hot 'n steamy

moving back

2010-02-23T16:30:00.000-05:00

Call me indecisive... but Wordpress has upgraded so is more suited for what I'm looking for in a recipe blog. So I'm moving back to hot 'n steamy!

apple fritter rings

2010-01-24T15:47:00.004-05:00

vegetable oil

4 apples

2 tsp lemon juice

2 cups pancake mix (like Krusteaz)

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Heat 1" vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

Core apples and cut into 1/4" thick rings (can use an apple peeler/corer/slicer). Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Combine pancake mix, water, and cinnamon. Coat apple rings in batter and fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to paper towel to drain excess oil.

Top individual rings with sifted powdered sugar.

from Rachael Ray

strawberry margaritas

2010-01-24T15:21:00.003-05:00

2 pints strawberries

juice of 4 limes

8 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

8 shots tequila

2 trays of ice cubes

Blend!

cornbread

2010-01-24T11:59:00.003-05:00

The dairy-free version of cornbread...

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix

1 can cream of corn

1 egg

Mix above and stir until moist. Let sit 3-4 minutes. Re-stir. Pour into desired pan (see below)

*cornbread (johnny cakes)*

Pour into 8" square pan. Bake @ 400 for 20-25 minutes.

*cornbread muffins*

Fill muffin cups 1/2 full. Bake @400 for 12-15 minutes.

lots of thanks to Sueann!

corn & black bean salad

2010-01-23T14:09:00.002-05:00

2 - 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed

2 cups corn kernels (not canned)

2 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper

1 chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1 large tomato, chopped

1/4 cup EVOO

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Combine beans and veggies in medium bowl. In small bowl, whisk EVOO, lime juice, cumin, pepper, and salt. Pour over beans and veggies. Combine. Garnish with cilantro.

in search of (cheese-less) pasta recipes!

2010-01-19T13:47:00.002-05:00

We just found out today that our sweet Lucy Belle has a milk-protein allergy. I am determined to keep nursing her, but have to go off all dairy in order to do so. So I'm looking for a plethora of pasta recipes - that have no cheese, or if they do, something with an easy substitute. Please post a your favorite cheese-less pasta dishes in the comments, or insert a link to your own blog.

THANK-YOU!!!

molten chocolate-mint cakes

2010-01-08T18:43:00.004-05:00

1 1/2 sticks (6oz) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar

4 1/2 Tbsp flour

6 chocolate-mint wafer candies (like Andes/thin mints)

Preheat oven to 450. Grease and flour six 6-ounce ramekins. In a double-boiler, melt the butter and chocolate over simmering water, whisking until smooth. Remove the insert from the pan.

Using an electric mixer, beat the whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar at high speed until pale and very thick, about 8 minutes. Whisk in the chocolate mixture, then the flour until just combined.

Divide the batter among the prepared ramekins and submerge a stack of 4 chocolate-mint pieces in the center of each. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until set but slightly jiggly in the center, 12 to 14 minutes.

Invert cakes onto plates, wait 20 seconds and remove the ramekins. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Swap idea: caramels for chocolate-mint candies.

from Rachael Ray

Menu: Jan 2-9

2010-01-02T12:28:00.005-05:00

Sun. 1/3 - chicken parmigiana

Mon. 1/4 - boneless smothered pork chops

Tues. 1/5 - oven-baked fried chicken

Wed. 1/6 - turkey chili & baked potatoes

Thurs. 1/7 - stuffed sole filets (from Omaha Steaks)

Fri. 1/8 - mexican chicken casserole (from Living Locurto)

Sat. 1/9 - TBD

Christmas Dinner '09

2009-12-21T13:39:00.004-05:00

Nothing exciting this year as I've been sick and am still trying to catch-up on the day-to-day since Scott got home!

ham (from Costco)

potato wedges

Julie's homemade rolls

red & green finger jello

spinach salad

california cuties (the oranges)

apple pie

lemon berry tartlets

2009-12-19T13:25:00.003-05:00

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tsp grated lemon peel

1 cup cool whip, thawed

6 mini graham cracker pie crusts (buy or make your own)

1/2 cup blueberry preserves or reduction

Whisk milk, lemon juice, and lemon peel until blended and mixture begins to thicken. Fold in cool whip. Divide evenly between pie crusts. Press down center with spoon (about 1" deep). Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm. Fill with heaping tablespoon of blueberries.

I got this from a magazine, but cannot remember which one! If you know, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due!

blueberry muffins

2009-12-16T17:06:00.002-05:00

Pioneer Woman featured a blueberry muffin recipe on her cooking site. The following is my version - adapted to make my family smile from ear to ear!

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

dash of cinnamon

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 heaping cup sour cream

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cap-full of vanilla extract

Brown sugar (to top)

In a large bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl whisk sugar, oil, vanilla, egg, and sour cream. Add dry ingredients and stir until moistened.
Add blueberries to mixture and stir a few more times.
Butter muffin tins (skip the liners, trust me on this) and add mixture. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
Bake 20-25 minutes @ 385. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

pizza casserole

2009-12-09T18:16:00.003-05:00

radiatore or rotini pasta (cooked)

ground sausage

chopped onions

sliced bell peppers

black olives

spaghetti sauce

mozzarella cheese

combine and bake 350 for 30 minutes

Ally's Homemade Granola

2009-12-08T11:01:00.002-05:00

This honestly is the best granola you'll ever have. Trust me on this!

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 1/2 cups lightly packed light brown sugar

6 cups quick cooking or old fashioned rolled oats

2 cups chopped walnuts (I use almonds)

1 cup toasted wheat germ

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup raisins

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries or cherries

Place oven racks in two center positions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 jellyroll pans with vegetable spray. Set aside.

In 1-quart microwave-safe bowl, combine oil, syrup and brown sugar. Microwave, uncovered, on high power 3 minutes or until sugar starts to melt. Remove from microwave and whisk until any lumps disappear.

In 3-quart or larger bowl, combine oats, walnuts, wheat germ and coconut. Toss to mix well. Pour syrup mixture over oat mixture and stir until well mixed. Spread evenly onto jellyroll pans. Place one pan on each rack in preheated oven.

Bake 10 minutes. Remove pans, stir granola and return pans to oven, rotating to opposite racks. Bake 8 to 10 minutes more, taking care not to overbrown. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature in pans. Sprinkle half the raisins and half the dried cranberries over each pan, then stir to mix well. Store in airtight containers. Makes about 14 cups.

cheesy potato soup

2009-11-16T10:21:00.004-05:00

This recipe is quick and easy, and makes great leftovers!

4 large russet potatoes (peeled & cubed in bite-size pieces)

1/2 - 1 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 cup finely minced yellow onion (not dried)

1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded carrot

4 cups chicken stock/broth (or equivalent using boullion)

2 tsp salt

1 - 2 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp white vinegar

4 Tbsp flour

3 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

12 oz bacon, cut in small pieces & fried

Toppings: green onions, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.

1. Combine potatoes, celery, onions, and carrots with chicken stock, salt, pepper, and vinegar in large pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. In medium mixing bowl whisk flour and milk.

3. Remove pot from heat and add flour and milk mixture. Put the pot back on the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes or until soup has thickened.

4. Add cheddar cheese to the soup and simmer until melted. The potatoes should be tender and starting to fall apart. If not, keep cooking until the soup thickens to your liking.

~Enjoy!~

oatmeal cranberry white chocolate chunk cookies

2009-10-13T11:14:00.002-04:00

from Ocean Spray

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

slow cooker beef stew

2009-10-11T14:11:00.004-04:00

2 lbs cubed beef stew meat

1 cup chopped onion (about 1 large onion)

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 (12 oz) jars beef gravy

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 lb small potatoes, halved

1 1/2 cups baby carrots

2 cups green beans (or peas, but we don't do peas here)

*Season meat with salt & pepper. Brown meat in skillet (w/ oil); transfer to slow cooker. Stir remaining ingredients into slow cooker. Cover, cook on high 4 1/2 hours, or low for 9 hours.

Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars

2009-10-03T21:25:00.006-04:00

3 Tbsp melted butter

3 cups Golden Grahams

1 roll sugar cookie dough

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

21 oz apple pie filling

2 Nature Valley Oats 'n Honey bars, crushed

9.5 oz caramels

1/2 cup half & half

Preheat oven to 350. Combine melted butter and ground cereal in a large bowl; press into an 8x8" baking dish lined with foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven. Crumble half of the cookie dough over partially baked crust.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over crumbled cookie dough layer. Bake for 25 minutes. Top with 3/4 apple pie filling. Crumble remaining cookie dough over pie filling. Sprinkle with crushed granola bars and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean in center. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Melt caramels and half & half as per package directions. Drizzle over squares. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 9 squares

inspired by Picky Palate

applesauce

2009-09-17T17:08:00.011-04:00

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 lbs apples per quart (I used 40 apples for 6 quarts)

water

sugar (optional)

cinnamon (optional)

Rinse apples. Core, peel, and quarter apples (I used the apple peeler/corer/slicer). Cook apples until soft in a large saucepot with just enough water to prevent apples from sticking/burning. Puree using food processor. Return apple pulp to saucepot. Add sugar and cinnamon to taste - if desired. Bring applesauce to a boil (212*), stirring to prevent burning. Ladle sauce into quart jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. Put on lids and rings. Process for 20 minutes.

from Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving

Tips from a 1st-timer...

Work in small batches when cooking apples.

Have all of your tools ready (aka: plan ahead!)

Clean your kitchen counters before you start.

Let your kids help!

Horrible idea:

Filling a humongous pot with the apples...they burn & don't cook evenly, no matter how much you stand there and stir.

Better idea:

Take half of the apples out, & cook half at a time. Problem? Still too hard to keep from burning, thinking it's the pot's problem, not mine.

Best idea!

Use a 5.5 quart pot that is coated on the inside, working in small batches. No burn, no stick, all apples cooked quickly and evenly.

apple pie filling

2009-09-16T09:41:00.004-04:00

Combine in 5.5 quart pot and heat to a boil, stirring often...

10 cups water
5 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Fill-up quart jars with peeled/cored/sliced apples, packing tightly (I use the apple peeler-corer-slicer, but some people prefer to do it by hand). Fill jars with liquidy sauce. Add hot lids and rings, process using steam canner for 20 minutes.

Yield: 8 quarts (although I only made 6, with some leftover sauce, probably didn't stuff the apples tight enough!)

from Julie

loaded baked potato soup

2009-09-11T15:02:00.001-04:00

midwestliving.com

Ingredients

2 6- to 8-oz. baking potatoes (such as russet or Yukon gold)
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
4 cups half-and-half
1-1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chicken broth
8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup dairy sour cream

Directions

1. Scrub potatoes and pat dry. Prick potatoes with a fork. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 40 to 60 minutes or until tender; cool. Chop potatoes; set aside.

2. In a heavy large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Add half-and-half. Cook and stir for 5 to 6 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add potatoes, 1 cup of the cheese, and the broth; stir until cheese melts. Slightly mash potatoes with the back of a spoon or a potato masher.

3. For the topping, reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon. Stir the remaining bacon and 1 tablespoon of the green onion into soup. Heat through.

4. To serve, top each serving with reserved bacon, remaining cheese, green onions, and sour cream.

Makes 6 servings (about 1 cup each).

adapted slightly from midwestliving.com

tex-mex cheesy chicken chowder

2009-09-11T09:12:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
2 14-ounce cans chicken broth
1 32-ounce package frozen diced hash-brown potatoes
1 2.64-ounce package country gravy mix
2 cups milk
1 8-ounce package process cheese spread, cut into chunks
1 16-ounce jar chunky salsa
1 4-ounce can diced green chili peppers
Fritos corn chips

Directions

1. In a 6-quart Dutch oven, cook and stir onion, celery, and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add chicken, broth, and potatoes. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 to 18 minutes or until chicken is done and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, dissolve gravy mix in milk. Stir milk mixture into soup mixture. Stir in cheese, salsa and green chilies; reduce heat to low. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Serve with corn chips. Makes 16 servings.

from Midwest Living

sunrise smoothie

2009-08-20T04:56:00.000-04:00

Now if I can only make this without my kids knowing I'm adding sorbet, because I can't really leave it out, right?!

Ingredients

1 cup chopped ripe strawberries (5 large strawberries)

1 cup chopped seeded watermelon

1 cup chopped fresh peach

1 cup raspberry sorbet

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions

Place the strawberries, watermelon, peach, sorbet, and orange juice in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy. Add more orange juice if you'd like it a little less thick. Serve immediately in tall glasses with straws.

from Ina Garten's kitchen

melon ball salad

2009-08-17T05:01:00.000-04:00

This is just too cute to not do at least a couple times this summer! My kids LOVE fruit salad, and doing a bowl of melon balls is a fun presentation that really gets them excited!

Reprinted with permission from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine and Hoffman Media, LLC.

For more information, go to www.semihomemademag.com

Cut favorite melons in half (removing any/all seeds). Using a melon baller, scoop out the fruit into balls. Arrange in a clear bowl for a fun presentation!

watermelon cake

2009-08-17T04:42:00.000-04:00

Reprinted with permission from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine and Hoffman Media, LLC.

For more information, go to www.semihomemademag.com

2 (18.25 oz) boxes white cake mix

1/2 tsp red food coloring, divided

5-oz craisins, currants, or raisins (could even use chocolate chips)

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 (16 oz) containers fluffy white frosting

green food coloring

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 4 (9") round cake pans with nonstick baking spray w/ flour; line with parchment paper, spray again.

In separate bowls, prepare each cake mix according to package directions. Stir 1/4 tsp red food coloring into one bowl of batter, leave other bowl white. Pour pink batter evenly into 2 prepared baking pans. Pour white batter into remaining pans.

In small bowl, combine craisins & flour, toss to coat. Sprinkle craisins over pink batter. Bake cakes for 16-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool - in pans - for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

In small bowl, place half of one container of frosting. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp red food coloring, leave remaining frosting white.

Gradually tint another container of frosting with green food coloring. Stir to get a pale green color. Add green food coloring to 3rd container of frosting to achieve dark green.

To assemble cake, spread half of remaining white frosting onto 1 white cake layer. Top with a pink cake layer. Spread pink frosting on top, top with remaining pink cake layer. Spread top of pink layer with remaining half of white frosting. Top with remaining white cake.

Spoon green frostings into 2 separate pastry bags, fitted with leaf tips. Starting at the center of the cake, pipe pale green frosting across the top and down the side, stopping at the bottom edge of cake. Continue piping lines, 1-inch apart, all around cake. Repeat process with the dark green frosting, piping in-between the pale green lines.

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adapted slightly from sandra lee semi-homemade

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grandma's dill pickles

2009-08-16T10:31:00.000-04:00

Bring to a boil...

1 qt cider vinegar

1 cup pickling salt

3 qts water

In each quart jar put...

1/2 tsp alum

1 hot pepper (I forgot, so I just sprinkled some red pepper flakes in)

several cloves peeled garlic (I used 3 cloves, cut in half)

dill - top & bottom

cucumbers (I prefer whole, but I did make spears and circles b/c some were too big)

Pour vinegar mix in jars and seal - steam canner for 10 minutes.

Yield: 9 quarts

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from Grandma's kitchen

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semihomemademag.com

2009-08-11T03:45:00.000-04:00

I picked up this magazine a couple days ago, and while Sandra Lee drives me crazy, I absolutely loved her magazine! It was filled with fun ideas for recipes, decorating, and entertaining. Here are a few of my favorites that I'll post recipes to soon...

Reprinted with permission from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine

and Hoffman Media, LLC.

For more information, go to www.semihomemademag.com

Sharon's Clam Chowder

2009-07-30T06:15:00.000-04:00

I'll be honest - I've never made homemade clam chowder. But I have had this and it's delicous!

1 cup water

1 - 8oz can minced clams, undrained

1 chicken bouillon cube

2 cups potatoes, diced

2 cups carrots, peeled & thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups minced onions

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of celery soup

2 cups milk

2 1/2 tsp seasoning salt (like Johnny's or Lawry's)

8 oz shredded monterrey jack cheese

*Pour water plus juice from drained clams into saucepan. Add potatoes, carrots, bouillon cube, onions, and parsley. Simmer until verggies are tender. Add cream of celery, clams, milk, cheese, seasoning salt. Mix thoroughly. Heat gently.

*Makes 7 cups

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from Sharon's Kitchen

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Spencer's Crab Cakes

2009-07-19T10:03:00.001-04:00

As soon as I can eat shellfish again, this will be at the top of my list! Pretty sure I won't be making 25 cakes, so I'll try to scale it down and re-post with the results... after November. ;)

Ingredients

7 eggs
6 oz heavy cream
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 dashes Tabasco
1 teaspoon black pepper – freshly ground
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
5 pounds Dungeness crabmeat
2 cups flour

Preparation

Mix everything EXCEPT the crabmeat together in a bowl.

Squeeze the excess moisture from the crabmeat and fold it into the mixture.

Form into balls and then flatten.

Sautee in clarified butter and then transfer to 350 degree oven for five to six minutes or until internal temperature of 145 degrees is reached

Makes 25 crab cakes.

from Spencer's for Steaks & Chops

spinach salad w/ grilled ham & peaches

2009-07-02T09:29:00.000-04:00

1 pound boneless ham steak

4 peaches, halved (leave the skin on!)

3 Tbsp EVOO

salt & pepper

1 hass avocado

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

3/4 lb baby spinach

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

croutons

*Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush the ham and peaches with EVOO and season with salt & pepper. Grill the peaches about 5 minutes, just until softened. Grill the ham about 8 minutes (turning once in that time) until slightly charred. Let cool.

*Thinly slice the ham. Cut peaches into wedges.

*Dressing: puree the avocado with the buttermilk and lemon juice; season with salt & pepper.

*In large bowl combine spinach, ham, and peaches. Add dressing and toss. Top with croutons and goat cheese.

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adapted a smidge from Everyday

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Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce

2009-06-23T12:37:00.000-04:00

1/2 stick butter

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (12-oz) can Dr. Pepper

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp ancho chili powder

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

In medium saucepan, cook and stir onion and garlic in hot butter over medium heat about 10 minutes until onions are tender. Add all other ingredients. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Cook, uncovered, until sauce begins to thicken, 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool sauce for 10 minutes.

Puree sauce in pan with immersion blender, or transfer to a blender jar, cover, and blend until smooth.

Serve over hot dogs (in their buns).

Yield: 4 cups sauce

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from Elizabeth Karmel via BHG

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frozen fruit

2009-06-18T10:14:00.000-04:00

Freeze your own fruit! Seriously, it's so easy, and tastes so good! Cut-up or leave whole, put on cookie sheet (I cover mine with wax paper or silicon sheet), put in freezer, and then transfer to freezer ziploc bag.

Our favorites so far...

whole strawberries (perfect for shakes & smoothies)

blueberries (eating frozen or adding to pancakes)

pineapple (cut into chunks, then eat frozen or for smoothie)

bananas* (cut into circles, sprinkle w/ sugar, freeze, then eat frozen)

raspberries & blackberries (eat frozen, for shakes/smoothies, add to jello, thaw for ice-cream)

I haven't tried peaches... yet, but really want to.

What are your favorite fruits to freeze? I'd love to hear and get some more ideas, especially now when fruit is at it's best!

*I also freeze over-ripe bananas, in their peel, to use for banana bread at a later date

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lemonberry smoothie

2009-06-18T04:26:00.000-04:00

Don't let the simplicity fool you... this is so good, and so refreshing on a hot summer day!

Blend...

frozen strawberries (I freeze my own during the season, or buy whole frozen berries from Costco)

prepared lemonade (not the powdered stuff!)

sugar to sweeten

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Idea: Freeze in dixie cups w/ popsicle sticks for a homemade popsicle!

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pineapple crush

2009-06-18T04:09:00.000-04:00

Blend & Enjoy!

1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1/2 frozen very ripe medium banana

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from JulieCooks!

orange julius

2009-06-18T03:59:00.000-04:00

This is probably my favorite smoothie-type drink of all time. I drank one almost every morning when pregnant with Kylie (in lieu of coffee), and now will add vanilla Carnation powder to make a healthy shake. But best of all is my kids LOVE orange julius'!

In blender, combine & blend...

Ice (halfway full or so)

1/2 can concentrated orange juice

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

*

Panera recipes

2009-06-16T09:50:00.000-04:00

I absolutely love Panera Bread... and I just found they have their recipes posted on their website. Score!

chocolate coffee fudge

2009-06-01T11:25:00.000-04:00

Found this on the Cooking with Trader Joe's recipe blog. YUMMMM....

1 14-oz can Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Tbsp instant coffee (or espresso powder)
1/2 Tbsp water
1 12-oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1.) Heat the condensed milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
2.) Dissolve the instant coffee in the water (it will be thick) and stir into the condensed milk. (You can also just toss the instant coffee into the condensed milk but it won't dissolve completely. I tried this the first time and actually liked the effect of tiny bursts of coffee flavor throughout the fudge).
3.) Add the chocolate chips, lower the heat, and stir until melted and smooth (don't scorch it!).
4.) Pour into an oiled 8x8-inch pan. Chill in fridge until set (about 2 hours).

baked peach french toast

2009-05-28T07:18:00.000-04:00

Can't wait for peaches to be in season to try this!

1 pkg (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

10-14 slices (1" thick) French bread

1 can (29 oz) peach slices, drained (I'm using fresh peaches sweetened w/ sugar)

1/4 cup chopped nuts

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 maple-flavored syrup

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

*Preheat oven to 400.

*Spread cream cheese over both sides of bread slices. Place bread in 13x9" baking pan. Prick bread slices several times. Top with peach slices; sprinkle nuts over peaches.

*In large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, syrup, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Pour mixture over bread.

*Bake 20-25 minutes, or until set in center.

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from The Pampered Chef

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menus

2009-05-24T10:25:00.000-04:00

Okay, I'm totally copying Julie by doing this, but she had such a great idea, I couldn't help but do the same thing! I'll be posting my weekly menus (by month) in a tab at the top of the page. Hopefully this will make it easier to find recipes you're looking for instead of always ending up with menu plans!

Thanks, Miss Julie!

Chevy's Recipes

2009-05-21T04:37:00.000-04:00

I was browsing around the Chevy's website, not-so-secretly begging and pleading that by some miracle I would find a Chevy's in Indiana. No such luck. BUT. I did find a link to several of their recipes!

Click here and Enjoy!

greek salad

2009-05-13T11:29:00.002-04:00

We had a Greek Salad for dinner the other night that was so darn delicious I have honestly been craving it ever since. Not sure how most people prepare it, but here's what I did...

spring greens (already chopped from Costco)
cucumbers
yellow onions, thinly sliced
black olives
sliced banana peppers (I used the ones in the jar)
feta cheese, crumbled
Greek Vinaigrette dressing
Greek seasoning
grilled chicken, cut into slices

Cece's Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta

2009-05-05T11:15:00.000-04:00

My friend Cece gave me this recipe (it's one of her fav's from Cucina Cucina). I haven't tried it yet, but will soon. Let me know what you think!

Sauce

1 Tablespoon Butter
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Flour
2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts (I love them)
2 Tablespoons finely diced yellow onion
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup milk (you could use just milk but increase the amount of flour)
A couple handfuls of spinach roughly chopped
1.5 ounces (1/4 of the log you get at Costco) of Goat Cheese (with another .5 ounce or so reserved)

Pasta of your choice, I like angel hair, but shapes work, spaghetti, whatever your have.

Boil water with salt and olive oil for the pasta. Once boiling add the pasta and start the sauce, it really only takes about 5 minutes make if everything prepped.

Put the butter and olive oil in a shallow frying pan over medium high heat. Before butter has completely melted add the pine nuts and onion. Cook until pine nuts are slightly toasted and onions have turned translucent. If the butter and/or onions turn a little brown the sauce will still taste good, just won’t be as white. Add the flour to absorb the majority of the butter and oil and stir to avoid burning and to cook out the floury taste, about 30 seconds or so. Add the cream slowly and stir to try and avoid lumps. If the sauce is still too thick start adding milk, again stirring, until it looks like too thin, as it cooks it will thicken up. Reduce to Medium, to Medium Low heat. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Crumble the goat cheese and add to the sauce stirring occasionally until it is well melted and incorporated. If the sauce gets too thick you can add more milk. About two minute before pasta is finished add the chopped spinach to the sauce and stir to coat evenly, it will be cooked, but not soggy.

Drain pasta, add sauce to pasta and stir to coat evenly and serve with the extra goat cheese served on top.

Variations:

With Chicken. I cook boneless skinless breasts on the george forman with olive oil and garlic and then chop it up and put it on top or stir it in, or even on the side.

With Broccoli. I add chopped broccoli (as much as you want to eat) the last two or three minutes to the pasta as it is cooking.

With Gorgonzola Cheese. Instead of goat cheese. It can be a bit overpowering, it has a more earthy taste and changes things up a bit.

With Parmesan cheese. Presto you just made a Alfredo sauce

With Cheddar Cheese. Home Made Mac n Cheese

With a combo…try Gorgonzola with a little parm and cheddar with chicken and broccoli and cauliflower, its yummy.

The sauce is also good in small quantities over roasted vegetables (butternut squash, zucchini, carrots, etc).

adapted from Cucina Cucina via Island Time Kayaking

menu: April 19-25

2009-04-19T08:52:00.000-04:00

Sunday 4/19

slow-cooked roast

baby yukon potatoes

ceasar salad

garlic bread

Monday 4/20

Roast (leftovers) w/ gravy over white rice

Rolls

Veggie Plate

Tuesday 4/21

Turkey Tacos

Elephant Ears (dessert)

Wednesday 4/22 Happy Earth Day!

Chicken on grill (marinated in TJ's dressing)

Corn

Garlic bagels

Fruit salad

Thursday 4/23

Friday 4/24

Saturday 4/25

Desserts... Key Lime Cheesecake, Ice-cream w/ Raspberries, Chocolate Chip Cookies

bread in a bag

2009-03-29T11:22:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting to try this for about a week now. I saw the recipe here, and thought it would be perfect for my kids to help me with in the afternoon.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package rapid rise yeast , or 1 TBLS
1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons non-fat dry milk
3 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

DIRECTIONS
In a large resealable freezer bag, combine 1 cup of flour, sugar, yeast and warm water. Squeeze most of the air out of the bag, and seal. Squish with your hands until the well blended. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes at room temperature, or until bubbles appear.

In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup of flour, dry milk, oil and salt. Pour into the resealable bag and squeeze out most of the air. Seal, and squish until well blended. Add the last cup of flour to the bag, and continue mixing in the same manner until well blended.

Remove the dough from the bag, and place on a floured surface. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes. Form into a small loaf, and place in a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise for about 30 minutes, or until your finger leaves an impression when you poke the top of the loaf gently.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the bread for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

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pita pockets

2009-03-14T12:30:00.000-04:00

I always forget about pita pockets! Recently I was flipping through a magazine and they had the most delicious-looking salads... in pita pockets. My mouth couldn't help but water. And now this summer, when we have salads several times a week, I'm crossing my fingers I remember about pita pockets. What a great way to make a meal out of a salad. Perfect!

My favorite was caesar salad in a pita pocket...

romaine lettuce

grilled chicken (I always marinate my chicken in Trader Joe's dressing)

red bell pepper, cut into strips

romano cheese, shredded

caesar dressing (I use T. Marzetti's)

pita bread, warmed, cut in half

Toss all ingredients and spoon into pitas. Enjoy!

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walnut-pesto-crusted chicken

2009-03-13T06:55:00.000-04:00

2 large eggs

1/2 cup pesto (store bought or homemade)

1 cup walnuts, finely ground

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) (can also use turkey cutlets)

3 Tbsp EVOO

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add the pesto to a second medium bowl. In a third bowl, mix the walnuts and breadcrumbs. Add the chicken breasts to the pesto, turning to coat. Working one at a time, dip the chicken into the walnut mixture, then the eggs, then the walnut mixture again to coat.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, lower the heat to low and cook, turning once, until golden-brown, 5-6 minutes on each side.

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from Everyday magazine

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Jenny's Sweet & Sour Meatballs

2009-03-03T10:58:00.000-05:00

How good do these look?! Is your mouth watering??

Thanks, Jenny, for letting me "steal" your recipe!!!

Meatballs:
2 lbs ground beef (ground turkey would work)
3/4 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 tsp. garlic salt or minced garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs

Mix well; form into 1/2 inch balls
Bake on cookie sheet @ 450 for 15 minutes

Sauce:
15 oz. tomato sauce
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. vinegar
1 tsp. grated onion (onion flakes will work)
10 gingersnap cookies, crushed

Mix it all together. Simmer meatballs in sauce until they're hot (which won't take very long because they've been in the oven!)

Serve with rice

*note: frozen costco meatballs work just as well and taste almost as good, you just throw them in the sauce and let 'em heat up.

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from Jenny's Kitchen

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ABC'ing with FOOD!

2009-03-01T14:53:00.000-05:00

Love these!

Did I miss any? Please leave a comment if you have some favorites I forgot to mention!

ginger beef lettuce wraps

2009-02-24T14:39:00.000-05:00

I found this in the February issue of Better Homes & Gardens. I haven't tried it yet, but it makes my mouth water!

photo courtesy of bhg.com

I don't usually do prep/cooking time, but I thought with this it was important since from beginning to end it takes about 5 hours! And it makes a lot more than my family could eat in one sitting. ;)

Prep: 20 min.

Freeze: 30 min.

Marinate: 4 hours

Cook: 7 min.

Yield: 12 wraps (4 servings)

*

1 lb beef flank steak or boneless beef top round steak

1 medium yellow or green sweet pepper, seeded, cut into bite-size strips

1 small zucchini, trimmed and cut in thin bite-size strips

1/2 medium red onion, cut in thin wedges

1/2 cup ginger beer or ginger ale

3 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp. canola oil

2 Tbsp finely chopped ginger

12 Bibb or leaf lettuce leaves (about 2 heads)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Trim fat from beef. For easy slicing, wrap and freeze beef 30-45 minutes, or until firm. Thinly slice beef across the grain; place slices in ziploc bag. In another ziploc, combine sweet pepper, zucchini, and onion.

For marinade, in bowl combine ginger beer, soy sauce, and garlic. Divide marinade between beef and veggies. Seal bags; turn to coat each. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, turning bags occasionally. Drain marinades into bowl. Stir in cornstarch; set aside.

Heat oil in large nonstick wok or extra-large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger; stir-fry 15 seconds. Add veggies; stir-fry 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove veggies. Add half the beef to wok. Stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until beef is slightly pink in center. Remove beef. Repeat with remaining beef. Return all to wok, away from center. Stir marinade mixture; add to center of wok. Cook until bubbly. Toss beef and veggies to coat. Remove from heat.

To serve, divide beef and veggies among lettuce leaves, top with cilantro, and roll up.

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from Better Homes and Gardens, February 2009

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easy chicken bake

2009-02-23T04:35:00.000-05:00

1 pkg. (6 oz) Stove Top stuffing mix (I prefer cornbread, but use whatever you like)

4 cups cooked, chopped chicken (or turkey)

1 bag (14 oz) frozen broccoli, thawed, drained

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

*Preheat oven to 350. Add 1 2/3 cups hot water to stuffing mix; stir just until moistened. Set aside.

*Mix chicken and broccoli in 13x9" baking dish. Combine soup, milk, and cheese; pour over chicken mixture. Top with prepared stuffing.

*Bake 30 min. or until heated through.

Serve with salad and bread to complete the meal!

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from Stovetop.com

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Menu: Feb. 16-21

2009-02-17T03:18:00.000-05:00

Mon. 2/16 - spaghetti

Tues. 2/17 - stir-fry

Wed. 2/18 - creamy chicken

Thurs. 2/19 - meatloaf & potatoes

Fri. 2/20 - waffle night!

Sat. 2/21 - pizza

turkey chili

2009-02-02T05:43:00.001-05:00

I made my first homemade batch of chili last night for the Superbowl. I have to admit, it was quite daunting! I spent a good week doing research on what exactly goes in a chili, how much, how long to cook, etc. I ended up combining several recipes and this is what I came up with... Enjoy!

1.25 lbs ground turkey (b/c it comes pre-packaged that way)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans tomato sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
several shakes of hot sauce
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tsp minced garlic (3-4 cloves)

*Brown ground turkey in a couple Tbsp of olive oil. Drain. Add to slow cooker.

*Add all other ingredients to slow cooker, stir to combine. Cook on low for 8 hours.

*We served our's spooned over baked potatoes to make it a more filling meal, with grated cheese and sour cream.

I also froze the leftovers for Scott to take to work. I will definitely be doing this again... it wasn't nearly as difficult as I was afraid of!

oven-baked fried chicken

2009-01-25T07:03:00.001-05:00

So this isn't fried at all, it's only cooked in the oven. The breading crisps up nicely, just like fried chicken, but without all the grease. Enjoy!

2/3 cup Bisquick mix
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 - 1/2 cup Romano cheese, shredded (I don't measure, I just dump)
egg mixture
2 Tbsp melted butter
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Heat oven to 425. Cover baking sheet with foil, spray with Pam.

2. Mix Bisquick, paprika, garlic salt, pepper, and cheese in large ziploc. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then transfer to ziploc. Shake well to coat.

3. Place chicken breasts on cookie sheet, drizzle with melted butter.

4. Bake 20-30 minutes until done (time varies as per thickness of chicken)

*Variation: cut chicken into strips and enjoy with a favorite dipping sauce!

adapted from bettycrocker.com

chicken caesar sandwich ring

2009-01-23T15:16:00.000-05:00

How fun is this?!

2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated crusty french loaf

1 egg, beaten

1 lb deli chicken, cut into 1/8" slices

caesar salad dressing (my favorite is T. Marzetti's)

1/4 cup shredded Romano cheese

romaine lettuce (about 6 leaves)

1 large tomato, sliced

*Heat oven to 375. Spray large cookie sheet. Remove dough from both cans. Place dough, seams down, and join ends to form a large ring; press ends together firmly to seal.

*Brush dough ring with beaten egg. With kitchen scissors, cut surface of dough every 2" to form V's.

*Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes.

*With serrated knife, cut bread ring in half horizontally. Top bottom of ring with chicken. Drizzle with salad dressing. Sprinkle with Romano cheese. Top with lettuce, tomato, and more dressing. Cover with top half of ring. Cut into sandwiches.

from Pillsbury.com

orange chicken

2009-01-19T12:11:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 C flour
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/2 t. pepper
- 3 T butter

Sauce:
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice
- 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 small can mandarin oranges

DIRECTIONS:
Combine flour, salt and pepper in bag. Shake chicken pieces until coated. Brown on both sides in butter in skillet over medium heat. Drain off fat.

Combine sauce ingredients and add to skillet. Cover and simmer ~30 minutes or until tender. Add drained mandarin oranges and heat about 5 mins. (or garnish with orange slices)

Note: cook chicken and sauce in covered skillet, but tip the cover a little to thicken sauce towards the end of cooking time.

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adapted from This Week for Dinner

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Menu: Jan. 18-24

2009-01-17T17:16:00.000-05:00

Sun. 1/18 - Filet Mignon, potatoes, homemade bread

Mon. 1/19 - Orange Chicken (tip: unless you love nutmeg, I'd either use less or none at all)

Tues. 1/20 - Mexican Lasagne (w/ ground turkey), Inauguration Cupcakes for dessert

Wed. 1/21 - Chicken & Stuffing Bake

Thurs. 1/22 - Waffle Night!

Fri. 1/23 - Chicken Parmesan

Sat. 1/24 - Everything Pasta (Alfredo sauce for kids, Browned Butter for adults)

*Desserts on hand... homemade mint icecream, Julie's Jell-o, frozen blueberries, Oreo Truffles

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lack of menu

2009-01-15T05:07:00.000-05:00

Sorry about slacking this week with the menu! Let's just blame it on laziness and lack of planning... I'll be back this weekend with next week's menu. :)

chili chicken dump

2009-01-13T13:10:00.000-05:00

In a mad rush to get something of substance on the table, I scoured my pantry and came up with the following...

Mix together: 1 can turkey chili, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can diced green chiles

Pour mixture over chicken breasts and bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.

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corndog muffins

2009-01-04T05:22:00.000-05:00

Fun for the kids to help you make, and always a hit at the lunch table!

2 (8.5 oz) pkg cornbread mix

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

9 turkey dogs, cut-up

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

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*Stir mix and brown sugar. In another bowl, whisk eggs and milk, then stir into dry mix (until moist). Mix in cheese. Spoon into muffin tins and add turkey dog pieces to each.

*Bake @ 400 for 14-18 minutes.

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cucumber cups

2008-12-22T10:29:00.001-05:00

I totally stole this from FamilyFun.com, but how cute! And I can think of so many variations.

	6 medium cucumbers
	1 (8-ounce) container red pepper hummus
	1(8-ounce) container lemon hummus
	Chopped chives for garnish

1. Create decorative stripes on the sides of the cucumbers using a vegetable peeler (for wide stripes) or a citrus zester (for thin stripes). The picture above shows a combo of both.

2. Cut the cucumbers crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Using a teaspoon or melon baller (I used an apple corer), scoop out the seeds to form a well, about 1/3 inch deep, in each slice. (A great job for kids!)

3. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the red pepper hummus into the wells of half of the cucumber cups, mounding it slightly. (For a fancier look, use a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe in the filling.) Repeat the process with the lemon hummus and the remaining cups.

4. Sprinkle all with chopped chives. Serves 20 (makes about 64 cups).

from FamilyFun.com

Christmas Dinner

2008-12-21T17:08:00.000-05:00

It'll just be the 5 of us for Christmas dinner, so we thought we'd splurge on a couple favorites instead of the traditional feast. I have to admit, I'm really excited!

Filet Mignon

Twice-baked stuffed potatoes

Caesar Salad

Jello & Raspberry salad

Garlic Bread

Apple Crisp & homemade icecream

Christmas Brunch

2008-12-21T16:39:00.000-05:00

While we're opening presents...

orange juice, strong coffee, and cinnamon rolls

Brunch...

Lemon Cream Stuffed French Toast

scrambled eggs & cheese

Oscar Mayer Natural bacon

fruit platter

more strong coffee :)

cheese (cup)cakes

2008-12-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

These are cute little treats. Top with a cherry or sweetened raspberry for a festive look.

3 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese

5 eggs

1 1/8 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

*Blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Add eggs. Mix. Fill mini cupcake pans. Bake 300 for 30 minutes.

*Cool in pans on racks. Centers will sink as they cool, but perfect for adding a little garnish.

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This can also be used as an appetizer. Substitute vanilla with hot sauce, worchestershire, cumin, whatever sounds good.

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caramel corn

2008-12-15T15:31:00.000-05:00

3 cups brown sugar

3/4 cup light Karo syrup

3 sticks of butter (yes, 3!)

8 quarts popped popcorn (not microwave popcorn)

3/4 tsp soda

"pinch" cream of tartar

dash salt

1 tsp vanilla

*Mix sugar, butter, and syrup in heavy pan; bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add soda, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla.

*Put popped corn in a large roasting pan. Carefully pour over caramel mixture. Stir.

*Bake at 200 for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on wax paper to cool.

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fancy oyster crackers

2008-12-15T15:27:00.000-05:00

20 oz oyster crackers

1 cup veg oil

1 pkg ranch dressing mix (I prefer Uncle Dan's)

1/2 tsp lemon pepper

1/2 tsp dill weed

1/4 tsp garlic powder

*Coat crackers with oil. Sprinkle remaining ingredients over crackers. Cook in warm oven (225) for 10-15 minutes.

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peppermint-frosted chocolate yummies

2008-12-06T15:12:00.000-05:00

This has Christmas written all over it!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
2 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
2–3 Tbsp. milk
Red food coloring (optional)
Crushed peppermint candies (optional)
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
2 tsp. shortening

1. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium to high speed, beat 1/2 cup butter for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in egg and melted unsweetened chocolate. Beat in flour until combined.2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Grease the bottom of a glass and coat with granulated sugar; flatten cookies with sugar-coated glass. Bake in a 375° oven for 8 minutes or until set. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute; transfer to wire racks. Cool completely.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium to high speed, beat 1/4 cup butter for 30 seconds. Beat in powdered sugar, peppermint extract, and enough milk to make a spreading consistency. If desired, tint pink with food coloring. Spread frosting over each cookie leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle with candies, if desired.

4. In a small saucepan heat and stir semisweet pieces and shortening over low heat until melted and smooth. Let cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate over tops of cookies. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

TO STORE Store unfrosted cookies in covered containers at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw, then frost as above.

from countryhome.com

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chicken & pasta in peanut sauce (quick)

2008-12-06T15:05:00.000-05:00

This recipe calls for a Dutch oven... I don't have one so I just use a really big pot.

8 oz. thin spaghetti

1 bunch broccolini, cut in 2" lengths

1 medium red sweet pepper, cut in bite-size strips

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

salt & pepper

1 Tbsp EVOO

1/2 cup bottled peanut sauce (or use this one)

In Dutch oven (or whatever you have), cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccolini and red pepper during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain. Return to Dutch oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, halve chicken breasts horizontally. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat (in large skillet) until no longer pink. Transfer to cutting board. Slice chicken; add to pasta and veggies. Add peanut sauce. Heat through. Optional: top with crushed red pepper.

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from bhg.com

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chicken cordon bleu & rice casserole

2008-12-06T06:50:00.001-05:00

Chicken Cordon Bleu in casserole form? Easy and delicious!

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

½ lb diced ham

2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast

4 Tbsp butter

¼ cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

14 oz can chicken broth

3 Cups cooked rice of choice (I used white long grain)

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 Cup shredded swiss cheese (use mozzarella if swiss is too strong)

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil into a large 5 qt rimmed skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ham and chicken. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Melt butter then stir in flour, salt and pepper until combined. Slowly stir in chicken broth until well combined. Stir in cooked rice then transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cover the dish with foil the last 10 minutes for oozing cheese.

from picky-palate.com

cranberry tea

2008-12-05T02:09:00.001-05:00

Perfect for a cold winter's day!

Boil together:

2 cups sugar or less

3 cups water

3 sticks of cinnamon

Add:

2 quarts water

1 quart cranberry juice cocktail

1 large can pineapple juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cups orange juice

Simmer for 30 minutes on the stove, or transfer to crockpot.

Menu: Dec. 3-6

2008-12-04T08:38:00.000-05:00

After having company for a week and now having a horrible cold, the rest of the week's dinners are pretty weak. Hey! At least I'm still planning ahead... right?!

Wed. 12/3 - waffle night!

Thurs. 12/4 - Bourbon chicken, rice, salad, rolls

Fri. 12/5 - Chicken cesear salad, mini croissants

Sat. 12/6 - Meatballs & gravy

Next week will be more exciting... I promise!

coconut curry chicken

2008-11-23T11:17:00.000-05:00

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks or strips
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika (substitute cayenne pepper if you like the heat)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
rice (cooked)

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil, curry powder, and paprika in a large skillet over medium-low heat for two minutes, until fragrant (but don't let it burn). Turn the heat up to medium and stir in onions and garlic and cook ten minutes more or until onions are very clear. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through. Add potatoes, then add coconut milk, tomatoes (I lightly crushed the stewed tomatoes with my fingers before adding), tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30-40 minutes or until sauce thickens. The sauce thickens upon standing, but is great served piping hot (and a bit thinner), too. Serve with rice and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

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green beans - 3 easy ways

2008-11-23T06:52:00.000-05:00

FYI: all of the following quick recipes use fresh green beans. I'm sure frozen would work as well, but I wouldn't use canned.

*

Basic Beans

Spread a single-layer of fresh green beans (ends snapped) on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes at 350... or about that. It depends on how crispy or tender you like your beans.

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Beans & Cranberries

Steam or boil fresh green beans and 1 tsp orange peel. When done to your liking, place beans in serving bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup cranberries and 2 Tbsp honey. Optional: top with bacon bits or bacon crumbles.

*

Green Beans w/ Garlic Vinaigrette

Cook 2 1/2 lbs beans to your preference (oven, steam, boil, doesn't matter). Combine & whisk in large bowl: 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp evoo, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 2 minced garlic cloves. Add beans, toss to coat. Top with toasted almonds.

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elephant ears

2008-11-22T10:39:00.000-05:00

Definitely a family favorite!

Cut flour tortillas in quarters. Fry in oil, turning once. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. That's it!

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chocolate pecan pie

2008-11-18T14:20:00.000-05:00

Rich and delicious... pecan pie has never tasted so good! (Also a Thanksgiving tradition at our house that started when I made my first Thanksgiving dinner.)

photo (not recipe) courtesy of pillsbury.com

1 pie crust (I use the frozen ones)

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup light-colored corn syrup

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup pecans halves

1/2 - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (depends on how rich you want it)

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*Preheat oven to 350

*In medium bowl combine eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and vanilla; mix well. Stir in pecan halves and chocolate chips.

*Pour into pie shell, bake until set, about 45 minutes (use foil ring to prevent crust from burning).

*Cool on wire rack. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired.

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pumpkin pie

2008-11-18T13:58:00.000-05:00

I don't like pumpkin pie, so I honestly can't tell you if this is a good recipe. However, I've never had any complaints... or leftovers!

1 pie crust (I use Marie Callendar's frozen pie crusts)

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

*Preheat oven to 375

*For filling, in a bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add eggs; beat lightly with a fork until combined. Gradually add half'n'half; stir just until combined.

*Pour filling into pastry shell. Cover edges of crust with foil ring (open in center, only covering crust). Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake about 25 minutes more or until a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Cover and chill within 2 hours.

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from BH&G New Cookbook

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cornflake christmas wreaths

2008-11-18T13:51:00.000-05:00

What a cute treat for the holidays!

Ingredients

1 bag (10.5 ounces) mini marshmallows

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

Green food coloring

4-1/2 cups cornflake cereal

Jumbo red nonpareils

Light corn syrup

Red sour belts

Directions

1. Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Lightly coat a 1/3-cup measure with nonstick spray.

2. Stir marshmallows and butter in a large saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and tint with 5 or 6 drops of food coloring. Gently stir in cornflakes.

3. Scoop 1/3 cupfuls of the mixture and drop into 6 piles on each baking sheet. Let cool 5 minutes. Spray fingers with nonstick cooking spray and shape each pile into a wreath, gently compressing the flakes together. Refrigerate until firm.

4. Decorate wreaths with nonpareils or candy balls, attaching them with a dab of corn syrup.

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from parentsmag.com

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cranberry chicken

2008-11-17T16:17:00.000-05:00

1 can cranberry sauce

8 oz Catalina dressing

1 pkg. french onion soup mix

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

*Combine sauce and pour over chicken breasts. Cook covered at 350 for 45 minutes, uncover for 15 minutes.

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rum cake

2008-11-17T16:15:00.000-05:00

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs

2/3 cup oil

3/4 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp rum

*Mix all ingredients together and whisk for 10 minutes until batter is smooth. Pour into well greased tube pan. Bake until cake is brown on top and firm to the touch.

*Sauce: 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 Tbsp dark rum. Mix ingredients on stove until rolling boil. Slowly pour sauce on top of cake (cake is still in the pan!) Let stand overnight so sauce can crystalize.

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layered raspberry dessert

2008-11-17T16:02:00.000-05:00

1 box angel food cake mix

1 pkg (.3 oz) raspberry jello

1 cup boiling water

1 pkg (10oz) sweetened raspberries

1 carton (8oz) raspberry yogurt

*Bake and cool cake as directed. Cut cake vertically in half (freeze 1/2 for later use, or eat now, whatever). Tear into 3/4" pieces.

*Pour boiling water on jello in bowl, stir until dissolved. Add raspberries, separating as you stir. Refrigerate jello mix until thickened but not set, about 15 minutes.

*In 1 1/2 quart serving bowl, layer half each of: cake pieces, jello mix, and yogurt; repeat.

*Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

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merry berry cheese bars

2008-11-17T14:20:00.000-05:00

2 cups unsifted flour

1 1/2 cups oats

3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

1/4 cup lemon juice (like Real Lemon)

1 (16oz) can whole cranberry sauce

2 Tbsp cornstarch

*Preheat oven to 350.

*In mixing bowl, beat flour, oat, 3/4 cup sugar, and butter until crumbly. Set aside 1 1/2 cups mixture; press remaining mixture on bottom of greased 13x9" baking pan. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

*In medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth; stir in lemon juice. Spread over baked crust.

*Combine cranberry sauce, cornstarch, and 1 Tbsp sugar. Spoon over cheese layer. Top with reserved crust mixture.

*Bake 45 minutes or until golden.

*Cool and cut into bars. Refrigerate leftovers.

apple dumpling rolls

2008-11-17T12:20:00.000-05:00

Oh my deliciousness!

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1/4 cup butter

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup shortening

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups peeled, shredded cooking apples (3 to 4 medium)

*Sauce: In large saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, water, butter, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes; set aside.

*Dough: In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in shortening until pea-size. Make well in center. Add milk all at once. Stir just until moistened. Knead dough on lightly floured surface 10-12 strokes or until nearly smooth. Roll out to 12x10" rectangle.

*Filling: Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon; set aside. Sprinkle apples evenly over dough. Sprinkle with sugar mixture. Roll dough into spiral, starting from a long side. Pinch seam to seal. Cut into twelve 1" thick pieces. Place in 13x9x2" baking pan. Pour sauce over dumplings (yes, use it all!). Bake in a 350-degree oven about 50 minutes, or until golden.

Serve warm and enjoy!

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orange sweet potatoes

2008-11-17T08:42:00.000-05:00

Time-consuming, but delicious, beautiful, and a Thanksgiving tradition!

4 lb cooked, peeled sweet potatoes

8 oranges

2/3 cup orange juice

1 Tbsp orange zest (freshly grated)

5 Tbsp brandy or grand marnier

2 tsp salt

pinch pepper

1 tsp ground ginger

12 Tbsp butter, divided

1 cup brown sugar, divided

3 egg yolks

1 cup chopped pecans (4oz)

1 tsp cinnamon

*Cut sweet potatoes in half and bake until soft. Let cool, and hollow into a large bowl.

*Mix potatoes (I use an electric hand mixer); add orange juice and zest, brandy, 1/4 cup butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and egg yolks. Beat until soft/smooth. Set aside.

*Cut off tops of oranges and a little off the bottom (to sit flat). Scoop out pulp (a spoon works best for this).

*Scoop sweet potato mixture into oranges.

*Topping: combine remaining butter, cinnamon, pecans, and brown sugar. Top oranges with mixture.

*Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

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from Jenn's kitchen

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cranberry butter

2008-11-17T08:31:00.000-05:00

There's just something about cranberry that shouts "Happy Holidays!"

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup cranberry sauce

*Place butter in bowl and fold in cranberry sauce. Serve immediately or store in fridge for up to 5 days.

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pumpkiny french toast bake

2008-11-11T14:27:00.000-05:00

I love french toast, Scott loves pumpkin. I'm considering giving this a try. The pumpkin just makes me nervous since I'm not a big fan...

(12 servings)

1 pkg (12 oz) brown sugar & honey breakfast links

12 eggs

1 can (30 oz) pumpkin pie filling

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

15 slices white bread, cubed

confectioners' sugar

maple syrup

*Cook sausage according to package directions. Cool slightly; cut into 1/4" slices. In large bowl, whisk eggs, pie filling, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. In a very large bowl, combine sausage and cubed bread. Add pumpkin mixture; stir to coat. Transfer to a greased 13"x9" baking dish.

*Bake uncovered at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve with syrup.

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spiced cranberry dip

2008-11-11T05:46:00.000-05:00

I haven't tried this, but thought it looked perfect for the Holidays!

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup canned whole berry cranberry sauce

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1/8 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

*Spread cream cheese onto bottom of 9" pie plate

*Mix cranberry, marmalade, & red pepper. Spoon over cream cheese

*Sprinkle with almonds

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Thanksgiving Day

2008-11-03T02:36:00.000-05:00

Dinner:

Deep-fried turkey

Orange Sweet Potatoes

Fresh green beans

Cornbread stuffing

Potato wedges

Fresh cranberry sauce

Rhodes Rolls

Deviled Eggs

Fruit Salad

Finger Jello

Dessert:

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Homemade ice-cream

Snacks during the day:

Mexi Dip & Chips

Pistashios

pretzel turtles

2008-11-03T01:57:00.000-05:00

On a cookie sheets, spread out your pretzels. Top each pretzel with one Rolo candy. Put in 250-degree oven until Rolo is soft. Remove cookie sheet from oven, press with a pecan. Let cool before eating.

Chex Party Mix

2008-10-29T06:17:00.000-04:00

Love this! We discovered at Costco last weekend that they sell a box of Chex cereal that has all 3 varieties needed, in one box. Perfect!

3 cups Corn Chex

3 cups Rice Chex

3 cups Wheat Chex

1 cup peanuts

1 cup bite-sized pretzels

1 cup bagel chips

We always mix things up and put different things in to the mix... things we love to substitute are: goldfish, cheerios, any small cracker-type snack.

6 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt (I use Johnny's)

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

*Preheat oven to 250.

*In large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Add & stir all seasonings.

*Add cereals and snacks, stir until evenly coated.

*Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

*Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

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from Chex.com

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sweet & sour chicken

2008-09-28T15:58:00.001-04:00

If this didn't make my house smell like hot oil, we'd have it weekly. I grew-up with my Grandma and Mom making this recipe, and now I make it for my family. It is one of Scott's favorites, but we usually only have it on "special occasions."

(note: does not work well for leftovers, the chicken gets mushy)

1 1/2 lbs chicken, cut into small cubes (1" or so)
peanut oil for deep frying (375-degrees)

Batter... combine following until smooth

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup cold water (needs to be cold!)

Sauce... heat in saucepan over low/medium heat, whisking to prevent lumps, until thick and bubbly (doesn't take too long, but burns easily!)

3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar (I prefer cider vinegar)
3 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup water

*Add chicken to batter, then carefully add chicken to oil to deep fry. Only needs to cook a few minutes. Set on paper towel to absorb excess oil. (this is a process and takes awhile to cook all of the chicken b/c you can't just dump it all in at once, just a few at a time... otherwise you'll get a huge ball of chicken)

*Place cooked chicken on large platter. Top with pineapple chunks, bell pepper slices, tomatoe wedges. Drizzle with sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

*Serve with rice.

*ENJOY!!!
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from GG's kitchen

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Panzanella (italian bread salad)

2008-09-28T15:43:00.000-04:00

1/2 cup chopped, fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 loaf rustic bread, torn into 1" pieces

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp minced shallot

pinch of... sugar, salt, & pepper

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1/2 unpeeled English cucumber, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

*Preheat oven to 400

*Heat olive oil. Add garlic (to infuse oil), remove and set aside. Toss bread with 2 Tbsp garlic infused oil. Place on baking sheet and toast lightly (7-10 minutes).

*Combine remaining olive oil, vinegar, shallot, sugar, salt, and pepper to make a vinegarette.

*Toss bread, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, vinegarette, and basil.

*Set aside for 30 minutes before serving.

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from Auntie Jenn's kitchen

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berry cobbler

2008-09-28T15:36:00.000-04:00

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar

1 - 16oz pkg frozen blackberries or raspberries

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp lemon juice

Topping:

2 cups bisquick

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup milk

1 Tbsp sugar

*Combine all filling ingredients in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a full boil. Boil for 1 minute. Pour into a 2-quart casserole.

*Stir together all topping ingredients. Drop 6 equal portions of topping onto hot filling.

*Bake at 400-degrees, 25-30 minutes, or until filling is bubbly around the edges.

*Serve warm with ice-cream

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from Grandma's Bisquick kitchen

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chocolate chip cookies

2008-09-28T15:31:00.000-04:00

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup shortening

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 oz chocolate chips

*Heat oven to 375

*Mix sugars, butter, shortening, egg, and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients.

*Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2-inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

*Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.

(Makes about 3 1/2 dozen)

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from Kim's kitchen

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sugar cookies

2008-09-28T15:28:00.000-04:00

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 Tbsp milk

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp soda

3/4 tsp salt

*Mix above until well combined.

*Drop onto cookie sheet, flatten with greased glass dipped in sugar (or colored sugar looks really cool!).

*Bake 400-degrees for 10 minutes (lessen temp if using dark, non-stick pan)

-Note: may also be rolled for cut-out cookies. This works best if dough is refrigerated for a couple hours before rolling out.

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from Kim's kitchen

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fancy apple pinwheel

2008-09-28T09:44:00.000-04:00

2 Granny Smith apples, sliced

2 Tbsp. chopped pecans, (option: toasted)

2 Tbsp. Gorgonzola or Bleu Cheese

1/2 cup Italian Dressing Mix, prepared with balsalmic vinegar

from Kraftfoods.com

creamy peach pie

2008-09-28T08:26:00.000-04:00

Delicious end of summer dessert!

1 pkg (3oz) peach jello

3/4 cup boiling water

1 cup (1/2 pint) peach ice cream

1 cup cold milk

1 pkg (4oz) jello instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup Cool Whip

1 baked 8" pie shell, cooled

*Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add ice cream; stir unti melted. Combine milk and pudding, mix in small bowl. Beat at low speed for 2 minutes. Add jello mix; whip until thick and fluffy. Fold in cool whip; spoon into pie shell and chill for 2 hours. Garnich with additional cool whip and fruit.

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from Grandma's kitchen

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mashed potato casserole

2008-09-28T08:23:00.000-04:00

8 large Yukon gold potatoes (4 lbs), peeled & cut into chunks

8 oz cream cheese, at room temp, cut into pieces

2 Tbsp butter, plus extra to butter baking dish

1 1/3 cups milk

1 Tbsp salt

pepper

4 oz sharp cheddar, shredded

2 Tbsp chopped chives

*Preheat oven to 350. Place potatoes in large pot with water to cover. Cook over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash.

*Stir in cream cheese, butter, milk, salt, & pepper. Fold in cheddar cheese, reserving 1/4 cup. Fold in chives.

*Butter 2-quart casserole and fill with potato mixture. Top with remaining cheese.

*Bake 20-25 minutes, or until hot and cheese is melted.

*Makes 10-12 servings

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from Amber's kitchen

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classic pot roast

2008-09-28T08:16:00.000-04:00

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 6 hours

Yield: 8 servings

2 1/2 lb beef brisket

1/2 tsp ginger

1 pkg dried onion soup mix

2 tsp dry mustard

3/4 cup water

12 baby carrots

Brown the brisket on all sides in a large skillet over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side. Sprinkle with pepper. Place in a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, combine the soup mix, mustard, and water. Stir well. Pour over brisket. Add carrots to pot and stir.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours - meat will be soft and tender, almost falling apart.

Remove from cooker and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing very thin.

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from Parenting.com

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stretchers (aka: fried dough)

2008-09-28T08:08:00.000-04:00

Whenever we would visit South Dakota when I was little, we were always served Stretchers. Makes my mouth water just thinking about them!

Rhodes Dinner Rolls or Texas Rolls, thawed and risen

vegetable oil

sugar, powdered sugar, butter, jam, honey, whatever you desire

*Pour oil 2 to 3-inches deep into a large pan or an electric frying pan, and heat to medium-high setting (375-degrees).

*Flatten each dinner roll into a 3 to 4-inch circle (5 to 6-inch for Texas rolls), or an oval is fine, too (that's what I prefer).

*Fry dough on each side until golden brown, about 15 seconds per side). Remove and set on paper towel.

*Serve hot! Sprinkle with topping of your choice (our preference is butter and sugar).

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from Rhodesbread.com

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soup bowls

2008-09-28T08:01:00.000-04:00

Perfect addition to a yummy fall soup or stew! A favorite at our house is to fill the bowl with spinach dip, and then use the bread for dipping. YUM.

1 loaf Rhodes white or wheat bread, thawed but still cold

1 egg, beaten

*Cut loaf into thirds. Form each third into a ball. Place on a large sprayed baking sheet. Brush with egg. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size. Remove wrap and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and slice off top. Hollow out bowl and fill with favorite dip, chili, soup, or stew.

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from Rhodes Bake'n'Serve

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Mustard-Herb Beef Stew

2008-09-27T07:14:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

1 tsp. snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed

1-1/2 lb. boneless beef chuck, cut in 1-to 1-1/2-inch pieces

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 8- to 10-oz. pkg. cipolini onions, peeled, or 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in wedges

4 carrots, peeled, cut in 1-inch pieces

1 8-oz. pkg. cremini mushrooms, halved if large

8 tiny Yukon Gold potatoes, halved

3 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard

1 14-oz. can beef broth

1 12-oz. bottle dark porter beer or non-alcholic beer

1 bay leaf

Crusty bread slices

Directions

1. In large bowl combine flour, parsley, thyme, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add beef, a few pieces at a time; stir to coat. Reserve leftover flour mixture.

2. In 6-quart Dutch oven heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown beef. Stir in onions, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, mustard, and remaining flour mixture. Add broth, beer, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 1 to 1-1/4 hours until beef is tender. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve with crusty bread. Makes 6 (1-1/2-cup) servings.

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from BHG.com

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Cookie Salad, with a bit of Ka-Pow!

2008-09-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

I received a comment on my grandma's cookie salad with another version. I haven't tried it yet, but it did make my mouth water! Here you go, from Julie at Providential Pandemonium. ENJOY!

1 C buttermilk
1 16 oz tub cool whip
1 3 oz package instant puddinga
1 sm can mandarin oranges, drained
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 pkg fudge-striped shortbread cookies, broken in 1/4’s
Mix all ingredients in order listed; refrigerate.

hot 'n steamy

moving back

apple fritter rings

strawberry margaritas

cornbread

corn & black bean salad

in search of (cheese-less) pasta recipes!

molten *chocolate-mint* cakes

Menu: Jan 2-9

Christmas Dinner '09

lemon berry tartlets

blueberry muffins

pizza casserole

Ally's Homemade Granola

cheesy potato soup

oatmeal cranberry white chocolate chunk cookies

slow cooker beef stew

Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars

applesauce

apple pie filling

loaded baked potato soup

Ingredients

Directions

tex-mex cheesy chicken chowder

Ingredients

Directions

sunrise smoothie

Ingredients

Directions

melon ball salad

Reprinted with permission from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine and Hoffman Media, LLC.

For more information, go to www.semihomemademag.com

watermelon cake

Reprinted with permission from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine and Hoffman Media, LLC.

For more information, go to www.semihomemademag.com

grandma's dill pickles

semihomemademag.com

Sharon's Clam Chowder

Spencer's Crab Cakes

spinach salad w/ grilled ham & peaches

Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce

frozen fruit

lemonberry smoothie

pineapple crush

orange julius

Panera recipes

chocolate coffee fudge

baked peach french toast

menus

Chevy's Recipes

greek salad

Cece's Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta

menu: April 19-25

bread in a bag

pita pockets

walnut-pesto-crusted chicken

Jenny's Sweet & Sour Meatballs

ABC'ing with FOOD!

ginger beef lettuce wraps

easy chicken bake

Menu: Feb. 16-21

turkey chili

oven-baked fried chicken

chicken caesar sandwich ring

orange chicken

Menu: Jan. 18-24

lack of menu

chili chicken dump

corndog muffins

cucumber cups

Christmas Dinner

Christmas Brunch

cheese (cup)cakes

caramel corn

fancy oyster crackers

peppermint-frosted chocolate yummies

chicken & pasta in peanut sauce (quick)

chicken cordon bleu & rice casserole

cranberry tea

Menu: Dec. 3-6

molten chocolate-mint cakes