I love to eat good food

Snickerdoodles

2012-01-29T15:10:00.000-08:00

Snickerdoodle Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Tortellini-Vegetable Soup

2012-01-29T14:51:00.000-08:00

4 tsp Dried Basil
4 cloves of Garlic
4 tsp Olive Oil
8 Cups Chicken Broth
1 bag of frozen Cheese tortellini
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 can of diced canned tomatoes
2 cups green beans (frozen)
2 cups Sliced Carrots
Parmesan Cheese

Cook Basil and Garlic in Hot oil about 1 minute or less. Be careful not to burn the garlic; add broth, tortellini, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add rest of ingredients. Return to boiling; then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes more or until tortellini is done and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan Cheese.

This makes enough for a family of six ...If you only want to serve 2 or 3 adults half the recipe.

my cinnamon rolls

2011-10-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

I have tasted and seen too many sub-par cinnamon rolls lately, and I feel the need to share my methods. I know everyone probably knows how to make their own cinnamon rolls, but just in case there is someone out there who is struggling, perhaps this will help a titch.

I follow my favorite basic roll recipe to the T (see it below), and when the recipe calls to "shape the rolls" I roll out the dough for my cinnamon rolls. You want to make a rectangle shape. The longer and skinnier you make it, the more (smaller) rolls you will make. If you make a square, your rolls will be humongus and you will make far less.
Next I take cold butter, about 1/4 cup, cut into tiny pieces, and scatter them on the dough. (You could add an extra 1/8 cup butter and only make it better.) The problem with most rolls I taste is the butter issue. I know butter is fatty and whatever, but YOU CANNOT SKIMP THE BUTTER WHEN YOU MAKE CINNAMON ROLLS! Without enough butter you end up with rolls without the goo. Trust me- you want the goo.

I'm sure someone out there in the world measures, but I don't, so I sprinkle the cinnamon all over- MAKE SURE YOU GET THE EDGES REALLY GOOD, you are going to wipe the counter off anyway, right?

Next I sprinkle hand fulls of brown sugar until.... well covered. I'm sorry, I don't measure.

Then start the roll.

When cutting the rolls, you are NEVER EVER ALLOWED TO USE A KNIFE! Cinnamon flavored dental floss is the best way to go. Simply slide the floss under the roll, twist the two ends and pull. This will cut the roll from the outside all at once. The ends usually have the least numminess, so scoop up all the filling that falls out as you cut the rolls and stuff them inside and on top of the end pieces- that way they aren't a waste. A little butter on them would work wonders as well.
Place on a greased pan NOT TOUCHING! My roll recipe calls for 1 hour of raising after the rolls are shaped, so they get plenty big.Cook them according to roll directions. When finished, drizzle with frosting and enjoy!

MY FAVORITE ROLL RECIPE

These rolls are super soft and nummy even without the cinnamon roll stuff.

Chocolate Wafer Icebox Cupcake's

2011-09-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

There isn't a single grocery store in Utah that carries a chocolate wafer cookie. They sell many variations of chocolate wafers (like Oreo's), but you can't find yourself any plain chocolate wafers. Sure, cinnamon and ginger flavored wafers are readily abundant, but why not Chocolate? I could have bought a 4 pack of Nabisco Chocolate Wafers online for nearly $50. . . . .

$12 per 9 oz. box? ummm, no thanks.

My friends, that's when my dedication to baked goods and persistence to all things unhealthy pays off big for you and me. I found this recipe and video here and then used the idea from here to turn it into a cupcake. Delicious! Amazing! My family now think's I'm a rock-star!

I made these little treats for our back to school feast and they were the perfect

balance of whimsical and seriously good.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons margarine at room temperature

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg white

Directions:

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

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and margarine until well blended. Add the sugars and vanilla extract and beat on high speed for about one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the egg white. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.

Place the dough on your counter and, using your hands, evenly form the dough into a log shape that is about 9 inches long. Carefully wrap the dough in aluminum foil, or wax paper, and fold or twist the ends. Try not to flatten the log. Refrigerate until firm. This will take several hours or you can even chill it overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the oven rack in the center of the oven.

Using a sharp knife, slice (don't saw, with the knife, just cut straight down) the log into a about 1/4 inch thick

wafers. Place the wafers on the baking sheet spacing, about 1 inch apart. bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until the cookies puff and the tops of the cookies have ripples. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing onto a wire rack to cool completely. Can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature for about 10 days. They can also be frozen.

Makes 36 cookies.

{ Fair warning, the wafers on their own are very crisp. Like a chocolate graham cracker. But that's also the cool thing about them, because they have the ability to absorb what's around them and become soft and cake-like. That's why I recommend using the wafers to make the cup-cake's, or dunk them in some milk, or crush up the crumbs to make your own chocolate-crumb-pie crust. The chocolaty possibilities are endless people. }

If you're making these into cup-cakes:

Take 1 cup of Whipped Cream; Save your cool whip for something else. This recipe calls for real whipped cream. (If you're making your own, take the whipping cream and beat it with an electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks. Don't beat too long or you'll just make butter. Sweeten it with 1-2 Tablespoon's powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla.)

Put one cookie at the center of a cup-cake liner. You may have to smash it slightly to be able to fit the

cookie. Spread one teaspoon of whipping cream onto one cookie. then top with another cookie and repeat. Make them as high as you want (I stacked 4 and it was plenty high). Refrigerate for 8-24

hours covered so that they can become soft and cake-like. Enjoy!

Next up on my to-do list? Make a full on ice-box cake for the hub's birthday in two days.

Mountain Dew Marinade

2011-05-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

This recipe is actually a copy cat/tweak of a recipe a little old Korean lady gave me for her "Bulgogi". Her secret was to use sprite to tenderize the beef. So, you could definitely use Sprite or some other citrus soda for whatever you marinate.

To be honest, I used this "sun drop" soda that I have never heard of. It tastes a lot like Mountain Dew, so I figured if any of you out there want to copy it, go ahead and use Mountain Dew. I used chicken, but any meat would be great, especially beef.

Ingredients:
1 C. Mountain Dew
1/4 C. soy sauce
1/4 C. vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 t. sesame oil (this is not 100% necessary, but it adds a lot of that deep Asian flavor, so grab some if you can)
1/4 t.- 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes (depending on taste)
2 sliced green onions (you can also put these in homemade Asian salad dressing. It really adds a lot of flavor)

**I usually like to use fresh ginger root. You can buy the root, peel it, and freeze it. Whenever you need some you can grate some off the frozen root. Nothing tastes like real ginger.

Marinate your meat for at least 4 hours and cook to your liking.
Mmmm, sweet and spicy.

Green Food for St. Patrick's day

2011-03-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

About 2 c. of basil

handful of parsley (just to make it extra green)

About 3/4 c. shredded Romano cheese (or Parmesan)

About 2/3 c. of olive oil

handful of pine nuts

3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Also will need for dish:

1 lb. farfalle

grilled chicken

arugula

feta

chopped tomatoes

Add basil, parsley and pine nuts to a blender or food processor and pulse a few times. Then start adding oil in a drizzle while blending, using about 1/2 of the oil (just until it's mixing well). Then add cheese and garlic and blend with more oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve fresh over cooked farfalle (a little pesto goes a long way) with grilled chicken. I'll toss in a handful of arugula, some chopped tomatoes and feta with the pasta.

I also have recipes here on my Holiday Blog for Sugar Snap Peas with Pancetta, Mint Salad, Mint Chocolate Chip Secret Ingredient Milkshakes, Herbed Garlic Bread and Lemon Pot of Gold.

Rainbow Breakfast

2011-03-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

I have copies of these recipes at my Holiday blog here, but they're not mine...But I still thought it would be fun for tomorrow morning!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

2011-02-12T12:06:00.000-08:00

I came across this recipe on another recipe blog and now I make it almost once a week. It's super easy and we LOVE it.

6 Tb honey
4.5 Tb lime juice
1 Tb chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 lb cooked chicken, shredded
flour tortillas
colby or monterey jack cheese, shredded
10 oz. can green enchilada sauce

Mix first 4 ingredients together and toss with shredded chicken. Let it "marinate" for at least a half hour. Pour some green enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 10x10 casserole dish or 9x13 pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese. Pour the rest of the can of green enchilada sauce over enchiladas then sprinkle with more cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Top with sour cream and serve.

Romano's Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread

2011-02-10T07:49:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Yield: 2 loaves

1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons rosemary
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Place yeast, sugar and water in large bowl or food processor and allow mixture to become bubbly.
Mix in 1 T butter, salt, and 2 cups of flour.
Add one tablespoon of the fresh chopped rosemary.
Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or in food processor about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Add more flour if necessary.
Oil a bowl, put dough in it and cover with a towel.
Let dough rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled.
Punch down dough and divide in half.
Let dough rest about 5 minutes.
Spray baking pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Shape the dough into 2 small rounded oval loaves.
Sprinkle remaining 1 Tablespoon of rosemary over the loaves and press lightly into the surface.
Let loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
Carefully remove from oven, brush with remaining butter (and salt if desired.).

I copied and pasted this recipe from this web site.

There are about 220 reviews and tips on the link, so check it out.

Toasted Sesame Noodles + Chicken Marinade

2011-01-31T19:31:00.000-08:00

First, here's a chicken marinade that will knock your socks off. It's easy and delicious and It has grown to be THE staple marinade when we grill chicken.

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup lemon juice

*Marinade 1 to 2 pounds of chicken for 2-12 hours, then grill over a medium flame until cooked thoroughly.

Toasted Sesame Noodles

1.5 pounds of chicken (about 12 tenders, or 3 breasts) marinated and grilled using above recipe

1 pound (1 box) whole grain linguini noodles, cooked and drained

1 cup grape tomatoes-halved

1 head broccoli, chopped to desired size and steamed

Kraft Toasted Sesame salad dressing, about 1 1/2 cups (use as much or as little as suits you)

1 Tablespoon butter

salt to taste

Melt butter into the hot noodles, and season lightly with a few dashes of salt. Toss to coat. Add vegetables, and salad dressing, and chicken. Mix to combine. Serve warm.

*yields 6 servings

Fried Rice

2011-01-28T08:19:00.000-08:00

Don't mind my HUGE serving. I am milking this breast-feeding thing (no pun intended) for all it's worth.

Plus, I had run 6 miles right before this meal and was famished.

Plus, I'm a pig.

1 lb. bacon, sliced into small pieces

1 small white onion

4 eggs

4 cups cooked white rice (or more)

1/2 to 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

Soy Sauce to taste, or 2 to 4 Tablespoons

Sautee bacon slices and pour out majority of grease. Add the chopped onion to the pan and cook with the bacon until onion is clear. Fry four eggs and cut into small pieces and add to bacon and onion. Add the cooked rice to the bacon, onion and egg. Add soy sauce to taste, mix well. Chop green onions finely, and sprinkle over the top before serving.

Thanks to the Hong family for the delicious recipe!

Easy skillet chicken with mushrooms and onions

2011-01-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

I am not a chicken person, but I ate far more then my share of this dish. The spices and butter add such a deep flavor in the chicken. You'll love it.

Cooking time: 25 minutes
Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

2-4 chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/2 inch
sliced mushrooms (around 1 lb)
1 sliced onion (into thin rings)
1/4 C. butter
paprika
garlic powder
salt
pepper

Melt butter in skillet on medium, *medium/low heat. Sprinkle spices liberally on both sides of the chicken breasts. Arrange chicken in skillet, over butter. Cover and let cook for ten minutes, checking occasionally. Turn chicken and add mushrooms and onion to the skillet and cover for another ten minutes, checking occasionally. Remove chicken when fully cooked, and allow mushrooms and onion to continue cooking and soften.
Serve chicken and mushroom/onion/butter sauce over egg noodles. Serve with a crisp green salad.

*Medium heat on my burner was too high a heat, perhaps because it was the biggest burner. Try a slightly lower heat.

This was very delicious and simple.

Taco Braid + PB & J Braid

2011-01-17T08:44:00.001-08:00

I couldn't resist this recipe when I read it on the girl who ate everything.

Use this pizza dough recipe (from the previous post) then divide in two. (one half for each braid.)

Taco Braid

4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 to 1 lb. ground turkey, beef, or sausage, cooked and seasoned with a taco seasoning mix

1 15 oz. can black beans

1 cup of shredded cheese

olive oil

garlic salt

Spray counter and hands with cooking spray and knead dough for a few seconds to form a smooth ball. Roll dough into a 15-inch rectangle. Place on a greased cookie sheet. (It's very important to place the dough on the cookie sheet before you fill it because once you fill it, it will be too heavy to move onto the cookie sheet.) Spread cream cheese lengthwise down center third of rectangle., salsa, then seasoned meat and black beans. Sprinkle with cheese. On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips about 2 1/2 inches into center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack or cutting board with a couple spatula's. Garnish with Sour cream, avocado slices, and cilantro.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Braid

(use the other half of the pizza dough)

Peanut butter, creamy or crunchy (we used about 1 1/2 cups

Favorite flavor of Jelly (we used about 1 cup)

Roll dough out into a 15 inch rectangle (fit it to a cookie sheet) and put it onto the cookie sheet. Spread the peanut butter, then the jelly down the center third of the dough. On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips about 2 1/2 inches into center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. PInch ends to seal and tuck under. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack or cutting board with a couple spatula's. Enjoy! (this one goes best with a glass of milk)

Pizza dough

2011-01-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

(homemade veggie/cheese pizza)

1 1/2 cups very warm water

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

4 cups flour

in a large mixing bowl dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Foam should form on top. Whisk in salt, olive oil, and 1 cup flour. Whisk in 2nd cup of flour. At this point put add the last two cups of flour as you gradually mix, or in a Bosh / Kitchen-aid with the dough hook attachment. If your dough is too sticky, add flour a little bit at a time until dough forms a ball. Knead for 5 minutes by mixer, or 10 minutes by hand. Place dough in oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for an hour in a warm place until double in size. Punch down dough and divide into two parts. Each half will make a 12 inch pizza, If using this Assemble desired amount of sauce, cheese and toppings, then let bake at 450 for 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is starting to brown and crust is golden. Pizza stone's dusted with cornmeal seem to produce the best results!

this recipe adapted from The Sister's Cafe. Thank you "Sisters"!

easy Garlic bread

2011-01-12T07:01:00.000-08:00

Use this recipe with Crusty French Bread or any french bread.

Ingredients:

1 loaf of french bread
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic

Cut French bread in half lengthwise. Put it in the oven to toast under the broiler.

Simmer butter, oil and crushed garlic for about 2 minutes. Don't use a timer, use your NOSE to smell when it starts to smell sweet, then remove from heat. DO NOT burn the garlic.

Brush the garlic flavored oil/butter over the toasted slices of bread. Mmmmm.

Crusty French Bread

2011-01-12T06:46:00.000-08:00

This recipe makes one yummy loaf of French Bread.

1 package (or 2 t.) active dry yeast
1 C warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)
2 T. sugar
2 T. Vegetable oil or Olive oil
1 1/2 t. salt
3 C all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water for about 5 minutes. Add the sugar, oil, salt and 1 cup flour. Mix well and add the remaining flour to form a stiff, sticky dough (I can always tell when there is enough flour by watching until the dough stops sticking to the side of the bowl in my mixer.) Don't add too much flour!

Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. (I found a neat trick to raise the dough/bread in a cool oven with only the oven light on.)
Punch down dough; return to bowl. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and flatten it into a rectangle. Roll the dough (on the longest end) to make a roll of dough. Pinch the seams and taper the ends. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet covered with cornmeal or oil. Cover and let rise for 25 minutes.

cornmeal
1 egg white
1 t. cold water

Beat egg white and 1 t. water, brush over dough. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes 2 in apart across the top of the loaf.
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
*** Put ice cubes on a tray at the bottom of the oven to create steam so that you can get a little extra crunch. It is is soft on the inside.

Basil Tomato Soup

2010-12-21T20:37:00.000-08:00

BASIL TOMATO SOUP

PREP/TIME 20 MINUTES SERVINGS: 9 (1 CUP)

2 Cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes (low sodium)
1 Can (14.5 oz) chicken broth (low fat/low sodium)
18-20 fresh basil leaves, minced
(Can use dried basil, probably 2 large tablespoons or more)
1 tsp sugar
1 Can evaporated milk (fat free)
1/2 C butter (salt free)

In large sauce pan, bring tomatoes and broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil and sugar. Reduce heat to low; stir in evaporated milk and butter. Cook until butter is melted.

(I also add 1-2 bay leaves for flavor)

Okay I am laughing when I got on to post this...seeing you had just posted a tomato soup recipe. I just received this one and it came with some great recommendations, So I am posting it so I won't lose the recipe, but now I might have to try both soups and see which one I prefer.

Tomato Bisque Soup

2010-12-20T20:35:00.000-08:00

I am a HUGE fan of tomato-basil or tomato bisque soups, and will often order them at some of my favorite restaurants. I have even tried my hand at at least 6 different recipe's, all of them sadly were "so-so" at best. Until tonight, I decided to try this one. I had a butternut squash that needed to be used up, and I remembered that this soup called for one.

When the soup was done and I took my first taste, I was in heaven! Not only was the soup the perfect flavor that I have been looking for in a home-made soup, but I now, FINALLY have a trusted recipe to use when I have that tomato bisque craving. I hope you will love this as much as we did!

1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 cups cooked squash)

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup finely diced onion (I just used half of a small onion)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 can (14.5 ounces) Italian -style stewed or diced tomatoes (or 1 can stewed tomatoes with 1 1 /2 teaspoons italian seasoning)

1 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

hot sauce to taste if desired

Cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp from each half. Place both sides cut-side down in a 9x13 inch pan. Add enough water to come about 1/4 inch up the sides of the squash. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour, or until it is fork-tender. Let cool for a few minutes, then scoop out the flesh from the skin, and plop it into a blender.

*(the squash can be cooked in advance, and cooled in a tupperware container in the fridge for up to 4 days before using.)

While the squash is cooking, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Scoop the onion and garlic mixture into the blender with the squash.

Add the canned, undrained tomatoes to the blender. Process until the mixture is smooth. Pour the blended mixture back into the saucepan and add the chicken broth, salt, sugar, basil and cream. Stir to combine, but don't let it boil or simmer to avoid the cream from curdling. Serve immediately.

recipe adapted from www.melskitchencafe.com

Warm Pumpkin Dessert

2010-11-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

When Jake tasted this for the first time at a Halloween party last year, he told me that I needed to get the recipe ASAP. It is delicious, and a perfect fall dessert! So, thank you Pam for sharing.

WARM PUMPKIN DESSERT

1 yellow cake mix (reserve 1 cup)

2 beaten eggs

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

Cut butter into cake mix and add egg. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

1- 29 oz. can of pumpkin

3 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 cup sugar

1 can evaporated milk

Mix all together. Pour over crust.

1 cup cake mix

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons butter

Mix together and sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Orzo Salad

2010-09-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

I tried this salad at my Aunt's house, and I died over the fresh ingredients. I recreated it at home, so there are no exact measurements but I don't think you can really go wrong. This recipe is more about the fresh produce than it is about the measurements anyway

Cook 1 package of Orzo pasta according to directions.

While the pasta is cooking wash some fresh spinach (I used a couple of generous handfuls of spinach) and place in the bottom of a mixing bowl large enough to fit the pasta.

Next, I chopped approx. 2 cups of heirloom cherry tomatoes in half (I love the colors of heirloom tomatoes, and mini ones are even better!)

Then chop some fresh basil (as much or as little as you like), and feel free to add in other ingredients. I think this would be good with fresh garlic, or feta cheese, some balsamic vinegar... you know what you like.

When the Orzo is cooked, drain and immediately put it in the bowl on top of the spinach and stir. The heat from the Orzo will wilt the spinach. Next add in your basil, tomatos, a little bit of olive oil, (whatever extra ingredients you would like), and salt and pepper to taste and a little bit of crushed red pepper if you want to add a little kick. Enjoy!

Ground Beef Taco Filling

2010-09-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

I will never again use a taco seasoning packet to make taco filling!

I saw this Martha Stewart recipe featured on this blog and tried it out. I have to admit, I'm not a huge Martha fan, but I had a pound of ground beef that needed to be used, and when I saw the recipe, I made out of convenience. Surprisingly, It was a hit. I loved it, and so did everyone I fed it to. This will absolutely be my go-to taco recipe.

you will need:

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 large oinion, chopped

2 bell peppers (I used one green, one red) chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 pound ground beef

tortilla's

taco garnishes: lettuce, olive's, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cheese, etc.

In a large nonstick skillet, add beef. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain fat from beef and set aside. In the same skillet, add onion and bell peppers; cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water; cook until water has evaporated and vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder and cumin. Season with Salt and Pepper. Cook, stirring. Add the cooked beef, stir and re-season with salt and pepper if needed.

When I made this, we piled the meat mixture onto tostada's instead of taco's. The only difference is I baked my tortilla's on a cooling rack which sat on top of a jelly-roll pan (cookie sheet). I lightly brushed them with oil on both sides, and sprinkled them with a little bit of salt. I then Baked them on one side (375 degrees) for 4 minutes, then turned them over for another 4 minutes. It took a while to make 8 of these since I had only one cooling rack and had to cook 2 at a time. When they were done, we spread refried beans onto our tortilla's, then the meat, then the garnish. It was delish, and even kid friendly!

*Feel free to substitute the beef with ground turkey; the mixture is so moist and flavorful, nobody will notice.

Marinara Sauce -for your freezer

2010-08-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

This sauce is a big deal. It will take several hours and make a huge mess. It is however, one of the most flavorful sauces that I have ever had. It also is so healthy and an awesome thing to have in the freezer for a hectic night. This recipe makes about 12-18 quarts, but you can half it for a smaller batch. Your kids will never know they ate something healthy (since the veggie's are pureed, and the sauce is still bright red)

To all those of you who want something to do with all the tomatoes, peppers and zucchini's from your garden, here you go!

I got this box of about 75 tomatoes from a fruit stand and it cost me $17. A good price, not the best deal, but still worth it for garden-fresh juicy tomatoes. I then got my zucchini and squash from my Dad's co-worker's garden.

(this batch of marinara used every vegetable shown here, plus 2/3 of the tomatoes)

You will need:

30 cans of 15 oz. stewed tomatoes with juice (whole) or 40-50 fresh tomatoes

1 8 oz. package mushrooms *I doubled the mushrooms

3 large fresh garlic cloves

1/3 cup salt (or more depending on taste)

1 Tablespoon pepper

Red pepper flakes, optional *I used 1 tsp

1 1/2 pounds carrots *I used about 8 large, un-peeled carrots

1 bunch celery

3 medium white onions *I used 4

any other vegetables *I also used 5 green bell peppers, 1 huge zucchini and 1 yellow squash

2 Tablespoons olive oil

5 Tablespoons fresh basil - save for very end!

2 Tablespoons sugar

4 cans tomato paste for thickening

* I also added 1 tsp. dried oregano, 1 tsp. dried parsley, 1 tsp. dried thyme, & 1 tsp. dried rosemary

* All vegetables and their quantities are optional. Use however much of whatever you have!

you will also need two large pots, a powerful blender (I used a vita-mix) and several ziplock quart size freezer bags.

Use a food processor or blender to puree all the veggies, onions and garlic. This will most likely take several blenders-full. I gave the washed veggies a rough chop, then put them in the blender with two tomatoes at the bottom. The tomatoes at the bottom usually gave the blender just enough liquid to chop the rest of it. For a meatier sauce, don't puree your veggies, just chop them finely.

Once the veggies are all pureed, put them into a pot with the olive oil and let them sauté over medium to medium high heat for about 15 minutes. Add all the seasonings. Then equally separate the pureed veggies into two pots. To start your tomatoes, I would wash them, cut out their belly-buttons and cut them in half. Fill the blender and puree. Again, pour equal amounts of tomato puree into each pot. Add tomato paste. Stir well and allow sauce to simmer for 2-5 hours on low without the lid, stirring occasionally. Sauce should reduce about one third. Add the fresh basil right before serving. Taste the sauce to make sure it doesn't need any more salt/sugar/seasoning. (If you are using fresh tomatoes, you may need more salt/sugar to balance the acid.) Let sauce cool then freeze in bags/tupperware for later meals.

The original recipe also called for 4 pounds of italian sausage, which I didn't use. By all means, you can add it, or any other ground meat to your sauce. I figure it takes about 3 minutes to brown ground beef/turkey/sausage, and sometimes, I just prefer no meat. (like if I am using the sauce for pizza or calzone) when I made this, I seemed to have let my sauce simmer too long, because I only ended up with 9 freezer quart size bags, which I am still happy about. The best part? It tastes awesome! My four year old daughter LOVED it. I think it was worth all the work. Thank you Becca for sharing the recipe with me!

Camille's Chocolate Bundt Cake

2010-08-24T15:19:00.001-07:00

My Cousin Camille made this cake for an event I wasn't at, but I snuck a leftover day old cold piece out of my Mom's fridge. HEAVEN. Even day old and cold, it was hands down the most moist, delicious bundt cake I have ever tasted. I knew then that my very existence depended on getting the recipe.

1 yellow cake mix

1 small box chocolate instant pudding

1/2 cup sugar

. . . mix well . . .

then add:

3/4 cup minus one tablespoon oil

3/4 cup minus one tablespoon water

8 oz. container sour cream

4 eggs

. . . mix well . . .

then add one cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Bake in a greased bundt pan for 1 hour at 350

Enjoy!

*image courtesy of google

Honey Sesame Chicken

2010-07-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

2 chicken breasts
2- 3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp sesame oil
red pepper flakes
salt
pepper

Cut up raw chicken into small cubes. Place on greased skillet. Add honey, oil, a small pinch of red pepper flakes, a dash of salt and a dash of pepper. Cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked through and sauce begins to caramelize and brown. Serve with sauteed vegetables and rice. Mmm.

Bacon Grease Potato Wedges OR Healthy Wedges

2010-07-05T08:05:00.001-07:00

***Sorry in advance to a certain sister of mine who runs this blog and thinks bacon grease is evil....
but after all, this is called "I love to eat GOOD food," there is no mention of healthy...

BACON GREASE POTATO WEDGES

You will never taste french fries as good as these!

4 Potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2 inch wedges or strips (skin on)
2 Tbsp bacon grease (strained)
Salt

Melt bacon grease in a glass measuring cup. Place potato wedges in a bowl and pour melted bacon grease over wedges. Toss until well covered. Spread wedges onto an ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle with desired salt. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. To get that extra crunch at the end, you can broil it for 2-4 minutes.

Mmmmm....

And in case you don't believe me....

HEALTHY WEDGES

I suppose if you are opposed to the wonderful flavor of bacon grease, you could substitute it for Olive Oil and sprinkle the wedges with herbs and/or salt. But really, it is not going to taste as good. Still kinda good, just not as good.

Split Pea Crock Pot Soup

2010-07-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

Serves 4

8 oz dry split peas (half of a one pound bag)
4 C water (about)
2 or 3 carrots, chopped
3 or 4 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion (optional)
1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)
1 red or russet potato, chopped (the potato is supposed to thicken the soup)
1/2 C chopped ham (optional)

Combine all in the crock pot and cook on low all day or high for half the day. You'll know when it is done because the peas will mush into a green glob instead of individual peas, but the veggies do NOT need to be goop. What makes this soup good is that there is a texture other than "goop", so the veggies are essential.

When the soup is done, add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches and (optional) sprinkle crispy bacon on top.

My 2 year old always dips his grilled cheese in the soup and he loves it. We all do! Yum!

Apple Pancakes

2010-06-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

Apple Pancakes

Add 2 granny smith apples (peeled and grated) and 1 tsp cinnamon (optional) to your pancake batter. (I use Lehi Roller Mills Pancake mix, (lehi pride))

Syrup Recipe

1 Cup Sugar
2 TBL Cornstarch
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Cup treetop Apple Cider
2 TBL. lemon juice
1/4 cup butter

Mix dry ingredients in sauce pan. Stir in apple cider and lemon juice. Heat to boiling stirring constantly....boil 1 minute. Turn heat off, and add butter.

For a large group, 4x or 6x the recipe and you will have leftovers. Just freeze remaining syrup. thaw a little and then warm up in a sauce pan when you want to reuse.

Yummy Side Dish!

2010-06-15T20:56:00.001-07:00

Made this for dinner as the carb: Mmmm Mmmm Good! We loved it!

Corn and Blueberry salad (6-8 servings)

6 ears fresh sweet corn, husked

1 c. fresh blueberries

1 small cucumber sliced

1/4 c. finely chopped red onion

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 T lime juice

2 T olive oil

1 T honey

1/2 t ground cumin

Cook corn and when cool, cut corn from cobs.

In a serving bowl combine corn, berries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. For dressing, in screw top jar combine lime juice, oil, honey, cumin, and 1/2 t salt. Cover, shake well to combine. Add to salad; toss. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

Creamy Chicken Pasta

2010-06-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

Creamy Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:
3 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg dry Zesty Italian salad dressing seasoning
12 oz pasta
8 oz cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
milk

Directions:
Cut chicken into strips or chunks. Season with Zesty Italian
salad dressing seasoning. Cook in hot skillet with a little olive
oil. When chicken is cooked turn to low heat and add cream
cheese and soup. Heat thorougly and mix well. The sauce will
be thick so I usually thin it to my preferred consistency with a
little milk. Serve over pasta.

Bow-tie Pasta Salad

2010-06-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

Yummy Chicken, Spinach, Bow-tie Pasta Salad!

Ingredients:
6 to 7 chicken breasts
Italian Dressing
3 to 4 boxes (1lb. boxes) of bow-tie pasta

Blend in blender for the marinate:
1 C. oil
2/3 C. Red Wine Vinegar
2/3 C. Teriyaki sauce
6 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt & pepper

for salad mix:
2 bags of Spinach (baby leaves)
red or green onions chopped
craisins
mandarin oranges
mushrooms
sliced almonds or nut of choice
mozzarella cheese

Directions:
marinate chicken breasts in Italian dressing the night before. Cook pasta night before and mix w/ marinate sauce overnight. Next day cook chicken and cut in strips or cubes.

You can add or take away from the above what you would like in your salad. The dressing comes from the marinate sauce from the pasta - yum!

Herb and Nut Cream Cheese Log

2010-06-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

Herb and Nut Cream Cheese Log

I doubled this recipe for 24 servings instead of 12.

Ingredients:
1 pkg (8oz) softened Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/3 Cup chopped toasted Pecans
1/4 Cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 Cup chopped toasted Pecans

Directions:
Mix the cream cheese with the parmesean cheese and the 1/3 cup pecans. Shape into an 8-inch log. Roll in mixture of parsley and pecans.

Number Of Servings:12 Servings, 2 Tbsp each

Preparation Time:10 min

My very favorite cookies

2010-05-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

Grandma Peterson's Snickerdoodles

1 c. Crisco

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 c. flour

2 t. cream of tartar

1 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix shortening, sugar and eggs until fluffy. Add vanilla. Blend dry ingredients together (I only do 2 cups of flour in this step because 2 3/4 is sometimes too much) and add to wet ingredients. If dough is still sticky, add flour in 1/4 c. increments until dough seems right for cookies. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon and sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes. (Makes 3 dozen about)

Honey Wheat Millet Bread + Strawberry Freezer Jam

2010-03-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

What is better than fresh, warm, homemade bread for breakfast? My Mother and Father-in-law make this bread often and it is sooooo good. It's not too heavy and it is perfectly sweet. The Millet flour adds something that makes it different . . . lighter, nuttier. I don't know. I just really like this bread and have been craving it all week. I haven't ever made bread, (except for in a bread machine, with a packet) so I actually had to go and buy loaf pans just for this.

Combine in a LARGE bowl:

5 cups hot water (from the tap)

2/3 cup oil

1 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup powdered milk

mix well, then add:

2 cups ground millet flour (you can get it at a regular grocery store in the "health" section)

2 cups whole wheat flour

3 heaping tablespoons yeast

mix well, then add:

7 cups white flour

3 cups whole wheat flour

then knead the dough for a good ten minutes.

form it into 5 medium sized greased loaf pans and let raise for about 45 minutes

bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

enjoy!

as for the Freezer Jam,

just buy a packet of "freezer pectin" and combine with 4 cups of pureed fruit and 1 1/2 cups sugar. As shown in the picture, I made all this jam from two giant strawberry clamshells at Costco, and 4 packets of pectin. I also use half sugar, half Xylitol. The Xylitol is just as good if not better than sugar, is zero calories, and is excellent for your teeth. Plus, that way I don't feel so bad about smothering it on everything I eat. Freezer Jam is just soooo satisfying.

Kneaders Sugar cookie recipe

2010-03-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

I saw this on GTU and wanted to try the recipe....I love my own sugar cookie recipe, but this looked a little different with the honey and lemon flavor in it.
Always fun to try a new recipe especially when it is something sweet.

2 cups butter
2 1/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs
1 cup milk

7 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp lemon flavor
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp honey

1. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Add eggs, then milk. Scrape the sides of the bowl often.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients. Dough will be soft and sticky.
4. Place dough on well floured pastry cloth or workspace.
5. Knead in just enough flour to make dough workable. Dough will be very soft. It is best to knead with a rolling motion so you have a smooth surface and you will not get cracks on the tops of your cookies.
6. Gently roll out to 3/8 inch thick.
7. Cut into desired shapes and place on baking sheet lined with parchment.
8. Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes or until just the edges barely start to change colors. Makes approx. 4 dozen.

Icing

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbsp corn syrup
3 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp lemon flavor

1. Mix together all ingredients until smooth.

Dip cookie in icing and smooth with side of palm of hand. Let set.

(FYI....this is a very runny icing, that is why they use their hands...I think its kind of gross, guess I'm not a true baker.)

crock pot meatballs

2010-03-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

Meatballs

this is for a half bag of Costco italian meatballs:

1 12oz jar of Hom-ade chili sauce (found it cheapest at Maceys)(condiments aisle)(Hom-ade is the brand name)
1 8oz grape jelly
1 T brown sugar (i use more like 4)
1 T lemon juice

Mix sauce ingredients on stove top until smooth. Place frozen meatballs in a crockpot pour sauce over meatballs. Cook on high for about 3 hours. Serve with rice!

***we had this at our Relief Society birthday dinner. It turned out so good, I don't eat meat that often, but I could eat plenty of these.

chocolate peanut butter rice krispie treats

2010-03-16T09:36:00.001-07:00

you will need:

2 Tablespoons butter

1- 12 oz. bag of mini marshmallows

1/3 to 1/2 cup peanut butter (I use about 1/3 cup)

6 cups of chocolate rice krispie cereal, (I use generic Malt-O-Meal Cocoa Dyno-Bites)

3/4 cups ghiradelli (or your favorite brand) milk chocolate chips

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Then add marshmallows and peanut butter. When all the marshmallows are melted and peanut butter is well mixed in, add the cereal and gently combine. Dump contents of pot into greased 9x13 glass pan. Press firmly down with a piece of greased wax paper. Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips. Let cool for at least 30 minutes and enjoy!

Spinach Quiche

2010-03-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS

2	cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated garlic butter crescent dinner rolls (8 rolls each)
1	package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
3	Eggland's Best eggs
1	small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
1	box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
1/4	teaspoon salt
1/8	teaspoon pepper
1	cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

DIRECTIONS

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 16 (2 3/4x1 1/4-inch) muffin cups with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2.	Separate each can of crescent dough into 8 triangles. Press 1 triangle on bottom and up side of each muffin cup.
3.	In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in onion, spinach, salt and pepper until well mixed. Fold in cheese. Fill each cup to the top with egg mixture (do not overfill).
4.	Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean and edges of rolls are golden brown. Remove from pan. Serve warm. Thanks to Michelle and Delana for the recipe. It was SO good!

Corn Cheese Chowder

2010-01-22T15:51:00.000-08:00

I saw Amber's post on Mexican corn chowder and realized I hadn't posted this fabulous Corn Cheese Chowder. We love it!

6 slices of bacon (diced)
1 small onion (chopped)
3 tbsp All purp. flour
2 c. water
1 c. peeled, diced potato
1/4 tsp dried sage
1 bay leaf
1 c. non-dairy powdered creamer
1 c. boiling water
1 & 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can creamed corn
1 tsp salt/pepper

Combine bacon & onion in large pot. Cook until bacon is crisp and onion is tender. Blend in flour; cook slowly about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of water, potatoes, sage, & bay leaf. Cover and cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender (10-15 mins.)

Remove bay leaf. Add creamer, 1 cup boiling water, grated cheese corn, salt/pepper. Heat until soup comes to a boil & cheese melts.

Love this recipe!!!

Mexican Corn Chowder

2010-01-22T14:18:00.000-08:00

The hot water is not working in our house today, and I have had a perpetual chill all day long. I figured it was a good day for some soup (even though it is 53 degrees outside, . . . which is pretty much springtime weather). I am going out with a couple friends for a late dinner, but still wanted to make something that I could eat as a late lunch, then Jake could come home from work and eat it for dinner. So, I came along this recipe for Corn Chowder. I have never made Corn Chowder, and the only time I have eaten it was at Magleby's in Provo, Ut. It was to die for. If anyone has that recipe, PLEASE send it my way! Until then, enjoy this. . . it's very good!

so here is the recipe

3 chicken breasts (I used only two, from a rotisserie chicken)

1/2 cup chopped onion

**I added 1/2 chopped red bell pepper, just for color**

1-2 cloves minced garlic

3 Tbsp butter

2 chicken bouillon cubes + 1 cup hot water (I just used 2 cups broth)

**2 tablespoons flour**

1/2 to 1 tsp ground cumin

2 cups half and half (I just used 2% milk)

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1 14 oz can cream style corn

1 4 oz can green chilies, undrained

1/4 tsp tabasco sauce

**1 Tbsp honey**

1 medium tomato, chopped

fresh cilantro and tortilla chips for garnish

**stared items were not in the original recipe**

what the recipe says:

In a dutch oven or large saucepan, brown chicken, onion, and garlic in butter until chicken is no longer pink. Dissolve the bouillon in hot water. Add to pan along with cumin; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add half and half, cheese, corn, chilies and Tobasco sauce. Cook and stir over low heat until the cheese is melted. Stir in chopped tomato. Serve immediately. Garnish with Cilantro.

What I did instead:

Shred or cube chicken (I used rotisserie). In a large pot, melt butter. Saute onion for 1 minute, add red pepper and continue to saute for another, then add minced garlic and saute for another minute. Add the flour and mix it around until the moist veggies absorb most of it. Add the broth and cumin; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add milk, cheese, corn, chilies, chicken and tabasco sauce (optional). Add Salt to taste. Cook and stir over low heat until the cheese is melted. Stir in chopped tomato. Garnish with Cilantro, and tortilla chips.

**I found that the soup was a little on the spicy side, so I added one tablespoon honey to the pot.

Overall, I really liked this soup. I think it would have been just great without the red bell pepper, but I am kind of a bell-pepper lover lately, so I couldn't help myself. I am usually not a fan of cream-based soups, but this was just so hearty, and I didn't feel as guilty about it. It is very filling too!

I got the recipe from here

Hawaiian Pork Chops

2010-01-17T17:29:00.000-08:00

Pork Chops are my new favorite thing. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we have!

4 pork chops
1 (8 oz) can sliced pineapple in juice
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Paprika

Drain pineapple and reserve juice. Mix juice with garlic and soy sauce. Pour over chops and let marinade, covered, in refrigerator for 8 hours, turning 2 or 3 times. (A great big ziplock bag is great for this, just place it on a plate in the fridge.) Heat oven to 350*. Place chops in a baking dish, covering each chop with a pineapple slice. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for 5 minutes.

You can make another batch of sauce (pineapple juice, garlic, soy sauce) and serve it with rice to compliment this dish.

Honey-Hot Pork Chops

2010-01-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

4 pork chops
Salt and Pepper, to taste
6 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp hot pepper sauce

Mix hot sauce and honey well. Salt and pepper chops then baste with sauce. Grill or broil on low, turning and basting until chops are done (between 10 and 15 minutes).

How to make tilapia...

2010-01-13T20:14:00.000-08:00

Is what I googled. And I found the best recipe! I love shellfish, and I really want to love all the rest. But I don't. But its healthy. You can see my dilemma. So I had a friend tell me that Tilapia is the tastiest and mildest fish, so I bought some frozen filets when they were on sale at Safeway.

So I made this recipe and looooved it! Lurved it. It was better than a lot of chicken I've eaten. Plus it was fast and easy and cheap, who could ask for more? So without further ado...

Ingredients

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

Directions

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

Ham Bone Soup

2010-01-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

I had been wanting to try this recipe, so at Christmas, when we had one of these:I asked my father-in-law for the bone. When I got it home I simply froze the entire bone (w/some meat) in a large ziplock bag until I was ready to make this soup.

you will need:

1 ham bone with meat still on (just whatever is leftover after it's been cut away for the ham dinner)
8 cups liquid (you can add broth or water)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bay leaf
2 cups navy, cannellini or great northern beans (I used great northern and red canned beans)

Put all ingredients except for the beans into a crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours. Then turn the heat down to low and continue to cook for 3 more hours. At this point, the meat should fall off the bone. Remove the meat from the bone and chop it up into bitesize pieces and return everything back to the crockpot. Drain and rinse the beans and add to crockpot and cook for 1 more hour. Discard the bone and enjoy the soup with ketchup, bread and/or crackers. (We saved the bone for my brother's dog)

This was very good. I took it to a family dinner and my dad said it reminded him of what his mother used to make. Probably because this is a grandma-type recipe.

Easy Microwave Caramels

2009-12-23T11:13:00.000-08:00

1 C brown sugar
1 C white sugar
1 C white karo syrup
1/2 lb (2 sticks) melted butter
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

Combine all ingredients in a large glass microwaveable bowl (2 qt.) and mix well with a wire whisk. Place bowl in microwave and cook on high for 7 minutes. Remove bowl from microwave and stir ingredients very well one more time. Put bowl back in microwave and cook another 7 minutes on high. Pour bubbling hot caramel mixture into a buttered 9 x 13 pan and let it cool completely. Cut into narrow rectangular pieces and wrap in wax paper. One batch makes about 150 caramels, depending on the size you cut it.

I've tried this on 3 different microwaves and they always turn out great for me.

Cilantro and Lime Rice

2009-12-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

1 tbs olive oil
1 cup long grain rice (rinsed until water runs clear)
1 1/2 cups broth (I used vegetable it was great, recipe called for chicken?)
2 tbs lime juice, freshly squeezed
zest of one lime
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp salt

Heat oil over medium high heat, add rice and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Add other ingredients and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low or low, and cook until rice is done.

(We omit the Cilantro in this recipe...we aren't fans, and 1/2 cup was way too much, I even tried 1/4 cup and it was still too much for us, So if you like the taste I would start out with maybe a 1/4 cup cilantro and decide if it needs less or more.)

really good brown rice

2009-12-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

Follow the directions on your package of (short grain if you have it) brown rice.

Use chicken broth instead of water. Add 2 small drops sesame oil, 3 drops soy sauce, 3 drops worcestershire sauce, and a couple dashes of salt.

This makes better tasting rice that won't need any additional seasoning once it's done.

Garden Ravioli Soup

2009-11-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

Hi Bloggers! I am a frequent visitor of this blog, but this is my first post. It is a really easy soup that is perfect for a cold day.

Garden Ravioli Soup

Ingredients:

6 Cups Chicken Broth

1/4 Tsp Italian Seasoning

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 lb sausage, browned and drained (I like to use spicy sausage to give the soup a little heat)

1/2 cup carrots sliced

1 can (14 oz) chopped stewed tomatoes

1 (9 oz) package cheese-filled tortellini (frozen or fresh)

1/2 cup spinach, trim stems

Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

(I also like to add 1 zucchini, chopped)

Directions:

In large saucepan brown sausage, then saute onion and garlic. Add broth, Italian seasoning, carrots, tomatoes (and zucchini, if desired). Cook over medium-high heat, heat to a boil. Add tortellini, reduce heat to medium. Cook 15 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring occasionally. Add spinach at five minutes remaining. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan.

Homemade Ice Cream Cake!

2009-11-08T21:43:00.000-08:00

Unfrosted

Frosted
1- 1/2 gallons of your favorite ice cream
favorite candy, cookies, fudge, whip cream, etc. depending on the flavors picked.
1 large tub of cool whip and more if you want to frost with it.
1 box of favorite cake mix prepared (eggs, oil, and water)
Spring Form Pan
Cake

So my kids always love ice cream cakes for their birthday parties, but I am so sick of paying $35 for a cake. I decided to make my own this year. First things first is you need a spring form pan. You buy a regular cake mix and prepare per package directions. If you want to make two layers of cake you divide in half and cook in two separate spring form pans. Cook per package directions and let cool. I usually before placing the cake batter will crush up oreos or graham crackers on the bottom of the pan and then pour in cake batter. Cook per package directions. Remove from oven and let cool for appox. 10 minutes.
Meanwhile mix one gallon ice cream with one tub of cool whip with electric mixer. Cut your cake down to the desired height. You want a lot less cake if doing two layers of cake and ice cream. Place toppings, crushed candy, fudge, whip cream, (whatever you want) on top of the cake. Then pour the ice cream mixture on top of the cooked cake and toppings. If you want place second layer of both cake and ice cream. Put in freezer for minimum of 12 hours. When you remove take a warm, wet knife around the outer edge to loosten the cake. Open the springform pan and you can decorate.

Unfrosted

Frosted

They taste amazing and best of all no more $35 ice cream cakes. I think this costs me roughly $6-$10 to make.

Mom's Basic Beans

2009-11-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

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)

Add salt when cooking is complete.

Store with excess water.

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

Rice Crispy Ice Cream Dessert

2009-11-01T15:09:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-01T14:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-30T07:05:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

-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

2009-09-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-25T01:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-01T07:40:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-08-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-04T11:44:00.001-07:00

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

2009-07-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

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 60. 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 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

2009-06-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-19T16:21:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-06-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-10T16:30:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

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???

2009-05-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

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"

2009-03-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

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.

Enjoy!

Red Lobster Biscuits

2009-03-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this look Gorgeous?

and this

and this?

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

Molten Chocolate Cakes

2009-02-22T18:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-12T13:37:00.001-08:00

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 . . . .

2009-02-04T06:09:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-30T20:23:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-22T19:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-07T22:46:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-07T09:30:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-23T10:19:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

**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.

I love to eat good food

Snickerdoodles

Tortellini-Vegetable Soup

my cinnamon rolls

Chocolate Wafer Icebox Cupcake's

Mountain Dew Marinade

Green Food for St. Patrick's day

Rainbow Breakfast

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Romano's Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread

Servings Size

Directions:

Toasted Sesame Noodles + Chicken Marinade

Fried Rice

Easy skillet chicken with mushrooms and onions

Taco Braid + PB & J Braid

Pizza dough

easy Garlic bread

Crusty French Bread

Basil Tomato Soup

Tomato Bisque Soup

Warm Pumpkin Dessert

Orzo Salad

Ground Beef Taco Filling

Marinara Sauce -for your freezer

Camille's Chocolate Bundt Cake

Honey Sesame Chicken

Bacon Grease Potato Wedges OR Healthy Wedges

Split Pea Crock Pot Soup

Apple Pancakes

Yummy Side Dish!

Creamy Chicken Pasta

Bow-tie Pasta Salad

Herb and Nut Cream Cheese Log

My very favorite cookies

Honey Wheat Millet Bread + Strawberry Freezer Jam

Kneaders Sugar cookie recipe

crock pot meatballs

chocolate peanut butter rice krispie treats

Spinach Quiche

Corn Cheese Chowder

Mexican Corn Chowder

Hawaiian Pork Chops

Honey-Hot Pork Chops

How to make tilapia...

Ingredients

Directions

Ham Bone Soup

Easy Microwave Caramels

Cilantro and Lime Rice

really good brown rice

Garden Ravioli Soup

Homemade Ice Cream Cake!

Mom's Basic Beans

Rice Crispy Ice Cream Dessert

Fudge Sauce

Easy Crock Pot Chili

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Oven Fries

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Directions

Yam Fries

German Pancake's

Sticky Pull-Apart Buns

Taco Pizza

Bran Muffins

Pork Enchiladas

Tortilla Soup ( Similar to El Pollo Locos)

Summer Vegetable and Meat Lasagna

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Sesame Peanut Noodles

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Easy French Bread

Fruit Roll-ups

Brown Bag Apple Pie

"healthy" peanut butter cream cheese brownies!

Healthy Broccoli Salad

Not Just Another Lasagna

Chocolate + Spinach + Berries???

Banana Bread