Weekend Potluck #68

Hi Friends! Welcome to Friday and to Weekend Potluck!

It's Memorial Day Weekend and we sure do hope y'all will get some time to celebrate this holiday with family and friends.

Due to the recent and devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma, a movement has been started to help those families in Oklahoma who won't be enjoying those fun, family BBQ's like many of us will.  So folks are getting together in a way that makes it easier to donate.

If you had plans to eat out this weekend, how about eating in and donating that money you would have spent to a local Oklahoma charity of your choice? 

The Salvation Army is where my donation is going.

Help us spread the word and let's make this an EPIC movement for Oklahoma families. 

Let's help those affected by this disaster get back to their own dinner tables again!

I'm also posting this to my Facebook page if you want to share from there as well. 

So now on to the potluck!

Let's highlight some recipes from last week first.

The recipe with the most views was...

Gooey Chocolate Caramel Brownies

I had no idea, all along while I was making and enjoying these AMAZING brownies, that they harbored a secret past.  They had a secret life that I knew nothing about.
They have always been "Those Gooey Brownies" to me.
Little did I know that Ole Gooey here was leading a double life under another name.
Going around town, tempting people with it's hidden secret.

The other name?
Knock Ya Naked Brownies
Say What?
For shame!

Yep, Ole Brownie here was tantalizing folks with a dark promise.
That you will get so much delight from these brownies, that your clothes will magically be torn from your body.  Well now, I'm here to tell you that you are safe from Brownie's devious, hidden nature.  No clothes will be removed without permission.
But Ole Gooey does bring a little party wherever it goes.
A little party made just for your mouth.

Seriously y'all, these brownies really are THAT good!
A soft chocolate brownie surrounding a gooey caramel filling.
Well here, I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.
If anyone ends up naked, just remember, it ain't the brownie's fault. 

Crock Pot Baked Beans

We are huge baked bean lovers in my family.

Whenever we grill out in the summer, we almost always have beans as a side.

Now, I have a pretty fantastic (if I do say so myself) recipe for Southern Baked Beans.

You can find that recipe HERE.

It is my favorite bean recipe to use.  But I got quite a few emails from folks who like that recipe but wanted something that was a bit easier to make and maybe didn't involve so many ingredients.  If you have the time, and don't mind turning on your oven, I really suggest that recipe.  The flavor is amazing and the sauce cooks down slowly in the oven, really giving those beans outstanding taste.  But I also understand keeping things easy and having a recipe that doesn't involve turning on the oven in the summer.

So, this recipe was created.  Just a few ingredients, and it is made in the crock pot!

That makes these beans perfect to take along to a BBQ but also doesn't heat up your house.

Weekend Potluck #67

Ok, had some technical glitches with Weekend Potluck this morning but we are now up and running!  Thank you everyone for hanging out and being patient until I could get it fixed.

I'll keep my intro. short so we can get on with all this yummy food!!

As you can see, we were loving dips this week!
First, let's take a quick look at some highlighted recipes from last week's potluck.

The recipe with the most views was...

Garfield's Favorite Lasagna and Easy Skillet Lasagna

I am so excited for today's recipes.

How many of you are Garfield fans?

I have loved Garfield since I was a kid. I looked forward to those Sunday comic strips in 

the newspaper.  And to this day I am still a huge fan.

Well, now two of my favorite things are joining forces.

Garfield and Gooseberry Patch have teamed up to create a cookbook!

It's called "Garfield...Recipes with Cattitude".

It's a match made in heaven. Garfield is a cat that knows good food.

And Vickie and JoAnn at Gooseberry Patch are known for sharing good food recipes.

I think this is such an adorable cookbook.

There are recipes for each meal of the day (including snacks, of course!).

And there is a whole section just for lasagna, pasta and pizza!

Also included are a few of the comic strips that we all love.

So you not only get food but a little laughter as well.

And we all know what Garfield's favorite food is, right?

Lasagna!

Vickie, JoAnn and Garfield are sharing with you this favorite, classic recipe.

Click HERE for the recipe.

Or click on the video below to see Vickie and JoAnn show you how to make it!

Note: When you have time, check this video out. 

There is a super easy shortcut for having lasagna noodles ready without
 boiling them first. Love that tip!

Now, I am going to share a different kind of lasagna.
This recipe is also in this cookbook.
It is Easy Skillet Lasagna. In the cookbook, it is titled Bachelor-Style Skillet Lasagna.
I changed the recipe up just a little by adding onion and garlic.
This is perfect when you have a craving for lasagna, but not really the time to make lasagna.
My whole family loves recipes like this and the leftovers heat up so well!

No-Bake Apple Pie

Now, I know you are reading the title of this recipe and thinking, "No way!".

"There is no such thing as a no-bake apple pie."

"And if there is such a thing, how can it taste good?"

I know, I know.

But I am telling you, this pie is really good.

If you are craving apple pie in the summer, but don't want to turn on your oven, then this is your pie.  It is surprising how the flavors really come together and you never have to turn on your oven.  Or maybe baking isn't really your thing.

Maybe you think there is too much involved in making an apple pie totally from scratch,

Then this is your pie!

The other bonus?

Hardly any dishes are dirtied making this.

And I love that.

So this goes at the top of my weeknight dessert list for sure!

This dessert recipe was adapted (with some changes) from Gooseberry Patch's latest cookbook, Game-Day Fan Fare.  Recipe was submitted by Deanna P.L. of North Carolina.

 

Weekend Potluck #66

Hi friends! I hope everyone had a good Derby Day and Cinco de Mayo last weekend.

The Kentucky Derby was on Saturday and Cinco de Mayo was on Sunday.

I heard one person refer to the weekend as Cinco de Derby. Ha!

So funny that there is so much build up and coverage over the Kentucky Derby and the race lasts 2 minutes.  But, it's the festivities of it all I guess. And really, it's kinda fun to have an excuse to celebrate, huh?

Well, unless you bet on the wrong horse.

I hope y'all enjoyed our potluck last week.
I tell ya, it gets harder and harder for us to choose recipes to feature, there are just so many good ones!
We sure do appreciate y'all hanging out with us each week.
So, let's start with a quick highlight of last week's potluck.

The recipe with the most views was...