blogger moms cook

Strawberry Banana Trifle

2011-06-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

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

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and cool completely. Cut into 1 inch squares.
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.
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

2011-06-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

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

Spinach Lasagna

2011-06-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

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).

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.
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.
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.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes before serving

Bowtie Pasta Salad

2011-06-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-03-07T07:15:00.000-08:00

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

2011-03-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

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

2011-03-02T17:35:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-25T19:56:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-18T16:09:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-17T15:51:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

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!

Pear and Pecan Salad

2010-12-20T11:47:00.000-08:00

This a really yummy salad especially for the holidays. I got this recipe from our Relief Society Christmas dinner. I have taken it to 2 parties since and it has been a HUGE hit!

Red Wine Dressing
1/2 c red wine vinegar
2 t poppy seeds
1 T minced red onion
3/4 c. salad oil
4 T sugar
1 t salt

Pour vinegar and oil in blender or shaker and then add all other ingredients then blend or shake.

Salad
I used romaine lettuce and spinach and added 2 red pears, crasins, candied pecans, red onion and Feta cheese. Mix all together and add dressing right before serving.

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

2010-11-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored

and diced

8 ounces raspberries

1 pound strawberries

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas

butter flavored cooking spray

2 cups cinnamon sugar

1.	In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes. You can substitute different fruit depending on the season.
2.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.	Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Bruschetta

2010-09-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

I got this really really YUMMY bruschetta recipe from one of friends Lisa. She made it for a Relief Society Fair we had and it was a HUGE hit. Lisa is also my secretary in Primary and has been told next presidency meeting that she HAS to bring this for our treat!!!! I got the recipe from her and made it the very next day for our creative day. It is very addicting!!!!!

12 roma tomatoes
4 T minced fresh basil
1 t garlic powder
8 t olive oil
1 t salt
4 t balsamic vinegar

Dice tomatoes and toss with remaining ingredients.

Bread

1 small loaf Italian bread or French baguette Sliced
1/4 c parmesan cheese
Dried parsley flakes

Heat oven to 450. Spray no stick spray lightly over bread lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with mixture of cheese and parsley. Bake for 5 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Baked Zucchini with Mozzarella

2010-08-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

I found this great recipe on Real Mom Kitchen. Our zucchini is coming on really fast at our house and I needed to find some way besides bread to use it. This recipe was a HUGE hit only one of my boys did not like it. It is very quick simple recipe too!

Baked Zucchini with Mozzarella

2 medium sized (or about 5 small) zucchini
Johnny’s Garlic Spread & Seasoning (I found it at Costco)
salt
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese (I actually used a bag of Italian cheese.....it tasted very yummy)

1. Slice your zucchini up into 1/2 inch rings.
2. Lay them out flat on a large cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Johnny’s Garlic Seasoning and a bit of salt.
3. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until crisp tender.
4. Take the hot pan out of the oven and sprinkle the zucchini with cheese. Turn the oven to broil, throw that cookie sheet back into the oven and let the cheese get all bubbly and a bit browned. This should only take about 3-5 minutes. Be careful here. Broiling things in the oven can get out of control in a fast hurry. (my trick for broiling is to not move the rack up, I just keep it in the middle of the oven and things are less likely to burn. It may take a minute longer, but no burnt food)

Ann's Pork Chops

2010-08-02T23:50:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe of mine that is an old family stand by. My mom made these pork chops a lot of the years of my youth. This recipe comes from a dear neighbor who we lived next to for many years. I wonder if she still makes this recipe? Some of you might be thinking...oh...pork. Well, just remember pork is the "other white meat";) I love this recipe because it has few ingredients, which makes for quick and easy!

The hardest part of this recipe is the browning part. after that it is a breeze.

Pork chops covered in yummy gravy, ready to hit the oven. Unfortunately, I was distracted and by the time I remembered to take an after picture, the pork chops were gone! They really are that good.

Ann's Pork Chops

5-8 pork chops (loin chops if possible)

seasonings: I use season all, garlic salt and pepper.

one onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

small amount of milk

kitchen bouquet (or any browning sauce)

Directions

-salt, pepper, season chops. cook on stove top or broil until browned.

-Place in baking pan with sliced onion on top of each chop.

-in a small bowl make a gravy from soup, and kitchen bouquet and a small amount of milk.

-Pour gravy over chops. cover pan with foil and bake at 325 degrees for two or two and a half hours.
*They should be fork tender. That is my favorite kind of pork chop. Enjoy!

Better Than Sex Cake

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

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1/2 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces caramel ice cream topping
3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Make slits across the top of the cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom.
In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended. Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over the top of the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits; then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm. (Hint: I crush my candy bars into small chunks as opposed to crumbs - I like to have pieces I can chew on!)
Let cake cool completely, then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping. Refrigerate and serve right from the pan!

texas sheet cake

2010-06-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

if there is such thing as JOY in food - and i believe there is, then this is it!
it's the perfect mix between cake and brownie, super moist and fabulous!
even better when someone else makes it for you!
thanks allie!

texas sheet cake

mix together:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt

bring to a boil in small sauce pan:
4 tbsp cocoa
2 cubes of butter
remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes
mix:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
combine with slightly cooled mixture in sauce pan
then combine with the flour mixture

bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes on greased cookie/jelly roll sheet (with a lip).

While cake is still warm, frost with:

1 cube of butter
3 tbsp cocoa
6 tbsp milk
bring to a boil, remove from heat and add:
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups of powdered sugar

sprinkle with nuts if you like that sort of thing.

enjoy!

my brother in law's chicken

2010-06-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

My brother in law makes the most delicious Hawaiian-ish style chicken. I asked my sister if I could share the recipe & she said- go for it! Tonight, I made it & Hailey told me it was one of her all time favorites--

so there you go!

You've gotta make it for sure now.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs

- I just used as many pieces as I could fit in a 9x13" pan- the chicken shrinks down so stuff it

(equal parts - sugar, pineapple juice & soy sauce)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup pineapple juice

3/4 cup soy sauce

Mix the sauce ingredients together & pour over chicken. Cover & bake for one hour at 350 degrees. Uncover, turn chicken pieces over then bake for 30 minutes more. Serve with rice-

This is the most tender juicy chicken!

You are gonna love it

Crazy good peanut butter cookies

2010-05-12T22:49:00.000-07:00

* I have to give credit to my cute friend Marina for the base of this recipe. The peanut butter cookie recipe is hers and it is amazing on it's own.

1 c. butter (softened)

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar

1 c peanut butter

1 t. vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 bag peanut butter chips

~ cream, butter, sugars, peanut butter, vanilla, until well blended. Add eggs and blend more.

add dry ingredients and peanut butter chips.

~ take a good heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and flatten into a disk. leave plenty of space between cookies on cookie sheet. bake in a 375 degree heated oven for about 8 min. *do not overcook or your cookies will not be soft.

frosting

make one batch of vanilla frosting

about 4 cups powdered sugar

1 cube butter (softened)

1 t. vanilla

about 1/4 cup milk.

blend all together well and until light and fluffy.

divide frosting into two bowls. add about 1-2 T. peanut butter to one bowl and blend.

In the other bowl add about 2-3 T. coco.

~ frost the peanut butter layer of all cookies first and let frosting set up.

~ Make sure chocolate frosting is thin enough to spread easily and then add it to the top of the peanut butter frosting layer. Enjoy!

Spring Salad

2010-05-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love this salad! It has become our new family favorite and I prepared it for Prom and it seemed to be a hit. It's just a fresh spring salad with a tangy dressing.

Salad:
Spring Lettuce Mix
2 mangos - diced
1 bunch strawberries - sliced long way
1/2 c dried cranberries (if wanted, I usually leave these out)
2 kiwi
1 c toasted slivered almonds candied in skillet with 1/2 c sugar

Dressing:
1/2 c Red Raspberry vinegar (can substitute Red Wine vinegar)
1/2 c olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar

fresh guacamole

2010-04-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to put this recipe here for months now!

I am finally getting around to it today...

On our 15th wedding anniversary Brett & I went to San Antonio, Texas & ate at the most fabulous restaurant on the river walk. There they served guacamole that was freshly made at your table. It was LIFE CHANGING. Neither of us were huge guacamole lovers until this moment.

I've been making a copy of it ever since!

the ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1/2 orange

1/2 lime

1 roma tomato diced

2-3 Tbsp. onion diced (preferably red- but I didn't have a red one here)

2-3 Tbsp. salsa

chopped cilantro to taste ( I really love cilantro so I add a lot)

kosher salt & pepper

Dice the avocado to the desired size & place in a bowl.

Add freshly squeezed juice of both the lime & orange; stir gently.

(the juice is hardly noticeable, but then makes all the difference... how is that possible? It's true, trust me!)

Next, gently add the rest of the ingredients then- salt & pepper to taste.

Serve with chips or on tacos- whatever you like.
Seriously this is so good & so easy.
I always double & sometimes triple recipe.

granola

2010-04-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

Anyone that knows me well

knows that I'm not a health food kind of person.

I am a whole food kind of person.

I love to cook & I love real food made from scratch.

I always have.

Recently I have been so inspired by

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

that I have really thought long & hard about what I am feeding my family.

SO....

I feel really good about making my own homemade

(no preservatives included)

granola for breakfast this week.

This Granola is

not low fat

is not low in sugar

It's just wholesome, good, real food.

I hope my family loves it- let me know if you try it too!

My recipe for granola is adapted from this one at allrecipes.com- (I love this website.) I looked through a lot of recipes before I settled on this one for a base.

4 cups of whole rolled oats

1 1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup of rough chopped pecans

1/2 cup of rough chopped almonds

1 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cup honey

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

dash of salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Mix the first five ingredients in a big bowl. Mix the rest together & drizzle over the granola. Use your hands & really get it mixed/smooshed in. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper then spread the granola on it. Place in the oven & cook for 40 minutes for really crispy granola stirring once half way through.

When it's done- carefully remove the parchment paper & granola onto cooling racks. Cool completely & store in an airtight container.

Serve over yogurt, or in a bowl with milk.

Other mix-ins to try:

shredded coconut (I'm adding this for sure next time)

raisins

dried cherries, blueberries, bananas- whatever dried fruit you like.

If you really want to get crazy- add yogurt covered raisins after it has cooled.

Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu Rice Casserole

2010-03-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from a new cooking blog(Picky Palate)tthat I found. She has some fun yummy recipes so check it out. This casserole was a HUGE hit and both my boys keep asking when we are going to have it again. My Mom has already shared it with people at her work and could not find it on our cooking blog yet so here it finally is.

Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu Rice Casserole

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

½ lb diced ham

2 Cups cooked shredded chicken breast

4 Tablespoons butter

¼ Cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

14 oz can chicken broth

3 Cups cooked rice of choice (I used white long grain)

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 Cup shredded mozzarella or swiss cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil into a large 5 qt rimmed skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ham and chicken. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Melt butter then stir in flour, salt and pepper until combined. Slowly stir in chicken broth until well combined. Stir in cooked rice then transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cover the dish with foil the last 10 minutes for oozing cheese.

6-8 servings

Broccoli Salad

2010-03-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

This salad is a family favorite and is easy to make and full of lots of yummy things. (This picture is minus the dressing. )

1.5 lbs of broccoli tops
2-3 c cabbage chopped
1 small red onion chopped
1 c raisins or crasins
10 strips of cooked bacon crumbled
1 c. sunflower seeds (optional)

Combine all the above ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dressing

1.c mayo
1/4c. sugar
1 T vinegar

Stir together and add to salad right before serving.

The MOST AMAZING Sugar Cookies

2010-01-31T17:47:00.000-08:00

My friends and I went to a taping of Good Things Utah this past week. Kneader's (a local bakery) came on the show and made these yummy sugar cookies. They did not give us any to sample and I have been craving these cookies ever since.....I am a HUGE sugar cookie lover! They did give us the recipe so I decided to try them out and WOW they were AMAZING!!!!

Go here for the recipe:
http://www.abc4.com/content/about_4/gtu/recipes/story/Kneaders-Sugar-Cookies/tE2aCurRMU6kN_GXt_f8Qw.cspx

Cheesy Chicken Lasagna

2010-01-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

I found a new cooking blog(check it out) that I LOVE!! She has a ton of really yummy recipes. Here is one that I tired last night! The light in my kitchen stinks so sorry about the picture.
Cheesy Chicken Lasagna
2 cans (12 oz) evaporated milk (not fat-free)
1 (1 oz) pkg. dry Ranch dressing mix
3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (16oz) lasagna noodles, cooked (I recommend reducing it to 8 oz to 12 oz)
1 1/2 to 2 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 to 2 C mozzarella cheese, grated
Cook the chicken and noodles first at the same time. Once noodles are done–rinse in cold water and set aside (it keeps them from sticking together). Combine evaporated milk (don’t use fat-free version) and Ranch dressing in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Stir in chicken and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes (don’t do any less), stirring frequently. Layer half of lasagna noodles, poultry sauce, and cheese in well-buttered 9×13 pan. Repeat layers again. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

2010-01-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

I had some left over chicken from Sunday dinner and scanned through my recipe book and I found this recipe that I tore out of a magazine last year. I am really bad about finding new recipes then never trying them but today I tired this one and it was a HUGE hit at my house.

1 1/2 cups penne pasta uncooked
1 pkg (9oz) fresh spinach leaves(I left this out since I was out of spinach)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces( I used leftover chicken)
1 t dried basil
1 jar (14.5 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes drained
2 oz cream cheese cubed
1 c grated mozzarella cheese
2 T grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta, adding spinach to boiling water for the last minute. Cook and stir chicken and basil in large skillet on medium heat for 3 minutes. Add sauce and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 min or until chicken is done. Stir in cream cheese. Drain Pasta mixture return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 c mozzarella cheese. Spoon into 2 qt baking dish. Bake for 20 min. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and bake for 3 more minutes.

cranberry chicken

2009-11-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

Last night I made this for dinner-
{photo from Kraft foods}

It was GReat!
REally fast, easy, moist chicken---
I served it with rice & used jellied cranberry sauce not whole.
My family loved it.
I found the recipe out of Kraft Foods Magazine
You can find it online here

pumpkin cream cheese muffins

2009-10-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

I made these last weekend & they were SO GOOD. They are really similar to the ones at Starbucks--- I love those--- I got the recipe here, but changed it up a bit. I cooked mine according to the original directions (at 375) and they got a little too done for my taste so I changed the temp. here. Also- they made 24 muffins! Trent had a great time taking them around to the neighbors. Enjoy!

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar

4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin
1/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.
For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.
Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

ginger snaps

2009-09-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

don't let these seemingly boring cookies fool you...

the are fabulous!! I got the recipe from a college friend. One taste & I was hooked.

They don't snap- no, no they are soft & yummy & taste like fall.

My kids love them & so do I.

Try a something new- You'll thank me- really!

Cream together:

1 Cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

3/4 cup butter softened

1 egg

Wish or stir together:

2 Cups flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

Mix creamed & dry ingredients. Roll into 1" balls & then roll the balls in sugar. Bake at 350 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes. Cool for a minute or two; then transfer to a cooling rack.

Shish Kabobs

2009-07-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

This is a SUPER easy dinner to make and great for summer time when it is too hot to cook in the house. My boys even helped me make the shish kabobs. They had a ton of fun creating their own kabob. They loved eating them too!
Marinate either chunks of chicken or beef in a bottle of Italian dressing for several hours. Cut up your favorite veggies into chunks and create you own kabob. We used mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes and peppers. Then grill them on the barbecue. Enjoy!

Baked Ziti

2009-07-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

I found this yummy recipe on a new cooking blog I found.......My Crazy Kitchen. My family loved it and it was super easy!!!

1 lb italian sausage or lean ground beef
1 lb dry ziti pasta
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 (26 oz) jars spaghetti sauce
6 oz sliced provolone cheese
1 1/2 C low fat ricotta or small curd cottage cheese
6 oz shredded mozzarella
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
Cook the pasta in salt water until done, Drain and set aside.
Brown the meat and onion in a large saucepan. Drain the grease and add spaghetti sauce. Simmer for 15 min.
In a greased 9x13 pan layer 1/2 of the ziti, provolone cheese, ricotta, 1/2 of the sauce mixture, then the remaining ziti, mozzerella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until cheeses are melted

ice cream in a bag

2009-06-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

Obviously...

I should have taken a better photo- oops.

One of my darling cub scouts brought this recipe for our Bear Den cookbook.

It's a good one- really fun!

We made it during den meeting last week & it turned out so good- i was shocked.

-the boys were in heaven-

1 gallon ziploc type bag
1 quart freezer ziploc type bag
4 cups ice
1/4 cup salt
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar

Procedure:
Pour the milk, vanilla, & sugar into the smaller bag. Carefully squeeze out as much air as possible & seal the bag carefully.
Place the small bag down into the large bag & cover with ice & salt. Seal the large bag tightly.
Shake, toss & flip the bags like an ice cream machine for 5-10 minutes. If the bag gets too cold to handle, wrap it with a towel & pass from person to person (this is what we did.)
Open both bags & spoon out the ice cream.
enjoy!

Texas chocolate cupcakes with carmel icing

2009-06-21T19:34:00.001-07:00

I got this recipe here.

IT is FAbulous!

The icing is so delicious-- it's dangerous.

My husband LOVEs caramel so I knew I had to try them.

I hope you try them too.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CARAMEL ICING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup milk
2 to 2-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring cocoa, water, oil and butter to a boil. Gradually add to dry ingredients; mix well. Combine eggs, buttermilk and vanilla; gradually add to batter and mix well (batter will be very thin). Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. For icing, in a heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium. Do not stir. Cook for 3-6 minutes or until bubbles form in center of mixture and syrup turns amber. Remove from the heat; transfer to a small bowl. Cool to room temperature. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread over cupcakes. Yield: 2 dozen.

chocolate crinkles

2009-05-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

I love these cookies

I see them all the time whenever there are homemade cookies around-

I remember my neighbor used to make these growing up.

They are like a mini brownie

SO good!

1/2 cup butter

1 2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 bars of unsweetened baking chocolate, melted

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cream together butter, sugar & vanilla. Beat in eggs & melted chocolate. Wisk together dry ingredients & add alternating with milk. Add nuts if desired. Chill for a couple of hours- or overnight. Form into 1" balls & roll in powdered sugar. Place on GREASED cookie sheet 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. cool for a minute on the pan then transfer to a cooling rack.

*spray the pan with non stick cooking spray in between each batch for easier removal.

Homemade Burritos

2009-04-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

This is so easy and yummy! My family loves it!

1 can refried beans
1 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
Salsa
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Layer in 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 mins. or until cheese is bubbly.
Scoop into tortillas and enjoy!

This recipe can be doubles and put in a 9x13 pan.

Mandarin Salad

2009-03-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

Janae made this recipe for my family on my birthday and has since become I one our favorite salads. Even my kids will eat it. It comes from the Lion House cookbook.

2 quarts salad greens torn into pieces
2-3 ribs celery cut on diagonal
1 can Mandarin oranges drained
2-3 green onions cut on diagonal
1 c grapes (either green or red)
1/2 c pecans coarsely cut

Clean and dry greens thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients. Toss to mix well. Just before serving toss with dressing using enough to moisten lightly.

Dressing

2 T sesame seeds toasted( place in a pie tin in a 350 degree oven and brown for about 5- 10 minutes)
3 T sugar
1 t salt
pepper
1/4 c salad oil
2 T vinegar ( I use apple cider vinegar)

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Dressing may be stored in fridge. Shake well before using.

Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli

2009-03-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

This recipe make 9 QUARTS of soup which is a ton. I would suggest cutting the recipe in half unless you are feeding a ton of people. It a very simple but really yummy soup. My family loves it! Great for left overs!

3 t. oil (I don't add this ....I can't make myself cook hamburger in oil)
2 lbs hamburger
12 ounces of onion chopped
14 ounces carrots silvered
14 ounces celery diced
48 ounces diced tomatoes
2 c cooked red kidney beans
2 c cooked white kidney beans
88 ounces beef stock
3 t oregano
2 1/2 t pepper
5 t parsley (fresh chopped)
1 1/2 t Tabasco sauce
48 ounces spaghetti sauce
8 ounces dry pasta

Saute beef in oil in large 10 qt pot until beef starts to brown. Add onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse beans and add to the pot. Also add beef stock, oregano, pepper, tabasco, spaghetti sauce and noodles. Add chopped parsley. Simmer until celery and carrots are tender about 45 minutes. Makes 9 qts of soup!!!

Once again my pictures of the soup were deleted so I will add some as soon as possible.

Bread Machine Breadsticks

2009-03-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

This recipe was given to me by one of my favorite neighbors. She found this recipe in her bread maker recipe book. It has become a family favorite at our house.

Put the following ingredients into your pan in your bread maker in order.

1 1/2 c. warm water
2 t. yeast (I allow yeast to dissolve before adding sugar)
2 T sugar
2 T oil
1 t salt
1 t lemon juice
4 c. white flour

Turn bread maker to dough setting. Mine takes about an 80 minutes. Remove dough from bread machine and roll out on cookie sheet. Cut into strips and then melt about 1/4 c of butter and then add either about 1 tsp of garlic seasoning or salad supreme to the butter and spread over the dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes depending on your oven.Before baking.

Lime Chiffon

2009-03-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

This is one of my families very favorite desserts!

It's dangerously light & oh so refreshingly delicious.

Lime Chiffon

Crust:

1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cups melted butter

1/3 cups sugar

Mix all & press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.

Chiffon:

1 8oz. package light cream cheese softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 small box lime jello

1 cup boiling water

1 12 oz. light cool whip

Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water; set aside. Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar & vanilla with hand mixer until smooth. Slowly add the warmish gelatin mix well. Fold in the cool whip & pour over the graham cracker crust. Smooth over the top & refrigerate until set. An hour or two.

This is a great dessert for a crowd or potluck & did you see...? I used "light" ingredients so you can eat tons of it. It's like health food! ;)

Sugar Cookies

2009-03-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

This is my first time making sugar cookies using this recipe and I am sold on it!!!! This cookies turned out so soft and yummy. Emily says you can't just eat one so that must mean they are good! I am not sure where or who I got his recipe from. It was written on a piece of paper that I found with my recipes. So if this is your recipe please let me know....so I can give due credit for these yummy cookies....I think the secret ingredient is the buttermilk.

11/2 c. sugar
3 cubes of butter softened
2 eggs

Cream together and then add
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c buttermilk
4 c flour

Add remaining ingredients. Roll out dough and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. Ice and enjoy!

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

2009-03-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

This recipe was given to me by a family friend.....Arlene who is also a lurker of all the blogger mom's blogs. She says she is our biggest fan!!!!! This is a really easy recipe and very yummy! I used some left over chicken when I made so that made it super easy!!

1 cup of butter (2 cubes)
10 oz frozen peas (I used peas and carrots because that is all I had)
4 cups cooked chicken cubed
3 cans cream of celery soup
1 t. salt
1 T diced onions
1 80z package Pepperidge Farm Stuffing (the blue package...fine crumbs)

Combine melted butter and stuffing. Put 1/2 of stuffing the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Next put chicken over the stuffing. Mix soup, peas, onions and salt and pour over chicken. Top with the rest of the stuffing. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes.

Enjoy!

my favorite chocolate cake

2009-02-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

This is my absolute favorite chocolate cake recipe!

I got it from good ol' betty- and only modified it a little- I hope she doesn't mind?

I usually make it into a bundt with chocolate glaze but have made the best ever cupcakes and black forest cake too with this recipe! The best part- all the ingredients are in the pantry!

1 2/3 cup flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup cocoa

1/2 or one stick butter room temp.

1 1/2 cup soured milk or buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. spray your bundt pan really good- or 9x13" pan, or two cake rounds, or get your cups ready for cupcakes...

Beat all ingredients on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally 3 minutes. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake until toothpick comes out clean- 9x13= 35 to 40 minutes.

bundt= 40 to 45 minutes

cupcakes 1/2 full= 20 minutes

two rounds= 30 minutes

Frost with whatever you like. for the bundt glaze I have used melted store bought frosting... really easy- fudge isn't too bad. Or- this

Chocolate chip glaze:

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tblsp. butter

2 tblsp. corn syrup

1 to 2 tsp. hot water

Heat everything except the water. Add the water a little at a time & wisk or stir quickly until it reaches the consistency you desire. Drizzle over the cooled cake. It's a good thing :)

White Chili

2009-01-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 lbs. cooked, seasoned, and chopped chicken breast

2 cans great northern white beans

2 cans shoepeg white corn

1 small can chopped green chillies

1 bag frozen chopped onions

2-4 cloves minced fresh garlic

1 T. lemon pepper

1 T. ground cumin

1 T. cumin seed

juice of 1 lime

4 c. chicken broth

bake chicken- shred and set aside.

saute onions with garlic, pepper, cumin, cumin seed.

when onions are clear add juice of lime and chicken broth.

add rest of ingredients including chicken, let simmer for a little bit.

toppings for soup:

shredded jack cheese and tortilla chips, chopped tomato, sour cream, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, or whatever else you would like:) enjoy!

Leslie's Orange Salad

2009-01-18T11:02:00.000-08:00

1 large head red leaf lettuce/ or 1 bag baby spinach

1 small red onion sliced in rings

2 oranges peeled and sliced

1 jicama sliced

sugared almonds

chopped fresh cilantro to taste

Dressing

3T. orange zest

1/3 c. orange juice

3 T. sugar

2 T. red wine vinegar

1/2 oil

3 T. good seasonings dry italian dressing

combine all dressing ingredients. Toss on salad just before serving. enjoy!

my favorite cookie- oatmeal craisin

2009-01-12T20:34:00.000-08:00

These are really great- moist- chewy- cookies!

they are even great with raisins in them- the trick (I typically hate raisins) is the raisins have to be really good, fresh, moist ones. Sunsweet used to sell baking raisins in 1 cup sealed bags & they were fantastic-- I haven't seen them in years though. I hate those dried out gross ones.

But I love raisinettes- mmm doesn't everyone?

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup butter softened

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

3 cups regular rolled oats

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups craisins (or good raisins, if you can find them)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the first eight ingredients until well blended then mix in the rest. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet in 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls- 2 inches apart. I use a mini ice cream scoop- you should invest in one if you don't have one... they make cookie baking so nice. All the cookies come out perfect & just the same size. Bake until just starting to brown- don't over cook- (or under cook for that matter, personally I think overcooked is worse... ) Immediately transfer to a cooling rack & just as they start to cool down, and they are not too hot- EAT ONE -they are oh so good!

cafe rio style pork & rice with tomatio dressing

2009-01-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

I got these recipes over on Tried & trues one of my very favorite cooking blogs.

I have tweeked them a little to my family's taste.

I'm listing my own version & photos because several people in my family have requested me to. They either don't have high speed or just can't figure out how to get to Mique... so here you go!

thanks mique!! Those of you readers who live in Utah-

have probably been to Cafe Rio. Those who live otherwise... will just have to try these recipes!

Cafe Rio Style Pork
1 pork roast between 3-4 lb. picnic roast is fine/bone in or with out doesn't matter

3 cups of salsa

1 cup of brown sugar

Place the ingredients into your crock pot & cook on high for 6 hours or low 10.

(I used Pace medium & blended it with the brown sugar because my kids don't like chunks-weirdos)

When the cooking time is up remove the roast & shred pulling out any fat. Pour the sauce over the shredded pork & mix. Serve on a salad or like me in tacos. I use fresh tortillas, pork, grated cheese, lettuce, salsa & cafe rio style creamy tomatillo sauce & lime rice -recipes below.

Cafe Rio Style Tomatillo Sauce

1 package of ranch dressing mix made as directed for dressing

2 medium tomatillos cut into chunks

1/2- 2 chopped & seeded jalapenos (depending on your taste)

1/3 of a bunch of cilantro

1 tsp. chopped garlic

juice of one lime

blend until smooth in the blender- this makes a lot of dressing, at least a quart!

Cafe Rio Style Sweet Lime Rice

2 cups white rice

4 cups of water

2 chicken bullion cubes

zest of one lime

1 tsp chopped garlic

Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Then stir in

6 Tblsp of finely chopped cilantro

4 tsp sugar mixed with 4 tsp lime juice

salt as desired

Serve!

Gyoza(Pot Stickers)

2009-01-09T20:03:00.000-08:00

2 scallions(green onion) chopped
2 large Napa cabbage leaves chopped
1/2 inch fresh ginger grated
1/2 lb ground pork
1 T cornstarch
1 T soy sauce
1 T rice wine
2 t dark sesame oil
1/2 t sugar
1 pkg round won ton skins(you can use square but I the round work the best)Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Spoon approximately 1 T of mixture on the the skin and moisten the edges. Fold the skin in half and pleat the one edge and seal together(see above pictures). Fry the gyoza in a frying pan in approximately 3 T of oil until brown on the bottom and then add about 1 cup of water and cover the pan. Steam the gyoza for about 5 minutes (if water runs out add some more). Enjoy!

Egg Rolls

2009-01-09T19:52:00.000-08:00

This recipe was shared with by good friend Michelle. It is a pretty easy and fast way to make egg rolls. (The egg rolls are on top part of the pan on the left side in the picture)
In a large bowl mix:
1 lb. ground pork (I use Jimmy Dean Sausage you can use spicy or regular)
1 lb mung bean sprouts
1 t salt
2 T cornstarch
2 T soy sauce
1/4 c. finely chopped onions
Any of fillers you want. I like to add celery, carrots and napa cabbage

1 pkg square won ton wrappers
Fold 1T of mixture into a won ton skin. Moisten the edges with water or a beaten egg to help them to sea. I fold them into the shape of a present. Fold the bottom triangle up first, then the sides and then the top. Fry in heated oil(350 degrees) until golden and crisp. Make sure you cook them very well since the sausage is done all the way.

Christmas Caramels

2009-01-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe a few years back and now I make caramels every year at Christmas time. They are very easy to make the secret is to stir the ingredients the entire time with a wooden spoon not a metal spoon.
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup karo syrup
1 14 ounce can sweet and condensed milk
Dash of Salt
Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Keep at a rolling boil and cook till soft ball forms in cold water (about 15 minutes). Pour into a buttered 7x11 pan. Cool and then cut into squares and wrap in wax paper.

Cutney Cheese Spread

2008-12-20T22:07:00.000-08:00

I am posting this yummy recipe for Janae.....she made this for us at our Christmas party and we all loved it! One of us will be posting a picture soon!

1 pkg. cream cheese softened
1/2 c. cheddar cheese grated
1/3 c. angel flake coconut
1 small jar of mango or apriot chutney
dried cranberries
Walnuts or pecans chopped
Sliced green onions

Mix first 3 ingredients and shape into a rectangle and place on a plate. Spread chutney over the top of the cream cheese and then garnish with cranberries, nuts and onions. Serve with crackers.

Peppermint pinwheels

2008-12-16T08:22:00.000-08:00

I love these cookies!

they are really yummy, cute for Christmas & so easy to make.

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup margarine

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Beat the first 6 ingredients together until creamed. Stir in the rest gently. Divide into two equal parts. Add red food coloring to 1/2 of the dough (as much as you think you need) Knead the dough to distribute the color. Cover & refrigerate the dough for a couple of hours. After it's good & cold- roll out the plain dough to about 12x16" then roll out the pink dough & place on top. Roll up the two doughs together starting at the 16" side VERy tightly. As tightly as you can. It'll all be fine if it's not tight enough, just relax. Put the whole roll in parchment paper of plastic wrap & refrigerate again. When ready to bake, cut slices of the roll 1/4 inch think & bake for 8-10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees. BE really careful not to over cook them!! they should just barely be turning brown.

*the great thing about these cookies is you can make the dough, leave it in the fridge, then bake a few off here & there! they are especially good with warm with milk or hot cocoa ~ mmm

fruit covered NY cheesecake

2008-12-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

I have to be honest- I've made a lot of cheesecakes over the years- but it's been a while.

To find a fool proof recipe I looked here... allrecipes.com & came up with this one.

With over 1800 comments & still a 5 star rating I figured it must be GReat- and it was!
For the topping I covered it in fresh berries the topped it with a glaze which was 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tblsp. corn starch, & one can of hansen's guava nectar, brought to a boil (stirring constantly until thick) cooled then poured over the top.

White Christmas Slush

2008-12-13T12:30:00.000-08:00

2 Quarts Water
3 Cups Sugar
1 Can Limeade from concentrate
1 Litre Bottle of Sprite

Combine all ingredients until sugar is completely dissolved. Freeze over night in a mixing bowl (one that will fit into the punch bowl you are serving it in).

1 hour before serving take out of freezer and put bowl upside down into punch bowl. Once it has started to melt a little on its own, start to chip a way at it with a potato masher and butter knife until it is broken into smaller pieces and like a slush. Continue to mash and add Sprite then serve.

Sour Cream Chicken

2008-12-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

This is a definite "old stand by" at our house. My mom used to make this when I was growing up.

The recipe is simple and only a few ingredients.
6-8 chicken breasts
garlic salt, season salt, a little pepper
3/4 C. sour cream
3/4 C. Mayo
1 can cream of celery soup
1&1/2 C. grated sharp cheese
copped onion
1 tsp. lemon juice
~season chicken lightly with seasoning and put in 9x13 pan. Combine all other ingredients and pour over skinless chicken breasts. Cover and bake @ 300 for 3 hours. Enjoy:)

Here is the final result. The sauce is so yummy on baked potatoes, broccoli etc. We add the sauce to the whole dinner.

*picture courtesy of my Doug.

Mexican Cheese Log

2008-11-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

8 oz. Velveeta cheese, rolled out between wax paper or scran wrap

8 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. diced green chilies
4 oz. diced olives
Mix cream cheese, green chilies and olives together(I mix them in Kitchen aid). Spread cream cheese mixture on the rolled out cheese. Roll into a log and then serve with crackers.

Lemon Sour Cream Pie

2008-11-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe for Thanksgiving.......it was so easy and so yummy!!!
If you love lemon you will love this pie!!!

SOUR CREAM - LEMON PIE

1 c. sugar
3 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. lemon rind, grated
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 c. milk
1/4 c. butter
1 c. cultured sour cream
1 baked 9" pie shell
1 c. heavy whipping cream, whipped
Lemon twists for garnish

Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon rind, juice, egg yolks and milk in heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat until thick. Stir in butter and cool mixture to room temperature. Stir in sour cream and pour filling into pie shell. Cover with whipped cream and garnish with lemon twists. Store in refrigerator.

smoothies

2008-11-26T12:50:00.000-08:00

For my birthday this year I got one of these- a blendtec.

Oh how I love it!

These are the same blenders Orange Julius & all the big name smoothy chains use. The blendtec has a way of really whipping them up- to just the right texture. We make soomthies on a regular basis now.

I buy berries (all kinds), Kern's fruit nectars, & light yogurt at Costco in the big packs-

then mess around with different flavors. This one is strawberry mango!

Frozen strawberries

One can of Mango nectar

2 strawberry yogurts
-Blend-

It's good & good for you!!
Warning: to get the true smoothy experience these need to be sucked down with a straw... seriously folks- it's all about the straw.

Karens Chicken Noodle Soup

2008-11-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

Karen's EASY But So Good -I'm talking the best- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Ever!!
(this recipe is doubled- it makes about 5-6 qts of soup)
6 Tblsp. Butter
2 Cups chopped onion
2 Cups chopped celery
2 Cups sliced mushrooms
Saute until everything is tender in a soup pot.
(I added 1 cup carrots diced also just because it seemed like the right thing to do & I didn't have that much celery )
Now add:
2 Cups cooked chicken -(I added 3 boiled chicken breast diced)
4 Cups of Noodles
Cover everything with water- just barely. I used the water from boiling the chicken & a little more.
Now add:
4 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
Bring to a boil & simmer until the noodles are tender! Salt & pepper to taste.
ENJOY!

Homemade Waffles

2008-11-05T17:22:00.001-08:00

This recipe was given to me by a friend a few years back. I don't make them very often but they are a huge hit when I do. They are so light and fluffy. I usually double the batch and freeze the extras for the kids for breakfast.
2 egg yolks (put whites aside for later in the recipe)
2 c milk
2 c flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/3 c. oil

Mix the above ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Beat on low until moist and then increase to medium until smooth. In another bowl mix the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold in the egg whites in with rest of the ingredients. Cook in your waffle iron until golden brown. (My waffle iron takes about 1 cup of mix for one waffle)
Enjoy!

Stove Top Stuffing Casserole

2008-10-22T17:18:00.001-07:00

This has been a family favorite for a long time and the best part it is quick and easy!! There are a few variations of this recipe but this how I make it most of the time. This is a great recipe for left over turkey or chicken.

2 cups sour cream
2-3 cans of cream of chicken soup
2 pkg Stove Top Stuffing(do not make the stuffing)
2-3 cups of diced chicken or turkey

Combine sour cream and 2 can of soup together with both packages of stuffing and then add chicken. If the casserole seems dry add 3rd can of soup. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until bubbly. This serves about 5 people, if you had a larger family I would double the recipe. Enjoy!

black bean tortellini soup

2008-10-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

I originally got this recipe here. It was in the Family Fun October 2000 issue. I love that magazine & don't get it anymore... Kristy gave me her copy this month & it got me thinking of this soup. I used to make it all the time & it's one of Brett's favorites. I changed the recipe up a bit to suit my family & my own tastes. We really love it.

It's different than the other soups I make. It's healthy- full of fiber & really good.
If you give it a try, let me know :)

3 tsp. canola oil

1 medium onion chopped

1/4 cup minced/chopped carrots

1 tsp minced garlic

1 can diced tomatoes & juice blended (my kids don't like tomato chunks in soup..?)

3 cans black beans drained & rinsed

8 cups water

10 chicken bouillon cubes

1 tsp. each dried oregano & dried basil

1/2 tsp black pepper

salt to taste

19 oz. bag of frozen cheese tortellini

In a large soup pot, saute the onion & carrot in the oil until translucent. Add the garlic & stir for maybe 30 seconds. Add everything else except the tortellini & simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the tortellini & simmer until tender. This is a surprisingly fast dinner! I served it with garlic cheese bread.

Clam Chowder

2008-10-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

This is a really easy yummy recipe for clam chowder

1 c. celery (diced)
2 c. cubed potatoes
1/2 onion (diced)

Boil the above in water until tender. Add the juice from the clams to the water to help flavor the veggies.

When veggies are almost done:

Melt 1 c. butter and then add 1 c flour and mix together. Add 6 cups of milk and heat until the roux thickens (if it is too thick you can add some more milk to thin out). Add about 2 t salt and 4 t pepper and about 1/2 T of sugar(you can add more or less salt, pepper or sugar per your taste). When veggies are done drain and add to soup. Add 2 cans of drained diced clams. Heat until everything is warm and enjoy!

***Optional****This is a great soup to serve in bread bowls

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

2008-10-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

I'm making these for dinner tonight- don't they sound good?!

I'll let you know how they turn out

Here's the recipe

Update: in the words of R.R.~ YUM-O!! we loved them- we skipped the cheese- who needs it? they were great! Here is a picture of my version.

These are really easy & surprisingly not very spicy. I even made wheat rolls in the bread maker. Look at them green beans! Chloe picked them from our garden.

Pumpkin Cookies

2008-09-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite cookie recipes. It was given to me by a friend several years ago and has become a family favorite. DO NOT double this recipe.....it makes a huge recipe that fills a kitchen aid mixer.

1 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

cream the above ingredients and then add the following:

1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 large can pumpkin (29 oz can)
Mix together and then add 5 cups of flour and then 1-1 and half bags of chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-13 minutes(varies depending on your oven) or until light brown.

pumpkin bread

2008-09-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

We love fall & fall means pumpkin bread, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, & carmeled apples - at least to me!This recipe makes two loaves & this is all that's left.

I got this recipe from my sister. It's her mother-in-law's and it's fantastic!

3 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 can pumpkin 15oz.

1 cup oil

3 1/3 cup flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease & flour two bread pans- set aside.

Cream together sugar & eggs. Add pumpkin & oil, mix. Add dry ingredients. Don't over or under mix- make sure all the spices are incorporated without beating it to death- you know what I mean.

Divide batter into pans & bake for 1 hour & 10 minutes. Insert toothpick; if clean your done- I usually need to bake another 10 minutes but that just may be my oven.

Hot Parmesan Artichoke Dip

2008-09-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from an e-mail from Kraft. I took it to a church activity and it was gone within a few minutes. Everyone loved it.......even the blogger moms!! Next time I make I am going to sub the mayo for a lower fat mayo and see how it tastes!!

Hot Parmesan Artichoke Dip

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
1 c mayo
1 clove garlic minced
1 c grated parmesan cheese
2 T chopped tomatoes
2 T sliced green onions

Heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients except tomatoes and onions. Spoon into shallow ovenproof dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with tomatoes and onions and serve with crackers. I keep mine warm in a small crock pot.

chocolate chip cookies

2008-09-14T18:13:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things is chocolate chip cookie dough- of course! Who doesn't love that?

I like to make a big batch, use a mini ice cream scoop to scoop it onto trays & freeze them. Baked cookies are good frozen -sure- but make fresh baked cookies, warm from the oven- FANTASTIC!I like to separate a dozen or two into freezer bags then give them away to neighbors or someone special as a gift- lovely. This isn't fancy- I was in a hurry- but they are really cute at Christmas or Valentines with patterned paper folded over & stapled to the top....

here is my favorite recipe:

2 sticks or 1 cup of butter

2 sticks or 1 cup of margarine- the real stuff

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups sugar

cream together then add

2 tsp. good vanilla

4 eggs

then add:

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

4 cups flour

5 cups oats (blended into oat flour in the blender)

After mixing all the ingredients together add 24 ounces of chocolate chips & 3 cups of chopped nuts- if desired. (I only use one bag of milk chocolate chips because my idiot offspring don't like too many chocolate chips in cookies or nuts-I know their mad?)

Bake golf ball sized on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart at 350 degrees for 11 minutes-- 13 minutes if frozen. Or until just starting to brown. Enjoy!

Canning Tomatoes

2008-09-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

This really is not a recipe but I wanted to post this for my kid's. So someday if they decide they want to can they will know how. My Mom taught me how to can when I first got married and I have been doing it just about every year since I got married. Since I am married to farmer Kelly we always have a big garden every year and we can't waste the food we grow so I either freeze it, can it or give it away.

Everyone has there own way but here is how I can tomatoes.First off you need a lot of yummy tomatoes from your garden or store. Clean and wash the tomatoes and then put them into boiling water on the stove for about 1-2 minutes(this helps so the skin peels off really easy).
Remove from boiling water and put them into cold water in the sink. Remove one tomato at time and peel the skin off and cut off the stem and any other parts and then cut tomatoes in half or in quarters so they fit into the bottles.
Put tomatoes into quart jars that have been cleaned and sterilized in the dishwasher. Fill jars until just about full (leaving about a1/2 inch or so at the top). Wipe off around the mouth of the jar. I do not add anything to my tomatoes...........this is just what works for my family. Some people add onions and other things but I prefer them plain and then I can add what I want when I use them. Put on lid.......I usually have a pan with my lids on the stove simmering and I pull them out of the hot water as I need them. Add ring to jar.

Put bottles in steamer or hot bath.......I used both ways today. I found out that the food people are saying we should use a hot bath instead of steamer. I steamed my tomatoes for 60 minutes and cooked them in a hot bath for 50 minutes(per the extension service). You start the time on the steamer when the steam comes out of the holes on the side and count the time on the hot bath when the water boils.When finished cooking/steaming I leave them out on the counter to cool. Make sure that they all seal...........if not put the ones that don't seal in the fridge. Mine usually all seal except for one here and there.Write the year on the top of the lid so you can eat the older ones first. Our tomatoes usually get used for taco soup or homemade salsa or whenever a recipe calls for stewed tomatoes. I hope makes sense!

Smothered Flank Steak

2008-08-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

I was looking back at some of my old posts from last year and found this post. It really is a yummy and easy recipe. Give it a try:)

Banana Crumb Muffins

2008-08-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

I had some expired bananas & I didn't want to make banana bread-- I've made banana muffins before but they are always a little dry - just so so. Well I decided to click on over to all recipes & see if there were any recipes for banana muffins.

Muffins just seemed like the perfect thing for breakfast on the first day of school. This recipe did not disappoint!! It had been rated almost 3000 times-

(that's insanely amazing) and had a 5 star rating. Impressive & very well deserved!

these are the very best banana muffins I have ever tried. I followed the recipe exactly & it made a dozen wonderful muffins- sorry I'm too lazy to type it up just click on over here to find it!

Low Land Boil

2008-08-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

We started having low land boils every August when our corn is on after one of Kelly's employees introduced them to us and we have had one every year since. It is not hard to do but it is really yummy! We have several people that request a low land boil every year. Here's how to do it.........
You need one larger pot(I usually use one of my canning pots). Fill about 1/2 the pot with water and add one can of "Old Bay Seasoning"(I add the whole can because I make a big batch you can add just half or less of the can it is pretty spicy stuff)......you find it in the spice isle usually on the bottom shelf. Mix the seasoning in the water. Then add red potatoes(enough to feed your family) boil until potatoes are almost done then add 3-4 cut sausages boil for about 5 more minutes then add corn on the cob and boil until corn is just about done and then add 3 pounds of shrimp and then boil until shrimp are done.....about 3-4 minutes. Time to enjoy the yummy food.

Variation: You can use crawdads fresh from the lake instead of shrimp.

fresh peach cobbler

2008-08-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you - but I love fresh peaches!

I have several different recipes for peach cobbler. I made a really different (for me anyway) one years ago- loved it- then couldn't find the recipe again- dang it- I hate when that happens. Any how my neighbor kindly brought me a whole sack of peaches last night so I got on allrecipes & looked up this recipe. I modified it a little & it was perfect. So good- really similar to the one I tried years ago. I forgot to take a picture until it was almost too late. It was SO GOOD! let me know if you try it.1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk

3-4 cups fresh peaches, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups water

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a glass casserole dish.
cream the butter and 3/4 cup sugar.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.
Spread mixture evenly into the baking dish .
(If using canned peaches, drain thoroughly, reserving the juice.) Spoon fruit over batter.
Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Pour water over the top. This is hard to do- don't worry it'll be alright :)
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. During baking the fruit and juice go to the bottom and the batter rises.
This is so good cooled slightly & served with ice cream.

Marshmallow Popcorn

2008-08-10T18:16:00.001-07:00

Time for a another guest cook from my family......my Mom. This is a new recipe that my Mom has been making a lot. It is a pretty yummy recipe!

4-5 batches of popcorn(we use an air popper)
1 pkg marshmallows(10.5 ounces)

Mix marshmallows and popcorn together in a large bow.

2 cubes of butter
1/2 c karo syrup
1 1/3 c sugar
Combine the above ingredients in a pan on the stove. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Cook for about 2 1/2 minutes or to a soft ball stage(keep stirring). Remove from heat and add 1 tsp vanilla. Pour over popcorn and mix well.
Pour popcorn onto a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam and let it cool off......ENJOY!!!

Parmesan Chicken (White Sauce Version)

2008-07-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe several years ago and it has become a family favorite....it was also a favorite when I did my cooking group as well.

2 cups crushed Ritz Crackers
3 T grated parmesan cheese
2 t garlic salt
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts(we like dark meat so I use boneless skinless thighs as well)
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup melted butter
Combine crackers crumbs, Parmesan cheese and garlic salt(I crush them all together in a ziploc bag and then put it in a bowl). Dip each piece of chicken in yogurt to coat and then in the crumb mixture.
Arrange in greased 9x13 pan. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.
Top with the following sauce:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream

Combine soup and sour cream together in a pan over low heat. Serve over chicken.

apey's chicken salad

2008-07-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

we have a guest chef today, my sister in law apey who is such a good cook that i'm sure this will be her first of many guest appearances on our cooking blog. do you know that she has been published in martha stewart's every day food magazine?! now you're paying attention! allie i guess is also a guest chef, one of her favorite things is cooking with apey. this chicken salad is one of my favorite apey recipes, whenever she makes it she always brings me a small container of it because she loves me. when i asked her for the recipe she said it changes every time, a little of this a little of that, however much you like of each thing...so the recipe is really more just a list of ingredients.

chicken - thawed, cut into strips, cooked in EVOO, salt & pepper and then chopped

mayo - apey doesn't believe in miracle whip, only best foods will do

red grapes - halved

tabasco sauce - just a dash

lemon juice - small amount

red onion - finely chopped

celery - finally chopped

maybe salt and pepper if you want mix ingredients together and serve on sandwiches, lettuce wrapes, tortillas or rolls - great for showers!

Paula Deen's Best Ever Banana Pudding

2008-06-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

My sister made this recipe for us when we were visiting last summer. We Love it.

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies

3-4 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream
Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve. I used all the "lite" version of the ingredients to lower the calories a bit- turns out great! You can find the original recipe here

Kristy's Cheese Potatoes

2008-06-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

This is for Wende....... Sorry the picture is bad but all I have left if leftovers from when I made these for the Community Council dinner (I will post a new picture next time I make them).This is a recipe that I made up and it is not hard.

5-10 lbs of red potatoes (depending on how many you want to make) they are really good if you use fresh potatoes out of your garden

Boil potatoes in salt water until tender.

While potatoes are boiling fry 1-2 pounds of bacon(depending on how many potatoes you cooked) right before the bacon is done add 1/2 chopped yellow onion. Finish cooking bacon and onion.

When potatoes are done drain and put into a large baking dish. Add bacon and onions and then mix in about 2 cups of your favorite cheese grated(I usually use colby jack or cheddar). You can put potatoes in a warm oven to keep them warm or to finish melting the cheese. Serve with sour cream.

beef tips & gravy

2008-06-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

I'm all about the crock pot these days!

I love throwing food in it then coming back & dinner is ready! This is a great one given to me from a friend at church. It's on my love it list- let me know if you give it a try.

1 round steak sliced
1-2 Tblsp. vegetable oil
2-4 packages of dry brown gravy mix
2-4 cups of water

Slice the round steak & brown in the oil on the stove. Brown it in batches if you need to- just a little brown don't go nuts on this step. (I used a 2lb. London broil because it was on sale & it was great. When I got home from the store I put it in the freezer then when I was ready to use it I partially thawed it in the microwave, that way it was really easy to slice.) Now the easy part... put the steak in the crock pot & 2 packets of gravy plus one cup of water for each pack. Now if that doesn't look like enough water - it should almost cover, or if you love gravy... just use another packet & another cup of water. How many packets you use depends on how much steak you are making. That's it!! Cook it all day 6-8 hours on low & WA LA- yummy stuff. I served it on instant mashed potatoes with a salad. Easy & delicious plus it tasted like it was so much harder to make.
*Next time I make it I am going to add sliced onions, doesn't that sound good?

old fashioned strawberry shortcakes

2008-06-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

This is an amazing dessert. Once you've had the real thing you won't want to go back to those yucky spongy things from the grocery store!

1 quart strawberries, sliced

1/2 to 1 cup of sugar

fresh whipped cream whipped with a little vanilla & sugar

1/3 shortening

2 cups flour

3 Tblsp. sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup milk

Mix sliced berries with sugar and let stand for an hour or so- they'll make their own juice.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt; cut in the shortening. (I use a pastry cutter but a butter knife & fork will do- or a quick wiz in a food processor) Cut together until mixture resembles crumbs. Stir in milk just until blended. Gently smooth out the dough into a ball on a lightly floured surface. Knead a couple of times be careful not to overwork it- that will make them tough, then roll to about 3/4 of an inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter- heart shaped cookie cutters work great too. Place an inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet & bake until just golden for 10-12 minutes. When they are cooled cut them in half & spoon strawberries then whipped cream into the middle & top.

blueberry muffins

2008-06-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe. It has changed many times, but I think it is perfect right now.

Read this recipe all the way through before making it.

Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour (I do this for taste, if you don't have wheat just use all white)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
Whisk the dry ingredient together then add 1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries. Stir to coat them with dry mixture.
Wet ingredients:
3/4 cup sour milk (3/4 cup milk with approx. 2 tsp. lemon juice in it)
* I usually do this step first, then put the dry ingredients together then come back to it the milk has a chance to curdle.
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil (you can substitute 1/4 cup applesauce if you want)
Wisk all together.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry & stir quickly just until everything is mixed. DON'T OVER STIR. Just a quick get it all together & your done! Now I use a med. sized ice cream scoop to fill in the muffin cups. (For some reason I don't like to use paper liners when making homemade muffins They just seem more homemade without the paper- but do whatever floats your boat.)
Sprinkle each muffin with a little bit of extra sugar - maybe 1/2 a tsp. Now pop them in the oven just until a toothpick comes out clean & they are barely browning. Don't over cook them. Nothing dries out & ruins a muffin like over cooking. Start with 14-15 minutes then add a minute or two if you need.

*Sidenote~ I love these - I can't get enough blueberry in my life. I have been making versions of this recipe my whole married life. I hope these remind my kids of me.

How do you spell wisk/whisk- it comes up okay on spellcheck either way??

Bean Dip

2008-06-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

I brought this to the blogger mom and kids swim party today and it was a huge hit so I thought I would post the recipe! It is not rocket science.....it is really easy to make.

1 extra large can refried beans
1 container sour cream (2 cups)
1 container guacamole dip (2 cups)
1 jar of your favorite salsa ( I use Pace's Medium Salsa)
2 cups of mexican cheese
1 can of olives(sliced)

Start with beans and the just keep layering all the ingredients. Sometimes I add tomatoes if I have some.

Chicken Enchiladas

2008-05-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe when I was a teenager from my Mom. We use to have a ward international dinner and this is one of the recipes that they use to make for the dinner. It has been a family favorite for years.

2 cups sour cream
2 cans of cream of chicken soup( you can just use one if you want more of a sour cream taste)
1 small can green chilies( I use mild chilies)
3 cups of your favorite cheese grated.....I usually use either cheddar or colby jack cheese. Save about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top.
2 cups of cooked chicken diced
12-15 soft flour tortillas
1 large can enchilada sauce( I use mild because my family doesn't like hot things)
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Add about 2-3 T of mixture to a tortilla(I usually add a lot because the recipe makes a ton of filling). Roll up the shell and put into a large baking dish.
Pour enchilada sauce over all the enchiladas when the pan is full and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the inside is hot. I usually make a few cheese enchiladas for the kids for some reason they don't like the enchiladas.....but they will not even try them.

calzones

2008-05-24T23:42:00.001-07:00

ok, like i said on my blog, this is not really a recipe per say, more just instructions how to put them together. they are easy but do take a little time, they are SO worth the effort though, YUM-O. so first the ingredients:

1 lb. of scone dough for every three calzones (we like dick's market)

1 jar of pizza quick pizza sauce

1 lb. of mozorella cheese, grated

1 can of sliced olives

1 lb. of sausage style pepperoni cut into small chunks

1 can of sliced mushrooms

and pretty much anything else you would like in your calzone: onions, canadian bacon, pineapple, whatever.

first put a little flour on the counter and shape your scone dough, one pound at a time, into a tube shape and cut into thirds. with each piece of dough you are going to want to roll it out into the best rounded rectangle/oval looking shape you can manage. (do you like my technical terms so far?) second, spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and move your oval to the tray to fill with ingredients. it's easier not to have to move it once it's full. from there you sort of make a pizza only the sauce is the only thing that goes over the whole thing. all your ingredients only go on one half. spread a layer of pizza sauce all over oval leaving a small 1/3 inch space for sealing at the end. then put on cheese and all your other choices for ingredients, kids LOVE this part. once you're done filling it, dip your finger in water and wet the 1/3 inch space to allow easier sealing of the edges of dough. then use a fork and mash the edges together, or if you have some kind of miracle fingers, pinch the dough together and fold. generally the fork trick works just fine for me. place your calzone in a 350 oven for about 20-25 minutes, until the dough looks golden brown and cooked all the way through (you don't want a doughy calzone) and EAT! serve with salad and maybe fruit and you're done! one of our family's favorites things to eat...ENJOY!

The Mint Brownie (my version)

2008-05-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

When looking around out there I have found many a mint brownie recipe. This one is the best! It is a mix of two different recipes I have and I think this is the one I always make.

Brownies:
2 C. sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 and 1/2 C. flour
dash of salt
2/3 C. cocoa
2 sticks butter melted (no substitutes)
1 tsp. peppermint extract (there has been discussions with different family members on peppermint extract versus mint extract.) The peppermint is where it's at;)

*Beat eggs; add sugar and mix well. Melt butter in separate bowl and add cocoa to that. Mix well. Then add to egg/sugar mix. add all other ingredients and mix well.
* Spray or grease 13x9 inch pan. add brownies.
* Bake in a 325/350 degree oven (depending on pan used). about 25 minutes.

Mint Layer:
1 box powdered sugar (about 3 ³/₄ cups)
1 cube butter softened
1 tsp. peppermint extract
about 1/4 c. milk
add any food coloring you want. Green for Christmas time, pink for girl babies being born and moms who need a pick me up, orange for Halloween. Your options are endless:)

* beat all ingredients together until smooth. If consistency is too stiff add a bit more milk.
When brownies are completely cool frost brownies evenly with mint layer.
*note, this makes a lot of mint filling...I am told some don't care for this much mint frosting (gasp, I know) So, it is completely up to you as to how much mint filling you want. I says use it all, bring it on:)
*after you have frosted your mint layer, put brownies in freezer for 15-20 min. once frosting is set you are ready for the chocolate layer.

Chocolate layer:
6 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips (you really want semi- I promise)
6 T. butter (no substitutes!)
melt both together in microwave about 1 min. stir until completely blended. POUR (you must pour) over cold mint layer. You want to tip the pan to get this layer to spread and then it will look perfect. Put back in freezer to set chocolate layer. Remove when chocolate layer is set and cut into squares. (enjoy!)

gilson salsa

2008-05-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

My sister's family make the best salsa. It's kind of like a taco sauce instead of a chunky salsa. Anyhow, one year my nephew taught us how to make it & we've been making it ever since. The great thing about it is all the ingredient are in the pantry . We eat it with chips but I really like it on burritos, tacos, and it's especially good with creamy enchiladas. Here is the cast of characters.

and the finished product
in one of a set of bowls my mom gave me. I love old corning ware & Corel. Love it! These are so cute & have glass lids, she gave me a three piece set- i could go on & on.
Anyhow here's the recipe.

One cup of chunky salsa

1-3 (I use one) guerito pepper, stem removed (or any bottled pepper will do)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tsp minced garlic or garlic powder

1 can diced tomatoes

salt to taste, if desired- I leave it out

Put it in the blender & blend until smooth.

homemade refried beans

2008-05-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

I am not a real bean lover- but I love really good refried beans. My mom used to make them like this & really NO can of refried beans could ever compare. This recipe is sooo easy- it's a great way to use your food storage & literally costs nearly nothing! Try it- if you don't like refried beans, this recipe will change your mind.
rinse 3 cups of pinto beans really well in water. Put them in a large crock pot with 3 quarts of water & one tablespoon of chopped garlic. Cook on high All DAy. There you go that's pretty much it. EASY- After they've cooked all day, using a slotted spoon started ladling them into a frying pan with 1/2 stick of butter, one cup of your favorite salsa & cheese. I usually use cheddar but American cheese makes them extra creamy. You don't really know the cheese is in there- but you do if it's not. It adds a lot of creamy flavor that is Yummmmo.

This night I used maybe five pieces of American cheese, but feel free to do what you want on that. Now- add a Tablespoon of salt. I know it sounds like a lot but really this is a lot of beans, the real thing, not canned beans that are already full of salt. Without the salt - there will be no flavor. So, don't be afraid to salt these babies.

This is the fun part... using a potato masher, mash away. If they are dry at this point, add some of the cooking water until you get the right consistancy. I used a chip to taste test for salt, more cheese, whatever.

YUM they are just right.

Now generously spoon them down the middle of a tortilla with some Gilson Salsa & grated cheddar. That's all we do but you could go nuts & add shredded lettuce, guacamole, whatever.

You really won't believe how good these are, and they are really healthy too depending on how much cheese you add. This recipe makes a lot so don't be afraid to 1/2 it. There is enough for burritos & the best bean dip for another day. My family LOVes them, even jack who is not a real tex-mex fan. Let me know if you try it!

Cowboy Caviar

2008-05-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

In a large bowl combine

1 can black beans - drained
1 can pinto beans - drained
2 cans white sweet corn - drained
1 can jalapeño peppers (I left this out too)
1 small can olives (I added 2 because I left out jalapeños)
1 small jar pimentos
2 stalks chopped celery (optional)
1/2 red onion chopped

Marinade

11/2 cup olive oil
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

combine marinade ingredients and heat just until sugar is dissolvedadd marinade to large bowl and stir all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best)drain off excess marinade and serve with your favorite chips (I like Frito scoops)

Substitutions

Zesty Italian salad dressing can be used for the marinade
Other kinds of beans can be used instead of pinto and black beans

Enchilada Soup

2008-04-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite soup recipe.
I got the recipe here- my favorite cooking blog, besides this one of course!
It's similar to taco soup, but creamier & with chicken. I love it.
I altered this recipe from it's original to suite our tastes & the ingredients I had at home, so you may want to check out it's original link.

Put all of these ingredients into a 3 to 5 quart crock pot:

15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes

10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped yellow, green or red sweet pepper

2 cups water

2-3 boneless chicken breast cut into cubes (mine was partially frozen)

Mix these together and pour into crock pot:

1 package dry enchilada sauce mix

2 cups water

1 small can tomato paste

2 chicken boullion cubes

2 cans cream of chicken soup

*Cook on low for 6 hours or high 3-4 hours- then add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.

Serve with sour cream, tortilla chips & grated cheese if desired. This soup can also be made without chicken.

Sloppy Joes

2008-04-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

This is a really great recipe because there are no exact measurements involved. It also is great for camping...I make it ahead of time and freeze it then just warm it up on the stove or over the fire.

1 lb Ground beef
1 can Campbell's Chicken Gumbo Soup
Ketchup
Brown Sugar (optional)
Onions (optional)
Chili Powder (optional)

Brown the ground beef with onions and chili powder. Add the Chicken Gumbo soup and enough ketchup to get it to desired consistency . Then add a small amount of brown sugar (optional) for a barbecue flavor. Cook on medium heat until all flavors are blended serve on hamburger buns or rolls...tastes best at a "Fire-up Friday" football dinner, camping or if you just need something fast for dinner.