Domestication in Progress

Potato Leek Soup

2011-01-14T06:40:00.004-07:00

Winter has finally shown it's frosty face here in Philadelphia and I'm desperately digging out all my comfort food recipes, pulling my blinds shut and hunkering down under a blanket. To be honest, all I really want is a big down comforter, Harry Potter (yes, I know those books are old news and I've already read them 7 times) and a big bowl of steamy soup. My new favorite?

Potato Leek.

I've taken snippets from several recipes and made it my own. It's delish. I highly recommend.
PS - if you want a word document of this, email me..

Dani's Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients
1lb Leeks - cleaned and dark green parts removed
2 slices thick cut bacon - chopped
4 TBSP unsalted butter
4 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced small
3 small Yukon gold potatoes, diced into "bite-size soup pieces" (peel if you want)
1 quart chicken broth (or vegetable)
1 C heavy cream
1/2 tsp white pepper
Snipped Chives - for garnishing
Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar - for garnishing

Directions
1. Using a sharp knife, halve the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to get rid of any sand. Slice thinly and set aside.

2. In a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt 3TBSP butter. Add the leeks and a heavy pinch of salt and sweat for 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook until the leeks are tender, 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. - They should have cooked down quite a bit and be a golden color. (and smell amazing)

3. While the leeks are cooking, add 1TBSP butter to frying pan and add the chopped bacon. Cook until crispy. - (You could probably just fry the bacon and then chop it... whatever works best)

4. Back to the soup - after the leeks have cooked 25 minutes, add the 4 diced, peeled, potatoes and 1quart broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until the potatoes are soft, 45 minutes.

5. Turn off the heat and puree the soup mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. (If you don't have an immersion blender, pour small batches of the soup into a regular blender and return to pot)

6. Add the 3 remaining potatoes and cook in soup (on medium low) until potatoes are fork tender.*** About another 30-40 minutes.

7. Stir in the heavy cream, and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

8. Sprinkle with chives, cheese and crispy bacon pieces

9. Serve immediately with a thick, crusty piece of garlic bread

*** If you want to cut down on cooking time you can boil the 3 diced potatoes ahead of time and add them but I think they taste better if they're cooked in the soup!

Gourmet Mac n' 5 Cheese

2010-04-09T15:24:00.002-06:00

So, I love Mac and Cheese. I love it when it's fancy and gourmet. So, about about a year ago while watching "The Ultimate Recipe Showdown" on the Food Network, this recipe won, and I was hooked. So, I finally decided to spend some money on fancy cheese, and give this a try. It was wonderful! I pretty much ate it all. (I am NOT going to think about the fat . . . ) It was really tasty. If you get the time, the craving, and some dough to spend on specialty cheese (I recommend getting them at Harmons) go for it! Oh, and the picture doesn't do it justice. At all.

Gourmet Mac n' Five Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

1 package (16 oz) pasta

1/4 lb. bacon

1 med. onion, diced

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter

6 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

2 and 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 1% and it worked fine.)

2 cups heavy cream

1 sprig fresh thyme (didn't have any! worked out ok!)

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/2 cups grated Fontina cheese

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (I only put in like 2 Tablespoons. I'm not a huge fan.)

3/4 cups grated Gruyere cheese

3/4 cups grated White Cheddar Cheese

3/4 cups grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cups bread crumbs

3 Tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.

Cook pasta according to package. (I did it a bit less since it will cook more in the oven.) Drain, and set aside.

In a large dutch oven/pot saute the bacon until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve. Saute the onion in the bacon drippings until soft. Add the 5 Tablespoons butter to the onion mixture and melt the butter, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the flour. Using a whisk, , stir constantly until mixed well with the fat making a roux. Whisk in the mustard. Gradually add the milk and cream whisking constantly. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and salt. Let come to a simmer and stir frequently for 15 min. Strain the milk mixture and discard the solids. Now mix in 1 cup Fontina, blue cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere, 1/2 cup white cheddar, 1/2 cup Parmesan and the reserved bacon and parsley. Continue to stir until all the cheese is melted. Addt eh cooked noodles to the cheese mixture to coat. Add the noodle mixture to the prepared baking sich. Mix the remaining cheese and bread crumbs together and sprinkle on top of the noodles. Bake for about 15-20 min. or until golden brown. Remove from overn when done and let rest for 5 min.

ENJOY!

Warm Apple Crisp

2010-04-03T20:57:00.005-06:00

I'm not much of a baker but I love apples, and they're especially divine with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, drizzled in caramel.

Recipe Courtesy of
Essentials of Baking: Recipes and Techniques for Successful Home Baking (Williams-Sonoma Essentials)
Ingredients
Filling
6 C chopped, peeled apples (doesn't necessarily have to be 6... use your judgment)
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP fresh lemon / lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Topping
1 C flour
1/2 C old-fashioned rolled oats
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/3 C firmly packed golden brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
1/2 C unsalted butter, melted

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350
2. Stir together filling ingredients, dump into glass pie dish or baking dish (I use a small, 9x9, but you can use a larger dish)
3. Make the topping by stirring the flour, oats, sugars, cinnamon and salt until well blended. Stir in melted butter, until evenly moistened crumbs form.
4. Spoon crumb mixture evenly over the filling.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes, until apples are tender. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
6. Top with vanilla ice cream and warm caramel.

Can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days

10 minute chocolate cake...literally!

2009-07-24T15:56:00.002-06:00

You'll need a "Rice Cooker Plus" with Pampered Chef to make this cake.

All you need to do is make one box of chocolate cake, and then add about 6 spoonfuls of frosting on top of the cake mix, put it in the microwave for 10 minutes, and it's done! It doesn't look beautiful, but it tastes amazing.

Brown Bag Apple Pie

2009-06-19T17:23:00.000-06:00

Brown Bag Apple Pie
Crust: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup oil, 2 T. cold milk. Combine and mix until blended. Pat into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate.
Filling:
4 cups slices apples, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 T. flour, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp.
Cinnamon. Combine dry ingredients and loss them lightly with the apples, Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Add topping (below).

Topping: 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup sugar. Combine and mix with fingers until crumbly. Put the pie in a large brown paper grocery bag. Fold to seal, staple shut. Bake @ 350& for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove from oven and let cool in the bag.

Carmel Brownies

2009-06-09T14:16:00.002-06:00

So, this is at the request of my great friend, Toni. These are addicting!
Ingredients:
50 Carmels (one package of Kraft is about 50)
1 can of evaporated milk (you'll need 1/2 cup and 1/3 cup)
3/4 cup melted butter/margarine
1 chocolate cake mix (german, dark, milk, etc.) NOT a brownie mix!
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350.
Unwrap carmels and put in saucepan. Add to that 1/2 cup of the evaporated milk. Melt this over the stovetop. (Stir often!) Meanwhile, make the brownies by mixing the cake mix, melted butter, and 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk. Take half of this dough (maybe a bit more) and press it into the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Bake 6 min. at 350 degrees. After 6 min., take it out, and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the hot batter. Then, drizzle the melted carmel over the top of that. Crumble the rest of the brownie dough over the top. Put back in oven to bake for 15-18 min. Let cool completely before cutting! Put in refrigerater when cool enough to set the carmel. ENJOY! These really are yummy, and can be pretty messy too!

Snickerdoodles

2009-03-13T18:00:00.000-06:00

I have been on a quest to find a recipe that makes soft and chewy snickerdoodles. I think I have found “the recipe”. The key to this recipe (and any, really) is that you do not add too much flour and that you do not over bake them. Flour makes cookies more dry and hard as does over baking.

To correctly measure flour, use a spoon to lightly scoop flour out of its container into a measuring cup. Continue until the cup is overflowing. Then use the back side of a knife to level off the flour even with the top edge of the measuring cup. That way you don’t pack too much flour into the measuring cup.

Ingredients:

1 c. vegetable shortening

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 c. flour

1 t. soda

1/4 t. salt

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs together in a bowl. In separate bowl, add dry ingredients together and then mix well into the sugar/shortening mixture. Form dough into balls (about the size of a large walnut) and roll in a mixture of 1 T. sugar and 2 t. cinnamon. Flatten them a little. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Do not over bake. They don’t look “done” but they will after sitting for a few minutes. Yummy!

Cheesy Chicken Skillet Dinner

2009-03-13T11:10:00.001-06:00

Ingredients
1 tsp oil
1 1/4 lb chicken cut up into pieces
2 cups carrots (sliced)1 medium zucchini (sliced)
2 TBSP soy sauce
8 med green onions (sliced, 1/2 cup)
2 cups cheddar cheese

Directions
Heat 12 inch skillet over med-high heat. Add oil and chicken- stir fry 4-5 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Remove from skillet.

Add carrots & zucchini to skillet, stir fry 4-5 minutes or until crisp tender. Add chicken & soy sauce; toss until chicken & veggies are coated with soy sauce.

Sprinkle with onions & cheese. Cover skillet until cheese is melted.

Help!

2009-02-10T17:01:00.004-07:00

Although I adore my husband, he's the pickiest eater I've ever met. I need help with new recipes that still have flavor (I love everything!). He doesn't like onions, peppers, tomatoes, or vegetables of any kind for that matter(peas, squash, zucchini, you name it..).

Oh, and lately he's doing away with garlic(so his breath isn't terrible).

What in the world is a woman supposed to cook? I'm getting bored with our menu, so I'd appreciate any input!

Thanks!

Valentine Red Cake

2009-01-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

½ cup shortening

(2) 1 oz. bottles red food coloring

1 tsp. salt

2 ½ cups cake flour

1 ¼ cups sugar

3 tsp. cocoa

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. vinegar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup 2 T. buttermilk

Cream sugar, shortening and add eggs. Make a paste of food coloring and cocoa and add to the mixture. Add vanilla to buttermilk. Sift salt and flour together. Add all to mixture a little at a time. Dissolve soda in vinegar and fold in last. Bake at 375* for 35 minutes.

Icing

Cream: 1 cup butter and 1 cup sugar until fluffy and almost white. Add 1 tsp. vanilla. Blend in the following mixture slowly with a beater: 1 cup milk and 3 T. flour. Cook until very thick like a paste on low heat. Cool and put on cake.

Martha Stewart's Macaroni & Cheese

2009-01-29T10:19:00.004-07:00

Martha has really outdone herself with this recipe. I was too busy eating to take a picture of the finished product, so here is a photo I found online. I put in my own 2 cents in bold. Enjoy!

You can easily divide this recipe in half: Use a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish.
Ingredients

* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
* 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
* 5 1/2 cups milk
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
* 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
* 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces) – (We’ve only used Pecorino Romano – though I love Gruyere. You'll find it in the gourmet cheese section.)
* 1 pound elbow macaroni (we’ve used the really big macaroni & the bigger seashell shapes. Pick whatever shape you want - be sure it's something that will trap the sauce)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish (9x13); set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter (I just microwave the butter to melt it. Let’s save some time, people!). Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.
2. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.
3. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.
5. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce
6. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Grilled Vegetable Panini

2009-01-16T14:16:00.002-07:00

This panini is a throw-together and we each make our own a little different. So here's our ingredients... make one however you wish.
IngredientsThick, crusty, artisan bread - sliced
Roasted red pepper (peel the skin off though, after roasting)
Grilled zucchini (you can 'pan grill' these - just use a little olive oil)
Grilled eggplant
Grilled red onion
Basil pesto
Tomato
Fresh mozzarella
Balsamic Vinegar

** Spread a thick schmear of pesto on both sides of bread, layer with zucchini, eggplant, onion, red pepper and tomato (Kurt adds the mozzarella prior to 'grilling' - I like it cold)

Grill in panini maker until golden brown, add mozzarella and a splash of balsamic vinegar **

Serve with kettle chips and a pickle. And a limeade.

Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

2009-01-14T14:05:00.003-07:00

Layer the following ingredients in this order in a 9x13 dish:
-Chicken breasts
-Swiss cheese
-Ham
-2 cans of cream of chicken mixed with 1/4 C water
-Stove top chicken flavor made with 1 1/4 C water
-1/3 C butter on top

Bake 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees

Chile Verde Chicken

2009-01-09T14:27:00.002-07:00

6 boneless chicken breasts, flattened

1 small chopped onion

1 cup celery

1/3 cup chopped green chili peppers

¼ cup chicken stock or bouillon

2 cups dry bread crumbs

1 can green salsa verde

Grated cheddar cheese

Lightly brown one side of chicken in a small amount of butter

Remove. Saute onion in butter, add celery, chilies, chicken stock. Simmer about 3 minutes. Toss mixture with bread cubes. Add more stock if necessary to hold together. Divide into portions. Wrap a chicken breast around a portion of stuffing. Secure with skewers. Brush all sides with melted butter. Bake 325* for one hour. Brush with butter and continue to bake another 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with salsa and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400* for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly.

Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus...

2008-12-20T14:47:00.002-07:00

I saw this recipe from Paula Dean on a friends blog and remembered that someone had asked about Phyllo recipes so thought I'd share:

Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients8 or 9 asparagus spears, depending on size

1/2 (16-ounce) package frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan (I think this would be better with a richer fresh grated cheese like gruyere)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus.

Unwrap the phyllo and cut the stack in half lengthwise. Reserve 1 stack for later use. Cover the phyllo with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. Take 1 sheet of phyllo and brush lightly with some melted butter. Sprinkle with some Parmesan. Place 2 to 3 asparagus spears on the short end of the sheet. Roll up, jelly-roll style. Place each piece, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with more Parmesan. Repeat until all the asparagus spears are used up. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

Phyllo/Fillo dough

2008-12-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

Does anyone have any good recipes using phyllo dough? I've tried a few things, like salmon wrapped in phyllo and turnover-type desserts, but I would love any other ideas.

Also, any hints on how to handle it, or how much butter you really need to use on each sheet, or an easier way to prepare them would be helpful.

Thanks!

Sparkling Apple Cider

2008-11-09T10:36:00.001-07:00

With the Holidays coming up, at parties, we always enjoy the famous Sparkling Apple Cider. We figured out how to make our own at home, and it tastes the same!

2 gallons of apple juice or apple cider
3 lbs of dry ice

Easy!

Chicken & Cashew Stir-Fry

2008-11-07T09:34:00.012-07:00

Hi - I'm Emily & I'm the the new girl here! Thanks for letting me join! This recipe has never let me down. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! We serve this with rice. If you don't have a wok, I'm sure this could easily be made in a large, non-stick pot.
The Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken tenders (thawed & cut in bite sized pieces)
2 Tbsp. Soy sauce
2 Tbsp. Oil
1 small onion, sliced thin
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled & sliced
1 tsp. sugar
cashews (salted tastes better!)
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 small cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
1 tsp. sugar
1 pkg. frozen pea pods, thawed
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1. In a small bowl, marinate chicken and 2 Tbsp. soy sauce for 15 minutes.
2. Now is a great time to chop, slice & shred all the veggies! This recipe is much easier if you do this before you start cooking.
3. Heat wok to medium-high, about 375 degrees. Add chicken & stir-fry until white & firm. Add onion & mushrooms. Continue stir-frying until vegetables are soft.
4. Remove chicken & vegetables from wok and set aside.
5. Add 2 Tbsp. oil and stir-fry carrots until bright in color and partly cooked. Sprinkle carrots with 1 tsp. sugar, then add zucchini. Stir-fry until almost tender. Add cabbage and 1 tsp. sugar. Stir-fry all vegetables until cabbage is tender-crisp.
6. Add cashews (to taste - we LOVE them, so I add a couple of big handfuls), pea pods, and toss to combine. Add chicken & onion mixture to wok. Stir soy sauce and cornstarch together to dissolve. Pour into the wok & stir-fry until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute.
7. Toss your chinese take-out menu & dig-in!

Slow Cooker Chili

2008-10-18T12:13:00.005-06:00

This recipe was quick and easy. It turned out really flavorful, and thick-which I love. Must top with sour cream, too. It was taken from www.kraftfoods.com

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (15 oz.) dark red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) light red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1-1/2 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Mild Salsa
1 can (16 oz.) no-salt added tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed, drained
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

BROWN meat; drain. Add to slow cooker with remaining ingredients except cheese; stir. Cover with lid.
COOK on LOW for 5 to 6 hours (or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours).
STIR just before serving. Serve topped with the cheese.

**I cooked the beef and the onion together. I also added in one clove of garlic to the beef and onion.

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

2008-09-12T12:12:00.002-06:00

3 eggs slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup butter
3 cups flour
1 tsp.vanilla
1 T baking soda
1/2 tsp. each: baking powder, salt,
cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts/ chocolate chips
***Combine eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin, butter and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients to pumpkin ingredients. Stir in zucchini and nuts/chocolate chips. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake @ 350 for 50 minutes. cool for 10 minutes

Fresh Lime Salsa

2008-09-01T20:19:00.005-06:00

All I can say is... my cousin Lauren eats this plain with a fork. For dinner. But I prefer it as a snack with Tostito's Lime Chips.

You can eat it however you please.

Ingredients:

6 Roma tomatoes - chopped
1 avocado - diced
1 small red onion - finely diced
1 can black beans - drained and rinsed
1 can white shoe peg corn - drained
1/4 C chopped, fresh cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
2 TBSP white wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients in bowl and serve.

*I suggest you make this a day ahead and store in the fridge because... when the flavors have had time to mingle... oh my. It's heaven.

Spanish Rice

2008-08-26T11:31:00.002-06:00

2 cups white rice
2-3 TBS cooking oil
3 large roma tomatoes
1 TBS chicken base
2 TBS crushed garlic

Combine the rice and the cooking oil in a skillet or large pan. Cook the rice until it starts to brown and smells nutty. Stir frequently so it doesn’t burn or over cook.

In a blender combine tomatoes, chicken base, garlic. Blend fine. Add water to reach 4 cups of liquid. Poor over cooked rice. Put a lid on and turn down to low. Simmer until the liquid evaporates and the rice is tender.

You can play with these proportions to get the amount of rice you want to make.

Zucchini Bars

2008-08-14T14:29:00.000-06:00

4 eggs
1 2/3 C sugar
1 C oil
2 C grated zucchini
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
2 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Beat eggs, sugar, oil and zucchini until fluffy. Stir dry ingredients. Add to zucchini mixture. Bake on ungreased 15 x 10 x 1 pan 350 for 25- 30 minutes.
ICING
(1) 3 oz cream cheese
1/2 C butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 C powdered sugar
Blend together and frost.

Yummy Lemon Cakes

2008-07-14T20:43:00.002-06:00

1 box yellow cake mix
16 oz. sour cream
2 eggs
2 (or more) lemons butter, softened
sugar
You will need microwave safe coffee cups or little bowls. This makes app. 10 cakes. Mix cake mix, sour cream, and eggs. Zest one lemon (grate the rind on a teeny-tiny grater-do not grate the fruit) and add to the mix. Slice second lemon into thin slices. Grease coffee cups with butter, then pour some sugar in and move around until inside of cup is coated with a thin layer of sugar. Place lemon slice in the bottom of 5 cups. Pour mix on top until cups are half full. Microwave all 5 cups for six minutes. Turn upside-down on plate.
*Tap on the sides of the cup to loosen cake.Clean cups and make 5 more.
Serve topped with whipped cream or lemon sauce.

Easy French Bread Pizza

2008-06-30T14:37:00.003-06:00

Ingredients:
Loaf of french bread (I have found the Walmart french bread in the clear plastic wrap works best!)
Pizza sauce (not the same as marinara)
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Pizza toppings of choice: pepperoni, ham, pineapple, meat, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, etc.)

Cut the loaf of bread in half lengthwise. Place bread crust-side down on tin foiled cookie sheet. Broil on high until bread is toasted. Pull out of oven and spoon pizza sauce onto bread. Add toppings of choice onto pizza sauce. Cover with LOTS of mozzarella cheese. Bake at 425 until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Banana Muffins

2008-06-30T14:34:00.002-06:00

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350 F.Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and beat well. Sift or mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Add bananas and vanilla.Spray or grease muffin cups or use cupcake papers in muffin pans. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Makes 18 muffins.

Parmesan Rolls

2008-06-17T16:45:00.001-06:00

Ingredients:
12 frozen Rhodes rolls
¼ to ½ cup butter, melted
¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese (the powdery consistency)

Directions:
Dip each frozen roll in butter, then in cheese (on all sides). Place on greased cookie sheet and let defrost and rise for 6-8 hours. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Banana Cream Salad

2008-06-17T16:44:00.002-06:00

Ingredients:
1 big box instant banana cream pudding
1 big whipped cream tub
Cut up strawberries
1 Twix bar cut up
1 Snickers bar cut up

Make the banana cream pudding as the box instructs. Once pudding is done, stir in the big tub of cool whip. Once that is creamy, add the cut up strawberries and candy bars. YUMMY!

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-06-17T16:42:00.004-06:00

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 oz semisweet chips
3 ½ oz toffee chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray one cookie sheet with spray oil. In a medium sized bowl whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sweetened butter. Once thoroughly combined, pour in the chocolate chips and toffee bits and distribute evenly using the mixer on the lowest setting. Form cookies by dropping 1 teaspoon of dough on the prepared cookie sheet two inches apart. Flatten the cookies slightly with the back of a spoon. Bake until light brown, about 12-15 minutes, depending on cookie size. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Butter Maple Blondie

2008-06-03T15:57:00.003-06:00

This is a great recipe that I have for the blondie you get at Applebee's. I know it's my husband's favorite, and so we tried it, and I have to say, it was pretty good! Here's the details.

BLONDIE:

INGREDIENTS:

4 egg whites

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 and 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

6 oz. white chocolate cut into chunks

1/4-1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2) Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Add softened butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla and mix until smooth with an electric mixer. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until smooth. Mix in milk, white chocolate chunks, and walnuts. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 " pan. Bake for 40-45 min. (Mine took about 32 min, so watch it!), or until golden brown on top. Slice into 8 equal pieces.

MAPLE BUTTER SAUCE:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup softened cream cheese

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

Vanilla Ice Cream (8 scoops)

chopped walnuts to sprinkle over top of the 8 blondies

DIRECTIONS:

While the blondie is cooking, make this sauce.

1) Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl with electric mixer.

2) Heat up in microwave for 30-60 seconds until it is a hot liquid.

To Assemble:

On plate, or heated skillet, put a blondie, a scoop of ice cream, drizzle maple butter sauce over and sprinkle with walnuts.

ENJOY!

Belgian Brownies

2008-05-23T15:29:00.002-06:00

Oh. My. H. There are few words to describe these little cakes from heaven. Ecstasy, maybe? Complete Bliss, perhaps? Regardless of the description, there's no way you can eat just one. Think Molten Lava Cake meets Chocolate Torte. It's a dense, chocolatey dream. Eat them right out of the oven topped with Breyer's "Double Churned, Extra Creamy Vanilla". And drizzle with a raspberry reduction (or fresh raspberries). You can thank me later.

Belgian Brownies
Makes 14 brownies

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60 - 64% cacao)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
5 eggs, beaten lightly with a fork
1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons pastry flour

1. Roughly chop the chocolate into pieces. Transfer to a double-boiler and add the butter. Stir until the two ingredients have melted. Mix well and transfer to a large bowl; set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Sift the sugar and flour together, then stir into the chocolate. Add the eggs and mix well. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. The batter will thicken as it stands.

3. Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers. Spoon one-fourth cup batter into each paper-lined cup. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. The brownies will still be moist when done; they will puff up and fall slightly as they cool.

(PS - if you live near me and want some pastry flour, I have a 5lb bag and I would love to share it)

Waffles

2008-05-21T16:38:00.000-06:00

These waffles are great, they turn out so fluffy and light

Sift 2 cups flour, 1 tsp.salt 1 tsp baking powder, 1/3 cup sugar, and set aside. Add 2 cups milk, 3 eggs yolks. Fold in 3 egg whites that have been beaten. Add all ingredients together and add 6 T oil.

Yummy Chocolate Cake

2008-05-08T14:04:00.002-06:00

1 yellow cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1/2 cup sugar
- remove lumps with a wire whisk

Add:
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Stir with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Put in an greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Take out of the oven and let sit in pan for 15 minutes then flip over and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

2008-05-08T14:00:00.003-06:00

1 pound ground beef lean
1 small onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
10 3/4 ounces cream of mushroom soup
Condensed4 ounces mushroom stems and pieces
Drained 3/4 cup sour cream, or yogurt

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

Serving Size: 4

Fruit Tapioca

2008-04-17T17:31:00.004-06:00

OK you adventurous cooks out there! Here's a unique recipe for you. I got this from my sister-in-law who is all organic, and healthy foods. This is a great treat to replace your regular sweet dessert. Now, I have to tell you that I HATE tapioca pudding-and this is not like that. It tastes a lot like Jello when you're done with it. So, if you are up for it, here's a healthy dessert-no added sugar!

Fruit Tapioca

(I triple the recipe-Devon loves this!)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups fruit juice (100% juice! I usually use white grape, but this last time I tried white grape pomegranate-very good!)

1/4 cup Tapioca-I use Bob's Red Mill small pearl tapioca get it at a natural foods store, or online at http://www.bobsredmill.com/

1 cup fresh (or frozen and thawed) fruit (I always use strawberries, my favorite.)

DIRECTIONS:

Put juice and tapioca in a large pot. Let the tapioca soak for about 5 min. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Stir often. It cooks for about 1/2 hour. (When the tapioca are all pretty much clear. It will just look all clear and not like tapioca at all.) Take off heat, and let sit for 5 min. Stir in fruit, and let chill for 3-4 hours. I let it sit out until cool enough to put into the fridge.

Strawberry Shortcake

2008-04-16T19:38:00.002-06:00

4 cups sifted all purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
6 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter
2 beaten eggs
1 1/3 cups light cream/or buttermilk

*** Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine eggs and the cream/buttermilk, add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring just to moisten. Spread dough in two 8 x 8 pans. Bake @ 450 oven for 15-18 minutes.
Add sweetened chopped strawberries and whipped cream.
(I usually half this recipe unless I am feeding the multitude)

Cinnamon Rolls

2008-04-14T11:14:00.003-06:00

These are fun to make if you have some time. You need to make the dough the night before, and then when you cut out the rolls, they need to rise for another 2-3 hours. (I left them way too long and ended up with MASSIVE rolls!)

***Also, I halved the recipe when I made it, and it made 12 rolls. It makes a TON with the recipe below.***

Cinnamon Rolls

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup water

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup cold water

4 eggs, slightly beaten

2 pkgs yeast (.25 oz)

1/2 cup warm water

7 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon

Powdered Sugar Glaze (see recipe below)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot bring 1 cup water to a boil. (When I halved it, I just used a large saucepan, and then transferred it to a large bowl with a lid to add the flour.) Add the 1 cup butter, sugar and salt. Remove from heat. Add the 1 cup cold water. When mixture is lukewarm, add beaten eggs. In a separate bowl, dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water. Allow yeast to rise about 5 minutes until foamy. Stir into mixture. Add flour and stir together. Cover pan with lid and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to roll out, divide dough into thirds. (When I halved it, I just used all the dough together.) Lightly flour surface of bread board. Roll dough out into a 12x6 inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Spread each rectangle with 1/3 of the softened butter. In a bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 1/3 of brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the surface of the dough. Roll up jelly-roll style and cut into about 12 rounds. (I found that using floss works great!Just put the floss under the roll where you want to cut, and then cross the ends of the floss to cut through the rolls.) Place on a greased baking sheet (cookie sheets work best). Follow the same procedure with other 2 portions of dough. Let raise 2-3 hours. Bake one sheet at a time at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Spread with powdered sugar glaze while still warm. MAKES 3-4 DOZEN CINNAMON ROLLS.

Powdered Sugar Glaze:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

DIRECTIONS: Cream the above ingredients together. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls.

Breakfast Casserole

2008-03-30T20:36:00.001-06:00

Prepare this breakfast casserole the night before, then pop it in the oven in the morning.

INGREDIENTS:
6 slices bread, crusts removed
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
5 eggs, beaten well
2 cups half and half
1 pound hot sausage
1 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION:
Cook sausage until no longer pink; drain well. Melt butter in 9x13-inch baking dish. Tear bread into pieces and sprinkle over butter. Sprinkle drained sausage, cooked well done, over bread crumbs.

Sprinkle cheese over sausage. Beat eggs with half and half and salt; pour over mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes, or until set. Serve with muffins or sweet rolls and cut-up mixed fruit.

Steak & Everything Sandwiches

2008-03-30T20:29:00.004-06:00

This recipe is so easy and quick! It's very yummy too!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1 lb deli roast beef slices, chopped
8 oz cream cheese (use 1/2 to 3/4 or desired amount- 8 oz seems to be too much!)
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1/3 red onion, chopped
¼ cup chopped mushrooms
French bread or some other long loaf of bread.
Swiss Cheese
Garlic salt

Cut bread in half in sandwich style. Butter both pieces of bread and sprinkle with garlic salt. Next layer both top and bottom with swiss cheese. Toast in oven until cheese has melted. While the bread is toasting, combine roast beef, cream cheese, bell pepper, red onion, and mushrooms in a pan and heat until cream cheese is melted. When bread and beef mixture are both finished, scoop beef mixture onto bread. Serve warm.

Feeds about 4 adults. It also warms up nicely the next day for leftovers!

Butterscotch Bundt Rolls

2008-03-24T17:18:00.003-06:00

This is a great recipie that I make any time we have a special event. (Like Christmas and Easter.) It is so tasty!

Butterscotch Bundt Rolls

INGREDIENTS:
18 frozen dinner rolls (Rhoads is great.)
1 package (3 0z) butterscotch pudding (NOT INSTANT!)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional-I never put nuts in anything!)

DIRECTIONS:
Arrange frozen rolls in a greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle pudding, brown sugar, and pecans over rolls. Drizzle butter over all. Cover pan with a dishtowel, plastic wrap, or waxed paper. (I use a dishtowel with a paper towel underneath. This thing really rises!) Let rise at room temp. over night. (or about 12 hours) Remove dishtowel. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 min. (That is what the recipie I have says, but I have to cook them for about 50 min. Don't ask my why, but 25 min. is not enough time-unless you want butterscotch dough. Just watch it closely. So it doesn't burn, make sure that you cover it with foil.) Cool 5-10 min. before inverting to a serving plate. (I use a pizza pan.) Serve warm.

Easter Cake

2008-03-17T13:23:00.004-06:00

Mix together: 2 cup flour, 1 1/2 t. baking powder, 1 tsp. sale and 1 1/2 cup sugar.
Add: 1/2 cup shortening, 3 eggs, and 1 cup milk. Blend about 2 minutes and add 1/2 tsp. vanilla.
Bake 350 for 30 minutes.
While the cake is still warm, poke lots of holes in the cake with the bottom of the beater from the mixer. Pour 1 can of Eagle Brand milk over the top of the cake and spread evenly with a knife so the milk will go down the holes. Cool cake well in Fridge. apply 1 pint whipped topping over the cake and add coconut and jelly beans (or fruit) if you desire. Keep cake in the fridge until you serve.

Creamy Chicken and Rice

2008-03-15T13:31:00.002-06:00

This is a great Sunday dinner. I love using the crockpot!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cans (10 3/4 oz) Cream of Chicken soup
1 1/2 cups water
1 package seasoned rice mix (chicken flavor) about 6 oz.
4 large carrots, thickly sliced (I use frozen crinkle-cut carrots and just use as many as I want.)
3-5 chicken breasts.

1) Mix the soup, water, rice, and carrots in the crock-pot. Add chicken and turn to coat.

2) Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, or until done.

This is a great comfort food meal.

Salsa Chicken

2008-03-15T13:25:00.004-06:00

This is a SUPER easy recipie that you can put in the crock pot in the morning and enjoy in the evening. You can eat this like burritos, and add beans and rice. It is a yummy fast meal!

Salsa Chicken

In crock pot combine: 3-4 chicken breasts
1 large bottle of salsa
1 taco seasoning mix (I would use a bit less than the entire thing.)

Cook in crockpot for 6-8 hours on low. Shred chicken and mix together.
ENJOY!

Cheese Ball anyone?

2008-03-04T11:48:00.002-07:00

Has anyone ever made a cheese ball? Do you have any recipies or tips??

Smarter Fettuccine Alfredo

2008-02-28T07:26:00.003-07:00

I made this for dinner last night, and was pleasantly surprised-it actually tasted like something you'd get in a restaurant! I was happy, and it was yummy. I was a little skeptical when I saw the ingredients, but it was great! (I got this out of Kraft Foods magazine for Spring of '06)

Smarter Fettuccine Alfredo:

Ingredients:

8 oz fettuccine

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

4 tsp. flour

1/3 cup light cream cheese SPREAD (not the block kind. I used regular, not light, and it was fine.)

3 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese (I was VERY liberal in that!)

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg (I know it sounds crazy!)

3 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed. Drain, and set aside.

MEANWHILE: combine broth and flour in med. saucepan. Stir in cream cheese spread; cook 2 min., stirring constantly (a whisk worked best) until the mixture boils and thickens.

TOSS pasta w/sauce, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, and nutmeg. Sprinkle w/ remaining 1 T. Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Season to taste w/ black pepper.

Makes 4 servings/1 cup each.

*I added a few sprinkles of parmesan cheese to the actual sauce while it was boiling. I love that cheese, and think that you can't have too much!

ENJOY!

Peach Cobbler

2008-02-27T16:37:00.004-07:00

1 large can of peaches w/syrup
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour peaches and juice into a 9X13 pan and add cake mix on top of peaches. You don't need to stir it. Slice the butter into pieces and put them on top of cake mix in different spots. Throw it in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

You can add a little cinnamon on top of the peaches before the cake mix if you feel like it, or if you are trying to make it look good, mix a little powdered sugar with cinnamon and dust the top of the slices when they are on the plate.

Of course, you’ll want to have it with vanilla ice cream!!

Pictures to come later...

Kristen's Food Facts

2008-02-21T21:59:00.003-07:00

1.What is your favorite method of cooking? Any method that leads to a "quick 'n easy" recipe! I am not tied to one method (nor am I a pro. at any one method), but I definately make more "quick 'n easy" recipes than anything else.

2. What is your favorite ingredient to cook with? Italian seasoning. I also just learned about Mrs Dash from my sister-in-law and I am totally loving it!

3. Who inspires your cooking? I have two: 1- My husband. He is always thanks me for making dinner and so it inspires me to keep cooking! 2- Dani. If you had been her roommate and got to eat her cooking for a year, you would also dream of someday being able to cook like her!

4. How often do you make dinner? Weeknights and at least one meal on the weekend.

5. Share one cooking/recipe tip- If you have a hard time deciding what to make for dinner (my least favorite part) then check this blog for ideas or I also really like kraftfoods.com. On kraftfoods, I have been using their 5 meals in 1 bag section. It writes your list for you and you don't end up with as much "random" ingredients left over.

Sugar Cookies

2008-02-15T16:08:00.003-07:00

I love this recipe for sugar cookies because it doesn't require you to refridgerate the dough.

Mix together and set aside:

2 3/4 Cups Flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powerder
Then, mix until smooth:

1 Cup butter
1 1/2 Cups white sugar

Then add:

1 egg
1 tsp. vanila extract

Mix with the flour mixture, and roll into balls and put them on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes

Frosting:

1 Cup confectioners' sugar

2 tsp milk

2 tsp light corn syrup

1/4 tsp vanila extract

You can serve plain, and it is just as good too!

Enjoy!

Brynn Food Facts!

2008-02-11T09:41:00.001-07:00

5 Food Related Facts About Brynn.

1.What is your favorite method of cooking? - Crock pot! I love that I can put ingredients in, turn it on, and a few hours later, it's done!

2. What is your favorite ingredient to cook with? -Season All...it makes any meat better.

3. Who inspires your cooking? - My mother-in-law. She can make anything you can think of, and never messes up!

4. How often do you make dinner? - About 3-4 times a week. I would cook everyday, but we have too much left overs!

5. Share one cooking/recipe tip - I agree with Dani...plan your meals. I plan my meals monthly, and I only spend about $150 when I go and do my big grocery shopping. P.S...don't take your husband with you...I always spend more with him there:)

Skip's 5 Food Facts

2008-02-10T17:46:00.003-07:00

Good idea! Here are mine:

5 Food Related Facts About Skipper

1. What is your favorite method of cooking? - Anything "ansamble," that I can mix together and throw into the oven...so I guess my answer is baking.

2. What is your favorite ingredient to cook with? - Evan isn't a big onion or garlic fan, so I'm always adding onion powder and garlic powder to everything so that I can still have the flavor.

3. Who inspires your cooking? - I am in love with Southern cooks. Paula on the food network (you all know who I'm talking about), and more recently I've added the Neeleys to my list.

4. How often do you make dinner? - At least Monday-Thursday, and Sunday. The other days we usually get invited over with family or have left overs.

5. Share one cooking/recipe tip -Always brown or sear your roasts on all sides before cooking them. It locks in the juices and keeps the roast tender.

Dani's 5 Facts

2008-02-09T14:35:00.001-07:00

Since we cooks don't all know each other, I thought we could do a little "food tag" inspired by our newest contributor, Heidi. I'll go first.

5 Food Related Facts About Dani

1. What is your favorite method of cooking? - I really enjoy grilling, but often times I settle for the oven because I'm lazy

2. What is your favorite ingredient to cook with? - I add onions to any dish I can - whether it's a sweet onion or just scallions

3. Who inspires your cooking? - Probably Giada from "Everyday Italian" on Food Network. Plus, she's gorgeous and I would love to look that fabulous while cooking.

4. How often do you make dinner? - I try to cook at least 6 meals a week. We really love to go out but it's not as healthy and more expensive

5. Share one cooking/recipe tip - The best tip I can give is "Plan out your weekly meals". That way you aren't running to the grocery store everyday and you can watch your costs better. I'm a big advocate of this.

*If you're a contributor please copy my post and do your own! Use "Get to Know the Contributors" as your label.

Expand your tastebuds...

2008-02-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

I was surfing the web yesterday, looking for different ways to spruce up my sack lunches, and I happened upon this website. I don't know how many vegans check this blog but I, for one, was intrigued by some of her lunch box treats.

Here's her links. (one is her "commercial link" and the other has recipes she makes for her kid)

The Vegan Lunch Box

Shmooed Food

Snickerdoodle Muffins

2008-02-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

As if my muffin-top wasn't bad enough already, I had to find this recipe. Worth every bite.

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp cream of tartar
¾ tsp nutmeg
1 and ¼ cup sour cream (light is fine - not fat free)
2 and ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar and 2 TBSP cinnamon mixed together for rolling

1.Cream the butter and sugar until soft about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the vanilla. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until each is incorporated.

2.In a separate, mix together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and cream of tartar.

3.Add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately to the egg-butter mixture in the additions. Start with the flour and end with the flour. Scrape the bowl occasionally.

4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out muffin batter one at a time and drop into a shallow bowl filled with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the muffin around in the mixture until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar.. Place muffin in to muffin tin.. Depending on the size of your tins and how big you like your muffins, you should get about 24 mini muffins plus 6 regular muffins. Bake them for approx. 20-22 minutes in a 350F oven or until they are golden brown.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookes

2008-01-23T18:27:00.002-07:00

I'm eating these as I type this and they are absolutely fabulous! FYI - this recipe is from the Williams Sonoma Baking book that is displayed on the left. Sorta. (I got it on Amazon for about $3 - BARGAIN!!)

Ingredients1 1/4C all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2C unsalted butter, frozen (or cold) cut into small cubes
1/2C firmly packed golden brown sugar
6 TBSP granulated sugar
1 lg egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1C semisweet chocolate chips
3/4C white chocolate chips
3/4C milk chocolate chips

1. preheat the oven 350
2. in a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. set aside
3. in a large bowl (or mixer) whip the butter on medium speed for at least 5 minutes. (this is why I use frozen or hard butter, it forces me to beat it for a while until it's smooth) DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.
4. combine the brown sugar, and granulated sugar to the butter. beat on medium speed until smooth.
4. add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until well blended.
5. slowly add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just incorporated.
6. mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned and the tops feel firm when lightly touched, 10-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Taco Soup

2008-01-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

This is probably one of the easiest soup recipes I know.

Ingredients
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can olives
1/2 lb. ground beef
(Beans and other ingredients could be added too)

Seasoning:
1 T. Chili powder
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/2 t. paprika
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper

1. Brown hamburger and drain.
2. In a 2 quart sauce pan combine corn, tomatoes, olives INCLUDING the liquid from the can
3. Add hamburger to sauce pan
4. Combine seasoning in a small bowl and add to pan. (I usually just add about 2 Tablespoons)

We eat them with pan fried tortillas or quesadillas.

Chocolate Molten Surprise

2008-01-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

This recipie is way easy, and tasty. I made it for my husband and I, and it makes 12 little cakes. So, we couldn't eat it all! The great thing about this dessert is that you can reheat these for about 20 seconds and they are just as great! (I would suggest cooking a bit longer than 8 min., but not too much. (1 min?) YUMMY!

Prep Time:15 min
Total Time:28 min
Makes:1 doz. or 12 servings, one cake each
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup flour
12 CHIPS AHOY! Real Chocolate Chip Cookies ( I used the chewy kind.)
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Beat whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar and flour with wire whisk until well blended. Gradually add to chocolate mixture, beating constantly until well blended.
LINE 12 medium muffin cups with paper liners; spray with cooking spray. Place 1 cookie, upside-down, on bottom of each cup; cover evenly with batter.
BAKE 8 min. or until cakes are firm around edges but still soft in centers. Let stand 1 min. Carefully remove cakes from muffin pan. Invert onto dessert dishes; remove paper liners. Serve with whipped topping.

Kraft Kitchens Tips:
Make Ahead:
Batter can be prepared ahead of time. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, pour batter evenly over cookies in prepared muffins cups and bake as directed.

Substitute OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies for CHIPS AHOY! Real Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Stuffed French Toast

2008-01-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

Cut crusts off the bread of your choice, Place slices on the bottom of 13 X 9 buttered pan. Mix (2) 8 ounces cream cheese with 3/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Spread on top of the first layer of bread, followed by another layer of bread. In the blender mix: 9 eggs, 2 cups milk, 2 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp. each of cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over the bread, soak good and cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning mix: 1/2 cup butter, 2 T. corn syrup and 1 cup brown sugar. Microwave for 3 minutes and pour over french toast, spreading as you pour. Bake @ 375 for 50- 60 minutes.

Cheesy Potatoes (Funeral Potatoes)

2007-12-30T09:14:00.001-07:00

2 large bags of frozen hashbrowns (thawed)
1 cup of sour cream
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
Salt & pepper
Onion flakes (optional)
1/2 cup of milk (3/4 cup if you want it creamier)
2 cups of shredded cheese
Crumbs (optional)

Mix all these ingreidents together with 1 cup of cheese and put in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Put remaining 1 cup of cheese on top. Put in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbily.

Some like to put crumbs (bread crumbs or corn flakes) on top instead of 1 cup cheese. Either way works!

Christmas Recipes

2007-12-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

We're eating alone this year on Christmas Eve/Day. Does anyone have any good recipes or food traditions they could share?

Whipped Sweet Potatoes

2007-11-26T19:32:00.001-07:00

This is a sweet potato dream.

The Goods
5-6 small sweet potatoes (or 3 large yams... your choice)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour

Topping
1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Boil and peel the sweet potatoes (or yams).

2. Combine and whip first five ingredients.

3. Layer mix into a baking pan. Top mixture with melted butter.

4. Mix butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and coat sweet potato mixture evenly.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (wait until it's bubbly)

*After baking I topped the dish with a bag of chopped pecans and then placed it in my warming oven for about 25 min... the pecans toasted perfectly!

How to make a Thanksgiving turkey...

2007-11-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

My little first graders made a book on how to make a Thanksgiving turkey. Here are some of my favorite. Hopefully this will help those of you who need a little help...or a little laugh!

"I usually don't know because my Grandma does it. She sticks it in the oven until it looks good. The oven should be as hot as it is in July. When it's all doen, and not that hot, she cuts it up." -Amy Conder

" My dad goes hunting and he shoots a turkey. Then he pulls out the eyes and tongue and legs. My mom makes some stuffing and he puts it in the turkey. Then my mom she puts it in the oven for 45 minutes. And then when she gets it out of the oven it is done. Then we eat!" -Kayden Hanks

"Put butter on the skin. Then you put it in the oven. I think you put it in for one minute and it should be just right. Then eat it at a special table. You put food decorations on the turkey." -Rylan Van Komen

"My mom saves up these coupons for the turkey. Then she goes to Kohler's and she looks for a turkey. She puts the turken in the oven for 30 degrees for 10 minutes. Then when it is ready, she takes it out!" -Laurn Bishoff

"You put it in the freezer. And you take it out and cook it for 59 minutes." -Wyatt Edwards

"My mom buys it at Costco. Then we bring it home and cook it for 16 minutes...until the oven beeps the 3rd time. Then we take it out and eat it." -Jonah Thorne

"We buy it. Sometimes me and my dad go hunting and shoot it and burn it. Then we cook it. We putit in the oven to make it burn. It stays in the oven for 30 minutes. It's really hot. We wash the blood out and then we eat it. We eat it with knives and forks." -Cole Connell

Hershey's Chocolate Cheesecake

2007-11-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

This recipie is not for the light of heart-it is rich and creamy, and you must be a chocoholic to really appreciate and enjoy it! (You've been warned.)

INGREDIENTS:

2 Oreo Cookie Crusts (this can also make one springform pie. Just make your fav. crust)

1 and 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 pkg (8 oz) plus 3 oz cream cheese softened (11 oz total)

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup heavy or whipping cream

(plus 1 cup whipping cream for topping-optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Melt chocolate chips and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Add butter and beat until smooth. Blend in vanilla. Beat in melted chocolate all at once. In another bowl, whip cream until stiff. Gently fold into the chocolate mixture. Spoon into crusts. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour or so. Whip the cream for topping, and spread on top of the cheesecakes. Keep in refrigerator until all set up. I like to add cocoa powder or chocolate shavings to the top. Like I said above, you can use two regular pie crust sizes, or you can use crumbs to make your own crust in a 9" springform pan. It is way yummy and way rich! I hope you like it.

Breaded Fried Chicken

2007-11-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a really easy breaded chicken recipe. Casey loved it, and he is picky about his breaded chicken.

Dip the chicken in eggs. Then, dip the chicken in seasoned flour mixture.

Then, dip the chicken back in the egg mixture
Cook in hot oil for about 15 minutes, rotating on each side.

No Bake Cookies

2007-11-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

Mix:
2 Cups sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 Cup milk
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 Cup butter

Bring to a boil for a minute

Add:
3 cups oatmeal
1 Cup coconut
1 tsp. vanila

Mix well Drop in balls on wax paper

Lemon Meringue Pie

2007-11-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

* Well, I think you should make a pie since November always reminds me of Thanksgiving aka turkey, mashed potatoes, and PIES. So I haven't actually made this one, but citrus pies are always nice to cleanse the palate! Let us know how it tastes!

Ingredients
Pastry for one-crust pie
3 large egg yolks (reserve egg whites for meringue)
1 1/2 C sugar
1/3 C plus 1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 C water
3 Tbsp butter or stick margarine
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 C lemon juice
2 drops of yellow food color (if desired)

Directions
1. Bake pastry for baked One-Crust Pie.
2. Heat oven to 350. Complete step 2 of Meringue for 9-inch pie (see below).
3. While sugar mixture for meringue is cooling, beat egg yolks with fork in small bowl; set aside. Mix sugar and cornstarch in 2-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in water. Cook over med. heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.
4. Immediately stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks, then stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter, lemon peel, lemon juice and food color. Press plastic wrap on filling to prevent a tough layer from forming on top.
5. Complete step 3 of meringue recipe. Pour hot lemon filling into pie crust. Spoon meringue onto hot lemon filling. Spread over filling, carefulling sealing meringue to edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping.
6. Bake 15 min or until meringue is light brown. Cool away from draft 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate cooled pie until serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

NOTE: Use the egg whites left over from separating eggs for the lemon filling to make the meringue. Letting the egg whites stand at room temperature is okay for up to 30 min. They'll beat up well after being out of the refrigerator for a short time.

This meringue has a special method: making a syrup with sugar, cornstarch and water. It makes the mergingue that clings to a filling, does not shrink and cuts beautifully. It's well worth teh small bit of extra effort.

Meringue for 9-inch Pie
Ingredients
1/2 C sugar
4 tsp cornstarch
1/2 C cold water
4 large egg whites
1/8 tsp salt

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Mix sugar and cornstarch in 1-qt saucepan. Stir in water. Cook over med. heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Cool completely while making filling for pie. (To cool more quickly, place in freezer about 10 minutes)
3. Beat egg whites and salt in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks just begin to form. Very gradually beat in sugar mixture until stiff peaks form.
4. Spoon meringue onto hot pie filling. Spread over filling, carefully sealing meringue to edge of crust to prevent shrinking.

Any Lemon Ideas?

2007-11-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

So I live in Florida and we have a lemon tree in our yard, and come to find out that November is the time that lemons are in season. I've made lemon bars twice and use a lemon in a pitcher of water (3 times already), but I have about 10 lemons left that are going to be ripe very soon and need to be used. Any ideas?

White Bean Chili

2007-11-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

This is a great recipie for this time of year. It is great by itself, but the garnish on top really makes it wonderful!

INGREDIENTS:
3 cans Canalini White Kidney beans (or great northern) With juice
2 chopped onions ( I only did one.)
48 oz. chicken broth
4 cups diced chicken
3 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies
2 teaspoons oregano
4 teaspoons cumin
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cayene pepper (to taste)
6 to 8 cloves of garlic
*Last 15 min. add:
1 cup sour cream
3 cups shreded monterey jack cheese

Put the first 9 ingredients in large pot-cook 1 hour. Then, add sour cream and cheese during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

GARNISH:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoom dried onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoon celery seed
1/3 cup vegetable oil
chopped tomatoes and chopped parsley
In saucepan combine sugar and vinegar, boil until sugar disolves. Add rest of ingredients. Cool, and add tomatoes and parsley. (Do the night before) (I did this a few hours before I served it.)
Serve in bowl with a few spoonfuls of the garnish on top.

Lunch ideas

2007-11-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

I need your suggestions for a relatively simply lunch to serve for a small group of guests... like 3-4 people. So far I've come up with soup and salad, or chicken salad croissants, but I'm not in love with either of those, so any suggestions would be great. Of course if you have specific recipes, even better!

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

2007-11-02T10:47:00.001-06:00

INGREDIENTS
1 medium sugar pumpkin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup honey, warmed slightly
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS
Cut pumpkin in half, and remove seeds. Lightly oil the cut surface. Place cut side down on a jelly roll pan lined with foil and lightly oiled. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) until the flesh is tender when poked with a fork. Cool until just warm. Scrape the pumpkin flesh from the peel. Either mash, or puree in small batches in a blender.
In large bowl, blend together 2 cups pumpkin puree, spices, and salt. Beat in eggs, honey, milk, and cream. Pour filling into pie shell.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge of pie comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

I wanted to see how it would be to make a pumpkin pie from scratch. It was pretty easy. Sorry I dont have any pictures. The pie is rich, but very good. I added a little nutmeg with the other spices.

Pumpkin Pie

2007-11-02T09:03:00.000-06:00

'Tis the season for pumpkin pie!

Ingredients:
1 uncooked pie crust (I just buy the frozen pie crusts)
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin
1/2 Cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 slightly beaten eggs
3/4 Cup half and half, light cream or milk

In medium bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Add eggs, beat lightly.
Gradually add cream and stir until combined.

Pour filling in the pastry shell
Cook at 375 for 45 minutes or more until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refigerate within 2 hours.

Toffe Dip for Apples

2007-10-30T11:25:00.001-06:00

Okay, I totally stole this idea from my cousin. (shout out to Shelly!) I made a plate with apple dip and some apples to share with our neighbors. It is so yummy. While I was making it, I couldn't help but sample each batch. :) It's creamy, and the toffee adds just the perfect crunch.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz.) - softened.
3/4 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 bar (8 oz.) of Heath Toffee (pound into small pieces using a ziploc bag and a rolling pin.)

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixer or with a hand mixer until blended and creamy.

Serve with sliced apples.

Yum!

Awesome Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2007-10-28T12:28:00.000-06:00

I found this on kraftfoods.com and used it for a party the other day-it was a hit. Just a suggestion, though, make sure it is hot when you get around to eating it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (14 oz.) of artichoke hearts (I used marinated)

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained

3/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup light Mayonnaise

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees.

SPOON into 9-inch pie tin, or quiche dish. (I used a 9 inch pie pan)

BAKE 20 min., or until heated through.

SERVE with pieces of bread, or crackers. (Triscuts and wheat thins are good.)

Fudge Jumbles

2007-10-27T11:24:00.000-06:00

This is a yummy recipe for you chocolate lovers!

Melt in microwave and set aside:
14 oz. sweetend condensed milk
12 oz. chocolate chips (I like semi-sweet)
2 Tbsp. vanila
6 Tbsp. butter

Mix:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanila
3 cups oatmeal
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda

Press 2/3 of oatmeal mixture on a large cookie sheet. Pour chocolate mixture on top.
Drop th rest of the oatmeal mixture on top of the chocolate.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Apple Pie with Crumb Topping

2007-10-22T21:50:00.000-06:00

I made this for our neighborhood chili/pie cookoff and it was a hit! It was my 3rd attempt to make a good apple pie (my favorite). This is by far the best recipe I have come across.

Crust:
1 1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. Butter flavored shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 C. water

Directions: Add shortening to flour in a bowl and cut with a fork until there are a lot of small little crumbs of flour/shortening in your bowl. This is the secret to a nice flaky crust. Add salt and mix a little bit more. Your mixture should look like this:

Add 1/4 Cup of water and smath with hands. Roll out with flour (not too much) then spread into pie crust. (The crust was super crumbly when I tried to put it in, so I just smashed it in with my hands. There was a little bit of dough left over.)

Filling:
5 Cups of apples peeled ans sliced to desired thickness (I did mine about 1/8 of an inch thick and I used Cameo apples - perfect for pies!)
1/2 C. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 squeezes of fresh lime or lemon juice (just enough to coat)

Mix in a bowl until apples are coated.

Topping:
3/4 C. Flour
1/2 C. Sugar
5-6 Tbsp. Butter

Smash with fork until crumbly (like the pie crust was.) Sprinkle on top. There will be PLENTY of topping.

Bake 10 minutes at 425, then leave the pie in and change the temperature to 350 and bake for another 40 minutes. It should be nice and golden around the edges and the filling should be gooey and bubbly.

I forgot to take a picture before it was gobbled up, but I took one while it was baking.

Enjoy!

Cooking chicken....

2007-10-22T09:48:00.000-06:00

When a recipe calls for "cooked cubed chicken" how do you cook it? Do you think there is a difference in taste if you cut it before or after cooking?

Tomato and Wild Rice Soup

2007-10-21T11:08:00.000-06:00

I cannot get enough of this soup in the fall!! It's really pretty simple to make, super hearty and tastes SO good --and an added bonus is that it has a great fall color! It would be great for hosting because it makes quite a bit.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped to the size you prefer
3 carrots, sliced
2-3 stalks celery, chopped (with at least some of the leafy tops because it adds really yummy flavor)
32 ounces diced tomatoes (cans are in all different sizes, but you should have at least 32 ounces, sometimes I like to add more).*
2.5 cups chicken broth
1 cup wild rice combo (wild, whole grain, brown and white rice) --the one I buy at Alberstons is pictured below,
pinch of salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh basil or about a teaspoon dry basil
1/2 can of corn
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (not 1 full breast, just 1 half breast)
2 cups 1% milk (the original recipe calls for whole milk, so if you have that use it, I'm sure it would be yummy, but 1% works just fine!)

*When my mom makes this soup she pulses the diced tomatoes in a blender to make a thick paste, I prefer the "chunkiness" of the tomatoes so usually only pulse about 1/2 of them, or none if I'm too lazy to get out the blender... anyway you go, it's still really good!

1. Saute the butter, oil, carrots, onion, celery in soup pan for 10 minutes2. Add next 5 ingredients (tomatoes, chicken broth, rice, basil, salt and pepper)
3. Simmer 1 hour4. Then add the 1/2 can of corn, cooked shredded chicken and 2 cups of milk
5. bring back to simmer for about 10 minutes

6. Serve!
Enjoy!!

How do you...

2007-10-20T13:19:00.001-06:00

How do you drain browned hamburger?

Pork Chop Bake

2007-10-19T15:28:00.000-06:00

This is a really yummy, super simple, pork chop recipe. The best part is that I usually have everything I need without having to make a trip to the store.

Ingredients:

2-4 pork chops (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 medium onion, sliced
3 Tablespoons Ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Season the chops with salt and pepper and brown them in olive oil

Combine the soup, 3/4 of onion slices, ketchup, Worcester sauce and stir

Place chops in a baking dish, pour the mixture over the top and place remaining onion slices

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake additional 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chicken Broccoli Divan

2007-10-17T14:33:00.000-06:00

1 lb fresh broccoli cut into spears, or 1 pkg (10oz) frozen broccoli cooked & drained
1 1/2 C cubes chicken or turkey (cooked)
1/3 C milk
1 can cream of broccoli or chicken soup
1/2 c shredded cheese
2 Tbsp dry breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 450. In 10x6 baking dish arrange broccoli and top with chicken. In a small bowl, combine soup and milk. Pour over top of chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. In cup, combine breadcrumbs and butter, sprinkle over cheese. Bake 15 minutes or unitl hot and bubbly.

I felt bad not having a beautiful picture to post with this recipe (like the pictures of the soup & chicken pot pie), but I promise it is delicious...especially for how easy & quick it is!

Baked Potato Soup

2007-10-16T22:23:00.000-06:00

In honor of fall (my family calls it the season for soup). This is pure heaven! It's reminiscent of Black Angus' soup if you've ever tried it. We had it tonight with broiled steaks and it was so yummy! A perfect compliment to the terrific steaks.

Ingredients:
4-5 Large potatoes peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
42 oz. of chicken stock (or 5 cups of water with 8 chicken bullion cubes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 onion diced
5 strips of bacon fried (reserve 1 Tbsp. bacon grease)
8 oz. cream cheese (I forgot this in the picture!)
Cheese (any melty type you like)
green onions chopped
Sour cream

Directions:

1. Fry bacon according to directions and save a Tbsp. to add to soup later. Crumble bacon into small pieces.

2. Add to a large pot: Chicken stock, onion, potatoes, salt, pepper, bacon grease and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce temperature to a simmer and allow to cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

4. When potatoes are soft, bring temperature to a boil again, and then take off the heat so that cream cheese does not curdle when you add it. It needs to be hot enough to melt the cream cheese, but not boiling. Add salt to taste.

5. Add cream cheese and stir until all is blended.

6. Garnish with bacon, green onions, cheese, and sour cream.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

2007-10-16T19:55:00.001-06:00

This is the only recipe I am ever remembered for. I hope my children will love it as much as my friends do.

First, the ingredients...don't be surprised if these are things you already have laying around your kitchen...

1 pie crust
3 chicken breasts
5 red potatoes
2 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 bag frozen peas and carrots - thawed
1 sweet onion - diced
butter
egg

1. Heat oven to 450
2. Heat two large pans of water - these are for the chicken and potatoes
*I usually add some chicken bullion to the water for taste - and we could all use a little more sodium right?
3. Trim fat from chicken and dice the potatoes, then add to the boiling water, separately of course
4. Cook the bottom of the pie crust first, in the oven. Just follow the directions on the back of the pie crust box for a "one crust pie" - I cook mine for 9 minutes. Make sure you set the timer. After cooking, turn the oven down to 400 to cook the pie
*this isn't a one crust pie of course but I do not like having a soggy pie bottom. noboby does. you'll add the top crust later. this is what it should look like after it has cooked for the 9 minutes

5. saute the onion in butter until it is translucent and tender - it can even be a little golden

*if you do not like onions than dice them large enough you can pick them out or small enough you can swallow them whole, but do not leave them out entirely. they add wonderful flavor

6. when the chicken is done shred it into bite size pieces
7. the potatoes are done when they break apart by being stabbed with a fork - strain them
8. combine the shredded chicken, potatoes, peas and carrots, onions and the 2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup in a large bowl

9. pour the glorious mixture into the already-cooked pie crust

10. now add the top crust and trim to fit the pie plate.
11. whisk the egg in a small bowl and baste over the top crust
*the egg is strickly for cosmetic purposes, it helps the pie keep it's color and provides a shine when cooked
12. make 4 slits in the top of the pie with a knife to provide steam release while the pie is baking

13. bake for 40 minutes and then let the pie cool for a few minutes on top of the stove
14. serve!

Chunky Pecan Pie Bars

2007-10-16T13:45:00.000-06:00

Crust

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

1/4 C packed brown sugar

Filling

3 large eggs

3/4 C corn syrup

3/4 C granulated sugar

2 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 C (11.5 oz package) semi-sweet chocolate chunks (U just used morsels)

1 1/2 C coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven 350. Grease 13X9 inch baking pan.

For Crust

Beat flour, butter, brown sugar in small mixer bowl until crumby. Press into prepared baking pan.

Bake 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

For Filling

Beat eggs, corn syrup, granulated sugar, butter, and vanilla in med bowl with wire whisk. Stir in chunks and nuts. Pour evenly over baked crust.

Bake 25-30 min or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. INDULGE!

Swiss Chicken

2007-10-10T16:24:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 box stuffing mix
8 oz swiss cheese, shredded
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1/2 pkg frozen corn

Directions:
Mix stuffing mix according to microwave directions (add water and melted margarine) without cooking. Set aside. Mix soups. Spread thin layer of soup mixture on bottom of ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Layer all of chicken, (I salt and pepper on top of chicken if I didn't salt and pepper when cooking chicken), all of corn, all of cheese, rest of soup, all of stuffing. Bake uncovered at 325' for 45 min.

Linquine with Turkey Meatballs

2007-10-08T18:24:00.001-06:00

If I'm in the mood for Italian I turn to this recipe. Just smelling the sauce simmering on the stove makes my mouth water.

All fairly non-threatening ingredients...

Turkey Meatballs

3 TBSP olive oil

2 oz pancetta, finely diced

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 C freshly grated Romano cheese

1/4 C fresh flat leaf (Italian) parsley

1/4 C plain bread crumbs

1/4 C chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp black pepper

Sauce and Noodles

1lb linguine

1/8 C extra-virgin olive oil

1 can whole tomatoes - cut into pieces with kitchen scissors

2 garlic cloves - smashed

1/4 C chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 can tomato paste (I know my photo shows sauce.. but use the paste)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

To Make the Meatballs (do this first)1. Preheat oven to 450

2. Heat olive oil in a medium, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onion and continue to cook until the pancetta is crisp and the onion is tender, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

3. In a large bowl, combine the pancetta/onion mixture with the remaining meatball ingredients and stir to combine.

4. Form the turkey mixture into balls about 2 inches in diameter, using about 2 TBSP for each, and place on a foil-lined and greased baking sheet.

5. Bake for 20 minutes

Meanwhile...6. In a medium saucepan, warm the 1/8 C of olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomatoes (with sauce), tomato paste, smashed garlic cloves, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper and simmer...

(this is the easiest way to chop whole tomatoes!)

(your sauce should look like this while you're waiting for the meatballs)

7. Add the cooked meatballs and let the sauce hang out on the stove until your pasta is done cooking

(these guys are ready to be added to the sauce)

Then toss and serve! (you might want to discard the garlic chunks before eating)

Ranch Halibut

2007-10-02T17:39:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:
1 envelope (1 ounce) ranch dressing mix
16 round buttery crackers (Ritz), crushed (3/4 C)
2 Tbsp butter or margine, melted
1 tsp lemon juice
1 lb halibut, marlin or other firm fish fillets about 1 inch thick, skin removed
1/2 C tartar sauce
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp lemon peel

Directions:
Heat oven to 450. Line rectangular pan, 13x9 with foil; spray foil with cooking spray.

Mix dressing mix (dry) and crackers in a shallow bowl. Mix butter and lemon juice in another shallow bowl.

Cut fish into 4 serving pieces. Dip fish into butter, then coat with cracker mixture. Place in pan.

Bake uncovered 10-15 min or until fish flakes easily with fork.

While baking, mix tartar sauce, parsley, and lemon peel. Serve tartar sauce with fish.

Comments:
We really like the fish, but hated the tartar sauce (I don't think we like plain tartar sauce either).

Pizza Pockets

2007-09-30T11:45:00.000-06:00

My mom made these for us a lot when we were little. She even made *special* pizza pockets on Halloween. I included one of them for the upcoming holiday!

Pizza Pockets
a.k.a. Calzone...but we're from Utah, so we have to use a title that describes the food ;)

Crust

3/4 c. warm water

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Dani's Pizza Sauce
Desired Pizza Toppings

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let sit 5 minutes. Add in sugar, salt, vegetable oil, then stir in flour. Knead until elastic.

2. Divide dough into 4 balls. Roll out each to about 1/8 in. thickness.

3. Spoon Dani's Pizza Sauce over half the dough circle, leaving 1/2 inch around the edge. Add desired toppings.

4. Fold dry side of dough over and pinch the open edges together using a fork.5. Cut a small slit in the top of the dough for ventilation.

6. Brush dough with a lightly beaten egg.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

For Mummy Pizza Pockets...

Spoon sauce and add toppings in the middle of the dough circle.

Use a pizza cutter to cut slits in the dough all the way around, about 1/2 to 1 inch apart. Leave a large triangle-like shape at the top for the head, and two medium triangle shapes at the bottom for feet.Alternating sides, fold strips of dough over to create a mummy look, leaving the head and feet for last. Roll up the dough at the top and bottom to make mini dough balls that look like head and feet. Don't be sad if your toppings ooze out during baking. It's bound to happen a little bit.

Hoisin & Honey Glazed Pork Chops

2007-09-28T07:00:00.002-06:00

Please don't be frightened by some unusual ingredients. Be intrigued. This recipe is delici-oso and we love it.

It calls for:

1 bunch scallions (you know, green onions?)

1 TBSP Dijon Mustard

2 TBSP Hoisin Sauce

1/4 tsp Ginger

1/4 C Asian Oyster Sauce (contrary to popular belief, it does NOT taste like oysters)

2 TBSP Honey

1 TBSP Soy Sauce

2-4 Pork Chops

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Cut scallions into little crunchy pieces, like in the photo below

3. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, (except the chops)

4. Add scallions and pork, and cover those babies... you want them drenched

5. Set in a baking pan and spoon the rest of the sauce over the chops (you DON'T have to eat all those onions, but they have great flavor, so just let them hang out until you're done cooking and then decide if you want them)

6. Roast 15-20 minutes

7. Turn on broiler and broil until top is slightly carmelized

And then you eat them. And they're awesome.

Posting on DIP

2007-09-26T18:08:00.001-06:00

And here's the lowdown on posting...

Try to use the labels that already exist. They're already tagged to pick up new recipes, but I know that there isn't one for everything. If there is not a label that fits with your recipe (like, say, for example it's brownies, and as you can see, we don't have a label for brownies) then let me know and I'll add one. Just shoot me an email (danivest AT gmail DOT com) or leave a message on the message board.

Make sure you include yourself when labeling the recipe. Otherwise it won't show up under your name.

And, if I've spelled your name wrong or you want to go by something else let me know. AND - if you're new or have not posted a recipe yet let me know the first time you post so I can add your name to the contributors list.

PS - If there are any recipe sites you would like me to add to the "Outside Networks" just leave them as a message on the message board

Skillet Barbecue Pork Chops

2007-09-25T22:42:00.000-06:00

Ingredients
4 pork loin or rib chops
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 can (15 ounces) chunky tomato sauce with onions, celery, and green peppers
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground mustard

Directions
Spray a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and pepper. Cook pork in skillet about 5 minutes, turning once, until brown.

Stir remaining ingredients into skillet. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pork is slightly pink when cut near bone.

Comments
Sorry there aren't any pictures. I whipped this up & then was too hungry to take pictures! It was so fast & yummy!

This is great with potato salad and green beans!

Oh yeah, for some reason (I am blaming it on the fact that I was shopping with two kids!) I couldn't find "chunky tomato sauce". So instead I got a can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, & oregano & then added a little bit of tomato sauce. It still turned out great!

Enjoy! Happy Hump Day!

Pizzookie

2007-09-25T17:23:00.001-06:00

This dessert is the reason I've gained about 10lbs. So I'm warning you right now... if you make this, promise yourself you'll only eat one. Because I usually end up making, oh, say, like 2 just for myself. Hence, the poundage.

Okay, all you need is:

Quality Vanilla Ice Cream

Chocolate Syrup

Caramel Syrup

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

*I would suggest buying the tubs of cookie dough that the little boys in your neighborhood sell (for fundraisers and such), but if you're in a neighborhood like mine with no sellers but the Pied Piper (more on that later), you might have to buy the stuff at the store. Not my ideal, but it works.

1. Just scoop the cookie dough into little Pyrex cups - about 1/3 cup full

2. Cook them for about 13 minutes at 350, they should be all puffed up, like this, when they're done (and the edges should be a little golden)

3. Let them sit on the counter for about 5 minutes. This is very important. Otherwise you'll get a pizzookie much like the one in the photo below. I was in too big of a hurry to chow down that I didn't give my cookie enough time to cool and set. See how my ice cream has melted into ice cream soup? It should be melting a little, so make sure your cookie is still quite warm, just not hot when you top him.

4. Top with a scoop of ice cream and syrups.

Alfredo Chicken

2007-09-24T13:29:00.001-06:00

I thought I would introduce myself. I signed up a couple months ago. I am going to Utah State University and majoring in Family & Consumer Science Education. I graduate next semester! I love my major and everything that is associated with it, such as cooking. I have been married for three years and my husband graduates in December.

Here is one of my favorites.

Alfredo Chicken

Sauce:
1/2 c butter
2 c heavy cream
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
Mix everything together over medium heat until desired thickness.

12oz pasta, cooked
1/4 c parmasan cheese
Chicken
opt. bacon, mixed veggies
Mix everything in a casserole dish and enjoy!

Portable Dinners

2007-09-20T17:35:00.000-06:00

Hi guys!
I am making dinner for a friend who just had twins next Tuesday. What's your favorite "portable dinner" to make?? Any suggestions?

I'm new, but love to cook!

2007-09-20T13:36:00.000-06:00

Hey Everyone,
Just thought I would introduce myself since I look at this blog all the time--my name is Nellie and I got this site from Kristen. I have only been married 2 years and so have only been practicing the home-making skills for a short time (college doesn't really count for me--microwave cheese tortillas don't cut it anymore!) so I'm always up for tips and ways to improve my skills in the kitchen. I am 26, just barely, and have a 13 month old daughter and one the way in January. Closer than we planned, but whatever, we're happy! I love reading, sports and doing anything outside, especially in the cooler fall weather. I am also trying my hand at quilting/sewing. So far so good, but I'll keep you posted on that one. The recipe I'll share today is for marinated cucumbers, and it gives a great summer/fall kick to any meal. Enjoy!

Marinated Cucumbers
6 cucumbers (I use just however many people are eating, usually 2)
3/4 C white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. cold water
1/2 C sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1Tbsp chopped dill

Mix and place sliced cucumbers in dressing. Chill. Serve.

Up for a Challenge?

2007-09-13T16:50:00.001-06:00

Nobody HAS to do this, but it might be a fun thing to try on the weekend.

Use these ingredients to make something...it can be a recipe you made up, or a recipe you already have. 1. You don't have to use all of these ingredients, 2. You can add ANY spices you want, and 3. You can't add more than ONE new ingredient to the list. Your recipe can be a single main dish or a 3-course meal. Give it a shot, then post your recipe. Maybe it will be fun?!?!

Required Ingredients:

Rice (NOT from a box)
Chicken
Cheese (any kind)
Spinach
Squash
Zucchini
Bay Leaves
Chicken Broth
Tomatoes
White Beans
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Sour Cream

There you go...what will you come up with?

Hump Day- Tomato-Basil Fettuccini

2007-09-05T11:44:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:
1/4 C chopped onion
1 Tbsp dry basil or 6 fresh leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 C olive oil (it's healthier, but I usually just use canola oil)
3 1/2 C chopped tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
12 oz fettuccini (I usually use a little less than 12 oz)
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Saute onion and garlic in oil. Chop tomatoes (use fresh or canned).
Add tomatoes, basil, salt, & pepper to onion.
Simmer 15-20 min.
Cook fettuccini according to package, drain well.
Immediately toss hot fettuccini with tomato-basil sauce.
Enjoy!
I love this recipe (especially made with fresh tomatoes from the garden)! I also love that I usually have the ingredients in my pantry. Post your favorite "pantry" recipes!

Pasta Milano

2007-08-30T11:32:00.001-06:00

My mother-in-law is an incredible cook. She made this for us when we were visiting and it is absolutely wonderful! I haven't made it yet (I just got the recipe), but it was so yummy I couldn't wait to share it with you all! That's why there aren't any pictures. It tastes exactly like the Pasta Milano from Macoroni Grill. Oh, it is so good. So enjoy! (One question does any know how to do the "1 head garlic, roasted"?)

4 chicken breasts
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Wash and dry chicken breasts; mix garlic powder, salt, and pepper and sprinkle on chicken. Grill chicken on stove top in a skillet or outside on the grill until it is done all the way through; set aside.

16 oz. bow tie pasta
4 Tbls. butter
1 1\2 cups sun-dried tomatoes
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
Place pasta in salted boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile saute the mushrooms and tomatoes in butter until soft.

2 quarts heavy cream (I substituted 1\2 Half & Half)
1 head garlic, roasted
1\2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 cup parmesan cheese
Place heavy cream, roasted garlic, pepper, salt, and parmesan cheese in food processor and puree. Place cream mixture in a saucepan and bring to a boil; turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Mix in mushrooms and tomatoes and add to the cooked pasta. Slice the grilled chicken and place on top of the pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!!!

Hump Day- Meat Pot Pie

2007-08-29T09:09:00.000-06:00

Brown 1 lb ground beef with 1/2 C chopped onion. Turn off stove and add:
1 can (drained) green beans

1 can tomato soup

1 tbsp sugar

1/8 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

Pie crust: you can use your favorite pastry recipe (my mother-in-law makes hers from scratch so instead of the salt she uses garlic salt). I am still not that domestic so I use the "Jiffy Pie Crust". It comes in a blue box, is enough for the two-crust pie, and only costs $0.50. It is really fast and easy, and my husband & I think it tastes good. Give it a try!

PS I use a deep dish pie pan, but it is possible to use a regular pie pan it just is really full!

Bake 400 for 25 min.

This is one of my husband's favorite food, and is quickly becoming one of mine. I love how filling it is, its easy to make, I usually have all the ingredients, & is good as left-overs. Also, I fed this to my neices and nephrew (along with my daughter) & they all loved it, so it's kid-approved!

Home-Made Macaroni and Cheese

2007-08-23T09:54:00.000-06:00

1/4 c margarine or butter1

3/4 c uncooked elbow macaroni

1/2 c onion, chopped

1/2 c green pepper, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp oregano or Italian Seasoning

1/8 tsp dry mustard

2 c water (more if need to keep covered)

1/4 c flour1 (13oz) can evaporated milk

2 c (8oz) sharp cheese

In large skillet melt butter over low heat. Add uncooked macaroni, onion, green pepper and seasonings. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 7 minutes or until onion becomes transparent. Add water, bring to boil. Cover, simmer 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Sprinkle flour over mixture and blend well. Stir in evaporated milk and shredded cheese. Simmer 5 minutes longer stirring occasionally, until cheese melts. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.

Focaccia Bread

2007-08-19T13:21:00.001-06:00

This is one of my favorite recipes! It was the first bread recipe I attempted, and it is by far the easiest bread recipe I've ever used. Trust me, it is almost impossible to mess this one up. The directions are wordy, but don't let that stop you!

Focaccia Bread

Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup water (105 degrees Fahrenheit to 115 degrees Fahrenheit)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (same temp)

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Coarse salt

1. Start by making a "sponge," which is the starter for the bread: In a bowl combine 1/2 cup of the flour, the 1/2 cup warm water, and the yeast. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand overnight (or 8 hours) at room temperature to ferment.

2. Gradually stir in the 1 cup warm water, the 2 teaspoons salt, and just enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes). Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour).

3. Turn dough out onto a greased baking sheet. Place an extra large bowl upside down over the dough to cover it; let rest 30 minutes...this will help form a stiffness to the dough. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Shape dough on the baking sheet into a circle about 11 inches in diameter by pulling and pressing with your fingertips. (Try not to stretch dough too roughly or it will deflate; you want to keep air bubbles intact.)

4. Make 1/2-inch-deep indentations every 2 inches in dough. Brush dough with olive oil; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden, checking after 8 minutes and popping any large air bubbles with a sharp knife. Remove focaccia from sheet with large spatulas. Cool on a wire rack about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

We LOVE ripping it apart and dipping it in olive oil and vinegar. You can also use it for sandwiches.

Slow Cooked Pepper Steak

2007-08-16T15:14:00.000-06:00

We tried this for the first time on Sunday and it was delicious. The sauce was a little strong at first and was even more delicious as leftovers! YUM!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. beef round steak
2 T. Olive Oil
1 cup soy sauce
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4-5 tomatoes cute into eighths (or 1 can tomatoes-16oz-with liquid, cut up)
2 large green peppers, cut into strips
1/2 cup cold water
1 T. cornstarch
Cooked noodles or rice

Cut beef into chunky strips, brown in oil in a skillet. Transfer to a crockpot. Combine the next seven ingredients; pour over beef. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until meat is tender. Add tomatoes and green peppers; cook on low for 1 hour longer. Combine the cold water and cornstarch to make a paste; stir into the liquid in the crockpot and cook on high until thickened (thickening takes longer than you think-allow time for this). Serve over noodles or rice.

We had it with brown rice and corn on the cob (mostly because in the summer everything goes with corn on the cob, right?) Enjoy!