Butterscotch Bubble Loaf

We've made this the past few years on Christmas morning for breakfast. The kids love it!

Butterscotch Bubble Loaf

Serves 10-12

24 Rhodes dinner rolls, thawed but still cold

1/2 box butterscotch or vanilla pudding mix, non-instant

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

Thaw rolls until soft (about 2 hours at room temperature). Spray bundt pan. Cut dinner rolls in half and dip in dry pudding mix. Arrange rolls in pan, alternately arranging and sprinkling pecans. Sprinkle remaining pudding mix over the top. Combine brown sugar and butter. Heat together until butter is melted and a syrup is formed (microwave about 1 1/2 minutes). Pour syrup over rolls. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size or even with top of bundt pan. Carefully remove wrap. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. Cover with foil the last 15 minutes of baking. Immediately after baking, loosen from sides of the pan with a knife and invert onto a serving plate.

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

Mike likes to give a little gift to all of his associates (his crew that he manages) at Christmas. I needed something super-simple this year (but still yummy) and we decided on this popcorn I found at Our Best Bites.

It's really yummy and super easy to make!

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

Recipe by Our Best Bites

12 cups popped popcorn (about 1 cup kernels)

1 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 t cinnamon

1/4 C karo syrup

1 stick real butter

1t vanilla

1/2 t baking soda

3 squares almond bark (about 4 oz) (I just used white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 liter capacity microwave safe bowl. Mix well. Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup over the top of everything. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more. Remove from microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Stir to combine. Mixture will foam and rise.

Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir very well so everything is well coated. Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spread out on a large piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil. Melt almond bark according to package instructions. Drizzle over popcorn mixture. When almond bark is hardened and popcorn is cool, break into chunks and enjoy!

My Mom's Cranberry Salad

Not the most original name, but I'm not feeling super-creative today. :) My family always had this in lieu of more "traditional" cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's tangy, but also really sweet. You can cut the sugar back to 1 cup to reduce the sweetness, if you prefer.



My Mom's Cranberry Salad



1 bag frozen cranberries, chopped in blender

1 can crushed pineapple

2 cups sugar

1 container Cool Whip (you could make 2 cups of real whipped cream)

1 package marshmallows

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)



Combine cranberries, pineapple, and sugar in bowl. Let sit one hour. Pour into colander, and let drain over bowl (covered) for two hours (I usually leave it overnight). In a larger bowl, combine Cool Whip and marshmallows. Fold in cranberry mixture and nuts (if using). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Candied Coconut Sweet Potatoes

Can I just say, "Yummmmmmy"! These were so good that even my brother-in-law, Jordan (who hates sweet potatoes) went back for seconds! Everyone raved. I found the recipe at ourbestbites.blogspot.com.

4 c. mashed sweet potatoes (roast potatoes in oven at 400 degrees for 40 min - 1 hour)
6 T. butter, melted
6 T. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all together and spread in 9x13 inch pan.

Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over the top. The topping can be doubled. I did!

1 c. brown sugar
1 c. coconut flakes
1/2 stick butter

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. I didn't take pictures but you can check out our best bites for pictures of theirs.

PUMPKIN GOOEY BUTTER CAKE

Recipe from FHE on Sunday. I did not used reduced-fat butter or cream cheese. Recipe says it serves 24....must be awfully small servings!


Crust:
1 pkg (18-1/4 oz) yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 c reduced-fat butter, melted

Filling:
1 pkg (8 oz) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 c canned pumpkin
1/2 c reduced fat butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 c powdered sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Additional powdered sugar, optional

1. In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, egg and butter on low speed until combined. Press into a 13 x 9 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.

2. In another large bowl, beat cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the butter, eggs egg whites and vanilla; beat on low until combined. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well. Pour over crust.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Chill until serving. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

Alfredo Chicken Pot Pie

I was experimenting with this, but it turned out yummy.

Alfredo Chicken Pot Pie

Pie crusts- top and bottom
2 cups cooked,diced chicken breast
2 cups mixed veggies (I used peas and carrots, but you can use what ever.)
1 roasted red bell pepper -diced
approx 1 1/2 cup alfredo sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Combine Chicken, veggies and sauce. Prepare bottom pie crust in 9in pie dish. Fill with chicken mixture. Cover with top pie crust and crimp the edges. Cut slits on top crust. Bake for 40-45 mins or until crust is golden brown.

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Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

I have made this a few times and we love it at our house. For our family it is a great "make once, eat twice recipe". It makes 2 9x9 pans. You just eat one and freeze the other. I found the recipe on My Kitchen Cafe.



Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage
Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes with juice, lightly crushed with hands (or crushed tomatoes)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni
10 ounces baby spinach (I double the amount of spinach - fresh or frozen)
12 ounces smoked chicken (or turkey) sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 ounces fontina (or mozzarella) cheese, 4 ounces cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 2 ounces coarsely grated
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook for another minute.

Stir in tomatoes and oregano; cook until tomatoes are falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Add spinach, and cook just until wilted. Drain, and return contents to pot.

Add tomato sauce, sausage, and cubed fontina to pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly between two shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dishes. Top with grated fontina and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

You can freeze half and cook from frozen at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, or until browned and edges are crisp.

Sweet Potato Fries

Jordan and Janell brought over a grocery bag full of sweet potatoes the other night. Emmalin and I have been in sweet potato heaven ever since! She and I both LOVE them. Emmalin devours these fries. They're pretty tasty! Stay tuned for more sweet potato recipes!

1 lb. sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 c. olive oil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Mix oil with seasonings. Stir in sweet potatoes and coat evenly. Spread out on baking sheet in single layer. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring around every 10 minutes.

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Wild Rice Soup

I found this recipe last year on Picky Palate, and we all loved it! My kids don't even complain about the veggies in it (though Adam eats around the onions). This makes a big pot of soup, but I'm not sure exactly how much it serves.

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Wild Rice Soup

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

4 large carrots, peeled and sliced

4 Cups fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

2 cans chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup (I use low-fat)

1 can cheddar cheese soup

¾ Cup milk or heavy cream (I use milk)

2 Cups cooked shredded chicken breast

1 Cup cooked wild rice (I normally do 2 because my kids really like it)

Pinches of salt and pepper to taste

Place oil into a large dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Saute onion and carrots 8-10 minutes or until softened. Stir in baby spinach and cook until slightly wilted. Stir in garlic for 1 minute then add chicken broth, soups, milk, chicken, salt and pepper. Heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until heated through.

Green Bean Casserole

Gage and Amberly had Thanksgiving Feasts at school today. My assignment for Amberly was easy -- plates and silverware. Gage's teacher asked me to bring green beans. I decided to make green bean casserole and found this recipe over at realmomkitchen. Honestly I didn't think the kids would touch it. It's green beans after all. I'm a fan, but these are 2nd graders we're talking about. Well...the kids loved it and I was named by Gage's peers, "The Best Green Bean Casserole Maker".

Picture snagged from realmomkitchen.blogspot.com 2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 c. sour cream
3 cans cut green beans, drained
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 (2.8 oz) can or 1 1/3 c. French's french fried onions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add flour and stir til smooth. Continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add salt, sugar, and sour cream. Mix well. Add green beans and stir until coated. Pour into 2 1/2 quart pan (I used a 9x13). Sprinkle with cheese and then sprinkle with onion. Bake covered for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

Chicken a la King

This was one of my favorite dishes growing up, and I usually make it on my birthday. There's absolutely nothing healthy about it, but it's total yummy comfort food. (Sorry about the completely un-appetizing picture... it tastes good. Really. :) )

Chicken a la King

Serves 6-8

1/2 cup butter
1 green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
3 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (I leave this out)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups chicken broth

2 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey
Hot mashed potatoes, rice, or toast (We always do homemade mashed potatoes)

Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook bell pepper and mushrooms in butter, stirring occasionally, until bell pepper is crisp-tender.

Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk and broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken; cook until hot. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or toast.

Apple Crisp

Tonight for Relief Society we had a slow cooker pot luck. I decided to take my tried-and-true apple crisp recipe (from Tiffin) and make it in the slow cooker. It turned out really good.

Apple Crisp

8 large golden delicious apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup apple juice
juice from one lemon
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cups oatmeal (the original only uses 1/3 cup, but I like it with more)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
cinnamon

Place apples in bottom of slow cooker. Mix juices together and pour over apples. In a large bowl combine sugars, flour, oatmeal and salt. Cut in butter and crumble over apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours. If you prefer a crunchier crumb topping, place uncovered crock on bottom rack of oven under the broiler for 5 minutes or so.

Oven directions: Place apples in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour juices over them. Add the crumb topping and cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Click here for printable version.

Caleb's Enchiladas

The other day I made Caleb's enchiladas. Mike loves them, especially since they make good leftovers. I was eating them for lunch too and Joss wanted to share with me. You can't tell from the picture, but Joss really likes enchiladas.

In case there is someone who doesn't know how to make these.

Bean Burros Enchilada Style

Flour Tortillas- burrito size
Refried beans
Cheese
Enchilada sauce

Wrap beans and cheese in tortillas. Bake in 350 degree oven for approx 10 mins.
Pour enchilada sauce over burros. Top with cheese. Bake an additional 10 mins.

I usually put sliced black olives on top before I bake them but it optional.

Sticky Coconut Chicken

Amanda showed me this recipe a while ago and I thought I would give it a try. It was so good. I think it had a little too much black pepper, but that was just me. Patrick thought it was just right. We also loved the rice with the coconut milk. Mmmmmmmmm...

Sticky Coconut Chicken
from MyKitchenCafe

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Marinade chicken in coconut milk, ginger, pepper and red pepper flakes at least one hour (I let mine marinade four about four to five hours). Grill on barbecue.

Glaze:
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

While the chicken is grilling, bring above ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Be patient because it takes a little while. But once it starts getting really thick, immediately take it off the heat! Glaze both sides of chicken the last few minutes of grilling and serve chicken over rice.

Sidenote: I used the extra coconut milk left in the can as part of the liquid in my rice and it was unbelievable! It was very mildly sweet and paired so well with the chicken. Yum!

Mexican Haystacks

Adam's most favorite dinner!

Mexican Haystacks

Serves 6-8

4 cups cooked rice (I use short-grain brown)

1 pound ground beef (I use ground turkey)

1 onion, diced

1/2 cup salsa

Shredded cheese

Toppings:

Shredded lettuce

Chopped tomato

Diced olives

Crushed tortilla chips

Sour cream

Salsa

Brown meat with onion in pan over high heat; drain. Add salsa (you could also use a packet of taco seasoning, we prefer salsa). Cook over medium-high heat until bubbling.

To serve: layer rice, meat, and cheese. Stack on additional toppings as desired.

Potato Rolls

This is one of our favorite basic roll recipes. They always turn out and are so light and tender.

I usually make them when I make soup, but Adam and Grace love to make little sandwiches out of them for lunches with PB&Honey.

Potato Rolls

Makes 24 rolls

4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup milk

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup shortening (I always have butter-flavored Crisco, so that's what I use)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup mashed potato*

Combine 2 cups of the flour and yeast in mixer bowl. Heat and stir milk, water, sugar, shortening, and salt until just warm (120 - 130 degrees) and shortening almost completely melts and sugar has dissolved. Add to flour mixture along with egg and mashed potato. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as possible.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes).** Shape into ball. Place into a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in warm place until double (about 1 hour).

Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Divide each portion of dough into 12 pieces. Gently pull each piece into a ball, tucking edges under to make smooth tops. Place onto prepared baking sheet. Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double (35 to 45 minutes).

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove immediately from baking sheet, and cool completely on wire racks.

* Peel and quarter 1 medium potato. Cook in a small amount of boiling water until fork-tender. Drain. Mash, and measure out 1/2 cup.

** I just change my beater out for the dough hook on my mixer, instead of kneading by hand.

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

A few days ago, it was in the 40s and windy, and soup sounded so good. We tried this recipe from My Kitchen Cafe and we all loved it. It was so yummy! So, this isn't a "tried and true", but I wanted to share a new hit at our house. I served it with potato rolls.

(For us, the chicken didn't seem to do much for this recipe... maybe because I just boiled it, so it didn't have much flavor. I don't know. Next time, I think I might just add some frozen corn instead. I also added a cup of celery to the vegetables, to stretch it a bit more for Mike's lunch the next day).

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

Serves 4-5

1 pound chicken breasts, cooked and diced

1 onion, diced

1-2 Tablespoons butter

3-4 cups chicken broth (I used 4 cups)

4-5 reg carrots, sliced

1 cup chopped celery

4-5 potatoes, finely diced

1 cup milk

4 Tablespoons flour

8oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature

Salt and pepper, to taste

Saute onion in butter. Put onion in pot and add 3 cups of chicken broth, carrots, and potatoes (and celery). Add more broth to cover vegetables, if needed. Bring to a boil, then simmer until veggies are tender (about ten minutes). When veggies are tender, mix the flour with the milk and add to the soup. Add cream cheese to soup little pieces at a time and stir until it is all melted. Add cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

Gingerbread Boys (or Girls)

I made these twice this week. They were a hit at Cub Scouts the other night. I made another batch today to take to the Halloween Party tonight! It's just my regular ol' gingerbread cookies that I usually do for Christmas. Amanda saw a cute idea to make them into skeletons. Amberly is thrilled because this is her favorite cookie and I would only make them at Christmas. Now she gets them twice a year. 1 c. molasses
1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. hot water
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
3 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. cloves
6 c. flour

Glaze:
3 c. powdered sugar
3/4 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Simmer molasses and shortening in saucepan for 5 minutes. Cream together sugar and egg. Dissolve baking soda in water and add to sugar mixture. Add vanilla, salt, and spices and mix together. Pour in molasses mixture and mix well. Add flour mixing well. Roll dough into a thick layer on floured surface. Cut in shapes. Scraps can be rolled out again. I keep a damp, warm towel or paper towels on the surface of my dough that is in the bowl so that it doesn't dry out or get too cold. Bake at 375 degrees for 6-7 minutes. After all cookies are baked, dip them completely in glaze and let drain and dry on cookie racks for a few hours. At Christmastime I like to put sprinkles or colored sugar on them after I dip them in the glaze.

Fairy Bread

I heard about Fairy Bread a while ago and then I read about it in Parents Magazine (I think). It is super simple and my kids love it. It is apparently very popular in Australia.

Fairy Bread

bread slices
butter
candy sprinkles

Butter the bread and pile on the sprinkles.

It also works well on toast.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. cornstarch
oil

Dip chicken in beaten egg, then dip in cornstarch, then fry in hot oil until a light golden color. Place chicken in 8x8 pan.

Mix together sauce ingredients and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. vinegar
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. ketchup
3 Tbsp. soy sauce

Bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours.

Gingerbread Waffles

Perfect on a nice Fall morning!! Kimball doesn't even like pumpkin but he likes these waffles.
3 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. molasses
1/2 c. butter, melted

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. In separate bowl beat together eggs and brown sugar until fluffy. To egg mixture add pumpkin, milk, molasses, and butter. Combine until everything is moistened. Do not overmix.

Cook in waffle iron. Serve with syrup and powdered sugar. Yum!!!

Mummy Pizzas

Okay, so they are NOT picture perfect, but we had fun making them anyway! You can use bagels, english muffins, or homemade pizza crust. Add your sauce, and a couple of sliced olives for eyeballs. We like pepperoni so we put them on under the cheese so our mummies didn't look like they had the measles. We then layered string cheese that we had pulled apart to make the gauze effect.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I made this and took it to Mom and Dad's and Grandma's house on Sunday and everyone loved it. Grandma even told me I had to bring it again sometime.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Beat:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla


Add:
2 cups grated zucchini
2 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa


*For extra chocolatey-ness, add a big handful of chocolate chips --however many you like!
Preheat oven to 350. Pour batter into greased (or use nonstick cooking spray) and sugared loaf pans Sugaring is just like flouring a pan--but do it with sugar. It makes for a delightfully sweet and crispy crust.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes (I cooked mine for like 20 extra minutes because it was super jiggly when it came out of the oven.)

Creamy Italian Chicken w/ Ghost Rolls

For these little ghost rolls you just use your favorite basic bread recipe (mine is at the bottom of the post). Roll into balls, then into thick ropes about 3 inches long. Place them on baking sheet and flatten. The eyes can be whatever you want -- raisins, black beans, I used black food coloring. Let rise and then bake according to your recipe instructions. Creamy Italian Chicken

1 lb. chicken, cooked however you like -- grilled, boiled, whatever
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. Zesty Italian Dressing mix
1/2 c. water
1 can or jar sliced mushrooms, drained (this is optional)
pasta, any kind you want

Combine in saucepan and heat together cream cheese, soup, dressing mix, and water. If it's too thick you can add a little water or milk. Add chicken and mushrooms. You can spoon the sauce over the pasta or mix it all together. I usually just mix it all together.

Basic Bread Dough

1 1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. yeast
2-3 Tbsp. sugar

Dissolve sugar and yeast in water

Add and mix:
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt

Add and mix:
1/4 c. oil

Add and mix until ball forms:
2 c. flour

Let rise til doubled. At this point it can be used for rolls, pizza crust, cinnamon rolls, hamburger or hot dog buns. Shape and then let rise again. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes.

Salsa

1 14 oz. can tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 can water (use tomato sauce can)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Put all of these ingredients in the blender and blend til smooth

Add:
2 Tbsp. cilantro
1 can green chilies
2-3 fresh tomatoes (I usually use roma or plum)
1 bunch green onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Let sit in refrigerator for a few hours before eating.

If you don't like it as chunky, you can put it in the blender.

Chicken Puffs

1 1/2 lbs. chicken, cooked and shredded

1/4 c. grated Parmesan

8 oz. cream cheese

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 onion, chopped and sauteed to soften

1 stalk broccoli flowerettes, cooked (I usually don't add the broccoli)

salt and pepper to taste

*2 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls, the large ones that are 6 count to a pkg.

Combine all ingredients except crescent rolls. Spoon about 1/2 cup of chicken mixture onto center of crescent dough and pull the dough up around the mixture sealing any holes. Bake puffs according to crescent roll package.

*The original recipe said to use the regular size, 8 count package of crescent rolls. Then, knead 2 crescent rolls together to make a square. I find that if I use the larger crescent rolls they are big enough and I end up with 12 puffs instead of 8.

**These freeze really well.

***I used one of the crescent rolls, cut little pumpkins out of it and placed them on top of the puffs before I baked them. I've done this for Valentines day too using hearts.

Island Chicken

I got this recipe from Annie's Eats. I had everything to make it so I decided to give it a try. Hailey and Kade both took one bite and spit it out, but the rest of us liked it (even Ray). It is very flavorful. I served them with mashed potatoes, peas/carrots, and Lion House Rolls.

Island Chicken

½ cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1½ tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
½ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2-4 chicken breasts (I used chicken tenders)
Combine all ingredients except chicken in a mixing bowl or large airtight plastic bag. Whisk or shake well until the marinade is well mixed. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl or plastic bag so that they are covered by the marinade. If using a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap. If using a plastic bag, press out all the excess air and seal the bag tightly. Refrigerate and marinate up to 10 hours.
When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour the excess marinade over them. Bake in the oven until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165° F, about 45 minutes (exact baking time will depend on the size of your chicken pieces.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Click here for printable version.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

These were so yummy. We used the leftovers to make quesadillas the next day. So good and so easy!

Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix (such as Good Seasons brand)
1 (5 pound) chuck roast

Combine water and beef broth with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix. Whisk to combine.

Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork (I did this step about 45 minutes before eating so the shredded meat had time to absorb more of the juices in the crockpot). Serve on crusty rolls with cheese, if desired

Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki

Patrick LOVED this recipe. I don't have a BBQ grill so I just used my Foreman Grill and it turned out well.

Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki

1 can pineapple chunks with juice (15 oz.)
1 c. soy sauce
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced ginger
1 Lb. beef sirloin, cut in 1 inch cubes

Mix together all ingredients, excluding beef. Set aside about 1/2 c. of the sauce, cover and refrigerate. Add beef to remaining sauce and marinate, covered and refrigerated overnight (better yet, seal the marinade and beef in a large Ziploc bag and place in a bowl, then place in the fridge-- either way works). Thread beef onto skewers. Discard leftover marinade. Broil or grill about 8-10 minutes, turning once, until beef is cooked. Place beef in a large bowl, pour remaining sauce over the cooked beef and stir until well covered. Serve with rice (or grilled fresh pineapple).

White Chocolate Cinnamon Toast Crunchers

This recipe is from Picky-Palate.

1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. cinnamon toast crunch cereal, crushed up
1 bag white chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add cereal to dry ingredients. Combine creamed mixture and dry mixture. Stir in white chocolate chips. Bake at 375 for 9-12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before removing.

Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Chocolate Turtle Cookies- From MyKitchenCafe.com

The original recipe says it will make 2 dozen cookies, but I DOUBLED the recipe, and still only ended up with about 28 cookies. I also ended up with a ton of extra caramel. I would double the recipe except for the caramel.


1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans, chopped fine
14 soft caramel candies
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour.

Whisk egg white(s) in another bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl. One at a time, roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball. Bake until set, 10 to12 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.

Meanwhile, microwave caramels and cream in bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently press existing indentations with teaspoon measure. Fill each with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Snickerdoodles

This is one of our family's favorite cookies. In my experience, they don't flatten out to make very big cookies. They also freeze really well.

Snickerdoodles

1/2 c. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. butter, softened
2 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 1/2 tbsp. water
6 c. flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 c. sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Cream 2 1/2 c. sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and water and beat until light and fluffy. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Shape dough by rounded tablespoonfulls; roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on ungreased baking sheet and cook for 8 1/2-9 minutes at 350.

Click here for printable version.

Orange Chicken

I saw this on the Family Favorites Blog and wanted to try it out. I have heard a lot of people say that making orange chicken at home isn't worth the effort, because it just isn't as good as take out and its a lot of work too. Well this recipe wasn't hard at all and it was so yummy. I think Patick and I have a new family favorite for sure.



Orange Chicken

Chicken:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-1/2” cubes)
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 eggs (beaten)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Oil (for frying)

Orange Sauce:
1 cup water
2 tablespoons FRESH orange juice
¼ cup FRESH lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
1 cup packed brown sugar (I actually added a little more brown sugar... )
½ teaspoon ginger root (minced)
½ teaspoon garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons green onion (chopped)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (we added more... again, we like it HOT)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture and shake in flour mixture to coat. Deep fry chicken in batches at 375 degrees in a deep fryer (or use a wok) until completely cooked.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil.

Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired add red pepper flakes and garnish with green onions.

Stromboli

Patrick and I had this for dinner last night. It was delicious!

I didn't use the pre-made bread dough like the recipe calls for; I just made pizza dough and it worked great.

You can use whatever you want to fill it with. Patrick said that when he was in PA he used to get Philly Cheese Steak Stromboli, which sounds yummy. We might have to try that next time.



Stromboli

1 Rhodes bread dough
1/4 lb ham, sliced
1/4 lb hard salami
1/4 lb provolone
mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp dried basil, divided
1/2 tsp dried oregano, divided
melted butter or olive oil
cornmeal

Set out bread dough to thaw. Once thawed, spread the dough out on a cookie sheet or silpat (which works perfect).

Layer the ham and then the salami along the middle of the dough going lengthwise. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp each of basil and oregano then layer on cheeses. (I used approximately 1 cup shredded mozzarella but it's entirely up to you how much you want!) Sprinkle with remaining basil and oregano.

Wet edges of the dough and fold over the long edges and roll up the ends. Brush olive oil over dough and sprinkle lightly with corn meal. Carefully flip stromboli over and repeat on other side. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes. Serve with hot spaghetti sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

Puffins Anyone?

Amanda was telling me about these little pancakes she found on Bakerella the other day. Bakerella had a craving for pancakes but didn't want to stand and flip them so she tried it this way. We decided to try them out. They were pretty good. Another pancake recipe to add to my collection.
On Bakerella's site she calls them "mini maple pancake muffins. She didn't like the name because it was too long and so her commenters decided "puffins" would be a good name. We like the name around here. It's just a FUN name!
Totally stole this picture from Bakerella. I took pictures myself but the battery in my camera died shortly after I took them and I can't find any new batteries. Oh well...

1 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. sugar

2/3 c. buttermilk

1 egg

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

2 Tbsp. melted butter

Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl combine wet ingredients. Mix both together. Pour into greased mini muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes.

You could also add chocolate chips and have chocolate chip puffins!

Mozzarella Chicken and Rice Skillet

Kelli recommended this recipe she found on Kraftfoods.com

1 Tbsp. oil

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 soup can milk

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen broccoli florets

1-1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked

3/4 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

HEAT oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 min. on each side or until cooked through (165ºF). Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm.

ADD soup and milk to skillet; mix well. Bring to boil. Stir in broccoli and rice; top with chicken. Cover. Reduce heat to low.

COOK 5 min.; sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Variation

Use whatever frozen vegetables and shredded cheese you have on hand, such as peas and Cheddar Cheese.

Shepherd's Pie

I found this recipe in the Buffalo Ridge Cookbook early on in my marriage and have made it many times since. Emmalin really enjoyed it tonight! 1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 c. frozen corn
1 c. frozen green beans
Mashed potatoes, I use 5-6 potatoes or you could use potato pearls
shredded cheese

Brown meat and onion in skillet. Drain. Cook frozen veggies (or use canned if you prefer, just drain the veggies first). Stir stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce into meat. Add corn and green beans. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Drop mashed potatoes on top of meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Warm until cheese is melted.

Weeknight Lasagna Toss

Here is a fast way to make lasagna without using your oven!



Weeknight Lasagna Toss

Ingredients
1 lb. lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1-2/3 cups water
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters*
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese or rocatta cheese

Directions
Brown meat in large saucepan; drain.

Add garlic, spaghetti sauce, and water; bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover.

Cook on medium-low heat 10 to 15 min. or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.


*You can substitute 12 regular lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces, for the oven-ready noodles. Increase water to 2 cups and cook 30 min., stirring occasion

Chicken Pot Pie

This pot pie has a buttery flaky crust and the filling is so creamy. It's not a quick meal so you have to be prepared to spend some time in the kitchen. You can make one big pie or individual pies. I used my muffin tin and made 6 little pies. You could also bake them in stone cereal bowls.
Crust:

1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
2 egg yolks
3 Tbsp. ice water
2/3 c. cold butter

Sift together flour and salt. Make a depression in the center of the flour. Put the yolks and ice water in the depression. Slice the butter in tablespoon size portions and add into the flour depression. Using a fork, cut the wet ingredients into the dry. When all of the flour is moistened, use you hands to finish combining the ingredients. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and put into the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Filling:

1 c. sliced carrots
1 c. sliced celery (I don't like cooked celery so I leave it out)
2 c. frozen peas
1 c. chopped white onion
1 potato, peeled and chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, boiled in salted water, then cubed
4 Tbsp. butter
5 Tbsp. flour
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
2/3 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1 egg, beaten

Cook potatoes in boiling water til tender. Steam carrots and celery for 5 minutes in a steamer or saucepan with a small amount of water. Add frozen peas and onions. Steam for 10-12 more minutes or until carrots are tender.

In a separate large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, remove from heat and add flour and whisk together until smooth. Add chicken broth and milk and continue stirring over high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for an additional minute or so until thick, then reduce heat to low. Add cooked chicken, salt, and pepper. Add the vegetables. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Roll out dough on flour surface. Lay dough in dish of choice. Spoon filling into dish. Cover with another layer of pie dough. Press edges together. Brush beaten egg on the dough of each pie.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until the top crust is light brown. My little muffin sized ones only needed about 25 minutes.

An Old Wilkins Family Favorite - Easy Doughnuts

I can remember many a Family Home Evening night making doughnuts as a family. My own little family now enjoys the same treat. This was our Labor Day breakfast today. Healthy huh!! I threw in a side of fresh fruit and we washed it down with a glass of milk to get a little nutrition.

The recipe couldn't be simpler:

refrigerated biscuits (how many depends on how many your family can eat!)
vegetable oil

Heat oil in saucepan to around 365 degrees. Poke a hole in the middle of each biscuit with fingers. Place in oil. Cook to golden brown and flip over to other side. These cook quickly so don't leave them. Drain on paper towels.
We made glazed doughnuts. Mix together 2 c. powdered sugar, 1/4 c. milk, and 1 tsp. vanilla in small saucepan over medium heat. Dip doughnuts in glaze and transfer to wire racks to drain. Let sit for 5 minutes.

or......put doughnuts into paper lunch sacks filled with powdered sugar, granulated sugar, and or cinnamon-sugar.

We were talking around the breakfast table that it would be fun to cook the doughnuts without poking a hole in them and them squirt pudding into the middles, or spreading frosting and sprinkles on the them. The possibilities are endless!

Banana-Sour Cream Bars

I found this recipe in my trusty "Betty Crocker's Cookie Book". You can use either cream cheese frosting or vanilla glaze.1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. mashed banana

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix butter, sugar, sour cream, and eggs in large bowl on medium speed for 1 minute. Beat in bananas and vanilla on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat in flour, salt, and baking soda on medium speed for 1 minute. Spread in greased jelly roll pan, 15x10x1. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool. Spread with vanilla glaze or cream cheese frosting. I used the vanilla glaze and it's yummy!

Vanilla Glaze:

4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

3 tsp. vanilla

4 Tbsp. hot water

Apricot-Glazed Chicken

I make this often because it is a favorite of my kids, probably because it is sweet tasting. I usually make white rice or the toasted almond rice pilaf in the Buffalo Ridge cookbook. Saturday night when I made this chicken I decided to go with wild rice. My kids wouldn't eat it because it looked like earwigs!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (Variation below)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 T. oil
1 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. apricot preserves
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 c. green onion, sliced

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot brown breasts on both sides, about 2 minutes per side; remove chicken to a plate.

Add broth, preserves, and soy sauce to hot skillet; bring mixture to a boil. Boil 4 minutes. Return chicken to skillet; Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 7 minutes, spooning apricot mixture over chicken several times; cook until chicken is no longer pink in center. Sprinkle with green onion.

Variation~~ I take 6 chicken drumsticks and season them with salt and pepper. Put them in a 9x13 pan and bake in oven. In saucepan bring broth, preserves, and soy sauce to a boil for 5 minutes or so. Pour mixture over chicken during last 20 minutes of cooking, basting every 5 minutes or so.

Creamy Spinach Enchiladas

I made these the other night and thought they were pretty darn good. These and diabetic friendly too! That is why everything is reduced fat of fat-free. I of course just use the regular stuff.



Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 cups torn fresh spinach or 1/2 of one 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 8-ounce carton light dairy sour cream
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 4-ounce can diced green chili peppers, drained
6 7-inch flour tortillas
1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (1-1/2 ounces)
Chopped tomato or salsa (optional)
Thinly sliced green onions (optional)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:
1. In a 3-quart saucepan place chicken in enough water to cover. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from saucepan. When cool enough to handle, use a fork to shred chicken into bite-size pieces. (You should have about 1-1/2 cups.) Set aside.

2. If using fresh spinach, place spinach in a steamer basket over boiling water. Reduce heat. Steam, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. (Or, cook in a small amount of boiling water, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes.) Drain well.

3. In a large bowl combine chicken, spinach, and green onions; set aside. In a bowl combine sour cream, yogurt, flour, cumin, and salt. Stir in milk and chili peppers. Divide sauce in half. Set one portion aside.

4. For filling, combine one portion of the sauce and the chicken-spinach mixture. Divide the filling among the tortillas. Roll up tortillas. Place, seam side down, in an ungreased 2-quart rectangular baking dish.

5. Spoon reserved portion of sauce over tortillas. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese; let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. To serve, if desired, garnish with chopped tomato or salsa and additional green onion. Makes 6 enchiladas.

* You can make these ahead of time and refrigerate them, just add 10-15 minutes to the cooking time.
* I would also add more chicken and cheese.

Cowboy Caviar

This has become one of my trademark recipes in our ward. I took it to a potluck a few years ago and the recipe has become popular. You can find it at just about any BBQ or baby shower that someone in the ward puts on. It is yummy! I originally got it from my sister-in-law Janell. Thanks Janell.1 10 oz. package frozen corn
1 can black eyed peas, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
8 roma tomatoes
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
8 oz. Zesty Italian dressing
2 tsp. (or so) cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine and serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Another chocolate chip cookie recipe. We all have our favorites and this is ours. Soft and chewy, just like we like it. Kimball eats these straight from the oven. He also likes to take a cooled cookie and stick it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up.
3/4 c. butter
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
2 T. milk
1 T. vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips (we like milk chocolate best)

Cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg. Add milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes at 375 degrees.

Makes 3 dozen or less depending on how much of the dough you eat :)

General Tso's Chicken

I think this would be yummy with Allison's Lo-Mein!
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
1/3 c. flour
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 T. oil
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger, (I left this out because I don't like the flavor in my food unless it's a cookie)
red pepper flakes, to taste
4 green onions, sliced


Combine flour and cayenne. Dredge chicken in flour and cook in oil.
In saucepan combine cornstarch and sugar. Slowly whisk in liquids, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir over medium heat til thick and bubbly. Add red pepper flakes and green onion. Pour over chicken and stir to coat. Serve over rice.

Penrod Fajitas

So, I hesitated posting this because this recipe is so Utah Mexican food, and I know that I’ll get some flak for it. But, since I won’t be seeing any of you for a long time, tease away! :) This recipe is from my best friend in high school’s family (and yes, they are from Utah). So, no, definitely not an authentic fajita recipe, but it’s a fun way to change it up.

Penrod Fajitas
Serves 6

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 onion, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers (your choice of color), sliced into strips
2 tablespoons canola oil
¼ - ½ cup Yoshida’s sweet teriyaki sauce

Flour tortillas, warmed (whole wheat are yummy)

Toppings, below

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over high heat. Once hot, cook chicken until lightly browned. Remove from pan. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat and add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add bell peppers and cook 2-3 minutes or until done. Add chicken and sauce and cook, stirring constantly, another 2 minutes, until heated through. Serve on warm tortillas with desired toppings.

Toppings:
Lime
Sour cream
Cheese, shredded
Tomatoes, diced

Chicken Lo Mein

We love having this when we feel like Chinese. I adapted the veggies to suit my kids' tastes, so feel free to throw in whatever your family likes. The changes I make are in red. The best thing about this recipe is that it makes a ton, and tastes even better the next day!

Chicken Lo Mein

adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

12 ounces Chinese Lo Mein noodles or linguine pasta (I use whole wheat linguine)
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Stir-fry Sauce (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (I do 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup celery, sliced

1/2 cup snow peas

1 cup broccoli florets, steamed until just barely tender

Unsalted dry roasted peanut halves (optional)

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, continue with the recipe, and when the noodles are done, drain and set aside.

Make the stir-fry sauce and set aside. Heat the oil in an extra-deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Peel and coarsely chop the onion, adding it to the skillet as you chop. Stir from time to time. While the onion cooks, slice the chicken into strips about 1/4-inch wide. Add the chicken to the skillet. Raise the heat to medium-high and stir occasionally.

While the chicken cooks, add the carrots, broccoli and mushrooms (celery and snow peas) and stir to mix. Stir-fry the mixture until the chicken is no longer pink. Immediately add the stir-fry sauce and noodles. Raise the heat to high and cook until the noodles and chicken are heated through and coated with sauce, 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve, garnished with peanut halves (if using).

Stir-Fry Sauce

(I sometimes double this, depending on how many veggies I end up throwing in)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons chopped ginger

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a 1-quart bowl.

Yellow Cake (from scratch)

I have never been a fan of 'from scratch' cake. It always turns out too heavy, dense, and... just not quite right. But, my kids were concerned that I didn't have a birthday cake and I didn't have a cake mix in the house. I went online and found a recipe on Allrecipes. I tweaked it a bit the way other commenter's had suggested. I really wasn't very hopeful that it would be any good. To my surprise THIS CAKE WAS SOOOO GOOD. I may never use a boxed mix again!!! Here is the tweaked recipe...
2 1/3 cups flour, (the recipe said to sift, but I don't have a sifter. I just used my whisk and whisked the flour in the container then gently scooped my flour)
1 T. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients. In another bowl combine oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add dry mixture and mix well. I mixed everything by hand with my whisk and it turned out GREAT!
Bake in a greased 9x13 at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Didn't the kids do a good job decorating!! They were very proud of their work!

Easy Cheesy Chicken

I got this recipe from Tiffin. It is not heart healthy in it's original form, but I suppose if you are into that sort of thing, you could make it healthier. This is something that I know I can make and everyone in my family will love it. Like, having seconds love it (although I have to dish Hailey's before I add the broccoli.) I also did not get a picture of it.

Easy Cheesy Chicken

2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. milk
1 c. grated cheese
chicken, cooked and cubed (or cubed and cooked, however you prefer)
broccoli (cooked a little less than what you normally like)
cooked rice (I don't know how much. In my rice cooker, I make 3.5 cups of dry rice. But I don't think my measuring cup is a full cup.)

In a large saucepan combine soup, sour cream, milk, and cheese. Cook until hot and cheese is melted. Add cooked chicken and broccoli. Serve over rice.

This makes a lot. Nathan and the kids all have seconds and there is enough left for Nathan to make two lunches, maybe three.

Click here for printable version.

Clark's Meatloaf

I'm not sure where I found this recipe, but it's the one that I have been using for a long time now. It is my FAVORITE meatloaf recipe! I love it with mashed potatoes...sooo good.1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

3/4 c. plain bread crumbs

3/4 c. milk

2 eggs

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine all above ingredients. The best way is with your hands. It's kinda nasty, but washes off! The recipe says to put mixture in a 9x5 loaf pan but I don't like my meatloaf swimming in fat. I crumple up foil in the bottom of an 11x7 baking pan (9x13 would probably work too) and put my meatloaf on top of the foil.

Now for the yummy part--the glaze

1/2 c. ketchup

1/2 c. brown sugar

Combine and spread over the top of your meatloaf. Cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees. You might need a little longer, just check to make sure it's done.

Sour Cream Fan Rolls

These are so yummy!

Sour Cream Fan Rolls

2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided
2 cups warm sour cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
7 to 8 cups all purpose flour

1. In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 2 tablespoons sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, eggs, butter , salt and remaining sugar.

2. Stir in the baking powder, yeast mixture and 4 cups of flour until smooth. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough.

3. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic; about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.

4. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 23-in. x 9-in. rectangle.

5. Cut into 1-1/2 inch strips. Stack five strips together; cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces and place cut side up in a greased muffin cup. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 20 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.

*I did some of mine on a cookie sheet instead of a muffin tin and I liked how they turned out better.

* The recipe said to put them cut down up, but then they don't turn into the fan, so I would put the side with the layers up.

Chocolate Fudge Jr Mint Centered Cupcakes

I saw these on Picky-Palate and thought they looked yummy. I made them for our enrichment night and everyone seemed to like them. I liked them this way but I think they would also be nice for a party if you made them in the smaller cupcake tins.



Chocolate Fudge Jr Mint Centered Cupcakes

1 box Pillsbury Devils Food Cake Mix

4 eggs

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

1/2 Cup water

1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix

1/2 Cup sour cream

1 Cup chocolate chips

12 oz box Jr Mints

Favorite Vanilla or Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, add the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, pudding mix, sour cream and chocolate chips. Mix on medium for 2 minutes or until well combined and somewhat thick. Scoop into 24 paper lined muffin cups. Press 3 JR mints into the center of each cupcake center. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes mostly clean from center. Let cool completely and frost with your favorite vanilla or cream cheese frosting.

24 cupcakes

Corn and Avocado Salsa

This is in no way an authentic salsa, but it's really simple and yummy! The original recipe calls for black-eyes peas, so you could substitute those, but we prefer the black beans.

Corn and Avocado Salsa

original recipe from Becky Higgins

1 can white corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 bunch green onion, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 med. tomatoes, chopped
3 avocados, diced
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Mix together all ingredients and chill overnight. Serve with tortilla chips.

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

I was telling some of you about these the other night at Mom and Dads. A few of you turned your noses up. Too bad for you;) These are so good and so fun! Recipe and picture from stephanieskitchen.blogspot

1 c. creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar (you may need more)
3/4 c. brown sugar (you may need more)
pretzels (waffle shaped seem to work best)
1 bag milk chocolate chips

Mix together peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, and brown sugar. The dough should be a consistency that you can roll it into balls without it sticking to your hands. If not add a little of both sugars until it's the right consistency. Roll into balls and sandwich between two pretzels. Place on baking sheet. Put baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate chips in bowl in microwave at 30 second intervals until melted. Dip pretzel sandwiches halfway into chocolate. Put back on tray. Return to freezer until completely set. Store in refrigerator.

Thin Egg Pancakes

Here's another pancake recipe. We like pancakes around here. They taste very similar to German pancakes. My family eats these as fast as I can cook them. We have often said we need to get a few more of the little frying pans so that I can cook more at the same time! We tried it on the griddle--it didn't work. The batter is too runny. A small frying pan is perfect! 5 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
dash of salt

Beat eggs until foamy. Add milk. Beat in the flour and powdered sugar. Add butter and salt. Pour 1/3 c. batter onto hot greased pan. Cook about 1 minute or so on each side. Serve with syrup!

For my family I do 1 1/2 recipes. Doubling the recipe was too much.