See Them Cook

A Friend of a Friend's Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2012-02-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

This is hands down my favorite soup recipe, not just chicken noodle soup recipe, soup recipe. It is so good. It is not figure friendly in the least but it's totally worth it. I have had to give this recipe out so many times I though HELLO, post it to the food blog. Because seriously this is the best chicken noodle soup you will ever eat.

Cook 2 lbs chicken with 4 bouillon cubes (I don’t like boiled chicken, I bake my chicken and add it later. I add enough water to cover all of the vegetables by a good inch, I add 4 bouillon cubes to my vegetable water).

1 onion diced

5-6 cups potatoes

3-4 cups carrots

1 cup celery

1 T. Sage

1 tsp. celery salt

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. season salt

Cook the above ingredients until barely tender

Add:

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup evaporate milk (I just add a whole can, why not?)

1 16 oz. size sour cream

Stir up and then add the homemade noodles. Cook the noodles until they are done and enjoy!

Noodle recipe:

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

1/2 egg shell filled twice

1 1/2 cup-2 cups of flour-just until dough is stiff

Roll out on a floured surface. Cut with a pizza cutter, let dry for at least 2 hours.

This soup makes a huge pot. Just so you know!

Best Cold Spinach Dip EVER

2012-02-13T16:38:00.000-08:00

My neighbor brought this to a party and imagine my shock when she told me it was the recipe on the back of the Knorr packet! Since then I have consumed two entire bowls of this dip single handedly. Quick easy and so so good!

10 ounce box frozen spinach, cooked, and drained (squeezed really really well)

1 packet of vegetable soup mix (any packet will do, not just Knorr)

16 ounces of sour cream

1 cup mayo

1 can water chestnuts, chopped

3 green onions chopped

Combine everything and mix well. Serve with crackers, veggies, or bread!

The Best Cookies

2012-02-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

Yes it's true. I found in on Pinterest and these are the best cookies. Check them out, meanwhile I think I will go eat one now!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

2012-01-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

Found this recipe on Brown Eyed Baker - if you love cookie dough you MUST try it!

Yield: 32 brownies

Prep Time: 40 minutes | Bake Time: 25 minutes

For the Brownie:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

For the Cookie Dough:
¾ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups mini chocolate chips

1. Prepare the Brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil, with enough to hang over all four sides. Butter the foil. In a medium glass bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract, scraping the bowl as needed. Mix in the melted chocolate until combined. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour and mix just until combined (don’t over-mix). Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

2. Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to combine the butter and both sugars. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Spread the cookie dough over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about an hour. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter (my favorite way to slice brownies!) to cut the brownies. Store the brownies in an airtight container at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Creamy Cauliflower Brie Soup

2012-01-30T12:59:00.000-08:00

My mother in law and I made this recipe over the weekend - I am ADDICTED. So delicious! Its a weight watchers recipe and is only 3 points per serving. We didnt have any Brie cheese so we subbed low fat cream cheese. Its the Thyme that makes the soup so good - so dont skip or sub that with a different spice!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large head cauliflower , chopped
1 onion , diced
3 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon thyme
6 ounces brie cheese , rind removed ( we used low fat cream cheese instead)
salt and pepper , to taste
Directions:
In a large sauce pan, saute onion in olive oil until transparent. Add cauliflower and cook on medium for 5-7 minutes stirring often. Sprinkle flour over tender crisp cauliflower and then pour in chicken broth. Add milk and cook until mixture begins to thicken. Stir in thyme and brie and remove from heat. Stir until brie is melted and then add salt and pepper if desired. Use an emersion blender to blend soup or transfer to a blender or food processor instead.

We only blended up half the soup so it was chunky.

German pancakes and buttermilk syrup

2012-01-15T21:19:00.000-08:00

I woke up craving German pancakes this morning so I tried out this recipe. The syrup is what makes them so incredible!

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

BUTTERMILK SYRUP:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
confectioners' sugar
Directions

Place the eggs, milk, flour and salt in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour the butter into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish; add the batter. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the first five syrup ingredients; bring to a boil. Boil for 7 minutes or until a caramel color. Remove from the heat; serve immediately.

Mennonite Apple Cake

2012-01-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

Another mennonite recipe that was a WINNER! The only thing I changed was the baking time - my cake was done in 31 minutes! So keep an eye on it!

original recipe and photos here

Apple Cake

4 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup oil

3 cups coarsely grated apple

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Combine eggs, sugar and oil in mixer.

Add apples.

Add remaining ingredients and mix .

Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes.

Frost with cream cheese icing when cool.

Cream Cheese Icing

4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 brick)

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups icing sugar...or until desired thickness

Cream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Crab and Lobster Bisque Lasagna

2012-01-13T12:53:00.000-08:00

* not my photo - thanks google image search!

Last night I had a mad scientist moment and invented this lasagna. I loved it and will make it again! Super easy (much easier than regular lasagna. It was ready to bake in 5 minutes. ) Hart and Jory liked it -- their kids did not!

Ingredients:
1 bag of finely shredded mozzerella cheese
1 bag of grated parmesan
2 cans of crab
1 container of Lobster Bisque soup (got mine at fred meyer, but costco also carries it. )
1 box lasagna noodles
4 ounces of cream cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper

Method:
Boil noodles, set aside
In kitchen aid beat cream cheese till soft. Add cottage cheese, crab meat, and egg. Stir together gently. ( I also added about 1/4 cup of both shredded cheeses to this)

In 9x13 pan layer these ingredients:
soup
noodles
crab mixture - topped with handfuls of grated cheese
soup
noodles
crab mixture toped with more cheese
soup
noodles

After you place your last layer of noodles, dump the remaining soup over the entire lasagna and sprinkle all the remaining cheese over the top.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes (remove foil for last 15 minutes)
* We ate this with warm crusty bread and salad with the apple cake for dessert

Weird & Wonderful

2012-01-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

Beer Bread

3 cups Self-Rising Flour
3 TB Sugar
12 oz bottle of beer (non-alcoholic will do)

Mix all ingredients together and put into greased loaf pan. Let rise 30 minutes in a warm spot. Bake at 350 45-60 minutes (depending on your oven) or until golden brown.

*I never, ever cook it for more than 45 minutes. As soon as it is just starting to get golden brown on top take it out. This isn’t good the next day, so eat it up!

Katie’s Chili

Brown and drain:

½ cup onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef

Then add:

½ cup water
2/3 cup ketchup
¼ cup diced celery
2 TB lemon juice
1 TB brown sugar
1 TB Worcestershire Sauce
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp vinegar
¼ tsp dry mustard
1 tsp Accent
2 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans, undrained
2 small (8oz) cans tomato sauce
1 TB chili powder

Simmer 30 minutes. Top with cheese and sour cream. Dip bread.

* I am not a usual big chili fan, but this has a sweet and tangy sauce that was yummy. I add more vegetables when I make it too- that's the thing, throw anything in the sauce and it will be delish!

French Bread - Mgcc

2012-01-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

I fail at breads big time. So when I tried this recipe and it turned out, I had to post it here! Easy breezy. Thanks MGCC

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cooking oil
2 tsp salt
2 cups hot tap water
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour
2 Tbsp instant yeast

Method:
Mix in order given, mixing the yeast with a little flour and adding that while dough is still very soft. Add enough flour to make a dough that holds together in a ball shape and is not sticky if you handle it with floured hands. Cover.
Let rise until double, about 1/2 hour. Divide in half.
Roll out to about 12x15” rectangle. Roll up jelly roll style and place on greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Cut diagonal slits on top. Let rise about 30 - 45 min. Brush with mixture of 1 egg and 2 Tbsp milk, beaten with fork.
Bake at 400F for 20 min, or until golden.

For Pizza:
Instead of rolling out the dough, just divide and press onto 2 pizza pans. Bake at 400F until light golden - just done. About 12 minutes.
Spread lightly with pizza or spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with any cold cuts you want . . . ham, salami, pepperoni, cooked hamburger (left over sloppy joe sauce) or cooked chicken, slivered peppers, grated cheese (mozzarella, or assortment). Sprinkle with oregano and basil. Bake at 375, about 15 min.

focaccia bread:
Add about 1 Tbsp of each (fresh if possible) thyme, oregano, rosemary, chopped into tiny bits,
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 1- 2 tsp garlic powder to the dough, as you're mixing it. Cover and let rise.
Press dough into 2 - 8 X 8 greased pans. Make indentations with end of wooden spoon and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal and rosemary (optional)
Cover and rise 1/2 hour. Bake until light golden, about 25 - 30 minutes. Serve with Olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

dipping bread:
Use any kind of combination of flour and grains that you like, roll out to make long skinny loaves (baguettes) and slice at an angle. Great with Spinach dip.

Buffalo Chicken Balls

2012-01-01T16:50:00.000-08:00

These are my favorite appetizer at the moment....and can easily be made gluten free by using non breaded chicken, and GF panko (at fred meyer) or substituting GF bread crumbs. Mom, do you have a picture of these from last night???

Ingredients:

For balls:
1/2 a bag of frozen fully cooked breaded chicken strips (sometimes called fritters)
1 1/2 cups of hot sauce
1 stick of butter
2 celery ribs finely diced
2 green onions finely diced
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola
4 ounces cream cheese (half a brick)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

For coating:
Flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 eggs beaten
Panko bread crumbs (about 2 1/2 cups)

Oil for frying

Method:
Bake or microwave chicken strips according to directions.
To make the buffalo sauce combine hot sauce and butter in small saucepan and melt together (can also be done in microwave)
Dice up chicken and combine with buffalo sauce. Drain off excess sauce.
Dump buffalo chicken into kitchen aid
Add diced celery, green onions, blue and cheddar cheeses, and room temp cream cheese, and stir until combined.

To coat:
Dump flour onto a plate. Dump beaten eggs onto another plate, and panko onto a 3rd plate.
Roll buffalo mixture into 1 inch balls
roll the balls into flour
roll the floured balls in the egg
roll the egg balls in the panko
*you can put the prepared balls in the fridge at this point if you made them ahead. I just seal them in a tupperware container

fry in hot oil until golden brown

Morroccan Dip

2012-01-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

Here is the Mango Curry dip from the MGCC site. I changed it up a bit, but the idea is generally the same. I used full fat cream cheese, light sour cream, regular raisins, and spiced apricot jam in place of the chutney which I could not find in walmart (maybe fred meyer has it though?) Either way this recipe is a keeper for us. Even Gabe who claims to despise Indian food quite liked this and we at half a plate together watching Casablanca. Try it...you'll like it!

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese
2 Tablespoons sour cream I used 4T because it was still really thick after just 2T
1 tablespoon curry powder Looks like they use yellow curry, but I used red curry powder, and closer to 2T
2/3 cups mango chutney
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup pecans, chopped

Method:

Mix cream cheese, sour cream and curry powder together until well blended.
Spread over bottom of serving dish.
Spread mango chutney over cream cheese mixture.
Combine green onions, raisins and chopped pecans and sprinkle over chutney.
Serve with crackers.

Note ~ Mango chutney can be found in the 'Asian foods' section at the grocery store.

Boston Cream Pie - Mgcc

2012-01-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

Here is the Boston cream pie recipe that I made for New Years Eve. The only thing I will do differently next time is frost the cake with chocolate frosting instead of he Ganache ( or at least I will use milk chocolate instead of semi sweet!). But I think Im in love and will make this annually. Its a little labor intensive...but not hard! And totally worth it.

From MGCC

Cake

1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk. . add a teaspoon of lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit five minutes)
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F
Put parchment paper at the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan or regular cake pan.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Add the buttermilk, egg yolks, and oil and vanilla.
Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl.
Fold the egg whites into the batter with a spatula until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean.
Let stand 10 minutes and then cool on a wire rack.

Custard

1 1/4 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream .. un-whipped (you can use all milk. .for a lighter version)
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the sugar and the cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan.
Add the egg yolks and stir well.
Add the milk and the cream and whisk together.
Heat over medium heat, stirring often to prevent scorching. .. or cook it in the microwave until boiling. .stirring every minute.
Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Heat the cream over medium heat until it begins to bubble ..near boil.
Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips and stir until smooth.
Allow to cool to room temperature.

Assembling cake

Slice the cake in half as shown.
Pour a bit of custard over the bottom layer and let sit for awhile to set. . .add more when you can see it won't run over the sides. .the custard will have to be just slightly warm or even cooler for it not to run over.
Put the top layer over the custard.
Drizzle over the chocolate ganache and chill until ready to serve.

Piper's Rolls

2011-12-20T08:42:00.001-08:00

When Scott and I were in our married BYU ward we became friends with Piper and Ryan. That is where I heard and fell in love with the name and named my daughter after her. Anyway Piper came over one day and brought us the best rolls I'd ever tasted in my life. I of course had to get the recipe. The real secret weapon to these rolls is a Bosch mixer. You could maybe half the batch and try it in a kitchen aid or do it old school by hand like the pioneers. No thank you!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup hot water
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)
6 tbsp yeast
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
6 beaten eggs
1 1/8 c sugar (or 1 cup and 2 tbsp, that took me awhile to figure out!)
6 cups flour
1 1/2 cups melted butter
3 tsp salt
6 cups flour

1. Add and mix the first four ingredients (let sit for 5 minutes)
2. Add eggs and sugar (mix well)
3. Add 6 cups of flour (quick stir until wet)
4. Add 1 1/2 cups melted butter and salt (mix well)
5. Add 6 cups flour (quick stir until wet)
6. Mix on high for 10 minutes
7. Raise for 30 minutes
8. Roll/tie into knots
9. Raise for 1 hour
10. Bake at 350 about 15 minutes
11. Lightly butter after they are out of the oven
12. Eat Your Heart Out!

Tis the Season (Chocolate Mint Cookies)

2011-12-18T20:49:00.000-08:00

Hello, This is my first post. I am Christy's sister-in-law. Anyway I have picked up a few good recipes and I've been asked to share some. I was on the Sugardoodle website one day for lesson ideas and I got distracted by her recipe section. It happens. So without further ado. Chocolate Mint cookies. It just so happens that I am a sucker for anything chocolate mint and that these are the easiest, most delicious cookies in the world.

Ingredients:
1 box of Devil's Food cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil

Mix ingredients and put into balls. Cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. After you get them out of the oven place an Andes mint on top. Allow a few minutes to melt. Spread and either eat them as a hot mess or wait until they cool and set. I say either way is a win win. I also add chocolate chips to my cookies because really, can you have too much chocolate?

I also made some and added peppermint Hershey kisses on top. Check out this recipe. They make the chocolate cookies from scratch which are probably better but I just do the cake mix thing, I'm telling you easy and delicious.

Hot Mess

Set

Mennonite Cheese Puffs

2011-12-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

Wow, Im really having a great time with these Mennonite recipes! I cant help it, they all look so good! Todays adventure was attempting these tiny delicious cheese puffs. They turned out grand! Perfect to dip in a big bowl of tomato soup. And the best part is, this recipe is completely versatile. Next time im going to throw in chopped bacon and chives :)

I will say that in order to get 3 dozen from this recipe you need to use only teaspoons of dough. I made mine more tablespoon sized and got 20 puffs. So you can make them any size you want. Oh, and mine were done in 17 minutes, not 20.

Also these do have a little cavity in the middle leaving enough space for filling. Im thinking how lovely a little cream cheese and ham would fit nicely inside...NEXT TIME!

These tender little savory puffs are a tasty addition to your party menu. They are quick and easy to make and can be served hot or cold.

1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups shredded cheese..this time I used cheddar and mozzarella, you can use any favorite blends of cheese
2 teaspoons dijon mustard

In a saucepan bring water, butter, salt and cayenne pepper to a boil.
Add flour all at once, stirring until a ball forms, remove from heat.
Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition until mixture is smooth.
Stir in cheese and dijon mustard.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on parchment lined baking sheets 2 inches apart.
Bake at 425º for 20 minutes or until golden in color.
Yield: 3 dozen

Apricot glazed meatballs

2011-12-03T15:49:00.000-08:00

Apricot Glazed Brunch Meatballs

Another Mennonite recipe that IS FANTASTIC! See original Site here.

BASIC MEATBALLS

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. lean hamburger
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 Tbsp ketchup
1/3 cup skim milk powder
1/8 cup water
1 tsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp salt
pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp oregano

Mix and shape into 1 inch meatballs. Bake on foil lined cookie sheet for 20 - 25 min., at 400F. This will make about 70 - 90 meatballs, depending on size.

APRICOT GLAZE (for about 40 meatballs)

Prepare sauce by combining:
1/2 c apricot jam
1/2 c BBQ sauce
2 Tbsp chili sauce
1-2 Tbsp water (optional)
Heat in small saucepan and pour over meatballs. Keep warm or re-heat before serving. For appetizer, serve warm with wooden picks.

Butter Tart Squares

2011-12-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

I made two batches of these for Benetts blessing day brunch. They are SO SO delicious. Oddly enough I hate raisins but you cant even tell thats what the gooey topping is made of! Stolen directly From the Mennonite girls can cook website.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Topping:

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preparation:
Combine flour and sugar. With pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly. Press into cookie sheet (10" x 15"). Bake at 350° F for 15 minutes.
Topping:

Mix together butter and sugar.
Blend in eggs.
Add flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla.
Stir in raisins and pecans.
Pour over base.
Bake at 350° F for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.
Allow to cool...then cut into squares.

*** They said these are good frozen and they ARE! I keep sneaking them out of the freezer and eating them before they thaw~ I hope some make it to sunday!

Chicken teriyaki Rice bowls

2011-11-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

On my list to make for lunch this week! - im going to just use left over Turkey (dont judge!)

3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp corn starch (Plus extra corn starch to coat chicken)

2 chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces and lightly coated with corn starch

2 cups assorted vegetables (We used carrots, broccoli and onions, 2/3 cup each)

1 tbsp freshly minced ginger

2 garlic cloves minced

3 cups cooked brown rice

Peanut or canola oil

1. In a small bowl combine soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, and corn starch. Whisk

together and set aside.

2. Heat a large wok on the stove and just enough peanut oil to lightly coat the wok.

(about 2 tsp. – 1 tbsp)

3. Sauté chicken in the wok until completely cooked. Remove and place on a paper

towel to absorb any excess grease.

4. Transfer the freshly minced ginger, garlic, and vegetables to the wok and sauté

for about 1 minute.

5. Transfer chicken back to the wok and sauté until hot. Add the soy sauce mixture

and cook to thicken.

6. Serve over brown rice and Enjoy!!!! Serves 5

Swedish Meatballs

2011-11-26T11:05:00.001-08:00

Go HERE for photo tutorial from Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms

Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs

2 slices Rye bread, seedless
1 lb. ground beef, 85% lean
1 lb. ground pork
1/4 cup onion, finely minced
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted beef stock

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Gravy

1/3 cup flour
3 1/2 cups unsalted beef stock
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Add the bread to a food processor and pulse until you have fine bread crumbs. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, onion, eggs, allspice, salt, pepper, stock, and bread crumbs.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

4. For each meatball, use 1/4 cup of the meatball mixture and shape into balls. Brown the meatballs in the skillet, on all sides until no longer pink on the outside.

5. Transfer the meatballs to a bowl. Set aside.

6. Add the flour to the skillet and whisk for about a minute.

7. Add the stock and whisk until blended. Add the dill, salt, and pepper. Stir until thickened.

8. Return the meatballs to the pan, cover, and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.

9. Remove the pan from the heat. Uncover and stir in the sour cream. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired. Serve immediately.

Serves: 5

To freeze:

Cover and refrigerate the Swedish Meatballs until cooled completely. Place the meatballs and gravy in freezable containers or freezer bags. Seal, label, and freeze up to 3 months.

I don't know how she does it SOUP

2011-10-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

Too Easy to be so Delicious Tomato Bisque Soup

3 jars tomato basil spaghetti sauce

3 cans chicken broth

2 pints whipping cream

Puree spaghetti sauce in blender or processor. Pour all ingredients into crock pot. Simmer until heated thru.

Serve with sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches.

Bask in the warm glow of compliments from all who partake!

Cheesy baked Polenta

2011-10-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

Photo Here

Oh dear. I have fallen in love with another dish that requires the purchasing of foreign cheeses. The good news is my husband LOVES this and its GLUTEN FREE so it looks like its going to be a staple around our house.

There is a restaurant in Park City called RedRock that we eat at every trip. It has the most delicious wild mushroom polenta dish that is served on a bed of house marinara. It is TO DIE FOR. I assumed it was complicated to make, or else why isnt everyone in the world eating pounds and pounds of polenta???? Turns out - its SOOOO easy. Basically like making cream of wheat and stirring in a bunch of cheese, then baking it. We tried it for dinner tonight and it was quick and delicious!!! I highly recommend it.

This recipe is from the NY times. Use it as a base and vary it however you like. I used gorgonzola cheese instead, but you could easily sub any kind of cheese and add in any stir ins (like bacon, peppers, mushrooms, etc.) Also, once you bake this - you could top it with just abut anything.

1/2 pound (one cup) finely ground yellow cornmeal (I used quick cook polenta from a box)
3 tablespoons minced onion
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups of grated Gruyère cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Bring 31/2 cups of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Gradually stir in the cornmeal and onion with a wooden spoon. Simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Stir often. (Mine cooked in about 2 minutes!)
3. Stir the butter, salt, pepper, eggs and 1 cup of the cheese into the cornmeal. (I thought the eggs would scramble but they dont, I had the butter, cheese and eggs all stirred together in a bowl then I just dumped them in and whisked everything up. Smooth as silk!)
4. Spread the mixture evenly in a shallow baking dish. (I used a 9' round glass pie plate) Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake until the topping is melted and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Other Polenta recipes to try:
Basic side dish polenta
Bacon Wrapped eggs with polenta
Lemon basil marinara & polenta stuffed portabello mushrooms

No Knead Artisan Bread

2011-10-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

This delicious bread has just four basic ingredients: Flour, water, salt and yeast. No sugar or added fats. Plus, there is NO KNEADING! None! Time does all the work in creating the gluten that gives bread its unique structure.

In a large glass or ceramic mixing bowl, (NOT metal) combine:

3 cups all purpose flour or bread flour
1 1/2 - 2 1/2 teaspoons salt (depends on your taste)
1/4 teaspoon instant dry yeast

Mix well to combine dry ingredients

Add:

1 1/2 cups water

Mix well with a spoon. No need to beat this , just get all the flour absorbed - you might need a little extra water if it's very dry where you are. Make sure you purchase instant yeast such as Rapid Rise from Fleischmann's or Quick Rise from Red Star. You only need 1/4 teaspoon, not the whole package.

Cover your dough (it will not be very pretty) with plastic wrap and place in a warm place. I find the microwave oven (off, of course) makes an excellent resting place. I usually make this in the evening so I can bake bread the next evening. Or do it in the morning and bake the next morning. Once your dough has rested for 12 hours, it should be very bubbly and doubled in size. You can choose to stir the dough down and have it rise again if you need to delay the baking process, up to 24 hours or more, especially if you like more of a sourdough taste. I find that if you make the dough in the evening, stirring it down in the morning and then letting it rise again during the day gives excellent results.

This part can be a little sticky and tricky, so be patient. Your dough should be well risen after the 19-24 hour rest period. Sprinkle some flour over the top and start scooping the dough together - use more flour if you need to. This is the time to add in any extras you might like - rosemary, basil, dill, cheese, olives, etc.
Place the dough on a well-floured piece of parchment paper. It MUST be WELL floured, or the dough will stick. Now, simply fold the dough from the sides, and then the top and bottom, like you were folding all four sides to the center, and flip it over. Roll up the top of the parchment paper so the dough has a little covering, like a tent. Parchment paper should be available in any grocery store - you can also use waxed paper.

Perhaps the second most crucial part of this recipe (after the long rise period) is the selection of a baking dish. You need to essentially create "an oven within an oven" which will produce the steam you need to achieve the wonderful crust. Selecting a proper baking pan means finding a round baking dish that can handle lots of heat and has a lid. A cast iron or enameled pot is perfect. I used stainless steel and it worked great! About 1/2 hour before baking, place your baking dish as selected above in a cold oven to pre-heat. You should not need to grease the pan, but you can if you choose to. When the oven has reached that temperature, open the oven door and pull out the rack (wearing oven mitts) with your preheated pan. Take the dough in the parchment paper and "plop" it into the pan - PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL AS THE OVEN AND THE PAN ARE VERY HOT!!! It does not need to be all nice and perfect - this is a rustic loaf. Carefully place the lid on the pot and slide slowly back into the oven. Close the oven door and set the timer for 30 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR TO PEEK!

After 30 minutes, open the oven and CAREFULLY remove the pot lid, wearing your oven mitts. Set the lid aside to cool. Close the oven door and set your timer for 20 minutes - oven temperature stays the same at 475 degrees. After 20 minutes, check the loaf to see if it has sufficiently browned. If not, let it bake an additional 5-7 minutes. Now, the moment! Carefully remove the baking bowl from the oven. Flip the bread out of the baking dish and carefully place the bread on a cooling rack. If all went right, you should have a beautiful rustic loaf that will SING to you - as the bread cools, you will hear crackling noises which indicate your crust is perfect! See what a nice finish the dusting flour gives?

ENJOY!!!

Buffalo Chicken Soup

2011-10-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

Oh MY! Scoot over corn chowder, this soup is Uh-MAAA-Zing! Plus you can whip it up in like 30 minutes. BIG HIT with the whole family!!!!

Buffalo Chicken SOUP
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced **** I shredded one savory rotisserie chicken!
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese (or mozzarella)
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons of Italian parsley, chopped finely

Preparation:
1. Cook chicken as you like. I did a quick marinade of salt, pepper, lemon zest, and the juice of one lemon, 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary and thyme. Baked it for 25 minutes. - Again, I used a rotisserie
2. Saute mirepoix (carrots, celery and onions) until tender.
3. Stir in broth, heavy cream and hot sauce.
4. In a bowl, toss all the cheeses together and flour. Mix well. Gradually add to soup.
5. Heat until thick and hot, serve with additional hot sauce and extra blue cheese. AND CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Best Frosting Ever

2011-09-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

(thanks tasty kitchen)

In small saucepan add 5T of flour to 1 cup of milk (preferably whole). Stirring constantly until it makes a thick paste. Stir in 2 tsp vanilla and set aside.

Meanwhile, whip together on high 1 cup of softened butter (Not melted) and 1 cup of WHITE sugar (NOT POWDERED).

When paste is completely cooled, add it to the butter/sugar mixture and whip together for about 2-3 minutes until no longer grainy.
*at this point you can add in 1 cup of whipped cream cheese if you want. Room temp is best

Do not make ahead and refrigerate - it turns hard and tastes weird
use only on completely cooled cakes or it will melt.

Gabes Birthday Cake

2011-09-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

(photo courtesy of cakerecipehouse)

Here is the recipe I adapted for Gabe's Birthday. Moist, and dense, this cake seriously hits the spot if you are craving something uber rich and sweet. Dont be scared of the sour cream and boiling water.... somehow it works!

Ingredients:
1 cup of melted choclate chips
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water

Assembly:
In mixer throw in butter and sugar and whip together for 2 minutes. Add eggs and whip for another 3 minutes. When it is light and fluffy add in melted chocolate, vanilla, and cocoa powder.

In seperate bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

Alternately add in parts of sour cream and dry ingredients until well combined.

Stir in boiling water (batter will be THIN)

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes in a well greased 9x13 pan, or alternately in two 9 inch pans for 35 minutes.
Once completely cooled, top with the best frosting ever and sliced almonds.

French Dip

2011-09-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

I Stole this recipe from my one friend Amy. She even bought my beer for me the first time I made it! Feeds 6 people, but I always double it.

Just salt and pepper your roast, put it in the crock pot, add all the liquids, and turn it on Hi all day long. Serve on buttered rolls with provolone cheese.

Ingredients:

4lbs roast (rump, round, whatever)

1 can beer

1 can french onion soup

1 can beef consomme

Once the meat is soft and falling apart I take it out and shred it, then throw it back in the juice. Butter rolls and lay down cheese. Use tongs to place heaping spoonfulls of meat onto the roll. Ladle a spoonfull of sauce over meat and then more sauce into a dipping bowl.

Enjoy

Homemade Marinara: Garden Tomatos

2011-09-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

This was SO easy, SO delicious. I can't believe I have ever eaten bottled sauce when this is floating around in the universe. Recipe is from a site called Fashionably Foodie. I demand you try it!

fresh tomato marinara sauce
an original recipe by rachelle
8 big garden tomatoes, or 10 romas (must be garden fresh. no blando supermart tomatoes! if you must, use a couple big 28 oz cans/quarts of tomatoes.)
1/2 onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

drop half of the tomatoes into boiling water in a big stockpot and boil for 45 seconds. remove to a big bowl of ice water. repeat with the other half of the tomatoes. peel dump the water out of the stockpot to use for sauce. set aside.

chop the onion. preheat the oil in the stockpot. (sure you could use less oil, but it adds richness and flavor. minimum 2 Tbsp. ok.) drop the onion in the oil and soften for 5 mins over medium heat.

working quickly, peel the skins off of the tomatoes, they should slide right off after you break the skin. cut out cores and cut tomatoes into big 2-3 inch chunks. (they cook so long, they break down. you can cut them in huge quarters.)

drop the tomatoes into the pot with the onions. add in all of the tomatoes, the garlic and the bay leaf. bring to a boil. hard simmer for a half hour.

add basil, oregano, salt, and sugar. adjust seasonings to taste. (it just depends on your tomatoes. sometimes you need more or less salt, more sugar, just taste. but for heavens sakes, blow on the spoon alot before you taste. just a tip i've come by the hard way. six thousand times.)

hard simmer another half hour. liquid should have boiled down and reduced by about half. stir in balsamic vinegar. taste, maybe add another teaspoon balsamic.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2011-09-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

(photo: here)

Gabe and I just discovered that we LOVE this salad. I think we will be adding it into our meal rotaion from now on. Its filling enough to be a main dish and light enough to eat a LOT of it!

Here is the recipe I cam up with that my family liked best:

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie chicken
1 head of chopped green leaf or romaine lettuce (or 1 bag of salad mix)
1/2 bag shredded cabbage
5 Green onions
2 shredded carrots
Handful of sliced almonds
Wonton wrappers

Sweet Sesame Dressing:

2/3 C rice vinegar
1 C canola oil
2 Tbs sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced
2 Tbs soy sauce
1/2 C sugar
4 Tbs sesame seeds

Directions:

In a large bowl combine chicken, onions, lettuce, cabbage, and carrotts. Fry wonton wrappers in oil, drain and crumble into salad. Toss with sweet sesame dressing. Sprinkle almonds on top and serve!

* You can add mandarin oranges in if you like. but I despise fruit with meat.

Creamy Lemon Chive Pasta

2011-05-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a new way to make your own Brad Pitt swoon on a regular week day night, look no further than this delicious pasta dish! I tried it out with a side of grilled lemon chicken, spicy green beans, and fresh strawberries and it was divine. And totally kid friendly! (Except for my kids. Because they won't eat anything with "black specks" on it... i.e., pepper. But if you have NORMAL children, they will love it!)

Creamy Lemon and Chive Pasta

{click here to visit Simply Scratch for the full recipe and amazing photos!}

Ingredients:

1 pound Dried Farfalle Pasta

2 small or 1 medium Shallot, diced small

1-2 tablespoons Extra Light Olive Oil

2 teaspoons All-Purpose Flour

1/2 cup Dry White Wine

1 cup Heavy Cream

1/4 cup Fresh Chives, Chopped

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper, or more to taste

1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Zest

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation:

Prepare the pasta according to package directions, reserving a cup of pasta water. Mean while sauté the diced shallots in olive oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Once the shallots have softened, sprinkle with two teaspoons of flour and cook for one minute. Stir in white wine until flour is dissolved and bring to a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low and add heavy cream, chives, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Grate a teaspoon of lemon zest and 1/2 cup Parmesan over the pasta and toss. Thin out with a little of the reserved pasta water, then divide among four plates and garnish more Parmesan if desired.

Chicken tortilla soup

2011-01-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

(photo courtesy of vittleante)

This is my favorite mexican soup. Gluten free - and adapted from The Barefoot Contessa's recipe. Enjoy!

4 chicken breasts
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 boxes of chicken stock (or 4 cans)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (skip these if you are feeding kids)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas

Bake chicken ( I douse mine with paprika, cumin, garlic powder, cariander, and lots of salt!) then shred. set aside. In large pot, saute onions, carrots, and celery until onions are translucent. Add garlic and saute another 5 mins. Add chicken stock and can of tomatoes. Dump in cooked shredded chicken. Add spices and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer over medium heat until carrots are fork tender (about an hour or less). Cut tortillas into thin strips and dump into soup. Stir until well incorporated and soft.

Ladle into bowls, top with cilantro, shredded cheese, and a dallop of sour cream!

Killer Carrot Cake + Frosting

2011-01-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

(Image: bestcarrotrecipe.com)

This recipe is from my mother in law Shelley, who just so happens to arguably be the BEST cake maker I know. This Carrot cake is KILLER. I could spread the frosting on spencer and lick him to death. oh wait, thats what Brigitte did.

Cake:

1-1/4 tea. vanilla

1 tea. soda

1 tea. salt

1 tea. commanding

3/4 C. of oil

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 can drained 20 oz. crushed pineapple

3 cups flour

1 C. raisins

2 C. nuts(I put in tons of nuts)

2 C. grated carrots

Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes

Frosting:

8 oz. softened cream cheese

2 tea. vanilla

3/4 cube butter(more is good)

dash of salt

2- 1/3 powdered sugar

Annettes Gazpacho

2011-01-05T13:55:00.000-08:00

(Image: www.whatscookingamerica.net)

This is the best Gazpacho Ive ever had. The prefect acidic dish to fix those pesky pregnancy cravings if you are having a girl :)

Annette's Gazpacho

Place in a blender and puree:

2-4 tomatoes (can use canned tomatoes if fresh ones are not available)

2 T. lemon juice

1 t. oregano

Small amount of snipped fresh rosemary (or I sometimes use rosemary olive oil)

3 T. olive oil

1 clove garlic

V-8 – maybe about 1- 1 ½ cups

Pour this over chopped up veggies of your choice – mushrooms, tomatoes, avocados, celery, cucumbers. Add more V-8 to make it the consistency you like. I also sometimes put finely chopped spinach in the Gazpacho.

Pumpkin Roll

2011-01-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
FILLING:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)photo coming soon

Directions

FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease cookie sheet; line with tin foil.
COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel (heavily sprinkled with powdered sugar). Carefully peel off foil. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
FOR FILLING:
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
COOKING TIP:Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

Pumpkin + Goat Cheese Lasagna

2011-01-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

(Image: foodies.blogs.gadsdentimes.com)

Sometimes you just have a craving for something strange. This dish was the perfect solution to one such night late in October. I blame all the pumpkins lit up with their angry toothless mocking faces. So I baked one into a lasagna. Take that pumpkins.

PUMPKIN AND GOAT CHEESE LASAGNA

1 pound dried lasagna noodles

Goat Cheese Bechamel Sauce:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
2 ounces fresh creamy goat cheese, freshly grated Parmesan cheese or mascarpone
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Filling:
29-ounce can pumpkin purée
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh creamy goat cheese
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Topping:
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

First, prepare the lasagna noodles: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and fill a large mixing bowl with ice and water. Boil the noodles until al dente, tender but still very chewy, about eight minutes. Drain them and immediately transfer to the bowl of ice water. Lightly oil a baking sheet with some olive oil. Drain the noodles from the ice water, and arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheet, not overlapping. Set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, start the Goat Cheese Bechamel Sauce: In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Continuously stirring with a wire whisk, sprinkle in the flour; continue cooking, constantly stirring, for five minutes. Briskly whisking, slowly pour in the milk. Stir in the goat cheese, salt and pinch of nutmeg. Bring to a gentle simmer and continue cooking, frequently stirring, until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside.

To make the Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, thyme, sage, nutmeg, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, mascarpone, 1/4 cup Parmesan, brown sugar, goat cheese, salt and pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

For the lasagna assembly: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the inside of a 13-by-9-by-3-inch lasagna pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread a third of the pumpkin mixture on the bottom of the pan. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, placed lengthwise side by side. Spread another third of the filling over the noodles, and top with 3/4 cup of bechamel. Top with another layer of pasta, the remaining filling and another 3/4 cup of bechamel. Cover with a final layer of noodles, and all the remaining bechamel. Evenly sprinkle with the 1/2 cup each of breadcrumbs and Parmesan.

Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray, and place it sprayed side down over the lasagna pan, folding the edges over. Bake until the lasagna is heated through and bubbling, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake until the topping is golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, and let the lasagna settle for 10 minutes. With a sharp knife, cut it into rectangles or squares. Use a spatula to transfer them from the pan to serving plates.

Serves 10 as an appetizer, six as a main course.

Lloyd's Famous Rolls

2011-01-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

(Image: whatscookingamerica.net)

One of my Laurels Lexi LLoyd used to leave me these rolls in my mailbox whenever her mom made them. thats how much I loved them. I tried to make them at Thanksgiving and they tasted good, but didnt look like they should have. Breads in general hate me. Oh well. Make these. And leave some in my mailbox if you love me.

Andrea Lloyd's rolls (also her cinnamon roll recipe)

Microwave for 3 1/2 mins:

1 cup milk

1/2 cube butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

Add to the above with a fork:

1 cup water with a little ice

2 Tbsp yeast

1 whipped egg

Add 4 cups of flour and mix it all up in the trusty old kitchen aide. Cover and let rise about 1 hour (until it doubles). Punch it down and let rise again. Punch again. Then she takes a handful and pinches the dough off (hehe) into little balls. Place them onto a cookie sheet or 9x13 and bake at 365 for 13-20 mins. (quite broad - I guess just watch them)

I always keep a bag of the always delicious Rhodes rolls on hand just in case these don't turn out. :)

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

2011-01-05T13:31:00.000-08:00

(image: hellyaitsvegan.com)

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

Now mind you, I am sending you the recipe straight up as it is. Vegan. Make any adjustments you need. I don't have special graham crackers and I just use regular old chocolate chips.

1/2 cup Earth Balance butter

3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 10 squares)

1/4 cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener (sometimes I use brown rice syrup)

1 cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips

1/4 cup soy, rice, or nut milk

1/4 cup chipped pecans, almonds, or peanuts

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the pb, graham cracker crumbs, and maple sugar and mix well. Remove the mixture from the heat. Evenly devide the mixture, approximately 2 Tbsp per cup, among the muffin cups.

Combine the chocolate and milk in another pan. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted. Spoon the chocolate evenly over the pb mixture. Top with chopped nuts. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving.

Easy Tortellini Soup

2010-10-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

Make this for company, serve it in a bread bowl, and call yourself Martha Stewart. Its that impressive!

1 package of refrigerated tortellini (any flavor you like)
2 cans of chicken broth
1 jar of oil packed sun dried tomatoes (drained)
1 jar of light alfredo ( Call me Valerie Bertinelli but I tend to go full fat here)
Some cooked chicken (I love rotisserie, but frozen breasts (cooked up of course) or even canned works great too)
Handfulls of baby spinach
Salt/Pepper

In pot dump in chicken stock, chicken, tomatoes, and alfredo sauce. When boiling, dump in pasta - cook per directions (boil 8 minutes) then remove from heat. Throw in your spinach - as much as you like. Serve with grated parm on top. SO GOOD! warning: photo above was a double batch!

Amys magic egg free chocolate cake!

2010-10-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

This is the BEST chocolate cake ever. So moist you could squish it into a ball and eat it in one sitting. That might be a confession.... and whatever you do - DOUBLE the frosting.

3 cups flour
2 c sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups water
3/4 cups veg oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp vinegar

Throw in the dry ingredients, add the wet. Toss in the kitchen aid and mix. Batter will be thin.
Bake 350 for 25 mins in a 9x13 pan. (sometimes mine take longer)

FROSTING:
3 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
2 cups pwdr sugar
1/3 c cocoa
dash salt
3T milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

canning peaches

2010-09-03T09:02:00.001-07:00

1. Have clean Canner ready and clean jars/lids/rings, etc.
2. pour boiling water over peaches & let sit for 15 minutes so the skins slip off.
3. place 7 clean quart size bottles into the rack that goes into the Canner.
4. Remove peach skins & pits, then halve or slice and fill the jars - leaving 1 inch space at top.
5. pour 1/4 - 1/2 cup of sugar into each jar.
6. add in very hot or boiling water to each jar leaving 1/2 inch space from the top of the jar.
7. place the rack with the jars into a Canner of hot water.
8. make sure the jars are covered with 1 inch of water.
9. bring to a full boil.
10. let boil for 20 minutes.
11. lift rack part way out of Canner to cool for a few minutes.
12. place hot jars (rightside up) on a towel to cool.

Apricot jam

2010-09-01T18:54:00.001-07:00

1. clean jars / lids ready to go. Place in shallow pan filled with 3 inches water. Place in lids/rings and add jars on top. Bring to boil and let simmer until ready to use.
2. wash apricots
3. remove pits
4. chop in blender for 5 cups
5. pour into large pan
6. add 1/4 cup lemon juice
7. add 1 pkg pectin
8. bring to roiling boil
9. add 5 cups sugar
10. bring to roiling boil while stirring
11. boil 1-3 minutes; until jam
thickens slightly on spoon
12. pour into hot jars, filling to 1/8 inch from the top. Wipe rim clean. Place lids & rings. Screw rings tightly and place upside down on a towel. Let cool 1/2 hr and turn upright.

making plum jam

2010-08-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

My mom came to visit and brought plums to can! I'm so excited for the jam!
Here are step by step instructions.

before you start: have your jars & lids washed & ready to go. We used Costco peach jars and their original lids... my mom said you can reuse lids if the rubber seal is still good. So we did.

As you are starting the plums put the lids in a shallow pan of water on the stove and set the jars upside down on the lids so they can steam & get sterilized. Keep them on a low boil to keep them hot.

1. wash the plums
2. cut in half and take the pits out.
3. place plums in the blender for 1-2 minutes - until blended
4. in large plan heat plum mixture until boiling
5. add in sugar - equal cups for the number of cups of plums (we used 12 cups of plums and added in 12 cups of sugar).
6. bring plums & sugar to roiling boil.
7. boil for 1 minute for each cup of plums, since we had a double batch of 12 cups we added a couple of minutes so we boiled ours for 14 minutes.
8. test plums by stirring and holding up a spoon letting the jam drip back into the pan. It should slow down and start to thicken on the spoon.
9. over a cookie sheet place the hot jars and pour the hot jam directly into the jars; immediately place the lids tightly on.
10. Turn hot jars with jam and the lid tightly secured upside down on a towel.
11. turn over in 1/2 hour after they are sealed.
12. Done!

Banana Flaxy Nut Muffins

2010-07-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

BANANA FLAXY NUT MUFFINS

These are delicious nutty and healthy. Enjoy.

1/3 cup butter

4 ripe mashed bananas

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup walnuts

1/4 cup flax seeds

Mix egg, bananas, butter. Add powder, soda, nuts, salt, and flax. Dump flour in last. Stir and pour into 12 greased muffin cups.

Bake 350 for 15-20 mins

Pioneer Woman Salsa

2010-07-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

I never thought I liked salsa. And then I met the Pioneer Woman and she taught me how to make this delicious quick & easy addicting recipe. The secret is of course: NO CHUNKS. (Who knew that chunky texture was the culprit behind my disdain ??)

So get out the blender my friends! And on with the recipe:

You will need:
1 can of whole tomatoes
2 cans of Rotel (one original one mild - but honestly Ive been using the store brand knock offs and they work wonderfully. All it is is diced tomatoes and green chilis)
1 med onion chopped
Juice of 1 small lime
1 clove of garlic chopped
1 bunch of cilantro
1 jalepeno pepper chopped (I omit the seeds and sometimes only put in 1/2 a pepper. Because Im a wimp and I dont enjoy my tongue being torched!)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt

You take all these ingredients and throw them in the blender or food processor. Puree. Voila!

* Photos courtesy of The Pioneer Woman herself! Thanks Ree!

ice cream cake

2010-07-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

DELICIOUS ICE CREAM CAKE

Make an ice cream cake - its fairly easy as long as you have a freezer!
This one was gluten-free and turned out great!

I used an oversized (10 X 13) pan since I was making it up as I went along and thought it would be easier to leave the ice cream in a pan with sides! I needed room for 3 layers: cake-ice cream-cake

step one: bake one cake mix - I lined the pan with parchment paper (just the bottom) so it would come out easy. Let cool and loosen edges and turn over onto a cutting board. This will be the top of your ice cream cake. Just set aside until steps 2 -4 are done. This may take a day or two...

step 2: bake another cake in the same pan and leave in the pan when done. Cool & place pan with cake in the freezer.

step 3: get some ice cream out and let melt. You want it soft but not runny. Take the frozen cake out of the freezer and spoon soften ice cream over the cake. I tried to make it the same height as the cake.

step 4: put the pan with the cake & ice cream back into the freezer and freeze overnight or at least 4-5 hours.

step 5: get the pan out of the freezer and add the top cake to it.

step 6: spoon softened cool whip over the top and put back in the freezer for 3 hours.

step 7: decorate the top of the cake anyway you wish! then freeze until 1/2 hour before you want to eat your cake.

now option 2 for the brave:

bake 2 cakes & freeze (in round or square pans)
put the softened ice cream into one of the cake pans & freeze

when you have the 2 frozen cakes (no pans) and the ice cream frozen (in the shape of the pan)
assemble on a cake plate: cake, ice cream, cake frost with cool whip & freeze. Decorate & eat!

2010-07-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

Kallie~ please post this delicious recipe :)

Jamilla's Banana Cookies

2010-06-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

These are served best while dancing in "black ho night" gear around your living room. I also recommend cutting off all your hair and shoving the clippings into an old Dominos pizza box while you are waiting for them to finish baking. Its the little details that make these Jamilla's specialty. Ah, the good ol days. It has also been rumored that serving these to men will most assuredly snag you a husband (or two). So be careful who you give them to.

Cookie Ingredients:

3/4		cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
3/4		cup firmly packed brown sugar
2		medium (1 cup) ripe bananas, mashed
1		LAND O LAKES™ All-Natural Farm-Fresh Egg
2		teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/2		teaspoon vanilla
2		cups all-purpose flour
1/2		teaspoon baking powder
1/2		teaspoon baking soda
1/4		teaspoon salt

2		tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter
3		tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
3		tablespoons LAND O LAKES™ Half & Half or milk
1 1/4		cups powdered sugar
1/2		teaspoon vanilla Grated orange zest, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine 3/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add bananas, egg, orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons brown sugar and half & half. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil (1 to 2 minutes). Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat until well mixed; cool slightly.

Frost cooled cookies. Garnish with grated orange zest, if desired.

Penne Rustica

2010-06-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

This is one of those divine dishes that you simply MUST try. It looks involved. And complicated. (and well, it kind of IS) And BELIEVE me when I say that it is BAD for you. Very very deliciously bad.

And so you gain five pounds. worse things have happened.

Penne Rustica

Gratinata Sauce:
2 teaspoon Butter
2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 cup marsala wine
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

Saute butter, garlic , and rosemary until garlic begins to brown but do not burn the garlic.
Add marsala wine and then reduce by one-third. Add remaining ingredients and reduce by half of original volume.
Set aside.

Penne Rustica:
1 oz. pancetta or bacon
18 shrimp peeled and deveined
12 oz. grilled chicken breast, sliced
4 1/2 cups of granita sauce
3 lbs. cooked Penne Pasta
3 teaspoons pimentos, minced
6 oz. butter
1 teaspoon chopped shallots
1 pinch of salt and pepper
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Saute pancetta until it begins to brown. Add butter, shallots, and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are evenly pick but still translucent, you do not want to overcook the shrimp or else it will be rubbery. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and mix thoroughly. Add granita sauce and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and simmer until the sauce thickens.
In a large bowl, combine shrimp and chicken mixture with precooked pasta. Place this mixture into single serving dishes or one large casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and pimentos and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 475 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Remove and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.

* I NEVER BAKE MINE. Who can stand to wait an extra 10 minutes????

Easy Banana Bread

2010-05-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

Mix together in a bowl:

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar

Mix together in another bowl:

3 large ripe bananas; mashed
1/2 cup applesauce
4 TBLS butter melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and stir gently by hand.
Add:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts

*If the mixture is too dry- add more applesauce; if the mixture is too wet - add more flour.

Pour into pan and bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until toothpick or knife comes out clean.

I made this today and doubled it; I did have to add in more flour but it tastes delicious!

Buttery Basil Cheese Stix

2010-05-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

Heres a very easy bread recipe that doesnt require a lengthy rising process or kneading extravaganza. And I know you have everything you need to make these just sitting around in your pantry. Excellent! The perfect cure for the Italian meal where you need a quick and easy side dish that everyone will love.

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter
1 T olive oil
2T dry basil
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1T baking powder
1 cup of milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (for dough)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (for topping)

Preheat oven to 425
place butter and oil in 9x13 dish, let melt in oven. Dont burn it!!!
Remove pan from oven, set aside
In mixer throw in dry ingredients, stir
Gradually add milk until dough forms
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface
knead 5 times or until dough is together and forming a ball
roll out into a rectangle - 9x13
place dough directly in dish on top of melted oil/butter
sprinkle top with cheese
with a pizza cutter, cut dough into 1/2 inch thick sticks
bake for 20 minutes...and serve hot!

*** You could easily make these sweet and sticky by adding in some brown sugar and cinnamon to the butter in the pan. (Youll want to omit the cheese and basil from the dough too..obviously!***

Alternative addins:

Sundried tomatos, scallions, parmesan cheese, garlic, goat cheese, spinach, paprika, coriander, cumin, caraway or sesame seeds.

Martha's onto something...

2010-05-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

*I recently tried out this Martha Stewart Living recipe, mostly due to the fact that it was gluten free and it called for leeks, which I had never cooked with before. It was a pretty good hit with the fam, but I would add more spice if it were me. The end result was a bit bland, despite the cayenne.

Baked Leek, Potato and Parmesan Frittata
Active Time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup Water
4 leeks (about 1 pound) white and pale-green parts only, rinsed well and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
Coarse salt
8 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 Cup part-skim ricotta cheese, drained
1/3 Cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Brush a 9-inch square baking dish with oil. Bring water to a simmer in a medium skillet over high heat. Add leeks, garlic and potatoes, season with 1/2 tsp salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until potatoes are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

2. Whisk together eggs, whites, 1/2 tsp salt, and the cayenne. Fold in potato mixture and ricotta. Mix in 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Pour mixture into dish, and sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Bake until edges are set, about 12 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 and bake until set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into 8 squares.

Spring salad

2010-04-10T15:45:00.001-07:00

I made a spinach salad today that was so pretty I just had to take a picture of it :)

Spinach & mixed lettuce
green onions
red pepper
cooked ground turkey (cooked with s&p & Worcestershire sauce)
blue chips
avocado
tomatoes
radishes
asparagus
and anything else you like!

top with your choice of salad dressing.

Turkey Burgers

2010-04-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

This recipe is Jayna's invention. They are really delicious! Definitely NOT like the ones you buy in a store.

Mix together:
Ground Turkey Breast (1-2 pkgs)
1 egg
1/8 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 cup smashed sour cream & onion chips
salt & pepper

make patties and grill!
add a cheese slice of your choice (we like pepper jack the best)

Quick Chick Dinner on the Grill

2010-03-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

This is the BEST Chicken marinade EVER and the EASIEST yummy dinner. The best part, is that you dont have to soak your meat overnight or even for 1 hour for it to flavor through. If you have 15-20 minutes you're good to go.

This recipe prepares 2 large or 3 small chicken breasts

Marinade Ingredients:

1/3 cup of soy sauce

1/3 cup of Apricot or peach Jam

3 T of chopped Garlic

3T Sesame Oil

3T cooking wine

1 T balsamic vinegar

Defrost chicken. toss in heavy duty ziploc baggy and pound out with a meat mallet to 1/2" thick. Dump marinade into baggy and let sit as long as you like. All day in the fridge, overnight, or just 20 minutes - its up to you.

Grill or bake chicken. Serve on a toasted bun with a grilled pineapple slice, melted swiss cheese and a slice of ham.

Recipe Rewind: Alfredo Lasagna Bake

2010-03-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick delicious and easy way to use your leftovers from "Russian Manicotti"!

Introducing: Alfredo Lasagna Bake!

Ingredients:
2 cups of Russian Manicotti filling
1 cup of grated cheddar (or mozzerella cheese)
1 jar of Bertolli Alfredo sauce
3 1/2 -4 cups of cooked pasta (any kind)

Assembly: All you do is layer up ingredients just like a lasagna. Filling, noodles, sauce, cheese, repeat!

In a 9x9 glass baking dish, spoon 1 cup of the manicotti filling and spread evenly over bottom.
Dump 11/2-2 cups of noodles on top
Spoon half the jar of alfredo sauce over noodles
Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese on top of sauce

Dump the other cup of filling on top of cheese, spread evenly
dump the rest of the noodles on top of that
dump the other half of the jar of alfredo on top of noodles
sprinkle with remaining cheese

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Let sit 15-20 minutes before serving! Garlic bread is probably necessary here also :) ENJOY!

"Russian" Manicotti

2010-03-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Whip this recipe up for your Babushka next time you want to impress her with your cooking skills! And dont worry - the Vodka is already in the sauce and guaranteed to only make you drunk with delight! * Dont let the steps scare you off - its an easy dish to prepare although it looks involved at a glance!

Ingredients:

1 box of manicotti shells

1 jar of Bertolli Vodka sauce

1 16 oz container of cottage cheese ( I use small curd low fat)

2 cups of frozen spinach

2 cloves of garlic (2T of pre-chopped jar garlic)

2T butter

2 cups of grated mozzerella cheese (divided)

2 eggs

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

Directions:

Season chicken breasts with paprika, basil, salt, pepper, and any other italian spices you like. Drizzle with olive oil, cover dish with foil, and Bake in the oven at 350 until it is incredibly soft and falling apart ( frozen breasts usually take about 2 hours). Remove from oven and let sit in juices covered for at least 15 minutes. Then shred in dish and set aside to cool ( I never drain off the oil/juice - it keeps things moist and soft)

Cook Manicotti noodles according to directions - but drain them while noodles are still slightly uncooked. THEY WILL CONTINUE TO COOK IN THE OVEN! Set aside resting noodles in strainer.

In saucepan combine butter and garlic until butter melts and garlic browns. Add spinach and enough water to cover. Cook over med/hi until spinach is completely defrosted and cooked. Just a few minutes will do. Make sure you season well with salt and pepper. Drain and squeeze excess water out of spinach. Dump spinach into large mixing bowl.

Add Entire carton of cottage cheese to spinach.

Add shredded chicken

...........> Make sure spinach and chicken arent HOT before proceeding with next steps!

Add 1 cup mozerella cheese to mixture

Add 2 eggs and incorporate well

Get your 9x13 baking dish ready by spooning enough vodka sauce to cover the bottom of it.

Take mixture and spoon it into a gallon sized ziploc bag. Snip the end about 1/2 inch to make a 'pastry bag' of sorts.

Take manicotti noodles and squeeze filling into one end until the noodle is stuffed with the mixture. Lay in pan on top of vodka sauce. When all your noodles are filled and laying in the dish, dump the remaining Vodka sauce over everything so all the noodles are covered. Then sprinkle with remaining cup of grated mozzerella cheese.

Cover with Foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes - or until sauce is bubbling throughout the dish. You can also insert a fork or knife into a manicotti to see if it looks runny inside. Remember all we are cooking is the egg in the mixture.

Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes to crust up the cheese a bit.

Remove dish from oven and let sit for 5-20 minutes before serving.

Serve with Garlic bread slices

ENJOY!!!

*** after you stuff your shells you will have about 2 cups of stuffing mixture left over. See our Recipe Rewind for ALFREDO LASAGNA BAKE on how to use your leftovers later in the week!!! ***

Richer than Trump Bars

2010-03-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

A recipe so easy and decadent that you will never get 'fired' from the kitchen! I had 3 black bananas on hand that needed a recipe and so this is what we came up with. SOOO Good! Just toss everything in the kitchen aid.

Ingredients:
3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
I small can of Pumpkin (NOT pie filling)
3 eggs
3/4 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar

1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
3-3 1/2 c flour

Add dry ingredients to wet. Mix until just incorporated. Then stir in 1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips.
Dump onto greased SHEET PAN
Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes

Cool completely and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Cut pan in half and layer one half on top of another. Cut into serving squares.
One small one will kill you. ... but its worth it.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-03-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

1 brick of cream cheese
1/2 stick of butter
3 cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Soften everything to room temperature. Blend well.
(thanks for the image Moograssfarms.com)

Quick & Easy Jello side dish or dessert

2010-03-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

This is the easiest side dish or dessert you will ever make. And its delicious!

Just 3 Ingredients: Jello, fruit, yogurt - use any flavor you want :)

I like to use 2 boxes of jello - it sets quicker. On the stove heat 2 cups of water or use the juice from your fruit. Add your jello (any flavor) and bring to a boil. Let sit for 5 mins. Get your fruit ready - something to compliment your jello (raspberries, strawberries, peaches, etc. canned or fresh) and add 1-2 cups any flavor yogurt (again any flavor). Pour jello in a serving bowl and add 3 cups of ice cubes. Stir until it starts to thicken. Remove any ice cubes that remain with a slotted spoon. Add in your fruit and yogurt and mix together. Sometimes I really mix it up and other times I just slightly mix to you can see the pretty colors. Put in fridge until ready to eat. For this one I used peaches, Mandarin oranges; orange jello and vanilla yogurt. I make it different anytime and I have not had a bad batch. Experiment. Enjoy!!!

Succulent Salmon Marinade

2010-03-15T18:08:00.001-07:00

3 cloves garlic, crushed
Juice of 1 whole lemon, approx. 1/3 c.
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. poupon mustard
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. tarragon
1/4 tsp. basil

Combine all ingredients and pour into Ziploc bag, along with 4 defrosted Costco salmon steaks. Marinade fish overnight. Grill or bake. Serve with mashed potatoes and asparagus!

Amish Breakfast Casserole

2010-03-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

Light some candles and change yer name to Yoder - because this Amish casserole is SO "GUTT" you'll want to drive the nearest horse and buggy all the way to Pennsylvania for seconds! I wanted a new breakfast casserole to serve up to my in-laws who are coming to stay next weekend, so I did a test run on this one today at 5 am thanks to some pregnancy induced insomnia. Which I have to say, probably made this dish even more authentic. (But dont ask me to birth out in a barn with a midwife. Thats going too far...)

Ingredients:
1 lb bacon
1 med onion diced
6 eggs
4 cups hash browns
2 cups shredded cheddar
1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded swiss

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350
Place hash browns in a 9x13 inch pan. Salt and pepper them and set dish aside to de-thaw
Cook bacon and onion in skillet, drain
In large bowl combine eggs and cheeses
Stir bacon and onions into hash browns (helps the bacon cool off, and the hash browns to de-thaw more)
Stir in egg and cheese mixture until everything is well distributed and evenly coated
Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, or until the center of the casserole looks done
Let sit for 20 minutes before serving (and then lay down for 20 minutes after eating!)

Cowboy Salsa

2010-03-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from Lisa. It is so yummy and sure to be a hit at any party!
Do this first ~

Boil together:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
let cool then add:
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix together in bowl:
1 can black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 can shoepeg corn, drained
1 small jar (2 oz) pimentos
green onions (2-4) chopped
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup finely chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
1 small jar/can chopped jalapenos

Pour liquid sauce over veggies. Let sit awhile - overnight is best.
Serve with tortilla chips (blue are best!)

The first time follow the recipe; after that you can experiment adding or taking away ingredients.

On the Farm ColeSlaw

2010-02-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes that I trifed from "The Farm" aka - my Mother in Law's kitchen! I was so impressed with how easy (and cheap!) this recipe was that I often bring it to pot lucks, family dinners, BBQs, and church functions. Trust me, you'll be making this over and over again once you try it.

Shopping List:

2 16 oz bags of shredded cabbage mix

Sauce:
1 cup of mayo (Or salad dressing or miracle whip, any variety. My favorite is best foods full fat mayo - Of course!)
1/3 cup sugar
3-5 T of vinegar (again, any variety will do!)

Mix well until sugar isn't grainy. This recipe is all about tasting until its right. If its too tangy add more sugar. If its too runny, add more mayo. If its too sweet, add more vinegar.

Once you get the sauce right, evenly coat shredded cabbage. You can toss it in a bowl, shake it in a baggie, shake it in a bowl with a lid - however you want.

And then - the finishing touch....
Stir in 1 1/2- 2 cups of salted peanuts. The amount is up to you, depends on how crunchy you like it.

WANT TO MAKE THIS CHRISTY STYLE? ADD IN 3-4 SLICES OF CRUNCHY CRUMBLED BACON and 1 OR 2 SLICED LITTLE GREEN ONIONS!

Voila! You are ready to go for a ride on the 4 wheelers and take a hike up to the swinging tree!

Homemade Hot Pockets

2010-02-03T17:03:00.000-08:00

Oh the canned goodness of prepared biscuit dough. Seriously, it may be the perfect food to begin any number of fantastic dinner combinations....thank you Pillsbury! Here is a classic recipe that can be tweaked for any sort of 'fridge clean out' night you may be having. Tonight for us was one such night, and I am always amazed at how good these turn out every time!

Shopping List - Feeds 4
This version is called Chicken In A Biscuit:

1 can of refrigerated biscuit dough
1 lg can of chicken (by the tuna) or 1 cup cooked and shredded chicken
1 rib of celery diced small
2-3 small green onions sliced
3 T Mayo
4 oz cream cheese
*bacon is optional
Can of Cream of Chicken soup
4 T Sour cream

Preheat oven to 375

In bowl mix chicken, onions, celery, mayo, *bacon, and cream cheese together. Salt and pepper to taste.

On a cutting board pop open dough and roll out circles until flat

Place 2-3 T of chicken mix on top of one biscuit round

Top with another biscuit round and pinch sides together to form a pocket

Place 4 pockets on greased cookie sheet

Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden Brown

In saucepan combine cream of chicken soup and sour cream, heat through.

When pockets come out of oven, spoon sauce on top and SERVE!

Variations for this recipe include:

Cordon bleau pockets - stuff with ham, swiss cheese, diced chicken, cream cheese, and onions

Mexican pockets - sub diced green chiles for the celery, add 2T salsa to cream cheese, hold the bacon!

Farmhouse Pockets - (great for breakfast!) - combine scrambled egg, cooked potatos or hashbrowns, bacon or ham, green onions, peppers, & shredded cheddar cheese.

All American Pockets - stuff with hamburger, bbq sauce, onions, and cheddar cheese

Poor man pockets - stuff with Tuna, mayo, onion, and cheese

Drunken Sailors

2010-02-02T16:09:00.000-08:00

So.... another pregnancy craving drove me to try this recipe. If you are feeling a little scandalous I urge you to give it a try! And of course it involves the deep fryer, so you know I recommend it! I call it Drunken Sailors....but really if you must know they are Fish tacos battered in beer.

Shopping List:

3 Fish filets (I recommend tilapia, but Halibut is probably great if you are a high roller!)
Small corn tortillas - 2-3 per person
Bag of shredded cabbage

Oil for frying

Batter:
1 - 1 1/2 cups of Beer I used Budweiser because I couldnt tell you a thing about beer, and I couldnt bring myself to go buy it, so my bff Amy did the dirty work for me! Thats the sign of a true friend - willing to embrace the appearance of evil for you!
1 cup of flour
3T corn starch
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste - be generous

White Sauce:
1 T minced capers
1 minced jalepeno
1T Cumin
1/2 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (go easy if you dont want heartburn!)
4 oz plain yoghurt
4 oz mayo

Get out yer deep fryer, fill with oil, and start heating it up!
Whip together the white sauce ingredients and set aside. Dont skip the capers or jalepeno - it seems minimal but the sauce was DIVINE and wouldnt be great without them.
Next, cut your fish into strips. Gently coat in some flour.
Whip up the beer batter ( mix together dry ingredients, then add wet)
Dredge floured fish strips in batter until well coated.
Drop in deep fryer or skillet. Fry until golden brown.
Place fish in corn tortilla, top with shredded cabbage, and DROWN it in white sauce!
Enjoy your drunken sailors!

The Old Standby -

2010-01-31T13:53:00.000-08:00

I thought I would do a post for something really easy~ Mashed Potatoes & Gravy. I actually really like making gravy (and eating it too). This batch was so good that I made today after church I thought I'd put it in print.

I had cooked a roast a few days ago and had some left so that is the basis for this Gravy.

In a skillet put in:

1-2 cups cut up roast (or any leftover meat)
1 small onion chopped
1 can sliced mushrooms
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper.

Simmer over med heat until onions and the meat brown (its okay if you burn it a little - it just adds to the flavor.) If you need more moisture add in 1 tbls water.

Turn off the heat and stir in 3 tbls flour until all the meat & stuff is coated. Stir in 1 can of chicken broth and mix well. Add in 1-2 cups of potato water (from your cooked potatoes) stirring in a little at a time until it thickens to your desired thickness.

Pour over your creamy mashed potatoes. Hint: instead of milk in your potatoes add in some chicken broth - and some butter of course.

Santa Barbara Salad

2010-01-25T07:40:00.000-08:00

Dressing:
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
2 Tbl. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. chopped red onion
1/4 tsp. dry mustard

*mix all ingredients in blender/food processor

Salad:
1 package spinach baby leaves
1/4 c. blue cheese
1/2 c. toasted pecans (toast 5-10 minutes at 300 degrees)
2 gala or fuji apples, chopped

*Toss with dressing and ingredients right before serving.

...And then with your first bite, simply imagine you are Oprah sitting on her porch in Santa Barbara, enjoying this tasty creation from your own personal chef....which of course, in reality, is yourself!

Potato Casserole

2010-01-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

I never cook with a recipe but here goes. You can down-size it since we made an extra large one as you can see! You really can't mess this one up. You can use frozen hash browns if you are in a hurry; green onions; etc. Everyone is sure to love it! make lots and freeze some.

1 large turkey roasting aluminum foil pan (who wants to wash dishes?)
Place foil pan on a sturdy cookie sheet

cook 10 large potatoes (wash and leave the skins on; cut in 3rds and boil for approx 25 mins - until almost done). drain & let cool a bit and remove the skins. Dump into pan and cut up with a knife until you have the desired size.

chop one large white onion and put in sauce pan on the stove with 2 sticks butter. Add some salt & pepper. Cook over med heat for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and add 1 1/2 cans Cream of Chicken soup and 4-5 cups sour cream to mixture.

Pour mixture over potatoes and turn over with a large spoon until it is mixed throughout the potatoes. If you need more moisture you can add some milk to it.

Top with 5 - 6 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Spread evenly over top.

Wrap 2 large sheets of tin foil (2 1/2 ' sheets) on both sides of the pan to catch any overflow of cheese :) leaving the center of the pan uncovered.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour then add cornflakes (1 reg size box of cornflakes + 1 stick of melted butter) to the top. I take the cornflake bag unopened and smash it with my hands until they are all broken into smaller pieces then I cut open 1/2 of the top of the bag and pour in the melted butter. Holding the top where you cut the bag gently shake until all the flakes are coated with butter. Dump on the casserole (no need to take out of the over - just pull out the rack and dump on the cornflakes and use a long-handled utensil to spread them around. Bake an adittional 30 minutes or until bubbly. Cool a bit & Enjoy!

Look what Jayna Made: Rolls

2010-01-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

Oh dear...Jayna offered to bring a side dish again. Its a good thing she knows about Rhodes Rolls. Just buy them, follow the directions on the package, and serve. The great news is even if she drops them they are relatively guaranteed to make it to the table. So if you are like Jayna - know your limits and offer to bring these to your next function!

Bobbin's Salmon Dip

2010-01-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

Time to don your best red coat and get out your marching hands....because this little recipe will have you ready for tea time - in no time a'tall! Brought to you by the main soldier dancer herself: The Sherry Bobbins' Infamous Salmon Dip:

Ingredients:
Cooked Salmon, seasoned to your taste and flaked with a fork
1 brick of Cream Cheese
Diced green onions
*Bacon is optional

Prepare:
Soften cream cheese to room temp and stir in salmon. Top with chopped onion and if you want - some bacon. This is all to taste, so if you like it fishier add in more fish. I usually like to make it more cheesier, onionier, and baconier. But thats just me. And are those even words?

Serve with small bread rounds, crackers, vegetables, bagels, or if you are alone and this is depression food, or chick flick food - a large spoon will do.

Loaded Heart Attack Fries

2010-01-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

If you have a football game coming up, or just a lonely sack of potatoes that are in search of a life calling, this Appetizer will bedazzle you and your audiences alike. They have all the main ingredients necessary to induce a food addiction, so be forewarned: you may crave these in the night.

Ingredients:
4-5 potatoes washed but unpeeled
Olive oil, salt, and pepper - enough to coat potatoes
Grated Cheddar cheese - about 1 1/2 cups
4-5 Diced green onions
1/2 pound (4-6 slices) of bacon cooked and crumbled

Prepare:
Slice potatoes into thick fries
Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper
Spread out on foil lined baking sheet
Bake uncovered at 375' for 30-45 minutes or until fork tender
Broil another 5-10 minutes to crisp them up. They will turn golden brown
Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese on top
Then sprinkle bacon over the cheese
And finish off with the onions over the bacon
Put back into a warm over, just until cheese has melted everything together
Remove and serve immediately with sour cream, ketchup, blue cheese, or fry sauce for dipping!!!

You wish it were healthy Broccoli Salad

2010-01-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
3 Bunches of Broccoli
1/2 lb bacon - cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup salted sunflower seeds
1/2 of a red onion - diced very fine
1 cup of grated mozzarella or monterey jack cheese

Sauce:
1 cup of Mayo (you can sub any variety, it doesn't matter)
1/3 cup of sugar
2-3 Tablespoons of vinegar (any variety)
mix above ingredients together until sugar is no longer grainy. If needed, add more vinegar until it tastes right to you.

Prepare:
Wash and separate broccoli florets into bite size pieces
Dump sauce over broccoli and coat well
Toss in remaining ingredients and serve

This is the best kind of salad. Completely unhealthy but hidden under a blanket of Broccoli to fool yourself into thinking you met your folic acid quota for the week. perfect!

Perfect Southwest Casserole

2009-12-29T15:49:00.000-08:00

I had a roommate in College from New Mexico. Her name was Ana Min and even though she was tall, leggy, blonde, and could whip up divine meals - we got along top notch. So to show my love for her I stole this recipe and passed it off as my own. I know you will love it as much as I do:

Preheat oven to 350'
Set aside
3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
Small bag of white or yellow corn tortillas torn into pieces (about 4 each)
1-2 lbs Shredded Cheese

In saucepan melt:
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
1 small container sour cream
1 large can diced green chiles

In 9x13 pan layer like a lasagna. Start by spooning sauce to cover bottom of pan. Next cover sauce with torn tortillas. Toss on some shredded chicken over tortillas. Drop spoonfuls of sauce over chicken (cover well). Top with shredded cheese. Then layer with more tortillas, chicken, sauce and cheese. Repeat layers until your pan is full. Top with cheese, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. Let sit 20 minutes, then serve!

Its a BOY Boneless Buffalo Wings

2009-12-29T15:28:00.000-08:00

If you're pregnant and you know it make some wings. If you're pregnant and you know it make some wings. If you're pregnant and you know it, and you really want to show it, if you're pregnant and you know it make these wings: (Dont worry, there are no actual wings involved. Just delicious spicy boneless chicken breasts.)

2-3 chicken breasts (dethawed and cut into chicken nugget sized bites)
2 eggs (beaten, salted, and peppered)
1 cup of flour salted and peppered, in a large ziploc baggie
Oil for frying

Sauce:
1/2 stick of melted butter
1 1/2 cup of hot sauce (I used some random mexican hot sauce - I dont think it matters what kind)
1 tablespoon vinegar

1. Heat oil on med/high heat
2. Place raw chicken bites in egg mixture. Let sit 10 minutes.
3. Throw chicken into ziploc baggie and shake until well coated
4. Fry 5-6 bites at a time until golden brown and crispy looking
5. Place in oven safe dish
6. Pour sauce over fried chicken and roll around until well coated
7. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes
8. Let stand 10-20 minutes before eating
9. Dip in ranch or blue cheese dressing!!
10. Take tums or Zantac
11. Pass out in greasy food coma whilst patting your belly in sheer bliss

* As an equally delicious alternative you can toss these fried babies in a honey bbq sauce. Just mix about 1 cup of your favorite BBQ and add in 1/3 cup of honey. So GOOD!

Not Yo Mama's Sugar Cookies

2009-12-29T15:16:00.000-08:00

These remain the worlds most sought after and coveted sugar cookies of all time. Fast & Easy, the way we Crandalls like em. I like to dust off the ol kitchen aid for this one. Just start dropping ingredients in with the setting on medium speed.

Preheat oven to 400'
Beat one egg
drop in 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of soft butter
add 1 tsp vanilla
add 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of sugar

Combine above ingredients well. Then add in 2 cups of flour, one at a time. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll 1/2 inch thick - yes, 1/2 inch! Cut out with cutters or just use a wide mouth jar like I do.

Bake on foil lined sheet for 6-7 minutes NO LONGER!!! The cookies should look a little undercooked thats the way it must be. Remove immediately from hot pan and transfer to counter top- foil and all.

When cooled frost with your favorite icing. Then hide them somewhere safe. Away from your spouse and children.

Christy's Famous Fatty Corn Chowder

2009-12-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

For some time now I have been serving up steaming bowls of liquid fat called "Corn Chowder". This recipe is derived from my mother in law Shelley Beal's original recipe. I added some things here and there (chicken, extra butter, more cheese...you know, essential items). And now this has become a family favorite. Here is the whole fam-damily size version (feeds 15-20 hungry people). If you are just making this for your family of 4, cut it in half! ENJOY!

1. Cook and shred 3-5 chicken breasts, salted and peppered (I always just throw frozen ones in the oven and bake them for 2 hours)
2. In huge pot boil up 6-8 large Idaho potatoes (chopped into cubes). Drain BUT RESERVE and set aside 3 CUPS OF POTATO WATER! Place potatoes in large bowl and set aside.
3. In same huge pot melt 1 stick of butter
4. Stir in 1/3 cup of flour until a glue forms
5. Slowly stir in 2 quarts of half and half (yes, you can use fat free if you are a sissy)
This should make a thick soup base for you.
6. Dump in 3 cups of potato water
7. Dump in potatoes
8. Dump in chicken
9. Dump in 2 cans of creamed corn
10. Dump in a large bag of fresh/frozen/ or canned corn (4-5 cans)
11. Shred 2-4 cups of cheddar cheese and stir into soup. I always use 4 :)
12. Ladle into bread bowls and top with MORE cheese, and of course COOKED CRUMBLY bacon.
13. Eat as much as you can stand and then promptly find a sleeping area and lie down.
14. If possible have a loved one wipe the drizzles from your face and shirt.

The rule with this soup is: the more the better. More cheese. More bacon. More fat. More happy.