recipes rock

2011-12-01T16:56:00.001-08:00

I found this on my sisters cafe and it was WAY easy and WAY good. I will never buy a store made baguette again :)

Baguette

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbs. (2 packages) dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt

In a small bowl mix the warm water with the yeast and sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes – foam should form on the top.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough becomes a smooth ball and knead for 5 minutes. (I use my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook)

Cut in half and then shape into 2 baguettes. To make them smooth and pretty, roll each half of dough into rectangle and roll up lengthwise. Pinch the edges to seal and place on lightly greased cookie sheet with seam down. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. With a very sharp knife (I like to use a serrated blade) gently make a slash down the length of each baguette. This will give it that authentic look. Pour water in a cookie sheet and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Half way through, brush the bread with melted butter.

Crispy Shrimp Pasta

2011-11-30T14:15:00.001-08:00

I found this YUMMY recipe over at http://www.kevinandamanda.com/ We liked it alot. I loved that it was an Alfredo sauce that didn't have a pound of cream cheese and butter in it :) Same yummy flavor just lighter and not as bad for you. Chad and I ate it with the shrimp and the kids ate it without.. it was good both ways! ENJOY!!!!

via kevin and amanda blog

Crispy Shrimp Pasta

4 oz fettuccine pasta
3/4 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
Cook pasta according to package directions. Sprinkle shrimp with salt, pepper, and toss to combine. Sprinkle 1 tbsp flour over the shrimp, and toss to coat the shrimp. Sprinkle 1 more tbsp flour and toss to evenly coat the shrimp. Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the shrimp in a single layer and cook on each side, flipping once, until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to plate. Pour in the chicken broth. Cook for about 5 minutes, whisking the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium and pour in cream, whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium heat until bubbly and the cream starts to thicken the mixture, about 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and add seasonings as desired (salt, pepper, cajun seasonings, etc.) Add the drained pasta and shrimp to the sauce, and stir to combine.
*If you have trouble getting the sauce to thicken, thoroughly mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 4 tbsp cold water and add to the sauce. Sauce will thicken immediately.

Baked Potato Soup

2011-11-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

This is THE BEST potato soup ever! It takes a little bit of work, but it is completely worth it, especially with yummy yummy rolls! I found it on my favorite site ever, Our best bites!

Baked Potato Soup

3 Tbs butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C flour
4 1/2 C milk (low fat works great)
1 14oz can chicken broth
4 medium baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds) baked*
2 C grated cheddar (or sharp cheddar) cheese, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 C sour cream (low fat is fine), divided
1/2 C chopped green onions, divided
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided
*don’t have time to bake potatoes in the oven? Just pierce them with a fork a few times and then pop them in the microwave. Cook in 5 minute intervals until a knife easily pierces through them. It usually takes 5-10 minutes. To bake in the oven, pierce each potato with a fork and place directly on oven rack. Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.

Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Add flour to pan. Slowly add milk a little at a time while whisking constantly to eliminate lumps. Whisk until smooth and then add chicken broth. (Now, if you get to this point and don’t have a smooth liquid. Stop! Save your soup by popping the mixture in the blender, then continue.) Bring soup just to a simmer and heat until thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
Once soup is thickened, turn heat down to medium-low. Cut potatoes in half length-wise and use a spoon to scoop out potato flesh into the pot. Use a wooden spoon to smash potatoes, breaking up large clumps. Add 1 1/2 C grated cheese and salt and pepper and stir until cheese is melted. Remove pan from heat and stir in 3/4 C sour cream, 1/4 C green onions, and 4 strips of the crumbled bacon. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with each serving with the remaining sour cream, onions, cheese, and bacon.

Crispy southwest Chicken Wraps

2011-11-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

I found this on My kitchen cafe and they are way yummy :)

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

*Makes 6 wraps*

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1 can black beans, rinsed and drianed

1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)

1/2 red or green pepper, diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)

Sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center - it made the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

Cranberry Orange Cookies

2011-11-06T15:07:00.000-08:00

My mom used to make these around Thanksgiving for the widows in our ward when I was little. I haven't had them in years, but got a major craving for them the other day. YUM! Found recipe at www.allrecipes.com by Mordavia.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until well blended. Mix in 1 teaspoon orange zest and 2 tablespoons orange juice. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the orange mixture. Mix in cranberries and if using, walnuts, until evenly distributed. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cookies should be spaced at least 2 inches apart.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, 3 tablespoons orange juice and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over the tops of cooled cookies. Let stand until set.

Lasagna Soup

2011-11-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

Recipe take from http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com and is super DELICIOUS!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Servings: 8

Source: adapted from 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds, as seen in the February-April 2011 edition of At Home with Kowalski’s magazine

carmel apple cookies

2011-10-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

This turned out very yummy, I didn't use the almonds though.

Caramel Apple Cookies
Makes 36 two inch cookies | Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cookie base adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

•1 ¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
•½ teaspoon baking soda
•14 tablespoon unsalted butter
•½ cup granulated sugar
•½ cup packed dark brown sugar
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 large egg
•1 large egg yolk
•1 cup diced apples, 4oz.
•¾ cup chopped salted roasted almonds
•½ cup toffee bits
INSTRUCTIONS:

1.Whisk flour and baking soda.
2.Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat until melted about 2 minutes. Continue stirring for another 1-3 minutes until brown and there is a nutty aroma. Remove from heat. Pour heated butter through a sieve into a heat proof bowl. Stir in remaining butter until completely melted.
3.Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully combined. Add egg and egg yolk, whisk until mixture is smooth and no sugar lumps remains, about 30 seconds.
4.Let mixture stand for 3 minutes then whisk for another 30 seconds.
5.Repeat step four 2 more times until mixture is thick and shiny.
6.Stir in flour until combined. Stir in apples, roasted almonds and toffee bits combined.
7.Use an ice cream scoop to form cookies. Place dough 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
8.Bake cookies one tray at a time, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking. Bake until cookies are golden brown and still puffy. Approximately 10-14 minutes.

Peach pie

2011-09-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

Photo via taste of homes website

This peach pie was so yummy! It was like pie and cobbler combined, definitely did not disappoint!

Ingredients

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

6 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches

Directions

Unroll pastry into a 9-in. pie plate; flute edges. Brush egg white over the bottom and sides of the pastry.

In a small bowl, combine flour and sugars; cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Sprinkle two-thirds into pastry; top with peaches. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and peaches are tender. Yield: 6-8 servings.

BBQ Grilled Shrimp Tostadas

2011-09-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

Image via Jane Deere

I found these on http://janedeereblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/bbq-grilled-shrimp-tostadas.html

So incredibly yummy! As mentioned before I do not eat seafood, but lately I am liking shrimp. I loved these. But if you hate seafood I really think the seasoning would be great on chicken and then substituting the shrimp for chicken on the tostada's would be so yummy!

BBQ Grilled Shrimp Tostadas

3 cups shredded cole slaw

1 lime

2 T fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & diced

½ cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced & mashed

12 tostada shells

1 cup crumbled Queso Fresco

3 tomatoes

4 avocados

3 limes, cut into wedges

Prepare shrimp and grill according to recipe (see below). Toast tostada shells in oven according to package directions.

Cut avocados in half, remove seeds and scoop out pulp. In a small bowl, coarsely mash avocados and season with salt and pepper to taste.

In another medium bowl, combine slaw, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, mayonnaise, garlic and juice of 1 lime. Set aside.

Chop tomato and set aside.

When ready to serve, each person can build their tostada as they wish. Serve with lime wedges. Calories: 445 ▪ Fat: 23g ▪ Carbs: 30g ▪ Dietary Fiber: 6g ▪ Protein: 30g

Bbque Shrimp

3 pounds (21 to 24 count) large shrimp, peeled & deveined, tail on

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons Lawry’s Season Salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cloves coarsely chopped fresh garlic

Whisk together the chipotle chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, season salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Place the shrimp in a large bowl, toss with olive oil and garlic. Add the spice rub and stir well to coat; set aside.

Heat grill to high.

Skewer shrimp with 2 skewers to prevent difficulty in turning shrimp.

Place on a grill to cook until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

HOME GROWN TOMATO SOUP

2011-09-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

Sprinkle this soup with some Orzo before you serve it and it tastes a lot like Zuppa's Tomato Basil soup. In the fall when we have an abundance of tomatoes I make a huge pot of this without the cream and then I bottle it. (if you bottle it make sure to add a few tbls. of vinegar) Then I just pull out a quart from our storage dump it in the pot, add the milk and dinner is served. My kids LOVE this soup.

Home Grown Tomato Soup

-8 large tomatoes blanched and chopped

-2 TBLS butter

-1 medium onion

-2 cloves garlic

Saute onion and garlic in butter then add tomatoes and enough water to cover them.

Add:

1 TBLS paprika

1 TSP dry mustard (I just use regular mustard)

2 TBLS bouillon

2 TBLS parsley

1 TBLS basil

Bring to a boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Blend in blender and return to pan.

Add: 2 cups heavy cream or 1 cup canned milk and one cup regular milk with. Sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg before serving. (If using milk instead of cream, add 3 TBLS flour to the milk and whisk it together before adding it to the soup)

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

2011-07-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

I found the recipe on Stylish Cuisine They were YUMMY! Very close to reese's peanut butter cups, very rich though! You'll want to eat lots, but one will do it for a while :) But oh so good! (not so good for you though). P.S. She has some fabulous pictures of them, if you want to see them. I didn't get a picture before they were all gone!

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

1/2 cup butter
1 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
(Line a 8×8, 9×9, or 7×11 pan with foil for easy removal of bars later.)
Melt 1/2 c. butter of low heat. Remove from heat and stir in confectioner’s sugar. Add peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs, stirring until creamy. Spread mixture into pan, patting down evenly.
In same pot, on low heat, melt butter. Add chocolate chips and stir until chips are nearly melted and very soft. Remove from heat and continue stirring until chocolate is smooth and shiny. Spread over peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut into bars.
Store peanut butter cup bars in refrigerator.
Yield: 16 or more bars (depending upon how big you cut them)

Quinoa Taco Salad

2011-07-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a grain that cooks similar to rice. This recipe had some yummy flavor.

1 cup quinoa
1 whole red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cups red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cups yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cups green bell pepper, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder, or more depending on heat preference
1 dash cayenne pepper
15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cups diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
2 whole limes, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
8 ounces, weight baby spinach
1 cup cilantro
1/3 cups cheddar or feta cheese
1 whole avocado, diced

Cook the quinoa according to package instructions. Meanwhile, swirl a bit of olive oil in a saute pan. Heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, until translucent and tender. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne, and peppers and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in black beans, tomatoes, and the juice of 1 lime. Stir in the quinoa. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill.

Roughly cut baby spinach in strips like you would shred iceberg lettuce for tacos. Remove about 1 cup of cilantro leaves from the bunch, rinse and pat dry, and toss with t he spinach. Divide spinach and cilantro mixture evenly among 4 salad plates. Top each plate with a scoop of the quinoa salad. Top each salad with your choice of cheese and diced avocado. Cut the remaining lime into slices to garnish the plates.

This was really yummy and easy to adjust to your flavor preferences. I put in a lot less garlic and only used two types of peppers. You can make it your own. Enjoy!

Key lime Cupcakes with Blackberry frosting

2011-06-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

THE MOST VERY BEST AND YUMMIEST CUPCAKES YOU'LL EVER MAKE! Seriously though. these are amazing!

Found on http://www.bakedperfection.com/

Key Lime Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting

makes 30 cupcakes

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons key lime juice
zest of two limes
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or paper-line 30 baking cups.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla, key lime juice and lime zest; mix well. Add the flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely and frost as desired.

Blackberry Filling
recipe from Baked Perfection

1 32oz container frozen blackberries
3 tablespoons sugar
Juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt

Place blackberries in a small bowl and sprinkle with sugar, let thaw. Drain blackberries, reserving liquid. Squish the blackberries and push through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds, set aside. Add enough water to the blackberry liquid to equal 1 cup. In a large saucepan, combine the blackberry liquid, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt. Heat and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Cool completely. Stir blackberries into the cooled mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use. (This can be made several days in advance and any leftovers works well on toast, on pancakes, or mixed in plain Greek Yogurt.)

Blackberry Buttercream
recipe from Baked Perfection

2 sticks butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup blackberry filling (seedless blackberry jam or preserves can be substituted)
pinch of salt
6 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

Beat butter and vanilla until creamy. Mix in blackberry filling and salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.

2011-05-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

Found on Our Best bites.... SO GOOD!!!!

Brazilian Lemonade

4 juicy limes
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

Wash limes thoroughly with soap, (you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you’re using the WHOLE lime) Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and blend well. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you’ll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk. Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don’t make this in advance.

Coconut Chicken

2011-05-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

These were VERY good... and here is the kicker, I don't like coconut, but I loved these. Not overwhelmingly coconutty! I tried to find where I found this recipe and I can't find it anywhere, so whoever you are THANKS for sharing your recipe!

Coconut Chicken

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 large eggs

1/4 cup coconut milk (optional)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided

1 cup sweet chili sauce

TOTAL

Cut off any extra fat globules from your chicken breasts. Cut each breast into 6 strips, diagonally to prevent the end strips from being really short.

Prepare your breading station by gathering three bowls. In the first bowl combine the flour and salt. In the second bowl, combine the eggs and coconut milk. Whisk together until well combined. In the third bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut.

Place 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a large heavy duty skillet and heat over medium/high heat until it is just below smoking. You can test the heat by throwing in a little bit of flour. When it is hot enough, the flour will sizzle and create a lot of bubbles.

While the oil is heating, dredge the chicken strips. First, coat each strip in the flour and salt mixture. Then dip each into the eggs/coconut milk and finally coat each in panko and shredded coconut. I find it easiest to coat all of them in the flour then go back and then do the egg wash and panko/coconut for each before moving onto the next.

After breading the strips, the oil should be hot enough. Place about 6 strips in the pan at once. There should only be one layer in the pan and there should be about an inch between each strip. If you over crowd the pan it will get too cold and the strips will soak up a lot of oil instead of frying. Fry the strips for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and crispy. Place them on a plate with paper towel to drain and move on to the next batch. After a couple of batches you may need more oil so you can add the second 1/4 cup to the pan. Allow the oil to come up to temperature before frying the next batch (2-3 minutes). Because the strips are thin, they should be cooked through by the time both sides are browned. You can tell by the texture of the chicken; it should be stiff when pressed. If you cut your strips thicker, you will need to bake off the chicken after frying to make sure the insides are cooked through.

When all of the strips are done frying, serve immediately with sweet chili sauce to dip in. I found mine in the asian section at the grocery store (ours was Panda express kind)

Orange Yougurt Pancakes

2011-05-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

LOVE LOVE LOVE THESE :)

Orange Yogurt Pancakes

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. orange juice
orange gratings (optional)
3/4 c. plain yogurt
1 egg
6 Tbsp. butter, melted, divided

In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together juice, gratings, yogurt, egg, and 4 Tbsp. of the melted butter. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined (batter will be quite thick).

Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium high heat until quite hot. Brush pan with some of the remaining melted butter and spread batter with a spoon onto pan in 3-inch pancakes. When pancakes bubble and are browned, flip and continue cooking until cooked through and browned on the second side. Brush pan with melted butter before each batch. Serve warm with maple syrup.

Spicy Honey Shrimp

2011-05-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

So here is the deal, my hubby LOVES shrimp, me not so much. But I saw a couple recipes out there for grilling shrimp and I thought I'd give it a try. I combined and changed a few recipes and came up with this. Now like I said I don't like shrimp, but I like these. Weird but true. They have this sweet taste, yet a little kick or spice and they aren't way fishy tasting. Try them, you won't be disappointed!

Sweet Honey Shrimp

1lb Shrimp (deveined)
1 Tbsp. minced or pressed garlic
3 T ginger (fresh is great but the dried stuff works too)
1/4 c. hot chili garlic paste
1 1/4 c. honey
1/2 c. fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
1 c. canola oil

Mix all ingredients together to make marinade. Marinate the shrimp in marinade for as long as possible.. 24 hours preferably but at least 4 hours. Put shrimp on Skewers and place on the grill. Cook about 2-3 minutes on each side.. don't cook them too long.

chicken pasta salad

2011-05-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

This is a quick, easy, and yummy pasta salad

1 package bow tie pasta (cooked)

cooked chicken( how ever much you want, I used about half of a rotisserie chicken

from sam's club)

1/2 cup cashews (or how ever much you want)

red grapes sliced in half - about 1 cup

1/2 bottle poppyseed dressing - I used the Brianna's brand

Mix all together

you can also add celery and green onions

Cranberry Coleslaw Salad

2011-04-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

1 bag coleslaw mix
1 bag baby spinach
1 small can of honey roasted peanuts
1 small bag of craisens
1 bottle of Brianna's Poppyseed Dressing

Toss altogether and serve.
So easy and so tasty!

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever

2011-04-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. I have to say this is in my top 5 of favorite desserts and it is soooooo easy and fast to make. I LOVE this recipe!!

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla

FOR FROSTING:

½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Note: I use an 18×13 sheet cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

2011-04-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies



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	About Concordance™

INGREDIENTS

Brownie Base

1	box (1 lb 2.4 oz) brownie mix, mixed according to directions

Filling

1/3	cup butter, softened
1/3	cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/3	cups powdered sugar
1 1/2	teaspoons milk

Topping

3/4	cup semisweet chocolate chips
3	tablespoons butter

1 Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with cooking spray or shortening. (For easier cutting, line pan with foil, then grease foil on bottom only of pan.) Make brownies as directed on box. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
2 In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base.
3 In small microwavable bowl, microwave topping ingredients uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. For brownies, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.I

I actually prefer these made with my homemade brownie recipe, but my sister likes them with the boxed mix. Oh so yummy either way!

Pretzel Bites

2011-03-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Oh these were yummy... we paired them with the southwest rolls and had an appetizer night for dinner!

I found this on My kitchen cafe.... GREAT SITE!!!

Pretzel Bites

*Makes about 2 dozen pretzel bites

Dough:

2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water

Topping:

1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water

2 tablespoons baking soda

Coarse salt (optional)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and quite slack. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn't overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 500°F. Don’t be afraid of the high heat! This is what will help those pretzels to brown up perfectly and stay soft on the inside. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or lightly greasing them.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into about four strips of equal length. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda in a liquid measuring cup (deep enough to dip the pretzel bites into). Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved. Sometimes I have a hard time getting the baking soda completely dissolved, so I just lightly stir up the mixture right before adding each pretzel.

Cut each strip of dough into about 6-8 pieces, about 1 to 1 ½ inches in width. You don’t have to be completely exact, just eyeball it. Dip each pretzel bite in the baking soda solution (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 7-8 minutes or until they're golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time - it won't hurt the other pretzels to chill out for a little longer.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you've used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that's what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave on low heat.

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

2011-03-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

I found this yummy recipe on here... they were good. We left out the spinach cause I forgot to pick it up at the store and my six year old thinks he can't eat anything green!

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles, drained

4 green onions, chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 package egg roll wrappers (about 24 total)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine everything but the egg roll wrappers. Mix well to blend. Lay an egg roll wrapper out on a work surface so that one of the corners is pointing toward you and place ¼ cup of the filling in the center. Fold the tip closest to you up over the filling, roll a bit, then take the points pointing outward and fold them in toward the center. Continue rolling into an egg roll shape until a small part of the remaining point is still free. Dip a finger in water or beaten egg and lightly brush on the edges of the free corner. Finish rolling and press to seal closed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Lightly oil a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the sealed egg rolls on the baking sheet seam side down and spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly brown, turning halfway through baking. Serve warm with salsa.

Yummy Chocolate cake

2011-03-20T19:18:00.001-07:00

This really is good, so yummy as cupcakes and it's egg-less :)

The BEST Chocolate Cake

sift together:

3 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. baking cocoa

slowly add:

2 c. cold water

3/4 c. vegetable oil (I use Canola . . . it’s healthier)

2 Tb. white vinegar

2 tsp. vanilla

Pour into 9×13 pan – cook at 350* for 30-35 mins (depending on your oven & altitude, it can take even longer than 35 mins. Poke the middle with a toothpick & if it comes out clean, the cake is done).

I let it cool for about 30 mins and then frost it with an entire can of milk chocolate frosting from the grocery store. I frost it while it’s still a little warm & the frosting melts into the cake.

This recipe also makes great cupcakes (just cook for 15-18 mins) or two cake rounds (cook time will be similar to that of a box cake).

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Perfect Pie Crust

2011-02-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

I will tell you this much, I never made a pie from scratch...never! But Chad's been begging since we got married so I did it last night and it was SO good! This is an awesome recipe! I made it with a variation of her blackberry pie (I did blueberries and blackberries... YUM!!! )

(Recipe from Simply Recipes)

All Butter Crust for Sweet and Savory Pies (Pâte Brisée)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Method

1 Cut the sticks of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to an hour (the longer the better) so that they become thoroughly chilled.

2 Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again.3 Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

4 Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about 1/8 of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.

5 Add filling to the pie.

6 Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork. Score the top of the pie with four 2-inch long cuts, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape.

Valentine jam filled pie tarts

2011-02-14T18:38:00.000-08:00

These were way easy, way fun and yummy! Kid friendly too!

**Adapted from Family Fun**

Ingredients

Prepared piecrust

Jar of strawberry jam

1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water

Frosting

2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon softened butter

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Sprinkles

Heat the oven to 400° and cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

On a floured surface, roll out the piecrust to a 1/8-inch thickness. Use a large heart-shaped cookie cutter (ours measures 4 inches wide) to make pairs of hearts, gathering the scraps and rerolling the dough as necessary.

For each tart, spread 2 teaspoons of strawberry jam on a heart, leaving a ½-inch margin on all sides. Brush the egg mixture around the edge before placing a second heart on top. Use the tines of a fork to seal the edges, then brush the tops with the egg mixture.

Bake the hearts on the prepared cookie sheet until their edges are just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Let them rest on the sheet a few minutes, then move them to a rack and let them cool completely.

Whisk the first four frosting ingredients in a medium bowl, adding more water a teaspoon at a time if needed to make a smooth, creamy frosting. Add a few drops of food coloring and mix until well blended. Spoon the frosting into a ziplock bag, snip off a corner, and squeeze it onto the tarts. Top with sprinkles.

Cowboy Cookies

2011-01-21T09:49:00.002-08:00

Ingredients
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
X

Instructions
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, blend the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and continue to beat until fluffy, about 1-1/2 minutes. Blend in the vanilla extract.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture one half at a time. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Refrigerate the dough for 1 to 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large, preferably light-colored baking sheet with aluminum foil, then grease the foil.

Using a scant 1/4 cup per cookie, shape the dough into balls and place them on the sheet about 2 inches apart.

Use your fingertips to flatten each ball to 1/3 inch thick. Bake the cookies on the center oven rack for 13 to 14 minutes, turning the sheet about halfway through. When they're done, the cookies should be very lightly browned and still look moist. Don't overbake them.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Customizing Cowboy Cookies:
Add some variety to your cookie jar by replacing the walnuts and chips with different mix-in combinations:
Coconut Cowboy Cookies: 1 cup of flaked sweetened coconut, 2 cups of chocolate chips, and 1 cup of chopped walnuts.
Cranberry White Chocolate Cowboy Cookies: 1 cup each of white chocolate chips and dried, sweetened cranberries.
Peanut Butter Cowboy Cookies: 2 cups of peanut butter chips or 1 cup each of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

Rolo Cookies

2010-12-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

1 Devils Food Cake Mix
2 Eggs
1/3 cup oil
2 BAGS of Rolos

Mix cake mix, eggs and oil together. Place 1 teaspoon of mixture in hand and flatten it. Place Rolo in the center and roll into a ball. Place on an UNGREASED cookie sheet. Bake 7-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top. ENJOY!!!

These are way easy and SUPER YUMMY!

Crock-pot Breakfast

2010-12-17T08:19:00.000-08:00

32 oz. frozen has browns
1 lb cooked ham (cut into cubes)
1 diced onion
1 diced green pepper
1 1/2 c shredded cheese
12 eggs
1 c milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Spray crock-pot with cooking spray. Start with hash browns, then ham, onions, peppers, and last cheese. Layer and repeat until you have several layers. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over layers in crock pot. Cover. Turn on low. Cook 10-12 hours overnight then wake up and enjoy.

I got this recipe from my neighbor and my family loves it. How easy for Christmas morning breakfast!

Pumpkin Heaven

2010-12-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

1 29-ounce can of pumpkin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
1 yellow cake mix
1 cup melted butter

Grease 9x13 pan. Mix all ingredients except cake mix and melted butter. Pour into baking dish.
Mix yellow cake mix and melted butter. (It will be thick.) Drop spoonfuls evenly over pumpkin mixture.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Serve with whip cream or ice cream.

It is heavenly!!

Best Pecan Yams

2010-12-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

4 cups cooked and mashed yams
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans (I leave these out)

Combine yams, sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix well and turn into a greased 9x13 glass dish. Combine brown sugar and flour, mix well. Stir in 1/3 cup melted butter and nuts. Crumble over top. Bake 30 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until set.

You'll never be the same after trying this recipe! Delicious!!

(Recipe from Favorites Cook Book)

Cranberry Jello Salad

2010-12-16T20:48:00.000-08:00

1 large package raspberry jello
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese
1/2 pt. sour cream

Dissolve jello in 1 1/4 cup boiling water. Add pineapple, in its' own juice. Add cranberry sauce. Stir together. Pour 1/2 mixture into 9x13 pan. Put in fridge to set. Mix cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Spread on set jello. Pour the rest of the jello mixture on top, set.

This is so yummy and a really festive and pretty salad on the table during the holidays!!

Enjoy.

(Recipe from Barbara Raymond)

Cheesy stuffed shells

2010-12-03T18:16:00.000-08:00

Yummy goodness and really easy!

Cheesy stuffed shells

1/2 large carton of cottage cheese
1 package of shredded Italian cheese (the bag with mozzarella, cheddar, provolone and asigio)
Dash each garlic powder, basil, oregano, thyme, and marjoram
1 pkg. jumbo shell noodles, cooked according to package directions
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350° (325° if using a clear baking dish). In medium bowl, combine cottage, 2/3 bag of mixed cheese and spices. Pour a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9”x13” baking dish. Fill each shell with a spoonful of filling. Arrange in single layer in dish. Tear up any remaining noodles and place in holes. Cover with remaining spaghetti sauce and top with rest of cheese. Cover tightly with foil; bake 40 minutes. Pull foil off and bake 7 to 10 more minutes to make sure all cheese is melted.

Perfect One Bowl Brownies

2010-11-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't posted these on here yet. I found these over on My sister's cafe blog and they quickly became my favorite brownies. I make them all the time. In fact I couldn't find my recipe tonight so I hopped on here, thinking I had posted it and I hadn't! Good thing I remembered which blog I found it on!

Perfect One Bowl Brownies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
4 eggs
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips or just sprinkle over the top

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl melt butter in microwave, then stir in oil, sugar and cocoa. With a wooden spoon stir in the remainder of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Spread into a 9x13 pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. If your toothpick comes out clean you have cooked them too long! DO NOT OVERCOOK!

Autumn Harvest Pork Loin

2010-11-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 to 2 pound pork loin
1 cup cider or apple juice
1 butternut squash peeled and cubed
2 large granny smith apples peeled and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. dried sage

Brown pork loin with cider and salt and pepper (to taste) in skillet. Put in crockpot with the cider. Put apples and squash in bowl with spices and mix. Put on top of pork. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

This is one of my favorite fall recipes. I also add some sweet potatoes.

Coffee Cake

2010-11-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite Coffee Cake and it is a recipe from Mr. Food Cooks Like Mama.

Cake Ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 c. oil
1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs

Filling Ingredients
3 tbs. packed brown sugar
2 tbs. cinnamon
1 c. chopped pecans

Mix cake ingredients. Combine filling ingredients in separate bowl. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Put 1/2 filling, 1/2 cake mix, 1/2 filling, 1/2 cake mix. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Top with a powdered sugar glaze if desired.

Pulled Pork

2010-10-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

Found this recipe on Pennies on a platter but changed a few things to work in a crock pot. It was fabulous!! We ate it on white corn tortillas with cheese, salsa, sour cream and lettuce, but it would be great on a salad, in a burrito.. by it's self. Seriously tasty!!

Pulled Pork

One 5 to 7-pound pork shoulder roast (or butt roast as it’s called in my grocery store)
1 onion, quartered
1 Tbs chili powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 to 2 Tbs salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
3 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs white wine vinegar
1/2 cup water

Rinse the pork and pat dry. Pulse the onion, chili powder, brown sugar, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar in a food processor until thoroughly combined.

Place the roast into crock pot on low. Pour the marinade over the pork and, using your hands, rub into every nook and cranny. Flip the pork and repeat. Add 2 cups water to the pan. Cook for about 8 to 10 hours on low. About an hour before serving, shred and place meat back into juices and leave on low for another hour.

Funeral Potatoes

2010-10-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hash Brown Potato Casserole (funeral potatoes)

2 cups shredded cheese

1 can Cream of Chicken condensed soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup butter melted

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 32 oz package hash browns, thawed

Grease 9x13 pan. In a large bowl, combine cheese, sour cream, soup, onions and melted butter, salt & pepper. Mix well. Pour hash browns into pan, mix in soup mixture and mix well. Cover with tin foil, cook at 350 for 60 minutes. Sprinkle on more shredded cheese at least 10 minutes before done, if desired, can leave off tin foil.

Baked Potato Soup and Cheddar Herb Biscuits

2010-10-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

This IS the BEST baked potato soup EVER!!! I found it on Our Best Bites blog and I swear I have never made anything from their site, I haven't loved. Try it, you won't be sorry!!

Baked Potato Soup

2 Tbs butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C flour
4 1/2 C low-fat or skim milk
1 14oz can chicken broth
4 medium baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds) baked*
2 C grated cheddar (or sharp cheddar) cheese, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 C light sour cream, divided
1/2 C chopped green onions, divided
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided

Bake potatoes in oven. To bake in the oven, pierce each potato with a fork and place directly on oven rack. Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.

Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Add flour to pan. Slowly add milk a little at a time while whisking constantly to eliminate lumps. Whisk until smooth and then add chicken broth. Bring soup just to a simmer and heat until thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Once soup is thickened, turn heat down to medium-low. Cut potatoes in half length-wise and use a spoon to scoop out potato flesh into the pot. Use a wooden spoon to smash potatoes, breaking up large clumps. Add 1 1/2 C grated cheese and salt and pepper and stir until cheese is melted. Remove pan from heat and stir in 3/4 C sour cream, 1/4 C green onions, and 4 strips of the crumbled bacon. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with each serving with the remaining sour cream, onions, cheese, and bacon.

I paired the soup with these YUMMY biscuits! Found them on My Kitchen Cafe

Cheddar and Herb Biscuits

Biscuits:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons butter, cold
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Buttery Topping:

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until coarse crumbs are formed. Lightly mix in grated cheese. Mix in buttermilk just until moist (dry spots here and there are ok - the biscuits will be tough if they are overmixed). Drop the biscuits onto a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until browned and golden. While the biscuits are baking, in a small bowl combine butter, parsley, garlic powder and salt. Right when the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the butter/herb mixture over the biscuits evenly (alternately, you can dip the top of the biscuit into the butter mixture). Serve immediately.

Glazed Poppy Seed Bread

2010-10-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

This was way way good! Thanks girls for posting some recipes, they all sound so good :)

I found this on my kitchen cafe :)
Glazed Poppy Seed Bread

*Makes 2 loaves (8 X 4 1/2-inch loaf pans), about 4-5 mini loaves or lots of muffins (sorry don't know exactly how many!)

Bread:

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons butter extract or 1 tablespoon melted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons poppy seeds

Glaze:

1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
3/4 teaspoon butter extract or 1/2 tablespoon melted butter

Line the bottom of the loaf pans with waxed or parchment paper and then grease and flour the entire loaf pan well.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and oil. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the egg/oil mixture and whisk to combine. Add 1/2 of the milk and stir together. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the last half of the milk and stir. Finally add the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix. Add the extracts and poppy seeds and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 60 minutes checking often the last 10 minutes of baking to ensure the bread doesn't overbake. When completely baked, a toothpick inserted in the middle should pull out moist crumbs but not wet batter.

While the bread is baking, combine the glaze and ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

Let the bread sit in the pan for five minutes. Run a thin-edged knife around the edges of the bread and carefully remove the bread from the pans onto a wire rack set atop a layer of paper towels. Brush the tops of the bread with the glaze while the bread is still warm. Continue brushing and/or gently pouring until all the glaze is on the bread. Cool completely before slicing.

Pumpkin Squares

2010-10-11T21:26:00.001-07:00

1 29-ounce canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
1 yellow cake mix
1 cup melted butter

Grease 9 x 13 pan. Set oven for 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients except cake mix and butter. Pour into pan.
Mix yellow cake mix and melted butter. (It will be thick.) Drop spoonfuls evenly over pumpkin mixture.
Bake for 60 minutes. Let cool awhile before serving with whip cream.
Enjoy!

Homemade Granola

2010-10-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

(Recipe from my sister Meleece Orme)
3 cups oatmeal
1 cups coconut
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 can apple juice concentrate
3/4 cup almonds (optional)
3/4 cup pecans (optional)
1 cup dried fruit (optional)
(I've never put in the optionals:)

Mix dry ingredients, then add the juice and mix well. Spread lightly on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 275 degrees for around 45 minutes, stirring at least every 15 minutes. (Cook more or less depending on how chewy or crunchy you like your granola.)

I like to serve mine over vanilla yogurt with fresh berries. Delicious! Enjoy.

French bread Chicken Sandwhich

2010-10-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

I got this recipie from Our Family Treat blog
I have made this twice and love it. Maybe I didn't put enough chicken on the sandwhich the first time, but I had enough to freeze and make again with this amount of chicken.

3-4 chicken breasts
1 cans chicken broth
2 tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 Loaf of French Bread
Ranch Dressing
4 slices of bacon
1 Avocado sliced
1 Tomato sliced
1 cup shredded cheese

Cook in crock pot on high for four hours with chicken broth and Montreal Steak Seasoning
(feel free to add more chicken, chicken broth and Steak Seasoning for future dinners)
It is easier for me to shred the chicken in the crock pot so that it soaks up all the marinade. Chicken freezes well for future meals!

Cut French bread loaf long ways in half.
Spread Ranch dressing on both sides of the loaf.
then add layers...chicken, bacon, cheese, tomato and avocado.
Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, and then I like to broil it for another 2 minutes. Slice and serve.

Cheesy Manicotti

2010-10-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

Yay I finally figured out how to copy and paste. Thanks Steph for the tip!

I got this recipie off Our Family Treat blog
I made it tonight and my kids could not get enough of it!

1 8oz manicotti shells
2 cups Spaghetti sauce (jarred or homemade)

Mix the following together;
1 C. cottage cheese
1 C. ricotta cheese
1 C. mozzarella
1 C. parmesan
1 Tbsp. basil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 egg

Boil manicotti as directed on package. Make sure that they are al dente. Let cool. Then fill mancotti with cheese mixture. Line 9x13 pan with spaghetti sauce, place noodles in pan, pour over more spaghetti sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, remove foil, top with parmesan cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Enjoy.

Best Alaskan Salmon

2010-10-03T17:50:00.001-07:00

Salmon (frozen salmon fillets from Costco are the best and they are all ready to cook)
butter, melted
honey
maple syrup

Preheat oven to BROIL. Line cookie pan with foil. Place salmon fillet on top of foil. Mix ingredients and brush on top of fish. Place in oven close to the top. Broil until starts to brown and then cover with foil and continue cooking until fish is flaky.

Serve with steamed broccoli and wild grain rice or rice pilaf. Mmmmmmm.

Fruit Leather

2010-09-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

Fruit leather

I had a bunch of peaches that I got this weekend, so I was pretty excited to use them. They weren't very good though, not much flavor and not sweet. I was dissapointed.. But I decided to try my hand at fruit leather since the kids love fruit roll ups and I could add lots of sugar to counter act the lack of flavor... great thing about fruit leather is, you don't have to add any sugar is you don't want to.. more healthy!

Ingredients

Fresh fruit (apricots, peaches, plums, berries, apples, pears,)
Water
Lemon juice
Sugar (if needed)
Spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg (optional)

Directions...
Rinse the fruit. If you working with stone fruit, take out the pits, chop the fruit. If working with apples or pears, peel and core them, then chop. Taste the fruit, if it is really sweet then you will use less sugar, if it is tart you will use more...

Place fruit in a large saucepan. Add a half cup of water for every 4 cups of chopped fruit. Bring to a simmer, cover and let cook on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the fruit is cooked through. Uncover and stir. Use a potato masher to mash up the fruit in the pan. Taste the fruit and determine what and how much sugar, lemon juice, or spices to add. Add sugar in small amounts, to desired level of sweetness. Add lemon juice one teaspoon at a time to help brighten the flavor of the fruit. Add a pinch or two of cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices to augment the flavor. I did peach leather so I didn't add any spices... but I bet it would be yummy with pear.

Continue to simmer and stir until any added sugar is completely dissolved and the fruit purée has thickened, another 5 or 10 minutes (or more).

Blend fruit in food processor or blender.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper Pour out the purée into the lined baking sheet to about an 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. I shook the pan side to side slightly to even out the puree.

Bake at 140 to 190 (mine only goes as low as 170 but I baked mine at 190 to slightly speed up the process) all day. It took mine about 6 hours.

When fruit leather is ready, it will no longer be sticky to the touch and will peel off easily after it has slightly cooled.

YUMMY!!!

Strawberry swirl cheesecake with strawberry sauce...

2010-09-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

YUM... I have to admit, I LOVE cheesecake. Funny thing is.. I hated it growing up, you couldn't make me eat anything with cream cheese. Boy, am I glad I changed my mind.

Strawberry swirl cheesecake

Crust:
12 graham crackers
6 T melted butter

Filling:
2 1/2 pkgs. of 8 oz creams cheese softened
1 C. sugar
3 eggs
1 egg white
2 T. flour
1 t. vanilla extract
3 T. sour cream
strawberries

Preheat oven to 400. Throw graham crackers in food processor or blender and blend until crushed. Add the melted butter and mix. Press into a spring form pan, firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Then pull out.

In a bowl, mix cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar and blend well. Add eggs and the yolk, one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Blend in the flour, vanilla and sour cream and mix until smooth. Pour batter evenly over crust.

Puree strawberries (about 10) and then dot the mixture over the top of batter, take a knife and gently swirl the puree into the batter.

Place pan into the oven and bake for 10 minutes at 400, then reduce heat t0 250 and bake an additional hour and 30 minutes or until a knife comes of clean when inserted into the middle. Once cheesecake has cooled, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Strawberry sauce

For the sauce, I just blended a bunch of strawberries, added sugar (the more you use the sweeter it will be) and then heated on the oven until it started to boil. Then cool and drizzle on cake.

Caramel Spice Pear Butter

2010-08-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

Pear Butter on left and Pear Jam on right :)

So I made Pear butter for the first time this year and I have too say that it was way yummy! I also made pear jam, which didn't sound so good to me, but I had 36 pounds of pears to use so I gave it a go. It is surprising really good! Try it! The recipe for pear jam can be found in any box of Sure Jell for canning jams... it's REALLY easy and REALLY worth it!

Caramel Spice Pear Butter

Makes 9 half pints

15 Barlett or other large, firm, ripe pears
2 c Water
6 c sugar
1 t nutmeg
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger

Wash and core, but do not peel pears. Slice and place in a 5 qt pot. Add water, cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes or until tender.

Let cool slightly, then force through a mill, sieve or whirl in a food processor until finely chopped; return to kettle.

In a wide frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, (do not get it on your finger... OUCH!) stirring often, until it caramelizes to a medium brown syrup. Pour immediately into pear pulp (syrup will sizzle and harden ,but dissolves again as the preserves cook.) Stir in remaining 4 1.2 c sugar and spices until well blended.

Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and cook, uncovered for about 45 minutes or until thickened. To prevent sticking, stir frequently as mixture begins to thicken. Stir in lemon juice just before removing from heat. (This step can be done in a crock pot; low setting for 5-7 hours.)

Ladle into hot, sterilized jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Seal and process in a Hot Water Bath for 10 minutes.

Guest Blogger...

2010-08-28T06:52:00.001-07:00

Guest Blogger...
Well, the girls over at "Or so she says" asked if I would be a guest blogger on their blog and I said yes. My post is up... so go check it out! Here If you have time leave me a little comment :)

P.S. I have two yummy recipes for Pear Butter and Pear Jam coming up!

Black Bean Veggie Burritos

2010-08-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

These were so yummy. I will definitely make them again.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-in. cubes
1 medium onion, finely chipped
1 Tbsp. water
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
8 whole wheat tortillas (8 in.) warmed
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1/2 cup salsa

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the sweet potato, onion and water. Cover and microwave on high for 4-5 minutes or until potato is almost tender. Stir in the beans, corn, green pepper, lemon juice, garlic and seasonings.

2. Spoon a heaping 1/4 cup filling on center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up.

3. Place seam side down in a 13-in x 9-in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Serve with yogurt and salsa.

Taco Salad Dippers

2010-08-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

So I have decided to keep going on this.. even if there are only a few of you out there reading it... I might change a few things, start posting pictures and only doing it myself. I am going to run it by those friends of mine that are currently co-authors.. if they are still interested in posting we will leave it as is.. if not then we might change a few things. :) THANKS to those that gave me some feedback!

This was good and my boys loved it, which is saying alot cause they are picky. We ate it like a taco salad... put the chips down and then layered it with this stuff, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, cheese or whatever sounds yummy.

Taco Salad Dippers
**Found on My kitchen Cafe**

2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups water
1 cup rice (white or brown)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

In a large pot, brown the ground beef or turkey with the onion and garlic and cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent. Drain any accumulated grease. Add the water, rice, seasonings, tomato sauce, tomato paste and beans. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, watching to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot (if you are using brown rice, it may need to simmer for up to 60-70 minutes). The mixture will seem very watery at first, but after simmering, it will thicken to perfection as the rice absorbs water and all the ingredients meld together.

Serve warm with tortilla chips for dipping and other taco garnishes.

Should I keep this blog going???

2010-08-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

Just putting this out there.... Originally I started the blog and invited co-authors so that we could share recipes that we had tried and liked, but I am not sure anyone out there is still reading or contributing??? I feel like the only one putting anything on here. Should I keep this going? Do any of your co-authors out there still want to contribute?? Are there any readers out there still checking in??

Amazing Chili's Fajitas

2010-08-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

Amazing Chili's Fajitas
**found on the one of my favorite blogs http://www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com**

Marinade:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 T. canola oil
1 large clove garlic, pressed
3 t. vinegar
2 t. soy sauce
1/2 t. liquid smoke
1 t. salt
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. ground black pepper
Dash of onion powder
1 pound top sirloin or chicken

Mix all ingredients. Place with chicken in a ziplock back and marinade overnight.

Fajitas:
1 T. olive oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 red or orange pepper, thinly slices
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 t. soy sauce
2 T. water
1/2 t. fresh lime juice
dash of salt and pepper

Remove chicken from marinade and grill. In large skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, peppers, and mushroom and cook until tender but crisp. Add soy sauce, water, fresh lime juice, and salt and pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Thinly slice chicken and toss with vegetables. Serve immediately with flour tortillas. Top with tomatoes, avocado, cheese, sour cream, salsa, lettuce or anything else you love!

Granola

2010-08-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

This was way yummy! I have been trying to come up with healthier snacks for my kids and this one fit the bill. I think the time it states is a little bit to long... at least in my oven. Next time I think I will probably cook it for about 5 minutes less...

Wish I could remember where I found the recipe so I could give credit where it is due... this is why I need to put the website on the recipe when I save it.

Easy Homemade Granola

2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup dried cranberries (we used cherry flavored Craisins)
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss the oats with cinnamon and salt.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined.

Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture and use your hands to combine them. Gather up some of the mixture in each hand and make a fist. Repeat until all of the oats are coated with the honey mixture.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, but leave a few clumps here and there for texture.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the nuts over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.

Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Return the baking sheet to the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Let cool completely. Sprinkle the dried cranberries and chocolate chips over the granola and use your hands to transfer it to an airtight container. The granola will keep for 1 week.

Garden Fresh Pasta Sauce & Fruit and Poppy seed salad

2010-07-09T19:36:00.001-07:00

I belong to a lunch/recipe group and the other day one of my friends made this to serve. It was so good and I loved that it was light and perfect for summer. Try it, I bet you'll like it.

Garden Fresh Pasta Sauce

3 garlic cloves
1/3 C coarsely shopped onion
1 C fresh basil (I used a 1/3 cup dried basil)
5 tomatoes
½ C olive oil
Salt to taste
¼ t. pepper
Angle hair pasta
Fresh Grated Parmesan cheese

Put garlic, onions, basil and tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Set aside. The sauce is served at room temperature.

Cook and drain pasta, in serving bowl, toss the hot pasta with some of the sauce. Serve the rest of the sauce and grated parmesan cheese at the table.

**This makes ALOT of sauce, I might half it. It is also VERY flavorful so you only need to stick a little sauce on the pasta

Fruit & Poppy Seed Salad

1 pkg. spinach or mixed greens
Strawberries
Apples
Cucumbers
Craisins
Sliced toasted almonds
Bottle of poppy seed dressing

Put all ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing. Top with almonds right before serving so they stay crunchy.

Chicken Poppy Seed Salad

2010-06-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

This was super good! We have been trying lots of different salads lately (trying to get rid of the baby weight) and I think this one was my favorite!

Chicken Poppy Seed Salad
Found on my sister's cafe

Spinach leaves
Romaine leaves
Grilled chicken, sliced (grill with lots of lemon pepper seasoning)
Red onion, sliced thinly
Crispy bacon, crumbled
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Toasted almonds (or you can sugar the almonds. Put sliced almonds in a pan with lots of granulated sugar (about equal amounts). Cook on medium heat until sugar melts, coating the almonds as they brown.)

The best part... The Dressing:
** This makes a ton of dressing, I halved it**

1 1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dry mustard
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tb Maui or Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cups canola oil
3 Tb poppy seeds

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a blender, then slowly add the oil, blending until thick. Stir in poppy seeds. Toss all ingredients together with generous amount of dressing before serving.

Low calorie Banana muffin

2010-06-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

I hate to say it, but it seems like every time I try something healthy, it just isn't very good. However these muffins were really yummy, I was pleasantly surprised :)

Low calorie Banana muffin

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine all the dry ingredients together
In a separate bowl add the remaining ingredients.
Slowly pour the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients and mix well.
Pour into a greased muffin tin and bake at 350 for 15 min.

*Each muffin has approximately 75 calories and .5 grams of fat

Variations: use strawberry applesauce or you can throw in some chocolate chips

Orange Thai Beef Skewers & Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

2010-06-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

These were so INCREDIBLE! I found them over at Our best bites and I just copied and pasted the entire recipe because I wouldn't change anything... so go over there and check them out. She has so incredibly yummy looking pictures of the final product also. Just go to her site and then click on recipe index and you can find them there. YUMMY!!!!!!!

Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
About 8 oz. lean bacon, NOT thick-sliced (thick bacon is too hard to work with in this recipe)
1 large can pineapple chunks (you won't use all of them)
Homemade Teriyaki sauce (the best!) or Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze
Kebab skewers or toothpicks

The easiest way to handle the bacon situation is to remove it from the package and while it's still all stuck together, stretch it out a little (lengthwise). If you're using center-cut bacon (and the "slab" is not as wide as regular bacon), just cut it in half. Otherwise, use kitchen shears to cut the slab into thirds. Refrigerate until ready to use, partially because it's easier to work with cold bacon and partially because you don't want to kill any dinner guests with dead pig germs.
Using kitchen shears, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can gauge about how many pieces you'll need by how many pieces of bacon you have; you probably won't use all the bacon, but you'll need about 8 oz. or 2/3 of a standard-sized package of bacon. So count the bacon pieces and keep that in mind when cutting up your chicken.

Drain the pineapple and set up a little work station with skewers, bacon, chicken, and a 9x13 baking dish (for big skewers) or a sturdy Ziploc bag (for toothpick skewers). Wrap a piece of bacon around a chicken piece, secure with toothpick/skewer, and top with a chunk of pineapple. Repeat twice if using large skewers.

When all chicken pieces have been sufficiently staked, pour Teriyaki sauce over everything, reserving about 1/4 c., and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, no longer than about 8.

Preheat grill; when about 350-400 degrees, place skewers on grill and baste with reserved Teriyaki sauce. Cook about 7 minutes and flip skewers. Baste again and cook another 7 minutes.

*If serving at a party, you can keep the appetizer-sized skewers warm in a crockpot set to low or an electric roaster set to 170 degrees.
**If cooking in oven, preheat oven to 400 and bake about 20 minutes, turning once, following the same basting instructions.

Orange Thai Beef Skewers

1 orange
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 T honey
1T sesame oil
1 t ground ginger
1 t coriander
4 cloves garlic
2-4 t Sriracha chili sauce*

1 1/2 lb flank steak

*Sriracha is a really great hot chili sauce that can easily be found in most grocery stores in the Asian foods section. It has a rooster on the bottle- you can't miss it! It's also used in one of my most favorite meals ever- Kate's Thai Peanut Noodles. If you have to substitute, you could easily add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or plain ol' hot sauce to the marinade.

Grab a bowl for your marinade. Zest your orange and add all of the zest to the bowl. Then cut the orange in half and add all of the juice as well. You should have at least 1/4 C orange juice and anything more than that is just fine. To the orange mixture, add soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, coriander, and garlic. Then add Sriracha to your liking. I've found that once these are marinaded and cooked, the spice mellows quite a bit. I add 2t Sriracha and it's mild enough that my toddler gobbles them up. It's not even really spicey, just flavorful. So if you like heat, I'd do more like 3-4 teaspoons of Sriracha. Whisk the marinade so everything is combined.

Take the flank steak and slice it across the grain into about 1/4" slices.

When you're ready to get cookin' preheat your grill. Then take your skewers (pre-soaked if you're using wood/bamboo ones) and thread on the strips of meat, just like you're stitching.Place them on the grill. These cook really fast. Overcooked flank steak will be tough and chewy, so don't over do it! They should only take about 3-4 minutes on each side. Flip half way through.

Now these don't only cook fast, they cool fast. So get the rest of your meal all ready, set the table, gather the kids, etc. Grill these up at the last minute so you can serve them hot off the grill, literally.

Pear Salad

2010-06-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

This one was an awesome side to this Asian BBQ Chicken :)

Pear Salad

Ingredients:

1 package of mixed greens
2 pears sliced into thin strips
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup feta cheese ( I used mozzarella instead cause I was trying to be a little more healthy)
1/4 cup chopped pecans

dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
salt and pepper

Mix dressing together, and toss over salad right before serving.

Clam Chowder

2010-05-20T09:54:00.001-07:00

We have had a few stormy rainy days here, so it was perfect for soup.

Clam Chowder

2 cans minced clams

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp sugar

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups diced potatoes

2 cups water

3/4 cup butter

1 quart half and half

Drain clams and pour over chopped vegetables and add just enough water to cover. Boil slowly for 20 minutes. In another pan melt butter, add flour and half and half. Stir until smooth (white sauce). Mix both mixtures (do not drain vegetables), heat just until hot and serve.

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

2010-05-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

One of my friends made this the other day for our lunch/recipe group and I had to try it since I couldn't come that week... it did not disappoint. This is really good. It reminds me alot of the blackened chicken alfredo at Wingers. I added the whole amount of pepper and it gave it a kick. Chad loved it, I think I might scale it down just a tad next time. Also I bet it would be way yummy with some chopped up fresh tomatoes on top.

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

16 oz farfalle pasta
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp pepper It seems like a lot of pepper, but it has a wonderful flavor when everything mixes together. If you're apprehensive, do less pepper. You can always add more)
1/2 cup butter
1 lb bacon, crumpled**
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 (12 oz) Lawry's mesquite marinade with lime juice

**We like to cook our bacon in the oven (400 degrees, convection). It's way less messy, and it's crispy every time. Time varies, so you just have to watch it. I think it's usually around 30 minutes. Allow to cool and then crumple.

Add chicken in a crock pot, pour the bottle of marinade over the top and cook on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices and shred. Set aside.
(I didn't read the recipe ahead of time so I didn't have 6 hours to use the crockpot, I boiled the chicken to cook it and keep it moist and then shredded it, dumped some marinade on it and put it in the fridge until everything else was ready)

About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter and then add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Blueberry Oat Muffins

2010-05-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

These were pretty good and the best part... they are healthy. Only 162 calories a muffin.

Blueberry Oat Muffins
**Found on My Sisters Cafe**

1 c. oats
1 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 egg white
1 c. milk
2 T. butter, melted
1 tsp. grated lemon peel (opt)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw before adding to batter)

Topping:
1/2 c. oats
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. butter softened

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the egg, egg white, milk, butter, lemon peel, and vanilla; mix well. Add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in berries. Pour batter in muffin tray. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until top is lightly browned and springs back when lightly touched. Cool five minutes. Yields 12 muffins

Strawberry, Mango and Pineapple Sorbet

2010-05-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

Can you tell I got an ice cream maker for Mother's day :)

Strawberry, Mango and Pineapple Sorbet

1 1/2 cups Strawberries (about 1/2 to 3/4 of a small container)
1 1/2 to 2 cups Mango's (about 4 small mangos)
1 C fresh pineapple (cut up very small)
2/3 sugar
3 T lime juice

Puree strawberries and mango's in blender or food processor. Add sugar and lime juice and blend in well. Dump in ice cream maker container and then add fresh pineapple. Start ice cream maker and follow manufacturers directions.

Creamy Tomato Toretellini Soup, Easy Breadsticks and Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

2010-05-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

Loved this meal because it was yummy... but also because it was EASY! Can't beat that right???

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

2 cups chicken broth
2 cans Progresso Tomato Soup
1 8 oz packages cream cheese (I bet you could half this to make it a little more healthy and it would still taste fine)
1 package of tortellini

Boil chicken broth. Then add tomato soup. Reduce heat. In a separate bowl, microwave the cream cheese until soft-for about 30 seconds. Remove and add about a cup of the soup. Whisk together to get the cream cheese all melted. Add cream cheese and tortellini to soup and let simmer for about 10 minutes-or until tortellini is cooked. Serve immediately!

Easy Rhodes Breadsticks

12 Rhodes Frozen Rolls
Parmesan Cheese
Butter
Garlic Salt

Sit out 12 frozen rolls to defrost for about 3 hours. Take the rolls and rolls them out into a long snake. Take two snakes and twist them together. Sit in a pan with melted butter on the bottom and then pour a little on top. Sprinkle with a little bit of garlic salt and Parmesan cheese. Cook at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

No-Cook Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 lb strawberries, hulled, halved if large
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream

Preparation

Coarsely mash strawberries with sugar, lemon juice, and salt using a potato masher in a large bowl. Let stand, stirring and mashing occasionally, 10 minutes.
Transfer half of strawberry mixture to a blender and purée with cream until smooth. Return strawberry cream to bowl with remaining strawberries, and combine.
Pour mixture in ice cream maker, and run for 25 to 30 minutes or until you have ice cream! (Follow manufacturer's directions if you have a different ice cream maker). Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up further. The ice cream will last for one week, if you can manage to keep it around that long!

Strawberry-Pear Crisp

2010-05-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

Okay this was AMAZING... it really was. I was watching a b-bque show the other day and the guy made raspberry pear smoked crisp so I was inspired. I kind of made it up as I went and I am glad I tried cause it was good. Served with vanilla icecream and you have perfection.

Strawberry-Pear Mix

Fruit Mixture
2 pears
Strawberries
1/3 C sugar
1 T cornstarch

Topping
1 ¼ C flour
¾ C packed brown sugar
¼ t salt
1.2 C unsalted butter, chilled

Heat over to 375 F Spray an 8 inch square baking pan. In large bowl gently stir together fruit, sugar and cornstarch. In large bowl stir together all ingredients except butter. With pastry blender or 2 knives cut in butter until mixture is crumbly with some pieces the size of blueberries. Spoon fruit mixture into baking dish ; sprinkle with topping, squeezing some of it together with your hands to create some larger clumps.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until top is golden brown and fruit juice bubble heavily at edges and begin to bubble towards the center. Serve warm or at room temperature. It is yummy with ice cream!

Brown Sugar Chicken

2010-05-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been forever, due to to arrival of this little one :) Anyone else who wants to post feel free :)

The flavor in this one was very subtle.... I liked it, but I might try doubling the sauce if you make it. The boys loved it, Chad didn't.

Brown Sugar Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts (you can use frozen)
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar
3/4 cup lemon lime soda
2 garlic cloves-minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
pepper

Put chicken in the crockpot. Mix all other ingredients. Pour over chicken and cook for 4-6 hours on low. Serve with potatoes.

Yummy Fruit Salad

2010-04-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

Yummy Fruit Salad
Strawberries
Mandarin Oranges
Grapes

1/2 C Orange Juice
1/4 C Lime Juice
1/4 C Sugar

Cut up strawberries. Dump the oranges and grapes into a bowl with the strawberries. Mix the Orange Juice, Lime juice and sugar together and dump on top of fruit. I let the fruit sit in the juice for a while but poured out some of the juice (since it's quite a bit) right before serving.

Easter Breakfast Rolls

2010-04-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

I have to say these were WAY YUMMY, WAY EASY and FUN!!! I found this on The sisters Cafe food blog and I have to say you basically can't go wrong over there, everything is yummy!!! The boys loved it because the middle is hollow cause the marshmallow melts and they thought that was silly... she posted a picture over there so you can see what I am talking about!

Easter Breakfast Rolls

Rhodes rolls
6 TB sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 bag large marshmallows
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Divide the dough into individual roll sized portions. Press each portion into a flat circle. Place
1 large marshmallow in the center of each roll. Pinch roll dough very firmly around the marshmallow. Roll each into a seamless, or nearly seamless, ball with your hands. Brush rolls with melted butter. Sprinkle sugar mixture over rolls. Cover rolls with plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight. On Sunday morning, preheat oven to 350°. Take rolls out of fridge and bake for 15 minutes until rolls are golden brown. Be careful not to overbake. (These may also be baked without sitting overnight. After wrapping the marshmallow in them, let them rise for about an hour or so and then bake them as usual.)

Chicken Malibu Sandwiches

2010-03-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

These are yummy... I never use 4 chicken breasts cause that would be alot of chicken for our small family... I do one big one and cut it into 4. It just gives you basically an idea of how to do it :) I don't use 4 eggs either, just two.

Chicken Malibu Sandwiches

4 chicken breasts
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp. milk
unseasoned bread crumbs
4 slices of ham (if they are small slices, you can use more)
4 slices provolone cheese, halved
equal parts light mayo and mustard
honey (optional, depending on if you like the sauce sweet)
salt and pepper to taste
4 whole wheat hero rolls
4 leaves lettuce

In a shallow dish, whisk together egg whites and milk. Dip each chicken breast in the mixture, then press into the bread crumbs. Heat a little oil in a fry pan and fry each chicken breast just for about 15 seconds on each side. Heat the oven to 375-degrees and cook chicken for about 25-30 minutes (since I don't use whole breasts I start at 15 minutes and then check it so it doesn't dry out from being overcooked) or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the oven and place one cheese half on each piece, cover with ham, then top with the other cheese half. Place back in the oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven. Mix together mayo, mustard, honey and salt and pepper. Slice open each hero roll, I toast them in the oven. Spread a little mixture on one side of the bread. Add chicken and lettuce, tomatoes or whatever sounds yummy! Repeat with each sandwich. Serve immediately.

Mini Cinnamon Muffins

2010-03-25T09:12:00.001-07:00

Mini Cinnamon Muffins

Beat together:
1/3 cup Butter, melted
1/2 cup Sugar
1 large Egg, beaten

Combine:
1 1/2 cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 cup Milk

For Dunking:
1/4 cup Sugar mixed with
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
2 Tbsp. Butter, melted

Alternately add flour and milk to egg mixture. Spoon into greased miniature muffin pans – no more than 2/3 full. (These puff up and are hard to remove if too full) Bake at 350˚ for 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans immediately. Dip tops in butter, then sugar with cinnamon. Can be baked in regular tins for 20 minutes.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies With Heath Bits

2010-03-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

My friend Stacie is an amazing cook and an avid recipe blog reader like me. We both love Our best bites, so when she told me these cookies were from there I was excited to try them cause I knew they would be good and they ARE!!!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(I found this on Our best bites)

2 C plus 2 T flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
12 T butter (1 1/2 sticks) melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 C semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
** She added Heath bits and so did I, it's makes them WAY yummy**

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower- middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.

Shape with a standard sized cookie scoop and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet (or a silpat). Bake until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 10-13 minutes. Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

2010-02-28T14:01:00.000-08:00

I love this sauce, I started making this instead of buying the sauce at the store. It makes about enough for 4 to 5 meals. I put it in freezer and defrost before we eat. I don't use the bay leaves in the meal. I found this on the kitchen cafe blog, which I beginning.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped and divided
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
2 pounds hamburger (at least 90% lean)
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 12 oz. can tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 14-oz. can Italian-style diced tomatoes
2 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 carton fresh mushrooms (optional)
1 1/2 cups beef stock or beef broth
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add 1/2 of the onions and saute until translucent and slightly browned. Add garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add beef and cook until no red is showing. Drain beef slightly. Blend up the remaining onions and red pepper in a blender or food processor until mostly smooth. Add mixture to the garlic, onions and beef and stir to combine, cooking for another minute. Add tomato paste and spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring until combined. Add tomatoes, beef broth and sugar (and mushrooms, if using). Stir until combined and add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Fifteen minutes before serving, stir in the balsamic vinegar.

NOTE: The sauce will seem watery at first but will reduce to perfection after simmering for an hour. I've let it simmer on the stove for up to three hours before with no problems.

Kalua Pork

2010-02-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

Okay so I know there is at least one other kalua pork recipe on here annd maybe more, but I tried this one last night and it was SOOOOO yummy! I gave it to my sister a while ago and she made it like three times in one month so I thought hey, I ought to try it since I am giving to people HA HA!

I hate when I can't remember where I found it, I like to give the blogs credit so whoever you are, I am sorry but your recipe is extremely yummy!

The recipe calls for a 10-12 pound roast, I used a 4 pound roast and only 1 Tablespoon salt and half a bottle of liquid smoke.

Kalua Pork

10-12 pounds pork shoulder butt roast (don't substitute a leaner cut of pork or it will be dry)
1 bottle liquid smoke
2 tablespoons sea salt (or hula salt if you can find it)
1 1/2 cups water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Trim roast of large pockets of fat (but leave some fat on there to help the pork stay tender while cooking). Place pork in large roasting pan. Rub 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt into pork. Pour the bottle of liquid smoke over and around the pork. Pour the water around the pork. Cover roasting pan TIGHTLY with two layers of aluminum foil.

Bake for 5-7 hours (don't uncover while baking - let the steam and heat work it's magic!).

Shred with two forks and serve with rice. ( I poured some of the juice over the meat after I had shredded it)

Buttermilk Banana Bread

2010-02-02T06:56:00.000-08:00

I have to say that this is the BEST banana bread ever. I don't say that lightly. I love it! I tried it for the first time yesterday and it was perfection. It's different cause the top is sticky and the edges are crispy and oh it is yummy!!!!

Buttermilk Banana Bread
*found on my kitchen cafe*

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 average sized bananas)
4 tablespoons buttermilk
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash baking soda

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture. Mix until combined. Divide batter into greased and floured bread pans and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. This recipe makes about one large loaf of banana bread and one mini loaf. I cooked the mini loaf for about 35 minutes, don't leave it in the whole time or it will burn.

Homemade Lemonade.

2010-02-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

You can find citric acid online or in health food stores. This lemonade really is worth the effort it takes in getting the citric acid. My 9 year old makes this all of the time now.

1 1/2 t. citric acid
8 c. water
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. lemon extract
1 lemon (1/2 juiced, 1/2 sliced)

Mix all ingredients except lemons together. Squeeze juice from one lemon and add juice. (Best if made and chilled a day before or a few hours before serving.)

Sweet and Sour meatballs

2010-01-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
(from Lion House Recipes)

Serves 4-6
Meatballs... you can follow this our make your own the way you usually do. It's more about the sauce :)

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cup quick oats
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Form into about 12 balls, eacha bout 2 inches in diameter. Place in a casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below). Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Sauce
(I double the sauce)

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients and blend thoroughly. Heat in a small saucepan until combined and sugar is dissolved and pour over meatballs.

Buttermilk Syrup

2010-01-21T21:12:00.000-08:00

Buttermilk Syrup

2 cubes butter

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cup sugar

Bring these 3 ingredients to a boil in a large pot. It will bubble up a lot so make sure to use a big enough pot to allow for the bubblage :)

Then add:

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

Man, this stuff is gooood. Judging by the ingredients I am going to say probably not good for you, but it sure tastes good on french toast! TOTALLY worth the calories! You gotta give this one a try :)

Chewy Chocolate Brownies

2010-01-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

These were SO YUMMY!!!!! Totally easy and completely hit the spot tonight.

Chewy Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons water
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar for dusting

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

2) Combine granulated sugar, butter and water in large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; stir into sugar mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread into prepared baking pan.

3) Bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into bars.

Rosemary Chicken

2010-01-17T20:07:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been so long since I contributed! I will try to be better. This is a great crockpot recipe and very healthy too! If anyone has fast, easy crockpot recipes I would love to have them because now that I have three kids I don't have a lot of time to cook!

Rosemary Chicken

vegetable oil

4-6 chicken breast halves

1 cup coarsely chopped carrots

1/2 cup diced celery

1/3 cup Italian dressing

1 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 can Great Northern white beans (drained and rinsed)

1-2 cups chicken broth

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet and brown chicken slightly. Drain and place chicken, vegetables, and beans in crockpot. Combine dressing, rosemary, salt, and pepper and pour over chicken. Cook on low all day, adding the chicken broth after a few hours when the vegetables start to cook and look dry. Before serving, shred chicken. This may be served as is or over brown rice.

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

2010-01-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

2 t. olive oil

onion salt

garlic salt (or minced cloves of garlic)

1 lb. chicken boiled and shredded

1 can black beans

1/2 can diced green chilies

1/3 c. salsa

2 T. fresh cilantro

6-7 tortillas

1 1/3 c. monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil and add onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken long enough to let flavor set in. Add black beans, chilies and salsa and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add cilantro. Fill tortillas with mixture and roll. Place in a shallow baking dish and cook for 15 minutes. Top with cheese and put in oven (covered) for another 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

Sloppy Joes with Potato Rolls

2010-01-13T07:58:00.000-08:00

I discovered My Kitchen Cafe about a month ago and I can safely say it is one of my favorite food blog. I have tried 5 recipes from there now and loved 4... but the other one the boys loved and that is a miracle!

And speaking of miracles my husband does not like sloppy joes much... he will eat them but he never craves them.... I have tried probably five recipes with no success UNTIL NOW!! He liked these, even took the left overs to lunch. It's yummy and tangy and the ROLLS are what make it... so use them, trust me it's worth it!!!

(Found on My kitchen Cafe)
Sloppy Joes with Potato Rolls

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 ½ pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2/3 cup smoky BBQ sauce (or whatever BBQ sauce is in your fridge)
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
8 to 12 potato rolls

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until it is finely crumbled, the liquid boils off and the meat begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, and keep stirring until the meat is coated. Add the BBQ sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Warm up rolls before serving.

cajun chicken pasta

2010-01-11T13:23:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe off Pennies on a Platter and it is very yummy.
I am not a bell pepper fan so I just sliced them big enough to be able to pick them out.

8 ounces rotini pasta
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
2 – 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
8 oz package sliced mushrooms
1 green onion, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
salt, to taste
2 cloves minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 – 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta, then cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Place the chicken and the Cajun seasoning in a plastic bag. Shake to coat. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, saute the chicken until almost tender (5 to 7 minutes).
Add the bell peppers, mushrooms and green onion. Saute and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat.
Add the cream, basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Heat through. Add cornstarch until sauce reaches desired thickness. Add the cooked pasta, toss and heat through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Gourmet Orange French Toast

2010-01-11T11:05:00.000-08:00

Gourmet Orange French Toast

Ingredients:
1 large loaf of Kings Hawiian bread or Italian or French bread sliced thick (1/2 to 1" thick)**** 
5 eggs
 ½ C milk (can use light cream too)
1/2  C sugar (or 2/3 c sugar, and 1/3 c brown sugar)
 2/3 C orange juice
 ½ tsp vanilla 
¼ tsp each nutmeg and cinnamon 
Zest of 1 orange

Combine ingredients in a large bowl, and saturate the slices thoroughly on both sides then immediately put on hot skillet or griddle pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side to get a good crust. Serve with syrup or orange sauce below topped with whipped cream.

Orange sauce:
(Prepare before serving)
½ C butter
 ½ C sugar
 3 oz of orange juice concentrate
Combine and heat until sugar melts, but do not boil. Whisk until it thickens. Serve warm

Southwest Black Bean Soup

2010-01-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

I tried this recipe tonight for dinner after finding it in my healthy cooking magazine. It was delicious and very filling. I went with the mild green chilies, but if you want it spicier you could add some hotter green chillies.

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 Tbsp. canola oil
2 cans (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/2 cups cooked instand brown rice (I used regular brown rice.)
6 Tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream (optional to put on top.)

1. In a large nonstick saucepan, saute the pepper, celery and onion in oil until tender. Add the beans, broth, tomatoes, chilies and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered, for 30 minutes or until thickened.
2. Divide rice among six soup bowls; top with soup and sour cream.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

2010-01-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

This recipe is great. It has oatmeal and whole wheat flour in it so it's healthier then most pancake recipes and it makes 10 cups of mix which can be frozen or put in the fridge for future use :) The recipe calls for buttermilk, but you can use regular milk. I have tried both. I like the buttermilk better, but I don't always have it. You can mix 1 T. with a 1/2 C of milk to substitute buttermilk when baking, which I have also done and that works too :) Happy cooking!

(Found this one on My Kitchen Cafe Blog)
Oatmeal Pancake Mix

*Makes 10 cups of dry mix

3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I've never had to add additional oil). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk will also work), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don't break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. As a sidenote, buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely for future batches of pancakes, so it's worth keeping it around!

*1 cup of mix will make about 6-7 4-inch pancakes.

Easy Salmon Packets

2010-01-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

Prep: 15 min
Bake: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings

2 salmon fillets (4 oz.)
2-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Place each fillet on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 12 in. square). top with mushrooms, tomato, garlic basil, salt and pepper. Fold foil around salmon and seal tightly. Place on a baking sheet.

2. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Open foil carefully; sprinkle cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. ( from TOH)

Marshmallow Brownies

2010-01-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

2 cubes margarine
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
Mini marshmallows
Chocolate frosting recipe

Mix margarine, eggs, sugar and cocoa together. Add flour and vanilla. Cook in 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Pull out and sprinkle the top with marshmallows. Return to oven for 5 minutes. When cool, ice with chocolate icing.

Chocolate frosting recipe:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
Drizzle a little milk until right consistency
1/4 cup cocoa
Mix all together.

Katy Sampson's recipe

Cranberry Raspberry Punch

2010-01-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

1 package (16 oz.) frozen sweetened sliced strawberries, thawed
1 can (12 oz.) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 can (12 oz.) frozen cranberry raspberry concentrate, thawed
2 liters ginger ale, chilled
2 liters club soda, chilled
1 quart raspberry sherbet

Blend strawberries, lemonade concentrate and cranberry raspberry concentrate.
Put in punch bowl. Stir in ginger ale and club soda. Top with scoops of sherbet.

Katy Sampson's recipe

White Chicken Chili

2010-01-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

1 whole rotisserie chicken
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 cans of chicken broth
4 oz. can of green chilies
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. Oregano
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cans of white northern beans
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil. Add everything else except chicken and boil 20-30 minutes. Add chicken and cook 10 more minutes. Serve with shredded cheese, tomatoes, avacado, and sour cream. You can also throw all this in a crock pot and let it cook all day.

Katy Sampson's recipe

Giant Sugar Cookies

2009-12-27T16:42:00.000-08:00

(I got the picture off the site, I didn't take it)

I have to admit something slightly unheard of.. I don't like sugar cookies, well at least not the usual type. You know the type that you roll out and cut and then frost. I don't know why it's like a snowball of sugar slamming you in the face, just too much sugar... but I love these sugar cookies. These are not the type that you roll and cut, they are like the ones you might get at a bakery, with the sugar sprinkled on top... oh and I promise these are yummy. One of my five top cookie recipes!

**Found on Martha Stewart Website**

Giant Sugar Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with one rack in upper third and another in lower third. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
2.Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat well to combine.
3.With mixer on low, add half the flour mixture, followed by sour cream, then remaining flour mixture; mix just until smooth. (Dough will be stiff; you may need to finish mixing it by hand with a wooden spoon.)
4.Drop mounds of dough, each equal to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 4 inches apart,(I did regular sized cookies instead of giant ones.. like a regular spoon full) onto two ungreased baking sheets; sprinkle with sugar. Bake until edges of cookies are just firm and tops are barely beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheets once halfway through. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

Pork Barbacoa Burritos or Salad

2009-12-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

This is pretty amazing! I have had the recipe for a long time but haven't tried it because it seemed like a lot of work, but it was really easy. Basically you just throw the roast in the crockpot and you dump stuff on top and then the time making the dressing which was easy

Pork Barbacoa Burritos or Salad

Tomatillo Dressing
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 C. Mayonnaise
1 C. chopped Cilantro
2 cloves Garlic
3 Tomatillos (fresh or canned- found on ethnic foods aisle)
1/3 cup Buttermilk
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Put all the ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.

**I made the rice but I think you could just cook it regular and it would still taste fine if you want to save time from this step**
Rice
4 tsp. Chicken Bouillon
4 tsp. Minced Garlic
1/2 bunch Cilantro
1 can diced Green Chilies
3/4 tsp. Salt
1 Tbs. Butter
1/2 Onion, chopped
3 cups Rice (not instant)

Put chicken bouillon, garlic, cilantro, diced green chilies, salt, butter & onion in a blender & puree until smooth. Poor into saucepan & add 5 cups water and bring to a boil. Add rice & simmer for 30 minutes.

**It seems like a long time to cook it so I never tried it, but it actually turned out perfect, I just stuck the roast in the night before at 11 and then it was ready at 5 for dinner the next day and I honestly hardly had to do anything**
Pork Barbacoa
5-6 pounds Pork Roast
1 Tbs. Cumin
1 C. Brown Sugar
12 ounces Taco Sauce
20 ounces Coca Cola

Place roast in a crock pot and add water halfway up roast. Cook on low for 12 hours. Drain out the water & add the remaining ingredients, then cook for 4 more hours. Shred the pork and cook for 2 more hours.
Serve in either tortilla or on salad.

The best ham ever!!!

2009-12-11T08:35:00.000-08:00

This really was yummy and WAY easy and believe it or not it was better the next day! It wasn't dry at all!

Maple Brown Sugar Ham in the Slow Cooker

**found on my Kitchen Cafe**

7-8 pound bone-in spiral-cut ham
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup all natural maple syrup (yes, please use pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup)
2 cups pineapple juice

Use a 6-7 quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham and discard flavor packet. Place the ham into the slow cooker stoneware, flat-side down. Rub brown sugar on all sides. Pour on maple syrup and pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. An hour before serving, baste ham with the collected juices from the bottom of the slow cooker. When cooking is done, remove carefully and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving.

CUPCAKES!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

Gourmet Cupcake Platter
Excerpted from 101 Cupcakes in 10 Minutes
by Wendy Paul

Put a twist on the traditional Christmas cookie plate by offering your friends these gourmet cakes. And don't worry about spending hours in the kitchen—they're all a snap to make!

Chocolate Cream
Chocolate cream cupcakes are simple to prepare, yet elegant and full of rich chocolate flavors.

1 box chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup grated chocolate, for garnish

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and sour cream until smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool completely on a wire rack. When cooled, cut the top off and pull out some of the cake filling, leaving a solid wall of cake to support the filling. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form and add powdered sugar. Add whipped cream by the spoonful to the holes of all cupcakes and top with cupcake lid. Frost with desired frosting and garnish with grated chocolate.

Frosting suggestion: Chocolate Ganache

1 cup heavy whipping cream
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips

Heat cream in a saucepan until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix together. You can pout it over your cakes warm, or allow to cool slightly and be spread like frosting.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
My neighbor said these cupcakes are sinful. But believe me, they are worth every bite.

1 box chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 bag chocolate peanut butter cups

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and milk. Pour 2 tablespoons batter into paper liners and place a peanut butter cup on top. Fill paper liners 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. When completely cooled, frost.

Frosting suggestion: Peanut Butter
1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine peanut butter and butter in a large bowl, mixing together until light and fluffy. Stop mixer before adding sugar. Add sugar, 3 tablespoons milk or cream, and vanilla. Start slow and mix together, gradually increasing the speed. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add 1 tablespoon milk or cream if frosting is too thick.

Gingerbread Cookie
Feel like you aren't getting enough gingerbread with the holidays? Now you have a new way to satisfy the craving!

1 box spice cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup milk

Mix together cake mix, eggs, molasses, oil, and milk. Pour into paper liners and fill 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.

Frosting suggestion: Orange Cream Cheese

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon orange extract
1/4 cup frozen orange concentrate

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and light. Stop mixer and add sugar, orange extract, and orange concentrate. Start mixer on slow and gradually increase the speed until frosting is fluffy. Frost and refrigerate.

Candy Cane
Make these for any Christmas gathering, and please your friends and family. The white chocolate chunks and crushed peppermint candy add to the taste and texture of the little cake.

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 recipe vanilla buttercream frosting

Peppermint candy for garnish

1 cup white chocolate chunks for garnish

Mix together cake mix, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour batter into the paper liners and fill 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until cakes are light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Frost with vanilla buttercream frosting and top generously with white chocolate chunks and crushed peppermint candies.

Vanilla Buttercream

1/2 cup butter, softened
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3-4 tablespoons milk or cream
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Stop beating before adding sugar to avoid a large mess. Add sugar, 3 tablespoons milk or cream, and vanilla extract. Beat frosting starting on slow, increasing yours peed until frosting is nice and creamy. Add up to 1 more tablespoon milk or cream if frosting is too thick.

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-12-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

2 chicken breasts
2 cubes chicken bouillon
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup evaporated milk
4 cups cooked old-fashioned noodles (sold at most grocery stores)

Boil chicken in water. Then cut into bite-sized pieces. Mix bouillon, stock, carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 20 minutes. Add the rest and heat through.

Hearty Vegetable Soup

2009-12-06T14:12:00.001-08:00

1 pound ground beef, cooked
1 can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
1 can corn, drained
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups water
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.

Fast Rising Rolls

2009-12-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

Dissolve:
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar

Mix:
6 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. salt

Make a hole in flour mixture and add:
1/2 cup oil
2 beaten eggs
2 cups hot water
dissolved yeast

Mix together evenly and let sit for one hour. Divide dough in half and roll out into a circle. Brush with melted butter and cut into wedges with a pizza cutter (12-16). Roll up from wide edge. Let rise 15-20 minutes. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining half of dough.

*Add orange zest to the melted butter that you brush on top at the end to make orange rolls.

Focaccia Bread

2009-12-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 cups flour
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Soften yeast in water with sugar for ten minutes. Mix in salt and flour by hand. Let stand in bowl 10 minutes. Roll out dough into big circle. Spread melted butter on top. Sprinkle with basil and cheese. Let rise for 30 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Cornbread

2009-12-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

This is Katy's recipe and it is heavenly. You'll never go back to cornbread from a box again.

1 cube softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup 'fat-full' sour cream (resist the urge to use light or fat free, trust me)

Grease pan. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, cornmeal, sour cream and milk. Mix dry ingredients together then add to wet mixture slowly. Bake @ 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Artichoke Dip

2009-12-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts

Mix together. Put in small casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Christmas Wassail

2009-12-06T13:15:00.000-08:00

1 gallon apple juice
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 cup sugar

Combine in a spice bag:
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
1 Tbsp. whole allspice
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and let it heat up on HIGH or heat on the stove and simmer for at least 30 minutes.