Koren BBQ Beef

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs. thinly sliced beef (slightly thicker than lunch meat)
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 T sesame oil
4 T sesame seeds, toasted
1 1/2 T beef bouillon
1 cup green onions, sliced
2 T garlic, chopped
1 T garlic powder
2 T sugar
1/2 cup water

Instructions:

Mix everything except the beef in a mixing bowl. Make sure the sugar and beef bullion have a chance to dissolve. Mix in the meat and marinate for at least 2 hours. On a medium high heat, cook the strips of beef on an outdoor grill (or broil in oven on a cookie sheet covered with tin foil).

Serve with rice and veggies.

Serves: 4-6 (depends on how much meat you use)
Time: marinading time + cooking time = about 2 hrs and 30 min

*this recipe belongs to Ashley Jensen, who submitted it in the 2007 Foxboro First Ward Cookbook. Thanks Ashley!

Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup

8 C. water
8 chicken bouillon cubes
1 can Cream of Chicken soup

add any vegetables that you would like, add more or less depending on your preference

1\2 onion, diced
2-3 potatoes, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1\2 bag baby carrots, sliced thinly
mushrooms

2 C. cooked, cubed chicken

lemon pepper
salt and pepper
garlic powder
thyme
lemon pepper

1 bag egg noodles

Bring water to a boil, add bouillon cubes. Add the can of Cream of Chicken soup and dissolve in boiling water, stirring often.

Keep stove top on medium-high

Add vegetables, stir together

Add chicken, stir together

Season with the above seasonings. I usually add a couple of teaspoons of each.

Reduce to a simmer for a half an hour

When you are almost ready to serve, bring back to a boil and add bag of noodles until cooked. Let sit for about 5 minuets to let it thicken up. If it is too thick, you can add a little bit of chicken broth to it.

This makes a lot of soup! It is very hearty, and it is perfect for a cold evening. I love all the flavors, too! I always make the whole recipe because I like to freeze the rest. It will freeze well for about a month.

Peanut Butter Truffle Cookies

I was a little skeptical about these cookies because of the lack of ingredients but I think they turned out very delicious. These were so easy and would be great to take to a holiday party. It says creamy peanut butter but I used half creamy half chunky and it was fine.

Prep: 15 Min Cook: 8-9 Min

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350

In small bowl, with wooden spoon, comine all ingredients except chips until blended. Stir in chocolate chips just until combined. On ungreased baking sheets drop by slightly rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart. Do not flatten. Bake 8-9 minutes or until cookies are puffed and golden. Cookies will be very soft. Let sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

mom's pumpkin pie.

a.k.a. the easiest pumpkin pie recipe EVER {it's fool-proof... believe me}

a.k.a. the recipe off the back of Libby's canned pumkin :)

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can {15 oz.} Libby's pumpkin
1 can {12 fl. oz.} evaporated milk
2 9-inch {2 cup volume} unbaked deep-dish pie shells {I buy Marie Calendar's frozen pie shells}
Whipped cream {optional}

Directions:

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. POUR into pie shell. BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Herb Grilled Pork Tenderloin + Veggies

A flavorful herb marinade gives a lovely glaze and lots of savory grilled taste to this moist, melt in-your-mouth tenderloin. The marinade's also great on chicken.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
4-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh sage or 1-1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 pork tenderloins (1 pound each)

Instructions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Pour 3/4 cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add the pork. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

2. Coat grill* rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Prepare grill for indirect heat. Drain pork and discard marinade. Grill, uncovered, over indirect medium-hot heat for 25-40 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees, basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. *OTHER OPTION: I don't have a grill, so I just broiled my pork and it turned out just fine.

Serves: 2-3
Time: 10 min + marinating; then cooking is about 25 min.

* * *

Veggie side:

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes sliced hamburger-style (straight from the garden is best, otherwise I highly suggest buying the "more expensive" tomatoes from your local grocer to guarantee yummy, well-grown tomatoes. Well worth the money here.)

1-2 cucumbers, sliced

1/2 of a red onion, sliced

Kraft's Zesty Italian salad dressing

Instructions:

Combine veggies in a medium sized bowl. Coat with salad dressing to taste.

toasted pumpkin seeds

This is one of my favorite Fall recipes. I know Halloween is over and the pumpkins have been carved, but maybe you want to empty one of your Thanksgiving pumpkins to make this yummy snack!

3 Cups pumpkin seeds, rinsed {basically just remove all of the goopy pumpkin guts}
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Combine melted butter, worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper in a medium bowl. Add pumpkin seeds and stir until they are coated with the sauce. Pour onto baking sheet & spread them out evenly. Bake 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. Seeds will be browned & crisp {and delicious!} when done.

Pretzel Hugs

Here is a quick and easy snack for after school or to share with your neighbors. I had my niece and Tyler help make them and they loved it. Especially sneaking M&M's every few minutes. We used Halloween colored M&M's but any color is fun.

Pretzel Hugs

1 bag pretzels Regular or Waffle style
1 pkg. M&Ms
1 pkg. Hershey "Hugs"

Place pretzels on baking stone or sheet. Place a Hug on each pretzel and bake at 200 degrees for about 8 minutes (just watch for the Hugs to melt). Remove from oven and promptly place a couple of M&Ms on each pretzel, pressing into the melted chocolate. Allow to cool before serving. At room temperature, this takes SEVERAL hours. I would recommend making these the day before you plan on eating/delivering. Or you can put them in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

Hope you and your kids enjoy!

Banana\Zucchini Bread

I am excited to get this recipe written down somewhere other than the back of an old, greasy receipt that it is scrawled on right now. This is the best recipe for banana or zucchini bread that I have tried. We love it and make it whenever we have bananas that are getting old or if we have some zucchini needing to get eaten up. I love that the recipe is exactly the same for both bread. Enjoy!

3 eggs
1 C. oil
2 1\2 C. sugar
1 TBS. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1\4 tsp. cinnamon (I love cinnamon so I usually put in more!)
3 C. flour

3-4 bananas

or

2 C. shredded zucchini

Mix all ingredients in that order. It helps to use some sort of electric mixer if possible.

I have a large bunt pan that I make mine with, but you can also use two medium size bread pans.

Grease the sides of your pan before pouring batter into it. Bake at 325 for 60-70 minutes

Cover with foil for the first 20 minutes.

alterations:
I add about 1 1\2 C. chocolate chips and put about a tablespoon of cinnamon in it when I want to make it more of a dessert. I also sprinkle a sugar and cinnamon mixture on the greased sides of the pan.

Asian Beef and Brocolli

Sorry I don't have a pic..but this is a good recipe so I thought I would post it anyway

1lb. Petite Sirloin Steak
2pkg. Oriental ramen noodles (broken up)
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch dissolve in 1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
1/2lb. fresh broccoli
2 med carrots

Start off by cutting your beef into thin strips not too long you want them to be bite size. Then combine ramen seasoning with the cornstarch water mixture. Add this to your beef and stir..then set aside. Use 1T. oil to stir fry your veges for about 1 minute. Then add your noddles and 1 1/2 cup water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3-5 minutes then remove. Add your remaining oil, drain your beef from the mixture and brown it in the oil. Then add together with your veges and noodles.

This is served great by itself or with Fried Rice. Check back for a great Chicken Fried Rice recipe.

Ramen Chicken Salad

I got this salad recipe from my little sister and I absolutely love it! I not only enjoy eating it, but I like to make it as well. It is super easy, and I almost always have all the ingredients on hand. It is great to bring to showers or pot-lucks, but I have also enjoyed preparing it for dinner for my husband and I. Just pair it with some French bread and you have yourself a yummy, fast and fresh tasting dinner!

3 Tbs. butter
1 pkg. oriental-flavor ramen noodles *
2 Tbs. sesame Seeds (optional)
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. white vinegar
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 c. cut up cooked chicken
1/2 c. dry roasted peanuts
1/2 c. sliced green onions
16 oz. bag coleslaw mix

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Stir in seasoning from noodles. Break block of noodles into bite-size pieces over skillet; stir noodles into butter mixture. Cook two minutes, stirring constantly; stir in sesame seeds. Cook about two more minutes, stirring constantly, until noodles are golden brown.

Mix sugar, vinegar, oil and pepper in large bowl (large enough for the rest of the ingredients). Add noodle mixture, chicken and coleslaw mix, and toss well.

*I have yet to find oriental flavor ramen noodles at my grocery store, so I always substitute with chicken flavor and it turns out just as yummy tasting!

Tips-n-tricks: salad and cheese.

SALAD:
Just before serving, tear--don't cut--the greens into bite-size pieces. Cutting greens with a knife will turn the edges brown with time.

CHEESE:
Cheese can be frozen for longer storage time. Because the freezing process changes the cheese's texture slightly, it is best to use it in cooking or baking. (It makes it crumble when you try to shred it, but I deal with it and use it for all things anyway. The taste is still the same.)

the best buttermilk syrup (+ german pancakes)

So apparently I'm on a breakfast theme here. We just had breakfast for dinner again and it was pretty much heaven-sent. I have THE BEST homemade syrup recipe in the world (thanks to my cousin Tanys!), and I challenge ALL to try it. I PROMISE it will be love at first taste, just as it was for me. (Oh and we love to put it on German pancakes...so I threw that recipe in here as well). Enjoy!



Best Buttermilk Syrup

1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 stick of butter (not margarine!)
2 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla


Instructions:

In a medium (not small...or baking soda will overflow it!) saucepan stir sugar, butter, milk, corn syrup, and soda. Boil. Reduce heat, cook for 7 minutes. Remove from heat, and add vanilla.


German Pancakes

6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
Dash of salt
4 tablespoons butter (melted on cookie sheet)

Instructions:

Melt butter on a cookie sheet in oven as it's pre-heating to 350 degrees. Once melted, add batter. Put back in oven, cook for 20 min.


Serves: 4
Time: 25 min

glorious french crepes.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, melted for batter, plus about 1 tablespoon softened for pan

Instructions:
(These instructions look intimidating, I know. But you only need to read it once, really, to get the idea. Then you'll remember for future crepes.)

1. Combine flour and eggs in a mixing bow and add just enough milk to allow you to work the mixture gently into a smooth paste with a whisk. Don't overwork the mixture, which would activate the gluten, and don't worry about a few lumps (they will be strained out). Gently whisk in the rest of the milk. Strain batter, then stir in the salt and melted butter. (If the butter is added before straining, it congeals in the cold batter and gets strained out.) If you have time, cover batter and let it rest in a cool place or in the fridge for at least two hours or up to 24 hours.

2. Put the pan over medium heat. When butter foams and the foam begins to subside ever so slightly as in making an omelet, ladle in enough batter to just cover the surface with a THIN layer. If you add too much, pour excess out of pan. (After a couple of crepes you will be able to judge how much to put in pan.) If the batter doesn't stick to the pan, it isn't hot enough...if the batter sizzles as soon as it hits the pan, it's too hot.

3. As soon as you add the batter, quickly lift the pan and gently rotate it and tilt it at different angles at the same time to coat it with the batter as quickly as possible. Put the pan on the stove for about 1 minute until the batter loses its sheen. Then flip crepe over with a big spatula, to cook other side.

Topping ideas:
*chocolate &/or caramel syrup
*bananas
*strawberries
*jam
*sugar & butter
....anything really.

Serves: about 4
Time: 20 minutes

chicken & red potato foil dinners

Gina and I were talking the other day about making foil dinners more fancy, and this is what I came up with! I made them for dinner tonight and they turned out yummy. Because I only made the recipe for 2, I'll just list what I put in each meal.

1 chicken breast, thawed {if you use frozen chicken, you'll need to adjust the cooking time}
1-2 red potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup frozen corn
a few small wedges of red onion {if you don't like onions, i would still recommend adding a dash of onion or garlic salt for flavor. that's what i did for my picky husband}
a dash of salt
a dash of black pepper
a dash of thyme {i'm sure italian seasoning or oregano would be yummy too}

Turn on the grill to a medium-low setting. Spray the foil with Pam. Pile on the ingredients & wrap up the meals. Cook on the grill for about 25 minutes. Flip them over once or twice during cooking. Check them at about 15 minutes to determine how much time they still need. Unwrap & enjoy!

The final product:

salsa fresca

In my opinion, there is nothing better than fresh salsa with tortilla chips. Especially homemade salsa. This is my recipe:

6-8 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped {red onions are my personal favorite}
2-3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped {dried cilantro is just not the same}
juice from 1 lime
a couple shakes of chile powder {however much you like, depending on how hot you like it}
a pinch or 2 of salt {i don't like to over-salt it because tortilla chips have plenty of salt on them}
a pinch or 2 of sugar

and voila. the best snack in the world {ok, at least it's MY favorite!}. healthy, too!

sweet chili

This is a family recipe; it's a really yummy chili that has my most fave ingredient: sugar. And, again, this recipe is pretty easy....it just requires some time to simmer.

The great thing about this chili is it makes for a great next-day-lunch item. We like to eat it with cheese sprinkled on top and tortilla chips...not exactly the most healthy choice of toppings, but it's dang good. :) Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef (I've used just one pound before, and it works just as well)
1/2 chopped onion
1 can diced tomatoes
2 sm. cans tomato sauce (or I sometimes use 3/4 of a reg. size can)
1 can kidney beans
2-3 Tbs chili powder
2 Tbs sugar (yum!)
1 med. can mild green chilies (or less if you're not a fan)
1 can chili beans
a touch of cumin and oregano

Instructions:

Brown beef with onion in large pot. Add rest of ingredients. Simmer for about an hour.


Serves: 5+ (or 2 and have the rest for left-overs!)
Time: 1 hour 20 min (or you can cheat, like me, and simmer for only 30 min.)

**TIP: If you have several recipes that call for onion...consider buying diced onions in the freezer section of your local grocer. Beats cutting that nasty stuff up yourself every time and trying to keep it fresh until your next use. (In fact, I do the same with green peppers, peas, carrots, and broccoli)

sweet-n-sour meatballs

So obviously I'm all about fast-n-easy...and these fabulous meatballs are no exception. I decided to go against the grain and take a picture of the cooking in process. :) These are super good, and super easy.

Ingredients

1/3 - 1/2 package of frozen meatballs (I dunno, like 15-20 meatballs?)
1 can pineapple (chunks or diced)
1 green pepper, sliced
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2 cups rice

Instructions:

Cook meatballs according to package (you're basically just warming them up and browning), add pineapple (with it's juice!), green peppers and BBQ sauce. Serve over rice.

Serves: about 4
Time: about 20 minutes

*TIPS: You can thicken the sauce by adding some cornstarch. And I buy my meatballs at Walmart in their frozen section, the "Homestyle" kind.

fave: jiffy blueberry muffin mix

I grew up eating these yummy muffins. They are super easy to make {add 1 egg & 1/4 cup milk} AND they actually taste like muffins, not cupcakes! One box costs $1-$2. Tip: After you have distributed the batter into the muffin cups, press in frozen or fresh blueberries. yum!

simply delicious

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THE ULTIMATE OREO COOKIE

2 devils food cake mixes

4 eggs

1/2 cup flour

2 cubes butter softened

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mix & roll into walnut sized balls, bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 for 9 minutes (no longer, they wont look done, take them out anyway). when cool frost with premade cream cheese frosting or home made (if you ambitious) and make into sandwich....

simple and delicious!!

Suddenly Italian Salad (MY FAVE!!)

Speaking of salads...this salad is MY favorite to bring to potlucks, bbqs, etc. And it's so unbelievably easy, you'll just die...

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Ingredients:

1 box suddenly salad, classic

2 tbs veggie oil

3 tbs water

1 cucumber, sliced and quartered

1 big tomato, diced (or you can use cherry tomatoes)

Pepperoni slices, quartered (I use about 1/3 to 1/2 of bag)

More veggies can be added, like: olives, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

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Instructions:

Prepare salad according to box instructions...then add veggies. That's it! Tastes great after being in the fridge for a while...to cool and crisp-up.

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Serves: probably about 8-ish (but if you double the recipe, can feed up to 15)

Time: 15-20 minutes

spinach salad with poppy seed dressing

When it's my turn to bring a salad, this is a yummy alternative to a boring bowl of iceberg lettuce.

Salad:
1 bunch spinach {1-2 bags baby spinach}
1 head lettuce {1-2 bags iceberg lettuce}
6 strips bacon, cooked & crumbled
2 hard boiled eggs
1-2 cups swiss cheese {depending on how many you're serving... and how much you love swiss cheese}, grated
*in the picture, I didn't have a boiled egg handy. I also added craisins.

Dressing:
1/2 Cup red wine vinegar
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
1/2 Cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
3/4 tsp dry mustard
{combine all & shake well}

Combine spinach & lettuce in a large bowl. Apply dressing just before serving. Top with bacon, boiled eggs & cheese.

Tip: For a lower-fat dressing, try 3/4 Cup vinegar & 1/4 Cup oil.

Serves: 8+
Time: about 20 minutes if eggs are already boiled & chilled.

marvelous mini meatloaves

okay so it doesn't look marvelous...but i promise they're delectable! this is my favorite meatloaf recipe i've come across. and sooooo easy.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 pkg (6 oz) stove top stuffing mix
1 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup bbq sauce
3/4 cup shredded cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven tp 375 degrees. Mix meat, stuffing mix, water, and garlic powder until well blended. Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with non-stick cooking spray; make an indention in the center of each with spoon. Spoon bbq sauce into center of each meatloaf. Bake 30 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Top with cheese, continue baking until cheese is melted.

Serves: 6
Time to make: about 40 minutes total

skillet enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce (I use the green, mild)
1 sm. can green chilies (unless you love spicy, I use half of this small can)
1 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. milk
8 corn tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (give or take...I like lots of cheese)
1/2 c. to 3/4 cup diced onion

Instructions:

In a large skillet brown beef with onions. Drain. Add soup, sauce, chilies, and milk. Let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Soften tortillas in microwave (I do only a couple at a time, for about several seconds). Sprinkle some cheese in middle of tortilla, roll and lay in skillet spreading with sauce. Repeat until all tortillas are rolled and covered in sauce within the skillet. Now sprinkle remainder of cheese over the top of each enchilada. Let sit in skillet for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted inside and out.

Serves: about 4
Time to make: about 30 mintues total

gotta-have-it: williams-sonoma spoons

so some of you may have heard of these spoons, or have one already, but let me just say i love these beauties. this spoon (available in lots of cool colors) is not only cute and fashionable, but it can withstand up to 500 degrees of heat before melting. which translates into: this puppy ain't gonna melt when you're cookin' with it. i love it! you can stir anything with this bad boy! definitely a gotta-have-it. about $9/ea at williams-sonoma. well worth the investment.

tips & tricks: freezing

okay, so i love to freeze anything that is freezable. up until about a couple of years ago i was unfamiliar with the whole freezing technique. i thought you only froze ice cream and ice cubes. boy was i wrong. my fave thing to freeze right now are tortillas because i use them so much. what do you freeze?

fave: sugar-free delight

yup, it's one of my faves; these yummy sugar-free gelatin cups...they taste delightsome for a low calorie snack. try it.

fave: savory ham

here's one of my faves. oscar mayer's brown sugar shaved ham. mmmm. virtually no fat and tastes like you just picked it up from the deli. it's under $3 at walmart.

it's a must have in our home. try it.