Oh, what would we DO without Cheap Date Night? What a boring 10 minutes we’d have on a Monday with absolutely nothing to do!

Luckily, I’m here to save you from yourselves. First with a recipe, then some happy drinks and a tiny movie.

Whew.

First up is Cherry Dump Cake. You literally dump the ingredients in the pan, toss it in the oven and voila. Dessert!

1 can Cherry Pie Filling
1 can Crushed Pineapple
1 box (about 18 Oz.) Yellow Cake Mix
1/4 cup pecans
1/2 stick Butter

Okay, here comes the fun part. Put the pie filling and pineapple (with juice!) in a 9×13 pan and mix it up. Dump the cake mix – dry – over the top. Sprinkle with the pecans. Cut the butter into slices and place over the top of the entire mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. You’re going to want to serve this warm with ice cream! Trust me!

And keeping with the “Dump” theme, you’ll love this one. Razzin Mike’s is SO easy to make!

1 bottle Mike’s hard lemonade
1 shot raspberry schnapps

Take a swig from the bottle of Mikes. Now pour the shot of raspberry schnapps into the bottle. Put your thumb over the top and turn the bottle once or twice. Enjoy.

Wasn’t that just the easiest drink evah!!??

Okay, time to get your giggle on – here’s the longest laugh ever recorded in TV history. By who else? Lucy. =)

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance

Boy, I hope you’ve packed in your sweet tooth, because today we’re taking you on a sugar rush roller coaster!

As always cheap date nite features a quickie snack or meal, even quicker likker and a fast movie – for those times when you just don’t have hours to spare but want to have a wee bit of quick and cheap fun.

First up is our snack.

Peanut Butter Banana S’mores

Seriously? Need I say more? Well, okay, maybe the recipe for those of you already drooling. =)

30 squares of graham crackers
30 marshmallows cut in half
package of chocolate chips or Hershey bars
peanut butter
Bananas

Ok, first line your 9X13 with aluminum foil. Lay out your 15 graham cracker squares, then top each one with a sprinkle of chocolate chips (or a few squares of chocolate), a slice of banana and two marshmallow halves. The other 15 squares, spread with peanut butter and place carefully over the top. (Peanut butter side down, but you knew that right? right.) Bake at 350 for 4-5 minutes until marshmallows puff.

Let cool and bit and dive in!!!

You’d think with a sweet treat like this, you’d need a fairly simple drink. Right? Wrong. Here’s the perfect accompaniment to our s’mores.

Peanut Butter Cup Martini

chocolate syrup
1 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. Frangelico
1 oz. Baileys
Cream

Decorate your martini glass with a few swirls of chocolate syrup and slide into the refrigerator. In a cocktail shaker, mix your liquors with about 1/4 cup of cream and a scoop of ice. You can add more later if you’d like. Now shake it baby shake it. Yeah, no one’s watching. =) Strain into your pretty glass and decorate with a few mini Reese’s peanut butter cups.

Got it? Excellent. Now let’s plop down with our goodies and watch a bit of a movie.

Here’s one I don’t remember seeing before, from the Carol Burnett show – called No Frills Airline. Poor Tim Conway…lol…..I love him!

Enjoy!

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance

‘Tis the season for hot soup and cold fingers! Luckily, if we get the soup going, it’ll take care of the fingers, or feel free to slide them up under your SO’s sweatshirt. =)

This is the fastest chicken noodle soup recipe – besides just opening a can of Campbell’s! – you’ll ever find.

1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 package frozen vegetables
1 cup leftover rotisserie chicken
handful of Reame’s frozen egg noodles
pepper

Literally toss it all except the noodles in a dutch oven, adding in another can full of water. Bring to a boil, add noodles, cook another 15-20 min. Done!

We’re going to follow this with another warmer-upper in the drinks department – Whipped Chocolate.

Hot chocolate mix
Hot water – but a little less than they recommend.
1/2 shot Smirnoff Marshmallow vodka
Whip cream

Prepare your hot chocolate, slip in the vodka and squirt whip cream over the top.

Can this get any easier?

=)

And here’s a little something in memory of my Grandma, who passed away on Friday.

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance

Today I’m going out on a limb and doing a recipe that takes a bit of time. I know, I know, don’t panic. It’s all still very easy, and the results are Mwah! fantabulous.

Microwave Lasagna

1lb ground beef
1 jar Ragu
9 Lasagna noodles
12 oz. carton cottage cheese
16oz package mozzarella cheese

Pick a glass pan as big as your microwave will hold. Grease the bottom a bit with oil and set it aside. Boil 9 lasagna noodles according to directions. While they are boiling, brown a pound of hamburger, then drain and put back in the pan with a jar of Ragu. Heat to bubbling.

In the pan, put down 3 noodles. Top with 1/3 the meat mix, 1/2 carton cottage cheese and 1/3 mozzarella cheese. Repeat two more times, with the top layer being just meat and cheese. Cover with a Saran Wrap type of cover, venting at two corners and cook for 13 min on high.

If you like your lasagna browned on top, toss it in the oven on broil for a few minutes before serving.

While your lasagna is in cool down mode, let’s make some Italian Margaritas.

1 shot Amaretto
1/2 shot triple sec
small splash lime juice
Sweet and sour mix
In a shaker combine the liquors and lime juice and 2 shots of sweet and sour mix. Shake it shake it baby, then pour into a tall glass.

Ready? Scoop up your lasagna, get a sip of your margarita, put your fuzzy pink slippers up and lets learn to speak Italian – complete with hand gestures!

Buon appetito!

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance

I am a firm believer in all things cheap and fast. Just like I like my men. heheh. =) Ok, nobody tell my husband I said that k?

So for our meal today we’re having Ha-Cha-Cha Chicken. Simple as a dimple.

1 pre-cooked chicken breast or leftover rotisserie chicken
chopped onion
chopped green pepper
3-4 Tbsp hot sauce
Toss all in a microwaveable bowl and well..microwave. 3 minutes or so til veggies are a little soft.
Add in macaroni and cheese – either prepare it yourself, or buy the Bob Evans already done stuff. (Yeah, guess which one I go for….=) ) Toss in 1 Tbsp sour cream and stir.
Microwave another 3 minutes or so and top with crushed Doritos. Spicy ones! If you’re really talented and know how to turn your oven on? You can bake it at this point for extra crispiness.

While you’re baking away like the Naked Chef, let’s have a little something to cool down the chicken heat. Something like say, oh a Maui Volcano

Maui Volcano
½ shot Blue Maui
½ shot Malibu Coconut Rum
fill with Pineapple Juice
lime garnish

Now gather your goodies and lets enjoy a last bit of summer!

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Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance