Strawberries and Cream Pie

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tsp shortening
1 Oreo pie crust (you may also use a graham cracker crust and both options are fabulous)
1 8-oz block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tub Cool Whip (8 oz)
2 cups fresh strawberries, halved

Combine chocolate chips and shortening and melt in the microwave. I usually microwave it for about 30 seconds and then stir. If needed, microwave for another 15-20 seconds and stir again. Stir until well combined and then pour about 3/4 of the mixture into the bottom of the crust and refrigerate until firm.
Beat the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla until smooth.
Fold in the Cool Whip.
Pour (or scoop) the mixture into the crust and refrigerate overnight.
Arrange the strawberries on top of the pie. Microwave the remaining chocolate and drizzle over the top. I usually refrigerate again for about an hour before serving. You can also add the strawberries and chocolate before refrigerating overnight – that works great too!

Cheese and Onion, Potato and Cauliflower casserole

Do you have someone in you family that loves  love Cheese and potatoes but dont love veggies that much well here is a great way to sneak them in and they wont even know it. 


2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 of a small cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
8 ounces of grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper  or do them to your taste
1/3 cup of chicken stock
5 tbls of butter 4 to dot on top of casserole  and 1 to saute the onions (you may use olive oil to saute if you like)

Place the potatoes into a pot of cold  water add about 1 tsp of salt to the water make sure the water covers the potatoes. Bring to the boil cook 8 to 10 min or just until potatoes are tender Drain carefully and  set aside for about 10 minutes. . Add the sliced onion to a skillet and saute until tender remove and set aside . steam cauliflower in microwave for 10 minutes or you may boil if you like;

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a shallow casserole dish. Layer half of the potatoes in the bottom, all of the onion and half of the cauliflower. Season black pepper and half of the thyme. Top with half of the cheese. Top with the remaining potatoes and cauliflower. Grind some more pepper over top and sprinkle with the rest of the thyme. (Salt only if you think you will need it.

) Pour the chicken stock over top, cover with the remaining cheese and dot with butter.

Bake in the heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Serve hot

Peanut Butter Nutella Croissant

In this recipe a store-bought puff pastry sheet was used instead of making your own croissant dough at home. That’s why it’s ‘easy’’

• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs milk
• 1 puff pastry sheet (thawed)
• 12 teaspoons of Nutella 

* 6 teaspoons of Creamy peanut butter 

Mix the peanut butter and nutella together just like you would peanut butter and jelly 

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly flour your work surface. Lay the pastry sheet then lightly dust top with flour.

Roll out dough to a thickness of 5 mm to obtain a circle. Using a cutting wheel or knife, cut 12 triangles and put on the base of each triangle a teaspoon of Nutella mixture. Then Start to roll the dough base until the end, as shown.

Beat the egg and milk in a small bowl and brush the surface of your croissant with the egg-milk mixture. Cook them in the oven at 350° degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

I have done this recipe with just the Nutella omitting the peanut butter-- both ways are delish.
Enjoy!