Better Than Drive Thru

Bread

2011-04-22T13:26:00.001-07:00

Recipe for Mom's Whole Hard White Winter Wheat Bread

5 c hot water
2 T lemon juice
1 c honey
2 1/2 T yeast
2 T dough enhancer (optional--makes the bread less dense)
1/4 c Canola Oil (olive is good too!)
1 T salt
14-15 c fresh whole hard white winter wheat** (red winter wheat works as well, we just like the white wheat better)

Grind wheat*. Combine all but flour in a mixer with dough hook*. Blend well. Add flour in three parts, mixing well after each addition. Mix until dough cleans itself off the sides of the bowl (adjust flour). Let mixer run 6-7 minutes (I always need more like 10-12). Let rise in covered bowl for 20-30 minutes, or about doubled- it will be a LOT of dough). Punch down and shape into 5 loaves. Last rise in loaf pans in a warm place. Bakes at 325 for 25-30 minutes. "cool" or wait as long as you can before you devour a hot loaf.

*Note: we (my 2 sisters and I) all use L'Equip's Nutrimill to grind the wheat and Bosch Mixers to handle the dough. My mom had her Bosch for her whole marriage and she used that thing well.
**Wheat: the best and by far cheapest place to get white winter wheat is through the LDS Church Bishop's Storehouse/Distribution services.

This makes 5 loaves, which is more than my family can eat at once. I bake 2 loaves and then I freeze the other 3 dough mounds after the first dough rise. I shape the dough into loaves and freeze for 3 hours on a cookie sheet, then transfer to a ziploc bag. I pull them out one at a time as we run out of bread. I stick the frozen dough mound in a greased pan in the morning and by dinner time it is thawed, it has risen, and is ready to go in the oven for a fresh hot loaf of bread that can go with dinner.

Making Ableskivers!

2011-02-21T09:15:00.001-08:00

Bright stayed the night with Ryan last night so we could go to the zoo today. They went to bed WAY (2:34am) late and I woke up kind of early so I decided to make some Ableskivers for breakfast. :-) I LOVE Ableskivers! When I was younger, my grandparents had a booth at the Scandinavian Festival. We worked at the to earn money during the summer. The booth next to us sold Ableskivers and every morning we would buy a TON for breakfast, so my grandma got their recipe and eventually we all got pans to make them. :-) If you are looking for an Ableskiver pan and you are a Salt Lake Valley local, Kitchen Kneads in West Jordan had some. If you aren't local, you can try to google it, I found some here, you are going to pay anywhere from $15 to $25 for a good pan. PLEASE don't buy the Pancake Puff Pan. It is NOT the same and the pan is crappy. So here we go!

First you need to mix up your recipe

2 c. flour

1tsp powder

2 eggs

1/8 c. sugar

3/4c canned evap milk

1 1/4 c. water

1/4 c. oil

This will yield 18-24 Ableskivers. You should probably estimate 3-4 Ableskivers per person depending on their hunger level. If you find a recipe that calls for buttermilk, I would advise against using it. The Ableskivers will NOT be hollow and will take much longer to cook all the way through.

While you are mixing up your batter, start heating your pan with about a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of oil in each Ableskiver form. Make sure you have seasoned your pan according to the instructions that came with your pan.

After pan and oil are heated, add the batter to each form. Fill it to just below the rim of the form.

As they cook, the batter will rise up a little. You can use a large quilting needle or an ice pick to turn them.

Turn them, bringing the cooked side up to allow for more batter to cook in the form.

Turn them one or two more times to create a ball. You will know if the inside is done if you stick the needle or ice pick in and batter comes off on it. Continue to turn them until they are cooked through and evenly browned all around.

I keep the finished Ableskivers in a pan in the oven on warm until they are all ready to serve.

Ableskivers are best with applesauce, or any flavor of jam. Some people eat them with syrup also.

Tear open the Ableskiver (see it's hollow inside!)

Fill with applesauce...

Or jam, strawberry is our favorite!

Dust...or in my case MOUND with powdered sugar!

Then enjoy a YUMMY and fun breakfast!!

Chicken Taco Cornbread w/ Creamy Cilantro Drizzle

2010-10-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

DRESSING
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup salsa verde
1 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves

FILLING
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies

CRUST
1 large egg
1 (7 oz.) package cornbread mix (i used marie callendars)
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup crushed corn tortilla chips

TOPPINGS
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 cups shredded romaine
1 cup chopped tomatoes

Preparation Directions

1. HEAT oven to 400°F. Combine ranch dressing, salsa and 1 cup cilantro leaves in a small food processor or blender. Process until well blended. Cover and refrigerate.

2. HEAT olive oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and jalapeno pepper; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Stir in chicken, 3 tablespoons cilantro, salt, cumin, pepper and tomatoes with green chilies; simmer 5 minutes. (i just cooked the chicken with the veges and spices, then shredded it up right in the pan. much easier! it took about 15-20 minutes for the chicken to be done)

3. BEAT egg in large bowl. Add cornbread mix and milk; mix well. Place tortilla chips in greased 8x8 pan. Pour cornbread mixture over chips. Spoon chicken mixture over cornbread mixture; sprinkle with cheeses.

4. BAKE 16 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares. Top with romaine and tomatoes; drizzle with dressing.

Serving size: 6 servings

( i doubled the recipe, used a 9x13 pan and baked for 30-35 minutes. it was wonderful!)

Spinach Ravioli Bake

2010-02-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 package (25 ounces) frozen sausage ravioli or ravioli of your choice
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Place 1 cup spaghetti sauce in a greased shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Top with half of the ravioli, mozzarella cheese, spinach and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 470 calories, 17 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 1,441 mg sodium, 54 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 27 g protein.

Creamy Tomato Basil And Italian Sausage Soup

2010-02-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

My sister made this for our family dinner a couple of weeks ago and we all LOVED it! She just laughed when she shared the recipe because get this ladies, this soup comes together so fast and easy. I had a pot of it together in less than 20 minutes!!! It tastes restaurant quality in every way. I served it with cheese bread and salad. Serves 4.

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. Italian sausage

10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 1/2 C. half and half

1 C. water

26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in lg. pot. Add sausage and brown. Add basil leaves, half and half, water and spaghetti sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer until ready to serve. Easy as that.

This recipe was found at Picky-Palate. One of my new favorite spots to find new recipes:0)

Papa's Antipasta Bread

2010-01-28T12:49:00.001-08:00

This is my dad's most wonderful recipe. I've made it twice and both times haven't mastered the art of releasing it from the bundt pan without it sticking. So heads up, grease WELL!

1 jar (6 ½ oz.) marinated Artichoke hearts

1/3 cup sliced deli hard salami, chopped

1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted (use butter & I end up using about 1/2 of a cup)

4 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)

2 packages (11.3 ounces each) refrigerated dinner rolls

Preheat oven to 375.

Place Artichokes on paper towel and pat dry.

Dice the artichokes, salami and red bell pepper (place in a 1-QT. bowl)

Add the sliced olives and pressed garlic.

Mix all the ingredients lightly and set aside.

Melt the butter.

Separate the dinner rolls and cut each into quarters using kitchen shears.

Dip 16 quartered dinner roll pieces in melted butter, then dip or roll in grated parmesan. (I do them one at a time)

Arrange evenly in a Stoneware Fluted pan (or bundt cake pan)

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of mixture.

Repeat this twice

Dip remaining 16 dough pieces in butter and parm and place over the last layer of mixture.

Sprinkle with any leftover Parmesan

Bake 27-30 minutes or until deep golden brown. (note: both times I've made this, the bread hasn't been fully cooked in the middle of the dish... maybe 5-10 minutes longer? just watch it closely)

Cool 5 minutes – loosen edges of bread from the side and center of pan

Then carefully invert onto a Nonstick Cooling rack or plate.

I took a pic after assembling, before baking:

Challenge!!

2010-01-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

Hello to all the readers of Better Than Drive Thru!!

I have a challenge I would like to put out to all of you.

Post your favorite crock pot recipe within the next few weeks. We haven't had much in the way of posting lately and I think that if everyone will put one up, we can all have a bunch of great new recipes to try.

Ever few months we will be putting up a new challenge, so if there is a certain kind of recipe you have been looking for, let us know and we will put it to the challenge!!

Hope everyone is having a great 2010 so far.

Carne Asada Tacos and El Toritos Sweet Corn Cake

2010-01-20T20:11:00.000-08:00

Carne Asada Tacos

This recipe is 16 servings, I usually half it unless we are having company.

Ingredients
3 pounds flank steak
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika

1 white onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced

2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 white onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled
4 dried New Mexico chile pods
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

1 (32 ounce) package corn tortillas
2 cups grated cotija cheese (optional)
2 limes, cut into wedges
Directions
Lay the flank steak in a large glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, 4 cloves of garlic, juice of two limes, and olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin and paprika. Whisk until well blended, then pour over the steak in the dish. Turn over once to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 1 to 8 hours.
In a small bowl, stir together 1 chopped white onion, cilantro, and the juice of 1 lime. Set aside to use as a relish for the tacos.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Toast chile pods in the skillet for a few minutes, then remove to a bowl of water to soak for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Place the tomatoes, 1 onion, jalapenos, and 4 cloves of garlic onto a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until toasted but not burnt. Place the roasted vegetables, and soaked chile pods into a blender or food processor, along with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the marinated flank steak into cubes or strips. Cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Warm the tortillas in a skillet for about a minute on each side to make them pliable. Tortillas may also be warmed in a microwave oven. Arrange two or three tortillas on a plate, and lay a generous amount of beef over them. Top with a sprinkle of the onion relish and a large spoonful of the pureed salsa. Add as much cheese as you like. Garnish with lime wedges, and serve.

note: I put avocados on ours super yummy.

El Toritos Sweet Corn Cake

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, unsalted
2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup masa harina
3 tablespoons cold water
10 ounces frozen corn kernels -- * See Note
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:Whip butter and shortening in mixing bowl until fluffy and creamy. Add masa harina gradually and mix thoroughly. Add water gradually, mixing thoroughly. Blend corn kernels until coarsley chopped. Stir into masa mixture. Mix cornmeal, sugar, whipping cream, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add butter-masa mixture; mix until blended. Pour masa mixture into 8" greased baking pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees until corn cake is firm, 40 to 50 minutes. Allow to stand at room temperature 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Or use ice cream scoop to serve. * or use canned cream corn

Easy Fried Rice

2010-01-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

3 c. rice, cooked
4 slices bacon, cut up
3 eggs, beaten
1 lg. onion, cut up
1 sm. pkg. frozen peas, thawed
Cooking oil (sesame oil gives a real good flavor)
Soy sauce to taste

In a wok or large fry pan, heat oil. Add bacon and cook until almost crisp. Add onion and cook until tender. Push to the side and pour in eggs. Cook until set. Break up eggs and mix with bacon and onion. Add rice and peas and toss to mix. Add soy sauce to taste. Cook until heated through, tossing as you do.

Alfredo Sauce

2009-10-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is a BEYOND good recipe. It's supposedly the Olive Garden version and it is fool proof. I Promise.
Serve this with any noodle of your choice. We like fettucine and penne.

Ready?

5 servings

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cube butter
2 oz.cream cheese
3/4 C. grated parmesan
1 tsp. garlic powder

Melt butter in sauce pan over medium or medium high heat, add cream and cream cheese. Stir often until cream cheese melts. Add parmesan and garlic and blend until smooth. YUM!

Aroma Dough

2009-09-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

I made this for my preschool group this morning and it turned out so awesome! It was so easy. I just had to share.

1 C. flour
1C. water
1/2 C. salt
1 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. cream of tartar
1 envelope unsweetened Kool-Aid drink mix

Mix ingredients in pan over medium heat, stirring constantly until dough forms ball and doesn't feel sticky. Dump onto countertop and knead for about 1 minute. Store in airtight container.

Poppyseed cake

2009-08-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

(You can see where Dalia grabbed a chunk out of it when it was cooling on the counter. She loves it that much!)
This is such a good cake. It's moist, not too sweet and perfect for school lunches. I grew up on it. This recipe comes from my aunt. Enjoy!

1 yellow cake mix 3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cups oil 8 oz. sour cream

4 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup poppyseeds

Mix cake mix, sugar, oil, and sour cream with electric mixer or your Kitchen Aid.

Add eggs, vanilla and poppyseed. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan or

tube pan, which is of course what we use. (you can Pam the pan, but greased

and floured makes it rise better). Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes.

(The cake will be more moist the next day.)

Raspberry Truffle Brownies

2009-08-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

I make these about once a year and they are so worth it! Found this in Taste of Home. You can see a picture of it on the link above.

Raspberry Truffle Brownies

6 squares (1 ounce each) bittersweet chocolate, broken up
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh raspberries

Frosting:
6 squares (1 ounce each) bittersweet chocolate, broken up
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter: stir until smooth. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Stir in chocolate mixture. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture until combined. Gently fold in raspberries. Spread into a greased 9-inch square pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Do not overbake! Cool on wire rack.

For frosting, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate, cream and jam. Microwave at 50% power for 2-3 minutes or utnil smooth, stirring. Transer to a small mixing bowl; stir in vanilla. Place in a bowl of ice water; stir for 3-5 minutes. Beat on medium speed until small peaks form. Spread frosting over brownies. Cover and refrigerated for 30 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 1 dozen.

Hawaiian Snowballs

2009-06-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

So I had a recipe for these...and then I lost it...so I kind of made this up...I think it's pretty similar and they taste SUPER good! :-)

Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
3 egg whites
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup macadamia nuts chopped
6 oz white chocolate chopped or white chocolate chips
cream cheese frosting
shredded coconut for topping

Preheat oven to 350°. In bowl mix cake mix, egg whites and oil. Add nuts and white chocolate. Roll into 1 inch balls, place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly with back of spoon. Bake for 7-10 mins. Cool on wire rack.

After the cookies have cooled, frost them with the cream cheese frosting.

After the cookies have been frosted, top with the shredded coconut. Press down lightly to make sure the coconut doesn't fall off.

Then enjoy! These don't take very long and they are definitely a cookie kids can help with!

Pizza pasta

2009-04-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

This was such a yummy and easy recipe. I made it for 2 1/2 people, so the amount of ingredients may need to be adjusted.

1/2 box penne pasta

1 jar Ragu pizza sauce

1/2 bag pepperoni

some mozzarella cheese (I used Italian blend because I love cheese and it had an assortment of cheeses in the blend which is always good)

Cook the pasta until it's done

Mix all the ingredients together

Save some cheese to sprinkle on top

Bake at 400 degrees until heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly

It really was tasty and I am sure you could add things like olives or mushrooms.

Honey Chicken with Curry - From Tannya

2009-04-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

Yet another stolen recipe from a friend. Aren't those the BEST, though?? Someone you know and trust has already tried it and likes it enough to share. What could be better?

For this wonderfully delicious and flavorful recipe, go to Tannya's food blog here, make it, eat it, and leave her a kind message.

To echo Lauren'sBite,

"kthanksbye."

Posse Stew

2009-04-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

So after we had our cinnabons, I made dinner. :)
It was a day of trying new recipes from my friends and may I say each were a HIT?!

This Posse Stew is from my sweet twin friend Renee.

Here are her exact instructions. Pretty complicated, lol!!

Rachel it is so very very easy. You brown 1 pound of groud beef ( I use ground turkey) 1 can of Ranch style beans, 1 can of corn, 1 can of diced green chilis, 1 can of diced tomotoes. Pour all of the ingredients (juices and all from the cans, don't drain the juices) in with the ground beef and cook on stovetop for about 30 min to 45 min. I also have put this in the crock pot after browning the meat. It is so yummy on a cold day. I hope you enjoy. I double the recipe for my family and we sometimes will have left overs, but not always. I also have a teenage son who eats us out of house and home. Serve with cornbread.

As you can see, it's one of those EASY meals... CHEAP meals... QUICK meals... perfect for me and my family. Ranch style beans?? I'd never heard of them, but there they were on the shelf in the beans aisle at Winco. I also doubled this.

Sorry I don't have pics. Didn't work out, but it looks alot like my Taco Soup. We also served it with cheddar cheese on top.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls - HOMEMADE!

2009-04-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

I tried a new recipe today that my friend, Laura posted on her recipe blog and it was DIVINE (according to the partakers. I was STRONG and didn't have one... I know, call me crazy!) Thanks so much for this amazing recipe! I hope it's okay that I share it here on this blog, Laura. It's too good to keep to myself. For the complete recipe, click here.

I used my breadmaker for the dough, but she gives instructions on how to do it with your KitchenAid as well. It was a time consuming process, but while watching Conference, it was perfect.

Enjoy and share with your neighbors!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened (I used 8oz. Oops.)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

They loved them!

Pork Chops

2009-03-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

Easy easy meal. Another one of my childhood favorites that my momma used to make. I even called her today to make sure I had it right. Not hard to mess this one up, though! Gave me a good excuse to talk to my momma. :)

Simply brown your pork chops:

Sprinkle with lots of this:

After they're browned, add this:

Serve over this:

Serve with green peas. It's against the rules to not serve this dish with peas.

My kids were kinda freaking out about this meal, (kinda is putting it nicely). But my 10 yr old and my 3 yr old finally tried it and ended up LOVING it. Morgan even requested it for her birthday meal. :)

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2009-03-05T18:17:00.000-08:00

I'm so proud of how well these turned out! And they were SUPER easy! I got the recipe from a copy cat website and it's pretty close...there is a spice missing, but I'm not sure which one yet. Anyway, these are still delicious!

2 1/2 cups bisquick baking mix
2 tablespoons butter melted
1 cup cheddar cheese finely grated
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup butter melted
dash salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine Bisquick with cheddar cheese, milk, 2 tablespoons of butter that has been melted in the microwave, and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder in a medium bowl. Mix until well-combined.

3. Drop approximately 1/4-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Combine 1/4 cup butter with 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, parsley flakes and salt. Brush this mixture over the tops of each unbaked biscuit.

5. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown. Serve warm.

Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Sauce

2009-02-27T11:01:00.000-08:00

From marthastewart.com
Ingredients
Serves 6.
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
Coarse salt and ground pepper
5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 jars (16 ounces each) medium green salsa
3/4 cup heavy cream
12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely shredded (3 cups) 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper; place with garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine salsa and cream.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred meat, discarding skin and bones. Peel and chop garlic. In a large bowl, combine chicken, garlic, and 1/2 cup salsa mixture.
3. Stack tortillas flat, and wrap in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute to soften. Working with one tortilla at a time, dip in salsa mixture, lay flat, and fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll up and arrange, seam side down, 8 enchiladas lengthwise and 4 crosswise in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining salsa mixture, then cheese. Bake until cheese is browned and salsa is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes; let rest 10 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with cilantro, if desired.

*I only did one bottle of mild green salsa, and I thought the flavor turned out great. YUM!

Lentil Soup

2009-02-04T14:54:00.000-08:00

This is the BEST. (from Amy Kroff)
INGREDIENTS:
1 C dry lentils
1 C shopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T cooking oil
4 C beef broth
1 7.5 ouce can tomatoes, cut up
1 T worcestershire sauce
1/4 t. dried thyme or oregano
1/4 t. pepper
1/8 t. cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 C chopped carrots
1/2 C chopped celery
1/2 lb. fully cooked smoked sausage links, sliced - or chopped ham

DIRECTIONS:Rinse lentils, set aside. In a large saucepan cook onion and garlic in hot oil until tender but not brown. Stir in lentils, beef broth, undrained tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, thyme/oregano, pepper, cumin, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add carrot and celery. Return to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 mins or until lentils and veggies are tender. Stir in meat - heat through. Discard bay leaf.

I got this one from thisweekfordinner.com also. This is the third lentil soup recipe I have tried recently and it is our favorite.

Asian Spinach Salad

2009-02-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

Toss together:
1 small bag of spinach
8 oz. bowtie pasta (cook, strain, cool)
2-4 Tbsp. Sesame seeds
1/2 C. Sunflower seeds
1 can sliced water chestnuts
3 chicken breasts - season heavily with lemon pepper, grill and cut into bite size pieces
(I didn’t have lemon pepper, so I cooked the chicken on the stove top with olive oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, S&P and that worked nicely as well)
1 C. bean sprouts
(I also added green bell pepper and green onion b/c I had them and they were yummy)
Dressing:
1/2 C. Canola oil
1/2 C. sugar
1tsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp Seasoned Rice vinegar (unseasoned works too)
1/2 tsp sesame SEED oil
1 tsp grated fresh garlic
store in fridge. Return to room temp before combined.

I got this recipe from thisweekfor dinner.com. All of the parentheses notes are from the website. I didn't add green pepper or the green onion. I also did not have sesame SEED oil. I did have the lemon pepper. This recipe was DELICIOUS! I will definitely make it again. My husband really liked it too, and he can be kind of picky sometimes. This is best the day it is made because the dressing, if left on the salad, seems to kind of loose its flavor the next day.

Homemade Chicken Noodle soup...

2009-01-25T18:47:00.001-08:00

So this was an AWESOME crock pot soup! I just kind of threw in what I had in the house and it turned out GREAT!
1 - 4 or 5lb whole chicken (boiled and deboned)
3/4 to 1lb baby carrots (cut in thirds)
2 - cans cream of celery soup
2.5 - cans of water
1 - 14 oz can chicken broth
1 - bunch green onions
9 oz egg noodles of your choice (I used fettuccine egg noodles and broke them into thirds)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Boil the whole chicken ahead of time. I did it the night before while I was preparing dinner. Drain the chicken and let it set for about 10 mins to cool. Debone the chicken and store until the next day.
In your crock pot add the chicken broth, cream of celery soup. Use one of the cream of celery soup cans and add two and a half to three cans of water. Stir until broth, water and celery soup are combined. Chop green onions and cut carrots, add those to liquid. Take chicken out of fridge and use your hands to break apart into smaller pieces into the crock pot. Salt and pepper to taste.
Set your crock pot to the time you need. The chicken is already cooked so you only need to make sure that the carrots are done. I started mine at 11am and wanted to eat by 6pm, so I set mine for 6 hours. About 30 mins before you want to eat, add the noodles in. Stir occasionally. Serve with rolls or crackers.
I wish I would have taken a picture, because it was REALLY good! Hope you all enjoy!

Parmesan Chicken (aka: Yum Yum Chicken)

2009-01-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

This is such an easy recipe and Dalia loves it! (She calls it Yum Yum Chicken)

I only make this for three people so if you're making it for more you'll need to add more ingredients.

I start with 2 or 3 chicken breasts, cut into chicken tender size. I mix 1/2 cup bread crumbs with 1/3 cup parmesan on waxed paper. I drizzle evoo (olive oil) on the chicken so that when I roll it in the bread crumbs they stick to the chicken. Then I put the chicken coated in the bread crumb/parmesan mixture in a baking pan and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. It is super easy and really tasty. I usually serve it with garlic noodles and salad.

Dorito Casserole!

2008-12-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

This is REALLY yummy and has a chicken enchilada taste...it's a nice quick meal too!

1 bag Nacho Cheese Doritos
1 1/4 cup medium cheddar cheese
1 can Rotel
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 large chicken breasts

Boil the chicken until it's cooked through. Cube it into small pieces. Combined 1 cup cheese, rotel, cream of chicken soup and chicken in a bowl.

Place a layer of doritos on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Use half of the chicken mixture and spoon over doritos. Add another layer of doritos and spoon remaing mixture over the second layer of doritos. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over top. Bake for 18-20 mins at 350°.

Cheese should be melted and tips of chips should start to brown. Let it set for a few mins and then serve! Serves about 4. :-)

Pigeon Mix

2008-12-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from Brooke C in the 4th ward. It is very addictive and a great holiday treat, even if you don't normally like coconut. It's pretty sticky and messy to make but it's worth it!

1 large box of Golden Grahams
1 large box Corn Chex cereal
1 cup sliced almonds
2 cups shredded coconut
1 1/2 cup butter
2 cups Karo syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups sugar

Cook sugar, Karo syrup, and butter until boiling. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Add vanilla and soda. (Watch out, it puffs up quick. Make sure you have extra room at the top of the pot.) Stir down foam. Pour over cereal/almond/coconut mix in a big bowl and mix. Enjoy the calories!

Oreo Cake

2008-12-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

A coworker of mine wanted an oreo cake for her birthday, so I just kind of made this up...hope you all like it!

This is really easy and SOOOOO yummy! :-)

White cake mix (or if you have a from scratch recipe, that'll work too!)
White Vanilla frosting...I like the "fluffy" kind
1 package of oreos (you only need like half the package, so if you eat the other half, you're still good!)

Crush up 1/4 of that package of oreos.
Prepare the white cake mix as directed, only add an extra 1/3 cup of water. Mix in the crushed up oreos. Split batter between two 8 or 9" round cake pans. Bake as directed.

Let cakes cool in pans for 5-8 mins. Remove from pans and let cool on wire racks completely. Crush another 1/4 of the package of oreos.

After cakes have cooled, level one layer by cutting off the rounded top. Frost with the frosting and then top with some of the crushed oreos. Set second layer on top and make sure it settles well. Frost the rest of the cake completely.

The easiest way I have found to get the crushed oreos on the outside is to just grab a handful and stick them on! :-)

Take four whole cookies and carefully cut them in half. Space them evenly on the top and put one whole cookie in the center. Voila! :-)

Breakfast Bake

2008-11-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

1 can 8 oz. refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 package 8 oz. ham, chopped
6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Unroll dough in 13x9-inch baking dish; press to cover bottom of dish, firmly pressing perforations and seams together to seal.

SPRINKLE ham over crust. Beat eggs, milk and pepper with wire whisk until blended; pour over ham. Sprinkle with cheeses.

BAKE 25 min. or until center is set.

This was so yummy! Quick and easy.

Yummy dinner!!

2008-11-19T19:13:00.000-08:00

Okay so I made dinner tonight with a YUMMY recipe that Jenn told me about! It comes straight to you from the back of the Stove Top Stuffing box! :-)

Easy Cheesy Chicken Bake

1 box Stove Top stuffing mix, Chicken.
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
1-14oz bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed, drained (I didn't put this in cause Josh doesn't like broccoli, and it still turned out great!)
1-10.5oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1.5 cups cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 400°. Prepare stuffing mix as direct.
Mix chicken and broccoli in 13 x 9 pan. Stir in soup, milk and cheese.
Bake for 30 mins or until heated through.

Serves 6.

Easy Cheesy Chicken Bake

Soft breadsticks

10 Tbsp water
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1.5 tsp yeast

Add ingredients into breadmaker starting with the water, ending with yeast. Put on dough stage, should take 1.5 hrs.
Take egg white and 2 Tbsp water and make an egg wash for breadsticks, keep in fridge until needed.
Heat oven to 350°. Once dough is done separate into 12 balls. Roll ball between hands to make about a 6" rope.(They will seem small/thin, but when cooked, they puff up nicely!) Place breadsticks on greased cookie sheet, space about 1.5" apart.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with garlic salt.
Bake 20-25 mins until golden brown.

Baked soft breadsticks, mine aren't as pretty, but seriously they tasted JUST like Olive Garden breadsticks!!

Garlic Parsley Potatoes

Wash and quarter 4-6 red potatoes. Boil for about 10 mins until just tender. You want them still a little firm, not mushy.
Drain potatoes, put in ziplock bag with approximately 4 tbsp of olive oil (I didn't measure, I just did it by sight, but they need to be well coated.) Add in garlic salt and parsley flakes. (Also did by sight, you want them to be well coated.) Close ziplock and mix well until potatoes are well covered with mixture. Spread potatoes out on a cookie sheet. Broil 10 mins, stir around so they don't burn. You will know they are done when they start to brown.

Ryan's plate

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

2008-11-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

(I didn't take this photo... Becky Higgins did. But mine looked exactly like this minus the pretty bowl.)

GARLIC CHICKEN FARFALLE

16 oz. Farfalle pasta (bow tie pasta)

1 c. heavy whipping cream

3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed (I used fresh and would HIGHLY recommend it. Plus, I used 5 cloves because I love love love garlic!)

1 Tbsp. pepper*

1/2 c. butter

1 lb. bacon, crumpled**

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

1 (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice (yes, Winco has it)

*I didn't do a whole tablespoon just in case...

**I did my bacon in the oven at 400 for 25 minutes or so. It got nice and crisp. Turn your fan on and open a window or two, though.

[ directions ]

Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours (I did high for 3 ish). Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred. Set this aside. About a half hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Ok, so now for the verdict:

ABSOLUTELY.

POSITIVELY.

DIE

FOR

GOOD!!!!

My husband and I were ready to jump in this dish and live in it, it was so incredibly good. Just as good, if not better, than a restaurant. Seriously. My girls, who have complained night after night about dinners, loved it, too, thank goodness! Too bad it has so much butter and whipping cream - talk about calories! But oh man. DELISH! The smell that emanates from the pan when you've melted the butter and add the garlic... that will be the smell in Heaven, for all I'm concerned. Enjoy ladies. Go and impress.

Easy YUMMY cupcakes.

2008-11-16T19:35:00.000-08:00

These are really easy to make and REALLY yummy! They are heavier than a regular cupcake. They have almost a spongey texture like an angel food cake. You can frost them or make a cinnamon sugar topping to put on it before baking.

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening, milk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed.

Add eggs to the mixture. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Beat on high speed for 1minute 30 seconds until well mixed.

Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners until 1/2 to 2/3 full.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely.

This recipe can make anywhere from 20-24 cupcakes depending on how full you fill the cups. Enjoy!!

Bread Maker Dinner Rolls

2008-11-10T19:20:00.000-08:00

I was looking for a new roll recipe that I can do mostly in my bread maker. I came across this one and it turned out YUMMY!

I didn't cut them into wedges and make them into knots or crescents, just rolled them into round mounds. I also didn't do butter after the dough was made, just added it to the cooked rolls. Very easy and everyone loved them :)

*NOTE* you may know this, but 1 packet of yeast equals 2 1/4 tsp for those of us who don't buy packets :)

PREP TIME
20 Min
COOK TIME
20 Min
READY IN
2 Hrs 20 Min
Original recipe yield 16 rolls

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup butter, softened

DIRECTIONS
Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Knead and First Rise Cycle; press Start.
When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

*PS* the recipe also says you can use it for cinnamon rolls, it is a bit of a sweeter roll so I bet that would be great too!

Tuna Casserole

2008-11-10T12:41:00.000-08:00

This is an old standby from my childhood that my mom would make. I loved it as a child, but sadly, my girls don't enjoy it as much because in their minds, it's "seafood". Oh please.
It's so easy and cheap and a great meal for those nights where you're running and don't have time to plan for anything elaborate.

Tuna Casserole

Elbow macaroni (I use mine from food storage)
Several cans of tuna - drained
Several cans of Cream of Mushroom soup
Dried onion (again, from food storage)
Frozen peas
Milk
Cheddar cheese

Boil pasta.
Mix together tuna, soup, onion and peas. Add milk to your desired consistency. Add to pasta in a baking dish... top with grated cheese. This last time I had a bag of ranch flavored potato chips in the pantry that I crumbled on the top as well. It gave the dish a yummy crunch.

Bake until heated... 350° or so.

Sorry I don't have exact measurements. This is one of those dishes that could probably grow and grow as you add the ingredients.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

2008-11-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

½ stick of butter

1 small onion chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tsp brown sugar

1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth

½ C water

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

1/8 tsp cinnamon

Melt butter, add onion and garlic and sugar. Cook 1-2 min. Add broth, water, salt, and pepper. Boil. Reduce heat to low; cook for 15 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, milk, and cinnamon, cook for 5 min. Blend soup until smooth. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Muffins

2008-11-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

(SO GOOD and EASY)

1 box of spice cake
1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin
Combine spice cake mix and pumpkin in bowl. (Don’t add other ingredients to make the cake-the batter is supposed to be thick). Put batter into muffin tins and bake according to cupcake directions on cake box. Also, can add chocolate chips to batter (tastes like pumpkin choc. chip cookies) or can frost with cream cheese frosting when done.

Super Easy Shortbread Cookies!

2008-11-05T21:47:00.000-08:00

This is SOOOO easy!!! And YUMMY!!!!

1 lb butter (real butter only) soften
1 cup sugar
3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 275°

Cream butter and sugar together. Add in 2 1/2 cups of flour. Blend together. Knead remaining 1/2 cup flour into dough a little at a time until dough cracks during kneading. You might not use the full 1/2 cup flour. Roll out to 1/4" thick. Use cookie cutters to shape. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Prick with a fork. Bake for 20-25 mins or until very slightly browned. Let cool. Eat slightly warm or let cool completely and dip in chocolate or frost! SOOO good! :-) Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

2008-10-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

I got this recipe from my sister in law several years ago and have used it TONS! My kids love it - so much, in fact, that Olivia requested it for her birthday dinner last night.

In the morning, dump a bag of frozen chicken breasts into your crockpot.
Dump (do you like my word "dump"??) two big cans of Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup AND one big can of enchilada sauce on top of chicken. Cook on high until chicken is d.o.n.e.
I use mild enchilada sauce because I'm a wimp... but I've used medium before and the kick is good. It all depends on your (and your family's) preference.

Once chicken is d.o.n.e. pull it out and shred with two forks.
Fill corn tortillas with chicken, cheese (I've used colby jack and cheddar - both are good) and sauce. Roll up. Fill pan (or pans in my case). Cover with sauce, cheese and sliced olives. Bake 350° 20 minutes or until completely heated through and bubbly.

SO GOOD and SO EASY!

Serve with cornbread, chips and salsa, and corn! OH, and lettuce on top! YUM!

tip: warm tortillas 3 at a time in microwave before filling and rolling or they'll rip in process and that's a bummer.

Cake Cookies

2008-10-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

1 box of chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients and spoon onto cookie sheet just like chocolate chip cookies. Bake on 375 for 9 minutes. The best cookies ever!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2008-10-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for a good broccoli soup recipe, because I love Quizno's. I made some adjustments to some recipes I found and this is SO good...just as good as Quizno's and it's super easy.

1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
2 14 oz bags of frozen broccoli
4 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth
2 lbs of Velveeta, cubed
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2/3 cup corn starch

In a stock pot, melt butter on medium heat. Cook onion in butter until softened. Stir in broccoli and cover with three cans of chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 - 15 minutes. Reduce heat, stir in cheese until melted. Mix in milk and garlic powder.
In a small bowl, mix final can of broth with corn starch until dissolved. Stir into soup, cook stirring frequently until thick. (I turned the heat up to boil the soup and thickened up very nicely.)
Let cook for about 5 minutes on stove top and serve with warm bread or in a bread bowl.

Layered Enchilada Bake

2008-09-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

My VT's brought this recipe to me...I modified it a little, but it was REALLY good!!! And it will freeze well too! Here you go!

1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion chopped
2 cups (or 16 oz jar) of any Thick and Chunky salsa
1 15 oz can of whole black beans, drained
6 6-8 inch flour tortillas
1 1/2 cup sour cream
12 oz shredded medium cheddar cheese (feel free to use your fav cheese or a mix!)

Preheat oven to 400°. Brown ground beef with onions on med-high.

Add salsa...

Add black beans, mix well.

Arrange three tortillas in a single layer on the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Tortillas will overlap.

Cover layer with 1/2 of beef mixture...

Then layer 1/2 of cheese...

And half of sour cream.

Repeat the layers again, cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. After first 30 mins, uncover and bake for another 5-10 mins until the cheese is all melted.

Let stand for at least five mins before serving...ENJOY!

Mom's Greek Tostadas

2008-09-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

Mom’s Greek Tostadas

Tia Rosa tortilla bread, grilled
Flavored hummus (Trader Joe’s blends are good)
Sliced lettuce or some type of sprouts
Chopped tomatoes
Cooked chicken, optional
Feta

Layer hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, and feta on top of the tortilla bread. Delicious, healthy, and really easy!

Ben’s Pesto

½ cup olive oil
½ grated parmesan cheese
3 medium cloves of garlic
2 cups fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts
Salt and pepper, to taste

Put in blender in this order, starting with olive oil.

Cook down if you don’t like the raw taste and add more cheese. Toss with pasta and serve. Can also add shredded chicken.

Moon Baubles

2008-09-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

This is the coolest cookie recipe and uses CHEERIOS as a main ingredient. My kids will not eat cheerios as a cereal, nor will my hubby, but we all LOVE this recipe. It tastes just like a yummy chocolate chip cookie recipe, but is considered health food because of the whole grain goodness of Cheerios! (Yah, I know, not health food, but close:0))

1/2 C. butter or margarine

1 C. sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 C. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 C. Cheerios

1/2 C. M&M's or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar in large bowl. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Stir in flour and baking soda. Mix well. Add Cheerios and chocolate. Mix until blended. Drop by teaspoons on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove from pan and cool. Makes about 2 dozen.

Citrus Cheesecake

2008-08-14T23:26:00.000-07:00

A friend brought this to our Breaking Dawn party a couple weeks ago and I about died I loved it so much!! I am major cheesecake fan, so for me to say it's one of the best cheesecakes I've ever tasted is huge.

For a baptism earlier today, I made it for a refreshment. Worth every minute. It is absolutely positively DIVINE! For the recipe, check out Tannya's Food Blog here.

Ranch Season Potatoes

2008-07-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

2 pounds of baby red potatoes
1/4 cup oil
1 packet ranch seasoning

Wash and cut potatoes into quarters. Put them into a large zip lock bag. Add oil and shake till evenly covered. Next add ranch seasoning. Shake some more, and then shake some more. Lay them out on a covered cookie sheet and bake at 450 for 30-35 minutes. Yummy!

A great recipe to have kids help with. Autumn did everything except cut the potatoes.

Tater Tot Casserole

2008-07-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

This is a yummy and easy recipe and VERY kid friendly...in fact, I don't think I've ever met a child who didn't like it! :-)

1.5lbs ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 12oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups medium cheddar cheese
1 bag tater tots

Spice to taste:
salt
pepper
garlic salt

Brown ground beef, season and add onions

Put ground beef in a 9x9 pan

Add cream of mushroom soup and 3/4 cup cheese

Cover with layer of tater tots

Sprinkle remaining cheese

Bake according to tater tot instructions. When complete, I like to broil for a few mins to make my tater tots nice and crunchy.

Remove from oven and let set for five mins. Serves 4. This also freezes up great! I usually make two at once, one for dinner, one for the freezer. :-)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2008-07-01T21:53:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this soup! It is so easy and so good. You will not be disappointed. I always double for my family of 6. 4 servings

4 corn tortillas, torn into small strips

1/2 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite sized chunks

2 (14 oz. each) cans chicken broth

1 C favorite salsa

1 C frozen or canned corn

1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Cook chicken with very small amount of oil or Pam over med-high heat for 5 min. Add broth, salsa, corn and tortillas. The tortillas will dissolve during cooking and thicken soup. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to med-low and let simmer for 15 min.

Ladle soup into bowls and serve with crushed corn chips, cheese, sour cream, avocado, sliced olives, or any desirable combination of these things:0). We eat this with cheese quesadillas and salad.

Mom's Meatloaf

2008-06-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

This is how my mom taught me to make meatloaf and it's fantastic! :-)

2.5lbs ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
5 eggs
12-15 saltine crackers crumbled
1 16oz can of tomato sauce
Spices to taste:
Oregano
Garlic Salt
Pepper

Put ground beef and spices in a bowl

Add chopped onions and crumbled saltines

Add eggs and 3/4 of the can of tomato sauce

Mix with hands until completely combined. The only way I have found to completely mix this is to actually use your hands...if anyone has a better idea let me know! :-)

Put mixture into baking pan and form into a loaf, use side of hand to create a 'canal' down the center. Bake at 350° for 45 mins. Use last 1/4 can of tomato sauce to drizzle over top. Bake another 15-20 mins or until internal temp is 160°.

Finished product

Slice and serve with your favorite sides! :-) Serves 6.

French Breakfast Puffs

2008-06-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe off of the Pioneer Woman's website...they are SO delicious!!

French Breakfast Puffs
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening (Crisco)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 sticks butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside. Pray. In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening, then add eggs and mix. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden. In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Eat. Faint.

This is the Pioneer Woman's pic...

This is mine... :-)

Update on the Stromboli Sandwich...

2008-06-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

So last night I used Emy's recipe for the Ham and Swiss Stromboli. I LOVED it! Ryan wasn't crazy about the swiss cheese...but he's only five. :-) Instead of using the premade bread dough, I made some french bread dough in my breadmaker and it worked out fantastic! Because the loaf was 1.5lbs, I upped the ingredients to 8 slices of ham, 8 slices of bacon and 8 green onions. Rachel suggested that I post the pics here, so people can see how it turned out. Enjoy! :-)

Paula's French Bread Recipe

1.5lb loaf
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups flour
1 tbsp breadmachine yeast

Add ingredients in order suggested by your breadmachine, set on dough setting. Roll out to 1/4 in thick, add ingredient and roll jelly style. Score top of loaf before baking.

Thanks for sharing this recipe Emy, it was GREAT!

Chicken Manicotti

2008-06-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

This was another one I used as a freezer meal and it was FANTASTIC! And it's REALLY easy too! :-)

1 jar-28.5 oz. spaghetti sauce (Again, I used Hunts Traditional)
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast tenders
8 oz ricotta cheese
14 uncooked manicotti shells
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 can {2 1/2 oz.} slice ripe olives, drained (optional)

1. Spread about 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 13x9

2. Mix ricotta cheese with chicken and sprinkle garlic salt on chicken mixture. Insert chicken into uncooked manicotti shells, stuffing from each end of shell to fill if necessary. Place shells on spaghetti sauce in dish.

3. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce evenly over shells, covering completely. Sprinkle with olives and cheese. STOP HERE.

TO STORE IN REFRIGERATOR: Cover unbaked manicotti tightly with aluminum foil
and refrigerate no longer than 24 hours.

TO STORE IN FREEZER: Wrap unbaked manicotti tightly with aluminum foil and
label. Freeze no longer than 1 month.

TO COOK FROM REFRIGERATOR: About 1 hour before serving, heat oven to 350
degrees. Bake in covered baking dish about 1 hour, or until shells are tender.

TO COOK FROM FREEZER: About 1 1/2 hours before serving, heat oven to 350
degrees. Bake in covered baking dish about 1 1/2 hours or until shells are
tender.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

2008-06-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

I made this as one of my freezer meals when I was preparing for Cole to be born. It froze so nicely and cooked up fantastic! Ryan (5.5 yrs) gobbled it right up! I served it with mashed potates and green beans.

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cartons (8 oz) whipped cream cheese with onion and chives
1 tablespoons butter
6 bacon strips (Use a pepper crusted bacon for extra good flavor!)

Season with salt, pepper and garlic to taste.

Flatten chicken to ½ inch thickness. Spread 3 tablespoons cream cheese over each. Dot with butter and sprinkle with salt; roll up. Wrap each with a bacon strip. Place, seam side down, in a greased pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear. Broil 6 inches from the heat for 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

Freeze these uncooked.

Paula's Homemade Lasagna

2008-06-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe and everyone who has had it seems to love it too! :-) This recipe makes one 9x13 pan and one 9x9 pan. I usually put the 9x9 in the freezer for a dinner later. The 9x13 easily serves 6 and the 9x9 easily serves 4! I only took pics of the 9x13 pan, but make sure that you make both pans at the same time so you don't use too big of portions on the 9x13 pan.

2.25 lbs of ground beef (if you want to go a little healthier, use ground turkey)
2 lb container of ricotta cheese
1 lb monterey jack cheese
1 lb medium cheddar cheese
1 pack of lasagna noodles
1 26.5 oz can of spaghetti sause (I use Hunts Traditional cause it's cheap and good!)
1/3 cup chopped onion

Spices: I do all my spices to taste.
Garlic salt
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
Season salt

Preheat oven to 350°

Step 1:

Start browing the ground beef, while starting this, begin to boil lasagna noodles and chop onions.

Step 2:

Add chopped onions and mix into ground beef. Season with spices to taste.

Step 3:

While beef is continuing to brown, shred the cheese.

Step 4:

Spray pan with cooking spray and layer with one layer of lasagna noodles. Use a spoon to spread spaghetti sauce on top of the noodles. (Remember not to use too much sauce on each layer or it will make it too juicy and your layers won't stay together when cut.)

Step 5:

Drain ground beef and sprinkle evenly over noodles and sauce.

Step 6:

Use a spoon to dollop ricotta cheese.

Step 7:

Sprinkle a layer of cheddar and monterey cheese.

Step 8:

Add another layer of lasagna noodles.

Step 9:
Repeat steps 4-8 again.

Step 10:

Spread sauce and sprinkle remaining ground beef and cheeses to create the top of the lasagna. Bake for 20-25 mins at 350°. The internal temp should be about 130°. (If you are baking this from the freezer, cover with tin foil and bake for an hour at 350°. Check the internal temp, if it's to 120° to 130°, remove foil and bake for another 5-10 mins.)

Step 11:

This is what your final product should look like. Let it set for a few minutes and serve with salad and garlic bread! :-)

Apricot Chicken

2008-06-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on Blogger's Buffet and tried it out tonight. LOVED IT! Super easy, super tasty, and super kid friendly! Enjoy.

Apricot Chicken

Ingredients
1 sm. jar apricot preserves (16 oz or whatever
1 env. Lipton onion soup mix
1 (8 oz.) bottle French/Russian/tomato based salad dressing (Tangy French is good!) 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or however many your family will eat)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in shallow pan. Mix apricot preserves, onion soup mix and French dressing in bowl. Mix well. Pour mixture over chicken. Bake in oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour and serve.

Olivia's comment: "This tastes like orange chicken!" (and that's a good thing)

Chinese Chicken Salad

2008-06-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

1/2 lb teriyaki chicken, shredded
1 head lettuce, sliced thin
2 tbs shopped almonds
2 tbs sesame seeds
2 oz wonton or rice sticks

Dressing
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup salad oil
1 tbs sesame oil
3 tbs rice vinegar

Put dressing ingredients in a blender or whisk together

Wonton or rice sticks: Heat oil over med-high heat. Drop small piece of rice stick into hot oil. If if puffs up without burning, the temperature is right. Do a small amount at a time.

Sausage Rice Casserole

2008-06-13T12:20:00.001-07:00

1 lb ground pork sausage
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Milk
Cashews
Cooked rice

Cook sausage. Drain most of fat. Stir in soup and one can’s worth of milk. Cook until thickened and heated through. Serve over cooked rice and top with cashews. Very good!

Lumpias(Filipino Eggrolls)

2008-06-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

1 Tb vegetable oil
1 lb ground beef
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ C chopped onion
½ C minced carrots
½ C chopped green onions
½ C thinly sliced green cabbage
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp soy sauce
30 eggroll wrappers
2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Place a wok or large skillet over high heat, and pour in 1 TB veg. oil. Cook hamburger, stirring frequently, until no pink is showing. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Drain grease from pan, leaving a thin coating. Cook garlic and onion in the same pan for 2 minutes. Stir in meat, carrots, green onions, and cabbage. Season with pepper, salt, garlic powder, and soy sauce. Remove from heat and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Place three heaping tablespoons of the filling diagonally near one corner of each wrapper, leaving 1 ½ inch space at both ends. Fold the side along the length of the filling over the filling, tuck in both ends, and roll neatly. Keep the roll tight as you assemble. Moisten the other side of the wrapper with water to seal the edge. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap to retain moisture.
Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat, add oil to ½ inch depth and heat for 5 minutes. Slide 3 to 4 lumpias into the oil. Fry the rolls for 1 to 2 minutes, until all sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Garden Spiral Primavera

2008-06-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

12oz pkg of garden spiral pasta
¼ C olive oil
¼ C butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ lb mushrooms sliced
3 C broccoli florets
1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 carrots sliced
1/3 C chicken broth
1 tsp basil flakes
1 tsp parsley flakes
salt and pepper
¾ C freshly grated Parmesan
Prepare all veggies. Cook pasta. Melt butter and oil in skillet; add onions and garlic—saute 2-3 minutes. Add vegetables, sauté 3 more minutes. Add seasoning and chicken broth; simmer 5 min. or until veggies are tender. Toss with pasta. Serve with cheese.

Easy Potato Bake

2008-06-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

16 oz sour cream
8 oz cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
32 oz frozen hashbrowns, thawed
1 cup crushed corn flakes
2 tbs butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375. Mix sour cream, cheese and soup in large bowl. Add potatoes; mix well. Spoon into greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Bake 45 minutes. Toss corn flake crumbs with butter; sprinkle over potato mixture, bake an additional 15 minutes.

Chuckwagon BBQ Rice Round-Up

2008-06-13T08:56:00.001-07:00

1 pound lean beef or turkey
1 package Rice-a-Roni beef flavored
2 tbs butter
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup bbq sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef until well cooked. Remove from skillet; drain. Set aside. In same skillet over medium heat, saute rice mix with butter until rice is golden brown. Slowly stir in water, special seasonings and corn; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in bbq sauce and beef. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover, let stand 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Sounds kinda weird, but we tried it and it is wonderful. Kid friendly.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2008-06-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
2 tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 package Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups

Mix all together minus the peanut butter cups. Roll into small quarter size balls. Place into mini-muffin pan and bake about 5 minutes at 375. Remove from oven and push one unwrapped peanut butter cup into each mini muffin cup center. Allow to cool in pan before removing to wire rack.

If you love peanut butter, you will love this. But be careful, it is hard not to eat them all!

Parmesan Potato Wedges

2008-06-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

4 large baking potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Scrub unpeeled potatoes and cut into wedges. Place wedges, skin side down, in a single layer in a large baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients together in a small bowl. Brush evenly over potatoes and bake for 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve HOT. Kid friendly, and easy to do.

Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce

2008-06-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

2 whole chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 (3 oz.) can chopped green chilies
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pt. sour cream
1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated
1 dozen flour tortillas

Toss together: Chicken, jack cheese and chillies. Mix together soup and sour cream. You can put the tortillas in the microwave to warm. Put about 1/4 cup of chicken filling in center. Add 1 tbs soup mixture. Fold sides in, then roll. Place, seam down, in oblong baking dish. Repeat with each tortilla. Spread remaining soup mixture over top of all. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Yummy!

Oriental Sesame Chicken Salad

2008-06-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

2 tbs Sesame Seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 packages ramen noodles, smashed
2 cups shredded lettuce
4 chopped green onions (optional)
1 small grated carrot
1/2 pound cooked, shredded chicken

Toast almonds, sesame seeds and noodles under the broiler until golden brown. Add rest of ingredients and mix together.

Dressing

3 tbs rice vinegar
3 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
seasoning packages from ramen noodles
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Blend ingredients together, top over mixture and chill for at least 3 hours.

My comfort food!

Paula's Macaroni and Cheese

2008-06-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

Okay I love this recipe! It's a very RICH recipe though, so it works great as a side dish.

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups mozzerella cheese
2 cups medium cheddar cheese
8 oz large elbow macaroni
1 cup classic caesar croutons (crushed)
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350°, boil elbow macaroni until done. While it's boiling, heat heavy cream in a sauce pan slowly until it comes to a slow boil. Remove from heat and whisk in mozzerella and cheddar until smooth. Pour over macaroni and mix until covered. Stir in 3/4 cup of croutons. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup croutons over top. Bake uncovered for approx 10-15 mins or until top croutons are browned.

For a side dish, this can serve approx 6 people, for main dish approx 4 people.

Lettuce Wraps

2008-06-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in the newspaper a few years ago. I have modified it a little. The original recipe called for both vegetable and sesame oil. I didn't see why the step using veggie oil was neccesary, so I omitted it completely with great results. I have taught how to make this dish at my cooking club and it has gotten great reviews. We serve these with egg rolls. (Not homemade ones!) 8 servings.

2 1/2 lbs. ground turkey(or beef)

2 lg. red pepper, diced(green or yellow work just fine too)

1 bunch green onions, minced( use the green and onion portion)

1 C hoison sauce(found in asian food aisle)

2 tbsp. sesame oil(light, dark or toasted all work)

1-2 tsp. chili garlic sauce(found in asian food aisle, VERY spicy!The original recipe called for 1 tbsp. Not good for kids! 1-2 tsp. gives a little zip that my kids eat just fine.)

1 C dry roasted peanuts, chopped(Put them in a sandwich bag. Let out all air and pound with rolling pin or any flat object. Works so much faster than anything i've ever tried.)

2 tbsp. minced garlic

1 lg. head romaine lettuce( cut off the hard part on bottom and you now have your wraps!)

In lg. saute pan add sesame oil, garlic, peppers and turkey. Cook over med-high heat until turkey is almost done. Add onion, hoison sauce, chili garlic sauce, and peanuts. Turn heat down to low-med. and let simmer for 10 min. Serve with romaine lettuce leaves. Eat it like a taco. The very inside leaves of romaine lettuce are very small. For my small kids I take those and put a scoop of turkey mixture over those and let them chow down with a fork. Much easier for small hands:0)

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

2008-06-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

I know that this sounds a little weird...but I promise it's good. It's a great way to "trick" any of the kids that don't like to eat their veggies. You can make it as a main dish...just add some chicken or have it as a side to something you know they will eat.

1 pound macaroni with lines, the girls love bow-tie
Salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves,
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 (10 ounce) box frozen cooked butter nut squash, defrosted
1 cup cream or half-and-half
2 cups (8 ounces) sharp Cheddar, grated
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Black pepper

Heat a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water then add the pasta and cook to al dente.
While pasta cooks, heat a medium heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and grate the onion directly into the pot with a hand held grater. Cook the grated onion in butter and oil 1 to 2 minutes, then add flour and cook together 1 to 2 more minutes. Whisk in stock, then combine with butternut squash until warmed through and smooth.(If you have a immersion mixer, us it! If not, I always put the stock and squash into the blender and get it smooth before hand, it saves a lot of time and there are no lumps.) Stir in cream or half-and-half and bring sauce to a bubble. Stir in cheeses in a figure 8 motion and season the completed sauce with salt, nutmeg and pepper.
Drain cooked pasta well and combine with sauce.

Cheesecake...it's so good!

2008-06-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

I am always trying to find different cheesecakes to make and this one has become one of my favorites!! I didn't take a picture of mine...we ate it too fast. :)

Picture is from Paula Dean's Website...that is why this so good!!

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

7 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar (I use superfine)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs

Chocolate glaze:
1/4 cup butter

2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

3/4 cup sugar (I use superfine here also)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Cherries, for serving Whipped cream and/or powdered sugar, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Crust:
In a medium size bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and butter. Mix well and place in the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform cake pan. Make sure to press against the sides and bottom of the pan. Place into oven and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool.
Filling:
Prepare the filling by beating cream cheese. Mix in sugar and vanilla while beating until well blended. Add in eggs and combine. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.
Chocolate Glaze: In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat. Add chocolate to the butter. Whisk in sugar, whipping cream, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until combined. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes while whisking constantly.

When ready to serve, top with chocolate glaze, cherries, whipped cream and or powdered sugar. You don't have to use the chocolate...but it's SO good with it. :)

The Meal of Love

2008-06-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

This photo is The Pioneer Woman's. This photo is mine. LOL

I made this on Valentines Day and

OH.

MY.

GOSH.

was it good!!

Here are the links from The Pioneer Woman's site:

Roasted Garlic: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/02/the_meal_of_love_part_one/

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/02/the_meal_of_love_part_2_roasted_garlic_mashed_potatoes/
Pan-Fried Ribeye Steak: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/02/pan-fried_ribeye_steak_heaven_in_a_skillet/

Parmesan Buttered Rice

2008-06-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

White rice (I just use my rice cooker - but you could do Minute Rice)
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (I buy the cheese in the tub from the refrigerated cheese area)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (I could do without the parsely, honestly.)

Directions: In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter until browned. Place rice in a serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Pour butter over rice; cover and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

I've used a deeper serving dish than pictured above, so I layer the rice, butter and cheese a few times to distribute the cheese better.

Chicken Crescent Wreath

2008-06-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
2/3 cup cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 can (5 ounces) white chicken, drained or 3/4 cup cubed cooked chicken
2 tablespoons chopped onion

Directions: Arrange crescent rolls on a 12-in. pizza pan, forming a ring with pointed ends facing the outer edge of pan and wide ends overlapping. (I actually use a cookie sheet and form mine into an oval to feed more people.) Combine the remaining ingredients; spoon over wide ends of rolls. Fold points over filling and tuck under wide ends (filling will be visible).

Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

This is the recipe from the Taste of Home website. I usually double (or even triple) this to feed my family. This is best fresh out of the oven - not so much as leftovers because the crescent rolls aren't as crisp after being refrigerated then microwaved. VERY yummy comfort food.

Martin loves when I serve this with Parmesan Buttered Rice (I will post the recipe later.)

Cafe Yumm Bowl

2008-06-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

In the bowl:

Brown Rice
Black Beans
Tomato
Cheddar Cheese
Olives
Plain Yogurt
Avocado
Salsa
Cilantro

The Sauce:

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup almonds
1/3 cup brewers yeast (at health food stores)
1/3 cup garbonzo beans - drained
1/4 cup soybeans
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder

Blend nuts, beans and oil in food processor. Then blend in yeast and liquids one at a time. Puree until smooth.

Good Stuff

2008-06-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

This was passed from my grandmother to my mom to me. Sounds different but it is really good. I have a very picky eater and she loves it!

Take a 9x9 pan and spray with cooking spray. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Saltine crackers
2 cups shredded cheese
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 pound hamburger

Brown the hamburger then mix it with the sauce. Layer the pan with crackers then sauce and then cheese. Continue until our of sauce, I think it usually makes about 4 layers. Cheese is the last thing on the top. Bake for about 30 minutes. Our family thinks it even tastes better as leftovers. Very kid friendly, and very cheap to make.

Tostadas

2008-06-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

I lb. ground beef, browned
2 cans refried beans
1 envelope taco seasoning
8-oz. can tomato sauce
½ cup water
10 tostada shells
1 ½ cups shredded lettuce
2 tomatos
½ lb. shredded cheese
1 can sliced olives
1 pint sour cream
guacamole
salsa

Combine ground beef, refried beans, taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and water in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 hours. Crisp tostada shells. Spread mixture on the shells. Top with remaining ingredients.

Raspberry Cream Trifle

2008-06-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

I have made this for a few brunches, but it can also be a dessert.

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 cup cold water
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 angel food cake (7 inches), cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
2 cups fresh raspberries (frozen work too)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the milk, water, and extract until blended. Add pudding mix; whisk for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft set. Cover and chill until mixture is partially set. Fold in the whipped cream.
Place half of the cake cubes in a 2 –quart glass serving bowl. Top with half of the cream mixture. Carefully spread with jam. Sprinkle with one cup raspberries. Layer with remaining cake cubes, cream mixture and raspberries.

Salsa Chicken

2008-06-01T17:08:00.001-07:00

Need:
4 Boneless, skinless breast halves
1 cup salsa
1 package taco seasoning
2 cups water
2 cups Minute Rice, uncooked
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup Cheddar or Mexican cheese
sour cream
(I sometimes add some corn too)

Directions:
Bring chicken, salsa, taco seasoning mix and water to a boil in a large skillet; cover.
Simmer 10 minutes. Return to boil. Stir in rice and beans. Sprinkle with cheese; cover.
Cook on low heat 5 minutes. Top with sour cream if desires.

Still thinking about this one

2008-06-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

Ham & Swiss Stromboli

1tube (11 oz) refrigerated french bread
6 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
6 green onions, sliced
6 bacon strips, cooked & crumbled
1-1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded swiss cheese

Unroll dough on a greased baking sheet. Place ham over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges. Sprinkle evenly with onions, bacon and cheese. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under. Place seam down on baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut several 1/4-inch deep slits on top of loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 26-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm. Serves 2.

Chicken & Rice Casserole

2008-06-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

Need:
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/3 cups of water
3/4 cup of uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1/2 tsp of onion powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper (I actually use steak seasoning, and like the kick it gives it.)
2 cups of frozen mixed veggies
4 skinless, boneless chicken halves (I actually use maybe two and I cut them up finger size.)

Directions:
*Stir soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper (steak seasoning) and veggies in 11x8 shallow baking dish
*Top with chicken, season chicken with steak seasoning. Cover.
*Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes (or until chicken and rice are done.
(I take the cover off and leave in oven for 10 more minutes, to help brown chicken.)
*Stir rice before serving.

Pulled Pork...

2008-06-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

I'm just posting the link here. :-) I know Rachel has tried it and liked it...so maybe the rest of you will also! :-)

http://iniguezfamily.blogspot.com/2008/04/while-i-am-no-pioneer-woman.html

Really Healthy chili, but sill yummy.

2008-06-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 Cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves minced
2T. chili powder

1.5 T. Cummin

1/2t salt

2 cans stewed tomatoes

1 pound cooked ground beef or turkey (I usually use Jennio ground turkey)

1 (14.5oz) can beef broth

1/2 cup water

1 can corn (drained)

1 can black beans (drained)

1 can kidney beans (drained)

1 can pinto beans (drained)

1 can chili beans

Put all ingredients in crock pot, low for 4-5 hours. On high for 1-2 hours. I usually eat it with some tortilla chips. Also sometimes I add green beans for fun. It is super yummy.

Pizza Night!

2008-06-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

1 to 2 Packs of Pillsbury's pizza dough
1 jar of Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni
Canadian Bacon
Pineapple
Mushrooms
Olives

Preheat oven 425

Roll out the pizza dough. Add the Pizza sauce on top. The add the Mozzarella cheese. The finish adding the other toppings on top.

Cook for 13-18 minutes.
Enjoy!

Taco Soup!

2008-06-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

1lbs of Ground Turkey (or Beef)
1 Package of Taco seasoning
1 Can of Corn
1 Can of Kidney beans
1 Container of 100% Vegetable Juice

Mix all ingredients together in a slow cooker set on Low for 4 hours....walk away...come back and enjoy!!!!!

I always add a little sour cream and Taco cheese on top of each bowl of soup. I also serve it with Quesedillas or with Taco chips! YummO!

Simple Chicken Soft Tacos

2008-06-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

Things you will need for this wonderful simple dish:

Slow Cooker
4 defrosted Chicken Breasts
1 package of Taco Seasoning
1 can of Tomatoes w/Chilies (you decide how hot you want it to be!)
Flower tortillas
Sour Cream
Taco Cheese
Lettuce
Tomatoes or Salsa

Directions:

In your Slow Cooker lay the 4 Chicken Breasts down flat on the bottom.
Mix in a separate bowl 1 pack of Taco Seasoning and the can of Tomatoes w/Chilies.
Cook that on LOW for 6 hours.
Take a fork and separate the Chicken Breasts.
Serve in a tortilla along with the toppings. Enjoy!!!!

This Chicken also is wonderful in a Taco Bowl!
I love this recipe because I don't have to do much to have a nice yummy dinner!

Spinach & Cheese Manicotti

2008-06-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

This was given to me by Rachel B. and has become one of our families favorites.

15 oz. cottage cheese (or ricotta)
1, 10 oz. package chopped spinach – thawed
1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella (divided)
1 egg
2 tsp. fresh parsley
½ tsp. onion powder or minced onion
½ tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2 jars (28 ounces each)
1 cup water
1 package 8 ounces manicotti shells

9x13 pan

Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, egg & spices & parsley. Fill shells, use hands, mix sauce and water. Pour 1 cup mixture into bottom of un-greased pan. Put in the manicottis. Pour rest of sauce, sprinkle with remaining parmesan and mozzarella. Bake uncovered 40 – 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Lazy-Day Overnight Lasagna

2008-06-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

1 lb. ground Italian pork sausage or ground beef
1 jar (28 oz) Spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 container (15 oz) cottage cheese
2 teaspoons basil
1/2 teaspoon chives
½ teaspoon oregano
1 egg
1 package uncooked lasagna noodles
1 lb sliced mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain well and stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, chives, oregano and egg.

In ungreased 13x9 casserole dish, spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce. Top with half each of the uncooked noodle, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 1 ½ cups meat sauce and remaining noodles, cottage cheese mixture and mozzarella. Top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or over night.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover baking dish and bake 50 to 60 minutes. Cover; let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Baked French Toast

2008-05-31T21:29:00.000-07:00

This is a great breakfast and you do all the work the night before!

French Toast:
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of salt
Praline Topping:

2 sticks butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

*French Toast:

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. Arrange slices in a buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

*Praline Topping:

Mix all ingredients together until well blended.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

Serve with maple syrup.