Strawberry Banana Trifle

 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
 3 cups cold milk
1 (9 inch) angel food cake, cut in cubes
4 bananas, sliced
1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawberries, thawed
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Prepare pudding with milk according to package directions. In a trifle bowl or other glass serving dish, layer half the cake pieces, half the pudding, half the bananas, half the strawberries and half the whipped topping. Repeat layers. Cover and chill in refrigerator 4 hours before serving.

Chocolate Trifle

• 1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
• 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (1.5 ounce) bar chocolate candy

1. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and cool completely. Cut into 1 inch squares.
2. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, water and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth, then fold in 8 ounces whipped topping until no streaks remain.
3. In a trifle bowl or glass serving dish, place half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture and half of the 12 ounce container of whipped topping. Repeat layers. Shave chocolate onto top layer for garnish. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

Strawberry Vinaigrette

 1/3 c Agave
1/3 c. white rice vinegar (unsweetened)
6-10 medium strawberries
Mix in blender until fruit is liquefied.  

Spinach Lasagna

• 20 lasagna noodles
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 3 cups ricotta cheese
• 2/3 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 cups tomato pasta sauce
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook mushrooms, onions, and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender. Drain excess liquid and cool. Boil spinach for 5 minutes. Drain, then squeeze out excess liquid. Chop spinach.
3. Combine ricotta cheese, Romano cheese, spinach, salt, oregano, basil, pepper, and egg in a bowl. Add cooled mushroom mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Lay 5 lasagna noodles in bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread one third of the cheese/spinach mixture over noodles. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese on top. Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce over cheese. Repeat layering 2 times.
4. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes before serving

Bowtie Pasta Salad

 We are trying to make a conscience effort at our house to eat better. I found a this yummy recipe in Runner's World and changed a few ingredients and a few other things and came up with this yummy pasta salad great for a light summer timer meal.  My boys even tired some of it and thought it was ok.

2 T Olive Oil
1 small red onion chopped
1 T minced garlic
1 c mixed olives pitted(I used a bag of salad olives that I found in the produce department)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 c cherry tomatoes
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
1 box bow tie pasta cooked and drained
1 c spinach

Put oil in skillet over medium heat add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in olives, lemon juice and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook until heated and then let cool.   Put pasta in a large bowl and add cooled mixture, feta and spinach. Enjoy!!

Sarah's Salad

I made this salad for a family party and was asked for the recipe.  Sorry the picture is not the best this was taken after most of the salad was eaten!

1 head iceberg lettuce
3 strips of bacon
1/2 10 ounce pkg frozen peas
1/4 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c shredded Swiss cheese or cut 2 1/2 ounces in strips
2/3 c. chopped green onion
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c salad dressing

Wash an drain lettuce.  Dry thoroughly. Dice bacon and saute until crisp; drain on paper towels.  Run hot water over frozen peas and drain. Tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces into salad bowl.  Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper.  Add peas, cheese, onion, mayonnaise and salad dressing. (These ingredients by be layered, if desired, with mayonnaise spread on last. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.) Chill.  Toss when ready to serve and garnish with bacon.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

I got this recipe from Good Things Utah  (click on Good Things Utah for the recipe)from their guest Kat Peterson.  They were super easy to make and my boys and the neighbor girls ate spinach and didn't even realize it!!  This recipe makes a big batch so if you have a small group you are feeding you can freeze some of them.

Now that I made this recipe several times I have made a few variations they are listed in red.

1 lb Lasagna Noodles (Boiled in salty water for 8 minutes)
2 Jars (24 oz) Spaghetti Sauce I only use 1 large jar and I pour a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan
1 lb Turkey Sausage I lightly season my turkey with seasoning salt
1 Onion
1 15 oz Ricotta Cheese
2 Eggs
2 Packages Frozen Chopped Spinach (Thaw and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Chop) I don't like the taste of frozen spinach I use fresh it works perfect
6 Tbsp. Fresh Italian Parsley (divided) I only use about 1-2 T in the mixture and I don't put any on the top
1 tsp. Dried Basil
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
4 cup Mozzarella Cheese (1 lb) (reserve ½ C for the top)I have been using an Italian cheese mix
1 cup Parmesan Cheese (reserve ¼ C for top after baking)



Cook pasta in a large pot of heavily salted water for 8 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside.
Brown the turkey sausage in a skillet over medium/high heat with one chopped onion and cook until the onion is translucent. Let this mixture cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat mixture with the rest of the ingredients except for the sauce. Place a large handful (about ¼ cup) of the mixture on one end of a lasagna noodle and roll the noodle up. Place in a greased baking dish and cover with your favorite jar of sauce. Makes 2 8X8 baking dishes with approximately 9 rolls each. (These can be covered and frozen at this stage)
Bake covered with foil for 30-45 minutes. (Baking time will double if frozen) Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Let stand with loose foil for 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and parsley.

Chicken Pasta Salad

6 oz Rotel Pasta
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. oil
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. vinegar
3 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt and pepper

Cook pasta.  Mix dressing and add to pasta with 3 c. shredded chicken.  Marinate all together overnight.  Just before serving add spinach pieces and chopped green onions.

Flank Steak Salad and Dressing

Marinade

1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. red wine
3 cloves of garlice minced
1/4 t. rosemary
1/4 t. chili powder
1/2 t. pepper

Mix all ingredients and marinate over night and grill to desired doness.

Salad Ingredients

Romaine Lettuce
Cucumber
Red Onion
Blu or Feta Cheese
Tomatoes

Dressing

Juice from 1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic crushed
1/4 to 1/2 c. oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t pepper

Mix juice, garlic, salt and pepper while adding oil.   Beat with whisk briskly.  Cover and put in fridge for at least 3 hours.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Cook 1/2 lb bacon cut in small pieces and set aside.

Herb Marinade

1 clove of garlic
3T olive oil
1 1/2 t basil
1 t. oregano

Cook on low heat.

add 1/2- 3/4 cup of chopped onion

add 1/4 c. cooking wine
salt and pepper to taste
add 1/2 to a full pint of heavy cream

Pour cream into marinade and cook for about 10-15 minutes on medium until you see small bubbles turn to warm and add bacon into the sauce.   Pour sauce over thin spaghetti noodles and toss then serve.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing/Barbecue Ranch Dressing

This recipe is from Our Best Bites

1 cup mayonnaise
2/3 c buttermilk
1/4 t white vinegar
1 t parsley
1/8 t. dill
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
11/2 t dried chives
1/8 t. black pepper
1/4 t. seasoned salt
1/8 t. dry mustard

Whisk together the mayonnaise and buttermilk until the mixture is lump free. Whisk remaining ingredients. For best results, refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Variation:   For barbecue ranch dressing add 1-2 T barbecue sauce.

do ahead muffins aka: best recipe ever!

My friend & fellow ballet mom, Gail told me about this recipe recently.

Can I just say...

IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE FOR THE BETTER!

It's amazing & I am experiencing breakfast happiness & love.

The key: make the batter ahead of time...

freeze the batter in the muffin tins to form a frozen shape...

then pop them in the oven on the busy morning when you need them!!!

BrIllianT

I made them last night- then popped them into a gallon sized freezer bag this morning-

except for the 10 I baked up.

Not only are they easy but they taste fantastic.

I made blueberry & cannot wait to try the other varieties.
check out the recipe

HERE

thanks gail!

Spinach and Feta Pasta

Tonight I made a new recipe from my new cookbook Our Best Bites.  It was a HUGE success!  It only took me about 15 minutes to make this simple easy pasta dish.  For the recipe go here.   This picture does not have the feta cheese in it, I had to put that on the side not every one at my house is a feta cheese fan. 

Spinach,Tomato, Pesto and Cheese Panini

 

 I was introduced to this YUMMY sandwich at a meeting by one of my friends.  It is very simple but oh so good!  All you need is a bread of your choice.  Sourdough tastes yummy and so does multi grain bread.   You need a little bit of pesto and spread it on both slices of bread. Then add some sun dried tomatoes to one side of the bread.

 

Then add spinach and  fresh mozzarella cheese. That's all the ingredients!

 

Then put the sandwich on your panini maker to grill it or grill it on the stove.  These sandwiches are very YUMMY and hit the spot!

Chicken Taquitos

 

 I have made this recipe twice in the past week.  They were a HUGE hit at my house.  The 2nd time I  made them I made sure to make extras for my boys to eat as snacks later on.    I left out or changed a few things on this recipe and I put those in red on the side.  I got this recipe from Our Best Bites, they have a cookbook coming out next month that I have on order and I can't wait to get!!

 

Ingredients:

• 1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese(I used more like 5 oz of cream cheese)
• 1/4 C green salsa
• 1 t fresh lime juice
• ½ t cumin
• 1 t chili powder
• ½ t onion powder
• 3 T chopped cilantro
• 2 T chopped green onions
• 2 C shredded cooked chicken
• 1 C grated pepperjack cheese( I used a pkg of mexican cheese and some cheddar cheese)
• 6-inch corn or flour tortillas(I used the fresh tortillas from Costco, I cooked them before adding the chicken mixture)
• 2 T vegetable oil (optional)
• kosher salt(I skipped this step)
• cooking spray

Method:

Heat oven to 425.

Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir.

Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic.

Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions.

Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges, then roll it up.

Place seam-side down on the baking sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt on top. Place pan in the oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Cool for 5 - 10 minutes and then serve with sour cream, guacamole or Pico de Gallo. Makes approximately 16 taquitos.

Warm Caramel Dip for Apples

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

Combine the first four ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir the mixture and heat over medium heat until the brown sugar dissolves (about 5 minutes). Stir in vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Serve warm with apple slices.

baked raviolis

Last week my husband was out of town...

I wanted to make something easy but really good for dinner.

I had some Frozen Costco Cheese Raviolis in the freezer & some leftover marinara in the fridge.

I had seen a recipe like this online somewhere, but couldn't remember where...? so I came up with this on my own - it was easy & so good!

Baked Raviolis

1/3- 1/2 bag of Frozen Cheese Raviolis
(this is based on the big costco bag- I'm sure you can figure it out with what you have. I used 24)
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese grated
1 Cup Mozzarella or Monterey Jack Cheese grated
2 Cups of marinara sauce
1 regular sized can of diced tomatoes
Parmesan

Pour the marinara in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Layer the bottom of the pan with one layer of frozen raviolis.
Next top with 1/2 cup cheddar & 1/2 cup monterey jack. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Stack another layer of raviolis on top.
Puree the can of tomatoes in the blender.
I use my Blendtech. I LOVE my blendtech blender!
Pour the pureed tomatoes over the raviolis & top with the rest of the cheese. Cover with aluminum foil & bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil & bake another 15-20 minutes until really bubbly, just to thicken up the sauce.
I loved this recipe- so easy- and the combination of marinara & pureed tomatoes was just right for me-- not to much. The cheese in the raviolis & the cheese stacked between them make this a really rich dish. I fed all seven of us-- my four kids plus two friends & me--- and still had two servings left over! Plan on it serving 8 people.

Serve with bread & salad.

popovers

We are really loving popovers these days out our house!

I was working one day & a lady came into the store looking for a popover pan. I told her how I was nervous to make them- she told me about a GREAT recipe online (find it here)- I went home & made them that night! They were so easy & delicious. They are one of my family's favorite things now. You really should give them a try!

I modified the original recipe...
and they still turned out okay- few- I was nervous.
I just didn't have that much milk on hand- 4 cups- I used 2 cups water 2 cups milk. No sweat, they were great & I will always make them this way from now on.


I only have one popover pan. It must have a smaller cup than the pan the recipe used because it made loads of small popovers & they were done a full 10 minutes ahead of time. I tried a muffin pan to make more- just to see how it would turn out- DON'T DO IT- train wreck. Really, borrow a popover pan, or buy one. It's the right thing to do.
I also didn't have fancy Gruyere cheese- which I love.
I put a little cheddar cheese on a few (just a tablespoon on each) then left the others plain.

We are IN LOVE with these!

They are so easy, a nice change to regular rolls & so- so good.

I served mine with butter & jam.

Original recipe

HERE

patsy's favorite sugar cookies

I got this recipe years & years ago...

Like.... 17 years ago

and it's still my favorite sugar cookie!

It's not the puffy kind. Its the soft, yet flat, & easy to decorate kind of sugar cookie.

I love the yummy, buttery, vanilla-y, flavor. To me- they are good even without frosting.

Although they are easy to frost (because they are not puffy) and also easy to cut with cutters because, heck I don't know- they just are.

I can't wait to make some Valentine's Day shapes!

1 Cup Butter (do not substitute margarine/spread)

1 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp. really good vanilla

2 tsp. baking powder

2 2/3 Cups all purpose flour

Mix & roll just like other cookies- butter & sugar first until fluffy- then add eggs & vanilla, mix well- then add dry ingredients. Allow to cook in the fridge for at least 2 hours. (this will make them much easier to roll & not all sticky- of course in an emergency- just use it like it is.)

Roll onto a lightly floured surface- 1/4 inch thick. Cut out using floured cutters.

Place 2" apart on a baking sheet & bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

WARNING: over cooking the cookies will make them crunchy. They will still taste great, but I just like my cookies chewy- so if you are like me- take them out of the oven before they turn brown.

It's tricky at first- but just as- or just before they turn brown- is just so good.

p.s. I always double the recipe & typically make it a day before I want to roll them out. This breaks up the cookie making process... which can take forever, especially when decorating.

Jenny's Nacho Cheese Dip

1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage, browned
After sausage is cooked, put sausage in another bowl and using same pan add:
1 Velveeta Cheese Loaf
1 Rotel tomato and green chilies can
When cheese mix is melted, add sausage back in and warm.
Enjoy!

Our family loves this dip and we beg Jenny to make it for every family event!