Eat Your Veggies, Peas.

Double Chocolate Mousse Dessert Cups

2012-02-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

These delicious little cups were a hit at our Super Bowl party last night. And the best part about them?? SUPER easy to make. You can mix up the mousse and serve it out of bowls if you want, but I had these cute little graham cracker crusts on hand, so I decided to make little mousse cups. And since they are mini cups, it's totally kosher to eat more than one right??

Double Chocolate Mousse Dessert Cups
(Recipe adapted from JELL-O)

1 1/2 cups cold fat-free milk, divided
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)
1 large package (2.1 oz.) Jello Chocolate fat free sugar free instant pudding
1 1/2 cups whipping cream or fat free cool whip (I prefer the taste of home whipped cream, but if you are looking for less calories, fat free cool whip is the way to go)

Microwave 1 cup milk and chocolate chips in a bowl for 2 minutes; stir with a whisk and keep heating until chocolate is melted. Add remaining cold milk and dry pudding mix. Beat for 2 minutes with a hand mixer. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow mousse to set up. Just prior to serving, stir 1 1/2 cups of whipping cream or cool whip into the chocolate mousse mixture. I put it back in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes, then used a large cookie or ice cream scoop to fill my graham cracker cups. You can garnish with a dollop of whip cream and some chocolate chips or fresh raspberries.

***For extra deliciousness, I put a few chocolate chips in the bottom of the cups before filling with mousse. There is something about having a little bit of a crunch with the smooth consistency of the mousse that makes me happy!

Chicken & Broccoli Hugs

2012-01-13T07:42:00.000-08:00

Want a super easy, yummy dinner? My sister-in-law taught me this one. Only 5 ingredients.

ingredients

1 can rolled crescent dough

2 cups chicken, cooked & cubed

2 cups broccoli, cooked (I steam mine)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

Salt & pepper

instructions

Place chicken, broccoli and cheese--at the proportion you want--in the middle of each doughy triangle. Fold up the sides, line up on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 until golden brown.

While they are cooking, heat up the cream of chicken soup in a medium saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste. Use this as a dipping sauce for your rolls.

P.S. Something I learned this from my friend while she was in culinary school was to always season my meat, and it has made a difference in the taste of my food for sure. So when making this dish, salt and pepper your chicken too!

grandma's sugar cookies.

2011-12-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

i am, of course, partial to my grandma's sugar cookie recipe. i love that you don't have to refrigerate the dough, and i loooooove the nutmeg!!

ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg

directions:
Roll and cut. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes. Frost & enjoy!

Bacon Ranch Chicken

2011-12-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

I made this beyond DELICIOUS Crock Pot dinner last night and lo and behold, I forgot to take a picture! Hopefully the name of it will draw attention and make you want to try it. It is really good. And this is coming from someone who doesn't like bacon (me!) but it gives it a really good flavor. Here's the recipe!

3-4 chicken breasts...

Mix together:
1 small can cream of chicken
1 cup sour cream
2 slices of raw bacon, cut up
less than half of dry ranch dressing (a lot makes it really salty)
a little bit of minced garlic or garlic powder

Pour over raw chicken and make sure you get the sauce in between chicken. Cook on high for 2-2 1/2 hours. (Mine cooks it fast) So watch it and make sure it is thoroughly cooked. When done, cut up chicken in cubes or shred it and put back in crock pot. Cook about 2-3 cups of wide eggs noodles and pour in crock pot and mix.

Easy smeasy right? And SO, SO good. Enjoy!!

Homemade Chicken Potpie

2011-11-03T12:39:00.000-07:00


Not to toot my own horn, but this was the perfect Thanksgiving Kick-Off I could ever do. ;) Using my much loved recipe book from The Food Nanny, I attempted this daunting task of making my very own homemade Chicken Potpie. Note: At first it seemed daunting, as I have never made pastry dough before--or even a pie!--but it was surprising SIMPLE.

My family, especially my husband, loved this meal. Such a guy's meal right? Meat and potatoes hugged with flaky pastry dough. I mean come on. My kids helped me make everything, that's me rolling the pastry dough and my daughter (5) taking the picture! I loved everything about this meal, and I hope you will too! Give it a try, it's really not as hard as it looks and delicious!

ingredients

PASTRY for a double-crust pie:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 t salt

3/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled butter, cut in small pieces

4 to 6 tablespoons ice-cold water

FILLING

2 small bone-in chicken breasts (about 1 pound) *I didn't have bone-in, so I just used regular de-boned chicken breasts

3 Yukon gold or russet potatoes, diced

2 carrots, sliced crosswise

2 t chicken bouillon granuels

1/2 t salt

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cold water (or broth)

1/2 cup frozen peas

instructions

1. To make the pie crust, stir the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening and butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle with the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, and stir with a fork to moisten all the dough. Gather the dough into a ball with your hands. Divide the dough in half. Roll out one half on a lightly floured surface and fit it into a 9-inch pie dish (deep-dish is ideal). Roll out the other half and set aside.

2. Put the chicken breasts in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat, cover, and simmer until tender, about 18 minutes. Remove the chicken to a cutting board or plate.

3. Add the potatoes and carrots to the hot broth and return to boiling. Decrease the heat, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, tear or cut the chicken off the bones into bite-size pieces, discarding skin, fat and gristle. Remove the vegetables from the simmering broth with a slotted spoon and set aside with the chicken pieces.

4. Measure the broth and add water, if necessary, to make 2½ cups. Return to the pan and simmer, stirring in the bouillon and the salt.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6. Stir the flour into the cold water in a small bowl or measuring cup. Stir into the broth and increase the heat to medium. Stir constantly until the broth thickens.

7. Add the chicken to the broth along with the potatoes, carrots and peas. Stir to combine. Pour the filling into the pastry-lined pie dish. Cover with the top crust, seal and flute the edges, and cut a slit in the top for the steam to escape. Bake 40 minutes, or until the crust is light brown. Serve immediately.

microwave caramels.

2011-10-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

if i had known sooner how easy these are to make, i would be a much plumper individual. i'm going to have to limit myself to how often i can use this recipe... :)

ingredients:

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup pecans, optional

directions:

spray 8x8 pan with Pam. combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl. stir well. cook, uncovered, in microwave on high for 7 minutes. allow to cool for 5 minutes. stir again. pour into pan. cool completely in refrigerator. cut into squares and wrap in waxed paper. {to make as a dip for apples, reduce cooking time by one minute.}

and then immediately share them before you eat them all by yourself.

note:

i burned my first batch. in my microwave i only needed to cook it for 5 minutes.

sausage frittata.

2011-10-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

this was our general conference breakfast on sunday. i didn't have a non-stick skillet, so it took lots of elbow grease to scrub the remains out of my pan, but it was worth it :)

ingredients:

1/2- 1 lb ground pork sausage

2 cups cubed cooked red potatoes (i used frozen hash browns bc i was lazy)

8 eggs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato

2 green onions, thinly sliced

directions:

cook sausage in large non-stick skillet over medium heat 4-5 minutes or until hot. stir in potatoes. beat eggs, cheese, salt & pepper in a large bowl with wire whisk. pour over sausage mixture. cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes, occasionally lifting edge with spatula and tilting skillet to allow uncooked egg to flow underneath. (do not stir.) reduce heat to medium-low; cover. cook 14-17 minutes or until eggs are set. top with tomato and onions. cut into 8 wedges to serve.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like Cream Cheese?! My husband's cousin posted the recipe of these cookies on Facebook and I just HAD to make them. And want to know the best part? Eggs are not required!! So feel free to feed your kids all the dough you want with no worries!

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

5-6 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups plus 3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment

Cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the Vanilla.

Sift together dry ingredients and then add them to the butter mixture. Beat until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

*original recipe suggests chilling the dough overnight but I made them right away

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake 12-14 minutes or until edges are looking light golden brown.

Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes approximately 60 cookies.

***With it being autumn now, I just thought of putting a little bit of cinnamon in it next time I make this batch. Sounds enticing!!

Enjoy!

[Cook Challenge: Fruits Of Your Labors] GARDEN SALSA

2011-09-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

fruits of my labor . . . dish #2

Hate salsa? Me neither! I love it!! :) And if you are a big fan, like myself, you'll love this garden salsa recipe from my cute sister-in-law, Bonnie. It's perfect. And a fantastic way to use your fresh produce from your garden to share with others. (FYI: I used my own green peppers and tomatoes from my garden!)

ingredients
2 1/2 c. tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. tomatillos, chopped
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. green peppers, chopped
2-6 jalapenos, chopped (how spicy do you like it? you can de-seed if needed)
1 lrg clove of garlic, minced
2 T cilantro, chopped
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 T freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime)

instructions
Combine everything in a large bowl. I suggest doubling it. You'll bring out the best flavor if you let everything marinate together in the fridge before serving.

Eclair Pie

2011-09-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh can you say Heaven! This was delicious a little rich, so you can only have so much, but taste so much like an eclair, which I love! This recipe also comes from real mom kitchen...thank you again Laura this one is a keeper. original recipe posted here.

2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant french vanilla pudding mix (I used regular vanilla)
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
3 cups milk
1 (16 ounce) package graham crackers or 3 sleeves
Frosting:
4 Tbsp. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 1/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp milk or more if needed

In a bowl, blend together the pudding for 2 minutes until thick.
Fold the Cool Whip into the pudding mixture.
In a 9 x 13 pan, arrange graham cracker to cover the bottom of a the pan. I am kind of a perfectionist about this and trim down some of the graham crackers with a serrated knife to completely cover the bottom. Just cover the bottom the best you can.
Pour half of the pudding mixture over the crackers and spread out evenly.
Top pudding with another layer of graham crackers. Pour the remaining pudding mixture over the crackers and spread evenly.
Place one more layer of graham crackers over the pudding mixture.
Prepare the frosting. In a bowl, beat the butter until fluffy.
Beat in the cocoa, vanilla, and half the powdered sugar until well blended.
Blend in the remaining powdered sugar and milk. Blend until smooth. You want the frosting to be on the thinner side so add some more milk if needed. You want it closer to a glaze but still thick.
Spread the frosting over the last layer of graham crackers in the 9 x 13 pan.
Refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours but overnight or even longer is best. You need to let the pudding mixture soften the graham crackers.

[Cook Challenge: Fruits of Your Labors] Chicken Sausage Vegatable Pasta Primavera

2011-09-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from one of my favorite food blogs (other than this one) it's called real mom kitchen. She (Laura) has amazing recipes most of which are pretty simple to throw together. We are not huge vegetable eaters in this house, and this recipe is full of them. But this is by far one of my husbands new favorites and the only thing he has requested. The picture above is before you put it in the oven, and I don't have an after because we were starving! But here is the link to the original recipe. Her blog is definitely worth checking out. So delicious! And it most definitely falls under the cook challenge, since almost all the vegetables were grown from a garden.

1 medium zucchini, sliced
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, quartered (I left these out since we are not big mushroom fans)
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (I have also used a can of diced tomatoes; Italian style)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red or yellow pepper, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 (12 oz.) package Johnsonville Three Cheese Italian Style Chicken Sausage, slice at an angle (I used polska kielbasa sausage)
12 oz. linguine, uncooked

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper in a shallow baking pan. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly brown; stir occasionally.
In the meantime, cook linguine according to package directions and drain.
After vegetables are soft, sprinkle sausage on top of vegetables and bake 5 more minutes or until sausage is heated.
Toss cooked pasta with the vegetable/sausage mixture, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

[Cook Challenge: Fruits of Your Labors] Skillet Chicken Parmigiana + Corn on the Cob

2011-09-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

Fruits of my labor...dish #1.
I am still in awe that this husky, golden gem came out of my very own garden. I totally geared up for failure with my single, humble row of corn; especially after I found you really need to plant corn in at least 3x3 grids. But I am very proud to say, we have harvested our corn!

I paired our corn with this family favorite recipe: Skillet Chicken Parmigiana. Mmmmm. A splendid dinner indeed.

sweet salsa shredded chicken enchiladas.

2011-09-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

this is two of my favorite recipes rolled into one. dinner was GOOD tonight.

sweet salsa shredded chicken.

ingredients:
4-5 chicken breasts
1 1/2- 2 cups medium salsa {i use kroger brand}
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup peach juice {i used the juice from some canned peaches, but you could also use a can of peach flavored juice or something similar.}

directions:
combine salsa, juice & brown sugar. pour over chicken in slow-cooker. cook a few hours until chicken is done. {this is vague because i used frozen chicken breasts and i cooked it about 4 hours on high. so it depends on your chicken and your slow-cooker!} remove chicken, shred, and return to slow-cooker. heat 20-30 minutes. serve in any mexican dish! i've used it in salads, quesadillas, and enchiladas.

chicken enchiladas.

ingredients:
2 chicken breasts or 2 cans of chicken {i used the equivalent of my salsa chicken}
1 can black olives
1 can green chilies
green onions
sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
shredded cheddar cheese
5-6 tortillas

directions:
cook and shred chicken. reserve broth. to chicken, add olives, chilies and green onion. moisten with sour cream. fill tortillas with chicken mixture. thin chicken soup with reserved broth. pour half of the sauce in bottom of a glass 9x13 pan. place filled tortillas in pan. pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. top with cheese. bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

lemon bars.

2011-08-30T12:07:00.001-07:00

oh, my friends. this is my favorite dessert of all time. so much lemony goodness. i hate it when "lemon" desserts are mostly sweet with only a hint of lemon. this is a lemon dessert. total perfection. anywho, on to the recipe!

ingredients:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup butter, refrigerated
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
powdered sugar

directions:
combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar and flour. cut in butter until crumbly, the size of small peas. press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. meanwhile, beat together eggs, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon peel and juice until fluffy. pour over hot crust. bake additional 20-25 minutes until no imprint remains when touched lightly in the center. let cool slightly. sift powdered sugar over top. cool completely before cutting (4 hours or overnight). serve chilled.

note:
soon after you remove it from the oven, go around the edge with a knife to separate it from the pan. this will make your life easier when you're cutting them later.

and then you can go ahead and die and go to heaven.

cindy's broccoli cream soup- revisited.

2011-08-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

since i don't have a garden of my own, i will be using produce from my mom's garden and my mother-in-law's bountiful basket for the cook challenge! when my MIL gave me some fresh broccoli, i found this recipe in the archives and changed a couple of things along the way. {i added another can of broth 'cause i like my soup a little soupier, and some cheddar cheese added the saltiness that i was missing.}

i portioned this out, topped with a little cheese, and sean has some delicious soup waiting in our freezer for him to take to work for lunch :)

ingredients:
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen broccoli
1\2 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 can fat-free evaporated milk
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

directions:
in a saucepan, combine broccoli, onion, celery, broth, and pepper; simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. puree half of the mixture in a blender; return to the saucepan.

in a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth. gradually add remaining milk. stir into the broccoli mixture. bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. reduce heat to medium. stir in shredded cheese. continue simmering until soup thickens slightly.

top with shredded cheddar cheese and crackers!

Cook Challenge: Fruits Of Your Labors

2011-08-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Time again for yet another amazing Cook Challenge. (What you don't think they are amazing? You think they are beyond amazing?! You are too kind.) This challenge parallels the wonderful world of gardening. This year was my first experience with a garden, and my cup runneth over. No really, my fridge is full of zucchini, cucumbers, green onions, and both large and cherry tomatoes. Still waitin' on my corn - wish they would hurry up and pollinate each other so I could have me some fresh corn ears! And my string beans and snow peas have seen better days.... Regardless of the state of my humble garden, this green-thumb-in-training has been inspired again. Here's your challenge:

How Do You Reap the Fruits of Your Labors?

Make 3 dishes that include at least one of your garden's growth.

Don't have a garden? It's okay. We won't tell if you buy yours at Smiths.

Ready? Set? Cook!

Roasted Red Potato Salad {MY FAVE!}

2011-08-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

Drum roll please... Here it is. My FAVORITE salad this summer. (Thank you Nopper Family for showing me this divine dish!) This is the best potato salad I've ever had. Period. What I love about this salad is that it isn't your typical dill and potato salad, and second to that is how surprisingly easy and simple it is. Check it...

ingredients
red potatoes, roasted and diced
hard boiled eggs, chopped
bacon, cooked and chopped
green onion, diced
a little bit o' Miracle Whip
Salt n Peppa

...I'm not putting how much to use of each ingredient because it's best to make it the way you love best.

instructions
Place diced potatoes on a cookie sheet (sprinkle with olive oil and this seasoning salt - or one of your choice - for added flavor). Roast at 425 degrees until lightly toasted - about 40 to 45 minutes. At the same time you are roasting your potatoes you can cook your bacon! Place bacon strips on a greased cooling rack, then place the cooling rack with the bacon in a cookie sheet. I find this is the best way to cook bacon. The grease drains off of the bacon down into the cookie sheet for less fat! And the bacon is unreal it's so good! Be careful not over cook your bacon - it will cook a lot faster than the potatoes.

Once all ingredients are cooked and chopped up, mix in a large bowl. Add Miracle Whip to taste (I usually use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup). Salt and pepper to taste (love using freshly ground pepper with this...yum!)

Serve warm.

You have to try this salad! And when you do, return and report! I'd love to hear what you thought!

BASIC FLUFFY COUSCOUS

2011-08-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

4 tbs Butter
2 cups Couscous
1 small Onion, minced

3/4 tsp Salt
2 cups Water
1 3/4 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

Melt two tbs of the butter in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring often, until some of the grains are just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl. Melt the remaining two tbs butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the water and broth and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling liquid over the toasted couscous and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let it sit until the couscous is tender, about 12 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and fluff the couscous with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Smothered Pork Chops {Slow Cooker}

2011-08-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

5 Slices Bacon, Chopped
6 Pork Chops
Salt and Pepper
2 Yellow Onions, Peeled, Halved and sliced
1 tsp plus 1 tbs Brown Sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs Cold Water
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1 tsp Dried Thyme
3 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 tbs Soy Sauce
2 Bay Leaves
1 tbs Cornstarch
1 tbs Cider Vinegar
2 tbs Fresh Parsley, Chopped

In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan. If you have more than 2 tablespoons drippings, drain the excess. If you don’t have quite that much, supplement with canola oil. When the bacon is cool, transfer to a small bag or tupperware and refrigerate until later.

Heat the skillet with the drippings over medium or medium-high heat until rippling and hot. Meanwhile, pat pork chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook pork chops until they are golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side, cooking them in batches in the skillet if your skillet isn’t big enough to hold all six at a time in a single layer. When golden on each side, transfer the chops to the slow cooker and repeat with remaining pork.

Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet; add onions, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water to empty skillet. Using a wooden spoon, scrape browned bits from bottom of the pan and cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour onion mixture over chops in the slow cooker. Add broth, soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar to skillet, bring to a boil and add bay leaves. Pour mixture over onions in slow cooker.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low until pork is tender, about 8 hours (or cook on high for 4 hours).

When ready to serve, carefully transfer chops to serving platter with a large spoon and tent with foil. Discard bay leaves and pour liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan, reserving the solids. Transfer solids to a food processor or blender with 1 cup liquid and blend until smooth. Stir the blended mixture back into remaining liquid in the saucepan. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl and stir into sauce. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, season with salt and pepper, pour over chops and sprinkle with reserved bacon and parsley. Serve.

ZESTY LIME SHRIMP AND AVOCADO SALAD

2011-08-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

1 lb Jumbo Cooked Shrimp, Peeled and Chopped
1 Medium Tomato, Diced
1 Hass Avocado, Diced
1 Jalapeno, Seeds Removed, Diced Fine
1/4 cup Chopped Red Onion

2 Limes, Juice of
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tbs Chopped Cilantro
Salt and Fresh Pepper To Taste

In a small bowl combine red onion, lime juice, olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper. Let them marinate at least 5 minutes to mellow the flavor of the onion. In a large bowl combine chopped shrimp, avocado, tomato, jalapeno. Combine all the ingredients together, add cilantro and gently toss. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Triple Berry Pie

2011-08-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

Doesn't it look good? It was good. The only problem with this recipe is that you really need to double it...so that you have a second pie for later. This recipe is a combination of two recipes, the crust comes from Paula Dean and the filling is sort of a combination of two recipes that I'm going to call my own creation.

Triple Berry Pie
Adapted by Emily Jacobs

For the Crust:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp fine salt
3 Tbsp white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, COLD
12 Tbsp butter, cut into small cubes and COLD
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat is all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter (I found that a fork works the best here), Work it quickly, so the butter doesn't get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball.

When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatter it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

For the Filling:

4 cups of mixed berries, thawed if you are using frozen. (I used blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant tapioca
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes while you roll out your chilled pie crust.

On a floured surface, roll each disk out into 10 to 11-inch circles to make a 9 inch pie. Line the pie plate with one layer of crust, fill the pie with the berry filling and then top with the second layer of pie crust. Trim and crimp the edges of the crust and poke 3 or 4 holes in the pie to allow steam to escape. Coat the top lightly with an egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp water beaten together) and cook in a 400 degree oven for 45 - 50 minutes. Check the pie 15 or 20 minutes in and if the edges are already golden brown, cover them with foil so they won't burn. Allow the pie to cool completely before serving otherwise it will be a runny mess. Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or nothing at all. It's all good!

Banana Cupcakes With Whipped Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2011-08-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a long time, but I just had to share these delicious cupcake/bread and frosting recipes. They are SO yummy I find myself craving them all the time. The whipped chocolate buttercream frosting is the best I've ever had, but I warn you, it is not very good for you.

If you make this recipe as cupcakes, I would suggest keeping the frosting refrigerated until just prior to serving. I made the banana recipe as both cupcakes and bread, and I recommend both!

(Please pardon the picture, it was taken with my iPhone and doesn't do the cupcake justice.)

Banana Cupcakes

(May also use this recipe for bread)

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 c. mashed, ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)

1 1/2 c. white sugar

1 3/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend wet ingredients together, then add sifted dry ingredients and mix.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full or spray 1 loaf pan with non-stick spray and fill for bread.

Bake cupcakes for 22-25 minutes or bread for 1 hour 20 minutes.

Top cupcakes with whipped chocolate buttercream frosting and enjoy!!

Whipped Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped*

3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 1/2 T. unsweetened cocoa

3 sticks unsalted butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Melt chocolate and let cool. Blend butter until creamy, then add powdered sugar and cocoa. Add cooled melted chocolate, vanilla and whipping cream. Whip for 5 minutes, then chill in refrigerator for 2 hours before frosting.

*If you are like me and do not keep unsweetened baking chocolate on hand, use 9 T. of unsweetened cocoa plus 3 T. oil in place of the 3 oz. melted chocolate. This is in addidtion to the other 1 1/2 T. the recipe calls for.

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

2011-08-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

My best friend Sarah introduced me to this recipe and it is one more reason why I count myself lucky to know her. It is so good. So very good.

Not yo' Mama's Banana Pudding
Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients:

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding (I can never find this, plain vanilla works too)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream (use whipped cream, it's better I promise)

Directions:

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Greek Orzo Salad

2011-08-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

I have tried a few of Rachael Ray's Recipes and not really been too happy with them, but I found this one in her magazine last month and thought it sounded good. Well, we weren't disappointed because it was really tasty. I have made it two times, once with Chicken and Veggie Kebabs and most Recently along side some nice tasty grilled steaks. It was a perfect compliment to both meals! I didn't put as much celery as she said and I added grape tomatoes sliced in half to the salad. It was better this way so I'm going to add it to the recipe.

Greek Orzo Salad
Recipe by Rachael Ray
Serves 4 (served 4 adults and 3 kids with a little left over)

Ingredients:
Salt and Pepper
2 Small Lemons
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/4 cups (8 oz.) of Orzo Pasta, which is Half of a bag.
2 full stalks of Fresh celery including the greens (the greens have a lot of flavor, chop them well though)
1 chunk (4 oz.) Feta Cheese (this is half a package from the store, but you can make the salad twice. I love that.)
8 Kalamata Olives, oil packed with herbs (I used black olives because the kalamata's were pricy. Plus I hate olives, no one seemed to care)

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to boil and add 2 tsp of salt. Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook, stirring often, according to the directions on the package. While the orzo is cooking, in the bowl you want to serve the salad in finely zest the 2 lemons. Remember to not add the white part of the skin as it is bitter. Add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to the zest. Mix well and set aside.

Slice the celery lenghtwise and then chop into small pieces, you should have about 1 cup. Cut the grape tomatoes and olives in half.

When the orzo is cooked, drain it in a strainer and rinse well with cold water. Add the cooled orzo to the bowl with the lemon oil and toss.

To finish, add the cut veggies and crumble the feta cheese into the salad. Gently toss the orzo to coat all the ingredients with the lemon oil and serve.

All Greens Salad

2011-08-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

It really has been too ridiculously long since I've posted a recipe. Summer has me everywhere but in front of my computer lately. But you better believe I have still been cooking and taking pictures. Just not finding time to post! Sigh But here we are finally. My kids are with Dad doing yard work so I thought I'd steal a few seconds to post some fabulous things I've been cooking this summer, even though I should be doing the dishes. They can wait.

This has been my 2nd* favorite salad this summer. (Remember this favorite way back when?) I'm loving this new, extremely easy, salad my very health-conscience friend made for me one evening. Thank you dear! ;)

My husband calls this salad Rabbit Food. Haha. Men. See what you think. I think it's fresh, crispy, and new. Just what the Doctor ordered during this heat . . .

ingredients

cucumbers

green peppers

celery

green onions

baby spinach leaves

Salad dressing of your choice (we use Ranch - not the healthiest, but hey. It's good.)

*Stay tuned for my number one favorite salad this summer. You're going to die it's soooo yummy. Now if I can just steal another minute away to post it... ;)

zucchini/squash pancakes.

2011-08-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

ok, this is the 3rd post in a row that i have to say "this isn't really much to look at", but it's true. it's also true that these are delicious. i should create a new category called "how to use all of that zucchini and squash that is so plentiful in your garden"... but i won't :)

we had these for breakfast a lot in the summer growing up, but you can really make them any old time. i guess they kind of fall into a quiche-ish/brunchy sort of category? i don't know. anyway, tonight we had them for dinner with some green beans from my mom's garden.

ingredients:
1/2 c Bisquick
1- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded yellow squash or zucchini {with skins}
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs

directions:
combine all ingredients. spoon batter into frying pan {medium heat}. cook until there are no longer bubbles forming in the pancake, 1-2 minutes; turn over and cook for 1-2 minutes longer. enjoy the cheesy, squashy, zucchini-y deliciousness!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

2011-07-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

My husband and I had our first taste of Salted Caramel in Las Vegas a few months ago at a fantastic restaurant called Max Brenner. We were hooked! There is something so delicious about the sweetness of the rich caramel flavor, and then you get this fine hint of saltiness. Sweet and Salty perfectly paired together, who doesn't like that? A couple of weeks ago I saw an episode of The Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network, Ina and her friend made this beautiful ice cream and I knew that I had to try it. Oh my goodness, it was worth every minute and dish that it took to make it!

Before I go any further you should remember a few things:

1. Do yourself a favor and buy the half gallon of Heavy cream from Costco, you will be able to make two batches of the ice cream and have a bit left for some other treat. It's really the best cream around.

2. You must pronounce the word "caramel" as such, Care-a-mel. I demand it and so does Ina Garten, we're friends you know. (Not really, but I like to pretend we are. Ina rocks!)

3. This is not a hard recipe, but it is time consuming. All the ingredients must be well chilled, involving 24 hour refrigeration and ice baths. Do not be deterred! Read the recipe several times before you start, prep really well and give yourself time to think. It helps to have another set of hands around to add ingredients at certain points.

Ok, Ready?

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Recipe From Ina Garten's friend, Rory Trovato

First you need to start by making the Ice Cream Base, and you must chill this for 24 hours before you plan on making the ice cream. I tried to make it the day of and chilled for 3 hours, the ice cream never froze. Make it 24 hours in advance please!

Ice Cream Base:

1 cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream

Heat the milk in a sauce pan over medium-low heat.

Prepare an ice bath by setting a 2-quart bowl over a larger bowl partially filled with ice water.
Set a strainer over the smaller bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow in color and the sugar has dissolved. Gradually pour the warmed milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the same saucepan you used to warm the milk. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Strain the custard into the top bowl of the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Add the heavy cream and stir over the ice bath until cool. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly, preferably (NO DEFINITELY!) overnight. Yield: about 3 cups.

Ingredients for the Salty Caramel Ice Cream

1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, such as Maldon (Used sea salt from Costco, don't use regular salt!!!)
Ice Cream Base
1 tablespoon pure Tahitian vanilla extract (I used Real Vanilla, but just the kind from Costco)

Directions

Heat the sugar in a dry heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat the sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and swirl the pan so the sugar melts evenly, and continue cooking until it is a dark amber color.

Carefully add the heavy cream (the mixture will splatter) and cook, stirring until all the caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and stir in the sea salt. Set the caramel mixture over a bowl filled with ice water and stir until chilled to room temperature. (This is very important, it must be completely cooled or it won't freeze!) Combine the caramel mixture with the Ice Cream Base and add the vanilla.
Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.

So GOOD!

Chicken Pillows

2011-07-31T20:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 small pkgs. Cream Cheese - 6 0z. total

2 cans crescent rolls

2/3 Cup dry stuffing crumbs (or if you are out of stuffing like I was, Italian bread crumbs work good)

1 1/4 Cups butter; divided

2 Cups cooked, chopped chicken

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

Directions:

Cook chicken if not already cooked. Season to your specific taste... I used a little olive oil, pepper and no salt seasoning (from costco)

Mix cream cheese, 1/4 Cup butter, and pepper.

Fold in chicken.

Unroll crescent rolls, spoon heaping spoonful of mixture onto each roll and fold edges over. Seal edges. Melt the remaining butter and dip each chicken bundle in the butter. Roll in stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes.

Then serve with warm soup as gravy.

Holy Yumm-o...

You have to try it!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2011-07-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 slices Provolone cheese
6 slices ham
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick. Place a cheese and ham slice on each breast. Fold chicken over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl, and coat the chicken pieces.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken until browned on all sides. Add the wine and bouillon. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
Remove the toothpicks, and transfer the breasts to a warm platter. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl, and whisk slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken. Serve warm.

This is a favorite in our house. For my husbands birthday- this is all he wanted.

{freezer} breakfast burritos.

2011-07-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

{yet another less than spectacular picture, but you get the idea.}

what i love about this is... it's easy. you can freeze it and have it for breakfast. or lunch or dinner. you can top it with your favorite mexican toppings. and it's gooood. i had one for dinner last night and for lunch today... yum!

ingredients:
12 eggs, scrambled
1 package sausage {i used a roll of jimmy dean pork sausage}
1/2 onion, diced
1 30-oz bag frozen hash browns
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 4-oz can diced green chiles {optional}
tortillas
salt & pepper

directions:
brown sausage with onions. set aside in a large bowl. in same pan, cook eggs. salt & pepper to taste. put into bowl with sausage. add hash browns, cheese, and green chiles. mix until all combined. soften tortillas in microwave. fill tortillas with desired amount of deliciousness, roll burrito style, and wrap in plastic wrap or eat immediately. heat frozen burritos 2 minutes in the microwave. top with all your favorites!

makes 14+ depending on how fat you make them.

chicken & wild rice.

2011-07-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

this dish is nothing amazing to look at, but it was a really fast and easy {and yummy} dinner. my whole family enjoyed it.

ingredients:
2 6-oz. pkgs. quick-cooking long-grain & wild rice with seasoning packets {rice-a-roni, uncle ben's, etc}
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/3 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
3 cups water

directions:
gently stir together all ingredients. spread into an ungreased 9x13 pan. bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. serves 6-8.

bacon wrapped chicken.

2011-07-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

this was a big hit with my husband, naturally. men and their bacon, right???

ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened to 1/2 inch thickness
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp chive and onion flavored cream cheese, softened and divided
2 tbsp chilled butter, divided
1/2 tsp dried tarragon {i substituted thyme since i didn't have any}
2 slices bacon

directions:
sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. spread one tbsp cream cheese over each chicken breast; top with one tbsp butter and 1/4 tsp tarragon. roll up and wrap with one slice bacon; secure with a toothpick. place chicken seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet; bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. increase temperature to broil; broil 8-10 minutes or until bacon is crisp. serves 2.

ummmmm just as i was typing this i realized i forgot that last broiling step! i was about to add that next time i would broil it for a few minutes :)

Cheezy Chicken Recipe

2011-06-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Cheezy Chicken Recipe

Looking for a new way to make chicken? Boy do I have a great chicken recipe for you today! This recipe only uses a handful of ingredients and is super easy to prepare.

Cheezy Chicken Recipe

10-12 Boneless Chicken Breast Tenders

2 eggs

2 T. water

1/2 box (about 8 oz) cheese crackers (Cheese Nips or Cheez-its), crushed

1/2 c. margarine or butter

Preheat oven to 350. Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Beat egg and water together in small bowl. Put crushed crackers in another bowl or plastic bag. Melt 1/4 c margarine in microwave and pour on bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Dip chicken in egg, then in cracker crumbs, turning to coat. Place in pan. Melt remaining 1/4 c butter in microwave and pour over chicken.

Bake, uncovered, for no longer than 1 hour. Serves 4

Baked Lemon Spaghetti

2011-06-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

BAKED LEMON SPAGHETTI

1 (14.5 ounce) package spaghetti
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) carton sour cream (light is fine)
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (1 lemon, zested)
1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 1 1/2 medium lemons)
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (I didn't add this since I didn't have any on hand)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

TOP:
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
juice from 1/2 lemon
freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cook spaghetti + olive oil according to package directions (minus a couple of minutes)- you want it to be al dente. Drain spaghetti and place in a large bowl.
3. Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add garlic and cook until sizzling and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, lemon zest and 1/3 cup lemon juice. Pour lemon sauce over the spaghetti and stir. Add Italian parsley and 1/2 cup Parmesan and stir some more. Pour lemony spaghetti in a greased 1.5 quart casserole dish.
4. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take dish out of the oven and remove foil. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan on top. Drizzle juice from 1/2 lemon over the top of the pasta. Sprinkle pepper and salt on top. Place dish back into the oven for 7 or 8 minutes, just until cheese is melted and noodles have begun to turn golden in a few places. Serve immediately.

Fresh Fruit Dip

2011-06-02T14:16:00.001-07:00

I just took these little treats to my daughters preschool celebration. They were a hit! The recipe is so simple and I've used it for years. You can dip any kind of fruit and it would be delicious, but I am partial to bananas.

1 8 oz block of cream cheese (I always use 1/3 less fat)

1 7 ozl jar of marshmellow creme

2 Tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate

Whip it up in a mixer (or beaters).

best banana muffins.

2011-05-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

{don't even think about substituting applesauce for fat in these!}

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 large bananas, mashed
3/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup butter, melted

directions:
sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. combine bananas, sugar, egg, vanilla, and melted butter in a large bowl. fold in flour mixture and mix until smooth. scoop into greased or lined muffin pan. bake ate 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. muffins will spring back when lightly tapped.

makes 12 muffins. 187 calories. 5 grams of fat.

{and worth every single calorie!}

Margherita Pizza

2011-05-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

Phillip and I recently returned from New York. We ate the most delicious pizza at Lombardi's in Little Italy. When I was flipping through my Food Nanny recipe book (I bought it at Swiss Days last year and LOVE it!), I noticed this recipe and thought it was very similar to what we had in NYC. I made it for my family and we gobbled it up fast. It was delicious. I also used her Basic Pizza Crust recipe and did half flour half wheat and it had such a good honey wheat flavor. The only thing it was missing was the wood burning oven taste. So simple, so fresh, and pretty fast. Once my tomatoes and basil start growing this summer, I know I'll be making this a lot.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of very ripe Roma or Hot House tomatoes

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 c. olive oil

8 oz Mozzerella Cheese thinly sliced

2 T. freshly grated imported Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 pinch of course salt and ground black pepper

14 count small basil leaves torn into pieces (I like to stack, roll, and cut)

Directions:

Oil the pizza pan(s) and set aside. Prepare the pizza dough, roll it out, and place it in the prepared pan(s). Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Dice the tomatoes (I like them pealed), discard the seeds, and combine with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 c oil in a bowl. Spread over the crust. Bake for 15-20 on the lowest oven rack. Remove pizza from oven and arrange the mozzerella and Parmesean. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with additional olive oil. Return to oven until bubbly, 5-10 minutes. Top with basil and serve immediately.

For the Basic Pizza Dough recipe, go to the Food Nanny Blog.

Creamy Broccoli Soup by The Food Nanny

2011-05-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

Dinner #6: Creamy Broccoli Soup
Time: medium
Price: $

My thoughts: A tasty take. What makes this soup so super creamy is it's secret ingredient, also known as one of my favorite foods: cream cheese. At first I wasn't sure what kind of flavor cream cheese would give this soup . . . but now I know: creamy. And delicious. Go figure. My other favorite Broccoli soup is this one here. But they are so different in their own good that I'll be making both from now on. Really yummy people, give this one a try.

What I loved: not only did I love the cream cheese, but I also loved how easy and cheap this meal was. You can use freeze nearly all the ingredients which means one thing: convenience. And as a mother of three that word is extremely liberating.

ingredients (you might want to half this)
6 cups water
2 pounds frozen Broccoli, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
10 chicken bullion cubes
1/2 cup butter
9 T flour
2 pkgs cream cheese
4 cups milk

instructions
Bring water, broccoli, carrots, and bullion to a boil, cook for 15 mins. Melt butter, flour, and cream cheese in a sauce pan while your broccoli is cooking. The cream cheese mixture will be a paste. Slowly add the milk. Cook on low heat until thickened. Add to veggies to broth.

______________________
So believe it or not, but I've cooked way more than I've blogged. I've come to find out that it's really hard and time consuming to blog everyday. Note to self: next time just blog a summary at the end of my challenge. Every day is too much. ;) But I will finish this one out!

white chicken chili.

2011-05-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

basically this recipe rocks. a great rainy day recipe, and lucky you, it's a rainy day!

ingredients:
2 tbsp olive or canola oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 packet of chicken taco seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped {1/2 cup}
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 {14 oz} can chicken broth
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp chile powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper {cayenne}
2 cans {15 oz each} white cannellini beans, drained
1 can {4.5 oz} chopped green chiles
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 container {6 oz} greek fat free plain yogurt, can be replaced with sour cream

directions:
in a 4-quart saucepan or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. rub chicken with taco seasoning and cook with the onions and garlic 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink. remove the chicken from the pan and shred with a fork. add the shredded chicken back to the saucepan and stir in remaining ingredients, except cilantro and yogurt. heat to boiling. reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. remove from heat; stir in cilantro and yogurt or sour cream. serve with additional yogurt/sour cream and chopped cilantro, if desired.

note:
i didn't stir in the cilantro because my husband doesn't like it. i just served it on top of mine.

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes and Magleby's Buttermilk Syrup

2011-05-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

I don't have very good photos for this one. I made them away from home, so only had my phone to take pictures. The pancakes were posted by Pioneer Woman this week.

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients
1&1/2 c flour
1/4 t salt
1 T baking powder
3 T sugar
1&1/2 c evaporated milk (more if needed)
1 whole lemon (juice and zest)
1 egg
1&1/2 t vanilla
2 T melted butter
1 c blueberries (or more)

Instructions
Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in one bowl
Mix evaporated milk, vanilla, lemon juice (I used 1&1/2 juice lemons because I like lemon) and lemon zest in another bowl - this mixture should sit for at least 5 minutes. After waiting the 5 minutes, add the egg, vanilla and melted butter.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Gently add the blueberries.
Cook pancakes in a skillet or on your grill. Because they are sort of thick (remember how much baking powder you added?) - I put a lid on my pan as I cooked them to help them cook all the way through.

My cousin made buttermilk pancakes and syrup for us a few weeks ago. I about died. SOOOO good. So I tried the syrup with these pancakes as well. Still good.

Magleby's Buttermilk Syrup

Ingredients
1 c sugar
1/2 c buttermilk
3/4 c butter
1 T corn syrup
1/2 t baking soda
1 T vanilla

Instructions
My cousin warned me to use a TALL pan. I am really, really glad I listened. Even with the baking soda, this syrup rises and rises.

Combine the ingredients and boil the for 5 minutes.

This is after boiling and cooling.
But you can see the sides of the pan,
that the syrup rose to the very top.

This makes a lot of pancakes. Bring your appetite. You will want to keep eating more.

Enjoy!

Lasanga Rolls-Ups with Asparagus and Broiled Tomatoes

2011-05-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

As given, this is a vegetarian recipe - I added sausage when I made it though. This is also a great recipe if people are coming to dinner who avoid dairy. Usually cottage cheese is OK for sensitive stomachs, and in this recipe, the main cheese is a sauce you pour on top, so they don't have to pour the cheese atop.

Ingredients
Salt and pepper
Lasagna noodles
Asparagus
1 lemon
2 T olive oil
16 mushrooms, chopped (I used fresh)
1 lb ground sausage (Italian or breakfast depending on taste preference)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used 4)
4 tomatoes
1 box frozen spinach, defrosted, squeezed dry (I used fresh spinach which I chopped into thin strips)
1/4 t nutmeg
2 c ricotta cheese (I don't like ricotta, I use cottage cheese)
1/2 heavy cream
8 oz gorgonzola cheese

Instructions
In a big pot, cook the noodles. Set a colander or steaming pot on the top that you can use to cook the asparagus with the steam. The asparagus will be served at room temp, so don't worry about cooking it so early. Squeeze the lemon over the asparagus and set aside. (I did cover it to keep a little heat in.) Drain the noodles and set aside. It was a lot easier to roll with dryer noodles.

Place an oven rack in the top spot. Preheat oven to broil.

For the stuffing, brown the sausage and set aside. Then add olive oil to a pan to cook the garlic, onions and mushrooms and first until onions and mushrooms are cook (5-10 minute). Add spinach and cook for one minute. Add salt and pepper and the nutmeg. Add the ricotta cheese and remove from heat. (I remove from heat after adding nutmeg and in a bowl mix the veggies, sausage and cottage cheese.)

Start the sauce now. Heat the chicken broth and cream to a boil. Add Gorgonzola cheese, melt cheese and return mix to a boil. Once comes to a boil reduce heat to low.

Wash tomatoes and slice in half. Set in baking dish (I used a pie dish). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place tomatoes in oven under broiler and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven.

Set noodle on counter
Set mixture onto the noodle (not a lot)

Roll noodle

And set the finished rolls on a plate.

You can pour the cheese sauce over all the roll-ups or I put the sauce in a gravy boat and each person poured the amount they wanted on their roll up. Serve with the asparagus and broiled tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Chicken Breast with Crab and Artichoke Stuffing

2011-05-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

The name of this recipe actually begins with Creole Chicken Breast. I thought I had the needed seasoning to make this a "creole" dish, but I couldn't find it. So I made due. Still really yummy.

Ingredients
Chicken:
1 to 1&1/2 lb chicken breast (I used two chicken breasts, and sliced three thin cutlets from each)
Salt and Pepper
A few pinches of poultry seasoning (I did not use this)

Stuffing:
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finally chopped
2T olive oil
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (I have the big Costco jar. I used about 1&1/2 c)
1/2 c chicken broth
8 to 10 oz crab meat (I always use real meat, I don't know if this will work with imitation)
2 sliced white bread, toasted and buttered (I used 4 slices)
1 t old bay seasoning (I didn't have this. So I added Cajan seasoning and freshly ground peppercorn)
Salt and pepper to taste

Creole Sauce
1T olive oil
1 pat butter
1 c dry sherry (I didn't have this either)
1 c chicken broth (I used the rest of the can, about 1&1/2 c)
1T cornstarch

Instructions
Chicken:
As I mentioned above, I sliced the chicken breasts into thin, flat slices. And set aside.

Stuffing:
Add olive oil to a pan and saute the green onions and celery for about 3 minutes. Add the cut up artichoke hearts and the chicken broth. Cook for about a minute. Add the crabmeat and heat. Cut the toast into cubes and add to pan. Add seasoning and cook until stuffing is moist.

Roll the stuffing into the chicken. I used toothpicks to keep them rolled.

Add butter and olive oil from the sauce to the pan. The instructions say to cook the chicken in the pan and cook for 2 to minutes per side. Rolled with toothpicks, there are quite a few "sides". I cooked the chicken thoroughly on each side.

Sauce:
Don't rinse out the pan after cooking the chicken. Add the wine and/or broth to the pan. Once comes to a boil, reduce heat and add cornstarch to thicken. I then put the chicken back into the sauce so serve.

Enjoy!

Thai Turkey Burgers

2011-05-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

When I told my cousin we were having Thai Turkey Burgers, his asked:
First: Does it have peanut butter?
Response: No.
Second: Does it have carrots?
Response: No.

I know, it doesn't have some of the common ingredients found in most Thai food, but we still liked them. This is not a meal that is good reheated though. So only make the number of burgers you need. The sauce can actually be used for salsa with chips at another time.

Ingredients
Salsa:
1 fresh pineapple, cut up
1 T sesame oil
1/4 t crushed red peper
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped (I used 1/2)
2 T brown sugar
10 to 15 fresh basil leaves (I only had 10 so I also added about 1T dried basil)

Burgers:
1&1/3 lb ground turkey (I only used 1 lb)
1 inch fresh ginger root, grated or 2 pinches ginger
2 cloves minced garlic (I used 3)
2 T soy sauce
2 t curry powder
Salt
2 green onions, finely chopped
Rolls ( I used ciabatta)
Lettuce

Instructions:
Salsa:
Place the sliced pineapple into a food processor and chop until a coarse, chunky texture. (I love my food processor, but I don't have the best touch yet for only coarsely chopping something, so I chopped it by hand.) Heat the sesame oil in the pan and add the crushed red pepper. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add pineapple and cook until warm. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and cook for two more minutes. Remove from heat and add basil. Set aside until burgers are done. (allow to stay warm)

Burgers:
Mix the turkey, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, curry, salt and green onions. Form hamburger patties and cook in skillet until fully cooked through. The recipe says 4 minutes per side. I covered the pan to keep heat in, but still cooked for about 6 minutes per side. I made sure they were fully cooked.)

Serve on rolls of choice (I toasted ours) and top with warm salsa.

Enjoy!

Rachel Ray's Lazy Sister Ria's Chicken

2011-05-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

So I've been cooking a lot again, so posting has been delayed. I've moved on to a Rachel Ray cook book I received for Christmas a few years ago. These are NOT thirty minute recipe (they are not even labeled as such.)

We all really liked this. I had been gone most of the week and didn't go shopping. I needed to make something for Sunday dinner and this recipe was made up of things I had in the house. I will, as usual, put the changes I made in italics.

My Sister Ria's Lazy Chicken,
or My Lazy Sister Ria's Chicken

Ingredients:
1&1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets - thinly sliced or pounded breast meat (I used 2 chicken breasts, I thinly sliced the chicken into pieces.)

Balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
2 medium white potatoes, thinly sliced (I used russet because it is what we had in the house. I used 4, I did not skin them, only washed them and sliced them.)
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced (I used 1/2 of a large red onion, because that is what I had.)
Montreal Steak Seasoning, to taste (I used quite a bit)
1/2 c white wine or chicken broth (I ended up using chicken broth and 2 cups - a whole can)
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced (I didn't have a zucchini)
1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
10 leaves fresh basil (I used more like 20 leaves)
2 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 to 2/3 c shredded Italian-type cheese (I used mozzarella)

Instructions
Coat the chicken with balsamic vinegar. Heat 1 T olive oil in a deep skillet (you'll use the same pan for all the preparations.)
Brown the chicken for two minutes on each side. I cooked it longer, I cooked it until the chicken was fully cooked.
Remove chicken from pan.

Add 1T olive oil to pan and lay potatoes and onions in the pan. Sprinkle the veggies with the steak seasoning and pour about half of the broth over the veggies. Cook until veggies are soft, but not fully cooked. Add the chicken and pour the tomatoes on top. And finally sprinkle the basil and oregano atop. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until veggies are fully cooked.

Sprinkle with cheese. The recipe says to set the pan under the broiler for a minute to melt the cheese. I just put the lid back on the pan and set it on the table. It was melted be the time we sat down to eat.

Yum, yum!

Enjoy!

Roast Chicken with Gravy by The Food Nanny

2011-05-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

Dinner #5: Roast Chicken with Gravy

Time: Long

Price: $$$$

My thoughts: Surprisingly easy! Not to mention really good. I'm not gonna lie, it was my first time ever having cooked a young chicken. Poor thing. I was kinda freaked out touching it before it was cooked, thinking "this was once a young chicken not too long ago." But I succeeded in setting my emotions aside and savored it's deliciousness once cooked.

What I loved: That I can now cook a bird on my own. I think that officially makes me a mom. Does it not? And I loved making homemade gravy from it's drippings . . . man, call me Betty people! And of course we loved the leftovers.

ingredients

1 whole young roasting chicken, 5-6 pound

1 pinch seasoned salt

1/4 flour

1 pinch lemon pepper

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 pinch salt and ground black pepper

instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Discard any giblets and wipe the chicken inside and out with a damp paper towel; discard the towel immediately. (This is the preferred way to "rinse" a chicken, for food safety.) Place the chicken in a shallow roasting pan or 9x13-inch metal baking pan. Sprinkle the chicken with lemon pepper and seasoned salt. Roast uncovered 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, basting with the pan drippings during cooking if desired. Or pour a little chicken broth over the chicken a couple of times to keep it moist. Check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. The chicken is done with the thigh juices run clear with pricked with a fork, or at 170 to 175 degrees. If you like the dark meet falling off the bone, roast until the thigh registers 180, but at this point the breast meat may be dry. Transfer the chicken to a platter and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm while making gravy: leave the juices in the baking pan. Add 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth to the juices. In a small bowl or measuring cup, make a paste of 1/4 cup of chicken broth and the flour. Stir until smooth. Place pan over medium-high heat and bring the juices and brother to a boil. Add the paste, stirring constantly with a whisk for 2 min or until mixture is thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Add more past if the gravy is too thin, or add more broth if too thick.

Breakfast Casserole by The Food Nanny

2011-05-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

Dinner #4: Breakfast Casserole

Time: medium

Price: $

My thoughts: Had I not messed up? Probably pretty good. I'm a dummy and when halving the recipe I forgot to half the sodium. Instead of only using 1/2 can of the condensed cheddar soup . . . oh I used the entire thing. And I'm pretty sure I over salted as well. Leaving this dish saltier than the Great Salt Lake itself. Eghads. But my cute husband had two or three servings anyway and said I "did a good job, maybe just less salt next time." Problem is I've now ruined it for me, so I don't know that there'll be a next time. However, having said that, my husband thinks it would have been one of his fave dishes had I not over salted. So you decide.

What I didn't love: the texture of the condensed soup. But again, I added too much. So totally my fault for this one.

ingredients (already halved)

14 oz frozen hashbrowns

1/4 t garlic salt

1/8 t pepper

1/2 can condensed cheddar cheese soup

1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

6 eggs, lightly beaten

1 T butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

instructions

In a large skillet, prepare hashbrowns as directed by package. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Transfer to a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with soup. Set aside 1/2 cup bacon; sprinkling remaining bacon over soup. In a bowl, whisk eggs. In another skillet, heat butter until hot. Add eggs; cook and stir over medium heat until nearly set. Spoon over bacon. Sprinkle with cheese and reserved bacon. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until cheese is melted.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu by The Food Nanny

2011-04-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Dinner #3: Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
Time: Long
Price: $$$$
Servings: 4

My Thoughts: A-maz-ing! This is, so far, my FAVORITE meal. Oh my word, this turned out so yummy! The chicken was so sweet and succulent, seriously. Anthony was bummed he worked the late shift on the night I made these . . . I took a picture of it with my cell phone and sent it to him (ruthless I know!) He did have it for leftovers the next day and said it was fabulous. This dinner just made my Top Ten.

What I loved: Making my own bread crumbs! Wha? Whoda thunk it was so easy and cheap? I also really liked learning a little bit more about how to keep chicken moist when cooking. A tip I'll use in the future for sure. Thank you Food Nanny!

ingredients
2 slices white or wheat bread
4 slices deli ham
8 T cold butter
4 small chicken breasts (I used two large, and cut them in half lengthwise)
6 thin slices swiss cheese

instructions
Tear bread into uniform pieces and pulse in blender to make crumbs. Set aside. If you are using frozen chicken breasts, while they are still slightly frozen, place breasts between sheets of wax paper or resealable plastic bags and pound with a meat mallet (I used freezer paper and a hard ice cream spoon!) to 1/8 inch thickness; don't pound too thin or the breast could fall apart in rolling. If you are using fresh breasts, remove the extra fat and cut into the breast to remove the gristle. Then pound to flatten. Lay the flattened breasts side by side on a platter, sheet pan, or a sheet of wax paper. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a small baking dish (see mine in pic). Sprinkle each breast with salt. Add 1 slice of ham, 1 slice of cheese, and 1 T butter. Roll up the breasts tightly and tuck in the ends. Place them seam side down in the prepared baking dish. When you have all the breasts in the dish, top each with 1T of butter and 1/2 slice of remaining cheese (butter helps keep the chicken moist!). Bake 40 to 50min. Cover the dish with foil when the chicken browns, to prevent it from drying out. The chicken is done when it is no longer pink and is tender.

Chicken and Potatoes Italiano by The Food Nanny

2011-04-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

Dinner #2: Chicken and Potatoes Italiano

Time: Long

Price: $$$$ (I found my drumsticks on sale for less than .50 cents each!)

Servings: however many pieces of chicken you use!

My thoughts: A delightful comfort food. I've never cooked with drumsticks before, so I was pretty nervous I was going to mess things up. But to my advantage, I didn't. Again my dinner turned out! Round of applause for me! This recipe was soooo easy. And super simple. I stuck this in the oven before I left to take my daughter to dance, and when I returned it was nearly done. We paired this entree with Green Bean Casserole*, a family favorite).

What I loved: Using fresh rosemary - and realizing just how much that little amount of Rosemary really does flavor it!

ingredients

6 medium russet potatoes (2 pounds) peeled and quartered lengthwise

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

6 chicken drumsticks

6 chicken thighs (I omitted these, and just did drumsticks)

1 freshly ground black pepper

2 medium white onions, thickly sliced

2 T fresh Rosemary leaves or 2 teaspoons dried coarse salt

directions

Preheat oven to 400. Place potato and onion pieces in a sheet pan or other large baking pan, drizzle olive oil over them, saving 2T for chicken. Remove the skin from the chicken pieces if desired. Rub the remaining 2 T of olive oil over the chicken and place in the pan between the potatoes and onions. Sprinkle the rosemary on the chicken. Sprinkle the salt and pepper generously over all. Bake for 30mins. Turn the potatoes and onions and continue baking until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 15 to 25 mins more.

*Green Bean Casserole
ingredients
2 cans green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can Frech's French Dried Onions
1/3 cup milk

directions
Mix all ingredients, except for half of the dried onions, in a 9x13 pan. Top with remaining half of dried onions. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Chicken Salsa Casserole by The Food Nanny

2011-04-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

And we're off! I've started my Food Nanny challenge and am so far very pleased. Here is dinner numero uno:

Dinner #1: Chicken Salsa Casserole
Time: short
Price: $$$$
Servings: 6

My thoughts: A south of the border hit.

I really liked this dish. I invited my mom over for dinner on the same night I tried this recipe out, crossing my fingers it would turn out. And it did. We paired this yummy Mexican dish with our famous trio: salsa, sour cream, and tortilla chips. I'll be making this dish again.

What I loved: The texture from the corn tortillas and the Monterrey Jack cheese, instead of using plain ol' cheddar.

ingredients
18 corn tortillas, cut into wedges
1 can water
3 chicken breasts, cooked, skinned, cubed
2 cans cream of chicken
1 can green chilies
1 pound Jack Cheese, grated

directions
Combine tortillas, cream of chicken soup, can of water, chilies, and chicken in a 13x9 baking pan. Cover top of mixture with one pound of grated Jack Cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 min or until it is hot throughout and cheese is golden.

Bringing Families Back to the Dinner Table: The Food Nanny

2011-04-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sure a lot of you have heard about, even tried, BYUtv's The Food Nanny. I was just introduced to her by my sister in law, and have challenged myself to do her NANNY PLAN. It's an organized meal decision-making / grocery-shopping application. It was extremely simple to use. You can even add your own recipes to the app and link up with your friends and use their recipes as well. Then once you've chosen all your recipes for the two week spread, you can print out an organized shopping list. Wha?! Yeah, that's what I'm sayin'. It this works, my life just got easier. (Oh! And you can narrow your recipe search to "cheap meals" by clicking on the dollar signs $$ or "fast meals" by clicking on the little clocks.)

I plan to journal each step of the way; what failed, what was fantastic, would I do it again? I unofficially challenge you to the Food Nanny as well . . .

Meanwhile, here are the meals I chose and will be preparing within the next two weeks. Wish me luck! (And I had nearly ALL of the ingredients already! No weird things here! Simple and easy.)

Chicken Rice Broccoli Bake

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Bow-Tie Pasta & Cherry Tomato

Sweet and Sour Baked Chicken

White Pizza with Chicken

White Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

Roast Chicken with Gravy

Six Can Tortilla Soup

Chicken and Potatoes Italiano

Orange Chicken

Breakfast Casserole

Chicken Salsa Casserole

Crock-Pot Roast Beef Dinner

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

2011-04-17T19:54:00.001-07:00

I didn't have my camera when we made these, but when thinking of fruit "characters" I always go back to some of my favorite fictional characters of my childhood (next to G.I. Joe, Transformers/Gobots, and He-Man and She-Ra). Strawberry Shortcake of course. So, thank you Blueberry Cupcake for representing today.

I spent Saturday with my favorite little red headed three year old, and since he loves cooking with me, I decided to look through the Parents Magazine his mom subscribes to. I thought I'd find a fun, kid friendly recipe. Here is the one we tried. It went over so well, I made it again this morning to take to my Primary class. Today we talked about the Word of Wisdom, and I thought they'd like to take home something delicious and healthy. I was surprised, they even weren't disappointed that I didn't bring candy (truth be told, I am against any food in class and never bring it.) The six and seven year old kids were actually excited for the bread. Yeah!

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Ingredients
1 c flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 regular sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
3 eggs
3/4 c canola oil
1 t vanilla
2 c shredded zucchini
1 c blueberries
2 t sugar (optional)

Instructions
Mix the flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and set aside.
Mix the eggs, oil and vanilla. I added the zucchini to the liquid mixture as well.
Mix the two groups together. Add the blueberries.
Scoop into a bread pan. You can sprinkle with 2 T sugar if you like.
Bake at 350 for an hour.
(If you have mini bread pans, you can cook at 350 for 40 minutes.)

ps - yesterday I used fresh blueberries, today I used frozen blueberries that I'd defrosted before using. Both worked well.

Enjoy!

Spinach Calzones

2011-04-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

ingredients:
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach
1 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (I used mozzarella because my husband doesn't like Swiss)
1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tube (10 oz) refrigerated pizza crust (I made pizza dough...see recipe below)
1 egg white
1 tsp. water
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Pizza sauce, warmed

directions:
Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain well. In a bowl, combine the spinach, Swiss cheese, ricotta cheese, onion and spices. Roll pizza dough into a 15-in x 10-in rectangle; cut into six 5-in squares. Spoon 1/3 cup mixture onto the center of each square. Brush edges of dough with water. Fold one corner over filling to the opposite corner, forming a triangle. Using a fork, crimp edges to seal.

Place on a baking sheet, coated with nonstick cooking spray. Prick tops with a fork. Lightly beat egg white and water; brush over dough and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with pizza sauce.

You can also make calzones with your choice of sauce and favorite pizza toppings.

Homemade Pizza Crust:
ingredients:
1 TBSP yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 cup warm water
2 TBSP oil
2 1/2-3 cups flour

directions:
Mix yeast, salt, 1/4 cup flour, then add warm water and oil. Mix on low speed, adding flour as needed. Rest 10 minutes. Spread in pans (or in the case of calzones, roll out and cut up as needed) and poke with fork. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. If making pizza, top with sauce and your favorite toppings. Bake again until cheese melts.

Tortellini Soup & Breadsticks

2011-04-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

This version of tortellini soup is a nice soup for spring!

ingredients:

9 oz. package frozen broccolli, steamed

7 oz. package three-cheese tortellini

3 cups chicken broth OR 3 TBSP chicken bouillon with 32 oz. water

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup chopped onion

2 sliced carrots

1 cup water

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. oregano

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

directions:

Boil onion and garlic in chicken broth. Add spices, water, cream of chicken soup and carrots. Add tortellini and boil 7 minutes or until done. Add steamed broccoli last. **we like more tortellini and a little less oregano**

Breadsticks **these are some of our favorites!**

Dissolve 1 TBSP yeast and 1 TBSP sugar in 1 1/2 cups warm water.

Add 3 cups flour (I often do half wheat, half white...full wheat don't rise well, but still taste good) and 1/2 tsp salt.

Mix and knead dough for 3 minutes. Cover and let rise for 10 minutes. Roll out to 1/2" thick. Melt 1 cube butter on a cookie sheet. Cut dough into strips and put on buttered cookie sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Let rise for 15 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Simple & Healthy Kids Lunch II

2011-04-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

Hard Boiled Eggs & Toast Fingers

This lunch was so easy and simple, but most importantly: my kids loved it. They loved the idea of having a hard boiled egg for lunch. And the Toast Fingers were a hit. I think just calling them Toast Fingers and cutting them into little bite-sized 'fingers' made them cool. Sometimes giving something very ordinary a cool twist will make kids super excited to eat it. Like Ants On a Log or this yummy treat I discovered a while ago. We'll definitely be having this lunch again. (And did I mention I loved it too?)

PW's Spicy Pulled Pork, Beans and Cornbread

2011-04-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

OK, so I guess I am still cooking out of the Pioneer Woman cookbook. Tonight we discovered that Pioneer Woman's idea of spicy..., not spicy. But it still is really, really yummy pulled pork.

Oh, and warning, after you rub down the roast, your hands will smell like garlic and onions ALL DAY, no joke. So I would recommend using plastic gloves or saran wrapping your hands.

Also, I made the beans the night before, as well as the rub for the roast. On a weekend, I could make it the day of, but I don't have that luxury during the week. Also, because I leave between 6:30 and 6:45am, the roast was in the crock pot around 6:15 and we ate around 7 - so 12 hours roasting. It was super tender.

Spicy Pulled Pork
(but don't let the name fool you,
this isn't spicy)

Ingredients:
5-7lb pork shoulder (I only used a 2lb, I was feeding three adults and 1 child and we had plenty left over)
1 whole onion, cut into quarters (I cut into eighths)
1 T chili powder
1/2 c brown sugar
4 garlic cloves
1 t oregano
2 t cumin
1-2 T salt (I misread this one, and only added 2 t)
Freshly ground black pepper
3 T olive oil
2 T white wine vinegar (I only had red, so that's what I used)
Lime wedges
Flour tortillas

Instructions:
Mix everything but the pork, limes, and tortillas in a food processor. This will be your rub.

Spread the rub all over the roast, cake it on.

PW recommends placing the roast in a roasting pan or dutch over. Add 2 cups of water, cover and bake at 300 for 6-7 hours, turning over the roast each hour. Once the roast is cooked, turn the oven up to 425 and roast uncovered for 20 minutes.

As I mentioned, I cooked this in a crock pot. I cooked it on low for 11 hours, and on high for the last hour. I cover the roast in the rub. I then put the remaining rub in the bottom of the crock pot and added the 2 cups of water.

I am not sure if it is because I used a smaller roast, but I don't think 2 cups of water is necessary. Though the roast was incredibly tender. I tried to take of picture so you could see how it just fell apart. I also like how you can see the steam coming off the roast in this photo.

Beans

Ingredients:
4 c dried pinto beans
4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 t salt
2 t black pepper
Chili powder, optional (I used 2 T)
Cayenne pepper, optional
Garlic powder, optional
Oregano, optional (I used 1 T)

Instructions:
Rinse the beans well.

Put the beans into a large stock pot with the bacon. Fill with water until it just covers the beans (about 2 inches above)

Boil for 2-3 hours, checking about once an hour to be sure there is still enough water. (I cooked mine for 2 1/2 hours and added water only once. I refrigerated them overnight, and then reheated them on low for an hour before serving.)

Add extra seasonings you desire before serving (I added mine while cooking so the flavor would be well absorbed into the whole pot.)

Skillet Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 c cornmeal
1/2 c flour
1 t salt
1 T baking powder
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c milk
1 egg
1/2 t baking soda
1/3 c + 2 T shortening

Instructions:
Preheat the over to 450.

Mix the cornmeal, flour, salt and baking powder together.

In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, milk, egg and baking soda.

Mix the dry with the wet, but don't over mix.

Melt 1/4 c shortening in the microwave (I've never done this before. It took over a minute for mine to melt all the way.) Add to the batter until combined well.

In your iron skillet, melt the other 2 T shortening on the stove top. Pour the batter into the hot skillet, and cook for 1 minute. Then put the pan into the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. (mine was done after 20 minutes, I'd almost recommend cooking for only 18 minutes, the bottom was pretty dark.)

You can kind of see the dark bottom.

If you don't want to make cornbread, you can eat the meat and beans with tortillas. You can add green chilies to the beans for a more Latin flair.

It was really tasty, but again, it wasn't spicy.

Enjoy!

Pioneer Woman's Brother's Chicken Tacos

2011-04-04T18:25:00.001-07:00

Have I talked about fried food before? Did you know before I went to college, the only fried food I'd eaten at home was our family's secret recipe for french toast (yup, deep fried deliciousness.) I'm sure when we went out to eat, the french fries were fried, but we didn't eat fast food really. Oh, but crisp meat burritos and crisp bean burritos from Taco Time, those were a yummy treat we rarely got to enjoy, but boy did we enjoy them when we had them. Maybe it is an Oregon thing? But fried food, just not a regular item on our menu. And to this day, I don't really eat fried food. Family french toast can only be consumed at the most, 3-4 times a year (for the sake of my waste line). Taco Time crisp burritos... maybe once a year. I made home-cut french fries last night, they were baked though. No oil involved.

I had my first real fried chicken my freshman year of college. Another item I'd heard about from others was the taco served by Jack in the Box. So while visiting family in CA, I had my first tacos from Jack in the Box. Have you had chance to try them? Deep fried tacos. They are actually pretty good. Seeing this post by Pioneer Woman made me think of the tacos from Jack in the Box, so tonight, in honor of the NCAA National Championship basketball game (since championship games call for unhealthy food) we made the tacos. Oh, and they were good. Here's the recipe with my additional recommendations.

My (well, Pioneer Woman's) Brother's Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:
Corn Tortillas
4 chicken breasts (I only used 2)
Salt, cumin, chili powder or taco seasoning to season chicken (I used taco seasoning)
2 T Canola Oil + more for frying the tacos
2 - 4 oz cans diced green chilies (I used one since only cooking 2 chicken breasts)
1 1/2 c grated cheese (I used pepper jack)
Sour Cream
Hot Sauce
2 c thinly sliced lettuce (I prefer cabbage for tacos and used 1 c)
4 Roma tomatoes, diced (I used one regular hot house tomato)
Green Onions
Avocado

Instructions:
She recommends preparing the chicken as such: Cut raw chicken into small pieces. Season the chicken liberally. Heat 2 T canola oil in skillet. Add chicken. Cook for a couple minutes. Add the chilies and continue cooking until the chicken is done. Set aside.
I boiled my chicken, then shredded it. I put the chicken, chilies and 2 T taco seasoning into a bowl and mixed. I put the mixture in the fridge overnight. I then microwaved it for two minutes before using.
Dice/cut the rest of your ingredients and have them ready for assembly.

The frying:
Have a plate with a bunch of paper towels on it next to your frying pan. I also warmed the tortillas before using. They were brand new, nice and fresh and soft, but I still had some tear, so warming them helped. Microwave for 20 seconds five at a time in a wet paper towel.
Put a couple spoons of the chicken mixture in the middle of the taco. fold the taco over, and using a pair of heat resistant tongs, carefully lay the taco into warm oil.

Now she says to set the burner at medium high and to cook each taco for 30-45 seconds on each side until the taco becomes a golden brown.

I had my gas burner on medium low (between 3 & 4) and I cooked them for 10 seconds per side and that was plenty for me - definitely golden brown when done. Tip: Don't drip the oil off into the pan. The juices from the chicken and chilies will drip into your oil - hot oil + water = no good!)

A blurry picture, but still - see all that smoke and steam?
When my cousin tried to take the photo,
the red eye reducing red light gave both of us the impression
that the taco was on fire.
It looked like there was a flame in the pan.
Scary!!!!
But this smoky pan now has juicy chicken and chilies
dancing in the hot oil.
Do not repeat this error in your home.
Open all the windows if you do.
=)

Allow the taco to drip onto the paper towels. Turn the taco sideways so the oil comes out of the inside of the taco.

Take your taco to the assembly line. Slightly open the taco and layer on the cheese first (so it melts), lettuce or cabbage, tomatoes, onions, avocado, sour cream -and whatever else you want to add.

Here is our assembly line

This is an eat as you make it item. Good for a standing meal or a social meal where you are on your feet a lot. (Not being a big fan of fried food, I am especially not a fan of cold fried food.) We each assembled our own taco, so that helps too. One person can fry and then the rest (those old enough) can pick up a hot taco and fill 'er up. Once you finish your taco, you can join the line for another fresh one.

Enjoy! (but only on rare occasion, for the sake of your waste line - wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

Gooey Toffee Butter Cake

2011-04-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

With all the healthy lunch recipes we should be posting right now, I tried to resist posting this wicked dessert. But it is the last recipe I have photos from to post and I will now be all caught up. So, I am sharing. This is a recipe from Paula Deen. So what does that mean? Well, besides the fact that it is totally NOT good for you, it is full of butter. I don't like butter on toast, etc, but I do cook with a lot of it. This recipe is no exception.

Gooey Toffee Butter Cake

Ingredients:
Cake
1 box yellow cake mix (mix only)
1 egg
1/2 c butter, melted

Filling
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
4 c powdered sugar
1/2 c butter, melted
1 c toffee bits (I use the Heath chips you can buy near the chocolate chips at the market)

Instructions:
For the cake: Mix the dry cake mix, egg and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a cake dish.
For the filling: Mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time. Add the butter and mix. Finally add the toffee bits. Pour over the cake mix crust.
Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. (I usually do 45 minutes.) Remember this is a gooey cake. Your toothpick or fork must come out of the center of the dish with a gooey covering.

You can see the gooeyness.
I cut into it warm so you can see this gooeyness,
it won't be quick this gooey when cooled.

Allow to cool completely and cut into squares, small squares. This is a super, super rich dessert.

Enjoy!

Pioneer Woman's Simple, Perfect Enchiladas

2011-04-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't already have a gazillion recipes for enchiladas? I do, and I like all of them. So why would I try another one? Seriously, you can only have so many versions for the same item, right? Well, this is one worth trying. Pioneer Woman received this recipe from a family member from Mexico. So they may be more authentic than some of the other recipes you have.

This is another recipe that I looked at and thought I could show Rachel Ray a thing or two about quick food preparation. Um, nope. I had planned to make these to eat (by 6:30 at the latest) before we went to watch my cousin's Special Needs Mutual Roadshow. I got all the way to the assembly point and had to leave. I finished making them when we got home. When did we eat? At 10pm. Needless to say, we were starving. Needless to say, we ate the pan clean. And we were so anxious to eat, I didn't get a single photo. (thus the stock photos from the Internet...) But it isn't only because it was so late and because we were so hungry - these are really good enchiladas. We ate more than we should have, but they were too good to leave anything behind (plus I didn't make any veggies or anything for the side as planned because I was too tired, so all we ate was the enchiladas.) My additions and notes are in italics.

Simple, Perfect Enchiladas

Ingredients:
Sauce
1 T canola oil
2 T flour
1 can (28 oz) enchilada sauce (I used red enchilada sauce, I don't see why you couldn't use green if that is what you prefer.)
2 c (or one can) chicken stock
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 T Cilantro, chopped

The Meat
1 lb ground beef
1 onion
2 cans (4 oz) green chilies
1/2 t salt

The Rest
Corn Tortillas
Canola Oil, for frying
1/2 olives. diced
1 c green onions, chopped
3 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I used Pepper Jack Cheese and of course, used a lot more than 3 c)
Cilantro, chopped

Instructions:
Make the sauce: Whisk the oil and flour in a saucepan over medium heat for a minute (until starts to bubble.) Add the enchilada sauce, chicken stock, salt and pepper - do not add the cilantro yet. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer on lowest temperature while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

The meat: Brown the beef. She recommends cooking the onion with the meat while browning. I again don't like my veggies to absorb the fat. So I cook the meat, drain the fat, and then add the onions. Add salt and set aside. At this point, also turn off the heat on the sauce.

The rest: Warm canola oil in a smaller skillet, deep enough to fry the tortillas in. You aren't actually going to fry the tortillas as in to a crisp. Once the oil is hot enough, using tongs, set a tortilla in the oil, the max time I had a tortilla in the oil was five (5) seconds. Lift the tortilla and allow it to drip off excess oil. Set on paper towels. The recipe recommends doing this to all your set aside tortillas before proceeding. Because I do not know how many enchiladas I'll end up making, I went through the assembly process one tortilla at a time. Dip the tortilla in the enchilada sauce, I used my hands and quickly covered both sides. Set the tortilla on a cookie sheet, I lined mine with wax paper because the first stuck so badly. Place a spoon full of meat mixture on one side of the tortilla. The recipe recommends adding the olives and green onions as well, I sprinkle these on the top once everything was in the pan. Not everyone likes olives in our household (crazy, I know.) Top with a good amount of cheese and roll the tortilla around the filling. I don't know about you, but I am notorious for not adding a lot of filling because I worry I won't have enough. I was pretty good this time though. I think I added 2 T filling to each enchilada.

After you have used up all your filling and have filled your dish, add the 2 T chopped cilantro to the sauce. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with more cheese, I then sprinkled with the olives and green onions, and sprinkle with the remaining chopped cilantro.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

I served with avocado. Also recommend, of course, serve with rice and beans.

We went to bed quickly with our nice full bellies that night.

Enjoy!

Our Best Bites Natchitoches Meat Pies

2011-04-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

I actually answered that we were eating Sweeney Todd's Meat Pies when my family asked what was for dinner. Disclaimer: No humans were harmed in the preparation of this yummy meal.

Oh, and per the cookbook, natchitoches is pronounced: nack + it + esh

Filling
Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper (I used 1/2 jar of roasted red peppers I had leftover from another meal), chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2+ t Creole or Cajun seasoning (I used 4 t)
Tabasco sauce, to taste (I used 1/2 t)
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
Pie Crust, your favorite recipe or my favorite recipe follows the instructions
1 egg
1/4 c water

Instructions:
In a large skillet brown the sausage and beef. The cook book suggests cooking both together, halfway through to drain the fat and add the chopped veggies then. I didn't want the veggies to absorb the rest of the fat not yet cooked out. So I browned each meat separately as they don't cook at the same pace. I drained the fat and removed one from the pan and then cooked the second, drained. I then put both cooked meat and all the veggies back in the pan. Cook until the veggies are tender and onions translucent.

Add Creole or Cajun seasoning and Tabasco Sauce. Add beef broth, bring mixture to a boil and then cook for about 20 minutes, or until the liquid has all evaporated.

Divide pie crust into 4-8 sections (depending on how many meat pies you want and the size of pie you want.) Roll out each pie crust into a circle. Scoop about 1/3 c of the filling, if making 8 pies, onto one half of the crust. If you have counter space, you can lay out all the crust circles and use up all the filling before you start forming the pies. Fold the crust over and seal the edges. I pinched and then used a fork for a pattern.

Whisk the egg and water together and then brush over the pies.

Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes (until golden brown). I put tin foil on the cookie sheet to both avoid the pies sticking to the pan and to help in cooking a flakier crust.

These are best fresh from the oven, not so good reheated (they get soggy.) The cookbook says that once you form the pies, if you know you are not going to eat them all, skip the step of brushing the egg/water mix atop, place the extra pies in the freezer until frozen solid, then put into a freezer bag (I like to use my food sealer) and they can be cooked when needed at 400 for 40-45 minutes. Not a bad idea...

Flaky Pie Crust
***when I made this meal, I used the suggested recipe from their cookbook. I didn't like it so much - way too much shortening for me, I could actually taste the shortening. So this is my favorite pie crust recipe, plus it is from my Great Good Food cookbook which is one of my favorite cookbooks and it is full of healthy recipes (in fact, I think I am going to start experimenting with more recipes from that book next, watch out!***

Ingredients:
2 2/3 c flour
1/4 t salt
4 T sugar
1/2 c canola oil
6 T ice water
1 t skim milk

Instructions:
Mix dry ingredients
Add oil and mix with pastry blender (or your hands) until becomes crumbly mix
Sprinkle with water and milk and blend with pastry blender (or hands).
This will make two full pie crusts.

Enjoy!

Our Best Bites Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad

2011-04-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

Well, the Pioneer woman isn't the only one with recipes that will feed the masses. The recipe also made a ton, two bowls full in fact (only one pictured above, and that bowl has already been served from by 5 people...) So the recipe below is as in the cook book, but I recommend halving it for sure. This is a great option for a healthy lunch.

Thai Chicken and Noodle Salad

Ingredients:
Salad
8 oz Linguine
6 c shredded greens (I recommend 2 c of each: green and red (purple) cabbage and spinach, cook book also suggests romaine lettuce)
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, julienned
1/2 cucumber, halved and sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3 c diced chicken
1/2 c honey roasted peanuts
1 Thai Peanut Salad Dressing recipe, as follows

Dressing
1/2 peanut butter, creamy
1lime, juiced and zested
2 1/2 t sesame oil
1 T rice wine vinegar
2 T soy sauce
3 T honey
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 T minced ginger
1/2 c chopped cilantro (stems and leaves)
1/4 t salt
2-3 t Sriracha chili sauce (I used 4 or 5 t, we like hot food)
1/2 c vegetable oil (I used canola)
2-4 T water (I just used 4)

Instructions:
Put all the dressing ingredients except the oil and water into a blender or food processor and mix for about 30 seconds. Slowly start to add the oil. Once all oil in blended in, add water.

Boil the pasta

Chop the veggies while the pasta cooks.

Drain the cooked pasta and rinse with cold water. Add a little bit of the dressing to the noodles and toss. (refrigerate until using if still chopping.)

To assemble, I didn't follow the cookbook (suggests noodles, then veggies, then chicken, then dressing.) I did multiple layers: greens, noodles, veggies, green, noodles, veggies and then tossed the salad a little. I put the dressing on the table so that we could add as much as we liked (plus that helps in storing the leftovers so they don't get too soggy, especially with the pasta in the bowl.)

We ate 2-3 plate fulls each. It is really yummy. And the dressing is delicious.

Enjoy!

Pioneer Woman's Sour Cream Noodle Bake

2011-04-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

I know I have mentioned this before, but I do not believe that Rachel Ray's 30 minute recipes only take 30 minutes to make. Even with everything out on the counter, ready to go, yup, over 30 minutes. I am a pretty darn quick chopper of veggies and the like, but still, over 30 minutes. I look at a recipe and think, oh that will be a quick meal to prepare, nope, not the case. I hope you are better than I at preparing meals because this one looked quick. (I suppose in my defense, though I multitask and say chop veggies while pasta is boiling, being quite OCD, I clean up every little mess that I make and wash my dishes as I go. So that probably adds to my prep time, but really cuts down on the post dinner clean up.) This is a really simple recipe I found on the Pioneer Woman's website, with as usual, a couple of my alterations as seen in italics.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Ingredients
1¼ lb ground chuck (and I did use ground chuck)
1 - 15oz can tomato sauce
½ t salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8oz egg noodles (I used the whole bag, I think it was 12 oz)
½ c sour cream (um, the recipe name has sour cream in it and the recipe only calls for 1/2 cup? I just put the full carton - I think that is 2 cups worth.)
1¼ c small curd cottage cheese (like the sour cream, I just added the whole carton)
½ c sliced green onions
1 c grated sharp cheddar cheese (I used medium cheddar, and a lot more that 1 cup)
Basil leaves, I chopped up about 15 basil leaves I had left over from another meal

Instructions
Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce, basil, salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Mix with the noodles. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese.
Spread the green onions a top the cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

The picture at the top, well, I didn't read the last part of the instructions. So I did a layer of noodles, but didn't want too much noodle because I wanted the sauce to be on the noodles, so I added about half the sauce and cheese and then I just made a second dish. It would have fit in one dish if I'd read to layer it, like a lasagna. We ate up the first dish really quickly. I quickly snapped a photo of the second dish before we dug in. Yummy stuff.

Enjoy!

Simple & Healthy Kids Lunch

2011-03-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

Who said Doritos aren't healthy?
Okay, okay . . . but in this small portion, you betcha. I think it's important to remember "all things in moderation." My kids love tuna on wheat sandwiches. And my daughter loves strawberries, while my son enjoys carrots. Here's the rule of thirds that Megan pointed out: sandwich, fruit, and chips. And 100% juice to drink. They devoured it - I mean look at the picture...my daughter couldn't wait to eat her sandwich before I took the picture. And actually I let her take the picture - she's an Eat Your Veggies Peas blog cook in-the-making. :)

Helpful Tip...
Also in doing this challenge I've found an easy way to ensure my lunches have at least one, if not more, healthy items. After I've come home from doing my grocery shopping and getting all my fruits and veggies, I immediately rinse, cut, slice, or peel them. Then I stick them in Tupperware stacks in my fridge. This way when lunch (or dinner) rolls around, I can reach in my peeled and cut carrots Tupperware and throw them on our plates in less than five seconds. Not to mention, dice them up real quick and throw them in my Tortellini Soup for dinner.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos and Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice

2011-03-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

**these both from the new Best Bites Cook Book with my alteration in italics**

*Note: The taquito recipe as listed is sort of a healthier option because these are baked instead of deep fried taquitos. Other options for making it healthier, you can use Greek yogurt, or plain yogurt instead of cream cheese.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients
1/2 c (1/2 stick) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 green salsa
1 T lime juice (I also grated the rind)
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic (not so sure what this is, so I used 2 chopped up garlic cloves)
3 T chopped cilantro (used a lot more, you can add to taste)
2 T chopped green onion
2 c shredded chicken (cooked first of course)
1 c shredded pepper jack cheese (I am pretty sure I always use way more cheese than recommended)
Corn tortillas
2 T canola oil
Non-stick cooking spray
Salt
I also suggest tooth picks

Instructions
Mix cream cheese (microwave for about 20 seconds if it isn't at room temperature) with green salsa, lime juice and peel, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Then add chicken, cilantro, green onion and cheese.

VERY important - wrap 3-4 tortillas at a time in a damp paper, or cloth, towel and microwave for about 15-20 seconds. This way they won't crack as you roll them (see the taquito on the far right of the photo above - that one wasn't microwave, thought they were fresh enough).

Scoop a couple tablespoons of the chicken mix onto the tortilla - but on the edge, not in the middle. Roll the taquito and place a toothpick in the taquito to keep rolled up. Repeat and roll taquitos until you have used all the chicken mix.

Also VERY important - spray the cookie sheet very well (I thought of using one of my silpats, but forgot to try). These little guys stick big time, even with a fair amount of spray.

You can then spray the tops of the taquitos or brush them with the canola oil (this helps them crisp in the oven. ) You can also sprinkle with salt.

Bake in the oven at 425 for 15-20 minutes (I did 15). Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before eating.

*I mixed 1/2 cup of green salsa with sour cream (again you can use yogurt) for a dipping sauce.

Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice

Ingredients
2 c rice (white or jasmine)
1 - 14oz can coconut milk
2 c water
1 t salt
Splash (1-2 t) white vinegar
2-3 t sugar
1/4 c chopped green onions
Black pepper, to taste

Instructions
(I cooked in the rice cooker)
Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar and sugar in sauce pan. Bring to boil and then lower heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Allow to stand before serving. Top with green onion and pepper.

Enjoy!

{market streets} clam chowder

2011-03-30T15:51:00.000-07:00

THIS IS AMAZING!! i'm not even kidding i could eat the WHOLE pot!!

6 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup flour

2 C. diced potatoes

1/2 C diced celery

1/2 C. diced onions

1/2 C. diced green pepper

2 cans (61/2 oz) snow's chopped clams with juice

1 1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 1/2 tsp. slat

1 1/4 tsp italian seasoning

3 bay leaves

1/2 tsp tabasco sauce

6 Tbsp white cooking wine

1 C. water

2 C. half and half

2 C. heavy whipping cream

Combine melted butter and flour in oven proof container and bake @ 325 for 30 min (turns light golden brown and is kinda crumbly). Simultaneously, in large saucepan combine remaining ingredients except half and half and whipping cream. bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Remove bay leaves and stir in butter-flour mixture. stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick then cookie dough. Remove from heat, stir in half and half/whipping cream until blended. heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally.

*this chowder is pretty thin.

Delicious in sour dough bread bowl!

Strawberry Walnut Salad

2011-03-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

I didn't mean for my Live Longer Lunch challenge to first be a typical salad. But here we are. It was tasty - so thought I'd share. More to come... :)

ingredients

spring mix salad

cut up fresh strawberries

feta cheese

walnuts

shredded chicken

strawberry vinaigrette dressing

toss together and enjoy!

grown up grilled cheese/ ariel's favorite panini.

2011-03-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

lately at my house we've been obsessed with using the george foreman grill. i always forget about my small appliances, and i'm glad i dug this one up from the depths of my cupboards! one of my favorite things to make on the geo.fo. is paninis. i've done a whole lot of experimenting and this is by far my favorite combination:

sourdough bread
pesto
mozzarella cheese
brianna's blush wine vinaigrette

i like to use bread from an unsliced loaf so i can cut it as thinly as i like. lightly butter the bread on the outsides, pesto & shredded mozzarella on one side, 1-2 tsp vinaigrette spooned over the other side, a couple of minutes on the geo.fo. and voila! best panini ever! you seriously need to try it.

{i'm not putting this in the "live longer lunch" category unless you feel like the sides make it a super healthy meal...}

The Pioneer Woman's Lasagna

2011-03-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

I didn't follow my own advice on this one. I know that her recipes feed an army, and yet I still didn't half this one. I think because it calls for the same amount of noodles as my family's recipe, I figured it would make the same amount too.

Um, this is the lasagna before I put it in the oven.
Yah, it kind of makes a lot.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
Salt
Pepper
10 oz Lasagna noodles (8 noodles)
1 lb mozzarella cheese, Shredded (I use fresh mozzarella, slice it and lay it atop when needed)
1 1/2 lb ground beef (I used 1 lb)
1 lb hot ground sausage
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 - 14.5 oz cans whole tomatoes
2 - 6 oz cans tomato paste
12 (or more) basil leaves, chopped (I used more, I really like basil)
1/4 c Italian leaf parsley, chopped
3 c cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions:

1 Boil the noodles. Once they are done, drain water, and lay the noodles out on tin foil (don't ask why, but it worked and they didn't stick...)

2 Brown the meat in the olive oil. (I browned the beef and then the sausage, I think that is way too much meat for one pan, so I did it separately. After all meat is cooked and is drained of excess fat, put back into the pan, add the tomatoes with their juice. (I cut the tomatoes in the can with kitchen scissors so that the tomatoes aren't whole, but not small chunks). Also add the tomato paste, 1/2 t salt, and freshly ground pepper to the pan. Simmer for 45 minutes - stirring occasionally.

3 Chop the basil and the parsley. Add half of the herbs to the meat mixture after is has simmered for 45 minutes.

4 In a bowl, mix the cottage cheese, eggs, 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan, and the other half of the herbs.

5 Assemble the lasagna. Lay four noodles on the bottom of your dish. Spoon half of the white sauce on top of the noodles. Sprinkle 1/3 of the grated, or lay freshly sliced, mozzarella on the white sauce, and top with half of the meat mix.

6 Repeat - the other four noodles, the rest of the white sauce, 1/3 of the mozzarella, the rest of the meat sauce. Now sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and the rest of the mozzarella.

7 Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. I put a cookie sheet under my casserole dish to catch the dripping.

8 I recommend letting it sit 10-20 minutes before serving. We served it hot, you can see on the plate shot below, it was a a little runny.

The little guy at his all up, so I'd say it was a hit.

Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Cake (or Anniversary, etc...)

2011-03-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mommy!

I am seriously so behind on blogging about stuff I've cooked in the last two months. Oye! This is from Valentine's Day, which also happens to be my cousin's birthday. I'm going to try this again for my "niece's" baptism (she is the daughter of one of my cousins) this Saturday, except I am going to put a rainbow in the middle. It is kind of fun figuring out shapes to put in the middle. I really want to figure out a princess crown next.

I am truly a huge fan of the cake recipe I introduced/shared it once and referenced it another time, well make that two references, because I am doing it again. It is such a great cake. I think I will experiment with flavoring it next time too. But it was plain white again for this cake, at least the white part. The red is a strawberry cake with extra red food coloring (the recipe called for red velvet, but that doesn't work for this blogger who is allergic to chocolate).

Here is the blog that explains how to assemble it step by step. http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2010/02/heart-cake-tutorial.html.

My notes: I don't have the fancy tool for leveling a cake, I use a knife which is really easy, especially when you have a long bread knife. And I just use the edge where the cake starts to round on top, hopefully you know what I mean, as my line to cut along. I also made a five layer, not four layer, cake. Um... I mentioned the strawberry cake (I just used a box mix). Oh and the frosting, I am not a fan of frosting (unless it is sour cream, cream cheese or coconut pecan). If you look at my dessert plate after eating cake, it has a pile of frosting on it. (Graham crackers anyone?) This is some yummy frosting though. I followed the blogger's suggestion of using almond extract (which goes along with the almond extract I add to the cake batter). So here is the recipe for the frosting:

Magnolia's Buttercream Frosting

1 c unsalted butter, softened

6-8 c powdered sugar (I used 4-5 c)

2 t vanilla extract

1 t almond extract

1/2 c milk

(I doubled the recipe to have enough for this cake)

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Taste the frosting, if it isn't sweet enough for you, add more sugar, 1/2 c at a time, beating after each addition until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency.

After assembling the cake, I refrigerated it (mostly for the sake of the cake) and take it out 30 minutes prior to serving.

Here's a closer view of the heart.

Enjoy!

Tomato Mini Pizza

2011-03-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

I make this A LOT its so delicious!

2 Large pocketless pitas (I feel better if I do Whole Wheat)

2 Large plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil (must be fresh)

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large non-stick baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place pitas on the baking sheet.

2. In a small bowl. mix the tomatoes and salt; stir in the basil, oil and garlic. Top the pitas with the tomato mixture, drizzling any liquid in the bowl over the toppings. Bake until the tomatoes are hot and softened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese; bake until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes longer. Cut the pitas in half before serving.

Make 4 servings

131 Calories

4g. Fat

18g. Carbohydrate

6 g. Protein

Healthy Tip: Whole Wheat tortillas will change the nutrition, for the better.

Money Saving Tip: Grow your own tomatoes and basil. I do every year just for this recipe!

Everything in 3's

2011-03-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

Well I'm not sure that we qualify for super healthy eating at our house, but we are definitely trying. I have a very picky 5 year old and every meal other than breakfast is a challenge. So one thing we have tried recently that seems to be helping is the everything in 3's rule. There is something about variety that usually gets him to start eating and if he eats 2 of the 3 items than I'm a happy camper. We do this with dinner's as well (although sometimes I have more than 3 things). Plus I found these cute little divided plates at target and we love them.

Here are three examples of what we've tried to do around here. I always try to include some fruit or vegetable as one of the 3 choices. Luckily he will eat raw veges, just not cooked ones. As well as some dairy. We are also trying to cut back on the breads since he would eat sandwiches everyday if I would let him. (fyi it does not always work out so well, but we try)

day 1... today we had 4 things

lil smokies with bbq sauce, orange slices, string cheese, and yogurt, with apple juice

day 2...
toast with peanut butter on it, carrot sticks, and string cheese, with milk
(he is not a fan of jams or honey right now so we just toast a piece of bread and add PB)

day 3...
cheese and crackers, pepperoni slices, and bananas, with apple juice
(if I have cottage cheese we will put that on the crackers as well, or lunch meat)

Kevin is always good about taking leftovers and if there is enough then I will usually have that the following day as well, if not then Ty and I will eat the same sort of things. This seems to be working well for us and it keeps Tyler full longer so he isn't always wanting snacks. The same goes for me too!

Cranberry-Orange Chicken Salad

2011-03-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

So I have soooo many recipes I have experimented with lately that I have been meaning to post, and just haven't done it. Then the new challenge came. I'll be honest, my lunch everyday is leftovers of something I've cooked during the week. I pre-plan my weekly menu, well in our house we alternate cooking and I usually cook 3-4 nights a week. Conveniently the item I prepared tonight strikes me as being a perfect lunch item as well. I will give you the recipe as it appears in the cookbook and I'll mention my changes throughout the instructions in italics.

Cranberry-Orange Chicken Salad
(from Our Best Bites Cookbook)

Ingredients:
1 lb (about 2 cups) chopped chicken (I used turkey breast)
1 c celery, chopped
1/3 c chopped green onions (5-6 onions)
Zest of 1 medium orange (about 1T) (I also squeezed the juice - why waste it)
1/2 c craisins (I chopped mine up)
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 t coarse grain mustard (I had it out on the counter, but totally forgot to add it. It was good without it, so maybe this is an optional item?)
2 T cranberry sauce (I used the kind with the whole cranberries in it. I also used 6 T)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t fresh ground pepper (I used fresh ground salt and pepper)
1/2 c chopped pecans, toasted (I didn't toast mine)
Croissants, rolls or pita pockets (I used whole wheat pitas)
Lettuce leaves (I used spinach, I prefer it to lettuce on my sandwiches)

Instructions:
In a bowl, combine chicken (or turkey), celery, green onions, orange zest (and juice), and craisins.
In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard (optional), cranberry sauce, salt and pepper. Add to the chicken mixture and toss to fully combine. This salad is best refrigerated for several hours before serving.
Just before serving, add the toasted pecans. Serve on a croissant or roll with a lettuce leaf.
(I put all the ingredients in a bowl except the mayo and mix them all together. Then I add the mayo - I didn't use as much as recommended. I just used what was needed to give it a good consistency - and that is how you live longer - don't use a lot of mayo.)

Enjoy!

(p.s. I hope you don't mind if I still post all my other recipes during this challenge.)

Cottage Cheese salad

2011-03-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

One of my go-to lunches that I prepare for myself and my daughter on a weekly basis is so simply, yet so incredibly delicious {assuming you like the two major ingredients}

ingredients:

cottage cheese

avocado

I usually do about one cup low-fat cottage cheese and then dice or mash up one half of a large avocado.

Trust me, it is really divine, and quite filling. When it's for my daughter I usually give her a banana or some mandarin oranges on the side, when they're on hand.

When I make it for myself I also add in some diced tomatoes and then grind pepper over it, and if I am feeling adventurous, I warm up a whole wheat pita pocket and eat that with it as well.

It is really simple, but believe me when I say it is really yummy. And proof that kids will eat this:

Cook Challenge: Live Longer Lunches!

2011-03-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

And I'm not talking about lunches living longer in your refrigerator. Eew. I can't stop the bacteria growth on your PB&J, mmmk? But what I can do is make lunches that will help me and my family live longer.

My sweet friend has inspired me to do this challenge. She is one of the healthiest eaters I know. And the method for her madness? longevity! She wants her and her family to live a long and healthy life. As simple and as genuine as that. And to that I say: me too please.

This quarter's challenge is healthy lunches. I'm talkin' whole grains, peaches, carrots sticks and low fat cottage cheese. What crazy-good n' healthy lunches can you serve up? Challenge yourself this month to share with our blog readers a healthy alternative to chicken nuggets, french fries and a shake.

You have until the end of March. Chefs: on your mark . . . get set . . . cook!

P.S. If you're not an official cook on this blog, feel free to leave your healthy lunch recipe in the comments. (Or become a cook of this blog Email me!)

The Pioneer Woman's Migas

2011-02-24T18:08:00.000-08:00

So I have loved the Pioneer Woman's blog for a couple years now. I love all the step by step photos and instructions. I bought her cookbook for one of my sisters in law for Christmas and she loves it and talks about it all the recipes often (she's even bought her autobiographical book now too - you are welcome pioneer woman...) So I figured I would buy the cookbook for myself, and for my other sister-in-law. I have been cooking her stuff for the last two weeks. I love the cookbook and totally recommend it. These recipes are 100% hers, but I will share what things I altered, etc - my little take offs or touches to her recipes.

The first recipe I will share is Migas. I personally like breakfast for dinner. And for those who don't this might be enough like a dinner, that it will be OK for them too. But this is a breakfast recipe.

Oh and before I start, I am going to list the full recipe - but please note, the recipe says this makes 6 servings. Pioneer woman feeds farm hands. I think it may be the right serving size for men who have been working hard on the farm all day? Not so much for our family. 5 adults ate and there were still 4 good sized servings left over. I recommend half-ing the recipes if you just want dinner. For us, having leftovers means I have lunch to bring to work, so no big deal for our house.

Migas

Ingredients
1 medium onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1-2 jalapenos
10-12 large eggs
1/4 c half and half
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 corn tortillas
Canola oil for frying
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 c grated cotija or Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese
1/4 to 1/2 c chopped cilantro
1/4 c sour cream

Instructions
1 - Chop the veggies. The peppers and onion can go in one bowl, then the tomatoes in their own bowl and the jalapenos in another (or just put them all in their own stack on your cutting board or counter for fewer dishes). *When chopping jalapenos, remove seeds if you don't like hot foods.
2 - In a bowl, beat eggs with the half and half. Season with salt and pepper.
3 - In small frying pan, fry tortillas just until crispy (I counted to 30 for mine). Pat off the oil with a paper towel.  Then cut up the tortillas (stack then, cut into strips, turn and cut into square pieces).
4 - Toss peppers and onions with butter and olive oil in a large skillet just for a few minutes. The colors will get nice and bright (don't overcook and make soggy). Add tomatoes and cook for one minute. Add tortillas chips and jalapenos, lower the heat to low.
5 - Pour the egg mixture into the pan.  Do NOT mix the food like you would scramble eggs. Allow the eggs to cook.  After cooking for a few minutes, lift the mixture to allow the remaining liquid to fall to the pan to cook. (Just like they do in restaurants when they cook the omelets...?)
6 - When the eggs are cooked through, sprinkle the top with cheese (I used pepper jack) and the cilantro.   When serving, serve with a dollop of sour cream atop.

My suggestions:
The serving shown in photo is only half the food.  I actually had to use two cast iron pans to fit all the food. 
We also put avocado slices on top.
I used 2 jalapenos, definitely could have used more, will move to 3, maybe 4, the next time.
We think we are going to add black beans next time.
Tortilla options:  you could add just tortilla chips instead of frying up corn tortillas.  My cousin ate hers with tortillas (almost like nacho style.)  Or you could not add tortillas to the mixture, and eat it with tortilla chips or use it as stuffing for breakfast burritos.

Enjoy!

ps - my cousin's little boy gets so excited and starts saying "cheeeese, cheeeese" every time I pull out my camera to photograph the food. He may be in a lot of photos coming up. I can't resist.

Banana Cookies

2011-02-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

So I know that for most people, when you see your bananas start to brown, you get excited for some banana bread. I am different. My mother always made the yummiest banana cookies when I was growing up. The name of the recipe is really Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies, but being allergic to chocolate, my mother would make half the cookies without the chocolate chips for me. I have made a couple more tweaks, and here is my version of the recipe, and the reason why I like to see browning bananas on my counter.

Pecan White Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

Ingredients & Instructions

Step #1 In bowl #1
2/3 c softened butter
2/3 c sugar
Combine with mixer
2 eggs
*Beat into butter/sugar

Step #2 In bowl #2
2 ½ c flour
¼ t baking soda
2 t baking powder
Dash of salt (opt)
*Sift/mix

Step #3
*Add bowl #2 to bowl #1 and mix well.

Step #4
*Add...
2/3 c mashed bananas (I like to leave a little chunkiness, but you can puree if you prefer)
1 t vanilla
1/3 c milk

Step #5
*Add...
1 c white chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped pecans

Step #6 optional but recommended...
*Stick your finger in the dough and tempt your taste buds with a little sampling of the dough. The dough will be a bit like banana bread, not quite as liquid like, but not stiff like cookie dough).

Step #7 another optional but recommended step if you have the time...
*I prefer to refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours. It allows the cookies to bake a little fluffier, not flat.

Step #8

*Put a tablespoon sized scoop of dough onto a cookie sheet (don't smash down the dough or anything - leave in the "scoop")

Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes

Because of the white chocolate chips, it may appear they aren't cooked, but they are. Oh, and they are super, super yummy warm (though also good cold).

My little cooking pal ate probably more than he should have.

But here's my favorite photo from our baking time...
This was in response to, I want to see your cookie...

Seeeeeee......
Clever boy, clever boy.

Enjoy!

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

2011-02-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I'm kicking this year off with this savory soup...

So I promised to make this soup a while ago and finally got around to it . . . and am sure glad I did. This soup is super yummy. I'll admit, it's not exactly like Zuppa's Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup, but close enough! It was fun to make--the kids helped put the cauliflower in and watch it blend into liquid. And they loved it too! So here's another soup recipe to make before Spring comes! (Pair this soup with this sandwich here - you'll be in heaven!)

ingredients

2 T butter

1 med onion, chopped

1/4 c all purpose flour

1/2 t salt

2 c milk

1 can chicken broth

1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 t Dijon mustard

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 c pepper jack cheese

instructions

In a 4-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 min, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2 min, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, broth, and 1 1 /2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 min. In blender (with center part of blender-cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.

What are you cooking in 2011?

Churro Cupcakes

2011-01-12T18:34:00.000-08:00

I think that we should be proud of our mistakes. I mean, at least we give something our best shot, right? So here's a funny story. It was my godson's birthday a week ago. We made his birthday cake and thought maybe we needed another dessert is case there wasn't enough. I had commented before on these amazing cupcakes that my cousin makes for her cupcake business she is building, specifically, these cupcakes. I've done some playing around, and though I absolutely do not have my cousin's cupcakes mastered, I make a mean attempt. So we decided to make the Churro cupcakes. Now, I have cooked over at my friend's house many times, I am pretty familiar with where everything is. So my godson and I got to work, he is a FABULOUS helper.

We mixed all the ingredients, we put the cupcakes together and baked the cupcakes. But the cupcakes fell. I was so sad. I couldn't figure out why they fell. Here is proof - kaput, flat Stanley...

So we started getting more things ready for the party and started to make the frosting for the main cake. My friend pulls the flour out of the pantry and starts scooping it into the mixer with the butter. I asked her what she was doing putting flour into the frosting and she says she's adding powdered sugar. It turns out her husband switched up all the containers a few weeks ago. WHAT??? Hehe - so when I though my little godson was scooping flour into the cupcakes, he was actually adding powdered sugar. Needless to say, even being as flat as they were - the caramelized Churro cupcakes were a hit. In fact, they've been requested for a party in March. I'll take pictures of them, and post what they should really look like at that time, but here is the recipe for now.

I use the white cake recipe from this post I made. I really like how moist the cake is, and use it for a lot of recipes now.

Then I mix together cinnamon and sugar (about a cup of sugar and 2-4T cinnamon)
I take about a tablespoon of the cupcake batter and I mix it into the sugar mixture.

I put batter into the cupcake papers,not even halfway. I make a ball out of my sugar mixture and set it on the batter and then pour more batter on top. But the cupcake papers are still only at most 2/3 full.

I bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes and check the cupcakes - the bake time depends on how big the cupcakes bake up to.

They are super yummy. You can frost them with cream cheese frosting, or if you like, I like them warm out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Hot Parmesan Artichoke Dip & Pizza Dip

2010-12-31T14:36:00.000-08:00

Now that I am living with other people, I find I am not taking pictures of what I am cooking. With an audience, there is more pressure to serve the food right away, and not pause to take a series of photos. So I am sorry that I’m not posting much these days. I resolve to do better.

While at my parents’ house for Christmas, we decided, since my brother’s family was flying out that afternoon, to just do a bunch of hors d'oeuvres on Christmas Day. Here are two of the ones I made. Of course, I forgot to take photos of the finished dishes, but I did remember and took a photo of one of my bites. Everyone seemed to eat them pretty quickly, I guess they liked ‘em?

Hot Parmesan Artichoke Dip

Ingredients
14 oz artichoke hearts
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 c mayonnaise
1 garlic clove
1-2 Roma tomatoes, diced
3-4 green onions, sliced

Instructions
Mix all the ingredients but tomatoes and onions.
Spoon into a pie dish.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
Sprinkle with the tomatoes and onions.
Serve with chips or bread pieces or crackers or whatever.

Pizza Dip

Ingredients
1 cube cream cheese
2 c spaghetti or pizza sauce*
1-2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Instructions
Spread the cream cheese evenly into the bottom of a pie dish. **I set the cream cheese out for a few hours beforehand so that it is room temperature, aka: easier to spread.**
Pour the sauce over the cream cheese.
Sprinkle the cheese on top.
Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes (until the mozzarella is melted).
Serve with crackers or bread, etc.

*I usually just make my own quick sauce combining tomatoes and spices, instead of using a jar sauce.

Enjoy!

Recipe Reminiscing

2010-12-02T17:35:00.000-08:00

Have you tried a recipe from Eat Your Veggies, Peas! recently and loved it? Or did you make it a long time ago and still continue to whip it up every now and then?

If you're like me - right before I go to the grocery store I scan old and new recipes from this website to make my grocery list. Some things have been posted for months, yet I just barely tried it and loved it - and want to share (who really goes back to see that I checked the "Loved it!" box?).

Let's hear all about what recipes from here you've been cooking up!

pumpkin pie...

2010-11-27T14:42:00.001-08:00

I know Thanksgiving has come and gone but just had to post a homemade Pumpkin Pie recipe. It is so good and easy!

Crust:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
7 Tlbs ice cold water

Using a pastry cutter, blend ingredients until well blended. Roll dough out on floured surface using a roller til about 1/2 inch thick. Roll dough around roller and place in a 9 inch pie pan.

You will have a little bit of extra crust. What I like to do is roll them out again and make little strips and sprinkle cinnamon and bake in the oven until golden brown. Makes a nice treat!

Filling: (recipe is on Libby's 100% pure Pumpkin can)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin (don't get the brown can and the one that says "easy" on it)
1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk

Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spiced mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into unbaked pie shell.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool on rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

I also make my own whipped cream. Just get 1 pint of heavy whipping cream and pour into a bowl that has been left frozen for a few hours. (This helps the cream to stay cool while mixing) Use 1 teaspoon of vanilla and some sugar to taste. Maybe about 1/2 cup - 2/3 cup. Depending on your desire of sweetness and beat with a beater until the cream thickens. Takes about 5 minutes to thicken.