APPLE SAUCE MUFFINS

1/2 CUP OIL
1 CUP BROWN SUGAR, CREAM TOGETHER
IN ANOTHER BOWL MIX 1 CUP APPLE SAUCE AND 1 tsp BAKING SODA TOGETHER
MIX ALL ABOVE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER
THEN ADD 1 1/2 CUPS WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR AND 1tsp CINNAMON TO WET INGREDIENTS
BAKE IN MUFFIN PANS FOR 20 MINS. AT 375 DEGREES IT MAKES ABOUT 12 MUFFINS

Easy Fudge

Peanut Butter Fudge from Eagle Brand®
SUBMITTED BY: EAGLE BRAND® "The family will go wild for this peanutty fudge. Peanut butter, chopped peanuts, and white chocolate really make it special."

PREP TIME
20 Min
READY IN
2 Hrs 20 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 2 1/4 pounds
US
METRIC

About scaling and conversions
INGREDIENTS
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 (6 ounce) packages white chocolate squares or white baking bars, chopped
3/4 cup chopped peanuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


In heavy saucepan, heat EAGLE BRAND® and peanut butter over medium heat until just bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in white chocolate until smooth. Immediately stir in peanuts and vanilla.
Spread evenly into wax paper lined 8-or 9-inch square pan. Cool. Cover and chill 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off paper. Sprinkle with additional chopped peanuts if desired. Cut into squares. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Teri Le's Stuffed Potatoe Salad

I made this for Thanksgiving, (first time I've ever made a potatoe salad, since I don't eat it) and everyone LOVED it!! It's really easy, too.

5lb bag of red potatoes
12 boiled eggs chopped (reserve 1 to garnish on top)
1 jar mayonnaise
½ - ¾ cup mustard
1 bunch green onions, cut up
1 small can sliced olives, drained
½ cup relish
Bacon, cooked and diced


Wash and place potatoes in crockpot on high for 6 hours or until soft with about ½ cup water. (You can dice and boil if you prefer, but I like this way as the potatoes absorb less water.) When they’re soft and ready to go, I cut half with the skins, and then peel the skins off of the other half. Cut up into pieces and place in large bowl.

Add remaining ingredients, to taste, and mix well. Slice 1 egg and garnish the top. Refrigerate until well chilled. If you do so for at least 12 hours, the flavors marinate really well!

Frosting for Brownies

You can make your own brownies from scratch, but I let Betty Crocker make mine. I got this frosting recipe from a good friend of mine...it is divine.

1 ½ c. gran. Sugar
6 T milk
6 T margarine/butter
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Begin this recipe after your brownies are done. On medium-high heat, bring the sugar, milk & butter to a boil. Let boil for 30 seconds. Take off the burner and add the chocolate chips, stirring until you get a smooth consistency. Pour immediately onto the brownies.

Lion House Onion-Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Lion House Onion-Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

½ lb. fresh mushrooms
1 – 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 T. fine dry bread crumbs (I use Italian style)
2 T. finely chopped fresh parsley (I omit this)
2 t. freshly grated onion
¼ t. paprika
¼ t. salt

Clean mushrooms and remove stems. Place the mushrooms upside down on an aluminum-foil lined cookie sheet. Discard stems or use for another purpose. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and fill each mushroom each mushroom cap. Broil until lightly browned. Makes about 15 appetizers (I double the recipe and use 15 large mushrooms and also use ½ light cream cheese & ½ regular).

Lion House Festive Cheese Ball

Lion House Festive Cheese Ball

2 – 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened (I use 1 pkg. light cream cheese & 1 pkg. regular)
2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 T. finely chopped green onion
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. lemon juice
½ t. lemon pepper
1 c. finely chopped nuts (use your favorite, I use almond gems)
½ c. chopped parsley (I use dried parsley)

Combine all ingredients, except nuts & parsley, in a medium bowl and mix until well blended. Divide the mixture in half and spoon into 2 small bowls lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate for several hours. Lift out waxed paper from each bowl, and mold cheese into a ball, using waxed paper to protect hands. Roll each balled in chopped nuts and parsley. Refrigerate. Remove about 15 minutes before serving; serve with a variety of crackers. Makes 2 small cheese balls.

Spaghetti Pie

My friend Kristy emailed me this recipe to post. She says it's a great one, especially for people with kids, since kids love it!

Spaghetti Pie

1/2 lb dry spaghetti noodles
2 eggs
1 cup finely shredded or grated parmesan
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozarella
1 cup marinara sauce
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Boil water and cook the spaghetti noodles; drain and rinse noodles.

In a large bowl, mix the hot noodles with 2 tbsp olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the 2 eggs with about 1/3 cup parmesan; add to large bowl with noodles and olive oil. Mix all ingredients so that noodles are coated with egg/cheese mixture.

Form spaghetti noodles into a "crust" in a greased 10" pie plate or round casserole dish. Spread ricotta over the noodles, leaving a small margin around the edges without cheese. Pour marinara sauce over the ricotta.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and add mozarella to the top. Cook another 5 five minutes, or until mozarella is melted. Remove from oven, and add remainder of parmesan to top. Let sit and cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into "slices".

Green Chili Casserole

Ingredients:
12 corn tortillas
1-2 lbs Hamburger
1 small onion, diced
1 can of Cream of Mushroom
2 cans of Cream of Chicken
1 small can green chilies (4 oz)
Cheddar Cheese, grated

Directions:
Brown Hamburger and onion. Mix the rest of ingredients together and add to cooked hamburger. Heat mixture through. In a 9x13 pan (i use a glass pan) layer half of the meat mixture then 6 corn tortillas to cover the mixture. Sprinkle with layer of cheese. Place the rest of the meat mixture in pan onto top of tortillas. Cover with the remaining 6 tortillas. Cover with more cheddar cheese. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

(first layer down and almost complete with the 2nd layer)

(ready to go in the oven)

One Dish Chicken and Rice

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup mayo (can use light)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped green or red bell peppers
2 cups cooked white rice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

If you don't have the peppers and onions, it is still good without that. I like this because it is easy and Taylor loves it.

Preheat oven to 350.
Blend soup, milk, salt, pepper, and mayo. in a medium bowl. Combine chicken, onion, peas, bell pepper, and rice in a large bowl; mix gently.

Gently fold soup mixture into chicken mixture to combine. Fold in half the cheddar.

Spray a medium casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon in chicken mixture.

Sprinkle top of casserole with remaining Cheddar. Bake until top is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

Every time I make this, I wonder why I don't make it more often! It's easy and good!

1 egg
½ c. Italian style bread crumbs
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced (making 4 total)
2 jars of your favorite Marinara sauce (We like Bertoli Tomato & Basil)
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
8-12 oz. spaghetti or linguine, cooked

Preheat oven to 400. Beat egg in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of each breast in egg, then into the bread crumbs to coat. Set on a baking pan, lined with aluminum foil and greased with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for about 10-15 minutes-turning over halfway through. Pour marinara sauce into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place chicken in dish and top with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375-400 until cheese completely melts and browns, about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Transfer a portion of pasta to each plate. Place sauce and chicken on top of pasta and serve. Serves 4.

Pumpkin Cake Rolls

Pumpkin Cake Rolls

Beat 3 eggs with mixer for 5 minutes. Gradually add in 1 cup sugar.

Stir in 3/4 cup pumpkin and 1 tsp. lemon juice

Stir together:

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Ginger

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

Fold into pumpkin mixture.

Spread in greased and well-floured cookie sheet. (may top with chopped nuts if desired)

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes

Turn out on towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Starting at narrow end, roll towel and cake together.

Cool and then unroll.

Filling:
Combine

1 cup powdered sugar

6 oz. cream cheese (block) at room temp.

4 T. butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat until smooth.

Spread over cake roll, roll back up w/o towel this time. Wrap with plastic wrap or Press'n'Seal. Chill 2 to 3 hours. Best eaten chilled/frozen. Will keep in freezer for two-three weeks!

Best Ever Green Bean Casserole

I am not a big fan of the canned green beans/cream of mushroom soup/french fried onions version of the green bean casserole, but we tried this recipe this year, and it is now my favorite Thanksgiving dish (it really doesn't take that much longer).

(stolen from Alton Brown)

Topping:

2 medium yellow or brown onions, thinly sliced

1/4 C flour

2 T bread crumbs

1 t Kosher salt

For the beans and sauce:

2T plus 1t Kosher salt, divided

1 lb fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved

2 T butter

12 oz mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 t pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 t nutmeg

2 T flour

1 C chicken broth

1 C half and half

Preheat oven to 475 F.

Coat an aluminum baking sheet w/ cooking spray.

Place all topping ingredients into a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Evenly spread the mixture on the cooking sheet. Bake until golden brown, approx 30 minutes, tossing 2-3 times during cooking. When they are done, remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven to 400 degrees.

While the onions are cooking, bring a gallon of water + 2 T salt to a boil in a large pot. Blanch the beans for 5 minutes, drain, then shock them in ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the butter, mushrooms, 1 t salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to release liquid (4-5 minutes). Add garlic and nutmeg, cook 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Add chicken broth. Simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium low and add the half and half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Transfer to an oven safe dish. Top w/ remaining onions and cook until bubbly, approx 15 minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Supreme Rice Krispie Treats

Supreme Rice Krispie Treats

1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Karo Syrup (light)
1 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter
(12 oz.)6 Cups Rice Krispies

Melt together sugar, syrup, & peanut butter. Add rice krispies, & coat. Pour into jelly roll pan.

Frosting:
1 Small Bag Milk Chocolate Chips
1 Small Bag Butterscotch Chips
Melt together on low.
Pour over bars to frost.

Oh-So-Easy French Dip

This is my favorite meal (HANDS DOWN) to both prepare and consume, not to mention watch as my children gobble it down like they're never going to get another meal as long as they live.

French Dip

1-2 lbs deli-fresh sliced Roast Beef (depending on the # you're feeding)

3-5 Beef Boullion cubes

1-2 cans Beef Broth

1/3 or less can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Seasoned Salt

1 tsp. Worchestershire Sauce

6-12 SOFT French rolls (Francisco brand is great)

6-12 sliced Swiss (or other favorite) cheese

Put first 7 ingredients into a crockpot on LOW setting. Let simmer for 2-4 hours.

Toast or Broil French Rolls, place a couple slices of Roast Beef, and then add a slice of cheese. Close sandwich and the cheese will melt.

Use the remaining juice from the crockpot for au jus, for dipping.

Dip, savor, repeat.

NOTE: I usually just throw in whatever spices I can find. You can add whatever else you think would be good.

BBQ Ham Sandwiches

I got this from another blog recipe site and it looked good and easy!


2 pounds sliced deli ham
1 C. Water
1 C. Ketchup
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbs. White Vinegar
2 tsp. Mustard
A few shakes of salt & pepper to taste
Hamburger Buns~~I used Kaiser Rolls
Split & toasted.
Directions
Grease crock-pot and place Ham inside. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Wisk together until well combined. Pour over ham and mix well. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Stirring occasionally to keep ham moist. Serve on toasted buns.

Zuppa Toscana (Inspired by the Olive Garden)

Randy says the sausage is the most important ingredient, but I say it's the kale! This is a recipe I have to keep saved on my computer because I get asked quite often for a copy.

1 lb. ground Hot Italian sausage
½ lb. bacon, chopped
7-9 medium potatoes, cut lengthwise and thinly sliced **If you have a potato slicer that can get your potatoes really thin, you don't need to cut them lengthwise
1 medium onion, diced or shredded
1 1/4 t. minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 c. kale leaves, chopped
4-5 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth (enough to just cover the potatoes & onion)
1 pt.. or less heavy whipping cream,
Salt & pepper to taste (I don't add any b/c I think the broth, bacon & sausage give it enough flavor)

Place broth, potatoes, garlic & onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until onions and potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, brown the sausage & bacon. I microwave the sausage & bacon in my batter bowl (separately) in 3 min. intervals-draining the fat and crumbling the meat after each interval. Usually cooks in 6-7 min. Add the sausage and bacon to the soup. Simmer 10 minutes. Add kale and cream, season with salt and pepper. Heat through and serve.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Tanya and I have a favorite spa and hotel in Newport. This comes from them, so I'm trusting it to be awesome.

Nothing warms the soul like a rich and savory winter squash soup. This delectable recipe comes from Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa Executive Chef Thomas O’Keefe. (Serves 8)

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt, to taste
• ground white pepper, to taste
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

Instructions:
1.Preheat oven to 425° F. Toss squash, onions and thyme in olive oil. Spread mixture onto one or two large baking sheets. Season with salt and pepper. Roast 20–30 minutes until tender, stirring once or twice.
2.Remove from oven and transfer to a large saucepot. Add chicken broth, wine, and cardamom. Simmer 10 minutes.
3.Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to a clean saucepan and taste for seasonings.
4.When ready to serve, bring back to simmer, remove from heat and whisk in cream.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 package cake mix (any flavor)
2/3 cup quick oats
1/2 cup butter melted
1 egg
1/2 cup M&Ms

Beat together first 4 ingredients; stir in M&Ms. Drop on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 6 to 8 minutes until light brown.

* It's going to be (look) dry. That's the way it is.

* I rolled into balls so the dough would "stick together".

* I used "mini" M&Ms.

* I used Devils food cake cake mix. Obviously you can't really tell if they are "light brown". So i just stuck with the 6-8 mins and they turned out perfect. They are SO SO YUMMY...and QUICK!

* This is the first time i made them so i don't know what other flavor cake mix tastes like.

Easy Chicken Crescent Rolls - So yummy!

Ingredients:
1 c Cooked Chicken chopped
4 oz Cream Cheese softened (can use light)
2 Tbs Milk
1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 Package Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1/2 cube melted butter
Crushed stovetop mix or croutons (I prefer Marie Callenders Garlic and Butter croutons)

Stir first 5 ingredients together. Separate rolls. Place about 2 tbs chicken mixture on large end of the roll. Roll into crescent. Dip in melted butter, then croutons. Continue for all rolls. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 20-25 min.

Crepes - My Favorite Breakfast, Any Time of Day

Ingredients

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 Cup Milk

2 Eggs

3 Tbs Butter or Margarine - Melted

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Preparation

Combine ingredients into a bowl. Mix. I've found it's easiest to combine all of the dry ingredients and the slowly mix in each of the liquids while working out the clumps.

Heat a small pan to medium heat and then drop a little bit of butter on the pan and work it around to coat evenly. Give a good dollop of batter and move the pan around to ensure an even coating. Once the bubbles all pop, flip it over until golden brown.

Crepes are traditionally a breakfast food, however they are also enjoyable with minced meats for afternoon meals. My personal favorite is fresh chopped strawberries with whipped creme, but when all else fails they are still good with a little bit of jam and powdered sugar and cinnamon.

This was the highlight of my trips to my late Granny's house growing up and my Dad makes them almost as good as she did. My missionary companions from France and Belgium each had their own way for making the batter. One of them would make the batter hours in advance and then refridgerate it to make sure all of the bubbles had time to surface. I didn't notice much of a difference in the taste and it seemed more complicated than it needed to be. Don't forget to try them with a slice of vanilla ice cream wrapped up (oh yes, don't fold your crepes, roll them) and caramel sauce and whipped cream on top... I think I'll make some now.

Crockpot Enchilada Casserole - the cheaters way

Prep time: less than 5 minutes

Great with rice or a salad

Ingredients:

Frozen burritos (I use approx 1 1/2 per person eating... this allows for leftovers. Any flavor will work.)

1 large can Enchilada sauce

cheese and sour cream for garnish

Put frozen burritos in crock pot. Pour Enchilada sauce over the top. Cook low for 4 hours. Garnish with cheese and sour cream.

It doesn't get any simpler than that.

WARNING: The final product is NOT attractive. The burritos fall apart into the sauce...mmmm.... I was told that you could make it in a 9X13 pan, laying the burritos in the bottom, pouring Enchilada sauce over the top and then baking it in the oven, but I have never made it that way.

update

I was able to add a picture to the Thai Beef Pita recipe. Check it out if you are curious as to what it looks like.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Ingredients:
8 Boneless chicken breasts*
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 package Ritz crackers
2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds

Directions:
Broil chicken till done. Mix sour cream and soup. Pour over cooked chicken. Crumble crackers in small bowl. Mix poppyseeds with the 2 tablespoons butter and add to crumbled crackers, mix well. Put cracker mixture over the chicken mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or till hot. ENJOY!

* This last time i used chicken tenderloins, enough to cover the 9x13 pan. Worked good.

Yummy orange julius

This makes enough for about 4-5 people.

6 oz frozen orange juice in the can
10-20 ice cubes
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup water

Mix it all together in the blender. YUMMMMMMMMMMM.

Easy Crock Pot Stew

Since Nora's mom requested this I'm happy to share it again.

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. of lean stew meat
place in bottom of crock pot and salt and pepper the meat real good and also add about 1/2 package of dry onion soup mix, or if you don' t have that handy add lots of dehydrated onion.
Then cut up 5 potatoes ( I leave skins on and it's usually good size chunks)
one lbs. bag of baby carrots
one can of drained corn

mix separately 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup and one can of tomato soup and one can of water. ( it will be a gross color but don't worry)

pour over the meat and vegetables.. cook on high about 6-7 hours and you have great stew!

if you want to get fancy, after you do the potatoes add a bit of season salt on them.

Pork Roast Chili Verde (crock-pot)

This is what we had for dinner last night and again tonight (it makes a lot). The recipe is from Harmons and we ate it Enchilada style.

1 (4lb) Pork Roast (Harmons has seasoned pork spoon roasts in the deli, they are so yummy and easy to make)
1/2 cup flour
2 (10 oz) cans Rotel Diced tomatoes and Green Chilis
4 (4 oz) cans diced green chilis
1 extra large white onion, diced small
2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
6 to 8 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 heaping teaspoon mexican seasoning

(we added green and red bell peppers and more jalapenos, super spicey)

Roll roast in flour, coating heavily. Place in crock-pot and sprinkle any un-used flour over the top. Mix all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and pour over roast. Cook in crock-pot on high for 6 to 8 hours or low at least 12 hours. When done, break up roast with tongs and serve rolled in tortillas. Reduce the spiciness by reducing or eliminating the jalapeno peppers. Serves 12.

Easy Salad dressing

This is a GREAT Oil and Vinegar salad dressing

1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3 teas. dijon mustard ( make sure it's dijon)
1/4 teas. black pepper
1/4 teas oregano leaves ( not ground)

mix and refrigerate.

This is wonderful, taste like Karmen Robert's dressing

Grandma's Chicken SUPER EASY noodle casserole

This one is GREAT with kids! Paige always eats everything on her plate. Its good when you want some "comfort" food, or on a cold night along with hawaiian rolls or something :).

1 bag of wide egg noodles
1 large can white chicken meat
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 to 1 cup sour cream (depends on how creamy you want it)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or 2 if youre obsessed with cheese like me)

Drain canned chicken & mix with sour cream, soup and cheese in large bowl.
Cook noodles.
Pre heat over to 350 degrees.
Mix the noodles with the soup mix in the large bowl.
Pour mixture into a large casserole pan 12x 18?
sprinkle cheese over top of casserole.

Warm in oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.

Skillet Chicken and Rice with Peas and Scallions

(stolen from America's Test Kitchen...I know, the directions are a little...wordy. Ignore the links. I couldn't get rid of them. They go no where.)

This is a favorite because it only takes ONE pan.

Prep Time :15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Be sure to use chicken breasts that are roughly the same size to ensure even cooking.

Serves 4

4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts(6 to 8 ounces each)
	Table salt and ground black pepper
1/2	cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2	tablespoons vegetable oil
2	tablespoons unsalted butter
1	medium onion, minced
3	medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
	Pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2	cups long-grain rice
1/2	cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
4 1/2	cups low-sodium chicken broth
1	cup frozen peas
5	scallions, sliced thin
2	tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1	lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour to coat and shake off any excess. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the chicken well on one side, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

2. Off the heat, add the butter to the skillet, and swirl to melt. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and return to medium-high heat until softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the rice thoroughly and let toast for about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the wine and let the rice absorb it completely, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle the chicken into the rice, browned side facing up, including any accumulated juices. Cover and cook over medium heat until the thickest part of the chicken registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.

4. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Gently brush off and discard any rice clinging to the chicken, then tent the chicken with foil and set aside. Return the skillet of rice to medium-low heat, cover, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 8 to 12 minutes longer.

5. Off the heat, sprinkle the peas over the rice, cover, and let warm through, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions and lemon juice to the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the chicken and lemon wedges.

Grilled Fish Steaks

Prep Time: 10 min. (+1 hour to marinate)
Cook Time: 10-20 min.
Servings: 2
Perfect Partners: Baked potato & salad.




I got this recipe from allrecipes.com. I've made it twice, and it is perfection! I followed the recipe exactly. Instead of grilling, I baked it in the middle rack of the oven at 450 for 10-15 minutes, turning halfway through. My oven cooks fast, so you may need to cook it 5 minutes longer. So easy & so good!

Another note: Sometimes I get lucky and find Halibut in the fresh fish section sold in "bits & pieces." It was sold for $4.99/lb. and it was every bit as good as the $14.99/lb. version.

INGREDIENTS:
1 clove garlic, minced
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black
pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
parsley
2 (6 ounce) fillets halibut

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a stainless steel or glass bowl, combine garlic, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and parsley.

2. Place the halibut filets in a shallow glass dish or a resealable plastic bag, and pour the marinade over the fish. Cover or seal and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning occasionally.

3. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. Set grate 4 inches from the heat.

4. Remove halibut filets from marinade and drain off the excess. Grill filets 5 minutes per side or until fish is done when easily flaked with a fork.

Pumpkin Stew

I made this for our Halloween party and everyone absolutely loved it. I was nervous that it would be too pumpkiny, but it wasn't at all. So delicious.

Pumpkin Stew

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 4 hours
Yields: 8 servings



INGREDIENTS

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 cup water
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, sliced
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1 10-12 pound sugar pumpkin


DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Place beef in the saucepan and cook until evenly brown. Mix in the water, potatoes, carrots, green pepper, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer approximately 2 hours.

2. Dissolve the bouillon into the beef mixture. Stir in the tomatoes.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

4. Cut top off the pumpkin and remove seeds and pulp. Place the pumpkin in a heavy baking pan. Fill the pumpkin with the beef mixture. Place the pumpkin lid back on. Brush outside of the pumpkin with remaining oil.

5. Bake pumpkin 2 hours, or until tender. Serve the stew from the pumpkin, scraping out some of the pumpkin meat with each serving.

Thai Beef Pita's

I got this out of a Family Circle magazine last year. It's a bit spicy, so i don't know how it would work with those of you that have kids. I was trying to upload a picture of it, but it's giving me issues. i'll try the picture later. I am actually thinking of making these tonight. They are so good. ENJOY!!!

Thai Beef Pita's



makes: 4 servings
prep: 15 minutes
cook: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
2 medium-size sweet red peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 whole wheat pita pockets (tortilla's work just as good)
8 romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:
1. Crumble beef into large nonstick skillet; cook over med-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until browned. Spoon off excess fat.
2. Add peppers, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes to skillet. Cook over med-high heat, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes or until peppers are softened.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together cilantro, peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir into beef mixture. Remove from heat.
4. Cut pitas in half and line insides with lettuce leaves. Fill each with about 1/2 cup of the beef mixture and serve.

Meat and Cheese Stromboli

Prep time: < 5 minutes (no kidding!)
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Great with a salad
Serves 4-5




1 tube refrigerated French loaf dough (It is with the crescent roll dough, biscuits etc in the grocery store. You can also use crescent roll dough, just mash the seams together.)
2 C shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, jack or any combination)
1/4 lb thinly sliced deli meat (ham or turkey)
1 T melted butter
1 T grated Parmesan

Unroll dough and pat into a 14"*12" rectangle. Sprinkle cheese over the dough to w/in 1/2" of edges. Top with a single layer of ham. Roll up tightly from a short side; pinch seam to seal. Place seam down on a baking sheet. Brush top w/ butter and sprinkle w/ Parmesan. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.

Our 1st recipe: Chicken Cordon Bleu

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Perfect partner: broccoli

Ingredients:
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (I use thin sliced chicken breasts which makes a lot more and you don't have to pound them thin. If you do it this way, you will need more of the following ingredients)
salt and pepper
4 thin slices of ham
2 ounces Swiss cheese, cut into 4 sticks
3 Tablespoons of butter
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Pound chicken between heavy duty plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thickness with a meat mallet. (using thin breasts, you don't have to do this).

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Place a ham slice on each chicken, add Swiss cheese and roll it up. Tuck in sides and secure with toothpicks (I don't usually need to do this).

Melt butter in a baking dish in the oven. Dip chicken rolls in butter and roll in bread crumbs to coat.

Arrange chicken in baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is golden.