Chicks & Dip

D.I.Y. Slushies!

2011-06-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Slushies add up in cost if you go out for them so do them at home instead!

Koolaid Slushies: makes 4

1 cup sugar
1 koolaid packet
26 ice cubes, approx.
water

Add koolaid powder from one packet, and one cup of sugar to a 2 or 4 cup measuring cup. Add water to the mixture until it reaches the 2 cup line (so it won't be 2 cups of water plus the ingredients, it all adds up to 2 cups). Stir well!

Then, pour 1/2 the mixture into your blender (1 cup). And add approximately 13 ice cubes from a regular ice cube tray. Blend, I use pulse mode, and I had to shake the blender a bit at the end. Pour into 2 cups, then repeat the blender process. If your blender is large you may be able to do it all at once.

I plan to try it with lemon juice and koolaid, to make a frozen strawberry lemonade! Haven't yet, so I'll experiment a bit with it. We did black cherry flavor the other day which is so good!

Fruit Smoothie

2011-01-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

I made this up last night while trying to figure out a way to use a few of the fruits we had on hand. The kiddos really enjoyed the end result...hopefully you will too!

3 ripe bananas, frozen
1 cup frozen berries
1 can pears
1/2 cup milk

Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until mixed well. More milk may be added to obtain desired thickness.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

2010-10-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

from Cooking Light magazine. I didn't have the peanuts so I left them out and it was still great.

1 1/2 c mashed ripe bananas
1/3 c plain yogurt
1/3 c creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 sugar
1/2 brown sugar
1 1/2 c flour
1/4 c ground flaxseed (this is really healthy, but if you don't have any you can use flour)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Combine first five ingredients, beat in sugars until well blended. Combine dry ingredients and add to wet, then stir in peanuts. Pour batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for about at hour, cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove and cool on wire rack.

Glaze:
Combine 1/3 c powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and 1 tablespoon peanut butter with a whisk. Drizzle over bread.

Banana Cake

2010-10-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

This is divine.

1/2 c melted butter
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c sour cream (I used plain yogurt, it was amazing)
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 bananas, mashed
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Beat butter, sugar, and eggs, add sour cream, vanilla, and bananas and mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture. Spread batter in a greased and floured sheet cake pan (bake 25-30 minutes) or 9x13 (bake 45 minutes) and bake at 300.

Cream Cheese Icing
6 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 c soft butter
3 c powdered sugar

Mix together and spread on the cooled cake.

Go Bananas

2010-10-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile, and I don't know if anyone reads this anymore, but I had an idea for a new theme: bananas. I purposely buy too many bananas so that they will start to brown and I just have to make banana bread with them. How about some favorite classic banana bread recipes and anything else that you love to make with bananas?

Old-Fashioned Raspberry Jam (www.epicurious.com)

2010-08-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

I made this jam a couple weeks ago with some fresh raspberries I picked. It was AMAZING! The key is taking the time to make the jam WITHOUT added pectin.

Old-Fashioned Raspberry Jam (www.epicurious.com)
by Eleanor Topp and Margaret Howard
The Complete Book of Year-Round Small-Batch Preserving

Ingredients:
6 cups raspberries
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Preparation:
1. Place berries in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a full boil or high heat, mashing berries with a potato masher as they heat. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

2. Add sugar, return to a rolling boil, and boil until mixture will form a gel, about 5 minutes. (To determine when the mixture will form a gel, dip a cool metal spoon into the hot fruit. Immediately lift it out and away from the steam and turn it horizontally. At the beginning of the cooking process, the liquid will drip off in light, syrupy drops. Try again a minute or two later- the drops will be heavier. The jam is done when the drops are very thick and two run together before falling of the spoon)

3. Ladle into sterilized jars and process in hot water canner (with boiling water) for 5 minutes. Allow jars to sit in the canner for approximately 15 minutes prior to removing them. Once removed, place jars in a draft free location to cool completely.

August: Potlucks!

2010-08-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

For August, I'm thinking we share our Potluck favorites. It doesn't have to be fancy or complicated. If you pick up cookies on the way, tell us what you get. We just want to know what your favorite things to take with you are.

And I'm running out of ideas, so if you have any for future months, post them in the comments.

Gummi Beary Juice (for July)

2010-08-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

My niece got this recipe from the Gummi Bears cartoon. They altered it a little, but it gives you power!

1 package of red berries
1/2 package of blue berries
4 T orange juice concentrate
1 can grape juice concentrate
1 can water (add more if you need to dilute it more)

According to the Gummi bears you put it all together and stir slowly to the right, stir slowly to the left and BANG! (But we put it all in a blender and blend until it's smooth.) Enjoy!

Macaroni & Cheese (for June)

2010-08-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

My dad got me this cookbook a while back, but I haven't tried any of the recipes because . . . well . . . cheese is expensive. Especially specialty cheese. But I decided to bite the bullet, buy the cheese, and try one. And because they all looked so good, I just went with the very first recipe.

Macaroni with Wisconsin Asiago

7 tb butter, plus extra for buttering dishes

1 lb cavatelli (which I couldn't find so I used the mini-bowtie pasta)

1/4 cup plus 2 tbs flour

1 qt whole milk

2 tsp dry mustard

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

dash of Tabasco

1 tbs Worchestershire sauce

Kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

2 cups (1/2 lb) grated aged Wisconsin Asiago cheese (I couldn't find genuine Wisconsin, but I found some good Asiago from a less "authentic" brand)

1 cup (1/4 lb) grated sharp white cheddar cheese

1 1/3 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

3/4 cup coarsly chopped flat-leaf parsley (I forgot to buy this and used dried)

1/3 cup minced fresh chives (forgot this too, I used some chopped green onions)

1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

Preheat oven to 350*. Butter six individual gratin dishes (I used a 9x13 pan)

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain and cool.

In a medium saucepan over moderately low heat, melt 6 tbs butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk and raise the heat to high. When the milk begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium and ocok, whisking occasionally, until thickened. Add the seasonings.

In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, sauce, asiago, cheddar, 1 cup of parm-regg, parsley and chives. Spoon into buttered dishes. Mix the breadcrumbs and remaining parm-regg cheese and sprinkle over the pasta. Dot lightly with remaining butter and bake on the middle shelf until crumbs are lightly browned and sauce is bubbling, 25-30 minutes

The Verdict: Mike and I LOVED it! It was so creamy and wonderful with just a little kick. The boys were indifferent. I think they would have been just as happy with the Kraft stuff.

Strawberry Bruchetta

2010-08-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

This is an old Pampered Chef recipe, and it is great for brunches or bite-sized dessert parties.

1 loaf thinly sliced french baguette

2 T melted butter

Place bread slices on cookie sheet and brush with melted butter. Bake at 350 until golden brown (about 5 min or so)

In a mixing bowl, combine the following:

4 oz cream cheese

1 Meyer lemon, zested and juiced

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In another bowl, slice or chop 1 lb washed and hulled strawberries.

In a non-stick skillet, lightly toast 1 small package blanched slivered almonds.

To assemble, place thin layer of cream cheese mixture on toasted bread, add strawberries, and sprinkle almonds. To garnish, grate white, milk, or dark chocolate over top and dust with powdered sugar.

Berry Punch

2010-08-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite frozen drink in the summer. It needs two days for the mixture to freeze, but well worth the advance preparation!

In a large pitcher, mix together 2 cups sugar and 8 cups water. Add 1 can raspberry lemonade concentrate and add the amount of water it says to add (usually around 3 cans). Mix well. Pour into quart freezer bags and freeze at least 24 hours.

To serve, place in large punch bowl, chunk with a fork, and add sprite or ginger ale. Mix until slushy consistency. Add 1 pint fresh raspberries.

*In the winter, I use regular lemonade concentrate and instead of sprite or ginger ale, I use the cranberry splash Sierra Mist and it is delicious!

"Cakey" Cobbler

2010-08-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm a day late, but this recipe is totally worth it!

I love berry and peach season because it also means COBBLER season!!! My friend, Kirstin, got this recipe from her friend, Julie. It is cakey and just the ratio of fruit to cake.

1/3 cup butter

melt in 8x8 pan in the oven at 350

In a bowl, mix together:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup milk

when butter is melted, pour over butter in pan and DO NOT MIX!

In separate bowl, toss 1 quart berries with a little bit of sugar and spoon over the top of the batter and again, DO NOT MIX!

Sprinkle with sugar (if you like the sugary crust) and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Some of our favorite fruit combinations include:

peaches and raspberries

blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries

peaches and blackberries

*If you are using peaches, remove the skins and cut them into slices or used canned and drain the juice first. I also like to toss peaches with brown sugar and cinnamon instead of white sugar.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Hucklebuckle

2010-08-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hucklebuckle

My mom makes this a lot during huckleberry season, and I don't know where she got the original recipe. I have done it with blueberries and it works like a charm, so my next try will involve raspberries or blackberries. As is the rule in my house, serve it warm with vanilla ice cream!

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

cream together in a bowl, then add:

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup milk

spread in an 8x8 square pan

In a separate bowl, combine:

2 1/2 cups huckleberries

3/4 cup sugar

pour on top of batter

Mix together 1/2 cup boiling water and 1 Tbsp butter and pour over berries. DO NOT MIX!

Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes. Serves about 6.

No Berries (sorry), but Cake/Brownies/Sugar Cookies and Delicious!

2010-07-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

I've made fun cakes before, but this was the stinkin' funnest thing ever! So I had to pass it on. This is sugar cookie fries, and cupcake/brownie "hamburgers" which are so stinkin' delicious! The idea is on http://www.bakerella.com/ in the cupcake section. She made them for Father's Day, I made them for my husband's birthday, so I chose to make a big one too, it's about the size of a real cheeseburger.

These were easy and fun, and bakerella has a template for a fry holder, and tray, etc. too. I did my own by looking at hers because my printer wouldn't work. Anyway, for the burgers, you make yellow cake cupcakes, and a pan of brownies. The brownies you cut into circles the size of the cupcakes using a biscuit/cookie cutter. Then you slice the cupcake in half, insert the brownie, do red/yellow/green frosting, put the top on, and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top! It's easy and doesn't require much patience at all!!

Sugar cookie fries, with frosting dips. The fries are so cool! I recommend cutting them just under an inch wide and cutting them in half after they cook because the cut texture really helps with the fry look! See bakerella for further instructions.

So cool! I think I'll do them for my son's school treats for his birthday if he's allowed to bring some in!

Blackberry Frozen Yogurt

2010-07-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

We inherited an ice cream maker a few weeks ago and have had a lot of fun with it! This is our favorite that we have made so far.

2 cups vanilla yogurt
1/2 c milk
1/4 c sugar
1-2 c fresh blackberries, pureed and strained
1 T lemon juice

Combine ingredients and place in ice cream maker.

July's Theme

2010-07-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

So I still haven't posted my June recipes. Hopefully I'll get to that this week. But I thought I'd go ahead and change the theme for July. You ready?

BERRIES

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

EZ Wheat Bread

2010-06-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from everydayfoodstorage.net and it is very easy to make and hard to mess up!

1 1/4 cup warm water

1 TBS active dry yeast

1/4 cup honey or 1/3 cup sugar

2 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or do a combination with white)

1/4 cup gluten

1 tsp salt

2 TBS non fat non instand dry milk

1 TBS butter or oil or margarine

1 TBS vinegar

1/4 cup potato flakes (do not use potato pearls)

Mix ingredients in the order listed in mixing bowl with dough hook for 12-15 minutes. Let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down. Shape into loaf and place in loaf pan. Let rise till double again. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.

Kale

2010-05-28T18:27:00.001-07:00

I don't think that I had ever tried kale before this, but I read about how nutritious it is and so I wanted to try it. Collin and I both liked it better than cooked spinach. It reduces a lot as it cooks, so don't worry that it seems like a lot. I think this was from cooks.com.

1 large bunch kale, washed, dried, and shredded (make sure to fold the leaves in half and rip out the tough stems)
3 Tbl olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c bread crumbs

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft, add the kale and cook until it gets a little wilty. Mix in the breadcrumbs. Serve over rice or as a side dish.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

2010-05-28T18:16:00.001-07:00

Here is a fun new one that I tried. I thought it really improved the cake mix and made it yummier and fancier. From the Lion House Bakery book.

1 chocolate cake mix (I have also tried it with yellow and it was yummy)
1 can cherry pie filling
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13. Combine ingredients with a large spoon (a mixer will break up the cherries). Spread batter into pan and bake 30-40 minutes.

Frosting:
1 c sugar
1/3 c milk
6 T butter
1-2 cups chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

While cake is baking, combine sugar, butter, milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add chips and vanilla. Stir with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over warm cake and spread evenly.

Food Storage Helps

2010-05-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

Tracking our food storage inventory has seemed, at times, to be an unsurmountable task. I have tried several methods which were difficult to update without making an entirely new spreadsheet. Now that my school schedule is not quite as busy time wise, I have decided to do some searching for various inventory suggestions. While searching this afternoon I found these four websites which when combined, offer a plethora of useful information:

If you are interested in the whole enchilada (storage methods, amounts to store, inventory suggestions, and menu planning) this has a lot to offer. It is a 124 page booklet published by Utah State University's Extension program.
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/fn_503.pdf

This website offers inventory suggestions, a small collection of recipes, 72-hour kit suggestions, and spending plans.
http://www.dealstomeals.com/free_downloads.cfm

For those of you that would like to plan everything this website offers an excellent step-by-step tutorial of how to organize a "complete grocery and food storage planner." You could definetly spend a few hours browsing through all the information available on this site.
http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com/2008/12/simple-food-storage-notebook.html

I really liked the 3-month and long term food storage spreadsheets available on this website. They offer a tutorial to help clarify how to impute your information into the spreasheet. I have found that there are a few portions I will be tweaking a bit, but overall, this is what I have been looking for.
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net

I found another website that offered an excellent collection of recipes. I saved the cookbook, but forgot to write down the web address. I will post the link when I find it again.

Happy reading!!

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2010-05-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for a good chicken enchilada recipe that didn't use cream of chicken soup and I think I have found a great one! Chris really enjoyed it and thought that I had used lots of cream of chicken soup because it was so creamy. This recipe comes from my favorite recipe website. www.melskitchencafe.com

Almost (not quite) everything I try from her postings always turns out great! I use at least 1 or 2 recipes from this website every week.

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

*Serves 4-6

Filling:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here)

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe (melskitchencafe.com)

May and June

2010-05-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

Since we're more than half way through May, I'm thinking we'll combine it with June. This theme, should you choose to participate, is a New Recipe Challenge. Find a new recipe that sounds fun. It can be from a website, a cookbook, a friend . . . and try it out. Post it or link to it and tell us what you thought. Heavenly? Good? Bad? So bad that it made even the least picky eaters go running away screaming?

My New Life

2010-05-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

This brings me to tears every time I watch. Stephanie's faith is amazing. It's true what Elder Holland says at the end.. our trials do make us stronger.

My New Life

(and I am so buying Mindy's CD when it comes out!)

Kid-friendly ideas

2010-04-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

-The kids like egg salad/chicken salad/whatever kind of sammy but use cookie cutter shapes to make the bread "cool". Dinosaur shapes, fish, dog, pretty much anything is fun for them.

-I've found that my kids don't like eating whole, adult-sized burritos, so I take a pizza slicer to a tortilla and make smaller sized ones for them.

-The kid will eat almost anything if it has some fun dip or topping associated with it. I put different toppings in ramekin's and let them put what they want on their food.

-mini quesadillas with broccoli, sweet peppers, etc. in them are usually a hit.

-personal pizzas made on a Skookie pan.

-I sneak ground flax seed in homemade pancakes, bread, etc and the kids don't even notice it's there.

-homemade chicken nuggets. They are good made with crushed Fiber One cereal as the coating. (misplaced my recipe, but it's in the Hungry Girl book.)

-Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges and crackers (Costco has the cheapest price on the cheese)

-hummus with fresh veggies for dipping

-homemade yogurt popsicles

-a really yummy and healthier substiture for sour cream is called Fage ( it's greek yogurt.) Tastes just like sour cream and my kids and hubby eat it like crazy. Works great in any recipe that calls for sour cream or use as a topping. (I buy mine at Costco)

-we've bought Veggie Straws from Costco before. They are chips, taste yummy, and have veggies in them.

Amost Oreos

2010-04-25T17:48:00.001-07:00

I think these are better than oreos!

1 box devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
3 T water
3 T oil
1/2 c cocoa

Preheat to 400. Combine ingredients. Form into balls and place on greased cookie sheets. Flatten and bake 6-8 minutes. While they cool, make the filling.

Filling:
1 c shortening
about 1 pound powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c water

Beat shortening. Add one cup sugar, vanilla, and water. Beat, add half the sugar, beat, add the rest, beat again.

Make into sandwiches.

Green Drink

2010-04-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

This is my mother-in-law's tried and true trick that she used to get her kids to eat some greens. She said to put celery in, but I thought it made the texture weird, so I leave it out. I think it is pretty good, and Jeanette(who refuses to eat vegetables) doesn't exactly guzzle it, but she drinks it.

Place in the blender:
a handful of spinach
a sprig of parsley
a cup of pineapple juice
Blend until very smooth (you don't want them to detect any bits or chunks!).

Killer Mac and Cheese

2010-04-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

You can do this recipe in a crock pot or in the oven. It freezes really well, so small containers are pretty handy to pull out during the summer and just microwave. My kids are the pickiest bum eaters on the planet, and they scarf this down.

1 lb macaroni elbow noodles (or shells are fun, too)

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 can milk

4 T butter

6 cups shredded cheese (whatever you think your kids will like--I normally use some cheddar and some colby/jack blend)

Boil pasta until almost done (overdone pasta will be nasty!), then strain and add some olive oil to keep from sticking.

In the pot you just boiled the noodles in, put butter and cheddar cheese soup and whisk together on med-low heat. Add milk and rest of cheese. Whisk until cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes. You can add more milk to make the sauce thinner if you wish.

Mix with pasta noodles.

From here, place mixture in a crock pot on low for 3 hours or bake in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

*Try other things in it like ham or just use white cheese. One of my family's favorite things to do with this is ladle hot tomato juice or tomato soup over the top of the macaroni in a bowl and eat it that way.

Noodles and White Sauce

2010-04-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

I love the theme for this month. I am looking forward to all of your ideas. Here is one of my favorite kid lunches.

bowtie or spiral pasta
Alfredo sauce from a jar mixed half and half with pureed cauliflower
chopped chicken (from a can or leftovers)
peas and carrots (my philosophy is even if they get picked out, at least you tried!)
whatever else you have laying around and think your kids will eat!

I also like to make breakfast foods for lunch: cheesy omelets, waffles, breakfast burritos.

Polynesian Coconut Rolls

2010-04-10T14:58:00.001-07:00

Coconut milk is amazing. It makes everything taste so yummy and exotic.

1 can coconut milk
1 c water
6 T sugar
4 tsp corn starch
dough for 12 rolls

Combine coconut milk, water, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl, stir well until cornstarch dissolves. Coat a 9x13 with spray. Pour in mixture. Place rolls on top of coconut mixture. Let rise until double in size (1 hour or 25 minutes in a warm oven), then bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
from The Lion House Bakery cookbook.
I used white whole wheat in my roll dough and it was still great.

The Best Carrot Cake You've Ever Had

2010-03-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

So when I was in high school, I used to babysit for a family in our ward twice a week, every week. One day when I went over there, I saw a carrot cake on the counter. I was never a huge carrot cake fan, but it was right after school and I was starving so I tried a piece. Oh my goodness! It was AMAZING! So moist . . . so tasty . . . Heaven! I scoured her cupboards and drawers looking for the recipe and finally found it. I copied it down and have been making it ever since. And because Easter is coming up, here it is for you too.

Beat together:

3 ¼ c grated carrots
4 eggs
2 ¼ c sugar
1 ½ c oil
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 (8 oz) package softened cream cheese

In a separate bowl combine:
2 ¼ c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
A dash of allspice

Add dry ingredients to carrot mixture. Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake on top rack at 350° for about 55 minutes. Frost when cool.

Frosting:
1 package softened cream cheese
½ c softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 c. powdered sugar

Buttermilk Syrup

2010-02-22T09:03:00.000-08:00

This one is perfect with the oatmeal pancakes recipe below. It's also heavenly with pumpkin pancakes, and buckwheat pancakes, and Bisquick pancakes, and ice cream, and just with a spoon . . .

Buttermilk Syrup
3/4 c. butter
3 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
3 Tbsp. light corn syrup
3 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. vanilla

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a large pot. (And I mean large. Don't think you can get away with a little sauce pan. It really does froth up quite a bit!) Remove pot from the burner; add baking soda and vanilla. Mixture will froth up and rise considerably. Stir regularly and let sit until the syrup settles and bubbles are gone. Serve warm.

Pancakes

2010-02-21T18:47:00.000-08:00

This is from the book Deceptively Delicious, which I am really enjoying. The idea is that you add vegetable and fruit puree to everything so that your kids get some vitamins even if they are refusing to eat their vegetables. I'm not sure if its enough to really make a big difference, but its worth trying. You can always use baby food if you don't want to go to the trouble of making the purees. These are really yummy.

1 cup water
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup pancake mix

Mix the batter and cook the pancakes. Serve with whatever you like.

Cinnamon Burst Bread

2010-02-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from Everydayfoodstorage.net

I made some the other day and it didn't turn out too bad. I didn't have enough cinnamon chips though, so it could have been better. It is great to make french toast out of too!

(The picture of the bread is not what I made)!

3 T. yeast
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs, beaten lightly
3 3/4 cup warm water
4 1/2 tsp. salt
3 T. vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups cinnamon bites
11-12 cups flour (you can use white or wheat or a combination of both)

Combine in mixing bowl 4 cups flour, yeast, and sugar. Add water, eggs, and oil. Beat well to “cake batter” stage. Stir in salt, cinnamon bites, and 7 more cups flour to make bread-dough consistency. Let mixer knead it to the right texture (add up to 1 more cup flour if needed). Place dough in greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour. Shape dough into 4 loaves. Let rise for another hour or until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

2010-02-15T08:55:00.001-08:00

This recipe is similar to the one Heather posted, but different and still really good!

1/2, cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, use 1 cup regular milk + 1TBS lemon juice)
1/2 cup skim milk
2 egg whites (I use 1 egg instead of egg whites)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/ 2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 /2 teaspoon baking soda

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, buttermilk, and milk. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes to let the oatmeal soften.
Beat in the egg whites and oil and mix well- Add the sugar, salt, and cinnamon, then the baking powder, baking soda, and flour.
Stir just until moistened.
Heat a lightly oiled or nonstick griddle over medium-high heat (375 degrees for electric frying pan). Pour batter onto the griddle. Turn when the tops are covered with bubbles and the edges look cooked, Turn only once.

Oatmeal Pancakes

2010-02-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

February is breakfast month, right? This is a recipe from Angela, and I LOVE it!

2 cups old fashioned oats

2 cups buttermilk

Place in a bowl and mix together. Cover and leave on the counter at least 6 hours or overnight.

Add in:

4 beaten eggs

2 Tbsp sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

Stir together. Then add:

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Stir mixture well, then cook on hot griddle.

I like to serve with buttered maple syrup (place maple syrup in a small saucepan and add some butter and melt together on low heat), blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, etc. I LOVE these pancakes!

Ice Cream Cake

2010-01-26T15:09:00.000-08:00

Not all freezer meals have to be for dinner! I made an excellent ice cream cake for my husband's birthday that can easily be made in advance. I posted more pictures of this "cake" on my craft blog: sewincrediblycrafty.blogspot.com

Oreo & Fudge Ice Cream "Cake" (I doubled the recipe)

1/2 cup fudge ice cream topping warmed

1 tub cool whip divided

1 pkg (4oz) jellow chocolate instant pudding (I used Cookies & Cream)

12 Orea Chocolate sandwich cookies

12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches (When I doubled the recipe I got 12 Cookies & Cream sandwiches plus 12 vanilla sandwiches)

Pour the fudge topping into a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup whipped topping with a wire wisk until it's well blended. Add in the dry pudding mix, stir 2 minutes or until well blended. The consistency of fudge topping can vary depending on what brand you purchase. If your fudge topping mixture is too thick to spread easily, add in 1/4 cup milk.

Chop Oreo cookies roughly into chunks. Stir into the pudding mixture. Arrange 4 ice cream sandwiches side by side on a 24x12 inch piece of foil; top with half of the pudding mixture. Repeat the layers. Top the pudding mixture with the remaining 4 sandwiches. The layers create a neat striped effect when sliced. Frost the top and sides with the remaining cool whip. It doesn't have to look perfect. Bring up the foil sides. Double fold top and ends to loosely seal the packet. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving. Let stand at room temperature to soften before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Chicken Enchiladas

2010-01-26T07:44:00.000-08:00

I posted my enchilada recipe in 2008, but you can click here and go right to it. I always make extra and freeze them.

One thing I did differently this time is that I took the chicken and marinated it in olive oil, lime juice, kosher salt, seasoned pepper, garlic, and cumin for an hour. Then I browned the chicken in a skillet, diced it on a cutting board, sauteed diced onions in the same pan I cooked the chicken in, and then added the rest of the ingredients. It was pretty yum-o-riffic and I think I'll do chicken that way more often and just slice it on top of a salad or something.

Spinach Chicken Lasagna

2010-01-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe up about three years ago when I had to bring dinner to two different families and feed mine in one night. It was really easy! This recipe freezes beautifully in an 8X8 pan covered with foil. I love using the cheese ravioli instead of lasagna noodles. You can also tweak it to make more of a "lasagna" taste and use meat ravioli and ground beef instead of chicken. Another way I like to tweak this recipe is to add in a layer of ricotta (or you can put cottage cheese in a food processor and it works, too) mixed with garlic and oregano. YUM!!!!

2 lbs chicken, diced, and then sauteed in olive oil with garlic and onion and oregano

1 bag fresh spinach, rinsed and dried (you can also use frozen spinach, just thaw first)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 bag frozen cheese ravioli

1 jar of your favorite alfredo sauce (you can also use marinara if you desire)

Assembly:

Place 1/4 cup sauce in the bottom of the dish and spread around so it covers the pan.

Layer 1/2 ravioli, 1/2 chicken, 1/2 spinach, and 1/2 cheese.

Cover with sauce.

Layer the rest of the ravioli, chicken, and spinach.

Use the rest of the sauce

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

To freeze:

Cover with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil.

To serve:

Thaw in fridge for 24 hours, then bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes or until done.

English Toffee

2010-01-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

This one is my candy recipe from last month. It's perfect for neighbor gifts!

Butter the bottom of an 8x8 pan. Use real butter. Cover with nuts if desired.

Combine:
1/2 lb butter
1 cup sugar
1 TBSP water

Cook until sugar turns brown like a paper bag. Pour mixture over nuts. Spread 1 bag of chocolate chips over the mixture. Let cook and then cut or break into pieces. Enjoy!

January Theme

2010-01-10T09:26:00.001-08:00

Sorry I'm late this month. I've been freezing in Florida for the last week.

This month we'll be sharing all those recipes that keep well in the freezer. Or those that are easy to double . . . one for tonight . . . one for the freezer. Can't wait to see what you ladies have to share!

What does everyone think about doing breakfast recipes in February?

Rolled Sugar Cookies

2009-12-30T14:16:00.000-08:00

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

My kids and I made these for a Christmas party we attended. They turned out perfect. We frosted them with cream cheese frosting which was an amazing combination!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour (I used 3 cups wheat, 2 cups white)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Truffle Cake with Cany Cane Cream

2009-12-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

I made this cake last night for a book club at my house and it was very good. Rich, but oh so good!

Ingredients:
1 cup graham crackers
1 cup chopped pecans
2 TBS. plus 3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter melted
1 cup heavy whipping cream
16 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsley chopped
6 eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

CREAM:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBS. sugar
4 candy canes; finely ground
1/4 - 1/2 tsp pepperment extract

Combine crackers crumbs adn pecans, 2 TBS sugar and butter; press onto the bottom of a greased 9 inch, springform pan. Place on baking sheet.
In a large saucepan, cook chocolate and cream over low heat until chocolate is melted. Cool. In a large bowl, beat eggs, flour and remaining sugar on high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 5 mintues. Gradually beat in chocolate mixture.
Pour batter into prepared crust. Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Beat cream and sugar until stiff peaks form; fold in ground candy cane and extract. Serve with cake.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

2009-12-08T23:10:00.001-08:00

I made this for a different dessert option on Thanksgiving. The title just got me and I had everything on hand to make it. Of course, I didn't take a picture, but I have a link to take you right to the recipe at My Kitchen Cafe. Try it out if you have a major sugar craving like I did.

Burrito Casserole

2009-12-08T22:30:00.001-08:00

This dinner seriously could not be any easier and tastes pretty darn good too! I made this for just my husband and I with leftovers for the next day. The portions are pretty small but you could make this for a big group easily.

4 frozen bean and cheese burritos
1 can red or green enchilada sauce
1/2 can cream of chicken
1/4 c. sour cream
cheddar/mexican cheese
diced tomatoes
chopped lettuce
diced avocados

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a small baking dish, I use a bread pan when just making small portions like this a lot. Layer burritos on bottom. Mix enchilada sauce, cream of chicken and sour cream together and pour over top of burritos. Layer with cheese next, as much as you'd like or a little if you want to be healthy. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted. Scoop out onto plate and top with tomatoes, lettuce and avocados.

I used the red enchilada sauce, but next time I'd like to try the green. Red was a little too spicy for my pregnant body. :)

Topic Idea

2009-12-08T22:25:00.000-08:00

What do people think about doing freezer meals in January? I know that I'm ALWAYS looking for a good freezer meal that's easy, turns out well and tastes good. Plus with baby #2 coming in a few weeks, I need to store up on freezer meals anyways. What do ya'll say? Freezer meals for the freezing January?

Caramel Apple Pie

2009-12-01T06:54:00.000-08:00

2 Pillsbury pie crusts (or homemade)

½ cup unsalted butter

3 T all purpose flour

¼ cup water

½ cup white sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

8 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

Preheat oven to 425°, melt putter in sauce pan, and stir in flour to form a paste. Add water and sugars. Bring to a boil. Reduce temp and let simmer.

Place bottom crust in pan. Fill with apples mounded slightly. Cover with lattice work of top crust. Gently pour butter/sugar liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so it doesn’t run off.

Bake 15 minutes in preheated oven. Reduce temp to 350°. Continue baking 35-45 minutes until apples are soft.

Chocolate Silk Pie

2009-11-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

This is a definite winner in my book and so easy too. This recipe is from my Kitchen Aid manual, so it has specific instructions for the mixer.

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
2/3 cut evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
whipped topping (optional, but we all love it!)

Place sugar and cocoa powder in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and wire whip to mixer. Turn to Stir Speed and mix to combine, about 15 seconds. Continuing on Stir Speed, gradually add eggs, evaporated milk, and vanilla, mixing until well blended, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn to Speed 6 and whip until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Pour into prepared crust. Place pie plate on preheated baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until center puffs and pie has set. Cool completely on wire rack. Garnish with whipped topping. Yield: 8 servings.

Spaghetti Squash Dip

2009-11-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe here. I was intrigued and tried it and I loved it! It is a little like Spinach Artichoke Dip. I used Pepper Jack for some of the cheese and I liked the flavor it added.

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking dish.
Place the spaghetti squash cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet. Place in preheated oven, and bake until soft when a fork is inserted., 30 to 40 minutes.
Scoop out the cooked squash, and place in a mixing bowl. Add butter to the squash and stir until butter melts. Stir the mayonnaise, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese into the squash mixture until well blended. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until cheese melts, about 20 minutes.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

2009-11-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

This is one I got at my new ward's recipe exchange last month. It was so tasty! If you're having a hard time picturing it, it's kind of like a casserole . . . except in a pumpkin instead of a pan. Enjoy!

1 small to medium pumpkin
1 t vegetable oil
1 chipped onion
1 1/2 to 2 lbs hamburger (or exchange half of it for sausage)
2-3 T soy sauce
2, 4oz cans sliced mushrooms drained
1 1/2 c cooked rice
2 T brown sugar
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can sliced water chestnuts drained

Cut top of pumpkin and clean out the inside. Lightly rub with oil.

Saute onion in oil until tender, add hamburger and brown. Drain if needed. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, soup and simmer 10 minutes. Add cooked rice and water chestnuts. Spoon mixture into the pumpkin shell and replace lid. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 1 to 2 hours until flesh of pumpkin is tender. Scoop out the filling and the pumpkin flesh and enjoy.

Stuffed Pumpkin

2009-11-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

I haven't tried this yet, but I plan to. My friend tried it and posted the link on her blog.
http://prudentbaby.blogspot.com/2009/10/stuffed-pumpkin-of-tastiness-and-warmth.html

November!

2009-11-01T06:12:00.000-08:00

Since no one has given me any ideas for themes, I'm going to keep it simple and "Fall-ish." This month, let's share pumpkin recipes!

And please post your ideas for future themes in the comments below . . .

Bear Claw (apple dessert) or Cinnamon Rolls

2009-10-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

This is a delicious recipe using cannery dried apples. It can be halfed for more of a single family size.

Bear Claw
-Rehydrate 5 cups of dehydrated apples by soaking them overnight.

Mix together the following ingredients and let rest for 15 minutes:
2 1/3 c. warm water (hot to the touch but not burning. ~120 degrees F)
1/2 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. yeast

Then:
Preheat oven to 425
Grease Pans
Melt 1 cube margarine or butter (1/2 cup)
Make cinnamon/sugar mix: 2 Tbsp. cinnamon to 1 c. sugar

To yeast mixture add:
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2/3 c. oil
6 2/3 c. flour

Mix well:
Roll dough into an oblong shape on floured surface, transfer to baking sheet. Spread 1/2 with melted butter. Place 1/3 of apples over butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture to taste. Fold dough in half lengthwise and lightly seal edges with fingers. With kitchen shears cut 2 inch "fingers" 3/4 of the way through dough, leaving at least 2 inches along back uncut. Twist each finger twice and then lay back down on baking sheet. Repeat until all fingers are completed. Let rise about 10 minutes. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.

Yield:
Each recipe yields 2-3 bear claws, depending on size. (They are about the size of a loaf of french bread each).

Frosting:
In a small sauce pan place:

1/2 cube of margarine or butter (1/4 c.)
1/3 c. milk

Heat until hot but not burning, remove from heat and add:

1/2 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
3 1/3 c. powdered sugar.

Note:

Same dough can be used to make delicious cinnamon rolls. Instead of forming bear claw, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and raisins if desired, roll dough from the long side and cut in one inch wide rolls. Place in greased pans with sides of rolls just touching. Follow same cooking instructions.

Applesauce Cake

2009-10-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

2 cups applesauce
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar; add eggs one at a time. Add the applesauce. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Beat until well blended. Stir in the walnuts. Pour into a greased 13x9 inch pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake is done.

Fresh Apple Cake

2009-10-28T10:21:00.001-07:00

4 cups diced apples
2 cups sugar
1/2 cups oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups flour

stir apples, sugar, and oil together. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to the apple mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes in a greased and floured 9x13 pan

Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cube butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend all ingredients together and frost cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Baked Apple French Toast

2009-10-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

1 (16oz) large loaf of French bread or 2 small loves

8 eggs, lightly beaten

3 c. Milk

3/4 c sugar, divided

1 T. vanilla extract

2-3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 T butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch glass dish with vegetable oil spray. Slice bread into 1 1/2 inch slices. Place bread tightly together in one layer in dish. Mix eggs, milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla. Pour half of the liquid over the bread. Place apple slices on top of the bread to cover. Pour remaining egg mixture over the apples. Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the apples. Dot with butter. Bake for 35 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake the next morning for 50 minutes.

Spiced Apple Muffins

2009-10-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

2 Cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup raw apples, finely chopped

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Combine milk, egg, and butter and add to dry ingredients. Mix just enough to combine. Fold in apples. Drop in well greased muffin tins.

Topping: Place an apple ring (unpeeled) on top of each muffin and sprinkle tops with cinnamon and sugar mixture (2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon,) and chopped walnuts (optional) and sprinkle on top of muffins. Bake at 425 for 20-25 mins.

Snickers Salad

2009-10-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

1 red apple
1 green apple
1 Snickers Candy Bar (or more!)
1 cup whipping cream with 4 teaspoons powdered sugar (Cool Whip works as well)
6oz container of strawberry yogurt

Fold yogurt into whipped cream. Cut apples and snickers into bite size pieces. Fold pieces into creamy mixture.

Baked Oatmeal

2009-10-27T14:12:00.001-07:00

I know I have been posting with a vengeance but I have to catch up one way or another with all these yummy recipes. I have had to tweak my diet quite a bit since my gall bladder has decided to quit working. So some of these recipes I have found healthier ingredient options for. This is one of them and it still tastes JUST as good as the original. By the way, if none of you have ever tried baked oatmeal-- it is such a delicious way to eat your oatmeal. You just make it up the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight with saran wrap. Then get up in the morning, take the saran wrap off, set it in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. It will warm up as the oven warms up so it won't crack your dish. So I'll give you the original dish and the additional options on the side so you can take your pick.

Baked Oatmeal

2 1/4 c. quick cooking oats *use if you are making and baking right away
(or 2 3/4 c. old-fashioned oats) *use if you are making and baking in the morning
2/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar (1/3 c. brown sugar or 3 T. pure maple syrup)
1 t. baking powder
3/4 c. raisins (or cranberries)
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced (or peaches or strawberries or blueberries)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (I use 3/4 c.-- I like it crunchy!)
1-2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
3 1/3 c. skim milk (3 1/3 c. soy milk if you prefer)
1/2 c. butter (1 t. safflower or coconut oil w/ 1/2 c. applesauce)
4 egg whites (1 mashed banana)
1 t. vanilla extract
milk, yogurt, cream, sugar, and/or fruit for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" square glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine oats, sugar, raisins, apples, walnuts, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Mix well.

In a medium bowl, combine milk, butter, egg whites, and vanilla and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well blended.

Pour into the baking dish and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes depending on what consistency you want to end up with. I like mine well set with a little crunch around the edges, but so it is still moist inside, just a tad over 50 minutes. Cool slightly.

Serve topped with milk or cream or sugar or yogurt and fruit, whatever you want. Store leftover oatmeal tightly covered in refrigerator.

Apple Art

2009-10-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

This is an activity, not a recipe. Cut apples in half cross-wise to make star stamps for dipping in paint.

Apple Pizza

2009-10-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Crust:
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. ice water

Mix well and form into a ball. Spread onto 1 large or 2 small ungreased pizza pans; turn up edges.

Topping:
1/2 c. powdered coffee creamer (can make without)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/3 c. flour
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 c. cold butter

Mix all except butter. Spread half of topping over crust and leave the rest in the bowl. Cut butter into the remaining half of topping and save.

Filling:
6 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apples
juice of 1/2 lemon

Sprinkle lemon juice over apples. Pile onto pizza, then sprinkle on remaining crumbly topping. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Cut into slices and serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Delicious topped with drizzled caramel sauce!

Toffee Apple Dip

2009-10-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 (11 oz.) package Skor or Heath toffee chips

Beat softened cream cheese, sugars and vanilla together until fluffy. Stir in toffee chips by hand. Serve with sliced apples.

Autumn Wild Rice

2009-10-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

2 (6 oz.) packages long grain and wild rice mix
1 medium red or green apple, unpeeled and diced
1 green onion, minced
1/4 c. dried cranberries or golden raisins
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 t. poppy seeds
1 t. grated lemon rind
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. apple juice

In a medium saucepan, cook rice according to package directions. In a large serving bowl, combine apple, onion, cranberries or raisins, parsley and almonds. Add cooked rice and toss together to blend. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, poppy seeds, lemon rind, cinnamon and apple juice. Pour over rice mixture and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Applesauce Muffins

2009-10-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

1/2 c. applesauce
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
3 T. milk
1 c. raisins (optional)
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. allspice
1/2 t. nutmeg

Topping:
1/4 c. pecans, chopped
1/2 c. brown sugar, loosely packed
1/2 t. cinnamon

Combine applesauce, sugar, oil, eggs, milk and raisins. Mix together and add dry ingredients. Stir with a spoon until well blended. Pour into greased muffin tin. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter. Bake t 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Oreo Caramel Apples

2009-10-26T15:21:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure where I collected this recipe from, but it is so good.

1. Slice Granny Smith Apples
2. Dip in caramel sauce
3. Dip in Oreo Crumbs
4. Refrigerate

Caramel Recipe:
1/4 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup

Bring to a soft boil, then add 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (7 oz.). Return to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1/2 t. vanilla. Let cool before dipping apples or it just runs right off.

Apple Slab Pie

2009-10-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

From Cook's Country

I know this isn't Kathy's famous apple pie (which she should probably post this month), but it is still pretty darn good. Here goes.

Pie:
8 granny smith apples (about 3 1/2 lbs.) peeled, cored, and sliced thin
8 golden delicious apples (about 3 1/2 lbs.) peeled, cored, and sliced thin
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. animal crackers
2 (15 oz.) boxes pillsbury ready to roll pie crust
4 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 T. minute tapioca
2 t. ground cinnamon
3 T. lemon juice

Glaze:
3/4 c. reserved apple juice (from filling)
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

1. For the pie: combine apples, 1 c. sugar and salt in colander set over large bowl. Let sit, tossing occassionally until apples release their juices, about 30 minutes. Press gently on apples to extract liquid and reserve 3/4 c. juice.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse crackers and remaining sugar in food processor until finely ground. Dust work surface with cracker mixture, brush half of one pie round with water, overlap with second pie round and dust top with cracker mixture. Roll out dough to 19 x 14 " and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Brush dough with butter and refrigerate; roll out top crust in the same way.

3. Toss drained apples with tapioca, cinnamon, and lemon juice and arrange evenly over bottom crust, pressing lightly to flatten. Brush edges of bottom crust with water, and arrange top crust on pie. Press crusts together and use a paring knife to trim any excess dough. Use fork to crimp and seal outside edge of pie and then pierce top of pie at 2" intervals. Bake until pie is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 1 hour.

4. For the glaze: While pie is cooling, simmer reserved apple juice in saucepan over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 c. , about6 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and butter and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in powdered sugar and brush glaze evenly over warm pie. Let pie cool completely, at least 1 hour longer. Serve.

**This pie can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

***You grind animal crackers and sugar to a powder in the food processor and use this mixture instead of flour to facilitate rolling out the dough. The animal cracker-sugar mixture lends a much needed flavor to the bland store-bough pie dough.

Caramel Apple Slices

2009-10-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

2 lbs. (about 6 apples) Golden Delicious apples
2 T. butter
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 T. flour

Peel, core, and slice each apple into 8 pieces. In a medium saucepan melt butter. Add brown sugar and flour. Add apple slices and cook over low heat until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Great as a garnish, snack, topping, or side dish. Makes 6 servings.

Grated Apple Salad

2009-10-26T14:41:00.002-07:00

This is an old-time jello salad, but try it if you like. You may just like it.

1 (6 oz.) pkg. cherry Jell-O
2 c. boiling water
2 c. apples, grated (2 lg. or 4 sm.)
1 1/2 c. orange juice

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add orange juice and set until partially thick. Fold in grated apples and set until firm.

Apple Pancakes

2009-10-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

From Captain Jefferds Inn (Kennebunkport, ME)
2 c. unbleached flour
2 1/2 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 T. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. mace
3 eggs
2 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 1/2 T/ bacon drippings or oil
1 1/2 c. tart apples, shredded, firmly packed
1 1/2 c. pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

Combine flour, sugar, and dry ingredients. In a large bowl, beat eggs lightly and stir in oil and milk. Add flour mixture and blend just until dry ingredients are moistened. Batter will be slightly lumpy. Stir in apples and pecans and let stand for 20 minutes. Stirring lightly, pour 1/4 c. batter onto a hot skillet. As bubbles appear on top, turn and brown on the other side.

Sugarless Apple Pie

2009-10-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

6-8 apples, peeled and sliced
1/8 t. salt, brings out the natural sweetness of the apples
1/2 to 1 c. raisins
Dash of cinnamon

Mix together. Bake in 2 crust pie shell at 450 for 20-30 minutes, or until crust is cooked.

Caramel Dumplings

2009-10-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

This is not apple, but I've seen so many apple dumpling recipes I thought it would be fun to try a different version. It's delicious!

1 1/2 c. flour, sifted
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
1/3 c. sugar
2 T. butter

Milk (enough to make thick batter, about 2/3 c.)
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. water
2 T. butter

Boil together; drop in dumplings. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Serve hot with whipped cream or ice cream.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

2009-10-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

Fruit Mixture:
5 c. (5 medium) apples, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
1 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1 t. cinnamon

Topping:
1 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. nuts, chopped

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12 x 8", 2 qt. baking dish. In a large bowl, combine all fruit ingredients; toss to coat. Spoon into greased baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine rolled oats, brown sugar, and 1/3 c. flour. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit.

Bake at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown or apples are tender. If desired, serve with ice cream, whipped cream or heavy cream. Makes 10 servings.

Microwave directions:
In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, sugar 3 T. flour and cinnamon. Spoon into ungreased 12 x 8", 2 qt. microwave-safe dish. In small bowl, combine rolled oats, brown sugar, 1/3 c. flour, melted margarine, and nuts; mix well. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit. Microwave on high for 10 -12 minutes, or until apples are tender, rotating dish half turn halfway through cooking.

Fruit Filled Cake

2009-10-26T14:21:00.001-07:00

Cream together:
1 c. margarine
4 eggs
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla

Beat in:
3 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder

Spread half on a large cookie sheet. Dot with one can of fruit filling. Apple pie filling or tart cherry pie filling is nice. String remaining dough around fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Apple Crisp with Rum Sauce

2009-10-25T22:55:00.000-07:00

Crisp Mixture
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter, melted

Apple Mixture
7 apples, peeled and sliced
2 T flour, mixed with apples
Additional sugar/cinnamon mixture, mixed with apples

Put apple mixture in a 9x13 pan. Crumble the crisp mixture on top. Bake for 1 hour at 350°. Serve warm with ice cream and rum sauce

Rum Sauce
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 T rum flavoring

Boil first three ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Add the rum flavoring at the very end.

Apple Pancake

2009-10-24T14:03:00.001-07:00

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. apple slices

1 egg

1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

dash of nutmeg

In 9 inch pie plate melt butter. Put apple slices in pan. In bowl beat egg; add flour, milk, vanilla and nutmeg. Pour over apples. Bake 12 minutes at 425°. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Apple Nut Crackers

2009-10-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and finely minced

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup applesauce

In a medium mixing bowl stir together the dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Add applesauce all at once. Using a fork, stir until the mixture can be gathered into a ball. Divide dough in half. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease baking sheets and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of the dough into a 12x7 inch rectangle. Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares with a pastry wheel (I use a pizza cutter)--you can also get fancy and do circles, triangles, letters, etc. Place crackers 1/4 inch apart on baking sheet and prick each cracker with a fork a few times to prevent bubbles. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool until firm and store in an air-tight container.

Baked Apple Pancake

2009-10-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Parenting Magazine and absolutely fell in LOVE with it. Just be careful with the hot skillet. I burn myself more often than I'm willing to admit.

3 medium tart apples, peeled and sliced

2 T lemon juice

½ tsp cinnamon

6 T powdered sugar

6 T butter, melted and cooled, divided

3 eggs

¼ tsp salt

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup milk

½ tsp vanilla

Toss apple slices with lemon juice and then the cinnamon and powdered sugar. Heat a 10 inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add apples and 4 tablespoons butter. Cook on low-medium heat, stirring for 4 minutes, until tender

Beat eggs, salt, flour, milk and vanilla until smooth. Beat in remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

Spread apples evenly in skillet. Pour batter over the top. Bake about 20 minutes, until no moist spots are left in batter. Remove from oven and immediately flip over onto a large plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Let's keep going!

2009-10-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

We've had enough people show interest that we're going to start with the themes again. I'll keep adding to my digital recipe book through the end of the year and make it a Chicks & Dip Cookbook Part 1. I really am happy that so many want to keep sharing!

This month . . . APPLES!

I'll just pick the themes for each month, but I'd love your input. Post a comment with all your fantastic ideas!

Apple Cinnamon Bread Braid

2009-10-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

I would have taken a picture sooner, but this was all that was left by the time I pulled out the camera. I usually make cinnamon rolls for conference morning using my Aunt Sandy's french bread recipe (found here). This year, I made them but added a few twists.

The bread rises for nearly an hour while you stir it down a few times. During the stir down-times, I sprinkled in a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon sugar so that the dough would be really infused with that flavor once it was all the way risen. It makes the dough a little bit sticky, but when you roll it out onto the countertop with flour, it is just fine.

The other thing I did was take half the dough and turn it into a bread braid. Here's how:

1. Roll the dough out into a rectangle.

2. Spread a thin layer of butter onto the dough.

3. Spread a 1/4 inch layer of light brown sugar onto the dough, and sprinkle cinnamon on top.

4. Take a pizza cutter and cut 2 inch strips into the dough along the long ends of the rectangle, thus leaving about 4 1/2 inches of non-cut dough where you pile sliced apples.

5. After apples are piled along the middle of the rectangle, take the ends and "braid" them into each other. I folded the end into the apples, then took the strips and just criss-crossed them. At the end of the braid, tuck leftover dough back into the braid.

6. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Some of the brown sugar will leak out onto the cookie sheet, so make sure and use one with edges.

7. While it cools, drizzle cream cheese frosting all over it. Slice and serve.

It is freakishly delicious, and has been requested for next year and also for Christmas morning. I just love a good versatile bread recipe!

Hey out there!

2009-10-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know if anyone ever comes here anymore, but I thought I'd let you all know . . .

I'm working on putting all these recipes into an organized word file that can be printed out, bound and kept with the rest of your cookbooks. I'll email the file to anyone who is interested.

So:

If you have any recipes you really want to share before I finish this up, do it now.
If you would like me to send the file to you, leave me a comment.

Thanks for all the great recipes ladies!

Whole Wheat Pancakes (No grinder, no problem!)

2009-07-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat kernels
1 cup milk
Blend 1 minute in blender then add:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Blend additional 4 minutes.

Notes from the girl in my ward who shared the recipe: If you have a VitaMix is needs way less time in the blender. Just for those who like to substitute items I have learned that applesauce instead of oil is not a good idea and if you are making the milk from dry powder you need to add more water or the batter ends up too thick. They are delicious and easy to freeze and reheat for a quick breakfast (I, Kalia, always like to just put the extra batter in the fridge and only cook what we'll eat, that way it's still fast the next time you make them, but they are perfectly fresh and not reheated, and even more flavorful actually!).

Swiss Chicken

2009-07-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

(from Remedies for the "I Don’t Cook" Syndrome)

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 oz Swiss cheese, shredded
1 pint sour cream
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 box stuffing mix
1/3 c butter

Place the breasts in a 9x13 pan (I added a cup of green beans.)and sprinkle with salt and pepper and the cheese. Mix the sour cream and soup and spread over the top. Melt the butter and mix with the stuffing, then sprinkle on top. Bake, covered, at 325 for 90 minutes.

Microwave Apricot Chicken

2009-07-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

This is super simple and yummy, and since summer is here I make this so our house doesn't get all hot. Along with making rice with my microwave rice cooker. I love technology.

½ cup apricot preserves
2 tbs. soy sauce
2-4 tbs. chicken broth
1 tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. minced garlic
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1 large or 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
½ green pepper, chopped
½ cup salted cashew nuts, if you want (or you could use peanuts)
Hot cooked rice

In a shallow microwave-safe dish (preferably with a lid), combine the first seven ingredients. Cut chicken in thin strips, with kitchen shears or knife, into bowl. Cover
and microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring once.
Add green pepper and cashews. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, stirring once. Let stand for 3 minutes. Serve with rice.
***I like to double this for leftovers, by adding a little more chicken and doubling the sauce. If you double it, just add more cooking time.

Coconut Berry Pizza

2009-06-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

I found a fun recipe for fruit pizza. Check out my blog for the recipe:
Put a Lyd on it...

Peach Cobbler

2009-06-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

This is an easy favorite and feeds a crowd. For some color and variety, add a cup or two of berries.

2 large cans peaches, 1 drained, 1 with juice
1 yellow cake mix
1 stick butter
about 1 tsp cinnamon

Pour the peaches into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with the cake mix and then sprinkle on a little cinnamon. Cut the butter into pats and spread them evenly over the top. Bake for 45-55 minutes at 350 or until golden. Serve warm with ice cream.

Chicken Cheesesteaks with Peppers

2009-06-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

From Everyday Food October 2008
Serves 2

1/2 lb. chicken cutlets, or leftover rotisserie chicken sliced
2 T. vegetable oil
coarse salt & ground pepper
1/2 red and 1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 slices provolone cheese, cut into strips
2 soft hoagie rolls, split lengthwise
mayonnaise or miracle whip

1. If not using rotisserie chicken, heat broiler with rack set 4 inches from heat. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss chicken with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil, without turning, until chicken is opaque throughout, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board (save baking sheet); let cool and thinly slice. Set chicken aside.

2. On a baking sheet, toss together peppers, onion, garlic and remaining oil. Broil, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender and slightly charred, 8-10 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to broiled vegetables; toss, and spread in a single layer.

3. Top chicken and vegetables with cheese; broil until cheese is bubbling, only about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Scoop out most of the middle of the rolls; discard. Spread rolls with mayonnaise (or miracle whip if you are a person who likes things to taste better!) Fill with chicken and vegetables. Serve immediately.

Southwest Macaroni Salad

2009-06-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law and I made this yesterday. It was mostly her invention. I really liked it. The amounts are not exact and this is the kind of thing that you can leave out or replace anything you don't like.

1 packet ranch, mixed with mayo and/or sour cream according to directions
1 cup fresh salsa
1-2 lbs macaroni, cooked and drained
3 cups cooked chopped chicken
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 can sliced olives
2 sliced green onions
1 chopped cucumber
handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
handful halved cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Mix and chill.

Baked Ziti

2009-06-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

1 lb. dry ziti noodles, I use rigatoni
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
2 jars spaghetti sauce
6 oz. provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 c. sour cream
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 T. grated parmesan cheese

Cook ziti 8 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse. Brown onion and beef on medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes. Grease a 9x13 dish and layer ziti, provolone cheese, sour cream 1/2 sauce mixture, ziti, mozzarella, and sauce mixture. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Layers:
ziti
provolone cheese
sour cream
1/2 sauce mixture
ziti
mozzarella
sauce
parmesan cheese

**Half this recipe and it still makes a ton!!

Best Meatloaf Ever

2009-06-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

It is the sauce that makes this meatloaf what it is!

2 eggs
2/3 c. milk
3 slices bread, torn into pieces
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. grated carrot
1 c. shredded Cheddar or Mozzarella
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. dried parsley
1 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. ground thyme
1/2 t. coarse ground black pepper
1/4 t. ground sage
1 1/2 lb. hamburger

Topping:
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 t. prepared mustard

Beat eggs. Add milk and bread--let sit for a few minutes. Stir in onion, carrot, cheese, Worcestershire, herbs and seasonings. Add beef. Put in greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Combine topping ingredients. Bake for 30 minutes more, occasionally spooning topping over beef. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*This will make 1 very very large meat loaf or 2 medium size meatloafs and you can freeze one!

Taco Rice

2009-06-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

from allrecipes.com

You can use this as a side dish with enchiladas or as a filling with your tacos, whatever you can imagine it will taste good with-- it probably will!

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
14.5 ounces water in chicken broth can
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix, to taste
2 cups uncooked white rice
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream

In your rice cooker, put in rice, chicken broth & water, tomato sauce, and as much taco seasoning as you want. I used about half. Turn rice cooker on. After rice is cooked, stir in the cheddar and sour cream.

*You can also stir in at the end any of the following: 1 can green chilies, 1 can sliced olives, 1 can black beans, 1 can corn, 1 can spicy Ro-tel tomatoes & green chilies

Linguine with Vegetables

2009-06-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

* I'm sure many of you have recipes like this, but this is my favorite way to eat my veggies!

1/2 lb. linguine
2 t. oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 small zucchini, sliced
1/4 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 c. provolone or mozzarella cheese, grated
3 T. parmesan, grated

Cook pasta according to box. Heat oil in large fry pan on medium heat. Add garlic, zucchini, and saute for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until tender crisp. Add vegetables to drained pasta, add cheeses and mix until cheese melts. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken

2009-06-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. lemon-lime soda
2/3 c. white vinegar
3 cloves smashed & chopped garlic
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. ground black pepper

Put chicken in crockpot. Cover with brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic & soy sauce. Add the vinegar and pour in the soda. It will bubble.

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. The chicken is done when it is cooked through and falls apart. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will be.

Serve over a bowl of white rice with a a huge ladle full of the broth poured over.

Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting

2009-06-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Everyday Food
Makes 12
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 c. mashed bananas 9about 4 ripe)
1 whole banana for garnish
2 large eggs
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract

Honey-Cinnamon Frosting
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 1/4 c. confectioner's sugar, 1/2 c. butter (room temperature), 1 T. honey and 1/8 t. ground cinnamon until smooth, 4-5 minutes.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. Make a well in the center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not over mix). Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Spread tops with Honey-Cinnamon frosting. Just before serving, peel and slice banana into rounds and place one on each cupcake.

Fresh Fettuccine with Quick Meat Sauce

2009-06-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

Serves 4

coarse salt & pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. ground beef chuck
1 c. dry white wine (I used combo: white wine, white wine vinegar & apple juice)
1 can (28 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes in juice, chopped
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
18 oz. fresh fettuccine
grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion & garlic; season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 3-4 minutes. Add pork & beef; cook, breaking meat up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 2-3 minutes. Add wine; cook until evaporated, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and red pepper flakes; cook until sauce is slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.
2. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, and return to pot; add meat sauce, and toss to coat. Serve immediately, topped with parmesan, if desired.
** I only used half the fettuccine and half the sauce, freezes nicely for another meal!

Hummus

2009-05-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

This is adapted from my mom's recipe. The tahini is a little hard to find; you can find it in health or ethnic food stores. You can still make this without it, or even throw in some sesame seeds in the food processor instead.

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 cup tahini (sesame butter)
3 T chopped cilantro (a handful of leaves)
2 -- 4 cloves garlic
juice of one large lemon
2 T water
1 T olive oil
a pinch cumin
Process in food processor until fairly smooth.Makes about 3 cups.Serve with warm pita and raw vegetables such as lettuce, chopped cucumber, diced tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, olives, or sprouts. Or use as a dip with chips or crackers.
Or make pinwheel sandwiches by spreading 3/4 - 1 cup hummus on a piece of lavash bread (or torilla), add lettuce (with the crunchy part torn out) or baby spinach and any of the other vegetables mentioned above. Roll it up and slice.

Orzo Pasta with Garbanzo Beans

2009-05-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
3T lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
15 oz can garbanzo beans
2T chopped fresh oregano (or a little less dried)
Feta cheese
salt and pepper

Sautee garlic over medium-low heat in the olive oil until tender, being sure not to let it brown. Lower heat, and add lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and garbanzo beans. Meanwhile, cook orzo in abundant salted boiling water until tender and drain. Place orzo in serving bowl, and pour sauce over, then toss to coat. Crumble in as much feta as you want before serving.

If you want to use dried garbanzo beans, let them soak in lots of water overnight, then drain the next morning, and cook them with lots of water in your crock pot on low for about 6 hours. They should be firm, and not mushy. The beans will have a weird, clear skin on them that you'll need to try and get off. Rolling small amounts of the beans around in a dishcloth works pretty well.

FYI

2009-05-07T06:24:00.000-07:00

Due to the number of random comments we've been getting lately, I'll now be monitoring the comments before they are published. I don't think this will affect those of you who are members, just the random visitors . . .

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Spring!!!

Grape Salad

2009-05-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

2 lbs green seedless grapes (I only used red because they didn't have green at Winco)
2 lbs red seedless grapes
8 ounces sour cream (I used plain yogurt because I had it on hand)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup crushed pecans

Wash and stem grapes. Set aside to dry. Beat cream cheese and sugar together, then stir in sour cream and vanilla by hand. Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving bowl. I would use a wide, long bowl instead of a tall deep bowl so that there is more surface area for the topping. Combine brown sugar and crushed pecans. Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely. Don't skimp on the topping...it makes this dish! Chill overnight. It gets better with time!

Cabbage Salad

2009-05-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

2 cups cooked chichen, cubed

1 lg. cabbage shredded

1-2 pkgs crushed Ramon noodles

4 green onions

4 tbsp sunflower seeds

4 tbsp almond slices

Dressing

3 tbsp vinegar

1/2 cup salad oil

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp Accent

2 tbsp sugar

Mix together and chill. Wait until serving to add Ramon noodles.

Caramel Sauce

2009-05-02T14:50:00.001-07:00

This is a great recipe for caramel sauce. I like anything that you can just "mix together," and I felt like it wasn't one of those "stir for exactly 20 seconds then count to three, and add..." (Pat your head and rub your tummy type.) Doug just gave me a spoonful mixed with chocolate chips.... Mmmmm...

CARAMEL SAUCE:

1 egg, beaten
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. cream or canned milk

Mix together and cook in a double boiler until thickened (about 20 to 30 minutes). It thickens more as it cools.

Fried Ice Cream

2009-05-02T14:48:00.001-07:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I came across this recipe in the Taste of Home newsletter and it was delicious. I used cinnamon flavored graham crackers too and added just a little bit of sugar. This is why I made that carmel sauce yesterday. Top it with honey, caramel ice cream topping or whipped cream. Good times!

Fried Ice Cream

Ingredients:

3 cups vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1-1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Oil for deep-fat frying

Directions:

Using a 1/2-cup ice cream scoop, place six scoops of ice cream on a baking sheet. Freeze.
Place heavy cream in a shallow bowl. Combine cracker crumbs and cinnamon in another shallow bowl. Dip ice cream balls in cream, then roll in crumb mixture. Cover and freeze for at least 1 hour. Refrigerate remaining cream and set aside remaining crumb mixture.
Roll ice cream balls again in cream, then coat again with crumbs. Freeze for 15 minutes. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry ice cream balls for 10-15 seconds or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.