Chicken and Broccoli Braid

Last night I made the yummiest dinner braid! And the kids asked for seconds! Hubby ate about 1/3 (the leftovers after the 5 kids & I ate).

I made my own Buttery Soft Crescent Rolls found on recipezaar.com, then followed the recipe for the Chicken and Broccoli Braid from one of the Pampered Chef (R) Season's Best Recipe Books (but the recipe is not on their website, so for copyright purposes I did not post it. Oh, I do have to say I used 3 chicken breasts as it says in the recipe. The recipe also calls for 1 cup of broccoli and some red pepper and their Dill spice. I used a whole bag of broccoli stir-fry vegetables and then some other spice, I think it was Jamaican rub, or something like that! You have to be creative sometimes!

Anyway, it's a big braid, fills a whole cookie sheet, but it is so yummy! It would be great for serving company!

County Fair Cookies (best ever sugar cookie)

I had so many requests for this on Facebook so I decided to post it here, too.

County Fair Cookies

2 c sugar

1 c shortening (butter but NOT margarine)

2 eggs

1/2 c sour cream (or buttermilk - and I've been known to use sour milk, but milk doesn't go bad in my house, so that's usually not an option!)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

5 c flour

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, beating well after each. Add sour cream and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Starting with 4 1/2 cups of flour, continue to add flour until dough no longer sticks to the bowl but is still malleable.

Roll to desired thickness. Cut out shapes. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Make that 8-10 minutes! I copied the recipe exactly as my mother had emailed it to me and well, they don't turn out if they're not baked long enough!

Decorate as desired.

Merry Christmas!

Maple Pumpkin Pie recipe

Maple Pumpkin Pie recipe

I haven't tried this yet, but I think this is the recipe I'm going to use! I'll let you know how it turns out!

Chicken Pot Pie Pockets

I decided to try something new (and I didn't think about taking pictures, sorry). I was in the mood for homemade bread and chicken pot pie. So I decided to marry the two!

The shell:

My favorite homemade wheat bread dough.

The filling:

1 26-oz. can cream of chicken soup

1/2 package of frozen mixed vegetables

Easy, huh?

I make bread dough one loaf at a time (because that's how big my food processor is, yes, I use my food processor). Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each ball out thin and cut in half, you may have semi-circles or triangles, we ended up with both because my kids were helping me.

Place approximately 1/2 cup of filling in each and fold dough over and pinch shut to prevent too much spillage.

We ended up with 16 "pockets" on two cookie sheets.

Cover and let rise for about 25 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (check the bottoms of the pockets to make sure the dough is cooked. I was following my bread recipe which said to bake for 25 minutes and I had to put the pockets back in for another 10-15 minutes to bake the bottoms.

These were a huge hit with my kids, my brother AND my husband!

I hope you like them, too!

Hawaiian Haystacks

These are so good that although I just posted it on my blog, I'm coming to post it on this one too. YUM!!

These come from a ward cookbook that I have. I chose them this week because I was flipping though the cookbook and had yum written on the page. I did remember it being tasty. It didn't disappoint today. The other great thing about it was that it was super easy. I put my rice in the rice cooker, put me precooked chicken in the microwave, heated my gravy, chopped my bell pepper and celery together in the food processor and luckily had tomatoes left over from yesterday's tacos. It took very little effort today. Never a bad thing in my book.
Not sure it is the prettiest food to look at, but it sure is tasty.



Ingredients

• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup chicken broth
  
• 1 can (9 1/2 oz.) chow mein noodles
• 2 c. chicken, cooked and cubed
  
• 1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained
• 4 cups cooked rice
• 1 c. celery, chopped
• 1/2 c. green onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
  
• 1/2 c. almonds, slivered (optional)
• 1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 c. coconut (optional)
• 1 bottle sweet and sour sauce
  

Directions:

Mix soup and broth to make gravy. Heat and keep warm. Layer on individual plates in the following order: Rice, chowmein noodles, chicken, gravy, veggies, fruit, cheese, almonds, coconut, and sweet and sour sauce. Serves 6 to 8.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

I found this recipe at http://www.goodlifeeats.com/. Yum. I like it.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

1 cup old fashioned oats, not quick cook
1 Tbs whole flax seeds, optional
2 1/2 Tbs brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp butter, softened
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup milk

Topping:
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tsp butter, softened
1 Tbs brown sugar

(I skipped the topping to cut down on sugar and fat content)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the oats through salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir well. In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, butter, pumpkin, and milk. Whisk thoroughly. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats. Stir until combined. Pour into small square baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Tandoori Chicken and Naan

Tandoori Chicken

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
Juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbs oil
2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2-3 lbs)

1. In a shallow glass dish, combine yogurt, lemon juice, and oil; blend well. Add all remaining ingredients except chicken breast halves; blend well. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover; refrigerate 30-60 minutes to marinate.
2. Line 15X10X1 inch baking pan with foil; spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Remove chicken from marinade; place in foil-lined pan. Discard any marinade.
3. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear, turning once.
I had rather large chicken breast halves, so I cut them in half. I figures they would cook faster, and get more marinade on them. It worked very well. Most were done in 10 min. I checked them with a thermometer. If there were up to 159 I took them out. They were perfect. Soft enough to cut with a fork and very yummy! Everyone loved them. Nice Indian flavor.
We served them with the following Naan -the recipe is from allrecipes

Naan
Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

Directions

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
• Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
• At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

We did not make them on a grill - we made them on a cast iron skillet. Delicious!!


If you like the flavor of the tandoori chicken, you may like to try the following - it is a Pakistani recipe, but the flavor is similar, just using beef, and I'm always looking for a recipe using beef that is tasty. It is from Sparkrecipes.

Keema

Ingredients
1.5 lbs lean ground sirloin
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup diced potatoes
1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, tumeric, ginger
1 tbsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Brown ground sirloin in pan with onions until browned.
Add tomatoes, peas, potatoes and spices along with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 25 mintues.
Add water if it becomes too thick. It should have the consistency of chili.
Serve over brown rice or whole wheat couscous.

Number of Servings: 6

whole grain waffles and blueberry sauce.

We just had this for breakfast and it was so good I'm here posting it already. Both recipes come from allrecipes.com. Yum. The waffles flavor was way better than I expected for a whole grain waffle. What I really liked about them was their texture - nice and crispy on the outside, nice and soft on the inside. (even the one I burned was soft on the inside - that's amazing.) I can't say enough good things about the sauce. It was amazing. I did sub out 1/4 cup of the sugar for splenda with no problems.

Whole grain waffles

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 3/4 cups skim milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup flax seed meal
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Beat in whole wheat pastry flour, flax seed meal, wheat germ, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until batter is smooth.
2. Preheat a waffle iron, and coat with cooking spray. Pour batter into waffle iron in batches, and cook until crisp and golden brown.

Blueberry Sauce

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup of water, orange juice, and sugar. Stir gently, and bring to a boil.
2. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Gently stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries so as not to mash the berries. Simmer gently until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract and cinnamon. Thin sauce with water if it is too thick for your liking.

Wheat Berries carbona

I'm publishing this as a different way to use your wheat. :) Enjoy!
I was a bit afraid of this meal because it used wheat, but everyone ate it, and even had seconds. I was still thinking it wasn't going to be good as left overs, but low and behold it was still good. I couldn't find canadian bacon at the store that week, and I wasn't searching, so I just used diced ham.


2 cups whole wheat berries or whole grain rye
1 tsp salt
6 cups water
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
2 onions, finely chopped
8 oz canadian back bacon, slivered
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste.

1. In a pressure cooker, combine wheat berries, salt, water and 1 Tbs of the oil. Lock the lid in place and bring cooker up to full pressure over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, just to maintain even pressure, and cook for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and release pressure quickly. THe wheat berries should be tender. If not, return to full pressure and cook for 3 to 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and release pressure quickly. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and bacon; Saute until onions are golden brown. Add peas and heat through. Stir in cream and cooked wheat berries, stirring to coat.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook just until heated through. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Rice pudding

OK, I have a thing for rice pudding - I LOVE IT! So, I'm always trying a new recipe. Here are some of my favorites

First - my brand new all time favorite for creaminess and speed

Creamy Rice Pudding with Sun-dried Cranberries
(warning -made in a pressure cooker - hence the speed part)

1 cup arborio or other short-grain rice
2 Tbs butter
2 cups water
1 can 2 % evaporated milk (14 oz -although I only used 12 because that is what I have -I've also never seen 2 % just regular and skim - I did double this once and used 1 of each)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup dried cranberries, dried cherries or raisins
1/2 cup low-fat sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla

1. In a pressure cooker, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in rice, coating the grains with butter. Stir in water, evaporated milk, cinnamon and nutmeg; bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring to make sure the milk doesn't burn.
2. Lock the lid in place and bring cooker up to full pressure over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, just to maintatin even pressure and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Remove cooker from heat and allow pressure to drop naturally for about 7 minutes. Remove lid.
3. Sir in dried cranberries, condensed milk, and vanilla. Let stand covered (do not lock) for 5 minutes. Spoon into individual dishes and serve warm, or cover with plastic and chill to serve cold.
YUM!!! - I've made it with cranberry and raisin - both are delicious.

This is DH's favorite that I have found and like myself- he likes his rice pudding with egg

Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding
6 c 2% reduced fat milk
1.5 cups uncooked converted rice (such as Uncle Ben's-don't use white tried it once because I didn't have the other, and it didn't turn out the same.)
1 cup sugar
1 cup raisins
3 T butter or margarine, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean, split (I've made it once this way, but vanilla beans are too expensive for me to want to buy. I just subbed a tsp or 2 of vanilla)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
8 oz. light sour cream

Place first 6 ingredients in a 3.5 to 4 quart slow cooker; stir well. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; add seeds and bean to milk mixture. Cover cook on high setting 2.5 to 4 hours or until rice is tender and most of liquid is absorbed (do not overcook). Place egg in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Gradually add 1/2 cup hot rice mixture to egg, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return egg mixture to slow cooker, stirring constantly with whisk. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Turn slow cooker off; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 tsp cinnamon and sour cream. Discard vanilla bean. Serve warm. Yields 12 servings (3/4 c. each)

This next one is awesome and uses brown rice. I love the addition of lemon for a different flavor. I'd make it more often if I didn't have to stir it the whole time. I think I'm going to try it in the pressure cooker and see if it turns out. It is from an Oprah show by chef Cat Cora. Click the links to see the rest of the recipes if you want to try them out.

Rizogalo

Recipe created by Cat Cora

Try chef Cat Cora's recipe for Rizogalo, a creamy breakfast brown rice pudding dish from her complete seven-day menu.

Ingredients:

Serves 6

• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 lemon , zested
• 1 lightly beaten egg
• 1 1/2 tsp. unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Honey
• Granola

Place the cooked rice in a large bowl and rinse with cool water. Pour the rice into a strainer, let drain well and set aside.

Pour the milk into a large saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Add in 1 teaspoon cinnamon and vanilla extract, and bring to a low boil. Turn the heat down to low and whisk in the sugar, salt and lemon zest. Ladle about a quarter-cup of the hot milk mixture very slowly into the beaten egg while continuing to whisk gently. This technique "tempers" the liquid so the eggs don't scramble. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan and stir into the remaining hot milk. Add the rice and stir continuously over low heat until the mixture begins to thicken, about 20 minutes.

Add the butter and stir. Sprinkle lightly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Top with granola and drizzle of honey. Serve warm with milk in bowls if desired.

Bucket O' Chicken with Buttermilk Dip

So, I love, Love, love this one too - but I have some notes - first don't think you have to have 4 c of buttermilk - wow thats a lot - I half it, which also means half the herbs if your buying fresh, but I also didn't love the dip you make with the other half - honestly I'd rather have the premade ranch out of my fridge sad I know - but even though this is just for fried chicken and veggies, it makes THE BEST onion rings ever! It was so good we had it again 2 nights later with the leftover herbs / buttermilk we made another batch. So I would go with that - I also didn't fry them in a pan as it would take me forever, but I have a beautiful little fryer that helped out a lot. I also cut my chicken breasts down because I'm too cheap to pay for chicken tenders. I'm typing in the whole recipe so if you want to try the dip for yourself then you can. Oh and this little beauty came from Rachel Rays Big Orange Book in her words Yum-O.

4 c. buttermilk
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp hot sauce, plus more to taste
1/4 c fresh parsley, a generous handful, chopped
1/2 c. fresh dill, a handful, finely chopped
2 to 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
2 p. chicken tenders
canola oil, for shallow frying
2 c. all purpose flour, plus more as needed
8 scallions, roots trimmed
3/4 c. sour cream
assorted raw vegetable sticks,seedless cucumber, celery, carrots, red bell pepper

In a large bowl, mix together the buttermilk, garlic, hot sauce, parsley, dill, chives, and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside about one-third of the mixture; reserve for the dipping sauce. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in a shallow dish or large resealable plastic bag. Pour about half of the remaining seasoned buttermilk over the chicken pieces, then cover the dish with plastic wrap or seal the bag and marinate for 10 minutes. Place a medium, high sided skillet over medium to high heat. Add one inch of caola oil to your pan and get it hot - or use your fryer here. Place two high-sided dishes on the counter and fill one with flour and the other with the remaining buttermilk mixture. Dip the trimmed scallions into the buttermilk, then into the flour, then back into the buttermilk and back into the flour. Once there double coated, fry them in batches in the oil until they are golden brown all over, don't drowd the pan. Transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain. When the scallions are fried, remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Dip and coat the chicken strips and fry until golden brown and cooked through, 5-6 minutes. You can change the oil if it gets too gritty. Mix the sour cream into the reserved buttermilk mixture to thicken it up and add salt and pepper and hot sauce to taste. Serve the chicken with the dip and veggies.

Karley

My Favorite Burger

So I love this burger I bought taste of homes healthy cooking - may edition mag and wouldn't you know I can find the most unhealthy of all the recipes to love because I used the full fat versions instead of the lighter ones listed, of course. The first time I made it I loved it, so went to make it again and wouldn't you know couldn't find where I put the magazine, then I went online to find the recipe and you have to have a subscription to look at it online - didn't have a subscription....just bought the one mag - can't explain that to a website.....so after much hunting here it is I found it - hope you love it too - and no joke the name of the recipe is my fav burger - I didn't make that up.

1/4 c. grated onion - mine didn't want to grate so after turning part of an onion to mush - I would just finely chop this
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c. sliced sweet onion
4 kaiser rolls, split
4 oz. fat fat -free cream cheese
2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

In a large bowl, combine the onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties. If grilling the burgers, coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Grill covered, over medium heat or broil 4-6 in from the heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degress and jucies run clear. Meanwhile , in a small skillet coated with cooking spray, cook and stir mushrooms and onion over medium heat until onion is golden brown. Grill rolls for 1-2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Spread rolls with cream cheese; top burgers with mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with bacon.


yum, yum, yum!!
Karley

Cheesy Chicken Meatballs

I was hunting for a good ground chicken recipe as I found it on sale super cheap a few weeks back and this is what came of it - I got this one off of allrecipes.com - pretty tasty - but if your kids don't like it spicy - keep the red pepper flakes out of their's.

1pd ground chicken
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c cream cheese (they said to use the roasted garlic kind - but we just had plain on hand)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dry bread crumbs
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp italian seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray - don't forget these can be sticky - well at least to the pan. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl; mix well. Form the mixture into 20 meatballs - we did larger because they were very soupy and harder to form - still works just fine - place on your lined and sprayed pan. Bake in your preheated oven until the juices run clear, appx 17-18 min. Your meat thermometer should read at least 165 degrees in the center to be done.

Karley

sour cream and onion burgers

OK, these were the tastiest burgers ever. I'm not sure if it was just the burger recipe, or the fact that I made homemade buns, or a combination of both, but they were delicious.

Burgers

2 lb lean ground beef -I had 2.25 of ground sirloin
1 pkg onion soup mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup bread crumbs
pepper to taste

Mix it all together and cook it on the grill.
Dress your burger as desired. DH put thousand island on his.

I found this bun recipe on allrecipes.com (the following link has a picture)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Belles-Hamburger-Buns/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the milk, 1 cup of water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and let stand until lukewarm. If the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and yeast. Pour in wet ingredients and stir until the dough starts to pull together. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions They should be a little larger than a golf ball. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough tightly around and pinching it at the bottom. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. After the rolls sit for a minute and relax, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until it is 3 to 4 inches wide. You may want to oil your hand first. Set rolls aside until they double in size, about 20 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Mix together the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a cup or small bowl. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Position 2 oven racks so they are not too close to the top or bottom of the oven.
5. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the rolls from the oven and return them to different shelves so each one spends a little time on the top. Continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top and bottom.

I read a post that said they had subbed wheat flour with good success. I made mine with 2 c wheat flour and 3.5 regular. They were tasty. I think next time I would only heat the milk mix minut the water, then add the water at a cool temperature to cool the milk down more quickly. I didn't like waiting for the milk mix to cool, and don't see the point. I know you need to scald milk, but I don't think the water there made any difference. If anyone knows different, let me know.

Kimberly

Mexican Chicken

The next 2 are super easy, yummy recipes I found in an old ward cookbook.

1 whole chicken, cooked, deboned, and cut in bite-sized pieces.
1 6 oz. can black olives, sliced
2 4 oz cans diced green chiles
1 tsp. salt
1 large onion, chopped and sauteed in 1 stick butter (may also saute tomatoes)
3 cans cream of chicken soup (or 1 chicken, 1 mushroom, 1 sour cream)
5 to 7 oz. tortilla strips, broken in pieces or coursely crushed (too many chips will make dish dry)

Mix all ingredients well. Place in a 9X13 inch baking dish, buttered. Cover with foil. Bake 30 to 40 minutes (until bubbly) in a 350* oven. Top with grated Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese. Serves about 15.

OK, I used my precooked frozen chicken (see recipe below.) I only used 1 can of diced green chilies knowing my little ones don't like food too spicy. I sauteed my onions, and because it said I could, at the end I added tomatoes -but I just added a drained can of diced tomatoes. I added 2 cans of cream of chicken, and 8 oz. sour cream. I also mixed all of my ingredients in the frying pan that I had sauteed my onions in, and I left it on, so everything got heated up on the stove. (I was also hoping to speed dinner along.) I also didn't read well and didn't cover it with foil, and put the cheese on at the beginning. It was done in 30 min. I think I may have even taken it out early. Super yummy and pretty quick!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This was quick and tasty.

3 half chicken breasts
1 (15 oz.) can pineapple chunks (in own juice)
1/4 c. vinegar
3 Tbs. brown sugar
3 Tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and cut in strips.


Boil chicken breasts in water with a touch of salt. Remove meat from bone (or if you use boneless/skinless chicken, just cut into chinks) and cut into bite size chunks. Put chunks into skillet with pineapple, including juice. Add garlic salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for about 3 to 5 minutes. Combine sugar, soy, and vinegar to taste. Add to chicken and pineapple. Add green bell pepper strips, then simmer again for about 3 tgo 5 minutes.

Serve over rice. If you like more sauce for your rice, buy a small can of pineapple juice and add to pineapple chunks and chicken at the beginning of the recipe. Double vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce part.

I made this using precooked chicken (I buy boneless skinless breasts when on sale, we barbecue them, chop them and store them in plastic tubs in the freezer. They defrost in 2 minutes in the microwave and are a great time saver - I do the same with ground beef.) I did about 1 1/2 times this recipe - used 1 15 oz can of pineapple and 1 of the smaller cans.... I put rice in the rice cooker when I started and everything was ready in 20 minutes. Yum! There were no left overs.

Death by Chocolate Cake

Jacquie made this for us the other day and it is the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten! My kids say it is almost like brownies--because it is so moist. She baked it in a bundt pan and served it with whipped cream. Perfect!

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE CAKE
3/4 c sour cream
1/2 c oil
1/2 c water
4 eggs
1 chocolate cake mix (any kind, but I like dark chocolate or chocolate fudge)
1 small package instant chocolate pudding
1 c chocolate chips

Combine sour cream, oil, water and eggs on low speed in mixer. Add cake mix and pudding mix. Mix on low for about 1 minute until combined. Scrape bowl and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add chocolate chips and mix on low until just combined.Pour into greased and floured bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350, or until a toothpick comes out clean (be careful not to mistake the chocolate chips for undone cake :) Turn out on cooling rack just after removing from oven. When cool, sift powered sugar over the top. Serve with whipped cream.

Tamara

Yummy Quick Potato Rolls

I've never made rolls this quickly before--way easier than using Rhodes. The roll in the picture is the only one left, and I'm eating it right now. Mmmmmmm!

Here's the recipe:

1/2 c warm water

3 tsp. active dry yeast

2 T. sugar

1/2 c sour cream (heated to lukewarm)

1/2 c mashed potatoes (I used instant. Also lukewarm to keep the yeast going)

1/4 c butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 c white flour (don't use wheat, I tried it and it wasn't a good substitute)

Mix for approximately 5 minutes. Add more water or flour as necessary. Dough will be soft and not sticky. Divide into rolls and place on greased cookie sheet. Spray with Pam, cover with Saran, and let rise until double in size (it will only take about a 1/2 hour).

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 or until golden brown on top.

Corn and Chicken Enchiladas

I'm adding these because I liked them enough to eat the left overs for a lot of days. They weren't your typical red or green sauce enchilada, they have a corn sauce that is a little sweet. They passed the kid test - 3 year old and 12 year old loved them. 9 month old - couldn't get enough of the corn sauce. The 10 year old liked them, but didn't want seconds saying they were too sweet. They are time consuming like pretty much any enchilada I've made, but they were unique enough to be good and different.

Sauce
4 ears corn (I needed more - 1 of mine was bad, but that still wouldn't have been enough. I had to mix fresh with canned corn.)
2 Tbs oil
1 medium onion, choppet
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 jalapeño chile, seeded, minced
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt

Filling
Reserved corn kernels
2 cups diced cooked chicken
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Enchiladas
12 (6 -inch) corn tortillas (I needed more, but I had a 30 pack)
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1. Remove husks from corn. Cut kernels from corn to make 4 1/2 cups. Reserve 1 1/2 cups kernels for filling.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add chile and 3 cups of the corn kernels; cover and cook 4 to 6 minutes or until corn is tender stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
3. In blender container, combine milk, salt and corn mixture; blend until coarsely pureed. Set aside.
4. Heat oven to 350. Spray 9 X 13 pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, combine reserved 1 1/2 cups corn kernels and all remaining filling ingredients; mix well.
5. In small skillet over low heat, heat each tortilla until softened. place about 1/2 cup filling on each warm tortilla (1/2 cup was too much to roll. I put what looked good and just made more enchiladas.); roll up and place seam side down in sprayed baking dish. Top with corn sauce; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese.
6. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Just before serving, sprinkle with cilantro. (I didn't do that -oops ;) -cilantro isn't my favorite thing.

Kimberly

Peach puff pancake

This is a favorite at our house (and anywhere I bring it as well.) Once I brought it for a baby shower (we always did breakfast baby showers before school as teachers). I got to bring it for all subsequent baby showers that out team was in charge of.) It is delicious!

Ingredients
6 Tablespoons butter or margarine
6 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp almond extract or vanilla
3 medium peaches (1 lb) peeled and sliced (2 cups) (sub 1 16 oz bag frozen peaches thawed and drained or 2 cups drained canned sliced peaches)
Peach preserves
maple syrup

1. Heat oven to 375. Spray 2 1/2 quart casserole or 9 X 13 pan with cooking spray. Melt butter in baking dish in oven.

2. Beat eggs slightly in large bowl with wire whisk or hand beater. Beat in flour, sugar, salt, milk and almond extract until smooth.

3. Stir peaches into butter in baking dish; return to oven 2 to 3 minutes or until sizzling.

4. Pour batter over peaches. Bake about 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately with peach preserves and maple syrup.

(This always takes longer than 2o minutes to bake - sometimes as long as 40 min. It will puff up and be golden when done and not look too wet on the top.) Yum! Makes me want to make this for breakfast in the morning. I even have fresh peaches. Hmm - my family would love me.

Kimberly

Chicken pitas and homemade pita recipes

Hi, this is Karley's sister Kimberly. She said I could share since I'm a new recipe nut.

I'll start with last night's dinner.
Greek pitas - these were super yummy, and simple

Ingredients

Pitas (recipe follows if you are brave enough to make your own, but that is what made the recipe)
hummus
2 cups chopped cooked chicken we grill up a ton, chop it and freeze it so it is always handy)
1 small container plain yogurt (6 or 8 oz)
2 tsp mint leaves
2 sliced tomatoes
1 sliced cucumber

Mix the mint leaves into the yogurt. Set aside.
Open pitas, spread hummus on one side. Fill with chicken, a couple slices of tomato and cucumber. Top with the yogurt sauce. Yum
I didn't have cucumbers (the ones I had bought were horribly bitter) so we just used lettuce. It was just as tasty. Somewhere in there I was supposed to add some greek seasoning, but I forgot. I'm sure they would be even better if I had mixed that with the chicken.

We couldn't find pitas at the store, so I searched at Sparkpeople.com (actually a weight loss sight, but they have lots of tasty recipes that are rated, and sometimes even healthy) Anyway, I found the following recipe for pitas - YUM! Never buying pitas again. I found the dough to be super sticky and had to roll them in lots of flour. I also will probably try baking them on my pizza stone next time rather than using all of the little pieces of aluminum foil.

Pitas

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1.5 cup white flour
1.5 tsp salt
1Tbsp white sugar
2 tsp dry active yeast
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup water warmed to 105-110 F

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 F
1. Blend 1 cup of the flour with the rest of the dry ingredients
2. Add water, then olive oil and mix thoroughly
3. Add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time kneading by hand by the end until all flour is worked through (about 5 mins kneading)
4. Divide dough into 8 equal parts and shape like a bun
5. Cover dough with a tea towel and let "rest" for approx 20-30 min depending on how warm your room is. (Warmer rooms need less time)
6. Roll each pita to 3/16" thick and place on individual squares of tin foil
7. Place 4 at a time right on the oven rack and bake for 5-7 minutes
8. When removing from the oven, stack them directly toogether immediately while hot so they stay soft, and cool stacked and wrapped in foil.
Note: Some may not puff, but YUM... eat them while hot or use them as crusts for quick mini pizzas or brush with olive oil and garlic and re-bake to make pita chips

Kimberly

Potato Salad

2 pounds small yukon gold potatoes - appx 6 med size
2 large eggs
2 green onions diced
2 c mayo
1/4 c spicy brown mustard
1/4 c finely chopped dill pickles with juice
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 tsp dill seasoning
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Put the potatoes and eggs into a big saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to a simmer. After 12 minutes remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and let cool. Continue cooking the potatoes until a paring knife poked into them goes in without resistance, about 3 minutes longer. Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them cool.
Meanwhile stir together the mayo, mustard, pickles and their juice, red onion, green onion, and lemon juice in a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes. Peel the eggs and chop them very fine into the bowl. Break the potatoes by hand one at a time into the bowl and toss them to coat with the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can also add fresh parsley, drained capers, and scallions instead of green onions if prefered.

So Yummy :)
Karley

Mediterranean Chicken Wraps

Sooooo yummy! We had these for dinner tonight and no one complained when I said we'd be having them again tomorrow : ). This is a delicious summer recipe.

Place in crock pot:
2-4 chicken breasts (The chicken goes a long way)
1/2 c olive oil
1 t rosemary
1 T chicken base or bouillon
2 t. white vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 t oregano
1 t thyme
1/2 t pepper
Cook for 6 hours until done, shred and place back in juices.

Tzatziki sauce (this is like the sauce that comes on gyros, if you've ever had one)
1/2 cucumber, peeled and grated
1 small plain yogurt
1 T mayonnaise
1 T lemon juice
1 t dried dill
salt & pepper
1/2 t garlic powder

Serve wrapped in tortillas with lettuce, chopped tomato, feta cheese, etc. It's good stuff, Maynard : )

Tamara

Chinese Style Lemon Chicken

So in my quest to make my own chinese food - hence save a little cash I signed up for a Thanksgiving Point Cooking class with my friend...if you want more chinese you'll have to fork over some dough she'll teach again in sept- but I figure it saves me buying take out if I can make it....here is one of the recipes from our little class, and let me tell you, it beats the lemon chicken you would order from those places - it tastes much fresher, less sugary.

1 lb. skinless chicken breast fillets
1 cup each: flour & panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs lightly beaten
4 cup vegetable oil

marinate:
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp. mushroom seasoning - can buy it at the chinese type markets / stores
1 tbsp. rice wine
1/4 tsp. pepper

Sauce:
2-3 large fresh lemon, makes about 3/4 cup juice
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
cornstarch mixture: 2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp. water


Cut chicken breast lenghtwise in half; marinate chicken for at least 15 minutes or overnight.

Cook the lemon mixing sauce in a saucepan and bring to boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened. Turn off the heat.

Place the flour, beaten eggs & bread crumbs on a different bowls. Heat 4 cups of oil until hot to deep-fry chicken. Dip marinated chicken in the flour first, then in the egg, last in the breadcrumbs. Deep fry the chicken until golden brown crust forms. Set on plate, cut chicken into strips & top with sauce.

Karley

"Instant" Pancake Mix

I have been on a quest to save some serious money at the grocery store. So in my quest to make things more from scratch I found this recipe. It is from my favorite food network guy, Alton Brown.

*6 cups all purpose flour
*1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
*3 teaspoons baking powder
*1 tablespoon kosher salt
*2 tablespoons sugar

I made a huge batch of this and will now just keep it in the pantry. Way easy and all things most people have on hand anyway.

Instant Pancakes
*2 eggs, separated
*2 cups buttermilk (you can use regular milk and just add a little lemon juice or vinegar)
*4 tablespoons melted butter
*2 cups "instant" pancake mix (above recipe)

Whisk together egg whites and buttermilk
Whisk together egg yolks and melted butter (be sure the butter isn't still hot or you will cook the egg yolks)
Mix the liquids together and then mix with dry ingredients. Do not over mix, there will be some lumps.

I added blueberries (I had some left over from a 4th of July dessert I made).

To feed my family of 7 I didn't double the recipe but I added 50%. Does that make sense? I did 3 eggs, 3 cups buttermilk. 6 tablespoons butter, 3 cups pancake mix. It was just the right amount.

Mall Pretzels

Here's another great recipe I found on Allrecipes. I've made them twice now and was able to figure out all the little quirks this time. They are totally yummy!

With lots of kids in and out of the house all day long, it seems more economical to whip something up from scratch rather than open a box of something, and these are so worth the effort!

Here ya go:

MALL PRETZELS
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
2 T brown sugar
1 1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 cups all-purpose flour (more, if needed)

Baking Soda Bath:
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda

2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. The dough should be soft and workable--if it's totally sticky, add more flour until you can handle it without getting it stuck all over your hands. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.

2. Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8 inch square pan.

3. After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on cookie sheet greased with butter or margarine and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar.

My own personal tips: Cutting the dough into 12 pieces (instead of pulling off random chunks, like I did the first time) is important, otherwise some of your pretzels will be too thick, others to thin. I roll mine into ropes on my glass stovetop and I know I've got them thin enough when the rope reaches from one side of the stovetop to the other. Also, I used regular table salt the first time because that's all I had, but then I bought coarse kosher salt to use on the next batch and it made a huge difference.

Enjoy!

Tamara

Easy Italian Crockpot Chicken

This little beauty came out of the last ward cookbook - cooking with class. Its creamy and delicious, but best of all super easy.

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 c. milk
1 pkg dry italian seasoning
4-5 chicken breasts

Melt the cream cheese, milk, and cream of chicken soup in the microwave. Stir together and mix in the italian seasoning packet. Place 4-5 chicken breasts in the crockpot, pour the mixture on top and cook on low 4-5 hours. Serve over rice or pasta.

Jello Cake with Pudding Frosting

So, I assume everyone has made a jello cake, but then I find some people have never tasted it's deliciousness and its one of my fav's, I just made it for my baby girl who just turned one and she LOVED it- I also found a new recipe for a pudding frosting in the lastest Kraft magazine which gives the classic cool whip topping a kick. Here goes.....

1 bx white cake mix
1pk jello any flavor - I like the 6oz box cause I like a lot of jello in mine, but you could use either
1 pk 3.9 oz Instant Pudding mix - I'd use vanilla here but you can use any flavor
1 cup cold milk
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tub cool whip

First bake the cake mix according to the box directions in a 9x13 pan. A little trick to make your cake more moist is to switch out the water for milk - its optional. After the cake is done let it sit out and cool - about an hour. Then poke it with a fork all over and all the way through in the pan - kids like to help with this part. Then check your package of jello - make the jello using half the normal amount of water listed on the box for standard jello prep. Pour the jello over the cake; yes its o.k. , fill all the holes and just our it everywhere - kids like to help with this part too. Then put your cake in the fridge and let the jello set 3-4 hours. Then take a seperate large bowl and mix / beat the pudding mix, sugar, and milk all together. Stir in cool whip - frost your jello cake and its ready to serve.

Easy Granola Bars

3 1/2 cups Rolled Oats 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup Packed Brown Sugar 1 cup Rice Crispies
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Salt 2 teaspoons Vanilla
2/3 cup Butter (not margarie) softened 3/4 cup Honey
3/4 cup Dried Fruit or Chocolate Chips 1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds or Nuts

Preheat oven to 325 F

Combine all ingredients except Fruit and Nuts. Mix until all ingredients are incorpated. Stir in Nuts and Fruit (or Chocolate)

Press foil in the bottome of a jelly roll pan or a 9X13 pan and spray

Press mixture in pan, press firmly or use rolling pin to pack in tight.

Bake 25 minutes

Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Then lift foil and bars out of pan and cool on top of a cooling rack. This causes the bars to be crunchy on both sidesl.

Store in air tight container or plastic bags.

Amazing Pot Roast

O.K. So I love this roast that you get at Chicago Brewery in Las Vegas - its the best ever, the closest I can get to it here in Utah is Costco's Mortons pot roast, but alas I have no good roast recipe - until now. It still doesn't taste the same as chicagos - but WOW is this sucker good! It even makes its own delicious gravy - which is freakin awesome - did I mention I love this recipe??? I got this one off the food network's website - its a paula deen recipe.

Ingredients:
1 (3-4pd) boneless chuck roast (I actually used a pork butt roast that had a bone - still works)
1 tsp House seasoning, recipe follows
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 (10 3/4oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. red wine
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp beef bouillion granules
3/4 c. water

House Seasoning 1c. salt, 1/4 c. pepper, 1/4 c. garlic powder - I used a tsp instead of a cup - because I did not need that much house seasoning - just mix it together and its done

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Rub the house seasoning into the roast on both sides. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides. Place the meat in a roaster pan - (I used a large oven safe pan because I didn't have a small enough roaster.) Add onions and garlic to skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to absorb leftover roast juice. Place into roaster pan with meat and bay leaves.

Combine the mushroom soup, wine, worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon into a bowl. Pour over the roast. Add the water.

Cover the pan with foil and bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tender.

Remove and discard the bay leaves.

There was a note at the bottom of the recipe that said if the gravy wasn't thick enough remove the meat from the pan - pour the sauce into a saucepan bring it to a boil and add 2 tbsp of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 c cold water stirring constantly until thick.

Hope you LOVE it too :)
Karley

The Miracle of Magic Mix

Kari found a really, really cool website while she was playing on Facebook the other day. It's called Everyday Food Storage (I've put a link to the left also). Anyway, one of the things I found on there that I'm really excited about is called Magic Mix. Here is how it's made:

2 1/3 c powdered milk (I just picked up a 10# can of Morning Moos at Walmart for $11)
1 c all purpose flour
1 c (2 sticks) margarine (not spread) or butter at room temperature

Using a blender or blender attachment on your mixer, mix until it looks like cornmeal. Store tightly sealed in the fridge. I put mine in a freezer bag, she suggested a 10# can.

The important thing is everything you can make with it! Today I made chocolate pudding with it. YUM-O. Here's how:

1/2 c sugar
1 c magic mix
2-3 T cocoa
2 c water
1 t vanilla

Combine magic mix, sugar, and cocoa in saucepan and mix well. Add water, stir over medium heat until pudding bubbles. Add vanilla and beat. Cover and cool.

She also has instructions for making white sauce, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, etc. (I want to make these and freeze can sized portions). There's even a recipe for homemade fudgesicles using the magic mix.

You can find all her recipes and posts using Magic Mix here.

I love learning all of this new information that helps me to save money and be more self-sufficient. There are so many things that you can make for yourself using basic cooking staples instead of mixes and pre-prepared things from the store.

Tamara

Mint Brownies

These are sinfully delicious--and when you read the ingredients, you'll know why : P. I had to type the recipe up for an enrichment meeting tonight, so I thought I might as well post it.

Mint Brownies

Brownie Layer
1 c melted butter
3/4 c baking cocoa
2 c sugar
1 1/2 c flour
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cool and then chill in the refrigerator.

Mint Layer
2 c powdered sugar
1/2 c softened margarine
1 T water
1/2 tsp mint extract
3 drops green food coloring

Spread on top of brownies. Chill again in fridge.

Chocolate Layer
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
9 T margarine

Melt slowly in microwave, stirring often to prevent burning. Spread over the top of mint layer. Chill once more in fridge.

Tamara

Swedish Meatballs

These have been a staple at my house for as long as I have been married.  In fact, I even grew up eating this for dinner probably a couple times a month.  Super easy, super yummy.  My kids eat it like candy.  Tastes even better as leftovers!!

 

Combine the following ingredients all together and shape into meatballs.   Place them in a medium heat skillet.  Pick a skillet that you have a lid for.  I like to let the bottom of the meatball brown a little and then turn them once.

1 pound ground beef

1 cup minute rice

1 egg slightly beaten

2 tablespoons minced onion (I use dehydrated onions)

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Dash of pepper

1/2 cup milk

After all you meatballs are in the skillet combine the following ingredients together and pour over the meatballs.

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2/3 cup milk (the original recipe calls for water but I think it is much better if you use milk)

1 teaspoon lemon juice.

Make sure all the meatballs have a little bit of soup on or around them.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cover for about 15 minutes.

Serve over rice or noodles!

*****Side note, I always double this recipe for my family, 7 people.  If you double it, still only use one slightly beaten egg.  Doubling makes just the right amount for dinner plus a little leftover for lunch the next day.

Hope you like it as much as my family!!

Christina (UTmomof5)

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

So in my attempt to find a substitute for the ever evil smart cookie co chocolate cookie with white chocolate chips, I decided this would recipe would have to do. As I didn't want to drive that far and I wanted to make something I had all the ingredients on hand, I found this little beauty on the back of the reeses peanut butter chip package - thats how I made it and it was delicious, but I've decided it would be just as tasty with white chocolate chips instead, so feel free to try either or both if you really need a chocolate fix.

2 c. flour
3/4 c. hersheys cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/4 c(2-1/2 sticks) butter softened
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1-2/3 c(10oz pkg) Peanut butter or white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in peanut butter or white chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes. Do not overbake; cookie will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling. Cool slighty; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4-1/2 dozen cookies.

Karley

Greek Chicken and Kudos for Karley!

Last night we tried this recipe for blackened chicken and fettucine alfredo that Karley posted a while back. YUM-O! It was really great. I think this will be my new go-to meal for anytime we have company over. Ya gotta try it.

This is a recipe that was originally from Allrecipes.com. Kari found it and told me how great it was, now it's a standard at my house--even the kids eat it! I've made a few minor adjustments over time, just to make it easier.

GREEK CHICKEN
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat (I put mine on a cutting board and put peice of plastic wrap over them while I pound them, just to cut down on messiness)
1/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 c (or so) feta cheese, crumbled
1 T lemon juice---and a 1/4 c or so for later
1 t dried oregano (unless your feta is already seasoned when you buy it)
2 T olive oil
2 c water
2 t chicken bouillon (or 2 cubes)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 c torn spinach leaves

Put olive oil in skillet and heat up. Pound chicken breast flat. Combine feta, oregano, and 1 T lemon juice to form a thick paste-like consistency. Spread over half of each chicken breast, fold each breast in half around cheese mixture. Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, place in skillet to brown each side (2-3 min for each side). Tilt skillet to allow oil to run into a pool at the edge. Add some (about a T) of your left-over flour mixture to the oil and mix together (this will help to thicken up the sauce). Pour in the can of tomatoes, water, chicken bouillon and lemon juice (more or less of the juice, depending on your tastes). Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through. Add spinach leaves about 5 min before done.

We love to have this with cous-cous or those Rice-a-Roni whole grain blends. The sauce is tasty over the rice, too.

Tamara

Breakfast Casserole

So lately I have really been into breakfast, sometimes it just sounds better than dinner, and in my quest for things that can be made ahead or frozen due to my extra baby helping hands, I like to work while she's asleep and this recipe works perfectlyfor that, and it can.... and should be made a day ahead.

Breakfast Casserole
1 pkg (12 oz) Breakfast Sausage Links 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
6 english muffins, cut into 1 in cubes 12 eggs
1/4 c. butter, melted 2 c. milk
2 c. mixed cheese - like mexican or colby jack 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. chopped onion 1/2 tsp pepper
5-8 strips of bacon - cooked

Cook sausage according to package directions. Cool slightly; cut into 1/4in slices. Place english muffin cubes in a greased 9x13 baking dish; drizle with butter. Layer with sausage, cheese, onion, and green pepper. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over cheese. Sprinkle with bacon. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Uncover and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes.

So I found this recipe in my coupon clipping, its a johnsonville recipe and if you get the paper you have $1 off 2 pkg, this is the recipe with what I changed in it, but theres said you could use red pepper and bacon bits - not a true fan of either but just giving you some breakfast options......it sure is yummy and super easy to make, enjoy it. Another tip for things like this recipe is I like to buy the heat and eat pre-cooked bacon, that way I don't have a whole pound of bacon on my hands...well lets face it I would eat the whole thing, if you haven't tried the heat and eat, its great for when you just need a few slices, like BLT's or this :)

Karley

Gobble Up Granola Snacks

Here's another one I found on Allrecipes.com that I have been making alot lately. I love them!

2 1/2 c crispy rice cereal (I made half of this puffed brown rice to add more fiber--I got it at Walmart)
2 c quick cooking oats (I made half of this rolled oats, for the same reason)
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/2 c peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

raisins, chocolate chips, etc.

Combine the brown sugar and corn syrup in a pot and heat until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine with cereal and oats and stir until well coated. Turn out onto a cookie sheet. When it has cooled a bit, you can form it into a "sheet", adding in chocolate chips or raisins, etc. When completely cooled, cut into bars.

Tamara

Kettle Corn

I found this one on Allrecipes. It is inexpensive, easy, and delicious! I made some tonight and we ate it while we played Clue together as a family.

1/4 c oil
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c popcorn kernels

Put oil in pot (I used the same pot I make soup in). Put three kernels of corn in the pot, cover it with a lid (we learned the hard way that this was important--when the first kernel popped it flew out and hit me and it was HOT). When all three kernels of corn have popped, stir in the sugar and add the rest of the corn. Cover and shake the pot back and forth until the popping slows down (or until you run out of room!). Add some salt, and voila! Enjoy!

Tamara

Pork Chops and Rice (or Chicken and Rice)

My family is really into dutch oven cooking, but you don't have to get out the charcoal for this one. We use a 10" dutch oven with lid in the oven for this (I got it for my husband for our anniversary at WalMart for about $20), but I'm sure that you could use an ovenproof pan and lid, or even just a regular baking dish.

6 pork chops (or chicken pieces/breasts)
2 cups rice
2 tsp. salf
1 onion, chopped
4 cups water
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken if using chicken)
1 tbsp. oil

Brown pork chops (or chicken) in dutch oven with oil and onions. Pour rice over the pork chops (or chicken) and stir well. Add soup, water and salt; and mix well. Cover and bake at 350 F for 30 - 45 minutes. All the liquid will be absorbed when it is done. Enjoy!

Mo's Macaroni and Cheese

This is one that our family loves. It makes a big 9x13 - so when it's just Matthew, myself and the baby, I'll split in half and put it in two bread loaf pans, and freeze one of them for future use. Leftovers for the next few days stay really well and heat up easily in the microwave.

one pound macaroni - cooked to directions
3 tbls. butter (real butter, not that maragine crap) :)
3 tbls. flour
2 1/2 cups milk (1 or 2% is ok)
20 ounces cheese - any combination you like. We like sharp cheddar.
fresh ground black pepper to taste
panko bread crumbs - about 1/2 a cup (these are Japanese bread crumbs and usually found in the oriental section of your grocery store)
melted butter for top of bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 F. After you have your macaroni cooked and drained, set aside. Melt butter in large frying pan. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. It's ok if it gets slightly browned.

Add milk and simmer until slightly thickened. Stir continually because you do not want it to burn. I use a rubber spatula or rubber whisk and it works really well.

Add cheese, reserving some for the top of the macaroni and cheese before it goes into the oven. Stir until completely melted.

Add cheese to macaroni and stir well until combined evenly.

Pour into 9x13 pan, or two bread loaf pans if splitting recipe. Add reserved cheese to top. Top with panko bread crumbs and melted butter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly and bread crumbs have browned. Enjoy!

Super Yummy Meatballs

I'm on a huge new-recipe kick (hence this blog). I came across this one on Allrecipes.com a couple of weeks ago. It was called "The Best Meatballs You'll Ever Have". It was their featured recipe and had really good reviews, so we tried them today with spaghetti. They weren't kidding. These are really, really good!

Karley, who posts on here too, is a total kitchen master. She told me a while ago about how you can freeze meatballs by putting them on a cookie sheet in the freezer and then transferring them to a bag once they're frozen. I plan on making a huge batch of these soon and freezing them.

Here ya go:

INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup crushed seasoned croutons (or seasoned bread crumbs)
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (for my kids' sake, I'll leave these out next time. I thought the meatballs were perfect, but kids are more sensitive to spicy stuff)
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I mixed up my own. I found the combo here on Allrecipes)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, croutons, sweet onion, egg, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, red pepper flakes, and Cajun seasoning. Form the mixture by hand into meatballs.
Heat the olive oil and melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place the meatballs in the skillet, and cook, turning constantly, 20 minutes, or to desired doneness.

Tamara

Fluffy Fruit Salad

1 large box instant lemon pudding (I can never find a large box, so I use 2 small boxes)
1 lb strawberries, sliced
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 bag marshmallows
1 large container cool whip

-Prepare pudding according to package, let set in fridge
-mix in fruit, marshmallows, and cool whip.

Pretty Easy! Pretty Tatsy! Hope you enjoy!

Kari

Stovetop Granola

I'm rebelling against buying packaged treats for my kids. They aren't the healthiest alternative, and they get snarfed down sooooo fast. A couple of days ago, I watched my daughter open a fruit roll-up, smoosh it into a ball, pop it in her mouth, chew a bit, and swallow it! A whole snack, gone in under two minutes. Then she went for another!

So, I'm looking for healthier, less-expensive alternatives. I'm also working on my food storage lately and looking for ways to rotate it. So, when I found this recipe for granola on Allrecipes.com, it really appealed to me. It turned out yummy and chewy. The kids like it in vanilla yogurt with frozen blueberries, but I think I ate most of it (that's the downside to my whole plan--fruitsnacks don't tempt me a bit, but homemade treats do!)

STOVETOP GRANOLA
1 T olive oil
2 c rolled oats (not quick oats)
1/3 c butter
2 T honey
1/3 c packed brown sugar
vanilla and cinnamon to taste
any additional nuts or dried fruits you would like (or not)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oats. Cook and stir to brown and toast, 5 min. or so. Turn out onto a cookie sheet while you make the coating.
Melt the butter in the same pan. Stir in the honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon (you can really tweak these last two to suit your own personal taste). Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Return the oats to the pan. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Pour onto cookie sheet and spread to cool. After it cools you can put it in an airtight container or bag and add the nuts or fruit if you'd like. Enjoy! (But watch out, it's addictive!)

Tamara

Fettuccine Alfredo with Blackened Chicken

First the chicken....you can make the spice mix ahead and put it your pantry, I really don't remember where it came from other than it was a freezer meal book because you could freeze your chicken and keep the spices separate until you were ready to use them.

Blackened Chicken Breasts

Spice Mix:
2 tsp paprika 1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves

Brush about one tbsp melted butter on each chicken breast - use as little or as much chicken as you would like. Then brush / shake on 1 tbsp spice mixture per chicken breast. Drizzle a little oil in a skillet cook med heat about 10 min per side or until done. You could also send the hubby out to BBQ this little one up while you make the fettuccine. I like to cook the chicken a little earlier in the day so its already done - makes my dinner cooking a little easier. You could slice this and use it in your pasta or just use it as a sandwich in a roll.

Alfredo Pasta - this is my own take on this sauce to make is slightly lighter than the heavy cream versions

1/2 stick butter 1 box fettuccine
2 cups whipping cream 1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup three cheese blend - Romano, Parmesan, Asiago or just use Parmesan
2 c. chopped broccoli (optional)

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cream, milk, garlic powder, and black pepper to the butter and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until thick. At the same time bring your water to boil and cook the pasta according to the box directions, about 4-5 min before the pasta is done, add the broccoli to the water. When the Alfredo sauce has thickened to your desired consistency add the 3 cheese blend. Drain the pasta and broccoli mixture the add to the sauce. Place on the plates and then add the blackened chicken on top.

Karley

Winger's at Home

Welcome to this blog! I hope that we can all share some great recipes and ideas here. I think we all get a little bored cooking the same things night after night, but it can be intimidating to try new recipes. Have you ever tried something new, hated it, and ended up sending your husband out for pizza instead? Hopefully we can avoid that whole scenario by sharing our tried and tasty recipes here.

The first one I'd like to share is Winger's sauce. I got this recipe from Deals to Meals. I loved it. We used it for wraps and salads last week. YUM-O!

2 1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c Frank's hot sauce
3 T corn syrup
1/2 c apple cider vinegar (I used white, it tasted just fine)

Ok, so it's not the healthies thing : ). I used it sparingly and it was still delicious!

I made oven baked chicken to use the sauce with. I got this from Allrecipes.

chicken breasts (cut into pieces) or tenders
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup mayonnaise thinned with milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
In a bowl mix together the bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, & thyme.
Coat the chicken pieces with mayonnaise mixture. Place chicken pieces in bowl/bag with bread crumb mixture and coat/shake until well coated. Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.

Enjoy!

Tamara