What's For Din-Din?

Honey Lime Enchiladas

2012-02-02T04:24:00.000-08:00

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

My friend made these a few weeks ago when she had me over to her house. I got the recipe from her and made them for some friends who came over for dinner last night. My husband loved them and my guests went back for more. The kids all loved them too! I will be making these again for sure! Here's the recipe:

This picture doesn't do them justice! We use the recipe for the chicken in quesadillas, too! It is so good!

Ingredients:

Marinade -

6 tablespoons honey

5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)

1 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded

8-10 flour tortillas (I used whole wheat tortillas)

1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded

16 ounces green enchilada sauce

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Whisk the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken in a Zip-loc bag.

2. Let it marinate for at least a 1/2 hour, but preferably a half day or so.

3. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan.

4. Fill the tortillas with chicken, saving marinade, and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

5. Put tortillas in 9x13 pan as you go.

6. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade (if there is any).

7. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas.

8. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Baked Oatmeal

2011-08-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

As I said in the post before this one, I'm trying to make a warm breakfast for my children a few days out of the week this school year. A friend passed this one along to me and it is a winner! You have to prepare it the night before, but it's easy and all you have to do is pop it in the oven first thing in the morning. I substituted applesauce for the oil, and I don't think it effected the taste at all. My children gobbled it up this morning---and so did Mommy!!! You can alter this recipe to fit your family's needs. You could substitute the raisins for craisins, add pecans, flax seed, ect. (This is from the website, allrecipes.com)

Baked Oatmeal
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
3/4 Cups White Sugar (I used Splenda)
2 Eggs
1 Cup of Milk
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
3 Cups Quick Cooking Oats
1/2 Cup of Raisins
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

*Beat together oil and sugar. Mix in eggs, milk, salt, baking powder and oats. Beat well, then stir in raisins. Pour into a lightly greased pie pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Refrigerate overnight.

*The next morning, preheat oven to 350 and bake until firm, or about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Ham and Cheese Muffins

2011-08-25T12:36:00.001-07:00

Now that school has started, my goal for this year is to make a hot breakfast for my children at least 3 out of the 5 school mornings. I've been looking at different recipes this week, trying to get many options and I came across this one in this month's Family Fun magazine. I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand, so we whipped up a batch and they are pretty yummy! These would be perfect for on-the-go. They are not a sweet muffin...kind of a cornbread muffin with ham and cheese. We liked them, though! I think next time, I will add a little bit more of the cheese.

Ham and Cheese Morning Muffins

1 1/4 Cups unbleached flour

3/4 Cups Fine Yellow Cornmeal

1/4 Cup Sugar (I used Splenda and it worked fine)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Cup Milk

2 large eggs

1/3 Cup corn oil (I used Canola, and again, it was fine)

1 Cup finely Diced Ham

1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/4 Cup finely chopped chives or scallions (I omitted this)

*Heat oven to 375. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or line the wells with paper liners.

*In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and oil, then pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until blended. Fold in the ham, cheese and chives or scallions.

*Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake the muffins until their tops are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let them cool in the pan on a wire rack for 3 minutes, then turn them out onto the rack and let them cool completely. The muffins can be frozen in a plastic freezer bag up to three months.

Makes-Its-Own-Crust Coconut Pie

2011-03-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

We love coconut cream pie and while this isn't quite the same, it's a quick and easy solution to a craving!

4 eggs
1 3⁄4 cups sugar
1⁄2 cup flour
1⁄4 cup margarine, melted
2 cups milk
1 1⁄2 cups shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla (or 1/2 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. coconut extract)

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 10-inch pie pan; set aside. Combine ingredients in order given; mix well. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Middle of pie will appear rather soft. Properly done, the pie will have a delicate crust over the top, sides and bottom. It will be solid enough to cut after it has cooled. The center will be a perfect cream pie.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

2011-03-01T17:06:00.000-08:00

Yep. Another Paula Deen Magazine recipe! We love Chicken Cordon Bleu in our house, so I was intrigued by this recipe. It was very easy to fix and everyone loved it. The only rice I had on hand was a seasoned packet. I would definitely use plain rice next time due to the salt in the seasoned packet, and I would omit the salt that the recipe calls for. I think the ham adds enough salt to the dish. This would probably be a good freezer dish, too!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
3/4 cups prediced ham
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

*Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 11x7-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
*In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Add chicken and ham; cook until heated through. Add rice and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth, milk, salt and pepper; cook for 2 minutes.
*Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake for 45 minutes or until rice is tender.

Chicken Divan

2011-02-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

I initially made this for a fix and freeze but was worried the broccoli would get soggy upon de-thawing so I sent it unfrozen as the first dish to eat (FNF rule breaker, I am). I'm a "sauce" girl and I LOVE the sauce in this dish so much I could drink it. It is a Paula Deen recipe but I've tweaked a few things which I'll noted in parentheses/italics and I think they're pretty necessary otherwise it'll err on the blander side of the tastebud spectrum.

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen broccoli, chopped
6 cups shredded chicken, cooked
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise (I used cream cheese)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar (or more~thecheesier, the better)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder (I double)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used white cooking wine and added an extra 1/4-1/2 cup)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (maybe a bit more)
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the outer wrappers from the boxes of broccoli. Open 1 end of each box. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, until thawed. Drain the broccoli and put into a casserole dish. Add the shredded chicken. (I cut the broccoli into smaller pieces to make a little more kid friendly and make sure the chicken and broccoli are good and mixed).

In a medium bowl, combine the soup, ~~mayonnaise~~ (cream cheese), sour cream, Cheddar (I didn't mix this in sauce but used later), lemon juice, curry powder (again~trust me! DOUBLE!), salt and pepper, to taste, and wine (also trust me~DOUBLE!). Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.
Place the mixture into an 11 by 7-inch casserole dish or 2 (9-inch) square disposable aluminum foil pans that have been sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. (This is where I topped it with cheddar cheese). Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top. (I then sprinkled with a bit of paprika).

Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Berry Lover's Delight Pie

2011-02-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

"I love that the second pie crust is cut in shapes and this was much easier to prepare than the instructions make it appear".

Ingredients:

1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
Powdered sugar for dusting hearts
4oz white chocolate
3 cups halved hulled fresh strawberries
2 cups fresh blueberries
10 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions:

Heat oven to 450°F. Unroll 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press crust against side and bottom. Prick bottom and side of crust with fork. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely; about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut out small heart shapes from second pie crust. Bake them on a cookie sheet for about 5 minutes or until golden brown; cool. (They took about 9 mins. in my oven) Dust with powdered sugar. Set aside.

Melt the rest of the bar in a double boiler on stovetop or in microwave on Medium 1 to 2 minutes or until it stirs smooth; spread in the bottom of the cooled pie crust. (I used white chocolate chips and melted them in the microwave). Refrigerate 10 minutes.

Place a 3 1/2-inch biscuit cutter in the center of the pie shell and surround with 2 cups halved strawberries. Fill the center with blueberries (about 1 cup) up to strawberry level.

Place remaining strawberries in 2-quart saucepan with 5 tablespoons of the granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of the water. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Crush strawberries. Strain the juice from the strawberries, and put about 2/3 cup of the juice back in the pan. Mix together 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the strawberry juice mixture. Cook over low heat about 4 minutes or until thickened. Spoon over strawberries and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, clean out the saucepan; add remaining blueberries, 5 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Heat to boiling, and crush blueberries. Using the same procedure as with the strawberries, strain and return to pan with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water that has been mixed together. Cook over low heat until thickened. Spoon blueberry mixture over blueberries.

Refrigerate pie for 2 hours; remove center ring. Decorate pie with pie crust hearts and chocolate curls or shavings

Pillsbury indicates it would be awesome served with whipped cream, if desired. Make chocolate shavings by pulling a vegetable peeler toward you across a white chocolate candy bar. Press firmly using long, thin strokes.

Herb and Apple Glazed Roasted Chicken

2011-02-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

Whole chickens go on sale quite frequently at the grocery store where I shop. I can get them for very cheap! When this happens, I stock up. This chicken recipe is so good--very moist and flavorful. It feeds a family of four very nicely. If you have a larger family, you may need to make 2.

1 (6 lb) whole chicken, giblets removed
1 Tbsp butter, softened
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/4 tsp salt, divided
1 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, divided
1 small apple, quartered
1 small onion, quartered
3 Cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
1/3 cup apple jelly
1 tsp spicy brown mustard
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp water
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning (I didn't have this, so I just added a little all purpose seasoning I had)

*Preheat oven to 350. Line a roasting pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil; place rack over foil. Spray rack with nonstick cooking spray. Rinse chicken and cavity with cool water; pat dry with paper towels.

*In a small bowl, combine butter, thyme, lemon zest, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Gently loosen skin from breast of chicken, keeping skin intact. Rub butter mixture evenly under skin and over chicken. Place apple and onion in cavity; tie legs with butcher's twine. Tuck wing tips under chicken. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper over chicken. Place chicken, breast side up, on prepared rack. Pour 2 cups chicken stock in bottom of pan. Bake 1 1/2 hours.

*In a small saucepan, combine jelly, mustard, soy sauce, and water. Cook over low heat 3 minutes or until smooth, stirring with a whisk. Bake chicken 30 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer inserted in thigh registers 170, basting occasionally with apple jelly mixture. Remove from oven. Place chicken on a serving platter. Reserve pan drippings.

*Skim fat from pan drippings. Place pan drippings in a 2-cup measuring cup; add enough of the remaining 1 cup chicken stock to equal 2 cups. In a medium saucepan, combine remaining 1/4 tsp salt, remaining 1/4 tsp pepper, flour and poultry seasoning. Whisk in stock mixture; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Serve chicken with gravy.

Italian Sausage Soup

2011-02-04T08:41:00.000-08:00

I made this last night and it was a hit. The next time I make it, I will use a hot sausage. I also left out one of the cans of kidney beans since my hubby and daughter are not fans. I served this up with some homemade cornbread (recipe on this site, too--the BEST in the world!!). YUM!

1 (16 oz) package sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup minced celery
1 cup minced carrot
3 (14 oz) cans beef broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic
1 (16 oz) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (16 oz) can light red kidney beans, drained
1 (15.5 oz) can great Northern beans, drained
2 cups macaroni
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

*In a large Dutch oven, cook sausage, onion, celery and carrot over medium-high heat until sausage is browned and crumbles. Drain well. Stir in broth, tomatoes, and beans; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add pasta; simmer 8-10 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Stir in salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

-taken from Paula Deen's Jan/Feb 2009 magazine.

Farmer's Casserole

2011-02-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

This is a new favorite in our house. I made it the first time for guests for New Year's Day Brunch and have since made it again for my family. This is a great dish for a weekend lunch, brunch or dinner for the family.

Ingredients:

3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (24 ounce bag)
3/4 cup of shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (3-4 ounces)
3/4 cup of shredded Cheddar Cheese (3-4 ounces)
1 cup ham or Canadian-style bacon (5 ounces)
1 can of mild green chilis (4.5 ounce can - optional)
1/4 cup green onions, sliced (2-3 medium)
4 beaten eggs
1 - 12 ounce can of evaporated milk (the full fat kind works best)
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/8 teaspoon of salt

Note: You can use whatever kind of cheese you like. It is yummy with a shredded cheese mix.
I make mine without the chilis and onions as my children don't like them, but I bet it is fabulous with them included!

Directions:

Grease a 2 quart square baking dish.
Arrange potatoes evenly in bottom of dish.
Sprinkle with cheeses, ham, green chiles, and green onions.
In medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, pepper and salt.
Pour egg mixture of potato mixture in dish.

NOTE: Chill for several hours or overnight in the fridge before baking or immediately cover and place in freezer for future meal.

Serving Instructions:

Thaw completely (if frozen).
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until center appears set.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
If you prefer; extra shredded cheese can be sprinkled on top during the last 15 minutes of baking.

Scrumdillylish Beef Stew

2011-02-01T19:22:00.000-08:00

The stew we had tonight was soooo good. I kinda winged it combined w/ an online recipe and it's the best beef stew I've ever had. I think I've made it too peppery in the past but the sauce in this is so DELISH that you'll wanna drink it! Don't leave out the cooking wine b/c it makes it!

-1 1/2 lb beef cut in 1 inch pieces
-1 onion cut really small (I only had 1/2 red and 1/2 white so I combined and they were good)
-4 carrots-sliced/diced/however you like em but not too small
-4 small-med. potatoes-cut in bigger chunks and don't cut too small or will get mushy
-1 carton mushrooms-cut in bigger pieces
-1/4 tsp pepper
-1/4 tsp salt
-1 tsp paprika
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp garlic
-1 tsp worcestershire
-1-1 1/2 cup red cooking wine (this is KEY b/c it gives GREAT flavor)
-1 1/2-2 cups beef broth (or bouillon cubes w/ water)--depending on how soupy you like it--maybe start w/ 1 1/2 and work way up

-Toss beef in flour, salt and pepper.
-Brown beef in olive oil in pan
-Put broth, cooking wine, garlic, paprika, worcestershire in crockpot.
-Add vegetables and beef to crockpot and stir.
-cooked on low for 5ish hours and was perfecto!

Chicken Chesapeake

2011-02-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was enjoyed! The ingredients intrigued me. I don't normally cook with crab meat, and although the meat was a little pricey, it was worth it. Don't use artificial crab meat...go with the real thing!

8 oz. lump crab meat
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided
1/4 cup butter, divided
1 (8 oz) package sliced baby bella mushrooms
1/2 cup minced green onion
1 cup dry white wine (I had cooking wine, so I used a little less due to the sodium)
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
hot cooked rice

*Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray., Sprinkle crab meat over baking dish.

*Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.

*In a large skillet, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove from pan and place over crab in baking dish.

*Melt remaining butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and green onion; cook for 5-6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add wine and cook for 5-6 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in chicken broth and cream and cook for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add cream cheese, stirring until melted. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt and pepper (I omitted the salt due to the white wine).

*Pour mixture over chicken and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Server over rice. Sprinkle with black pepper before serving, if desired.

-taken from Paula Deen's magazine

Chili Relleno Bake

2011-01-22T05:58:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe from Paula Deen's magazine. I made it last night out of curiosity and it's pretty good. It's like a nice, warm Mexican casserole...perfect for a cold night. I had never had sausage in a Mexican dish before, and it gave it a sort of breakfast feel. My family told me I could make this again....ALWAYS a good sign:)

*Note: it calls for 5 cans of whole chilies. I knew my family wouldn't go for this, so I just bought two and placed them at the bottom of the dish (and not in the middle). I enjoyed them and they did add flavor to the dish. The recipe also calls for 1/4 tsp of hot sauce. As I was pouring, the cap came off and probably close to 1/4 CUP came out. It did not affect the taste, though, at all. In fact, I think the more hot sauce, the better. I omitted the salt, due to this, too!*

Chili Relleno Bake
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound ground sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup salsa
5 (4-ounce) cans whole chilies, drained
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
4 large eggs
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cup milk
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp hot sauce
Garnish: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro

*Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 13x9-inch baking dish

*In a large skillet, combine ground chuck, ground sausage, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until meat it browned and crumbly. Drain well. Stir in salsa.

*Cut chilies in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place half of chilies evenly over bottom of baking dish. Spoon half of meat mixture over chilies. Sprinkle evenly with half of cheese. Place remaining chilies in an even layer over cheese. Spoon remaining meat mixture over chilies. Top evenly with remaining cheese. Sprinkle cornmeal evenly over cheese.

*In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and flour until smooth. Whisk in milk, salt and hot sauce. Pour over cornmeal. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until set. Let cool 10 minutes. Cut into squares to serve. Garnish with sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro, if desired.

Beer Can Chicken

2011-01-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

This was super yummy, easy to make and my family raved.

1 whole chicken
1 TB paprika
1 TB onion powder
1 TB garlic powder
1 TB dried thyme
Salt and Pepper
1 12 oz. can of beer

Preheat oven to 350. Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry thoroughly

Mix next 6 ingredients (all the seasonings) and rub chicken with mixture inside and out

Pour 2 oz. (1/4 cup) out of beer, set cans upright in roasting. Set chicken so the can fits inside cavities, legs facing down. Roast chicken until juices run clear, about 1 hour 15 min. bast after 30 min.

Remove chicken from beer can and let rest for 10 -15 mins.

WaaaLaa!!!

I have been making an effort to try new recipes out to mix things up so as I find some we as a family like I will pass along! Enjoy!

Noel Nut Balls

2010-12-06T18:39:00.000-08:00

This recipe is a Martha Stewart one in the current issue of Good Housekeeping. I have always loved Mexican Wedding Cookies, and this is her version of one. I made them this morning and they were very easy and they are VERY yummy!

1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp pure honey
1 tsp orange juice
2 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour
3/4 Cups chopped walnuts or chopped pecans
1/2 Cup sifted confectioners' sugar (plus additional for rolling)
1/4 tsp salt

*In large bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and honey until fluffy. Add orange juice and beat until combined. In medium bowl, with wire whisk, mix together flour, nuts, confectioners' sugar and salt. Add to butter mixture and beat until combined. Gather dough and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours.

*Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper (I did not have any and the cookies turned out fine). Roll dough, 2 teaspoons at a time, into balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake until browned around edges, 12-13 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely. Roll in confectioners' sugar to coat. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Raspberry Streusel Bars

2010-11-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

My friend Cole makes these and they are sooooooooooooo good. I finally got her recipe and boy am I glad!

11/4 cup quick oats
11/4 cup AP flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon bkg powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 stick butter-melted
1 cup rasberry jam
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup toasted chopped almonds

Preheat 350. Combine oats , flour, br sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in butter until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 cup mixture and set aside. Press remaining mixture into bottom of 8 inch square pan (I think I spray lightly with Pam first). Bake crust 10 min. spread rasberry jam over crust. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup white choc chips. Mix reserve mixture with remaining chips and almonds and sprinkle over top...kind of press in a Little if you can...lightly. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares! Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

2010-11-03T17:04:00.001-07:00

If you want a reaaallly easy, flavorful soup to freeze and something that will make your house smell like the picture of fall for hours, look no further! Try Barefoot Contessa's roasted butternut squash soup.

Serves 4 to 6

3 to 4 pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded (I just used one)
2 yellow onions (again, I used one)
2 McIntosh apples, peeled and cored
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 cups homemade chicken stock
½ teaspoon good curry powder

CONDIMENTS (these are what she recommends, but if you don't have the goods, some simple sour cream is good too):
• Scallions, trimmed and sliced diagonally
• Shredded coconut, lightly toasted
• Salted cashews, toasted and chopped
• Raisins
• Banana, diced

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Cut the butternut squash, onions, and apples into 1-inch cubes. Place them on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, until very tender. This concoction smells divine and would be good all on its own!!!!

3. Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock until it’s simmering. When the vegetables are done, place them in batches in a food processor and puree w/ some chicken stock until desired consistency. When all of the vegetables are processed, place them all in a pot and add enough chicken stock to make a thick soup. Add the curry powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Be sure you use enough salt and pepper to bring out the curry flavor. Serve hot with condiments on top of each serving.

Best D*@$% Pumpkin Dessert Period

2010-11-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the harsh language but stay with me. I wanted a yummy, different pumpkin dessert last weekend for the night before Halloween when we came home from the pumpkin patch. I googled "best pumpkin dessert ever" and tried a result that happened to be called "best [bad word that starts w/ a "d"] pumpkin dessert period." It was a hit (you'll see why when you read the ingredients) and has been requested for the Thanksgiving spread. You may want to give it a whirl! It's easy peasy and definitely one for special occasions.

CRUST:

1 Box of yellow cake mix (Reserve 1 cup and set aside)
Add to the cake mix 1 melted stick of butter or margarine, 1 beaten egg, and ½ cup of chopped walnuts. Mix well. Spread mixture in a 9x13 greased baking pan.

FILLING:

Mix together: 1 large can of pumpkin, 4 beaten eggs, ½ cup of brown sugar, ½ cup sugar, 2/3 cup of Evaporated milk, 2 ½ tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg, ¼ tsp salt. Spread the filling over the crust.

TOPPING:

Mix together until crumbly: the reserved 1 cup of cake mix, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup of walnuts, ½ stick of softened butter or margarine. Crumble the topping over the filling.

Bake @ 350 for 50-60 minutes. Cool and serve with whipped cream on top.

My New Favorite Cookbook

2010-10-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

About 2 months ago, I bought this book after seeing it reviewed and promoted on some daytime tv show:

I love bread, but it intimidates me. No More! This book lives up to its hype. I've made four different recipes from this book - each one better than the last (except for the chocolate bread; I think my hopes were too high. I'll stick with cake). I'd post a recipe, but you need to read about 3 chapters before you bake; it's a true science experiment. If you're up for a fun challenge and you love bread, then this is the book for you! If you're close to me, I'll loan you mine. There's also a second edition - Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

Chicken Squares

2010-10-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

I LOVE trying new, outta the box recipes. Here's one that I thought would be a good Sunday football meal but it would really be good anytime. My man BIG time loved it and so did my 3 year old. It's going to become a regular. I think you could maybe even make these and freeze them inside the dough uncooked? If so, I'm guessing you'd just have to pull them out and bake them. I got this from my friend at Musing Foodie.

Chicken Squares
Here is what you need:
2-3 chicken breasts - cooked and shredded
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1/2 a stick of butter
3 T. onion
1/2 c. milk
Salt / Pepper
2 tubes of crescent rolls (8 each) (this mixture actually lasted 3 crescent roll cans worth for me)
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Musing Foodie says:
Take several cooked chicken breasts and shred them, adding in a package of cream cheese, half a stick of butter, 3 tablespoons of finely minced onion, 1/2 cup of milk and some sea salt and pepper. It makes a rich chicken salad consistency and you'll want to begin spooning it down right then and there, but control the urge as you pop open a tube of crescent rolls, mush two together so it makes a rectangle and then place a generous scoop in the center. Pull all four corners up to meet and then seal the sides by squeezing the seams together. You don't want the chicken salad mixture to leak out while baking - so squeeze those seams good!

I sprinkle seasoned stuffing mix on top and bake at 350 degrees for about 20ish minutes, until the top is nice and golden brown. Cream of mushroom soup diluted with several tablespoons of milk makes an excellent sauce to spoon over each Chicken Square prior to serving. I love these.

Banana Bars

2010-10-17T10:22:00.001-07:00

1 cup Sour Cream
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 eggs
2 mashed bananas (or 1 1/2 cup)
2 Teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Vanilla Glaze (blend together)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons HOT water

Directions:
Heat oven to 375. Mix sugar, sour cream, margarine and egg in large mixing bowl on low speed for about a minute. Beat in bananas, vanilla on low for about 30 seconds. Beat in flour, salt, baking soda on medium. Stir in nuts (optional).

Spread in greased and floured pan. Bake until light brown (20-25 min). Cool. Frost w/ vanilla glaze. Cut into bars.

Sherry Chicken

2010-10-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

4 Large chicken breasts
1/2 pint sour cream (8 oz)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup cooking sherry (maybe even a splash more)
Basil
Salt and Pepper
Paprika

Place chicken breasts in baking pan. Mix sour cream, soup and sherry in bowl. Salt and pepper chicken then sprinkle generously w/ basil (this really gives the chicken some great taste). Pour the cream mixture over the chicken. Sprinkle w/ paprika.

Bake uncovered at 325-350 for about 45 minutes or until chicken is done.

This is a simple, very flavorful dish that is great to make ahead and refrigerate until ready to cook. Great w/ Mama Jeanne's Easy Potatoes or wild rice (for a healthier option) and rolls to sop up the yummy sauce!

Mama Jeanne's Easy Potatoes

2010-10-17T10:13:00.001-07:00

My mother-in-law always makes these and they are sooooo good (and easy)!

Slice russet potatoes in half.

Melt one stick of marjarine or butter (or 1/2 and 1/2) in pan. Sprinkle Lawry's Seasoning Salt over melted butter and then paprika over that. Put potatoes in and sprinkle paprika over potatoes if desired.

Bake potatoes 45 minutes to an hour at 350. You can't really cook them too long b/c the crispier they are, the better!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

2010-10-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

We are HUGE fans of Texas Pete fans so this recipe is a definite pallet pleaser in our house. Disclaimer: It's definitely not for people who can't take things very spicy. I think next time I might double or triple the recipe and freeze the remainder b/c there are TONS of possibilities for this meat (sandwiches, hoagies, nachos, homemade pizza w/ crescent roll crust, wraps, and on and on). We've already tried two options and they were both great...very flavorful! It's a great meal to accompany a day of football games on TV or even after a long week of a nasty cold to clear out those sinuses. We topped it with blue cheese and scallions which was delish but next time I think we'll try the hoagies all the way w/ lettuce and tomato, too.

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided (preferably Texas Pete Buffalo Wing Sauce)
1/2 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 tablespoons butter
6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise (note: whatever bread you use, make sure it is pretty hearty and won't get soggy when it sops up the yummy sauce)

Directions
1.Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours.
2.Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, and splash with the remaining buffalo wing sauce to serve.

Southwestern Taco Pie

2010-10-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently sent me the following recipe from The Food Network. I wanted to find some meals that I could freeze and she said this was a good one. I doubled the recipe to make one for dinner tonight and then froze another. It was very easy to make and VERY yummy! My entire family loved it!

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean, ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1/3 Cup water
1 Tbsp Oil
1 (1 lb bag) frozen green, red, yellow peppers and onions--I left this out because my family doesn't like these!
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt (I left the salt and pepper out and it did not effect the outcome at all)
1/8 tsp pepper
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1/2 Cup Salsa
8 oz. shredded cheese (Mexican blend works well)
2 refrigerated pie crusts (the type you can unroll yourself)

Directions
*preheat oven to 400 degrees
*Brown ground beef in large skillet for 8-10 minutes. Drain and add taco seasoning and water; mix until beef is well coated.
*Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan until hot. Add peppers and onions; cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and drain excess liquid. Add garlic and onion powders, salt, pepper, corn and salsa. Stir well and set aside.
*Prepare pie crusts as directed on package for 2-crust pie, using a glass or metal pie pan. (Because I froze one and made one for dinner, I bought 2 frozen pie crusts already in the pie plates and then two that I unrolled for the tops).
*Combine salsa mixture with ground beef mixture and mix well. Place 1/2 of cheese on bottom of pie shell, spread 1/2 of beef mixture over cheese and pat down, sprinkle 3/4 cheese over meat mixture, top with remaining beef mixture and pat down, then sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup of cheese. Top with second crust and flute edges; slit in several places.
*Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown (If freezing, wrap 2-3 foil layers over top of unbaked pie and place in freezer). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

From Scratch Oven-Fries

2010-09-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

This is my husband's new favorite side dish I make. I bought the latest Southern Living magazine and found this EASY recipe in there and tried it out. I cannot believe how simple they are to make and how good they are, too! Plus, they have to be healthier than the alternative because there is no frying involved!! Get creative with the spices, too. I added some seasoning salt and garlic powder to ours.

1 1/2 lb. medium-size baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick strips
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (you could you olive oil if wanted)
1/2 tsp. kosher or table salt

1. Preheat oven to 450. Rinse potatoes in cold water and drain and pat dry. Toss together the potatoes, oil, and salt in a large bowl.

2. Place a lightly greased wire rack in a jelly-roll pan and arrange potatoes in a single layer on rack.

3. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until browned. Serve immediately with ketchup.

Alternative flavors:
*Buffalo Oven Fries: omit salt. Toss 2 tsp. mesquite seasoning, 1 tsp. hot sauce, 1/2 tsp. celery salt and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder with potatoes and oil. Bake as directed. Serve with blue cheese dressing.

*Spicey Cheese Fries: Toss a pinch of ground red pepper with potato mixture and bake as directed. Sprinkle with 1/3 C shredded reduced fat pepper-jack cheese. Bake one more minute or until cheese has melted.

*Italian-Parmesan Oven Fries: Toss 2 tsp. freshly ground Italian seasoning with potato mixture and bake as directed. Sprinkle warm fries with 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese. Serve with warm Marinara Sauce.

BIG time revelation

2010-09-06T19:15:00.001-07:00

OK, I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited about a recent discovery that I HAVE to post about it and W4DD is THE place to do it.

One of my ALL time fav dining establishments is a little hole in the wall lebanese restaurant behind the railroad tracks and Waffle House on Hillsbourough St. in Raleigh, NC. It's called Neomonde and my mouth waters at the sound of it's name. I seriously could eat it for every meal and crave it ALL the time....when I'm sick, pregnant, healthy, basically any time. Sadly, I'm 3 hours away and haven't had my FAV combination platter of tuna, hummus, tabouleh, stuffed grape leaves and CHICK PEA SALAD in a coon's age.

For ten whole years I've tried to duplicate my fav Neomonde dishes at home but none of my attempts have sufficed. Tonight of all nights, I attempted a makeshift orzo (different than the one here that I posted a while back) because I was craving Dean and Deluca's orzo salad. Long story short, one of my new favorite blogs is The Musing Foodie and my girl posted a great sounding orzo salad that I've been wanting to try. I didn't have all of the ingredients, though, so I just threw together some orzo, red peppers, green onions, feta and cucumber and then the sauce in her orzo recipe (1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper). I took one bite and it hit me between my eyes....THAT IS NEOMONDE's CHICK PEA SALAD FLAVOR!!!! It's so simple. How could I have missed it all this time? I even think this would make their tuna also!!! My tastebuds were soooo excited that I drank every last drop of the juice with my spoon. Tomorrow, I'm getting out the tuna and chickpeas and giving it a whirl! Try it. You won't be disappointed!

Old Fashioned Meat Loaf

2010-08-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge meat loaf fan, but once in a while I get a taste for it. I found this recipe the other day from Paula Deen and tonight my entire family loved it and said I could make it again! I served it with smashed red potatoes and green beans.

1 lb ground beef
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 C chopped bell pepper (I left this ingredient out)
1 egg, slightly beaten
8 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 C quick cooking oats

Topping:
1/3 C ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp mustard

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees
*Mix all meat loaf ingredients and place in baking dish (I used bread pan). Shape into a loaf.
*Mix ingredients for topping and spread on top of loaf.
*Bake for 1 hour.

Homemade Pimento Cheese

2010-07-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

Pimento Cheese is my mom's specialty. At the beach, I not only partook but observed and attempted her technique. This will soon be a staple you'll want to add to your recipe book! It's easy peasy and oh so delish.

All you need is 3 ingredients:

-Sharp Chedar Cheese (the sharper the better-FYI-this particular block is the best deal Costco has going-4.99 and it's ginormous. As long as you're willing to shred it, it's WAY cheaper than the grocery store and definitely worth a special trip to Costco)

-Pimentos or Red Pepper-the more the better. I never knew but pimentos and red peppers are basically the same thing! These types are PERFECT for pimento cheese. My mom actually got the jar on the left at the dollar store and they are great. I got the jar on the right at Costco and they are wonderful b/c they have a roasted/smokyish flavor...another great deal of Costco's...4.99 and it has TONS of whole red peppers in it.

-Mayonnaise

Put 2 cups of cheese, one to two cut up peppers (if you use jar kind), and 2 1/2 tablespoons of mayonnaise for starters (you can add more or less depending on how you like it) in a blender or food processor and blend it on up until it's a thick, smoothish texture. WONDERFUL served on Italian Bread!

Easy Banana Muffins

2010-06-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

Lately I find myself buying bananas at the store, knowing that they will be turning black in a few days. I have the best intentions to eat them and feed them to my children, but I always forget that they're sitting there! I googled banana muffin recipes the other week so I could get rid of them and came across this recipe on Catcancook. It is SO easy--simple ingredients--and SO tasty. They come out very moist and flavorful.

3 or 4 mashed bananas (I used 5 and they tasted great!)
1/2 C white sugar
1 slightly beaten egg
1/3 C melted margarine or butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C flour

*Mix the mashed bananas, sugar, egg and butter together. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix wet and dry ingredients all together. Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes . Enjoy!

*You can also add chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans or whatever to this recipe.

Summer Chicken & Basil Pasta

2010-06-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from a Kroger booklet in the mail and thought it sounded good. Man oh man am I glad I tried it out. My husband said I could make it anytime. I tweaked it a little to make it the healthy version. So here it is...

Summer Chicken & Basil Pasta

4 Tbsp. Butter (I used I can't believe it's not butter spread)

1 lb thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I used chicken tenderloins and cut them up into bite size pieces)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 can (14.5 oz) fat free reduced sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh basil (I didn't have this so I used chopped spinach instead)

8 oz whole grain spaghetti, cooked and drained

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Melt 2 Tbsp. spread in nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Set chicken aside. Melt remaining spread over medium heat and cook garlic 30 seconds. Cook tomatoes, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil over medium- high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, basil (or spinach) and cooked spaghetti; heat through. Sprinkle with fresh Parm cheese. (serves 4)

This is a new staple in our house and the left overs are even better!

Deep Dish Peach Pie

2010-05-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to see that peaches were finally available at the grocery store today! I have been waiting to make this recipe. It's from the cookbook, Cooking for Madam by Marta Sgubin. )(She was Jackie Kennedy Onassis' personal chef for years.) This recipe is like a pie/cobbler.

Cream Cheese Crust
8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter, softened
8 Tbsp (4 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 C flour
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Heavy Cream

*Beat the butter and cream cheese together with a large spoon. The mixture is ready when it is smooth and fluffy.
*Sift the flour, sugar and salt together over the mixture, then pour in the cream. Use your hands to mix thoroughly until the dough can be gathered into a compact ball. Dust the dough with flour, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate while you prepare the filing.

Filling
2 pounds Fresh Ripe Peaches
1 Tbsp Flour
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
4 Tbsp (1/2 Stick) Butter, melted
3 tsp Vanilla
1 Egg Yolk lightly beaten with 2 tsp. cold water
1 tsp Sugar

*Preheat the oven to 350 and set the rack at the middle level.

*The peaches should be peeled. An easy way to do this is to bring a saucepan of water to a boil and lower the peaches into it one at a time. Scoop them out of the water after 30 seconds, and while they are still warm, you will be able to slip the skin off easily with the help of a sharp knife. If the skin resists at all, put the peaches back into the water for a few more seconds.

*Over a large bowl, to catch any juices, cut the peaches into thin slices. Add the flour, brown sugar, melted butter and vanilla and mix it all together gently but thoroughly. Move the mixture to an 8-in-diameter souffle dish or any other attractive ovenproof dish or bowl with a 11-cup capacity. Bury 2 peach pits in the filling to add more flavor. Spread the surface to even it.

*On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into an 11-inch circle. Lift it up over the rolling pin and gently drape it over the top of the peaches. Trim the dough so the overhang is about and even inch. Crimp the edges neatly and paint the entire surface with the egg/water wash. Sprinkle the top of the pastry with the sugar and cut 2 small slits to allow steam to escape.

*Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown. Serve directly from the dish, and don't forget to warn guests about the hidden pits.

**Serve with vanilla bean ice cream or fresh whipped cream:)

Banoffi Pie

2010-03-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

Yummy to my tummy is all I can say about this! I saw the recipe in a Bible study book I've been doing (I know, strange to have a recipe in a Bible Study book, but it was!). I made it for a friend of mine who just had a baby and I will be making it for St. Patrick's Day this week. It sounds hard, but don't be put off by it. It is easy and you'll be glad you made it! P.S. this recipe originated in England at the Hungry Monk Restaurant.

1 1/2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

10 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk (I used one regular and one fat free and it was fine)

3 Large Bananas, sliced

1 1/2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

1/3 Cup Confectioner's Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp powdered Instant Coffee

Freshly Ground Coffee or Chocolate Shavings (I used chocolate shavings)

*Preheat oven to 400 degrees

*Mix Graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and press mixture into pie plate. Bake for 5-8 minutes and allow to cool.

*This next step seems like the hardest, but just do it and go do some household chores and before long, it will be done!* Immerse the unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk in a deep pot of boiling water. Cover and boil for 3 hours, making sure the cans remain covered with water. Remove the cans from the water and allow to cool completely before opening. The milk will have turned to toffee.

*Whip the cream with the sugar, vanilla, and instant coffee until thickened and smooth. Spread 1/3 of the toffee over the base of the crust. Lay the sliced bananas on the toffee and spoon another 1/3 of the toffee over the bananas. Layer more bananas and more toffee. Finally, spoon on the cream and lightly sprinkle with the freshly ground coffee or chocolate shavings.

Creamy White Beans and Sausage

2010-03-13T06:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning after Danny and the children left for school, I did something I rarely get to do. I sat down and watched the last 45 minutes of Good Morning America. And, I am so glad I did, because I got to watch Emeril Lagasse make Creamy White Beans with Sausage.

As he was making it I kept saying, Yum! So I scratched my plans for traditional Friday night take out of Cucci's Pizza, and made Emeril's Creamy White Beans and Sausage. I invited my sister Dawn over to try it out with us. WE LOVED IT! I cannot wait until it is lunch time--- in exactly 3 hours, 1 minute and counting, so I can have some left overs!!!

Click Here! if you want to watch Emeril make it, and for the recipe. FYI, my tweaks to this recipe: I added another can of diced tomatoes and only used 4 cans of beans.

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

2010-03-04T18:53:00.000-08:00

The other day, my kids wanted hot dogs for lunch. Macaroni and Cheese is the perfect mate for hot dogs but my pantry didn't have any Velveeta Shells or Kraft (gross!), so I quickly googled a recipe for a fast way to make Mac and Cheese. I found this one, had all the ingredients on hand and ended up with a dish that made me and my kids smile! It's even good heated up as leftovers!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound elbow macaroni (half a box)
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

Directions:
*In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.
*Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.

(From the Food Network)

Yummy Green Bean Casserole

2010-02-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

I grew up on the traditional canned green bean/Campbell's mushroom soup Green Bean Casserole. I found this one the other day and made it for my family. Everyone loved it, even my non-green bean loving daughter. I could eat this as a main course!! It's a Paula Deen recipe, so you know it's good:)

1/3 Stick butter
1/2 Cup diced onions
1/2 Cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 Cups sliced green beans ( must be fresh green beans...just slice with knife)
3 Cups chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
Pinch House Seasoning (I didn't have Paula Deen's house seasoning, so I just used a dash of pepper, salt and garlic powder, which is what her house seasoning is made of)
1 Cup grated Cheddar

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.

Oven Fried Chicken

2010-02-19T05:09:00.000-08:00

When I made this, I could not believe how easy it was and how much it really did taste like fried chicken! I got this from the cookbook, Virginia Hospitality.

6 Breasts (I used boneless,skinless)
1 C Flour
2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 C Margarine

*Preheat oven to 400. Shake chicken in bag with flour and seasonings. Line 9x13 glass dish with foil and add margarine. Place dish in oven until margarine sizzles. Place chicken in dish, skin side down. Bake 30 minutes and turn and back 30 minutes more. Do not cover.

Chewy Granola Bars

2010-02-02T10:27:00.001-08:00

"Make a batch of homemade granola bars in no time"

Ingredients:

1 cup melted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups oatmeal
1 cup rice krispie cereal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional. I don't use as I used salted butter)

Additions - select one of the following:

1/2 cup nuts
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup raisins or other dried fruit

Instructions:

In one bowl combine melted butter, brown sugar, honey and vanilla extract. In second bowl combine oatmeal, rice krispie ceral, flour , baking soda, cinnamon and salt if using. Mix well. Add you additional selected item from list above and mix well.

Combine the two bowls together and mix well. Spread mixture in a 13 x 9 sprayed pan and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove and cool on the counter and then cut in bars and store in the fridge or freezer.

Quick Buttercream Frosting

2010-01-27T11:46:00.000-08:00

This is a Williams-Sonoma recipe that I recently tried on a cake. DELICIOUS is all I can say and very easy:) I bought a vanilla bean at the grocery store and added that to the frosting for a little kick and it was very tasty. This is a great frosting for cakes, cupcakes or even sugar cookies!

Quick Buttercream Frosting
4 1/2 Cups confectioners' sugar
12 Tbsp butter, unsalted
3 1/2 Tbsp milk, plus more if needed
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a flat beater (if you don't have a tabletop mixer, jut use a hand held), combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, the 3 1/2 Tbsp milk, the vanilla and salt and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. If the frosting is dry, add more milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until it is creamy but still holds peaks.

(I added the vanilla bean once the frosting was all creamy. Just slit the vanilla bean open with a knife and scoop out the beans and drop them in the frosting).

*This would be great for Valentine's Day cupcakes! Place the frosting in a piping bag with an extra large tip and make swirl toppings on cupcakes! YUMMY!

Homemade Teething Cookies

2010-01-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

I have several friends expecting a bundle(s) of joy or had a baby in recent months. Keep this recipe in mind for when those teeth are planning to arrive!

Homemade Teething Cookies

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp applesauce

Heat oven to 300. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until dough begins to hold together. Dust the counter with flour, then transfer the contents of bowl to the counter. Knead lightly until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes. Roll out with a rolling pin until 1/2 inch thick. Cut out cookies using an inverted cup and a clean soda-bottle cap for the hole in the middle (the finished cookie looks like a donut - perfect for little hands to hold). Transfer cookies to a greased cookie sheet. Bake until barely browned, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely on cookie sheet. They're ready to eat now (under adult supervision, of course). Store for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

*Note: This recipe came from the February 2009 issue of Wondertime magazine

"Berry" Special Muffins

2010-01-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe in an email from Earth Fare. They are somewhat healthy and VERY good. My family loves when I make them, especially my son! Most of the ingredients are usually on hand and they take hardly any time to "whip up"!

"Berry" Special Muffins

1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 T Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Cup vanilla or lemon yogurt (I used Blueberry and they turned out perfect)
1/4 Cup Milk
1/3 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Egg
1 Cup Fresh or Frozen, thawed berries (I used Blueberries)

Crumb Topping:
1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp Butter or Margarine, softened

*Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin tins with paper baking cups or spray with cooking spray. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

*In large bowl, combine yogurt, milk, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. Add the egg mixture all at once to the dry mixture and stir just until moistened. Stir in berries.

*Prepare the crumb topping. Blend until crumbly. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins and sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Buckeye Brownies

2009-12-28T04:15:00.000-08:00

My friend, Kristin, gave me this recipe after I tasted a batch of hers. These are SO good and a fun way to jazz up your traditional brownie mix!

Buckeye Brownies

1. Make a pan of brownies (any mix, 9x13 size) and let it cool completely.
2. In a bowl, place 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, and 1/2 cup of butter and mix together until blended. Spread over cooled brownies. (Some of the brownie may get mixed in with the peanut butter mixture,so spread carefully). Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to let harden. This makes the next step easier.
3. Mix 6 ounces of chocolate chips with 6 Tbsp butter in a saucepan and melt until smooth. Take brownie pan out of refrigerator and pour chocolate mixture on top and spread.
4. Chill the pan in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The brownies cut a lot easier if they are cold.

Yummy, Chewy Molasses Cookies

2009-12-28T04:11:00.000-08:00

This is my sister's recipe that she makes and I LOVE it! These are soft, chewy and perfect for Christmas or any time

Molasses Cookies

3/4 cup margarine, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 cup sugar

Beat margarine, sugar, egg, and molasses. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Mix well. Chill for an hour. Make dough balls from spoon. Roll in 1/2 cup sugar before putting on pan. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup

2009-12-14T14:08:00.000-08:00

I am so nervous and intimidated to post my first recipe. :) This stuff is the REAL DEAL. I thought I was at Olive Garden for a second while I was eating it. Yummy.

1 lb Spicy Italian Sausage, crumbled

1/2 lb smoked bacon, chopped

1 qt. water

2 - 14.5 oz cans chicken broth

2 large russet potatoes, thin sliced

1 large garlic clove crushed

1 medium onion chopped

2 cups kale, chopped

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Salt & pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan

In skillet over medium heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as you fry it. Drain and set aside. In skillet over med/high heat, brown bacon. Drain and set aside. Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic and onion in pot. simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Add sausage and bacon, simmer for 10 minutes. Add kale and cream to pot, season with salt & pepper. Add Parmesan cheese. ENJOY!

Sausage Balls

2009-12-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

"These are easy and tasty. A great make ahead item for a Christmas party appetizer or to serve guests. I made a batch this afternoon and baked some and placed the rest uncooked in the freezer for Christmas".

1 pound of bulk pork sausage (you can use any flavor or heat).
2 cups of Bisquick or a homemade substitute
3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

*I added a bit of Worcestershire Sauce to my mixture, however, this is not in the original recipe

Mix all ingredients together using your hands. I would suggest combining the sausage and the Bisquick first and adding the cheese last. You may have to work at it to get everything incorporated, but it will come together.
Roll about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture in a ball. Repeat until done.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Freezer instructions: Roll into balls and flash freeze on wax paper on a cookie tray. When the sausage balls have hardened move to freezer bags. Thaw in your fridge and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Deep Dish Apple Cranberry Pie

2009-11-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

This is fabulous to serve at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. It is slightly tangy and with only one crust is lower in fat than traditional pies.

2 cups apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
2 cups frozen cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 pie crust

Pour mixture into a pie crust and bake at 400 degrees in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and add the crumb topping (recipe below) to top of pie. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes.

Crumb topping:
Mix together in another bowl
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
With pastry cutter, cut/add into flour mixture 4 tablespoons of cold butter

Allow pie to rest for 10-15 minutes prior to serving. Excellent with cool whip or ice cream.

Mama's Banana Bread

2009-10-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

This is from the Cooking With Paula Deen magazine October 2007 issue. I made it today and it is SO good--very moist and perfect for a cool day! The chocolate chips make this bread taste very dessert-ish:) This recipe makes 2 loaves. I halved everything to make just one loaf, but make two and give one to a teacher or neighbor. **The trick to this recipe is to make sure your bananas are VERY ripe!!**

6 Medium very ripe bananas
2 T vanilla extract
2 C firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 C vegetable oil
1 C sour cream
4 large eggs
3 1/2 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 C ground pecans (I left this out because my family does not like pecans)
2 C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used regular chocolate chips)

*Preheat over to 350 and grease 2 loaf pans.
*In a small bowl, mash bananas together with vanilla.
*In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oil, sour cream, and eggs, stirring until combined.
*In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in banana mixture, grown pecans, and chocolate chips. Pour into pans and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 15 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

note: because I only made one loaf, I let it bake for 35-40 minutes.

Beef and Vegetable Soup

2009-10-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from "America's Test Kitchen" and it is yummy!

1 pound sirloin tip steaks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 Tbs. soy sauce

1 t vegetable oil

1 pound mushrooms, chopped

1 onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 Tbs. tomato paste

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup red wine

4 cups beef broth

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

4 medium carrots, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 medium ribs celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 bay leaf

1 Tbs. unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup water

2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Combine beef and soy sauce in medium bowl; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Heat oil in large dutch oven (I used a large pot) just until smoking. Add

mushrooms and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion pieces are

brown and bits form on pan bottom, 8-12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Add beef to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and meat starts to brown, 6-8 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add red wine, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, and cook until syrupy, 1-2 ,minutes.

4. Add beef broth, chicken broth, carrots, celery, bay leaf, and browned mushrooms and onion; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables and meat are tender, 25-30 minutes. While soup is simmering, sprinkle gelatin over cold water (1/2 cup) and let stand.

5. When soup is finished, turn off heat. Remove bay leaf. Add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Stir in parsley; adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, serve.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-10-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

This is a Paula Deen recipe. It is relatively easy to make and SO good. Forget Campbell's!

One 2-3 pound chicken (you can cut it up, but I left mine whole)

3 1/2 quarts water

1 onion, peeled

1 1/2 -2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 bay leaves

3 chicken bouillon cubes

salt and pepper to taste

*Add all ingredients to a pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35-45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin and cartilage. Set chicken aside. For the next step, you will need:

2 Cups sliced carrots

2 Cups sliced celery

2 1/2 Cups uncooked egg noodles

3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1/3 Cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

3/4 Cup heavy cream (optional)

1/3 Cup cooking sherry

Salt and pepper to taste

*Bring stock to a boil, add carrots and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, parsley, cheese, cream and sherry. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed.

*If you are watching calories, omit cheese and cream.

Easy Rum Cake

2009-10-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

1 box (18 1/4 ounce) yellow cake mix
1 box (3 1/2 ounce) instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 tablespoons Imitation Rum Extract
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Beat all ingredients, except pecans in a large bowl with mixer on low just to moisten. Then beat on medium 4 minutes. Grease and flour (I would recommend Wilson Release) 12 cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts in bottom of pan. Pour batter in pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze.
Mix 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir constantly, bring to a boil on medium heat and boil for one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of Extract.

Invert cake on serving plate. Pierce cake with fork. Spoon warm glaze over warm cake. Enjoy!

Chicken Kiev

2009-10-02T06:01:00.001-07:00

I made this last night for dinner and forgot how good it was! The lemon butter gives it a perfect flavor! This needs to chill 2-3 hours before baking, so make ahead!

1/2 Cup plus 3 T butter
Juice and grated peel of one lemon
2 T minced parsley
1 tsp crushed thyme
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 Cup Flour
1 egg, beaten
1 Cup Cracker Meal (I used plain bread crumbs)

*Melt 1/2 Cup butter with lemon juice, peel, parsley and thyme. Chill in small bowl until firm.

*Pound chicken breasts between waxed paper. Season with salt and pepper.

*Place a Tablespoon of chilled butter mixture in center of each breast and roll breast around butter mixture. Secure with a toothpick if necessary. Coat with flour, dip into egg mixture and roll in cracker meal. Place chicken in shallow casserole and refrigerate 2-3 hours.

*Melt 3 Tablespoons butter and drizzle over chicken. Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes.

-From the Junior League of Washington, D.C.

Cookies and Cream

2009-09-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

Per Hannah's request! :) This dessert was brought to us after the twins were born and I've made it a ton since then. So easy and so good...especially with a cup of coffee!

1 package of Chips Ahoy Cookies (don't used the reduced fat - I tried them and it doesn't work as well)
2 large tubs of Cool Whip, thawed (the fat free tasted just fine)
1 cup milk

Pour milk in a small bowl. Take a cookie and dip the whole cookie in the milk for 3 seconds. Place the cookie in the bottom of a casserole/baking dish. Repeat until the bottom of the dish is covered.

Spread a layer of the Cool Whip over the cookies. The Cool Whip should be thick enough that you don't see any of the cookies, but don't worry if some of crumbs get mixed up in it.

Do another layer of cookies dipped in milk then follow with another layer of Cool Whip. Then take several cookies and crumble them on top of the last layer. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Two things - I ended up using probably 1 1/2 tubs of Cool Whip so you will most likely have some Cool Whip leftover. And, depending on the size of your baking dish or if your making several of these then you probably will want to buy two packages of cookies.

Crustless Quiche

2009-09-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

This is ideal to have for brunch or lunch...don't tell, but I have served it to my crew for dinner. Utilizing bisquick cuts down on the fat and calories that you would otherwise have when using a pie crust. I also lower the calories by using egg beaters and skim milk.

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup bisquick/baking mix
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled or ham etc.
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice

Combine the first four ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat on low speed for 3 minutes or until well blended. Transfer to a greased 9 inch pie plate or 8 x 8 casserole dish. Sprinkle on your bacon*and cheese pressing it down in batter. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

*Be creative and add spinach, mushrooms and peppers. You could also use sausage to make it a breakfast casserole and we enjoy using ham.

Rice Lasagna

2009-09-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

This recipe intrigued me as my family loves lasagna, however, I don't always have lasagna noodles on hand, but always have rice in my pantry.

1 bag Success® White or Brown Rice
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 lb lean ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
Prepare rice according to package directions. Cool slightly. Combine rice, eggs and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Mix well; set aside. Combine 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese in separate bowl. Mix well; set aside. Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add meat and brown over medium heat; drain off excess fat. Add spaghetti sauce and garlic powder; continue cooking until thoroughly heated. Spoon one-half of rice mixture into baking dish. Cover with one-half of cheese mixture. Top with one-half of meat sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

I prepared my rice in our rice cooker (one cup dry rice to two cups of water for this recipe). The dish was great the first night and super reheated too!

Brownie Pie

2009-09-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

Whip up a brownie pie from scratch in no time. I love that you stir it all in one pan!

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons water
1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional - I do not use)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch pie plate. In medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Immediately add chocolate chips; stir until melted. Add eggs; beat with spoon until well blended. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt. After that is combined stir in vanilla and nuts (if desired) pour into prepared pie plate. Bake 25-30 minutes or until almost set. Note: It only takes 25 mins. in my oven. Pie will not test done in center.

Cool and enjoy. You can also top warm pie with scoops of ice cream, whipped cream and fudge sauce. You can also bake any brownie mix or scratch recipe in mini-muffin pans for gatherings and gift giving.

Poppy Seed Loaf

2009-09-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

This bread is delicious! It's very sweet and moist--almost a dessert! It makes 2 loaves, so make one for yourself and one for your neighbor!

3 C flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 C vegetable oil

2 1/4 C sugar

2 T poppy seeds

3 eggs

1 1/2 C milk

1 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 T melted butter

Glaze:

1 T melted butter

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 C orange juice

3/4 C sugar

*Grease and flour 2 medium loaf pans. Combine all bread ingredients and pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

*Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Prick HOT bread with toothpick. Pour on glaze and let stand for 15-20 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely before slicing.

-Recipe from "Capitol Classics" Junior League of Washington, DC

Apple Spice Bread

2009-08-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

I made two loaves of this last week for my daughter's preschool teachers who stopped by for a visit. I love to make this in the Fall time, but it's good all year around--especially for breakfast with a cup of coffee! The aroma makes the entire house smell yummy, too!

1 1/3 Cups Flour
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
1 Cup plus 1 tsp Sugar
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs, Beaten
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Cups peeled, chopped Apples
1/2 Cup chopped Walnuts (optional)

*Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
*Mix 1 Cup sugar with oil in large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla, then apples and nuts. Stir in flour mixture. Pour into greased loaf pan.
*Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes. After bread has baked for 20 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle top of bread with 1 tsp. sugar. Return to oven and continue baking.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE TRIFLE

2009-07-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

1 pkg. brownie mix
1 (3.9 oz) pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 c. water
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tub cool whip
3 T. sugar
MILK chocolate chips (The semi-sweet stay too hard)
chocolate syrup

Bake brownies according to package directions and let cool completely. Break into chunky pieces.

Mix pudding, water and s. condensed milk until blended well.
Beat heavy whipping cream until stiff and gradually add sugar.
Fold whipped cream into pudding/water/milk mixture.

Put a layer of brownie, drizzle chocolate syrup, and light layer of chocolate chips.
Place a layer of the pudding mixture.
Place a layer of Cool Whip.

Repeat layers until you end with the Cool Whip. Garnish top with shaved chocolate, chocolate chips, etc.

Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

(You can play with this as much as you want. People substitute other candies and/or nuts for the chocolate chips and other sauces besides the chocolate sauce. Also French Vanilla Cool Whip is good in this recipe).

* Be sure and use the heavy whipping cream and not substitute Cool Whip for that part of the recipe.

This is so rich and delicious!!! A little goes a long way and it is a hit with everyone!!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mallow Bars

2009-07-09T12:06:00.001-07:00

These freeze well and my hubby raves about them. I make them with skim milk, reduced fat peanut butter and unsalted butter. You can make them without the peanuts, but think it is good to implement them when taking to a function so that people with peanut allergies can stay clear as there is peanut butter in them.

1 package (2 layer size) devil's food cake mix

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2/3 cup cold milk, divided

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 jar (7 ounces) Marshmallow Creme

1/2 cup peanuts

6 squares Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry cake mix, butter and 1/3 cup milk until blended; press two-thirds onto bottom of 13 x 9 pan. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until center is almost set; cool 3 minutes.

Mix peanut butter and remaining milk; spread onto crust. Top with spoonfuls of marshmallow creme and remaining cake mixture. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate; press gently into cake mixture. Bake for 18 minutes or just until center is set. Cool before cutting into bars.

Baked Chicken Fingers

2009-06-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

When chicken breasts are on sale make baked chicken fingers in a snap. Enjoy some fresh from the oven and place the remainder in the freezer. No need to purchase fried chicken or chicken nuggets from the store. These are great sliced on salads and lunch for the little ones with some dipping sauce on the side.

2 lbs of boneless, chicken breasts (skinless)
Sauce: 1/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of bottled ranch dressing
*I reduce the fat content by using skim milk and fat free ranch dressing
Coating: cup of seasoned bread crumbs
*Adjust sauce mixture and coating depending on amount of chicken you are preparing and use plain or seasoned bread crumbs depending on your preference. Also, add a little paprika if you like!

Mix the milk and ranch dressing together well with a whisk.
Cut the chicken in strips or nuggets.
Place the chicken in sauce and coat well.
Place chicken in the bread crumbs.
Place coated chicken on a spray-treated baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes, turning once.
Remove from oven and enjoy or cool on baking sheets to follow freezer directions below.

Freezing directions:
Allow cooked chicken to cool on the baking tray then place tray with cooked chicken in the freezer and freeze until firm.
Place the frozen strips/nuggets in freezer bag.
You just reheat frozen chicken on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes (until hot).

Monster Cookies

2009-06-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

This recipe came home in a cookbook Caroline's class made. The mom who submitted this recipe was right - they are addictive!!

1 (1 lb. 1.5 oz) bag Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
1 (1 lb. 1.5 oz) bag Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix
1 1/2 Cup Quick Cooking Oats
1 Cup Butter
3 Eggs
2 Cups M&Ms

Preheat oven to 375. In large bowl stir all ingredients except M&Ms until soft dough forms. Stir in M&Ms.

On ungreased cookie sheet place about 1/4 Cup of dough *** I use a small cookie scoop because I do not want monster sized cookies ***.

Bake 12-13 minutes or until golden brown.

Summer Treats!

2009-06-05T05:44:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most moms pull these things out each summer, but if not, here is a good and healthy idea for summer treats for you and your little ones.

Go to Target or Wal-Mart and buy some plastic ice-pop molds. I bought mine last year at Target for about $1. Get creative with the recipes you make for your family. My mom used to pour orange juice into the molds when we were growing up. Recently, I made this recipe and my kids LOVED it:

sugar free vanilla pudding mix

2 Cups milk

crushed oreos

I mixed them all together and it made cookies and cream pops. They were very yummy!

This morning, I took a thawed bag of frozen fruit and put it in the blender until it was a liquid.

You can use anything.....Crystal Light, Kool-aid, Grape Juice...get creative and healthy! My kids usually get one after their afternoon naps, when we can all sit down and enjoy one together. Just remember to run the molds under warm water for a few seconds before popping them out (this makes them break apart effortlessly)!

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

2009-06-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

It is a great time of year for purchasing fresh strawberries. This recipe is delicious and if you don't need the full dozen you can place some in the freezer to enjoy later! I have made these with all white flour and also a combination of white and whole wheat.

1/2 cup softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups of flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

Topping: 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture. Add vanilla. Gently stir in the chopped strawberries.

Spoon batter in muffin pans.

Sprinkle the topping over the muffins.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes and enjoy one dozen muffins.

Buster Bars

2009-05-26T18:06:00.001-07:00

When the weather gets warmer it is fun to have a yummy treat in the freezer. This is a breeze to prepare, a crowd pleaser, slices easily so can be served spur of the moment and a great summer after meal treat which can be prepared the night before hosting a get together.

1 package of Oreo Cookies (crushed)
½ gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
1 16oz. jar of hot fudge sauce
1 ½ cups peanuts
1 quart Cool Whip

Instructions:
Line bottom of 9x13 dish with crushed Oreos.
Spread softened ice cream over Oreos.
Refreeze ice cream.
Spread on fudge sauce.
Spread peanuts on fudge, then Cool Whip over peanuts.
Freeze again.

Cut in squares and serve (approximately 15 servings)

Note: Can be made with light ice cream and light cool whip if you are trying to cut the fat. I opt not to use peanuts, but if you and your family like them they would be a great addition. This can also be divided in two 8 x 8 pans so would make a great food gift when taking a meal to a friend or neighbor.

Cranberry Chicken

2009-05-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

We had this for dinner this evening and I must admit that I had forgotten how yummy it is!

8 ounces of Catalina Dressing (regular or low fat)
1 package of onion soup mix
1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce (16 ounces)
4 boned or boneless chicken breasts

Mix together the dressing, onion soup mix and cranberry sauce. Place the chicken and the sauce in a greased baking dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour (until your chicken is done).

This goes really well with steamed rice and veggies.

Freezer Directions:
Mix together the dressing, onion soup mix and cranberry sauce. Place the chicken and mixer together in a freezer bag. I then place in another freezer bag and label and date. When ready to prepare thaw overnight in the fridge and follow instructions above.

French Toast Casserole

2009-05-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

This yummy casserole is perfect for when company comes to town. I am making this for tomorrow morning, since my sister and her family are coming today for the weekend. This needs to be prepared the night before so the egg mixture can fully be absorbed by the bread. Each time I make this, it is a huge hit and there are never left overs! In fact, the last piece is eyed by everyone to see who gets to take it:)

1/2 C Melted Butter

2 T. Light Corn Syrrup

3/4 C Light Brown Sugar

8 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

1 T Vanilla Extract

1 T Cinnamon

French Bread

Syrrup

-Melt butter and combine with corn syrrup and brown sugar. Spread on bottom of 9x13 dish.

-Mix eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon.

-Slice bread in 1-inch slices and layer on top of butter mixture.

-Pour egg mixture on top and refrigerate over night. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. When finished baking, pour syrrup over top and sprinkle with powdered sugar and chopped pecans if desired.

Spinach-Pasta Toss

2009-05-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in the Kraft magazine I get in the mail. I made it tonight and it was DELISH! It's so easy, quick and very healthy. I'll be making this often for a quick meal. (BTW it taste better than the picture looks) Here's what you need:

1 can (14 1/2 oz) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked

1 cup water

1 pkg (9 oz) baby spinach leaves

1 cup Kraft 2% Milk Shredded Italian Three Cheese Blend (I couldn't find this in the store so I just bought Kraft Three Cheese blend)

You can also add chicken if you want but it's just as tasty without.

Bring tomatoes, pasta and water to boil in large saucepan; stir. Cover; simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. Uncover; simmer 1 min. or just until pasta is tender.

Add half the spinach; simmer, covered, 2 min. or until wilted. Stir. Repeat with remaining spinach. It looks like there is way more spinach that pasta and that you won't have room to put in all the spinach but it really cooks down. Add it little at a time)

Serve topped with cheese ( I also added Parmesan cheese)

Enjoy!!!!

Chicken Enchilladas

2009-05-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

This is an easy meal, and most of the time I have all of the ingredients on hand. So, if you need a quick meal, this is a good choice!

8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 7 oz. can chopped green chilies (you can leave these out if you like)
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I just boil the chicken and shred it with my fingers)
1 package large flour tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese

*Mix sour cream and chicken soup together. Separate about 1 Cup of the mixture and save for the topping. Mix the chilies and chicken with the remaining mixture. Add in the amount of cheese that you would like, as well.

*Place any amount of mixture you'd like in the middle of a tortilla and roll up, placing seam side down in a greased 9x13 dish. Continue until dish is full of tortillas. Spread the 1 Cup remaining soup mixture on top and sprinkle with cheese.

*Bake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes.

Serendipity's Frozen Hot Chocolate

2009-05-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a favorite recipe from Serendipity's in New York City.

6 (1/2 oz each) pieces of your favorite chocolate

2 tsp. store-bought hot chocolate mix

1 1/2 T. sugar

1 1/2 cups milk

3 cups ice

Whipped cream (recipe below)

chocolate shavings.

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occassionally until melted. Add the hot chocolate mix and sugar, stirring constantly until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 c. of the milk and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In a blender, place the remaining cup of milk, the room temperature chocolate mixture, and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen slushy. Pour into a giant goblet or glass and top with whipped cream and shavings. Makes one very large serving.

Whipped Cream: Combine 1 c. very cold heavy cream wtih 1 ts. vanilla extract and mix well. With an electric mixer, start whipping the cream on medium. Add 1 1/2 T corn syrup slowly while beating. Whip until the cream holds soft peaks.

Rich Coffee Punch

2009-05-08T18:53:00.000-07:00

This punch was served at a family member's church event and they have raved and raved about how good it was. I have not personally tried it but everyone has been talking about it so I got the recipe.

2 c. coffee, double strength and refrigerated
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
1/2 pint whipping cream (the real kind, not cool whip or a spray)

Make coffee the night before (or at least several hours before) and refrigerate. Combine coffee, ice cream and whipping cream.

This recipe makes one gallon of punch so you can adjust the measurements as needed.

Chermoula Roasted Chicken

2009-05-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

I made this chicken tonight and it was so good--very flavorful and moist. I will definitely make it again. Use fresh herbs and real lemon juice to make it taste the best. I got this recipe out of the recent Paula Deen Magazine.

1 whole chicken
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
3 T olive oil
1 T lemon zest
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 325. Line a roasting pan with foil and place rack inside pan. Spray with cooking spray (I don't have a roasting rack, so I just used a roasting pan).

In small bowl, combine cilantro, parsley, oil, zest, juice, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Loosen skin from breast without detaching it. Place chicken in prepared pan. Carefully rub 3 T cilantro mixture under skin on breast. Rub remaining cilantro mixture evenly over chicken and into chicken cavity. Bake for 1 hour and 30 to 40 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 180 degrees and juices run clear. Let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

Strawberry Pie

2009-05-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

Since it's strawberry picking season, I thought I'd share this yummy pie recipe. I love to make this in the summer time and serve it with homemade whipped cream after dinner.

2 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Cups cold water
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
1 package strawberry jello
1 quart strawberries
1 9-inch pie shell (baked lightly)

-In a saucepan, mix cornstarch with just enough water to make a paste. Stir in remaining water, sugar and jello. Over medium heat, strirring often, bring to a oil. Then stirring constantly, boil for 5 minutes.
-Remove from heat and let mixture cool completely (45-60 minutes).
-While glaze is cooling, wash berries and remove stems. Pat berries lightly to dry water off. When glaze has cooled, fill pie shell (that has been baked lightly) with berries and pour glaze over top.
-Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Glom, or 5 Cup Salad

2009-04-30T16:28:00.001-07:00

This was a dish my mom always made for us growing up. Mom calls is "Glom", but it's also known as Five-Cup Salad. It's easy, yummy and kids love it.

1 Cup Mandarin Oranges
1 Cup Pineapple Chunks
1 Cup Mini-Marshmallows
1 Cup Coconut
1 Cup Sour Cream (I use light sour cream)

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate before serving. You can also add things like chopped pecans, fruit cocktail or use those colored, fruit flavored marshmallows if you would like!

Cake Mix Cookies

2009-04-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

Many of you have probably seen this recipe, but, just in case...

Cake Mix (any kind or flavor, but the lemon is deeeelish!)
1 egg
1 stick of butter

Melt butter, add it and the egg to the cake mix, stir. Drop onto a cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes!

Easy Peasy! Especially if you are in a rush, or your child tells you they need cookies for the whole class, in an hour!

Fruit Filled Coffee Cake

2009-04-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

This is easy and delicious. You can make it in a full 13 x 9 pan or two 8 x 8 square or round pans. It is nice to have with coffee, breakfast or dessert. This recipe would also freeze well so you can make one to enjoy now and freeze the other or give to a friend or neighbor.

1 package (2 layer size) white or yellow cake mix
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup of sour cream (regular or low-fat)
3 eggs
1/4 cup water
1 can (21 ounces) pie filling

Topping ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Beat first five ingredients until well blended
Pour into greased and floured pan(s); top with spoonfuls of pie filling
Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
Cool for 10 minutes
Mix sugar and milk; drizzle over cake
Cool completely

Ideas: Change the flavor of the coffee cake by preparing with your favorite pie filling, such as blueberry, apple or strawberry. The one photographed is made with a Caramel Apple Pie Filling. If you like nuts place some almonds or chopped nuts on top. Look for times when cake mixes, sour cream and pie fillings are on sale and whip this up in a jiffy!

Frozen Peanut Butter Bars

2009-04-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

I just made a batch of these today for my hubby. These are so easy to make. Just grab one from the freezer to put in the lunch box or great as an evening snack.

1 cup of butter of margarine
2 cups of creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar
2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (I use one full 12 ounce bag of semi-sweet)
1/3 cup of milk

In a large saucepan, melt butter and peanut butter together.

Remove from heat.
Add crumbs and powdered sugar, mixing well.
Spread peanut butter mixture in a jelly roll pan (for thinner bars) or 9x13 pan (for thicker bars). Chill in fridge until firm.
When the peanut butter layer is firm melt chocolate chips with milk over low heat.
Spread over chilled peanut butter mixture. Chill again until firm.

Freezing Directions: Cut into serving size pieces. Wrap individually in sandwich bags and then place in a one gallon freezer ziplock bag. Eat straight from the freezer or thaw slightly.

Crock Pot Chicken Barbeque

2009-04-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

This is easy and delicious. Serve with a side of rice, noodles or on a baked potato with sour cream and some veggies on the side. A great lunch meal to place in the slow cooker before leaving for church. Easier still; shred the meat and put on a hamburger bun. Will serve our family of four two meals.

6 skinless chicken breast halves (boneless)
1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce of your choice
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (I use fat free)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce

*The ingredients give it a wonderful flavor. I recommend using a barbeque sauce that you really like to secure you get a great flavor*

Place chicken in the slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the barbeque sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar and Worchestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken. Cover and let it cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 on low (if chicken breasts are frozen). If the chicken is not frozen I recommend 4 hours on low depending on your individual slow cooker.

If you plan to serve it as barbeque about an hour before eating take out chicken and cut in small pieces or shred and return to the slow cooker.

Brown Sugar Bacon

2009-03-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

My friend, Amy, gave me this recipe and said it is THE BOMB DOT COM w/ the Firehouse Pancakes. I haven't posted on Roof with a View yet so it is hot off the email presses.

Brown Sugar Bacon
-Bacon
-Brown sugar

Spray a cookie cooling rack with nonstick spray. Lay over foil-lined roasting pan or something deep enough to catch bacon drippings. Lay out bacon on cooling rack.Sprinkle brown sugar over each piece of bacon, as much as you like. Bake according to package directions (it’s usually around 400 degrees or so) until desired brownness. The brown sugar caramelizes and it is soooo good.

She also mentioned that she's seen Ina Garten on Barefoot Contessa do this too, but she used real maple syrup instead.

Firehouse Pancakes

2009-03-31T14:43:00.000-07:00

I got this pancake recipe from Roof With a View recently. I made them for dinner recently on a cold, snowy night and it was a hit with my family. They are so easy to whip up and they are so yummy and filling. I have said sayonara to Bisquick! Next to my Daddy's famous pancakes, these are SO good!

Firehouse Pancakes

Servings: 4-6

1 1/3 cups milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
2 cups sifted all -purpose flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil

*Mix the milk, eggs, and butter in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until moistened.
*Heat a lightly oiled griddle until hot. Spoon the mixture onto the griddle by ¼ cups and cook until bubbles appear evenly over the top of each pancake. Turn; cook on the second side until golden. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

-Nick SantimauroLadder 166, F.D.N.Y.

"Homemade" Cookies in Minutes!!

2009-03-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

I know everyone has seen these cookie mixes from Betty Crocker in the grocery stores. They are always on sale and with coupons, you can buy them for next to nothing or get them for free! I made a batch the other day, and used the stick of butter and egg that the recipe calls for. They turned out really flat, runny and crunchy. I experimented with the sugar cookie mix the next time I made them. Instead of the entire stick of butter, I only used 6 Tablespoons (softened) and the egg and they turn out tasting EXACTLY like homemade cookies--Soft, chewy, and yummy. I made the chocolate chip mix again tonight for a friend, and did the same thing and they turned out great!
So, if you ever need a quick dessert, a welcome plate of cookies for a neighbor or a teacher's treat that tastes like you made them from scratch, make these cookies using the 6Tbsp of butter and the one egg. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Taco Soup

2009-03-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

I thought for sure I had seen this recipe on here before, with a picture too. But unless my brain is truly gone, I cannot find it.

So here is the Taco Soup recipe of Inger's, that I made for Sunday lunch yesterday.

1-2 pounds ground beef ( I used 2lbs.)
1 small onion chopped (me no use)
1 small can of diced green chilies undrained
1 can of hominy--14.5 oz can undrained
1 can kidney beans--15 oz can undrained
1 can pinto beans--15 oz can undrained
3 cans stewed tomatoes--15oz undrained
1 tsp salt (Yikes, I forgot to add this--it tasted fine.)
1 1/2 water(Yikes, I forgot to add this too--maybe that is why mine was more like a chili??? Still good!)
1 Pkg taco mix
1 Pkg ranch dressing mix

Brown beef with onions and green chilies. Stir and add salt. Place in larger stock pot and add remaining ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes. (I added mine to a crock pot on low for about 4-5 hours.) Top with cheese, and sour cream if desired. Serve with corn bread or hint of lime Tostitos. Yummy!

Chicken and Carrots with Wine Sauce

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

This is a tried and true recipe in our house. When whole chickens are on sale at the grocery store, I stock up and make this recipe. It's easy, cooks all day and dinner is ready in a flash! It's good served with rice or mashed potatoes. This recipe is from the Southern Living Slow Cooker Cookbook.

2 Cups sliced carrots (I make mine more into chunks)
1 Whole Chicken
12 Garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 Cup White Cooking Wine
1 tsp. dried Thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. water

*Combine carrot, chicken and garlic in a slow cooker. Pour wine over mixture and sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Cover with lid; cook on high setting for 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat setting and cook for 6 hours.
*Remove carrots, chicken and garlic from slow cooker (chicken will be very soft). Keep warm. Reserve liquid in cooker and increase to high-heat setting.
*Combine cornstarch and water and stir until blended. Stir cornstarch mixture into cooking liquid. Cook 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently.

Hawaiian Chicken

2009-03-09T12:42:00.002-07:00

3-4 chicken breasts
1/2 bottle 1000 Island Dressing
1/2 jar apricot preserves
1/2 pack of onion soup mix

Mix all together. Put in crockpot. Cook on high for 3-5 hours. Chicken will be SO tender. I usually shred it with a fork. Then, serve by itself or over rice or egg noodles.

*I know the ingredients sound weird, but trust me it's good. And so easy!!!

BTS Cake

2009-03-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

OK...this is called better than ___ cake (or BTS for short) and I'll let you fill in the blank. I don't know if it's REALLY better than intercourse (there's your hint) but it's pretty darn good.

1 chocolate cake mix
12 oz. chocolate chips
3/4 c. chopped pecans (you could probably use a little more if you like nuts. I wished I had cuz it was kinda skimpy on them).
4 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/4 c. water
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding (I used one box of Devil's Food Cake mix instead of chocolate cake mix and pudding. Serves the same purpose.)

In bowl combine 2 tablespoons cake mix, pecans and chocolate chips. Stir to coat; set aside.
Combine remaining cake mix, eggs, oil, water, sour cream, vanilla and pudding. Mix well with mixer. Fold in chips and nuts. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake 350 degrees for 55 minutes until done. Cool 25 minutes and remove from pan.

BTS FROSTING:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. evaporated milk
1/4 c. sifted powdered sugar

Melt butter, add brown sugar. Cook until it bubbles. Add milk and cook until smooth. Remove from heat and add sifted powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the cake.

Orzo Goodness: Confetti Orzo Salad

2009-03-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

Just trust me that this tasty, light, refreshing salad hits the spot. PERFECT for lunch, Spring, summer or pretty much any ole occassion! Love it, love it, love it!

1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo
1 carrot, chopped
1 1/4 cups chopped red, green, or yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber (I used english cucumber from HT b/c they don't have seeds.)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (Word to wise...use minimally or omit all together. I love green onions but it's just as good w/out them.)
1/4 cup chopped purple onion (DEFINITELY omit if you don't wanna smell for days!)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (didn't use)
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind (didn't use)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used 1/2 rice vinegar and 1/2 white cooking wine cuz that's what I had.)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup olive oil

Preparation:
Cook orzo according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain. Combine orzo, carrot, and next 5 ingredients; set aside.

Combine lemon rind, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, coarsely ground pepper, and minced garlic. Gradually whisk in oil. Pour over orzo mixture, tossing gently. Cover and keep chilled.

Coastal Living, JULY 1997

Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies

2009-03-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

These cookies were made by my sister Dolly a few weeks ago. When I tasted them, I instantly told her that they were some of the best cookies I'd ever had (I am a cookie monster!!!). I couldn't get enough of them. The real vanilla bean is the secret ingredient, I think. These are great with the raspberry filling, but I made them the other day without the filling and they were good, too. I will say that mine were flatter than Dolly's. I think it was because my butter was salted? I prefered Dolly's fluffier (like the above cookie) version:) This is from Martha Stewart's Magazine:

1 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 Sticks (10 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softenened

1 1/2 C plus 2 tsp sugar

1 Large Egg

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, halved with seeds scraped and reserved

6 oz (1 Cup) fresh raspberries

7 1/2 oz. good quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/3 Cup heavy cream

*Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Mix butter and 1 1/2 Cups of sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add egg, extract and vanilla bean seeds;mix until smooth. Reduce speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture.

*Scoop batter into 1 inch scoops and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake cookies 4 minutes. Take out and tap on counter to flatten cookies. Return for another 6 minutes. Let cool.

*Puree raspberries and remaing 2 tsp sugar in food processor or blender. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing to extract juice. Discard seeds. Set aside. Melt white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of hot water. Remove bowl from pan and mix in cream, in a low stream. Whisk in raspberry mixture and and refrigerate 20 minutes.

*Spread 1 heaping tsp. raspberry cream onto the underside of cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies.

Grandma Auerbach's Banana Pudding

2009-02-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

This is my all-time favorite banana pudding recipe. This is my great-grandmother's recipe that I grew up on. It is the old-fashioned custard pudding that you make over the stove and is like the old-timers used to make.

3 c. WHOLE milk (For even richer pudding, do 1/2 milk and 1/2 evaporated milk)
2 c. sugar
4 T. flour
5-6 ripe bananas
4 egg yolks
3 T. vanilla
1/2 stick butter
vanilla wafers

Warm milk. Mix sugar, flour and egg yolks with a little of the warmed milk and whisk. Pour the paste in milk stirring over LOW heat. Cook until thickened. (Cook this on low heat and keep stirring constantly so as to not scald the milk. You will think it will never thicken but be patient. It will and it is worth the wait). Add vanilla and butter. Cool. Layer bananas, cookies and pudding. Top with cookies. Several relatives I have go on to top this with meringue, but it is rich enough that I don't think it needs the meringue but you can try it if you'd like.

Kristi's Oreo Cookie Dessert

2009-02-28T20:43:00.000-08:00

This is one of my children's favorite desserts I make. It is so easy but they love it!

1 large pkg. oreos
1/2 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
2 1/2 c. milk
2 boxes chocolate pudding, small
12 oz. cool whip (I love chocolate cool whip)

Crush oreos and set aside. Cream butter, sugar and cream cheese. Mix milk and pudding. Combine two mixtures together and mix well. Add cool whip.

In bowl, layer crushed cookies and cool whip layers finishing top layer with crushed cookies.

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

2009-02-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 bay leaf
1 c. sherry
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms
1/2 c. chopped green onion
2 T. melted butter
3 dashes garlic salt
2 cans (8 1/2 oz) artichoke hearts (drain and quarter)
3/4 c. may0
1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Cook chicken in water with bay leaf, 1/2 c. sheery, salt and pepper on stove until tender. Remove meat from water and cut in pieces. In skillet, saute mushrooms and green onion in butter and garlic salt. Put chicken and artichokes in bowl, add mushrooms and onions. Fold in mayo and s. cream, remaining sherry and 1/2 c. parmesan. Bake 20 min uncovered. (Casserole version)

Serve on pepperidge farms pastry puffs, (the kind with the hollowed center when baking). When cooked, fill with chicken. Great for showers, brunches, etc.

Pina Colada Punch

2009-02-28T20:36:00.000-08:00

This is a very dear friend's "secret" punch recipe. I have never had party punch as tasty as this. Somehow we were given this recipe along the way and use it at every shower and event. It is worth the extra time taken.

3/4 c. powdered lemonade mix (Wylers or Minute Maid)
2 c. sugar
1 (46 oz) can pineapple juice
1 1/2 c. cream of coconut
4 tsp. coconut flavoring
sprint

Mix ingredients except Sprite in a gallon container. Add enough water to make a gallon. Freeze in 2 ziploc bags for 2 days. Defrost one hour before serving and add 1 2-liter of sprite or 7-up per frozen bag. Should be slushy. INCREDIBLE!

Mom's Stomboli Sandwiches

2009-02-28T20:32:00.001-08:00

I grew up eating these sandwiches and they are so easy but yummy.

1 lb. beef
1/2 c. tomato sauce
1/2 c. ketchup
2 tsp. parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp. basil
1 onion
salt and pepper

Onion rolls
Mozarella cheese slices

Brown meat and chopped onion. Drain and add other ingredients. Simmer for 10 min. Spoon onto ONION ROLLS (very important). Place slice of mozarella on filling. Wrap sandwiches in foil and heat at 350 for 15 min.

Easy Cream Cheese Danish

2009-02-28T20:28:00.001-08:00

2 pkgs. cresent rolls
2 - 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c . sugar
1 egg yolk and white
1 tsp vanilla
lemon juice
powdered sugar
milk

Lay 1 pkg. of crescent rolls on 9x13 pan. Crimp edges to make one flat roll. In separate bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla, and a touch of lemon juice. Blend and spread over rolls. Cover mixture with second can of rolls that have been crimped into one layer as well. Seal edges and brush with egg white. Bake 25 min at 350.

Glaze - 1/4 c. milk, pinch of lemon juice, and powdered sugar until desired consistency. When pan is cooled pour glaze over the top and slice. Delish and very rich!

Easiest Fruit Salad

2009-02-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

I make this fruit salad all the time at Christmas because it is very pretty, my kids love it, and it is the easiest fruit salad recipe I have. Good for when you need something quick.

3 c. sliced bananas
1 can chunk pineapple, drain
1 can mandarin oranges, drain
1/2 c. sugar
1 can strawberry pie filling

Mix together and chill. Can't get any easier than that and it tastes like you really worked on it.

Hashbrown Casserole

2009-02-28T20:23:00.000-08:00

I can eat my weight in this recipe. Yummy!

1 (32 0z) bag shredded hashbrowns
1/2 c. melted butter
cream of chicken soup
12 oz. (3 cups) shredded American (I have also used cheddar)
8 oz sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2 diced onion

Topping
2 cups crushed cornflakes
1/2 c. melted butter

Bake at 350 for 40-45 min.

Chicken and Corn Tortilla Enchilada Casserole

2009-02-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

One whole chicken, deboned
1 can cream of mushroom
1 onion
3 T. vegetable oil
1 can evaporated milk
8 oz. Velveeta cheese
1 tsp salt
corn tortillas - anywhere from 6-10 torn into bite-size pieces
small can olives if desired.

Saute onions in oil. Add soup, milk, salt and cheese and simmer until cheese melts. Layer chicken, torn tortillas (more or less to suite your taste), sauce and repeat. Cook 30 min at 350.

This recipe is very good and a little different from other enchilada recipes I have. My mother has been making it for years. You can double the recipe if you have a larger family. Very creamy!

Cider Gravy for Bacon-Herb Butter Turkey

2009-02-21T17:57:00.000-08:00

This gravy accompanies the below turkey recipe. It sounds complicated and time wasting, but it's worth it in the long run to see your husband's big smile and hear the compliments!!! (If you don't understand either of these recipes, please comment or email me to ask questions.)

1/4 Cup reserved fat from turkey drippings
2 1/2 Cups chopped celery
2 Cups coarsely chopped onions
6 large sprigs of thyme (I used loose thyme)
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 Cup Apple Cider
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
6-8 Cups chicken stock
4 sage leaves (I didn't have these, so I ommited this)

*Place 1/4 Cup drippings in saucepan along with celery, onions, thyme and peppercorns. Place in 425 oven and roast for 10 minutes. Add apple cider and vinegar, roast 10 more minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 and add chicken broth and sage. Cook uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Pour base through strainer; discard solids.

*(To do this step, see vegetable ingredients in below turkey recipe) Pour vegetables and pan drippings into strainer. Mash vegetables to get all possible liquid out of them. Discard solids. Pour remaining drippings in pan and place on stove top. Place 1/2 Cup flour into cup and add cold water and whisk with fork. Add to drippings and stir 3 minutes. Add gravy base and simmer until smooth, and thickened, whisking frequently for about 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper.

Again, it sounds A LOT harder than it really is, but the results are delicious! I served the turkey and gravy with smashed red potatoes, green beans and yeast rolls. Mmmm, mmm!!

Roast Turkey with Bacon-Herb Butter

2009-02-21T17:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, before you read the ingredients and directions and write this one off, hear me out. I got a free subscription to Bon Appetit magazine. The recipes in each issue are a little too gourmet for our taste, but the Thanksgiving issue had some great sounding traditional recipes in it. I dog-earred this one and made a mental note to make it. My husband came home from a long trip the other night. When he returns from his trips, I always have a "homecoming meal" for him. He must have seen me dog-ear this because he asked for it! We ate it tonight and both agreed that it's a keeper. It was DELICIOUS! So moist and flavored so well. It may require some day-ahead work, but it's worth it. The gravy that goes a long with it is so good, too. I'll post that later. This would be good for Easter dinner coming up shortly.

Do 1 Day Ahead:
Butter
1 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz. Applewood smoked bacon, cooked and finely chopped (I didn't have applewood, so I used regular)
1/3 Cup Dijon Mustard
1/3 Cup Fresh Thyme, chopped
1/4 Cup Fresh Sage, chopped
1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Coarse Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Finely Grated Lemon Peel

*Blend all ingredients in food processor or blender until bacon is finely chopped. Transfer to sheep of plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap as aid, roll butter mixture into 2-inch diameter log; chill until firm. Remove and cut into 1/4 inch-thick rounds and let sit at room temp for 20 minutes.

*Take Turkey (use whole turkey or turkey breast) and rinse inside and out. Pat dry. Starting at neck end, carefully slide hand between skin and breast meat, slowly slide hand loosening skin. Carefully slide butter slices between skin and meat to cover (there will be a generous amount of butter mixture). Sprinkle 1 tsp coarse salt and 1 tsp pepper over turkey. Place turkey on rimmed baking sheet. Cover with wrap and sit in refrigerator at least one day.

(Like I said, a DELICIOUS gravy accompanies this turkey. It's a little complicated, so you can omit it, if you like. If you want to try it, you'll need some apples, carrots, celery, onions and bay leaves at this point).
*Set oven to 350. Spread olive oil on bottom of roasting pan and place turkey on top. (If you're doing the gravy, chop up 2 C onions, celery, carrots and apples and place them on top of oil. Sprinkle with salt) Place turkey in oven and roast until internal temperature reaches 170, basting with pan drippings every 30 minutes. Tent with foil if turkey gets brown too quickly. (A whole turkey will take about 3 hours, a turkey breast about 2). Transfer turkey to platter, where internal temperature will raise 5-10 degrees).

I know it sounds complicated (it is from Bon Appetit!!!), but I can not tell you how good this is. Very restaurant-quality! The gravy is worth it, too....I'll do that recipe tomorrow. Now that I know how to make it, it will be easier next time. Bon Appetit!

Black Bean Chicken

2009-02-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have to admit, I'm definitely a "taker" when it comes to this blog, but today I'm a giver! This recipe is so easy it's almost embarrassing, but it's so yummy I had to share.

*3-4 Chicken breasts (I always cut each breast into thirds)
*1 jar of your favorite salsa
*1 can of black beans (undrained)

*Put your chicken in the crockpot and pour the salsa and undrained beans on top. Cook on high for 4 hours. Serve over spanish rice.
TIP: Leftovers poured over chips with melted cheese & sour cream make great nachos! Enjoy!

Hamburger Pie Casserole

2009-02-16T16:55:00.000-08:00

Ladies, I understand if the sound of this recipe doesn't immediately rank on the top of your list for pallet pleasing dishes that you would like to try. However, if you have a "meat 'n tatahs" man in your house, this dish will be one sure way to his heart. My husband grew up on this dish and I'll admit it's grown on me. It's a perfect testosterone combination of meat, tatahs AND greens. It's pretty kid friendly as well. The best part of all is it's SOOOOOOOOOO easy peasy.

HAMBURGER PIE CASSEROLE (Minnesota lingo for this recipe is "hamburger hot dish")
-1 or 2 lbs. ground beef (I use ground turkey)
-1 can green beans (french style is best)
-1 can tomato sauce (I used tomato soup)
-2 c. instant mashed potatoes
-2- c. shredded cheese

Brown and drain ground beef. Layer in large casserole. Drain can of green beans and put on hamburger. Add layer of tomato sauce. Then layer of mashed potatoes. Top with layer of shredded cheese. Feel free to sprinkle a little paprika across the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Oatmeal Crispies

2009-01-29T05:36:00.000-08:00

I hadn't made these in awhile but whipped out the recipe when my BF had her baby last week b/c they are her FAVs. This recipe is an oldie but goodie for a good "comfort food" dessert (or snack)!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (depending on whether your butter is salted or not)
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped walnuts (I don't usually put these in but you can if you want)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.