Jell-o cups with boats

The children Loved these! 

• Blue Jell-0
• Large oranges
• Toothpicks
• Paper triangles (glue on toothpicks)
• clear cups

Made the Jell-O according to package and poured into clear cups and placed in fridge.  Cut my oranges into thick slices.  Once Jell-O was set up, I place the orange slice on top and stuck a cute toothpick in the middle.

Octopus in veggie dip

A cute addition to the pirate party.

Made vegetable dip using sour cream and a ranch packet. I then cut 2 orange bell peppers.  One for the body and one for the legs.  (I think someone ate a leg before I took the pic lol)  I had edible eyes I placed on my cute little guy using veggie dip to stick them on. 

Watermelon Pirate Ship

Thought this would be a cute addition to the Pirate Themed Party!

I cut this out with a supper sharp knife.  Then scooped out the inside. I chopped up the watermelon pieces and a cantaloupe and placed in the middle.  I then used a metal skewer stick, with paper sails and the pirate flag, threw the middle. 

Pirate Ship Cake

My little boy loves Jake and The Never Land Pirates.  He told me for months he wanted a Bucky Ship for his birthday cake. I was dreading this one, but it turned out not being so bad after all.  Oh, and I must say, he LOVED it!

• 3 cake boxes
• Butter Cream frosting
• Chocolate Butter cream frosting
• White chocolate chips
• Wafer cookies
• Tootsie rolls
• Pirouettes cookies
• Gram cracker
• Fruit roll-ups
• Whoppers
• food coloring
• Jake and The Never Land Pirate figurines from Disney store (one of his birthday gifts)
  
  I baked 2 chocolate cake mixes in my large cake pan.  I then cooked two round ones and one in a can out of the other cake mix. 
  
  

 My large cake pan made exactly 3 rectangle pieses that were the same size.  I layerd the 3, using frosting like glue between each layer, and then cut into the shpe I wanted.  I then placed the cake out of the can on a foam block in the front and shaped it to look like the front of the 'Bucky' ship. 

 

Frost with a thin layer of frosting and place in the freezer for an hour. 

Take out and frost both cakes.  Then decotate.  I put my bag of tootsie rolls in the sun so they were nice and soft.  This made it easy to shape the railing on the deck, the bell and the ladder.  I then shaped a fruit roll-up for the slide.  I cut a wafer cookie for the windows and the door.  Frosted a gram cracker for the back.  I piped the yellow buttercream frosting around the edge.  I frosted the whole cardboard piece with blue frosting using a frosting knife, making it look like waves.  I then but half a Pirouette cookie in the front of the ship and piped an anchor on the side.  Used a skewer stick and a piece of paper for the sail.

I couldn't find the mini striped cookies for the life rafts on the side, so I cut a larger one down.



I crushed some gram crackers and sprinkled on the little Island to make it look like sand. (Do this before you frost the water)

I melted white chocolate and added green food coloring.  I then spooned it on a spoon covered with wax paper and shaped it into a leaf.  Once they were hard, I place three together and placed a glob of melted chocolate in the middle and held a Pirouette cookie in it until it hardened.  Placed 2 palm trees in the cake and placed Whoppers around the bottom to make it look like fallen coconuts.

Once every thing is decorated, place in freezer for a few hours. 

 

Chicken & Bacon Pizza

I bought some Progresso Recipe Starters on sale and with coupons a while back and decided to try using one.  This pizza turned out to be a huge hit at my house!

• 1 large Boboli pizza crust
• Progresso Cheese Sauce
• 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• Chicken, cooked and diced (I used leftover chicken)
• 2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spread just enough sauce to cover pizza crust.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Add chicken and bacon.  Bake 8-10 minutes. 

Ham and Cheese Pasta

I made this up one night using leftovers and my family loved it.  It reminds me of the homemade macaroni and cheese my Grandma use to make.

• 8 oz big shell pasta
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup Progresso Cheese Starter cooking sauce (I added this because I had leftover)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Colby Cheese
• 4 oz cooked ham, cubed (I used leftovers)
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 TBS melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring large pot of water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook 8-10 min. or until al dente; drain.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter.  Sauté garlic 30 sec.  Whist in flour, salt and pepper.  Cook until smooth.  Pour in milk and cheese sauce, stir constantly.  Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.  Stir in cheese; cook until melted.  Remove from heat and stir in pasta and ham.  Pour into a 2 quart baking dish. 

In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.  Pour butter over and mix well.  Sprinkle over pasta.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until bubbly and golden.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The best tortilla soup!

• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (4oz) can diced green chilies
• 8-10 corn tortillas
• 2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
• 1 firm ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In a large pot stir onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, pepper, and garlic salt and cook over medium heat for 1 min.  Add chicken, broth, tomatoes, and green chilies.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.

Meanwhile, stack tortillas and cut into 1/4 in. wide strips.  Add to broth.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add slices of avocado just before serving.  Garnish with cheese. 

 

(I boiled my chicken before hand and did extra for another meal.  You can also use any leftover chicken or turkey you may have in the freezer!)