our yummy stuff!

Homemade Granola

2011-11-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

Crunchy Granola

1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. water
1 t. vanilla
1 t. salt
8 c. oats
1 c. pecans
1 c. almonds
1 c. dried fruit (optional)

Preheat oven 275 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine brown sugar and water. Microwave for 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla and salt. In large bowl combine oats, nuts and warm sugar mixture. Mix well. Spread onto cookie sheets and bake for 45 - 60 minutes or until golden brown. Check frequently and turn half way through. When cooled add dried fruit if desired. Enjoy over yogurt, milk or on its own. Enjoy! (Note, it will harden once it has cooled.)

(I don't always add all the sugar and sometimes add in Steel cut oats and/or wheat germ for some extra healthy crunch, but this is one of the healthiest recipes for granola that I've found.)

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins

2011-11-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins

So these are healthier than they sound and really taste like an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie!

makes 12 muffins

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup milk (any kind will do)

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Add oats to a bowl and add 1/2 cup of milk. Let soak for 5-10 minutes, while you prepare the first few steps of the muffins.

In a large bowl, combine egg and brown sugar and whisk until smooth and caramel in color. Add in vanilla and butter, whisking well. Try to smooth the batter as much as possible – there still may be some small butter chunks. Add flour, oat mixture, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix. Add remaining milk and combine until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.

Line a muffin tin with lines and pour about 1/4 cup batter into each line. Sprinkle the tops with raw turbinado sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve with butter!

Cream Cheese Lemon Bars with Kit Kat Crust

2011-11-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

cream cheese lemon bars w/ kit kat crust
Yield: 16 to 20 bars
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Really great recipe to use leftover Halloween candy! The Kit Kats make a yummy crust for these lemon bars.
Ingredients:
CRUST:
5 (1.5 ounce) Kit Kat Candy Bars (or about 14 mini-sized Kit Kat Bars)
FILLING:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar, measure then sift
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
TOPPING:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon additional lemon extract
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Prepare the crust: In the food processor, finely chop the Kit Kat Bars. Spread evenly in the bottom of an 8x8-inch square pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Prepare filling: In a large bowl with electric mixer, blend cream cheese on high. Add powdered sugar and egg and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add lemon juice, lemon extract and lemon zest, and mix well. Pour filling evenly over Kit Kat crust.
4. Prepare topping: In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, lemon extract, and softened butter, and blend with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle topping evenly over lemon bar filling.
5. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until topping is lightly browned. Let cool completely; cut into bars.
Tips:
*Lemon extract can be found at Whole Foods and other specialty markets. The imitation stuff they sell in the regular grocery stores isn't so great.

Original Recipe found here.

S'more Brownies

2011-11-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

Be prepared for some decadence! Theses are heavenly and rich, but so delicious! (I cheated and just used a brownie mix.

s'mores brownies
Yield: 12 brownies
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 60 min
Everything you love about S'Mores- but in a brownie...
Ingredients:
CRUST:
7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (8 or 9 whole graham crackers)
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
pinch of salt
BROWNIE:
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
TOPPING:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips
3 to 4 cups mini marshmallows
about 1/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs (1 whole cracker, crumbled)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 8x8-inch pan with foil so it hangs over the edges a bit. Spray with nonstick spray. (You can use 9x9-inch pan, but baking time might need slight decrease and your end result will be a thinner brownie).
2. Prepare crust: In a medium bowl, mix butter with crumbs, sugar and salt. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Prepare the brownie: Place butter and chocolate in microwave-safe bowl. Melt for 1 minute; stir. Melt another minute; stir. Keep microwaving at 1 minute intervals until mixture is completely melted. (Alternately, you can melt this mixture in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water on the stove). Add sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate and mix together. Add eggs and beat vigorously until you see a thick and glossy batter. Stir in flour and mix just until incorporated. Pour batter over the baked crust. Bake until top is set and toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, 35 to 40 minutes (you don't want to overbake the brownie- a little gooey inside is good).
4. Remove pan from oven. Turn up heat on the oven to broil. Sprinkle chocolate chunks over the baked brownie. Add a nice, thick layer of marshmallows next. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top.
5. Place your pan of brownies back into the oven (they should be 6 to 8 inches away from the heating element). Toast under the broiler until golden- KEEP AN EYE ON IT- it can go from golden to burned in a matter of seconds. 1 to 2 minutes under the broiler should be plenty.
6. Cool for a few minutes, then use foil to remove brownies from the pan and set on a cutting board. Carefully pull the sides of the foil away from the marshmallows and brownies. Cut brownies into 12 squares. Helpful tip: Use a large, WET & SHARP KNIFE to cut the brownies. Slice through the brownie, then clean the knife and slice through again with a clean, wet knife. Keep cleaning off the knife after each cut for the cleanest cuts.

Original Recipe found here

PF Changs Lettuce Wraps

2011-11-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps

We love PF Changs, and since we don't have one close by, we are finding ways to bring it to us:) These are a bit of work, but SO worth it!

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnut
2/3 cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 -5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1 -2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Change Measurements: US | Metric

Directions:

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 25 mins

1 Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2 Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3 Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4 Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5 Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
6 Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
7 Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
8 Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
9 Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
10 As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
11 Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
12 When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
13 With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
14 Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
15 Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
16 Top with"Special Sauce".

Whole Wheat Chocolate Peanut Butter Pancakes

2011-11-01T06:38:00.000-07:00

Made these this morning....oh, my goodness!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Peanut Butter Pancakes

pancakes adapted from cooks.com

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, well beaten

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons peanut butter, melted

3 tablespoons chocolate chips

Stir together dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, vanilla and oil. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in melted peanut butter. Cook on preheated pan until bubbles form and edges start to dry. Drop in chocolate chips. Flip and cook until lightly browned.

Original Receipe found here

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite cookie recipes. Never fails. Always loved. Hunter even makes them by himself!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies-original recipe HERE

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth is what we used, but I am pretty sure they use chunky at the bakery)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips (from shell-we just double chocolate chips and leave our peanut butter chips)

For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern (I used the back of a small offset spatula to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Tomato and Corn Tart

2011-09-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

I am determined to start posting recipes again. Because this site makes it easy to find my favorite and pass them on!
We made this last night and it was DELICIOUS! We were about to lick our plates.
Enjoy!

Tomato and Corn Tart-original recipe HERE

3 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
5 ears of corn, kernels cut off
1 t salt
1/ 4 t black pepper
1 deep dish, pre-baked pie crust
1/2 c grated Cheddar cheese
2 large tomatoes, sliced
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
3 scallions, chopped
3 large eggs
1/2 c milk
1/2 c heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions just begin to brown, 5-7 minutes. Add corn kernels and cook, 8 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Pour half of the corn mixture into pie crust. Scatter Cheddar cheese evenly on top. Add remaining corn mixture. Top with tomatoes, in an even layer, then Parmesan cheese and scallions.

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and cream. Pour over tart.

Cover with foil and transfer to oven Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 20-30 minutes until tart is golden brown, and center is set.

Yummy Tomato Veggie Soup W/No Name

2011-01-09T15:24:00.001-08:00

We just made this soup for dinner and Keith and I LOVED it. So freakin good. I had to share. :) I followed the recipe below w/the differences in parenthesis. I also doubled it.

Yummy Tomato Veggie Soup W/No Name

* 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
* 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (used way less then this. sprinkled some on tomatoes and some in pan)
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 stalk celery, diced
* 1 small carrot, diced
* 1 yellow onion, diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I used dried and just dumped some in)
* 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional (skipped)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes. (more like 25 for me.)

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add basil and cream, if using. Puree with a hand held immersion blender (or regular blender in shifts!) until smooth.

Original HERE

Turkey, Pesto & Mozzarella Panini

2011-01-06T06:32:00.000-08:00

I found a great resource for meal plans at LivingLocurto.com

I'm planning on trying out a couple of the recipes this week including this one. Simplicity is what I need this week.

Turkey, Pesto & Mozzarella Panini

• Your favorite thick sliced bread
• Sliced Mozzarella cheese
• Deli sliced turkey
• Pesto
• Sliced tomatoes

DIRECTIONS
Place everything together and grill. (Note from me: a George Foreman grill would be perfect, but I'll just be doing this on the stove-top.)

• Kid version: Grilled Cheese
• Sides: Carrots, apple slices and organic tortilla chips.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

2010-12-31T08:06:00.000-08:00

from Good Things Catered (a great food blog that once was, but now is mysteriously missing)

Simple Spaghetti & Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground turkey or beef (we like Shady Brook Farms turkey)
1/3 c. sweet onion, diced
1 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp garlic salt
2 tsp parsley, minced
1 tsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp oil
1 package store bought spaghetti
3 c. premade pasta sauce (garlic basil goes well with turkey and pomodoro with the beef)

Directions:
-Boil large pot of water.
-In medium bowl combine meat, onion, and spices.
-Form 2 1/2-in wide balls with mixture.
-Add pasta to water and cook according to box instructions.
-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 sauce to pan to scrape brown bits from the bottom and heat.
-Serve over finished pasta (we added olives b/c we love them)

Whole Grain Honey Wheat Rolls

2010-11-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

I have been making these for our small group quite a bit. I love that it makes a lot and we love the taste! You can make them from scratch but I will give you my version in the bread machine. MUCH easier. :)

Whole Grain Honey Wheat Rolls

Ingredients:

1/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. wheat bran
1 Tbsp instant rise yeast
1 c. warm milk (105 -115 degrees)
1/4 c. honey
3 Tbsp oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
2 c. bread flour, separated

Put all the above ingredients in the bread machine bowl. Put on dough cycle.

When the cycle is done, take the dough out and split in half. Split each half into 8 equal pieces. Spray 2 8-inch round pans. Place dough in pans. Cover and let rise for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt the butter and honey and glaze over rolls, sprinkling with oats.

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 c. oats

Bake for 12-14 minutes.

ENJOY!

Pasta with Scallops, Zucchini and Tomatoes

2010-11-23T13:29:00.000-08:00

I was looking to way to cook scallops (you can get then frozen at Meijer). And I had a zucchini. So I found this recipe and we LOVE it. And it takes no time at all. Have made it a few times and even the kids eat it! You could use shrimp instead if you don't like scallops.

***we used dried basil, because I didn't have fresh and canned tomatoes.***

Pasta with Scallops, Zucchini and Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 pound dry fettuccine pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchinis, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped fresh basil
4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1 pound bay scallops
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a large pot with boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil, add garlic and cook until tender. Add the zucchini, salt, red pepper flakes, dried basil (if using) and saute for 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, bay scallops, and fresh basil (if using) and simmer for 5 minutes, or until scallops are opaque.
Pour sauce over cooked pasta and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Original recipe found HERE.

Mac and Cheese

2010-11-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

Another recipe I don't want to lose. Originally based on Martha Stewart's, I often skip the crumb topping and the baking and do the whole thing on the stovetop. Also, I've made it with a mixture of regular cheddar and Monterey Jack (instead of white sharp) and Parmesan (instead of Gruyere or Romano) and it's a little different but still very good. In fact, my kids prefer the more mild cheese. (Martha's original recipe also calls for nutmeg and cayenne pepper, but we don't care for either in our mac and cheese, so I didn't include them below.)

Serves 12

6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.

4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

Corn Chowder

2010-11-22T07:54:00.000-08:00

I found two different corn chowder recipes that I like portions of and mixed the two. I'm sure I'll forget what I did if I don't write it down. So here 'tis!

Ingredients

2 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces (or Smaller) (leave the fat in the pan for fl
5 ears Corn, Shucked (about 4 Cups) -- I just used 4 cups of frozen corn. You could also do canned corn.
2-3 potatoes, diced
32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1-½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt (more To Taste)
3 Tablespoons Masa (flour made from corn) or flour (I found the masa near the mexican food at Meijer or Walmart)
¼ cups Water

Preparation Instructions

Add bacon pieces to a pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add corn and diced potatoes. Stir and cook for one minute.

Pour in chicken broth and cream. Add salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

Combine masa (or flour) with water. Stir to combine, then pour into the chowder. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. If chowder needs more thickening, add another tablespoon of cornmeal mixed with water. Cook for another ten minutes.

Sausage Stuffed Squash

2010-09-28T09:05:00.001-07:00

Fall is definitely in the air. I had this at some friends house and loved it. I've already made it but changed it to what I had in the pantry. I used plain rice, maple sausage and added some Mrs. Dash for flavor. I also cooked the squash in the oven instead of the microwave. 45 minutes for the halves alone in some water and 40 minutes with the stuffing inside.

Sausage Stuffed Squash

Ingredients

1 (6 ounce) package broccoli and cheese flavored rice mix
1 pound turkey breakfast sausage
1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
1/2 cup chopped apple
2 teaspoons crushed coriander seed
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Prepare rice mix according to package directions; cover, and set aside.
Place squash halves cut side down onto a plate. Cook the squash in a microwave oven for 5 minutes on High, until tender but firm.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until evenly browned; drain, and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the prepared rice, sausage, apple, and coriander. Stuff each squash half with the mixture.
Cover stuffed squash halves with plastic wrap, and heat in the microwave until squash is cooked through and soft, about 5 minutes. Remove plastic, and top stuffed squash with cheese. Continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

I found the recipe here.

Apple Dumplings

2010-09-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 recipe pastry for double-crust pie
6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups water
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

I made these this weekend and they turned out great!

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch pan.
On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a large rectangle, about 24 by 16 inches. Cut into 6 square pieces. Place an apple on each pastry square with the cored opening facing upward. Cut butter into 8 pieces. Place 1 piece of butter in the opening of each apple; reserve remaining butter for sauce. Divide brown sugar between apples, poking some inside each cored opening and the rest around the base of each apple. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the apples.
With slightly wet fingertips, bring one corner of pastry square up to the top of the apple, then bring the opposite corner to the top and press together. Bring up the two remaining corners, and seal. Slightly pinch the dough at the sides to completely seal in the apple. Repeat with the remaining apples. Place in prepared baking dish.
In a saucepan, combine water, white sugar, vanilla extract and reserved butter. Place over medium heat, and bring to a boil in a large saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. Carefully pour over dumplings.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Place each apple dumpling in a dessert bowl, and spoon some sauce over the top.

I found the recipe here.

Morning Glory Muffins

2010-09-28T09:02:00.001-07:00

Morning Glory Muffins

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
1 medium tart apple, peeled and grated
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup raisins (I added dates)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Stir in carrots, apple, pineapple, coconut, raisins and nuts.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

I found the recipe here.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-09-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I love fall is for the yummy fall food. I'm choosing to embrace fall, while ignoring what season comes next:) Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (From the Nestle Baking webpage)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
(I'm thinking of trying carob chips next time, but am a little nervous. we'll see!)
Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease thirty-six* 2 1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups.
COMBINE all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Combine eggs and sugar in large bowl. Add pumpkin and oil; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until moistened. Stir in morsels. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
BAKE at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove from pans.
*this recipe only makes 24 for me.

I found the recipe here.

Quick Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti

2010-08-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

This was delicious! I used regular tomatoes instead of cherry, left out the red pepper (just because I forgot!) and used soft goat cheese. It was yummy and easy! The directions are written in a way that makes it look complicated-it really isn't! Enjoy!

Quick Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti

Ingredients
4 quarts water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
12 ounces uncooked spaghetti
2 pints cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped or torn fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled semisoft goat cheese

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add 1 tablespoon salt and spaghetti to boiling water; cook 10 minutes or until spaghetti is al dente. Drain spaghetti in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return spaghetti to pan; set aside, and keep warm.

3. While spaghetti cooks, combine tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper on a jelly-roll pan, tossing well to coat. Bake tomato mixture at 450° for 10 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and lightly charred in places.

4. Add tomatoes and any tomato juice to spaghetti in Dutch oven. Add 1/4 cup reserved cooking water to jelly-roll pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; carefully pour water mixture and remaining 2 tablespoons oil into spaghetti mixture. Place Dutch oven over medium heat. Add remaining reserved cooking water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until spaghetti mixture is moist, tossing frequently. Stir in basil and parsley. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Original found HERE

Peggy's Pesto

2010-08-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

4 cups basil
6 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt (+ or -)
1 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese*

Put all in food processor and blend.

*if freezing, leave out cheese

Asian Ginger Mahi Mahi

2010-06-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

I have never made Mahi Mahi, okay I have never even eaten Mahi Mahi! But this was delicious and 4 of the 5 kids even ate it!

Asian Ginger Mahi Mahi

2 mahi mahi fillets
3 T soy sauce
1 garlic clove
3 T balsamic vinegar
3 t olive oil
3 T honey
1 t grated fresh ginger root (just used dried)
salt and pepper to taste

stir honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and 2 t of olive oil in glass dish. Season mahi mahi with salt and pepper and place them in dish. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Heat 1 t of oil in skillet over medium high heat. Remove fish and reserve marinade. Saute fish 4-6 minutes on each side, turning only once, till fish is flakes easily with a fork. Remove fish and keep warm. Pour reserved marinade into the skillet and bring to boil to thicken into glazed consistency. Spoon glaze over fish and serve immediately. Serve over rice.

(from the back of the package!)

YUM!

Salmon, Asparagus and Orzo Salad

2010-04-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

We made this last night-easy and healthy! YUM! Even the kids ate a lot! And is great with asparagus being in season!

Salmon, Asparagus and Orzo Salad

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 (1 1/4-pound) skinless salmon fillet
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette (recipe below)

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add asparagus; cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus from water with tongs or a slotted spoon, reserving water in pan. Plunge asparagus into ice water; drain and set aside.

3. Return reserved water to a boil. Add orzo, and cook according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

4. While orzo cooks, sprinkle fillet evenly with salt and pepper. Place fish on a foil-lined broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Using 2 forks, break fish into large chunks. Combine fish, orzo, asparagus, onion, and Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette in a large bowl; toss gently to coat.

Recipe found HERE! Enjoy!

Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

1/3 cup (1.3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (only used 1/2 the amount of dill)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

2010-03-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

I just made this and I cannot stop eat it!

Vanilla Yogurt Cake with Orange Glaze

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 tbsp + 6 tbsp orange juice
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnut, slightly toasted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease one 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with baking spray.

Using a stand mixer, beat together the egg, egg yolk, and sugar on medium-high speed, until it turns pale yellow, about 3 mins. Add the vanilla extract and oil, beat 1 more min, until fully incorporated.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

With the mixer on low speed, add half the amount of dry ingredients. Then add half the amount of yogurt, and 2 tbsp of the orange juice. Add remaining dry ingredients and followed by the remaining yogurt. Remove from mixer and finish mixing by hand using a spatula until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 55-60 mins.

Remove from oven. Using a toothpick or large wooden skewer poke holes into the cake. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 2 tbsp orange juice over hot loaf.

Let cool for 10 mins and remove from pan. Place on wire rack to finish cooling. When cool, glaze cakes.

Combine the 6 tbsp orange juice with powder sugar together with a whisk. Pour over cakes.

Scatter walnut on top.

recipe here!

Beef Bourguignon

2010-01-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

We love old fashion pot roast, but loved this spin on it. YUM!

Beef Bourguignon

3 pounds beef roast, or beef stew meat (I used a chuck roast I had in the freezer)
6 slices bacon--no need to cook (I used turkey)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced in rings
1 cup carrots (chopped or baby, your choice)
4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 tablespoon herbs de provence
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste (not pictured, oops!)
2 cups red wine (you can use non-alcoholic if you wish)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. In the bottom of your stoneware, smear around the olive oil. Then lay down 3 slices of bacon. Add sliced onion and garlic. Put the meat into the pot on top of the onion and garlic, and sprinkle on dried spices and herbs. Toss the meat to distribute the spices to all sides. Add tomato paste. Lay the other 3 slices of bacon on top of the meat, and throw in the carrots. Pour wine over the whole thing.

Cover and let cook on low for 8-9 hours, high for 4-5, or until meat has reached desired tenderness. If you are using a roast, you may want to flip the meat about an hour before serving so more liquid is absorbed into the meat. You can also cut the meat into chunks and return to the pot, if you would like more moisture to absorb.

Original Here!

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

2010-01-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

Oh I have been meaning to post this recipe because I LOVE homemade spaghetti sauce and this one is just so yummy and easy! And it uses the crockpot. I LOVE my crockpot!! The only thing I did different was add only half the marjoram and used half beef half sausage. ENJOY!

BEST SLOW COOKER BOLOGNESE SAUCE EVER

2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 14 oz cans chopped tomatoes, drained
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
2 6 oz cans tomato paste
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Cook beef in large skillet until browned.

2. Transfer to 5 quart slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients, mix well.

3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

4. Serve over your favorite pasta. Happy sigh

Original found HERE

Chocolate Wonder Cookies

2009-12-29T14:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-29T14:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-23T06:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-17T07:04:00.000-08:00

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

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.
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

2009-12-13T06:27:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-22T19:45:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-12T18:49:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T10:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-29T18:47:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-11T19:16:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-24T08:51:00.001-07:00

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

2009-09-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

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

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
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.
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).
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

2009-07-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

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

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
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.
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.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Visit the original post here.

Chicken Gnocchi Stew

2009-07-10T16:13:00.001-07:00

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

2009-07-10T16:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-10T16:08:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-06-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

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

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place bacon and onions in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside.
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.
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

2009-03-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

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!!!!

2009-03-07T12:51:00.001-08:00

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

2009-03-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-24T11:22:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-20T15:28:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-20T15:18:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-20T15:14:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-20T15:10:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-15T17:54:00.000-08:00

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

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
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.
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.
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

2009-01-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-18T16:26:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-18T16:12:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-15T05:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-08T04:53:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-05T10:13:00.000-08:00

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! :)

Pancakes

2009-01-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

Here is my basic pancake recipe. For the seven of us, I usually triple it. They are great to freeze for later too! Oh and if I triple it, I use 2 cups of white and 1 cup of wheat, instead of 3 white flour. Then I can rationalize that they are healthy. :)

Pancakes
By: Betty Crocker!

1 egg
1 cup flour
3/4 cup like
1 T brown sugar
2 T oil
3 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

mix in bowl, tada!

YUM! We love blueberry and chocolate chips ones!

2009-01-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

Best Crockpot Blog

www.crockpot365.blogspot.com

ENJOY!

Taco Soup

2008-12-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

Winter is such a great time of year for soup! I love the warmth and comfort of a hot bowl of soup with some yummy bread. Following in Shelley's footsteps, here is my mom's taco soup that she always made for us growing up, and now I love to make too. Plus, soup is so, so easy and relatively quick, once you dump everything in you don't have to worry about it - just let it do its thing and it comes out so yummy!!

Taco Soup

2 lbs ground beef
1 sm onion
1 or 2 small cans of chopped green chilis
1 can pinto beans
1 can lima beans (I leave these out because Jer doesn't like them and use both red and black beans)
1 can red or black beans (depending on which you like better)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg dry ranch dressing (1 oz.)
3 cans of stewed tomatoes (can substitute one can V-8 juice for one can of tomatoes if you like)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups water

Brown beef in large saucepan with onion, salt and pepper. Drain off extra fat.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 min.
This makes a lot of soup! Enough to freeze leftovers!

2008-12-15T08:07:00.001-08:00

This soup is super easy and YUMMY! We have made it three or four times since I found the recipe last month! We like to put parmesan cheese on it!

PASTA E FAGIOLI

1 lb ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 cup julienned carrot
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) can v-8 vegetable juice
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 lb ditali pasta

Directions
1Brown beef in a large stock pot over medium heat-drain off fat.
2Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.
3Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.
4After 50 minutes boil pasta to al dente.
5Drain well.
6Add pasta to the large pot of soup and simmer for 10 minutes.

(I use 3 cans of V-8 low sodium rather then the regular v8 and the tomato soup)

Original recipe found here!

Hawaiian Chicken

2008-11-17T04:49:00.000-08:00

My friend shared this recipe. It is easy and yummy!!

Hawaiian Chicken

package of chicken thighs (I usually get a large package)
jar of apricot preserves
bottle of russian dressing
package of dry onion soup

mix soup, preserves and dressing
put over chicken in pan
cover with foil
cook at 350 for a few hours
(take off foil during last 1/2 hour)
serve of rice!

DELICIOUS!!!!! Easy, tasty, freeze whatever is left for another meal! ENJOY!

Cottage Fried Potatoes

2008-11-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

This isn't the healthiest recipe, but it's good! I remember my grandma making this when I was a kid. I'll eat potatoes any way they're fixed so if you're like me - enjoy!!

3 tbsp butter or margarine
3 medium potatoes (about 1 lb), thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1 small onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings (optional! we don't do onions)

1. In a large skillet melt butter. Layer potatoes into skillet. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 8 minutes. Add onion rings now if you're gonna! Cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes more or until potatoes are tender and browned, turning frequently.

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup

2008-11-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe off of All Recipes.com. It was rated very well, so I tried it. It's not my favorite potato soup, but it was very good. Plus it was easier and faster to make.

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

DIRECTIONS

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Here's the original recipe on All Recipes.

Carmel Apple Pork Chops

2008-11-03T17:03:00.000-08:00

So I'm always in the mood to try new things and I found this and we all loved it! I skipped out on the nuts and we only had 2 pork chops, but it was still wonderful. See the original recipe here.

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Place a medium dish in the oven to warm.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven.
Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans.

Light Chicken & Dumplings

2008-10-08T06:27:00.000-07:00

Tortilla strips make the dumplings in this light version of chicken and dumplings.

Ingredients:

2 to 3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked well, shredded or chopped
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1 can fat free chicken broth
5 flour tortillas, cut into 2-inch squares
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon of celery salt
dash leaf thyme

Preparation:

Place chicken, soup and broth in large sauce pan. Bring to boil. Add salt and pepper, celery salt, and thyme. Add tortillas slowly. Keeping the broth mixture at a boil. Lower heat to simmer. Simmer until tortillas are tender (about 20-30 min.). Add additional water or broth, just enough to prevent sticking and to maintain desired consistency.

Tomato and Spinach Pasta Toss

2008-08-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Here's a new recipe we all enjoyed. And I was surprised because I thought everyone would complain about the spinach. I think the key is to start with the fresh kind!

3 cups penne pasta, cooked
1 lb - 1/2 lb of Italian sausage, crumbled and browned (depends on how much you want to use)
1 pkg (6 oz) baby spinach leaves
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese

After draining the sausage, add spinach and tomatoes; cook until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add meat and cheese to warm pasta.

Great Grilled Tilapia

2008-07-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

Jer made this for me last week. We have a lot of tilapia because of it being on sale at Meijer and we have had the broiled tilapia that Shelley posted on here a few too many times, so we tried this - and it was GREAT!! Here is the original recipe, we didn't make the salsa, just the marinade. Yummy!

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (we used dried)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

4 tilapia fillets

Mix together the marinade ingredients and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the tilapia fillets and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. (We only did 1/2 hr and it was still great!) Grill the fillets until the fish is no longer translucent in the center, and flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Blueberry Sausage Breakfast Cake

2008-07-27T08:16:00.001-07:00

Here is another wonderful use of blueberries. I did however use maple sausage and we learned that you can definitely cut back on the sugar. It was really sweet, and a little less sweet would have been better. The sauce at the end isn't necessary, but if you take a lot of the sugar out of the cake, it might work.

BLUEBERRY-SAUSAGE BREAKFAST CAKE

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 (8 oz.) container dairy sour cream or low-fat sour cream
1 lb. bulk pork sausage, cooked and well drained
1 c. blueberries
1/2 c. chopped pecans (optional)
Blueberry sauce

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside. In a large mixer bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until fluffy. Add sugars and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Add flour mixture and sour cream to egg mixture alternately beating after each addition just until combined. Fold in sausage and berries.
Pour batter into an ungreased 13x9x2 baking pan. Spread batter evenly in pan; sprinkle pecans on top. (At this point, you can cover and chill overnight. In the morning, bake as directed.) Bake in a 350 oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with blueberry sauce. Chill leftover cake and sauce. (Chilled blueberry pie filling can be used also.)
BLUEBERRY SAUCE:
In a medium saucepan combine: 2 tbsp. cornstarch
Add: 2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Stir in:
Cool slightly. Makes 2 cups sauce. Makes 12 to 15 servings.

Find original recipe here.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Dessert

2008-07-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

I have had a WONDERFUL over abundance of blueberries lately thanks to the pick-your-own places. So I have been finding ways to use them...here is a great dessert I just made for a picnic...Enjoy the fruits of the season:):)

BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE DESSERT

CRUST:
1 cup chopped pecans1/2 cup butter, melted1 cup flour
FILLING:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened1 cup powdered sugar8 ounces Cool Whip
TOPPING:
4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen1 cup sugar, divided3 tablespoons cornstarch1/4 cup water
Combine crust ingredients; spread in a 9 x 13-inch pan and cook for 15 minutes at 350 F. Cool.
Cream together the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Fold in Cool Whip.
Spread over cooled crust.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add water then 2 cups of the blueberries. Cook over medium heat. stirring constantly, until thickened and translucent. Crush some of the blueberries as they cook.
Remove from heat and add remaining sugar and blueberries. Cool. Spread over cream cheese filling and chill.
Serving Size: 12

See the original recipe here.

Chicken Pesto Sandwiches

2008-06-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

This sandwich is so good! Definitely our new favorite!

Chicken Pesto Sandwiches

1/4 cup basil pesto (such as Classico)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
olive oil
chicken breasts (3 or 4)
salt and pepper to taste
french bread (I bought some at wal-mart that was crusted with red peppers on the top - very good)
mozzarella
bottled roasted red bell peppers

Combine pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl, stirring to blend.

Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken to cutting board, and cool slightly. Cut chicken lengthwise into thin slices.

Cut bread in half horizontally. Place bread, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove bread from pan. Spread pesto mixture evenly over cut sides of bread. Arrange the chicken slices evenly over bottom half. Sprinkle cheese on top. Return to broiler until cheese is melted. Top with red peppers and cover with top half of bread. Cut into individual sandwiches.

Easy Pasta Skillet

2008-06-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

This is like baked pasta, but you do it on the stovetop instead of in the oven. Easier and quicker! But, just as good.

1 lb. ground beef (I often only use 1/2 lb and don't really notice a difference)
2 1/2 C Water
3 C mostaccioli or penne pasta
1 Jar (28 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 package shredded Italian cheese

Brown ground beef with salt and pepper, drain and then add water. Bring to a boil, add pasta, reduce heat and cover. Simmer 15 min. Add sauce stir thoroughly. Heat back to "boil", then add 1 cup cheese and stir. Top with remaining cheese, cover to melt cheese. Serves 6.

Crockpot White Chili

2008-06-09T18:10:00.001-07:00

So simple and easy! Using the crockpot is great for summer!

1 Lg. jar of Great Northern Beans (40-45oz.)
1 Lg. jar of salsa (16 oz.)
1 Lg. can of chicken (in a can like tuna)
1 Tbsp. groud cumin

Combine ingredients in a crock pot and stir.
Cook for 4-5 hours on low.
Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Frozen Yogurt Popsicles

2008-06-07T06:54:00.000-07:00

We love making popsicles because it's so much fun to do together and you can make them super healthy. Here's one of our favorite popsicle recipes:

2 cups plain lowfat yogurt
2 cups frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or cherries) thawed for 1 minute in the microwave
1/2 to 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Combine the fruit, yogurt, and sugar in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

Any of you have another good popsicle recipe?

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

2008-06-05T14:38:00.001-07:00

We are trying to add more fish in our diet-I have always hated fish. This recipe was AWESOME! I even wanted seconds. Frozen Tilapia has been on sale at Meijer lately, buy on package get one free, meaning the fish will only cost you about $3.50.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Roasted Artichoke and Spinach Dip

2008-06-05T14:35:00.001-07:00

This stuff is amazing! Yes, there are simpler recipes, but after you make this, you won't want to go back!! It is fabulous!

Roasted Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
2 (14 oz) cans of premium artichoke hearts
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and ground black pepper
16 oz. baby spinach leaves
1 medium onion, minced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 c. mayonnaise
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 c. assorted cheeses, grated (I used pecorino, parmesan, asiago, mozzarella, and fontina)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced thyme leaves
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line baking sheet with foil.
-Toss drained artichokes with 1 Tbsp oil, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper.
-Spread out over the baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally. Until browned at the edges, about 25 minutes.
-Let the artichoke cool and chop coarse.
-Meanwhile heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat until just shimmering.
-Sauté spinach until wilted and drain thoroughly and transfer.
-Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil to pan and add the onion.
-Cook for until softened, about 5 -7 mins.
-Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds..
-Transfer to bowl with spinach.
-Stir in mayo, cream cheese, cheeses, lemon juice, thyme, and cayenne until uniform.
-Add more cheese as needed! (oink! oink!)
-Gently fold in artichokes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
-Transfer mixture to large baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan.
(Here you can cover and refrigerate up to three days if needed)
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Bake dip uncovered until hot throughout and top is golden brown, about 20-25 mins.
-Let cool at least 5 mins before serving.

Original recipe here.

Applesauce, Bran, and Oatmeal Muffins

2008-06-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

These are super addictive, gone by the end of the day in my house. And they are SO good for you, especially if you use wheat flour. I have also put walnuts and dried cherries instead of raisins. I am going to try fresh blueberries too!

Applesauce, Bran, and Oatmeal Muffins
from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour (I used Wheat Flour)
1 c. quick-cooking oats
3/4 c. wheat bran
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. raisins
1 c. applesauce
1/2 c. fat-free milk
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp light-colored corn syrup
1 large egg
Cooking spray

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375°.
-Combine flour and the next 7 ingredients (flour through salt) in a medium bowl.
-Stir in raisins; make a well in center of mixture.
-Combine applesauce and next 4 ingredients (applesauce through egg); stir well with a whisk.
-Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
-Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
-Bake at 375° for 18 minutes or until the muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.
-Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

2008-06-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

All right ladies, summer is here! Let's share some new recipes!

I made this for dinner tonight and thought it was SO simple and SO delicious!

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

--1 can cream-of-something soup
--1/2 cup chicken broth
--frozen chicken pieces
--packet of Italian salad dressing mix
--2 cloves minced garlic
--block of cream cheese (to add later)

Put everything except for the cream cheese into the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and begins to shred. Shred the chicken with two large forks, and mix in the block of cream cheese. Switch the crock to high and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is fully melted.
Serve over pasta or rice or couscous.

Original Recipe here

Nachos

2008-05-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

Yummy Nachos

topping:
1 lb. ground beef
pkg. of taco seasoning
1 can red kidney beans
1 cup water
1 cup (or so) of salsa
1 cup (or so) of shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack)

Cook beef, drain. Put back in pan along with everything but the cheese. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until melted.

Spoon over tortilla chips and add all the yummy things you can find: lettuce, tomato, sour cream, more cheese, salsa....enjoy!