Chocolate Wonder Cookies

These cookies came to our house during this holiday season from a friend. We quickly decided that we not only needed the recipe, but they needed a special name. We decided on Chocolate Wonder Cookies! They are delicious! And here is the super simple recipe (part of why they're such a wonder!)

1 box chocolate cake mix (the darker the better)
6 oz whipping cream
1 egg

Mix together.
Roll balls in powdered sugar. The balls are very sticky. Oil your hands if needed. Place balls on cookie sheet. They will puff up while baking but then flatten when you take them out. They are very smooshy! You have to be quick and use a good spatula to get them off. If you wait they will just be harder to move and will smoosh all together! (but, of course they'll still be yummy!)
Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Baking them longer will burn them--and they don't always look done at 8 minutes so don't be tricked!! Enjoy!!

Potato Casserole

or better known as Cheesy Potatoes!!

I know we have our own recipe for this and they're all pretty much the same. But I wanted to document this one for myself because it was the recipe my grandma always followed.

1 pkg (32oz) frozen hash brown potatoes
1 stick butter, melted
1 pint (or 2 cups) sour cream
1/2 cup onion, chopped (I omit the onions)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix and top with crushed potato chips. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.

Egg Souffle

My aunts recipe!

I am trying soon with wheat bread instead of white-hopefully it will taste just as yummy!

Egg Souffle

-grease 9x13 baking dish
-10 slices of bread-crusts removed, spread with margarine (i usually skip that step to save fat and calories). cut into cubes
- 1/2 lb of sharp cheddar cheese grated
-6 eggs
-3 cups milk
-1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp of dry mustard

sprinkle 1/2 bread cubes in bottom of dish, cover w/half cheese. layer again. mix eggs and milk together, salt and mustard as well. pour over. refrigerate 8 hours or all night. sprinkle w/paprika before baking

bake 1hr and 30 minutes in 275-300 degree over.
(keep an eye for browning and don't move when baking!)

-you can add sausage, bacon, mushrooms, whatever to the layers

ENJOY!!

Mashed Potatoes

Ummm....you should definitely make these. My sister made them for Thanksgiving and they were amazing!! There is an okay way to make mash potatoes and a right way--because mash potatoes can never be wrong. But these are definitely the right way! Enjoy!
Original recipe came from RealSimple.com

Serves 8Hands-On Time: 10mTotal Time: 40m

Ingredients

• 4 pounds red potatoes (about 8), halved
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 scallions, chopped

Directions

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot. Add cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.
2. Add the sour cream, milk, butter, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and mash. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, cover, and set over a pot of simmering water to keep warm, up to 1 hour.

Chicken Marsala Florentine

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law made this for a few weeks back. I have been dreaming about since then! I finally made it again last night and it was just as dreamy. :)

Chicken Marsala Florentine
original here

(It is great with rice or mashed potatoes)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup butter
3 cups sliced portobello mushrooms
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup packed fresh spinach
1 cup Marsala wine

Directions

Place chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper, and pound to 1/4 inch thick with a meat mallet. Dust chicken with flour, salt , pepper and oregano.
In a skillet, fry chicken in olive oil over medium heat. Cook until done, turning to cook evenly. Set aside, and keep warm.
In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat; add mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and Marsala wine. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in spinach, and cook for about 2 minutes. Serve over chicken.

***in reviews, people said they cut the amount of butter in half. it tastes good the way it is written, but that is a lot of butter. so I might try that next time....I also added more then double the spinach***

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

I made these to take to Keith and Shelley's the other night and everyone really liked them! Then, we left the pan on the back of the car when we were leaving and lost the rest of the bars and the pan! Sad!! Oh well, I'll just have to make some more!

Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
1 2/3 c sugar
1 c oil
1 15 oz. can pumpkin (about 2 cups)
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Beat the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until fluffy. In a separate bowl mix the rest of the ingredients and then add to the pumpkin mixture.

Bake in an ungreased 15x10x1 pan 25-30 minutes @ 350. Let cool and spread with cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
3 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar
milk as needed to moisten

Beat together, adding powdered sugar slowly. Add milk to make good spreadable consistency.
Store in fridge. Freezes well.

I made a few healthier changes to the pumpkin bars and they were still really good!
For the 1 c. oil I used melted coconut oil. And I used half regular flour and half white whole wheat flour. Yummo!

Pesto Chicken Salad

best chicken salad. my vote! YYUUUMM!!!!!!

Pesto Chicken Salad

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup commercial pesto (such as Buitoni)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups cubed skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1 cup diced celery
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in chicken, celery, and walnuts.

original HERE

Blarney Stone Bread in the Bread Machine

This is the bread that I make every week for our home group. It is always gone at the end of the night!!

1/2 c old fashion oats
5/8 c milk
1 egg
2 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. wheat germ (optional - I add it because I like it, but it's not in the original recipe)
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine in order suggested by manufacturer. I use the Light bake setting on my machine and it comes out great every time. I usually check it a few minutes into the kneading cycle and add a little water or a little flour to make sure the dough is the right consistency. Usually if I have to add anything it's water.

Enjoy!!

Fruit Custard Pie

Made this tonight with end of season raspberries from the Farmer's Market - this has to be my favorite pie ever!!

2 c. washed fruit (raspberries or peaches - you could use frozen if you wanted, but fresh tastes best!)
3/4 sugar
3 rounded Tbsp. flour
1 c. cream or evaporated milk

In a mixing bowl, mix together sugar and flour. Add cream or evaporated milk and mix together.

Use 9 in pie pan and crust. You can use store bought crust or make your own (I'm not at that level yet.) Place fruit in bottom of crust. Pour mixture over fruit. Add a little (not too much) more evaporated milk or cream to fill the pie out (not to the top, and the fruit doesn't have to be submerged, just surrounded, if that makes sense).

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then reduce to 325 and bake for 30-50 more minutes. Pie is set when it is just a little jiggly like jello and a little bubbly on the edges. Cool pie in refrigerator or freezer and eat once cooled. Yum!!

Oatmeal Banana Pancake

Okay these were DELICIOUS!!

We love pancakes, but they are so pointless to eat! I have been making them from scratch, rationalizing that that made in healthy :), so I was SO SO excited to find this recipe! I made the homemade syrup, but it never thickened. Yet these were so yummy, we all skipped syrup and ate them plain. Paired with chicken sausage, YUM YUM!

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Banana Pancakes
Source: Clean Eating magazine
Makes 10 to 12 five inch pancakes, or 20 four inch pancakes

For the syrup:
1 cup Pomegranate Juice
2 tablespoons of honey

For the pancakes:
3 medium bananas (I used frozen), plus 1 sliced banana for garnish
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats, ground to a course flour in food processor
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 egg whites, whipped to soft peaks
Olive Oil cooking spray

Whisk juice and honey together in saucepot. Bring mixture to boil over medium high heat, then drop the heat to medium. Simmer mixture and reduce it to syrup, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let syrup cool before using. (Mine thickened as it cooled.)

To make pancakes, add bananas, milk and vanilla to blender and puree until smooth. In large mixing bowl, whisk together ground oats, rolled oats, flour, salt and baking powder. Fold banana puree into dry ingredients to a form a thick batter, taking care not to overwork it. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites into batter. Heat a large nonstick griddle coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Drop 1/4 cup batter for 5-inch pancakes onto griddle. Cook until lightly browned, about 1 1/2 per side. Serve with banana slices and a drizzle of pomegranate syrup.

I found this recipe HERE!

Crockpot Enchiladas

I got this from a friend years ago and just re-found it! YUM! We served with guac, salsa, sc, black beans and spanish rice.

Crockpot Enchiladas
1 lb. ground beef, cooked (
1 medium onion, sautéed
1/2 tsp. Adobo seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 whole wheat flour tortillas
1 can corn, drained
1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
sour cream
In a bowl, combine ground beef, onion, Adobo, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, mix the Rotel and enchilada sauce. Place 2 tortillas in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place half of the following in layers over the tortillas: meat, corn, sauce mixture, and cheese. Repeat layers. Cook on low 5-6 hours.

turkey meatball subs

These were really really really good. So worth the work. The sauce is so delicious! YUM! Though the original recipe says 1 tbsp of garlic salt WAY too much, i halved that and had double the recipe, so i think she meant to say 1 tsp!

Turkey Meatball Subs

Ingredients:
For Red Pepper Sauce:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 large red peppers, roasted (or large can of roasted red peppers)
1 large (28 oz) can whole tomatoes, lightly drained and coarsely chopped
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp crushed chili peppers
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
For Meatballs:
1 lb. lean ground turkey or beef (we like Shady Brook Farms turkey)
1 Tbsp garlic salt
2 tsp parsley, minced
1 tsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp oil

3 sub rolls
3-4 slices deli provolone cheese, sliced in half

Directions:
-In bowl of food processor, pulse roasted red peppers until relatively smooth and set aside
-In large saucepan, over medium heat, heat oil
-Add diced onion and cook until translucent and just beginning to brown.
-Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds
-Add pureed red peppers and chopped tomatoes and heat until starting to bubble.
-Turn heat to a simmer and add remaining sauce ingredients, stirring to combine and cover.
-Meanwhile, in medium bowl combine meat, onion, and spices.
-Form 3-in wide balls with mixture.
-Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
-Place meatballs in pan so that none are touching.
-Cook, not moving, until side is well browned (about 5 min).
-Rotate each meatball 1/4 turn and brown each side before turning again (about 3-min per side)
-Make sure meatballs are cooked through and add to red pepper sauce.
-Cut open sub rolls along side and place, open faced, on baking sheet.
-Scoop out a bit of the bread from the bottom of the sub roll to make room to rest the meatballs.
-Turn broiler on high setting.
-Spoon three meatballs (or as many as you'd like) onto the roll and spoon over some additional sauce.
-Place 2-3 half slices of provolone on top of meatballs and place the baking sheet into the oven.
-Cook until cheese has melted to desired gooeyness (<-- that's a technical word).
-Remove from oven, plate and half.
-Enjoy!

Original Recipe HERE

Chicken Lime Tacos

I've made these several times and they are always a big hit. Enjoy!

1 1/2 lbs. chicken, cubed
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
juice of 1 lime
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4-5 green onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp fresh cilantro (or to taste)
Flour tortillas

Sauté chicken in a medium skillet in a little oil for a few minutes until chicken becomes white all around. Combine vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic and cilantro and add to chicken. Simmer for an extra 10-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add chicken to tortillas and top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, or any other taco topping you like!

Original recipe found here.

Our Favorite Beef Chili

Chili
1 lb. beef for stew
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup green pepper
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2-3 tsp of chili powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp pepper

Cook beef, onion, and garlic in pan until onion is tender. I put this mixture in the crockpot on low one day before I want to serve the chili. This might be unnecessary, but I like the beef to be very tender. In the morning I pull apart the beef and add all the other ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 additional hours. I always double this recipe.
Optional: serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and fritos.

cheesecake-marbled brownies

I have been waiting to make these and small group was the perfect time last night! YUM!

cheesecake-marbled brownies

Makes 16 2-inch square, thick brownies

Brownie batter
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Cheesecake batter
8 ounces cream cheese, well softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Plus
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Make brownie batter: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Heat butter and chocolate in a 3-quart heavy saucepan — though I did mine double-boiler style, placing the mixing bowl I was using over simmering water, thereby creating one less dirty dish and melting the chocolate more gently — over moderately low heat, whisking occasionally, just until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Whisk in flour until just combined and spread in baking pan.

Make cheesecake batter: Whisk together cheesecake batter ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Dollop over brownie batter, then swirl in with a knife or spatula.

[I actually like using a butter knife because the tip of it is round enough that you can use it to fold bits of the brownie batter over the cheesecake batter for a more visibly marbled effect. Try it!]

Sprinkle chocolate chips over cheesecake/brownie batter swirl. Although it might be more logical to just mix them into the cheesecake batter (and feel free to do this, it will have no ill-effect) I thought it might interrupt the swirl-ability of it.

Bake brownies: Bake until edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

original HERE

Two-Corn Polenta

Oh this was YUMMY!! So very very yummy. The kids really like it too!

Two-Corn Polenta

1 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 large garlic cloves 1 med onion
4 ears corn, husked
3 c water
1/2 c cornmeal
2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 c shredded asiago cheese
1/8 c fresh basil leaves, chopped

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté 5-7 minutes, until onion is translucent. With a serrated knife, cut corn kernels off ear, directly into the pan. Stirring, sauté 3 minutes. Add water, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook, stirring often, 30 minutes. Turn off heat, and stir in asaigo and basil.

Original found HERE. (I also cut the asiago cheese in half-still had enough flavor for us!)

Spinach Salad

I got this salad recipe from my friend Alexa and it is YUMMY!!

Spinach Salad

Dressing:
1/3 c. white vinegar
¾ c. canola or olive oil
1/3 c. sugar
2 T. green onion
1 t. salt
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 T. poppy seeds
Mix in a blender or food processor and let stand 4 hours.

Salad ingredients:
10 oz. package baby spinach leaves, washed
6-8 slices bacon, fried and crumbled (I sometimes use Hormel real bacon bits in a jar)
¾ c. dried cranberries (or dried cherries)
1 ripe pear, coarsely chopped
6 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
¾ c. pecan pieces (best lightly toasted, but who has time for that?)

I followed the recipes as shown, used the dried cherries and peeled the pear before I chopped it up. The dressing is esp. yummy!! Enjoy!

Saucy Broccoli Chicken Bake

This is a favorite in my house. Easy, tasty, makes great leftovers!

Saucy Broccoli Chicken Bake
:
16 ounces frozen broccoli florets (or about 3 cups fresh broccoli florets)
3 cups cooked cubed chicken
pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup*
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup chicken broth
paprika, optional
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups rice (uncooked measurement), cooked according to package instructions (should make 4 1/5 cups of cooked rice)
Instructions:
1. In covered saucepan, cook broccoli in water just until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. In greased 9 x 13 baking dish, spread broccoli across bottom and sprinkle chicken evenly on top. Generously sprinkle black pepper over chicken.
3. In mixing bowl, combine cream soups, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, and chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle paprika on top if desired.
4. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Spread cheese on top and bake 5-10 minutes longer, until melted and slightly browned.
5. While casserole is baking, cook rice. Serve the chicken and broccoli mixture over hot rice.

Original Recipe found HERE

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

We had berries in our CSA basket today and I didn't want them to go to waste! This recipe was perfect! Enjoy!

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons white sugar for decoration (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, egg whites, and, if using, lemon extract. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just blended. Gently stir in the frozen raspberries. Spoon batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining sugar over the tops for decoration, if desired.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool muffins in the tin on a wire rack.
Original Recipe HERE

Marinated Flank Steak

Oh this was GOOD!

Marinated Flank Steak

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds flank steak

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and ground black pepper. Place meat in a shallow glass dish. Pour marinade over the steak, turning meat to coat thoroughly. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 hours.
(you can grill as directed below, or I broiled it. On high, maybe 6-8 minutes on each side)
Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
Oil the grill grate. Place steaks on the grill, and discard the marinade. Grill meat for 5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Original recipe HERE

Curried Lentils and Rice

If you guys have been following my blog, you know that we are trying to eat a vegetarian meal at least once a week. I made this last week, and it is one of the few meatless meals that got the "you can make this again" approval from both Jer and I, so I thought I'd share, in case you're looking for a pretty good (and cheap!) meatless meal.

Curried Lentils and Rice

Cook dried lentils first.

1 Cup dried brown lentils
2 1/2 cups water
2 bullion cubes (chicken, beef or vegetable - I used chicken because that's what I have, but probably should have used vegetable, right?) :)
1 tsp salt (I would omit this, or at least cut it back a lot, because the bullion cubes make it salty enough)

Put all above ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 min.

Then you'll need:

1/4 cup butter
1 onion (chopped) (I omitted this and just used onion powder)
4 carrots (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tsp. salt (again, I would use less salt)
2 Tbsp. curry powder
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Saute butter, onion, carrots and garlic
Add the salt and curry powder for just a moment
Add cooked lentils and lemon juice and stir all together
Cook until heated through

Serve over brown rice (or white, if you prefer)

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

These were super yummy!! I am trying so hard to not go to my fridge right now and eat the rest! :)

Original Recipe found HERE

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars


Crust
1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 9″-square baking pan. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides. Butter the parchment paper.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter until crumbs are moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Press crust mixture into bottom of pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Set pan on wire rack to cool.
Cookie Dough
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Using an electric mixer, mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth. Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

Filling
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar just until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended. Pour batter into baked crust. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling.

Bake about 30-35 minutes, or until set. Transfer to wire rack.

For chocolate topping, melt 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave. (Tip: put the chocolate chips into a zipper bag and heat on 50% power for a few minutes. Cut the corner off the bag and squeeze the bag to make drizzling less messy). Use a teaspoon to drizzle chocolate over top of bars. Cool bars in pan completely, about an hour. (Stick the bars in the freezer for 5 minutes to set quickly if you're in a hurry).

Using the edges of the parchment paper, remove bars from pan. Cut into bars (clean the knife after each cut) and serve.

Zucchuni Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yum! We love these! Enjoy! They freeze really well too.

ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
(Makes about two dozen)

1 egg, beaten
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Combine in large bowl.

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Combine in a separate, small bowl and blend into liquid mixture

1 cup finely shredded zucchini
12 oz chocolate chips

Stir these into other ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonful onto greased baking
sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350°, 10 to 15 minutes.

Original recipe here

Clone of a Cinnabon

Clone of a Cinnabon.

So I found this a while back and LOVED it! Its a bit of work, but well worth it. I even have my mom hooked and she requested that I posted it here, since she uses recipes on our site too!:)

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup margarine, melted
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Visit the Original recipe here.

To die for Blueberry muffins

To-Die-For Blueberry muffins

As most of you know, muffins are a staple in my house, okay so more of an addiction:) We just tried this recipe and I have to agree...they are to die for!

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
3. To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Visit the original post here.

Chicken Gnocchi Stew

We LOVED this soup. Loved it. New favorite and I bet it will taste even better in the winter!!!!!!!!

Enjoy!

Chicken Gnocchi Stew

2 Tbls. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, pealed & thinly sliced on a diagonal
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded*
1 quart (32 oz) chicken stock
2 cans stewed tomatoes (2-15 oz. cans or 1-28 oz. can)
1 1/2 lbs. gnocchi (pasta isle or freezer section)
1/4 c. basil leaves, torn
grated parmesan cheese

Heat a large pot over med-low heat with olive oil, about 2 turns of the pan. Add bacon & cook through, until golden & crispy. Remove it to a paper towel-lined plate & reserve.

Turn the heat up to high & add garlic & toast slightly. Add the onion, carrots & bay leaf, cook 3-4 minutes, until the onion starts to get tender. Season the veggies with salt & pepper, add the reserve bacon & shredded rotisserie chicken to the pan. Pour in the chicken stock & stewed tomatoes, & bring up to a bubble.

Once the stew has come up to a boil, add gnocchi & cook according to package (they'll sink-then wait till they stay floating for a few minutes; about 3-4 minutes). Once gnocchi are done, remove pan from the heat, stir in the basil & serve with grated parmesan at the table.


*tip: if rotisserie chicken is still warm/HOT from purchase, place in freezer or fridge while you prepare the rest of your ingredients; then shred without your hands burning!


Original Recipe HERE

Asian Noodle Salad

This was SUPER yummy and a great vegeterain alternative! Warning, it makes a BUNCH so make sure you have a large crowd, or don't put all of the sauce on! Oh and make sure you grab CILANTRO, not parsley. :)


Asian Noodle Salad

SALAD INGREDIENTS:
1 packages linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled
1/2 to 1 head sliced Napa cabbage
1/2 to 1 head sliced purple cabbage
1/2 to 1 bag baby spinach
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 orange bell pepper, sliced thin (if available)
1 small bag bean sprouts (also called “mung bean sprouts”)
3 sliced scallions
3 peeled, sliced cucumbers (I didn’t have a cucumber for the photos above, but they’re yummy in the salad)
LOTS of chopped cilantro—up to one bunch
1 can whole cashews, lightly toasted in skillet (again, I didn’t have them for the photos, but have used them before and they’re…sublime.)
DRESSING:
Juice of 1 lime
8 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 hot peppers or jalapenos, chopped
More chopped cilantro—LOTS
Mix together salad ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on platter.
*Dressing keeps up to three days before serving, WITHOUT cilantro.

Original Recipe HERE

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

YUM!!! Have made these twice this week. DELICIOUS!!


COOKIES

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Original Recipe HERE

Veggie and Cheese Bagel Sandwich

If you've never been to the Pioneer Woman's cooking site you must stop and go NOW. She has some amazing recipes. And if you've never heard of the Pioneer Woman you ABSOLUTELY must go RIGHT now. Stay awhile and explore. She is a talented lady and I'm positive you'll find some inspiration. Go on. Go.
Now, if you're still with me I'd like to make sure you try this recipe of the PW's. We had it yesterday and it was wonderful. Fresh, healthy, and perfect for summer! Enjoy!

Dill Oyster Crackers

You'll have to guess at some of the measurements. But I don't think you can go wrong! My kids loved making them--and eating them!

Dill Oyster Crackers

1 bag of oyster crackers
1 tbsp dillweed
lemon pepper
garlic powder
3/4 cup oil

Bake at 350° for 5-10 minutes.

Pesto Bowties with Chicken

Got this one off the side of a pasta box ages ago. We had it this week and it won the approval of everyone.

Pesto Bowties with Chicken

6 oz (1/2 pkg) Bowtie pasta
1 pkg (1/2 oz) pesto sauce mix (I use pesto sauce from a jar)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil (or less if you used pre-made pesto)
8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
8 oz cooked chicken, shredded or cut in chunks

Cook pasta and drain. In large bowl stir together pesto sauce mix, water, and oil with fork until blended. Add pasta, cheese, tomatoes, and chicken; toss to coat.

Hamburger Curry (Kima)

This is a recipe that my mom made alot when I was growing up. She had a friend that grew up as an MK in India and taught her how to make "real" curry, but it was a little time consuming, so she came up with this recipe as an easier alternative. You can adjust the curry seasoning to your taste if you like it more or less spicy.

1 lb. ground beef (I usually just use 3/4 of a lb.)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
8 oz. can tomato sauce + 1 can of water
1 capful Curry Powder
Dash each of Ginger, Turmeric, Cinnamon
Veggies of your choosing - I usually add frozen peas or green beans, also fresh zucchini is really good and it is almost in season around here, or any other veggies (frozen or fresh) that you like.
Pita pockets, rice and plain yogurt

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet with salt, pepper and onion powder (or diced onions, but we don't like those at our house) :)
Drain off extra fat and add the tomato sauce and water, potatoes and other veggies (not the frozen ones yet), curry powder and a dash each of ginger, turmeric and cinnamon.
Simmer until potatoes/veggies are cooked and flavors have melded together.
Add frozen peas or beans or other frozen veggies and heat through.

Serve with pita pockets or rice, or both, and plain yogurt if desired to cut the spiciness. We usually eat it by putting rice in the bottom of the pita pocket and the curry on the top and eating it like a Curry Pocket.

Italian Beef Dippers

We had this for lunch yesterday and it was so filling that John and I skipped dinner. So it might not be that healthy (see nutrition info below) but it seems justifiable when it's 2 meals, right? And we thought it was YUMMY! Which is always the most important thing to me!

Italian Beef Dippers
Pillsbury Kids Cookbook Copyright 2005

1 can (18.5 ounces) ready-to-serve French onion soup
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
3/4 pound thinly sliced roast beef from the deli
6 crusty French rolls (each 3 to 4 inches long)
6 slices ( 3/4 ounce each) provolone cheese

Pour the soup into a saucepan. Measure out the Italian seasoning. Toss it in the saucepan. Mix the soup and the seasoning.

Heat the soup over medium heat until it is hot. Stir every once in a while. Add the slices of beef to the soup. Continue to heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until soup and beef are heated all the way through. Stir every once in a while so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan

Use a serrated knife to cut the French rolls in half sideways on the cutting board. Use a slotted spoon to remove the slices of beef from the soup. Put the beef on the bottom halves of the rolls. If you like onions, put a few onions from the soup on the beef.

Cut each slice of cheese into two pieces. Put two pieces of cheese on top of the beef on each sandwich. Cover the beef and cheese with the top halves of the rolls.

Scoop out 1/3 cup soup and put it in one of the custard cups. Put the same amount of soup in each of the other custard cups. (If there's any soup left over, divide it into the cups.) Serve the sandwiches with the warm soup for dipping.

Makes 6 servings.

Approximate values per serving: 280 calories, 10 g fat, 47 mg cholesterol, 20 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 1,410 mg sodium, 32 percent calories from fat.

Ice Cream Cake

I made an ice cream cake this weekend for the family and it turned out so well.

I started out with this recipe and the girls helped me choose the ice cream flavor. We decided on cookies and cream ice cream with Hershey's cookies and creme candy bars. How could we go wrong, right?

Basic Ice Cream Cake Recipe

15 3 Tb 2 2 quarts 12 oz

Chocolate crème-filled sandwich cookies Butter or margarine Favorite candy bars Flavored ice cream (your choice) Frozen whipped topping, thawed

Multicolored sprinkles or small candy decorations

On a cutting board, finely chop cookies, 2-3 at a time. Place butter in small microwave-cooker. Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds or until melted. Mix in cookie crumbs. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of a springform pan. Freeze 15 minutes.

Cut candy bar into 4-5 pieces; wrap in plastic wrap and freeze 10 minutes. Chop into small pieces.

Cut ice cream container apart to expose block of ice cream. Cut half of ice cream into 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange ice cream slices over cookie crust, cutting pieces to fit. Spread into a smooth layer. Sprinkle with chopped candy bar. Top with remaining ice cream prepared the same way as first layer. Smooth top with spreader. Cover with aluminum foil. Freeze 3 hours or overnight.

Attach open star tip to a decorator. Fill tube with whipped topping and set aside. Run knife around edge of ice cream cake. Release collar from pan. Lightly frost top and side of ice cream cake with remaining whipped topping. Decorate with whipped topping using decorator. Top with sprinkles. Freeze 1 hour or overnight. Once whipped topping is frozen lightly cover cake with plastic wrap.

To serve, cut into wedges. (If cake was frozen overnight, place in refrigerator 10 minutes before slicing.)

Yield: 12 servings

Baked Beans

Our poor abandoned blog needs some new recipes!! So here's just one. I hope to add more, because it's not like I haven't been cooking! I've just been to busy to mention it here!

I made this recipe for one of the family Easter lunches. Everyone who likes Baked Beans really liked this recipe and told me to make sure I save it! So here I am.

I used the recipe that I found here. Except for a couple changes noted below.

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 (28 ounce) cans baked beans
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1/2 cup chopped cooked ham
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place bacon and onions in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine beans, molasses, mustard, salt, tomatoes, brown sugar, dry mustard, ham, onions and crumbed bacon. Mix well and transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish.
4. Bake in preheated oven, covered, for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for 1 hour more.

Ok, my friends. Confession time. I totally skipped cooking the bacon and onion on the stovetop and substituted onion powder and pre-packaged crumbled bacon. I know, I know. BUT have one who lives in my home who (I don't use this word lightly) hates the smell that lingers in the house for the next 2 days. SO, I made the adjustment for him and like I said above, everyone still loved it. Oh, and I also cooked the whole mixture on the stovetop for 1 hour and did the second hour in the oven.

And I'm adding a new category: summer food!! Let's make it a yummy season!

Chocolate Cake

The best chocolate cake. EVER. My aunt's recipe!! YUP!!

Betty Crocker's Best Chocolate Cake

2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 stick butter (8T or 1/2 cup)
4 oz choc bake

Preheat oven 350 degrees
grease and flour 9x13 aluminum pan
Measure dry ingredients into mixing bowl
Zap butter until softened
Zap choco bake for 20 seconds
Add buttermilk, water, eggs vanilla, butter and chocolate
Mix 30 seconds on low
Scrape bowl. Mix again on high for 3 minutes
Pour into pan
Bake for 38 minutes and check w/tooth pick
Cool completely

Glossy Icing

3 T butter
3 oz Choco Bake
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 t salt
1/3 C milk
1 t vanilla

Melt butter and choco on low in sauce pan. Add sugar, salt, milk and vanilla. Whip all together with wire wisk until mixed. Stick the pan in the freezer and check in a few minutes. Whip up and put on cake.

YYUUUMMMMM!!!!

I made these up for lunch today and they were delicious! And healthy-ish. And I took a picture and as Christine has said, we need some pictures!

Yumminess

whole wheat tortilla
turkey
bacon bits
red pepper
cucumber
ranch dressing
parmesan cheese
bean sprouts
tomato

Put on warm tortilla and warm it up!!!!
My kids loved them and didn't even know there were bean sprouts in them!

Vegetable Soup

We've been eating a lot of soup this winter. It's comforting, can be extremely healthy, and cheap too. So here's the recipe of the soup I made tonight.

Vegetable Soup

• 1 pound beef for stew (I usually buy mine pre-cut, cause I'm lazy and busy too)
• 1 clove of garlic
• a little flour
  
• 1 (46 ounce) bottle V8 vegetable juice
• 2 cups of chicken/beef/vegetable broth (this is approximate - I just emptied the box I had in the frig from last week. So add as much as you want, I say)
  
• 1/4 of an onion, chopped (we can't tolerate much onion in our home, so use more if you want)
  
• 2 carrots, sliced
  
• 2 potatoes, diced
• 2 cups of frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can green beans (I would have used fresh if they were in season)
  
• 1 pinch ground ginger (I'm not sure why, but I tried it)
  
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Throw some flour, salt, and pepper along with the meat into a ziploc bag and shake it around a bit. Heat a little olive oil in the bottom of your pan and brown a clove of garlic. Then throw the meat in there. Let it brown the outside and then drain the fat. Put the beef back in the pot along with all the other ingredients. Let it cook for over an hour or all afternoon. This would also do great in the crockpot.

I hope these instructions aren't too general. You pretty much can't go wrong on this one, so enjoy making yours just right for your family!

Chicken Tequila Fettuccin

Oh this was YUMMY! We left out the tequilia. I don't even know what tequlia tastes like. I just refused to buy a bottle for 3 T. :)

Chicken Tequila Fettuccine

INGREDIENTS

* 1 (16 ounce) package fettuccine pasta
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 cup chicken stock
* 3 tablespoons tequila
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
* 1/4 red onion, sliced
* 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
* 1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
* 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
* 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, saute the cilantro, garlic and jalapeno pepper in 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the stock, tequila and lime juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until reduced to a paste-like consistency. Set aside.
2. Pour soy sauce over the chicken and set aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, In a medium sized skillet, saute the onion and the red, green and yellow bell peppers with the remaining tablespoon of butter or margarine, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, cook fettuccine according to package directions.
4. When the peppers have wilted, add the chicken and soy sauce. Toss and add the reserved tequila/lime paste and cream. Bring to a boil. Gently simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick. Toss with well drained fettuccine and garnish with cilantro. Serve.

I found the recipe here!

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1/2 onion chopped
1 T olive oil
1 big can diced tomatoes
2 cans chicken broth
1 jar green enchilada sauce
1 can tomato soup
1 t chili powder
1 t garlic salt
1 t paprika
1 t worchestershire sauce
1 t tabasco sauce (i usually lave this out-you can add if needed/wanted!)
2-3 chicken breasts cut up

chop onion and brown in olive oil
combine remaining ingredients and and simmer for atleast an hour
put in warm chicken

serve with chips, cheese, sour cream YUM!!! we really enjoyed the flavor (and simplicity) of this!

Originally found HERE

Chicken Salad

This was a staple in my parents house and has become one in ours! YUMMYY!!! It is a chunkier salad-usually eaten plain or on lettuce

Chicken Salad

4-5 diced chicken breasts, cooked
4 bacons strips, chopped up
1 can sliced water chestnuts drained (8oz)
1/2 cup thin sliced celery
1 cup halved grapes

3/4 cup mayo
1 T dried parsley flakes
2t minced onion
1 t lemon juice
1/4 t ground ginger
dash worsches-tirse sauce
salt and pepper

combine chix-grapes
in another bowl, mix dressing.
mix together and chill!

YYUUUMMM!!! we double this and it is always done So quick!

Salsa

This is the salsa recipe I always use (originally from Sara Bowyer)

Salsa!!

put part of a small purple onion in the food processor. when chopped, add:

1/2 lime squeezed
can chopped green chilies
1 jalapeno (take it or leave it-it can make it crazy spicy sometimes!)
handful of cilantro
some: salt, pepper, garlic, salt

run food processor till mixed

pour in large can of tomatoes, don't run too much, it will become salsa soup!

it is the BEST and I think tastes better then ones made with fresh tomatoes!!

Easy Baked Salmon

I don't like fish very much, but this is super easy and delicious!!! Even my kids will eat it (well, some of them!)

Baked Salmon

2 cloves of garlic
6 T olive oil
1 t dried basil
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 T lemon juice
1 T parsley
2 salmon filets (I just use whatever amount I have)

Mix all ingredients, put over fish and cover for at least an hour
375 degrees
wrap in foil, place in dish, cook for 35-45 minutes

YUM!

Carmel Shortbread Squares

I found this recipe and love these! They aren't quite like a twix, but definitely similar. I also attached another readers changes because I followed those with the recipe as well.

INGREDIENTS 

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips (added a little milk)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
2. In a medium bowl, mix together 2/3 cup butter, white sugar, and flour until evenly crumbly. Press into a 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
3. In a 2 quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust (warm or cool). Cool until it begins to firm.
4. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir and continue to heat and stir at 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly to cover completely. Chill. Cut into 1 inch squares. These need to be small because they are so rich.

Another readers changes:

I greased and floured a 9x9 pan and they came out looking just like the picture. I poked holes in the raw shortbread and then cooked for the time stated...then let it cool for only about 10 minutes....then added the carmel mixture (I did add a little extra milk)...let it set up well and then melted the chocolate with a little bit of half and half. I put it in the fridge for about a half hour...scored them and then let them sit in the pan...in the fridge all night. 

You can find the original recipe here.

Edible Playdough

So this is something that I grew up making and LOVED and now Noah loves it too. Its a great snack, but it is pretty sweet. Its great with raisins, fruit, pretzels...you name it.

Edible Playdough

1 c. Peanut Butter

1 Tbl. butter

1/3 c. honey

3/4 c. dry milk (I use non dairy creamer-its easier to find)

Mix it all together and enjoy playing:)

Chicken Enchiladas

I got this recipe from the same website as below and thought they were delicious! I have made many many enchilada recipes, but this was the easiest and tastiest! And since I got some rotisserie chickens half off last week, 3 cups of cooked chicken was super easy-I just had to defrost it!!! Enjoy!!!!!!

Chicken Enchiladas

3 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C sour cream
1 C chopped cilantro
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 can (4 oz) green chilies
1 C shredded cheese
1 1/2 t minced garlic
1 t cumin
tortillas
1 jar (16oz) green salsa
1/2 C water

-grease 13x9 dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees
-mix chicken, half sour cream, half cilantro, red peppers, chilies, 1/4 C cheese, garlic, cumin. warm tortillas.
-in blender, puree salsa, water, remaining sour cream and cilantro. Spread 1 C in bottom of dish
-put mixture in tortillas and place in pan
-pour remaining sauce over tortillas
-bake for 35 minutes
-cover with remaining cheese and bake for 15 more minutes

YUUMMMYYYYY!!!!!!! I also added a can on enchilada sauce on top (just b/c we had one handy and we like sauce) and used more cheese.

Original recipe here!

Mint Chocolate Brownies

I made these for small group on Friday and then we cancelled and i figured I would just save them for next week. It is Sunday and there are only four left in the freezer. They are SO SO SO Good!!!!


(I totally stole this picture from the blog I got this recipe from-lets hope she doesn't sue me, but I had to show how yummy they looked!!!!!!!!!!)


Mint Chocolate Brownies

******First Layer******

2 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs beaten
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup nuts (i didn't add these)

-line 8x8 with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray
-oven 350 degrees
-in saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat
-combine in mixing bowl with sugar and eggs
-add flour and nuts and combine well
-pour batter into pan and bake 20-25 minutes (mine took a little longer)
-cool completely

******Second Layer******

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon of peppermint extract
green food coloring

-mix all together and spread over cooled brownies

******Third Layer******

2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 Tablespoons of butter

-melt together in saucepan
-pour over green frosting
-tilt pan back and forth to cover entire top in thin layer

put in freezer to harder,
take out and pull away foil, cut into small squares
they freeze really well, if you have discipline

Yummy Pork Chops

We recently bought some pork chops that were very tough. I found this recipe that make them so tender, they were falling apart! And they were super yummy too!

Pork Chops (thin, I sliced a couple in half to make them thinner)

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup

2 cans milk

salt & pepper

3-4 potatoes, thinly sliced

Put the potatoes and pork chops in the crockpot. Mix the soup and milk and salt & pepper together and pour over. Make sure the mix covers the pork chops and potatoes. If not, add a little more milk. Cook on low all day.

Healthy Quesadillas

We were ALL a bit skeptical about this recipe, but we all ending up liking it. Husband and I REALLY liked it. If you like beans or can at least tolerate beans you'll probably like it too.

1 c. frozen corn
1 c. grated zucchini
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped (I used less and it was fine.)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
flour tortillas (if you want to be really healthy, use whole-wheat tortillas)

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the cheese and tortillas. Place bean mixture in a large skillet and fry until hot. In the meantime, heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan. On half of the tortilla add a few large scoops of the corn/bean mixture and a little cheese. Fold tortilla over, then flip sides. You can top them with salsa and sour cream, but they are good without too.

The original recipe is here.

Amazing Lemon Butter Chicken

I found this recipe a while ago and just tried it. Its one of our new favorites!  It makes a great date night dinner!!

Amazing Lemon Butter Chicken

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• Lemon Butter Sauce:
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I just used the bottle kind)
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 cup butter, chilled
• salt and pepper to taste
• • • 
      
    • Chicken and Pasta:
    • 1/2 pound dry farfalle (bow tie) pasta
    • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves -I cut it up into pieces to start with
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 4 ounces bacon
    • 6 ounces mushrooms, sliced
    • 6 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and halved
    • 2 teaspoons capers, drained (not necessary)
    • chopped fresh parsley for garnish
    • 2 tablespoons butter

  • DIRECTIONS

    1. To make the sauce, pour the wine and lemon juice into a saucepan over medium heat. Cook at a low boil until the liquid is reduced by 1/3. Stir in cream, and simmer until it thickens. Gradually add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time to the sauce, stirring until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and keep warm.
    2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
    3. To make the chicken, heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. In a bowl, stir together flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly coat chicken with flour mixture. Without crowding, carefully place chicken in hot oil. (If necessary, cook in batches.) Fry until cooked through and golden brown on both sides. Remove the chicken to paper towels. Stir the bacon, mushrooms, artichokes, and capers into the oil; cook until the mushrooms are soft.
    4. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size strips, and return them to the skillet. Stir half of the lemon butter sauce into the chicken mixture.
    5. To serve, place pasta in a large bowl. Stir the chicken mixture into the pasta. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Stir in additional lemon butter sauce as desired. Toss well, and garnish with parsley.
  • You can view the original recipe here.

BBQ Chicken in the Crockpot

I made this yesterday for lunch after church - Wow was it good!!! And super easy too.

6 chicken breasts (I used 5 frozen ones from Meijer that were partially thawed)
1 bottle (12 oz.) of your favorite bbq sauce (make sure you use a good one - I used Famous Dave's Rich & Sassy)
1/2 cup of Italian dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (I didn't have any, so I used A-1 sauce and it turned out great.)

Put chicken breasts in crockpot. Mix together the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. If you use frozen chicken you may have to adjust the cooking time a little. I took the chicken out once it was done and shredded it and then added it back into the sauce on high for about 30 - 45 minutes. The chicken had great flavor and was really juicy, but a bit too runny, so I think next time I will pour off some of the sauce before I put the shredded chicken back in. I served it as a sandwich on toasted wheat buns and put a little mozzerella cheese on top of mine. Jer didn't like the cheese on it, he preferred it plain. I ate two sandwiches and Jer ate 3 we liked them so much!! Great leftovers too!

I found the original recipe here.

Yummy

Here is a good one from my friend Danielle. You can eat it with chips of stick it in a tortilla with sour cream to make an easy meal. Sometimes I will add chicken and an extra can of tomatoes if I have some.

1 can corn, drained
1 jar salsa
1 can black beans
1 avacado, cut up
cilantro

mix together, EAT! :)