Monday, December 27, 2010

Biscuit Barbecups

These make a great winter lunch when the kids are home!

Biscuit Barbecups

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
½ C prepared barbecue sauce
1 T. minced onion or ¼ C chopped onion
1-2 T. brown sugar
1 (10 oz) can Hungry Jack Flaky Biscuits
2 oz. (1/2 C) shredded cheddar or American cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 10 muffin cups. Brown ground beef in large skillet; drain. Stir in barbecue sauce, onion and brown sugar. Cook 1 minute to blend flavors, stirring constantly. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in each greased muffin cup; firmly press in bottom and up sides, forming ¼ in. rim. Spoon about ¼ C of meat mixture into each biscuit-lined cup. Sprinkle each with cheese. Bake 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until edges of biscuits are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from pan.

Hint: Tip: To make ahead, prepare as directed above. Cover; refrigerate for up to 2 hours. Bake as directed above or just cook burger up ahead of time & use later.

Serving: 4
Recipe Given By: Quick-Cooking M/J ’99, p. 61

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Coated Cookie Drops

Sara at make music from your heart is hosting a Christmas cookie recipe exchange! I'm looking forward to seeing what treats are shared, and hopefully, I can try a few out on my family and friends this year.
Here's my contribution:

Coated Cookie Drops

Ingredients:

1 pkg (20 oz) oreos
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
@ 24-30 oz candy coating, coarsely chopped for dipping (I use chocolate)
1 or 2 pkg of candy coating, coarsely chopped for drizzle (I use red/green)

Place the cookies in a food processor; cover and process until finely crushed. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and crushed cookies until blended. Roll into 3/4-in. balls. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt candy coating for dipping, stirring until smooth; dip the balls to completely coat. Place on waxed paper until hardened.

Melt and drizzle remainder candy coating over balls. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: about 7-1/2 dozen.
Recipe Given By:
Taste of Home

Working together...a favorite Christmas baking tradition!

The final product! Maybe not too tidy done our way, but very tasty!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Crunchy Bacon Coleslaw

Although coleslaw is usually a warm weather food, I've still included it here. This is a unique crunchy twist on regular coleslaw. You can save it away for a picnic sort of day.

Crunchy Bacon Coleslaw

Ingredients:

¾ C mayonnaise
1 T. sugar
1 ½ T. cider vinegar
4 C shredded green cabbage
1 C shredded red cabbage
½ C chopped peanuts
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled

Mix salad dressing, sugar and vinegar in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Refrigerate.

Shortcut: Prepare as directed, substituting 1 pkg. (8 oz) coleslaw blend for shredded green and red cabbage. Substitute 1 can (3 oz.) real bacon bits for bacon slices.

Serving: 10
Recipe Given By:
Kraft (They've changed up the measurements a little. Both are probably delicious.)

Monday, October 11, 2010

Breakfast Burrito

In August I came across this recipe on Pioneer Woman's site.

We don't have Sonic restaurants where we live, but I've enjoyed the Sonic in my daughter's college town a few times.

I love the ingenuity of Pioneer Woman to make her own version of the SuperSonic Burrito so I thought I'd give it a try with my own spin on it - deleting all the ingredients I don't like in a breakfast burrito.

We always have leftover tortillas in the fridge so this is a handy way to use them up. After warming the tortilla I added scrambled eggs, a piece of bacon, shredded cheese and tater tots.

I had a small addiction to these tasty breakfast treats and made them several days in a row!

Surprise your family with a breakfast burrito soon!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

You're Still Following?

You're still following? :)

I have cooked SOME in 4 weeks, but nothing new. Actually, not even anything that's worth talkin about. At the end of summer all my responsibilities get ramped up and we survive on fast-ish meals. Lots of tacos. Today I even broke out a can of tomato soup. It's exciting eating around here, I tell ya!

I do not foresee any new recipes on the horizon for another week or so and then I begin baking and cooking for my volunteers at work. They're my guinea pigs. They love it. Free treats are always a hit. Until then, please, feel free to check out my categories if you're interested. Autumn is my favorite season in which to cook so don't despair, I'll be up and posting yummy dishes soon. Thanks for hanging in there.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Beef Stroganoff

This, like the Chicken Cacciatore, is a VERY simple meal. You can find more robust recipes out there that add green peppers and whatnot. This is just the recipe that my kids like. Actually, this is my 20-year-old's favorite recipe. Why do they always choose the simple, almost embarrassing ones? Memories, I guess.

Speaking of memories, my youngest brother-in-law (he was nine when I married his oldest brother) lived with us during the weekdays when he was in Jr. High so he could attend the school where my husband and I taught. At the time, we only had Ashley and she was between one and two years old. I wasn't anything special in the kitchen, but enjoyed trying new things here and there. Anyway, Matt (the Jr. High B-I-L) went around school telling everyone that I was the best cook! His favorite foods: PBJ sandwiches (because I added way more jelly than his mom) and Hamburger Helper. Ha! I begged him not to say that; at the time he never really got why that wasn't quite the compliment he thought it was.

Now he's 31 years old and still teases me about how much he likes my Hamburger Helper. I haven't made it in almost a decade, but it's a sweet joke between us.

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:


1 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 pint of sour cream
salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
small can of mushroom pieces, drained

Brown ground beef; drain. Add one can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 pint of sour cream and any spices you would like to add. I use salt, pepper, garlic powder and sometimes onion powder. Add drained mushroom pieces. Mix well. Warm through on low heat and serve over rice or egg noodles.

Serving: 4-6
Recipe Given By: ?? (maybe my mom-in-law)


Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Oreo Cake

Ok, I'm at a loss for words this cake is soooo goood!! I don't even really like chocolate oreos (don't get me going about the golden!), but this cake is delicious. I usually don't even like frosting, but this one is so light and refreshing I may use it on other cakes, as well. I LOVE this cake and so did my family. They've asked me to make it again soon...maybe tonight!

Oreo Cake

Ingredients:

1 pkg (18 ¼ oz) white cake mix
16 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely crushed
1 pkg (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 T. milk
2 C heavy whipping cream
¾ C confectioners sugar
Additional cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies

Prepare cake batter according to pkg directions; stir in crushed cookies. Spoon into a greased and floured 10-in fluted tube pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 33-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Beat in cream until mixture begins to thicken. Gradually add confectioners sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Frost cake. Garnish with additional cookies. Refrigerate leftovers.

Serving: 12 Servings
Recipe Given By:
Taste of Home
Here it is in all it's pretty glory!

I must confess that we couldn't even wait for it to cool, so we cut pieces and dolloped the frosting on top. It worked fantastically! Yum!

Ranch Pork Chops

You couldn't ask for an easier dinner. I served these with mashed potatoes and steamed carrots. Super Easy!

Ranch Pork Chops

Ingredients:

1 pkt. (1 oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
¼ t. black pepper
6 pork chops (about ¾-inch thick)
Optional: dash of paprika

Mix together dressing mix and pepper. Rub mixture on both sides of pork chops. Arrange chops in single layer on baking pan or broiler rack. Sprinkle with paprika (if desired.) Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Serving: 4-6
Recipe Given By: Hidden Valley Ranch
Hint: I added a little cornstarch to my pan drippings to make a quick sauce.


Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Chicken Cacciatore

There are certainly more complicated Chicken Cacciatore recipes out there, but this is a quick and easy recipe that yields a delicious result. Mark's mom passed this recipe on and it's one of the family's favorites.

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

2 lbs. chicken parts (I use drumsticks)
1 can tomato soup
1/4 cup water
1 T cider vinegar
2 large cloves minced (or equivalent in powder form)
1 t. oregano, crushed
1/4 t. salt
1/2 medium green pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup onion - chopped or sliced (I slice it into strips)

In skillet, brown chicken in non-stick skillet (or use 2 T. shortening or oil to brown & then drain off the oil after browning)
Add remaining ingredients. Cover; cook over low heat 45 min. stir now 7 then. Uncover; cook until sauce thickens to desired consistency.

Serving: 4-6
Recipe Given By: Martha Martens
Hint: Serve with spaghetti or rice





Sunday, July 18, 2010

Taco Casserole

This is such a quick easy meal that is so tasty! It's basically tacos and nachos combined. Yum!

Taco Casserole

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef or turkey
1 taco seasoning packet
2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
1 can (11 oz) Mexican corn mixture or whole kernel corn, drained
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 C coarsely crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown meat in a large skillet over med-high heat; drain. Stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauces and corn. Simmer 5 minutes. Spoon mixture into a 2 quart baking dish. Top with cheese and tortilla chips. Bake until cheese in melted about 5-10 min.

Garnish with sour cream, sliced green onions, and serve with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.

Serving: 6
Recipe Given By:
McCormick

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

I'm back!

Our trip was filled with multiple stops at Steak 'n Shake and the local ice cream stand. I worked hard and felt more physically fit, but found that I had gained a few pounds when I returned home. Muscle weighs more that fat, right! We had a good time eating out and taking turns cooking in Grandma's kitchen one last time.

I didn't end up making anything new while I was away, but I'll be looking for some recipes to share with you soon. Until then I give you some food for thought:

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. ~Voltaire

Amen to that!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Far, Far Away

I've been gone now from home (far, far away) for over a week and have several more days to go on my trip. I went to help my mom and her siblings clear out Grandma's house and get it ready to sell.

I am computer-free on this trip, but had fun scheduling posts to get us through the even days of June. Hope you had a good time right along with me.

I will be taking a break from posting recipes until I return. If you are lurking (cause most of you aren't commenting *smile*) then I will probably be back online sometime after the 10th of July. I'm taking a few new recipes to try on my relatives so I should be able to share them with you when I get back.

Until then, enjoy your summer!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Cheese & Hot Dog Crescents

These are by far one of my kids favorite lunches. Have you ever made them? Pillsbury is genius mixing crescents with hot dogs and cheese - it's a hit at my house! To see a wonderful picture of the final product click on the Pillsbury link below.

Cheese & Hot Dog Crescents

Ingredients:

8 hot dogs
4 slices American cheese, cut into 6 strips each
1 (8 oz) can Pillsbury Crescents

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slit hot dogs to within ½” of ends; insert 3 strips cheese in each slit. Separate dough into 8 triangles; wrap dough over hot dog, keeping cheese facing up. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, cheese side up. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 min. or until golden brown.

Serving: 8
Recipe Given By:
Pillsbury

Monday, June 28, 2010

Salsa (Mark's)

I don't have a picture to share with you since I am actually on a computer-free vacation. (Love those scheduled posts.) Anyway, I've shared Lisa's Salsa with you which is more like a salsa you'd find in a restaurant. Mark's Salsa is really Pico De Gallo. I can taste the saltiness of the chips and the tang of the tomatoes just thinking about it.

Salsa (Mark’s)

Ingredients:

2 -3 tomatoes
¼ C water
1 garlic clove
Salt to taste
1 small sliced onion
1-2 yellow chilies
Cilantro – 1 small sprig

Chop and mix all ingredients to taste.

Serving:
Recipe Given By:
Martha Martens

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Fruit Smoothies

A month ago I managed a beverage station for our Volunteer Celebration event at church. While there I made more smoothies in one night than I had ever made in my life. By chance my blender broke and the following day my husband and I picked out a new Kitchen Aid blender to replace our old one. Thank you Kitchen Aid; your appliances rock!!

We have made smoothies every day since then. really. EVERY DAY! We're fanatics.

Here is the "recipe" I follow:

For each smoothie, I fill the blender about 2 inches full of fruit. (maybe 1 1/2 - 2 C worth.)

Angie
 Strawberry
 Banana
 Mango
 Peach
 Orange
 Blueberry
 Blackberry
 Pineapple

My girls make up little smoothie order forms with the above choices. I use mostly frozen fruit bought in large packages, but we use fresh bananas and any other fresh fruit that would be cheaper than the frozen.

After putting the fruit in the blender, cover the fruit with a liquid. Our favorites around here are orange juice or lemon lime soda (yes, soda - give it a try. It's refreshing.)

If you like your drink a little sweeter, then add 1 T of sugar. Blend on high.

If the liquid seems too thin for you, add ice and pulse until you get a thicker beverage. Usually the fruit is enough to make it thick, but sometimes it needs a little extra help.


Thursday, June 24, 2010

Peanut Butter-Candy bar Brownie

Nutter butters, Reeses PB cups, Butterfingers - can you have too much of a good thing? Not in this candy bar brownie. It's very rich, but delicious!

Peanut butter-candy bar Brownie

Ingredients:

1 (16-oz.) package peanut-shaped peanut butter sandwich cookies, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 (1.5-oz.) packages chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies, coarsely chopped
2 (2.1-oz.) chocolate-covered crispy peanut buttery candy bars, coarsely chopped (we tested with Butterfinger)
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut (I omitted)

Combine crushed cookies and butter in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture into bottom of a greased aluminum foil-lined 13" x 9" pan, allowing foil to extend over ends of pan. Bake at 350° for 6 to 8 minutes.

Combine condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth.

Sprinkle chopped candy bars, chocolate morsels, peanuts, and coconut over crust. Drizzle condensed milk mixture over coconut.

Bake at 350° for 27 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool in pan. Use foil to lift uncut brownies out of pan. Peel foil away from sides of uncut brownies, and cut into bars.

Serving: 28 small bars or 18 large bars
Recipe Given by:
Southern Living Best Loved Cookies

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Sweet-Sour Pasta Salad

My husband and I enjoy this refreshing salad in the summertime. It has fresh flavors and a sweet-sour liquid that makes it a little addictive. My neighbor tried the recipe and loved it, but thought it could use less sugar. I thought I'd try a less sweet version myself sometime so if you give it a try and reduce the sugar let us know what you think of the dish!

Sweet-Sour Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 pkg (16 oz) tricolor spiral pasta
1 med red onion, chopped
1 med tomato, chopped
1 med cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 med green pepper, chopped
2 T minced fresh parsley (Never dried!!)

DRESSING:
1 ½ C sugar
½ C vinegar
1 T ground mustard
1 t salt, optional
1 t garlic powder

Cook pasta according to pkg directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Place in a large serving bowl. Add the onion, tomato, cucumber, green pepper and parsley; set aside. In a saucepan, combine the dressing ingredients. Cook over med-low heat for 10 min or until sugar is dissolved. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Serving: 16
Recipe Given By:
Taste of Home A/M 2000 p. 32

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I love the memories that food can evoke, don't you?

When I had just delivered my fourth child a friend from choir brought our family a meal that included chocolate covered strawberries. I can't tell you how yummy those strawberries were - oh, my! Since that experience whenever I have the opportunity to bless a family who's just had a new baby I always include chocolate covered strawberries. I do this for several reasons: it makes me remember how blessed I was by a friend, it's a great sweet treat that's not too fattening for the new mom, it's fruit and dessert in one, and it communicates I took a little extra time to make sure the recipient knows how much I care about her.

This past week when I made a meal for a co-worker I included these strawberries. I had some milk chocolate chips in my pantry and just followed the bag on the back of the package. You can do that with dark chocolate or semi-sweet too. You might even have a package on hand.

Of course, my family is now campaigning for their own strawberries. I just might have to dip a batch for us soon. Do you have a food memory to share?


Friday, June 18, 2010

Chicken in a Pot

My son is an avid Boy Scout and one of the things that my husband and son share is the love of dutch oven cooking. My husband even put together a dutch oven cookbook for our scout troop and they have enjoyed many delicious meals. In 2008 my husband came along with the American Heritage Girls for a camping trip and he cooked this recipe for our unit. It was so tasty! I figured it could be cooked in a crockpot so we gave it a try and have been eating this "roasted" chicken ever since. This past week I cooked it up and gave it to a new mom and her family. The ease of the dish and the basic taste is a winner with everyone!

Chicken in a Pot

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs. whole frying chicken (we use legs for budget and taste)
1 t. poultry seasoning
½ t. salt
¼ t. basil
¼ t. pepper
(We add a few slices of bacon on top to give it a smokey taste.)


Wash chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle cavity with salt pepper, and poultry seasoning. Put in Dutch oven and sprinkle with basil. Cover and bake for 4-6 hours or until tender.

Our family’s version:
Use a family size pkg. of drumsticks, put one layer in crock pot, sprinkle with half the seasonings, put another layer of drumsticks on top of the first, sprinkle with remaining seasonings. Lay 4 pieces of bacon across the top and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Serving: 16
Recipe Given By: Boy Scout Cookbook
Hint: Do not add liquid! The chicken will fall off the bones.





Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Gingered Honey Salmon

I wrote this last year about our favorite fish recipe:

You have not had good salmon until you've tried this recipe. It's AMAZING! Both my 6 year-old and my 7 year-old requested this recipe for their birthday dinners, and, no, they are not that strange! It's that good! We often eat it with Parmesan Cous Cous, but it's good with rice pilaf too.

Gingered Honey Salmon

Ingredients:

1/3 C orange juice
1/3 C soy sauce
¼ C honey
1 green onion, chopped
1 t ground ginger
1 t garlic powder
1 salmon fillet (1 ½ lbs and ¾” thick)

Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill. In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; mix well. Set aside 1/3 C for basting; cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container; add salmon and turn to coat. Seal or cover and refrigerate for 30 min, turning once or twice. Drain and discard marinade. Place salmon skin side down on grill. Grill, covered, over med-hot heat for 5 min. Baste with reserved marinade. Grill 10-15 min longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork, basting frequently.

Serving: 4-6
Recipe Given By:
Quick Cooking J/A 1999 p. 28


Monday, June 14, 2010

Sauteed Asparagus

My young girls have requested this vegetable for their birthday dinner. It's the best asparagus recipe I've ever tried. Yum!

Sautéed Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb asparagus
pinch of salt and sugar
2 T. olive oil
2 T minced fresh garlic
salt, freshly ground black pepper
2 T. butter
3 oz. of freshly grated or shaved parmigiano cheese
lemon slices

Cut off and discard about 1 ½ -2” from the bottom of the asparagus stalks. Place asparagus in boiling water with a pinch of salt and sugar for about 3 min. Remove and rinse immediately with cold water. Place on paper towels to dry. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil until hot; add garlic and asparagus. Sauté until the garlic is golden and the asparagus is hot. Add salt, pepper and butter. Turn spears until butter is melted and serve immediately. Garnish with parmigiano cheese and lemon slices.

Serving: 4
Recipe Given By: Fresno Bee Newspaper


Saturday, June 12, 2010

Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo

Here I blogged about one of Rhett's favorite dishes, Chicken Alfredo. He LOVES Macaroni Grill, but I wanted to have a Fettuccine Alfredo that I could call my own. I received a recipe club advertisement in the mail that included the pasta dish so I gave it a try. The results were very good. We decided to add it to our repertoire, although Rhett still claims Macaroni Grill is the best. The night before we had made grilled BBQ Chicken. I just took the skin off, broke it up into pieces and added it to the Alfredo. It was creamy and satisfying! A Keeper!

Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:

1 C (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 C whipping cream
2 C grated Parmesan Cheese
1 box (1 lb.) fettuccine
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
Fresh basil leaves (we left off this time)

Place the butter in a large heatproof bowl. (I used my kitchen aid mixer bowl.) Using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer set on low speed, beat until smooth. Add the cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir until well blended; set aside.

Bring a large sauce pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well and immediately add the hot pasta to the butter mixture in the large bowl. Using two forks, toss the fettuccine in the butter mixture to coat well. Add the salt and pepper.

Divide the pasta between 4 serving plates. Quickly slice the basil into shreds to equal 1/4 C. Sprinkle shredded basil over each serving. Serve immediately.

Serving: 4
Recipe Given By:
bigoven.com
Hint: I softened the butter in the microwave. It probably would have been creamier had I softened it on the counter for awhile.

Great Ideas: Stir in crisp bacon or pancetta and sliced mushrooms in when adding the pasta, creating a more hearty, robust dish. (or add leftover chicken like I did!)

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Pizza Mac

Ok, this recipe makes me laugh. It came to my home in a Kraft magazine. They entitled the recipe: Pronto Pasta Italiano. Fancy...ooh, la, la. It's pizza mac, folks. Plain old pizza mac. I'm not complaining. I like a good name as much as the next girl, but it made me giggle. Not gonna lie.

Pizza Mac

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (14 oz) Kraft Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 C. pizza sauce
1/2 C. Kraft 2 % Milk Shredded Italian Three Cheese Blend

Prepare dinner as directed on package. Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet. Add dinner and pizza sauce; mix lightly. Sprinkle with shredded cheese; cover. Cook on low heat 2 min. or until shredded cheese begins to melt.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a mixed green salad tossed with Kraft Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing.

Serving: 4 (1 1/2 C. each)
Recipe Given By:
Kraft Recipes.com

Our family like this recipe "ok" - maybe a 3 out of 5. We thought it tasted a lot like our pizza spread which is a lot more fun to eat. It was fun giving this a try, but it won't be sticking around.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

This is my favorite pancake recipe - not too sweet, not too flat, not too fluffy...just right. Last June I shared this recipe with you, but we have come to love adding mini chocolate chips to our breakfast dish (a special treat every once in awhile. ) I thought I'd share it one more time.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Ingredients:

Mix together:
1 ½ C flour
1 t. salt
3 T. sugar
1 ¾ t. baking powder

Combine together:
1 or 2 slightly beaten eggs
3 T. melted butter
1 ¼ C milk

Mix the liquid ingredients quickly into the dry ingredients. Cook on griddle or nonstick pan. Add mini chocolate chips before flipping it over. Serve with syrup.

Serving: 14 4” pancakes
Recipe Given By: Joy of Cooking

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Broccoli Casserole

This is a recipe from my childhood. It's quintessential comfort food. It makes a great side dish to almost any meat and you get a two-for-one deal with starch and vegetable combined. Kids love it because it's loaded with cheese. It's easy to make and I usually double it in a 9 x 13 pan.

Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

3 t. chopped onion
¼ C butter
(10 oz) box of frozen broccoli
1 can cream of celery soup
small jar cheese whiz
1 C minute rice, uncooked

Sauté the onion in the butter until tender. Add the frozen broccoli until thawed and then add the soup and cheese whiz and let melt down some. Add the uncooked rice and place in an 8x8 pan. Cook 30 min at 350 degrees.

Recipe Given By: Mom Underhill


Friday, June 4, 2010

Red Cake with Ermine Frosting

I come from a southern family and Red Cake has often been our holiday cake of choice. There are two camps on the frosting - cream cheese and ermine. I like both, but Red Cake is very dense so adding a heavy cream cheese frosting can be a little over-the-top. Our family's traditional frosting is ermine, which is very light and delicate in flavor. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Red Cake (Waldorf Astoria)

Ingredients:

1 C shortening
2 eggs
1 ½ C sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. salt
1 t. vinegar
2 oz. red food coloring (two 1 oz. bottles)
2 t. cocoa
1 C buttermilk
1 t. baking soda
2 ½ C flour

Mix vinegar & baking soda, set aside. Mix cocoa & food coloring, set aside. Cream shortening and sugar, then add eggs, beat. Add buttermilk, beat. Add flour and salt, mix well. Then add food coloring mixture, beat. Then add vinegar mixture, beat well. Bake in 2 or 3 - 9” cake pans for 30 min at 350 degrees. When cake is completely cool, frost with:

Ermine Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 C milk
3 T. flour – cook until thickened in a double boiler. Scrape into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours.

Cream well 1 C sugar and 2 sticks of margarine and 1 T vanilla. (It should be VERY fluffy and the sugar should be totally dissolved, about 6 minutes.) Add the cold paste, a few tablespoons at a time to the butter mixture and whip until light and fluffy.

Frost cake and chill.

Recipe Given By: Mom Underhill


For a great Ermine Frosting tutorial, click here.

I tried to cheat on the frosting and mix it while it was still warm. You can see it doesn't mix properly. I can't tell you how many times this has happened to the women in my family and I vow not to rush ever again. :) The taste is NOT effected, but it's not as pretty. When I make it again (fluffy frosting, fingers crossed), I will repost with the picture. Until then, maybe you might want to give it a try...4th of July?

UPDATE: I remade the cake for Mark's birthday this month and made a double batch of the frosting (the slow and patient way) and it turned out fluffy and beautiful. I vow not to rush again. :)

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Green Chili Enchiladas

I'm repeating again. You can see my original post here where I add suggestions for the meal. This is such an easy dish to make; the whole family will love it! You can add chicken if you'd like, but we prefer it without meat.

Green Chili Enchiladas

Ingredients:


1 large can Las Palmas Green Chili Sauce
Monterey jack cheese
Cheddar cheese
Flour tortillas (fajita size)

Spread a little sauce on bottom of a pyrex dish. Put cheeses and small amount of sauce in tortilla, roll and place in baking dish. Spread sauce and remainder of cheese on top. Bake 30 min. at 350 degrees.

Serve with rice and vegetable.


Didn't snap the picture until it was leftover time; they're very tasty reheated!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Even in June

I'm gonna beat my post total of last June by a mile this year!

Last summer I posted ONCE about pancakes in June. How pathetic! Really.

This month I will be posting a recipe every other day - on the EVEN NUMBERED DAYS!

If I do this for the entire month it will be the highest post total for any month yet. (In April I came close with 12!) I'm ready to beat my record!

Come back tomorrow for the first of my "EVEN IN JUNE" marathon and enjoy the food!

I'd love to know if you try something! Let me know if you do!

Monday, May 31, 2010

Grandma's Potato Salad

In honor of my grandmother who would've been 81 today (her first birthday to be missed), I'm sharing her delicious potato salad. I made it on Mother's Day as a remembrance and today I want to share it with you. Grandma was a wonderful cook! She could put together a great meal quickly and she loved trying new recipes. I'm thankful to have gotten to enjoy her amazing food throughout my life. Love you, Grandma!

Grandma's Potato Salad

Ingredients:

6-7 potatoes, peeled & cut into bite size
4 eggs, hard-boiled
1 stalk celery, cut fine
½ medium onion, cut fine
@ 2 heaping T. pickle relish
@ 2 t. yellow mustard
@ 3 heaping spoonfuls of mayonnaise
Little salt, if needed

Boil potatoes in salt water until just fork tender. Drain and rinse with cold water or put cold water over potatoes, cool and drain. Add hard boiled eggs and rest of the ingredients. Stir gently and refrigerate.

Serving: 1 batch
Recipe Given By: Grandma Dye

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Chicken Salad

This is my favorite Chicken Salad recipe. It is so refreshing and delicious! I looked up other recipes on the web and you might want to try a 1/4 C of yogurt with 1/4 C of low fat mayonnaise to further reduce the fat. I haven't given it a try, but saw other recipes that did. Sounds like an interesting variation.

Chicken Salad

Ingredients:


1 can (10 oz) HORMEL Chunk Breast of Chicken, drained, shredded
½ C mayonnaise
¼ C each chopped celery and onion
¼ C each dried cranberries and chopped nuts

Mix all ingredients and serve with small dinner rolls or sliced bread.

Hint: I usually double recipe and use pecans.
Serving: 4
Recipe Given By: newspaper




Saturday, May 29, 2010

Fabulous Caramel Clusters

I used to make this delicious crispy snack only at Christmas time to share with friends and family, but I recently added it to the care packages shared with Ashley and her friends at college. It's great any time of year!

Fabulous Caramel Clusters

Ingredients:

1 pkg (14 oz or 48) caramels
¼ C water
6 C bite-size rice cereal squares (Chex)
2 C pecan halves (or favorite nut)

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Melt caramels with water in a stock pot over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Add cereal and pecans; mix lightly until well coated. Spread into greased cookie sheet (large.) Bake 25 min., stirring after 15 min. Turn out onto greased waxed paper. Cool thoroughly; break apart.

Serving: about 10 cups
Recipe Given By: I don't know where I got it, but you can see a web copy
here.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Sauteed Green Beans

Last March I posted about these green beans here. We make them regularly and I love how the recent photograph turned out. I thought I'd "debut" them once again. They are the most divine green beans on the planet. really. :)

Sautéed Green Beans

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
6 strips of bacon or pancetta
Freshly ground black pepper
5-6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 T. basil pesto
Green beans (@ 4 C)

Heat large pan of water to blanche the green beans for 3 minutes. When they are done, dry with paper towels. In a large frying pan add olive oil and bacon. Heavily pepper bacon while it cooks to mimic pancetta. When done cooking crisply, drain off all but 1 T. fat. Add the garlic and cook until just turning golden. Then add 2 squirts of basil pesto and the green beans. Combine all ingredients and cook down until beans start to wilt.

Serving: 6
Recipe Given By: Chef Daniel Roberts, personal friend

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Death by Caramel Bars

Tempted?

This dessert is divine!

TJ and I are BIG Snickers fans so I only make them when I know I can share. Otherwise, I might need a bigger dress size.

Death-by-Caramel Bars

Ingredients:
3 C firmly packed light brown sugar
2 C unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 T. vanilla extract
4 C all-purpose flour
1 C uncooked regular oats
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
6 (2.07 oz.) chocolate-coated caramel-peanut nougat bars, chopped (Snickers)
1 (14 oz.) can dulce de leche (found in the ethnic or baking aisle.)

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients. Add to butter mixture, stirring just until blended. Fold in chopped candy bars.

2. Spoon batter into a greased aluminum foil-lined 13 x 9 inch pan coated with cooking spray, allowing foil to extend over edges of pan. Pan will be very full. Spoon dollops of dulce de leche over batter; swirl slightly into batter with a knife.

3. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 5 minutes. Cool in a pan on a wire rack. This may take several hours. Use foil to lift uncut brownies out of pan. Peel foil away, and cut into squares.

Servings: 2 dozen
Recipe Given By:
Southern Living Cookies
Hint: The first time I baked this for the recommended time specified. The center fell and was very gooey. It didn't cook through. The second time I kept an eye on it and added about 15 more minutes. I just cooked it until the center didn't have much "jiggle" left. It was perfect! Keep an eye on it and go with what looks good to you.


Friday, April 30, 2010

Mom M's Macaroni Salad

I posted a picture on Angie's Ad Lib last week of a container of macaroni salad. I got lots of positive feedback about how yummy that salad looked, so although I've already posted about this recipe LAST April (we must get in the mood for it every spring!), I thought I would post again for some of my newer followers.

Mom M’s Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/3 C pasta shells, cooked & rinsed in cold water
5 eggs (2 sliced on top)
1 dill pickle (dice very small)
¼ C plus, mayonnaise
ketchup to light pink
1 T. pickle juice
1 red onion (3 thin slices)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients ½ hour before serving.

Hint: Can get dry the next day, add mayo.

Recipe Given By: Mom Martens

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Got a recipe you just won't trade in? No matter how good someone claims theirs to be. Yep, Nestle has me too. I love their chocolate chip cookie recipe.

I've tried a couple of other recipes, but then given up. This is the best of the best, my friends. You may "psh" me or agree; it doesn't really matter. I'm a believer.

So how can a perfect recipe turn out so differently when 3 women from the same family bake them?

My grandmother used real butter in this recipe. He cookies turned stale within a day or two (could it have been the container?) and tasted like sugar. My mom blamed it on the butter.

My mother uses Crisco shortening instead of butter or margarine. He cookies are fluffy and HARD. She does freeze them and have them on hand, but they are a crunchy cookie most of the time.

I use Imperial margarine only. I LOVE my cookies. My family LOVES my cookies. I wouldn't use anything else. They never last long enough to get stale.

Did I mention there was a stubborn streak that runs in my family? :)

No matter HOW you bake 'em, may all your cookies be to your liking and may you be able to eat them guilt-free!


Oh, yum!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Russian Chicken

I participate in Project 365 where you take a picture every day for one year and share it with other bloggers. I post my project pictures every Sunday on my adlib blog.

I also go and check out other Project 365'ers and Rebecca Jo put up a recipe for Russian Chicken right as winter began to dig it's little icicles into the frozen ground (no bitterness, really.)

I made the recipe in February with Catalina dressing instead of RUSSIAN and it turned out well. However, I felt that I was doing the recipe/Rebecca Jo a disservice if I didn't give it a try with the correct ingredients so last week I made it with Russian dressing.

Oh my. So rich. So yummy. So easy!

This is now one of my husband's favorites; he can't seem to stay out of the leftovers.

Russian Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken Breasts
Russian Salad Dressing (or Catalina)
Envelope of Onion Soup Mix
Can of Cranberries or Cranberry Sauce

Place chicken in crockpot. Combine salad dressing, onion soup packet and cranberry sauce. Pour over chicken. Cook for 4 hours.

Serve over white rice.
Recipe Given By: Blogger:
Rebecca Jo at Knit By God’s Hand

Hint: Rebecca Jo used a little more than half the bottle of dressing and the whole can of cranberry sauce. I don’t know how many breasts she cooked. I cooked 6 breasts with a whole bottle of dressing, 1 soup pkt, 1 can of cranberry sauce. Next time I will reduce the dressing or add another cranberry sauce. The sauce was a little thin, but tasty.

Thanks, Rebecca!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

I spent my early Saturday morning helping my son make two 9x13 pans of Spanakopita for a Greek Festival that was a part of his Ancient Greece class. We had fun working together making this somewhat time-consuming dish. It was worth it though; he got lots of compliments and came home with just a couple of pieces to spare.

I made some notes as I wrote this one out for you. I thought it was heavy on the dill and the next time I make it I will cut the dill in half. Also, I researched online how much phyllo dough most recipes call for. The recipe given below by the dairy said to use the rest of the phyllo on the top. If you used a full pound it wouldn't make any sense. I think they meant to use the rest of the 1/2 lb. pkg, which is what we did and it turned out perfectly. It also took longer to bake in my oven. Just so you know...

Spanakopita
(Greek Spinach Pie)

Ingredients:

1 stick plus 1 T. butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
20 oz. (approx.) fresh spinach, chopped
16 oz. Cottage Cheese (reg or lowfat)
12 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ t. each salt & pepper
2 T. fresh dill, chopped (for me 1 T.)
Pinch of nutmeg
1 lb. phyllo dough (use ½ pkg!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In skillet, melt 1 T. butter over medium heat. Add onion & cook until softened; transfer to large bowl.

Add spinach, cottage cheese, feta, eggs, salt, pepper, dill and nutmeg to onion and stir. Set aside.

Melt 1 stick of butter. Using pastry brush, lightly coat 9 x 12 (or 9 x 13) baking dish with butter. Unfold phyllo dough & line baking dish with 1 phyllo sheet, gently pressing into place and letting excess hang over sides. Brush sheet with butter. Repeat until there are 8 layers of buttered phyllo in the dish. Cover remaining phyllo sheets with damp cloth to keep from drying out.

Fill the phyllo-lined baking dish with spinach mixture. Fold in overhanging phyllo, sheet by sheet, brushing butter on each sheet. (*I didn’t have much overhang.) Place full phyllo sheet over filling and brush with butter. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets in the ½ lb. pkg, brushing each layer and top sheet with butter.

Bake until golden brown, about 45-55 min. Let cool 30 min. before slicing. (We cooked ours about 65-70 min.)

Recipe Given By:
Friendship Dairies


Saturday, April 17, 2010

No-Bake Cookies

There are lots of no-bake cookie recipes out there, but this one is a tried-and-true keeper! I made them as part of the goodies given to my college daughter and her friends. When I made them I ran out of quick-cook oats and threw in 1 1/2 Cups of whole oats. It worked out great! I don't suggest doing a complete swap-out, but a little worked just fine.

I haven't made these for years because, as I said to my husband this weekend, "I don't like them." My memory is failing me because I ate my fair share and they were delicious.

No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients:

4 C sugar
4 T. cocoa
1 C milk
1 ¾ cube butter
½ t. salt

Mix these ingredients and boil one minute.

Stir in:
2 C mini-marshmallows
1 C peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
6 C quick oatmeal

Drop by teaspoonfuls on wax paper.

Recipe Given By: Mom Martens


Monday, April 12, 2010

Chicken Spring Roll

I shared this recipe with you once before here. It was almost a year ago and this recipe is still a favorite at our house. I've taken pictures along the way this time. Enjoy!

Chicken Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

8 oz. cooked chicken, shredded
4 oz. ready mixed coleslaw, the bag kind
2 T. of your favorite spicy Asian stir fry sauce
10 large (7”) egg-roll wrappers
White and black sesame seeds, optional (we don't care for the seeds)
1 T. peanut oil

Heat wok until almost smoking, then add oil. Add coleslaw and chicken, stir-fry about 30 seconds then add 2 T. sauce. Mix through and remove from heat. Let cool slightly.

Place one wrapper on the counter, with a corner pointing at you. Put 1/10th of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold the nearest corner of the wrapper up covering the filling. Fold in the two sides and finish by rolling away from you and moisten the very end with a dab of water to help stick. Continue with remaining wrappers. Brush tops very lightly with oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown. Serve with extra sauce for dipping.

Serving: 10
Recipe Given By:
Sam, the cooking guy

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