What's For Dinner??

Chocolate Cake

2010-08-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

My sister made this simple and yummy cake the other day and it was enjoyed by all.

1 yellow cake mix
1 instant chocolate pudding (large or small)
2 C warm water
2 eggs
Mix and bake in 9x13 pan at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Let cake cool before frosting.

Frosting:
1 cool whip
1 C powdered sugar
1/4 C melted butter
Beat cool whip and powdered sugar till creamy before adding melted butter. Frost cake and refrigerate. Best if sits in fridge overnight.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

2010-06-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is for you, Melody! These are the cookie bars I made for game night on Thursday. They are ridiculously easy and so good.

The first time I made them I followed the recipe exactly. When I made them for game night I used unsalted butter, quadrupled the salt, reduced the chocolate by 2 or 3 ounces and pressed it all into a 7x11 pan instead of 11x13. That ended up being my favorite iteration, it definitely needs a little more salt and a little less chocolate and I liked the taller bar that came from the smaller pan. When I made them again on Saturday for a BBQ I used regular salted butter, doubled the salt and did half chocolate and half butterscotch chips, which was also really good.

The original recipe is copied from here (an AWESOME recipe blog. If you're not already reading you might want to start. Everything I've tried from her blog has been a winner).

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars
adapted from 24 Hour Menu

1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chunks
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional – I left these out)

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. Beat butter, sugars, egg and vanilla till fluffy and add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chunks and walnuts. Press into a greased 9×13 inch pan and bake for 18-20 minutes until light golden brown. I have also doubled the recipe and pressed into a large sheet pan (11X17) with great results.

A few tips: Don’t overbake!!! I overbaked them the first time I made them and when I actually baked them correctly the second time (perhaps even underbaked by a minute), they were 100 times better. Also, the second time I made them, I doubled the recipe and instead of adding two bags of chocolate chunks, I added one bag of chunks and one bag of mint chocolate chips. Fabulous!

Puffy Sugar Cookies

2010-04-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and sour cream- mix until blended. Add flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Mix until blended Dough will be a little sticky. Roll out and leave a little thick. Bake 350 degrees 8-10 minutes, then let cool.

Butter Cream Frosting:
cup butter (2 sticks), softened at room temperature.
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 to 3 tsp milk or cream

Use an electric mixer to cream ingredients together adding a tsp. of milk at a time until desired texture. You don't want it too runny. Frost and decorate!

Slow Cooker Turkey

2010-04-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

We had this for Easter (rather than the traditional ham), and it was melt in your mouth delicious. Soooo good. This would also be a great way to make turkey if you have a smaller crowd at Thanksgiving time. Original recipe here.

5 slices bacon
1 (5 1/2 pound) bone-in turkey breast, skin removed
1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper (I just used plain garlic powder, and plain black pepper)
1 (10.5 ounce) can turkey gravy (I used a packet, plus a little more water than what it called for)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried sage (I didn't have sage, so I used savory and rosemary)

Place bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain and crumble.

Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray. Place turkey in the slow cooker. Season with garlic pepper. In a bowl, mix the bacon, gravy, flour, Worcestershire sauce, and sage. Pour over turkey in the slow cooker.

Cover slow cooker, and cook turkey 8 hours on Low. Use drippings to make gravy if desired.

Burger Buns

2010-04-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

I decided to attempt this recipe a couple of weeks ago because I didn't want to make a special trip to the store for buns. I was surprised how easy they were and how perfect they turned out - much better than the cheap flavorless store brand buns!

1 cup water
2 T butter
1 large egg
3 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 t salt
1 T quick-rising yeast
1 t onion powder (optional - I included it)
1/2 t dried onion flakes

Combine all the ingredients and knead them together in a mixer (I used my breadmaker) until you have soft, smooth dough. Place in lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise 1 hour (or just leave in the breadmaker on dough cycle to let rise).

Divide dough into 8 pieces and shape each one into a flattened ball. (Next time I'm going to try sprinkling them with sesame seeds at this point.) Place buns on greased baking sheets, cover and let rise 30-40 minutes until puffy.

Preheat oven to 375. Bake buns 12-15 minutes until golden. Cool on a rack. Cut in half with serrated knife and use for burgers or sandwiches.

Carrot Cake

2010-04-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

Taco Soup

2010-04-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

This recipe is SO simple and SO good! The most
work you'll have to put into it is browning the
ground beef.

Here's exactly what you'll need from the store:

2 large cans of ranch style beans

1 regular sized can of jalapeno ranch style beans
(I usually pick out the jalapenos because there is NO
way my kiddos are going to eat it. It still has the
flavor of jalapenos though and not too spicy)

1 or 2 drained cans of corn. However you prefer it.
( I thought I'd include a photo of a can of
corn....like you don't know what THAT looks like!)

1 package of taco seasoning

1 package of dry ranch salad dressing mix

In addition to the things above you will need:

*(1) lb. of browned ground beef
(in my ground beef I always use chopped onions and chopped fresh garlic with salt and pepper)

*(1) 4 oz. can of green chilies

* (2) cups of water

*Grated cheddar cheese

*Tortilla chips

After your ground beef is done, drain it and dump all of these ingredients (in any order) into your pot, heat it all up, and serve. I always break up tortilla chips and place them on top with come grated cheddar cheese and it is out of this world!

Chicken Pot Pie

2010-03-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

This was really yummy! Recipe adapted from here.

2 carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 medium potato, cubed
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh or frozen peas
***
3 Tbls butter
3 Tbls flour
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cups heavy cream (I used milk)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/8 tsp ground sage
***
2 cups cooked chicken
Pie Crust Pastry, prepared (enough for the bottom plus the top of a pie)

In a saucepan, cook carrots, potato, onion and peas in a small amount of water, covered, about 10 minutes or until crisp tender. In another pan (skillet), melt butter. Add flour, cook and stir until mixture is golden brown. Slowly add broth, cream (or milk), salt, pepper, thyme, and sage. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until thickened and smooth. Add veggies and chicken and stir until combined.

Place first pie pastry in the pie pan. Top with sauce/chicken/veggie mixture. Place second pastry over and cut slits on top.

Bake 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes (watch crust for browning).

Chicken Tortellini Bake

2009-10-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

I made this for dinner tonight and it really just hit the spot. It's fairly easy and really satisfying.

We're not mushroom people so I left those out, but as we started eating I mentioned that I thought it would be good with chopped broccoli and Aaron thought that would have been perfect. So if you don't do mushrooms, maybe try broccoli?

Also, you'll probably want to salt and pepper the chicken sauce part of it as it's cooking. I didn't think about it since the recipe didn't say to, and we ended up salting it at the table. Which is always kind of annoying.

Recipe here.

Also, if you're not reading My Kitchen Cafe, you might think about giving it a try. I swear every single one of her recipes sounds absolutely fabulous. None of them are too complicated. Just basic, every day type cooking.

Cherry Dump Cake

2009-10-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

1 can cherry pie filling,
1 large can crushed pineapple,
one box yellow cake mix,
1 cube butter.

Grease a 9X13 pan, put cherry pie filling first, put pineapple next undrained, put dry cake mix over top of that and dot with butter on top. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. You can put nuts on top also before baking if you wish. It is so easy and great warm with vanilla ice cream.

Pineapple Coconut Angel Food Cake

2009-10-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe of Catherine Tackett's and is incredibly good!!!!

Using a box of Angel Food Cake- make as directed, except in place of the water add a can of crushed pineapple, juice and all! (DO NOT ADD THE WATER). Pour into a greased 9x13 pan, top with coconut and bake! Serve with ice cream! Try not to eat the entire pan yourself!

Blender Salsa

2009-10-27T13:03:00.001-07:00

If you want a quick salsa, this is so easy and so yummy!

2 cans mexican stewed tomatoes (do not use store brands, it is not as good, use name brands)
1 can diced green chiles
1/4 cup cilantro
1 bunch green onions
1 tsp garlic salt

Mix in a blender!

MARINATED FLANK STEAK

2009-10-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak

In a large re-seal able plastic bag or shallow glass container, combine the first nine ingredients; mix well. Add steak and turn to coat. Seal or cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Drain and discard marinade. Grill, covered, over medium-hot heat for 6-10 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired done-ness (for rare, a meat thermometer should read 140 degrees; medium, 160 degrees;
well-done, 170 degrees).

Pork Loin Roast

2009-10-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 pork loin
Bread crumbs-Italian seasoned
Dijon mustard, small jar
Black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 F.
To a bowl, add Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper. Paint the loin with the mustard mix and then roll in seasoned breadcrumbs until it is completely covered. Place loin on a broiler rack and cook for 45 minutes. DO NOT BROIL. Bake on the lower rack of the oven. Slice and serve. This is excellent either hot or cold and reheats in the microwave very well.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

2009-10-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Bake at 350 in a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish
Mix olive oil and garlic. In a separate bowl, mix bread crumbs,Parmesan cheese, basil, and pepper. Dip chicken breast in the oil mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture. Put in a lightly greased, 9X13 baking dish and top with any remaining bread crumbs. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is not pink.

Homemade Granola Bars

2009-09-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

A little while back I made these granola bars. The recipe makes enough to fill a 9X13 pan, and ours were gone within a couple of days. Everyone in the family liked them. The only thing I did differently from the recipe was to omit the wheat germ (didn't have any) and add in a little extra flour plus ground flaxseed to compensate.

You could play around with the ingredients like adding in coconut, nuts, craisins, etc. I think next time I'll put in chocolate chips. Mmm, the possibilities...

French Dip Sandwiches

2009-09-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

One eye of round roast (fat trimmed off)- covered in sea salt (and/or garlic salt) & crushed pepper.
One can of beef consume

Cook in the crock pot on low.
I also throw in some onions ...and peppers (for me).
You can shred the meat after several hours. Buy your favorite sandwich rolls and wallah...french dip!

Save your meat & make Bethany P.'s Sheppard's pie the next night ( http://recipemamas.blogspot.com/2007/10/shepherds-pie.html)

Chicken Artichoke Pesto Calzones

2009-06-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

We had these for dinner tonight and they were SO GOOD. This recipe is going on The List of Foods We Need to Eat Frequently.

Pizza dough (I used my favorite recipe and got 2 calzones out of it)
shredded mozzarella cheese
cooked chicken (I used leftover from this recipe)
pesto
chopped artichoke hearts (I used about half of one of the little jars from Frys)
olive oil (for brushing)

Preheat oven to 500. Put cookie sheet (or pizza stone, if you're fancy) in while it preheats. Divide pizza dough in half and roll into 7 or 8 inch circle. Spread each with pesto, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge. Add mozzarella, chicken and chopped artichoke hearts to one half. Fold other half over and fold edges over to seal. Transfer to hot cookie sheet, brush with oil, and bake for 13-15 minutes.

Recipe adapted from here by here.

Sister Crites' Wheat Bread

2009-06-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

From Sister Crites' baking class at Women's Conference.

5 cups warm water
add 2 T yeast
add 3-4 cupes whole wheat flour and mix well
add 2/3 cup oil
and 2/3 cup honey
add another 3-4 cupes whole wheat flour and mix well
add 2 T salt
add 4 cups white flour and knead 10 minutes
If using hard red wheat you may want to add 1/2 cup gluten or dough enhancer
Mix together, cover and let rise double. Punch down and form into 6 loaves. Let rise again. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Homemade cost: $2.66 for 6 loaves
Purchased wheat bread: $1.88-$4.50 for one loaf, depending on brand

These loaves freeze really well..I just made a whole bunch and stuck them in the freezer so we can pull them out as we need them. Plus they're really good!

Cornflake Balls (2 versions)

2009-06-05T21:47:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I got from a friend of a friend, these are so yummy! My kids devour them...

The old-fashioned recipe:

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
6 cups cornflakes

In a microwave safe dish mix the first 4 ingredients together and microwave just until bubbly. Pour over cornflakes and mix together. Drop balls onto wax paper or tin foil. Let cool and enjoy.

Healthier alternative to the original recipe:

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown rice syrup
1 1/2 cups natural crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
6 cups organic or non-genetically modified corn flakes

In a microwave safe dish mix the first 4 ingredients together and microwave just until bubbly. Pour over cornflakes and mix together. Drop balls onto wax paper or tin foil. Let cool and enjoy.

Granola

2009-06-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

This is Catherine Tackett's recipe. It's the chewier granola, which I prefer!

5 c rolled oats
1 c dry milk
1 c honey
1/2 c olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
optional:coconut, sliced almonds, craisins, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg
Mix everything together, put on a greased cookie sheet, BAKE for 30 min @ 350 or until lightly golden. Allow to cool for 30 mins.-2 hrs. (if you allow it to fully cool it is more likely to stay in BIG pieces but sometimes I can't wait that long).

Broccoli and Tortellini Salad

2009-05-27T21:02:00.001-07:00

This salad is the best. It comes from a former co-worker of mine, who was always asked to bring it to events.

Salad Ingredients:

6 slices of bacon
1 1/4 lb. fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
2-3 heads broccoli, chopped into florets
1 cup raisins
1 cup sunflower seeds
red onion, finely chopped (to taste)

Dressing Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup white sugar
2 t cider vinegar

Cook bacon, cool, and crumble. Cook tortellini for 8-10 minutes, drain, and rinse under cool water. Mix dressing ingredients. Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl; add dressing; toss. Serve chilled.

Egg-less Pancakes

2009-04-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

I know, it doesn't sound that good. But these are, I promise! We all gobbled them up. My kids woke up wanting pancakes last Saturday, and it sounded good to me too, but we didn't have any eggs in the fridge. So I found a recipe, modified it to our liking, and came up with this:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk (I used lactose free)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
a handful of chocolate chips (oh yes I added that to the recipe)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together the flours, flaxseed, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Pour in the vanilla, water and milk. Mix until all of the dry ingredients have been absorbed, then stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.
Cook pancakes (about 1/3 cup of batter) over medium heat on a large skillet or griddle.

Grapefruit Slushes

2009-04-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

I grew up making these and have been making them for Adam and I almost every night. Very refreshing! It's a great way to use your citrus.

2 grapefruits, juiced OR 10-12 oz. of grapefruit juice
1 1/2 C water (10-12 oz.)
1 C sugar

Put ingredients in blender and then add ice (so that the ice is just covered by the juice...probably about 3 C). Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2009-03-23T08:50:00.001-07:00

This is a main dish, not an appetizer. I made it for my mom and sister last week, and they both asked for the recipe!

1 can (8-12 oz) pineapple chunks, packed in juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 T cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 T vinegar
1 1/2 t soy sauce
1/4 t dry mustard
1 beef bouillon cube (or 1 t bouillon granules)
1/2 lb. frozen meatballs (or, half recipe of the Quick Meatballs below)
julienned carrots
3 cups cooked rice (1 cup uncooked)

Cook rice. Prepare meatballs (or heat up prepared meatballs according to package). Meanwhile, place carrots in frying pan with butter and a little water, and steam to soften to desired tenderness. Drain pineapple chunks, saving juice. In a medium saucepan, combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, water, vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, and bouillon. Cook and stir until thick. Add meatballs, pineapple, and carrots. Cover; simmer until all ingredients are hot, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot cooked rice with additional soy sauce if desired.

Serves 4.

*Notes: The original recipe calls for green bell peppers (instead of carrots), which you can just cut in strips and add in at the same time as the meatballs if you want them. Ditto with sliced water chestnuts (I just don't care for them).

Quick Meatballs

2009-03-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 t salt
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients. Shape into 1-inch meatballs. Arrange in single layer in unheated skillet. Set over medium heat and brown, turning with spatula as necessary.

Variations: You can also bake in a large dripper pan at 400 degrees in the oven for 12-15 minutes, turning once or twice. If you want to make a lot and freeze some for later: arrange meatballs on a large cookie sheet. Freeze for 30-60 minutes. Then move them to freezer containers to store.

Blender Whole Wheat Pancakes

2009-03-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

My friend Kristi posted these pancakes forever ago on the other recipe blog I'm a part of. I finally made them this morning and discovered that I should have been making them all along. They are a good way to use food storage items (you can use your wheat without grinding it!) and they're tasty and healthy and Wes snarfed 'em right up. Kristi told me they freeze well and easily reheat for quick breakfasts and snacks.

1 C whole wheat kernels
1 C milk (or 1 C water and 1/3 C dry milk)
2 Tbs Oil
2 eggs
2 Tbs honey
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

Put 1 C whole wheat kernels and 1 C milk in blender. Blend 3 minutes. Add eggs, oil, honey and salt, blend for 30 seconds. And baking powder and pulse three times. Make pancakes immediately.

*I also added a little cinnamon and vanilla to my batter since that's how I roll.

Black Cookies

2009-03-04T14:34:00.000-08:00

2 cups- sugar
1 cube- butter/margarine
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
3 cups oatmeal
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine 1st four ingredients & heat to a boil. Turn stove down to medium heat for FIVE minutes. Then remove from heat and add oatmeal and vanilla. Mix well. Scoop out spoonfuls on wax paper and let cool.

Very similar to Janell's no bake cookies, this is Kent's family's version....

Chicken Milano

2009-03-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Domestic Diva in Training.

1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
8 ounces dry pasta - fettuccini, penne, linguini, etc.

In this recipe, you basically have three pans on the stove top doing three different things:

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter; add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and chicken broth; increase to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the chicken (from step 3) and basil and adjust seasonings to taste.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the sauce.
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil, add chicken to pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer pink inside. Add chicken to sauce and stir.

Transfer the pasta to serving plates; top with cream sauce; serve. I LOVE this pasta!!

Tomato Bisque Soup

2009-03-01T19:51:00.000-08:00

3/4 cup onion, chopped
2 (28 oz.) cans Italian stewed tomatoes
2 c. tomato puree (comes in 28 oz. cans by the tomato sauce)
4 c. chicken broth
2 t. dried basil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon pepper
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

Saute onion and butter. Add all other ingredients except cream. Simmer 10 minutes. Cool (if you have time) and blend in blender. Reheat and add cream. Do not boil after adding cream.
Note: If you don't have Italian style tomatoes, just use regular canned tomatoes and add the Italian spices (oregano, basil, and garlic).

* This makes a LOT so I recommend sharing, freezing half, or just halving the recipe!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-02-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

It's taken my a few years to come up with the just right chicken noodle soup recipe, but this is one I make very frequently and my kids love. The cream of chicken soup adds a GREAT flavor and makes the soup just slightly creamy.

1/2 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 C carrots, cut up (or 1/2 bag of baby carrots cut up)
3 stocks of celery, chopped
2 T. butter
1 chicken boullion cube
1/4 C water
dash of seasoned salt and pepper
Put chopped veggies in the bottom of a large pot with butter, water, chicken cube. salt and pepper. Stir and put lid on and steam till veggies and tender or translucent (about 10 minutes).

Then add to the pot and bring to boil:
1 1/2 - 2 cans of chicken broth
4 C hot water
3 chicken bouillion cubes
Once boiling, add 1/2 package of noodles or pasta (8-10 oz.)*. Boil noodles in broth for about 8 minutes (or according to package).

Then add:
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded/cubed**
2 cans cream of chicken
1/4 t. seasoned salt
1/4 t. pepper

Boil until cream of chicken soup has dissolved and soup is creamy.
Note: You may need to add 1/2-1 C water if soup is on the thicker side.

*I use whatever pasta I have in my pantry. My kids love bowties, shells, or penne and they work great plus it's easier for the kids to eat.
**I cook my chicken in the crock pot with 1/2 can of chicken broth and a generous sprinkle of seasoned salt and pepper on top for a few hours (2 hours on hight for 2 FROZEN breasts or 3-4 hours on low).

Chex Muddy Buddies

2009-02-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

15 minute prep time
18- 1/2 cup servings

9 cups any flavor CHEX cereal
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Measure cereal. Put in a large bowl and set aside.

In 1-QT. microwavable bowl, microwave choc. Chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on HIGH 1 minute. Stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until the mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2 gallon resealable storage plastic bag.

Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Cous Cous with Peanut Sauce

2009-02-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

It's the new Mac and cheese! At least it might be at my house, since my kids loved it and don't really care for mac and cheese (weird I know). I got this recipe from The Vegan Spoonful (click the link to see a picture). I made a few slight alterations such as using regular milk instead of soy, and also halved the recipe (it was plenty for us plus leftovers), but otherwise my version is almost the same.

Peanut Sauce:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1 and 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or hot water with bouillon)
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt to taste
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup milk

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in peanut butter and allow it to melt a little. Add vegetable broth and whisk until smoothly incorporated. Add spices and simmer on medium-low heat, covered, for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in milk and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Cous Cous

1 cup dry cous cous
1 T olive oil
1 t vegetable bullion powder (I used chicken)
1/4 t paprika
1 cup boiling water

Stir olive oil, bouillon powder, and paprika into dry cous cous until thoroughly mixed. You can do this right in your serving bowl. Stir in boiling water and cover for 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Serve peanut sauce over hot cous cous. Enjoy!

Layered Bean Dip

2009-02-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

It's game day!!! Here's a great layered bean dip for the crowd!

Ingredients:
2 large, ripe avocados
1 T lemon juice(*OR one container of avocado dip - then you wouldn't need the first two ingredients)
1 can refried beans (16 oz)
1/2 C chunky salsa
2 C sour cream (16 oz)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 can green chiles (4 oz.)
1 C canned corn
1 C Cheese (cheddar or monterey jack)
1 can sliced black olives, well drained
6 green onions, chopped

Directions:Peel, pit, and mash avocados. Add lemon juice and mix well. Set aside.(*OR for quicker and sometimes cheaper opt. use one container of avocado dip). In a small bowl mix refried beans and salsa. Spread beans over the bottom of a large plate. Spread avocados on top of beans. Stir taco seasoning and sour cream together and spread on top of avocados. Sprinkle tomatoes, green chiles, & corn. Top with layer of cheese and green onions & olives. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tomatillo Green Salsa

2009-02-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

Easy and good. Great as salsa or to season chicken/beef/pork for burros or enchiladas.

28 oz. can tomatillos with juice (usually found in mexican section of grocery store)
½ bunch cilantro (1/2 C) *I just cut off the top of the bunch and use the top leafy part (not the bottom stems)
Two 4 oz. green chiles
½ C onion, chopped
½ C chicken broth
5 T. sugar
½ t. cumin
½ t. garlic salt
1 lime, juiced (I just squeeze it by hand)
dash salt & pepper...to taste

Dump everything in the blender and blend until smooth and everything is chopped finely.

Tomatillo Cilantro Cream Sauce

2009-02-01T10:13:00.000-08:00

My sister told me about this recipe and I knew I had to try it. I LOVE it. We eat a lot of mexican food around here, so this something I will be making frequently.

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
3 T sour cream
1 C tomatillo salsa (I homemake mine, but you can buy cans at the store)
2 spoonfuls of jalepenos (from a 4oz. can), opt.
1 t pepper
1 t seasoned salt
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cumin
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 T lime juice

*Blend all of the ingredients except the cream cheese and sour cream in the blender or food proccessor until cilantro is finely chopped. Pour into saucepan and add cream cheese and sour cream and heat until creamy and smooth. Serve on top of chicken, burros, chimis, enchiladas. It is great as chip dip. It can be served warm or cold.

Never Flat Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-01-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

I'm always on the lookout for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe--one that makes cookies that are chewy and soft in the middle and slightly crisp on the outside, and that don't get flat or seem too dense. I found this recipe when organizing my cookbooks/recipes this weekend, and decided to try it. I think my search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie may be over--these cookies were SO yummy!

*Note: this makes a large batch, so feel free to half it if you want a smaller/normal sized batch. I rolled the extra dough into balls and froze them for later use.

Combine the following until creamy:
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 lb. (4 sticks) real butter (softened)
2 cups brown sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla

Combine the following and then mix with the creamy mixture:
6 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 heaping cups (1 pkg.) chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes.

Oriental Chicken Salad

2009-01-25T18:00:00.000-08:00

I don't usually eat large portions of salad, but I do when it's this kind!

Salad ingredients:
1-2 cooked chicken breasts, diced (I dice them when raw, marinade in a little teriyaki sauce, then saute in a skillet)
~1 1/2 heads lettuce, greens, spinach, etc.
1 can mandarin oranges
3 green onions, chopped (optional)
1 pkg. ramen noodles, uncooked
1 small pkg. sliced almonds

Dressing ingredients:
4 T sugar
2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
4 T vinegar
1/3-1/2 cup salad oil (I use canola)

Combine dressing ingredients. Combine salad ingredients. Toss salad with dressing.

Whole Wheat Bread

2009-01-22T22:24:00.001-08:00

I got this recipe from Kristin Free's bread-making class over a year ago. I've been making it frequently since then, and we all love it. Sadie will not eat store bought bread but she eats this. Also, Kristin's original recipe is four times this one--I cut it down to one loaf, because that's how much I make at a time and it fits in my bread maker.

1 1/4 cup warm-hot water
1/2 T yeast
3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour (I usually use white bread flour for the last cup and a 1/3 just to make it a little lighter)
1/6 cup oil
1/6 cup honey
1/2 T salt
1/2 T gluten (optional)
1/2 T dough enhancer (optional)
1/2 T lecithin (optional)

Measure ingredients into bread maker in the following order:
water, yeast, 1 cup flour, oil and honey, 1 cup flour, salt, 1 1/3 cups flour. Mix on "dough" setting. After cycle is complete, shape dough into a loaf, place in greased bread pan, and let rise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Brush top of finished loaf with butter.

*More notes: For the oil and honey, I use a 1/3 cup measure and fill it half full with oil, then to the top with honey before dumping it all in. The honey slides right out that way and you don't have to scrape it.
I have never included the last three ingredients but I'd like to get them and see what kind of difference it makes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-01-22T18:06:00.000-08:00

This is "the BOMB" according to my brother Ben. I had made a different tortilla soup and had him over for dinner. He said it was good (I thought it was really good), but my sister's tortilla soup was "the BOMB." So my curiousity got the best of me and I had to have her recipe and find out for myself. And it is excellent. Easily Adam's favorite soup.

2 C cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1 15 oz. diced tomatoes, mostly drained
1/3-1/2 can of Hatch's green chile enchilada sauce (16 oz.) - this makes it a little spicy so you may want to add slowly little by little
4 oz. green chiles
15 oz. pinto beans (or I've used white or black), rinsed and drained
1 small onion, chopped (I sautee in butter till they're clear before I add)
2 T minced garlic
14 oz. can of chicken broth
15 oz. can of corn, drained
1 15 oz. can of cream of chicken
1 1/2 C water
2 t. chicken bouillion
1 t. cumin
1/2 t seasoned salt
1/2 t. salt
8-10 corn tortillas, cut up in small squares (I have used tortilla chips instead and they worked well)
*Sour cream, tortilla chips, cheese (to put on top of soup)

Dump all the ingredients in crockpot, except tortillas and the toppings (sour cream, chips, & cheese). Cook on low for 4 hours. Add tortillas for the last hour or so (they will mostly dissolve). OR you can cook on stove top for an hour (same thing...dump everything in) and add the tortillas once the soup is boiling. Garnish with sour cream, chips, & cheese!

EASY Peanut Butter Cookies

2009-01-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

So easy and very good...you won't believe they only have 3 ingredients!

1 C chunky peanut butter (or creamy)
1 C. sugar
1 egg

Combine peanut butter, sugar and egg. Drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheet. I always press my cookies down with my hand. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.
*This recipe has been with me for a long time...probably because it's so easy to remember! :)

Buttermilk Pancakes

2009-01-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

I make these probably once a week for dinner.

1 C buttermilk (or 1 C milk +1 T. vinegar)
1 t. salt
2 1/2 T oil
2 T. baking powder
2 1/2 T sugar
1 C. flour
1 egg

Mix together and let batter rise. Do not stir again. batter will be thick. Pour on griddle. Makes 12 small-medium pancakes.

Preparedness Tip

2009-01-04T20:29:00.000-08:00

Preparedness Tip - Inexpensive Eggs for Food Storage:
Eggs are essential basic cooking ingredients, but have a short shelf life and powdered eggs are expensive. Wendy DeWitt, who created food storage recipes for the Mesa LDS cannery, said unflavored gelatin mixed with water makes inexpensive eggs, and cornbread I made with unflavored gelatin that was over 10 years old was delicious! 1 lb of gelatin will make 192 eggs (16 doz). It's much cheaper if you buy in bulk; I get mine from bulkfoods.com.

To Make One Egg: Stir 1 tsp. unflavored gelatin with 3 Tbsp cold water until dissolved, then add 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp very hot water and stir. Decrease liquid called for in your recipe by about one-fourth cup to compensate for the added water from the egg.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2008-12-23T21:09:00.000-08:00

CRUST:
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted butter

FILLING:
3 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese at room temp.
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
3 eggs, plus one (1) yoke
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves2
table spoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (can substitute bourbon here)

Preheat oven to 350 For Crust.......in a medium bowl, combine crumbs, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter, press down flat into a 9 inch spring formpan. Set aside. For Filling......Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, egg yoke, sour cream, sugar and spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined. Pour into crust. Spread evenly and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove and let cool. Cover and refrigerate.

Lemon Rosemary Raisin Cookies

2008-12-20T22:20:00.000-08:00

These cookies sound so weird, but they are YUMMY (at least I think so)!

1 cup butter (or 1/2 cup butter plus 1/2 cup shortening)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 T minced rosemary (fresh)
grated lemon peel from one lemon
1/2 t salt
1/2 t lemon juice or extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 t cream of tartar
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 cup golden raisins

Mix butter, sugar and eggs. Then add rosemary, lemon peel, salt, and lemon juice. Then add flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Lastly add raisins.

Bake at 400 (I baked at 375 because my oven bakes fast and I'm paranoid about overcooking cookies) for under 10 minutes, until white-golden.

Christmas Sausage Souffle

2008-12-14T20:02:00.001-08:00

This breakfast casserole is a Thomson family tradition for Christmas morning.

1 large loaf french bread, cut into 8 thick slices
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 t dry mustard
1 can sliced mushrooms (I use fresh)
1/2 - 1 pound sausage, browned
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk

Arrange slices in 9X13 pan. Beat eggs, 2 cups milk, and mustard, and pour over bread. Top with mushrooms, sausage and cheese. Cover and let soak overnight in the refrigerator.

In the morning, combine 1/2 cup milk with soup and spread over top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes.

Chicken Lasagna

2008-12-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

4 chicken breasts; cooked and cubed
8 oz. cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
10 oz lasagna noodles
2/3 cup milk
2 cups sour cream
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
bread crumbs

Combine all ingredients except cheese, noodles and bread crumbs. Simmer in saucepan until blended. Cook noodles.Layer noodles, sauce and cheese in baking dish, top with bread crumbs and cheese. Bake @ 350ºF for 25-30 min. until heated through. If prepared earlier and refrigerated; extend cooking time 10-15 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2008-12-07T20:43:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS:
4 - 8 skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1 egg, beaten
cornstarch
oil

SAUCE:
3/4 c. sugar
4 T. catsup
1/2 c. vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. garlic powder
Throw in a bowl and mix.

DIRECTIONS:
Dip the chicken into the egg, then roll in the cornstarch. Add a small amount of oil into a frying pan, warmed up to medium, and fry the chicken -- 2 minutes per side.Place the chicken in a bakeware pan and pour the sauce over it.Bake uncovered at 325° for one hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.

LIME CHICKEN

2008-12-07T12:03:00.000-08:00

whisk together:

juice of 4 limes

juice of 1 lemon

3 cloves of garlic minced

3 T. fresh chopped cilantro

3tsp veg oil

1/2 tsp red pepper

2 shakes of pepper

3 shakes of salt

Marinade chicken for at least 1 hr. (over night works well) cook chicken and marinade in crock pot until done.take chicken out of crock pot and put into a large skillet with a few large scoops of your favorite salsa. Shred with fork while sauteeing. cook for a few min. then squeeze fresh lime on top. Makes great tacos or burritos!!!!

Pizza Salad

2008-11-17T14:05:00.000-08:00

Tomato-Basil Dressing:
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves (or dry basil to taste)

Mix tomatoes, oil and garlic in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Transfer to blender. Add vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar and basil. Pulse to blend and set aside.

Salad:1 Boboli crust(baked at 450 degrees for 8-10minutes and then cut into 2" squares)
3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 lb. diced mozzarella cheese
6 cups green leaf lettuce pieces (I use romaine)
1/2 of 3.5 oz. package of pepperoni, cut in half
Combine all ingredients and add dressing.
Toss and serve. To die for!!

Reese's Peanut Butter Balls

2008-11-14T19:20:00.000-08:00

1 cup of peanut butter

1 Stick of butter

2 cups of powdered sugar

Mix in a medium sized bowl. Roll into balls. Dip into melted dipping chocolate. make 40 pieces.

Pumpkin Fudge

2008-11-14T19:13:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Fudge
by Emily Norton

1 ½ c. sugar

1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2/3 c. evaporated milk

½ c. canned pumpkin

2 Tbsp butter

¼ tsp. salt

1 (12 oz) pkg white chocolate baking chips

2 c. miniature marshmallows

1/3 c. chopped walnuts (opt)
1 ¼ tsp. vanilla

Line 8" square pan w/foil & grease foil. Lightly grease sides & bottom of med. saucepan w/butter. Combine sugar, milk, pumpkin, butter, salt & pumpkin spice in saucepan. Stir constantly over med. heat. Bring mixture to boil-- boil for 12 min. Remove from heat & stir in baking chips & marshmallows until melted. Add nuts & vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Chill until set. Cut into small squares to serve. Cover & store in refrigerator.

Hot Chocolate

2008-11-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

By Diane Call

(for those of you that missed this class)

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
¼ c. unsweetened cocoa (can add more for stronger taste)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
6 cups hot milk (2 c. at a time in micro for 2 min)

Combine first 4 ingredients in saucepan. Slowly add milk, stirring over med heat. Heat thoroughly but do not boil. Serve hot with marshmallows or whipped cream. Store unused portions in covered container in refrigerator up to 5 days. Mix well before reheating.

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

2008-11-14T18:55:00.000-08:00

(This was taken before I added all additional toppings)

Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus refrigeration.

1/4 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. of caramel (ice cream topping), divided

1 Graham cracker pie crust

1/2 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. Pecan pieces, divided

1 cup cold milk

2 Pkg. (3.4 oz each) Jell-o Vanilla Instant Pudding

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tub of cool whip, thawed and divided

POUR: 1/4 caramel topping into crust, sprinkle with 1/2 of pecans. (the best part!!)

BEAT: milk, pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices with a whisk until blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of cool whip. Spread into crust.

Refrigerate at least an hour. Top with remaining cool whip, caramel topping and pecans just before serving. Makes 10 servings.

Chunky Beef Noodle Soup

2008-11-10T20:18:00.000-08:00

Got this recipe from my friend Emily. I haven't tried it yet, but if she says it's delicious (which she does), then it is.

1 lb. boneless round steak, cut into 1/2 in. cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10-1/12 ounces)condensed beef consomme, undiluted
1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup uncooked spiral pasta
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

In large saucepan, cook round steak, onion and garlic in oil until the meat is browned and the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in water, tomatoes, consomme and seasonings; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 1-1/2 hours. Stir in pasta and green pepper. Simmer, uncovered, until noodles are tender, about 8 minutes. Add parsley. YIELD: 8 servings (2 quarts)

Soup Starter

2008-11-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

I read about this idea online today {here} and thought "meh, why not?". I might be a bit more picky about what goes in it, but it could work!

Basically you just throw in all your leftover veggies, meats, gravies, mashed potatoes, rice, etc into a plastic tupperware in the freezer. When its full, you dump it all in a pot, add some chicken stock, seasoning, maybe some pasta, canned tomatoes or beans...and voila! Yummy soup! Eat with some good crusty bread and butter.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2008-11-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Carnation Café, Disneyland (from Delicious Disney)
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 pound bacon, roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
3/4 cup diced celery
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 medium red potatoes, diced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 cups heavy cream

Optional Garnishes: chopped chives, bacon bits, sour cream, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses

Directions:

In a 6 – 8 quart stockpot over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp.
Remove bacon and drain on paper towels (reserve half for garnish). In the bacon fat, cook onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are translucent. Add potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly over low heat about 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. Add stock and half of the bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Over medium-high heat, bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Mash some of the potatoes for thicker, creamier texture. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust thickness by adding water or stock. The soup should have a creamy consistency. Season to taste, and garnish with toppings, if desired.

~Soak diced potatoes in cold water until ready to use to keep them from turning brown. To make bacon easier to chop, lightly freeze.

Cranberry Chicken

2008-11-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

Cranberry Chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1 can whole cranberries

1 Lipton onion soup packet

1 cup Catalina Dressing

Directions:

Combine ingredients over chicken in baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over white rice.

~this recipe doesn't seem spectacular, buts its really good, kid friendly, and easy to make! Its also a nice change to the chicken/cream of...soup/rice recipes!

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Squares

2008-11-02T18:13:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Squares

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix - minus 1 cup
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg

Filling:
1 lb. can pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk

Topping:
1 cup cake mix
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter

Directions:

Grease 9x13 glass cake pan. After taking out 1 cup cake mix for topping, combine remaining cake mix, butter and egg. Press in bottom of pan. Prepare filling, mix until smooth, pour over crust. For topping, combine ingredients and sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cut in squares and top with whipped cream. Enjoy!

~another recipe from my cousin Kimi! We had it for dessert tonight and it was fabulous!
~Bethany S.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2008-11-02T10:07:00.000-08:00

~My cousin Kimi tried these out and her family raved about them so she passed it on to me! Its from Martha Stewart's website. We ate them this morning and they were soooooo good. Canned pumpkin is getting its own spot in our year supply now!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 TBS sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp each cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

a pinch of ground cloves

1 cup milk

6 TBS canned pumpkin puree

2 TBS melted butter

1 egg

Directions:

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt, nutmeg, and ground cloves. In a separate bowl, stir together milk, canned pumpkin puree, melted butter, and 1 egg; fold mixture into dry ingredients. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium-low heat; pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and syrup. Makes 8.

~This recipe was barely enough to feed all 4 of us, so I'll be doubling it next time and freezing any leftovers for the next morning!

~Bethany S.

Cranberry Salsa

2008-10-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

1 pkg fresh cranberries
1 small handful of cilantro
2 green onions
1/2 t cumin
1 med. jalepeno (seeds removed) - to taste
3/4 cup sugar

Blend in food processor. Sit in refrigerator for 4 hours. Serve on top of 1 block of cream cheese.

Raspberry Caves with Cinnamon

2008-10-28T19:12:00.001-07:00

A raspberry cave is a Swedish short bread cookie filled with jam. I made these for the international-themed potluck at Amelia's school last weekend. They were yummy!

14 T butter, at room temperature
½-3/4 cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 ¾ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
raspberry jam (or use lingonberry, which is a Swedish favorite)
30 medium paper cups (I used regular muffin cups)

Heat the oven to 375° F.

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla. Add the flour, combined with baking soda and cinnamon. Divide the dough into 30 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and put in a medium sized paper cup. With your finger, make an indention and fill it with jam.

Bake on a cookie sheet in the middle of the oven for about 12 minutes.

White Texas Sheet Cake

2008-09-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

In large saucepan, bring butter and water to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, almond extract, salt and baking soda until smooth. Pour into a greased 15x10x1-inch jelly roll baking pan. Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare frosting. Sift confectioners' sugar into a separate bowl. Combine butter and milk in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add sugar and extract and mix well. Stir in chopped pecans. Pour and spread over warm cake.

Cook time: 22 minutes

Creamy Chicken Soup

2008-09-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

This one's in the ward cookbook--it's Tiffany A.'s recipe. We use it frequently and love it! It's hearty and makes a LOT, so if there's only a few of you and you don't want a lot of leftovers, half it. It's great with rolls for taking a meal to someone.

2 chicken breasts
1 lb. carrots, chopped
6 medium potatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
3/4 cup milk thickened with 1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper

Boil chicken in large pot until cooked. Strain remaining chicken stock and return to pot. Boil carrots, potatoes and onion in chicken stock until soft. Cut chicken into chunks and add to pot. Add thickening mixture while stirring. Add cream cheese cut up. Stir until cream cheese melts into soup. Salt and pepper (heavily) to taste.

Taco Seasoning

2008-09-15T09:16:00.001-07:00

This is a replacement for those taco seasoning packets you buy at the store. Great for when you don't have any packets on hand, and in my opinion tastes better too.

2 t dry minced onion
1/2 t salt
1 t chili powder
1/2 t cornstarch
1/2 t crushed dry red pepper (I usually omit this)
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Add all of it, plus 1/2 cup water, to 1 pound browned ground beef, simmer for 15 minutes, and serve in tacos.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies

2008-08-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

30-48 mini Reese's cups (one bag)

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

combine butter, sugars, egg, vanilla and peanut butter in a bowl (or mixer). Mix until smooth. Combine flour, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture and chill. Roll in small balls. Place in greased mini-muffin tin. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove and immediately press mini Reese's (top up) into cookie. Cool for 10 minutes and carefully spoon out of pan. YUM!!!!

Leo's Tortilla Soup

2008-08-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

Total time: About 25 minutes

I love the flavor of this soup! It is very filling so makes a great dinner on its own. I got the recipe from my sister-in-law and it originally came from a Lion House cookbook. I also stole this picture from my sister-in-law's blog because she always makes food look so pretty. :) (If you're reading, thanks Tiff!)

1 tablespoon chicken bullion
2 cups diced canned or fresh tomatoes
1/2 cube of butter
1/2 cup canned diced green chilies
1 1/2 cups diced onions
5 cups water
2 1/2 cups dried refried beans
1 cup crushed heavy corn tortilla chips
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup diced green onion
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Shredded cheese

In a large soup pot add chicken base, tomatoes, butter, green chilies, and onions. Cook until onions are translucent. Add water, dried beans, chips, and seasonings. Heat until thickened and beans are soft. Add green onions and cilantro about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with crisp tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream. Yields 5-6 servings.

Janell's Notes:

I took a boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed it, and added it (raw) to the soup when I added the beans and water. It only takes 5-10 minutes for the chicken to cook through.
If you don't have the dried beans (does anyone know if you can still get them at the cannery?), I am pretty sure it would work fine to use a large can of refried beans, and just add water until you get the right soupy consistency.
I didn't have green chilies, so I used salsa instead and cut down a little on the onion and tomato to compensate.

Zucchini Bread

2008-07-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

You can get zucchini for a steal at Superstition Market right now. Which means I'm buying WAY more than we could ever eat. BUT, as it turns out, you can freeze grated zucchini! Which means you can have zucchini bread all year round! Yay!

Bread:
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 heaping cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Streusel (because adding that much oil and sugar to a vegetable doesn't make this unhealthy enough):
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Throw it all together in a bowl. I like to squish it around a bit with my hands so you get some lovely little clumps.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8.4 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy. Mix in oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nuts. Stir into egg mixture. Divide batter into prepared pans. Top with streusel mixture.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until done.

Kayla's Notes, or, What I've Learned Through Trial and Error Using This Recipe, or, Things You All Probably Already Know But I'm a Little Slow:

-Beat the eggs on high for a long time. Underbeating makes the loaves flat

-Grate the zucchini (skin, seeds and all) right before you add it to the batter. If its left out for long, it starts to lose some of the moisture and it makes for a drier bread. Which doesn't taste as good.

-This makes for really good mini muffins. I use mini muffin paper liners in a mini muffin tin and bake for about 15 minutes. I usually get one loaf and about 3 dozen mini muffins per batch, depending on how generous I've been with the batter.

-Home teachers really like mini muffins.

Chicken Broccoli Bake

2008-07-05T16:27:00.001-07:00

4 chicken breasts

2 lbs broccoli - fresh or frozen

1 can cream of chicken soup - I usually use the low-fat version

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup miracle whip

1 cup grated cheese

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Simmer chicken in water for 30 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool. Place chicken on top of broccoli in a baking dish. Combine and heat soup, milk, mayo, and miracle whip in a saucepan until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Add lemon juice to taste. Pour over chicken and broccoli. Bake covered for 30 minutes at 350.

Pesto

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

This is actually a recipe of Todd's, he served his mission in Italy.

2 cups basil leaves

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, peeled

large pinch salt

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Roast pine nuts in oven. In a food processor or blender, place the basil, roasted nuts, garlic cloves, salt and cheese - pulse these ingredients then gradually add the olive oil and continue pulsing until at desired consistency. Serve over the pasta of your choice.

Tortilla Soup

2008-06-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

8 tbs. canola oil
1 diced onion
4-6 minced garlic cloves (I use the jar of garlic)
2 - 14oz. cans of diced tomatoes
8 cups chicken stock
1 8oz. bag of My Nana's Tortilla Strips (found in deli or chips aisle)
3/4 tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tbs. chili powder
4 bay leaves
14oz. can of corn
4 chicken breast cooked/shredded (I cook mine in the crock pot)

Using a 6-8 qt. soup pot, preheat canola oil. Lightly sauté onions and minced garlic in oil.
Add canned tomatoes w/ juice and chicken stock to the onions and garlic, gently stir.
Add cumin, chili powder and bay leaves, bring to boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer. Add corn and shredded chicken.
Simmer for an additional 15 min.
Serve in bowl, garnish and sprinkle with My Nana's Tortilla Strips on top.

Optional garnishes: cilantro, diced avocado, grated cheese, sour cream. Enjoy!

Apple Pork Chops

2008-06-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

You will need 2-6 pork chops depending on how many people you are cooking for.

(I have tried bone-in and boneless and prefer bone-in because they are more tender and have more flavor).
2-3 cans of apple pie filling
Stuffing or bread crumbs (which ever you prefer)

Preset oven to 350
Layer the baking pan with 2-3 cans of apple pie filling depending on how many you are making (obviously the more pork chops the more apple pie filling you will use) and just spread the filling over the bottom of the pan.

Brown the pork chops on the stove in a frying pan. Don’t cook all the way, just brown them a little.

Place the browned pork chops on top of the apple pie filling.

Put stuffing or bread crumbs on top of the pork chops.

Place in oven and bake for 40 min–60 min depending on how many pork chops you are cooking.

No Bake cookies

2008-06-10T13:48:00.001-07:00

You've probably all made these ... just another idea for summer treats when you don't want to turn on the oven! They do have peanut butter--sorry Hailey. :(

2 C white sugar
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C milk
1/2 C margarine
1 t vanilla
1 pinch salt
1/2 C peanut butter
3 C quick cooking oats

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cocoa, milk, and margarine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, peanut butter, and oats.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow to cool for 1 hour. Store in an airtight container.

Teriaki Ranch Chicken

2008-06-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

I thought this chicken was sooo yummy. It does take a little time though, so for me it's going to be more of a company/special dinner recipe.

2 T vegetable oil
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (flatten w/meat mallet if desired)
flour
1/2 cup teriyaki basting sauce
1/2 cup Ranch salad dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 green onions, chopped (optional)
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

Pour flour (1 cup?) into a ziplock bag or a bowl. Press each piece of chicken in flour, then shake off excess. In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown chicken breasts in oil for 4-5 min on each side.

Place browned chicken breasts in a 9X13 baking dish. Brush with teriyaki sauce, then spoon on the Ranch. Sprinkle with cheese, green onions, and bacon bits.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes, removing foil for last 10 minutes of baking time.

S’more Cupcakes

2008-06-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

Bake chocolate cupcakes and frost with marshmallow frosting and garnish with graham cracker crumbs.
The frosting recipes makes enough for 12 cupcakes. I think it could be stretched!

Marshmallow Frosting:

2 large egg whites, 1 cup sugar, 6 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp light corn syrup, ½ tsp cream of tartar, pinch salt, 1 cup miniature marshmallows, 1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large, clean heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites, sugar, water, cornsyrup, cream of tartar and salt. Set the bowl over (but not touching)simmering water in a saucepan and heat the mixture, whisking constantly,until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch(about 160 degrees), about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan.Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the mixture until it isvery warm and soft (but not dry) peaks form, about 2 minutes. Reduce themixer to low and add the marshmallows and vanilla. Continue beating untilthe marshmallows are melted and the frosting is completely smooth, about 2 minutes more. Use right away. Make 5 cups.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

2008-06-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

This cake is RICH and super yummy. I use the PB frosting to go between the cake layers, and thee dark chocolate frosting to go on the outside. Goes great with homemade vanilla ice cream to balance it out!

Dark Chocolate Cake:

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Place sugar, cocoa, and salt in large bowl. Pour in oil (do not mix). Place baking soda in medium bowl; stir in 1 1/2 cups hot water (mixture will bubble up). Add baking soda mixture to cocoa mixture and, using electric mixer, beat until cool, about 1 minute. Beat in flour, then eggs and vanilla. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.)

Peanut Butter Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

Dark Chocolate Frosting:

2 2/3 cups Powdered Sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
6 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon milk -- more if needed
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine powdered sugar and cocoa in bowl. Cream butter with 1/2 cup of the cocoa mixture in another bowl. Alternately add remaining cocoa mixture and milk; beat to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla.

~Bethany S.

Jello Cottage Cheese Salad

2008-06-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Whats a Mormon recipe blog without Jello Salad? :p I never ate this stuff because I thought it looked (and sounded) gross...until I was pregnant with Evie, then I ate it every single week because its soooooo good! Perfect for summer!

Orange Jello Cottage Cheese Salad

1 container Cool Whip, 8oz
1 container cottage cheese, 12oz
1 small box orange flavored jello, 3oz
1 can mandarin oranges, 11oz, drained
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional for some, necessary for me!)
1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Scoop cool whip into your serving bowl, gently fold in cottage cheese, dry jello powder, nuts, and mini mallows. For best consistency, refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Variations:
Strawberry- use sliced strawberries and strawberry jello (salad will be pink!)
Pineapple- use crushed pineapple, drained and pina colada jello (salad will be white!)

~ Bethany S.

Hot Fudge Topping

2008-05-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

* 1 cup sugar
* 1 heaping Tbsp of cocoa
* just less than 1/4 tsp. salt
* 1 Tbsp Karo syrup
* 1/3 cup havy whipping cream
* just less than 1/4 cup milk

***Do NOT stir after it starts to boil!***

Cook to soft ball stage, then cover and let steam a minute.
Take off heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 Tbsp butter.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

2008-05-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

Just a simple casserole that my family likes.

1 large chicken breast, cooked and diced
1 cup rice + 2 cups water + 1 T butter - cook in rice cooker or on stove
2 small-medium heads broccoli, cut into florets and steamed or boiled
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can (use soup can) milk
shredded cheese
french fried onions (optional)

In an 8-9 inch square casserole pan, layer rice, chicken, and broccoli. Mix soup and milk in a small bowl, then pour over the top. Sprinkle cheese over all. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle french fried onions over the top for the last 5 minutes of baking time.

Potato Cheese Soup

2008-05-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

6-8 potatoes
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
broccoli, chopped (optional)
carrots, chopped (optional)
1 stick butter
6 T flour
1 cup milk

Cook potatoes and onion (and broccoli and carrots, if desired) in 8 cups of water until soft. In a small pan melt butter. Add flour, then remove from heat and stir to make a paste. Add milk and cook until very thick. Add this mixture to the pot. Finally add and stir until well blended and heated through:

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 t garlic salt
1/4 t pepper
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t seasoned salt
chopped cooked meat such as ham or bacon (optional)

Chicken Crescents (or Hot Pockets)

2008-05-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls

filling:
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded/diced
8 oz. package cream cheese
2 T dried minced onion
4 oz. fresh chopped mushrooms (optional)
garlic powder and seasoned salt to taste

coating:
butter
bread crumbs

Mix filling ingredients together, adding chicken last. Separate dough into rectangles, firmly sealing diagonal perforations. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto center of each rectangle. Pull 4 corners of dough to top center of chicken mixture, twist slightly & seal edges. Melt butter in one bowl, place bread crumbs in another. Roll each stuffed crescent in melted butter and then bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes if desired.

Optional gravy (for pouring over crescents and mashed potatoes/rice):

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream

Stir all together in saucepan on medium heat until warmed through.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

2008-05-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

This is the best coffee cake I've ever had. My mom got it from a lady who made it a long time ago at a Relief Society function. I made it for book club once and everyone raved. I think it's the sour cream in the batter. And the chocolate chips...

Cake:
1/2 cup butter or marg
1 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 c sour cream

Topping:
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
2 t cinnamon
1 c chopped nuts
6 ounces chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar in large bowl. Add eggs, beating after each addition. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl then add to large bowl alternately with the sour cream. Add vanilla. Combine topping ingredients in separate bowl. Spread half of the dough in a greased and floured 9X13 pan. Cover with half the topping mixture. Carefully spread remaining dough on top. Sprinkle remaining topping over top of the dough. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Sicky Buns

2008-05-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

This is a yummy, easier alternative to cinnamon rolls.

1/2 cup marg or butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
18-20 frozen rolls
chopped pecans

Layer some nuts, and then rolls on sprayed 9X13 pan. Warm margarine, brown sugar, and cinnamon until sugar dissolves. Pour mixture over rolls, plus more nuts, then cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until rolls are double in size. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until rolls are browned and done. Let cool a few minutes, then turn over onto large platter to serve. (I usually half the recipe, use a glass square pan, and turn over onto a large dinner plate.)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2008-05-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

These are actually pretty healthy other than the chocolate chips.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ or ground flaxseed
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup milk
1 t vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (regular is fine too)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease (or coat w/muffin cups) muffin pan. Whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Combine bananas, eggs, sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla in medium bowl. Pour liquid ingredients over dry ones; stir until moist. Spoon into prepared cups. Bake 15 minutes or until light golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Peanut Butter Cereal Bars

2008-05-06T18:32:00.001-07:00

These are so easy and yummy (unhealthy), and great for summer when you don't want to turn on the oven as much to make treats.

1 C corn syrup
1 C white sugar (I sometimes use half brown, half white)
1 C peanut butter
8 C breakfast cereal (I use 2 cups each of Chex, Cheerios, Corn Flakes, and Rice Crispies. Actually I don't really measure at all. It's also great w/just Rice Crispies or just Corn Flakes, or any combination)
Chocolate chips (optional)

Bring 1 cup corn syrup and 1 cup sugar to boil in a big pot. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup peanut butter until melted. Stir in cereal until well coated, adding chocolate chips if desired at the end. Spread in greased 9X13 pan, or, if you're doing just corn flakes, spread out on greased jelly roll pan.

Pacific Rim Marinade

2008-04-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

3/4 C. soy sauce

1/2 C. dry sherry

3 T. cider vinegar

2 T. sesame oil

2 tsp. minced garlic

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. Fresh ginger (grated)

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil, immediately lower the heat and simmer 10 minutes. Cool if using as a marinade. (You can also use this marinade as a sauce-- it's delicious on Jasmine rice). Serve HOT if using as a sauce.

Use as a marinade on pork, chicken or fish.

Hoisin Chicken Marinade

2008-04-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

4 chicken breasts (boneless/skinless) or chicken tenders

1/2 lb. button mushrooms

1 C. oil

1/2 C. soy sauce

1/4 C. vinegar

2 T. honey

1 tsp. hoisin sauce

2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

combine all ingredients and mix well. Cut chicken into 1" strips (or use tenders). Cover with marinade and marinade for 2-3 hours.

South of the Border Marinade

2008-04-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

....for meat or poultry....

1 C. olive oil

1 orange juiced & zested

1 lime juiced and zested

2 T. Achiote Paste

1 T. fresh oregano (chopped)

1/4 C. fresh cilantro (chopped roughly)

1 T. ground cumin

1 T. Ancho chili powder

3 garlic cloves (crushed)

1 jalapeno chopped roughly (I usually don't add this).

Combine all ingredients and mix vigorously. Marinade for several hours or overnight.

Salsa Chicken Marinade

2008-04-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

***my ABSOLUTE favorite marinade EVER***

4 chicken breasts

1 C. Pace Picante Sauce

1/2 C. Paul Newman's Italian dressing

Juice of 1/2 lg. lemon

salt

pepper

Mix all together and marinade for several hours or overnight.

Crock-pot FAVORITES!

2008-04-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some very easy, crock-pot recipes:

Note: these are all pork chop recipes, but I've tried a few with chicken breasts & they work great too!

Spray fry pan and crock pot with non-stick spray. Brown pork chops on both sides and salt & pepper (garlic salt, if desired).

Place each in crock pot as you top each with:

**Barbecue Style: One slice of lemon. Spread each chop with 1-2 T. brown sugar. Pour 8 oz. can of tomato sauce over all. Cook on high setting for 3+ hours or on low for 6 hours. Serve with baked potato or mashed potato or potato casserole.

**Hawaiian: One pineapple ring on each chop, then cover each with 1-2 T. brown sugar. Pour remaining pineapple juice over all (should be about 1/2 to 3/4 cup?). Cook on high setting for 3+ hours or on low for 6 hours. Serve with rice.

**Savory: One granny smith apple ring or apple sauce. Top with 1/4 c. golden raisins. Pour 1/2 c. apple juice over. Cook on high setting for 3+ hours or on low for 6 hours. Serve with couscous or rice.

**Mexican: Pour green chili sauce over and cook on high setting for 3+ hours or on low for 6 hours. (Also works well with a pork roast for chili verde, but cook about 5-6 hours.) Serve with corn or Spanish rice.

ANY of these can also be made in the oven. Place chops in a greased 9x13, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes.

Onion-Roasted Chicken & Vegetables

2008-04-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

I was frantically searching for a new recipe or something different to make for dinner tonight. I forgot about this recipe, when I first moved out with friends this was the ONLY meal I could make, so I made it often and it was always a hit!!! I am making it tonight, so I thought I'd post it....

1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. Lawry's garlic powder (w/ parsley)

4 chicken breasts

2 medium all purpose potatoes, cut into chunks

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large plastic bag or bowl, add all ingredients. Close bag and shake, or toss in a bowl, until chicken and veggies are completely coated.

In a 13x9-inch baking or roasting pan arrange chicken and veggies-- discard bag.

Bake uncovered (basting halfway through) for 45 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender.

Serves:4

Prep Time: 10 minutes (I LOVE that!!!!)

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Stir Fry

2008-04-01T00:43:00.000-07:00

* Sliced petite sirloin steak (or chicken)
* 1 cup of diagonally chopped celery
* 1 onion sliced (leave in rings)
* 2 cups chopped broccoli
* 1 cup snow peas
* 1 and 1/2 cups beef broth (from granules)
* 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
* 1/2 tsp. pepper

***Use a Wok***
In 2 Tbsp of olive oil, brown the meat. Next fold in
veggies, add 1 and 1/2 cups beef broth, soy sauce, and
pepper.Cover with lid and for 10 minutes (to steam).
Take 2 Tbsp. cold water and corn starch...mix and then
add to the Stir Fry. Mix that in well. Serve over white
steamed rice.

Chicken Chalupas

2008-04-01T00:34:00.000-07:00

* Flour Tortillas
* 3 Cups cooked chicken shredded
* 1 qt. sour cream
* 2 cans cream of chicken soup
* 12 Tbsp. salsa
* 2 lbs grated cheese

Mix together sour cream, soup, salsa, and about 1/3 of
cheese (this is the small mixture). Set aside 3/4 cups
of THIS mixture and then add 1/2 cup water to this. Then
add chicken and small can of green chilis (optional) to
the large mixture. Fill the tortillas (about 1/2 cup)
with the large mixture, roll and place in pan. Spread
the rest of the sauce (small mixture) over the tortillas,
then put the rest of the cheese on top. Bake @ 350 for
40 minutes!

***I usually half the recipe for my family***

FUN Fruit Dips

2008-03-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

LEMON

2 Yoplait lemon yogurts (small size)

1/2 container of cool whip

--blend together--

Zest lemon peel over the top of your finished product

*****************************************************

RASPBERRY

8oz. Cream Cheese

1 container of Marshmallow (cream)

1/2 container of cool whip

1 lg. container of raspberry mountain high yogurt

Cheesy Potatoes

2008-03-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

Our family FAVORITE!!

(9x13 pan)
8-10 medium sized potatoes
1 can cream of Chicken soup
1 16 oz. container of sour cream
1/2 cube of butter (or more)
2 cup grated cheese (I use cheddar)
1/2 cup chopped green onions if desired
salt and pepper

1 1/2 cup corn flakes (crushed)

Boil potatoes in jacket or cook in microwave. Peel when potatoes are cooled and then grate them.
Mix together in a large bowl the soup, sour cream, cheese, butter and onions and then stir in the grated potatoes until still very creamy.
Put in a buttered oblong dish and cover with crushed corn flakes (about 1 1/2 c. or more) that have been mixed with 6 T melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Potatoes can be made a day or two early and put in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Pasta Basta

2008-03-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

1 T. red pepper flakes

olive oil to cover bottom of pan

3 T. minced garlic

1 c. pine nuts

8 ½ oz. sundried tomatoes – julienne

1 ¼ c. calamata olives

3 oz fresh basil chopped

salt and pepper to taste

3 c. cooked chicken – sliced or cubed

1 lb. penne pasta cooked to al dente

12 oz. cheese tortellini cooked to al dente

½ lb. feta cheese

Cook red pepper flakes in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large pan over medium heat. The longer you cook – the hotter it gets. Be careful not to burn. Add garlic, pine nuts and tomatoes. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add olives and basil cook for a couple more minutes. Add cooked chicken and pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with feta cheese, toss and serve.With this recipe you are free to add more of what you like and less or none of what you don't. Play around with it - it is a family favorite copy-cat recipe from Oreganos.

Coconut Bread (best EVER)!

2008-03-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. coconut extract

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Spray 3 small loaf pans with PAM. Beat eggs, then cream in the sugar, oil and coconut extract. Add flour and dry ingredients. Then add milk, coconut flakes and nuts (if desired). Beat well. This makes 3 small loaves. Bake for 45 minutes at 325°. (If you care to make one tube cake, bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.) Loaves will be golden brown and cracked on the top.

Glaze

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

2 Tbsp. Margarine or butter

1 tsp coconut extract

Bring all ingredients except coconut extract to a boil and boil for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. coconut extract.While the loaves are still warm (fresh from the oven) pour glaze over each loaf. Let them stand 4 hours. The glaze will be completely absorbed into the loaf and will leave the pan easily.

Homemade Baggie Ice Cream

2008-03-21T12:13:00.001-07:00

1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. whole milk

3 c. ice
1/2 c. rock salt

Get a plastic sandwich bag and a quart size plastic bad. In the small bag, combine the sugar, vanilla and milk. Tightly seal the small bag. In the large bag put ice and rock salt. Put the small bag in large bag and gently shake and move bag for 5-10 minutes until the milk turns to ice cream. It will be soft. You can add syrups, fruit, sprinkles or whatever you want to make it yummier. Makes one individual serving!

Carrot Cake

2008-03-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

Carrot Cake

(just in time for Easter)
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp soda
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 c canola/vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 can crushed pineapple (8.5 oz)
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts if desired
2-3 large carrots (2 cups grated carrots)
Grate carrots first, then cream sugar and oil, add eggs. Then add all the dry ingredients and vanilla. Stir in the carrots & crushed pineapple last.
(I can't remember if it should be drained or not! So, the first time, drain it and use 1/2. That way, you are 1/2 right or 1/2 wrong---couldn't hurt.)

BAKE at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour...

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 c. soft butter
8 oz. soft cream cheese
2 c. powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
drops of milk or pineapple juice for creamier
Let butter and cream cheese warm to room temperature. Whip together and then add sugar, vanilla, and nuts.
Spread evenly on cooled cake.

f.y.i.-Usually I don't put nuts in the cake and add nuts only on part of the frosting to cater to those who don't like nuts---usually men. For a shower, I add nuts to cake and frosting!

Sweet Dinner Rolls

2008-03-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

Yet another recipe slightly modified from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 t salt
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour + 1 cup wheat flour (you could do all white if you want, but it tastes fabulous this way, I think)
2 1/4 t (or one .25 ounce package) active dry yeast
1/4 cup butter, softened

Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in bread maker. Select dough cycle and press start.

When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Divide in half, and roll each half into a 12 inch circle. Spread the 1/4 cup softened butter over both circles. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end (like crescents). Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise double.

Preheat oven to 375. Bake 10-15 minutes, until golden. I like to spread a little butter over the tops of the rolls when they come out of the oven, too.