Banana Muffins w/ a Crumble Topping

The same friend that gave me the recipe for Libby's blessing day casserole brought these to it. It was such a yummy day thanks to Betsy!(who won't post her fantastic recipes so I post them for her and get to claim them as my own:)
I honestly cannot get enough of these.

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 bananas, mashed
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1/3 cup butter, melted
* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. (I cheat and melt it because I lack patients) Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Oreos

Does everyone already know this recipe? If not, it is a real crowd pleaser!

1 Package Devils Food Cake Mix
2 Eggs
1/2 C. Oil
1/4 C. Flour
Mix ingredients and roll into balls.
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.
Let cool and match tops and bottoms.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

My Mom always used to color them for the holidays. I thought it was about the coolest thing in the world. Why is food coloring so amazing to kids? I have no idea but I am one of them.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Sauce: Mix together in bowl.

1 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

2 T. mustard or dash of mustard powder

1/2 c. bbq sauce

2 T. Worshershire sauce

Frozen meatballs- I just buy the Italian ones from Costco.

Put in crock pot for til it's heated through. ( A couple of hours)

Pasta Fagoli Soup

This is very healthy and it makes a lot of soup. I've also added sausage to spice it up a bit. As prepared below, each one cup serving is 290 calories, 4 grams of fat and 9 grams of fiber. Hooray!

8 ounces small pasta
2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound ground turkey breast
1-2 teaspoons dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (15 ounce) cans white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 3 minutes or until soft.

Add turkey and cook 5 minutes, until meat is browned, breaking up meat as it cooks. Add oregano and black pepper. Add broth, tomatoes and beans and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in cooked pasta and heat through. Ladle mixture into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

Lemon Cake

A contest! Hooray!!!!

If you love lemons, this is for you!

1 lemon cake mix

1 pkg lemon jello

4 eggs

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Mix ingredients. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. While baking mix 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 cup lemon juice together. Let sit. While the cake is still warm, poke holes around the top and pour the glaze over the top. You can top with whipped cream if you like, but it's yummy either way!

Chicken Piccata

This is by-far, me and Jason's favorite thing to eat!

Chicken Piccata

2	whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt, as needed
1/2	cup all purpose flour
1/4	cup grated Parmesan
2	tablespoons olive oil
3	tablespoons butter, divided
1/4	cup dry white wine
1/2	cup rich chicken stock
2	small, thin-skinned lemons, juiced
1/4	chopped parsley
2	tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Lightly salt both sides of chicken cutlets. Dredge cutlets in flour and cheese mixture, patting off excess. Heat a large sauté pan over med-high heat. Add oil and one tablespoon butter. When butter foams, add cutlets, in batches if necessary, to color and cook through both sides -- a couple of minutes. Remove chicken to plate and keep warm.
3. Add wine, broth, and lemon juice, scraping the bottom browned bits into the sauce, reduce to sauce consistency. Remove from heat. Add pinch of salt and parsley. Swirl in the two tablespoons butter and the capers.
4. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

Frosted Sugar Cookies

I can't even tell you how many times I am asked for this recipe. We can't even buy them from the bakery anymore because these are so good. Enjoy!

SUGAR COOKIES:

1 c. butter creamed

2 c. sugar

Cream together.

3 eggs

Add and beat well.

1 c. sour cream

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon extract or Mexican vanilla

Then add and scrap sides of bowl occasionally.

5 1/2 - 6 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. baking powder

Sift together and add to the mixture.

Chill in fridge for 60 min. or freezer for 30 min.

Then it's ready to roll out and cut. I like them very thick.

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. I do closer to 8.

Easy Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1b. 10X powdered sugar
1-3 teaspoons milk, half and half or cream

• Using a mixer, cream softened butter and vanilla until smooth.
• Add sugar gradually, allowing butter and sugar to cream together before adding more.
• If you want your frosting a little creamier, add a teaspoon of milk at a time and beat on high until you get the right texture.
• 
  

Artichoke Heart Quiche

This is pretty much amazing. You won't be disappointed.

I'm adding it to our Christmas Morning breakfast.

It worked well with my French baby shower theme last summer too.

Cream Cheese Crust:

3 oz. cream cheese, chilled

1/2 c. butter, chilled
1 c. flour

Filling:

1/2 c. green onions and tops, chopped

2 TBS butter

1/2 c. diced ham

1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

3 eggs

1 1/4 c. heavy cream

pinch nutmeg

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

pinch cayenne pepper

1/2 c. grated Swiss or Cheddar cheese. (I put it in the mix not on the top)

(I also add some chopped up spinach)

Method:

Oven - 375 degrees.

Cut cream cheese and butter together with fork or pastry cutter, or processor.

Add flour, cut together and form a ball.

Roll out dough and fit into a 10-inch pie plate; flute edges.

In a medium-size skillet saute onions and ham in butter, then remove from skillet; set aside.

Beat eggs, cream and seasonings in a bowl. Stir in onions, ham, and artichokes and cheese.

Pour into the pie shell and sprinkle with cheese. (I put it on the last 15 min. of baking)

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until firm.

Essential Buttermilk Syrup

Incase you need the most delicious syrup to cover your pancakes, here it is. You could really eat a rubber tire with this stuff it's so good

1/2 c butter

1 c sugar

1/2 c buttermilk (1/2 c milk + 1 t vinegar)

1 T Karo syrup

1 t baking soda

1 t vanilla

In a LARGE pot, combine butter, sugar, buttermilk, and karo syrup and brink to a boil for 2-3 mins. Add baking soda and vanilla. Mixture will fizz to TWICE the size or more, so use a good sized pot! Set it aside to thicken while stirring occasionally. POUR over waffles, pancakes and French Toast to make them oh. so. much. better.

Truckstop Buttermilk Pancakes

Brandon grew up on Bisquick. I never had the stuff until we got married. Yuck! Over the course of our marriage I have tried MANY pancake recipes trying to ween Brandon off the yellow box.

This pancake recipe did the trick

2 c flour

1/4 c sugar

2 t baking pwd

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

2 c buttermilk (or 2 cups milk + 2 t vinegar)

4 T butter

2 whole eggs

1 t vanilla

1/4 c milk

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.

Melt butter and seperate eggs. In a med bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then mix in the butter, yolks, and vanilla with the whisk. Then stir in the buttermilk.

Stir the wet ingredients in the dry ingredients until just combined. Add milk as needed until batter reaches desired consistency.

Pour batter onto hot griddle. Flip when bubbles form on top.

Serves 6

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

Garlic Cheddar Chicken:
1/2 cup softened butter
2-3 Tbsp minced Garlic
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 Cup Dry Breadcrumbs
1/2 Cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used the boneless skinless tenderloins)
1/2-2/3 Cup Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Use about 2 tbsp butter to spread all over the inside of a shallow baking dish. In a bowl, melt butter, then add minced garlic, garlic powder and seasoned salt then mix to combine. In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Dip chicken in butter mixture then dredge in bread crumb mixture, repeat with each piece of chicken. Place chicken in a single layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 25 to 50 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken pieces). Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on top and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

*I served mine with polenta and asparagus but it would go well with rice or mashed potatoes.

zucchini casserole

This is soo good!  Everytime I make it people ask for the recipe.

6 C. Sliced Zucchini
1 Can crm chicken soup
1 1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 C. butter
1 C. Sour Cream
8 oz. Stove Top
1 C. Carrots, grated
1 Medium Onion
1 C. Mushrooms (optional)

Saute Onions, but don't brown.  Mix onions, sour cream, carrots, soup, and cheese.  Melt butter and mix with stove top. 

Layer Pan: Stuffing, mixture, zuke's, stuffing.  Bake @350 for 45-60 min.

Easy BBQ Beans

2 Large Cans Bush's Baked Beans
10 Strips precooked and cut up
2/3 Bottle BBQ Sauce (Hickory or brown sugar are best)
1C. Brown Sugar

Drain liquid from beans and remove bacon chunks.  Combine ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low at least 3 hours...the longer the better!

Cranberry Chicken

Easy and YUMMY!

1 16oz. can cranberry sauce
1 8oz. Bottle French Dresssing
1 Packet Lipton Onion Soup mix
6 Chicken breasts

Mix sauce, dressing, soup, pour over chicken.  Cook in crockpot on low 4-6 hours.  Serve with rice.

Parmesan Chicken

1/2C. Crushed Ritz Crackers
1/3 C. Shredded parm. Cheese
1 Tbls. Parsley Flakes
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
4-6 Chicken Breasts

  Combine all ingredients but chicken. Melt 1/2-1 cube butter in cake pan. Roll chicken in butter then in crumbs. Put back in cake pan and bake @350 for 1 hour.

CoNtEsT

I am going to do a little contest to increase activity in our blog. It will run like a raffle.

1 recipe=1 raffle ticket

It will run all through the month of March. The more times you post, the more chances you have of winning this cute bag full of fun stuff. :the fun stuff is not yet decided, but I promise it won't disappoint:

If you live out of state, I will be happy to mail it to you if you are the winner. If you are not yet invited to be an author, let me know in the comments and I will get you invited before March 1st.

New Background

For those of you viewing from a reader, come on over and check out our new background. I am so in love with it, I wish it existed in a shirt.

Breakfast Cassorole

We served these after Libbys blessing. They were a big hit. I had to make 7 of them. They were easy to throw together the night before and very affordable for such a large group. These would work great for Christmas morning.

1lb. Cooked Breakfast Meat-I am usually a ham fan but I liked sausage best in this case
1 Package of Stuffing
6 Eggs
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Cheese
:extra options:
onion
green onion
bell pepper
green chili
olives
tomatoes
salsa
In a large bowl beat the eggs, then mix in the remaining ingredients.
Spray a 9X13 pan with pam
Pour casserole mixture into the pan
Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until the eggs are set up.

Caramel Brownies

Easy Caramel Brownies

1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix with pudding
3/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup chopped pecans
13 ounces individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degreees. Spray one 9x13 inch pan with non-stick coating .
2. Combine the cake mix (just the powder), butter and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Mix well and pour 2/3 of the batter into pan.
3. Press pecans into batter and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
4. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the caramel and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Stir until melted and smooth; pour over cooled cake mix.
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of caramel and top with spoonfuls of remaining cake mix. Bake for additional l5 to l8 minutes; cool and cut.

*I omitted the pecans and it still turned out great! I also found these bags of caramels at Walmart and they melted really quickly.

Pureed Pears

Has anyone ever made pureed pears? My kids eat that stuff like applesauce and I swear I'm keeping the gerber co. in business!

Better than sex cake

I hope the title of this cake is not too inappropriate, but it sure does taste great!

-1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
-1/2 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
-6 ounces caramel ice cream topping
-3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped
-1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

1. Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Make slits across the top of the cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom.
2. In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended. Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over the top of the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits; then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm. (Hint: I crush my candy bars into small chunks as opposed to crumbs - I like to have pieces I can chew on!)
3. Let cake cool completely, then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping. Refrigerate and serve right from the pan!

Sour Cream Apple Pie

I have always been a classic apple pie person, until Scott had me try this recipe. Oh my, to die for. This is a birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any day I want it recipe in our house. Enjoy!

Filling:

2 c. grated apple ( granny smith)

1 c. sour cream

¾ white sugar

1 egg

2 T. flour

½ t.vanilla

Topping:

1 cube butter

1 cup flour

½ cup brown sugar

Beat together all filling ingredients except apples.

Stir in apples and pour into an unbaked pie crust.

Blend the topping ingredients: makes a crumbly mixture.

Sprinkle on top and bake for 15 minutes more at 400 degrees.

Then bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

I have tried about 1000 different ways to make sweet pork recipes (coke, brown sugar, etc) and this is BY FAR my favorite and BY FAR the healthiest!

1 ½ lbs chicken or pork, cooked and shredded (I've tried both and prefer the pork)
1/3 c honey juice of 2 limes (or ¼ c)
1 Tbsp chili powder ½ tsp garlic powder
4oz can green chiles 20 oz green enchilada sauce
Equal parts mozzarella & cheddar cheeses
8-10 flour tortillas

Combined cooked and shredded meat with chiles, honey, lime juice, chili and garlic powder. Let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Grease 9x13 pan and pour a little enchilada sauce to coat bottom of pan. Fill tortillas with meat and a little cheese. Roll up and place in pan. Pour remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.

*note: You could totally use the same sweet pork in salads, burritos, etc.

Taste of Christmas

When I think of Christmas, certain foods come to mind. My Moms candy has to be my favorite. Below is her fudge recipe that I look forward to eating myself sick with every year.

What does Christmas taste like to you??

Fudge

4 Cups Sugar
1 Can Evaporated Milk
3 Large, 7 oz.Hershey Bars
2 Cubes Butter
Nuts-optional

~Butter a 9X13 pan.
~Break up chocolate bars in a large bowl. Add butter and set aside.
~In a sauce pan, add Sugar and milk. Bring to a rolling boil.
~Turn to med-high and stir constantly for exactly 10 minutes.
~Add to the bowl of chocolate and butter. Mix with an electirc mixer of some sort until all are smooth and melted.
~Add nuts at this point if you wish.
~Pour into a buttered 9X13 pan.
~Let set up in the fridge.

Wassail

1 Gallon Apple Juice
1 Can of Frozen Orange Juice concentrate
4 Cups of Water
2/3 Cup Sugar
2 Cinnamon Sticks
12 Whole Cloves
10 Whole AllSpice
Put in a crock pot or on stove top and heat, stirring occasionally. I put a 1/4 of the recipe in a hot cocoa maker. That works good if you have one of those.

If you buy the spices at a regular store you will pay WAY too much. I found them in bulk for a great price at Winco. For example at the grocery store I found the a bottle of 10 cinnamon sticks for for $3.89. At Winco I got them for about $2.50lb. Worth the drive, I would say.

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie

2 pie crusts
3 Cups pumpkin puree
6 large eggs
1 1/2 Cups + 2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Corn Starch
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 Cups evaporated milk
whipped cream for serving

-In a large bowl add pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, nutmeg, eggs, and evaporated milk; whisk until combined.
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and add the pumpkin mix to the 2 pie shells. Bake on rimmed baking sheets for 35-40 minutes. Bake until all but centers are set.
-Let cool completely on a wire rack and serve with whipped cream.

* Makes 2 pies. Recipe from Martha Stewart

Whipped Cream

There's nothing better than homemade whipped cream!

Whipped Cream

1 Cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Tbsp. Vanilla

-Beat on high in your mixer for about 10-15 minutes. Refrigerate the extra and serve in hot chocolate or with pie or just eat it as is!
*Be sure your bowl and whisk is very clean and preferably cold for best results.

Chicken Cacciatore

This is a recipe I found from Pioneer Woman. It looked so yummy I had to try it and...it is yummy!Chicken Cacciatore

salt
pepper
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
flour for coating chicken
4 cuts of chicken skin-on
1 onion
1 bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
mushrooms
1 can tomatoes
3/4 C. cooking wine
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1/4 tsp. turmeric
parmesan cheese
parsley

She gives you a step-by-step tutorial here. Enjoy!

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

I had some leftover pumpkin puree and wanted a new recipe to use it up. I found this, and quite liked it. The kiddos- even baby- liked it, too! It's a little lacking in flavor, so I added a little extra chili powder, and I think that the garnish is a must have. Enjoy the nice October meal!

Besides adding a sweet nutty flavor to dishes, pumpkin is a ready source of vitamin A, which boosts the nutrition content of this offbeat chili. Garnish each portion with a dollop of sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound ground white or dark meat turkey
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Method

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeños and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add turkey and cook until browned. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, water, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and add beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes more. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

Serves 6

Nutrition

Per serving (about 12oz/348g-wt.): 280 calories (110 from fat), 13g total fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 55mg cholesterol, 580mg sodium, 23g total carbohydrate (8g dietary fiber, 7g sugar), 20g protein

Recipe from wholefoods.com

Potato Pancakes with Avocado Mash and Eggs

 
I really don't like breakfast foods, and so I usually skip breakfast and eat an early lunch. But when I found this idea in a magazine and it actually looked appealing, I decided to give it a try. It was fast and easy and didn't make a big mess -- all requirements I have for early morning meals. AND it's yummy!

Frozen hashbrowns
Onion powder
Avocado
Egg
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Season hashbrowns with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Heat a tbsp or so of olive oil over medium heat. Add hashbrowns and cover pan with foil. Cook a few minutes on each side until brown. Remove hashbrowns from plate. In same pan (adding more olive oil if needed) fry an egg as desired. Top hashbrowns with mashed avocado (seasoned with salt) and place egg on top. Serve!

This is my variation of the recipe. If you want to see the original from the magazine, click here. If you don't like fried eggs, I'm sure it would be good with scrambled or any other type of egg as well.

Meat 'n' Cheese Stomboli

My sister taught me how to make this and it has become a family favorite!

I buy Rhodes frozen white bread. It comes in a pack of 3. I let the loaf thaw about 3-4 hours.



*I cook mine on the lowest oven rack to make sure the dough at the bottom gets cooked all the way through, that depends on your oven though!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

1 box Spice Cake Mix (dry mix only)

1 small can of Pumpkin

Chocolate Chips

Mix ingredients and bake!

Easy.

(Photo credit: http://lostbuttonstudio.blogspot.com/2008/09/muffin-mix.html)

Market Street Grill Clam Chowder

If you've ever been to Market Street Grill, you know their clam chowder is to die for. But did you know they post almost all their recipes on their website? I was so excited to find this, and even more excited when it tasted as good as I remembered.

Ingredients:
1 cup potatoes, diced ½ inch
1 cup celery, diced ½ inch
1 cup onion, diced ½ inch
1 cup green pepper, diced ½ inch
1 cup leeks, diced ½ inch
¾ cup chopped clams (canned or fresh)
¾ tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1 ½ tablespoon salt
¾ tablespoon whole thyme
6 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Tabasco
¾ cup sherry wine (optional)
2 cups water
¾ cup clam juice (drained from canned clams or purchased separately in can)
¾ cup butter, melted
1 cup flour
2 quarts half-and-half

Method:
Combine melted butter and flour in oven-proof container and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. In large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients except half-and-half. Simmer until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Stir butter-flour mixture into chowder and stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove chowder from heat. Stir in half-and-half until blended. Heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately. Makes 12 servings.

Here are my variations: I leave out the leeks, and only use about half the salt and pepper (you can always add more later). I usually make a half batch, but the servings are pretty true so you can decide for yourself how much to make.

Make-your-own Spray and Wash

1 Jug ammonia

1 bottle non-scented, die free dish soap

Water

In a spray bottle, combine equal parts ammonia, water, and dish soap.

*Makes multiple bottles

The lady I got this from says if it doesn't get out a stain, put some oxy-clean on first, then this spray. She swears it gets out anything. I love that it get's out grease! Plus you can't beat the price!

strawberry spinach salad

Dressing:

1 lemon

2 T white wine vinegar

1/3 c sugar

1 T vegetable oil

1 t poppy seeds

Salad:

1/4 c sliced almonds, toasted

1 1/2 c strawberries (8oz)

1/2 medium cucumber, sliced and cut in half

1/4 small red onion, sliced into thin wedges

1 6 oz pkg baby spinach

Directions:

For dressing, zest lemon to measure 1/2 t zest.

Juice lemon to measure 2 T juice

Combine zest, juice, vinegar, sugar, oil and poppy seeds in small bowl

Whisk until well blended. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven 350

For salad, spread almonds in single layer over bottom of pan

Bake 10-12 min until lightly toasted

(*I set my oven to broil then watch, they'll toast more quickly than baking)

Remove and cool almonds

Hull strawberries and cut into quarters

Peel cucumber and slice

Slice red onion into thin wedges

Place spinach in large serving bowl, add strawberries, cucumber and onion.

Whisk dressing. Pour over salad, gently tossing to coat.

Sprinkle with almonds

(I set my almonds and dressing on the side to you can put your own on)

Shrink Please

I found us a cute new template. Once I put it up, it is way too big. The silverware is supposed to be on a napkin with damask background. Does anyone one if it can be fixed to size? Also, how do I get that pyzam bar off. It's a bit of an eye sore.

Lemon Whippersnappers

These are now on my favorite cookie list. They are second in line to my favorite cookie, which I have shared earlier. Yes, they are both yummy but mainly because they have very few ingredients and are easy.

1 Box of Lemon Cake Mix
2 Cups of Cool Whip (thawed)
1 Egg (lightly beaten)
Powdered Sugar

Mix cake mix, cool whip and egg. Roll into small balls, maybe just smaller than a ping pong ball, roll in powdered sugar. Place on your cookie sheet. They will flatten out, so do not put them too close together on your cookie sheet. I fit 13 on 1 sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Makes around 3 dozen cookies.

Another pasta salad - it's that time of year!

16 oz pkg bowtie pasta, cooked
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 c mayo
1/2 c Caesar dressing
1 Tbsp Grey Pouopon (or any other fancy prepared mustard)
2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
red grapes, halved
chopped celery
parmesan cheese, to taste

In a large bowl, toss pasta, chicken, oil and garlic powder. Cover and chill. In a separate bowl, combine mayo, Caesar dressing, mustard, curry powder, salt and pepper. Cover and chill. Just before serving, add tomatoes, grapes, celery, chilled dressing and cheese to pasta mixture and toss.

Make sure you leave plenty of time to chill -- it is SOO much better cold. The recipe makes a TON but its great leftover (I had it for breakfast this morning, gross I know) -- or you can just half the recipe :).

Easy Fruit Popsicles

To make four pops,
2 cups cut-up fruit
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
Throw all ingredients into a blender. Cover and blend until smooth. You might wish to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water so the final mix is a thick slush.
Pour into 4-ounce pop molds or paper cups, insert sticks, and freeze until solid.

Recipe from the Readers Digest.

Farfalle Pasta Salad

Per MarKey's request. Mix these ingredients together for a yummy side dish at your Summer BBQ:

*Kraft Sun dried Tomatoe Vinegarette dressing
*1 box of Farfalle pasta
*Baked chicken (prev. marinated in dressing, a few hours or overnight)
*Sliced Olives
*Fresh Parmesan
*Diced Tomatoes

oops...

I went to make the Asian Chicken Salad recipe that I posted a little bit ago, and I realized that I put "vegetable oil" instead of "olive oil" in the recipe... I think that my lack of sleep is starting to really effect my brain (crossing my fingers that Nixon will start to sleep for longer streches than 3-4 hours soon!)

Anyway, it's fixed. Sorry if any of you made it and it was yucky.