-bars/Duncan%20Hines%C2%AE/chocolate-chewy-oatmeal-cookies/

Black Bean 'n' Pumpkin Chili

I found this recipe in an email recently and decided I "had" to make it. Believe it or not, I've never used fresh pumpkin, but the decision was pretty easy at the store....1 14oz can of organic pumpkin was 4.99 and 2 pumpkin pie size pumpkins were 2 for $5...no brainer. I couldn't believe how much edible pumpkin these 2 produced as well as the happy pigs that loved the skins. I wanted to use dry black beans, but ran out of time, so I did use canned beans. We still have racks of tomatoes that are ripening in the sun room, so they worked great. Every 2 weeks, I make chicken broth for the dogs and so I added the shredded chicken from the last batch. The hubby was extremely impressed with the chili and has decided that pie pumpkins and/or Hubbard squash will be planted in the garden next year. I'm really excited about the new recipe opportunities that are now open, similar to our first crack at butternut last year :)

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/black-bean--n--pumpkin-chili

Butterscotch Rice Krispie Treats

So I recently found out (after 7 years) that my hubby loves butterscotch. So I used that as a good excuse to peruse Pinterest--butterscotch gold mine! Excited to explore my many options. This one seemed the easiest, especially when time was short last night. I actually read the recipe wrong and put peanut butter in both the butterscotch mix and the rice krispie part---happy accident! I also ended up adding 1/3 cup of butter to the rice krispies because it seemed a little dry with just 1/4. Then I put it in the freezer while I made dinner and wa-la! Ready to go in less than an hour. These are probably the 2nd best rice krispie treats I've ever had, second to a Reese's version I made a while back.

http://www.artandthekitchen.com/butterscotch-rice-krispie-squares/

Soft and Chewy Butterscotch Pudding Cookies

Do you ever eat something so scrumptious that you almost embarrass yourself with how much pleasure envelops after tasting it? Well, that's what happened when I took a bite of these cookies. Of course anytime you combine butterscotch pudding and butterscotch chips, you can't go wrong. When it comes to pudding and chips, I never buy generic...ok, I did buy off brand once, and I didn't like the quality, so no more cutting corners. The bonus is that it's probably even easier to make than chocolate chip cookies. :)

http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/soft-and-chewy-butterscotch-chip-pudding-cookies/

Dr Pepper Ribs (Slow Cooker)

I had seen recipes for Dr. Pepper ribs and decided today was the day to cross it off my bucket list. So I thawed out some pork ribs, threw them in the crockpot and "wa-la", 6 hours later (on high), perfection! I (accidentally) omitted the brown suger, but in all honesty, don't think it needed it. What a wonderful 5 ingredient dish. Definitely one of my favorite (easy) crockpot meats. It would be a great idea for a party (such as Super Bowl.....).

http://www.cupcakediariesblog.com/2015/11/crock-pot-dr-pepper-ribs.html

Mushroom Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy

So tonight was all about comfort food. When given the choice today between steak and meatloaf, I about fell over when the teenager said "Meatloaf!". He's not a big fan of sweet sauces, so he was pretty excited to learn that this was a gravy meatloaf. The hubby has recently informed me that when it comes to meatloaf and beef stew, he prefers gravy vs tomato. This recipe is now going into my go-to for meatloaf. You will definitely wow your family or guests if you serve this one :)

http://www.mushroominfo.com/mushroom-meatloaf-with-mushroom-gravy/

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Tonight was all about comfort foods. I've been craving broccoli and cheese casserole, so I found this recipe. The boys prefer it with rice, but I enjoyed the low(er) carb option. It worked perfect to cook it in the oven with the meatloaf recipe at 350 degrees. Next time I will find a recipe with rice to make the rest of the family happy.

http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/broccoli-cheese-casserole/