Dinner Tonight

Cranberry Bliss Bars

2011-12-02T10:49:00.000-08:00

ingredients:

Bars:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate)

Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Drizzling Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1-2 tablespoons milk

directions:

Bars:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger, and salt and mix well. Gradually add flour and mix until smooth. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate. Pour the batter into the greased pan, using a spatula to evenly spread the batter in the pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, until edges are light brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon juice until completely smooth. Spread on the completely cool cake. Sprinkle the top with cranberries.

Drizzling Icing:
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp of milk, powdered sugar, and vegetable shortening. Gradually add more milk until the icing has a thick but drizzly consistency. I used closer to 2 tablespoons. Put the icing into a ziploc bag and snip off a tiny bit of the corner. Drizzle the icing on top in zig-zags.

Cut into squares or triangles and enjoy!

Ham and Potato Soup

2011-11-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

I found this on pinterest and is was SO good! I did NOT add the chicken bouillon granules to the water because I cooked the hambone in water and used that as stock which had a lot of flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
4 slices american cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
Directions

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

2011-11-10T18:48:00.000-08:00

Another pinterest success! This is super yummy!

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 stalk celery, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery; I don't, so I don't add much)

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes.  Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender.  Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

30 Minute Rolls

2011-11-10T18:47:00.000-08:00

Found this recipe on pinterest. These rolls are a cinch and really yummy! My only advice is to bake a couple minutes longer than it says. They seemed to need it.

Ingredients:

1 C plus 2 Tbsp warm water

1/3 C oil

2 Tbsp yeast

1/4 C sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

3 1/2 C flour

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In your mixer bowl combine the water, oil, yeast and sugar and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Using your dough hook, mix in the salt, egg and flour. Knead with hook until will incorporated and dough is soft and smooth. (Just a few minutes)

Form dough into 12 balls and then place in a greased 9 x 13 pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown.

No-bake Granola Bites

2011-09-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

This is pretty much a granola bar in a bite size ball. Easy and quick to pull together.

1 cup quick oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup of coconut flakes

1/2 cup of ground flaxseed

1/2 cup chocolate chips or other add-ins (craisens, nuts, etc)

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix everything in a bowl except the peanut butter. Slightly warm the peanut butter in the microwave (it's only about 30 seconds in my microwave). Pour peanut butter over mix and stir it in to coat everything. Chill in the refrigerator for a half and hour. Remove from fridge and roll into balls. Keep in refrigerator.

Homemade Hot Pockets

2011-09-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

Here's something I've been having fun with lately. Make your dough and then get creative with the fillings.

1 package yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups flour, more as needed

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar. Let it set for a few minutes until foamy.

Stir in oil, salt, and flour. Knead 5 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes.

Divide dough into serving size pieces. (I make about 8) Roll and pat each piece into a circle (about 6-inches across or so). Top half of each circle with filling of choice, keeping back from edges so it will seal well. Fold the other 1/2 of circle over the filling and pinch sides together or seal with a fork.

Poke a couple steam vents and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

So far I have filled mine with...

Spaghetti sauce, Mozzarella and Pepperoni

Cream of chicken soup, broccoli, leftover chicken cut into bite size pieces

Leftover beef gravy, onion, peppers, leftover roast beef cut into bite size pieces

Sometime soon I'd like to try a breakfast variety. Maybe cheese sauce, ham and scrambled egg?

So far they've all turned out pretty good. I have learned to put a bit more sauce in them than you think you'll need. Otherwise they may turn out kinda dry. I hear they freeze well, but have never tried it myself. Have fun!

Creamy Ham 'n' Mac

2011-09-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

2 c. elbow macaroni

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour

2 c. milk

2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1-1/2 c. diced ham

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni; drain and set aside. In large pan, melt butter; whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in the milk, bouillon and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1 c. cheddar cheese, ham, Parmesan and macaroni.

Transfer to a greased 2 quart dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Corn Chowder

2011-09-02T22:04:00.001-07:00

1/2 lb. bacon, cut up

1/2 c. diced onion

2 medium stalks celery, chopped

2 T. flour

3 c. milk (or if you want it soupier 4 cups is fine too)

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 can (3.75 oz) cream style corn

1 can (16 oz) tiny whole potatoes, drained and diced

Cook bacon in soup pot until crisp. Drain fat, reserving 3 T in pot. Set bacon aside.

Cook onion and celery in bacon fat over medium heat until tender. Stir in flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.

Stir in pepper, corn and potatoes. Heat until hot. Stir in bacon. Enjoy!

This makes a great freezer meal too!

August's Menu

2011-09-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

Here you go Lynne. I only planned three weeks of meals last month and I haven't done September yet, but here's what I have. Hope it gives you some inspiration.

M - Chicken Spaghetti

T - Chicken Sandwiches

W - Soup night. I have to confess that in an effort to save money on the grocery budget, soup night is often Ramen night. Drop in an egg/canned meat and add some frozen veggies and you've got an alright super cheap meal.

Th - Orange Chicken

F - Hamburgers

S - Potluck family picnic... I took Pasta Salad

Su - Mac n Cheese

M - Lasagna with salad

T - Leftovers

W - Creamy Ham n Mac

Th - Soup night

F - Tuna Casserole

S - Taquitos from freezer

Su - Mac n Cheese

M - Biscuits and Gravy

T -Chicken Enchiladas

W - Corn Chowder

Th - Soup Night

F - Pizza

S - Fish

Su - Fettuccine Alfredo

Kettle Corn

2011-08-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

Another great recipe from Our Best Bites...I got this one out of their cookbook. :)

3 T canola or vegetable oil
1/3 C popcorn kernels
3 T granulated sugar
kosher salt

1. Place a large stock pot on the stove top. Set heat to medium-high. Add oil. While your oil is heating (it won’t take long), measure out your popcorn into a small bowl. Add sugar to the kernels. When it’s time to cook, everything moves very quickly, so it’s important to have it all ready to go.

Wait until you see your oil smoke. This is one little trick that a lot of people overlook, but it’s important. The smoke is very faint, but if you just stare at the pot (it helps to get down parallel to it), you’ll see little billows of smoke coming up. That’s your cue! Pour popcorn kernels and sugar into the pot.

Immediately stir using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, scraping sugar from bottom of pan. This step should only take about 10 seconds. Cover pot with lid. You will need to shake the pot with your hands and you’ll want to make sure the lid stays on, so I get a dish towel and drape it over the top.

Hold the pot by the handles in a way that you’re securing the lid on as well. Shake the pan side to side in all directions and up and down a few times. Do this every 20 seconds or so. It will keep the sugar from burning on the bottom and help the kernels to be evenly coated.

After a few minutes you should start hearing the pops. (If it doesn’t start popping after a few minutes, crack the lid to let some of the pressure out. Chances are when you put the lid back on, it will pop away). Continue the shaking every 20 second or so until you can tell almost everything is popped. Remove the lid and stir immediately.

Sprinkle Kosher salt to taste and then keep stirring. You can eat it warm right out of the pan (Disclaimer: caramelized sugar it HOT so don’t eat it right away.) or let it cool completely. It’s great either way!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

2011-08-13T11:26:00.001-07:00

Made these the other night and thought that, though you don't really need a recipe, it might just spark something on a night when you're stuck and don't know what to make.

1 pound of cooked chicken (though I used a Costco can of chicken)

1/2 package of bacon cooked to crispy

package of tortillas

1-2 cups of shredded cheese

2 tablespoons of ranch

Take a tortilla and put a layer of chicken on it. Crumble a strip of bacon over the chicken. Drip some ranch over it and put a layer of cheese. Top with another tortilla and either bake in oven, put in a skillet on the stove or on a greased grill rack.

Serve with lettuce, tomatoe, guacamole and salsa. Enjoy!

Other things I think are good with this...black beans and corn

Crock-Pot Chicken with Black Beans

2011-08-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

I saw this on a blog this evening and thought it looked simple and yummy. Think I'll try it this week.

Ingredients:

4-5 boneless chicken breasts
1 (15 1/2 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
1 (15 oz) jar salsa, any kind
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese

Direction:

Take 4-5 FROZEN boneless chicken breasts and put into crock pot. Add black beans, salsa and corn.

Keep in crock pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked. (My crockpot is always super hot, so I actually just put it on “Keep Warm” and leave the chicken in for 6-7 hours)

Add package of cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour.

Dinner This Week

2011-07-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

Since we're going to Idaho next week, my mission is to save as much grocery money as possible for gas/etc. and eat what's in the cupboards. So this week may be interesting...

Sun - Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
Mon - Taco salad
Tues - Chicken enchiladas and refried beans (I found a recipe to make the beans in the crock pot)
Wed - Homemade chili (all they way from dried beans)
Thurs - Probably some kind of pasta
Fri - OG or RR (A girl can't cook on her birthday, right?)
Sat - Porcupine meatballs from the freezer

Next week we'll be having leftovers and it'll really start the mystery dinners....

Cashew Chicken

2011-07-10T14:49:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of the lovely Brenda Milton

Marinate Chicken at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
2 Chicken breasts - cut into bite size pieces
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/3c water
Mix the above ingredients, pour over chicken and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Served with rice - begin cooking rice while preparing

2 Tbsp Olive or Vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
2 inches of ginger root - peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp dry white wine or cooking sherry
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 medium onion - chopped
1-2c carrots - chopped
1-2c celery - chopped
Handful of snow peas
1 can water chestnuts - sliced
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4c chicken broth or water
3 green onions - sliced
1/2c cashews
1c chow mein noodles - crispy

Put oil, salt and ginger root in a hot skillet or wok. Cook 2 minutes and remove ginger root. Drain chicken and add to skillet. Brown chicken, add sherry/wine, soy sauce and onion/ Stir fry 1 minute, add carrots and stir fry 1 minute, add celery and stir fry 1 minute, add snow peas and stir fry 1 minute, add 1/4c broth or water, cover, turn heat down and simmer for 2 minutes. Add water chestnuts and then thicken with cornstarch and remaining broth or water. Put on a platter and top with green onions and cashews. Serve with rice and crispy chow mein noodles.

Serves 4

BBQ Pork-on-a-stick

2011-07-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Got this from my friend Katrina Stewart back in college. It stinks up the fridge, but is worth it! Feeds a crowd well ;)

Slice 8-10 lbs of pork butt into thin slices

Marinade overnight:

1 Tbs pepper

1 thinly sliced fresh lemon

3 Tbs. Worchestershire

3/4 c sugar

2 c soy sauce

5 cloves finely minced garlic

Grill on skewers. just before cooked, generously dab with BBQ sauce:

3/4 c ketchup

1 tsp worchestire

dash of tobasco

1 1/4c sugar

1/4 c melted butter

Stire over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved and sauce is well-blended.

Donut Muffins

2011-06-25T23:43:00.000-07:00

These are my new favorite thing. Like a snickerdoodle all wrapped up in a muffin. I didn't have nutmeg so I sprinkled some cinnamon into the batter which tasted great. Also, maybe my muffin tins are small, but I made 12 instead of 10 easily. I think they'd be super fun as mini-muffins. Enjoy!

3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking power
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk (low fat is fine)
1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or vegetable oil.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until light in color.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Pour into egg mixture and stir to combine. Pour in vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract.
Divide batter evenly into 10 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

While muffins are baking, melt butter and pour remaining sugar into a small bowl.
When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each with some melted butter, remove from the pan and roll in sugar. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 10 muffins.

Taco Seasoning

2011-06-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from here. Another great help if you run out or if you're making a huge batch of taco meat. :)

1/4 cup chili powder

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Mix all the ingredients above in a small bowl. Keep fresh in an air tight container for up to 6 months.

Double or triple recipe as needed.

To use: substitute 2 rounded Tablespoons for 1 packet of taco seasoning.

**You can also kick up the heat a notch by adding in 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes!!**

Dinner This Week

2011-06-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

I have been really slacking on trying new recipes and posting things on here, but here's my menu for the week in case anyone is needing inspiration. It's not super exciting, but at least I have it planned out more than 10 minutes before I need dinner on the table. For me lately, that's success.

Mon - Hot wing pizza
Tues - Grilled chicken salads
Wed - Hamburger soup
Thurs - Grilled pork chops and Parmesan potatoes
Fri - Porcupine meatballs (from the freezer)
Sat - Chicken enchiladas (from the freezer)

Also, I'm starting to get smarter about how I prepare meals. Like last night, instead of just making the chicken and hot wing sauce I needed I made 4 times as much chicken and twice as much sauce. I have another pizzas worth of chicken and sauce frozen and some more chicken breasts cooked, chopped and frozen. These little things are helping me get ahead more since I am not really getting any major freezer cooking done. I'm just trying to double or triple anything I am already making (quickly) that will freeze well.

Homemade Baking Mix

2011-06-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

I saw this tonight on a blog I was reading and thought it looked interesting. She is posting some recipes for a freezer meal day to go with it later. You're supposed to use it in place of Bisquick. Might be handy in a pinch. You can see the post here.

10 cups flour (I used freshly-ground whole-wheat. Doreen suggested doing half white and half whole-wheat.)
8 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/4 cup powdered milk
1 Tablespoon salt
1/4 cup sugar or turbinado
2 1/4 cup coconut oil or shortening

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in shortening or cold coconut oil until you have fine crumbs. Store in a tightly covered container in a cool place (if you use freshly-ground flour, store in the freezer). Use in place of Bisquick.

Hot Bean Dip!

2011-06-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hey there, I feel so special contributing a recipe to Dinner Tonight!! This is a recipe I originally found on Allrecipes. I needed something to feed my girls at lunch time other than mac n cheese and peanut butter! (ya know, the lunch rut=) ...Bonus that it is beans since meat doesn't go over too well in our house.

FYI, I usually half it and bake it in an 8x8 dish, and I rarely fix it as it is written. I will add either sour cream OR cream cheese- whichever one I have- and never the full amount called for! Thankfully it is always eaten... so I hope you enjoy!

Hot Bean Dip

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1 C sour cream

2 16 oz cans refried beans

1/2 pkg taco seasoning

5 drops hot pepper sauce

2 T dried parsley

1/4 C green onions, chopped

1 8 oz pkg shredded cheddar cheese

1 8oz pkg shredded monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Blend cream cheese and sour cream. Mix in beans, taco seasoning, hot sauce, parsley, green onion and 1/2 of cheeses. Spread in a 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses. Bake 20-30 minutes, until cheese is slightly browned.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

2011-04-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Our Best Bites if you want to see their instructions with pretty pictures. :) These have been a big hit at my house. I've already made a second batch for my freezer.

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

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

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

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

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

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

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

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

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

Freezer Egg and Hasbrown Casserole

2011-03-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

8 eggs 4 cups of hashbrowns 12 oz can of evaporated milk 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese 1 tsp salt 1 cup diced onions 1/2 tsp pepper 1 1/2 cup cut up peppers 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 1 cup diced ham, sausage or bacon Mix together in 9x13 pan and freeze. (The cheese will clump if frozen, you may want to leave it out and add it when you thaw it before you cook it.) Thaw and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. I made ours without the onion and pepper and with sausage and it had plenty of flavor. I did add some onion flakes.

Breadsticks

2011-03-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from Our Best Bites and they are so yummy! This makes too many for one night for us. I think next time I'd do half on one pan with the parmesan and garlic salt and half on another pan with cinnamon and sugar on top for dessert. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

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

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

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

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.

Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it's okay if they're close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life's greatest pleasures!

Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes. When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning or the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt. Or you could sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.

See how fat and happy they are rising? :)

Cream of Tomato Soup

2011-02-27T19:44:00.000-08:00

I thought some of you might still have V-8 in your fridges from cooking night and with it being cold out, soup sounds good. I found this on Real Mom Kitchen. This isn't quite as tomatoey as soup out of a can, so my kids actually liked this better!

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups V-8 or tomatoe juice
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2-3 cups of milk
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Then whisk in the flour until smooth.
2. Add the V-8 and stir until it thickens.
3. Next whisk in the baking soda followed with the 2 cups of milk, sugar. Cook until heated through. Taste the soup and add the other cup of milk if you would like it creamier. Divide into 4 bowls and serve.

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

2011-02-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

We had this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit at our house. Really quick to throw together too.

2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced (I used 1/2 of 1)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth (I used 4)
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent.

Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn.

Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty, or let it set at room temperature for until soft. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well.

Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Tortilla Chicken Chili

2011-02-08T18:39:00.000-08:00

1 tbs oil
1 lb chicken breast cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 pkg Chili Seasoning Mix
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can kidney, white or pinto beans, undrained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 c water
1 1/2 c broken tortilla chips

Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 3-5 min or until chicken is no longer pink.

Stir in seasoning mix and remaining ingredients. bring to boil; cover. Reduce heat and simmer 10 min, stirring occasionally. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream or chopped cilantro if desired.

Chocolate-Chip Coffee Cake

2011-02-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup of sugar. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Mix well.
Add the flour mixture and combine. Batter will be thick.
In a separate bowl, combine chocolate chips, 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Spread half of the cake batter in prepared 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chip mixture over the batter. Repeat with the remaining batter, and then the remaining chocolate chip mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Easy Burritos

2011-01-18T01:28:00.000-08:00

Mix...
15 ounce can of lack beans drained and rinsed
1 cup of cheddar or mexican blend cheese
1 pound of taco meat or 1 pound of ground beef seasonsed with 1 tablespoon chilli powder and 1 tablespoon cumin

Divide mixture among 12 tortillas

Navy Bean Soup

2011-01-18T01:22:00.000-08:00

1 pound of dry navy beans in 6 cups of water
Boil, reduce heat, simmer 2 minutes
Remove from heat and leave covered 1 hour. Then drain and rinse.

In large pot add to beans...
1 cup of ham and a ham bone
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 large onion
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
6 cups of water

Simmer in crockpot all day on high.

Sloppy Joes

2011-01-18T01:18:00.000-08:00

1 pound of ground beef
1 onion minced
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar

Brown meat and onions. Add all other ingredients and simmer 15 minutes.

Serve on hanburger buns

Frozen Fruit cups

2011-01-18T00:22:00.000-08:00

1 can of lemonade concentrate made according to can directions
1/2 can orange juice concentrate
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
3 firm bananas cut up with a squirt of lemon juice on them
16 ounces of frozen strawberries
1 drained can mandarin oranges
1 can drained pineapple chunks
18 10 ounce plastic cups

Divide fruit among 18 cups. Combine orange juice concentrate, water, sugar and lemonade.
Pour liquid over fruit. Freeze cups in freezer until just before serving.

Chicken Tetrazzini

2011-01-18T00:16:00.000-08:00

3 cups of cooked chicken cubed
6 cups of cooked spaghetti noodles
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon balck pepper
3 cups condensed mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons fresh parsley
4 ounces of pimentos

Put all ingrediants into a 9x13 pan
Bake at 350 degrees 25-35 minutes

Orange Chicken

2011-01-18T00:09:00.000-08:00

1/2 can of orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup of soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup of water
4 chicken breasts

Place all ingrediants into a pan or bag and marinate 2-3 hours

Remove chicken and grill or bake thoroughly. In a small saucepan bring marinade to a boil and boil 3 mintues.

Teriyaki Chicken

2011-01-18T00:03:00.000-08:00

Pineapple juice from one big can (can add the pineapple too)
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
4 chicken breasts

Put all into a bag or shallow pan and marinate at least 2-3 hours.

Parmesan Potatoes

2011-01-11T17:20:00.001-08:00

Easy and Tasty!

Ingredients:
1/2c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2c flour
10 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2c melted butter
S&P to taste
(I also added a little onion and garlic powders)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350

In a bag combine Parmesan cheese, flour, S&P (and other seasonings). Mix well. Place potatoes in big and mix to coat.

Pour butter in a 9x13 baking dish. Poor in potatoes and stir to coat.

Bake in a preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours stirring occasionally.

Snickerdoodles

2010-12-17T23:42:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 cups sugar + 3 tablespoons
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt and mix together. Combine cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl. Roll dough into balls the size of quarters and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place on cookie sheets about two inches apart and bake 8 to 10 minutes.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza Bites

2010-12-14T18:10:00.000-08:00

I want to start by saying these are REALLY good. However, they are kind of a pain in the bahookie to put together. In the future I will probably just use this recipe to make a regular pizza instead of bites with ranch sauce for dipping. If I was to do them for a party for appetizers or something I think I'd do them in little muffin tins since cooking them side by side sometimes you break them while pulling them apart.

I got this recipe from Our Best Bites I have another recipe from their website planned for this week. I'll let you know how that goes.

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough* (or make your own)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted buttersharp cheddar cheese (I used 50% sharp cheddar and 50% mozzarella)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
about 1 C shredded, cooked chicken.
3/4 C mayo
3/4 C milk

First take 1 teaspoon of your ranch dressing mix and combine it with 1 1/2 T parmesan cheese. Set aside. Combine the remaining ranch mix with 3/4 C mayo and 3/4 C milk and place in the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400-425 degrees.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.
When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.

I grab the four corners first and then squeeze the seams shut. Then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush with melted butte

r or olive oil and sprinkle with themparmesan-ranch mixture.

Place your rolls in the oven. I've noticed baking time really depends on the type of dough I'm using. Whether it's different brands from the store, or homemade dough, they all take different amounts of time. Set your timer for 10 minutes and check on them after that. They may take up to 15 or 20 to be done. Take them out when they're lightly golden on top.
Serve them warm with a side of freshly made ranch dressing for dipping.

BTW: I cooked these in a 9x13 pan. They definitely would not all have fit in a pie pan

Our Best Bites

2010-12-09T14:10:00.000-08:00

I came across this super fun blog this morning (to be honest I can't remember how exactly I got there!) I thought I'd share with you since she has lots of fun holiday recipes and ideas as some yummy looking dinners.

This is what caught my eye....I thought Alex would love it.

Our Best Bites go check it out! :)

Caramel Apple Cake

2010-12-07T13:08:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my friend Danita Berg.

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 apples pealed and cut into chunks
3 cups flour
1cup of pecan pieces (optional)

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and mix well. Add dry ingrediants and apples and mix until just blended. Pour into a greased pan.

(I made this last night and my cake batter wasn't much of a batter, but more crumbs. So, I added a splash of vanilla and about 1/2-3/4 cup of milk to make it a batter.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Cool completely and top with warm caramel.

Caramel Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Bring all ingrediants to a boil in a saucepan. Boil 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool about 5 minutes. Pour over cooled cake.

Spiced Apple Cobbler

2010-12-01T08:55:00.000-08:00

Lynne and I had seen this recipe on Rachael Ray last year (or maybe longer ago). Lynne tried it first and they really liked it so I made it last night. It's SO GOOD!

Ingredients

6 large (about 8 cups) Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and sliced (use Granny Smiths for a more tart flavor)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup whole milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
1 quart store-bought pumpkin ice cream
Store-bought caramel sauce

Preheat the oven to 350

Place apples in a 13x9” baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice and toss to coat.

In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups sugar, flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and the cinnamon. Add milk and melted butter, and mix well. Pour batter evenly over apples and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle over batter. Evenly pour the boiling water on top then transfer to the oven and bake for 50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling.

Can be served warm or at room temperature, topped with a scoop of pumpkin ice cream and drizzled with caramel sauce.

French Loaves

2010-11-22T22:14:00.000-08:00

I didn't think to take a picture of this until we'd already eaten half of it, but I guess that says how yummy this hot fresh bread was! It reminds me a lot of the English muffin bread my Mom made us as kids. It's pretty quick for yeast bread and makes two loaves. One for you and one for a neighbor! :)

Ingredients:
2Tbsp. active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2tsp. salt
1tsp sugar
4.5-5 cups bread flour
1tsp cornmeal

Directions:
In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the salt, sugar, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly flour surface; divide in half. Shape into 12-in long loaves.

Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cornmeal. With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

2010-11-22T22:06:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe of my friend Sydney's blog The Drinkwater Kitchen. She has some other yummy looking recipes on there you might want to check out! I made these tonight and they are super yummy!

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter
8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. pumpkin puree
3 T. oil
1 1/4 t. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350F and spray a 9″x9″ cake pan with nonstick spray.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add chocolate and remove from heat. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth.

In a large bowl beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla for 3-4 minutes, until thick and pale yellow. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat until just combined.

Put about a third of the batter into another bowl and stir the pumpkin, oil, and cinnamon into it. Stir the chocolate mixture into the remaining batter and spread a little more than half of it into the prepared pan. Top with the pumpkin mixture, then drop large spoonfuls of the remaining chocolate mixture on top. Swirl a toothpick through both to create a swirled effect.

Bake for 55-60 minutes, until just set and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Makes 16 brownies.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

2010-11-19T15:44:00.000-08:00

Topping
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) room temperature
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Cake
2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, (1 stick) room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can of pumpkin (15 oz)

1. For the topping, combine flour, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until crumbly. Add chocolate chips and toss together. Set aside.

2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour a 13x9 inch baking pan. Sift 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup of butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar, beating until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Add vanilla extract and stir in entire can of pumpkin. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and stir until just blended.

3. Spread half of the batter into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle around half of the topping mixture and spread the remaining batter on top. Distribute the leftover topping evenly over batter. Bake until tester inserted into center comes and clean and topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool cake. Serve room temperature.

Tara's Dinner Rolls

2010-11-13T21:55:00.000-08:00

These are really convenient because you can make them ahead of time and then bake them when you're ready. They have come out perfectly every time I've done them. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1c warm water
1 package active dry yeast (2.5tsp)
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 c sugar
3 eggs
4-4.5c flour
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Combine water and yeast and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in butter, sugar, eggs, and salt. Beat in flour one cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours up to 4 days.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Roll dough out and shape into 24 balls. Cover and let dough rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375.

Bake 15-20 minutes.

The Results are In....

2010-11-09T12:59:00.000-08:00

I have to say I was underwhelmed with the results of the tortilla recipe below. Maybe it was me, the humidity in the air, the pan I used, or maybe just a bad recipe. Anyone have a good recipe for tortillas? Something tried and true? I'm open to suggestions.

Homemade Tortillas

2010-11-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

I found this in the June/July issue of Taste of Home Magazine. They're on my menu for this week to try.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
3 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn ont a floured surface; kneat 5-6 times. Divide dough into 8 portions. On a lightly floured surface roll each portion into a 7-in circle.

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm

Makes 8 tortillas

Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts with Maple Glaze

2010-10-24T14:55:00.000-07:00

I had a friend who posted on facebook that she had made these and how good they were. So, I asked for the recipie and now I'm sharing it with you! This recipie comes from JoyTheBaker.

In a saucepan, heat up on medium heat until spices become fragrant...

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Remove from heat and whisk in....

1 large egg

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Place filling in fridge while you prepare your dough.

You need to start with pie dough. Wether you use pre-done, make your own or use Pillsbury crescent rolls like I would, depends on how many you will get out of this. Roll out your pie dough into 1/8th thickness and cut with a pizza cutter pop tart size rectangles.

Beat one large egg in a bowl and brush on half of your rectangles. Spoon filling on top of brushed squares. Place the other half of the rectangles on top. With a floured fork, crimp edges together. Create vent holes on top of pockets.

Let tarts rest in fridge while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

When oven is ready, place tarts in upper 1/3 of oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Cool tarts. While cooling make glaze of...

1 cup of powdered sugar

2 tsp of maples syrup

2 tbls of milk

Glaze cooled tarts and enjoy!

When I post my menus online I feel more committed to actually cooking what I planned and not being lazy and thinking $5 pizza seems like a better option, so here you go...

Mon - pumpkin pancakes and scrambled eggs (for the boys)
Tues - cowboy spaghetti
Wed - soup and bread (type of soup tba)
Thurs - honey lime chicke n and brown rice
Fri - porcupine meatballs
Sat - hot wing pizza

Granola Bars

2010-10-13T00:53:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup of honey
1/4 coconut oil
1 cup instant oats
1/8 cup of wheat germ
1 cup of add-ins (chocolate chips, raisens, coconut flakes, etc)

In a small pot melt the peanut butter, honey and coconut oil (here in the northwest, I have found that you don't need this, these are plenty moist). Remove from heat and add the oats, wheat germ and any add-ins you would like. Press into a pan and enjoy!

Dinner This Week

2010-10-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

We've been pretty sporadic about posting lately, so I thought I'd put one up and see if it sparked any good menus or new recipes.

Mon - grilled chicken salad
Tues - candied steak and steamed veggies
Wed - Spaghetti with browned butter and green beans
Thurs - biscuits and gravy and fruit
Fri - spaghetti bake
Sat - homemade pizza

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

2010-09-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

I saw this in the October issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray. I haven't made them yet, but they look like the perfect fall treat!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 rome apples (about 1 pound), peeled and shredded
1 1/2 cups chewy caramel candies
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Directions:

Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line a cupcake pan with baking liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Whisk in the oil and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined; stir in the apples. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan until almost full. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
In a small, microwavable bowl, combine the caramels and cream. Microwave for 1 minute at medium power, then stir; repeat in 30-second intervals until melted and smooth. Let cool. Spread the frosting generously on the cooled cupcakes.

Makes 12 servings

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken

2010-09-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

This is from "Don't Panic Dinner's in the Freezer" .
I thought we'd do this on the next freezer cooking night.

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 hoeny
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp chopped jalapeno pepper

Mix together the lime juice, olive oil, honey cilantro, garlic and jalapeno. Pour marinade over chicken and freeze.
Thaw chicken. Grill over medium heat. Eat!

Telluride Black Bean Tortilla Bake

2010-09-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

A yummy freezer meal idea.

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-15oz can black beans drained and rinsed
1-16oz can stewed tomatoes (Mexican style)
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
1t chili powder
1t cumin
1/4t pepper
6 flour tortillas, fajita size
3 oz low fat cream cheese softened
1-4oz can diced green chiles, drained
1/2-1 cup shredded Moterey Jack or cheddar cheese

Cooking Day:
Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet; drain fat. Put stewed tomatoes into a blender (or food processor) and blend just long enough to break up large tomato pieces. Add to skillet with meat. Stir in black beans, enchilada sauce; chili powder, cumin and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Spread one side of tortillas with cream cheese, topping with green chiles. Fold tortillas in half over cream cheese. Pour half the cooled meat sauce into the bottom of a lined 7x11 (I used 9x13) baking dish. Arrange the folded tortillas over sauce, overlapping if necessary. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Freeze.

Serving Day:
Thaw to a slushy state. Cover dish with foil and bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until heated through. Uncover and sprinkle cheese on top; bake for 5 more minutes or until bubbly.

Black-Bottom Cupcakes

2010-08-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Makes 2 dozen
Prep Time 35 min
Cook Time 25 min

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
salt
1 large egg
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/4 cups of flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line two 12 cup muffin pans with paper or foil baking cups. Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add the egg and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 teaspoons salt, the baking soda and cocoa powder. Add 1 1/2 cups water, the oil, vinegar and vanilla and stir until smooth.

3. Fill each baking cup two-thirds full wit the cake batter and top with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Bake until the edges are firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.

Found in EveryDay with Rachel Ray, February 2007

Lasagna Soup

2010-08-25T15:28:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves
8 ounces fusilli pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
8 ounces ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top. Makes about 13 cups.

Lasagna Rolls

2010-08-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

2 (26-ounce) jars of sausage-flavored pasta sauce
1 small yellow onion, chopped
10 ounces ground turkey
10 ounces sausage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 large eggs
3 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
12 cooked lasagna noodles (boil 14 to 16 to allow for breakage)

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350º F. Prepare two 7- by 11-inch pans by coating them with cooking spray and spreading 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of each.
In a large saucepan, brown the onion, ground turkey, and sausage. Drain any fat, then add 1 jar of pasta sauce and the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then stir in the ricotta, Parmesan, and 2 cups of the mozzarella until thoroughly mixed.
Boil the noodles in salted water until tender, rinse in cold water, and set them aside. When they've cooled, cut each noodle in half lengthwise.
On a tray, lay out a strip of noodle and spread about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture along the entire length. Then spread about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture on top of the cheese. Carefully roll up the noodle and place it, frilled edge up, in one of the prepared pans. Repeat with the remaining noodles.
Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls and garnish the top of each roll with the last cup of mozzarella. Cover each pan with aluminum foil and bake the rolls for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more. Makes 24 servings.

Dinner Tonight

2010-08-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

This is what we're having for dinner tonight. How about you?

Freezer Meals

2010-08-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

I'm really wanting to get some things made and in my freezer for this fall for when things are hectic with a newborn. I'm trying to compile a list of freezer meal ideas so I can have a good variety. Here are some of my ideas. List anything you like to make and freeze as well! I'm open to any ideas!

Ideas:

Enchiladas
Lasagna
Chicken Divan
Beef/Chicken Pot Pie
Shepherds Pie
Chicken and Rice
Mexican Lasagna
Pizza Dough

Jalapeno, Avacado and Bacon Burgers

2010-08-01T20:02:00.001-07:00

These are not burgers for a night when you're in a hurry, but if you have the time they are truly magnificent. Seth's favorite for sure!!!

6 jalapeño chiles
6 slices bacon
3 pounds ground beef chuck
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) crumbled queso fresco
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 avocados, pitted and thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
6 hamburger buns, split

Can’t find queso fresco in your supermarket? Use crumbled feta or goat cheese instead.

Directions:

Preheat a grill to medium and place a cast-iron skillet on top. Add the chiles and cook until softened and the skin is charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover and let cool slightly. Remove and discard the stems, skin and seeds; finely chop the chiles.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in the skillet until crisp. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat; chop the bacon.
In a large bowl, combine the chopped bacon, the reserved bacon fat, the beef and half of the chiles. Form into 6 patties; season with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine the queso fresco, mayonnaise, buttermilk, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining chiles. Season with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate.
In another bowl, toss the avocados, cilantro, onion and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; set aside.
Grill the burgers, flipping once, for about 10 minutes for medium-rare. Just before the burgers are finished cooking, grill the buns until toasted, about 1 minute. Place a burger on each bun bottom, top with some of the avocado salad, drizzle with some of the queso fresco dressing and set a bun top in place.

Breakfast Sandwiches

2010-07-21T20:45:00.001-07:00

Super easy and freeze well.

1 Can of croissants

8 Sausage links

6 Eggs

1 cup of Shredded Cheese

Cook the sausage and eggs. Place one sausage link per roll and divide the eggs and cheese among them. Roll them up and place on a cookie sheet. Cook at 375 for 10 minutes.

Grilled Pizza

2010-07-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

Okay so the picture doesn't do it justice, but this was REALLY GOOD! Here's a basic outline of how I did it in case you want to try.

First I started with 1 batch of Rapid Rise Pizza Dough
Instead of making 1 large pizza I rolled it out into 4 small ones. Roll them pretty thin.
While the dough is rising preheat your grill to medium and grease it well with olive or vegetable oil.
Once grill is heated lay 2 crusts directly on the grill. Close lid and let cook for 2-3 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown and dough is bubbly. Then flip. Working quickly put the toppings on. I used ranch dressing for sauce, then added cheese and tomato (I was low on pizza toppings). Then close the grill and cook another 2-3 minutes. (My cheese was frozen so I put them on the top rack off the heat for about 2 more minutes while I started the next two so they'd melt a bit more.)
Repeat steps with your next two crusts.
Eat and enjoy!

Your favorite?

2010-06-15T15:48:00.001-07:00

Looking for good marinades for grilling this summer. What do you suggest?

Dinner This Week

2010-05-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but my planning lately has been TERRIBLE. I'm working on my June menu right now, so tell me what you'll be having to eat! Here's my menu from this week.

Sun - Broccoli cheese soup
Mon - Chicken and rice
Tue - Teriyaki rib steaks with rice and broccoli
Wed - Tuscan Soup (This was really, really good!)
Thur - Breakfast (probably pancakes and bacon)
Fri - Hot wing pizza
Sat - Homemade mac 'n cheese

Baked Pesto Chicken

2010-05-25T13:54:00.001-07:00

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c. basil pesto
2 plum tomatoes
shredded mozzarella

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover cookie sheet with foil.
Put pesto and chicken in a bowl. Toss until chicken is covered.
Place chicken on cookie sheet and bake 20-25 min.
Place slices of tomato on top and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake another 3-5 min.
Serve with pasta.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

2010-05-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

Super simple and easy, especially on game nights!
I would love to hear your variations on this.

Place chicken breasts in crockpot and cover in salsa. Cook on high for about 3 hours.
Take chicken out and shred.
Put chicken back in and let it cook for a bit longer to absorb some more taste.
Make tacos as usual!

Pasta Salad

2010-04-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

Now that Summer is just around the corner, (0r at least I keep telling myself that) I thought I'd share my favorite pasta salad recipe.

3c. cooked tri colored rotini

1c. parmesan cheese

1 8oz. bottle Bernsteins Cheese and Garlic salad dressing

1/2c. chopped red bell pepper

1/2 c. chopped red onion

2c. broccoli florets

1/2c. sliced olives

hard salami cut into bite size pieces (to taste)

pepperoni cut into bite size pieces (to taste)

Cook pasta and rinse under cold water to cool. Stir it all together and enjoy.

Chicken Divan

2010-04-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
2 cooked boneless chicken breast halves, chopped
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Place broccoli in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the chicken.
In a small bowl, blend the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Top with Cheddar cheese.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Sloppy Joes

2010-04-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe in one of my Gooseberry Patch books and tried it tonight. It was easy and it was good so I thought I would share!

1 lb ground beef
10-3/4 oz can tomato soup
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 T. vinegar
1 t. sugar
1 small onion, diced
2 T. Worcestershire sauce

Brown ground beef in a medium saucepan and drain. Add the remaining ingredients to the beef. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, until heated through.

Empanadas

2010-04-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe off pbs.org/everydayfood. That's a really good website for some easy recipes if you're looking. If you just wanted these for one meal you could easily half it, but I did the full recipe, made 4 for dinner (with one left over) and froze 4.

For the Filling:

2 pounds ground pork or beef
2 medium onions, finely diced
2 jalapeño chiles, minced (ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired. I took them out, but would leave them in next time. They were very mild and I like a little heat.)
½teaspoon chili powder
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

For the Dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup cold water
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water (do not beat until ready to bake)

Make the filling: In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, cook meat until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add onion and jalapeños; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder and tomatoes. Cook over medium until mixture has thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in cilantro. Let cool.

Make the dough: In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your fingers, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add just enough cold water so dough comes together.
Form empanadas. If desired, freeze on a baking sheet until firm, 2 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic; freeze in plastic bags.

To bake fresh or frozen empanadas, preheat oven to 400°. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with egg wash, avoiding crimped edges. Bake until golden brown, rotating sheets halfway through, 30 to 40 minutes.

Key-lime Pie

2010-04-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

This is Seth's favorite. Always his birthday dessert. :)

Shortbread crust:
1 1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2/3 c. butter, softened

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease and flour 12-inch tart pan. (I use a 9in pie pan and it works fine.)

Mix flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press firmly and evenly against bottom and side of pan. Bake 10-15 minutes or until light brown.

Filling:
6 large eggs
1 ½ tablespoons grated lime rind
½ c. fresh lime juice (I use key lime juice)
1 c. sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine

Whisk together eggs, lime rind and lime juice in a non-aluminum saucepan
over low heat. Add sugar and butter. Cook, whisking constantly, 8
minutes or until lime mixture is thickened and bubbly. Let cool 15-20
minutes.

Pour filling into prepared crust; cover and chill 4 hours or until set.
Garnish with lime slices and whipped cream as desired.

Beef Pot Pie

2010-04-05T19:16:00.001-07:00

This isn't a dinner for a night you're in a hurry, but if you make them ahead they freeze up really nicely and then you can defrost in the morning and bake that evening!

Crust:

3c all purpose flour

1c vegetable shortening

1tsp salt

Cut shortening into flour and salt until you get a crumbly consistency. Pour in ice water until you get a sticky dough. (I have never actually measured how much. I do it all by feel..... just add until it's sticky and don't be too shy. You can always add more flour if needed.) Do NOT overwork the dough or the pie crust will be tough and not flaky. Roll out the dough. Makes 3 crusts (a top and bottom and one extra for maybe a delicious custard pie?)

Pie Filling:

(Whatever you like, but this is generally what I do)

1c Chopped up roast beef (usually leftover)

1c Frozen mixed veg

1 potato peeled and diced small (or leftover mashed potatoes work well)

Quartered grape tomatoes

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 brown gravy packet (or leftover gravy if you have it)

Make the gravy packet (or use leftover gravy) and mix with soup mix in beef, veg, tomato, and potato. Pour into pie shell. Top with 2nd crust and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until golden brown. If you make an extra one, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. Just defrost the morning you want to bake it and bake as usual!

Okay so this is less of a recipe and more of an "idea."

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crock Pot)

2010-04-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

A recipe I LOVE from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook." I've edited it a bit for the sake of ease.

Ingredients:
1 -28oz can diced tomatoes, with their juice
1 -10oz can red or green enchilada sauce (I like the red best)
2 medium-size yellow onions chopped (I use about 1/2 of 1 onion)
1 -4oz can chopped green chiles, drained
1 clove garlic minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups water
1 -14.5oz can chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
A few grinds of black pepper
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked, drained and shredded. (I usually cook mine whole in the soup, pull it out and shred it then return to the cooker)
1 -10oz can Mexican corn, drained

Directions:
Combine the tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onions, chiles, garlic, cilantro, water, broth, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and oregano in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Add the shredded chicken and corn, cover and continue to cook on low for another hour. Discard bay leaf. (I usually add the corn at the beginning with the whole chicken breasts and then just shred the chicken at the end.

To serve ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with tortilla strips and grated cheese. Top with tablespoon of sour cream, a few slices of avocado and cilantro sprigs. (We like it with chips, cheese, and sour cream!)

1-Dish Taco Bake

2010-03-11T21:33:00.001-08:00

This recipe has quickly become one of my go to dinners. I do need to emphasize that you do not pre-heat your oven for this one. It needs to start out in a cold oven.

Taco Meat Filling

1 lb. ground beef

1.25 package taco seasoning

Batter

cooking spray

3/4 c. flour

1/2 c. corn meal

2 envelopes yeast

1 T. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. very warm milk

3 T. oil

1 egg

Topping

1 c. Chunky salsa

1 c. shredded cheddar

1 c. corn tortilla chips, partially crushed

Brown and drain beef. Add taco seasoning and mix well.

Mix batter ingredients together and pour into a pre-sprayed 9.5 inch deep dish pie plate. If you don't have a deep pie plate, a small casserole dish works great too.

Top batter with taco meat. Pour salsa evenly over meat, sprinkle with shredded cheese and corn chips.

Bake by placing in a COLD OVEN; set temp to 350. Bake for 45 min or until batter is cooked through.

Neapolitan Crispy Bars

2010-03-11T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here you go Andrea! I think I've finally tweaked this recipe to my liking.

4 cups mini marshmallows, divided

3 T. butter, divided

3/4 tsp. vanilla, divided

2 c. cocoa krispies

1/4 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 c. strawberry marshmallows

4 cups rice krispies

1/4 c. strawberry jam

Layer 1 - Chocolate

In a large saucepan, combine 2 c. marshmallows, 1 T. butter, and 1/4 tsp. vanilla. Cook and stir over medium heat until melted. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa krispies and chocolate chips. Press into a greased 8 x 8 dish.

Layer 2 - Vanilla

In a large saucepan, combine 2 c. marshmallows, 1 T. butter, and 1/4 tsp. vanilla. Cook and stir over medium heat until melted. Remove from heat; stir in 2 c. rice krispies. Press into pan on top of chocolate layer.

Layer 3 - Strawberry

In a large saucepan, combine 2 c. strawberry marshmallows, 1 T. butter, and 1/4 tsp. vanilla. Cook and stir over medium heat until melted. Remove from heat; stir in 2 c. rice krispies and 1/4 c. strawberry jam. Press into pan on top of vanilla layer. Cool and enjoy!

Hamburger Soup

2010-02-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

I just made this recipe up based on things I could eat...feel free to add/remove veggies to your liking! :)

Ingredients:

1# hamburger

6 cups beef broth (I actually used au jus)

15 oz can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 of a green pepper, chopped

3/4 c chopped onion

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (into small chunks)

2T brown sugar

Brown the hamburger, drain. Add beef broth, tomato sauce, and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Add in all of the other ingredients, bring to a boil again, then simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.

This was so, so yummy and made quite a good sized pot! You'll have to add salt, though, to your liking. It also would have been great with green beans or carrots, but I definitely wouldn't substitute the potatoes for anything. :)

Buffalo Chicken Chili

2010-02-14T23:14:00.000-08:00

We had this for dinner tonight and it was SO GOOD! I used the full half cup of hot sauce and even Alex liked it! (Although Seth gave him horseradish the other day and he told Seth it was "yummy for his tummy" so I don't think there's much he wouldn't like.) I didn't do the blue cheese corn chip thing because I don't like blue cheese. We topped it with a bit of grated cheddar and crumbled chips into it. DELISH! Thanks Rachael Ray!

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 tablespoon butter
2 pounds all-white meat ground chicken breast or chicken breast chopped into bite-size pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
5 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 7-ounce bag yellow corn chips
1 7-ounce bag blue corn chips
3/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled, recommended type Maytag Blue
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Preheat oven to 375°F or broiler to medium.

Place a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, and the butter. Once the butter has melted and the pot is hot, add the ground chicken. Brown it, using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up in to small pieces, about 5-6 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7-8 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the hot sauce, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes, and bring up to a bubble. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to let the flavors come together.

While the chili is simmering, spread the yellow and blue corn chips out on a cookie sheet. Top with the crumbled blue cheese and transfer to the oven to melt the cheese, about 4-5 minutes. If using the broiler, 2-3 minutes should do the trick. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Top each serving of buffalo chicken chili with a few blue cheese-topped corn chips.

Here's my menu for the second half of the month. I feel if I post this I'll be more obligated to actually prepare decent meals and not just wait until 4:30 and try to put something together. :)

Mon-Roast, potatoes, etc
Tues - Beef soup or stew (however it comes out)
Wed - Spaghetti pie
Thur - Chicken enchilada casserole
Fri - Hot wing pizza
Sat - Faith Promise Dinner (at church)
Sun - Wendy's (because "she's always happy")
Mon-Ham, potatoes, veggies
Tues - Ham and cheese pockets
Wed - California Tamale pie
Thur - Breakfast (probably biscuits and gravy)
Fri - Homemade pizza
Sat - Candied steak

*Note: All side dishes and vegetables are subject to whatever produce is on sale that week!

Avocado Salad-Topped Steak Tacos

2010-02-06T11:16:00.000-08:00

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 pound skirt steak, halved crosswise (or whatever you have)
Salt and Pepper
2 jalapeno chiles, finely chopped
Grated peel and juice of 2 limes
1 head butter lettuce, shredded
2 avocados-halved, pitted and cut into small cubes
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
12 taco shells

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Whisk together 1 tbsp olive oil and the chili powder, then rub all over the steak; season with salt and pepper. Add to the grill pan and cook turning once, until grill marks appear, about 5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the jalapenos, lime peel, lime juice and remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce, avocados and onion and toss; season with salt and pepper.

Divide half of the avocado salad among the taco shells, then top with the meat and the remaining avocado salad.

**We just cubed steak and sauteed it in the spice mixture (for simplicity). We also added a bit of cheese because they seemed naked without it. The onion was on the side to add as each person chooses. They were SO, SO GOOD!

Sunni's Cheesy Enchiladas

2010-02-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

This recipe was on the LPM blog this morning and it looked yummy to me. Just another variation of a classic. (I think even Kirsten could eat this!)

Ingredients:
(I always half this recipe)
24 flour tortillas
2 lbs. ground beef
2 lbs. Velveeta, cubed
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
4 (8-oz.) cartons sour cream
¼ cup butter
2 med. onions, chopped
1 dash garlic salt
Salt & pepper to taste

Brown meat with one chopped onion. Add garlic salt and salt and pepper. Drain. Coat large sauce pan with non-stick spray. Add sour cream and tomatoes, mix well. Add butter and heat on medium heat. Add Velveeta, stirring constantly. Add the remaining chopped onion. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 5 min. The cheese/butter should be melted by this point. Add a portion of the sauce to meat. Spoon meat mixture into tortillas. Lay in casserole dish, seam down. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Cover and bake for 15 min. at 350 degrees.

Help! I'm stuck in a rut!

2010-01-25T17:11:00.000-08:00

Okay girls, I need some help spicing up our menus. I'm getting ready to plan out the month of February. If any of you have menus you could post that would be incredibly inspiring! This is what were having this week (I think).

Mon - Chicken noodle casserole (this is today's invention, we'll see)
Tues - Beef stew (if the meat gets defrosted)
Wed - Breakfast
Thurs - Chicken, rice and broccoli
Fri - Red Robin! :)
Sat - Hot wing pizza

Tuscan Soup

2009-12-21T21:33:00.000-08:00

Here's another one for all you Olive Garden fans. This soup is a lot like the Zuppa Tuscana they have there. Enjoy!

1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 T. bacon pieces
2 tsp. minced garlic
10 c. water
5 cubes chicken bouillon
1 c. heavy cream
1 lb. sliced potatoes with skins (about 3 large potatoes)
4-5 c. fresh spinach
Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated (optional garnish)

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat and set sausage aside. Using the same pot, saute bacon, onion and garlic for approximately 10 minutes or until the onions are tender. Mix together the bouillon and water; add to the pot; bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, approximately 20 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook until heated through. Stir in the sausage. Add spinach just before serving.

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-12-03T14:27:00.000-08:00

For Jillian :)

INGREDIENTS:
2 c cake flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 c pumpkin puree
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 egg
2 tbsp vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin, buttermilk, egg, and oil together until smooth. Gently fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, being careful not to overmix. Divide batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes or until the muffins are deep golden and baked through. Cool slightly and serve immediately. Makes 1 dozen.

I often add a couple handfuls of chocolate chips to these. We love them that way. :)

Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

2009-10-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Amanda made these the other night and they are ridiculously good! She put a few chocolate chips in them which makes them even better. :)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture in two parts and pumpkin puree in one, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined (do not overmix).

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets once during baking. Immediately transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely.

When cookies have cooled, set them (still on rack) over a baking sheet or waxed paper. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted. Pour chocolate into a resealable plastic bag. Snip off a corner with scissors or a knife to make an 1/8-inch hole; pipe chocolate over cookies. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes.

Menu 10/25-31

2009-10-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Sun - Red Robin :)
Mon - Turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans
Tues - Turkey soup
Wed - Biscuits and gravy
Thurs - Black bean soup
Fri - Turkey pot pie
Sat - Jack o lantern pizza

Browned Butter Sauce

2009-10-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

More Rachael Ray saves the day!

6 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh sage (I used a pinch of dried)
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 grated parmeggiano reggiano cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese (variation)

In a small saucepan melt 6 tablespoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt over medium-low heat. Add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage and cook, stirring often, until the butter begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons heavy cream and remove from the heat. Add 1/2 cup grated parmeggiano reggiano cheese when tossing with pasta.

Variation 1: Stir in one cup ricotta with the cream; season with 2 teaspoons pepper.

Our Menu

2009-10-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

Mon - Out to Red Lobster ;-)

Tue - Potato Soup

Wed - Southwestern Chicken Soup with Corn Bread

Thur - Hamburger Pie

Fri - Grilled Turkey Legs

Sat - Fish

Sun - Marinaded Grilled Chicken Breast

An attempt of copycat OG Chicken Scampi

2009-10-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

1-1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast pounded
2 sticks of butter
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of parsley
1 teaspoon of basil
1/4 teaspoon of oregano
cloves of garlic (depends on how much you like garlic, at least 2)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 box of angel hair pasta

Brown chicken any way you would like to do it: grill, boil, crockpot, etc. Cool and slice into strips.
Start your pasta.
Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a pan and 1 clove of garlic grated or pressed. Cook until your nostrils are filled with the aroma of garlic and then add the olive oil, parsley, basil, oregano, a bit of salt and pepper and chicken. Cook chicken until done.
Remove chicken.
Add the rest of the butter. Yes, all 1 and 1/2 sticks, just don't think about it. And, the rest of the garlic (grated or pressed) and lemon juice. Cook garlic in the butter for a couple of minutes.
Drain pasta.
Now, you can either put the chicken back into the sauce and then mix it all with the pasta, or put the chicken on the pasta and then drizzle some of the garlic butter sauce over the top and taste before you add more sauce.

This Week's Menu

2009-10-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

Sun - Cream of broccoli soup
Mon - Lynne's bacon potato soup
Tues - Orange chicken and rice
Wed - Pumpkin pancakes and bacon
Thurs - Spaghetti alla ceci
Fri - Homemade pizza
Sat - White bean chili (new recipe I'm trying)

Cream of Broccoli Soup

2009-10-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Tasty, tasty!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons margarine
1 onion, chopped (I use about a quarter of one)
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
8 cups broccoli florets
3 tablespoons margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion and celery until tender.
Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree soup and return to heat. (I like it chunky so I just coarsely mash it with a potato masher.)
In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.

Cheesy Potato Soup

2009-10-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

I know a couple of other people have posted similar recipes, but this one is really yummy too! I was looking for one that didn't require chicken broth, and found this! It's best with a yellow/gold potato, and it definitely needed salt....but GREAT flavor! I've also served it in homemade bread bowls.

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
4 cups water
8 potatoes, peeled and cubed (I use yukon golds)
15 slices American cheese - broken into pieces
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/3 cups milk

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onions and celery in the butter for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender.
Stir in the water and potatoes, bring to a boil and then simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add the cheese and stir until melted.
In a separate small bowl, combine the flour and the milk and stir well until the flour is mostly dissolved. Pour this into the soup slowly, stirring constantly, until soup has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Copycat Red Lobster Biscuits

2009-10-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

My husband claims these are even better then the biscuits you get at Red Lobster.

2 c. Bisquick

2/3 c. milk

3/4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 c. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Combine bisquick, milk and cheese.

Spoon onto greased cookie sheet and smooth tops. Makes 8-10 buscuits.

Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Combine butter and garlic salt. Brush over hot biscuits.

Enjoy!

Tomato Sauce & Variation

2009-10-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a Rachael Ray recipe I found and made last night. It's a basic tomato sauce, but one variation calls for eggplant and zucchini, the two vegetables I was trying to figure out how to use up. It ended up being really yummy!

In a medium skillet combine 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic over medium-high heat. When the garlic is sizzling add 2 cups chopped canned peeled tomatoes with their juice and season with salt (I had Italian style tomatoes and used those). Lower the heat to medium and cook stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the oil begins to separate from the sauce, 20 to 25 minutes.

Variation: Add 1 2/3 cups each finely chopped zucchini and eggplant with the tomatoes.

Varation #2: Add 2 tablespoons capers and 1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives to the sauce.

Mandarin Chic Salad

2009-10-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

My sister made this last Saturday and it's awesome!

3/4 c. sliced almonds
8 oz. penne pasta (cooked)
2 c. cooked cubed chicken
11 oz can mandarin oranges
16 oz can pineapple shredded (save juice)
3/4 c. celery
1/4 c. onion (onion omitted)

dressing:
1 c. mayo
2/3 c. sour cream
4 tbs. pineapple juice
1 tsp. salt

mix all ingredients together and chill for at least 1 hour.

Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Potatoes

2009-10-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

A couple of you asked for this, so here it is. If you're not trying to impress anyone with a fancy meal I would make mashed potatoes seasoned the way it suggests instead of double stuffing the potatoes to save time. They do look impressive, but they are time consuming. Oh and I of course used cheddar instead of Gouda...it's just not something I have on hand!

Ingredients

4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
3 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
Salt
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped, divided
Ground black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 pound ground sirloin
1/2 pound button or cremini mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons spicy brown or Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese

On a baking sheet, toss potatoes with a hearty drizzle of EVOO and some salt. Bake in oven until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool. Turn off oven and preheat broiler.

While the potatoes are cooling, place a medium skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the bell pepper and half of the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the veggies are tender, 5-6 minutes. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut a thin slice lengthwise off of the top to expose the inside. Scoop out the potato flesh, taking care not to pierce the wall of the potato, and transfer to the bowl with the veggies (reserve the potato shells). Add the sour cream and paprika, and mash. Reserve warm.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the ground sirloin to the pan and cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they start to turn golden brown, 4-5 minutes.

Add the remaining onion and garlic to the pan and cook until all the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes more. Push all of the ingredients to the edge of the pan and add the butter to the skillet. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook for about 1 minute. Add the stock, mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire, some salt and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Bring up to a bubble and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Fill the potato shells with the beef-mushroom mixture then top each of them with the reserved mashed potatoes. Transfer to a baking sheet and sprinkle with the cheese. Pop the potatoes under the broiler until the cheese is melted and tops are golden brown.

Hey All!

2009-10-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hope that you will take the time to become a follower!
If you have a recipe that you would like to share and inspire others on their nightly quest to make dinner, please leave a comment or e-mail me!

Eggplant

2009-10-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hey girls! Thought I'd tell you how I cook up eggplant for those that I know have some this week...
Slice up eggplant into slices.
Put on cookie sheet
Drizzle with evoo
Sprinkle with salt and peppper
Broil in oven approx 10-15 minutes turning half way through
Cover in parmsean cheese and heat until melted
Serve with marinara sauce and I like some pasta to go with it!
There you have it! Eggplant parmasean!

I thought I would post my last two weeks menus in case any of you can gleen any inspiration! ;)

Monday- BLT's
Tuesday- Stew
Wednesday- Green Bean Chicken Bake
Thursday- Cowboy Spaghetti
Friday- Oh So Tender BBQ Chicken
Saturday- Breakfast
Sunday- Upside Down Deep Dish Pizza

Monday- Easy Chicken Mac
Tuesday- Fried Chicken & Mashed Potatoes
Wednesday- Ham & Potatoes
Thursday- Grilled Cheese & Tomato soup
Friday- Rehersal dinner
Saturday- OUT
Sunday- OUT

Inspiration anyone?

2009-09-29T18:37:00.001-07:00

Okay, so it feels like fall and even more than that it feels like I should be cooking decent dinners again...So I was thinking it was time to share our menu's again and hope to get inspired by each other. So, here's our week. What are you having?

Mon - Jalapeno popper mac n cheese
Tues - Shepherd's pie stuffed potatoes
Wed - Sweet n sour chicken and rice
Thur - Tamale pie casserole
Fri - tbd
Sat - Hot wing pizza

Frozen Pizza Dough

2009-09-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't actually done this yet, but have wanted to for a while. I'm too cheap to buy pizza dough ready made, but sometimes would like the convenience of having it in the freezer ready to just plop on the counter and roll out. Here's a recipe I found that looks pretty simple. I plan to give it a try this week.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/4-oz. packet active dry yeast
3 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for coating
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

Place 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the water. Let the yeast float there for 1 minute, then stir it into the water. Let the yeast "proof" for 10 minutes. It should bubble a bit; if it doesn't, the yeast is outdated and inactive.

Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl, then stir in the remaining water, and add the olive oil, flour and salt. With a wooden spoon, mix the dough until it forms a ball. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.

Coat the inside of a large glass or ceramic bowl with olive oil. Press the ball of dough into the bottom of the bowl, then flip the dough over so the oiled side is on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Makes 1 1/2 pounds of dough.

FREEZING DOUGH:
To freeze pizza dough, punch it down once it has risen, place it in a zip-top bag and freeze it. When you need it, thaw it early in the day, then shape it once it is no longer cold.

To freeze individual crusts, roll the dough and freeze the rounds on baking sheets, then remove and place them in plastic bags. When it is time to assemble the pizzas, simply apply the toppings to the frozen disks.