Mands Recipe Book/Blog

Crock Pot Thai Peanut Chicken

2011-12-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

This was a yummy one! I found it off of Pinterest and we loved it. I felt like it needed maybe some potatoes and a bit more sauce. I will make sure to do that next time. Tasty though!I

You can click here for the true recipe.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

2011-11-26T14:52:00.000-08:00

Here is another Pinterest recipe I tried and we loved it. I had a coupon for the Buffalo sauce so I thought I would give it a try. You gotta love the Buffalo wings taste to appreciate this yummy recipe.

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into 1 inch pieces
⅓ cup flour
3 tablespoon cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce (Frank’s Buffalo Wing) , plus extra for garnishment
1 Tablespoon olive oil
10 6-inch yellow corn tortillas
Toppings:
Shredded butter Lettuce
Diced onions mixed with cilantro
Avocado slices
Ranch dressing
Green onions, sliced thinly

Preparation:

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne, and garlic powder. Season the chicken pieces with pepper, then dredge in the flour mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven and once it gets hot, add chicken and cook on both sides – about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is done, set it aside in a bowl and toss with ⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce.

Assemble 10 tacos, dividing the toppings evenly among each taco.

Yield: 5 servings, 2 tacos each.

White Chicken Chilli

2011-11-26T14:44:00.000-08:00

Found this recipe off of Pinterest and had to give it a try. We loved it! So creamy, warm, and fattening. Loved it! I totally loved the cilantro on top too. It's a must in my opinion.

*Serves 6

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, coarsely shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
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
Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder (or fresh garlic, if using) 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.

Slow Cooker Option: In a medium round slow cooker, place 1 pound chicken breasts (fresh or frozen) without cubing them. Add the chopped onion, garlic powder, beans, green chiles and all of the spices. Do not add the sour cream or whipping cream yet! Reduce the chicken broth to 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) and pour in over the other ingredients. Stir the mixture around a bit to incorporate the dry spices. Cook on low for 5-7 hours (if using frozen chicken you’ll cook on the longer end of that spectrum, fresh chicken will cook in less time). Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred in bite-size pieces. Stir back into the slow cooker. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and whipping cream until smooth. Whisk the cream mixture into the crockpot with the other ingredients. Let the soup cook until heated through. Serve.

3 ingredient Icecream

2011-10-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
4-5 frozen bananas cut up in pieces
3-4 T. creamy peanut butter
Chocolate sauce

Directions:
Cut up your 4-5 bananas and put them in the freezer and let em freeze up. 5 minutes before wanting to make the icecream throw the bannanas in the blender or food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Add in the peanut butter and then scoop out and serve with a bit of chocolate syrup drizzled on top!

Chicken Pasta with White Wine and Mushrooms

2011-10-29T06:56:00.000-07:00

24 ounces, weight Thickly Sliced Mushrooms (baby Portobellos Are Best)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Large Onion, Peeled And Sliced
1 cup Dry White Wine
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1 cup Heavy Cream
Salt And Pepper, to taste
12 ounces, weight Mostaciolli, Cooked Al Dente

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle mushrooms with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat additional olive oil along with the butter over medium heat. Throw in the sliced onions and saute for a couple of minutes, or until beginning to turn translucent. Pour in wine and allow to bubble for a minute or two. Pour in broth and allow the liquid to reduce for a couple of minutes. Stir in cream and reduce heat to low. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and simmer until sauce thickens.

Toss in cooked pasta, using a little hot pasta water if sauce needs a little thinning. Taste for seasonings and add immediately.

-Thanks Pioneer Woman for this yummy one!

Autumn Pear Salad

2011-09-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

Autumn Pear Salad:

1/2 head green leaf lettuce, washed and torn,
1/2 head red leaf lettuce, washed and torn (I just used the Costco Spring Mix I think it is and that worked great)
2 ripe pears,
thinly sliced 2 oz parmesan cheese, shaved with vegetable peeler (or bought already shaved at Fry's :)
1/2 cup unsalted cashews, toasted.

Dressing: 5 T. olive oil,
2T. Balsamic vinegar,
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard,
1 T. chopped green onions,
salt and freshly ground pepper.
Mix dressing ingredients in jar, shake well and refrigerate. In salad bowl, combine greens and 3/4 of the dressing. Arrange pears, cheese and cashews over top and drizzle on remaining dressing. Enjoy!!

I have not stopped eating this since I made it the other day. I got this recipe from my friend Steph who got it from a friend. etc etc etc. The combination of the foods and dressing are amazing. Headed to the store right now to get me more olive oil so I can make it tonight! Yummmmo!

Peanut butter and Nutella swirl cookies

2011-08-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

I saw these puppies on Pinterest.com and I couldn't resist trying them. Two of my most favorite things together. P. butter and Nutella. You should have seen me while trying to make these. I had my fingers in the dough more times than I can count. YUM!

Peanut Butter & Nutella Swirl Cookies
Adapted from: Sweetest Kitchen

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Approx. 1/4 cup Nutella

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Mix until well blended.

Add flour, baking soda and salt. Drizzle Nutella on top of the dough then swirl it through the dough with a butter knife.

Chill dough 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll into balls by hand. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Using a fork, press down the balls to flatten slightly. Bake until edges are very lightly browned (about 7 to 10 minutes).

Allow to rest 2 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring cookies to a cooling rack.

Red Velvet Brownies

2011-08-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

source: adapted from How Sweet It Is

For the brownies:
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz red food coloring (this is one small bottle or a scant 2 tbsp)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided
1/2 cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

For the white chocolate buttercream frosting:
1/2 cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 oz good-quality white chocolate (not chips), melted – I recommend Callebaut
1 – 2 tbsp heavy cream

To make the brownies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8″x8″ baking pan.

In a small bowl, slowly stir together the cocoa powder, food coloring, and 1 tsp vanilla into a thick paste until no lumps of cocoa remain. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the remaining 1 tsp of vanilla. With the mixer off, add in the cocoa mixture, then turn the mixer to medium and beat the two mixtures together until they are one uniform color. Slowly add in the flour and salt and mix on medium-low speed, just until combined. Do not overmix.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir up the batter with a rubber spatula once or twice just to ensure all of the flour has incorporated from the sides of the bowl and there isn’t anything stuck on the bottom of the bowl. You’ll want one uniformly colored (red) batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the brownies. Allow brownies to completely cool in the pan on a baking rack, about 45-60 minutes. Frost brownies in the pan, cut into 12 bars, and serve, or remove the entire batch from the pan to a cutting board, cut into 12 bars, frost, and serve.

To make the frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until soft and fluffy then beat in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time; allow the sugar to mix in before adding the next 1/2 cup. Once all of the sugar has been added, beat on medium speed for 30 seconds and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the melted white chocolate and beat on medium speed until incorporated. With the mixer on low, add in heavy cream 1 tbsp at a time and beat at medium speed until the frosting has reached your desired consistency.

I made these lil puppies for a baby shower and they were to die for. I will make these again and again and again. Make sure you read the ingredients and notice how much red food coloring you need. YOu need ALOT! They are gorgeous and Heavenly!

My breakfast

2011-08-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

I'm always throwing blueberries on my kids plates, because I just cant justify having them eat dino chicken nuggets, and string cheese so I throw a few blueberries on the plate so they have something with a bit of vitamins and antioxidants in it. I was spreading peanut butter on my whole wheat toast this morning and looked over at the box of blueberries and thought I would give it a try. Ummmmmmm so glad I did! So perfect and yummy.

Tandoori Naan Indian flatbread pizza

2011-08-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

Okay so if you aren't already buying this flat bread from Costco you are MISSING OUT BIG TIME. The flatbread is called Tandoori naan and it is by the bread section and comes in packages of 10. I use them for everything. I kept thinking about a yummy pizza creation and this is what I came up with.

Ingredients:
Tandoori naan flatbread(1 per person)
balsamic dressing
mozzorella cheese
small yellow tomatoes
bacon ( not turkey bacon)
grilled yellow onions
cilantro

Directions:
I first lay out my flatbread on a pan and drizzle a good amount of balsamic on top. I then layer with cheese ( just like a pizza). Cut your small yellow tomatoes in half and layer on top of the cheese. Cook your bacon in a seperate skillet and then add your chopped onion to the mix. After the onions are golden brown and your bacon is crispy layer it on top. I chop the bacon into pieces before hand. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top and place in the oven on broil until bubbly and melted. THESE ARE HEAVEN!

Thanks Sister in law Tanya for introducing me to them while visiting in Calgary!!

Ohhh lately I have been wrapping up salads that Jordan brings home from the hospital in the flatbreads and eat it like a wrap. We also make basic red sauce and cheese pizzas out of them. There are endless possibilities you can do with this yummy, chewy flatbread. Im sure you could fry em up and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. YUM!

Creamy Artichoke Chicken

2011-08-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

My mouth is watering while I post this. We loved this recipe. I love artichokes and mushrooms so it was a total winner in my eyes. SO filling and so creamy and scrumptious. It's lunch time and that half of a peanut butter and honey sandwhich just didn't cut it. enjoy!

Creamy Artichoke Chicken

Submitted by Mindy/ www.thesisterscafe.com

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 can chicken broth (I used chicken base paste)

1/2lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 T butter

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 c flour

1/4 c butter

1/2 tsp ground rosemary

2 T cooking sherry (the recipe says you can substitue apple juice)( I did use apple juice)

1 (14oz) can marinated artichoke hearts

1/2 c parmesan cheese

3/4 c half and half

Saute mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter until golden brown. Set aside. Slice chicken breasts in two. Simmer in chicken broth for 20 minutes. Remove from broth, reserving 3/4 cup broth. Arrange chicken in a large casserole dish. Top with artichokes and mushroom; set aside. melt 1/4 cup butter and stir in flour, salt, pepper, broth and half and half. Cook until thick. blend in cheese, cooking sherry and rosemary. Pour over chicken. Cover and bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

Praline Baked French Toast

2011-07-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

My Mama makes a mean carmelized french toast and this one is very similar. I found it off of www.thesisterscafe.com. We had it for Fathers Day and Loved it!

Praline Baked French Toast
submitted by Brittany ~ The Sister’s Cafe

Prepare the night before:

one loaf of French bread
6 eggs
1 cup milk (not skim)
1 cup half and half
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Slice the French bread and arrange in a 9×13 inch dish. Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over bread. Cover and let sit in refrigerator overnight.

Prepare the morning of:
1/2 cup butter
2 Tb corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Melt the butter, corn syrup and brown sugar in saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture starts to boil. Sprinkle the pecans over the bread. Pour sauce over everything. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes uncovered.

Asian BBQ Chicken

2011-07-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

Asian BBQ Chicken
Adapted from Cooking Light

1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t curry powder
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Place marinade and chicken in a zip-lock bag. Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or longer if you have it (even overnight)

Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on it to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness. Optional: garnish with sliced green onions

* I wish I would have made more sauce to pour on top of the finished BBQ chicken. I also didn't have thighs and used breasts, but next time gonna try the thighs for sure.

Coconut Milk Rice Recipe:( from here).

2 c. white or Jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk
2 c. water
1 tsp. Kosher salt
Splash of white vinegar (optional, but it helps with the texture)
2-3 tsp. white sugar
Handful of chopped green onions, plus chopped green onion tops for garnish (we’re using the whole animal here…)
Black pepper to taste

Ceaser chicken wraps

2011-06-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from www.thesisterscafe.com and just copied and pasted right here on my blog. These were a killer and a total hit at our house. You must use the yummy non-cooked tortillas with these.

Caesar Chicken Wraps

1/2 c. creamy Caesar dressing (Lite works fine)

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

1 tsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic

1/4 tsp pepper

4 oz cream cheese, softened

3 c. Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 c. red peppers, sliced

Handful of olives, sliced (or one small can of sliced olives)

5 flour tortillas (I use Costco’s uncooked tortillas and bake them fresh)

2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced

Combine Caesar dressing, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic and pepper. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth and add a fourth of the dressing mixture; mix well. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, red pepper and olives. Add remaining salad dressing to lettuce and toss to coat. Spread a layer of cream cheese mixture on each warm tortilla. Top with lettuce mix, wrap up and serve.

Cookie Icecream Sandwhiches

2011-05-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

I loved these! I had the Elders over for dinner the other night and sometimes when they come to eat they have to leave quickly so I just hand them a dessert on their way out the door or send them home with goodies and these were perfect. I had free cookie dough that I scored from Papa Murphy's sitting in the fridge so I made that up into cookies and I had just bought some Dreyers vanilla icecream on sale at Walmart so I put the two together. Make sure to let your cookies cool and I softened up my icecream in the microwave for a bit so it would be soft when putting a scoop in between the two cookies. It worked magically and they were divine!

Ingredients:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vanilla Icecream

Ohhhh. . . I wrapped them up in foil after making them and kept them in the freezer until we were done with dinner and then I just handed everybody a wrapped up cookie icecream sandwhich.

Bacon Chicken Alfredo Pasta

2011-05-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Here and we loved it. It is kind of one of those meals you can only make like once a year, because it is super high in calories, fat, sodium, etc etc. I wanted to keep it in my records though. I especially love the asparagus on it!

You will need:

1 1/2 cups of Cooked diced or shredded Chicken breast

*I like to use Rotisserie

1 cup of diced fried ham

1 cup crisp bacon for the sauce

1 cup of crumbled cooked bacon (for the top)

1 diced Roma Tomato ( for the top or can mix in)

5 to 6 stalks of cooked Tender Asparagus for the top (opt)

1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese and additional for the top

Pasta: Whatever your family likes.

SAUCE:

1 cup milk

1 cup chicken Broth

1 cup Whipping Cream

(If you are watching calories, change this up if you like: for example: Use 1/2 cup Whipping Cream, 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 cup broth)

1 cup grated Cheddar Cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

*Can add more seasoning to your taste

a few sprinkles of Red pepper flakes (opt)

1 Teaspoon white sugar

1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper

*Sometimes I also squeeze in 1 to 2 Tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice.

DIRECTIONS

Fry bacon until crispy, place on Paper towels and set aside. Fry pieces of Ham in a small amount of the bacon grease. Sprinkle a tablespoon of Brown Sugar on top of the ham, and toss until the ham is golden and the Brown sugar has caramelized. Chop or shred the Chicken Breasts, chop tomato, and chop tender cooked Asparagus. (If you don’t care for Asparagus, you could use Broccoli or any vegetable your family likes, or just leave it out entirely)

Over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add 2 tablespoons flour, seasonings, sugar and whisk together with the butter until bubbly. Continue whisking, and slowly add the milk, cream and the chicken broth. Whisk Constantly, so that you don’t get any lumps. You want your sauce to be nice and smooth. Keep whisking until the sauce has thickened. Turn heat to low, and add the grated cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Once melted and mixed thorougly, turn your heat to the lowest temperature. Add part of the crisp bacon, fried ham and chicken pieces to your sauce. Mix well and simmer covered over very low heat. Prepare your pasta until al dente. Drain well.

You can plate the pasta, and serve the sauce over the top, and Crumble your bacon on top of the sauce. Top with Asparagus, tomatoes and more grated Parmesan Cheese. Delish!

Chefs note: I like to add the prepared pasta to the sauce, and mix everything together. When I plate it, I also top it with diced tomatoes, more Crisp Bacon and Parmesan Cheese.

If the Sauce gets a bit thick before you are ready to serve it, simply add a bit more milk, cream or Chicken broth.

Sweet Pork Tacos with Chili Lime Coleslaw

2011-03-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

I got this yummy recipe from our best bites and they got it from a friend from here. Loved it! I just love pork I think. We loved it!

Cilantro Lime Slaw
1 package Cole Slaw or whole shredded cabbage
1 c. Mayonnaise
1 c. Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. minced Garlic
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper or a dash of your favorite hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Lime Juice
1/2 tsp. Cumin

Combine all but slaw in a mini food processor or chop and combine yourself. Mix desired amount of dressing with slaw mix no more than 30 minutes before serving.

Roasted Sweet Pork
6 (approx) pounds Pork butt/shoulder
1 19 oz. can Red Enchilada Sauce
1 can Dr. Pepper (20 oz)
2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 Clove Garlic or 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 c. Brown Sugar
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine all ingredients into your crockpot and cook on low overnight or until meat is tender.

Then she placed the meat on top of a tortilla and then the slaw on top of that. Fold in half and take your first mouth-watering bite. She also suggested using the meat in burritos or tostadas as well. Or heck, you know this stuff would be good on a sandwich, or even just by itself.......with a fork. Just sayin'

Mini Fiesta Meatloafs

2011-03-22T10:26:00.001-07:00

I was at the Zoo with my lil sister and I'm always curious what other Mom's make for dinner and I usually always ask her what she is making and she told me she made these yummy mini meatloafs the other night and they were a hit so I had to try em. I had some left over hamburger meat so I went for it. I didn't even have to go to the grocery store to get stuff. I love that! She said she got the recipe off of Kraft.com, but just told me what was in the recipe and I tried to remember. Here it goes

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger meat
1 C. salsa
12 saltines crushed up
1 egg
Chedder cheese

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients except the cheese together in a big bowl until mixed all together. Use a muffin or cupcake pan and place a large scoop of the meat mixture into each place. I then sprinkled cheese on top and placed in the oven at 350 degrees for a good 30-35 minutes. I wasn't sure of the exact time, but just watch em. They were super yummy! We put a bit of sour cream on top and really enjoyed em. It is like making meat muffins, but instead you make mini meatloafs

Chocolate Chip cookies

2011-03-06T20:16:00.000-08:00

Bombalicious Chocolate Chip Cookies.
You will never need another Chocolate chip cookie recipe once you try these suckers. I will never make another CHocolate chip cookie than these. Use Ghiradelli chips. Snobby I know, but worth it!

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/2 cup flour

2-1/2 cup blended oats( grinded up in the blender)

1 bag chocolate chips( Ghiradelli) (trust me)

Mix butter and sugars till just blended. Add eggs and vanilla. Then add dry ingredients. Bake for 9-10 min. @ 375*. Makes about 3 dozen. Enjoy!!!

Totally Mormon Mom Mexican Casserole

2011-02-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

I found this off of a recipe blog I got called Sisters Cafe. The link is on the right hand side of my blog. I made this yummy dinner for a family at church who was needing some help and I also made it for my family the same night. WE LOVED LOVED IT! I have pics, but will upload em soon. I switched out the diced tomatoes for Rotel. It added more spice. We like spice. I only used half the cream of mushroom soup too and it was perfect. I think anymore might be too creamy or something. YOu can follow the recipe below or add my few changes. Either way it was a must must keep for us.

1 lb. ground turkey or lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped

1 packet Taco Seasoning mix (1/4 cup)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8-10 corn tortillas (12 oz package)
3-4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Haas avocado, sliced
sour cream

fresh cilantro

Brown meat with diced onion over medium heat. Add the taco seasoning, black beans, tomatoes, and cream of mushroom soup. Stir to combine and warm through. In 9x13 inch pan, place a small amount of meat mixture on bottom (so tortillas won't stick). Place a layer of corn tortillas down, then a layer of the meat mixture, and sprinkle on a little cheese. Repeat with another layer of corn tortillas, a layer of meat mixture... and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve topped with sliced avocado, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.

Strawberry Shortcake( pound cake) with a bit of Orange

2011-02-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

This was a hit after our Valentines Dinner

Ingredients:
1 package pillsbury pound cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 water
1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 juicy orange
1/2 stick of butter
1 1/2 boxes of strawberries rinsed and cut up
fresh whipped cream

Follow the directions on the back of the box for the pound cake. I added in some freshly squeezed orange juice from about half the orange. I grated a bit of orange zest to the mix as well. I put mine in a bundt cake so it would look pretty. While the cake was baking I made a orange glaze.

Orange Glaze:
1/2 an orange
1/2 C. powdered sugar
Mix the two until it looks glazy and creamy.

When the cake is done I poked some holes in the cake with a chop stick and poured in the orange glaze all over the top. It soaks down into the cake and is so yummy.

I fill up the middle with Strawberries and fresh whipped cream and serve up. I had extra strawberries and whipped cream to serve with it.

Apple butter pork chops and Chive Mashed potatoes for V-day

2011-02-15T09:49:00.000-08:00

So my guy loves a good pork chop so I decided to try the one I found off of ourbestbites.com and give it a shot! We loved it. I especially loved it. Here is the recipe.

4 boneless pork chops (about 1 lb. I just got a sirloin roast, partially froze it, and cut 4 chops about ½”-3/4” thick)
¼ c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 c. high-quality apple cider
¼ c. apple butter
1 tablespoon water
1 ½ tablespoons Creole or coarsely ground mustard
1 tsp. pressed garlic
1/2 recipe of Caramelized Onions

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. In a large, oven-safe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Dredge the pork chops in the flour mixture and then brown the pork chops for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they’re brown and crispy.

While the pork chops are browning, combine the apple cider, apple butter, water, garlic, and mustard. When the pork chops are done browning, add the cider mixture to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce begins to evaporate and thicken. Remove from heat and evenly distribute the caramelized onions over the pork chops. Cover the pan with a lid and place in oven for 30 minutes. I served ours with creamy-chive mashed potatoes.

Simple potatoes. I hate boxed potatoes with a passion. Here is the quick recipe:

4-5 potatoes peeled and cubed.
1/4 C. f free milk
1/2 C. light s. cream
1/2 stick butter
Salt and pepper for taste
1/4 c. chives chopped

I boil my potatoes until they are soft, drain em. and then put them into the kitchen aid and start whipping em up. I add the milk and then let em whip a bit longer, then add the S. cream, butter, and chives. I usually taste it and then add my salt and pepper. Yummy!

Avocado/ Cranberry Dip

2011-01-15T20:21:00.001-08:00

Okay so I love anything that has Avocado in it and I love this dip. It is kind of a festive green and red dip that is fun to serve around Christmas time. I don't have exact measurements, but I just want to make sure I remember what is in it. Here it goes

Ingredients:
4 Avocados peeled and sliced into small bite sized pieces
1/2 C. craisens
1/4 C. honey
1/4 C. lime juice
1 Jalapeno steamed in some water until tender. I then take out the pepper and slice it down the middle. I take out all the seeds and then dice it up.
S&P to taste

Throw it all in a pretty bowl with some tortilla chips and that's it!

MeeMaw's Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies

2011-01-15T20:05:00.000-08:00

I was home in Ca. and wanted to try one of Paula Deen's Christmas Cookies. I think this cookie was like eating HEAVEN. SO SO good! Wish I had a pic.
Ingredients

* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup puffed rice cereal
* 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
* 1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
* 1 (8-ounce) package toffee bits
* White chocolate, for dipping
* 15 peppermint hard candies, crushed, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl and beat in the oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 small additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each one. Slowly beat in the rice cereal, coconut, and oats. Fold in the toffee bits and refrigerate the dough, covered, for 1 hour.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough on 2 cookie sheets, leaving at least 1-inch of space around each drop. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

Using a double boiler, melt the white chocolate. Dip the cookies into the white chocolate and sprinkle crushed peppermint to decorate. Allow to cool or serve warm. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Smoked Applewood Chicken Pizza

2010-11-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

When Mama Glenn aka. . . Goldie was in town helping me after I had baby Davidge we made this super yummy BBQ pizza. It had everything on it that I absolutely LOVE. Here it is:

Smoked Applewood Chicken Pizza

This crowd pleaser can be a lot of work. You can take a number of shortcuts by baking in a conventional oven on a regular pizza pan without the apple wood chips. You can also use fresh avocado in place of grilled and lightly drizzle the vinegar and oil over completed pizza or serve on the side. The chicken breast can be baked ahead. Bake several at a time to have handy for a variety of recipes.

2 x boneless chicken breasts
3 cups applewood chips (I found this at the hardware store)
ceramic pizza stone
pizza wooden paddle

Rub

2 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano

Pizza Topping

2 x chicken breasts grilled and cooled, sliced thin
1c cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup grated Gouda cheese
1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
2 x avocado halved and pitted (don’t peel, wait to do this at end, it’s the garnish)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp applesauce
½ cup BBQ sauce
1 x prepared frozen pizza dough thawed and rolled OR your favorite scratch recipe

DIRECTIONS

Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl
Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry
Vigorously rub the spices onto the surface of the chicken slightly tearing the mircro fibers of flesh
Place chicken on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until grill is ready
Preheat grill to 350 F or medium. OR, preheat oven to 350 F
Oil BBQ grate. Place chicken on grill. Cook for 5 minutes flip and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove from grill and place on a tray. Loosely ten with foil and let rest 5 minutes before slicing. OR, bake in conventional 350 F oven. Turn after 10 minutes. Bake 10 minutes, remove, foil and rest 5 minutes.
Slice chicken against grain in ¼ “ slices
Place in refrigerator until needed.

PREPPING THE GRILL

Soak 2 cups of apple wood chips in water for 1 hour.
To build a smoke pouch, drain the wet wood chips and squeeze excess water out. Spread the wood chips in a large piece of foil. Place 1 cup of dry chips on top and mix them together. Close the foil around the chips to make a sealed pouch. Using a fork, puncture holes on the top and bottom of the pouch.
Prepare the BBQ for smoking. Preheat one side of the BBQ to 400 F or high. Preheat the other side to 300 F or low. Remove grill from hot side and wait for smoke to fill the cavity of the BBQ.

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE

Prepare pizza by rolling out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 14” round
In a small bowl combine together applesauce and BBQ sauce
Using a spoon or brush, slather the sauce on the pizza crust leaving a 1” border
Top pizza with red onion, sliced chicken breast, Gouda and Mozzarella cheese
Once smoke has filled the cavity of the BQ quickly pizza on preheated stone. Reduce temperature under the smoke pouch to 325 or medium low. Close lid and leave to smoke for 35 minutes or until crust is golden and crisp, and cheese is melted. Remove.
Oil the grill
Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the flesh of pitted and peeled avocado halves. Place avocado flesh side down directly on grill for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Peel the skin off the avocado using a spoon or sharp knife. Slice into thin slices. OR, use one of those nifty avocado tools that removes the flesh and slices in one motion. Place on pizza in a decorative pattern. Slice pizza into wedges and serve hot. OR, just serve fresh without grilling. Thanks Food Network.

We actually didn' grill it, but just baked the pizza in the oven and I also didn't have a ceramic pizza platter so we just used some throw away ones. We made it a bit easier than the actual recipe, but I do want to try the real one sometime.

Mom's Cinn Rolls

2010-10-30T14:15:00.001-07:00

" Ohhhhhh, Ahhhhhh, Mmmmmmm" is all I have to say. I dream of these puppies in my sleep. This is what Mom makes Christmas morning and for other special events like Gen. conference, Easter, etc etc. Here is the best Cinn. Rolls ever. Cinnabon you've got nothin on my Mama. This is the recipe for dinner rolls as well.

Ingredients:

FEATHER ROLLS

SCALD THE FOLLOWING:

1 CUBE BUTTER 1 C. MILK

½ C. SUGAR 1 TSP. SALT

MICROWAVE 1 POTATOE; PEE; PUREE POTATO WITH ABAOVE LIQUID; POUR NITO MIXING BOWL, WITH 4 CUPS FLOUR. MIX WELL; ADD 3 EGGGS; MIX WELL.

SOFTEN 2-3 PKS (5-6 TSP) DRY YEAST IN ½ CUP WARM WATER. ADD TO ABOVE. CONTINUE TO ADD MORE FLOUR UNTIL MIXTURE PULLS AWAY FROM SIDES OF BOWL. COVER AND RISE UNTIL DOUBLE IN WARM LOCATION. FORM ROLLS INTO DESIRED SHAPES.

DINNER ROLLS: roll into circle, cut with glass. Dip end of each roll in butter, seal around two fingers. Rise on cookie sheet until double. Bake about 12 min. at 350.

Cinnamon Rolls: Roll into rectangle; spread with melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts, and raisins. Roll Jelly-roll style, slicing 1 inch thick. Rise until double, bake 12 mins. 350. Frost with: 1 box powdered sugar (3 cups), 1 pk cream cheese, 1 cube butter, whipped well.

Sun-dried Tomato Pasta

2010-10-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

I felt like I was sitting at the Macoroni Grill while I was shoveling this yummy pasta dish down my mouth. It is so so so yummy. I think about it alot, but it is just so dang not healthy for you in anyway. My friend Joanna gave me the recipe awhile back and I just haven't posted it. Im going to try and remember the recipe by heart. Here it is:

Ingredients:
2-3 pieces chicken cooked and cut into cubes
1 box penne pasta
3/4 C. Cream
1 jar sundried tomatoes oil packed
Parm. cheese
1 T. butter
3 shallots chopped up fine
Basil

Directions:
Chop up your shallots and throw them into a pan with the 1 T. of butter. Saute until they are soft. Cook your pasta separately in a pot on the side. Drain when finished cooking. Add the sun-dried tomatoes to the shallots and saute for 2 minutes. Pour in the cream and saute for another 2 minutes. Add your cooked chicken to the sauce and then add the pasta. I then just eyeball the parm. cheese and cover all of the pasta. I then sprinkle fresh or dried basil to the top and then serve. Pretty easy!

MONSTER MUNCH

2010-10-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

So October has come and I'm way excited, because I love cooking yummy fall, halloween stuff. We love anything pumpkin in this house. This yummy snack-dessert is sinful. We gave it away in cute Halloween bags to some friends. Here is what ya need:

Ingredients:
12 C. popcorn
1/2C. reeses pieces candy
1C. roasted peanuts
1C. Candy Corn
1 package Almond Bark

Directions:
Make your popcorn and empty it into the biggest bowl you have and then pour on the candy and peanuts and then top with the melted Almond bark. Mix it all together and then lay out wax paper and let it get hard and then package it up for friends and share the yummy goodness. Happy Halloween and Fall! It was still 102 today, but it's going down. I so badly want to bust out with a sweater or even a cardigan for that matter. Enjoy and hope you try!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

2010-09-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

I finally found the PERFECT ENCHILADA recipe. I have never found one that I loved loved. I love Enchiladas, but never could quite perfect the right one until this one. My friend Joanna had us over for dinner last night and made these puppies for us. She got it from here. I think I might make these this weekend. Sorry no pic.

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded
Sauce:
1/4 Cup honey
1/3 Cup lime juice
1 T. chilli powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce
equal parts mixed together of:
mozzarella cheese, shredded
chedder cheese, shredded
flour tortillas ( buy the ones that aren't cooked by the biscuits and butter section) and cook them yourself. They are thinner and taste better

Directions:
Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick backing spray. ( I usually use one 9 by 13 and one 9 by 9) but it may vary with how thick you stuff your enchiladas. Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top-don't be stingy! ( I sometimes use more like 1 1/2 cans- you can freeze left over enchilada sauce in a baggy.) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until the cheese is slightly brown and crispy. It is now time to WOW your family.

Lemon-Orzo Salad with Veggies and Chicken

2010-08-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from here and of course loved it. Really loved it actually. It was so fresh and yummy. I used canned chicken, because I just didn't want to have to run the oven or stove anymore. It turned out just great. I will be making this yummy dish again and again.

3/4 C uncooked orzo pasta
1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp honey
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 C cooked shredded or diced boneless, skinless chicken
1/2 C diced cucumber
1/2 C diced red bell pepper
1/3 C sliced green onions
1 Tbs chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried dill
1/2 C crumbled feta cheese

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta feels cool to the touch. Drain and place in a large salad bowl.

While orzo cooks, combine lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, garlic, honey, and black pepper. Whisk to combine.

Add chicken, cucumber, bell pepper, green onions, and dill to pasta. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Divide onto 4 plates and sprinkle with feta.

Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn

2010-08-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe off of here. We loved it! I can still eat this kind of stuff, because Im about 8 1/2 months pregnant. It's my last week of Junk and crap before the hardcoreness of getting skinny comes back. I loved this recipe, but not as much as my caramelized popcorn, but it was still good enough to keep in my records and blog. Give it a shot:

2 bags of Simply Salted (or similar) popcorn (or about 20 cups of popped popcorn)
2 c. honey roasted peanuts
3 c. peanut butter chips (I used Reese's)*
2/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips *
1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or oil
*I LOVED this suggestion from one of our readers. If you want more chocolatey flavor in your popcorn, substitute 1 c. of the peanut butter chips with 1 c. of chocolate chips and then still drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn at the end.

Place the peanuts popped popcorn in a very large bowl. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter chips and vegetable oil or shortening and heat for 2-2 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Drizzle the melted peanut butter chips over the popcorn and peanuts and toss to combine.

Spread the popcorn onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet. In a Ziploc bag, heat the semi-sweet chocolate chips until just melted and smooth (about 1-1 1/2 minutes, mashing the bag every 20-30 seconds). Cut a small corner in the Ziploc bag and drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn. Allow to stand long enough to become solid (you can transfer the pan to the fridge or freezer to hurry this step along). When done, break the popcorn into small pieces and enjoy!

Pulled Pork Sandwhiches

2010-05-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

I have to make this again and again and again. With the summer coming up this is the perfect summer meal to share with anyone and everyone. I felt like I was down in the south. It was so scrumptious. I love easy crockpot stuff!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

3 lb. boneless pork shoulder

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Smoked paprika or liquid smoke

1-1 1/2 bottles BBQ Sauce ( I just use the cheap dollar brand)

About 12 high-quality rolls ( Ciabatta rolls are the best for this)
Coleslaw

Thick-cut dill pickle slices

Directions:

Rinse pork roast well in cold water and trim of excess fat. This is important because sometimes, boneless pork shoulder (and bone-in pork shoulder, for that matter) can take on kind of an icky fishy odor and a lot of that smell is in the juices and the fat. Pat dry. Sprinkle roast with seasonings and place in your slow cooker. Add about 1/2 inch of water and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

When the roast has cooked, drain liquid and then return to the slow cooker and shred. Pour enough sauce over the meat so it's well-incorporated but not soupy. Return the lid to the crockpot and heat through.

When ready to serve, slice rolls and add meat. Top with coleslaw and a few slices of dill pickle.

Memphis-Style Coleslaw:

1 c. mayonnaise (side note: why, oh why does regular mayonnaise have to taste so much better than low-fat?)
2 Tbsp. Dijon or whole-grain mustard
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 heaping tsp. Kosher salt (or an even 1/2 tsp. of table salt)
1 Tbsp. grated onion
2-2 1/2 tsp. celery seed (absolutely essential for classic coleslaw flavor)
1 16-oz. bag shredded cabbage with carrots (stay away from the very fine shreds because they'll get too soggy)
1/2 minced green bell pepper
1 carrot, peeled and grated

You probably could just get a bag of coleslaw and top with a coleslaw dressing and it would be fine, but this was really yummy. Try it!

Korean BBQ Beef

2010-05-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

Korean BBQ Beef

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, cut against the grain into thin (about 1/4") slices

1/2 c. rice wine or pear juice (1 4 oz. bottle of pear juice from the baby food aisle is perfect and cheap)

1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce makes it taste vaguely like beef jerky)

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce

1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Combine wine or pear juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, chili sauce, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add sliced steak. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Preheat the grill. While the grill is heating, thread the steak pieces onto bamboo skewers. Cook over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, being careful not to let the meat get too cooked. Serve immediately; serves 4-6.I didn't put the meat on skewers ( just didn't have enough patience and time) and just threw it on the grill.

Loved this meal! I must say my BBQ skills are getting better and better. Enjoy

Kati's Rasp/Strawberry Freezer Jam

2010-05-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

Strawberries were .88 cents the other day at our grocery store. Actually they were .88 cents for about a week. I had to take advantage of them being so so cheap. I made some yummy freezer jam. Here is my Sister Kati's delicious Strawberry Freezer jam recipe:

Depending on how much your making is how much of the pectin you'll need but I usually only buy one box of it. It is called sure jell fruit pectin. If you make strawberry you'll need 2 cups of crushed strawberries and 4 cups of sugar. Mix the fruit and sugar well and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir 1 box of pectin and 3/4 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir pectin mixture into fruit mixture. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes. Pour into containers leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top for expansion during freezing. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours until set. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks, otherwise store in freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator.
If your doing raspberry you'll do the same thing but you'll need 3 cups of crushed raspberries and 5 1/4 cups of sugar

Roast Beef Dip by Joanna

2010-05-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

French Dip Sandwich

1 French or sourdough loaf
1/2 lb roast beef or London broil (sandwich slices)
1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
1 cup mini Portabella mushrooms. chopped
Provolone and Mozzarella cheese, sliced (can also add baby swiss)
Miracle Whip (you could probably use Mayonnaise if you want)
1 packet Au Jus sauce (you can just find this at the store - it comes as a dry powder that you mix with water)

Saute the mushrooms and onions separately in a little butter. Cut open the loaf of bread and spread miracle whip on both sides. Layer on one side the onions, mushrooms, and cheeses. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer the meat on the other side. Leave the sandwich open and broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Fold sandwich together and cut.

Moms "Feel Good" Strogonoff

2010-05-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

This is another Morphy favorite. Totally a comfort food and so so perfect in every way. Its a Mama Morphy recipe and we all love it. Here it is:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound Ground beef ( I used Ground Turkey and it worked great too)
1 tsp. sugar
2 ( 8oz) cans tomato sauce
s&P
garlic
1 ( 8oz) pkg. egg shell noodles
1 C. sour cream
1 (3oz) pkg. cream cheese
6 small green onions diced
1 C. sharp chedder cheese

Directions:
Brown the ground beef, garlic for seasoning, salt and pepper for taste. Add sugar and tomato sauce and simmer for 15 min. Cook the noodles separately in boiling water and then drain. Mix the sour cream, cream cheese and onions together in a small bowl. In a casserole dish spray the pan and then layer 1st with 1/4 of the noodles, then layer with meat mix, and then layer with the cheese mixture. Repeat like you are making a lasagna. End with 1 cup of shredded cheese on top. 30 minutes @ 350 degrees and then you have a very happy family and tummy!

Joannas Chocolate pudding Dessert

2010-05-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry there is no picture, but I just had to have this recipe in my records. It is " OFF THE HOOK" good. It really is only for special occasions, because it is " SO NOT HEALTHY" for you in anyway, but so Scrumptious!

Step 1:
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ cubes butter (3/4 cup)
2/3 cup chopped nuts

Combine ingredients and cut together like a pie crust, until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Press well into 9x13 pan and bake at 325* for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Step 2:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (8 oz) pkg softened cream cheese
1 (9 oz) carton cool whip

Beat together sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add ½ of whipped topping. Spread on cooled crust.

Step 3:
2 (3 oz) pkgs instant chocolate pudding
3 cups milk

Make up pudding according to package directions, using just 3 cups milk. Spread the pudding on the cream cheese layer. Spread remaining whipped topping on pudding layer. Sprinkle with additional chopped nuts, if desired, or a light sprinkling of grated chocolate. Chill several hours or overnight. Makes 15 servings.

Thai Chicken Dinner

2010-05-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

I think I just wanted to remember this yummy jar of Thai for some night when I don't know what to make. I got this yummy stuff at Trader Joes and we thoroughly enjoyed it. I just made a batch of rice and then cooked up the veggies ( broccolli, red peppers, cauliflower, and yellow peppers, and onions) in a stir fry pan with some olive oil and then drenched it all in this yummy sauce. SO YUMMY!

Another Spinach Salad

2010-05-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

This is another favorite salad of mine. I got it off of www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com. Here it is. So simple.

SPINACH SALAD

1 head lettuce

1 bunch spinach

3/4 lb. sliced mushrooms

3/4 lb. grated Swiss or Mozzarella Cheese

1 red onion

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 cup slivered almonds

3 Tbsp. sugar

DRESSING

3/4 Tbsp. poppy seeds

1/3 Cup White vinegar

3/4 cup oil (Crisco, canola or olive oil)

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. grated onion (opt)

3/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

*I add onion rings to the dressing… so that it flavors it, then I remove the rings. Some picky people don’t like onion!

Directions:

Cook sugar and almonds over low heat until light brown. Mix first 5 ingredients; sprinkle almonds, bacon, and oranges over the top. Serve with Poppy seed dressing.

Veggie Sand. ( or add chicken to it too)

2010-05-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

My Girl Jo invited us over for dinner the other night and made a yummy veggie sandwhich on a sourdough loaf and we loved it. Here is the recipe. We have had this meal a couple times since.

Ingredients:
yellow squash (2)
Zucchini (1 or 2)
1/2 white onion sliced thin
olive oil
Chicken (1-2 chicken breasts)
1/2 jar sun dried tomatoes
Fetta cheese ( fetta with sun dried tomatoes preferably)
3-4 T. mayonaise
1 lemon
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 thin sourdough baguette

Directions:
Slice up all the veggies and lay them flat onto a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place them aside.

Mix the mayo, squeeze half the lemon in the mayo and mix in the garlic. Slather on the sliced bread and then sprinkle the fetta all over. I used only about half the fetta cheese box. Set aside on another cookie sheet.

In a pan cook up your chicken and slice it thin. When the chicken is about half way cooked pour in the yummy sun dried tomatoes to cook the rest of the time with the chicken. Also put in your veggies on broil for bout 10 minutes or until they are light brown and softened.

After the veggies are done place your bread in the oven on broil and watch for it to get light brown. When it is done layer everything up on the bread and cut in slices and serve. So delicious!

Strawberry/Spinach Salad

2010-04-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 Bag of spinach leaves
1 Avocado sliced
1/2 package strawberries rinsed and sliced
2 chicken breasts cooked and chopped
Fetta Cheese
1/4 red onion sliced thinly
1 small bag of pecans
Poppy seed dressing

Toss everything up in the salad and drizzle with yummy poppy seed dressing. I have made this salad before, but just added a few changes. We loved this!

Chinese Chicken Salad

2010-04-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts chopped up and cooked
1 pkg shredded coleslaw
2 pkgs Ramen noodles ( oriental) broken up and not cooked
3 bunches green onions( chopped including some of the green stems)
1/2 C. sunflower seed kernals
1/2 C. slivered almonds

Dressing: Make 12 hours before if you can( I usually don't think that far in advance about dinner)
1/2 C. canola oil
1/2 C. Cidar vinager
1/2 C. Sugar
2 pkg. oriental seasoning from the roman noodles

Mix all the salad ingredients in a big bowl and drizzle the dressing all on top. I had some left over crunchy won tons from the Chinese Chicken salad from Costco that I used for the top of this dinner. I love this yummy recipe. I got it from Sister Brady who served it to me on my mission.

Bruscetta with Mozzo

2010-02-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

I bought a yummy sourdough baguette the other day at the grocery store and kept thinking about that scene in Julie and Julia when she made that yummy Bruschetta. AHhhh my mouth was watering and I haven't stopped thinking about them. So I made my own little version of them.

Ingredients:
2-3 Roma Tomatoes
1 long skinny sourdough Baguette
Thin slices of Mozzarella cheese
Balsamic vinaigrette drizzled

Directions:
Chop up the tomatoes in small, small pieces and stick em in a bowl. Drizzle and coat the tomatoes with the Balsami vinaigrette and set to the side. Slice your bread into appetizer style and size pieces. Slice the cheese and place on top of the bread and then place as many tomatoes that will fit on top of the bread and cheese. Place in the oven on Broil for just a few minutes. WATCH IT SO IT DOSEN"T BURN. These were so yummy! I think I might add Basil to the top next time I make these.

Lettuce Wrappers with Shrimp ( or Chicken)

2009-12-20T09:53:00.000-08:00

My man is allergic to Shrimp so I switched the shrimp for Chicken and loved it. We got this recipe from the Southbeach diet cookbook. We loved it. You will want to make alot. Trust me!

Ingredients:
1 T. peanut oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsley chopped ( or two pieces of chicken breasts cooked and chopped)
1/2 C. finely chopped celery
1/4 C water chesnuts, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. finely chopped ginger
1 tsp. hoisen sauce ( didnt use it, didn't want to buy it)
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice wine vinager
8 large leaves Boston lettuce
Toasted chopped peanuts for the garnish and top

Direcetions:
Heat the oil in a wok or large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken or shrimp and stir fry until they are opaque. Remove the chicken to a bowl and set aside

Add the celery, water chesnuts, garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry until the vegtables are crisp tender.

Return the shrimp to the wok and add the hoisen sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar. Cook for 1 minute, or until heated through.

Evenly divide the shrimp mixture among the lettuce leaves. Garnish with peanuts. YUM YUM!

Citrus Salmon Tacos

2009-12-20T09:44:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:
Salmon( we buy the frozen pieces from Costco and each eat one)
olive oil
salt and pepper
dill (opt)
1 mandarin orange or lime or lemon
cilantro chopped up
1 roma tomato chopped up
Salsa of your choice
warm corn tortillas

Directions:
I defrost the salmon and place it in the med/high heat skillet that has olive oil in it. I have already S&Peppered and sprinkled dill on the salmon. I let the salmon cook for awhile and half way through I squeeze a mandarin orange over the top of the cooking salmon. We like ours a bit pink inside, but crispy on the outside. I chop up the salmon in the skillet and give it a bit more salt and pepper at the end. You wrap it up in warm tortillas with cilantro, tomatoes and the salsa of your choice. It was delicious and I can't stop thinking about this meal. LOVED IT!

Pumpkin/Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake

2009-12-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

These devilish treats are to die for! I found them off of my girlfriends blog a couple years ago and haven't stopped making them. I made them a few months ago and forgot to add them to my recipe book. Here is the MUST HAVE pumpkin sheet cake recipe:

*Preheat oven to 350 and grease a jelly roll pan (10x15)

Mix together:

1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

Then add:

4 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. salt

I like to add milk chocolate chips to the mixture. It's good either way though.

Blend all together and pour into pan.

Cook for 25-30 minutes.

Let cool and then frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz. cream cheese softened

1/2 cup butter softened

1 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups powder sugar

Beat with a mixer and spread over cooled cake.

ENjoy!

Snickerdoodles

2009-12-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

The best Snickerdoodles I have ever tasted!

I made these puppies while I was home in Ca. in October and haven't stopped thinking about them. I got the recipe off of one of my favorites www.getoffyourbuttandbake.blogspot.com
You can get the recipe just by clicking here
They are delicious!
Off to make some yummy chocolate crinkles with Lillly!

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Sweet Potato Casserole

2009-11-23T12:54:00.000-08:00

If you are in charge of the sweet potato's this year at Thanksgiving you have to make this yummy sweet potato casserole. It is a family favorite and we love it! Sorry no Picture. TRY THIS RECIPE!!
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Sweet Potato Casserole:

Ingredients:
-Sweet Potato mixture
. 3 Cups cooked, mashed sweet potato, skins off
. 1 Cup sugar
. 1/2 tsp. salt
. 1 tsp. vanilla
. 2 eggs beaten
. 1 stick butter, melted

-Crust mixture
. 1 Cup brown sugar
. 1/3 Cup flour
. 1 Cup chopped pecans
. 1/3 stick butter, melted

Instructions:

Boil or steam sweet potatoes, drain, remove skins, set aside.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the ingredients for the sweet potato mixture. Pour into buttered 9-inch square baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until firm.

Combine crust mixture ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle surface of baked sweet potato mixture with crust mixture. Broil briefly, just until crust is brown. Allow to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Chipotle Chicken Salad

2009-10-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

So I usually just try stuff that I think my family will like and it usually works out. I found this yummy Chipotle Chicken Salad off our www.ourbestbites.com. We loved it! You can follow the directions and get the recipe here: HERE

If you like a little spice and kick you will love this salad!

Apple Dumplings

2009-09-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

Apple Dumplings
Here is the site to the recipe: Just click below

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/09/easy-and-amazing-apple-dumplings.html

I made these twice and they are TO DIE FOR!! You need to make them! I added the link so you can just go right to the page and follow their directions. www.ourbestbites.com is becoming my favorite recipe site.

Nie Cuisine Pumpkin, Chocolate Chip Bread

2009-09-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

I got this Pumpkin Chocolate chip bread recipe from Nie Cuisine. You can find her on the side of my blog. Great stuff! Jordan loves pumpkin Chocolate bread so I thought I would give it a try so when he walked in from work he would have an aroma of pumpkin yumminess. I was wanting it to be sweeter, but I'm always wanting things sweeter. Jage loved it! I passed some along to our neighbors and missionaries too( as you can see I made a ton).

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
one can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees;. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar with pumpkin until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips, and pour into prepared pan.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

I didn't use whole wheat flour and I used reduced fat sour cream. I wish I would have added in more chocolate chips. Look for my yummy pumpkin, chocolate chip sheet cake coming soon. Now that stuff is to die for!

French's Fried Onion Chicken

2009-09-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

I made this yummy chicken the other night along with my Pasta Salad. I followed the recipe on the back of the yummy French's Fried Onions.

Ingredients:
1 egg
2-3 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
French's Fried onions crushed up in a ziplock bag
oil for frying

I whisked the egg in a seperate bowl and set aside. I cut off any extra fat on the chicken and cleaned it up. I crushed 2-3 Cups of the fried onions in a ziplock bag. I dipped the chicken into the egg and then threw in the zip lock baggie for shaking. I heated up my oil on a skillet and fried away until the chicken was cooked through and golden brown. The recipe says to bake it, but I was short on time so I just fried it up. It was yummy! We dipped our cut up pieces in Ranch dressing. So fattening and do scrumptious!

Candied Walnut Salad

2009-09-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

Candied Walnut Salad

2 heads of leafy greens; 1 can be a bag of spinach (I like 1 bag of spinach and a head of Romaine or just 2 heads of Romaine)

3/4 c. Craisins

2 crisp apples

Orange juice (enough to toss apples in to prevent browning and add a little flavor)

2 oz. blue cheese or Gorgonzola (I prefer Gorgonzola; it's milder, but harder to find and more expensive)

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/4 c. sugar

To Carmalize your walnuts toss them in a pan on medium heat with the 1/4 C. sugar. Stir constantly and they will eventually turn into a liquid state. This is when you need to really stir and watch them so they don't burn. Once they hit that liquid state they are pretty much done. Take them out and place on a cookie sheet to cool off.

When ready to serve, toss lettuce, cranberries, walnuts, apples, and blue cheese in a large bowl. Add dressing if desired; it really is better all mixed together rather than on top, but the dressing will wilt any leftovers.

Here is the dressing:

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. honey

1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (really, that's pretty optional; it all goes in the blender)

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 c. canola oil

In a blender, combine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place lid on blender and blend on high. While blender is running, add oil in a steady stream. Store in refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks. Shake well before serving.

This Salad was so yummy. I got it off of ourbestbites.com!

Gavin Gourmet Granola

2009-09-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

My Young Womens class made this yummy granola the other night and it is so yummy. With Granola you can really add whatever you want. It is kind of like trail mix. Which reminds me that I need to get my SIL Jenny's yummy trail mix recipe.

Ingredients:
6 c. rolled oats
1 C. coconut
1 C.chopped walnuts
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. melted butter ( one cube)
1/2 c. honey

Stir together in a large baking pan or cookie sheet the first 5 ingredients.
Drizzle the melted butter and honey over the top and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring often so the coconut dosen't brown too much. After removing from oven, stir as it cools to prevent clumping. Can add sliced almonds, dried cranberries, raisins, sunflower or pumpkin seeds etc etc. Store in an air tight containter. Yields one gallon. Enjoy over yogurt, with milk or just plain. Enjoy!

Eggstra yummy Casserole

2009-09-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

I had this yummy Egg casserole at a baby shower brunch and tracked down the recipe, because I loved it so much. Lilly loves eggs so I knew she would eat it and love it.

Egg Cassarole

2 TBLS butter, melted

8 slices white bread

1 1/2 cup grated swiss cheese

1 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar (I used mild)

2 TBLS chives, chopped (I used fresh)

4 large eggs

2 cups milk

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

pepper to taste

grease 8 x 8 pan

Place four slices of bread in pan. Top with half the cheese. Sprinkle all of the chives on top. Place four more slices of bread, and then rest of the cheese.

Wisk together butter, eggs, milk and seasonings. Pour over the top and refrigerate over night.

Bake 325 for 40 mins, until bubbles up, looks puffy.

I used a 9 x 13 and it need a little more bread, but not a lot. So I did a one and a half recipe of the milk/butter/egg mixture to be sure there was enough and it seemed to work out great.

Chicken Bowtie Pasta

2009-09-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

This was so delicious! I just kind of made it up as I went along. We loved it!

Ingredients:
1 box Bowtie pasta
2-3 pieces boneless chicken breast cooked and cut up. ( S&Pepper them)
1 box cherry tomatoes
1 8 oz box sliced mushrooms
Parmesan shredded cheese
olive oil

Directions:
I cooked the pasta in a big pot. On a separate skillet I put about 2 T. olive oil and put in the cut in half cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. I sauteed them all up together and sprinkled a hefty amount of par. cheese all over. I then drizzled more olive oil over the top to help the cheese soak in. I added the chicken with the tomatoes and mushrooms. Drain the pasta after it is cooked and then put the pasta in with the tomatoes and mushrooms. The heat should be on low. Mix everything together and sprinkle more par. cheese throughout. All done and delicious!

Mozz, Tomato, Basil Pizza

2009-08-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

I made my crust from my previous crust recipe that my Auntie Kim gave me. You can't go wrong with this crust. It is under my Pizza label and given in my BBQ chicken pizza recipe.

Ingredients:
Favorite pizza sauce ( I used the kroger generic brand)
Mozz. chunks
Tomato slices
Fresh Basil leaves

I cooked my crust for a few minutes to get it lightly brown and then topped with the pizza sauce. I added the cheese, tomato slices and Basil. I think next time I will put the basil on after I have cooked the pizza with the cheese and tomato slices. Cook the pizza for 10-12 minutes or until all the cheese is melted and bubbly. Take it out and top with fresh basil. It was so yummy and the basil was smelling up the whole house. I loved it!

Saucy, Creamy Mexican Chicken Wraps

2009-08-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
3 pieces of frozen, boneless chicken breasts ( for my family)
Drizzle of olive oil
2 1/2 C. Thick, chunky Salsa
1 C. sour cream ( I use light)
warm flour tortillas
shredded lettuce
shredded chedder cheese

Directions:
I thaw the chicken and then throw it in the crockpot. I drizzle the olive oil all over the chicken and then pour in the salsa and sour cream on top. I put it on high for a few hours. After the chicken is cooked through I shred the chicken with two forks while it is still in the crockpot and turn it to keep warm. I warm up my tortillas and then wrap them up with this yummy, creamy, saucy chicken and top them off with lettuce and cheese. It is one of my favorite, most easiest dishes. Enjoy!

BLTAC Sandwhich

2009-08-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

I love this sandwhich! We had it the other night and it was perfect!

Ingredients:
Turkey Bacon
Whole Wheat bread
Romaine Lettuce
Vine ripe tomatoes
Avocados
Chedder or Jack cheese

It's basically your BLT with a few more ingredients added in. I used Turkey Bacon and it was just as good as the regular stuff. I mustared up the slices of toasted whole wheat bread, layered with bacon, slices of tomato, lettuce, avocado,and jack cheese, It was so Yummy!

P Butter, Chocolate Chip, and Oatmeal Cookies

2009-08-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

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I made these for my inlaws that came to visit. We loved em! I of course left some at home for us to chow down and Boy did we ever!
Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Finally, mix in the oats and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Notes:

I baked these cookies and followed the recipe exactly. (about 9 minutes baking time) They don’t spread very much so you can fit quite a few on one baking sheet. These cookies also come out of the oven very soft, so be sure to let them cool on the sheet for several minutes before attempting to remove or they’ll just crumble and fall apart. So good!

Recipe from getoffyourbuttandbake.blogspot.com

Yummy Salad

2009-07-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

Romaine lettuce
mandarin oranges
craisins
glazed pecans (or almonds)
celery
mozzarella

Dressing (in the blender):
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
2 Tbsp mustard
2 tsp salt
1 diced red onion
2 cups vegetable oil

It makes 5 cups of dressing and you really only need a little for the salad so there is a lot left over. Enjoy!

I used honey cashews instead of the pecans and they were delicious. They were just cheaper so I tried em and we loved em!

Chicken, Tomato Cheese Bread

2009-06-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
Ragu sauce ( or your favorite tomato sauce)
2-3 pieces of Chicken cooked and cut up
Mozz. shredded cheese
4 pieces sourdough bread sliced up

Directions:
Cook your Chicken pieces on the stove top. Pour in the the tomato sauce with the chicken. Place your sliced bread on a cookie sheet and then pour the chicken and tomato sauce on top and sprinkle the cheese on top. Place into the oven on Broil for a few minutes and let it get golden brown. Easy and so fast for those crazy nights!

Pita Pita

2009-06-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Pitas cut in half
2-3 chicken breast cooked and chopped
1 Avocado
Balsamic dressing
lettuce
Feta cheese
Red Bell Peppers

Cook the chicken and peppers over the stove with olive oil and the balsamic dressing. After it is cooked stuff into the warm pita. Pile the remaining ingredients into the pita. Delicious! We served it with some mushroom cous cous on the side.

Grandma Alice's Potato Soup

2009-06-10T08:22:00.001-07:00

You are probably thinking I'm nuts for making soup in the middle of Summer living in Az., but I must say it wasn't too bad. I was craving this so I went for it. I loved this soup when I had it for the first time at home in Calgary a couple years ago. Nan made it for the whole family and she said it was Grandma Alice's. Love it!

Ingredients:
1 small white onion
4 large potatoes cleaned, and diced
1 can of Corn
6-7 slices of Bacon cooked and diced
Chicken boullion cube
S&P
1 can Evaporated milk
Flour
Water

Directions
Saute the onion and bacon together in a frying pan. Do not drain. Add the diced potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. REduce your heat and add the chicken flavoring, corn, S&P at this time. You can add any other seasonings. I added diced parsley. Add in your can of Evaporated milk along with 1/4 C. flour mixed and shaken up with 1 C. water. We topped with shredded Chedder cheese and had breadsticks on the side. So good!

Gooey Popcorn Balls

2009-06-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from one of my favorite families on my mission. They are super gooey and super yummy. I must say that the easy carmel popcorn that I posted earlier is still my favorite.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. Sugar
1 T. vanilla
3/4 C. White Caro Syrup
2 Cubes Butter
3-4 C. mini marshmellows
2 bags natural microwave popcorn

Directions:
Pop your popcorn in the microwave and get a big bowl ready to pour the popped popcorn into. Pour the popped popcorn into the big bowl and add the mini marshmellows. Mix it up so the marshmellows are really mixed in. They will start to melt a bit from the heat of the popcorn. In a pot add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes pour over the popcorn and marshmellows. Mix it all up and then lay it on a sprayed cookie sheet to cool. Add sprinkles to the top and then roll into balls. Super Yummy!

Grandpa Morphy Tacos

2009-06-05T12:36:00.001-07:00

My Mom used to always make these soft tacos for my Grandpa Morphy and I had to make em the other night. Nothing too fancy, but so yummy. Every bite made me think of Grandpa over at the small country house I grew up in sitting in the kitchen, listening to Frank Sinatra and handing out $5 to all of us Morphy kids. Here are the yummy tacos:

Inredients:
Flour Tortillas
Ground Beef
Taco seasoning
Avocados smashed and made into guacamole ( lots)
tomatoes chopped
lettuce chopped
Shredded Chedder cheese ( lots)
Veg. Oil

Directions:
In a frying pan cook up your hamburger meat ( I actually used Ground Turkey the other night, because I didn't have ground beef), add in your taco seasoning and let sit for a minute while you are cutting up the tomatoes, avocados,lettuce, and shredding the cheese. In another skillet pour in about 1/4 inch veg. oil and get it hot ( med. heat). Take each tortilla and use tongs and place the tortilla in the hot oil for just a minute or so on each side. It will start to bubble up and get light brown. Place the fried up tortillas on a paper towl and pat off extra oil before serving. Put everything into the Taco shell ( lots of cheese and guacamole) and there you have a GRANDPA MORPHY taco.

Hint: you have to fry the tortillas ( it is a must).
Hint: I also added in salsa to my meat mixture and it makes it very saucy and tomatoey. Love it!

Moms chicken cheese Casserole

2009-06-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is by far a family favorite. It is so simple and yet so yummy to my tummy.

Ingredients:
1/2 package corn tortillas cut up into pizza pieces
1 med. sized jar of your favorite salsa
1 can cream of chicken soup
Chedder Cheese ( just eye it) ( lots though)
4-5 pieces chicken cooked and cut into small bite sized pieces

Directions:
I take the stack of corn tortillas and cut through all of them and cut them into pieces like pizza slices. I then layer the bottom of the rectangular casserole dish with some of the corn tortillas ( just one layer). In a small bowl mix the salsa and C of chicken soup. I then layer the salsa mixture on top of the corn tortillas. I then take some of the chicken and layer on top of the salsa mixture and then layer with chedder cheese. I do this layering about 3-4 times and then end with shredded cheese on top. My Mom thinks the recipe is best if you make it the night before and leave it in the fridge, but I usually just make it and bake it on 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Kids love this and so do Moms and Dads!

Spicy Honey Chicken Mango Salad

2009-06-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe off of www.ourbestbites.com and LOVED LOVED LOVED it! Jordan and I made it two nights in a row we loved it so much. It was fabulous and I can't say enough good things about it. You have to try it for anyone who even reads this blog.
Just click on this link and you can get this recipe

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/05/spicy-honey-chicken-salad.html

Pineapple Chedder Corn Bread

2009-06-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

I love Cornbread and my Mom makes a mean killer cornbread, but I had to try this one that I found in Better Homes and Garden. I loved it! The recipe was so big so next time I will for sure cut everything in half. This recipe won a $200 prize!

Ingredients:
1 C. all purpose flour
1 C. Cornmeal
1/2 Sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 C. butter lightly beaten
1 14.75 oz. can cream style corn
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple ( drained)
4 oz. chedder cheese shredded ( 1 cup)

Directions:
1. preheat over to 375 degrees. Grease and flour 2 quart rectangular baking dish, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, beal well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture on low speed just until combined. Stir in corn, drained pineapple, and cheese. Spoon batter into prepared dish.
4. Bake about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cut in squares and serve warm. We ate ours with honey and also on the side we had Bush's baked beans! Enjoy!!

Pepper Jack Steak Sandwich

2009-05-28T07:46:00.001-07:00

I made these yummy Pepper Jack Steak Sandwich's on Sunday after church and they were so yum.

Ingredients:
Ciabatta rolls
Two medium sized thin cut steaks
1 yellow bell pepper
1/2 small purple onion
1 red bell pepper
S&P
1 T. olive Oil
drizzle of Italian Dressing
Pepper Jack cheese
1 tsp. Mayo

These are basically a fajita style sandwich, and so yummy! I first cut up my bell peppers and onions in strips and threw them on the pan with the olive oil and cooked those until they got soft. I cut the steak into strips and threw them in with the peppers and cooked until nice and brown. I drizzled Italian dressing over everything along with S&P. I cut the Ciabatta buns in half and layered with pepper jack cheese and placed them on a cookie sheet in the oven on broil for just a few minutes to toast and get light brown and melt the cheese. I spread a small amount of mayo on the other side of the bun and then piled on the steak, onion and bell peppers. My mouth is watering as I type this. Yummy!

The next day I had left over rolls so I just toasted the roll and put pepper jack cheese and sliced tomatoes and it was scrumptious!

Girl Scout Somoa Cookie Bars

2009-05-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

These taste seriously like the Girl Scout cookies. I made them yesterday ( Sunday is always a free diet day). They were so yummy. Glad I left most of them over and Mike and Cams or else I would have been eating them all day today. I got the recipe off of www.getoffyourbuttandbake.blogspot.com. Here is the recipe:

Cookie Base

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

First, make the crust.Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

*
Topping

3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp milk

10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula. Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using a spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled. When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).
Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish. Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Simple Cheesy Manicotti

2009-05-18T19:45:00.001-07:00

I got this right off of the box and we loved it. So glad I found a recipe I loved. I had tried one awhile back and was so disappointed.
Ingredients:
Manicotti Shells
1 -3/4 Cups ( 15 oz. container) part skim Ricotta cheese
2 C. ( 8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
3 C. Spaghetti Sauce

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Lay flat on foil to cool. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, stir together cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper; spoon into cooled pasta tubes. Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 13x 9x 2-inch baking dish, arrange filled pasta in single layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over pasta;cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil;bake 15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly. Makes 6-8 servings.

Spinach Salad

2009-05-16T05:54:00.000-07:00

The last thing I want to do in this heat is slave away in the hot kitchen so Salads here we come. I got this yummy recipe from " Down Home with the Neely's" on foodnetwork. We loved it!

Ingredients:
3/4 of the big bag of Spinach
6 slices cooked and crumbled turkey bacon
Blue Cheese crumbled ( I used half the container)
small bag of pecans
1/2 a bag of Craisens

Directions:
Throw everything in a bowl and toss it up! We used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon and it was so good. I think if I were to make this next time I might add a bit of red onion. We used our Romano dressing, but I think you could use any salad dressing you like. Enjoy!

Sliders

2009-05-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe we got from my cute SIL Jenn and brother Baker. They are just miniature burgers, but the yummy part is the roll they are on.

Ingredients:
Hamburger meat
Hawaiian sweet rolls
sliced pickles
Chedder cheese
tomatoes
etc etc etc ( whatever you like on your burgers)!!

Directions:
Make small burger patties with your hands and fry em up or BBQ em up. Slice the Hawaiian sweet rolls in half. Place the burgers inside the bun and that's it! I do add salt and pepper to the hamburger meat, but that's it! The roll is what makes these little guys so delicious. It is so cute to see your kids eat them, because they can actually get their whole mouth around the whole thing and they can hold them with three dainty fingers like our little Lil does. Pinky out and all!!
Plan on eating 2-3 of them per adult!

Taco Chilli Soup

2009-05-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

I call this a Chilli Soup, because it is really thick. I got this recipe from one my friends back in Provo. She got it from her MIL who is from Louisiana. It is a super southern, hearty Taco Chilli Soup that we love.
Ingredients:
1 lb Hamburger
1 small onion
1 package taco seasoning
1 packet ranch seasoning
1 can pinto beans
1 can chilli beans( no meat)
1 can kidney beans
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can rotel tomatoes
2 cans corn
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:
Brown the hamburger meat on the skillet with the diced onions. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the top. Place the rest of the ingredients in the crockpot on high. Don't drain any of the beans or corn. Add the browned and cooked meat to the crockpot and keep in the crockpot until nice and hot. We serve ours with chips, sour cream, cheese, and olives. SO SO GOOD! Lots of fiber- Watch out!

Mama Glenn's PB cookies

2009-04-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while Jage will request something that his Mom used to make and I call or email Mama Glenn and get the recipe. We have been trying to eat healthier lately and the meals have been pretty boring. . . Chicken and salad, chicken and veggies, chicken and blah blah blah you get the idea. Today I felt like making cookies though. Not for mutual and not for another family, but just to put in our cookie jar and enjoy. I decided on Mama Glenns delicious Peanut Butter Cookies!

Ingredients:
1 C. shortening
1 C. brown Sugar
1 C. gran. white sugar
2 eggs
1 C. peanut butter
3 C. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Cream the shortening and then add the sugars one at a time. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the p. butter and the vanilla. Sift the flour, salt, and b. powder. Roll into balls and push a fork down onto them and cook at a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. You won't need another P.Butter cookie recipe again.

Mc Breakfast Sandwich

2009-04-26T06:53:00.001-07:00

The other night I needed to just make Lils dinner and I had all this left over Ham from Easter sitting in my refrigerator so I busted out with this yummy Mickey D's breakfast sandwich. Jage and I kept sneaking bites from her.
Ingredients:
Sourdough English Muffins
Eggs
Ham ( already cooked and cut up)
Ketchup or Salsa
Chedder Cheese

I toasted the English muffin with cheese on top in the oven on broil. I then added ketchup onto the muffin. I scrambled up the eggs and placed them inside the muffin. Layer with some cooked ham. It was so yummy. I felt like I was eating some breakfast sandwich from McDonalds.

Crockpot Cranberry Chicken

2009-04-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

My SIL Jenny gave me this recipe and I love it. So easy and simple. It's a crockpot one!

Ingredients:
4 pieces skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can whole cranberries
1 package onion soup mix
Rice

Directions:
Throw everything into the crockpot on high for 2.5 hours and then shred the chicken with two forks and cook for another 20 minutes or so. Serve over rice! Hearty and so good. I opened up a can of mandarin oranges to eat along with it and both Jage and I ended up putting the oranges on top of the chicken and rice. It was really tasty!

Funeral Potatoes

2009-04-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

I made these for Easter Dinner and they were so yummy. I got the recipe from my girlfriend, Joanna. Whenever I'm pregnant I always want alot of cheese and potatoes. I think these would be perfect for any preggo girl out there. Filling, fattening, and so so Yum-O!
Ingredients:
30-32 ounce bag shredded hashbrowns
2 C. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 C. shredded chedder cheese
1/2 C. melted butter
1/3 C. finely chopped onion
1 C. corn flakes

Directions:
Melt butter in large saucepan. Add cheese, onion, sour cream, and soup. Stir until smooth and cheese is melted. Pour over potatoes in 9 x 13 pan. Top with corn flakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Enjoy!!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

2009-04-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

These are one of my favorite sides slash main courses! Simple and so tasty!

Ingredients:
Red, Orange, or Yellow Bell Peppers. I count on 1 per person!
Cous Cous
Ragu or your favorite spaghetti sauce
Olive Oil
S&P
Fetta Cheese

Directions:
You cut your bell pepper in half and clean out the meat inside. Rinse them off and set them to the side. Drizzle olive oil over the peppers while on a cookie sheet. I rub the olive oil all over the bell pepper. Sprinkle with S&P and place in the oven at 350 degrees until there dark brown spots and part of the skin is pealing. They should be soft. I do turn them over half way in between. I think it's about 20 minutes or so in the oven. I make the cous cous while the peppers are cooking and then add the spaghetti sauce to the Cous Cous ( not too much, but just enough to taste). Once the bell peppers are done cooking stuff them full of the cous cous and sprinkle with Fetta cheese ( opt.). So yummy and pretty healthy!

Strawberry/Chicken Salad

2009-03-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend Joanna made this incredible salad and I haven't stopped making it. It's perfect for spring or summer when the temp.'s start rising and you don't want to be in the kitchen slaving away in the heat.

Ingredients:
Lettuce ( 1 head of lettuce, don't use iceburg)
1 small container of washed cut in slices strawberries
1 small bag of Almond slices
2-3 pieces of cooked chopped chicken
1 bottle of poppyseed dressing
Fetta cheese ( ohhh about a 1/4 a cup)

Directions:
Chop and rinse your lettuce. Wash, and cut into slices the strawberries. Boil and cook the chicken. Cut it into bite size pieces. Combine all the ingredients into a big bowl except the poppyseed dressing and fetta cheese. Mix all the ingredients together and then drizzle the dressing all over. The finishing touch should be sprinkling the fetta cheese on top! We eat this as a meal alot of the time. I love this salad. I think my Mom would love it too!

Pasta Salad

2009-03-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

Jage and I went to a BBQ the other night with some friends and they asked us to bring a side dish so I made up this quick pasta salad. It was really delicious in my opinion. Here it is:

Ingredients:
1 box Garden Rotini spiral pasta
1 C. cherry tomatoes
1/2 stalk of celery
1 can black olives rinsed and halved
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese shredded
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 bottle of Romano dressing

Directions:
I cooked the pasta. I chopped the bell pepper, celery, olives, and tomatoes up and placed them into a bowl. After the pasta was done cooking I drained and rinsed it and then added it to the other ingredients. I poured on about 1/2 the bottle of Romano dressing and mixed thoroughly through and then sprinkled on the Parmesan cheese and mixed throughout. Wahhhla that's it!

Easy Carmel Corn

2009-03-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

I learned this recipe from an old college roommate. We would make it all the time. I passed it onto my family and we make it all the time when we are together. Super fattening and so yummy!

Ingredients:
1 cube butter ( yikes)
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 1/2 bags popped microwave popcorn ( light butter)
1/2 C. small marshmellows

In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter, sugar and marshmellows while stirring. Pop your popcorn in the microwave while doing this. After the butter, sugar and marshmellows are a light brown color drizzle over the popcorn with a spoon. So yummy! Last time I made it I put in about 1/3 of the bag of marshmellows and it was extra gooey and delicious. I think I might start making it that way! ENJOY!

Nieman Marcus Delicate Lemon Bars

2009-03-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

My Mom made these while we were home for spring break and I loved them.

Ingredients:
1 C. flour
1/4 C. pwd sugar
1/2 C. butter

2 eggs
3/4 C. granulated sugar
3 T. Lemon juice
2 T. Flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Confectioners sugar
With all the lemons we have here in Az. I need to do something with them all.
Directions:

Stir together 1 C. flour and 1/4 c. confectioners sugar, cut in butter until mixture clings together, pat into ungreased 8 x8 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. In a mixing bowl beat eggs, and the sugar and lemon juice. Beat until slightly thick and smooth-about 8-10 minutes. Stir together 2 T. flour and baking powder and add the egg mixture. Blend just until all is moistened and then pour over the baked layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from the oven when done and sift confectioners sugar over top. Cool and then serve!

I think Lemon bars are probably my favorite dessert!

These Cookies were Heaven!

2009-03-11T10:58:00.001-07:00

Ingredients

*
Makes about 2 dozen 3-inch cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup dried cherries

1 cup semi or milk Chocolate Chips

1 cup toffee pieces, (5 1/2 ounces)

Optional items:

1/2 cup Coconut

1 cup Walnuts or other nut

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour and baking soda, and set aside. Cream butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice during mixing. Add egg, and mix on high speed to combine. Add vanilla extract; mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the sifted flour a bit at a time on a low speed until well combined. Add oatmeal, cherries, chocolate, and toffee pieces; mix to combine. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a baking rack to cool. Eat and enjoy the calories!!

I actually used craisens instead of dried cherries and they tasted great!

Baked Breaded Pork Chops

2009-02-24T11:08:00.000-08:00

Jage loves pork chops! They have to be his favorite thing to eat so I am always trying new things with them. Lets be honest I love them too. This time I tried something different and so easy.

Ingredients:
4 thawed out thin to medium thick pork chops ( no bones)
1 C. bread crumbs
1/2 Parmesan Cheese
2 eggs beaten
S&P
2 T. olive oil

Directions:
Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, s&p together in a bowl. Beat up the two eggs in a separate bowl. Drizzle 1 T. olive oil in a glass pan. Take turns placing each pork chop into the eggs and then into the bread crumb mixture. I like alot of breadcrumbs ( especially when they get toasty brown and yummy when they cook). Lay in the glass pan and drizzle another T. of olive oil on top and then sprinkle just a bit more bread crumbs on top. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I served them with chive mashed potatoes and Parmesan zucchini. We also grabbed the apple sauce last minute to eat along with this dinner. Why does apple sauce taste so good with pork chops. So yummy!

Spring Chicken that you can't get enough of!

2009-02-19T07:52:00.001-08:00

We wanted MORE!

YOU WILL NEED:

1 (5 oz.) pkg. chopped broccoli

2 green onions, minced (opt)

2 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts

1/2 Cup soft or dry bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 Cup Monterey Jack Cheese

2 thin ham slices

1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

Butter

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Cup Milk

DIRECTIONS:

Combine broccoli, onions, and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Pound each breast to 1/4 inch thickness. Top with a piece of ham and broccoli mixture (tablespoon each). Fold each breast over filling; tuck ends under. Brush with melted butter. Coat with a mixture of the crumbs, parsley, and paprika. *I melt a couple Tablespoons of butter in the bottom of a glass 9x13 dish, then place the chicken bundles on top of the butter. Roll them half way through the baking time, so that they brown well on both sides. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with Cheese Sauce.

CHEESE SAUCE:

Melt 2 Tablespoons butter; add flour, salt, and pepper. Cook 30 seconds, then slowly whisk in milk; cook until thick, then add remaining cheese. Serve over the chicken.

7. . . I mean 8 Layer Salad!

2009-02-19T07:38:00.000-08:00

So I just created my own version of the 7 layer salad. We just didn't feel like meat or anything heavy a few nights ago and I went with a yummy salad. I didn't have one of those cool dishes to place all of my yummy ingredients in so I made due with a round casserole serving dish.

Ingredients:
1 packet ranch dressing
16 oz. of sour cream
half a head of iceburg lettuce
3 roma tomatoes
1/2 package bacon cooked and crumbled
1 avocado
1/2 can olives
1 small can of water chesnuts
1/2 frozen bag of peas
1/4 red onion cut into thin slices

Directions:
In a small bowl mix your ranch packet and sour cream and refrigerate. I did it in the afternoon a few hours before dinner. You don't have to, but it tastes better to me after it has sat. Layer your bowl with a good amount of shredded lettuce, layer the chopped tomatoes on top of that, pour your drained water chesnuts on top of that, slice your olives in half and place on top of the waterchesnuts, and then peas, and onions. I then take about 3/4 of the ranch mix and pour and smoothe on top of the salad and then finish it off with shredded chedder cheese on top.

On a side note: We do use turkey bacon and reduced fat sour cream to cut back on the calories and fat and it is just as good. Seriously. I can't do the fat free sour cream, but the reduced fat light is just as good. Enjoy! This is a perfect meal during the hot summer days when you don't want to be in the hot kitchen.

Easy Apricot Chicken

2009-02-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

YOU WILL NEED:

2-3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 (8-ounce) bottle Russian salad dressing

1 cup apricot jam

3/4 bag package dry onion soup mix

Place chicken in greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Combine the dressing, jam, and onion soup mix and pour over chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour. Makes 2-3 servings

We really loved this dish. It was almost like a sweet and sour chicken. So easy if you just remember to pick up the few things at the grocery store.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2009-02-13T08:17:00.000-08:00

My Auntie Kim has the best pizza dough and it's super easy. Here it is:

Ingredients:
1 T. ( 1 packet dry yeast)
1 C. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp . salt
2 T. olive Oil

Directions:
Mix the first three ingredients together in a medium size bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes mix in the remaining ingredients and knead together( I do it with my hands). Let it sit for another 5 minutes and then roll out onto your pizza pan or cookie sheet. Pile on your sauce, cheese and ingredients and enjoy. Our favorite is BBQ Chicken pizza. Here are those ingredients and directions.

BBQ Chicken Pizza
2 chicken breast cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 package cooked bacon
1/4 of a red onion chopped and cooked
Mozz. cheese
BBQ sauce ( your favorite)!
1/2 can pineapple chunks

I first cook the chicken and onions together in a skillet and add a small amount of BBQ sauce into the skillet while cooking. Cook the bacon seperately in another pan and cut up into small pieces. I smother BBQ sauce all over the pizza dough and then layer with the Mozz cheese( just a good amount all over). Pile on the chicken and onion mixture, layer with bacon, and then pour on the pineapples. Cook at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. Enjoy!

When given Lemons. . . Make Strawberry Lemonade

2009-02-10T06:13:00.000-08:00

My cute girlfriend Jodi has a lemon tree and sent me home with a big bag the other day after leaving her house. I wanted to try making some lemonade. Here it went:

Ingredients:
About 10 medium sized lemons
Pitcher of Water
2 C. Sugar
6-8 big strawberries

Directions:
I squeezed the lemons and came up with about 3/4 cup. Poured it into the pitcher and added the water. I added in 2 C. of sugar and mixed up. I realized I had some strawberries in the fridge so I just crushed them up in my hands and mixed in with the lemonade. It turned out really well. We loved it!

Chicken Poppyseed Casserole

2009-02-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

This is another one I couldn't snap a picture of fast enough. You get the idea. . . . Yum! This recipe was given to me by a family friend. We love it!

Ingredients:
8 oz of Sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 pieces chicken cooked and cut up in bite size pieces
2 T.poppy seeds
1 cube butter ( I use half)
crushed up Ritz crackers

Directions:
I first boil the chicken until cooked and then cut it up in bite size pieces. Combine the first 4 ingredients and layer it into a casserole dish. Sprinkle crushed up Ritz all on top. I just crush them in my hand as I'm layering them on top. I use about one of the packages inside of the Ritz box. The final step is to melt the butter and drizzle it on top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Easy and Scrumptious!

Sticky Date and Coconut Cake

2009-02-10T05:57:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe off of www.getoffyourbuttandbake.blogspot.com. It is seriously so delicious! I couldn't believe how much we loved it. I even snuck down in the middle of the night to have a bite. I couldn't get a picture fast enough before we started eating it.

Ingredients
Cake:
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons butter
Dash of salt
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

*
Topping:
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons fat-free milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cake, combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes or until dates are tender.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stir in date mixture, granulated sugar, vanilla, and egg until well combined. Pour batter into a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
4. To prepare topping, combine brown sugar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Pour brown sugar mixture over cake; bake at 350° for an additional 13 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around outside edge. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Comfort Casserole

2009-02-10T05:44:00.000-08:00

This is my Moms Chicken, mushroom casserole that we all ask for at home. With it being chilly outside lately this is the perfect yummy comfort dinner.

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 C. sour cream
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
1/4 stick of butter
1 pkg. long grain rice o roni ( wild rice)
1/2 C white onion
1/4 C. chopped celery
1/2 C. sherry
3/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Boil the chicken, onion, sherry and celery until cooked. Combine the cream of chicken soup and sour cream together in a seperate bowl. Saute the mushrooms on a skillet with the butter and set aside. Cut up the chicken and use the water to cook the rice. I drain the rest of the water and scoop out the celery and onion and add it to my COC and sour cream mixture. After the rice is cooked combine everything with the bowl with the sour cream mixture and mix up. Pour it all into a 9 by 13 dish and cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Ohhh make sure you pour in all the butter that was with the mushrooms into the casserole as well. Enjoy!

Kati Chicken Wraps

2009-02-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

I always like to know what other families are eating every night and what other Moms cook. When my brother Pete started dating Kati ( his cute cute wife and my new sister) he said she makes killer chicken wraps. Here it is with a bit of a twist.

Ingredients:
* Chicken ( 2-3 chicken breasts for my size family)
* 1/2 package bacon ( the real stuff). I have used turkey, but sometimes you just gotta eat PORK
* Shredded chedder cheese
* Lettuce
* Wild Rice
* Sun dried tomato tortilla wraps or just tortillas
* Ranch dressing

Cook up your chicken in a pan and cut into pieces. Cook up your bacon and cut it up into pieces. Cook up your wild rice ( I use Uncle Bens). Place everything into a warm wrap or tortilla and top with cheese, lettuce and Ranch dressing and "WaLa" you have yourself a delicious Kati Chicken Wrap.

Cous Cous, Chicken, and Black bean Salsa

2009-02-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

Yummy!

Ingredients:
*Cous Cous from the box. Just follow directions. If you aren't familiar with Cous Cous it is a Wheat Moroccan Style Pasta. It basically tastes like pasta cut up into tiny pieces and a bit like rice. So good!
*Chicken breasts ( for my family usually 2-3 pieces)
*2 T. Olive Oil
*S&P

Salsa:
*1 can black beans drained
*1 can whole kernal corn drained
*3 Roma tomatoes chopped up
*1/4 C. cilantro chopped up
*1/4 C. red onion chopped up
*1 Avocado cut into small pieces
*1/2 C. italian dressing
Add all the ingredients for the salsa together in a medium size bowl and mix in really well. I really don't measure, but just eyeball it. If you like more tomatoes add more, if you like more onion add more.

I plate the Cous Cous, then add the cooked chicken I cooked in a frying pan with the olive oil and S&P. Top it all off with the yummy black bean salsa. Delicious!

Chicken/Grape salad wrapped in Crossiants

2009-02-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
2 pieces chicken cooked and cut into small pieces
1/2 regular sized container cream cheese
1 cup red grapes cut into half
1/2 cup walnuts, pecans, or almonds ( whatever one you like)
Mix all together. It helps that you mix the chicken into the cream cheese when the chicken is still warm to make the mixture smooth.

Buy the pre-made crossiants in the refridgerated section and lay them flat out on the pan. Wrap them with the mixture and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Fresh Peach Cream French Toast

2009-01-05T13:12:00.001-08:00

Peach/Honey French Toast with fresh cream
Texas Toast Bread
3-4 eggs beaten up in a glass dish pan
1/4 cup honey
2-3 peaches sliced and topped with sugar
fresh cream or cool whip

Add the eggs and honey together in a glass dish pan. Soak each piece of Texas toast into the egg mixture and cook on the stove top until golden brown. Make sure to put butter in the pan. To serve place your French toast on a plate and drizzle with honey and smother with tons of sliced peaches and top off with fresh cream.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

2009-01-05T13:04:00.000-08:00

Café Rio Pork Salad
1 small pork roast without the bone. You can buy one with the bone, but you just have to cut around it.
1 can coke
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 small jar of you favorite salsa( get a pasty kind)

In a large crock pot place the roast in with half water filled up. Cook on high for 4 hours. After 4 hours drain the water in the crockpot and place the rest of the ingredients in and cook for another 3 hours. The last half an hour shred the pork with two forks.

Rice:
White long grain rice ( just follow the directions to cook rice on the back). Add juice from 3 limes into the rice before cooking along with a bunch of cilantro chopped up finely and 2 cloves of garlic. Cook the rice like normal with all of that in the rice. I just use a rice cooker and it is super easy.

Ranch Cilantro dressing:
1 packet Ranch dressing
1/2 cup Mayo
1/2 cup Buttermilk
1 bunch cilantro
add as much crushed red pepper as you like!
Put all of this into the blender and blend away. I would suggest making this first and keeping it in the fridge while everything else cooks

To Serve:
Lay a flour tortilla down on the plate, add black beans, place the pork on top of that, add the rice on top of that. Layer with a good amount of fresh green lettuce, cheese, quacamole, and tortilla strips. Smother with your dressing!

It is a perfect meal for a big group, because it makes a lot of meat. I think everyone needs this recipe in their cookbook. So yummy! My mouth is watering right now. If you don't have Cafe Rio close, just make it!

Monterey Chicken

2009-01-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe off of www.getoffyourbuttandbake.blogspot.com. I refer to this site a lot when I am struggling to cook something for dinner. My sister, Cam and I have both found this recipe pretty incredible.

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Your favorite BBQ sauce
Balsamic vinagrette dressing or Italian dressing
½ cup chopped green onion (opt)
3-4 roma tomatoes chopped (opt)

½ pkg of bacon cooked until crisp
Colby-jack cheese shredded

Directions:

Beat chicken breasts until ½ inch thick and place in 13x9 baking dish. Pour a bit of balsamic vinagrette dressing over the breasts until covered. Cover with some saran wrap and marinate overnight or for several hours. Grill chicken breasts, or dredge in a bit of flour, and brown until golden, and tender. Place chicken breasts on a baking pan. Baste with bbq sauce. Cover each of the breasts with bacon and tomatoes. Cover each of the breasts with cheese. Sprinkle with green onions on top. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted through.