Pimp My Dinner

Death by Chocolate

2012-01-24T12:11:00.001-06:00

Ingredients:
Chocolate pudding
Whipping cream
Heath bits
Brownies
Plastic Cups (if you want single servings)

Instructions:
In cup crumble brownie on bottom, add a couple spoonfulls of chocolate pudding on top of the brownie, top with whipping cream and sprinkle with Heath bits. Repeat one more time and enjoy.

CHEWY GRANOLA BARS

2012-01-22T15:04:00.004-06:00

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 Tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1 1/4 cups rice cereal

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use almonds or walnuts)

1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used white)

1/4 cup craisins/raisins (OPTIONAL)

2 Tbsp. flax seed (OPTIONAL)

1 tsp. cinnamon (OPTIONAL -- I don't like cinnamon, so I don't put it in)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.

In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add honey, vanilla, egg: mix well. Gradually blend in flour, baking powder and salt. By hand, literally, stir in remaining ingredients.

Press firmly in bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. The edges will be golden brown and the center needs to be set (like a cookie). Cool and cut into bars!

Note: I like to use the convection setting on the oven as often as possible to speed up baking time. I baked this on convection bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

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My friend made some of these for after school snacks and my kids were in heaven. So, I got the recipe and tweek'd it to my liking. Feel free to do the same. If you like regular chocolate chips in your granola bars, or if you like cinnamon and raisins you could adjust it that way too.

This is my second batch of granola bars. My first batch was eaten before any pictures could be taken.

Unbelievable Carrot Cake

2011-12-15T07:22:00.000-06:00

Alison told me that she tried this carrot cake and it was absolutely amazing. She sent me the recipe and wow! It is so good. The cake is delicious and moist and the cream cheese frosting is the best I have ever had. I am not sure where Alison found the recipe, exactly, but the notes on it say it is originally from Cooks Illustrated.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces – I always weigh my ingredients if the option is given b/c it is a no-fail way to make sure you aren’t adding too much or too little)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp table salt
1 lb. medium carrots (6 to 7 carrots), peeled
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil , safflower oil, or canola oil

Frosting: (I doubled the recipe below to frost the two 9-inch cakes I made)
8 oz cream cheese, softened but still cool
5 Tbsp unsalted butter softened, but still cool
1 Tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar (4 1/2 ounces)

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 by 9-inch baking pan (I used two 9-inch round pans).
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside. In a food processor fitted with large shredding disk (I used a fine shredding disk), shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside.

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer), beat granulated and brown sugars and eggs on medium-high until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to medium; with mixer running, add oil in slow, steady stream, being careful to pour oil against inside of bowl (if oil begins to splatter, reduce speed to low until oil is incorporated, then resume adding oil). Increase speed to high and mix until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Turn off mixer and stir in carrots and dry ingredients by hand until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.

Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time (I didn’t rotate my 9-inch pans). Cool cake to room temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours (I cooled my cakes about 30 minutes and then inverted them onto a wire rack to cool completely).

When cake is cool, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or in large bowl using handheld mixer) until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute. Frost and eat!

Molasses Cookies (Gingerbread)

2011-12-12T07:30:00.000-06:00

3/4 c. butter
1 c. sugar (I use brown sugar)
1 egg
1/4c. molasses
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground ginger

Mix all ingredients. Roll into balls then into sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

Or, you can roll out the dough and cut with a gingerbread cookie cutter to make little gingerbread men.

Chicken Bacon Tacos

2011-12-10T07:30:00.002-06:00

Our friends had us over for dinner and this is how they make tacos - with bacon! Why have I never done this before? I love breakfast tacos with eggs and bacon, I love dinner tacos with chicken. Why not take bacon and add it to dinner tacos? Well, now we have. Another thing that they did with their tacos was they put chunks of cucumbers in them. I don't usually like lettuce in my tacos. Warm lettuce is gross, but the cucumber was fresh and crunchy and didn't get warm. I really liked it.

Ingredients:
yummy tortillas (I buy the cook at home ones at Wal-mart)
1 rotisserie chicken
bacon
cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
cheddar cheese
sour cream
salsa (I used this one: Small Simple Salsa)

In a pan or on a skillet, cook bacon and cut into pieces. Add chicken meat and warm through mixing with already cooked bacon. Done. Now build your taco how you like it.

Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls

2011-12-10T07:09:00.002-06:00

Steve can't get enough of these things. They are so fast and easy to make. Try them.

Source: Our Best Bites

1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
*you can play around with the cheese. Try whatever cheese you like.

Optional: extra cheese to sprinkle on top and any herbs/flavorings you’d like to add. Try rosemary and or garlic powder, my favorites!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth. Add cheeses and pulse 2 times. Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less. If desired, sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and/or a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan. Serve warm. They are definitely best fresh.

Yield: The original instructions say that they yield anywhere from 16-24 rolls. FYI: I always just split my batter to make 24.

Great Grandma's Coleslaw

2011-11-28T14:35:00.000-06:00

This is one of our family's favorite recipes. Althought coleslaw might be best known as a side dish at a summer BBQ, we actually serve it at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Its nice and cooling - a good counterpart to all the heavy dishes also on the table.

Please forgive this terrible picture - my cousin took it with her iPhone. I promise, my great grandmother's coleslaw usually much more appetizing!

One whole cabbage will feed an army, so don't worry about cutting this recipe in half.

Finely chop a whole cabbage, 2 large carrots, 1 small to medium onion and a handful of fresh curly parsley. The chopping is a lot of work. Put in a really big bowl and mix well by flipping the bowl like you flip an omelet.

Dressing is a cup or so of mayonnaise, a few table spoons sour cream, a few tablespoons white vinegar, a tablespoon or two of sugar. Cover with a layer of celery salt and garlic powder. Whisk in a half cup or so of heavy cream, then as whisking add a bit more cream to get a consistency that will spread over the cabbage. If too thick add some milk. Fold it in to cabbage a couple of batches to get good distribution and stir well till evenly distributed. Add regular salt and ground pepper to taste. Better if refrigerated for an hour before serving. Stir well before each serving since some dressing pools to bottom.

Sweet Potato Souffle

2011-11-17T17:37:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving is coming up and I am going to make yours a whole lot yummier. Sweet potatoes used to be one of those items that I would skip. This was probably because they were usually topped with marshmallows and that just isn't my thing. Then one day for Bunco we decided to do a Thanksgiving feast and my friend brought these sweet potatoes straight from heaven. Seriously, it is a vegetable disguised as the yummiest dessert. Delicious mashed sweet potatoes, fluffed with butter, milk and eggs then topped with brown sugar and pecans and of course more butter. Make this and your whole family will thank you. Mine did, and it became everyone's favorite thing on their plate.

I didn't have a picture but this is what it should look like.

Source

Sweet Potato Souffle

½ cup sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
1/3 cup margarine or butter
½ cup flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine sugar ½ cup butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl and mix well. Add the sweet potatoes and mix until smooth. Spoon into a 2 quart baking dish. Melt 1/3 cup butter/marg in sauce pan. Combine with flour, brown sugar, and pecans in a bowl and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over the sweet potatoes, bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Rascal Pie - Chocolate Cream Brownie Pie

2011-11-15T21:22:00.000-06:00

Here is a pie that I have been thinking about making for years but could never find a recipe. So, finally, I made one up. I wish I had tried this years ago because it is super easy and hits the spot for a chocolate craving. It is based off of a memory I have of eating at Frontier Pies in Provo years ago. I had a pie called "Cow Pie" and remember it being delicious. It was (I think) a chocolate cream pie with a layer of brownies in the bottom. So, that is exactly what I made. I decided to call it Rascal Pie because it is the perfect pie according to my son and I always call him a "rascal pie" when he is being particularly rascally.

Makes 2 pies

2 frozen deep 9" pie crusts or homemade if you like
1 brownie mix made according to directions, divided
1 recipe of chocolate cream (below), divided
whipped cream (try this one)
chocolate shavings or M&M mini's for topping

I made my pies with frozen pie crust, just because I am not super good at homemade pie crust. Mine never are as good as my grandma's and that frustrates me, but that may have more to do with the fact that I do not own a food processor and I am lazy. Anyway, I bought my frozen pie crust and it came in a two pack with was super great considering the proportions. You can make just one pie if you want, but you will be using only half a brownie batch/mix and half a recipe for the chocolate cream, but it has been done. Why not make two and give one away?

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fork your pie crusts. Make your brownie mix according to directions. Split brownie batter evenly between the two pies. Cover the edges of the crust with foil or a pie crust shield to avoid burning. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the brownies are done. Allow to cool completely.

While your brownies are baking, you can begin chocolate cream. This needs to cool before you put it in the pie, so the soon you start, the sooner you can eat it.

Once brownie-crust and chocolate cream are cooled, divide the chocolate cream evenly between the two pies.

Top with fresh whipped cream and chocolate shavings or M&M's if you like. If you would like to use a long lasting whipped cream, so it is easier to make ahead try out this recipe: Perfect Whipped Cream.

Chocolate Creme
Source: King Arthur

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream, divided
2 cups milk

Place the chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract in a 2-quart mixing bowl; set aside.

In a medium saucepan away from heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa and salt. Whisk in 1/4 cup of cold heavy cream until the mixture is smooth, with no lumps. Repeat with another 1/4 cup of the cream. Whisk in the egg yolks

Place the saucepan over medium heat, and gradually whisk in the remaining cream and milk.

Bring to a boil, whisking constantly as the mixture thickens; boil for 1 minute

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture over the reserved chocolate and butter.

Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Pass the filling through a strainer into a bowl to remove any lumps.

Place plastic wrap or buttered parchment paper on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill thoroughly.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

2011-11-11T15:28:00.000-06:00

1 chocolate cake mix (I used Chocolate Fudge Recipe)
3 eggs
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
small chocolate pudding mix
1 package chocolate chips

Beat everything together except the chocolate chips. Fold in the chips.

REALLY grease and flour your bundt pan.

Bake at 350 50-55 mins. Cool for 15 minutes and remove from pan.

This is a simple cake to make and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand. Serve with chocolate fudge or simply whipped cream.

This is a recipe is practically the same as Italian Pound Cake, but everything chocolate instead.

Roasted Surf-N-Turf-Stuffed Bell Peppers

2011-11-11T01:47:00.001-06:00

This is the true Omnivore's Dilemma...

(Having limited space with an unlimited appetite)

Let's take a walk through how I make these and keep in mind that you can substitute almost anything in here.

Get a casserole dish (I prefer stone) and oil it moderately. Place in your bell peppers (red, orange or yellow), remove the tops and excavate the seeds.

(I might add that there is a large mushroom in the photo. This was made part of the meal under extreme duress. I in no way endorse this fungus as an additive or focal part of any edible meal.)

However, if you happen to enjoy mushrooms and would like to include them, there is an easy solution. Simply reevaluate your own existence as well as your decision-making paradigm that led you to this point in life and begin the repentance process.

Here's how I make it:

Turn This (red, yellow and purple potatoes)

Into This

And This (diced red onions)

Into This

Separating about 2/3's to marinate (balsalmic, brown sugar, salt, pepper)

Transform This (yellow Serrano peppers)

Into That

(keep or discard the seeds depending on how much heat you want)

And Start Stuffing

Here is a list in the order that it was added to the pepper:

Potatoes, Marinated Red Onion, Shrimp (thawed, uncooked, no shell), Minced Garlic, Spicy Breakfast Sausage (ground), Pieces of Pastrami, Yellow Serrano Peppers, Ground Turkey, and Marinated Onions again. Try and get an even distribution throughout if possible. You can add seasonings and flavoring oils to any and all phases of stuffing the bell pepper. I used a sweet mesquite and garlic olive oil on the potatoes, a northwoods seasoning (all purpose steak and poultry seasoning) and pepper for the ground turkey.

Cook @ 400 Degrees.

If you are somehow contractually obligated to add mushrooms, then place in the casserole dish by itself to be added on top later on.

After 40 minutes remove the casserole dish from the oven, LIBERALLY apply a layer of Marscarpone Cheese (DO NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR ANOTHER CHEESE) and chives. Then place 1/2" squares of raw bacon generously on the top of the cheese. If you have a mushroom, now is the time to defile your pepper by adding it to the top. At this point, I also add in any extra potatoes and marinated onions to the casserole dish itself along with some seasoning for a nice side dish for your plate.

Return quickly to the oven for an additional 20 minutes @ 400 Degrees.

Now set the oven to Hi Broil until the bacon is crisp, but not burnt.

Take it straight from the oven to the table with fresh chopped green onions, red onions and sliced roma tomatoes for toppings if desired.

This is a new favorite for the Jones Household. You typically can eat out of it with a fork, but we prefer to eat it like a taco so that you get that good roasted red pepper flavor in each bite.

Boom!

Coconut Milk Pancakes

2011-11-04T09:00:00.000-06:00

I am not sure who started making these pancakes in our family first. It may have been my brother, Quinton or my Mom, who is obsessed with everything coconut, but now we all make our pancakes this way.

2 c. Krusteaz buttermilk mix
3/4 c. coconut milk
1 1/2 c. water (you can use less if you want)

When you are making pancakes from a mix, you can spruce them up a little bit by using coconut milk as part of your liquid. I generally buy the large Krusteaz mix from Costco, so that is what I use, but I am sure you can use your favorite in the same way. The Krusteaz mix simply calls for adding water to the mix (Ratio: 1 cup mix, 3/4 cup water). What I do is make the mix according to directions but substitute half of the water for coconut milk. Then I add the rest of the water. I like runny pancake batter, so from there I add more and more water until I like the texture. For me, about a third of the liquid is coconut milk. You can see what combo you like, but above is the recipe I use.

Perfect Candy Corn Cookies

2011-10-27T16:21:00.002-05:00

You might want to cover your ears. I can get pretty loud when I start tooting my own horn.

My MIL sent me a link to this recipe for candy corn cookies, which was "perfected" from this recipe by Land-o-Lakes. The "perfected" version came up with a method to keep each of the cookies looking like true candy corns:

white on top

orange in the middle

yellow on bottom.

But her method didn't count on my monumental laziness (ie I didn't want to spend the time making fancy cookie dough then still be required to dip them in yellow candy melts to make them look right).

Therefore, I came up with this method that is truly "slice and bake"

Twice-Perfected Candy Corn Cookies
(I used a half recipe)

2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 teaspoons orange juice (or orange extract)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

Cream together sugar and butter. Add egg, vanilla, almond extract, and orange juice. Whip until light and fluffy. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and add slowly to the wet ingredients until well incorporated.
Here is where you have to eyeball it a little. The white part of the cookies will require the least amount of dough. I removed a little less than one third of the dough (white). Then I tinted the rest yellow and removed a little more than one third (yellow). Next I added red to the remaining third (orange).
Afterward, roll the white portion into a log on a cutting board lined with plastic wrap. Then roll out the orange dough into a rectangle that will wrap around the white portion, like this:

Repeat the last step with the yellow to cover the orange layer. Then wrap the resulting log with the plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for a few hours.

Lastly, slice the chilled log into shy 1/2" slices then divide it into 4 wedges. Pinch them into perfect triangles and flatten them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes.
Now go show off for your neighbors just in time for Halloween.
You're welcome.

SPOOKY HEALTHY SNACK

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

ALL YOU NEED:

INDIVIDUALLY PACKAGED MANDARIN ORANGE CUPS

A PERMANENT MARKER

OK, this might not really be a recipe, but I did have a light bulb moment. My daughter's kindergarten class is having a Halloween themed "healthy" snack time at school, and I was put in charge of fruit. I could not think of anything that would be age appropriate and not a huge mess for them to eat (because I love her teacher and wouldn't do that to her). So when I was packing my kids lunches this morning, I got my great idea.... "ta-da" Mandarin oranges and a sharpie!

Pumpkin Spice Waffles

2011-10-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

Yields about 5 Belgian waffle sized waffles.

1/2 C. canned pumpkin puree
1/2 C. sour cream
1/2 C. milk
2 eggs, separated
1/4 C. butter, melted
2 T. brown sugar
3/4 C. + 2 T. all purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg

Preheat waffle iron. Combine pumpkin, sour cream, milk, egg yolks, butter, and brown sugar in large mixing bowl.

In a separated bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine.

In a third bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the batter.

Pour onto the waffle maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve with your favorite syrup or toppings. I prefer them with buttermilk syrup and chopped nuts.

Brazilian Limeade

2011-10-20T14:13:00.003-05:00

I am posting a new recipe for Brazilian Limeade because I have fine-tuned it. You can find the old one here, if you are interested.

The recipes are mostly the same, but, now that I live in the south, it is easy to find key limes, so I no longer use regular limes. Not to mention, they are cheaper and taste better. Also, I found these small cans of sweetened condensed milk called "La Lecherita" that are one-quarter the size of a big can (3.5 oz). Now, when I make limeade, I don't have an open sweetened condensed milk can going to waste in my fridge. You can find them in the baking aisle and I have also seen them in the Mexican aisle.

I think either recipe is good, but I prefer this one.

4 c. water
8 key limes, quartered
1/2 c. sugar
3.5 oz sweetened condensed milk (La Lecherita)

Put all ingredients in blender and blend! Strain through fine strainer. Serve immediately over ice.

Mint Brownies

2011-10-20T14:00:00.001-05:00

Source: Our Best Bites

Brownies:
4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate (4oz)
1 C butter (2 sticks)
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Frosting:
3 C powdered sugar
6 T butter, softened
2 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
2 Tbs milk
green food coloring

Chocolate Glaze:
6 oz (about 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips ,you could also use dark
6 Tbs real butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch pan with foil making sure the foil extends over the edges by at least one inch. Lightly spray with non-stick spray and set aside.

Chop both unsweetened chocolate and two sticks of butter into chunks and place together in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until just melted and smooth. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.

With an electric mixer or stand mixer beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla for 2 minutes. While egg mixture is beating, measure out flour and combine with baking powder. While mixer is running, slowly add melted chocolate and beat to combine. Turn beater speed to low and add in flour by spoonfuls. Mix just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or until a knife poked in center comes out clean.

Cool completely on a metal rack. When brownies have cooled to room temperature, prepare frosting. Combine all frosting ingredients, starting with 1 1/2 tablespoon of milk, and beat until light and fluffy. Add more milk by teaspoonful as needed. Spread frosting evenly over brownies and then place brownies in fridge to chill.

While brownies are chilling prepare chocolate glaze. Place chocolate chips and 6 tablespoons butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until just melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes and then carefully spread on top of the frosting layer. Return pan to fridge to cool. When chocolate has hardened, use edges of foil to remove entire brownie from pan. Cut into squares and serve.

My Notes: One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it uses foil to line the brownie pan so you can lift them right out. Brilliant! I have never done that before. Also, the original recipe recommended increasing the amount of frosting. That is how I have always made them, so that is how I wrote out the frosting recipe above.

Banana Bread

2011-10-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

I got this banana bread recipe from one of my best friends in high school, way back then. It has been my favorite recipe for banana bread and banana muffins ever since. They are delicious.

Source: Decker Family

2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
3-4 bananas, mashed
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 pinch of salt
1 T. lemon
3 T. sour cream
1 c. nuts (optional)

Bake 350° in a loaf pan for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. I actually prefer to make this as small loaves (about 40 minutes) or banana muffins (about 18 minutes). You can also make mini muffins (11-12 minutes).

S'mores Cookies

2011-10-12T12:20:00.000-05:00

I have seen this recipe in a few different places. I kept wanting to try it but didn't know where to take two pans of S'mores Cookies. Ah-ha! I decided to modify it and use my own chocolate chip cookie dough recipe so I could make these in smaller batches. It worked out great. I am excited to have this little change up for when I am feeling a little "S'more-ish" and have some cookie dough sitting in my fridge. Let's be honest, I feel "S'more-ish" a lot and lots of times have cookie dough on hand. These cookies are really delicious and I love the crisp that the graham cracker adds and the chew from the marshmallows.

1 pkg graham crackers
1 batch of YOUR favorite chocolate chip cookie dough (Mine is here)
mini marshmallows or large marshmallows, halved
Hershey Chocolate bars broken into little rectangles.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Break graham crackers into squares and place on a non-stick cookie sheet or one lined with parchment paper. I used a 1/4 bakers sheet and it fit 15 squares perfectly (7 1/2 graham crackers). Place about one tablespoon of cookie dough on each square. Stick a few mini marshmallows into the cookie dough on each graham square or half of a large marshmallow (I used the flattened ones).

Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and place one or two Hershey bar pieces into each cookie. Place back in the oven and finish baking for another 5-7 minutes.

Tip: All About Cookies

2011-10-07T12:03:00.005-05:00

I absolutely love making cookies. Here are a few of my little tips and tricks that help me to make great cookies every time. These tips will work for any kind of cookie really, but I am showing them with good 'ol chocolate chip for the sake of simplicity. I don't know about you, but that is what we make most of the time at my house. First off, you need to find a recipe that you love. I make quite a few different kinds of chocolate chip cookies, but my favorite and quick "go to" recipe is Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Nestle Toll House Cookies.

Tip: Cookie Dough
The key is to first find a cookie dough you like. From there you can tweak it just how you prefer them. I like to use real butter in my cookies, but my sister, Aimee, always prefers to use half margarine and half butter. She likes the way the margarine helps them to stand up a little taller. Also, I always analyze my dough before I use it to see if it is too runny. When I am making chocolate chip cookies, I check out my dough before adding the chips. If I think the dough is too sticky, I will add more flour to get to the right texture. And, some recipes really should be refrigerated before you bake them, that way the butter, or margarine, has a chance to get cold again, to help you not have flat pancakes in that hot oven. So, my point is, find what you like and don't be afraid to tweak it or assess it if it doesn't seem right. No need to bake a batch of bad cookie dough.

Tip: Save Some Cookie Dough
Sometimes, you might not feel like making a batch of cookies because you only want or need a few. Why not whip up some cookie dough, bake a pan or two and then refrigerate or freeze the rest of the dough? If you choose to freeze it, you can scoop the dough into balls, freeze on the pan and when frozen hard, throw them into a ZipLock bag. Now you can quickly make cookies anytime you want!

Refrigerated cookie dough.

Tip: Baker's Half Sheets
I bake most everything on bakers half sheets. I think they are also known as jelly roll pans. You would laugh to know how many I actually own. But, when I am making cookies I like to use at least 3 pans. That way I have one in the oven, one ready to go and one that is cooling off. I am impatient and don't like running my oven any longer than I need to. Last year, I just found a set of non-stick bakers half sheets from Costco. I use those a lot now, but, when I am using my regular pans, I spray them first with non-stick spray or line them with parchment.

Baker's Half Sheet

Tip: Purple Scoop
Since, my mom had a small catering business while I was growing up, we learned to bake with restaurant grade things. Don't worry, that doesn't necessarily mean expensive. For one thing, in the food industry, there are different colored scoops, or dishers for different serving sizes. The purple scoop (#40 disher - purple 7/8 oz) is the perfect size for most any cookie. If you use a scoop, you can fine tune your cookies so you know exactly how long you like to bake them and every cookie on your pan will be uniform and done at the same time. If you don't have a scoop, you really should try it out. You can find one here. Even if you decide to not go the scoop route, the most important thing uniform size and equal spacing on your pan.

The purple scoop - #40 disher 7/8 oz.

Scoop dough uniformly.

Lay on pan uniformly.

Tip: Oven Time
Always preheat your oven and make sure it is up to temperature before you start baking. You don't want to have a funky first pan of cookies. Only bake one pan of cookies at a time and place them on a rack that is in the middle of your oven. That way they will have the best chance for even baking. When you are making a recipe for the first time, set the timer for a minute less. You will have better luck getting the perfect cookie if you peek on them through the window instead of opening the oven, repeatedly. When you open the oven the temperature inside drops. Once you figure out the perfect baking time for your size cookies in your oven, write it down! Next time you won't even have to think about it.

Place in the middle of the oven.

Tip: Cooling
I always cool my cookies on the pan. I don't even own a cooling rack. I just elevate my pan on something so it doesn't sweat. I use my stove because it is a gas range, but you could use something else and still get the job done. In my opinion, cookies are best when they are soft, but have a tiny crisp on the bottom. When you cool on the pan, you can finish baking them in the oven a touch sooner because the cookie bottoms will still have heat on them as they cool.

Cool cookies on the pan.

Perfectly done cookie.

Golden brown on the bottom.

Soft on top, gooey middles, crisp bottom.

Tip: Store in Air Tight Containers
If you are going to go through the trouble of making cookies, you want the last one you eat to be as good as the first. Well, at least almost as good... it is hard to beat a cookie that is right out of the oven. Just remember to put them into an air tight container or ZipLock bag once they have cooled completely. At my house, all cookies that are not eaten in the first day go into a ZipLock and then into the freezer. My husband, Steve, actually prefers his cookies frozen and that is a little way for me to show my love. But the rest of us, just get one out and wait a few minutes before eating it and you can't tell it wasn't freshly baked. This is a great way to have a little treat to bring to a friend at a moment's notice.

Find corresponding recipes: Cookie Recipes

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-06T09:00:00.001-05:00

You may not find it necessary to write this recipe down, but Phoebe (Friends) lost hers and it was devastating! And, I might sound simple, but I really like these cookies. I think they are delicious and easy, not to mention Steve's favorite. But, more than that, I love that I only need ONE measuring cup and ONE measuring spoon to make this dough. Just get one teaspoon and one 3/4 c. measuring cup (use it 3 times for the flour) and when you are done you won't have a ton of dishes from measuring. Even when adding the chips (and maybe nuts), you can use the 3/4 cup and then eyeball the difference because those measurements don't have to be perfect. You can whip this up so fast, you will love it.

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups (12 oz.) chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. ** At this point, I check the consistency of the dough and sometimes add more flour until the texture seems right to me. ** Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if desired).

Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.

Chicken Salad

2011-10-05T18:16:00.004-05:00

5 chicken breast halves, cooked and chopped

2/3 cup Mayonaise

2/3 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

1/4 cup apple juice

1 bunch of celery

1 to 2 apples, finely diced (gala or fuji)

Combine all ingredients and serve on croissants, or your favorite bread.

Perfect Whipped Cream

2011-10-04T23:34:00.000-05:00

This whipped cream is delicious and can be made even a couple of days ahead of time. You will love it. This recipe is scale-able and you can mess with the proportions according to your liking, but the cream cheese helps it last and the vanilla bean paste is brilliant! I found my at my local grocery store. Much easier (and cheaper) than vanilla beans in my opinion.

Source: adapted from Cooking a la Mode

2 T. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 c. whipping cream (very cold)
1 t. vanilla bean paste, optional, but do NOT substitute vanilla extract

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy. Add sugar and beat until smooth and incorporated. In a medium, clean bowl, beat whipping cream until it begins to stiffen. Add smooth mixture of cream cheese and vanilla bean paste. Whip until soft peaks form and you have your desired consistency.

Easy Cheesecake

2011-09-27T21:01:00.002-05:00

Source: Miriam Skidmore

1 10" graham cracker crust

(or you can make your own in a 10" pie pan)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 or 8 ounce cream cheese (either one is fine), softened

1 pint (2 cups) sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat together softened cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and egg. Add sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla, then beat for 5 minutes, until smooth.

Pour into prepared crust, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. It doesn't need to be completely firm. Let cool, then top with your favorite topping.

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My mother-in-law makes this and it's a hit. Super simple and yummy! Lighter than cheesecake and better than the Jell-o no bake.

If you're bringing it somewhere, with a little crafty tipping, you can slide that pre-made crust into your own glass pie pan before you get started. (Not that I would, I'm just saying)

Mrs. Fields Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-25T20:31:00.005-05:00

2 c. butter or stick margarine
2 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
5 c. oatmeal (blended into flour- this is optional, it changes the texture)
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
24 oz. chocolate chips
8 oz. Hershey bar – grated (optional)
3 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Cream wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients. Add chocolate and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees fro 8-10 minutes or 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. This is a large recipe and will only fit in a large KitchenAid mixer or Bosche. This makes 7 plus dozen cookies scooped with a standard (1/8 cup) cookie scoop.

Belgian Waffles

2011-09-24T07:58:00.004-05:00

These waffles are so easy and so delicious. I especially like that there aren't a ton of ingredients and they are all common so you can make these any morning you want. No need for a special trip to the grocery store. My friend, Alyssa, found this recipe and now I can't live without it.

Source: Just Cook Already

1 3/4 c. flour
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture and set aside.

In another medium bowl, beat eggs and stir in milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until moistened.

Pour batter onto a preheated, greased waffle maker and cook until light brown and slightly crisp.

Strawberry Cupcakes

2011-09-22T17:00:00.005-05:00

Source: "Sprinkles"

Cupcakes:
2/3 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (thawed if frozen); 1/3 cup puree
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature

Note: You do need to follow the directions to get this recipe to turn out. However, I do not sift flour or powdered sugar when I make this, and I never buy unsalted butter, so I just added a little less salt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.

Place strawberries in a small food processor (or use wand blender); process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree. Add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla and strawberry puree; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Frosting:
1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (thawed if frozen); 3 Tablespoons puree
1 cup unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp pure vanilla

Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor (or wand blender); process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree; mix until just blended. Do not over mix, or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

These are so delicious, my kids always specifically request these cupcakes. I've used this frosting with a cake mix for the cupcakes to speed up the process and they are pretty good too. Or, you can frost sugar cookies with this frosting... also fabulous.

German Pancakes

2011-09-20T21:53:00.001-05:00

My mom used to make these all the time when I was growing up. We were the envy of the neighborhood because we got hot breakfast before school when others always got cold cereal. Back then, we used to call these "Hootnanny Pancakes" but I have never met another person who calls them that. Most people call them "German Pancakes", "Oven Pancakes", and sometimes "Dutch Babies". My husband's family calls them "Camel Humps". Whatever you call them, they are easy and one of my favorite things to make and eat for breakfast.

Source: Sheryl Jones

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 t. salt
6 T. butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Using a blender, combine eggs, milk, flour and salt until smooth. Put butter in bottom of 9X13 pan and melt in the heated oven. When the butter starts to bubble, pour egg mixture into the pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, until pancakes get golden brown and lots of humps.

If you want to try something other than traditional syrup, you can serve these with strawberries and a sprinkle of powdered sugar or lemon juice. My personal favorite way to top them is Buttermilk Syrup.

Texas Sheet Cake

2011-09-17T21:58:00.005-05:00

Texas Sheet Cake is one of my favorite, favorite treats. And, when I first moved to Texas, I learned that most people here really do just call it Sheet Cake. Ha, ha, who new it literally is a Sheet Cake in Texas!

This recipe uses buttermilk (one of my favorite ingredients) and is so moist and delicious! I have made this cake more times than I want to admit and it has never let me down. The only problem is that it is very easy to eat more than you initially intended since it is so smooth.

Source: Heidi Skidmore

2 sticks butter
1 cup water
4 T. cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray bakers 1/2 sheet (same as a jelly roll pan) with non-stick cooking spray. Melt together butter, water and cocoa powder. I use the microwave, but however you want. In another bowl, wisk together sugar, flour, and baking soda. Combine the butter mixture and flour mixture. Stir until smooth. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Pour into prepared sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. While cake is baking, make frosting.

Frosting:

1 stick butter
4 T. cocoa powder
6 T. buttermilk
4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Melt together butter, cocoa powder and buttermilk. Add powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Add vanilla. Frost cake while it is still warm. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if that's how you like your chocolate cake. Try not to eat the entire pan all by yourself.

Crème Brulee

2011-09-15T22:39:00.007-05:00

I have been wanting to make Crème Brulee for years. I don't know why I have never tried until now. It is so easy, delicious and very impressive. Best of all, there are very few dishes to clean up and it is really fast to get into the oven. I think it is the perfect dessert.

Source: adapted from Alton Brown

Serves 6-8

1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 T. vanilla bean paste)
1 cup vanilla sugar (or regular sugar), divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water
fresh berries (optional)
torch

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. If using vanilla bean, remove and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6-8 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top (if really cold). Divide the remaining 1/4 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6-8 (depending how many you need) dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. If your torch isn't melting all the sugar without burning it, you may want to dump some off. I had better luck with a bit less sugar on top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Top with berries if desired.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

2011-09-15T08:18:00.003-05:00

My friend made Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes for a party last year and I absolutely loved them! I got a big craving for them last week and asked her to make them for my daughter's first birthday. Well, she was busy so I searched online and found this great recipe. They were a bit of work, but really worth it in the end. So yummy. We were doing a Sesame Street themed party and I thought it would be appropriate to call them Cookie Monster's Favorite Cupcake.

Source: Annie's Eats

For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

For the filling:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. milk
2½ tsp. vanilla extract

For decoration:
Tiny chocolate chip cookies
Mini chocolate chips

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.

To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

Q's Breakfast Tacos

2011-07-14T12:55:00.004-05:00

Serves 4

12+ soft corn tortillas
mexican cheese (shredded)
1 pkg turkey bacon (or regular bacon)
2 potatoes (diced in 1/4" cubes)
1 pkg pork breakfast sausage (I prefer hot or sage)
1 bunch chopped cilantro
2-3 avocados (long slices)
1 bunch green onions (diced)
1 white onion (diced)
2 jalapenos (finely diced)
3-5 yellow serrano peppers (coursely chopped)
8 eggs
1/4 C milk
1/4 C chives (fresh or freeze dried)
Olive Oil (Extra Virgin, you may also use infused EVOO for taste)
Spanish Style Smoked paprika
Chipotle Powder
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Seasoned Salt
Ground Cumin

Preheat oven to Bake at 375 F. Line cookie sheet with wax paper or lightly-oiled slotted grease insert and lay out turkey bacon. Beat eggs, milk, and chives in a pourable mixing bowl. Add in salt, black pepper, paprika and cumin to taste. Set aside. Place potatoes in another mixing bowl with sausage. Cut or pull apart sausage into small pieces 1/8 to 1/4" balls. While continually tossing, sprinkle on your seasonings of chipotle, cumin, seasoned salt, black pepper and paprika (alot) to taste. Set aside.

Set stove top at just under medium heat. Lightly oil a large pan (preferrably a Wok) with olive oil and place the potato and sausage mixture in it. Cook Potatoes and Sausage for 12-15min (or until potatoes are golden and just less than crisp on the outside) remembering to turn to avoid burning sausage. Add in white onions at about 4min in. Remove potatoes to a separate bowl.

In another large, heated and oiled frying pan, cook eggs mixture for 2-3 minutes, stirring continually, and immediately remove from heat.

Cook turkey bacon for 12-15 minutes (to early crispness) flip at 8 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to drain excess great. After a minute or two, chop the bacon, laterally into 1/8" strips and set aside.

Warm and brown tortillas using the same pan or wok that cooked the potatoes. Heat one side of the soft corn tortillas (re-oil with a few drops as needed) for 30-45 seconds on medium to medium-high. Remove directly to plate. Repeat per taco as they are being made.

To create your taco, I prefer to layer in the following order. Sprinkle cheese on a hot tortilla that came straight from the pan. Add eggs and potato/sausage mixture. Add desired amounts of the following fresh ingredients: cilantro, green onion, yellow serrano, jalapeno, and avocado. Top with turkey bacon pieces. You can use excess of eggs and potato/sausage to adorn the plate with any fresh toppings preferred. Eat and Be Happy. Boom!

Carrot Soup

2010-11-19T12:20:00.003-06:00

This is a delicious and hearty soup that tastes incredible with garlic-y warm breadsticks or over warm rice. Perfect for this time of year. Enjoy!

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. ground beef
1 lrg. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
46 oz. tomato juice
2 cans cream of celery soup
1 c. water
1 lb. carrots, peeled and shredded
4 tbsp. brown sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Brown meat, onions and garlic; discard drippings. Add tomato juice, soup and water. Stir with a whisk thoroughly. Bring to a boil, then add carrots, brown sugar and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer three hours (to thicken it up properly), and stirring often as the bottom tends to burn easily. This soup also freezes well.

Baked Apple Chips

2010-09-14T12:42:00.003-05:00

This is a GREAT fall snack. My daughter and husband loved it!

1 cup each water and sugar (I think you could use less, maybe 1/2 cup each)
2 large apples

Heat oven to 225 degrees. Set an 18x14.5 inch wire cooling rack on a sheet of foil (to catch drips). Lightly coat rack with nonstick cooking spray. (I placed foil on a rimmed baking sheet and then put wire cooling rack on top.)
Put water and sugar in a 2 qt. saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil vigorously 5 minutes until it is a light syrup consistency.
Meanwhile, core and quarter apple. Cut each quarter into 10-12 thin slices. Put in large metal bowl and carefully add boiling hot syrup. Toss apples with tongs until well coated. Remove slices and place close together (not overlapping) on prepared rack.
Bake 2 1/2 hours. Loosen chips; let cool on rack, (As they cool they become crisp.) Store in airtight container.

This doesn't make a whole lot. Next time I would double or quadruple the recipe if you have enough wire racks.

Super Spuds

2010-07-07T18:41:00.003-05:00

A fun and delicious twist on twice-baked potatoes.

5 russet potatoes
2 hot dogs, diced

Wash potatoes, prick several times with a knife tip, and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 1 hour 15 mins. at 450 degrees.

Take out of oven and slice each potato in half length-wise. Scoop out potato and mix in two heaping spoonfuls of mayo, and one generous squeeze each of mustard and ranch dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix in hot dogs.

Scoop mixture back into potato skins. Sprinkle with paprika and shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 more minutes.

Serve and enjoy!!

Seafood Soup

2010-07-05T18:51:00.004-05:00

This dish is surprisingly easy to prepare and just about fail-proof. The recipe is a riff on one I found several years ago at a local cooking store. I like my version because it is full on flavor and super healthy. Chris said it is better than any seafood soup he's ever had at a restaurant!

3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 red pepper, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy, less if you don't)
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
1 3/4 cups clam juice
1 teaspoon oregano
6 littleneck clams
4 large sea scallops
1/4 lb firm white fish
8-10 shrimp
salt & pepper
parsley, chopped
fresh basil, chopped

Heat a good swirl of olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add scallions, onion, red pepper and garlic. Cook till onions are translucent (about 8-10 minutes). Add crushed red pepper flakes and cook one minute more. Add tomatoes with the juice. Break up tomatoes (I like to use kitchen scissors for this task). Pour in clam juice and oregano. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Add clams, scallops, fish and shrimp. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes - until seafood is just cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with parsley and basil.

Serve with crusty bread and enjoy with your favorite person!

Carmel and Chocolate Popcorn

2010-06-20T09:45:00.005-05:00

My college roommates and friends, Amber and Ashley Gossling, used to make the popcorn and I LOVE it. It is so yummy and beautiful.

Source: Amber and Ashley Gossling

3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 1/2 c. mini marshmallows or 12 big one.

Stir until it boils over med heat.

Mix with about 24 cups of popped popcorn. You can use microwave, homemade or half of each kind of popcorn. Combine carmel and popcorn. Spread out on wax paper. Sprinkle with sliced almond (if you want). Drizzle with white or milk choc over the top. Sometimes I add mini M&M's, or Oreos. At Valentine's it is awesome with the Carmel, White Chocolate and Red Hots. However you like it. Allow it all to cool on the wax paper and then break it into pieces. Then, bag it and make your friends happy!

Easy Fondant

2010-06-20T09:18:00.007-05:00

This is Joni Mitchell's recipe for fondant. She is an amazing cake decorator and shared this recipe with me. I have tried it twice and it has worked great both times. It is actually very easy to use. You shouldn't be intimidated by fondant.

Source: Joni Mitchell

2/3 cup soft butter
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 lbs powdered sugar
1 tsp extract - any flavor

NOTE: I use almond extract because it tastes good and it is clear (so white stays white). To color, use the little jars of colors you get at a craft store in the cake decorating department. I get mine at Hobby Lobby. They are a lot more concentrated so you get good color without diluting your fondant.

Combine in a large bowl. (I use my Bosch with the kneading hook.) Knead until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 hrs before rolling.

When rolling out, use a mixture of 1/2 cornstarch, 1/2 powdered sugar as your "flouring" agent. Don't worry about your fondant looking dusty, the fondant with snatch it up and it will look shiny in a bit. You can always buff it out too.

Here are my two fondant projects so far:

Wubbzy Cake

Cat in the Hat Cookies

My Mom's Favorite Party Punch

2010-06-20T09:13:00.003-05:00

My mom used to always use this punch at her parties and the weddings she would cater. I love it. It is definitely one of my very favorites. And it is so easy.

Source: Sheryl Jones

2 liters Sprite, Ginger Ale or Generic
1/2 can frozen limeade concentrate
1/4 c. grenadine
Ice

Mix it all up, serve and enjoy!

Chef Tess Bakeresse

2010-05-14T10:03:00.003-05:00

I must be way behind the boat... but I, JUST TODAY, discovered Chef Tess from Kira's Mellon Pops post. Wow! I love her. She has some awesome ideas and makes a lot of freezer meals. One I am definitely going to try is: Pork or Chicken in Peanut Sauce.

Green Salsa - Salsa Verde

2010-04-19T20:59:00.002-05:00

8 or more tomatillos
3-6 cloves of garlic - peeled
2 jalepenos (whole)
Salt
¼ bunch cilantro

Remove covers from tomatillos and rinse. Bring pot of water to a boil. Boil tomatillos, peeled whole cloves (not heads) and jalapeños until tomatillos begin to soften – not mushy.

Remove tomatillos, garlic and jalapeños from boiling water. Open jalapeños and remove stems. I always test my peppers to see how hot it is before I add it to my salsa. If it is really spicy, you might want to devein it as well.

In blender, blend tomatillos, garlic (to taste), jalapeños (to taste). Then, add salt to taste and chopped cilantro.

I got this recipe from "The Little Guy" or so we call him in Rocky Point Mexico... a guy who sells street tacos there. I think it is the closest tasting thing to Rosa's Green Salsa. So yummy and super easy.

Pineapple Cheese Ball

2010-04-10T21:46:00.003-05:00

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened a bit
1/2 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 envelope dry onion soup mix, shake it up first
1/4 c. minced green pepper
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
seasoned salt to taste
finely chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients together. Shape into a ball, roll in pecans. Wrap in plastic wrap to hold its shape and chill.

Enjoy with crackers, such as Wheat Thins. Delish.

Orange Chocolate Almond Biscotti

2010-01-25T08:53:00.004-06:00

I modified this from one I found on allrecipes.com called Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti. It is absolutely delicious! It got rave reviews from our friends the Mattox's who came over last night.

1/4 cup light olive oil
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 T. orange zest
1/2 C miniature chocolate chips
melted chocolate for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in the eggs. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture. Mix in cranberries and nuts by hand.

Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12x2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily. (the dough will be REALLY sticky and stiff. Shape it as best as you can into the logs)

Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).

Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry; cool.

Drizzle with melted chocolate or dip ends in chocolate.

Pecan Pumpkin Roll

2009-12-09T20:57:00.005-06:00

So festive. These are delicious, spongy cakes that just ooze of goodness. I use all real ingredients like real butter, real cream cheese (no low fat or non-fat stuff), real vanilla, etc.

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

¾ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup canned pumpkin

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Filling:

2 packages cream cheese, softened

¼ cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Line a greased 15-in. x 10-in x1-in. baking pan with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, flour, pumpkin, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, salt and nutmeg; mix well. Lastly, mix in lemon juice.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan; sprinkle with pecans.Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes.

Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in towel , jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.

In a mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients; beat until smooth. Unroll cake; spread filling over cake to within ½ in. of edges. Roll up again; place seam side down on a serving platter. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

The Best Fruit Dip

2009-12-02T15:19:00.004-06:00

This fruit dip is even better than my mom's yummy fruit dip that I have loved for years... Seriously, once you try it, you will switch. A bunch of gals in my ward make this dip. I had to have the recipe after eating it a couple of times at Baby Showers, etc. Now, follow the instructions. You can't just throw everything in the Bosch like I did the first time I made it.

Beat the following until fluffy.

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar

Add, the following, and then blend until smooth.

1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 c. milk

Gently fold in

1 container cool whip

Serve with your favorite fruit. I almost always serve it with strawberries, apples and bananas.

Simple Asian Salad

2009-12-02T14:48:00.002-06:00

I make this simple salad everytime we have potstickers for dinner... my roommates used to make this meal combo and I loved it.

Romaine lettuce
1 bunch green onions chopped
1 can mandarin oranges drained
toasted slivered almonds (optional)

Dressing
2 T. sugar (or Splenda)
2 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 t. salt
3-4 dashes Tobasco
salad oil to taste

Cherry DeHeather Salad

2009-12-02T14:02:00.003-06:00

I got this recipe from my friend Heather Luley while we lived in Evanston. It is by far my favorite salad. I love sweet and savory salads and this one is the best! It is really simple. I always have this dressing in my fridge. And I keep a container of homemade candied pecans in my pantry so I can whip this out in minutes.

Source: Heather Luley

1/2 c. pecans
3 T sugar
8 cups lettuce (I use spring mix)
1/2 c. feta cheese (crumbled)
1/2 c. dried cherries
1 small red onion (sliced or diced)

Dressing
4 T raspberry vinegar
1/2 t. Tobasco sauce
1/2 c. oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 T dried parsley
4 T sugar (or Splenda)

Carmelize pecans with sugar. (Stir in frying pan over medium heat until sugar melts).

Whisk together dressing ingredients.

Toss greens, feta cheese, dried cherries, onion and sugared pecans. Pour dressing over salad just before serving.

Kendee's Spinach Salad

2009-12-02T11:24:00.005-06:00

1-2 bags of baby spinach
1/4 red onion (thinly sliced or chopped)
5-8 sliced of bacon (cooked, cooled and cut into pieces)
handful of sliced almonds
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1-2 avocados (cut into chunks)
5 strawberries (sliced)

Place the spinach in the bottom of your bowl. Sprinkle each remaining ingredient over the top, creating layers. This salad is so delicious and beautiful. When you are ready to serve, toss together with the salad dressing (you won't need all the dressing) or serve with the dressing for individual servings.

Spinach Salad Dressing
Source: The Essential Mormon Cookbook
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1 c. sugar
1/2 onion chopped
1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. prepared mustard
1 c. salad oil

In blender mix all ingredients, except oil. Add oil and blend again.

Fabulous Pitas

2009-11-01T11:54:00.003-06:00

I got this from a friend who made them for us for lunch on Friday. My pitas have never turned out this good so I had to get her recipe. It's from allrecipes.com called Peppy's Pita Bread

Pita Bread
1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in bread pan of your bread machine, select Dough setting and start. When dough has risen long enough, machine will beep.
2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop. cover with a towel. Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack. Place cake rack directly on oven rack. Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas a softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.

(she makes hers in her mixer so don't fret if you don't have a bread machine. Just order the ingredients like you would for white bread)

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

2009-10-27T20:21:00.003-06:00

1/2 pound Italian sausage (I used ground turkey browned with garlic, fennel, oregano and salt)
3-4 slices bacon, crumbled
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small tomato, thinly sliced
mozzarella cheese
1 can spaghetti or pizza sauce

Crust:
1 C. warm water
2-1/2 tsp yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbl Olive Oil
1 tsp salt
2+ C. Flour

Combine water, yeast and sugar and let stand until foamy and frothy. Add oil and salt stir in the flour until it forms a nice dough ball. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Brown the meat, onion and bacon. Set aside.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and roll out a large enough circle for your pan. It should be soft and workable, try not to make it too thick. Press into a greased deep dish pan that has been sprinkled with corn meal ( used a spring-form pan. It was great for serving). Spread the meat onto the dough, top with sliced tomatoes, cover with mozzarella cheese. Spoon the sauce over the cheese, sprinkle with additional seasonings if you like. Be generous with the sauce but don't overfill above your crust line. Bake at 350 for approx. 40 minutes.

Monsters & Eyeballs

2009-10-27T19:31:00.005-06:00

Spooky Eyeballs
an easy spooky treat!

Rice Krispie Treats
(1/4 C. butter, 1 pkg mini marshmallows, 8 1/2 C. Rice Krispies)
Sugar Cookie Icing
(1 C. Powdered Sugar, 3-4 tsp milk, 1 tsp almond extract, 2 tsp corn syrup)
Food Coloring
Chocolate Chips or M&M's

As your rice krispie treats cool coat your hands in oil and press them firmly into balls. Allow to cool and harden on a greased pan. Dip in uncolored icing smoothing it with your fingers or a spatula and allow it to harden. Drizzle with red icing for "Bloodshot" effect. I'd use a stiffer frosting for the iris but you can just add extra powdered sugar to the above recipe and add your choice of food coloring. Top with an inverted chocolate chip and voila!

Awkward-phase Monster
I've dubbed my monster to be in his awkward phase to account for his asymmetry, goofy expression and snaggly teeth.

Use the same recipes as above, just form the rice kripsies into the desired shape and use all different colors of frosting. I used candy corn for his chompers and finger nails.

Happy Halloween!

Torta de Mil Hojas

2009-09-21T12:54:00.006-05:00

"Cake of 1000 Layers"

This is a cake that Danny used to eat in Chile. Since it was Chilean Independence Day on Friday I took a stab at it. It reminds me of baklava. The original recipe is on recipezaar and allrecipes, but I've included a few tips and upgrades that will make it much easier and tastier.

Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
7/8 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1 cup milk
2 (14 ounce) cans Dulce de Leche or sweetened condensed milk
1 cup sliced almonds
Chocolate Ganache, optional (recipe below)

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2 Mix together the flour and baking powder; set aside.
3 In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy.
4 Blend in the egg yolks, one at a time.
5 Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk.
6 The dough will be stiff like a cookie dough.
7 Divide the dough into 10 pieces and shape into balls.
8 Roll each ball into a thin 9 inch circle (**thinner than a pie crust**)
**I found it much easier to roll it out between layers of wax paper because it helps to keep the shape when you transfer it to the cookie sheet. Also, it's nearly impossible to get the layers evenly shaped and sized so next time I'll use a large trifle dish or something like it to cut them out like sugar cookies.
9 Place on **parchment lined** cookie sheets and prick with a fork in several places.
10 Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside.
11 Place one cookie layer on serving plate.
12 Spread with the Dulce de Leche making sure to reach all the edges.
13 Continue stacking until all layers are used.
**after I used all my layers, I spread a small layer of chocolate ganache on the top to give a contrasting flavor to the sweetness of the Dulce de Leche. Not all versions of the cake use chocolate but I'm a sucker for ganache. (bring 2/3 Cup cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in 1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Once it's fully incorporated and smooth allow it to cool to a spreadable consistancy.**
14 Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Instructions for making Dulce de Leche (if you couldn't buy it pre-made)
-In a sauce pan, boil the unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk for 3 hours. Monitor the water closely, to make sure there is always water in the pan.
-Remove can from heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Guacamole de Los Dioses

2009-08-09T02:35:00.008-05:00

Dulce y Picante

If you don't speak Spanish, then allow me to perform a mild translation: This is the "Guacamole of The Gods." Sweet and Spicy. This is the product of an idea from friends combined with some of my favorite Mexican flavors. So enough with the monologue. Here are the goods.

Mandatory Ingredients:

5 Avocados (not too firm, not too soft)
2 Peeled Navel Oranges
1/8C Diced Jalapenos
3T El Pato Sauce (ideally replace with Carolina's salsa and fore go garlic)
1t Minced Garlic
1T Crushed Red Pepper
2 Limes (not key limes)
2t Black Pepper
1t Salt
1 Bunch of Diced Cilantro
1/2 Bunch of Diced Green Onions
1/2 Finely Diced Red Onion

Optional Ingredients:

2 Diced Tomatoes

I personally do not prefer tomatoes in my guacamole, but I can't speak for everyone.

Instructions:

For a more course and thick consistency, squeeze in lime juice and add contents, then blend by hand using a knife and spoon (slicing grid patterns in mixing bowl and turning the mix with the spoon, repeated to desired distribution and thickness). Spoon in diced tomatoes following regular mixing if desired.

For a smoother consistency, squeeze in lime juice and add contents, then machine blend in 2sec pulses with pauses to shake and tap larger contents to the bottom of the blender. Spoon in diced tomatoes following regular mixing if desired.

Personalization:

If you want it sweeter, add orange (not lime juice, this will taste sour over extended storage).
If you want it hotter, add more red crushed pepper (not jalapenos, to prevent elevated spice from storage).

If your friends have a problem with you double-dipping in this green goodness, simply get yourself some new friends. It shouldn't be too hard with your new found party dip recipe. Go ahead and take credit, just don't bring it to my party.

Ratatouille With Fried Eggs

2009-07-17T12:39:00.002-05:00

Evelyn and I ran to a nearby farmers market on Wednesday. The colorful displays of fresh vegetables inspired last night's meal.

This recipe started with something I saw in this month's issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. It was very easy to put together, and Chris and I felt so happy with every bite. Bonus: this tastes great at room temperature and even better the next day so it is a great meal to prepare for guests ahead of time.

Ratatouille With Fried Eggs
Serves 6-8

1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4" chunks
3 large tomatoes, cut into 3/4" chunks
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 zucchini, cut into 3/4" chunks
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into 3/4" chunks
8 slices rustic bread
8 eggs
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1. Toss tomatoes, thyme and oregano with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a very large bowl. Set aside to marinate.
2. Toss eggplant, onion, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil together. Season with salt and pepper. Spread on to a large rimmed baking sheet.
3. Toss zuccini and bell peppers with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread on to a second large rimmed baking sheet.
4. Roast both sheets of vegetables until golden and tender (about 45 minutes). Rotate the pans once during roasting.
5. Remove pans from oven and immediately add hot vegetables to the large bowl with tomatoes. Stir well to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Brush bread slices with olive oil and toast in the oven, about 2 minutes
7. Fry up some eggs how you like 'em (the Martha Stewart version called for poached eggs, so keep that in mind, too).
8. Assemble: put one piece of toast on a plate, spoon on a generous helping of ratatouille, and top with the fried egg.

ENJOY!

www.homemademothering.com

Mellon pops

2009-07-15T00:53:00.003-05:00

Hopefully Chef Tess will forgive me for pirating a photo. Do you guys know about Chef Tess? She makes food beautiful. I really hate watermelon. When I saw this though I had to try. Click here for the easiest, healthiest treat you can have this summer. Yummy and fresh.

Enchilada sauce

2009-06-24T19:38:00.003-05:00

I am on a make everything by scratch kick. Last night I tried my own enchilada sauce. It was SO good and about 1/4 the price of the regular stuff.

Red Enchilada SauceIngredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 T flour
6 T chili powder (I used 3 T reg. chili powder and 3 T pasilla de ancho powder)
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, pureed in blender or food processor until smooth
1 (14 oz) can of chicken broth (or just under two cups)
1 t ground cumin
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion salt
Directions: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning the flour. Gradually stir in pureed tomatoes, chicken broth, and spices into flour and chili powder until smooth. Continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt.
**This makes a large batch. I used it to make a 9" x 13" pan of bean burros with red sauce and had 1 pint left over. The sauce is so yummy and really good mixed in with the pureed beans and served as a bean dip.
Thanks to Amy at Sisters Dish for this keeper.

Smashed Beans

2009-06-09T22:44:00.005-05:00

(does the pic help or hinder?)
It seems like the world is getting into being more prepared. The other day I bought a 25 pound bag of pinto beans for around $10 at Costco. I got home and wondered what I was thinking because I have never cooked beans from scratch. Guess what....EASY! I found this recipe at Sisters Dish. It is so easy! Once again this saves me a ton of time. I make a big crockpot of these the first of the week and they are great as a side for fish tacos, a quick dinner or lunch of bean burritos, or for the start of east hearty bean soup (see below). I figure the whole pot is about $1 so it is a great deal (please note I always buy my seasonings at Smiths in bulk for pennies).
SMASHED BEANS
I rinse and soak 3 cups of beans for ~ an hour or longer(depending on how much time I have-I DO THEM OVERNIGHT). Then I rinse them again (IMPORTANT TO MAKE THEM NOT GASSY), put them in the crock pot with 3 T bacon grease ( I LEAVE THIS OUT)and cover them with 3 inches of water. If I need to add more water later in the day, I bring it to a boil in the microwave before adding it to the crock pot. I cook the beans on high for 5-6 hours (I DID THEM FOR 8-10), or until I can easily smash one of the beans between my finger and the counter top...make sense?:)
MY MOM'S TIP IS TO SCOOP OFF THE FOAM SEVERAL TIMES WHILE COOKING. THIS TIP MAKES THEM MUCH EASIER ON THE DIGESTION.
When the beans have about 1/2 hour left to cook I add the following: 5 jalapeno rings(from the jar, you could use fresh jalapeno), 1/2 T seasoning salt, 1/2 T garlic salt, 1/2 t onion powder, 1/2 t cumin and 1 T chili powder.
After that cooks for about 1/2 hour, I scoop out the beans with a slotted spoon to the food processor and puree with ~ 1 cup of cheese. I add liquid from the beans as I puree until I get my desired consistency.

Hearty Fiesta Bean Soup
Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can chicken or vegetable broth (I used chicken)
1 (16 oz) can fat-free refried beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.25 oz) can corn, drained and rinsed
1 (10 oz) can tomatoes & chilies, like RO*TEL (I used the 15 oz generic brand petite diced tomatoes with green chilies)
Directions: Put the broth and refried beans into a soup pot and heat, while whisking together, until the beans have incorporated fully into the broth.
Add the rest of the ingredients and heat, while stirring until the soup is boiling.
Serve with cilantro, cheese, sour cream and a couple dashes of Tabasco.

Limeade or Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

2009-06-03T20:10:00.005-05:00

My oven broke over the weekend and I was supposed to bring the dessert to a friend's small dinner gathering. Oh crap! Cookies? No. Brownies? Cupcakes? Nope, all the easy options were out of the question. Luckily, I found this no-bake recipe for the yummiest summer dessert ever.

6 oz. limeade or lemonade concentrate
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 plastic tub of whip topping
1 pre-made graham cracker crust

Thaw a bit the concentrate and ice cream. In a large bowl, pour in the concentrate. Mix well with an electric mixer until pretty smooth, like the consistency of a slurpee. Add the two cups of ice cream, one cup at a time. Mix well with electric mixer until creamy smooth (taste here required, yum). Then add the whole tub of whip topping, again mixing well with electric mixer. When all lumps are gone, spoon fluffy goodness into the pie crust. You might have a little bit extra filling, which is perfect for eating straight from the bowl. Freeze pie at least 4 hours or over night. Enjoy!

Paula Dean - Sour Cream Mini Muffins

2009-05-31T23:45:00.003-05:00

(this is the only picture I could find -I am scooping them into the muffin tin)

My Mother in law introduced me to these tasty little muffins while we were in Hawaii.
She served them hot with yummy jams/preserves. Wish I had some right now with guava jelly!

Ingredients

2 cups self-rising flour
2 sticks butter, melted
1/2 pint sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients and spoon into small, un-greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

I found the recipe here

Lisa's Broccoli Salad

2009-05-26T09:59:00.004-05:00

We had a BBQ yesterday and Lisa (the same one that has brought us many other recipes here) came and brought her broccoli salad. I have to say it was the yummiest Broccoli salad I have ever had. She got the main recipe out of "The Essential Mormon Cookbook" (a great cookbook if you don't have it) but she tweaked it a little. I think I have those tweeks here.
Broccoli Salad
2 bunches of fresh broccoli (she used some broccolini)
1 med purple onion finely chopped (she did it way more fine then I ever do and it was great!)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
6 strips bacon cooked till crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (she used slivered almonds, marvelous)
1/2 cup raisins (she debated craisins which I also think would be good)

Mix together, adding bacon and dressing right before serving.

Dressing:
1 cup mayo
2 Tbsp Red vinegar
1/2 cup sugar (we both thought it would be better with 1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp salt
chill dressing at least one hour before tossing with salad

The Upper Echelon Bacon Sandwich

2009-05-23T01:35:00.007-05:00

The King of All Gluttonous Sandwiches Meets High Society in this
Upper Echelon Bacon Sandwich

Ingredients:
-Applewood-Smoked Bacon (Thick-Cut Uncured)
-Granny Smith Apples (The more tart the better)
-Medjool Dates
-Cherry Peppers (Hot)
-Vinegar
-Honey
-Black Berries
-Club Soda
-Arugula

-Sourdough Bread
-White Balsamic Vinaigrette
-Black Pepper
-Salt
-Coconut Oil

Preparation Process:

You start by placing the desired portion of bacon on an unlined cookie sheet, grind on some fresh pepper and place in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 min. Remove from oven at desired crispness and allow 10 min for cooling and grease runoff.
Next place dates in lightly-oiled frying pan on medium heat to soften dates. In a separate lightly-oiled pan warm finely chopped cherry peppers and add desired salt and pepper to bring out heat and flavor. Remove the dates from the pan and butterfly them open and discard the seed.
You will also want to soak the black berries in freezing cold club soda. At the same time soak a healthy portion of Granny Smith Apple shreds in vinegar and honey and turn for consistent coverage.
Meanwhile toast the slices of sourdough bread with butter on hot surface until crisp.

Assembly and Consumption:

1 - Apply vinaigrette to bottom slice and place dates and black berries on generously.
2 - Build a cross-threaded heap of bacon atop black berries and dates for maximum stability.
3 - Cover with arugula, scattered cherry peppers and Granny Smith Apple shreds.
4 - Drizzle vinaigrette and honey over the pile and then set the top slice above all that goodness.
5 - Enjoy!

P.S. The leftover apples, dates, black berries, peppers and arugula make a great salad to adorn your plate with.

- Q

Chicken Stir-Fry

2009-05-22T13:19:00.003-05:00

I've recently joined a produce co-op and in our latest pick up I signed up to get the asian pack which included bok choy, garlic, sugar snap peas things like that. I've never eaten bok choy, so why not try it now, right! Well, in trying to figure out what to make, I decided to use a sauce recipe I found from my friend's blog that was KILLER, and use it for this mis-mash of ingredients and dub it my stir-fry. I decided to double the sauce recipe this time, big mistake because it was WAY too saucy and got really dark. So just follow the regular directions below for best results!!

Click HERE for Holly's original Bourbon Chicken recipe that is equally as delicious!

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/4 lb. sugar snap peas
4 oz. fresh button mushroooms sliced
1 large red bell pepper, julienned
5 whole leaves of bok choy, thinly sliced

I didn't measure any of the veggies, so that's entirely subjective, but here's the recipe for the sauce:

1 garlic clove (minced)
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I half this because of my kids)
¼ cup apple juice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Thinly slice chicken breasts, and dust them lightly with cornstarch. Heat oil in large frying pan and fry chicken bits in batches until lightly browned over medium-high heat. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels and set aside. Leave the remaining oil in the pan and add the veggies to the pan. Saute for 5 minutes til crisp tender.

In a blender combine all sauce ingredients and blend for about 10-15 seconds. Strain the mixture into the frying pan and bring to a boil. Add chicken bits back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until sauce has thickened and reduced almost completely to thick glaze over chicken and peppers. Serve over hot steamed rice.

Root Beer Cookies

2009-05-20T22:38:00.003-05:00

These are a fun novelty cookie the kids will love. They taste like Root beer. They were really moist. They have a TON of butter so I wouldn't make them often at all but they would be fun for a Memorial Day BBQ.
Root Beer Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. root beer extract (as called concentrate)
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water (optional–only use if dough is too dry)
Root Beer frosting (recipe below)Cream butter and dark brown sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the root beer extract. Whisk dry ingredients together. Add a little at a time to the creamed mixture. The dough should be slightly sticky.
Chill for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease several baking sheets, or line them with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Roll into small balls (about 1″ diameter). I like to use a mini-ice cream scoop so that the cookies end up evenly sized.
Place them on the pan, leaving a bit of space between the cookies. Gently press the tops of the dough. (If you leave out the water, sometimes the cookies don’t spread very much.) Bake for 6-8 minutes, rotating cookie sheet halfway through. Makes about 4 dozen.
Frosting Recipe
1 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. root beer extract (also called concentrate)
a few tablespoons hot water
Beat butter on high with an electric mixer until it is fluffy. Add a little powdered sugar and the root beer extract. Beat until smooth. Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with a little hot water until a nice spreading consistency has been reached.
Frost the cooled cookies and let stand for a few minutes to let the frosting set up. (It should dry a bit on the top.) You can leave out the root beer extract and you’ll have a tasty, soft brown sugar cookie.

Granola Bars

2009-05-17T21:59:00.005-05:00

Lee has a thing for the vending machine. It isn't good for his waistline or wallet. I made these and he has taken one (I cut mine bigger) everyday. He likes them and I figure it will save me about $20 a month! :)

4 cups quick cooking oats (I used reg)
2 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup wheat germ
1tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cup canola oil
1 cup honey
2 eggs
4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter chips (I used Craisins)
1 cup chocolate chips (I used white choc)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large jelly roll pan (12x17 ish) with aluminum foil, and spray with Pam

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. You may need to mix with your hands. Press evenly into the prepared baking pan.3. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Let cool about 5 minutes in the pan. Turn out onto a large cutting board and peel off foil. Cut with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. I usually cut 40 (4x10 rows). Let cool a bit more and then individually wrap with saran wrap. These freeze well. You can substitute the chocolate and peanut butter chips with your choice of add-ins. We have enjoyed chopped pretzel pieces with chocolate chips, Craisins and almonds, white chocolate chips with macadamia nuts, coconut and raisins. Be creative and enjoy!

THE best chicken EVER!!!

2009-05-14T20:07:00.004-05:00

I am on this new recipe a day thing. This YUMMY chicken we had tonight. I think I will have a hard time buying comercial BBQ sauce with all its preservatives after this. I have had a lot of chicken this was by far the best!

Quick and Easy Barbecue Sauce
1 1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
2 1/2 Tbsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. smoked paprika (I used regular)
2 tsp. hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)
2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. coarse freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 c. water

Old-Fashioned BBQ Chicken Legs
1 recipe Quick and Easy BBQ sauce (you can use regular or smoked paprika, whatever you prefer or have on hand)
2-3 pounds chicken legs, rinsed well and patted dry (I prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs). It's important to rinse them, especially if you're buying the non-frozen variety, because dark meat takes on a strong semi-fishy odor and taste when it sits in its own juices.
Now...don't be fooled by the simplicity. Quite literally, the secret is in the sauce here--you're not going to get the same results from a bottle of Kraft BBQ sauce. Something magical happens to this sauce and the dark chicken meat on the grill and it seriously tastes like something that came from a true-blue Southern BBQ restaurant.
Reserve 1 c. of sauce and marinate chicken in the remaining sauce for 8 hours or overnight. Grill over medium heat, basting with some of the reserved sauce, until it starts to blacken and internal temperature reaches 170 (about 10 minutes per side for boneless skinless thighs, give or take a little depending on their size...)
Remove from heat, drizzle with remaining sauce, and cover with a loose tent of aluminum foil for about 5-10 minutes so the chicken remains juicy.

Chicken Lo Mein-Light

2009-05-14T15:57:00.003-05:00

I've made this recipe for my family for a few years now, but forgot about it for a few months. Well, in trying to figure out what to make for dinner, I was flipping through my cookbook and found this recipe again! I can't tell you enough how much I LOVE it! I LOVE the fresh vegetables and I absolutely LOVE the flavor of sesame oil! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

CHICKEN LO MEIN
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sherry or chicken broth
1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon reduced-sodium chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup hot water
6 ounces uncooked linguine
1/2 pound medium fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 pound fresh snow peas
1 large sweet red pepper, julienned
2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 teaspoons sesame oil

In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, ginger, soy sauce and sherry or broth until smooth. Add chicken and stir to coat; set aside. In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon granules in hot water; set aside.

Cook linguine according to package directions.

In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry mushrooms, snow peas, red pepper and green onions in 1 tablespoon canola oil for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In the same skillet, stir-fry chicken mixture in remaining canola oil for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in dissolved bouillon. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Return vegetables to skillet.

Drain linguine; add sesame oil and linguine to skillet. Toss to coat. Cook 1-2 minutes longer or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts
One serving: 1-1/3 cups
Calories: 328
Fat: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 67 mg
Sodium: 515 mg
Carbohydrate: 27 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 31 g
Diabetic Exchange: 3 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.

Original recipe from Taste of Home: Healthy Cooking

Morning Glory Muffins

2009-05-11T20:55:00.004-05:00

photo from flickr

I made these muffins for a church activity and I fell in love after the first bite. Well, I actually ate 3 or 4. So what? They have wheat germ and oat bran. Can't have enough of that stuff, right? They are super healthy and tasty!

¾ cup sugar

2 cups flour

¼ cup miller’s bran

¼ cup rolled oats

2 Tbs. wheat germ

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt
¾ cup flaked, unsweetened coconut

1c. dark raisins

2c. grated carrots

1 apple grated

¾ cup chopped walnuts

3 eggs beaten

1c. vegetable oil

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

sugar

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, bran, oats, wheat germ, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix coconut, raisins, carrots, apple, and nuts. Add to dry ingredients.
In a small bowl, beat together eggs, oil and vanilla. Add to dry mixture and stir just until blended.

Fill greased muffin tins ¾ full. Sprinkle tops with sugar to create a glaze. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Yields 18-20 muffins.*

* I usually will use the mini muffin tins. They are a great snack size for my kids.

Dinner on a Dime

2009-05-08T10:02:00.003-05:00

First you can CLEARLY see I am not a food stylist, but you get the idea. About a year ago I went a month with only cooking new recipes. I am doing that again so there may be a great many new posts. Last night I tried THREE new recipes for dinner. I was pleased with all of them. Here is a run-down. Also I need to point out this dinner was CHEAP!!! The pork chops were totally moist and good but only 99 cents on sale at Smiths/Kroger. These also were all very easy. I had the whole meal on the table in under an hour.

I love Teriyaki marinade but I think it is a little pricey to buy. I was THRILLED when I found this marinade on Tried and True with Heidi If you haven't visited Heidi, it is a must.

Here is her marinade, I used the pork since I wanted to try it out before I committed to steak. I think it would be great on Chicken as well.

TERIYAKI SIRLOIN STEAK
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp ground mustard
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
1- 1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak
In a big zip loc bag, combine first 6 ingredients; add steak. Seal and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 8 hours and grill until meat it done to your liking. Baste with marinade while cooking and then throw away what you don't use.

I also did the Roasted Potatoes off of Real Mom Kitchen she is another must check out. She topped them off with cheese. I did not. I thought they were great without.

Onion Roasted Potatoes

2 Lbs. Potatoes

1 (1 oz.) Package Dry Onion Soup Mix

2 Tablespoon Olive Oil(shredded cheese for the non-weight watcher version)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes, then cut into chunks. Place the potatoes into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour the olive oil on top of the potatoes and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle the onion soup mix on top and stir to coat the potatoes. Bake for 40 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. If they start to get too brown before they're tender, you can lay a piece of foil across the top of the dish. (Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese for the non-weight watcher version)

Serves: 6 (each approx. 4 ounces cooked)Per Serving: (if no cheese is used) 173 Calories; 5g Fat (24.9% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 432mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 Fat.

Lastly I am always looking for a good roll recipe for Thanksgiving etc. This recipe reminds me of Pan de Sal if you have been to San Diego and have had the opportunity to eat that. These rolls were very easy. The have a SMALL jiffy cake mix in them but they are not really any sweeter then regular rolls. This was also at Heidis site.

CAKE MIX DINNER ROLLS

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

3 1/4 cups flour

1 (9 oz) Jiffy cake mix, white or yellow

1/4 cup melted margarine

2 eggs whites, beaten

Dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand until creamy (about 10 minutes). Stir in cake mix and flour and mix until smooth. Knead dough on flour covered counter until not sticky. Turn into oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp towel and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour). Deflate and turn onto floured surface. Divide into 2 and let rest 5 minutes before rolling out into 12 inch circles. Using pizza cutter, slice into 10 portions per 12 inch circle. Brush with butter and roll up into crescent shapes. Place on greased baking sheets and brush with butter and beaten egg whites. Cover and let rise 25 minutes, or until doubled. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter.

Cauliflower, Green Peas and Potatoes In a Spicy Herb Sauce

2009-03-29T20:28:00.003-06:00

I like this recipe usually in the fall or winter, nice warm feeling. And today after all this lovely snow we were hit with, I thought we needed a nice warm dinner.

I cooked this for the family I nannied for. So, I am not sure who to give credit for this recipe.
We'll just say from the kitchen of LH...(it might have come from Cooking Light)

1 small head cauliflower
3 medium sized potatoes
1/2 cup light vegetable oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbs ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1/2-1 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 1/2 cups shelled fresh green peas, or 1 ten ounce package frozen peas, defrosted
3/4 C canned tomato puree
4 tsp. Kosher salt
3 cups boiling water

1. Wash cauliflower in running cold water. Break or cut it into about 1 1/2-inch pieces.

2. Peel potatoes and cut each into bite size pieces.

3. Measure out all spices and place them, and all the veggies next to the stove.

4. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a deep heavy-bottomed pan. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds, and fry until they turn dark brown (about 20 seconds). Add cumin powder, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne pepper all at once. Stir for a moment and immediately add cauliflower, potatoes, and fresh green peas. (If you are using frozen peas, do not add them yet). Fry, stirring constantly, until the vegetables begin to sear a bit (about 5 minutes). Add tomatoes (or puree) and continue frying until the puree thickens (about 3 minutes). Add 3 cups boiling water along with the salt. Reduce heat and simmer vegetables, covered, until they are tender and cooked through(about 15-20 minutes). If you are using frozen peas, add them now, and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Check for salt add more if needed. Serve over rice.

Coconut-Lemon Loaf

2009-03-23T23:59:00.003-06:00

I found this recipe in the Family Fun magazine from December/January 2009 and FINALLY got around to making it! It is very lemony and quite delicious! Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut
Coconut-Lemon Glaze (optional)

1. Line a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with waxed or parchment paper (or grease and flour it), then set it aside. Heat the oven to 350°.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, oil, lemon zest, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and milk.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and the buttermilk until evenly blended. Set the bowl aside.

4. In a medium-size bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. With a wooden spoon, stir about a third of the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, then alternately add half of the remaining egg mixture and half of the flour mixture, stirring after each addition just enough to blend. Stir in the coconut.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spoon. Bake on the center oven rack until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and put it on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes, then remove the loaf and place it on the rack to finish cooling. When the loaf is completely cooled, in about two hours, apply the Coconut-Lemon Glaze, if using. Makes 10 servings.

Coconut-Lemon Glaze

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon melted butter
1/8 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1. Combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, butter, and lemon extract (if using) in a small bowl. Whisk to blend. The glaze should have the consistency of heavy cream. If needed, add more sugar to thicken it or more lemon juice to thin it.

2. When the bread has cooled, spoon the glaze evenly over the bread and immediately sprinkle the coconut over the top. Makes enough glaze for one large loaf.

Chicken Croissant Wreath

2009-03-18T16:42:00.005-06:00

8 oz. cream cheese
2 tsp. red thai curry paste
Lawry's Garlic Salt
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
julienne carrots
julienne bell pepper (I do a few colors so it is pretty)
broccoli florets cut in small pieces
1/2 bunch green onions chopped
chopped chicken breast

1-2 pkg. pop open croissant dough (depending on how bready you want it)

Mix together cream cheese, thai curry paste and salts to desired flavor. Add the onions and your vegetables, as much or little of what you want. These just happen to be my favorites and what I usually have on hand. Mix together. Add your chopped chicken (I add it last, so my chicken doesn't get all smushed). You can add as much or little chicken as you have or desire. The point is that the mixture is still wet enough so it all holds together. Lots of times, I make the filling earlier in the day, so it has time to get the flavors all together AND so that my kitchen is clean at dinner time. Just keep in the fridge until you are ready to put your wreath together.

Preheat oven to 375 with your pizza stone in the oven. Take pizza stone out and arrange your first 8 triangles of raw croissant dough (1 pkg) in a circle with the long sides pointing out of the middle of the circle. It will look like a sun. If you are using more dough, place the rest on the inside of the with the triangles pointing in towards the middle. Place your cream cheese mixture on the circle. Pull the croissant triangles over to hold the filling. It should now look like a wreath. Bake at 375 until croissants are golden brown and cooked through and your vegetable are soft - I think around 15 minutes.

Party Slush Punch

2009-02-08T09:05:00.003-06:00

3 pkg. raspberry kool-aid
4 c. sugar
4 c. warm or hot water
46 oz. pineapple juice
1 - 12 oz. frozen lemonade concentrate
1 - 6 oz. frozen limeade concentrate
3 - 10 oz. pkg frozen sliced strawberries or raspberries (sweetened)

Stir together, in a 2 gallon container, the kool-aid, sugar and warm/hot water until dissoved. Add remaining ingredients and enough water up to 2 gallons. Divide and freeze in freezer bags. When you are ready to use, remove from freezer and let sit out until slushy. Pour Sprite-like pop over the top of slushy mixture... Ahhhhh-some.

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

2009-01-26T17:18:00.002-06:00

3 Italian Turkey Sausage Links (4 oz. each), casings removed (I used the roasted red pepper chicken sausage links from Costco-1lb.)
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 -14 1/2 oz cans chicken broth
1 3/4 c. water
1 can great northern beans, drained
1 -14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package (9oz.) refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 -6oz. package fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
2 1/4 tsp. minced fresh basil or 3/4 tsp dried.
1/4 tsp. pepper
Dash Crushed red pepper flakes
Shredded parmesan cheese, optional

Crumble sausage into a Dutch oven; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Add the broth, water and tomatoes and bean. Bring to a boil.

Stir in tortellini; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5-8 minutes or until tortellini are tender, stirring occasionally. Add spinach, basil, pepper and pepper flakes; cook 2-3 min longer or until spinach is wilted. Serve with cheese if desired.

Servings 7: (1 1/3 c.) 203 cal., 8g fat, 7g fiber, 16g protein.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

2009-01-26T17:04:00.004-06:00

I don't remember where I found this recipe, but my family absolutely LOVES it! Using a Rotisserie chicken adds such incredible flavor, too.

INGREDIENTS
· 1 cup each chopped carrot, celery, green pepper and onion
· 1 cup chopped peeled parsnip (I've used diced potatoes also)
· 1 Tablepoon canola oil
· 4 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
· 1 Roaster Chicken, all meat removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
· 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
· 3 garlic cloves, minced
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon pepper
· 3 cups cooked long grain and wild rice

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, saute carrot, celery, green pepper, onion and parsnip in oil for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add the broth, marjoram, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chicken and rice to soup; heat through. Yield: about 8 cups.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 130 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 23 mg cholesterol, 890 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 9 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1/2 fat.

SERVES: 8-10
PREP15 min.
COOK15 min.
TOTAL30 min.

Steak or Chicken Kabobs

2009-01-14T11:00:00.005-06:00

2 lbs. of steak (sirloin tip)
3 chicken breasts
2 bell peppers
3 onions
3 small zuccini
1 pineapple

Meat Marinade Recipe
½ c. soy sauce
¼ c. water
2 T. vinegar
1 T. oil
1 t. sugar
¼ t. ground ginger
½ t. minced garlic

Chop your meat into bite-size, skewer ready pieces. Marinate your meat(s) in your favorite marinade or the marinade above (1 bowl and recipe per type of meat) for at least 3 hours.

Cut all your vegetables, pineapple and onions into skewer ready pieces.

Skewer your kabobs. You can make separate pineapple kabobs or mix them in with your meat and vegetables. One trick I like is to make sure all my meat pieces have an onion on either side. It makes your meat delicious. Grill away, turning on all sides until your meat is cooked. You may want to salt and pepper as you are cooking. Serve with white rice.

Italian Pound Cake

2009-01-14T10:23:00.003-06:00

1 Yellow Cake Mix (I like the butter recipe)
3 eggs
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
small vanilla pudding mix
1 package white chocolate chips

Mix everything together except the white chocolate chips. Fold in the chips.

REALLY grease and flour your bundt pan.

Bake at 350 50-55 mins. Cool for 15 minutes and remove from pan.

This is a simple cake to make and uses ingredients you already have on hand. I'm tellin' ya, it is impressive and simple. You can serve it plain or warm with strawberries and whipped cream. YUM!

"Fresh Start for a New Year? Let’s Begin in the Kitchen"

2009-01-07T16:45:00.001-06:00

Thought this article from the New York Times was a great refresher on what to keep around the kitchen!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/07mini.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2

Bran Muffins (6 weeks)

2009-01-04T18:26:00.003-06:00

My Mother-in-law made these. I have gestational diabetes and this was the first time I got a good "sugars" reading for breakfast without meds. I ate it with a slice of ham and a Clementine. I think all the fiber balanced everything out. They are really good. This makes a huge batch. It is from a make a mix book she has she used when my husband was a kid. It makes 60 muffins. You make the mix and it actually gets better with time in the fridge. She then can make 1/2 doz for Sunday breakfast for 6 weeks (my own feeling is I wouldn't push it over a month but I am a little paranoid even though the book says they are fine for 6 weeks).
Combine:
1 C. oil
1 C. sugar

add:
4 eggs beaten
1 quart Buttermilk

Boil:
2 C. water
then add:
4 C. whole bran cold cereal (All-Bran)
Take off heat and let sit for 5 min.

Mix:
2 C. 40% bran flakes (Raisin bran is good, remove raisins)
1Tbsp Salt
5 tsp. Baking soda
3 C flour
2 C Whole wheat flour (I am sure you could do all whole wheat although I would only do 4 1/2 C total since whole wheat absorbs more liquid).

You can add raisins each time you cook them (although they are great without).
Cook for 15 to 20 minutes at 400.

Favorite Waffles!!!

2008-12-27T23:12:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I've had this waffle recipe I've used since we've been married...and today I decided to change it up a bit. I've swapped out the oil for non-fat plain yogurt before and have loved it, but this time I added the vanilla. Woah, boy! It was so delicious!!! The kids don't usually eat all the waffles on their plate, but this time, they ate what was on their plate PLUS seconds! So, in my opinion...they're miracle waffles! But don't take my word for it...try it yourself! We like to top with mixed berries and whip cream.

FAVORITE WAFFLES
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 c. milk
8 oz. plain non-fat yogurt
1 3/4 c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat waffle griddle. In a small bowl beat the egg whites until stiff (not dry) and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Continue beating adding milk, yogurt & vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Beat until just smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. Let sit for 5 minutes before cooking. ENJOY!

Beef Stroganoff Crock Pot Friendly‏

2008-12-10T17:31:00.004-06:00

This is SUPER EASY!
I got it from my Campbell's soup cook book
and then I just made it crock pot friendly and added a little "Rebekeh" flare

here is the recipe from the cook book
1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak 3/4 inch thick ( I use a little more we like beef)
1 tbls vegetable oil
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 can beef broth
1 cup water
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 cups egg noodle pasta (or your fav. pasta choice)
1/2 cup sour cream

I use beef stew type meat. Brown it with garlic salt, Hawaiian Salt (or sea salt), and Worcestershire sauce
(I don't use the oil) I also add black pepper.

In the crock pot I put
2 cans of the 98% fat free cream of mushroom
I add water to one of the cans, and dump that in (instead of measuring the 1 cup)
I eyeball the Worcestershire sauce
and in the last hour I add the sour cream, and probably a little more than 1/2 a cup.

cook noodles how you like.

I cook the beef stroganoff on high (in crock pot) for 5-6 hours stirring occasionally. The longer it is cooked, the more tender the beef is.

Green Pea Salad

2008-11-28T02:38:00.002-06:00

I love peas. Let me say that again ... I LOVE PEAS!

10 oz. package of frozen green peas
1/2 bunch of green onions, chopped
1/2 cup salted cashews, chopped
1/2 pkg. real bacon bits (from a 3 oz. package)
1/2 can of sliced water chestnuts, then sliced in half
4 oz. sour cream
1 tbsp. ranch dressing

Really, the amount of ingredients used other than peas is up to you and your taste. Mix all together and serve cold.

Cherry Pie

2008-11-28T02:24:00.005-06:00

Crust

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup cold water

Filling

21 oz. can of cherry pie filling
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. almond extract

To make crust, mix first two ingredients. Cut in shortening and butter (small pieces) until pretty crumbly. Add water and mix until dough-ey. Then dust your hands with flour and knead a bit with your hands. Divide dough in two parts. Roll out one part for bottom of pie crust, second part for the top layer of pie crust. Lay bottom in glass pie dish. Trim edges off. Poke bottom with a few holes using a fork.

Warm up pie filling in a sauce pan, mix in cinnamon and almond extract. Thicken a bit (don't have to bring to a boil or anything) and pour in pie dish with unbaked bottom.

Lay top layer over the top. Before I did this, I tried to cut out a few shapes to make it look like a flower, but it obviously did not work out well. It does need some holes for ventilation, so it's up to you how to do this. Trim edges, then pinch bottom and top together.

Bake at 425 degrees for about half an hour or until crust edges are golden brown. Let cool uncovered. I made this pie for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it, even those who claimed to be non-pie-lovers.

Pizza Dough

2008-11-03T14:16:00.004-06:00

Preheat oven at 500 degrees with pizza stone for half an hour.

Put

2 T. yeast
½ c. warm water
pinch of sugar

In the bosch. Let mixture dissolve and foam.

Add

2 ½ c. warm water
2T. oil
¼ c. sugar
3 t. salt
3 c. flour

Mix until smooth.

Add up to 3 c. flour, a cup at a time, until the dough just starts pulling away from the sides. You may need more... Mix for 6 minutes.

You can freeze half mixture.

Roll out, top your favorite way. Bake at 500 degrees until all your cheese is melted and the sides are crispy.

Oven Fried Eggplant

2008-09-23T20:24:00.002-05:00

We are not huge eggplant fans but when my sister gave us some out of her garden we gave this a try. It got the highest rating on recipezaar for eggplant, over 150 reviews. It is originally a Cooking Light recipe. My 2 year old LOVED this. My Husband thought I didn't make enough. We will do this one again and again.

1/2 cup light mayo

1Tbsp minced onion

1lb eggplant peeled and sliced (1/2 " slices)

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1/3 grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

Vegetable cooking spray

-mix mayo and onion

-mix bread crumbs, cheese, and Seasoning

-dredge in mayo mix then in crumbs

-put on silpat, or sprayed pan

Cook at 425 for 12 minutes, then turn and cook another 12 minutes.

Blueberry Ice Cream

2008-09-15T13:35:00.001-05:00

This was SO good. You will love it. I got it off of recipezaar. I only 1/2'd the recipe since my cuisinart wouldn't hold the whole amount. The original had you strain it. I left the berries in and it was great.

Ingredients
4 cups fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons water
4 cups half-and-half cream
Directions
1In a large saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar and water; bring to a boil.
2Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until sugar is dissolved and the blueberries are softened.
3Strain mixture and discard seeds and skins.
4Stir in cream.
5Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two thirds full and freeze according to the manufactur's directions.
7Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze.
8Allow to ripen in ice cream freezer or firm up in regular freezer for 2-4 hours before serving

Microwave granola

2008-09-13T20:41:00.003-05:00

Microwave Granola
(I wish I could remember what blog I got this off of. If you recognize it let me know)
We go through a lot of cereal. We really love granola. This was SO easy and yummier then store bought. You can put really anything in here. Get creative!
3 cups oats
1/3 cup wheat germ (I used 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup sesame seeds or flax seeds
1/3 cup chopped nuts (I chopped them pretty fine)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/3 cup oil, or melted butter or margarine
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisins
Place oats in ungreased micro safe dish. Cook in micro full power for 2 1/2 minutes (3 for double batch).Add wheat germ, coconut, sesame seeds, nuts, br. sugar, and Cinnamon to oats. Stir to blend.Add oil, honey, and vanilla. Toss to coat. Cook in micro level 7 for 6 minutes stirring 2x (or 3 -3 minutes for double).Add raisins (or any other dried fruit). Cook on full power 2 minutes (3 for double). Press against dish. Cool. Break in pieces store in airtight container.The whole time make sure you watch for hot spots. You don't want it to burn. You will be amazed at how yummy and toasty this turns out.

Bananas Foster Buttermilk Syrup

2008-09-10T07:45:00.007-05:00

This is inspired by a Paula Deen recipe I saw on TV last week while I was really hungry. Here is my version:

Top your favorite plain old pancakes, waffles or french toast with the following syrup extravaganza.

1 cube butter
¾ c. BROWN sugar
½ c. buttermilk
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla or rum extract
sliced bananas
chopped walnuts or pecans

Over medium heat, melt butter and sugar. Once melted, add buttermilk. When it begins to boil, remove from heat and add soda and extract. Stir all together.

You can then add the bananas and chopped nuts to the syrup or top the pancakes with them all separately.

Creamiest Macaroni & Cheese

2008-09-08T22:18:00.007-05:00

I've tried many mac & cheese recipes looking for that perfect one ... basically one that tasted as delicious as the kind from the box, but with homemade flair (and no chunks and not dry!). This one is the best I've found so far.

2 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, medium
8 oz. sour cream
1 1/4 cup uncooked small macaroni noodles
2 hot dogs (optional)

Start boiling water for your noodles. At the same time, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add flour, salt and pepper and stir constantly with a fork until smooth/grainy ... no chunks. GRADUALLY add milk and keep stirring constantly with fork, again, no chunks whatsoever. By this time your water should be boiling, add noodles. Once you have added all the milk and the mixture is smooth, add cheese and keep stirring until smooth. Add sour cream and repeat. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper, if desired. Do not let the creamy mixture boil, remove from heat once it starts to do so. When noodles are done, drain and add to skillet. If using hot dogs, slice them up first, heat in microwave for about a minute, then add to mixture. Stir with a large spoon and serve immediately.

(note: In this picture, I had only used one cup of uncooked noodles and it was a bit too creamy, which is why I added the extra 1/4 cup to this recipe.)

Baked Sweet Potatoes with West African-Style Peanut Sauce

2008-08-08T08:28:00.003-05:00

6 medium sweet potatoes (3 pounds)
1 tsp. canola oil
1/3 C. finely chopped onion
1 Tbs. grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
3/4 C. water
3/4 C. tomato sauce
1/4 C. peanut butter
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Pierce potatoes with a fork, and bake at 375 for 1 hour or until tender. Cool potatoes slightly.

3. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; cook 3 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add 3/4 C. water and next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring until smooth; bring to a simmer. Cook 2 minutes or until thick.

4. Split potatoes lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Spoon about 1/4 C. sauce into each potato. Top each serving with 1 tsp. cilantro.

Butternut Squash-Leek Soup

2008-08-08T08:16:00.002-05:00

I have a slight obsession with butternut squash and leeks. Here is a recipe that uses them both! :)

1 whole garlic head
4 tsp. olive oil
6 C. thinly sliced leek (about 4 large)
4 C. (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 medium)
2 C. water
2 C. fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap head in foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves, squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins.

3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic, squash, 2 C. water, broth, salt, and black pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 min. or until squash is tender. With an immersion blender, blend up squash mixture until smooth.

F.O.T.B. Ribs

2008-08-03T11:27:00.014-05:00

Preparation:

Layout the desired number off racks at room temperature and ensure that they are not lying on top of any other rack.
Throw some salt in their game by drizzling soy and Worcestershire sauce on the bare ribs.
Oil 'em up using peanut oil, liberally. Rub it in too (this is one the thickest and richest oils so it will hold in moisture through longer cook times and higher temperatures)
Rub 'em like you mean it. I use rib rub from El Paso Barbecue (restaurant), but you can use any rub you prefer. Press firmly into the meat and be generous with the rub. Also, accept that your hands will get very messy. (Emeril's Rib Rub and Stubbs Rub are good too)
Place in fridge for a minimum of an hour, preferably over night. (cover in plastic wrap if over night)
Remove from fridge with enough time to allow ribs to be room temperature before cooking.

Cooking Methods:

Smoky Style:

Give the ribs a nice smoke in a large smoker using real pecan or hickory wood (I prefer pecan). Make sure to separate each rack from the other. The ribs can be smoked anywhere from 3 to 8 hrs depending on how much smoke flavor is desired (remember that the longer the smoke time, the further from the heat they should be and the more oil they should have). Remove from smoker.

Slow Roasted:

Place ribs in oven on a pan that will keep them separate from one another. Bake at 220 degrees for 3hrs 15min (at 2hrs cook time, reapply soy and Worcestershire and then top with more peanut oil moderately). Remove from oven.

Final Touch:

What's your preference?

A -If you would like a crisp outside layer, then place racks directly on the grill at very low heat adorned with a sauce of your choosing (remember that the more smoke flavor you have, the sweeter the sauce should be and the less you should have of it. however, the lighter the smoke the more mild sweet is appropriate but with generous portions). Higher heat can be use when there is a good amount of sauce on the ribs. Remove from grill once the sauce stops running (1 to 3 min)

B -If you would like wet ribs with more rib separation, then stack ribs in heavy tinfoil over the top of crushed pineapple and diced or sliced red onions that have been marinated and soaked in Worcestershire and balsamic vinegar. Be very generous! Wrap thoroughly and in all directions to ensure that no steam can escape. Place the tinfoil-wrapped ribs on the grill at med-high heat for 25 to 35 min to allow them to steam themselves. Remove from grill and apply sauce (remember that the more smoke flavor you have, the sweeter the sauce should be and the less you should have of it. however, the lighter the smoke the more mild sweet is appropriate but with generous portions). This is the best way to have them Fall-Off-The-Bone.

Suggesgtions:
For hot, I prefer honey with a little bit of spice. I will actually make my own sauce with Coca-Cola (made in mexico), honey, brown sugar, mangoes and and jalapeño cores (seeds and inner stem).
For sweet, I prefer just honey. These ribs carry there own strong flavors.

If you can get "prissy little girls to eat them, they're good.

Coconut Curry Chicken and Veggies

2008-07-30T20:26:00.003-05:00

1/2 C. coconut milk
1/4 C. fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. red curry paste
2 C. shredded chicken (I used already cooked, rotisserie chicken)
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 red or orange bell pepper cut in strips
1/2 C. diagonally cut green onions
4 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro
4 lime wedges

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, stir with a whisk. Put a little bit of the mixture into a large frying pan (I used one with high sides) and saute the vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, and green onion) for a few minutes. Then add the chicken and the rest of the mixture and mix it all together. Cook until everything is well heated. Then add the cilantro and serve with lime wedges. It is easy and so tasty!

The Yummiest Zucchini Cake

2008-07-28T21:00:00.001-05:00

4 eggs
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
1 tsp soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 cup walnuts (optional)

Beat eggs. Add sugar and oil and beat. Add everything else except flour and zucchini; then add.

Bake in a 9x13 inch pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. You can also put this cake in a sheet cake pan, but do not put the whole recipe in, you will have a mess in the oven. Bake for 20+ minutes.

Icing:
1/4 cup butter
3 oz cream cheese
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 cup canned milk

Summer Sunday Dinner

2008-07-27T18:35:00.004-05:00

We got some locally-grown peaches at the farmer's market this weekend while Danny's sister was in town. We made a peach-fused ham and some fabulous ice cream. It was the perfect summer Sunday dinner!

Ham with Peach Chutney

3 large peaches, peeled and diced (or 1 16 oz can of peaches)
1 apple, peeled and diced
1/4 C. minced onion
1/2 C. Apple Cider vinegar
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Sliced Almonds (optional)

1 Spiral Sliced Ham
1/2 glaze packet

Start heating your ham according to the package directions. Meanwhile, combine the first 6 ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring continuously until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat.

When it has cooled some, place chutney in a serving dish to be served with the ham, leaving about 1/2 cup of the chutney for the glaze. Blend the remaining chutney, return it to the pan and combine it with some water and 1/2 packet of the glaze that came with the ham. Bring to a boil and simmer until it thickens and use it to glaze the ham according to the instructions. Enjoy!

Georgia Peach Frozen Custard

1 Qt. Milk (I used skim so any should do)
1 1/4 C. Sugar, divided
1/2 tsp. Salt
4 eggs
2 14oz cans of sweetened condensed milk
3-4 large peaches, peeled and diced

In a large sauce pan, bring milk up to 175 degrees; stir in 1 cup of sugar and salt until dissolved. Whisk eggs separately. Add a small amount of hot milk mixture to the eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly.

Cook and stir over low heat until it reaches 160 degrees and coats the back of a metal spoon.

Quickly cool by placing the pan in a bowl of ice water for 2 minutes. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and cover with plastic wrap, making sure to press it to the surface of the custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

When ready to freeze, mash peaches with the remaining sugar in a small bowl and let it stand for about 30 minutes. Add to the custard mixture and prepare according to your ice cream maker's instructions. When finished allow to harden in the freezer before serving.

ALOHA CHIPPERS

2008-07-26T21:46:00.001-05:00

Aloha (Kamae) Chippers

1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
leave cookie sheets ungreased
cream butter, sugars, egg, water, vanilla, baking soda and salt in a large bowl
until light and fluffy. Blend in flour until dough is smooth and stiff. Stir in the chips,
coconut and nuts. drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until just firm in the center. Do not over bake. Remove to wire
racks to cool.

(the recipe calls for 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup of the white chocolate
chips and only 1/2 cup of coconut, but I changed it to how we like it)

*this recipe is from a Tupperware cookbook - I just added my own flare!

Fruit Smoothies

2008-07-26T21:41:00.004-05:00

Peach Refresher Smoothie
2 cups Apple Juice
1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt
1/2 banana
1 cup peach yogurt
1 1/2 cups frozen peach slices

Pour all liquid ingredients into blender. Add frozen ingredients. Blend at low speed for
30 seconds then blend high speed until smooth. You may need to stir the ingredients around, then blend more. Serve immediately. Makes 3-5 servings

Berry Blast Smoothie
1 cup apple juice
1 1/2 cup lemonade
1 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup raspberry sherbet

(follow same blending instructions as above)

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
1 cup apple juice
1 cup milk
1 frozen banana
1 1/2 cups strawberry yogurt

(same blending instructions as above)

* these recipe's are from a blender recipe book

Ginger Chicken (my secret weapon!)

2008-07-26T21:37:00.002-05:00

Ginger Chicken
Prep Time: 40 minutes (including marinating time)
Cook time: 10-15 minutes

(sorry no picture AGAIN!)

chicken breast- skinless boneless sliced
(as much as you will need to feed your family)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tbs chopped green onions
1 tbs grated fresh ginger
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs honey
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves minced

mix together. marinate with chicken for 30 minutes
drain chicken reserving marinade

cook chicken in non-stick skillet add oil, sauté 5 minutes
add marinade cook until done
serve over rice
and with fresh green beans on the side - yumm!

* I usually double the sauce its good as a "gravy" over the rice *

Serves: 4-6

** Keenan says, this is the dinner I made him that won him over - see a way to a man's heart
is through his stomach! ; )

Chinese Noodle Salad

2008-07-26T21:34:00.000-05:00

another favorite - sorry no picture

Chinese Noodle Salad
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves a BUNCH! Great for a party.

16oz Spaghetti cooked
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast poached , cooled and cut
1 bunch green onions , including tops
½ cup chopped pecans and almonds
¾ - 1 cup vegetable oil
2 ½ tbs. sesame oil
2 tbs. ground coriander
¾ cup soy sauce
1 scant tsp. Hot chili oil (or to taste)

In a large bowl combine chicken, green onions , nuts and pasta.
In a small sauce pan, over medium heat. Heat oils and sesame
Seeds until seeds turn seeds turn light brown. Remove from heat.
Carefully add coriander and soy sauce. Stir in chili oil. Pour over
Chicken mix well.
Refrigerate at least 3 hours.

*To poach Chicken ( I learned this From Rachel Ray
On 30 minute meals) boil water - place chicken in pan
Cook for 8 minutes…the chicken turns out perfect every time!
Then I just season it with salt and pepper before I shred it*

Caesar Chicken Pasta Salad

2008-07-26T21:22:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite summer salad recipe's

Caesar Chicken Pasta Salad

3 cups cooked/skinned shredded chicken breast
3 cups cooked penne pasta
2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup creamy Caesar dressing (I use poppy seed dressing)
1 garlic clove minced

combine all ingredients in a large bowl; toss well to
coat. Enjoy!

*in other similar recipes I have seen them use feta cheese as well.

Garlic-Rubbed Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

2008-07-25T16:43:00.002-05:00

This was in the latest Cooking Light and it's delish!

1/2 C. packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 large garlic clove
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. water
4 servings Garlic-Rubbed Flank Steak

1. Place first 7 ingredients in a food processor (I just make do with a blender). Process until finely minced. With processor on, slowly pour oil and 1 Tbs. water through food chute, process until well blended. Serve sauce with Garlic-Rubbed Flank Steak.

Garlic-Rubbed Flank Steak:

1 (2 pound) flank steak, trimmed
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat
2. Rub steak evenly with salt, pepper, and garlic. Place steak on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 6 minutes. Turn steak over; cover and grill 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from grill; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.