Good Eats

Wedge salad

2011-11-27T14:41:00.001-08:00

Saw this on Pinterest, tweaked it and ate it!

Hollow out the bottom half of iceberg lettuce, add fixings.

I used leftover turkey, feta cheese, hardboiled egg, sunflower seeds, brocolli tomato, purple onion and ranch. :)

And a pickle on the side.

Its huge, so it might be a better two person meal.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

2011-11-25T13:07:00.001-08:00

In honor of Thanksgiving! So, no one in my family eats canned yams and marshmallows, so we tried something different and EVERYONE ate and loved it.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE FILLING:
3 lbs. sweet potatoes
⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1″ piece ginger, finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING:
½ cup flour
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup finely chopped pecans
½ tsp. kosher salt
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
¼ cup mini marshmallows

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 425°. Place sweet potatoes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake until soft, about 1½ hours; let cool for 30 minutes, and then remove skins. Pass potatoes through a food mill into a large bowl; stir in sugar, butter, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, eggs, ginger, and pepper. Pour mixture into a 1½-qt. baking dish and smooth top; set aside.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Stir together flour, oats, sugar, pecans, and salt in a bowl; add butter and, using your fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until large crumbles form. Mound crumble mixture over filling, dot with marshmallows, and bake until filling is hot and crumble and marshmallows are browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Spinach-Turkey Burgers

2011-11-12T16:40:00.001-08:00

**To be quite honest, I hadn't had a bite of this before I posted the recipe. But I just finished it and it was AMAZING!! Definitely something to try, and supposedly healthy!**

Here is what I did (this is an adapted recipe from "Taste of Home: Simple and Delicious Cookbook) -

**These are the measurements from the book, but I never use them, so most of my stuff is whatever looks appropriate, so I don't have an actual measurement for the substitutions I made**

1 cup stuffing mix (I used crumbled up wheat bread)

1/3 C chicken broth

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 pkg (10 ounces) frozen, chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I don't believe in frozen spinach, so I used minced fresh Spinach).

1 lb ground turkey

4 sandwich buns, split

Cheese slices, lettuce leaves and tomato slices, optional

(I sauteed mushrooms and red onions to go on top and used Provolone cheese)

In a large bowl, combine the stuffing mix (bread crumbles), broth Italian seasonings, salt, pepper and half the spinach (if using frozen, otherwise, whatever you think is appropriate). Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into four 3/4-in thick patties.

Grill, uncovered, over medium-hot heat or broil 3-4 in from the heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Serve on buns with whatever toppings you choose.

Yield: 4 servings.

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce & Bowtie Pasta

2011-11-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

I have been cooking a lot lately, but I have been horrible about adding my recipes to this blog. I am sure when baby boy arrives I will be doing more of this while I am tied down at the hip, but I thought for now I should share this yummy recipe I found on Pinterest.

Time: 45 mins

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe is from Jamie Cooks it Up!

What you'll need for main dish:

3 large chicken breasts

5 cups of cornflakes

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

6 Tbsp. olive oil

1 12oz package bowtie noodles

Sauce:

1 10 oz container Philidelphia Cooking Cream (Italian Cheese and Herb)

2 cans cream of chicken soup (I only used 1 can and then added Bartolli's alfredo sauce for the other can measurement)

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

fresh parsley chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. In a small food processor crush corn flakes into crumbs (if you don't have a food processor or hate using them, I just put the cups of cornflakes in a ziplock baggie and pounded down with my hands)

2. Add the 1/2 tsp salt to the 3/4 cup flour. Stir to combine

3. Place the flour, milk and crushed cornflakes each into their own separate pans. Loaf pans work well, but you can use large bowls too.

4. Place your chicken breasts in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and seal the top. Pound the chicken flat with a meat mallet (believe it or not you can also try using a hammer). You will really be thankful for the Ziploc bag at this step. And that you pounded the meat. I will tell you why at the end.

5. Take a pair of sharp kitchen scissors and cut each breast in half.

6. Dredge the chicken in the flour. Be sure it covers on both sides. Lay the floured chicken on a small cookie sheet and slide in the freezer for about 5 or so minutes.

7. Start cooking your pasta. (A little tip. When cooking pasta drop a little olive oil in the water to help your noodles not stick to the pan if you can't be watching on it constantly)

8. Remove the chicken from the freezer and dredge the each piece of chicken in the milk and then immediately into the cornflake crumbs. Again be sure both sides are completely covered.

9. Add the olive oil to the hot skillet.

10. Carefully lay each chicken piece into the hot oil. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes...or until the underside of each piece is a golden brown. Turn the pieces over. If the bottom of pan gets dry just add a little more olive oil to sides of the pan. Swirl around to even out oil.

11. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Let the chicken cook for about 7 more minutes, being careful not to burn the bottoms.

12. When your chicken has been cooked through remove it from the pan and place it on a plate. Cover with tin foil.

13. Into the same pan, pour your broth. Phily cooking creme, cream of chicken, and milk, *and alfredo sauce if you want to follow my recipe. Wisk the sauce around and let it get all warm and bubbly. Should only take about 3 minutes.

14. Slice your chicken into strips and serve over your cooked pasta and sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

Enjoy!

My extra notes: So when I made this last night I did not follow instructions with the tenderizing and cutting of the chicken...which caused a small problem. The chicken didn't cook fast enough before it started to brown the cornflakes. If that happens, all is not lost. What I did was I got my pyrex pan out and covered my chicken with tin foil and put in the oven to bake at 350 to finish cooking the chicken without burning the cornflakes! Worked like a charm, and there was to be no salmonella poisoning at our house!!

Also, the alfredo sauce and extra salt I put into the sauce made it taste a little more flavorful.

Costa Vida/Cafe Rio Burrito!

2011-10-31T10:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't made it yet, but believe me. I will. I WILL! Costa Vida is probably my favorite, it just sucks because it's so freaking far away. But yay for copycats! I thought I would share before I made it, just in case you're broke like me and like Costa Vida (Cafe Rio for all you Utahans) but can't afford it. Enjoy!

Shrimp 'n' Black Bean Chili

2011-10-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

Weird, right?! WRONG! So good! Here's what you do:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 chopped green bell pepper
1 tbls canola oil
1 can (15 ounces) black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup picante sausce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Hot cooked rice (optional)

In a large saucepan, saute onion and green pepper (I used yellow, orange and red baby bell peppers) in oil for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in the beans, tomatoes (I used fresh), broth, picante sauce (I don't even know what that is, so I used garlic salsa I had left over), cumin and basil (I used Italian seasoning (I don't know, it was in the pantry and basil wasn't...)). REduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Add shrimp; simmer 3-4 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve with rice if desired. Makes six servings.

BOOM! Delicious! Perfect for a fall day, such as today. I used brown rice, someone said it's healthier... :)

Pesto Grilled Cheese!

2011-09-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

Oh my heavens! This sandwich is TO DIE for! Allrecipes.com sends me emails according to meals I specified and they sent me this little beauty and I tweaked it. It's SO good!

My tweaking - French bread, provolone (no American cheese - yuck!), some deli sliced turkey, tomato, spinach leaves, pesto of course. Slap it all together, throw it in a cast iron skillet and voila! A tasty, quick lunch! When it gets wintery, I think some tomato or even onion soup would just go fantastic with it!

Fondant Icing

2011-09-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

I made this cake last year for my daughter's 2nd birthday. It was my 1st fondant cake, and I must say it drove me nuts because it was so time consuming and I am a very impatient mom!

However, for a first try, it didn't look too bad, so I wanted to share this fondant recipe.

Ingredients:

2 lb bag of powdered sugar

16 oz. bag of mini marshmallows

1/2 cup shortening (crisco brand--for some reason other brands don't do the trick)

2-4 tbsp. of water

Directions:

Clean counter well and spread 1/2 of shortening measurement in a thick layer about the size of a basketball

Sift powdered sugar into a pile on top of shortening...you will need a sifter for this part.

Make a Crater in the middle of sugar , keeping high sides all around and a layer of powdered sugar at the bottom.

Place marshmallows into a microwave safe bowl. Add water - start with 2 tbsp. (Be sure to use a bowl 2x the size of your marshmallows because they do puff up in the microwave.)

Put bowl into microwave and heat until mallows melt. About 2 1/2 to 4 mins. My added advice is to check on them each minute, because they can burn depending on the strength of your microwave.

Pour mixture into powdered sugar crater.

Yields: 3 lbs. of Fondant

If you would like to see pictures, and more details, go to the following website linked below:

Making and Coloring Fondant -- Make It & Love It Bake a Cake Series

Best Pie Crust -by Marilyn Southwick

2011-09-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

I made my first apple pie last Thanksgiving, and was lucky enough to go to a Relief Society Meeting where we had lots of fun crafts and baking tips.

Since Fall/Autumn is arriving soon, and you know how excited we get about this time of year, I thought I would share this wonderful pie crust recipe.

Pie crusts are usually very difficult, and so I was excited to try this recipe by Sister Southwick in my ward.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Cup butter flavored crisco
1/3 Cup + 1 Tbsp. COLD water

Directions:

Mix Salt into flour, cut in shortening (I used a fork) until dough starts to clump. Toss with ice water. Mix just until blended. Don't over work your dough. ,,

Divide dough in half and roll out. Makes enough for 2 9 inch pies (This does not include if you are covering the pie with crust as well. I had to double the recipe.) If you're baking the pie shell with no filling, prick the bottom and sides with a fork to prevent bubbles.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Side Note #1: If you are in higher elevations like myself I had to add an extra 10-15 minutes, but check it periodically to make sure it is flakey. It should not come out brown, but just a hint of a golden color.

Side Note #2: When I made apple pie (this would go for any pie that needs to be cooked with the filling inside), it took longer to cook, because I put in my apple pie filling and covered the pie with a shell. I didn't want to over bake by cooking the pan shell first, then adding the apple filling and the shell covering and putting them in the oven again. If you are making a filling for a pie, it is best to cook the filling in the pan first, with all your filling ingredients before baking crust in the oven.

Be sure to follow instructions to the Tee!!

Summer Salads!

2011-06-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

Just some ideas for the upcoming summer months. Who wants to eat gross casseroles and hot food... These are from the health magazine I use when I'm working out and being healthy. I'm super excited to try these and just thought I'd pass them along!

Summer Salads!

Lime chili tilapia + lime cranberry rice pilaf

2011-06-09T10:39:00.001-07:00

This was inspired by K's "I hate fish" post. :) (I LOVE fish and got excited for Tilapia, but then realized I didn't have chives, so I made this fancy feast instead).

(From Rachel Ray)
Chili Lime Tilapia

4 tilapia fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs (I didn't have any bread crumbs, so I used crushed up corn flakes)
2 limes, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons chili powder, a couple of palmfuls
2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2/3 palmful
2 teaspoons onion powder, 2/3 palmful
2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
1/4 cup vegetable, canola or safflower oil

Directions

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Arrange 3 shallow dishes. Put the flour in 1 dish and add the eggs to the second dish. Combine the bread crumbs in the third dish and season with 1 tablespoon of lime zest, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, the garlic powder, onion powder and thyme. Coat the fish in the flour, then the egg and then the bread crumbs.

Heat the oil, about 1/4 cup, in large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. If your pan is not large enough to fry 4 fillets, in a single layer, heat the oven to 275 degrees F and put a cooling rack on a baking sheet. As you fry the fish, transfer them to the rack in the oven to keep warm. Fry the fish until deeply golden and crispy and transfer to a serving platter. Season with a little extra salt, top with lots of lime juice and serve.

Balsamic Brown Rice Salad (from allrecipes.com)

2 cups water
1 cup brown rice
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced celery (I didn't use celery...)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing (I made my dressing (see recipe below!)
1 tablespoon SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated (I didn't use Splenda either...)

Directions

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in rice, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, or until done.
Transfer rice to a serving bowl, and stir in onion, celery, cranberries, salad dressing, and SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener. Cover, refrigerate, and serve cold.

Balsamic Vinaigrette (From Allrecipes.com)

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 pinch salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, mustard, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

And for the salad, I used the same dressing on spinach leaves with cranberries and almonds.

Broiled Tilapia with Mustard-Chive Sauce

2011-04-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

Do you have a bit of difficulty getting excited about fish, like I do? Try out this recipe and make eating your fish a much more pleasant experience!

Broiled Tilapia with Mustard-Chive Sauce

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, found on foodnetwork.com

Prep Time: 6 min

Cook Time: 6 min

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

Fish:

Vegetable oil cooking spray
4 (5 to 6-ounce) tilapia fillets
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

1/4 cup plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the fish: Preheat a broiler. Spray a small baking sheet or glass baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

Drizzle the tilapia fillets on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the fillets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and broil until cooked through and the flesh flakes easily with a fork, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

For the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, agave nectar, and mustard until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice and chives. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Transfer the tilapia to a serving platter and drizzle with the sauce.

***
My changes: low-fat plain yogurt, olive oil cooking spray, honey mustard, and the fish SO wasn't cooked in 6 to 8 minutes. More like ten or twelve. I also happened to have every ingredient on-hand already, which always adds to my liking of a recipe. But it tasted great, was healthy and quick, and was a definite keeper for our house!

Lemon Meringue Pie

2011-01-05T00:28:00.000-08:00

My dad is seriously the hardest man IN THE WORLD to buy a present for. The man does not even wear T-shirts! So I decided that, this Christmas, I would gift him my time by making him one of his favorite desserts, with the recipe his mother always used, and that my mom has in turn used since they got married. So this one is a Yarwood family classic!

Lemon Meringue Pie
Spry Shortening Cookbook, 1941

Prick and then bake a 9" pie shell for 10 min at 350 F.

Filling

7 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 c. water (NOT hot)
3 egg yolks, beaten (don't discard whites)
1/2 c. lemon juice (fresh is best)
1 Tbsp. butter
grated peel of one lemon

Bring all of these to a boil over medium to medium-high heat, stirring continually. Reduce heat and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour into baked shell.

Meringue

3 egg whites, at room temp.
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
5 Tbsp sugar

Beat whites til frothy; add tartar. Continue beating til whites hold soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Beat til firm peaks are formed. Spread meringue on filling starting at edges and working toward center. Bring meringue out to edge of crust to form complete seal. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 min. or until golden brown. Cool.

Notes:
Be sure the filling mixture actually boils for the allotted time. Mine thickened quickly, so I thought it was all good, and it turned out a bit leaky when the pie was cut. Still delicious though.

My mom guided me in making this since she's made it a hundred times, and as I was beating the egg whites, she dumped all the sugar in at once. I scolded her, "It says gradually!" She waved my complaint aside, and the meringue turned out fine. So, dump it all in at once if you like.

Chex® Pumpkin Pie Crunch

2010-11-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, I admit it: I didn't make this myself. My mom made some and sent it to us, and it was delish! (Is that cheating?)

Get it straight from the Chex website, where there are seriously like thousands of Chex Mix recipes that sound really good, here. (It looks neater there, definitely.)

Chex® Pumpkin Pie Crunch

Butter, brown sugar and spice make a sweet and crunchy cereal mix.

Prep Time:15 min

Start to Finish:15 min

Makes:16 servings (1/2 cup each)

1/4	cup brown sugar
1	tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4	cup butter
2	teaspoons vanilla
2	cups Cinnamon Chex® cereal
2	cups Wheat Chex® cereal
2	cups Honey Nut Chex® cereal
8	oz pecans

Do-Ahead

To ease the load of last-minute prep, make the mix up to 2 weeks ahead and store in an airtight container.

1.	In small bowl, mix brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice; set aside. In small microwave-safe dish, microwave butter on High about 30 seconds or until melted. Stir in vanilla. In large microwavable bowl, mix all cereals and pecans. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly distributed. Add sugar and spice mixture and stir until coated.
2.	Microwave uncovered on High 5 minutes or until mixture begins to brown, stirring every minute. Spread on wax paper or a cookie sheet to cool. Store in airtight container.

1 Serving: Calories 180 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 150mg; Total Carbohydrate 23g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 7g); Protein 2g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 8%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 6%; Iron 30% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 1 tsp Fats & Oils, 1 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans
*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Spicy Pumpkin-Raisin Cookies

2010-10-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

These cookies are a wonderful autumn treat! They're fantastically unhealthy (unless you can rationalize that the pumpkin and raisins make up for it :)), but taste SO good! So, moderation in all things.

Cookie Dough:

1 c shortening/butter
1 c sugar
1 c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg
1 c. raisins
1/2 tsp salt
2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Frosting:

3 Tbsp butter
4 tsp milk
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c powdered sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

To make cookies:

Cream shortening or butter, sugar, and pumpkin in mixing bowl; blend in egg.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; blend into pumpkin mixture.
Fold in raisins. {Dough will be very soft.}
Drop by small spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 375 F for 10-12 minutes. Spread frosting on warm cookies.

To make frosting:

Combine butter, milk, and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until dissolved. Cool. Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla.

My roommate gave me this in Dec. 2005. It came from one of her cookbooks, but I don't know what it was called. I Googled it to try to find where to give credit, and found a Betty Crocker recipe that looks similar, but easier (using a cake mix), and had good ratings--you might want to try that if you're short on time.

Peppered Pork Medallions in Tangy Mushroom Sauce

2010-10-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

I got this one from eatbetteramerica, in some kinda "The Biggest Loser" newsletter I must have signed up for at some point. Get it straight from the original website here. It's easy, fast, and doesn't require unheard-of or very expensive ingredients! (Not to mention it's tasty!)

Prep Time:30 min

Start to Finish:30 min

makes:4 servings

1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1 1/4 lb), cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 tsp course ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp canola or olive oil
3/4 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp all-purpose {or whole wheat} flour
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 package (8 oz.) fresh whole mushrooms, cut into quarters {or sliced}

1.	Sprinkle both sides of pork slices with pepper and salt. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until browned.
2.	Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix broth and flour until smooth. Add broth mixture and remaining ingredients to skillet. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in center and mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Serve with rice.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Nutritional Information

1 Serving: Calories 200 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 70mg; Sodium 310mg; Total Carbohydrate 5g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 1g); Protein 28g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 3 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

I was cringing a little as I did it, but I used whole wheat flour for the sauce, and my husband and I both honestly think it came out great! I also just thinly sliced the mushrooms. My husband is easily pleased with my cooking, but not as easily impressed--and he was impressed by this one. It's a keeper!

Chicken Salad Sadwiches

2010-08-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

This recipe is so incredibly simple, and yet is something new and different for lunch instead of those regular peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or the tuna sandwiches...

Ingredients:

Slices of bread (for sandwich)--we always use whole wheat for everything, but whatever kind you like will work--
1 1/2 cups fresh red grapes sliced into halves
1 1/2 cups crushed cashews (you can crush them yourself in a zip lock baggie and the pounding of a rolling pin)
2 spoon fulls of real mayonnaise or miracle whip
2 cans of chicken (these look like tuna cans but are chicken not tuna and can be found next to the tuna cans in grocery stores)

Directions:

All you need is a large bowl and a fork and spoon for mixing. First open chicken cans and drain all water (press down on lid to get all excess water out). Pour into mixing bowl. With a fork, break up chicken. Cut up all grapes into halves. Crush cashews. Pour both into mixing bowl, and then add the spoon fulls of mayo or miracle whip. Mix together well, and presto! You have chicken salad and can then put them on your bread of choice. This sandwich is so yummy, I make it everyday!

Also, keep in mind that you can add more or less of anything you want. That is the beauty of easy recipes like these.

If you follow my exact directions it should make well over 8 sandwiches. Enjoy!

Chicken Fajitas

2010-08-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

Well most everyone loves chicken Fajitas, but I never really knew how to make my own recipe without using the little packages at the grocery store, so here it is! AND it is to die for! My husband and I LOVED them.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 medium green peppers
2 medium red peppers
12 tortillas (again I use wheat, but any of your choice will work)

Directions:
Combine the first six ingredients; divide the mixture between two large resealable plastic bags. Add chicken to one and veggies to the other; seal bags and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours, turning bags occasionally.
Drain the chicken and vegetables, discarding chicken marinade, but keeping a small portion of the veggie marinade for cooking (about 2 tbsp). In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute chicken for 6-7 minutes (or longer if you want to cook chicken thoroughly--I made sure that chicken was cut up into smaller pieces to make sure it cooked well). Add vegetables and tbsp of veggie juice and saute for 3-4 minutes. Drain excess if desired. Spoon chicken and vegetables onto tortillas; fold in sides and serve immediately!

Serves: 6

Chorizo-Cheese Quesadillas

2010-08-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

Take your choice of tortillas, (I like to use whole wheat). If you like foods extra spicy, you can add an extra jalapeno pepper. Even with just one jalapeno pepper, this still was not spicy to me, and I am extra sensitive to spicy foods! This is a favorite of me and my hubby now ! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do !

Ingredients:

8 oz. bulk chorizo or mild Italian sausage (we just used chicken, which was cheaper for us to do, and we both like chicken --if you do use chicken, boil it first so it can cook before sauteing on your stove later and cut into strips)
1/3 cup chopped onion (I used green onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh jalapeno Chile pepper, finely chopped (be sure to wear gloves when chopping jalapeno peppers because the juices can burn your skin)
6 (6-8inch) tortillas of your choice
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese and/or queso fresco (I have never heard of that cheese before, so I just stuck with Monterrey Jack)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Salsa (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat grill or stove to medium and lightly oil. For filling, in medium skillet, cook meat of choice (again I used boiled chicken), onion, and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring to break up lumps, until meat is browned and onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain off fat. Pat mixture with paper towels to remove as much additional fat as possible. Stir in chopped jalapeno pepper; set aside.

2. Brush three of the tortillas with half of the oil. Place tortillas, oiled sides down, on a large baking sheet. Spoon filling over tortillas. In a small bowl, combine cheese and cilantro; sprinkle over filling. Top with remaining tortillas; brush with remaining oil.

3. Grill on stove or regular grill, turning once, until filling is heated through and tortillas are starting to brown, 3-4 minutes.

4. To serve, cut quesadillas into wedges as in picture above. Serve with Salsa if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 232 cal. 14 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 32 mg chol., 346 mg sodium, 15 g carb, 4 grams fiber, 1o g protien

Peanut Butter Banana Pops

2010-08-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

This one was a little trickier than I thought it would be, but I did it and they were so good!

Ingredients:
1 package (16.1 oz) JELL-O No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Dessert (you can find these at almost any grocery store and they come in a box usually in the JELL-O section)
1 1/3 cups cold milk
1 medium banana, mushed

Directions:

PLACE Topping Pouch in large bowl of boiling water; and set aside (meaning boil the water first and then put the pouch in the pot of boiling water while you make the rest of the recipe)

POUR milk into deep, medium bowl. Add Filling Mix and Peanut Butter Packet. Beat with electric mixer on lowest speed 30 seconds. Beat on highest speed 3 minutes. (Do NOT under beat). Gently stir in Crust Mix and mushy banana. Spoon into 12 paper-lined muffin cups. (I used the tin foil muffin cups which I knew would work well in the freezer)

REMOVE pouch from water. Knead pouch 60 seconds until fluid is no longer lumpy. Squeeze topping equally over mixture in cups. tilting pan slightly to coat tops. Insert pop sticks into cups.

FREEZE 2 hours or overnight until firm. Remove paper liners.

Makes 12 pops

Note: Wooden pop sticks are sold at craft and hobby stores, but I did find some at WalMart in the crafting area.

Prep time: 15 mins.
Freezing time: 2 hours

Cherry Cobbler Dessert

2010-08-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

Ummmm...can we say : BEST dessert EVER?! Yeah it was that good! I know for a fact you all will enjoy this one, AND I also know that it is super easy to make. All you need is a slow cooker and you are good to go with the rest.

Ingredients:
2 21 oz. cans cherry pie filling
18-1/2 oz package yellow cake mix (any kind)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts and that worked great)
Garnish: ice cream or whipped topping (or both! haha)

Directions:
Spread pie filling in the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker; set aside. Combine cake mix and butter until coarse crumbs form; sprinkle over pie filling. Layer with nuts; heat on low setting for 3 hours. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping (or both like I said before).

Serves 6-8

**************Kristina's Note: (hope you don't mind, Ash!) You can also do this with the oven--it's from "101 Things to Do With A Cake Mix, and it's called a dump cake. You:

sprinkle half the cake mix over the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan, then
pour the pie filling over the top,
sprinkle the remaining cake mix over the top of that, and then
slice 1 stick of margarine into small strips and place them evenly over the top of the cake.
Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 F.

You can do blueberry pie filling, substitute chocolate cake mix for the yellow--there are many ways to change this up! Thank you so much for sharing, Ashley!

Thanks for the tip on the oven too Kristina. I figured it could probably be done in the oven as well, but I obviously didn't have a recipe for that. :) I just love my crock pot (slow cooker) because I hardly did a thing to it.

Mini Ice Cream Pops

2010-08-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

My first try was hard, but when I got it down these turned out great! If you come up with any more tips please let me know! I would have taken a picture, but these babies were gone in day !!

Work: 30 min. Total: 2 hrs 30 min.

Our two-bite treats are pretty, delicious and a cinch to make. What's not to love?

Ingredients:
1 pint ice cream (any flavor)
14 large toothpicks or cocktail sticks
10 oz. white chocolate chopped (or milk chocolate if you prefer)
1/2 cup colored sprinkles

Directions:
1. Wrap a rimmed baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap, creating a surface of plastic with an air pocket underneath. Scoop ice cream into balls using a 1-inch scoop and place in rows on plastic wrap; insert a toothpick in each and freeze until solid.
2. Gently melt chocolate and pour into a bowl (I just used the microwave many times in short periods to get chocolate melted--it took about a minute of microwave time); allow to cool to room temperature. Dip ice cream balls in chocolate, spooning it over each ball to cover completely, then immideately coat with sprinkles. Freeze until firm.

Makes about 14 Pops.

Sam's Crockpot Parisienne Chicken Dinner

2010-08-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a new family favorite and there is so many ways to make it! I like the crockpot best but you can always make it in under an hour on the stove, or use rotisserie chicken from the store.
This picture is it DOUBLED (I always make double so I have an instant serving for the Hubkins lunch the next day!:))

4 Chicken Breasts or Boneless thighs (cut into bite sized pieces just before serving or serve whole)
1 cup chicken broth
1 Can Cream of Mushroom (or Cream of Chicken Soup)
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 Bag of Egg Noodles
1 tbsp. Minced Garlic (this is for garlic lovers. You can use less or none at all if you like)
1/2 cup diced red onion (also can be omitted and will still be tasty)
1 package of sliced mushrooms
a little butter and a little olive oil

Mix together broth, soup, onion, and sour cream. Lightly salt chicken and put into crockpot. Cover with sauce and stir around. Cover and cook on low for at least 4 hours (you can leave it in longer. About 6 hours is good, but more time won't hurt it). About a 30 minutes before dinner, cook pasta. Also, saute mushrooms in olive oil and a few tablespoons of butter until lightly brown. Add garlic in about 2 minutes before finished. Add this mix to the crockpot and stir. Put pasta in a large bowl and dump all of crockpot mix on top. SO YUMMY! SO EASY!

Love Sam

Sinfully Delicious Alfredo Sauce

2010-08-14T23:06:00.001-07:00

This is a FULL FAT alfredo recipe. It is totally bad for you, but THE BEST ALFREDO SAUCE EVER!!! Give it a try when you are feeling a little crazy!:)

1 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 crushed clove of garlic
1/4 cup butter (don't use margerine. Ewww....)
1 cup heavy cream

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cheese and garlic, and stir until cheese is fully melted. Remove from heat, and toss pasta with sauce. Top with a few leaves of fresh parsley. So YUMMY!

Sauce covers enough pasta for 4 people

Super Easy Mexi-Casserole

2010-07-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Super Easy Mexi-Casserole

1 lb. Ground Turkey or Lean Ground Beef

1 1/2 Cups Salsa (the spicier the salsa the hotter the dish, so use with discretion!)

1 Can Kidney Beans (or Chili beans. I just didn't want any chili flavoring in it)

1/2 Large can Black Olives, sliced

2 Cups Tortilla Chips, crushed up

1 cup Sour Cream (however fattening or non-fattening you like:))

At least a cup of Cheddar Cheese

Green onion (optional)

Pam

Grease an 8x8 baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom with crushed tortilla chips. In a pan, brown ground meat, and drain. Add in beans and salsa and heat though. Put meat mix over chips. Then make a layer of green onion and olives. Then a layer of sour cream. then a layer of cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take of foil and brown cheese for 5-7 minutes. Enjoy!

Makes Enough for 4 LARGE portions. I always double this recipe and put in a 9x13 pan so I have PLENTY of leftovers for lunches. This is AWESOME re-heated.

Love

Sam

Frozen Lemonade Squares

2010-07-17T20:03:00.000-07:00

Photo from kraftrecipes.com.

Here in Arizona, where it's something like 110 F and lots of humidity every day, these are wonderfully refreshing--and very easy!

I made these for our ward's missionaries last night (who ride around on bicycles all day in this heat), and I noted that they each had seconds and thirds. That made me happy. :)

If you'd like the recipe straight from the website, click here. I'll also copy and paste, and change things to reflect the way I made them.

***********************************************

prep time: 20 min

total time: 4 hr 20 min (freezing time included)

makes: 9 servings

What You Need

9 HONEY MAID Low Fat Honey Grahams, finely crushed (about 1-1/4 cups)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Margarine or butter, melted
1 qt. (4 cups) vanilla yogurt (or less)
6 oz. (1/2 of 12-oz. can) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping {or the Great Value Walmart generic brand, ha! The yogurt and lemonade, too!)

Make It

MIX graham crumbs and margarine; press onto bottom of 9-inch square pan.

STIR yogurt and concentrate with a whisk until well blended; spread over crust.

FREEZE 4 hours or until firm. Serve topped with COOL WHIP.

***I've been contemplating variations, and I'm thinkin' popsicles. If I actually do it, I'll let you know how they turn out.

Homemade Yogurt--recipe with pictures

2010-07-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

Image from Little Birdie Secrets. It's just such a pretty picture.

Cheaper, healthier--say bye-bye to high-fructose corn-syrup.

I did it once in my 7th grade science class.
I remember it tasting good, but all this time, I had it in my mind that yogurt could only be made with the help of a trained scientist.

If you're a good scout and have a year's supply of powdered milk (unlike me--but I want to change that), this is a great way to use it. (Did you know, Mormons, that you can get it WAY cheap--cheaper than Wal-Mart, even--at the cannery? ...Sorry. Tangent.)

I found the recipe here.
I copied the recipe and instructions for this post, changing and adding here and there.

Homemade Yogurt (4 cups)

3 3/4 cup warm water
1 2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
4 Tbsp. store bought plain yogurt (make sure it has live active cultures)

*Author's note: Make sure it has a far-off expiration date. You can also use starter from your homemade yogurt for the next batch but it loses its potency after a couple of batches.

In a large saucepan, combine the water and milk powder.

Heat the milk over medium heat until it reaches 180 F degrees. This is to kill off any competing bacteria so the yogurt will grow better. Remove from the stove and allow it to cool to 115 F degrees. If the milk is any hotter than this, it will kill off the yogurt culture; much cooler, and it will grow too slowly.

Stir in the yogurt culture and allow it to dissolve completely. (*Greek style isn't necessary. It's just what I had.)

Now, pour the mixture into a canning jar or other clean quart-sized container, and put it in a warm spot for 6-8 hours to incubate. You could:

Place it in an ice chest full of hot water, with a plastic container (or something) in the bottom to lift the jar out of the water, and keep the chest closed.
Put it in the oven, with only the oven light on, or keeping the oven between 100 and 120 degrees if possible.
Place it on a heating pad on your kitchen counter.

OR,

you could do what I did:

put it outside your door in the daily Arizona 100 F or more heat (in the shade). The summer sauna finally served a purpose! (Wonder what I'll do in the winter?)

The key is to keep it between 100 and 120 degrees. (That's not in this recipe; I called my Aunt Elaine for advice since she used to make yogurt a lot, and that little tidbit was in one of the recipes she gave me.)

The longer you leave the yogurt the sourer it will be. If you want it to be thicker, you can add additional milk powder in the initial stages. (I did add more after an hour or two of it being outside.)

And look at that--6-8 hours later, you've got your own yogurt!

Refrigerate. You can now make the yogurt to your own liking by adding all sorts of fruits, nuts, honey, or maple syrup. Put it in smoothies. Use it instead of milk in macaroni and cheese (especially Annie's white cheddar) for a tangier taste. You can also use it in many recipes and substitute it for sour cream--it tastes nearly the same and it's much healthier.

So there you have it! You might be surprised how excited it will make you to find your milk turned into thick, creamy yogurt!

Just curious

2010-06-26T17:10:00.001-07:00

Has anyone tried any of the other recipes on out little bloggy blog. I have tried a few and should be more diligent about commenting on them afterwards. But I was just curious if anyone had tested out what someone else had posted. :D Comment away!

M

2010-06-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

Grilled chicken with melon salsa from CookingLight.com

(K - I was thinking how you could make this oven-less, and I started thinking there are some microwaveable chickens, but then I remembered you said no appliances... SO. The salsa is appliance-less...)

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1988532
This recipe is for the chicken and melon salsa. The salad is just spinach, green onions, mushrooms, cranberries and roasted almonds. And a raspberry vinegrette dressing. SOO good. :D

Please help the Arizonian (?)

2010-06-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

I need some help. We just put ourselves on an electricity plan our provider offers where we don't use major appliances (oven, stove, microwave, dishwasher, AC, washer and dryer) between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. so we can save money. And also, using our oven heats the place up terribly, and it's already triple digits most every day here.

So, I'm looking for cold dinner recipes--salads, and...I can't even make a list, because I just don't have much experience in that area.

Anything cold, and cheap, and suitable for dinner--could you guys post recipes you have, to help me out?

Thanks so much!

Shrimp [or chicken] Fettuccine Alfredo

2010-06-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking

(I would share the link, but it's only for subscribers. I actually get the magazine....Ooh, am I going to get busted for sharing it with you guys?)

My suggestions and/or changes will be in blue so I don't blab too much.

4 Servings
Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

6 ounces uncooked fettuccine (wheat)
2 tablespoons butter
4-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour (wheat, if you really want to go for nutrition)
1 cup fat-free half-and-half (fat free evaporated milk--cheaper, thickens fine)
1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (cooked, cubed chicken)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper

Directions

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add half-and-half. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Drain fettuccine; stir into pan. Stir in the shrimp, cheese and salt; heat through. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 397 calories, 11 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 193 mg cholesterol, 670 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 34 g protein.

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo published in Healthy Cooking August/September 2009, p62

***This one is pretty quick to whip up. I added more evaporated milk than it called for and it still thickened really well. It says 4 servings, but they're not large ones, though they're quite filling. If you're cooking for 4 adults, I would either double the recipe or make sure you have a couple side dishes.***

This is another case where, no, it's not going to taste as good as Olive Garden's. But it's still quite tasty, won't make you sick to your stomach from all the fat and grease, and also won't leave you with eater's remorse for consuming something so unhealthy!

Sweet Pork Burritos with Cilantro Lime Rice and Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

2010-06-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

I got this from a dinner group a few months ago, and it's supposed to be the Cafe Rio recipe. All I know is it was really good!

All recipes should serve 4, usually with leftovers. The dressing, especially, makes a lot.

Sweet Pork

Pork ribs--about 4
1 (8 oz) bottle of salsa
1 can/bottle Coke (I used Coke Zero)
1 c. brown sugar

Place pork in crock pot and fill it halfway with water. Cook on high for 5 hours. Drain water. Cut pork in thirds. Mix other ingredients and place on top of pork. Cook an additional 3 hours on high. Shred pork with forks. Leave on low setting until ready to serve. Serve in burritos with other desired ingredients, including Cilantro Lime Rice and Tomatillo Ranch Dressing if desired.

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 Tbsp. oil
1 c. brown rice (about 1 1/2 c water)
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp crushed garlic

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add rice, cilantro, and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water and lime juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all liquid is absorbed by rice (about 20-25 minutes). You can also use a rice cooker.

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

1 cup Ranch dressing
2 tomatillos, peeled
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 or less bunch fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (Optional)
juice from 1 lime (1-2 tsp.)
salt and pepper

Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor. Refrigerate.

***The cayenne pepper was WAAAAAAY too spicy for me. Next time I will leave it out completely! (The Nealys are crazy! ;))

Baked Eggplant Parmigiana

2010-05-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Jason and I are terrible; we don't eat vegetables, practically at all. So we were happy to find a new, healthy, and TASTY way to do so! It basically tasted like pasta or something. Try this one, it's SO good! Find it on allrecipes.com here. I'll also copy and paste and edit to show it as the way I did it.

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hr 25 Min
Ready In: 1 Hr 40 Min

Ingredients

1 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 good-sized eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 large eggs, beaten with about 2 tablespoons water
1/4 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 (24 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine bread crumbs with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Dip eggplant in egg mixture, then bread crumb mixture, coating well. Arrange eggplant in single layer on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake 30 minutes or until golden.
Evenly spread 1 cup sauce in 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer 1/3 of the baked eggplant, then 1-1/2 cups sauce, 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the remaining Parmesan cheese; repeat. Top with remaining eggplant and sauce.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and top with remaining cheeses. Bake uncovered an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 257 | Total Fat: 10.1g | Cholesterol: 129mg

My suggestions: I used pulled-apart/cut-up string cheese for the mozzarella. It worked, but it was a pain. I also used actual shredded Parmesan (still in the Kraft green canister). When I was coming to the end and still had egg and bread crumbs, I breaded a few of the eggplant pieces twice. I think it may have tasted better, but probably not necessary. I lightly sprayed the breaded pieces with cooking spray before I baked them, but since they'll be covered in sauce anyway, again, maybe not necessary. Next time I won't and see how it goes.

This makes more than you think and is decently filling! So you folks who are only feeding 2 1/2 :), if you don't want leftovers, cut this in half!

Anyone? Anyone?

2010-05-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

I was just wondering, do you guys have friends I may not know who you think are amazing cooks and might like to contribute? If you like, just send me their email addresses and I'll shoot 'em some invites. The more, the tastier! (I know. Cheesy. I'm tired. :))

Sweet Potato Fries with Basil Salt & Garlic Mayonnaise

2010-05-05T21:01:00.001-07:00

WOW, guys. Thanks to Samantha to pointing me to this one! SOOO good! This one is from Giada De Laurentiis on Food Network. Here's the link. I'll also paste it here for your convenience.

Ingredients

5 sweet potatoes, cut into about 1 by 5-inch "fries"
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the sweet potato "fries" on a foil-lined baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile combine the basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. In another small bowl combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice, and stir to combine.
When the sweet potato fries come out of the oven, sprinkle with the basil salt. Serve with the garlic mayonnaise alongside for dipping.

I can't believe what a difference some lemon juice and garlic made in the mayonnaise! It tasted so fresh and tangy! Jason and I were practically full by the time our burgers were done, because the fries came out first and we couldn't stop munching on them! Jamie loved them, too.

My tips:

Don't go overboard with the olive oil. I seem to have added a little too much, and though they still tasted great, they were nearly dripping with it.

For those of you NOT making this for an army, cut the mayo dip by half. Probably nearly half of mine was leftover and wasted. Oh, and our mayo is the kind made with olive oil; that might have made it even better.

I cooked mine by spreading foil over a cookie sheet, and then putting wire racks (like you cool cookies on) on top and spreading the fries over those, an idea I got from a different recipe site. It seemed to work, but if any of you try it without doing that, please leave a comment about how it goes. I'd love to skip it if it's not worth the trouble.

One last thing: I did mix the salt and pepper and fresh basil, but the moisture from the basil seemed to make the whole mixture rather damp and it just didn't seem to work that well. Maybe I just didn't have enough basil.

Sorry I'm long-winded. I just love getting as many tips as I can get, so I give them, too.

TRY THIS! You will not be sorry!

Hearty Turkey Chili

2010-04-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a great Weight Watchers meal. In the slow cooker my fav! I have had this many times, and I love it! Thanks to my friend Mary, she is the one who introduced me to it.

HeartyTurkeyChili

Enjoy! All the info is there, only instead of carrotts I use corn. :D

White Turkey Chili

2010-03-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

Today I made my friend Amy's White Turkey Chili recipe and it turned out so yummy I just had to share. You can click on the link to her recipe here

Try it and let me know how you liked it. I even took a picture of it, we loved it so much. Also, I used my slow cooker and that worked perfect for us.

This recipe will serve 8 easily.

Spanish Chicken Casserole

2010-03-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

from The Mormon Family Cook Book
by Helen Thackeray, Beth Nelms, Brown, and Maurine Hegsted
(Copyright 1982!)

Use a deep casserole dish, about 3 quarts.
350 degrees F
8 to 10 servings

8 chicken breast halves
1 can (10 1/2 oz) cream of celery soup
1 can (10 1/2 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 small onion, chopped finely
7 to 8 small taco shells (dry corn tacos)
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
3 cups (about 3/4 lb) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

The day before, cook chicken breasts and chop into bite-size pieces. Mix soups, milk, and onion. Break taco shells into pieces. Make two layers of ingredients in a deep casserole dish: soup mixture, taco shells, chicken, chilies, cheese. Repeat. Refrigerate overnight.

Bake about 1 hour. Everything is already cooked in this casserole, so when it looks done, it is done. Don't let it dry out. Liquid will be absorbed by taco shells.

This recipe may be halved for 5 servings. Use only one kind of soup, your favorite of the two.

************

The above stuff was all from the authors.

I used tortilla chips instead of taco shells, I mixed the chilies with the soups, and I added 1 tsp cumin. We fed it to the missionaries, it was pretty good, it filled everybody up, and there were leftovers.

Did you catch that? 4 grown men and me, and there were leftovers. This is a good one. ;)

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

2010-03-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

Mix:

2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Cut in 4 Tbsp butter. Quickly stir in 1 c milk and 1 c shredded cheese just until blended. Drop by Tbsp-fuls onto greased baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and garlic salt. Bake at 400 F for 12-15 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves about 24

Note: I know you all probably get sick of all my little "make it healthier!!" comments, but I just have to add that I was brave and tried this with wheat flour, and I was suprised at how well they turned out! (It soothed my conscience a little after using butter and cheese. I served these with my Biggest Loser meal, ironically.) I think it added a lot of flavor, and Jason actually agreed that it tasted even better with the wheat!

This recipe really will make a lot, so if you're only serving 2-4 and aren't into leftovers, cut the recipe in half.

Garlicky Poached Chicken Breasts With Ginger and Onion

2010-03-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

From The Biggest Loser: Simple Swaps
By Cheryl Forberg, RD, and The Biggest Loser Experts and Cast with Melissa Roberson

4 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
10 baby carrots, quartered lengthwise
1 medium stalk celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
4 oz trimmed snow peas
2 Tbsp chopped chives or scallions

In a large saucepan, heat the broth to boiling. Add the carrots, celery, onion, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the chicken breasts to the simmering broth over medium-low heat. When the broth returns to a boil, turn the chicken. Simmer for 3 minutes, then add the snow peas. Simmer for about 3 minutes longer, or until the chicken is just cooked.

Transfer the chicken and vegetables to large, shallow serving bowls. Ladle the broth over the chicken and garnish with chives or scallions.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 200 calories, 36 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat (less than 1 g saturated), 80 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 445 mg sodium.

******

Oh my gosh, I can't believe how good this was. I can never find snow peas, so those didn't go in, and I just used regular carrots. Only a few freeze-dried chives, too, so maybe it would be even better with them in. I would suggest going kinda heavy on the veggies, because they are delish and there's room for them in the pan. The chicken was so moist! My hubs loved this meal, and we felt satisfied yet not heavy.

I highly recommend this one!

4 Layer Dessert

2010-03-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

I finally got this recipe from my mom about 4 months ago, and it is seriously awesome, and actually is not too rich. I am pretty sure anyone could not screw this up...it will taste great.

Ingredients:

1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of margarine/butter melted
1/2 cup chopped nuts
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup of cool whip
1 cup powdered sugar
6 oz. chocolate instant pudding
3 cups of milk
1 tsp. of vanilla
1 tub of cool whip (or remainder of the 1 cup you already used)
13 x 9 inch pan

Directions:

1st layer: Preheat oven at 350. Mix flour and chopped nuts and then add melted margarine to the mix. Should turn into a crumbly crust. This is the bottom layer of the dessert. Let bake for 15 mins.

2nd layer: Mix together well cream cheese, 1 cup of cool whip (measurement for this one is on this layer because the last layer calls for the remainder of the tub of cool whip you will have left over), and powdered sugar. Mix well while 1st layer is still hot, and spread evenly. Let sit in fridge for about 30-45 mins.

3rd layer: You will need the chocolate pudding, milk and vanilla for this layer. Beat until smooth and the mixture starts to thicken. Pour the 3rd layer on only after making sure the 2nd layer is cooled. Chill and let sit for 1 hour.

4th layer: Spread on the remainder of cool whip and then sprinkle chopped nuts on top if desired! Now you are ready to serve.

This recipe serves at least 8!

Oxborrow Meatballs

2010-03-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

These meatballs are to die for! The reason they are named Oxborrow meatballs is because they come from my moms side of the family, and their last names were Oxborrow. The meatballs do not take too much effort, and you can add them to any spaghetti recipe that you have already. They have a lot of flavor, and they are very very tasty.

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread (soaked w/ water)
1 heaping tbsp of parsley
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese from can
1 egg
1 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. salt
1 lb of beef unthawed

Directions:

In a medium to large bowl, whisk eggs first, then add garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Add meat into the mixture. Soak bread in water and ring out until it is not dripping (kind of like you would a wet rag). Add bread to the mixture with your hands or with a soft spatula. Once it is mixed well you can make them into balls. They will automatically stick together (thanks to the bread and egg). Once you have rolled you meat into meatballs, cook them on medium heat over the stove only until they are browned on the outside. (You can make the meatballs as big or small as you like. If they are larger, you will have to cook them a little more thoroughly. If they are small it will not take as long.) Now you can add them to the spaghetti sauce mixture of your choice! You can use a slow cooker to cook them through or sit them in a big pot over the stove on low heat. If done on the stove let them simmer for at least 2 hour. If you are going to use the slow cooker, let the sauce and meatballs simmer for at least 4 hours.

This recipe serves as many as you would like. If you need more meatballs you can double the recipe. :)

I am sorry I have not been posting recipes lately Kristina! I am back on track. Since my last posts during the summer I have made a LOT of new things, so hopefully I can start filling this blog up a little more! Love to you all!

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

2010-03-01T23:12:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 Box of Chicken Flavored Rice-A-Roni
1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup of milk (gets mixed w/ can of cream of chicken)
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts boiled & sliced into strips
1lb of frozen broccoli (let sit out while preparing meal)
1lb of cheese of any kind
1 8 x 13 pan

Directions:

Preheat oven at 375. Boil Chicken breasts for about 20-30 mins. Make Rice-A-Roni as directions say on the box. Make sure that broccoli has some time to unthaw while you are preparing the meal. Shred cheese. Mix the cream of chicken soup and milk straight from the can in a small bowl. This will be the sauce mixture right before the cheese is sprinkled on top. When the chicken is done boiling take it out of the pan and shred into strips. However small or large you want. Rice-A-Roni is the bottom layer, then the broccoli, then the chicken strips, and then drizzle the cream of chicken sauce over those layers. Then you can sprinkle as much or as little cheese as your little hearts desire on the top! Put in oven and let it bake for about 30 mins. If you like the cheese a little crispy like Aaron and I, just leave it in the oven for about 10 extra minutes, and that should do the trick! This recipe makes great leftovers as well! Husbands can take it for lunch the next day and it still tastes great!

This recipe serves 8 people. Enjoy!

Single people eat healthy too. ;)

2010-03-01T20:46:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I don't know if this really is all that healthy, but I kept meaning to post it on here. :D It's called, dun dun dun: "Pork Chops a l'Orange". Its from the Spices of the World Cookbook by McCormick.

4 loin or rib pork chops (1 1/2 inches thick)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika
2 tsps Season-All *I didn't use this and it tasted just fine
Dash MSG *this either...
3/4 C orange juice (I used fresh squeezed)
1 T Sugar
1/4 tsp Curry Powder
10 whole Cloves
1/2 tsp Orange peel
Flour to thicken

**Please be advised this is not a quick meal**
Rub pork chops with mixture of pepper, paprika, Season-all and MSG. Brown chops on both sides in heavy skillet, no fat added. Combine orange juice, sugar, curry powder, cloves and orange peel; pour over chops. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 1 hour until tender. Remove chops to warm platter. Thicken remaining liquid with flour. Spoon sauce over chops or serve in a small bowl.

It really was pretty tasty, even the burned ones. :D Highly recommended.

Polynesian Chicken

2010-03-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

1 cup uncooked Uncle Ben's brown rice (or other brand, or white rice, but it tastes great with brown and is healthier)
Non-stick cooking spray
4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (8-oz) can pineapple chunks and juice
1 cup apricot pineapple marmalade or jam
2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce optional)

Prepare rice according to package directions.
Apply oil spray to large non-stick skillet. Add chicken breast and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Add juice from pineapple to chicken in skillet just before chicken has finished cooking.
Mix pineapple chunks, marmalade and soy sauce. After pineapple juice has evaporated from skillet, add marmalade mixture to chicken. Cook until sauce is a glaze. Remove from heat and serve over rice.

Ready in 30 minutes

Serves 4 (For 8 servings, double ingredients.)

My tweaks: I ended up cooking the chicken in some canned chicken broth, longer than the time allotted, because it wasn't completely thawed. I also only had fresh pineapple (I know, unusual) with not a lot of juice, so I didn't do it exactly like the recipe, but it still turned out great!

And really, try brown rice! It does taste very good, it fills you up faster, and you'll feel even better knowing how good it is for you versus white!

Crock-Pot Lasagne

2010-02-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 c water
2 jars (15 oz each) spaghetti sauce
1 box (16 oz) wide lasagne noodles
15 oz ricotta or cottage cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced or shredded
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine water with spaghetti sauce in medium bowl. Cover botton of crock pot with 1 1/2 c of sauce.

2. Arrange layer of uncooked noodles, slightly overlapping, on top of sauce. Spread about half the ricotta or cottage cheese, half the mozzarella, and 2 Tbsp parmesan over them. Spoon more sauce over this.

3. Repeat step 2 until you have desired amount of layers or have run out of everything, whichever comes first. Make sure the sauce covers the noodles completely so they'll cook.

4. Cook on LOW 3 1/2-4 hours. Check earlier if you don't like your noodles too well-done.

TIPS: I use whole-wheat noodles, cottage cheese, reduced-fat parmesan, etc. when I can, and it still tastes good. I also just use shredded cheddar-jack if it's all I have. You can play around and add onion, garlic, meats, or whatever you want. This recipe probably will not taste like the Old Spaghetti Factory or even Stouffer's, but it's still enjoyable, cheaper, and healthier. Plus, it feeds a lot of people. I'd say at least 6 if they're not all adult males. ;) And I even got to freeze some for the baby.

Enjoy!

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

2010-02-23T13:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Sister Amy Morris for this one (including the gorgeous picture)! Find the recipe at her blog here!

Spaghetti sauce that's cheaper & healthier

2010-02-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

1 large (28 oz) can tomato puree
garlic powder
Italian seasoning
dried minced onion
1 lb ground turkey or beef

Brown turkey or beef, adding garlic and minced onion near end.
Add remaining ingredients. Simmer about ten minutes.

Applesauce for Oil

2010-01-18T20:24:00.000-08:00

I just made my son's birthday cake and substituted applesauce for the oil in it, which I've never tried before, but it turned out great! I Googled how to do it, and here's the ratio I found:

Use same amount of applesauce as the amount of oil called for (i.e., if it says use 1/3 cup oil, use 1/3 cup applesauce)
Add a couple Tbsps if it's a light and airy recipe, like a cake (which I did)
Go lighter on it if it's a more dense recipe, like breads or muffins--just use same amount called for

I was really pleased and surprised at how good it was. I wouldn't have known the difference. Reduced sugar cake mix and frosting, too! I just tasted the finished product (Jamie doesn't need frosting; he just had plain cake and loved it), and it's really good, too!

Moral of the story:

Don't be afraid to try being healthier!

Thanksgiving Dessert!

2009-11-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love good ol' Southern Pecan Pie? I know I do. And I found the best recipe for pecan bars! Tasty little 2x2 treats from Heaven. :D The recipe is from the "Mrs. Fields Cookbook".

Pastry:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup salted butter
5-6 Tbsp. ice water

Filling:
5 Tbsp. salted butter
1 C dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 C light corn syrup
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 (6 oz) C chopped pecans
16 pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350'.

In a medium bowl combine flour and chilled butter with a pastry cutter until dough resembles coarse meal. Add water gradually and mix just until dough holds together and can be shaped into a ball. Or, use a food processor fitted with a metal blade to combine flour and process just until a dough ball begins to form. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

On a floured board using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough into a 10 by 10 inch square. Fold dough in half and then into quarters. Place it in an 8x8 inch baking pan. Unfold the dough and press it into the corners and up along the sides of the pan. refrigerate 15 minutes.

To prepare filling:
Melt 5 tbsp of butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar and corn syrup. Mix until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs, and beat with spoon until thoroughly combined. Fold in chopped pecans.

Pour the pecan filling into the pastry-lined pan. If dough extends beyond filling mixture trim dough with a knife. Place pan in center of oven and bake 50-60 minutes or until filling is set. Cool on wire rack. Cut into 2x2 inch squares, and top each with a pecan half. Serve at room temp or chilled.

Mmmmm!!! Tasty!

In honor of the CA State Fair (or rather, to stick it to it)--Funnel Cake!

2009-09-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

See the recipe here.

I did like the commentors (?) suggested and added vanilla. Overall, it was tasty, but so greasy. I'm not a health nut, but sheesh, I just can't eat like that anymore! This will be a "once in a great while" treat. And, thanks to my parents' frying pan where all you had to do was plug it in and turn the knob to the temp you wanted, it was so easy!

I know we're all spoiled in the world of internet tutorials with pictures of each step. Sorry, I'm too lazy for that. Don't worry, it's not hard to figure out. :)

Frosty Orange Creme Dessert

2009-08-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

I got this off another blog, and she had a way better picture than I could take, so I'm just sending you there. :)

I followed her suggestions for modifications, and I'm glad I did. My own suggestions to add:

Try lower-fat cream cheese, lite Cool Whip, etc., because it tasted good but really was a bit too rich. (Even my sweet-toothed parents commented on that!)
Freeze for longer than suggested, like overnight, because the creme part started melting like crazy when I first took it out.

Best part is, it's really easy--all except waiting for it to freeze! :)

Grilled Lemon Herbed Chicken Breasts

2009-07-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

My favorite chicken dinner right here! It is called Grilled, because it can be great on the barbecue, but since Aaron and I don't have a barbecue we use the oven. So by all means if you know how to grill have at it, but this one's goin in the oven. Another healthy main dish. It has just enough zest to it, but it is perfect for the whole family. My recipe feeds 4 people but feel free to double it and feed 8.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken 1/2's

1/4 cup butter/margarine melted

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning

Directions:

Combine melted butter & lemon juice & lemon pepper seasonings in a small bowl. Put chicken into shallow dish (medium Pyrex dish. 8x8 is usually good). Pour mixture over the chicken breasts while in the 8x8 dish. Sprinkle more lemon pepper seasoning over the top of the chicken. Then wrap tin foil to cover the chicken while in oven. Bake at 375 for 1 hour.

Pepperoni Pasta Salad

2009-07-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

This recipe has got to be one of my all time favorites. One because it is so simple and easy. Two, it really does taste great! Three it is great for you!!! Very healthy, and still has a lot of flavor. My mom made this many a party, and it was downed so quick we were lucky to get second helpings!

Ingredients:

-Any Pasta of your choice!
(I personally like the bow tie pastas) I make enough to serve 6 people...according to whatever the box or the bag says.
-8oz bag of Hormell Pepperoni's
(I made it even healther by using the Hormell Turkey Pepperoni which tasted just as good)
-1/2 of a Green Pepper
-1/2 of a Red Pepper
-1 1/2 Cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese
-1 1/2 Cups Itailian Dressing (Gerard's Dressing is best, but use whatever one you prefer)
-1/2 Yellow Sqaush
-8 oz. of chopped Broccoli
-1 Can of Black Olives

Directions:

First, boil pasta of your choice according to the directions given on the box or bag. I usually just throw as much pasta in as I think I will need and let it boil until it is soft.
While the pasta is boiling, this is a great time to chop all of the veggies and pepperonis like the red and green peppers, yellow squash, black olives and broccoli (if it is not already chopped for you.)
After you are finished with the chopping process and pasta finished boiling, drain water from the pasta, and put back in pan or bowl. Add all the ingredients you chopped (veggies & pepperoni's) into the pasta. Then add the Itailian dressing & the shredded parmesan cheese.
After all ingredients are tossed together, let the salad chill for 1 hour, then it will be ready to serve! Enjoy!

Greek Spinach Spanakopitas

2009-07-17T18:23:00.002-07:00

http://goetheparksisters.blogspot.com/2009/07/freezer-dinner-group-spanakopitas.html

Complete with pictures!

You can make big ones for a meal or half the size for appetizers. They are sooo yummy!

I Call It "Heavenly Fruit Dip!"

2009-06-25T17:03:00.008-07:00

Edited on 7/07/09

This recipe is great for Parties!

One of the ladies in my ward gave this little recipe to me. She is a cake decorator, and always has this killer fruit dip. Let me tell you it works really well for strawberry shortcake filling (or any cake filling for that matter), and to dip really any kind of fruit in. It is much healthier than chocolate too. :)

Ingredients:

1 Tub of Cool Whip
1 Yoplait Yogurt (reg size) *Strawberry or really any flavor you want*
1 Vanilla Pudding envelope (only mix the powder)
1 Dream Whip envelope (only mix the powder)

"So dream whip envelopes are usually found in the cake mix section of the grocery store or the dried milk section. It comes in a box, with 2-4 envelopes inside. Remember you only need one. :) This is in response to Kristina's comment.

Directions:

Mix Well and chill for 2 hours.

*If you are planning on serving about 6 people you can count on this feeding all six pretty well. You can double the recipe if you want more.

Crunchy Romaine Strawberry Salad

2009-06-24T11:48:00.002-07:00

1 pkg ramen noodles
1 C chopped walnuts
1/4 C butter
1/4 C vegetable oil
1/4 C sugar
2 T red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp soy sauce
8 C torn romaine
1/2 C chopped green onions
2 C fresh strawberries, sliced

Discard seasoning packet from ramen noodles or save for another use. Break noodles into small pieces. In a skillet, saute noodles and walnuts in butter for 8-10 minutes or until golden; cool.

For dressing, in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce; shake well. Just before serving, combine the romaine, onions, strawberries and noodle mixture in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently. YIELD: 12 servings.

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

2009-06-24T11:43:00.003-07:00

1/3 C Hot'n'Spicy Mustard
1/3 C Mustard
1/2 C Honey
1/4 C mayonnaise
2 tsp steak sauce
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1. Preheat the grill for medium heat.

2. In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and steak sauce. Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting. Dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate (make sure to use the LONG barbecue basting brush, I learned the hard way...). Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning!

SOOOOOO good!

Carribean Jerk Rub

2009-06-19T17:23:00.002-07:00

2 T dried minced onion
1 T garlic powder
4 tsp dry thyme leaves, crushed
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground Allspice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 T sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake it! Shake, shake, shake it! Shake it like a polaroid picture.

I rubbed it on some chicken, but it goes on any meat - pork chops, ribs tenderloin or kabobs.
Also makes great (cheap!) Christmas gifts. :D
SOOO yummy!

Light Potato Salad!

2009-06-19T17:13:00.002-07:00

6 medium-sized red potatoes
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 small onion
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 cup nonfat sour cream
1 tsp mustard
dash of salt and pepper

1. Boil potatoes and egg (separately).

2. cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces; place in large bowl. Add egg, celery and onion.

3. In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper; belnd well. Add dressing to salad; mix gently to coat. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours or until serving time.

Makes six 1/2 cup servings.

I don't know how much more "light" this is. It's 210 calories per 1/2 cup and 2 grams of fat. But it's yummy!

Shepherd's Pie

2009-06-10T22:46:00.003-07:00

1 lb ground turkey or beef
1 can vegetables, your choice (I use corn, I think some do green beans)
6 servings instant mashed potatoes (according to back of box)
1 cup-ish cheddar cheese
onion, garlic salt

Brown ground turkey or beef with onion and garlic salt to taste. (I used probably 1/3 c onion and 1 tsp garlic salt, but you can play around with it. It might even be better to just use garlic powder and regular salt.) Spread part of the mashed potatoes over the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan. Layer meat mixture over the top. Follow with vegetable, then the rest of the mashed potatoes. Top with cheese, sprinkle of salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serves: 4-6 if you're not doing any side dishes with it.

It's not fancy, it's not attractive, but it's yummy and filling! (I noticed there weren't any posts for June and didn't want our recipe blog to die down, so decided to post this just in case anyone hasn't heard of it. My husband and parents really liked it.) Keep posting when you make something good!

Cheesecake Bars

2009-06-10T22:36:00.005-07:00

Courtesy of 101 Things To Do With A Cake Mix by Stephanie Ashcraft

Bottom Layer

1 yellow cake mix
1 stick margarine [I used butter], melted and cooled
1 egg, beaten

Top Layer

1 pound powdered sugar
2 eggs, beaten
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add cake mix and beaten egg to melted margarine. Spread mixture into bottom of a greased-and-foured 9x13-inch pan.

In a separate bowl, mix together powdered sugar, eggs, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Spread mixture over bottom layer. Bake 30-35 minutes. [Mine baked at least 35 minutes and still came out really gooey. Not sure how to fix that. Any ideas?]

Servings: Depends on how you cut them. :)

These really tasted nothing like actual cheesecake in my opinion, but whatever. :) They went over really well at Enrichment earlier tonight, so I thought I'd post!

Another Suggestion

2009-05-28T10:35:00.002-07:00

Would you mind posting how many each recipe makes. Our family sizes range from 3 to 10 (at my house) and so I think it would be good just to say "Whoa, watch out, this feeds an army" or whatev. :D I'll do the same!

Adobe Chicken

2009-05-26T19:09:00.006-07:00

Before I post the recipe for this one, I have to brag about it...just for a minute. I made this last Friday for a couple in the ward that we had over for dinner, and they loved it! I wish I had a picture, but anyway. This one is a big hit in my family. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

1-3 lbs of chicken
3 cups of water
1 cup kikomans soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp ginger
1 clove of garlic
dash of salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

The nice thing about this recipe is that you DO NOT have to unthaw the chicken. You can just throw it in. So with that said, put about 1- 3lbs of chicken breasts (doesnt matter if it is skinless or has bones in it, whichever you prefer) into a very large pan. Mix up the sauce ingredients into a separate bowl. Then pour chicken into pan. Bring to a boil and then let it sit on med to low heat for about an hour or until chicken is fully cooked. While chicken is cooking, you can make some rice and use the extra sauce to pour over your rice and put adobe chicken on top. You can also steam veggies. I like to use broccoli and carrots. Very healthy meal. Good luck! This one is a winner!

I cannot say how many this meal will feed. If you cook 3-4 lbs of chicken it will feed a LOT of people, and if you are like Aaron and I, we like to have left overs for other meals too.

Chicken or Turkey Enchiladas

2009-05-19T20:49:00.006-07:00

2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, cubed or shredded
about 9 or 10 tortillas
1 cup cream of chicken/mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp salsa or 1/2 can diced green chilies
1 small can sliced olives
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar (or other) cheese

Mix sour cream, chicken soup, and salsa or chilies.
Spray 9x13" pan with cooking spray.
Spread small amount of sauce on bottom of pan and on each tortilla.
Add meat, cheese, onion, and olives on each.
Roll up and put in pan.
Spread remaining sauce and cheese over top.
Cover with foil. (For a slightly different texture, more crunchy, do not cover.)

Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

I've been making this recipe for years; we love it! It's a bit time-consuming, but I've recently found that it works better for me to cook a bunch of chicken one night, cut it up, and save it for things like this, the chicken pot pie, etc. I usually use salsa instead of chilies and no olives. You can also make a double batch and refrigerate or freeze. When frozen, cook for one hour.

Peanut Crunch Crescent Bars

2009-05-18T11:05:00.003-07:00

8-oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
3/4 C powdered sugar
1/2 C peanut butter (I used crunch, but it doesn't matter)
2T milk
1 tsp vanilla
8-oz can refrigerated quick crescent dinner rolls
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C chopped peanuts

Heat oven to 375'F. In medium bowl, blend cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter, milk and vanilla until smooth.
Unroll dough into 2 rectangles; place in ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Press over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust. Spread peanut butter mixture over crust. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts.

Bake at 375'F for 22 to 27 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool completely. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before cutting into bars. Store in refrigerator. 36 bars. 110 calories per bar.

I made this. I liked it. My family ate most of it so I only had 110 calories. Sucks for them! :D I liked it better warm though. It's all melty.

Orange Zested Chicken Breasts

2009-05-12T20:16:00.005-07:00

1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 T butter (or margarine)
1 tsp grated orange peel (I'd never zested until today. It was great!)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

In small bowl, mix seasoned salt and garlic powder

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat butter and orange peel over medium heat until butter is melted. Add chicken; sprinkle with salt mixture. Cook about 15 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut.

A-Maze-Ing! My family ate it up. They liked it alot.

(Picture by Kristina)

Crunchy Asian Salad

2009-05-12T20:10:00.003-07:00

Okay, so I made this recipe only because I wanted to post something on the blog. Since I live at my house, I'm not always the one that cooks. My sisters are super good cooks and I just follow recipes. :D So here's dinner. Orange Zested Chicken and Crunchy Asian Salad.

Dressing:

1 T sugar

1/4 tsp ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

2 T olive oil

2 T vinegar (it says to use rice vinegar, but whatev, I didn't and it worked okay).

1 T soy sauce (if you realize you don't have soy sauce last minute, teriyaki sauce with pineapple juice in it works great!)

Salad:

4 C thinkly sliced Chinese (napa) cabbage

1 C snow pea pods (optional)

1 Zuchini (or cucumber)

1/2 medium bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1. In small bowl, comine all dressing ingreients; blend well.

2. In large serving bowl, comine all salad ingredients; mix well. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad; toss gently to coat.

Sushi Alla Dessert?

2009-05-10T20:16:00.011-07:00

Some thing's fishy about this sushi-there's no fish in it at all! This is a dessert spin off of the Japanese favorite, dried fruit as the seafood, fruit leather works as the wrapper, and the rice is- surprise!-crispy rice-cereal treats!

Now on to a FULL Pictorial recipe! This is my style(the more pictures the better!)

You start with a Grape flavored fruit roll up! Or a fruit leather! Lay it out flat.

Mix in a medium bowl, 1 cup of Mini Marshmallows and 1 Tbs. butter! Put them in the microwave on HIGH for about 45 seconds. Stir in 2 cups Crispy Rice Cereal. Spread out rice cereal in a rectangular shape on the Fruit Roll up.

Lay out cut up pieces of dried fruit (we used ONLY dried Apricots for ours)

Cutting your dried fruit pieces into thin strips like above, makes it look more realistic!

Next, start at 1 end and roll up like a taco.

Keep on rolling until it looks like a giant cigar.

Press firmly as you roll to make more of a round appearance.

Cut with a sharp knife in the middle to make 2 pieces.

Then cut each of the above pieces in half to make a total of 4 sushi pieces!

Voo-la! You're finished! Place on unique Japanese plates or whatever and have fun eating your very delicious sushi dessert!

Close up of the finished SUSHI! Yum-yum!

My 6 & 3 yr old were head over heals in love with these desserts! The best part about it is, there is ONLY 100 calories per 2 pieces! No guilt! :)

Cowboy Cookies

2009-05-09T23:16:00.004-07:00

My mom made these cookies for us and I think I ate like 1o of them in one sitting they were so delish! I asked her for the recipe and I added chocolate chips...DONT add chocolate chips! It ruins the whole thing. I am always thinking chocolate will solve everything, but not in this case.

Ingredients :
1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup reg sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flower
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup coconut flakes
1 pkg of butterscotch chips
2 cups of oatmeal

Directions :
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla and coconut flakes. In a separate bowl mix flower, salt, powder and soda. Slowly add dry mixture to bowl with eggs, shortening and sugars. Mix until dry mixture is blended, then add oatmeal and butterscotch chips. Bake in oven for 10 mins or until a light golden brown at the top. Don't be fooled by the softness when they come out of the oven. Let them sit on the pan for at least 5 mins to cool before putting on cookie racks.

Yeilds : 3 1/2 dozen

Egg & Cheese Sandwich

2009-05-09T12:53:00.002-07:00

This is kind of an idea more than a recipe, but an easy breakfast is to fry up an egg (and I like to put seasoned salt on mine), toast an English muffin while you're doing that, and put the egg on the muffin with a slice of cheese to make a breakfast sandwich. You really don't have to have bacon or sausage for it to taste great, it's decently filling, and if you just make sure to have all the ingredients available, it's actually pretty quick to make. (Also, I recommend the wheat muffins. More protein is healthier and fills you up for longer, too.)

Hope that helps, sorry if it's lame! :)

CONGRATULATIONS!!

2009-05-09T12:44:00.001-07:00

Congrats to the Kales, whose new bundle of joy, Elle, was born May 8!! We love you, Sam!! :D

Crepes

2009-05-09T12:31:00.004-07:00

Okay, so this isn't the quickest breakfast recipe (that would be cereal :)), but it's not too hard, low-fat, and really yummy.

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups milk (try low- or non-fat)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 T cooking oil
¼ tsp salt

Toppings (of choice):
frozen or fresh fruits, yogurt, whipped cream, powdered sugar, syrup, etc.

In a bowl combine all ingredients; beat until combined. Heat a lightly greased 6-in skillet; remove from heat. Spoon in 2 T batter; lift and tilt skillet to spread batter. Return to heat; brown on 1 side only. (Or, cook on a crepemaker.) Invert over paper towels; remove crepe. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet occasionally.

Prep: 5 min Cook: 30 min (to make all of them) Makes: 18 crepes

It's been awhile since I've made these, but it seems like I was able to just keep the heat on low, instead of having to turn it off completely. I think we especially liked them with strawberries and strawberry yogurt! (We almost always have yogurt in the fridge and frozen berries of some kind in the freezer for smoothie purposes.)

Spring Rasberry Vinnegrette Salad

2009-05-08T19:14:00.006-07:00

Ingredients :

2 Cups of Crasins

2 Med or 1 Large bag of spring salad

2 Cups of sliced almonds

1 Cup of diced fetta cheese

Rasberry Vinegrette Dressing (Organic is best!)

4 or 5 Apples diced/sliced

This recipe was litterally BEGGED for when I worked at Countrywide. I take pride in it because I made the recipe up by myself. Although most people cannot go wrong with salads, this one can be ruined if things are not even.

This salad will feed about 4 - 6 people depending on the portions.

A request?

2009-05-08T19:01:00.002-07:00

May I request some breakfast recipes? I was looking at my boring bowl of Oatmeal, again, and was wondering, "What is quick and easy for breakfast?" So if anyone has any quick, easy and delicious recipes for breakfast, hook it up!

Soft Sugar Cookies

2009-05-08T13:58:00.005-07:00

It took me FOREVER to find a sugar cookie recipe that didn't turn out absoulutely horrible! Alas I finally found one that does the trick thanks to a family friend who mentioned that SOUR CREAM helps make a sugar cookie soft and moist! These ones turn out like the STORE BOUGHT ones they are so good!

The recipe is a little large, so if you feel the need to make it smaller just cut the recipe in 1/2 and you won't have too many to frost. :) Enjoy!

Ingredients :
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Shortening (crisco)
4 eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla
6 Cups Flower
3 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 Tsp. Salt

Directions :
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine sour cream, sugar, shortening, eggs, and vanilla. Mix Well

Slowly add the dry ingredients until everything is completely mixed together. Let the dough chill for about 15 mins.

You can form dough into small balls or you can use fun cookie cutters which I like to do for holidays and things. Everyone knows when a holiday is coming, Ashley is about to make sugar cookies!!!

Bake until light golden brown - no more than 10 mins. When you take them out of the oven they may seem underdone, but the aren't. Just let them cool on the pan and you will find that they are perfectly soft and moist., If you prefer sugar cookies that are a little harder and more crumbly, bake them longer.

Butter Cream Icing :
1/2 Cup shortening
1 stick butter or margarine (1/2 cup) I prefer butter
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups of confectioners sugar
2 tbsp. of milk

Yeilds: 4 dozen (cut in half 2 dozen)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-05-08T13:21:00.012-07:00

I love love love Slow Cooking Recipes! They are so easy in a busy lifestyle. You throw the ingredients in the crock pot, and let it simmer all day. Now that is what I call easy cooking!!! Most of my posts will be slow cooking recipes and desserts.

Here is one of my favorites, and everyone else's too!! CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP!

INGREDIENTS :
1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf

1/2 cup of black beans

1 tsp. Jalapeno juice (optional) adds more spice

1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

TORTILLA STRIPS :

7 corn tortillas

vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chilies, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

DIRECTIONS for Tortilla strips:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

This recipe will feed 8-12 people easily.

Left-over Turkey Gumbo

2009-05-01T13:18:00.006-07:00

Gumbo really is just a hodge podge of whatever you can find in your refridgerator. It's the best. I made this for a church activity and it was GONE! My family was so mad, they didn't get to try it. Also, if you want, you can substitute chicken for the turkey.

1 (16 oz) package of Andouille Sausage (If you can't find andouille, spicy sausage works just as well).
3 T Vegetable Oil
3 T all-purpose flour
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 c chopped celery
1/2 chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves (I used garlic powder instead)
4 C chicken broth
2 C chopped cooked turkey
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 C frozen whole-kernal corn
1 C frozen sliced okra
1 T no-salt-added Cajun Seasoning
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
Hot cooked rice

1. Brown andouille sausage over medium heat in a large Dutch oven; remove sausage and drain on paper towels. Wipe Dutch oven clean with paper towels

2. Stir together vegetable oil and flour in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, 20-25 minutes or until roux is caramel colored.

3. Stir in chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Gradually sitr in 4 cups chicken broth, and bring mixture to a boil; add browned sausage, chopped turkey, and next 6 ingredients. Reduc heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Serve gumbo with hot cooked rice.

Myrecipes.com

Shrimp Thermidor Casserole

2009-05-01T12:53:00.004-07:00

1 lb (2 c.) shrimp, shelled
1 c. rice, uncooked
1/2 c. margarine
1 c. thinly sliced celery (about 2 long stalks)
1/3 c all-purpose flour
2 1/4 c. half & half or milk
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Prepare rice as label directs; keep warm.
In med. skillet over med-high heat, cook shrimp & celery in margarine until shrimp are pink or 10 min. Remove 6 shrimp for garnish.
Reduce heat to med.; stir flour into shrimp, then milk, salt.
Cook 'til mixture thickens & shrimp are tender.
In 2 1/2 qt. shallow casserole dish (9x13" pan works), dump rice, then shrimp mixture. Mix together, spread evenly.
Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, garnish with reserved shrimp. Serve as soon as cheese has melted.

Serves: 4-6 (depending on your preferred serving size)

My variations: I used brown rice, only about 3/4 of the stick of margarine, and more cheese, maybe about 1 c. I also mixed the cheese in instead of sprinkling on top. We both loved it.
A bit time-consuming if you have to shell the shrimp, but worth it at least once in awhile!

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

2009-05-01T12:28:00.001-07:00

This is a great recipe to take to a party. You can make it the night before, and guaranteed there won’t be any left to bring back home (trust me:)).

1 package Supermoist lemon cake mix
1/3 c. butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 tbsp. lemon juice

Preheat to 350. In a large bowl mix together cake mix, butter and 1 egg, until crumbly. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9 inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar. Stir in lemon peel and juice until smooth. Reserve ½ c. of cream cheese mixture in the fridge. Add the last 2 eggs to the remaining mix and pour over the pressed crust. Bake 25 minutes or until set. Cool completely (about 1 hour) Spread reserve mix (from fridge) over the top. Refrigerate entire pan about 3 hours. Cut into bars (8 rows x 6 rows).

Makes 48 bars

Aunt Jamie's Coconut Cloud Cookies

2009-05-01T12:19:00.003-07:00

2 2/3 c. flaked coconut divided in halves
1 package moist yellow cake mix
1 egg
½ c. vegetable oil
¼ c. water
1 tbsp almond extract (optional)

Preheat to 350. Place 1 1/3 c coconut in medium bowl and set aside. Combine cake mix, egg, oil, water and extract in a large bowl. Mix on low speed (or by hand). Stir in 1 1/3 c. coconut. Drop rounded tsp. dough into reserved coconut. Roll each ball lightly in coconut. Place each cookie ball onto and ungreased baking sheet (or dish). Repeat, placing balls 2 inches apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly golden brown. Cool 1 minute on baking sheet. Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 3 ½ dozen cookies

Ground Beef Stroganoff

2009-05-01T12:12:00.003-07:00

(from cooks.com)

1 pound ground beef or turkey, lean
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
10 3/4 ounces (1 can) cream of mushroom soup, condensed
4 ounces mushroom stems and pieces, drained
3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

In medium skillet, brown ground beef and onion; drain excess fat.
Stir in garlic salt, pepper, soup and mushrooms.
Simmer covered, 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in sour cream; heat through, but do not boil.
Serve over rice, noodles or chow mein noodles.

Serving Size: 4

***Note: I tried it with only half the amount of meat called for, and it tasted great (and the three guys we cooked it for didn't notice, so the real test passed, too :)).

Homemade Chili

2009-05-01T12:05:00.003-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground turkey or beef
dried minced onion
garlic powder
28-oz can tomatoes, undrained
27-0z can kidney beans, drained
8-oz can tomato sauce
1 can corn (optional)
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp worcester sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Brown 1 lb ground turkey or beef with dried minced onion and garlic powder to taste.
Drain grease and add all other ingredients.
Simmer one hour.
Can also be made in crockpot.

***WARNING: may cause intolerance/disgust for the canned, storebought junk.***

Easy, cheap, really good. Suggestion: serve with Marie Calendar Cornbread mix (deliciousness by just adding water and baking--love it). If you're not an expert cook, the seasonings might look intimidating, but once I bought them, it's been easy to just pull them out to make this every once in awhile. I've always gotten good reviews for this recipe.

Chicken Pot Pie

2009-05-01T12:00:00.002-07:00

1 c carrots, sliced
1 c potatoes, cubed
1 c chicken broth
1 c half-and-half or canned (evaporated) milk
2 c chicken, cooked and cubed
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp margarine
2 refrigerated pie crusts

Take pie crusts out of fridge 1/2 hour before using.
In medium sauce pan, melt margarine.
Stir in flour, add broth, half-and-half, and seasonings. Cook til thickened.
Parboil fresh vegetables.
Place veggies and chicken in pie shell in 9" pie pan. Pour sauce over.
Add top crust, brush with milk and sugar.

Bake at 425 F for 30-40 minutes when fresh, 1 hour when frozen (both uncovered).
Optional veggies: onion [I used about 1/4 c], broccoli, frozen peas.
Can use fat-free or reduced-fat evap. milk; just salt pot pie to taste right before eating.

My mom made this for us while she was here, and it was so good. Jason and I usually aren't even fans of pot pies at all, so that's saying something! I made it again last night, and it's a bit of a pain to make, but not terrible, and so worth it. I've decided that every time I make it I'll double the recipe and freeze one so I only have to do the process half as often--and I love having meals in the freezer for when I don't feel like cooking.

Artichoke Chicken

2009-05-01T11:53:00.004-07:00

This is one of my family's favorites! Even my 2 year old will eat it!

1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese (the canned kind works great)
3/4 c. mayo
A little garlic salt (to your flavor)
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (or 2 big ones cut horizontally. Saves money:))

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl mix together artichokes, mayo and parmesan. Place Chicken in a baking dish and salt them (to your flavor). Spread mix over top of chicken evenly (make sure to cover all of the chicken so that there is no drying out). Bake uncovered for 30 min. (or until center of chicken is totally cooked.

Prep time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30
Serves: 4

Turkey Dumplings--for using those leftovers

2009-05-01T11:50:00.003-07:00

The link, if you want to tweak the servings or see the nutrition facts, is http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Turkey-Dumplings/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

INGREDIENTS
1 pound cooked, chopped turkey meat
3 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (12 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough

DIRECTIONS

Place the turkey, water, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, or until a broth has formed.
Spread flour on a medium cutting board or other flat surface.
Roll out biscuit dough and cut it into 1x2 inch pieces.
Drop the pieces into the broth and cook over low heat approximately 15 minutes.

My modifications: I added a chicken bouillon cube to the water for extra flavor, as well as some garlic powder and dried minced onions. I had a box of Bisquick mix, so I just mixed up some of that (so easy, just add water) for the dumplings. The box had directions on the back--a good staple to have around. I made one-inch balls and rolled them in flour.
I was wary about this one because it's more labor-intensive than the turkey dogs or macaroni I've often been resorting to lately, but we both really liked it, and it wasn't hard.

11/29/09: Helpful guidelines for myself for the next time I cook this because I seem to forget every time (and for anyone else who needs them):
The broth that is formed won't be like gravy. That happens when you drop in the flour-covered dumplings. Don't try to thicken it yourself. Burning to the bottom of the pan and all kinds of frustrations will result.

Cranberry Chicken

2009-05-01T11:47:00.001-07:00

1 can cranberry sauce
1 cup Russian dressing
1 packet onion soup mix
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix first three ingredients together in either crock pot or baking dish.
Cut chicken into strips, add to sauce so the pieces are covered in the sauce.

Crock pot: cook on low 4 hours
Oven: cook for 30 min at 350.
Suggestion: serve with instant mashed potatoes so you can spoon the leftover sauce over them.

Doesn't taste particularly cranberry-ish, but still really good. Not too expensive either.The recipe calls to cook it in the crock pot; I just improvised.

Crock Pot Enchiladas

2009-05-01T11:45:00.003-07:00

1 1/2 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (large) can enchilada sauce
1 small can chopped green chilies
tortilla chips

Brown meat in skillet and drain off grease; season to taste. (I used taco seasoning.)
Put meat and all other ingredients except chips in crock pot. Stir it up.
Cook on low about 5-6 hours, stirring occasionally.
About 30 minutes before serving, add chips (enough to be covered in sauce).
When they are softened, they are ready to eat.

It was spicy, but not so I couldn't handle it, and I'm a wuss, so there you go. Hope you like it!

Good Eats

Wedge salad

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

Spinach-Turkey Burgers

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce & Bowtie Pasta

Costa Vida/Cafe Rio Burrito!

Shrimp 'n' Black Bean Chili

Pesto Grilled Cheese!

Fondant Icing

Best Pie Crust -by Marilyn Southwick

Summer Salads!

Lime chili tilapia + lime cranberry rice pilaf

Directions

Directions

Directions

Broiled Tilapia with Mustard-Chive Sauce

Do you have a bit of difficulty getting excited about fish, like I do? Try out this recipe and make eating your fish a much more pleasant experience!

Broiled Tilapia with Mustard-Chive Sauce

Ingredients

Fish:

Sauce:

Directions

Lemon Meringue Pie

Chex® Pumpkin Pie Crunch

Chex® Pumpkin Pie Crunch

Spicy Pumpkin-Raisin Cookies

Peppered Pork Medallions in Tangy Mushroom Sauce

Chicken Salad Sadwiches

Chicken Fajitas

Chorizo-Cheese Quesadillas

Peanut Butter Banana Pops

Cherry Cobbler Dessert

Mini Ice Cream Pops

Sam's Crockpot Parisienne Chicken Dinner

Sinfully Delicious Alfredo Sauce

Super Easy Mexi-Casserole

Frozen Lemonade Squares

What You Need

Make It

Homemade Yogurt--recipe with pictures

Just curious

M

Please help the Arizonian (?)

Shrimp [or chicken] Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients

Directions

Sweet Pork Burritos with Cilantro Lime Rice and Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Baked Eggplant Parmigiana

Prep Time: 15 MinCook Time: 1 Hr 25 Min Ready In: 1 Hr 40 Min

Ingredients

Directions

Nutritional Information

Anyone? Anyone?

Sweet Potato Fries with Basil Salt & Garlic Mayonnaise

Hearty Turkey Chili

White Turkey Chili

Spanish Chicken Casserole

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

Garlicky Poached Chicken Breasts With Ginger and Onion

4 Layer Dessert

Oxborrow Meatballs

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Single people eat healthy too. ;)

Polynesian Chicken

Crock-Pot Lasagne

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Spaghetti sauce that's cheaper & healthier

Applesauce for Oil

Thanksgiving Dessert!

In honor of the CA State Fair (or rather, to stick it to it)--Funnel Cake!

Frosty Orange Creme Dessert

Grilled Lemon Herbed Chicken Breasts

Pepperoni Pasta Salad

Greek Spinach Spanakopitas

I Call It "Heavenly Fruit Dip!"

Crunchy Romaine Strawberry Salad

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

Carribean Jerk Rub

Light Potato Salad!

Shepherd's Pie

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hr 25 Min
Ready In: 1 Hr 40 Min