something good

I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT!!

2011-04-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Just a little personal update and a recipe oops!

A few months ago, I started to notice some flashing lights in my left eye. I finally (don't be like me and blow it off) went to the eye doc and was given a major 'you're getting old' wake up call...I had a tear in my retina of all things! This usally can lead to a detached retina which causes you to go blind. I was sent immediately to Provo to have Laser surgery, which is a pretty routine surgery, but not for special ol' me! I've had some crazy complications. For the past 4 weeks I've been walking around looking like Jackie O wearing big sunglasses all day which says a lot, because I hate wearing sunglasses! I haven't been able to read or handle any light, especially the computer :( were talking crazy pain. The Doc was finally able to figure out that I have severe inflammation in the back of my eye, he figured the laser seared it during the surgery, ouch! He put me on some medication and within 24 hours I feel almost back to normal! So, this is why I haven't been around these parts lately. I have so many posts that I am excited to share. But the reason for re-posting this favorite recipe is, I just noticed the sugar was missing in the syrup! And it's been missing a long time, I originally posted this in April 2010!! We've been living with my parents for almost a year! CRAZY!! We are hoping our 5th offer on a short sale goes through VERY soon. I really miss not having my own kitchen!

This is seriously the best french toast ever--crispy, thick, and not soggy! OKAY, I'm done now!

Favorite Crispy French Toast

1/2 cup milk
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 loaf of Texas Toast (thick sliced bread)
I always cut the slices in half.

The stuff that makes it crunchy:

In a gallon size ziploc add 4 cups Rice Krisipies, and 2 tsp cinnamon. Seal and crush with a rolling pin, rolling over until you get fine crumbs. Place in wide bowl.

In a blender mix eggs milk, vanilla and salt. Pour into a wide bowl.

Dip a slice of bread into egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Then place in Rice Krispie mixture coating all sides well.

Grease griddle well with butter. When you turn over to cook the other side, butter again or it won't be as crispy.

Yogurt Syrup
This is very similar to Buttermilk syrup, but I don't always have it on hand. So what I'm saying is, you could use buttermilk in place of the yogurt if that's what you've got!

1 cube butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
3 T corn syrup
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp cinnamon-optional, but this makes it even more divine!

Bring everything except vanilla to a boil (stirring constantly) in sauce pan for 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla. Let cool.

HOW DID I LIVE WITHOUT YOU...I REALLY DON'T KNOW!

2011-03-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

This is one of my greatest recipe finds to date (no pun intended)! I was cruising through one my favorite food blogs and this little number jumped out at me screaming, "take me I'm yours!" No heating up the kitchen with the oven thank you very much! There are so many options with this, pizza, gyros, tacos, any kind of sandwich you can think of--or just good ol' butter and honey...now...That's a WRAP!

Soft Wrap Bread
From King Arthur Flour
Special thanks to melskitchencafe.com for introducing me to my new love!

3 to 3 1/4 cups (12 3/4 to 13 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) boiling water

1/2 cup (5/8 ounces) potato buds or flakes

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) vegetable oil

1 teaspoon instant yeast (a must)

1. Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir till smooth. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flakes or buds and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead by hand for several minutes to form a soft dough (you want it to be somewhat sticky). Form the dough into a ball. Add additional flour only if necessary; keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 to 2 hours-whatever you've got!

3. Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7- to 8-inch circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) over medium heat for about 1 minute per side, until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out. Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.

Death by Peanut Butter and Chocolate Trifle!

2011-02-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

Come a little closer, don't be shy...

My sister-n-law Lora and I have a major thing for chocolate--maybe this is why we get along so well! She sent me Incredible Chocolate Recipes cookbook from Southern Living for my bday a few years ago and wasn't kidding when she said I would die for this PB Trifle. All her kiddos request it on their birthdays. It's such a decadent, yummy, rich, gorgeous, heavenly dessert, I guarantee you'll be the hit at any potluck or party. I was so glad I made it when we had some friends over, they happily took the leftovers home because if they hadn't, I'm sure it would've been the death of me!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Trifle

1 box fudge, brownie mix
2 cups whipping cream, divided
1 (11 ounce) package nestle toll house peanut butter and milk chocolate chips
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups peanut butter, nestle treasures chopped (I used Dove Peanut Butter)
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (11 ounce) package nestle toll house peanut butter and milk chocolate chips (optional)

1. Prepare and bake brownie mix according to package directions; cool. Cut into small 2-inch squares.

2. Cook 2/3 cup whipping cream and 1 2/3 cups morsels in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until blended; remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Chill 30 minutes.

3. Beat remaining 1 1/3 cups whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stir one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining whipped cream.

4. Layer half of brownies in bottom of a 3 1/2-quart trifle dish or bowl; top with half of chocolate mixture, half of chopped peanut butter treasures, and half of whipped topping. Repeat procedure with remaining brownies, chocolate mixture, chopped peanut butter treasures, and whipped topping.

5. This step is optional (I was too lazy to do it). Sprinkle 1 2/3 cups morsels in an even layer on a parchment or wax paper-lined baking pan. Bake at 200° for 2 minutes or until morsels are evenly melted; chill 1 hour or until firm. Break into large pieces. Garnish top of trifle with peanut butter-chocolate pieces.

Dear Abby and Pecan Pie...the best ever!

2011-02-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

I recently read this little post and just had to share...

Dear Abby: One of my sisters-in-law has a recipe for pancakes and puts in a secret ingredient. She got the recipe from a relative who asked that the mystery never be revealed.

The relative died recently, and I’d like to know what the ingredient is because those pancakes are out of this world! Would my sister-in-law be betraying his request by sharing the secret? She says she made a promise. What do you think?

—Craving the Cakes in Florida

Dear Craving: Obviously, you have raised this subject with your sister-in-law and she refused to share the complete recipe. From that, I can only conclude that she plans to take her knowledge of the secret to her grave . I think she’s acting selfishly because good food is meant to be enjoyed by as many people as possible.

You said it sister!! Now on with the recipe sharing...

Dear Abby's Pecan Pie
I got this recipe from my mom's friend who clipped the original from the newspaper over 30 years ago! I love recipe history! Wish I loved doing family history just as much!

9-inch unbaked pie crust (new favorite pie crust recipe below)

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans coarsely chopped

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, butter, salt and vanilla; mix well. Add slightly beaten eggs. Pour into unbaked pie crust; sprinkle with chopped pecans.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is set. (Toothpick inserted in center will come out clean when pie is done.) If the crust or pie appears to be getting too brown, cover with foil for the remaining baking time. Cool.

Perfectly Flaky Pie Crust
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

*Makes one single 9 inch pie crust
1 1/4 cup flour
1 Tb sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tb chilled shortening (I used butter flavored) cut into pieces
4 Tb chilled butter-cut into pieces
4-6 Tb ice cold water

*Instructions for using a food processor (I'm still waiting for this lovely appliance to grace my life):
Pulse the flour, salt and sugar with half the shortening until it's the texture of cornmeal. Add the remaining shortening or butter and pulse until it's the size of small peas. Add water using pulse to combine until dough forms into ball. Be careful not to over pulse!

* Instructions for the old fashion way (the reason you dread making pie)!
1.Stir the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl.

2.Cut the chilled butter or shortening into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter or by pinching the fat into the mixture with your hands.

3. Add the chilled water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork after each addition. You may not need to use all of the water. Just add enough until there are no more loose crumbs. Gently press the dough into a ball. Handle the dough as little as possible--overworking will make it tough.

Tammy stated to me that she HATES pecan pie...Oh really...

BREAKOUT!

2011-02-06T22:40:00.000-08:00

I'm ready to breakout of this bloggin break or whatever it has been. I've really missed this place. The past eight months have been a blur, but I'm ready to get my life in focus and start bloggin about the things that make me happy and content...food, family and friends!

Gazpacho isn't very MACHO!

2010-07-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

It's hot hot hot here, and this cold soup has really hit the spot for lunch the past few days! My Brother in law James was quite hesitant to eat this, he's never tasted cold soup before and felt it was too girly...but it says something when he went back for seconds! Thanks Karen for sharing this awesome recipe with me, it makes me long to be sitting on your back porch eating gazpacho, having some good ol' girl time.

GAZPACHO

4 cups v-8 juice
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/3 cup olive oil (I use 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup green pepper, minced
3 Tb parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (I add very little because V8 doesn't hold back on the sodium)
8 tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped
2 avocados, cubed
Garlic croutons
Grated Parmesan cheese

Combine V8 juice, onion, olive oil, vinegar,green pepper, parsley, garlic,Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.

Next day, add tomatoes, cucumbers, and avos, Refrigerate. Serve very cold with croutons and parmesan cheese.

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Meet Virginia...

2010-06-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

I feel so blessed that I was able to live in one of the most beautiful states in our country, and get to know the incredible people she holds. Here's some pictures from Deb's visit in May. This might help you see why I've been sounding a little whiny lately. Goodbye Virginia, you really are for lovers!

See you when the red desert dirt settles...

Coconut Macaroons make me SwooN!

2010-06-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

It's pretty plain to see, I'm on a coconut kick lately. I think it's my secret desire for a tropical getaway! But for now, my reality is packing a gazillion boxes and cleaning my brains out! We're heading back the the desert, yep, good ol' St George Utah! It's been an amazing 18 months here in Virginia. I wish I could pack up the beautiful surroundings, along with all my wonderful friends. My heart aches just writing about it! On Sunday night we went to Conrad and Kristie's for our farewell barbeque. These macaroons were served for dessert, and let me tell you, I was swooning! They are the best homemade macaroons I've ever tasted! The recipe is from the ultimate cook/baker in the world-Barefoot Contessa...wish we were neighbors (there's another secret desire revealed). I better get back to reality!

Coconut Macaroons
Barefoot Contessa

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
14 oz. sweetened shredded coconut (flaked)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.

In electric mixer with whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and salt on high speed until medium to firm peaks form. Carefully fold into the coconut mixture.

Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

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Sweet Sticky Rice with Mangos

2010-06-04T06:14:00.000-07:00

When I told Garrett what I was making for dessert, he response was "couldn't we just be normal and have brownies like everyone else!" He ended up wolfing down 2 servings of this unique and yummy dessert! It helped that his favorite fruit is mangos! Lately, I've been trying to get my kids to expand their taste bubs, and be willing to try new and different types of food. I'm known to be a little picky myself so this is helping me to think outside the typical American cuisine category. Last week we had coconut curry chicken with lemon grass rice. I heard the typical complaints until they ate their first bite, it was all smiles from then on. It was so good! I'll post those recipes soon. I first need to pack!

What you'll need:

2 cups sticky rice *(sweet rice)
1 can coconut milk-divided in half
sugar
water
salt

1. Add the rice into a medium sized microwaveable bowl (with lid). Cover rice with water, 2 inches above rice. Let sit for 30 minutes.

2. Pour off water leaving 1/4 inch above rice. Cover with lid and microwave for 10 minutes, until rice is cooked.

3. In a small bowl combine 1 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and half the can of coconut milk. Stir to dissolve sugar and pour over rice stirring to combine.. Cover with lid and let sit for another 20 minutes.

4. In a small saucepan add the other half of coconut milk, 1/2 tsp cornstarch, 1 Tb sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk to combine and turn on heat to med./low. Whisking constantly at a low boil, until sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Don't leave it on too long or mixture will turn oily.

5. Place rice on serving platter and evenly drizzle coconut sauce over rice. Serve with mangos.

*I experimented a bit when I couldn't find sticky rice (sweet rice) at my grocery store, and figured it wouldn't make a big difference if I used regular white rice, right?...WRONG! We still enjoyed it, but next time I'm heading to Wegman's, they never let me down!

Recipe from egeefay/Thai food.

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Best Beef and Broccoli

2010-05-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

In the past this dish has frustrated me, the beef always turned out way too tough and the broccoli too soggy! Why would I buy expensive beef, when all I get in return is a bad case of TMJ! Well, I've finally figured out how to make it tender and juicy, keeping the broccoli cooked just right. This dish is now one of our top 5 favorites! If you're craving Chinese, make this! I promise you'll be trying to come up with an excuse to make it again!

Steak Marinade

2 lbs flank steak (a MUST)
3 Tb soy sauce
2 Tb water
3 tsp sugar
1 clove garlic minced

Slice the steak into long thin strips with the grain. Cut strips into 2 in. pieces against the grain.

In a medium size bowl (or a gallon size ziploc) combine additional ingredients, stirring to combine. Add beef, mix well. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour or more.

Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup apple juice or water
3 Tb hoisin sauce
3 tsp cornstarch
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger root, minced(grated on a microplane)
3 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper

Whisk ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside

Veggies
4-5 cups broccoli florets
6 green onions, cut into 2 in pieces(top & bottom)
2 tsp oil
1/4 cup water

In a skillet, heat oil, add broccoli, stirring to coat broccoli. Add 1/4 cup water continue to stir and steam for about 3 minutes. Add onions, cook for another 2 minutes. You want the broccoli to be crisp/tender. Remove from heat and place in a bowl to stop cooking.

The Finale!

In a large skillet add 1/4 cup oil turn on heat to med. high. You want the oil to be really hot. Keep a lid nearby because it will spatter. Remove steak from marinade and discard marinade. Add steak to hot skillet cover with lid for a few seconds to avoid the oil splatter; then remove lid and stir meat the cook evenly. When meat starts to brown (about 3-6 minutes) add the sauce and veggies tossing to coat evenly. Be careful not to overcook the meat! Heat until sauce starts to thicken.

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Snickering at the Blondie Doodle Bar

2010-05-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Crazy name, but amazingly good! To make this dessert even more tempting, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and carmel sauce...don't mind if I do!

Snickerdoodle Blondies
Adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com
2 2/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups packed brown sugar (I used 1 3/4 cups)
1 cup butter-room temp.
2 eggs
1 Tb vanilla
1 1/2 cup cinnamon chips or butterscotch chips

Topping:
2 Tb sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix together in a small bowl-set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan. In a bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.
In a large bowl beat the sugars and butter; add eggs and vanilla, mixing until creamy. Add dry ingreds. and stir to combine. Add cinnamon chips.

Spread into prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar topping.

Bake for 25 minutes or until you gently press and it springs back. Try not to over bake or they will turn out too hard. I loved these even more the next day.

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Fluffy Pancakes with Homemade Syrup

2010-05-21T07:27:00.000-07:00

I was raised on whole wheat pancakes and homemade syrup. My alarm clock was hearing my moms slippers swish across the floor in the kitchen. She would be humming about with her makeup on (she does have a vanity problem)in the wee hours of the morning, doing her motherly duty to help start her kids day off on the right foot or, in other words, a full tummy! Although I can't say I'm as consistent as she was, it's interesting to note, I always get a few extra "I love you mom" in the mornings when I make this before school. I guess they know how much it kills me to try to pull it together that early!

Fluffy Pancakes

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tb brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups-1 or 2% milk
1/4 cup water (up to 1/2 cup if needed to thin out batter)
2 Tb melted butter
2 Tb oil (I used extra-light olive oil)
1 tsp vanilla

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt. Set aside.

2. In another bowl whisk together egg, milk, brown sugar, butter, oil, water and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients stirring until well combined.

Homemade Syrup

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3/4 tsp maple flavoring (Mapleline)
1/4 tsp salt-scant
1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan add sugars, salt, and water. Bring to a boil, and boil for about 4 to 5 minutes until liquid starts to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in maple flavoring and vanilla. The syrup will thicken as it cools. Store in refrigerator.

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Texas Caviar

2010-05-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

This is my kind of dip. I have a very wimpy palate, meaning it can't take the heat. So when I tasted this genius concoction years ago, I knew I found a friend for life!

1 10 oz frozen corn, thawed
1 15 oz can black-eyed peas, drained
1 15 oz can black beans, drained, rinsed
2 green peppers, seeded and chopped small
5 - 8 roma tomatoes diced small or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped small (I always add more)
1 cup Italian dressing (I love Wishbone)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Juice from 1 lime (2 small)

Mix all together in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
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*Recipe from Suzy-with a few of my own sprinklings :)

Lemon Berry S'cream' Trifle!

2010-05-07T12:40:00.001-07:00

I found this screamin' yummy dessert from melskitchencafe.com. That girl has the kind of taste buds you can trust! This is a perfect Mother's Day dessert, and can be really easy if you just buy all the makings, or a little more time consuming if you make it all from scratch. I decided to do a little of both. I bought the pound cake and made the lemon curd, which, I think was worth it. If you want a mother, a sister, a friend, or yourself to feel special, make this. I'm already feelin' the love! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Lemon Berry Cream Trifle
Berry Sauce (make this the night before, and you'll kiss yourself!)

1 cup blueberries
1 1/2 cup raspberries
1 1/2 cup strawberries--cut into pieces
(if you're using frozen berries, they need to be thawed and drained)
1 lemon--juiced
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

In a sauce pan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Turn heat to med-high and add berries and lemon juice. cook and stir until sauce thickens and berries begin to break down. Let cool and store in fridge until ready to use.

Lemon Cream:

3 cups whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 recipe lemon curd (recipe below) or an 11 oz. jar lemon curd

In mixer, whip the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, add the lemon curd and whisk in 1/4 cup whipped cream to loosen it up a bit. Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pound Cake:
2 boxes of Entemann's Butter Loaf Cake (I only used 1 1/2 loafs)
Or you can make you favorite pound cake recipe. Cut into 1/2 in. pieces.

To assemble:
Spoon a layer of cream into trifle bowl (about 1 1/2 cups). Add a layer of pound cake, breaking the pieces to fit if necessary. Drizzle a little less then 1/3 of the berry sauce over cake. It doesn't need to cover the full surface of the cake. Spread another layer of cream over the top smoothing to the sides. Repeat process 2 or 3 more times, ending with a layer of lemon cream. Cover and refridgerate until ready to serve. It's best if assembled a few hours before serving.

Lemon Curd (make the night before, and you'll kiss yourself again!)
Adapted from Martha Stewart

4 large egg yolks
1 large whole egg
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice--strained
8 Tbs (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1 Tb grated lemon zest

In a fine mesh strainer, strain egg yolks into a heavy medium saucepan. Use a rubber spatula to help the yolks go through easily. Add whole egg and so the same. Add sugar to pan and lemon juice, whisking to combine.

Cook over med to low heat. stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. This takes a little time/patience, about 14 minutes. Mixture is ready when it thickens and coats the spoon. Transfer into a small bowl and stir in butter, one piece at a time. Stir in lemon zest. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin forming and refrigerate in a air tight bowl for up to 3 days.

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Homemade Ranch Dressing

2010-05-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

I've been a ranch dressing fan since my college days! BYU has the best Ranch dressing I've ever tasted! I'm pretty sure I can blame my freshman 20 on it! I wonder if it's still the same 20 years later? I have strong feelings against bottled ranch, I've never tasted one and asked for it's number. The only ranch I've ever given my full support, is Hidden Valley packets. Then comes along Michelle with her mom's homemade version that she swears by (she only swears about food). She was right, so yummy and so easy! Over the years I've made a few changes to it. But trust me, nothing is better with your veggies than homemade ranch!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise*
1/2 tsp garlic salt--I use 1 scant tsp
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp Accent
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper--I use 1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 cup sour cream--optional
1 tsp flaked parsley--optional

In a bowl whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Store in fridge until your ready to make your veggies sing. :)
*When I'm trying to be really healthy, I use Vegenaise. It can be found in the health food section in the refrigerator. It's a heart healthy alternative to mayo.

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Best Pot Stickers Ever!

2010-04-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

Ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil...the smell is still lingering in my kitchen this morning. We're talking major salivating going on here. I'm longingly wishing for at least one leftover pot sticker. But sadly, they were inhaled in a couple minutes flat last night for dinner! I've been wanting to make pot stickers like the brand Ling Ling for some time now. So I went to Costco yesterday and read the ingredients on their package. I came home more determined then ever to copy the recipe. You can imagine my joy when Bryn proclaimed, "Mom these are way better then the ones from Costco!" Wahoo! Mission accomplished! These will be a regular on the menu from now on, along with my copycat recipe for Panda Express Orange Chicken. I'll be sharing that one very soon.

First combine:

2 1/2 cups finely chopped Napa cabbage (chop first, then measure)

1/2 Tb salt
In a bowl sprinkle salt over cabbage, stir; let sit for 15-20 minutes. Place the cabbage in a strainer and squeeze the living day lights out of it! The drier the cabbage the better.

Second:
In a medium bowl add:

1 lb ground chicken
2 finely chopped *green onions (tops and bottoms)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 scant tsp garlic salt (Lawry's)
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 Tb finely chopped fresh ginger
*green onions sometimes come way thick or really thin. If yours are thick use 2. If they're thin use 2 1/2.

Add cabbage and mix well. If you have time, make this early in the day and refrigerate mixture until your ready to fill wrappers.

Third:

1 package wonton wrappers (2in circle)
*I could only find the eggroll size. I cut them at an angle to make 2 triangles. We actually liked them a little bigger. Add 1 Tb filling in this size wrapper.

Have a small bowl of water on the counter ready to dip fingers in. Spread wrappers over counter. Fill 2 tsp filling in the center of wrapper. Wet one side of wrapper and fold in half and pinch edges.

Fourth:

Heat 2 Tb oil in a non-stick skillet. Heat oil until it smokes; place pot stickers in skillet. Add water one-third way up pot stickers. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook until liquid is gone, about 7 min. Flip and cook both sides until crispy.

Dipping sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 Tb green onions, chopped

1 Tb water

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tb rice vinegar

In small mixing bowl whisk all ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to use.

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CookieBar Sundae

2010-04-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

This sundae, is a Sunday favorite around here! It satisfies that end of the week urge for a well deserved splurge! I have a few yummy recipes for hot fudge sauce, but Mrs. Richardson's is my favorite store bought sauce when I'm feeling lazy. It's a little thick, so I add some evaporated milk to thin it out. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Beat together:

1 cube butter-softened

1 1/2 cups brown sugar (I use 1 cup light and 1/2 cup dark)

Add:

1 Tb vanilla
2 eggs

Beat until mixture has lightened, let sit 5 min.

Add:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 scant tsp salt

Mix until combined.

Add 3/4 bag of chocolate chips--let sit 5 min.

Spread into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Sauce:

Add 1/4 cup evaporated milk to 1 jar of Mrs. Richardson's fudge sauce. Heat on stove until combined. Add leftovers back to jar and keep refrigerated.

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Tasty Turkey Tacos

2010-04-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

We are huge Taco fans! They're a regular meal around here. I don't use red meat very often and I love the fact that no one even notices. I use my own spices instead of the package seasoning and I'm telling you, it's way better! I also don't deep fry the tortillas, way to stinky and fattening. I cook them an electric grill, they don't get as crispy, but they're still rather tasty! This is a fast and healthy meal that always satisfies the Mexican food craving I have almost everyday!

Healthy Turkey Tacos

1 package (about 1 pound) ground turkey-7% fat
1 tsp. Seasoned Salt (Lawry's)
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 large garlic clove, minced)
1/2 tsp Garlic salt (I love Lawry's)
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1/4 heaping cup dried onions (or 1/2 cup chopped onions)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes-optional
*corn tortillas
* Pam Spray

In a large skillet on med heat, add turkey and all seasonings. Mix together until meat is fully cooked.

Taco shells:

Heat electric grill. Generously spray both sides of tortillas with cooking spray. Place on grill and cook, turning over to cook both sides. They are done when you see a few brown spots. Don't over cook or they get a little tough!

printable recipe

HOMEMADE POP TARTS!

2010-03-25T09:00:00.001-07:00

I don't think my mom has ever bought a box of Pop Tarts in her life. The only time I was able to get my hands on one of these babies, was at my friends Stacy's house. I thought her mom was the bomb! Her pantry was a young (sugar deprived) girls fantasy! We're talking endless amounts of Oreos, Cookie Crisp cereal, and Doritos! I swore I was going to grow up and buy anything my kids wanted, just like Cathy! Well, little did I know I would turn out to be just like my mom, sort of. My kids get their favorite "sugar cereal" wrapped up on their birthday, and Oreos are bought just a few times a year. So, to make sure my kids don't feel as deprived as I felt, I made these the other night for Home Evening and got rave reviews! I think a better name for them would be "Hand Pies" but I don't think that sounds as exciting!

Homemade Pop Tarts

*Pie crust--homemade (use your favorite pie crust recipe or store bought)

*Favorite jam--I used blueberry

*Glaze

*Sprinkles

Homemade Pastry

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 Tb sugar

1/2 cup cold shortening

1/2 cup cold butter--cut into pieces

1 medium egg

3 or more Tb ice cold water

In a large bowl combine flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and shortening and blend with a pastry cutter until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Add egg, stirring with a fork, then add water 1 tablespoon at a time of water, until dough holds together. Form into ball. Roll out onto floured counter, to about 1/8 in. thick rectangle. Cut into small rectangles.

On half of the small cut out rectangles, spread a thin layer of jam keeping away from edges. The amount really depends on the size you cut out of the pastry dough. Top with another rectangle and crimp edges with a fork. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 9 minutes.

Let cool on rack.

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tb corn syrup

2 Tb water

a drop of food coloring

Whisk in small bowl until thick but spreadable--add more p. sugar or water to get the right consistency. Spread onto cooled pastries. Top with sprinkles.

How to Poach Chicken

2010-03-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Perfectly...poached...chicken...FINALLY!

Thank you Everyday Food for teaching me something I wish I knew 20 years ago!

1. Lay chicken breast on counter, cover with saran wrap and pound out each breast with a mallet until even.

2. Place chicken in a large straight sided skillet. Add water until chicken is just covered. Sprinkle generously with salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a low simmer--cook for 5 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and let stand, covered, until cooked. About 12 to 15 minutes (depending how thick your chicken is).

4. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Your enchiladas, chicken salads, and family will thank you!

Another great use for poached chicken is Chicken Bundles. There are quite a few variations of this recipe, but this one from Eliza is my favorite! I just need to find it!

Sweet Escape!

2010-02-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited, my sister Laura is coming for a visit! We both love to be in the kitchen baking, so I don't think we'll be very sad if the forecast is right about another snowstorm hitting us upon her arrival tomorrow. We'll just have to bake our way out of this freezing cold winter! I can't wait!

Here's Laura's famous Sugar Cookie recipe. The best part about this recipe is there's no need to refrigerate! You can't beat that! You can make these babies just as fast (but waaay yummier) than a Betty Crocker mix!

Favorite (and fast) Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup (1 cube) butter-soft
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tb milk or cream (I only use 2 tsp because of the humid climate here)

Cream sugar and butter, then add additional ingreds. mix until well combined. then stir in:

1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

Lightly dust the counter with flour-roll out dough to desired thickness. Cut into shapes and place on a parchment line or lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes. Watch closely, if the edges are starting to brown they are over done--or they're just right if you like a slightly crispy cookie. :)

When life gives you lemons...make Lemon Bars!

2010-02-13T15:33:00.000-08:00

Citrus fruits compliments of my mother in laws fruit trees! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Harrell for coming to Garrett's Eagle Court of Honor, and bringing some much needed California sunshine in the middle of our record breaking snow storm! You guys were real storm troopers!

I mixed a few different recipes to come up with, what I think, are perfectly luscious lemon bars.

Luscious Lemon Bars

2 cubes butter (1 cup) soft
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt

In mixer attached with beater hook, add ingredients and pulse until well combined. You want the mixture to be sort of crumbly. Sprinkle evenly into a lightly greased 9x13 pan and press firmly .
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

4 eggs
2 cups plus 2 Tb sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tb grated lemon zest (3 small lemons)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

In a mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, and lemon juice. Add flour, baking soda, and lemon zest, stir to combine. Pour slowly into baked crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cool in pan on a wire rack. Evenly sift powdered sugar over top. Makes 30 small bars.

Tastes even better the following day!

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

2010-02-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

I had this yummy soup at a friend's Birthday luncheon. I wanted to lick my bowl clean, but I refrained! Instead I went home and called Holly for the recipe, so I could make my own big pot of soup. Unfortunately the kids didn't care too much for it, but Dave and I licked our bowls clean!

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Thanks Holly for the recipe!

1 large butternut squash (or 2 small)
2 cloves garlic-minced
1 small onion-chopped
4 Tb butter
2 cup water
1 cup apple cider (or water if you don't have any cider)

4 cubes chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (if your doubling recipe don't double this, it will be too spicy!)
1 granny smith apple
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 oz. cream cheese

Carefully cut squash in half. Place on cookie sheet lined with foil, skin side facing up. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until tender. Meanwhile, in a large pot saute onions in butter until soft.

Peel and core apple. Microwave on high until apple is soft and tender. Add to onion in soup pot. When squash in done scrape out with a spoon and add to pot. Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the cream cheese.

Bring soup to a low boil for 10 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Blend in cream cheese with a hand held immersion blender--Or-- add 2 cups of soup in regular blender with the cream cheese, then pour back into soup pot stirring to incorporate. Keep soup warm, but don't boil.

VENTING...

2010-02-08T11:16:00.000-08:00

School's out! I want to pout!

Snow snow go away, come again...never! My kids need their schooling!

Lots of yummy recipes coming soon!

Snowed in--bummer--I need more butter!

BANANA RAMA!!

2010-01-28T07:49:00.000-08:00

Finally a recipe that tastes like a banana CUPCAKE and not a banana muffin! It's perfectly light and fluffy--truly amazing for homemade! To top it off, Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting...PURE HEAVEN!

Banana Cupcakes
Adapted from lfamily5

3 cups Cake Flour (not self-rising)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter-softened
1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
4 VERY ripe bananas- mashed well
6 Tb buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Line cupcake pans with paper liners
In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt-set aside.

In a large bowl on medium speed, cream butter and oil until smooth. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time mixing well after each. Add bananas and half of the dry ingredients until combined. Add buttermilk and vanilla, then add remaining dry ingreds. until just combined--making sure not to over mix! Cake will turn out dry!

Bake for 20 minutes--or until you lightly touch top of cupcake and center springs back. Careful not to over bake. Let cupcakes cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cubes butter--softened
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese
about 6 cups powdered sugar--give or take
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon--or to your liking
2 tsp vanilla
dash of salt

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until you get the right consistency. Mix in cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. You can add a little milk if the frosting gets too thick.

Spinach Dippin!

2010-01-25T19:14:00.001-08:00

After making 4 different recipes over the holiday season, I was plain spinached out! They were all good, but I was looking for Da Bomb! So Michelle stepped in and listened to my hopes and dreams for the ultimate dip. She went to work and added her own special something and came up with this lip-smackin, couldn't-get-any-better spinach dip!

p.s. recent dinner guests were overheard saying "pass that back, that's really good" and the ultimate complement, "I want this recipe NOW!"

Da Bomb of all Spinach Dips

1 (14oz.) can artichoke hearts-drained and chopped
1 box chopped spinach-thawed and well drained (I squeeze it to death to get all the liquid out)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves-minced
1 can chopped green chile's
1/4 block (2 oz.) of cream cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup powdered (grated) Parmesan cheese
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese-grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients (except Monterrey jack cheese) together until well combined. Spread into lightly greased 8 inch baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese evenly over the top and return to oven for another 10 minutes.

The perfect side kick for this is Tortilla chips--but I forgot to buy them, so I used bread. Just don't be like me and forget the chips!

Food For Thoughtfulness!

2010-01-22T08:22:00.000-08:00

I've been whining about this bitterly cold winter...

A sweet friend listened and brought SPRING to my soul...and belly! Thank you berry much Karen! You just plain ROCK!

p.s. I'm off to the store for more of these babies! Wish me luck in the sleet!

p.s.s. tomorrow's recipe - Da bomb of all Spinach Dips! I tested 4 and this one is seriously Da bomb!

Classic Chocolate Chip cOOkies!

2010-01-13T07:15:00.000-08:00

These are IT! I'm always testing different chocolate chip cookie recipes--It's been an obsession for years. Whenever someone says theirs is the best, I feel inclined to be the judge of such a bold statement! I'm usually a little let down. I also have major issues with any recipe the says Mrs. Fields. Really no one has ever come close...until now. Cooks Illustrated has done it, they've calmed my inner cookie beast! They tested hundreds of recipes, and figured out what makes a perfectly crispy, yet chewy cookie. I'm in love!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Slightly adapted from Cooks Illustrated

2 cups plus 1 Tb flour (Spoon flour into cup then scrape off excess-this really makes a difference)
1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cubes (3/4 cup)melted butter (be sure not to over heat- just until creamy)

1 cup packed dark brown sugar (I use 1/2 dark and 1/2 cup light)

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 Tb pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt-set aside.

In a mixer, cream melted butter and sugars together until well blended. Beat in vanilla, egg, and yolk until light and creamy looking. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes (this helps the egg absorb into ingredients). Pulse a few more times then add flour mixture until well blended. Add chips try not to over mix. I let the dough sit another 5 to 10 minutes. This results in a better looking/texture cookie. Trust me!

Scoop 1 rounded tablespoon of dough onto parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. Be careful not to over bake! Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

p.s. These aren't as good the next day, only a few have made it that far to tell the tale. I scoop and freeze if I don't bake all the dough the same day.

Sloppy Tom's. . .Sorry Joe!

2010-01-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

Why does Joe get all the attention? And who named them Sloppy Joe's anyway?! What about Sloppy Dave's or Sloppy Garrett's? Now that makes more sense!

Seriously, these were really good and really fast to make! It's a perfect meal for post holiday anti-kitchen syndrome! For the sake of trying to cook on the lighter side, I use lean ground turkey instead of ground meat. I was surprised that I couldn't tell the difference. So so good!

SLOPPY JOE'S/TOMS
Adapted from The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner

1 Tb butter
1 pd lean ground turkey or beef
1 cup ketsup
1/2 cup to 1 cup water (depends on how runny you like it)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tb red wine vinegar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper (I used 1/4 tsp)
2 Tb dehydrated onions (optional)

-6 lightly buttered hamburger buns

In a skillet cook meat until done. Drain. Return meat to pan and add all the rest of the ingredients. Cook over med heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add more water if too thick.

Toast buns on electric skillet until nice and brown. Serve up this Manwich to all the hungry men in your house and watch them smile!

SNOW BALLS and PEANUT BUTTER BALLS!

2009-12-26T07:19:00.000-08:00

The Nor'easter hit us hard, but we loved every minute of it!

This was our first WHITE Christmas -Bryn's dream come true! The hot hot hot chocolate station kept our toes nice and warm. The best part for me was having all the extra hands I needed to roll the peanut butter balls. We added another ball this year...Oreo truffles. They were a hit!

Hope you had a ball this Christmas too!

Peanut Butter Balls

2 cubes butter-soft

1 1/2 package finely crushed graham crackers

1 pd. powdered sugar (1 box or 3 3/4 cups unsifted)

1 tsp pure vanilla

1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter-I use Jif

2 bags milk chocolate chips - Guittard or Hershey are the best

1/8 of a parafin wax bar (optional)

Put graham crackers in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Use a rolling pin crush into fine crumbs. Pour into a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Form into 1 inch balls-place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper, and put in the freezer to firm for about 20 to 30 minutes.

In a double broiler melt chocolate chips with 1/8 of a parafin wax bar. You don't have to use the wax. Dip ball and let set in the freezer. Store in Ziploc in the freezer.

Oreo Truffles

1 package Oreos

1 package cream cheese

Mix in a food processor or a mixer with the whipping hook, until mixture is completely creamed and no white remains. Form into balls and set in freezer. Follow dipping instructions for pb balls.

Home for the Holidays!

2009-12-15T16:37:00.000-08:00

As promised, (Michelle, Zana and Deb) here are a few snippets of our Christmas in Virginia. The best part is that I only spent a few dollars this year to deck the halls! I'd like to thank Tai Pan and Roberts from years past, for helping me find cute Christmas decor that I could afford...Are you listening Virginia, I said cheap, but nooo, you don't understand that word do you? Why oh why did we have to pick the most expensive county in the country to live? If anything, it has helped me to tighten the belt around here and get busy in the kitchen trying to cut cost as much as possible. Although, lately I have become quite obsessed with making English Toffee. Is there anything better in the Christmas candy department then English Toffee? I don't think so! This is the best recipe I've ever tasted! I won't confess how many batches I've made this year that haven't made it out of the house to give to neighbors! The kids claw each other for the last piece! It's CRRAZZY over here!! The recipe takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. Be sure to make it when no one is around to distract you. You must give it your full 100% attention - If you do, it will bring joy to last the whole season through but, if you don't, it will bring angry, bitter tears knowing that you just wasted 3 cubes of butter! Good luck! Call me if you want me to make it with you! I promise not to eat it all.

*Recipe update-I recently bombed a batch of this and had to do some deep toffee soul searching! Come to find out I needed to change a few things. First, cook the toffee at a lower temperature-right below medium. Second, cook up to 290 degrees F. but no more then 300 F. And lastly, don't make the chocolate layer too thick or it won't stick. Hopefully, you won't waste as much butter as I have. But I still think it was worth it!

Best English Toffee

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cubes REAL butter (I use salted butter-if you use unsalted add 1/2 tsp more of salt)
1/4 tsp salt
1 bag milk chocolate chips (Guittard is to die for)
or half milk and semi sweet-

Lightly butter a 9x13 pan.

In a heavy, good quality sauce pan, melt butter, sugar and salt over medium. With a wooden spoon or flat wire whisk, carefully stir ingredients until well incorporated. Place candy thermometer in on the side of the pan. Watch for any stray sugar granules on the side of pan. Wipe with a pastry brush to remove. Once the sugar is dissolved, this shouldn't be a problem.

From this point on, your not going to stop slowly stirring. After the mixture starts to boil, it will look creamy yellow. It's okay if the sugar and butter separate just keep stirring in a up and down motion, making sure your getting the sides. The mixture will start to look golden/tan keep stirring. It starts to heat fast, you want the color to turn to the color of a brown paper bag. Keep stirring so you don't scorch it. When the thermo. reaches between 290 to 300 F. Quickly remove and pour into prepared pan. Let toffee cool for 5 minutes, I usually wipe the top lightly with a paper towel to remove any oil from the surface so the chocolate will stick better. Let the toffee completely harden-you can speed it up in the freezer. In the mircowave, melt chocolate in 20 second intervals stirring after each time-then spread over toffee. You can sprinkle finely crushed walnuts or almonds over chocolate.

Let set for a few hours-or you can speed up the process in the fridge. When set, break into pieces and inhale.

Gingerbread Houses!

2009-12-07T10:04:00.000-08:00

I was taught the art of gingerbread making 16 years ago, by my amazing friend Aimee. She was raised with a mother who would make gingerbread villages with stained glass windows lit up with a real light inside each house-and a lake for the gingerbread townsfolk to ice skate on! Truly magical! This is why I love this tradition so much, it unlocks our imaginations that have been in cold storage for a year! Since moving to a climate with high humidity, I've had to change the recipe to one that holds better--It's just not as good to eat. But really, who wants to eat 3 week old gingerbread anyway? I also changed to a royal icing made with meringue powder. It makes it easier to get the right consistency. It may seem a little daunting, but once you have a "good" experience making a homemade gingerbread house, you'll look forward to the fun next year--promise!

Gingerbread Cottage
Humidity proof recipe!

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup butter, cubed
5 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt

*1/2 cup crushed butterscotch candies (or any yellow candy) for windows. Place unwrapped candies in 2 gallon size Ziploc bags. Crush with a meat mallet (flat side). Get all those holiday stresses out!

In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.

In a large pot, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat. Stir in flour mixture (it will be stiff) using you hands to mix it really well. Place dough in bowl and cover to keep from drying out. Let it cool in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

You'll need 2 large jelly roll pan. Turn pans upside down and spray lightly and evenly with cooking spray. Grab about half the dough and roll out to get an even surface a little less than 1/8 in. Trim with a pizza cutter any excess dough overlapping the edges.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Carefully place patterns on dough and with a sharp small knife cut out pattern. Remove excess dough. Finish baking for 5 more minutes or until edges are starting to lightly brown. Remove all pieces except window pieces.

Rip small pieces of foil, slightly larger than windows and spray with Pam. With a spatula, gently lift dough to place foil under windows (Pam side up). Spoon crushed candy evenly into windows and bake an additional 4 minutes or until candy has melted. Let cool then remove foil.

Allow gingerbread pieces to completely cool before you assemble house. I usually bake the day before I decorate. Royal Icing

3 level Tb Meringue Powder (you can purchase this at Walmart or Micheals)
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
6 Tb water--if you use a counter top mixer use 1 Tb less!

(I usually add more water a little at a time to get a glossy smooth paste)

Beat all ingreds. for about 5 min or until icing forms peaks.
Makes 3 cups. I usually double this when I make trees. Cover Icing with a damp cloth when not using - this keeps it from drying out. You can also store it in the fridge completely sealed, to use the next day.

To make trees, use ice cream sugar cones-upside down. Take out about 2 cups icing and mix in a few drops of green paste food coloring (Wilton) to get the right color of green.

Decorate each piece before you assemble the house-except for the roof. I glue gun the house together, (way easier) then cover with icing.

Decorating Ideas~
Mike and Ikes (red and yellow) for candles in windows.
Chocolate sticks for window flower boxes.
Red hots
M&Ms-red and green
Miniature candy canes
Star bright peppermints
Cherry sour balls
Pretzel rods-for log pile
Heart sprinkles
Mini tree sprinkles-use as leafs in flower boxes and wreaths.
Edible glitter-to make snow shimmer!
For the roof: Frosted Mini Wheats, Necos, Big Red gum (tiles) Let your imagination go! Happy gingerbread making!

This is Bryn's house - Looks like I'll be stealing some decorating ideas for my house next year! Way to CREATE Brynie!

ROLL WITH IT ON YOUR ?TH B-DAY - MICHELLE!

2009-12-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

I stole this recipe from Michelle 15 years ago, and have been enjoying the compliments I have been getting from it ever since! Thanks Michelle (again)! Actually I should be thanking her Mother, Roberta for giving birth to one of my dearest, funniest, and most youngest looking friends, ?? years ago TODAY! You heard it right people, it's the queen of cookin's Birthday today. No, not Paula Deen, I'm talking about Michelle, the cook that always has a perfect recipe idea to knock your socks off clear into the washer! She is always there for me in a recipe crunch, and I love her for it! I hope you have a wonderful Birthday Michelle! You deserve it! I am so blessed to call you friend -- speaking of calling, you better pick up the phone!

ROBERTA'S ROLLS

1/2 cup really warm water
1 Tb sugar
2 Tb active dry yeast

Mix this together in small bowl--set aside for at least 5 min. or until nice and foamy.

2 cups scalded milk
1 cube butter-cut into pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 Tb sugar
3 beaten eggs
2 tsp salt
7 1/4 cups flour (give or take)

In microwave scald milk for 3 to 5 min. Pour hot milk in your mixer attached with dough hook and add cut up butter. Allow butter to melt. Add sugar and beaten eggs and 2 cups flour, mix then add yeast mixture scraping the sides. Add 1 cup flour and salt mix, then gradually add additional flour. Total cups of flour about 7 1/2 cups. Beat until well incorporated. The dough will be pretty sticky. That's normal. If it looks a too soupy, sticky you can add no more than 1/2 cup to 1 cup more flour especially if you live in an area with high humidity.

Remove dough and place in a large well oiled bowl, cover and let rise 2 hours. If you have the time, you can add an extra hour.

Punch down dough and dump onto lightly floured counter. Prepare into desired roll shape. Lightly dust with flour when needed. Be careful not to add to much flour or your rolls won't turn out as light and fluffy as they should be.

Let rolls rise on pans until double in size. A good hour.

Bake at 420 degrees for 7-9 minutes. Or until they are nice and brown on top. The most important step is to brush each roll with melted butter after they are baked. Don't hold back!

*When I make cinnamon rolls I add about 1 1/2 more cups of flour until the dough is still sticky but the dough is starting to come off the sides of the mixing bowl. I'll post the cinnamon roll recipe later.

NOT YOUR TYPICAL GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE!

2009-11-25T08:14:00.000-08:00

Zana called me this morning wanting this recipe. She will be in her lovely kitchen all day long, sweating over the stove, with flour and sugar flying through the air like pixie dust. Christmas music will be playing in the back ground, while her 4 girls will be decorating gingerbread houses and saying sweet nothings such as..."Mother, you are so bootiful with flour on your face!" Baby Thomas will be in his swing, perfectly content with a full belly of extra sweet milk (mom needs to find her energy somewhere)! And to top it off, the maid will be cleaning the kitchen during Zana's mid-day nap! We all know cooking and baking can really wipe you out!

That was my fun little day dream of Zana's life. You can call her if you want the REAL story! But I've gotta admit, it worked, I'm ready to get off my buns and get busy in the kitchen-Thanks Zana!

Favorite Holiday Green Bean Casserole

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 Tb butter

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp sugar

2 Tb flour

1 cup sour cream

4 cups french cut green beans-Canned or frozen

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 Tb melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. In a skillet melt 2 Tb butter add onions and cook until onions are soft. Add flour (whisking) salt, sugar, and pepper. until combined. Stir in sour cream and green beans. Transfer to a baking dish. Mix crumbs and melted butter and evenly sprinkle over dish.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Happy Thanksgiving!

GRIN AND BEAR IT!

2009-11-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

This was taken a few weeks after we moved here, and not much has changed in a year...the kids are still driving us and each other crazy! It was pointed out to us soon after Bryn was born that we had unintentionally made a statement in regards to our life and parenting...

Bryn and Garrett=Grin and Bear it!

This couldn't be more true, especially in the teenage years!! Don't get me wrong, they're still just as sweet and adorable as the day they were born, but that's only when they're asleep! No really, Garrett is still cracking us up, and Bryn thankfully is still a ray of sunshine around here, but she's only 11. I hope we have the same girl in 3 years! Who am I kidding, I have 4 sisters (although Zana has always been perfect)!

One of the many things I love about my kiddos is how they're always so grateful when I cook and bake. I love to make their favorite food and watch them turn to puddy in my hands!

They both share the same love for mashed potatoes, but I wouldn't make them as much because I don't really feel like gaining a pound after I have a bite or two. Thankfully I came across this recipe a few years ago and have been making it ever since. They never knew when I switched the recipe to the lower fat one, and they still comment that I make the best mashed potatoes! Let's get to smashing!

Low-fat Smashed Potatoes (As Zana's girls would say!)
Slightly tweaked from Cooks Illustrated

5 medium russet potatoes, washed,peeled, and cut into small pieces
3/4 cup milk--NOT nonfat!
2 Tb melted butter
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
Ground pepper
Salt
Lawry's Garlic salt (optional)
Parsley flakes

In a large pot add potatoes and water to an inch above potatoes. Add 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until tender and potato edges are soft and flaking off.

Drain and dump potatoes into your mixing bowl attached with a beater hook. Pulse a few times until they start to incorporate. Add milk, butter and pulse a more times until the lumps start to smooth out. Add sour cream and pulse to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. I omit the salt if I use garlic salt and then sprinkle a little parsley. Be sure not to over mix or the potatoes will turn gummy.

Serve right away while it's hot to keep that perfect smooth texture!

I'm a Green Bean Eatin' Machine!

2009-11-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

Michelle told me about this incredible recipe from Our Best Bites website. It sounded perfect for our Easter feast. I don't know why it's taken me so long to post this, but is a keeper! Never in my wildest food dreams would I think I'd crave green beans! It just goes to show you, life in the food blogging world just keeps getting better and better!

P.S. Those are caramelized red onions if your wondering...I know they look a little scary, but looks can be deceiving!

To Die for Green Beans!

1 1/8 pound green beans-washed, with ends snapped off and snapped in half.
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 red onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 Tb soy sauce
2 Tb sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
olive oil

In a small bowl combine soy sauce , sugar, salt. Set aside.

In a large pot bring water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a good sized frying pan cook the bacon. Remove from pan onto paper towels. Pour out bacon drippings from pan. When bacon is cooled, crumble into pieces.

When water is boiling, add green beans. Your just blanching them for a minute or two. Drain.

In the same pan you used for the bacon, add a little olive oil. When heated, add the sliced onions and pressed garlic. Saute for a minute-add the green beans, stir fry for a few minutes. Give the sauce a stir, then add to pan. Stir fry until the sauce starts to glaze and thicken. Add bacon and freshly ground pepper.

Wala! You just made yourself a killer side dish. Just remember to share!

Mmm... Berry Pie!

2009-10-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

Here's another favorite Taste of Home recipe I've been making for what feels like 100 years! Dave would have me make this pie every week, but no, gotta keep 'em begging! The original name was Ozark Mountain Berry Pie-but we changed it to a more appropriate name and always sing our little song that goes with it.

Mmm Berry Pie Mmm Berry Pie, put it in the oven and it comes out hot! Can't get enough of that Mmm Berry pie... Thanks a lot!

Call me if you want to hear it in person!

Favorite Butter Pie Crust
Adapted from Martha Stewart

This pie crust can also be made using a food processor: Simply pulse in the butter for 8 to 10 seconds and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water through the feed tube with the machine running.

Makes two 8- to 10-inch crusts
1 cup (about 2 sticks) cold butter
2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Cut each stick of butter into eight pieces. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and mix to combine.
Add the chilled butter. Using a pastry blender, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture; the mixture should resemble coarse meal with small pieces of butter, the size of small peas, remaining visible.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over the flour-butter mixture, and blend. Repeat with an additional 2 tablespoons water. At this point, you may have to add more water: When a handful of dough squeezed together just holds its shape, you’ve added enough; if the dough crumbles, continue incorporating water, 1 tablespoon at a time, checking the consistency after each additional tablespoon.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two equal pieces, and place on two separate sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two disks. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour. I don't usually do this.

Berry Pie Filling:
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 TB cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional
Dash salt
1/4 cup water
1 bag of frozen mixed berries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 Tb fresh lemon juice
2 Tb butter

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon if desired, salt and water and lemon juice until smooth; add the fruit. Bring to a boil; cook (I mash up the strawberries a little) and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Set aside to cool slightly.

Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; trim pastry even with edge. Pour into pastry; dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry. Trim, seal and flute edges. Pour 2 Tb 1 % or higher milk in bowl. With pastry brush, spread milk across crust. You just want the surface wet. Lightly sprinkle sugar over entire crust. Cut a few slits in the top crust and bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake for 45-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream. Mmmm Good!

GORGONZOLA PENNE with CHICKEN - Taste of Home Grand Prize Winner!

2009-10-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

You can always trust a Grand Prize recipe from Taste of Home. We served this to guests and got rave reviews! It was easy and impressive-like a fancy Italian restaurant.
Bon Appetit!

Gorgonzola Penne with Chicken

Ingredients
1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 cups (8 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
6 to 8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and minced fresh parsley

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in oil on all sides. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan.
Add cream and broth; cook until sauce is slightly thickened and chicken is no longer pink. Stir in the Gorgonzola cheese, sage, salt and pepper; cook just until cheese is melted.

Drain pasta; toss with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and parsley.
Feeds about 8 happy guests.

Where have you been...Mexican Lasagna?!

2009-09-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

I'M HOME! I still have more boxes to unpack and pictures looking for a place on the wall, but all I can say is I finally feel at home here in VA! We are still renting (which was not in the plans) and I'm surprised that I'm okay with it. All I know is this is the perfect house for our little family right now. The last home was quaint, but after the basement flooding numerous times, and the mold problem and the bugs and the...well you get the picture. Anyway, I'm back with a smaller kitchen, but a happier heart! I'm more determined than ever to get my recipes posted and soak up the beautiful life I've been blessed with here in Virginia!

Here's a favorite recipe I thought I lost in the move. It surfaced after I emptied a box from the garage! Do you see why I need to get my recipes organized!

MEXICAN LASAGNA

1 pound 85 % ground beef (I never use this, it still taste great without it).
1 onion-chopped
1 Tb veg. oil
2 Tb chili powder (I use 1 1/2)
1 tsp cumin
2 t sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 c water
2 garlic cloves-minced
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can cream of chicken soup (Healthy Request)
1 cup light sour cream
1 can sweet corn-drained
1 can black beans-drained
1 can pinto beans-drained
1 package burrito size flour tortillas
4 cups shredded Colby- jack or Mexican cheese
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In a skillet, saute onion in oil until tender-then add the rest of seasonings up to garlic-saute 30 seconds and add tomato sauce, cream of chicken, and water stir and cook until heated through. Set aside.

If using beef, cook in a separate skillet over med-high heat until no longer pink, about 5 min. Drain in colander, and transfer into a med. size bowl-
Add the corn and beans.

Assemble:

Lightly spray a 9x13 pan. Arrange about 2 tortillas in the bottom of pan. Evenly sprinkle with half of the bean mixture then pour about 1 1/4 cups sauce over beans and spread to evenly distribute. Sprinkle 1 1/4 cups of cheese over mixture. Layer 2 more tortillas then beans and 1 1/4 cups sauce and cheese, top with more tortillas and add the rest of sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 25 minutes.

Top with pico, or whatever floats your boat!

Peaches 'n Cream Pie!

2009-08-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

"I've always wanted peaches 'n cream skin, maybe if I eat more of this pie, it might help." This is what I say to myself every time I come face to face with this divine creation!
Michelle introduced me to this pie years ago, and I've been gushing about it ever since! I can't resist making it a number of times during the peach season, hence, the reason I find myself making excuses to eat more of it! Good luck resisting this one!

COOKIE PAT CRUST

1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter-melted
2 Tb sugar

In bowl, combine ingredients together and pat evenly into pie pan. My pie dish is 9 1/2 inches so the dough doesn't reach all the way to the top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until just starting to lightly brown. Let cool. I usually make the crust the night before.

FILLING

1 cup sugar (I used 3/4 cup)
3 Tb peach jell-o
4 Tb cornstarch
1 cup water
juice of 1/2 lime or 1/4 lemon

In saucepan whisk together the first 3 ingreds. Add water and lime juice and cook over medium/high heat, stirring constantly until mixture is gel like and clear. About 5 min. Remove from and and cool. I put the pan in a big bowl of ice water to cool faster.

BLANCHING THE PEACHES
For easy peeling!

5 large ripe peaches

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add peaches-carefully remove after a few minutes and peel off skins. Slice peaches-med. thin.

CREAM LAYER

4 oz cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

In small bowl combine. Spread in the bottom of cooled pastry shell. Next, layer the peach slices and pour gel mixture evenly over peaches. I don't use all the gel mixture it makes a little too much, I pull out about a heaping 1/4 cup. Chill pie for 2 hours.

Top pie with freshly whipped cream, sweetened to your liking, and 1/2 cup lightly toasted chopped pecans (optional).

Turkey Sliders...it's what's for dinner!

2009-08-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

The picture isn't great, but the meal was! The whole fam gave this one a ten! It's not your typical burger-this one has a little flare to it. If you love basil and feta, you'll be in burger heaven!

Turkey Sliders

1 package Pepperidge Farm Slider buns
1 package-about 1.20 pounds lean ground turkey (I used 7% fat)
2/3 cup crumbled feta
1 Tb fresh basil-chopped

(I use Gourmet Garden pictured above. You can find it in the produce section. I freeze it and when I need it for a recipe I let it sit out for about 10 min. to slightly thaw. It's as good as fresh and never goes bad!)
1/4 heaping tsp sea salt
1/4 scant tsp freshly ground pepper

In a bowl, mush ingreds. together with your hands. Be careful not to over mix-it will make them tough. Form into patties -shape and size to your liking. Just remember they shrink considerably! Throw them on whatever grill you've got. I used my electric grill.

These toppings really make these sliders divine!

-Sliced cucumbers-it really adds a nice crunch and flavor!
-Thinly sliced red onions
-Ranch Dressing-I used Hidden Valley Light.

I'm gonna go wipe my mouth from all the excess drooling...excuse me!

Zucchini Zucchini Zucchini!

2009-07-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

Say zucchini over and over again really fast...it starts to sound like skinny-funny, huh? Anyway, it's that time of year when zucchini is coming out of our ears! But I don't mind, I truly love this vegetable. So many things to make with it, and so little time before it starts to rot!
Here's my wanna make zucchini recipe list for this season:

-Lora's Zucchini Soup
-Shanadee's Chocolate Zucchini Bread
-Taste of Home's Zucchini Chicken Pasta
-Pioneer Woman's Zucchini Fritters
-and last but not least, find a killer Fried Zucchini recipe-like the one I had when I was 10 years old, I haven't found one as good since! Laura, you're the only one who really understands this! You were at the restaurant with me and we both know we haven't been the same since!

Zucchini Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting
adapted from Taste of Home-makes 2 dozen

Preheat oven to 350 degrees-place cupcake liners in 2 muffin pans.

3 eggs
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp almond extract-optional
2 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 cup finely grated zucchini

In a med. size bowl beat eggs-add sugar, oil, oj, and extract. Mix well. In another bowl whisk all dry ingreds. and add to egg mixture stirring well to combine-fold in zucchini.

Add filling to muffin pans. Fill 3/4 full in each cup. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool.

Brown Sugar Frosting

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter-room temp.
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan combine brown sugar, butter, and milk. Bring to a boil over med. heat-cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat-add vanilla and whisk in powdered sugar until it's nice and smooth. It will be sort of runny. Kindof in between a glaze and frosting. Frost cupcakes right away or frosting will start to harden.

A CAPITOL FOURTH!

2009-07-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

Our good friends, the Thompsons came for a visit in the beginning of July. They were here for 2 short weeks and still didn't get in all the sites! They were our own personal tour guides (they did a short internship here years ago) and helped us appreciate even more how amazing it is to live in an area full of such rich history! We are now seasoned tour guides and ready to take reservations for anyone willing to blow their budget and come for a visit! We promise we won't get lost on your guided tour because we will soon be equipped with a GPS system, a necessity (we've now learned) for these parts! Just be prepared to gain at least 5 pounds, because I really like to feed my guests good! There's a lot of walking, so you can walk it off as you go! Just get ready for a finger lickin' site seein' good time! Anyone...anyone? Maybe this will entice you...

This is Aimee's 4th of July tradition - I always feel like the biggest copycat around her, but I don't care because this is the best fruit pizza I've ever had! She adds a little gourmet splash at the end, and drizzles raspberry sauce over each slice! To die for! It was such a hit, we had to make another one!

STAR SPANGLED FRUIT PIZZA
adapted from Aimee

1 cup butter - room temp.
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract - optional - I don't care much for it-I know, I'm not normal!

In a mixer cream butter and sugars, add egg and vanilla mixing to combine. Add the additional ingredients, mix well-it will be sticky. Patiently :) spread mixture evenly into a lightly sprayed rimmed cookie sheet.

Bake @ 325 Degrees for 12-15 minutes-don't over bake! The top should be just starting to brown. Let cool completely.

FROSTING

1 1/2 blocks (12 oz) cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla

In a mixer, mix until nice and creamy and spread over cooled cookie.

RASPBERRY SAUCE

1 small container of frozen SWEETENED raspberries (in freezer section by the frozen fruit)
Puree in a blender or food processor. Drizzle over each slice! This really makes it!!!!

Summer Sandwich Lovin...Happened So Fast!

2009-07-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

Meet my sister Zana, her tummy, and a yummy sandwich!

(That's Zana's shirt, not her skin :)

This is the perfect sandwich to shake you out of the same ol' sandwich blahs! Don't get scared when you read the ingredients. I personally have never bought Russian dressing in my life, but it seriously makes the sandwich. I've served it to family, friends and an unborn baby boy, and they all agree, this is the perfect summer sandwich!

Turkey Coleslaw Sandwich

6 Kaiser Rolls
1/2 lb Oven Roasted shaved turkey from the Deli
6 slices Havarti cheese
Russian Dressing-I used Ken's Steakhouse, it looked the creamiest (If you can't find creamy Russian Dressing, use a good quality Thousand Island-I hear they're pretty similar:)

1 bag of shredded cabbage - recipe follows

In a medium bowl empty the bag of shredded cabbage - add 3 Tb sugar, 1 Tb apple cider vinegar, and 1/3 cup mayonnaise (I use light). Toss well to combine.

Lightly butter rolls and broil until lightly browned.

To assemble sandwiches, spread a thick layer of coleslaw then the turkey and a slice of cheese. On the top bun, spread a generous amount of Russian dressing. Happy Summer Eating!

IMPRESS THE GUEST CHICKEN!

2009-06-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Michelle and I have been exchanging our favorite recipes for years. She gave me this one awhile ago and said her classic statement along with it, "Make this, you'll love it - trust me!". I hesitated because it called for honey mustard sauce, and I don't care too much for mustard. I finally gave in a few weeks ago and have made it twice since! That says it all! This is one of my new FAVORITE chicken dishes! As for the honey mustard sauce well, all I can say is...come to mama! SOOO GOOD! You want to impress your guests? Make this, you'll love it - TRUST ME!

Honey Mustard Chicken
a.k.a Aussie Chicken from Outback Steakhouse

Honey Mustard Sauce

1/4 cup regular mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup light corn syrup-I used only 2 Tb
1 Tb dried minced onions-I used reg. minced onions lightly sauteed in butter.

In a small saucepan whisk together all ingredients. Heat to a simmer. Take off heat and set aside.

Next you'll need:

6 pieces of thickly sliced bacon-cooked
6 chicken breasts-thawed
1 reg. sized container of sliced small White butter mushrooms(I lightly saute them in butter, Michelle doesn't, so you choose!)
6 med-thick slices of Colby Jack cheese or one 1/2 pound package grated
Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken on counter and cover with plastic wrap. Pound each breast to an equal height, about 1/2". Dry each piece of chicken with paper towels-you want them really dry. Heat up your non-stick skillet to med high heat. Lightly sprinkle both sides of each breast with seasoned salt. Lightly cook chicken a few minutes on each side. You want the middle to be a little pink. Transfer chicken to a sprayed 9x13 pan. Lightly drizzle each piece with a little sauce. Break 1 slice of bacon in half and place on each piece of chicken. Evenly dump mushrooms over chicken and top with the cheese.

Place in oven and cook until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked. About 15 minutes. When serving pour more sauce over chicken and put the left over in a gravy boat. Try not to hog the sauce, or your guests will get annoyed! Unfortunately, I know this from experience! This dish goes perfect with garlic mashed potatoes! ENJOY!

Oh, the Many Possibilities of Meatballs!

2009-06-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

This meatball goes great with any recipe. From spaghetti to Swedish meatballs-you can't go wrong! I always double the batch, then freeze them. Makes tons! I can get about 3 to 4 dinners out of it!

Favorite Meatballs-

Panade(the glue that holds them together)

1/4 cup bread crumbs or 1 slice good quality white bread, crust cut off, torn into small pieces.
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup half & half

In a small bowl combine above ingredients. Mix well-set aside.

1 pound Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage-use the Mild flavor if you don't like a slight kick!
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup grated yellow onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp baking POWDER

In your Kitchenaid bowl, beat together the panade mixture, the pork and all seasonings until well combined. With the dough hook, mix in ground beef until just combined. Don't over mix this part, or meat will turn out too tough!

Shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Keep a small bowl of water nearby to keep you hands wet while doing this. It helps keeps the meat from sticking to your hands.

Place on rimmed cookie sheet. Bake at 410 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Be careful not to over cook!

Some of my favorite recipes to go with these...coming soon!

Fast Broiled Broccoli, and I mean FAST!

2009-06-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

We love broccoli at our house, but I can't stand the smell that lingers around the WHOLE house after I steam it! This method of cooking keeps "that" smell contained pretty much. It's done just like the fast broiled asparagus. I buy the big bag of fresh broccoli from Costco. It's amazing how fast we go through it! Now I can eat my broc and not have my house smell like fungus mungus anymore!

Fast Broiled Broccoli-

Broccoli florets-cut into uniform pieces
olive oil
kosher flake salt

In a bowl add broccoli. Slowly drizzle a small amount of olive oil over and toss. Be careful not to add too much oil! Sprinkle with salt to taste. Spread on cookie sheet and place on top rack in oven. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes. They're done, you're done!

Bringing the Cafe Home!

2009-05-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

Summer's here, and my sandwich/salad craving has kicked into full gear! My mom and I had the pleasure of visiting some local cafe/bakeries around my neck of the woods, when she came for a visit this past week. We came across some real winner's that I can't wait to copy. Ironically, my sweet sister in law emailed me this panini she enjoyed at a local cafe in her area, and thought I'd enjoy it also! My only words are...Ti Amo Panini! Lora, you've got taste! Thanks for sharing! Now I have to add a panini maker to my kitchen appliance wish list! But for now, my homemade version will have to do.

Grilled Asparagus and Tomato Panini~

High quality sourdough or Italian pane bread, lightly buttered

Provolone cheese

5-6 asparagus-fast broiled method under veggie post.

2 thick slices tomatoes, lightly salted and peppered

Shredded mozzarella

Lawry's garlic salt

On a heated skillet place a slice of bread, buttered side down. Cover with provolone cheese. Next, layer asparagus then tomatoes. Lightly sprinkle with garlic salt and cover with shredded mozzarella. Top with buttered bread. Grill until golden and cheese is melted.

Think of Lora (sorry, to get that song stuck in your head now) when you realize this is one of your new favorite sandwiches!

I Found My Thrill on Blueberry Pancake Hill!

2009-05-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite pancake recipe! I've been on the hunt for awhile, and have tested many. This one fits the bill! No egg separating and egg white whippin, just dump it in and go! Gotta love that, early in the morning!

This Blueberry compote is just plain heaven. I like that it's not too sweet for the morning. My kids turn into perfect angels when they eat this breakfast! No wait, I should rephrase that, Garrett stops grunting (teenage morning language)and starts using regular English like, "Wow, this is good mom, thanks!" Music to my ears!

Blueberry Compote~

2 cups frozen blueberries

1/4 cup plus 1 Tb sugar

1 Tb cornstarch

1 Tb fresh lemon juice

zest of half a lemon-optional

In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Turn on heat to medium. Add 1 cup blueberries, lemon jucie and zest-stir and cook until sugar dissolves-bring to a low boil and add the last cup of blueberries. Cook another minute. If sauce is too thick, add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of water. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Favorite Pancakes~

adapted from Barefoot Contessa

makes 12 pancakes-so I usually double this recipe.

1 1/2 cups flour-I use ground white wheat

3 Tb sugar

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp table salt-I use a little less

1/2 cup sour cream-I use light

3/4 cup plus 1 Tb milk

2 extra large eggs-I only buy large-so in a separate bowl mix 1 additional egg and add half to the recipe-about 1 1/2 Tb.

1 tsp pure vanilla

1 tsp lemon zest (optional) but compliments this recipe well!

In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingreds. to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Ladle pancakes on buttered griddle or an *electric skillet. I sometimes sprinkle a few frozen blueberries on each pancake-I get better results then mixing them in the batter. Also after the first batch the batter gets too thick (due to the baking powder) I add a little less than a tablespoon of milk for easier pouring unto the skillet.

*My Black and Decker electric skillet finally died-I never liked it. It always cooked things unevenly. This time I bought the Oster brand. It was only 15 bucks more and oh my word, the difference was amazing! It cooks evenly, and fast! And the nonstick surface really works, unlike the Black and Decker. Happy skillet cookin' days are finally here!

Southern Comfort Food...Biscuits and Gravy Y'all

2009-05-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

Dave's been asking me to make this southern dish for years. I finally obliged, and I must say, what was I waitin fur? Mm Mmm those are sompin good! Miss Paula is the Queen of comfort food y'all! (I hope your reading this in a southern accent, it comes off sounding a lot better.) Now get off to the kitchen and make these, ya hear!

First I've gotta say, this dish tastes a whole lot better with homemade biscuits! The canned ones just taste, well...CANNED! Enough said! My favorite biscuit recipe is posted under Breads. The recipe may sound a little daunting, but once you make it, you'll never go back to the CAN!

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Recipe adapted from Paula Deen-I changed just a few things!

Prepare and bake biscuits, keep warm in oven.

Gravy~

1 pound Jimmy Dean Sausage-I usually buy the original flavor
3/4 cup flour
4 1/2 cups milk
freshly cracked pepper to taste
salt to taste-don't be skimpy, this is what makes the dish!
2 Tb butter
sprinkle of cayenne pepper, or a couple dashes of hot sauce-optional

In a large saute pan cook sausage over med heat. Cook until browned and crumbly. Add flour and stir until flour has coated sausage. Continue to stir and cook for a minute or two. Slowly add 3 cups of the milk and increase the heat to med. high. Continue to stir and add salt and pepper. As the mixture thickens, add the remaining milk to reach desired thickness. I usually don't use all the milk the recipe calls for. After boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and add butter. When the sauce looks and tastes just right, serve it up and watch his face light up!

Oatmeal and Rasinettes and Bears...Oh My!

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

This is my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe! I sometimes use it with the butterscotch chips and Toffee bits combo (Michelle's brilliant concoction!) Or just the plain ol' raisin variety.

Well, awhile back Dave had left a big bag of his favorite candy, raisinettes out in plain site! I had to do something with them! I brought my idea of the best treat and introduced it to Dave's and wa-law! I give you the perfect marriage...

Oatmeal Rasinette Cookies~

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

1 1/2 sticks butter-room temp.

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups regular oats-or-2 1/4 cup quick oats(I HIGHLY recommend using quick!)

1 1/2 cups Raisinettes or whatever floats your boat!

In Bosch or kitchenaid bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla mix until smooth. Scraping sides of bowl. Add flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until combined. Add oats and mix again. Gently stir in raisinettes, because they are very sensitive!

Now, let the dough sit for 10 to 15 minutes in bowl. This lets the eggs absorb into oats and flour to get a better looking and tasting cookie. To make cookies, scoop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie (the perfect sized cookie, I think!) on a parchment lined cookie sheet - 12 fit on a rimmed sheet.

Bake no longer than 10 minutes-if you like a crispy edge and a chewy center....oh my!

Bryn got a little creative with Mrs. Pac Man!

AMPED UP Baked Beans!

2009-04-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

This was a major hit with the fam! I love it when everyone is asking for seconds!

It would go good with a summer bar-b-que. Or as a main course with breadsticks or biscuits!

Amped Up Baked Beans-

Makes enough to fill a large crock pot!

In a med. skillet cook:

1 tube of SAGE Jimmy Dean Sausage

1 large yellow onion-chopped

Cook until sausage is nice and crumbly and almost done. Add to Crock pot, then add:

One regular size cans of:

Kidney beans-undrained

Black beans-drained

Red beans-drained

Northern white beans-drained

Butter beans-drained

Garbanzo-drained

Black eyed peas-drained

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 15 oz can stewed tomatoes-After I open the can, I use my scissors to snip the tomatoes until they're nice and small.

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup mustard

2 big handfuls of brown sugar

1 tsp garlic-minced

1/4 tsp dried rosemary-chopped up

6 to 7 dashes of Worcestershire sauce (about 2 tsp)

1 tsp maple flavoring or 1 Tb maple syrup
1 bay leaf

Stir until well combined. Turn to low-medium (My low is more like medium on my crock) and let it do it's thing for a good 2-3 hours! Don't forget to remove bay leaf!

Salty or Sweet?

2009-04-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

I made these a couple weeks ago. We liked them, but Iwas looking for a softer, sweeter dough like the pretzels from Auntie Anne's. These taste more like the one you buy in the frozen food section at the grocery store. Okay, a little better. But I've gotta say, I felt pretty hip when I saw these on the menu this past weekend at the Pioneer Woman/Smitten Kitten foodie retreat!

I made a couple with butter and loads of cinnamon sugar, as you can see those were the first to go, so no pic!

For the recipe and all the fun, click here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/04/you-must-make-these/

P.S. After searching far and wide, I think I found the perfect copy cat, Auntie Anne's recipe! I better make them soon before it gets any hotter here, and I lose interest!

Chicken "BACH-BACH" Salad!

2009-04-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

This is hands down, the best chicken salad I've ever tasted! It won 1st place in the Taste of Home magazine way back around 1996! It's been a hit at Baby and Bridal showers ever since.

Last week the weather was amazing here, so we ate outside. Garrett had just finished loading up his plate and had set it on the ground. Our dog Jake seized the moment and went straight for the chicken salad! He left everything else alone! Garrett was pretty bummed, but I took it as a compliment! That dog's got taste!

Dog-Gone Good Chicken Salad

4 cups cooked chicken-cubed
1 1/2 cups seedless grapes, halved
1 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green onions
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tb regular mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp ground mustard
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

In a large bowl combine, chicken, grapes, celery, onions and eggs. In another bowl combine the next 9 ingredients-stir until smooth. Pour over chicken mixture and toss gently. Stir in almonds and serve immediately-or refrigerate and add the almonds just before serving.

Gives you about 6 servings, plus one for the DOG!

It's not a party without the cheese ball!

2009-04-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

I've seen different variations of this recipe. This one came to together sort of by accident. The page of the recipe book was accidentally turned by a fan in the room. I didn't catch it until I had added a few "extra" things! The end result was a real hit with everyone. I'm sort of curious to try the original to see if this accidental cheese ball really is better. Maybe next year.

FAVORITE SPRINGTIME CHEESE BALL~

2 -8 oz packages cream cheese

2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese

3 Tb finely chopped green onions

3 Tb finely chopped green pepper

2-8 oz cans crushed pineapple-squeezed drained (1/2 cup packed)

2 1/4 tsp Lawry's season salt

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup finely chopped pecans or toasted almonds

2 Tb finely chopped parsley

In a med. size bowl thoroughly mix/mush the first 7 ingredients together. Form into two balls-or one log. Roll in your choice of nuts and parsley. Keep refrigerated until served. This goes great with Wheat Thins.

Let's start at the very beginning...Easter Appetizers

2009-04-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of deviled eggs. I always wonder why I don't make them more often- I have 2 recipes that I LOVE! You can't go wrong with either. Let me know your favorite!

Little Deviled Eggs

12 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise (reduced fat works fine)
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp dill weed (optional)
2 Tb milk
Fresh parsley and additional paprika

To cook eggs, layer in the bottom of a large pot. Cover with cold water to 1 inch above eggs. Bring to a boil then turn down heat to a simmer and cover pot. Cook for 15 minutes. Carefully place each egg in a bowl of cold water. Let sit for a few minutes then crack and peel eggs. Slice each egg in half. Remove yolks and set whites aside.

In a gallon size Ziploc bag, add yolks, next 10 ingredients. Seal bag, now sit down to watch your favorite show and start mushing the bag to death! You want a nice smooth texture. Cut tip off the bottom corner of bag and pipe into egg whites. Garnish lightly with parsley and paprika.

Here's another favorite Deviled Egg recipe that's just as good!

12 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tb very Finely chopped green onions (tops and bottoms)
4 Tb Finely grated cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt (give or take a little)
1/8 tsp pepper

Easter in Virginia...Lovely and Green!

2009-04-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

Hope your Easter was great! Recipes coming soon...first I need to find any left over Easter eggs not found from the hunt! Wish me luck!

Peanut Butter Blossoms!

2009-04-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make these for years! I saw this clever little creation in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine 14 years ago! I've been staring at the pic/recipe for way too long-today's the day to create bouquet's of yumminess in my kitchen...

Peanut Butter Blossoms

1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter-rm. temp
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter-I love Jif for baking
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

In a med. size bowl whisk together the flour, salt, soda-Set aside. In mixer cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Add egg and vanilla until combined-scraping sides of bowl. Add dry ingred. Mix until combined. Don't over mix.

Roll dough into 1 1/4 in balls. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes. Don't over bake! They're done when you start to see cracks in the cookies.

Let cookies cool on rack for at least 10-15 minutes before you place half of a miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on them. If you do this too soon, the cup melts into a big blob! Decorate when cookie is completely cooled.

When all is said and done, I need a little more chocolate with my peanut butter-Bring on the KISSES!

Vinaigrette's Galore!

2009-03-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about this time of year, but this is when I really start to CRAVE salads. They just seem to taste better! Although it's still crazy cold here-I know spring is coming, because every morning I'm rudely awakened to the many different sounds of VERY LOUD chirping birds!! They weren't this loud in Utah!

Chicken Berry Salad

adapted from Pampered Chef

1 romaine heart

2 cups shredded chicken(rotisserie is perfect for this)

1 cup fresh raspberries or strawberries

1 cup sugar snap peas, cut diagonally

1/4 cup toasted pecans(candied almonds taste divine on this!)

1/4 cup red onion, sliced thin

Shredded provolone cheese-amount to your liking

Citrus Vinaigrette

1/4 cup orange juice concentrate

2 Tb oil

1 Tb white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Whisk ingreds. together store in a jar in the frig. until your ready to serve salad. Make dressing a day or two ahead for even better taste.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

This is the only vinaigrette dressing Dave and Garrett like!

1 cup Light extra-virgin Olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tb red onion
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
3/4 cup raspberries(if frozen,thaw)

In blender add: vinegar, oil, sugar, onion, salt, and mustard's. Pulse a few times to blend. Add raspberries pulse a few more times to incorporate. Store in a jar. Refrigerate. Flavor improves if made in advance!

Poppy Seed Dressing

recipe from Laura

3/4 cup oil
1/3 cup honey

1 Tb mustard

2 Tb apple cider vinegar

1 tsp salt

2 Tb poppy seeds

1 Tb red onion finely diced

Add ingreds. to a jar with lid. Shake to combine. Store in frig.

JUST LIKE STORE BOUGHT BREAD...ONLY BETTER!

2009-03-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

Soft, light and fluffy...no, I'm not talking about a cat! I'm talking HOMEMADE WHEAT BREAD THAT IS TO DIE FOR! I've always been a sucker for yummy homemade white bread, but we all know it's just not good for you. I've searched for years looking for a whole wheat recipe that brings home that store bought texture, even the pickiest of white bread eaters will love!

My search is finally over, thanks to a blogger that has been on the same quest. If you prefer to use a bread machine you can visit her blog: http://tammysrecipes.com/node/3143 to get instructions on how she does this in her machine. I use my Bosch-the greatest mixer on the planet! I've been making bread twice a week since I found this recipe! I just can't bare to buy a loaf from the store and spend $4.00 for zero nutrition.

Good luck, and happy bread making, I hope!

MY FAVORITE WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Makes 2 loafs

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

a dash of ground ginger

1/4 tsp crushed vitamin c wafer (citric acid)

2 tsp salt (I use a little less)

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup honey

4 tsp granulated lecithin (I found this at the health food store)

1/2 cup vital wheat gluten-Can be found in most grocery stores next to the flour, also at health food stores.

2 cups really warm water

4 tsp active dry yeast

2 Tb milk

6 cups **Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (White Wheat) Make sure you scoop into measuring cup and scrape off with a flat edged knife.

I sometimes replace one of the cups of flour with regular white flour to make it even lighter.

In a Bosch or Kitchen Aid attached with the dough hook, add above ingredients in order, to the milk. Pulse to combine. Turn to low and add flour one cup at a time. Add the last cup of flour slowly-you might not need to use the whole cup. You want the dough to not be sticking to the outer sides of the bowl at all-they should be clean looking. I never add more flour than the recipe calls for, unless dough is still sticking to the sides. If so, I add one tablespoon of flour at a time until it is no longer sticking. The dough should be slightly sticky. Turn the mixer to med. speed. Knead for 3 minutes. Turn off mixer and let rest for 20 minutes. Turn on mixer and knead for another 3 minutes.

Transfer dough into a greased large bowl. Turn dough once to cover with oil. Cover bowl with kitchen towel and place in a non-drafty area. Let rise for at least an hour. Punch down dough and divide into two. Shape into loafs and place in greased bread pans. Let rise 40 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes. Halfway through baking, I tent loafs with foil (shiny side down) to keep the tops from getting too dark.

**If you don't have a wheat grinder and White Wheat on hand-The brand King Arthur sells White Wheat Pastry flour at most grocery stores. I've never used regular Whole Wheat Flour (Red Wheat) in this recipe. I don't like the flavor. It's a little too nutty tasting for me. I know- picky picky!

Update:
I take back what I said- my wheat grinder broke (boo hoo) this week, and all I could find in my neck of the woods was regular ground Whole Wheat - so I proceeded to make the bread, replacing one of the cups of flour with white flour. The results were the same, AMAZING! I love this bread forever and ever and ever and...okay I'm done!

Easy and Elegant Asparagus

2009-03-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

I love this vegetable! It makes any meal look fancy-smancy! It's been on sale lately, so we've been enjoying this veggie a few different ways-I'll post those recipes later.
If your asparagus is pencil thin, it can easily over-cook. Be sure to cut broiling time by a minute or two. Try not to buy spears that are really thick, they are too woody.

Fast Broiled Asparagus

Cooks Illustrated

Snap about 2 inches off the bottom of each spear.

On a rimmed cookie sheet. Toss 2 pounds asparagus with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Place on highest rack in oven. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes. Shake the pan once half way through cooking.

What the world needs now...is more CUPCAKES!

2009-03-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

Insanely moist chocolate cake with chocolate chips, with chocolate frosting with toffee bits...could there be anything better? These babies were a major hit! I'd say these are a cure for all of your problems! I'm trying to eat dessert once a week, instead of daily. So maybe my taste buds were a little amped up-but really, my weekend was blissful thanks to these.

I've seen this recipe on a number of blog sites, so who knows who gets the credit. One way Sisters Cafe made this was in bundt form with dripping luscious frosting. I've been told it's also amazingly good.

Insanely Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

1 Devils food cake mix
1 small box (4oz) instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream (not low-fat or fat-free)
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
You will need 3 muffin pans. Line only 2 1/2 of the pans with paper cups. Give or take a few.

Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in mixer. Blend for 30 seconds scraping sides of bowl. Continue to mix on med. speed for 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into each cup. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until tops springs back when touched. Let cool.

*Recipe update: I recently made these with only 1/2 cup sour cream and they were just as moist and yummy!

My Favorite Chocolate Frosting

1 stick butter - softened
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup half & half (you can use heavy whipping cream or whole milk)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt

In an electric mixer beat butter until creamy. Add cocoa until just combined. Add vanilla, salt and 1 cup powdered sugar. Mix until combined. On low, pour in a little of the milk alternating with powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Mix until you get the consistency you like.

SOUP TO WARM THE COCKLES OF YOUR HEART!

2009-03-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

A day like this. . .

Calls for some soup like this. . .

Chicken and Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes
found on My Kitchen Cafe - adapted from Cooks Country
serves 8

3 cups whole milk
1 cup yellow corn muffin mix (Jiffy Brand)
2 Tb butter
1 onion-chopped fine
3 garlic cloves-minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 quarts chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 " pieces
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup fresh parsley - chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Mix milk and 1 cup muffin mix in a bowl until well combined. Meanwhile, heat butter in large pot over medium heat until foamy. Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth , raw chicken, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in milk mixture and simmer until soup thickens, about 10 minutes. Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

If you are a sweet potato kind of person, you will flip for this soup! It has such a great flavor. I didn't like the sweet potatoes as much as Dave did. I prefer them drenched in butter, brown sugar and marshmallows! Next time (and there will be a next time) I'll use regular potatoes.

It's been a Rocky Road!

2009-02-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

This week started out on the wrong foot...literally, for Bryn and Dave! Bryn, while swinging joyfully from a tree swing, slammed her knee full force into a large piece of rebar stinking out of the ground. She has been on crutches ever since. At school, she has to use a wheelchair. Dave, less then 24 hours later slipped on the stairs and broke his pinkie toe! The fall was so loud it woke up the whole house! These poor patients of mine are in need of some oowie, gooey, lovin' from my oven! Bring on their favorite brownies. . .

ROCKY ROAD BROWNIES~
Semi-homemade version~ Fast and easy!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease the bottom of a 17in.x12in.x1in. cookie sheet. Set aside.
2 boxes Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie 9x13 Mix (works best)

Follow instructions on box and bake for 25 minutes-remove from oven and sprinkle 3/4 bag of miniature marshmallows. Return to oven for 5 minutes. Remove, now we're to the best part the. . .

Frosting

1/2 cup butter (1 cube)
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup milk
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, bring butter, cocoa, and milk to a boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla. Consistency should be sort of thin. Drizzle oven brownies. This frosting sometimes makes me weep, it's so Divine!

Homemade Brownie Version~ If you have the time, it's worth it!

updating soon - the version I posted wasn't the right one!

SWEEEET!

2009-02-19T11:08:00.000-08:00

I know I will lose a few friends when I say this, but I don't like cheesecake. There I said it. Dave has struggled with this truth since we've been married. He loves the stuff! So when I really want to show my love, I whip out this baby! It's the only cheesecake I will actually eat and enjoy. Garrett was seriously drooling over this...note to self, when I need a little bribe ammo!

Aunt Pearl's Award Winning Cheesecake~

9 inch springform pan

*The pan size really makes a difference in the baking time! I prefer thinner cheesecake. My pan is 10 in. If you are using an 8 in. pan, increase baking time for the 1st layer to 5 additional minutes. For the second layer increase time to 3 additional minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Crust

1 package of graham crackers (crushed fine) I put them in a gallon size ziploc and use the rolling pin.

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter -melted

In a bowl combine all ingredients and press into the pan. Set aside.

1st Layer

2 -8oz packages Kraft cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

In a med. size bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until combined. Add eggs and vanilla mix well and pour into pan. Bake for 20 minutes - it will be wiggly.

2nd layer - do not make until 1st layer is baked.

RESET OVEN to 425 degrees

2 cups sour cream

1/2 sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Stir together (don't beat) until combined. CAREFULLY and SLOWLY pour over 1st layer. Spread to make even.

Bake 10 minutes - let sit for 20 minutes and refrigerate at least 3 to 5 hours.

Berrylious Sauce

3 Tb cornstarch

3/4 cup sugar - sometimes I use less

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup water

1 bag frozen berries of your choice-I use mixed berries

In a saucepan, combine with a whisk the sugar and cornstarch. Turn on heat to medium. Add berries, water, and lemon. Stirring, bring to a boil until thickened. Let cool.

My funny Valentine! This is how his face gets after eating his favorite cheesecake! Luckily it goes back to normal in about an hour!

Anyway you slice it...

2009-02-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

Nothing bugs me more then making yummy homemade bread and watching my kids and hubby clobber the loaf when they try to slice a piece! Working at Great Harvest Bread Co. in my past life has made me think of myself as a bread connoisseur. Gratefully, I have found a gadget that has cured my pet peeve. I give you, the bread slicer. . .

Pretty cool, huh! I just had to share. Whenever you have an extra 20 bucks lying around, go buy this - you won't regret it!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread~

Makes 2 loaves

4 Tb butter

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup really warm water (110 degrees)

2 Tb yeast

1/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

About 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 heaping tsp salt

In a small bowl, microwave milk and butter until bubbly on surface, about 2 min. Set aside. In another small bowl combine yeast, a pinch of sugar and warm water. Stir to combine. Let stand for about 5 min or until foamy.

In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with dough hook, combine egg and milk mixture. Add sugar, salt, and flour beating on low until combined. Add yeast mixture, beat until combined, scraping side of bowl if necessary. Beat on low for 1 minute. The dough should be sticky.

Oil hands and remove dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until silky and smooth and bounces back when you press with your thumb. Be careful not to add too much flour when kneading. Transfer to an oiled large bowl, turn dough once to coat in oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and let double in size, about an hour.

Grease 2 loaf pans, set aside. To make filling, combine 1/4 cup sugar with 1 Tb cinnamon.

Remove dough from bowl and punch it down to remove any air bubbles. Divide dough in half and roll each piece into an 8 1/2 -by- 15 in rectangle. Evenly spread 2 Tb sugar mixture on each rectangle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beginning with the long side, roll dough up into a log, keeping it even and pretty tight as you roll. When you reach the end, pinch together with fingertips to seal the seam. Place seam side down in prepared pans. Let rise until doubled in size, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Bake about 30 to 40 minutes, until crust is golden brown and the top sounds hollow when thumped with finger. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

I made yummy French Toast on Valentines day with this bread~

Uh oh! Bryn's turning into a teenager!

LET THEM EAT CAKE. . .They really won't mind!

2009-02-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

This cake is beyond the beyond, and I don't say that lightly! I look forward to making it during the winter - all its spices and creamy sauciness can really shake you out of the winter blahs! I served this at a Baby Shower and overheard someone saying...."this cake has to be a sin!" Okay, enough said-now let's bake!

Ginger Cake in Butter Cream Sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup molasses
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup hot water

In a med. size bowl whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter, eggs, and molasses. By hand, stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture until combined. Stir in hot water making sure not to over mix. Pour into a well greased 9x13 and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. You can also use a bundt cake pan if you prefer things a little fancier!

Butter Cream Sauce

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup Whipping Cream

In a saucepan melt butter - add sugar and cream, bring to a boil and let boil for 1 min stirring constantly. Let cool.

Pour desired amount of sinful sauce onto individual plates. Place a piece of cake on sauce and drizzle with a little more sauce, because you just can't help yourself! Place a dollop of real whipped cream on top and dust lightly with cinnamon. Prepare to die!

Fast and Yummy Fish Tacos!

2009-02-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

I had to hurry and take a picture before Dave wolfed down the last taco standing!

The only Fish Taco I've ever had feelings for was from Rubios Mexican Grill. Unfortunately I haven't lived near a Rubios in years. Michelle gave me this recipe and guaranteed a happy Fish Taco reunion...let's just say, reunited and it tastes so good!

Fish Tacos

1 box Gortons Beer Battered fish sticks - I have used a few different brands and have liked them all, but Michelle swears by Gortons.

1 package white corn tortillas - warmed

Coleslaw ingredients:

1 package shredded cabbage mix

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Zest from 2 limes - I love my micro-plane tool, it makes it so easy!

Juice from 2 limes

2 tsp sugar - I add a little more

salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste - don't be afraid of the salt, it makes the dish!

Bake fish sticks according to directions. Place baked fish sticks of paper towels to drain any excess oil.

In a medium bowl combine slaw ingredients.

To warm tortillas-moisten 3 paper towels, squeeze out excess water and wrap around a pile of 6 to 8 tortillas. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.

Put tacos together and garnish with cilantro. I told you they were fast!

I would double this recipe for a family larger than 4 people.

Bryn hates anything fish, so I substitute chicken nuggets for the fish and she loves it!

One more thing, the coleslaw goes great as a side with any other Mexican dish!

Mom's Classic Blueberry Muffins

2009-02-04T04:54:00.000-08:00

This recipe has been in the family for years. These are fast and easy and guaranteed to impress the Brunch bunch!

Blueberry Muffins
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 Tb baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 cube butter -melted and cooled
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
-extra sugar to sprinkle on muffin tops

In a large bowl whisk the dry ingreds. In a small mixing bowl combine the wet ingredients except the blueberries. Add wet ingred. to the dry and mix well. Gently fold in blueberries. Use cupcake liners and sprinkle muffin tops with sugar. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins.

Panera Bread Co. . . EAT YOUR HEART OUT!

2009-01-22T17:19:00.000-08:00

Best Broccoli Soup in a Bread Bowl

I can't believe I did it! I'm not usually one for bread bowls, but since we've moved close to Panera Bread Co. Dave has become strangely addicted to this combo. I thought I'd surprise him after a long hard day at work, and let me tell you he was blown out of the water! The high I got from it was worth being in the kitchen for half the day!

Homemade soup and bread bowl cost: .50 cents

Panera Bread Co.: $4.95

I can't wait to show this to Dave at our next love/hate budget talk!

I used the bread bowl recipe from this yummy blog site: http://mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-favorite-bread-bowls.html

The soup was really good, it's from Taste of Home. There is a broc. soup recipe from My Kitchen Cafe that looked excellent, but I didn't have the right cheeses. I'll try it soon and let you know. It's so cold out here that soup is the only thing that will keep you alive! :o)

Best Broccoli Soup

2 cups water

4 cups fresh broccoli chopped

1 cup celery chopped

1 cup carrots chopped

1/2 cup onion chopped

6 Tb butter

6 Tb flour

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups milk

1 Tb fresh chopped parsley

1 tsp onion salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder - I used 1 clove garlic minced

1/2 tsp salt

In a soup pot bring water to a boil, add broc, carrots and celery. Boil for 2-3 min until crisp tender. Drain, set veggies aside.

In the same pot melt butter add onions and cook until soft. Stir in flour to form a smooth paste. Gradully whisk in broth and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute until thickened.

Stir in reserved veggies and remaining ingred. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 min.

Makes 6 servings. I would double this next time if using bread bowls.

ALIVE AND COOKIN'!

2009-01-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

( Still learning how to crop on this! Say hello to Garrett's finger top left!)

On our road trip across America (that sounds so cool) we stopped at Zana's house in St Louie for some marathon Christmas cooking - then hit the road on Christmas day headed for VA! The only bummer was all my favorite holiday recipes were in the moving van. I had to google similar recipes but they weren't the same. Yet another reminder why I do this blog...once my tried and true babies are posted, I'll never be without them again! OH WHAT A FEELING!

~FAVORITE CHRISTMAS RECIPES~

FAVORITE CHRISTMAS CHEESE BALL

Recipe from Carol Smith

1 jar Roka Blue Cheese (Kraft makes this, it's usually next to the velveeta)

2 jars Old English Cheese " "

2 8 oz blocks of cream cheese (use Kraft, I think it makes a difference)

2 Tb grated onion

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (who named this, I mean really!)

1 cup ground pecans- DIVIDED

1 /2 cup chopped parsley -DIVIDED - I sometimes use dried just use less if you do.

Combine all ingredients except 1/2 portions of nuts and parsley. Spread into desired small serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining nuts and parsley - or you can divide mixture and make a ball and roll the nuts and parsley onto it. Refrigerate -

I love this with wheat thins or use your favorite crackers. Enjoy!

CHRISTMAS WASSAIL

In a large pot boil:

5 quarts water

2 tsp whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

Remove whole spices and add:

6 oz frozen lemonade

6 oz. frozen apple juice or apple cider

12 oz frozen orange juice

3 cups sugar

Let it simmer to combine flavors. When it gets low add apple cider and reheat. Should last through the holidays. Store in refrigerator.

There are a lot of different names for this one so we just call it...

Garrett's Whipped Cream Dream Salad!

This is one of those throw in whatever you like kind of recipe, so here goes:

About 4 crisp apples - Fuji or gala

1 or 2 pomegranates

About 2 cups miniature marshmallows (the more the merrier!)

a couple handfuls of crasins or raisins

1 sliced banana - (I never use)

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (not for Garrett!)

1 pint heavy whipping cream - whipped and sweetened to your liking

Mix all together and I'll see you on cloud 9!

I need some major tech/blogging genius to help me with formatting! I'm going crazy trying to figure this out!!! Thanks!

My Favorite Creamy Chicken Soup

2008-11-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

On a blustery day, this rich and creamy soup soothes the soul...trust me!

Creamy Chicken Soup~

3 Tb butter
1 medium onion - chopped
1 large clove garlic - pressed
3 Tb flour
5 cups chicken broth - I use the brand - Better Than Bouillon
3 stalks celery - chopped
2 carrots peeled - chopped
1/4 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped - or dried
1/8 tsp sage - I used powdered - if using dried leaves use a little more
1 1/4 cups half & half
3 cup shredded chicken - rotisserie is my fav for this one!
3/4 t dried parsley or 1 1/2 tsp freshly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
noodles if desired - I put them in if I'm in the mood - you really don't miss them!

In your favorite soup pot add the butter and onion over medium heat, saute for 4 min. - add garlic and cook another minute. Stir in flour to create a paste like texture. Slowly stir in chicken broth until mixture is well combined. Add celery, carrots and herbs - bring to a low boil and cook until veggies are soft - about 10 min.
Turn down heat to low and stir in half & half and chicken. Enjoy!

* you can stretch this soup by adding milk

I CAN'T BELIEVE THESE ARE LOWFAT SUGAR COOKIES!

2008-11-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

I love cookies, (and so does Bryn a.k.a. Sarah Palin) especially sugar cookies. I only make them 3 times a year -Halloween, Christmas, and Easter. Last weekend I was in Park City with some girlfriends, while we were shopping at the outlet mall I was very pleased to come across a Mrs. Field's store. Years ago her cookies would satisfy the inner beast, so I thought I could count on her to end my hankering for sugar cookies this Halloween. When I went to pay for my 3 cookies the cashier threw me, when she said, "that will be $8.60" - my mouth dropped!! I relinquished one cookie and headed back to the car, thrilled to finally have them in my paws. I took one whiff and knew I'd been had! The first and last bite proved it, they smelled and tasted like plastic and cardboard mixed with sugar, basically not one trace of real butter!
When I returned home a few pounds happier - I decided to make a good lowfat sugar cookie without cutting out the taste- I've gotten rave reviews! Take that Mrs. Field's!

THE ULTIMATE LOWFAT SUGAR COOKIE~

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

3/4 cup plus 1 Tb all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour-this can get really compacted in the box, make sure you spoon into cup and level with a knife.
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tb butter- softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tb vanilla -yes, I said 1 tablespoon!

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl whisk flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
With electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 min. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

Roll out dough and cut into desired shapes.
Be sure to bake cookies one sheet at a time, until edges are light golden and centers are set
8 to 10 minutes. Don't over bake!

*I usually double this recipe. I only use 1 1/2 Tb vanilla if I double it.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Apple Cider Syrup

2008-10-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

This one is from Michelle-one of the great cooks of our time! You ask why? Well, she has 6 kids, so I say that makes her the ultimate pro in pleasing a crowd with a recipe like this...

Ingredients

2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tb. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin
4 Tb. oil
4 eggs- separated

In a medium bowl whisk- egg yolks, milk, pumpkin, and oil.

In a small bowl whisk together dry ingredients. Add to pumpkin mixture and stir by hand until combined. Set aside.

In another bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into batter. Don't over mix!

Buttering the grill makes these extra tasty!

Apple Cider Syrup

In a saucepan combine:

1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 cup corn syrup
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 t nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
4 Tb. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Bring to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for 20+ minutes until thickened. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Here's another yummy syrup from Aimee. I use this one if I forget to buy apple cider. It's also really fast!

Cinnamon Syrup

1 cup sugar
2 Tb.flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
2/3 cup water
3 Tbl. butter

In a saucepan mix all the dry ingredients together, then stir in the water. Bring to a boil over meduim heat and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Serve warm.

Sopa De Mexico (Me-he-co)!! ya gotta say it right!

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

Here it is Hillary-I'm pretty sure this is the one I made at the recipe exchange. I have a few more like this that I love- I'll post them later :o)

Ingredients

In a large pot, saute until tender-
1 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Add:
1 can Mild Rotel tomatoes
1 can black beans - don't drain
2 small cans sweet corn - don't drain
1 can red beans - drained
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1 soup can of water - if needed
1 can of chicken or 2 chicken breast cooked and shredded

Heat and serve - with a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips-YUM-O!

Aimee's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

2008-10-13T14:56:00.000-07:00

It's finally chilly outside- perfect weather for pumpkin bread. I once again tweaked the recipe so I can devour even more!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients

5 eggs
3 cups sugar - I used 2 1/2 cups
2 1/2 cups pumpkin
2 cups oil - I used 1 1/2 cups I'll experiment with even less, later..
4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. soda
4 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t ground cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans - optional

Grease 3 - 8" bread pans.
In large bowl cream eggs and sugar. Add oil and pumpkin until combined.
In a med. bowl whisk together dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture until combined and fold in the choco chips.
Bake for 50 - 60 minutes.

Fast and Famous Breadsticks!

2008-10-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of requests for this one- just watch out for the kids (husband) breaking into a breadstick sword fight!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a small bowl add:

1 Tb. yeast
1/8 tsp. sugar
1 cup very warm water - not too hot or you'll kill the yeast :(
Let this sit and get all nice and foamy...

In a medium bowl whisk together:

2 cups flour
2 Tb. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir until JUST combined. It will be kind of goopy looking. Let this sit in bowl covered with a towel for 10 to 20 minutes. I usually do 15 min. but it will work with whatever time you've got! Gotta love that!

Generously flour the area of the counter you'll be working on. Scrape dough onto counter, sprinkle with flour and knead dough until it gets to the right consistency - add more flour if too sticky. You want the dough to be soft and pliable. Roll dough into rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
With a pizza cutter, cut into 3/4" strips. Twist the strips as you lay them on a greased cookie sheet. Brush each stick with melted butter, and sprinkle with garlic salt (I like Lawry's) -if you want you can also sprinkle with Italian seasoning and Parmesan.
Let them rise until double their size, about 20 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn on broiler and broil for 2 minutes. Watch them closely or they'll be toast!
Now here's the secret that makes them so yummy...more butter baby!! Brush each stick again with melted butter and get ready to defend yourself!

YUMMY MEATLESS LASAGNA ~ lowfat

2008-10-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

As a family we recently decided to try to cut way down on our meat consumption. Actually Bryn has declared herself a vegetarian, Garrett's goes for what ever he thinks will help him gain weight for football, and Dave and I are aiming for once a month. It hasn't been half as hard as I thought it would be- I just never thought I'd be fantasizing about what meat dish to make for the month!

Anyway, this recipe was a meatless hit!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees~

INGREDIENTS

1 pound fat-free ricotta cheese - I used lowfat
3 1/2 cups reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded-I used regular
1/2 cup parmesan chees- grated
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves-finely chopped
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Optional~fresh spinach leaves -or 1 frozen 1o oz box of chopped spinach thawed and squeeze drained.
2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles - I like Barilla

FOR THE FILLING:

Mix 2 cups mozzarella cheese, ricotta, parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper together in large bowl until thoroughly combined.

TO BAKE AND ASSEMBLE:

Coat 9-by-13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce evenly over bottom of dish.
Lay enough noodles to evenly cover sauce. Spread half the filling mixture over noodles. Spread 1 cup sauce evenly over the filling. If using spinach leaves, cover evenly over sauce. Repeat this layering once more.
Lay enough noodles to cover the top. Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce evenly over the noodles. Cover with foil and bake for 40 min. Remove foil and sprinkle 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese over the top. Continue to bake until cheese is melted, about 10 -15 minutes.

PUMPKIN STREUSEL MUFFINS - HEALTHY OR NOT, YOU CHOOSE!

2008-10-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

These are my favorite fall muffins. The regular recipe from Liza was so good, but I could never stop at 1 - 2 - okay I could never stop. I came up with this healthier version so I don't feel like I'm missing out! I added the streusel topping to make them even more irresistible!
If you want to learn how to make your own pumpkin puree, go here http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/
She makes it look so easy!

REGULAR RECIPE~
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In medium bowl whisk together:

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil

In large bowl whisk together:

1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Add wet mixture to dry until just combined. Fold in 1 cup pumpkin. Grease muffin tins or use papers.

Streusel topping:

In small bowl combine:
1/4 heaping cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 Tb. melted butter
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tb. pecans, chopped -optional

mix all together with a fork until nice and crumbly.
Line muffin pan with papers. Fill with muffin batter and sprinkle a little streusel on each muffin. Bake for 16 - 20 min. - depending on your oven.
Makes 12 muffins

HEALTHIER VERSION~

In a medium bowl whisk together:

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce

In a large bowl whisk together:

1 cup wheat flour - I always use white wheat when baking, red wheat doesn't do to well.
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp. salt

Follow the same instructions from above. Don't forget the 1 cup pumpkin and streusel topping.
Enjoy 1 - 2 or 3 without as much guilt!!

Oven-baked Brown Rice

2008-10-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

Tastes better, better texture, if you know what I mean.

1 1/2 c brown rice
2 1/3 c water
1 T olive oil
1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spread rice in 8 in square glass baking dish.
In a med. saucepan bring water and oil to a boil over high heat; once boiling stir in salt and pour water over rice. Cover baking dish with a double layer of foil. Bake for 1 hour, until tender.
Fluff rice with a fork.

To double recipe use a glass 13-by 9 inch dish. Same baking time.
Cooks Illustrated ~

Classic Tuna Salad

2008-10-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

Because of this yummy recipe, I always make sure I have fresh parsley on hand. It really makes a difference! The recipe calls for albacore tuna, but I read that it has a lot more mercury then chunk light.

2 cans solid white tuna in water or chunk light tuna
2 T juice from 1 lemon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 small celery rib, minced
2 T minced red onion
2 T sweet relish
1/2 small garlic clove - pressed
2 T minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 c mayonnaise - I do alittle more then 1/4 c and use light mayo.
1/4 t Dijon mustard

Drain tuna. In bowl combine all ingred. Can be covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.

Banana Bread

2008-10-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 3/4 c flour
2/3 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 c soft butter
2 T milk
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (2 to 3)

In mixer combine 1 cup flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add mashed bananas, butter and milk. Beat on low until blended, turn on high speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and remaining flour till blended.
Pour into greased 8x4x2 loaf pan. Bake 55 to 60 min.
Makes 1 loaf.

printable recipe

Zucchini Bread

2008-10-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe because it has 1/2 the amount of oil then most other recipes, and you can't tell!

Preheat oven 350 degrees

1 1/2 c flour
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt
1 c sugar
1 cup finely shredded zucchini
1/4 c oil
1 egg
1/4 t lemon zest

In a bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, b. powder, and salt.
In another mixing bowl combine sugar, egg, oil, zucchini, and zest. Add flour mixture, to wet mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour into greased 8x4x2 loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 60 min. Eat with cinnamon butter and prepare to die.

Makes 1 loaf ~ Thanks Star!

printable recipe

Cinnamon Butter

2008-10-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

Yummy on a slice of warm zucchini bread!

2 cubes butter
3 T cinnamon
1/2 pound powdered sugar

Whip it all together and you're good to go impress someone!

Recipe from Aimee :o)

printable recipe

Meatloaf Makeover

2008-10-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

I've never liked meatloaf until I came across this one from Cook's Illustrated. It's their lowfat version and it's insanely good! I know it looks like alot to prepare, but once you make it, the next time is a breeze ~ promise!

Meatloaf

1 t oil
1 onion, chopped fine
salt
3 cloves garlic pressed
1 minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 c tomato juice
1 slice hearty white bread, torn into pieces
1 1/2 pounds 90 percent lean ground beef
1 egg
1 T soy sauce
1 T Dijon mustard
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 t ground black pepper
salt

Glaze

1/3 c ketchup
3 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 t hot sauce
2 T brown sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees
Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and place an 8-by6-inch piece of foil in center of rack. Using skewer poke hole in foil 1/2 in apart through out foil.
Heat oil in med skillet. Cook onion and salt til soft. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid, about 5 min. Increase heat and cook until liquid had evaporated. Add garlic and thyme and cook 30 seconds. Stir in tomato juice and cook until thickened about 1 min. Transfer to a food processor, add bread and process until smooth. Add beef and pulse to combine.

Whisk egg, soy sauce, mustard, parsley, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Add beef mixture and mix with hands until evenly combined. Shape mixture into loaf covering entirety of prepared foil. Bake about 1 hour or until instant thermo reads 160 degrees. Remove meatloaf and heat broiler.

FOR THE GLAZE: Combine all ingred. in small saucepan. Simmer over med, heat until thick and syrupy about 5 min. Spread over loaf and broil until glaze bubbles - about 3 min.

YUM-O!!
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Laura's so good for you Banana Muffins!

2008-10-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 c flour - I use white wheat
3/4 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/3 c honey
1/3 c light olive oil OR melted butter
1 egg
1/2 c buttermilk
3 med. bananas mashed
1 cup frozen blueberries (optional)

In med. bowl whisk, honey, olive oil, egg, and buttermilk.

In sm. bowl whisk together dry ingred. Add to wet ingredients, blend well. Stir in bananas and blueberries.

Bake 350 degrees 18 min. Makes 12 muffins
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Meringue

2008-10-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

3 egg whites room temp. - place whole eggs in a bowl of hot water for 5 min. voila! Rm temp!
1/2 t cream of tartar
2/3 c sugar

Heat oven to 275 degrees. Cover cookie sheet with foil or parchment.

Beat cream of tartar and egg whites on medium speed until foamy. SLOWLY, while still beating pour in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff.

Place desired shapes and amount of meringue you want on cookie sheet. Use bottom of a spoon to shape tops.

Bake 30-35 min or until outside is crisp and dry. Cool

Top meringues with vanilla ice cream and your favorite berry sauce. This is Garrett's favorite dessert!

Recipe from momswhothink.com
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Chicken Cheese Soup

2008-10-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

I have a weakness that grosses my sisters out, it's fake cheese! It all started in 7 th grade when I had my first taste of nachos with cheese sauce from the local 7 eleven, we have had an on and off again relationship ever since! Aimee made this soup for dinner and I remember eating it for breakfast the next morning! I could not get enough! I asked for the recipe and then it all made since...velveeta cheese!! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

2 whole chickens - I use 6 or 7 chicken breast
16 c water
10 chicken bouillon cubes
2 c sliced carrots
2 c sliced celery
1 onion, chopped
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
2 c Minute Rice (uncooked)
1 10 oz can mild Rotel tomatoes
2 pounds velveeta cheese - cut up

Simmer the chicken and water in a large stockpot with bouillon until the meat is cooked. Remove chicken and shred. RESERVE BROTH, add carrots, celery, onion, parsley, rice, and tomatoes, simmer for 30 min. Add the chicken and cheese just prior to serving. Stir until well blended.

Serves a crowd!

Apple Cider Doughnuts

2008-10-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

WAIT! DON'T MAKE THESE...YET! I MADE THEM THIS WEEKEND AND SOMETHING JUST WASN'T RIGHT, THEY WEREN'T AS TO DIE FOR AS I REMEMBER:( I'VE GOT TO MESS AROUND WITH IT A BIT. I'LL GET BACK TO YOU AS SOON AS I CAN STAND TO STINK UP MY KTICHEN AGAIN WITH FRYING OIL!!!

I found this recipe 10 years ago in a family fun magazine - I lost it about 10 years ago. Normally I wouldn't mind, because I don't care too much for doughnuts, but this one makes me reconsider! While I was gathering all my millions of recipes from around the house the other week, It revealed itself to me! Oh happy day, the doughnuts are coming back to my hips to stay!
Michelle this ones for you! Just in time for conference weekend!

2 1/2 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
2 eggs
1/3 c. apple cider
4 T. butter, melted
oil for frying - I use peanut oil

Glaze
whisk together:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
3 T. apple cider

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and cider. Stir in the melted butter. Make a well in the flour mixture and stir in the wet ingredients.
Turn the soft dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1/2 inch round. Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pot over med heat. Then use a doughnut cutter to form rings. Once the oil begins to bubble, carefully lower doughnut into oil. Once the doughnuts begin to rise to the surface and start to brown, flip them. Remove after 2 to 3 min. Let drain on paper towels. Spoon glaze over and enjoy!
Makes 12 doughnuts.

FROSTED GINGER COOKIES - yes, they are the best!

2008-09-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

Forcing Fall!
It's still in the high 90's here in Southern Utah! But I feel the need to start baking with apples, pumpkins, and lots of yummy spices...bring it on!

Cream together:

1 c soft butter
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c molasses
2 large eggs

in separate bowl whisk together:

4 c flour
1/2 t salt
2 1/4 t baking soda
2 t ginger
1 1/4 t ground cloves
1 1/4 t cinnamon

roll into 3/4 inch balls (no smooshing)

Bake @ 325 9 min. (about)

Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting:

3 oz cream cheese rm temp.
4 T soft butter
1/2 t vanilla
dash of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
Beat, beat, and beat some more. Add some milk if too thick.

Thank you Zana for this recipe... fall is now here, in my mouth!

My Favorite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie...for now

2008-09-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

I love cookies! I'm always trying to find that to die for recipe. This one is oatey, and chewy with a crisp edge ~ just remember to not over bake!

Preheat oven 375 degrees

Cream together:
1 cube soft butter
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 egg
1/4 c. milk

in med mixing bowl whisk together:

3 c. oats
1 c. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon

Blend with creamed mixture and add:

1 c. walnuts or pecans - chopped
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips - I love guitard
1 c. raisins

Eat the dough to your hearts content, then bake some if you feel like it.

Bake 10 min

If you don't have a cookie scooper you're missing out once again!
Tammy's creation :o)

Sky High Flaky Biscuits

2008-09-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

I had 2 phone calls today requesting this recipe, so here it is....

2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening cut into 1/2 inch chunks
8 tablespoons cold butter cut into 1/8 inch slices
1 1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Adjust oven rack to lower middle and preheat to 450 degrees.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
Add shortening to flour mixture; break up the chunks with fingertips until pea-sized pieces remain.

Drop butter slices into mixture and toss to coat, then with floured fingertips grab pieces of butter and press into flat nickel sized pieces, keep doing this until mixture is all incorporated -toss mixture to combine - at this point you freeze the mixture for 15 min. but you can skip if you don't have the time.

Spray with cooking spray about a 20 inch square area on counter. Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour and spread across area to create a thin even coating.

Remove mixture from freezer and add 3 Tablespoons buttermilk to flour mixture and stir with a fork until ball forms and no dry bits are visible, adding remaining buttermilk as needed. You might not need to use it all. Just until it forms a into a soft, slightly sticky dough. With a rubber spatula transfer dough onto prepared counter, form into a ball and roll into 18 by 14 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick dusting with flour as needed. Fold dough into thirds (like a business letter) then lift short end and fold into thirds again. Repeat this process one more time. Roll dough until a little less then 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter and transfer onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush tops with melted butter (I usually don't) -Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp on top, about 12-15 minutes.

These babies might seem a little daunting the first time you make them, but they are a breeze once you get the technique down. Trust me they are worth the effort to hear your son say, "Mom you are so amazing!"

Once again I have to give the credit to America's Test Kitchen!

Can't get any better - Blueberry Streusel Muffins

2008-09-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

makes 12 muffins - bake 375 degrees 2o-25 min.

STREUSEL

1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar - I used light
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt
7 Tablespoons butter, melted

MUFFINS

1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar - I used 3/4 cup
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest- I used 1/2 teaspoon
4 tablespoons melted butter - cooled
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

For the stresusel: In small bowl combine all ingreds and mix with fork until crumbly.

For the muffins: Whisk eggs in medium bowl until combined. Add vanilla, sugar, and zest, whisk together. Slowly whisk in the butter; add the buttermilk and whisk to combine.
Reserve 1 tablespoon flour. Whisk the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Fold in egg mixture until almost combined. Toss blueberries in reserved 1 tablespoon flour and fold into batter until just combined.

Scoop into greased muffin tin, top with streusel, bake, and prepared to die!

p.s. If you don't have a batter scoop thingy, your missing out! It makes muffin makin a breeze!

This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen - my favorite!!