More Than Just Noodles

Stroganoff Meatballs

2012-01-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

Just made these last night for dinner and they were a huge hit! I cheated and bought frozen meatballs, but the sauce is awesome! Since the sauce makes a type of gravy, I served them with mashed potatoes.

Stroganoff Meatballs

(originally found HERE)

For meatballs:

1 1⁄2 lbs ground chuck

1 tsp garlic salt

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

3 tbsp ketchup

For stroganoff sauce:

1 medium yellow onion, diced

16 oz. white mushrooms. diced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup dry sherry

5 cups chicken broth (or beef broth, but chicken tastes lighter)

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1⁄2 cup of butter

5 tbsp flour

3 tbsp fresh dill

10 oz. sour cream

For meatballs: Combine all ingredients in a bowl, form 1” round meatballs, and broil in oven on low broil for 12-15 minutes or until brown and cooked all the way through. You could also cook meatballs in a skillet in olive oil as well. Drain and set aside.

For stroganoff sauce: Dice the onion and soften in olive oil in a large pot for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. Add diced mushrooms and soften another 3 minutes in olive oil on medium heat, stirring frequently. To your onion/mushroom mixture, add dry sherry and bring to a low boil. Allow most of sherry to reduce and be absorbed by mushrooms, about 5 minutes, and stir frequently until most of liquid is gone. Add broth and worcestershire sauce and again bring to a low boil.

Meanwhile, combine softened butter and flour into a beurre manié (fancy French term for flour/butter medley) and mix well until it forms a paste. The beurre manié is your thickener, so add it 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking quickly as you do and you’ll see your sauce start to thicken. Add fresh dill, stir, then add sour cream, and whisk again until sauce is smooth.

If you can’t find fresh dill, go ahead and substitute 2 teaspoons of dry dill, it will still taste great. Add meatballs to pot and simmer on low for 20 - 30 minutes. Serve alone with toothpicks or over pasta. Garnish with more fresh dill. Makes approximately 40 meatballs.

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting

2011-11-23T11:42:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season for all things pumpkin. I have slowly acquired a taste for baked pumpkin goods and this one may top them all. I made them for a small shin-dig we had here and out of the 5 cookies I made, this was everyone's favorite!

(You can find the original recipe HERE)

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting

INGREDIENTS:
Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting:
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars for the cookies. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the pumpkin. In a medium bowl, sift together the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, salt and flour. Add the dry mixture to the pumpkin batter and mix until combined. Drop the dough by large tablespoonfuls onto a lightly greased (or lined with parchment or silpat) cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

For the frosting, in a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream, brown sugar and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla. Let the frosting cool to room temperature and stir in the remaining 1 cup powdered sugar. Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies.

Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

2011-10-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

I found the original recipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, but now can not seem to find it anywhere on that site! UGH. So here is what I printed out:

Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

2 lb. boneless pork loin roast (I like the little ones from Costco)

1 tsp. ground sage

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 clove garlic, minced or crushed (I always like to use a lot more than this)

1/2 c. water

Glaze:

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 Tblspn. cornstarch

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

1/2 c. water

2 Tblspon. soy sauce

In a small bowl, combine the sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub the spices all over the pork roast. Place the roast in a slow cooker and pour in the 1/2 c. water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Near the end of the cooking time, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.

Remove pork from slow cooker, shred and place on a platter or plate. Drizzle the glaze over the pork and serve.

** I did not use a crockpot, but instead made a tinfoil envelope around the roast and cooked it in the oven at 300 degrees for about 4 hours--turned it on when we left for church and it was ready when we got home. (so I didn't need to use the 1/2 c. water)

The glaze was GREAT over the fresh steamed broccoli as well!

Chocolate M & M cookies

2011-10-10T09:19:00.001-07:00

We are back into "Cookie Friday" mode, where I bake about 12 dozen cookies for the neighborhood kids on the first Friday of each month. This gives me the opportunity to try new recipes each month and let the kids be my guinea pigs! I randomly found M&M's on clearance at Randall's--huge bags for $2/each--so I decided to use those instead of chocolate chips in this recipe. They were really good!

You can find the original recipe HERE

Chocolate M & M cookies!

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 M & M's

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the M & M's. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Easy Ice Cream Cake

2011-09-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

I tasted better than I thought it would. The flavors and textures mixed well and did not just taste like layered ice cream sandwiches and toppings. I did double layers and put it in a deep pan, then just cut the pieces smaller--it looked better that way.

http://www.iheartnaptime.net/2011/07/ice-cream-cake.html

Angel Chicken Pasta

2011-09-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning out my stack of recipes to try, and found this one. I printed it off the internet over 4 years ago!!! Glad I hung on to it, because it was a HIT with my family last night. And of course...super easy too.

Angel Chicken Pasta

6 boneless chicken breasts

1/4 c. butter

1 (7oz.) dry Italian salad dressing mix

1/2 c. white wine (can substitute apple juice)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

4 oz. onion & chive cream cheese

1 lb. angel hair pasta

Melt butter on low.

Add dry Italian seasoning, blend in wine (juice), soup, and cream cheese.

Stir until smooth.

Arrange chicken breasts in 9 x 13 pan and pour sauce over the top.

Bake at 325 for 60 minutes (covered with foil for the first 30 minutes, then remove foil).

Serve over angel hair pasta.

Slow-Simmered Pork Chops

2011-09-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

My friend Tauni brought this dish to me after Dane was born. It was SO good! When I asked her for the recipe, she said there really isn't one, but gave me these instructions. I was able to duplicate it, no problem. Super easy...super delicious!

Slow-Simmered Pork Chops

4-6 bone-in pork chops

salt & pepper

butter

water

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

HEAVILY season pork chops with salt & pepper.

Melt butter in electric skillet and brown pork chops (at least 6+ minutes on each side)

Cover with water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

Make sure pork chops are always barely covered with water--adding more as needed.

Simmer for 5+ hours, with lid on.

About 30 minutes before serving, add 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup.

Mix in pan and scrape bottom to get all the seasoned meat off the bottom.

(Serve with mashed potatoes!)

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-03-25T09:08:00.001-07:00

I made these last month for "Cookie Friday." I love anything chocolate and anything mint, so these were a hit for my family!

Find the recipe HERE.

Salsa & Black Bean Chicken Nachos

2011-03-05T17:48:00.001-08:00

This is one of those recipes that is so obvious and easy you wish you had thought of it yourself. Oh, and did I mention SOOO good?! All 3 of my kids asked me to make it again!

http://brownpaper--packages.blogspot.com/2011/03/salsa-chicken-black-bean-nachos.html

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

2010-11-12T09:37:00.000-08:00

I am not a huge fan of pumpkin anything, although I am getting there. Maybe I am maturing in my old age :) Every year Marc asks for some sort of pumpkin thing with chocolate chips. I figured I would try this recipe for our November "Cookie Friday"--it was a hit!

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-glazed-pumpkin-cookies

The only thing I changed was to add chocolate chips into the dough, instead of glazing them.

Strawberry-Lime Shortcake

2010-09-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

I made THIS recipe twice while visiting grandparents this summer. It is easy, delicious, and was a huge hit!

A simple twist on a old classic!

Try it, you'll like it!

Turkey & Pesto Sliders and Baked French Fries

2010-08-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

Turkey Sliders found HERE

Baked French Fries found HERE

Both were SUPER good & SUPER easy!

(served with watermelon)

Honey Curry Chicken

2010-08-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

This is an old recipe that I got from a recipe swap I was part of in Rochester, NY. I am pretty sure Suzy Jensen submitted this one. It's been years since I made it last, and when I was looking for dinner inspiration last week, I came across it. It is super easy (like Marc actually made it while I was in meetings) and really good!

Honey Curry Chicken

(thanks Suzy!)

3 lbs. raw chicken, cut into bite size pieces

4 Tblspn. butter

½ c. honey

¼ c. prepared mustard

1 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. salt

Melt butter, then add all other ingredients.

Cover chicken with sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Serve over rice.

Gnocchi

2010-07-19T14:16:00.001-07:00

I have no idea what the name of this recipe is, or where it came from, but it was good. Quite rich, but goooooood. You only need a small serving, with a large salad to balance it out with :)

Gnocchi with Cream Sauce

(???)

SAUCE:

1/2 c. butter

2 oz. prosciutto, chopped

10 basil leaves, torn

1/4 c. pine nuts

1 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. parmesan cheese, shredded

1 pkg. gnocchi (or homemade, if you're really ambitious!)

Beat 1/2c. of cream until whipped and then set aside.

Melt butter in saucepan, add pine nuts and cook until the nuts brown a little.

Add 1/2 c. cream to the butter and pine nuts and bring to a light boil.

Cook for 1 minute, then turn the heat down to low.

Add basil and prosciutto.

Then fold in the whipped cream and the parmesan.

Add gnocchi to boiling water. Once they float, they are done! (happens quickly)

Remove and mix with sauce.

Serve immediately.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

2010-07-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

We had these a few weeks ago. I made a big batch and took some to a friend who was sick. We loved them, and so did her family.

You can find the recipe HERE!

Grilled Yellow Squash with Fresh Dill & Feta

2010-07-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

Not sure where I found this, but I love it! So good to throw some homegrown squash on the BBQ--and then snaz it up a bit with herbs and feta. So good!

Grilled Yellow Squash with Fresh Dill & Feta

(???)

4-6 small yellow squash (or zucchini)

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp sugar

1 1/2 Tblspn sherry vinegar (or substitute your favorite vinegar)

2 Tblspn fresh chopped dill

1/4 c. EVOO

1 shallot, sliced

salt & pepper to taste

crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat gas grill or prepare coals for charcoal grill

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, and chopped dill. Slowly whisk in olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in shallot slices; set aside.

3. Slice squash in half lengthwise, then add them all to the bowl of vinaigrette. Toss to coat.

4. Remove squash from marinade and grill over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes on each side, until grill marks appear and the squash is just tender. Remove to a plate, spoon remaining vinaigrette over the squash, and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese.

Serve immediately.

Congo Bars

2010-07-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

LOVE this new recipe I found! I have made these a ton already--because it is nice to throw in one batch of cookies and not have to stand in front of hot oven for hours making dozen after dozen of traditional cookies. Summers here in TX are HOT! So this recipe allows me to feed my addiction to baked goods while not heating up my kitchen too much :) Not to mention these are thick and moist!

Congo Bars

(somewhere on the web, but can't remember where!)

2 3/4 c. flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 c. softened butter

1 lb. (2 c. packed) light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

12 oz. milk chocolate chips

1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl & set aside.

Combine butter and sugar, using a mixer, until blended.

Add eggs one at a time to sugar mixture, mixing on low in between each addition.

Add vanilla and mix.

Add flour and mix until combined.

Stir in chips and then pecans.

Coat a 9 X 13 pan with nonstick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Make sure you don't over bake.

(Last night I made these AGAIN and used M & M's instead of chocolate chips and nuts!)

Chicken, Asparagus & Mushroom Crepes

2010-04-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

I made THESE for dinner tonight.

Random find on a decorating blog, but a good one!

Stromboli

2010-02-10T12:13:00.000-08:00

Stromboli

(thanks to my SIL, Sally for this super easy, delicious recipe)

Grab a french bread tube (I used Pillsbury pizza dough in a can) and unroll it onto a silpat, or wax paper (the dough will be sticky, try to keep it cold)

Then layer it with 6 oz (or more) of deli sliced ham, 6 oz of sliced swiss (I used grated Mozzarella), chives and crumbled bacon pieces.

Leave almost an inch on all sides free from the ingredients. then just roll it up.

Place seem side down on a cookie sheet and tuck the sides under. Then cut 4-5, 1/4 deep lines on top.

Cook for about 30 minutes @ 350 or until its golden brown.

I usually serve it will a big fruit salad or even soup.

You can also do it with Mozzarella and pepperoni and then dip in pizza sauce.

Easy White Chicken Chili

2010-02-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

I mentioned to a coworker that I was in a cooking slump, and so she sent me a link to this recipe, stating how easy and good it was. I have to agree! If I had to choose a favorite White Chicken Chili, it would have to be THIS one, but this new recipe is so much easier and faster--it's great for a last minute dinner!

Rachel Ray's White Chicken Chili

Cottage Cheese Salad

2010-02-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

I realize this is not everyone's favorite salad. In fact, it may not be MOST people's favorite. But it is one of mine--probably because I grew up on it and it reminds me of my mom. She is a no fuss kind of person. This salad has her name all over it.

1 large container of cottage cheese (2 lbs)

1 8oz. container of cool whip

1 large packet of J-Ello

canned fruit

I made this with Fat Free cottage cheese and cool whip, sugar free orange J-Ello and 2 cans of mandarin oranges, drained. This made a large bowl that I ate over the course of a few days.

Corn Chowder

2010-01-28T15:10:00.001-08:00

It is a cool, dark and rainy day here in TX. I have a pretty empty fridge and no ideas for dinner. It feels like a soup kind of day, so after perusing various recipe sites online, I found this recipe. It met my criteria: 1. I was NOT going to the store for any ingredients and 2. It had to be fairly simple

The recipe can be found HERE.

Due to my "no going to the store" criteria, I had to make a few changes to the recipe. Besides cutting the recipe in half, I also did not add turmeric, I used whole milk instead of half-n-half and used shredded parmesan cheese instead of cheddar. I also added chunks of ham to make it a full meal.

It's delicious!

Snickerdoodles

2010-01-28T14:50:00.000-08:00

I have already posted a great Snickerdoodle recipe, but this one may just top the last one. This recipe was generously shared by my old roommate on her design/entertaining blog, Blonde Designs.

I love that the recipe does not call for shortening and the cookies are so, so moist! I made them for "Cookie Friday" last month. I, of course, tripled the batch and froze a few dozen--they were just as moist after thawing as they were fresh out of the oven. I love that!

Here is the recipe!

Chocolate Overdose Cake

2010-01-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

Marc's all-time favorite dessert is this mousse cake. However, I only make it once or twice a year, due to the time and amount of chocolate involved. When I came upon this recipe, I knew it would rival the mousse cake. It does. WOW!

Chocolate Overdose Cake

(Annie's Eats found HERE)

Christmas Salad

2010-01-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

While we were in Destin, FL for Thanksgiving, my friend Joy made this salad for our Thanksgiving meal. It was so colorful, festive and a great change to the more traditional salads I am used to. It brought a fresh & tangy flavor to an otherwise savory meal.

I am calling it a "Christmas Salad" due to the red & green colors, and the fact that I made it this year for our Christmas dinner.

Christmas Salad

(thanks Joy!)

proportions are as follows:

(but adjust according to total amount needed)

1 pomegranate, seeded

1 granny smith apple, diced

2-3 kiwi, sliced and cut into small pieces

Chicken Chili Cheese Cups

2010-01-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

For the past few years, we have gone to a friends house for a Christmas Eve nativity program, and appetizers/munchies. Everyone brings something to share, but the spread is usually heavy on the desserts/sweets. Therefore, I always try to bring something a little "heartier". Last year, I tried THIS recipe. This year, I made these:

Chicken Chili Cheese Cups

(familyfun.com found HERE)

My only change was done out of necessity. I couldn't find the pre-made phyllo shells anywhere! So I bought the phyllo pastry sheets, and just used a pizza cutter to cut squares. I then took about 3-4 sheets and tucked them into a mini-muffin pan and filled them. The shells came out crispier (which I preferred) if I did NOT use cooking spray.

Carrot Cake

2009-11-08T19:27:00.001-08:00

It had been a long time since I made this cake. How in the world could I forget just how good it is? BEST carrot cake I've ever had!

(I also just realized this is the 3rd post for this cake--guess I really, really like it! :) )

Oreo Cookie Bars

2009-11-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

A family in our ward brought these to us a while back and I immediately fell in love. They are basically just crushed up Oreos with homemade fudge. Who can argue with that combination?!

Oreo Cookie Bars

(thanks Rachelle!)

24-30 Oreo cookies (depending on desired crust thickness)

6 Tbs. butter, melted

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Set aside 6 cookies and grind the rest in a food processor or blender. In a small bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs and butter until well blended. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Over a double boiler or in the microwave, melt 1 cup chocolate chips together with the condensed milk and vanilla. Stir frequently until smooth. Spread evenly over the crumb crust. Sprinkle the remaining cup of chocolate chips over the top. Break remaining cookies into pieces by hand and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Chill completely (up to 1-2 hours) before cutting into bars or it will make a big mess.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

2009-10-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

Marc has been bugging me for 12 years (seriously) to make him pumpkin cookies. I never have, because I am not a huge fan. But my college roommate promised me these were good.

She was right! BOTH Marc and I were huge fans! Thanks, Angie.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

(MS EveryDay Food)

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.

Cashew Chicken

2009-10-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Cashew Chicken

(MS EveryDay Food, ???)

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces

2 Tblspn. dry sherry

2 tsp. minced, peeled fresh ginger (I used about 1 1/2 tsp. dry ginger)

3 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

coarse salt

1/2 c. chicken broth

2 Tblspn. soy sauce

1 Tblspn. rice vinegar

2 tsp. sugar

1 Tblspn. + 2 tsp. vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2/3 c. unsalted cashews, toasted

2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced

cooked white rice, for serving

1. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with sherry, ginger and 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch; season with salt. Refrigerate 30 minutes. In another bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and 2 tsp. cornstarch; set sauce aside.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 Tblspn. oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add 1 tsp. oil to skillet and cook remaining chicken (reduce heat if chicken is over-browning). Transfer to plate.

3. To same skillet, add 1 tsp. oil, garlic, cashews, and scallion whites. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic begins to soften, 30 seconds. Whisk sauce and add to skillet along with chicken. Cool until sauce thickens, about 30 seconds. Top with scallion greens and serve with rice.

Cookie Friday

2009-10-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

I made these cookies for "Cookie Friday" this month. The cookies were just OK (in my opinion)--so I'm not posting the recipe. However, my neighborhood cookie idea was shared on my college roommates blog, so I thought I would pass the link along:

http://blonde-designs.squarespace.com/blonde-designs-blog/2009/10/7/cookie-friday.html

Banana Boats

2009-09-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

I ran across this blog posting today and decided to try these out for dessert tonight. Let me just say that the kids LOVED making them! Very fun, very easy, and very yummy. They would be the perfect dessert for camping, too--no measuring, no dishes, no clean-up (just roll up the foil and toss!).

Rather than try to re-explain this, I am just posting the link for the instructions/pictures:

http://erincobb.com/ThePigBear/?p=1653

My only improvement would be to go lighter on the chocolate chips, heavier on the marshmallows and cook for closer to 20 minutes.

Coffee Cake

2009-09-22T09:23:00.001-07:00

When we were living in Rochester, NY for business school, my good friend JoAnna and I would randomly make dinner for each other's families. She brought this cake one night and I fell in love. I have been making it ever since. Even Marc likes it--and that is saying a lot, since he really doesn't eat any dessert that isn't chocolate!

This can also be made for breakfast, brunch, a baby shower, etc.

Coffee Cake

(thanks JoAnna!)

1 box yellow cake mix

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

2 eggs

3 Tblspn. vegetable oil

1 1/3 c. water

Mix all ingredients and pour ½ of batter into greased & floured 9-inch square cake pan.

Crumble:

½ c. flour

½ c. brown sugar

2 Tblspn. cinnamon

3 Tblspn. butter

Mix above ingredients and cut in butter to make a “crumble.”

Sprinkle first layer of batter with ½ crumble mixture.

Pour remaining cake batter on top of crumble and then top off with remaining crumble.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Drizzle with powdered sugar icing.

Coconut Chicken

2009-09-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

The real name of this recipe is "Coconut Chicken Wings" but I can't bring myself to include the "wings" part--they seriously gross me out. As I said in a recent post, I only use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders. For this recipe I used tenders, and also substituted "cream of coconut" for coconut milk--since that is what I had on hand. The chicken came out almost candied (maybe due to the cream rather than milk)--it was really good, and my kids loved it!

Coconut Chicken

(Family Fun magazine, July 2009)

3 Tblspn. vegetable OR light olive oil

2 Tblspn. soy sauce

2 Tblspn. sugar

1 tsp. mild curry powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 c. coconut milk

3 lbs. chicken wings (or tenders)

1 c. flaked coconut

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the first seven ingredients, then whisk in the coconut milk. Reserve and refrigerate 1/2 cup of the mixture divided evenly in two containers.

2. Cut off the tips of the wings (reserve them for stock or discard), then halve the wings at the joint. Place them in the bowl and toss them with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.

3. Just before grilling the wings, toast the coconut in a medium-size skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Pour the flakes onto a plate and allow them to cool, then lightly crumble the flakes with your fingers and set them aside.

4. Prepare the grill for cooking and oil the grates. Grill the wings 8 to 10 minutes per side, turning once, or until the meat is no longer pink inside. Use one container of the reserved marinade to baste the meat at each turn.

5. As the wings finish cooking, warm the other container of reserved marinade in a small saucepan until heated through.

6. Transfer the cooked wings to a platter and coat them with the warmed marinade. Sprinkle the wings with the toasted coconut and serve them immediately. Serves 6 as a main dish or 12 as an appetizer.

Chicken & Bean Slaw Wraps

2009-09-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

Sounds gross, looks gross, but tastes GREAT!

Chicken & Bean Slaw Wraps

(I have no idea--I've had the recipe for forever)

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 1/2c. coleslaw mix with carrots

1 (15oz.) can spicy pinto beans OR Ranch Style beans OR whatever bean you like

1/3 c. Ranch dressing

1/2 c. green onions, chopped

flour tortillas

shredded cheese

BBQ sauce

Mix together cubed chicken, coleslaw mix, beans, Ranch dressing and onions.

Set aside (can be refrigerated and eaten cold, too)

Place tortillas on baking sheet and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake tortillas at 350 degrees for about 3-5 minutes.

Spoon chicken mixture onto hot tortilla, lightly drizzle with BBQ sauce, and roll up.

**If looking for a nicer presentation, you can roll up in parchment paper, twist ends, tie with raffia and then cut in half on diagonal**

Spinach and Bacon Frittata

2009-09-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

Breakfast for dinner...one of my most favorite things! :)

Spinach and Bacon Frittata

(MS EveryDay Food, Sept/Oct 2009?)

6 large eggs

1 c. ricotta cheese

1/4 c. grated Parmesan

coarse salt and ground pepper

5 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

5 red potatoes, boiled and quartered

fresh spinach

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan, 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Set aside.

2. In a medium, nonstick ovenproof skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, 6-7 minutes. Drain all but 1 tsp. fat from pan. Add potatoes and cook until warmed through, 2-3 minutes. Add spinach and toss until barely wilted, about 30 seconds.

3. Add egg mixture and stir until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until center is set, about 15 minutes.

Tomatillo Chicken & Classic Cornbread

2009-09-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

I am back on the bandwagon...I think. I will try to play catch up today and post a few of the recent recipes we have tried this past week. I have pictures of most of them, but need to figure out how to download my new camera--so they are coming...a bit later.

Before posting this chicken recipe, let me just state the obvious. I don't like meat on the bone. No chicken, no steak, no ham, no pork, no nothin'! Therefore, I adapt many recipes to my good ol' boneless, skinless chicken breast/tenders--which is exactly what I did here--just substituted chicken tenders for the whole chicken. I also halved the recipe for my little family and then only used 1/2 a jalapeno so it wouldn't be so spicy for my kids.

Tomatillo Chicken

(MS EveryDay Food, Sept/Oct 2009?)

2 lbs. tomatillos (husks removed, washed & halved)

1 Tblspn. vegetable oil

1 whole chicken (3-4lbs), cut into 10 pieces (wings reserved for another use)

(or about 8-10 chicken tenders)

coarse salt and pepper

2 jalapenos, chopped

1/2 medium white onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 can (15oz) hominy, drained (optional)

1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a food processor, puree tomatillos; set aside. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot, skin side down. Cook until browned on one side, 6 minutes. Transfer to plate.

(I still lightly browned my chicken tenders, too)

2. Add jalapenos and onion to pot and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatillo puree and hominy (if using). Season with salt and pepper. Nestle chicken, skin side up, in sauce. Cover pot simmer until chicken is cooked through, 22-25 minutes. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper.

I think I must have a little bit of my dad in me. He loves to go for drives, discover new places (especially ones off the beaten path), appreciates history and isn't afraid to just get in the car and go. So a few Sunday's ago, that is exactly what I did. My family was not up for the "Sunday drive" adventure, so I went alone. Quite enjoyable, actually.

There is a street in town called "Anderson Mill Rd." It recently came to my attention that this road was actually named after a real mill--that still exists. It is only open one Sunday a month and is run by the local garden club. So I went to check it out. An interesting piece of local history, a great photo backdrop and very friendly seniors anxious to show me around. While there, I learned that the mill still grinds organic corn, donated by WholeFoods. The women swore it made the best cornbread--so I bought a bag and here is the recipe that was attached:

Cornbread

(thanks to the woman from the Anderson Mill Gardeners Club)

Beat together:

1/3 c. sugar

2 Tblspn. shortening

1 egg

In a separate bowl, mix together:

1 c. regular flour

1 c. cornmeal

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

Alternating with dry mixture, add:

1 c. buttermilk

Beat enough to mix well.

Grease 9 x 9 pan or muffin tins.

Bake @ 375 degrees until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Fresh Apricot Pie

2009-08-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

I am visiting family "up on the farm"--literally. My girls think they are in heaven feeding the horses, chickens and dogs every day. They also LOVE checking the garden each morning to see what is ready to pick. Aside from the countless zucchini, squash, tomatoes and berries they gather each morning, they also bring in a basket FULL of fresh apricots. My SIL's apricot tree literally has thousands of apricots on it--it is quite the sight to behold. I was excited to use them in a new recipe this week. I never, ever, make fruit pies because "if it's not chocolate, it's not dessert" (according to my husband) which means that I end up eating the whole thing by myself. But since we are here with lots of family around, this was the best time to make pie. I cheated and bought the frozen pie crusts and then just added the following filling:

Fresh Apricot Pie
(courtesy of allrecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fresh-Apricot-Pie/Detail.aspx )

4 cups sliced fresh apricots
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
Milk
Additional sugar

In a bowl, toss apricots, sugar, flour and nutmeg.
Sprinkle with lemon juice; mix well.
Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; add filling.
Roll out remaining pastry to make a lattice crust. Place over filling; seal and flute edges.
Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Cover edges of pastry loosely with foil.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown.

Of course, this is great a la mode (but can also be eaten for breakfast, as my BIL can testify!)

Pineapple Pork Stir-Fry

2009-06-29T11:33:00.001-07:00

When I was chatting with my neighbor a week or so ago, we were both complaining about being out of dinner ideas. But when I asked what she was cooking that night, she mentioned this recipe. This was a totally new dish for my family, so we were excited about it. It was easy, different than a traditional ol' chicken dish and yummy!

Pineapple Pork Stir-Fry

(thanks Cheri!)

1 can (20 oz.) Pineapple chunks
1/2 pound pork roast, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tblsp. vegetable oil
2 tblsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 small bunch (about 3/4 lb.) broccoli florets
1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Drain pineapple, reserve 1/2 cup juice. In skillet or wok, stir fry pork with garlic, onion, and ginger in hot oil. Mix reserved juice, soy sauce and cornstarch. Stir into pork mixture. Top with pineapple, broccoli, and nuts. Cover; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender. Remove from heat and stir all together. Serve over rice.

Lemon Lime Tartlets

2009-06-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

My friend Chelsea sent me a link to this recipe just the other day. I usually just print things out and add it to my "to-try" box but this sounded so good at the time I made them right away. I had to laugh though--Chelsea thought it would be insulting to me for her to recommend a recipe that wasn't 100% from scratch. WHAT? Whatever Chels. I love easy, simple recipes that taste great--so thanks for sharing!
OH, one more thing...the recipe calls these "mini tartlets," but I would disagree. They are muffin sized, which was fine, but next time I make them, I am going to try them in mini-muffin tins--they would be awesome bite-size!

Mini Lemon Lime Tartlets

www.verybestbaking.com

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=143669

1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Bar Dough
1 can (14 oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 pkg. (8 oz.) 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel) or regular cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups thawed fat free, reduced fat or regular frozen whipped topping
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/4 cup lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
Additional lemon and lime quarter slices, peel curls or grated peel (optional)

Directions:PREHEAT oven to 325º F. Paper-line 24 muffin cups.

CUT dough along pre-scored lines; place one piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cookies will be puffy. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

BEAT sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese in large mixer bowl until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping. Divide mixture into two medium bowls. Stir lemon juice and lemon peel into one bowl and lime juice and lime peel into other bowl.

POUR about 3 tablespoons lemon cream cheese mixture over 12 cookie cups. Repeat with lime cream cheese mixture and remaining cookie cups.

(this step really confused me--I am not sure what they are trying to say, except to just put a scoop of the lime and a scoop of the lemon in each sugar cookie cup, which is what I did)Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Decorate with lemon and lime quarter slices, curls or peel, if desired. (or slice of strawberry or a raspberry)

TIPS:• Using low and reduced fat cream cheese and whipped topping helps to make these treats lower in fat.• Love lemon but not crazy about lime? Simply double the lemon juice and grated lemon peel in the recipe and leave out the lime, and make 24 lemon tartlets. Tartlets may be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Allow to thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Broccoli with Bleu Cheese

2009-06-23T12:02:00.000-07:00

My sister emailed me this recipe a while back. We decided to try it out for our Father's Day dinner, since Marc is a huge bleu cheese fan. We ALL became fans after this recipe--we loved it!

Broccoli with Bleu Cheese
(thanks Rebecca!)

2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 c. milk
3 oz. cream cheese
1/3 c. crumbled bleu cheese
1 1/4 lb. fresh steamed broccoli

Melt butter in saucepan.
Stir in flour and heat until bubbly.
Slowly add milk and stir until mixture thickens.
Add cream cheese adn bleu cheese.
Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
Pour over broccoli and serve.

S'mores Cookies

2009-06-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

Smores are such a traditional camping food. And summer is such a traditional time to go camping. But we live in TX and it is just too darn HOT and humid to camp in the summer. So this cookie recipe came in quite handy--it mimmicks the traditional smore without having to feel like you are in a tent sauna surrounded by singing cicadas!
I pulled this recipe out of this month's MS EveryDay Food. I can usually link to the actual recipe on her site, but for some reason can't find this one. Too bad, because I was hoping you could see her picture--I forgot to take one and they look neat. Oh well, just imagine a stacked cookie, then chocolate, then marshmallow toasted. YUM!

S'mores Cookies
(MS EveryDay Food, July 2009)

1/2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1 c. all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 c. whole wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c. light brown sugar
1 large egg
8 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, but into 30 squares
(I used the snack-size Hershey bars and broke them in half)
15 large marshmallows, halved horizontally

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, pulse oats until finely ground.
Add flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; pulse to combine.
In a large bowl, using and electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg, scraping down side of bowl.
With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture just until combined.
Drop by tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two baking sheets.
Top each with a chocolate square.
Bake until just lightly golden, 11-13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
Remove sheets from oven; heat broiler.
Top each cookie with a marshmallow.
One sheet at a time, broil until marshmallows are lightly browned, 1-1 1/2 minutes.
Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

Water Chestnut Appetizers

2009-06-04T11:00:00.001-07:00

I was looking for an easy but yummy appetizer for Marc's birthday party last weekend. My college roommate, Courtney, offered this suggestion. It was a huge hit! Definitely the first thing gone and many requests for the recipe, so here it is!

Water Chestnuts & Bacon
(thank Court! http://fiveunderfive.blogspot.com/2009/03/water-chestnut-appetizer.html )

1 5 oz can of WHOLE water chestnuts, drained
1/4 c. soy sauce
8 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise (good quality maple bacon like they have at Costco works well for this recipe)
1/4 c. sugar

Bake bacon in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Combine drained water chestnuts and soy sauce. Let stand for 30 minutes. Discard soy sauce. Roll chestnuts in sugar.
Wrap bacon around each chestnut. Put a toothpick through it to secure it in place.
Arrange in broiler rack.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Drain on paper towel and serve immediately.

Note: Do not use the fancy toothpicks with the foil stuff at the top. It burns and isn't so pretty. Trust me on this one.

Spaghetti Carbonara

2009-06-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those days when I called Marc at work and asked what he wanted for dinner. I honestly had no ideas, didn't feel like anything specific and just needed a little inspiration. This is what he asked for and we all loved it!

Spaghetti Carbonara
(thanks to allrecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spaghetti-Carbonara-II/Detail.aspx)

1 pound spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 slices bacon, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add wine if desired; cook one more minute.
Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Add beaten eggs and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty).
Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.

Everything Salad

2009-06-02T18:31:00.001-07:00

This is yet another salad recipe from my Rochester, NY recipe swap group. Still making it, 7 years later, and people are still asking for the recipe. Here it is!

Everything Salad
(thanks to Jessica Lee)

Salad greens (preferably spinach, or a “spring mix”)
Sliced mushrooms
Red onion
Craisens
Avocado
Bacon
Cucumber
Feta Cheese
Blueberries (FRESH!)

Dressing:
½ red onion
2 c. sugar
4 tsp. Dry mustard
1 tsp. Salt
1 c. red wine vinegar

In Cuisinart, blend until frothy. Then slowly add 2 c. extra virgin olive oil.
(**Makes a LOT of dressing—you can store it for a while, or just cut the recipe in half)

Cafe Rio Pork Tacos

2009-06-02T18:21:00.001-07:00

I have only eaten at Cafe Rio in Utah once or twice, so I am not the fanatic like others I know, and don't really know if this truly tastes like the real thing. Probably not--most knock-offs are a let down. But this recipe is still REALLY good--a favorite of mine--and it came with the name "Cafe Rio Pork," so I'll stick with it.

Cafe Rio Pork & Tomatillo Dressing
(thanks to Cami Arnold for passing this along during our online recipe swap!)

1-2 lb. pork loin
1 can tomato sauce
1 can green chiles
½ c. brown sugar

Put all 4 ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for about 8 hrs.—just cook until pork can pull apart easily & shred.

**This can be adjusted depending on how much meat you need to cook or how sweet or spicy you like it.

**I love the small, individually wrapped pork loins you can get at Costco. They come individually wrapped and sold in sets of 3.

Serve in tortillas with cheese, cilantro, lettuce, tomatoes, avacado, pico de gallo, etc………….whatever you like, but make sure you don’t forget the tomatillo dressing—it is the key!!!

Tomatillo Dressing
1 Buttermilk ranch dressing packet (Hidden Valley recommended)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo (do not use low fat or fat free)
2 tomatillos, husk removed and diced (usually sold near tomatoes- they are green)
½ bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of one lime
1 jalepeno – remove seeds- unless you like lots of spice (you could substitute a few drops of green tobasco)

Use a food processor to blend the ingredients well. Refrigerate for one to two hours before using.

**I halved the recipe and we still had more than enough, and also left out the jalepeno and/or tobasco because I didn’t’ have it, and it was still great and had enough kick.

Double Chocolate Brownies

2009-06-02T18:10:00.001-07:00

A co-worker of mine brought these into work one night. I just about died. I LOVE brownies and these are some of the best I've tried. Maybe it's because I have gotten used to box brownie mix, I don't know, but these from-scratch brownies are amazing! They have a kind of crispy/flaky/sugary top and are super moist inside. DE-lish!

Double Chocolate Brownies

(thanks to Neal for sharing his mom's recipe!)

3/4 c. butter or margarine (1 1/2 sticks)

4 oz. (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate

(can substitute 12 Tblspn. cocoa powder + 1 tsp. margarine)

2 c. sugar

4 eggs

1 1/4 c. flour

2 tsp. vanilla

1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips (2 cups)

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 9 X 13 pan with nonstick foil, leaving overhang.

In a large glass bowl, heat butter and unsweetened chocolate in microwave for 2 minutes.

Stir until smooth, and let stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Whisk in sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla.

Stir in nuts and 1c. of the chocolate chips.

Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until top is dry to the touch.

Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Lift brownies from pan with foil, cut and serve.

Strawberry Ricotta Muffins

2009-05-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

I actually made these muffins for Easter--sorry it's taken me so long to post. Man, I am seriously slacking off. Thanks to Courtney for giving me a kick in the you-know-what and getting me going again. I have been in a serious rut--so much so, that I had to post on Facebook and ask for dinner ideas. Sad. Anyway, I made these muffins back at Easter. They were delish. They taste more like a scone---they are quite dense. After "dehydrating" my strawberries, I realized I could have skipped this very lengthy step and just used some of my food storage dehydrated strawberries! Next time...because there will be a next time!

Strawberry Ricotta Muffins
found the recipe online: http://localfoods.about.com/od/spring/r/StrawberryMuff.htm

2 cups medium strawberries
3/4 cup ricotta
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
10 Tbsp. butter melted and cooled, divided
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. lime zest
2 cups flour
2 tsp.baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently wash, hull, and cut strawberries into quarters. Place berries on a cooling rack over a sheet pan. Bake until strawberries are partially dried, about 45 minutes. Let cool.
Increase oven to 400 degrees. Brush a 12-mold muffin tin with 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together ricotta, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in remaining butter.
In a large bowl, use your fingertips to rub together sugar and lime zest until sugar is moist. Mix in flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Use a spatula to gently but quickly fold ricotta mixture into dry ingredients. Don’t overwork it. The batter will be thick and heavy. Stir in strawberries and spoon batter evenly into muffin tins. Bake until tops of muffins are golden and springy to the touch, about 20-25 minutes.

Poolgogi

2009-04-05T08:38:00.001-07:00

A coworker of mine in Boise, ID brought her leftovers of this for lunch one day and gave me a bite. I loved it and asked for the recipe. She knew it off the top of her head and so I jotted it down on a papertowel--which I still have. Time to get it written somewhere a little safer...

Poolgogi
(thanks to Sharon, at SLRMC in Boise, ID!)

1 large or 2 medium pieces of Round Steak
(**ask butcher to put meat through tenderizer about 4 times—it will be almost shredded!)

Marinade:
1 c. soy sauce
½ c. sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tblspn. sesame oil
1/3 c. vegetable oil
½ c. minced scallions
1/3 c. toasted sesame seeds

Marinate meat for about 1 ½ hours.
Barbeque (can BBQ on piece of foil, so meat doesn’t fall through grate).
Slice meat in thin strips, across the grain.
Serve over rice.

**I also cook and reduce the marinade to make a sauce to drizzle over meat & rice when serving.
**Serve with stir-fry vegetables for a complete meal.

Strawberry Chicken Salad

2009-04-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

I have a few other versions of a strawberry salads that I love, but Marc actually liked this one because it wasn't as sweet as my others. This one has chicken and bleu cheese, making it a bit more "hearty"--it was really, really good!

Strawberry Chicken Salad
(Simple & Delicious, July/Aug 2007)
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Strawberry-Chicken-Salad-4

5 cups spring mix salad greens
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1-1/4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 medium kiwifruit, peeled and chopped
1 large apple, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup poppy seed salad dressing

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients.
Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings.

Basil-Tomato Grilled Cheese

2009-04-05T08:25:00.000-07:00

Just ready to try something new, so I pulled this one out of my file. It's kind of like a grilled bruschetta sandwich--yummy! I served it with the Strawberry Chicken Salad (to follow).

Basil-Tomato Grilled Cheese
(Simple & Delicious, July/Aug 2007)
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Basil-Tomato-Grilled-Cheese

8 slices Italian bread (3/4 inch thick)
8 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 large plum tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

On four slices of bread, layer cheese and tomatoes; sprinkle with the basil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Top with remaining bread.
In a small bowl, combine the oil, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder; brush over the outsides of each sandwich.
In a small skillet over medium heat, toast sandwiches until golden brown on both sides and cheese is melted.
Yield: 4 servings.

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

2009-03-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

I found a scrap of a magazine page with this recipe on it--don't know where it came from. These cookies reminded of the Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies that are so good--but these are even better because they are homemade!

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies
(ripped out of a cookie brochure that came in the mail)

1 1/2 c. shortening
2 2/3 c. packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
4 c. old-fashioned oats

Filling:
3/4 c. shortening
3 c. powdered sugar
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme
1-3 Tblspn. milk

1. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; add to creamed mixture. Stir in oats.

2. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. (make sure you really keep them small because they really spread out) Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

3. For filling, in a mixing bowl, cream the first three ingredients. Add enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread filling on the bottom half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Penne Rustica

2009-03-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

One of Marc's favorite dishes is Macaroni Grill's "Penne Rustica"--so when I asked him what he wanted for dinner the other night, that is what he said. Well, thanks to the internet, I found a recipe that tastes exactly like the restaurant's version. I omitted a few things simply because I didn't have them on hand, but otherwise, just followed this recipe (OH, but I only used 4 c. of cream instead of 8 and it was still PLENTY of sauce for 16oz. of pasta)

Penne Rustica

(http://www.recipezaar.com/Romanos-Macaroni-Grill-Penne-Rustica-114360)

Gratinata sauce
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 cup marsala wine
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

For Gratinata Sauce:
Saute butter, garlic, and rosemary until garlic begins to brown. Add Marsala wine and reduce by one-third. Add remaining ingredients, reduce by half of the original volume. Set aside.

Penne Rustica
1 ounce pancetta or bacon
18 shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 ounces grilled chicken breasts, sliced
16-24 ounces penne pasta, cooked
3 teaspoons chopped pimiento
6 ounces butter
1 teaspoon chopped shallot
1 pinch salt and pepper
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
6 sprigs fresh rosemary

For Penne Rustica:

Saute pancetta until it begins to brown.
Add butter, shallots, and shrimp.
Cook until shrimp are evenly pink but still translucent.
Add chicken, salt, pepper, and mix thoroughly.
Add gratinata sauce and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
Simmer until sauce thickens.
In a large bowl, combine shrimp& chicken mixture with the cooked pasta.
Pour into a large casserole dish or roaster.
Top with remaining cheese, pimientos and sprinkle with paprika.
Bake at 475 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove and garnish with fresh rosemary sprig.

Chicken Marsala

2009-03-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

Even though this doesn't measure up to The Cheesecake Factory's "Chicken Marsala" (honestly, what could ever come close to that? It is the BEST!)--this was still a great meal. I found the recipe on the back of the marsala wine bottle--thanks Holland House!

Chicken Marsala
(on the back of Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine)
Here is what I really did:

8-10 chicken tenders
flour, salt & pepper
2 Tblspn. butter
3/4 c. Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine
1/4 c. water
2 Tblspn. parsley
1/4 tsp. rosemary

Dredge chicken in a mixture of flour, salt & pepper.
Melt butter in large skillet and cook chicken, about 4 minutes on each side until cooked through.
Remove chicken to serving platter.
Stir in Marsala wine, water, parsley & rosemary.
Reduce by 1/3 and then add chicken back for a few minutes until heated thru.

I served this over angel hair pasta.
This recipe calls for 2 c. mushrooms (saute before the chicken, remove and then add them back into the sauce to heat thru before serving.)

Betsy's Rolls

2009-03-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

I am a serious carb-addict. The problem is, I can't make bread to save my life! I have tried all the "fool-proof" recipes that friends swear I can't mess up--but I do. Somehow, every bread/roll recipe turns into a solid brick of tasteless carbs. So frustrating! I have the electric wheat grinder, Bosch mixer, KitchenAid, you-name-it, but they don't help me make a decent loaf of bread. Honestly, I think it's the bread recipes where they give you a range of the amount of flour to use and I just don't know what consistency I am going for. I need to see it, feel it and have someone walk me through step by step. Well...I think I finally hit the jackpot! I wasn't able to see or feel it, but Courtney's step-by-step instructions for her mom's rolls has been the winning recipe for me. I am so excited! I made a whole batch this morning and took them to a potluck lunch with friends--they we gone. That's a big deal considering there were only 4 friends and about 36 rolls!

Betsy Cannon's Rolls
(thanks Courtney--these have changed my life! :)) http://fiveunderfive.blogspot.com/2009/01/moms-rolls.html
OH, check out Courtney's blog here--it's great!

2 packets yeast

1 Tblspn sugar
Warm water to dissolve yeast
1 cup milk
1/2 butter or margarine, melted (I use butter) - the original recipe calls for oil
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
approx. 5-6 cups flour

Step 1:
Put yeast and sugar in a large plastic cup (I doubt the cup needs to be plastic this is just how she does it), cover with warm water and stir with a fork. Set aside.

Step 2:
Put milk in a glass container and microwave for 2 minutes or you can scald it on the stovetop in a small pan. After scalding the milk, put the stick of butter in the container of milk. This melts the butter while also bringing the temperature of the milk down so it won't cook the eggs. Set aside.

Step 3:
In a mixer, combine the sugar, eggs and salt.

Step 4:
Add the yeast mixture and the milk/butter mixture to the mixer and mix everything together.

Step 5:
Add the flour 2 cups at a time. Mix well after each addition. Once all the flour is added, mix for at least 4 or 5 minutes. When I asked my mom how much flour she used, her only directions were "it's more than the recipe says" (Louise says 4-5 cups, sifted). She makes these so often that she just knows when the dough is the right consistency. I'm not that good so I started at 4 cups and then added flour 1/4 cup at time until I decided that 5 3/4 cup is right for New Jersey. We don't sift either.
The dough should pull away from the side of the mixer. If you have too little flour, the rolls won't hold their shape. If you have too much flour, they are too dry. My mom instructed that if I added too much flour, I could add another egg.

Step 6:
Leave in mixer, cover and let raise for about an hour.

Step 7:
Run the mixer (I do this on the lowest setting) for a few revolutions. This is supposed to make the dough finer.

Step 8:
Roll out the dough on a floured surface. The first time I made these, I spread butter on the top of the dough. I was planning to make part of the dough into cinnamon rolls and got ahead of myself. I like the extra butter so I still do it that way. My mom does not (unless she is making cinnamon rolls).

Step 9:
Form rolls into desired shape. My mom usually does knots so I do too. Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into strips (approx 3/4 inch wide) and then cut the strip into 3 or 4 smaller sections. Tie each piece in a knot and tuck the ends under the roll. Place formed rolls on a greased pan.

Step 10:
Let rolls raise another hour or so.

Step 11:
Bake at 350 degrees until light brown - maybe 10 minutes or so.

Notes:
This recipe usually makes enough for two nights of rolls for our family as well as a batch of cinnamon rolls. After I form the rolls into knots, I will put enough for that's night meal on one greased pan and let them raise for dinner. For the rest, I grease a pan and put the rolls on a cookie sheet. I cover the cookie sheet with foil and freeze (don't let them raise for the second time before freezing). Once the rolls are frozen, I take them off the cookie sheets and put them in ziploc bags (laid out flat) in the freezer. I then just take out as many rolls as I need. The rolls need about 2-3 hours to thaw and raise after being frozen.
My mom typically doubles the recipe in her Bosch. I have the basic-sized Kitchen Aid and it's a bit small to double so I don't. When doubling, you don't need to double the yeast (my mom says Pam Craig who is a wonderful homemaker told her that). The original recipe calls for two packets of yeast (or 1 1/2 Tbsp) - my mom says she uses 2 Tbsp of yeast when she doubles.

Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza Crust

2009-02-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

I am posting this more for my own sake--I need to keep it somewhere so I can find it again. Every year I make fruit pizzas for the teachers at Addison's elementary school. I'm not so good at sugar cookies--which is the crust--so every year I panic over what to do and how they'll turn out. My neighbor gave me this recipe and it worked PERFECT this year! So I need to remember it...

Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza Crust
(thanks Cheri!)

2 1/2 c. butter
3 c. sugar
6 eggs
3 T. water
1 T. vanilla
8-10 c. flour
2 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs, water and vanilla.
Add the flour (using all 10 cups if mixing with a KitchenAid), baking powder and salt.
Roll dough between aluminum foil and plastic wrap.
At this point, you can cut out sugar cookies or use the rolled out dough to fit in 4 jellyroll pans (there is just enough).
Bake at 350 degrees.
14 min for thick sugar cookies
17 minutes for jellyroll pans

Cucumber Chicken Salad Sandwiches

2009-02-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

A nice change from my standard turkey and cheese...

Cucumber Chicken Salad Sandwiches
(Light & Tasty)
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cucumber-Chicken-Salad-Sandwiches

1 cup cubed cooked chicken breast
1/3 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dill weed

Combine ingredients, mix well and chill until ready to serve.

Great on thick slices of sourdough with a slice of provolone!

Kitchen Sink Quesadillas

2009-02-19T08:24:00.001-08:00

In trying to figure out the name, these are my thoughts:
1. I thought of the phrase "everything but the kitchen sink"--but there really isn't that much stuff in these quesadillas
2. Maybe because you empty cans of stuff and drain them in the sink before preparing the quesadillas?
I seriously have no clue, but they were good and the Mexican side salad was a nice change (I added tomatoes and cucumbers).
I loved this because all the quesadillas were baked, not fried with butter, and they were all done at once!

Kitchen Sink Quesadillas
(Real Simple, January 2007)
http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1594331

1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained
1 11-ounce can corn kernels, drained
3/4 cup salsa, drained
1 8-count package large flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Juice of 1 to 2 limes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 head romaine lettuce, sliced 1 inch thick

Heat oven to 400° F.
In a medium bowl, combine the beans, corn, and salsa.
Place 4 tortillas on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle with half the cheese.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the black bean mixture on top of the cheese.
Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and sandwich with the remaining tortillas.
Bake until the cheese has melted, 5 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the onion, cilantro, salt, pepper, lime juice, and oil.
Add the lettuce and toss.
Transfer the quesadillas to a cutting board. Cut each into 6 wedges.
Serve with the salad.

EASY Baked Chicken Breast Supreme

2009-02-18T09:46:00.001-08:00

I found this in my pile of recipes last week when I was desperate for a dinner idea. I already had all the ingredients, so it was a done deal (any time I don't have to go to the grocery store with 3 kids, it's a good thing). This was more "simple" than it was "supreme" but it was great in a pinch!

Baked Chicken Breast Supreme
(I have no idea!)

2 T. butter
2 T. oil
6 chicken breasts (I used 4)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 c. apple juice
1/2 c. half-n-half
1 can sliced mushrooms (I omitted)
1 tsp. worchestershire sauce
1 tsp. tarragon

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In oven, heat butter and oil in 9 X 13 baking dish.
Place chicken in dish, turning to coat chicken. Bake uncovered for 1 hour.
Mix soup, cream, and juice. Stir in spices and mushrooms.
Remove chicken from oven and pour soup mixture over the chicken.
Cover and cook 15-20 minutes longer.
Serve over egg noodles or rice.

For-The-Glory Pie

2009-02-04T13:11:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure I tore this recipe out of a Better Homes & Gardens issue a few years back. I first made it for 4th of July while at my parents house 2 years ago and have made it several times since. Since berries are "in season" right now (at least price wise), I decided to make it on Superbowl Sunday. I have one serving left and am looking forward to finishing it off tonight!

For-The-Glory Pie
(Better Homes & Gardens)

8 oz. sour cream
¾-1 c. sugar (I use the lesser amount if the berries are fresh)
3 Tblspn. flour
¼ tsp. Salt
4 c. fresh blackberries (or you can use frozen berries, thawed)
¼ c. fine dry bread crumbs
2 Tblspn. sugar
1 Tblspn. butter, melted

Stir together the ¾ to 1 c. sugar, sour cream, flour and salt until combined. Set aside.
Place blackberries in a pre-baked pie shell.
(you can make your own favorite recipe, or buy a frozen-ready-to-bake one at the store)
Spread the sour cream mixture evenly over the berries. (I try to tap/push it down between the berries)
In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, 2 Tblspn. sugar and the melted butter.
Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on the sour cream mixture.
Cover the edge of the pie crust with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the top of the pie is golden and the berry mixture bubbles slightly.

Serve slightly warm (cool at least an hour) a la mode!

My new favorite cereal

2009-02-04T13:07:00.000-08:00

Archer Farms (Target's brand) Blueberry Granola with Flax...seriously, it's SO good!

Tony Roma's Baked Potato Soup

2009-01-23T09:07:00.000-08:00

I've kind of been on a soup kick lately, but I think it's time to kick the kick because we aren't even close to soup weather. It's in the 80's here today! Guess it's time to fire up the barbeque instead! So here is my last soup recipe for a while...

Tony Roma's Baked Potato Soup

(dont' know if this is REALLY the restaurants recipe--I copied it from my friend Allison)

2-3 medium potatoes, baked, peeled & diced

(bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour)

3 Tblspn. butter

2 Tblspn. flour

4 c. chicken stock

3 c. water

1/4 c. cornstarch

1 1/2 c. instant mashed potatoes

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. basil

1/8 tsp. thyme

1 c. half-n-half

In large pot, melt butter and saute onions until tender and slightly brown.

Add flour to onions.

Add stock, water, cornstarch, mashed potatoes and spices.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and add half-n-half and diced baked potatoes.

Garnish with grated cheese, chopped bacon & diced green onions.

Beef Stroganoff

2009-01-23T08:54:00.000-08:00

My mom doesn't love cooking like I do. In fact, she doesn't even LIKE to cook. She usually makes the simplest, easiest, fastest thing and eats only to survive. (sigh) I wish I was more like her...but instead, I love food. I don't mind the grocery shopping, I don't mind the prep work or the cooking, and I love the eating part of it all. That being said, there are still days when I need something simple, easy, & fast. So instead of looking through my recipes, I look to my mom. This is her recipe--the stroganoff I grew up on, and ironically, one of Marc's favorites.

Beef Stroganoff

(thanks Mom!)

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. beef boullion

Brown the beef and then add onions. Sprinkle garlic salt and dry mustard over meat. Then add in the mayo, sour cream and broth. Simmer until all mixed and heated through.

Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Coq au Vin

2009-01-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

"Coq au Vin" is French for "rooster in wine." Well, there is no rooster in this, and there is no wine--it's chicken & broth--but that is the name it was given in the magazine and it sounds much fancier than "hearty slop", so I'll just stick with it. But whatever you call this, Marc LOVED it! Seriously loved it. But remember, he is a "meat and potatoes kind of guy" and if you add any type of cream sauce, he thinks he has died and gone to heaven. So this was a huge winner in his book--but we all liked it.

Coq au Vin

(Simple & Delicious, Jan/Feb 2007)

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Coq-Au-Vin

6 medium red potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup water
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (does NOT taste like this soup at all--flavor is well masked by the thyme)
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1-1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms (I omitted)
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup chopped green onions

Place potatoes and water in a microwave-safe dish; cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Add carrots; cook 4 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Drain.

In a large bowl, combine the soup, wine or broth, bouillon, garlic, parsley, thyme and pepper.

Cut each chicken breast half into three pieces. Add the chicken, potato mixture, mushrooms, bacon and onions to soup mixture; stir to coat.

Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.

Cover and bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until no longer pink.

Yield: 6 servings.

Corn Bisque with Rosemary and Bell Pepper

2009-01-20T13:25:00.000-08:00

I have been in the mood for soup lately--something I learned to like later in life. In my quest for new soup recipes, one of my college roommates shared her favorite with me. It is now a favorite of mine (and Marc's), too!

Corn Bisque with Rosemary and Red Bell Pepper
(thanks Chelsea!)

4 T. (1/2 stick) butter
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 C. diced carrot
1/2 C. diced celery
7 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed, drained (about 42 ounces)
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
1 C. half and half
1 red bell pepper, chopped

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
Add onions, carrot, and celery and sauté 3 minutes.
Add 5 1/2 cups corn, rosemary, and cayenne pepper and sauté 2 minutes.
Add stock, bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender and liquid is slightly reduced, about 30 minutes.
Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to pot.
Mix in half and half and remaining 2 cups corn. S
eason to taste with salt and pepper.
Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium- high heat.
Add bell pepper and sauté until almost tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir bell pepper into soup (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)

Croissant and Chocolate Bread Pudding

2009-01-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

Even though the holidays are over, we still crave chocolate around here. We had this on Monday night for FHE. It is great served warm, and of course, a la mode!

Croissant and Chocolate Bread Pudding
(Real Simple, Dec. 2008)
http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1858486

Unsalted butter for the baking dish, at room temperature

6 large egg yolks

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 croissants, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 pound)

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks

Heat oven to 375° F.

Butter an 8-inch square or other shallow 2-quart baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg.

Add the croissants and chocolate and mix to combine.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make-Ahead Tip: Cut the croissants and chop the chocolate, then store them at room temperature in separate resealable plastic bags for up to 1 day.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Chicken Lime (Tortilla) Soup

2009-01-16T07:32:00.000-08:00

Chicken Lime (Tortilla) Soup
(thanks to my friend Allison Sovereign--I copied this recipe from her book when I visited her last year in AZ)
4 chicken breasts, cooked & cubed/shredded
1 onion, diced
16 oz. can of diced tomatoes
10 oz. can tomatoes with diced green chilis (RoTel)
8 c. water
3 (16 oz.) cans hominy, drained
6 chicken bouillion cubes
salt to taste
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Monterey Jack cheese
limes
tortilla chips

Saute onion in a little butter.
Add the rest of ingredients & simmer for about an hour.
Serve over crushed chips, squeeze 1/2 lime over each bowl & top with cheese.
(the lime is a MUST--it makes the soup!)

To pre-cook chicken for any type of recipe: bring water to boil and put raw chicken breasts in water. Boil for 6 minutes. Turn off stove heat, cover pot and set timer for 12 minutes. Then drain and let chicken cool before handling.

Banana Oat Smoothie

2009-01-16T06:02:00.000-08:00

A healthy start to the new year, and each new day...

Banana-Oat Smoothie

(MS EveryDay Food)

In a blender combine:

1/4 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 c. plain low-fat yogurt

1 banana, cut into thirds

1/2 c. fat-free milk

2 tsp. honey

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Puree until smooth. Serve immediately. (Best if REALLY cold)

Gnocchi with Sausage & Spinach

2009-01-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

Gnocchi with Sausage & Spinach
(Real Simple, March 2007)

Two 9 oz. packages refrigerated gnocchi, or one 17.5 oz. package shelf-stable gnocchi
1 Tblspn. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 lb. Italian ground sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
One 5-oz bag baby spinach
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¾ c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnishing

Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions, reserving ¼ c. of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet and cook onion until softened, about 5 min.
Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a spoon, until browned (5-7 min.)
Add the garlic, spinach, salt & pepper and cook, tossing frequently, until spinach wilts.
Add the drained gnocchi, the reserved cooking liquid, and the Parmesan, and toss.Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

A new year...a new system

2009-01-15T09:06:00.001-08:00

I have tried a number of different ways to keep track of my "to try" recipes. So far, nothing has worked all that well. This year, I am trying something new......I bought a file box. A portable, cute file box.
I rip recipes out of magazines all the time and end up with an unsightly mess of papers. Today is the day to organize them in this box, in hopes of getting through even more new recipes this year. Once I get these organized, I will go through my email account where I have saved literally HUNDREDS of recipes and try to weed out what we really will try, print them off and add them to the box, too.
Wish me luck!

A look back at 2008

2009-01-05T08:11:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for 2008 was to start a recipe blog. Thank goodness I can cross off at least ONE goal from my list! :) We tried a LOT of new recipes this past year, but only 109 made it to the blog--that's an average of 9 new recipes per month. Not bad. I just looked back to see what we have tried and liked and decided to pick my favorite from each category. Here are my top picks of 2008:

Appetizer: Cheesy Spinach Pinwheels
Artichokes: Hearty Greek Pasta
Beef: Cahoon's Crockpot Beef
Bread: Sweet Texan Cornbread
Breakfast: Early Riser Oven Omelet
Brunch: Veggie Pizza
Chicken & Entree: Baked Chicken Fajita Tostadas w/ Cilantro Lime Rice
Cookies: It's a tie! Coconut Sandwiches & Peppermint Chocolate Chunk cookies
Cream Cheese: Raspberry Cream Cheese Cake
Dessert: How do I choose just one? I had to pick 3!
Le Jour at la Nuit Hotel de Crillon
Black Bottom Macaroon
Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie
Lime: Baked Lime Chicken
Pasta: Stove-top Macaroni and Cheese
(I already chose "Hearty Greek Pasta" for my artichoke pick!)
Pork: Baked Pork Chops
Salad: Out of This World Salad
Side: Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Soup: White Chicken Chili

Elusive Blackberry Cake

2008-12-30T12:53:00.000-08:00

When our husbands were in business school, my friend JoAnna McAllister and I used to bring each others family dinner once a week--just to give each other one night off from cooking. She brought me this cake one night. I have since made it for brunch, too. It's especially good with fresh picked berries!

Elusive Blackberry Cake
(thanks to JoAnna McAllister)

1 stick butter
1 c. sugar (reserve 1 Tblspn. for sprinkling on berries)
2 eggs
1 tsp. lemon extract
Sift together:
1 c. flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
2 baskets blackberries (raspberries are good, too!)

Beat together butter and sugar until light.
Add eggs and extract and mix well.
Add flour and baking powder—mix lightly.
Turn into buttered 8 inch square pan.
Top with berries and sprinkle with remaining 1 Tblspn. sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.
Garnish with powdered sugar.

**The cake will rise up and bake around the berries, so there is no need to push them down in the batter. Just lay them on top and sprinkle the sugar. Guess that's why it's called "elusive"!

Chicken Piccata

2008-12-30T12:35:00.000-08:00

I love chicken piccata. My favorite version can be found at Cheesecake Factory. Ever since Marc and I went there when we were dating, I have been trying to copy their recipe, but it is just never quite as good. I found this recipe in Cuisine At Home and decided to try it. I think it is the closest I've come to Cheesecake Factory and the best version yet!

Chicken Piccata
(www.CuisineAtHome.com)

4 chicken cutlets
2 T. vegetable oil
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 t. garlic, minced
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. capers, drained
2 T. unsalted butter
fresh lemon slices
chopped fresh parsley

Season cutlets with salt and pepper, then dust with flour.
Coat saute pan with nonstick spray, add 2 T. vegetable oil, nad hear over medium-high heat.
Saute cutlets 2-3 minutes on one side, flip over and saute another 1-2 minutes on the other side.
Transfer cutlets to a warm plate; pour off fat from the pan.
Deglaze pan with wine and add minced garlic. Cook until garlic is slightly brown and liquid is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Add broth, lemon juice, and capers.
Return cutlets to pan and cook on each side for 1 minute.
Transfer cutlets to warm plate.
Finish sauce with butter and lemons. Once butter is melted, pour sauce over cutlets, garnish with parsley and serve.

**I made this for 4 adults and 6 kids--I used 15 chicken tenders and 4X everything else. I also skipped the "return cutlets to pan and cook for 1 momre minute" step and just added the butter to the sauce and poured the sauce over all the chicken and let it sit a few minutes before serving. I LOVED it!

Tastes like candy!

2008-12-27T14:40:00.000-08:00

A few weeks after Soren was born, Marc took the girls away for the long Easter weekend. My girlfriend was kind enough to bring me a full plate of Easter dinner. On it, was a serving of mashed sweet potatoes. I am not a yam fan--I don't even carry on the Skidmore tradition of "sweet potato souffle" for Thanksgiving--so I was reluctant to even try these. But having just had a baby, my appetite was out of control, so I dug in. WOW! They were awesome! They tasted just like candy....seriously. I immediately asked for the recipe (which originally came from Joy's sister-in-law). So when Marc came home from his trip, I told him about these, and since he didn't like sweet potatoes either, his lack of excitement kind of burst my enthusiasm for these. Needless to say, the recipe stayed in my "recipe folder" on my email, never being printed, and never being made--until this Christmas, that is. We had my inlaws and neighbors over for dinner, so I figured it would be a good time to make these--because even if Marc wouldn't eat them, at least someone would. Well, to make this long story short, he LOVED them, and even made the comment "they're just like candy!"

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
(thanks to Joy, and her sister-in-law Natalie)

3 c. cooked mashed yams (about 2-3 yams)
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick of softened butter

Peel, cut and boil yams until soft. After they are cooked, mash them together with the above ingredients, making a mashed potato consistency. Spoon into a casserole dish and top with topping:

1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. butter

Mix together to form a crumble and spread over mashed yams. Top with pecan bits--the more, the better.

**I doubled this, of course!!!

Christmas Eve Appetizer

2008-12-27T14:29:00.000-08:00

Marc's family tradition is for everyone to bring an appetizer for Christmas Eve dinner. Even though we weren't with family the past two years, we have gotten together with friends who carry on this tradition. This year, I made these:

Cheesy Spinach Pinwheels

(thanks to Pillsbury.com)

1 can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

6 Tblspn. garlic herb spreadable cheese (I found this in the deli section)

6 slices cooked deli ham

24-30 fresh spinach leaves

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Separate dough into 4 rectangles; press perforation to seal.
Spread rectangles with cheese to within 1/4" of edges; top with ham and spinach.
Starting at shortest side, roll up each rectangle; press edges to seal.
Cut each roll into 6 slices.
Place cut side down on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12-18 minutes, until golden brown.

Farmhouse Ham Chowder

2008-12-22T12:44:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a great day for soup; cold, windy, and home from church. I tried this new recipe, courtesy of Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious. The soup base is milk & dry Ranch dressing, so I was a bit concerned that it would just taste like Ranch with stuff in it--but it didn't. In fact, I would never have guessed it had that seasoning in it at all. Super easy, went together really fast, and hearty enough to fill us up. Perfect for a cold day!

Farmhouse Ham Chowder
(Simple & Delicious, March/April 2008)
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Farmhouse-Ham-Chowder

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
4-1/4 cups milk
2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

In a large saucepan, saute the onion, celery and red pepper in butter until vegetables are crisp-tender.
Stir in flour and dressing mix until smooth; gradually stir in milk.
Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Add the potatoes, corn, ham and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until heated through.
Sprinkle with cheese before serving.
Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

My new favorite holiday cookie!

2008-12-22T12:29:00.000-08:00

My friend Joy has made these cookies every year for my cookie exchange party. Every year, I hoard them to myself and try not to share them. This year, when Marc and I were in the kitchen arguing over who got the last one, I decided it was time to just get the recipe. Funny thing, it is already a recipe I have, and have posted on here, too! Joy uses Janet's Chunky Chocolate Chip cookie recipe and just adds 2 cups of crushed candy canes (or other peppermint candy). SO good!

Peppermint Chocolate Chunk Cookies

(thanks to Joy & Janet!)

3 sticks butter

1 1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 1/4 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tblspn vanilla

Cream together the above ingredients.

Then add:
3 1/4 c. flour
1 c. cake flour OR 1c. + 2 Tblspn regular flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
When well mixed, add 2 c. chocolate chunks (one small bag)
2 c. crushed peppermint (candy canes or starlight mints)

Drop by LARGE spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-14 minutes.

(I cooked them about 10-11min.--then they are still chewy)

Peppermint Snowballs

2008-12-17T08:11:00.000-08:00

I was trying to figure out what cookie to make for my annual cookie exchange party, so I perused one of those emails I am sure you have all gotten with the hundreds and hundreds of cookie recipes. This one caught my eye. I didn't make them for the party, but I've still had rave reviews! So here's the recipe:

Peppermint Snowballs (although they look nothing like a snowball)
(thanks to Northpole.com)

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 1/4 c. butter, softened

1 tsp. peppermint extract

1 tsp. vanillla

1 egg

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. finely crushed peppermint candy (divided)

granulated sugar, as needed

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the powdered sugar, butter, peppermint extract, vanilla and egg.

Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (2-3 minutes).

Reduce speed to low and add flour, baking powder and salt.

Beat, scraping bowl often, until well blended (1-2 minutes).

By hand, stir in 1/2 c. candy.

Shape dough into 3/4" balls; roll in granulated sugar; place 1" apart on cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set.

Cool completely.

GLAZE

Combine 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar and enough milk (2-3 T.) for desired consistency. Drizzle cooled cookies with glaze. Immediately sprinkle with the remaining peppermint candy.

Easy Crockpot Roast

2008-12-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

Easy Crockpot Roast
(I have no idea where I got this recipe)

1 beef roast, any kind, sized to fit your crockpot
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix
½ c. or more water

Place roast in crockpot. Mix all 3 envelopes of seasonings together and sprinkle in top of roast. Pour ½ c. warm water in bottom of crockpot. Cook on low for 6-7 hours (or until it falls apart--all depends on the size roast).

Great because it makes its own gravy!!!!

White Chicken Chili

2008-12-09T19:48:00.001-08:00

This is a delicious soup. I got the recipe from my sister-in-law, Lonni and have passed it on to a few people already. My other sister-in-law (on the other side of the family) made it this year for her ward "chili cook-off" and won 1st place...so you know it's gotta be good!
P.S. She also won 1st place for her cornbread--which is a recipe of mine that I posted a while back! Together, they make a great meal!

White Chicken Chili
(thanks Lonni!)

2 cans white navy beans (rinsed and drained)
4 large poblano chilies or 8 anaheim chilies (roasted, peeled and cut and diced)
1/4 cup butter
2 large onions chopped1/3 cup flour
4 c low salt chicken broth
3 c half and half
4 c cooked and shredded chicken
1 T chili powder
1 T hot pepper sauce
1 T ground cumin
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
(can add more spiced for hotter taste)
1 1/2 c grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 c sour cream
Cilantro

Melt butter in a large stock pot over med. heat.
Add onions and saute until tender, about 15min.
Add flour and stir 5 min. (do not brown).
Gradually whisk in chicken broth and half and half.
Simmer gently until thickened, about 10 min.
Add reserved white beans and roasted chilies, shredded chicken and spices.
Simmer gently to blend flavors, about 20 min.
Add sour cream and most of your cheese (save some to go on top)-- heat until heated through and cheese melts (do not boil).
Top with cilantro and cheese.

**To roast chilies: you can either throw them on the BBQ on medium heat and turn frequently until browned or roast them over an open gas flame on your stovetop (which is what I did this time). Honestly, I didn't peel them, just diced them small. I also only put in about 1/2 this time because my parents were in town and they don't like hot stuff--and this can get quite spicy depending on how many peppers you put in.

Bethlehem Pork & Tzatziki Sauce

2008-12-09T19:36:00.001-08:00

I made about 50lbs. of pork roast for our ward Christmas party Saturday night, which was a reinactment of Bethlehem. Because of our theme, we tried to keep our meal somewhat authentic (even though the biggest faux paux was that Jewish people don't eat pork!). We had pita bread stuffed with shredded pork with tzatziki sauce, deviled eggs, olives, cheese, nuts, olives, and fruit.
I got this seasoning recipe from my friend JoAnna, who also used this recipe for her ward party last year, but she used beef. It was a huge hit in both wards!

Bethlehem Pork (or beef)
(thanks JoAnna!)

about 4lb. pork loin roast (or chuck roast)
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. rosemary
1 t. caraway (this is the one seasoning I couldn't find, so I just left it out)
1 T. minced onion
1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. oregano
1 t. marjoram
1 t. celery seed
1/2 t. red pepper

Mix all the seasoning together. Sprinkle over meat & gently rub in. Cook meat in crockpot (with just a little broth/water to cover the bottom) on LOW for 8-9 hours, or until meat pulls apart easily. Shred and stuff in pita pocket & serve with tzatziki sauce.

Tzatziki Sauce
(thanks again to JoAnna!)

2 c. plain yogurt
2 t. garlic
1 t. salt
2 cucumbers, peeled & seeded
1/2 t. pepper
2 t. olive oil
1 t. dill weed

Put all ingredients in Cuisinart until mixed well. Keep in refrigerator.

Pecan Tassies

2008-12-04T06:11:00.001-08:00

A friend from Rochester, NY made these for a farewell luncheon she put on for me when we moved to Boston. I am not a pecan pie fan, but I fell in love with these. They are so easy, I don't know why I wait until Thanksgiving to make them. I think I ate 90% of them myself--I was just so easy to pop one in my mouth while on the go with the kids! :) (FYI: they taste even better with a dollop of whipping cream on top, but do that just before serving!)

Pecan Tassies
(thanks to Emily Owsley!)

3 oz. cream cheese
½ c. butter
1 c. flour

1 egg
¾ c. brown sugar
1 Tblspn. softened butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
dash of salt
2/3 c. finely chopped pecans

Combine cream cheese, butter, and flour.
Form into ball, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Mix together egg, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, salt and finely chopped pecans.
Roll out dough 1/8” thick and use 3-inch circle cutter.
Place circle of dough in mini-muffin cups.
Fill with brown sugar-pecan filling.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Garnish with whipping cream.

Pumpkin Carrot Swirl Bars

2008-11-21T06:17:00.000-08:00

I don't like pumpkin anything--but I like these! But I was asked to make these last year for the teachers at the elementary school. They were really good, so I saved the recipe. I am glad I did because I am in charge of the Teacher Appreciation Committee this year and so we made them again. Good, easy, makes a lot and cut/present well. I think they are "relatively" low fat, too!

Pumpkin Carrot Swirl Bars
(this recipe came from Nestle)
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=28459

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup finely shredded carrot
Cream Cheese Topping (recipe follows)

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda in small bowl. Beat granulated sugar, butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin and carrot; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; mix well.
Spread into prepared pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of Cream Cheese Topping over batter; swirl mixture with spoon.
BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
FOR CREAM CHEESE TOPPING:
COMBINE 4 ounces softened light cream cheese (Neufchâtel), 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon milk in small mixer bowl until thoroughly blended.

Sparkling Punch

2008-11-15T11:45:00.000-08:00

I made this for the first time for a baby shower last night. I wish I would have taken a picture, because I thought it looked quite pretty. Oh well, next time, because I'm sure I'll make it again.

Sparkling Punch
(www.allrecipes.com http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sparkling-Punch/Detail.aspx?prop31=1 )

2 (750 milliliter) bottles sparkling apple cider
1 liter carbonated water
3 large oranges
2 lemons
1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 trays ice cubes

Thinly slice the lemons and the oranges and place in a large punch bowl. Pour in the thawed lemonade. Gently stir in the seltzer water and the sparkling apple cider. Add sugar to taste. Add large block of ice.

Black Bottom Macaroon

2008-11-12T06:16:00.001-08:00

I tried this dessert at a baby shower a few weeks back and just had to have the recipe. It is so good and so rich!

Black Bottom Macaroon
(thanks to Angelica Mings for sharing her recipe!)

1 19-21oz brownie mix + ingredients to make it

2 egg whites

14 oz sweetened flaked cocout

14oz can sweetened condensed milk

2.25 oz sliced almonds

2T. chocolate morsels or a hershy bar

1t. vegetable oil

Make brownie mix according to package, bake in a tart pan (I used a springform pan) for about 20min. Remove from oven. Mix egg whites, sweetened condensed milk, and coconut. Top baked brownies with coconut mixture, put in several globs and spread out.

Bake for an additional 20 min at 350 degrees.

Sprinkle with almonds and cook for another 5 min.

Remove from oven.

Microwave chocolate morsels and vegetable oil together and stir until smooth. Put melted chocolate into a sandwich bag, cut a small tip off of the corner and drizzle chocolate over the tart. Enjoy!

2008-10-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

After being on the road for a week and eating more than enough fast food, I was ready for something homemade and healthy tasting. I pulled out this recipe from my "to-try" pile and paired it with rice that my friend Juli once made for me. A great meal!

Spicy Green Beans with Pork
(thanks to Family Fun, October 2008)
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50588

1 pound pork tenderloin
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon spicy bean sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
1 pound green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup toasted white sesame seeds

1. Shave the pork into thin strips. (Tip: first partially freeze it for 30 to 90 minutes.) In a small bowl, toss the shaved pork with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice wine, and the pepper. Marinate the pork at room temperature while assembling the rest of the ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce, the remaining tablespoon of rice wine, the stock, spicy bean sauce, hoisin, chili garlic sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch, and set aside.
3. Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the beans and stir-fry them until they begin to brown or blister, about 10 minutes. Remove the beans from the pan using a slotted spoon and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil.
4. Return the pan to the heat and add the pork, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry the mixture until the pork is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the green onions and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the reserved sauce and green beans, mix well, and cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about one minute. Finally, sprinkle with the sesame seeds before serving. Makes about 5 cups.

(**I omitted the rice wine, spicy bean sauce, and chili garlic sauce because I didn't have them. I didn't substitute anything, just left them out. So instead of spicy beans and pork, it was more sweet. This also allowed my kids to actually taste it and they liked it! :)

Juli Miller's Fried Rice
(thanks Juli!)

2 c. cooked rice (she likes Jasmine, but I just used generic long grain white rice)
4-5 scrambled eggs (I didn't add milk, salt or pepper--just scrambled the eggs)
2-3 green onions, sliced
about 1 c. diced ham
handful of peas (I used about a cup)
soy sauce
Yoshida's gourmet sauce (this is the key ingredient!)

In large frying pan or wok, scramble eggs. Add in green onion, ham and peas until warmed through. Add in cooked rice. Drizzle with soy sauce, using only about 1-2 Tblspns and toss until evenly distributed. Then add in about 1/4c. gourmet sauce and toss until rice is evenly coated (you may need to add more).

(This recipe can easily be cut in half, as it makes a LOT!)

Sweet Texan Cornbread

2008-10-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

We are heading out of town again today and so I did the "clean out the refrigerator meal" last night. We had southwest salads and cornbread. I love doing a southwest salad when I need to use up what's in my fridge. The key ingredient is cilantro--if you have that, it will taste southwest--then you can add just about anything else. Good salad toppers are: cilantro, tomatoes, black beans, corn, grated cheese, cucumber, leftover taco meat, grilled chicken, etc. For the dressing, I usually mix equal parts Ranch dressing and bbq sauce.

As for the cornbread...I am not sure where this recipe came from--it's been in my recipe binder for a while. It is a GREAT cornbread recipe--super moist and sweet. No butter or honey needed!

Sweet Texan Cornbread

½ c. butter, melted
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 can cream style corn
1 egg
1 heaping Tblspn. sugar

Melt butter in 8 X 8 pan (or I’ve used a pie dish, or round cake pan).
Mix together egg, creamed corn, and cornbread mix.
Mix well and add sugar.
Pour into pan and stir into butter, until just blended.
Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Crockpot Roast

2008-10-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

I know, I know.....ANOTHER crockpot roast. There are thousands of differing ways to slow cook a cut of beef, and here is 1,001. I am in the midst of trying to find a recipe to cook for our ward Christmas party and will probably be posting a few different recipes throughout the process. Here is attempt #1: good and ridiculously easy, but won't be used for the party. It turned out more "sweet-n-sour--candied--bbq" than I was expecting. I am looking for something I can stuff into a pita pocket with tzatziki sauce, so if you know of a good recipe, please pass it on!

Crockpot Roast
(thanks to Joy Park)

2-3 lb. rump roast
1/2 bottle Russian salad dressing (can not be substituted with anything else)
1/2 bottle bbq sauce

Put the roast in the crockpot and add about 1/2 c. water. Cover and cook on low for about 8+hrs. At about hour 6, dump water and add salad dressing and bbq sauce. Cook another 2 hrs. until meat can be cut easily or shredded.

(Obviously, all ingredients can be adjusted based on need and preference--just make sure you have equal parts salad dressing to bbq sauce).

Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Cake

2008-10-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

We went up to Flower Mound to visit some friends from business school and Jessica served this one morning for breakfast. Jessica originally got the recipe from another business school friend, Catherine. Seems like most of my good, tried and true recipes have come from business school friends! Anywa, this was YUMMY! Even Marc, who doesn't like cake, breakfast, or anything sweet but not chocolate, loved this! I made it myself this weekend and took it to an evening baby shower.

(Disclaimer: I tried to do some serious multi-tasking and doubled this recipe--one for the cake walk at Fall Fest and one for a baby shower and did it all while hosting playgroup at my house. Guess with 5 little ones running around, I was bound to make a calculation mistake. I did. I put 1c. of extra flour in--oops. So to those who were at the baby shower and thought the cake was quite dry.....it was. But I promise, if you follow the directions and can do math better than me, it will turn out great. It really is yummy!)

Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Cake
(thanks to Jessica--and ultimately Catherine--for sharing!)

Crumble and set 1 cup aside:
2 ¼ c. flour
¾ c. sugar
¾ c. butter

Mix:
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ c. sour cream
1 tsp. almond extract
1 egg

Use a 9” pie pan; push up a little on the sides.

Filling (Catherine 1 ½ times following recipe and so did I!)

Beat, add to center:
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ c. sugar
1 egg

Top with:
½ c. rasp preserves (swirl)
frozen raspberries

Sprinkle 1 cup of crumble on top.
Add almonds to top (optional).
Bake @ 350º for 45-55 minutes.
Cool to room temperature

(or serve warm so that the cream cheese "filling" oozes out, makes a mess and tastes that much better! :)

Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes

2008-10-10T07:24:00.001-07:00

Marc's boss had us over for dinner and served this dish with "sliders"--something I hadn't heard of until we moved here to TX (they are basically just mini-hamburgers). I followed suit and served it last night with barbequed sausage. It's a great dish, makes a lot, and is less cheesy (more healthy? :) ) than other mac-n-cheese I've had. Loved it!

Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes
(thanks to Raj Idnani and Cooking Light, January 2005)
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1011318

3 cups halved cherry tomatoes
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 ounces sourdough bread, torn into pieces
1 teaspoon butter, melted
12 ounces large elbow macaroni
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.

While tomatoes cook, place bread in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until crumbly. Toss crumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle the crumbs on a baking sheet, and bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.

Cook macaroni in boiling water 7 minutes; drain. Return macaroni to pan; place over medium-low heat. Add cheese and remaining ingredients; cook 4 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes. Sprinkle each serving with about 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs.

**I put the mac & cheese back in the 9 X 13 pan I was using and then sprinkled the breadcrumbs over the whole dish

apology

2008-10-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling guilty that it's been so long since I've posted. Even worse, I am feeling guilty that I haven't been cooking for my family, at least not "really" cooking. I have re-made a few recipes from this blog and done a lot of "let's see what we can throw together at the last minute" type of meals. I just haven't been motivated or felt creative. But thanks to guilt (and a comment today...."you've had your banana cake up for a long time now"--thanks, Andrea!) I will get back into the swing of things. In fact, I am trying a new homemade mac-n-cheese recipe tonight. Hope it's good so that I have something to post and get out of this rut! We'll be out of town a lot this month so there may not be a lot of new recipes tried, but with the holidays and company coming, I promise there are more yummies on the horizon!

Thanks for your patience...

Banana Cake

2008-09-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from a "roommate" from BYU. It is easy, yummy, and presents well. Thanks Angie!

Layered Banana Cake
(thanks to Angie Gubler-Coons, who got this recipe from her mom)

Cream together:
2 sticks butter
1 C. sugar

Then add:
2 eggs
1 C. mashed bananas (usually takes 3! My trick is to freeze bananas as they go bad and then when I need them, just let them defrost before using. They look like black slugs, but create much more juice, leaving the cake more moist)

Sift together:
1 ¾ C. Flour
½ tsp. Salt
2/3 tsp. Baking soda

Then add:
5 Tblspn. Buttermilk
1 tspn. Vanilla
Mix until just barely combined

Grease and flour two 9” round cake pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

**I usually double the recipe and make 4 layers because they come out rather thin. Four layers make a nice size cake. Then I usually just generously frost between the layers, but not around the outside of the cake. Makes it look more “rustic” or “artsy”!

FROSTING:
Cream together:
8 oz. cream cheese
6 Tblspn. Butter

Then add:
3 C. powdered sugar
1 tspn. Vanilla

juice of ½ a lemon

Dilled Mashed Potatoes

2008-09-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

We can't get enough mashed potatoes at our house. We eat them almost every Sunday with some type of roast. It really is my hubby's FAVORITE food of all time and so he gets put in charge of them--and he does a GREAT job. He loves to add things; aside from the traditional butter and milk, he'll put in cheese, cream cheese, bacon, sour cream, etc.--and lots of it! I took the reigns on the potatoes this week and loosely followed the recipe below. Let's say that I used it as a guide and then followed in my hubby's shoes and put in lots of the extra stuff! Mmmmm!

Dilled Mashed Potates
(Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious, Sept/Oct 2008)
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Dilled-Mashed-Potatoes

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2/3 cup 4% cottage cheese
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
(I probably put in 4X this amount!)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water; cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender; drain. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the cheeses, butter, dill and salt; beat until smooth and fluffy.

Grilled Citrus Chicken

2008-09-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

I gave in to an online recipe exchange and was sent this recipe. I figured it was worth a try. It was good--an easy marinade to throw together at the last minute and different than a traditional BBQ sauce.

Grilled Citrus Chicken
(I think this originally came from good ol' Betty Crocker)

6 chicken breast halves
½ cup frozen (thawed) orange juice concentrate
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
½ teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Place chicken in a freezer zip lock bag and pour marinade over the top. Turn and toss to make sure all chicken is covered. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours but no longer.
Grill chicken for 15- 20 minutes brushing with marinade occasionally. Heat remaining marinade to boiling and stir one minute. Serve over chicken with mashed potatoes or rice.

Grilled Chicken with Stoned Fruit

2008-09-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

My good friend JoAnna McAllister has been telling me about this recipe for years...literally. I had never made it because I was scared off by the fact that it called for chicken THIGHS and not breasts--I know, I am a wimp. Plus, my hubby isn't a fan of meat with fruit. But after talking with JoAnna on the phone recently, she talked me into at least trying it and promised I would like it. I did.

Grilled Chicken with Stoned Fruit
(thanks to JoAnna McAllister--don't know where she got it from, though)

2 lbs. chicken thighs (I used boneless & skinless)
1/4 c. EVOO
4+ cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tblspn. worcestershire sauce
2 Tblspn. dijon mustard
1 Tblspn. sweet smoked paprika
1 Tblspn. tabasco sauce

Mix above ingredients together and marinate chicken (I put it in a bag for about an hour).
Grill until juices run clear.

Peaches (however many you will eat), cut in half and pit removed
Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Grill (do not allow them to touch uncooked chicken) about 5-6 minutes, until grill marks appear

Syrup:
1/2 c. balsalmic vinegar
2 Tblspn. brown sugar
2 sprigs rosemary

Mix above 3 ingredients in small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for about 6-7 minutes, until reduced by half.
Drizzle over peaches (and chicken).

Serve chicken & peaches with couscous (or rice) and drizzle with syrup.

YUMMY!

Hearty Penne Beef

2008-09-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

The name is lame. But the only other thing I could come up with was "Homemade Hamburger Helper"--which is probably worse. But the dish itself was pretty good--Marc really liked it. It is basically a casserole, but just on the stovetop--not baked. It was the perfect entree for me to use up the rest of my spinach and mozzarella cheese, so I figured I'd try it. Marc said "it's a keeper"--so I'm posting it for my records, lame name and all.

Hearty Penne Beef
(Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious, Sept/Oct 2008)

1-3/4 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can (15 ounces) tomato puree
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook beef and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato puree, broth, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add spinach; cook for 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
Drain pasta; stir into beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.

**not sure was "tomato puree" is, so I used a 10oz. can of tomato sauce and added about 1/4 c. diced tomatoes
**OH, in the magazine, it says that this recipe freezes well--next time I'll split the recipe before serving and freeze half.

Snickerdoodles

2008-09-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

Just a craving I had on Sunday afternoon...

Snickerdoodles
(www.allrecipes.com)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Snickerdoodles-V/Detail.aspx

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

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended.
In a small shallow bowl, stir together the 2 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in the sugar mixture. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies should be slightly golden at the edges. Remove to cool on wire racks.

I doubled this of course! :) And I cooked them 8-9 minutes--they turned out perfect! Chewy and moist!

Spanish Rice

2008-08-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge fan of Spanish rice. It is usually dry and rather bland, whether it be homemade (out of a package) or at a restaurant. However, a friend of mine made this and served it with shredded pork tacos and it was an instant hit for me and my family. The tacos were DELISH and so was this rice. I made it for some friends this week, and they loved it too!

Spanish Rice
(thanks Tauni--who got the recipe here:)http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000040spanish_rice.php

2 tablespoons olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup)
1 onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
3 cups chicken stock*
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or 1 cup of diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
Pinch of oregano
1 teaspoon salt
*Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice. They can range from 1:1 to 2:1. If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice.

In a large skillet brown rice in olive oil, medium/high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook onion rice mixture, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes, or until onions are softened.
In a separate sauce pan bring stock to a simmer. Add tomato sauce, oregano, and salt. Add rice to broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Lower heat and cook 15-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.

Tauni's changes: she (and I) used a can of diced tomatoes instead of the tomato paste/tomatoes and sprinkled a handful of sharp cheddar cheese through it right before serving.

Nieman-Marcus Cookies

2008-08-17T15:12:00.001-07:00

I wanted to make cookies today (a Sunday afternoon tradition)--but felt the need to try a new recipe--partly because I like to try new recipes and partly because I have been getting some flack for not posting any recipes lately (although the 4 I posted today should make up for the slow pace as of late). Thankfully, when I checked my email today, Marc's cousin's wife had sent this recipe to me. Thanks Sandee!

Nieman-Marcus Cookies

(A recipe that has been floating around on the internet. Don't know if it's THE actual NM recipe, but it is good, nonetheless)

2 c. butter

2 c. brown sugar

2 c. white sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

4 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

5 c. oatmeal (once measured, blend it in a blender into fine flour)

8 oz. Hershey bar, grated

3 c. chopped nuts (optional) (I used about 1/2 this of chopped pecans)

Cream the butter and both sugars.
Add eggs and vanilla.
Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture.
Mix in ground oatmeal.
Add grated chocolate, chocolate chips and nuts.
Roll into balls and place on greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

(recipe can be cut in half...but why would anyone do that?!)

Broiled Soy-Glazed Pork with Rice and Asian Vegetables

2008-08-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

We came home from church today and I could hear Marc's stomache rumbling--he was HUNGRY. Seriously hungry. To satisfy this type of hunger, he always wants our typical Sunday dinner...roast & mashed potatoes. However, I already planned on trying this new recipe for dinner. He was not-so-secretly disappointed. However, after all the pouting and eating was over, he said he loved it and thought this meal was great. Hope you do too!

Broiled Soy-Glazed Pork with Rice and Asian Vegetables
(MS EveryDay Food, April 2008)
http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=11fb8db237588110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&rsc=header_1&autonomy_kw=broiled+soy+glazed+pork

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
8 ounces snow peas, trimmed
2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 3-inch lengths
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
1/4 cup soy sauce
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1 1/4 pounds), halved crosswise
1/4 cup honey

Cook rice according to package instructions; cover, and set aside. Meanwhile, heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss snow peas, carrots, bell peppers, and scallions with oil and 2 tablespoons soy sauce; season with salt and pepper.
Place pork on top of vegetables, and season with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon honey. Broil until pork and vegetables begin to char, 6 to 8 minutes. Toss vegetables, and turn pork; drizzle pork with 1 tablespoon honey.
Continue to broil until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of pork registers 145 degrees and vegetables are charred in spots, 6 to 8 minutes, tossing vegetables once more. Remove from broiler. Cover with aluminum foil, and let rest, 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, make sauce: Stir together remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce and honey. Thinly slice pork, and serve with vegetables, rice, and sauce.

CONFESSION: I used a bag of frozen "Asian Vegetables" which already had some sort of glaze on them--so I omitted the vegetable seasonings. I also used a bag of frozen, streamable white rice--those two cheats made this meal SUPER simple to throw together, but tasted like I spent a bit of time on it!