Brownkies

1 pkg Nestle Toll House Walnut Chocolate Chip cookies

1 box Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies

2 eggs

2/3 cup oil

1/4 cup water

Prepare brownies according to the back of box (using eggs, oil, and water). Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Add about 1/2 cup of brownie mixture to bottom of dish, smoothing it out with the back of the spoon to coat the bottom. Place 15 cookies on top of the thin layer of brownie mixture. Pour remaining brownie mixture over the top of the cookies, until all are coated. Break up the remaining 9 cookies into little pieces and sprinkle them on top of the last layer of brownie mixture. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Allow to cool. Try not to eat them all before your husband gets home from work. Good luck. My mom would be so proud. lol.

Chicken Pot Flies

1 can crescent rolls
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup frozen peas & carrots
1 cup diced potatoes
1/2 small onion
1-2 TBS flour
2/3 cup milk
1 chicken bullion cube
garlic salt
pepper
olive oil

Heat 1 TBS olive oil in skillet until hot. Add chicken breasts and diced onion to hot skillet. Garlic salt and pepper them. Cook 5 minutes, each side. Remove chicken from skillet and allow it to rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes. Add chicken bullion cube to skillet with olive oil remains. Add flour to the remaining olive oil and "chicken goodness" in the skillet and combine with a whisk. Have milk ready. Add milk, while whisking the olive oil/flour roux. (thank you Julie, for telling me how to spell "roux") The sauce will thicken quickly. Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. If your sauce gets a little too thick, add more milk. Add peas & carrots. Heat throughout, approx. 3-5 minutes.

Unroll crescent rolls. Spoon mixture onto the roll and bring the top over to "close" the roll. If you are a total Martha, you can brush the tops with butter or an egg wash ... I just sprayed them with butter flavored Pam and it did the same thing. I'm no Martha. Bake at 375 for about 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Eat with a fork ... although I triple dog dare you to eat these with your hands. lol.

Enchilada Soup (like Chili's)

This makes a large pot so you will have leftovers.

Ingredients:
 1 T vegetable oil
 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
 1/2 C onion, diced
 1 clove garlic, pressed
 4 C chicken broth
 1 C masa harina (used to make corn tortillas and usually found with the Latin foods)
 3 C water
 1 C enchilada sauce
 16 oz Velveeta
 1 t salt
 1 t chili powder
 1/2 t cumin

Garnish:
 Cheddar cheese, shredded
 Crumbled corn tortilla chips
 Pico de gallo

Instructions:
1. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add chicken breasts to pan and brown for 4-5 minutes per side; set chicken aside.
3. Add onions and garlic to pan and sauté over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until onions begin to become trans-lucent.
4. Add chicken broth.
5. Combine masa harina with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended.
6. Add masa mixture to pot with onions, garlic, and broth.
7. Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese, and spices to pot and bring mixture to a boil.
8. Shred the chicken into small, bite-size pieces and add it to the pot.
9. Reduce heat and simmer soup for 30-40 minutes or until thick.
10. Serve soup in sups or bowls, and garnish.

Pico de gallo:
Mix the following ingredients: 2 medium tomatoes, diced; 1/2 C diced Spanish onion; 2 t chopped jalapeno pepper; 2 t finely minced fresh cilantro; pinch of salt

Chicken and Rice Casserole

This is just an easy dinner that was one of my favorites as a kid. (Keep in mind that I was a VERY picky eater.)

Ingredients:
 2 C rice, cooked
 26 oz can of cream of chicken soup
 1 lb chicken, cooked and diced (or 2 large cans of cooked chicken)

Instructions:
1. Layer rice, chicken, and soup in 9 x 13 casserole.
2. Microwave until warmed through.

You can also add broccoli or other veggies to the casserole.

Filthy Wilma

I mentioned this on my blog, and thought that everyone should have the opportunity to have Filthy Wilma in their life. It's a family favorite!

Filthy Wilma

Crust:
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cube butter (room temp) cubed

Mix the flour and butter together and add the nuts. Press into a 9x13 pan (sometimes I put it into two pie pans) and cook at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool completely.

1st Filling:

8 oz Cream Cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tub of Cool Whip

Mix together and spread on the cooled crust

2nd filling:

1 small package instant chocolate pudding
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together and spread over the first filling. Top the whole thing off with the rest of the cool whip and sprinkle with some more chopped pecans.

Chicken Taco Rice

1 lb. chicken (about 2 chicken breasts)
2 Tb. oil
1 can chicken broth
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 pkg. mild taco seasoning
1- 12 oz. can drained corn
1 med. red pepper sliced in strips
1 1/2 cup minute rice
1 cup shredded cheese
1 bag tortilla chips
some sour cream
Some guacamole

Saute chicken in oil in a big skillet (big enough to hold all of these ingredients). When chicken is done, in skillet, just break into bite-ish size pieces with forks. Add broth, tomato sauce, and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer for 5 minutes. Add drained corn and sliced pepper. Bring to a full boil. Stir in uncooked rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover again and let stand for just a little while. Serve with chips, sour cream and guacamole. This is even better hours after you make it so you can make it one night have it the next day or make it in the morning and have it that night. Yummy!!!

And a yummy guacamole recipe to boot!

Guacamole

3-4 ripe avocados
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream

Mash the avocados with a fork pour juice over them and add the rest of the ingredients. I do a lot of add a little, taste it and add what I think it is missing, so play around with it. The best way to tell is to taste.

Jerk Chicken

My favorite restaurant is Bahama Breeze. They used to have one here in Frisco, but for some reason it closed... :(
My favorite meal was Jerk Chicken. I was craving it the other day, so I had to come up with my own version.

Jerk Chicken

1 lb chicken, cut into strips
Jerk Seasoning
1 bundle of asparagus, cut into one inch pieces
1 container of cut mushrooms
16 oz bow tie Pasta
1 container Alouette garlic and herb cheese spread (you'll find this at the store with the specialty cheeses)
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

Marinate chicken in Jerk seasoning overnight.
Cook the chicken and set aside. In a large nonstick frypan, put 3 tablespoons olive oil or butter. When hot, add the mushrooms. Sautee the mushrooms, when they are almost done add the asparagus and put the lid on the pan.
In a large pot boil water, add pasta cook according to package directions.
For cheese sauce, get a small sauce pan add the Alouette spread, half and half, and parmesan. Heat over medium low heat until smooth.
Once the asparagus is bright green and cooked how you like it, add the chicken. When chicken is heated through, add the pasta and the cheese sauce. Salt to taste (important to add salt!)
Before I serve this I move it into a pretty dish and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!

Pot Roast for Dummies

Okay, I'm sure that most of y'all know how to make a good roast ... this is for those who want to learn. Oh, and this isn't my picture ... it's Food Networks ... but it will do. I had 12 ravenous adults eating at my house yesterday and I think they would have KILLED me on the spot if I asked to wait to take a picture. But I still wanted something to get your taste buds going.1 eye of round roast
1-2 onions; depending on their size
6-20 potatoes; depending on how many you're feeding
a whole lotta carrots; everyone loves carrots
8 beef bullion cubes; I don't use beef broth because I like the concentrated flavor from the bullion.
garlic salt (I love Lawry's)
crushed pepper

*This is the most crucial step: Coat all sides of roast with garlic salt and pepper; sear roast in screaming hot skillet, coated with olive oil, until all sides are caramelized. This step is so crucial because it locks in and seals all the juices into the meat. Add the bullion cubes and 1 cup of water to the bottom of a crock pot, and turn it to HIGH. (if you don't have a crock pot ... go get one ... I don't know how you've made it this far without one) Cut up the onion; don't dice it ... you want rings ... think onion rings, or half rings. Place fully seared meat on top of bullion cubes. Dump onions on top of meat. Cover and cook for 5-6 hours on HIGH. The meat will be falling apart ... this is what makes a good roast! For the last hour, add your carrots and potatoes, unless you plan to make mashed potatoes and gravy from the beef drippings ... which is what I did yesterday ... it's all gone now. It was that good. Then again, we had 12 adults eating. That could have had something to do with it. Oh, and don't forget to make some peas ... there's nothing like gravy with peas. YUM!

Cake Mix Cookies

I would love to take total credit for these yummy cookies, but it is Janette's recipe out of our Ward Cookbook. (Plug: this cookbook is fabulous, you should buy a copy!) I made them and they were a big hit.

2 eggs

1/2 c. butter

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 box vanilla or chocolate cake mix (I used German Chocolate Cake mix)

chocolate chips (I used white chocolate chips)

Blend ingredients, using cake mix like flour, mixing in a small amount of cake mix at a time. Stir in chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. Roll cookies in sugar prior to baking.

I needed to cook mine for about 11 minutes (they may have been bigger than Janette intended.) Also, the chocolate chip cookies in the picture are Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies...I got the recipe right off the back of the milk chocolate chip package!

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

These are my absolute favorite cookies, as of late. You can throw anything in them you like, for your own fun twist.

1 1/4 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Milk chocolate chips
Crushed Oreos

Cream butter and sugar in large bowl (use mixer or beaters). Add eggs and vanilla, blend well. Blend remaining ingredients into creamed mixture. Finally, add 1/2 bag milk chocolate chips and desired amount of crushed Oreos. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-11 minutes. Enjoy!

Chocolate Caramel Apple

Oops, I posted my "fave fall treat" on my blog and then forgot to post it on here. Thanks for the reminder Janette!

This is not really a recipe as much as just an idea. I make these with my oldest son and he loves it more than I ever thought he would. Here we go:

5 medium granny smith apples
1 bag kraft caramels (unwrapped, of course)
2 tbs water
1 bag wilton melting chocolates
topping of choice

1. wash and dry apples, then insert craft stick
2. line cookie sheet with wax paper sprayed with cooking spray - so apples don't stick
3. micro caramels and water until smooth.
4. dip apples into caramel and allow excess to drain off. scrap the bottom of the apple flat and place on wax paper.
5. place apple lined cookie sheet and pop in the fridge for 15 min. - just long enough for caramel to get firm
6. mirco chocolates until smooth & repeat dipping the apples
7. allow chocolate to firm slightly before rolling the apples in topping.

My tip: I use a 4 cup measuring cup so I can dip the apples in the cup. It makes it easier to get an even coating and clean up is a breeze.

Topping ideas: nuts, crushed peppermints, chocolate chips, toffee bits, sprinkles (perfect with holiday themed ones), chopped m&ms, or alternating colored chocolate drizzled on top

Prosper Chili

1 cup dry kidney beans
2 cups dry pinto beans
1 cup dry black beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
chili powder
1 lb lean ground beef (ground turkey also works great)
1 small onion, chopped
1 can diced green chilies
garlic salt

cheddar cheese
tortilla chips

Rinse and drain beans thoroughly. Soak beans overnight in a pot with 3 times as much water as there are beans. Drain and rinse beans again. Return beans to pot and add water until it fills 1 inch above the beans. Boil beans for about 45 minutes, or until tender.

In the meantime, brown meat in a separate skillet. Sprinkle meat generously with chili powder (about 5 tables spoons). Meat should be caked with chili powder. Add meat to the tender beans. Add remainder of ingredients. Make sure the beans are tender before you throw everything else in ... the acid in the tomatoes will prevent the beans from cooking further and you don't want crunchy beans. Once everything is in the same pot, cook for another 30 minutes, tasting along the way; adding more salt/chili powder/pepper as needed. Serve with chips and cheese!!

Steak Teryaki

2-3 lean steaks, cubed (I use beef tenderloin)
2 cups green beans
2 cups Mr. Yoshida's Original Gourmet Sweet & Savory Sauce
2 cups prepared sticky rice (I use the Botan Calrose brand -- white bag with red flower)

Saute the cubed steak in a hot pan with olive oil. Sprinkle steak with garlic salt (Lawry's Garlic salt is my fav) and pepper, turning cubes to cook on all sides. When steak is fully cooked and starts to caramelize, add about 2 cups of the Yoshida's sauce. Allow steak and sauce to come back to a boil (add more sauce if you think you need it) and then let simmer for about 25 - 30 minutes, so that the meat tenderizes a little bit. Add green beans for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve over sticky rice ... or whatever rice you prefer.

***I'm not sure where all you can find Yoshida's sauce, but I buy mine in the 1/2 gallon size at Sam's Club and it lasts all year.

(Red Hot) Apple Pie

This is a recipe that comes from the Davis family...



Ingredients:
 8-10 big green apples, peeled and shredded
 1 t cinnamon
 3 T Tapioca
 1 t vanilla
 Handful of redhots
 1 3/4 C sugar
 1 package refrigerated pie crust



Instructions:
1. Line 9-inch pie plate with one pie crust.
2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Pour apple mixture into unbaked pie crust.
4. Put a dab of margarine on top of apple mixture.
5. Put on top crust and seal edges.
6. Brush top with milk.
7. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
8. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Chicken Noodle Soup

4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water + 4 bullion cubes
4 carrots (peeled and sliced)
2 celery stalks
5 chicken tenders (cooked and chopped)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups egg noodles (cooked)

Boil broth, water, bullion and veggies until carrots are tender (about 6-7 minutes) Add chicken - heat through. Add cream of chicken soup - heat. Add cooked noodles. Serve.

Also, it's a matter of taste but I love to add fresh ground pepper (or just regular pepper). Don't add salt because the bullion and broth have enough. Enjoy!

Chicken Caesar Pizza

My sister made Chicken Ranch Pizza last night, so I decided to try it, but NO RANCH. So I did Caesar instead. It was yummy and worth posting.

Pizza Crust (Italian Mother-in-Law approved):
1 T yeast + 1 cup warm water + 1 tsp sugar
Proof yeast and then add:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Chicken:
Marinate in Caesar dressing or soy sauce and lemon. Bake and shred.

Top crust with favorite Caesar dressing, chicken, chopped bacon, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes (depending on how "done" you like your pizza.)

Carnitas- YUM!

Ok- this is my first post since being added to this blog- thanks Janette for thinking of me! I love to cook- so this is right up my alley. You've gotta try these- it makes a ton of food and you just stuff it in a tortilla...its so good that you don't need anything else in there with it, but, if you must, its great with sour cream, salsa, lettuce, guac, etc. :) Enjoy!

CARNITAS:
3-4 lbs. pork roast (shoulder, Boston butt, sirloin)
1/2 bunch cilantro (stems removed)
1 can Mexi-stewed tomatoes (undrained)
1 tsp. minced garlic
Shredded cheese
Olive Oil

Season pork roast (I used salt and pepper) and brown on all sides in hot olive oil. Then, put in crock pot. Pour garlic on top, then add tomatoes and cilantro. Cook on high for 4 hours, or until pork falls apart. Remove from crock pot, shred, remove fat, and place in pan. Sprinkle cheese over top and cook at 375 for 30 minutes, until crispy on top. Serve with tortillas. So yummy!

Chicken Enchiladas in Sour Cream Sauce

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked & diced
18 corn tortillas
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies

In a large bowl, combine cheese, onion, 1 can chilies, and chicken. Set aside. Fry tortillas in large skillet, one at a time in hot oil for 5 seconds, each side. Drain tortillas in between paper towels as you cook them. Spoon chicken mixture onto all tortillas, rolling them up, and placing them seam side down in large greased baking dish.

In sauce pan, melt butter then blend flour into butter to make a roux. Add chicken broth and cook until mixture thickens and bubbles. Stir in sour cream and 1 can green chilies. Cook until heated through, but DO NOT BOIL.

Pour sauce over enchiladas and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes; then set oven to BROIL and cook for another 4-5 minutes (watch them closely ... I'd really hate for you to burn them now!) Enchiladas are done when sauce in the center is bubbling.

Bacon Waffles

1 3/4 cups flour
1 TBS baking powder
2 eggs, separated egg yolks and egg whites
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup oil
2 TBS sugar
1 pkg bacon, trimmed

Using cooking scissors trim the bulk of the fat from the bacon strips; then cut bacon into small pieces. Fry bacon until lightly crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Mix flour, baking powder, egg yolks, oil, sugar, and bacon in a bowl. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into remaining mixture. Fold until just a few, but not all of the egg whites are blended. Do not over mix. Cook as desired. Serve with maple syrup, unless you're like my husband and the thought totally grosses you out.

Quick Chicken Recipes

When I am pregnant, I am a BIG fan of quick, easy dinners. I can usually manage a decent meal for my family by cooking seasoned chicken in a skillet, making rice or pasta, and heating up a veggie. I have a few seasoned chicken "recipes", but I am always looking for more ideas. Here are the seasoning options that I usually use:

(1) Lemon Pepper-- Just season your chicken with lemon pepper seasoning before throwing it in the skillet.

(2) Paprika-- Season lightly with paprika, salt, and pepper.

(3) Mexican-- Mix salsa and cumin seasoning together, then pour into skillet while chicken is cooking. Top the chicken with the salsa mixture and cheese before serving.

(4) Italian Herb-- Season with italian seasoning (that is really what the bottle says), salt, and pepper.

I think I have a few others, but I can't recall them now. I would love to hear what you do for a quick seasoning.

Quick Hot Dogs

Again, this is NOT a recipe, just a food idea for the babies. For those of you who have more than one kid, quit rolling your eyes ... it's not nice, nor is it lady like. For the rest of y'all who are first time moms, or will someday be a first time mom, take heed. Babies love hot dogs. LOVE hot dogs. Did you get that? They love hot dogs. And, I've found that Ryan tends to get hungry fast, and even if he gives me a little notice, I still hate taking more than a couple minutes to get his meals ready. So, I buy a package of hot dogs (Hebrew National all beef hot dogs make me feel like the best mom, since "they answer to a higher authority") and cut them up while cold. Then, I put each cut up hot dog (portion control ... we don't need them getting any more nitrites/nitrates than they need, lol) into a little cup with a lid. I found these cups at the dollar store: 5 for $1, you can't beat that. Then, when Ryan rears his hungry head, I pop one in the microwave for 20 seconds and dump it on his high chair tray. Then I enjoy about 45 seconds of quiet time while he savors every last piece. I usually follow this up with whatever pasta/vegetable I have already made in the fridge. Good luck!! May the force be with you!

Pumpkin Pancakes

I made these on Halloween morning. They were really yummy. This makes about 12 pancakes.

2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar

1. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

And this is my adorable 9-month old enjoying the pancakes!

Pumpkin Spice Breake

I'm calling this breake, because it's somewhere between bread and cake. It's denser like bread, but ultra moist like cake. Anyone want some breake?

1 box of spice cake (I used Duncan Hines)

1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil for everything, regardless)

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin

3 eggs

1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, oil, pumpkin, and eggs using electric mixer. Gradually add the water and mix until uniform throughout. Separate into 2-3 loaf pans, depending on how full you want them. (I used 3 ... kinda wished I had used 2) Sprinkle the top of the loaves with sugar. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of your loaves. I pulled mine out when the knife came out clean ... and I cannot believe how moist this stuff is! I cut it while it was still hot, but still ... I think it's going to be very moist even after it cools. VERY YUMMY! Not bad for a made up breake. Thanks Mom, for your suggestions! (my mom is the greatest cook, chef, baker ever!)