Recipe Queens

Raspberry Poppyseed Salad

2011-11-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

Here is the recipe for the salad that we served at Carolyn Stevenson's Baby Shower

1 bag baby spinach
1/4 red onion, sliced very thin and diced
1 small box fresh raspberries
1 cup candied walnuts
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Toss together. Drizzle with dressing right before serving. (The walnuts stay crunchier if you add them on top at the end)

Dressing:

1/8 cup Marie's Poppy seed dressing
1/8 cup Wishbone Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

Mix together equal parts then pour over dressing.

Egg Roll Wrappers

2011-07-13T14:35:00.000-07:00

Homemade egg roll wrappers are easy to make and often less dry than storebought wrappers.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hourIngredients:

•2 cups all-purpose flour
•1 large egg
•1 teaspoon salt
•1/2 cup ice water
•Cornstarch

Preparation:

Sift the flour into a large bowl.

Lightly beat the egg with the salt. Stir in 1/4 cup of water. Add the egg and the ice water to the flour. Stir in as much of the remaining 1/4 cup of water as needed to form a sticky batter.

Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Cover the dough and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

Knead the dough briefly, then cut in half. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.Roll each half into a cylinder. Lightly score so that you have 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a 3 1/2-inch square.

Stack the wrappers while you are preparing the remainder, covering with a damp cloth so that they don't dry out. If necessary, lightly dust the wrappers with flour or cornstarch to prevent them from sticking together. Use immediately, or refrigerate or freeze in a plastic bag until ready to use.

From this link

Cookie Monster Salad

2011-03-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

1 Cup buttermilk (If you don't have buttermilk measure 1 cup milk + 2 tsp lemon juice, let set for 5 minutes)
1 sm. Pkg. intsant vanilla pudding
12 oz. Cool whip
2 cans mandarine oranges, drained
1 20oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 pkg, fudge stripe cookies, crushed

Mix pudding and buttermilk, add cool whip. Add. Fruit. Add crushed cookies just before serving.

Parmesan Chicken

2010-11-07T14:02:00.000-08:00

This Is Barefoot Contessa's Recipe:

Barefoot Contessa’s Parmesan Chicken

serves 6 (Although I would say it could easily do 8 chicken breasts if needed)

6 boneless skinless chicken Breasts

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt (I have if you don’t)

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper ( I use regular pepper)

2 extra large eggs

1 ¼ cups seasoned dry breadcrumbs

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (I buy the pre grated parmesan in the bag, not the green container)

Unsalted butter (I use salted cuz it is what I keep on hand)

Olive oil

Pound the chicken breasts until they are ¼” think. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 Tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and ½ cup parmesan cheese. Coat the chicken breast on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture. Pressing lightly.

Heat 1 Tablespoon of butter and 1 Tablespoon of Olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook 2 to 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.

NOTE: I typically make this with Boneless skinless chicken tenders and it will make 8-10.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

2010-10-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

2 Cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/3 cup jam (any kind)

1. Preheat oven to 350* and spray mini-muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
(Makes 24 mini muffins/12 regular size muffins)
2. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in small bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk together peanut butter, egg, and melted butter.
4. Add dry ingredients and stir until flour disappears. Be sure not to stir too much!
5. Fill muffin tins half full with batter. Top each with 1/2 tsp. jam, then spoon the rest of the batter on top.
6. Bake for 20 mins or until lightly browned.
Enjoy!

Tara and Christina's Shower Menu

2010-08-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

Here are the links to all the recipes that were served at the shower. Hayley did a fabulous job in the planning and preparing of all the yummy goodness!

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip with Pita Chips

Potato Bites

Veggie Bars

Apples and Toffee Dip

Edible Arrangement of Fruit (if you google it there are a ton of how to's The biggest helps was stuff your vase or bowl with a head of lettuce, start with the biggest fruit and move on to the fillers like grapes and strawberries.)

Razzleberry Pie-someone said putting in a teaspoon of Tapioca will make it thick if you like it less runny...

Oreo Truffles

Cherry Chip Cupcakes with Wilton Butter Cream Frosting

Monkey Bread with no raisins or walnuts. I am not sure this is the exact recipe but they are all pretty close to the same.

Walnut Blondie w/ Maple Butter

2010-08-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

I believe this is a knock-off recipe of Applebees White Blondie.

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup flour sifted

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg beaten

1 TB vanilla

1/2 cup white choc. chips

1/3 cup butter, melted

Add soda, powder, and salt to flour. Sift again. Add nuts, mix well.

Add sugar to melted butter, add egg and vanilla, mix well. Add flour to mixture a little at a time until mixed well. Stir in choc. chips.

Spread dough over 9'' pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 min.

Maple Butter Sauce

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

In pan, add syrup and butter. Cook over low heat until butter is melted. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Add walnuts if desired.

Beef Ole

2010-06-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

This recipe is one that my grandma makes, she clipped this recipe from a newspaper years ago. IT is always a must have when I visit. No one can make it like she does!

1lb Ground Beef

1 cup Water
1 pack Lawry’s Spaghetti Sauce mix
½ teaspoon Chili Powder
1 (8-oz) tomato sauce
Fritos Corn Chips
Tortilla Chips

Plus your favorit toppings.

Brown beef. Add seasonings, water, and sauce. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes until sauce thickens. Serve on a bed of Fritos and tortilla chips crumbled together. Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and grated cheese. Salsa, sour cream and olives are a must in our home as well.

Cream of Soup Substitute

2010-05-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

You know when you find a recipe you don't want to loose..well this is my catch all recipe place. A friend form church gave me this recipe and as soon as my canned soups are depleted I am going to try this. She said it is great and the recipe says: "Here's a lowfat, low-cost recipe forcreamed condensed soup." It is from a cookbook called "Set for life"

Slim Cream of Soup Mix

2 cups instant nonfat dried milk
1 cup cornstarch
3 TBSP low sodium chicken boullion granules
2 TBSP dried minced onion
1/2 tspn thyme leaves, cruched (optional)
¼ tsp pepper

Mix together and store in an airtight container

Slim Cream Soup
1/3 cup dry Slim Cream Soup Mix (see above)
1 ¼ cups water or skim milk

Combine soup mix and water or milk in small pan, bring to a boil and stir until thick. For a casserole or cream soup: combine soup mix and water or milk. Add to casserole or soup, it will thicken as it cooks.

Yield 1 ¼ cups Equals 1 10 ¾ ounce can condensed soup.

Variations:
Cream of Mushrrom Soup Add 1 4oz can mushrooms. Drained
Cream of Vegetable soup Add ½ cup diced cooked vegetables
Cream of Chicken soup Add ½ cup cooked diced chicken

Gooey Chocolate Brownies

2010-04-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

I made brownies from scratch before and it was not worth the effort. These however ARE!~ I made them in less than an hour, so it may take about 15 minutes longer to make these then those good ones from the box!
Let’s Cook: A book for kids who love to cook

Ingredients

6oz dark chocolate broken into pieces (I uses 1/2 bag bittersweet choc chips)
1 1/2 stick butter
1 1/4 cup sugar (I used white but the recipe says golden superfine sugar..is that supposed to be brown?)
pinch of salt
3 large eggs
1 scant cup all-purpose flour
2tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the cake pan, 8” square, and line it with nonstick baking parchment.

2. Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl. Melt over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove pan from the heat. Cool Slightly.

3. Add the sugar and sale to the melted chocolate. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add them gradually to the mixture.

4. Sift the flour into the mixture and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Scrape the mixture into the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is pale brown and the middle is soft. Remove from the pan.

6. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan before cutting into pieces. Remove from the pan and serve with ice cream to make a delicious dessert.

Chocolate Scotcheroos

2010-04-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

Place corn syrup and sugar into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated. Press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.
Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand until firm. Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars when cool.

Pesto Chicken Pizza

2010-03-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

I guess with pizza, this is more of a topping suggestion or theory than an actual recipe. But it was delicious and I thought I should share. Sorry I didn't take pictures, it didn't last that long!
I put jarred pesto, fresh mozerella, fresh tomatoes and shredded chicken on top of my favorite (aka store bought) pizza crust. It was DELICIOUS (and green for St. Patty's Day)!!!! I might have skipped the chicken if my husband ate tomatoes... but the chicken was for him, and it actually made the pizza more filling, so that worked.
As a suggestion, if you like pesto at all, I would buy it at Costco, where it is about 1/4 the price as the regular grocery store, but you will have so much left over. Anyways, it was a good alternative to the regular pizza sauce, and was a little lighter than a standard pepperoni pizza.

Easy Cheese Ball

2009-12-14T23:48:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 (1 oz) package of ranch dressing mix
2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded sharp cheese
1lb bacon cooked and broken into small bits (I put the bacon in a large baggie and broke the pieces up with a rolling pin.)

Directions:
In a medium size bowl mash the cream cheese. Stir in the ranch dressing mix and the cheeses into the cream cheese. Shape the mixture into a ball. (It is a very large ball so I made 2 smaller balls). Cover the ball with the bacon bits. Refrigerate covered.

NOTES: The longer it refrigerates the better it tastes. Mine was in the fridge for 5 days before I served at the party. Also - I let the cheese ball sit out a few hours at room temperature before serving so it was nice and easy to cut.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

2009-11-12T13:57:00.001-08:00

***This one will be making a regular appearance in our rotation! :) mmmm***

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

from yourhomebasedmom.com

6 Tbsp honey

5 Tbsp fresh lime juice (1-2 limes)

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

8 – 10 flour tortillas (depending on size)

1 lb of a Mexican blend cheese (monterey jack, colby, cheddar), shredded

1 large can of green enchilada sauce

Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together with the shredded chicken. Allow it to sit for at least 1/2 hour or you could do it hours before and just cover and refrigerate.

Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce into bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Place chicken and cheese into middle of a tortilla and spoon about 1 tablespoon of enchilada sauce over it and roll up. Place seam down in the pan. Reserve about 1-2 cups of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Pour enchilada sauce over the top of rolled enchiladas (reserve a little bit to add after they are baked) and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

I served with Cilantro Lime Rice (like Chipotle's) that yourhomebasedmom.com suggested. Yum.

Fudge Cookie Bars

2009-10-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from my second mom Nyla.

"Cookie" mixture:

1 c shortening

2 c brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

4 c quick oats

Chocolate mixture:

1 pkg chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Grease large cookie sheet.

Reserve 2 cups oatmeal mixture and press rest into bottom of cookie sheet.

Melt chocolate chips, and then combine with butter, salt, vanilla, and sweetened condensed milk. Pour over crust. Sprinkle/lay reserved oatmeal mixture on top of chocolate. Bake for 15 minutes at 350*.

Lemon Cheese Bars

2009-10-26T14:39:00.000-07:00

1 pkg yellow cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 c vegetable oil

8 oz cream cheese

1/3 c sugar

1 tsp lemon extract

In a bowl, combine mix, one egg, and oil until crumbly. Sit aside 1 cup for topping. Press crumb mixture into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350* for 15 minutes.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, one egg, and extract. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Delicious Apple Pie

2009-10-23T14:50:00.001-07:00

This is from Rosa Young. We made these for YW on Tuesday night. For each recipe we made 4 mini pies. And each girl got to take home 2 mini pies. We made a total of 24 mini pies in about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425*

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 3/4 + 1/8 C. Flour
1/4 + 1/8 tsp. Salt
3/4 C. Shortening
5 Tbsp. Water

Combine Flour, Salt, Shortening and Water. Toss mixture with fork to moisten. Create a ball. (Can use your hands to mix it better.) Wrap ball in plastic. Chill for 15 mins. in refrigerator before rolling.

Filling:
4 big apples (use your favorite) Core, Skin and Cut apples into bite size pieces
1/2 C. Butter
3 Tbsp. Flour
1/4 C. Water
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1 Tbsp. Vanilla

Melt Butter in a saucepan, add flour to create a paste. Stir well. Add water, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Stir. Add apples. Let simmer.
Roll out dough. Grease a 9" pie plate. Place dough in pie plate. Leave some dough to make a lattice for the top. Pour filling into pie plate. Roll out remaining dough and cut into thin strips and place on top of the pie (to make a lattice design).

Bake for 15 mins. at 425* and then for 35 minutes at 350* until apples are soft.
For golden crust, beat an egg and brush the egg on the crust.

Strawberry Pie Bars

2009-10-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

Adapted from http://www.recipegirl.com/

CRUST:

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoon brown sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

FILLING: the recipe came from this webpage

2 cups fresh strawberries, mashed

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup sugar

2 cups strawberries, cut in to pieces

TOPPING:

3 cups quick-cooking oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled*

1. Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a 15-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper. With an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. At low speed, beat in the flour, spices and salt until a soft dough forms. Press the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan and 1/2 inch up the side in an even layer. Bake in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and set. Let cool on a rack.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Add mashed strawberries and cook slowly for about 10 minutes until thickened. Let cool.

3. Prepare the topping: In a large bowl, mix the oats with the flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Using fingers (wash your hands and take off your rings first!), squeeze the butter into the oats & sugar and crumble together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Press the mixture into clumps.

4. Assemble the bars: Spread the strawberry filling over the crust. Scatter the crumbs on top, pressing them lightly into an even layer. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the topping is golden; rotate the pan halfway through baking, and keep an eye on it to make sure the top isn’t getting too browned. Let cool completely on a rack before cutting into 2-inch bars.

*It is important the butter is chilled otherwise the butter makes more of a paste than crumbs.

Makes 4 dozen bars

Autumn Oatmeal Cookies

2009-09-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

These cookies taste and smell just like Autumn!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2-3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/2 cups chocolate-covered raisins (we tried it once with just chocolate chips and that was good too)

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oats and raisins.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Flatten slightly.

Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 3 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Yield: 3 dozen. (I used my pampered chef scoop and it made more than three dozen.)

altered slightly from "Simple & Delicious" magazine

Cheesey Chicken Chowder

2009-09-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Amy L and April H from church. It was a hit at my house!
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced peeled potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1 1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
In a large saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat and add vegetables and seasoning. Cover and simmer until tender. In another saucepan over med. low heat melt:

1/4 c. butter
add 1/3 c. flour and mix well.
Gradually add in 2 c. milk and cook until thickened over low heat.
Gradually add 2 c. grated cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
Add this to mixture to broth/veggie mixture along with
1 can of cream of chicken soup and
2 c. of diced cooked chicken.

Tara's Sausage dip

2009-09-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

I think that this is Tara's sausage dip. Well, this is how I made it for the BYU game party.

1 log of Jimmy Dean ground sausage
2 blocks cream cheese, softened
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained

Brown the sausage. Drain. Add the cream cheese and can of tomatoes and green chilies. Heat until cheese is melted. Keep warm and serve with Frito chips or cubes of diced bread. (I kept it in a crock pot to stay warm.)

Veggie Cheeseball

2009-09-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

1 block cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
1 small red pepper diced
1 small yellow pepper diced
3 stalks of green onions, chopped
1 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until blended well. Line a small bowl with plastic wrap and press cheese mixture into the lined bowl. Chill in fridge for 30 mins. Flip over onto a plate and remove plastic wrap. Eat with crackers. We like wheat thins!

Lemon Angel Food Cake

2009-08-28T18:27:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

1 ½ C. sifted cake flour

1 ¾ C. sugar

14 egg whites

Pinch of salt

1 tea. Cream of tartar

Zest of one lemon

2 tea. Vanilla extract

¾ tea. Lemon oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sift flour into mixing bowl. Sift sugar into separate bowl and set both aside. In a copper or stainless steel bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks; add salt when whites are just foamy (add cream of tartar at this point if using a stainless steel bowl). Gently fold in sugar with a rubber spatula; fold in flour in two batched. Add lemon zest, vanilla, and lemon oil. When all is completely incorporated, transfer batter to angel food cake pan and smooth top. Bake until cake is pale brown in color and springs back when gently touched with finger, and when a skewer inserted in center comes out clean (approx. 1 hour). Cool upside down in pan. To serve, gently remove from pan, releasing sides with knife. Serves 10-12.

Frosting:

2 Cups. Whipping cream

½ pkg. lemon pudding

Serve with fresh fruit, especially nice with raspberries or strawberries. (FYI this is my official birthday cake, the one I asked for every year growing up...mmm)

Sticky Coconut Chicken

2009-08-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

from My Kitchen Cafe

6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup canned coconut milk

1 TBSP mincd fresh ginger

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Marinade the chicken in coconut milk, ginger, pepper and red pepper flakes at least one hour. Grill on barbeque.

Glaze:

3/4 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

3 TBSP soy sauce

1 tsp red pepper flakes

While the chicken is grilling, bring the above ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is reduced and thickened, about 8-10 mnutes. Be patient because it takes a little while. But once it starts getting really thick, immediately take it off the heat! Glaze both sides of chicken the last few minutes of grilling and serve chicken over rice.

Sidenote: I used the extra coconut milk left in the can as part of the liquid in my rice. It was pretty good.

Simple and Meaty Skillet Lasagna

2009-08-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

3 (14.5 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
salt
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, these do not add spice, just flavor!
1 TBSP dried basil
1/2 TBSP dried oregano
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef (I used 1 lb. beef, no pork)
12 curly edged lasagna noodles, broken unto 1 inch pieces
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup ricotta cheese (don't use fat-free!)

Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a blender or food processor until they are coursely ground and no large pieces remain.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking apart the meat, until it is lightly browned and no longer pink, 5-6 minutes.

Scatter the broken lasagna noodles over the meat and then pour in the ground tomatoes and tomato sauce over the pasta. Stir in the basil and oregano. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in half the mozzarella and half the parmesan. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover and let stand off the heat until the cheese melts, 2-4 minutes. Serve.

Sausage and Spinach Penne Skillet Supper

2009-08-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite dinner. It was easy and tasted fantastic. Serves 6. You can always feed more by adding more pasta and water. From My Kitchen Cafe.

1 TBSP olive oil

1 pound Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed (I used mild pork sausage)

3 medium garlic cloves, minced finely

3 1/2 cups water

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine (I forgot to rinse, they tasted fine)

1/2 tsp salt

12 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) penne pasta

1 (6 oz) bag baby spinach

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (I used toasted slivered almonds, the pine nuts are way too expensive!)

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and add in the sausage. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the water, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/2 tsp salt, then add in the pasta. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook at a strong simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has thickened, about 15-18 minutes (if you find the liquid is absorbing too quickly and the pasta is still undercooked, add a bit more water in small amounts until the pasta is cooked thoroughly).

Stir in the spinach a handful at a time, and cook until wilted. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Great leftovers!

Taco Mac n Cheese Casserole

2009-08-18T18:34:00.001-07:00

This recipe was passed from person to person, but it came from my step-mom. I am not sure it has a name so I made up another one.

2 boxes Kraft Deluxe Mac and Cheese prepared as directed on package
1 pound ground beef (I am sure Turkey can be substituted)
1 package taco meat seasoning or 1/4 cup if you buy from Costco.
1 cup sour cream
salsa
Cheese
crumbled tortilla chips

Brown meat, drain and prepare taco meat according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 350

Combine prepared mac and cheese with sour cream. Layer half the mac and cheese mixture, followed by all of the taco meat mixture. Top with remaining mac and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with a layer of salsa, then crushed up tortilla chips, topped with shredded cheese. The last three ingredients I didn't have measurements so I put enough salsa to cover, and then did the same with the chips and cheese.

Clan-erole

2009-08-17T19:58:00.001-07:00

OK so maybe south of the border potato casserole is better but whatever...

3-4 chicken breasts cooked and cut into bite sized strips
3/4 cup diced bell peppers and onions
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup shredded Colby Jack Cheese
3 green onions sliced
2 tomatoes seeded and finely diced
1 bag tater rounds (disk like tater tots)

Bake tater rounds as directed.

In a pan saute peppers and onion in 1 T butter until onions are slightly transparent. Add chicken cook for about 5 minutes. Add soup, sour cream, and spices stir.

Preheat oven to 350. Layer Tater rounds on bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheese on top. Pour all of the chicken mixture on top, followed by the remaining tater rounds. then remaining cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted. Top with green onions and tomatoes if desired.

Dessert Party

2009-08-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

I had a dessert party and collected some recipes from various locations. I thought i would post them all here! All pictures were take from the website that the recipe came from, I lack presentation!

Chewy, Fudgy Triple Chocolate Brownies form Annie's Eats

Cupcake Bites from Bakerella

Shortbread Cookies from The Pioneer Woman

Frosty Orange Creme Dessert from Make it and Love it

Oreo Truffles from Recipe Queens

Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats from Annie's Eats

The following didn't have pictures so you have to deal with my amateur photography skills.
Toffee Dip served with Fuji Apples from Recipe Queens
Fluffy Fruit Dip from Cooks.com I served this with Strawberries. Sorry I forgot to rotate and am now being lazy!

Veggie Bars from Recipe Queens I couldn't find Salad confetti so I just used iceberg lettuce, bell peppers and green onions. I forgot about the tomatoes and cucumbers, oops!

I also served punch that was made from:

1 liter of sprite
1 container of frozen raspberry lemonade
some raspberries thrown in.

This recipe I got from Hayley C. it was from memory and sounded good so hopefully I got it right!

New Food Website

2009-07-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

Well this is probably not new but I just found it and I love all of the fresh new ideas. They even have some great restaurant copycat recipes under the budget section. Enjoy!
http://family.go.com/food/

Vampire Cookies

2009-07-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

I know that the Cullen's don't have fangs ;) but I took these to a Twilight party anyways. They are actually kind of labor intensive, the dough is your typical sugar cookie recipe and hard to work with (for me, at least), and my recipe only made like 14 cookies. I would definitely double it. Or use your own sugar cookie recipe. But really, it is a novel idea, huh? I got this from Baking Bites.

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

approx 1/2 cup red jam

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and extracts. Add flour and salt to the bowl and mix them into the butter-sugar mixture at low speed until the dough is just combined. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 325.

Divide dough in half and keep the other portion in the fridge.

Roll out dough onto floured surface until 1/8 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut 2 inch rounds.

Place rounds on baking sheet, put a tsp of jam on each of them and cover with another round of dough. Press edges down lightly clinching the edges down on the cookie sheet. Use a toothpick and poke two small holes, like a vampire bite, into the top of each cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are set.

Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dip a toothpick in some extra jam and re-insert in the "bite" holes you made before baking to emphasize them, if not already red. Draw a blood trickle down from one of the bites with the jam.

Cookies are best the day they are made.

Makes 2 dozen.

Texas Sheet Cake/ Crazy Cake

2009-06-21T11:07:00.001-07:00

Cake
3 c. Flour
2 c. Sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/3 c. cocoa

Mix dry ingredients together.

1 c. oil
7 tsp. cider vinegar
7 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. water

Mix together and then add to dry ingredients. Combine until just moistened. Do not over mix.
Bake at 375* for 20-25 mins, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting
1/2 c. butter/or margarine
2 Tbs. cocoa
1/4 c. milk

Heat ingredients together in a saucepan until a continuous boil while stirring. Remove from heat. Add..
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients and then pour over hot cake.(Just removed from the oven) Let cool. The frosting will stiffen when cools. Enjoy!

Brittany's Enchiladas

2009-06-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

1 Can Costco Chicken (drained & shredded)

1 Can (16 oz) Refried Beans

Flour Tortillas (soft taco size)

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 Can (28oz) Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

Preheat Oven to 350*. Spray a 9x13 pan.

Place the shredded chicken and the refried beans in a sauce pan. Warm the chicken and the refried beans over the stove top until mixed well and warm. Spread a small amount of chicken & bean mixture onto tortilla. Top with a small amount of shredded cheeses. Roll up and place in 9x13 pan. Continue rolling up tortillas. (I can usually make 8 to 10 enchiladas). Open enchilada sauce and pour all over the enchiladas. Top with more shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with Rice & sour cream.

Note: If I want to make a few more enchiladas I will add more refried beans to the chicken.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

2009-05-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

Cheesy Garlic Breadslightly adapted from Robbie's Recipe Collection
2 cups shredded cheese - I used an Italian blend
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup butter - softened
2-3 cloves garlic - peeled, minced fine
1 loaf French bread – cut in half lengthwise
1 bunch green onions - root and green ends trimmed, chopped

In a bowl, stir together cheeses, mayonnaise, butter, and garlic until thoroughly mixed.Spread prepared mixture evenly over the cut side of each bread loaf half. Sprinkle onions evenly over cheese mixture.Place bread, spread side up, on a cookie sheet or aluminum foil, and then bake in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes. Turn oven setting to broil and broil for 3 minutes.Break or slice bread into serving-size pieces and serve.

Paige's Honey Butter

2009-05-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

*This recipe is from Favorite Family Recipes.

Tastes great on fresh wheat bread.

1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey

Mix butter, eggs yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the honey while mixing.

Lemon Cake

2009-05-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

This cake is amazing in flavor and very moist. I made it for myself as a gift for Mother's Day!! I also cooked it in a bundt pan and it was very similar to that one you can buy at Costco.

1 yellow cake mix
1 small package Lemon jello
4 eggs
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup oil

Glaze:
Juice and zested rind of 2 lemons
2 cups powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Bake in greased and floured 9x13 pan according to directions on the cake box. While baking make glaze using wire whisk. Before the cake cools, poke with fork and pour glaze over.

Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats

2009-04-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, Ghiradelli makes bittersweet chocolate chips.
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
one package of marshmallows
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 cups Rice Krispies
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped
4-6 oz. white chocolate, chopped
finely chopped Oreos, for topping

Directions: Place bittersweet chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted. Set aside. Grease a 9×13″ pan.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until melted and well combined. Turn off heat and stir in the melted chocolate and the vanilla extract.

Gently stir in the Rice Krispies and coarsely chopped Oreos, and mix to coat evenly. Press the mixture into the prepared pan, leveling the top. (I like to use a piece of plastic wrap over my fingers and press it down with my hand.) Allow to cool completely.

Once cooled, cut into squares. Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, and stir until completely melted. Place the finely chopped Oreos in another bowl. Dip the top of each square into the white chocolate and then the finely chopped cookies. Set aside to cool and let the chocolate set completely.

Or spread melted whit chocolate over the top of the un-cut treats the sprinkle with cookie crumbs and lightly press down. Then cut and serve.

Store in an airtight container.

Chicken Enchilada with Green Sauce

2009-04-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken breast
Large can green enchilada sauce
Tortillas
Shredded Cheese

Directions:
Boil chicken, I sprinkled with garlic salt cuz that's just how I am. When cooked chop up into chunks.

Pour a little sauce into bottom of baking dish. Pour about 1/2 the can into the chicken. Set remaining sauce aside.

On flour tortilla spread chicken mixture, top with cheese then roll up and place in baking dish. repeat until chicken is gone. Pour remaining sauce over the top, spread with spoon as needed. Top with cheese and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

I used 5 chicken breast (Costco package) 12 flour tortillas and baked it in a 9x13" pan and a big can of green enchilada sauce.

This recipe is from Cucina di Harwood

Cucumber Dill Sandwiches

2009-04-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

I made this for book club and apparently it was a hit.

1 8oz package Cream Cheese

1/2 package of dry Italian seasoning mix (more or less to taste)

1/2 cup sour cream (more or less to desired consistency)

dill

cucumber sliced thin

French bread

Or homemade bread cooked in a bread tube.

Mix cream cheese, Italian seasoning and sour cream. This is kind of to your preference. You want it kind of thicker but still spreadable.

Slice bread to 1/4" thickness then scoop cream cheese mixture on top 1/2-1 Tablespoon. top with a cucumber slice then sprinkle a bit of Dill on top. Not too much as I hear dill is a very strong seasoning.

Mexican Lasagna

2009-04-15T14:57:00.000-07:00

9 Lasagna noodles (Cooked and drained)
1 lb. Hamburger
1 clove garlic
1 can refried beans
1 can sliced olives (drained)
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes
Shredded cheese (Cheddar, Mozzarella, Mix..)

Brown hamburger meat with garlic. Drain. Mix olives, refried beans, and tomatoes with hamburger. Spray 9x13 pan. Layer with Noodles, meat mix and cheese (3x). Top with cheese. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until bubbly and brown on top.

Mexican Chicken

2009-04-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

Preheat oven to 350*

Chicken, cooked and cubed (2 to 4 chicken breasts)

1 can Cream of Chicken
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1 can Cream of Celery
1 can Nacho Cheese (Fiesta, if you can find it)
1 can sliced olives (drained)
Warm the above ingredients on stove top until warm.

Flour tortillas
Shredded Cheese (mozzarella or Mexican mix)

Spray 9x13 pan. Put a little of the soup mixture on bottom of pan. Then layer tortillas, mixture and cheese over and over (3x), just like lasagna. Cook for 20 mins. or until warm.

Crunchy Parmesan Chicken

2009-03-23T18:02:00.001-07:00

This recipe is super easy and kid friendly... courtesy of Rachel Ray Everyday

1 cup cornflakes, lightly crushed
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
3 large eggs, beaten
Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
5 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Preheat the oven to 350*. In a shallow bowl, combine the cornflakes, parmesan and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place the eggs in another shallow bowl. Coat each chicken breast with the cornflake mixture, then the eggs, then again wih the cornflake mixture; transfer to a wax-paper lined baking sheet.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until golden, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer to a clean baking sheet. Bake the chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve with the lemon wedges. (Jeff skipped the lemon, and loved it, but I love lemon, so I say, squeeze more on!).

Girl Scout Samoa Bars.

2009-03-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

For the year round girl scout in you!

Cookie base:
1/2 c sugar
3/4 c butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1/4 tsp salt

Cream together sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Working at low speed gradually add flour and salt until crumbly. Pour crumbly mixture into 9x13 pan lightly greased or lined with parchment paper and press into an even layer. Bake 20-25 minutes until base is set and edges are brown. Cool completely.

Topping:
3 c shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12 oz chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp milk
10 oz dark or semi sweet chocolate (I used milk chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.
When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).
Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 30 bar cookies.

Note: You can simply drizzle chocolate on top of the bars before slicing them up if you’re looking for yet an easier way to finish these off. You won’t need quite as much chocolate as noted above, and you won’t quite get the Samoas look, but the results will still be tasty.

(If you are really want the original Samoa cookie, the recipe is found here. Both recipes were found on bakingbites.com)

Enjoy!

Chocolate Dipping Sauces for Fondue

2009-03-02T16:37:00.000-08:00

These recipes were not served but I will be trying them shortly. They have my two favorite ingredients, chocolate and peanut butter.

The Original
8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter

Combine the chocolate and cream in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Heat until the chocolate is melted, stirring constantly or combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until melted stirring every 30-45 seconds. Be careful not to let the chocolate burn. Pour into a warm fondue pot. Add the peanut butter and stir gently until blended. Keep fondue warm over low heat.

Snickers Bar Fondue
8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
2 teaspoons chunky peanut butter

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Heat until the chocolate is melted, stirring constantly or combine the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until melted stirring every 30-45 seconds. Be careful not to let the chocolate burn. Pour into a warm fondue pot. Add the caramel and peanut butter and stir gently until blended. Keep fondue warm over low heat.

NOTE: These recipes, along with the dipping sauces and meat styles are recipes curtesy of The Melting Pot Cook Book

Fondue Dipping Sauces

2009-03-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

These are the dipping sauces that were made:

Ginger Soy Sauce
1 cup soy sauce
2 Tbls Chili Sauce
2 Tbls light brown sugar
½ t ginger
1 c fresh orange juice (2-3 oranges?)

Island Sauce
½ cup orange marmalade
Juice of ½ lime
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Herb and Butter Dipping Sauce
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 Tbls lemon juice
1 Tbls chopped fresh chives
1 Tbls fresh parsley
1 Tbls fresh tarragon
Hot red pepper sauce to taste (I think this could be optional)

Serve over heated element. We used a crockpot Dipper size.

I didn't make these sauces but I think you just mix together all the ingredients listed and serve on a side dish.

Meat Fondue

2009-03-02T16:22:00.001-08:00

We had a Fondue party in honor of a gal turning thirty. It was lots of fun. Here were the three ways we cooked our meat.

The first is regular oil. Vegetable oil or peanut oil is recommended. For electric pots cook at 350.

Voodoo Cooking Style
5 1/2 cups water
juice from 1/2 orange
juice from 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped carot
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons blackened desasoning (Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish Magic recommended) I ommited this ingredient.

Whisk the water, orange juice, lime juice, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, cilantro, salt, pepper and blackened seasoning in a bowl until combined. Pour into a fondue pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until desired doneness.

Luau Cooking Style
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ginger
3 garlic cloves thinly sliced

Whisk the brth, pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger and garlic in a bowl until combined. Pour into a fondue pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until desired doneness.

Cookies

2009-03-02T16:13:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you find a good recipe on the internet than you can't relocate it Here are some links to the above cookies. Nestle's White Chip Chocolate Cookies (right) and Hershey Kiss Cookies. Jeremy loved this dough! One thing I loved about the Kiss recipe that I had never seen before is that you put the kiss in the cookie after it is mostly done, then put it back in the oven for 2 minutes. The kiss still keeps its shape.

Fondue Recipe

2009-02-28T21:37:00.000-08:00

I don't know the official name, but as it took my mother-in-law and I a while to find this in our time of need, it is going on the website so I will be able to locate it next time. Also, as a note, it says to cube all the cheese, but I shredded mine instead, it melted fabulously...

6 Tbs Butter
3 Tbs Flour
1/4 c Kirschwasser
1 c Whole Milk
3 oz Emmenthaler or any other type Swiss Cheese, cubed
3 oz Gruyere Cheese, cubed
3 oz Raclette Cheese, cubed
3 oz creamy Blue Cheese or Fontina, cubed (I used Fontina, it is more mild than the Blue)

Melt the butter in a heavy, large saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour. Constantly whisk for 1 minute or until the mixture is creamy and bubbling. Slowly whisk in the Kirshwasser. Whisk in the milk. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.

Slowly add all the cheese, stirring until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth (you may have to add more milk if it gets too thick).

Transfer to the fondue pot.

Now it says to serve with crusty french bread, torn into pieces and different veggies. My new theory, thanks to Tara, is serve with roasted red potatoes, brocolli, cauliflower and green beans... seriously to die for.

Three cheese chicken penne pasta bake

2009-02-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

Also found at Kraftfoods

1-1/2 cups multigrain penne pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It!

HEAT oven to 375ºF. Cook pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water for the last 1 min.

COOK and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 3 min. Add spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel cheese.

DRAIN pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. or 8-inch square baking dish.

BAKE 20 min. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min.

Broccoli Beef

2009-02-21T08:50:00.000-08:00

1 1/4 lb round or sirloin steak, sliced into thin strips
1/4 cup oil
2 cups water
1 med onion, cut into 1/4" slices
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 stalks broccoli, chopped
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3-4 tsp sugar
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 med. tomato, cut into eighths

Heat oil in skillet. Add beef and cook, turning frequently, until brown. Stir in water, onion, garlic salt, and ginger. Heat to boiling and reduce heat. Add broccoli. Cover and simmer 12-15 minutes for round steak, 5-8 minutes for sirloin.

Blend cornstarch, sugar and soy sauce in small bowl; stir into beef mixture. Cover, cook over low heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Let boil for one minute longer while stirring. Reduce heat to low; place tomatoes on beef mixture and cover. Let cook-just until tomatoes are heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve with rice.

Chicken Marsala Pasta

2009-02-21T08:44:00.001-08:00

3 chicken breasts, cut in bite sized pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 c Marsala cooking wine
1 c cream
1 c sliced olives
2 c sliced mushrooms
1 c chopped tomatoes
Parmesan cheese
linguine

Cook linguine. Meanwhile cook chicken in olive oil. Set aside. Cooke onions, mushrooms, and garlic in a little bit of olive oil until done. Combine with chicken. Add Marsala wine and cook about 5 min. Add olives and cream and cook down until sauce thickens. Add tomatoes and toss immediately with linguine and top with parmesan.

(This was absolutely delicious. It would be great also if you added seafood such as shrimp and scallops. I found my Marsala cooking wine at Safeway.)

Lasagna Roll-Ups

2009-02-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

15oz ricotta cheese
1 1/2c shredded mozzarella
10oz frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1/2c sour cream
1/4c bread crumbs
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
12 lasagna noodles
15 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2c salsa
1/2c mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles. Lay out to dry. Combine first 7 ingredients to make filling. Spread 1/3c down each noodle leaving a tab at the end to make it stick. Roll up and place in 9x13 pan. Combine tomatoes and salsa and pour over noodles. Bake at 350 for 30 min or until heated through. Immediately sprinkle with 1/2c mozzarella and serve.

(I used fresh spinach and added into my water at the last minute of cooking time with my noodles. Worked fine. You could also just use a can of spaghetti sauce instead of the tomatoes and salsa.)

Simply Sensational Strawberry Shortcake.

2009-02-16T12:13:00.001-08:00

Absolutely delicious and easy!

Found through Kraft Recipes

1-1/4 cups milk, divided

1/4 cup Sour Cream

3 Tbsp. sugar

2-1/4 cups all-purpose baking mix for biscuits

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

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

4 cups sliced strawberries

1/3 cup sugar

PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Beat 1/2 cup of the milk, the sour cream and 3 Tbsp. sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in baking mix until just moistened. Spread evenly into greased 9-inch round cake pan. Bake 12 to 15 min. or until top is golden brown. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

ADD remaining 3/4 cup milk to dry pudding mix in medium bowl. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in half of the whipped topping. Toss strawberries with 1/3 cup sugar; set aside. Cut cake horizontally in half to make two layers.

PLACE bottom cake layer on serving plate; top with half of the strawberry mixture. Spread with pudding mixture; cover with top cake layer. Spread with remaining whipped topping; top with remaining strawberry mixture. Serve immediately. Store any leftover shortcake in refrigerator.

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2009-02-10T14:13:00.001-08:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb - Collage - Morph

Soft Ginger Molasses Chews.

2009-02-05T13:58:00.001-08:00

I haven't tried these yet, but the picture makes them look delicious!

image and recipe found here.

1 banana mashed
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/2 light brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
1 TB baking soda
2 TB ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine banana, molasses, brown sugar, oil and eggs. Beat until well combined. Add dry ingredients and blend again until well combined. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto a large, ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 10 min. until the tops of the cookies are well crackled and just slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.

Yields: 34 cookies.

Classic Waffles.

2009-02-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

I've made these several times now and will not go to any other recipe for waffles.

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup warm milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Fluffy Pancakes.

2009-02-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup milk
1 egg
3 Tbsp melted butter

Combine dry ingredients and then mix in all other ingredients until well combined.

These really are those fluffy pancakes and were very delicious!

Chipolte Chicken Salad

2009-02-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

Salad:

Romaine Lettuce
2 boneless chicken breasts cooked and chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Avocado, diced
Red onion, thinly sliced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained

Dressing:

2/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp chipolte chili canned in adobo sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
juice from one lime

Mix dressing and toss with salad. Serve with tortilla chips on the side. Enjoy!

Creamy Tortilla Chip Casserole

2009-02-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

This is an April Original. It was an after pregnancy flavor craving.

Ingredients
Frozen Chicken Breasts (I used about 10 Chicken breast tenders, enough to cover the chips)
2 cans cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Black Beans
1 can corn
1 cup sour Cream
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, divided
1 8oz can of diced green chilies
Tortilla Chips

Preheat Oven to 375, spray 9x13 pan with Pam

Cover bottom of pan with tortilla chips, then mush slightly. Place Chicken over chips.
In a bowl combine 1 cup of cheese (or more if you like) and remaining ingredients.
Cook for 45 minutes, the place another layer of chips topped with remaining cheese. You can even broil it for a minute or two to brown up the cheese. Serve with extra tortilla chips if desired.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2009-01-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

This is a traditional side dish at the Cook family Thanksgiving dinner table.

Crust:
3 cups broken pretzels
1/4 cup melted butter
1 Tbs. sugar

Mix together and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400* for 6 minutes. Let it cool.

1 cup sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 6-oz. strawberry jello
1 1/2 c boiling water
1 16-oz. pkg. strawberries, thawed and slightly smashed

Cream 1 cup sugar and cream cheese, fold in cool whip and spread on cooled down crust. Mix Jello and water, add strawberries. Cool and pour over cream cheese mixture. Chill before serving. Top with more Cool whip and strawberries when serving.

Chocolate chip oatmeal raisin Cookies

2009-01-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

2 cups sugar
6 cups oatmeal
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
2 cups raisins
2 cups chocolate chips

Mix together the following and then add to the dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup milk

Stir well. Chill several hours or overnight. (Can skip this part and it still turns out great) Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375*F for 12-15 minutes.

Yield: 8 dozen
If you don't have time to bake them all, the dough can keep in the fridge for several days and you can make cookies on demand.

Tangy Meatball Subs

2009-01-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

I made this one up as I had thawed some hamburger and wanted to try something new. Enjoy!!
(Picture courtesy of allrecipes.com)
Meatballs
1 pound ground meat
1 cup Italian bread crumbs/or crackers mashed with Italian seasoning
1 tsp. black ground pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 small onion, chopped fine
Mix all ingredients together with your hands and roll into 1-2 inch balls. Place on baking sheet covered with foil.(Helps with the clean up). Bake at 400*F for 15-20 minutes.

After the meatballs are baked place them all in a sauce pan with:

1 bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce

Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Then place on split hoagie buns. Top with:

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, split between 6 subs.

Place in oven on broil for about 3 minutes. WATCH IT OR IT WILL BURN!!!

Enjoy. Goes great with Doritos Nacho flavored chips and root beer floats.

Christmas Rocky Road

2008-12-21T18:35:00.000-08:00

1 pkg. chocolate chips
1 pkg. butterscotch chips
1 c. peanut butter
1 pkg. marshmallows
1 can peanuts/or nut of choice. I prefer walnuts

Melt Chocolate chips and butterscotch chips on medium power for three minutes or until melted, stirring every minute. Add peanut butter. Heat for 1 more minute. Stir. Add mallows and nuts. Stir well. Put into a greased pan. Let set in the fridge. Perfect in about 1 hour.

Spicy Ranch Chicken Wraps

2008-12-09T16:42:00.000-08:00

I used to make this recipe ALL the time, and pulled it out last week for who knows what reason... now I remember why I used to make it all the time. So delicious!

2 t. chili powder
2 t. vegetable oil
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 lb chicken breast cut into 1/2 in strips
1/2 c low-fat buttermilk
1/4 c light mayonnaise
2 T minced fresh parsley
2 T fresh lime juice
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 flour tortillas
3 c chopped romaine lettuce
1 1/3 cup chopped tomato

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a heavy-duty zip top bag. Add chicken, seal and shake to coat.
2. Combine buttermilk and next 5 ingredients (to garlic) in a small bowl and stir well.
3. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add chicken and saute 2 min, or until chicken is done.
4. Add buttermilk mixture, cover and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat.
5. Serve chicken in tortillas topped with lettuce and tomatoes.
(I also add shredded cheese, and sometimes leave out the veggies, depends on what I have on hand!)

Also, this makes 4 "wraps" but there is A LOT of sauce at the end, I think you could just add more chicken to the same amount of other stuff and be fine.

Chicken Cream Cheese Soup

2008-11-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe at sisterscafe.blogspot.com submitted by Brittany. It was fabulous and easy. I had everything on hand and was able to make it last minute!

1 lb chicken (breasts or combination)
1 onion, diced
1-2 Tb butter
2 handfuls baby carrots (about 2 cups sliced small)
4-5 potatoes, diced small
1 c milk
1/4 c flour
8 oz package cream cheese
1. Put chicken in pot and cover with water; boil until cooked. Take chicken out of water but keep the broth. When chicken is cool, shred.
2. Saute onion in butter. Put onion in pot and add carrots and potatoes. Add 3-4 cups of broth or enough to cover vegetables. Add bouillon cubes or soup base for flavor (I add 4 bouillon cubes). Bring to a boil and simmer until veggies are tender.
3. Mix flour with milk and add to soup. Soften cream cheese in microwave then add to soup in little pieces and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Buttermilk Biscuits with Dirty Gravy

2008-10-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

So I've made these at work a couple of times and everyone seems to rave about them. The recipe for the biscuits (as well as the picture) I stole from Bobby Flay, the gravy I combined a bunch of rather non-descript recipes from the Internet into something that is so good, it's dirty.

Buttermilk Biscuits

4 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

12 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus 4 Tablespoons, melted
1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, semi-course ground

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Using a dough cutter, combine until ingredients are incorporated. Scatter the cold butter pieces over the top of the flour mixture and continue to combine until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and pulse in a food processor until the mixture just begins to come together.
Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter.Pat the dough into a 10 X 12-inch rectangle about 3/4 inch think. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut out biscuits. press together the scraps of dough, and repeat the process. Place the biscuits on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper;brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with black pepper. Bale the biscuits for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. remove from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter. Serve with Dirty Sausage Gravy, or with any sweet condiment!

Dirty Sausage Gravy
1 T butter
1 LB Log sausage (I used Jimmy Dean -- perhaps if you are multiplying this several times -- which I suggest -- consider using a log of the HOT sausage, then omit the hot sauce)
4 T Flour
2 Cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Brown sausage and butter in skillet on medium heat, allow the crispy brown bits to form. mmmm. Add Flour and mix until well incorporated, allow to cook on medium for 3-4 minutes. Add cream, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and turn to low to simmer. Continue stirring until the gravy is the thickness your heart desires. Spread lavishly over buttermilk biscuits and take all the credit from your lucky eaters.

Cheese Zombies

2008-10-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

A couple people have been asking for this recipe and I thought that I already posted it. Sorry...I guess I forgot. So here it is. (I'll post a picture with it the next time that I make these)

Dough
(I use my bread machine and use the dough setting. Add all ingredients in this order so the yeast and water are on top. If you don't have a bread machine mix the water and yeast together and let it dissolve. Then add the remaining ingredients and let it rise for about an hour or until doubled.)
3 cups all purpose flour
3 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs. butter/margarine
2 Tbs. powdered milk
2 Tbs. yeast
1 1/8 c. water(warm to cold-Not Hot)

After the dough has risen and is done in the bread machine, split the dough into about 12-16 balls. Use a little bit of flour so it doesn't stick to your counter.

Flatten each ball into a disk and place 1 inch cubes of cheese in the middle. I use Velveeta because it melts really well but any kind is fine.

Then cover the cheese with the dough and make sure that you pinch it really well and seal it up, otherwise the cheese will melt out when you bake it.

Place all balls onto a greased cookie sheet and let rise until the desired size. About 1-2 hours. (If you cover it with seran wrap sprayed with PAM then it seems to rise faster.)

Bake in the over at 350*F for 12-15 mins or until lightly brown on top. When you remove it from the oven brush with butter. Let cool slightly and ENJOY!!

Pumpkin Bread

2008-10-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

This bread is delicious and moist. It tastes better the next day!

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans (I used PAM).

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, applesauce, oil, water and sugars until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

Bake for about 50 minutes. Insert toothpick to test for doneness.

**This recipe makes a LOT!! I used this amount of batter to make 12 muffins and four small loaves. The muffins turn out great. I put the loaves and muffins in at the same time and the muffins were done in about 20 minutes and loaves about 40.

**I love breads to have a glaze, so after the loaves came out of the oven, I punched holes with a fork and poured a glaze mix of butter, powdered sugar and cinnamon over it. But it still tastes great without!

Chicken Stir-Fry Wraps

2008-10-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, halved horizontally and thinly sliced
salt and black pepper
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes (depends on how spicy you want it)
3 T soy sauce
3 T rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 T water
12-18 Boston lettuce leaves (about 2 heads)

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 T oil over high heat. Add half the chicken; cook, stirring constantly, until opaque throughout, 2-4 min. Transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Add remaining 1 T oil to pan, along with the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender and golden, about 4 min (reduce heat if browning too quickly).
Reduce heat to medium; add garlic, ginger and red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.
Stir in soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch mixture; remove from heat. Add chicken and any accumulated juices; toss to coat. Serve in lettuce cups.

Found on Martha Stewart.com under light and healthy recipes.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

2008-10-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

BATTER:
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

PUMPKIN MIXTURE:
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
1/2 evaporated milk

TOPPING
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans (or walnuts)

Grease or spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
Mix together batter ingredients.
Pour 1/2 of batter mixture in the 9x13 pan.
Mix together the pumpkin ingredients.
Pour all of the pumpkin mixture over the batter.
Pour the remaining half of batter over the pumpkin. This step is a little difficult-it's okay that the pumpkin mixes in a little with the batter. (I just spooned little drops of batter over the pumpkin mixture.)
Make the topping and pour over batter.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50-60 minutes.
Let cool completely.

Enjoy! It is REALLY good!!

Apple Crumb Dessert

2008-10-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

This is probably a classic that everyone already has their favorite recipe. We had lots of apples so I just flew by the seat of my pants and made this, it probably exists in the world wide web but I didn't follow it I just made it up...well mostly.

Filling
9 apples (I used yellow ones I think they were Jonah Gold) (peeled, cored and cut into chunks)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2-3 tablespoons, lemon juice
1/4 cup flour (I actually forgot this so it was really watery, this will thicken it up)
1 TBSP-ish cinnamon

Topping
1 1/2 cup oats ground fine (I did it in my blender)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

For Filling
Mix all ingredients and pour into a 9x13 pan.

For Topping
Mix all dry ingredients and cut in butter until it is fine and crumbly. Spread on top of filling.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Serve warm with Vanilla ice cream!

GourmetChicken

2008-10-02T12:09:00.001-07:00

I got this recipe from Jalene S. It is really simple and completely delicious!

6 Chicken Breasts

6 slices of Cheddar Cheese (I use Colby Jack)

2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 cup milk

1 box Stuffing Mix

1 cup butter

Place chicken in bottom of casserole dish. Place a slice of cheese on top of each piece of chicken.

Mix mayonnaise Milk and Cream of Chicken soup. Pour over chicken. Spread dry stuffing over soup mixture.

Melt Butter and pour evenly over stuffing. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is tender

Edible Play-Doh

2008-09-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk

Mix all the ingredients. You will probably need to use more powdered milk to make the dough not super sticky and dry enough to handle. Sophie liked using the cookie cutters on it, and I love that I can let her play without saying, "yuck, don't eat that" every other second.

As a warning, the instant it goes in the fridge it gets brittle, a little hard and difficult to work with. The girl I got this from says that after they are done she rolls it into a snake and puts it in the fridge. After they are firm she cuts them into little "cookies" and they eat their snacks. Sophie didn't care about that, she just liked eating any old piece.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

2008-09-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

From Rachael Ray (I made some modifications)

1 can, 14 ounces, black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, half a palm full
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons italian dressing
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand at least 15 minutes for corn to fully defrost and flavors to combine, then toss and serve. The corn will also place a quick-chill on this easy side-salad as it defrosts -- no need to refrigerate!

Quesadillas

2008-09-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from the Food Network show Quick Fix Meals. These quesadillas are absolutely delicious!

Cooking spray

2 cooked chicken breast halves

8 (6 to 8-inch) flour tortillas

1/2 cup chopped red onions

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers (from water-packed jar)

1/2 cup sliced artichokes (from water-packed can or jar)

1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese, for each quesadilla

Coat a large skillet or griddle with cooking spray. Set pan over medium heat to preheat. Using a fork, pull chicken meat in shreds.

Arrange tortillas on a flat surface. Top 1 side of each tortilla with an equal amount of chicken, mushrooms, red peppers, and artichokes. Top vegetables with shredded cheese. Fold over tortillas, making a half moon. Place quesadillas in (or on) prepared pan and cook 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cheese melts.

**I mixed the chicken and vegetables in a bowl (see photo) and then placed on tortilla. It was much easier.

Homemade Oreo Cookies (Revised-not replacing)

2008-09-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

I just realized that this has already been posted. Even though both recipes are a little different they have the same theme and I am sure that both are very good. I am just trying to clean out my file box and posting as many recipes as I can so I don't have to save a million papers.

Cookies

2 pkgs. chocolate cake mix
4 eggs
2/3 c. canola oil

Mix the ingredients and roll into balls. I had to finish mixing with my hands as it was a little stiff. Cook 7-10 minutes at 350*. Cool.

Frosting

1 (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cube butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
5 c. powdered sugar
1 (8oz.) container of cool whip...save the empty carton.

Mix all ingredients together with a mixer. Frost middle of two cookies and put together. Enjoy!

There will be extra frosting so store it in the empty cool whip container in the freezer for more oreos at a later date.

Makes approximately 24 oreos.

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole

2008-08-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

5 1/2 c. prepared mashed potatoes
1/2 c. milk
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
2 tsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Place first seven ingredients in a large bowl. Beat on med-high. speed until smooth and creamy. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 in. dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bacon. Cover and bake at 350*F for 30 mins. or until heated through.
Yield: 12 servings

Hidden Valley Citrus Chicken Supper

2008-08-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

1 packet (1 oz.) ranch dressing mix
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 tbls. vegetable oil
1/3 c. chicken broth
3 TBS. orange marmalade (I used apricot/pineapple jam)

Saute chicken in oil until browned. Combine dressing mix, broth, and marmalade; pour on chicken. Cover and simmer for 3-4 mins. Makes 4 servings.

Serving Suggestions: Serve over rice and garnish with mandarin orangesand green onions.

No Bake Chocolate Toffee Cookies

2008-08-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

The measurements are a little weird just because it was converted from serving 100 people to 25 people. It is a girls camp recipe. Sorry the picture looks like mush.

3/4 c. +2 TBS. Unsalted butter
1/4 c. +# TBS. cocoa
3 1/8 c. Sugar
3/4 c. + 2 TBS. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 c. quick cooking oats
1 3/4 c. toffee bits

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a soft boil. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, then oats, then toffee bits. Crop by tablespoonfuls on wax paper and let harden. Serves 25.

Frozen Lemonade Squares

2008-08-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

18 squares HONEY MAID Low Fat Honey Grahams, finely crushed (about 1-1/4 cups crumbs)
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
1 qt. (4 cups) frozen vanilla yogurt, softened
1 can (6 oz.) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping

MIX graham crumbs and margarine. Press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch square pan.

BEAT yogurt and lemonade concentrate in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Spread over crust.

FREEZE 4 hours or until firm. Cut into squares. Top each square with a dollop of whipped topping. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs and lemon slices, if desired. Store leftover dessert in freezer.

Cowboy Caviar

2008-08-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
cumin, to taste
1 can black-eyed peas, drained
1 can shoe pegged corn, drained
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno, diced
1 avocado, diced

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Serve with chips. (It's a type of salsa)

Chinese Noodle Candy

2008-08-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

1 c. chocolate chips
2 c. peanuts
2 c. butterscotch chips
2 c. Chinese noodles

Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together. Stir in remaining ingredients and drop by spoonfuls into waxed paper. Sets up in a few minutes.

Chewy Lemon Bars

2008-08-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

1 lemon cake mix
1 egg
1/2 c. butter, melted
3 3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 eggs, beaten
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*F. Mix together cake mix, egg, and butter. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 in. pan.

In a separate bowl, mix together powdered sugar, beaten eggs, softened cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Spread mixture over bottom layer of cake mix.

Bake 30-40 mins., or until top layer turns a light golden brown.

Chunky Beef Vegetable Soup

2008-08-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

3 c. veggie juice
2 c. hot water
1 lb. beef for stew, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 c. frozen mixed veggies
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 c. ketchup
3 Tbls. beef-flavored instant bouillon
1/2 tsp. pepper

Add all ingredients into a slow cooker crock pot. Stir gently. Place lid on and cook on LOW of 8-9 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours or until beef is tender.

Chocolate-Banana Snacks

2008-08-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

10 toothpicks

1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 medium bananas

1/3 c. milk chocolate ready-to-spread frosting

1 tsp. multicolored candy sprinkles

Line small cookie sheet or plate with wax paper. Peel bananas and cut each banana into 5 chunks. Place banana chunks on wax paper. Insert toothpicks into each chunk. Place in freezer for 20 mins or until bananas are frozen.

Meanwhile, place chocolate chips in glass bowl and heat in microwave for 60-90 secs or until chocolate is melted. Add frosting and mix well. Microwave for another 15-20 secs. or until desired dipping consistency.

Dip each banana chunk into chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with candy sprinkles. Return to wax paper. (If chocolate mixture becomes too stiff to dip, microwave on High for 5-10 secs. or until softened.) Freeze dipped banana chunks for 1 hour or until chocolate is firm and bananas are frozen.

Tortillas

2008-08-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

1. Mix together 3 cups of flour and 1 tsp salt.
2. Add 1 cup of water and 1 Tbs vegetable oil and stir until it comes together. (I needed a little more water to get all the flour to be part of the party).
3. Make 12 balls of dough. (I only got 11.)
4.Flatten the dough with your hands or a rolling pin.
5. Spray a pan with Pam (or other such ingredient) and cook each tortilla over medium heat for 2 minutes each side. (Because I didn't roll them out very well I thought they would take more time, but it really only ended up being 5 minutes total to cook all the way through.)

I tried this recipe tonight, and though it was really quite tasty, I think I need to roll them out better, they were a little thick. Also, they tasted best with melted cheese, but what doesn't?!?

Neiman-Marcus Cookies

2008-08-15T10:21:00.001-07:00

(Recipe may be halved)
2 cups butter
24 oz. Chocolate chips
4 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. Soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 cups sugar
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
5 cups blended oatmeal
4 eggs
2 tsp. Baking powder
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar, and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie Sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
Makes 112 cookies.

Beef Bourguignonne

2008-08-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

Super Easy and Super Good!!! (Don't you love our fishy plates)

1 lb. beef sirloin or top round steak, cut into 1" cubes

1/4 c. flour

2 Tbls. oil

2 c. fresh sliced mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 c. fresh/frozen baby carrots

1 1/2 cans beef broth

Coat beef with flour. In a large skillet, cook beef in hot oil until browned, stirring often. Add mushrooms, garlic, and thyme and cook until mushrooms are tender. Add carrots and broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 mins. or until carrots and meat are tender. Serve over hot rice or mashed potatoes.

Yield: 4 Servings

Potato Wedges

2008-08-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

This recipe was borrowed from an AMAZING food blog that I frequent everyday. All the food is delicious; I have tried several recipes. If you haven't yet done so, browse through the recipes and I swear you will not be disappointed.

The potato wedge recipe can be found by clicking here and I don't want to post it again because it is Erica's recipe, but do try it! Very easy and Matt said they tasted better than restaurant french fries!

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Pizza

2008-08-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. Regular Flavor Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained
2 cans (8.5 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 cups frozen hash brown potato cubes, thawed
8 oz. (2 cups) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup each diced green, red and yellow bell pepper (optional)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Separate crescent rolls into sixteen triangles. Place in two ungreased 12" rimmed pizza pans with points toward the center. In each pan, press rolls together, seal perforations and form a circle 1" larger in diameter than bottom of pan. Turn edges under to make a slight rim. Sprinkle cooked sausage evenly over each crust. Top with potatoes; add peppers and/or green onions, if desired. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper in small bowl: stir well. Pour half of the egg mixture evenly over each pizza. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until eggs are set and crusts are golden.

Serving size:

Makes 2 pizzas

Summer Ice Cream

2008-08-01T19:37:00.001-07:00

Equal Parts Pineapple sherbet, softened (1/2 gallon)
and Vanilla Ice Cream, softened (1/2 gallon)
3 (10 oz) pgks. frozen strawberries or raspberries, thawed
5 bananas (each cut lengthwise in fourths and then sliced into bite size pieces)

Mix everything thoroughly being careful not to let the sherbet and ice cream to melt too much.
Refreeze.

Darn Good Chocolate Cake

2008-07-27T14:43:00.001-07:00

I am mainly putting this recipe on the blog so I don't loose it again. It is too good to forget. I got it out of the Cake Doctor Book.

1 pkg. devils food cake/or dark chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 c. sour cream
4 large eggs
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar(for dusting)

Mix first 6 ingredients together with a beater. Add chocolate chips. Pour into a greased and lightly dusted with flour bunt cake pan. Cook in oven at 350* for 45-50 mins. Remove from oven. Let cool for 20 mins. Remove from pan. Dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy warm with ice cream. Mmmm-mmmm...yummy!!

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

2008-07-11T16:26:00.000-07:00

5 pounds apples
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish.
Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the dish.

To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.

Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm.

Brigham City Peach Cobbler

2008-07-11T16:14:00.001-07:00

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 tsp almond extract
4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP butter
1 cup flour
2 TBSP sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
Ice cream or whipped topping (optional)

For filling, in a large saucepan combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add almond extract. Stir in peaches, lemon juice, and the 1 TBSP butter; heat through and keep warm while preparing topping.

For topping, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the 1/4 cup butter into the mixture until it resembles course crumbs. In a separate bowl, combine egg and milk; add all at once to flour mixture, stirring just to moisten. Turn hot filling into a greased 1.5 or 2 quart casserole dish. Immediately spoon on topping in 6 mounds. Bake at 400 for approximately 20 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

*also works well with raspberries and blackberries

Two Meals in One

2008-07-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is a great way to make one meal turn into another for two days of dinners.
(Picture is of day 2 Enchilladas before they are put in the oven.)

Day 1: Fajitas

3 lbs. pot roast(beef Chuck roast) Only $7 at Winco!!!
1 green pepper, julienned
1 onion, sliced
1 1/2 c. water
1 pkg. fajita seasoning mix

Combine all ingredients in to Crock pot and cook on high for 6 hours.
Last hour of cooking shred beef and add 1 c. brown/white rice to soak up juice.
Reserve about 2 1/2 c. meat mixture for day two.
Serve in tortillas with cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole...what ever sounds good.

Day 2: Enchiladas

Leftover fajita beef ( about 2 1/2 c. packed)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 can tomato soup
1 pkg. enchilada seasoning mix
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese
12 tortillas

Reheat fajita beef in microwave for about 2 mins with cream cheese. Stir together. Spread beef mixture over 12 tortillas, roll up and place in baking pan. Mix tomato soup and seasoning packet together. Spread on top of tortillas. Sprinkle cheese on top of sauce. Bake in oven at 350 for 30 mins. or until cheese is melted and food is heated through. Serve with sour cream and guacamole. Enjoy!!

Ice Cream Caramel Crunch Delight

2008-07-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

This is the ice cream dessert we served at April P.'s baby shower. Thanks to my old roommate Nadia for this awesomely decadent dessert.

1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 chopped pecans
1 cup margarine, melted
12 1/4 ounce jar caramel topping
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

1. Stir together the flour, oats, sugar, pecans and margarine.
2. Spread in a thin layer on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. Cool, then crumble.
3. Press 1/2 of crumb mixture into a 9x13 pan.
4. Add 1/2 of caramel topping, spread evenly (super hard to do, I just try to drizzle evenly).
5. Carefully spoon on the ice cream, spread evenly (once again, not easy to do without disturbing the crumbs. So I open up the ice cream box, slice the ice cream into 4-6 slices and place them on the caramel. Then I spread to fill in the cracks.)
6. Layer on 2nd half of caramel topping and the next 1/2 of the crumb mixture. Freeze immediately.
7. Cut into squares for serving.

5-minute Enchilada Casserole

2008-06-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

This is a 5-minute prep. And with all super quick meals I cannot promise good health, but it is delicious and easy.

Ingredients:
about 14 taquitos (frozen food) chicken or beef
1 large can of refried beans
1 can of enchilada sauce
1.5 cups shredded cheese

Spread refried beans into a 9x13 pan. Place frozen taquitos on top of refried beans. Spread enchilada sauce on top, sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes. serve with desired toppings like sour cream, olives, guacamole.

Cheddar Cheese Soup

2008-06-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2 to 3 carrots - grated
1 onion - chopped
7 ribs celery - chopped
1 large bunch broccoli
3 quarts water
1/2 cup chicken bullion
1 pound butter - melted (Do not substitute)
2 cups flour
1 16 oz. jar Cheese Whiz

Directions:
Mix the flour and melted butter in a separate bowl, set aside.
In a large pot, cover vegetables with 3 quarts of water. Cook until tender over stove top. Add 2 more quarts of water. Bring to a boil. Add chicken bullion. Stir in the flour/butter paste. Add the Cheese Whiz. Simmer 15 minutes to 1 hour. Stir frequently because it sticks easily.

Lemon Thyme Chicken

2008-06-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Set aside 4-1/2 teaspoons for sauce. Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture over both sides of chicken. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 7-9 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
In the same pan, sauté onion in butter until tender. Add thyme and reserved flour mixture; stir until blended. Gradually stir in the broth and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

The sauce was really tasty on top of the chicken.

Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

2008-06-29T10:18:00.001-07:00

Pillsbury Grands Refrigerator Biscuits (Home style, Butter, whatever)
Your favorite spaghetti/pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni, sausage, ect.

Preheat oven as directed on the biscuit package (I think it was 375*, but I could be totally wrong). Grease a muffin tin. Place biscuits, one to an opening, in muffin tin. Gently press the biscuit to form a cup around the sides of the muffin tin ... sort of like making a little cup to hold sauce, toppings, and cheese. Bake empty 'cups' for 8 minutes until puffy and just slightly brown. Remove from oven. Add a TBS of sauce, then sprinkle cheese, then sprinkle toppings. Return to oven and continue baking until cheese is melted and toppings are golden. Kids will love it!