Food, Friends and Fun

Ham and Cheese Sliders

2011-02-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

1 Pkg. (12) King’s Hawaiian Rolls

½ lb. Sliced Ham

¼ lb. Sliced Swiss Cheese

Make into sandwiches and arrange in baking dish.

Sauce:
1 Stick Melted Butter
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 t. Poppy Seeds
¼ t. Garlic Salt

Pour sauce over sandwiches (dont worry, they wont be soggy). Bake at 350° until cheese melts (about 15-20 minutes

ARTICHOKE DIP!

2011-01-21T11:34:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that I have not posted this recipe before! This is a winner! It is requested often by my hubby and friends. Enjoy!!!

Artichoke Dip

1 - 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened (I usually microwave it until super soft)

1 cup mayo

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and diced

1 - 4 oz can of diced green chilies

8 oz of shredded parmesan, I put half into the mixture and the other half on top

Mix together all the ingredients and sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 min, then mix thru and bake another 10 min uncovered. Serve with chips and/or bread!!

Boston Clam Chowder

2011-01-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

I love My Kitchen Cafe. Seriously, she knows how to cook. I have made this chowder twice since I found it on her site. It is really tasty! Enjoy!

(serves 6-8)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups diced, peeled potatoes (I use Yukon Gold or Red potatoes)

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

1 quart half-and-half

2 (6.5-oz.) cans minced clams

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Pepper to taste

Drain the clams and reserve the liquid. In a large pot, place the vegetables and pour the claim juice over the top. Add enough water to barely cover the vegetables. Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are almost tender (don’t overcook them in this step!), about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour, making a roux with a wire whisk. Constantly stirring, add the half-and-half slowly. Cook and stir until smooth and thickened, without boiling. When slightly thickened, add the roux to the vegetables and add the clams, salt, vinegar and pepper (to taste). Can keep warm (without boiling!) for a up to an hour or serve immediately.

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

2010-12-10T19:30:00.001-08:00

Absolutely delicious. My husband came home and ate 1/4 of it instead of dinner.

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 5/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch Bundt pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the batter just until blended. Fold in blueberries.
3. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the batter in the pan. Spoon remaining batter over the top, and then sprinkle the remaining pecan mixture over. Use a knife or thin spatula to swirl the sugar layer into the cake.
4. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes (may take longer if using frozen blueberries) in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the crown of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack. Invert onto a serving plate, and tap firmly to remove from the pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Apple-Cinnamon French Toast

2010-11-22T19:54:00.000-08:00

Oh Wow, did this turn out good!!!! I LOVE french toast but rarely make it because I like the outside to have a crisp to it and the way I made it, it never did. Then, I was inspired after reading a similar idea and created this. It was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and full of flavor!!!!

In a wide dish, add 8 eggs, a little milk and sprinkle with cinnamon. Beat well together. In a freezer bag, put in a few cups of apple-cinnamon cheerios. Seal bag and crush into a powder. (I rolled the bag with a rolling pin several times on each side and it worked great!!) Put this mixture in another wide dish.

Heat a little oil (or left over bacon grease! Yum!) in a pan. Dip both sides of a piece of bread in the egg mixture. Then, dip both sides in the crushed cheerios.

Fry in the pan a couple minutes on each side until golden brown. This will do about 12 pieces of bread. Serve immediately and top as desired with butter, syrup or your favorite toppings! Heavenly!!!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

2010-11-15T00:03:00.000-08:00

Another great recipe from My Kitchen Cafe.

LOVED IT!

*Note: This bread tastes best when it has cooled completely for a few hours and tastes even better the next day.

*Makes 2 (9X5-inch loaves) or 3 (8X4-inch loaves)

2 ½ cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2/3 cup water
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans or three 8×4-inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together canned pumpkin, oil, eggs and 2/3 cup water until well combined and stir into dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no dry streaks remain. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter in prepared pans.

Bake the bread for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife gently around the edge of the bread and turn the bread out, right side up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This bread freezes beautifully. After cooling, wrap the bread in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of tin foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies...

2010-10-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

from recipes.com

I have no idea how I have never had these before!!! A friend brought them to a halloween party last night and I had to have the recipe!!! These are definately delish!!

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 package, 2 layer sized, spice cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 recipe marshmallow-spice filling (see recipe below)

Marshmallow-Spice Filling: Up to 2 hours before serving, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter and one 8-ounce package softened cream cheese until smooth. Add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 of a 7-ounce jar marshmallow cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat until well combined.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil (grease foil, if using). In a large mixing bowl beat pumpkin and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add cake mix, eggs, and milk; beat on low speed until combined, and then on medium speed for 1 minute.

2. By the heaping tablespoon, drop mounds of batter 3 inches apart on cookie sheet; keep remaining batter chilled. Bake 15 minutes or until set and lightly browned around edges. Carefully remove from parchment or foil; cool on wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, lining cooled cookie sheets each time with new parchment or foil. If desired, place cookies in a covered storage container with waxed paper between layers to prevent sticking. Store cookies at room temperature for 24 hours. Prepare Marshmallow-Spice Filling up to 2 hours before serving. Spread about 2-1/2 tablespoons filling on flat side of one cookie; top with a second cookie. Repeat. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 2 hours. Makes 15 whoopies.

**I have made these now twice without waiting the 24 hours...I just make them then eat them :) they turned out exactly the same!

Apple Cake!!

2010-10-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a super yummy and easy recipe to use up some of those apples!! From Allrecipes.com (called Apple Cake IV)

Ingredients:
5 apples- peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegi oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Topping:
4 tsp. white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

(As a note, I sliced and then diced the apples into tiny bits instead of just slicing. I also omitted the walnuts and doubled the topping....)

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg and lightly grease and flour a 9X13 pan.

2) Sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, set aside

3) In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar for 15 min. on high speed with an electric mixer (I got impatient and stopped after 5 min. and it was fine.) Add oil and blend in.

4) add flour mixture and mix well. Add vanilla. Fold in apples and walnuts. Pour batter into 9X13 in pan.

5) In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon for topping. Sprinkle over cake

6) Bake at 350 deg for 50-60 min. or until a toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.

Enjoy!!! It was veeerrrrryyyy tasty!

Pizza Dip!!!!

2010-10-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

This Dip has become a favorite among my friends for girls nights, baby showers, and parties! Its so easy and is definately a crowd pleaser!

1 jar pizza sauce (not spaghetti sauce)

1 8oz. block cream cheese, softened

1 package pepperoni chopped

1 can chopped olives

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
grease baking dish.
mix all of the ingredients, leaving about 1/2 cup of mozzarella left for topping
cover with foil and bake for 30 min.
remove foil and add remaining mozzarella and BROIL for 5 min.
Serve with french bread!!

***MAKE SURE TO SOFTEN THE CREAM CHEESE...I PUT IT IN THE MICROWAVE UNTIL EXTREMELY SOFT.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich...

2010-09-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

I love a good crock pot recipe! This recipe is from My Kitchen Cafe and it was delish. I have never used liquid smoke before and it really made a difference!!!

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (I used boneless pork loin!)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 tablespoon hickory flavored liquid smoke (found by the bbq sauces)
2 cups barbecue sauce

Rinse the pork shoulder and pat dry. Rub salt and pepper over the pork and place in a slow cooker. Add water and liquid smoke. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork is very tender.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker and discard the remaining liquid. Shred the pork using a couple of forks. Place the meat back in the slow cooker along with the barbecue sauce and continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the pork is hot again. Serve on buns with extra barbecue sauce.

Yummy Jello Salad!

2010-09-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

this is one of those easy crowd pleasers! perfect for a party or bbq!

2 big containers of regular cool whip

1 (20oz) can of crushed pineapple drained

Half a bag of mini marshmallows

1 big box of strawberry jello powder

Empty containers of cool whip into a large bowl and add jello powder, mix thru. Then add drained crushed pineapple and mix thru. Then add the mini marshamallows and mix thru. You can also add chopped up strawberries, really yummy that way! Put in fridge to chill for 2 hours before served

Chicken Salad Sandwich!!!

2010-09-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine made this for Bunco last year and I have been thinking about it ever since :). Its delish served on croissants and makes a huge batch! Enjoy!

1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
4 cups cubed chicken (I use the canned chicken from costco found with the tuna cans)
2 cups mayo
1tsp salt
2 TBSP Lemon Juice
2 cups grapes halved
2 cups cucumber peeled and diced
1 cups celery diced
12 oz bag spiral macaroni cooked

Mix it all together and refrigerate. It's best if you make it the night before. A single batch serves a bunch of people. Serve on Croissants!!!!

Cowboy Caviar

2010-08-04T16:39:00.000-07:00

(pic from Little Birdie Secrets)

I saw this recipe on Little Birdie Secrets. It was really good, Super easy to put together and a nice cool treat for these hot summer months!!!

Cowboy Caviar
1 can corn
1 can black beans, drained
3 large tomatoes, chopped
3 large avocados, chopped
2 Tbs chopped green onions
1 package dry Italian dressing
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 Tbs water

In a large bowl mix corn, peas, tomatoes, avocados and onions. In another bowl mix the dry Italian dressing, olive oil, vinegar and water. Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss until evenly coated. Serve with tortilla chips.

Jello

2010-07-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

This was a great new JELL-O that the kids loved.

1 3 oz package Strawberry Jell-o
1 cup orange sherbet
Cool whip

Add 1 cup boiling water to jello. Stir 2 min. or until completely dissolved.
Stir in sherbet until melted. Pour into individual cups or bowls. The original recipe says 4 martini or wine cups.

Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Top each with 1 TBSP cool whip just before serving.

Makes 4 individual servings. I doubled the recipe to feed my family.

Next time I might try pineapple or lemon sherbet for fun.

Zucchini and Potato Bake

2010-07-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

This isn't the healthiest recipe to make with zucchini, but its really good! This one is courtesy of my grandmother who never seems to have actual measurements with her recipes...which scares me! But this one was easy and great for my over flowing supply of zucchini!

Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray
Slice potatoes (thinly) and layer on bottom of pan
Chop onion and sprinkle over
sprinkle with salt and pepper
add a layer of grated cheese
then a layer of thinly sliced zucchini
sprinkle lightly with italian seasoning
dot with margarine
repeat layers
bake at 375 covered for 45 min
check potatoes and top with more cheese and put back in and allow to melt

Zucchini Bread

2010-07-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

(crappy pic, yummy bread)

I planted my first garden this year!!! Little did I know that zucchini and squash will take over the whole backyard!!! I had never made zucchini bread before, thanks to friends and family I have a few recipes to try. I loved this one. SOOO simple to make, and DELISH! I love the cinnamon in it! Enjoy!

mix together:

1 Cup brown sugar

1 Cup white sugar

1 Cup oil

3 Eggs, well beaten

2 Cups grated zucchini

3 tsp. vanilla

in a separate bowl mix:
3 Cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix together & pour into 2 loaf pans. Bake @ 325 for about an hour

Cheesy Tortellini Bake

2010-07-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

So, it has been slow on here- I think with the heat there hasn't been many people cooking. I made a yummy dish tonight that I would like to share. I got the recipe from the person who cooked the meals at girls camp when I went as a leader this year. It is way easy and very creamy and yummy. I forgot to take a picture until it was too late, but it looks just like a lasagna dish when it comes out of the oven. It tastes similar to lasagna, but creamy and so much faster and easier to make!!!

Ingredients:

1 20 oz pkg Tortellini
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground ital. saus.
4 oz. cream cheese (I use light)
1 reg. jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese (shaker can)

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350.

1) Brown beef/sausage and drain. Put back in pan and add sauce- simmer on low.

2) While browning meat, boil tortellini according to pkg directions. Drain.

3) Put tortellini back in pan. Dice cream cheese and put in pan with tortellini and stir until cheese is mostly melted and spread evenly among tortellini (if you really want it thick and creamy, throw in the whole bar- but it will be thick!)

4) Layer in square baking dish lasagna style- sauce, tortellini, sauce, mozz cheese, parm cheese, tortellini, sauce, mozz cheese, parm cheese.

5) Bake uncovered for approx. 20 min. or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!!

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce

2010-05-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

2 cans green enchilada sauce
1 small can green chilies
3-4 chicken breasts, shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz cream cheese (softened)
7-8 large flour tortillas
2 cups of Cheese (I used Monterey Jack)

Cook and shred chicken
Mix Chicken, chilies and cream cheese together in a bowl
In another bowl mix sauce and chicken soup
Add 4 spoonfuls of sauce mixture to chicken mixture and blend
Spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom of pan
Fill tortillas with 1-2 spoonfuls of chicken mixture. Roll up and place in pan.
Pour sauce over the filled tortillas
Sprinkle cheese over the top
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for an hour.

Fettuccine Alfredo- LOWER FAT!!!

2010-05-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

I love the creaminess and richness of a good alfredo sauce- but my waistline does not. In a search for healthier recipes, I bought the book by Rocco Dispirito titiled "Now eat this!" (author of "Eat This, Not That".) When I saw an alfredo recipe, I was excited but skeptical- the fat in alfredo is what makes it yummy! But, I gave it a try and it was so so so good! Just as creamy and flavorful as the full fat original- surprisingly! I will never make the high fat version again! Here is the recipe!

8 oz whole-wheat fettuccine
1 TBSP butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. cornstarch
pinch of ground nutmeg
3/4 cup low fat, low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
(I just used the shaker can of Parmesan)
3/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt
black pepper

Prepare Fettuccine as directed on box

While pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant- just a minute or two.

Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and nutmeg in a small bowl. Whisk in the chicken broth until smooth. Pour the mixture into the saute pan with the butter and garlic. Raise the heat and bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened slightly. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the cheese until melted. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the yogurt until the sauce is smooth. Season as desired with pepper.

**Note- I added a touch of skim milk at this point to thin it a bit because it was very thick and creamy! You may or may not need to- depends on your preference.

Serve over fettuccine. I also included strips of grilled chicken and broccoli! Yum! Even one of my 3-year-olds who NEVER eats pasta of any kind (except mac and cheese) gobbled it up!

Enjoy!

Nutrition info:

336 calories and 10.4 grams of fat (compared to the high fat restaurant version, according to the author, is 1,220 calories and 75 grams of fat! Ouch!)

Candied Almond Salad

2010-05-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

This salad is DELISH. You know its good when your sisters boyfriend (who is a trained Chef) wants the recipe! Enjoy!!

Candied Almond Salad

Salad:
2 1/2 cups shredded chicken (I just got precooked chicken from Costco)
3/4 cup crumbled bacon
1 cup candied almonds
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese
4 cups romaine
2 cups iceburg lettuce

Poppy seed dressing:
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons toasted poppy seeds

Directions:
In medium size pan, melt ½ cup sugar and 2 tsp butter, then add 1 cup of sliced almonds and stir. Spread out on foil until they are completely cooled, then separate.

Poppy seed dressing: In a food processor or blender pulverize sugar.
add the mustard, salt, and vinegar. Blend until the sugar is
dissolved. With the machine slowly running, gradually add oil to the
sugar mixture. Remove mixture from the machine and stir in the poppy
seeds. Chill for at least 20 minutes.

Toss salad and dressing together and serve.

Bakerella's Easy Cupcake Bites

2010-05-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

photo from Bakerella

Have you seen these cupcake bites from Bakerella? So stinkin cute and DELISH!!! I made them for a dual babyshower a few weeks back. I topped them with Pink and Blue instead of the purple and I used a white cake inside. They were a hit!!!!

Easy Cupcake Bites
1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (for cupcake bottom)
Colored Candy Melts (for cupcake top)
Candy Cup mold
Sprinkles and m&ms for decoration

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl. (The texture should be fine/fluffy)
Using the back of a large spoon, mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
Roll mixture into quarter size balls (make sure they are smaller in diameter than that of your candy mold) and lay on wax paper covered cookie sheet.
Chill in the freezer for a few minutes, until they are slightly firm, not frozen.
Melt chocolate bark and candy melts in microwave per directions on package.
Using a spoon or squeeze bottle, fill each mold cavity with a small amount of chocolate. Sorry, I didn’t think to measure how much. But as soon as you fill the cavity, go ahead and place one of your rolled balls into it. Carefully push it down until the force causes the chocolate to push up and fill in around the sides of the ball. You may have to experiment with a couple to get the right amount. Stop pushing once the chocolate reaches the top edge.
Place the mold tray filled with cupcakes in the freezer for just a few minutes to let the chocolate set. Remove and then gently pull up on the cake ball top to release from candy mold.
Now, holding the bottom of the cupcake, dip the top in another color of melted chocolate.
Decorate.

Avocado Bean Dip

2010-04-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from The Sisters Cafe. I had all the ingredients on board and it was super yummy! My little ones loved it!

Avodaco Bean Dip

1 15 oz can of white (or black beans), drained
1 avocado-mashed
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2 Tb chopped diced green chilis (I use canned)
2 Tb chopped cilantro
1 Tb lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and serve with chips!

Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

2010-04-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

Oooh, this is good!!! Somewhat sweet with a hint of the balsamic vinegar...delicious!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I used 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

In a shallow glass dish, stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place them into the dish. If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from the dish, and reserve marinade. Fry fish for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm.
Pour reserved marinade into the skillet, and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistently. Spoon glaze over fish, and serve immediately.

from all recipes

Best Ranch Dressing ever

2010-03-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from the Chevy's cookbook. We love it. I've never had it on a salad but it's a good dip for tortilla chips. It's good on chicken wings, mixed with salsa and about everything else I've tried it on. It's from Chevy's so it's slightly mexican.

El Ranch-O Dressing

(makes 2 1/2 cups)

1 c buttermilk

1 tbs freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tbs minced cilantro

1 tsp minced fresh oregano ( i use dried)

1 tbs finely diced yellow onion

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 c cold mayonnaise

Combine the buttermilk, lime juice, cilantro, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper, whisking until combined. Add the mayonnaise and whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to develop flavors. The dressing will keep for up to 1 week in airtight container.

Chicken Chimis with Green Sauce....

2010-03-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

DELICIOUS! These were so simple to make and tasted like you were eating at a Mexican restaurant!! Not a very healthy meal, but a great treat.

Chicken Chimichangas with Green Sauce

1 pound shredded cooked chicken (I bought pre cooked chicken from the store to make it quick and easy!)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) bag shredded monterey Jack cheese
1/2 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
2 (10.5 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chilies
5 large pitted green olives
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 lime, juiced
vegetable oil
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup diced green onions
sour cream

Pour the cream of chicken soup into a blender along with the green chiles, olives, jalapeno, and lime juice. Puree until smooth, then pour into a saucepan, and warm over medium-low heat while proceeding with the recipe.
In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and taco seasoning until well blended. Fold in the chicken. Evenly divide mixture among the 8 tortillas. Fold each tortilla into a rectangular packet around the filling.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry 4 chimichangas at a time until golden brown, then drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
To serve, place a chimichanga on a plate, and ladle the warm sauce overtop. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and green onions. Finish with a dollop of sour cream.

from all recipes

SKOR CAKE!

2010-03-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that my hubbys side of the family introduced to me early on. It is SO EASY, tastes delicious and looks great! Enjoy!

1 box Chocolate Cake Mix

1 (5.9 oz)box Chocolate Instant Jell-O Pudding

1 tub of Cool Whip

3 Skor bars (crushed) (you can use more, I have found 3 is perfect for me)

Prepare pudding per box instructions and set aside.

Prepare cake mix in 2 8-inch cake pans. Let cool completely.

Layer in trifle bowl, one cake, then half of pudding, half of cool whip, half of skor bars...then repeat one more time.

Dig in!!!

cupid's cups

2010-02-12T19:10:00.001-08:00

I made these for the kids and they loved them. They turned out cute and tasted really good.
prep time 15 min total time 4 hr 15 min makes 8 servings, 2/3 cup each

Ingredients
1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted (i used chocolate chips)
2 cups boiling water, divided
2 pkg. (3 oz. each) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1-1/2 cups cold water, divided
ice cubes
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
Decorations: assorted Valentine sprinkles and candies

make it!
DRAW heart design or write Valentine's Day message in each of 8 (6-oz.) clear plastic cups by piping chocolate onto insides of cups. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

ADD 1 cup boiling water to 1 pkg. gelatin mix in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely
dissolved. Stir in 1 cup cold water; pour into cups. Refrigerate 1 hour or until gelatin is firm.

MEANWHILE, add remaining boiling water to remaining gelatin mix; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to remaining cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until thickened. Stir in COOL WHIP; spoon over gelatin layer in cups. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.

There are some good tips on how to put the chocolate on the inside of the cup if you read the reviews.
Here is the link:
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/cupids-cups-104723.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-20100210-_-1011

Some tips:
Make sure the cups are smooth so the chocolate goes on easier
Make sure the cups aren't too tall or they will be hard to eat:

What I changed:
I added blueberries to the jello and put blueberries on top.
I also drizzled chocolate on the top.
For 8 servings I doubled the jello on the bottom so I used 3 boxes of jello total.

Texas Chicken Quesadillas

2010-02-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe when I was browsing allrecipes.com looking for a quesadilla type recipe that was a little different. This is what I found and it is so so so good- I have made it several times! By preparing the onions as directed, it gives them a carmelized texture/taste. The only thing I did different is added taco seasoning to the chicken as it cooked- my own opinion is that the chicken needs seasoned (the recipe didn't call for seasoning) and I can't stand plain chicken....

2 TBSP olive oil, divided
1 onion sliced into rings
1 TBSP honey
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts (cut into chunks or strips)
Taco seasoning packet or mix (my addition)
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup (or more....) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (or more....) shredded monterey jack cheese
8 (7-10in.) flour tortillas

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) In a large skillet, heat 1 TBSP oil over med high heat. Cook and stir onion slices until translucent. Add honey and stir until onion is golden brown- about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
3) Place remaining oil and chicken in skillet- add seasonings as desired- cook until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in BBQ sauce and evenly coat chicken.
4) Place 4 tortillas on a large cookie sheet and layer individually with chicken, onions, cheeses. Top with remaining tortillas.
5) Bake uncovered for 15-20 min. or until cheese is melted. Don't let tortillas become too crisp.

Remove from pans and top as desired with sour cream, lettuce, tomato, corn, WHATEVER!!

Serves 4

One-Dish Crockpot Chicken

2010-01-22T12:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I realize this doesn't look Amazing...but it just isn't a pretty dish! But, it was easy, yummy and a I generally have all the ingredients on hand! I love recipes like this!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I just throw them in frozen)

10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken, or celery, or mushroom, soup
1/3 cup milk
1 package stove top stuffing mix and seasoning packet
1 2/3 cup water

Place chicken in slow cooker
Combine soup and milk and pour over chicken
Combine stuffing mix, seasoing packet, and water. Spoon over chicken.
Cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours

Enjoy!!!

Beef and Bean Chimis....

2010-01-01T13:19:00.000-08:00

Another great recipe from For the Love of Cooking! I have loved every recipe I have tried of hers. I love this type of recipe, one where I have every ingredient on hand!!! Very yummy and even my kids enjoyed it!

1 tsp olive oil

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 sweet yellow onion diced

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

dash of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1 can of chili beans drained

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and break up the meat into crumbles. Add the onion and garlic as well as the seasonings then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the drained can of chili beans to the beef mixture and stir until well combined. Set aside.

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

flour tortillas

guacamole

sour cream

cheese

salsa

Heat another skillet coated in cooking spray over medium heat. Heat the tortillas in paper towels in the microwave for 20 seconds so they are soft and pliable. Layer the tortilla with some cheese then some beef mixture. Fold in the sides and roll into a burrito, making sure the ends are closed. Place seam side down in the hot skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

Holiday Pretzel Treats...

2009-12-18T14:32:00.000-08:00

These are from the Family Fun website. They are SOOOO easy and quick to make and are an sweet and salty treat! I great treat to make with the little ones!

Ingredients:

Bite size, waffle shaped pretzels

M & M's

Hershey kisses and hugs

Heat the oven to 170F. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug.
Bake for 4 to 6 minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss.
Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Place handfuls of the candies in clear plastic bags and tie on colorful ribbons.

****The hershey kisses took 4 minutes for me. The Hugs I had a real hard time getting perfect but seemed to work best around 3 minutes!

Italian Wedding Soup....

2009-12-13T17:36:00.000-08:00

I have never had Italian Wedding Soup...but when I saw this recipe on For the love of Cooking, I KNEW I had to make it!! It was SOOOO yummy. It will definitely be a keeper for many years to come!! Thanks For the Love of Cooking!!!

Meatballs:

1 lb lean ground beef
2 tsp sweet yellow onion, diced finely
2 tbsp Asiago cheese, shredded
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup garlic and herb bread crumbs
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients gently with your fingers until well mixed. Roll into very small meatballs.

Place the meatballs on a baking sheet coated with parchment paper or tin foil coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes or until done through. Don't overcook! Remove from oven and set aside.

Soup:

1-2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/2 - 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules or chicken base
9-10 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of stars pasta
10 oz baby spinach
Asiago cheese, grated for topping
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes; add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 60 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the basil, oregano, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, chicken bouillon granules or chicken base and chicken stock. Simmer for 45 minutes over low heat. Turn the heat up to medium high then add the stars and meatballs; cook for an additional 10 minutes. Taste and re-season if needed. Add the spinach, mix thoroughly and serve!!!!

brunch ideas

2009-12-01T09:47:00.000-08:00

Alright ladies... I'm hosting a baby shower and need some yummy brunch ideas that would be fairly simple to make. Any suggestions?

Chicken Enchilada Pasta.....

2009-11-16T16:18:00.000-08:00

Another GREAT Recipe from My Kitchen Cafe! She needs to write a cookbook!! My hubby LOVED this. It makes a lot, so next time I am going to freeze half of it! Enjoy!

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (10-oz) cans green chili enchilada sauce
2/3 cup red enchilada sauce
1 can large black olives, cut in half
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
16-20 oz. penne pasta (Depending on how "saucy" you want the pasta)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don't boil!). Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.

Quick and Easy Fish Tacos!

2009-11-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

6-8 frozen crispy fish fillets
2 ripe Avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped
3/4 cup salsa
1 lemon, juiced
3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/3 cup canned enchilada sauce
6-8 taco shells
1 package angel slaw (or cabbage)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Bake fish according to package directions

Meanwhile, combine avocados, salsa and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl; set aside. Stir together sour cream and enchilada sauce in a small mixing bowl; set aside

To assemble tacos, place fish fillet in taco shell, then top with angel slaw, avocado mixture, sour cream mixture, and cheese.

Enjoy!!!

Halloween Candy Surprise Cookies

2009-11-08T18:27:00.001-08:00

(Sorry for the blurry picture... a photographer I am not...)

Looking for a way to use up some of those oh-so-tempting mini candy bars in your kids Halloween buckets? If you are like me- I am doing a good job at hiding the candy on top of the fridge to where the kids don't really think of it that often. The problem is- I still know it's there! So, I came up with this for when I needed to make some cookies for a function.

First, I used this cookie recipe posted previously on this blog.

Then, I added 1/4 cup peanut butter along with the butter (though I thought it could use a little more, so go up to 1/2 cup if you like).

I reduced the amount of chocolate chips to 1/2 cup

Then, I chopped up random candy bars from the kids Halloween buckets until it equaled 2 cups. I stirred these in and baked as directed in the recipe. (I would stick with things that would go good in chocolate cookies- I used Kit Kats, Reeses cups, Snickers, Hershey bars and M& M's. There are certainly other possibilities!)

These were a HUGE hit and disappeared in no time! Moist and rich and a surprise (a pleasant one) in every bite!

Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Chicken Bake

2009-11-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

This is adapted from an allrecipes.com recipe. Very good and so very easy- a perfect weeknight meal. My husband and 2 of my 4 children gave it rave reviews (trust me, that is good! The other two just didn't know what they were missing.) I served it with herb rice and vegis. It would also be good on sandwich rolls.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 TBSP butter, melted
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 deg. Grease a 13X9X2 pan.

2) In a small bowl, stir together the honey, Dijon mustard, melted butter and pepper. Place chicken in baking dish and pour the honey mustard sauce over it.

3) Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, basting frequently with the sauce until chicken is firm and juices run clear.

Notes:
- The original recipe called for 1/2 cup honey. One reviewer recommended keeping it even with amount of mustard to keep from being too sweet, so that is what I did and it was oh so good and a bit tangy! (The original recipe also called for a whole stick (1/2 cup) of butter- but trust me- 2 TBSP is plenty!)

-I will definitely make this again as is and I also want to try another tip from a reviewer that sounded good. She recommended dipping the chicken in the sauce- then coat in bread crumbs and then pour remaining sauce over it. She says it adds a little crunch and takes away the need for basting.

Enjoy!!!

salmon....

2009-10-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:

2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons light olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 (6 ounce) fillets salmon

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal. Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

Harvest Muffins....

2009-10-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Man these are good! Tasty and low in fat and Calories! (if you do weight watchers, each muffin is only one point!)

Ingredients:
1 spice cake mix
1 15 ounce can pumpkin
2 apples cored and chopped into bite sized pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients and bake for 20 minutes. EASY! Enjoy!

French Toast Bread Pudding with Warm Peaches

2009-10-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

I just made this for the second time this morning and it was even better than I remembered. Even my boys liked it (minus the topping). I just had to share!!!

prep time: 20 minutes

chill time: overnight

bake time: 45 minutes

1 TB butter, softened

1 loaf (about 1 pound) cinnamon-swirl bread, challah, or brioche bread

6 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Peaches:

4 TB butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 ripe peaches, sliced (you are definitely going to want to at least double the peaches, but nothing else)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

The night before serving, smear the 1 TB butter over the bottom and sides of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or other 2 quart baking dish. Tear the bread into small pieces and scatter in the dish. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Pour over the bread. Tamp down the bread with a spatula to submerge each piece of bread in the egg. Cover with foil, gently pressing down so the foil is right on the surface of the mixture. Refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, remove the dish and slide it into a cold oven with the foil on (otherwise, the dish will crack). Turn the oven on to 375. After 25 minutes, gently pull off and discard the foil. Continue to bake until mixture is puffed and golden brown, about 20 more minutes. At this point, prepare the peaches by melting the 4 TB butter in a wide nonstick pan then stirring in the brown sugar. When mixture is bubbly, add peaches and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until peaches start to look glazed, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside (mixture will be really hot.)

When bread pudding is cooked, let it cool for a few minutes on a rack, then spoon onto plates and top with warm peaches.

Enjoy!

Alfredo Sauce....

2009-10-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

My sister in Law Nicole had this recipe posted on her blog, I'm not much for shrimp in a pasta but I decided to make just the sauce. I Loved this sauce. I have tried making a few alfredo sauces and they are always way to heavy for me. I have made this a few times now and even my non-alfredo loving husband enjoys this! Thanks for the recipe, Nicole!!

Alfredo Sauce:
1 cup butter
3/4 pint heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 dash garlic salt
3/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a large pan put heavy whipping cream in and then add your butter and let your butter melt into the cream. Do this over low heat. Then add salt, pepper and garlic salt.
Stir in your cheeses over medium heat. Let the sauce thicken.

PW’s Mom’s Cauliflower Soup

2009-09-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

If you like Cream of Broccoli soup you should try this also...it is really good. I added grated chedder cheese to each bowl.

1 stick butter

1/2 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 celery stalk finely diced

1 to 2 heads cauliflower, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh or dried parsley

2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth or stock

2 cups whole milk

6 tablespoons flour

1 cup half & half

2 to 4 teaspoons salt, to taste

1 generous cup sour cream, at room temperature

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown. Add the carrots and celery and cook an addition couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half & half.

Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.

Serve immediately.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/cauliflower-soup/

Spinach Salad with Soy Ginger Dressing....

2009-09-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

Oh my word is this salad delicious. I found it on FOR THE LOVE OF COOKING. The soy ginger dressing paired with mandarin oranges and craisins is so yummy!!

Soy and Ginger Dressing:
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
Juice of 1 orange
1 tsp honey

Combine all ingredients then whisk until well combined.

Salad:
Baby spinach leaves
Mandarin oranges
Dried cranberries
Toasted almonds
Wonton strips

Toast almonds in a dry pan for a few minutes until golden brown. Toss the spinach leaves with dressing to taste. Top the spinach with oranges, cranberries, almonds and wonton strips.

Mexican Lasagna

2009-08-31T18:26:00.001-07:00

Photo from For the Love of Cooking (my camera battery died)

YUMMY! I love FOR THE LOVE OF COOKING. Her food looks so delish!! I made this tonight and my whole family enjoyed it. I served it with tortilla chips and sour cream and avacado (instead of quacamole). Try it, you'll like it! And go visit her site...you will fall in love with her food!

Mexican Lasagna

3-4 flour tortillas
Salsa
Cheddar cheese, grated
Refried beans
Black beans
Frozen sweet corn, thawed
Tomatoes, diced
Black olives, sliced
Green onions, sliced
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Guacamole

Turkey Filling:

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 tsp olive oil
1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Dice and prepare all vegetables for the lasagna. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the ground turkey and break up until it's in small crumbles. Add the onion and seasonings then mix thoroughly. Cook until the meat is done and the onion is tender, about 6-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for 60 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Add some salsa to the bottom of the baking dish and coat evenly. Next add a flour tortilla (I trimmed the sides a bit so it would fit the dish). Spread refried beans over the entire tortilla then add cheese, ground turkey, black beans, tomatoes, corn, black olives, a bit of green onion then spread some salsa over the top. Add another flour tortilla and repeat the layering process 2- 3 times

On the final layer, add the tortilla, a thick layer of salsa and cheddar cheese then sprinkle the top with black olive slices. Cover and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove lid (or tin foil) and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the cheese melts and gets golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Top with fresh guacamole and sliced green onions.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2009-08-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

This recipe was given to me by my friend, Julie. It is super easy and addictive to eat- the more you eat- the more you want it!!! It also works just as well with low fat ingredients, so you can save a lot of calories!

2 10 oz cans of chicken (drained)
1/2 cup of Franks Red Hot (you can go up to 1 cup based on how hot you want it)
1/2 cup of Ranch Dressing
1 8 oz bar of cream cheese (softened so it will be easy to stir in)
1 cup of Mozzarella cheese

Use a fork to "fluff" the chicken in the can and put in a medium size bowl. Add the Red Hot and the Ranch dressing and mix. Stir in cream cheese and then mozzarella cheese. Pour into a small casserole/ oven safe dish and back at 325 deg. for 20 minutes. Or, it can be microwaved until heated well throughout.

Serve warm with Tostitos tortilla chips.

YUM!

Peanut Butter M&M Chocolate Chip Goodness

2009-08-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

My friend Abbey has a variation of the Toll House Cookie Recipe. They are awesome. I do warn you that if you make them, I recommend to NOT keep key ingredients on hand unless you have more will power than I do. (Or have someone to share a LOT of them with.)

Sorry about the weirdness below. Not going to bother fixing it.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips
1 cup m&ms
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.

FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.

Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Pasta, and Parmesan Cheese

2009-07-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe. I love her recipes and this one didn't disappoint. My two year old especially loved it!

Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Pasta, and Parmesan Cheese

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares
Table salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces ziti (penne makes a great substitution - I've used both with great results)
4 1/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4-5 cups broccoli florets (depending on how much broccoli you want)
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped coarse
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (asiago was the cheese in the original recipe and can be interchanged, but I always have parmesan on hand so I used that)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Stir the chicken and continue to cook until most, but not all, of the pink color has disappeared and the chicken is lightly browned around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the pasta, 3 cups of the water, and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and syrupy and almost completely absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 2-3 minutes.

Uncover and return the heat to medium-high. Stir in the cream, parmesan, and reserved chicken with any accumulated juices and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing more grated parmesan at the table, if desired

Lemon Jello Salad

2009-07-22T11:27:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite Jello it's almost like a desert. I make it all the time

2 pkgs lemon jello
4 c water
1 can crushed pineapple
3 c bananas sliced
miniature marshmallows

Topping:
1 cup pineapple juice
1 egg
1/2 c sugar
2 TBS. flour
1/2 pint whipped cream

Prepare jello according to pkgs. Drain the pineapple and save the juice. Add pineapple and sliced bananas. Spread layer of marshmallows on top. Put in fridge until fully set.
Topping:
Make topping by mixing flour and sugar in pan and then add egg and pineapple juice. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened. Let cool completely. Whip the cream until set and then add to the topping mixture. Stir in carefully. Then put on top of jello and serve.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

2009-07-21T13:17:00.001-07:00

I was looking for a yummy dessert that wasn't too high in calorie. I had never made an angel food cake before, but was curious to try. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com that was easy and also included chocolate!!! Find it here. It was yummy and easy- with the classic spongy angel food cake texture and it is only 180 calories and 0 grams fat per serving. We topped it with fresh strawberries and cream....soooo good- it was gone before I thought to take a picture with toppings, but you get the idea. I didn't have a bundt pan, but I improvised by using a springform pan with a metal funnel in the middle. Not quite as pretty, but it worked!

2 cups egg whites (will vary based on size of eggs, but it was 15 eggs for me!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, mix confectioners' sugar, cake flour, and cocoa. Sift together 2 times, and set aside.
In a clean large bowl, whip egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on high speed until very stiff. Fold in white sugar 2 tablespoons at a time while continuing to mix. Fold in flour mixture, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in vanilla. Pour into a 10 inch tube pan.
Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for approximately 1 hour, or until cake springs back when touched.

Garlic Toasted Open Faced Lasagna Ciabattas

2009-07-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe off of the Picky Palate It's a really easy and great recipe! It has all the taste of lasagna but on crusty bread!! Enjoy! The second time I made this, I added fresh spinach leaves in between the ricotta cheese mixture and sauce!

Garlic Toasted Open Faced Lasagna Ciabattas
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lb ground Italian Sausage
1 26 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce
8 leaves fresh basil, chopped (taste great if you have them, but not necessary..I used a teaspoon of dried)

15 oz container ricotta cheese
½ Cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon Italian Seasoning

8 garlic roasted ciabatta rolls (I just used a loaf of ciabatta bread)
1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place oil into a medium dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Cook sausage until browned, about 5-7 minutes; reserve ¼ Cup of sausage for ricotta. Reduce heat to low and stir in pasta sauce and basil leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Place reserved ¼ Cup sausage, ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, salt, pepper and Italian Seasoning into a medium bowl. Stir to combine.

3. Split each ciabatta roll and place cut side up onto a large baking sheet. Spread ricotta mixture over each roll, about ¼ Cup (*you probably won't use all of ricotta.). Top with a couple spoonfuls of pasta sauce, and fresh mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot. Remove, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

Chocolate Chip Cookies... best recipe so far

2009-07-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

I've been on a quest to find a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe. This is the winner so far. I found it here.

2¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Set oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 12-14 minutes. Edges should be golden brown.

**Notes from Jeanine: One thing I've learned about cookies... you really need to cream the butter and sugar together for a while to make a good cookie. Also, with these cookies I baked them for about 10 minutes rather than 12.

Banana Brownies

2009-07-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

Looking for another way to use up those brown bananas? Try these banana brownies... they were pretty good. I found the recipe here.

3/4 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
chocolate chips

Mix everything together. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Chocolate Mint Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches...need I say more?

2009-07-12T22:41:00.000-07:00

I found these special treats on the all you magazine website. They look delicious. There are recipes for three different flavors, Snickerdoodle-Caramel Sandwiches with Banana Ice Cream, Chocolate-Mint Chip, and Oatmeal-Rum Raisin. For me...I am all about chocolate and mint chip!!! Enjoy! I have a feeling I will be making these quite often this summer!

Chocolate-Mint Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 pint mint chocolate chip ice cream

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

2. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler set over simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Combine chocolate mixture, brown sugar, egg and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until mixture is well combined. Gradually stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture. Add chips.

3. Roll dough into 16 1 1/2-inch balls, then roll each in sugar. Transfer dough balls to baking sheets, and bake until cookies are puffed and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

4. Arrange 12 cookies bottom side up and top each with a small scoop of ice cream. Top with a second cookie, bottom side down, pressing together slightly. Wrap each in plastic and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Yield: 8 large sandwiches

pigs in a blanket

2009-06-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, so most of you know how to do pigs in a blanket. This is just my new little twist on an old idea.

*1 pkg. lil' smokies

*buttermilk pillsbury biscuits

First I cut each biscuit in half. Then I wrap each half around a lil' smokie. Make sure the part where the two ends meet is on the pan. Bake as directed on the biscuit package. Simple right? So easy and yet, so so good.

Sweet Chicken....

2009-06-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

I love this chicken. It was so good, I couldn't stop eating it! I served it with rice that I cooked half water/half coconut milk. TASTY!!

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
8 chicken thighs
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 garlic cloves, minced

Combine coconut milk and water. Pour into greased slow cooker.

Add remaining ingredients in order listed.

Cover. Cook on low 5-6 hours.

Chicken in a Pot....

2009-06-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

(I took this picture half way through the cooking process...it was smelling so good I had to sneak a peek!!!)

1 lb. bag baby carrots
1 small onion, diced
14 1/2 oz. can green beans
3 lb whole chicken, cut into serving size pieces (I just used a few frozen chicken thighs)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1/2-1 tsp. dried basil

Put carrots, onion, and beans on bottom of slow cooker. Add chicken. Top with salt, pepper, broth, and wine. Sprinkle with basil.

Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours, or high 3 1/2-5 hours.

Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Pie

2009-06-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that a friend emailed to me from allrecipes.com, knowing it is right up my alley. She was right! I couldn't resist- I had to make it! It is kind of like pecan pie meets chocolate chip cookie. Very rich, chocolaty and just yummy! I didn't have any pecans, so I just used extra chocolate chips. I also followed the suggestion of one of the reviewers and added about 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of vanilla- kind of like when you make a chocolate chip cookie. But, many gave the recipe 5 stars making just as listed! It is very easy!

(I didn't have a ref. pie crust, so I made my own. That is why it looks a little funny, but it tasted great!!!)

1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (9 in) pie shell

1) Preheat oven to 325 deg.

2) Combine cooled melted butter, sugar, eggs, pecans, flour and chocolate chips; mix well. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pastry shell and bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour. Let cool and serve.

Ooooooh so good!

Enjoy!!!

COSI Tomato Basil Soup

2009-06-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

About two months ago I went to COSI and had Tomato Basil soup. I couldn't get the flavor out of my head. I finally did a search and found a recipe. MMMM. Pretty darn close!! This is the blog where I found the recipe.

Note-I tripled the recipe. Used 1 part cream, 2 parts skim milk, it tasted great. (In fact, reconstituted powdered milk!) We dunked the Quick Rise Rolls with this (previously posted). Perfect for our rainy yesterday.

Tomato Basil Soup
(4 servings)

1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can of diced or crushed tomatoes, drained
2 cups half & half, cream, 2% milk or soy creamer, heated
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp white pepper
Salt

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté garlic until fragrant, stirring often. Add tomato paste; stir and cook for 30 seconds. Add drained tomatoes, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Puree with a stick blender in the saucepan or transfer to a blender to puree. Return to saucepan and stir in heated creamer, fresh basil, sugar, garlic powder, white pepper and salt to taste.

Serve with grilled cheese or toasted bread if desired.

Panera Fuji Apple Walnut Chicken Salad

2009-06-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

I've also been craving Panera's awesome salad. I haven't had it for a year but when I had it I promised myself to find a wanna-be recipe. This is pretty good. Here's where I found it. (Note-delicious apple chips found at Odd Lots for $1!) I didn't make the dressing, I just bought a raspberry vinagrette.

This apple walnut chicken salad is a delightful main course, or omit the chicken and serve it as a first course green salad.

Fuji Apple Walnut Chicken Salad

6 cups mixed field greens (such as arugula, radicchio, curly endive, etc.)
1-1/2 cup cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken breast
1/3 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2 oz. apple chips

ForApple White Balsamic Vinaigrette:

2 Tbsp. apple juice concentrate
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 cup olive oil

Toss mixed greens, rotisserie chicken, blue cheese, walnuts and apple chips together in a large salad bowl. Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over salad. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Read more: "Fuji Apple Walnut Chicken Salad: This is one of those salad recipes your guests will beg you for. | Suite101.com" -http://healthycooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/fuji_apple_walnut_chicken_salad#ixzz0HTK3ZKPi&A

Easy Crockpot Chicken.....

2009-05-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

I love crockpot recipes. I don't know why I don't use my crockpot more, its so easy. This was tasty, easy and I had all the ingredients on hand....who could ask for anything more!

4-5 chicken breasts (I used thighs and just threw them in frozen)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 package lipton onion soup mix

combine cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix in crockpot. Add chicken and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6)

Serve over noodles or rice. Enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Brownies with Peanut Butter Icing

2009-05-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

Wow- rich is the word. But, if you live for chocolate/peanut butter combos like I do, you will love them!

Peanut Butter Brownies (from a Brownie Recipe book)

1 cup all-purpose, plus additional for the pan
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
12 TBSP unsalted butter, plus additional for the pan, at room temp.
9 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temp
2 large egg yolks, room temp
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla

1) position rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 deg. Butter and flour a 9X13 inch baking pan; set it aside

2) In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking soda until well combined. Set aside.

3) Place 6 TBSP butter and both kinds of chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or one pan on top of another with water in the bottom pan). Heat and stir until melted and remove from heat. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

4) Place the granulated sugar and the brown sugar in a large bowl. Beat in one egg at a time, using and electric mixer at medium speed. Once the mixture is smooth, beat in both egg yolks at the same time. Continue beating until the mixture is pale brown and light- about 3 minutes. Beat in the remaining butter 1 TBSP at a time.Continue beating until the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes. Then, beat in the peanut butter, vanilla and cooled chocolate mixture until smooth, about 2 minutes scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

5) Stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Do not beat, though the batter will be very thick. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading it gently to the corners.

6) Bake for 15 minutes, than rap three or four times on the oven rack. Bake for an additional 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Set pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Frosting (from allrecipes.com, I followed a commenters suggestions- this is the recipe with the suggestions.) This would also be good on chocolate or Peanut butter cake.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups confectioners sugar
2-3 TBSP cream (or milk)

In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in all of the sugar. Mix in the cream and beat until it is spreading consistency, adding a little more cream only if necessary. Spread on brownies.

Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips if needed.

Buttermilk Cupcakes with Lemon Icing

2009-05-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

A yummy spring treat! This was forwarded me by a friend from "Columbus Parent" written by Robin Davis. I made them and they were a hit!

Makes about 18

You can double the batch if you have a big crowd. If you don't have cake flour, use 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour. The cakes won't be as light, however.

Cupcakes:

2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk

Frosting:

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup whipped cream cheese
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with paper or foil liners.

Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt into a large bowl.

Beat butter, sugar and lemon peel in another large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk and beating just until combined after each addition.

Divide batter among cups. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes in cups 5 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack to cool completely.

To make frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar. Beat until well blended. Add lemon juice and beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. (If frosting is too thin, refrigerate until thicker.)

Spread frosting thickly on cakes. Cupcakes can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

PER CUPCAKE: 279 calories; 3 g protein; 38 g carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 13 g fat (8 g saturated); 59 mg cholesterol; 238 mg sodium.

Brownie & Cookie Bites

2009-05-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

The good excuse to make them: Mother's Day. In a nutshell, you make brownie batter, cookie batter. Pour brownie batter, plop cookie batter. Bake for 35-40 min at 350. Top with ganache. Crazy enough, I could have actually done with about 1/2 the ganache topping, or regular chocolate frosting. I think I'd appreciate the stuff underneath more without all that topping.

Full instructions here.

photos from Bakerella.blogspot.com

Taco Bell Quesadillas

2009-05-13T12:11:00.001-07:00

I REALLY like Taco Bell's quesadillas. On Mother's Day I asked him to replicate them. Thankfully someone in cyberspace had done the dirty work. Here's the recipe we used-even minus a few ingredients they were great. We use the George Foreman for quesadillas (and other sandwich smooshing.)

Ingredients

SAUCE
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons minced jalapenos, slices
2 teaspoons jalapeno juice, from minced jalepenos
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash salt

QUESADILLAS
4 flour tortillas
4 chicken tenderloins
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
2 slices process American cheese

Directions
1 Combine sauce ingredients and stir until smooth.
2 Grill chicken in vegetable oil and cut into thin slices.
3 Preheat skillet over medium heat.
4 One at a time, lay tortilla into hot skillet and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of each shredded cheese and 1/2 cheese slice on one side of the tortilla.
5 Arrange about 1/4 cup chicken slices over tortilla on the same half covered with cheese.
6 On the empty side, spread about one tablespoon of sauce.
7 Fold over, and press gently with spatula.
8 Cook until cheese is melted and slice each into 4 pieces.

Frosty Fruit Punch....

2009-05-08T00:27:00.000-07:00

Kori, my sister, posted this recipe a while ago. Last Sunday my mother hosted a baby shower and made this punch. It was excellent!! It was really refreshing and had great flavor! I felt it was definitely worthy of making a second appearance on the blog! Enjoy!

3 cups water

2 cups sugar

1 lg can (12 oz) frozen orange juice (undiluted)

24 oz pineapple juice

Juice of 1 lemon

3 bananas

1 small pkg frozen strawberry

2 bottles 7-up

Boil the water and sugar together. Add the frozen orange juice, pineapple juice and lemon juice. Freeze. I separate it into two containers to freeze faster.

When ready to serve, dump frozen juice into huge bowl. Add the 7-up, bananas and strawberries. Let sit for 20 min (or until starting to melt and become slushy) mash all together and serve.

Banana Bread with Streusel-Nut Topping....

2009-05-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry about my lack of posting. My husband and I just bought our first home and the last month has consisted of packing, moving, painting, unpacking....and not so much cooking. But, I am so excited about this recipe that I had to share! I have tried MANY banana bread recipes...and this is by far my favorite. It's moist, thick and I LOVE THE TOPPING on it. So here it is, by far the best banana bread recipe I have yet to come across!

Banana Bread with Streusel-Nut Topping

Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 beaten eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (5 medium)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Grease one 9x5x3-inch or two 7 1/2x3 1/2x 2-inch loaf pans; Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared pan (s).

Prepare topping by combining in a small bowl brown sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in chopped walnuts. Sprinkle topping over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes for a 9x5x3-inch pan, or 40 to 45 minutes for a 7 1/2 x3 1/2x2-inch pan, or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing (I waited about 4 hours).

Creamy One-Pot Pasta

2009-04-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

This is actually a recipe from one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks. It was very easy and really good and also lower in fat. Makes for a simple but yummy weeknight dinner. I forgot to buy the can of sun-dried tomatoes, so I used regular petite diced tomatoes and drained the can. I sauteed the garlic in a tsp of olive oil. I also didn't have fresh basil, so I sprinkled on some dry basil and it was good! I made it a meal by adding 3 sliced chicken breasts that I had grilled and seasoned. You can leave chicken out and have a meatless meal or a hearty side.

4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced
1 jar (7oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, undrained
3 cans (14 1/2 oz each) chicken broth (5 1/4 cups)
1 lb uncooked penne pasta
1 head broccoli (or 2 cups small florets)
2 medium carrots, peeled
4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese (neufchatel)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
grated fresh parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil (optional)

Place garlic and 1 TBSP oil from sun dried tomatoes into an 8qt stockpot. Cook garlic over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add broth. Return to burner, increase heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta; cover and simmer vigorously 8-10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked but still firm. Stir occasionally. DO NOT DRAIN!

Meanwhile, cut broccoli into small florets and place into a bowl. Slice carrots and add to bowl. Drain sun-dried tomatoes; pat dry with a paper towel. Slice tomatoes into thin strips. Add to bowl with carrots and broccoli.

Cut cream cheese into cubes. Add vegis, cream cheese, salt and black pepper to stockpot. Stir until cream cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook an additional 2-4 minutes or until vegis are tender. If desired, top with grated parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil.

6 servings: each serving contains 410 calories, 11 grams total fat, 5 grams fiber.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-04-15T06:58:00.001-07:00

We loved this recipe so much we not only ate leftovers day after day but turned around and made it again RIGHT after the first batch. It is a lot of ingredients but many just require opening a can and dumping in...I do have to say it looks nasty until you put the toppings on. (And if you take the picture when I did-after its already been dug into, it still doesn't look that great.) Really though, its a GREAT blend of textures and flavors.

INGREDIENTS

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
1 cup white hominy
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS
In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, and chopped green onion.

Easter Story Cookies

2009-04-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter, Everyone! Here is my attempt at "resurrecting" this blog. (Where did everyone go?:))

These are to be made the evening before Easter. It is a fun way to really teach your kids the story of the crucifixion and resurrection. Sorry I didn't think to post this earlier in the week, but you can print and save for next year. We did it this year and my kids LOVED it!

You Need:

1 Cup Whole Pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. (This is important- don't wait 'til you're half done with the recipe!)

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty, on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read Joh 19:28-30.

Add the egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste is and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed through reprentance and the Atonement. Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27: 57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16: 20 & 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt 28:1-9.

Allergen Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-03-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Does any of you have kids/husband who is allergic to milk/eggs/nuts?? Luckily, I do not. However, my friend, Amy, has a little girl who is allergic to just about everything it seems. Amy is constantly searching for recipes that are "Sophia Safe." Especially baked goods. Among many other things, Sophia is allergic to milk (ALL dairy), eggs, nuts and more. Amy came across this recipe and we tried it together one day at her house. I love cookies and love to bake and, I have to say, these taste like the real deal yet have NO dairy or eggs or nuts at all. It is incredible! She found the recipe on this blog. It has many other good recipes as well.

2/3 c. dairy free shortening

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. good quality vanilla extract

1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce

1 3/4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. mini dairy free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixer, combine the shortening, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla and applesauce. In a separate medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Add to shortening mixture and combine until creamy. Stir in chocolate chips and drop with a cookie scooper onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool at least 5 minutes on baking sheet and then move to cooling racks. Enjoy!!!

NOTE: The chocolate chips had been ordered from Enjoy Life Foods.(the site offers many allergy friendly products). The ingredients are: evaporated cane juice, chocolate liquor, non-dairy cocoa butter.

Jello Cake

2009-03-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

(my two year old was eating this as I was trying to take a picture!)

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
0.6 oz box strawberry jello
3.4 oz box vanilla instant pudding
1 container cool whip

Bake cake mix in 13x9 inch baking dish according to box directions. Pull out of oven and poke holes into the top of the cake.

Combine strawberry jello with 2 cups BOILING water. Mix well, then pour over hot cake. Refrigerate over night.

Prepare instant pudding according to box directions and spread over cake. Spread cool whip over pudding and enjoy!

Zephyr Pancakes- revisited

2009-03-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

I posted this recipe from My Kitchen Cafe, in May. We love it. My husband is constantly asking me to make these pancakes for breakfast. They are so moist and delicious!

Zephyr Pancakes

from the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion

2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) heavy cream
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) buttermilk
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cream, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry, just until combined - it's okay if there are a few lumps.Preheat and lightly grease (I didn't grease my griddle and they didn't stick) a heavy skillet or griddle. Scoop the batter onto the griddle with a 1/4 cup measure or a large spoon. Make sure the heat is slightly less than medium. The pancakes will puff up very high. When the first side is golden brown and the edges start to look dry, turn the pancakes over to finish cooking the second side. Remove the pancakes from the griddle and keep them in a warm serving dish until you have enough to feed everyone.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast....

2009-02-28T20:26:00.000-08:00

I'll be honest. I am not a fan of hunks of beef (steak, roasts, etc.) But, I knew my hubby would love this so I made it for him...and he did. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
4 pounds chuck roast
montreal steak seasoning
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 can beef broth
3 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 stalk celery, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Take the chuck roast and season with montreal steak seasoing. Brown on all sides in a large skillet over high heat.
Place in the slow cooker and add the soup mix, broth, carrots, onion, potatoes and celery.
Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Nicole's Sloppy Joes....

2009-02-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made a recipe from the blog of my Sister in Law, Nicole, I don't think I have ever made sloppy joes so I gave it a go. They were really good! Thanks Nicole for a great recipe. (I even stole the pic from her blog since I forgot to take a pic)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lean ground beef
salt and pepper
1/2 onion (chopped)
1/2 green bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 or 1 whole can of olives (depends on how many olives you want in it)
1 can tomato soup
1/4 cup ketcup
2 Tbsp. mustard
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
7 french sandwich rolls (I like Francisco roll)
2 cups of shredded cheese
7 sheets of tin foil

Directions:
Brown meat in skillet with onions and green bell peppers. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.
Scoop of the bread inside the rolls to make room for the meat mixture. Add the meat and cheese to the rolls and wrap them in foil.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake....

2009-02-20T12:26:00.000-08:00

My grandmother is an amazing cook. Today, while visiting her and my grandfather, she brought out this yummy dessert. It was so delicious, I had to take a picture and get the recipe! I am excited to make it myself soon (first I have to purchase a spring form pan). Thanks Grandma!!

2 1/4 Cup flour
3/4 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup margerine or butter

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg

1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Grease and flour bottom and sides of 9-10 inch springform pan.

In large bowl, combine flour & 3/4 cup sugar. Mix well. With pastry blender or fork, cut in margerine till mixed (will be like coarse crumbs).

Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture. To remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, salt and sour cream, almond extract, and 1 egg. Blend well. Spread batter over bottom and 2 inches up sides of springform pan.

In small bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup cup sugar and 1 egg. Blend well. Pour into batter lined pan. Carefully spoon preserves evenly over cream cheese mixture.

Combine reserved crumb mix and sliced almonds and sprinkle over preserves. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until cream cheese is set and crst is deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Store in refrigerator.

The Best No-Bake Cheesecake!!

2009-02-15T19:51:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. I followed a couple of the recommendations at the end of the recipe and I believe that this is the best no-bake cheesecake recipe I have made/tried! It is so so so easy and very yummy! Here is the recipe with the variations I used:

Crust:
3/4 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup pecan sandies cookie crumbs
6 TBSP butter- melted
3 TBSP white sugar

-combine ingredients and press into a pie pan or springform pan.

Filling:

2- 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese-softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream- whip with mixer before mixing in with other ingredients!!

-beat the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Whip the heavy cream in a separate bowl and then fold into the cream cheese mixture. Spread over crust. Top as desired and chill until firm.

Topping (if desired):
-1/2 cup sliced strawberries

-or, as pictured above- I forgot to buy strawberries, so I melted together 1/4 cup Peanut Butter with 1/2 cup chocolate chips and drizzled over the cheesecake.

Enjoy!!!

Food request

2009-02-10T21:31:00.000-08:00

My son is allergic to eggs and I'm trying to find recipes for baked goods ie..cookies, cupcakes, breads, waffles, pancakes that don't have eggs. Or if anybody knows of a good substitute for eggs. Thanks.

Crock Pot Mango Chicken....

2009-02-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

Crock Pot Mango Chicken
The Recipe Club
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups tomato based mango salsa (I found one at the local grocery store that was mango with lime, the original site I found this used mango peach from Costco.)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP salt

put all ingredients in the crock pot on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6. shred chicken. use in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, ect.

**I love easy crock pot recipes. We really enjoyed this recipe. Its a little different because you are making your meat sweet instead of spicy for tacos or burritos but we ended up really liking it!

valentine food request

2009-02-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

Next Friday we are having a Valentine party playdate. We are going to have a potluck lunch. Last year I cut cheese slices and lunch meat into hearts and brought ritz crackers to eat them with. Any ideas of Valentine-y foods for this year? (Keep in mind that the kids are no older than 5).

Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins....

2009-01-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

My sister in law Nicole told me about this muffin recipe she got from the Barefoot Contessa. She told me they were good that I had to make them. I made them last night while my hubby was sleeping and figured he could take a couple to work with him this morning. He called me and told me how great they were. He even took some in and shared with co workers. I must agree. These are really great. Perfectly moist. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
by Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems

Directions:Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.

Too-Easy Tortellini Soup

2009-01-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

My sister sent this recipe to me not too long ago. It's SO easy and GOOD!

-4 cups chicken broth
-1 package (9 oz.) Refrigerated cheese tortellini
-1 can (15 oz.) White kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used Great White Northern beans)
-1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
-1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
-1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
-Shredded Parmesan cheese
-Coarsely ground pepper, optional

In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Stir in tortellini. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the beans, tomatoes and basil. Simmer for 4-6 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in the vinegar. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pepper if desired. YIELD: 6 servings.

Simply Lasagna

2009-01-20T10:29:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the lack of photo- but take my word that it not only looked good, but was easy and delicious. This is from the Kraft Food and Family magazine.

Simply Lasagna

1lb ground beef
2 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese- divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsely
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 cup water- I used a bit more (almost a full jar, and it wasn't runny)
12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Brown meat in large skillet, drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Stir until well blended. In separate bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups of mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan, the ricotta cheeese, the parsely and egg. Mix until well blended. Set aside. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce unto bottom of 13 X 9 dish, top with a layer of 3 uncooked lasagna noodles. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup of meat sauce over noodles. Repeat layers two more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining meat sauce. Sprikle with remaining 1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with greased foil. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking 15 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting to serve.

Peanut Butter Graham Bars

2009-01-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

These may look a bit odd, and certainly sound a bit odd, but they are SO EASY and SOOOOO Yummy! I made them for a recent playgroup and they were a hit! They go together quickly- less then 30 min. and only need to chill a short time till firm. I got the recipe years ago from a Quick Cooking magazine and have made them a few times.

20 graham cracker squares, divided
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 14 squares crushed)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Line the bottom of a greased 11 X 7 pan with half of the graham cracker squares; set aside. In a 2 qt microwave safe bowl, combine the crumbs, sugars, butter and milk. Microwave uncovered on high for 1 minute; stir. Microwave on high 2-2 1/2 minutes longer. Immediately pour half over crackers in prepared pan. Top with the remaining graham cracker squares. Spread with remaining sugar mixture.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and peanut butter, uncovered, on high for 45-60 seconds or until chips are melted. Stir until smooth and blended. Spread evenly over bars. Cover and refrigerate or freeze until firm. Cut into bars and Enjoy!!!!

Sweet Potato casserole

2009-01-14T16:08:00.000-08:00

1 Large can sweet potatos
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ c butter (melted)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
½ c sugar

Topping
6 Tbs butter (melted)
¾ c brown sugar
3 Tbs flour
½ c chopped pecans

Drain juice from canned sweet potatoes and put into mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and mash together (should be a little lumpy). Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish. Mix topping together and spread on top. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
*This can be made the day before and kept in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Peppermint Ice Cream Dessert

2009-01-14T07:54:00.000-08:00

1 large box vanilla wafer cookies-crushed

1/2 cup margarine

2 Tbs powdered sugar

1 bar German Sweet Chocolate

12 large marshmallows

1 pkg chocolate chips

1/2 cup hot water

4 eggs-seperated

1 cup nuts

1/2 gallon peppermint ice cream

Crush up vanilla wafers and mix with melted margarine and powdered sugar (set aside). Place the German Sweet Chocolate, marshmallows, chocolate chis and hot water in a microwave safe bowl. Cook until all is blended. Separate eggs. When chocolate mixture has cooled slightly add 4 beaten egg yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture.

Put 2/3 of crumb mixture in bottom of 9x13 pan. Spread 2/3 of chocolate mixture over this (spreading evenly and carefully). Sprinkle nuts next. Cut up ice cream (like slicing a loaf of bread) and place evenly in pan. Cover with rest of chocolate mixture, and top with remaining cookie crumbs. Place in freezer.

Variation: Use mint chocolate chip ice cream.

This is a Smith Family Christmas Classic, we eat it EVERY Christmas at least once.

Easy Pizza Sauce

2009-01-09T20:17:00.001-08:00

I have tried a couple pizza sauce recipes and this is kind of my own combination of what I found I personally like best based on those I have tried. I never buy pizza sauce anymore, because I think this tastes better and is easy to do with stuff I normally have on hand.

Also, the last few times I have made pizza, I have made the crust Katie posted here and it is the best I have tried! (pictured above..) I recommend it!

1 TBSP olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 TBSP Italian Seasoning
1 TBSP brown sugar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
(*optional*- for a "bolder" flavor- you can add 1/2-1 tsp Paprika- it is good, but I personally like it a little better without- so, whatever your taste...)

Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Saute the garlic for a couple minutes until slightly browned. Add all other ingredients. Heat through. You can put on crust immediately or simmer on low for a short while as you prepare the crust.

Enjoy!!

Slow Cooker Italian Beef

2009-01-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

My sister got this recipe from her friend and made it for Christmas dinner. It was SOOOOOO good that I had to get the recipe and make it as well. It is super good and super easy. It tastes really good on a yummy roll with or without cheese, such as provolone/pepper jack/or swiss. It is pictured on a hot dog bun because that is what I happened to have when I made it and wanted to use them up. I would give it 5 stars- the picture doesn't do it justice-try it!

3 Cups Beef Broth (I use low sodium broth)
1 Tsp of each of the following:
-salt (may want to use less, if desired)
-pepper
-oregano
-basil
-onion powder
-dried parsley
-garlic powder (or 2 cloves minced)
2 pkgs dry Italian Salad dressing mix
5 lb. chuck roast

Combine all ingredients, except the roast in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir well. Place roast in a crock pot and pour the liquid in the sauce pan over it. Cook on low 10 hours. Remove meat and pull apart (will be very easy- will be very moist and tender). Put meat back in crock pot and cook on low 2 hours more.

*note- When I took the meat out to pull apart, I also poured the liquid into a bowl. When I put the meat back in, I poured back in the amount of liquid I wanted and didn't use it all.
*also- due to the long cook time, I put it in before going to bed and let it cook over night. Then, at dinner time, all I had to do was heat it back up! It worked great!

Enjoy!!!

Frosty Fruit Punch

2009-01-06T22:21:00.001-08:00

This is a fantastic punch and it makes quite alot. It needs to be made the night before. Great for parties and a hot summer day.

3 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 lg can (12 oz) frozen orange juice (undiluted)
24 oz pineapple juice
Juice of 1 lemon
3 bananas
1 small pkg frozen strawberry
2 bottles 7-up

Boil the water and sugar together. Add the frozen orange juice, pineapple juice and lemon juice. Freeze. I seperate it into two containers to freeze faster.

When ready to serve, dump frozen juice into huge bowl. Add the 7-up, bananas and strawberries. Let sit for 20 min (or until starting to melt and become slushy) mash all together and serve.

Enchiladas

2009-01-06T22:09:00.001-08:00

When I first heard about these enchiladas I was skeptical because they are not like any enchiladas I've had before. My husbands family has been making them for years, and they are great. It's cheap, easy, and feeds a ton of people.

Sauce

3 tbs oil

2 onions finely chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

4 cans crushed tomatos (reg. size 14-15 oz)

1 tsp vinegar

3 Tbs chili powder

2 Tbs sugar

Toppings

cheese

onions

Corn tortillas

Fry onion and garlic in oil. Add tomatoes and cook until thick. Add rest of ingredients.

Fry tortillas in hot oil to desired crispiness. Place tortilla on plate cover with sauce, cheese, and fresh onions. My husband likes to place another tortilla on top and again cover with sauce, cheese, and onions. Enjoy!

Other variations:

Sauce can be made to taste. The original recipe called for 8 Tbs chili powder, but that was too much for the kids. You can play around with it.

Sour cream can be served on top also.

Homemade Hot Chocolate

2009-01-05T18:22:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago we had some family over for some goodies. I decided it was time to make real hot chocolate. It was well worth the exhausting effort of doing a search and putting some ingredients in the crockpot. If you're going to the grocery store, make sure you have all of these ingredients. Your winters will never be the same.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp kosher salt
6 1/2 C water

Preparation:

Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
Whisk in water, about a cup at a time. Heat until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Note: Do not allow the hot chocolate to boil. It should just simmer until warmed through.

Crockpot Directions: Whisk together all ingredients. Pour into slow cooker. Heat on low 1-3 hours.

Baked Beans....

2009-01-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

My mom has been making these for years. The recipe makes a lot and is great for parties or potlucks. Super easy and great recipe. Enjoy!!!

1 pound bacon (cut up)
1 pound ground beef
2 onions chopped
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
4 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans butter beans
2 cans pork and beans

Brown bacon, beef and onions together until cooked. Drain. Pour into crock pot. Add all other ingredients and mix. Cook until heated through (I prefer to cook on low for a couple of hours but you can put it on high until it is heated).

Candied apple pie cheesecake

2009-01-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

I don't have a picture of this because it got devoured so quickly. I got this from Kraft Food and family, it was the Philadelphia Cheesecake Contest winner.

1 cup crushed Nabisco Ginger Snaps
3 Tbsp butter melted
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar, divided
2 8 oz pkgs Cream Cheese softened
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup apple pie filling, divided
1/2 cup walnut pieces, divided
1/2 cup toffee bits, divided

Heat oven to 325. Mix ginger snap crmbs, butter and 2 Tbsp sugar; press onto bottom and up side of 9 inch pie plate.

Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Stir in half each of pie filling, nuts and toffee. Pour into crust.

Bake 35 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 4 hours. Top with remaining pie filling, nuts and toffee.

I did not top with the remaining ingredients Kevin thought it was sweet enough. He did put extra walnuts on top though. I don't eat cheesecake, but my mother-in-law, father-in-law, and Kevin said it was the best cheesecake they had ever had.

Deep Dish Lasagna- Revisited....

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

A while ago, Nicole posted this recipe. She made it for my family and it was so good. So, I finally made it myself and it was just as good as I remember. I love all the different seasonings that go into it!! Enjoy!

Deep Dish Lasagne
ALL RECIPES

12 uncooked lasagna noodles (I used oven-ready)
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
2/3 cup chopped onions
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
3 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese (I used 1 lb cottage cheese)
1 (10 ounce) package chopped spinach, thawed and squeeze dried
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage with the onions, garlic and 1/2 the parsley; drain. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, Italian seasoning, oregano, and basil; mix well. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes; stirring occasionally.
In a bowl, combine remaining parsley and Ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, eggs, garlic salt, and pepper; mix well.
In lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish, spread 2 cups sauce mix. Begin layering with 4 noodles, 1/2 cheese mix, 1/3 remaining sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat this layer again and the last layer will be noodles, sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Bake covered in a preheated oven at for 45 minutes. Bake uncovered an additional 10 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

**This makes a lot so I halved everything and there was still plenty for leftovers the next night!

Gingerbread Men, Sugar Cookies and a Sugar Glaze

2008-12-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

Sugar cookies

This recipe was posted on this blog previously by Kelly. It is truly a wonderful recipe! Check it out here.

Gingerbread Men

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups dark molasses
2/3 cup cold water
7 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt

Mix brown sugar, shortening, molasses and water in a large bowl. Mix together remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and then add to molasses mixture and mix together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheet lightly with shortening.

Roll dough 1/4 in. thick on floured surface. Cut with floured cookie cutter. Place on cookie sheet. You may decorate them now, as desired, with nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, candy, etc. Or, you can wait and ice them and then decorate them once they are cooled (As you can see from the picture above, we did it both ways).

Bake 10-12 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.

Sugar Glaze

The nice thing about the glaze, is that it dries hard & shiny and pretty. Then, it doesn't make as much of a mess and they can stack easily. It needs be stirred frequently when applying.

1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 Tbsp water
10 drops food coloring

Mix all ingredients together. Drizzle and spread over sugar cookies or gingerbread men as desired!

Enjoy!

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes.....

2008-12-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

I made these for the first time tonight. My husband told me prior to making them that he doesn't like sweet potatoes. These changed his mind! They were really easy and tasted great...Enjoy!!

Twice-Baked Potatoes
Kraft Food and Family Magazine

2 Large sweet potatoes
2 oz. Neufchatel cheese, Cubed
2 Tbsp. fat-free milk
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup pecan pieces (I didn't have these so I left them out)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut potatoes lengthwise in half; place, cut-sides down, in foil lined baking pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until tender.

Scoop out centers of potatoes into bowl, leaving 1/4 inch thick shells. Add Neufchatel cheese, milk, sugar and cinnamon to potatoes. Mash until blended.

Spoon potato mixture into shells; top with nuts. Bake 8 minutes or until potatoes are heated through and nuts are toasted.

Reindeer Cookies

2008-12-20T19:29:00.000-08:00

I saw this in December's Family Fun Magazine.

Super cute and super easy.

Nutter Butter cookies-Use white icing to glue on chocolate chips for eyes, and a red M&M (I used PB ones, they are bigger), and cut the bottom off of a twisted pretzel and ice it to the top.

Viola!

Boysenberry Oatmeal Bars....

2008-12-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I realized that I have a whole tub of Oatmeal that needs to be consumed before the months end and it expires. So, I took out some trusty cookbooks and found this recipe. I had all the ingredients on hand and it seemed so easy. They turned out pretty darn good. I actually preferred them today after they had set for the night. The original recipe called for Raspberry jam, but any jam would do! Enjoy!

1 (18.5 oz)package yellow cake mix
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup margarine, melted
1 cup boysenberry jam (or whatever flavor you prefer)
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, oats, and margarine so that it makes clumps and no dry mix is left. Press half of the oat mixture evenly in to the bottom of the prepared pan. In a separate bowl, mix the jam with water and spread the mixture over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture evenly over the top.

Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Cool before cutting into bars.

Chinese Chicken Salad...Revisited

2008-12-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

I thought that it would be good to revisit a few of my favorite recipes on this blog. This happens to be the first recipe I posted on here, and it happens to be one of my absolute favorites. We had this for dinner with just french bread a couple of nights ago and it was the perfect light dinner! Enjoy!

1 head iceburg lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1-2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 small pkg. sliced (not slivered) almonds
4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/2 package won tons or gyoza skins

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil (not olive or peanut)
1/2 cup sugare
1-2 tablespoons rice vinegar (add a little at a time to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Slice won ton skins into strips.
Fry in oil until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Combine first 4 ingredients.
Combine dressing ingredients in jar or shaker.

Just before serving, add chicken and fried won ton skins.
Shake dressing vigorously to mix, then toss with salad. Serve immediately

oatmeal carmelitas

2008-12-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

This is my all time favorite treat to make during the holidays. They are SO good. Rich hates oatmeal and almost didn't try them (before we were dating) at college. But try them he did... and he's hooked. Enjoy! 64 caramels (I always throw in a few more)
2/3 c. minus 2TB (10 TB total) canned milk or cream

Melt caramels in cream in a double boiler. (I don't have a double boiler so I just put them in a saucepan on low heat.)

Dough: (mix 2x for top and bottom... or just double and split in half)
1 c. flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. quick oats
3/4 c. melted butter
1/4 tsp. salt

Filling:
2 c. (12 oz) chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts

Mix dough. Stir until butter is absorbed and mixture is crumbly. Press in cookie pan 10x15. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Cover with caramel mixture, spreading carefully. Sprinkle with second dough mixture. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Cut into squares.

Easy Cheesy Manicotti- Revisited....

2008-12-01T15:59:00.000-08:00

When we first started this blog, Katie posted her easy cheesy manicotti recipe. We love this recipe at our house. First, it is SO easy. Second, it tastes yummy. Third, its great when having company over (especially when its two young men in shirts and ties and name tags). So, here it is again. Katie's manicotti, I just wanted everyone be reunited with its goodness! Thanks Katie for a great recipe!!!

1 pkg manicotti noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 pkg shredded cheddar (8oz)
1 pkg shredded mozzarella (8oz)
1 pkg shredded parmesan (6oz)
2 eggs
Parsley flakes

Combine cheeses and a tablespoon or so of parsley flakes. Mix in eggs until all the cheese sticks together. Stuff uncooked manicotti noodles and place in a 9x13 pan. Cover with spaghetti sauce. Fill sauce jar with water. Pour over noodles until they're completely covered (you may not use all the water). Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour
***I have found that I need to cook mine an additional 15 minutes to thoroughly cook the pasta...Enjoy!