8th Ward Recipe Book

Lime Pudding Cake

2011-08-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in the newspaper a couple of weeks back. It was a hit!

Serves: 6

Level: intermediate

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided use
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
1 tablespoon freshly grated lime peel (about 3-4 limes)
1/4 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup room-temperature fat-free skim milk (I used leftover whey from some cheese I just made)
Powdered sugar, to taste (optional)
Heavy whipping cream, whipped, to taste (optional)
Grated lime peel, to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat egg whites in small bowl at high speed until foamy.
Continue beating, gradually adding 1/4 cup sugar, until glossy and stiff peaks form (2 to 3 minutes).
Set aside.
Combine remaining 3/4 cup sugar and butter in large bowl.
Beat at medium speed, scraping the bowl often, until creamy.
Add egg yolks, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon lime peel; continue beating until well mixed.
Add flour and salt; continue beating until well mixed.
Stir in milk by hand. If the milk is too cold, the butter will harden up and be difficult to combine. Don't worry if the batter is not very smooth.
Gently stir in beaten egg whites.
Place casserole into 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
Pour mixture into ungreased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Or an 8x8 glass pan would work.
Place baking pan on oven rack; pour boiling water into baking pan to 1/2-inch depth.
Bake for 42 to 52 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from water; cool at least 30 minutes.
To serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
Garnish with whipped cream and grated lime peel, if desired.

Crisp, Brick-Fried Chicken

2011-08-25T16:52:00.001-07:00

The hardest part of this is just making sure the chicken is done cooking. You ideally season it an hour before cooking, so give yourself some time. It's about 10 minutes of work and 25 minutes of unattended cooking time. Serves 3-4

1 whole chicken or about 3 lb chicken pieces

1 Tbs coarse salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 large sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme (but you can use dried to taste)

1 Tbs olive oil

1/4 C dry white wine or balsamic vinegar (opt)

pinch of sugar (opt)

1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. If you have already cut the chicken into pieces, skip to step 3. Place chicken, breast-side-down, on a work surface. With kitchen shears, cut through the bones along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Trim off any excess neck skin.

2. Spread the bird open, skin-side-up, on the counter and press down firmly against the breast bone with the palms of your hands to break and flatten it. Tuck the wings back and under themselves so they lie flat against the breast. Or, cut off the wing tips and discard.

3. Season the bird at least an hour (unrefrigerated) or up to 24 hours (refrigerated, but brought to room temperature with 1 hour to go) before cooking. Sprinkle the bird on both sides with kosher salt and pepper. Press herbs against both sides.

4. Heat a large, nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat. blot the bird dry with paper towels and place, skin-side-up, in the pan. Place a skillet, about 2 inches smaller in diameter, directly on top of the chicken. If you don't have a heavy enough pan -- 3 to 4 pounds -- add heavy objects to weigh the pan down. A couple of cans work nicely. Cook the chicken until the underside is brown, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the weight and turn the chicken over with a pair of tongs. Replace the weight. Continue cooking until the skin is crisp and brown, 12-20 minutes longer. To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the inside of the thigh; it should read 170 degrees. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.

5. If desired, make a simple pan sauce: Pour off all but about 1 tsp of the fat in the pan. Set the pan over med-low heat and add the wine/vinegar, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dissolve the caramelized juices. Cook until the wine is mellow and has no trace of alcohol taste, about 1 minute. Remove the herbs (if whole) and adjust seasoning as desired.

6. With a chef's knife, cut the chicken into pieces. Arrange on plates. Spoon pan sauce over. Serve immediately.

Golden Sweet Cornbread

2011-08-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

Fall!! Fall is around the corner (hopefully!) -- so planning out my soups! This cornbread is a great addition to any soup!

Ingredients

1 c flour

1 c yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup white sugar

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 c vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 inch round cake pan (or a 9x9 square pan works fine as well!). In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk & oil until well combined. Pour batter in pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

2011-08-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, I borrowed it from this site (Our Best Bites), no, it's not an original recipe, but it's so darn good! (P.S. I stole the photo, too.)

Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup salsa verde
Juice of ½ a lime
1 teaspoon chile powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped scallions
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
½ cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Pepperjack cheese
8-12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese with the salsa, lime juice, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, onion powder, garlic, cilantro, scallions, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Fold in the chicken and cheeses. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Working 3 tortillas at a time, stack them on a microwave-safe plate and cover with plastic wrap. Cook 30 seconds, or until tortillas are soft and pliable. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of filling onto the lower third of each tortilla, and roll tightly. Place seam side-down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Spray the taquitos lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the tortillas are crisp and golden-brown. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

*To freeze, prepare the taquitos, but before baking, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator until the taquitos are completely cold. Wrap each taquito in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and freeze. To bake, unwrap the taquitos and cook in a 425 degree F oven for 20 minutes (no need to thaw first).

Sweet Potato Soup

2011-01-20T12:36:00.000-08:00

I keep a stock of this in my freezer at all times. And it’s one of those recipes that has a lot of leeway as far as the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

3 large sweet potatoes	Black pepper to taste
*3 (14-oz) cans chicken broth (just over 5 cups)	Orange zest to taste (opt--changes the texture a bit)
1/4 cup brown sugar, or more to taste	Cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)	**1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

*I prefer to use about 1½ C chicken or turkey broth with the rest as milk, and maybe some orange juice.

**I don’t usually have heavy cream on hand (because if I did, I’d put it in everything!). So you can substitute half and half, whole milk, or 2 Tbsp or so of butter. It will taste different, but still very good. As I said, the ingredients are really here just to make it taste good. So you can add or subtract whatever suits you, as long as you end up with the consistency of soup you like.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Bake sweet potatoes in preheated oven until soft, about 1 1/2 hours (you can also use a microwave). Remove and let cool slightly.

3. Peel sweet potatoes, and puree with chicken broth in batches, using enough chicken broth so that it purees smoothly. Bring puree to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in the sugar, salt, nutmeg, black pepper, orange zest, and cayenne pepper; cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cream.

Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake

2011-01-20T12:35:00.000-08:00

This is really rich and delicious.

10 ½ ounces (just under 2 C) dark or semi-sweet chocolate

1 ¼ sticks unsalted butter

1 ½ cups sugar

Pinch of salt

5 large eggs

Confectioners’ sugar (opt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8- or 9-inch springform pan very well.

In a double boiler set over barely simmering water, melt the butter first, then add the chocolate and melt, and then add the sugar and salt, stirring frequently the whole time. (You can put them all in at the same time, but this order makes it easier to mix). In a medium bowl, beat the eggs for several minutes while the other ingredients melt. Fold the egg mixture into the chocolate and stir until thickened, several minutes. I use my KitchenAid mixer to beat the eggs and stir it all together.

Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake 45 minutes, or until the top is set and begins to crack. You can always do the toothpick test on it. By the way, it’s better to overcook this a little than to undercook it. Overcooked, the edges are a tiny bit crispy. Undercooked, it falls apart when you take off the sides of the pan (or so I’ve heard).

Remove the side of the pan and let the cake cool completely.

Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. It’s also delicious with fresh strawberries.

PER SERVING: 435 calories; 5 g protein; 48 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber; 26 g fat (15 g saturated); 143 mg cholesterol; 29 mg sodium

Blueberry Cobbler

2010-04-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

1 stick butter
1 c milk
1 c sugar
1 c flour
3 t baking powder
1 can blueberries, drained
brown sugar

Melt butter & pour in 9x9 pan. Combine next 4 ingredients, & pour over butter. Pour fruit over top. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake 30-40 mins at 375. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Fondue

2010-03-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

Yummy fondue goodness! (from the February Fondue Night)

Chocolate Raspberry Fondue

2/3 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
1 tablespoon honey
1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chunks

In a fondue pot or 2-quart saucepan, mix whipping cream, raspberry preserves and honey. Heat over warm/simmer setting or medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, just until bubbles rise to surface (do not boil).

Add chocolate; stir with wire whisk until melted. Keep warm over warm/simmer setting. Serve with dippers.

Chocolate Cream Pie Fondue

8 ounces milk chocolate finely chopped
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
½ cup milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt chocolate; add cream cheese, milk and vanilla and stir until blended. Pour into warm fondue pot. Keep warm over low heat.

White Chocolate Butterscotch Fondue
(tastes like caramel!)

1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
¾ cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped

Combine brown sugar, corn syrup and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the cream and vanilla and stir until the mixture is blended. Add the white chocolate and stir until smooth. Pour into a warm fondue pot. Keep warm over low heat.

Thanks, Rebecca, for sharing these!

Mini Flourentine Cups

2010-02-28T14:37:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on Kraftfoods.com -love this site!- This is a very easy appetizer and can be made in advance. Enjoy!

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, cooked, well drained

1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/3 cup Cream Cheese

1 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Tbsp. finely chopped onions

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

24 slices OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Shaved Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

Make it!

HEAT oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients except turkey.

FLATTEN turkey slices; place 1 slice on bottom and up side of each of 24 miniature muffin cups. Fill with spinach mixture.

BAKE 15 min. or until heated through. Cool in pan 5 min. before serving.

kitchen tips

MAKE AHEAD

Having a party? Assemble appetizers several hours in advance. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Then, uncover and bake as directed.

SPECIAL EXTRA

Add 1 to 2 Tbsp. chopped water chestnuts to the spinach mixture before spooning into prepared cups. (This is not recommended for those watching their carbohydrate intake.)

SUBSTITUTE

Prepare using OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Shaved Smoked Ham.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2010-02-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb. white chicken meat, cooked and shredded
1/4 cup soy sauce (use wheat-free soy sauce for gluten-free version)
1 teaspoon sherry
1 Tablespoon sugar

High smoke point cooking oil, such as grapeseed oil, corn oil, or peanut oil
2 oz. bean threads (one bunch)
4 green onions, shredded lengthwise
1 small head of lettuce (romaine works), shredded
2 Tablespoons chopped toasted almonds
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Sauce:
2 Tbsp sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
3 Tbsp vinegar

* Serves 4 to 6

METHOD

1 Using two forks, shred the cooked chicken (if you don't have any already cooked, poach chicken pieces in simmering water until no longer pink inside). Mix soy sauce, sherry and sugar in a bowl and add the chicken. Let soak for 10 minutes. Remove chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Fry the shredded chicken in a little cooking oil on medium high heat to make it a little crispy and to bake in the seasoning. Set aside.

2 Put 3/4 inch of high smoke point cooking oil (such as grapeseed oil, or peanut oil) into a small saucepan. Heat on high heat until when you flick a drop or two of water into the oil it sizzles. Take one bunch of the dried bean threads and gently break them up a bit. Test the oil by putting one bean thread into the oil. If the oil is hot enough, the bean thread will almost immediately sizzle and puff up. That's when you know the oil is hot enough. Working with a few bean threads at a time, put them in the hot oil. As soon as they puff up, remove them carefully with tongs and place them on a paper towel to cool. The paper towel helps remove any excess oil. Set aside.

3 Cut your green onions, shredding them lengthwise as shown. Toast your chopped almonds, or chop your toasted almonds; toast your sesame seeds. (Heat a thin skillet to medium high heat, add the seeds - or nuts, don't do them both together - stir frequently until they begin to brown, remove from heat, they will continue to cook. Let cool to room temp.)

4 Mix all of the sauce ingredients together, in the order listed. Just before serving the salad, mix all of the salad ingredients together - lettuce, chicken, bean threads, almonds, sesame seeds, and sauce.

Zucchini Chip Bread

2010-02-01T07:07:00.001-08:00

So I've made this recipe for a few activities, and I thought I might as well post it so others can enjoy it, too!

Zucchini Chip Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the eggs, applesauce, oil, orange peel and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the zucchini, nuts and chocolate chips.

Transfer to two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for another 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves.

*I usually leave out the orange peel when I bake this bread. I don't like the flavor it adds--reminds me too much of a fruitcake cookie I never liked. And I usually bake mini-loaves of zucchini bread. The oven temperature is still the same, but the cook time is 40-45 minutes long.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-01-15T22:09:00.000-08:00

1 egg
2 t vanilla
1 c brown sugar
1 c butter
1 c peanut butter
1 c flour
1/4 c cocoa
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 pkg chocolate or peanut butter chips (opt)
Mix first 7 ingredients together. Mix in chips. Bake 10 mins at 350 degrees.

...saucy parmesan chicken

2010-01-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

Found this amazing recipe in the Kraft's magazine a few years ago. This is a keeper! And it's FAST!

Cast of Characters
(aka ingredients!)
4 boneless chicken breasts (I use chicken strips/tenders)
1/4 c Italian dressing
1/4 c parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients in a resealable bag. Turn over several times to coat well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate, making sure chicken is not overlapping each other. Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken on a piece of foil. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Amy's Note: I use the cheapest Italian dressing I can find. It works just as well as the expensive stuff!! I also use the chicken strips/tenders for this recipe. Also this recipe is great with buttered parmesan noodles!

.... cheddar chowder

2010-01-15T19:48:00.001-08:00

I had this years ago at a bridal shower, and it was so divine! So fattening too! Serve this with warm bread and a salad on the side!

Ingredients for soup:
2 c diced potatoes
1/2 c diced carrots
1/2 c diced celery
1/4 c chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 c water

Ingredients for white sauce:
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
2 c milk
2 c grated cheese
1 c cubed ham

Mix all vegetables except white sauce ingredients and bring to boil. Boil for 10-12 minutes while making the white sauce.

To make the white sauce: melt butter in a saucepan and add flour to make a paste. Add milk and stir constantly over low to medium head. Heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add cheese. Pour sauce into vegetables (do not drain the water!) and add ham. Heat thoroughly and serve!

Amy's Notes: I buy the small packages of diced ham found in the meat department by the bacon & lunch meats. It's the perfect size!

Oven- Barbecued Pork Chops

2009-12-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

This recipe is super easy, quick, and calls for ingredients that are usually around the house. Goes great with rice or baked potatoes! Works with chicken breasts too -- just increase the cooking time a little.

Ingredients

1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds bone-in, 3/4-inch-thick pork rib chops, trimmed of fat
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the pork chops and cook until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add orange juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in barbecue sauce. Return the pork chops to the pan, turning several times to coat with the sauce.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the pork chops are barely pink in the middle and an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F, 6 to 10 minutes. Serve the sauce over the pork chops.

Oven Roasted Meatballs

2009-11-16T14:41:00.000-08:00

From the "Deceptively Healthy" Pass the Plate, here is the recipe:

Oven Roasted Meatballs

2 slices firm white bread, coarsely chopped
1 small (8 ounces) zucchini, shredded
1 large egg white
1/3 cups Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 cloves garlic, crushed with garlic press
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground turkey breast

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In large bowl, with hand, mix bread, zucchini, egg white, Romano, garlic, salt, and pepper until evenly moistened. Add ground turkey and mix just until evenly combined.

With wet hands, shape turkey mixture into twelve 2-inch meatballs. Place meatballs in 15 1/2-inch by 10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan and bake 18 to 20 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned.

I serve them with pasta and pasta sauce. My husband loves them more than the last set of meatballs he swore were the best!

Stuffed Peppers

2009-11-15T14:34:00.000-08:00

I don't usually crave foods that scream "healthy"---I'm much more into the comfort foods. But I found myself craving these one day and tried them out. Really easy, and really tasty, too!

Thank you, Betty Crocker!

Stuffed Peppers

6 large bell peppers (any color)
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozerella cheese (3 ounces)

Cut thin slice from stem end of each bell pepper to remove top of pepper. Remove seeds and membranes; rinse peppers. Cook peppers in enough boiling water to cover in a 4-quart Dutch oven about 5 minutes; drain. (Now, if you're like me and don't have a Dutch oven, just use a large pot.)

Cook beef and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in rice, salt, garlic, and 1 cup of the tomato sauce; cook until hot.

Heat oven to 350.

Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Stand peppers upright in ungreased square baking dish, 8 x 8 x 2 inches. Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers.

Cover (I used aluminum foil) and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Healthy Chocolate Walnut Cake

2009-11-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

8 eggs
1 c sugar, divided
1/2 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c toasted ground walnuts
2 t vanilla
6 T flour
1/3 c cocoa
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
3/4 c fruit jam
1 t powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil & flour 9-in spring form pan.
Crack 2 eggs into large bowl. Separate 2 more eggs, placing whites in 2nd large bowl, & yolks in 1st bowl. Separate remaining 4 eggs, adding whites to 2nd bowl (yolks not needed).
Beat egg whites on high til foamy. Add 1/3 c sugar, & beat til soft peaks form. Set aside.
Add brown sugar & remaining 2/3 c sugar to 1st bowl, & beat on medium speed til thick & light brown. Beat in nuts & vanilla. Beat in flour, cocoa, salt, & cinnamon. With rubber spatula, fold in 1 c beaten egg whites, til smooth. Fold in remaining egg whites very gently (some white streaks may be visible). Gently pour into pan.
Place pan in oven & reduce heat to 325. Bake til set, 40-45 mins. Cool completely on wire rack.
Remove pan's side. Release cake from pan's bottom with long, thin, metal spatula, & transfer to serving plate. Slice cake in 1/2 horizontally with long, thin knife. Lift off top, spread jam over bottom layer, & replace top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Green Chili and Chicken Enchiladas with Pink Sauce

2009-11-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

It seems like just about every family has a recipe for Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas. They all have chilies, onions, soups, and so forth, and everyone loves them.

I love them too, but don’t make them often since they take a lot of work (I hate shredding chicken), so when I told Josh that they were on the docket for the week he was pretty pumped. What I didn’t tell him at the time was that I had a diabolical plan to try a new (and pink) idea for the enchilada sauce.

I’m glad that I did – changing up the sauce to be chili-lime cream was a stroke of pure genius (not that I want to toot my own horn, but seriously, I’m drooling just thinking about it).

Maybe I’ll start making these a bit more often.

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas with Pink Sauce

3-4 c. shredded cooked chicken

2 (4 oz) cans green chiles

1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup

½ c. non-fat sour cream

1 med-large onion, chopped very fine

8-10 medium sized flour tortillas (soft taco, fajita, gordita style)

Grated cheddar cheese

For sauce:

½ c. non-fat sour cream

¼ c. milk

½ Tbs. chili powder

1 Tbs lime juice

In a skillet sauté onion and chilies in their own juices until just tender. In a large bowl combine onion and chili mixture with chicken, soup and sour cream. Mix until well combined. Spoon filling mixture onto tortillas and roll them up, placing enchiladas in a sprayed casserole pan. Once all enchiladas have been rolled and placed, combine the ingredients for the sauce in the same bowl that the filling was in. Mix until evenly blended then pour over enchiladas, smearing it around with the back of a spoon until every enchilada gets coated. Top lightly with cheese if desired. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through and sauce bubbles at edges (about 20-30 minutes).

Kim's Notes: This serves well with rice and corn. If you want something a bit more special than plain rice, add 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of chili pepper, and 1 Tbs of fresh chopped cilantro.

Don't want to make the pink sauce? Try a green enchilada sauce or simply mix milk with about 1/3 of a can of cream of chicken soup.

Happy Cooking!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-10-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe. The cookie is SO moist, so soft, and SOOO yummy! Just try not to fall over dead when you read the ingredients.....

Ingredients
1 c butter
1 c shortening
2 c sugar
2 c pumpkin
2 eggs
2 c chocolate chips
4 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Cream shortening, sugar, pumpkin and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips, Bake until light brown (about 10 minutes). Bake at 350 for 10 min.

Amy's notes: I used mini chocolate chips, a full 12 oz bag. That way, you definitely get SOME chocolate on each cookie. Also, this cookie does not spread while baking. So, when usually you can get 12 cookies on a cookie sheet, you can get about 18-20 cookies or even more b/c you can space them together very closely. This entire recipe makes about 5-7 dozen (I stopped counting b/c I was eating them as I was baking.....)

Carmel Popcorn

2009-10-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

Homemade caramel corn is buttery, crunchy, sweet and best of all it's naturally gluten free. And it's so buttery fresh, a quality hard to find in a can or bag!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

5 quarts fresh popcorn ( I used about 3 bags of microwave popcorn in Natural flavor, NO Butter)
1/2 cup agave syrup OR light corn syrup
2 cups brown sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 250°

Pop 5 quarts of popcorn and place in a large roasting pan.
Put butter, sugar, agave syrup OR corn syrup and cream of tartar in a large pan. Over medium heat, melt the mixture, stirring to prevent burning.
Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Add vanilla and baking soda and stir to mix.
Carefully pour this mixture over the popcorn. Gently stir to thoroughly coat the popcorn.
Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Remove and pour on a large baking sheet to cool. Use a spatula to separate the warm clumps.

Graveyard Cake AKA Red Velvet Doggie Bone Cake

2009-10-03T12:10:00.001-07:00

This recipe comes from the Ladies Home Journal. I think the bone's recipe could be used in many ways for different shapes, letters or fun decorations!

Prep: 30 min
Start to Finish: 2 hr

Ingredients

2 large egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1 two-layer red velvet cake (see recipe center) **I added a package of instant pudding to the cake mix to make a more moist cake!**
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 250 degrees F with two racks centered. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heat-proof bowl. Place over a pot of simmering water and whisk gently until sugar is dissolved, about 3 min. Remove from heat. With an electric mixer, whisk on medium-high until a stiff meringue forms, about 10 min.

2. Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a #12 plain tip, then pipe 3-1/2- to 4-inch-long bone shapes on baking sheets. Bake 20 min. Turn oven off and let meringues dry in oven for 30 min more. Let bones cool before carefully removing from parchment paper.

3. Coat one cake layer with 1/2 cup frosting and top with second layer. Frost entire cake and refrigerate to set, 30 min or overnight. Decorate with whole and broken bones before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:In a mixing bowl, beat 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and 1, 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened together until creamy, about 2 min. Stir in 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted. Add 1 lb (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well. Beat in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 3 to 4 tbsp milk and stir until smooth. Can be refrigerated up to one week; bring to room temperature and stir before using Makes 3 cups.

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-10-02T19:05:00.000-07:00

2/3 c shortening
2 2/3 c sugar
4 eggs
1 16-oz can pumpkin
3 1/3 c flour
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 t ground cloves
2/3 c chopped nuts (opt)
1/3 c chocolate chips (opt)

Mix together wet ingredients. Mix in dry ingredients. Mix in nuts & chocolate chips last. Fill muffin tins 1/2 full. Bake 20-25 mins at 350. Makes about 33 muffins.

Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops

2009-09-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

Not wanting to relinquish my recent love-affair with pork chops just yet, I thought to myself - Why not try your Slow Cooker Swiss Steak recipe on them?I'm so glad I did - these might even be better than the beef.

They turned out so tender and subtly sweet that I think this is going to become a new favorite of mine. I'm sure my boys won't complain about that since they gobbled them up with as much enthusiasm as I did. I'm also really glad that I tried my idea to lessen the number of potatoes in the pot and make mashed potatoes on the side. We had a few roasted ones with dinner, but what we didn't eat saved well to go with Josh to work as leftovers.

Slow Cooker Swiss Pork Chops

* 1.5 lbs pork chops, trimmed of fat
* pepper
* 2 medium red potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
* 1.5 c. baby carrots
* 1 med onion, cut into wedges
* 1 can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
* 2 packets pork gravy mix
* 1 c. cold water
* mashed potatoes, if desired

Layer potatoes, onion and pork in your slow cooker. Sprinkle chops with pepper. Add tomatoes. Mix up one packet of gravy with 1 cup cold water and pour into crock pot. Top everything with the baby carrots.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender. I did 5 hours on low, then one more hour on high with great results.

Kim's notes: If you want to serve this meal with mashed potatoes, then make them near the end of your cooking time. Use the second packet of gravy for serving, or add liquid from the slow cooker to the package gravy and and then thicken it.

Never thickened your own gravy? It's easy as can be - add 1/4 c. of flour to 1 c. of water, shake until combined, or if you don't have a shaker of some sort you can use a wire whisk to get the clumps out. Add just a little of the flour mixture at a time to your gravy so that you don't over thicken it. Be sure to taste the gravy along the way so that you don't over flour it or so that you can add spices/pepper if desired.

Happy Cooking!

2009-09-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Nut Belgian Waffles

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 oz finely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I put more a little more than a tsp.)
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup milk
¼ cup REAL maple syrup (not the artificial stuff made with corn syrup etc.)
3 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large egg whites

Preheat waffle iron.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, chopped nuts, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir to blend and reserve.

In a second bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, 2 egg yolks, milk, maple syrup, melted butter and vanilla; stir until smooth. Add to the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to blend until smooth, using a wisk.

In a clean dry bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter.

Do not open waffle iron during cooking process.

Eating Out at Home: Baked Chicken Parmesan

2009-09-09T10:01:00.001-07:00

Josh’s favorite Italian meal is Chicken Parmesan. He will often order it at restaurants and savor every deep fried bite.

Only, I don’t do deep fried at home. This became the challenge, make Josh’s fav, but make it healthy. I did a little of this, a little of that, and presto he loved it! This will definitely be a repeat at our house.

Chicken Parmesan

1 1/2 lb chicken breast tenders, trimmed of fat
2 egg whites
1/2 c. fine bread crumbs
1 Tbs Italian seasoning
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

Beat egg whites with fork on a plate until slightly fluffy. Combine all dry ingredients on another plate and mix until combined. Dip chicken tenders in egg, then roll in crumb mixture until coated. Place in a lightly sprayed baking dish and repeat for all chicken pieces. Discard leftover egg and crumb mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until cooked through. Serve over pasta and top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese if desired.

Kim’s note: Counting the calories, but don’t want to miss out on cheese? Stir a little non-fat cottage cheese into the pasta for a little added creamy-ness.

Happy Cooking!

Apricot Smokies

2009-09-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

2 14-oz pkgs smokies (mini sausages)
1 14-oz jar apricot preserves
1 c mustard

Mix preserves & mustard together in saucepan, over med heat. Add smokies, & let simmer til heated through.

*If you like a sweeter sauce, use just 1/2 c mustard.*

Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetable Chowder

2009-09-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

I don’t have a lot of witty commentary to say about this soup, only that it’s awesome, all American, easy, and that I tweaked it to be a bit healthier and loaded it with extra veggies (I’m sure no one is surprised by this). Both of my boys devoured it, which is the best recommendation that I can give.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetable Chowder

1.5 pounds chicken breast meat cut into ½ in. pieces
½ onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 celery ribs, cut fine
3 carrots, sliced
2 c. frozen corn kernels
2 cans cream of potato soup
1 can low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. dried dill
1 tsp curry powder (optional – this isn’t enough to make it taste like curry, but does add a depth and richness to the flavor that I love for chowder)
pepper to your liking
½ c. fat-free half and half

Using a little cooking spray, brown the chicken breast pieces with onion and garlic in a skilled over med-high heat. Put in slow cooker. Next add celery and carrots to pan and sauté with a little water for a few minutes until just tender, then add to slow cooker. Next add corn, soup, broth, curry, pepper, and dill to slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, stirring ingredients together after half the time. During the last 10 minutes, stir in half and half.

Happy Cooking!

Bringing Healthy Back to Navajo Tacos

2009-08-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

Mmm, navajo tacos are so good. Warm, buttery fry bread, covered in slimey chili and salad. When they made these for lunch at my old job I got giddy, I frolicked, I didn't think about how bad they are.

But, I've been thinking about that lately, and have come up with a solution.

Start with a low-cal healthy pita bread such as:The best part about them:This isn't a fancy health-food store item, I got it as Super Wal Mart right next to the unhealthy pitas, and the even more unhealthy tortillas.

Healthier Navajo Taco

5 pita breads
2 c. vegetarian chili (I used a red bean and lentil that they're selling in bulk packages at Costco now - Amazing!)
lettuce (I also mixed some fresh cilantro into my lettuce)
black beans, drained rinsed
corn, drained
tomato
cucumber
guacamole
fat free sour cream
a few tortilla chips for crunch, if desired.

Warm the pita bread in your microwave for 30 seconds, it becomes warm, soft, and pliable. Top the pita with vegetarian chili, and every other awesome taco salad food that you like. Sticking with the healthy theme of the evening, I left the cheese off and used only fat-free sour cream.

*Leave off the sour cream for the lactose-free version.

Happy Cooking!

Fudge

2009-08-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 c milk
1 T vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar
1/2 c nuts (optional)
flavoring options: 1/2 c cocoa; 1/4 c peanut butter; 1 t extract (maple, mint, citrus...); basically any flavor or mixture of flavors you want

Melt butter in saucepan on stovetop over medium heat. Whisk in milk, vanilla, & flavoring. Turn to low heat. Whisk in powdered sugar til smooth. Mix in nuts. Pour into buttered 9x9 pan. Chill in refrigerator til firm (or freezer for faster time). Store in refrigerator.

Hominy Ranch Casserole

2009-08-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

Hominy Ranch Casserole (from Pass the Plate 8-6-09) I accidentally got hominy instead of corn once, and finally found a recipe to use it with, and we love it! I got this from the can of enchilada sauce.

1 can (30 oz) Golden Hominy, drained
1 can (14 oz) Green Chili Enchilada Sauce
½ cup sour cream
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
2 eggs beaten
1 cup shredded Jalapeno Jack Cheese

---Combine all ingredients, excepting the cheese. Evenly spread mixture in 2 quart baking dish. Top with cheese. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.

Minute Rice Teriyaki Stir Fry

2009-08-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Minute Rice Teriyaki Stir Fry

1 lb stir fry steak, cut into strips

2 c. brown Minute Rice

1 ¼ c. water

½ c. teriyaki sauce

3-4 c. fresh vegetables (I used broccoli, carrots, and zucchini)

Using a little cooking spray, brown steak strips in a large frying pan until about medium doneness. Next add water and teriyaki sauce, and return to a boil. Once boiling add minute rice, stirring to mix into liquid. Set veggies on top of meat and rice, cover and simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff all together and serve.

Kim’s notes:

Adding extra veggies means extra moisture. I cut back the original amount of water, but still there was excess – adjust your recipe according to the amount of veggies you use.

My boys like their veggies a little softer, so steamed them in the microwave for about 3 minutes before adding them to the rice mixture. For crisper veggies don’t bother steaming.

This recipe is only as good and flavorful as the teriyaki sauce that you pick, so go for one that is rich and flavorful – I used Soy Vay teriyaki sauce and would recommend it. I don’t know if it’s a national brand, so I’d also recommend Mr. Yoshida’s teriyaki sauce.

Happy Cooking!

Chocolate Banana Biscotti

2009-08-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was challenged to cutting eggs out of baking. Since I’d never really thought about taking out eggs I decided to give two of the suggestions a try in one recipe – Chocolate Banana Biscotti. These turned out 100 times better than I ever imagined! First out of the oven they have crip outsides, a warm and chewy inside, and a flavor that is sweet, but not too sweet. I could have eaten them all day, but I stopped myself after two. : )

The best part is the calorie count – I sliced my logs to make 19 cookies, and with a little math I discovered that puts the average sized ones at 93.42 calories. And with the fat corners I cut, the only fat involved is what comes in the original batter, and what’s in the chocolate chips. Not a bad treat!

Chocolate Banana Biscotti

1 package banana bread mix (I used Pilsbury)

3 Tbs water

½ banana, mashed

4 oz plain, fat free yogurt

2 Tbs natural applesauce

2 servings of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I actually counted them so that I could do the calorie math and I used 64)

Combine all wet ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until combined. Add wet ingredients to banana bread mix and stir until mixed. Chop half of the chocolate chip pieces until slivered, then add them and the rest of the chocolate chips to the batter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Since I took all of the oil out of the recipe, I sprayed the foil with cooking spray until well coated for ease of removing logs. Divide dough in half and form two rectangular logs (about 4.5 inches x 8 inches) – dough will be sticky, but touchable (use wet hands if needed).

Bake logs for 30 minutes, remove from oven and cookie sheet, and allow to cool on wire racks. Once the logs are cooled cut them into ½ inch strips. Put strips back on the cookie sheet, cut side down, and bake for another 10 minutes. Flip strips to other side and bake another 10 minutes.

Kim’s note: Mine were crisp on the outside with a chewy center using the method described above, but have softened even more as I’ve stored them. If you want them to be truly crispy throughout like a coffee house biscotti, I’d suggest baking the strips longer, but still doing the 10-minute flip so that the edges don’t have the chance to burn.

Happy Cooking!

Eating Out at Home: Earl Cobb Wrap

2009-07-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had the Earl of Sandwich’s Earl Cobb wrap? They claim it to be on their Lighter Side menu, but to see the huge chunks of cheese they use made me question just how low cal it could be.

And yet, I adore it. Here I’ve done my best to recreate its glory at my house, but cut some calorie corners. In doing so I’ve discovered the perfect meal for both men and women. Just look at what happened at our house (somewhat romanticized, but not too far from true):

Josh comes home from work to find the whole house smelling like fresh cooked bacon.

Josh: Mmm, bacon. Whatcha cookin’ good-lookin’?
Me: Bacon, chicken, buttermilk ranch sauce, you know, nothing special.
Josh: Wow, sounds great.
Me: Hmm, this bacon is so crumbly and this sauce is so slimy, we should keep it together with these vegetables and low-cal wraps.
Josh: Sounds good, let’s eat.

And we did and we were both thrilled. I didn’t even tell Jay that it was turkey bacon until the meal was over. He only shrugged and said, Huh?

Here’s the game plan to make this scene a reality at your house:

Earl’s Cobb Wrap

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, roughly cut
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked till crispy, crumbled
2 heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced in half moons
chopped tomato
dried cranberries
cubed cheddar cheese
non-fat buttermilk Ranch dressing*
low-cal wraps (I used Flat-Out light wraps, they’re only 90 calories, but still really big and soft)

Combine ingredients in the quantities that you like, wrap up and enjoy!
Kim’s notes:

I first cooked the bacon, then cooked the chicken in the same pan with the drippings, but any cooked chicken will do. I combined them both in one bowl, stirred and then refrigerated them until needed.

*To make the fat-free Ranch sauce, I used a packet of Buttermilk Ranch dressing powder, stirred it into a container of fat free sour cream, and then mixed about half of the ranch-sour cream with skim milk until I had the consistency I wanted. This made for a great and normal Ranch flavor, instead of a diet flavor.

Broccoli Slaw Salad

2009-07-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

HEB offers a bagged "rainbow salad:" hearts of broccoli, cauliflower, red cabbage and carrots - which adds some color. I usually cut the recipe in half for the fam. Add some cubed grilled chicken and make it a meal. I think it's even better the second day!

2 bags (3-ounce) Ramen Noodle Soup in Oriental flavor
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 bags (12-ounce) bags broccoli cole slaw (in the bagged salad section of the grocery store)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Chopped green onions, for garnish

Dressing Mix:
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup brown or white sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 ramen noodle seasoning packets

Put the ramen noodles in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin while melting butter in a large skillet over low/medium heat. Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat). Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onions. Refrigerate a couple of hours before serving.

Bean and Vegetable Risotto

2009-07-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

I’ve tried my hand at baked risotto in the past and it’s always been a big flop, so I went into this project with low expectations and an apprehensive heart. As Josh will attest, it really crushes me when a recipe fails – not that it’s just a little groady, but when it’s completely inedible as were the other risottos.

But enough about them, because I’ve found a gem that trumps all the others! When Josh came home he looked at the pan and said “Where’s the chicken?” I told him to just try it and before I knew it he and Caleb were gobbling these veggies down. I served it as a main dish, but it could go great as a side too. The only drawback is the method – you pretty much have to stir this constantly, but that won’t stop me from making it again (in a week when Caleb and I aren’t sick).

Bean and Vegetable Risotto

4 c. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 med. onion, chopped
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 ¼ c. long grain rice
1 ½ c. zucchini, finely chopped
1 c. carrots, finely chopped
15 oz can white kidney beans (Cannellini), drained and rinsed
½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
Parsley as garnish if desired

Begin by sauteing garlic and onion in a little cooking spray on medium heat until onions are softened. Add rice and continue sautéing until rice becomes golden (3-5 min). Add pepper. During the sautéing process, warm broth in a microwave safe dish, preferably one that pours easily. It is important that the broth be warm when it is added to the rice mixture, so continue to microwave it as needed during the cooking process.

After rice is cooked, slowly add 1 cup of broth to the rice mixture stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add another ½ c. of broth with the zucchini and carrots, stir constantly until liquid is absorbed. Continue the pattern of adding the warm broth by half cups, stirring until absorbed, then adding more. When adding the final half cup, add the beans as well and stir to combine. Cover the rice mixture and allow it to heat through for about 4 minutes. Remove the lid and stir the rice, making sure to scrap the pan so that no rice sticks or burns. Add the parmesan cheese and stir until evenly blended. Simmer until mixture reaches desired consistency.

Happy Cooking!

Bean and Veggie Enchiladas & Easy Oreo Fruit Salad

2009-07-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Bean and Veggie Enchiladas

2 cans (15 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 can (4 ounces) diced green chile peppers, drained
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 onion, chopped
1 small yellow pepper chopped
2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 heaping Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish if desired)
2 cups shredded pepper-Jack cheese (10 ounces)
1 can (20 ounces) enchilada sauce
8-10 flour tortillas (depending on how full you like your enchiladas)

Directions

Chop onion and pepper then sauté them on med-high heat with the frozen corn until just softened. Add chili powder, salt, cumin, and cilantro. Drain and rinse beans, then mash slightly with hands. Add them to the veggie mixture.

Pour about ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 13×9in baking dish, turning dish until the sauce coats the entire bottom. Place desired amount of bean mixture in a line on one side of a tortilla shell then roll up. Place rolled enchilada, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until bean mixture is gone. Top tortillas with remaining enchilada sauce, sprinkle with cheese and additional cilantro if desired.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Enjoy with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and Mexican rice.

Kim’s hint: If you would like to serve this dish with rice, a quick way to take white rice to Mexican rice is to reserve about 3-4 Tbs of the enchilada sauce and add it to 2 cups of plain rice with cilantro, some splashes of lime juice, and dashes of onion powder.

------------

In my house, if I suggest that we have fruit as a side dish I usually get met with dull, bored stares. But when I threw this little treat together I had both of my guys scraping the bowl for every last drop. The thinner Oreo crackers really soak in the moisture from the cool whip and become a smooth chocolate – delicious!

Easy Oreo Fruit Salad

3-4 c. fresh fruit cut to bite size pieces
Light Cool Whip
1 – 100 calorie package Oreo snacks (these are the Oreos that are more like crackers)

Put all fruit in large mixing bowl. Add cool whip until everything is just coated. Crush Oreo crackers into crumbs of all sizes and mix in to salad. Chill until time to serve.

*Kim’s notes: For my salad I used 1 apple, 2 bananas, and 1 mango, but you could use any fruit based on your family’s preferences. Can be served as a dessert or side. Also, if you aren’t trying to be calorie conscious, another fun way to make this salad is replacing the Oreo crackers with chopped Snicker’s bar.

Happy Cooking!

Chocolate Brownies with Andies Mint Candies

2009-07-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

Brownies
1 box Betty Crocker brownie mix
Bake according to directions. Let cool.

Frosting
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 bag chocolate chips
powdered sugar
1 bag chopped Andies Mint Candies

Melt chocolate chips and mix with whipping cream. Add powdered sugar until consistency is thick enough to spread on brownies.

Spread frosting on brownies. Sprinkle with Andies Mint Candies. Place in fridge or freezer ... these are really good chilled.

Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes

2009-07-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

I recently found an awesome cupcake recipe on Bakerella .... a really cool blog dedicated to all things yummy & bake-able. (just click on the word Bakerella if you wish to see the website) She made cupcakes by scratch. Whoa.... by scratch? Never done it before! I'm usually using my trusty box of cake mix. However, this recipe was from Martha Stewart, and how could it be bad if it's from Martha Stewart??!! Well, the recipe was SO simple, so easy..... and involved few ingredients and ONE bowl! Away I baked...... and they were SO delicious! WAY better than cake mix cupcakes, I must say!

My fudge frosting is from my Betty Crocker recipe book. I use it on ALL of my chocolate cakes. So incredibly yummy!

Ingredients
Makes 18 to 24
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Amy's Notes: This was very runny batter ~ and I was very hesitant that I did it right (since cake mix batter isn't very runny)... but it's supposed to be runny, so you did it right! If you don't have buttermilk, just take 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar & add enough whole milk to make a cup, let sit for 5 minutes!

No-Cook Fudge Frosting
(from Betty Crocker's recipe book)

Cast of Characters:
4 3/4 c sifted powdered sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c margarine or butter, softened
1/3 c boiling water
1 tsp vanilla

Mix powdered sugar & cocoa. Add margarine, boiling water, and vanilla. Best w/ an electric mixer on low speed till combined. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Cool for 20-30 minutes or till or spreading consistency. Frosts tops & sides of two 8 or 9 inch cake layers.

Snowball Cookies

2009-07-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

1 c butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t almond extract
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
1-2 c finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 c powdered sugar

Cream together first 5 ingred. Mix in flour. Mix in nuts. Chill dough at least 1/2 hr. Form into 1-in balls, & bake on ungreased cookie sheets 12-15 mins, at 350 degrees. While still warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar.

Raspberry Shortbread

2009-07-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

1 c butter, softened
1 t vanilla
2/3 c sugar
2 1/2 c flour
1 jar raspberry jam (or preferred flavor)
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 T milk or water
1/2 t almond extract

Beat butter, vanilla, & sugar at medium speed til light & fluffy. Gradually add flour, beating at low speed.

Divide dough into 6 equal portions, & roll each portion into a 12-in-long x 1-in-wide strip. Place strips on greased baking sheets. Make a 1/2-in-wide x 1/4-in-deep indentation down center of each strip. Bake 15 mins at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven, & spoon jam into indentations. Bake 5 more mins, or til lightly browned.

Whisk powdered sugar, milk or water, & almond extract, 7 drizzle over warm shortbread. Cut strips into 2-in pieces, & cool.

Nod to Cesar, That's a Wrap!

2009-06-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

Doing salad bars for dinner is fun and it pleases everyone since they get to pick what they like. Tonight we went for Chicken Cesar wraps, with homemade dressing. This is lactose-free, fat free, and has a lot of tang, but I was pleasantly surprised to see both of my boys gobble it up.

Homemade Cesar Dressing
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mustard (I used a honey dijon)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c. apple sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
3 Tbs lemon juice (I think I might reduce this the next time to 2 and taste it)
1/4 c. fat-free mayo

Combine all ingredients and mix well until there is an even, creamy consistency.

Helpful hint: Make the dressing in the morning allowing it to sit and chill in fridge for most of the day for the flavors to really blend.

Use dressing sparingly since it has plenty of kick. For our wraps we used black beans, carrots, Romaine lettuce, green onions, tomato, shredded chicken, parmesan cheese, and croutons, but you can use whatever would be most enjoyable for your family.

chipotle's basmati rice

2009-06-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Chipotle's... especially their rice in my burrito bowl! I went online looking for an awesome recipe that would compare to Chipotle's. Imagine my surprise when I found the ACTUAL recipe from Chipotle's executive itself! Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter

2 tsp. fresh cilantro

2/3 cup white basmati rice

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lime

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

Add cilantro after fluffing rice.

Amy's Notes: The first time I tried this recipe, I didn't have basmati rice. It turned out good ... but not as good as basmati when I finally did buy it! Also, watch the time as usually my rice didn't need a full 25 minutes! The basic recipe above makes a small portion. You might need to double or triple for a regular sized family!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad Sandwiches

2009-06-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

I hate mayo. I always have, and therefore tend to steer clear of classic summer "salad recipes" that consist of some yummy food smothered in the stuff. But with this Chicken Salad the mayo is altered so drastically that Josh and I both were singing its praises. This is definitely a recipe that will stick, especially in the hot months ahead.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad Sandwiches
2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts
1 sweet onion, cut into half rings
1.3 c fat free mayonnaise
1/4 c. roughly chopped cashews
1 heaping Tbs fresh chopped cilantro
1 Tbs. lime juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
toasted bread or buns and other sandwich toppings including tomatoes, spinach leaves, and cucumbers.

In a frying pan over med heat cook the onion slices with only a little cooking spray, adding water if needed to keep onions slightly moist. Allow to cook about 10 minutes or until the onions have a caramelized color. If you really want them "caramel-y" add a little sugar near the end of the cooking time, I did and it was pretty tasty. While the onions cook combine mayo, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic powder. In a large mixing bowl combine chicken, cashews, and the cooked onion. Add the dressing mixture and stir until all is well combined and lightly coated.

Serve chicken salad on toasted buns or sourdough bread (I used a multi-grain bun which was tasty and really filling) topping with spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, or whatever you like.

Happy Cooking!

Crock Pot Banana Upside Down Cake

2009-06-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

(from Lauren S.)

Bananas:
5 T butter, cut in small pieces, plus more for crock pot
¾ c brown sugar
1 T molasses
2 T pineapple juice
6 ripe, medium bananas, peeled & halved lengthwise

Butter inside of crock pot, line completely with foil, & then butter foil. Turn crock pot onto high. Sprinkle butter, brown sugar, & mixture of molasses & pineapple juice over bottom of crock pot. Cover with banana halves, cut side down, slightly overlapping, & press them into the sugar.

Cake:
¾ c flour
¾ t baking powder
½ t cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg
¼ t salt
4 T butter, softened
2/3 c sugar
1 egg, at room temp
1 egg yolk, at room temp
2 T milk, at room temp

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt in bowl. In another bowl, beat butter & sugar on high, til light & fluffy (about 10 mins). Beat in egg. Beat in egg yolk. Turn mixer to low, & mix in 1/3 part flour mixture. Mix in 1 T milk. Mix in 1/3 part flour mixture. Mix in 1 T milk. Mix in last of flour mixture. Briefly mix batter on medium to smooth it out. Pour batter over bananas, & even out with spatula.

Lay doubled length of paper towels from end to end over top of crock pot, to line lid & create tighter seal. Put lid on crock pot, & continue cooking on high, til cake begins to slightly brown on sides, & springs back when touched in middle (about 3 ½ hrs).

Turn off crock pot, & let cake sit 20 mins more. Lift cake from crock pot using the foil, & set on counter to cool 30 mins. Fold back foil, & carefully invert cake onto platter so you can see bananas. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

slow cooked pulled pork

2009-06-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

(from Valerie C.)

Ingredients:

1 med onion, chopped
½ c ketchup
½ c cider vinegar
¼ c brown sugar
¼ c tomato paste
2 T sweet paprika
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T mustard
1 ½ t salt
1 ¼ t pepper
4 lbs boneless pork shoulder blade roast (fresh pork butt), cut into 4 pieces
12 soft sandwich buns or ciabatta rolls, warmed
Hot sauce, opt
Dill pickles, opt
Potato chips, opt

In 4 ½ - 6 quart crock pot, stir onion, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, paprika, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, & pepper til combined. Add pork & turn to coat well with sauce.

Cover crock pot with lid & cook on low 8-10 hrs, or til pork is very tender.

With tongs, transfer pork to large bowl. Turn crock pot to high, & cover & heat sauce to boiling to thicken & slightly reduce. While sauce boils, use 2 forks to pull pork into shreds. Return shredded pork to crock pot & mix into sauce. Cover crock pot & heat through, on high setting if necessary.

Serve pulled pork with sandwich buns, & hot sauce, pickles, & chips, if you like.

Chicken Tortellini Bake

2009-06-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

Josh has always been a fan of a dish I make that is similar to this one, so I just had to try this version to see how it compared. We both liked it a lot, but next time I'm going to make it even more like mine and add some sun dried tomatoes.

Chicken Tortellini
Bake 19 ounce package of cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
2 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut into bite size pieces
2 green onions finely chopped (white and green parts)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/8 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 carrot, coin sliced
2 broccoli heads, cut into bite size pieces (about 1.5-2 cups)
3/4 cup sour cream (I used non-fat which turned out great)
1 c. shredded cheese (I used a combo of mozzarella and parmesan)

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain spread out in a sprayed 9x13 baking dish.

In a skillet, saute the chicken with the green onion and garlic until chicken is done. While the chicken is cooking microwave the broccoli and carrots for about 1-2 minutes until colors become vibrant and they are slightly steamed. Add veggies to chicken and coat all with the flour. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened. Mix in sour cream until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened.

Sprinkle about of half the cheese over the tortellini then pour the chicken/sauce mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese over the top. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown around the edges.

Kim's note: the recipe I followed called for a much longer baking time resulting in slightly chewy pasta on the bottom. I'd suggest keeping an eye on it and only baking it as long as needed.

chocolate covered bananas

2009-06-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

My grandma made this for me when I was a kid... and I.LOVED.IT!

I think she dipped hers in chocolate chips that were melted. Then sometimes she rolled the banana in nuts.

My mom made some too, but she used Magic Shell, and those were so yummy too!

Peel & cut your bananas in half, and stick a popsicle stick in the middle of each one. Place on a tray and put in freezer for 3 hours.

Maddie brought home some Heath Magic Shell from a leftover ice cream party. I put it in the fridge.

Apparently it is the WRONG thing to do, because it was hard. There was a little section on the back (in tiny letters, I have to add!) that says "DO NOT REFRIGERATE!" Oops! So, I ran under hot water for a few minutes until I had some that poured out. The Magic Shell will harden almost immediately, so you will not be able to roll in nuts, M&M's or anything fun.

If you wish to use melted chocolate chips, don't freeze your banana first.... chop your banana in half, then roll in chocolate, then you can easily roll in a bowl full of nuts, chopped M&M's, etc. Just place in freezer for a few hours.

Ta-da! You'll have a very happy kid eating a frozen treat that is semi-good for you!

2009-06-09T06:16:00.000-07:00

I'm on a scone making kick, and I found this recipe online (joyofbaking.com), and just HAD to try it out! When blueberries finally went on sale, I bought a pint and went to work!

Ingredients

2 c flour
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
6 tbsp chilled butter
1 c fresh blueberries
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c cream or milk

Streusel Topping
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp chilled butter

For the scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Cut the butter into small pieces & blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the blueberries. In a small measuring cup combine the cream, beaten egg & vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently for or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut the circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk.

For the streusel topping: in a small bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender (or fork), cut in the butter until crumbly. Top each scone with a teaspoon or two of the streusel mixture.

Bake the scones until nicely browned @ 425 degrees, about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These are best eaten the day they are made, but can be covered and stored for a few days!

Amy's Notes: I used buttermilk instead of milk or cream, just because I've been using buttermilk with all my other scone recipes. If you use frozen blueberries, do not thaw first! Also, the recipe calls for unsalted butter, which I never have on hand. I used both salt & salted butter, and it tasted fine. You could just omit the salt if using salted butter. I also make sure all the items I bake is on parchment paper!!

Minestrone Soup

2009-06-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, my house smells so delicious with Minestrone Soup on the stove! Here's the simple recipe:

2 cans of beans, drained (kidney, garbanzo, pinto, navy, whatever)

8 c chicken broth

1 16 oz can diced tomatoes

Baby carrots chopped in half length wise

2 stalks celery, chopped fine

2 medium or 1 large onion chopped fine

2 cloves of garlic

1 c whole wheat macaroni, uncooked

2 Tb parsley

2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried basil leaves

¼ tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

1 ½ c or 1 can of cut green beans, drained

2 zucchini, cut small

Grated parmesan cheese

Add all ingredients except green beans and zuchinni. Simmer until tender, then add remaining two vegetables and cook until tender. Remove bay leaf, then serve with cheese on top.

Pass the Plate: Crock Pot Lasagna

2009-06-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

Hi Sisters! Thanks to everyone who came to Pass the Plate last night, and to those that couldn't make it, we missed you! Our theme for the night was crock pots, and since I wanted to show that there's more to crock pots than merely pot roast, I made crock pot lasagna. This is a super easy way to get real lasagna without the heat from an oven, or big pots of boiling water.

Crock Pot Lasagna
1 lb lean ground beef
1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
2 c. cottage cheese
2 c. mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
6 regular lasagna noodles - UNCOOKED
1/4 c. water

In frying pan, brown ground beef and drain fat. Add water and pasta sauce, reserving a small amount of sauce to line bottom of crock pot. Stir until well blended. Line crock pot with very thin layer of sauce, then top with 2-3 uncooked lasagna noodles that are broken to fit shape (some overlap is fine). Cover noodles with half the cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese, then top cheeses with half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers with the other half of the ingredients. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Kim's Special Note: If you noticed the plastic lining in the pictures, that is a Reynold's crock pot liner. You cook your meal in it just like normal, but then after serving the bag removes for virtually no clean up. If you want to try them, they are at the grocery store near the foils. I'm addicted to these things!

Happy Cooking!

Orange Chicken (from your cupboard)

2009-06-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

I love to make ordinary things into something special, and this is one of my all-time favs. This recipe takes Chicken Rice-a-Roni and turns it into a yummy Asian treat that Josh and I both love.

Orange Chicken
1 pound cubed chicken breast
1 package chicken flavored Rice a Roni
1 c. orange juice
1 1/2 c. hot water
1 1/2 c. frozen carrots, thawed
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp butter or margarine

Saute chicken in frying pan until fully cooked, then set aside. In same frying pan melt butter. Add rice from package and cook for a few minutes until lightly browned. Add ginger and garlic powders, Rice a Roni flavor packet, water and orange juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to med-low, and simmer covered for 10 minutes. After simmering, add carrots and chicken to the rice mixture and simmer covered for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until heated through and water is absorbed.

Happy Cooking!

Cake Batter Cookies

2009-05-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a dessert staple in our house. It throws together fast, is delicious, moderately healthy, and the cookies stay moist and delicious for days!

Cake Batter Cookies
1 box cake batter, any flavor (I think that Betty Crocker's Super Moist batter yields the best results, but any mix will do)
1 egg
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. applesauce

Mix all ingredients together. Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray, then spoon dough onto sheet in heaping tablespoons. Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes or until cooked through.

What's best about this recipe is that it lends well to creativity. Use any flavor of cake, stir in chips or other cookie items, or top with you favorite things. Some of my favorite variations are to make lemon cake cookies and dust with powdered sugar, make carrot cake cookies and drizzle with chocolate, chocolate cake cookies with mint chips, or add pumpkin to spice cake mix and make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Happy Cooking!

Orange Cranberry Scones

2009-05-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

picture by me

This is the same similar scone recipe as the Cinnamon Raisin Scones, but a few ingredients have changed.

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
3 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c cranberries (or Craisins)
zest of 1 orange

Glaze

1 c powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp orange juice

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse & crumbly. Add cranberries & orange zest. Stir in buttermilk to form a soft dough. Turn out (knead just a little bit, to bring it together) on a floured surface. You can either cut in circles, or place in a big circle (leave it about 1 inch high) and cut in half, then cut 4-5 triangles on each side.

Place scones on a baking sheet. (I used parchment paper under my scones!). Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes (depending on what size they are.... I had to let mine bake for 15 minutes), or until your toothpick comes clean. Brush with glaze when they are hot!

Cinnamon Raisin Scones

2009-05-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

picture by me

My sister in law gave me this recipe. I made this for the first time yesterday, and WOW! It was amazing!!

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

3 3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 c sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 stick butter

1 c buttermilk

1/2 c raisins

2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze
1 c powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp milk

couple shakes of cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse & crumbly. Add raisins. Stir in buttermilk to form a soft dough. Turn out (knead just a little bit, to bring it together) on a floured surface. You can either cut in circles, or place in a big circle (leave it about 1 inch high) and cut in half, then cut 4-5 triangles on each side.

Cook Yourself Thin: Turkey Mini-Meatloves

2009-05-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

I cannot say enough about this yummy recipe! Josh and I were blown away by the flavor and have given up on normal meatloaf after trying this. The best part is that each meatloaf is only 227 calories (and over a quarter pound, so it's very filling).

Cook Yourself Thin has quickly become one of my favorite shows, and I'm going to post this recipe as they presented it (although I did make a few changes that I'll note at the bottom of the page).

Turkey Mini-Meatloves

For the meatloaves
1 slice whole-wheat bread
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
5-ounce bag baby spinach leaves
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the glaze
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grind the bread in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a large bowl, and pour milk over crumbs.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, and stir until just wilted. Transfer to bowl with soaked crumbs. Add the turkey, cheese, egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Combine the mixture with your hands until well mixed; it will be quite wet.
4. Pack 1 cup of the mixture into a 1-cup dry measuring cup. Invert the cup onto a rimmed baking sheet, gently shaking the cup to release the mixture. Gently pat the mound to smooth its shape. Repeat three times with remaining mixture. Bake mini meatloaves until cooked through and golden, about 40 minutes.
5. While the meatloaves are cooking, make the glaze: In a small bowl combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Brush over meatloaves before serving.

*Kim's changes: I didn't use oil when I made this. Just a little cooking spray in the pan with the onions and on the cookie sheet that I baked the meatloaves on. I cut the amount of hot sauce in half since my husband doesn't like a lot of spice, but I think that next time I'll just leave it out entirely. I also didn't use the milk because I spaced it and forgot to throw it in, but they still turned out amazing and moist.

Happy Cooking!

Spicy Pear Compote

2009-05-22T04:56:00.000-07:00

This is from Veronic Southby's canning book and our 5/21 enrichment night!

1 Cup canned Whole Cranberry Sauce
3 Tbs. Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Lemon juice
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1 pint (16 oz) canned pears
2 medium oranges, peeled, sliced and halved

In a medium saucepan combine canned cranberry sauce, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and ginger; bring mixture to boiling. Drain pears, reserving 1/4 cup syrup. Cut pears in half lengthwise. Add pear quarters, orange slices, and the reserved pear syrup to cranberry mixture in saucepan; stir gently. Return to boiling. Reduce heat;cover and let simmer 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Spoon fruit into serving dishes. Serves 6.

Banana Bread (no sugar!)

2009-05-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup honey
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup mashed bananas
* 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 cup hot water
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter. Blend in chopped nuts. Spread batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
3. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing.

Fiber Bars

2009-05-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

* 2 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned)
* 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or stoneground spelt flour)
* 1 cup wheat germ
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
* 1/2 cup ground flax seeds
* 1/2 cup oil (neutral flavor like sunflower)
* 1/2 cup honey
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses (optional)
* 1 cup sugar-free applesauce, thick

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (including oats) and whisk together until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients until well blended.
4. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and blend gently until well moistened.
5. Add any of the suggested additions (add up to 2 cups of any of the following): chocolate chips, raisins (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes then drained), unsweetened shredded coconut, sunflower seeds (unsalted), pumpkin seeds (unsalted), dried fruit (like chopped apricots, cranberries), chopped toasted nuts.
6. Press mixture into pan a 9in x 13in pan.
7. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Cut into bars while warm, but let cool completely before removing from pan.

Veggie Burgers

2009-05-21T10:16:00.001-07:00

That's right, Veggie Burgers. No, Josh and I aren't getting all Tofu on ya, but once and awhile I like a vegetarian treat - they can be flavorful, cheaper than meat, better for you, and a fun way to shake things up. This recipe seemed right up our alley since it is based on black beans and rice, no weird soy products, and even cheats on the vegetarian aspect of this meal since it uses chicken broth for flavor. I'm not saying that this will be a new family classic, but it was a yummy departure from a traditional summer BBQ.This is actually a 2 part recipe, so we'll start with beans & rice:

For beans and rice, in a 10-inch skillet cook 1/2 cup finely chopped onion until tender, just a few minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup uncooked brown rice; stir for 1 minute. Add 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to med-low. Cover and simmer 40 minutes. Stir in 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained. Heat through. Makes 2 cups.

Veggie Burgers

2 Tbs. finely chopped carrot

2 Tbs. finely chopped red pepper

2 Tbs. frozen whole kernel corn

1.5 cups cooked beans and rice*

1 egg yolk

fine dry bread crumbs

Instructions: Combine carrot, corn, and red pepper in a small microwave safe bowl, cover with loose saran wrap and microwave on high for about 2 minutes until softened. Meanwhile place beans and rice in a larger mixing bowl and mash. Stir in the veggies and egg yolk until well combined. Using your hands form a small palm size ball of the bean-veggie mixture. Roll ball in the bread crumbs then flatten to the size of a burger patty. Repeat until all of the mixture is used, makes about 4 patties. Cook veggie patties in a skillet on med-high heat for about 3 minutes per side, or until they reach desired doneness. Serve in hamburger buns with all of your favorite hamburger toppings.

*Some fun ideas - before cooking time ends on burgers add some grated cheese and cover with pan lid four about a minute to make veggie cheeseburgers. Top with lettuce, tomato, A1 sauce, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, onion, whatever you like! I also had one patty in a lettuce wrap and it was great!

Kim's "Easy as Pie" Chicken Pot Pie

2009-05-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

Chicken Pot Pie is an American classic, and one that my husband loves. But, pot pie can be a lot of work, so I threw together this simple way to make it that is wonderful the first and second time eating it.

Kim's "Easy as Pie" Chicken Pot Pie
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked, shredded
20 oz frozen mixed veggies
1 1/2 cans reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. milk
3/4 Tbs onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 box prepared, refrigerated pie crusts (there's 2 in a box)

Directions: If not using leftover chicken, I'd suggest boiling it ahead of time. Boiling is an easy way to cook chicken, make it moist, easily shredable, and doesn't add fat or calories. Allow the veggies to thaw slightly, then mix all ingredients except crust in a large mixing bowl. Unroll the first pie crust and press it to sides of a pie dish (glass preferred). Add filling mixture until evenly dispersed in the crust. Top with second pie crust and pinch sides inward to close. Cut venting slits. Bake according to package directions (generally that's around 425 degrees for 60-90 minutes until done).

Special notes: Sometimes I have some of the sauce escape, so to save yourself a dirty oven, put the pie dish on top of a cookie or pizza pan. Also, if you're out of foil, or just hate to make the tents for crust, you can cover the whole pie with an oven-safe plate, then remove it after a half hour so the top can cook.I am a HUGE recipe finder, and love to blog my discoveries. I have lots up on my family blog that can be found at rowofhedges.blogspot.com, and searched with topics on the right side bar. Happy Cooking!

Island Punch (from pass the plate)

2009-05-16T07:57:00.001-07:00

I got this recipe from Sis. Ratliff. It is oh so refreshing and really easy to make!

1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice

1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

2 liters lemon-line flavored carbonated beverage

1. In an empty gallon milk jug or pitcher, pour pineapple juice and orange juice concentrate. Shake to mix and pour in the lemon-lime soda. You may need to let the fizz settle and then return to pouring. This will fill the gallon. Freeze overnight.

* if using a pitcher, pour some into another container to give room to expand in pitcher w/o breaking it.*

2. Let the punch start to thaw 2 or 3 hours before serving. Serve slushy.

Enjoy!

pineapple drop cookies

2009-05-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Ruth W., from Lauren S.'s home ward, in Aberdeen, SD.

Ingredients

1 c butter or margarine

1 1/2 c sugar

4 eggs

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple (well drained, reserve juice)

4 c flour

4 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

1 c chopped walnuts

Mix together all ingredients. Refrigerate dough 1 hr. Drop by tablespoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 mins at 375 degrees.

Frost with brown butter frosting while still warm:

6 T butter, browned (over medium heat, melt butter in skillet, til it turns brown)

6 T reserved pineapple juice, hot (heat in microwave)

1 t vanilla

3 c powdered sugar

Beat all together.

alfredo pasta

2009-05-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

My family loves a good alfredo dish. I found this recipe a few years ago on Top Secret Recipe. This guy recreates dishes from restaurants, and posts the recipe! I've found several that I love to recreate. This recipe is a knock off from Olive Garden. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 c (1 stick) bitter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 c heavy cream

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

pinch salt

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1 12-oz box fettuccine pasta (or your choice of pasta)

1) Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat.

2) Add the garlic, cream, pepper & salt, and bring mixture to a simmer. Turn the heat down if the mixture reaches a rapid boil or it could boil over. You just want a simmer. Add the cheese, and continue to simmer sauce for 8 minutes or until thick.

3) While sauce cooks, bring 4-6 quarts of water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook pasta for about 12 minutes or until done, then drain it.

4) Spoon pasta onto serving plates with Alfredo sauce poured over the top.

Amy's Notes:

I also like to grill chicken and lay on the top of the pasta!! It really does take a while to get it to simmer, so cook the pasta when it says to cook it in the directions.

knock off manwich

2009-05-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

This is a great recipe for one of those dinners you need to make in a cinch...

Ingredients:

one ~ 8 oz can of tomato sauce

1/4 tsp dry mustard

2 Tbsp honey

1 tsp Worchestire sauce (or however you spell it)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 lb hamburger

Brown hamburger, drain fat. Add all ingredients to the hamber, let simmer for about 5 minutes or so, and it's DONE! The mixture is enough for a pound of hamburger, so double accordingly if you have a huge family. I love this moreso than Manwich itself, which is almost too sweet in a way. This was a little sweet, but not overbearingly sweet.

friendly french bread

2009-05-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from a friend in Overland Park. She is a fantastic baker. She shared her recipe a few months ago on her blog, and I have since made this twice, and each time it was "ooh, so yummy!"

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c hot water
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
1/3 c olive oil
2 tbsp SAF yeast
6 c white flour

Combine water, sugar, salt, olive oil, and 3 cups flour in mixer. Add yeast and then add the last 3 cups of flour. Lex mix until well combined, and then let rest for 10 minutes. Mix again for just 5 seconds, then let rest for another 10 minutes. Do this a total of 4 times and then put dough on floured surface. Knead to handle stage. Cut into 2 equal parts and roll each into a 9x12 rectangle. At this stage, you can put butter and garlic powder on the dough, or pesto sauce or just leave plain (whatever you like). Roll up and cinch the seam together and put both facing each other on a cookie sheet, seam side down. Slash the top with a sharp knife 3 times and brush with a beaten egg on top. Let rise for 30 minutes and then bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, in the middle of the oven. Voila! Crispy on the outside, soft & delicious on the inside!

Makes TWO big loaves!

Healthy Banana Bread

2009-05-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Just to stick with my "health nut" stereotype, I thought I'd share another healthy family snack.

½ c applesauce
1 c yogurt
2 c sugar
5 eggs
3 t vanilla
6 c whole wheat flour (freshly ground in the best!)
3 t baking soda
3 t baking powder
1 ½ t salt
6 large bananas

Cream together margarine, yogurt, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla then beat well. Mix dry ingredients and bananas last.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Makes 3 large loaves.

pina colada cake

2009-04-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Another yummy recipe from Lisa P.!!

1 yellow cake mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
11/4 Cup shredded coconut
17oz can crushed pineapple, drained ~ SAVE JUICE
15oz can CREAM of Coconut
1 8ozCool Whip

COMBINE dry cake mix and dry pkg of INSTANT pudding in mixing bowl.

MIX cake as directed using pineapple juice as all or part of the liquid (depending on how much you get from draining).

FOLD IN 1 Cup of coconut and the drained pineapple to the mixture.

BAKE cake @ 350 degrees in a greased 13"x9" pan. Check with toothpick to be sure middle of cake is done.

PUNCH holes in top of cake while hot out of the oven.

SHAKE can of CREAM of Coconut well then pour all over cake.

COOL

SPREAD Cool Whip over cake and sprinkle with rest of coconut.

Refridgerate cake and serve cool. Refreshing!

sticky rice with mango

2009-04-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe from Lisa P..... enjoy! She said this is VERY yummy!

1 cup rice
1/2 cup Creamy Coconut Milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. fine sliced Lemon Grass (you can get it frest in the fresh herb section)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1-2 FRESH, RIPE PEELED MANGOS or FROZEN MANGOS

1. Rinse rice until the water runs clear to remove the starch. Drain the rice.
2. Place the rice in a heavy bottom saucepan and add 1 3/4 cups of water. Cover
with good fitting lid and cook on medium for 20 min. Do not remove lid during cooking. Let rice sit covered off of heat while you prepare sauce.
3. Combine the coconut milk, vanilla, lemon grass, sugar and salt in a saucepan
and heat the sauce over low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Place rice in a serving dish. Pour the coconut sauce over the rice to lightly coat
each grain, allow rice to cool 10 minutes.
5. Top with mango chunks and drizzle remaining sauce as a garnish.

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

2009-04-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

My friend made this and sent it to me and it is delicious! Light, fast and yummy!

Chicken:

2 Tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

2 and 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

4 (6 - ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 teaspoon salt

cooking spray

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

1 cup chopped tomatoes (about 2)

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 freshly ground black pepper

1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped

To prepare chicken, combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss and let stand 3 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat grill pan on stove over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.

To prepare salsa, combine tomatoes and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl. Add avocado, stir gently to combine. Serve salsa over chicken. Yield 4 servings (serving size; 1 chicken breast half and about 1/4 cup salsa.

289 calories

homemade ice cream

2009-04-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

My family is BIG on homemade ice cream. Every single hot holiday we break out the ice cream maker, and let it churn..... and of course, we eat Mayonnaise cake on the side. :) We make banana ice cream, butterfinger ice cream, strawberry ice cream... on & on the list goes. Here is the basic recipe, and you add flavors as you like (just close your eyes at some of the ingredients... I have to!).........

Ingredients

2 quarts half & half

6 eggs

2 c sugar

milk (to fill to the rim... you may not need it though)

a little touch of vanilla

Mix all together in blender, then add to ice cream maker. From there, freeze according to the directions from your ice cream maker (use ice cream salt, ice, etc).

Now, if you want to make banana ice cream, I used 6 bananas that needed to be used, and FAST! I froze my bananas for an hour first (take skin off!), then placed 3 bananas, 1 cup sugar, 1 quart half & half in the blender, pour it in the container, then do another round in the blender w/ the remaining ingredients.

If you want to make butterfinger ice cream, chop up 6 big butterfinger bars, and decrease your sugar to 1 3/4 cup.

2009-04-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hot Artichoke Dip

Extremely high in fat, calories, sodium and cholesterol - this dish is always a hit!

1 can artichoke hearts, drained
4 oz. can green chilies
1 cup mayonnaise
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 oz. shredded parmesan cheese

Mix ingredients together and put in small casserole dish. Heat through at 350 degrees until bubbly. Serve with crusty bread or tortilla chips.

Homemade Granola Bars

2009-04-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

My kids love these and there is no high fructose corn syrup like the store bought kinds :)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Gather your ingredients:

2 cups oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup peanuts, crushed
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
approximately 8 oz. dried fruit

To crush your peanuts, put them in a plastic bag and smash them with a heavy mallet, measuring cup, or sauce pan.

Then, mix the peanuts, oats, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds in a baking dish with sides. Toast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they don’t get burned.

Meanwhile, prepare a glass baking dish (about 11 x 13 inches) for your granola by lining it with waxed paper lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray.

Put the brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and salt into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

By now, your grains and nuts should be toasted, so mix everything together in a large bowl. The grains, the liquid “glue,” and the dried fruit. Oh, and turn off your oven, because you’re finished with it now.

Mix everything REALLY WELL because you want to make sure the “glue” gets all over everything. Now, dump your granola mixture into your prepared baking dish. Spread out the mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Now fold over the sides of the waxed paper or add a sheet on top, and PRESS HARD all over the granola. You want to compact it together so that your bars won’t fall apart when you cut them.

Wait 2-3 hours or until the granola has totally cooled. Then, open the waxed paper …

And carefully turn the granola onto a large cutting board, peeling away the rest of the paper.

Now, firmly pressing down with a big knife (not sawing), cut your granola into whatever size bars you’d like

I wrapped ours individually in plastic wrap, so that we could just throw one into our bag or lunch box in the morning. I also through the extras in the freezer so they stay fresh. If you’d like to save on packaging though, you can store yours in an airtight container, between sheets of waxed paper (so they don’t stick together).

Pork Barbacoa Burritos

2009-04-21T12:26:00.001-07:00

Pork:
3-4 lb. boneless pork roast loin roast

Cook roast in crockpot covered halfway with water on low setting for 6 hours, or in 275 degree oven. Drain off liquid and add:

1 can Coke
1 lg. bottle red taco sauce
1 c. brown sugar
1 T. ground cumin

Cook for 3 more hours shredding pork with fork halfway through.

Rice:

In a saucepan, saute one small chopped onion in butter. Add rice to same saucepan and cook according to package directions, substituting chicken broth for water and add zest of one lime. Before serving add lime juice and fresh cilantro to taste.

2 cans black beans, drained
2 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 cans mild green enchilada sauce
16-20 burrito sized flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 425. Spray two 9 x 13 inch baking pans with cooking spray. If tortillas are dry, warm in microwave for 15 seconds. FIll tortillas with shredded pork, rice, beans, and cheese and roll up burrito style. Line up in pan. Immediately before baking, pour enchilada sauce on top of burritos and top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

better than _?__ cookies

2009-04-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

created by Leisa P. & Erica..... you can fill in the blank of what these are better than. :D

Ingredients
1 Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Cake Mix (this has mini chips in the mix)

1/3 Cup Oil

2 eggs

3/4 Cup Chocolate Chips (used milk chocolate)

3/4 Cup Toffee bits

Combine ingredients and bake 9-10 minutes at 350

saucy parmesan chicken

2009-04-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from the Kraft Magazine that is free! (Click HERE to sign up for your own magazine!).

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts (I use the tenders)
1/4 c Italian dressing
1/4 c Parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients in a resealable bag. Turn over several times to coal well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate, making sure chicken is not overlapping each other. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken on a piece of foil. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through

broccoli cheese soup

2009-04-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

I got this from either Cooking Light or Martha Stewart magazines a few years ago, so you can make it a "lite" version (skim milk & 2% Velveeta).

Ingredients:
1 c chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 c chicken broth
1 (16 oz) pkg broccoli florets
2 1/2 c milk
1/3 c flour
1/4 tsp ground pepper
8 oz Velveeta, cubed

Heat large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Add onion & garlic; saute for 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth & broccoli. Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Combine milk & flour, stirring until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick (stir often). Stir in pepper. Remove from heat, add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Place 1/3 of the soup in a blender or food processor (or hand blender) and blend until smooth.

Yield: 6 servings (1 1/3 c each)

mini molten chocolate cake dessert

2009-04-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

There are these little boxes of Betty Crocker (or is it Duncan Hines?) that you can get those Mini Warm Delights cake and you put it in the microwave?! Well, now you can do it for MUCH cheaper...

1/4 c chocolate cake mix

1 tbsp + 1 tsp water

Mix well

Add in hot fudge, drizzle it over cake

Microwave for 30 seconds

If it is still "wet" looking, add 10 more seconds.

**you can use ANY kind of cake mix and just add water and any ingredient for a quick slice of cake. Beats making an entire cake just to satisfy a craving!

candied pear salad

2009-04-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

Salad:
spinach
craisins
brie cheese (cubed)
fresh pears (these were sliced very thin)
candied almonds

To candy almonds, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan. Add 1/2 cup nuts, stir and add 1/2 cup sugar and dash of salt. Cook over medium heat until sugar melts. Be sure not to burn the nuts. Spread on waxed paper to cool.

Salad dressing is Briannas Home Style Blush Wine Vinaigrette with Cuisine Perel D'Anjou Pear Vinegar.

Add about 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the bottle of salad dressing.

easy raspberry lemonade punch

2009-04-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

This recipe is perfect for a shower of any sort, or just to drink anytime. Just add a few raspberries & mint leaves to a tray of ice cubes, cover with water & freeze.

Ingredients:
1 12 oz can frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate
3 c water
3/4 tsp lime juice
1 12 oz can lemon lime pop
1 c fresh raspberries, garnish (optional)
1 c crushed ice
1 c fresh mint, garnish (optional)

In a large punch bowl, combine raspberry lemonade concentrate, water & lime juice. Stir in lemon lime soda & crushed ice. Serve immediately.

NOTE: I think I buy raspberry LIMEADE instead of lemonade, either way it's still the same. When I make this for dinner or company, I just put it in a rubbermaid pitcher, so unless I'm hosting a shower/party, no punch bowl is needed!

Strawberry Mozzarella Salad

2009-04-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

{{this was served last December at the RS Christmas Party}}

Add lettuce (the above was butter lettuce, which I'm not sure what that is, but I guess any kind of nice green lettuce will work)

slice up some strawberries.

We had bought the small mozzarella balls and sliced those up, but I think those mozzarella sticks will work good too.

Then, crush up some candied pecans (we loved the glazed Pecan Pie flavored Pecans).

Add those three ingredients to the lettuce.

poppy seed dressing:

1/3 c red wine vinegar

1 tsp yellow mustard

3/4 c oil

1/3 c sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Normally, one could add 1 tsp finely chopped red onion, but I had forgotten it, and it was still delicious! I did not pour all of the dressing over it, maybe about 1/4 cup. I saved the rest in one of my new "oh so cute" mason jars. Add the dressing at the very last possible minute, otherwise salad greens will wilt!!

Lisa's Pizza Crust

2009-04-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I asked Lisa if she could "show" me how to make her cinnamon rolls. I can't seem to make cinnamon rolls very well. Well.... she did, and I learned. Forward the time to a few months later, and a Girls Night Out was hosted at her house, and she made homemade pizza! It was OUT OF THIS WORLD!! I called her this morning for the recipe, and she said it was the exact same one she used for the cinnamon rolls, so here it is!

Ingredients

melt 2 c milk + 1 stick butter in the microwave

let cool a bit

Mix:

2 pkg yeast (that's under 1 tbsp x 2, so under 2 tbsp)

3 1/2 c flour

1/2 c sugar

salt (1/2 tsp - 2 tsp)...

says recipe calls for 2 tsp but she likes sweeter rolls, so she uses about 1/2 tsp,

but for pizza, use a little more salt

Mix milk & flour stuff

Add 1 egg & beat (pour into mixture)

Add about 3 cups more flour

Knead for 10 minutes & rise for 1 hour or double in size (punch)

Roll out into rectangle (or circle)

Now, we did not use a mixer, we used our HANDS (and a whisk & wooden spoon)! Let me tell you, I am very grateful for my Kitchenaid mixer.... but I did learn that we can use our own hands for this, and it turns out just fine! I did also learn that when we roll it out, it should NOT stick to our rolling pin!

If you are using a cookie sheet, then sprinkle some cornmeal on the bottom of the pan. When you lay your pizza crust in there, and after you spread your pizza sauce, cheese, etc on it, then spread some olive oil on the sides of the pizza that is exposed (not covered w/ any of the cheese, sauce, etc).

ONE NOTE:

this makes a HUGE batch! I'm sure you can half the recipe if you don't want to make 5-6 pizza's. :) (or cinnamon rolls)

UPDATE: I made this last night for the family using half the recipe (still using a whole egg). This made a large cookie sheet size of pizza. It was also a very thick crust too, but it was so delicious!!