Real Good Recipes

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

2012-01-12T21:34:00.000-08:00

My family was slowly coming home one at a time as I finished fixing dinner. There was some talking and hanging out until I asked my husband to pull the pork out of the oven and cut it up. As soon as he took a nibble, which he is notorious, he said it was really good and told all the kids to come and eat because dinner was going to be good. That should tell you that this is worth trying.

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

The changes I made, was I used a 5.5 lb pork loin from Costco. When I took it out of the package I realized that it was 2 loins tied together with string. I cut the string off and rubbed each portion with the rub. For some reason my crockpot doesn't cook real quick, so I put the loins in an oven proof pot with a lid and cooked it in my oven at 300 degrees for about 5 hours. Then the last 30 minutes before serving, I mixed up the balsamic sauce in an microwave proof bowl, microwaved it for 1 1/2 minutes, stirred and microwaved it for another 1 1/2 minutes until it was thickened. I turned on my broiler and put the pot with the loins on the bottom rack, kept glazing and turning until it was a little brown and yummy looking. My husband then removed it, cut it and served it with the rest of the glaze... which is to die for. I would make the glaze for chicken too.

Texas Chicken Diablo

2012-01-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

I think just the fact I cooked something with "diablo" in the recipe makes me cool. When the kids ask what is for dinner, don't you just want to say "Diablo Chicken" and then let them mull that over until dinner time?

I was a little nervous making this because of the jalapeno peppers. I have a 9 year old and a few picky eaters, and thought that they might not go over so well. So I did some chicken with the pepers and some just wrapped in bacon. The pepper ones were the hit. Next time I will do them all that way. Because the jalapeno peppers cook, they really become mild, with just a little kick. Not enough to bother my 9 year old. So give it a try and maybe make a few without, just in case.

I also thought these would be pretty time consuming to assemble and was surprised at how easy they were to make. I used whipped or softened cream cheese and just stirred in the steak seasoning and chopped pecans (which I bought already chopped) in a bowl. I think it only took me about 5 mintues to assemble 6 chicken breasts.

So here is the recipe and let me know how you liked it.

Texas Diablo Chicken

2 pounds chicken tenders
2/3 cup orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons dry steak seasoning
8 ounces cream cheese
2/3 cup chopped Texas pecans
12 whole fresh jalapeños
2 pounds thin-sliced bacon
2 cups barbecue sauce

Place chicken tenders in bowl, add orange juice and 1 tablespoon steak seasoning, stir, cover and set in refrigerator to marinate 1 or more hours, but not overnight. In separate bowl, mix cream cheese, pecans and 1/2 tablespoon steak seasoning, blend well by hand, and set aside. When ready to assemble, wash and slice jalapeños in half lengthwise, remove seeds, then rinse again. Fill jalapeño half with cream cheese mixture, place chicken tender on top of filling, wrap with 1 slice of bacon, and secure with large grilling skewer so that bacon stays wrapped around jalapeño. Place three stuffed jalapeños on each skewer. When finished, brush all finished jalapeños generously with barbecue sauce. Bake or grill until chicken is thoroughly cooked, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees, turning halfway through cooking time and basting with more sauce. Baste one last time about 5 minutes before finishing cooking or use remaining sauce to serve.

White Chicken Chili

2011-11-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that a friend brought to the same baby shower that I made the caramel apple bars (see below). It was good enough that I requested the very next day.What I like about this chili, the taste is really good and the additions of melting the cheese and sour cream at the end gives is a creamy consistency. It goes together pretty quickly.

White Chicken Chili

(adapted from "The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner" by Liz Edmunds

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked and diced)
1 T. olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can diced green chiles, drained
2 - 15oz. cans white beans, drained
4 c. water
4 t. "Better Than Bouillon" chicken base
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. dried oregano
1/2 to 1 t. cayenne pepper (I used these amount of spices - it was just the right amount, spicy but not too much so)
1 t. salt
1 c. sour cream
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped tomato
chopped cilantro
diced avocado

Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook and stir until the onion is translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken, chiles, beans, chicken base mixed with water, cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Simmer 30 - 45 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese, and continue cooking until the cheese is melted. Keep warm until serving. Serve in bowls and top with tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro.

Edited: I baked 3 chicken breasts and shredded them for my chicken. Ialso used 2 more cups of water and 2 more tsp of chicken base. I wanted my chicken chili to be between a soup and a chili consistency. I also only used 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper since I was serving it to my kids. I figured I could add more later, but thought it had the right amount of kick.

This is definitely going in my stack of favorites! We served our with these mozzarella, pesto, bacon and tomato paninis (recipe HERE).

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping

2011-11-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

Made this tonight for a baby shower. They got rave reviews :) (thus the reason I need to post it, so that some of my lovely friends can get it here). We love rave reviews. Even though they have multiple layers, they really didn't take that long to put together. You bake the crust then layer the rest on and bake it one more time. Then drizzle the caramel on top. The caramel really only took about 5-7 minutes to cook, so don't be intimidated.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping

Base:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cream Cheese Layer:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apples:

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping:

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup caramel sauce (homemade recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, two tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine all the streusel topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly but combined. Press evenly into a 9X13-inch baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Then add eggs, one at a time and then the vanilla. Mix well. Pour over the warm crust.

Spoon the apple mixture evenly over the cheesecake layer. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples. Bake for 30 minutes until the filling is set.

Cool the bars to room temperature. Drizzle with the caramel topping (or plate individual slices and drizzle with topping one by one).

Caramel Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cups half-and-half or cream

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix butter, brown sugar, half-and-half or cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold. If the caramel sauce has cooled in the fridge long enough to harden, warm slightly before drizzling on bars.

Edited: I got this from melskitchencafe.com. I don't love using a ton of bowls (less to clean later) so I mixed my base in one bowl. While it was cooking I mixed whipped up my cream cheese mixture in my mixer, then cut up my apples in the same bowl I mixed the base. When crust was done, I poured cream cheese, then apple mixture, then mixed streusel in apple bowl (used the same bowl 3 times) and finished with that. So I onlyh needed one bowl and my mixer.

The caramel might seem intimidating, but it really wasn't that tough to do. It came together in just about 7 minutes. Cook to just under soft ball stage so they it is thick enough that it doesn't run off the bars. If you don't want to go to the trouble, I suppose you could just using ice cream topping.

Salted Caramel Butter Bars

2011-08-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

The name says it all. Whats not to like? Salted caramel.... butter.

Salted Caramel Butter Bars

1 lb salted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

4 cups all purpose flour

For the filling:

1 bag (14 oz) caramel candies (about 50) unwrapped

1/3 cup milk or cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbl coarse sea salt (optional)

To make the crust:

In a large bow, combine the butter and sugars. Using a mixer o medium speed, beat together until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and bea on low speed until a smooth soft dough forms.

Spray a 9 X 13 inch baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Press 1/3 of the dough evening into the pan to for a bottom crust. Bake approximately 20 minutes (mine took about 25 minutes). Let cool for 15 - 20 minutes

While bottom crust us baking and remaing dough is chilling, make the caramel filling. Place caramels in a microwave safe bowl. Add the cream/milk. Microwave on high for 1 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until smooth.

Pour the caramel filling over the crust. If you are going to salt the caramel, sprinkle it on caramel layer now.

Remove the remaining chilled dough from refrigerator and crumble it evening over the caramel. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25-30 minutes (mine took 30-35 minutes)

Let cool before cutting into squares. These are very rich, so cut them into 1" squares.

Also the recipe says to put 1/3 on the bottom then bake, after adding the caramel layer you crumble the other 2/3 of the dough on top. I think I would do 1/2 on the bottom and crumble the other half on top.

Honey Sesame Chicken

2011-06-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

Saw this recipe a few weeks back and put it on my list of things to try. We like chinese food, but

1. hate the prices (when you are feeding a family of 6, 2 being full grown men/boys) and

2. sometimes it can be really fattening or the chicken can be a little junky.

What I loved about this recipe... the taste.

What I didn't love.... coating and frying all the chicken pieces.

When I try this again, I think I will cut my chicken into pieces and then just cook them in a pan with a little olive oil. Remove the chicken, make the sauce, replace the chicken in the pan to coat with sauce. Then serve over rice. This makes the recipe much easier (don't you hate the smell in your kitchen after frying stuff) and much healthier. Yes, the crunchy battered coating is delicious, but if you are lazy like me, this is a good alternative. Or maybe I should say I am looking for a healthy alternative. Doesn't that make me sound more posh?

The sauce was easy and very tastey. I cut the oil down by half and doubled it as I wanted enough sauce to drizzle over on the rice when serving. I actually doubled the recipe, so really I quadrupled the sauce recipe.

Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
Oil (for deep frying)

Batter-
4 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg white

Sauce-
1 ½ tablespoons oil
2 teaspoon ginger (minced)
3 tablespoons garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
½ cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
Sesame seeds (for garnish)

Step 1: In a large bowl mix all batter ingredients together until smooth. Cover and allow the batter to site for at least 30 minutes. Add the chicken to the batter tossing to coat.

Step 2: Heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees. Fry chicken bits in patches for 2 minutes or until batter becomes firm. Drain on paper towels.

Step 3: To make the sauce. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in your wok. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add salt, honey, vinegar, and water. Mix well. Combine 1 teaspoon of water with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Add to the sauce and Simmer for 2 minutes.

Step 4: Coat chicken with the sauce and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with white rice.
(Makes 4 servings)

Steak or Chicken Fajitas

2011-06-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

(picture borrowed from ourbestbites.com)

This recipes comes from one of my favorite food blogs ourbestbites.com. I've made it twice and the hubs has raved both times. He said if he closed his eyes he felt like he was eating fajitas at a good restaurant. I think it's especially delicious because you marinade the meat (I used chicken) and vegetables beforehand and then grill them all which adds a lot of yummy flavor. If you are a fan of Mexican food, I would definitely give this recipe a try!

Chicken or Steak Fajitas

Measurements of meat and vegetables are approximate. Adjust depending on your preference and the number of people you’re serving. This will serve about 4-6.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or steak
2-3 bell peppers, stem and membranes removed and peppers quartered
1 large onion (any color/variety) sliced into 1/2″ slices
Marinade:
1/4 C fresh lime juice
1/3 C water
2 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
3 t vinegar
2 t soy sauce
1-2 t liquid smoke*
1 t salt
1/2 t chili powder, or chipotle chili powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/4 t onion powder

*If you’re not familiar with liquid smoke, you can find it near the bbq sauces. Don’t make this without it! It’s definitely one of the key components. It makes things yummy and smoky and super flavorful. And if you’re wondering, it actually is real smoke in liquid form. Interesting, eh?

Place meat in a zip-top bag or shallow dish. Place vegetables in another. In a medium bowl, combine all marinade ingredients and whisk well. Reserve 3-4 Tablespoons of marinade for later use. With remaining marinade, add a splash to the vegetables (enough for a light coating) and the remaining to the meat. Marinate for 4-6 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat bbq grill (my preference), indoor grill pan, or large skillet. If you’re using a grill, place everything on at the same time. If using a skillet, slice peppers and onions first. Cook chicken for a few minutes on each side until cooked through and remove from pan. Cover with foil to keep warm. Add vegetables and cook until crisp tender.

Remove vegetables from cooking surface and slice. Slice meat. Toss with reserved marinade and serve along side any or all of the following:

Flour Tortillas
Black Beans
Lime-Cilantro Rice
Pico de Gallo
Salsa
Diced avocado
Guacamole
Sour Cream (sorry, we just buy that one!)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

2011-06-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

No, it isn't healthy.

Yes, it is delicious.

I attempted once before to make a recipe like this. Of course it was when we had company over and it earned a "fail" award. It was to greasy and never really set up.

We have a restaurant in town that makes very yummy pies and one is a chocolate chip cookie pie. Since we love all things chocolate chip cookish, I had to give it another try.

Success!!!

This was wonderful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a little chocolate sauce dribbled over the top.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought.
2 large eggs
1/2 C flour
1/2 C white granulated sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C real butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1 C chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark works best, you might find milk too sweet)
1 C chopped pecans (you are welcome to make it without nuts)

Vanilla ice cream, or sweetened whipped cream for serving (a must! I prefer ice cream)

optional: chocolate sauce (honestly, doesn’t really need chocolate sauce, but it looks pretty!)

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack or serve slightly warmed. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

*There have been several comments about pies turning out runny. First and foremost, follow the instructions, completely (no margarine or anything from a tub!) I’ve made a million of these and never had that happen so I honestly have no idea. The recipe is correct as written, it comes straight from Nestle! The only thing I can think of is that altitude might be a factor. One reader suggested adding 2 Tbs of flour if you’re at a high altitude. If anyone finds that solves their problem, let me know!

Homemade Ice Cream cookoff - Bring It!

2011-06-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

Our Butler family reunion is in less than a month. As is customary, we are having a cooking contest. This year, since it will be summer and we want to try something that we haven't done before, we are doing.....

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

So let the games begin and may the best family win!

When we get back the middle of July, we will be posting the recipes and pictures of the contest. Hopefully at least one batch will turn out decent. :)

If you have a wonderful homemade ice cream recipe or any tips, please share in the comments.

Honey Roasted Red Potatoes

2011-06-06T15:50:00.000-07:00

We were invited to a friend's house for dinner. I asked what I could bring, she said "How about a potato dish?". Of course you can never go with the same old thing, so I found this recipe and we really enjoyed it. I like something that takes just a little preparation, pop it into the oven with little maintanence and in a bit of time you have a yummy dish.

I thought this would be good for summer with all the grilling that goes on.

Honey Roasted Red Potatoes

1 lb Red Potatoes
2 Tablespoons diced Onion
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
1 pinch of Salt
1 pinch of ground black pepper

Heat over to 375 degrees. Cover 11 X 17 pan with foil which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Wash and dry potatoes, then cut into cubes. Spread on pan then sprinkle onions over the top. Mix butter, honey, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl then drizzle over the top. Mix so all the potatoes are covered.

Cook for 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

I ended up doing 5 lbs of potatoes because there were quite a few people eating (so I mutltiplied the recipe by 5). I would cut down on the butter by about maybe half as they did end up a just a little greasy. Delicious, but a bit greasy :)

I added more onion than called for because I loved carmalized onion and potatoes. You could do them in a little bigger chunks than diced.

I stirred every 15 minutes or so and I ended up cooking mine for a little over an hour. I like them a little brown and carmalized. Sprinkle a little extra salt and pepper at the end to taste.

Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Bites

2011-06-03T15:41:00.001-07:00

Since I have all my children back at home, I am attempting to make a hot cooked breakfast. When you only have 2 children and they don't usually like eating a big breakfast, it makes it a little tougher to put the time and energy into doing anything to complicated, especially when you are NOT a morning person.

I found this recipe at Multiply Delicious and thought I would give it a try. It was a fun take on an old favorite and a big hit with ALL the kids. Granted, it does take a little bit more work cutting the bread into cubes and cooking them individually. But because of this, it becomes a finger food and great to grab and eat when you children are running out the door to school or work. I do have a few recommendations that I will post at the bottom.

Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Bites

3 Tablespoons Sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of Salt
1 loaf french bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Maple Syrup

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, milk, vanilla, and salt until blended. Place the bread cubes in the egg mixture and using a large spoon, toss gently until the cubes are evenly coated and all the egg mixture has been absorbed.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add half the coated bread cubes and cook, turning often, until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cubes to the bowl holding the cinnamon sugar and toss to coat. Repeat with the remaining bread cubes and 1 tablespoon butter.

Divide the french toast bites into individual servings and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar. Serve with maple syrup.

Here are my suggestions:

First I think I would cut these into strips instead of cubes. Then you could eat them like French Toast dippers. They would be easier to cook (not as many things to turn), but they could still be a finger food and you could still roll them in the cinnamon sugar.

In the recipe it says to put half the bread cubest into the batter then into the pan. I felt mine got a little to soggy. Even after cooking all the edges slowly, they were a bit to mushy inside for my liking. But this is coming from a girl who doesn't like runny eggs :) So, the fact you have now cut your bread into strips, it makes it easier to dip them individually into the egg mixture, then put them into the pan without to much soaking.

I would also consider adding 3 or 4 eggs instead of just the two. But I do like mine a little thicker and eggier (is that a word?).

I also served mine with THIS SYRU P, instead of the maple. You already have the buttermilk, so whip up a batch of this. Just remember to put it in a larger pan because it at least doubles while boiling and you don't want it to burn or bubble over. You can keep this in the fridge and is yummy on ice cream or just eating with a teaspoon when not on a diet :)

Chicken Skewers with Sweet Red Chili Sauce

2011-05-31T14:10:00.000-07:00

Don't Count Me Out!

It is May 31st and here I am keeping my promise to post at least monthly. I almost missed the deadline and in this family if you mess up there are some (Lorri) that will never let you forget it. I have had some grand intentions of posting, in fact my computer is full of pictures I have taken of foods we love, but do I share - NO! Yes, I am the sister that is hoarding her delicious recipes! Not to fear though, I am making a decision, right here - right now, to share so that you too can be an amazing cook like me. Okay just kidding - I'm not that great, but every once in a while I make something that is pretty dang good and I will start sharing. Take for example this last weekend, I grilled up some really, really good chicken, it is perfect for a group or just your family. I ended up marinading 8 lb. of chicken plus 3.5 lb. of steak (recipe to come later) and there was not even a morsel left. I highly recommend you trying this out ASAP - let me know what you think!

Chicken Skewers

30 wooden skewer sticks - soak in water 30 minutes before threading chicken strips so the skewers don't burn on the grill.

4 large chicken breast (I use tenderloins, just more of them) - cut into 1/2 inch strips

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 T. brown sugar

2 T. fresh lime juice

1 T. honey

1 T. fresh ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, honey, ginger and garlic. Put chicken strips in a gallon ziploc bag and pour marinade over the top - seal it up. Let marinade for a couple of hours or I like to prepare this the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight for some really good flavor. Right before grilling thread the chicken onto skewer sticks then grill on medium heat 5- 10 minutes, turning often. Discard marinade. Serve chicken with a bowl of Sweet Red Chili Sauce for dipping. Delicious!!

Note: keep the marinade to chicken ratio equal so you get the wonderful flavor in the chicken - don't skimp!

Red Chili Sauce

1 red bell pepper

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. rice vinegar

1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. soy sauce

2 T. corn starch

1/4 tsp. crushed red chili flakes

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

In a blender puree all ingredients. Pour mixture into a small pan and bring to a boil. Stir constantly and cook until sauce thickens. Serve warm or chill.

Raspberry Applesauce Jello

2011-05-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

This is from my mom and I have had to ask her for it several times. So to save her the headache of finding it one more time, I posted it here for easy access. Also, thought it would be good to share with berry season closing in on us. I love the texture the applesauce adds to this. Definitely a favorite of our family... and easy.

Raspberry Applesauce Jello

3 (3 oz) packages raspberry Jello
3 cups 7-up (you can mix water with the 7-up to make 3 cups)
Applesauce
Lots of Raspberries (about 3 packages frozen)

Boil 7-up then add jello slowly, stirring until desolved. Add enough applesauce to make 6 cups. Pour into a 9 X 13 pan. Add lots of raspberries (to your liking). Chill for 3-4 hours or until set. You can top with Cool Whip if you want.

Easy!

Chicken Salad

2011-05-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

A few things I love about summer are BBQing, fresh fruits and vegetable, and yummy salads. This is one of my favorites. In fact my sister, Wendi, and I had a chicken salad cookoff. We were so sure everyone woule like ours the best that we both ended up doubling our recipes. Needless to say we had PLENTY of chicken salad. That, and I am sure I was the hands down winner :)

This recipe is from a friend our family has known for quite a while. She is a fantastic cook. You know the type. When she has a recipe you know you want a copy because there isn't anything that she makes that isn't wonderful.

Thanks Marilyn!

Chicken Salad

3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed (I think you could use your canned chicken too)
1 cup grapes (red or green)
1 cup slivered almonds
3 cups celery (I use less as my family aren't celery fans)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup whipping cream, whipped (love the creaminess this adds)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Mix he chicken, grapes, almonds and celery. Mix mayonnaise, whipped cream and lemon juice. Fold into chicken mixture and serve on lettuce leaves or croissants.

Taste it before serving and add whatever salt and pepper you want to your liking.

Yummy! Making this Saturday for lunch!

BBQ in a Jar

2011-05-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

Seriously, doesn't this look fun! I am not sure I could eat a quart size amount of food. You could adjust this and offer pint size ones too.

So basically the jist is that you layer all things BBQ in a jar and they served theirs with a jar of lemonade.

Here is how the layers go...

BBQ Baked Beans
Slaw
Smokey Pulled Pork
Lemon Slice

Here is the link to Givers Log, where you can see more pictures and the recipe for the smokey pulled pork. It is an interesting recipe as they put the pork in a brine for 2 hours, then you roast for another 4 1/2 hours. Her husband is from the south and loves a "good" BBQ. So this is on my definite list of things to try this summer.

Also, read several comments on this if you are a little leary. I guess the layering is done in several restaurants down south and anyone who has tried is loves it. Be brave.. try something new :)

Traditional Chicken Enchiladas

2011-05-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

Matt and I have been on the search for a couple years for a great Enchilada recipe similar to the one we have at our favorite mexican restaurant. It doesn't have the red or green enchilada sauce, it's a more of a white sauce but we couldn't figure out what it was. I've seen the recipes using cream cheese and we knew that wasn't it either...there is no hint of cream cheese in our favorites. I finally came across this recipe one day and gave it a go. We both agreed it was the closest thing we've had to the ones at the actual restaurant and we really liked them! This will be our go to enchilada recipe from now on! This picture is from the website (http://www.mexicanfoodrecipes.org) I got the recipe from as I've been having issues with transferring pictures from my camera to my computer.

Traditional Mexican Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

Ingredients -
12 corn tortillas
3 cooked chicken breast halves, no bones or skin, shredded
½ cup chopped green onions
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup minced onion
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz chopped green chilies
¼ cup butter
¼ cup all purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat, and then fry the tortillas on 5 seconds per side until they are pliable. Do them individually and add more oil as required. Drain the tortillas on paper towels and keep them warm.

Divide the chicken, onion (not green onion) and 10 oz of the cheese between the tortillas. Roll them up and place in a greased baking pan, seam side down. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until it begins to boil. Add the broth, stirring continuously.

Add the chilies and sour cream. Stir occasionally and do not let the mixture boil. Pour this mixture over the enchiladas when hot and thick. Bake the Mexican chicken enchiladas for 20 minutes then top with the rest of the cheese and bake for a further 5 minutes. Use the green onions and cilantro to garnish them.

Serves 6

PS- I kept my promise Lorri! Are you proud?!

Cake Pops

2011-05-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

It was my turn to make birthday treats for the young women in our church. I wanted to do seomthing fun and different. After a little bit of brainstorming, my daughter and I decided to try cake pops. They have been wandering around on the internet ever since Bakarella made them famous. But now Starbucks is selling them as a quick, around 100 calorie treat.

They turned out pretty good and got very positive reviews. So positive that seconds were in order.

This recipe is very easy. The trickest part is coating the cake pop with chocolate or candy melts. I think it just takes a bit of practice.

CAKE POPS

1 box cake mix - chocolate is the most dense and easiest to work with, but we did strawberry withoug any problems.

1 can of store bought frosting - we used vanilla but then read the cream cheese is better. Of course you would do chocolate with chocolate cake.

bag of candy melts - or you can use melted chocolate, but the candy melts stayed melted longer AND you don't have to worry about tempering your chocolate. You can find these at most craft stores for a couple of dollars.

Sticks - popscicle style or candy sticks from craft store.

sprinkles, chopped nuts, crushed oreos or whatever else the imagination can think of

Mix cake mix according to package. Pour into a 9 X 13 foil lined pan that has been sprayed with pam. Cook then let cook. Put cake in a mixing bowl and break up with your hands. Scoop 1/2 a container of store bought frosting into the cake and mix. This should bring you back to your playdough days. Great activity when taking out your troubles on :)

I used my cookie scoop and scooped up the dough, rolled it in my hands to form a ball. At this
point I melted the candy melts and dipped the end of my stick into the candy melts then into one of the cake balls stood up in styrofoam (or anything you can think of to hold them up to dry).

I also read later than some people put them in the fridge to help the cake get a little sturdier before coating with candy melts or chocolate. Mine turned out fine, but I do agree this would be helpful.

Melt candy melts/chocolate in microwave dish. Start at 1 minute at 50 percent power, then drop down to 30 second intervals at 50 percent power, stirring in between. Make sure there is NO WATER or MOISTURE. If it gets into the candy melts or chocolate it will seize up and get crumbly. If you want to color white chocolate, use a gel food color, not liquid.

If you need to remelt candy melts, do so at this time by putting the bowl back in the microwave at 30 second intervals at 50 percent power. Stirring in between until ready.

One bag of candy melts will do approximately 20 1 1/2" round cake pops.

Hold your cake pop sideways and spoon the chocolate/melts over while turning the cake pop until coated. Place back in your styrofoam holder. You can also dip them in sprinkles, oreos, nuts before putting them in your holder or sprinkle over the top after.

See, not to hard. The perfect size treat and very eye appealing. Would look great on a dessert table or maybe birthday treats for your kids class.

Here are some other ideas of decorating with the same basic recipe.

Sheep

Easter Eggs

Here they are displayed upside down

How about Thomas the Train display

As you can see, you are only limited by your imagination. There are monster cake pops, christmas trees, Hello Kitty, cupcakes... just google it and then start planning your next party or wedding :)

Bread Cones

2011-05-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe awhile ago and bookmarked it for further exploration later. For some reason, this seems like such a fun spring idea. Maybe making the cones and putting some delcious chicken salad in them. I can see a picnic or luncheon with the ladies.

The one thing about this recipe is that they use small metal cones to wrap the dough around. I don't know about you, but I loaned all my fancy metal cones out and never got them back (okay, I never really had any to start). I did find that one suggestion was to use sugar ice cream cones and wrap foil around them, THEN wrap your dough around the foil. Another woman tried using cardstock (she used old brochures mailed to her). She wrapped them in the shape of a cone and then wrapped the foil around them. Then wrapped her dough around the cone. She said it worked fine. So now I have given you some inexpensive options.

Here is the recipe below, and cookingbread.com is the site the hosted it. They have detailed step by step directions with pictures. Which makes it a little easier I think. Also, HERE is the recipe card version.

Bread Cones:

Ingredients

Dough:

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour

Egg Wash:

1 egg
1 tablespoon milk

Method

Pour milk and water into a saucepan and heat to a scald. Pour this into a large bowl, allow to cool to lukewarm. Add in oil, sugar and salt; mix with a wooden spoon till well blended. Add in beaten egg and 2 cups of flour; mix till smooth with a wooden spoon. Add in instant yeast and mix. Allow to sit for 10 minutes uncovered. Now, start to slowly add in more flour. When the mixture becomes to hard to mix, pour out onto a well floured surface and knead in more flour for 8 minutes. The dough will become smooth and elastic. Add just enough flour that the dough no longer sticks to your hands while kneading. Add a tablespoon of oil to a clean bowl and place the dough into the bowl. Turn over a few times to lightly coat all sides with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest till double in bulk, about 1 hour. Remove dough and knead a few time to release the gas. Now cut the dough into 8 pieces. use a scale to make sure each piece is equal in weight. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Take each piece and roll into a 36 inch rope. Roll ropes around the greased 6 inch cream horn tubes. Place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 - 22 minutes or till golden brown. Place onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a couple minutes before removing the tubes.

I would be curious if you could take this same technique and maybe try it with your favorite dough. If anyone does this, let us know how it works. Good Luck!

Island Pork

2011-05-02T21:21:00.001-07:00

Yes, I know you thought we had all died and no one was manning the blog.

BUT, this weekend I spent some time with my sisters and they are

COMMITTED

to putting at least one new recipe on each month. Funny thing was, my one sister kept telling us all these wonderful, delicous recipes that she had made that were definitely blog worthy. Hmmm, holding out on us?

So here is a new contribution. My mother-in-law brought this recipe back from Utah. I believe she got it from my sister-in-law who got it from someone and so on. It was delicious. It is also one of those recipes that you put in in the morning and when it is time for dinner, and life is scattered and falling apart, you have a warm yummy meal for your family.

Island Pork

2 lb Pork Tenderloin

Season with:
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon

Sear seasoned pork in 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan.

Mix the following together and rub over tenderloin.
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon tabasco sauce

Bake in covered pan at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours (or place in crockpot and cook for 6-8 hours).
Pull apart and serve with coconut rice and mango.

Coconut Rice

2 cups rice (can be white or brown, I prefer Jasmine)
1 1/2 cups water
1 can coconut milk (can be found in ethnic section)
1/3 cup of sugar (or more to your taste)

Cook for 15 minutes. Turn off stove and let sit for 10 more minutes or until done.

Serve rice with Island Pork topped with fresh mango. YUM!

I don't have a picture yet, due to the fact I haven't made it. My mother-in-law served it at our family dinner. I then requested the recipe and have it on my list of things to make the end of this week or beginning of next. So watch for it :)

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

2011-01-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

It's a new year, and of course new resolutions. One, attempting to have healthier breakfast options for my family. When my boys where home, I found it worth the time and effort to get up and scramble some eggs or make something "hearty". Now that it is my two girls at home, they often just want something quick and on the go. We have done the hard boiled eggs, bagels and cream cheese, so I wanted to add something new and tasty to our repertoire.

These didn't take long to assemble and are quick to grab out of the freezer, reheat in the microwave and go. The other thing I like about these breakfast burritos, you can really add whatever your family likes. The ingredient list is just a suggestion, I added some hash brown potatoes to mine. You could make a couple this way, some others another way, depending on the likes of your kids.

Breakfast Burritos

12 eggs
1 lb sausage or bacon
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 8" round flour tortillas

Fry bacon or sausage until done. Mix eggs together, drain pan of most of the grease then cook scrambled eggs however you desire. Warm tortillas in microwave for about 30 seconds. Take one tortilla and put about 1/4-1/2 cup of eggs down the middle. Add some sausage/bacon and cheese. Roll up like a burrito folding one end in.
I then wrapped my breakfast burrito in parchment paper. After all the burritos are made and in parchment paper, I put them in a large ziplock bag and put them in the freezer.

Remove breakfast burrito from freezer, microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds on 80 percent (you will have to see what works best for your microwave through trial and error) and enjoy.

*My husband said he thought they would be good with a little salsa added when making the burritos. You could also do some cooked green pepper, different cheeses, cooked onion or green onion.

Hot Cinnamon Milk Mix

2010-12-22T21:40:00.000-08:00

Just made this tonight and it got rave reviews. Even from my husband who is a chocoholic. After a quick taste, he chose this instead of a fancy holiday hot chocolate mix we splurged on.

Hot Cinnamon Milk Mix (to fill a quart jar)
2 cups powdered milk
1 cup powdered French Vanilla creamer (found by coffee aisle, like coffemate with vanilla)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon

Simply mix together and fill your jar! To enjoy, mix 1/3 cup of mix with hot water. If you want it a little creamier, you can mix 1/3 cup of the mix with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk.

Recipe to fill a pint jar
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup powdered French Vanilla Creamer
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

This would be a fun neighbor gift. Cut a fabric circle and tie it on the jar. Put a tag with directions on it and you are good to go.

My son, who is home from college, said I could mix up a bag for him to take back. Isn't that thoughtful of him.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2010-12-22T17:09:00.001-08:00

Getting ready to ring in the new year next week. Here is a fun little snack to help keep you awake.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients

1 (10 ounce) can chunk chicken, drained (you could also cook and shred chicken breast)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
1/2 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored crackers

Directions

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks, crackers, chips or whatever else you enjoy for dipping.

You may want to start out with less of the hot sauce. Especially if you are making this for kids. Then add more depending on what your taste buds prefer. Remember you can always add more, but you can't take it out :) Hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

I have also heard that some people switch blue cheese salad dressing for the ranch. So that might be worth trying if you are a blue cheese kinda gal... err or guy.

Spicy Pretzels

2010-12-22T16:13:00.000-08:00

Spicy Pretzels

1 Cup veg. oil
1 pk dry ranch dressing
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 20 oz sized bag round pretzels

Mix all ingredients except pretzels.
Place pretzels in large roasting pan.
Pour mixture over pretzels and stir (very well till coated)
bake uncovered at 200 degrees for 1 hour stirring every 20 minutes.
Store in air tight container.

This would be good as a treat for your neighbors in a cute bag with a tie and tag. Or something yummy as you snack your way through the holidays.

Cookie Cook-off - Pretzel Turtles

2010-11-11T21:01:00.001-08:00

If you don't want to whole story... just skip to the end for the recipe.

My family is weird. We have a weird sense of humor, we do weird things (ask one of us about the game "endurance" we invented to amuse ourselves and keep the kids busy)...and we have weird kids. Well, some of the others have weird kids.

Periodically, in all our weirdness, we get together for family vacations. Inevidatibly, we have a cook off of some sorts. We did a hot cocoa off, a salmon off, and today we highlight the cookie off. Technically it was cookie, bar type or finger dessert.

I only have the recipe for mine and the popcorn chex mix, but will try and get the others to post theirs in the near future. So keep checking back.

I will be honest, I don't remember who made everything, but I will take a guess. This recipe is actually on the blog HERE. It is the popcorn chex mix and is very good. Everytime I make this I take home an empty bowl and many requests for the recipe. I want to think that Wendi made it for the contest.

Next was this yummy bar made by Steff. Don't have the recipe here yet, but I will bother her until she posts. It has oatmeal and was carmely (is that a word?)

Okay, either this one was Wendi's or Mom's. You can see a lovely carmel layer in the middle.

And I want to think that this was Gayle's. I could be wrong. Just know that this was also made with lots of love.

This year, I decided to go easy. I went with the pretzel rolo cookie thing-a-ma-bob.

There are no rules during the sampling and voting portion of the contest. So I thought I would try something to sway the votes in my favor.

Then things got ugly and someone replaced my note with this....

And the sampling begins. Each person gets ONE vote!

The votes are counted...

And I won! Mostly because all the kids thought it would be funny to vote for mine since it only took about 10 minutes to make, as apposed to those who spent quite a bit a of time and energy on theirs. After, we had some Rock Band time, followed by sledding.

Besides the poor marine animals hurt in the making of my desert... everyone had a pretty good time.

Here is the recipe for my Pretzel Turtles (aka) thing-a-ma-bobs.

Pretzel Turtles

20 pretzels
20 rolos
20 pecan halves

Prehead oven to 300 degrees

Arrange pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 4 minutes. While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy covered pretzel. Cool completely before storing in airtight container.

Yes, I was bored

2010-11-09T23:40:00.000-08:00

I am trying out a few new backgrounds. If you see one you like... holler.

Cranberry Chicken

2010-11-09T18:29:00.000-08:00

I think everyone has this recipe. If you don't, then you can thank me later for letting you "in" the loop. I made this for approximately 40 ladies at a Christmas dinner. It is pretty full proof and very tastey.

Cranberry Chicken

1 (16 oz) can whole cranberry sauce
1 (8 oz) bottle French dressing
1 envelope onion soup mix
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cranberry sauce, dressing, and soup mix. Place chicken breasts in a greased 3 quart casserole dish or a 9 x 13 baking dish. pour mixture over chicken and bake uncovered 45 - 60 minutes. Serves 8.

Apple Pie Filling - canned

2010-11-09T18:10:00.000-08:00

I think I missed apple season, but since I was posting the cobbler topping, thought this should be included. Love this recipe from 2 friends, Alice and Kathy. You can this in quart size jars, then pull out and dump in your pan, add my favorite cobbler topping and you have a yummy warm dessert without much preparation. It is especially good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Apple Pie Filling

4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt

Mix together all ingredients and add 10 cups of water. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Slice tart apples and pack into 6 quart jars. Pour liquid over apples in jars using a knife to release bubbles. Leave 1" of head space. Wipe jar lips clean and process in a water bath (canner) for 20 minutes.

Remove from water and place on a towel to absorb extra water. Wait for ping of seal. Leave out overnight then put away.

I have also used peaches with success.

All time best - Cobbler Topping

2010-11-09T18:00:00.001-08:00

This recipe is from my mother in law. It is the best cobbler topping E V E R. And I am not just saying that in fear that my mother in law will some day read this, I am sharing this because I like you!

You can put this on any kind of fruit cobbler you want, and know it will come out a success. I also just added a recipe to can your own apple pie filling. Just pour the apple pie filling in a pan, put cobbler topping on top and cook. A quick yummy, warm, Fall treat. Especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cobbler Topping

1 cup pancake mix
1 cup sugar
1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 beaten egg
1 cube melted butter

Combine pancake mix, sugar, cinnamon and beaten egg. Crumble over top of fruit or cobbler filling. Pour melted butter on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until brown.

I will make a berry cobbler for dessert tomorrow and post pictures, just to get your mouth watering.

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2010-11-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

Yep, another soup. It is cold and rainy here. I have 4 loaves of bread in the oven and this soup on the stove. Very creamy and hearty.

I used my bottled chicken instead of cooking some chicken breasts.

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced (I like to leave the peels on red potatoes, if using them)
1 cup milk (1% is my milk of choice)
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty. I usually place the unwrapped cream cheese on a plate and microwave it for one minute at 30% power. I like it really, really soft so it doesn’t leave lumps in the soup. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Teriyaki Pasta Salad

2010-11-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, my mouth is watering just looking at this picture. You have not tasted a pasta

salad until you have had this deliciousness!!! This is perfect for a girl's lunch but I have found

that the men don't have any problem gobbling this stuff up either. Be warned though, once you make it, you will CRAVE it - mmmmmm.

16 oz. bowtie pasta

10 oz. baby spinach

6 oz. craisins

2 - 11 oz. mandarin oranges

1 bunch green onion - chopped

1/4 c. sesame seeds

6 oz. honey roasted peanuts - DO NOT omit these!

2 c. cooked chicken or 1 bottled chicken

sauce:

1/2 c. oil

2/3 c. teriyaki sauce

6 T. sugar :(

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and mix with chicken. Pour sauce over and

let chill for at least 3 hours. Add all other ingredients right before serving. Mix and enjoy!

(I sometimes mix up another half recipe of the sauce to mix in right before eating - I like my salad a little more moist and drippy, is that a word?)

Yummy Dip!!!

2010-11-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

Tuscan Corn Salsa

Without fail, this has got to be one of the most requested recipes I make. Did I actually create it? No. I got this recipe from a wonderful friend and neighbor. However, she moved to Boise and in doing so gave up all rights and privileges to this amazing concoction. So, for all intents and purposes let's call this Wendi's Magnificent Tuscan Corn Salsa. Enough said, let's get to the good stuff. ( Sorry about the picture - I forgot until half way through our Halloween party. I guess it's better than nothing.)

3 tomatoes - seeded and diced

3 avocados - diced

1/2 bunch green onion - chopped

1 - 15 0z. can white corn - drained

1 - 15 oz. can black-eyed peas - drained

(these can be found by the canned beans, you may have to look hard to find them.)

1 pkg. Good Seasons zesty italian dry mix

Combine first 5 ingredients in bowl. Mix gently. Mix italian dressing according to directions

on package. Pour over ingredients in bowl and mix. Chill until ready to use.

Serve with Wheat Thins and/or tortilla chips.

White Chocolate Popcorn

2010-11-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

No picture due to the fact I got a little lax watching my white chocolate and had a problem with it seizing. I do it in the microwave in a glass bowl, microwaving for 30 second intervals, stirring in between. Then as it starts to melt, I drop it down to 15 seconds, stirring in between until it is melted (it doesn't take to long). But I kept doing 30 seconds until it resembled a crumbly mess. So don't do what I did. Either watch it careful OR use a double boiler. And remember to check all utensils and bowl for moisture, because that will also cause the chocolate to seize.

I did attempt to mix it in to my popcorn anyway, and the flavor was definitely there. I am not a huge white chocolate fan, but my daughter loved it. I think next time I would try it with chocolate and maybe even drizzle a little white chocolate over the top before putting into the fridge.

Everyone who tried this recipe on a board I frequent gave it rave reviews and said that everyone cleans them out quickly when the take it places.

Krispie White Chocolate Popcorn

A bag of movie theatre style microwave popcorn popped
1 bag white chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
1-2 cups of rice krispies
1/2-1cup cup chopped pecans

Pour popcorn in bowl and check for unpopped kernals. Don't want anyone breaking their teeth. Now melt one bag white chocolate chips until smooth and creamy, add the 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Pour some of the white chocolate over the popcorn. Then layer in some rice krispies and pecans and stir. Pour more white chocolate over mixture, then the rest of the rice krispies and pecans and stir. Pour rest of chocolate over mixture. Do this quickly so the white chocolate mixture doesn't harden.

The purpose of layering is to keep the rice krispies and pecans from falling to the bottom. If you layer the ingredients, they are better incorporated and are more thoroughly coated.

Spread mixture on cookie sheet covered with wax paper and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or so (too long in the fridge makes the popcorn chewy!!!) Keeps 2-3 days in a sealed container.

One thing that makes this so yummy is the rice krispies. There is a the lovely flavor of the white chocolate (peanut butter is so slight you really don't notice it), the buttery popcorn and the crunch of the rice krispies. Great textures and a tastey treat.

This would be a yummy neighbor gift for Christmas. Just put in a cute food bag or container with a fun note and deliver.

Tomatillo Chicken Chili

2010-11-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

I know, another soup type recipe. Sorry, this just looked very interesting and I had to try it. And I am glad that I did. I only used 1/2 the jalapeno, which was probably just right for my family. My kids said it tasted like I put lime juice in it. I think that flavor comes from the tomatillos.

If you haven't ever used a tomatillo before, this is what they look like.

They look like small green tomatoes with a green husk on the outside. They are usually NOT located by your tomatoes, but over where you would find eggplant and jalapenos etc. When you remove the husks, the tomatillo is slightly sticky, but wash off easy.

Even though this is called a "chili" it doesn't have any beans. Although I thought the addition of a white bean would be yummy. My sister in law isn't much of a bean fan, so I thought this would be a nice recipe for her. This chili has a thin sauce which thickens up as the tomatillos break down. The recipe make 5 bowl size servings or 8 smaller sizes. We served it with some crushed chips and sprinkled with Mexican cheese.

Tomatillo Chicken Chili

7 or 8 fresh tomatillos, quartered (husks removed) I cut mine in 1/2" pieces
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (I used 1/2)
2 T olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (I used my canned chicken or you can use rotisserie chicken)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander (I didn't have any so omitted it)
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (reserved until before you're ready to serve it)
1 tsp salt (I would taste and add salt accordingly at the end)

Brown chicken cubed breasts in olive oil. (If using canned chicken or rotisserie, just start to saute onion and garlic then add chicken at the end of cooking period). Add onion and garlic and saute. Combine all ingredients (except for cilantro and salt) in a pot and simmer on low for 45 minutes. Add cilantro and salt just before serving. You can serve with tortilla strips if you'd like. This also works well in the crock pot. Again, I think the addition of a can of white beans would be good also.

Hope you enjoy it as much as my family did. There was none left!

Lemon Cupcakes

2010-10-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

Martha Stewarts Cake

Saw this lemon cake recipe from Martha Stewart and wanted to try it as cupcakes, since those are so "the rage" right now. We were having family home evening with my in-laws tonight, and this gave me the perfect opportunity to make a batch to share.

Since my two older sons have been gone, making treats around here is not a good thing. I don't have my big eaters to "finish" everything off. So either it sits until I need to toss it, or "I" end up being the clean up crew.

So without further sniveling, here is the lemon cake recipe. I like that the cake wasn't to sweet and had just a hint of lemon. These would be good all by themselves with a yummy buttercream. Add the lemon curd and fluffy white frosting and you have beautiful treat to impress. Hey, you know the old saying... if life gives you lemons, make lemon cupcakes. While this looks long and complicated, it actually went together pretty quick. I would definitely make them again.

My cupcake

Lemon Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
1/r cup plus 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (make your own by adding 1 tsp vinegar to 1 cup milk)
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded (this is for a garnish which I didn't have time to do)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in 2 Tablespoons lemon juice. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk beginning and ending with flour mixture, mix just until combined.

Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides ofpans 32 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack.

While cakes are baking, bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in saucepan. Add lemon slices and simmer 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemon slices to a waxed paper lined plante. Stire reminaing 1/4 cup flesh lemon juice into syrup.

Using a toothpick, poke holes in warm cakes on rack. Brush with lemon syrup. Let cool completely. Prepare frosting, substituting 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice for vanilla extract. Frost cooled cakes and top with candied lemon slices.

Cupcakes directions -
Pour batter into cupcake pan with liners to 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
I didn't actually make the lemon slices with the simple syrup. So I skipped that step and thought with the lemon curd it was lemony enough.

Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
8 large egg yolks (reserve egg whites for another use)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

In a medium saucepan, before putting on heat, whisk together sugar, zest, and egg yolks; whisk in lemon juice and salt.

Add butter and place pan over medium high. Cook, whisking constantly, until butter has melted, mixture is thick enough to coast the back of a spoon, and small bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes (do not boil).

Remove pan for heat while continuing to whisk. Pour curd through a find-mesh sieve into a glass bowl. Press plastic wrap against surface of curd and refrigerate until cool.
(can store in refrigerator in airtight container up to 2 weeks)

Fluffy Frosting
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, combined 3 large egg whites, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and 1/3 cup water. Cook over medium, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved (or mixture registers 150 on an instant read thermometer), 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl (or a mixer). Beat on medium high until glossy, stiff peaks form (do not overbeat), about 3 minutes; reduce speed to low, add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and beat just until combined. Use immediately.

I put all my ingredients in a sauce pan and just kept stirring. Didn't use the double boiler technic (mostly because I didn't read the direction correctly) but it turned out great. I would also keep frosting refrigerated after applying to cake or cupcakes as I can see it might lose its fluffiness.

ASSEMBLY -
So I cut little cones out of the cupcakes like this...

Then cut the bottom of the cones off like this...

Filled the cupcake with the lemon curd like this...

Put the top back on and frosted it with the fluffy frosting. It makes for a nice surprise when people bite into it. A mild lemon flavor in the cupcake, tart filling with a fluffy frosting that doesn't over power the cupcake or filling.

Oh, and how can you really tell that these were great? My daughter offered to pose for a this shot, since she gave these 2 enthusiastic thumbs up. And when a 15 year old offers that kind of service, you know they are good.

Pressed Sugar Cookies

2010-10-26T16:29:00.001-07:00

Here is a different take on the sugar cookie. I like them because you get the sugar cookie taste without having to roll them out, making a mess of your whole kitchen. Plus these are very tastey.

I use to press them down with a glass dipped in sugar, and then I got a cookie stamp similar to the sunshine on the left, but my cookie stamp no longer resembles a sunshine since it was disfigured in a brawl with the disposal.

You have probably seen these stamps, but didn't realize how cool they were and how much you needed one. Now you have an excuse to go buy one... or you can just be the unexciting mom, and use the bottom of a glass. By the way, those are the same kind of moms that drop you off at school with their hair pulled up in a clip and in their bathrobe. Oh wait, I do that all the time.

This orginated from my friend Jeri. We love this recipe and these cookies always get gobbled up. I also like that if you want to get fancy, you can use colored sugar (just put sugar in a jar with a few drops of food color and shake). So color them to match the holidays or event. On to the recipe!!!

Sugar Cookies

1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. margarine
1 c. oil
2 eggs
4 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream margarine and sugars until smooth. Add vanilla, oil and eggs. Mix again until blended. Combine dry ingredients and slowy add to creamed mixture. When combine, take about a teaspoonful and roll into a ball. Roll in sugar and put on cookie sheet. When cookie sheet is full, go back with your cookie stamp (or boring glass), dip in sugar and press each cookie down.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

These cookies are soft (thus all the 2 kinds of sugar and the margarine and oil). Give them a try and let me know how they turned out!

Mexican Chicken Chowder

2010-10-26T07:20:00.001-07:00

Not sure where this originated, but I got it from my Mom. So, speak up if this is yours.

As we head into cold weather season, I think warm fires and soups. This one is a winner with everyone in my family. It has a very creamy texture, which comes from the cream and cheese with a hint of spice from the chilies, cumin and hot sauce. Very rich and delicious.

Mexican Chicken Chowder

1 1/2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bit size pieces (or I use my canned chicken)

1/2 cup chopped, onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons butter

2 cubes chicken boullion

1 cup water

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups half and half cream

2 cups shredded Monterery Jack cheese

1 (14.75 oz) can cream style corn

1 (4 oz) can green chilies, diced

1 dash hot pepper sauce (optional)

1 tomato, chopped

fresh cilantro (garnish)

sour cream

In dutch oven (or pot) brown chicken in butter adding the onion and garlic part way through. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and onion begins to turn transluscent. Dissolve boullion in hot water and pour in pan. Season with cumin, cover and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Add half and half cream, cheese, corn, chilies and hot pepper sauce. Cook, stirring frequently until cheese is melted and it is all mixed together well. Stir in tomato and serve in a bowl with cilantro garnish. Can add some sour cream, tortiall chips and avocado on top.

Canning Chicken

2010-10-15T08:25:00.001-07:00

My sister emailed me a great deal on fresh, hormone free chicken for 1.48 a lb. They are only doing delivery to Washington, Oregon and Idaho right now.

Here is the link...

Zaycon Foods

My mom, some friends and I got together last spring and canned chicken for the first time. It went amazingly well. I was always a little nervous about using a pressure cooker, but after reading the directions and doing it once, found it pretty easy.

I had thought that I posted the canning chicken directions on this website and then realized I posted it on my Mark and Lorri blog. So here is a link if you are interested in buying a 40 lb box of chicken and are not sure what to do with it.

Mark and Lorri Blog on canning chicken

I also just want to add.. it is great on a busy day, being able to grab a bottle of chicken I canned myself (so I know what is in it) and make a casserole, soup, enchiladas and so on, in half the time. I highly recommend you giving this a try if you haven't. Here is a picture of the finished product. We did pork with a sauce and chicken with just a little salt.

Any questions... please feel free to comment and I will check back and answer what I can.

Buttlermilk Syrup - YUM!

2010-10-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! What a wondeful way to start out the day. I was actually looking for a German Pancake recipe and stumbled upon the syrup. I know my sisters have talked about how good buttlermilk syrup can be, but have never made/tried it myself. Can I just say... it was delicious. All my kids and my husband couldn't say enough good things about it. You want to just take a spoon and eat it out of the pan. But considering it has 1 cube of butter, how could it not be wonderful.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter (or 1 cube)
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a saucepan (us one bigger than you think because the syrup will foam up from the baking soda), combine the first five syrup ingredients; bring to a boil. Boil for 7 minutes (I stirred mine periodically so it wouln't burn). Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and pour over anything you would regular syrup... pancakes, waffles, german pancakes etc.

Like I mentioned, the syrup foams, so use a bigger pan that you think. I didn't have buttermilk so I poured about 1 tablespoon of vinegar in 1 cup or regular milk and let it sit for a few minutes. Then used 3/4 of a cup of that. As the syrup boils (on low temp) it will start to turn a lovely carmel brown and when it cools slightly, will thicken up.

I served mine with German Pancakes aka Puff Pancakes. So I thought I would include that recipe too.

German Pancakes
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put butter in 9 X 13 pan and place in oven just until butter melts. Mean while, place eggs, flour, milk and salt in blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour batter in 9 X 13 pan with melted butter. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve with buttermilk syrup, powder sugar or regular syrup.

Crockpot Tortilla Soup

2010-10-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

Fall has arrived! What goes better with Fall than warm soup. So I am sharing this easy, yummy soup that you can cook in your crockpot all day, that will make your house smell good.

Crockpot Tortilla Soup

1.5 lbs chicken breast cooked/shredded (I put them in with the rest of the soup ingredients whole and frozen, let them cook and shred at the end of the cooking day... much easier.
1 15 oz. can tomatoes
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 4 oz. can green chiles, chopped
1 clove garlic, mined
2 cups water
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1 10 oz. package frozen corn
fresh bunch of cilantro
vegetable oil
corn tortillas
shredded cheese
fresh avacado

Throw all items except cliantro, vegetable oil, corn tortillas, shredded cheese and avacado in crockpot and cook all day. After cooking, shred chicken breasts if place in whole.

Preheat ove to 400 degrees, brush tortillas with vegetable oil, cut into strips and spread on baking sheet, crisp in ove until golden and crunchy.

Serve soup with crisp tortilla strips, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded cheese and fresh cubed avacado. We also make cheese quesadillas to go along the side with salsa/sour cream.

Notes from recipe owner: This recipe is very easy and good. I often double the recipe and place the other half in the freezer to eat at a later meal. My children also don't like chucnks so I puree the green chilies and tomatoes in the blender and add that to the soup and use onion flakes instead.

Just a heads up.... pumpkin shortage!

2010-10-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

FYI - there was a shortage of canned pumpkin last year in 2009, because there was so much rain. This year, because of the weather, the growing season ended up being short. So word on the street is that there will be a canned pumpkin shortage again this year.

Now don't go buying pallets of canned pumpkin, but next time you are in Costco, you might pick up a 3 pack or 2. I guess Coscto has a contract with the canned pumpkin distributors, so will get first dibs on distribution.

I guess last year when it was scarce, people were selling it on ebay. I already see some of that going on. Here are some of the last few completed sales....

4 – 15oz cans $36.00 plus $14.20 shipping
3 – 15oz cans $12.99 plus $12.00 shipping
9 – 15oz cans 39.99 plus $15.00 shipping

Just giving you a heads up!

Gingersnap Cookies and Pumpkin Dip

2010-10-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

We are headed into the holidays, which usually means parties, and taking treats to share. We scour through our recipe boxes and the internet looking for something "new", but good. Since we will be sharing with our friends. If you like pumpkin flavor, then this is a winner. Plus it makes a very pretty presentation and is also something different.

I put the pumpkin dip in a pretty dish on a platter and surround it with the gingersnaps. Make your gingersnaps smaller so you don't have to worry about people double dipping. If you are in a hurry, Costoc sells a big tub of gingersnap cookies which are yummy, and a decent price. You can also buy those wafer thing gingersnap cookies at Safeway. They can be slightly expensive though.

Pumpkin Cream Chees Dip

4 cups powder sugar
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese
1 30 oz. can pumpkin pie filling mix
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger

Beat Sugar with cream cheese and then add everything else and whip until fluffy and combined. Pour into a bowl.

Mom's Ginger Snaps (from allrecipes.com)

1 c packed brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/3 cup white sugar for decoration

Preheat ove to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil, molasses, and egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger; stir into the molasses mixture. Roll dough into 1 1/4" balls. Roll each ball in white sugar before placing 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven, or until center is firm. Cool on wire racks.

We cut the pumpkin dip recipe in half. It makes a quit a bit. I think I would also cut out 1 cup of powder sugar and then add that back in at the end until it was the desired sweetness.
We made our ginger snaps smaller and cooked them a little less time because of the size. I wanted a one dipper size to prevent people from double dipping (which would happen with a larger cookie). Hope you enjoy.

Molly's Rolls

2010-10-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

We all love The Lion House Rolls. Who doesn't love a light fluffy, buttery roll hot out of the oven. The one thing we don't love, is the time it takes to make them. In my search of a quicker, but just as yummy dinner roll, I found this one.

Give it a try and tell me what you think.

Molly's Dinner Rolls
(and no, I don't know who Molly is, just got this off another blog)

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 package yeast(2 1/4 teaspoon)
1/3 cup oil
1/2 T salt
1 egg
flour

Directions: In mixer combine yeast, sugar, and warm water; let grow until bubbly(about 5 minutes). Add milk and mix. Mix in oil and egg. Slowly add 2 cups flour, mix and then add salt. Add 1/2 cup flour at a time until it comes away from side of bowl. Let rise in mixing bowl for about 30 minutes. Form rolls as desired and place on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise and additional 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. (Rotate pans after 7 minutes.) Brush hot rolls with melted butter.

I used bread flour, don't know if that made any difference, but they turned out wonderful. In shaphing them I just divided my dough into 2, rolled one half into a circle, brushed with butter, then using my pizza cutter, cut pizza shaped slices. I rolled from the bigger outside edge to the smaller end making a crescent shaped roll.

The blog's I got these off of wasThe Sister's Dish and Real Mom Kitchen.

Bacon Maple Cupcakes

2010-10-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

I know, it sounds weird. We have been watching cupcake wars on The Food Networ, and my 15 year old daughter had to try them. You know what, we actually liked them.

You have to be prepared, and know that you are biting into a bacon maple cupcake or it might throw you, and you will not like them. But if you are open to new ideas and flavors, give it a try. I would definitely make them again.

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Ingredients

4 1/2 tablespoons of butter room temperature
1/2 tablespoon of bacon drippings (left in the fridge to become solid)
1 egg
5 tablespoons of brown sugar
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/4 cup of self rising flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
tiny tiny pinch of kosher salt
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of minced bacon cooked and drained

Maple Syrup Frosting

4 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 cup of powdered sugar
turbinado sugar (optional but recommended) - this is a raw sugar, found mine at Safeway
coarse grain sea salt (optional but recommended) - definitely worth adding

Directions

Cook some bacon in a fry pan (about 6 thick strips). Reserve the drippings and place in the fridge to solidify. Mince 1/4 a cup of the bacon. Save the rest for garnish on top of cupcakes.
Beat the crud out of the butter and solidified bacon fat 'till light and creamy. Add the brown sugar and maple syrup and beat well until combined.
Add the egg and beat until incorporated.
Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and powder together.
Add some of the flour and mix, then some of the milk, then continue to alternate the dry and wet ingredients, ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in the bacon. Taste and add more maple syrup, flour, or milk if needed for desired taste. Keep in mind the maple frosting is very sweet, and to add in very small increments for alterations as maple syrup in large amounts can break a cake batter.
Scoop into cupcake papers and bake at 350 F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I likes that these weren't real sweet. We sprinkles the turbinado sugar on top with the sea salt, then sprinkles reserved bacon cut into bits on top of the frosting. They didn't last that long in our house. Which is saying a lot, since we don't eat a ton of sweets. Even my husband was asking if there were any left. Be brave and give it a try. Or else get out the same old same old cake mix and make your boooorrrrriiiinnngggg regular cupcakes.

Molten Lava Chocolate Cakes

2010-03-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

Someone posted this recipe on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen and we LOVE it! We first had something like this on our cruise many years ago and we have been looking for a good copycat recipe ever since. This one is so good and really easy. When you cut into the cake, the gooey chocolate middle oozes out. Yum! Give it a try! You will not regret it.

Molten Chocolate Cake

Prep Time 15 Minutes
Cook Time 13 Minutes Servings 4 Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
½ cups Butter
1 cup Powdered Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 whole Egg Yolks
6 Tablespoons Flour
2 cups Real Whipping Cream (seriously It's So Much Better!!!)
2 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and place on cookie sheet.
Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until chocolate is also melted.
Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.
Divide between cups.
Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.
Combine sugar and heavy cream and whip until stiff.
Invert cakes on dishes and top with whipped cream.

We skipped the whip cream and ate these with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. I would highly recommend it this way!

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

2010-03-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

I was quickly trying to find something to make for dinner the other night, when I ran across this. I wasn't 100% convinced it would be good, but thought that we like pasta and we like enchiladas, so let's give it a go.

It was easier than rolling and make enchiladas and tasted really good. Got compliments from my husband, but my 7 year old thought it might be a tad on the spicey side. We just put a little more sour cream on hers. I think if you were concerned, you could cut out 1 of the cans of green enchilada sauce and substitute with cream of chicken soup.

This recipe made enough for dinner and then I put the rest in a covered dish to heat again in a couple of days.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Serves 6-8

*Plan Ahead: the recipe calls for cooked chicken so use leftovers or plan enough time to cook the chicken beforehand.

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (10-oz) cans green chili enchilada sauce (I used mild)
2/3 cup red enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 can large black olives, cut in half
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
16-20 oz. penne pasta (Depending on how "saucy" you want the pasta)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don't boil!). Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.

BTW, I got this from My Kitchen Cafe.
Hope it was okay that I used her picture

Sugared Bacon

2009-12-30T13:09:00.000-08:00

Is it good for you? No. Is it tastey... absolutely!

I heard from a wife a church that this was one of her husband's favorites. So of course we had to give it a go. It is really delicious.

Sugared Bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a cookie sheet with sides, place a sheet of foil. Trust me, this will make clean up a snap. Lay each piece of bacon out on the cookie sheet, then sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Once you have done it a time or two, you will get a feel for how much brown sugar to put on the bacon. Here are a few pictures below of mine.

Place cookie sheet in the oven for approximately 30-45 minutes. Check a couple of times at the end until bacon is to your desired doneness. We like ours a little crispy.

This is cooked perfectly. It might look burnt, but that is just the brown sugar goodness carmelized on your bacon.

Remove bacon and put on a plate with a paper towel or on a brown paper bag so that the grease can drain off. Then try it... mmmmmm. You will thank me forever (even though no one ever comments, I know you are out there enjoying all the wonderful recipes on this blog and deep in your hearts is appreciation of the sincerest kind).

Pickles, Cream Cheese & Ham Appetizer

2009-12-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

Even though these are very simple sounding, they are yummy! In fact my daughter decided to take some to school today because she liked them so much. Plus it is something you can get your kids to help with.

Pickles, Cream Cheese & Ham Appetizer

Small whole dill pickles
1 package of cream cheese
Ham slices

Measure the pickle on the ham slice and fold in edge of ham until the same length of pickle.Take a ham slice and spread a thin layer of cream cheese over it. Place pickle at one end of the ham and roll up. Cut pickle into 1/2 inch slices and put a toothpick in the top.

Okay, I stole this image from another website because I think it helps to understand how to assemble the whole thing. You can also do this with pickled asparagus instead of a regular pickle.

Dip in a Bread Bowl (very rich)

2009-12-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

This was another appetizer that I made. It also got a thumbs up from my nephew, so it must be good. My mother found this recipe and was so kind to share and make us all plump.

Dip in a Bread Bowl

1 1/2 cup sour cream
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (I used the prepackage mexian cheese)
1 small can green chilies, diced
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1 cup ham, choppped
1 round loaf of bread

Cream sour cream, cream cheese with worcestershire sauce. Mix in cheese, green chilies, green onions and ham. Cut top off of bread, scoop out and spoon ingredients into the bread bowl. Replace top and wrap with two layers of foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes. Serve with crackers and left over bread taken out of middle of bread round.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

2009-12-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

We had the "Thomas" family progressive dinner and I was in charge of appetizers. So I will share a few of the ones I did that seemed pretty popular. I didnt' get pictures because I had just spilled some juice off the cookie sheet with the mushrooms and was trying to wipe it up as people started arriving. I know we will make most of these again and will get pictures then :)

These pretty easy to make and everyone kept saying how good they were. I usually like a crap stuffing in my mushrooms, but my husband is allergic. It was kind of embarassing when they were asking for the ingredients and there were only 4.

Sausage Stuff Mushrooms (Jana Norton)

25-30 medium sized mushrooms
1 (12 oz) package of Jimmy Dean Sausage (she uses light I used natural)
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (I used grated)

Brown sausage, drain and cool. Add cream cheese and mix well. Add shredded parmesan cheese. Mix well again. Clean mushrooms and remove steps. Place mushroosm cap side down and fill with filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (I think mine took a little longer to cook).

Also put these on a cookie sheet lined with foil and one that had sides as the mushrooms give off a little juice. Then when you take them out the juice runs on the floor and you are cleaning it up as the guests arrive.

Rainbow Jello

2009-12-01T13:48:00.000-08:00

So I discovered that this is something that I usually make for Thanksgiving. It was a good thing I was reminded, because I didn't know that. And actually, 80% of the people had made it though the line before I remembered to take it out of the fridge. I will say, kids really think it is cool when they see it. I even did this in individual clear plastic cups for one of my sons birthday treats at school.

This recipe is really pretty easy. Just a little time consuming. But if you are hanging around the house anyway, it is no biggie to just keep adding the next layer. They set up pretty quick. Give it a try... your kids/grandkids will think you are wonderful.

Rainbow Jello

6 small packages of Jello (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
16 oz. container of sour cream

I do this in a 9 X 13 pan which has a very light coating of cooking spray in it.
Add one packet of Jello to 1 cup of boiling water. Stir 2 to 3 minutes to dissolve completely. Pour 2/3 cup of the Jello into the prepared pan, and chill for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add enough Sour Cream to the remaining Jello to make 2/3 cup. Stir until combined. When first layer has set for 15 minutes, carefully pour Jello/sour cream mixture over it, and chill for 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining colors. Once all layers have been poured, allow to chill for at least 2 hours. Unmold onto a serving platter, if desired, or cut into squares and serve.

Note: as soon as I pour (do it gently so as not to break up the previous layer)the sour cream/jello layer on, I mix the next color of jello up so it is cooled enough to pour when the sour cream/jello layer is set.

You can also use cool whip or evaporated milk instead of sour cream. Just follow the same measurements as above. I thought the cool whip was a pain to incorporate into the jello though.

You can also do this with whatever colors of jello you want for whatever special occasion. You can also do this in a bundt pan and unmold for a special affect.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2009-11-25T07:59:00.000-08:00

A neighbor brought this soup to me a while ago and it has quickly become a family favorite. In fact I made it last night so I could post a picture - unfortunately it was eaten before I got my camera out. I guess that isn't really a bad thing - family loving your dinner so much they eat it all. That doesn't happen around our house very often - very picky kids!!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2 boxes Uncle Bens original Long Grain and Wild Rice

cook this following directions on box except use only 3 cups water total and shorten time to about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile:

In pot saute -

2 T butter

4 carrots sliced

4 celery stalks chopped

1 onion diced

(cook until onions are translucent)

now add:

6 cups chicken stock ( this is more rich than chicken broth)

2-3 chicken breast cooked and cubed

(I bottled chicken and just use one bottle shredding the chicken as I add it - this is the easiest way to make this soup)

cooked Rice with any remaining liquid

1 pint whipping cream - you didn't think it was all going to be good for you did you?

I sometimes end up adding more chicken stock because the rice takes alot of the liquid - just do what you like.

Simmer and serve. YUM!!!

Hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

Peanut Butter Pie

2009-11-24T15:52:00.000-08:00

This was a recipe that came from a class taken from the "Pie Goddess". This lady started making pies in our small town and sold them. She would get up to 30 dollars for one pie. She now makes them exclusively for a restaurant that opened a few years ago. She has a few others that I will share later on. I just thought for those of you who were looking for something different to serve this Thanksgiving, you might find this fun.

Peanutbutter Pie

8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. whipped topping + 4 more oz. for topping (Cool Whip)
1 cup peanut butter
2 Butterfinger candy bars crushed (saveout 2 Tablespoons for garnish).

Combined all ingredients (except 4 oz of whipped topping) and spread into a prepared pie crust. Sed aside.

Melt 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips in microwave for 1 minute. Now add 1/2 cup whipping cream and microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir until well blended and spread on top of peanut butter pie filling. Garnish with whipped topping and crushed butterfinger candy bar.
Keep refrigerated. Serves up to 12.

Another picture I will need to take :) Also Uncle Matt loves peanut butter so if someone could make this for him... thanks!

Sausage Dip

2009-11-24T15:29:00.000-08:00

Another favorite in the family. In fact I shared this with a friend who had a son that went on his mission to Ireland. She figured out some way to get the ingredients to him and that is what she sent him last Christma because it was one thing he loved. They use to make it almost every other day in their house (with 2 teenage boys). This is sure to be a big hit if you take it to a party. You just need to figure out how to keep it warm. Maybe a small crockpot? I have taken it in a bowl and then microwaved it when it cooled down. Serve it with tortilla chips.

Sausage Dip

1 package sausage (like Jimmy Dean)
3 1/2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese
2 cans Ro-Tel tomatoes (you can find these by the stewed tomatoes

Brown sausage in pan.

Add cream cheese and heat until smooth.

Add tomatoes and mix until well blended. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

This is what the Rotel Tomato can looks like

Popcorn Crispix Mix

2009-11-24T15:20:00.000-08:00

I seriously can't believe I haven't posted this yet. No picture, but trust me, this will be a family favorite. It is also great to make, put in a cute bowl or bag and deliver to neighbors. I got this recipe from one of my sisters (I think Wendi). I usually go a little lighter on the popcorn and a little heavier on the Crispix. But you can make it however you want. Just trust me and make it!

Popcorn Crispix Mix

4 cups popcorn, popped
3 cups Crispix cereal
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 cubes butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 bag miniature Marshmallows

In a large bowl combine popcorn and cereal. Melt butter in microwave. Add marshmallows and put back in the microwave for 30 second increments, stirring in between. When melted enough to make stirring consistency smooth, add brown sugar. Stir well and pour over popcorn and Crispix. Stir in almonds and enjoy!

I will get a picture next time I make it.

Pizza on the grill

2009-08-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

I attended a class on herbs presented by a woman from our church. One of the recipes she demonstrated was this pizza on the grill. It was quick, easy and delicious. I have been wanting to share it for a bit, but life has kept up a steady pace. Give this recipe and try and let me know how it turned out and what toppings you decided to use.

PIZZA ON THE GRILL

Pizza dough - if you live close to a Winco, they sell premade pizza dough by the deli section. It is approximately 1.98 for a slightly larger than gratefruit size. Another one I like is the "Jiffy" pizza dough you can make from the box, or you can use whatever your favorite pizza dough is (google pizza dough for lots of recipes).

Sauces - Olive oil with garlic, traditional pizza sauce, pesto, barbeque sauce, alfredo sauce.

Toppings - grilled chicken sliced, shrimp, fresh mozarella, basil, tomato slices, artichoke hearts, olives, sausage, pepperoni, onion slices and anything else your mind can imagine.

DIRECTIONS:
Roll pizza dough out until desired thickness. Try your first one about 1/8" thick and then adjust to your liking. Brush a with a small amount of olive oil. Take it out and grill it on one side. Your grill should be med to med-low.

You know it is ready when it gets grill marks on the side that is down and it looks partially cooked (this is why you don't want your dough to thick or it won't cook through before it needs to be removed so it won't burn).

Remove from grill and add whatever toppings you want. The toppings above are just some suggestions, but you are only limited by your imagination.
I put pesto, shrimp in half and chicke on the other, some fresh basil leaves and fresh mozarella finally topped with fresh sliced tomato. YUM!

These are some of my kids creations. We make individual pizzas so each person can taylor make it to their own tastes, plus how fun to do as a family.

After putting toppings on, put on cookie sheet to transfer back to grill. Place pizzas on grill and close lid so the toppings melt and cook together while dough finishes cooking through. Keep checking until toppings are done and the bottom has grill marks. Remove, let cool for a few minutes and serve.

This would be fun for a dinner party with everyone making their own pizza. Just put out a lot of toppings and pizza dough that has already been cooked on one side. These cook pretty quick (depending on thickness of dough) so it goes pretty fast.

Hope you enjoy this yummy summer dinner.

Cedar Plank Salmon with Honey Butter

2009-06-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

Seriously, salmon has to be one of my favorite foods. I usually order it when we go out to eat. So when we had a "salmon off" (a cook off with my family) I thought I had the recipe to beat. Unfortunately, my sister Steff, won hands down with this recipe. Once you try it, you will never eat salmon any other way.

I am not sure who Steff got it from, but thank you from the bottom of my heart.

CEDAR PLANK SALMON WITH HONEY BUTTER

Butter
Honey
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Cedar Plank

Soak your cedar plank in water, preferably at least an hour before cooking. I have fudged it and have done it for 30 minutes with decent success. Place the salmon on the soaked cedar plank and begin heating your Barbeque while you mix your honey butter. When mixing the honey butter I usually do a ration of half and half, but you can play with it and see what you like best. Next slather (yes that is the technical term for it) the honey butter all over the salmon. I know it looks a little gross, but TRUST ME! You will love me forever.

Now sprinkle with the Montreal Steak Seasoning. I got a large container of it from Costco.

Place the plank with salmon on it onto the barbeque. I cook mine on medium heat, checking periodically to adjust temperature. Obviously when you have thicker you want to lower your temperature so they cook through. One big mistake most people make in cooking salmon is overcooking it. So watch it carefully. The plank will begin to smoke (and even burn away a little depending on how soaked you get it). Don't worry, where the salmon is should stay intact. I slightly undercook mine in the middle and then let it sit for a few minutes to finish it off. Remove from barbeque and enjoy. Heavenly! This could seriosly be the answer to world peace.

Fish Tacos

2009-06-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

I was browsing a few cooking blogs and came across this recipe for fish tacos. It just seemed like something I was in the mood for and decided to try it. They turned out pretty good, I would definitely make them again.

FISH TACOS

Talipia Fish Fillets
Cajun Seasoning
Salt Pepper

Pineapple Salsa (recipe below)
Lettuce
Avocado
Grated Cheese
Flour Tortillas

Prepare salsa and set aside for flavors to combined.

Grill talipia fillets on grill (or cook in a pan) seasoning with cajun seasoning, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime juice. When cooked assemble tacos as follows...

Lay flour tortilla on place. Put shredded lettuce on flour tortilla, then top with pieces of fish. Put a couple of spoons of salsa on fish, then finish topping with whatever you like, cheese, avocado etc. Roll up and eat.

PINEAPPLE SALSA

1 8 oz can of pineapple chunks in juice, cut up smaller
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed and finely chopped
1/4 cup red pepper, finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and allow to chill in the fridge for about 1 hr before serving.

NOTES: I like to buy my Talipia from Costco. They sell it in the freezer section and the fillets are individually wrapped. It is a little pricey, but the fillets are very clean and white. Tilipia is a firm white fish. The cost at Costco is around 15.00 for 2.5 pounds.

I also like to eat it when I am trying to eat healthy. I will put a fillet in a pan that has been brushed with olive oil, cook it for a few minutes (before it starts to brown). Pour a little water in the pan, sprinkle the fillet with cajun seasoning, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Flip the fillet, put a lid on it, let it cook for a few minutes, then turn off heat. Let it finish cooking as it steams. I will then chop up part of a tomato and green onion and place on top of the fish. Replace lid and let it heat through. Sprinkle with garlic, more salt and lemon juice to taste. Very healthy and tastes very good.

Wayne Winter's BBQ Ribs

2009-06-23T10:14:00.001-07:00

Have you ever watched the Food Network when they are talking about preparing ribs "just right". I feel intimidated just watching the show. Although this isn't your traditional cook on the grill ribs, it is full proof, and very yummy. If you like BBQ without the hassle, you should give this a try. Basically 4 ingredients (if you are counting salt and pepper separately) and you are done.

When you buy these ribs and are browning them, they will appear to have to much fat. Don't worry, as they cook the fat cooks off leaving mostly meat. They will be fall apart tender. You won't even need a knife to cut them up.

Wayne Winter's BBQ Ribs

INGREDIENTS:
country style spareribs (I get mine at Costco, they should be the boneless ones)
Salt and pepper
Bullseye BBQ Sauce (or whatever your favorite is)

Season spareribs with salt and pepper. Brown in a pan/dutch oven. Pour Bullseye Barbeque (or whatever you have chosen) over the top to coat spareribs (you will need to stir it a bit). Don't be stingy on the sauce. You might need more than one bottle depending on how many ribs you are doing and how big your BBQ sauce bottles are.

Bake at 280 - 300 degrees for 2 hours. Stirring half way through.

NOTES: I cut the spareribs into 3" or so pieces so they are easier to brown and when you are serving they are in more manageable size. I brown them in the same pan I do my Sunday roast, it just needs a good fitting lid and big enough to hold all your ribs. When you brown put some oil in the bottom first and add more if needed. I brown my ribs in batches. I do a batch, put them on a plate then do the next batch. When I am done I put them all back in and coat with the BBQ sauce, stir and put in the oven. How easy is that?

Yummy Cornbread Casserole

2009-06-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

I tried this at a wedding shower a few weeks ago. We had grilled steak, a lovely salad and this cornbread casserole. I personally never would have thought to serve a cornbread casserole with steak, but it went together very well. It also got rave reviews from both men and women. I got this recipe from my mother who got it from the couple who hosted the shower, the Iunkers.

If you want to try something new, see if it goes over as well as it did when I took it to our family dinner last Sunday. Even the kids liked it.

Cornbread Casserole

BATTER
2 eggs
1 cube butter
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 can green chilies (small can)
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 can cream corn
1 can regular corn (strained)

TOPPINGS:
sour cream
1 1/2 cups cheese

Cream butter and add eggs. Mix until smooth, then add everything else and mix again until combined. Pour into a greased 9 X 13 pan. Put dollops of sour cream on top using a teaspoon. Then sprinkle the top with 1 1/2 cups of cheese (I used the grated Mexican cheese).

Cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve warm. It is much tastier warm.

This is what the box of Jiffy corn muffin mix looks like. I found mine by the cake and muffin mixes at the grocery store.

Bran Muffins

2009-06-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

We are attempting to eat a little healthier around our house. When going through my stack of favorite recipes, I found this little gem. This came from my Mom (again, not sure who she got if from) and I remember her making batches of these while us kids would eat them warm out of the oven.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can make a batch and cook them as you need them. Keep the dough in your fridge up to 6 weeks. Warm bran muffins each morning. Yum!

BRAN MUFFINS

2 cups. All Bran Muffins Cereal
2 cups boiling water
3 cups sugar
1 heaping cup shortening
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoons salt
4 cups Nabisco Bran Cereal

Mix boiling water and 2 cups all bran cereal together and set aside. Cream shortening and sugar. Then add to the creamed mixture the buttermilk and eggs. In another bowl combined flour, soda and salt. Mix that into wet mixture. Add the 4 cups of Nabisco Bran and combine well. Fold in the All Bran and boiling water in last.

Pour into muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Can leave in fridge up to 6 weeks. I made 1/2 a batch and so far have gotten 24 muffins with about another batch of 12 to go.

NOTES:

I subbed 1/2 a cup of applesauce for half of the shortening to lighten it up a little.

I also used 4 cups of All Bran instead of the 4 cups of Nabisco Bran because that was all I had on hand.

Last sub was milk with lemon juice instead of buttermilk. You need to add either lemon juice or white vinegar 1 tablespoon to each cup of milk.

Next time I will try doing all applesauce and no shortening. I also am considering trying half fresh ground wheat flour and half white flour. Just some ideas to try. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Smoke Alarm Chicken

2009-06-19T13:35:00.001-07:00

This one is from my sister Steff (and I have no idea who she got it from). The bacon keeps your chicken breasts nice and tender. They call it smoke alarm chicken because you cook it on such a high temperature, there is a chance of smoke coming out of your oven. I did not have this problem, but if you do, it is a small price to pay for this tender deliciousness :)

SMOKE ALARM CHICKEN

boneless chken breasts
sage
salt & pepper
string cheese
bacon slices

Pound chicken breasts until evenly flat (I put my chicken breasts in a gallon size bag and then pound them so I don't get raw chicken goo all over everything). sprinkle with sage, salt and pepper on both sides. Cut a piece of string cheese, pull apart and spread on chicken. Roll up, tucking in ends. Wrap a slice of bacon around the chken securing with toohtpicks (not colored). Put on rack in a shallow baking dish. ake at 500 degrees (yes that is the correc tempeature) fo 8 minutes, turn over and bake another 8 minute. Serve.

Note: Mine takes a little longer to cook, so you may want to check them before considering done.

Chicken Lettuce Cups

2009-05-13T20:23:00.001-07:00

I've recently become a fan of the show "Guy's Big Bite" on the Food Network. Okay, I became a fan after I watched it once and he happened to make this recipe and I really liked it. I got on the website and it had great reviews and I tried it and we thought it was pretty tasty. So...here ya go. (Here's the link to the recipe on the actual Food Network website just in case you don't trust me... http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/chicken-lettuce-cups-recipe/index.html)

Chicken Lettuce Cups

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

Prep Time: 40 min
Cook Time: 2 min
Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 small carrots, diced
1/2 celery rib, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
5 snap peas, diced
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup mung beans, cut in 1/2 (I just used bean sprouts chopped up)
2 chicken breast, diced
6 ounces Apricot Sesame Sambal Szechwan Sauce, recipe follows
5 fried wonton skins
6 iceberg lettuce leaves
2 tablespoons diced green onions
2 tablespoons crushed, unsalted peanuts
Black sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions
In a medium saute pan over high heat, add oil.
Add vegetables, and chicken, saute for 45 seconds. Deglaze with sambal sauce for 30 seconds.

Add wonton to lettuce cup, pour chicken and veg mix into cup, top with green onions and peanuts. Garnish lettuce cups with black sesame seeds.

Ingredients
Apricot Sesame Sambal Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced ginger
3 tablespoons sambal hot sauce (I couldn't find this so I left it out as suggested by some of the reviews)
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon minced cilantro
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Shake before serving.

Ranch House Crockpot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

2009-05-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe on picky-palate.com and decided to give it a go. I must say it got two thumbs up from all who reside in my house. I guess that would actually be 8 thumbs up but whatever. Just try it. It may not be the healthiest recipe but it is worth it! ;)

I stole this picture off the Picky Palate website because my picture didn't look quite as tasty as hers. I hope that is okay and I don't get arrested or something. Ranch House Crockpot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick

1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning

10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup

4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes

5 Tablespoons real butter

1 Cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

6 cloves roasted garlic (directions how to roast garlic below)

1- 1 1/2 Cups warm skim milk (any milk will do, I just happened to use skim)

1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

1. Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.

2. Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consitency.

3. Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. Eat!

Roasted Garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place bulb of garlic with skins on, wrap lightly in tin foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove from foil and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove garlic from skins, place in a bowl and mash with a fork until completely mashed.

Banana Split Salad

2009-05-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

Light, fluffy and full of yumminess. Healthy? Maybe a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. But if you want to try something different, this would fit the bill. It makes quite a bit, so be prepared.

Banana Split Salad

1 (14 oz.) can sweented condensed milk
1 tub of Cool Whip (12 oz. but 8 oz. will work too), thawed
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling
3 medium bananas, sliced
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced

Garnish: peancs, coconut, strawberries and chocolate fudge (all optional)

In a large bowl combine milk and cool whip until well blended. Fold in the cherry pie filling, bananas, pineapple, pecans, coconut and strawberries. Garnish as you wish. Serve chilled.

Note: we didn't add the pineapple because I didn't have any. I also omited the coconut because I had to many eyes watching me to add it. Sorry my picture isn't all garnished and pretty, but I am in a time crunch and sometimes... You get what you get and you don't throw a fit!

Cinnamon Rolls

2009-05-04T13:44:00.001-07:00

Here is a new twist on an old favorite. I was really intrigued by these since they have vanilla pudding in them. They went together fast and my family loved the flavor. The dough is pretty soft, but after rising, is a little easier to work with. I added an additional 1/2 cup of flour because my dough was a little on the sticky side. This ended up being the perfect amount.

Vanilla Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Rolls:

1/2 cup warm water

2 Tablespoons actvie dry yeast

1 Tablespoons sugar

3 1/2 ounce package instant vanilla pudding

2 cups milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs 1 tespoon salt

6+ cups flour (I added an additional 1/2 cup)

Filling:

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature

2 cups brown sugar

4 teaspoons cinnamon

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups confectioner's sugar

2-3 Tablespoons milk (I didn't use any because my consistency was already good)

In a small bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside. In large bowl, take pudding mix and mix with 2 cups of milk (per directions on package). Add butter, eggs and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture. Blend. Gradually add flour; knead until smooth. Do not over flour the dough! It shold be very soft but not sticky. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled. Then roll out on floured board to 34 X 21 inches in size. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface. In bowl mix 2 cups brown sugar and 4 teaspoons of cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top. Roll up very tightly. With knife put a notch in every 1 1/2 inches. Cut with thread or serrated knife. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Cover and let rise until double again. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove when they start to turn golden (don't overbake).

Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting.

Combined butter and cream cheese, mix well, then add vanilla and sugar and mix again. Then add milk for desired consistency.

Makes 24 very large size rolls.

Southwest Chicken Salad

2009-05-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn

2 large chicken breasts or 4 regular sized (I used 4 frozen ones from Costco)

1 can black bans, rinsed and drained

1 jar of MEDIUM salsa (or hot, but not mild, mild will lose all flavor while cooking)

1 bag corn chips

Garnish with any of the following:

sour cream

shredded cheese

cilantro

avacado

salsa

tomato

onion

lettuce

Place corn on bottom of a crock pot. Follow with chicken breasts. Top with black beans and salsa. Cook in crock pot on high for 5 hours. Remove chicken and shred with forks. Place shredded chicken back in crock pot and mix with corn and beans. Place a handful of chips on plate and slightly crush with the palm of your hand. Place a good sized portion of chicken mixture on top of chips and garnish as you'd like. This really needs the chips to bring all the flavors together. The saltiness of the chips makes it so yummy! Reheats well. You can also you torilla chips instead of corn chips.

This was a once shot picture. Just as I was ready to try another angle my battery went dead. So hopefully the first one was good enough for you to get an idea of what this looks like. My family really enjoyed it, not to mention it was nice to throw together this morning and have something warm and substantial to feed them for dinner.

Brownie Pizza

2009-05-02T17:12:00.001-07:00

This recipe is from Wendi. If you like bananas, peanut butter and brownies, this is the recipe for you. I posted this on my blog, but wanted to post it here to0.

Brownie Pizza

1 package brownie mix

1 package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3 large bananas, peeled and cut into chunks

1/4 cup coarsely chopped peanuts2 packages (or 4 single) peanut butter cups

Dove ice cream topping

Prepare brownie mix as directed on package. Spread batter evenly on a greased 12 inch pizza pan (I put down parchment paper on a cookie sheet and marked a 12" circle then spread the brownie batter just inside the circle). Bake for 20 minutes (don't overbake). Cook completely on wire rack.

Mix cream cheese, sugar and peanut butter with an electric mixer until well blended. Spreak over cooled brownie.Arrange banan slices over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts, peanut butter cups (or whatever other toppings your family likes). Heat ice cream topping until stirring consistency (you can heat in microwave with lid off at 20 second intervals, stirring in between). Drizzle chocolate sauce over the top of bananas, peanuts and pb cups. Cut into wedges and serve.

Strawberry Cream Trifle

2009-04-12T18:55:00.001-07:00

My mom made this for Easter dinner. I told her she needed to put it on the blog, so I am now helping her do it. Okay I am doing this while they do the dishes. I just wanted you to think what a great daughter I am when in reality I am just getting out of work. This is very good and would be a perfect light dessert for summer. So we wanted to share it so you could add it to your list of things to try as the weather warms up.

CONTRIBUTED BY DORIS BUTLER

Strawberry Cream Trifle

This pretty pink trifle showcases the summery combination of strawberries and cream.

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 pkg (10.75 ox) frozen pound cake, thawed
1 qt. fresh strawberries
1 container (16 oz.) frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed
1 lemon
3 conatiners (8 oz. each) blended strawberry yogurt
1 pkg (3.4 oz) cheese cake instant pudding and pie filling
1 container (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping
Powdered sugar

1. Coarsely chop almonds. Cut pound cake into 1 inch cubes; set aside. Set aside one strawberry for garnish. Hull remaining strawberries and cut into quarters. Combine fresh and frozen strawberries; mix well.

2. Juice lemon to measure 2 tbsp. of juice. In a bowl, whisk lemon juice, yogurt and pudding mix until smooth. Immediately fold in 1 cup of the whipped topping.

3. To assemble trifle, place one third of the pound cake cubes into bottom of trifle bowl. Top pound cake with one third of the strawberry mixtures. Top with half of the yogurt mixture, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with one third of the almonds. Repeat layers one time. Top with remaining pound cake cubes and remaining strawberry mixture.

4. To garnish, spread remaining whipped topping over top of trifle, forming a flat surface. Sprinkle remaining almonds over whipped topping. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Create strawberry fan with reserved strawberry; place into center of trifle.

Makes 12 servings.

Award Winning Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-04-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

If you like your chocolate chip cookies soft, this is a great recipe. I do find that the dough needs to be at room temperature for them to turn out. So if you freeze the dough, let it sit out at room temperature until it is soft. Or if you have had it in the fridge, again, let it sit out. It is not a great freezer to oven recipe. I think Steff has a good one for that?

NOTE: I think is what makes this so good is the use of the pudding mix. I usually just use one large package as apposed to the two small. But it is nice to know you can half it and use only one small package as this does make a lot of cookies. Also make suer you only cook it for 10 minutes (depending on your oven). They should just be turning light brown around the edges and soft in the middle. Take them out and let them sit for a few minutes on the warm pan. That way they don't over cook and stay soft.

AWARD WINNING CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Oreo Dessert

2009-04-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

This is very rich, but yummy. If anyone lives in Utah, my brother-in-law LOVES peanut butter and would love this. So someome make it for Matt :)

Note: I heard of people using chocolate pudding instead of vanilla. I only used half of the powdered sugar called for in the cream cheese mixture and none in the pudding mixture. It was to sweet the first time I made it following directions.

OREO DESSERT

* 22 Oreo cookies, divided
* 3 tablespoons butter, melted
* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
* 1 (16 ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, divided
* 18 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
* 1 cup milk
* 1 small package instant chocolate pudding mix

Directions

1. Crush 18 cookies; mix with butter; press into bottom of an ungreased
2. 9x9 dish. Beat cream cheese, peanut butter and 1 cup powdered sugar
3. until creamy. Stir in half the whipped topping; spread over crust.
4. Sprinkle with the chopped peanut butter cups.
5. In second bowl, beat milk, pudding mix and the rest of the powdered
6. sugar on low for 2 minutes. Fold in remaining whipped topping.
7. Spread over the peanut butter cups. Crush the 4 remaining Oreos;
8. sprinkle on top.
9. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Scallopine

2009-04-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

I wanted to fix a yummy substantial meal for my family and was open to new ideas. Then I wondered over to the Pioneer Woman's website and found this lovely bit of deliciousness. I highly recommend it. Even if your kids don't like mushrooms or even know what a caper is. They can pick them out. My husbands comment "This is way better than you could even get in a restaurant". I left my chicken and sauce separate so each person could put it together how they wanted. Those you went for boring noodles and chicken were happy. Those of us who wanted the whole Shebang, could have it. Just make sure you try it. You might even find yourself licking the pan clean before washing it in the sink :)

Here is the link to Pioneer Woman's website for directions - LINK
Here is the link to a printable recipe - LINK

Oreo Truffles

2009-02-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1 (3-row) package of oreo's
8 oz. cream cheese
dipping chocolate (milk & white for drizzling)

Directions:
Blend oreo's until fine, add softened cream cheese and blend until it's almost like a oreo paste. I have to blend my oreo's in my blender about a half of a row at a time, then mix the cream cheese in my mix master. But if you have a good blender, you can just do it all in there! Using a tablespoon, or small cookie scoop, scoop balls and dip in melted chocolate. Let dry, and drizzle with white chocolate. Makes approx. 50 truffles.

Quite possibly THE BEST rice krispy treats you will ever have

2008-11-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

The recipe is not for the faint hearted, don't even bother making them is you are worried about keeping track of calories, on the plus side - they are delicious

Caramel Rice Krispies

16 c. rice krispies

2 cubes butter

3 - 16 oz. bags of mini marshmallows

50 caramels

1 c. butter

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Make half of rice krispy mixture ( 1 bag marshmallows, 1 cube butter, 8 c. rice krispies) mix according to regular rice krispy recipe and smash down in greased 9 x 13 pan. Lay out waxed paper and tap rice krispies out of pan onto waxed paper. Repeat with second batch of rice krispies (1 bag marshmallows, 1 cube butter, 8 c. rice krispies) but leave in greased pan.

Sprinkle 1/2 bag of mini marshmallows on batch in pan. In a saucepan melt 1 c. butter, 50 caramels, and add sweetened condensed milk. Stir until melted and mixed together. Pour this caramel sauce over the marshmallows and carefully spread. Top with your first sheet of rice krispies that are on waxed paper. Stack together and refrigerate at least 1 hour. I found it was better to make the day before and leave in fridge overnight to let the caramel set up.

These are alot of work but well worth it. And the best part, at least for Matt is that there is absolutely no peanut butter polluting them.

ENJOY!

2008-10-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

I was looking at the pictures on my camera and forgot I was going to post this salad. I got it from Marilyn Deal. Everywhere I have taken it, it is a hit. I hope you don't mind that I posted your recipe.

Spinach Salad
1 bag of baby spinach leaves (9 0z.)
1 pint fresh strawberries- sliced
1 avocado- peeled and diced
1 pkg. slivered almonds that have been sugared(at least 1/2 cup)

Dressing
1/2 cup sugar
2 T. sesame seeds
1 T. poppy seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sweet rice vinegar (regular is fine)
1/4 t. paprika
1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 T. finely chopped onion (dried will work)

This is a lot of dressing you don't need to put it all on. This salad only last for the day.

2008-10-31T12:51:00.000-07:00

We were at Trunk-or-Treat the other night and Rachael was saying to Lorri how excited she was to go home the have some of this soup. I think it is one of our favorite soups. So here it is.

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini
1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic- minced
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine (I just use water instead)
4 large tomatoes- peeled, seeded and chopped (I use canned tomatoes)
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 T. packed fresh basil
1/2 t. dried oregano
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
8 oz. fresh tortellini (I use cheese tortellini)
3 T. chopped fresh parsley

1. Brown sausage in 5 quart dutch oven remove and drain. Reserve 1 T. drippings.
2. Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce and sausage. Bring to boil- simmer uncovered for 30 min.
3. Remove fat from soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 min. Add tortellini during the last 10 min. Sprinkle with paremesan cheese.

Mandarin Avocado Toss

2008-10-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

My mom actually served this at my wedding reception, so it's not a new recipe (although it's been tucked in the back of my cabinet for awhile), but a really GREAT one. I took it to a dinner party last night and everyone raved over it. So, here it is! And I'll get a picture soon too!

1/2 c. sunflower kernels
1/2 c. slivered almonds (I used the Almond Accents in a bag)
2 T. butter
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 T. red wine vinegar or cider
1 T. lemon juice
2 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground mustard (I used about 1 t. FRESH mustard)
1 garlic clove, minced
4 c. torn green leaf lettuce
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
1 to 2 green onions, chopped

In a small skillet, saute sunflower kernels and almonds (if not using the Almond Accents) in butter. Cool. Meanwhile, in a jar with a tigh-fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, mustard and garlic; shake well. In a large salad bowl, toss the lettuce, oranges, avocado, onions, sunflower kernels, and almonds. Drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.

Cori's Notes: I only use half the dressing on about 8 c. of lettuce. The dressing is oily and heavy if you use the full amount.

Baked Potato Soup

2008-10-14T19:40:00.001-07:00

I tried this recipe tonight - and I thought it was yummy! ( I am a soup-aholic though....)
Sorry, I haven't figured out how to post pictures..... Addie is busy with homework.

3 Tbs. Butter
1 c. chopped onion
2 Tbs. flour
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth (I used one and a 1/2 cans....it needed it)
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
dash Tobasco sauce (or 2 or 3...)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 c. half and half

Melt butter in soup pan on medium heat. Add onion and suate for 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the onions and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often. Gradually add chicken broth. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, basil, Tobasco and garlic salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in half and half, and heat through.

We then loaded our bowls up with grated cheese, crumbled bacon, green onions and sour cream...you can be creative! The kids really liked the cheese and bacon in their soup.

It was good comfort food - enjoy!

Sugar Cookie Time

2008-09-24T14:09:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year. I love sugar cookies.

Does anyone have a favorite sugar cookie recipe? This is a favorite of mine. It comes originally from a dear friend, Macy, but I got it on a flyer from my sister-in-law who is a real estate agent. If you like the really soft sugar cookies, this is the recipe for you. If you want a crisp, crunchy cookie, keep looking. Hope you like it.

Macy's Sugar Cookies

6 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter (no wonder these are good)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream

Cream together sugar and butter, then add eggs, vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to creamed mixture. It will become stiff. Roll out dough on a floured surface (it says to 1/2" thick but they puff up a little so I definitely would roll them thinner. I think it must be a typo and should be 1/4"). Cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen. These are AMAZING cookies.

Sugar Cookie Frosting

2/3 cup butter
6 cups powdered sugar
1 dash salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
food coloring

Combine all ingredients and have fun frosting.

A while ago my sister, Steff, put on her blog some panty cookies that she made from sugar cookie dough and a heart shaped cookie cutter. I thought they were hilarious and made them for our YW leaders for Valentine's Day. So if you want to make something funny, try these. (I couldn't find the picture Steff posted).

Update in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

2008-09-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

I hope I don't get in trouble for this but I am going to post the recipe and basic instructions if you are interested in trying this recipe (this is the master recipe). We are doing this for enrichment and have gotten a good response so here we go. . .

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

Makes four 1-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

3 cups lukewarm water

1 ½ tablespoons granulated yeast (1 ½ packets)

1 ½ tablespoons kosher or other coarse salt (reduced by one quarter if using table salt)

6 ½ cups unsifted, unbleached, all purpose white flour, measured with the scoop and sweep method

Cornmeal for pizza peel

Mixing dough and storing dough

1. Warm the water slightly: It should feel just a little warmer than body temperature, about 100 degrees. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours. You can use cold tap water and get an identical final result; then the first rising will take 3 or even 4 hours. That won’t be too great a difference, as you will only be doing this once per stored batch.

2. Add yeast and salt to the water: in a 5-quart bowl or preferably, in a resealable, lidded (not airtight) plastic food container or food-grade bucket. Don’t worry about getting it all to dissolve.

3. Mix in the flour – kneading is unnecessary: Add all of the flour at once. measuring it in with dry-ingredients measuring cups, by gently scooping up flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula, don’t press down into the flour as you scoop or you’ll throw off the measurements by compressing. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high capacity food processor (14 cups or larger) fitted with the dough attachment, or a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until the mixture is uniform. If you’re hand-mixing and it becomes too difficult to incorporate all the flour with the spoon, you can reach into your mixing vessel with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Don’t knead! It isn’t necessary. You’re finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. This step is done in a matter of minutes, and will yield a dough that is wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.

4. All to rise: Cover with a lid (not airtight) that fits well to the container you’re using. Do not use screw-topped bottles or Mason jars, which could explode from the trapped gases. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on the top), approximately 2 hours, depending on the room’s temperature. Longer rising times, up to about 5 hours, will not harm the result. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work with than dough at room temperature. So, the first time you try our method, it’s best to refrigerate the dough overnight (or at least 3 hours), before shaping a loaf.

On Baking Day

5. The gluten cloak: don’t knead, just “cloak” and shape a loaf in 30 to 60 seconds. First, prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal (or whatever your recipe calls for) to prevent your loaf from sticking to it when you slide it into the oven. Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with flour. Pull up and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece of dough, using a serrated knife. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter of a turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off; it’s not intended to be incorporated into the dough. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will flatten out and adhere during resting and baking. The correctly shaped final product will be smooth and cohesive. The entire process should take no more than 30 to 60 seconds.

6. Rest the loaf and let it rise on a pizza peel: Place the shaped ball on the cornmeal-covered pizza peel. Allow the loaf to rest on the peel for about 40 minutes (it doesn’t need to be covered during the rest period.) Depending on the age of the dough, you may not see much rising during this period; more rising will occure during baking (“oven spring”).

7. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, with a baking stone placed in the middle rack. Place empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf that won’t interfere with the rising bread.

8. Dust and slash: Unless otherwise indicated in a specific recipe, dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow the slashing knife to pass without sticking. Slash a 1/4 –inch-deep cross, “scallop”, or a tick-tac-toe pattern into the top using a serrated bread knife.

9. Baking with steam: After a 20-minute preheat, you’re ready to bake, even though your oven thermometer won’t yet be up to full temperature. With a quick forward jerking motion of the wrist, slide the loaf off the pizza peel and onto the preheated baking stone. Quickly but carefully pour about 1 cup of hot water from the tap into the broiler tray and close the oven door to trap the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch. Because you’ve used wet dough, there is a little risk of drying out the interior, despite the dark crust. When you remove the loaf from the oven, it will audibly crackle, or “sing” when initially expose to room-temperature air. Allow to cool completely, preferably on a wire cooling rack, for best flavor, texture, and slicing. The perfect crust may initially soften, but will firm up again when cooled.

10. Store the remaining dough in the refrigerator in your lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 14 days: You’ll find that even one day improves the flavor and texture of your bread. This maturation continues over the 14-day storage period. We often have several types of dough storing in the refrigerator at once. The dough can also be frozen in 1-pound portions in an airtight container and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking.

Dough Moisture Content

If you modify a recipe, using . . .
. . .more liquid (giving you a wetter dough), you’ll get . . .	. . . less liquid (giving you drier dough), you’ll get . . .
Larger air holes	Smaller air holes
Desirable “custard” interior, can become gummy if too little flour is used or too much whole grain is included.	Difficult to achieve custard interior, interior will be drier.
May be difficult for free-form loaf to hold shape, may spread laterally, but will do very well in loaf pans.	Free-form loaves will hold shape well and remain high and domed.
Requires less resting time before baking.	Require more resting time before baking.

Resting and Baking Times

All of our resting and baking times are approximate. Since loaves are formed by hand, their size will vary from loaf to loaf. There can be significant changes in resting and baking time requirements with changes in loaf sizes. Although large, flat loaves bake rapidly, large, high domed loaves will require dramatically longer baking times. Here are some basic guidelines for varying resting and baking times and oven temperatures on the characteristic of that day’s loaf:

Increase resting and baking time if any of the following apply:

Large loaf

More whole grain

Wetter Dough

Adjust baking temperature based on dough ingredients:

Non-enriched doughs made mostly from white flour 450 degrees

Egg, honey, or brioche dough 350 degrees

High whole wheat content (more than 50 percent) 350 degrees

Dump Chicken

2008-09-15T22:32:00.001-07:00

I haven't tried any of these yet, but I am intrigued. This website has recipes on how to make Dump Chicken. What is Dump Chicken? Let's get it straight from the horses mouth (that isn't lipstick on the pig, so please no comments from the peanut gallery)

What is Dump Chicken?
Dump chicken is one of the easiest forms of Freezer cooking! The idea is VERY simple, do NOT over think it. You take raw (never frozen) OR Frozen chicken pieces, toss them into a One Gallon Freezer Bag, then toss in the sauce and freeze flat. The key is never RE-FREEZE Raw chicken. Then thaw the chicken and cook! You can bake it, roast it, crock pot it, grill... and maybe microwave it? I have never gotten a bad review on my dump chicken (just on my website! HA!)
All the recipies can be made with 4-8 pieces of chicken (any pieces will do... wings, thighs, drumsticks, bone-in, skin-on, bonelss, skinless, maybe even whole chicken), we use 5 boneless/skinless chicken breasts to keep it healthier. To cook the chicken, thaw completely in the fridge, dump into 9x12" pan, bake at 350 until done. For BL/SL breasts it is about 25-35 minutes. For chicken pieces, it runs closer to an hour. Enjoy!

Here is the website

http://oamc.8m.com/index.html

If you try any, will you please post back what it was and if you liked it.
Thanks!

Green Bean Blue Cheese Salad

2008-09-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

No picture yet. We took one with my Mom's camera and I need to swipe her SD card. This recipe was made by my lovely and clever sister in law, Kari. I just love it when she brings something to share. She is a great cook.

Kari brought this to a family home evening dinner and then the next night I made it for my extended family and it was a hit. So I thought it share worthy. It is tangy and I just love the blue cheese with the balsamic vinegar. Hope you like it.

Green Bean Blue Cheese Salad

* 1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
* 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
* 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted (we all used candied almonds)
* salt and pepper to taste

1. Place green beans in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 2 to 6 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, combine beans, onion, blue cheese, and pecans. Stir in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Easy Monkey Bread

2008-08-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

Since Liz hasn't shared her really yummy, homemade recipe for Monkey Bread, I guess I will share this semi-homemade one. (I will still be hoping and waiting for Liz to post hers)

I got this recipe off the Just That Good recipe blog. It's not as good as a totally homemade recipe (LIZ!) but it's good when you want something quick, easy and tasty.

Rolls

4 cans refrigerated biscuits (any flavor)
1 cup brown sugar
2 TBS cinnamon
1 stick butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
4 TBS milk
1 tsp vanilla

"First of all ... there is no need to buy the more expensive brand of biscuit with this recipe. Just get the cheap ones.Melt one stick of butter in bowl. Using kitchen scissors, cut each biscuit in half and place them in bowl with melted butter. After all biscuits are cut roll them around in the butter to coat all sides. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Stir well. Grease a bundt pan or 9x13 glass dish. Bake at 350* for about 35 minutes, depending on which dish you are using. The 9x13 will take longer. Just keep an eye on it.Remove from oven and flip bundt over while hot ... otherwise, your monkey bread will be stuck in the pan. Drizzle glaze on top. Serve warm."

Spanish Rice

2008-08-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

Also for our Fiesta I made Spanish Rice. I have tried the boxed variety from Uncle Ben's and a few of the others and have never been impressed. I got this one from allrecipes.com also. The bacon gave it a smoky flavor which really added to the overall taste. I went a little lighter on the green pepper as the boys in our family are not fans. I ended up doubling this recipe and it made quit a bit. Try and tell me what you think.

Spanish Rice Original

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup tomato sauce

6 slices bacon

2 onions, diced

1 cup uncooked white rice

2 tomatoes, diced

2 green bell peppers, diced

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste

1 (10 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained (optional)

1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine chicken broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil while cooking the following.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until evenly brown. Chop bacon, and set aside, reserving the bacon fat. Add onion to skillet, and saute until tender. Stir in rice, and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in boiling chicken broth and tomato sauce. Add diced tomatoes, green peppers, and chopped bacon. Season with chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in black olives and corn.

FOOTNOTE

If you are going to double the recipe (I usually make a doubled recipe), use the same amount of bacon strips and oil, and keep to 1 can of olives and 1 can of corn, double all other ingredients.

Amy's Cilantro Cream Sauce

2008-08-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

We had a fiesta at Grandma and Grandpa Butler's last night. It was to celebrate our Seniors moving on into the big wide world. Not that we were celebrating them leaving, but more to wish them well. Rebecca has been working at Taco Time and fixed us some chicken soft tacos. So along with that I found this cilantro cream sauce. It got great reviews on allrecipes.com, you can view it at the reviews here. Some people used it as a dip, some on burgers and others on tacos. So if you are looking for something light, new and festive, here you go. BTW, I am not sure who Amy is so if you want to call the Lorri's Cilantro Cream Sauce, go ahead :)

Amy's Cilantro Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 (7 ounce) can tomatillo salsa
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

DIRECTIONS

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, pepper, celery salt, cumin, garlic powder, cilantro and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Place in a serving bowl.

Side note: My 18 year old son insisted on putting his hand in the picture because he is thinking of becoming a hand model.