Delightful and Delicious

Creamy Chicken Toquitoes

2011-02-11T11:30:00.001-08:00

I made these the other day. I got the recipe off a website called 'The Girl Who Ate Everything'. They're delish and pretty fast to make. I'm going to make this again...soon! It was that good! Next time though, I'm going to double the recipe so there'll be leftovers.

1/3 cup (3oz) cream cheese
1/4 cup green salsa
1 T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 cups shredded chicked (I boiled mine and shredded it like I do for chicken noodle soup)
1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese (I used some mexican cheese blend I got on sale at the grocery store instead and it was still yummy)
small flour tortillas
salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 475. Line a cooking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Then add the cilantro, green onions, chicken, and cheese. Combine well.

Place 2-3 T of the mixture on the bottom third of the tortilla (don't put it too close to the edges). Roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Once all the toquitoes are layed out on the sheet (not touching) spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they're crisp and the ends start to get brown.

Using the big tortillas, this made 8. Next time I'm going to use the small tortillas. I think that'll double it, so I'd buy at least 16 small tortillas. Make sure you have stuff to dip these in. Salsa, sour cream, beans, etc.

Yum!

Potato Bacon Chowder

2010-12-14T04:45:00.000-08:00

I had this at a friend's house the other night and HAD to have the recipe! Seriously yummy stuff!

1 onion, diced
1 lb. Bacon
2 cans cream of chicken soup
16 oz. sour cream
1 cup water
2 baked potatoes
¼ c. milk
salt and pepper
garnish with parsley

Cook bacon. Set aside, keeping a little of the bacon grease in the pan to sauté the onion in. After the onion is done, add diced potato and water. Boil for about 5-10 minutes, just make sure the potatoes are soft and cooked all the way through.
Add sour cream, soup, salt, pepper and use milk to reach desired consistency. Add crumbled bacon before serving. Garnish with parsley.

Persimmon Cheesecake

2010-11-16T01:06:00.000-08:00

I have been getting some fruit from Bountiful Baskets. I had a bunch of persimmons, which I didn't know existed, but I found a recipe online for persimmon cheesecake. So, I gathered ingredients, and this is what I got. I didn't know what a spring form pan was, so I just used a Pyrex pie pan. I only used half the filling in the pie so I made up another crust. I used a square Pyrex pan for that one.

Ingredients

· 2 cups chopped walnuts

· 1/3 cup brown sugar

· 3 tablespoons melted butter

· 2 cups pureed persimmons

· 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

· 1 1/4 cups white sugar

· 3/4 cup sour cream

· 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

· 6 eggs

· 1 1/4 cups sour cream

· 3 tablespoons white sugar

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2. Chop the walnuts in a food processor until fine. Mix together in a bowl with the brown sugar and melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

4. Combine the persimmons, cream cheese, 1 1/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup sour cream, cinnamon, and ginger in a food processor. Blend in processor until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape edges of food processor bowl with a spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, and process until fully incorporated. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until mostly set with the center being slightly jiggly, 60 to 75 minutes.

6. While the cheesecake is baking, whisk together the 1 1/4 sour cream, 3 tablespoon white sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread evenly over the cheesecake while still hot and return to oven another 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate 4 to 8 hours or overnight before serving.

Ratatouille

2010-08-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

Ratatouille
my adaptation of this youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFZqufAajN8

Ingredients

thinly sliced eggplant (I used 1 medium to small)
thinly sliced cucumbers (I used 4 pickling cucumbers)
thinly sliced zuccini (I didn't use this)
thinly sliced carrots (I used 4-6 short stubby ones.. I recommend using the carrot *bums* where the slices make the largest circles if possible and they're usually too fat around to want to eat without cutting anyway)
2 large tomatoes sliced
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 cans tomato sauce
2 tsp basil (we used fresh basil so the measurement was different)
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
salt & pepper to taste
5 Tbsp olive oil

Prepare sliced veggies. In a sauce pan add 2 cans tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and thyme and cook over medium low heat while cooking the rest of the food. In a skillet or fry pan, saute onion, garlic, carrots in 2 Tbsp of oil over medium heat until onions are white and translucent. Add eggplant, zuccini, cucumber and remaining 3 Tbsp of oil to the onion mixture. You may cover if desired and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Check carrot tenderness. When carrots are almost your desired tenderness add mushrooms and tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until mushrooms and tomatoes and carrots are done. Spoon vegetables into a bowl or plate and top with sauce. You can always add more sauce if you start out conservatively. Enjoy! Most of the time to make this meal was spent prepping the vegetables. So simple and so easy with a lovely earthy dish as a result that your family will love. Sorry moms...you can't hide the fact that there are servings of vegetables in this dish. :)

Changes I made to the video's recipe:
*added carrots... you could probably also add potatoes but having tasted it I think it matches better without.
*cut in thin slices instead of chopped veggies... the texture is more pleasing but chopping might be faster. I recommend a mandolin or food slicer if you slice.
*added 2 small cans of tomato sauce and cooked spices in the sauce instead of adding to veggies directly.
*substituted cucumber slices for zuccini... zuccini would be closer to the eggplant texture so if would be fine,.. i think the cucumber added a nice different texture and freshness that wouldn't otherwise be there so I'm keeping them in the recipe.

** We did not eat this as presented in this photo. We just spooned it into a bowl and poured the sauce over it to serve.
** The changes I made were to match closer to the presentation made in Disney's Pixar's Ratatouille so I cannot take credit for the ideas I tried my best to imitate.

Homemade Ice Cream

2010-07-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

4 quarts Half and Half

3 cups Sugar

2 Tablespoons Vanilla

Combine all ingredients, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. To avoid sugar settling to the bottom of freezer some of the half and half can be heated with the sugar over low heat until completely dissolved and then mixed with the rest of the half and half, with this method though the ingredients must be cooled in the refrigerator prior to freezing. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Makes 6 Quarts frozen ice cream, you can divide recipe to fit the size of your ice cream freezer.

Note: Most ice cream makers produce soft-serve ice cream which you can firm, if desired, by placing it in your refrigerator's freezer in an airtight container for about 2 hours.

Caramel Sauce

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

3 cups Brown Sugar

1 cube Butter

1/2 pint Heavy Whipping Cream

Put in a double broiler all ingredients, cooking over medium low heat stirring until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, continue cooking for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Sauce will have thickened slightly and be a caramel color. Serve over ice cream, homemade ice cream is especially good! Store in refrigerator, sauce may become somewhat crystallized but will smooth out when heated.

Pasta with White Bean Sauce

2009-09-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

This is a great vegitarian recipe from the Better Homes and Garden's cookbook. Since my Noah has, so far, proven himself to be a vegitarian I thought I'd try this out and see how we like it. We LIKE it! Noah ate his up in less than 5 minutes (which he NEVER does) so it was a winner before I'd even tasted mine. Once I'd tasted it though, I could see why he ate it so fast - delish!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (but you could also use Swiss or American - I used the Gruyere)
1 - 15 oz. can great Northern, navy, or white kidney beans, drained
1 - 4 oz. can diced green chili peppers, drained
1 ounces dried linguini or spaghetti

Directions:
1. Cook the onion and garlic in a large saucepan with hot margarine until tender. Stir in the flour and 1/8 tsp of pepper (you could probably leave that out but whatever). Add the milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until it's thick and bubbly (probably took me about 5 minutes to get it the consistency I wanted). Cook it and stir one minute more. Add cheese; stir until melted. Stir in drained beans and chili peppers (I used about half of the chili peppers that it called for just because I didn't want it to be too spicy for my kids. It ended up being a good amount of heat for them - if you ever cook this just for adults though I'd use all the chili's). Heat through.

2. Cook the linguini (I'm assuming you probably know how to cook pasta so I won't insult your intelligence by telling you how to do that). Serve the sauce over the pasta. Enjoy!

Chicken and Rice

2009-06-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

My friend Vanessa gave me this recipe the other day and I made it last night and it is a WINNER! So easy and delicious - even my vegitarian Noah ate it!

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs of chicken - cut into bite size cubes (the more chicken you use the less sauce you end up with)
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread your cut up chicken around in a baking dish. Melt the butter and mix the honey, mustard, salt and curry into it. Pour it evenly over the chicken. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

2. For the rice. You could do plain old minute rice and that would be delish. But for a little extra flavor, try mixing a packet of Lipton's French Onion Soup mix (you know, the powdered stuff) into whatever rice you make. It gives it a little extra zing and compliments this meal beautifully!

Pear Salad

2009-04-03T12:13:00.001-07:00

So here is a delicious salad that whenever I make it I get tons of compliments on it and everyone wants the recipe, so I thought I would share it with the masses:

Ingredients:
-One head of lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces or a bag of salad greens
-2pears-cored and cut into slices (or you can use canned pears and just cut them up)
-5 ounces crumbled blue cheese
-1 avocado-peeled,pitted, and diced
-1/4 cup white sugar
-1/2 cup pecans
-1/3 cup olive oil
-3tablespoons red wine vinegar
-1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
-1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
-1 clove garlic, chopped
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and the pecans are caramelized. Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.
2. For the dressing, blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, mustard, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. In a large serving bowl, layer lettuce, pears, blue cheese, avocado, and green onions. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans and serve!!

Ravioli Soup

2009-01-31T14:50:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from Parents magazine and it is really good (and healthy). My kids also seem to enjoy it so extra bonus!
-1/2 lb. ground turkey
-1 Tbs. Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
-1/8 tsp. ground sage
-1/8 tsp. pepper
-1/8 tsp. salt
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (14.5 oz) Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes
- 1 can no-salt-added tomato sauce
-1 cup chopped celery
-1 cup chopped carrots
-1 cup frozen cut green beans, thawed
- 1 pkg (7 oz.) refrigerated mini cheese ravioli
1. Heat oven 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and coat with vegetable cooking spray. Combine turkey, bread crumbs, sage, pepper, and salt in bowl; shape into 48 meatballs. Bake for 12 minutes, or until browned.
2. In saucepan, combine broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, celery, and carrots. Boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir green beans and ravioli into broth. Cook covered, for 5 minutes. Add meatballs to serve.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-01-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

I am having lds food services chicken tortilla soup today and it is really really yummy. I think this is the recipe but I could be wrong. I'll give it to you anyway though.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 6-inch corn tortillas

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 12 ounces)

1 garlic clove, pressed through garlic press

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

cumin ? ? they didn't include it but it's in it and mentioned later in the recipe....the main flavor!

2 14 1/2-ounce cans chicken broth

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies, undrained

4 teaspoons snipped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

4 thick sliced fresh lime (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut tortillas into 1/2-inch strips using kitchen shears.

Place on flat baking stone. Bake 7-8 minutes or until crisp.
Meanwhile, chop onion.

Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces.

Heat 4-quart casserole (or pot) over medium high heat.

Spray with vegetable oil.

Add chicken, cook and stir 3 minutes.

Add onion, pressed garlic, chili powder and cumin.

Cook and stir 2 minutes.

Stir in broth, tomatoes and chilies.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve:
Snap cilantro, using kitchen shears.

Divide tortilla strips among 4 bowls.

Ladle soup over tortillas.

Grate cheese over the top.

Sprinkle soup with cilantro.

Garnish each bowl with lime slice to squeeze juice into soup, if desired.

Grandma's Fudge (Sister Earl's recipe)

2008-12-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

4 Cups Sugar
2 Cubes Real Butter
11oz Canned Milk (not sweetened condensed)
2-7oz Marshmallow Cream
6 to 8 Cups Walnuts
12oz Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Add sugar, butter and milk in a large heavy pan, bring to a boil over medium heat, stir constantly until reaches soft ball stage (if you don't have a thermometer you can have a cup of very cold water by the stove and test this way by dropping a drip of mixture into the water, if it holds its shape and has kind of a taffy texture to it when you feel it with your fingers it is ready), remove from heat and immediately stir in chocolate chips till melted, then stir in marshmallow creme till disolved into fudge stir in the desired amount of walnuts then pour into a greased 11 by 13 pan, refridgerate till set, cut and enjoy. Stays fresher if kept in the fridge.

Delicious Food Blog

2008-12-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

I know this isn't a recipe but I wanted to let you all know about my friend Lillian's food blog she has some really delicious, fancy recipes on her blog and everything that I have tried that she has made has been so good. Check it out!

A new ingredient for an old favorite!

2008-11-19T07:03:00.001-08:00

So now that the weather is getting chilly out it's time for soup! I love soup and, in my opinion, it's one of the only good things about cold weather. The other night, I decided to make one of my all time favs - chicken noodle soup. I usually make my own noodles (I think there's a recipe for them somewhere on this blog) and serve it with yummy homemade bread. However, a few weeks ago I had some delicious chicken noodle soup and my friend Mindi's house. It was so creamy and delightful that I had to know what she put in it! Her secret ingredient...two cans of cream of chicken soup! So I tried it last night and it was the best chicken noodle soup I'd ever made! Here's what went into it:

Homemade noodles (which sound hard, but really aren't)
Carrots
Zucchini
Onion
Chicken (of course)
Yellow Squash
2 cans of chicken broth
1 can water
2 cans cream of chicken soup

Seriously, it was so yummy! Next time you make your own version of this classic - try a few cans of cream of chicken. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

Pretzel Salad

2008-11-17T23:19:00.000-08:00

1 cube butter
pretzels to line a 9x13 pan
1 8oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 8oz cool whip
1 large box strawberry jello
In a 9x13 pan melt butter, crumble pretzels and put into a single layer on bottom of pan. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes or until most of butter has been absorbed into pretzels, cool completely. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, slowly add cool whip, if needed add a little milk to make a spreadable consistency, spread over cooled pretzels, seal edges. Prepare strawberry jello per package, chill till partially set and pour over the top of cream cheese refridgerate until completely set.

English Toffee

2008-11-17T23:10:00.000-08:00

16oz milk chocolate chips
1/2 lb chopped almonds (I like mine whole)
1lb butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
4 Tbsp light corn syrup
chopped almonds for top
Cook butter, sugar, water and corn syrup over medium till 280*, add nuts and cook till 282* pour into greased cookie sheet allow to set for 10 minutes put chocolate chips on top and when melted spread smooth and sprinkle almonds on top. Allow to set completely break into pieces.

Poppy Cock

2008-11-17T22:57:00.000-08:00

8 cups popped corn
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup sliced almonds
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 cup butter (not margarine)
Keep popcorn warm in 224* oven. In sauce pan combine sugar, butter and corn syrup. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Cook and stir until carmel color about 10 minutes. Add nuts and stir nuts in. Pour over popcorn mix well and turn out on wax paper. Separate with a fork.

Nana Nelson's Danish Rice Pudding

2008-11-17T22:44:00.000-08:00

1 quart milk
1 cup rice
1/4 tsp salt
3 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 bag slivered almonds (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 pint heavy cream
Bring milk and rice to a gentle boil for 25 minutes. Put into chilled dish, add salt , sugar, almonds and vanilla mix and refridgerate. Just before serving whip cream and sweeten to taste, fold in rice mixture, top with cherry pie filling. I enjoy it plain and without the almonds also.

Pumpkin Mushroom Soup

2008-11-16T16:43:00.000-08:00

I stole this recipe off of this website. http://www.mom-mom.com/mushroom_pumpkin_soup.htm

It's really yummy and super easy.

1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp. butter or oil
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. curry powder
3 cups chicken broth
1 can (1 lb.) pumpkin (2 1/2 cups)
1 tbsp. honey
dash nutmeg
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 cup evaporated milk
optional sour cream or yogurt, topping

Sauté mushrooms and onion in butter or oil. Add flour and curry and
stir. gradually adding broth. Add all but milk and cook, stirring,
for 10 - 15 minutes. Add milk and heat through without boiling.
May top with sour cream or yogurt.

Lasagna with Turkey Sausage

2008-11-08T05:45:00.001-08:00

We had the Zinke's over for dinner last night and this is a recipe that Vanessa got from the Barefoot Contessa. It's so delicious, I can't wait to eat the leftovers (although there weren't many). This is such a great meal and it doesn't take any longer to make than regular lasagna, but (I think) it tastes so much better!!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 chopped yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 1/2 lb. italian turkey sausage (casings removed)
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
6 oz can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt (although we omitted this ingredient)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb lasagna noodles (about 6)
15 oz. ricotta cheese
3 to 4 oz creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling on top
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 lb mozzerella (we used grated, but you can also buy fresh and slice it thin)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven 400 degrees.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium heat, breaking it up, about 8-10 minutes, until no longer pink. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tbsp of parsley, the basil, 1-1/2 tsp salt (but, as I said, we didn't), and 1/2 tsp pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, until thickened.

3. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain. (Or you can just use the oven ready noodles!)

4. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup parmesan cheese, the egg, the remaining 2 tbsp parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt (or not), and 1/4 tsp pepper. Set aside.

5. Ladle 1/3 sauce into a 9 x 12 x 2 inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozerella, half the ricotta mixture, and 1/3 sauce. Then add the rest of the pasta, mozerella, ricotta mixture, and, finally, sauce! Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce bubbles.

You will love it!!! It sounds like a lot, but - as I said - it doesn't take any more effort than making regular lasagna. And (a big bonus for me) it doesn't use that many dishes. One cutting board, a big skillet, a mixing bowl, and a pan. Not too shabby!! Next time you are going to make lasagna - make this one instead. You will not be disappointed!!

Oriental Cabbage Salad

2008-10-29T00:45:00.000-07:00

1 small head cabbage (chopped)
8 green onions (sliced thin)
3 chicken breasts (marinated in teriyaki, cooked and chopped)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 packages Top Ramen

Dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
8 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 season packets from the top ramen

Mix the dressing before hand so that the sugar and seasonings can disolve. Mix all the salad ingredients together then poor dressing on top, mix in well and let stand in fridge untill ready to eat. I like it made at least 1/2 a day early so that dressing can soak into salad. Mix again before serving to get the dressing well distributed.

Easy Chocolate frosting

2008-10-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

6 tablespoons butter (softened)
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a bowl cream butter, sugar and cocoa, gradually add milk and vanilla beating well, you may need to add a little more powdered sugar to get it to the consitency that you like, frost cake and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Bars

2008-10-29T00:22:00.000-07:00

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
2 egg s
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
dash salt
2 cups quick oats

Preheat oven to 350*. In a bowl beat softened butter with sugar and brown sugar till smooth, add in eggs and vanilla, mix in baking soda and flour and then finally oatmeal, press into the bottom of a texas sheet cake pan and cook for 12 to 15 minutes being careful not to over bake. After cooling for about 10 minutes spread a very thin layer of peanut butter on top, then frost with chocolate frosting, you can garnish the top with broken up reeses peanut butter cups, but are delicious without. makes about 3 dozen good size bars.

Goatherd's Pie

2008-10-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

Have leftover or frozen meatloaf, but don't want meatloaf for dinner? (that's never happened to me before),...This might be just the recipe for you. Goatherd's Pie is a leftovers rendition of shepherd's pie.

Goatherd's Pie
by Theresa Judkins

4 slices leftover meatloaf
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 can green beans drained
mashed potatoes
shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 405 degrees farenheight (high altitude,.. use 375 for lower altitude) In a 9x9 square casserole dish, break up your meatloaf into bite size or smaller bits. pour the can of tomato sauce and drained green beans in. Make sure it's all mixed together. Put the mashed potatoes over top the meat mixture. Spread shredded cheese over top the mashed potatoes. Bake for 25 minutes or until you're satisfied that contents are hot enough and the cheese is all melted.

Chicken Pom Poms

2008-09-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

My friend, Vanessa, came over last night and we made these for dinner. She used to eat them when she was little and wanted to start making them again. Her mom got the recipe out of the NY Times. Clayton and Noah both liked them. They kept calling them cookies because of the way they look (hey, anything to get them to eat healthy)! It looks kind of overwhelming when you look at the long list of ingredients, but I bet you probably have most of these already at your house and, truthfully, it didn't take that long to make (the prep time was probably about 30 min. - which is how long most meals take anyway)!

Chicken Pom Poms
(makes 4 servings - 2 pom poms each)

Ingredients
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 tbsp butter or margarine
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/8 tsp black ground pepper
3/4 cup milk
3 chicken bouillon cubes or 3 tsp granules
1 1/2 cups cooked rice, cooled
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp paprika
1 cup chicken gravy

Directions:
1. Cook celery and onion in butter until soft but not brown. Blend in flour, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper. Add milk and bouillon. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and thickened. Chill.
2. Mix sauce with rice, chicken, and cheese. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Form into 8 balls (1/3 cup each). Roll in combined breadcrumbs and paprika. Place in buttered shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with chicken gravy.

Basically, you make the broth in #1 and let it chill. While it's chilling, put the chicken, rice, and cheese in a large bowl. Once the broth has chilled a little, dump it over the chicken/rice/cheese mixture and mix it all together. It will be sticky and will be able to be molded nicely. Once you've rolled a ball, roll it in breadcrumbs to cover it. When they're all done, cook 'em! Once they're done pour the gravy over top. They are pretty hot inside (Noah learned that the hard way), so be careful. It was such a delicious meal! I totally recommend this meal! We will be eating it often!

Yummy wraps

2008-07-30T11:39:00.001-07:00

I have been making these for lunch almost every day lately. They are so simple and delicious. It may sound a little strange, but try it - it's really flavorful!

Ingredients (for one wrap):
1 wrap (I've been using whole wheat wraps, they're actually pretty good)
cream cheese
4 slices of turkey (I buy the thin slices)
spinach leaves
crasins or dried cherries (I've been using crasins, but they are both yummy)
sprouts

Directions:
1. Spread the cream cheese on the wrap. Spread it all over, in my opinion, the more the better! I like a semi-thick layer.
2. Lay the turkey slices down the middle of the wrap. I have found that four is a good amount to get from the top to the bottom. I overlap them a little.
3. Lay a layer of spinach leaves over the turkey.
4. Put the Crasins (or dried cherries) on top of the spinach. I like to use a pretty good handful. I think the Crasins give it a lot of good flavor so I like to make sure and pile them in there.
5. Spread a layer of sprouts on top.
6. Wrap it like you would a burrito. I like to tuck the ends under so that none of the Crasins escape.
7. Enjoy! I like to make this and eat it while the boys are down for quiet time. I think it is a very "adult" lunch (and sooooo yummy)!

Delicious Summer Salad

2008-07-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

I had this salad at Panara Bread while Mom Peterson was visiting we decided to make it at home and modify it just a bit. It was delicious! It is like a meal and desert all in one.
- strawberries
-blueberries
-small can of pineapple tidbits
-small can of mandarin oranges
-2 cooked and seasoned chicken breasts chopped
-bag of baby spinach
-2 oz bag of pecans
-poppy seed dressing
Toss all the above ingredients, except the dressing, in a salad bowl. Serve and top with poppy seed dressing. This salad is so good and so easy, you should try it.

Orange Biscuits

2008-05-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, one more recipe from Sister Bessette! This is her orange biscuit recipe. We had them one time when we had dinner at her house and they are SO yummy! I could eat them for a dessert!

Start with a regular biscuit recipe (this is hers):
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 C. flour
Sift these together (I learned that a sifter is a must when making clump-free biscuits) and cut in 5 tbsp. shortening (she told me that she swears by Crisco) and 1 C. buttermilk.

Here is where we add the "orange biscuit" part:
In a saucepan combine:
1/2 C. orange juice
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. butter
2 tsp. grated orange peel
Cook and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes, then divide among 12 muffin cups (that you should spray with cooking spray). She actually told me that this recipe really makes 24 muffin-cups worth!

Take your regular biscuit dough and pat it into a 1/2 inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Combine cinnimon and sugar (to taste) and sprinkle over the butter on top of your biscuits. Pound out your biscuits (you can use a sterile can or a circular cookie cutter or whatever) and put them in the muffin tins CINNAMON-SUGAR SIDE UP!

Bake at 450 degrees for 12-16 minutes.

I also learned that biscuits freeze really well, so they can last forever!!

Cherry Pickles

2008-05-08T13:43:00.001-07:00

This is another recipe from the amazing woman in my ward. These cherry pickles are Justin's absolute FAVORITE things ever!!! He kept begging me to learn how to make them and when I told him that I had finally learned how I think he was happier than he was on our wedding day and the day each of our children were born combined!

Use ripe cucumbers, peel, cut lengthwise, and scoop out seeds.

Cut about 20 cucumbers into cubes. Cover with water and 1/2 C. salt. Bring to a boil and cook until transparent, but firm. Drain off the water and make a syrup of:
3 1/2 lb sugar (there are 2 cups in a pound so you would need 7 cups)
1 pint white vinegar (or 2 cups)
1 tsp. ground cloves
2 sticks cinnamon

Boil and pour over the hot cucumbers; let stand overnight.

Next day bring to a boil, add two small jars of drained cherries. Bring back to boil and place in hot, sterile jars to seal.

Zucchini Relish

2008-05-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

With canning season coming soon I thought I would post a few of the canning recipes I learned this year. There is this amazing woman in our ward who is my food storage idol (seriously, I think you could feed a family of ten really well for about three years with just what she has right now)! This is her recipe for zucchini relish. When my dad came to visit us not too long ago, he couldn't get enough of this stuff. It's REALLY delicious!!

10 C. ground zucchini (ground, grated, whatever)
4 C. sliced onion
1 red & 1 green pepper
Mix these together and let them stand overnight with 1 tbsp. salt

Next day, rinse well and drain for 2 hours. Put the veggies in a large kettle combined with:
2 1/2 C. white vinegar
5 C. sugar
1 tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. black pepper

Bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes. Pour boiling mixture into sterile jars, seal.
It's really delish! A great food storage item!

Homemade Magic Shell Ice Cream Topping

2008-05-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe off a post on my friend's blog. Here is the online source of the recipe http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2008/03/28/make-your-own-junk-food-homemade-magic-shell/

The following is copied right off of that website.

Homemade Magic Shell Ice Cream Topping

150 g finely chopped eating chocolate
100 g of refined coconut oil*
pinch of salt

* I feel that using a touch of unrefined virgin coconut oil helps aid in the elusive “fake” flavor that store bought Magic Shell imparts. If you really want to go the nostalgia route, try out 80 g refined coconut oil + 20 g unrefined virgin coconut oil.

Combine the ingredients in a pyrex or glass bowl and melt in the microwave till almost, but not completely liquid. Stir to finish the melting outside of the microwave.

Pour melted mixture into a squeeze bottle or recycled pancake or maple syrup container. The mixture does not need to be refrigerated for storage. It will be liquid at room temperature in the warm summer months, and will be hard during the winter.

To reheat the Magic Shell to drizzle on your favorite frozen dessert, heat in the microwave (~ 40 seconds twice at 80% power), or sit the closed container in a cup of hot water for about 10 minutes.

Different flavor ideas for homemade Magic Shell

I’m a sucker for variety, and this is a great recipe to play with. Simply toggling a flavor with different varieties of chocolate will yield nice variety.

Peppermint Patty: drops of mint flavoring with dark chocolate
Creme de Menthe: drops of mint flavoring with white chocolate and green coloring
Candy Bar: 70:30 mixture of refined:virgin coconut oil, drops of almond flavoring and milk chocolate
Silky Orange: drops of orange oil in dark chocolate
Creamsicle: drops of orange oil in white chocolate with orange coloring
Spring Lemon: drops of lemon oil in white chocolate with yellow coloring
Lime Me Up: drops of lime oil in white chocolate, and a sprinkle of salt on the shell as it hardens
Midnight Chocolate: dark chocolate with smoked salt

See how tantalizing this project gets? One thing is certain, stock up on ice cream now before you resort to eating this off of frozen spoons.

Ham and Bean Soup Quickie

2008-03-24T18:44:00.001-07:00

Ham and Bean Soup Quickie

(Not Kosher by Theresa Judkins)

1 can drained black eyed peas
1 can drained kidney beans
1 can drained great northern or navy or white beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth or 2 cups of water and beef bullion
2 cups cubed slices leftover baked ham from your favorite holiday
2 cups of your favorite fun pasta
6 cups water
1 1/2 cups sliced celery (3 stalks)
1 pkg lipton onion soup equivalent or 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3/4 tsp crushed thyme
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups sliced carrots
1 tsp garlic pdr or 2-3 cloves fresh garlic crushed

- combine ingredients in a pot
- bring to a boil and reduce heat
- let simmer until carrots are soft enough

This turned out a little spicey so I changed the amount of pepper listed here to 1 tsp instead of 2. However, you should salf and pepper to taste especially if you have young ones who won't eat it spicy.

Pasta Bake

2008-02-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

This is, without a doubt, the easiest thing I make. Justin kind of made this meal up a couple of years ago (I was way impressed). It's perfect for those days when it's getting close to dinner time and you haven't thought about what you are going to make (I can throw it together in less than 5 minutes - literally)! And, as a special bonus, my whole family likes it!! Even super picky Clayton!

Ingredients:
-1 jar of pasta sauce (whatever kind you like - I usually experiment with different flavors)
-1 bag of pasta noodles (bow tie works well, although lately I've been using tortellini and ravioli, but you need to buy a little more if you go with the stuffed pastas)
-2 cups cheese (I use cheddar, but you could also use mozzerella)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375
-In a 9x13 pan (I usually spray a little pam in it), dump the pasta.
-Pour in the whole jar of pasta sauce, then fill the empty sauce jar with water and add that also
-Stir the stuff right in the pan to mix it (I love that this meal only uses one dish)!
-Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
-After 45 min. take the aluminum foil off and top with cheese. Put back in the oven uncovered for about 7 min (until cheese is melted)
-Wait for it to cool a little and then serve!

This meal usually makes enough for leftovers! This is one of my very favorites! Serve with a little garlic bread and a salad and no one will guess that you threw it together in only seconds!

Chocolate-Cherry Fudge Bars

2008-02-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

These are so good. Jared even likes them and he doesn't really like chocolate.

4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate (I used semi-sweet)
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 pkg. (4-serving size) Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
3/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries with 7 Tbsp. of the juice reserved, divided
2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil. Set aside.
MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add granulated sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and dry pudding mix; mix well. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cherries and 1/3 cup of the reserved cherry juice; spread into prepared pan.
BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan on wire rack.
MIX cream cheese, powdered sugar and remaining cherry juice until well blended. Drizzle over cooled dessert; top with remaining 1/4 cup cherries. Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan before cutting into bars. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Polynesian-Glazed Meatballs

2008-02-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

These are great! Landon and Jared love them.

1 tsp. oil
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup Barbecue Sauce
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cans (8 oz. each) pineapple chunks, drained, liquid reserved
12 oz. (3/4 of 1-lb. pkg.) frozen cooked meatballs
2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
HEAT oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions; cook 5 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.
STIR in barbecue sauce, ginger, garlic powder and reserved pineapple liquid. Add meatballs; mix lightly until evenly coated. Cook 10 min. or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook rice as directed on package.
STIR pineapple into meatball mixture. Serve over the rice.

Brunner Pizza

2008-02-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

Mom's Pizza Recipe - submitted by Theresa

Pizza (Put together by Marrae Brunner)

Preheat oven to Bake 450* (Bake 450* 12 minutes)
(I use convection bake and cook three at once.)
Put in pizza stone/s first if you have 'em (not necessary).
I heat my stones for a half hour or so.
Spray pans(I use stainless steel)with Pam(I tried olive oil, but it sticks).

Pizza Dough: (2 lg. 16" / 3 sm. 12")

5 1/2 cups flour (I use 3 white,2 1/2 wheat)
2 1/4 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil

I mix this in a bread machine - easy peasy.
You can mix it by hand and knead for 8-15 min.
Let Rest 5-10 minutes, while you make sauce.
Divide and roll, pat, or toss into pizza pans (I use stainless steel)

Sauce:
1 16 oz can Tomato Sauce/Puree (tomatoes only-no sugar or extras-Progresso)
1 6 oz. can Tomato paste (I use one that is tomatoes only-Cantadina)
1 1/2 tsp each dried Oregano, Basil, Garlic Pdr (fresh is even better)
Stir to blend.
Spread sauce on to shaped pizza dough crust.

Toppings:
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated (Preciou/Frigo-I don't use pre grated)
Our favorites are pepperoni, ham and pineapple, green/red peppers, olives mushrooms, tomato slices and any other vegetables that sound good.
More exotic options: artichoke heart, BBQ chicken, taco style
Lower fat style: Karl likes to use cottage cheese instead of mozzarella.

Sprinkle Toppings over cheese and bake for 12 minutes.
Let cool a minute before cutting.
Slide onto a cutting board so you don't cut your pans up.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

2008-02-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from a girl out here and it is one of my new favs! It is so easy but it tastes like you spent a lot of time on it (so I like to feed it to company). It tastes just like the pork taco salad from Cafe Rio!
Ingredients:
2lb. Pork Tenderloin (boneless)
1.5 cups salsa (whatever kind you like)
1.5 cups brown sugar
Tortilla chips
Whatever toppings you like on a taco salad (I like lettuce, rice, black beans, cheese, olives, tomatoes, avacado, salsa, and sour cream)

Directions:
1. Put the pork tenderloin in a crockpot. Add the salsa and brown sugar. Mix them a little to combine and drizzle over the pork. Cook on low heat for 5 hours.
2. After 5 hours, take out the pork and shred it. It will be super tender so shredding it is easy (but watch out, it's HOT).
3. Put the shredded meat back in the crock pot for 30-45 minutes. This will allow the meat to soak up the remaining juices and become extra tender and juicy!
4. While that is cooking, chop your veggies and prepare your rice and beans (if you are using those).
5. Once the pork is done, serve it on top of crushed tortilla chips, and add your toppings!

Alternative serving suggestions(we have done these before and, while I prefer the salad, these are really yummy too):
1. Pork sandwich - serve in a hamburger bun with a little Miracle Whip. This is a great leftover lunch!
2. Real simple - serve over rice with a veggie and a simple side salad.

This is a delicious meal that is sure to please! And, as a bonus, it freezes amazingly well!! So I like to make extra and freeze some for a night when I want a yummy meal, but don't feel like cooking!

Apple Spice Muffins

2008-01-28T14:53:00.001-08:00

Apple Spice Muffins - submitted by Marrae not Theresa

Preheat oven to 375*
2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
½ cup sugar (could use honey is you like-I used organic pdr sugar-don’t know if it changed it)
1 ½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup Vanilla Yogurt (Stonyfield organic, Mountain High are favorites)
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup apples, peeled and chopped (apple, peeler, corer is great-eat the skins!)

In large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon.
In other bowl, blend together eggs, yogurt and butter.
Pour egg mixture into flour mixture,
add apples and stir.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Yields 12 large muffins
More yogurt recipes at Stonyfield.com

Southern Wannabe

2008-01-28T14:41:00.000-08:00

I call it ...
Southern Wannabe

1 1/2 - 2 cups bow tie pasta
1 can whole kernel corn ( i added the liquid too)
1 can cut green beans (I added the liquid too)
1 can kidney beans drained
1 can diced tomatoes (I added the liquid too)
2-3 cups cut (cooked) chicken
2 cloves fresh garlic minced
2 cups water
2 Tbsp cajun seasoning (I might have used more cajun seasoning than this but i also might have used too much)
2 tsp cumin (I might have used more cumin than this)
1 tsp salt & pepper
I did about 2-3 Tbsp Sugar but my recipe turned out pretty sweet. (probably too sweet) The sugar is to help prevent heartburn.
1/4 tsp dried mustard (i used too much dried mustard,.... i don't know how much though)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 8 oz package cream cheese

in a skillet with lid, combine pasta, corn, green beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, chicken, garlic, water, cajun, cumin, salt & pepper, sugar, mustard, nutmeg.
Cover and Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until pasta has soaked up most of the liquid and is desired noodle texture. fall-apart-soft, rubbery, crunchy, whatever.
add cream cheese and stir until cream cheese is melted and contents have heated back up.
serve. Goes nicely with french bread.

comes out pretty spicy and/but smells really really good.
Yeah,.. I made this up and I don't remember the exact amounts so try at your own risk.

2008-01-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a recipe that I have been told is the BEST Garlic Bread spread, and super easy!!

INGREDIENTS
-1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
~2 Tbs. mayonnaise
-1 Tbs. Parsley (optional)
-4 Tbs. grated Pamesan cheese
-Garlic salt to taste
-1 Large loaf of French Bread

Soften butter and combine all ingredients. Stir until the mixture is fairly uniform and smooth. Cut loaf of bread in half and spread an each side. Broil at 500F until golden brown (usually 1-2 minute). Make sure to watch cooking time carefully because the bread can burn easily.

Sloppy Joes

2008-01-11T12:40:00.001-08:00

I got this from my friend Stephanie. This is the best receipe! Once you have it, you'll never do Manwich again! We eat it a lot - it is VERY kid friendly and VERY easy!!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. hamburger
1 onion
1 and 1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup katsup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 and 1/2 tsp dry mustard (optional - I opt yes)
1/2 tsp curry powder (optional - I opt no)

Directions:
Brown and drain the hamburger and onion together (I do it in a large skillet - this way I am able to make this whole meal in one pan). Once it is drained put it back in the large skillet and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix together and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until it is a "sloppy joe" consistency. Serve it on hamburger buns (we like to top it with a thin slice of cheddar cheese)!

Turkey and Apple Melts

2008-01-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

Turkey and Apple Melts
from Harvest Creek

1 12.5 oz can harvest creek diced turkey, drained
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 - 1/2 cups grated swiss cheese
1 apple finely chopped
12 slices bread of your choice
2 tbsp butter

combine the turkey, mayonnaise, swiss cheese, and apple.
make sandwiches
use butter or oil on the outside of sandwiches.
cook in a frying pan with a cover until cheese begins to melt and bread is toasted.

The Best Parmasan Chicken Ever!

2008-01-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

This receipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa cookbook!
Parmasan Chicken:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 extra large eggs
1and1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmasan cheese (plus extra for serving)
unsalted butter
olive oil
salad greens for 6 (we used baby romaine)
lemon viniagrette (I will put the receipe for that at the bottom)

1. Pound chicken until it is 1/4 inch thick.
2. Combine flour, salt, and pepper, on a dinner plate (or a pie tin). On a second plate (or tin) beat eggs with 1 tbsp. water. On a third plate (or tin) combine bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated parmasan cheese. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides in the egg mixture, and then dredge both sides with the bread crumb mixture. (**It seemed wierd to me to do the flour mixture before the egg mixture, but this is the correct order - so don't think I typed it wrong.)
3. Heat 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large sautee pan and cook breasts on med-low heat for 2-5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Add more butter and olive oil every time you re-use the pan. (**We used one big sautee pan and one medium sized skillet and it made all five at once. Also, if you notice one part of the chicken isn't cooking Vanessa sprayed that part with cooking spray, put it back down in the pan, and it made it cook better - just a trick I didn't know!)
4. Top with lettuce greens and drizzle with lemon viniagrette. Serve with extra grated parmasan cheese on top (don't be stingy with the cheese!)

Lemon Viniagrette:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) (**Vanessa said you could use bottled lemon juice, but it wasn't as good.)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Wisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper (**Rick added a little lemon zest also, it was great).
2. Drizzle over the greens that you have put on the chicken!
**I think this viniagrette would be delicious just on some lettuce or spinach as a light and refreshing summer salad, just some lettuce topped with the viniagrette and some grated parmasan cheese!

I realize it looks like a lot and sort of complicated, but from the time we started until we were ready to eat was about 30-40 minutes and we made side dishes in that time too, so it isn't as time consuming as it seems.

Theresa's Adaptation of Great Grandma Brunner's Tamale Pie

2007-12-20T14:16:00.000-08:00

Great Grandma Brunner's Tamale Pie
Adapted by her Great Granddaughter

Ingredients:

1 cup slivered almonds (optional) and a little oil
1/2 - 1 lb ground beef
1 chopped onion (optional)
1 chopped green pepper (optional)
3-4 large handfuls of egg noodles
3-4 cups water
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can whole kernel corn
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms (or small can parts and stems) (optional)
3 - 5 medium sized beef tamales in large chunks
1 can olives chopped (optional)
2 - 3 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp cayanne pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1-2 cups shredded cheese

preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown almond slivers in some oil in a large skillet then set aside in the casserole dish.
Brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper in the large skillet.
Add the water and egg noodles to the meat, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the egg noodles have sucked up all the water. The meat should be pretty well cooked through.
Drain this mixture and put into a 9X13 casserole dish or pyrex pan.
Combine with almonds, diced tomatoes (juice and all), corn, mushrooms, tamale chunks, olives, worcestershire sauce, cayanne pepper, paprika, and pepper. Make sure everything is mixed together in the pan without breaking up the tamale chunks too badly.
Cover with shredded cheese
Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until cheese has melted and contents are bubbling.

I haven't tried this yet, but I think it'll work and I'm going to try it shortly after christmas since I have some tamales I want to use. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Some Notes on the Changes I've made:

I made some of the ingredients optional for picky eaters.
I cut the overall cooking time down by at least 45 minutes for the mom who doesn't have time to let dinner cook ALL DAY.
I stole the idea of cooking the meat with the noodles from hamburger helper's recipes. They always use this shortcut to save on DISHES, EASE, and TIME I've noticed.
I cut down the amounts of the ingredients so that the end result would be better suited to a smaller family.
I don't prefer creamed corn so i substituted for whole kernel.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies and Butter Frosting

2007-12-20T07:14:00.000-08:00

Cookies:
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese at room temp
1 cup real butter at room temp
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. baking powder

1. Cream together cream cheese, butter, sugar, egg, flavorings, and baking powder with a mixer on medium speed until well blended
2. Gradually add flour and mix well
3. Refrigerate overnight
4. Roll dough to about 1/4 inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes

Frosting:
1/3 cup cold real butter (I found out the hard way you don't want to use margarine)
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Food Coloring

1. Beat butter till fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar and slowly beat in milk and vanilla
2. Slowly beat in remaining powdered sugar.
3. Add food coloring

This recipe makes soft delicious sugar cookies.

Homemade Pedialite

2007-12-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

If I haven't raved about my pediatrician before, let me do so now...he is AWESOME!! Noah has been throwing up today and because of the storm I can't really get anywhere to buy special drinks for him, so he gave me this receipe for some homemade pedialite. It is stuff I usually have on hand anyway and it is really easy to make. I will never buy special "sick" drinks again!

1 quart of water
1 oz. orange juice
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Mix them all together and give it in small sips to your sick child.
If your child doesn't like the taste, Dr. Parker said that you could add either a little more o.j. or sugar to sweeten the taste. Isn't he amazing!

Cheeseburger Soup

2007-12-13T05:44:00.001-08:00

My friend Stephanie gave me this receipe for a yummy soup that I made last night. It is very hearty, creamy, and delicious! My family loved this meal! It has a lot of good stuff in it (carrots, celery, potatoes, etc.) but you can't really taste it, so it is a great meal for kids. It was a great way to sneak some veggies into Clayton's dinner! This is our new favorite creamy soup!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. browned hamburger
3/4 c. shredded carrots
1 tsp. dried basil
4 tbsp. butter divided
4 c. peeled diced potatoes
8 oz. Velveeta (cut into cubes)
1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. diced celery
1 tsp. parsley
3 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sour cream

Saute onion, carrots, celery, basil, and parsley in 1 tbsp. butter for about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, beef, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small pan melt 3 tbsp. butter and add flour. Cook and stir about 3-5 min. Add to soup. Bring to a boil, cook about 2min. Reduce heat to low, add velveeta, salt, and pepper. Cook (while stirring) until cheese melts. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and enjoy!
**I served it with warm homemade bread, this is the PERFECT soup to dip with!**

Great Grandma Brunner's Tamale Pie

2007-11-30T09:26:00.000-08:00

Homemade Mac and Cheese

2007-11-30T08:08:00.000-08:00

-2 cubs dried elbow macaroni
-2 tablespoons margarine or butter
-2 tablespoons flour
- dash of Pepper
-2 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese ( more or less to taste)
-1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (more or less to taste)
- 4 oz cream cheese

1. Cook macaroni in water for about 10 minutes until tender but still a little firm. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, for cheese sauce, melt margarine in a medium saucepan. Stir in flour and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir till slightly thickened and bubbly. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in cooked macaroni. Transfer mixture to a casserole.
3. Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*you do not have to use mozzarella and cheddar cheese, use whatever cheese you have or whatever cheese sounds good.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

2007-11-29T22:25:00.001-08:00

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

Filling:

1 8 oz (? I THINK) package of Cream Cheese

1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs finely crushed

3 tsp sugar

2-3 tbsp butter

Topping:

Blended, thawed, frozen strawberries or some other fruit topping that you prefer.

*Unsweetened topping like raw blended fruit is good because the pie is really rich and sweet on it's own.

Take cream cheese out of the fridge and allow to sit out so that it will be at room temperature when you need it later. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put graham cracher crumbs, sugar, and melted butter into an 8 or 9 inch diameter pie pan. Mix together and press against the sides of the pie pan to form a crust. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until light and fluffy. Continue to whip and gradually add condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Whip all together until you have a nice thick mixture with a fluffy texture. Pour contents into cooled pie crust, cover* and chill in the fridge for 2 - 3 hours at least before serving. I usually chill over night.

As you serve, top with desired topping.

* I use an upside down ceramic plate or something instead of plastic wrap to cover the pie pan so that the filling doesn't stick to the plastic wrap or anything.

* If while you're serving, the pie starts to be harder to work with since it is coming back to room temperature, put it back in the fridge or freezer for a couple minutes to set back up.

Shepherd's Pie (Vegetarian)

2007-11-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

Shepherd's Pie (Vegetarian)

1 can kidney beans *
2 - 3 cups worth of mashed potatoes
1 can campbell's tomato soup (you can do 2 cans if you prefer)
1 can of green beans
1 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix kidney beans, green beans, and tomato soup in a 9 x 13 *pan. Spread mashed potatoes over the top of that. Cover mashed potatoes with shredded cheese. Bake for 20 - 30 mins until cheese is melted and contents are hot and probably bubbling up the sides.

* to make this non-vegetarian, substitute 3/4 to 1 lb of cooked ground beef instead of kidney beans. I invented this vegetarian version one time when I was starving and all out of meat. It turned out pretty good.

* I can't remember if this amount will make a 9x9 or a 9x13 but I'm fairly certain I've made it in a 9x13 before.

Crock Pot Creamy Golden Chicken

2007-11-25T15:44:00.000-08:00

Crock Pot Creamy Golden Chicken

adapted from mealsmatter.com

4 cooked chicken breasts (chopped or whole)

2 10 oz cans cream of chicken soup

1 package onion soup mix
2 - 3 cups water depending on desired thickness

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp basil

1/4 tsp pepper

1 small can of chopped mushrooms (optional)

3-4 whole potatoes chopped (optional)
1 1/2 - 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (optional)

1 - 2 cups cooked rice

Combine ingredients (except cheese and rice) in a crock pot and let cook for 4 hours. (If chicken is uncooked, cook for 8 hours) Add in cheese if desired after cooking and allow to melt. Serve over cooked rice.

Chocolate/Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

2007-11-20T19:29:00.003-08:00

Chocolate Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
(Jenna's Favorite BDay Cake)

Chocolate Cake Batter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa (unsweetened)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, sugar, cocoa, soda, salt) and set aside. Mix liquid ingredients together (water, vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla) in a different bowl and then mix well into the dry ingredients. Set aside.

Cream Cheese Filling:
1/8 tsp salt
1 (8 oz) cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 beaten egg
6 oz choc chips - I think this is about 1 cup. we used mini choc chips.
1 cups nuts - (optional, jenna likes it without)

Cream together first 4 ingredients (salt, cream cheese, sugar, beaten egg). Beat on Medium for about 1 minute then Stir in remaining ingredients. Put aside.

Grease a bundt pan. Pour 1/2 of the cake mixture into the bundt cake pan. Drop cream cheese mixture in a ring around the center of the cake batter. Be sure not to let any of the cream cheese mixture touch the sides of the pan. Cover cream cheese mixture with remaining cake batter. Bake at 350 for 40 - 50 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes so that it's not too hot to handle, but won't be so cool that it's stuck in the pan. Turn the pan upside down on a platter and gently tap around the bottom of the pan until the cake comes out . It's difficult to get it cleanly out and it might not come out perfect but it still tastes good. Piece it back together if it's just a small piece that came off. No need to frost this cake.

(In this picture, the entire top of the cake came off in the pan. Partly because the layer between the top of the cake and the cream cheese was a little thin. Anyway,.. that's why it looks speckled. yours will probably look like a solid chocolate bundt cake when it comes out. :) )

Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2007-11-18T13:54:00.001-08:00

1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, finely chopped
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
3/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
3/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients until well blended.
SPOON into 9-inch pie plate or quiche dish.
BAKE 20 min. or until heated through.

I was going to make this Thanksgiving morning to munch on before the big meal, but I got hungry and decided to make it last night. It was so yummy and so easy. I added more mozzarella cheese then recommended and I served it with pita chips. So good!!!

Favorite Thanksgiving Jell-o Salad

2007-11-12T08:03:00.001-08:00

Cranberry Jell-O Salad
-1 lg. pkg. Cherry Jell-o
-1 pint sour cream
-2 cans whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup pecans

1. Dissolve jell-o with hot water in a large bowel. Refrigerate for about an hour until the jell-o is about half way solid. Be sure to check on the jell-o every now and again to make sure the jell-o doesn’t get too solid.
2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
3. Refrigerate until solid.

Homemade Noodles

2007-11-10T12:35:00.001-08:00

I like to make chicken noodle soup. Especially now that the weather is turning colder. I think it is the perfect fall/winter meal. Justin likes my soup but has always said it was 2nd best to Grandma Smith's because I didn't make my noodles from scratch. So I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and made some and I have to say, I will never go back. These noodles were easy (took about 1.5 hours from start to finish) and delicious!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 beaten egg yolks
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup water
1 tsp cooking oil or olive oil (I used cooking oil)

1. In a large bowl stir together 1 and 3/4 cups of the flour and salt. Make a well in the middle of this dry mixture. In a small bowl combine egg yolks, egg, water, and oil. Add to the dry mixture and mix well (I had to add 1/4 cup extra water to get the consistency right. You may not, but just in case your dough seems a little dry, you can add some water.)
2. Sprinkle kneading surface with the remaining flour. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic (approx. 10 min.) Cover and let the dough rest for 10 min.
3. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface roll each portion into a large square (try to make it as thin as you can). Let them stand uncovered for 20 minutes.
4. Cut the noodles. I used a pizza cutter to cut mine and it worked like a dream. It took only a couple minutes to get my noodles all cut. Depending on how you like them or what you are using them for, you can make them as long or short, thick or thin as you like. For my soup, I liked them about 2 inches long and about 1/2 inch thick (remember the noodles will expand a little when you cook them).
5. Let the noodles dry overnight or until completely dry. Missy said that she prefers not to dry them, but to use them wet. I dried mine for almost 24 hours. I guess that if you make them far enough ahead, why not let them dry, but if you are in a time crunch, they can be used wet. **Once the noodles are dry, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. Or they can be put in the freezer for up to 8 months!
6. The amount of time they take to cook depends on a lot of things: how big they are, how dry they are, how firm or soft you want them to be, etc. So put them in your soup last and then check them every minute or so. Mine (that were completely dry) took about 15 minutes).
**Delicious side notes: 1. These noodles were even better over the next few days. They absorbed the flavors of the soup and softened up even more. Yummy! 2. You can add things to step one to flavor your noodles. You could add oregano or parsley to enhance the flavor of your soup or whatever. I am going to try this next time!

No Fail Pie Crust

2007-11-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

This is a quick and easy pie crust that tastes great. I have never had this pie crust fail - even when I was sure it would because it didn't look right.

Makes 1 double crust

2 c flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 c shortning or butter
1/2 c milk

Mix flour and salt in large bowl with lid. Cut in shortning or butter. Cover with lid and shake vigorously until little balls of flour form. Make a "well" in the center of the flour and pour in milk. Replace lid and swirl to mix in milk. Shake again until single ball forms. I roll out the crust between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. This crust freezes well after rolling out and folding in quarters.

Mail-Recipe Chicken Enchiladas

2007-11-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

Chicken Enchiladas
(Recipe from the Mail)

10 - 12 flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 16 oz can of enchilada sauce
1 - 1/2 cups Pace Picante Salsa
chopped cilantro (optional as a garnish)
*(try "el pato" sauce for enchilada sauce instead if you like it HOT)

Filling:
1 8 oz package cream cheese
2 - 3 cups chicken cooked and cut as desired
1 - 2 cups of Pace Picante Medium Salsa or whatever you like
chopped olives (optional unless you love olives like I do)

1. preheat the oven to about 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan if desired and set aside.

2. Make filling by combining ingredients in a medium to small sauce pan until melted and you have a good *filling consistency.

3. Take a flour tortilla, put 2-3 large tablespoonfuls of filling along one side of the tortilla. You can adjust filling amounts per roll as needed to make the desired amount of enchiladas. (I've found that nobody notices the difference if I have to stretch it kind of thin towards the end) Place the roll seam side down in the pan.

4. Fill the pan with rolls and coat the tops of each roll in the pan with enchilada sauce. I usually pour it in a straight line down each roll long ways and let the excess drip between the rolls.

5. To make it look pretty, cover the top of everything with the chopped cheddar cheese. Pour 1 1/2 - 2 cups of salsa on top of the cheese in a line across the rolls. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro among the salsa if desired (Might want to put it on after it's baked if you don't want it to be cooked).

6. Bake for about a 20 - 30 minutes or until all the cheese is sufficiently melted to your taste.

*All measurements are approximate so if you think there's too much of something put less. This should make around 1 - 2 9x13 inch pans of enchiladas.

* The filling should be kind of (cream based) soupy when hot but not too thin. Thickens more when cooled.

*No this isn't a picture of the actual recipe I'm describing. If a picture of the actual recipe is needed to help explain my directions please let me know and I will make an effort to take a picture of it next time I make it. Also, if you find any of the amounts to be incorrect, they were approximations based on memory. Please let me know and I'll update the recipe on here.

I finally took one. Here's an actual picture of what this dish looks like. KK and I made it tonight.

Dad's Homemade IceCream

2007-11-08T17:55:00.001-08:00

Dad's Homemade IceCream

2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 quart half and half creme
flavoring to taste: (chocolate syrup, blended frozen strawberries, peppermint extract and crushed up candy canes)
Milk - to fill line (we use 2% but any kind is fine)

Machine Use:
Approximately 5 quart old fashioned maker with motor
2 bags of ice
rock salt

Use tons of rock salt and constantly replenish the ice. Should only take 1/2 hour if properly iced and salted to finish.

*any kind of nuts - don't put in until the last 5 minutes when it's almost done or it won't freeze well)

Favorite Thanksgiving Pie Recipe

2007-11-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

-4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
-1 tablespoon milk
-1 tablespoon sugar
-1 (8 ounce) tub Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
-1 prepared Pie Crust
-1 cup milk
-1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
-2 (3.4 ounce) packages JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Mix cream cheese, 1 Tbsp. milk and the sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Gently stir in half of the whipped topping. Spread onto bottom of crust.

2.Pour 1 cup milk into large bowl. Add pumpkin, dry pudding mixes and spices. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Spread over cream cheese layer.

3.Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Top with remaining whipped topping just before serving. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.