Chow Mein

I hope this recipe works. I promised that I would post how I made the chow mein for the Blue and Gold Banquet. I pretty much just combined several recipes and came up with my own. Kelly's Grandma Fujikawa made really good chow mein.......unfortunately I never had any of her chow mein. I asked for a recipe but there was not one!! If anyone tires this let me know if the measurements are close, I made a huge batch so I am not sure if they are close or not. So here it goes.

The sauce:

1 can (regular size) chicken broth
about 2 T cornstarch
2 T soy sauce ( I did not measure I just poured some in and kept tasting it.)
about 1 T Seasoning Salt( I used the Costco brand....Lawry's works too)

Put the chicken broth in a saucepan and add the cornstarch heat until thickened. Add remaining ingredients. Keep warm. Stir fry your favorite meat and vegetables and then add sauce and mix it all together. When stir frying cook your meat (about 2 cups)first and then start adding your vegetables. Add the harder vegetables first since they take a little longer to cook. Some of the vegetables that I like to add are bean sprouts, onions, celery, carrots, broccoli, sugar peas, baby corn on the cob, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe was given to me by my friend Stephanie. When baking them watch them really close and take them out of the oven when they were light brown, they stay soft longer this way. DO NOT DOUBLE this recipe it makes a big batch....it fills up my Kitchen Aide. Enjoy! 1 c. butter
1 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 t. vanilla
4 eggs

Cream the above ingredients and then add

4 1/2 c flour(I add a little bit at a time until there is enough flour. Sometimes I have to add extra)
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 12 oz pkg chocolate chips
3/4 c. oatmeal
1 c. crushed corn flakes (optional I add these sometimes)

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes until a light brown. Watch your oven mine cooks these cookies in about 6-7 minutes)

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Here are the cast of characters (Pioneer lady style).

This recipe goes way back. My mom used to make these while I was growing up. She got the recipe from our neighbor Mary Davies. Every time I make this recipe I can't help but remember the very first time I ever made it.
I had gone home for a few weeks to help my mom while she was going through chemotherapy. She requested I make this dish for her. I was very intimidated as I had never made such a thing before. I was also worried about having to touch so much raw meat...I've come along way. I also had not made a recipe with cornstarch before. I added the cornstarch to the sauce dry....no water. It wasn't pretty, but it actually still tasted good! Anyway, it's a yummy recipe give it a try:)

1 and a half lbs. ground beef
1/4 t. pepper
3/4 c. oatmeal
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 can water chestnuts (chopped finely)
1/3c. milk
1/2t. onion salt
1 t. soy sauce
1/2t. garlic salt
1/2t. salt
(mix all ingredients well, form into little balls brown on cookie sheet in oven @350 about 15 min.)


Here is the sauce part of the recipe.
1 c. beef broth
1-81/2 oz. can crushed pineapple
1/2 c. vinegar (apple cider)
1 c. brown sugar
2 t. soy sauce
4 T. cornstarch,( 4T. water)

~Drain pineapple, mix juice with sugar and cornstarch- boil 1 min. add rest of ingred. and heat until clear and and thicker, add meatballs and pineapple chunks. Simmer until ready to eat.

This is how the sauce looks before it has boiled.

It gets really nice and clear when it is looking ready.

Here is the final product.

Sticky rice is a must with these meatballs. It really completes the recipe.

Pancakes

I love pancakes.

I make these a lot. This recipe is quick, easy & way better than any mix!

1 egg beaten

1 cup flour (I use 1/2 cup wheat & 1/2 cup white)

3/4 cup skim milk

2 Tblsp. melted butter

1 Tblsp. sugar

1 Tblsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Wisk all ingredients together. If it's too thick just add a little more milk. I fry on a hot griddle or pan. To make them really special drop blueberries onto the batter just after you put in on the griddle then using a spoon cover up the berries with the batter so they don't burn after you flip it. Makes about 9- 4" pancakes.

Carmel Popcorn

3/4 C Sugar

3/4 C Brown Sugar

1/2 C White Karo Syrup

1/4 C Water

1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar

1 C Margarine

Boil about 10 minutes or just barely to soft ball stage

Remove from heat then add:

1 t Soda

1 t Vanilla

Pour over 2 batches of popped corn and mix well

Zesty Crockpot Chicken

I just love a good crockpot recipe!

Ingredients:

1-2 Frozen Chicken breasts

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 packet Good Season's Italian Dressing

1 Cup water

Place the chicken in your slow cooker. Whisk the next three ingredients together until smooth & pour over the chicken. Cook on low 6 hours or high 3 hours. Last hour take the chicken out & shred or chop it up & add:

4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature. Whisk together. Put the chicken back in & allow it all to heat up.

Serve over rice or pasta

Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Lasagna

I found this recipe while standing in line at the grocery store. I have a habit of looking at cookbooks while I am waiting in line. This recipe was on the front cover and it looked really good so I bought the cookbook and made this yummy recipe. It is one of Kelly's favorites. He requests it all the time.

1 can Enchilada Sauce 10 oz size
2 c. diced chicken
1 8 oz container sour cream
1/2 c slice green onions
1 T taco seasoning
8 corn tortillas halved
2 c shredded Colby-Monterey Jack Cheese
1 c tortilla chips
1 c chopped tomatoes
2 T ripe olives

Heat oven to 375. Spray 13x9 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Reserve 1/2 c enchilada sauce. In a large bowl mix remaining enchilada sauce, chicken, sour cream, 1/4 c onions and taco seasoning mix. Spoon 1/4 c enchilada sauce in the bottom of baking dish. Arrange 8 tortilla pieces over sauce overlapping as necessary. Spoon half of chicken mixture over tortillas, sprinkle with 2/3 c of the cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil. Bake 30-35 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Uncover layer tortilla chips, tomatoes, olives, remaining 1/4 c onions and remaining 2/3 c cheese over the top of casserole. Bake uncovered about 5 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Sweet Corn Muffins/Corn Bread

I really love this cornmeal. It's not that it's anything special... but the recipe on the side is!

In fact I think it's the very best recipe for corn bread I have ever had. If you like Marie Calendar's type corn bread (more like corn flavored cake) you will love this. It's a great recipe & so much more economical than buying the Marie Callendar's mix.

I am kind of on a cupcake craze right now so I made my usual corn bread into corn muffins.
The original recipe is for corn muffins but I make it into corn bread just about everytime I make it. Here is the recipe~

Alber's Sweet Corn Bread/Corn Bread Muffins

1 1/2 Cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn meal - (see I told you it's more like corn cake)

1 Tblsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup milk

2 eggs beaten

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 Tblsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Grease or paper line 18 muffin cups or grease a 8 inch square baking pan.

Stir together flour, sugar, corn meal, baking powder, & salt in medium bowl. In a different bowl wisk together the rest of the ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry & stir just until everything is well blended. Don't go crazy here. Pour into prepared muffin cups 2/3 full or pan. Bake muffins for 14-16 minutes for just cooked- not browned muffins- that's how I like them. Or.. pour into prepared pan & bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (this will be browned)

*I often double the recipe & bake it in a 9x13" pan but it takes a lot longer to cook all the way through- like 45 minutes, so allow enough time if you want to make a big pan of it.

Chloe likes them- So do I- Let me know if you give them a try.

Years ago we had some missionaries over for dinner. I made soup & corn bread. One of the elders was from Georgia. He kept saying over & over in a southern accent - I LOVE CORNBREAD, MY MAMA USED TO MAKE CORNBREAD. For years afterward & even still today when I make it the kids go around saying this. It's a funny -Messer inside joke.

French Bread Pizza

This really is not a recipe just more of a quick easy idea for dinner or when the kids have their friends over. These pizzas are easy to make when you are in a hurry. My kids love making their very own in their own way. I remember having these pizzas when I was growing up.

2 loaves of French Bread(you may need more or less depending on how many you are feeding) Cut the french bread in half and then cut into whatever sizes of pizza you want.
1 jar of spaghetti sauce or Pizza Quick Sauce
Cheese
Any pizza toppings you like. We are boring we just like ham, pepperoni, cheese and mushrooms.


Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Chicken Bundles

This is one of my family's very favorite recipes. I save the left overs and the kids eat them without the gravy for an after school snack the next day.

1 8oz. Cream Cheese Softened
2 c cooked chicken
1 small can of mushrooms
approx 1/4 c scallions
1 T Dill Weed
1 T Bon Appetit

2-3 cans of crescent rolls

Mix altogether (I mix it in my kitchen aide). Open the rolls and separate them. Put about one large tablespoon of the mixture in the center and roll them up. Bake 350 for about 10 minutes.

Gravy
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c sour cream
add milk to thin it out

taco soup

This recipe is a great food storage meal because everything but the hamburger meat comes from a can! In fact, I'm not sure this could really be called cooking either. My family LOVES this recipe, we have it for dinner about once a month. The beauty of it is that you don't have to follow it exactly, some people use black beans instead of kidney, some cook onion with the hamburger while it's browning, whatever you like. It also is really easy to feed to a large group because you just add a few extra cans of tomatoes beand and corn and it goes really far. I almost always serve this with the best corn bread you've ever tried which I will post as soon as I get a picture of it!

In a large pot, brown 2 lbs. of hamburger and drain off fat. Add two pkgs of taco seasoning (I use the large Costco container of taco seasoning and just give the top of the hamburger a generous coating) and two cups of hot water. Stir and let simmer until about half of the water is cooked off.

Add the following:

2 cans petite diced tomatoes

1 can tomoato sauce (regular size can)

1 sm can diced green chilies

2 cans corn - drained

1 large can kidney beans - drained & rinsed

Stir and let simmer for at least 15-20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

poppy seed bread

Rich asked me to make this bread for him yesterday, it's one of his favorites from growing up. It makes this really delicious half gooey half crunchy top and so I pour it into four mini loaves so that there's more "top" to go around. Growing up, Eileen served a slice of this broken up over peaches and topped it all with milk, so Rich and Taylor eat it that way, the rest of us just like it by itself.

3 cups flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/8 cups oil

1 1/2 tbsp poppyseeds

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp almost extract

3 eggs

Mix well and fill 4-5 baby loaf pans that have been greased and floured. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, more like 60 if you're baking them in regular pans. Enjoy!

Hawaiin Meatballs

This recipe was given to me by Carlyn - a friend of all us blogger moms. My family loves it. It's so easy it's not really cooking- it's more like stirring & heating up. In true PWoman style- here are the cast of characters...

Costco meatballs- I used just under 1/2 a bag

One package dry onion soup mix

One small or 1/2 large bottle wishbone russian dressing

One can pineapple chunks juice included

1/2 cup peach perserves

Stir together the sauce ingredients then pour over the frozen meatballs.

(chloe's plate)
Heat & eat~
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes & stir well before serving.
I love this recipe
I serve the meatballs with rice & tonight... broccoli.
Let me know if you try it.

homemade oreo cookies

These cookies take a while to make, but man, they are worth the effort. The trick is to not over cook them, you want the cookie part to stay soft, this is what makes them ten times better than regular oreos. Mmmmmm.

Cookies:

2 devil's food cake mixes

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups shortening

Mix well and roll into small balls. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 for 8-9 minutes, let cool.

Frosting:

1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1/4 cup butter

3 cups of powdered sugar (more if needed for stiffness)

1 tbsp vanilla

Beat until very smooth. If it seems runny at all, add more powdered sugar, the thicker the frosting, the easier it still stay in between the cookies.

Once the cookies are cooled, spread generously with frosting and press with another cookie. Enjoy! These cookies are one of the many reasons Josh loves me! :)

chicken parmesan

This is my sister-in-law Jen's recipe and one of my family's favorite things to eat. It gets requested for several birthday dinners in our family as well as Father's Day, Mother's Day and Valentine's Day red dinner.

To start, heat oil in large skillet to medium high heat, oil should be deep enough to cover half of chicken breast (about 1/2-3/4 of an inch deep).

5-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs in shallow dish with 1/4 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper. I've also used Italian seasoned bread crumbs and that works great too.

Beat two eggs in a second shallow dish. When oil is hot enough, dip chicken breast into egg batter coating fully, then in bread crumb mixture coating fully. Carefully lay the chicken in the oil to brown about 4 minutes on each side. Once chicken is browned, lay on paper towel to drain off access oil.

Preheat oven to 350. Spread a generous layer of spaghetti sauce (I use the giant Costco-size jars of Prego so there's plenty of sauce left over to put over the noodles.) on the bottom of a 9x13 dish and lay chicken breasts on top. Spoon a small amount of sauce across the middle of each breast, then a slice of mozorella, then another small layer of sauce, then fresh parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper if you wish.

Bake chicken uncovered in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. (photograph is before it went into the oven)

I only use about half of the jar of spaghetti sauce in the dish, the left over sauce I warm up in a sauce pan to serve over angel hair or linguini noodles. Add a ceasar salad and yummy bread and it's better than the Olive Garden - I swear! Enjoy!