Stir Occasionally

Lasagna Soup

2012-02-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

I found this on Pinterest after it was recommended by a friend. As I was making it, I wasn't quite sure, but when you assemble it all in the bowls it was YUMMY!

(print recipe)
for the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I didn't have this)
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum: (you make this separately)
8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

This is what makes it so yummy!! Pay attention,

***To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl (*I ALSO COOKED THE PASTA SEPARATELY AND PUT IT ON TOP OF THE CHEESY MIX BEFORE POURING THE SOUP ON,) sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Servings: 8

Bruschetta

2012-02-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1 crusty baguette loaf
1 whole clove garlic
Olive oil
Whole Milk Mozzarella cheese packed in liquid,sliced (this is the star ingredient, so don't skimp) sliced
3-4 Roma tomatoes
8-10 fresh basil leaves
handful of shredded Parmesan cheese
pinch of Kosher salt to taste
Balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Slice bread on an angle to create oblong slices.

Broil them until toasty brown on top.

While they are still warm rub them with the whole garlic clove, the more you rub the more garlic flavor they will have.

Drizzle with olive oil and top with the mozzarella slices and set aside.

Finely chop the tomatoes. Stack your Basil leaves and roll them into a log. Slice it thinly to create ribbons and add to the tomatoes.

Mix in the Shredded Parmesan cheese and salt to taste.

Top the bread and cheese slices with the tomato mixture and drizzle with olive oil again. Then add a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Pumpkin Curry Soup

2011-11-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from my dear friend Shannon and it is delicious! I love soup. That's no secret. So I love when I find another recipe for a soup that is just so inviting and warm and completely delicious. This soup is all those things and so wonderful to have on a chilly Fall or Winter evening.

In other news, my family (all but 1 who didn't even try it) absolutely loved this soup. Taryn ate two bowls and then asked me to put leftovers in her lunch the next day.

Thank you Shannon for sharing!

Ingredients:
4 Tblsp Butter
1 diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves (I buy the jar with it already minced)
2 quarts chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. curry
pinch nutmeg
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 small can of pumpkin
Rotisserie chicken, separated from bone and cut up or approximately 3 cooked chicken breasts, cut up
1 pint 1/2 and 1/2

Directions:
In a large stock pot, sauté the butter, onion, and garlic cloves.

Add the chicken broth, spices, and pumpkin. Bring to a boil.

Add the pieces of chicken breast or the pieces of rotisserie chicken and the 1/2 and 1/2. Keep warm but do not bring back up to a boil once the 1/2 and 1/2 has been added.

Serve with rice in the bottom of each bowl for a more filling meal.

Notes: The only change I would make would be to add more chicken. There is a lot of broth and the one rotisserie chicken didn't seem to be enough. My family loved chicken and so I will add more next time. The rice adds to the soup and gives it not only more substance but a delicious texture.

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

2011-10-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

When Kelly and I were first married and living in Provo, we loved this little dive that served authentic Hawaiian/Polynesian food. It was so yummy! We spent many a date night eating some of our favorites which included the pork, chicken, and the sticky rice.

Of course, like most joints we fall in love with, it's no longer around and we haven't found its replacement. So when I saw a recipe for Hawaiian Grilled Chicken on A Dash of Thyme the other day (via Pinterest) I knew I was going to have to try it.

Did it make us forget all about that cute little dive in Provo? No. But it was delicious! And I always know I've found a winner when Kelly turns to the kids and says, "We will be having this again...soon."

Ingredients:
3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cups low sodium soy sauce
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (save some for the top)
1/4 cup white onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 (13.5oz) can of coconut milk

Directions:
1. Remove visible fat from chicken thighs. Mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and coconut milk in a large bowl. Marinade chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2. Grill chicken at a low heat so that the marinade does not burn for 5-7 minutes per side or until done.

3. Serve with rice or noodles, top with green onion and additional soy sauce.

Notes: I did serve this with the closest thing to sticky rice I could find and I made it by replacing half of the water required with coconut milk (if the rice calls for 2 cups water replace one of the cups of water with a cup of coconut milk). We also warmed up some teriyaki glaze/marinade and spooned it over the rice and chicken. Delicious!

Coconut milk can be found in the Asian food section at Walmart. I had to ask so I'll save you the trouble :-)

Slow Cooker Spare Ribs

2011-06-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

My late mother-in-law made some delicious ribs in her pressure cooker. Many a Sunday was spent at her house waiting for ribs to hit the dinner table. When she passed away I inherited her box of recipes (inherited or took?). The recipe is nowhere in that box. I've looked and looked.

So the other night I was on a mission to find something close to her spare ribs and I think this is pretty close. The original recipe is from AllRecipes.com but the recipe as it is written here is a modified version based on comments left by people about that recipe. I think it is delicious!

Ingredients:
2 cups ketchup
1/2 tsp. onion powder or 1/2 chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 pounds pork spareribs
1 tsp. cornstarch (optional)
1/4 cup cold water (optional)

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, mix together soup, onion, garlic, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour sauce over ribs.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Remove ribs from slow cooker and place in a 9x13 pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place the ribs into a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Serve with sauce from slow cooker.

If sauce is too thin when cooking time is done, drain sauce from ribs, and pour into a sauce pan. Combine 1 tsp. cornstarch with a small amount of cold water, stir into sauce, and bring sauce to boil. Cook until sauce has reached desired thickness.

Fluffy Pancakes

2011-06-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

So I was out on AllRecipes the other day trying to find a delicious dish to make for unexpected overnight company when I found this. Wow. I ate one bite and knew they were delicious. No more than the one bite though as I'm trying to shed the pounds from enjoying a few too many bites. Try these. They are amazing!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
cooking spray

Directions:
1.Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2.Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
3.Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Notes: In the spirit of full disclosure I had whole milk on hand and I used that to make these pancakes. I'm not sure how big a difference it made but I'm sure there was a difference (especially in calorie count). And I doubled this batch and ran out while serving 6 people so adjust accordingly depending on appetites.

Banana Bread

2011-04-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

Delicious banana bread! Had to stop myself from eating everything. Thanks Epicurean Escapism.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3⁄4 tsp baking soda
1⁄4 tsp salt
1⁄2 cup brown sugar
1⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup canola oil
1⁄3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 banana, sliced

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9″ x 5″ x  2 3⁄4″ loaf pan.
2.In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3.Whisk together sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk in a medium bowl until smooth.

4.Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.

5.Add mashed bananas and whisk gently to combine.

6.Pour batter into prepared pan and arrange banana slices on the surface of the batter.

7.Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean, 60–65 mins. Let cool for 30 mins before slicing and serving.

Notes: I actually made this in cupcake tins to separate them out into individual servings (I was taking them to some new neighbors). It took them about 20 minutes to cook.

Lasagna Soup

2011-04-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

I like to cook. I like to find new recipes and I actually get giddy when I find something I'd like to try. There have been a lot of mistakes. Nights when we tossed what I had cooked and busted out frozen waffles. However, because of my willingness to experiment, we have also been blessed by some real homeruns. This is one of those homeruns. It is absolutely, hands-down, my favorite new soup! It tastes better than actual lasagna. I found it over at a farmgirl's dabbles via Foodgawker.com. You must try it and let me know what you think. My mouth is watering and I am craving it right now (it's 10:30 in the morning).

Ingredients:

for the soup:
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
3 c. chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:
8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Servings: 8

Notes: It's a personal opinion but I really feel that you simply must use italian sausage. I really believe a great deal of the flavor is because of the meat. Also, I think when I make it again I may increase the chicken stock by about 2 cups because I wanted more juice. Personal preference. Now go run to the store, get the ingredients, and make this! You won't regret it.

Sidenote: Believe her when she states not to let it sit on the stove! Don't even leave it there on low if you are anticipating the arrival of your husband from work. The noodles will get starchy and overdone. Better to take it off and reheat if necessary.

Breadsticks

2011-03-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

Another amazing recipe from Our Best Bites that I referred to in the previous post. LOVE!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm (105-115 degrees F.) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. active dry or bread machine yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 cups flour, divided

Directions:
1. In a large bowl (the bowl of a mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

2. Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually betwen 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 cups, depending on elevation and humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

3. Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

4. Remove from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll dough into a rectangle 18 inches long and 9 inches wide and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.

5. Roll out a piece of dough into a snake and then drape it over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly.

6. Cover the pan with a clean cloth and allow the dough to rise for another 30 minutes. When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. When the dough is done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks and sprinkle with Garlic Bread Seasoning or the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt. For a sweet treat, you can sprinkle the breadsticks with cinnamon sugar.

Garlic Bread Seasoning

2011-03-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

I happened upon a book in the library called Our Best Bites: Mormon Moms in the Kitchen and am in love! This book is full of amazing recipes that are not difficult to do but taste like you spent hours working on dinner. This is just one of the amazing recipes from a book that I really need to go out and buy.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup powdered Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. marjoram
2 tsp. parsley

Directions:
Shake ingredients together in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Breaded Chicken Fingers

2011-03-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

These were delicious and are a new family favorite. Yeah! (Found on AllRecipes.com...again.)

Ingredients:
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips

1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 quart oil for frying

Directions
1.Place chicken strips into a large, resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl, mix the egg, buttermilk and garlic powder. Pour mixture into bag with chicken. Seal, and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.

2.In another large, resealable plastic bag, mix together the flour, bread crumbs, salt and baking powder. Remove chicken from refrigerator, and drain, discarding buttermilk mixture. Place chicken in flour mixture bag. Seal, and shake to coat.

3.Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

4.Carefully place coated chicken in hot oil. Fry until golden brown and juices run clear. Drain on paper towels.

Death by Chocolate Chocolate Cookies

2011-03-06T16:22:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cups butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (3.9 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cups mix-ins (I used milk chocolate chips)

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl often. Add the vanilla and pudding mix. Slowly add the dry ingredients just until combined. Stir in your choice of mix-in.

Bake at 350 for approximately 10-12 minutes. Don't overbake.

Mac & Cheese "Muffins"

2011-02-28T16:00:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been finding a lot of winners over on Babble. This one is no exception. It's a fun spin on Mac & Cheese and I even got away with hiding an ingredient in there. My family never noticed (please don't tell them!). Kelly ate 3 of them, too. Hee, hee.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. macaroni
Salt
3-4 Tbsp. butter
3-4 Tbsp. flour
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups grated old cheddar cheese, or any combination of cheeses you have in the fridge
1/2-1 cup pureed cooked cauliflower, sweet potatoes or squash or 2 jars pureed baby food

Bread Crumb Topping (optional):
1-2 slices bread (preferably whole wheat), torn into pieces
2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil or melted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until it’s tender but not mushy. Drain well in a colander and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In the empty pot (no need to wash it out), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir well with a whisk, cooking for a minute or so until the mixture starts to turn golden. Stir in the milk and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly. The sauce must reach a full boil in order for the flour to reach its full thickening potential. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes, until the mixture is nice and thick.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the cheese until it melts. Stir in the vegetable puree, if you’re using it. Add salt to taste, then stir in the drained pasta. If you want a bread crumb topping, pulse the bread, butter and Parmesan in a food processor until the bread turns to crumbs and the mixture is well blended.

Divide the macaroni and cheese into buttered muffin tins and top with the bread crumbs or additional cheese. (It can be made up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated in the baking dish; sprinkle with the crumb mixture or cheese right before you bake it.) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the topping is golden and the “muffins” are bubbly around the edges. Serves 8 – more if there are kids.

Notes: I chose to try the bread crumb topping and used 2 slices of bread and 4 Tbsp. of butter. Four Tbsp. butter was way too much. My crumb topping came out of the food processor mushy and never crusted up like I would have liked. Use less butter or more bread to get a better consistancy.

BIG NOTE: It never mentioned this in the recipe so I'm mentioning it here. I removed some of the "muffins" from the muffin tin while they were still extremely hot and they did not hold their shape. You need to wait anywhere from 5-10 minutes before removing them. The ones we removed later held their shape perfectly. Of course, you don't want to serve them cold either so use your own judgment.

Whipping Cream Cake

2011-02-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

There was a time in my life when my love of recipes had me subscribing to a recipe service called Grandma's Kitchen. Once a month I would get new cards in the mail with all sorts of yummy recipes and photos. It has been a long time since I pulled out that box of recipes but Shea and I were trying to make something sweet the other day. We pulled out the long-forgotten box and found this lovely cake. It's kind of like a pound cake but not quite as dense. And it's delicious.

Ingredients:
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
6 large eggs
3 cups cake flour, sifted
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar (optional for garnish)
Fresh fruit (optional for garnish)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a fluted tube pan.

Combine granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set at high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.

Add the flour and whipping cream and mix well. Stir in lemon extract and vanilla extract. Spoon into prepared tube pan.

Bake cake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve with fresh fruit, if desired.

Snickers Cake

2011-02-24T07:38:00.000-08:00

For the record, my mother-in-law called this Damn Cake. I make mention of that fact because I think it's funny and it's simply what she called it. Not sure if it was because it was so good she'd eat the whole thing and then exclaim, "Damn cake!" I don't know. But when I called Kelly's cousin to see if she had the recipe, she had it under Snickers cake. So for the sake of the children, I give you Snickers Cake.

Ingredients:
1 German chocolate cake mix
14 oz. of caramels, unwrapped
6 oz. milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup milk
1 stick butter

Directions:
Make the cake as directed on the box. Pour 1/2 of the batter in a 9x13 pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. While the cake is baking, melt butter, caramels, and milk (stovetop or microwave). Remove cake from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over hot cake. Pour caramel on top. Pour remaining cake batter on top and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Notes: Kelly requested this for his birthday cake this year and it was so great that it turned out exactly as he remembered it. A few things, though. This cake did not bake through in the time listed above. At least not in my oven. I actually think I ended up putting it in for 40 minutes as opposed to the 20 minutes listed. It was really jiggly and undone in the middle after 20 minutes. You'll have to guage it by your oven. This cake is amazing though. So good!

Come-to-Mama Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-02-20T11:39:00.000-08:00

I don't personally know the woman behind Conversations with a Cupcake but even if she were only judged on this recipe (and she has an entire blog of amazing recipes) she would be considered a culinary genius! Just wait until you try it.

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
8 oz. cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Seeds from ½ a vanilla bean, scraped
¼ tsp. almond flavoring
1-2 Tbsp. milk

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese until very light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar until well mixed. Add vanilla bean seeds and almond flavoring. Tip in a Tablespoon or two of milk, if needed to make frosting piping consistency (soft but not drippy). Spoon into a large plastic zip-top bag. Snip a 1-inch hole in the corner of the bag and pipe giant frosting petals onto cooled cake. Enjoy!

Just look at the frosting in this picture (which was taken and belongs to Conversations with a Cupcake)! While you're at it, visit the link above and make her red velvet cake to go along with it. I can't claim to have tried the cake but the frosting is to die for!

Notes: I did not have a vanilla bean on hand but you can substitue 1 tsp. vanilla extract for the 1/2 vanilla bean.

Homemade Hot Fudge

2011-02-10T09:21:00.000-08:00

The other night I had made homemade vanilla ice cream. Kelly looked in the fridge and lamented the fact that we were out of hot fudge. So I ran up to the computer where I was sure I had bookmarked a hot fudge recipe. Sure enough. Found this over on Babble.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups best quality chocolate chips (I used 3/4 cup semisweet and 1/2 cup milk chocolate)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat cream to almost boiling (about 60 seconds). Pour in chocolate chips and vanilla. Allow to rest for 35 seconds, or long enough for the chips to start melting. Whisk until chocolate is smooth and glossy.

Notes: My husband, as predicted, would have preferred more milk chocolate and less semisweet but this stuff can be stored in the fridge just like the store-bought kind and brought out and warmed up later.

Not Mama's Meatloaf

2011-02-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

I don't remember liking meatloaf as a child. So I'm not really sure why I ever thought of making it for my own family. It's fairly simple and quick and maybe that was the allure. But I found this recipe over at Mommy's Kitchen and it promised to be anything but what I was expecting. And sure enough...it was delicious! My husband loved it. So this one is going in the "go-to" box for future use.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 box - cornbread or chicken flavored Stove top stuffing
1 - 8 oz can of tomato sauce
3 - tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 - beaten eggs
1 - small minced onion
few dashes of Lawry's seasoning salt

Directions:
In a food processor (or by hand) grind the stuffing mix until it's a fine crumb mixture. I don't like big chunks in my meatloaf. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, including the ground stuffing mix. For best results, do this by using your hands to mix the ingredients. However, don't over mix or you will get a tough meatloaf!

Instead, mix until just combined and then press into a greased bread pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 -50 minutes, or until juice runs clear and it's cooked through. Make sure to drain the loaf half-way through the baking. If you use a really lean burger, you won't have much to drain. You can also use this recipe for meatballs or cook individual mini-loaves in greased muffin tins. Cool for 5 minutes and slice to serve.

Glaze (Optional)
Mix some ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce together. Taste until it is sweet enough and the right combination of flavors for you. Brush on top of meat loaf and bake. I save a bit of the glaze to brush more on top the last 5 minutes of baking.

Notes: First off, I did use the glaze and it was really good. I was a little nervous because there weren't any actual measurements but I'm guessing it would be hard to really screw it up as long as you mix it "to taste." I also did not have any cornbread or chicken stuffing and had to use turkey and it turned out wonderfully so maybe it's not so much which stuffing but just that you use it (or maybe with cornbread or chicken stuffing it tastes even better).

Chocolate Pudding Cookies

2011-02-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

These little gems from Spoonful of Sugar were delicious and the batch made enough to freeze for later (thank goodness it made so many what with a pound of butter and all). Awesome.

Ingredients:
2 cups butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
6.8 oz instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Beat in the pudding mix. Add in the eggs and vanilla beat until well mixed. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Then mix in the chocolate chips. Drop a heaping tablespoonful of batter onto the cookie sheets for each cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are set in the middle.

Notes: As you might have guessed, I used milk chocolate chips instead of semisweet. By now you simply must know my husband's treat preferences.

Pancakes

2011-01-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

I love breakfast! So when the kids all wanted Breakfast for Dinner last night I was all for it. Kelly is a purist and requested the pancakes off the Bisquick box but I'm not a fan of Bisquick pancakes (no offense Bisquick...they are very nice to have in a pinch). So I went on AllRecipes.com and found this amazing recipe for pancakes. I loved it! And even Kelly, after getting over the fact that he smelled cinnamon in his pancakes, said they were good.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups milk
2 eggs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, beat together egg, milk, vanilla and oil. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture. Beat until smooth.

3. Pour or scoop the batter onto the hot griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Notes: This recipe is for a double batch. I'll be honest, my family of 6 wouldn't have made it on one batch so I posted the double batch. We only had 2 small pancakes left over.

Italian Style Pork Chops

2011-01-07T07:48:00.000-08:00

I've never been a big fan of pork chops. I'm not really sure why because I like pork but I think it's mostly because I've never really found a recipe that I like for pork chops or that I enjoy eating.

The other day I was at the grocery store and, with the new year, feeling like I really wanted to make something different for dinner and so I picked up a pack of pork chops. When I got home, I got on AllRecipes to see if I could find a winning recipe and, just like always, someone came through.

This recipe is easy and delicious and it makes the house smell divine. Best of all, my picky son who has decided that dinner is "not his thing" at every piece of the meat that was on his plate and then had seconds.

Ingredients:
3 cups crushed saltine crackers
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian-style seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup butter, melted
6 pork chops

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2.In a medium bowl, combine the crushed saltines, Parmesan cheese, Italian-style seasoning and garlic powder and mix together well.

3.Dip the chops in the melted butter and then dredge each chop in the cracker mixture, coating all sides thoroughly. Place the chops in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

4.Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until internal pork temperature reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Baked Ham Rigatoni

2011-01-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

This was a delicious find from Mommy's Kitchen. I was looking for something to make to use up some leftover ham and, while I would not deem it anywhere close to healthy, it was delicious!

Ingredients:
1 pkg (16 oz) rigatoni pasta
1 cube butter (1 oz or two tablespoons)
1/2 cup flour
1 qt milk (4 cups)
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (separated)
about 1/2 lb thinly sliced ham
seasonings
(onion salt, pepper, cayenne pepper is optional)
small pads of butter for top

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter over medium heat and start water boiling for pasta.

Once butter is melted, whisk in flour. Add your milk, and continue to stir until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

When the water is boiling, add pasta and cook until just past the Al-dente stage. Just starting to get soft. When the white sauce is done, add your seasoning, ham, and one cup cheese. stir well, to get the cheese melted.

Drain your pasta and add to the sauce.

Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 pan, smooth the top and sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese. Dot the top with your pads of butter and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and brown.

Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Cider Sauce

2010-12-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

I found this over on Mommy's Kitchen (a blog I read quite often) and had to try it out. It is delicious! The cake itself is a pretty typical Pumpkin Cake but it's the sauce that sends it over the top.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 - cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 - tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 - tsp. baking soda
1/2 - teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
3/4 - cup oil
1 -15 oz can pumpkin
2 - eggs

Directions:
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add oil, pumpkin and eggs. Whisk or use and electric mixer until blended. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool cake completely and top with the cider sauce before serving.

Caramel Cider Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 - cup brown sugar
1 - tablespoon cornstarch
2/3 - cup apple cider
2 - tablespoon heavy cream
1 - tablespoon butter (not margarine)
salt to taste

Sauce Directions:
In a saucepan, whisk brown sugar and cornstarch. Add cider and stir in the cream, butter and salt. Cook over med-hi heat, whisking constantly, until large bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and allow to thicken, about 2 minutes. Top with vanilla ice cream if you want and drizzle sauce over it.

Notes: I did not have any apple cider but I remember another recipe that called for it that also said you could substitute apple juice (which I always have on hand). I made the substitution and it was still delicious!

Fruit Dip

2010-11-13T12:44:00.001-08:00

This is one of the best fruit dips on the planet. I love fruit and dip, so it's not too hard to please me there.
I would easily cut this recipe in half because it makes so much dip!

2 pkg. cream cheese

1 c. brown sugar

1 small box instant white chocolate pudding mix

16 oz. vanilla yogurt

Mix all together and serve with any cut up fruit. This recipe makes a lot of dip!

Artichoke Cheese Dip

2010-11-13T12:42:00.001-08:00

I get requests regularly, and especially around the Holidays, for this recipe. Shea and I are artichoke dip snobs, and this one is great. I hate the one that's just artichokes, mayo and parmesan. It's too oily for me.

1 c. mayonnaise

1 c. parmesan cheese

1 small can diced green chilies

1/2 c. grated monterey jack cheese

1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese

1 bottle artichoke hearts drained and cut into pieces

Mix together and bake in 9 in. pie plate at 250 until melted (usually about 30-40 min.) Serve with breadsticks or crackers.

London Broil

2010-11-13T12:40:00.001-08:00

3/4 c. oil

1/2 c. soy sauce

2 tsp. vinegar

2 tsp. honey

1 onion chopped finely

garlic powder

Mix together and pour over london broil meat. Best if marinated overnight, but can also be marinated 2-3 hours. Grill.

This is a Taylor family favorite. I've used this marinade for chicken and it is wonderful!

Minestrone Soup

2010-11-13T12:32:00.001-08:00

1 diced onion

4 stalks diced celery

3 diced carrots

1 c. frozen green beans (may use 1 can)

1 c. frozen corn

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cans chicken broth

1 can beans

14 oz. diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 head shredded cabbage

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 T. parsley

2 bay leaves

salt, if desired

macaroni noodles

Sautee onion, celery and carrots for 4 minutes. Add everything else and boil until noodles are tender. Serve with freshly grated parmesan.

Pumpkin Mousse

2010-11-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

This is from a recipe book titled The Gathering of Friends, Vol 2. It has gorgeous pictures to go with each recipe, but I'm nothing like Jerianne because I'm usually too lazy to make anything new that I haven't already tried. This has become one of the Burr family favorites, since we aren't really pie people.

1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix (5.1 oz.)

1 3/4 c. pure pumpkin (canned)

1 2/3 c. sugar (divided)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

store bought or homemade gingersnap cookies

Beat whipping cream until stiff, add 2/3 c. sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla and set aside.

In a large bowl combine pudding mix, pumpkin, 1 c. sugar, condensed milk, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in half of the whipped cream, blend completely.

Break up cookies in bottom of trifle dish and spoon mousse over the top. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream, add another layer of cookies, mousse, and cream.

(I used cool whip instead of whipping cream and I thought it tasted just as good as the original, if not lighter. I don't know that I'll ever actually go to the trouble of whipping my own cream unless I'm trying to impress my mother-in-law or gain an extra 20 lbs. in one sitting.)

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

2010-11-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

I LOVE cheesecake and I'm a pretty big fan of fruit cobblers, too. Guess what? The Girl Who Ate Everything brings together the best of both of those worlds and it is delicious, if a bit time-consuming. However, I really want to try this one with a cherry fruit layer along with the struedel. Because who doesn't eat cherries on cheesecake?!

I made two mistakes when I made it though. I didn't give it enough time to set up so cutting them into bars didn't really work. You needed a spoon to eat it. And two, I forgot to add the caramel on top for presentation.

They were still amazing!

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Streusel topping, recipe follows
1/2 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or 2 forks) until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!

Streusel Topping:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. I like to really combine it by using my clean hands to thoroughly combine the butter into the mixture.

Pumpkin Cake

2010-11-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

This is actually Heather's recipe but I didn't know when she would get around to posting it and it's Fall and almost Thanksgiving and this recipe is perfect. As an added bonus, your house smells fantabulous while you are making it!

Ingredients:
2 c. pumpkin
4 eggs
1 c. oil
1 2/3 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon

Frosting:
1/2 cube margarine
3 oz. cream cheese
2 c. powdered sugar

Directions:
Beat pumpkin, eggs, oil and sugar together then add dry ingredients. Grease and flour jelly roll pan. Bake for 23-28 minutes at 350. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Welcome Welcome

2010-10-28T07:05:00.001-07:00

I coerced my friend Heather into joining the ranks here at Stir Occasionally! She's a great cook and I look forward to seeing her recipes posted so that I can make them at home. Welcome Heather!

Perfect Pulled Pork

2010-10-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

This was in one of my magazines as an advertisement for Pork - The Other White Meat. In other words, it's a recipe from the National Pork Board and I have to admit that they know pork. This is delicious. Throw it in the slow cooker, get some rolls, add some barbecue sauce and you are in delicious business!

Ingredients:
5 lbs. boneless pork butt shoulder
1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. water
soft sandwich buns

Directions:
Combine all seasonings in a small bowl and rub evenly over roast. Place meat in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add water. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours or until pork is very tender.

Place pork on large cutting board or platter and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Pull, slice or chop to serve. Serve in buns with barbecue sauce.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

2010-10-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

I found this in my House Beautiful magazine and decided to be brave and make it into a cake for a teacher's luncheon. It was delicious! Especially the frosting. The recipe below is for the cupcakes but you can double the recipe (for the cupcakes and frosting) and make a 9x13 cake you just have to increase the baking time and check it for doneness.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup canned pumpkin purée (8 oz.) not pie filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Maple Frosting (recipe follows)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Heath bars, for serving (2 1.4-oz bars)

Maple Frosting
6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. maple flavoring
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush or spray the top of 10 muffin tins with vegetable oil and line them with 10 paper liners.

Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Divide the batter among the prepared tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

Spread the cupcakes with the Maple Frosting and sprinkle with the chopped toffee bits.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-10-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't absolutely LOVE pumpkin and chocolate in the Fall? If you don't you should probably be institutionalized. Anyhoo...I found this lovely little gift over at AllRecipes.com. When I go there for something I usually base my decision on the number of stars and reviews it gets. But sometimes you also have to read the reviews because they add insight and sometimes recipe modifications to make things even better.

This was the case with this one. The recipe is written one way but I took the advice of several reviewers and added to it. The recipe that follows has the additions.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.

2.Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.

3.Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes

Notes: I didn't have ground cloves but the pumpkin pie spice made up for it. So I'm not sure if it's overkill to have the cloves and the pumpkin pie spice together since pumpkin pie spice includes cloves. If you're not sure, kill the cloves and use the spice. That's what I did and they were great!

Fluffy Pancakes

2010-10-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

I found this one on a Sunday morning when I was trying to make something new for breakfast. I guess pancakes aren't that original but I didn't use Bisquick - these are from scratch and they are extremely fluffy and delicious!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
cooking spray

Directions:
1.Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".

2.Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.

3.Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

End of the Search Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-10-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

These cookies that I found over at Dine and Dish are my new favorite chocolate chip cookies. I don't know what makes them different. All I know is that I could easily eat the entire batch myself which is very unproductive since I just joined up at Weight Watchers (again). Baby weight does not come off when one consumes entire batches of chocolate chip cookies. There aren't enough POINTs in the world!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 bag chocolate chips (I like to use the milk chocolate / white chocolate swirl chips)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Mix butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs in large bowl.
3. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Stir in one half of the chocolate chips.
5. Drop dough by rounded measuring tablespoons, about 2-inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Place several of the reserved chocolate chips on top of each cookie (This step is not necessary…you can mix them all in, but the presentation of the cookie is better with this step in place).
7. Bake 9-12 minutes or until light brown.
8. Cool slightly.
9. Remove from cookie sheet, cool on wire rack.

Garlic Fries

2010-09-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

This one is a definite keeper that came off of The Purple Foodie. I took these to a church function recently and they were gone quickly with several people asking me for the recipe afterwards. Delicious!

Ingredients:
8 garlic cloves, minced
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 russet potatoes, each cut into 12 wedges
3 Tbsp. cornstarch/cornflour
1 1/2 tsp. coars sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 440° F.

Combine the garlic and oil in a large bowl, warming it until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Transfer 5 tablespoons of the oil (leaving the garlic in the bowl) to the baking dish, coating it well.

Add the potatoes to the bowl with the garlic mixture and toss to coat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and microwave on high power until the potatoes are translucent around the edges, 3 to 6 minutes, shaking the bowl to redistribute the potatoes halfway through cooking.

Combine the cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the hot potatoes and toss well to coat.

Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve with ketchup, mayo or sour cream.

Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2010-09-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

From Babble comes this little number which has brought me to the conclusion that my children are crazy. When I told them that I was making Mac & Cheese they got so excited. They came quickly when called to the dinner table. Then, they saw that the Mac & Cheese didn't have the sheen of neon orange and they didn't see the discarded blue box in the trash. They didn't like my new-found deliciousness. Their loss. This stuff is fantastic - unless, of course, you are brand loyal.

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) pkg. macaroni
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup swiss, grated
1 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
2 tsp. onion salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup flour

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir together the macaroni, milk, and chicken broth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together using a large wooden spoon. Pour into a very large, deep casserole dish. Bake uncovered in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until pasta is fully cooked. Turn oven broiler on for the last two minutes of cooking time to brown up the top part of the mac and cheese. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Notes: First off, it took me a minute to figure out that they weren't boiling/cooking the noodles first. The noodles go into the oven raw with everything else. And yes, they cook. Though I left mine in a little longer because they were a little more al dente than I wanted.

Second, I didn't have Monterey Jack on hand so I used Mozzarella. I also didn't have Sharp Cheddar so I used Mild. I also had Swiss cheese slices that I couldn't actually grate so I just tore them up. Guess what? It still turned out delicious!

Steakhouse Marinade

2010-09-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

This little gem comes from my Food Network magazine in a pull-out section on kabobs. I used it for kabobs but soon realized that htis DELICIOUS marinade would be great on any steak - kabob'ed or not. Not kidding, this is some of the most delicious stuff I have ever tried. It's like you've gone out to an expensive restaurant sans the dimly lit tables and additional company.

Ingredients:
Cubed beef tri-tip
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. thyme
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Marinate the beef in the other ingredients. Grill. Enjoy!

Notes: I know that dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor than fresh. The parsley and thyme in this recipe are assumed to be freshly-chopped, hence the tablespoon. After a quick Google search, I came across the Culinary Herb Guide and learned the following:

"A good rule of thumb is to substitute 1 teaspoon of crumbled, or 1/4 teaspoon powdered, dried herbs for each tablespoon of fresh herbs called for."

There you go.

Fettuccine Parmesan

2010-09-16T19:10:00.001-07:00

Another goodie from the book Kids Cook! Super easy and super delicious. My family loved it – which means it gets an A+ from me (most of the time). Don't try it unless you could stand to splurge a few calories. I'm sure it's not "healthy" but when I tried it I couldn't stop eating it. Not diet friendly! It would also be delicious with some chicken. Yum!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. fresh spinach fettuccine or other pasta
2 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
pepper

Directions:
Set a large pot of water on the stove to come to a boil while you prepare the sauce.

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute over medium heat, while mixture begins to bubble slightly.

Very slowly, add the milk and heavy cream, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Continue stirring until mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Stir in the parmesan cheese and continue to stir until it melts. Season with pepper. Lower heat to low setting.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss.

Serve immediately.

Mel's Banana Bread

2010-09-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

This one comes from my grandma's good friend Melanie. She wanted to share her secret Banana Bread recipe with Stir Occasionally because she was cooking a dish from the blog tonight. I sure hope it was a good one if we get to enjoy this decadent masterpiece in exchange! Thanks Melanie!

Ingredients:
Bread
3/4 cup softened butter
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed banana
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp orange juice (I fresh squeezed it)

Directions:
Beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and banana. Set aside. In separate bowl mix dry ingredients. Add to other mixture. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

I used 1.5 times the glaze mixture because I like it super glazy!! :-) You just mix the powdered sugar and orange juice, pour it over the hot banana bread and totally enjoy!!!

Honey Soy Grilled Chicken Thighs

2010-08-26T14:08:00.001-07:00

Yummmmm. From Mommy’s Kitchen.

Ingredients:
3 - pounds skin on chicken thighs
(legs or breasts can be used)
2 - cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - cup soy sauce
1/4 - cup light brown sugar
1/4 - cup honey
1 - teaspoon olive or sesame oil
1 - tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
pepper to taste
green onions, garnish

Directions:
In a shallow baking dish combine the garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, olive oil, ginger, pepper. Mix well to combine all the ingredients. Add the chicken thighs and marinate at least 4 hours in the refrigerator (This can also be done in a gallon size zip lock bag). If possible marinate longer because that is even better. Remove chicken from marinade and discard the marinade.

Heat gas or charcoal grill. When grill is heated, place chicken on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium coals. Cook covered about 20 minutes or until juice is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F). Transfer the chicken to a serving plate. Garnish with green onions and serve.

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

2010-08-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmm...this stuff is good! Found it in a children's cookbook in the library entitled Kids Cook! This cake is super easy, moist, and will wow a crowd. Try it. You'll like it.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With a mixer, beat together all of the ingredients, except the chocolate chips and the nuts, for about 7 minutes. Add the nuts and the chocolate chips and beat again. Pour into a well-greased bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cool and remove from pan. Sprinkle with a dusting of confenctioners' sugar.

Notes: I didn't have a yellow cake mix so I used a white cake mix and it tasted delicious! Not sure what the difference in cake mixes would mean for the cake. I also excluded the nuts because my family doesn't eat them. This may be my new favorite bundt cake (or any cake for that reason)!

Double Chocolate Brownie Mini Chip Cookies

2010-08-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

Wow. Much. Chocolatey. Goodness. (Recipe courtesy of Picky Palate.)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
1 Cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 Cup sour cream
3/4 Cup prepared brownie batter of choice
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup cocoa powder, I used Hersheys
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 oz bag mini chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and well combined. Add egg, sour cream and brownie batter until well combined.

2. Place flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with mini chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Notes and/or Warnings: These are highly addictive and delicious. Don't make them if you are home alone or have no one to share them with. You are essentially eating a dense chocolate brownie in cookie form. Milk is a requirement! Also, I guess you kind of have to either make more cookies or brownies because you'll have leftover brownie batter which, again, is dangerous. I'm trying to diet so it wasn't a good idea to make these. I think I've eaten 12...or more.

Sesame Chicken

2010-08-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

Found this winner over on Mommy's Kitchen. This recipe is wonderful for two reasons. First off, it's delicious (which is very important). Secondly, it's extremely easy and a good go-to on a busy night. It's made easy by the addition of frozen popcorn chicken. I have made breaded chicken for chinese dishes on my own and you could do the same here but it was genius to take the idea of popcorn chicken because the breading and cubing is done for you which cuts down on prep time.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. of frozen popcorn chicken
6 Tbsp. honey
4 Tbsp. sugar
Salt (to taste)
4 Tbsp. ketchup
1 -2 Tbsp. white distilled vinegar
Dash of ground black pepper
Diced green onion (optional)
Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
1. Deep fry your popcorn chicken and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.
2. In a wok or sauce pan, combine the remaining ingredients and warm over medium heat. Bring to a boil while stirring and simmer until sauce slightly thickens.
3. In the wok or in a serving dish, coat chicken with the sauce.
4. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Notes: I doubled the sauce recipe as she originally recommended simply because I know that my family likes extra sauce for their rice. The only downside that I will mention about this dish is that it is unbelievably sweet. The next time I make it I think I will try cutting down on either the honey or the granulated sugar and see if that helps.

Sugar Donut Muffins

2010-08-03T08:43:00.001-07:00

I found these over at CaffeIna last week. With as much as my family enjoys donuts, I thought it would be a good treat for Sunday night. They are super easy to make and I must admit that I really like them. They have great texture and flavor. However, my husband wasn’t a fan. I personally think it was the nutmeg that he didn’t like. It’s a unique flavor and one that I don’t use very often. Mainly in Fall desserts that Kelly doesn’t eat much of anyway. I also think he was expecting more of a donut flavor and so these weren’t what he was looking forward to. I’ve eaten more than my share, however, and my kids liked them.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking power

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

To Finish:

2 tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a muffin pan.

In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until creamy.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and stir. Finally, pour in the vegetable oil, the milk and the vanilla extract.

Pour the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 15-18 minutes.

While the muffins are baking, melt the butter and pour remaining sugar into a small bowl.

When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each with some melted butter, remove from the pan and roll in sugar. Cool on a wire rack.

WW POINTs: 5 per muffin (yea, not a good idea on a diet)

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

2010-08-02T16:44:00.001-07:00

This came off my Weight Watchers site. Very good but when I first made it I didn’t have any mushrooms and so wished that I had.

Ingredients:

2 tsp. vegetable oil

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 large garlic clove, crushed

1 lb. uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4-oz. pieces

2 cups mushrooms, small, halved

1/3 cup canned chicken broth

1/4 tsp. dried thyme, crumbled

Directions:

In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp. of oil.

In a medium bowl, mix 2 Tbsp. of vinegar, the mustard, and the garlic. Add chicken and turn to coat.

Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet. Sauté chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm.

Heat remaining tsp. of oil in skillet. Sauté mushrooms for 1 minute. Add broth, thyme and remaining Tbsp. of vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown, about 2 minutes longer.

Serve chicken topped with mushrooms.

WW POINTs: 3 per serving

Steakhouse Kebabs

2010-08-02T16:28:00.001-07:00

This beauty was in a pullout from my Food Network Magazine (best magazine ever!). It had a little guide to 50 different kebabs – many of which my family (mainly my children) would not eat. However, this one was A-MAZE-ING! Not only did each one of my children love it but I thought it tasted like an expensive steakhouse marinade. Next time instead of putting it on small pieces of steak and skewering it, I’m going to try it on full steaks and have Kelly grill them. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Ingredients:

Beef Tri-Tip

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

3 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

3 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley

3 Tbsp. Thyme

Salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Marinate beef tri-tip in the above ingredients, preferably overnight. Skewer with onion, mushroom and boiled potato; grill.

WW POINTs: 10 per serving (okay, not the healthiest thing I've made this week but worth the splurge!)

WHITE TEXAS SHEET CAKE

2010-08-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

2 CUPS BUTTER
2 CUPS WATER
4 CUPS OF FLOUR
2 CUPS OF SUGAR
4 EGGS BEATEN
1 CUP SOUR CREAM
2 TSP. OF ALMOND EXTRACT
2 TSP. OF SALT
2 TSP. OF BAKING SODA

BOIL WATER AND BUTTER; SET ASIDE. MIX EVERYTHING ELSE TOGETHER IN A BOWL. ADD THE WATER AND THE BUTTER. BAKE AT 375 FOR 20-22 MINUTES IN A SHEET CAKE PAN.

WHITE TEXAS SHEET CAKE FROSTING
1/2 CUP OF BUTTER
1/4 CUP OF MILK 4&1/2 CUPS OF POWDERED SUGAR
1/2 TSP. ALMOND EXTRACT
1 CUP CHOPPED NUTS IF DESIRE

HEAT MILK AND BUTTER TO BOILING. PUT IN A BOWL AND ADD THE OTHER INGEDIENTS. SPREAD OVER COOLED CAKE AND SERVE.

Beef Dip Sandwiches

2010-07-30T18:43:00.001-07:00

I’m trying to venture out a bit more with my dinner routine and found this over on Joelen’s Culinary Adventures with Friends & Food. I decided to try it.

Verdict: My family loved the meat. The kids chose not to dip the sandwiches in the au jus and instead opted for ketchup (they are my kids what can I say). But Kelly warned the kids that he hoped they liked dinner because we would be having it again. That’s a pretty good endorsement.

My endorsement lies in the fact that this is super simple to throw in the crockpot in the morning and eat it at night. I love the crockpot!

Ingredients:

4 pounds beef chuck roast

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

3 bay leaves

1 cup soy sauce

6 cups water

Directions:

Place roast in slow cooker. Season with garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves. Pour in soy sauce and water. Cook on low setting for 6 to 10 hours. Unlike most roasts, the longer the better.

To serve, place in hamburger buns or split french bread and top with your preferred cheese if desired. Feel free to dip your sandwich in the au jus left in the slow cooker too!

Notes: I only used a 2.5 lb. roast and it was plenty for my family with leftovers. So I halved all of the above ingredients.

WW Points: 6 per serving (I figured that it made about 12 servings). Points value does not include bread.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

2010-07-30T18:38:00.001-07:00

Wow. ‘Nuff said.

Found these gems (along with this delicious photo) over on The Family Kitchen and I had to try them. The family loved them! A couple of notes…it was all delicious but I wonder if it would be just as delicious (or at least close) just using a Bisquick or easier base mix and adding the swirl. I’m not sure because the pancake was super yummy but a little more time consuming than a quick Bisquick pancake. Second, these measurements (one batch) only makes about 6 large pancakes. Taryn, my 10-year old daughter, ate 2 of them by herself so I’m glad I doubled the batch.

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for pan
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon honey

for the cinnamon swirl:

2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a liquid measuring cup and then whisk into flour mixture. Batter should be lumpy and not too thin. In a small bowl, combine ingredients for the cinnamon swirl, and pour into a plastic ziploc bag or a disposable pastry bag. Snip a tiny triangle off the end of the bag for piping. Set aside.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Grease with butter, if desired, and pour on a 1/2 cup of batter. Use the pastry bag to make a swirl of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the batter. When the bubbles on the surface of the pancake begin to pop, and then no longer fill in with more batter, flip, and cook for 30 seconds more. Repeat with remaining batter.

Buttermilk Syrup

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

In a medium sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, and buttermilk. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally. Take off heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Stir, and the mixture will become thick and bubbly.

WW Points: 4 per pancake/2 per 2 Tbsp. syrup

Chocolate Pudding Cookies

2010-07-22T16:38:00.001-07:00

For some reason lately I’ve been wanting to try out new cookie recipes. However, my husband is a purist and thinks the only cookie you need is chocolate chip cookies. Despite his wishing I would stick to that formula, I found this little gem over at Spoonful of Sugar and had to try it out. They were delicious! A couple of words of warning…#1 This is a HUGE batch of cookie dough. Next time I will be cutting it in half. #2 There is no box of pudding that is a 6.8-oz size. I sat for the longest time trying to figure out what that would be. The smaller boxes are 3.9 oz and the bigger box is 5.9 oz. So I put in just shy of two small boxes equaling 7.8 oz. and it turned out fine.

Ingredients:
2 cups butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
6.8 oz instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars.
Beat in the pudding mix.

Add in the eggs and vanilla beat until well mixed.
Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Then mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop a heaping tablespoonful of batter onto the cookie sheets for each cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are set in the middle.

WW Points: 2 per serving

Peanut Butter Bars

2010-07-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favorites - makes a sheet cake full so you'd better be hungry! I eat them for breakfast because I can justify the peanut butter =) Enjoy!

Mix together :
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. peanut butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together :
2 c. flour
2 c. oats
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Add together and bake at 350 for 15-18 min until golden brown...then cool.

Frosting :
thin layer of peanut butter first
3 c. powdered sugar
4 Tbs. cocoa
4 Tbs. soft butter
2-3 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Haystacks (Frito Pie)

2010-07-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

Confession: I love frito pie - the send a Valentine's Day card kind of love. It reminds me of high school football games where they open a bag of fritos, pour chili into the bag and top with cheese. Yum! As good as that is, this is better and better for you. Just typing this makes me want to make it for dinner.

1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 1/4 c. water
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato paste
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. crushed oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/3 c. long grain rice
1 pkg. corn chips (ie. Fritos)

Assorted Garnishes:
Sour Cream
Grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese
Sliced ripe olives
Slices green onions
Diced avocados
Diced green pepper

In large skillet, cook together ground beef, onion, and garlic until beef loses its color and onion is soft; drain off excess fat. Add remaining ingredients except corn chips; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Serve over corn chips with any desired garnishes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Banana Muffins

2010-07-13T15:35:00.001-07:00

I noticed some overripe bananas on my counter one day and figured that I needed to use them in something quick or they would become part of the trash (and I hate throwing away food). So I found this little gem on Stephanie’s Kitchen and they are DELICIOUS! I threw in some chocolate chips because who doesn’t need a little chocolate with their healthy banana muffins?!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
3 or 4 ripened bananas (about 1 cup mashed bananas)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
4 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. In another mixing bowl, mash the bananas and add the sugars, egg and melted butter. Whisk together until smooth. Add to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Don’t over mix. Evenly distribute between 12 muffin cups that have been sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes.

HOT MAMA SALSA

2010-07-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

10 QUARTS OF QUARTERED TOMATOE BLANCHED
3 GREEN SWEET PEPPERS
3 RED SWEET PEPPERS
8 YELLOW PEPPER
4 ANAHEIM PEPPERS
5 JALAPENO PEPPERS
1 QUART CHOPPED CELERY FINE
2 TSP. PAPRIKA
6 CLOVES GARLIC, DICED
3/4 CUPS OF VINEGAR
2 TABLESPOONS OF COARSE PEPPER
1/2 CUP SALT
1 CUP SUGAR
4 TEASPOONS CUMIN

CHOP PEPPERS WITH GLOVES ON AND ADD TO ALL INGREDIENTS AND COOK 1 HOUR(SIMMERING).

SEAL IN BOTTLES AND HOT BATH FOR 20 MINUTES. MAKE SURE LIDS ARE BOILED AND HOT WHEN APPLIED.

MY COUSINS RECIPE AND TO BE HONEST, I COULD DRINK IT!

STRAWBERRY JAM!

2010-07-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

WASH, SLICE, AND MEASURE THREE CUPS OF STRAWBERRIES. PUT THEM IN A BIG PAN, BIGGER THAN A ROASTER, AND MASH WITH A POTATO MASHER. NOT TOO FINE OR THE JAM WILL BE SYRUPY.

TO MASHED STRAWBERRIES ADD 3 CUPS OF WATER, 3 PACKAGES OF STRAWBERRY KOOLAID, AND 1 PACKAGE OF MCP PECTIN. STIR AND BRING TO A ROLLING BOIL OVER MEDIUM HIGH HEAT. ADD 8 &1/2 CUPS OF SUGAR, CONTINUE TO STIR CONSTANTLY. WHEN IT COMES TO ANOTHER ROLLING BOIL, SET THE TIMER FOR FOUR MINUTES AND BOIL. SET THE PAN ASIDE, TAKE THE WHITE SKIM OFF OF THE TOP OF MIXTURE.

POUR THROUGH A FUNNEL INTO SCALDED BOTTLES AND SEAL TIGHT WITH LIDS THAT HAVE BEEN SETTING IN HOT WATER. EACH BATCH MADE ABOUT 10 BOTTLES. YUMMY, MY FAMILY INSISTS ON MAKING THIS EVERY YEAR. I HAVE A TENDANCY TO GIVE SOME AWAY AS WELL. THEY MAKE GREAT GIFTS. ENJOY.

Miniature Cheesecakes

2010-06-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

I LOVE cheesecake! And with these, you can enjoy one and not feel as guilty. Of course, I rarely enjoy just one so...

Ingredients:
24 vanilla wafer cookies
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 (12 fluid ounce) can cherry pie filling

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil baking liners. Place one vanilla wafer in each cup.

2. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the nutmeg and vanilla. Pour mixture evenly into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Parmesan Chicken

2010-06-10T18:52:00.001-07:00

As you can imagine, life with four kids has been a bit of an adjustment. Thanks to a wonderful mother, great ward family and amazing friends, I am just now having to get back into the swing of trying to cook for my family again. So when I stumbled upon a recipe card that the Relief Society passed around in my absence, I had to try it. The biggest selling point was that I had everything on hand. The kids loved it!

Ingredients:

1/2 cube butter (I took this to mean 1/4 cup)

10 chicken breasts, skinless (I only used 4)

1/2 cup flour

1/4 pkg. zesty Italian seasoning (1 tsp.)

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 can Cream of Chicken soup (I used Mushroom)

milk

parmesan cheese

Directions:

Melt butter in baking dish. Mix flour, zesty seasoning, and pepper in a bag. Drop chicken breasts in and shake until well coated. Lay chicken in melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Mix together soup and 1 can milk. Sprinkle cheese over chicken then spoon on soup mixture. Bake 15 minutes more at 350 degrees. May use more soup mixture on chicken if gravy is desired.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

2010-04-24T07:15:00.001-07:00

I decided to try something new for dinner the other night and was pleasantly surprised with these easy little morsels from The Girl Who Ate Everything. Hubby loved them and the kids only complaint was “the little green things” (green onions). So next time, I will leave the green onions out of half of it because Hubby and I liked them.

Ingredients:

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese (I couldn't find grated so I crumbled slices)
about 16 small corn or flour tortillas (we liked flour better)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Directions:

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

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

The corn tortillas are harder to roll without cracking. For the corn tortillas: work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

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

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Makes around 16 taquitos.

Pollyanna Cupcakes

2010-03-04T09:00:00.001-08:00

I found this winner over at Tongue–N-Cheeky, one of my favorite blogs for all things dessert. She has an amazing way of putting together flavors. I would have never thought of Marshmallow Fluff as an ingredient to cupcakes but it tastes soooo good! I didn’t actually try the Marshmallow Buttercream frosting because I needed something quicker and just used a store-bought frosting. However, I would love to try it sometime as it sounds decadent.

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

1/3 c. butter

2 T. sour cream

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/3 c. marshmallow fluff

1 1/3 c. flour

1/3 c. boiling water

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add remaining ingredients and beat together until nicely mixed. Spoon into 6 large cupcake holders, lined with cupcake wrappers. Bake 30-32 minutes for large cuppies.

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

4 oz. marshmallow fluff

1 c. butter

4 c. powdered sugar

1-3 T. whole milk

1 drop peppermint oil

1 drop lemon oil

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat marshmallow fluff and butter. Slowly add powdered sugar and milk a little at a time, beating until fluffy. Continue to add until desired texture is achieved. Add more milk, if a thinner frosting is desired.

Note: I made miniature cupcakes instead and got a full 24 small cupcakes out of the batch. If you make the miniature ones, only bake them for 15 minutes. That was just about perfect in my oven.

Black Forest Cheesecake Dessert Cups

2010-02-01T12:39:00.001-08:00

This was a Pillsbury Bake-Off winner (hence all the references to Pillsbury). It is absolutely marvelous! Delicious! And if I had all the ingredients, I would go make it right now!

Ingredients:

1 box (19.5 oz) Pillsbury® Brownie Classics Traditional fudge brownie mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

4 eggs

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 container (6 oz) Yoplait® Thick & Creamy vanilla yogurt

1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

1 aerosol can whipped cream topping

1 large sprig fresh mint, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 large muffin cups (2 3/4 inches in diameter and 1 1/4 inches deep). Make brownie mix as directed on box using oil, water and 2 of the eggs. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about 2 tablespoons per cup). Bake 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips on High 1 minute. Stir and microwave in 15-second increments, stirring after each, until chips are melted and smooth; set aside. In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in sugar, remaining 2 eggs and the yogurt until blended. Add melted chocolate; beat until well blended.

3. Divide chocolate mixture evenly over warm brownie layer in cups (about 3 tablespoons per cup), filling each to top of cup. Cups will be full.

4. Bake 22 to 26 minutes longer or until set. Cool in pans 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully remove dessert cups from pan (cream cheese mixture will be soft); place on serving platter. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

5. To serve, remove paper; top each dessert cup with 1 tablespoon pie filling (including 2 or 3 cherries) and 1 tablespoon whipped cream topping. If desired, arrange cupcakes on pedestal cake plate covered with linen napkin. Garnish platter or plate with mint sprig. Store in refrigerator.

Buttercream Frosting

2010-01-27T14:09:00.001-08:00

This is the fantastic buttercream that I ice my sugar cookies with. It’s very easy and oh so tasty!

Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
4 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. milk

Directions:
Cream ingredients together.

Warm Pears with Granola

2010-01-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

I love to eat fruit for breakfast, but it's a little hard in the winter. So, I came up with this little honey as a tribute to my favorite pear tart (recipe will come as soon as I get it from momma).

4 firm pears (I used massive ones and it was plenty for me and the fruit of my loins)
about 4-6 T butter (depends on how many pears you use)
4-6 T brown sugar
granola (I prefer Cascadian Farm organic granola - oats and honey. yum)

Dice the pears into bite-sized pieces. Dry with a paper towel and saute in butter until pears start to soften and maybe brown a little. Add brown sugar and stir. Scoop pears and sauce into a small bowl and top with granola.

Mamaw's Homemade Rolls

2009-12-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

These rolls are the best. My kids love them and of course, Mamaw has turned over the keys to this recipe, so enjoy.

1. Put 4 Tablespoons of dry yeast (I use Fleischman's Rapid Rise) in 1 cup of warm water. Remember this needs to be in a container that will allow the mixture to rise double it's size.

2. Measure in a saucepan 3 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of oil. Heat slowly to lukewarm. (I stir with my little finger for temperature.)

3. Measure in a large mixing bowl, 4 cups of sifted flour, l cup of sugar, and 1 Tablespoon salt.

4. In another bowl, sift 4 more cups of flour and set aside.

5. Pour milk mixture into flour and sugar mixture, I mix by hand.

6. Add yeast mixture and stir.

7. Add remaining flour, stir.

8. In a large mixing bowl (oiled) transfer mixture and turn over to coat dough.

9. Cover with dish cloth and let rise (double in size) in a warm, quiet place. :)

10. Divide dough into 4ths. On a floured surface (I use a pastry cloth) roll into a circle, cut into sections like a pizza with a pizza cutter. Roll up each piece to make a crescent. Place on greased, foil lined, cookie sheet. Cover with cloth and let rise double in size again.

11. Bake in a 350* oven until done. About 15 minutes.

You can also make cinnamon rolls out of this dough!

Italian Beef and Vegetable Soup

2009-11-25T12:26:00.000-08:00

I love this soup! And the best thing is that it's even better the next day!

Brown together and drain:
1 lb lean ground beef (I prefer it better with lean ground sausage)
1 large garlic clove, crushed
Stir in:
2 cans beef broth (or one box is fine)
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes (undrained)
about 1 cup sliced carrots (I cut baby carrots in quarters length-wise)
Simmer, uncovered 10 minutes.
Stir in:
1 can white beans
1 medium zucchini (I cut it length-wise and then in half moons. I also usually add two)
1 medium yellow squash (this isn't in the original recipe. I cut it like the zucchini and I also usually add two because I love squash!)
Continue to cook 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add:
2 cups torn spinach (I never measure this - I usually add about half a bag)
Season with salt and pepper.

Cream of Tomato Soup

2009-10-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

This is my mom's recipe that I've always loved, but I've been nervous to make it for my babies because I thought they might not like it. Not so, my friend, not so. They loved it! I served it in cups with a grilled cheese sandwich and hoarded the leftovers for lunch. Oh, and as a bonus, it takes like two seconds to throw together.

Saute half an onion in two tablespoons of butter.
Add 3 tablespoons of flour, 2 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper.
Cook and stir until flour is absorbed.
Gradually add 2 cups tomato juice (I used V8 vegetable juice) and 2 cups cold milk (I used fat free 1/2 and 1/2 - it makes it a little thicker).
Heat to serving temp but do not boil.
This recipe only makes about 4 cups, so feel free to double.

Almond Sugar Cookies

2009-10-05T18:01:00.001-07:00

I love sugar cookies and until now have always considered Martha Stewart's recipe my favorite. And while her recipe is still amazing in so many ways, I have found another favorite. These sugar cookies are delicious! Not only that, they do not require that insane 3-hour chill time which means when you need or want them, you can pretty much have them. I found these by chance over at Yummy Fun (I believe I actually found this off of Food Gawker that linked me to Yummy Fun. If you've never perused Food Gawker, you are missing out!). The original recipe is for Cherry Almond Sugar Cookies but, alas, I did not have a jar of marschino cherries in the house. I will have to try the originals sometime soon, though.

Ingredients:
1 C Butter room temp (* see note)
1 C Sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 + tsp Mexican vanilla (**)
1/4 + tsp almond extract - high quality
4 C flour

Directions:
Cream all liquids, add flour, do not over mix. Dough will be sticky. Roll out 1/2 inch thick on floured counter space and with cookie cutter cut in any shape you desire. Bake 375 for 9 minutes. These are intended to be thick gourmet cookies. You can roll them thinner if you would like. Wait until cookies have cooled before piping frosting and best served chilled.
(*) can also substitute with butter flavored shortening

Frosting (from Original Recipe for Cherry Almond Sugar Cookies): 4 1/2 - 5 C powdered sugar
1 tsp. Mexican vanilla (**)
3 Tbsp. milk
4 Tbsp. pureed maraschino cherries with juices
1/2 tsp. almond extract

(**) Real vanilla is a must! If you do not have it, it is worth finding.

Frosting (that I used this time around):

4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

food coloring

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners’ sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

Hershey's Kisses Peanut Butter Blossoms

2009-09-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

My husband loves these cookies and begs Bree to bring them to every gathering. I finally decided to find the recipe and post it here so that I would have it for future use.

Ingredients:
48 Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl. Add 1/3 cup granulated and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into mixture.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lighthly browned. Immediately press a Kiss into the center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Barefoot Contessa's Coconut Cupcakes

2009-07-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

First of all, credit for this one definitely goes to the Barefoot Contessa herself. It's her recipe that is posted on FoodNetwork.com. I must admit, I had not heard of these cupcakes. But Janae came out recently and was talking about them and I just had to give them a try.

These cupcakes are amazing! However, do not be fooled. No one could successfully justify that they have any healthy attributes. There are 6 sticks of butter in these cupcakes if you make them along with their intended icing. I don't even want to know what their WeightWatchers POINTs count is. I ate too many and it probably set me back for a year. I must confess...it may have been worth it.

Ingredients:
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Note: I omitted the sprinkling of coconut from the tops of the cupcakes. I was decorating them for a birthday party using my new cupcake book (thanks Mom!). I must say they turned out pretty good for my first try.

Sugar Cookie Bars

2009-07-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

This bar that I found over at A Pookie Pantry has the taste of a wonderfully soft sugar cookie but the ease of a cookie bar - much easier than cutting out and decorating individual cookies. Very tasty!

Ingredients:
1 c. (two sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 c. white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
5 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cans vanilla frosting
Sprinkles of choice (optional but cute)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large, rimmed baking sheet (jelly-roll pan). Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda and whisk to incorporate. Add dry ingredients to wet ones and stir until just combined.

Spread dough evenly across the entire baking sheet (I had to flour my hands and a spatula to achieve this).Bake for approximately 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden.

Cool completely before frosting and adding sprinkles.

Super Moist Fudge Bundt Cake

2009-07-03T16:43:00.001-07:00

This cake is delicious and easy! I can't remember where I found it so if it's yours, let me know. I will credit you. I will definitely be making this one again.

Ingredients:
1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 4-serving size instant chocolate pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream (not low-fat or fat-free)
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola works well)
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Stir down sides. Continue to mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared (i.e. greased and floured) bundt pan.

Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 20 minutes. Invert onto serving platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar for an elegant look before digging in.

Chewy Red Raspberry Bars

2009-06-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

These are easily on my top three favorite cookie recipes. I LOVE the oatmeal in them because it makes me feel like I can eat them for breakfast.

1 cup butter at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups oats
1 cup raspberry preserves

Place butter, br sugar and almond extract in bowl and beat until fluffy. Add flour, baking powder, and oats and combine. Mixture will be crumbly. Reserve 1/2 cup mixture for topping; pat remaining mixture into bottom of greased 9x13. Spread preserves on top of oat layer carefully. Sprinkle with reserved topping. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Best Coffee Cake Ever!

2009-06-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

So my mom asked me the other day which one of my friends in high school had that amazing sour cream coffee cake recipe? And through the miracles of FaceBook I was able to find that awesome recipe again...and now I am going to share it with you!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1 C. Butter
1 C. White Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together: 2 C. Flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. Sour Cream

Filling & Topping:
1/3 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 C. White Sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Cream butter & sugar until soft and creamy. Add eggs & vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients, alternating with sour cream. Beat after each addition.

Spread 1/2 dough into greased & floured 9 x 13 pan.

Sprinkle 1/2 filling over dough and spread with the rest of the dough and rest of filling on top.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Enjoy!

Chinese Lemon Chicken

2009-05-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

I've really wanted to post this for over a week now. Mike and I love Chinese food and can't eat enough of it, so I was super excited to find a recipe that's easy to make at home. It tastes even better than some of the lemon chickens I tried at restaurants! I made my mother make it and it also got rave reviews at her house. Oh, and it's a Rachael Ray.

4-6 chicken breasts, cut into chunks (I used 5 or 6 and had lunch leftovers, which made me happy!)
1/4 cup flour
course salt
2 T wok oil or vegetable oil (I sprang for the wok oil because it sounded good - it's infused with garlic and spices - it's not expensive, and I knew I'd use it again. I think it added a deeper flavor, but it will still be marvelous without it)
1 T (a splash) of white or rice vinegar
1/2 chicken broth or stock
8 oz. (1 cup) lemon curd (sold by the jams and jellies)
1/4 warm water (I don't think I used this)
lemon zest
2 green onions, finely chopped

Coat the chunked chicken in flour seasoned with salt. Heat wok or large skillet on high and add oil (two turns of the pan). Stir fry chicken until done and remove from pan. I had to do mine in shifts. After all of the chicken is cooked and removed, turn heat down to medium.

Add the vinegar and let it evaporate. Add the chicken broth and scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan. Thin the curd by stirring in the hot water and add to pan. Whisk to combine and add the chicken back to the pan. Simmer for a couple of minutes to finish cooking the chicken and let the sauce thicken. Remove from heat and add zest and green onions and stir through. Serve over rice. Try not to lick your plate!

Chicken on the Grill

2009-05-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

This is a fantastic marinade from Cooking Claire. We did chicken drumsticks last night and Kelly proclaimed that it was one of those "impress the guests" type of recipes. Delicious!

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken or drumsticks or breasts
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 soy sauce
1 or 2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp dried ginger
salt and pepper

Directions:
Mix the above ingredients together (minus the chicken, of course). Place chicken in marinade. I used a 9x13 pan. Place in fridge for several hours turning once. Heat grill and cook.

WW Points: 7 per serving

Cocoa Oatmeal Cookies

2009-05-17T18:32:00.001-07:00

These little gems from AllRecipes.com are a great variation on a old-time favorite. My family loves them!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins

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

Beat butter or margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in oats and raisins, mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are almost set. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute on cookies sheets, then move to wire racks. Cool - store tightly covered.

Note: By now, you know my family. We exclude the raisins.

Samoas Bars

2009-05-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

If you are like me the name Girl Scouts is synonymous with Samoas. They are the delicious Girl Scout cookies that have the caramel and the coconut and the shortbread and the chocolate...ooohhh. Hungry! Anyhoo, I was browsing some of my favorite cooking sites the other day and you can imagine my excitement when I saw a recipe for Samoas Bars that claimed to be very much like the cookies. I tried it. I loved it! This comes from My Kitchen Cafe. A word of caution: Do not make these if you anticipate being alone for any amount of time or live in a rural community without neighbors. You will eat them with reckless abandon and they aren't healthy! You'll have to share!

Ingredients (Cookie Base):

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions (Cookie Base):

First, make the crust. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Ingredients (Topping):

3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

12-oz good-quality chewy caramels (I used one 14 oz. package of the Kraft brand)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons milk

10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok - I didn't coat the base of the brownies in chocolate so I only used 1 cup semisweet chips to drizzle on top)

Directions (Topping):

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden (mine took about 25 minutes). Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on 50% power for 1-2 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula. Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer (I kind of had to use my hands on this part to get it into an even layer). Let topping set until cooled. When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).

Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish. Alternately, you can omit the step to dip the base of the brownie in chocolate and simply drizzle the melted chocolate on the top of the bars (you won't need the full 10 oz. if you choose this step). Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 30 bar cookies.

Chicken Milano Pasta

2009-05-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

I found this one day on Blissfully Delish and had to try it (kinda partial to the pasta dishes). It was a big hit with my family. Unfortunately, I didn't have the sundried tomatoes that it calls for so we did without when I tried it. Please note that the original recipe served 2 people. You will need to double the recipe as needed for your family size.

Serves 2 Ready in 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup of bowtie pasta per person
1 Tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (or to taste, but please don't use sweet basil and don't use the finely chopped stuff either- way too over powering)

Directions:
Start boiling the water for the pasta in a large pot.

Heat the butter in a large sauce pan. Once melted, add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken broth. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Your pasta pot should be boiling by now, put the bowties in to cook.

Go back to the sauce pan and add the heavy cream to the mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. I like ours thick, so it might take 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the third pan, warm oil over medium heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook until browned on both sides and the inside is no longer pink. Cut into bite size pieces and add to the cream sauce.

By now your pasta should be done cooking. Drain and mix with the cream sauce. Add the basil and stir everything together.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

2009-05-14T10:39:00.001-07:00

I hope you all still have access to good berries because you are going to want to try these little beauties that come to us via the June issue of Martha Stewart Living. The only downside is that they should be eaten immediately or stored in an airtight container for 24 hours. After that, they don't taste good anymore. I imagine it has something to do with the fresh fruit. However, I found that I didn't have to worry about storing them - my daughters had three a piece that very evening.

Ingredients:
12 oz. strawberries, hulled and cut int 1/4 inch dice (2 cups)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
3 oz. (6 Tbsp.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar.

In a separate, large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 Tbsp. granulated sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with the sanding sugar, and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Classic Baked Ziti

2009-05-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

Another great recipe from My Kitchen Cafe. This is not one of the easiest dishes in my arsenal but it is delicious.

Ingredients:
1 pound 1% cottage cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 ounces grated parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 pound ziti or other similar pasta (like penne)
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 medium garlic cloves, finely minced (about 5 teaspoons)
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil (use 1/2 cup fresh basil if you have it but add it to the sauce after it has simmered and you take it off the heat)
1 teaspoon sugar
Black pepper
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream (or substitute whole milk but increase the amount of cornstarch to 2 teaspoons and the cooking time in step 3 by 1 to 2 minutes)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Directions:
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the cottage cheese, eggs and 1 cup of the paremsan cheese together in a medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, about 7 minutes (the pasta will finish cooking in the oven). Drain pasta and leave in colander. Do not wash the large pot.

While the pasta is cooking, heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, sugar, basil and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Take off heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir cornstarch into heavy cream and transfer mixture to the now-empty large pot the pasta cooked in. Set the pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and 3/4 cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.

Transfer mixture to a 9X13-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese over the top. Cover the baking dish with foil that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

Variations/Notes: I used ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese. I'm not much of a cottage cheese fan.

Personal Pretzels

2009-04-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

We've made these pretzels a couple of times - they are fun, easy, and yummy. Recently, we had friends over and made them for a fun activity

1 envelope active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 tsp salt

1/4 cup honey

5 T sugar

4 1/4 cups flour

4 T butter, melted

1 T cinnamon

Heat oven to 425 and line two baking sheets with foil. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the salt, honey, and 1 T of the sugar and stir well. With an electric mixer, thoroughly blend in the flour at low, then medium speed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it's smooth, about 5 minutes (I just left it in the mixer with the dough hook). Divide the dough into 16 roughly equal pieces, then roll each into a 10-12 inch long rope. Shape into a letter, number, or other design and place on foiled baking sheets (remember than the dough will expand a little when it's cooked). Bake the dough shapes for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and remaining 4 T of sugar. Now, leaving the pretzels on the foil, brush them with the melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar on top. Store any leftovers in an airtight container and reheat them before eating. Makes 16 pretzels.

Crockpot Lasagna

2009-04-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

This dish is so easy and so tasty. You can have this done and in the crockpot in 5 minutes. It's such an easy go-to dish.

Ingredients:
1 box Oven-Ready Lasagna Noodles (broken into pieces)
1 container Ricotta Cheese
1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
26 oz. can of Spaghetti Sauce
Mozarella Cheese

Directions:
Brown the meat. Drain. Combine the spaghetti sauce and the meat. Layer half of the meat mixture on the bottom. Top with half of the broken lasagna noodles. Top with half of ricotta cheese. Cover layers with mozarella cheese. Repeat all the layers again. Cook in crockpot 6-8 hours on Low or 3-4 hours on High.

Luscious Chocolate Bundt Cake

2009-03-01T15:59:00.000-08:00

Now here's a way to dress up a store-bought cake mix! I got this recipe because I volunteered to bring a cake to a Relief Society conference (blessings for service) where they wanted all the desserts the same. So, they handed out the recipe and asked each person to make the same thing. I've got to be honest, I often sign up for things like this so that I can snag the recipes.

Ingredients:
1 Chocolate Cake Mix
1 sm. box instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 c chocolate chips

Glaze Ingredients:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. butter

Directions:
Combine the first 6 ingredients and beat on medium for 2 min. Fold in the 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Turn into a greased and floured (or spray with Pam) bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Invert cake onto cooling rack. When cool, cover with glaze.

Glaze: Combine 1/2 c chocolate chips with 1 Tablespoon butter. Meltover low heat and pour over cooled cake.

Mini Taco Salads

2009-02-14T05:55:00.000-08:00

I needed a finger food type thing to serve at a baby shower I hosted a couple of weeks ago. I found an interesting *dessert (Pampered Chef) instead, so I changed it into this:

All I did was take a wonton wrapper and brush it with melted butter. Sprinkle it will a little salt and press it into a mini muffin pan. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. While they are cooking, use hamburger to make whatever taco meat mix is your family's favorite. After the cups cool, put about a Tablespoon of meat into the bottom. Top with finely chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, and top with a black olive. They are sooo cute and my kids loved eating them the next night.

*the original sprinkled sugar on the buttered wonton, then filled them with a combination of 8 oz of strawberry yogurt and 1 1/2 cups whipped topping (basically fruit dip, but I think the possibilities are endless!) They were then topped with fresh berries and more whipped topping.

Play Dough Cookies

2009-02-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

I made this yesterday for Shea's birthday treats. Lots of ooohs and aaaahs. They are such great looking cookies and so fun for the kids. I grabbed the recipe from All Recipes and if you search for this one, you'll see pictures of all sorts of variations: black and orange for Halloween, red and green for Christmas, etc.

They are not hard to make, just a bit time consuming. But they truly are kind of fun. It's just like playing with PlayDoh. You just get to eat it later.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
assorted colors of paste food coloring
24 lollipop sticks

Directions:

In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms. Divide dough into fourths. Tint each with a different food color. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Working with half of each color, shape dough into 3/4 inch balls and for each cookie place 1 pink, 1 green, 1 blue and 1 orange ball together to make 1 large ball. Shape into a 12 inch long roll (like a snake), starting at one end, coil roll to make a 2 3/4 inch round cookie. Place cookies 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet.

Carefully insert lollipop sticks into bottoms of cookies.

Bake cookies for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Pudding Fruit Yogurt Yummy

2009-02-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

So I didn't know what to call it so I just made up a name. My mother-in-law makes this and it is awesome. You will want to sit down and eat the whole bowl - which I do not suggest. It will make your stomach hurt. So here it is...

Combine 1 large package of vanilla instant pudding with one large carton of light vanilla yogurt. Mix those two together until well blended.

Add one large carton of Cool Whip light (it will make you feel better when you eat a lot)...mix together.

Add 1 package of frozen raspberries, 1 package of frozen blackberries and 1 package of frozen strawberries (you'll need to cut the strawberries into thirds)

Mix it all together and serve - and YUM! Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Mini Chocolate Tarts

2009-01-26T17:48:00.000-08:00

I found these over on Stephanie's Kitchen and tried them Sunday night for dessert. They were a hit! In addition to the taste, I liked the compact size of this decadent treat. I didn't feel guilty after eating it. I did use the rest of the batter to make large, cupcake-size tarts and they were just a bit too much. The other upside: most of this stuff is in your cupboards and fridge (with the exception of the half-n-half...see note below recipe).

Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup melted butter
1 3.4 oz box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup half and half
1 8 oz container cool whip

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, egg and butter until smooth. Scoop batter 2/3rds full into a mini muffin tin sprayed with non stick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the edges are set. Immediately press down the centers of the cups using a tart shaper or a plastic lid of a soda bottle. Cool completely.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the pudding with the half and half until smooth. Fold in the cool whip. Spoon or pipe into the cups and top with a fresh strawberry or raspberry.

Notes:
First of all, this batter is incapable of being called "smooth" as it states when you are mixing it up. There just isn't enough liquid to make a smooth batter. Mine was the consistancy of a fruit cobbler topping (if that makes sense). Nothing smooth about it. However, I pressed the "batter" into the molds and they turned out just fine. I wonder if you could increase the amount of melted butter for a smoother consistancy? If you try it and it works let me know.

Second, you could use milk instead of the half-n-half. Just make the pudding as directed on the box and fold in the cool whip. You are just looking for the consistancy of a mousse and there is no reason you have to use half-n-half. My two cents...

Photo courtesy of Stephanie's Kitchen.

Nacho Chicken

2009-01-20T11:55:00.000-08:00

This is super easy and super delicious. Plus, most of this stuff is probably around your house somewhere. You can serve it with Mexican rice or by itself.

Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salsa
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips
Fiesta Blend shredded cheese

Directions:
Place chicken breasts on aluminum-covered baking sheet. Cut three small slits in the top of the chicken breasts. Layer chicken breasts with salsa followed by the sour cream and, lastly, tortilla chips. Place in a 400-degree oven and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Notes: This was absolutely delicious but Kelly would have preferred the chicken to be grilled (surprise, surprise). Next time we will grill the chicken and put the toppings on the last part of cooking.

S'mores Cookie Bars

2009-01-14T11:04:00.001-08:00

Oh wow! If you like S'mores, you are going to love these cookie bars. This is an oven version of the campfire favorite. I found it on According to Kelly and made them last night for our American Idol Premier party (which I can't actually watch until everyone on there can actually sing). My husband and girls love that show!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt4 (1.55 oz. each) HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars
1 cup marshmallow creme (or a small handful of mini marshmallows, whatever you have on hand)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan (you may want to line it with foil, for easy lifting out & cutting).
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Press half of dough into prepared pan.
3. Arrange chocolate bars over dough, breaking as needed to fit. Spread with marshmallow creme (or mini marshmallows). Scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallow; carefully press to form a layer.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. 16 bars.

Notes: First off, I didn't have marshmallow creme onhand so I used mini marshmallows. A small handful, as noted above, isn't enough to cover everything. Use marshmallows to your own discretion.

Mamaw's Homemade Noodles

2009-01-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has been to one of our family gatherings knows that this is one of our favorite dishes.

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. (1/3 cup) milk
2 cups flour, sifted

Directions:
Mix ingredients together. Roll out on floured surface and cut them in long, thin strips. Sprinkle with additional flour and lift off surface so they aren't sticking. Let dry 1 hour.

To cook, bring chicken broth, water and chicken bouillon (quantity will be determined by how much you are making) to a boil. Add the noodles one at a time. Bring to a boil for approximately 20 minutes. Add your turkey, vegetables, chicken...whatever you are making with the noodles.

Uncle Mike's Turkey Gravy

2008-12-25T20:41:00.000-08:00

My Uncle Mike made this gravy from the drippings off Kelly's turkey (Good Eats Roast Turkey) at Thanksgiving this year. It was divine! Be aware that he is one of those "by taste" kind of cooks so you'll have to take this "recipe" as it was given. I was able to recreate it to some extent. It didn't taste as good as my uncle's but it was close.

Ingredients:
Broth from turkey
Dill
Salt
Pepper
Chili Powder
Tabasco
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
water
2 Tbsp. sour cream

Directions:
Drain the broth from the turkey and let sit for a minute or two. Skim off most of the fat (not all of it). Add salt, pepper, dill, and small amounts of the chili powder and tabasco.

Boil this mixture for a while - approximately 15 minutes. This will bring out the flavor as the water evaporates.

Mix the cornstarch with water until it becomes smooth. Reduce heat to Low and whisk in the cornstarch/water mixture. Cook this until it thickens.

Once the gravy has reached the right consistancy, remove from heat and whisk in 2 heaping Tbsp. of sour cream until smooth.

Almond Punch

2008-12-25T20:38:00.001-08:00

I was searching for some type of drink to serve with Christmas dinner this year and called my Aunt Debbie who gave me this delicious option. It looked great on the Christmas table and tasted wonderful as well. The best part...I prepared the majority of it (the syrup) the night before and so fixing it was a snap!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. almond extract
2 limes, squeezed
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
Red food coloring
1-2 liters Sprite
Ice

Directions:
Mix the sugar, lime juice, extract, water, and food coloring together. Place in a container and store in the fridge until ready for use. When you are ready to serve the punch, pour the pre-made "syrup" into your punch bowl or container, add the Sprite and the ice. Serve.

Good Eats Roast Turkey

2008-12-25T17:27:00.000-08:00

This has become a new family favorite. Kelly found it while watching his cooking hero, Alton Brown, on the Food Network. Now, Kelly is in charge of the turkey at family gatherings. This also makes a great gravy which I will post later.

Ingredients:
1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

2 to 3 days before roasting:
Directions:
Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:
Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 151 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Poured Cookie Icing

2008-12-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

I found this winner on the Wilton website. It has come in quite handy and I'm not sure what I would do without it. The key is to either get it thin enough to pour over the cookies or, what I discovered making 140 cookies for Christmas, to hold the cookie and dip it into a bowl of the icing and let the excess drip off. It made for a smooth surface and they were beautiful.

Ingredients:
1 cup confectioners' sugar sifted
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Directions:
Place sugar and milk in bowl. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Add corn syrup and mix well. For filling in areas, use thinned icing (add small amounts or light corn syrup until desired consistency is reached).

Variation:
You can also add flavors to this icing. For Christmas I added a little Peppermint extract.

Easy Shepherd's Pie

2008-12-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

So I made a big Sunday dinner last night that included mashed potatoes. I guess I overestimated the amount of potatoes my family would eat (since I, personally, love them) and ended up with a heap of leftovers. Not wanting to waste food, I remembered something my mother used to make called Shepherd's Pie. I searched for a recipe and came upon this treasure at MyRecipes.com. Taryn had 3 helpings!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (such as carrots, peas, and corn), thawed
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Cheddar (optional)
1 16-ounce package refrigerated or frozen and thawed mashed potatoes

Directions:
Heat oven to 400° F.

Place the beef in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until no trace of pink remains, about 5 minutes. Spoon off and discard any fat. Stir in the ketchup and Worcestershire. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Spoon the beef mixture into a baking dish.

Mix the cheese (if using) with the potatoes in a medium bowl. Spread the potatoes over the beef and bake until heated through, 10 minutes. Divide among individual plates.

Please note: When I serve mashed potatoes at dinner I make them extra creamy by stirring in sour cream which I'm sure added to the taste of this dish. And I did add the cheese. Plus, I had leftover green beans from last night as well and mixed those in, too. I'm patting myself on the back tonight for being so frugal. Leftovers don't often make quite such an impression upon my family.

Vegetable Casserole

2008-11-30T08:08:00.000-08:00

This is a favorite side for Thanksgiving, Christmas or whenever, really. All of my children eat it really well (apart from the veggies, it's not that hard to see why).

2 lbs. mixed vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots - steamed, crisp. This step is now even easier with the invent of the "steam in the bag" veggie packs. The only thing is that the bags are pretty small so you would probably need 4 for a 9x13. I can also easily find a big bag that's enough for the whole thing - cheaper but more work to thaw, really.
Add:
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups cheese
1 1/2 cups mayo (I always use lite - no real difference)
Place in a 9x13 and top with 1 sleeve of crushed saltines and 4 T melted butter. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes

* I have even added chicken to this casserole and served it as a week day main dish.

Sweet Potato Crescents

2008-11-30T07:50:00.000-08:00

Along with the Granola Pie (keep scrolling), this is another new addition to our Thanksgiving feast that I think is a keeper. I especially love the soft orange color and the very soft texture. If you're worried about the sweet potatoes, don't be. You can only tell if you are trying really hard and even then, some people still couldn't figure out what was different. They just taste extra yummy!

2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 can (15 oz) cut sweet potatoes, drained and mashed (I actually found a can of mashed sweet potatoes with no added sugar, so that made the recipe that much easier)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
5 - 51/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water; let stand for 5 minutes. Beat in the sweet potatoes, sugar, shortening, egg, salt, and 3 cups flour. Add enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough (I added all of it and it was still very soft. Instead of adding more flour, I used a lot when I was rolling them out). Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes (thank your kitchen-aid). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; divide into thirds. Roll each portion into a 12-in. circle; cut each into 12 wedges. Brush with butter. Roll up from the wide end and place, pointed end down, 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 3 dozen.

GRANOLA PIE

2008-11-29T13:37:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Meg (again), we have a new favorite pie. Don't let the title put you off; it is absolutely delicious.
1 pie crust, unbaked
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup instant oatmeal
3/4 cup corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
Stir together above ingredients and then add:

1/3 cup chocolate chips
4 Nature Valley Honey & Oats granola bars, crushed

Pour into crust and bake at 350* for 45 minutes. Serve with whipped topping.

Pumpkin Bread

2008-11-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on Grace Violet and decided to try it out this afternoon. It is absolutely delicious and very easy. It's a win-win. I plan on wrapping up my mini loaves and giving them out for a birthday present. I may also make these for the ladies I visit teach for a Thanksgiving treat. Oh, and it's supposed to be even better the 2nd and 3rd day if you can believe it!

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 5 mini loaf pans (also makes great muffins).

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended.

Pour into the prepared pans.Bake for about 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Note: Some of my loaves didn't complete cook (even when I increased the time to 50 minutes). I remember, while filling the pans, that it looked like a lot of batter in each pan. So, I'm not sure if I just had smaller-than-average mini-loaf pans or what. Next time I will probably try making muffins or a normal-size loaf of bread.