Gage's Extra Special Rice Krispie Treats

This is not your plain old Rice Krispie Treat! I make it extra special with oreos and sprinkles!! Golden Oreos are our favorite but Mom only had regular oreos. Still soooo good! You should try it. Your kids will love it.

4 Tbsp. butter
40 large marshmallows
1 tsp. vanilla
6 c. rice krispies
1 c. broken up oreo pieces
sprinkles

Melt butter and marshmallows in pan. Add vanilla and stir. Add rice krispies, oreos, and sprinkles. Spread in pan.

My mom taught me to wet my fingers a little bit before pressing the treats into the pan. They don't stick to me and they spread in the pan better.

Creamy White Chili

I made this on Sunday and everyone LOVED it. It's definitely going to be made again in our house. But probably in the winter. Summer is not a great time for chili.

The only thing I would change is maybe using a different white bean. I put it in the crockpot while we were at church (instead of simmering it for 30 minutes on the stove), and the beans were a bit soft. Not bad at all, just a little too soft for my personal taste. Maybe a white kidney bean next time.

Creamy White Chili

(picture and recipe from My Kitchen Cafe)

Serves 6

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon oil

2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips.

Spaghetti with Zesty Bolognese

This recipe is really easy to make and it sort of dresses up your regular spaghetti night.

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
1 lb. ground beef
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. Cream Cheese
12 oz. spaghetti, uncooked
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. COOK onions in dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Increase heat to medium-high. Add meat; cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Stir in tomato sauce and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 15 min. Remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese until well blended.

2. MEANWHILE, cook pasta as directed on package.

3. SPOON sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Chinese Fried Rice

I had been craving fried rice for a while, so I found this recipe on recipezaar and made it. I liked it, but I would probably use less sesame oil next time. Also make sure the rice is cold. It clumps together otherwise.

2 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups cold cooked rice
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil

1. on low heat place 1 tablespoon olive oil in large saucepan or wok. Cook beaten eggs briefly, breaking into pieces. Remove and set aside.
2.Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan. Add onions, carrots, and peas. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
3.Dissolve chicken bouillon cube in water. Place in pan and add cold rice, garlic powder, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Toss lightly to mix well and heat for 3 minutes. Add in egg pieces and mix.
4. Additional soy sauce may be added to taste. (One cup of finely chopped pork or chicken pieces may also be added.)

Easy Mexican Rice

Mike wanted me to make mexican rice, so I looked it up on recipezaar.com and this is the recipe I used. It was very good, and I don't even like mexican rice.

1/4-1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups parboiled long-grain rice
1(14 oz) can chicken broth
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Over medium-high heat, saute onion in olive oil until tender; add rice and continue sauteing for 3-5 minutes until rice becomes opaque.
2. add chicken broth, tomato sauce, and seasonings; bring to boil then reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20-25 minutes until rice is cooked.
3. Remove pan from heat; let stand covered for 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed; fluff with fork and serve

Calling All Cooks

Whether we enjoy cooking or not it is a fact of life. We have families who need to eat!! If any of you are like me, I get in a rut and nothing sounds good. It's the same old, same old. I'm hoping that we can use this blog to share our tried and true recipes with one another. This is purely selfish on my part. We have some good cooks in the family and I want their recipes :)
Pictures of the finished product are always helpful but not necessary. Put as many recipes as you would like. The more the better!! I have made everyone in the family authors of the blog. I think it would also be helpful to label our posts dessert, main dish, bread, etc.
If you have any ideas or suggestions for this blog please feel free to let me know about it!

Below is a recipe to get us started--

The Best and Easiest Apple Dumplings

THESE ARE DIVINE!! I got the recipe from my sister-in-law, Karin. You have got to try them, for as simple and fast as they are, it is unbelievable how yummy they are. They take at most 10 minutes to assemble!!! Depending on how great of an apple peeler you are! HaHa!

Pictures and recipe from pioneerwomancooks.blogspot

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour 12 ounces of Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Serve them hot right from the oven!!! They aren't as good cold.