Mom's Basic Beans

This is a basic recipe my mom always uses for her beans.

Use twice as much water as beans.

Soak beans overnight in a pan of water
or
Boil hard for 5 minutes, take off heat, and put the lid on for 1 hour.

Rinse beans and get new water, filling the pot above the beans.
Add:
3 T. oil, garlic and onions. (do not add salt!)

Simmer for 4-5 hours if new beans (recently purchased)
or
Simmer for 8-9 hours if old beans (from food storage)

Store with excess water.

To Refry:
2 T oil in the pan, and use excess liquid to prevent scalding.

Rice Crispy Ice Cream Dessert

Melt and stir (until dissolved)
1 C. brown sugar
1 cube butter

Add:
1 C. coconut
1/2 - 1 C. broken nuts (I like walnuts)
2 C. Rice Crispies

Press 1/2 of mixture into 9x13 pan.
On top, spoon 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream (I get the kind in the box, cut off the box, and cut the ice cream into slices that I can place on top of the rice crispy mixture.)
Press the remaining 1/2 of rice crispy mixture on top of the ice cream. Freeze for at least one hour and serve with this Hot Fudge Sauce.

Fudge Sauce

Melt the following in a saucepan:

4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 C. butter
Add:
3 C. sugar

Stir over medium heat until well mixed. It will look grainy from the sugar.

Add:
1 C evaporated milk
Stir over low heat for 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved

At the very end add 1 t. vanilla.

Easy Crock Pot Chili

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans
1-2 tbsp. chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste


Brown beef with onion and garlic in skillet, drain. Mix with remaining ingredients in crock pot on low for 6 hours.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

These simple ingredients make an excellent soup. I honestly don't think you need any other vegetables or seasonings to make this taste mouth watering.

Whole Chicken, without the neck, washed
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp Rosemary
1 whole Onion, skin removed
2 cloves Garlic, skin removed
6 (or more) cups of water

Put all these things in a large pot and add just enough water to almost cover the chicken. Boil covered for about 2 hours or until the chicken falls off the bone when you try to lift it out of the pot. Pour the entire contents through a large strainer over a large bowl (in other words, keep the broth). Let the chicken cool for 20 minutes or so. Pour the broth through a finer strainer back into the pot. Separate the meat from the fat and bones. Rip meat with hands into pieces the size of a piece of gum and throw back into the pot (it will shred on its own as it cooks more). Discard cooked onion, garlic, bay leaves, bones and fat.

Add to the pot:

6 chopped Carrots
7 stalks of chopped Celery
4 cups water
Salt to taste (about 2 or 3 Tablespoons)
Pepper to taste

30 minutes before serving add:

2 cups milk or 1 cup cream (whole milk works great)
3/4 C. Wild Brown Rice or Wild Rice

Boil until rice is cooked- DO NOT OVER COOK THE RICE!

Stir and serve.

This makes enough soup to feed an army, so we like to freeze the leftovers in single serving size ziplock tupperware, and pop one in the microwave if someone around here gets sick.

Oven Fries

-Potatoes
-Italian salad dressing
-Salt

Cut potatoes into small wedges and let marinate in the salad dressing for about 1/2 hour. Place wedges on a greased cookie sheet, discard marinade. Sprinkle with salt. Cook at 350 for 45 minutes or until tender. Halfway through cooking, flip wedges.
Cooking time may vary depending on size of wedges and amount of potatoes used.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

I brought this tonight to dinner. It was great. I thought it would be a good consideration for the upcoming holidays. I used a little less butter and half and half instead of heavy cream. Buy thin bacon so you can get it nice and crunchy before you bake it all together.

• 10 large russet baking potatoes (about 7 pounds total)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
• 1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 pound mild Cheddar, grated (3 cups)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Scrub the potatoes well and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels and prick the potatoes in several places with a fork. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.

When the potatoes have cooled, cut each potato in half and, using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop the flesh out of the skins, leaving as little flesh as possible. Place the potato flesh in a large bowl and add 1 stick of the butter, the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and mash until chunky-smooth. Add the bacon, cubed white Cheddar, half of the grated Cheddar, the green onions, and eggs and mix thoroughly.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch casserole with the remaining tablespoon of butter and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Place the seasoned potato mixture in the prepared casserole and top with the remaining grated Cheddar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges and heated through and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden. Serve hot.

Yam Fries

I know, I know, you are salivating.

These turned out, pretty dang good!

I saw a cooking show a few weeks ago on the food network where they made sweet potato fries. Then while grocery shopping I saw that Yam's were on sale, and wondered if there really was any difference between a yam and a sweet potato. Turns out they are not related at all. Anywhoo . . . I snatched up three long yams and brought them home for us to try while watching the BYU game. I made the yam's the same as I would have had they been sweet potatoes.

Preheat the oven to 400.

Peel and cut yams into thin strips.

On a baking sheet, spread a couple Tablespoons of EVOO.

dump the yams on, and toss them around so they get some oil on them.

Then season with:

Cumin

Coriander

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

(Sorry, but I have no measurements, just season lightly to taste. )

Throw them in the oven for 30 minutes.

When they come out of the oven, sprinkle 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar around.

These fries were a hit! Turns out although Yam's and Sweet Potatoes aren't related, they both are pretty tasty!

German Pancake's

When I was a kid, my Mom made these all the time. All my other siblings loved them and cheered when they saw it coming out of the oven. I however, hated them. I don't know if I ever even actually tasted them, but being the stubborn kid that I was, I wouldn't touch it. Fast forward 20+ years. . . Six months ago my Mom made them again while we were visiting my brothers family in Las Vegas. I LOVED it. I asked her how she made them (she never has a recipe for anything, yet everything she makes is delicious) and she nonchalantly gave me her most recently made recipe. So, this recipe may be different from the ones you have made in the past, but it works really well for me. I now make this at least once per week and my girls also cheer when they see it in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 420. Place 2 tablespoons of cold butter in a 9x13 dish and put it in the oven to melt. (Don't just melt butter and put it in the pan. The hot pan helps the egg batter to pull away and become inflated.)

combine:

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

(this is how much I make for 2 adults and 2 kids, with one leftover piece. For more servings, increase the eggs to 9, 1.5 cups milk and 1.5 cups flour in the same size pan- that usually serves 4 adults and 2 kids)

Whip it up with a whisk until there are no lumps.

Remove the hot pan from the oven and pour the batter in. Bake it for 17-20 minutes or until it is golden brown and nearly touches the top of the oven. Smother with syrup, applesauce, butter or jam. Enjoy!

Sticky Pull-Apart Buns

you will need:

20 frozen rhodes rolls

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 3.5 oz. box of butterscotch pudding (not instant)

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Grease a 9x9 glass baking dish.

Evenly spread the pecans on the bottom.

Arrange the 20 frozen rolls on top of the nuts.

sprinkle the pudding packet on top of the rolls ( I only used 3/4 of the packet)

then bring the butter and brown sugar to a boil, then pour evenly on top of the rolls. (I didn't boil it, just melted it in the microwave)

Do the prep the night before. The rolls will thaw and raise overnight and in the morning you just stick it in the oven. 350 for 35 minutes. When they come out of the oven just dump them over onto a serving tray.

These are soooooo good and sooooo healthy. Perfect for a breakfast treat on a holiday or for when your mother-in-law and father-in-law are in town. Enjoy!

Taco Pizza

My niece came to stay with me a few weeks ago and together we experimented and just came up with this meal. It was actually super good! If any of you have other taco pizza recipe's please post them because I would love to try it! 

Ingredients:

Either store-bought dough/crust, or use 1/4 of the dough from this recipe

1 lb. ground beef/turkey

1/2 diced white onion

2/3 packet of taco seasoning

1 can refried beans

1/2 cup salsa

2-4 cups of mozzarella cheese (however much you like)

diced tomatoes*

crisp chopped iceberg lettuce*

sliced avocados*

sliced olives*

green onions*

Pizza instructions :

If you make home made dough, roll it out onto a large cookie sheet  and bake it for 10 minutes at 350. When it comes out of the oven it will be only partially cooked.  While it is cooking brown the meat and onion with the taco seasoning. Then combine the refried beans with the salsa. When the crust comes out of the oven, spread it with the bean/salsa mixture. Then top it evenly with the browned meat. Cover with however much cheese you like. Increase the oven temp to 400  and throw the pizza in there for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. When you take it out, give it a minute to cool down, then top it with whatever you like on your taco's. 

It also sounds good to drizzle the finished pizza with a small amount of ranch dressing. Enjoy!

Bran Muffins

Make no mistake, these are not the dense dry bran muffins you have had before. These are light, sweet, moist parcels of goodness that fill your house with a delicious aroma. 

4 cups 'All Bran' cereal (looks like little sticks)

1 cup shortening or butter

2 cups boiling water

2 cups sugar or honey

1 quart buttermilk

5 cups flour (white or whole wheat)

4 beaten eggs

5 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

mix it all up

Spoon batter into muffin tins until each is 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes. 

***the batter is good in the fridge for 7-10 days**** isn't that AWESOME?!? Just keep it in a ziplock. You can make hot muffins every day of the week. My kids and I LOVE these things. 

thanks Aleena for the recipe! 

Pork Enchiladas

1lb cooked pork (I buy from cafe rio or just make the cafe rio pork)

flour tortillas

grated cheese

3 c. cooked sticky rice

brown sugar(about 1tsp in each tortilla)

2 cans black beans

Sauce

Mix together

1 large can of enchilada sauce

1 container sour cream

(I use about 1.5 cups of sour cream the more you use the less spicy the sauce will be.)

Pour a little sauce on bottom of pan so they won't stick. Then put a little of each ingredient in each tortilla and then roll up and put in pan. Then pour remaining sauce over the top sprinkle some cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Tortilla Soup ( Similar to El Pollo Locos)

6Tbsp. oil
8 Corn tortillas, chopped
6 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium onion chopped
1 can (28 oz) dices tomatoes
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (use less if you don't like it spicey)
4-6 cooked chicken breast, shredded. (I buy the already cooked costco little chickens, it quicker)
Monterey Jack cheese
Avacado
sour cream
chips

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add tortillas, garlic cinlantro, add onion. Saute 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Return to a boil. Reduce heat. Add salt and cayenne. Simmer 30 min. remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Reheat. garnish with monterey jack cheese, avocado, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Summer Vegetable and Meat Lasagna

This is my husband's favorite, and it's a great way to use up those zucchini and summer squash from your garden.

1 pkg. no-boil lasagna noodles
1 carton cottage cheese (or ricotta)
1 or 2 eggs, beaten
1 lb grated mozzarella cheese (you may add more cheese if you wish)
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes (whole are okay, or you can use canned sauce)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. basil
1 or 2 zucchini
1 or 2 summer squash
You may also add spinach, mushrooms, or anything else that might be good in there- if you do use other vegetables as well, try only using 1 zucchini and 1 summer squash so that your lasagna isn't overflowing with layers.

In a large saucepan, cook the ground beef and onion together, adding the garlic at the end. Drain fat and add canned tomatoes (if using whole tomatoes, crush them with a spoon in the saucepan- or you can blend them in the blender first). Bring the sauce to a boil and let the water evaporate off for about 20 minutes or until it is a good consistency. Add oregano and basil to the sauce.
In a separate bowl, grate 12oz of the mozzarella (reserve the last 4 oz), add the egg and cottage cheese and mix well.
Slice zucchini lengthwise, and slice the squash into circles.

Start layering your lasagna by first spooning the red sauce on the bottom. Next do a layer of noodles, breaking them to fit if necessary. Next do a layer of the white sauce, then a layer of one of the vegetables (I usually only do one veggie per layer so that they aren't mixed up). Repeat layers until you are out of stuff.

You red sauce is probably dripping all over and seeping into all the layers. If not, or if you used canned sauce, you probably need to add about 1/4 cup water to the edges of the casserole so that the noodles have something to absorb.

Cook in 350 oven for about 1 hour so that the veggies can get nice and soft. Mmmm. For the last 20 minutes of cooking, top the lasagna with the reserved cheese.

This bread is a great compliment to this dish.

My one-year-old LOVES this dish!

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Salad:

1 bag tender baby spinach

1/2 to 1 head iceberg lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

top with:

1/2  to 1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 to 1 cup sliced candied almonds

1/2 to 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

sliced mushrooms (opt.)

crumbled bacon (opt.)

Poppy Seed Dressing:

1 cup vegetable oil 

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried mustard

1/4 purple onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

Combine ingredients in blender and blend thoroughly until all bits of onion and garlic are pretty much dissolved. Then add 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds and pulse quickly. Dressing will be slightly pink. Chill before serving. 

*This salad is DELICIOUS. The dressing one of my favorites. Sometimes I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil,  stevia/truvia instead of sugar, and slivered almonds instead of candied ones. 

Sesame Peanut Noodles

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti, (or about half a box)

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. While they are cooking, prepare the dressing:

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons grated ginger

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon brown sugar 

juice of 1/2 lime

*then add one ladle-full of the hot noodle water (this will help melt the peanut butter)

Mix the dressing well. When the noodles are done, combine the two together. Then add, 

1/2 bag store-bought coleslaw mix

1/2 cup red pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

2-4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup peanuts.

Refrigerate mixture for one hour. Enjoy!

Serves six. I found the recipe here. 

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2 tablespoons whiskey or rum*

2/3 cup raisins*

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup  unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups old fashioned oats

1.Preheat oven to 350. Grease a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the whiskey or run over the raisins in a bowl and let stand while you assemble the batter. * 

2.Beat the butter, applesauce, sugars and salt on medium high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and white, milk and vanilla.  

3.In a seperate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Add to the batter and beat just until flour is absorbed. Gently fold in oats. 

4.Scoop out batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared bakign sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are set but still soft in the centers and beginning to brown on the edges, 13 to 18 minutes. 

5.Let cool on a wire rack. ENJOY!

*I omitted the rum-soaked raisins and swapped them out for 1 cup chocolate chips. 

** I added an additional 1/4 cup flour for fluffier cookies.

I found the recipe here.

Easy French Bread

I really prefer to make hoagie subs with this recipe because they are just so good. I'm never going to buy hoagies again!

2 1/2 C. very warm water
1 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. olive oil
5 to 6 C. flour

Mix water, salt, sugar, yeast, olive oil and 3 cups flour vigorously for 3 minutes. Add 2 to 3 more cups of flour and knead until smooth (about 5 minutes). Let rise at least 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and divide with a sharp knife into 2 pieces (8-12 pieces to make hoagie rolls).

Roll each piece into a rectangle and roll up jelly roll style. Seal edge, then place, edge side down on a cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. Cover and let rise 30-90 minutes. With a very sharp knife, make 3 cuts at an angle across top of each loaf. Brush entire surface with 1 beaten whole egg mixed with water. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (around 10 minutes if making hoagies) or until golden brown.

This recipe is great for french dip sandwiches or meatball subs. I haven't tried them with hot dogs yet, but it sounds so good.

Fruit Roll-ups

I LOVE fruit roll-ups, but let's be honest... Store-bought fruit roll-ups are expensive and are more candy than fruit.

So here's how to make your own.

This was my first time doing it, so we just did strawberry and some sugar and they turned out great. But next time I think I'll just treat it like a regular old blender drink. Add whatever fruit and juices you want. But beware that the more juice you have in it, the longer it takes to dry. You can use freezer or fresh fruit.

Stick it all in the blender and puree as finely as you can get it. We filled our blender to the top with fresh berries (lots of air space...), which was about 2 1/2 cups after blending, and it was a little bit too much for our cookie sheet. So I would say, do about 2 cups (after blending) for a cookie sheet.

Pour into a greased cookie sheet and spread as thinly and evenly as you can.

Stick it in the oven at 150 degrees (any hotter and you'll cook it). Make SURE to leave the door OPEN (if you have toddlers, while they're sleeping is the safest time for this!)

It took us a few hours (and it was still a little bit too soft). If you over-dry it, you can crumble it and make fruit leather chips for ice-cream. The stuff never gets too hot to touch, so just keep checking it as you're doing it and you'll get a feel for when it's done. :)

To store it, you can roll it up in plastic wrap (just like from the store!) and keep it in an air-tight baggie/ container. I think it should be kept in the fridge just for safety? Not sure on that though...

Anyway, it's yummy. So Enjoy!

I stole this from my friend Heidi. :)

Brown Bag Apple Pie

Brown Bag Apple Pie
Crust: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup oil, 2 T. cold milk. Combine and mix until blended. Pat into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate.
Filling:
4 cups slices apples, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 T. flour, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp.
Cinnamon. Combine dry ingredients and loss them lightly with the apples, Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Add topping (below).

Topping: 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup sugar. Combine and mix with fingers until crumbly. Put the pie in a large brown paper grocery bag. Fold to seal, staple shut. Bake @ 350& for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove from oven and let cool in the bag.

"healthy" peanut butter cream cheese brownies!

I don't honestly think there really is such a thing as a healthy brownie. This recipe however does come pretty close.  I googled "healthy brownies" last night and this is what came up. I made them, and they were actually super delicious. (The peanut butter part was my favorite!)

BATTER:

2 cups sugar (or use Xylitol to make it even healthier!)

1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup egg substitute (I just used egg whites)

3 teaspoons vanilla

(I added 1 Tablespoon milk because my batter was dry)

FILLING:

3 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup reduced-fat peanut butter (I used regular)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup egg substitute (or egg whites)

2 teaspoons vanilla

FROSTING:

1 cup confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons skim milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon water

Set oven to 325 and grease a 13 x 9 baking pan. In a large bowl combine 2 cups sugar with flour, cocoa and salt. Stir in applesauce, egg whites and vanilla. Mix well. Pour about half of the batter into baking pan. In another mixing bowl combine all filling ingredients; beat until smooth. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the top; cut through the batter using a knife to swirl through the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, let cool. Frost and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 (70g) Recipe makes 20 servings
Calories 181
Calories from Fat 16		(9%)
Amount Per Serving		%DV
	Total Fat 1.8g	2%
	Saturated Fat 0.9g	4%
	Monounsaturated Fat 0.5g
	Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g
	Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 2mg		0%
Sodium 94mg		3%
Potassium 130mg		3%
Total Carbohydrate 39.4g		13%
	Dietary Fiber 1.7g	6%
	Sugars 28.8g
Protein 3.8g		7%

Healthy Broccoli Salad

This recipe uses 1/2 C. plain yogurt and 1/2 C. mayonnaise for a healthier salad. You may also omit the mayonnaise and use 1 C. yogurt for a variation.


2 bunches broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 small red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
10 slices bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces
1 C. raisins
1 C. roasted sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1/2 C. plain yogurt
1/2 C. sugar
2 Tbsp. vinegar

Mix broccoli, onion, bacon, raisins and sunflower seeds, set aside. In separate bowl mix dressing. Add dressing to broccoli mixture just before serving.

Not Just Another Lasagna

RED & WHITE LASAGNA
Ingredients:
12 LASAGNA noodles
1 (15-ounce) container Ricotta cheese (I use cottage cheese)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (I didn’t use spinach)
2 cups (8-ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
2 eggs
1 pound bulk Italian sausage or ground beef, cooked and drained
1 (26-ounce) jar Marinara pasta sauce
1 (16-ounce) jar Alfredo pasta sauce
Chopped fresh parsley

Cook LASAGNA according to package directions; drain. (I use the noodles you don’t have to cook first) Preheat oven 350F. In large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, spinach, mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and eggs; mix well. In a 13x9-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup marinara sauce. Layer 4 noodles over sauce. Top with half cheese mixture, 1 cup marinara sauce and all the cooked sausage. Layer 4 more noodles, remaining cheese mixture and remaining marinara sauce. Top with 4 remaining noodles. Spread Alfredo sauce evenly on top; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover; bake 40 minutes. Uncover, bake and addition 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Chocolate + Spinach + Berries???

Both of my parents have a pretty insane habit when it comes to the way they eat their vegetables. They fill a large vita-mix blender with whatever veggies they have. Usually it includes a whole bag of spinach, celery, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and a can of V8. My Dad has "drank" this entire shake every morning for the last 15 years. my Mom's version includes frozen berries, which helps it go down a little more smoothly. I have tasted, even drank this shake before. 100% of the time my result was either gagging or vomiting. I alway vowed that I preferred to eat my greens in a salad, which I usually valiantly do. Today however, I have come the closest I will ever come to their green shakes. 

Lately I have been blending protein shakes for myself to drink after a workout. I had some frozen berries in my freezer and the last few protein shakes have included a handful of them. YUM! The berries make the mixture a little bit thicker, and made it taste more like a ice-cream shake. I was feeling extra adventurous today and filled my magic bullet blender cup with about two cups of smashed down spinach. I then dropped in 3/4 cup frozen berries, a scoop of protein powder, and 3/4 cups of milk. I blended it for about a full minute all the while wondering how it would taste. The mixture turned out slightly darker shade of purple today, surprisingly not that green. I was preparing for a horrible taste and committed myself that I would drink the shake no matter what, even if it did taste just like my parent's version of the spinach shake. To my surprise, It was still DELICIOUS. It passed the true test, when my three year old volunteered to drink the whole thing. The chocolate protein powder and the berries masked any evidence of a spinach taste. YUM! Now I know, my protein can now be another way to get in a serving of my dark greens!  

3/4 cup milk

2 cups spinach, smashed down

1 serving chocolate protein powder

3/4 cup frozen berries

. . . . blend it up . . . . 

300 calories

36 grams protein

34 grams carbohydrates

Banana Bread

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of ground cloves
dash of nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (approx. 4 bananas)
1/2 bag chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 cups) optional

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9x5 loaf pan (or cupcake pan). In bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashes bananas. Add flour, spices, salt & soda. Stir until just combined. Add choco chips. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let bread cool slightly before turning onto wire rack.

Asian Chicken Salad

1 head green cabbage (sliced thinly/shredded)
3 green onions, chopped
1 can mandarin oranges (you can use a small or large can, depending on how much you want)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
1 pkg Oriental Ramen Soup
1 pkg frozen peas, thawed
1/2 C slivered almonds (optional)

Dressing (add just before serving)
1/2 C Sugar
2/3 C Oil
6 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 packet Oriental Soup Seasoning

Directions:
Combine all items for salad & toss. Just before serving, wisk together ingredients for dressing. Toss together & serve.

If you want to save some of the salad for another day, don't add all the dressing as the salad will get soggy (and you don't want that!) Also, if you want to add some crunch to the salad, top with some of the ramen noodles.

Cauliflower Soup

It's Still Soup Weather, right?
This is really good, even if you aren't a huge fan of Cauliflower.

1 head of cauliflower
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 cup flower
1 can chicken broth
2 to 3 cups of water from cooking the cauliflower
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 pint of whipping cream, not heavy
cheddar cheese
chives or parsley, for color

Steam or boil cauliflower and reserve the water. Make a white sauce by melting butter in saucepan but do not allow to bubble. Add onion and flour and stir quickly. Pour in can of chicken broth and water from cauliflower. Add worcestershire sauce and cream. Cut up cauliflower and add to soup. Bring almost to a boil and turn down heat. Add cheese right before serving and sprinkle chives or parsley in individual bowls for color. Serve with corn bread or your favorite rolls.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Bars aka "Love Bars"

They served this in the cafeteria at Butler Middle School and I FINALLY found the recipe from a former "lunch-lady".

Oh yum, you are in for a treat. I ate these every day when I was 14.

1 1/2 C. butter, softened
1 C. sugar
1 C. brown sugar
2 eggs (large)
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. peanut butter
11/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 C. flour
3 C. oats

Frosting:
2 C. semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13x9x2 inch pan. Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter and beat until light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Press mixture evenly into pan and bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. (Note: Will be underbaked.) While still warm, evenly distribute chocolate chips. When chips have melted spread into a thin layer.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CUT THIS WHEN IT IS WARM! I found mine was much easier to handle after cooling all night.

I Heart Girl Scouts

A friend clued me into a website that has some girl scout cookie recipe's. If you haven't filled your order yet for some cookies, try these home-made versions.

Samoas 

Samoas bar's

Thin Mints

Do-Si-Do's

Tagalongs

Enjoy!

Red Lobster Biscuits

Made these for dinner and they were so easy and just as yummy as the real deal.
2 c. Bisquick
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese*
1/4 c. butter
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Mix Bisquick and cheese; add milk. Spoon on an ungreased cookie sheet (makes about 12). Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Brush with melted butter and garlic powder.

*I doubled the cheese, I figured the more cheese the better

I'm drooling

Doesn't this look Gorgeous?

and this

and this

and this

and this

and this?

I found another amazing recipe website (whatwereeating.com) with some salivating phtography. Check it out!

Molten Chocolate Cakes

For a young women's activity a friend of mine who is a culinary school graduate (specialized in desserts and pastries) came and demonstrated this recipe for the girls. It's really easy and really good.

4 squares bakers chocolate (4 oz)
1/2 C unsalted butter
1 C powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 TB flour
ice cream

Preheat oven to 425. Butter (do not use cooking spray) four ¾ C custard cups or soufflé dishes, or 6 muffin cups. Place on baking sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high 1 minute or until butter is melted. Do not overcook or the chocolate will scorch. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Blend in eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk. Stir in flour. Divide batter among prepared custard cups or muffin tins.

Bake 13-14 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. If you are using muffin tins it takes 9-11 minutes. Let stand 1 minute. Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Serve immediately topped with ice cream. If you let them sit too long they will not be molten in the middle.

P.S. You can make the cakes in advance by preparing the batter, putting into prepared container and refrigerating. When you’re ready to bake, just leave them out at room temperature for about an hour, then bake.

Cafe Rio Pork Barbacoa

This is the best copy-cat Cafe Rio recipe I have tried for the pork.



Never had so many brothers and brothers-in-law compliment something I made. You gotta try it!

Total cooking time: 18 hours

5-6 lb. pork roast
1 liter Dr. Pepper (or Coke, do NOT use diet soda)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
7 oz. can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
6 oz. red taco sauce (I used hot)
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Place roast in crock-pot, cover half-way with water and cook on low for 12 hours. (I started my Pork Adventure at 6pm on Saturday and everything worked out perfectly for Sunday dinner.) After 12 hours, drain pork. Remove fat if any.

Mix remaining ingredients until sugar dissolves. I didn’t keep the actual chilies, I dumped the can into a bowl and added enough Dr. Pepper to get all the sauce off of the chilies, then I tossed them. I also rinsed out the can with Dr. Pepper for more adobo goodness. My version had a fairly good kick to it, but if you LOVE hotness, then blend everything + 2 or 3 chilies in the blender. (Also, the adobo sauce tends to stain plastic, using a glass or metal mixing bowl will make your clean-up of adobo sauce considerably less frustrating).

Add Dr. Pepper mixture to the roast and cook on low an additional 4 hours.

Take out roast and shred, add back into sauce and cook for 2-4 more hours. At this point the meat was so tender it practically shredded itself.

My sauce had too much liquid (from Dr. Pepper) so I let it cook on low in the crock pot without the lid for about 1 supervised hour to let the extra moisture evaporate.


Yummy!

Cheese-Sausage Balls

These are always a huge hit at the Spencer home!

2 1/2 C. Bisquick
1 lb. pork sausage
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Mix sausage, cheese, and Bisquick with hands until well blended. Form into round balls. Freeze. Bake at 325* degrees for 25-30 minutes on a greased pan. Serve with sauce for dipping

Sauce:
1 bottle chili sauce
1/2 small bottle ketchup
1/4 C. brown sugar
Garlic and onion salt to taste

Combine all ingredients. Heat and serve with Cheese-Sausage Balls.

AND THE WINNER IS . . . .

ERICA MCGUIRE!

Erica won the January Contributor Challenge (providing a recipe for the healthiest meal). Her recipe was for EASY (AND HEALTHY) RATATOUILLE. Her prize is a darling handmade apron . . . made by ME!   Thanks Erica for your recipe! 

Valentine Red Cake

½ cup shortening

(2) 1 oz. bottles red food coloring

1 tsp. salt

2 ½ cups cake flour

1 ¼ cups sugar

3 tsp. cocoa

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. vinegar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup 2 T. buttermilk

Cream sugar, shortening and add eggs. Make a paste of food coloring and cocoa and add to the mixture. Add vanilla to buttermilk. Sift salt and flour together. Add all to mixture a little at a time. Dissolve soda in vinegar and fold in last. Bake at 375* for 35 minutes.

Icing

Cream: 1 cup butter and 1 cup sugar until fluffy and almost white. Add 1 tsp. vanilla. Blend in the following mixture slowly with a beater: 1 cup milk and 3 T. flour. Cook until very thick like a paste on low heat. Cool and put on cake.

Zucchini Stuffing Casserole

1/4 c. Butter
2 Carrots, grated
1 large Onion, chopped
2 1/2 c. stuffing mix
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 c. Sour Cream
4 medium zucchini, sliced in 1/3 inch thick pieces
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In melted butter, saute carrots and onion until tender. Stir in 2 cups stuffing mix, soup, and sour cream. Remove from heat. Cook zucchini in a little boiling water a couple of minutes, just until barely tender. Add to vegetable mixture. Pour into buttered casserole dish. Mix remaining 1/2 cup stuffing mix with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle on top. Bake 30 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Smoothies

1 cup Dole kiwi strawberry juice
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
1 ripen banana'
2-3 tbsp protein powder
Throw it all in the blender! Yum!!

Great for Breakfast....My kids love it before school, and its actually really yummy after you exercise in the morning!
You can use any kind of juice or fruit, what ever makes your taste buds happy!

EASY (AND HEALTHY!) RATATOUILLE

1-2 Squash
1 Med. Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
1-2 Zucchini
1/4 Cup Kraft Special Collection Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing/Marinade
1 Can (16 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 TBL Parm Cheese, Shredded
1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350F. Slice veggies into chunks. Saute veggies in Dressing until tender. Add tomatoes and cook approx. 15 min. allowing some liquid to evaporate. Top with parm and Mozz cheese and bake for 15 min at 350*. I serve this with baked/grilled chicken and cous cous, pasta, or potatoes. It's good plain too!

One of my family's favorite meals!
90 calories per serving!

Eggnog Doughnuts

The Eggnog in this recipe simply adds a deep spicy flavor to the doughnuts. Taste testers could not identify the Eggnog flavor. This recipe may also be made with milk. Another option is to bake these (fold extra 5 times) and make flaky biscuits.

Sift together:
1 3/4 C. Sifted Flour
1/2 t. Salt
3 T. Baking Powder
Cut in with a pastry blender 4 to 6 T. chilled Butter or Shortening, or combo of both.

Make a well in the center and add all at once 3/4 C Eggnog (or milk).
Stir until dough is fairly free from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead gently and quickly, making about 5 folds (DO NOT FOLD TOO MANY TIMES or doughnuts will flake apart while frying).


Roll with a lightly floured rolling pin and cut dough into desired size circles.

Poke your finger in the middle to make the holes the size of a quarter.
Fry in oil on Medium heat until golden.

FROSTING:
1 C. Powdered Sugar
1-3 T. Eggnog (or milk)
Add the eggnog drizzles at a time until the frosting is well mixed and can be drizzled on the doughnuts.

Chile Verde Chicken

6 boneless chicken breasts, flattened

1 small chopped onion

1 cup celery

1/3 cup chopped green chili peppers

¼ cup chicken stock or bouillon

2 cups dry bread crumbs

1 can green salsa verde

Grated cheddar cheese

Lightly brown one side of chicken in a small amount of butter

Remove. Saute onion in butter, add celery, chilies, chicken stock. Simmer about 3 minutes. Toss mixture with bread cubes. Add more stock if necessary to hold together. Divide into portions. Wrap a chicken breast around a portion of stuffing. Secure with skewers. Brush all sides with melted butter. Bake 325* for one hour. Brush with butter and continue to bake another 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with salsa and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400* for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly.

Carb Master Yogurt

Okay, another tip. 

There is a certain kind of yogurt that is only sold at Smiths (usually for .33 to .50 each) called Carb Master. It is Kroger Brand. Not only is it yummy but it is currently my favorite thing to eat. 80 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of sugars, and 12 grams of protein. New Years resolutions love this stuff. Check it out.

lasagna simplified

Jake's second favorite food is lasagna. I made it early in our marriage and it took 2 hours to make, and almost as long to clean up. I decided that I would never make lasagna again. Then, a couple years ago, my sister introduced me to NO-BOILING lasagna noodles. GENIUS! Now I make it all the time. I actually made lasagna tonight and it took me 10 minutes. I was thinking to myself "I wonder if there are people out there that still boil their noodles?" Anyway, if you still are boiling, then STOP. By the way, Jen posted a great recipe here.

oh, and P.S.

When you buy your noodles, get these. The Barilla brand is my personal favorite.

Pita Pizza

Why did I not try this until now? (even though Melissa submitted a recipe for it 8 months ago!?)

you will need:

Pita bread

Marinara sauce or BBQ sauce

Mozzarella cheese

pizza toppings, whatever you like.

COULD THIS BE ANY EASIER? Seriously, they were so yummy too! The baked pita bread tastes like real pizza dough. I bought some pita bread on a whim at Costco (10 for $2.80) I assembled the pizza's, (Jayma and her friend were so excited to make their own) and put them in the oven on 425 for 9 minutes. I will be making these more often!

Turkey Meatball Subs

4 Hoagie Buns,

4-8 slices Provolone Cheese

1 jar of Marinara Sauce

Meatball ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

 1/2 to 3/4 cup oyster/ritz/whatever crackers, crushed to crumbs (measure first then crush)

generous sprinkling of pepper

couple dashes of salt

couple dashes of dried oregano, parsley, garlic powder, basil and thyme

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Get your hands in there and mush all that stuff together. When it is well combined, form a test ball. If the ball is very sticky and doesn't hold it's shape well then you need to add a few more cracker crumbs. 

I think a good meatball should be slightly sticky, and slightly sturdy. If you cook the meatballs and they fall apart easily, then you know you didn't have enough cracker crumbs. I personally prefer cracker crumbs, but most recipes call for bread crumbs. Use whatever you have.  To see more on making meatballs, watch this

Roll them into balls. Heat a skillet with a little bit of Olive Oil and drop the balls into the heat. Turn them after one minute, rotating several times until most of the outside is browned. Then, add to the skillet a bottle of your favorite marinara sauce. Turn the heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Check one for doneness. Split the buns. Set oven to broil. Spoon a few meatballs onto a bun, top with cheese and put it on top oven rack for a few minutes until cheese starts to bubble. Serve immediately. 

Slush a licious

Another thing that we had at our New Years shin-dig, a slush. YUM! I didn't intend for it to become a slush, but it turned out that way and it was FAB.

a day or two in advance,

In ice cube trays, Freeze 2 or 3 trays each with:

Guava Nectar 

Cranberry Juice 

Orange Peach Mango Juice or plain O.J.

Store them in ziploc freezer gallon size bag. 

Dump a few handfuls of the colorful ice cubes into a glass pitcher, then pour in a bottle of Fresca (preferred) or Sprite. The carbonation does something to the ice cubes to make them start breaking down. You can either serve the drink like this, OR to make it slushy, let the ice cubes soften in the fridge for an hour or two before serving. Once the Fresca is poured over it, just mash it up a bit with a spoon. YUM. Another crowd pleaser!

Oat Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:
2 cups quick oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 Tb salt
3 cups boiling water
2 Tb yeast (level, not heaping)
1 cup whole wheat flour
5 cups all-purpose flour
Additional butter, melted

Directions:
Combine in Bosch, oats, brown sugar, butter, salt. Mix in boiling
water. Cool to 110 degrees. (I just heated the water in the
microwave, not quite to boiling) Add wheat flour and yeast. Mix
in enough remaining flour to form a soft and slightly sticky
dough. Knead 8 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to
grease top. Cover and rise about an hour. Punch down. Turn
onto lightly floured surface Divide into 20 pieces(I made 32
smaller rolls). Place in greased 9x 13 pan. Cover and rise
about 45 minutes. Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes or until
golden brown. Remove pan to wire wrack and brush with
melted butter.

(I actually let them rise in a bowl and then I just made small balls out of them and put them in the casserole dish. I never used my counter top, which was nice, not to have to clean that mess up. And I actually got 2 casserole dishes out of it plus a square size as well. so plenty for the family, and fun to have a new roll recipe to try)

Crab and Cream Cheese Wonton's

Filling:

1  3/4 blocks cream cheese softened

12 oz. imitation lump crab meat,  chopped up a bit

2 green onions, finely diced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger peeled and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 bunch of cilantro, de-stemmed and chopped

juice from one lemon

one squirt soy sauce, about 1 teaspoon

salt and pepper to taste

Wonton sheets (I find this in a package in the produce section by the tofu)

Sweet and Sour dipping sauce (optional)

Vegetable oil for frying

Combine filling ingredients. Lay wonton sheets flat and place a small dollup of filling in the center. Wet your finger with water and smear it across the edges of the won ton sheet. Fold one corner to the other and squeeze the sides tightly, making sure no filling is spilling out. Take the other two long corners and pinch them together in front using a little water again. Heat your oil in a frying pan until it is about an inch deep. Let it heat up for about 3 or 4 minutes. It is hot enough when you put the end of a wooden spoon in the oil and it sizzles or bubbles up around it. Drop the wontons in, about 5 at a time, and turn after one minute. When they are done lay them on a paper towel. Eat them while they are still warm. Dip into sweet and sour sauce if you want. 

I made these for our New Years party and they turned out really delicious. I hate frying food because it is obviously not the healthiest, but also it makes my house smell bad for about a day. These Wonton's were worth it though. They were so good, an easy crowd pleaser.

*this recipe makes about 40+ completed Wonton's.

*If you don't dig seafood, check out this recipe my sis posted. It is also delish, without the fish.

Candy Popcorn

1 c. butter/margarine
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. Karo syrup
1 t. vanilla
2 bags microwave popcorn
1/2 lb. cinnamon bears
1/2 bag mini marshmallows

Cut cinnamon bears into 3 pieces. Pop popcorn. Put cinnamon bears & popcorn in a big bowl. Over low heat, mix butter, syrup, and sugar. Remove from heat. Add vanilla & marshmallows, stir. Pour liquid over popcorn and cinnamon bears and toss until evenly covered.

Breakfast Monte Cristo

This is a perfect dish for Christmas morning. It can be prepared several days in advance and refrigerated until ready to cook and serve.

Monte Cristos (This makes 6 sandwiches.)

12 slices packaged pre-cooked bacon
butter or margarine
12 frozen waffles
18 slices swiss cheese (I buy the prepackaged slices rather than getting it from the deli)
12 slices honey ham (prepackaged.)
12 slices turkey (prepackaged)
Powdered sugar, if desired

1) Heat bacon as directed on package. Set aside.

2) Toast the waffles. Do not butter them at this point...just toast them.

3) Lay the waffles out on wax paper or alum. foil in pairs. On half of the waffles, layer:
1 swiss cheese
2 ham slices
1 bacon piece, broken in half
1 swiss cheese
1 bacon piece, broken in half
2 turkey slices
1 swiss cheese

Top with the remaining waffle.

Now, at this point, you can either spread the sides with butter and cook them in a skillet or electric frying pan until toasted and the cheese is melted, or you can wrap them in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator. If you are preparing it in advance, when you are ready to cook them, unwrap; spread both sides with butter, and cook in electric frying pan (or skillet) until toasted and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with dip.

Raspberry Yogurt Dip

1/2 - 3/4 c. seedless raspberry jam
2 containers (6 oz) red raspberry yogurt (I use Yoplait 99% fat free)

Mix jam and yogurt in a bowl until blended. Serve with Monte Cristo Sandwiches.

Oats 'n Honey Granola Pie

**This was the One Million Dollar Pillsbury Bake-Off Winner in 2004**

Crust
1 refrigerated Pillsbury® pie crust (from 15-ounce box), softened as directed on box

Filling
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs , lightly beaten
4 Nature Valley® Oats 'n Honey crunchy granola bars (2 pouches) crushed. To easily crush granola bars, do not unwrap. Use rolling pin to crush bars.
1/2 cup chopped walnuts-optional
1/4 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Whipped cream or ice cream , if desired

*Heat oven to 350°F.
*Place piecrust in 9-inch glass pie pan as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie.
*In large microwavable bowl, microwave butter on high 50 to 60 seconds or until melted.
*Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup until blended. Beat in salt, vanilla and eggs.
*Stir crushed granola bars, walnuts, oats and chocolate chips into brown sugar mixture. Pour into crust-lined pan.
*Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil or pie shield to prevent excessive browning.
*Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled with whipped cream or ice cream.--I highly recommend serving the pie warm with vanilla ice cream.
*Store in refrigerator.

Crockpot Pork Chops O'Brien

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled without additional cooking time and it still turns out great. You can also just double the meat to serve a larger family.


5 c. loose-pack frozen hashbrowns o'brien, thawed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. bottled roasted red peppers, drainer & chopped (I just used half a bottle instead of measuring)
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. shredded cheese blend
1/4 t. pepper4 pork loins (I almost always use more like 10 boneless pork chops since they are smaller)
Non-stick spray
1 can french-fried onions

In a large bowl, stir hashbrowns, soup, peppers, sour cream, cheese and pepper. Transfer to a slow cooker.

In skillet, brown chops in pan sprayed with non-stick spray, just until browned. Place on top of hashbrown mixture in slow cooker.

Cover; cook on Low 7-9 hours or on High 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours.

To serve: place chop on top of some potatoes, sprinkle with french-fried onions OR, flip flop it by smothering the pork chops with the potatoes and then sprinkle with the onion (that is the way we prefer it).

Taco Soup

Easiest soup recipe EVER! All you have to do is open up cans!

1 pound ground beef

1 medium sized white onion, diced

1 packet "taco seasoning"

1 large 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 can cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup

1 can chicken broth (or two cans if you don't like a thick soup)

1 can black beans, drained

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 can corn, or 1 cup frozen corn

1 cup salsa

1/3 cup white rice

Brown ground beef. Drain fat. Put back into pan and add the onion. When onion is clear add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer on low for one hour, or until rice is soft. I prefer to throw it all into the crock pot and let it cook on low for a couple of hours. 

Serve with tortilla chips, avocado slices, sour cream and shredded cheese.

This is our family's favorite soup!

Quick Breadsticks

1 Tablespoon yeast

1 1/2 Cups water (150 degrees)

2 Tablespoons white sugar

1/2 Teaspoon salt

3 Cups flour

Mix all ingredients together. Knead for 3 minutes, cover and let rest for an additional ten minutes. Roll out to about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into strips, dip in butter. Place on a (greased?) cookie sheet and add garlic powder, cheese or other spices as desired. (I personally love to sprinkle "salad supreme" seasoning on my breadsticks.) Let rise for 10 minutes and then bake at 375 degrees about ten minutes or until done. 

Thank you Aunt Lori, (and your friend Lisa)! 

Enjoy!

Banana Bread

1 cup sugar

1 stick of butter at room temperature

2 eggs

3 very ripe bananas

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing until flour disappears. Pour batter in and bake for 60 - 70 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 min before slicing. 

got the recipe from the food network.

BBQ Parfait

Take a glass jar or a large mug and layer:

BBQ Baked Beans, heated (I used store bought, you can make them if you wish)
Sweet Pulled Pork, recipe here
KFC Cole Slaw, recipe below (you can also purchase pre-made slaw)
Repeat
Drizzle the top with BBQ sauce
Enjoy

KFC Cole Slaw

8 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup carrot, shredded
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teas. salt
1/8 teas. pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tbls. white vinegar
2 1/2 tbls. lemon juice
Combine cabbage and carrots in a large salad bowl. Mix remaining
ingredients together and combine thoroughly. Pour liquid ingredients
over cabbage and carrots and stir. Refrigerate at least two hours
before serving (overnight is better). Stir well before serving.

Quesadilla Explosion Salad

Whenever I go to Chili's I order this salad (right before I order the Chocolate Molten Cake that is! - Hey, does anyone have a recipe for that?) It is a really delicious salad, so I decided to make it from home and it was just as good. 

First, I marinated two chicken breasts in italian dressing for a few hours. 

Then, I made this salsa. 

Next, I grilled up the chicken and seasoned it with salt, pepper, cumin, lime juice and garlic powder.

Then , I chopped up some romaine and ice burg lettuce. I put the lettuce on a plate, sprinkled it with cheddar cheese, then loaded on some of the salsa. The sliced grilled chicken went on top. I cut up some quesadillas to put on the side, along with some tortilla chips. (at the restaurant they use tortilla strips, but I didn't want to go through the time and effort to make those when chips were just as good.) We ate it with Ranch Dressing, but next time I will attempt to find a good citrus-balsamic-vinagrette dressing (perhaps this one?)

YUM. This is a very SIMPLE, HEALTHY, EASY meal that I will be making often!

Lion House Oatmeal Fudge Bars

(sorry the picture is blurry)

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My new favorite bar....I had them last Week, and I am already craving them again. Yummy!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (or old-fashioned)

Fudge

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Grease a 9x13 baking pan; set aside.

2. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, sift flour, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Mix in oats.

4. In a heavy saucepan, mix sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and butter; heat just until melted. Stir in vanilla and nuts if using.

5. Spread 2/3 of the oatmeal dough (will be stiff) into prepared baking pan. Spread with chocolate mixture. Drop remaining 1/3 of dough on top by spoonfuls.

6. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely (if you cut them while they are still warm at all they will be gooey and fall apart), then cut into bars.

French Toast

1 Loaf Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon Bread cut into 8 slices

6-7 eggs

2 1/2 cups milk

1 Tbsp brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 Tbsp butter

Butter a glass 9x13 pan.(just spray it with Pam) Place Bread slices flat in pan. Mix all remaining ingredients, reserving the butter and pour over the bread. Cut butter into pieces and dot over the tops. Refrigerate overnight. Bake 45-50 min at 350.

The Bread makes this dish, So those of us who live in Utah are lucky to have a Kneaders Bakery and Cafe. The Bread runs about $4.00 a loaf, and is well worth the money!!!

Tortilla Soup

4 chicken breast halves
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. margerine
2 14 1/2-oz. cans chicken broth
2 14 1/2-oz. cans chopped stewed tomatoes
1 cup salsa (mild, medium, or hot, whichever you prefer)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp., or more, ground cumin
8-oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cubed
sour cream
tortilla chips

1. Cook and shred chicken
2. Add minced garlic to margerine in slow cooker. Saute.
3. Combine all ingredients except cheese, sour cream, and chips.
4. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours.
5. Divide cubed cheese among 6 individual soup bowls. Ladle soup over cheese. Sprinkle with chips and top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream.

I've left out the garlic, margarine and cumin before and haven't noticed a big difference, so if you didn't have these on hand, it wouldn't be a big deal. Also, any type of cheese you have would probably work if you don't have Monterey Jack.

I'm also including a link for a coupon for $1.25 off Progresso Broth. It is probably cheaper to buy the store brand, but if you can find it on sale and use this coupon, it might be a pretty good deal!

Cheaters Chicken Parm

4 large chicken breasts

Italian salad dressing, or other good chicken marinade

1 stick butter

1 sleeve of crushed ritz crackers

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cups grated cheese mozzarella or provolone cheese

pepper to taste

italian seasoning to taste

1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

Fillet chicken breasts, slicing them right down the center, forming two thinner breasts. Marinate in salad dressing for 2 hours. Melt butter in a shallow bowl. Combine crushed crackers, parmesan, pepper and italian seasoning in another shallow bowl. Dip marinated chicken breasts into butter, then pat them until covered in the cracker mixture. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Spoon on a generous dollop of marinara sauce on each piece, then smother with cheese. Set oven to broil, and place cookie sheet on top rack for about 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!

Layered Peanut Butter Bars

Cookie Base
1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	tablespoon water
1	egg
Filling
1/2	cup butter, softened
1/2	cup creamy peanut butter
2	cups powdered sugar
2	teaspoons milk
Frosting
1	cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4	cup butter

	Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
	In large bowl, stir all Cookie Base ingredients until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan using floured fingers. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
	In small bowl, beat all Filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over cookie base.
	In microwavable bowl, microwave all Frosting ingredients on High 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows.

Our Favorite Sunday Crock Pot Roast

1 beef roast
2 large onions sliced
2 cups baby carrots
6-8 potatoes peeled and quartered
3/4 C ketchup
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 TB worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 ts salt
1/2 C water
1 TB dried rosemary or 3 TB fresh rosemary

Trim fat off roast and put in crock pot. Add onions carrots and potatoes. (You can leave those three out all together, it works fine without them).

In a bowl mix ketchup, vinegar, worchestershirt sauce, salt and water. Pour over roast. Sprinkle rosemary over the top. Cook on low for about 6-7 hours and its really tender.

Fantastic breadsticks

1 TB yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
2 TB sugar
1/2 ts salt
3 1/2-4 C flour

Soften yeast in warm water, mix sugar salt and flour together and then add yeast. Knead dough for 3 minutes. If sticky add more flour. Cover and let rise for 10-15 minutes. Grease a cookie sheet, put dough in center and push out to sides, until dough is evenly spread across cookie sheet. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes until dough has doubled in size.

1/4 C butter softened
1/4 C parmesan cheese
1/4 C mayonnaise
1/4 ts parsley flakes
1/4 ts garlic

Mix ingredients together and spread on top of raised dough. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough dividing it into breadstick pieces. Bake in oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Mom's Lasagna

2 pounds hamburger meat
1 Cup chopped onion (or 1 tsp onion powder)
2 clover garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp sweet basil
12 oz tomato paste
1 C tomato juice
1/2 C hot water
6 lasagna noodles
16 oz cottage cheese

Brown hamburger, onion and garlic. Drain meat. Add seasonings, tomato paste, tomato juice and hot water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Cook noodles until tender in boiling water, while meat mixture is simmering. Layer in 9x13 pan noodles, cottage cheese, meat, noodles, cottage cheese, meat and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Yummy Bean Salsa

1 can black-eyed peas, drained well
1 can corn, drained
2 large tomatoes, chopped (strain them so the juices can drain a little)
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (use only the leaves, I use about 15 stems worth)
6 green onions, chopped

1 packet Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix
1/3 vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp water

2 avocados, chopped
Salt to taste

Combine first 5 ingredients. Combine dressing powder, vinegar, oil and water. Pour over bean mixture and let sit for 45 minutes (or more). Add avocados and seasoning salt just before serving. Yum!

Chocolate Brownie Trifle

1 package brownie mix
2 small boxes Chocolate Fudge Instant Pudding
7 Skor candy bars
1 (12 oz) Cool Whip

Make brownie mix according to package directions. Cool. Make pudding mix according to

package directions, let set in refrigerator. Crush the Skor bars with hammer. In a trifle dish layer 1/2 of the brownies, one of the pudding mixes, 3 crushed Skor bars and 1/2 of the Cool Whip. Repeat. Top with 1 crushed Skor bar.

Everyone will be amazed when you bring this to a party, shower or family dinner!

*I googled "Trifle Dish" and this picture came up...I try to make mine look a little nicer than this but you get the point of what it should look like*

Rice Pilaf aka MaryJune Rice

If you know MaryJune you know this is going to be good!

1 1/2 c white Rice (I use Uncle Ben's)

1 square butter

1 1/2 c Vermicelli (broken up) or Fideo noodles

2 (14 oz) cans Chicken Broth

2 chicken bouillon cubes

Brown Fideo (or Vermicelli) noodles in butter, careful not to burn. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium/low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir and enjoy!

Spinach Pasta Salad

16 oz Bow Tie pasta, cooked al dente
1 (10oz) bag fresh spinach
1 (6 oz) bag Craisins
2 (11 oz) cans mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
6 oz honey roasted peanuts
Shredded parmesan cheese
2 cups cooked chicken, cut in bit size pieces

Dressing:
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
2/3 cup Teriyaki sauce
2/3 cup white wine or rice vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend dressing ingredients together in blender or in a bowl with a whisk. Pour over cooked pasta and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Combine rest of salad ingredients with pasta mixture, toss and serve!

This is a little bit complicated and has lots of steps...but trust me its worth it! It is SO good and the hit of every party!

**I recommend cooking the pasta and mix in the dressing the day before.

**When I'm in a hurry I don't use chicken, parsley, or the sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

3 eggs slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 tsp . baking soda
1/2 tsp. each: baking powder, salt,
cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts/ chocolate chips
***Combine eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin, butter and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients to pumpkin ingredients. Stir in zucchini and nuts/chocolate chips. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake @ 350 for 50 minutes. cool for 10 minutes

Auntie Anne's Pretzels

1 1/2 cup warm water
1 1/8 tsp. active yeast (1 1/2 pkg)
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup bread flour
3 cups regular flour

2 cups warm water
2 Tbs. baking soda

To taste coarse salt
2−4 Tbs. butter (melted)

Sprinkle yeast on lukewarm water in mixing bowl; stir to dissolve. Add
sugar, salt, and stir to dissolve; add flour and knead dough until smooth
and elastic. Let rise at least 1/2 hour.

While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm
water and 2 Tbs. baking soda. Be certain to stir often.

After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope
(about 1/2 inch or less thick) and shape. Dip pretzel into soda solution
and place on greased baking sheet. Allow pretzel to rise again. Bake in a
450 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. Brush with melted
butter and enjoy!

Toppings:

After you brush with butter try sprinkling with coarse salt.
Or for Auntie Anne's famous cinnamon sugar, try melting a stick of butter
in a shallow bowl( big enough to fit the entire pretzel) and in another
bowl, make a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. dip the pretzel into the
butter, coating both sides generously. then dip again into the cinnamon
mixture.

Orange Chicken

Sauce:

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup ketchup

3 cups sugar

1 tsp. salt

Simmer this for 15 minutes or until sugar dissolves

Use 8 chicken breasts

beat 2 eggs into a shallow dish.

combine 1 1/2 cups corn starch and

4 tsp. garlic powder in a shallow dish

Dip chicken into egg mixture, then dip into corn starch mixture. Then brown in oil on bothsides. Place in a 9 x 13 pan and pour sauce over it. Bake for 350 for one hour covered. Then bake an additional 30 minutes uncovered.  Serve with rice.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Combine:

1 cup sour cream

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 medium can diced green chilis

5-6 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed/shredded

1/2 onion, chopped

In a large greased 9 x 13 baking dish, spread out a thin layer of tortilla chips. Then spread half of the chicken mixture, then layer with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat once more using a little more tortilla chips the second time. Top the other half of the chicken mixture with another cup of cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 40 minutes.

This casserole is delicious, and even better when each serving is topped with this black bean and corn salsa.

in-law cookies

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 small package vanilla pudding (1/4 cup of it)

2 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup chopped nuts

1 12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar, then eggs. Add vanilla and pudding mix. Then combine dry ingredients, chocolate and nuts. Bake for 9-10 minutes at 350. These cookies are moist, soft, and have a subtle vanilla flavor. The recipe is created from my Father-in-law, Randy, hence the name "in-law cookies"

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups bisquick original baking mix

 (you will also need about 1/3 cup sugar and 36 unwrapped Hersheys Kisses)

Combine first four ingredients and mix well. Roll into balls. Drop and roll balls into sugar. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. They are ready to come out of the oven when the dough has cracked. Immediately press unwrapped chocolate kisses into the center of cookie and let cool. 

Cafe Rio Revealed

Thanks to the blog Cooking With Friends, I found all these great Cafe Rio Recipe's for 

Pork 

Cilantro-Lime Rice 

Black Beans, and

Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Enjoy!

Greek Salad

2 heads of Romaine lettuce
¼ lb. bacon-crumbled
¼ lb. feta cheese
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2/3 cup slivered almonds (browned- I use a little bit of peanut oil)
1 package of sliced mushrooms
2-3 avocados
3-4 roma tomatoes

Dressing:
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¾ cup vegetable oil
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 garlic cloves (minced)


*Note: wait to add the dressing until ready to serve
Add croûtons if desired

This salad is YUMO! Thanks for the recipe Tiff!

Chocolate Caramel Brownies

2 boxes Devil's Food cake mix
1 cup butter
1 can evaporated milk
1 package caramels
1 package milk chocolate chips

1st layer:
Mix 1 box cake mix, 1/2 cup melted butter, and 1/3 cup evaporated milk together. Spread into bottom of 13 X 9 inch pan. Bake @ 350 for 7-8 minutes.

2nd layer:
Unwrap all caramels and melt with 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Pour over 1st layer.

3rd layer:
Milk 1 box cake mix, 1/2 cup melted butter, and 1/3-1/4 cup evaporated milk depending on how crumbly you want it to be. Add chocolate chips. Crumble over other layers. Bake @ 350 for another 7-8 minutes.

To Die for Chocolate Decadence Cake (Ambers version)

My cousin Aleena introduced me to this cake and eventually posted the recipe on this site. This cake is so delicious, easily my favorite. I have made it so many times that I eventually discovered that making a couple of changes suited my tastes just a little better.  I decided to post my variation to this recipe because a friend of mine asked for the recipe after she had sampled it. She came back a little disappointed after having made it because it didn't taste quite the same. So, if you prefer milk chocolate to dark then make the cake this way. 

My changes in bold

1 box Devil's Food cake mix (or any chocolate cake mix)
1 3 oz. box instant chocolate pudding
2 c. sour cream
5 eggs
1 c. melted butter
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 C. chocolate chips (I recommend ghiradelli)
9 Hershey bars

In a large bowl, beat first 6 ingredients until well blended. Mixture will be thick. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into three greased 9" pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-40 minutes (I did 25). Keep an eye on them so they don't over bake. Pull out of oven. Immediately flip onto cooling rack. Place 3 Hershey bars on each layer. When melted, spread evenly over tops of cake. Let cool completely. When cool (Hershey bars should be mostly set - you can put the cakes in the fridge to speed things up) place cake layers on top of each other.

Ganache frosting:
20 oz. Milk chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth. Allow the ganache to cool (it will thicken slightly after cooling for 1-2 hours)  before pouring over cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward.

Thanks to Aleena, and ENJOY!

p.s. The Cake is supposed to and will look like this (below) with the runny ganache frosting.

Zucchini Bars

4 eggs
1 2/3 C sugar
1 C oil
2 C grated zucchini
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
2 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Beat eggs, sugar, oil and zucchini until fluffy. Stir dry ingredients. Add to zucchini mixture. Bake on ungreased 15 x 10 x 1 pan 350 for 25- 30 minutes.
ICING
(1) 3 oz cream cheese
1/2 C butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 C powdered sugar
Blend together and frost.

Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookie Squares

This recipe won the Pillsbury contest a few years ago and is so easy and yummy!!

- 1 roll Pillsbury Create 'N Bake chocolate chip cookies

- 1 cup of quick cooking oats

- 2/3 cup of caramel ... I normally add a little more 

- 5 TBS of flour

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla

- 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts

- 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1)Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl break up cookie dough and  stir in oats.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the dough for topping.  In an ungreased pan press remaining dough evenly in bottom for crust

2) Bake 10-12 mins

3) In a small bowl mix caramel, flour, and vanilla until well blended.  Sprinkle walnuts and chocolate chips evenly over crust.  Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture.  Crumble rest of dough over caramel.

4) Bake 20-25 mins

Individual Chocolate Soufflés

I got this recipe from Bakerella, and made it for Seth on our anniversary. They are SO good and SO easy! We like them a little bit gooey so took them out a little bit early but either way, they are so good!


Individual Chocolate Soufflés
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon powdered instant coffee
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (1/2 pint) whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grease and sugar eight 6-ounce ramekins.
3. In large mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Scald milk. Remove from heat and add powdered coffee, stirring until dissolved.
6. Stir together flour, cocoa and baking powder. Add alternately with milk mixture to butter mixture. Beat 1 minute on medium.
7. Divide batter evenly among ramekins.
8. Place ramekins in 2 8-inch square pans. Pour hot water in bottom of pans to 1/8 inch deep and place pans in oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9. Remove pans from oven and let ramekins stand in water for 5 minutes.
   
10. Remove ramekins from water and let cool slightly.
11. You can serve in dish or invert onto dessert plates.
12. For topping: beat whipping cream and powdered sugar in small mixing bowl until stiff and spoon onto warm soufflés.

Recipe from Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook, 1993.

Matt's Famous Pancakes

Our friends Matt and Angie introduced us to the most amazing pancakes. Matt searched for two years for the perfect recipe, and ultimately created this. When Matt made them for us, they didn't taste like pancakes, but more like creme filled pastries. YUM! 

2 Cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 eggs, separated

2 cups milk

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 Tbsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

Combine dry ingredients. Separate egg, and beat the whites until they begin to stiffen. Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the egg yolk.  Add dry ingredients, and mix well. Lightly fold in egg whites. Fry on a lightly greased frying pan or pancake griddle. 

ENJOY!

*this recipe makes about 20 3-4 inch pancakes

Tomato-Basil SANDWICH

This is the PERFECT sandwich in my opinion.  I just get chills when I make it.  If you love tomatoes and basil, try it out.

**Requires on vine-ripened, fresh from your (or your friends) garden tomato

**Requires garden fresh basil (or fresh basil from the grocery store.)  But come on?  Just grow a little basil plant and you can use the basil all summer long!!

Directions: 

1) Pluck 20 or so fresh basil leaves, and dice into small pieces.  Mix in small bowl with 1 TBSP mayonnaise, and a dash of salt.  

2) Toast bread, and spread one piece with Basil mixture, and the other with a generous amount of mustard. 

3) Slice tomato in four thick slices, and put on Basil mixture.

4)In small frying pan, melt about 1/8 cup of cheese on medium heat (1 minute or less).  When melted, pour over tomatoes, covering evenly.  

5) Add deli meat (Chicken) if desired.  If not, it is fine without it.

6) Top with last piece of bread.

Enjoy!

 

Farmers Market Finds

I went to the Kaysville Farmers market this afternoon. This post isn't really a recipe as much as me sharing my delight to have some garden fresh veggies. I cooked them up, and enjoyed them with a Turkey Burger. 

I cut up the veggies, put them on a greased cookie sheet, brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled them down with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. I roasted them in the oven on 400 for 20 minutes.

 

Done! 

Now check out this guy below. It looks (and tastes) similar to a cantaloupe, but is supposedly called a Jerusalem Melon. I had never heard of that, and honestly I am wondering if the guy at the farmers market really was being serious. Anyway, if you see a melon like this in  your grocery store, BUY IT! It is very sweet and juicy.

I found this recipe for a turkey burger and it was really very good.

Thanks to the farmers for growing this food for me so I didn't have to :)

Chicken Pot Pie

I think one of Jake's favorite meals is a chicken pot pie. I had never made them or even liked them until my sister Sage brought me one after I had my second daughter. It was delicious! She taught me how to make it, so thanks Sage!

I have learned to do this a couple of different ways. One way is cooking individual chicken pot pies in a small oven safe bowl, called a crock (also good to make French Onion Soup in).  Then topping the crock with pastry puff sheet. 

The second way is to fill a regular frozen store-bought pastry pie shell with the chicken stew, then topping it with a second pie crust.

Directions: 

Prepare Chicken Stew. If using pie crusts, thaw to room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Do not bake crusts first. Fill one bottom shell with about 4-5 cups of the stew, or until even but not overflowing. Take the second crust, put it upside down on top of the bottom shell. Press edges down and together. Remove the top tin pan. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

For Crocks- Thaw 1 pastry puff sheet for 40 minutes at room temperature. Trace the top of crocks onto the pastry sheet, getting the same size circles cut. Prepare a mixture of one egg and one tsp water. Brush this mixture onto the top of the pastry sheets. Bake them at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Then, fill crocks with the Chicken Stew. Top them with the half-baked pastry sheets. Sprinkle on some parmesan cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes. They should come out resembling this:

Enjoy!

Chicken Stew

You will need:

2 chicken breasts

1 medium sized white or yellow onion. finely diced

2 red potatoes

2 carrots

2 stalks celery

1/2 cup frozen peas

3 cups chicken broth

2 cans cream of chicken soup

salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp)

pepper to taste

oregano, basil, and italian seasoning to taste

Dice up your chicken in fine tiny peices. Heat up your pot over medium high, put in a couple Tbsp of oil, then drop and brown the chicken. 

While the chicken is cooking, dice up your veggies in tiny little pieces.

Then dice up your onion. When the chicken is done, pull it out of the pot. Put the onion in. When the onion is clear, add the broth and veggies (not the peas yet!). Boil until carrots are soft, or for about 10-15 minutes. Then throw the chicken back in, and add the peas.

Add the cream of chicken soup and your seasonings.

This is a hearty stew that you can eat alone, or fill a bread bowl with it. Even better, use it as a filling for a chicken pot pie!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I promised Amber I would post this recipe. Sorry I don't have any pictures. ENJOY!

1 cup Brown Sugar
3/4 cup White Sugar
2 cubes Butter (margarine doesn't work so well!)
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 cups Flour
1tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
Chocolate Chips as many as you want!

Mix brown and white sugar then add butter and cream together. Add eggs and vanilla, mix. Mix flour soda and salt together first, then add in slowly until well combined. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes (my oven runs a little hot so I bake mine at 350 instead).

Stir Fry with Brown Rice and Grilled Salmon

I have been wanting to post this meal because it is our Favorite. Jake and I have been eating it once a week for the last 4 months, and we don't get sick of it. It is easy, healthy, and SOOOO good. 

You will need:

1 zucchini, sliced

1 white onion, sliced

1 carrott, peeled and sliced

1/2 head broccoli

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 handful of frozen green beans

1/2 yellow squash, sliced

fresh ginger

1 clove garlic

soy sauce

teriyaki sauce

brown rice, prepare according to package directions

1 salmon fillet per person 

or, 1/2 chicken breast (fillet) per person

Directions:

Marinate your salmon and/or chicken in half Soy Sauce, half Teriyaki sauce for 1-2 hours

Start your brown rice (follow package directions)

Chop your veggies

In a large frying pan (or wok) heat 2 Tbsp olive oil.  Drop in your veggies. Stir often for about 10 minutes. After veggies are soft, grate in about 1 tsp fresh ginger, and 1 clove of garlic. Then add 1 1/2 Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce and 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce. Cook on low for another few minutes.

Directions for Salmon:

Get a grilling skillet, or just a frying pan on high heat lightly greased with olive oil. When the pan is very hot, place the fish on the pan. It will cook for about 6 minutes on each side.

I like how my grill pan makes those pretty grill lines.

Mmmm-mmmmm good

The "Chicken" version 

Even my two-year old likes it!

*This meal served 4

Coconut Macaroons

2 1/2 to 3 cups flaked coconut

2/3 cup sugar

4 Tablespoons flour

1/4 tsp salt

4 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 tsp butter and vanilla flavor (optional)

Combine the coconut, sugar, flour and salt. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Add egg whites and extracts stirring gently. It will seem dry at first but just keep stirring and folding until it's moist all the way through. 

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes.

*I have to admit I copied this recipe from another blog that I love, called pimp my dinner. I have a small obsession with anything coconut, and I LOVE these cookies, so I had to share them with all of you.

Fabulous Spaghetti Sauce

2 pounds ground round

6 oz. v-8 juice

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 jar Prego Spaghetti Sauce

1 can stewed tomatoes (14 oz)

1 envelope onion soup mix

1/2 c. grape jelly

Brown meat in oil until cooked. Crumble with fork, then drain. Stir in Tomatoes, v-8 juice, prego, soup mix and grape jelly. Cook, stirring often 15-20 minutes or until jelly melts and sauce is piping hot. Serve with any pasta.

Some say this is the Olive Garden Recipe. I don't know about that, but it sure is good!

Super Yummilicious Little Lemon Cakes

1 box yellow cake mix
16 oz.sour cream
2 eggs
2 (or more) lemons
butter, softened
sugar
You will need microwave safe coffee cups or little bowls. This makes app. 10 cakes. Mix cake mix, sour cream, and eggs. Zest one lemon (grate the rind on a teeny-tiny grater-do not grate the fruit) and add to the mix. Slice second lemon into thin slices. Grease coffee cups with butter, then pour some sugar in and move around until inside of cup is coated with a thin layer of sugar. Place lemon slice in the bottom of 5 cups. Pour mix on top until cups are half full. Microwave all 5 cups for six minutes. Turn upside-down on plate.
*Tap on the sides of the cup to loosen cake. Clean cups and make 5 more.
Serve topped with whipped cream or lemon sauce.

Molten Marshmallow Cupcakes

I kinda made this up as I went along. They are SO good!

1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 pkg instant pudding (I used chocolate)
Large Marshmallows

Prepare cake mix according to directions (add the eggs/oil/water, everything) and mix in the pudding powder.

In muffin tin, place cupcake liners in each cup, then place 1 large marshmallow in each cup. Pour batter over the marshmallow about 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until the marshmallow begins to brown slightly as seen above.

Serve warm while still gooey. Mmmm.

Patty's Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is great (and easy) for the 4th or any summer gathering. Everyone loves this. Even those who don't usually like pasta salads!

1 cup uncooked colorful spirals

1 cup bowtie

1 cup shells

1 cup penne or other pasta

Cook the noodles to al dente (overcooking will cause a soggy salad). When the noodles are done, rinse them under cold water for a few minutes to remove the starch. Let them drain while you chop whatever veggies you have. Here is a list. You can use any or all or anything you like.

cucumber

grape tomato (unchopped)

ripe olives (sliced or whole)

green, red, orange, yellow peppers

celery

green onion

purple onion

zucchini

baby peas

broccoli

cauliflower (strong, so use only a little if you use it)

Cubes cooked chicken makes it a nice dinner salad (serve it with a fruit cup!)

Toss chopped vegetables together and add to pasta in a large bowl. Add the dressing about 1/2 hour before you plan to serve it.

Dressing:

1 bottle Ranch dressing

1 bottle Italian dressing

1 cup sugar

It is helpful to make a full batch of dressing so you will have enough even if you have to sip it from time to time. Mmmmmmm

Enjoy!

Cilantro Chicken Pizza

1 Pound pizza or scone dough (I buy mine at the deli at Dicks or Bowmans)

1/2 bunch cilantro, de-stemmed and finely chopped

3 T olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic, finely grated or diced

2 grilled chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 or 2 tomatoes diced

salt, pepper, oregano, and basil to taste

1 1/2 to 2 cups smoked provolone (or mozzarella) cheese

*Preheat oven to 400. Roll out dough and cover a greased rectangle cookie sheet with it. Brush olive oil on the dough. Sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper oregano and basil. Top with cilantro. Sprinkle on half of the cheese, then the chicken and tomatoes. Then add the rest of the cheese. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve with fresh avocado slices on top.

Fresh Fruity Green Salad

Mixture of Romaine lettuce and Spinach

1 chopped red apple

1 chopped green apple

1/2 chopped purple onion

candied almonds

1 cup sliced purple and green grapes

1 or 2 small cans of mandarin oranges (or fresh orange, diced)

1/2 cup craisins

Dressing:

2 T sesame seeds

3 T sugar or honey

1 t. salt

pepper to taste

1/4 cup salad oil

2 T vinegar

*to candy nuts, put desired amount of nuts in a small non-stick sauce pan. Add 4 T to 1/2 cup sugar. Turn on high and stir as the sugar dissolves. Place nuts on tin foil or waxed paper and separate well. Allow to cool. 

-Ashley Haskin

Cookie Salad

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 small package of instant vanilla pudding

1 large container of cool whip

2 cans mandarin oranges

2 ripe bananas

1 apple

1 can pineapple chunks (optional)

1/2 package fudge striped cookies broken into a few pieces

*Stir pudding into buttermilk. Fold in Cool Whip. Stir drained fruit into mixture. Just before serving stir in cookie peices (to keep them from getting soft)

-Crystal Godwin

Lemon Chicken Salad

Combine:

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 T olive oil

2 T mayo

2 T grated lemon zest

1 T red wine vinegar

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t freshly ground black pepper

add:

3 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

 1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/3 cup diced cucumber

1/3 cup finely diced red onion

slivered almonds (just before serving)

 

*Eat alone as a salad, or serve on crescent rolls 

-Ashley Haskin

Little Smokies

1 12 oz jar of chili sauce

1 10 oz jar of grape jelly

1 1-lb package of little smokie sausages 

Put everything in the crock pot and stir. Set to low heat and warm for an hour or two. Stir now and then to make sure all the sausages are evenly coated. Serve right out of the crock pot.

-Crystal Godwin