COFFEE CAKE…

Well everyone, we did it! At least one recipe a day for the entire week... AWESOME! Thanks for much for adding to the fun.

COFFEE CAKE…

Cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tbsp. oil
2 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan, then dust pan with
flour. Mix four dry ingredients for cake in a bowl. In another bowl, mix
the four wet ingredients. Then mix the contents of both bowls and pour
into prepared pan. Melt the butter for the topping, then mix remaining
topping ingredients with melted butter. Pour over top of cake mixture in
pan, distributing fairly evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Shredded Beef

1 (2 pound) beef chuck roast
Water, to cover meat
1/2 onion, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
Flour tortillas

Simmer meat onion and black pepper in water until very tender, about 2 hours. (It always takes my roast 4-6 hrs) Drain, and cool until meat is cool enough to handle. Discard bone and fat; shred meat. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is soft, 4-5 minutes. In a blender, puree Ro-Tel tomatoes (including liquid), tomato sauce, spices and salt. Add to meat. Simmer until meat absorbs most of sauce, 15-20 minutes.

Serve with warm flour tortillas and sour cream, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomato and salsa.

Your Very Own Chocolate Cake

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (microwave safe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes. The cake
will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes


1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef (I used 96/4)
1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1 cup of ketchup
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp water
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook for 3-4 minutes, making sure to break it up into crumbles. Add the onion, celery, garlic and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Drain any grease then add ketchup, brown sugar and water. Stir and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy.

Mom's Meatloaf

I have never been a huge fan of meatloaf. Never hated it but never loved it, but this recipe is good. I found it on another blog recipe site, but I can't remember which one.

Mom's Meatloaf

1 lb Lean ground beef (I use 96/4 lean)
1/2 sweet yellow onion
1/2 lb mushrooms chopped
1-2 cloves if garlic minced
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup non fat milk
10-15 saltine crackers
2 tbsp Italian bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients well, form a loaf and put into a bread pan. Cover the top of loaf with sauce completely. Bake for 80-90 minutes. Let sit 5-10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy.

Sauce:

1 cup of ketchup
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Combine ingredients. Add more sugar, mustard or nutmeg to taste. Make sure to save the extra sauce for serving.

Spicy Chicken Corn Chowder

1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons flour
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can chicken broth
1 16-ounce jar salsa
1 can chicken
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 cup milk
cilantro and avacado for garnish

Saute onion in olive oil until tender. Add cumin, chili powder, and flour.
Stir in black beans, corn, chicken broth, salsa, and chicken.
Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Then add milk.

Serve in bowls with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips. Garnish with sliced avacado and cilantro to taste. It's delicious! Enjoy.

Snickerdoodle Cookies and Strawberry Banana Muffins

Snickerdoodle Cookies

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer until mixed thoroughly (it should be nice and creamy). Next, add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt - blend well. Shape into 1 1/4 inch balls.

1/4 cup of white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix sugar and cinnamon together thoroughly. Roll balls in the sugar/cinnamon mixture until covered. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart and bake 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!



Strawberry Banana Muffins

This recipe makes 12 muffins.

Dry Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup of flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced

Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 stick of butter, melted
2 large ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients. After mixing, gently fold in the strawberries, making sure to coat them with flour - this helps prevent the berries from sinking while baking. In another large bowl, combine the wet ingredients until mixed thoroughly. Slowly combine the wet mixture into the dry mixture, stir until just combined - do not over mix the batter or you will have tough muffins. Fill the muffin tray with the batter, place in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

2 cans of chicken

Drizzle of olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 packet taco, burrito, or fajita seasoning

4 cans chicken broth

2 cans corn-drained

2 cans beans drained (any kind you like: pinto, black, etc, or a combo)

1 1/2-2 cups salsa

tablespoon lemon juice

cheese for topping

tortilla chips

Start to preheat a soup pot.  Drain the cans of chicken and place in soup pot with olive oil and onion.  Let it cook for a couple of minutes and then add seasoning.  After a couple more minutes add remaining ingredients except the cheese which should be reserved for topping.  Let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes.  Place a handful of tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl, top with soup, top with cheese.

Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars

2 cups flour

1 cup butter

1 cup powdered sugar

Mix flour and sugar and cut butter in with pastry blender or fork until fine.  Pat into greased 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 deg for 15 minutes.

4 eggs slightly beaten

2 cups sugar

4 Tblsp lemon juice

4 Tblsp flour

1 tsp lemon peel (I usually leave this out just because I don't have it, tastes just as good)

1 tsp baking powder

Combine eggs with lemon juice and peel.  Sift flour, baking powder and sugar together.  Combine with egg and pour over baked crust.  Bake at 350 deg for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar while warm.  Let cool and cut into squares.  

I'm not really a big lemon flavor fan, but I love these!

Peanut Asian Pasta Salad

PEANUT ASIAN PASTA SALAD

12 oz bag bow tie pasta cooked and drained
1 1/4 cup Lite Asian Sesame salad dressing (I buy KRAFT)
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 medium carrots peeled and chopped julienne style
1 medium pepper (red, green, yellow, whatever) chopped in strips
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup FRESH basil chopped
3 cups cooked chicken breasts, chopped into pieces (cooled)

Mix: salad dressing and peanut butter and set aside. Add cooked pasta, cut up veggies, basil and cooked chicken to a bowl and lightly toss. Add dressing and all but 2 TBLS of the peanuts. Stir and mix well. Garnish top with remaining peanuts.

If I am making this as a side I do not add chicken and is is just as good. When I first tried this recipe I thought it sounded so weird, but it is so YUMMY!

French Dip Sandwiches

French Dip Sandwiches

2-3 lbs beef sirloin or london broil, etc
(I didn't have the beef sirloin so I used regular roast beef from the deli and it was still yummy)
1 can Campbells Beef Consome'
1 can Campbells French Onion Soup
1 can water
Cook in crock pot for 5-6 hrs on high
or 8-10 hrs on low **If you used regular deli meat, just stick it in the crock pot for about an hour just until it's warm.**

Shred beef and serve with juice from the crock pot on yummy sandwich rolls. Toast the deli rolls in the oven on broil until slightly brown. Use the leftover juices to dip your sandwiches in.

Banana Sour Cream Blueberry Bread

Bread:
(Dust pans lightly with this mixture.)
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, cream together:
3/4 c. butter
3 c. sugar
3 eggs
6 very ripe banana's mashed
1 - 16 oz container sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking soda
4 1/2 c. flour
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
1 1/2 c. blueberries (I use frozen)

Crumb Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, diced
1 c. flour

For topping, in a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and flour. Mix in butter with a fork or stand mixer just until the topping is crumbly. Top bread before baking. You will have enough for 4 loafs of banana bread, and will have some leftover. I store the leftover in the freezer.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease four 7x3 in. loaf pans. Divide batter among prepared pans. Top with crumb mixture. Bake for 1 hour, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife along sides of pan and dump bread out to cool.

Carmel Brownies

Carmel Brownies

These are really good... be careful, you might have to eat them all :)

Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can sweet and condensed milk
1 cup milk chocolate chips
50-60 Werthers Chewy Caramels (about 2 bags)
1 square butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix, half the can of sweet and condensed milk, and square of melted butter. Press half of the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake 6 min. Let cool completely. Melt caramels and the other half of the sweet and condensed milk on medium heat on the stove top, continually stirring so it doesn't burn. Pour over the top of the cooled brownie bottom. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over top. Then crumble the other half of the cake mix covering all the caramel. Bake 11-14 min. Let them cool and then enjoy... these are so yummy!!

Creamy White Chili

I wanted to join in on the recipe.a.day for the week in celebration of a year!  I have made quite a few of the recipes shared on the blog and my family thanks you for sharing ;)

Creamy White Chili

1 lb boneless skinless chicken cubed

1 medium onion chopped

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 cans (15.5 oz) Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

14 1/2 oz can chicken broth

1 can chopped green chilies

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Saute chicken, onion, garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.  Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and whipping cream.

Snickers Salad

Snickers Salad

1 large Cool Whip

8 oz cream cheese

3 chopped tart apples (pretty small pieces)

3 chopped sweet apples

3 chopped snickers bars

Thaw Cool Whip in the refrigerator, soften cream cheese, blend together.  Add apples and snickers to Cool Whip mixture.  Easy and delicious!

OREO TRUFFLES

Chad swears these are the best things ever. One of his co-workers made them. I have yet to try them because I trying not to make every single dessert I read (which is VERY hard) but it is next on my list.

OREO TRUFFLES

Step 1:
Grind up one whole package of Oreos in your blender/food processor/hand chopper. Save about 1 cup of ground-up Oreos and put it to the side.
Step 2:
Add one 8 oz package of cream cheese (at room temperature) to the remaining ground-up Oreos and combine well, then form them into 1 inch balls (about golf ball size).
Step 3:
Melt one package of chocolate chips (whichever is your favorite - milk, semi-sweet, dark chocolate) on a double broiler or very carefully in a microwave. Dip the balls into the melted chocolate and coat well, then place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
Step 4:
Take the cup of ground up Oreos and sprinkle the extra Oreo crumbs all over the truffles. Let them sit in the fridge until the chocolate sets (mine only took 20 minutes). Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Penne Pasta with Sausage

ingredients:
1 lb penne pasta
1 lb mild Italian sausage ( I like colossimo's brand)
3 1/2 cups spagetti sauce or marinara
1 cup cream
1/2 lb mozzarella

directions:
Cook noodles as directed, drain and set aside
cook sausage and crumble

Combine sauce and cream
Combine sauce mix, sausage and penne pasta
Mix in mozzarella

Pour into glass dish ( I use a 13x9) and bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Tomato Marconi Soup and one year!

Crazy how time flys :) We will reach our one year mark on the 27th of this month! I am going to try and post a recipe everyday in celebration!

Tomato Marconi Soup

Combine in 1 pot;
1 LB Browned Hamburger Meat (I use extra lean & drain it really good).
1 Small Onion Diced
1/2 Cup Green Onion Diced
1 Large Celery Stalk Chopped
1 Large Carrot, Grated
1 TSP 'Deverles' Salt Seasoning
2 Rounded TBS Brown Sugar
1.5 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
Small Elbow Macaroni
2 QUARTS Tomato Juice
1/2 QUART Water

Add salt & pepper to taste, bring to boil and leave on medium heat stirring frequently until pasta & celery cook all the way through.

Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread

It's REALLY YUMMY!

Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread


2 c. flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
¼ c. butter, softened
1 ½ c. mashed ripe bananas (about 3-4 medium bananas)
2 eggs
1/3 c. plain lowfat yogurt or sour cream
½ c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups and level. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream sugar and butter. Add bananas, eggs, and yogurt, beating until just blended. Add flour mixture. Beat on low until just moistened. Microwave chocolate chips in a medium bowl for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 c. batter to chocolate, stirring until well-combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter (so you have stripes of plain and chocolate batter) in an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters with a knife. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes (give or take a little; I ended up taking it out at an hour and it was done) or until a knife comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack

Easy Mixer Bread

Here's the easiest bread recipe you'll ever make!

2 1/2 cups hot water
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey or sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup powdered milk
3 cups flour (I've used all white and all wheat and both are delicious)
2 packets yeast (1 1/2 T)
more flour (about 3 cups)

Combine all ingredients (except the last 3 cups of flour) in a stand mixer bowl with dough hook and mix for 8-10 minutes adding last 3 cups of flour gradually until dough cleans sides of bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise for 20 minutes. Shape into 2 loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Set oven to 150 degrees and put loaf pans in oven for 20 minutes. Turn oven heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.
It's delicious!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Found this on allrecipes.com and made them today in my breadmaker. MMMM.... They are just as good as Cinnabon for sure.

Dough:
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

Frosting:
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

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

Great Recipe Site.

Ok, so I have heard a few people tell me about this website and I finally clicked on it. It's GREAT! Thought I would share.

www.allrecipes.com

Crockpot Cocktail Meatballs.

....Definitely a family favorite!

Meatballs:
3 lbs. ground beef (of course the leanest possible is the best)
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Sauce:
18 oz. bottle ketchup (this is just a little over 2 cups)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. Worchestershire sauce

Combine beef, soup mix and condensed milk. Form into small balls (makes about 45-50?). Place meatballs on baking sheets and brown in oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and drain excess grease. Place meatballs in crockpot. Combine sauce ingredients and pour over meatballs. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Serve over white rice. MMMM!!!!

Raspberry Sour Cream Pancakes

These were yummy. I found the recipe and it originally had blueberries in them, but the frozen blueberries are more expensive then raspberries so I tried that. I also made the raspberry sauce to put on top, but I can't decide if I liked the raspberry sauce on top better then just maple syrup, they are both good.

Raspberry Sour Cream Pancakes

2 c. all-purpose flour
¼ c. sugar
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 ½ c. milk
1 c. (8-oz) sour cream (I always bake with light sour cream)
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 to 1/2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk, sour cream, and butter; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in the blueberries. Pour batter onto a greased hot griddle; flip when golden on bottom. Cook until the second side is golden brown.

Raspberry Sauce

Raspberry sauce:
1 cup of frozen raspberries
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp lemon zest, chopped finely
1-2 tbsp water


Combine ingredients in a small pan over medium heat. Cook until raspberries have melted down and thickens slightly.