phat foodies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

2011-11-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Your favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Or buy a roll of refrigerated dough
Vanilla ice cream

Smoosh cookie dough into a pie plate. Bake for about 10-15 minutes—or just until barely brown. Remove from oven and let cool for only a few minutes. Spoon big scoops of vanilla ice cream into the warm center.

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

2011-10-31T13:30:00.000-06:00

I know this is a little late for grilling season but that is just how my life is right now. A little late for everything!! This is such a good recipe and even my kids loved it. My 2nd son who doesn't like much of anything asked for 3 helpings! You know it is a good recipe if that happens. It is also so simple to put together and cooks fast. So if you are in a warmer climate than we are here, try it. Or maybe it would work to broil them in your oven. It is worth a try! This recipe I found on Sisters Cafe.

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

1/4 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tb Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry rosemary
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
fresh ground pepper to taste

3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces

Stir together marinade ingredients. Place chicken in bowl and pour marinade over – make sure all the chicken pieces are coated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat grill to med-high heat. Thread chicken on metal skewers and discard marinade. Lightly oil grill grates. Grill kabobs for 8-12 minutes or until no longer pink in center and juices run clear.

4 Packet Roast

2011-08-02T11:28:00.000-06:00

I know this is not the greatest picture but the roast is awesome! I have been using my crockpot a lot lately and it has done me well. This recipe is another one from Sisters Cafe. My husband is not a pot roast fan but he loved this one. It also makes yummy gravy.

4 Packet Roast

1 packet ranch dressing mix

1 packet brown gravy mix

1 packet Italian salad dressing mix

1 packet onion soup mix

1 roast of choice ( I used 3 - 4 lb rump roast)

1/2 - 3/4 cup of water

assorted veggies if desired

Place roast in crockpot. Arrange vegetables around the roast if being used. Sprinkle the mix packets over the roast. Pour water around the roast. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours.

Steak and Veggie Kebabs

2011-07-27T12:57:00.000-06:00

I think this is only the second time I have made Kebabs. I don't know why, they are sooo good. This is a very simple recipe but has a lot of flavor.

I got this recipe off of Mel's Kitchen Cafe. So yummy! I think I am going to have to try her BBQ Chicken Kebabs. I am sure they are just as good.

Steak and Veggie Kebabs

*Serves 4 to 6

1/2 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds steak tips or sirloin steak/roast, poked all over with a fork and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
10 ounces white mushrooms, stemmed
6 12-inch metal skewers or 6-8 wooden skewers, soaked in water for an hour

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, garlic and pepper. Transfer 1/3 cup of the mixture to a large microwave-safe bowl. Place the remaining mixture in a gallon-size ziploc bag and add the meat, tossing lightly. Press the air out of the bag, seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours (don’t marinate longer than 2 hours or the beef will be too salty).

Add the bell peppers, onion and mushrooms to the bowl with the reserved soy sauce mixture and toss to coat. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and let marinate for 30 minutes. Microwave the vegetables until the onions are translucent at the edges, about 3 minutes, stirring halfway. Uncover the vegetables and set aside until the meat is fully marinated.

Thread the meat onto the skewers, distributing the veggies among the pieces of meat. Grill the kebabs over medium heat, covered, turning frequently, until the meat is well browned and vegetables are tender, about 14-16 minutes. Serve.

Black Bean Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-05-13T20:14:00.001-06:00

So, so good!! You will never know they have black beans in them. My boys even like them without frosting! You have to try these as soon as you can. You will not be disappointed. I have made them several times. I have substituted plain yogurt for sour cream and left out the pudding mix and they still tasted really good.

Black Bean Chocolate Cupcakes
1 box Devil's Food Cake or Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (if you don't like using preboxed cakes, I am sure you could substitute the oil in a homemade chocolate cakerecipe with pureed beans)
1 can black beans
2/3 c. sour cream
3 eggs
1 small chocolate instant pudding mix

Drain the can of black beans and then refill to the top with water. Put beans and water in a food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour the cake mix into a large bowl and add the pureed beans. Add the sour cream, eggs and dry pudding mix to the cake mix and stir until smooth. Grease 18 muffin tins (or use muffin wrappers) and fill with the cake batter. Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes, or until cooked through (don't over cook or they will dry out--who likes dry cake? Ugh!). Remove from the oven and let cool until ready to frost.

“Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter or margarine

2/3 c. Hershey’s Cocoa

3 c. powdered sugar

1/3 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on med. speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 c.

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops

2011-04-16T17:53:00.002-06:00

I got this recipe off of Picky Palate. This is a very good way to make pork chops. I know a lot of times pork chops are very dry. That is not the case with this meal. They turn out moist and have so much flavor. Very easy too, just throw it in the crock pot and walk away!! I love recipes like this. Also what's better than a recipe that only has three ingredients.

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup

4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes
5 Tablespoons real butter
1 Cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves roasted garlic (click for directions how to roast garlic)
1- 1 1/2 Cups warm skim milk (any milk will do, I just happened to use skim)
1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

1. Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.

2. Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consitency.

3. Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Fantasy Bars

2011-04-10T21:44:00.000-06:00

Double Chocolate Fantasy Bars

1 (18.25 oz) package chocolate cake mix
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup chopped nuts
1 (14 oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated milk)
1 (6 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 13x9 inch baking pan. In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil and egg; beat at medium speed until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture firmly on bottom of prepared pan.

In small saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining ingredients. Cook and stir until chips melt.

Pour chocolate mixture evenly over prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture evenly over top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Cool. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
Makes 36 bars.

Cornbread Cake

2011-03-19T16:57:00.000-06:00

This cornbread cake is named appropriately. It is cornbread but it tastes sweet like a cake. Very, very, good with honey. My boys gobble it up every time.

Cornbread Cake

1 cup sugar
1 cup margarine
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cup milk

Cream sugar and butter. Add rest of ingredients. Put in a greased 9x9 pan. Bake 350 for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. (The original recipe said to bake it for 30 minutes but mine was no where near done. That's why I changed the baking time to 1 hour. )

White Bean Chicken Chili

2011-03-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I used the fast and easy recipe on this one. I got this recipe off of Sisters Cafe. We really liked this soup and it turned out to be a quick and easy week night meal.

White Bean Chicken Chili

1 lb great northern beans ( i like to use Navy beans-they are smaller)

1-2 lbs cooked and shredded chicken

6 cups chicken broth

1 Tb olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2- 4oz cans diced green chilis

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

*additional grated jack cheese and cilantro for garnish

1. Soak beans overnight. Drain, rinse and pick over to remove bad beans. Add broth to beans and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer beans until tender (usually all day in crockpot on low).

2 Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute onion and garlic until onions are translucent (about 10 minutes). Mix in green chilies an spices. Add to the beans. Stir in chicken and then cheese. Stir until thick.

Garnish with grated Monterey Jack cheese and fresh chopped cilantro.

Fast and Easy Method

**This makes a delicious soup in a matter of minutes**

For Step 1: Instead of cooking 1 lb beans in 6 cups of broth--just open 3 (14oz) cans of great Northern (or Navy) beans and 2 (14oz) cans Chicken broth and then proceed with recipe.

Mock Kneader's Mint Brownies

2011-02-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like Kneader's? Who doesn't like Kneader's Mint Brownie's? These are so yummy, I really could eat the whole pan. That is why when I make them I have to give them away to family and friends. Hope everyone enjoy's them as much as me. When I am short on time I use a box brownie mix and it turns out just fine.

Mock Kneader's Mint Brownies

Brownie
1 cup butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Melt the chocolate and butter in a 2 quart bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every 20 – 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted. Cool slightly.
Add sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well with a spatula.
Add the flour and stir to combine.
Stir in chocolate chips. Spread into a buttered 13-inch x 9-inch x 2-inch baking pan.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Do not overcook. Cool.

Filling
½ cup softened butter, margarine, or shortening
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 drops mint flavoring or to taste
1 drop pink food coloring

In a small bowl, beat the confectioners’ sugar, butter and mint flavoring until smooth.
Add food coloring to make a light pink.
Spread evenly over cooled brownies and then chill.

Chocolate Ganache

1 C Chocolate Chips (I use semi-sweet)

1/3 C Butter

Melt butter and chocolate over low heat (or in the microwave) until smooth. Spread over mint filling. Refrigerate and enjoy!

Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken

2011-02-19T22:08:00.000-07:00

I love to make this meal on a weeknight when I don't have a lot of time. It is very quick to put together and tastes fantastic. As you can see in the picture I didn't have carrots the night I made it.

Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken

Serves 4

2 Tbs olive oil, divided

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 carrot, sliced diagonally into 1/4 inch pieces

1 (10 oz) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz angel hair pasta

2/3 cup chicken broth

1 tsp dried basil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 Tbs oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add chicken. Cook, stirring, until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Heat remaining oil in same skillet. Begin heating water for pasta. Add carrot to skillet; cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add broccoli and garlic to skillet; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer. Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, add chicken broth, basil and Parmesan to skillet. Stir to combine. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain pasta. Place in a large serving bowl. Top with chicken and vegetable mixture. Serve immediately.

Caramel Corn

2011-02-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

This recipe I got from my sister in law and my family loves it. So very easy to make. It is very gooey and sticky. This recipe makes a lot so be prepared to share it with friends and neighbors.

Caramel Corn

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cube butter softened

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp soda

Cook Brown sugar and light corn syrup to a soft ball stage. Remove from heat.

Add 1 cube soft butter, sweetened condensed milk and soda.

Stir until mixed well and butter is melted.

Pour over popcorn and mix. I use 4 bags of buttered microwave popcorn.

Be sure to take out kernels.

Pork Tenderloin

2011-01-29T21:49:00.002-07:00

This is definitely a 5 star recipe, one of our family favorites. I got this recipe from my mother in law who is a very good cook. I think every recipe she has given me has been fantastic. What I love most about this recipe is that it is very simple. With little ones running around I am always grateful for easy recipes. This takes a little planning ahead so that you can marinade the tenderloin but then you just put it in the oven and let it cook. Turns out perfect every time.

Pork Tenderloin

2 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloins

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated onion

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

2 slices bacon

Mustard Sauce

Place tenderloins in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce and next 5 ingredients; stir well. Pour marinade mixture over tenderloins. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove tenderloins from marinade, reserving marinade. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Place one slice of bacon on top of each tenderloin. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for one hour and 10 minutes or until thermometer inserted in thickest part of tenderloins registers 160 degrees, basting frequently with marinade. Serve with Mustard Sauce. (I baste every 15 minutes)

Mustard Sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 sour cream

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon grated onion

1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well. Cover and chill. Yield: 3/4 cup.

Magic Cookie Bars

2011-01-22T17:58:00.004-07:00

Magic Bars have got to be one of my favorite cookie bars. I decided this year I would try a new recipe out of each of my cookbooks. I have all these cookbooks laying around with great recipes in them. I just need to try them. This recipe came from my Eagle Brand Classic Recipes. There are several other recipes in this book that I will be trying or retrying!
Magic Cookie Bars

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (not evaporated milk)

2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 35o F (325 F for glass dish). In 13x9 inch baking pan, melt butter in oven.

Sprinkle crumbs over butter; pour Eagle Brand evenly over crumbs. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly.

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill, if desired. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen.

Double Coconut Cake

2011-01-15T22:41:00.005-07:00

My sister makes these cupcakes and they are soooo good. I haven't tried to make them because she does such a good job, why mess up a good thing. She left some at the house the other day and I have to admit, i ate most of them. Not good for my thighs but my stomach sure enjoyed them. The cake is very dense and moist. Love these!

Double-Coconut Cake

by: Michelle Dansie

Cooking spray

1 Tablespoon cake flour

2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour

2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Fluffy Coconut Frosting or Buttercream Icing (my favorite)

2/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut, divided. (I like it toasted)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.

3. Combine 2 ¼ cups flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (for about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla.

4. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sharply tab the pans once on countertop to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

5. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1 cup Fluffy Coconut Frosting. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup coconut. Top with remaining cake layer; spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle 1/3 cup coconut over top of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. Yield: 14 servings.

Cupcakes bake for 19-22 minutes

(Totals include Fluffy Coconut Frosting) CALORIES 298 (24% from fat); FAT 7.9g (sat 5g, mono 1.7g, poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 3.4 g; CARB 53.8g; FIBER 0.4; CHOL 42mg; IRON 1.6mg; SODIUM 273mg; CALC 52mg.

FLUFFY COCONUT FROSTING:

4 large egg whites

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Dash of salt

1 cup sugar

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon coconut extract

1. Place egg whites cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 238°. Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed. Stir in extracts. Yield: about 4 cups (serving size: about ¼ cup).

CALORIES 54 (0% from fat); FAT 0g; PROTEIN 0.9g; CARB 12.7g; FIBER 0g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0mg; SODIUM 32mg; CALC 1mg

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened

1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)

2 tablespoons milk

Makes: About 3 cups of icing.

(Medium Consistency)

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.

Zucchini Muffins

2011-01-08T16:50:00.001-07:00

These are a favorite muffin at our house. I always freeze zucchini out of my garden so that I can use it all winter long. Most recipes that call for zucchini call for 2 cups. So I blend it up and freeze it in 2 cup portions. It is so easy to pull out of the freezer, thaw and use in any recipe I choose.

Zucchini Muffins

1 cup canola oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 Tbls vanilla

2 cups zucchini, peeled, grated

1 smashed banana

3 cups flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Streusel

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together the oil and sugar. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Add vanilla, grated zucchini and smashed banana. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, soda, baking powder and salt. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients gently until the mixture is just moist. Do not over mix. Fill cupcake cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle streusel on top. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

You can also make this into bread. It should make two loaves. Cook in 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes.

Apple Pie

2010-11-10T15:33:00.002-07:00

So I made this pie clear back in November and am now getting around to posting it. I am hoping this next year I will be able to post more recipes. This recipe blog is the first thing to go when I run out of time. Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!
This pie recipe I found in my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. It was very good. The only problem making it for my little family is, I am the only one who would eat it. So I had to give most of it away to a neighbor. I used my never fail Lion House Pie Dough recipe.

Apple Pie

1 recipe double crust pie dough

6 cups thinly sliced, peeled cooking apples ( about 2 1/4 lbs) I use granny smith apples.

1 Tablespoons lemon juice (optional)

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare and roll out pie dough into two circles the same size. Line a 9 inch pie plate with a pastry circle.

If desired, sprinkle apples with lemon juice. In a large bowl stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add apples slices. Gently toss until coated.

Transfer apple mixture to the pastry-lined pie plate. Trim bottom pastry to edge of pie plate. Cut slits in remaining pastry circle; place on filling and seal. Crimp edge as desired.

If desired, brush top pastry with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar. To prevent over-browning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 20 minutes more or until fruit is tender and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. To serve warm, let pie cool at least 2 hours.

Tender Grilled Pork Chops

2010-10-25T06:00:00.002-06:00

You will love this recipe. Pork chops can be really dry sometimes. That is not the case with this recipe. So tender and juicy. I got this recipe from My Kitchen Cafe. Go visiter her blog, she has some very good recipes.

Tender Grilled Pork Chops

4 boneless pork loin chops
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon steak seasoning (such as Montreal Steak Seasoning or make your own*)

Mix olive oil, soy sauce and steak seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and pour into a one-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork chops and set the bag in a baking dish in a way that the pork chops get a healthy dose of the marinade (it may be advantageous to flip the bag over halfway through the marinating time). Marinate in the refrigerator for 3-8 hours (no more than 8). Heat the grill to medium and grill the chops 6-8 minutes per side (depending on how thick they are) until they are no longer pink in the center. Remove the chops from the grill and tent them with foil and allow them to rest for 5-7 minutes. Slice the chops in 1/4 to 3/8 inch slices across the grain and serve.

Wheat Quick Pancakes

2010-10-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

I had to put in this picture of my son watching me take this picture. I think he would have rather been eating the pancakes. My boys love these pancakes. We used to eat Bisquick pancakes and after making these for so long we can't eat Bisquick. This is another recipe that my mom always made. Love, love, love this recipe. It is also handy because you can make the wheat quick and keep it in the fridge. I keep mine in a ziplock bag and use as needed.

Wheat Quick

by: Julie Dansie

4 cups wheat flour

4 cups white flour

1/3 cup baking powder

4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup shortening

1 1/4 cup dry milk (optional)

Mix all ingredients. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Pancakes

Mix 2 cups wheat quick, 1 egg, 2 cups water (with dry milk in the mix) or milk. ( I usually make the wheat quick with out dry milk. So when I make pancakes, I use milk.)

Waffles

Mix 2 cups wheat quick, 1 egg, 2 cups water (with dry milk in the mix) or milk, and 2 Tbsp vegetable oil.

Brownies

2010-10-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have been making this brownie recipe since I was little. No matter how many brownie recipes I try, I will always come back to these. It calls for butter or shortening. I have used both with good results, I have also used half butter and half shortening. That also works. These brownies need to be frosted. I will give my mom credit for this recipe since she is the one who taught me how to make them. Thanks Mom!!

Brownies

by: Julie Dansie

1 cup shortening or butter

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Melt shortening and mix in unsweetened cocoa, set aside. Cream sugar and eggs. Then add melted shortening and vanilla. Add flour, salt and baking powder and mix. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Stick a toothpick in the center if it comes out clean the brownies are done. When cool, frost with chocolate frosting.

Quick Skillet Italian Chicken

2010-10-19T06:00:00.002-06:00

As I look at this picture I realize that it doesn't look all that appetizing. Please don't let that deter you from making this dish. It is so easy and tastes delicious. Maybe one of these days I will work on making better pictures.

Quick Skillet Italian Chicken

4 frozen chicken breasts

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup green or yellow bell pepper, chopped

14 1/2 oz can Italian style stewed tomatoes

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 12 oz pkg. Fettuccine (or other pasta)

2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup black olives, pitted & sliced

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in large skillet. Add frozen chicken in single layer & saute 3 min. on each side or until lightly brown. Add onion, bell pepper, stewed tomatoes & lemon juice. Cover and simmer 25-30 min. or until chicken is no longer pink inside. While chicken is cooking, prepare fettuccine, according to package directions. Keep warm. When chicken is ready to serve, divide pasta among 4 dinner plates. Top with chicken breasts & tomato sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and sliced olives.

Beef and Broccoli

2010-10-17T17:51:00.000-06:00

The fam really enjoyed this recipe and it was so simple to make. I think this will be a common meal at our house. I used what ever rice I had on hand. The broccoli had a great taste from being tossed in the oil mixture. Usually my vegetables are very plain so this was a nice change.

Beef and Broccoli

2 beef sirloin or ribeye steak, 1 inch think

1 cup jasmine rice

2 green onions, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 tsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. sugar

2 Tbs. soy sauce

1 lb. broccoli florets

Place refrigerate steak in freezer for a few minutes so it's easier to slice. Prepare rice as label directs. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 1 Tbs. sliced green onion, 1 tsp. minced garlic, 2 tsp. sesame oil, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Set aside. Take steak out of freezer and cut into very thin slices. Toss into a bowl with 1 Tbs. soy sauce, white parts of sliced green onion and remaining garlic. Set aside. In a 12 inch skillet, pour 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Add broccoli and cook a few minutes until tender. Drain well and then add broccoli to first bowl of oil mixture and toss. Heat 2 tsp. sesame oil in same skillet and cook beef until you like it. Stir in remaining green onions and some salt and pepper. Then stir in remaining soy sauce. Serve with rice and broccoli.

Crock Pot French Dip

2010-08-31T17:46:00.004-06:00

Here is any easy recipe that you can put in the crock pot and forget about it. It tastes sooo good. I don't have a picture but have had so many requests for this recipe that I have to post it without. Just know that if you try this recipe you will love it! I have also doubled the recipe and made it a freezer meal. It is a great way to make this easy meal even easier.

Crock Pot French Dip

4 lb chuck roast

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 bay leaf

3-4 peppercorns

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp garlic salt

beef broth - enough to almost cover the roast.

Put all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours or until done. When done shred meat and place on rolls. Use juice for dipping.

Homemade Girl Scout Samoan Cookies

2010-08-10T16:49:00.006-06:00

These samoan bars were quite good. They took some time but were pretty simple. The next time I would use less of the cookie base. It just seemed to thick to me and took away from the overall taste. I also used a bag of the carmel baking bits and they worked out fine. So if you want Girl Scout cookies any time of the year have fun making these.

Homemade Samoas Bars
Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

First, make the crust.
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.
When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).
Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 30 bar cookies.

Easy Philly Steak Sandwiches

2010-05-31T00:17:00.000-06:00

These are very good. I used left over roast from Sunday dinner, shred it and put it in with the Au Jus. I then saute the onions and peppers and put them in with the meat right before I am ready to serve. I made the rolls from a french bread recipe I found on another blog.

Easy Philly Steak Sandwiches

1 boneless beef roast (rump, sirloin tip roast, chuck, etc.) anywhere from 2 to 4 lbs

1 green pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

mozzarella slices

1 McCormick Au Jus sauce packet

Hoagie rolls/buns

In crockpot, dissolve Au jus packet in 3 cups of cold water then add the roast. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours (I cooked mine about 8 hours on low before adding the peppers and onion for another hour) One hour before you plan to eat, shred the beef then slice the peppers and onions and add to crockpot. When it is finished, remove meat and veggies with a slotted spoon. Place mozzarella slices on buns and put under low broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Fill the rolls with the meat and veggies, then divide the Au Jus sauce into smaller bowls for dipping.

Giveaway

2010-05-21T18:05:00.003-06:00

Deals to Meals is doing a great giveaway! You have to go check it out. They are giving away a Bosch mixer. This is of course something that I have been wanting for a very long time. I love to make bread but my Kitchen Aid just doesn't cut it. It is the smallest size they sell and I can only make 2 loaves of bread at a time. My small family goes thru 4 loaves of bread a week. My boys are still little, I can't imagine how much bread we will be going thru as they get bigger and eat even more. While your there sign up for Deals to Meals, it will make your life so much easier, and you will save yourself lots of money while adding to your food storage!

Chicken Fried Rice

2010-04-25T21:25:00.005-06:00

This is such an easy recipe and a favorite at our house. I have also used leftover pork and it was just as good. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of butter. I have never used that much. I only use about 1/4 cup. I can usually make this recipe in 30 to 40 minutes.

Chicken Fried Rice

1 to 2 chicken breasts or 10 chicken tenders ( cut into small pieces)

3 scrambled eggs

2 carrots (finely grated)

1/2 white onion (finely chopped)

3/4 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup butter

1 to 2 garlic cloves (crushed) or 1 tsp of garlic powder

2 cups white rice (not instant)

Marinate chicken in soy sauce, if you do not have much time, mix it with chicken before cooking. In a large frying pan cook chicken in small amount of olive oil, add carrots and onions and saute until clear.

Add frozen peas and cook until soft

In a separate pan cook rice then add to the mixture.

In another pan, scramble three eggs, chop finely and add to mixture

Melt 1/2 cup butter, add crushed garlic cloves to butter, stir and add to mixture

Mix all together well, add soy sauce to taste.

Thai Beef & Noodles

2010-04-25T20:39:00.007-06:00

I have neglected this blog for long enough. I had a hard time cooking while I was pregnant. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things and get cooking again. We have been eating really good lately because my mom was here, then Scott's mom, and neighbors and friends have been bringing meals. We really have been spoiled since Bryson was born. The following recipe is one that Scott's mom made while she was here. Scott liked it so much he said, " you should take a picture for your blog." So here it is. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Thai Beef & Noodles

1 lb 1 inch thick sirloin steak

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 1/2 Tblsp. soy sauce

1 tsp ginger minced

1 tsp garlic minced

1 tsp sesame oil

1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper pods crushed

2 cups Ramen noodles or linguine

1/4 cup chopped green onion tops

Marinate steak in mixture of sherry, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and pepper pods. Save Marinade

Cook steak in large skillet on medium high heat for 12 - 15 minutes total, turning once.

Remove steak from skillet and keep warm.

Prepare noodles.

dissolve 2 tsp cornstarch in 1/4 cup water. Mix with reserved marinade. Boil this mixture in skillet for 1 minute until thickened. Add noodles to this sauce and stir.

Serve sliced steak on top of noodles. Sprinkle with green onion tops.

Carne Asada Tacos

2009-07-13T15:24:00.005-06:00

I apologize for not having a picture for this. I hope to make it again soon so that I can remember to take a picture. This is a new twist on tacos and we really liked it. Very easy and you can also freeze the left over meat for another meal. I however used the left overs to make Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches which were really really good. I will post that recipe some time soon. I found this recipe on Deals to Meals.

Carne Asada Tacos (freezer meal)

5 lbs. Roast Beef, cooked, shredded
Or 5 lbs. Steak, grilled and sliced thinly
1 T. Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 onion, sliced thinly
2 limes, sliced thinly
1 T. Beef Bouillon

Pico de Gallo Salsa:
5 large Tomatoes, diced small
1 bunch Cilantro, diced coarsely
1 large onion, diced small
½ c. Lime Juice (approximate)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Tortillas Coijita Cheese

Cook roast in crock pot (4-6 hours). Season meat with steak seasoning, bouillon, lime slices and onion in crock pot. Place meat mixture in flour tortilla. Top with cheese and Pico de Gallo salsa.

EZ Wheat or White Bread

2009-05-30T23:23:00.004-06:00

This is the only wheat bread recipe I make anymore. I love it because you can slice it really thin. Most homemade wheat bread you have to cut think or it crumbles. I use my bread mostly to make sandwiches so this is perfect. I got this recipe on Everyday Food Storage. I put everything in the bowl and then mix it. It turns out perfect every time. I also double the recipe so I can get two loaves. When I double it I put it 5 cups of flour and then add a tablespoon at a time until it pulls from the side of the bowl. Usually it is about 5 1/4 cups of flour.

EZ Wheat Bread recipe

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 Tblsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey or 1/3 cup sugar
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (or whatever combination white/wheat you like..I use 100% hard white wheat. To learn more about the different types of wheat, download my wheat handout)
1/4 cup wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
2 Tblsp nonfat non instant dry milk
1 Tblsp butter/margarine/oil
1 Tblsp vinegar
1/4 cup potato flakes (NOT potato pearls)

Mix ingredients in order listed in mixing bowl of mixer with dough hook attachment (like kitchen-aid) for 12-15 minutes. Let rise until double, 1- 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, and shape into loaf or rolls. Let rise again until double and bake 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
If you are making this recipe in a bread machine, follow your bread machine’s directions for wheat or whole grain selection and add the ingredients in the order listed for their recommendations. (only one loaf will fit in a bread maker)

EZ White Bread

1 1/8 cups warm water
1 3/4 - 2 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tblsp sugar (you can use a little more sugar if you like your dough a little sweeter)
3 cups flour
1 Tblsp vital wheat gluten (remember you don’t need as much gluten if you’re not using whole wheat flour)
1 tsp salt
2 Tblsp nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 Tblsp butter/margarine or oil
1/4 cup potato flakes
(you don’t really need vinegar for white bread, remember the dough enhancers are primarily needed for whole wheat bread)

Add the ingredients in the order listed into a mixer bowl (like a kitchen-aid) with a dough hook attachment and mix on low for 10-12 minutes. Or mix it on the dough cycle in your bread machine.
After all the mixing is complete, if the dough still seems too gooey and you are unable to handle it, add 1 Tblsp flour at a time, and mix after each addition until the dough is manageable with your hands.

Let rise 45 mins -1 hour, punch down and use to make bread, cinnamon rolls, cookie sheet pizza, rolls, or anything else you can think of! Let rise after you have made your creation and bake according to the direction of the recipe you are making.
If you are making it into bread, form into a loaf at this time, place in a loaf pan, let rise in a warm place 45 min -1 hour and bake 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
If you are making this recipe in a bread machine. Follow your bread machine’s directions and add the ingredients in the order listed in their recommendations. (only one loaf will fit in a bread maker)

Very Berry Pie

2009-05-30T23:11:00.005-06:00

This is a very Delicious pie and so easy to make. I made this for Mothers Day. I know I am a little late posting it. I forgot to take a picture after it came out of the oven because we had to leave to go to dinner at my brothers. So here it is before the oven. The crust recipe is also amazing. They are both from my Lion House cookbook.

VERY BERRY PIE

1 bag (16 ounces, no sugar added) frozen boysenberries
1 bag (8 ounces, no sugar added) frozen blueberries
1 bag (8 ounces, no sugar added) frozen raspberries
1 ¾ cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cornstarch
Pastry for two 2-crust pies

Thaw all berries; pour berries and all juice in mixing bowl. In separate bowl, mix sugar, salt, and cornstarch; pour on top of berries. Mix well with rubber spatula. Fill crusts, and bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 2 pies.

This recipe for pie dough is so easy because you can make it in your mixer. I use 1/2 cup butter and 2/3 cup shortening instead of using margarine and lard. I never have lard on hand. It works every time. Please try this pie dough recipe, you won't be disappointed.

Lion House Pie Dough

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup margarine
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup lard
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk
3 cups unsifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water (may need 1 tablespoon more water)

In a mixer cream together the fats. Add sugar, baking powder, salt, and dry milk. Add half the flour and mix well. Add water and remaining flour. This can all be done in the mixer. (This crust can also be made using the traditional pie crust method, by hand-cutting fat into dry ingredients.)

Roll out half of the pastry very thin. Line a pie pan. Trim pastry 1/4 inch beyond rim of pie pan. Roll out remaining pastry for top crust. Cut several slits or a fancy design near center. Fill bottom crust. Moisten the edge of the bottom crust and center top crust over filling. Open slits with knife (steam must escape during baking). Trim the top crust, letting it extend 1/2 inch over rim. To seal, press top and bottom crusts together on rim. Then fold edge of top crust under bottom crust and flute. Bake according to directions in individual recipe.

Makes one 9-inch two-crust pie. This is a very pliable, tender, easy-to-handle dough. If you are making an 8 inch pie, extra dough may be wrapped well in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for future use. Leftover pie dough makes excellent tarts.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2009-05-07T15:21:00.006-06:00

This was a nice change from the regular chicken enchiladas I make. It adds a little spice to the already fantastick taste of chicken enchiladas. I think the only change I would make is use a little less chili powder as it was really spicy for me. I know my husband really liked it and probably didn't mind it being that hot. If you are looking for a spicy change to chicken enchiladas this is it.

CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
www.RecipeGirl.com

One 10¾ oz. can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken soup
8 oz light sour cream
1 cup Pace picante sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Ten 6-inch flour tortillas
1 large tomato, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
1 avocado, mashed and mixed w/ a little sour cream and picante sauce (quick guacamole)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

2. Stir soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl.

3. In a large bowl, stir 1 cup of the sauce mixture with the chicken & 1 cup of the cheese.

4. Spread about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam-side-down in prepared dish. Scoop remaining sauce over the filled tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray. Place sprayed-side-down on enchiladas and cover tightly.

5. Bake for 40 minutes or until enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top individual servings with tomato and onion. Add a dollop of guacamole, if desired.

Servings: 6

Fettuccini Alfredo Chicken Pizza

2009-04-27T10:16:00.003-06:00

I know this is not a very good picture. I forgot to take a picture before everyone started eating. This was so good. I am a fan of pepperoni pizza and don't venture off from that much. I am very glad I tried this because it is my new favorit pizza. The recipe calls for some vegetables to be put on the pizza but I decided to leave them off. I know I should add them to make it a little healthier but I decided we could have a salad on the side and get the same effect.

Fettuccini Alfredo Chicken Pizza

1 Pizza dough recipe (or Flat Pita Bread-not pocket pitas)
1 1/2 c. ranch dressing
1 T garlic cloves, minced
2 t. basil
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan Cheese
2 lbs. cooked chicken or sausage (or 1 lb each)
Green Onions
Vegetables (Mushrooms, Zucchini, yellow squash, onions, etc.) diced or cut thin
Tomatoes diced small
Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat pizza stone at 400 degrees. Roll out crust, or lay pitas on stone. Mix ranch, parmesan, basil and garlic in bowl. Saute meat and vegetables together until soft. Put sauce on pitas or dough, put meat mixture on top and then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 until golden brown. Makes 2 pizzas and serves 6.

(I put mine on a cookie sheet to bake at 400 degrees for about 15 - 20 minutes.)

Fast and Easy Pizza Dough

3 cups flour, more or less
1 T honey, heaping
1 T oil, heaping
1 cup warm water
1 T yeast
1/2 t garlic salt

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. (if using a pizza stone, let stone heat for at least 30minutes in the oven before baking pizza.) Mix all pizza dough ingredients together, except the flour. Add flour and knead for a bit then put into pan (or use a pizza peel and pizza stone.) If baking in a sheet pan, bake for about 12 minutes (checking often) until crust is browned and cheese is golden and bubbly. if baking on the preheated pizza stone, slide pizza onto stone and bake for about 8 minutes. Makes 1 large pizza.

Cinnamon Swirl Cake

2009-04-20T20:48:00.003-06:00

I made this cake for Easter breakfast. My husband loves cinnamon rolls and would have me make them once a week if I would. I however will not. This recipe gives you a cinnamon taste with much less work. It was very easy to make and tasted wonderful. If you are looking for a healthy recipe this is not it. However do not pass up this recipe. Make it for a holiday then you won't feel so guilty.

Cinnamon Swirl Cake

1 cube butter, softened
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

*Mix together and pour into a 9X13 pan.

Then mix:
1 cube melted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 T. flour
1 T. cinnamon
*Pour on top of yellow mixture and swirl in using a fork. Don't mix completely. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Drizzle with frosting:
1/2 cube butter, softened
powdered sugar
some milk
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt

Lemon Yogurt Cake

2009-04-09T15:18:00.003-06:00

My boys and I loved this cake. The cake itself did not have a lot of lemon flavor so I think next time I might try making it with lemon yogurt instead of plain to see if that changes anything. I would also say it is almost better the second day after it has time to sit and soak up all that lemon sugar that you pour over it. This is another recipe from sisterscafe.blogspot.com

Lemon Yogurt Cake
Recipe from Ina Gartin

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Thick and Chewy Double-Chocolate Cookies

2009-03-26T14:30:00.004-06:00

These are the most amazing cookies. I love chocolate and these have plenty of it. They are chewy and the chocolate chips melt in your mouth. You can also freeze them (which I had to do so I didn't eat them all in one night!) If you are not a dark chocolate or semi sweet chocolate fan you could use milk chocolate instead and I am sure they would be just as good. These cookies are now my favorite and I know I will be making them over and over again. I found them on www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

Thick and Chewy Double-Chocolate Cookies
Adapted slightly from The New Best Recipe

**Resist the urge to bake the cookies longer than indicated; they may appear underbaked at first but will firm up as they cool.**

2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup (1 ½ ounces) baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (or melt the equivalent of semi-sweet chocolate chips)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
1 ½ cups (10 ½ ounces) packed light brown sugar
½ cup (3 ½ ounces) granulated sugar
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave (50% power for 2 minutes, then stir and microwave in 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted - be careful not to overheat or chocolate will sieze). In a small bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla lightly with a fork; set aside.

Beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds. Beat in the sugars until combined, about 45 seconds; the mixture will look granular. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds. Add the chocolate in a steady stream and beat until combined, about 40 seconds. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer at low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Finally add the chocolate chips. Do not overbeat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until the consistency is fudge-like, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners (this is pretty important - if the cookies are baked on a greased baking sheet only, they will probably stick). Roll the dough into 1 ½ inch balls and place them on the cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 ½ inches apart.

Bake until the edges of the cookies have just begun to set but the centers are still very soft, about 10-11 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets about 5 minutes or until set and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Green Enchiladas

2009-03-23T11:24:00.003-06:00

Sorry there is no picture! But these are really good anyway. We made these for St. Patricks Day and they were yummy! I got the recipe from recipezaar.com. I baked my chicken in a 325 degree oven with a rub consisting of cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic salt and a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes. I added a bouillon cube and a little water and covered the chicken tightly and baked until tender. I then cut the chicken into bite size pieces. This was one of the suggestions in the recipe or you could just boil the chicken and shred it. The recipe also calls for an 8 oz cream cheese, I only used half that amount, and I used light. I also used about 1/4 C salsa verde in place of the green chilies as we are not fond of diced green chilies. The consistency is more like a casserole since the corn tortillas disintegrate a little when baked. The next time I would like to try flour tortillas and see what they are like. Anyway, Enjoy!!

1 lb. chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

4 oz. diced green chilies

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 C onion, diced and sauted until tender

3 C green enchilada sauce (I used a lg can of old el paso)

12-14 white corn tortillas (small size)

1-2 C shredded cheese (I used mexican blend)

Put about 1/4 C enchilada sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan. In lg bowl mix chicken, chilies, cream cheese, onions, 1/2 C cheese and 1/4 C enchilada sauce. Spoon mixture evenly on tortillas and roll up. Place rolled tortillas in pan and cover with remaining enchilada sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. (I also topped mine with sliced black olives). Bake at 350 degrees for 40 min. Remove from oven and let stand 10 min. before serving.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2009-03-10T21:47:00.004-06:00

I cut this recipe in half because I knew my family would not eat the whole thing and I didn't think it would be very good as left overs. I was so glad I did. I used one can of green enchilada sauce. I also had some chicken that I had cooked already, so I simmered it in the enchilada sauce for a few minutes. This came together very fast especially with the chicken already cooked. Seems like most of the ingredients are optional so play around with it. We really liked it as long as it had the sour cream on it. Without the sour cream it would just be okay.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1-2 chicken breasts
1 28 oz can enchilada sauce (or 2 small cans or one small can and one can tomato sauce)
1/2 c corn (optional)
1/2 small onion (optional)
Tortilla Chips, crushed
1 c shredded cheese
sliced olives (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Put endhilada sauce into sauce pan. Add chicken breasts, corn and onions to sauce and boil. Once chicken is boiled and cooked through, shred.
While chicken is cooking, preheat oven to 350.
Take a 9x13 pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Line pan with crushed tortilla chips.
Pour chicken, corn, onion and sauce mixture over chips.
Top with cheese and olives.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.
Top with sour cream and serve.

Irish Soda Bread

2009-03-06T13:41:00.007-07:00

This is the wheat soda bread. I didn't make it with any of the optional ingredients. The dough is very sticky and is more like biscuit dough. I made it in the kitchen aid and let it do the kneading. This is great with chicken soup. Grandma Swalberg really enjoyed it.

4 cups Flour

1 tsp. Salt

3 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 cup sugar (optional)

1/8 tsp. cardamom or coriander (optional)

1/4 cup butter

1 egg

1 3/4 cup buttermilk

Combine in a large bowl flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and spices. Add butter to flour mixture and cut with a pastry blender or 2 knives until crumbly. Beat egg slightly and mix with buttermilk. Add buttermilk mix to dry ingredients. Stir until blended. Turn out on floured board and knead for 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough in half. Shape into 2 round loaves and place each round in a pie pan. Press down until dough fills the pan. With a sharp knife cut crosses on top of the loaves about 1/2" deep through middle. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Substitutions: if you want a wheat bread swap 2 cups of wheat flour with the white. You may also add raisins for a sweet bread, just make sure to add the sugar.

Pizza Dough

2009-03-06T13:37:00.003-07:00

I'm always up for trying new recipes and one night I was looking for a different pizza dough recipe. I found this one on recipezaar. It had over 200 5 star reviews. We made it and it was awesome. Crispy on the outside and soft and chewy inside. We assemble our pizza by first putting about 1/2 C sauce on pre-baked crust, then about 1 C mozzarella cheese, then toppings, then a sprinkling of mixed shredded cheese. We top it all off with a couple of shakes of parmesan cheese and bake it the rest of the time.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (may substitute whole wheat flour for 1 cup of the all-purpose)
1 Tbl active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil
cornmeal, for sprinkling

Mix a little sugar into the warm water.
Sprinkle yeast on top.
Wait for 10 minutes or until it gets all foamy.
Pour into a large bowl.
Add flour, salt, olive oil.
Combine.
Knead for 6-8 minutes until you have a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (add a bit more flour if you need to).
Cover and let rest for 20-30 minutes.
Lightly grease two 12-inch pizza pans.
Sprinkle with a little bit of cornmeal.
Divide dough in half.
Place each half on a pizza pan and pat it with your fingers until it stretches over the whole pan.
Try to make it thicker around the edge.
If desired, pre-bake at 425 F for 10 minutes (I don't always do this).
Then spread with pizza sauce and use the toppings of your choice.
Bake at 425 F for 10-20 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot.
Makes 2 12-inch pizzas.
If you don't want to use all the dough, you can freeze it.
Take a portion of dough, form into a ball, rub olive oil over it and place it in a freezer bag (the oil makes it easier to take out of the bag).
When you want to make a pizza, take dough out of freezer and allow to thaw before using.

Smothered Chicken

2009-03-06T13:25:00.003-07:00

I got this recipe from www.myfoodstoragedeals.com. All the family thought it was really yummy. The only thing different I will do next time, is not use the bacon. I am just not a bacon fan. I think it would taste just as good without it. Sorry about the picture. My kids said that it looked really gross, so on this one don't judge it by looks! It is actually really good.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

garlic powder and seasoned salt to taste

1 Tbl oil

mushrooms, cut in quarters

1 C shredded cheese

1/2 C chopped green onions

1/2 C chopped cooked bacon

BBQ sauce, any type

-Sprinkle chicken with seasonings and brown in oil until almost cooked through. In seperate pan saute mushrooms, bacon and onions. Put chicken in baking dish and spread each piece with about 2 Tbl BBQ sauce. Cover each piece with bacon, mushrooms and onion mixture and then cover with shredded cheese. Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven for approx. 15-20 min or until cheese melts and chicken is cooked through.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2009-03-06T13:15:00.004-07:00

I made these for a YW activity last week. Oatmeal raisin cookies are my absolute favorite cookie. I don't make them very often because every recipe I have used turns out crispy and not the right flavor. I love Great Harvests oatmeal raisin cookies. They are soft and chewy and taste perfect. I was looking around on recipezaar and found these amazing cookies. They had 542 5 star reviews. These are sooooooo good!! I am not a big cookie freak, but I could have eaten the whole batch myself, I think. I did do half raisins and half chocolate chips but I liked the raisin ones better!! I also just used regular salt and regular brown sugar. Enjoy!

Whisk together and set aside

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Cream wet ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Then stir in

3 cups oats (not instant)
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350°.
Whisk dry ingredients; set aside.
Combine wet ingredients with a hand mixer on low.
To cream, increase speed to high and beat until fluffy and the color lightens.
Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no flour is visible.
(Over mixing develops the gluten, making a tough cookie.) Now add the oats and raisins; stir to incorporate.
Fill cookie scoop with dough.
(Use a #40 cookie scoop; it measures 2 tablespoon of dough) Press against side of bowl, pulling up to level dough.
Drop 2-inches apart onto baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.
Bake 11-13 minutes (on center rack), until golden, but still moist beneath cracks on top.
Remove from oven; let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Yummy Breadsticks

2009-03-06T13:07:00.004-07:00

A friend in my ward brought these to a lunch we were having. They were so yummy and she said they were really easy to make, so I had to have the recipe. They are perfect for dunking in soup. My friend said that the dough is actually a basic white bread dough, that you can use for cinnamon rolls, regular rolls etc. One tip is that if you don't have instant yeast it would probably be best to soak it in a little water with sugar before adding. I also did this all in my bosch and did not mix by hand or knead by hand. So here you go...

3 - 3 1/2 cups white flour
1 Tab. dry yeast
1 tesp. salt
1/4 cup sugar (1/8 is fine)
1 cup milk or 1/3 cup powdered milk (church kind) and 1 cup water
3 Tab. butter or marg.
1 egg beaten

In large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour with dry yeast, salt and sugar. In sauce pan, heat milk and butter until very warm (not hot)...or cook approx. 2 min. in microwave; add to flour mixture along with egg. With mixer beat two minutes. By hand stir in remaining 2 to 2 1/4 cups flour to form a stiff dough. Cover and let rise. Turn out onto a floured surface. Knead a few times or until no longer sticky. Make into rolls, breadsticks or cinnamon rolls. Let rise in greased pan. Bake for 20 min. at 350 degrees.

For breadsticks, roll out until flat then cut into strips. Dip into melted butter then twist and place in pan. Once the pan is full, before baking, sprinkle with garlic powder and parm. cheese.

Sugar Cookies

2009-03-06T12:53:00.003-07:00

Now that it's almost been a month since Valentines Day, I guess I better post these. My sister brought these to us for Valentines Day. She has the most awesome recipe for sugar cookies. I have also made these several times and they are really pretty quick and easy. The trick is to not roll them out too thin and to not over cook them. They are so delicious, make them for a holiday and then find someone to give most of them to or you will end up eating the whole batch! So here is her recipe. Enjoy!!

1 lb. margarine

3 eggs

2 C sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

6 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

-cream sugar, margarine, eggs and flavorings until very fluffy. Mix in dry ingredients until well blended. Chill and roll out to 1/4 in thick. Cut out shapes and put on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 min.

frosting:

1 C shortening

1 C butter

dash salt

2 tsp vanilla

full 1 lb bag powdered sugar

milk- add to thin

- mix altogether and color if desired. You can use this for spreading and decorating.

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake (Texas Sheet Cake)

2009-02-23T17:27:00.004-07:00

This is the same old Texas Sheet Cake we have all probably tasted before. I have not made it for years and this reminded me of how good it really is. I saw this recipe on www.thepioneerwoman.com.

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake
Combine in a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a saucepan, melt:
2 sticks butter
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together.
Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.
Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make icing:
Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add:
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Stir together.
Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.
Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

Amazing Buttermilk Rolls

2009-02-23T16:40:00.005-07:00

These rolls are very good. I love that you can put the dough in the fridge for up to 7 days. They are so easy to pull out of the fridge and roll out before church and have fresh rolls for dinner. My husband almost ate the whole basket of rolls. I didn't have any buttermilk, so I just used 3 cups milk with 3 tablespoons vinegar. I am sure they would taste even better if I used real buttermilk. I will try that next time. www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com

Buttermilk Refigerator Rolls

3 cups Buttermilk (room temperature)
3 cups flour
1 T. yeast dissolved in ¼ cup warm water (first let rise a few minutes)
½ cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten with a fork
2 tsp salt
5 cups flour (sometimes you need a cup more--it should not be too sticky)
½ cup oil
1 tsp baking soda

Dissolve yeast in ¼ c. warm water and let proof a few minutes. Mix the buttermilk, flour and yeast together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Let this stand at room temperature until double in size, about 2 hours.
Add sugar, eggs, salt, flour, oil, and baking soda. Mix well and kneed for 7-10 minutes. Roll out what you want and place the rest in the refrigerator, covered. The next time you want some fresh baked rolls, take from the bowl what you want and again put the rest back in the refrigerator. It will keep for 7 days. (This is perfect for Sunday meals because you don’t have a lot of mess to clean up and it’s quick.)
Let rolls rise on baking sheets until double in size. Time depends on the room temperature, usually 1½ - 2 hours. Dough from the refrigerator will take longer because the dough is cold.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Brush with melted butter if you like.

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

2009-02-14T10:28:00.003-07:00

I got this recipe from the sisters cafe blog. I made them to serve with the chicken noodle soup I made this week. They were super easy (20 min total prep and their on the table), and really tasty too. Shawn and the kids all thought they were great for dunking in the soup. I did adapt the recipe a bit to our tastes.

2 C bisquick mix (I used the heart healthy kind)

2/3 C milk

1/3 C shredded cheese

2 Tbl parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp parsley

2 Tbl butter (I used light margarine)

--mix together bisquick and milk just until moistened. Fold in cheeses and drop by spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 min. or until lightly browned. Melt butter and add salt and parsley. Brush on cooked rolls and serve immediately. You can also sprinkle a little more parmesan cheese on them if you want.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-02-14T10:14:00.005-07:00

I needed to bring a pot of soup to a Stake Youth activity this week and this is what I brought. I got the recipe from a dear friend I served with in the Relief Society Pres. She is known as the soup lady in our ward. My family loves this soup and whenever one of the kids is sick this is the first thing they ask for. It just makes everything all better. You can use homemade noodles if you would rather, but the Kluski ones are so much easier!

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

diced carrots, onions, celery, green pepper

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbl parsley

1/2 tsp pepper

4-6 chicken bouillon cubes

2 can cream of chicken soup (I use light)

2 pkgs chicken gravy mix

1 pkg Kluski noodles (found with all the other pastas)

--Boil chicken in water with bouillon until cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Strain liquid and then add enough water to make 3-4 qts liquid total. Add veggies, garlic, parsley and pepper and simmer until veggies are tender. Chop chicken and add to pot with veggies. Add soup and gravy mix and mix well (you may have to use a big wisk). Bring soup to a boil and add noodles. Continue to simmer until noodles are tender and soup is thickened. Enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Fudge Cake

2009-02-11T19:00:00.004-07:00

I got this off of The Sister's Cafe blog. It was easy to make, moist and really yummy! Everyone loved it. I had a hard time keeping the kids fingers out of it until after dinner. I did cheat and use canned chocolate frosting because I had some in my food storage that needed to be used. I also did not have any buttermilk, so I just did the milk and vinegar thing. I think this would also be great just as a regular chocolate cake without the peanut butter.

2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 C sugar

1 C butter

1/4 C cocoa

1 C water

1/2 C buttermilk

2 lg eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

-Combine flour, soda and sugar in a mixing bowl. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa and stir to combine. Add water, buttermilk, and eggs. Cook, stirring well until mixture boils. Remove from heat and add to flour mixture and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and mix well. Pour batter into greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for about 25 min or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for about 10 min and then spread with about 1 C peanut butter (softened in micro for a few seconds). Let cool completely. Spread with chocolate canned frosting or homemade. Enjoy!

-Chocolate frosting:

1 lb. pkg powdered sugar

1/4 C cocoa

1/2 C butter

1/3 C buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

-bring cocoa, butter and buttermilk to a boil in saucepan stirring constantly. Pour hot mixture in a bowl with the sugar and stir until smooth. Add vanilla.

Chicken Parmesan with Rigatoni Bake

2009-02-11T15:52:00.004-07:00

This was easy to make. I have never cooked chicken this way but it turned out really moist and delicious. I will definetly be making it again. I didn't have rigatoni so I just used what ever pasta I had on hand. I also used all plain bread crumbs and added some italian seasoning. It turned out great. I got this recipe off of http://www.picky-palate.com/

Chicken Parmesan Rigatoni Bake

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 Cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 large eggs plus 2 Tablespoons water
1/2 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs (Progresso)
1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 lb dry rigatoni
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 26 oz jars of your favorite pasta sauce
6 slices of your favorite bread, toasted
Butter
Garlic Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pound chicken breasts to an even thinness with a meat mallet. Place flour, salt and pepper into a shallow dish. Place eggs and water into a separate shallow dish. Place bread crumbs and parmesan cheese into a 3rd shallow dish. Dip chicken into flour, then eggs then into bread crumb mixture pressing gently. Place coated chicken onto a baking rack placed over a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

2. Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Place olive oil into a large dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, sauté onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic for 1 minutes then add pasta sauce, reserving 1 Cup for later. Reduce heat to low and stir in cooked pasta. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Cut chicken into strips and place over dish. Drizzle with reserved pasta sauce and serve. Spread butter over warm toasted bread and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Cut into triangles if desired. Serve with each dish.

6 servings

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

2009-02-11T13:47:00.003-07:00

This is a really great recipe. Comfort food at its best. I got the recipe from a Taste of Home cookbook. It stays nice and creamy and doesn't dry out, even when re-heated the next day. It's also super easy! I did change and lighten up the recipe a bit :)

3 C dry macaroni noodles or other pasta

2 Tbl light margarine or butter

2 Tbl flour

1 1/2 C milk

1/2 lb velveeta cheese(2%), cubed

-Cook pasta. Meanwhile melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened. Reduce heat and add cheese. cook and stir until melted. Drain the pasta and add to cheese mixture. Stir until cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

2009-02-06T20:35:00.005-07:00

This is very simple and good. Another great way to use stove top stuffing. Not much else to say about it. Sorry the picture isn't that great.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1/2 cup water or chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix, water and garlic; stir just until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside.
PLACE chicken (I brown my chicken first) in 13x9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with the basil and cheese. Top with stuffing mixture.
BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Belgian Waffles

2009-02-06T12:37:00.004-07:00

We had breakfast for dinner last night and everyone wanted waffles. I'm not a huge fan of waffles, but everyone else thought they were great. Crispy outside, light and fluffy inside. They thought they were especially good with powdered sugar, strawberries and syrup.

3 eggs, separated

1 C milk, or more for the right consistency

1/4 C melted butter or margarine (I used light)

1 Tbl vanilla

2 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbl baking powder

1 Tbl sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4-1/2 C applesauce

beat egg yolks, milk, butter, vanilla, and applesauce in a bowl. Mix dry ingr. separately and then add to egg mixture. Mix well. Whip egg whites until they are somewhat stiff in another bowl. Gently fold egg whites into batter. Cook according to your waffle iron directions.

Aunt Sunny Cake

2009-02-06T12:23:00.003-07:00

It was New Beginnings this week in YW and this is what we served for dessert. I got the recipe from one of the counselors in the YW pres. I thought it was pretty good, Shawn and everyone else there loved it. The cake is named after the Aunt of the counselor I got the recipe from.

2/3 C butter

1 3/4 C sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 C flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 C milk

topping-

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese

1/4 C sugar

1/4 C powdered sugar

large cool whip

2 cans fruit pie fillings

1. cream butter and sugar

2. add remaining cake ingr. and mix

3. pour onto greased cookie sheet

4. bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 min.

5. cool completely

6. for topping: cream both sugars with cream cheese

7. Add cool whip and mix until thick and smooth with beaters.

8. spread evenly on top of cake.

9. top with fruit and refrigerate until ready to serve

Cinnamon Rolls

2009-02-03T17:51:00.005-07:00

Rachel you beat me to it. I guess we are going to have to try both recipes and see which one is the best. They probably both are worth making! These were really good. I made these for Scott's birthday. He loves cinnamon rolls. I made them in the afternoon and let them raise all night. It made almost 3 dozen rolls, so plenty to share with family and friends!
Cinnamon Rolls

2 c. milk
2 cubes butter (1 cup)
2 pkg yeast (4 ½ tsp)
1/3 c. warm water
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
4 beaten eggs
8 c. flour
Filling: 1 square softened butter & cinnamon(lots) & brown sugar

Heat milk and 2 squares of butter together until butter is melted. Cool and set aside. Mix yeast and warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Add cooled milk, 1 1/3 c. sugar, 1 tsp salt, 4 beaten eggs. Add 4 c. flour and mix and gradually add 4 additional cups flour. Dough should be firm but sticky. Cover with cloth and put in a warm place, and raise 1 ½ to 2 hours. Dough should nearly be doubled in size. Divide dough in half and empty onto floured surface and knead a little. Roll dough into rectangle, about ½ inch thick. To this half of dough, spread on ½ square of softened butter, completely covering dough. Then sprinkle a coating of brown sugar over entire piece of dough. Then a layer of cinnamon. Be generous with the cinnamon; this is what makes it tasty. Roll into long roll, pinch edges together and slice with dental floss. Place on a cookie sheet covered with a silpt or parchment paper. Do same thing to second half of dough. Cover with a clean dishtowel (or saran wrap sprayed with cooking spray) and put in warm place, free of drafts, for 2 to 5 hours to raise--just depends-but the should be double in size. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until barely browned. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes. Drizzle with glaze while still warm. Makes 3-4 dozen.

Butter Cream Glaze:
1 cube softened butter (1/2 cup)
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
dash of cream of tarter
1 1/2 lbs powdered sugar
scalded milk or cream

Add all together...adding milk a little at a time, alternately with the powdered suagr until desired consistency is reached. For cinnamon rolls, it needs to be a little thinner than regualr icing.

Groundhog Day Dinner

2009-02-03T13:33:00.006-07:00

We celebrated Groundhog Day yesterday with a fun dinner. I thought I would post our menu and the recipes. We had groundhog burgers, 6 weeks more winter fries, tossed green salad and groundhog cupcakes. The family thought it was awesome, they especially loved decorating their groundhog cupcakes. I got the recipes for the potato wedges and the cupcakes off of recipezaar.com. The potato wedges were amazing. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside with just the right amount of spice. The cupcakes were surprisingly simple and VERY cute!

Baked Potato Wedges

6 medium potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoon parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

Wash potatoes, cut into wedges.

Mix the next 6 ingredients together in a gallon ziplock bag. Add potatoes and toss to coat. Put on greased baking sheet in a single layer

Bake at 350 for 40 min. and then increase heat to 450 degrees and bake an additional 20 min or until crispy and golden brown.

Groundhog Cupcakes

baked cupcakes

almond joy candy bars

brown and red miniature M&M's chocolate candies

chocolate cookie crumbs

white frosting

black decorating gel

Remove a piece of cake the width of an Almond Joy candy from the center of a baked cupcake

Set the candy upright in the hole, then spread a layer of white frosting on the cupcake

For the groundhog's eyes, use white frosting, then dot them with black decorators' gel

For the cheeks and ears use white frosting to place brown M&M minis and then use white frosting and red minis for the nose. Use white frosting for teeth.

Sprinkle chocolate cookie crumbs around the partially emerged groundhog, and he's ready to greet his fans.

Cinnamon Rolls

2009-02-01T17:06:00.005-07:00

These are the most amazing cinnamon rolls ever! I got this recipe from a lady in my ward who used to make and sell them. She did a mini enrichment about a year ago, and I went thinking, okay whatever, another cinnamon roll recipe but these are sooooooo good! I've made them a few times since then and they are easy and pretty quick to make.

(WARNING! This is NOT a low fat recipe. If your going to take the time to make and eat cinnamon rolls, it better be worth it! We usually make a batch, eat 1 or if we're really daring eat 2 and then share the rest with our neighbors.)

3/4 C very warm water

1 Tbl yeast

1 tsp sugar

2 C hot water

1/2 C sugar

1/2 Tbl salt

1/2 cube melted butter

2 eggs, beaten

approx. 7 C flour

-mix 3/4 C water, yeast and sugar and let sit until double or triple. Meanwhile mix together 2 C water, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs. Add yeast mixture and mix well. Add 6-7 C flour (dough will be really soft, but not too sticky) Knead for about 5 min. Grease a bowl and let dough rise covered until doubled.

-separate dough in half and roll first half into a rectangle. Melt a whole cube butter and spread half of it on the rectangle dough. Spread about 1 1/2 C brown sugar and 1-2 Tbl cinnamon on the rolled dough. Roll up jelly roll style and cut into 1 1/2 inch circles. Place on greased cookie sheet. Do the same thing with the other half of the dough. let rise in warm oven until double and then bake at 350 degrees for about 15 min. or until golden brown. Take off pan and cool on cooling rack.

Frosting:

1/2 C shortening

1/2 C butter

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

dash salt

milk to thin

-mix altogether until desired consistency.

(you can always do cream cheese frosting, orange glaze or whatever)

Garlic Rub

2009-01-29T13:16:00.005-07:00

This was very simple and very good. The steaks were good even without steak sauce. Usually I have to have steak sauce but in this case (we had run out) and I was still able to eat it all! I marinated mine for about 4 hours. Stuck it in right before church. I also broiled the steaks because it is winter and didn't really want to go outside to grill them. However by the time I was done, the house was full of smoke, the smoke alarms were going off, and my kids were crying because it was so loud. But don't worry it wasn't the steaks that were burning. Only the juices from bottom of the broiler pan. After that, I was thinking maybe it wouldn't have been that bad to grill them outside in the cold. Very good flavor! I found this recipe on www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com

Garlic Rub

1-2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher or regular salt
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed with a press

Mix together and spoon over steaks, turn over and spoon over the other side. Let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour or more. Grill, Yum!

Sticky Sweet Grilled Salmon

2009-01-27T20:02:00.007-07:00

This is a recipe that I got from recipezaar.com. We did salmon and chicken and they were both great. We also used our George Foreman grill to cook the meat. I did brush the salmon with a little olive oil but then seasoned them with Lemon Herb spice.

3/4 cup honey

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1 lemon, juice of (ab 2 tablespoons)

2 Tbsp white distilled vinegar

2 Tps olive oil

1 Tps ground black pepper

1/2 Tps cayenne pepper

1/2 Tps paprika

1/4 Tps garlic powder

4 (8 ounce)

salmon fillets (without skin) or chicken

Make the sauce by combining all in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat

Stir occasionally until sauce begins to boil, then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until syrupy

Watch the sauce closely to be sure it doesn't bubble over

Preheat barbecue grill to medium heat

Rub each salmon filet with vegetable oil, then add a light sprinkling of salt and pepper or other seasoning to your taste.

Grill the salmon for 4 to 7 minutes per side or until done

Serve salmon with a small cup of the sauce on the side.

Vanilla Rich Chip Cake

2009-01-27T16:41:00.003-07:00

My oldest son made this cake for the FHE treat. We've made it before and everyone LOVES it. It's very moist and you really don't need the glaze if you don't want it. We also make other variations of this cake. Double chocolate (use chocolate cake and chocolate pudding and no vanilla extract, or glaze), Lemon poppyseed (Use lemon cake and lemon pudding, no chocolate chips or glaze, and in place of vanilla add poppy seeds) The double chocolate one is our absolute favorite!

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 pkg 3 1/2 oz instant vanilla pudding

1 C sour cream

1/2 C each oil and water

4 eggs

1 Tbl pure vanilla extract

1 C mini chocolate chips

1. beat all ingredients except chips in mixer.

2. stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased and floured 12 C bundt pan.

3. bake in 350 degree oven for 50 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cook in pan for 10 min. Invert cake onto wire rack. Cook completely and then drizzle glaze over top if you like.

*glaze: 3 Tbl melter butter, 2 1/4 C powdered sugar, 3 Tbl water and 1 tsp vanilla extract. mix together until smooth. Let stand until thickened.

Apple Sandwiches

2009-01-27T16:31:00.002-07:00

My two daughters found this recipe in the February issue of "The Friend" magazine. I personally thought it sounded a little gross, but they were determined to try it. My oldest daughter and I thought they were pretty good, but my youngest thought they were amazing and wants to have them everyday. These sandwiches are a great way for your kids to get almost every food group in, especially if you serve them with a big glass of cold milk. feel free to leave out the raisins or sub in another dried fruit.

1 Apple

2 Tbl peanut butter

1 Tbl honey

2 Tbl raisins

6 slices bread

1. peel and grate the apple.

2. In a bowl, stir the peanut butter, honey, raisins and grated apple together.

3. Toast the bread.

4. spread the apple mixture between two pieces of toast and enjoy. Makes three sandwiches.

Quick and Easy Nachos

2009-01-23T21:05:00.007-07:00

Made these tonight for dinner, and everyone loved them. I think it took me all of 15 min. to get dinner on the table. These would make a great appetizer as well.

1 bag tortilla chips

1 can black beans

1/2 lb ground beef or turkey

taco seasoning

sliced olives

shredded cheese

sour cream

green onions

guacamole

salsa

-spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Cover cookie sheet with tortilla chips. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese on tortilla chips. Drain and rinse black beans and heat until warmed through. Brown meat with 3/4 C water and 1/4 C taco seasoning. Spoon beans, meat, olives and then cheese on chips. Put in oven on broil for 5-10 min. Watch carefully and take out when cheese is melted. serve with sour cream, onions, salsa and guacamole.

White Bean Chicken Chili

2009-01-23T20:47:00.005-07:00

I made this last week and everyone in the family thought it was awesome. There was not a drop left in the pot. I got the recipe from myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com. I made a few modifications from the original recipe.

1 lb. dried small white beans (soaked overnight)

10 C water

1 jar of salsa

1/4 C salsa verde or 1 can green chilis

2-4 chicken breasts

1/2 onion, diced or use dehydrated

1 C shredded cheese

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2-1 Tbl cumin

1 Tbl dried cilantro

6-7 chicken bouillon cubes

some cayenne pepper (how spicy do you like it?)

-Throw all the ingredients into a pot and cook on low to medium until beans are tender. Just put the chicken in whole and raw and take out when cooked and cut up. It will take about 6 hours of simmer time for the beans to get tender. Serve with tortilla chips, more cheese, sour cream, whatever.

Whole Wheat Pancake Mix

2009-01-23T20:34:00.004-07:00

This is all stuff you'd find in your food storage. The kids and husband thought they were great. I like them because they are good for you too!

8 C Whole Wheat flour

4 Tbl baking powder

4 tsp salt

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C powdered eggs

1 1/2 C powdered milk

1/2 C flax seed mill (or ground flax seed)

2 C old fashioned oats, ground fine

-Mix all together and store in refrigerator. When your ready to make pancakes, just scoop some dry mix and add enough water to make the right consistency.

* We like to add cinnamon (1/2-1 tsp) and applesauce (about 1/2 C to a batch of pancakes) to ours when we make them. We've also tried mashed bananas, chopped pecans and nutmeg which are also great. You can add pretty much anything you want!

**These also make great waffles. Just add 1 Tbl oil to your mix when you are making them.

Lemon Berry Muffins

2009-01-23T16:17:00.003-07:00

These were really yummy. My husband said they tasted like store bought muffins. I used my food storage to make these. I was out of eggs so I used my dry egg product, I think it made them a little more crumbly. They were still very good.

Lemon Berry Muffins
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 lemon, zested
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs, at room temperature (2 TBS dry egg product & 1/4 cup water)
½ cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, etc)
1 Tbsp flour

Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 ½ Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt.

Place sugar, lemon zest and butter in the mixer bowl. Using the flat beater set to speed 4 and beat until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Stop mixer to scrape down bowl. Set to speed 4 and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set to speed 2 and beat in flour mixture alternately with milk, making 3 additions of dry and 2 of wet. Remove the mixer bowl and scrape it down.
In a small bowl, quickly toss berries with the 1 Tbsp flour. Using a large spatula, carefully fold berries into batter.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake in middle of 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool in tin on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan.

Meanwhile prepare the glaze: In small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Brush on warm muffins.

Chocolate Scotcharoos

2009-01-17T16:19:00.005-07:00

These were a favorite especially for the kids. I think Jaden would have eaten the whole pan if I would have let him. I used all chocolate chips instead of the butterscotch and really liked it that way. I know I have made these with corn flakes and they work just as well. I got the recipe from www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

Chocolate Scotcharoos
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
8-10 cups rice krispies
6 oz. chocolate chips
6 oz. butterscotch chips

Melt butter. Add corn syrup and sugar. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Add rice krispies and mix well. Press mixture into large baking sheet (11X17). Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir. Continue microwaving for 30 second spurts until chips are melted. Spread chips on top of rice krispie mixture. Let chocolate set. Cut into squares.

American Lasagna

2009-01-17T15:55:00.001-07:00

adapted from allrecipes

This recipe was 5 stars all the way. Soooo good. This will be the recipe I use to make lasagna from now on. I didn't have sausage so I used all ground beef. I also use cottage cheese instead of ricotta. I wish I had a picture but you all know how lasagna looks!

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
12 dry lasagna noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.

In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt.

Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.* Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*If baking the next night, this is when you would cover and refrigerate. You might need to increase the cooking time by 15 minutes.

Chicken Stew

2009-01-17T15:51:00.001-07:00

This stew is so yummy and easy to make. I made this a couple weeks ago when Scott was sick. He said he felt much better after he ate it. Taste alot like chicken noodle soup with out the noodles. I will be making this again soon.

You will need:
2 chicken breasts
1 medium sized white or yellow onion. finely diced
2 red potatoes
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup
salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp)
pepper to taste
oregano, basil, and italian seasoning to taste

Dice up your chicken in fine tiny peices. Heat up your pot over medium high, put in a couple Tbsp of oil, then drop and brown the chicken.
While the chicken is cooking, dice up your veggies in tiny little pieces.
Then dice up your onion. When the chicken is done, pull it out of the pot. Put the onion in. When the onion is clear, add the broth and veggies (not the peas yet!). Boil until carrots are soft, or for about 10-15 minutes. Then throw the chicken back in, and add the peas.
Add the cream of chicken soup and your seasonings.
This is a hearty stew that you can eat alone, or fill a bread bowl with it. Even better, use it as a filling for a chicken pot pie!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-01-17T15:40:00.003-07:00

Tried this recipe the other night and it was so easy to put together. I thought it tasted pretty good. I always ask Scott to rate my recipes from 1 to 5 stars. So you will probably see star rating on these recipes. He gave it 3 1/2 - 4 stars only because he said it had to much chicken. He said he would like it again especially if it had less chicken. So we will proably make this again. I got this recipe off of another cooking blog www.cookingwithfriends.bogspot.com

4 Chicken Breast halves
2 15 oz cans black beans (undrained)
2 15 oz cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 c salsa
4 oz can chopped green chilies
14 1/2 oz can tomato sauce

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Just before serving remove chicken and shred or slice into bit sized pieces. Stir into soup.
This recipe makes a lot, making 1/2 of the recipe works well too. I didn't have Mexican stewed tomatoes, so I just used regular canned tomatoes and added some taco seasoning.