Sunday, December 5, 2010

Nutella Fudge Bonbons

Nutella Fudge Bonbons

  • 1 12 oz. bag chocolate chips
  • 1/4 c. butter
  • 2 T. nutella
  • 1 can sweetened, condensed milk
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 2 c. flour
  • Additional nutella (about 1/4 – 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 2 T. cocoa powder
  • 1-2 T. milk

1. Melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat in a sauce pan, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat once fully melted and stir in 2 T. nutella. Add sweetened, condensed milk and vanilla. Stir until combined. Add flour a 1/2 c. at a time until fully incorporated. (If it gets to hard to stir together in the pot, pour onto parchment paper or aluminum foil and knead until combined.) The finished dough should be very pliable, almost like a play-doh consistency.

2. Take about a tablespoon of dough and flatten. Spoon some nutella into the center and form dough around it, rolling into a ball. Repeat until done. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool.

3. Meanwhile, stir together powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add milk gradually until desired drizzling consistency is reached.

4. Spoon icing over the cooled bonbons and decorate as desired. Let icing harden completely before storing.

NOTE – The Nutella can be replaced with peanut butter, if desired.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

BBQ chicken sandwiches

Directions: BBQ chicken sandwiches

2 whole chicken breasts, boned and skinless
1 1/2 cup tomato ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground red hot pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix all ingredients for the sauce in the slow cooker/Crock Pot, adding chicken last. Try to coat chicken well with the sauce.

Cook on high 3-4 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked all the way through. Then shred or cut up the chicken, and place it back in the Barbecue sauce in the pot; mix well so all the pieces are coated.

You can keep the slow cooker/Crock Pot on low to keep the chicken warm for serving on hard rolls.

BBQ beef sandwiches with homemade BBQ sauce

BBQ Beef sandwiches

  • 2 1/2 to 3 lbs lean chuck roast or bottom round
  • 1 1/2 cups ketchup
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons spicy mustard or Dijon
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation:

Place beef roast in crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over roast. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Remove roast, shred meat. Place shredded meat back in crockpot; stir to coat well. Spoon barbecued beef onto toasted sandwich buns and serve with extra sauce, if desired.
Serves 6 to 8.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins


Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lydia DeGaris-Pursell



Yield: 2 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin)


2/3 cup (5 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350�.

Combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add vanilla, egg whites, and egg; beat well.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk to cream cheese mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Gently fold in raspberries and walnuts.

Place 24 foil cup liners in muffin cups. Spoon batter evenly into liners. Bake at 350� 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans; cool on a wire rack.



CALORIES 142 (32% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 2.4g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.7g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 19mg; CALCIUM 31mg; CARBOHYDRATE 22.6g; SODIUM 138mg; PROTEIN 2.7g; FIBER 1.1g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2003

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Crockpot Lasagna

Sorry no picture. But this was SO DELICIOUS! Made it for the first time yesterday. My SIL's family (grandparents and uncle) and us were the guinea pigs. Everyone that is was "damn good". I'd have to agree. We will be making this often!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef - *instead of hamburger i would suggest sausage.
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
  • 1 large jar spaghetti sauce (such as Ragu in the 1 lb. 10 ounce jar)
  • 1 package (8 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 lb. ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan/Romano cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Brown the beef, onion, and garlic in a little oil in a frying pan. Drain off any grease.

Add the spaghetti sauce into the browned meat mixture. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, milk, and egg. Beat until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Then mix in the mozzarella cheese and the grated cheese, so that all the cheeses are combined.

Grease the slow cooker/Crock Pot with some vegetable shortening on the bottom and sides.

Put about 1/4 of the meat and sauce mixture in the bottom of the slow cooker/Crock Pot. Put a layer of noodles on top of that (break or cut them if needed). Put about 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of that. Then repeat with sauce, noodles, cheese for another 2 layers. Top with meat sauce. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until noodles are tender.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

I think we have a new conference breakfast tradition.

Yield: 8-12 large cinnamon rolls or 12-16 smaller rolls

Ingredients:

For the cinnamon rolls:

6½ tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Pinch ground nutmeg

5½ tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp. lemon zest

3½ cups bread flour

2 tsp. instant (rapid rise) yeast

1 cup plus 2-4 tbsp. whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature

For the filling:

1½ tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices

¼ cup sugar

½ tsp. cornstarch

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

Pinch ground nutmeg

Pinch salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

For the glaze:

4 oz. cream cheese

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

3 tbsp. caramel sauce

1 tbsp. milk

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the sugar, salt and butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Mix in the egg and lemon zest until incorporated. Mix in the flour, yeast and milk until a dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed, about 8 minutes until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. (You may need to add a little extra flour or liquid to achieve this texture.) Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, make the filling. To make the caramelized apples, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple slices, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix until the apples are evenly coated. Cook about 18 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon to blend; set aside.

Mist a work surface with spray oil. Roll it out into a rectangle with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the dough with flour if needed to keep it from sticking (about 12 x 14 inches for larger rolls or 9 x 18 inches for smaller rolls). Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to blend. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the surface of the dough. Evenly distribute the caramelized apples over the top of the dough. Starting with the wide edge, roll up the dough into a cigar-shaped log, creating a cinnamon sugar spiral as you roll. Pinch the seam shut, and with the seam side down, slice the log into your desired number of rolls. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, placing the rolls about ½-1 inch apart.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature 75-90 minutes, until the rolls have grown into each other and have nearly doubled in size. At this point, the rolls can also be covered and retarded in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Pull the pan out of the refrigerator 3-4 hours before baking to let the dough proof.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool in the baking about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

To make the glaze, combine the cream cheese and butter in a small heatproof bowl and microwave in 15-20 second intervals until it is warm enough to whisk together. Whisk in the caramel sauce, milk and vanilla extract until smooth. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Swirl the glaze over the top of the cinnamon rolls. Let cool at least 15-20 minutes before serving.

Printed from Annie’s Eats

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Stuffed French Toast

Stuffed French Toast




Ingredients

  • 1 loaf French Bread
  • 3 Tablespoons Any Flavor Fruit Spread (You Can Also Use Jelly, Jam, Or Fresh Fruit)
  • ½ packages Cream Cheese (4 Oz), At Room Temperature
  • 2 whole Eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
  • ½ cups Skim Milk
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter

Preparation Instructions

Heat skillet or electric griddle to 325 to 350 degrees.

Cut french bread into 2-3 inch wide slices. Then, with a paring knife, go back and cut halfway into each slice, in the center, creating a ‘pocket’ that your fruit mixture can be stuffed into.

In a bowl, place the room temperature cream cheese and three tablespoons of fruit spread of your choice. (I used all organic blueberry spread in the picture.) Combine well.

In a separate bowl, break 2 eggs; add cinnamon and milk and combine well.

Now, take fruit mixture and stuff into the ‘pockets’ of your french bread slices. Place on a baking sheet.

When done stuffing each piece of bread, completely coat each piece in egg mixture. Make sure all sides are covered. Do all pieces before starting to fry.

Put 2 tbsp (you can use less!) of butter into a hot skillet and melt completely. Add all of the bread to the skillet and cook roughly about 3-6 minutes on each side, until it reaches a nice golden brown. You want to make sure the cream cheese mixture heats through.

When done cooking, serve immediately with butter and syrup.


If you want a step by step picture guide, go here.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Fruit Kabobs

We have been making these all summer. I usually just put an assortment of fruit out and let the kids create. They also like to add in one large marshmallow as well. They are a fun, healthy snack that my kids love!





Monday, August 16, 2010

Granola Bars

My cousin made up this recipe... they are great for a quick breakfast and my kids love them, though I omitted the craisins.

INGREDIENTS
1. 3 Cups Quick oats
2. 1 Cup Sunflower seed
3. 1 cup Peanuts (optional)
4. ½ Cup Flax Seed
5. ½ Cup Millet
6. 2/3 Cup Coconut
7. ¾ Cup Brown Sugar
8. 1 Cup Honey
9. 5 TBSP Butter
10. 1 Cup Peanut Butter
11. ½ Kosher Salt
12. 2 tsp vanilla
13. 6 oz craisins
14. ½ bag White Chocolate Chips


INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the first 6 ingredients and place onto a large cookie sheet and place in oven. Brown stirring every 5-7 minutes for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile place ingredients 7-11 in a pan and melt together until sugar is dissolved on medium low heat. Combine the toasted ingredients with the melted ingredient and stir in craisins and vanilla. Line a large cookie sheet with wax paper and pour mixture into pan. Cover with wax paper and press HARD. Let cool until cool to the touch uncover and sprinkle white chocolate chip on the top, recover and press again. Let cool completely, cut and wrap in plastic wrap.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Definitely worth the effort...

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
Yield: about 32 cupcakes


Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
¾ cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1¼ tsp. coarse salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature


For the frosting:
14 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
9 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
9 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
6 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sour cream


For the chocolate curls:
Large block of high-quality semi- or bittersweet chocolate


Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line standard cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.


In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and the sugar over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally to combine, until the butter is melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low speed, 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is cooled. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating just until combined.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ of the way full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let stand about 1 minute. With a whisk, gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles. When the ganache has become smooth, whisk in the butter 1 piece at a time until incorporated. Transfer the bowl to the freezer or refrigerator to chill and thicken the ganache a bit. Whisk every 5-10 minutes to help it cool evenly. Once the mixture is slightly thickened and no longer runny, you are ready to fill the cupcakes.

To assemble the cupcakes, cut a cone out of the center of each cupcake with a small paring knife. Cut off the pointed end of the cone and discard (or eat) so you are left with a cap of cake to cover the filling. Drop a spoonful of ganache into the center of each cupcake and recover the hole with the cap.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Set aside to cool until just barely warm. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and then the sour cream. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Frost cupcakes immediately.

To make the chocolate curls, warm the block of chocolate just slightly (heat in 5-second intervals in the microwave - be careful not to melt). Use a vegetable peeler to create chocolate curls. Top cupcakes with curls immediately. Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it workable.


from Annie's Eats



Monday, April 26, 2010

Apple Bread

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1cups white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups apples - peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (about 4 apples)
  • 1 cup broken walnuts

Directions

  1. In bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, place oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and apples. Stir into flour mixture. Add walnuts and mix. Divided mixture between two greased 8-in. x 4-in. bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until bread test done. Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

BELT

I’ve been on this diet and lost 16 pounds already and I don’t feel hungry and don’t crave anything, but I DREAM about food! How weird is that?!?! I’ve been dreaming of food my Mom used to cook and one of my favorites follows. Now, this is not low cal, not low fat, and probably not politically correct unless you use free range hen eggs, but it melts in your mouth if you like farm cookin’. And it is the stuff that dreams are made of!

BELT (Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, & Tomato sandwich)
Ingredients:
1 farm fresh egg (really! this does make a difference)
2 strips bacon
1 slice home grown tomato (if they are as big as my Dad's, otherwise you may need 2)
2 leafs lettuce
1 Tbs Best Foods Mayo
2 slices of homemade whole wheat bread

Fry bacon till crispy. Fry egg (break yolk and cook “over hard”). Spread mayo on bread and assemble in this order: Bread, egg, bacon, lettuce, tomato, bread. This order is important… why? Because that’s how Mom did it, that’s why!

Now, if you want a mouth watering farmer lunch that will melt in your mouth and flat out fill you up, here is a variation: Make sure you use home made whole wheat bread and cut THREE slices ½ inch thick. Toast bread and (instead of mayo) butter, WHILE HOT, with REAL butter (middle slice gets butter on both sides). Assemble in this order: Bread, egg, bacon, bread, tomato, lettuce, bread. Oh, heck, I’m getting hungry.

Final variation if you are feeling really adventurous (this is how I do it when I’m camping). Butter both sides of the bread and toast on a hot griddle, then assemble. You will need to eat with a knife and fork.

So, probably no one will try this because it would likely kill them… but I’m going off to bed to dream of this and homemade boysenberry pie for dessert because that’s how we ate back on the ranch!

Besides, I’m not hungry. I’m not, I’m not, I’m not!

Jer

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Crockpot Lasagna

Have you guys ever made lasagna in the crock pot? You don't have to cook the noodles beforehand and it says to cook on low for 6-8 hours but cooked done in 4, so it was perfect to do before Church. You can use normal noodles too, you don't need the special oven ones. This recipe has ingredients for essentially your own homemade sauce, but you can use dumped a jar of Prego (1 lb 30 oz?) in there instead.

Crockpot Lasagna

1 lb ground beef (very lean 4-7% fat) 1 onion chopped
1/8 tsp garlic powder 2-15 oz cans tomato sauce
1-6 oz can tomato paste 1 tsp oregano
1-12 oz carton cottage cheese 1/2 C Parmesan Cheese
12 oz lasagna noodles, uncooked 12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown beef and onion. Add garlic powder, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt and oregano. Cook long enough to get warm. Spoon layer of meat sauce into the bottom of Crockpot. Add a double layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (break to fit) and top with cheeses. Repeat with sauce, noodles and cheeses until all used up. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. (Check at 4 hours-it might be done!)

I know, you don't believe it...but it turns out perfectly every time!! Enjoy!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

My 5 year old asked if we could have this for dinner EVERY night...




16 oz. Farfalle pasta
1 c. heavy whipping cream
3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed OR garlic salt
1 Tbsp. pepper
1/2 c. butter
1 lb. bacon, crumpled
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice


Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred (I pull it apart). Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded Parmesan cheese on top.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Parmesan chicken drumsticks

Ingredients:
12 chicken drumsticks
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. In a shallow bowl, mix together salt, pepper, bread crumbs and cheese. In a separate bowl, beat egg until lemon colored. Dip chicken in egg, coating well. Roll in cheese.
2. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) on a greased broiler pan or 9x13 pan for 45 minutes, or until brown.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

Always nice to find a recipe my kids like.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 4 carrots, sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 Tbsp. mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper

Preparation:

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes until chicken is browned on bottom. Turn chicken and add remaining ingredients. Cover pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-13 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve over hot cooked rice or couscous.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Fudge Marble Cake

 Fudge Marble cake recipie! ;)  This is quick and easy- and SO yummy!


1 pkg chocolate cake mix

1- 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened

2 Tbs butter- softened

1 Tbs cornstarch

1 14oz can sweetened condensened milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

chocolate glaze-

Heat oven to 350'. Grease 9x13 pan

Make chocolate cake as directed on box and pour in pan.

Mix ...cream cheese, butter and cornstarch till fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened cond. milk. Add egg and vanilla. Spoon over cake batter

Bake about 40 minutes. Top with chocolate glaze

Chocolate Glaze:

in small pan over low heat melt 1 oz semi- or milk chocolate and 1 Tbs butter and 2 tbs water. Remove from heat and 3/4- 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 t vanilla. Stir and drizzle over cake! Enjoy- its so yummy!See More

Monday, February 22, 2010

Dr. Pepper Roast

Yup, save this recipe.

1 beef roast (any size)
1 crockpot
1/2 bottle of bbq sauce
Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper (to cover the roast)
salt/pepper
some garlic powder

Put roast in crockpot. Then put in remaining ingredients. Cook 4-6 hours. Enjoy! So good!!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Winner!

The winner of the Recipe Posting Giveaway is (drum roll please):

Kelly Williams!

The winner was selected by a random number generator. Thanks to all those that participated.

Kelly, I will be delivering your Mary Kay Even Complexion Mask this week.

Keep posting great recipes!

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Cheeseburger Meatloaf and Sauce

  • I have a couple meatloaf recipes that I love and this is one of them. I got it off Food network! I love Paula Dean :) I serve it with garlic red mashed potatoes and some kind of veggie. So yummy, and if my kids eat it, I know it's a good!


  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon House Seasoning (garlic powder, black pepper, and salt mix)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup grated Cheddar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup crushed crackers (recommended: Ritz)
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt (recommended: Lawry's)
  • 2 slices white bread
  • Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix all ingredients together, except the bread slices and Sauce. Shape into a loaf. Line a 1 1/2-quart loaf pan with the bread slices. Place meatloaf on top. Bake loaf for 45 minutes. The bread absorbs the grease and should be discarded after loaf is removed from oven.

Sauce:

  • 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar
  • Chopped onions, optional
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley leaves, chopped, optional

Heat the soup and milk over medium heat; add the cheese. Add the chopped onions and parsley to the sauce, if desired. Pour Sauce over the meatloaf or pass at the table.

Spicy Honey Chicken

THIS was a HUGE hit...probably the best recipe I made all month. My boys were LICKING their plates. I've had a bunch of friends make it afterwards and they all loved it too. Just posting it on here again makes me want to be sure to include it on our February menu! We did ours on our indoor grill pan. It was smokey in the house, but it was SOOOO worth it!

I'm cutting and copying the recipe straight from this website...http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/06/spicy-honey-chicken.html


Spicy Honey Chicken
2 t vegetable oil

Rub:
2 t granulated garlic
2 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t cumin
1/2 t chipotle chili powderfor extra heat, increase chipotle or add ground red pepper

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (Yes, Thighs!!)everyone is always asking me if they can use breasts for this. Sure you can, but I'm tellin'ya right now it's better with thighs.

Glaze:
1/2 C Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.
Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken a few minutes on each side, until cooked through.
While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it's not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.
I'm gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It's sugar, and it's gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. It's totally worth it once you taste this stuff.
If you don't have a bbq, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!