.:Recipe Sharing:.

Easy Healthy Homemade Granola Bars!

2011-04-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe off http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/2011/04/easy-healthy-homemade-granola-bars/. At first I thought, whatever, it'll have tons of sugar or corn syrup in it, but it doesn't! Wow! I haven't made these yet, but I'm fully planning on it! (And therefore posting it on this blog so I can find it easily.

Chewy Granola Bars
adapted from a Mark Bitman recipe

1/2 cup nut butter (almond or peanut)
1/2 cup honey
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1 cup oats (instant, quick or old fashioned)
1/2 chopped unsalted nuts and/or seeds (any combination you like)
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (any that you like)
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Place nut butter and honey in a small saucepan and heat over low heat just until melted enough to combine thoroughly with a whisk.

Lightly oil a 9X9 or 8X8 cake pan.
Center a piece of plastic wrap that is about 3 times the size of the pan over the pan and smooth it out to line the pan allowing the excess plastic wrap to hang over the sides.

Put the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the combined nut butter and honey. Stir gently until well combined.
Pour mixture into pan and distribute as evenly as possible with the spoon you used to stir with.
Now fold the plastic wrap over the mixture and press firmly and evenly into the pan.

Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Lift the plastic wrap and granola mixture from the pan all at once.
Place on cutting board and cut into 16 equal pieces.

At this point I like to wrap each bar in waxed paper and put them into the freezer. When I’m packing lunches I can just grab one and add it to the lunches. It thaws perfectly for lunch.

For this batch I used natural peanut butter, almonds, raw pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, apricots and cranberries. YUM!

Homemade Pizza Crust

2010-10-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

I had heard about this easy recipe from a fellow blogger and decided to try it last night for some yummy homemade pizza. IT WAS SOOOOOOO GOOD! The recipe is called "Jay's Signature Pizza Crust" and I got it off http://www.allrecipes.com/. It has 4 1/2 stars and A TON of reviews, so it had to be good right? Right!
And so easy! Here is the original recipe:

Ingredients
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
1.In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
2.Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.
3.Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.
4.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.
5.Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Here are my add-ins: I put in some Italian Seasoning and some garlic powder and onion powder in the yeast/oil mixture, right before adding in the flour. It made it very savory! I also put pieces of string cheese in the edges of the crust before baking to get that cheesy crust all the pizza places are raving about!

On my homemade pizza, I just use a traditional pasta sauce (special pizza sauce is so overrated!), mozzarella, and whatever veggies and meats I have on hand. Last night, I topped my pizza with a small can of mushrooms (drained of course), 2 sliced up LARGE tomatoes, some thick cut ham, and a red bell pepper. I had to cook it on my pizza stone for 20 minutes because of all the juices, but it was so good!
I ate it again for lunch. Cold. Straight from the fridge. I love eating pizza leftovers!
(Sorry no pictures, my camera battery is dead and is yet to be charged. I haven't taken pictures for 3 weeks! lol)

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

2010-08-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe off http://www.utahshoppingsecrets.com/. It just looks so delish and maybe a great way to end out this summer?! ;) Here's the original text from the post:
Who doesn't like a delicious ice cream cake in the summertime? If you purchase ice cream cakes from stores and restaurants they are expensive. Try making your own for a fraction of the cost!

For my husband's birthday a few weeks ago I wanted to make him an ice cream cake. But I wanted an ice cream cake that didn't have cake in it (make sense)? I found this superb recipe from Kraft Foods. Just take a look at it!

Oh it was divine! And super easy to make too. It looks like you slaved over a difficult cake when really it only tool minutes to prepare. Here is the original recipe with my changes marked in red.

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

24 OREO Cookies, divided
2 cups Strawberry ice cream, softened (I used vanilla instead, and abt 3 cups)
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
2 cups Chocolate ice cream, softened (3 cups also)
2 Tbsp. Hot fudge ice cream topping (I used crushed oreos instead)

LINE 9-inch round pan (I used a 10 in springform pan. Didn't have to use the plastic wrap) with plastic wrap, with ends extending over side of pan. Stand 14 cookies around edge of pan. Crush remaining cookies. Reserve 1/2 cup crumbs for later use; sprinkle remaining crumbs onto bottom of pan. Spread strawberry ice cream over crumbs; top with 1 cup COOL WHIP and reserved crumbs. Cover with chocolate ice cream.
FREEZE 4 hours.
REMOVE dessert from freezer 10 min. before serving. Use plastic wrap handles to lift dessert from pan. Carefully peel off plastic wrap; place dessert on serving plate. Let stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Top with remaining COOL WHIP; drizzle with fudge topping.

Apple Streusel Bars

2010-06-23T12:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, so maybe I'm a bit addicted to www.ourbestbites.com. It must be, cause the last few recipes that I've posted here are all from there!

Even better, this recipe is SUPER easy, and you probably have all the ingredients at hand.

Seriously, these are so yummy. A friend of mine brought some over to me, and I HAD to know the recipe. Of course, it was from ourbestbites.com!

SWEET PASTRY:

2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. real butter, softened (no substitutions!)

1 egg, beaten

APPLE FILLING:

1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 c. (about 4 medium) sliced, peeled baking apples (I used Gala, and instead of slicing, I chopped them up with my Pampered Chef food chopper)

GLAZE:
2 c. powdered sugar
About 3 Tbsp. milk (whole milk is best)
1 tsp. almond extract

To prepare crust, mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until you have pea-sized crumbles. Gently mix in beaten egg.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Gently pat about 2/3 of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish. Preheat oven to 350 and set aside.

To prepare apple filling, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Toss with apples and spread apples out on prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over apples evenly and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. When finished, allow to cool completely.

To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over cooled pastry and allow to harden (you can place it in the freezer to hurry things along). Cut into bars and serve.

You'd better have someone to share these with, cause otherwise you'll eat the whole pan!

Baked Potato Casserole

2010-02-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

I love twice-baked potatoes but have never actually made them. I found this recipe for potato casserole, which is basically just the easy version of twice-baked potatoes, in casserole-form (with my additions in italics).

Baked Potato Casserole (from simplifysupper.com)

6 Small baking potatoes *I used 3 regular russet potatoes
.75 cup cottage cheese *I don't like cottage cheese, so I did 1/2 cottage cheese, 1/2 cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup sour cream *I used fat free and it worked just fine
1/2 cup cheddar or favorite mixed cheeses *I used cheddar and monterey jack
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika, optional

Scrub potatoes with a brush and pat dry. Pierce with a fork and cover each individual potato with aluminum foil, matte side facing out. Bake at 425 40 to 60 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Allow to cool slightly until they are cool enough to handle. Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Then add cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic salt, and paprika. Mix well and add to a greased casserole dish. Add shredded cheese to top. Bake uncovered at 325 for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden.

It was delicious! When I showed my sister the recipe, she suggested using cream-of-whatever soup instead of cottage cheese (we both dislike cottage cheese - guess it runs in the pants!). Of course cottage cheese is slightly better for you than creamed soups, so I just decided to mix the 2 on a whim. You could still see the cottage cheese in the casserole but you couldn't taste it. And my husband suggested adding a little more sour cream because "sour cream is good on potatoes." (It was really good just how it was, but more sour cream probably wouldn't hurt either.)

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

2010-02-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

Yum yum! I tried yet another recipe from www.OurBestBites.com, and it was GREAT!

Dough
1 T active dry yeast (1 package)
1/2 C warm water (105 degr F--I did the scientific warm tap water method)
4 1/2 C all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C (1 stick) real butter at room temp

Filling
1/2 C (1 stick) real butter at room temp
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 T cinnamon

Glaze
1 C powdered sugar
2 T butter, melted
2 T milk or cream
1 t vanilla extract

In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water, allow to bloom for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 C of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot for about 30 min.

Add the eggs, sugar, butter, and remaining 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium speed until smooth 10-12 minutes (I did it MUCH shorter). Add a bit more flour to reduce stickiness if needed.

Cover with plastic wrap, set in a warm spot and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

While dough is rising, prepare filling. Take 2 T of the stick of butter and set aside. Beat remaining butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until combined and slightly fluffy, about 1 minute.

Butter a 9*13 baking dish. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Roll out into a rectangle about 15*10 in. Spread filling onto dough and roll up lenght-wise.

Use string or dental floss to score and cut the dough into rolls (didn't work for me, I just used a sharp knife). You can make 12 smaller rolls, 10 medium ones, or 8 large. Place cut side up in baking dish. Melt the reserved 2 T butter and brush on top of rolls. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight (Or, I assume, bake immediately!).

The next morning remove from fridge and let rise until half again as high, about 1 hour. While rising mix glaze ingredients until combined. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Spread the glaze over warm rolls and serve!!!

Chicken Pot Pie

2010-01-12T11:15:00.001-08:00

Another recipe I tried from www.ourbestbites.com!!! It turned out wonderful. I also had plenty of filling left over, it wouldn't all fit in one pan, so plan on making 4 pie crusts. I put my pot pie in a small 8*8 casserole dish instead of a pie pan, and used a little bit of leftover pie crust to cover a small individual dish (that turned out great!).
Like they suggested on the website, you can make one (or two) larger chicken pot pies, or make several individual-sized ones by using prep bowls or anything small that you can put in the oven. For those little pies, you only need to cover it with a crust (you don't need to put any lining the bowl), so you'd save on crust there. It is also GREAT to freeze and reheat later! Or to take as a lunch!

Ingredients:
2 unbaked pie crusts
1 lb leftover chicken, chopped (you can use any kind of chicken really)
1 12-16 oz bag of mixed veggies, thawed
1 onion, minced
butter
5 medium potatoes (red), diced (I used regular potatoes, worked just fine)
2 cans of cream of chicken soup (or see the homemade recipe below)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and boil until tender.
3. Meanwhile, heat +/- 1 tbs butter in a medium skillet. Saute the onion (and I put in my chopped raw chicken as well) until translucent and fragrant.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, chicken, veggies, onion and potatoes. Season to taste.
5. Place 1 pie crust on the bottom of a pie plate, add filling, top w/ other crust. Crimp the edges and cut vent holes on top.
6. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Allow to stand a few minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8. Enjoy!

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

2009-12-31T11:21:00.000-08:00

Have you ever run out of cream of chicken soup when you bake a casserole or make chicken pot pie? Well, I made this last night for our chicken pot pie cause I didn't have any canned stuff, and it turned out WONDERFUL! And soooooo easy!
I got this recipe off www.ourbestbites.com, great website.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp parsley
dash of paprika
1 1/2 c milk, divided
3/4 c flour

Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring chicken broth, seasonings and 1/2 c of the milk to a boil.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk and the flour.
3. Add to boiling mixture and whisk briskly until mixture thickens (shouldn't take long at all, mine was done almost immediately).
4. Cook until desired consistency is reached, keeping in mind that it will continue to thicken as it stands.

Makes the equivalent of 2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup!

.:Holiday Baking:.

2009-12-16T15:56:00.000-08:00

Here's what I made this year:

** Homemade Thin Mints **

I've already done a tutorial/recipe for these before on my other blog (probably put them on here, too!), so just check out the link. They are super easy and really quite tasty!

** Peppermint Bark **

I used the recipe and directions found over at The Idea Room.

12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (you could also use baking chips, bark, etc.)

1 pound white chocolate (I just used one bag of white chocolate chips - close enough to a pound!)

Candy canes

Peppermint extract

Pre-heat your oven to 250.

Line your cookie sheet with foil and spray it. (She used a 9x13 dish, which I'll talk about later in the post.)

Cover the lining evenly with your semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Bake for about 5 minutes or until they look melted.

Use a spatula to spread out your chocolate evenly. Place in the fridge to harden.

You can melt your white chocolate however you want. I always brave the microwave! I melted my chips for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between intervals.

Add your peppermint extract (to taste).

Pour over your hardened chocolate, and spread evenly - and quickly! It starts to harden up quickly!

Sprinkle your crushed up candy canes over the top. Place in fridge to harden.

Remove the foil from the cookie sheet and shake off the excess candy. Cut your bark however you'd like.

Sooo....I didn't do so well with my first batch of bark. I didn't spread my white chocolate quickly enough, so not a lot of candy stuck to it. (As you can see!) I decided to give it another try doing it with 9x13 dishes.

This worked great. I also put my candy in a strainer and let the powder go through into my melted white chocolate, along with the peppermint extract. I like the look and the taste this gave my bark. Then the larger pieces are what I sprinkled on top.

Now, I had a problem with both of my batches. When I cut the bark, almost always my two layers of chocolate would separate. I know the white layer alone will taste delicious, and I also know that people can just hold the two layers together as they eat it. But why would it not stick together??? Can someone help me out? I was so frustrated that I about swore off ever making bark again!

** Chocolate Candy Cane Whoopie Pies:.

My mom posted this recipe on her blog a week or two ago, and I decided to put my own spin on it.

I decided to make cake mix cookies instead of cookies from scratch. Call me lazy if you want (I also used canned frosting!) but I also really love cake mix cookies.

So here's what you need:

Cake mix

1/2 c. oil

2 eggs

frosting

crushed candy canes

peppermint extract

Andes baking bits (optional)

Pre- heat your oven to 350.

Mix your cake mix, oil, and eggs.

Stir in your baking bits. (I LOVE these candy cane bits!)

Put scoops of dough on your cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Let your cookies cool completely before adding frosting!

I mixed peppermint extract and red food coloring into my canned vanilla frosting. I just add extract to taste.

Frost one cookie and then roll the edges in the crushed candy canes. My mom's recipe says to frost the cookie and place the other cookie on top to make a sandwich before rolling the edges, but I found it easier to roll the edges before the second cookie was added.

Add your other cookie on top.

DONE! And delicious!

I also made another batch with just regular Andes baking bits - not the candy cane ones, but the chocolate and mint ones. For those, I used chocolate frosting instead of the peppermint frosting, and still rolled the edges in candy canes. Yum!

Chicken, Spinach, Mushroom Quesadillas

2009-10-27T17:25:00.001-07:00

These turned out to be quite delicious and simple! All you need is tortillas, chicken (I boiled mine and shredded it), cheese, mushrooms, spinach leaves, and tomatoes (opt.)

Combine all of the ingredients into the tortilla.

And then I used my george foreman to grill them. Yum in the tum!

Moist Banana Bread

2009-10-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make this for a while, cause we always have overripe bananas lying around that I end up throwing away. I found this recipe online (google search, don't know where), I was looking for one that was relatively healthy but still moist. I heard substituting the butter for applesauce is a good idea too, but I didn't do that.

2 cups plain flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
Optional for topping: sliced bananas, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp sugar
Optional for filling: 1/2 cup of walnut pieces, 1/2-1 cup of chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a loaf pan.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, yogurt and mashed bananas and mix well.
3. Slowly stir in the flour, a little at a time. Then mix in the baking soda and salt, mixing thoroughly. (Opt) Fold in the walnuts or chocolate chips. (I chose walnuts)
4. Pour mixture into loaf pan. If too stiff, add more yogurt and mix well. Only add in a little at a time.
5. (Opt)Place banana slices on top of the mixture in the pan and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (I just did the cinnamon sugar, yum!)
6. Bake in the center of the oven at 350F for +- 60 min, checking by inserting a knife or toothpick in center until it comes out clean. (Mine took 60 min exactly)
7. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before placing on wire rack.

The best thing for these kinds of breads is to leave them overnight covered in seran wrap after they cool. It seems they become more dense and moist this way!

Sorry I'd have a picture but our bread is almost all gone already! ;)

.:Pumpkin Muffins:.

2009-10-22T07:18:00.001-07:00

My sister gave me this recipe a couple of falls ago, and it has become a traditional favorite at our house! This recipe makes a TON, so I usually do half of it with butterscotch chips and the other half with chocolate chips. They are a great visiting teaching or neighbor gift, or even just to freeze for later, and believe me, you'll have plenty to go around!

INGREDIENTS

3 c pumpkin (be sure not to get the pie filling!)
1 1/2 c vegetable oil
4 c sugar
6 eggs
4 3/4 c flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t cloves
1 pkg. butterscotch chips (or chocolate chips - or both!)

Pre-heat your oven to 350.

Mix the pumpkin, oil, sugar and eggs.

In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients (except the chips) and mix.

Stir in with the pumpkin mix.

Stir in chips. (Be sure to set aside half of your batter if you are choosing to do half butterscotch chips and half chocolate chips.)

Line your muffin tin (if you are a liner sort of baker - I despise cleaning out muffin tins, so I always have to line mine!) Fill 2/3 full with batter.

Bake 18-20 minutes. (My oven is more on the 25 minute side, and they were still very moist and soft!)

.:Fluffy French Toast:.

2009-10-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

We are having this for dinner tonite so I thought I would share!

FLUFFY FRENCH TOAST

1/4 c flour
1 c milk
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1 T white sugar
12 thick slices of bread (Texas Toast works great, but we're using Grandma Sycamore bread tonite)

* Mix all ingredients together

* Soak both sides of bread

* Cook on griddle on medium heat

Cheesy Potato Soup (w/ bacon)

2009-10-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

I got this award-winning recipe from my friend Bethany. I made it tonight. It feeds 6-8 people (or more, it is so rich!) and is also great in a bread bowl.

In large pot combine:

4 cubes or 2 Tbs. granules Chicken bouillon
3 Cups hot water
5 cups diced potatoes
1 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped onion
Cook above ingredients until tender.

In second pan melt butter and whisk in flour. Add the half and half and mix until smooth. Add Velveeta and grated cheese and mix until smooth and then add to vegetables.

¾ cup butter
¾ cup flour
8 oz cubed Velveeta
4 cups half and half
½ cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
You can add milk to it after it is all cooked to make it a little thinner and it helps make it not as rich tasting.
I also added about 8 slices of bacon, cut up and cooked, as I mixed everything together. Good stuff.

Enjoy the yum-yums!

Ruth's Casserole

2009-09-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

Named Ruth's Casserole after my great grandmother, Ruth, whose recipe this is. Some people say it's like Shepherd's Pie, my husband called it Poor Man's Casserole, or Peasant Casserole...anyway, seems like a fairly popular recipe, and this is just one variation, but I love it and always have.

1 lb ground beef
3-4 potatoes (I usually use russet, but used red tonight and they worked just great)
1-2 cans green beans (My mom always used 2, I always use 1. I think 1 is plenty)
2 cans tomato soup (or, as discovered tonight, 1 can tomato soup and some milk. Not as flavorful, but still yummy)

Brown the beef while cooking the potatoes, either by boiling or in the microwave. Once they are cooked, peel (optional) and chop potatoes (bite-size chunks, not super small). Combine all ingredients and eat!

Makes 3-5 servings

Coconut Curry Chicken!

2009-09-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

Oh my yummy goodness! I made this for dinner tonight and just had to share! I got it off the Utah Deal Diva blog, and is way cheap to make!

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts)
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used a little more)
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Assemble ingredients
2. Dice onion & cut up chicken. Season chicken with salt & pepper.
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add curry and mix thoroughly. Let flavors meld for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, cook for 5-7 minutes, till chicken is mostly cooked through.
5. Transfer mixture to heated crockpot. Add coconut milk, tomatoes and sugar, stir. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours.
6. Cook 2 1/2 cups of rice according to package directions. Serve sauce over rice. Enjoy!

This makes 6 servings at only $.63 per serving!

Butternut Squash Soup

2009-09-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

Autumn is in the air, and you couldn't get more Fallish than cooking a warm bowl of this little number. My friend made this the other day and people in the neighborhood could even smell its yummy goodness. I am going to try it later this week!

3 Leeks (white part only) sliced
4 med carrots chopped
5 TB butter
3 lbs butternut squash peeled and cubed
6 C. chicken broth
3 med zucchini peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (If you don't have this on hand it is fine)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 C. half & half
grated parmesan or cheddar cheese

Over med heat, saute the leeks and carrots in butter approx. 5 min. stirring occasionally. Add squash, broth, zucchini thyme and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer until veggies are tender (about 30 min) Cool to luke warm. Puree in blender or food processor until smooth. Add cream, mix well and heat thoroughly but don't boil. Garnish with cheese. Makes 12 servings and freezes well!

.:White Chocolate Cheesecake Cookies:.

2009-09-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe on a local T.V. program the other day, and visiting teaching gave me the perfect excuse to try it out!

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup white granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup shortening
¼ cup butter or margarine softened
¼ cup white chocolate chips melted
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups white chocolate chips

8 oz package cream cheese softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbsp milk

1 can cherry pie filling (I used raspberry because I'm not a fan of cherry pie filling)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine sugars, shortening, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat until it is blended well.

Melt 1/4 cup white chocolate chips in the microwave.

Add to the bowl and beat until creamy.

Add flour, soda, and salt. Beat until a soft dough forms.

Hand stir in 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy.

Stir in milk until it is absorbed.

Drop spoonfuls of dough on to cookie sheet.

Make an indention with the tip of your finger or a spoon.

Drop a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into each indention.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. (Mine were more on the 12 side).

Let the cookies cool for 1-2 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.

Allow cookies to cool and spoon on your filling.

Store in the fridge!

.:Squash Spaghetti:.

2009-09-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Our friends gave us a squash from their garden, and we really are not the biggest squash eaters. Luckily my friend gave me a tip on how to make spaghetti from squash, so we decided to give it a try last nite.

What you need:
- squash
- olive oil
- salt/pepper
- foil

The first thing you need to do is cut the top off of your squash, and then cut it down the middle. Our squash was really really hard - I had to have my husband cut it! Even he struggled with it!

Then you want to scoop out all of the seeds and guts.

Brush a layer of olive oil over each half.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

I cut my foil to be long so that I would be able to wrap it around my squash halves.

Wrap your foil loosely around your squash halves.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, un-cover your squash and bake it again for 10-15 more minutes. Our squash was really hard, so we popped it in for an extra 8 minutes.

Use a fork to shred your squash into 'noodles'.

Top with sauce and serve!

My husband and I both agreed that there was really no taste to the squash, so it is a much healthier alternative to traditional noodles. The problem I had was that the squash was still pretty crunchy, which I struggled with. (Blame it on those pregnancy hormones I guess!) But if you like your pasta al dente, then this might be perfect for you!

.:Chocolate Chip Cookies:.

2009-09-08T06:31:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone has their own chocolate chip cookie recipe, but my husband swears this one is the best! It's a recipe I got from my mom, and they are always a hit! Delicious!

MRS. FIELDS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 1/2 c sugar
2 c brown sugar
1 lb butter
4 eggs
2 t vanilla
5 1/2-6 c flour (I usually use 5 1/2)
1 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 large package chocolate chips

Mix all of the ingredients together.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. My oven usually does 10 minutes and they are perfect!
They come out looking like they are not done, but they are!
After they have cooled, they look like this - perfect!

Veggie Wraps

2009-09-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

So a friend of mine just made these awesome veggie wraps for dinner and posted the recipe on her blog. And I figured I would share. Thanks Amy!

1/4 cup tub-style fat-free creme cheese
4 (10-inch) fat-free tortillas (i got the spinach ones)
4 curly leaf lettuce leaves
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup crumbled cheese of your choice (feta, blue cheese etc.)
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion

Spread one tablespoon cream cheese over each tortilla; top each with a lettuce leaf. Divide sprouts and remaining ingredients evenly among tortillas; roll up. Cut each rolled wrap in half diagonally. Enjoy!

.:Pico de gallo:.

2009-08-20T15:33:00.001-07:00

This is another great recipe from my sister! It would go great with the Cafe Rio salad!

4 fresh tomatillos chopped

1 white onion chopped

1/4 bunch cilantro chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

.:Magelby Rolls:.

2009-08-18T08:07:00.001-07:00

This has been a long standing recipe in my family. These rolls are so tasty and make it seem like you did something pretty special when in reality they are super easy! A great addition to any meal!

What you need:
- frozen roll dough (or if you are awesome, unlike me, you can make your own roll dough!)
- 2 T. parsley flakes
- 3/4 c. parmesan cheese
- 3/4 t. garlic powder
- butter (I used less than 1/4 c.)

Thaw your rolls to room temperature.

Mix the parsley flakes, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder together in a bowl or plate.

Melt your butter.
Roll the dough in the butter.
Roll the dough in the mixture.

Set on greased cookie sheet to rise. Cover rolls with greased saran wrap.

Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes.

EAT!

.:Cafe Rio Salad:.

2009-08-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

For all the Utah people, and I guess some Nevada people, you all know the goodness of Cafe Rio. If you've never had the opportunity to partake....I'm sorry. But you can have a little taste! There are probably a few variations of this floating around out there. I got this recipe from my sister and it is tasty!

Pork:

-pork roast

-1 bottle honey bbq sauce

-1 tbsp honey

-1 liter coke

*Place all ingredients in a large crock pot and cook on low all night. In the morning shred roast and leave in juices on low til time to eat. (I never have done this... I just do low all day)

Lime Rice:

saute -2 tbsp butter

-1 yellow onion chopped

-4 cloves minced garlic

bring to boil: -6 2/3 cup water

-8 tsp chicken bullion

-1/2 bunch chopped cilantro

-2 tsp cumin

-2 small cans diced green chilis

-1 tbsp lime juice

-1/2 tsp salt

Add onion and garlic to boiling water and add 3 cups long grain rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes

Tomatillo dressing:

-1 pkg hidden valley buttermilk ranch dressing dry mix

-1 cup buttermilk

-1 cup mayonnaise

-1-2 tomatillos, peeled

-1/2 - 1 clove minced garlic

-1/2 bunch chopped cilantro

-1/2 tsp lime juice

-1 small jalapeno pepper (can remove seeds so not so hot, or only add half pepper)

*Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Add additional mayonnaise if seems too thin.

Serve all with tortillas, Cotija cheese, black beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, & lime slices.

.:Maui Fish Taco Marinade:.

2009-08-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

Another marinade recipe, courtesy of my mom!

1 lb. white fish.
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 fresh lime - juiced (or more!)
1/2 t. granulated garlic - I used 1 t. fresh garlic
1/2 t. oregano

Marinate the fish for about an hour.

Cook the fish in hot oil.

Serve on tortillas with your favorite taco extras!

.:Chicken Marinade:.

2009-08-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

My mom shared this marinade with me for chicken tacos. I haven't tried it yet, but it got rave reviews from my family!

This works for four chicken breasts.

Cut chicken into thin strips and marinade in:
1/4c. lime juice (or more!)
couple t. garlic
1/3 c. olive oil
1 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
1 t. parsley

Marinate it for at least one hour. Cook the chicken on the stove (my mom used her wok).

.:Fruit Pizza:.

2009-08-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

1/2 package of refrigerated sugar cookie dough

8 ounces of whipped light cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup apricot preserves

Fruit of your choice (sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, sliced kiwi, seedless grapes cut in half, blueberries, melon balls sliced in half)

DIRECTIONS
CRUST: Spread the ½ package of sugar cookie dough over a 14-inch pizza pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool in the pan.

TOPPING: Blend the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla until completely mixed. Spread in a thin layer over the cooled crust.

FRUIT LAYER: Creatively arrange the fruit in circles while slightly overlapping the slices around the crust.

GLAZE: Bring the water and preserves to a boil, stirring constantly. Lightly brush this glaze on top on the fruit to preserve the color. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 10 servings.

.:Grain and Whole Nut Pancakes:.

2009-07-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

Another yummy pancake recipe from my mom. These are sooooo delicious!

* Grind 1 1/2 c. oats to a flour-ish consistency

- 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
- 2 t. baking soda
- 1 t. baking powder
- 1 1/2 c. buttermilk
- 1 c. milk
- 1/4 c. vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1/3 c. sugar

Again, I'm not a huge pecan fan, but a lot of my family likes to top their with pecans and syrup. I just stick to syrup. :)

.:Pumpkin Pancakes:.

2009-07-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe from my mom. These are especially delicious in the fall time, but really, you can have them anytime and they are super tasty! We had them last week on our vacation and they were a hit.

MIX:
1 1/2 c flour
3 T sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t Allspice
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 T cinnamon

ADD:
1 c milk
1 c canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 t vanilla
3 T melted butter

Put them on the griddle and enjoy! I'm not a huge pecan fan, but a lot of my family likes to put chopped pecans and syrup on theirs.

.:Frozen Hot Chocolate:.

2009-07-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from my mom, and it is sooooo delicious! It's a great frozen dessert for the summertime!

INGREDIENTS
6 oz. chocolate bar
2 t. hot chocolate mix
1 1/2 T. sugar
1 1/2 c. milk

* Melt chocolate bar
* Stir in the hot chocolate mix and sugar
* Add 1/2 c. milk
* Put mixture in blender and add the remaining 1 c. of milk
* Blend with 3 c. ice
* Top with whipped cream and chocolate bar shavings

YUM!

Lets get saucy...

2009-07-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

Home-made Hot Fudge Sauce Perfect On Vanilla Ice Cream
And you can ignore the rest of my post, which is totally irrelevant to this recipe-sharing blog! :)
This sauce was very easy and it keeps in the fridge up to four weeks!

Cookies To Make When You Can't Decide What Kind You Want

2009-07-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

Yummy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sorry, I'm a little lazy when it comes to posting on two blogs at once...I'm sure you'll forgive me though.

Roasted Tomato and Zucchini Pasta

2009-07-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

- Cherry or grape tomatoes (I used one package)
- 2 Zucchini squash
- Pasta (anything will work, I used angel hair)
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Parmesean cheese
- Spaghetti Sauce (optional)

Instructions:

Cut up the zucchini squash into fourths. I cut it down the middle (the long way), and then take the 2 halves and cut them down the middle, and chop them into small pieces. Put the cut up zucchini and tomatoes on a cookie sheet. Pour olive oil, salt, and pepper over them and mix it with your hands. Cook the veggies in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes. Then cook your pasta. When the veggies were done I put them in a little spaghetti sauce and sprinkled cheese on top. That's it! It is easy, and pretty healthy. If you use wheat pasta, it would be even better! Enjoy!

.:S'mores Cupcakes:.

2009-07-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

I have seen many variations of this floating around on the internet, so I decided to throw my own in the pot! My good friend just had a baby this week, so I figured I would try them out to take to her and her family. (They got rave reviews in case you are interested!) Kind of a fun take on a summer classic!

INGREDIENTS
- brownie mix
- large marshmallows
- vegetable oil
- eggs
- cupcake liners (optional, I hate cleaning out a muffin tin though!)
- marshmallow cream
- graham crackers
- butter
- sugar
- 1 large Hershey bar (optional, I used it for a garnish)

Crush up your graham crackers. I double bagged mine in Ziplocks, and just crushed them with my hands. It didn't take long, but a meat tenderizer would work well, too! I used one whole sleeve of crackers.

Put them in a bowl and add butter. I just eye balled this one - you'll know when it's enough. Microwave and add until all of the graham cracker crumbs are evenly coated.

Sprinkle sugar into graham mix.

Mix brownie mix as directed on the box.

Line your muffin tin with cupcake liners. Put about a tablespoon of graham crumb mix in each liner.
Real bakers probably use a shot glass to smoosh it down in there. I improvised and used the lid to one of Reece's bottle!

Add one large marshmallow to each cupcake liner.

Pour brownie mix over the top.

Bake for 15-16 minutes at 350.

Let cupcakes cool before frosting. I put my marshmallow cream in a Ziplock and cut off the tip to frost. It actually didn't end up mattering and looking pretty because my house was too warm and the pretty swirl just melted into a blob.

Sprinkle graham crumb mix on top.

Garnish with one piece of Hershey bar.

Eat and enjoy!

I also saw online one recipe where, after frosting with the marshmallow cream, the cupcakes were put in the oven on broil to brown the marshmallow frosting - just like a real S'mores! Probably pretty tasty!

.:Crockpot Pork:.

2009-07-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

I don't actually have a name for this recipe, so crockpot pork it is!

My husband got this recipe from a customer going through his line at work. When he first showed it to me, I have to admit, I thought it sounded gross. But I decided to give it a try. If you know me, you know that I am not a brave eater. I like things simple, plain, and just the way I like them. This actually wasn't too bad. Neither of us were raving about it, but we both thought that it was good. And who doesn't love a good crockpot meal?

CROCKPOT PORK
- boneless pork roast
- 1 c brown sugar
- 1 c ketchup
- 1 T Worcestershire sauce
- 1 jar (12 oz.) chili sauce

Dump it all in the crockpot and cook it on low for 8 hours.

.:Strawberry Sorbet:.

2009-07-03T06:27:00.000-07:00

What a great idea for a summer treat from Our Best Bites. Simple AND tasty!

STRAWBERRY SORBET
1 lb strawberries
3/4 c sugar
1 t lemon juice
Pinch of salt

- Combine sugar with chopped strawberries
- Stir until sugar is dissolved
- Allow to stand for about an hour, stirring frequently
- Add lemon juice and salt
- Blend in your blender
- Freeze
- Enjoy!

On her post, she said that her original idea was to place some broken sugar cookies in the bottom of a parfair dish, add a layer of sorbet, a layer of vanilla ice cream, and sprinkle with blueberries on top. A fun 4th of July treat, but also a fun fresh fruit treat for the summertime!

.:Picnic Cake:.

2009-06-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

My friend made this a couple of weeks ago when I was over at her house. It was delicious, especially warm, right out of the oven!

Picnic Cake

1 3/4 c. boiling water
1 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 3/4 c. flour
2 T. cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 bag chocolate chips
1/2 c. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350.
Pour boiling water over butter and oatmeal and let sit for 10 min.
Then add sugars and mix by hand.
Add eggs.
Add baking soda, cinnamon, flour, cocoa, salt, vanilla and 1/2 bag of choco chips.
Pour into greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
Sprinkle with remaing choco chips and 1/2 cup brown sugar.
Bake for 30 min.

.:Peanut Butter Pizza:.

2009-06-26T07:06:00.001-07:00

Could it get any better than this?

I found this blog this morning, and stumbled upon this recipe. It sounds delicious, so I had to share! I'm sure with the marshmallows, it would be a hit with kids!

PEANUT BUTTER PIZZA from Pink Nothings

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine (room temp)
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
6 oz semi sweet choc. chips
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Blend together: sugar, brown sugar, margarine, peanut butter, vanilla and egg.

Now stir in flour.

Press mixture into 12'' or 14'' pizza pan forming the mixture onto the edge.

Bake 10 min.

Take out of oven, sprinkle 2 cups miniature marshmallows and 6 0z semi sweet choc. chips on top.

bake another 5-8 minutes until marshmallows are slightly brown and bubbly.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2009-06-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I am going to! It is easy and looks yummy! I saw it on Studio 5 on KSL the other day. A gal from the USU extension in SLC was on the show to make it. They hold a free menu planning class during the summer if anyone is interested. They help you learn to plan a menu, cook healthy, and shop wisely. I am signed up for the July 15th class, and there is another one in August. Click here to get the info on it :)

Ingredients:

* 1 can (15 - 20 oz) pineapple chunks
* 1 cup water
* ¼ cup vinegar
* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* ¼ tsp. ginger
* 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
* 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
* 2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into thin strips
* 1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
* 2 carrots, thinly sliced
* 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
* 1 onion, chopped
* Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Drain the pineapple juice into a bowl and reserve the pineapple chunks. Add water, vinegar, brown sugar, ginger and cornstarch to the juice and mix well. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Sauté the chicken over medium-high heat until all juices run clear. Add the onion, green pepper, celery and carrots; then sauté until tender. Add the pineapple juice mixture and stir while the sauce thickens. Mix in the pineapple chunks. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve over hot rice.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

.:Skor Fruit Dip:.

2009-06-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

This fruit dip is really tasty, and perfect for the hot summer days when you don't want to bake a treat! It serves great with lots of different kinds of fruit.

SKOR FRUIT DIP
- 1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1/4 c. white sugar
- 1 t. vanilla

Hand stir.

Stir in 1 c. Skor bits.

I don't know if they sell Skor bits in the baking section; I've never checked. I think I just bought some Skor candy bars and smashed them up with my meat tenderizer!

Enjoy!

.:Peanut Butter and Jam Bars:.

2009-06-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on another blog, and thought I would re-post it here. I love peanut butter bars, and I thought this was a fun take on them, especially for those of us with little ones! Enjoy!

1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C shortening
1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1t vanilla
1 1/4 C flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
3/4 C strawberry or raspberry jam

Glaze:
1/4 C real butter, melted
2 C powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 T hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream shortening and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and combine. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Measure out the 1 1/4 C flour. Add small amounts at a time while mixer is running. When about half of the flour is left add the baking soda and baking powder to it. Combine well and then add to the dough mixture and mix until everything is incorporated.

Reserve one cup of the dough for later use.

Take the remaining dough and press it into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan. I crumble it evenly all over the bottom of the pan and then press it in with my fingers. Crumbling it first helps to create an even thickness.

Then dump your jam on.

Spread the jam over the dough in a nice even layer. Add a little more if you need it. Take the reserved 1 C of dough and use it to cover the jam layer. I take small pieces and press them with my fingers to create flat little pieces of dough. You can also crumble it if you want, but I like the pressing method. Some of the jam will still show through when you're done and that's fine

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. The top should be set and just barely golden brown. Don't overcookWhen done, remove from oven and cool on a rack. While it's cooling you can mix up your glaze.

Wait until they are completely cooled to room temp to glaze (or it really melts all over and falls to the center of the pan and forms a little pool in which you will impulsively dip your finger over and over again until the little pool is no more.)

Let the glaze set for a bit to harden a little and then cut them into squares.

.:Pork Carnitas:.

2009-06-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

We had this last week at my brother in law and sister in law's house, and it was DELICIOUS! I can't wait to make it for us one of these days. So tasty....

PORK CARNITAS

1 T packed brown sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1 T beef base

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground pepper

4 lbs pork loin roast

1/2 C water

Juice of 1 fresh orange

Juice of 1 fresh lime

2 T soy sauce

2 T chopped fresh cilantro, or 1 T dried

1. In small bowl combine the brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, beef base, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Brown pork roast on all sides in large cooking pot over medium heat.

3. Reduce heat and evenly coat the roast on all sides with spice mixture.

4. Add the water, orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, and cilantro. Heat to boiling; reduce heat; cover and simmer over low heat for 3.5 - 4 hours or until roast is so tender it falls aprt. (can also be put in oven at about 275 degrees).

5. Discard any fat and shred roast with fork, allowing meat to absorb any juices left in pan.

Serve on tortilla shells (we fried corn ones in oil - so healthy!) and top with pico de gallo (or salsa), onions, cilantro, lime wedges, cheese, guacamole, or whatever you like.

.:Sauteed Zucchini:.

2009-06-10T18:39:00.001-07:00

INGREDIENTS
4 cloves of garlic
3 medium zucchini, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS
1. Peel and dice the garlic while heating the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and zucchini. Stir occasionally.
3. Cook until zucchini is lightly browned.

Serves 4

NUTRITION INFO (per serving)
Calories: 84.7
Fat: 7.0 g
Carbohydrates: 5.3 g
Protein: 1.9 g

.:Grilled Corn with Lime Butter:.

2009-06-10T18:38:00.001-07:00

INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon grated lime rind
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
8 ears shucked corn

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare grill or broiler.
2. Combine butter, rind, juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Place corn on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
4. Cook 10 minutes, turning frequently. Remove from heat and brush corn with butter mixture.

Serves 8

NUTRITION INFO (per 1-ear serving)
Calories: 97.6
Fat: 3.3 g
Carbohydrates: 17.4 g
Protein: 2.9 g

.:Chicken Quesadilla:.

2009-06-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

I get recipes from sparkpeople all the time, so I thought I'd post a few that I thought sounded pretty tasty. Here's the first one, Mexican food is always my favorite!

NGREDIENTS
4 (7-inch) whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup shredded light mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded light cheddar cheese
2 slices smoked chicken or turkey, slivered
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped and drained
2 teaspoons pickled jalapeño peppers, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. Place tortillas, one at a time, on a preheated nonstick skillet.
2. Evenly distribute 1/4 of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, chicken, onions, cilantro, tomatoes and peppers over top.
3. Cook over medium heat until cheese melts (tortilla shouldn't brown).
4. Fold to make half moon and press firmly in place. Transfer to baking sheet or platter in warm oven. Repeat with remaining tortillas and remaining ingredients.
5. Cut each into two or three wedges, and serve immediately.

Serves 2

NUTRITION INFO (per serving)
Calories: 370.3
Fat: 10.2 g
Carbohydrates: 54.0 g
Protein: 20.7 g

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake!

2009-06-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

.:Jello Cupcakes:.

2009-06-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

We have a family party today. Josh requested my grasshopper cupcakes, which I happily made. But I also thought that I wanted to try something new out, too. I had come across these jello shot cupcakes on a blog I follow, and decided to try it out. Well, minus the rum. Us Mormons prefer our jello plain! :) I thought they might be kind of fun for all the kiddos running around, and also for those that aren't in the mood for heavy chocolate.

CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS
- 1 box white cake mix
- oil and eggs as directed on cake mix
- 1 small box of jello (I used strawberry)
- 1 c boiling water

Prepare your cake mix as directed.

Put cupcake liners in your muffin tin (or not, I just hate cleaning out muffin tins!) Fill them 1/2-2/3 full with cake batter.

Bake as directed. When they come out, poke holes in them with a fork.

Combine your jello mix with 1 c boiling water. Stir for two minutes.

Spoon it on top of your cupcakes. I did 3-4 spoonfuls per cupcake. Let them cool before frosting them.

FROSTING INGERDIENTS
- 2 sticks of butter
- 5 c powdered sugar
- 1 T vanilla
- 3-5 T milk
- strawberry extract to taste (optional)
Mix the ingredients together.

I added red food coloring since I was using strawberry extract. Plus it looks more fun than plain white frosting.

I don't have any fancy frosting tips or anything. I use a trusty Ziplock bag. Put your frosting in the bag, cut off the tip, and frost away.
BROKEN GLASS JELLO GARNISH INGREDIENTS
- 4 small boxes of jello (four different flavors)
- boiling water
- cold water
- 1 can (14 oz.) condensed milk
- 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

Prepare the four boxes of jello as directed on the box. You'll need four pans. Let them cool for 3-4 hours, or overnight. (I actually did this part before anything else!) When the jello has set, cut the jello into cubes. (Mine don't look very nice. I know.) Carefully mix the jello cubes together in a 9x13 pan. In a separate bowl, add the 2 envelopes of gelatin to 1/2 c cold water. Then add 1 1/2 c boiling water. Stir until the gelatin blooms. (That means thickens, I never knew!)

Add the can of condensed milk and stir.

Pour over jello cubes. Let sit overnight.

Once the jello has set, cut it into pieces and garnish the tops of your frosted cupcakes.

Enjoy! (To see a better picture of the broken glass jello, look here. It is so much more beautiful than mine!)

.:Finished Bowls:.

2009-06-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Here are the bowls loaded up and ready to deliver as gifts! Pretty cute!

.:Chocolate Bowls:.

2009-06-02T13:43:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting to try this out ever since I saw it posted on another blog. Well, we just got done with a huge production with our youth group, and we want to do something nice for the parents who have been SO helpful throughout it all. We are having the girls in my young women's program come over tonite to make 'sweet treats' to take around to them. I thought that these beat out a paper plate any day!

All you need are some balloons, semi-sweet baking chocolate, and some wax paper.

Put your chocolate in a microwaveable bowl. Since I was doing such a large batch, I started off with 60 second intervals. For smaller batches, you'd probably only want to do 30 seconds. I stirred it in between.

While the chocolate was microwaving, I lined a cookie sheet with wax paper and blew up my balloons.

Once the chocolate is melted, LET IT COOL. On the website I got this from, it says even when you think it's cool enough, let it cool some more. Otherwise, you end up with popped balloons and chocolate all over. For my large batch (four boxes of 8 oz. of Baker's chocolate) I let it cool for almost an hour. I stirred it about every fifteen minutes to check the temperature.

Then, take your balloon and dip it in the chocolate.

Set it on the wax paper to cool. (I put mine in the fridge).

Take a pin, and poke a small hole at the top. You don't want the balloon to explode - only the air to let out slowly. I stuck the pin in, and then kind of held the hole open to let the air out.

Peel the balloon out and you have a chocolate bowl! We haven't added any treats to it yet, but once we do, we'll probably wrap it up in cellophane and deliver as gifts!

What a fun way to serve dessert at a dinner party or special occasion!

And what fun are desserts if you don't share them? Here is Reece enjoying her first tastes of chocolate. I think she liked it....

Mediterranean Halibut

2009-05-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

Okay so I got this one out of the "Body for Life" cookbook (one of my faves!). It's easy, yummy AND healthy, hurray! Plus, it's perfect for the grilling season! Halibut can get kind of expensive though (I got a bag of 4 frozen fillets at Sam's Club for about $17). Sorry I have no picture....

Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 25 min

Ingredients:
2 sheets (12" by 18" each) aluminum foil
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced (I just use dried basil to my liking)
2 portions halibut fillet (about 12 oz), skin removed
1/2 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
1 lemon, sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Fold foil sheets in half lengthwise to crease, then unfold. Lightly coat the foil with cooking spray.
2. Divide beans into 2 portions and spoon onto foil in the center of the right half. Layer each with half the sliced tomatoes and sliced basil. Place a portion of halibut fillet on top. Sprinkle halibut with lemon-pepper seasoning and top with lemon slices.
3. Fold foil over the top of the halibut, leaving room for air circulation. Close packets by double folding the 3 open foil edges.
4. Place foil packets on grill and lower cover. Grill until halibut is opaque throughout, about 14 minutes.
5. Use tongs to remove foil packets from grill. Open packets carefully and spoon contents onto plates. Serve and enjoy!

Note: This meal can also be prepared in the oven. Simple place sealed foil packets on a baking sheet and cook in your oven at 450 degrees for about 18 minutes!

.:Grasshopper Cupcakes:.

2009-05-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from this blog. I decided to see what I could whip up using things that I already had at home. Mint and chocolate is always a safe, tasty combination, so I decided to use Grasshopper cookies instead of Oreos.

I lined my muffin tin (almost - I was short one, dang!) and placed one grasshopper cookie in the bottom of each.

Then I mixed up my boxed brownie mix. (I don't usually do stuff from scratch - maybe one day!)

Spoon your brownie mix into the muffin tins.

Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.

I only had rainbow chip vanilla frosting in my pantry, so that's what I used! I added a little bit of peppermint extract to the frosting to give some more mint flavor.

Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!

I'm not sure when I'll get time to try this out, but I love the idea and hope to try it soon! How fun!

.:Machaca Beef:.

2009-05-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless beef roast
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilis
- 1 T minced garlic
- 1 can (28 oz) chopped tomatoes
- 1 t salt
- 1/2 t cumin
- 1 t fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
- Place all ingredients in crockpot, cook on low for 8-10 hours
- Remove beef from crockpot and shred

You can use the beef for a variety of things: tacos, burritos, enchiladas, chimichangas - so many possibilities!

I love crockpot recipes!

.:Chicken-Bean Burritos:.

2009-05-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

These are super tasty!

INGREDIENTS
- 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 c cooked rice
- 1/2 c frozen kernel corn
- 2 c shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 c mild or medium salsa
- 1 t chili powder
- 1/2 t salt
- pinch black pepper
- 12 (8") flour tortillas
- 1/2 c chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS
- Boil chicken until chicken is tender. Let cool and cut into small pieces. (You could probably also shred it if you prefer.)
- Combine chicken, beans, rice, and corn.
- Stir in 1 c of cheese and 1 c of salsa
- Add chili powder, salt, pepper and mix well
- Place approximately 1/3 c of filling down the center of each tortilla and roll up
- Place tortillas in greased 9x13 baking dish
- Spread remaining salsa down the center of the tortillas
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 min at 375 degrees
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese
- Bake, uncovered for 10-15 min at 425 degrees until cheese is melted
- Sprinkle with chopped green onions

Yields 6-8 servings

You could probably add more salsa or enchilada sauce over the top of the burritos before they baked if you like them a little bit more smothered.

Yum!

Citrus Marinated Shrimp

2009-05-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

Citrus Marinated Shrimp - 6 servings

1 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh lemon juice
¾ cup ketchup
¼ teaspoon tabasco
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½-2 pounds of large(Costco)shrimp
1 small red onion *thinly sliced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Combine juices, ketchup, and tabasco in large bowl. Whisk in oil. Add onion, cilantro and cooked shrimp and mix well. Place in a ziplock bag and chill for a few hours or overnight. Drain well before serving. ENJOY!

.:Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips:.

2009-05-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

For the baby shower, we also made fruit salsa with cinnamon and sugar chips. It was equally tasty, and a good complimentary food to the quiche.

For the cinnamon and sugar chips:
- flour tortillas
- cinnamon and sugar mixture
- butter flavored Pam spray

- Spray tortilla with Pam.
- Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture
- Spray Pam over top of mixture
- Cut tortillas into wedges using a pizza cutter
- Bake on a cookie sheet at 400 for 5 minutes

Fruit Salsa

You can really use whatever you want, in whatever quantities you would like. I got this little paragraph from Our Best Bites about the different colors.

Red: Strawberries are my standard because they hold up really well, they're usually inexpensive, and everyone loves strawberries. But watermelon, raspberries or pomegranate seeds would be fun too.

Orange: Mango is my top choice because you all know how much I love mangoes! I usually put in a higher ratio of mangoes to other fruit, but that's just me. Peaches, nectarines, or orange segments would work.

Yellow: Pineapple! Fresh is best, but in a pinch open up a can. I guess nectarines and peaches can also be yellow.

Green: LOVE the bright color and great texture of Kiwi in fruit salsa. There's always honeydew too.

Blue/Purple: I go with price on this one. Blueberries or blackberries, whichever is cheaper! See my note about blackberries below.

She also uses a sweetner, but we didn't and it was just fine. Here is what she had to say about sweetners:

Honey: I love the flavor of honey with fruit. I usually add a little no matter what.

Powdered Sugar: It dissolves fast and gives a light sweetness.

Brown Sugar: Takes longer to dissolve but adds an interesting flavor. Much deeper flavor than white sugar.

Granulated Sugar: What I use the most. It tastes good and makes a nice syrup with the fruit juices. Remember my life lesson about adding sugar?

Agave Nectar: If you want to use an alternative sweetener, you could try Agave Nectar (very low on the glycemic index if that concerns you) or a natural herbal sweetener like Stevia.

She also used some 'extras' - which we again, didn't use. But here is what she said:

You don't want to do all of these together- pick and choose!

Lime Juice: I always add lime juice. Just a few big squeezes. The fruit will give off a lot of juice so you don't want to add too much additional liquid, but a few squeezes of tangy lime juice adds a great flavor and makes it nice and tropical tasting.

Cinnamon: A few dashes of cinnamon goes great with the cinnamon chips.

Mint: I love a little chopped fresh mint in my fruit salsa. It reminds me of cilantro in regular salsa and makes everything so fresh tasting. But beware, a little goes a long way and if you add too much it will really overpower the taste of your yummy fruit. My husband hates it when I put mint in- he thinks it ruins the salsa and tastes disgusting, so you may want to go sparingly on that one!

Coconut: shredded coconut is especially yummy when you have tropical fruits like pineapple and mango in your salsa. Sprinkle some on top or stir it in, but either way do it just before serving or it will get all soggy.

Toasted Coconut: If you're taking this to a party, then add some toasted coconut on top for great presentation. People will go wild over it!

Ginger: I'm adding this from Kate's suggestion in the comment section. Great thinking! A little fresh ginger would be great. A little will go a long way. P.S. ginger + coconut = yum.

We made the salsa the day before, and let it chill overnite. It wasn't too soggy, but I probably wouldn't do it for too long beforehand.

Tasty, and semi-healthy with all of the fruit, especially if you don't add any sweetners and extras!

.:Mini Mexican Quiche:.

2009-05-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

We made these when I was visiting my mom, for a baby shower. They are DELICIOUS!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
2 eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese. Add flour; beat until well blended. Shape into 24 balls; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Press balls onto the bottom and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups. Sprinkle a rounded teaspoonful of cheese and 1/2 teaspoon of chilies into each shell.
In a bowl, beat eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Spoon into shells. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

We added some spicy sausage to the mixture to give it a bit more flavor. We also used a cheddar cheese blend, instead of Monterey Jack, so that it wasn't as bland. Soooo tasty!

Lemon Bread

2009-05-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the picture may not show the lusciousness of it, but this Lemon Bread is delicious. It is just the right amount of lemon and sweet and rich! Oh, and easy.

Lemon Bread
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp lemon juice
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
Glaze:
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
-In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and lemon juice. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into creamed mixture alternately with milk. Pour into a greased 8x4x2 loaf pan (I used a 9x5 loaf pan).
-Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Combine glaze ingredients. Remove from pan; immediately drizzle with glaze. Cool on a wire rack.

This bread makes me think of a light, fresh, sunshiny day! Perfect for this time of year.

.:California Club Pizza:.

2009-04-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Another pampered chef recipe from Camilla's party! I haven't made it yet, but it was tasty!

INGREDIENTS
- 1 t. vegetable oil
- 1 pkg. (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
- 2 c. diced or shredded cooked chicken
- 2 c. (8 oz.) shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 1/4 medium red onion
- 1 medium avocado
- 1 lemon
- 6 slices bacon, thinly sliced, cooked, and drained

DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425
- Brush pan with oil
- Press dough into bottom of the pan (a cookie sheet would work great!)
- Top crust with chicken and sprinkle with cheese
- Bake 16-18 min. or until golden brown
- Slice tomatoes in half, lengthwise; scrape out seeds and dice
- Slice onion
- Dice avocado
- Combine avocado, tomatoes onion, and juice from lemon (2 T.) and stir
- Distribute tomato mixture evenly over pizza
- Sprinkle with bacon

Yields: 8 servings

.:Mexican Chicken Lasagna:.

2009-04-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

We had this at Lindy's Pampered Chef party last week, and it was so tasty! I know Sarah has made it herself and loved it. I haven't tried it yet, but plan to soon! Yum!

INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 c. lightly packed Cilantro leaves
- 1 pkg. 8 oz. cream cheese
- 2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- 1 medium onion (about 2/3 c. chopped)
- 1 can (28 oz.) enchilada sauce
- 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
- 3 c. diced/shredded cooked chicken

DIRECTIONS
- Microwave cream cheese in microwave 30-45 seconds, or until very soft.
- Add cilantro and 1 1/2 c. cheese; mix.
- Spread 2/3 c. enchilada sauce in bottom of pan. Set aside the rest.
- Dip four tortillas in the enchilada sauce and arrange over sauce in bottom of pan.
- Scoop half of cream cheese mixture over tortillas and spread.
- Put 1 c. of chicken and 1/3 of onion on top.
- Repeat layers one time.
- Pour remaining enchilada sauce over lasagna and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. cheese.
- Microwave, covered, on high 12-15 minutes or until center is hot.

Yield: 8 servings

I don't have a covered pan that would go in the microwave, so I will have to adjust this to the oven.

Yum!

.:Strawberry/Banana Bread:.

2009-04-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

Strawberry - banana is probably my favorite fruit combination! I haven't tried this bread yet, but I plan to soon. It sounds delicious! I found it here.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened (I used real butter, but I'm sure margarine works)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups ripe bananas (about 6 medium), mashed
4 eggs
1 tea salt
2 tea baking soda
3 cups flour
1 1/2 pounds frozen sliced strawberries, thawed (I used whole strawberries w/o sugar and sliced them myself)

Directions:
1. Grease 2 9x5-inch loaf pans.
2. Preaheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. In a larging mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
4. Incorporate the bananas in the sugar mix and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one. Set aside
6. In another bowl, mix together the salt, baking soda, and flour.
7. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
8. Add the strawberries.
9. Pour into prepared pans.
10. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Cool completely on a rack before inverting onto a plate.

Russian Chicken

2009-04-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

RUSSIAN CHICKEN

Ingredients:
frozen chicken breasts or tenders
1 bottle of Wishbone Russian dressing
1 jar of pineapple apricot jam
1 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup

Place frozen chicken in a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with Pam. In a bowl combine, dressing, jam, and Lipton Onion Soup. Mix together and pour over chicken. Place tin foil over the top of the pan and cook at 325 for an hour and a half. It tastes sooooo good, and is super easy! Enjoy!

Italian Chicken

2009-04-13T14:56:00.001-07:00

Super easy.

Ingredients:

Chicken breast(s)
Italian dressing (I used low-fat)

Partially cook chicken in frying pan. Pour a little dressing over the top and finish cooking.

I served it with some rice on the side. It was delicious, and can it get any easier?

Nutrition Facts:

Serving size: 1/2 chicken breast

Calories: 154.7

Total Fat: 1.4 g
Cholesterol: 65.7 mg
Sodium: 1,033.7 mg
Total Carbs: 6.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
Protein: 26.2 g

.:Cadbury Creme Cookies:.

2009-04-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Cadbury Creme Eggs, so I was beside myself when I found this recipe online. So simple, and so tasty!

.:Cadbury Creme Cookies:.

- I box of cake mix (I used Devil's food cake)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c. oil
- mini Cadbury Creme Eggs
- 1/2 bag mini chocolate chips

* Mix together cake mix, eggs, chips, and oil. This is a cake mix cookie recipe.

* Drop spoonfuls on cookie sheet.
* Press unwrapped mini Cadbury Egg into dough.

* Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes

My creme eggs exploded a little on some of my cookies, all over the cookie sheet. Maybe I didn't have very good spoonfuls?

If you don't like the mini cream eggs, you could really put anything else in there that you want! I saw another recipe online that crushed up the mini Cadbury eggs (not the cream ones) and put those in a cookie. Also, I was thinking that peanut butter chips would be pretty tasty. Because chocolate + peanut butter = celestial.

They were so tasty, and we ended up giving some away to some of our friends so that we didn't end up eating them all by ourselves!

Yummy Rice Krispy Treats

2009-04-05T18:12:00.001-07:00

This is the best rice krispy treat I have ever had!! You won't be able to stop enjoying them!

3 bags white chocolate chips
2 C Peanut Butter
7 C Rice Krispies
5 C Mini Marshmallows
1 Bag sm chocolate chips

Melt white choc. chips in microwave for 1-2 min; stiring frequently. Add PB, melt for 30 secs. Add Cereal, Marshmallows and 1/2 bag choc. chips. Stir. Spread on cookie sheet or in jelly roll pan and sprinkle w/ remaining choc. chips. I cut this recipe in half and it made tons!

Mexican Chicken and Rice

2009-03-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on a blog I look at regularly, tried it, and it has been a keeper in our house ever since. We scoop it onto our plate and garnish it with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, etc. You can eat it straight with a fork, but we love to scoop it up and eat it with tortilla chips. The best part is, you make it all in one big skillet so you only dirty one dish. It's a fast and easy recipe, and most the stuff I usually have in my cupboard so it's a nice go-to meal.

Mexican Chicken and Rice

2-3 tablespoons oil
3 chicken breasts cut up in large pieces
taco seasoning to taste
1 cup salsa
1 can corn or 1-1/2 cups frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained
1 package (7 ounces) Zatarain's New Orleans Style Black Beans and Rice
2 cups water
1 cup grated cheese

Directions:
In a large skillet heat oil, add chicken and sprinkled with taco seasoning. When the chicken is white on all sides add salsa, corn and black beans. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. Add box of rice and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and then simmer for 20-25 minutes. Just before serving, add grated cheese. Cover and let cheese melt for 2-3 minutes. **When I haven't had a lot of chicken, I have even used 1-2 pieces of chicken and it still turns our great.

.:Crockpot Mexican Breakfast Casserole:.

2009-03-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

I haven't actually tried this yet, but it sounds delicious and I plan to put it on the menu for next week! I'm all about crockpot meals! It says it's a breakfast casserole, but obviously it would be good morning or nite! I found it on this awesome website.

CROCKPOT MEXICAN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
Serves 8

Corn tortillas - 7 or 8
8 eggs
2 c fat free milk
2 c shredded Mexican blend cheese (or just plain cheddar or whatever cheese you want!)
1 can (7 oz.) drained green chilis
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 onion diced
1 c corn
1 c sliced mushrooms (optional)
3/4 t kosher salt
1/2 t black salt
* Optional - add whatever meat you would like
(In my opinion, the onions are optional too!)

- Butter or Pam the inside of your stoneware
- Put a layer of tortillas on the bottom (you may have to tear them to make them fit nicely)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the other ingredients, whisk together
- Pour about 1/2 of the mixture in the crockpot, on top of the tortillas
- Put in another layer of tortillas
- Top with the remaining mixture
- Top with another layer of tortillas
- Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours
- If your crockpot seals well (causing a lot of condensation) uncover 15-20 minutes before serving and cook on high to release the condensation and firm up the top a bit
- You know it is done when the eggs are cooked, edges have begun to brown, and the cheese is slightly crispy

If you don't like corn tortillas, or want to go another route, you can use frozen hashbrowns instead.

YUM!

.:Cupcakes & Homemade Thin Mints:.

2009-03-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this didn't really require a ton of baking, but there was some involved. I found this idea on a cupcake blog, and decided to try it. We are having a ward auction/fundraiser in a couple of weeks, and we are supposed to bring desserts to auction off. So I wanted to make sure it would work out! The blog I got it off of made everything from scratch. I do not have the patience for this, especially when you can just buy a cake mix and a can of frosting! :) I'm not necessarily lazy, just cheap. My sister did a tutorial of how she made her Easter wreath, so I thought it would be fun to do a tutorial of my cupcakes!

The ingredients: Devil's food cake mix, eggs, oil, strawberry frosting, chocolate chips for the coating
Put cupcake liners in your cupcake tin, and fill 2/3 full with the cake batter.
Bake!
My friend Sarah gave me this tip for frosting when you don't have the real frosting bags/tools. Just cut the end off a Ziplock! (I'm sure everyone in the world knew that but me.)
Frost the cupcakes once they are cooled. I put them on a cookie sheet and put them in the fridge so that the frosting would harden.
Melt your chocolate chips in the microwave, and dip the frosting part of the cupcakes in it.
The finished product:
This is what they look like, cut in half.
VERDICT: They were delicious!

I also made some homemade Thin Mints. You use Ritz crackers, peppermint extract, half of a bag of semi sweet chocolate chips, and half of a bag of milk chocolate chips. Melt the chips in the microwave, add the extract to your liking, and dip your Ritz in them. I haven't tried them yet, but they look tasty!

.:Root Beer Cookies:.

2009-03-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

I found this great recipe here.

ROOT BEER COOKIES
(You can leave out the root beer extract to have yummy chocolate sugar cookies.)

1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. root beer extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water (optional–only use if dough is too dry)

- Cream butter and dark brown sugar until very light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the root beer extract.
- Whisk dry ingredients together.
- Add a little at a time to the creamed mixture. The dough should be slightly sticky.

- Chill for at least an hour.

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly grease several baking sheets, or line them with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Roll into small balls (about 1″ diameter). You could use a mini scoop so that they are evenly sized.
- Place them on the pan, leaving a bit of space between the cookies.
- Gently press the tops of the dough. (If you leave out the water, sometimes the cookies don’t spread very much.)
- Bake for 6-8 minutes, rotating cookie sheet halfway through.
- Let cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

ROOT BEER FROSTING

1 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. root beer extract
a few tablespoons hot water

- Beat butter on high with an electric mixer until it is fluffy.
- Add a little powdered sugar and the root beer extract.
- Beat until smooth.
- Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with a little hot water until a nice spreading consistency has been reached.
- Frost the cooled cookies and let stand for a few minutes to let the frosting set up. (It should dry a bit on the top.)

Yields about 4 dozen.

.:Thin Mints Part Two:.

2009-03-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

I found this other recipe for Thin Mints that is much easier than the other one I posted! Not sure the taste difference because I haven't made either!

THIN MINTS

Ritz crackers
1/2 package dark chocolate chips
1/2 package milk chocolate chips
peppermint extract (not mint, you want the peppermint)

- Melt chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave. Start at two minutes, then stir, then microwave for 30 second intervals with stirring in between, until smooth
- Add peppermint extract - about 1-2 teaspoons
- Dip your crackers in the chocolate
- Lay each cracker on wax paper to dry
- Let cool and enjoy

Yields about two dozen cookies

You can find recipes for other homemade girl scout cookies at http://bakingbites.com/

.:Bon Bons:.

2009-03-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of the bon bons that I made for young women's tonite. They were tasty! I did four kinds: cocoa, powdered sugar, cinnamon and sugar, and sprinkles.

Dutch Gingerbread Nuts

2009-03-10T18:45:00.001-07:00

This is more for the holiday season but oh well. People in the Netherlands eat these for St. Nicolas Day (Dec. 5th).

1 1/4 cup self-rising flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter/margarine
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
2 tablespoons milk

Knead it to a dough. Make little balls the size of a marble. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for about 15 minutes. Cool down before eating!

The picture above is of the "pepernoten". They may look like this or more rounded.

Easy Pasta Salad

2009-03-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

1 bag of multi-colored rotelli macaroni (cooked of course)
1 small can of sliced olives
1/2 bottle of (fat free) Italian dressing
1 can of Mexicorn (corn mixed w/ peppers)

Mix it all together and enjoy! It's great for lunch or dinner (about 4-6 servings), and keeps great in the fridge. Tastes good hot or cold.

Tomato-Cream Penne for 2

2009-03-10T17:13:00.001-07:00

Super quick and easy, and delicious.

1/2 jar tomato pasta sauce
1/4 cup half-and-half
3 cups hot cooked penne

Mix and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese!

Twice Baked Potatoes for 2

2009-03-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

2 potatoes
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 can cream of broccoli soup
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for 2 hours. Remove, slide in half longways and scoop out insides. Mash with butter, sour cream, soup, and half of cheese. Add salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste. Refill skins and top with remaining cheese. Return to oven for 15 minutes. Serve.

Hot Fudge Sauce

2009-03-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

It's not really fudge, because it's rather thin, but it's yummy. (Summer has had it before, so she can be a witness. I love this stuff.) I got the recipe from my mom, who I think got it from her mom...I don't really know where it came from. Absolutely delicious on ice cream.

1 cup sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
dash of salt
2 tbsp butter
1-2 tbsp white corn syrup
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients (except vanilla) in pan and cook 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla.

Chicken and Rice

2009-03-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite recipes...it is easy, yummy, and makes the house smell good!

Frozen chicken breasts or tenderloins
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups of minute rice
2 cans of milk
1 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam and place frozen chicken all along the bottom of the pan. Mix together the cream of chicken, cream of celery, rice, and milk in a bowl. Pour over the chicken. Sprinkle the Lipton Onion Soup mix on top. Cover with foil. Bake at 325 F for an hour and a half to two hours.

.:Homemade Thin Mints:.

2009-03-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

I stole this recipe off of another blog, but I was thinking - who doesn't love thin mints? :) The recipe is originally intended to be gluten free for those who aren't able to eat the real deal thin mints, but I figure if they taste as good as the originals, you will get a lot more for your buck however you make them!

HOMEMADE THIN MINTS

For wafer:
1/4 c. butter
1 (16 oz.) package gluten free brownie mix or chocolate cake mix
5 T. milk (can use soy if you want)
1/4 t. mint extract

For chocolate coating:
2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter
1/4 t. mint extract
1-3 T. water

- Combine butter, brownie or cake mix, milk, and mint extract in a large mixing bowl.

- Stir with a fork until a ball of dough forms; it will be quite crumbly.

- Roll dough out 1/4-inch thick between two pieces of parchment paper.

- Use a 1 1/2 inch cookie cutter (or the lid from a spice container) to cut out circles of dough.

- Place circles on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

- Use the blunt end of a skewer to poke 5 holes in each cookie.

- Bake at 350° for 8-12 minutes. Let sit on sheet for a few minutes before moving.

- When cookies have cooled, combine chocolate chips, butter, mint extract and 1 tablespoon of water.

- Heat in a double-boiler or in a slow cooker (I used a 4 quart crockpot) until liquidy.

- Stir well, and drop wafers in, one at a time, and ladle chocolate over the top.

- Lift coated cookie out with a fork, and chill in the refrigerator until set. If your chocolate begins to harden, reheat as needed, and add a bit more water.

Yields 36 cookies

Crockpot Chicken

2009-03-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

2-3 chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can french onion soup
1 bag of mini carrots

Place all items in your crockpot and stir to combine. Cook on low 6-8 hours. I like to make mash potatoes on the side and use the soup sauce as a gravy. You could also put the potatoes right into the crockpot as well. **Use this same recipe to cook a roast instead of chicken!

.:Bon Bons:.

2009-03-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

1 boxed cake mix (chocolate or dark chocolate)
1 can of frosting (chocolate)

Additional materials to roll your bon bons in:
- sprinkles
- powdered sugar
- white sugar
- cocoa
- cinnamon and sugar
- or whatever else you think would be tasty!

Bake the cake as you would regularly.
Let it cool!
Take the cake out of the pan and put into a bowl.
Mash it up with your hands.
Add the can of frosting into the bowl and stir together.
Roll into balls and place on wax paper. You may want to spray your hands with no stick spray.
Put in the freezer until tacky.
Roll them in whatever you'd like!
Store in the fridge.

YUM!

.:Glazed Carrots:.

2009-03-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

I got this from my friend, Jeanette's, blog. I haven't tried it yet, but I plan to! I thought it was a fun spin on veggies.

Start with however many carrots you need for your family. Cook them as you desire. (We like to steam our carrots in our steamer, but you can also do this stovetop.)

Use 1 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.

Mix it in with the carrots. The heat from the carrots should melt the butter and the brown sugar. If the brown sugar looks grainy, you may want to put everything in a pan on low heat to finish melting it.

If you want, you can sprinkle the carrots with dill weed.

The serving size on this is really as big or as small as you'd like it to be!

Bruschetta Chicken

2009-03-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

1/2 c. flour
2 eggs lightly beaten
3 chicken breasts
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1 Tbsp melted butter
2 large tomatoes chopped
3 Tbsp minced fresh basil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place flour and eggs in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in flour, then in eggs. Place in a greased 13x9 baking dish. Combine the parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and butter, sprinkle over chicken.

Loosely cover baking dish with foil. Bake at 375 for 20 min. Uncover, bake 5-10 min or until top is browned.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine remaining ingredients. Spoon over the chicken. Return to the oven fir 3-5 min or until tomato mixture is heated through. You can serve it over pasta if you like.

.:No Bake Cookies:.

2009-03-04T06:47:00.001-08:00

These are one of my favorite cookies. I also found this cute idea on a lady's blog from my mom's ward, and thought it was too cute!

NO BAKE COOKIES
4 1/2 c sugar
1/3 c cocoa
1/2 lb butter
1 c milk
Boil for 1 minute.
Add 2 t vanilla and 1 c peanut butter
Add a minimum of 4-6 c of oatmeal (You may need to add more to get the consistency right.)
Drop spoonfuls on cookie sheet to cool and harden.

Ramen Shrimp and Vegetables - 20-Minute Recipe

2009-03-01T15:17:00.000-08:00

Makes 4 servings

1 lb uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen and tails peeled
2 cups water
1 package (3 oz) Oriental-flavored ramen noodle soup mix
1 bag (1 lb) fresh stir-fry vegetables (I use frozen and thaw them before use)
1/4 cup stir-fry sauce

Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp in skillet 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pink and firm. Remove shrimp from skillet. Keep warm.

Heat water to boiling in same skillet. Break up noodles from soup mix into water; stir until slightly softened. Stir in vegetables.

Heat to boiling. Boil 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in seasoning packet from soup mix and stir fry sauce. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until hot. Stir in shrimp.

210 calories per serving
4 g fat
160 mg chol.
1160 mg sodium
21 g carbs
22 g protein

Only takes 20 minutes to cook!

(I added a "nutrition facts" label and a "quick" label)

From Betty Crocker Cookbook, Bridal Edition

.:Italian Crockpot Chicken:.

2009-02-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

ITALIAN CROCKPOT CHICKEN

2-4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 package cream cheese
1 packet dry Italian dressing mix
2-3 cans cream of chicken soup

Cut chicken into pieces - can be as small or big as you like. Put all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours. Serve over rice or egg noodles. (I like the egg noodles!)

.:Lime Cake:.

2009-02-27T07:06:00.002-08:00

LIME CAKE

1 boxed cake mix (lemon)
4 eggs
1 c. plain yogurt
1 c. oil
1/2 c. lime juice
1 can condensed milk
1 small box lime jello
1 t. baking powder

Mix together and bake. When I made it, it took about 40 minutes baking as directed on the box.

Frosting:
1/2 c. lime juice
1 can condensed milk
1 c. lime yogurt

.:Swiss Cheese Chicken:.

2009-02-27T07:06:00.001-08:00

SWISS CHEESE CHICKEN

8 chicken breasts
8 slices swiss or other cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. water
1 package Stovetop stuffing
1/3 c. margarine

Place chicken in dish. Place one slice of cheese over each piece of chicken. Stir soup and water together. Spoon over chicken. Drizzle marg./butter over it (only half of it.) Crush stuffing crumbs and sprinkle over chicken. Drizzle the rest of the butter and about 1/4 c. water over chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 for 55-60 minutes.

.:Tortilla Soup:.

2009-02-27T07:05:00.000-08:00

TORTILLA SOUP

2 small cans diced green chilis
1 c. chicken broth
1 diced tomato
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 onion chopped and saute
1 1/2 t. minced garlic - saute
1 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
2 pieces chopped celery
1 can Rotel (med. heat)
2 pkg grilled chicken breast

Mix together, heat, and serve with chips and cheese

.:Brown Rice Casserole:.

2009-02-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

BROWN RICE CASSEROLE

3 cans beef consomme soup
1 cube butter
2 1/2 c. water
2 c. white rice
1/2 T. oregano
1 chopped onion
canned sliced mushrooms

Bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
Bake covered in 9x13 pan for 1 hour at 350.

.:Lettuce Wraps:.

2009-02-27T07:03:00.001-08:00

LETTUCE WRAPS

2 lbs. turkey burger
1 T. olive oil
1 t. Chinese 5 Spice
1-3 t. Szechwan
8 oz. water chestnuts - chopped
1 c. chopped/shredded carrots
1/2 c. sliced green onions
1/2 c. toasted pecans - chopped
3-4 T. soy sauce

Brown turkey and spices in olive oil.
Add the rest - and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Serve with lettuce wraps and white rice.

.:Breakfast Casserole:.

2009-02-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

1 bag shredded hash browns
Squeeze excess water and press into buttered pan. Bake 10-15 minutes. (Not sure on the oven, probably around 350.)

2 c. cubed ham
8 oz. shredded swiss cheese
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
15 eggs

Beat eggs and mix together with ham and cheese. Pour over hashbrown crust. Bake for 25 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

.:Chicken Satay with Dipping Sauce:.

2009-02-27T07:01:00.000-08:00

CHICKEN SATAY W/PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE

1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 t. lime zest
1/4 c. lime juice
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1 T. snipped fresh cilantro

In bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, lime zest and lime juice. Press garlic into soy sauce mixture. Reserve 1/3 c. soy sauce mixture for peanut dipping sauce and set aside.

Add chicken to remaining soy sauce mixture. Cover. Refridgerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400. Bake chicken 18-20 minutes.

Add peanut butter and cilantro to reserved soy sauce mixture. Whisk until smooth. Serve with chicken.

.:Orange Julius;.

2009-02-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

ORANGE JULIUS

1/2 can orange juice concentrate
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 c. milk
1 c. water

Put in blender with ice. Serves great with popcorn! :) This was our 'dinner' every Sunday nite growing up!