Yummy Food 4 All

Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken

2012-01-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/asian-peanut-noodles-with-chicken.html

Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken
Adapted from Family Favorite Recipes
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 337.9 • Fat: 4.6 g • Carbs: 51.4 g • Fiber: 3.7 g • Protein: 21.1 g

Light Peanut Sauce:

14.5 oz fat free chicken broth (vegetarians use vegetable broth)
5 tbsp better'n peanut butter
1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce (use Tamari for gluten free)
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced

16 oz chicken breast, cut into thin strips
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce (more or less to taste)
juice of 1/2 lime
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp soy sauce (use Tamari for gluten free)
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
8 oz rice noodles

3/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups shredded carrots
1 1/4 cups cup shredded broccoli slaw
1 cup bean bean sprouts
2 tbsp chopped peanuts
1 lime, sliced
cilantro for garnish (optional)

For the peanut sauce:

Combine

1 cup chicken broth, peanut butter,

sriracha

, honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, ginger, and 3 cloves crushed garlic in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.

Boil

water for the noodles cook pasta according to package instructions.

Season

chicken with salt and pepper, sriracha, lime, garlic, ginger and soy sauce.

Heat

a large skillet or wok until hot.

Add

oil and

sauté

chicken on high heat until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes;

remove

from heat and

set aside

Add

2 cloves crushed garlic, scallions, carrots, broccoli slaw and/or bean sprouts and salt,

sauté

until tender crisp, about 1-2 minutes.

Drain

noodles and

toss

with peanut sauce and additional chicken broth if needed to loosen the sauce. When chicken is cooked,

toss

with noodles.

Divide noodles and chicken between 6 bowls, top with sauteed vegetables, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts (or you can toss everything together to hide the vegetables so your family members don't push them aside!) and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.

New Fav Sugar Cookie Recipe

2011-11-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

These are still soft a week later!

Summer Citrus Sparkles
Makes 2 dozen
Ingredients

FOR THE CITRUS SUGAR
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

FOR THE COOKIES
1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (for vegan/dairy free, replace with 1 tablespoon corn starch)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder (for vegan/dairy free version, increase to 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature (margarine for vegan/dairy free)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg (for vegan/dairy free, replace with 3 tablespoons almond or soy milk)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

To make the sugar: Combine the sugar and both zest in a small bowl until the zest is evenly distributed; set aside.

To make the cookies: In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined, then stir in both zests and juices, as well as the vanilla. Once everything is combined, sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the top and gently mix in. Add the remaining flour mixture, mixing until no streaks of flour remain. If the dough is very sticky, add more flour, as needed, until the dough is barely tacky. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or Silpat mats. Once the dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll one tablespoon portions of dough into balls. Roll each dough ball in the citrus sugar to coat it completely, then evenly space the cookies on the prepared baking sheet(s). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges turn light golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.

http://bakingdom.com/2011/05/summer-citrus-sparkles.html

Pumpkin Cobbler

2011-11-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

1 lg can solid pumpkin
1 lg can evap milk
1 1/3 C sugar
4 eggs
1 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup nuts (any kind) to sprinkle on top. I use sliced almonds.
1 1/2 sticks butter

Mix all ingredients except dry cake mix and pour into a greased 9 X 13 pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the top. Sprinkle nuts on top. Melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter or marg and pour over the top.

Bake at 350 for 55 min.

Serve w/ cool whip.

Brownies

2011-09-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Brownies, as They Should Be

Added by rainydaygal on May 28, 2010 in Brownies and Bars, Desserts

Ingredients

1-½ cup Flour
½ teaspoons Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Salt
⅔ cups Butter
1-½ cup Granulated Sugar
4 Tablespoons Water
2 packages Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (12 Ounce Packages)
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
4 whole Eggs
1 cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and mix to combine. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar and water. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in one package of the chocolate chips and the vanilla extract. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Slowly blend in the flour mixture, and then add the remaining package of chocolate chips and the chopped nuts.

Pour into a greased 9×13″ pan* and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Be careful not to over-bake, and make sure that your toothpick is coated with uncooked batter and not melted chocolate chips if you’re going to continue baking longer. Let cool at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: To make a half-batch, use a greased 9×9″ square pan and bake for 25-35 minutes.

Prep Time 15 Minutes
Cook Time 35 Minutes

Servings 16

Difficulty Easy

Banana Oat Muffins

2011-02-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

250 g plain flour
75 g porridge oats, plus a spoonful
more porridge oats, for decoration
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs (beaten)
175 g caster sugar
250 ml corn oil or 250 ml sunflower oil
1 pinch salt
2 medium ripe bananas, chopped small

Directions:

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 25 mins

1 Preheat the oven to 350° Prepare a muffin tin.
2 Sift the flour, oats and baking powder together.
3 In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and salt together until pale and fluffy.
4 Fold this mixture and bananas into the flour.
5 Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin. Sprinkle the extra spoonful of oats over and bake for 15 minutes until muffins are risen and golden.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Topped Brownies

2011-02-01T10:13:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Chip Cookie-Topped Brownies

From Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, where they are called “Chipster-Topped Brownies.”

These end up being pretty thick in the pan, and I found I needed to keep watching them as they got close to being done, so that I didn’t overbake them (I actually think I did overbake them just a bit.) And, as with most brownies, these are really so much easier to cut into clean squares when they’re cold, so if you can restrain yourself, it helps to let them cool down on a rack, then finish chilling in the fridge before you cut into them.

Ingredients

For the brownie layer
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 2/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

For the cookie layer
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cups (packed) light brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or 1 cup storebought chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment (use enough so that it comes up and over the sides), and butter the foil/parchment.

To make the brownie batter, melt both chocolates and the butter together in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Melt and stir just until the mixture is shiny and smooth, then remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, beat the sugar and eggs together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) on medium high speed for about 2 minutes, until pale, thick and creamy. Beat in the salt and vanilla, then reduce the speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate and butter, mixing just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the flour, mixing on low speed just until it disappears into the batter. Turn off the mixer and fold in the chopped walnuts by hand with a spatula, then scrape the batter out into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Set aside.

To make the cookie dough, first whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl, and set aside. Wash the bowl of your stand mixer (that you used to make the brownie batter), and then beat the butter and both sugars together using the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. One at a time, add the egg and the egg yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, then reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Still on low, mix in the chopped chocolate.

Drop the cookie dough by spoonfuls onto the brownie batter, then use a spatula to gently smooth out the cookie dough layer evenly over the batter.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the cookie top is deep golden brown and a sharp knife inserted into the pan comes out with only faint streaks of moist chocolate.

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack to cool, then when you’re ready to cut them, just lift them out using the foil/parchment that you lined the pan with. It’s easiest to cut these when they’re cool/cold, if you can wait that long.

Makes 24 bars.

Caramel Apple Muffins

2011-02-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

l tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine,melted

2 eggs

l tsp vanilla

1 apple, chopped

DIP:

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

How to make Candy Apple Muffins

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
In another bowl, combine milk, butter, eggs and vanilla until well blended.
Pour into dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.
Fold in apple.
Do not overmix.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling cups two-thirds full.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool slightly and remove from pan.
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring honey and brown sugar to a boil.
Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Pour walnuts onto a plate.
Spear warm muffins with a skewer or popsicle stick and dip quickly into the honey/brown sugar mixture, then into chopped nuts.
NOTE: You can use a miniature muffin tin and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Dutch Farmer's Cheese Soup

2011-01-13T15:16:00.000-08:00

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, diced
1 1/2-pound cauliflower, trimmed, cut into florets
1 pound carrots, peeled, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups (or more) canned vegetable broth

6 1-inch-thick French bread slices
12 ounces Gouda cheese, wax removed, cheese sliced

Preparation

Melt butter in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, cauliflower, carrots and onion; sauté until onion is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add 4 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until vegetables are tender, adding more broth if soup is too thick, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Preheat broiler. Transfer soup to large broilerproof bowl or individual broilerproof soup bowls. Arrange bread slices atop soup. Place cheese slices over, covering bread completely. Broil 6 inches from heat source until cheese melts and is golden, watching closely to avoid burning, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yummy Carmel Corn

2011-01-13T12:29:00.000-08:00

This make a yummy crunchy- sticky treat! Great to bag up and share for holidays.

6 Quarts popped popcorn (2 bags microwave natural)
1 Cup mixed nuts
2 Cups brown sugar
1/2 Cup lt. karo syrup
2 sticks butter or margarine
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 250'
Pop popcorn and remove old maids. Spread out on cookie sheets or roasting pan.
Add nuts

Melt butter, add brown sugar, salt and karo syrup. Stirring constantly over med-high heat bring to boil.
let boil 5 minutes without stirring
Remove from heat and add soda and vanilla.
pour over popcorn, stirring to coat. Bake for 45 minutes stirring every 15 minutes!
YUMMY!

Chicken Ranch Quesadillas

2011-01-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

from stolenmomentscooking.com

Chicken Ranch Quesadillas

1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and thinly sliced
1/2 lb. bacon, diced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 – 3 c. shredded cheese
Ranch dressing
8 tortillas
Butter or margarine, for cooking

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet until desired crispness. Remove to drain with a slotted spoon. Pour out all but 1 T. of the grease. Add the sliced green peppers and onions to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes, until crisp-tender.

2. Add a handful of cheese to the tops to 4 tortillas. Top each with chicken and bacon, then lightly drizzle some ranch dressing over that.

3. Top each tortilla with the cooked peppers and onions. Then add the remaining cheese on top of each pile.

4. Top each tortilla with the remaining four tortillas. Melt a little butter or margarine in a large skillet and cook the tortilla stacks one at a time over medium heat, about 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cheese is melted. Add more butter or margarine to the skillet as needed.

5. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve with extra ranch for dipping, if desired.

A few notes about this recipe:

The veggies are completely optional. In fact, I only added them to the quesadillas that my husband and I ate. Also, we both agreed that a few thin slices of tomato would have been a nice addition inside the quesadilla, if you like tomatoes.
Lightly frying in a skillet is the only way that I’ve ever made quesadillas. But I am in love with the idea of grilling them and Erin has a great recipe featuring grilled quesadillas over at $5 Dinners. That method would definitely work with this recipe too.
Leftovers reheat beautifully when warmed in a dry skillet for a few minutes. They taste almost as good as fresh!

Stop by Designs by Gollum for more Foodie Friday.

Nutella Fudge Bonbons

2010-12-05T19:58:00.001-08:00

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.

BBQ chicken sandwiches

2010-12-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

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.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

2010-10-14T12:52:00.001-07:00

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

Crockpot Lasagna

2010-10-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

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.

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

2010-10-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

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

Stuffed French Toast

2010-09-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

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.

Fruit Kabobs

2010-08-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

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!

Granola Bars

2010-08-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

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.

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-05-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

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

Apple Bread

2010-04-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

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

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.

BELT

2010-04-18T23:57:00.000-07:00

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

Crockpot Lasagna

2010-04-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

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!

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

2010-04-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

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.

Parmesan chicken drumsticks

2010-03-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

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.

Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

2010-03-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

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.

Fudge Marble Cake

2010-02-26T14:17:00.000-08:00

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

Dr. Pepper Roast

2010-02-22T13:49:00.000-08:00

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!!

Winner!

2010-02-21T21:52:00.000-08:00

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!

Cheeseburger Meatloaf and Sauce

2010-01-30T23:13:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-30T21:22:00.000-08:00

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!

Chicken Brushetta

2010-01-30T21:18:00.000-08:00

This was REALLY good. I used that Texas Toast from the freezer section, and it was good, but I think it would have been better to use some big french rolls and toast them myself in the broiler. And probably a little better for you....but it was a HIT with everyone. It even made enough to have another night! I froze the leftovers.
http://www.frugalmenumamas.com/?p=585

Chicken Brushetta

1 lb chicken (I use tenderloins)
Italian Dressing

1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Fresh basil, as much or as little as you like

1 frozen garlic bread (Texas Toast)

-Cube chicken (I just leave the tenderloins whole) and place in freezer bag with ½ cup Italian Dressing.(maranade overnight or for a few hours)

-Saute onions in olive oil. Add garlic. Stir in tomatoes. Take off of heat and cool slightly. Add basil.

To prepare:
Prepare garlic bread according to directions on box.

Saute chicken until no longer pink. Stir in tomato mixture. Serve chicken and tomato over the garlic bread or on the side.

Ham and Potato Pockets

2010-01-30T21:15:00.000-08:00

This month I challenged myself to use what I had in my pantry and not be wasteful. I had made some ham for New Years, and we had a lot left over. I didn't want to make bean and ham soup, so I came across this recipe. It was great. Different and fun. I think that you could easily make it with jack cheese (instead of swiss) and italian dressing (instead of ranch.)

It was good the first night, but it was great for leftovers the next day!
http://onceamonthmom.com/ham-potato-pockets/

Ingredients
3/4 lb cooked ham, diced
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup ranch dressing
2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 Tablespoons margarine
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cans refrigerator crescent rolls

Directions:
Place 2 cups of frozen hash brown potatoes in microwaveable safe bowl and defrost for approximately 3 minutes.
In a small skillet, cook onions and hash brown potatoes in butter until warmed and slightly browned. Add garlic powder.
In a separate small bowl, mix together ham, Swiss cheese and ranch dressing.
On a cookie sheets spread out refrigerated crescent dough and pinch together triangle perforations to make 4 squares (if you using the non-perforated dough cut into 4 large squares).
Place 1/4 cup of potato mixture and 1/4 cup of ham mixture into the center of the crescent squares.
Fold over dough and seal with a fork.
Place in 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.

Freezing Instructions

Let cool and then flash freeze (or place each in a small zipper sandwich bag) and place in a gallon size freezer bag. Freeze. To Serve: Place in microwave for 2-4 minutes OR in oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through.

Pizza Pasta Bake

2010-01-30T21:11:00.000-08:00

I opted to use pizza toppings that we all like, but I’m sure you could substitute your favorites.
I got this recipe from http://stolenmomentscooking.com/pizza-pasta-bake/

It was a hit at our house...next time I'd use more pepperoni.

Pizza Pasta Bake
1 lb. penne rigate or mostacolli, fully cooked and drained
1 c. ricotta cheese
3 c. marinara sauce (homemade or from a jar)
30 slices pepperoni (or more)
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms (I used canned, but only because that’s what I had on hand)
1/2 c. sliced black olives
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Combine hot pasta with ricotta cheese and stir until cheese is melted and smooth. Pour into a 13×9 casserole dish.
2. Pour marinara sauce over pasta. Top with pepperoni, mushrooms and olives. Add shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through and cheese is melted.

Banana Sour Cream Muffins

2010-01-30T21:08:00.000-08:00

Breakfast is a tough thing to get my kids to eat when we are in a big rush in the morning. This is a FANTASTIC recipe that freezes really well. I made 120 muffins(mini) at the beginning of the month, and we're on our last bag...my boys just eat them up for breakfast. I made half the batch have chocolate chips and the other half not. Make sure you dust the pans with cinnamon sugar--it really makes the muffins taste great!

Ingredients
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
12 oz chocolate chips (optional, but oh so tasty!)

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans(or muffin tins). In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Easy Taco Soup

2010-01-30T21:03:00.000-08:00

I credit http://www.onceamonthmom.com for this one! It was really good and a real hit with the kids! It makes enough to have one time for dinner(family of 4) and enough to put in the freezer for a second night. It's called Taco Soup, but it reminds me a lot of chili too...I guess it depends how you doctor it up!

Ingredients:
2 lbs Ground Beef
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 package Ranch Dressing Mix
15.5 ounces Canned Whole Kernel Corn
1 can (15.5oz) Canned Diced Tomatoes
1 can (15.5oz) Canned Ro-tel Tomatoes with Green Chilis
3 cans (15.5oz) Ranch Style Texas Beans
2 cups Water

Directions:
Brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Add meat and remaining ingredients to crockpot. Cook on low for 4 hours. Serve.
For added flavor serve over tortilla chips and offer sour cream and shredded cheese.

Servings:
12

Freezing Instructions:
After fully cooked, place soup in medium or large plastic ware or gallon size zipper freezer bags. Make sure to leave at least 1/4 inch space above the liquid as it does expand during freezing.

Fried Chicken

2010-01-30T20:51:00.000-08:00

Best fried chicken I've had... (the list of ingredients looks strange because it soaks in a brine overnight).

Ingredients

1 gallon cold water
1 cup plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
12 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, smashed but not peeled
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
3 large rosemary sprigs
1 small bunch of thyme
1 small bunch of parsley
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
chicken pieces to fry
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 cups buttermilk
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

In a very large pot, combine 1 quart of the water with 1 cup of the salt and the honey, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and parsley. Add the lemon zest and juice and the lemon halves and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Let cool completely, then stir in the remaining 3 quarts of cold water. Add the chicken, being sure they're completely submerged, and refrigerate overnight.
Drain the chickens and pat dry. Scrape off any herbs or peppercorns stuck to the pieces.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Put the buttermilk in a large, shallow bowl. Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the flour mixture, pressing so it adheres all over. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
In a very large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 330°. Fry the chicken in 2 or 3 batches over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and crunchy and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of each piece registers 160°, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain, and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the remaining chicken pieces. Transfer the fried chicken to a platter and serve hot or at room temperature.

Ad Hoc cookbook

Crockpot Pork Chops

2010-01-30T17:25:00.000-08:00

On a day that I desperately needed a new recipe, I gave a shout out to my facebook friends begging for something new. My sister in law posted this and I have since tried it and so have a few other friends who read my post and felt the same way. Anyway, super easy and very tasty!

Brown boneless pork chops and place in crockpot with a can of each, cream of mushroom soup and cream of celery soup. (I used two cans each for my family and four pork chops.) Turn on low all day, about 6-8 hours. Serve over white rice and some steamed veggies. Enjoy!

Crockpot Southwestern Chicken

2010-01-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

This is the best thing ever and is sooooo easy! I got it from another food blog but I make this often since my kids love it also. Enjoy, I know we did!

* 1 small bag frozen corn

* 1 can black beans -drained and rinsed

* 2 large frozen chicken breasts (this is enough, 3 may be ok but 4 is too much!)

* 1 16 oz jar of MEDIUM salsa (do not use mild, the flavor is not the same)

- Put the chicken, then corn, then beans and salsa all in the crockpot on high for 1 hour then low for 4 hours.

- Shred chicken with a fork and mix together

You can do anything you want with it. I make mini borrito's out of it and for the kids I make quesadilla's and they love it. Add sour cream, alvacado, cheese and eat. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Bistro

2010-01-30T17:10:00.000-08:00

*2 tsp olive oil

*3 cups sliced mushrooms

*1 med chopped onion

*1 Can stewed tomatoes, undrained (I used two for a family of 4-6) and cut them up in a bowl.

*1/4 cup Kraft Italian dressing

*3 Tbs tomato paste

*4 small chicken breasts

*1 cup mozzarella cheese (I always use a little more since we all love cheese)

*4 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon

- Heat oil in Lg nonstick skillet on med hear. Add mushrooms and onions; cook 5 min

- Stir in tomatoes, dressing and paste

- Add chicken; cover. Reduce heat to med and simmer 12 min or till chicken is cooked through

- Sprinkle with cheese and bacon and simmer uncovered for 5 min

We serve it over rice!

Lemon Chicken

2010-01-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

4 boneless Chicken breasts
1/3 c lemon juice
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c water
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together and marinate for at least 30 minutes (I did 45min - an hour and the flavor was subtle) before barbecuing.

Indian Tacos...easy and fun!

2010-01-26T21:51:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 6 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup warm water

Directions

Mix the dry ingredients. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil and the water, and stir until smooth. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until the dough is just elastic and comes together, being careful not to over work. Shape the dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (I skip this step and it comes out just fine)

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Flatten each piece and roll into a 7-inch circle, making as thin as possible. Poke a hole in the center with the handle of a wooden spoon or your finger.

In a large saute pan or deep fryer, heat the 6 cups of oil to 360 degrees F. Slip the rounds 1 at a time into the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes, turning once with a long-handled spoon or tongs. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining dough.

Load up each fry bread with your favorite tostada toppings... we use ground turkey, refried black beans, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. We put all the toppings on the kitchen table and we made them together as a family...the kids each made their own and loved it!

2010-01-26T21:46:00.000-08:00

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough*
marinara/pizza sauce
2T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried Italian seasoning
mozzerella cheese, diced or grated
Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.

*You can use regular pizza dough, or thin crust.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400 degrees. If you make your own dough, 400 is usually a good heat as well.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. (Note that you're not putting the marinara sauce on the dough- it's for dipping after) Just eyeball how much. You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).

Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese.

Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them! Doughs vary, so I'd check them after even 10 minutes.

Serve warm with marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

Revival of the Recipe Blog!

2010-01-25T20:15:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have been hearing lots of talk from moms about wanting and needing new recipes to try. I feel THE same way! This blog has served us well over the last year or so but is in need of a revival. So here's the deal: Start posting. Let's help each other out. As an incentive and because we ALL love giveaways, here's a fun one: For every recipe you post over the next week, you will be entered into a drawing to win a Mary Kay Even Complexion Mask (shameless self promotion). Giveaway starts now and will end Monday Feb. 1st at midnight.

So start posting!

For those of you that view the blog but are not signed up to contribute, send me your email so I can send you an invite.

crock pot Chicken Tortilla soup

2010-01-21T22:58:00.000-08:00

SO GOOD and Easy!!!

3 med chicken breasts (boiled, cooked, shredded)
1 jar pace picante sauce (choose mild, med, hot)
2 cans chicken broth
1 can sweet white corn undrained
2 small yellow squash/zuccini sliced
2 small green squash/zucchini sliced
1/2 onion chopped
TOPPINGS:
corn tortillas - cut into strips and fried.
shredded cheese
cliantro , chopped
avacado, cut into squares

Place cooked, shredded chicken in crock pot.
Add chicken broth, can corn, salsa, sliced zucchini, onion all together into crock pot.
Let it cook on high for 3-4 hours. Then turn to low until ready to eat. Or cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Before serving soup...Heat up a frying pan with oil to cover the bottom. Place strips of tortillas in hot oil to fry...they go quick...take out before too brown....place on top of soup when served in bowls if wanted.

Serve and place toppings on if you like.

Black Bean Pot Stickers

2010-01-17T07:29:00.001-08:00

Black Bean Filling for Pot Stickers
*measurements are approx.

1 can black beans drained
Minced onion 1/2 to 1 cup depending on how much you like
2 cloves of garlic minced
fresh or powdered ginger to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
tablespoon of sesame seeds
tablespoon of soy sauce
Sesame or Olive oil
Won Ton Wrappers

Cook the onions, garlic and ginger in oil until the onions are translucent. Add the can of beans, lemon juice, sesame seeds and soy sauce. Cooked till heated thru.

Place a spoonful in your favorite won ton wrap, pinch closed, cook and serve.

* we fried them, but on the won ton wrap wrapper all recipes provided were baked in the oven. so we'll try that next time to see the difference.

Tortilla Soup

2009-12-30T05:29:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my inlaws gave me a "Big Book of Soup" there are like a billion soup recipes in there! (and a crock pot section!!!!)

Last night, I searched the pantry and found all the ingredients to make Tortilla Soup

It was good and easy and fairly low calorie!

Here's the recipe

1 can refried beans
1 can drained/rinsed black beans
1 can chicken broth
1.5 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup water
1 cup salsa(it originally called for 3/4, but I kicked it up a notch!)
1 cup shredded or diced chicken (i had some leftover chicken, and I also put in one can of chicken)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips

stir the first 7 ingredients into a pot, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let simmer(covered) for 10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of cheese and let melt.

Crush up some chips and put in the bottom of the bowl. Top with soup. Garnish with cheese and a few more chips.

DEEEEEELLISH! And super easy.

And it was approved by a certain 6 year old who asked if we could eat it again tonight!

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

2009-11-27T18:31:00.000-08:00

Pop two bags of popcorn, and pour them into a brown grocery sack.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the following, melt for two minutes and then stir:

1 stick butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. Karo syrup

After stirring, melt for 2 more minutes. Then mix in 1/2 tsp. baking soda. Stir well until it fluffs. Pour mixture over popped popcorn into the brown grocery sack, and shake.

Fold over top of bag, place in microwave and cook for 90 seconds.

Take out and shake again (or stir)

Cook for another 45 seconds in the microwave.

Then cool on wax paper.

CAVATELLI WITH BREADCRUMBS, PANCETTA AND CAULIFLOWER

2009-11-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

CAVATELLI WITH BREADCRUMBS, PANCETTA AND CAULIFLOWER

Cavatelli con Pancetta e Cavolfiore

Makes 6 servings

Simply delicious........

……….

What you’ll need:

Salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Three ¼-inch slices pancetta (about 8 ounces), cut into 1 x ¼ x ¼-inch sticks (about 1 ½ cups)
1 pound dried cavatelli, cavatappi or shells
2 medium onions, diced ½ inch (about 2 cups)
½ head cauliflower, stalks removed, florets cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
Crushed red pepper
1 ½ cups hot chicken stock
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup fine dry breadcrumbs, or as needed

……….

What to do:

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta has rendered some of it s fat and is lightly browned but still soft in the center, about 4 minutes. Don’t overcook the pancetta.

Stir the cavatelli into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 10 minutes.

Stir the onion into the skillet and cook until barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is wilted and begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Season lightly with salt and a little crushed red pepper.

Pour the chicken stock into the skillet, bring to a boil and lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced by about one-half, about 5 minutes.

If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, tossing and stirring to coat the pasta. Check the seasoning, adding salt if necessary. Stir the breadcrumbs, parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into the pot. Cook, stirring and tossing the pasta until the sauce is lightly thickened. Serve at once.

Chicken with Olives & Pinenuts

2009-11-02T17:46:00.000-08:00

Chicken with Olives & Pinenuts
Pollo con Olive e Pignoli

Serves 6

* This recipe is from Lidia’s NEW cookbook, “Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy,” published by Alfred A. Knopf.

Pan- cooked chicken, caramelized and sticky to the fingers, moist and flavorful inside, is a favorite food around the world. If there are chicken- lovers in your family (as in mine), this Le Marche version is sure to be a hit. Its special taste and texture come from the region’s big fat Ascolane olives, which imbue the chicken with flavor, and the crunch of native pine nuts.

Though authentic Ascolane olives are fantastic in this dish, they’re only occasionally available in the United States. But other varieties of green, brine- cured Italian olives (such as Castelvetrano or Cerignola) will be delicious, too; just keep in mind that the saltiness of olives will vary, and season accordingly. “How about black olives?” you ask. And I say, “Black oil- cured olives will be delicious as well; even a green- and- black combination would be nice.”

Choose your preferred chicken pieces, too. A whole bird, cut up, is fine, though all dark meat— drumsticks and thighs—are my favorite. And if you are in a hurry (or watching your fat intake), use breast pieces. With these, you can cut the oil and butter in the recipe in half and, because breast meat cooks faster, brown the pieces initially for only 10 minutes, turn them, add the olives, then cook for an additional 10 minutes.

…………………………..

3½ to 4 pounds assorted cut- up chicken pieces

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 plump garlic cloves, peeled

2 bay leaves, preferably fresh

1 cup brine- cured green Italian olives or oil- cured black Italian olives

½ cup white wine

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

Recommended equipment: A 12- inch cast- iron or other heavy skillet or sauté pan, with a cover; an olive pitter

Rinse the chicken pieces, and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off excess skin and all visible fat. Cut drumsticks off the thighs; cut breast halves into two pieces each. Season the chicken all over with the salt.

Put the olive oil and butter in the pan, and set over medium- low heat. When the butter is melted and hot, lay in the chicken pieces, skin side down, in a single layer; drop the garlic cloves and bay leaves in the spaces between them.

Cover the pan, and let the chicken cook over gentle heat, browning slowly and releasing its fat and juices. After about 10 minutes, uncover the pan, turn the pieces, and move them around the pan to cook evenly, then replace the cover. Turn again in 10 minutes or so, and continue cooking covered.

While the chicken is browning, pit the olives (if they still have pits in them). If you’re using small olives like Castelvetrano, use a pitter and keep them whole. If you have larger olives (such as Ascolane or Cerignola), smash them with the blade of a chef’s knife to remove the pits, and break them into coarse chunks.

After the chicken has cooked for 30 minutes, scatter the olives onto the pan bottom, around the chicken, and pour in the wine. Raise the heat so the liquid is bubbling, cover, and cook, gradually concentrating the juices, for about 5 minutes.

Remove the lid, and cook uncovered, evaporating the pan juices, occasionally turning the chicken pieces and olives. If there is a lot of fat in the bottom of the pan, tilt the skillet and spoon off the fat from one side.Scatter the pine nuts around the chicken, and continue cooking uncovered, turning the chicken over gently until the pan juices thicken and coat the meat like a glaze.

Turn off the heat, and serve the chicken right from the skillet, or heap the pieces on a platter or in a shallow serving bowl. Spoon out any sauce and pine nuts left in the pan, and drizzle over the chicken.

Super Power Muffins

2009-11-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

These are easy, freeze well and the kids really like them... so they are great when we are running late for school (and they even have some nutritional value!).

1 C brown sugar
1/4 - 1/2 C peanut butter
1 smashed banana
1/2 C of applesauce
1 egg
1 C whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 C chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix all the dry ingredients well and set aside. Blend everything else and then sift in the dry ingredients. Bake in a muffin tin for 15-18 minutes.

I stole it from a comment on a blog... so I don't know who to credit for the recipe.

Super Easy Raspberry Jam

2009-09-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

courtesy of Ulla Saunders
(no pectin or hot water bath needed)

4 C smashed raspberries
2 T white vinegar

Combine in a saucepan and bring to a boil slowly, stirring constantly. Let boil rapidly for 3 minutes.

Add:
4 C sugar

Stir until the sugar dissolves, bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from heat. Pour into a flat container and let sit for 24 hours. Stir about 6 times during this cooling period.

Ladle into jars and seal with paraffin wax (or a hot water bath).

Makes 3 pints of jam.

Fruit Pizza

2009-07-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

That Family Fun Magazine....it was such a good issue! I made this on Sunday and it was E-A-S-Y. And it was good....And.....(brace yourself), my kids liked it!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

Crust:(see below for my pizza dough recipe)

1 pound purchased pizza dough, or your favorite homemade recipe

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 tablespoons sugar

Frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package low-fat cream cheese at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:Assorted fruit (we used blueberries, banana slices, mandarin orange sections, seedless grapes, kiwi fruit slices, and strawberry halves)

1. Heat the oven to 400°.

2. Spread the dough in an ungreased 12-inch pizza pan. Brush on the butter and sprinkle on the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake the crust until it's golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the crust on a wire rack.

3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the frosting ingredients with a rubber spatula. Stir until smooth.

4. Spread the frosting over the cooled crust. Gently press in the fruit. Serves 12.

Nutritional InformationPer serving (1 of 12 slices, with fruits shown in photograph):Calories 173Total Fat 5 g (8% DV)Saturated Fat 3 g (13% DV)Cholesterol 13 mg (4% DV)Sodium 270 mg (11% DV)Total Carbohydrate 27 g (9% DV)Fiber 0.9 g (3% DV)Sugars 11 gProtein 4 g (8% DV)Vitamin C (24% DV)Percent daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

This was my pizza crust recipe

3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup warm water

2 tablespoons yeast

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all the wet ingredients together, then the dry ones into the wet. Let it rise about an hour, give it a good punch, and let it rise some more.

Oatmeal Berry Bars

2009-07-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

I got this from Family Fun Magazine...and a BUNCH of cheap blueberries at Costco...so I had to try it. They are SOOOOO good! I also liked that they weren't horrible for you either!

Oatmeal Berry Bars

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

Crust and Topping:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
2 1/2 cups quick-cook oats
2 tablespoons apple or orange juice

Filling:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt
3 1/2 cups (18 ounces) fresh blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Heat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9- by 13-inch pan.
2. Add the flour, light brown sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse once or twice to combine, then add the butter and pulse five or six more times until coarse crumbs form. Add the oats and pulse two or three more times. I don't have a food processer, so I used my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer....worked great...just had to mix it longer.
3. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and set it aside. Add the juice to the remaining mixture and pulse three or four times until it's just moistened. Press this mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan using your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup.
4. For the filling, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt in a medium-size bowl. Add the fruit and lemon juice and gently toss the mixture using a rubber spatula until the fruit is coated. Distribute the filling over the crust.
5. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the filling. Bake the dish until the top is golden, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for about 2 hours, then cut the sheet into 16 bars. Store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Nutritional InformationPer serving (1 bar):Calories 199Total Fat 7 g (10% DV) Saturated Fat 4 g (21% DV) Cholesterol 15 mg (5% DV) Sodium 92 mg (4% DV) Total Carbohydrate 33 g (11% DV) Fiber 3 g (12% DV) Sugars 16 gProtein 3 g (6% DV)Percent daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

crock pot chicken & rice

2009-06-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

I tried out this recipe and the kids ate thier entire plates so I knew I needed to post it.

3-6 frozen chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 - 4oz can green chiles diced.
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp Garlic salt

Rice (enough for your family)
crunchy ChowMein Noodles

Put chicken, soup, chiles, spices in the crock pot on high -4-5 hours. Low for 6-8 hours.
Once cooked through, shred chicken.
Place on top of rice
Put crunchy noodles on top of chicken.

Pour sauce over chicken and rice.

Enjoy. Yum!

Snicker Salad

2009-05-28T23:43:00.001-07:00

My sister in law shared this recipe with me and it is AWESOME!!!! Just remember it has apples so of course it is good for you!

Granny Smith Apples (as many as you want)
Snickers candy bars (as many as you want) I use the minature ones.
Large tub of cool whip

Chop apples
Chop Snickers
I think it is best to chop them up small
Mix with cool whip

Serve chilled.

SO EASY!

Chocolate Chip Pizookie!!!

2009-05-10T22:11:00.001-07:00

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! We tried this tonight (after the kids went to bed) & it is yummy.

The restaurants uses a 6-inch deep-dish pizza pans, but you can bake your clones in any cake pan or pie pan with a bottom that is a to 7 inches across.

Chocolate Chunk
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon beaten egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients for cookie of your choice up to, but not including, the flour, in a small bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Add flour and baking soda (plus oats and cinnamon if making the oatmeal raisin walnut cookie) and stir well by hand. Stir in remaining ingredients then press the dough into a small buttered pie pan, cake pan or 6-inch deep-dish pizza pan.
3. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until cookie begins to brown. You want it crunchy so closer to 7 minutes is best.
Cool for a minute or so, add 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, and serve.
Serves 2 for dessert.

Cookies from the Picky-Palate

2009-05-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

recipe from this great blog site: http://www.picky-palate.com/

Butterfinger, Milky Way Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 Cup brown sugar

3/4 Cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 mini butterfinger (fun size) or 1 1/2 full size candy bars

6 mini milky ways quartered or 1 full size candy bar

1/2 Cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined. Slowly add in eggs and vanilla until well mixed.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the candy bars and chocolate chips until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat lined baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until done to your liking.

I take them out right at 9 minutes for a softer cookie. Let cool for 5-7 minutes on baking sheet to set up. Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

3 dozen cookies

Beverly's Meltaway cookies

2009-04-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

I stole this from Tyler's friend's blog. These cookies seriously melt in your mouth hence the name and they are so cute and fun. I enjoyed making them for Easter with pastel colored frosting. Don't let the nasty tasting dough fool you.

1/2 lb butter
3/4 cup corn starch
1/3 cup powered sugar
1 cup flour

Beat butter, add corn starch, flour, and sugar. Beat until creamy. Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet (don't make them too big). I shaped them into perfect little balls and made a divet on the top for frosting. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Frost when cool. I used a spoon to drop frosting onto the top.

Frosting
3 oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
food coloring

Cream cheese, add vanilla and sugar. Divide and color.
Yields 40 cookies

Crockpot Creamy Shredded Chicken

2009-04-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

Crockpot Creamy Shredded Chicken

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 package dry Italian seasonings mix *
1 stick butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
8oz of cream cheese (i only used 4oz)

Directions:
In a crockpot place your chicken breasts. Sprinkle on them the Italian seasoning mix. Take the stick of butter and cut it up and place it on your chicken. Cook on Low 4-6hrs. 1/2 hr before serving shred chicken while still in crock-pot. Add in cream cheese and cream of chicken soup. Stir together. Replace lid and cook until heated through. Serve over rice.

* I'm sure if you added more cream cheese it would have made it more creamy then ours was. we decided it would be great on croissant sandwiches.

*the seasoning is sold in the salad dressing aisle. (with the powered ranch dip)

Baked Zitilicious

2009-04-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

This is fast & easy!!! and SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD.

This Makes enough for about 2 casserole dishes (8-10 pple) (bake one and freeze or refridgerate another).

1 - 16 oz package dry ziti pasta (or penne)
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 white onion chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (optional)
2 28 oz jars spaghetti sauce ( I used HUNTS 1 can marinara sauce and 1 can sauce with italian sausage flavor) * you probably wont use all of the sauce*
*for the cheese, you can choose how much you want to add and what kind-the more the better :)**
6 oz provolone cheese
6 oz sliced mozzarella cheese
1 bag of Shredded italian cheese mixture.

1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
Basil seasoning

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 1/2 boxes pasta & cook until "al dente" dont let it get mushy.
2. In skillet Brown the beef, Add onions, garlic & saute until tender. Drain off fat. Add about 1/2 of the Spaghetti sauce to beef (save rest for later). Simmer 15 minutes.
3. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Mix sour cream and pasta noodles in a large bowl.
5. In a lightly greased 2 quart baking dish, place a level of pasta on bottom of pan. Top with Meat mixture. Top with a single layer of Provolone, mozzarella, & other cheeses you want to add.
6. Pour a small layer of more spaghetti sauce on top of cheese. Sprinkle parmesean cheese on top of that & sprinkle basil lightly around the top of the entire pan.
7. REPEAT IN ANOTHER PAN IF YOU HAVE EXTRA.
8. Bake covered for 20 minutes & remove foil and bake another 10-20 minutes until bubbly & heated through.

Best Ever Chocolate Cake

2009-03-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

This is one of the best Chocolate Cake recipes that I have ever had. It's super moist and not too sweet. The frosting comes out similar to a ganache. I've brought it to work several times and everyone loves it. I've made it as a layer cake, cupcakes and mini-cupcakes and it's always good!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix

1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding

4 eggs

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

1 tub (8 oz.) frozen COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round baking pans. Chop 2 of the chocolate squares; set aside. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and water in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 min. Stir in chopped chocolate. Spoon into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 min. Loosen cakes from sides of pans. Invert onto racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.

Place frozen whipped topping and remaining 6 chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth, stirring after 1 min. Let stand 15 min. to thicken. Place one cake layer on serving plate; top with one-fourth of the chocolate mixture and second cake layer. Spread top and side with remaining chocolate mixture. Garnish with almonds. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

*I used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of the baking squares.

Parmesan Chicken

2009-03-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

I got this from a friend and it is delicious!

Ingredients

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil
Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Yield: 6 servings

Frozen Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

2009-02-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in the vanilla, water, flour, chocolate chips,
and walnuts, if desired, and mix until well blended. (Mixture will look granulated until rolled together.) Roll dough into bite-sized balls or use a small ice cream scoop. Place on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Store balls in resealable plastic bags in the freezer.

**I had to freeze them on a plate, since a cookie sheet doesn't fit in my freezer. I covered the plate with suran wrap and then placed a sheet of suran wrap over the cookies as they froze.

Recipe was originally found on: Allrecipes.com

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2009-02-22T16:25:00.000-08:00

(This recipe is actually from my friend Amy. It's DELICIOUS!!!)

Mexican Manicotti

2009-02-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

I adapted this recipe from Simplifysupper.com, which gives you a customizable calendar every month of different recipes (no recipe is repeated) as well as shopping lists. :)

1 pound ground beef
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 can refried beans
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 package jumbo shells (I used 15)
1 can enchilada sauce, 10 ounce size
8 oz Mexican style cheese, shredded

Cook ground beef with onion. Boil jumbo shells according to package directions. In a bowl, combine cooked beef, refried beans, chili powder, oregano and 1/2 the cheese. Spoon into cooked shells. Arrange shells in the bottom of a 8*8 baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. You can also top with diced green onions, sour cream, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, etc. Bake additional 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted.

The girls both asked for seconds, which means this recipe is a keeper.

Coconut Lemon Loaf

2009-02-01T13:32:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the invite Tanya! I'm going to be lazy today and just put the link in for this recipe...it's too long to type out!

I saw this recipe for Coconut Lemon Loaf in Family Fun Magazine. I had to try it out. Don't forget to put on the yummy glaze too.

It was a big hit. I think it turned out better in my Pampered Chef Mini-Loaf stone than it did in a regular bread baking dish. It's not too sweet, but really good!

Note to self...get a lemon zester next time!

Hawaiian Chicken

2009-02-01T13:12:00.001-08:00

Chicken
6-8 chicken breasts (3 or 4 large) 1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. flour 1 lg. green pepper, cut into circles
1/3 c. oil (I don't use the oil) 1 tsp. salt

Sauce
20 oz. can pineapple, slices work best 1/2 tsp. ginger
1 c. sugar 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1 T. cornstarch 1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
1/4 c. vinegar

Coat chicken with flour and brown chicken on both sides on skillet (using oil if desired). Remove and place in baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350'. SAUCE: Drain Pineapple juice into a 2 cup measure, add water to make 1 1/4 cups. In saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch: mix well. Add pineapple juice, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, and bouillon cube. Pour sauce over chicken and cook uncovered 20-30 min. Add pineapple and green pepper and bake additional 15-30 min placing foil unsealed on top.

I served over white rice and it was mighty tasty!

Crock pot Burritos

2009-01-31T13:42:00.000-08:00

2-3 chicken breasts
1 can beans, (black, pinto, kidney, whatever), drained
1 can corn, drained
1 jar salsa (any heat)

Dump everything into a crockpot. Heat on low 6 hours or 4 hours on high. Pull the chicken out and shred it, then mix it back into the beans, corn and salsa. Put some in a tortilla, add some cheese, sour cream, guac, etc and wrap it up. We've even had it over rice.

Serves 4

Chunky Potato Soup

2009-01-30T20:52:00.000-08:00

My kids loved this and Taylor is always asking when we can have soup for dinner.

3 medium red potatoes
2 cups water
1 small onion
3 tbs butter
Crushed red pepper flakes
Ground black pepper
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup cubed cooked ham (I bought already cooked and chopped ham from the deli section)

Prep time: 35 min
Cooking time: 30 min.

Peel Potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes.
Bring water to a boil in large saucepan.
Add potatoes and cook until tender.
Drain, reserving liquid.
Set aside potatoes.
Measure 1 cup cooking liquid, adding water if necessary. Set aside.
Peel and finely chop onion.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
Add onion to saucepan; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender, but not brown.
Add flour to saucepan; season with pepper flakes and black pepper to taste.
Cook 3-4 min.
Gradually add potatoes, reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, milk and sugar to onion mixture in saucepan.
Add cheese and ham.
Simmer over low heat 30 min stirring frequently.
Store leftovers, covered in refrigerator.

Chili

2009-01-30T13:35:00.000-08:00

1 lb ground beef, browned w/ 1 diced onion
4 cans beans, undrained (black, pinto, kidney or any combination)
1 can diced tomatoes (plain or with green chiles)
1 can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning mix

Add all ingredients to a large pot, bring to a boil and then simmer until you are ready to eat (at least 15 minutes) or just throw it into a crock pot. Top with cheese.

The original recipe I have calls for a pkg of Ranch dressing mix, but that just didn't make sense in my head, so I didn't try it. If you do, let me know how it tastes.

Spinach Chicken Lasagna

2008-10-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

1 -10oz. Frozen Spinach package thawed and drained
2-3 cups cooked and cubed chicken
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. Pepper
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup Sour Cream
½ cup sliced mushrooms (or you can dice them)
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
8 Lasagna noodles cooked
1 Cup Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, combine spinach, chicken, cheese, onion, cornstarch, salt, pepper,soy sauce, soup, sour cream, mushrooms and mayo.
Put a layer of 4 noodles in the bottom of a 9X13 greased casserole dish. Spread half of the mixture sauce over noodles. Place another layer of 4 noodles on top and cover with remaining mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake covered. If you want top to be a little crusty, take off foil 15 minutes before done.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until heated through and bubbly.

Italian Chicken

2008-09-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Erika Bladh. I made this yesterday...so good. I put it over noodles.

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. (I used 3 large breasts and put them in frozen)
1 Can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese (I use fat free but you need to soften it in the microwave a little)
1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Combine everything in crock pot all day on low or at least 4 hrs on high. Spoon over rice or noodles.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

2008-09-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have an obsession with cupcakes. I am not ready to reveal my secret recipe yet =) but here is one that is easy and really good. It only requires one bowl unlike the other ones I have tried recently. I prefer chocolate but for those that don't (my husband) these are good!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes (these can be made into a cake too- whichever you prefer)

1 package plain white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
1 stick of butter melted
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Frosting:
1 stick butter
3 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
3-4 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and flour & grease 2 9" pans (for cakes) or line your cupcake tin. Place cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend for three minutes (stop to scrape once). Pour into pans and bake for 27-29 minutes (for cake) or 22-25 minutes (for cupcakes). Allow the cakes to cool completely.

Beat butter until fluffy for frosting. Add all other ingredients.

Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

2008-09-17T12:07:00.001-07:00

I stole these from another blog. They were a HUGE hit especially with my brother in law. I put ham and pineapple on them.

What you need:

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. 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.

Saucy Pork Chops

2008-09-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

Prep Time:5 min
Total Time:50 min
Makes:4 servings, one chop each

What You Need
4 bone-in center-cut pork chops (1 lb.)
1/2 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce
2 Tbsp. orange marmalade
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. garlic powder

PREHEAT oven to 400ºF. Place chops in 8-inch square baking dish.
COMBINE sauce, marmalade, ginger and garlic powder; spoon evenly over chops.
BAKE 45 min. or until chops are cooked through (160ºF). Mine cooked faster than 45 min.

Serving Suggestion
Serve with a hot baked potato and steamed broccoli.

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

2008-09-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't really a "summer" food, but I needed something super quick this morning and found this recipe. The kids ended up LOVING it, so we will definitely make it again (especially when it gets colder).

1 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts , cut into 1" pieces
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes , cut into 1" pieces
2 cups whole baby carrots
2 stalks celery , sliced
2 cans (10 3/4 oz. each ) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken or 2 cans Campbell's® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken
1 cup water
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves , crushed
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose baking mix
2/3 cup milk

PLACE chicken, potatoes, carrots and celery in 6-qt. slow cooker.

MIX soup, water, thyme and black pepper. Pour over all.

COVER and cook on LOW 7 to 8 hr.* or until chicken is done.

MIX baking mix and milk. Spoon batter over chicken mixture. Tilt lid to vent and cook on HIGH 30 min. or until dumplings are cooked in center.

TIP: *Or on HIGH 4 to 5 hr.

http://recipe.aol.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chicken-and-dumplings/78452

Mac N cheese

2008-09-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

A friend made this for us after our baby was born- and my kidds loved it. Thought I'd share it!

Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 12 (You can easily divide this recipe in half: Use a 1 ½ quart casserole dish.)
1 stick butter, plus more to grease dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into ¼- ½ ” pieces
5 ½ c. milk
½ cups flour
2 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 ½ c.grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 18 oz.)
1 ¼ cups grated Pecorino Romano Cheese (about 5 oz.)
1 pound elbow macaroni=5-6 c.raw macaroniHeat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3 qt. casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 TBS. butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set bread crumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 TBS. butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2-3 minutes less than manufacturer’s directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/1/2 cups cheddar cheese, ¼ c. Pecorino Romano, and bread crumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 mins. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 mins.; serve hot.

Crispy Baked Chili Chicken

2008-08-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

I have made this a couple times and Russ and I just LOVE it!

Prep Time:10 min
Total Time:30 min
Makes:2 servings

-2 Tbsp. (about 1/4 pkt.) SHAKE 'N BAKE Chicken Coating Mix
-1 tsp. chili powder
-1/4 tsp. garlic powder
-2 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1/2 lb.)

PREHEAT oven to 425ºF. Mix coating mix, chili and garlic powder. Use to coat chicken as directed on package.

PLACE on baking sheet.

BAKE 20 min. or until chicken is cooked through

KRAFT

Peaches and Cream No-Bake Cheesecake

2008-07-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs
6 Tbsp. margarine, melted
1 cup sugar, divided
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Peach Flavor Gelatin
2 fresh peaches, chopped
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping, thawed

MIX graham crumbs, margarine and 1/4 cup of the sugar; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
BEAT Neufchatel cheese and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Add dry gelatin mix; mix well. Stir in peaches and whipped topping. Spoon over crust; cover.
REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until firm. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2008-07-25T12:22:00.001-07:00

1 bag of coleslaw mix

3 celery sticks, chopped

1/2 bunch of green onions, chopped

2 bags of Tyson grilled cubed chicken or 2-3 chicken breasts cooked & cubed

1/2 c. cashews (optional)

1 package of Raman noodles uncooked, crunched up

Dressing:

1 package of Raman noodle seasoning (I prefer chicken)

2 T. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1-1/2 T. red wine vinegar

1-1/2 T. balsamic vinegar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

Mix up salad fixings. Combine dressing ingredients and mix well. Pour dressing over salad and toss well. Refrigerate.

I usually double the dressing recipe since I like my salads wet.

Mediterranean Chicken

2008-07-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

Prep Time:10 min
Total Time:24 min
Makes:6 servings

-1/3 cup Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
-1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
-1 tsp. dried basil leaves
-1/4 tsp. paprika
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
-6 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2 lb.)
-3 Tbsp. oil

MIX cheese, bread crumbs and seasonings.

DIP chicken in oil, then into cheese mixture, turning over to evenly coat both sides.

PLACE in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Cook on medium heat 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until cooked through

Credits to KRAFT

Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad Wrap

2008-07-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

Prep Time:20 min
Total Time:20 min
Makes:4 servings, two wraps each

-4 cups torn romaine lettuce
-1 pkg. (6 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Southwestern Seasoned or Grilled Chicken Breast Strips (I'm not a fan of the already packaged chicken so I used chicken breast cut into small pieces and cooked)
-1 large tomato, chopped
-1 can (11 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
-1/2 cup Mexican Style Shredded Cheese
-1/4 cup Ranch Dressing
-1/4 cup Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
-8 Flour Tortillas

TOSS romaine, chicken breast strips, tomatoes and corn in large bowl; sprinkle with cheese.

COMBINE dressing and salsa. Pour over romaine mixture; toss to coat. Spoon evenly onto tortillas; roll up.

Credits to KRAFT

So So Yummy!

Scalloped Potatoes

2008-07-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
8 Baked Potatoes
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 tsp Salt (opt.)
1/2 cube butter or margarine, softened not melted (I just put it up into cubes and mixed it in)
1 pint sour cream
1 med. onion chopped fine (we used green onions)
2 cups grated cheese (used a little more than 2 cups)

Instructions:
Bake potatoes. Peel and slice (we left the peels on). Mix all the ingredients. Add sliced potatoes. Place mixture in 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 until hot & bubbly.

*If using boiled potatoes use only 1 can of soup and less then 1 pint sour cream.

Recipe by: Flossie Kay of Heyburn Idaho

Sicilian Beef and Rice

2008-06-20T06:03:00.000-07:00

Instead of serving meat sauce with pasta, try this tasty variation that calls for rice.

Ingredients:
1 package (16oz) frozen pepper and onion blend
1 teaspoon minced garlic
12oz ground beef round steak
2 cans (15 oz each) reduced-sodium tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
salt and pepper. to taste
3 cups cooked long grain rice, warm
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Cook pepper and onion blend, garlic and ground beef in large saucepan over medium heat until beef is browned and onions are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and herbs; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. spoon mixture over rice and sprinkle with cheese. ENJOY!!!

Thai Chicken and Sugar Snap Peas

2008-06-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here is the other recipe I tried:

Prep Time:10 min
Total Time:1 hr 25 min
Makes:4 servings

-3/4 cup SEVEN SEAS VIVA Italian Dressing, divided
-1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
-2 Tbsp. crunchy peanut butter
-2 Tbsp. honey
-2 Tbsp. soy sauce
-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
-1 bag (8 oz.) fresh sugar snap peas, rinsed, drained
-8 oz. thin spaghetti, cooked, drained ( I used WHOLE WHEAT and it tasted GREAT!)

POUR 1/4 cup of the dressing over chicken in medium bowl; toss to coat. Cover. Refrigerate 1 hour to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.

MIX remaining 1/2 cup dressing, peanut butter, honey, soy sauce and crushed red pepper with wire whisk until well blended; set aside.

COOK and stir chicken in large skillet on medium-high heat 5 minutes. Add snap peas; cook and stir an additional 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove skillet from heat. Add dressing mixture and spaghetti; toss lightly. Serve immediately. Or, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yummy!

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken in Cream Sauce

2008-06-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

I have been trying out some new recipes lately and I am really loving everything I have made so far. I got this off the KRAFT website.

Prep Time:15 min
Total Time:30 min
Makes:4 servings

-2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
-1 can (14 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
-6 RITZ Crackers, finely crushed
-2 Tbsp. KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
-4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
-2 tsp. oil
-1/3 cup PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Light Cream Cheese Spread
-3/4 lb. asparagus spears, trimmed, steamed

COOK rice as directed on package, using 1-1/4 cups of the broth and 1/2 cup water.

MEANWHILE, mix cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese on plate. Rinse chicken with cold water; gently shake off excess water. Dip chicken in crumb mixture, turning each piece over to evenly coat both sides. Discard any remaining crumb mixture.

HEAT oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook 5 to 6 min. on each side or until golden brown on both sides and cooked through (165°F). Place chicken on serving plate; cover to keep warm. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and the cream cheese spread to skillet. Cook on medium heat just until mixture comes to boil, stirring constantly. Simmer 3 min. or until sauce is thickened, stirring frequently. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with the rice and asparagus.

ENJOY! :)

Crockpot Enchiladas (although I have never made them in the crockpot)

2008-05-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar and jack)
flour tortillas

In a skillet, cook beef and onion until beef is browned and onion is tender; drain. Add the next eight ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Now there is some debate as to assembly...

There is the slow cooker way:

In a 5-qt. slow cooker, layer about 3/4 cup beef mixture, one tortilla and about 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until heated through.

My in-laws way:

On a microwave safe plate, layer 3/4 C beef mixture, one tortilla and 1/2 C cheese. Repeat layers. Heat in the microwave for about 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Cut into wedges and serve.

My preferred method:

Layer ingredients in a round casserole dish (beef, tortilla, cheese, repeat). bake in a 350 degree oven 20 minutes or until heated through.

BTW, Yesterday at Sam's Club I got a case (8 cans) of diced tomatoes with green chilis for $2. Nice.

Chicken Linguine

2008-05-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

½ cup butter

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic-pressed

1 Tablespoon dry basil

¾ tsp crushed dried red hot chili flakes

8 chicken pieces (Thighs and breasts-boneless/skinless)

2 pkgs (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach

8-oz linguine

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 orange, quartered

Melt butter in 9x13, or larger pan in 400* oven. Mix onion, garlic, basil and chilies with butter. Lay chicken on top, turn once to coat with butter. Bake uncovered about 45 minutes. In same oven, thaw spinach in a covered pan for about 30 minutes. Drain in colander, squeezing out liquid. Cook linguine; drain.

When chicken is done, lift from pan and keep warm. Add spinach to pan and stir to scrape up brown bits. Add pasta and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.

On large plate or platter, mound portion on linguine, flank with chicken and squeeze orange all over.

Chicken and White Sauce

2008-04-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

Chicken and White Sauce
3-4 chicken breasts. (I use breast tenders)
1 jar of Classico Alfredo Sauce
1 package of sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup of sour cream
2/3 cup of milk ( I put it into the jar of Alfredo and shake it around to get all of the sauce out.
I know clever)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
Mix all but mushrooms and chicken together until well blended. Add mushrooms and then pour over chicken. Bake at 350 until bubbly and chicken is done. It all really depends on what type of chicken you use.
We serve it over rice.

I got this from my daughter Kristen. I actually like Bertolli's alfredo sauce better.

Mandarin Salad

2008-04-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

½ cup slivered almonds

3 tablespoons sugar

½ head iceberg lettuce

½ head romaine lettuce

1 cup chopped celery (optional)

¼ - ½ white onion sliced thinly

1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained

Dressing:

½ teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

¼ cup canola oil

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

dash of Tabasco sauce

Over medium heat in pan, cook almonds and sugar, stirring constantly until almonds are coated and sugar dissolved. Watch carefully as they will burn easily. Cool on tin foil and store in air-tight container. Mix all dressing ingredients and chill. Mix lettuces, celery and onions. Just before serving add almonds and oranges. Toss with the dressing.
Recipe from The Colorado Cache Cookbook

Secret Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-04-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup rolled oats, regular or quick
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350.
Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place rolled oats in blender or food processor and process until finely ground.
Combine ground oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
In another bowl, cream butter, sugars, lemon juice, and vanilla together using an electric mixer.
Add eggs and beat until fluffy.

Stir the flour mixture into egg mixture, blending well. Add chocolate chips and nuts to dough and mix well.
Scoop round balls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are lightly browned, 16-18 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Garlic Lime Chicken

2008-03-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup Lime juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
6 garlic cloves
2 T fresh or dried oregano
1 T. coriander
2 t. pepper
1 t. paprika
1/4 cup oil

Mix all ingredients and marinade 8 hours or overnight. Brown the chicken and then cook 30 -35 minutes on 375 degrees or until juices run clear.

Easter bird nests

2008-03-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Im sure you've seen these, but I thought it was a fun idea, and my kids had lots of fun making them to take to their teachers for Easter. I think we will make more for their teachers at church too.

Make Rice Krispy treats as usual, but while warm shape them into nests using cupcake tins as molds. When they've cooled add the eggs and your done. (we prefer the cadbury mini chocolate eggs- yummy)

Veggie Baguettes

2008-03-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

1 Loaf of baguette style french bread

Chive and Onion cream cheese

Grated Carrots

Grated Cucumber

Slice the bread in 1-inch slices. Arrange bread on a cookie sheet and broil the bread on one side in the oven for a few minutes until golden brown. Spread cream cheese on the toasted side of the bread. Top with the grated carrots and cucumbers. Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. Keep chilled until served.

This is great as an appetizer, or even a snack. My daughter and I can't stop eating them!

Over Night Peach French Toast

2008-03-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
2 tbs. water
Sliced peaches
French bread
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tbs. vanilla

Melt butter; add water and brown sugar.Boil till mixture foams.Pour into a 9x13 pan and cool 10 minutesLine the pan with the sliced peaches, covering all the caramel mixture. Slice bread 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick.Place on top of peaches.Mix eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour over bread completely covering it.Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.Bake at 350o for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown.

Bake uncovered, and then cover it up when you take it out.. serve with whip creme.

Chicken Florentine

2008-03-14T18:50:00.001-07:00

**I got this recipe from another recipe blog: http://www.bloggingitswhatsfordinner.blogspot.com/. It was really tasty and very easy. Ahhh...I love easy.

Chicken Florentine
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 jar Classico Traditional Sweet Basil spaghetti sauce

2 cups cream (I substituted with whole milk and cut it down to 1 c.)

1/2 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

grated Parmesan cheese

1 box/pkg of your favorite noodle

Garlic salt & pepper for seasoning

Preheat oven to 375*. Place chicken breasts in Ziploc bag and bang the heck out of them with a rolling pin to flatten them ... unless you have a cool meat tenderizer, in which case, I recommend one of those too. Place flattened chicken breasts in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle chicken liberally (fancy word for a lot) with garlic salt and pepper.In a separate dish, combine sauce, cream, and spinach. If you can't find the Classico sauce, just use your favorite spaghetti sauce. No sweat. Pour entire mixture over the chicken, which will be crammed into the 9x13 baking dish. Don't stress because the chicken is squished. It's okay. Once you've poured the sauce over the chicken and finished stressing about how the chicken is squished in the pan, bake it uncovered at 375* for about 35 minutes. When it comes out of the oven, stir the sauce around as best as you can to incorporate everything again, and then dump your grated cheese all over the top and allow the cheese to melt before serving. Serve over your favorite noodle. It's stupid easy, but is tastes like it is way more difficult to make. Bonus.

Twice Baked Potatoes

2008-03-13T23:22:00.000-07:00

6 large baking potatoes
6 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbs butter
2 tsp onion salt
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
6 Tbs shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 500.
Microwave potatoes on HIGH for 10 min.
Bake in oven until tender, about 30 min.
Cut 1/3 off top of each potato.
Scoop flesh from potatoes into medium bowl, reserving shells.
Add cream cheese, sour cream, and butter to potato flesh.
Beat potato mixture with an electric mixer set at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 min.
Add onion salt, salt, and pepper: stir.
Reduce oven temp to 350.
Spoon potato mixture into potato shells.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake until cheese melts and potatoes are heated through, about 15 min.

dinner

2008-03-04T21:36:00.000-08:00

Alfredo Baskets

1 pkg. Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry shells 1/2 lb. diced cooked chicken
(or 1/2 lb. medium shrimp, shelled and diveined)
Alfredo sauce, purchased and warmed or make your own
Alfredo sauce:1/2 c. butter
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed (low-fat neutchetal)
1 c. milk
1/2-1 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. garlic powder
Mix over low heat until smooth.Bake pastry shells according to directions. Make alfredo sauce. Warm chicken or shrimp in sauce. Spoon into prepared shells. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

found this on another blog, looked easy and delicious!

Black bean and chicken tacos

2008-03-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

2 chicken breast….cubed
4 teaspoons lime juice, divided
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1- 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Flour tortillas
1/2 cups of Monterey jack cheese
sour cream

Coat chicken cubes with ½ of the lime juice and ½ of the oil. Saute in pan until warm. Remove chicken and using the same pan add the rest of the oil and sauté garlic and green onions until tender; add beans and tomatoes until warm. Then add the remaining lime juice, salt and chicken. Cook until heated through, then add cayenne pepper to taste.