Fabulous Food

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2010-07-07T17:42:00.001-07:00

2 1/2 c all purpose flour
2 c sugar
1/2 c baking cocoa (powdered)
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 sticks of butter at room temp
5 eggs
1 c buttermilk
1 t vanilla
1 t red food coloring

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. sift dry ingredients three time. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well after eack egg. Add 1/4 of dry ingredients to creamed mixture then approximately 1/4 of buttermilk alternating until mixed well. Mix in vanilla and food coloring. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full of red velvet batter.

Bake for aproximately 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Chipotle Caesar Dressing

2010-07-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

2 garlic cloves
1-2 canned chipotle peppers
1/2 t. salt
1/3 c fresh lemmon juice
1/3 c egg substitue
1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 c olive oil

Pulse first three ingredients in a food processor 3-4 times or until garlic is minced. Add lemon juice, egg sub and Parmesan cheese. With food processor running, pour oil through food chute in a slow, steady stream; process until smooth. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

yeilds 1 1/4 cups.

Salad
1 large jicama (cut ea slice into a star using a star-shaped cookie cutter)
2 heads of romain lettuce , torn
1 large red pepper thinly sliced
add dressing

Creamy Artichoke Spread

2010-07-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese
2 t garlic, chopped
1 1/2 t. salt
14 oz artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/3 c sliced black olives
7 green onions, chopped
6 T sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
1 t. fresh chives, choped

Combine cream cheese, garlic, and salt. in a medium mixing bowl; stir in artichoke hearts and olives. Add remaining ingredients mixing gently. Refrigerate overnight to blend flavors.

Strawberry Amaretto Pastries

2010-06-06T20:18:00.001-07:00

You have no idea what you are missing out on if you have never had this. I went to a Pampered Chef party last week and this was the demonstration. Now, I am absolutely copying this but haven't made it myself. Not sure what/if I would modify anything, but no doubt, this is a GREAT dessert! And don't mind all the pampered chef plugs in there...This is the ultimate "copy and paste! Obviously, just use what you got. I am positive this will taste just as good, even if you don't have the fancy name-brand tools!! (which I do love by the way)

The Pampered Chef
Strawberry Amaretto Pastries Recipe

1/2 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry sheets (1 sheet), thawed
1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 orange
1 container (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups thawed, frozen whipped topping
12 large strawberries, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Unfold pastry dough onto Large Round Stone. Coarsely grate half of the almonds using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Combine grated almonds and half of the sugar; sprinkle evenly over surface of dough. Lightly press almond mixture into dough using Baker's Roller®.

2. Using Pizza Cutter, cut dough lengthwise into three strips; cut strips crosswise into four squares for a total of 12 squares. Using Mini-Serving Spatula, separate squares evenly over surface of baking stone. Bake 16-18 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from baking stone; cool completely.

3. Place remaining almonds in Small Oval Baker. Microwave on HIGH 2-3 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring after each 30-second interval; coarsely chop using Food Chopper and set aside. Zest entire orange using Lemon Zester/Scorer. Combine zest and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar; set aside.

4. Whisk sour cream, powdered sugar and almond extract in Classic Batter Bowl using Stainless Whisk. Fold in whipped topping using Small Mix 'N Scraper®. Slice strawberries using Egg Slicer Plus®. Split open each pastry square; arrange half of the strawberries into bottom of each shell. Top each with about 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Top with remaining sliced strawberries and sprinkle with sugared orange zest. Place tops of pastry shells over filling. Serve immediately.

Cream Soups

2010-04-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

My son has recently been diagnosed with an allergy to milk, and this revelation has really thrown a kink in my regular cooking plans... Sooooo- I have begun my quest to find recipes for some of my regular dairy filled foods, that I can substitute with non-dairy options. To start, here is a couple Cream Soups to substitute out with the canned stuff.

Cream Of Chicken Soup (Condensed)

Makes two can's equivalent

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (or less; taste to test)
1/4 teaspoon parsley
dash of paprika
1 1/2 cups milk (separated) (I used goats milk)
3/4 cup flour

1. In medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, 1/2 cup of the milk, and the seasonings for a minute or two (longer if using fresh onions or garlic).
2. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking briskly until mixture boils and thickens.

Cream of Mushroom Soup (Condensed)

Makes 1 can's equivalent

1 c Mushrooms,Sliced
1/2 c Onion,Chopped
1/2 c Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 T Parsley
1/4 t Garlic Powder
2/3 c Non Diary Creamer or milk (I will be using goats milk or soy milk)
2 T Cornstarch

1. Cook mushrooms, onion and spices in the chicken broth until soft.
2. Process in a blender or food processor until well pureed. Leave some out if you like mushroom chunks in your soup.
3. Shake together creamer and cornstarch until dissolved. Cook and stir until thick.
4. Stir in veggie mixture.

Chinese Chicken Cabbage Salad

2010-01-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

Cabbage Salad
1 head of cabbage shredded
1 1/2 lb cooked diced chicken
1 bunch of green onions thinly sliced Toss together in large bowl. Cover with marinade over night or several hours.
Marinade: 1/2 c sugar
1/4 c + 2 tbls rice wine vinegar
1/2 c + 2 Tbls oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
soup mix of chicken top ramen noodles (save noodles to crush and add just before serving)
Just before serving add:
1/2 slivered, roasted almonds ( or I like cashews)
1/8 c sesame roasted seed
1/2 c craisens
1 can mandrin oranges
pkg of crushed ramen noodles.

Some freezer meal info

2009-09-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

Notes on making freezer meals

* Dried herbs freeze better, impart a more pungent flavor, and will rehydrate when cooking
* If not freezing, fresh minced garlic is best
* If you are cooking food to serve 10-15 minutes later, or more, cover with foil and expect the internal temp to rise 5 degrees per 10 minutes as it rests. If necessary, adjust accordingly.
* You can refreeze meat if it is in a marinade or casserole
* Raw or cooked meat, poultry, or casseroles can be cooked or reheated from the frozen state. It will take approximately one and a half times longer than the usual cooking time for food that has been thawed.
* It is better to undercook, or cook just until tender, all types of rice to be used in freezable dinners. They will finish cooking when dinner is reheated.
* If you plan to freeze cooked pasta dishes, do not fully cook the pasta. It should be a bit chewier than al dente.
* Bottled lemon juice in a freezer recipe is just as good as fresh and easier.
* If you need more pans, line your baking pan with foil, build your casserole, and freeze it. Remove the frozen casserole from the pan, wrap it with another layer of foil, and place it back into the freezer without the pan. When ready to thaw and bake, unwrap the foil, and place the dinner back into the original baking dish.
* It’s a good idea to allow 2-3 days for thawing in the refrigerator and then be sure to cook and consume the meal within the next 3-4 days.
* Cook large batches of chicken at once. Boil a large pot of water and add boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a teaspoon each of garlic powder and lemon pepper. Return the water to a boil and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Cook more than you need for your recipe and freeze the remainder in resealable freezer bags for later use.
* Cook large batches of rice at the same time. Cool in the refrigerator, uncovered, in a shallow pan and place in freezer bags to freeze. A good rule of thumb is to put 2 parts cold water to 1 part rice in a saucepan over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Leave covered and remove from heat. Let it sit, covered, about 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. The rice will not be quite done- tender, but not completely soft.
* When converting a regular recipe to a freezer recipe, use extra liquid, stock, or milk
* Frozen dishes with larger chunks of veggies taste better reheated than ones with smaller ones.
* Cookies and cakes can be made ahead of time and frozen, baked or unbaked
* Muffin batters can be made and poured into paper-lined muffin tins. When they have frozen, remove the liners and place the frozen ‘muffins’ in a freezer bag. When time to cook, you can cook from frozen by reducing the original cooking temp by 25 and adding about 30 minutes to the original cooking time.
* It is best to double bag frozen meals. This helps prevent freezer burn (which only creates dryness) and will contain any leaks as the meal defrosts.
* Recommended freezing times are for quality, not safety (referring to the freezer meals)
* Always double-wrap baked items when freezing to help ensure freshness and taste.
* You can flash-freeze cookie dough by placing formed cookie balls on cookie sheets in the freezer for 10-20 minutes. Then remove and place in freezer bag. For slice-and-bake cookies, form dough into logs then wrap tightly in plastic wrap (seal ends well) and place in freezer bag.
* When making meals in freezer bags, it is a good idea to lay it flat when freezing so that it stores well. Some recommend placing in a baking dish stacked on each other while they freeze to ensure the shape stays flat and any potential leaks stay contained until frozen.
* Wrap leftover fresh cilantro in plastic wrap and put in a small freezer bag. Add directly to your recipe when needed.
* After squeezing juices from citrus fruits, store and freeze the leftover halved rinds in a freezer bag. You can grate the frozen rind directly when a recipe calls for fresh peel or zest.
Fresh ginger grates easily when frozen and keeps a long time. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.

Foods that freeze best:
uncooked proteins
fresh carrots, zucchini, onions & celery- do not use fresh potatoes!!!
Starch-based dishes dry out more quickly than protein-based ones when frozen
Butter and yogurt-based spread will freeze but cream cheese will dry out unless blended with other ingredients
Substitute cream cheese or sour cream if a recipe calls for mayonnaise (or heavy cream) as a base for a sauce. They both freeze better.

Comparable Crock Pot cooking times
Conventional recipe in 350 oven -->crockpot on low-->crockpot on high
15-30mins--> 4-6 hrs--> 1 ½-2 hrs
35-45mins--> 6-10 hrs--> 3-4 hrs
50mins-3hrs--> 8-18 hrs--> 4-6 hrs

Keep in mind when making freezer meals that it is an easy and quick way to bless the lives of others. They are great for new moms, single moms who may not have a lot of time to prepare meals, bad days, the elderly, and those dealing with sickness or death. This is why it is particularly nice to make multiples of a recipe, especially if you have the room or a friend to share with.

More freezer meals

2009-09-15T14:25:00.000-07:00

From Dream Dinners cookbook (reg quantity/x3)

Corn Bread Muffins
1 c. all purpose flour (3c)
1 c. yellow cornmeal (3c)
2 Tbsp sugar (1/4c. + 2 Tbsp)
2 tsp baking powder (2 Tbsp)
1 tsp baking soda (3 tsp)
1/2 c. nonfat egg substitute (1 1/2 c.)
1 c. low-fat buttermilk (3 c)
3 Tbsp vegetable oil (1/2c + 1 Tbsp)

Mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Add in egg substitute, buttermilk, and vegetable oil and stir until just blended. *To freeze- pour into prepared muffin pans and cover entire pan with plastic wrap. Freeze in muffin pan until completely frozen, then remove & place in freezer bag. Cook from frozen by returning to muffin pan and baking for 35-45 min at 350* To bake tonight: bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until toothpick in center is clean and muffins are golden brown.

Chicken in Herbed Mustard Sauce
1/3 c lemon juice (1 c)
1/3 c. white wine (1 c)
1/3 c. dijon mustard (1 c)
1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp dried rosemary (3 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp whole black peppercorns (1/4c + 2 tbsp)
1 tsp fennel seeds (1 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (1 1/2 tsp)
1 c. chicken broth (3 c)
1 Tbsp olive oil (3 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp cornstarch (1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp)
6 4-oz boneless skinless chicken breasts (18)

Combine lemon juice, wine, mustard, garlic, rosemary, peppercorns, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes and stir. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine broth, olive oil, and cornstarch and mix until incorporated. Combine wine mixture and cornstarch mixture in freezer bag, add chicken and mix gently. *Freeze* Refrigerate until ready to cook. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and the marinade. Bring the marinade to a boil and cook the chicken for 5 minutes per side, allowing the sauce to thicken.

Chicken Parmesan
1/2 c. nonfat Italian dressing (1 1/2 c.)
6 4-oz boneless skinless chicken breasts (18)
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese (3c)
2/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs (2c)
1 tsp paprika (1 Tbsp)
1 tsp sugar (1 Tbsp)
1 tsp kosher salt (1 Tbsp)
1 tsp black pepper (1 Tbsp)
2 c. store-bought marinara sauce (6 c.)

Marinate chicken in the italian dressing for at least 2 hours. Mix together parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika, sugar, salt, and pepper. Spread marinara sauce in the bottom of sprayed 9x13 pan. Dredge marinated chicken in the crumb mixture. Place in baking dish and sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. *To freeze: cover with plastic wrap and foil then thaw before continuing* Bake at 350, uncovered, for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through (internal temp should be 165)

Chicken Stir-Fry
1/4 c sesame oil (3/4 c)
1/2 c honey (1 1/2 c)
1/2 c lite soy sauce (1 1/2 c)
3 tsp minced garlic (1/2 c + 1 Tbsp)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (3/8 tsp)
6 scallions, chopped (18)
1 green pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces (3)
1 red pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces (3)
1 large carrot, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces (3)
6 4-oz boneless skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into 1-inch thick slices (18)

Make each batch separately. Combine sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Pour soy sauce mixture into freezer bag and add chicken. *To freeze: place each batch of veggies in a separate freezer bag and place them with the bag containing the chicken into one larger freezer bag then thaw before continuing* Allow chicken to marinate 4-5 hours. Heat large skillet over high heat. Add chicken and marinade and cook for 5 minutes, just until the chicken loses its color. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add teh scallions, bell peppers, and carrot to the hot pan and cook for 1 minute. Return chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 more minutes, until heated through, and serve.
My plan is just to freeze the chicken in the marinade and use a store bought frozen stir fry vegetable mixture.

Chicken and Artichoke Casserole
1 1/2 c uncooked white rice (4 1/2 c)
1 c marinated artichoke hearts, drained (3 c)
3 scallions, chopped (9)
2 c. cooked chicken, in 1-inch pieces (6 c)
1 10-oz can cream of chicken soup (3)
1/2 c. nonfat mayonnaise (1 1/2 c.)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (3 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp black pepper (1 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp curry powder (1 1/2 tsp)
2 c. seasoned croutons (6 c.)
1 c. low-fat shredded cheese blend aka colby/jack preferrably (3 c)
1 Tbsp dried parsley (3 Tbsp)

Spray 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place rice on bottom of dish. Layer with artichokes, scallions, and chicken (divide equally among the 3 dishes if you're making a triple batch). Set aside. In a bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, pepper, and curry powder and stir until incorporated. Spread the soup mixture over the chicken. Top with croutons, cheese, and parsley. *To freeze: cover with plastic wrap and foil and thaw before continuing* Preheat oven to 375. Bake for 1 hour or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

from Donic Panic! Dinner's in the Freezer cookbook- additional multiplications available

Buttermilk Herb Chicken Breasts (reg/x2)
1 c. buttermilk (2c)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard (2Tbsp)
1 Tbsp honey (2Tbsp)
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped (2Tbsp)
1/2 tsp dried thyme (1 tsp)
1/2 tsp dried sage (1tsp)
1/2 tsp dried marjoram (1 tsp)
1/2 tsp pepper (1tsp)
1 tsp salt (2 tsp)
8 boneless split chicken breasts (16)

Mix buttermilk with mustard, honey and seasonings. Place chicken breasts in freezer bag and pour marinade over top. *freeze* Discard marinade. Grill over medium heat until chicken is tender and juices run clear. Option for kids: after grilling, cut into strips and serve with ranch dressing for dipping

Cheesy Chicken Bundles (reg/x3)
1 c. bread crumbs (3c)
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese (1 1/2c)
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese (1 1/2 c)
1 tsp salt (1 Tbsp)
1/4 tsp pepper (3/4tsp)
6 boneless chicken breasts (18)
1/2 c. butter, melted
* on serving day: 2 Tbsp butter, melted and 1/4 c parmesan cheese

Mix together bread crumbs, cheeses, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into melted butter then cheese mixture. Tuck sides of chicken breast under to form individual bundles. *To freeze, wrap each bundle in plastic wrap then place in freezer bag then thaw before continuing* Place chicken bundles in large, shallow baking dish. Melt remaining butter and pour over bundles. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 1 hour, until chicken is crispy.

Hawaiian Chicken (reg/x3)
6 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (18lbs)
2- 16 oz cans pineapple slices, drained (6)
1- 15 oz cans mandarin oranges, drained (6)
1/4 c. cornstarch (3/4c)
1/2 c. brown sugar (1 1/2 c)
1/4 c. soy sauce (3/4 c)
1/4 c. lemon juice (1/2 c)
1 tsp salt (1 Tbsp)
1 tsp ground ginger (1 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp ground red pepper (1 1/2 tsp)

Place chicken in freezer bag. Mix together fruit, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, salt, ginger, and ground red pepper. Pour over the chicken in a bag. *Freeze then thaw before continuing* Place in crockpot and cook on low 4-5 hours or high 2-3 hours. Add optional green pepper chunks 1 hour before serving. To serve, spoon over steamed rice and top with toasted almonds.

Freezer Meals

2009-09-14T16:01:00.001-07:00

In an effort to take advantage of the Smith's caselot (and particularly case of real chicken) and ensure things don't go bad, I thought it a prime opportunity to make some freezer meals. Here are some that I made with things from the caselot and things from my pantry that I'd been meaning to get around to.

From Dream Dinners Cookbook
quantities: regular (x3- separate into 3 for freezing) *regular quantities are designed to serve 6 so keep that in mind when preparing if you have a smaller family*
Recommended freezing time for all recipes: up to 3 months... Thaw before cooking as directed

Tuna Tortellini Gratin
1 & 1/4 lbs (3 & 3/4 lbs) fresh cheese-filled tortellini (cook 1st if frozen)
2 (8) 6oz cans tuna, drained (albacore preferred)
1/2 c (1c) red bell pepper, chopped *I omit
1/2 c (1c) onion, diced *I used dried & eyeballed it
1 (3) 10 1/2 oz jars alfredo sauce
1/2c (1 1/2 c) white wine
1 tsp (1Tbsp) kosher salt
1/2 tsp (1 1/2 tsp) black pepper
1 c (3c) seasoned bread crumbs
3 Tbsp (1/2c + 1 Tbsp) olive oil

Mix all ingredients together except bread crumbs and olive oil. Spread in 9x13 pan. Sprinkle bread crumbs over top and drizzle with olive oil. (*freeze by covering with plastic wrap & aluminum foil- thaw before continuing) Bake at 350 for 45 minutes-1 hour (till bubbly), covered w/ aluminum foil. Remove foil and slide under broiler for 3-4 minutes, until topping is golden brown.

Karlene's Cottage Cheese Pancakes
2 c (6c) pancake mix
1 1/2 c (4 1/2 c) club soda
2 Tbsp (6 Tbsp) lemon juice
1 Tbsp (3 Tbsp) baking soda
2 tsp (2 Tbsp) cinnamon
1/8 tsp (1/2 tsp) nutmeg
2 c (6 c) nonfat cottage cheese
1 tsp (3 tsp) vanilla extract
1 tsp (3 tsp) almond extract

In a bowl, whisk together pancake mix, club soda, and lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients. Stir until just blended (*pour into freezer bag. Thaw in refrigerator before continuing). Cook 1/4 c of batter (per pancake) on 375 degree griddle for 1 min 15 sec per side or until golden brown, turning once.
These smelled so good putting them together that I almost made them right then!

Five Spice Grilled Chicken
6 (18)- 4 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp (6 Tbsp) ground cumin
2 Tbsp (6 Tbsp) chili powder
2 Tbsp (6 Tbsp) packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp (6 Tbsp) curry powder
2 tsp (6 tsp) kosher salt
2 tsp (6 tsp) black pepper

Put the chicken in a freezer bag. Add all ingredients and toss to coat (*freeze). Marinate chicken for at least 1 hr. Grill on medium-high for 5-8 minutes per side. OR Brown in skillet on medium-high for 3 minutes on each side. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 5-8 minutes per side.
This is a favorite of ours. So quick and easy! We love to take it camping and grill it outdoors.

Baked Pesto Ravioli with Chicken
2 lbs (6lbs) cheese-filled ravioli, fresh or frozen
1 lb (3 lbs) cooked chicken breasts in 1-inch slices
2/3 c (2 c) chicken broth
2 c (6 c) zucchini, cut in 1/2 in rounds (I omit)
1/2 c (1 1/2 c) red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2-in pieces (I omit)
1/2 c (1 c) chopped scallions
1/2 c (1 1/2 c) store-bought basil-pesto sauce
1/2 tsp (1 1/2 tsp) kosher salt
1/2 tsp (1 1/2 tsp) black pepper
1 c/4 oz (3c/12oz) grated parmesan cheese

Gently stir all ingredients to combine. (*freeze in freezer bags) Put in 9x13 dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until bubbly.
This one is taaasty!

Spicy Lime Chicken
1/2 c (1 1/2 c) low-sodium canned chicken broth
zest of 1 (zest of 3) lime(s)
1/3 c (2/3 c) lime juice
2 Tbsp (1/4 c + 2 Tbsp) olive oil
2 Tbsp (6 Tbsp) dried parsley
1 tsp (1 Tbsp) minced garlic
1 Tbsp (3 Tbsp) dried onion flakes
1 tsp (1 Tbsp) dried thyme
1 tsp (1 Tbsp) kosher salt
1/4 tsp (3/4 tsp) cayenne pepper
1 tsp (1 Tbsp) black pepper
6 (18) 4 oz boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Combine all ingredients in a freezer bag & add chicken. (*freeze) Heat a skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and liquid to the pan and cook the chicken for 3 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat to medium and cook 5-8 minutes per side.
I imagine this one will be too spicy for my children but I seriously can't wait to make it anyway because it just smelled so good putting it together.

From Don't Panic!-Dinner's in the Freezer cookbook
quantities: regular (x3)- I also have x6 and x9. It's not always just straight multiplication as some acidic ingredients change in larger properties.

Chicken in Raspberry Sauce
1/2 c raspberry preserves (1 1/2 c)
1/2 c frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed (1 1/2 c)
1/2 c soy sauce (1 1/2 c)
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (6 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp chili powder (1 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp curry powder (1 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 1/2 tsp)
1/4 c. fresh raspberries, mashed (3/4 c)
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (18)

Combine ingredients in a bowl then add to chicken in a freezer bag. (*freeze) Place sauce and chicken in large baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer chicken to serving platter, and top with juices. Garnish with fresh raspberries.
- if fresh raspberries are not available, you may substitute frozen ones
This one smelled so good I am cooking it this week and going back to the store for more soy sauce so I can throw more together for later. I'm positive it will be a hit!

Chicken Parisienne (x2 not x3)
1/2 c. white wine (1 c)
1- 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup (2)
1/2 c. mushrooms, sliced (1 c) * I omit
1/4 c. flour (1/2 c)
1 c. sour cream (2c)
6 boned chicken breasts

Mix wine, soup, and mushrooms together. Stir flour into sour cream and add to soup mixture. Place mixture together with chicken in freezer bag to freeze. Cook in crock-pot. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and paprika over top and cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve with pasta or potatoes.
Different but good. My kids really liked it and we had it over pasta.

Chicken Cacciatore (x2, not x3)
2 medium onions, sliced thin (4)- I just eyeballed some dried, minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (4)- I used the dried equivalent
1- 15oz can diced tomatoes (2)
1- 8oz can tomato sauce (2)
1 tsp salt (2tsp)
1/4 tsp pepper (1/2 tsp)
2 tsp oregano (4tsp)
1/2 tsp basil (1tsp)
1/2 tsp celery seed (1tsp)
1 bay leaf (2)
1/4 c white wine (1/2c)
6 boned chicken breasts

Mix all ingredients together and place in freezer bag to freeze. Cook in crock-pot on low 6-8 hours or high 2 1/2-4 hours. Serve over pasta.

I have more, that's just some of what I've done so far. I also froze some chicken with just italian dressing dumped over it and bbq sauce dumped over another. I'll either grill those or cook them in the crockpot.

Banana Bread with Cauliflower

2009-09-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

This banana bread is incredibly moist and one of the best banana breads I have had.
From the cookbook Deceptively Delicious

3/4 c. whole-wheat flour
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 c. canola or vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 c. banana puree (just mash)
1/2 c. cauliflower puree
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 and coat a 9×5 loaf pan or two mini pans with cooking spray.
Mix flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, mix sugar and oil until well combined. Mix in egg whites, banana and cauliflower purees, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Pour batter into pan(s). Bake 55-60 min for large loaf, 25-30 for mini loaves- or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool on rack for 5 minutes then turn bread out of pan to cool before serving.

*To puree banana: Mash with fork (cutting board is better than bowl) then puree in food processor or blender for about 2 minutes
* To puree cauliflower: Cut off florets and discard core. Steam 8-10 minutes. Puree in food processor or blender for about 2 minutes, with a few teaspoons of water if needed for smooth, creamy texture.

Baked Chicken Casserole

2009-09-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

Everybody has their own version of chicken & rice it seems. This is by far my favorite. Maybe because it's my mom's =)
From the kitchen of: Pam Alger

1 1/2 c. uncooked rice (I've found she must've meant minute rice)
1 c. grated cheddar cheese + 1/2 c.
6 chicken breasts
salt & pepper
3 c. chicken broth
1/2 pkg Lipton Onion soup mix
1 can cream of chicken soup

Place rice in bottom of large casserole dish. Layer 1 c. cheese over rice. Set chicken breasts on top. Pour chicken broth over the top. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Sprinkle onion soup mix over chicken. Cover with cream of chicken soup. Cook 1 hour at 325 uncovered. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake 1/2 hour longer.

Beef Chimichangas

2009-09-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

Sooooo tasty! This is a freezer meal from my "Don't Panic!" cookbook. Original recipe yields 9 chimichangas and is what is featured here):

1 tsp salt
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp oregano, crushed
1/2 c. canned green chiles, chopped
1/2 c. taco sauce (we used Macayo's sauce)
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. cider vinegar (when tripling the batch do not triple this- only do 1/2 c.)

Sprinkle salt in medium skillet. Place over medium heat. Add beef, garlic, and spices. Cook through. Stir in remaining ingredients. Remove from heat and cool. **If you are making it as a freezer meal, place the cooled meat mixture in a freezer bag- will keep for 3 months** For the lower-fat version: Microwave 9 tortillas wrapped in a kitchen towel for 60 seconds to soften. Then fill with mixture, fold in envelope fashion, and brush tops of folded chimis with melted butter (1 c.). Place seam side down in ungreased 11x7 baking dish. Preheat oven to 500. Bake until crispy, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and return for a few seconds. Top as desired: cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and additional sour cream

Ovocne Knedliky- also known as Fruit Dumplings

2009-09-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year we visited Prague in the Czech Republic. I have a friend who told me I had to have the fruit dumplings and it was raved about in guidebooks as well. Sadly, it has been pushed aside at many more modern restaraunts in favor of more 'modern' food. Not so in the fairytale town of Cesky Krumlov. We went specifically to this one little restaurant/pub because I had read about their fruit dumplings and that they were the best to be found. It was no exaggeration. My husband still laughs at us digging in to it, and then ordering a second dish of them. We had to find them any other place we went after that. As a side note, in the Czech Republic it is an old tradition to eat desserts for a meal on Sundays. That's what our tour guide told us. This is something that is served either as a dessert or a main course and it is listed in both places on most menus it is found.

I found a couple of recipes here and here. The one that follows is my own adaptation of these based on how I remember those first (and best) ones we tried in Cesky Krumlov, and comments on recipes I looked at from Praguers. Billy agreed. It is surprisingly easy to make though it still takes up to an hour just because you have to wait for things to boil.

Ovocne Knedliky

1 c. whole milk
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
2 cups flour, separated
mixed berries (frozen ok) or other fruit
melted butter
cinnamon
dry cottage cheese
powdered sugar

In a large saucepan, bring milk, butter, and salt to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in egg. Gradually whisk in 1 c. flour. Use remaining 1 c. flour to flour a board or wax paper. Turn out dough onto surface and knead, picking up some of the flour until it makes a nice ball. Roll dough out. Bring large pot of water to boil. If you have a straining basket you can use in the pot it will make things much easier. Rip pieces of dough off to cover about walnut-sized chunks of fruit. Drop dumpling into boiling water and let boil until it rises to the surface, about 10-20 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon to allow water to drain. Place on plate and drizzle generously with melted butter. Follow generously with cinnamon. Sprinkle dry cottage cheese over it. Top off with a generous topping of powdered sugar. Serve hot.

A note on ingredients: You can use berries, apricots, plums, or peaches for the dumplings. Fresh or frozen is fine. I made these with a frozen berry medley. While in Prague I determined the mixed berries were my favorite filling although the only other ones I had were strawberries or raspberries. You may also top with whipped cream as well. Don't be afraid of the sugar and cinnamon.

To make dry cottage cheese: Rinse cottage cheese in a colander until it is just curds and let sit so that remaining water dries off before adding. I think about 3/4 c. would be just about right for this recipe. You can leave this off but in my opinion it is not as good and just not the same. My husband, who hates cottage cheese, disagrees.

**I have pictures to post just as soon as my Google account updates and lets me add photos again**

2009-08-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

This recipe was sent in by Justine, someone who attended one of my Grocery Smarts classes. Thanks so much Justine!

CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN
1/2 of a whole chicken pressure cooked, and shredded
1/2 pkg. cream cheese
3 cans cream of chicken soup (regular size)
1 1/2 TBSP dry Ranch dressing mix
enough milk to make a nice gravy

In a pot and on medium heat, warm up the soup, Ranch dressing mix and milk. Drop in cream cheese to melt. Add chicken and stir together before serving over mashed potatoes with side of green beans and dinner roll.

I use potato flakes from the LDS cannery in Las Vegas.
I use the 5 star dinner roll recipe at www.tasteofhome.com.

My family really enjoys this dinner and we hope your family does, too.

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

2009-08-02T19:05:00.000-07:00

My children could hardly stop raving about this between bites. Pammie even claims it to be her new favorite food- ousting the long-standing salad. I confirmed that she'd rather have it than salad and she told me she wished we could have it everyday! I served it with some mashed potatoes, using the cream sauce on the potatoes as well instead of gravy. I also used 6 chicken breasts but didn't increase any other amounts and we were just fine. There's not a bite of leftovers left!

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce
Source: AllRecipes Dinner Spinner app for iPhone

1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. dried bread crumbs
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1 (4 oz) jar sliced pimento peppers, drained (I ommitted these)
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Place milk & bread crumbs in separate, shallow bowls. In skillet, heat butter or margarine to medium heat. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with crumbs. Cook in butter or margarine, on both sides, until juices run clear (about 10 minutes). Remove and keep warm.
Add broth to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and stir to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in cream and pimentos; boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat.
Add Parmesan cheese, basil and pepper. Stir sauce and cook until heated through. Pour mixture over chicken and serve!

p.s. I never make fried or breaded anything because I can never get it just right nor to stick just right. This one actually came out perfect!

Apple & Prosciutto Sandwiches

2009-07-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

I made these the other night and they were simply divine. Billy said they tasted like they came from a restaurant. As long as you can find (or make) foccacia, they are surprisingly quick and easy to make. We got ours from Panera but I'm pretty sure Albertson's carries it.

1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
1 loaf (12 oz) focaccia bread
8 thin slices prosciutto
1 medium apple, sliced
6 oz Brie cheese, rind removed and sliced

In a blender, combine the oil, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, and rosemary, Process until blended and nuts are finely chopped. With a bread knife, split focaccia into two horizontal layers. Spread rosemary mixture over cut sides of bread.
On bottom of bread, layer prosciutto, apple and Brie; replace bread top. Cut into quarters. Cook on an indoor grill for 2-3 minutes or until bread is browned and cheese is melted. To serve cut each wedge in half.
Serves 8

Sunshine Chicken

2009-07-17T16:43:00.001-07:00

This has been my "go-to" recipe for a few years when I want something a little more than regular baked chicken. I always have the ingredients on hand and it is so nice and juicy, but nothing extremely fancy.

3 pounds Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks (chicken breast would be good too!)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 pinch garlic powder

Remove skin from chicken and place in baking dish, meat side up. Baste the chicken with sauce, leaving some for basting while baking. Bake at 350°. Baste every 15 minutes for 1 hour until chicken is cooked through.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Shake

2009-07-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

I know how weird this sounds. But you have to trust me on this. You will be glad you did. This is served up at Disney's 50's Prime Time Cafe at Hollywood Studios in Disneyworld. My kids (and I) love it and it's a great way to cool off in the summer!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Shake
Yield: 3 3/4 cups

1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp grape jelly
1/4 c. milk
3 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
Combine peanut butter and jelly in a small bowl, mixing well. Combine milk, ice cream, and peanut butter mixer in container of electric blender. Process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides.

Just try it!

Chicken Curry

2009-07-15T16:01:00.001-07:00

I have to admit I have only made this with either Wes' Mom or Gram but it is wonderful so I thought I would share. It tastes even better the 2nd day and freezes very well.

Curried Chicken

Abt 2 lbs chicken breasts (boneless & skinless) cut up into bite size pieces

2 large onions chopped

1 1/2 granny smith apples peeled, cored and diced

1 med red pepper seeded and thinly sliced

3 tsp mild curry powder

1 tsp paprika

salt & pepper to taste

1 1/2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 cup whipping cream - unwhipped

2 oz butter

Cut onions, red pepper & apple finely. Fry with curry powder and paprika in butter until onion is transparent - not brown. Set aside. Cut chicken. Set aside. Mix cream with mushroom soup salt & pepper. Mix all together. You can either continue to simmer on the stove top for 2 hours in large saucepan or butter a large casserole dish and cook uncovered in ovenat 350F for 2 hours. Serve with rice.

2009-07-15T15:58:00.001-07:00

I feel like I am in a food rut lately but thought I would share some of my go to recipes...

Crispy Chicken

1 1/2 c rice crispies coarsely crushed

2 T flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 c butter melted

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

In shallow dish combine cereal, flour & seasonings. Place melted butter in shallow dish. Dip chicken, both sides, in butter then in cereal mixture. Place in a greased 9 X 13 pan. Drizzle with remaining butter. Bake uncovered @ 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until tender.

Russian Chicken

1 1/2 - 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 - 8 oz Russian salad dressing

1 c apricot jam or preserves

2 tsp curry powder

1 pck dry onion soup mix

Lay chicken in ( X 13 casserole. Mix dressing, jam, curry powder and onion soup mix. Pour over chicken. Bake at 350F for 1 hr 15 min.

Confetti Spaghetti

1 -12 oz package angel hair pasta

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 medium green or red pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes undrained (S&W Italian are the best)

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 T brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp pepper1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is well cooked. Drain fat if necessary. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, salt, chili powder, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne. Drain spaghetti: add to beef mixture. Transfer to a greased 9 X 13 baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Yields 12 servings.

Apple Pie

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

1 c sugar
1/4 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
6 c apples slciced
2 Tbl butter

Heat oven to 425.
Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Stir in apples. Turn into a pastry- lined pie platter; dot with butter. Cover with top crust that has slices in it. Seal the edges. Cover edge with 3 in strip of alluminum foil. Bake in oven for about 30 min. Place a sheet of foil over the pie and bake until you can poke a fork through the filling and feel that the apples are no longer crispy (about 30 min). Then remove foil and bake another 30 min.

Use crust from Rhubarb pie recipe.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2009-06-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

Filling
1 1/4- 1 1/2 c sugar
3 Tbs cornstartch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 c rhubarb
2 c strawberries
1 Tbs butter

Dot w/ butter before placing top crust on. Cut slits in top.Bake @ 350 for 1 hour

Crust 2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 c shortening
1/4 c water

Measure 1 2/3 c of flour into a bowl. Add 1 tsp of salt. Mix then add 1 c of Crisco. Using pastry cutter, cut the Crisco into the flour until the mixture is in small crumbs. In a small bowl, mix the other 1/3 c of flour w/ 1/4 c of water until well blended. Mix the paste into the shortening/ flour until it sticks into a lose ball. Bake at 400.

Chicken Neapolitan

2009-06-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

Chicken Neapolitan

8 boneless skinless chicken breast (4 oz each) - I used a 2.5 lb bag of frozen chicken breasts and cut the largest pieces in half so that I had 8 pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
(1 pound mushrooms, quartered) - I left these out because we don't particularly like mushrooms.
2 cans (10-3/4 oz each) condensed tomato bisque soup, undiluted - I just used tomato soup because I couldn't find the bisque
3/4 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Hot cooked rice or egg noodles (we used egg noodles tonight but both would be delicious)
Sliced ripe olives and minced fresh parsley to garnish, optional

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, cook chicken, uncovered, over medium-high heat in oil for 8-9 minutes. Turn chicken, add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook 8 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear.

Using a slotted spoon, remove four chicken breasts and half of the vegetables to a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oup, broth, basil, and oregano; pour half over chicken in the skillet. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until heated through. Serve over noodles or rice. Garnish with olives and parsley, if desired.

Pour remaining soup mixture over chicken in baking dish. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.

To use frozen chicken: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until heated through. Serve over noodles or rice. Garnish with olives and parsley, if desired.

I'm thinking about experimenting with this to bake instead of cook on the stovetop. I may try sauting the vegetables first in just a little oil - probably 1 Tbsp, and adding them to the sauce, then pouring the sauce over raw chicken breasts in a baking pan and baking at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. This would greatly reduce the oil.

popcorn

2009-05-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

1 stick of butter
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c light karo
boil for 1 min and pour over 2 bags of plain popped popcorn

Italian Roast Beef

2009-05-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

4-5 pounds pot roast
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon basil
1 envelope Good Season salad dressing (Italian dressing mix)
1 onion (optional)

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

*The recipe calls for shredding the meat, boiling it in the juices for 15 minutes, then serving on french bread or rolls.

*I served it as it was with garlic mashed potatoes. I made a gravy for the potatoes by boiling the sauce with cornstarch to thicken. I could easily see how it would make really good italian sandwiches though. That's probably what we will do with our leftovers.

My kids literally asked for thirds!

Taco Salad

2009-05-20T10:55:00.001-07:00

from my mom's collection- by Jean Santiago (I loved this stuff as a kid)

1 head lettuce
1 1/2 lbs hamburger
3/4 lb cheddar cheese
1 bag tortilla chips
1 soup can size Ranch Style beans (with juice)
1 can diced green chiles
Picante Sauce
1 bottle Ranch dressing
-----
black olives
purple onions
avacadoes
tomatoes
celery
mushrooms

Brown hamburger. Shred cheese. Rip lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Break up chips. Mix all together and add any additional toppings desired.

More great frosting/icing recipes

2009-05-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

Buttercream Icing for Gingerbread Houses (from Christy Alger's files- Mrs. Luck's class)
2 lbs powdered sugar
1 c. shortening
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract

Beat shotening, flavoring, and salt together. Add powdered sugar and milk alternately, beating after each addition. Beat two or three minutes for smooth icing. Keep covered tightly.

Leanne's Great Icing (also from Christy's files- supposedly what was used on my sister's wedding cake, which was fabulous)

2 lbs powdered sugar
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. margarine or butter
1/3 to 1/2 c. milk or water- get to consistency
1 tsp vanilla (real vanilla)
dash of salt

If you are using it to decorate, use the shortening in it. If just icing a sugar cookie, use all butter in place of the shortening.
To make, mix shortening/margarine with powdered sugar. Add liquid to consistency and then remaining ingredients.

Grandma Douglas's Buttercream Frosting

2009-05-20T10:47:00.001-07:00

This is what we grew up on in my house. SO good on sugar cookies!

Blend together:
1 lb powered sugar
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 stick of butter
1/4 tsp salt

Dairy Free Frosting

2009-05-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

This is adapted from a recipe I have from my stepmom, which I will put up in a little bit. It did get a little runny when it was warm but was fine after being in the fridge. You could maybe do a little less water and that would take care of that problem.

2 lbs powdered sugar
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. water
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt

Mix together the shortening and butter with the powdered sugar. Add water to consistency and remaining ingredients. Blend well. Recommend frosting immediately and then refrigerating to set the frosting a little bette.r

Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole

2009-05-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

I am pretty sure everyone has had this at some point in time... But since tater tots were on sale this past week, it's on our menu this week! I remember loving it as a kid.

1 lb hamburger
1 small onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 (16 oz) pkg frozen tater tots
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can milk or water
1 c. (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger & onion. Drain. Season with salt and peppper. Place in greased 1 1/2 to 2 qt casserole. Top with tater tots. Combine soup & water (or milk). Pour over tots. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes.

Baked Beans with Pineapple

2009-05-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

We BBQed tonight and I tried this new recipe as a side. The original recipe was for 25 servings! So, I scaled it down a bit, and in the process, some of the proportions are a little different. Also, I modified it slightly to make it just a little healthier.

It was very, very yummy and pretty simple to make. I'll definitely be keeping this recipe handy for BBQs and potlucks. :)

You can find the original recipe here. But, this is what I did...

Baked Beans with Pineapple

5 or 6 strips of turkey bacon, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
28oz can baked beans (I used Van Camp’s Homestyle baked beans – 99% fat free and cholesterol free)
8 oz crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup

In a skillet, cook turkey bacon over medium heat until almost crisp. Add onion and saute until tender.

In a bowl, combine the beans, pineapple, bacon and onion. Combine brown sugar and ketchup; stir into the bean mixture.

Transfer to a greased baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-35 minutes longer or until bubbly and beans reach desired thickness.

Pineapple Banana Bread

2009-05-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

Pineapple Banana Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar (The recipe called for 2 cups but that just seemed like a lot; I reduced it to 1 1/2 cups and it was just right - I think if I had done the whole 2 cups, it would have been way too sweet.)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs (I used egg substitute)
1 1/4 applesauce (it called for oil but I used applesauce and it turned out moist and yummy - plus more healthy)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups mashed ripe bananas

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. In another bowl, beat the eggs, oil and vanilla; add pineapple and bananas. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

***I doubled the recipe because I had several bananas (not quite 4 cups but I used a 20 oz can of pineapple instead of two 8 oz cans to make up the difference), it made two loaves, plus 12 regular muffins and 24 mini muffins. (I baked the muffins for about 25 minutes and the mini muffins for about 15 minutes.) They are a big hit with the family - the kids won't stay away from them! :)

Caramel Apple Pork Chops and Apple Spice Rice

2009-05-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops (I used pork loin chops... and I made 6 since that's how many were in the package.)
salt and pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion, sliced
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (I used Granny Smith)

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Arrange pork chops in a 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a skillet, melt butter and saute onions. Add brown sugar mixture and sliced apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and place them on top of the pork chops. Continue cooking the sauce, uncovered, until thickened slightly. Pour over chops and apples. Bake about an hour or until the pork is cooked through.

Apple Spice Rice

2 Tbsp butter
2 cups rice
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced
3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in rice, onion, garlic, and apple. Saute 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in chicken broth adn bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Super Fantabulous Better-than-any-other Sugar Cookies!

2009-05-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, these cookies are like heaven in your mouth! I am amazed at how soft, and sweet they are! I was introduced to these at an auction a few weeks ago. I won a dozen frosted sugar cookies, got them home and they mysteriously disappeared in just under 48 hours! The worst part? I ate 9 of them... Yeah. They are THAT good. I called the maker of these cookies and begged her to share her recipe, which she did without hesitation. Thanks Natalie!

The ingredients:

1/2 c. sour cream

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. TUB margarine or butter (not stick- must be spreadable)

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 T. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 1/2 - 4 c. flour

The instructions:

In a small bowl mix sour cream and baking soda. Set aside. Cream together margarine and sugar. Add the egg, vanilla and salt. Mix well. Add sour cream mixture, then baking powder and flour. Freeze dough for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight. Roll out onto a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness and use cookie cutters for desired shapes. If dough gets too soft, put back in freezer for an hour or so until it is workable again.

Bake at 375^ for 10 minutes. DO NOT over bake them.

Frost with your favorite frosting and decorate as necessary.

The frosting I used was pretty simple, and super tasty... I used equal parts butter and shortening then added a capful of vanilla and a splash of milk followed by as much powdered sugar as I needed to get a good thick consistancy. Add a bit of food coloring and viola! Easy enough... but I don't use a recipe for it, so it's hard to add measurements....

Seriously, folks- these cookies are OOBER TASTY!

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Barbeque Ribs

2009-04-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Barbecued Ribs Recipe
courtesy Robin Miller
Show: Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller
Episode: Slow and Steady Wins the Race

2 sides pork spareribs (about 6 pounds), separated
1 (28-ounce) can chunky tomato sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Place the spareribs in the bottom of a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture over the spareribs. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Baked Chicken with Orange Juice

2009-04-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

I've got this in the oven right now. I remember that it was one of the first recipes I 'wowwed' Billy with after we got married. The 'Joy of Cooking' cookbook has never let me down!

1 chicken, quartered or 3 lbs parts

4 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 c. finely chopped onions

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into bits

salt and pepper

1 1/2 c. orange juice

1/4 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375.

Smear chicken with Dijon mustard.

Arrange in shallow baking dish or roasting pan just large enough to hold it in a single layer (skin down if it has skin)

Sprinkle pieces with onion (I have always just used the equivalent in minced dried onion), butter, and salt and pepper.

Pour orange juice around the chicken.

Bake for 30 minutes, basting once.

Turn over and sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake until chicken is tender and golden- 15 to 20 minutes more.

Add more orange juice if the pan seems dry.

Remove chicken to a serving platter.

Pour juices into a small saucepan and boil over high heat until syrupy.

Spoon sauce over the chicken and serve.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin

2009-02-10T20:35:00.000-08:00

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons basalmic vinegar
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloins

Mix first 7 ingredients. Place pork in sealable bag and add marinade. Refrigerate for 6-12 hours.

Remove pork from bag, reserving marinade. Bake pork at 350 degrees until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees (about 50 minutes).

The pork, as is, was so juicy, tender, and delicious, but if desired, make gravy by heating remaining marinade to a boil. Meanwhile, blend 1 cup chicken broth and 1 tbsp flour, add to boiling marinade. Reheat to a boil while stirring frequently. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes, reduce heat to a simmer until thickened.

Italian Skillet Supper

2009-02-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
3 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Drain the pasta; mix with meat mixture. Top with cheese. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

The only thing I'll change next time, is to mix in half of the cheese and only top with the remaining 1 cup. Still... it was soooooo yummy!

Pasta Salad

2009-01-31T10:26:00.000-08:00

Scrapbook Pasta Salad

From the kitchen of: Janan De Silva

1 pk Spiral pasta (colored)
1 pk bow tie pasta
4 cups chicken breast
1 can whole cashews
1 can pineapple T-bits
1 bottle Kraft Colesaw dressing
1 cup REAL MAYONAISE
Grapes

Cook the spiral and bowtie pasta as directed on box. Cook chicken, cut into cubes. In a bowl add pastas, chicken, cashews, pineapple, grapes. Then, add dressing and mayonnaise. Toss until everything is well covered. Place in fridge to chill.

Sloppy Joes

2009-01-31T10:25:00.000-08:00

Sloppy Joes

3 pounds ground beef
1 cup onion chopped (I use 1/3 Cup dried minced onion to make it quicker)
1 cup ketchup
3 Tablespoon brown sugar ( I use a little more)
2 Tablespoon vinegar
2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (10 ¾ ounce) can tomato soup
1 teaspoon salt
12 hamburger buns

Brown ground beef, drain fat. Sprinkle salt, add chopped onion and cook until tender. Stir in ketchup, tomato soup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Simmer for about 30 minutes, Spoon into hamburger buns and serve. Serves 12.

Bubble Pizza

2009-01-29T17:13:00.000-08:00

Here is what you need:

Ingredients: 2 cups pizza cheese (or whatever cheese you have on hand), browned sausage (you can also use pepperoni, hamburger or bacon),any veggies that you would order on your pizza, 1 jar of pizza sauce, 2 tubes buttermilk biscuits.

Step #1: Brown and drain the meat.

Step #2: Cut the 2 tubes of biscuits into quarters.

Step #3: Put the biscuits into a bowl along with the jar of pizza sauce.

Step #4: Add the meat and any other toppings you may have.

Step #6: Mix it all together.

Step #7: Pour into a baking dish (ungreased).

Step #8: Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Step #9- No, I didn't forget the cheese! After baking for 20 minutes, take it out and add your cheese. Now pop it back in the over for 10 more minutes.

Now you are finished! This is so yummy it is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters!

Cost of Meal- $5.00
Serves- 6 people
Cost per person- 75 cents per person

Pretty FRUGAL!

* Wes saw it and thought it didn't look very good but I made in anyways and after he ate it he said to keep the recipe and make it again! *

I got this from another great blog Meal Planning Mommies.

Cola Pot Roast

2009-01-29T10:47:00.000-08:00

2 lbs pot roast

1 Tbsp oil

1 onion, diced

1 c. thinly sliced carrots

2 c. cola (I used pepsi because it's what was on sale this week)

2 c. chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth

1 tsp salt

1 c. frozen peas, thawed

Heat oil in a pot, add the meat and brown well on both sides. Remove the meat and pour out the fat.

Replace the meat and add onion, carrot and cola. Place over medium heat and cook 5 minutes. Add stock and salt.

Cover and cook for 1 1/4 hrs or until meat is tender.

Add peas and cook another 5 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Disclaimer: While we had this yesterday, I did not actually eat it (wasn't home). However, Billy reports that it is super good and super tender- and he is picky about his roast. Keller had seconds at least.

Green Chili

2009-01-27T13:46:00.001-08:00

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. cooked pork roast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans chopped green chilis
1/4 C. green salsa
choice of tortilla
cheese (optional I suppose....but a must for me!)

Combine first 4 items. Use your choice of tortilla for taguitoes, burritos, or enchiladas. Or for a super cute appetizer, get those scoop tortilla chips, place a spoonful of the mixture in the "bowl" of the chip, top with shredded cheese.

So tasty and so pretty!

Stuffed Meatballs

2009-01-25T15:42:00.000-08:00

1/3 c canned milk
1 lb groud beef
1 pkg of stuffing mix cooked according to directions.
Mix ground beef and canned milk. Dived into patties. Prepare the stuffing according to directions and place 1/8-1/4 c of stuffing into the center of the patty and wrap the over the stuffing creating a meatball with stuffing inside. Place them in your casserole dish.

Sauce:
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
4 tsp of Worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp ketup
Mix the sauce and pour over the meatballs. Salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 45 min at 350.
I add onion fakes and various herbs for added flavor.

Breakfast Casserole

2009-01-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

5-6 slices of bread
1 lb of sausage or ham
3/4 lb cheeses (I like Crackle Barrel brand cheese)
4 eggs
1 c of milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
dash of Lawry's seasoning salt
dash of Cayenne pepper

butter the bread and cut off the crust. tear into pieces or one of the recipes I have says to layer the bead on the bottom of a 9x9 pan. Mix egs, milk, salt, mustard season salt and cayennne pepper together. Top with cheese and sausage. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Cook covered with tinfoil for 1 hour at 350. Uncover for last ten min of cook time.

Bourbon Street Chicken

2009-01-11T14:20:00.000-08:00

As this was pointed out to me, this recipe is completely Bourbon free... I am guessing there is some famous restaurant on Bourbon Street (if I were to guess I would say down south) somewhere that served this dish... needless to say it is so easy and SO GOOD! Lil has named it Apple Chicken since it has apple juice and apple cider vinegar in it.

Bourbon Street Chicken

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbs. oil (for frying)
4 Tbs. cornstarch

Sauce
1 garlic clove (minced)
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and lightly dust with cornstarch. I used a gallon ziplock baggie. Just toss chicken and cornstarch together. Heat oil in your wok or frying pan and fry chicken until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine all sauce ingredients (I chose to NOT add the red pepper flakes since my kids are anti-spice... Oh who am I kidding- I don't like spice either). Pour into wok or frying pan and bring to a boil. Add chicken back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve over rice!

Sweet Bread

2008-12-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

Combine 4 1/2 tsp yeast with 2 Cups of really warm water

Wait and see if it starts working.

Add the following ingredients without stirring: 7 TB sugar, 1/4 C Oil, 1/2 Tsp salt, 4 Cups flour

Stir with plastic or wooden spoon in a circular motion (never use metal)

Add 1 - 1 1/2 cups of flour by kneeding it with your hand until it isn't sticking to your hand.

Put oil in the palm of your hand and pat 1 side of the dough and then flip so the oil side is down. Cover with towel and let it rise for 30 min to and hour or until doubled its size.

Split in 2 and either put in loaf pans or split each half into thirds, roll into strips and braid. Let it rise again 30-45 min and then Bake 20 min at 350 until lightly browned.

Roll Recipe

2008-12-15T16:43:00.001-08:00

Just let me warn you that this dough is REALLY sticky. DO NOT add any extra flour than the recipe calls for or they won't be as good. Just make sure you put lots of flour on your counter when you roll them out. I also flour my hands when I get it out of the bowl. Also, once you get your subdivided section of dough in your hands, you can keep adding flour to the sides of the dough until it doesn't stick to your hands anymore. It didn't seem like it took that much. Sorry for all the interjections I will make. It helped me out when my friend told me. SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE MESSED THIS ONE UP! Good luck! It really is easy!

1 c. melted butter
2 c. warm water
2 pkts. yeast or 4 1/2 t.
2 T. sugar
6 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 t. salt
8 c. flour
1/2 c. melted butter

Melt 1 cup butter. Set aside to cool. In a bowl or Pyrex measuring cup get 2 cups warm water, yeast and 2 T. sugar. Set yeast mixture aside until foamy. Usually by the time the yeast is foamy, the butter is cool enough. Add all your eggs to your Kitchen aid or Bosch with your whisk attachment (for now). Add your cup of sugar and blend with eggs. Add butter (give a quick mix). Add foamy yeast mixture and salt (quick mix). Add flour one cup at a time and give a quick mix between cups. Do that for a total of 4 cups and then switch your whisk attachment out for your dough hook. Continue adding flour one cup at a time with a quick mix between each until you get to your last cup. After adding your last cup, mix until all flour is combine. It will barely start to pull away from the sides (very sticky!!!) Don't mix too much. You don't want to have tough rolls!

Put in a big bowl (popcorn size?) with lid or cloth. I liked using the lid. Place in a warm area until it has doubled in size. About 2 hours. Once risen, punch down (floured hands). Section dough out into 3 or 4 sections depending on how big and how many rolls you want. Divide into 2 sections for just cinnamon rolls. I divided in half and then divided one section in half again. That way I had one batch of cinnamon rolls and 2 batches of rolls! Roll out a section on floured space, into a large 12-15 inch circle. Brush with melted butter. Use pizza cutter and cute into 12 (or 8 depending on size) triangles. I prefer 12. Roll the sections big end to small end. Place on a greased cookie sheet, and brush with more butter. NO, THIS ISN'T A PAULA DEAN RECIPE! Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until a light golden brown.

CINNAMON ROLLS: Take 1/2 of dough and roll out on floured section into a large rectangle. Brush melted butter (liberally), sprinkle brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pecans would be good too. Roll up and cut with pizza cutter. I cut the roll in half and then in half again leaving 4 sections. Each section I cut into 4 except one that I only cut into 3. That way you have a total of 15 rolls to fit onto a cookie sheet. 5 rows of 3. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until light golden brown. To frost, just get a canister of Betty Crocker Vanilla frosting, melt in microwave for 1 minute. Drizzle over baked cinnamon rolls by the spoonful! Trust me this is the way to go on frosting. Really.

Classic Deviled Egges

2008-12-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

GReat Pumpkin Dessert

2008-12-14T21:32:00.000-08:00

We love this yummy, easy pie/cake at our house! We gave our neighbors this recipe card and the yummy treat for Christmas.

Elf No More!

2008-12-09T16:00:00.001-08:00

Oh My Goodness! I am so sorry I posted that on here. Just so ya'll know why...

When you go to ElfYourself.com and set up a video of your family, it offers to post it on your blog for you. You just put in your blogger name, and password, and it does the rest. NOW- if you have more than one blog you contrubute to, it posts it to the last one that was posted on (for me, that would be Fabulous Food... not my personal blog)! I am so sorry it showed up here.

NOW- in the meantime, as an apology- lemme post my favorite holiday recipe for you all...

Butterscotch Yams (or Sweet Potatoes)
6 medium yams (or sweet potatoes), cooked peeled and sliced
1 c. light Karo Syrup
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. cream (for lower fat content, use Half & Half)
1/4 c. butter (or margarine)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Arrange yams in a 9 X 13 inch pan. Bake in a 325* oven for 15 minutes. In a small sauce pan combine Karo syrup, brown sugar, cream, butter, salt and cinnamon. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Let boil for 5 minutes. Pour over yams and bake 15 minutes longer.

This recipe is AWESOME, and EASY, and the sauce is so unbelievably tasty on ham and turkey... Hope you enjoy, and sorry again!

Root Beer Cookies

2008-12-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the elf video. I had no control over that posting here. And to show how sorry I am, I will post a cookie recipe. :)

These are interesting. They actually taste like rootbeer!

Ingredients-
For cookies:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk (or 1 tsp vinegar & the rest milk)
1 tsp rootbeer concentrate
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

For Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp hot water
1 tsp rootbeer concentrate

Directions:
For cookies:
Mix brown sugar, butter, and egg until fluffy. Stir in buttermilk & rootbeer concentrate. Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet, or roll into one inch balls, then bake for 6-8 at 375 degrees. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on wire rack until cool. Be sure to wait long enough for the cookies to cool before frosting, otherwise the frosting will melt off the sides.

For Frosting:
Combine all ingredients and stir together until smooth. Refrigerate until needed for frosting cookies.

Brownie Cookies

2008-12-09T10:23:00.001-08:00

I almost hate to give this recipe away because it's so foolishly easy. I get almost too many compliments on these cookies for how easy they are. I usually make these for when my husband goes home teaching or when I am going visiting teaching because they are so quick (it's either these or the cake mix cookies).

Brownie Cookies
basic recipe:
1 box brownie mix
1/4 c. oil
2 eggs
1 c. baking chips

Mix together the brownie mix, oil, and eggs. Stir in chocolate chips (or whatever baking chips you will use). Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Let cool slightly before moving, they're pretty soft when they come out.

*I have been experimenting with this and it's good using pretty much any baking chips. I have done chocolate chips, mint chips, and I'm doing peanut butter chips tonight. It's also a great way to use the low-fat brownie mix that my husband bought by the caseload (as brownies they are too fudgy, oily, and sticky). Beware also that the dough gets quite thick and will likely make your arm tired. It is like frosting.

Pumpkin Bread

2008-11-25T22:17:00.000-08:00

My Grandma Douglas's recipe for pumpkin bread is one of my all-time favorite foods. My kids down it too. This recipe will yield 2- 9x5x3 loaves + 1- 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x2 loaf OR 4 - 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaves <---what I always do

4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups pumpkin pie filling (30 oz can) (I just use the 100% pure pumpkin)
4 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Mix sugar and oil well.
2. Beat in eggs and pumpkin.
3. Blend in sifted dry ingredients.
4. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans.
5. Bake at 325 for 1 hour or until done
6. Cool 15 minutes, then remove from pans

*Be sure to check your bread before actually calling it done. I bake the 4 smaller loaves and find that an hour PLUS 15 minutes of cooking time usually works out best for me. Otherwise you risk the center being inedible.

No-Bake Chocolate Pie

2008-11-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

warning: this is super sweet but super tasty! It's like eating smores.

7 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 oz each), chopped
20 large marshmallows
1/2 c. milk
2 c. whipped topping
1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)
Additional whipped topping, optional

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the candy bars, marshmallows and milk.
Cook and stir over low heat until smooth.
Remove from the heat; cool.
Fold in whipped topping; pour into crust.
Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired.

Butter Horn Rolls

2008-11-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

My favorite rolls ever. I love getting to make them for Thanksgiving. This is my grandma Smelser's recipe.

Butter Horn Rolls makes 32

1 pkg yeast

1/2 c warm water

1 c lukewarm milk

1/3 c melted butter

1/2 c sugar

3 eggs, well-beaten

3/4 tsp salt

4 1/2 to 4 3/4 c sifted flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water.

Add all other ingredients to yeast mixture.

Mix well. Mixture will be sticky.

Cover bowl with saran wrap or tupperware bowl with lid. Let raise 3 hours in warm place.

Dump out on flour board.

Divide dough in half and roll each half into a large 16" circle.

Brush with melted butter. Cut like a pie into 16 pieces.

Roll from large end and place on cookie sheets.

*The rest is from memory because apparently the other half of the recipe ran away. I'm making them right now though and I'll change it if it doesn't turn out right*
Cover with towel and let raise another 45 minutes or until double in size.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie

2008-11-25T20:46:00.000-08:00

(from the Libby's can)

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

2 large eggs

1 can (15 oz) Libby's pure pumpkin

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie shell

Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in small bowl.

Beat eggs in large bowl.

Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture.

Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell.

Bake in preheated 425 oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack for 2 hours.

Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Apple Pie

2008-11-25T19:44:00.000-08:00

Pam's Flaky Pie Crust (my mom's- Pam Alger)
Makes a 9" or 10" double crust pie

2 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 c. shortening
6-7 Tbsp. cold water

Sift together flour and salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender till pieces are the size of small peas. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, and mix with fork. Split dough in half and roll out to make two crusts.

Apple Pie from Grandma Dottie Douglas
4 c. prepared apples (4 or 5 apples, peeled and sliced)
3/4 to 1 c. sugar (amount depends on tartness of apples)
1 Tbsp. flour
dash salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp. butter

Prepare pastry and apples. Sprinkle some sugar on bottom pastry. Add apple slices. Mix sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle over apples then dot with butter. Put top crust on, moistening edge of bottom crust with water to seal edges. Flute edges, trim, and cut slits in top crust. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, then decrease to 350 and bake for 30 minutes.

Yams & Apples

2008-11-25T14:08:00.001-08:00

Kathy Mitchell's recipe (from my mom's recipe collection). If memory serves, this is my brother Jimmy's very most favorite version of yams. I'm personally not a fan but I actually think these aren't half bad (probably because Kathy makes them)

6 to 8 cans yams
6 to 8 apples, peeled and sliced
Combine:
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sugar
Add:
2 cups water
1/2 cup margarine
1 Tablespoon sugar (plus a little)

1. Cook until thickened.
2. Pour over top of yams and apples in baking dish.
3. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes

Cookie Salad

2008-11-25T14:04:00.003-08:00

This recipe is actually from my stepmom Christy. I make it for most gatherings and never fail to get rave reviews. It's especially great because it's so easy!

2 packages instant vanilla (3.4 ounce) pudding mix
2 cups buttermilk
12 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 can pineapple chunks (20 ounce), drained
2 cans mandarin oranges (11 ounce), drained
1/2 package fudge stripe (11.5 ounce) cookies

In a large bowl, mix together the pudding mix and the buttermilk.
Fold in the whipped topping.
Mix in the pineapple chunks and mandarin oranges.
Chill until ready to serve.
Crush cookies and mix in just before serving.

I don't usually have buttermilk on hand so I pretty much always use powdered buttermilk substitute (found usually on the top shelf in the baking aisle). Seems like I usually add some sliced bananas just before serving too.

Best Macaroni

2008-11-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have never contributed to this blog but my friend made this recipe that I thought was so good. Since she just emailed it to me I thought it would be great to copy and paste it onto here finally contributing something for everyone else to enjoy.

14 oz Elbow Macaroni
1/2 cup Butter
16 oz Soft Cream Cheese
4 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese (cubed 1/2 inch)
6 Tbs Flour
4 cups Milk
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook Macaroni according to package and drain. In a saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until smooth and bubbly. Stir in milk, cream cheese, salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until sauce is thickened. Stir together macaroni, sauce, and cheddar cheese. Pour into casserole dish and bake 15-20 minutes. Cheddar cheese will melt in the oven.

Carrot Cake

2008-11-10T11:50:00.001-08:00

This is Billy's birthday cake. The recipe is from his mom and he gets it every year. I don't use walnuts ever but it is always a huge hit.

4 eggs

1 1/4 c. oil

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. sugar

2 c. flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinammon

3 cups carrots, grated

pinch of salt

Beat together eggs, oil, vanilla. Mix in separate bowl the sugar, soda, and cinammon. Add to oil mixture and blend. Mix in carrots and a pinch of salt.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Let cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package cream cheese, softened

1 cube margarine, softened

1 box powdered sugar

(optional walnuts)

Cream together cream cheese and margarine. Add in powdered sugar and walnuts until well-blended. Frost on cooled cake.

A Few of My Favorites.....

2008-10-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

Sweet and Sour chicken

4-5 chicken breasts chopped into chunks. Put in plastic bag with 1 c. flour and salt, peppe,r garlic salt. Shake. Fry chicken (I use olive oil.)
Sauce-boil
3/4 c. sugar
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 c. white vinegar
pinch salt
5 T. ketchup
1/4 c. pineapple juice and some chunks pineapple

Mix chicken and sauce and pineapple pieces in pan. Bake 45 min at 350. Make 2 cups rice.

BBQ chicken

2 frozen chicken breasts
1/2 c. bbq sauce
2 T. vinegar
1/4 c. brown sugar
4 T. ketchup
Any spices you want to put in, I use Mrs. Dash.
Crock pot on low for 6 hours, on high for 4 hours.

Chicken Pillows (the greatest guilty pleasure ever!!!) I use fat free/low fat on all the ingredients.Then you can have more.=)

Cream together 6-8 oz. cream cheese, 2 c. grilled/cooked chicken, 4 T. butter softened, 1/8 tsp. pepper
Add 1/2 c. chopped celery

Put into crescent rolls and roll up. Dip in butter and coat in italian seasoned breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min.
Cook cream of chicken soup and 1/2 c. milk together on stove and use as gravy.

Cream cheese banana bread (the softest ever!!!!!)

3/4 c. butter
1-8 oz. pkg cream cheese
2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. mashed bananas (approx 3)

Top with cinnamon crumble topping before cooking
1 T. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 T. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
Makes two loaves. BAke at 350 for 45 min to an hour.

Lemon Zest Cheese Spread/Whipped Topping/Fruit Dip

2008-10-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

This is a versatile recipe that can be used as a spread for rolls, scones and bread. OR you can add the optional whipped topping and have it be a frosting for a cake or a fruit dip. I always use it as a fruit dip. This is from my cookbook Sensational Splenda Recipes by Marlene Koch

1/2 c. low-fat cottage cheese
1/4 c. light cream cheese
3 Tbsp Splenda
Zest of 1 lemon
1-2 drops lemon extract (optional)
1 c. light whipped topping (Cool Whip) (for the frosting/dip version)

1. In a food processor, blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth.
2. Add teh cream cheese, Splenda, lemon zest, and lemon extract. Pulse lightly until just blended.
3. Move to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until time to serve.
*** For the topping/dip: Fold in the whipped topping at the end

Nutrition info: Per Serving (2 Tbsp)
Calories 45, Fat 2g (1.5 sat), Carbs 2g, Fiber 1g, Protein 4g, Sodium 105mg
diabetic exchange = 1/2 fat
WW point comparison = 1 point

Pollo Italiano

2008-09-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

So here's Morgan's American version of what I think good Italiam chicken tastes like. :)

4-6 Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless)
1 Can diced tomatoes
1 bottle Italian dressing (I like the Wishbone Robust one)
1 sm can sliced olives
Mozzarella cheese

Lay raw chicken in a 9x13 baking dish (I prefer glass), add tomatoes (with juice), then the Italian dressing (basically filling up the dish a little more than 1/2 way), top with olives.

Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly. Top with cheese, let melt in oven another 5 minutes or so. And voila! An easy main dish to feed a small family or a big crowd (you can usually fit 8 breasts in one baking dish and use the same amount of ingredients).

Morgan

Roasted Chicken with Herbs and Garlic

2008-09-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

I made my first roasted chicken on Sunday and it turned out dang good! This recipe came from my Joy of Cooking cookbook, though I am modifying the way it is written.

1 roasting chicken (the following proportions are for one that is 4 1/2 lbs or less. Adjust accordingly)

2 tsp minced fresh rosemary (may sub thyme), or 3/4 tsp dried

1 tsp grated lemon zest (optional but makes it so good)

2-3 medium garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp salt

additional salt

2-3 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 400.

Remove neck and giblets from chicken. Rinse and pat dry.

Sprinkle skin with the additional salt and generously rub body and neck to get it in well.

Arrange chicken, breast side up, in roasting pan and brush with butter, especially breast and legs.

Combine all other ingredients in small bowl.

Using your fingers, loosen the skin and spread the herb mixture over the meat of the breast, thighs, and drumsticks.

Roast for 55-65 minutes (for a 4 lb bird). Remove chicken to a platter and let stand for 10-15 minutes before carving.

** For larger birds, figure 1 hour for first 4 lbs and an additional 8 minutes per additional pound.

** If you want moist breast meat consider the chicken done with the thickest part of the thigh exudes clear juices when pricked deeply with a fork and registers 170 to 175 F. If you like dark meat falloing off the bone and are willing to risk a dry breast, roast until the thigh registers 180.

I had a 6 lb bird and increased the measurements by 50%. I cooked it, with a lid on, in a roasting pan on my oven's convection roast setting for about 1 hr 15 minutes. It was perfect and the breast meat was so juicy.

Combine a

Charred Asparagus tips

2008-09-21T21:40:00.001-07:00

asparagus
Olive oil
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 500. Trim asparagus and spread on ungreased cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil across them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (kosher salt is better). Bake for 5-6 minutes.

Italian Strawberries

2008-09-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

1 lb strawberries
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. black pepper (fresh ground preferred), or to taste

Place strawberries in bowl, cutting larger ones in half. Drizzle vinegar over top. Sprinkle sugar over the top. Cover and let sit out (NOT in refrigerator) for 1-4 hours (not more). Put pepper on just before serving. For a sugar free version you can use stevia packets or splenda and just do it to taste.

*this might sound like a very strange recipe but it is delectable.

Looking for a recipe....

2008-09-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

So I'm looking for a few recipes and this is my call to see if any of you happen to have them:

Almond French Toast. This was my favorite breakfast as a kid but, for the life of me, I cannot find the recipe in any of my mom's recipes. It does not get baked with almonds, just almond flavoring. Then there was a special almond or honey butter that she made to go with it.

Cranberry Chicken (Brianna, I am referring to you)
Italian Chicken (Morgan Baldwin- the one you always make)
Tomato Soup (I think this was the request- Krystal: Stephanie Richardson was requesting it. it is some recipe you had made but probably a while back)

Cake Mix Cookies- Easiest cookies ever

2008-09-17T16:23:00.000-07:00

1 box cake mix- any flavor

1/2 c. butter/margarine

1 egg

Mix it all together until fully moistened. Bake at 350 for 9-12 minutes. Taste great plain or with frosting. You could even make them into sandwich cookies.

Makes about 2 doz.

Food Storage recipes and stuff

2008-09-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

sorry- I'm too lazy to separate these into different posts right now

RUBS- combine ingredients then store away from light and heat. Will keep for 6 months. Use as a seasoning or a cure.

BBQ University Rub (use 1-2 Tbsp per lb of meat)
2 T ground coriander
2 T sweet paprika
2 T coarse salt
4 t. ground cumin
4 t. dried thyme
2 t. garlic powder
¼ t. ground allspice
¼ t. freshly ground white pepper
¼ t. cayenne pepper

Cold Mountain Rub (use 1-2 T per pound of meat)
½ c. coarse salt
½ c sugar
½ c freshly ground black pepper
½ c. sweet paprika

4-3-2-1 Rub (Billy’s favorite) (use 1 T per lb of meat)
4 T sweet paprika
3 T. salt
2 T garlic powder
1 T. black pepper

Basic BBQ Rub (1 T per pound of meat)
¼ c coarse salt
¼ c dark brown sugar (packed)
3 T freshly ground black pepper
1 T garlic powder
1 T dried onion flakes
½- 1 t. cayenne pepper
½ t celery seeds

SEASONINGS

Italian Seasoning (makes 1 cup)
4 Tbsp oregano leaves
4 Tbsp rosemary leaves
2 Tbsp ground marjoram
2 Tbsp basil leaves
2 Tbsp whole thyme
½ tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp. instant granulated garlic

Mix ingredients in blender. Store in jar and label. Shake before using.

Sausage Seasoning (makes 1 cup)
3 Tbsp ground rosemary
10 Tbsp ground sage
7 Tbsp salt
3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp. powdered marjoram
3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp powdered basil
3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp. cayenne
3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp. garlic salt

Optional (for more spice) ¼ to ½ tsp dried red pepper chiles, powdered

Mix ingredients well. Store in jar and label. Shake before using.

BREAD

Whole Wheat Bread (makes 4 loaves) (from Kathy Mitchell) (this version is designed to be mixed using a Bosch mixer)
6 cups very warm water
¾ c honey
¾ c oil
2 T. salt
Mix together
Add 4 c. flour (white wheat is best)
Add 3 T yeast
Add 8-12 more cups of flour gradually until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl
Add 2 more cups of flour (use 2 c. white flour to make the bread fluffier)
Mix for 8 minutes

Put in greased pans in warm oven (125 degrees?) for 40 minutes.
Turn oven to 350 and bake for 27 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Oatmeal Bread (makes 2 loaves)
½ c. warm water
2 T. active dry yeast
¾ c. boiling water
¾ c. rolled oats
1 c. buttermilk (or powdered milk buttermilk substitute)
1/3 c. vegetable oil
½ c honey or molasses
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
3 to 3 ½ c. all purpose flour

In small bowl, stir yeast into ½ c. warm water; allow to stand until yeast dissolves and bubbles up. In medium saucepan, bring ¾ c water to boiling; stir in oatmeal and cook several minutes. Remove from heat add buttermilk, oil, and honey or molasses.

Sift flour, salt, and soda into a large mixing bowl. Add yeast mixture and oats mixture and beat with wire whip or slotted spoon let stand 5 minutes. Gradually add enough of remaining flour until dough is stiff enough for kneading. Turn out onto floured surface and knead 8 to 10 minutes or until a soft, elastic ball forms. Place dough in clean greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in bulk, about 1 ½ hours. Punch down dough and divide into two portions; cover with bowl or towel and allow to rest 10 minutes.

Form into loaves and place in greased 8x4 bread pans. Cover and let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 350 to 375 for 45- 50 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and turn out to cool on wire rack.

Corn Bread (makes 1 loaf)
1 2/3 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
5 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 2/3 c. yellow cornmeal
2 eggs, beaten
1 2/3 c. milk
¼ c. margarine, melted

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in cornmeal until well blended. Add eggs and milk, stir to smooth batter. Stir in melted butter just until blended. Do not over stir. Pour into well buttered 9x5x3 loaf pan. Bake at 425 for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, loosen around edges and turn out to cool.

Oatmeal Pancakes (makes 8-10 pancakes)
½ c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1/3 c. nonfat powdered milk
2 eggs, separated
1 c. water
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 c. rolled oats

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and powdered milk; stire until well blended. In small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff; set aside. In large bowl combine egg yolks, water, oil, and oats; beat slightly and allow to stand 5 minutes, then beat until blended. Mix in dry ingredients, then fold in beaten egg whites. Use 2 Tbsp batter for small pancakes or ¼ c. for large pancakes. Top with applesauce, jam, or maple syrup.

Everlasting Yeast
1 quart warm potato water
½ yeast cake or ½ Tbsp dry yeast
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
2 c. white or whole wheat flour

Stir all ingredients together. Place mixture in a warm place to rise until ready to mix for baking. Leave a small amount of everlasting yeast for a start for next time. Between uses, keep in covered jar in refrigerator until a few hours before ready to use again.

Add same ingredients, except yeast, to the everlasting yeast start for the next baking. By keeping the everlasting yeast start and remaking some each time, yeast can be kept on hand indefinitely.

Egg Substitute (for use in baking)
Before starting recipe for cookies, cake, etc, combine:
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
3 Tbsp cold water
2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp boiling water

This mixture will substitute for 1 egg in a recipe.

USING POWDERED MILK
You can make all of these milk products by using powdered milk. It uses your food storage and it will have fewer calories and less cholesterol.

Whole Milk
1 c. water
1/3 c powdered milk

Evaporated Milk
1 c. water
2/3 c. powdered milk

Whipped Evaporated Milk (makes 3 cups)
1 c. evaporated milk
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Thoroughly chill evaporated milk. Add lemon juice and whip until stiff. Sweeten and flavor as desired.

Condensed Milk
½ c. hot water
1 c. sugar
1 Tbsp butter
1 c. powdered milk

Blend thoroughly in blender. Can be stored in refrigerator or frozen.

Buttermilk or Sour Milk
1 c. water
½ c. powdered milk
1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice

Blender Whole Wheat Pancakes
¾ c. whole kernel wheat
2 eggs
2 t. baking powder
1? t. baking soda
1 c. milk or buttermilk
4 T. oil
1 t. salt
1 t honey

Blend wheat and milk on high for 4 minutes. Add other ingredients and blend for 1 minute. Bake on hot griddle.

DESSERTS

Fruit Crisp
Boiling water
3 c. dried apples, sweet cherries, peaches, or pears
2 T. lemon juice
1/3 c. raisins
1/3 c. flour
2 T. wheat germ
¾ c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 t. cinnamon
1/3 c. butter or margarine
½ c. uncooked rolled oats

Pour boiling water over dried fruit to cover. Let stand to reconstitute about 30 minutes. Drain. Generously butter and 8x8 pan. Place reconstituted dried fruit in prepared pan. Sprinkle lemon juice and raisins over fruit. In a med bowl, blend flour, wheat germ, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter until crumbly. Toss with rolled oats. Sprinkle flour/oat mixture evenly over fruit in pan. Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

No Bake Cookies (makes1 doz) (Dionne Burton)
¼ c. margarine
½ c. milk
2 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ c. peanut butter
3 c. quick cooking instant oats

Mix together margarine, milk, and sugar. Boil for one minute. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper and let cool.

Oatmeal Bar Cookies (makes 2 doz squares)
½ c. margarine
½. c. sugar
½ c. brown sugar
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla
1 egg, beaten
1 ¼ c. flour
1 c. oats

Combine ingredients well. Pour into 9x13 pan. Bake 20-30 minutes at 350. Optional: add butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, or raisins.

No Bake Chocolate Cookies
2 c. sugar
½ c milk
½ c. margarine
3 Tbsp cocoa
1/8 tsp. salt
3 c. quick cooking oatmeal
½ c. chopped nuts
1 c. coconut
1 tsp vanilla

Bring to boil first 5 ingredients, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let set.

No Bake Butter Balls (makes 3 doz)
2/3 c. margarine
¾ c. sugar
1 Tbsp. water
½ tsp vanilla
2 c. oatmeal

Beat margarine until creamy; add sugar and beat well. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Chill. Shape into small balls. Roll in chopped nuts, colored sugar, chocolate shots or coconut. Decorate with gumdrops, candied cherries, chocolate pieces, cinnamon candies, or pecan halves. Store in refrigerator. For a chocolate version, add 3 Tbsp cocoa to dough.

Popped Wheat Treats
Boil whole wheat until kernels are plump, tender and begin to split. Drain wheat and rinse. Remove excess water by rolling wheat on a cloth or paper towel.

In a heavy kettle, heat vegetable oil to 360. Put small amount of wheat (about 1 ½ c.) in a ware basket or strainer and deep fry in hot oil for 1 ½ minutes or until popping ceases. Drain on absorbent paper.
Variations: Season with salt, seasoned salt, garlic, bbq salt, onion salt, celery salt, cinnamon and sugar or any combinations you desire. These morsels are great on salads as a topping, mixed with trail mix, or as toppings for desserts or just as a snack.

Tortillas
1 c. corn meal
1 c. flour
½ tsp salt
¼ c. powdered milk
1 egg
Mix with water to make a very thin batter and fry on grill. (might want to spread it out a little)

Cherry Fluff Jello

2008-07-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

Wes hates Jello but really likes this dessert/salad...

6 oz cherry Jello
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 large can red cherry pie filling
3 oz vanilla instant pudding
2 C Cool Whip

Combine Jello w/ 2 C boiling water. (Do not add 2 C cold water), instead add crushed pineapple with juice and cherry pie filling. Mix well and pour into a 9 X 13 pan, and chill until firm.
Combine pudding with 1 C milk and wait until slightly thickened.
Add 2 C Cool Whip. Stir until well blended. Spread over set Jello. Chill.

Serves 8 – 10

Funfetti Cookies

2008-07-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

I found a new recipe for cookies that are so yummy! And so easy to make. Addi and I made the Funfetti cookies and took them to Ben at the station and the firefighters inhaled them.

Go buy the Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix and the recipe is on the side of the box. I will give it to you too!

1 box of Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1/2 can of Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Frosting (this frosting is so good, but is not in all grocery stores. You can also get the Funfetti Frosting)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, and eggs; stir with spoon until thoroughly moistened. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With bottom of glass dipped in flour, flatten to 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Bake at 375 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.
3. Spread frosting over cookies.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Mostacolli

2008-07-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

This is Antigone's favorite meal!

1 lb ground beef
1 box mostacolli pasta (or penne pasta is fine)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I like Bertolli's)
1 can cheddar cheese soup (you can also use any form of cheese soup, Nacho Cheese, Fiesta Cheese, etc.)
Dried Oregano
Garlic salt
Mozarella Cheese

Boil pasta. Brown and drain the ground beef, season with garlic salt. Mix beef with spaghetti sauce, cheese soup and a few pinches of oregano. Bring sauce to boil and then simmer until pasta is ready (I always cook them simultaneously). Drain pasta and mix with sauce in a large bowl. Place pasta in layers in a 9x13 baking dish, covering each layer with mozarella. Cover the top with mozarella also. Spray one side of aluminum foil with Pam cooking spray, cover the dish and bake for 20 min (or until boiling) at 350 degrees.

Yummi Delicious Chicken Tacos

2008-07-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a snacky one for ya'll!

4-6 chicken breasts
1 large jar of salsa (think jug size, I use Pace, Medium)
Chipotle hot sauce (a few dashes across the pot, but we like it spicy)
2 cans diced green chiles

Mix all of the above ingredients into a crock pot, cook on high. After 2.5hrs, shred chicken in crockpot with forks. Mix chicken and sauce well and let cook another 45min-1hr, or until fully cooked.

Get the best mexi experience by eating the chicken on corn tortillas, lightly fried in a little oil (to make them golden), and top everything with guacamole, chopped tomatoes, cheese and sour cream. Yum!

Spanish rice and whole pinto beans accompany every mexican meal at our house, but refried beans with cheese are always good too.

Morgan

Cucumber Salad

2008-07-03T08:30:00.004-07:00

You really have to just play with this recipe to see what suits your tastes, but here's where to start off at:

2 cucumbers, sliced and quartered
1/4 c. vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil
parsley to taste
onion powder to taste
salt to taste

Mix it all together and serve cold. You can play with the amounts of vinegar and oil but you want to keep the oil amount double however much vinegar you use.

Pasta with Cauliflower and Pancetta

2008-07-02T23:07:00.000-07:00

This is a low GI food and a big hit at my house. Recipe says it serves 4 but the servings are so filling I'd say it could serve much more than that (I think I eat maybe a quarter of a serving). It's probably at least twice that for us anyway.

Pasta with Cauliflower and Pancetta by Antonio Carlucci from The Low GI Diet Cookbook

6 c. cauliflower florets

14 oz. dried cavatelli or penne pasta

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 1/2 oz. pancetta, finely diced

1 small red chile, finely chopped

1 1/4 c. aved pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tbsp. roughly chopped parsley

1 tsp. salt

1. Cook the cauliflower and pasta together in plenty of boiling, salted water for 19 minutes, or until the cauliflower is cooked and the pasta is al dente.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the pancetta and chile and fry for 3 minutes, or until starting to brown.

3. Drain the pasta and cauliflower adn palce on a alrge serving plate or in individual bowls. Sprinkle with cheese, then tip the pancetta and chile over the top. Add the parsley and season with salt. Mix well in the bowl before serving.

Per serving (4 total)
510 cal, 14 g fat (5g sat), 24g protein, 71g carbs, 6g fiber, 1180mg sodium

Crockpot Meals

2008-06-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

With it now being summer, I have been doing more crockpot meals because they don't heat up my kitchen here are 2 of my favorites...

Crockpot Creamy Italian Chicken

4- boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1- 0.7oz envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1/3 cup water
1- 8oz package cream cheese
1- 10 3/4 oz condensed cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
1- 4 oz can of mushrooms
Hot cooked rice, noodles or mashed potatoes

Cut uncooked chicken into bite sized pieces and place in crock pot. Mix water and Italian salad dressing mix. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Combine cream cheese, cream of chicken soup and mushrooms, mixing until smooth. Pour over chicken, cover and cook for 1 hour. Serve over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.

Note: I leave out the mushrooms and substitute baby carrots the last hour
I like to make this for people when they come over it is easy to do tastes great and you aren’t in the kitchen cooking while they are there. Freezes really well.

Crockpot Coconut Curry Chicken

4 thawed chicken breasts ( I cut them into chunks but you can leave whole)
1 can coconut milk
8 oz cream cheese (you can use the fat free and it still tastes great)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 - 1 tbsp red curry powder (I used yellow because that is what I had and it was great!)

Throw all of the above ingredients into the crockpot and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve over rice.
You can add a can of diced green chilies if you like it spicy!
Freezes really well too!

Chops-On-Top Pork and Stuffing

2008-06-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

This was kid tested and husband approved so I decided to pop it on here as a keeper.

6 boneless 1/2" pork chops
2 Tbl. Grey Poupon Honey Dijon Mustard (I totally just used spicy brown mustard)
2 Tbl. margarine
1/4 c. Kraft Catalina salad dressing
3 lg. carrots, thinly sliced
2 lg. red apples, unpeeled, chopped (I didn't have any at the time so left it out)
1 pkg. Stove Top chicken flavored stuffing mix

Coat chops with mustard. Melt margarine in large deep nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chops; cook 6 minutes on each side or until browned and juices run clear. Remove from skillet. Set aside.

Add 1 1/2 c. water, dressing and carrots to skillet. Cook 6-8 minutes or until carrots are tender. Stir in apples and stuffing mix (Don't make the stuffing ahead of time, just dump in the mix). Return chops to skillet; cover. Turn off heat. Let stand 5 minutes to set the stuffing. Enjoy.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2008-06-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

This was a big kid pleaser tonight - both of my girls asked for seconds!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Prep: 20 minutes + marinading
Cook: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided (I just used regular soy sauce because that is what I had on hand)
1 Tablespoon sherry or reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used water because I didn't want to open a thing of chicken broth for just one Tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks (I don't know if mine was unsweetened or not, it was whatever I had in the pantry)
2 Tablespoons plus 1/3 cup cornstarch, divided
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon canola oil
2 cups hot cooked rice

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sherry or broth (or water), salt, garlic powder, and ginger; add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set pineapple aside. Add enough water to juice to measure 1 cup (I didn't need to add any water). In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespooons cornstarch, sugar, and pineapple juice mixture until smooth; stir in the vinegar, ketchup, and remaining soy sauce. Set aside.

3. Drain chicken and discard marinade. Place remaining cornstarch in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In a large nonstick skillet or wok coated with cooking spray, stir-fry chicken in oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.

4. Stir pineapple juice mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken and reserved pineapple; heat through. Serve with rice.

Nutrition facts: 1 cup chicken mixture with 1/2 cup rice equals 428 calories, 6g fat (1g saturated fat), 63 mg cholesterol, 571 mg sodium, 65g carboydrate, 2g fiber, 26g protein.

Sour Cream Chicken

2008-06-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

Super easy and a crowd pleaser! Even the pickiest kids (like my son) will actually eat Sour Cream Chicken - probably because it's so fattening. That's why it tastes good. :)

Ingredients:
salt, pepper, paprika to taste
6-8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 c. sour cream
1 c. grated cheese
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ c. mayonnaise
chopped green onion, however much you like

Directions:
Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Combine remaining ingredients and spread over chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 1 hour (or less, depending on the size of your chicken breasts). Serve over steamed rice. We usually eat this meal with broccoli.

Buttery Pan Rolls

2008-06-16T15:53:00.000-07:00

These rolls are semi-labor-intensive, but we think they're pretty good~

Ingredients:
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
½ c. warm water
4 ½ c. all purpose flour
¼ c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
10 T. melted butter, divided into 6 T, 2 T, 2 T
1 egg
1 c. warm milk

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand until bubbly (about 15 minutes). Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, stir together 2 cups of the flour, sugar and salt. Add 6 tablespoons melted butter, egg, yeast mixture and warm milk. Beat 5 minutes until well blended. Gradually beat in the remaining 2½ cups flour. Cover bowl and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).

Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter into the bottom of a 9 x 13” baking pan and spread evenly using a paper towel or napkin. Punch down dough and form into balls, placing each in baking pan. (About 15-20 balls).

Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons butter over dough. Cover lightly and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled (about 30 minutes).

Bake at 425 for 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn upside-down onto a plate to cool. Pull apart.

Multigrain Bread in the bread machine

2008-06-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

From my Joy of Cooking cookbook. Soooo good. My family downed this. I think Billy ate half the loaf himself. It makes super tasty toast.

Follow your bread machine's instructions for the order of putting the ingredients in. Mine calls for liquid first, then dry ingredients, then yeast.

3/4 c. plus 2 T. water
1 T. butter or margarine, softened
2 T. honey
1 T. grated orange zest
1 1/2 c. bread flour
1/4 c. whole-wheat flour (I use white wheat)
2 T quick-cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats
2 T. cornmeal or polenta
2 T. nonfat dry milk
1 t. salt
2 t. active dry yeast or 1 1/4 t. quick-rise yeast

Process on the bread cycle. After 10 minutes of kneading or when the beeper sounds, add:
1/2 c. hulled sunflower seeds

*Substitutions:
May substitute sesame, flax, or hulled pumpkin seeds for the sunflower seeds (I used flax seeds)
Mat substitute soy, rye, and quinoa flour for the cornmeal or oats.

Raspberry Coffee Cake

2008-06-10T11:50:00.001-07:00

I use the Trader Joe's Multigrain Baking & Pancake Mix. The side of it has a recipe for a blueberry coffee cake and this was my version. Also, I don't keep buttermilk around but instead use dry buttermilk that I keep in the fridge and mix it with water according to the directions.

This is really yummy served warm with a tiny bit of whipped cream on top.

1 egg
1 c. buttermilk
3 T. oil
2 1/2 c. baking mix
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. fresh raspberries

In a large bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, and oil.
Stir in baking mix and sugar just until moistened.
Fold in berries.
Spread batter into an 8x8 square pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 or until top is golden brown and a wooden toothpick in center comes out clean.
Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Making Mozzarella...

2008-06-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

So this recipe is a bit more complicated than MANY of my recipes, but it is an excellent use for powdered milk. There are just a few things I feel I should mention. First off, Rennet tablets can be purchased at Walmart next to the ice cream toppings area of the grocery store... And regular milk can (of course) be used in place of powdered milk. Also, don't expect this recipe to be successful the first time you make it. It is a tricky thing making cheese...

3 qts. reconstituted powdered milk, chilled
1 pt. cream
1/4 c. cold water

2 tsp. citric acid
1/4-1/2 Rennet tablet
1-2 tsp. salt (optional)

Pre-measure all ingredients and have them set out so you don't have to worry about it during the cooking process. Crush rennet tablet in cold water and stir to dissolve. Place your large pot on the stove and pour milk and cream into it. Make sure that all the froth and bubbles are gone, skim them off if necessary. Turn the heat to medium. Sprinkle citric acid powder into the milk and stir gently. Heat to 88°. You will start to see your milk curdle. At 88°, add your Rennet solution and continue gently stirring occasionally until the milk reaches 105 degrees. Turn off the heat (If you have a gas stove, turn the heat down, but don't turn it completely off). Leave the pot on the hot burner and continue to let the cheese curd (without stirring) until the temperature reaches 110°. Don't let the temperature go over 110°. You now have a mass of curds, clearly separated from the whey. Scoop the curds out with a slotted spoon into a microwaveable bowl. Microwave the curds for 1 minute on high and drain off the excess whey. Work the cheese into a ball until cool. Microwave two more times at 35 seconds each. Continue to drain the excess whey and work your cheese into a ball. If too hot to touch wear rubber gloves. Knead the cheese quickly like bread dough until it stretches like taffy. If you like, sprinkle it with the salt while kneading. When the cheese is smooth and shiny it is ready to eat.

Note: The whey you drain off can be saved and used as liquid in bread. It is very nutritious. Certain high quality powdered milks (such as Morning Moo and Country Cream) are whey based and can’t be used to make cheese. Cannery brand milk is best. Don't be surprised if you fail a few batches before you are successful with this recipe.

Bubble Pizza

2008-06-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

BUBBLE PIZZA

1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can(15 ounces)pizza sauce (more if you like sauce)
2 tubes(12 ounces each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1-1/2 cups shredded mozarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In skillet, brown the beef; drain well.
Stir in pizza sauce. Slice the biscuits in 4 pieces; place in a greased
13x9 inch baking dish. Top with beef mixture. Bake uncovered at 400 Degrees
for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with Cheeses. Bake 5-10 minutes longer to melt cheese.
Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.
Best served with a green salad and ranch.

This is a favorite with the Men and kids at my house, and very easy to prepare!

Applesauce Bars

2008-06-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

This is my Grandma Horn's recipe. I think I am going to make them for the potluck at the park tommorow. I usually omit the nuts and I'm not sure if I have any raisins so I'll probably give it a whirl without the raisins too. I took them once to a big playgroup get-together and they were a big hit.

Applesauce Bars

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves, ground
3/4 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
Cream Cheese Frosting
3 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
milk, as needed

1. Place flour, cinnamon, salt, allspice, cloves, nuts, and raisins in large bowl and mix well
2. Combine applesauce, sugar, oil, and soda in small bowl and mix well
3. Pour applesauce mixture into flour mixture and mix well
4. Pour onto greased cookie sheet and bake 20 minutes at 350.
5. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting while warm
7. For frosting:
8. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on low speed until light.
9. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy
10. Add milk if necessary to make spreading consistency

What's cookin?

2008-06-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

So I thought it might be fun to try and start a recipe blog that we can all contribute to like a recipe exchange. I love finding great recipes and I love trying out new stuff. What do you think?

Here's one of my favorite entrees:

Honey Gingered Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloins (3/4lb) each
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. oyster sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. plus 1 t. minced ginger
1 T minced garlic
1 T. ketchup
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. ground red pepper
1/4 t. ground cinnamon

1. Place tenderloins in a baking dish.
2. Combine honey and next 9 ingredients, stirring well; Pour over tenderloins.
3. Cover, and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours, turning occassionally.
4. Remove tenderloins from marinade, reserving marinade
5. Grill tenderloins, over medium hot coals for 25 to 35 minutes, turning often and basting with reserved marinade.
6. Pork is done when meat thermometer instered into thickest portion of tenderloin registers 160F.
7. To serve, slice tenderloins thinly and arrange on a serving platter.