Baking For Boys

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2011-12-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

I love soups at this time of year. I think I've only attempted making broccoli soup twice in our entire marriage but this is a recipe I will definitely make again! It's easy and super tasty. This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, although I've modified it just a bit.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 3/4 cups chicken broth (1 can)
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese (Didn't have so used another 1/2 cup sharp cheddar.)
2 1/2 to 3 cups chopped, lightly steamed broccoli (I didn't steam mine quite long enough. You want it to be soft, not crunchy, but not soggy because once you add it to the pot your soup is pretty much ready to serve...so it doesn't cook much more.)

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour, salt and pepper. Cook together, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium heat until soup starts to thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Add warmed chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and stir until completely melted. Stir in steamed broccoli. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve immediately in bowls or bread bowls.

Banana Bars with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-12-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

I made these for Ben's birthday. He's not a big chocolate guy...not a big cake guy, for that matter. But he does like banana, so I thought I'd try these banana bars instead of something more traditional. They were a hit! Ben had two pieces! That's saying something. The recipe makes quite a bit of frosting so you could try halving the recipe or just plan to spread frosting liberally on the bars!

Banana Bars with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Banana Bars:

½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 x 15 inch jellyroll pan or one 9X13 pan and an additional 8X8 pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Set aside. In another medium bowl, beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form (it helps to use a chilled bowl and chilled beaters). Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Frost!

Banana Cream Pie for a Pinch

2011-11-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from The Sisters Cafe. It's a quick and easy alternative to 100% homemade pie when you don't have a lot of time. (Or in my case, when you're cooking Thanksgiving dinner and there are so many components to the menu!)

1 - 3.4 oz box of instant vanilla pudding (sugar free works too)

1 c. cold water

1 - 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk (don’t use Walmart brand – gritty)

2 graham cracker crusts

2-4 bananas

1 pint whipping cream

1/3 c. powdered sugar (Or more, depending on desired sweetness. Just taste it as you go...I used closer to 1/2 c.)

In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix, cold water, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix well and place in the refrigerator to chill for a few minutes. In another bowl, whip 1 c. of whipping cream until soft peaks form. (Be patient. If you've never made homemade whipped cream it takes a bit to get it to stiffen.)

Slice the bananas and layer them on the bottom of the crusts. Be sure to save the plastic domes that come with the pie crusts–you’ll need them later! Set the banana filled crusts aside.

Remove pudding from the fridge and gently dollop the whipped cream on top of the pudding. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture until well-combined.

Now divide the mixture between the two pies.

Prepare sweetened whipped cream (whip the remaining cream with 1/3 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar) and spread it on top of the two pies. Place the clear plastic shells back on the pies and allow to chill for several hours. The chilling is important so the banana flavor can suffuse through the pie and the crust can absorb a little moisture. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Ranch

2011-11-24T06:41:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been making my own dressings. This has been my go-to recipe for ranch dressing - it is delicious! I found that I like this dressing better with a small garlic clove instead of a large one. The smaller clove gives just the right amount of garlic without being overpowering.

Buttermilk Ranch

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
dash of freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed

Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to blend flavors. Leftovers will last about a week in the fridge.

Beef Soup Provencal

2011-11-12T21:09:00.000-08:00

When Ben and I were first married we lived in a small condominium complex with other newly married couples. I was still learning how to cook and my neighbor Kristen was a pro at it. She passed on many a recipe to me in those days and this is one of them! This soup is healthy, tasty, perfect for a cold day AND takes very little time to make.

Beef Soup Provencal

1 lb. ground beef (I used 1/2 lb. of ground turkey.)
15 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
14 oz. ready-to-serve vegetable broth (I've substituted beef broth or beef bouillon with good results.)
14 oz. can diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
4 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

In a large saucepan, brown beef and drain off grease. Stir in beans, broth, tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for five minutes. Stir in spinach. Continue simmering for another five minutes. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Layered Mint Candies

2011-11-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

Several years ago my friend Marianne made these for a Christmas party. She was kind enough to share her recipe and I've made them each Christmas season since. Our church had an early Christmas gathering this past week and each of the women were supposed to bring a favorite holiday treat...I brought these. I think of them as homemade Andes mints.

Layered Mint Candies

1 T. butter
1 1/2 lbs. white candy coating, divided (You can get this at Walmart.)
1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. peppermint extract
4 drops green food coloring
3 T. heavy whipping cream

Line a 13X9 pan with foil. Grease the foil with the butter and set aside. In a saucepan on the stove top or in the microwave, melt 1 lb. of the candy coating with the chocolate chips. Spread half into the prepared pan and set the remaining mixture aside. Melt the remaining candy coating. Stir in mint extract and food coloring. Stir in the cream until smooth. Spread over the first layer of chocolate. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until firm.

Warm the reserved chocolate mixture if necessary and spread over the mint layer. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. **I like to refrigerate for 20-30 minutes and then slice my pieces before refrigerating it fully. The candy seems to crack less if you cut it before it is completely cold and hard. When fully refrigerated, lift foil out of pan and break pieces apart (if you pre-cut them) or cut them into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Salvation Army Soup

2011-11-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, my neighbor Lesa gave me this recipe. It's quick, easy and uses up a lot of leftover vegetables. It's also a great feel-good meal. Of course, my favorite thing to do with this soup is liberally cover it with cheese.

Salvation Army Soup

1 lb. ground beef (I substituted ground turkey this last time with no problem.)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 quart (4 cups) water
2 large potatoes, cubed (I used four small red potatoes.)
5 carrots, diced large (I never use 5...more like 2 or 3 depending on size.)
1/2 head of cabbage, cut in strips
2 zucchini squash, cubed
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, cut in chunks
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 T. sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 small bay leaf (I have omitted this before.)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. basil

In a frying pan, brown and drain the ground beef. Transfer beef to large stock pot and add all the rest of the ingredients. Simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender... About 1 hour. Remove the bay leaf. Serve with grated cheese.

Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

2011-11-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

Ben's mom was in town a couple of weeks ago and she took us out to lunch at Zupas. I tried their Cauliflower soup for the first time. I loved the flavor of it! My only complaint about their soup is that it has no chunks....it's completely smooth. So when I made this soup that was the main alteration I made...Instead of blending my cauliflower, I left it in small chunks. This did make for a slightly thinner soup so next time I will add something to thicken it a bit. This recipe doesn't taste exactly like Zupas but it's really good. And a great way to use a head of cauliflower at this time of year.

Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

2 tablespoons butter (1/4 stick)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I omitted. Unless you are a big fan of Dijon mustard you may want to leave this out.)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese (I used Monterey Jack instead because that is what I had.)

In 4-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Apple Cider Syrup

2011-10-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that I love baking with pumpkin at this time of year. I have a good pumpkin waffle recipe but lately we are more into pancakes than waffles...maybe it's because my waffle iron isn't the greatest, but anyhow, I wanted a good pumpkin pancake recipe and this one is it! The batter comes out pretty thick making for thick pancakes, which I love, but if your preference is thin pancakes, I would add more buttermilk. I've posted one recipe for Apple Cider Syrup but I think this one is my new favorite. It goes GREAT with these pancakes.

Sometimes technology is so frustrating! I don't know what's going on with Blogger tonight but I cannot get the recipe to post the way it should so the spacing is all over the place.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups flour (Can substitute 1/2 - 1 cup wheat flour for the equivalent amount of white flour)

3 Tb brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground all spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup buttermilk (I do an overflowing 1/2 cup)

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs

2 Tb canola oil

2 Tb vinegar

In one bowl mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, oil and vinegar. Combine dry ingredients separately and them stir into pumpkin mixture just until combined. Heat your pan or griddle (lightly butter or oil if it is not seasoned), using about 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot with apple cider syrup.

Apple Cider Syrup
3/4 Cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBs cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups fresh apple cider (or juice would work)
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter

Mix sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg well. Add apple cider and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, use within a week or two.

Spice Pumpkin Cake

2011-09-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year when pumpkin recipes start popping up all over! - Love baking with pumpkin! I wanted to make a cake for Tyler's birthday on Sunday but we had had the more traditional birthday cake the day before so I wanted to make something a little different. I had a spice cake mix (don't remember what I ever bought that for) and so I thought I'd google recipes using the cake mix. I went to Duncan Hines' website and came across this super easy and delicious cake which called for pumpkin - yeah! I iced it with cream cheese frosting, which really makes anything taste good.

Spice Pumpkin Cake

1 pkg Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Spice Cake Mix
2 large eggs
1 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup chopped nuts (I omitted.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 10-inch Bundt pan.
Combine cake mix, eggs, water and pumpkin in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in nuts. Pour into pan.
Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 25 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Cool completely.

At this point I frosted mine with cream cheese frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 stick of butter, softened
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 bar (or 4 oz.) cream cheese

**You can also make this cake look like a pumpkin by coloring most of the frosting orange and reserving a small amount to be colored green. Frost the whole cake with the orange frosting and then add an upside down cake cone to the top center of the cake and paint the cake cone with the green frosting. For a cute picture see the Duncan Hines website.

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2011-09-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

These would have looked so much prettier had I remembered to sprinkle the fresh chopped cilantro on top! Oh well, they were still very tasty and I will definitely be making them again...a great option when you crave a white sauce enchilada.

Filling:

3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full.

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Buttermilk Wheat Pancakes

2011-09-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

Do you like my new plates? Our cheap set of dishes that we bought when we were first married had seen better days so I bought this set of Corel dishes when they were on a great sale on Amazon several months ago. I kept them boxed up until the move. Now I am thoroughly enjoying them! They are so light weight and don't scratch or chip.

So these are GREAT pancakes! I love just about anything that calls for buttermilk so these hit the spot with me. The wheat isn't overly heavy either. Just loved these with homemade buttermilk syrup.

2 eggs, beaten
3 cups buttermilk
4 Tablespoons oil
1 cup white flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Beat the eggs first and then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Do not over mix. Cook on a hot nonstick pan or griddle.

Southwestern Cobb Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

2011-08-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

This salad was delicious! I LOVED the grilled chicken and the dressing was phenomenal. It is hearty enough to fill even the male appetites in your home. This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe - love her site. The only negative thing about this salad is the prep time but it is so worth it! BTW, I pretty much halved everything and it was just the right amount to feed my family of five with no leftovers. This recipe also calls for quite a bit of cilantro and I went a little lighter than called for on that...I didn't want the cilantro to be overbearing and it was just right for my taste.

Southwestern Cobb Salad

Chicken Marinade:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2-3 limes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Black Bean Salsa:
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 sweet onion (I used vidalia), diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

Yellow Pepper Salsa:
1 yellow pepper, seeded, and diced
1 tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 can large olives, coarsely chopped (I omitted - not a fan.)
1/2 sweet onion (I used vidalia), diced

Avocado Salsa:
2 ripe avocados, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted.)

4-5 large eggs
6-8 slices thick-cut bacon (I actually left this out and it was still fabulous but would have been great with bacon too.)
1 medium head romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn into 1-inch pieces

For the chicken marinade, in a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and red pepper flakes. Place the chicken breasts in a ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. Close the bag and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.

Heat a grill to medium-high heat (an indoor grill pan or skillet could be used also). Grill the chicken until it is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per side. Cool the chicken completely then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Cover and remove from the heat. Let the eggs sit for 13 minutes then rinse them under cold water until they are completely cooled. Peel and coarsely chop the eggs. Set aside.

Cook the bacon over medium heat until it is crisp. Drain on paper towels. When cool, crumble and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the yellow pepper, tomatoe, olives, and 1/2 of the sweet onion. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In another bowl, combine the black beans, 1/4 cup cilantro and onion. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In another bowl combine the avocado, 1/4 cup cilantro, juice of 2 limes, cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

On a large platter (or large bowl), arrange the romaine lettuce. Arrange the chicken in a strip down the middle of the romaine. On either side, make piled strips of the eggs, bacon, yellow pepper mixture, black bean mixture and avocado mixture. Drizzle with dressing or serve it on the side. The easiest way to serve this on a platter is with a pair of tongs. If using a large bowl, gently toss to combine all the ingredients before serving. (I just left everything in it's bowl and we started with the lettuce on a plate and topped it with however much of each topping we wanted.)

Green Goddess Dressing

*This dressing is best made up a few hours or a day beforehand to let the flavors blend.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 bunch chives, coarsely chopped (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)
2 green onions, white and green parts, cut into thick chunks
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine all the ingredients together in a blender. Process until smooth. Thin with additional buttermilk (adding it one teaspoon at a time), if desired. Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Jello Cake

2011-06-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

There is nothing fancy about this cake but it's kind of fun to make for a change every now and then. Ben prefers this to any frosting cake. If you add bananas like I did I would wait until right before you serve this.

1 white cake mix

1 small box (3.4 oz) fruit flavored jello

1 tub whipped topping or homemade version

Fresh fruit (bananas, strawberries, raspberries...to match the flavor of jello.

Make cake mix according to package directions. Bake in a 9X13 pan. Allow to cool. Poke holes in top of cake liberally with a fork. Make jello according to package directions but do not add the extra cup of cool water. (So only use half the amount of water.) Once jello has cooled slightly, pour all over top of cake. Jello will seep through holes. Refrigerate until ready to serve or serve immediately with whipped topping and fresh fruit cut up on top.

Poppyseed Bundt Cake

2011-06-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

I guess it's a little bit odd to be on a baking kick in the middle of June, but for whatever reason, it seems to be the case with me. This was a fun dessert to prepare. I haven't used my bundt cake pan for a LONG time. I also have NEVER used poppyseeds before. Now that I have them on hand I think I'll have to try a poppy seed muffin recipe next. This is another one from The Sisters Cafe....what would I do without The Sisters?!

1 yellow cake mix (the kind with pudding)
1 (3.4 oz) box of instant vanilla pudding
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1/2 cup pineapple or orange juice
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sour cream (I used lite.)
4 eggs

Mix yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding and poppy seeds. Add juice, oil, and sour cream and mix. Add 4 eggs one at a time, mix well. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

When cake is about 10 minutes from being done, start the glaze:

Glaze:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter (1 cube)
1-2 TB corn syrup (can omit)

Bring to a boil–then keep bubbly until ready to pour over cake. It is really like syrup that soaks in. Give it a few minutes to soak in and then turn it out onto a cake plate.

Symphony Cookies

2011-06-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

What can I say? I love homemade cookies...especially hot right out of the oven. These cookies are great because they stay nice and puffed up. I credit the pudding in the mix for that. These cookies are called "Symphony cookies" because they use a crushed up Symphony chocolate bar in lieu of chocolate or other chips. I have made these with vanilla and chocolate pudding and both are good but I prefer the vanilla. (This recipe comes from The Sisters Cafe.)

Symphony Cookies

1 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 small box instant vanilla (or chocolate) pudding - 3.4 oz. size

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

*I usually add about 1/2 tsp. salt but the original recipe doesn't call for it.

1 giant (6.8 oz) Symphony bar w/ almonds and toffee bits, chopped

Cream butter, sugar, pudding mix and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until creamy. Combine flour and baking soda in separate bowl. Add to butter mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in chocolate pieces. Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Marbled Brownies

2011-06-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

I made these the other night for a get-together with some friends and they were gobbled up! I think this may have been the first time I've ever made brownies from scratch! I usually just use a box mix and add things to it. I love the combination of peanut butter and cream cheese in the marble part of this mix. This recipe comes from The Sisters Cafe.

Peanut Butter Marbled Brownies

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tb milk

1 cup butter, melted *for lower fat version read note

2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, beat together the first 5 ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, 2 cups sugar, and vanilla. Mix in eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Mix into the batter. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread batter into prepared pan. Drop the peanut butter filling on top by large spoonfuls. Using a butter knife, gently swirl peanut butter filling through the chocolate batter to create a marbled effect. Once you are done swirling, you may need to tap the pan on a towel covered counter to make the batter settle. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted one inch from the edge comes out clean. Cool completely, then cut into small squares.

*To cut calories you can substitute 1/4 cup of applesauce for 1/4 cup of butter. In fact, with most recipes you can substitute up to 1/3 of the fat with applesauce without compromising the taste.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-05-24T22:48:00.000-07:00

I love homemade cookies and so do my kids! Ben doesn't have much of a sweet tooth but he does like peanut butter cookies. I made the first batch without chocolate chips for him and then added the chocolate chips in for the rest of us to enjoy. These are really tasty and super quick and easy!...my kind of cookie! As a side note, I've always made cookies with semi-sweet chocolate chips but I happened to buy milk chocolate chips when they were on sale a few months ago and since this recipe calls for them I decided to use them. I think they go perfectly with the peanut butter cookie - better than semi-sweet would.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature
2/3 cup peanut butter (creamy)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 2/3 cup flour
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt

1 bag milk chocolate chips (I wouldn't use an entire bag - maybe 2/3. Half peanut butter chips / half chocolate chips would taste good too!)

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar together until smooth. Then add in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda and salt and add to butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Just cook until they start to brown and then take them out and let them cool a few minutes on pan before transferring.

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice

2011-05-24T22:34:00.000-07:00

I did not plan ahead at all for Sunday's dinner and had to come up with something quick. This meal came together in no time and tasted great. We haven't eaten rice in a really long time and both Ben and I enjoyed our long lost friend. (We ate rice a ton in the early years of our marriage!) The recipe calls for green beans but I added broccoli instead. You could use whatever vegetable sounds good to you.

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces white button mushrooms, brushed clean and quartered or sliced (I omitted.)
4 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 ½ cups long grain white rice (I used calrose - sticky rice.)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ pound frozen or fresh green beans (Can substitute broccoli or other vegetable(s).)
1 cup shredded sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Carefully lay each chicken breast in the skillet and cook until the chicken is well browned on the first side, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken with a pair of tongs and let it brown on the second side, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Drain all but about 1-2 tablespoons oil from the pan.

Return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom and edges of the pan, until the mushrooms begin to soften and start to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add the rice and continue to cook until the edges of the rice turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken to the pan and cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the rice is mostly cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the skillet again, brushing off any rice that sticks to the chicken back into the skillet. Cover the chicken with foil to keep warm. Stir the green beans into the skillet, stir the mixture well, cover and continue to cook on low until the beans and rice are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Martha Stewart's Banana Bread

2011-05-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

This banana bread is divine! Before we left for Maui many people told us we needed to buy the homemade banana bread at stands along the Road to Hana. Well, we began the Road to Hana too late and missed the banana bread! This is how I imagine it would have tasted though. I love the inclusion of sour cream in this recipe - makes it so moist.

Martha Stewart's Banana Bread

1/2 c butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c very ripe bananas, mashed (~3 bananas)
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan; set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat to incorporate. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts (if desired) and pour into pan. Bake until cake tester inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour - 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Skillet Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

2011-05-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

I love my Abuela's recipe for macaroni and cheese and haven't really had a desire to try another one, but I came across this one and thought I'd give it a shot. You can make the entire thing in one skillet and it's quite creamy. Just be careful not to over do it on the cheese! (I used too much because I didn't measure.) You can also add ham and peas or any other variety of foods to dress this up.

Skillet Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

3 1/2 cups water, plus extra if needed
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
12 ounces (about 3 cups) elbow macaroni
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (I omitted - didn't have any.)
6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small chunks
Ground black pepper to taste

Bring 3 1/2 cups water, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, the macaroni, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the macaroni is tender and the liquid has thickened, 9 to 12 minutes.

Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk, the cornstarch, mustard and hot sauce together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet. Continue to simmer slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Off the heat, stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack, one handful at a time, adding water as needed to adjust the consistency of the sauce (May not need any additional water.) Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2011-05-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

These mashed potatoes are seriously good! (A little fattening, maybe, but sooo good!) This is another recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and we ate these with the grilled chicken the other night. I used red potatoes since that's what I had on hand and I'm pretty sure I didn't use a full 5 pounds of potatoes. I also omitted the green onions because I didn't have any. After the potatoes were done boiling on the stove I whipped everything up with my electric hand mixer....this made the consistency really smooth. Enjoy!

Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds russet, red or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

8 ounces light or regular cream cheese (I used Neufchatel - 1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese.)
3-4 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter (Could use less w/ still great results.)
1 cup whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X9-inch baking dish and set aside.

Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by one inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt and boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes or until they are tender.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash them a few times and add the rest of the ingredients. Mash and mix well to desired consistency. Scoop the potatoes into the prepared baking pan. Dot with 1-2 tablespoons butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are lightly browned on top and heated through.

Lemon and Garlic Grilled Chicken

2011-05-13T16:10:00.000-07:00

The sun is out and it's warm outside and that means it's grilling time at our house. This grilled chicken marinade is delicious. The combination of lemon and garlic flavoring is just right...Not to mention, it's super easy to whip up and if you cut the chicken into strips you can get away with marinating for only 5-6 hours in the fridge....instead of overnight. This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Lemon and Garlic Grilled Chicken

Juice of 1 lemon, approximately 3 tablespoons
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic, about 2 medium cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound chicken breasts (Cut really thick chicken breasts down into smaller strips so they absorb the marinade better.)

Combine all marinade ingredients. Place chicken in a ziploc bag (or glass bowl with lid) and pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and place in fridge overnight. Grill (or cook in frying pan). Serve with sides of your choice or cut into bite sized pieces and add to desired recipe.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2011-04-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

I first had this salad at a park in Arizona as part of Thanksgiving dinner (lunch). My sister's husband's cousin made it and it was delicious. I think she made it with raspberries. I decided to make this a part of our Easter dinner today and my kids loved it! (Go figure.) They would have been happy to eat only this salad and nothing else for dinner. This recipe originally comes from Paula Deen (Food Network).

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
3 Tbsp sugar, plus 3/4 cup sugar
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping (thawed in fridge)
2 (3 oz.) packages strawberry gelatin dessert mix
2 cups boiling water
2 (10 oz.) packages frozen strawberries (Mine were whole so I cut them up into quarters.)
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple
Whipped topping or whipped cream, to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For the crust, mix the pretzels, butter and 3 Tbsp of sugar. Press this mixture into a 9X13 pan and bake for 7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar. Fold in whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until well chilled.

In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, and allow to cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pineapple and pour over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until serving time.

To serve, cut slices and serve with a dollop of whipped topping.

Ranch Pork Roast

2011-03-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

What this picture really needs is a green salad! Unfortunately, my fridge is really lacking in the vegetable department right now. I haven't been able to get a Bountiful Basket for the past two weeks! I keep forgetting to order right at noon and by the time I sign on, they are gone. In fact, all of Utah County was sold out by the time I signed on early Monday evening! Ugh! Anyway, this pork roast is wonderful and SO easy. It is really, really moist. It reminds me of Kalua Pork but with a slightly different flavor. This is another recipe I found at The Sisters Cafe.

Ranch Pork Roast

1 Pork Sirloin Tip Roast (these are sold in four packs at Costco - they are about 2lbs each and 98% fat free!)
Ranch Dressing Mix (dry packet)

Place the roast in a crock pot and sprinkle half of the ranch dressing packet over roast. Fill crock pot about 1/3 full with water and cook on low for 5-8 hours. The roast is done when you can easily shred it with a fork. You can drain off some of the water before serving. That's it!

Crash Hot Potatoes

2011-03-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

Oh boy! These are tasty potatoes! And the best part...they are super easy to make and require very little time. I found this recipe at The Pioneer Woman. I'm looking forward to checking out more of her recipes.

Crash Hot Potatoes

12 New Potatoes (or other small, round potatoes)
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Favorite Herb (I used rosemary.)

Begin by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and allow to boil until tender when forked.

Drizzle olive oil generously on a cookie sheet. (You want enough to ensure that your potatoes don't stick to the pan.)

When potatoes are tender, drain and arrange on cookie sheet. Make sure to leave enough space between potatoes for them to spread out.

Use your potato masher to gently mash each potato slightly. Rotate the masher 90 degrees and finish flattening. Don't over "smash" though.

Next, brush the tops of each potato generously with olive oil. Then sprinkle generously with kosher salt, followed by fresh ground black pepper. Last, sprinkle the herb of your choosing. (I used dried but fresh would be wonderful too - just make sure you cut it up really fine if you use fresh herbs.)

Bake on the top rack of your oven at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken

2011-03-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

I am a fan of anything that can be cooked in a crock pot...so much less of a headache for me when dinner time rolls around. This is a great slow cooker chicken recipe that comes out flavorful and moist. It could be used in so many ways but we usually put the chicken mixture in tortillas with beans, sour cream and cheese. (Or whatever we have on hand.) This recipe comes from Mels Kitchen Cafe. I always double this recipe and freeze half of it for another day. The mixture will come out quite soupy so you can drain the tomatoes from the start if you want, or just drain some of the liquid before serving.

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken

1 pound (about 2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14-ounce) can petite or regular diced tomatoes
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more if you like extra heat – with this amount it is mild enough for my kids to eat it up but spicy enough to help offset the sweetness)

Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-9 hours. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and mix the chicken with the juices from the tomato/brown sugar sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in flour tortillas with toppings of choice: lettuce, sour cream, cheese, avocados, etc.

Chili-Rubbed Pork with Apricot Glaze

2011-03-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

I just realized this is my 100th post! This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I haven't made anything from her site that I haven't liked so far. I sent Ben to the store last night to pick up the ingredients I needed for this roast. I don't normally keep apricot jam or fresh ginger on hand. Luckily, Ben was able to find both! This recipe calls for a really unique blend of things sweet and spicy - it's full of flavor. We grilled ours but you could also roast it in the oven. Just make sure you plan ahead because the rub needs to have time to sit and marinate on the pork.

Chili-Rubbed Pork with Apricot Glaze

2 (1-pound each) pork tenderloins, fat trimmed

Spice Rub:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups apricot jam/jelly

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (I omitted.)

2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (I used 1 tsp. dried.)

2 small limes, juiced

Combine chili powder, garlic powder, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture on the pork tenderloins. Cover the tenderloins and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

Prior to grilling or roasting, melt the apricot jam in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining glaze ingredients. Place half of the glaze in a serving bowl and set aside to serve with the pork tenderloins later.

Grilling Instructions: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Grill the pork tenderloins for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 160 degrees F. When approximately 4 minutes of cook time remains, brush the pork tenderloins with the apricot glaze remaining in the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, turn the pork tenderloins and brush glaze on other side. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove pork from the grill, tent with foil and let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.

Roasting Instructions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the pork tenderloins in a lightly greased, foil-lined 9X13-inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Brush with the apricot glaze remaining in the pan. Bake for 15 more minutes. Again, brush with glaze. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the pork reaches 160 degrees internally. Remove the pork from the oven, tent with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Serve the sliced pork over couscous, rice or potatoes with the reserved glaze alongside.

Potatoes Dauphinoise

2011-03-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

I grew up on russet potatoes. They were never my favorite but I ate them. In more recent years I've discovered other varieties of potatoes that are so much tastier! I think it's mainly a texture thing...russet potatoes are just kind of grainy. Don't get me wrong. I like russet potatoes just fine, when they're covered in butter, sour cream and cheese! So today I tried a new recipe using a combination of red potatoes and small gold potatoes that I had on hand. I think it turned out really good! The prep was really quite easy - I sliced the potatoes by hand and spent much less time doing this than I usually do grating potatoes when making augratin potatoes. This recipe comes from The Sisters Cafe.

Potatoes Dauphinoise

3 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled (red or Yukon gold are great)
1 large garlic clove, halved
1 Tb butter, softened
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese (or cheddar works great)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices. Put them into a large pot and fill with cold water and a little salt. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Do not overcook at this stage or the potatoes will begin to break break up. Drain well.

2. Rub the inside of the baking dish (I used a 9x13 pan.) with the cut garlic and grease with a little of the butter.

3. Preheat oven to 325. Put half the potatoes into the dish, spreading them evenly. Sprinkle with a little of the nutmeg and some seasoning of salt and pepper. Add half the cheese and then another layer of potatoes, nutmeg and salt and pepper.

4. Beat together the cream and milk and pour evenly over the potatoes. Finish by scattering the remaining cheese on top with a few small pieces of butter dotted over the surface.

5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40-45 minutes until a deep crisp brown crust forms. Serve immediately from the dish.

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-03-14T15:47:00.000-07:00

This is one of Ben's all-time favorite meals. I have to admit, I like it, but it's not my favorite. I basically make it for him and as far as I'm concerned, if it's one of his favorite's it's blog-worthy. I first tried this when my good friend and neighbor Kristen made this back when we lived in Provo as newlyweds. I've been making it here and there ever since.

Chicken Pot Pie

Boil 3 eggs.
Boil 2-3 chicken breasts in salted water.
Remove chicken, chop, and place in bottom of 13X9 casserole dish.
Top with 1 can mixed vegetables, drained and then boiled eggs, sliced.

Mix 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can cream of celery, 2 cups chicken broth (can use broth from boiled chicken above.)
Pour over chicken, vegetables and eggs.

Crust:
1 cup self-rising flour
1 stick melted butter
1 cup milk

Mix together and drop by spoonfuls on top of everything else in baking dish.

Bake at 375 about 45 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Allow to sit for five minutes or so after removing from oven.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

2011-03-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

I am in love with oatmeal pancakes. I have another recipe on this blog that I love, but here is a new one. This makes 10 cups of dry mix that can be stored on the counter for a couple of weeks or in the fridge for several weeks. I found this recipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe. You've got to try it!

3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour (can just do 2 more cups wheat flour if you want)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I didn't have to add any extra oil.) Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk will also work OR put one Tbsp white vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup and then fill cup with whole milk), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don’t break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. As a sidenote, buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely for future batches of pancakes, so it’s worth keeping it around!

*1 cup of mix will make about 6-7 4-inch pancakes.

Black and White Bean Dip

2011-03-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

I really like the multi-grain chips from Costco and they go great with a good dip. I just happened to have all the ingredients for this on hand so I whipped it up yesterday for an after church snack. It was great!

Black and White Bean Dip

1 can of black beans-drained

1 can of white beans-drained

1 can of shoepeg corn-drained

1 7oz can of Herdez salsa verde

2 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese

4-6 chopped roma tomatoes

garlic salt to taste

Avocado-optional

Preheat oven to 400. Put everything (except for the avocado) in a bowl and mix together. Spray a shallow baking dish with nonstick spray before spooning in the bean mixture. Sprinkle a little cheese on top and pop into the oven. Bake for 10-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and it is all warm and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with diced avocado and serve with tortilla chips.

Pineapple Salsa Chicken

2011-02-27T20:49:00.001-08:00

I love crock pot meals - just throw everything in and let the crock pot do the work! I made this with mild salsa but I think I'd like it even more with medium - just needed a little extra kick, in my opinion. I also used two cans of black beans because I was out of white beans. You can really use whatever you have on hand. This recipes comes from the Sisters Cafe.

Pineapple Salsa Chicken

6 fresh or frozen chicken breasts
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 (15 oz.) can white beans
2 cups mild or medium salsa

Tortillas or tortilla chips and garnishes: sour cream, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, etc.

Place chicken in crock pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Using tongs, remove chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Mix chicken back in with rest of ingredients. The mixture will be quite soupy so you may want to drain off the excess liquid before serving, especially if eating in tortillas. The leftovers can be frozen in a freezer-safe ziploc bag and reheated in a crock pot another day.

Cereal Supreme

2011-02-26T16:30:00.000-08:00

Tyler requested three different types of cereal mixed together the other morning and he said, "Mom, isn't this the best cereal bowl ever?" He requested that I take a picture and post it on my blog. Then he said he would give me the recipe to post. :) So here it is...Tyler's first original recipe.

Cereal Supreme

Life cereal
Honey Comb cereal
Frosted Mini Wheats cereal
Blueberries
2% milk

First pour some Life in a bowl. Then add Honey Comb. Next add Frosted Mini Wheats. Mix the cereals up and then sprinkle some blueberries on top. Last pour milk in the bowl. Eat!

Fruit Soup

2011-02-19T20:41:00.001-08:00

This is another good dish for a gathering. I got this recipe from The Sisters Cafe and the "sister" who posted this recipe called it the "epitome of chick food." :) I certainly enjoyed it. Just make sure you plan ahead for this one - the liquid mixture has to chill overnight.

Fruit Soup

3/4 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 c. peach juice (or another cup of water - which is what I did)
3 Tbsp "Minute" brand tapioca
6 oz. orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 c. water

2 cans mandarin oranges (with or without juice)
1 large can sliced peaches (Lite peaches bottled w/ pear juice are perfect. If you use peaches in heavy syrup, don't add the syrup. Also cut peaches into bite-sized pieces.)
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
2 bananas, sliced
1 bag frozen raspberries or tri-berry mix, thawed but still cool and firm (or equivalent amount of fresh)

Bring sugar, water, peach juice and tapioca to a boil. Continue boiling for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Some tapioca will be clear and other granules will have a white center. Take off heat. Let sit for 30 minutes. (This is when tapioca becomes more clear.) Add orange juice concentrate and 1 1/2 cups water. Chill overnight.

Add mandarin oranges and peaches. Just before serving add strawberries, bananas and raspberries (or other berry mixture).

Avocado Bean Dip

2011-02-19T20:33:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited to have a new "dip" recipe. They are so great for gatherings. I made this for a baby shower and brought the leftovers home. Ben tried it and immediately said, "Can you make more of this??" That's always a good sign. And this is really easy to make.

Avocado Bean Dip

1 - 15 oz. can white beans (or black), drained
1 avocado, mashed
1/2 cup salsa (I just used regular mild salsa.)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions (I only used about two stalks.)
2 Tbsp canned diced green chilis
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

Mash the avocado and then stir in rest of the ingredients. Serve with chips! (I love the multi-grain chips from Costco.)

Lion House Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

2011-02-09T21:01:00.001-08:00

I first tasted this soup at my friend Melissa's house several years ago. It was the best chicken noodle soup I had ever had. It's been my go-to recipe ever since. It's also my husband's favorite soup that I make. It is "hearty" just like the title suggests.

Lion House Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

2 tsp. chicken soup base, or 2 boullion cubes

6 cups chicken stock (broth) - I boil my chicken and use the leftover water as my stock. Then I add another can or so of chicken broth if I need it. I don't usually measure...just try to eye somewhere btwn 4-6 cups.

2 cups chopped carrots
1-2 cups chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 cans (10 1/2 oz. each) cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup evaporated milk or 1/2 cup whole milk
Roux (equal amounts of flour and butter used to thicken) - I don't usually do this...it's generally thick enough without.
2 cups cooked diced chicken
2 1/2 oz. (about 4 cups) cooked noodles - I use Rotini pasta but you could also use egg noodles.

Heat chicken soup base (or bouillon cubes) and stock together. Add carrots, celery, and onion, and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add cream of chicken soup and milk. Thicken with roux as desired, then add cooked chicken and noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes a lot...I'd say 6-8 servings.

Breakfast Burritos

2011-02-09T20:51:00.001-08:00

I don't think we've ever had these for breakfast. This is a favorite of our family when we're doing breakfast for dinner. They're so quick and easy to make and full of flavor. Last night we used leftover crepes I pulled from the freezer but usually we use tortillas. We just throw in whatever vegetables I have on hand that "fit" and usually, cheese, ham and/or bacon.

Breakfast Burritos

Eggs, mixed with a little bit of milk and scrambled, salted & peppered (I use 8.)

Grated cheese, last night we used Mozarella but cheddar works great too

Avocado, sliced thin

Tomato, diced

Bacon, cooked and crumbled OR ham, cubed or sliced into thin strips

Onions, grilled

Bell peppers, grilled

Heat the tortillas (or crepes), sprinkle with cheese, add eggs and other ingredients. Roll up and enjoy!

Chicken Alfredo Casserole

2011-02-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

This recipe is similar to another one I have for Chicken Alfredo Bake but I love the addition of tomatoes and grilled onions in this one. I saw this posted on my cousin Lisa's blog and it hit the spot for dinner the other night. It was pretty easy to whip up last minute too. I used my recipe for Guiltless Alfredo for the sauce and then leftover sauteed chicken from dinner the other night. This casserole calls for fettucine - which I used and it was great - but most pastas would probably work just as well.

Chicken Alfredo Casserole

16 oz. fettuccine noodles

16 oz. alfredo sauce - or guiltless alfredo recipe (see link above)

6-8 chicken tenderloins - or about 1-2 breasts

1/2 cup cubed ham - I used regular thin slice deli ham.

2 roma tomatoes

1/2 an onion

1/4 cup butter - I used about 1-2 Tbsp.

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook fettuccine noodles as directed, drain, and pour into 9x13 Pyrex dish. Stir butter into noodles until completely melted and mixed in. Fry chicken tenderloins and slice into strips. Place chicken and cubed ham on top of noodles. Pour alfredo sauce over everything evenly, but do not mix in. Cut tomatoes into circles, and place on top of casserole. Add salt and pepper. Cut onion into rings, and fry. Place fried onions on top of casserole. Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Soft Pretzels

2011-02-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Making these was a lot of fun! I quickly made up the dough - super easy - and then the kids were able to roll it out into long snakes and form it into whatever shape they wanted. We were going for pretzels but we somehow ended up with faces and pumpkins too! My boys had a lot of fun doing this and the dough is not sticky so it makes it really easy for kids to help! The second day, we brushed melted butter and sprinkled parmesan cheese on the remaining pretzels and stuck them under the broiler for a few minutes. Yum!

Soft Pretzels

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 pkg yeast (or 1 Tb)

1 Tb sugar

1 tsp salt

4 cups flour

Add sugar to warm water then sprinkle yeast on top. Let float for a minute then stir to dissolve the yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes as yeast activates and starts to foam. Add salt and flour and knead 5-10 minutes; adding more flour as needed to reduce stickiness. Divide dough in to 12 pieces and roll each piece into a long rope or "snake". Twist into pretzel shape and place on nonstick baking sheet. Make an egg wash with one egg and a Tb of water, lightly beaten together. Brush pretzels with egg wash then sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2011-01-06T19:04:00.001-08:00

I don't love the snow or the cold, but I love that it puts me in the mood to make soup! I tried a cream cheese chicken soup last year that just didn't have enough flavor so I was a little hesitant to try this recipe but it proved to be delicious! I love the smooth texture of this soup and unlike a lot of cream soups, it's really rather light on the stomach. I got this recipe from melskitchencafe.com. She has several great soup recipes.

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2 Tbsp butter

1 yellow onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, diced

1/2 cup carrots, diced (about 2 regular or a handful of baby carrots)

3 cups chicken broth

2-3 potatoes, peeled and diced (I used red potatoes and left the skins on.)

1 cup milk

4 Tbsp flour

1 - 8oz. package regular or light cream cheese

2-3 (about 1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

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

Fudge

2010-12-19T10:01:00.001-08:00

The last time I made fudge it really didn't come out great. It was too soft. This time was much better. I tried a new recipe I found on allrecipes.com. I don't know about you but it's just not Christmas without fudge. (Just try to overlook the amount of sugar in this - holy cow!)

Fudge

1 cup butter
12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped walnuts (I omitted.)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
4 cups white sugar

1) Line a 13X9 dish with tin foil and butter the tin foil.

2) In large saucepan combine butter, sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and let it boil for at least 5 minutes, maybe as long as 10. Stir constantly.

3) Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips, vanilla and marshmallow creme. Mix until chocolate chips are completely melted. Then stir in walnuts (if you choose). Spread mixture into prepared dish. Refrigerate until cool and hard.

*A tip when cutting. I pulled the entire thing out of the pan by grabbing the edges of the tin foil. Then I cut a large section at a time and transferred it from the tin foil to a cutting board to cut it up further. This way you don't end up with pieces of tin foil in your fudge. :)

Creamy White Chili

2010-12-17T21:51:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite chili recipe. I love it! And so does my husband - which is always a bonus. It is really flavorful and tastes great with tortilla chips. It doesn't need to cook all day either - takes about an hour from start to finish. I got this recipe from www.melskitchencafe.com - a GREAT recipe site.

Creamy White Chili

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. Makes about 6 servings.

Chicken a La King

2010-12-17T14:28:00.001-08:00

In my rush to get my children fed before hurrying out the door to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert (which we didn't even get in to!), I didn't get a picture of this meal all put together. But you'll get the idea. This is a Christmas dish as it refers to a meal for THE kings - the three Wisemen. I loved the idea of making these bread crowns - and they couldn't have been easier to make! You just pour the sauce over a couple of bread crowns and enjoy! Oh - I got this recipe from Sisters Cafe.

Chicken a La King

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

Saute just until soft.

1/2 cup flour

Add to butter mixture and mix well to make a roux. Let it bubble.

2 small cans mushrooms and juice (I am not a fan of mushrooms so I left these out....I just used less flour and a little more chicken broth to make up for omitting these.)
3 cups chicken broth

Add and bring to a boil to thicken.

1 cup cream
5 cups cooked chicken, shredded (Rotisserie chicken would work well too.)
salt and pepper

Add to above mixture but don't boil any longer after adding cream. (You can also add 1/4 cup milk to thin the sauce if needed.)

To make the crowns, buy wheat bread - just the cheapo kind. (Or you can use white if you prefer.) Get out a muffin tin. Place a slice of bread over a muffin hole. Push in on the four sides and push down into muffin hole. Don't squash the bread, but use enough force so that it stays down in the hole. The four corners should be sticking up. Bake at about 250 until toasted and dry. It took me about 15 minutes. When you lift the crowns out of the muffin tin they should hole their shape.

Cinnamon Rolls

2010-12-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

I have been craving warm homemade cinnamon rolls for a while now. I finally got around to it. I last made this recipe while up at my parents' house in Washington. My dad wanted to take cinnamon rolls into his office to thank everyone for their kindness towards are family so I stayed up all night making these. They were hot and ready in the morning. These are really quite easy to make they just take a LONG time because of all the rising. Both times I've made this recipe it has taken the full time to rise. But they are worth the wait. This recipe comes from Melanie at http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com.

Cinnamon Rolls

2 cups milk
2 cubes butter (1 cup)
2 pkgs yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1/3 cup warm water
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4 beaten eggs
8 cups flour

Filling: 1 cube softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon

Heat milk and 2 cubes of butter in saucepan until butter is melted. Cool and set aside. Mix yeast and warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Add cooled milk, 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1 tsp salt and 4 beaten eggs. Add 4 cups flour and mix. Gradually add 4 additional cups of flour. If you don't have a Bosch or Kitchen Aid (like me) you can mix this all by hand. Dough should be firm but sticky. Cover with cloth and allow to rise until nearly double in size (about 2 hours). Divide dough in half and empty onto floured surface and knead a little. Roll dough into a large rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. To this half of dough, spread 1/2 cube of softened butter, completely covering dough. Then generously sprinkle brown sugar over entire piece of dough. Then a layer of cinnamon - be generous. Roll into long roll, pinch edges together and slice with dental floss. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Do same thing to second half of dough. Cover with lightly sprayed plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in size (2 to 5 hours). Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until barely browned. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Drizzle with glaze while still warm. Makes 2-4 dozen, depending on size.

Butter Cream Glaze

1 cube softened butter (1/2 cup)
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
dash of cream of tarter
1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar
scalded milk or cream (I heat about 1 cup, but you may not use it all.)

Add all ingredients together, adding milk gradually to reach desired consistency. It should be thinner than regular icing.

Pumpkin Bread

2010-12-15T20:41:00.001-08:00

My old neighbor Kristin made this bread back when Ben and I were first married and it was delicious so of course I asked her for the recipe. She actually got it from another friend of ours, Mikaela. So here's one of my favorite recipes for pumpkin bread with chocolate chips!...love the combination of pumpkin and chocolate. A couple of notes: I prefer to use oil instead of butter for this recipe. If you double this recipe it makes three regular size loaves. As is, this recipe makes four small loaves.

Pumpkin Bread

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg (I only do 1/4 tsp.)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup melted butter (or oil)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg beaten
1/3 cup water
1/2 bag chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

Combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine pumpkin, egg and water. Add pumpkin mixture to dry mixture along with butter (or oil). Mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into greased loaf pan(s). Bake at 350 for about an hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Can also make muffins. They take about 20-25 minutes to bake.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

2010-12-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

I first tried these at a stake relief society social in our BYU married student ward. The wife of one of our high counselors made these. Many years later, I finally decided to give this recipe a try. They were just as good as I remembered and easy too!

Black Bottom Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together. Add remaining ingredients and using a mixer, blend well. Fill lined muffin cups 1/3 full with batter.

Filling:
1 - 8oz. package cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
chopped almonds (I omit.)

Combine cream cheese, egg, sugar and salt. Beat well. Stir in chocolate chips. Place heaping spoonful of mixture on top of batter in each muffin cup. Sprinkle with additional sugar and chopped almonds (I omit both.) Bake at 350. I bake one muffin tin at a time (so 12 muffins) and it takes between 18-20 minutes to cook. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candies

2010-12-07T21:45:00.001-08:00

These are a tasty, if fattening, treat. They're pretty much homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. This time we gave most of them away. That was a good thing because I could have eaten the whole pan myself.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candies

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 lb package powdered sugar
1-12 oz. package chocolate chips

Melt butter. Add graham cracker crumbs (I crush mine in a blender), peanut butter and powdered sugar. Using a mixer, blend well. Pat into a 9X13 pan. Melt chocolate chips and spread evenly over top. Refrigerate 10-20 minutes. Cut into squares.

Pumpkin Waffles

2010-12-07T21:32:00.001-08:00

If you're wondering why the syrup doesn't cover the entire waffle, it's because Tyler didn't want syrup on his section. He wanted ketchup. :) These waffles are seriously good! This is the time of year when I always seem to have pumpkin leftover in my fridge so I'm always looking for ways to use it. I love just about anything pumpkin. I got this recipe from my friend Sheia and my friend Melanie has a recipe for apple cider syrup that goes great with these too.

Pumpkin Waffles

2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
4 Tbsp butter, melted
2/3 cup canned pumpkin

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter and pumpkin. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until just combined. Coat waffles iron with non-stick spray and cook.

Apple Cider Syrup

Mix in sauce pan

1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Add

1 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS butter

Cook all ingredients except butter over medium heat. Heat until thick and bubbly. Cook 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter.
Makes 1 1/3 cups syrup.

Maggie's Slow Cooker Taco Soup

2010-11-29T14:59:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year for soups and chilis. Our friend Kelly made this soup while we were staying at a cabin in Yellowstone a few years ago. It was delicious so I asked her for the recipe. It's super easy because you just throw everything in a crock pot in the morning and let it cook all day.

Maggie's Slow Cooker Taco Soup

1 chopped onion
1 can chili beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
12 oz. water
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes (1 w/ green chilis)
1 package taco seasoning
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (can use frozen)

Add everything to slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Just before serving, remove chicken and shred. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

Chicken Lasagna

2010-11-29T14:34:00.000-08:00

This is a great recipe when you're feeling like pasta with a white sauce. It's very flavorful and pretty easy to make.

Chicken Lasagna

6 Tbsp butter, divided
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
3/4 tsp dried thyme (Next time I'm going to try basil or oregano - or a combination of the two.)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 c whipping cream
8 oz. lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (I usually use more.)
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese (I always use Mozarella.)
Minced fresh parsley, optional

In large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 T butter. Add chicken, garlic and thyme. Cook until chicken is done, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add remaining butter to skillet. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. Cook and stir until golden brown. Gradually add broth and cream. Bring to boil. Cook and stir every 2 minutes until thickened.

In a greased 9X13 baking dish, layer half of the noodles, chicken, white sauce and cheese. Repeat layers. (I like to do 3 layers.) Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes longer or until cheese is bubbly. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Sweet Potato Muffins

2010-11-07T21:45:00.000-08:00

I am so excited. I finally found a way to use the sweet potatoes I get occasionally from the co-op....Use them to make delicious muffins! I am not a fan of Thanksgiving-style sweet potatoes. I know they are one of the healthiest foods on earth but I just can't swallow the regular sweet poato. But these muffins are fabulous. This recipe comes from http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com.

Sweet Potato Muffins

1 1/4 c uncooked oats

1 c flour

1/3 c chopped pecans (I omitted due to nut allergies in our home.)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 c mashed sweet potato (You can also use canned pumpkin.)

3/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c oil

1/4 c milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

1/4 c oats

1/4 c flour

1/4 c brown sugar

3 Tb chopped pecans (omitted)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 c butter

Stir together dry ingredients of topping then cut butter in using pastry cutter. (Or you can rub together using your fingers.)

Combine dry ingredients, add moist ingredients. Stir until just moistened; do not overmix. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full. Sprinkle liberally with topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes. Makes 12-15 muffins.

Aunt Ila's Minestrone Soup

2010-11-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

Another good soup recipe. Great on a cold night. I got this recipe from my friend Cami. It's a recipe that's been passed down in her family. And since Cami is my third cousin, well maybe I can claim it as a family recipe too. ;) Cami uses beef boullion cubes instead of canned broth and she also adds 1-2 cans of tomato sauce. She also uses fresh or frozen green beans instead of canned. I've tried all her changes and think they are great so I've stuck with them.

Aunt Ila's Minestrone Soup

1 lb. Italian Sausage, browned and drained
4 cups water
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes (I've used fresh tomatoes, diced.)
2 cans beef broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper

Simmer soup on low for 4-6 hours or use a crock pot.

During the last hour add:
1 can string beans
1 can kidney or garbanzo beans (I've always used kidney.)
1 cup noodles, cooked al dente

Bread Machine Rolls (w/oil instead of egg)

2010-11-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

This is another great bread machine roll recipe. This one calls for oil and no eggs so I've made these on occasion for families with egg allergies. I also think this dough is less sticky so it's easier to roll out and requires less flour in the process. This recipe came from a cookbook my mother-in-law's ward put together.

Bread Machine Rolls

1/4 cup melted shortening or oil (I use canola oil.)
1/3 cup sugar
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup milk
4 cups flour

Place liquid ingredients in bottom of loaf pan. Add other ingredients with the flour on top and the yeast on the very top. Use the dough cycle. Take out and shape into twelve rolls or three medium loaves of bread. Bake bread at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Bake rolls at 400 for 12 minutes. Using a pastry brush, brush butter on top of finished rolls or loaves of bread. **I halve the dough and roll it out into a circle and cut into wedges with a pizza cutter. I get 12 rolls out of each half....24 rolls total.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2010-11-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

The one thing I love about the weather changing is it puts me in the mood to make soup! I love a bowl of hot soup with fresh homemade bread. Mmmm. This soup is delicious! The recipe comes from http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

12 oz Applewood smoked bacon

4 stalks celery finely diced

2 large carrots, peeled, finely diced

1 jalapeno, seeded, membrane removed and finely chopped (I left this out)

1 large onion, finely chopped

½ Cup red bell pepper, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup thinly sliced ham or Canadian bacon (or mini cubed ham)

32 oz chicken broth (or water & bouillon)

6 oz half and half (I used whole milk)

10 med/lg. potatoes, baked, peeled and mashed

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ Cup milk

4 oz sour cream

1 ½ Cups shredded cheddar cheese

Garnish:

½ Cup sour cream

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 Cup thinly sliced green onion (green part)

1. Heat large dutch oven over medium heat. Cut bacon into pieces and cook until browned and crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Discard bacon grease, reserving 2 Tablespoons to sauté veggis. Saute celery, carrots, jalapeno, onion and bell pepper in bacon grease for 10 minutes, stirring often until softened. Stir in garlic and ham; cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in chicken broth and half and half. **I just fried the bacon in a separate skillet and simmered everything else in a large pot. Just make sure you simmer the vegetables long enough for them to get soft.

2. Place mashed potatoes in a stand or electric mixer. Mix on medium speed adding salt, pepper and milk. Stir mashed potatoes into soup until combined. Heat for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in sour cream and cheese until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low until ready to serve. Top with sour cream, bacon, cheese and green onion.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-10-30T20:49:00.001-07:00

I was going to use this recipe to make bread but decided against it so I could freeze half of these. I love this time of year because I get to pull out all the pumpkin recipes. I love almost anything with pumpkin in it!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

3 1/3 cups flour

2 1/4 cups sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin

4 eggs

2/3 cup water

1 cup oil

2 tsp vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together eggs, oil, water, pumpkin and vanilla. Mix the dry with the wet. When mixed, fold in 2 cups chocolate chips. Spoon into greased muffin cups. Bake at 400 for 16 - 20 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

South Beach Muffins

2010-10-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

I love muffin recipes, especially when it makes a couple dozen and you can freeze half of them for later - like in this case. These muffins make good snacks and are on the healthy side. As with most of my muffin recipes, this one comes from The Sisters Cafe.

South Beach Muffins

Bowl One:
2 c. whole grain oats
2 ½ c. lowfat buttermilk
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. or one 6-oz bag of dried cranberries

Bowl Two:
2 ½ c. whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/3 c. chopped walnuts
1 scant tsp. salt

Bowl Three:
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. sugar (or splenda, although I’ve never tried it)
4 tsp vanilla
2/3 c. canola oil

Preheat oven to 375°. Add bowl one to bowl three and mix well. Add bowl two and mix just enough to moisten. DO NOT OVERMIX. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake for 20 or so minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with defined moist crumbs on it. Makes 2 dozen.

Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Bowties

2010-10-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

I was on a salad kick near the end of September - A little late, I know. But nonetheless, I tried out a few new recipes and this one was delicious! I love the teriyaki flavor mixed with the sweetness of the oranges and dried cranberries. This recipe comes from The Sisters Cafe.

Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Bowties

16 oz. Bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled
1 - 2 bags of fresh baby Spinach
2 small cans Mandarin Oranges
1 cup Craisins
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 can Water Chestnuts (I omitted.)
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
1 cup Honey Roasted Peanuts or Cashews (I did the peanuts.)
1/2 cup fresh Parsley (I used dried.)
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds, toasted (I omitted.)
2 cups torn cooked Chicken

Dressing:
1 cup Vegetable Oil
2/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
2/3 C. Teriyaki Sauce
5 Tbs. Sugar

Cook bowtie pasta according to directions, drain and cool while whisking the dressing together in a large bowl. Marinate cooked bowtie pasta in the dressing for 1 hour or longer in the fridge. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour the teriyaki sauce and pasta over the salad, toss together and serve.

Italian Tomato Sauce with Pasta

2010-10-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

This is basically homemade spaghetti sauce. I found the recipe in my Betty Crocker's Cooking Basics cookbook. It was a wedding gift and served me well in the beginning of our marriage when I was trying to figure things out. We've been using a lot of tomatoes lately in an effort to keep our garden harvest from going to waste.

Italian Tomato Sauce with Pasta

1 medium onion
1 large clove garlic
1 small green bell pepper (I had red so that's what I used.)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 can whole tomatoes, undrained (I used fresh tomatoes from our garden, diced.)
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fennel seed (I omitted.)
1/8 tsp pepper
8 oz. uncooked spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine

1) Peel and chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Chop up the pepper, enough to measure 1/4 cup.

2) Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat 1-2 minutes. Cook onion, garlic and pepper in oil for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid, and break them up with a fork. Stir in the tomato sauce, basil, oregano, salt, fennel seed and pepper. Heat to boiling over high heat. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat just enough so mixture bubbles gently and does not spatter.

4) Cover and cook 35 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes to make sure mixture is just bubbling gently and to prevent sticking. Lower the heat if sauce is bubbling too fast.

5) After the tomato sauce has been cooking about 20 minutes, cook the pasta according to package directions.

6) Drain pasta and serve with sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.

Baguette

2010-10-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

When Ben and I were in London we used to grab baguettes from the local grocer daily. I liked to eat them plain. Well, these do not taste the same but say the word "baguette" and I'm a fan. This recipe was pretty easy and they tasted great....This bread freezes great too. I brushed mine with butter but I think next time I'd brush them with olive oil. Either way would probably be good.

Baguette

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbs. (2 packages) dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt

In a small bowl mix the warm water with the yeast and sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes - foam should form on the top.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough becomes a smooth ball and knead for 5 minutes. (I did this by hand because I don't have a Kitchen Aid or Bosch.)

Cut in half and then shape into 2 baguettes. To make them smooth and pretty, roll each half of dough into rectangle and roll up lengthwise. Pinch the edges to seal and place on lightly greased cookie sheet (or silpat) with seam down. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. With a very sharp knife gently make a slash down the length of each baguette. This will give it that authentic look. Pour water in a cookie sheet and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Half way through, brush the bread with melted butter (or olive oil).

Chinese Chicken Salad

2010-09-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

This is another great salad recipe - something different. I love the dressing and the way it soaks into the chicken. I got this recipe from a cookbook my mother-in-law's Relief Society put together.

Chinese Chicken Salad

1 head cabbage, chopped
2 bunches green onions, finely diced
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 pkgs. Top Ramen noodles (chicken flavor), broken into small pieces
1/2 cup toasted, slivered almonds

Dressing:

1/4 cup oil (I used canola.)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 chicken seasoning packets from the Top Ramen noodles

Mix the dressing well and add to salad mixture not more than 1 hour before serving. **This makes a lot so I only used about 1/2 a head of cabbage and one package of Ramen noodles. I also halved all the dressing ingredients. I omitted the almonds due to a nut allergy in our family.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2010-09-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

I love that these cookies use whole wheat flour and they really taste great. Much better the first day than the second, in my opinion, but the dough freezes well or keeps well in the fridge for several days.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 ¼ cups brown sugar
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 ¼ cups butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups wheat flour
2 ½ cups oats
2 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in dry ingredients and then chocolate chips. Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. *Makes 3-4 dozen.

Southwestern Barbecue Chicken Salad

2010-09-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

This salad was SO good! I loved the combination of ingredients, especially the barbecue chicken. It was pretty easy to whip up last minute too. This is another recipe from The Sisters Cafe. The summer is over but I'm just getting going on great salad recipes. I'm not ready for the cold weather yet!

Southwestern Barbecue Chicken Salad

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 head Iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 Haas avocados, diced

shredded cheese, Mexican blend or cheddar

crispy tortilla strips

Stir shredded chicken in with the BBQ sauce until well coated. Of course you can use less or more sauce, it's up to you! I like quite a bit since I love the smoky flavor of BBQ sauce in a salad. Toss together the lettuce, cilantro, corn, beans, and chopped veggies. Top with shredded chicken, cheese and crispy tortilla strips. Drizzle ranch or cilantro lime dressing over salad and enjoy!

Buttermilk Waffles

2010-09-30T20:16:00.001-07:00

I love making waffles and pancakes from scratch. I especially love any recipe with the word "buttermilk" in it. Mmmm. This recipe comes from my go-to site for great recipes: http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com.

Buttermilk Waffles

1 stick butter, melted

2 cups flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs until fluffy. Beat in everything else just until smooth.

Banana Nugget Cookies

2010-09-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

I grew up on these cookies! My mom made these all the time when we were young - I think she got the recipe from her mom. They became my favorite cookie at an early age. I love that they are always soft (due to the banana in them).

Banana Nugget Cookies

Mix together in a large bowl:

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 1/2) - very ripe ones work the best
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups oats
2 cups chocolate chips

I always double this recipe. I also go easy on the nutmeg and I usually use bananas that I've thrown in the freezer previously. Mix everything up and drop by spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.

Hawaiian Haystacks - Reinvented

2010-09-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

Please try to ignore the ugly paper plates in a couple of my last posts. :) We had company in town and used paper plates a couple of nights. The first time I ever had Hawaiian Haystacks was when I was a freshman in college. I ate dinner at a friend's house and his mom made them. I thought they were wonderful! I made them quite a bit when Ben and I were first married. But in the past year or two, I've really tried to lessen the amount of cream soups I use. In fact, I used to use A LOT of cream of chicken soup and I rarely use it anymore. Recently I came across a recipe for the Hawaiian Haystacks sauce that doesn't use cream soup. I didn't think that was possible! So I tried it and it did not disappoint.

Hawaiian Haystacks Chicken Sauce

*Makes about 4 cups chicken sauce (enough to serve 4-6 for Hawaiian Haystacks)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks (or leftover cooked chicken, cubed)
3 tablespoons butter
½ onion (about ½ cup), finely chopped
3 cloves garlic; finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion and raw chicken (if using leftover cooked chicken, don’t add it to the skillet now, you’ll add it later). Saute the onion and chicken, if using, until the onions are soft and translucent and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute, stirring, until fragrant.

Sprinkle the flour over the onions and chicken and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for one minute – this helps get rid of the starchy, flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Add the salt and pepper. If you are using leftover cooked chicken, add it now. Continue simmering, stirring the sauce frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Serve the chicken sauce over rice with your toppings of choice, such as olives, tomatoes, shredded cheese, celery, green onions, pineapple, coconut, raisins and/or chow mein noodles.

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

2010-09-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

So this was my first ever trifle. I found an inexpensive trifle dish at WalMart a month or so ago and had been waiting for company to come into town so I could make this dessert and have people to help me eat it! This dessert is really rich and filling! The recipe has you add peanut butter to the pudding but I bet it would be great (and less peanut-buttery) to just use plain vanilla pudding. But either way - it is good!

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

9x13 pan of brownies, cut into 1 inch pieces
5.1 oz instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
8 oz container thawed whipped topping (Cool Whip), divided
20 peanut butter cups, crumbled (buy in a 10-pack. Not the bite-sized)
6-8 peanut butter cups to garnish.

Combine pudding and milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and vanilla, beat until smooth. Gently fold in 2 cups cool whip.

Layer in trifle dish ½ the brownies, ½ the crumbled peanut butter cups, ½ the pudding mixture. Repeat. Top with cool whip and peanut butter cups. Chill until serving.

Chicken Alfredo Bake

2010-09-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

I love this dish because I use my friend Sarah's "Guiltless Alfredo" recipe and it's much lighter than regular alfredo sauce. You don't feel sick after eating it!

Chicken Alfredo Bake

16 oz. pasta, cooked al dente (penne or rigatoni work well)
1 chicken breast, fried in olive oil and seasoned with your favorite seasoning, then cut into cubes
Guiltless Alfredo Sauce (see recipe below)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Mix pasta with alfredo sauce and chicken and pour into greased 9X13 baking pan. Sprinkle with one cup mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes covered at 350. When finished baking, sprinkle with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

2 cups low-fat milk (not skim)
1/3 cup (3 oz.) 1/3-less fat cream cheese
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour and salt in a blender. Process until smooth and set aside.

In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on medium heat and then add garlic. Saute garlic for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3-4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it's nice and thick, like a normal alfredo sauce, remove pan from heat. Add cheese and stir. Then cover and let stand 10 minutes. It will continue to thicken upon standing.

Barbeque Brisket

2010-09-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

I threw this in the oven before church, made the sauce up when we got home, and an hour later we were eating. The meat was really tender and tasted great. You could also shred this meat and eat it as a sandwich.

Barbeque Brisket

6 lbs trimmed beef brisket (I used a tri-tip roast.)

Marinade:

3 Tbsp liquid smoke
2 tsp onion salt
3 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp celery salt

Sauce:

3 cups brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp celery salt
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Trim excess fat off meat and place in 9X13 pan. Rub marinade over meat. Also sprinkle pepper and worcestershire sauce over meat. Double cover with tin foil and bake at 275 for five hours.

Drain off juice. Mix together sauce ingredients and pour mixture over meat. (I halved the sauce recipe and I still had plenty of sauce.) Bake at 275 for an additional hour. Remove from oven and slice into thin strips. Pour remaining sauce over meat and serve.

Farmers Market Salsa

2010-08-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

Our tomato plants are thriving this year. The tomatoes I'm getting look so nice and pretty! I should have taken a picture. :) I love fresh, homemade salsa - it's a perfect snack that you don't have to feel guilty about eating. This recipe calls for Roma tomatoes but I used my Early Girls and they worked great - probably any medium sized vine tomato would. I also omitted the banana pepper because I couldn't find it at the grocery store.

Farmers Market Salsa

8-10 large vine ripe Roma tomatoes, diced
1 small Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, diced
1 banana pepper seeded (long pale yellow), chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded, diced
Juice of two limes
Chopped fresh cilantro to taste (or dried, to taste)
1 tsp of sugar
Kosher Salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste

Mix everything together and enjoy!

For a variation try:
1 chopped, peeled ripe avocado or 1 chopped, peeled ripe nectarine, peach or mango

Whole Wheat Pear Granola Muffins

2010-08-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

What can I say, I love muffins! I bought a case of pears from Costco and wanted to try something new. This recipe calls for D'Anjou pears but I used bartlett and I thought they still tasted great. I loved the granola topping. My one year old couldn't get enough of these. This muffin recipe comes from The Sisters Cafe.

Whole Wheat Pear Granola Muffins

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 (2 cups) D'Anjou pears, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

Crumb topping:
1/2 cup granola

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, yogurt, and butter. Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Add egg mixture to well, and mix in flour mixture until just combined. Gently fold in the pears.

Crumb topping:

In a bowl, toss together 1/2 cup granola, 1/4 cup each all-purpose flour and packed light-brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut 3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter into pieces; add to granola mixture, and rub in with fingertips until clumps form.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Sprinkle with granola topping. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from tin. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce

2010-08-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

Ben works with a lady who has several peach trees. Each year she invites us over to pick peaches to our hearts' content. Every year I freeze the majority of them for smoothies and shakes but we also eat a fair share of them fresh. This year I decided to try this recipe to use up the remaining peaches. It did not disappoint! I found this recipe on http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com but it originally came from "The Pioneer Woman Cooks."

Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce

1 cup flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. (one stick) butter, cut into bits
5-6 cups, peeled, sliced fresh peaches
Juice and grated zest of ½ lemon
2 T. maple syrup

*Maple cream Sauce, for serving (make beforehand, see instructions below)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter with fork or pastry blender until mixture is the consistency of coarse meal. Place peaches in 9-inch square baking pan or smaller baking dish. Gently mix in lemon juice, rind and maple syrup. Top with crumb mixture. Cover tightly with foil and bake about 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake20 to 30 minutes more or until top is crisp and brown. You might want to broil fora couple of minutes to ensure good color. Serve warm with maple cream sauce.

Maple Cream Sauce
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
5 T. maple syrup
3 T. light corn syrup

Combine all ingredients in heavy sauce pan; cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until thickened and reduced by 1/3, approximately 20 minutes. Chill until thickened. Drizzle generously over Peach Crisp.

Sloppy Joes

2010-08-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

I've tried a few different Sloppy Joe recipes and this is my favorite to date. I like that it's not too runny so it doesn't make your bun soggy. Tonight we had these with homemade buns. (I just used my bread machine roll recipe and cut the dough into circles with a cookie cutter.) We like to top off our Sloppy Joes with a slice of cheese.

Sloppy Joes

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp flour
1 small can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp dry mustard
4 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp vinegar
3 Tbsp ketchup
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onion. Drain off grease. Add remaining ingredients. Heat on stove top until warmed through. Serve on buns.

Grilled Steak with Garlic Rub

2010-08-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

This is a flavorful and super easy way to grill steaks. The best part about this marinade is you don't have to plan in advance. It only has to sit on the steak for 30 minutes before grilling.

Garlic Rub

1-2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper (I use 1/2 tsp)
2 garlic cloves, crushed with a press

Mix together in a bowl and spread on steaks. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. Then grill or broil in oven. My husband grilled these outside tonight and he was able to do it without flipping the steaks - that way we didn't lose any of the marinade. They were still grilled on both sides and tasted great.

Banana Carrot Bread

2010-08-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

This is a fun variation on regular banana bread. I had a bunch of carrots in my fridge so I made this recipe to use some of them up. You really can't taste the carrots but you can see the pretty orange flecks. :)

Banana Carrot Bread

1 cup mashed bananas (about two large, very ripe bananas)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (I do slightly less.)
1 cup finely grated carrots

Combine bananas, brown sugar, oil & eggs in bowl and mix. Sift flour, soda, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg together in large bowl. Stir into banana mixture. Fold in carrots. Spoon into large greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Can also makes these into muffins.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes

2010-08-22T19:16:00.001-07:00

Another pancake recipe. Ben made pancakes from a mix the other night and I think I've been ruined. They tasted terrible! I definitely prefer pancakes from scratch and there are so many options! These ones are very moist because of the sour cream.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream (light works great)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk, sour cream & butter; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in blueberries. Cooked on greased hot griddle.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

2010-08-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

I saw a picture of a chicken salad sandwich on my friend Ruby's blog and it looked so good! It reminded me how much I love chicken salad on a croissant and how infrequently I eat it. The next time I was at Costco I picked up a pack of these croissants (Costco's are fabulous!) and whipped up some chicken salad for dinner. Here is how I like to make it:

Chicken Salad

1 can chicken, drained and shredded
1/2 cup or so of mayo
1-2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half
1/2 cup celery chopped fine
crumbled bacon or real bacon bits
pineapple tidbits (optional)

Mix everything together and spread on fresh croissant rolls. Yum!

Baked Oatmeal

2010-08-11T21:13:00.001-07:00

Our family consumes A LOT of cold cereal. Ben grew up on cold cereal. For Christmas every year he and his brothers would each get five or six full size boxes of cold cereal with their stockings. Though I shop sales and use coupons so usually get it quite cheap, cold cereal takes up a lot of space in my house and is not the healthiest breakfast out there. I have a goal to make more "homemade" breakfasts. My kids love oatmeal - I don't. Regular oatmeal cooked in a pan is just "ok" for me. But I came across this baked oatmeal recipe and it is super! Ben LOVED it. It's super quick to make and very filling. I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8X8 dish and it was the perfect amount to feed my family for one morning. This tastes great plain or with fruit on top.

Baked Oatmeal

6 cups oatmeal (you can use quick or rolled)
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups milk
4 beaten eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 9X13-inch baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve warm with milk….or not.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

2010-08-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

I want to start making my own salad dressings so I'm going to experiment with a few. I'll still keep a bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch and Italian Dressing in my fridge but homemade salad dressing is so much better for you without all the preservatives, etc. so I'm going to try to do more of that. Here's one that is sweet and tasty. We call it the "pink dressing" in our house. This recipe comes from another great recipe site: www.melskitchencafe.com. (BTW, I think next time I make this I will only use 1 cup sugar.)

Red Wine Vinaigrette

2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup red onions, finely grated (about 1/4 of a large red onion)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons salt
ground pepper to taste
2 cups canola oil

Add all ingredients except oil in a blender. Blend well. While processing, slowly add the canola oil and blend well. Transfer dressing to a jar or cruet. It keeps well in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks (although I’ve found it gets a little thick if it is too cold so I’ll pop it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to help thin it out before I use it if it has been in the refrigerator for several days).

Applesauce Pancakes

2010-08-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I'll ever go back to store-bought pancake mixes. I guess I'll always keep some on hand - just in case, but pancakes from scratch are so much better! I had some applesauce in my fridge that I needed to use up so I decided to try these pancakes. I used unsweetened applesauce but I'm sure any kind would work. I didn't have time to make the syrup but I'm sure it would taste great with these pancakes. These recipes come from The Sisters Cafe.

Applesauce Pancakes

2 eggs
2 c flour
1 c milk
1 c applesauce
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 T sugar
2 T baking powder
1 tsp salt

Beat eggs until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat or to 375 degrees. (To test griddle, sprinkle with a few drops of water. If bubbles jump around, heat is just right.) Grease griddle. For each pancake, use slightly less than 1/4 cup batter. Cook pancakes until bubbly on top and dry around the edges. Turn to cook other sides until golden brown.

Cinnamon Syrup

1 cup sugar
slightly less than 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup evaporated milk

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cinnamon. Pour in corn syrup and water and stir to dissolve. Boil, stirring constantly 2-3 minutes. Cool. Stir in evaporated milk and serve. Refrigerate leftovers.

Cafe Rio at Home

2010-08-05T20:28:00.001-07:00

My cousin Liesel let me in on the secret recipes for Cafe Rio goodness in the comfort of your own home. :) My five year old has reverted to his old picky self lately and won't go near anything with "little green things" in it. But my three year old ate this up.

Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork Barbacoa

Pork Roast
*Cook pork in crock pot on low for 5-6 hours. Drain water and fat; then shred pork. Return to crock pot and add:
2 cups sugar (I think 1 is plenty.)
1 can Coke
1 pint fresh salsa (Bottled salsa works.)

*Cook an additional 2-3 hours. Serve in warm tortillas with cheese, beans (I like black), cilantro lime rice and tomatillo & cilantro dressing. Or make as a salad with tortilla on bottom and lettuce and other toppings piled on top.

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
*Heat oil, add rice stirring to coat; add broth and salt and bring to boil. Cover and cook on low for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. (Mine was done in only about 10 minutes.) Then add:
Grated rind and juice from one lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves (I used about 2 Tbsp dried cilantro.)

Tomatillo and Cilantro Dressing

1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing
1 cup mayo
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cilantro leaves
3 tomatillos (remove husk cover, core and cut in half)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
*Put everything in blender and blend until smooth. If you refrigerate it for a while it will thicken.

Crepes

2010-08-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

We were given a crepe maker for a wedding gift. You don't need one to make crepes but it sure makes it easy! Tonight we had chicken crepes for dinner (chicken, spinach & cheese w/ a chicken gravy) and apple pie filling and strawberry crepes with vanilla ice cream for dessert! Oh the possibilities...

Basic Crepe Batter

1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Place ingredients in blender. Blend 30 seconds. Stop and stir down sides. Blend 30-60 seconds more until smooth. Or, mix in bowl with wire whisk or mixer, first combining flour and eggs, adding liquid gradually. Beat until smooth; add other ingredients. Makes about 16 crepes.

I pour my batter into a shallow pie plate and then dip the crepe maker in the plate quickly. Then I allow the crepe to cook for about a minute. If you don't have a crepe maker I'm sure you could spray a frying pan and cook them that way. The key would be minimal batter in the pan so your crepe stays thin.

Chicken and Dumplings

2010-08-01T20:35:00.001-07:00

In my opinion, this meal is the epitome of comfort food. I've really cut down on my use of cream of chicken soup, but I am not above it. This dish is easy to make, quick and filling. Another great recipe from The Sisters Cafe.

Chicken and Dumplings

3 c. cooked chicken, cut into large pieces

½ c. butter

1/3 c. flour

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

3 c. chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup (98% fat free variety works great)

Dumplings:

2 c. flour

3 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp poultry seasoning (I used McCormick's chicken seasoning.)

1 tsp celery seed (I omitted.)

¼ c. oil

1 c. milk

Blend butter, flour, salt and pepper in saucepan. Add chicken broth and cook until thick. Stir in cream of chicken soup and add cooked chicken. Put in a 9x13 pan. To prepare dumplings, mix all ingredients together and stir until moistened. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto chicken and gravy. Bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes.

KISSES Peanut Butter Blossoms

2010-07-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

I love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate! Mmmm! Always a crowd pleaser, these cookies are easy to make and they stay nice and soft. I tore this recipe out of a Martha Stewart magazine but I'm pretty sure this is the original Hershey's recipe.

KISSES Peanut Butter Blossoms

48 Hershey's Kisses Chocolates
1/2 c. shortening (can use butter)
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Granulated sugar

1. Heat oven to 375. Remove foil from Kisses chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1" balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. (I bake exactly 8 minutes and they come out perfect.) Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack and allow to cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Mini Meatloaves

2010-07-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

Mini Meatloaves

1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. quick oats (I've used regular oats before and put them in a blender to make more fine.)
1 t. salt
1 t. garlic powder or 1 t. onion powder
1 lb. ground beef

Sauce:

2/3 c. ketchup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. prepared mustard
**This makes quite a lot of sauce. It's a little too much for my liking so I'll probably half this next time.

Preheat oven to 350. I large bowl, combine egg, milk, cheese, oats, salt and powder. Add ground beef, mixing well. Place mixture in lightly greased muffin tin. In separate mixing bowl combine sauce ingredients: ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes. Makes 12 mini loaves.

Chicken Parmesan

2010-07-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

This is another goodie from sisterscafe.blogspot.com. I made this the other night when my brother-in-laws came over for dinner and they liked it a lot. In fact, between our family and the two of them we ate this entire 9X13 pan full. I made the low fat version.

CHICKEN PARMESAN

Sauce Ingredients:

2 Tb olive oil

1 large onion, chopped (approx 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 cans Italian diced tomatoes

1 Tb sugar

1/2 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender and transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Chicken ingredients:

1-2 pounds chicken breasts

2 eggs

Italian breadcrumbs

1/4-1/2 c olive oil

8 oz very thinly sliced mozzarella

1/4 c Parmesan cheese

Dip the chicken in egg and then in bread crumbs. Heat oil and cook chicken 2-3 minutes on each side. Put chicken on the bottom of a large baking dish (9x13). Put one thin slice of mozzarella and sprinkle parmesan on each breast and half of sauce on top. Repeat. Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Lowfat version: skip breading and frying of the chicken. Place the chicken raw in the dish and do one layer of the cheeses. I don't even measure, I just sprinkle on grated mozzarella and parmesan then top with sauce. Bake a little longer - more like 40 minutes.

Burritos

2010-06-29T22:50:00.001-07:00

I first tried these burritos when my friend Margaret made them for a church function we were having. There was something sweet tasting in them that I really liked. She was kind enough to give me the recipe and I have made them several times since. The great thing about this recipe is that it makes a lot of filling so you can easily get a couple pans worth of burritos or even freeze some of the filling for another meal.

Burritos

6 chicken breasts, boiled and diced (I have never used this much chicken. I usually use about 10 tenders.)

1 package Zataran's "Red Beans & Rice" mix. Cooked as package directs.

3 cups cheese

1 cup sour cream (I almost always bake with light sour cream.)

1 small jar of salsa (I always just eye this from my larger jar - I'd say 1/2 -1 cup is sufficient.)

1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies

1 can sliced olives (I omit.)

1 15 oz. can corn

1 15 oz. can black beans

1-2 10 oz. cans mild green enchilada sauce

12-15 flour tortillas

Add everything to a pot and heat on stovetop. Pour a little bit of green enchilada sauce in bottom of 9X13 pan(s). (Can use your own recipe or 10 oz. Old El Paso brand can works well.) Fill flour tortillas and lay side by side in pan. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and grated cheese. Warm in oven at 300 degrees for 20 minutes or so - long enough for cheese to be good and melted on top.

Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta

2010-06-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! Can I tell you how much I loved this dish?? And Ben loved it too! I got this from http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com. Is it so obvious how much I love that blog?? This is the perfect summer pasta. It is light and tastes so fresh. I didn't have any tomatoes ready to be picked from my garden so I settled for tomatos from my Bountiful Basket (the co-op that I participate in most recently) - which were great. I used linguine, which I thought was the perfect noodle choice for this dish, but really spaghetti or fettucine would taste great too.

Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta

2 large ripe, firm tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)

1 Tb fresh chopped basil or 1 tsp dried basil

1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

½ tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

Shredded Parmesan cheese

6-8 oz angel hair pasta

Mix together the diced tomatoes, chopped basil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Let "marinate" on counter for 30 minutes. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain and toss with the tomato mixture. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2010-06-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

The boys and I picked strawberries from our backyard the other day. I love fresh strawberries and especially turning them into jam! My favorite freezer jam recipe is the Ball brand one. It only calls for 1 1/2 cups of sugar to 4 cups of strawberries and I think it tastes plenty sweet. This jam goes perfectly with the bread machine rolls (see previous post.)

Strawberry Freezer Jam

4 cups strawberries crushed
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 packet Ball brand fruit pectin

Mix sugar with pectin and set aside. Crush strawberries - a pound of whole strawberries equals about 1 cup crushed. Mix sugar mixture with strawberries and spoon into jars. Twist on lids and let set 30 minutes. Then refrigerate or freeze. It can last up to three weeks in the fridge.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

2010-06-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

I love pasta! I found this recipe at http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com. The first time I made this recipe was the first time I ever bought jumbo size pasta shells. They are so much easier to stuff than manicotti! I think I will stick with them. This recipe is great - I really liked it. I made it the first time using both blocks of cream cheese (as called for) and thought it was too heavy on the cream cheese taste. The second time I made it I only used one block and it was just right for me. This makes two 9X13 pans so you could freeze one of them for later.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

44 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (That’s about one and one-half 12-oz boxes.) *I stuffed mine pretty full so I only used one box.

2 c chopped cooked chicken

2 c fresh chopped spinach

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 c.)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 Tb dried parsley flakes

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (any variety)

Cook shells according to package directions (be sure to stir every once in awhile so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan and tear apart); drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 2 13x9x2inch baking dishes.

In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon into shells. Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Hootenany Pancakes

2010-06-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my mom. She made these many times while I was growing up. I've since learned that this dish goes by many different names! I don't know where "hootenany" came from - kind of a goofy name - but that's what we've always called them.

Hootenany Pancakes

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup flour

1 cube butter

Preheat oven to 425. Melt butter in 9X13 pan in oven while it's heating. Combine eggs, milk and salt in blender until fluffy. Slowly tap in flour. Pour batter into 9X13 pan and bake for 25 minutes. Top with syrup (or whatever your heart desires!)

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

2010-06-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a fun deviation from your traditional tacos. The tortillas pictured are the uncooked flour tortiallas they sell at Costco. You heat them in a dry frying pan for about 30 seconds on each side. They taste so good and fresh!

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast meat cubed or shredded

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 lime juiced (If you have one of the baby limes I would use the whole thing.)

1 tsp. white sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

2 green onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

10 flour tortillas

tomatoe, diced

lettuce, shredded

Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

sour cream

salsa

*Could also add avacado (I did) or guacamole.

Saute chicken in a medium saucepan over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic and oregano. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve lime chicken mixture in warm tortillas topped with tomatoe, lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa.

Bread Sticks

2010-06-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

So normally these look a lot nicer and more uniform but it just wasn't happening tonight. They were still delicious though. I got this recipe from my mom who I believe got it from one of her best friends, Denise. The best thing about these bread sticks is that they hardly take any time at all! You can be making dinner at 5pm and decide you want bread to go with it - no problem. These take from 30-45 minutes from start to finish.

Bread Sticks

1 Tbsp yeast disolved in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Add 3 Tbsp sugar. Let set for a few minutes. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 3 cups flour.

Mix and knead for 3 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Melt cube of butter (I use about 3/4 cube) on jelly roll pan in oven. Roll dough out on floured surface into a rectangle. Cut into strips using a pizza cutter. (I cut dough in half width wise and then cut long strips length wise.) Dab both sides of strips in butter as you lay strips on the pan. Sprinkle with garlic salt, parsley flakes, seasoned salt, parmesan cheese - one or all of them. Let raise on pan for 10-20 minutes. Bake at 375 for approximately 15 minutes.

Grilled Lemon Chicken Skewers

2010-06-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I was introduced to Ina Garten for the first time earlier this year while watching the food network with my mom. This recipe is super easy and flavorful. The lemon gives the marinade quite a kick. This makes quite a bit of marinade and next time I will likely halve the recipe or double the amount of chicken I use.

Grilled Lemon Chicken Skewers

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
3/4 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, halved and skin removed (I used tenders.)

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour over the chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
Heat a charcoal grill. Grill the chicken breasts for 10 minutes on each side, until just cooked through.

Aunt Katie's Oatmeal Pancakes

2010-06-07T23:23:00.001-07:00

I love breakfast foods but most mornings it is cold cereal or oatmeal for us. The other morning, however, I decided to get fancy and made these oatmeal pancakes for the boys. They loved them and I loved that they loved them! I served them with Nauvoo syrup - yum! (See recipe for Nauvoo syrup posted with recipe for Oven French Toast Sticks.) This pancake recipe comes from http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com.

Aunt Katie's Oatmeal Pancakes

2 cups quick oats (I used regular old fashioned oats and ground them up a bit in my blender.)
1/2 cup flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs (slightly beaten)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon (optional)

Combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and let sit for 20-30 minutes, covered. Cook slowly on a griddle at 325 degrees or lower. Spray griddle before each batch.

Abuela's Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

2010-06-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

Every time we went to visit my Abuela growing up, she'd have a fresh batch of her famous macaroni and cheese waiting for us in the oven. I got this recipe from her when I was in college but she had a hard time putting it down on paper - she never measured anything! I've played around with this recipe several times and substituted other cheeses for the cheddar or added meats to it. I also don't bake mine but it seems like my Abuela always did....or maybe she was just keeping it warm in the oven?? Anyway, this is so much better than boxed mac & cheese!

Abuela's Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

16 oz. elbow marcaroni - cooked according to package directions

1/2 cup butter (I usually use less.)

6 Tbsp flour (approximate)

2 cups milk

1/4 cup more milk

8 oz. grated cheddar cheese (I always use at least two heaping cups full - and I've tried colby jack and sharp cheddar - both good!)

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Parmesan cheese

Make white sauce by melting butter in small saucepan over low heat. When melted, add flour. When begins to bubble, add 2 cups milk. Stir on stove top until it has thickened. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir until melted. Add the extra 1/4 cup milk.

Salt, pepper and garlic salt the cooked macaroni. Pour cheese sauce on top of it.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Chicken Caesar Wraps

2010-06-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Molly brought these to a picnic one time and I had one of those, "Why haven't I ever thought of that??" moments. I have made them several times since.

Chicken Caesar Wraps

Flour tortillas

4-6 chicken breast tenders - fried in olive oil and seasoned (I use McCormick's Montreal Chicken Seasoning.)

Romaine lettuce - cut up (I added some spinach tonight too.)

Shredded parmesan cheese

Croutons

Caesar salad dressing - your favorite brand/recipe

Toss salad with cheese, croutons and dressing. Cut chicken into strips. Fill tortilla with lettuce mixture and chicken strips. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Lasagna

2010-06-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

I forgot to take a picture when I made this the other night. I got this recipe from my old neighbor Lesa and I have made it several times. It is perfect for those nights when you want an easy meal like lasagna but you won't be home to throw it in the oven and wait while it cooks. Lesa adds several vegetables to hers like zucchini, squash, carrots, olives and mushrooms but I haven't ever tried that...my husband and kids probably wouldn't eat it if I did. :)

Crock Pot Lasagna

lasagna noodles (I use the oven-ready ones.)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
cottage cheese (I use two 16 oz. containers but you could use one of the larger size containers.)
1/2 lb hamburger
1/2 an onion
mozarella cheese (I use quite a bit because I love cheese!)

Brown the meat and onion, add other veggies (if desired). In a lightly greased slow cooker put a small amount of sauce on the bottom and then layer as follows: noodles, meat mixture, cottage cheese, sauce, mozarella cheese.

Make the layers as thick as you like. (I usually do three layers.)

Cook on low for 4-5 hours. It may be quite saucy the first day so you can eat it out of a bowl if desired. The next day it will be thicker.

Black Bean Enchiladas

2010-05-30T18:42:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed dinner outside tonight! When it comes to enchiladas I'm always looking for something new to spice them up. I get tired of the same old enchiladas over and over again. So here's a variation of your tried and true recipe. I broiled mine on low for another five minutes after the initial baking time and I liked the crispyness it added. I got this recipe from http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com - where else?!

Black Bean Enchiladas

Flour tortillas

Shredded Colby Jack cheese

Sauce:
1 cup sour cream
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used at least a cup - I like cheese!)
juice from canned tomatoes and chilies

Mix in separate bowl:
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes and chilies, drained (I used one can diced tomatoes and one can chopped green chilies.)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

Spread a spoonful of sauce onto a flour tortilla. Top with chicken mixture and another spoonful or two of sauce. (I added cheese on top of my chicken mixture before the other spoonful(s) of sauce.) Roll up and line in 9x13 inch baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with cooking oil spray. Top enchiladas with rest of sauce and desired amount of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. (Broil for another 5 minutes or so if you want them a little crispy on top.)

Corn Bread

2010-05-30T18:33:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite corn bread recipe to date! It is naturally sweet so it needs no extra butter or honey - it's perfect just the way it is. I got this recipe from my friend and neighbor Ruby.

Corn Bread

Cream for 2 minutes:

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar

Add the following:

2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk

Add the following and mix quickly:

1 1/2 cup white flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes in greased 9x9