just that good ...

Avocado Pesto

2011-08-04T12:46:00.002-05:00

Avocado Pesto (a mexican dip)

1 avocado
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 green onion
1/4 cup sourcream
1 tsp veg or canola oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 a lime, juiced

Rough chop the cilantro and the green onion (I didn't use quite the whole stem of the onion, just about 2/3 total), add to a food processor or blender. Add the oil and pulse until finely chopped. Cut the avocado in half, scrape it out with a spoon and add to the blender/food processor. Add salt (to taste), squeeze in half a lime and pulse until the avocado is creamy. Add the sour cream, pulse until combined.

Super yummy on rice and beans or quesadillas - or anything tex-mex!

Banana Cream Pie

2010-11-29T09:54:00.001-06:00

I've been asked to share my banana cream pie recipe a few times recently, which meant I actually have to write it down. So here it goes:

Kendra's Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:
Pie crust (graham cracker crust or pie pastry- whichever you prefer)
8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
1 cup powder sugar
8 oz container Whip cream
1 tsp vanilla
4 oz box instant vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
2 bananas

Prepare the crust. If using a pie pastry, cook and cool completely.
Cream filling:
In mixer take room temperature cream cheese, whip. Add the powdered sugar, mix until combined. Add the vanilla.
In a separate small bowl mix together the pudding mix and the milk. Stir until smooth. Add to the cream cheese mixture and mix until combined.
Stir in ¾ of the tub of the Whip Cream.
Slice the banana into the crust, move it around so it covers the bottom evenly. Cover with the cream cheese mixture. Spread the rest of the Whip Cream on top.
Enjoy!

Fresh Seedless Raspberry Syrup

2010-09-11T14:38:00.003-05:00

24 cartons raspberries
4 boxes Sure-Jell pectin
10 1/2 cups sugar

Go to the store when raspberries go on sale 4/$5. Buy the entire display. Be soooo excited about how you are going to make the most delicious seedless raspberry freezer JAM, that you will enjoy all year long ... until raspberries go back on sale 4/$5 again next year.

Proceed to make your jam. Painstakingly run your pureed raspberries through a small sieve strainer. This will take awhile. You might work up a sweat. But, remember how delicious your raspberry jam will taste in the middle of January when fresh raspberries can't be found anywhere.

Then, and this is the important part:

Follow the recipe on the sheet in the Sure-Jell box. Follow this recipe to a tee. Except, screw up the math and only add 1/2 the sugar you need. Don't beat yourself up. You were an Art Major, not a mathematician.

And then, but only if you screw up your math, you will end up with 12 pints (that's 24 cups!!!) of the absolute most delicious fresh seedless raspberry syrup.

Panic.

Then, get over it.

And realize that ... Christmas is around the corner ... and raspberry syrup will make a great gift! Tastes great on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, in smoothies ... the possibilities are endless! Come Christmastime, you'll be everyone's favorite friend. (Just, please keep it in the freezer until Christmastime ... otherwise, you can kiss all of your friends goodbye.)

And, come Christmastime, you'll forget all about the time, energy, and love you put into making that most wonderful jam that never was.

You're welcome.

Mouth Puckering Lemon Bars

2010-07-02T07:41:00.003-05:00

I promise you that these will be the best lemon bars you ever make yourself. I promise.

And, you're going to love me because they are stupid easy. Here's the secret:

Here is the recipe:
1 box Betty Crocker Sunkist Lemon Bars mix
1/3 cup lemon juice (does not have to be fresh squeezed)
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350*. Prepare bars according to the box, substituting lemon juice for the water. You won't be sorry. I promise.

Oh yeah ... sprinkle them with powdered sugar so that people think you slaved over them. :D

Did I mention ... I promise? Mmmmmmm.

Straight and Narrow Banana Cookies

2010-02-24T15:37:00.003-06:00

The mother of one of my friends in high school made these for all the teenage gatherings at her house, which apparently kept all of us on the right path. I don't know if all that's true but I do know they were good. My cookies were tested on about 6 adults and 10 children...and everyone liked them. Worth giving them a try!

Ingredients:
2.5 cups flour
1.5 tsp. bk.pwd.
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. bk.soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Mix and set aside

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup mashed banana (aprox. 2.5 bananas)
1 pkg. choc. chips

Mix butter and sugar 'til fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Alternate dry ingredients and mashed banana. Stir in choc. chips. 350, 10 mins. (I had to bake mine longer.)

Frosting:
2 tb. butter
1/4 cup mashed banana (aprox. 1/2 banana)
2 cups pwd. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Whip until smooth. Frost cooled cookies.

Kickin' Black Bean Soup

2010-02-16T10:39:00.002-06:00

1 ham bone
2 cups chopped carrots
3 cans black beans (do not drain)
1 medium onion
2 TBS chili powder
salt & pepper to taste

Boil ham bone in 3 cups water for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from pot. Add carrots; cook 10 minutes. Add onion; cook 10 more minutes. *In the meantime, pull ham meat from bone and cut into bite size pieces.* Add beans, including the juices. Add chili powder. Return ham (without bone) to pot. Stir well. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Salt & pepper to taste. My kids love this.

* I wouldn't recommend using a glazed ham bone ... the flavor would throw everything off.

Apricot Chicken

2010-02-11T14:07:00.003-06:00

1 pkg onion soup mix
1 8oz bottle Russian dressing
10 oz apricot preserves
2.5 lbs boneless chicken (breasts, thighs, tenders - whatever)
Cooked sticky rice (I like the Calrose Botan brand -- white bag, red flower)

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Dump soup mix, dressing, and preserves into dish. Whisk together well. Add chicken (I recommend cutting the breasts into smaller {tender size} pieces). Stir to coat the chicken. Cover with foil. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken pieces). Serve over a bed of sticky (sushi) rice.

** This is delicious. Perfect sweet and savory. WAY better than any sweet and sour chicken I've ever had ... and tons healthier! Enjoy.

Oh yeah. And both of my kids LOVE this dish. Can't get enough of it. Sometimes, I add carrots to the dish and bake them with everything else. Yum.

Hamburger Soup

2010-02-03T14:08:00.001-06:00

I made this last night for dinner. It was really, really yummy. I seasoned my beef quite a bit, which I think made all the difference. I also added potatoes (not included in the original recipe), which made it a very hearty soup. Oh and since I didn't have any canned tomatoes, I used fresh tomatoes and added an extra cup of water. Probably could go either way.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2-3 cups diced potatoes
6 cubes beef bouillon
5 cups water
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt (I used Kosher)
1 teaspoon dried basil
3 tablespoons ketchup

In a medium skillet, brown hamburger over medium heat. Be sure to season with salt and pepper. Drain off fat. Combine beef, carrots, celery, onions, bouillon, water, tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, salt, corn, basil, and ketchup in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours.

Southern Pecan Pie

2009-12-03T15:52:00.001-06:00

3 eggs
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 c. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped pecans
pie crust

Blend eggs,sugar,butter,syrup,and salt in the blender until smooth.Spread chopped pecans over bottom of pie crust.Pour blender mixture on top of pecans.Bake at 375* for 45-50 minutes,or until fully bro...wned.It will still jiggle slightly.It's the easiest pie you'll ever make!

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

2009-11-16T20:49:00.003-06:00

It's me again, with another soup recipe.

I actually halved this and it worked out great. I think the water is what you'll want to tweak depending on how thick you like your soup.

Ingredients:
2 medium-sized butternut squash (or 1 large and one small), cubed
3 apples
1 yellow onion, sauteed
5 cups water
2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
pepper to taste

Bring to boil. Then simmer for 20 minutes. In batches, blend in blender, food processor or immersion blender.

I would serve with a nice slice of crunchy bread.

Carrot and Red Pepper Soup

2009-10-28T15:00:00.001-05:00

A friend of ours made this for us the other night. It was DELICIOUS! My daughter (almost 3) did okay with it, and her son (2) loves it.

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Deborah Madison

2 T. butter or olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups diced onion
1 lb. carrots, thinly sliced
2 T. white rice
Sea salt and freshly milled pepper
2 T. parsley, chopped
3 T. dill chopped or 1 1/2 T. dried dill
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
6 cups water or basic vegetable stock

Melt the butter in a soup pot and add the pepper, onion, carrots, rice and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Cook over medium heat, covered until the onion has softened completely, about 10 minutes, stirring several times. Add a grind of pepper, the parsley, dill, orange zest, juice and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partially covered, until the rice is cooked, about 25 minutes. Cool briefly, then puree all but a cup or two of the soup and return it to the pot. Taste for salt, season with pepper, garnish and serve. This soup may be served hot as well as chilled.

Restaurant-style Taco Salad

2009-08-27T14:43:00.003-05:00

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 cup corn
1 cup black beans, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar or jack cheese
salsa
ranch dressing
1 pkg taco seasoning
* grilled chicken/taco meat optional

Combine all ingredients in a giant bowl. Serve with tortilla chips. This. Was. Heaven. The key: the taco seasoning. Ranch + salsa makes for a GREAT dressing.

Should serve 4-6 for a meal; 6-8 as a side salad.

Hershey's Fudge

2009-08-27T14:40:00.003-05:00

3 cups Hershey's semi-sweet chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whole roasted almonds

Melt chips and milk over very low heat until smooth. This will be THICK. Stir in almonds -- they won't want to stick, this is normal. Line a 9x9 glass dish with wax paper. Pour into wax paper and smooth out the top with the back of spoon. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Pull entire brick of fudge out, using the edges of the wax paper. Cut into squares on a cutting board. ENJOY!

* Keep refrigerated
* If you can handle ultra sweet milk chocolate, you could use milk chocolate chips instead. :D

Squash Casserole

2009-08-27T14:35:00.002-05:00

4-5 yellow squash
1 small onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 bag croutons
2 cups grated moterrey jack cheese

Peel the squash, then cut into 1/2 inch rings. Cut onion into 1/2 inch half rings. Stir in soup. Pour into 13x9 glass baking dish. Top with cheese, then croutons. Bake at 350*, covered for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake additional 10 minutes.

* You be the judge on the baking time. Some like their squash soggy ... me, not-so-much.

How to fix runny jam

2009-08-19T22:00:00.003-05:00

Since it's the jam making time of year, I though this was appropriate. It's happened to me before.... runny Jam! I found the fix on this blog Chez Beeper Bebe .

Runny Jam Fix
I ngredients:
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
4 Tbsp lemon juice
8 tsp of no-sugar
pectin

Materials:
8 canning jar lids

Instructions:
Empty out your runny jam from the jars into a bowl.
Wash and sterilize your jars and jar rings again, discarding the lid tops.
Sterilize your new jar lid tops. Drain and set aside on clean dish towels.
Fill your canning pot with water and bring to a gentle boil. Keep it at a
gentle boil throughout so it will be ready when needed.
Mix pectin with sugar in a large pot. Add water and lemon juice and mix.
Place over high heat and bring to a boil, while stirring continuously.
Add the jam and bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, continuing to stir
throughout. Boil for 1 minute (and no longer) while keeping that stirring
up.
Remove from heat, stir and ladle hot jam into sterilized jars, securing lids
tightly. Place jam jars in your canning pot with gently boiling water and
boil for 5 minutes (again, keep your time on this—too long may make
your jam runny all over again and how sad would that be?). Remove jam
and allow to cool. Check lid seals once cooled—any tops that pop back
when pressed should be refrigerated.
Fixes 7-8 jars of jam (8 oz or 1 cup each)

Sour Cream Apple Pie

2009-08-06T00:21:00.000-05:00

I can not take credit for this recipe, I found it on a blog, and here it is in all it's glory.
Sour Cream Apple Pie

Topping

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c. plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 t. cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour

Filling

1 1/3 c. sour cream
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 or 5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Pie crust (you can make your own, or use a pre-made one from the refrigerator section of the grocery store — I always do) fitted into a deep-dish 9" or 10" pie plate and chilled

To make the topping, in a bowl blend the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and flour until the mixture is combined well. Cover and chill the topping.

To make the filling, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs, and flour until the mixture is smooth. Add the peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples and stir the filling and apples together.

Spoon the filling into the chilled shell and crumble the topping evenly over it. Bake the pie on a baking sheet in the middle of a pre-heated 350-degree oven, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. (You might need to put a bit of tinfoil on top of the pie during the last 15 minutes to prevent the top from burning.) Transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely.

Delightful Peaches

2009-06-15T12:40:00.003-05:00

Lots of peaches
Lots of sugar
Water
Quart mason jars

Before you begin ... make sure that your peaches are almost completely ripe. Not mushy, not crunchy ... it's best if they are almost totally ripened.

Peel all of your peaches and put them into a bowl of salt water to rest, until you've finished peeling all of your peaches. (You can peel them with a potato peeler, or you can blanch them and then pull the peels off -- I tried blanching, it didn't work so well, so I used the potato peeler)

Before you begin slicing up your peaches, pour about 3 inches of water into each quart mason jar and then put 3/4 cup sugar in each jar. (NOTE: 3/4 cup sugar for each QUART jar, not pint) Stir the sugar and water in each jar until it is dissolved.

Once all of your peaches are peeled and your jars have the water/sugar mixture ready to go, slice the peaches into quarters, removing the pits. Fill up each jar, to the curved neck with peaches, then fill the rest of the way with water. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Process the quarts in a water bath canner, boiling them for 20 minutes. They will stay fresh and delicious on your pantry shelf for up to one year. YUMMY!!

$2 cookies

2009-06-12T12:44:00.003-05:00

I'm calling these $2 cookies because that's what you would pay for EACH one of these beauties in a fancy bakery. They are the perfect cookie!!

2 c. All-purpose flour
½ tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Salt
¾ c. Butter, MELTED
1 c. Brown sugar
½ c. White sugar
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
1 Egg
1 Egg Yolk
2 c. Semi-sweet chocolate chips
1½ c. Chopped pecans

1. Mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Mix melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until blended thoroughly. Add vanilla, egg and egg yolk. Blend until light and creamy.
3. Mix in dry ingredients – a little at a time – until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
4. Chill the dough 30-60 minutes or overnight (or put in freezer to speed up process).
5. Preheat oven to 325º F. Drop cookie dough ¼ cup at a time (or really large spoonfuls) onto greased cookie sheet 2-3 inches apart.
6. Bake 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly toasted. Do NOT wait until they’re brown all over!
7. Cool on the cookie sheet (or rack for crispier cookies).

Deep Dish Breakfast Pizza

2009-06-12T12:38:00.003-05:00

This is a GREAT alternative to the breakfast casserole idea ...

1 can Pillsbury Pizza Dough
1/2 lb bacon, cooked & diced
1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked & drained
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
2 cups cheddar cheese
6 eggs
salt and pepper

Cook bacon, drain, and crumble into pieces. Cook sausage and drain well. Dice peppers.

Preheat oven to 425*. Spread pizza dough out in a casserole dish. Bake pizza dough for 6-7 minutes -- do not let it brown, you just want the cooking process to begin. While the dough is baking, beat 6 eggs with a little bit of salt and pepper.

Remove dough from oven and pour egg mixture onto dough. Then sprinkle with sausage. Then sprinkle with bacon. Then, sprinkle with peppers. Finally, top the dish with the 2 cups of cheese. Place back in the oven to finish baking, for about 15 minutes, or until the eggs are solid and no longer runny. The cheese will be bubbly and browned.

Turkey Salad Wraps

2009-06-12T12:34:00.002-05:00

1 lb cooked, diced {leftover} turkey
1/2 cup mayo
3 TBS turkey broth {from drippings}
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and finely diced
salt & pepper

Combine everything in a bowl ... add more mayo, salt, pepper ... to taste. It's delicious with the broth!!

BBQ Sausage Pizza

2009-05-29T12:50:00.002-05:00

In Texas, we BBQ-up everything!!
1 Pillsbury Pizza Dough Crust
1 link all beef sausage (the kind that comes in a u-shaped package) , diced
bottle of Bullseye Original bbq sauce
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 425*. Brown up the diced sausage in a frying pan. Spread pizza dough out on pizza stone. Spread dough with bbq sauce. Sprinkle with diced beef sausage. Coat the top with cheese. Bake at 425* until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Yum!

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salsa

2009-04-27T11:55:00.002-05:00

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 c. corn kernels (fresh or canned shoepeg is great)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (I used grape tomatoes)
1 avocado, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
2 t. grated lime zest
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1/2 t. salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve at once with tortilla chips. Also good on top of quesadillas.

Recipe from this blog.

(6 points for 1 1/2 c. of salad)

Chicken Empanadas

2009-04-25T22:50:00.003-05:00

Made some yummy empanadas tonight. It was one of my just make it with what you got recipes, and it turned out really good. So this time instead of forgetting what I did and never having that meal again. As Brian would say, "So was this recipe from a cookbook or did you make it up?" Me, "I made it up." Brian, "Oh, so we're never going to have it again..." Not this time!

Chicken Empanadas
1 box of pie crust
1 chicken breast
2 small potatoes
1/2 white onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 -1/2 cup salsa
Shredded Cheddar cheese
spices (season all, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne)
salt and pepper

Unroll the two crust and use a small cup (3 inch diameter?) to cut out circles, as many as you can get. Lay out on greased tin foil and cover with a towel.

Boil the chicken breast, when cooked shred it (really small) and season with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder to taste.

Preheat the oven to 450. Peel and dice potatoes, really small! Finely dice the onion. Put a tablespoon of butter in a nonstick frying pan and cook the onions about 5 mins, then add potatoes. Cook until potatoes begin to soften. Add garlic and spices (chili powder, season all, a dash of cayenne, and cumin). Mix in chicken and salsa. Taste, add more salt if needed.

Stuff the dough circles with meat mixture and some cheese. Fold in half and press with a fork around the edges. Brush with an egg yolk and water mixture (about 2 yolks and some water to thin it).

Cook at 450 for 11-13 minutes (until golden on top)
EAT.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-04-22T20:00:00.002-05:00

Tortilla Soup

2 cans of black beans, rinsed (use plain, not seasoned)
4 cans of chicken broth (or a box and a half)
1 pkg of frozen corn (white corn is good, but you could use sweet)
2 cans of rotel (mild if you've got kids)
1/2 small can of tomato paste (you can use more, but I don't like mine too tomato-y)
Shredded chicken (shred up some from a rotisserie chicken or cook and shred your own)

1 bunch of cilantro chopped, for garnish
shredded cheese, garnish
two avocados chopped into bits, garnish
two limes cut into wedges, for squeezing on top, mmmmmmmm
Tortilla Chips for crunching on top

Put all the ingredients (not garnishes) into a big pot and simmer til hot enough to serve. I added a bit of salt and garlic powder, feel free to add whatever seasonings you'd like. Serve with the toppings. This is so delicious and easy. It makes a ton! Half it if you don't want leftovers.

I got this recipe from a blog, but I changed it up quite a bit after making it. It's really tasty. You could make this in a crock pot as well. Just add the ingredients into your crockpot and a frozen chicken breast or two, and shred the chicken up before eating.

Chinese Noodle Coleslaw

2009-04-20T21:12:00.001-05:00

Chicken Noodle Coleslaw

2 packs chicken flavored Ramen noodles (crushed into small pieces)

1 cup slivered almonds

1 Tlbs butter

1 pack shredded coleslaw

1 large red pepper

2 Tlbs sesame seeds

1 cup chopped green onion

2 chicken breasts (you can use 2 cans of canned chicken, drained)

Dressing:

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 tsp sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 seasoning packets from top Ramen

salt and pepper to taste

Toast almonds in butter til browned, set aside. In large bowl combine Ramen boodles, cabbage, red pepper and almonds. Toss in sesame seeds and add chicken. Add dressing to salad and mix well. If you like the noodles soft refrigerate for 4-5 hours or overnight. If you like a little crunch-eat immediately!

Summer Recipes.

2009-04-20T16:58:00.002-05:00

I am calling for summer recipes. I am currently 29 weeks pregnant - my baby will be born in July. So when I ask for "summer" I'm looking for quick, easy, won't-heat-up the house recipes. BBQ, Salads, etc. are perfect. There are already a lot on here, but if you have more, I'd love to see them posted. If you'll label it "summer" that would be great. Thanks!

Roasted Chicken

2009-04-11T15:11:00.002-05:00

Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Breasts
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Garlic salt (I like Lawry's)
Cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350*. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet, skin side up. Rub chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt, garlic salt, and pepper. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes, give or take. Allow chicken to cool before digging in, so that all the juices can settle back into the meat. This was simply delicious. Enjoy.

Parmesan Crusted Roasted Potatoes

2009-04-11T14:59:00.003-05:00

4-5 large Yukon Gold potatoes (or whatever potato you prefer)
1 TBS kosher salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
large Ziploc bag

Preheat oven to 450*. Wash potatoes thoroughly. Cut into large chunks. In Ziploc bag, combine potatoes, oil, salt, and pepper. Shake bag until all potato chunks are well coated. Dump potatoes onto a GREASED baking sheet and bake at 450* for 25 minutes, stirring and turning potatoes every 7 minutes or so. For the last 5 minutes of baking, sprinkle the grated Parmesan all over the potatoes and broil ... but watch it closely so that you don't burn them. ** Add more salt/pepper to taste.

Yummy Fruit

2009-04-07T21:26:00.002-05:00

All you do is get some Frozen fruit, whatever kind you like (I used blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries) and drizzle coffee creamer over them. I used french vanilla creamer. Put on a little or a lot, however much you preffer. It looks neat because the creamer hardens on the frozen fruit. It tastes amazing!

CHEWY Peanut Butter Granola Bars

2009-04-07T12:00:00.003-05:00

Yo. So ... now that my baby is 4 months old, I'm finally getting back into cooking for my family. I'll start posting again. :D

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup honey
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 by 8-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a small saucepan melt butter with honey over low heat, stirring continually, until well combined; do not boil.

In a large bowl stir together oats, almonds, pecans, coconut, cinnamon and salt. Pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined well.

On a large baking sheet, spread the granola evenly in a thin layer. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes to keep from sticking or burning, until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. (Do not overcook; the granola will crisp more when cooled.)

Remove from oven and allow the granola to cool on the baking sheet. When the granola is completely cooled, place in a large bowl.

Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is at a boil. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the granola, stirring to coat well. Cool slightly and press into the prepared baking dish and let cool completely and harden. Cut the mixture into ten 1 1/4 by 4-inch bars and serve at room temperature.

You can store the bars in an airtight Ziploc at room temperature for a week, or in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Potato Pancakes

2009-04-06T14:11:00.001-05:00

This is a nice, easy side dish especially if you have a food processor.

· 1 lb potatoes
· 1/2 C finely chopped onion
· 2 T flour
· 1/2 t salt
· 1/8 t pepper
· 2 eggs, beaten
· Vegetable oil

1. Peel and shred potatoes. Squeeze out most of the moisture.
2. Combine potatoes and onion. Toss with flour.
3. Add salt and pepper; stir in eggs.
4. Lightly oil skillet. Add heaping tablespoons of potato mixture to hot skillet.
5. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn and cook 2-5 minutes or until brown on second side. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Garnish (optional): sour cream and chives.

BBQ Brisket

2009-03-30T16:00:00.004-05:00

Photo courtesy of allrecipes.com

This tastes great! We were a little worried about doing it in the crockpot, but it still had a great flavor even though we did not cook it in the oven. The rub gives it a good kick.

Ingredients:
1 T dried thyme leaves
1 T paprika
2 t black pepper
2 t salt
1 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground cumin
3 lbs beef brisket, trimmed of fat
1/2 t liquid smoke flavoring
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 C barbeque sauce

Instructions:
1. Combine thyme, paprika, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and cumin in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Rub brisket with liquid smoke, then rub with spice mixture.
3. Pour Worcestershire and barbeque sauce into a slow cooker; place beef on top. Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours, until fork tender.

TDF Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-03-27T12:37:00.001-05:00

TDF = To Die For - and seriously they are!!!

1 c shortening
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 T water
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until fluffy.

2 c. flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 c. oatmeal
2 c. chocolate chips

Gently add dry ingredients to egg and shortening mixture. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Warm Pasta Salad

2009-03-23T13:06:00.004-05:00

I know...I never have pictures. But, I've made this pasta salad twice this week and just can't get enough of it...so yummy and so easy to put together- ready to eat in about 20 minutes. On top of that, its pretty healthy and vegetarian!

12 oz. pasta (I always use Barilla Plus- yum)
1/4 red onion, finely diced
2 tsp. saute spice (equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder)
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2/3 c. Creamy Caesar dressing
4 Tbs. Basil Pesto (I use Classico brand)
Veggies of your choosing (I used one squash, one zucchini, and lots of broccoli)

Cook pasta and cut up onions and veggies. Drain pasta and slightly cook veggies til desired tenderness. Mix all ingredients together- add veggies last and mix. Enjoy!

The Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake

2009-03-13T12:46:00.003-05:00

My friend told me about this cake she makes in the microwave and so I looked it up online. It's called the most dangerous cake in the world because it only takes 5 minutes to make. Here it is.

MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
Small splash of vanilla
Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to share!)

I didn't add chocolate chips to mine, but I did make a caramel sauce with a little bit of butter, brown sugar and a tiny bit of milk in the microwave and poured it over the cake. It tastes amazing like that. I let it cool in the fridge for a little bit before I ate it.

Another note, I used pamela's baking mix instead of flour and it turned out great (for all those who can't eat wheat).

Pulled Pork, Crash Hot Potatoes and Coleslaw

2009-02-12T11:28:00.003-06:00

Make this dinner! That's an order. It is so good. M'kay!

Pulled Pork
INGREDIENTS
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 2 pounds boneless pork roast (I used pork shoulder, and only half of it, it was too big for my crockpot)
* 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
* 1 medium onion, chopped (I used a yellow onion, very roughly chopped)
* 4 cloves garlic, crushed (I used the minced stuff in the jar)
* 4 cups water (or watery chicken broth, since I used less meat I only used about 3 1/2 cups)
* 1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut the pork roast into large chunks. Season generously with the Cajun seasoning. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, and brown on all sides. Remove from the skillet, and transfer to a slow cooker.
2. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes until tender. Stir in the water scraping the bottom to include all of the browned pork bits from the bottom of the pan, then pour the whole mixture into the slow cooker with the pork. Stir in liquid smoke flavoring.
3. Cover, and cook on High for 6 hours, or until meat is falling apart.

Crash Hot Potatoes
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

Coleslaw
INGREDIENTS
* 1 bag of shredded carrots and cabbage (by the salads in the grocery store)
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup cider vinegar
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine cabbage and carrots. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Serve with a slotted spoon.

This was seriously one of the best dinners ever!!!
Oh and serve it with a really good piece of White Bread (the kind from the store that seems like it's homemade, but it's just the regular stuff in the bag, uh does that make any sense?!)
I like to spread the coleslaw on a piece of bread, top it with pulled pork, spread some BBQ sauce on top and then eat it like a taco. Perfection!

(Sorry you can only get this BBQ sauce at Wallaby's smokehouse in Lindon Utah)

Vanilla Pudding

2009-01-27T17:38:00.002-06:00

1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and boils. Stir constantly. Boil for 1 minute.

In a small bowl stir 1/3 of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. then add the yolk mixture back into the hot mixture; blend well. Cook until it bubbles, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.

Spoon into serving dishes and eat it!!! Wait for it to cool enough that it doesn't burn your mouth, but I love it best warm. You can store it in the refrigerator, but make sure you put seran wrap directly against the top of the pudding or it forms a "skin" on top. I love it most with fresh peaches (YUM). Total comfort food.

Ravioli Lasagna.

2009-01-13T21:56:00.003-06:00

So yummy and so easy!

1 package frozen cheese ravioli (I used the Costco brand - about 36 ravioli)
1 (26 1/2 ounce) bottle spaghetti sauce (I used my husband's marinara recipe)
2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook ravioli according to directions. In 9x13-inch dish spread a little bit of sauce at bottom (to prevent sticking). Put on ravioli, as many as will fit without being"tight". Put on more sauce and then cheese. Repeat until all ravioli is gone. I did three layers with 12 ravioli each. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.

{My little two year old ate a ton of this. So good and other than baking time took me less than 25 minutes.}

pepperoni bread

2009-01-06T16:50:00.004-06:00

So easy. Fun to dip. Kids love it.

Pepperoni Bread

1 loaf bread dough, thawed if frozen (I buy a package of frozen dough from Kroger. It has 5 loaves for a couple bucks. And it tastes yummy.)

After dough is thawed, spread on cookie sheet into a rectangle.

Combine:
1 egg
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
1 tsp garlic salt
little bit of water

Brush half of egg mixture onto dough. Put sliced pepperoni down center of dough. Sprinkle with cheese (about 1 cup). Fold dough in thirds, turn over and brush with remaining egg mixture.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Slice and serve with marina sauce as a dip.

cabbage soup

2009-01-06T16:47:00.002-06:00

Yeah. I know. It doesn't sound that good. But trust me. It is delicious. So much so that my 8 year old daughter wants to take it to school for lunch. It's that good.

Cabbage Soup

1-2 lbs. ground beef (I use one)

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. chili powder

2 c. raw potatoes, chopped

3-4 beef bouillon cubes

1-2 cans diced tomatoes (I use 2)

1 c. raw carrots, chopped

1 small head of cabbage, chopped

Brown ground beef (drain grease, if any). Add everything EXCEPT CABBAGE. Add 1 quart of water. Once soup comes to a boil, simmer over low heat for one hour. Pour in another quart of water and return to a slow boil. Add cabbage and simmer for one hour until cabbage is tender.

Tomato and Beef Soup

2009-01-03T00:40:00.001-06:00

Another yummy soup. Even my baby loved this one!

Ingredients:
 3 C beef broth
 2 celery ribs, chopped
 2 carrots, sliced
 1 medium onion, chopped
 2 garlic cloves, minced
 46 oz bottle V-8 juice
 14.5 oz can Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
 6 oz can Italian tomato paste
 2 T sugar
 1 T dried oregano
 1 beef bouillon cube
 1 t pepper
 1/2 t dried basil
 1/4 t garlic powder
 2 C cubed cooked beef
 2 C small pasta shells

Instructions:
1. In large pot, combine the broth, celery, carrots, onion, and garlic; bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. Stir in the V-8 Juice, tomatoes, tomato paste, seasonings, and beef; bring to a boil.
4. Add pasta and cook for time indicated on package (10-12 minutes).

Ham and Potato Soup

2009-01-03T00:33:00.003-06:00

This is an excellent recipe for finishing off lefover ham.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 C potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 C celery, diced
1/3 C onion, chopped
1 1/2 C ham, chopped
2 C water
2 T chicken bouillon granules
1/2 t salt
1 t pepper
5 T butter
5 T flour
2 C milk

Instructions:
1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham, and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil.
2. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are ten-der (about 10-15 minutes).
3. Add chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper.
4. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.
5. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute.
6. Slowly stir in milk; heat over medium-low heat until thick, 4-5 minutes.
7. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through.

Bacon and Cheese Dip

2009-01-02T11:57:00.001-06:00

8 oz cream cheese

1 and ½ cups Swiss cheese, grated

3 scallions, diced

½ cup mayo

1 tablespoon djon mustard

5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

Mix ingredients together, sprinkle with more swiss cheese on top, if desired. Bake at 400 degrees until bubbly (about 15 minutes). Serve hot with chips or French bread.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2008-12-29T17:17:00.003-06:00

(I double this recipe)

4 cups water
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 can (4 oz) green chile peppers
1 envelope (2 oz) noodle soup mix with chicken broth
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup tortilla strips
1 onion, chopped

1. COMBINE water, tomatoes, chicken, chile peppers, soup mix, cumin, salt and black pepper in a 4 qt or larger slow cooker.

2. COVER. Cook on low 4 to 6 hours. Top with cheese, tortilla strips, and onion.

**You can also combine the ornaments and cook on the stove.

Serves 2-4

Ham sandwiches

2008-12-04T14:21:00.002-06:00

This recipe is stolen from a make-your-own cookbook site. I was browsing it to see how much it would cost to put all of our recipes in a cookbook. It would be about $6.35 a book if we ordered 100. Anyway, it's the holiday's and I'm way to busy to get that project going, but maybe someday. While looking there were a couple of featured recipes, the following was one and it sounded so good I didn't want to lose it...

Nina Taylor's Ham Sandwiches

1 tray frozen or fresh rolls, sliced in halves
1/2 c. butter or mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 Tbsp. grated onion
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
Ham slices
Swiss cheese, grated

Mix butter (or mayonnaise), mustard, onion, and poppy seeds together. Spread on each half of rolls. Layer ham slices and grated cheese. Top with other half of bread. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes (until cheese melts).

I'm gonna go to the store and get the ingredients I don't have and try it for dinner tomorrow, I'll let you know how it turned out.

toffee dip & pumpkin dip

2008-12-04T09:10:00.003-06:00

At my kid's school we make desserts for the faculty and deliver them to the school the last day before Thanksgiving. This year I did something a little different. I made two different fruit dips, gave them with a pear and two apples and wrapped it up with a bow and a tag. Here are the recipes for the dips.

Toffee Apple Dip

[I found this recipe earlier this year. (It is from Becky Higgins.) And it has become a family favorite. It doesn't last long. And you eat it with apple slices, so you feel a little less bad about eating it.]

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. toffee bits (some stores have Skor bits and some have Heath - we prefer the Heath, but it's great with both)

Mix together and serve with apple slices.

Pumpkin Fruit Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
15 oz. can pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ t. ginger (I do not include this)

Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until creamy. Add pumpkin and spices, mixing well. Cover and chill for 8 hours. Serve with gingersnaps, apple slices and pear slices.

One Egg Pancake

2008-11-07T17:06:00.003-06:00

This is great if you don't want to make 30 pancakes and deal with all the mess- just make it in one saucepan. You can substitute whole wheat flour for this as well and its just as good. I eat it with some raspberry fruit spread (try Smucker's Simply Fruit Spreads for a very healthy alternative to syrup and some vanilla yogurt for topping).

1 egg, beaten
3 Tbs. flour
4 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. baking powder
dash salt
Cinnamon (optional, but it soooo good)

Mix all ingredients together and pour in buttered/sprayed saucepan. Wait till the edges look done, and then flip and cook on other side. This makes a really BIG pancake.

pumpkin cake

2008-10-27T16:14:00.002-05:00

It is finally feeling like fall... which puts me in the mood for pumpkin. This is one of my favorite pumpkin desserts (one my mom used to make every year).

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:
1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup margarine/butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/2 cup pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
3 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated canned milk
1/2 cup regular milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup margarine
whipped cream

Directions:
Take yellow cake mix and set aside 1 cup. Mix remaining cake mix with margarine/butter and one egg. Press into bottom of a greased 9x13 cake pan. (It will be very sticky.)

Mix together pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, 3 eggs, milks and vanilla. Pour into cake pan on top of cake mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining 1 cup dry cake mix, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup margarine/butter (cut into small pieces). Sprinkle on top of pumpkin mixture. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Cool. Serve topped with whipped cream.

pumpkin cookies

2008-10-27T16:02:00.006-05:00

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies
(recipe from Nestle/Libby's)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.

COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.

FOR GLAZE:
COMBINE 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.

Sweet Corn Bread

2008-10-17T10:34:00.002-05:00

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar (you can go less if you want - I went about 1/6 of a cup less)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 TB baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup canola oil
3 TB melted butter

Combine dry ingredients, then combine wet ingredients in separate bowl. Add wet mixture to flour mixture and stir just until blended. Pour into 8" square baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. FOR MUFFINS: pour into muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

White Chili

2008-10-17T10:33:00.001-05:00

Seriously, this is SO yummy! Matt and I both loved it. Really great flavor. I've never had a white chili before so maybe they're all like this. Either way, I think it's a must try.

2 whole chicken breasts, cooked and cut up
3 c water
3 c chicken broth
2 chopped onions
2 garlic cloves—minced
1 T oil
4 4-oz cans chopped green chilies
Pinch chili pepper
2 t ground cumin
1 ½ t oregano
¼ t cayenne pepper
½ t salt
2 cans Great Northern Beans
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Pepper jack cheese for topping

Add chicken, water, stock and beans—bring to a boil. Saute onions and garlic, add green chilies, cumin, oregano, pepper, salt, chili powder, then add to chicken mixture. Add bacon. Simmer for 1 ½ - 2 hours (until thicker consistency). About ½ hour before serving, add soup and milk and continue simmering. Serve topped with pepper jack cheese.

Taco Soup

2008-10-10T20:02:00.000-05:00

Rather than copying and pasting everything, I thought that I would give you the printable version. ;-) (Just click on the image below.)

This recipe is super easy and it works great for freezing! (I freeze it in lunch size portions for my dh.) In fact, I will be making it and freezing it this weekend, so I will try to remember to post a picture.

7 Layer Dip

2008-10-03T20:07:00.001-05:00

(Click on image below and, if you like, print it.)

Meal Planning

2008-09-22T22:43:00.003-05:00

My sister just introduced me to the coolest website for meal planning. I tell it to plan a month's worth of meals, which I can then customize to fit our life, including storing my own recipes to be included in the month's plan. Then, the best part of all, it generates a shopping list!!!! Yea! I don't love making menus or shopping lists, especially since I get in a rut with making the same old boring meals. This way, the computer "thinks" for me--it's a beautiful thing. If you're interested, it's http://www.everydaymeals.com/.

{I got my Stroganoff recipe (see below) from this site.}

Beef Stroganoff

2008-09-22T22:39:00.002-05:00

The flavor of this was awesome. Really, really good. Try it!

1 1/2 pound beef top round steak
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 T margarine
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp paprika
1 14 1/2 oz can beef broth
2 T cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 1/2 cup sour cream (I only used a cup.)

Cut beef into bite size pieces or strips. Melt butter in large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add beef and chopped onion. Add salt, pepper, parsley, and paprika while cooking beef. Saute until beef is browned on all sides. Add broth and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer covered at least ten minutes or longer if desired. If desired, add more water for additional sauce. Return to boil. Combine cornstarch and cold water in small bowl; add to beef mixture. Stir until thickened, a minute or two. Remove from heat. Add sour cream. Serve over hot cooked noodles (we used Barilla Ziti and loved it) or rice.

Savannah Bow Ties

2008-09-16T10:30:00.003-05:00

This dessert is divine. It was easy and definitely worth it, you won't want to share!

1/2 a (17 1/4oz) pkg frozen puff pastry (1 sheet)
1/2 cup almond paste
1 egg yolk, white reserved
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsps milk
1 egg white
sugar, for sprinkling

Chocolate dipping sauce
3/4 cup sugar
2 TBS cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
6 (1.5oz each) Hershey milk chocolate bars
2 cups whipping cream
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla

Let pastry stand at room temp for 20minutes or until easy to roll. Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 14 inch square. Cut square in half. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
For Filling:
crumble almond paste in small mixing bowl. Add egg yolk,brown sugar,and milk. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Spread filling over 1 pastry half. Place remaining pastry half on top of filling. Cut dough crosswise into 14 one inch wide strips. Then cut each strip in half crosswise to make 28 pieces. Twist each piece twice in center (looks like a bow). Place twists about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets lined with foil or parchment. Brush twists with slightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 12-15 min or until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Serve wit the dipping sauce. The recipe comes from the Food Network Website

I♥ Honey & Spice Cookies

2008-09-15T17:28:00.004-05:00

These are my favorite fall cookies

cream together:

1c brown sugar

3/4 c shortening-- butter or margarine don't substitute well in this recipe

1 egg

1/4c Honey

Add:

2 1/4c flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

mix all ingredients together. roll into cookie sized balls and smoosh with a fork. Bake@ 375 for 8 to 10 minutes.

yield: about 2 dozen if you don't eat all the dough first

Parmesan Garlic Bread & Marinara Sauce

2008-09-15T14:06:00.003-05:00

Being 7 months pregnant, an entire meal can be daunting for me to prepare. Our meals have ended up being pretty simple these days ... most would call this a snack, but I call it a meal right now! Enjoy!1 French loaf
6 TBS butter, softened
8 oz shredded parmesan cheese
garlic salt (I use Lawry's)
paprika
Classico Cabernet Marinara sauce (the best!)

Preheat oven to 350*. Slice loaf in half, from end to end. Spread with softened butter. Sprinkle with garlic salt and paprika. Sprinkle again with parmesan cheese. Place loaves directly on oven rack and bake for 6-8 minutes, until cheese looks soft and edge of bread are starting to brown. Then, switch oven to BROIL and broil for about 2-3 minutes longer, keeping a close eye on it, so that it doesn't burn. Remove from oven and slice into large pieces. Serve with WARM Classico Cabernet Marinara sauce. So simple. So yummy!!

Bacon Wrapped, Stuffed Jalapenos

2008-09-15T13:58:00.004-05:00

My friend Claire served these to the adults at her daughter's birthday party ... they were SO amazing that my husband had to re-create them. Claire, let me know if he botched the recipe. lol.
12 fresh jalapenos
1 8 oz block cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1-2 TBS garlic salt (I use Lawry's)
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
6 slices bacon, cut in half lengthwise

toothpicks

Combine softened cream cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and pepper, until creamy and uniform. Prepare jalapenos by cutting of the top 1/4 inch, including stem. Scrape out the seeds, as best as you can. Rinse them out. Poke a hole in the tip of each jalapeno, using a toothpick. Stuff the jalapenos with the cheese mixture until full. Wrap with 1/2 slice of bacon and secure bacon with a toothpick. Bake on a broiling pan at 425* for 10-15 minutes, or until bacon is cooked and crisping. Remove toothpicks before serving. ABSOLUTELY delicious!!

Cowboy Beans

2008-09-15T13:58:00.000-05:00

1 lb. lean ground beef
3/4 lb. bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans (16 oz. each) pork & beans
1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 TBS liquid smoke
3 TBS white vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Brown meat; drain and put into crock pot. Brown bacon and onions; drain and add to meat. Combine all remaining ingredients in crock pot and stir well. Cover and cook on low heat 4-6 hours, depending on your schedule. Can simmer on low for up to 9 hours. Kids LOVE it.

Parmesan Broiled Tomatoes

2008-09-15T13:52:00.002-05:00

4 large tomatoes
8 oz mozzarella, sliced
8 oz shredded parmesan cheese
garlic salt (I use Lawry's)
fresh cracked pepper
paprika

garlic bread

Slice tomatoes into thick rings, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Place them on a greased broiling pan. Sprinkle tomatoes with garlic salt and pepper. Place a slice of mozzarella cheese on top of each tomato. Then sprinkle the tops with shredded parmesan cheese (not the cheap grated kind). sprinkle the tops with paprika. Broil for about 5-6 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and browned. Serve warm with a piece of garlic bread.

German Pancakes

2008-09-15T13:44:00.002-05:00

1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
6 TBS butter. cubed

Preheat oven to 425*. In a blender, combine milk, flour, eggs, salt, and sugar. Blend until smooth; about 30-60 seconds. Place cubed butter in a 9x13 glass baking dish and place in oven for butter to melt. Once butter has melted, remove dish and pour in mixture from the blender. Return to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes ... until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup ... these are so buttery, that butter isn't necessary.

**If you are not familiar with German pancakes, the batter rises a LOT. Make sure to leave at least 8 inches of 'growing room' in your oven, above the dish. Do not double mixture into one casserole dish! The corners and sides (and on occasion, the middle too) will raise about 6-8 inches and fall slightly when removed from the oven. Also ... this serves about 4 adults ... although, most of the time, my husband can eat half of the casserole dish himself. So, if you have a big crowd, plan on making a few casserole dishes to satisfy everyone. This also re-heats extremely well ... much easier than standing over the frying pan cooking pancakes all morning.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2008-09-15T13:38:00.004-05:00

the meat from 1 rotisserie chicken
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can RoTel tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained/rinsed
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans, drained/rinsed
4 chicken bullion cubes
2 cups water
1/3 block of Velveeta cheese, diced
1 cup sour cream

tortilla chips

Combine everything, except tortilla chips, Velveeta, and sour cream in a big pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and whisk in sour cream and then add the Velveeta. Soup is ready to serve when all the cubes of Velveeta have melted. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

Grilled Roast Beef Sandwich

2008-09-15T13:33:00.002-05:00

leftover pot roast
2 slices whatever cheese you like
2 slices bread

Make a sandwich, placing a slice of cheese on both pieces of bread. Place the roast beef, brisket, whatever in between the cheese. Butter both sides and grill for about 2-3 minutes on either side.

*I had made a huge roast in the crock pot and I cooked it with homemade salsa for tacos. I used that leftover meat with 2 pieces of pepper jack cheese for my sandwich ... it was SO GOOD!! The picture doesn't make it look as appetizing as it really is!! It's a great way to use up leftover roast!

Alfredo Sauce with Parsley

2008-09-12T16:25:00.003-05:00

1 T. unsalted butter
1 T. minced shallots (I just used green onions)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup baby peas, frozen is fine (optional)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1 T. cracked peppercorns, or to tast (I used normal pepper)
Salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Melt the butter and saute the shallots for 3 to 4 minutes. Add thhe heavy cream. (If using the baby peas, cook in the hot cream.) Bring to a boil and thicken, cooking for about 6 minutes, sturring constantly.

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. In a separate, large serving blowl, beat the eggs. Whisk in a tablespoon of the cream sauce; stirriing constantly, add the remainder of the sauce, a little at a time (be careful not to put it in too quickly or the eggs will scramble.)

3. Add pepper, salt, and parsly. Poor over spagetti squash, rice noodles if you're gluten free, or any other noodles.

makes 1 1/2 cups

from Healthy Plate: No-Gluten Cookbook

Black Bean Burgers

2008-09-10T23:07:00.001-05:00

Black Bean Burgers...
*Get one can organic black beans..rinse, drain and dump in a bowl.
*Using a potato masher..(or the back of a fork could work too) mash them up
* Dice about 'ehh..half an onion or so and throw it in...
* Put in about 1/3 cup chunky mild salsa..dump in some corn..(I didn't measure so maybe it was about 1/3 - 1/2 cup?), throw in some garlic..snip in about 1/4 cup cilantro and salt and pepper..mix well..
Then add 2 egg whites and a generous handful of breadcrumbs..
Combine.
*Fry them up in a skillet for about 6 minutes..flipping once
*Get a whole wheat bun and put on some crisp lettuce..
top that with the burger..(I also melted some pepper jack cheese too). Then on the actual burger..a small dollop of salsa and on top of that add a spoonful of sour cream.
Enjoy...
Pictures are on my blog...

Chicken Wings

2008-09-02T07:59:00.004-05:00

This is the easiest "recipe" - the perfect thing for BBQ's on the beach or at home. Buy one of those huge bags of chicken wings from Costco and let it thaw. Salt & pepper the wings and place on the grill. After the wings are cooked, put in an aluminum tin and pour "Saucy Susan" peach & apricot sauce (found in regular grocery stores) over the wings. A definite crowd pleaser!

Flaxseed muffins

2008-08-29T10:12:00.005-05:00

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup ground flaxseed (can also add oat or wheat bran to equal 1 cup, ½ flaxseed, ½ bran)
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp.. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ cups applesauce
½ cups raisins or craisins or a mixture
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds)
¾ cups non fat milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix just until ingredients are blended. Spray muffin tins with PAM. Bake 350 15-18 minutes. Makes 18 to 21 muffins. Freeze the extras and take out when needed. Heat in the microwave for 20 seconds. Delicious and healthy!!

Avocado Chicken

2008-08-27T12:26:00.003-05:00

I made this for the first time the other night and it was AMAZING. It definitely requires a trip to the grocery store- but its so worth it and its pretty easy to put together.

3- 4 chicken breasts
Butter
½ c. chopped white onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 pkg. fresh sliced mushrooms
2 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. celery salt
white pepper
½ c. chicken broth
½ cup white grape juice
2 avocados
1 ½ c. grated Monterey jack cheese

Cut chicken in half or pound til its thin. Sprinkle both sides with salt, black pepper, and flour. Saute with butter in large skillet until browned, but not cooked all the way through. Put chicken in 9X13 pan and set aside. In the same skillet put ¼ cup butter (or less, if desired) and sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms until soft. Add 2 Tbs. flour and celery salt, white pepper, chicken broth, and juice. Thicken. Stir in mashed avocados and ½ cup cheese. Pour sauce over chicken in pan and sprinkle remaining (1 cup) cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is light brown. I broiled mine for a few minutes at the end for crispy, brown cheese. Serve over noodles (I used spaghetti).

Mongolian Beef

2008-07-28T00:30:00.003-05:00

We like this recipe for both beef and chicken. The chicken is a little quicker since I skip the cornstarch step since it does not need to be tenderized like the beef.

Ingredients:
 2 t vegetable oil
 1 T garlic, chopped
 1/2 C soy sauce
 1/2 C water
 3/4 C dark brown sugar
 1 C vegetable oil
 1 lb flank steak
 1/4 C cornstarch
 2 large green onions, sliced

Instructions:
1. Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add garlic, then quickly add the soy sauce and water.
3. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to medium; boil for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
4. Remove sauce from heat.
5. Slice the steak against the grain into 1/4-inch slices, then cut into bite size pieces. (Tilt the blade to a 45° angle to get a wider cut.)
6. Dip the steak into cornstarch; set aside for 10 minutes.
7. Heat oil over medium heat in a wok or skillet. (Make sure the meat can be mostly covered with oil.)
8. Add the beef to the oil and sauté for two minutes or until the meat just begins to darken on the edges. (The meat does not need to be cooked through—just evenly.)
9. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat; empty the oil from the skillet.
10. Put the meat back in the skillet; cook for a minute.
11. Add the sauce; cook for one minute while stirring, then add the green onions.
12. Cook for one minute, then remove the beef and onions to a serving plate; leave excess sauce in pan.

Pork Dumplings

2008-07-28T00:27:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork
2 T green onion, chopped
1 t minced garlic
1 t sesame oil
2 t oyster sauce
Dumpling wrappers (usually found in produce area)

Sauce ingredients:
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C sugar
4 t vinegar
1/4 t sesame oil

Instructions:
1. Mix sauce ingredients together.
2. Mix ingredients thoroughly.
3. Fold dumplings using store bought wrappers; make sure they are completely closed.
4. Heat skillet and add oil.
5. Add dumplings and fry over medium heat for about one minute.
6. Add 1/2 C water, cover and let cook for about 4 minutes.
7. Eat immediately with sauce.

**You can also make with other ground meats.**

5-in-1 Bars

2008-07-28T00:22:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:
3 C graham cracker crumbs
2/3 C margarine
1/3 C sugar
24 oz milk chocolate chips
3 C coconut
2 cans sweetened condensed milk

Instructions:
1. Mix crumbs with melted butter and sugar.
2. Press crumb mixture on bottom of 15 x 10 cookie sheet.
3. Top with chocolate chips, coconut, then sweet-ened condensed milk.
4. Bake at 350° for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Mac-n-Smoked Gouda with Cauliflower

2008-07-24T22:51:00.003-05:00

I had this the other day at my friend's house (leftover). So good. Really yummy. And my little girl (18-months) and her son (2 1/2) ate it, too.

from Rachael Ray, Food Network

1 lb. elbow macaroni or cavatappi (corkscrew-shaped pasta)
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 T unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 T all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. paprika
3 c. whole milk
1 c. chicken stock or broth
3 c. shredded smoked Gouda (about 12 oz)
1 T Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt to season the cooking water, then add the pasta.

Cook for 5 minutes, then add the cauliflower and cook for 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked al dente and the florets are just tender. Drain well and return to the pot.

While the pasta cooks, heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and butter until it melts. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes to sweat them out and turn the juices sweet. Raise the heat a bit, then whisk in the flour, cayenne, and paprika.

Whisk together until the roux bubbles up, then cook for 1 minute more. Whisk in the milk and stock and raise the heat a bit higher to bring the sauce to a quick boil. Once it bubbles, drop the heat back to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the cheese to the thickened sauce and stir to melt it, a minute or so. Stir in the mustard and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Pour over the cauliflower and cooked pasta and toss to combine. Serves 5-6.

For the Halibut

2008-07-24T12:36:00.003-05:00

or Salmon . . . to die for -- seriously!!

1 lb fresh halibut chunks
1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped onion

Dip each halibut chunk in the melted butter and roll in bread crumbs. Mix mayo, sour cream and onion, and pour evenly over halibut. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately. I had this when I was visiting my mom. I didn't know it would be so undescribedly delicious or I would have taken a picture before it was all gone!

Quesadilla Salad

2008-07-24T12:12:00.003-05:00

flour tortillas
cheddar cheese
taco meat or fajita chicken/steak
lettuce
tomato
salsa
sour cream
avocado -- I didn't have any, but it would have MADE the dish if I did.

Prepare a quesadilla by layering meat and cheese between tortillas. Cook in a hot skillet with butter, so that the tortilla gets nice and crispy. Cut quesadilla into 4 triangles. Serve on plates by layering the following:

1/4 quesadilla
lettuce
tomato
sour cream
salsa
avocado

Serve as a regular salad, but allow your guests/family/kids to cut up their own quesadilla, or pull it out and eat it separately. This was so yummy!

Peanut Butter Pancakes

2008-07-24T12:08:00.002-05:00

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 1/2 - 2 cups milk

Combine all ingredients, using 1 1/2 cups milk to start. If it seems thick, add more milk until it is the right consistency. Cook as usual, on a hot skillet. Serve with maple syrup, jam, jelly, bananas, whatever. THESE WERE GREAT! And I totally snuck some extra protein into my son's breakfast this morning. lol.

Creamy Squash & Pasta

2008-07-24T12:03:00.002-05:00

This is a great meatless dish ... perfect for summer time!2-3 yellow squash, peeled & diced
3 TBS olive oil
3 TBS butter
1 1/2 TBS flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 small onion, diced
garlic salt & pepper
prepared pasts noodles
fresh parmesan cheese

Melt butter with olive oil in a hot skillet. Add squash and onion, cooking on medium/high heat. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Cook until onions are transparent and squash is starting to brown, just a little. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat throughout, cooking about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the milk. Allow sauce to come to a boil, in order to thicken ... about 1-2 minutes. Pour over pasta noodles and sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup

2008-07-24T11:53:00.003-05:00

8 russet potatoes
1 lb smoked ham, diced (not lunch meat)
1/2 lb bacon, diced
1 cup french onion sour cream dip
1 can cream of chicken soup
2-3 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk (I used whole milk ... skim could be sketchy)
1 small onion, diced
1 TBS parsley flakes
salt & pepper

Cheddar cheese & fresh chives for garnish

Peel 4 of the potatoes and dice them up. Dice up the other 4 with their skins still on. Place in a crock pot. Add the onion and chicken broth, until potatoes are covered (2-3 cups). In a skillet, brown up the diced ham (again, use good ham here ... not lunch meat). Once it's browned a little, place it in the crock pot. Cook on high for 3 hours.

In a skillet, brown the diced bacon until crispy. Drain fat and add to the crock pot. Slowly whisk in the cream of chicken soup, milk, parsley flakes, and sour cream dip. Cook for another 45 minutes on high. Salt and pepper to taste ... it's gonna need quite a bit of salt to flavor all those potatoes ... just add it a tsp, or so, at a time. Garnish with cheese and chives. Mmmm.

Caramel Pecan Ring

2008-07-23T16:40:00.005-05:00

1 refrigerated Pillsbury French Loaf
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Karo syrup
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350*. Combine sugar, butter, and Karo syrup in a sauce pan. Heat throughout, until sugar is dissolved. Add pecans. Grease a 9x9 square dish. Open the French loaf. Score the loaf approximately every 2-3 inches. Place loaf, in the shape of a ring, in the greased dish. Drizzle the entire caramel mixture over the top of the loaf. Bake at 350* until golden brown and bubbly ... about 18 minutes, I think. **Also, check the package of the loaf to verify the oven temp. I'm pretty sure it was 350*, but you may want to double check that.

This is DELICIOUS! And there is NO refrigerated dough taste AT ALL. Super easy, and impressive dessert. Enjoy!!

No Sugar Added Smoothie

2008-07-23T16:35:00.002-05:00

1 cup frozen fruit (whatever you like best)
1 6-8oz container yogurt (whatever flavor you want)
2/3 cup apple juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender. This is designed to be a single serving smoothie. If you use apple juice, it is PLENTY sweet enough to cover any needed sugar. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

2008-07-23T16:28:00.003-05:00

I know, I know ... it's ANOTHER Yoshida's concoction. It's that good. Go buy some! 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, DICED
2 cups green beans (or whatever frozen veggies you have on hand)
1 1/2 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)
garlic salt & pepper
olive oil

Saute the thighs in a hot pan with olive oil. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt (Lawry's Garlic salt is my fav) and pepper, turning to cook on all sides. When chicken is fully cooked and starts to caramelize, add the Yoshida's sauce. Allow chicken and sauce to come back to a boil (add more sauce if you think you need it) and then let simmer for about 5-10 minutes, so that the meat soaks up the sauce a little. Add green beans (or any frozen veggie) 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 OR Costco and it lasts all year. Finally, Costco is carrying the stuff!! It's on the spice aisle ... I think.

PERFECT Peanut Butter Cookies

2008-07-23T15:57:00.002-05:00

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Thoroughly cream butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients; blend into creamed mixture. Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Crisscross with fork tines. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Do not overcook ... take them out when they are barely golden. Makes about 30 cookies. ***Also great with crunchy peanut butter.

Pizza Rolls

2008-07-20T22:06:00.002-05:00

So we moved last week and this was part of our "last meal" in other words making something from whatever is left in the fridge. It turned out pretty good...

Ingredients
Refrigerator Crescent rolls
4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
Pepperoni
Parmesan cheese

Pizza sauce for dipping

Preheat oven. Lay out the dough, spread cream cheese on it, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, lay about 4 pepperoni's on it, roll up into crescent rolls. Bake for the amount of time on the crescent roll package or until it looks done. Dip in pizza sauce.

Fall-Apart Pork Chops

2008-07-14T12:52:00.007-05:00

Forks only with this one ... you won't need a knife!8-10 bone-in pork chops
2 bottles Bulls-Eye ORIGINAL bbq sauce
garlic salt
pepper

Garlic salt and pepper both sides of pork chops. Place in a 9x13 casserole dish ... you can stack these 2-pork-chops high, but no higher. I had to use 2 casserole dishes for the 10 chops. Pour a ridiculous amount of bbq sauce over the top and make sure all the chops are coated with the sauce. I used 1 1/2 bottles of sauce on 10 chops. Cover tightly with a greased piece of foil. Bake at 300* for 3 1/2 hours.

Fire up your grill. Remove chops from oven. Grill chops for about 3-4 minutes on each side ... just until the sauce chars a little bit. Serve with more fresh bbq sauce on top. These made our 4th of July HEAVENLY!!! The meat is so tender, flavorful, and juicy ... Enjoy!

** You can make your own bbq sauce, or use whatever your favorite is. We love the Bulls-Eye ORIGINAL though. MMM.

Taco Salad

2008-07-14T12:43:00.004-05:00

This is perhaps the world's most ghetto taco salad ... so if you are a gourmet chef, you probably won't like this one. If you're a busy mom who is looking for a 5 minute healthy dinner (that your kids will eat!) ... this is for you.1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
2-3 cans of chili with beans (my favorite is the low fat Stagg brand ... get whatever you like)
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
Crumbled tortilla chips
Sour cream
Salsa
Diced tomatoes, optional

Begin by heating the chili up in the microwave until it is HOT; about 2 1/2 minutes, depending on how many cans you're using. Don't forget to cover it with a paper towel ... I don't want y'all cursing my name later.

Okay. This is sooo simple. Make this as individual portions in a bowl. Layer like this:

Lettuce
Hot Chili
Cheese
Tortilla chips

Make sure the chips are on top ... it will lure your kids into eating a salad. lol.

Garnish with sour cream and salsa to taste ... leave it out all together if your kids don't like it. Fresh diced tomatoes make it even better, if you have them on hand. Let your kids stir theirs all together on their own. They'll love it!

If you have plenty of time on your hands and you're a fresh-kind-of-person ... whip up some ground beef with taco seasoning instead of the chili.

Fudge Jumbles

2008-07-14T12:31:00.005-05:00

Cookie:
2 sticks butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups old fashioned oats

Fudge Topping:
2 bags semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cans sweetened condensed milk

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until well mixed. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another large bowl stir together flour and baking soda; stir in oats. Gradually stir dry mixture into beaten mixture. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate pieces. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Press all but about 1 heaping cup of the oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Spread chocolate mixture over the oat mixture. Using your fingers, crumble remaining oat mixture over the chocolate.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate mixture will still look moist). Allow the Jumbles to cool for about 45 minutes before cutting to serve. Makes a WHOLE bunch! Yum!!

*Cover these with foil and store at room temperature ... if they aren't covered the chocolate will get crumbly instead of staying fudgey. MMM.

Skillet Penne with Chicken and Broccoli

2008-07-11T14:41:00.003-05:00

This is a VERY yummy pasta- sorry for the lack of pictures. You'll have to trust me- its the latest Crofts Family Favorite!! Its from the America's Test Kitchen cookbook-with a few minor changes of my own...enjoy!

1 lb. chicken breasts, sliced into 1 inch pieces
Salt and Pepper
3 Tbs. butter
1 onion, minced
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. penne (2 ½ cups)
2 ½ c. chicken broth
½ c. heavy cream
1 bunch broccoli (1 ½ lbs.), stems discarded and florets cut into 1 inch pieces
1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped as fine as desired
½ c. parmesan cheese

1. Pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 Tbs. of butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until its lightly browned but not fully cooked, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add 1 more Tbs. butter, onion, red pepper flakes, oregano, and ½ tsp. salt to skillet. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
3. Sprinkle penne evenly into skillet. Pour the broth and cream over it. Cover and bring to boil, about 5 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to med-low and stir in the broccoli and roasted peppers. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until the pasta begins to soften and the broccoli turns bright green, about 8 minutes.
5. Stir in the chicken and any accumulated juice. Cover and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
6. Stir in remaining butter and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fruit Sherbet Dessert

2008-06-25T14:25:00.004-05:00

This is such an easy, refreshing dessert for the summer . . . we serve it every Fourth of July.

1 brick of sherbet (pineapple or raspberry) at Smiths

1 brick of vanilla ice cream

5-6 bananas

1 pkg frozen raspberries (large) or 2 cartons fresh
blueberries (frozen or 1 carton fresh)

-- can use fresh or frozen fruit. If using a frozen mix, no melons, thaw before using. Let sherbet and vanilla thaw enough to mix with other ingredients into a large bowl. Put back into freezer to set (will take 24 hours). Take out to thaw slightly before serving -- about 10-15 minutes.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2008-06-24T16:00:00.004-05:00

(Sorry no picture!)
This weekend I was craving some southern pulled pork. I called up my Alabama born brother who bleeds barbecue. And he gave me the following tips to make easy pulled pork:
I bought a picnic pork roast from the grocery store and put it in the slow cooker on high for 5 hours (or on low for 8 hours) with an onion, half bottle of ketchup, cup of vinegar and a rub. Supposedly the rub is the key. I mixed salt, pepper, paprika, brown sugar, white sugar, basil, thyme, chopped bay leaves and some other herbs. I didn't brown the roast before I put in it, but I guess you could do that too.
After 5 hours, I pulled out the pork and rinsed out the slow cooker. I de-boned the meat and shredded it lightly. I put it back in the slow cooker and mixed in half a bottle of BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's), some more vinegar and a little water. I let it simmer for an hour and a half and served it on rolls! Delicious!

bird seed

2008-06-23T11:24:00.004-05:00

We just got back from a family vacation (9 hour road trip and cruise). And I was reminded by my sister about this tradition we used to have growing up. For our family road trips/vacations, my mom would always make "bird seed." So, I made some for our trip. I made homemade caramel corn, but my mom always used store bought stuff.

Here's what you need:
Pops cereal
M&Ms
peanuts
caramel corn

Here's what you do:
Pour desired quantities into large Ziploc bag and mix.
Great for munching!

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

2008-06-19T15:41:00.005-05:00

I made this when my parents were in town and it was delicious! My Dad even mentioned it in his blog post about their trip . . . I think that means it was memorable. This recipe (and picture) is form Martha Stewart.

Ingredients
Serves 4.
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 thinly sliced scallions
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large frozen shrimp, thawed, tails removed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh fresh mint, plus more for garnish
4 ounces feta cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees with rack set in upper third. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add scallions, garlic, and oregano; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until no liquid remains in skillet, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add shrimp and mint to skillet. Stir to combine; transfer to an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish. Crumble feta over top.

Bake until liquid is bubbling, cheese is beginning to brown, and shrimp in center of dish are opaque, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with Orzo and Green Beans, sprinkled with additional chopped mint.

Chopped Salad

2008-06-18T09:15:00.004-05:00

1 rotisserie chicken, white and dark meat, diced
1 lb cooked, crumbled bacon
2 tomatoes, diced
1 8oz block Monterrey Jack cheese, diced
1 cucumber, peeled & diced
1 head iceberg lettuce, diced/chopped
Good Ranch Dressing

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, adding dressing last. Mix well until combined throughout. This would easily feed 6-8 people DINNER, or provide a side salad for 10-12. It's a huge recipe. Enjoy!

Rocky Road Cake

2008-06-18T09:04:00.003-05:00

This was taken straight from FoodNetwork.com ... it is Paula Dean's recipe ... I added the marshmallows to make it a Rocky Road cake.
Cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) can chocolate syrup (recommended: Hershey's)

Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

For the cake: Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in another bowl. Add to creamed mixture, continuing to beat. Add vanilla and chocolate syrup to batter and mix well. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. While cake is baking, prepare the frosting.

For the frosting: Put butter, chocolate chips, sugar and evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stirring ingredients together, boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and nuts. Allow frosting to cool a bit and then add marshmallows. Pour over warm cake. Serve at room temperature.

Deep Dish Mini Pizzas

2008-06-18T08:57:00.003-05:00

Pillsbury Grands Refrigerator Biscuits (Home style, Butter, whatever)
Your favorite spaghetti/pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni, sausage, ect.

Preheat oven as directed on the biscuit package (I think it was 375*, but I could be totally wrong). Grease a muffin tin. Place biscuits, one to an opening, in muffin tin. Gently press the biscuit to form a cup around the sides of the muffin tin ... sort of like making a little cup to hold sauce, toppings, and cheese. Bake empty 'cups' for 8 minutes until puffy and just slightly brown. Remove from oven. Add a TBS of sauce, then sprinkle cheese, then sprinkle toppings. Return to oven and continue baking until cheese is melted and toppings are golden. Kids will love it!

** If you don't bake the biscuits for a few minutes before adding toppings, then they'll probably come out dough-y.

Nauvoo Bread

2008-06-10T08:17:00.003-05:00

I made this bread yesterday from the recipe that we got at the Family Living Center in Nauvoo.
(Tired of hearing about Nauvoo yet?)
The settlers cooked it in one of two ways. If they were wealthy and had a "bustle oven" in their home, the mother got up in the morning and built a fire in it and let it burn until it was red hot coals. They removed the coals from the oven and it was hot enough to start cooking for the day. She would make some bread, then as the oven started cooling down made other things like pies.
If you didn't have a bustle oven or pans to cook bread in, you made "ash bread." They let the fire burn down to hot coals and ashes, then put the bread on the ground of the fireplace and covered it with the coals and ashes and let it bake. (Yum, ash.)
This recipe is delicious.

Nauvoo Bread (credit goes to a Sister Prince)

5 cups hot water
1/2 cup potato flakes
1/2 cup suger
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup oil or shortening
2 T. yeast
1-1/2 T. salt
10-14 cups flour

Combine hot water, shortening, potato flakes, powdered milk, sugar. Stir to dissolve shortening. When temperature is tepid, add yeast. Mix in 5 cups of flour and the salt. Stir to a smooth sponge. Add flour to make smooth and elastic dough. Let rise until double, about 45 minutes, punch down and let rise again. Shape into loaves, let rise. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes.

**I used 5 cups of whole wheat flour and 5+ white. I also added wheat germ, wheat bran and 10-grain cereal to up the fiber. This recipe made 4 round loaves.

Blender Wheat Pancakes and Homemade Syrup

2008-05-29T14:32:00.006-05:00

Blender Wheat Pancakes
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder

Blend wheat flour and 1 cup milk on high for 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup milk and blend for another 2 minutes. Add rest of ingredients and blend until mixed. Really yummy served with this homemade syrup...

Homemade Syrup
I grew up in a house with only homemade syrup. I didn't know who Mrs. Butterworth was until I was in college! Anyway, if you haven't tried homemade, I'd recommend it.

2 cups white or brown sugar (matter of taste - my dad likes one cup of each)
1 cup water
Bring to a boil.

Add:
1/2 tsp maple
1 tsp vanilla
(I also like to add 1/2 tsp almond flavoring, but again, it's a matter of taste.)

If you like thick syrup allow it to cool a little before serving. It thickens as it cools.

Thank you, Rachel!

2008-05-20T11:52:00.001-05:00

Thank you to Rachel D ... the woman behind the new template. It's simple, clean, and simply perfect!! I hope you all love it!! Thanks again, Rachel!!

Janette

Clone of a Cinnabon

2008-05-19T21:33:00.004-05:00

I got this one from Allrecipes.com. It really is very good and very close to Cinnabon.

Ready in 3 hours, 12 servings

Ingredients:

dough:
1 Cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temp
1/3 Cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 Cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 Cup white sugar
2 1/2 tsp yeast

filling:
1 Cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 Tbs ground cinnamon
1/3 Cup butter, softened

icing:
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 Cup butter, softened
1 1/2 Cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

Heat oven to 200 degrees.

Mix milk and 1 Tbs of the sugar until dissolved, add yeast.

Mix dry ingredients.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in Kitchen Aide (or stand mixer of your choice that has a dough -hook). It should become a smooth ball.

Turn OFF oven. Cover dough with moist towel over bowl and put in warmed oven for 1 hour (it will double in size). Turn out dough on lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 min.

In small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll Dough into 16" by 21" rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 Cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. It will seem like overkill, but it's okay, use it all. Roll up dough and cut with floss into 12 rolls (you put the floss under and bring both ends around and cross the ends until it squeezes and cuts the dough).

Place rolls in lightly greased (or better yet, lined with parchment paper) 9" by 13" pan. Cover and let rise until doubled (about 30 mins).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake rolls in oven until golden brown, 15 minutes. While baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 Cup butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Turkey Marinade

2008-05-19T15:22:00.005-05:00

I am not a big turkey fan...however, turkey marinated and cook THIS way is to die for. So good. So soft. So perfect. My aunt made this for her son's wedding luncheon (like 10 years ago) and my family was so excited to finally get their hands on this recipe...again (lost about 9 years ago). It's great on a grill but you could probably cook it another way. It's definitely a must try. And if you REALLY have turkey issues, you could just use chicken breasts. Probably be just as good.

1 quart 7-up or gingerale (diet probably works, too)
1 pint Canola oil
1 pint soy sauce
1 Tbsp horseradish
1 tsp garlic powder

Marinate turkey (I used sliced turkey breast) for 24 hours in a Ziploc. Grill or cook as desired.

Honey Cilantro Shrimp Tacos

2008-05-16T00:16:00.002-05:00

Oh my gosh, these are the best, you've really got to try them. Way easy and super impressive. The Honey Cilantro sauce is the best!

These tacos are incredible; sweet, slightly spicy and flavorful!
25 Minutes to Prepare and Cook

Ingredients
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced into strips
2 bell peppers, sliced into strips
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno (remove seeds if you don't like it hot.)
1 1/2 lb. precooked cocktail shrimp, tails removed
4 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. coriander
2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
8 tortillas, soft taco size

Directions
Warm oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bell peppers, and jalapeno. Cook until onions are transparent, about 5-10 minutes. Add shrimp and cook only until warmed through. (The longer they cook, the more they lose water and shrink.)
Drain mixture in a colander, return to skillet and stove, lower the temperature of the stovetop to low. Add cumin and coriander, salt and pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, combine honey and chopped cilantro. Place shrimp mixture in tortilla and top with a spoonful of the honey mixture. You can top with salsa or sour cream if you wish. Enjoy!
*Note: these tacos can be pretty messy, so you may prefer to eat them with a fork and knife

Number of Servings: 4