Raspberry Lime Rickey

I absolutely love, love the cherry limeades at Sonic. (Can anyone else give me a big amen on that??) So when I saw a recipe for this raspberry lime rickey, I knew I had to try it. Talk about a fantastic and refreshing summer beverage. The only change I made was to add more of the raspberry lime syrup to each glass. I wanted less club soda taste and more raspberry lime goodness. A perfect beverage for a summer BBQ...or just because.

Rasberry Lime Rickey


12 oz. package frozen raspberries
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons grated zest and 1/2 cup juice from 4 limes (It took 4 limes to get the 1/2 cup juice but I only used the zest from 3 limes - it was plenty)
Club soda, chilled
Ice

Heat raspberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the raspberries begin to release their juices, about five minutes. Mash the berries with a potato masher until the berries break down, then stir in the lime zest and juice. Simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened, about five minutes.

Pour the raspberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on solids to extract the liquid. This works best done in batches so the seeds don't clog up the bottom of the mesh strainer. You should end up with about 2 1/2 cups syrup. Discard the berry solids. Refrigerate the syrup until completely cool, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week. To serve, combine 3/4 cup club soda and 3 tablespoons syrup in tall, ice-filled glasses.

I know this has nothing to do with cooking or recipes but....

I need you to vote!

Heard of Seriously So Blessed?

I know many of you are bachelorette and bachelor fans, SSB is doing a Mormon version {MoMachelor} and my friend Tricia made the finals!!

So I'm asking you to go and vote for her!

Of course you can read the other finalists.... but come on, Tricia is the best. She was the one that set Brandon and I up... so she's got to be incredible, right?

Thanks guys, 

Nichole

Grille Tilapia with Mango Salsa

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon parsley
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets

1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, parsley, garlic, basil, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the tilapia fillets, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Prepare the mango salsa by combining the mango, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper in a bowl. Add the lime juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and toss well.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Remove the tilapia from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the fillets (either in a lightly oiled pan on the stove or on the BBQ) until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Serve the tilapia topped with mango salsa.

Did you get yours?

I had a fun surprise waiting for me in my mailbox today.

It is filled with fun ideas, recipes and coupons. Best of all it's FREE!!
If you don't already get it-Click Here!!

Here is one of the recipes I can't wait to try.


1 small boneless skinless chicken breast half (1/4 lb.)
1 pineapple ring
1 green pepper ring
1 Tbsp. KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce

HEAT grill to medium heat. Place chicken in center of large sheet of heavy-duty foil; top with remaining ingredients.

BRING up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside.

GRILL 15 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening packet.

Swiss Mushroom Burgers

There are a few things that I make really well. I'm sharing one with you now. :)
Several years ago I had a friend who worked in the kitchen at Fanny's Grill at the Homestead in Midway. She was dating one of the cooks, who one night taught her how to make these. They don't serve them any more, but if you like Mushroom Swiss Burgers, you should really give these a try. We only make these a couple of times a year for special occasions. I made them this past week for our anniversary and decided to share.

1 hamburger patty per person
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
1 onion sliced
3-5 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
garlic powder (to taste)
1 slice swiss cheese per person
1 package brown gravy mix

Melt the butter over medium- low heat and stir in the vinegar. Add the garlic powder and stir until blended. Add the mushrooms and onions and stir to coat well. Then cook them until the onions are transparent. It'll take 10 or so minutes.

Cook the hamburger patty in whatever way you choose. You can grill it if you're being fancy, but pan frying is ok too. Prepare the brown gravy per package directions. Now at our house, we just serve this open faced and sometimes we use bread and sometimes we don't. However, the real way you'd serve it is to dip both halves of a bun in gravy. Put the patty and cheese on the bottom bun. Spoon some of the mushrooms and onions over the top and top with the other half of the bun. The above proportions should give you enough for 4 people. Like I said, at our house it only feeds 2 people, and when we serve it, it looks like this:

Honestly, they are very yummy! Try it out!

I am SOOOOOO embarrassed!

MarKey is my sister. I thought she'd posted the thing about excess spaghetti sauce. So, I took the opportunity to poke a little fun at her. Now I realize that she didn't post it (which is what I get for reading blogs when I am tired and bleary eyed) and it probably looked like I was making fun of someone for no reason. If I had edit capabilities on this blog, the comment and the recipes would be deleted. Well, actually the recipes are pretty good, so they could stay, but the title would change. Anyway, so embarrassed! Sorry to Nichole...so, so, so, so, sorry!

2 Ways for Markey to use her Spaghetti Sauce

#1- Spinach Stuffed Shells
12-16 Large Shell Noodles, cooked about 8 minutes until pliable, but NOT mushy.
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzerella cheese
1 10 oz. pkg spinach thawed and pressed dry
2 cloves garlic, smooshed
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 BOTTLE SPAGHETTI SAUCE :)

Spray cooking spray on the bottom of a 9X13 pan and pour some of the sauce in. Mix everything except sauce and spoon into the shells. Pour the remaining sauce over the top. Add more cheese (cuz everything is better with more cheese) and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

#2- Super Easy Chicken Manicotti
1 JAR SPAGHETTI SAUCE :)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, cubed
14 uncooked manicotti shells
1 can (2 1/2 oz) sliced olives
2 cups shredded mozzerella cheese

Spread 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce in a 9X13 baking dish. Sprinkle garlic salt on the chicken. Cube the chicken and don't cook it. Insert into uncooked manicotti shells, stuffing each end if necessary. Place shells in dish. Pour remaining sauce over the opt. Sprinkle olives and cheese on top. (Actually, I'd probably skip the olives, that sounds weird.) Cover and store overnight in your fridge. (This sounds good for Sunday, right?) Bake the next day for about 1 hour.

So there you go, you should be down to 8 bottles now.

Sugar Cookies

This is a good one. You don't have to refrigerate it like most recipes.

1 Cube Margarine
1/2 C Sour Cream
cream together and add:
1 C Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 Egg
mix and add
3 1/2 C Flour
1 teaspoon Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Finish mixing and roll about 1/2 inch
Bake at 350 until golden, approx. 14 minutes.

Recipe Request

Anyone have a good recipe for sugar cookies? The soft, yummy kind?

Pizza Dough

I have been making this a lot lately. The boys eat it up like it is going out of style.

3 Cups Flour (last night I used half wheat flour/half white, It turned out well)
2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 package yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 Cups warm water
1 teaspoon each basil & rosemary

Dissolve yeast in water and let sit for 1 minute. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Spread over cookie sheet, it should fit perfectly. Let rise as much as desired, I do about 3 hours. Before you add your sauce, cheese and toppings, bake at 425 for about 5 minutes. Take it out, add your fixings and continue to bake at 425 for about 12-15 more minutes. I spread my sauce, then toppings, then cheese. That way the cheese helps hold on the topping.

Outback Steakhouse Coconut Shrimp

1 c flat beer (incase you don't have any of this laying around, you can use white grape juice)

1 c self rising flour (or add 1 t baking powder to 1 c flour)

2 c coconut 

2 T sugar (i used agave)

1/2 t salt

12 jumbo shrimp (raw)

oil

1. Combine beer, flour, 1 c coconut, sugar, and salt. Mix well then refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Prepare marmalade by adding all 4 ingredients together and refrigerate.

3. Peel shell off shrimp leaving tail. Dry shrimp on paper towel then sprinkle with paprika. 

**The batter will stick better to the shrimp if the shrimp is as dry as you can get it.

4. Pour remaining coconut in shallow bowl. 

5. Prepare oil for frying. (I used coconut oil)

6. Dip one shrimp at a time into batter, coating generously. 

7. Drop shrimp into coconut and roll it around so it is well coated.

8. Fry shrimp 2-3 mins until golden brown.

9. Drain on paper towel.

** The coconut or batter that might fall off the shrimp while frying will continue to cook (and stick up your house) if you don't scoop it out occasionally.

Marmalade Sauce

1/2 c orange marmalade (apricot jam works well too)

2 t ground mustard

1 t horseradish

dash salt

Come and get it...

About a year ago I went a little overboard on spaghetti sauce for food storage. I've got about 10 jars that will expire in July/August/September. There is no way I will eat them all before they expire, so If you want some, it's yours.

It's Prego

and I have the following varieties.

*Chunky Garden- Combo

*Meat

*Chunky Garden- Mushroom & Green Pepper

*Fresh Mushroom

All you've got to do is come get it. 

Stuffed Mushrooms

No picture, sorry. They oozed everywhere and didn't look super pretty so I thought I'd spare you. Clint and I are huge mushroom fans and I have tried tons of different so-so recipes from online but last night I just threw these together and they were a winner!

8-12 Mushrooms
1/8 c. Shredded swiss cheese
1/8 c. Shredded cheddar cheese
parsley (to taste)
garlic salt (to taste)
1 Tbsp mayo
1 Tbsp softened butter
shredded parmesan

**I know, the ingredients look awful, but you put like a teaspoon of filling in each mushroom so as long as you don't over-do it, it's really not that bad :)

Pull stems out of mushrooms. Combine swiss, cheddar, parsley, garlic salt, mayo, and butter in a bowl and stuff into bottom of mushrooms. Place on baking sheet. Top with a pinch of parmesan. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted. Turn on broil until top is browned.

Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary

Our blog turned 1 on the 17th.

To celebrate the occasion I think it's time for another prize. It goes to the cook who posted the most in the past year. So the winner is.....

ME!

Well, that is no fun. So the prize goes to the person who came in second.

Yeah for Nichole, you win these.

Just wondering??

Take the quiz----->

J-E-L-L-O Easter Eggs

I make these every year and my nieces and nephews get a kick out of them.
There are 2 ways. First way, (easy way) buy the jello molds. Like this:

Make your jello and just pour it in.
Or my way (much cheaper), use regular plastic eggs. Make your Jello in a deep bowl. Follow the recipe for the jigglers, it should have less water, to make them stiffer. With an open egg, fully immersed in the jello, close it. Refrigerate as directed.

Cute huh!

Blondies

I made these for my family today for a conference treat and they were a hit!

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup of butter, melted
* 1 cup of tightly packed dark brown sugar
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
* Pinch of salt
* 1 cup of all-purpose flour
* 1/3 cup of chocolate chips (chopped walnuts and butterscotch chips are equally tasty)

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour an 8X8 pan. Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a bowl.

2 Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk.

3 Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, mix it all together. Add the butterscotch chips or other mix-ins.

4 Pour into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool. Cut into squares and serve.

Makes 9 blondies.

Veggie & Cheese Quiche

Ingredients:
chopped onions, mushrooms, and green peppers (or whatever veggies you like)
shredded swiss cheese
shredded parmesan
1 frozen pie crust
4 eggs
1 c. fat free half & half

Directions:
Mix veggies and cheeses and place in unthawed pie crust. Beat together eggs and half & half and pour into pie crust. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake another 35 minutes.

Fresh Spring Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs. young green beans, whole with tips removed

• 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped

• Cherry tomatoes, halved

• Spring greens mixture (from bag or salad bar)

• ¼ lb. feta

• ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

  (Also good with meat added such as Chicken)

Preparation

1. Earlier in the day, cook beans in boiling salted water for 3 minutes or until tender crisp. 

2. Drain; run cold water over beans and refrigerate until ready to use. 

3. To assemble salad, toss beans, onion and tomatoes together with Lemon Vinaigrette; spoon onto spring greens. 

4. Top with crumbled feta and walnuts.  

Ingredients

• 3 T. fresh lemon juice

• 3 T. white wine vinegar

• 1 T. Dijon mustard

• Pepper to taste

• ½ t. sugar ( I put in a little more)

• ¼ t. salt

• 1 cup light veggie or canola oil ( I used much less then this)

Preparation

1. Whisk all ingredients except oil until well blended. 

2. Add oil gradually, whisking until combined. 

3. Makes 1 ½ cups

Broccoli Cheesy Soup

Broccoli Cheesy Soup

1 1/2 Cups choppped Broccoli
1/4 Cup Chopped celery
1/4 Cup chopped onion
1 Cup chicken broth
2 Cups milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 Cup shredded swiss cheese (I used cheddar)

1. Place vegetables and broth in saucepan. Bring to boiling; reduce heat, cover and cook until vegetables are tender.
2. In medium bowl combine milk, cornstarch, thyme, and salt and pepper to tast; add to cooked vegetables.
3.Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook 1 minute more.
4. Remove from heat. Add cheese; stir until cheese melts.

*(I threw it all in a blender for a really creamy soup) Serves 4

[Pumpkin Waffles]

Pumpkin Waffles w/ Buttermilk Syrup

Pumpkin Waffles

Dry Ingredients:

2 C. flour

2 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp sugar

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:

4 eggs, separated

1 ½ C. milk

1 C. canned pumpkin

¾ C. margarine, melted

1 Tbsp vanilla

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.Beat egg yolks lightly and combine with remaining wet ingredients, except egg yolks.Combine wet and dry mixtures.In separate bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form.Fold whites into combined wet/dry mixture.Prepare waffles in a Belgian waffle maker (regular waffle maker works just fine).

Buttermilk Syrup

1 stick butter

1 Tbsp Karo light syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 C. sugar

½ to 1 C. buttermilk

1 tsp. baking soda

Bring butter, Karo, sugar, and buttermilk to boil in a large pan (mixture fixes and doubles when remaining ingredients are added!), stirring continuously. Add vanilla and baking soda, stir, and serve warm. I would recommend serving these recipes with a protein (bacon, sausage, eggs with cheese) because they’re so rich!

Baked Sweet Potato Sticks

(I halfed the recipe and it was enough for my family or 4)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
8 sweet potatoes, sliced lengthwise into quarters

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, mix olive oil and paprika. Add potato sticks, and stir by hand to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven.

Chicken Tortellini Casserole

5 T butter
6 T flour
3 c chicken broth
1 c light cream
pepper
5-6 frozen or fresh tortellini, cooked
1 c chicken, diced
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 c mozzarella cheese

Melt butter and blend in flour. Stir broth into flour mixture. Add cream. Cook until mixture thickens and bubbles. Add pepper to taste. Add cooked tortellini and chicken. Pour into a 9X13-inch pan and sprinkle with cheeses. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden. (I halve this recipe and we leftovers for Blake's lunch!)

Crock pot Italian Chicken

3/4 cube butter
1 pkt Italian dressing mix
3 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken
2 large spoonfuls of softened cream cheese

Place butter, chicken and dressing mix in crock pot and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 4-5 hours. Take chicken out and shred. Combine cream of chicken soup and cream cheese with drippings in crock pot. Put shredded ckn back in crock pot and cook for 1/2 hours more on high. Serve over cooked rice.

I {Apologize}

I was making dinner for tonight, and I was wondering why I have never posted this recipe! It is undoubtedly the YuMmIeSt recipe that I've got, and I'm sorry for not posting it sooner! It's FAST, EASY, TASTY & HEALTHY, you can make it in the morning and let it cook all day, or cook it up just before dinner, and you can FREEZE a bunch of batches for those extra busy days. What more can a girl (& mom) ask for?

Chicken Chile

3 cans low-sodium chicken broth

2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed

2 cans great northern white beans, drained & rinsed

1 can white corn, rinsed (can substitute with frozen)

1 LARGE can of chicken, drained (or 1 grilled, chopped chicken breast)

1 jar salsa (I like to use pico de gallo)

1 10oz block frozed chopped spinach, thawed, rinsed & drained (I am in love with spinach, so if you don't love it, it can be halfed)

1 cube of cream cheese, softened (I use nufachatel cheese)

Mix all of the ingredients together in crockpot, cook until heated through.

Garnish with:

Tortilla Chips

Cheese

Sour Cream

Lime Wedges

Pasta Milano (Macaroni Grill)

This is what I order everytime we go to Macaroni Grill. This is a copycat recipe from recipezaar.com the recipe isn't exactly the same but it's still yummy!

Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Pasta

36 ounces bow tie pasta

4 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups sun-dried tomatoes

1 lb. mushroom, sliced

Cream Sauce

1 quart heavy cream

1 head garlic, roasted

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup parmesan cheese

Garnish

fresh parsely

parmesan cheese

1. Wash and dry chicken breasts

2. Mix garlic powder, salt, and pepper and sprinkle on chicken.

3. Grill chicken on the stove top in a skillet ot outside on the barbeque grill, until it is done all the way through. Set aside.

4. Place pasta in salted boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain.

5. Meanwhile saute the mushrooms and tomatoes in butter until soft.

6. Place heavy cream, roasted garlic, pepper, salt, and parmesan cheese in food precessor (or blender) and puree.

7. Place cream mixture in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

8. Mix in mushrooms and tomatoes to cheese sauce and add to cookes pasta.

9. Slice grilled chicken and place on top of the pasta.

10. Garnish with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese. Serves 4+

Maple Salmon

I found a really yummy and quick Salmon recipe!

(If you haven't checked out Allrecipes.com, do so!)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup maple syrup (I used the fake syrup I had in the cupboard)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound salmon

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.

Spanish Rice

This is one of our favorite side dishes. I make it to go with anything Mexican.

2 cups white rice
1 Tbsp oil
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 large can V-8 juice
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp salsa
cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add rice and stir constantly until rice begins to turn light brown. Add water and let the mixture bubble down. (Don't add the tomato sauce until it's under control or you will end up with a HUGE mess.) Add tomato sauce, V-8 juice, salsa, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and top with cheese. Serve once cheese has melted.

Texas Two-Step Chicken

I got this recipe off the back of a Pace Salsa bottle. It was surprisingly good and ridiculously easy.

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups salsa
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Pour combined salsa, brown sugar, and mustard over chicken breasts. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. (My chicken was pretty thick so it took longer to cook... about 35 minutes.)

You can eat this as is, or shred it for tacos, fajitas, or taco salad.

Apricot Chicken

This has always been a favorite in our house.

The portions work out great. You buy these ingredients and there is enough to make it twice.

Mix together:
1 C or half the jar of Apricot preserves
1 C or a little less than half the bottle of French, Russian or Catalina dressing. They are all pretty much the same.
1 Packet of Onion Soup Mix

Pour it over four chicken breasts.
Bake at 350 for about an hour.
Serve with rice.

A good friend of mine (Jen Dipko, some of you might know her from the 5th ward) puts this in the crock pot and her family loves it that way too.

A little info...

Seeing as I have no room for a garden I've been doing some research into other alternatives.

Local Harvest-
You pay for shares and every week you get fresh produce (meat, eggs, honey, etc)

Utah Food Co-op-
Offers select grocery staples at up to 50% below retail. They do this through group buying, low over-head, and volunteers. Every month you order from their list, spend some time volunteering and get discounted food.

Do you have any good ideas?

German Pancakes*Dutch Boys*Dough Boys

Whatever you want to call them, they are just plain good. They have always been dough boys to me so I tend to call them that. There are so many varying recipes to them but here is how I make them.

3 T Butter or margarine
3 Eggs
1 C Flour
1 C Milk

Or do equal parts of eggs, flour and milk. But I usually just put one less egg than I would need to make it equal.

Turn you oven to 400 and put butter in a 9X9 pan. Put it in the oven until it melts. While it is melting mix your eggs, milk and butter. When the butter is melted pour your mixture in with the butter and put it back in the oven for about 30 minutes. They should look like this.

They will settle down after being out of the oven for a few minutes.

Top them with what ever you like. I am a powdered sugar and cinnamon, and Jon is a syrup. Other topping could be:
jam
fruit
honey
lemon juice

Sauteed Garlic Asparagus

This week Smiths has asparagus on sale for $1.49/lb. (or Costco sells 2.5lbs for $4.50) so I went surching for a recipe. I've recently discovered allrecipes.com and would recommend it!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons butter or margarine (I used a lot less)
1 bunch fresh asparagus
3 cloves garlic, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. If you like your asparagus well done, reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes.

** I cooked mine too long/high and it basically turns to mush in your mouth, so beware**

My new favorite thing to cook with

It is ground turkey. I found it at Walmart. It is about $1.90 a lb. for the 93/7 and $1.40 for the 85/15. I am replacing it in a lot of recipes because it is healthier than beef or pork and cheaper than chicken. I have used it in Elon's won tons and her corn chowder.

WINNER!!!

You all were beginning to think I was lying when I said I had prizes. I always have, I have just been waiting for someone to do the secret things to win them. And the winner is..................

Marianne- for publishing the 100th post.


I want to say a job well done to you all. This has been a very busy month of our blog. I am loving it. Keep up the good work, who knows I just may have more prizes up my sleeve.

Sweet and Sour Meatball Sauce

These babies are so so so good. Our sweet neighbor brought us this for dinner when we had Jordynn and then a few weeks later someone else had us over for dinner and served the exact same thing. We loved it! They both say it is such an easy recipe. I like easy!

1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. vinegar
2 tsp. mustard or dash of mustard powder
1/2 c. BBQ sauce
2 T. worcestershire sause

mix sauce and meatballs (they just used the frozen meatballs from Costco) and cook in crock pot or oven until completely heated through.

Lime Soup with Tortilla Strips and Chicken

I got this reicpe off of Studio 5. We had it tonight and I really liked it.

Ingredients:
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbl olive oil
• 1 6-inch corn tortillas cut into strips
• 6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 2 Tbl minced fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbl minced fresh oregano
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1-2 Tbl fresh lime juice
• 1 skinless boneless chicken breast half, thinly sliced crosswise
• ½ cup chopped seeded tomato
• ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
• ½ cup chopped white onion
• 6 limes

Method:

1. Heat 1 cup oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add tortilla strips; fry until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels; drain.
2. Mix broth and next 4 ingredients in large saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Add lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 Tbl oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add tomato, bell pepper and onion. Saute until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes longer.
4. Place 1 lime slice in each of 6 bowls. Ladle soup over. Mound tortilla strips and chicken mixture in center of each.


[ To make Recipe a little healthier ]

Note from Laura: I do not fry my corn tortillas. I let everyone rip there own fresh tortilla into their bowl - I love the flavor! I also like to add 1 (14-ounce) can drained and rinsed black beans to soup; and I leave out the tomatoes. Plus I reverse the order of instructions. I start with sautéing the chicken, peppers (I use red or green) and onion, and then I add the broth and seasonings right into the same pot. Then I ladle all of the ingredients into the each bowl and serve with the lime slice and tortillas on the side. Delicious!

I also added carrot and celery slices to the soup.

Tomato & Spinach Pasta Toss

2 c. pasta (we like Whole-Wheat Penne)
1/2 lb. Hot or Mild Italian sausage (or chicken)
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained (make sure you get this kind!)
1 pkg (6 oz) spinach. (I have used frozen spinach and it works great!)
1 c. Mozzarella Cheese
2 Tblsp. Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, thoroughly cook sausage (or chicken) in skillet. Add spinach & tomatoes and cook until heated through.

Drain Pasta. Put pasta & sausage mixture in a nice serving bowl. Mix. Stir in mozzarella cheese.

Sprink Parmesan Cheese on top if desired.

This is great served with rolls or a fruit bowl.

Chicken Salsa Soup

This recipe falls under crockpot(as requested)and healthy. This is seriously the easiest recipe and I just throw my chicken in frozen.

4 c. salsa
1 c. low sodium chicken broth
2 cans black beans
2 cans corn
2-3 chicken breasts

Toss in the crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken before you serve.

Sweet and Sour Chicken (Freezer Meal)

This is a meal that you can put together in a freezer bag and eat later. Just prep everything and put them all into small individual bags and then into one big freezer bag for a meal later. Such a great idea when you are away and want your family to eat well.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

1 package frozen chicken nuggets

1 green or red pepper

2-3 stalks celery

1 large onion

2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil

1/3 c. cornstarch

1/4 c. vinegar

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks w/ juice

Thaw chicken nuggets just enough for each nugget to be cut into halves or thirds. Slice pepper, celery, and onion into bite-size chunks. Saute them over high heat in oil, until tender crsip, about 3 minutes. Empty vegetables from pot and set aside. In a 1 quart measuring cup, mix cornstarch vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger, pineapple juice, and waer to fill to quart line. Pour mixture into pot and add mushrooms, bringing to a boil stirring frequently. when thickened, add pineapple chunks and chicken nuggets. Continue stirring until boiling. Add vegetables and serve immediately over hot rice and/or chow meain noodles.

Chicken a l' Orange

1 t. olive oil
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 T. orange concentrate (frozen section)
2 T. low sodium soy sause
1/4 t. ginger
1 T. sliced almonds ( I use alot more )

Heat oil over med. heat, add chicken and sear for 3 minutes per side. Add orange, ginger, and soy sause. Stir. Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. Top with almonds. Put over brown rice.

[ Recipe from The Abs Diet ]

Whole Wheat Pancakes

One of my favotive healthy breakfasts!!!

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

3 T. oil ( I use olive oil )

1 1/2 c. w.w. flour ( I like to grind my flour fresh)

2 T. baking powder ( I use a little less )

3/4 T. salt ( I use a little less )

Mix and cook as normal. I top mine with pure maple syrup.

Super Quick Whole Wheat Bread

First of all, just had to say I am so glad this blog has picked back up. Keep em coming, ladies!


QUICK WHOLE WHEAT BREAD -- this is 100% homemade and seriously takes less than an hour start to finish (including grinding wheat, rising dough, etc).

In a mixing bowl combine:

1/4 c. honey
2 1/2 c. hot water
2 1/2 c. freshly ground whole wheat

Mix well and add 2 Tbsp yeast. Let sit for one minute. Then add:

2 tsp salt
1/2 c. wheat gluten
2-3 c. wheat flour (keep adding until dough pulls away from bowl)

Knead dough for 7 minutes, Form into two loaves and put in greased bread pans. Place in cold oven for 20 minutes unttil they look like fully shaped loaves. Leave in oven and turn on to 350 degrees. Bake 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from pans and allow to cool.

GFCF Waffles

My sister and her entire family is on a very strict "GFCF" (Gluten free, Casein Free) diet. Which basically means that they don't eat any milk products or anything with wheat in it. While I am not doing their diet, I am trying to incorporate it in my own with moderation. I got this recipe from my brother-in-law, who is starting up his own business making pre-made mixes for people on the gfcf diet (he calls his company "Dr. Delicious") . The ingredients are different, and if you want to make them, you will have to go to a whole foods store to get it, but these waffles are really yummy! Dan even craves them. :0)

1 C. Garbanzo Bean Flour

1 C. Corn Starch

2 1/4 C. White Rice Flour

1 1/4 C. Tapioca Flour

4 T. Sugar

1 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Baking Powder

4 T. Milled Flaxseed**

1 1/3 C. Rice Milk

1 C. Water

1/2 C. Oil

2-3 T. Ground Cinnamon

** You may substitute milled flaxseed for 4 eggs, OR 1 C. applesauce.

Another thing about this recipe: DO NOT taste the batter- it tastes like dirt.

Also, these are very filling! I can barely eat one square, and I am full. So I freeze the leftovers for homemade eggos.

Pork Chops and Veggies

This is probably not that healthy, and although you could cook it in a crock pot, I usually use my electric skillet. I apologize for not fitting the mold, but it's still a good meal, especially for cold winter months.

Salt and pepper 4 Pork Chops. Brown pork chops in 1/4 cup melted butter in an electric skillet. Add about 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed, and 1 cup baby carrots. (I always eyeball the amounts. I just put as many vegetables as will fit.) In a separate bowl, mix together:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can water
1 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp dried onion

Pour soup mixture over the top of vegetables. Turn skillet to low and cover. Stir occasionally. Cook until vegetables are tender--about 45 minutes.

Optional: add 1 can of mushrooms and/or 1 cup frozen peas.


You can also do this in the oven at 350 for 1 1/2 hours, or all day in a crock pot. Just brown the pork chops in a frying pan first, then pour the entire mixture into a baking dish (for the oven) or a crock pot.

Pumpkin Cookies

I'm sure alot of you already have this recipe, because it is so simple. I wouldn't call it healthy but it is definitely a better way to dessert.

1 Box of spice cake mix
1 Can of Pumpkin - the smaller of the two. Some stores only have the bigger one so I freeze the other half or double the batch.
1 Cup of Chocolate Chips (optional depending on how low fat you want them to be)

Mix and bake on 350. I really don't time them, I just wing it but I think it's about 15 minutes.

Mas Macho Meatballs

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers

1 onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. ground flaxseed

1 jar (16 ounces) tomato sause

italian seasoning

4 whole wheat rolls or buns

1/2 cup reduced-fat mozzarella chees, shredded

Mix the beef, crackers, onion, garlic, and flaxseed into golf size balls. Brown in a non stick skillet over medium heat. Drain fat and add tomato sause and italian seasoning. Spoon meat balls onto buns and top with cheese.

[ Recipe from The Abs Diet ]

"Healthy" Fried Rice

Another one of my healthy favorites, since you asked ;)...

2 cups cooked brown rice (cooled)

3Tbsp EVOO

12 oz. cooked shrimp (or chicken)

1 cup frozen peas

2 beaten eggs

3 Tbps low sodium soy sauce
pepper to taste

Heat EVOO in fry pan and then add eggs. When eggs are ALMOST cooked through, add remaining ingredients and stirfry until everything is mixed well and cooked through. (Obviously, you can spice this up with whatever other veggies you like as well).

Labels

Who doesn't need more organization in life? Nichole suggested we add labels to our posts...... months ago. Sorry I am just now getting to it. It will be a great way to find what we need and search ideas faster. You can label things however you want but please always include the following.
What catagory would it be in (dinner, dessert, appetizer, ect.)
What meat is in it (if any)

If you need examples you can look back at past posts. I have gone through and labeled them all.

And one last thing. As I was going through them all I noticed we didn't have many crockpot recipes. If you have a favorite, please share. Those are some of my favorites. And of course, don't for get to label it as crockpot.

Thanks, I am really excited about this!!

Calling all "healthy" recipes

Okay so I meant to post this in January, being that we all are probably trying to eat better (or in my case lose my baby weight) with it being the new year and all. I'd love to hear what some of your favorite healthy recipes are. I've got a couple killer yummy meals up my sleeve that I will post shortly. In the mean time the recipe below is a yummy way to add more fiber to your diet...not necessarily way healthy but still not a bad choice in my opinion. Enjoy!

Fiber One Crunchy Fudge Cookies

Eat a great-tasting fudgy cookie made with brownie mix and high-fiber cereal.

1 box Betty Crocker® fudge brownie mix

2 cups Fiber One® original bran cereal

2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil ( I used olive oil )

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 egg

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, mix all ingredients with spoon. Onto cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container. Freeze up to 2 months if desired.

1 Serving: Calories 70 (Calories from Fat 10); Total Fat 1g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 55mg; Total Carbohydrate 13g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 7g); Protein 1g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable Carbohydrate Choices: 1

Its not delivery...

...but just as good! Seriously the first time I made this my Husband asked me where I got it from and didn't believe me when I said it was homemade!

~Pizza Margherita~

[Crust]
5 tsp yeast
2 1/4 C warm water
2 tsp sugar
1/4 C olive oil
5 C bread flour
1 Tbsp salt

[Topping]
1 C grated Parmesan cheese
1 C fresh basil
6 tomatoes - diced
salt & pepper
1 lb. mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil

Dissolve the yeast in warm water and let stand until foamy {about 5 min}. Add sugar, oil, flour and salt. Knead dough on low speed until dough is elastic, about 8-10 min. Add up to 1 cup of flour until dough pills away from bowl. Remove from bowl and form dough into a ball and transfer into a greased bowl. Cover and let stand in a draft free spot until dough doubles in size {1 1/2 to 2 hours}.
Cut dough in half and let stand for 10 min. Roll out dough on cookie sheet and sprinkle half the Parmesan cheese, basil, tomatoes and mozzarella over dough. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top. Drizzle the pizza evenly with 1 Tbsp olive oil and cook @ 500* for 10-15 min.

This makes enough for 2 pizzas, so I usually make one and save the rest of the dough for another night. Or I make this dessert...

~Cinnamon Sticks~

1/4 C melted butter
1/2 C sugar
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

[Icing]
2 C powdered sugar
2-4 Tbsp whipping cream { I have used milk and it works just fine}
1 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Roll out the dough on a cookie sheet. Spread butter over the top and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over the the butter. Cook at 350* for about 8 min or until the sugar starts to bubble. Then drizzle icing over the top!

No Bake Cheesecake

4 ingredients + 1 minute and you have a yummy treat.

1 graham cracker crust
1 can of sweeten condensed milk
1 brick of cream cheese
1/2 a carton of cool whip (the smaller carton)

Blend the milk, cheese and cool whip until smooth. Pour in the crust. Let set up for a few hours in the freezer.

It is great by itself but here are a few of my favorite add ins if you want.

berries
candy cane
lime juice
any kind of pie filling

Easy Alfredo

I was trying to find an easy but yummy Alfredo sauce because I was feeling in the mood for Italian the other night. I came across this recipe and boy was it good (and easy)!

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c butter or margarine
3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c milk

Mix the above in a saucepan over medium heat until blended. I added more milk to get it to a consistency I liked.

We kept it simple and served this with noodles with chicken and broccoli.

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

I found this recipe from Summer Driggs blog and it is a good one! Amy Driggs gets the credit for this soup.

3 chicken breast cut into bite size pieces

1/2 Cup chopped onions

1-2 minced garlic cloves

3 Tbsp. Butter

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 cup water

1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cumin

2 cups half and half

2 Cups shredded monterey jack cheese

1 (14 3/4oz) can cream style corn

1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies, undrained

1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce

1 medium tomato, chopped

fresh cilantro



-In a dutch over or large saucepan, brown chicken, onion, and garlic in butter until chicken is no longer pink. Dissolve the bouillon in hot water. Add to pan along with cumin; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add half and half, cheese, corn, chilies, and Tabasco sauce. Cook and stir over low hear until the cheese is melted. Stir in chopped tomato. Serve immediately. Garnish with cilantro.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

It's definitely soup season!

2 Quarts Chicken Broth

1 Cup frozen corn kernels

2 Cups diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)

2 Cups chopped red onion

2 Cups chopped chicken breast (cooked)

1-2 Tbsp. chopped jalapeno pepper

1 can black beans

2 limes, juiced

2 Tbsp. Cumin

1/2 package of taco seasoning

avocadoss

totilla chips

- Simmer chicken broth. While broth simmers, sear corn, onions, chicken, and peppers. Simmer 15 minutes. Add black beans, juice of the limes, cumin, and taco seasoning. Ladle over chunks of avocado, top with tortilla chips.

Encrusted Pork Tenderloin

1 1/2-pound pork tenderloin

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1 1/2 cups shredded (not grated) parmesan cheese

2 eggs

Flour for dredging

Salt and Pepper

6 Tblsp EVOO

Place the pork between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or heavy rolling pin, pound the pork until flattened to ½ inch thick. Cut the pork into 4 equal pieces.Mix the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese together on a plate. Lightly whisk the eggs on another plate. Place the flour on a third plate. Sprinkle the pork generously with salt and pepper. Dip the pork pieces into the flour to coat lightly, then into the eggs and finally into the bread crumb mixture to coat, patting the crumb mixture to adhere. Heat oil in large nonstick frying pan over medium to high heat. Add pork pieces to each pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and just cooked through.Transfer the cooked pork to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Serve.

Cheeseball

16 oz. cream cheese
10 oz. (2 small jars) Kraft Old English Sharp Cheddar
5 oz. (1 small jar) Kraft Old English Bleu Cheese
3 tblsp. red wine vinegar
garlic salt
crushed nuts (of your choice)

Mix all ingredients except nuts together in mixer. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Roll cheese into a ball, then coat in nuts. Serve with crackers (Wheat Thins & Ritz are my favorite).

Is anybody out there??

Where are all the recipes?? Have I mentioned I have prizes to give out. I am not telling you how or when, but I have selected certain things that can win a prize. It isn't hard I promise. Come on......don't be shy.

"Refried" Beans

Don't let the name scare you, nothing about this recipe is fried. I love this recipe because it is cheap, easy, delicious, healthy, and they are a GREAT recipe to use with food storage. Plus my kid won't eat anything with protein except beans, so it's a new family favorite. Yummy alone, or in anything where you'd normally crack a can of refried beans. Enjoy!

Pinto beans

garlic salt

chili powder

cheese ( I like to use sharp cheddar)

Soak beans in water overnight. In the morning, drain the water and season with garlic salt and chili powder -- use plenty of seasoning. Then place in crockpot with fresh water (about 2-3 inches above the bean line). Cook in crockpot on low for 10 hours. If there is tons of excess water, drain some after cooking but you will need a bit of water still in there. Add cheese to taste and mash with a fork until desired consistancy.

Soups On

Around this time of year I love to make soup. Here are a few of my favorites.
Enjoy.....

Butternut Squash Soup

I know this sounds like old people food but it really is delicious.

1/2 chopped onion
1/4 c butter or margarine
saute together
Add
6 C. butternut squash cubed
3 C. apple juice
1 C water
1 t chicken bullion
1/2 t salt
1/2 t dried marjoram (this is one of those spices in your rack that you don't know what to do with)
1/4 t pepper
1/12 t. cayenne pepper (that is not a typo, you really just need a tiny bit)
Boil for 20 minutes or until squash is soft.
Puree with a mixer
Add
1/2 of a brick of cream cheese
heat through
Garnish with swiss cheese and croutons

Minestrone

To anyone who knows Italian, I'm sure this is not real minestrone, but that is what I call it. Sorry for the blasphemy.

1 lb italian sausage or hamburger
if hamburger I add a lot of garlic salt and italian seasoning while I cook it.
drain grease
1 lg. can of V8
1 can green beans- drained
1 can corn- drained
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can kidney beans- drained
1 C. cooked carrots
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
Italian seasoning, pepper and garlic salt to taste
Combine all and simmer for about 1/2 hour to soften the onion
Just before serving add 2 C cooked pasta, so they don't get soggy . I use penne or macaroni.

So yummy with garlic bread.

Chili

1 Lb hamburger
brown and drain grease
Combine with:
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans - drained
1 chopped onion
1t chili powder
1t basil
1/4 t garlic salt
1/2 c ketchup
Simmer until onion is soft, about 1/2 hour
I serve this with corn bread

My Chicken Tortilla Soup

I combined a couple recipes and catered it to our taste. I'm not sure if I should consider it my own but I feel fancy when I do.

1-2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 can stewed tomatoes- do not drain
1 can chicken broth
1- 4 oz can green chilis
1-10 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1 can corn- drained
2 cups water
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic minced
3 T. lime juice or garnish with lime slices
1t chili powder
1 t cumin
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 can black beans-drained
combine and cook in you your crock pot for 4-6 hours on low
Add beans about 1 hr before serving

Garnish with :
cheese
tortilla chips
sour cream
cilantro
Lime slices if not added already

Instant Pancake Mix

This is a mix that you can store and use when you want. Just add the wet ingredients when you are ready for pancakes, then store the dry stuff for later.

Instant Pancake Mix:

6 Cups All purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. Sugar

Wet stuff (use 2 cups dry mix):

2 egss, seperated
2 Cups buttermilk
4 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

-for the mix:
Combine all of the ingredients for the mix and store in an airtight container. Shake well to mix.

-for the pancakes:
whisk together the egg whites and buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks and the melter butter together. Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture until well combined. Pour into 2 cups of the pancake mix. Whisk together until just combined. Cook on a hot griddle. (recipe by Alton Brown)

Oopsy!!

I am probably outing myself on what a bad cook I am but if I can save one person from ruining their dinner, it will be worth it.
Did you know that you can KILL yeast??? Obviously I didn't. My recipe said to soak the yeast in warm water. I guess I made my water too hot, there for "killing the yeast"- as my mom told me. So if you didn't know already, when it says warm, it means warm, not at all on the hotish side.
We live and learn.

Ruth's Chris [Sweet Potatoes]

Thanks to Jeff & Carly, we have been introduced to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. YUMMY! Since I like to pull copycat recipes from the internet, I thought I would search out the tasty sweet potato recipe for the holiday season. Along with the recipe, I also found a helpful video for those like me that need the extra help.

Ruth's Chris special sweet potato casserole

Makes 12 servings

Crust
1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred)

1/3 stick butter, melted

Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Set aside.

Sweet Potato Mixture
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a medium-size casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a large mixing bowl in the order listed. Beat thoroughly with a hand mixer to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture.
Pour mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. (At this point, dish can be covered and refrigerated.)
Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture and return to oven for 10 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.
The brown sugar and pecan crust should be slightly browned and crunchy.

Does anyone have a food dehydrator? If you do and wouldn't mind letting me borrow it, I would really appreciate it.

Italian Mac and Cheese

One more Rachel Ray. (It's not healthy... but it's good)


1 lb. ziti rigate, penne rigate or cavatappi (ribbed, hollow corkscrews)

1 lb. Italian bulk sweet sausage

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 T. butter

3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped

12 crimini mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper

2 T. all-purpose flour

1 c. chicken stock

1 c. heavy cream

1 (10 oz.) sack, 2 1/12 c. shredded Italian 4 cheese blend, available on dairy aisle

1 can diced tomatoes, well drained

1 t. hot sauce (recommended; Tabasco), otional

½ c. Parmesan, a couple of handfuls

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and cook pasta to a chewy al dente, about 8 minutes.
In a nonstick skillet, brown and crumble the sausage. Drain cooked crumbles on paper towel lined plate. Return pan to heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, butter, garlic and mushrooms. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Saute 3 to 5 minutes, until mushrooms are lightly golden.
Preheat broiler to high.
To mushrooms, add flour and stir, cooking 2 minutes. Whisk in stock, then stir in cream. Bring cream to a bubble, then stir in 2 cups of 4 cheese blend. When cheese has melted into sauce, add tomatoes. When sauce comes to bubble, remove from heat and adjust seasonings, adding hot sauce if desired.

Combine cheese sauce with sausage and pasta, transfer to a baking dish, casserole or oven safe serving platter. Sprinkle remaining ½ c. of 4 cheese blend and the grated Parmesan over the top and brown under hot broiler.

Mean Green Tortilla Soup

I am not a huge fan of Rachel Ray, but I do love this recipe (link)!!

Ingredients
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
3 ears of corn, kernels removed (reserve shaved corn cobs) *I just used canned corn*
1 package corn tortillas, cut into strips
4 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 package (3 pieces) chicken thighs or breasts
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 teaspoon cumin
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
10 to 12 tomatillos, husks removed
2 cups cilantro, chopped
Zest and juice of 2 limes
2 cups jack cheese, shredded
3 avocados, chopped (optional)


Preparation
Preheat oven 400°F.

In a large pot, bring the chicken stock and water to a bubble with the reserved corn cobs and let simmer for about 10 minutes.


Place the corn tortilla strips onto a baking sheet and spray them with some cooking spray. Transfer to the oven and bake until crispy, 10 minutes.


Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat with some EVOO about 2 turns around the pan. Add the chicken, browning on all sides, then place into the oven for about 7-8 minutes, until juices run clear and no pink remains in the center. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove from oven and let rest before cutting into strips. ** I prefer shredded chicken**

Preheat a heavy-bottomed pot with remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the onion, garlic and cumin, and cook till soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the corn kernels along with the jalapeño.


While the veggies are cooking, puree the tomatillos in a food processor until somewhat smooth. Add the purée, stock and chicken to the pot along with the veggies.


Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and add in the cilantro, lime zest and juice, and serve it up garnished with a big handful of jack cheese, tortilla and avocado.

YUM-O!

Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe is from a friend of mine named Judy Goold. You'll love these because they just melt in your mouth!

1/2 C. Oil

1/2 C. Smooth Peanut Butter

1/2 C. White Sugar

1/2 C. Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

1 C. + 1 Tbsp. Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda



- Mix all the ingredients together in the order shown. Roll into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Press the dough with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Bake @325 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until golden around the edges. Makes 1 dozen

Cheese Soup

Sorry I don't have a picture, I like this recipe because I usually have these ingredients on hand!

6 c. water
6 t. chicken flavor (I use Wyler's Instant Bouillon Granules) or 6 bouillon cubes
4 c. cubed potatoes
veggies (I use frozen broccoli, but you could also do peas, cauliflower, carrots etc)
1/2 cube butter
4 c. milk
1/2 c. flour
4 c. grated cheddar cheese

Boil water & chicken flavor in large pot. Add veggies. While these cook melt butter then add milk in a separate pot. Slowly stir in flour (should look creamy and thick). Add cheese. Take off heat and combine in largest pot. Let thicken ~ 5 minutes before serving.

Yummy Salad!

This has been our favorite dinner lately. Everyone probably has already come up with something like this, but I am going to post it anyway.

LeTtUcE:

I use a mix of romaine, red leaf and fresh spinach

MiX-iN's:

grilled chicken breast

shredded mozzarella cheese

quartered & separated red onion

diced cucumber

cherry tomatoes

The key is to not skimp on any of the mix-in's. Just go crazy and have just as much mix-in's as you have lettuce (or even more)!

This salad is very filling and we usually have it with bread and it definately fills us up!

Also, I love this salad with blue cheese or honey dijon dressing.

Tomatoes, anyone?

Would anybody like some tomatoes? I've already made my year supply of salsa and then some and have no idea what I am going to do with all these tomatoes. There are at least this many again that will be ripe within a day or two. If you want some and will be down my way (Orem), let me know. Otherwise they will probably go into the compost pile when they go bad.

Apple crisp

Adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Ingredients:
5 cups sliced, peeled apples
2-4 T. white sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

1. Thaw fruit, if frozen. Do not drain. Place fuit in a 2 qt. square baking dish. Sprinkle granulated sugar over top.

2. For topping, in a medium bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping over filling.

3. Bake crisp in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes (40 minutes for thawed fruit) or till fruit is tender and topping is golden. Makes 6 servings.

Whole Wheat Chicken Quesadilla

Ingredients:
Mission Whole Wheat Tortillas
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Shredded chicken
1/4 c fat free mayo
2 tsp. canned minced jalepenos
2 tsp. juice from canned jalepenos
3/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients except tortillas, chicken and cheese. Spread a thin layer of sauce on one side of tortilla. Layer cheese and chicken on top of sauce and top with another lightly-sauce-coated tortilla. Cook on stove or skillet on both sides until cheese is melted.

Yum!

Free to a Good Home

I have a little George Forman Grill that I need to get rid of. It still works great, we were just given a little bit bigger one. If you want it let me know stat or it is off to the DI.

Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder

Unless I am going to Mimi's Cafe for breakfast, I always order their corn chowder and bread basket! SO YUMMY! And one of the best things that come with fall/winter is SOUP!

Enjoy.

(Yields 2 1/2 quarts)

4 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 cups frozen corn, thawed
6 tablespoons onion, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup celery, large dice
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups hot water
1 pinch white pepper
2 cups raw potato, peeled and cut in 1/2" cubes
3 tablespoons flour
1 quart Half & Half


Method
On medium heat, melt butter, then simmer onion and celery for 5 minutes until soft, but not brown.Add water, potatoes, corn and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are barely tender.Whisk the flour into 1 cup of the Half & Half, and stir into the soup. Add the remaining 3 cups of Half & Half. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the soup has thickened to a creamy consistency.Correct the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. In order to correct the consistency or the soup you may add a little milk to make it thinner. To make the soup thicker, simmer another 5-10 minutes.

Best Cooking Tip I Ever Received

The best cooking tip I ever got was from my mom (of course). She buys the $5-$6 pre-cooked rotisserie chickens that you see at every grocery store and shreds the meat off of them. Then you can freeze the shredded chicken and quickly defrost it to use in ANYTHING. I always use it in my chicken enchiladas, chicken croissant sandwiches, etc. It cuts out so much of the effort! Tonight I am trying some spicy chicken quesadillas using the chicken, if they turn out I'll post the recipe tomorrow. Bon appetite.