Some Tasty Recipes

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Squares

2012-02-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

These were delicious, and I will definitely be made again, especially since my sweet tooth is back! I saw this recipe on several blogs. The original recipe is from The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook.

Crust
1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (I didn't have mini, so I used regular sized.)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 9″-square baking pan. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides. Butter the parchment paper. (I did not use parchment paper, and I had no problems.)

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter until crumbs are moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Press crust mixture into bottom of pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Set pan on wire rack to cool.

Cookie Dough
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Using an electric mixer, mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth. Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

Filling
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar just until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended. Pour batter into baked crust. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling.

Bake about 30-35 minutes, or until set. Transfer to wire rack.

(I totally forgot about the chocolate topping... they were just fine without it. I am sure it would make it extra delicious.)
For chocolate topping, melt 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave. (Tip: put the chocolate chips into a zipper bag and heat on 50% power for a few minutes. Cut the corner off the bag and squeeze the bag to make drizzling less messy). Use a teaspoon to drizzle chocolate over top of bars. Cool bars in pan completely, about an hour. (Stick the bars in the freezer for 5 minutes to set quickly if you're in a hurry).

Using the edges of the parchment paper, remove bars from pan. Cut into bars (clean the knife after each cut) and serve.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

2012-01-11T14:35:00.000-08:00

Tortellini Soup

2012-01-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

2 (32 oz.) cans chicken broth
(or make your own from bouillon and water)
2 to 3 carrots, chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 (approx. 14oz. size) cans diced Italian-style tomatoes
1 Tbsp. Combined dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano thyme), or 1 tsp of each
1 pkg. fresh cheese tortellini (big or little pkg. depends on how much tortellini you want per serving). I found mine at Costco and just used one of the two.
Fresh spinach (about 2 to 4 cups torn leaves or baby spinach leaves)
1/2 c. sliced green onion
Salt
Pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese
Croutons

Combine broth, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs in soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered. Add tortellini and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. add spinach and onions, salt and pepper; cook another 2 to 3 minutes.

Server with grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled over and croutons.

I severed with homemade bread stick. Recipe on the blog.

Choco-dot Pumpkin Cake

2011-11-03T18:05:00.000-07:00

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1/1/2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ginger
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1- 1 lb. can (2 cups) pumpkin
1 cup cooking oil
1 cup All-Bran Cereal
1 cup semi –sweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts

Mix together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, spices and sugar. Set aside. In large mixing bowl beat eggs until foamy. Add pumpkin and cooking oil. Add dry ingredients, mixing only until combined. Stir in chocolate morsels and nuts. Spread evenly in ungreased 10 x 4 in tube pan. Bake at 350 about 1 hour 10 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool completely before removing. Drizzle with confectioners’ sugar glaze if desired.

Romaine Salad with Chicken, Cheddar, Apples, Spiced Pecans and Cranberry Vinaigrette

2011-10-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

I made this salad for dinner one night and love it, much to my husband's dismay. He thought it tasted good... but is simply against eating "salad" for dinner. He ended up putting in a wrap. I, however, was in heaven and thought it was one of the best salads I had ever eaten. I will definitely be making this again soon. I found this at melskitchencafe.com.

Romaine Salad with Chicken, Cheddar, Apples, Spiced Pecans and Cranberry Vinaigrette

*Serves 4-6

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3-4 medium)
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup water
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (about 8-10 cups)
8 ounces sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped or sliced thin
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup spiced pecans, store-bought or following the simple recipe below

1 recipe Dried Cranberry Vinaigrette, see below for recipe

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is shimmering and hot. Add the chicken and cook until it is nicely browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip the chicken over, add the water, and cover the skillet. Cook the chicken, letting it poach, until it is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it cool slightly before carving.

Toss the lettuce, cheese, apple, pecans, onion and dried cranberries together. Divide the salad among the serving plates. Slice the chicken on a diagonal and arrange over the salad. Serve with the vinaigrette. I prefer to let everyone douse their own salad with dressing, but you could toss the salad with 1/2 cup or so of the vinaigrette before assembling it on the plates and serve the extra dressing on the side.

Quick Spiced Pecans:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups pecan halves
1 tablespoon sugar

Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the spices and then the pecans. Toast the nuts, stirring often, until the color deepens slightly and they are lightly toasted, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a bowl and toss with the sugar. Let them cool completely before tossing with the salad.

Dried Cranberry Vinaigrette:
*Makes about 1 1/2 cups dressing

1/4 cup cranberry juice or water
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup red wine or raspberry vinegar
1 shallot, peeled and quartered
1 small garlic clove, peeled
2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the cranberry juice (or water) and cranberries in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for one minute until hot. Process the hot cranberry mixture, vinegar, shallot, garlic, thyme, mustard, salt and pepper in a blender until the shallot and garlic are finely chopped. With the blender running, add the oil and continue to blend until the dressing is smooth and well-combined. Thin the dressing, if needed, with additional cranberry juice. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Source: adapted from The Best 30-Minute Recipe

2 Ingedient Ice Cream

2011-10-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe and was excited to try it. I love homemade ice cream but don't have an ice cream maker. Plus, it only has 3 ingredients--2 of which I already had. Cheap and easy. Love it. Our guests were impressed with the ice cream and loved it! We will definitely be making this again.

2 Ingredient Ice Cream
Recipe from Eagle Brand via OurBestBites

Ingredients
4 cups half and half or cream (*only 2 cups needed for non-machine version)
14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Instructions
Ice Cream Machine: Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions and place in freezer after to set up if needed.

Freezer Method: Omit half and half. Combine sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in large bowl. In a separate bowl, pour 2 cups heavy cream into bowl and whip until soft-medium peaks form. Slowly fold whipped cream into sweetened condensed milk mixture in 3 additions. Fold until well combined. Pour into container and freeze for at least 6 hours or until firm.

Add-ins may be added before freezing for both methods. Try fresh fruit, crushed cookies or candies, and different flavored extracts and spices.

Stovetop Kettle Corn

2011-10-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Love this stuff. Anthony and I have made it 3 times in the 3 weeks. And that's a rarity for us. We made this in our Whirley Popper instead of a stock pot. So, we just had to turn the handle instead of shake the pot. 5 minutes start to finish.

Stove Top Kettle Corn
Recipe found at ourbestbites.com

3 T canola or vegetable oil1/3 C popcorn kernels
3 T granulated sugar
kosher salt

1. Place a large stock pot on the stove top. Set heat to medium-high. Add oil. While your oil is heating (it won’t take long), measure out your popcorn into a small bowl. Add sugar to the kernels. When it’s time to cook, everything moves very quickly, so it’s important to have it all ready to go.

Wait until you see your oil smoke. This is one little trick that a lot of people overlook, but it’s important. The smoke is very faint, but if you just stare at the pot (it helps to get down parallel to it), you’ll see little billows of smoke coming up. That’s your cue! Pour popcorn kernels and sugar into the pot.

Immediately stir using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, scraping sugar from bottom of pan. This step should only take about 10 seconds. Cover pot with lid. You will need to shake the pot with your hands and you’ll want to make sure the lid stays on, so I get a dish towel and drape it over the top.

Hold the pot by the handles in a way that you’re securing the lid on as well. Shake the pan side to side in all directions and up and down a few times. Do this every 20 seconds or so. It will keep the sugar from burning on the bottom and help the kernels to be evenly coated.

After a few minutes you should start hearing the pops. (If it doesn’t start popping after a few minutes, crack the lid to let some of the pressure out. Chances are when you put the lid back on, it will pop away). Continue the shaking every 20 second or so until you can tell almost everything is popped. Remove the lid and stir immediately.

Sprinkle Kosher salt to taste and then keep stirring. You can eat it warm right out of the pan (Disclaimer #2: caramelized sugar it HOT so don’t eat it right away.) or let it cool completely. It’s great either way!

S'mores Bars

2011-09-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bars (if you want a more subtle chocolate flavor use regular sized chocolate bars; enough to fit)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (7 1/2 oz jar)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff. This part can be tricky. I made little disks with the dough and placed them on top. Spread it around gently.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes 16 cookie bars.

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Boating @ Pineview

2011-09-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

Click HERE!

Skillet Lasagna

2011-07-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

This first recipe was the perfect summer meal. My husband and I both loved it. I think he has finally learned that a meal doesn't have to have meat to be delicious and filling. I haven't converted him to meatless meals with lots of beans--he still turns up his nose. But what can I expect? I am just glad he likes chicken.

Anyways, this meal is great because you cook it all in one skillet. The veggies, sauce, cheese, and noodles are all cooked in the same skillet. It is also quick. You get the taste of lasagna without all the work. I love it! I am typing up two recipes. The first is my favorite, but the second is more like a typical lasagna (with beef/pork). I found both at melskitchencafe.com.

Skillet Summer Vegetable Lasagna

From here

*Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Drain tomatoes into a 2-cup liquid measure. Add water to tomato liquid to make 2 cups. Add tomato/water mixture and 1 teaspoon salt to skillet.

Scatter noodles into the skillet, layer tomatoes over the noodles and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, stirring occasionally (so the noodles won’t stick!) for about 10 minutes.

Stir in zucchini and squash, cook, stirring now and then, until noodles and squash are tender, about 8 minutes. Add basil and half of the ricotta cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese to the noodles, stirring until the sauce is creamy. Dollop remaining ricotta cheese over the noodles, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Simple and Meaty Skillet Lasagna

From here

3 (14.5 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
Salt
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef (I used 1 lb beef and no pork, b/c that is what I had.)
12 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 1 inch lengths
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup ricotta cheese (do not use fat-free)

Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a blender or food processor until they are coarsely ground and no large pieces remain (in a food processor, that is about 12 pulses).

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking apart the meat, until it is lightly browned and no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes.

Scatter the broken lasagna noodles over the meat and then pour in the ground tomatoes and tomato sauce over the pasta. Stir in the basil and oregano. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in half the mozzarella and half of the parmesan. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover and let stand off the heat until the cheese melts, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve.

Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares

2011-07-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

These were a light and tasty treat that definitely hit the spot. I will definitely be making these again. I think I would prefer these over the typical lemon bar. This recipe originally came from the Pioneer Woman. You could replace the lemons with limes, and they would turn out equally delicious.

1-⅓ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, Slightly Softened
1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
1 cup Oats
1 can (14 Ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ cups Lemon Juice
Zest Of 1 Lemon

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.

Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined.

Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.

Add oats and flour to butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.

Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 11 inch pan.

Mix together condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture. Top with the other half of the crumb mixture, but don’t press.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Allow pan to sit on counter for 30 minutes after baking. Cut into squares and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until cool.

Serve cool.

Chicken Gyros

2011-07-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

I have seen this recipe multiple places on the Internet, and I have been anxious to try it. They were delicious! I cook lots of southwestern and mexican food, so this was a nice change and tasted light and refreshing. My favorite is definitely the tzatziki sauce.

Ingredients:
For the tzatziki sauce:
16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible)
1/2 English/hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar b/c that's what I had.)
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. chicken pieces

To assemble:
Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

Directions:
To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible. If you buy greek yogurt, you can skip this step.

Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. (I used a layer of paper towels.) Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Cook the chicken as desired (oven, skillet, grill, broiler). Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips.

Heat pitas (I heated them in a skillet). Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, cucumbers, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Pound Cake and Berries and Cream Trifle

2011-07-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

I made this trifle for the 4th of July, but I am sure you could make it anytime. In fact, I already have requests to make it again. You could use a store bought trifle, but I guarantee the homemade pound cake was part of the reason the trifle was so good! Seriously, this pound cake is to die for.

Perfect Pound Cake

I originally found it at thesisterscafe.com, and they got it from the famous Pioneer Woman's website.

1 1/2 cups of butter
3 cups of sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
2 teaspoons lemon extract
3 cups flour
1 cup Sprite, 7-UP, or Sierra Mist

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter. Add sugar, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add butter flavoring and lemon extract and mix well. Add flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add soft drink, then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly. Pour into a greased Bundt pan (or 2 large loaf pans) and bake for one hour to one hour and ten minutes, until cake is no longer jiggly. Remove cake from oven and invert pan until the cake drops out. Slice and serve!

Patriotic Berries and Cream Trifle

Adapted from thesisterscafe.com and the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

2 cups heavy cream
2 T powdered sugar
2 large loaves of pound cake (or use recipe above)
2-3 cups of strawberries
2 cups of blueberries
2 3.4 oz instant vanilla, lemon, or even cheesecake pudding (I used vanilla.)

1. Bake your pound cake in 2 large loaf pans. (You will probably only use about 1.5 loaves in the trifle.)

2. In a medium bowl, combine cream and sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside. You want a stiffer whipped cream for trifle so that it holds up over time.

3. In another bowl make pudding according to package directions. Fold in 1-1/2c of the sweetened whipped cream.

4. Slice pound cake into one inch cubes.

5. In a trifle bowl, start by layering 1/3 of the pound cake on the bottom of the trifle bowl (A large glass bowl can be used if you don't have a trifle bowl). Next, layer 1/3 of the pudding mixture followed by a layer of 1/3 of the strawberries and blueberries. To make trifle look presentable three times or until bowl is almost full.

6. Garnish the top of the trifle with some of the remaining whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries. (I did not use all of my remaining whipped cream.)

7. Chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. (I did not have time to let mine chill this long, and it still tasted good.)

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

2011-07-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

Breakfast food is typically my fall back for dinner. It is what I make when I need to go to the store of have little time to make dinner. I try to make breakfast foods that are at least somewhat healthier, so I often use whole wheat, especially at dinner time. Our Best Bites has yet to fail me, so I decided to try their whole wheat pancake recipe. We loved it--even Anthony. It might be one of our favorites now. They were tender and fluffy with just a hint of whole wheat. So good. The link is here. It is adapted from Cooking Light, another trustworthy source.

3/4 C whole wheat flour
3/4 C all-purpose flour
3 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C low-fat buttermilk *
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs canola oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking Spray or butter for pan

*As a substitute for 1 C buttermilk, place 1 Tbs lemon juice (or vinegar b) in a 1 C measuring cup and then fill the remainder with milk. This recipe calls for 1 1/2 C buttermilk, so do the same thing with 1/2 Tbs lemon juice and remaining 1/2 C milk.

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl combine buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla and whisk well. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until moistened and combined.

Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet to medium heat. Coat pan with non-stick spray or a little butter and then pour on pancake batter. Use about 1/4 C batter for large pancakes (5-6″) and 2 T for kid-sized ones (2 /2-3″). Wait until bubbles form and edges are set and then flip.

Makes 12 large or 24 small pancakes.

Freezer Instructions: These pancakes freeze wonderfully. Just lay out pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet or other pan. Freeze until solid and then place in a zip-lock bag. To serve, just warm up in the microwave or toaster.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

2011-06-29T13:10:00.001-07:00

These were so good. These have both browned butter and butterscotch chips, making them quite tasty. The oatmeal gave them a light and chewy texture. They did not last long. Be careful--they are definitely addictive.

*Makes 18-24 bars

Bars:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil hang over the each short edge by one or two inches. Lightly grease the foil with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Place the 3/4 cup butterscotch chips in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and let the butter cook until golden brown in color, about 10 minutes, taking care not to burn. Pour the hot butter over the butterscotch chips and whisk together until melted and smooth. Whisk in the brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the egg and vanilla. STir in the lfour mixture, just until incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top, spreading the batter evenly to the edges. Bake the bars until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 16-18 minutes.

While the bars bake, place the 1/4 cup butterscotch chips, brown sugar, water and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the mixture until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes on 50% power. Whisk to combine well.

Drizzle the glaze over the warm bars. Let the bars cool completely in the pan. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil overhang and cut into squares. Serve.

Creamy Chocolate Blender Ganache

2011-06-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (4 ounces) evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the chocolate chips in a small glass bowl and melt them in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir with a wooden spoon until all the chips have melted.

Place the warm chocolate in a blender along with the evaporated milk and vanilla. Blend on high speed until the frosting is thick and glossy. 2 minutes. Pour the frosting into a clean bowl and let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes. It should thicken up enough for spreading.

Notes: To frost cupcakes easily, place 1 heaping tablespoon on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out over the cupcakes with the back of a soupspoon

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes (With A Creamy Chocolate Blender Ganache)

2011-06-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2-inch size)
2 milk-chocolate bars (1.55 ounces each)
1 package (18.5 ounces) plain butter recipe fudge cake mix
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Break the chocolate bars into quarters, stack them on top of each other, and slice down the short end of the stack with a sharp knife. You will have about 1 cup of 1/4-inch shavings. Set them aside. Fold in the slivers of milk chocolate for fun little bites of contrasting flavor and color.

Place the cake mix, cream cheese, water, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Bleand with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of a the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look thickened and smooth. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.
Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. 20 to 23 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcakes liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

Bake at 350

Notes: It's important to soften the cram cheese thoroughly before beginning this recipe. This recipe. If the cream cheese is cold, it will lump up in the batter and no matter how much you blend won't be able to rid the batter of the those white lumps. Remove the cream cheese from the fridge and hour before.

Creamy Lemonade Frosting

2011-06-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

This frosting is so good. Perfect for a summer treat.
I made white cupcakes. I will post that recipe for the cupcakes.

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Place the butter and the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners' sugar, lemonade concentrate, and zest. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more.

I used pink lemonade.

Montana Whoppers

2011-06-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

2/3 cup salted butter
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cups chunky peanut butter
3 eggs, beaten
5 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup Butterscotch chips
6 ounces M&M Minis

Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Once the butter has melted, pour it into the largest bowl you can find. With a large wooden spoon, blend in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and peanut butter. When the temperature of the mixture has dropped enough so it won't cook the beaten eggs, add the eggs and stir until the batter is just mixed. Then, in order, stir in the baking soda, the semi-sweet chocolate chips, the Butterscotch chocolate chips, and the M&Ms. Add the oatmeal, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Drop dough on parchment-lined baking sheets with a large spoon, making sure the dough is fairly well packed. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Watch the cookies carefully, as they have a tendency to burn easily.

Bajio Chicken Chile Salad

2011-06-05T19:25:00.001-07:00

This chicken rivals Cafe Rio pork in deliciousness. Just ask Cory, Natalee, or Anthony. It has a sweet taste similar to Cafe Rio's Pork, and you can serve it in a burrito or a salad too. We served it with lime cilantro rice, avocadoes, cheese, lettuce, and creamy lime cilantro dressing, and everyone loved it. A-ma-zing. And chicken is cheaper than pork roast, so this is definitely a win-win meal.

Bajio Chicken Chile Salad

5 chicken breasts (or 4 large ones)

1/2 cup salsa

1 Tbsp cumin

1/2 cup brown sugar (more to taste)

1 4 oz. can diced green chilies

6 oz. Sprite (1/2 can)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook 1 more hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.

Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, black beans and any other taco fixings.

If you want it spicier rather than sweeter add a hotter salsa and more green chilies.

Strawberry Pie

2011-05-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
3/4 cup sugar
2 talespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
4 cups silced fresh stawberries
Fresh mint, optional

1. Line unpricked pastry shelll with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

2. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring mixture to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until slightly cooled.

3. Meanwhile, arrange strawberries in the crust. Pour gelatin mixture over the berries. Refigerate until set. Garnish with mint if desired.

Tip! Chosse the plumpest and most frarant strawberries. Ther should be firm, bright and fresh-looking with no mold or burised spots. Do not wash or hull berries until you are ready to use them. Refrigerate unwashed berries as soon as possible.

Chicken Salad Sandwich Mix

2011-05-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

8 chicken breasts (boil with salt, pepper, onion and bullion cube) or 5 cans of chicken
4 cups of raw bowtie pasta (cook, rinse & cool)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 T chopped green onion
(2) 8 oz bottles of kraft coleslaw dressing
2 cups Best Foods Mayo
2 dashes of thyme
2 pinches ginger

Stir ingredients together carefully so the pasta won't be broken. Refrigerate over night. Just before serving add the following ingredients:

2 cups diced celery
4 cups red grapes, halved
4 cups unpeeled diced apple
(2) 20 oz cans pineapple tidbits
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds

Makes 24 cups of salad or 32 servings of 3/4 cup each.... a ton!
Great for a party... and you'll still have leftovers!

Mini Cheesecakes

2011-05-18T16:55:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

48 Vanilla wafers
8 oz package cream cheese
1/4 c and 2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
21 oz can pie filling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line line muffin tins with paper liners.

Place 2 vanilla wafer's in each paper cup

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fill each muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top.

Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Top with pie filling.

Caramel Banana Ice Cream Pie

2011-05-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon caramel ice cream topping, divided
1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)
1 cup cold 2% milk
2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant banana cream pudding mix
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
1 3/4 cup whipped topping
1 English toffee candy bar (1.4 ounces), chopped

1. Spread 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust. In large bowl beat, milk and pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Add ice cream; mix well.

2. Spoon into prepared crust. Top with whipped topping. Drizzle with remaining caramel topping; sprinkle with chopped candy bar.

3. Cover and freeze for 2 hours or until firm. Remove form the freezer 15 minutes before serving.

Caramel-Chocolate Ice Cream Pie:
Substitute chocolate pudding for the banana pudding

Triple-Chocolate Ice Cream Pie:
Substitute chocolate ice cream topping for the caramel topping, chocolate pudding for the banana pudding and chocolate ice cream for the vanilla.

Heath Bar Cake

2011-04-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

I chose this cake for my birthday this year. I loved it! And, if you like chocolate and toffee, you are bound to love it too. Even better... it's super easy!

Surprise! I found this cake at melskitchencafe.com... again!

*Serves 8-10

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-6 (1.4 ounces each) chocolate covered toffee bars (like Heath), chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and center a rack in the middle of the oven. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, white sugar, flour and butter. Crumble these ingredients together with a pastry blender, whisk or two forks until the mixture is crumbly and coarse. Remove 1/2 cup of the crumbs to a small bowl and set aside. To the large bowl with the remaining crumbs, add the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it to the edges. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the reserved crumbs and chopped Heath bars. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the center is no longer gooey but a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs.

Note: I read some comments on the recipe. Don't use the toffee or Heath bits you may find at the store. First, they may not be covered in chocolate. Second, these will tend to be smaller, whereas if you chop it yourself you will get some larger pieces and a larger variety of sizes. Trust me, just chop the bars.

Southwest Burgers

2011-04-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! I requested these burgers for my birthday. They were so delicious! Regular hamburgers will never be the same.

This recipe is from the Our Best Bites cookbook, but the recipe can also be found at ourbestbites.com.

Burgers:
1 1/2 lb ground chuck or ground sirloin
1-1 1/2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce (I accidentally forgot to add these, and they still turned out great.)
1 1/2 T adobo sauce (from the chipotle chili can)
1/4 C grated onion
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cumin
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t pepper

Chipotle-lime Mayo:
1/2 C Mayo
2 t lime juice
1 1/2 t adobo sauce (from the canned chipotle chilis)
2T chopped fresh cilantro

4-6 good quality buns
1 tomato
1-2 avocado
lettuce
optional: jack, cotija, or queso fresco cheese (I used Monterrey Jack because that is what I had.)

1. Start by making the sauce. Place mayo, adobo sauce, lime juice and cilantro in a small bowl. Stir it all together. Cover it and set in the fridge. You can make this part up to 2 days ahead of time if you want to. This sauce is the best part of the burger!

2. Preheat grill or indoor grill pan.

3. Place the beef in a bowl and gently crumble with your fingers. Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, grated onion, garlic powder, cumin, kosher salt, and pepper. Use your hands to gently mix things together.

4. Divide into 4 patties (or 6 little ones) and place on a preheated grill, indoor grill pan, or skillet. If you want to top with cheese, do so in the last few minutes of grilling. I’d use jack, cotija, or even some queso fresco. While the burgers are cooking, toast buns and spread chipotle-lime sauce generously on each side of each bun.

5. When the burgers are done to your liking let them stand for 5 minutes off the grill/pan and then pop onto your prepared buns. Top with tomato slices, avocado slices, and a crisp piece of lettuce.

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice with Green Beans

2011-04-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

This dish is nice and creamy and similar in texture to risotto (so I am told). Definitely a comfort meal. And it only uses one skillet, so the clean up is pretty easy. I will be making this again! I found this recipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe (again).

*Serves 4-6

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces white button mushrooms, brushed clean and quartered or sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ pound frozen or fresh green beans
1 cup shredded sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Carefully lay each chicken breast in the skillet and cook until the chicken is well browned on the first side, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken with a pair of tongs and let it brown on the second side, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Drain all but about 1-2 tablespoons oil from the pan.

Return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom and edges of the pan, until the mushrooms begin to soften and start to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add the rice and continue to cook until the edges of the rice turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken to the pan and cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the rice is mostly cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the skillet again, brushing off any rice that sticks to the chicken back into the skillet. Cover the chicken with foil to keep warm. Stir the green beans into the skillet, stir the mixture well, cover and continue to cook on low until the beans and rice are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

The Best Blueberry Muffins

2011-04-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

These are my new favorite muffins. They have a blueberry jam-like mixture swirled into the tops as well as a lemon sugar topping. Yum! I even used 1/2 whole wheat flour, and you would never guess. I found this recipe a couple of places, but I believe it originally comes from the May/June 2009 Cooks Illustrated magazine. I first found it at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and I followed her directions. (If you have not checked out her blog, you should. It is one of my favorites!)

Lemon-Sugar Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
zest from one lemon

Muffins:
2 cups frozen blueberries (or 2 cups fresh)
1 1/8 c (1/8 c = 2 tablespoons) plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the topping:

Stir together sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.

For the muffins:

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

Rinse one cup frozen berries under cold water and spread on a double layer of paper towels to dry well. Bring remaining one cup berries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with a spoon several times and stirring frequently, until the berries have broken down and the mixture is thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Toss the berries that have dried on the paper towels in with the flour mixture. Whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in a medium bowl until thick, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in the butter and oil until combined. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just moistened. The batter will be lumpy with a few dry spots of flour – don’t overmix.

Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, fill the muffin cups until they are about 3/4 full. Spoon a teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into the center of each mound of batter. Using a skewer (or a chopstick), gently swirl the berry filling into the batter using a figure eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over the muffins.

Bake until the top of the muffins are golden and just firm, 17-18 minutes. Cool muffins in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

Note: If you are short on time, you can skip the cooking of the 1 cup of blueberries and just mix all 2 cups into the batter. I highly recommend making the blueberry mixture though.

Green Beans and Mushrooms

2011-04-05T16:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredents:

1 lb fresh or frozen green beans, trimmed

2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup chopped onion

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 tespoon peper

Directions:

Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Meanwhile in a large skillet, saute mushrooms, garlic, onions in butter until tender. Drain beans; add to skillet. Stir in salt and peper; heat through.

Creme Brulee

2011-04-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 quart heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 c white sugar, divided

1/4 c brown sugar

6 large egg yolks

2 quarts hot water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Place the cream and vanilla into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup white sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8 ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. In a small bowl combine remaining 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard.

Place dish under boiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn. (Or you can use a torch to melt the sugar)

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until custard is set again.

Notes: My husband requested Creme Brulee for his birthday dessert. I have never made it before and honestly never really liked it. So I got online and looked at a couple different recipes and combined a couple and came up with this and it is so good I am now a fan of Creme Brulee.

Macadamin White Chocolate Chips Cookies

2011-04-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 12 oz package white chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups chopped Macadamin Baking Pieces

Preheat oven to 350

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Blend in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia pieces. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking pans.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 6 dozen

Saucy Asparagus Chicken

2011-04-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 lbs. fresh asparaus spears, halved

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 T. oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/2 tsp curry powder

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Place asparagus in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. In a skillet over medium heat, bown chicken in oil, both sides, season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken over asparagus. In a bowl, mix soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder and pour over chicken. Cover and bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until chicken is tender and juice runs clear. Sprinkle with cheese and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies ("Like Granny B's" large and soft)

2011-03-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4 teaspoon baking powder

4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

In large bowl cream butter and sugar until creamy. Add one egg at a time and mix well. Add sour cream and vanilla. Add dry ingredients until well blended. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. (Do NOT bake too long)

Notes: I have found that it works best to put the dough in the fridge and let it chill before rolling out. You will want to roll out thicker than regular sugar cookies about 1/4 inch thick. I also like to double this recipe and freeze half the dough for another day.

Peanut Butter Bars

2011-03-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

4 tablespoons peanut butter

Directions: 1. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. 2. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Baked Oatmeal

2011-03-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

This was a quick tasty breakfast! I found the recipe at ourbestbites.com, but the original recipe comes from allrecipes.com.

3 c. oats (not quick-cooking)

3/4 c. brown sugar (I might decrease this next time.)

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 c. Craisins, raisins, dried cherries, or other dried fruit (Optional--I omitted this.)

1 c. milk

1/2 c. butter, melted (I substituted applesauce for 1/4 c. of the butter.)

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and Craisins. In a smaller bowl, mix together the milk, butter, vanilla, and eggs. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and whisk to combine. Pour into an 8×8″ or 9×9″ baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately with a splash of warmed milk.

Best Cake Ever! Thanks to Betty Crocker

2011-03-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

Grasshopper Fudge Cake

1	box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1 1/4	cups water
1/3	cup vegetable oil
2	teaspoons mint extract
3	egg whites
12	drops green food color
2	jars (16 oz each) hot fudge topping
1	container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
5	drops yellow food color
	Thin rectangular crème de menthe chocolate candies, unwrapped and cut into pieces, if desired

1Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
2Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mint extract and the egg whites. Reserve 1 cup batter. Stir 3 drops of the green food color into reserved batter; set aside. Pour remaining batter into pan.
3Drop green batter by generous tablespoonfuls randomly in 12 to 14 mounds onto batter in pan. Cut through batters with metal spatula or knife in S-shaped curves in one continuous motion. Turn pan 1/4 turn; repeat cutting for swirled design.
4Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
5Carefully spread fudge topping evenly over cake. In medium bowl, stir whipped topping, remaining 1/2 teaspoon extract, remaining 9 drops green food color and the yellow food color until blended. Spread whipped topping mixture evenly over fudge. Garnish with candy pieces. Store covered in refrigerator.

This is the Dessert I made for St. Patty's Day (which btw is the like the lamest holiday ever)! It was sooooooooo Yummy so I just had to share. Seriously this is like one of my favorite cakes of all times. If you love mint, you'll love this cake.

Variations:

I only used one jar a fudge. Seriously 2 is a little too much. You can buy Andes Mints already cut in the chocolate chip isle. You can use your applesauce to substitute for the eggs and oil. Don't use generic cool whip use the real thing. Most importantly you want to use LorAnnOils Peppermint oil not extract. WHY? First it is cheaper, 2nd it doesn't contain alcohol and has a much much better flavor. I saw it when I was looking to buy mint extract at Harmons. It was a tons cheaper. I wasn't' sure so I even went and talked to the Baker and she told me that is what they use in their bakery to make there mint confections. Sweet! I was so happy I went and talked to her.

Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

2011-03-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law found this recipe at www.ourbestbites.com and says they were delicious. I can't wait to try them!

1 1/2 lb. fingerling (or other very small potatoes), washed; try and pick the potatoes that are as bite-sized as possible

2 1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/2 Tbsp. coarse-grain or Dijon mustard

2 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Rosemary (be sure and strip the needles from the stem before chopping them)

About 5 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

Coarsely-ground black pepper

Kosher salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water is heating, combine olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, mustard, and some black pepper. Set aside. When the water is boiling, add the potatoes and boil for about 10 minutes or until they are easily pierced with a fork. Drain, return the potatoes to the pan, and then toss with the mustard mixture.

You can either do all of this ahead of time and then refrigerate the potatoes until you're ready to finish them off or you can do it all at once. If you're making these right now, preheat your oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. If you're saving them (for up to 6 hours), line the baking sheet and spread the potatoes out evenly and then cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate them until you're ready to bake them.

When you're ready to bake them, sprinkle with Kosher salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the skins are browning and sizzling. For fancy presentation, place the roasted potatoes on a platter, scrape those delicious bits off the foil sprinkle them over the potatoes, and then garnish with a few sprigs of rosemary.

Nutty Coconut Bread

2011-03-10T17:30:00.001-08:00

This bread is a family favorite that everyone loves, including those who don't like coconut.

4 eggs
2 cups sugar, add and blend
1 cup oil, add and blend
2 tsp coconut flavoring, add and blend well.

Sift together the following:
3 cups flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Beating well after each addition, add dry ingredients to mix alternating with 1 cup buttermilk. Fold in 1 cup flaked coconut, 1 cup chopped nuts (optional). Spoon into 10" tube pan or 2 large loaf pans. Bake 325 for 1 hour 15 mintues. (For easy clean up, line loaf pans with wax paper.)

1 c sugar
1 T butter
1/2 c water
1 tsp coconut flavoring

Combine and bring to boil sugar, butter, and water for 3 min. Remove from heat and add coconut flavoring. Pour over top of warm bread and allow to stand, in pans, for 4 hours. (Can use a large skewer to poke holes in top for glaze to seep into.) Remove from pans.

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

2011-03-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my aunt, who I believe found it in a family fun magazine. The chicken is the best part--it has so much flavor! If you have never had tostadas, they are essentially tacos but instead are piled on top of a crisp corn tortilla. You eat them with your hands.

Marinade
1/2 c fresh lime juice
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c vegetable oil (or olive oil)
1 T honey
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp chili powder

Tostadas
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)--about 4 oz each
8 small corn tortillas (5-6" diameter)
1 1/2 c shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
shredded lettuce
Additional toppings: fresh salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, and additional cheese (I served it with creamy lime cilantro dressing too, and it was delicious!)

Place chicken in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and add all the marinade ingredients. Press the air out of the bag and seal it. Turn the bag to thoroughly coat the chicken, place it in a bowl and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight), turning the bag occasionally. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you want to start grilling.
Preheat grill.
Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken until it’s no longer pink inside, about 4-5 minutes per side on a gas grill. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for about 10 minutes before cutting it into ½” strips.
Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with oil. Grill them on each side until they turn slightly brown, about 1 minute on a gas grill, sprinkle each one with 1 T of cheese. (I actually broil them in the oven or use a toaster. Just don't forget to flip them. You can also buy tostadas in the store, eliminating this step.)
To serve, layer the tortillas with shredded lettuce, the chicken strips, the remaining cheese, and any remaining cheese and additional toppings

Burrito Filling

2011-03-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

Such a easy recipe that my family loved. Enjoy!!!

1 (20 oz.) can enchilada sauce (green)
3 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed
1 can corn drained
1 (16oz.) bottle salsa
1 small can chopped green chilies
1 1/2 c. Minute rice
3 Tbsp. lime juice
Fresh cilantro, chopped

Put first 7 ingredients in crock pot. Cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours. Shred chicken with fork. Add Minute rice, lime juice, and cilantro. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes more. Place in flour tortillas; add cheese, sour cream, salsa and guacamole as desired.
I made up the lime cilantro dressing to pour over my Burrito. So good

Black Bean Burritos

2011-03-02T18:30:00.001-08:00

These are so flavorful! They are quick to prepare and use ingredients I almost always have on hand. My husband is never crazy of any meal without meat, but he really enjoys these!

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10-oz.) can Rotel tomatoes, drained
1 package (8-oz.) low-fat cream cheese
1 cup cooked white or brown rice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
4 - 6 Flour tortillas
Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped fresh tomatoes,avocado

Directions:
1) Heat a small amount of oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds.
2) Add beans, Rotel, and cream cheese and heat through. Stir in rice and season with cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cilantro.
3) Wrap in a tortilla and serve with desired topping. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Winger's Sticky Fingers

2011-02-27T15:19:00.000-08:00

We love Winger's Sticky Fingers but don't have a Winger's where we live. When I came across this recipe I had to try it. It tastes just like the real thing. I got the recipe from HERE and just changed it a little bit.

For the Sauce:

**Covers about 8 sticky fingers
3 Tbsp. Franks Hot Sauce (It has to be Franks Hot Sauce!)
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp water

Heat up hot sauce, brown sugar, and water in a saucepan until all the sugar dissolves. (you can double the recipe, it makes the perfect amount for the chicken and for dipping).

For the Sticky Fingers

1 pkg. frozen breaded chicken fingers

Bake chicken fingers in the oven according to directions on package. Once cooked through put them in a bowl with tight fitting lid and pour sauce over the top and shake it up until the chicken finger are covered in sauce.

Notes: To make Winger's Creamy amazing dressing just add it little bit of the sauce to ranch dressing, it is so yummy. In the original recipe they fried the chicken fingers in 1 c. oil instead of baking them. I tried it both ways and thought it tasted pretty much the same so I just bake mine to make it a little healthier.

Chocolate Marshmallow Brownies

2011-02-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

1 box brownie mix
1 7oz jar of marshmallow fluff

Make brownies according to directions on box. Let cool for a hour. Spread marshmallow fluff on top of brownies.

Frosting:
1/4 cup cocoa
6 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup canned evap. milk

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Frost brownies and serve.

Notes: If frosting seems too runny add more powered sugar until desired thickness.

Chili's Chocolate Chipe Paradise Pie

2011-02-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

9 Tbsp butter

9 Tbsp sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter and combine with the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Press into bottom of a 9x13 pan. Top evenly with chocolate chips. Bake for 5 minutes until chocolate is melted. Spread melted chips out evenly over crust.

Filling:

1 1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 tbsp baking powder

1 cup milk

3 tbsp oil

1 tbsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup shredded coconut

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Add milk, oil and vanilla and stir until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts. Pour onto crust. Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, until a tooth pick comes out clean. To serve: 2 tbsp butter dash of cinnamon hot fudge and Carmel toppings Cut butter into small pieces and place on top of the warm cookie, let it melt then sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve while still warm top with ice cream, hot fudge, and Carmel.

Marinade for Grilled Steaks

2011-02-27T14:05:00.000-08:00

This marinade is so good and really easy.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1/3 cup oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl.

2. Pour over steaks

3. Cover tightly and place the steaks in the refrigerator for minimum 4 hours or even better for 24 hours.

4. Remove the steaks for the fridge.

5. Bring steaks down to almost room temperature before grilling.

6. Season steaks with steak seasoning.

7. Grill for 6-12 minutes turning 3-4 times or until desired doneness.

Warm Cinnamon Milk

2011-02-24T15:26:00.000-08:00

They had this in the faculty room of a school where I recently held a long-term sub position. I loved to drink a glass of it in the morning. Just as tasty as hot chocolate!

2 c instant powdered milk
1 T cinnamon
1 c non-dairy coffee creamer
1 1/4 c sugar

Mix ingredients and store in airtight container. Mix 1/3 of mix with 8oz hot water. Delicious!

Pineapple Salsa Chicken

2011-02-24T12:23:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to use my crockpot more, so dinner is ready when I get home. I have found some super easy and delicious recipes. We tried this one first and served it over tortilla chips (like nachos). We loved it! Healthy, cheap, and easy!
I found this recipe at one of my favorite food blogs: melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 6-8

6 fresh or frozen chicken breasts
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, like Great Northern, rinsed and drained
2 cups mild or medium salsa (I used medium.)

Tortillas or tortilla chips and garnishes, like sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.

Place the chicken in the crock pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Using tongs, remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred into bite-size pieces. Mix the chicken back in with the rest of the ingredients. The mixture will be fairly soupy--you can drain off some liquid so it doesn’t make everything soggy (especially if eating in tortillas). Serve with tortilla chips and garnishes, like tomatoes, cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc.

*This recipe is very adaptable--I actually used 2 cans of black beans because that is what I had. It also freezes easily. I froze some of my leftovers in a ziploc bag, and they still tasted great (if not better) when I thawed them a few weeks later!

The Best Chicken Enchiladas

2011-02-17T15:56:00.000-08:00

I have tried a lot of different recipes for chicken enchiladas and my family thinks these are the best. I've combined a couple different recipes and came up with this.

Chicken Enchiladas

10 oz can enchilada sauce (green or red)
3 to 4 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
8 oz. sour cream
1 onion (chopped)
1 bell pepper (chopped)
2 tsp chopped cilantro
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp garlic salt
8 to 10 flour tortillas
2 c. Mexican blend cheese
2 tsp. oil

Place chicken breasts and enchilada sauce in the crock pot on low for 4 to 5 hours. Shred the meat and put back in crock pot for about 1 hour. Saute onion and pepper in oil until tender. Combine soup, 3/4 can chicken broth, and sour cream. Set aside 1 cup of this mixture. To the remaining mixture, add chicken, onion, pepper, and all spices. Add 1 cup cheese. Place 2-3 T. of mixture onto each tortilla, roll up, and place the tortilla in a 9x13 pan. Add the remaining chicken broth to the reserved soup mixture and pour over enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over enchiladas. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Chunky Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-02-16T16:09:00.000-08:00

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12-ounce packeage) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsley chopped peanuts

Preheat oven to 375

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and peanut butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and peanuts.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Press down slightly to flatten into 2-inch circles.

Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are set but center are still soft. Cool on baking sheets for 4 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

makes about 3 dozen cookies

Sugar Cookie Bars

2011-02-07T18:44:00.000-08:00

A nice alternative to sugar cookies but without all the work. These were delish and super easy! I found these here and here.

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean (they won't look done so do the toothpick test). Cool completely and frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 of an 8 oz block) softened
1 tsp vanilla (or almond extract)
¼ tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
food coloring (if desired)

For frosting combine butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk a little at a time and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. You may not need all the milk. Spread over cooled cookie bars.
*You can also double the butter (1 cup) and omit the cream cheese.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

2011-01-30T17:38:00.000-08:00

This sauce was delicious! On top of that, it is quick, easy, and healthy(ier). I found this recipe at ourbestbites.com. We served it over pasta and added bite-size chicken pieces. You can also use this for a breadsticks dip, pizza sauce, or even mix it with pesto or marinara sauce.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender. Process until smooth and set aside.

In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don't want to burn it. It should be nice and bubbly.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it's nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

Seven Layer Magic Cookie Bars-Allrecipes

2011-01-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch-flavored chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for glass baking pan). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan.
Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.
Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

Variations: I use fat free sweetened condensed milk. I also use white chocolate chips as well. Also you can use 2 cups of graham crackers!

Potato Salad from Kitchen Keepsakes Cookbook

2011-01-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

I have had a lot of Potato salads in my day and I would have to say by far this one is the best! Well at least I would like to think so.

6 potatoes (medium-I prefer red potatoes)

1/4 cup red onions

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 cup Italian salad dressing

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

4 eggs, hard boiled, chopped

1 tsp celery seed ( I just use celery salt)

Garnish with parsley

Serves 6-8

Put unprepared potatoes in boiling water, cover and cook until tender. Drain, cool and peel. Cut potatoes in cubes, combine with onion, salt and pepper. Add Italian dressing, cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours. Just before serving, add mayo, celery, eggs, and celery seed. Toss well.

Side Note: I prefer to leave the skins, on it gives it more color and a prettier presentation. So if you do so, wait until the potatoes are nice and cold before you try to cut them so the peels stay on and it looks nice. To me everything on here is to taste and all depends on your preferences, but what makes this potato salad great, is the Italian Dressing. Enjoy!

Yummy Granola

2011-01-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

This is the Maple Syrup I used! Wal-Mart sells it.

Step 1 *Mix the following Ingredients in Large Bowl then set aside:

3 Cups Oatmeal-Big Oats

1 Cup Coconut

1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

1 Cup Pecans or Walnuts

Step 2 *Maple Topping.

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Real Maple Syrup

1/4 Cup Oil

*Stir until like a thick Carmel*Pour over oat mixture and mix until everything is well coated*Pour into greased cookie sheet*

*Cook 1 hour to 1hour & 15 minutes until a nice golden brown @ 250 degrees* You need to stir every 15 minutes!

This is so Delicious! I got this from my mother, who got it from some magazine. It is like eating dessert! Serve it over vanilla yogurt, milk, or my favorite, vanilla ice cream. You will want to double this because it will be gone before you know it and you'll be wishing you had more!!! Enjoy!

Triple-Tier Brownies

2011-01-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

1 package fudge brownie mix (13x9 pan size)
1 package (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1 can (16 ounces) cream cheese frosting
1 cup salted peanuts, chopped

1. Prepare and bake brownie mix according to package directions, using a greased 13 x9 baking pan. Cool on a wire rack

2. In a large saucepan, combine the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes or until blended, stirring occasionally. Stir in cereal; set aside

3. Spread frosting over brownies. Sprinkle with peanuts. Spread with peanut butter mixture. Chill for 30 minutes or until set before cutting. Store in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Waffles

2011-01-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

These waffles are delicious, particularly if you serve them with buttermilk syrup (aka Ebleskiver syrup)! I have also used 1/2 whole wheat flour with good success.

Ingredients:
2 1/2c flour
1/3c packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4tsp cloves
1/2tsp salt
2 1/4tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2c buttermilk
1c pumpkin puree
6 Tbsp canola oil
4 eggs, separated

Directions:
Sift together flour, sugar, spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. Combine buttermilk and pumpkin. Stir in canola oil and egg yolks. In a large, clean glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer or beater until you have stiff peaks (meaning that when you lift the beater out of the bowl, the mixture stays pointy. As in a peak. That is stiff.)

Stir dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture till just combined. Fold in egg whites. Cook waffles in waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

2010-12-26T15:34:00.000-08:00

These are the best stuffed shells I have eaten! They are a Paula Deen recipe that I found on this food blog.

1 (12-ounce) box uncooked jumbo pasta shells (If all of yours survive the boil this is enough but to be safe you may want 1 1/2 boxes.)

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cups fresh chopped spinach

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 cups)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (If you like it saucier use more)

1. Cook shells according to package directions. Be careful not to overcook them or they will tear easily when trying to fill them. Drain and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease two 9x13 baking dishes.

3. In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon into shells. *Tip: For easier filling, fill a gallon ziplock baggie with the filling and snip a quarter size hole off the corner of the bag. Then you can just pipe the filling into the shells.

4. Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. If you are freezing one of the 9x13 prepared pans, freeze it after this step. Include a baggy of the remaining mozzarella for when you cook it.

5. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Creamy White Chili

2010-12-26T15:31:00.000-08:00

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips. Makes about 6 servings.

I found delicious soup here.

The Best Cheeseball

2010-12-26T14:48:00.000-08:00

This is so tasty with club crackers or wheat thins. My family devoured it. I halved this recipe and made just two cheeseballs. I found this recipe here.

*Makes 4 cheeseballs.

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

1 cup pecans, finely chopped for rolling

Place finely chopped pecans in a shallow dish and set aside. In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and mix until just combined. Lightly sprinkle all the seasonings and sauces over the cheese mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.

With lightly greased hands, portion the cheese mixture into four pieces and roll each section into a round ball. Coat in pecans. The easiest way to do this is to hold the cheeseball in one hand and scoop up the pecans and press them onto the cheeseball with the other, turning the cheeseball as you go and letting the excess pecans fall back into the dish (this also helps the pecans to go a little further). Cover each cheeseball in saran wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Raspberry Cake

2010-12-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

1 White cake mix, baked according to package directions.

3 oz cream cheese
1- 8 oz tub cool whip
Beat together

1 pkg frozen raspberries
1 pkg raspberry Danish Dessert

Measure juice from thawed raspberries and add water to make 1 ¾ liquid. Add to the pkg of Danish Dessert and cook according to package directions. Cook thoroughly. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of the cooled cake. Top with Danish Dessert mixture. Regrigerate at least 4 hrs before serving, preferably overnight.

Cake Balls

2010-12-23T11:41:00.000-08:00

1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)
I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It’s easier to work with when it’s hot.

Notes: You can make any combination of cake such as, chocolate cake and chocolate frosting, red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting and so on.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

2010-12-13T19:42:00.000-08:00

These cookies are delicious! So full of flavor and spice and so moist. My husband raves about them as well and claims they are the best cookies I've made to date. They received excellent ratings on allrecipes.com--I found this recipe here.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2.	In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3.	Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
4.	To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Fudge

2010-12-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

4 ½ Cup Sugar
1 Can Evaporated Milk
1 Cup Butter

Put above ingredients in a heavy pan and boil for 8 minutes. (If you bring them slowly to a boil you don’t have to stir as often.) Add 1 pound of miniature marshmallows, 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 large Hersey’s Chocolate Bars (broken up) and 2 tsp. vanilla to boiled ingredients. Stir until well blended and then pour into a ½ sheet cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (I like to add 1 cup chopped nuts) Allow to cool. Can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator.

Cranberry Dip

2010-12-12T13:52:00.000-08:00

2 blocks cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 cup cranberries (chopped finely)
3 green onions (chopped)
2 T cilantro (chopped)
1 -2 jalapenos (chopped finely)

Mix the cranberries and sugar. Let sit while you chop and mix all the green ingredients.

Gently stir the green ingredients with the cranberry mix. Place the cream cheese on a plate or platter. Pour the dip over the cream cheese and garish with a little chopped cilantro.

Dip with crackers or baguette bread.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

2010-12-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. It was a hit!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Cream Pies

2010-12-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

Beat 2 egg whites until stiff w 1 ½ tsp cornstarch, set aside.
Beat 2 pkg Dream Whip with 1 C milk until stiff peaks form.
Add 2 small pkg instant pudding with 1 ½ C milk until thick.
Add egg whites; beat for 2 minutes.

Use pudding of your choice for type of pie you would like to make.

Glazed Almond Chicken

2010-11-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

This is one of my husband's favorite dinners!

1-2 lb chicken breasts
1/4 c flour
salt and pepper

1/2 c vinegar
1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 T ketchup
sliced almonds

Cut chicken into strips. Dip into flour mixed with salt and pepper. Lightly brown in oil. Place in 9x13 pan.
Mix other ingredients (vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and ketchup) until well blended. Pour over chicken, and sprinkle almonds over the top.
Bake at 350º until chicken is tender and sauce is thickened (approximately 1 hour).

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

2010-11-16T18:23:00.000-08:00

3 cups white sugar

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

4 eggs

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate

chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 1 pound size coffee cans, or three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2.	In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill cans 1/2 to 3/4 full.
3.	Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from cans or pans.

This bread is so good. One of my roommates discovered it on allrecipes, and it has been a favorite of ours ever since.

Pumpkin Bars

2010-11-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

This is a Paula Deen recipe that can be found here. These are so good and super moist! They remind me of Pumpkin Rolls but without all the work.

Pumpkin Bars

Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce for 1/2 cup oil)
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Note: I used a 9x13 pan and had to bake them about 40 minutes.

Crispy Chicken Wraps

2010-11-07T19:23:00.000-08:00

My husband really enjoyed these. He said that they reminded him of Spam Treats. If you already have shredded chicken, then they are super easy.

Crispy Chicken Wraps
adapted from Cook’s Country

**To prevent the wraps from unrolling during cooking, be sure to start them seam-side down in step 3.

1/3 cup mayonnaise, light or regular
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, sliced very thin
2 celery ribs, chopped fine
2 tablespoons sour cream, light or regular
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 (12-inch) flour tortillas

1. Whisk the mayonnaise, cilantro, scallions, celery, sour cream and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to combine.

2. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

3. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

Recipe source: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/06/crispy-chicken-wraps.html

Chili Sauce

2010-10-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

9 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper
1 C vinegar
1 C sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tsp cinnamon
1 Tsp ginger
1 Tsp cloves

Let boil until is comes to a desired consistency. Put in hot jars and seal in water bath.

Mom's Famous Poppy Seed Cake

2010-10-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

1 box yellow cake mix (Betty Crocker Super Moist)
1 small box vanilla instant pudding (3 3/4 oz)
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup water
2 Tbls. poppy seeds
3/4 tsp. almond extract

Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 42-45 minutes in a bundt pan. If pans are smaller the recipe will make two. Let cool. Top with sifted powdered sugar.

I got this recipe for a girl in my ward it is so Delicious.

Pasta with Sausage and Tomato Cream Sauce

2010-10-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/2 cup whipping cream (I used half and half.)

1 pound farfalle (I used penne.)
1/2 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (I used Parmesan.)

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and crushed red pepper. Sauté until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is tender and sausage is browned, about 3 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and cream. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sausage mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to same pot. Add sausage mixture and toss over medium-low heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry. Transfer pasta to serving dish. Sprinkle with basil. Serve, passing cheese separately.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2010-10-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

1 to 1½lb lean ground beef

¾ c rolled oats

2 eggs, slightly beaten

½ c finely chopped onion

½ c milk

1 tsp salt

few grains of pepper

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Form into about 12 balls, each about 2in diameter. Place in casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below). Bake at 350° for about 30min. Serve over rice.

Sauce

½ c brown sugar

¼ c vinegar

1 tsp prepared mustard

¼ c barbeque sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients and blend thoroughly. Heat and pour over meatballs.

Jello Pretzel Salad

2010-09-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

2 1/2 c. pretzels (crushed fine)
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 c. butter
1 (6 oz) pkg instant strawberry jello
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen strawberries or small container (16 oz) sliced fresh strawberries

1 ( 8 oz ) pkg cream cheese

1 c. sugar

8 oz. cool whip

*You can also use raspberries and raspberry jello.

Combine pretzels, brown sugar, and melted butter and press into a greased 9 X 13 pan. You can use more butter if the crust isn't sticking together and make the pretzels more crushed than I did. Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes.

Make jello according to directions and add the strawberries. (Several recipes call only for 2 cups of boiling water. I added only this much water rather than following the pkg directions.) Refrigerate until partially set. *If it is not set enough it will leak through your cream cheese layer and make your pretzels soggy.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Blend in cool whip. Spread over cooled crust. Pour jello over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate.

Source: thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

2010-09-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

from Brittany at the Sister's Cafe and Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe

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 (I used 3 small chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (optional; sour cream works well too)

Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

*Freezable Meal: Freeze prior to baking. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake enchiladas, covered (without thawing first) for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer, until brown and crispy on top.

Oven Baked Chimichangas

2010-09-18T09:14:00.001-07:00

from My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)

*Note: this recipe makes use of already cooked rice and chicken so plan ahead!

*Makes 6 chimis

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice
2-3 cups diced, cooked chicken
1-2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (use the lesser amount for less heat, greater amount for a bigger kick)
1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese (or a combination of both)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and Pepper
6 large burrito-size flour tortillas

Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees. While the oven is heating, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Cook the onion until it is just softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beans, rice, chicken and chipotle and cook until the mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1/4 teaspoon each).

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave the tortillas until they are warm and pliable, about 1 minute. Top each warm tortilla with some of the chicken mixture, leaving about a 2-inch border at the bottom of the tortilla. Fold in the sides and roll up the tortilla tightly. Brush the wrapped tortillas with the remaining oil and arrange them seam side down on the hot baking sheet that has been preheating in the oven. Bake until the chimis are golden brown and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

2010-09-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

Snickerdoodle Blondies

adapted from Dozen Flours via Crepes of Wrath

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
a pinch nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and/or line a 9×13 inch pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside.
2. In large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar for 3-5 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, and beat until smooth.
3. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be somewhat cookiebatter-ish, so it’s best to spread it out with a greased spatula or your hands). Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.
4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool before cutting. Makes 20-24 bars.

Fried Rice

2010-09-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 onion
1 1/2 pounds cooked, cubed chicken meat
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup fresh pea pods, halved
1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
6 cups cooked white rice
2 eggs
1/3 cup soy sauce

Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft, then add chicken and 2 tablespoons soy sauce and stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes.
Stir in carrots, celery, red bell pepper, pea pods and green bell pepper and stir-fry another 5 minutes. Then add rice and stir thoroughly.
Finally, stir in scrambled eggs and 1/3 cup soy sauce, heat through and serve hot.

Samoa Blondies

2010-08-29T19:45:00.001-07:00

SAMOA M&M BLONDIES

10 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 ¼ cups mini M&M’s
a few extra M&M’s

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8×8-inch pan with nonstick spray and then line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it browns and begins to smell nutty (watch it closely so it doesn’t burn). Let the butter cool for a few minutes, until just barely warm.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars. With a wooden spoon, stir in egg, vanilla and salt. Stir in flour, coconut and M&M’s until batter is blended.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a few additional M&M’s on top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let the blondies cool before turning them out onto a cutting board and slicing into squares (chilling them will make that process even easier).

Yield: 16 squares

Tips:
*Use chocolate chips in place of M&M’s if you’d like.
*For slightly gooey, underbaked blondies, bake for 25 minutes. For fully baked blondies, bake the entire 30 minutes.

Apple Muffins

2010-08-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups and set aside.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

These muffins were so moist and full of flavor. You would never know they used whole wheat flour. I got this recipe from smittenkitchen.com, and she adapted it from King Arthur Flour.

Brown Sugar and Banana Muffins with Pecans

2010-08-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup of butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 large)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups of flour
1 cup of whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped*

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a muffin tray with cooking spray.

Beat the butter at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Slowly add the brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each one.

In a separate bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, cinnamon, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in another bowl; add to the butter mixture alternately with the banana mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended after each addition. Do not over-beat. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tray, filling two thirds full. Sprinkle the pecans over each muffin evenly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks. Serve slathered in butter if desired. Enjoy.

*Note: To toast the pecans, simply put in a dry skillet and cook on low for a few minutes until the nuts are toasted.

I got this recipe from this great site: fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

2010-08-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

*Makes 6 wraps*

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it made the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

Anthony and I loved these wraps. They were quick, easy, healthy, and even tasted great! I got this from My Kitchen Cafe at melskitchencafe.com.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

2010-08-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (I used Taco Chicken)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.Then roll it up as tight as you can.Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

This makes about 16 taquitos (if using corn tortillas).

These were delicious! I also got this recipe form ourbestbites.com.

Taco Chicken

2010-08-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs
A couple of juicy limes
A splash of red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or coarsely chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Juice the limes and combine with a couple splashes of red wine vinegar. Add garlic. Pour over chicken. This will not completely cover the chicken; just turn it occasionally as needed. Marinate for at least 4 hours, no longer than 8.

Heat an outdoor grill (you can also use a grill pan inside. Or your broiler in your oven.) Combine salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper in a small bowl. Remove chicken from marinade and rub the spices all over the chicken. Grill about 7 minutes per side.
Remove from heat and allow to stand a few minutes so it doesn't lose its juiciness. You can either eat the chicken as it is, maybe with Mexican rice and beans, or use slice it up and use it as you would taco meat.

I got this recipe from ourbestbites.com. They have a lot of fun recipes!

Complete Cafe Rio Pork Salad

2010-08-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

We love Cafe Rio pork salad, I have tried a couple copycat recipes and this one by far is the best. I got the recipe from this awesome recipe blog that has tons of good recipes so check it out HERE.

CAFE RIO SWEET PORK

2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork rib meat)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness but any will work)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")

FRESH GUACAMOLE

3 avocados
Red onion, chopped (about 1/4 c.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (or to taste)
1 large ripe garden tomato (or 2 smaller tomatoes), diced
juice of 1 lime
4-5 shakes green Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Pit avocados and mash in a bowl. If you like your guac kind of chunky (that's how we like it), coarsely chop with the side of a fork instead of using the fork to mash it straight down. Carefully stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed. That's it!

CILANTRO RANCH:
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!

TORTILLA STRIPS

10-12 corn tortillas
oil for frying
Kosher salt

Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter. You can cut 2-3 at a time pretty easily. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Place strips into hot oil and fry until they become crispy. When nice and crispy, remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt after each batch.

Here is how we put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). Add guacamole (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and sour cream. Add crushed tortilla chips, a shake of Parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch or vinaigrette dressing and there you have it! (makes about 6 salads)

Biscuits

2010-08-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

2 C flour
1 Tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ C liquid shortening
1 egg beaten
2/3 C milk

Mix dry ingredients. Work in shortening, add eggs and milk, add to flour mixture all at once. Stir and work together. Turn and knead gently. Roll ¾ inch thick, cut out biscuits. Place on un-greased pan. Bake at 450 for 10-14 minutes until brown. Makes about 1 dozen. (I usually double this recipe)

Aeblskiver

2010-08-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt 2 Tbsp sugar
2 C buttermilk
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1 Aeblskiver pan (cast iron muffin pan w/ handle)

Beat egg whites till stiff. Mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar. Mix buttermilk and egg yolks. Add to dry ingredients. Fold in egg whites. Place Aeblskiver pan over medium-low heat; add butter to each cup. Fill each cup about ¾ full. Turn with a toothpick. Turn them several times to make sure they are done in center.

Syurp:
½ C buttermilk
1 C butter
1 C sugar
½ tsp soda
½ tsp vanilla

Mix together and boil 5 minutes. Add vanilla after is has boiled 5 minutes.

This is one of our family's favorite breakfasts.

Everyday Waffles

2010-08-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

1 ¾ C flour
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 beaten egg yolks
1 ¾ C milk
½ c cooking oil
2 stiffly beaten egg whites

Beat egg whites and set aside. Combine dry ingredients. Combine yolks, mil and oil; stir into dry ingredients. Fold in whites. Bake in waffle iron.

Buttermilk waffles: Substitute 2 C buttermilk for sweet milk. Add ½ tsp soda and reduce baking powder to 2 tsp. Continue as above.

Ice Cream Cake

2010-08-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from this really cute blog check it out HERE they have some really fun things on there. This is so easy and really good, as soon as I saw it I couldn't wait to try it.

you'll need:
25ish oreo cookies
1 stick of butter
1 jar of hot fudge
1 tub of ice cream (flavor of your choice) set out to soften
1 small or large tub of cool whip
chocolate syrup
mini m&ms, sprinkles or whatever you choose to decorate with
melt your stick of butter completely.
while melting, put your oreos in a baggie and beat them like crazy with a rolling pin.
when crushed, pour them into your baking pan and mix with the melted butter.
Spread mixture evenly.
Top the crushed oreos with some warm hot fudge (just warm enough so it's easy to spread).
Pop it into the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

2010-08-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs
24 miniature peanut butter cups

Frosting
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup heavy wipping cream
1/3 cup peanut butter
Additional miniature peanut butter cups, chopped

1. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, peanut butter, oil and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes or until smooth.
2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Place a peanut butter cup in the center of each cupcake. Cover each with 1 tablespoonful batter.
3. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Place chocolate in a smal bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Stir in peanut butter. Cool, stirring occasionally, to room temperature or until ganache reaches a spreading consistency, about 10 minutes.
5. Spread over cupcakes; immediately sprinkle with additional peanut butter cups. Let stand until set.

Meatball Sandwich

2010-07-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 French baguette
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pinch salt, or to taste
1 (14 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
4 slices provolone cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, gently mix by hand the ground beef, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and egg. Shape into 12 meatballs, and place in a baking dish.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cooked through. Meanwhile, cut the baguette in half lengthwise, and remove some of the bread from the inside to make a well for the meatballs. Brush with olive oil, and season with garlic powder and salt. Slip the baguette into the oven during the last 5 minutes of the meatball's time, or until lightly toasted.
While the bread toasts, warm the spaghetti sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. When the meatballs are done, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the sauce. Spoon onto the baguette and top with slices of provolone cheese. Return to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes to melt the cheese. Cool slightly, cut into servings, and enjoy!

Coconut Brownies

2010-07-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

1 package fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch pan size)
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup coconut-pecan frosting
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, combine the brownie mix, sour cream, frosting, egg and water just until moistened.
2. Pour into a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake 350 for 30-35 minutes or until center is set (do not overbake). Sprinkle with chocolate chips; let stand for 5 minutes. Spread chips over brownies to frost.

We have made this with white choclate chips and it was really good.

S'mores

2010-07-27T18:38:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup white sugar
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl, combine butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs until well coated. Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the chocolate chips, then the marshmallows. Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker mixture over the marshmallows and press down with a spatula.

3. Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes, until marshmallows are melted. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Oreo Cream Pie

2010-07-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

38 oreo cookies, divided

1/4 c butter, melted

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened

1/3 c sugar

2 c sweetened whipped cream*

1. Crush 26 of the cookies; mix with butter until well blended. Press firmly onto bottom and up side of 9 inch pie plate. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

2. Crush the 12 remaining cookies; set aside. Beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add chopped cookies and whipped topping; stir gently until well blended. Spoon into prepared crust.

3. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until firm.

*I made whipped cream from heavy whipping cream and sugar, but you could also use cool whip.

Scotcheroos

2010-07-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

6 c Rice Krispies

1 c corn syrup

1 c sugar

1 c peanut butter

1 c semisweet chocolate chips

1 c butterscotch chips

Cook corn syrup and sugar in saucepan over medium high. Stir until sugar dissolves and begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Add rice krispies. Put in 9x13 pan. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips and spread on top.

Sour Cream Zucchini Bread

2010-06-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

This makes 2 Loaves

3 cups flour
3 lg eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini (I have also make it with squash and it turns out)
1 cup chopped nuts
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I like to make it with Heath Toffee Bits)
1 tsp. cinn
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup sour cream

Grease and flour 2 pans. Mix eggs, sugar, oil and flour. Add rest of dry ingredients and mix well. Batter will be thick. Stir in zucchini, vanilla and sour cream. Batter will be thinner add nuts and choc. chips. Pour into pans. You can also make them into muffins. I like to do the mini muffins my kids love them.
Bake @ 350 for 60 to 65 min. Cool in pan for 10 min.

I only bake mine for about 40 min, but I always have to cute my bake time down.

Mint Chocolate Cake

2010-06-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

1 package (18 1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 drops green food coloring
Topping:
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1. Prepare cake batter according to package directions, using a greased 9x13 baking pan
2. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
3. In a large bowl, combine frosting ingredients until smooth. Spread over cooled cake.
4. For topping, in a microwave, melt chocolate chips and butter; stir until smooth. Stir in extract. Spread over frosting. Refrigerate until set.

You can make brownies and use this frosting.

Root Beer Float Cake

2010-05-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

1 package white cake mix
1 3/4 cups cold root beer, divided
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 envelope whipped topping (dream whip)

1. In a large bowl, combine the dry cake mix, 1 1/4 cups root beer, oil and eggs. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes or stir by hand for minutes.

2. Pour into a greased 13-in x 9-in. baking pan. Bake 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

3. In a small bowl, combine the whipped topping mix and remaining root beer. Beat until soft peaks form. Frost cake. Store in the refrigerator.

My husband found this recipe. He is always looking for new things to try.

Chipotle Turkey Burgers

2010-05-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
For the burgers:
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 shallot, minced (I used scallions instead.)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. cilantro, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper

For the chipotle sour cream:
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced (more or less, depending on how hot you want it)
fresh cilantro, minced (I actually omitted this)
1/2 small clove garlic, minced

Toppings:
4 hamburger buns
muenster cheese, thinly sliced (I used Monterrey Jack and my husband used Cheddar.)
romaine lettuce
tomato, sliced
red onion, thinly sliced
avocado, sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the turkey, shallot, garlic, and cilantro and mix gently with your hands. Divide the meat into 4 equal portions and form them into patties. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill patties for a few minutes per side, until cooked through. Place a slice of cheese on each patty just before it is done grilling to allow it to melt.

3. Place grilled burgers on buns and top with lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, and chipotle sour cream.

4. To make the chipotle sour cream, in a small bowl, stir to combine sour cream, chipotle peppers, cilantro, and garlic until creamy. Refrigerate until read to serve.

Makes 4 burgers.

I found this recipe on a couple of blogs. You can see great pictures and more details by clicking here and here. My husband turned up his nose at the idea of turkey burgers, but then he tried these! He really liked them and said that I should put this on the blog. I loved them too and will definitely make them again! A healthy, tasty alternative to hamburgers!

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