Edible Morsels

No Sugar Oat Drops

2012-01-31T22:28:00.001-07:00

This recipe is inspired by Blueberry Girl that I found on Pinterest. NO sugar, butter, eggs or anything that can be consideredunhealthy, can these even taste good? They do! I was able to make 15 cookies out of this recipe and each cookie is 136 calories

2 1/2 cups regular rolled oats
2 tablespoons flax seed - run these through your blender
1/4 cup of almond meal - just run whole almonds through your blender
1/2 cup mixed nuts, finely chopped - I used almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup dried fruit - I used craisins

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, flax seeds, almond meal and nuts. Stir in allspice and cinnamon. Add dried fruit and stir until evenly mixed.

In another bowl, combine canola oil, mashed banana and vanilla extract. Pourwet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

Take a large cookie cutter and press spoonfuls of the batter into it. Removecookie cutter. Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

2012-01-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

Hate to say it again but these were inspired by a recipe I found on Pinterest. I modified the recipe and mine is even easier then the original. These would be an easy after school snack but they worked well for dinner served with a salad.

3 - 4 tortillas, any flavor, it's your choice
Pizza sauce, I had 9 oz. and they were pretty saucy
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni, she used mini but I only had pepperonis that were so large I had to cut them into 1/8s

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 12 count muffin tinwith non-stick cooking spray.

Start by laying each tortilla out individually on a flatsurface, and use an empty can, cup, or cookie cutter to cut 3-4 medium circlesout of each tortilla. Press firmly enough, using a rocking motion, until it cutsthrough the tortilla.

Press each wrap circle into muffin tin using yourfingers. Note: it doesn’t have to cover the entire side of the tin, it shouldjust fit snuggly!

Pour pizza sauce into a bowl, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Drop about 1-2 tbs of sauce in each tortilla, this reallyvaries according to how much sauce you like! Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over each mini pizza. Place pepperoni on top of each pizza.

Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until cheeseis melted and lightly browned. Wait for pizzas to cool, and remove from muffin tin usinga fork or knife. Pizza’s should pop out with ease!

Pink Lemonade Pie

2012-01-29T19:36:00.002-07:00

Another Pintrest recipe and if you want to make it exact you are going to have to go to the link. It looked so yummy I just had to try it. I cheated and bought a graham cracker crust and used cool whip instead of whipping cream. Opted out of the pink coconut but used pink sugar sprinkles. This is a freezer pie and it would be very refreshing for the summer. I was also thinking of adding raspberries. You could also it switch up and use Limeade.

Graham cracker pie crust

1 8-ounce packet of cream cheese, softened

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup pink lemonade concentrate (not mixed with water)

2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

Red food coloring
Cool Whip

Using the whipattachment and your stand-type mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, mix thecream cheese and sweetened condensed milk together on medium high speed untilthe mixture is smooth. (If you place thesweetened condensed milk in the bowl first, the cream cheese will not stick tothe bowl and you will have little need to scrape the sides.)

Add the lemonade concentrate and lemon juice and continuebeating. Color with red food coloring asdesired.

Pour the mixture into the pie shell and place it in thefreezer. After frozen spread on thawed Cool Whip and return to freezer. Remove from freezer a few minutes before cutting.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2012-01-29T16:48:00.001-07:00

Jamie received Brussels Sprouts in her Bountiful Basket and gave them to me. I had heard about them being roasted and I did a Google search. I found this recipe on the Food Network by The Barefoot Contessa with 5 stars with 229 reviews, I figured it had to be good. It was very simple and they tasted great! Steve did have seconds but thought they would taste even better with cheese sauce. He thinks everything tastes better with cheese sauce:)

1 1/2 pounds Brusselssprouts

3 tablespoons good olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull offany yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt andpepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp onthe outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brownthe sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt, and serve immediately.

Chewy Brownie Cookies

2012-01-26T20:28:00.002-07:00

2/3 c. Shortening
1-1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Water
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1-1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. Cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375. In a large bowl, beat shortening, brown sugar, water and vanilla on medium speed or electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs; beat well. Stir together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. bake 7 to 9 minutes, or until cookies are set. cookies will appear soft and moist. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie set. Cool completely. About 3 dozen cookies

Pork Fried Rice

2012-01-26T20:11:00.006-07:00

My neighbor gave me this recipe.

Boil
2 C. Rice
4 C. Water.
Best when rice is cool.

In the frying pan
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
8 eggs- scramble
Remove eggs

Put
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp onion
Heat onions and cook until starting to become translucent.
Add
2 C. Ham
Rice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/8 tsp. sugar
Stir
Add eggs
1 C. Peas

Heat

*Can add frozen shrimp on top while rice is warming.

Pork Barbacoa

2012-01-26T19:55:00.003-07:00

I got this recipe from Maceys weekly ad. Our family loves this recipe.

4 lbs. Boneless Pork Roast
5 8oz. Tomato Sauce
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
4 c. Dr. Pepper
3 tsp. Garlic Powder
4 tsp. Cumin

Mix 3 tsp. garlic powder, 4 tsp. cumin, 3 tsp. molasses, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 5 cans tomato sauce and 4 c. Dr. Pepper.
Pour mixture over pork roast and cook in crock pot on low for 6-7 hours.
Shred meat, return to crock pot and cook 1 hour in the sauce on low.
Keep warm until ready serve. serve in tortillas
Garnish with shredded cheese, lettuce and sour cream. Serves 6

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

2012-01-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

This recipe makes A LOT of food! I didn't see that it makes for 6-8 people until after...but it's DELISH! so I didn't mind the left overs :)

Serves 6-8

*Plan Ahead: the recipe calls for cooked chicken so use leftovers or plan enough time to cook the chicken beforehand.

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (10-oz) cans green chili enchilada sauce (I used mild)
2/3 cup red enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 can large black olives, cut in half
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
16-20 oz. penne pasta (Depending on how “saucy” you want the pasta)

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don’t boil!). Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.
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Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

2012-01-22T22:19:00.001-07:00

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt + pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup vinegar

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.

I got this recipe from http://life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com/

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

2012-01-22T22:15:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

Marinade -

6 tablespoons honey

5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)

1 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded

8-10 flour tortillas (I used whole wheat tortillas)

1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded

16 ounces green enchilada sauce

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Whisk the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken in a Zip-loc bag.

2. Let it marinate for at least a 1/2 hour, but preferably a half day or so.

3. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan.

4. Fill the tortillas with chicken, saving marinade, and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

5. Put tortillas in 9x13 pan as you go.

6. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade (if there is any).

7. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas.

8. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

This recipe was found at dinner on a dime.
This is also a great recipe to make as a freezer meal- put into 2 8x8" pans. Bake 1 pan for dinner now, put the other pan into the freezer. Pull it out and bake it when you need it!

Lasagna Soup

2012-01-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

Bobby’s Lighter Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

404 less calories
28 g less fat

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
8 Whole-wheat breadsticks or grissini (optional)

Instructions:
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in mozzarella, basil, and the Parmesan. Serve with the breadsticks, if using. (whole-wheat lasagna noodles take a little longer to cook.)

Nutritional Information:
Per Serving (1 cup) 225 Cal (27% from Fat, 42% from Protein, 31% from Carb); 23 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 17 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; 4 g Sugar; 108 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 826 mg Sodium; 53 mg Cholesterol

Original Recipe by Paula Deen: Tastes Like Lasagna Soup
Take It Lighter recipe courtesy of Bobby and Jamie Deen, and the Paula Deen Test Kitchen

Servings: 8 cups
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy

Southwest Egg Rolls

2012-01-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles, drained

4 green onions, chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 package egg roll wrappers (about 24 total)

In a large bowl, combine everything but the egg roll wrappers. Mix well to blend. Lay an egg roll wrapper out on a work surface so that one of the corners is pointing toward you and place ¼ cup of the filling in the center. Fold the tip closest to you up over the filling, roll a bit, then take the points pointing outward and fold them in toward the center. Continue rolling into an egg roll shape until a small part of the remaining point is still free. Dip a finger in water or beaten egg and lightly brush on the edges of the free corner. Finish rolling and press to seal closed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Lightly oil a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the sealed egg rolls on the baking sheet seam side down and spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly brown, turning halfway through baking. Serve warm with salsa.

Muffin-Pan Potatoes

2012-01-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

I found this picture on Pinterest and though they would be good for dinner tonight.

When I clicked on the link it took me to a dead end so that meant no recipe. I did a Google search and Martha came to the rescue. I have modified the recipe so that I use ingredients that I always have in my home. Steve asked where are the pancakes and eggs were so you could use the recipe for breakfast as well.

Butter, room temperature, for muffin cups

2 medium russet potatoes (about 3/4 pound each)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon flour

Cheese, shredded (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush 6 standard muffincups with butter. Thinly slice potatoes, I used my salad shooter. Place 2 slices in each cup and seasonwith salt and pepper. Continue adding potatoes, seasoning every few slices,until cups are filled.

Mix melted butter, milk and flour together. Pour 1 tablespoon of mixture over each. Sprinkle with cheese if wanted. Bake untilpotatoes are golden brown and tender when pierced with a knife, 30 to 35minutes. Run a thin knife around each gratin. Place a baking sheet or largeplate over pan and invert to release gratins. Flip right side up and serve.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

2012-01-16T19:52:00.002-07:00

I found this recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen on Pinterest and made them tonight for dinner. I don't like things too spicy but I thought the 1/2 cup of Frank's Hot Sauce was just right. If I were making them for Beau I would add a finely diced jalapeno because Beau likes his spicy food HOT!

3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce (to taste) - I used Frank's Hot Sauce
3 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese - I used medium cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions - I omitted
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 – 4 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese and hot sauce, cheddar cheese and green onions.
Roll a heaping tablespoon of mixture into a 1½-inch ball and place onto a plate or separate baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Place flour in a shallow dish. In a second shallow dish, place eggs. In a third shallow dish, Place cornflakes. Dip each chicken ball first into the flour, then the egg and ending with the Corn Flakes.

Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Yields: 48 bites

Note:

If freezing place the dipped and uncooked chicken balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready. When ready to bake, place the frozen chicken balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350˚F for 25 to 30 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.

How To Shred Chicken, Pork or Beef

2012-01-16T19:44:00.001-07:00

Found this nifty tip here at Simply Healthy Family. After you have cooked your chicken and while it is still hot put in into your Kitchen Aid stand mixer with the cookie paddle attachment. Turn it to speed 4-6 and it will shred it better then two forks and in a lot less time.

I did a Google search and found that both pork and beef can be done the same way. The pork or beef needs to be in 2 - 3 inch pieces.

Mint Brownies

2012-01-10T14:01:00.001-07:00

This recipe comes from one of those cookbooks that you see by the cashier at the grocery store. I love mint and chocolate so these brownies fit the bill. They are super easy as well so that is an added bonus! The picture came from the page that I tore out of the book many years ago when I was trying to condense my recipe mess.

1 box brownie mix
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
20 to 24 mini York Peppermint Patties

Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom only of rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Mix brownie mix (dry), water, oil and egg with spoon about 50 strokes or just until mix is moistened. Spread in pan. Bake 30 minutes.

Immediately after baking, place patties on brownies. Return to oven 3 to 4 minutes or until patties are softened. Spread evenly over brownies; cool. Frost with Mint Fluff Frosting. Cut into 1 1/2pinch squares. Refrigerate any remaining brownies.

Mint Fluff Frosting
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
10 drops green food color

Beat all ingredients in chilled bowl until stiff.

Jello Refrigerator Cake

2012-01-10T13:42:00.002-07:00

Another recipe that I haven't made in a very long time. It would be fun to make this recipe as cupcakes.

1 small pkg. Jello, any flavor

1 white cake mix

Mix cake according to directions on box. Bake in 9"x13" pan. Cool cake 20 to 25 minutes. Mix Jello with 3/4 cup boiling water and 1/2cup cold water. Poke deep holes in warmcake, about 1/2" apart. Slowly pourJello into holes. Refrigerate cake whilepreparing topping.

TOPPING:

1 envelope Dream Whip

1 small pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix

1 1/2 cup cold milk

In chilled deep bowl, blend Dream Whip, pudding mix and milkuntil stiff. Frost cake immediately. Store cake in refrigerator and serve cold.Frosted cake may be frozen.

Cheese Ball

2012-01-10T13:35:00.001-07:00

Another recipe found in the recipe box.

2 - 8 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. bleu cheese
4 oz. old English cheese - this is in a bottle
1/4 cup minced onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Mix together. Roll in nuts or parsley. Serve with crackers.

Refrigerator Sweet Muffins

2012-01-10T13:20:00.002-07:00

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups buttermilk*

3/4 cup oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

In large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add buttermilk, oil, vanilla and eggs; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Batter can be baked immediately or stored in tightly covered container in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 375°F. Grease bottoms only of desired number of muffin cups or line with paper baking cups. Stir batter; fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake at 375°F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm.

* To substitute for buttermilk, use 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice plus milk to make 2 cups.

Chocolate Chip: Fold in 1/3 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Cinnamon Topped: After baking, dip top of each muffin in melted butter, then in a mixture of 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.

Maple Walnut: Fold in 1/3 cup chopped walnuts and 1/2 teaspoon maple extract.

Mixed Fruit: Fold in 1/3 cup chopped dried mixed fruit.

Pineapple Coconut: Fold in 1/3 cup drained, crushed pineapple and 1/4 cup coconut.

Jen's Vinegrette

2012-01-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons sugar
onion salt & garlic salt - till drop

Lemon Dijon Pasta & Peas

2012-01-10T12:59:00.001-07:00

Cleaning out the cookbooks and found this recipe that I haven't made in a while.

5 ounces (2 cups) uncooked dried radiatore (pasta nuggets)
2 cups frozen peas
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon chopped onion
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding peas during last 5 minutes of cooking. Rinse with hot water; drain.

Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan melt butter until sizzling; stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth and bubbly (1 minute).

Gradually stir in milk and mustard. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil (4 to 6 minutes); boil 1 minute.

Remove from heat; stir in onion and lemon juice. Immediately add pasta mixture; toss to coat with sauce.

Grandma Sillitoe's Greek Cookies

2011-12-22T15:32:00.003-07:00

The story goes that a little Mexican lady taught my mother-in-law how to make Greek cookies. I took a few to her and they passed the Donna test so I guess this is my new Christmas assignment.

1 pound unsalted butter*
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
3 or more cups flour
powdered sugar

Melt button on low heat. Pour into another bowl and refrigerate for 1 - 2 hours. Whip butter until creamy. Put in egg and whip some more, then add vanilla. Put all dry ingredients in sifter and add to mixture. Bake 15 - 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Upon removing from the oven immediately drown them in powdered sugar and let them cool. Gently place them in an airtight container with powdered sugar on the bottom.

* It has to be real butter. If you use salted butter, skim salt off of the top after melting and before refrigerating.

Homemade Crescent Rolls

2011-12-19T07:03:00.002-07:00

A Sunday meal never feels quite complete with out bread. Rhodes rolls are okay but homemade is so much better. Yesterday I wanted rolls but it was getting late so I checked my handy Pinterest account and found this recipe. The original recipe called for bread flour which I didn't have so I used all purpose flour and they turned out great. This recipe is definitely a keeper and I think I might try to use half whole wheat and half white.

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup water, warm (100-110F)
1/2 cup milk, warm (100-110F)
1 tbsp sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter, room temperature

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, or in a large bowl if you prefer to mix by hand, combine yeast, water, milk and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy. Add in bread flour and salt and mix well with a dough hook. Cut the softened butter into three or flour pieces and drop them into the dough, letting the mixer blend them in.

Knead (with a mixer or by hand) for about 2 minutes. Cover the bowl and let rise for 45 minutes in a warm place.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Turn risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Press it out into a circle with your hands, then use a rolling pin to roll it out into an even, 10-inch circle.

Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to divide the circle into 12 triangles (just like slicing a pizza).
Starting with the outside edge of one of the triangles, roll the edge towards the center of the “pizza.” Once rolled, curve the roll slightly into a crescent shape and place on a parchement-lined baking sheet. Repeat with all rolls. Cover rolls with a clean dish towel and let rise for 20 minutes.

Melt additional 1 tbsp butter in a small bowl. Brush tops of rolls with butter butter.

Bake for 14-18 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 12 rolls.

Mini Apple Pies

2011-12-05T10:21:00.001-07:00

Four Granny Smith apples were in my Bountiful Basket and Steve will eat about every apple on the earth except these. I like Granny Smiths with salt on them but pie sounded better. I found this recipe on Pinterest and I like individual portions to help control what I put in my mouth but I have to remember to stop at one.

Pie Crust I made homemade but you could use store bought, I did have left over dough which I froze
4 cups apples, cut into small pieces
6 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Mix apples with flour, sugar and cinnamon.

Roll out pie crust and cut 4" circles. I have a graduating set of cookie cutters so these worked great because I used the smaller 3" circle for the tops. Line each muffin tin with a crust. Fill the crusts with your apple mixture, they will be mounded.

Divide the butter into 12 pieces and place one piece on top of each apple mound. Cover with dough and bake at 400 for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Especially good served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Pear Bread

2011-12-05T10:06:00.001-07:00

Received a lot of pears in my Bountiful Basket and needed to do something with them. I found this recipe and I really like it. I sliced pears and placed them on top but most descended into the bread. Steve liked the bread just not the chunks of pear. Next batch they will be omitted.

Handy tip - to shred pears, peel the pear while it is whole and grate until you get to the middle. You will end up with a square core when you are done but it is better then having your fingers in the grater. I finally figured this trick out when I was on the last pear, up until that point I was coring and peeling and trying to grate the slippery pieces.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups peeled and finely grated ripe, firm pears
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or two 9″x 5″loaf pans.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of this mixture and combine it with nuts to coat. Stir back into the flour mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine butter, eggs, sugar, pears, and vanilla. Add the pear mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until flour disappears and batter is evenly moistened.

Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until bread is browned and firm on top. A pick inserted into the center should come out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, remove from pan and place top side up on a plate or wire rack to cool completely.

Baked Cream Cheese Wontons

2011-11-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have always eaten these with Sweet and Sour sauce and they are great. Tonight I tried them with Jamie's Pomegranate Jalapeno Jelly and they were delish! Since we don't have Jamie's Jalapeno Jelly recipe here is mine.

Wonton wrappers
Cream cheese
Pam

Preheat oven to 425. Place a small amount of cream cheese in the center of the wonton wrapper. Moisten edges with water and fold as directed in the picture below. Place on a baking sheet coated with Pam. Lightly spray wontons with Pam. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

2011-11-08T18:46:00.002-07:00

When I saw this picture I knew that I had to make this recipe because it was so pretty. It tastes as pretty as the picture. I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen and I hope that the owner forgives me because I borrowed her picture so you could see how pretty it really was. Below you will find her exact recipe. Sleepycathollow your recipe and picture are awesome!

1 cup Jalapeno, Seeds And Membranes Removed, Finely Diced

2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar

½ cups Red Or Orange Bell Pepper, Seeds & MembranesRemoved, Finely Diced

6 cups Sugar

2 envelopes Liquid Pectin, 3 Oz Each

½ teaspoons Unsalted Butter

Prepare canning jars and lids as directed by manufacturer’s directions. Thisrecipe makes 6 8-oz 1/2 pint jars…so have at least 8 jars ready, just in case.

Do not use seeds in your jelly (if you’d like it hotter then put seeds intoa piece of cheesecloth or muslin packet and put into the sugar mixture…BUT TAKEIT OUT BEFORE you put the pectin in!). You can mix up the peppers if you’dlike…habanero, jalapenos, bell peppers.

In a large stainless-steel pan combine the vinegar, peppers and sugar. Bringto boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.(add the unsalted butter here if you want to use it…it helps to keep the foamdown to a minimum)

Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a full boil, at this pointstir constantly. Once a rolling boil has been reached, pour in the pectin.Return to a full boil and stir constantly for 1 full minute. Remove from heat.

Immediately ladle the jelly into your jars leaving about 1/4″ head space.Wipe rims off and screw on bands.

4 to 8 oz jars need to be processed for 10 minutes. 1 pint jars for 15minutes. ADJUST FOR ELEVATION!

I live in Northern Nevada at 4400+ feet soI need to add an extra 10 minutes to the bath process.
Remove from canner and place on paper or cloth towel.

Wait about 15-30 minutes and then carefully twist or tilt jars to distributethe pepper pieces throughout the jelly while cooling.

Rustic Pot Pie

2011-11-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

I love pie! They aren't always easy but this one is. The fun part about this is that you can make them personal size and customize the filling for each member of your family if needed. The instant potatoes keep the filling from being runny. You could also make a bunch of these and freeze them before you bake them for a fast and simple dinner.

Make or buy a pie crust.

1 jar gravy
Chicken, beef or pork
Vegetables - I usually use frozen mixed vegetables but I had a leftover baked potato and carrots
Instant Potatoes

Preheat oven to 450. Pour jar of gravy in a pan and add enough instant potatoes to thicken but no too much that you end up with mashed potatoes. Stir in meat and vegetables. Heat.

While the gravy mixture is heating roll out you pie crust and place on cookie sheet. Place the gravy mixture in the middle of the pie crust leaving 1 - 2 inches of space around the edge. Fold the edges up, pleating if necessary. Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until the crust is brown.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies

2011-10-21T19:35:00.000-06:00

I have a lot of zucchini and I was trying to figure out what I could do with besides make zucchini bread or bake them like Jamie's Onion Rings. I did a Google search and came across this recipe on When Harry Met Salad. Step 2 had you drain your zucchini and I couldn't believe the moisture that came off, I got a 1/2 cup from 1 cup of zucchini. I do have to admit that I did not press the zucchini between paper towels, I just took a spoon and pushed the zucchini against my strainer.

½ lb. zucchini
¾ c. lightly packed dark brown sugar
2½ c. old fashioned oats
2/3 c. + 2 T. sugar
1¼ c. flour
¾ t. salt
½ t. baking soda
¼ t. nutmeg
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 egg
2 t. vanilla extract
2 c. chocolate chips
2 c. chopped pecans (or walnuts)

1) Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly butter two cookie sheets.

2) Grate the zucchini using a food processor or box grater to yield 1 c. grated zucchini. Toss the zucchini with 2 T. of sugar, transfer to the mixture to a fine-mesh strainer and set it over a bowl to drain for at least 30 minutes. This draws moisture out of the zucchini and prevents the cookies from becoming cakey and slimy, so don’t skip this step.

3) Meanwhile, place the brown sugar, 2/3 c. sugar and ½ c. oatmeal in the bowl of a food processor and process for 2 -3 minutes until the oatmeal is finely ground. (you could also do this in a blender)

4) In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients and set aside.

5) In the bowl of your food processor (or of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), process or mix the butter until it’s light and fluffy. Add the oatmeal-sugar mixture in three stages, mixing well after each addition. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three stages, mixing just until blended. If you’ve done all this in the food processor, transfer the batter to a large bowl and stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, otherwise just stir the chips and nuts into your mixing bowl.

6) After the zucchini has drained, squeeze it between several layers of paper towels or cheesecloth or a dishtowel to absorb excess moisture. You want to remove as much moisture as possible, so you’ll have to work at it a bit. Fold the shredded zucchini into the cookie batter.

7) Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about an inch or two apart. They’re not going to spread much so they don’t need a whole lot of room. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the sheets for 2-3 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2011-10-09T07:47:00.002-06:00

I was given the cookbook Chocolate Never Faileth which included this recipe. It hides the zucchini really well so you can fool your kids and tastes good too! If you look at the picture closely you will notice that it looks really dry around the edges. The recipe says to bake about an hour, I would recommend checking at 45 minutes.

1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups zucchini, grated and drained (see note)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup cocoa
3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Coat two 8-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and mix well. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and zucchini. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips in the order listed; mix well. Add chocolate chips and stir. Divide the batter between the two loaf pans. Bake for about an hour. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.

Note: if possible, grate the zucchini ahead of time and let it sit for a while so the moisture settles and drains it off.

Cupcakes For Two

2011-10-04T20:19:00.002-06:00

I have been waiting for my mom to post this on the blog because she emailed it to me a while ago and I have to keep going to my email to get the recipe :)

This is a recipe for just 2 cupcakes! I recently bought a Cake Pop maker, and the two cupcakes makes one batch (12 cake pops). It's so handy! I tried to use a cake mix out of a box and it kept making cake pops, and cake pops, and more cake pops! Way too many!

Anyway, there is a vanilla and a chocolate recipe. (I have only tried the vanilla)...here are the yummy recipes:

Well Jamie, I finally did it! I have been waiting to try the recipes myself. I made 4 cupcakes, 2 white and 2 chocolate. I made a few changes to the chocolate recipe but I sure that the original recipe works fine. I used the egg yoke in the chocolate cake, used butter like the vanilla recipe instead of oil and used chocolate milk because I had it in the house. Luckily I didn't need very much chocolate milk since it is Christopher's favorite.

One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes for Two

1 egg white

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup flour

1/4 heaping teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 2 liners. Bake for 10-12 minutes. (May take more like 15 minutes)

Chocolate Cupcakes for Two

1 egg white

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1/4 heaping teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons of chocolate chips, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with 2 liners. Melt chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until melted. Set aside. In a bowl, add egg white and sugar and whisk until combined. Add in extract and oil and stir until mixed. Add in melted chocolate. Scrap into bowl with spatula since the amount isn't much. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in milk. Divide batter equally into liners. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20, or until cake is set.

Frosting for Two Cupcakes
2 tablespoons butter
Splash of vanilla
Splash of milk
Powdered sugar

Cream butter, vanilla and milk. Add enough powdered sugar to make the frosting the consistence that you want. Frost

Plum Crumble

2011-09-27T14:42:00.000-06:00

We picked up our Bountiful Basket on Saturday and we had 12 plums, some very ripe. I needed a way to use them quickly. I found this recipe on Tartelette and have scaled it down so that you could make one or how ever many you might need. 319 calories per serving

For the plums:
1 plum
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the crumble topping:
1/4 cup flour
dash cinnamon
dash nutmeg
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter

Prepare the crumble topping:

In a bowl, stir together the flour and cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and pinch of salt. Add the butter and sugar and start mixing everything together with your fingertips. You want to form a few large clusters of dough. It will be easier to grate once cold. Freeze the mixture while you prepare the fruit.

Preheat the oven at 350F and position a rack in the middle.

Prepare the plum:

In a bowl, combine the plum and the rest of the ingredients. Toss well. Spoon into a ramekin and place on a baking sheet as the fruit is most likely to release its juices, causing a spill. When ready to bake, grate the crumble over the ramekins (use a box grates) and bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve with whip cream or ice cream.

Oven Baked Onion Rings

2011-09-25T17:31:00.000-06:00

If you don't have a Pinterest account yet I highly recommend it! I love getting recipes from there, like this one:
4 cups Ritz crackers
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk you can do a sub of 1 T Lemon Juice and 1 C Milk)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 to 2 large Vidalia onions, peeled

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet slightly with oil and set aside.

Place Ritz crackers into a food processor and process into crumbs, or place in a sealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Transfer to a shallow bowl, add cayenne, and set aside. In another bowl, combine buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of flour, salt and pepper and set aside. Slice onions into 1/2-inch circles and separate into rings.

Place the remaining flour in a sealable plastic bag, then add onions, and shake to coat. Dip onions 1 at a time into the buttermilk mixture, then into cracker crumbs and place on baking sheet.

Spray cooking spray evenly over rings and bake for 20 minutes, or until coating is crisp. Season with salt and serve immediately.

Apple Oat Muffins

2011-08-22T19:49:00.005-06:00

Found this recipe on the Internet. It is a tasty little morsel that is very filling. The original recipe was for 12 muffins, I cut it to 6. It said to shred the apple and I left it in chunks. I also substituted almonds for walnuts. 202 calories per muffin

1 cup oats
1/2 cup & 2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 & 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup buttermilk - used less so I could use the whole egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup apple - I used Gala
1/4 cup almonds, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake papers. In large bowl combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in apple chunks and nuts.

In medium bowl beat buttermilk, oil and egg until well blended. Stir liquid into dry ingredients until moistened, batter will be very thick and lumpy.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin-pan cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins begin to brown and toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. Immediately remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or cool on wire rack to serve later.

Ice Cream Cake

2011-08-15T08:17:00.003-06:00

This is a super simple dessert. Taking off the wrappers of the ice cream sandwiches is what takes the longest. The best part about this is that you can use as many or as few sandwiches as you would like. I used 36 sandwiches, 1 large cool whip and 1 small cool whip to serve 22 people. You can change this up by using different flavors of ice cream sandwiches and using crumbled Oreos, chocolate chips or any other favorite toppings.

20 ice cream sandwiches
1 large tub cool whip
hot fudge sauce
caramel sauce
2 Heath or Skor bars, chopped up

Place 10 ice cream sandwiches side by side on a cookie sheet, platter or in a 9x13 pan. Frost with 1/2 the tub of cool whip. Repeat last layer. Drizzle hot fudge and caramel over the top and sprinkle with candy bars. Freeze at least 1 hour. Serve with hot fudge and caramel.

Cornbread Croutons

2011-08-10T19:00:00.003-06:00

Jamie commented the other day about the cornbread croutons on her salad so when I knew that she would be home for dinner I thought I would try and make some for her. I halved the recipe but I won't do that again just because they are so tasty you don't need a salad to enjoy them.

Mix up Donna's Delicious Cornbread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on large cookie sheet and spray with Pam. Pour into prepared cookie sheet and bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes then run knife around edge and turn cornbread out of the pan and remove parchment paper. Turn the heat up on the oven to 425. While oven is heating up cube cornbread. Spread cubes on cookie sheet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

Spread browned cubes on cooling rack and cover with towel. Let air dry overnight or until crunchy.

Lemonade Cupcakes

2011-08-07T14:17:00.006-06:00

If you like lemon then you will like these, they almost make you pucker. Some other options that I have been thinking about are use either raspberry lemonade or strawberry lemonade and make raspberry or strawberry cream cheese frosting. I ended up with leftover lemonade and I should have used it in the frosting. I think that will be a for sure thing next time. This would also work well as a cake.

Lemon cake mix
Instant lemon pudding
1 can (6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
Zest from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lemon
4 drops yellow food coloring
Powdered sugar

Make cake according to the directions on the box but add lemon pudding. Bake according to the directions on the box as well.

Mix lemonade concentrate and powdered sugar. Pierce top of warm cupcakes every with long-tined fork or skewer, wiping fork occasionally to reduce sticking. Drizzle lemonade mixture evenly over top of each cupcake. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.

Cream butter, cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice and food coloring together. Add enough powdered sugar to create the frosting consistence that you want. Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Tortellini Salad

2011-08-06T16:16:00.002-06:00

Another tasty potluck recipe.

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 shallot, minced
1 lb. asparagus
2 - 9 oz. packages fresh tortellini
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 oz. Parmesan cheese

Whisk the olive oil, basil, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Cook asparagus, boil 3 minutes, don't discard water. Transfer asparagus and cut and mix with vinaigrette.

Cook tortellini according to package in asparagus water. Drain and mix with asparagus and vinaigrette. Chill 30 minutes.

Toast the pine nuts in small skillet over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Slice tomatoes into halves.

Just before serving stir the nuts, tomatoes and Parmesan into salad.

Cookie Bars

2011-08-06T16:12:00.002-06:00

These were so good and I don't like coconut but it didn't bother me in this recipe.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Melt butter in microwave then pour into a 9x9 pan. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over butter. Evenly pour condensed milk over the crumbs. Sprinkle on the coconut, chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 350. Let pan completely cool before removing bars.

Ranch Potatoes

2011-08-06T16:09:00.002-06:00

This was another delicious recipe from the potluck.

1 pkg Ranch dressing seasoning
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
3 lbs. Red potatoes
Seasoned salt
Oil

Wash and cut potatoes into quarters. Dip potatoes in oil then put them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the mixture of ranch dressing, bread crumbs and a dash of seasoned salt on the potatoes. Bake until soft at 350 for about 40 minutes.

Chicken Wonton Cups

2011-08-06T15:58:00.003-06:00

When Mom and I were visiting Jamie, Beau and Christopher in Oklahoma the wives had a potluck because they all felt like they were in a rut with what they fixed. This was my favorite that wasn't a dessert of course.

24 Wonton skins
12 oz Chicken, cut into bite size pieces
Fajita dry packet
Onion, diced
Red bell pepper, diced
Ranch dressing
Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray and place one wonton skin in each tin. Bake until slightly crisp, about 3 minutes. While wonton skins are baking, cook chicken with fajita packet.

Fill each cup with 4 - 5 pieces of chicken, onion, red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon ranch and cheese. Cook until cheese is melted, about 4 - 5 minutes.

Breakfast Quiche

2011-07-26T19:27:00.003-06:00

We had a Relief Society breakfast the other day. We meet in Bobbette's backyard and got a chance to just visit. It started at 7:30 and went until 10 so that everyone could come when it was convenient. This breakfast quiche was served and I found it tasty and it works great when you need to feed a crowd but works great if you don't as well.

16 ounce frozen cubed hash browns
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1 cup diced ham
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
Crumbled bacon

Put potatoes in 9 inch pie plate. Pour melted butter over potatoes. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Alternate ham and cheese on potatoes. Beat eggs and milk and seasoning salt together. Pour over ham and cheese. Optional, cooked bacon can be crumbled on top. Bake 30 minutes.

Can make day before. As soon as cool enough, refrigerate. Heat when ready to use the next day.

Lindsey's Best Pasta Salad

2011-05-14T10:57:00.002-06:00

I love this salad that Lindsey makes, she is always required to make this salad when our friends get together because it is so good!

12 oz Bowtie Pasta
12 oz Raditore Colored Pasta
1-20 oz can Pineapple Tidbits, drained
2 cups Celery, chopped
4 Green Onions, chopped
1 cup Cashews
1 cup Red Grapes
1 cup Mayo
1-16 oz Kraft Coleslaw Dressing
4 Chicken Breasts, cooked and seasoned

A recommendation: I would cook the pastas separate, I did mine together and one got done before the other so one was too soft.

When I make my salad I leave out the celery and onions, I don't like the crunchy, and I used 'chewna' (canned chicken).

Blackened Beans & Grits

2011-04-30T07:25:00.002-06:00

Jacques from South Africa first introduced me to Grits and of course I would love them. I love cornbread so why not? I do add corn when I make them. When I saw this recipe on Cooking During Stolen Moments I thought it would be a simple side dish for dinner. I didn't have all of the ingredients that she used so this is my version.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
Paprika
Oregano
Cayenne pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Black pepper
Coarse salt

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until tender. Stir in beans and tomatoes. Add seasoning to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer at least 15 minutes.

3 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cup corn meal
Corn - optional

Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Mix corn meal with remaining water in a small bowl. Add corn meal mixture slowly to boiling water, stirring constantly. Add corn now if desired. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until thickened.

Cheeseburger Bake

2011-04-24T14:56:00.003-06:00

Unsure where I picked this recipe up but I used to make it quite often when the kids were little. If you don't like your biscuits soft on the bottom cook them on a cookie sheet and serve along side the meat mixture.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup chopped onion
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheese

Combine ground beef and flour. Brown with onion in skillet. Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper; heat. Turn into 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Top with cheese and baking powder biscuits. Bake at 425 for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Sloppy Joe Biscuit Pizza

2011-04-24T14:44:00.002-06:00

Found this recipe on Cooking During Stolen Moments. It is very simple and tasty. A single recipe fits nicely on my half cookie sheet. When I doubled the recipe and cooked it on my large cookie sheet I learned that I needed to allow for more cooking time because the middle was still a little doughy. Omitted the 1/2 teaspoon cumin, didn't have it and I don't know that it needed it.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup milk - I found this to be a little dry and add just a bit more
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef with onions in a large skillet. Drain. Stir in ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and seasonings. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until flavors are combined. Remove from heat. Refrigerate until using.

In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and slat. Cut in butter or margarine until crumbly. Add 1/2 cup milk and combine. Add remaining milk if needed. Knead dough for 1 minute, until it holds together. Press onto the bottom of a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8 minutes, just to prebake. Refrigerate until using or assemble as below and then refrigerate, baking just before eating.

+about 15 minutes baking time. Spread the sloppy joe mixture over the biscuit crust and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until crust is golden brown around the edges and the cheese is fully melted.

Double Fudge Brownie Quart Jar Gift

2011-04-24T14:35:00.002-06:00

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder (clean inside of jar with paper towel after this layer)
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Optional - chopped nuts

Layer the ingredients in the order given. Place lid on jar

The card attached reads -
1 jar Double Fudge Brownie mix
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 325. In a large bowl, cream the butter and eggs. Add the Double Fudge Browning mix and stir until the mixture is well blended. Spread batter into a lightly greased or sprayed 9 x 12 inch pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan.

Oatmeal Cookie Quart Jar Gift

2011-04-24T14:26:00.002-06:00

1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups quick rolled oats

Layer the ingredients in the order given. Place lid on jar.

The card attached reads -
1 jar Oatmeal Cookie mix
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large bowl, cream the butter, eggs, vanilla and water. Add the Oatmeal Cookie mix and stir until the mixture is well blended. Drop the cookies by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Cookie Dough Quart Jar Gift

2011-04-24T14:21:00.003-06:00

Change the M&M colors to suit the holiday.

2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup red and green M&Ms
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Mix flour, salt and baking soda. Pour mixture in jar and tap lightly to evenly distribute. Layer the brown sugar, sugar and the M&Ms, tapping after each addition. Place lid on jar.

The card attached reads -
Cream 1 cup butter, 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Add ingredients from jar and mix well. Drop cookie dough by the teaspoon onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Hot Chocolate Quart Jar Gift

2011-04-24T14:15:00.003-06:00

3 cups hot chocolate mix
2 cups mini marshmallows

Pour in a layer of 1 1/2 cups hot chocolate mix in the jar, then 1 cup marshmallows. Repeat to layer the remaining ingredients. Place lid on jar.

The card attached reads -
Place 1/4 cup hot chocolate mix in your mug, then slowly add 1 cup hot water. Stir and enjoy!

Caramel Corn

2011-04-24T14:08:00.003-06:00

Not exactly sure who belongs to this recipe but I found it with my Girl's Weekend papers.

1 pound brown sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1 square margarine
1 15 oz. sweetened condensed milk
3 1/2 to 4 poppers full of popcorn

Combine margarine, sugar and syrup. Bring to boil. Add milk. Simmer, stir constantly until it forms a soft ball.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

2011-04-24T14:05:00.003-06:00

Lisa shared this recipe and I love it because it is so simple. I have used a chocolate cake mix and Christopher never knew that these cookies were semi-good for him.

Spice cake mix
1/2 can pumpkin
Optional - raisins or chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Easy Lower Fat Cake

2011-04-24T14:00:00.002-06:00

This is a recipe from Lisa.

Take one cake mix and add a diet drink. Bake as instructed on the box, i.e. chocolate cake with a Diet Cherry Coke, cherry chip cake with Diet Sprite.

Oreo Cookies

2011-04-24T13:52:00.002-06:00

These are the best cookies and they never last long when Becky shares them with us.

2 Chocolate or Devil's Food cake mixes
1 cup shortening
4 eggs

Mix together with mixer. This will be very thick. Roll into small balls. Put onto cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350. When you take them from oven, bounce pan on cabinet or stove to flatten. Cool completely.

Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup soft margarine
4 cups powdered sugar

Mix and refrigerate. Frost when cool. Put 2 cookies together. Freeze or refrigerate.

Fruit Smoothie

2011-04-24T13:49:00.002-06:00

Remember sitting in the hot tub with the light snow following and enjoying Becky's smoothies at our cabin in the woods, Girl's Weekend 2003. It was so awesome!

12 oz. Sprite
10 ice cubes
8 oz. fruit of choice
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar

Mix in blender.

Apple Crisp

2011-04-24T13:46:00.001-06:00

Another recipe from Becky from Girl's Weekend 2003.

4 cups sliced pared apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup melted margarine

Place apples in greased 8x8x2" pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and oats. Add melted margarine. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375 for 25 - 30 minutes or until apples are tender and top is golden brown.

Chicken or Turkey Haystacks

2011-04-24T13:39:00.002-06:00

This is a recipe that Becky introduced to me when we had Girl's Weekend at the cabin in Heber in 2003.

Mix a 16 oz. can or chicken or turkey with a can of cream of chicken soup, warm. Serve with your choice of the following:

Hot rice

Diced celery

Chinese noodles

Chopped tomatoes

Grated cheese

Crushed pineapple

Almonds

Shredded coconut

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-03-24T12:12:00.002-06:00

I have been experimenting with cupcakes this month and I think that they have turned out pretty well. My favorite would have to be the chocolate ones I made at Mom's. Steve wasn't fond of the frosting that I used, he prefers buttercream.

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 cup Sour Cream
4 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

To keep the chocolate chips from sitting on the bottom stir some dry cake mix into the a bowl with the chocolate chips. After you have mixed your cake according to the directions on the box fold in the chocolate chips. Bake at 375 for 15 to 18 minutes.

Chocolate Whip Cream Frosting

1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
12 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar or more to taste

Melt chocolate chips into whipping cream. Chill in the refrigerator. Whip to soft peaks.

Enchilada-Zagna

2011-01-27T09:16:00.003-07:00

This recipe I found in the Sunday paper among the coupons. I thought that this recipe lacked flavor so next time I will add Frank's Hot Sauce or use medium enchilada sauce and serve with salsa.

3 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed
28 oz. mild enchilada sauce
8 oz. sour cream
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can diced green chilies, undrained
12 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 13x9-inch baking dish.

Combine enchilada sauce and sour cream in medium bowl. Combine evaporated milk, cheese and chilies in medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until cheese has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture on bottom of prepared baking dish. Layer with 4 tortillas, 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture, 1 1/2 cups chicken, 1 cup cheese sauce; repeat layers one more time, starting with tortillas. Top with remaining tortillas, enchilada sauce mixture and cheese sauce. Cover with foil.

Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; cook for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Sour Cream Substitute

2011-01-27T08:23:00.003-07:00

For baking -

7/8 cup buttermilk or sour milk plus 3 tablespoons butter
1 cup yogurt plus 1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sour milk plus 1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk plus 1/3 cup butter

For cooked sauces -

1 cup yogurt plus 1 tablespoon flour plus 2 teaspoons water
1 cup evaporated milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken.

For dips -

1 cup yogurt - drain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve for 30 minutes in the refrigerator for a thicker texture.
1 cup cottage cheese plus 1/4 cup yogurt or buttermilk, briefly whirled in a blender.
6 ounces cream cheese plus 3 tablespoons milk, briefly whirled in a blender

For lower fat -

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus 2 tablespoons skim milk, whipped until smooth in a blender
1 can chilled evaporated milk whipped with 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Found this information at about.com

Pico de Gallo

2011-01-26T21:08:00.004-07:00

Beau and I LOVE this pico! I have made 3 batches this month! I forgot to take a picture before we ate it all but you get it :)

8 Roma Tomatoes (I used 6 because I'm not a fan of too much tomatoes)
1/2 White Onion
1 Jalepano (We use 2, we like it spicy)
1/2 Lime, Juice
Pinch of Sugar
Cilantro, Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper....to taste (we use quite a bit of season salt)

Cranberry Sauce

2010-11-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

I like craisins and cranberry juice so why not cranberry sauce. I kept seeing recipes for homemade sauce so I gave it a whirl. I didn't have the exact ingredients, like an orange, can you believe that they didn't have an orange at the store they had tangerines but no oranges, so I did my own thing.

3/4 cup water

1/4 orange juice

2/3 cup sugar, plus more to taste

12-16 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries

Combine the water, orange zest and juice, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the cranberries and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer uncovered, about 15 minutes, until the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Store in the refrigerator and let come to room temperature before serving.

Sweetened Condensed Milk Substitute

2010-11-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter

Coconut Cream Pie

2010-11-25T07:38:00.004-07:00

Thanksgiving is the only time I make this because Steve is the only one in my immediate family that will eat it. It is one of his favorites, it ranks right up there with banana cream.

1 (9-inch) baked pastry shell
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 2/3 cups water
1 (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (7 oz.) sweetened, shredded coconut
Whipping cream or Cool Whip

In heavy medium sauce pan, dissolve cornstarch in water; stir in sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; add margarine and vanilla. Cool slightly. Stir in coconut. Pour filling into pie shell. Chill 4 hours or until set. Serve with whipping cream.

Buttermilk Substitute

2010-11-24T17:11:00.002-07:00

1 tablespoon white vinegar
Milk enough to equal 1 cup

Let sit for 5 minutes.

Baking Bacon

2010-11-24T15:36:00.001-07:00

I had heard about baking bacon but never tried it. Baking bacon is an easy, mess-proof way to prepare this pork product. You don't have to turn it or deal with spatters.

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet or baking pan with sides with heavy-duty foil. Arrange the bacon on the pan, side-by side, being sure not to overlap the pieces. In fact, leave a little space between the bacon slices so they have room to brown and crisp.
Don wrote me and said that to give the bacon that pretty 'ridged' look he wads and unfolds the foil first so it is wavy, then puts the bacon on it. That gives the fat somewhere to go so the bacon isn't sitting in the fat as it cooks and shapes the bacon while baking.

Bake the bacon for 10-17 minutes for thin-cut, or until desired doneness. I myself like my bacon very crisp, so I bake it 16-18 minutes. For thick bacon, add another 4-6 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven, drain on paper towels, and use.

Emeril's Chocolate Cream Pie

2010-11-24T07:13:00.004-07:00

I was told that Robert and Jen would eat a chocolate cream pie so I went searching the internet. When I found this recipe by Emeril I knew that it had to be good. I cheated and used a pre-made chocolate crust, it was half the price of Oreos, but it was really tasty. Very rich!

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream, plus 1 3/4 cups
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
4 egg yolks
4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1 (9-inch) Chocolate Cookie Crust, baked, recipe follows.

In a small saucepan combine sugar, 3/4 cup heavy cream, buttermilk, cornstarch and pinch of salt, and whisk until smooth. Place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, whisking from time to time for the sugar and cornstarch to dissolve and the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking at a low boil for an additional 5 minutes, whisking constantly.

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly. Pour 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and whisk thoroughly. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan and whisk over the heat until thoroughly combined and very thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl, and whisk in the chocolate, butter and vanilla. Continue whisking until thoroughly combined (mixture will be very thick). Cover the mixture with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface and refrigerate until cooled to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Place 1 3/4 cups heavy cream in a chilled mixing bowl and add the confectioners' sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the cool chocolate pudding mixture, then spoon the chocolate mixture into the prepared pie crust and refrigerate until firm and cool, at least 4 hours. Refrigerate the remaining whipped cream until you are ready to serve the pie.

When ready to serve, top the pie with the remaining sweetened whipped cream and serve immediately.

Graham crackers to yield 2 cups crumbs
Chocolate sandwich cookies (white centers removed) to yield 1 1/2 cups crumbs (recommended: Oreo)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, process the graham crackers and chocolate cookies to make crumbs.

In a bowl mix together the cookie crumbs, sugar and butter with your hands. Press the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan. (It will seem like an excessive amount of crumbs, but will compress down quite a bit with pressure.) Cover the crust with plastic wrap and top with another 9-inch pan, pressing quite firmly to make a smooth surface. Remove the pan and the plastic wrap from the pressed crust prior to placing it into the preheated oven. Bake the crust for 15 minutes.

Remove the crust from the oven and let cool completely before filling.
Yield: 1 (9-inch) crust

Chicken Fettuccine Casserole

2010-11-19T12:25:00.006-07:00

I get emails from Pillsbury all the time with meal ideas. Beau and I tried this one and really liked it!

1 Package (9 oz) fettuccine
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 3/4 C chicken broth
1/2 C half-and-half
1 1/2 C cubed cooked chicken
1/2 C sun-dried tomatoes
2 Slices bacon, crisp cooked and crumbled (I used bacon bits)
3 T shredded parmasan cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches, with cooking spray. Cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package.

While fettuccine is cooking, melt butter in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in half-and-half. Stir in chicken, tomatoes and bacon.

Add fettuccine to chicken mixture; toss gently to mix well. Spoon into baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until hot in center.

Feather Light Overnight Rolls

2010-11-18T16:02:00.003-07:00

This recipe is from a family cookbook that was given to me by Lorraine Thompson. I like this recipe because it is one that can be mixed up a day before and refrigerated or frozen after formed for later use. When I used this recipe before it didn't take 4 hours for the dough to rise, could be my house was too warm from all the cooking. Jamie and I made two batches today and we are going to freeze them so it will make life a little easier on Thanksgiving.

1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup cold water
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water
4 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 cups flour

Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add butter, sugar and salt. Remove from heat. Pour into a large Tupperware bowl that has a good lid. Add 1 cup cold water. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. When the butter mixture is lukewarm, add yeast mixture and eggs. Stir briefly. Add flour and stir together. put greased lid on bowl and refrigerate over night. When ready to toll out, divide in thirds. Flour surface of breadboard. Roll dough out in a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Spread dough lightly with butter. Cut dough down the middle. Cut each half into about 6 triangles using a pizza cutter. Roll each up beginning at the wide end to form crescent shape. Oil baking sheet. Put on 3 baking sheets, about 12 rolls per sheet. Let rise about 4 hours. Bake at 400 for 10 - 12 minutes.

Make ahead
Freeze after dough has been shaped into crescent rolls and placed on cookie sheets. Once frozen, put rolls in freezer bags. When ready to use, return them to cookie sheets, cover lightly with Pam-coated plastic wrap and let rise 6 hours or until light. Bake.

Lasagne

2010-10-22T10:37:00.003-06:00

This recipe came to me from one of my Young Women's leaders. Steve loves this recipe and it freezes nicely.

1 lb hamburger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon whole basil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large can tomatoes
2 6 oz. cans tomato paste
lasagna noodles
2 eggs
3 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 lb mozzarella cheese

Brown meat slowly; spoon off excess fat. Add next five ingredients. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook noodles in large amount of boiling salter water until tender; drain; rinse. Beat eggs; add remaining ingredients except mozzarella.

Layer half the noodles in 13x9x2 inch baking dish; spread with half the cottage cheese filling; add half the mozzarella cheese and half the meat sauce. Repeat. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. If assembled early and refrigerated bake 45 minutes. If assembled early and frozen bake 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Eclair Cake

2010-10-14T07:38:00.003-06:00

As I was looking for recipes that I thought might work well for our family reunion I remembered that Becky had given us this recipe. As I was rummaging through my recipe cards I found a piece of paper with the same recipe and remembered making it along time ago. One way I found to speed up the process was to buy a container of Milk Chocolate Frosting and microwave it until it was melted and then spread on top. I thought it was just as good but maybe the ease made it tasty to me.

Graham Crackers
3 cups Milk
1 9 oz. Cool Whip
2 small pkg. Instant Vanilla Pudding

Butter bottom of an 8" x 12" dripper. Put 1 layer of graham crackers. Cover with 1/2 of pudding mixture. Repeat with crackers and pudding. Cover with another layer of graham crackers. Beat ingredients of frosting together and spread over last layer of crackers. This is better after it is refrigerated for 4 to 6 hours.

Frosting
1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 squares Unsweetened Chocolate
3 tablespoons Milk
2 teaspoons Corn Syrup
2 teaspoons Butter or Margarine

Dreamsicle Fruit Salad

2010-08-14T15:12:00.003-06:00

I found this recipe and made it as a last minute take-a-long to a ward activity. I didn't even chill it. They were having a best side dish contest, and I won! I thought I would share it :)

1 (1oz) package sugar free-fat free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
3/4 cup fat free sour cream
1 (20oz) can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 (15oz) can sliced peaches, drained
1 (11oz) can mandarin orange segments, drained
2 bananas, sliced
1 apple - peeled, cored and sliced

In a medium mixing bowl, combine pudding mix, milk, and orange juice. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Mix in sour cream. In a large salad bowl, combine fruits. Gently mix in orange dressing. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

One thing that I did add: I took Nature Valley Oats & Honey Granola Bars and crumbled them on top!

Lemon Dreams

2010-06-12T16:54:00.001-06:00

My Mother-in-law loves lemon (Lemon Chicken, Lemon Meringue Pie, etc.) and when I ran across this lemon recipe on Your Homebased Mom I thought I would make them for her. I found them to be very sweet and the lemon should be tangy so I have altered the recipe to match my taste buds.

1 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 2/3 cup flour

Filling:

2/3 cup sugar - I used ultrafine because I had it

1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon margarine

1/4 – 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cream butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add flour and mix until smooth. Roll out with powdered sugar about 1/4” thick. Cut out with 1 ½” cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

For filling:

Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon peel and salt. Stir in egg, lemon juice and butter. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Cool. Add powdered sugar. Put a spoonful of filling on one cookie and top with another cookie. Dust with powdered sugar. Makes approx. 1 ½ dozen.

Lemons

2010-06-12T15:56:00.004-06:00

Lemon Basics:
After salt and pepper, lemon may be the most commonly used flavoring ingredient in the culinary arts.Used in everything from baking to sauce making to meat and vegetable cookery, lemons bring their own tangy flavor and bright aroma, while actually enhancing a dish's other flavors. Lemon is said to be a "flavor catalyst," meaning that it interacts with the taste buds so that the flavors that follow are more pronounced.

Lemon Varieties:
The most common lemon variety is the Eureka lemon. Its slightly smaller, smoother cousin, called the Lisbon, is more likely to be available in the winter. Flavorwise, there's not much difference between the two.Another variety, called the Meyer lemon, is quite small and significantly sweeter than the ordinary lemon varieties. In addition to being smaller, the Meyer lemon is also more fragile, making it unsuitable for large-scale commercial distribution. They tend to be found at farmers' markets — and in people's yards.

Storing Lemons:
Lemons will keep for several days at room temperature, and interestingly, a room temperature lemon will yield more juice than one that is cold. However, lemons left at room temperature for too long are susceptible to mold. The best way to store lemons is in the refrigerator, either in one of the crisper drawers or in a plastic bag.While the fruits themselves do not do well when frozen, the lemon peel can be removed and frozen, then used later in recipes that call for lemon zest.

Squeezing Lemons:
The average lemon contains three tablespoons of juice. To get the maximum amount of juice, roll a room-temperature lemon on the counter before cutting it open. Applying light pressure with your hand as you roll it. This bursts the tiny juice-filled cells in the lemon's flesh, allowing more of the juice to be extracted. Zest is the shiny, yellow outermost layer of the peel, which contains powerful flavor compounds. The white part of the peel just beneath the zest is quite bitter and shouldn't be used.

Cooking with Lemons:
Lemons are highly acidic, and this acid will react with different foods in different ways.For example, the acid will help dissolve connective tissues in meat, which is why lemon juice is commonly used in marinades — it helps tenderize tougher cuts of meat. But be careful not to overdo it: too much acid, or marinating for too long, can have the opposite effect, causing the muscle fibers to get tougher.The acid in lemon juice can also curdle milk, and while it can cause green vegetables to turn a drab olive color, it will help vegetables such as potatoes and turnips maintain their white color.

Information taken from All About Lemons by Danilo Alfaro

Photo from Sell Your Used Cellphones

Honey-Glazed Pork Chops

2010-06-11T10:44:00.003-06:00

This was a recipe attached to the meat package. I used a skillet that I could place in the oven so I bypassed the baking dish, one less pan to clean.

4 Pork Loin Chops, 3/4 - 1-inch thick
Salt
Pepper
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Honey
Nonstick Cooking Spray

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. Coat large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops. Cook until brown, turning once. Remove chops. Place in 9x13-inch baking dish. Combine brown sugar and honey in small bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds; stir to combine. Spoon half of honey mixture over tops of chops, spreading evenly. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Turn chops; spoon remaining honey mixture over shops, spreading evenly. Bake until internal temperature is 160 degrees F., 15 - 20 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas

2010-06-06T20:12:00.003-06:00

I found this Campbell's recipe in a magazine. Beau and I really like it! I altered it a little...

1 can Cream of Chicken
1/2 C Sour Cream
1 C Pace Picante Sauce
2 t Chili Powder
2 C Shredded Chicken, cooked
1/2 C Shredded Cheese
6 Tortillas

Cook the chicken and then shred it. Heat soup, sour cream, picante sauce, chili powder and chicken in sauce pan. Scoop some into tortilla and add cheese then roll and place in greased glass casserole dish. After all tortillas are rolled put remaining chicken mixture on top and bake @ 350 for 20 mins. Add cheese and bake for another 5 mintues.

Blueberry Scones

2010-06-06T19:55:00.006-06:00

My mom introduced Beau and I to blueberry scones w/frosting from Great Harvest...well I found a recipe that I actually like better than theirs! :)

Scones:

2 C Flour

1/4 C Brown Sugar

1 T Baking Power

1/4 t Salt

1/4 C Butter, chilled

1 C Fresh Blueberries

3/4 C Half and Half

1 Egg

Mix flour, sugar, powder, salt in a bowl.

Cut butter into mixture, fold in berries.

In separate bowl beat cream and egg.

Add to flour mixture and mix with spatula until dough forms.

Cut dough in half and for into two 6 inch rounds and cut into 6 wedges.

(I just scooped some out onto a cookie sheet about 3 inches round)

Bake @ 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.

(Mine were done after 15, but it could be the junky 50 year old oven I have)

Frosting:

8 oz C Strawberry Cream Cheese

1/4 C Butter, soft

1 C Powder Sugar

1/2 t Vanilla

Cream cheese and butter. Mix in vanilla and gradually add sugar.

Homemade Pizza

2010-06-05T14:54:00.008-06:00

This recipe is Tami's. She said you can use all white flour if you prefer. She also recommends using a pizza stone, it cooks the pizza more evenly.

Dough:
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoon yeast

Sauce:
2 - 3 tablespoon olive oil
2 large clove garlic
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
salt
pepper

Mix dough together, knead well and let rise 30 minutes. While dough is rising mix sauce ingredients together and refigerate until dough is ready.

Roll out dough, spread sauce and top with your favorite toppings. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes. Makes 1 large pizza.

Cowboy Caviar

2010-04-18T08:15:00.005-06:00

This is Tami's recipe. Any other veggies (olives, celery, etc.) that your family might like can be added.

1 cup whole corn, drained - frozen or canned
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 2 green onions, chopped
bell pepper, chopped
red onion, chopped
tomatoes, chopped
garlic
cumin
pepper
cilantro, chopped (optional)
Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing
fresh lime

Combine all ingredients, adding according to your family's taste, except the dressing. Add juice of lime and dressing to taste. Best served after ingredients have mingled for a couple hours. Serve cold with chips.

Mixed Berry Empanadas

2010-04-10T18:00:00.002-06:00

This was an experiment and I thought it worked quite nicely. Quick and easy and you could use any flavor canned pie filling your family likes. They taste great the next day as well.

16 oz. mixed berries - mine were frozen
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
8 - 10 flour tortillas
butter

Place berries and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. While berries are thawing, mix cornstarch into the cold water. After cornstarch is dissolved add to berries and cook until berry mixture has thickened. Remove from heat.

Butter the top of each tortilla, stacking them and placing them between two damp paper towels. Heat in the microwave until softened.

Scoop 1/4 cup berry mixture into the middle of a tortilla and fold like a burrito and place on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet with the seams down. Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with ice cream.

Water Punch

2010-04-10T17:59:00.000-06:00

This is the punch that we served at Jamie and Beau's wedding reception.

5 quarts water
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon citric acid
1 tablespoon lemon extract

Stir. Add sliced oranges, lemons, limes or any other citric fruit.

Whole Wheat Waffles

2010-03-20T16:46:00.001-06:00

I used applesauce (70 calories) instead of oil (960 calories) and that is a 890 calorie per recipe of savings. I made Belguim waffles and this recipe made 9 squares so this recipe is roughly 132calories per square as compared to 231.

1 3/4 cup wheat flour
1 tablespoon flaxseed, ground
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup applesauce or oil
2 eggs

Mix all dry ingredients together. Mix all wet ingredients together and stir into dry ingredients. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Pour into a preheated, lightly greased waffle iron and bake for approximately 5 minutes.

Lucky Leprechaun Cookie Bark

2010-03-16T14:53:00.000-06:00

This recipe is from Your Homebased Mom with my own alterations. I started out with her suggestion of buying a bag of multi-colored M&Ms and picking out the green and brown ones but I only ended up with 1/2 cup so I opted for the Andes baking chips. I was also thinking of using mint chips, like a chocolate chip but mint, but there were not any at the store and I wasn't in the mood to check every store in town.

1/2 package mint Oreos
1 1/2 cups stick pretzels, broken into pieces
1 pound chocolate almond bark
1/2 package Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips
green and white sprinkles

Cover a large cookie sheet with wax paper. Spread broken cookes, pretzels and 1/2 of the Andes baking chips onto the waxed paper. Place chocolate in a container and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir and then microwave for another 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Do not overcook.

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookie mixture, spreading with spatula if needed to coat evenly. Sprinkle remaining Andes chips and colored sprinkles over the chocolate while it is still wet. Do not let it harden. Place cookie tray into refrigerator until set and firm. Remove and gently break bark into small pieces. Store in air tight container.

Chocolate Decadence

2010-03-14T18:18:00.000-06:00

From Cooking Light This is their description of the recipe - Antioxidant-rich chocolate makes three appearances here―as cocoa powder, unsweetened chocolate, and semisweet morsels. If you don't have ramekins, use muffin pans. The best part about this dessert: utter indulgence for a perfectly reasonable 315 calories. (Before we lightened it, this recipe contained 546.)

The recipe says to invert the dessert and there was no way it was coming out so we ate them out of the ramekins sprinkled with powdered sugar. The comments around the dinner table were that it tasted great but would also be good with nuts and/or vanilla ice cream.

Cooking spray
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
8 teaspoons semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly coat 4 (2-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray, and sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon sugar into each of the ramekins, shaking and turning to coat. Set prepared ramekins aside.

Combine 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, milk, and cocoa in a small saucepan, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add the butter and 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool chocolate mixture 10 minutes.

Add flour, vanilla, salt, and egg white to chocolate mixture, stirring with a whisk just until blended. Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate mixture into each prepared ramekin, and top each with 2 teaspoons chocolate chips. Divide the remaining chocolate mixture evenly among ramekins, spreading to cover the chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until barely set. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto dessert plates. Serve warm.

Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti

2010-03-14T18:08:00.000-06:00

Adapted from Eat Better America. I placed the chicken in a ziploc bag with the milk and egg and allowed it to soak while we were at church. I also prepared the breading in another ziploc bag so that when we got home it would be easy to assemble. I found that the cereal was hard to crush so I put it into my Magic Bullet and it was done in no time.

1/2 cup Fiber One® original bran cereal
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 egg white
2 teaspoons fat-free milk
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch-thick strips
6 oz uncooked whole grain spaghetti
2 cups favorite pasta sauce
Chopped fresh parsley, if desired

Heat oven to 400°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. Place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag and finely crush with rolling pin or meat mallet (or finely crush in food processor).

In shallow bowl, mix cereal, cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic salt. In another shallow bowl, mix egg white and milk until blended. Dip chicken pieces in egg white mixture, then coat well with cereal mixture; place in pan.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp and chicken is no longer pink in center.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti as directed on package; drain. In 2-quart saucepan, heat pasta sauce over medium heat until hot.

Place drained spaghetti on serving platter; top with pasta sauce and chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

Granola Bars

2010-02-24T19:54:00.006-07:00

After much testing I think that we finally have a "Granola Bar". Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted from King Arthur Flour. Makes about 30 servings, 228 calories per serving.

3 1/3 cups oats
1/3 cup demerara cane sugar
2/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup flaxseed, ground
1/2 cup craisins
3 cups almonds, chopped*
2/3 cup almond butter
2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an cookie sheet with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan, or coat with a non-stick spray.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter or almond butter and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. (A piece of plastic wrap can help with this, as you press down on the back of it.)

If you want more control over portion size take a cookie cutter and scoop 1/3 cup of the granola into it. Press down the mixture until it is packed, remove the cookie cutter and repeat.

Bake the bars for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges — don’t be afraid to get a little color on the tops too. Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack.

Once cool, a serrated knife (or bench knife) to cut the bars into squares. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container. In humid weather, it’s best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.

*Suggestions: Dried cranberries, apricots, pecans, sunflower seeds, coconut, walnuts, sesame seeds, pepitas, dried pples or even chocolate chips. My mix: 1/2 cup wheat germ, 1 cup dried cherries, 1 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup pecans and 1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes.

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

2010-02-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

Jamie found this recipe and she adapted it to our diet. I found it very tasty and would definitely make it again whether I was on a diet or not. She prefers her soup to not be smooth so after pureeing the soup she adds two more cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes.

1 tablespoon I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cans (14.5 oz each) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves, cilantro leaves or Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1 teaspoon Splenda
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until onion is crisp-tender.

Stir in tomatoes, broth, 1 tablespoon of the basil, the sugar and pepper flakes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; pour mixture into large heatproof bowl; cool slightly, about 15 minutes.

In blender, place half of the mixture. Cover; blend until pureed. Return to saucepan. Repeat with remaining mixture. Heat over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon basil.

Ground Beef Spins

2010-02-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

A recipe that Mom used to make when we were kids.

1 pound hamburger
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup celery, diced
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup bullion
1 can Crescent rolls or biscuit dough

Cook onions and celery with seasoned meat until meat is brown. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour into 1/2 cup boullion* and then add to meat. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Roll biscuit dough to 1/4" thick in a rectangular shape. Spread with ground beef mixture and roll up lengthwise. Cut in 1" pieces. Bake at 450 for 15 to 20 minutes.Serve with gravy made in the pan the meat was cooked in.

*1 bullion cube to 1 cup boiling water

Eggwiches

2010-02-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

Mom and I have been cooking up a storm and then freezing it. I found this recipe on Once A Month Mom and we

12 English Muffins, toasted

1 Dozen Eggs, scrambled
12 Cheddar Cheese Slices
12 Deli Ham Slices
butter (optional, smear the toasted muffins)

Scramble eggs; while eggs are cooking, split and toast muffins (adding smear of butter if you wish). Once eggs are cooked, set up an assembly line of muffins, eggs, cheese and ham; assemble and wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze wrapped eggwiches in freezer bags or freezer boxes. To serve nuke for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Makes 12.

The beauty of the eggwich recipe above is that it is basic; you can spruce it up however you'd like with different cheeses, meats, veggies, and spices.

Razzleberry Pie

2010-02-12T10:16:00.002-07:00

This recipe came from Becky with a few alterations. Maybe when she received this recipe it was for fresh berries but I had frozen berries and needed to change things up a bit. You could use any berries that you have, I used raspberries, marionberries and boysenberries.

5 cups water
3 1/3 cup sugar
2 cups blackberries
7/8 cup water
2/3 cup cornstarch
3 cups boysenberries
3 cups blackberries
2 cups raspberries

Combine water and sugar; bring to boil. Add blackberries; bring back to boil. Combine cornstarch and water; add to berry mixture and cook until thick. Fold in boysenberries and raspberries (DO NOT COOK). Cool and pour into 9" unbaked pie crust. Bake at 375 for 1 hour. Makes 4 pies.

Make ahead
After putting into crust, do not cut vents and freeze overnight. Wrap in cellophane and foil.

To cook, cut slits for vents, cover with foil and bake at 450 for 15 minutes; reduce to 375 bake 15 minutes more. Uncover and continue baking for 55 to 60 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-02-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

This is Mom's recipe. For some reason her cookies always look better than mine, I usually just have a pool across the cookie sheet. I will have to give these a try at home.

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoon soda
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla
5 cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs. Mix water, soda, salt and vanilla together, then add to sugar and egg mixture. Add flour mixing thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-02-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite cookie recipes from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Thoroughly cream butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients; blend into creamed mixture. Shape in 1-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Crisscross with fork tines. Bake at 375 degrees fro 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly; remove from pan.

Strawberries and Candied Nut Salad

2010-02-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

Lettuce Greens - your favorite
Strawberries - quartered
Poppy Seed Dressing
1 1/2 cup Nuts - your choice, I used almonds but I have had walnuts before
1/2 cup sugar

Pour sugar into a medium saucepan with a thick bottom. Have nuts nearby, ready to quickly add to the pan at the right time. Cook sugar on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon as soon as the sugar begins to melt. Keep stirring until all the sugar has melted and the color is a medium amber. Add the nuts to the pan, quickly stirring and coating each piece with the sugar mixture.

When the nuts are coated with the sugar mixture, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use two forks to separate the nuts from each other, working very quickly. Let cool completely.

I served this salad with everything in separate bowls so they could make it to their liking but if you know everyone will love it mix everything together.

Dipped Oreo Cookies

2009-12-30T10:57:00.003-07:00

My family must have a thing for Oreos and mint. I have always loved Oreos and I remember my Grandma Birrell always had them in her cookie jar when we went to visit. I found the idea for this on How Does She and Jamie made them just like the post said. They were so delicious that I thought I would make some for my neighbors. I wanted to make them without the sticks so I tried a skewer to dip them and then I would pull the skewer out and cover the small hole with the white candy but it just took too long. I played around some more and this is my favorite look.

Oreo mint cookies, you could use any flavor
Candy melts - I used Wilton White Candy Melts
Sprinkles

Melt the candy. I used a hot chocolate mug so that it would be deeper to dip the cookies. Dip cookie and add sprinkles.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2009-12-22T18:17:00.004-07:00

I needed an excuse to make this recipe that I found on Your Homebased Mom and the BYU bowl game was the perfect fit. It was a hit but next time I am going to put it in the crockpot and stir the cheese in.

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 C of shredded or diced chicken
1 cup ranch dressing
3/4 cup red hot sauce (I used Frank’s Red Hot Wing sauce)
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
Frito corn chips Scoops or Tortilla Chips

Mix cream cheese, ranch dressing and red hot sauce together. Add in shredded chicken. Place mixture in a pie pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for another 10-15 minutes until nice and hot and bubbly.
Serve with Fritos or tortilla chips.

Reindeer Corn Cookie Bark

2009-12-14T12:17:00.005-07:00

This recipe is from Your Homebased Mom and I thought that it would make a great visiting teaching gift. I had trouble finding reindeer corn but after a long search I found it at a candy counter. I didn't find the holiday Oreos and I was thinking that the mint ones might be really good but I chickened out since this was my first try. I used almond bark it was cheaper and I used the whole 1 lb. 8 oz. I made two batches so I just split the Oreos evenly between the two so that I wouldn't eat a third of the package myself and that would have been no problem for me.

14 whole Oreos, broken up

1 1/2 C pretzels, broken into pieces - I used the small stick pretzels
1 lb. white chocolate, almond bark or melts found in the bulk food section
1 C reindeer corn - 1/2 pound if you have to buy from the candy counter
red and green colored sprinkles

Cover a large cookie sheet with wax paper. Spread broken cookies, pretzels and about 3/4 C of the candy corn onto the waxed paper. Place white chocolate in a container and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir and then microwave for another 30 seconds until melted and smooth. White chocolate melts faster and burns easier than chocolate.

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookie mixture, spreading with spatula if needed to coat evenly. Sprinkle remaining candy corn and colored sprinkles over the chocolate while it is still wet. Do not let it harden. Place cookie tray into refrigerator until set and firm. Remove and gently break bark into small pieces. Store in air tight container.

Nacho Casserole

2009-12-13T15:43:00.003-07:00

My friend Ruth Nelson gave me this recipe. I make it with refried beans on half otherwise Kaitlin won't eat it.

1 lb. Hamburger
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 can refried beans (optional)
4 c. shredded cheese (you can use 2 1/2 c. of cheese, but if you like a lot of cheese use 4 cups)
1/2 c. chopped onions (optional)
1 can sliced olives
1 large bag of corn tortilla chips (Doritos Nacho cheese chips are the best)
1 container sour cream
1 container guacamole dip

Preheat oven to 350. Cook hamburger and chopped onions. Drain grease. Add taco mix and refried beans. Put a layer of chips in a 13x9-baking dish. Then a layer of hamburger mix, a layer of cheese, then sprinkle olives over cheese. repeat layers two more times. Put in oven uncovered and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with guacamole dip and sour cream.

Bread Sticks

2009-12-13T15:33:00.003-07:00

1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2- 4 c. flour

Soften yeast in warm water. Mix sugar, salt, and 3 1/2 c. flour together. Add softened yeast. Blend well, adding enough remaining flour to form soft dough. Knead 3 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Place dough on greased cookie sheet and press to outer edges. Top with spread (below); cut down middle and across; let rise until double. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Yield: 40 bread sticks.

Bread stick spread- Combine:
1/4 c. margarine, softened
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4c. Parmesan cheese

Apricot Chicken

2009-12-13T15:29:00.002-07:00

Skinned chicken pieces
1 pt. apricot jam
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 pt. French dressing

Optional:
Green pepper
sliced carrot
chunk pineapple
Rice
Pasta

Mix together apricot jam. 1 package onion soup mix and 1 pint French dressing. Bring to a boil and pour over chicken already placed in baking dish. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 350. and Serve with rice or pasta.

Chow Mein

2009-12-13T15:22:00.003-07:00

2lb. pork steak
1 1/2 c. onion
1 1/2c. celery
1 Sm. can mushrooms
1 c. cold water
1 c. hot water
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 can Bean sprouts
1 Sm. can water chestnuts
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 Tbsp. cornstarch

Brown meat; add onions, celery, and mushrooms. Cook until onions turn yellow. Add salt, pepper, and hot water. Simmer for 20 minutes. Combine corn starch, cold water and soy sauce; add to meat mixture. Cook for 10 minutes. Just before serving add Bean sprouts and water chestnuts; heat until entire mixture is hot.