My Friend's Favorite Recipes

Vegan Chili Beans

2012-02-08T15:02:00.000-08:00

This is a vegan chili...with just the right amount of bite!

Rinse and soak beans overnight

In the morning, rinse beans again

Add to crock pot and pour in Veggie Broth and water

Chop 1 medium yellow onion

Add olive oil in saute pan...heat through

Saute onions until clear and a bit browned...

Chop or grate garlic into onions and saute another minute

Add one jar of salsa and 1 can fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies

Add smoked paprika and cumin

Stir

Cook on high for 2 hours and then low for 4 hours

Oh yeah!

Recipe

2 cups dried navy beans

2 cups dried pinto beans (I used Orca Beans which have a slight Black Eyed Pea flavor)

Soak in water (1 inch above the beans) overnight. Before cooking, rinse beans again.

1 box (32 oz) Veggie Broth

3 cups Water

1 small can Fire Roasted Tomatoes w/ green peppers

1 jar Salsa

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 medium Yellow Onion, diced

2 cloves Garlic, chopped or grated

1 palm-full Smoked Paprika (I get mine at Costco)

1 Tbs. Cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place soaked, drained, rinsed, beans in crock pot and add water and veggie broth. Saute onions in olive oil over medium high heat until transparent, add garlic for the last minute, add to crock pot. Add tomatoes, salsa and spices to crock pot. Stir, cover and cook on high for 2 hours then turn to low for 4 hours.

Serve with your favorite corn bread or corn chips.

Choc One Up for Chip!

2012-02-05T16:18:00.001-08:00

This recipe is yummy. I mean YUM-EE! I used coconut oil and almond butter in place of butter and peanut butter.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Coconut Oil (Expeller Pressed)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Rice Syrup
1/3 cup Creamy Almond Butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 cup Whole Wheat White Flour
1/2 cup Rolled Oats
1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Coconut ( I use unsweetened real flaked coconut, not the over processed sugary stuff).

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together coconut oil, brown sugar, and brown rice syrup until fluffy. Add in egg, almond butter and extracts and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda and baking powder. Slowly add to the mixer and beat until blended. Add chocolate chips and coconut and mix until blended. Scoop dough by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.

Madley's Spritz Cookies

2011-12-11T17:25:00.000-08:00

Madley's Spritz Cookies

1 ½ Cups butter or margarine
1 Cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3 Tbsp. Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla
½ tsp. Almond extract
4 Cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking powder

Thoroughly cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, vanilla, and almond extract; beat well. Sift flour and baking powder; add gradually to creamed mixture, mixing until smooth. Do not chill. Force through cookie press onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 8 minutes; cool. Makes 72.

Zucchini Bread with a Crumb Topping

2011-08-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

We have had TONS of zucchini this year from the garden. I wanted to make a zucchini bread that had lots of zucchini in it AND I wanted to share it with my Seminary class. This recipe has a delish topping that the students LOVE and they eat it up! YAY!!
Nice, I feed them and use that zucchini up all at once!

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup canola oil or vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 cups grated zucchini

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (I don't use nutmeg. Just my preference)

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

TOPPING:

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup flour

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans - chopped medium fine (I don't use any nuts, again my preference)
Directions:

Grate zucchini. If using larger zucchini, cut out any large seed sections from the middle before grating. When the 3 cups are grated, set the zucchini aside.
Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Preheat oven to 325°F.
Mix all topping ingredients together. Mix butter into other ingredients using your fingers. When mixed, set aside.
Add eggs to a large mixing bowl and beat together until slightly foamy.
add the oil and sugar to the beaten eggs; beat with the mixer until well blended.
Add the grated zucchini and vanilla; stir by hand until it is well mixed into the egg and sugar mixture.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir to mix evenly.
Add the flour mixture to the egg and zucchini mixture; stir just until evenly mixed.
Pour even amounts of the batter into the prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the top of the batter in each pan. The crumble topping provides for a thick layer over the top of the loaves. If you do not want the topping that thick, don't add all of it.
Place the loaves into the preheated oven and bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove loaves from the oven and allow them to cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely before storing.

Container: 4" x 8" loaf pans (I use a 5 x 9 because I don't want to loose ANY topping!)

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

Whole Wheat, Oat, & Flax Waffles

2011-01-29T08:39:00.000-08:00

I just created a YUMMY healthy waffle recipe. I took the sugar, white flour and fat out. Even my picky eater loved the waffle.

1.5 cups whole wheat flour (I ground whole white wheat in my Vitamix)
1.5 cups oat flour (I ground whole oats in my Vitamix as well)
1/2 teaspoon stevia (instead of sugar)
6 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 whole eggs
3 egg whites
1.5 cups plain almond milk
1.5 cups non-fat milk
12 tablespoons milled flax seed (instead of fat like butter or oil)

Grind the wheat and then measure. Grind the oats separately and then measure. Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cook in waffle iron as directed. I imagine you could use all non-fat milk or almond milk if you prefer one to the other, but I used half of each (just make sure it equals 3 cups total)

Restaurant Salsa

2011-01-24T17:13:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my childhood friend. She got it from her sister-in-law, who got it from the restaurant owner. It makes about 8 cups of salsa and fits perfectly in one of the large Pampered Chef batter bowls (with lid).

1-28oz. can whole tomatoes
1-11oz. can (or 2-6 oz.) 100% tomato juice
¼ t. cumin
1 T. white vinegar
½ t. white pepper
cilantro (to taste)
½ t. granulated garlic
1 pc. celery
Salt to taste (I use ½-1 teaspoon)
Canned jalapenos (to taste) (I start with 1 big spoonful)
6-7 TOMATOES, diced
1 red onion, diced

In blender, mix whole peeled tomatoes with spices (cumin, white pepper and salt) then pour into bowl. Add diced tomatoes and onions, set aside. In blender add ½ of the tomato juice and vinegar. Blend and add to bowl. With other ½ of tomato juice, blend jalapenos first then add cilantro and pulsate so you leave small pieces. Add to bowl. Stir well.
*If it is too spicy, add more chopped tomatoes. If it is too bland, put some of the salsa back in the blender and add blend in another spoonful of jalapenos!

Easy Pineapple Salsa

2011-01-17T09:19:00.001-08:00

Easy Pineapple Salsa

3 cups Fresh Or Canned Pineapple, Diced
1 whole Jalepeno, Seeded And Diced Fine
½ cups Cilantro, Chopped
½ whole Yellow Onion, Diced
½ teaspoons Salt, Or To Taste
½ teaspoons Black Pepper, Or To Taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour (ha!). Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
This would be good in a shrimp taco or over grilled fish.
You could also pour it over a brick of cream cheese and serve it with crackers!

Easy Broccoli Quiche

2011-01-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

I threw this together at home with ingredients I had on hand and my houseguests absolutely raved about it. It was very easy.

2 Tablespoons butter

1-2 teaspoons dehydrated onion (fresh onion would have bee nice, but I was out)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (fresh garlic would have been nice, but I was out)

2 cups fresh broccoli (steamed and chopped)

1 unbaked pie crust (I used the ones from Costco that come in a 6 pack)

1 1/2 cups grated cheese (I used the Costco cheese that is white and orange mixed)

4 eggs (well beaten)

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix broccoli, onion and garlic. Place in unbaked pie crust. Top evenly with grated cheese. Mix eggs, milk, salt, pepper and melted butter together. Pour egg mixture over broccoli and cheese.

Bake in preheated over for 30-45 minutes, or until center has set. It took quite a while for my quiches to set, but maybe that is because I cooked two of them.

Also, as usual, I didn't exactly measure the broccoli or cheese. I just did what felt right at the minute.

Oat Wheat Waffles

2011-01-13T13:42:00.000-08:00

Santa brought us a fancy waffle iron for Christmas this year (ya know, the kind that has a handle to flip the waffle over like they use at hotel breakfast buffets...).

Since the boys want waffles several times a week, I figured I'd better find a healthy waffle recipe so they wouldn't be eating white flour with syrup on top to start their school day.

Here is a recipe I designed (based off another one I found online and changed). It is healthy and tastes good. I served these waffles to a house full of company last weekend and they loved the waffles!

2 cups wheat flour (I grind wheat kernels in my Vitamix using the grain attachment, but you could buy wheat flour)

2 cups oat flour (I grind the oats in my Vitamix, 1 1/4 cup oats will make 1 cup oat flour)

2 Tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

3 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1/4 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl. Mix together until just combined (don't overmix). Pour batter in waffle iron and cook as usual. Be sure to spray the waffle iron with Pam spray since there isn't much fat in the waffle so it might stick more than usual.

I plan on substituting some milled flax seed for some of the eggs next time. The package of milled flax seed lists substitutions on it... it can be used as an egg or fat substitute.

Triple Crock Pot

2010-12-31T15:46:00.001-08:00

I was excited to buy this as a little post Christmas present for myself. For New Year's Eve tonight we are having a "nacho bar" with nacho cheese in one section, ground beef in another, and refried beans in the third section.

And next week I am having a "soup bar" and then a "taco bar." For the taco bar, I will put two different type of meat and then black beans in the three pots. How cool is that!

P.S. I bought it for $49 at Kohls on sale this past week (normally $79 I think).

Sammy's Pink Cookies

2010-12-31T15:38:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
1 1/2 c. shortening
1 1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 (14 oz) bottle maraschino cherries chopped (save juice)

1 Cube Butter
Powdered Sugar to consistency you like

Cream sugar and shortening; add eggs and vanilla. Sift flour, salt, and soda together. Add sugar and shortening and egg mixture. Add chopped cherries. Bake at 350 for 8 - 10 minutes.

Frosting: Mix cherry juice, 2 tsp. vanilla and 1 cube butter add powdered sugar one cup at a time, until desired consistency.

Got this recipe from my 8 year old son's friend Sammy. She loves to make these on her own!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

2010-12-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

Oh Yeah!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries
1 (6 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Preparation:

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, set aside. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar on low speed until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, beat until well blended.
Gradually add in the flour mixture and blend well until smooth.
Shape into 1 inch balls by rolling a small amount of dough between the palms of your hands. Place on un-greased cookie sheet.
Using thumb, press down center of ball making an indentation.
Drain cherries, reserving the juice. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie.
For frosting: In a small saucepan, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Heat over low heat until chocolate is melted. Add 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon reserved cherry juice and stir.
Spoon about 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry. If frosting gets too thick, add a little more cherry juice.
Bake in oven at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
Makes 48 cookies.

From About.com Homeschooling

Cornbread Casserole

2010-11-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

Each year, one of my friends at work hosts "The Beast of a Feast" dinner on the Friday night before Thanksgiving. We each bring a part of the meal and have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. One of the girls brings this delicious casserole. I could eat it as dessert! Looking at the ingredients I'm sure it's origins come from Paula Deen!

1 large can of whole kernel corn, drained
1 large can of cream corn
1 pkg. of Jiffy Cornbread Mix
1 cup of sour cream
1 stick of butter, melted (Miss Paula's trademark)
1-1/2 cups of shredded Cheddar Cheese

Stir all ingredients EXCEPT cheese together in a large bowl. Pour into greased 9x13 casserole dish. Bake in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for 45 minutes. Remove and immediately top with cheese. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

2010-11-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 Large Boneless, Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped
1/2 cup Fresh Basil, chopped
Juice and Zest of 1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook chicken by either boiling in water, baking or microwaving until cooked through. When cool enough to handle, chop or shred chicken into bite size pieces.

Zest and juice the lemon discarding seeds, reserve juice and zest.

Roughly chop fresh basil and water chestnuts.

In a bowl mix all ingredients together with mayonnaise. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Split into four servings and serve on a lettuce leaf, a bed of fresh spinach leaves or on sandwich rolls or croissants.

Very yummy!

Beignets

2010-04-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

After watching Disney's The Princess and the Frog ...set in New Orleans in the 40's where the main character Tiana, is an aspiring chef and she makes these sweet southern 'doughnuts' and they look scrumptious... I decided to try them this week... I highly recommend this cute and funny movie.

I found this recipe on All Recipes dot com and I must say...what's not to like about a recipe like this? My mouth is watering just planning it!

Beignets

Ingredients

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
7 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup shortening
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt, eggs, evaporated milk, and blend well. Mix in 4 cups of the flour and beat until smooth. Add the shortening, and then the remaining 3 cups of flour. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours.
Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares. Fry in 360 degree F (180 degrees C) hot oil. If beignets do not pop up, oil is not hot enough. Drain onto paper towels.
Shake confectioners' sugar on hot beignets. Serve warm.

Bluberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole

2010-04-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

My version from The Tasty Kitchen

1 loaf Texas toast or thick bread, cubed
1 12 oz. pkg cream cheese
1 cup fresh blueberries
8 whole Eggs
2 cups half & half
½ cup Maple Syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
½ cup Pecans, Chopped (optional)

Grease a 9x13 inch pan, place bread cubes evenly in the pan. Add the blueberries and cream cheese evenly throughout the bread cubes.

In a bowl beat eggs, half & half, cinnamon, nutmeg and syrup until well blended. Pour over the ingredients in the baking dish- cover. Refrigerate overnight.

Next Morning-
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Bake uncovered for 35 minutes. Add the pecans if desired, then bake for 10 more minutes minutes or until the center is set. Serve with more maple syrup and/or whipped cream(optional)

Hearty Six-Hour Stew

2010-03-27T13:53:00.001-07:00

This is the best stew ever! When I first saw the recipe and the tomato sauce in it, I thought that was bonkers! But you can't taste a hint of tomato. This is so super easy to make and tastes great! The only problem I ever had was overloading the pot and then it would boil over in my stove! But I've made this many times. Serves 4-6.

1 pound beef stew cubes
4 carrots, sliced (I just throw in a bag of baby carrots!)
4 medium potatoes, cut in large chunks
1 bay leaf
1 (1-oz) package dry onion soup mix
2 (10 3/4-oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
1 (10-oz) package frozen green peas

Grease Dutch oven or heavy pan. Place beef cubes on the bottom. Layer carrots, then potatoes, lacing bay leaf on top. In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients and pour over beef and vegetables. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bake at 250° for 6 hours (or up to 8 hours). You can also bake this in your slow-cooker on low for up to 12 hours.

For Halloween or a fall or harvest dinner you could serve it in a hollowed-out pumpkin shell.

Ranger Cookies!!

2010-03-27T13:52:00.001-07:00

I've been making this good ole' Betty Crocker recipe for years! The reason I love this recipe is because it has so many good and nutritious stuff in it, like Wheaties, coconut, and oatmeal. I always add chocolate chips, which is not in the original recipe. This is for a double batch.

1 cup shortening (can also use butter, which makes a richer cookie. I personally like the shortening)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar (I always reduce the sugar by half for my tastes)
2 eggs
3 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups fortified whole wheat flakes (I've even used Bran flakes and it's good. Could use Wheaties, or Total)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 to 2 cups chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375°. Mix thoroughly shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Drop by rounded spoonful two inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. (but I always coat my pans with Pam anyway) Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set, but not hard. Cool about 3 minutes or baking sheet.

Flat Potatoes

2010-03-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

2-3 pounds small red or Yukon gold potatoes, washed
1 box chicken stock (32 ounces)
1/4 cup butter
Kosher salt & course ground pepper to taste

In a large pan melt butter and add potatoes and pour stock just enough to cover potatoes. Cook on medium high until stock is all but evaporated. this should take 20 - 30 minutes. The butter will remain in the pan after the stock has evaporated and will finish the potatoes. Slightly smash potatoes flat with a masher or a vegetable type can...I've even used a small cooking pot. let the potatoes cook in the butter until lightly browned. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I served these with my St. Paddy's Day meal.

Corned Beef

2010-03-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

1 Corned Beef with spices
foil
1 Cup Water

Pre-heat oven to 350℉.

Pour water in dutch oven. Lay 3 - 18" pieces of foil in a Dutch oven and place corned beef in the middle. Rub spices from packet over the top. Fold foil over meat and cover with lid.

Bake in oven for 2 1/2 hours.

After removing from oven, let rest 10 minutes, take out of foil slice and serve!

Sautéd Cabbage

2010-03-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

1 large head white cabbage, sliced into thin strips
3 tbs olive oil/ 1 tbs Butter
salt & pepper

If you make corned beef and cabbage with this a bit of the juices can also be added for flavor.

Heat large frying pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil and butter to hot pan and tilt to cover bottom. Add cabbage and let sit for 3 minutes to brown. Stir well and let sit another 3 minutes to brown. Stir well and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread

2010-03-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk (no buttermilk?-just put 2 tbs apple cider vinegar in a 2 cup measuring cup and add milk to make it 2 cups! Thank you Pioneer Woman!)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. In a separate mixing bowl, blend egg buttermilk and melted butter together, and add all at once to the flour mixture. Mix just until moistened. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

DW's Frozen Rice Krispies with Chocolate Sauce

2009-12-26T11:18:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups flake coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
(chocolate sauce recipe below)

Cook butter and brown sugar in a large sauce pan until brown sugar is dissolved, turn off heat. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine cereal and coconut and add to sugar mixture. Press 2/3 of cereal mixture in a 9x13 pan. Put into freezer for five minutes and stir ice cream and spread over mixture in pan. Sprinkle over the top with the rest of the mixture and freeze for at least one hour before serving. Serve with chocolate sauce, recipe below.

Chocolate Sauce

Mix together in sauce pan:
1 cup sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup half & half (milk will work)
1/2 cup butter
2 tbs corn syrup
bring to a boil and lower to simmer for 3 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and serve over Rice Krispie dessert.
I've never tried it but DW says cherry pie filling is good over it too.

Asian Noodle Salad

2009-12-26T09:39:00.000-08:00

I adapted this recipe from Pioneer Woman's Asian Noodle Salad

SALAD INGREDIENTS

1 package Linguine Noodles, cooked, cooled and cut into 2 inch pieces.
1 medium head Napa Cabbage, chopped
½ bag Baby Spinach
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 bag Bean Sprouts
1/2 cup Chopped Cilantro
3 whole Green Onions Sliced
1 English Cucumber,diced
1/2 cup sliced almonds, roasted ever so slightly in a pan on the stove
_____
DRESSING:
1 whole Lime, juiced
1 medium orange, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons orange zest plus the juice of the orange
8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 1/2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
⅓ cup Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves Garlic, grated

Prepare

Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix and serve

Eggnog French Toast Casserole

2009-12-25T22:07:00.000-08:00

I really liked Laurie's overnight french toast and I like to play with recipes and am always looking for shortcuts :) so here is my version...

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread-cut into 20 slices about an inch thick
5 cups eggnog

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with spray oil and lay 1/2 of the bread slices in a casserole dish and pour 1/2 of the eggnog over them and place the other half of the bread slices on top and pour remaining eggnog.
Cover and refridgerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

The next morning spread topping (below) over bread in casserole and bake for 40-45 minutes until puffy and golden brown. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with powdered sugar to sprinkle.

Topping
2 sticks butter-melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix all together

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Bark

2009-12-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
1 pound dark chocolate
2 tsp fresh orange zest
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
Extra dried cranberries and hazelnuts for sprinkling on top (if desired)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slowly melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave stirring after each one minute increment. When all the chocolate has melted, add the orange zest.
Remove from the heat and quickly add the nuts and cranberries. Mix well.
Spread the chocolate mixture on the parchment lined baking sheet. (You can sprinkle on extra cranberries and nuts at this point if you want to). Let set for at least two hours.
Break into pieces and enjoy!

Mexican Skillet

2009-11-23T16:22:00.000-08:00

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) Taco Seasoning Mix
2 cans (14 oz.) kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup Salsa (homemade or store bought)
1/2 cup water
4 flour tortillas (12 inch), cut into 1-1/2-inch squares
1 cup Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese
1/3 cup Sour Cream
1/3 cup chopped green onions (optional topping)
1 Roma tomato chopped (optional topping)

To make this:
BROWN meat in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; drain.
ADD seasoning mix, beans, salsa and water; stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min.
STIR in tortillas; top with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and toppings.

My husband and boys LOVE this casserole. It is easy, delicious and different.

I got the recipe from my friend Ruth. Click here to see it on her blog and to check out some of her other recipes:

http://deliciousdelectable.blogspot.com/search/label/Mexican

Chili Relleno Casserole

2009-11-20T15:21:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 can whole roasted Green Chiles
2 cups Mexican blend grated cheese
5 whole Large Eggs
2 cups Whole Milk (important so eggs aren't watery)
Salt And Black Pepper To Taste
½ teaspoons Paprika
¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9x13 inch pan with spray oil
Mix together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne.
Cut chilies in half and add a single layer of chilies on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Top chilies with half the grated cheese.
Repeat with another layer of chilies and another layer of cheese.
Pour egg mixture all over the top.
Place into a larger baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. Pour in 1/2 inch of water and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until completely set.
Cut into squares and serve with warm corn tortillas!

Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Easy Peasy Crock Pot Chicken

2009-11-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

2 cups sliced carrots
6 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can mushroom soup
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot (sprayed with spray oil first).
Place carrots on top and pour soups over all. Sprinkle with garlic salt.

Cook in crock pot on low for 7 hours (8 hours if breasts are frozen).

This is good served over rice or egg noodles.

I had leftovers so the next day I put the rest plus the rice in a soup pot. Added 1 box chicken broth and 2 cups frozen peas, salt and pepper to taste and make a yummy soup.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2009-10-13T13:53:00.001-07:00

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 c. Butter (2 sticks) softened
2 c. sugar
4 c. flour
2 c. pumpkin (canned okay)

2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder 12 oz. chocolate chips

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, orange zest and pumpkin. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Mix. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes approximately 8 dozen cookies.

Can be refrigerated and used in batches. Or use a scoop to make cookies to freeze. I put them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and freeze overnight. When frozen, place as many as you want in freezer bags and put back in freezer.

Potato Cauliflower Soup

2009-10-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

Potato Cauliflower Soup

15 small/10 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut into pieces
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 head cauliflower, leaves and stem removed, chopped
2 boxes chicken stock
1 cube butter
6 Tbs flour
1 pint half and half
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

In large pot, pour chicken stock, add all vegetables and bring to boil. Turn down heat to medium low and simmer for 35 minutes. 5 minutes before timer goes off, in a small sauce pan melt 1 stick butter. when melted add 6 tbs flour and whisk over heat for 1 minute. Add half and half and whisk for 2 more minutes. Add mixture to the pot of veggies and stir. Heat through another minute and turn off heat. Immediately add cheddar cheese, stir and serve!

Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Frosting

2009-10-04T13:34:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Frosting
from Cammie Moomey's Website

2 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 15oz. can pumpkin
4 c. flour

Icing:
4 Tbs butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. milk
powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl beat butter on high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 2 tsp vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Add flour and stir until well combined.
Drop by heaping tablespoonfulls onto an ungreased (or stoneware) cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

For icing:
Beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add maple syrup and milk, gradually add enough powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency, you want it to be spreadable but not thin enough to drip off the cookie. Add vanilla. After cookies are cooled, spread a little icing on top and let each cookie set.

Peanut Butter Fudge Crispy Treats

2009-10-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

Rice Krispie Treats

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

Add Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.

Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray.

Cool. Make Peanut Butter Fudge.

Peanut Butter Fudge

1 cup butter, plus a bit more for greasing pan
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar

Microwave butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes.

Add vanilla and powdered sugar to peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.

Pour over the Rice Krispie treats in the pan and spread evenly.
Let cool in the fridge while you make the Chocolate Fudge.

Easy Chocolate Fudge

2 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Combine butter, milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, chocolate, and vanilla,. Beat for about 1 minute, or until marshmallows melt and mixture is thoroughly combined.

Pour over peanut butter fudge, spread evenly and place in the fridge to harden and cool. Cut into one inch pieces.

Zucchini Tomato Pasta

2009-06-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2 tbls)
6 small Zucchini, thinly sliced
6 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 large clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
4 leaves basil, chopped
1 cup pre-shredded cheddar and Monterey mix cheese
1 pkg spaghetti, cooked to pkg directions
Parmesan cheese for the table

Preheat a large pan over medium heat, coat bottom with olive oil, add zucchini, tomatoes and Italian seasonings, simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and basil and simmer 5 more minutes, turn off heat and stir in cheese. Stir in spaghetti and serve immediately with Parmesan cheese.

My Version of Zuppa Toscana Soup!

2009-06-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

Peggy posted her version and I keep meaning to post my doctored version.

Zuppa Toscana

Makes: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS

* 1 lb ground Italian sausage

* 1/4 tsp crushed red peppers

* 1 large diced white or yellow onion

* 4 slices smoked bacon, chopped

* 2 large cloves garlic, grated

* 8 cups chicken stock

* 1 pint heavy cream

* 1 lb sliced red or yellow (like Yukon Gold) potatoes (6-8 small)

* 1/4 of a bunch of kale, loosely chopped

1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, set aside on a plate while you prepare other ingredients.

2. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic for approximately 15 minutes or until the onions are soft.

3. To a large pot add chicken broth, and then add the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.

4. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about 30 minutes.

5. Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated.

6. Stir in the sausage and simmer 3 minutes.

7. Add kale just before serving. Delicious!

2009-05-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

DIRT CAKE

2 (20 oz.) pkgs. Oreo cookies
1/2 stick butter
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
3 1/2 c. milk
2 sm. French vanilla instant pudding boxes
1 (12 oz.) Cool Whip
Cream the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Mix pudding together with the milk, add the Cool Whip to pudding mixture. Then blend in with the cream cheese mixture.
Crumble the Oreo's in a blender, leave the cream in the Oreo's.
Line the inside of a clay flower pot with foil. Alternating cookie crumbs and filling, ending with the cookie crumbs on top. Top with gummi worms and a plastic flower. Enjoy!
*Note: The clay pot can be sterilized in the oven by baking it at 350° for at least 2 hours. It turns our really nice, like Terra Cotta. After it cools down, wash it with soap and water. A new, sterilized garden trowel can be used as a serving spoon for extra fun.

Peggy's Best Whole Wheat Bread

2009-05-06T21:24:00.001-07:00

I've experimented with a lot of whole wheat bread recipes and this one turns out really good for me each time. I do use a stoneware bread pan to bake it in, and that probably makes a lot of the difference.

1 cup water
3 TBS honey
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
2 1/2 cups wheat flour (white or red wheat)
1 1/2 TBS powdered milk
3 TBS Gluten flour (can buy this in the health food section or bulk bins)
1 TBS flax seed (optional--also in health food or bulk bins)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 TBS butter (I use real)
2 tsp yeast

Load in machine. Run through dough cycle. Punch down. Shape into loaf. Let rise about 35 minutes. Bake at 350º for about 35 min. Loaf should sound hollow on the bottom when turned out of pan. I like to rub butter on the top of it to make a softer crust.

The water might need to be altered depending on your altitude. I would load it, and get it mixing good. If it is a bit dry add a little water til the dough is sticky to the touch without sticking to your finger.
I also bought a dough enhancer from Emergency Essentials. I'm not sure where else you can get that, but I have been adding a Tablespoon of that.

SusieQ's French Bread

2009-05-06T21:22:00.001-07:00

This is a never fail, very delicious, and chewy french bread. Makes 2 loafs.

1 1/4 cup water
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp yeast
2 TBS margarine or butter

Load into bread machine and set on dough cycle. When complete turn it on again to knead it down into a ball, then stop machine and take it out and put on a floured surface. Cut dough in half. Roll into 2 loafs and set on a coated cookie sheet. Bake at 400º for 20-25 minutes.

Zuppa Tuscana

2009-05-06T21:14:00.000-07:00

Like you get at the Olive Garden.
Makes: 6-8 servings
INGREDIENTS

* 1 lb ground Italian sausage
* 1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
* 1 large diced white onion
* 4 Tbsp bacon pieces
* 2 tsp garlic puree
* 10 cups water
* 5 cubes of chicken bouillon
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
* 1/4 of a bunch of kale

1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic for approxiamtly 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
3. Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.
4. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage.
7. Add kale just before serving. Delicious!

**I thought for sure Lindy would have this recipe on our blog and was very surprised when it wasn't. So, whala! It got me busy adding some recipes! =)

Easy Blender Salsa

2009-05-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

2 cans (141/2 oz.) canned tomatoes (do not drain)
1 jalapeno (without seeds or can leave seeds in if you like it extra hot)
1/2 med. white onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 t. minced garlic (or garlic powder)
1/2 t. cumin
few squeezes lime juice
1/3 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1/3 bunch cilantro (pull leaves off stems, throw away stems and only use leaves)
salt and pepper to taste

1)Put tomatoes, jalapeno, white onion, garlic, cumin, and lime juice in blender
2)Blend until smooth.
3)Add in chopped green onions and cilantro leaves.
4)Blend again. You can blend longer to get a smooth salsa or a shorter time to leave the cilantro and green onions a little chunkier.
5)Add salt and pepper to taste.
6)Refrigerate after making.
7)Serve with tortilla chips.

Divine Chocolate Cake

2009-04-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 cup plus 2 Tbs sugar
7 Tbs Hershey's cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 stick melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with spray oil (I only had a 9 inch square pan).

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour,sugar, cocoa powder and baking soda. (I used my stand mixer).

Make a well in the middle of the mixed ingredients, add eggs and milk and whisk gently to a thick batter, whisk briskly for 30-40 strokes. Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla just until smooth. (Again...I used my stand mixer on low).

Scrape into prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool completely and dust with powdered sugar.

Serve and enjoy!

Adapted from Rachael Ray magazine recipe :) You can put a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and spray it too and then invert the cake onto a plate when cool and then dust.

Best Hard Boiled Eggs

2009-04-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

Howard Helmer from The American Egg Board says - from Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine...

Hard boiled eggs shouldn't stink! It's the boiling too long that causes the sulfurous stench.

To avoid that, place a single layer of eggs in a pot and cover with water by one inch, put a teaspoon of salt in. Pop on a lid. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Let the eggs stand covered for 10 minutes before plunging them in ice water.

I have tried it this way a few times and they are the best eggs!!!

Deconstructed Lasagna

2009-04-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 pound fusilli Noodles
2 Tbs olive oil
1 pound lean ground sirloin (beef)
1 small carrot, grated
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
1 cup beef broth
1 large can diced or crushed tomatoes with basil
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tub ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cook pasta to package directions, drain.

In a large saute pan brown ground beef in olive oil for about 5 minutes, add onions, carrots and garlic cook 5 more minutes. Add beef broth and tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in noodles and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and heat through for 5 minutes.

Mix ricotta cheese with Italian seasoning in a small bowl.

Serve 1 small scoop ricotta on plate and put lasagna mixture over it and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serve

I made this a bit different than RR did. I didn't use fresh basil or fresh Parsley and she did. It still turned out very yummy.

Cake Mix Cookies & Frosting

2009-04-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

I borrowed this from Janel Ogden's blog :) this is her picture too!

Cake Mix Cookies

1 Box of your Favorite Cake Mix (today, I used Yellow Cake)
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Scoop dough into small balls (about the size of small bouncy ball) and place two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350.

For the delicious chocolate on top of the cookies, I pulled out the chocolate Fondue I made from Friday. This recipe is from a good friend of mine, and although it is not healthy...it is yummy. This is divine for Fondue, but it worked well too piped onto the top of the cookies:

Chocolate Dipping Sauce
1 cup Butter
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Combine ingredients in saucepan over medium heat. Continue to stir until mixed well together. Then add 1 1/2 cans of Evaporated Milk. Once that is combined, add 3 cups Powdered Sugar, then boil for 3 minutes. Pour into Fondue and start dipping.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

2009-03-30T18:41:00.001-07:00

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/8 tsp Stevia extract powder
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
2/3 cup mashed banana (1 large banana)
3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries

Oil the muffin cups. In a mixing bowl stir together flour, stevia, baking powder and cinnamon. Make a depression to receive the liquid ingredients. Using a separate bowl, mix together egg, water and oil. Add to the flour mixture and stir by hand. Add banana and strawberries and stir just until combined. Spoon batter into the muffin cups. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden. Makes 12 muffins (not large muffins).

FYI: These contain no white flour or sugar. Each muffin is 1 Weight Watcher point and they are delicious! I shared them with several neighbors who could not believe they so healthy because they were so yummy. Also, Stevia is a natural sugar substitute made from a plant so it doesn't do weird things to your body like the artificial sweeteners can do.

Almost Thin Mints

2009-03-18T21:58:00.001-07:00

I posted this on my blog but I know Lindy is going to want me to put it here. These are so delicious and will hold you over until the cookie sale comes around again. They do get a little messy to make but are really worth it. My 6 year old helped me make them with success..... Laurie

1 pkg of Ritz Crackers

1 pkg of milk chocolate chips

1 pkg of dark chocolate chips

2 tsps Peppermint extract.

Melt the chocolate chips together in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Melt for another minute. Stir. Melt about another 20 seconds and stir.

Add peppermint extract.

Dip crackers, one at a time, in chocolate, coating completely. Use a plastic fork to lift out. Let excess chocolate drip back into bowl.

Set on foil or parchment lined cookie sheet, being careful not to let them touch each other.

Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Lemon Butter Syrup

2009-03-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
2 Tbls. butter
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Place sugar and water in pan over med high heat and bring to boil, cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter, lemon zest and juice into syrup, stir and serve warm with French toast, pancakes, etc.

Refrigerate and heat it up for another meal :)

Orzo Pasta

2009-03-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 box Orzo Pasta
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 package feta cheese with herbs
1 small can sliced olives, drained (green olives are good in this too)
Salt & pepper to taste

Boil pasta according to package directions and drain. In a large bowl mix all ingredients together. Serve warm or cold with a crusty bread.

Deniece W's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-03-07T11:50:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 sticks(1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup oil (I used canola)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
5 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 lb chocolate chips (I used Hershey's)

Cream butter, oil and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla (and almond ext). Add dry ingredients (I did 1 cup of flour at a time). Add chocolate chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Best when underdone and cooled completely. ( I never wait...I love chocolate chip cookies and cold milk)

Brown Sugar Muffins

2009-03-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups sifted flour (or sometimes I am too lazy and don't bother sifting)
1 tsp. soda
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Add milk & vanilla. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cowboy Caviar

2009-02-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while at school, for lunch, the staff has what we affectionately call "Dip Day". All of us bring in our favorite dip and dippers and that's our lunch! It is our favorite kind of lunch and there are always so many different choices. Here is one of my favorites brought in by one of the aides, Sue.
2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove chopped garlic
1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
Dash black pepper
1 ripe avocado
1 15-oz. can black beans
1 15-oz can pinto beans (not refried!)
1 16-oz can KERNEL corn
1/2 C. chopped green onion
1/2 C. chopped cilantro (use fresh)
1/2 lb. Roma tomatoes, chopped

Peel and cube avocado. Set aside. Stir together vinegar, oil, garlic, Tabasco, and a dash of black pepper. Add avocado and toss. Drain beans and corn and add to avocado. Add rest of ingredients and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Serve with chips or crackers.

Neapolitan Baked Ziti

2009-02-14T22:02:00.000-08:00

From Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
Ingredients

* 1 pound ziti with lines (I used smooth)
* 2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 4 cloves garlic, grated or minced
* 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes (I used a tomato/basil jarred sauce in place of the tomatoes and basil)
* 4 to 5 leaves basil, torn
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 2 cups milk
* 1 fresh or dried bay leaf
* Freshly grated nutmeg
* 1 large ball fresh mozzarella, diced
* 1/4 cup (a handful) grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Yields: 4-6 servings
Preparation

Preheat oven 400°F.

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring up to boil to cook the ziti. Once boiling, add some salt and the pasta, and cook just shy of al dente. Drain thoroughly.

While the water is coming up to a boil, start the red sauce: Place a medium-size saucepot over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring every now and then until the onions start to get tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and smash them up into small pieces with a potato masher or with the back of a spoon. Add the basil and season with some salt and pepper. Bring up to a bubble and simmer for 15 minutes.

Once you have the red sauce working, make the white sauce: Place a medium-size saucepot over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the flour, stir to combine and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the milk, add the bay leaf and season with some salt, pepper and a couple of grates of nutmeg. Bring up to a bubble, turn the heat down to low and gently simmer, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

Combine the cooked ziti with the red sauce in the pot the pasta was cooked in and transfer everything to a baking dish. Top with the white sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella and grated Parmigiano over the top, ( I layered it) transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

White Mountain Frosting

2009-02-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

This has a marshmallow texture and is great on Devil's food cake!

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in small saucepan.

Cover; heat to rolling boil over medium heat.

Remove cover and boil rapidly, without stirring, to 242 F on candy thermometer.

As mixture boils, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Pour hot syrup very slowly in a thin stream into the beaten egg whites, beating constantly on medium speed.

Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Add vanilla during last minute of beating.

VARIATIONS: Add 1/4 cup sifted cocoa for Cocoa Frosting, folding in till blended; for Lemon Frosting substitute 1 TBSP lemon juice for the vanilla and add 1/4 tsp. grated lemon peel and 10 drops of yellow food coloring; for Pink Mountain Frosting, substitute maraschino cherry juice for the water; for Satiny Beige Frosting substitute brown sugar (packed) for the granulated sugar and decrease vanilla to 1/2 tsp.

Marshmallow Pops

2009-02-10T18:25:00.001-08:00

I made these for Valentines day and they were super easy, a little messy and really delicious! One of the people I gave them to said they were as good as the ones they sell at Rocky Mountain Chocolates. High praise and I'm sure mine aren't as pretty as theirs. To make 80 I used two bags of the Wilton Chocolate Melts, a bag and a half of jumbo size marshmallows and a variety of sprinkles that I had left over from this years Christmas cookie baking. I also bought the lollipop sticks at Michael's.
The first step is inserting a lollipop stick in each of the marshmallows and setting them on a tray where they are close at hand. You also want to have something set up to stick the sticks in after dipping. Styrofoam works fine. Then, in a microwave safe bowl, melt one pkg of the chocolate for about one minute. Stir the chocolate and melt for about another 15 seconds.
Immediately start dipping the pops. After dipping, sprinkle with whatever kind of sprinkles you have and stick in the Styrofoam to harden. I even garnished some with red hots. They take about 15 minutes to harden completely and then you can stick them in plastic gift bags.
I had so much fun doing this I will definitely do it again.

Yukon Gold Potatoes- Jacques Pepin Style

2009-02-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

From the Rachael Ray show... We love these. Simple and yummy!

3 pounds of small Yukon gold potatoes
salt & pepper
3 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley (optional)

Place the potatoes in a deep large skillet and add salt and pepper to taste. Cover potatoes halfway with chicken stock, add the butter and cover skillet with a lid. Cook 5-8 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. Remove lid and cook on medium high until stock evaporates (the butter will brown the bottom of the potatoes). Once the stock has evaporated pop each potato using a ladle (do not smash just flatten). Allow the potatoes to brown on both sides, about 5 minutes, re-season with salt and pepper if needed or desired. Remove potatoes from skillet to serving tray and garnish with parsley if desired.

Fruit Swirl Cake Bars

2009-02-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

Unique, yummy, moist and not that hard to make.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/2 lb. butter or margarine

4 eggs

3 cups SIFTED flour (measure then sift)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tbsp. baking powder

1 tbsp. vanilla

2 cans pie filling

Instructions:

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and cream some more. Add rest of ingredients except pie filling. Beat until blended. Batter will be thick.

Spread 2/3 only of batter on jelly roll pan. Won't spread easily, don't worry. Spread pie filling evenly over batter.

Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls on top. Place in 350 degree over for 5 minutes. Remove and swirl top with spoon, spreading out batter you dropped on top. Now bake 30-40 minutes. Let cake cool.

Glaze: (optional, I don't usually use it but it looks pretty)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

Powdered Sugar

Bring butter, regular sugar and milk to boil. Remove, add enough powdered sugar to make a thin icing. Dallop of cool whip if desired or ice cream.

Blue Cheese Dressing

2009-02-07T16:24:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 small tub sour cream (can be light or fat free)
1 tub blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup milk (I use 1 %)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and serve on salad or for dipping veggies

French Bread Pizza

2009-02-07T16:19:00.000-08:00

These are so easy and yummy!

Baguette French bread sliced down the middle and into 5-6 inch pieces.
Pizza sauce or ranch dressing
Mozzarella cheese (or whatever cheese you like)
Toppings ( I like spinach and fresh chopped garlic)

Assemble pizzas and bake about 3-5 minutes 6-8 inches under broiler!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2009-02-07T09:05:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
4 small or 3 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 red bell pepper, peeled, seeded and sliced
6 scallions, cleaned and sliced into large pieces (whites and greens)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 bottle Russian or Catalina salad dressing
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup corn starch mixed with 1/2 cup water
1 can tid-bit pineapple
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large skillet, cook chicken in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat until cooked through (about 6 minutes) stirring occasionally. Remove chicken to a foil covered plate.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and add scallions and bell pepper and saute for 3 minutes on med high heat. Lower heat to med and add chicken stock salad dressing, soy sauce, vinegar, and starch mixture and stir until thickened (about 3 minutes) add salt & pepper and stir in chicken and pineapple.

Serve over rice!

Love my Vitamix

2009-02-04T13:07:00.000-08:00

I purchased a Vitamix at Costco about a year ago for over $300.00. I thought my husband was going to kill me, but he was actually thrilled about it. It has been a fantastic kitchen tool and we use it everyday.

It is the same high quality as the blenders that they use at Jamba Juice. We make smoothies in it many times a week (almost daily). It is so powerful that it blended almost anything you throw in there (that is edible of course). It crushes ice in seconds.

We also use it to make fresh salsa. I throw in canned tomatoes, a white onion (chopped in half), a jalapeno, lime juice and mix it up well for a few seconds. Then I add in cilantro and green onions. If I want a chunkier salsa I coursely chop up the cilantro and green onions before adding them to the blender. If I want it really smooth I just throw all the stuff in and blend until it is all the same consistency.

You can put various veggies in to make soups. Taco soup is a favorite in our house. I hide carrots, peppers, spinach and all sorts of things in there and the kids don't even know. I think you can make creamed soups too, but I don't really like those.

I have used it on "low" to chop up cranberries and apples for my famous "Cranberry Fluff" salad which I will post another day. I hate chopping stuff up so this is very handy for me. And to clean it you just put warm water and a squirt of soap in it and run it on high for 30 seconds and then rinse it out. I think you could also put it in the dishwasher but we use ours too often to have it stuck in there for long.

I also bought the attachment which grinds wheats and grains. That is amazing too.

I am not a Vitamix salesperson, but I tell you I am a firm believer in the quality of this product and we LOVE having ours. It was well worth the price. I even bring it on vacation if we're driving.

Cocoa Brownies

2009-02-04T13:02:00.000-08:00

Cocoa Brownies

1 cup margarine or butter, softened
5 Tbsp. Cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 beaten eggs
2 cups flour

Mix butter and cocoa. Add sugar and eggs and beat. Add flour and mix well. Spread into 9x12 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for around 30 minutes. If you double the recipe, you can bake it on a jelly-roll pan (bake that one for around 35-45 minutes). Watch them closely because you don't want to them to be overdone.

Note: I added the scrabble tile decorations on the brownies in this picture since I made them for a Cub Scout pack meeting with a "Games, Games, Games" theme. I received this recipe originally from a college friend (Becky) who lived in the dorms with me. It is quick, easy and yummy and my kids LOVE them.

Peggy's Favorite Oatmeal Cake

2009-02-03T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here are two version of my favorite cake.

Original Recipe
1½ cups very hot water
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix and pour into 9x13" pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350º
Frosting:
Melt and stir
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter (I use real butter)
till bubbly (use medium heat so you don't scorch it)
Remove from heat and add:
2 TBS milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2-1 cup coconut
spread on cake while still warm and it all melts down into the cake.

Healthy Version
1½ cups very hot water
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs (or could use 3 egg whites if you're worried about that, but I don't)
½ cup white sugar
1/2 to 3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cup flour (I have used a mix of unbleached white and whole wheat flour and you can hardly tell the difference from all white flour)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
I started adding these 2 ingredients in my cakes:
½ tsp baking powder (makes the cake fluffier)
1 tsp vanilla
Mix in order and bake at 350°
Frosting:
Melt and stir:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter (I use real butter)
till bubbly (use medium heat so you don't scorch it)
Remove from heat and add:
2 TBS milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2-1 cup coconut
spread on cake while still warm and it all melts down into the cake.

Two of My Favorite Things

2009-02-03T14:21:00.001-08:00

Hamilton Beach Smooth Can Opener... I can't open cans with out one and it doesn't cut the can so no sharp edges! Even the pop top cans can be opened with this...I got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond for $31 and I saw it on Amazon.

Rachael Ray Food Mover
I found mine on Cooking dot com and it has been great! Use it to scoop up your chopped food and move to the pot or bowl! Love it!

Lindy's Crock Pot Ravioli Soup

2009-02-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 Pound Ground Sirloin or very lean ground beef

1 can tomato paste

1 jar pasta sauce…your favorite brand

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups beef stock

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can cannelloni beans (white kidney beans), drained

1 pound small or large cheese ravioli, frozen or fresh

Prepare

Brown ground beef in olive oil, when done stir in tomato paste and place in crock pot

Add pasta sauce, beans and beef broth and stir.

Cook on low for 6 hours and high for 4 hours. During last half hour, put ravioli in, stir and let simmer for ½ hour.

Serve with crusty bread and top with grated Parmesan cheese

Snickerdoodle Bars

2009-02-01T14:27:00.000-08:00

This is a variation of my snickerdoodle recipe. I subbed out a lot of the ingredients for healthier options. They are yummy.

3 ¾ cup flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. cream of tartar
½ cup (1 cube) butter
½ cup canola oil
1 1/3 cup agave nectar
3 egg whites
½ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Cinnamon
Sugar

Mix butter, oil, agave nectar, egg whites, milk and vanilla. Add in flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. It will have the consistency of brownie mix. In separate bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar.

Spray jelly roll pan with “Pam” spray. Pour mixture into pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 18 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cut into 48 squares.

Note: Agave Nectar is sold at health food stores. It looks like syrup and is a natural sugar substitute which has a low glycemic index. It has around 60 calories and 2.5 grams of fiber for every 1 tablespoon. When baking, you can substitute 2/3 cup agave nectar for 1 cup sugar. I noticed that subbing out the sugar does seem to affect the consistency.

(2 Weight Watcher points per square)

Pam's Famous Snickerdoodles

2009-01-31T17:21:00.000-08:00

I have been making this same recipe since I was 10 years old. In fact, I am making some tonight so that we can bring them to a Super Bowl party tomorrow afternoon. Enjoy!

SNICKERDOODLES
3 ¾ cups flour
½ tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Cream of tartar
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. Vanilla

Topping:
3 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Mix margarine, sugar and eggs. Add milk and vanilla and mix. Add dry ingredients. Mix 3 Tbsp. Sugar and 1 tsp. Cinnamon in bowl for topping. With your hands, roll dough into walnut sized balls and then roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should look like they are not quite done when you take them out of the oven. I like mine sort of squishy and not overbaked. After you take the cookie sheet out of the oven, leave the hot cookies on the sheet for a while longer because they continue cooking while they sit there.

If you don’t want to bake all the cookies that night, you can roll the dough into little balls, cover with cinnamon sugar, and then freeze them in a ziplock bag. When you are ready to bake them just defrost the cookie balls on the cookie sheet for an hour or two and then bake as you normally would. I think you can also freeze the cookies after they have been baked but ours never last that long.

Enjoy!

Bolognese Sauce with Thick Pasta

2009-01-30T15:25:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Rachael Ray's Recipe...I made a few changes. She doesn't mind :)

Rachael says to Double this recipe and freeze the other half for a quick meal when you need it.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound bacon, diced small
2 pounds ground lean hamburger
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, shredded
2 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
Salt & Pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/4 cup tomato paste
5 cups beef stock
1 pound of thick pasta like papperadelle (I found this at Trader Joe's)
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped for topping

Preparation

In a large pot heat olive oil over med-high heat, then add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and reserve.

Add the hamburger to the pan the bacon was cooked in and brown well, about 10 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and cook, stirring until soft, 4-5 minutes.

Add salt, pepper, allspice, bay leaves and thyme and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the reserved bacon back into the pan and stir in the tomato paste. Cook 3-4 minutes to caramelize. Add in 2 cups of the beef stock and scrape the tasty stuff off the bottom of the pan (wooden spoon). Cook until half of the liquid is evaporated, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the rest of the beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to med-low and simmer until the sauce is thickened. About 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours stirring occasionally to keep sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. This could be put in a crock pot at this stage and cook on low for 5 hours.

Cook pasta according to package, drain, reserving one cup of pasta water, and add back to pan along with reserved pasta water and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add 1/2 the sauce (reserving the other half to pour over top) and toss well to coat.

Serve the pasta on shallow dishes. top with additional sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley and cheese.

Rachael used red wine for two cups of the beef stock. She also put in a cup of heavy cream to the sauce at the end but I decided to keep the calories lower by not adding the cream. The alcohol in the wine cooks off and does leave a great flavor but I like to use non-alcoholic wine.

What's for Dinner-Friday Jan 30

2009-01-30T14:11:00.000-08:00

Pizza!

Trader Joe's pizza dough
Trader Joe's Pizza Sauce
Flour surface for rolling out dough
Your favorite toppings
Grated cheese (I like a mixture of mozzarella, Monterrey Jack and cheddar)

Roll dough into a round on floured surface
Place on baking sheet or pizza round with parchment paper underneath (or spray pan with spray oil)
Spread sauce over top
Add cheese and toppings
Bake according to instructions!

This is even cheaper than going to Little Caesars!

I like light sauce and light cheese.

We like root beer with pizza...I bought Hansen's Natural root beer this time!

I want a wood fired pizza oven!

Green Salsa

2009-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

1 pound of 1″ size tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
1 bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed, and roughly chopped
Juice of 2 limes
9 cloves of garlic, grated into food processor
1 small white onion or half a large one, chopped
2-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 avocados, Peeled and sliced
1 tsp. cumin (or to taste)
3 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. black pepper (or to taste)

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, except for the cumin, salt, and black pepper.

2. Blend until a smooth texture is achieved.

3. Add spices and mix thoroughly.

4. Adjust spice levels to your liking.

Rachael Ray's Quick Pickles

2009-01-29T15:22:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup white vinegar, eyeball it
2 rounded teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove cracked garlic
1 teaspoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves, chopped or snipped
1 bay leaf
4 kirby cucumbers, cut into 1-inch slices on an angle

Directions

Heat small saucepan over medium high heat. Add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, salt, and garlic to the pan and cook until it begins to simmer and sugar dissolves. Toss the dill, bay leaf, and sliced cucumbers together in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the simmering liquid over the cucumbers and stir to evenly coat. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill before serving.

BBQ Chicken/Pork/Beef

2009-01-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

In a crock pot sprayed with spray vegetable oil, place 4-6 chicken breasts (frozen okay) and cover with a bottle of BBQ sauce of your choice. Cook on low for 8 hours and shred with 2 forks when done. Serve with Kaiser Rolls!

Can be used with Pork Tenderloin or Beef Brisket also!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

2009-01-29T15:10:00.000-08:00

This is from my Chevy's Recipe Book
These are the best I have ever made!

6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
2-1/2 cups warm water

Place the flour in the bowl of a mixer and use dough hook and add the baking powder and salt, stirring to mix well. Add the shortening. Turn the mixer on low and slowly pour in the water. Mix on low for 90 seconds or until well mixed.

Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Divide each half into 8 equal portions. You will now have 16 dough balls. Lightly flour your work surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll each ball into an 8-inch round. Stack the rounds on a baking sheet with plastic wrap between each tortilla. Let the tortillas rest for 10 minutes.

Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, and lightly coat with vegetable oil cooking spray. Cook the tortillas on the griddle or in the skillet for 1 minute on each side, or until light brown spots form on the surface.

Fresh Mex Tip

Once you've rolled the dough into balls, don't skip the resting stage. It helps the dough "relax" so you can roll it out more easily.

Rotating the dough circle as you roll it out will help it spread out into a nice even circle.
If you're using an electric griddle, set it to 375 degrees F.
To keep fresh tortillas warm, wrap them in a kitchen towel or stack them in a tortilla server with a lid.
To make fresh "sopaipillas" (Southwest-style fried pastries), roll out tortilla dough rounds as directed, and deep fry them in vegetable oil heated to 350 degrees F. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and sugar, and serve with honey.

Buy the Book!

What's for Dinner Tonight!

2009-01-29T14:55:00.000-08:00

Veggie Burritos!

*I make homemade tortillas or buy them
*Soak 1 bag black beans for an hour then rinse and drain.
*Saute thick bacon (2-3 slices, chopped) and put in with beans. Cook black beans in chicken stock-enough to cover beans-3-4 cups.
*while beans are cooking-cut up tomatoes, avocados, green onion for topping
* I also use sour cream, homemade salsa, sharp cheddar cheese, grated. It packs a lot of flavor and you don't need as much!
Once beans are done you can assemble burritos!

Homemade Fresh Salsa
8-10 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 med. yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 large clove garlic, peel and grate in to salsa
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
Mix together and serve!

Green Tortilla Soup

2009-01-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil
2 slices bacon, chopped
10-12 tomatillos, husks removed, blend to fine in food processor
1 med onion, chopped
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
6 cups chicken stock
Juice of one lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings-
Tortilla chips
Jack cheese, grated
tomatoes, chopped
Avocado, diced
Shallots, chopped

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add bacon and saute until crisp. Add onion, grate (or chop) garlic into the pot, and jalapeno. stir and cook for 5 minutes or until onion is slightly softened. Add frozen corn and cook for 5 more minutes. Add pinto beans, lime juice and chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over tortilla chips and add toppings. I like to serve it with flour tortillas to dip in soup...YUM!

Laurie Seeno's Overnight French Toast

2008-12-28T21:33:00.000-08:00

Here is my "Overnight French Toast" recipe. It's inspired from a Paula Deen recipe. We were in Kansas several years ago and I saw here do it while I was sitting in the hotel room. I make it for special occasions at home and I make it to take to friends' homes on the morning of their children's weddings. Each year I make it for the whole staff at school at Christmastime. It is very rich and so good.
18 large eggs
1 loaf of Texas Toast
1 pint Half & Half
1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1 to 2 tsps Cinnamon
1 Tbs. Vanilla
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with Pam (if I'm taking it to someone I use a disposable aluminum pan so they don't have to worry about returning it). Cut Texas Toast into halves (rectangular not triangular). Beat all of the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend in cream, half & half, vanilla and cinnamon.
Place one layer of bread in bottom of pan. Pour part of the mixture over the bread, making sure the bread is covered. Place another layer of bread and pour the rest of the egg mixture over the top.
Cover with aluminum foil and put in refrigerator over night so that the bread soaks up the egg mixture.
The next morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a microwave safe bowl melt one cube of butter. Mix in 1-1/2 cups of brown sugar until it's melted into the butter. Add 2 cups of chopped pecans. Pour this mixture evenly over the top of the bread.
Place uncovered in the oven and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes.
Let the french toast sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Thanks Laurie! I LOVE French toast so this is a must try! It looks divine!

Peanut Brittle

2008-12-20T10:26:00.001-08:00

2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
2 cups raw Spanish peanuts
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. baking soda

Heat and stir sugar, syrup and water in a heavy 3-quart saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Add salt. Cook over medium heat to soft ball stage (234 degrees). Add peanuts at 250 degrees. Cook to hard crack stage (290 degrees), stirring often. Remove from heat.

Quickly, stir in butter and soda. Beat to a froth for a few seconds. Pour at once onto 2 well-buttered 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch pans, spreading with spatula. If desired, cool slightly and pull with forks to stretch thin. Break up when cold.

Yield: About 1-1/2 pounds of peanut brittle.

Mixed Nut Bars

2008-12-19T14:53:00.000-08:00

From Ma
(Double this recipe and bake on a jelly roll pan for sharing)

1 1/2 C Flour
3/4 C Sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C plus 2 Tbs Cold Butter (divided)
1 Can Mixed Nuts
1 C Butterscotch Chips
1/2 C Light Corn Syrup

Combine flour, sugar, salt, cut in 1/2 C butter until crumbled. Press into greased 13x9 inch pan. Bake @350° for 10 minutes. Remove and sprinkle on nuts. Melt butterscotch chips, add corn syrup and remaining 2 Tbs butter and mix well. Pour over nuts. Bake for 10 more minutes. Cool and cut into squares. Yield 3 dozen.

Homemade Marshmallows

2008-12-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

Homemade Marshmallows

Approximately 9 dozen marshmallows

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1 cup ice cold water, divided

12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

Nonstick spray

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

For regular marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

For miniature marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Line 4 half sheet pans with parchment paper, spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray and dust with the confectioners' sugar mixture.

Scoop the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round piping tip. Pipe the mixture onto the prepared sheet pans lengthwise, leaving about 1-inch between each strip. Sprinkle the tops with enough of the remaining cornstarch and sugar mixture to lightly cover. Let the strips set for 4 hours or up to overnight.

Cut into 1/2 inch pieces using a pizza wheel or scissors dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining sugar mixture and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

From Food Network

Roasted Broccoli

2008-12-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

I am not a broccoli fan but when I tried this...I became a huge fan!

Cut 1 large head of broccoli into long spears.
Place on baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Salt and Pepper.
Mix with your hands to spread the oil & S&P.
Place in oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until tops begin to brown.
YUM!!!

From Rachel Ray

Rolls or Cinnamon Rolls

2008-12-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup Warm Water
1 1/2 Tbs Dry Yeast
1/2 Tbs Sugar

1 Cup Warm Water
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Butter (softened)
3 Eggs, Slightly Beaten
5-6 cups All Purpose Flour

Mix 1/2 cup warm water with yeast and 1/2 Tbs sugar in a large bowl (I use my stand mixer with the dough hook). Let stand for 10 minutes. Add salt, sugar, butter, eggs, 1 cup warm water and slowly add flour while mixing. Dough should be sticky. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise 1 hour. Punch down and cover and let rise one more hour.

For Cinnamon Rolls-Push dough out with hands into a rectangle to 1/2 inch thick, Spread 1/2 cup soft butter over dough. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup brown sugar. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Roll dough into a long log. Cut into 1" slices using a piece of string under the log. Place rolls on a greased baking sheet (jelly roll pan is best) barely touching each other. Let rise 20-30 minutes. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Yeild 20 big rolls.

Frosting
1/4 cup Softened Butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 TBS Milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar.

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl using a wisk or hand mixer. Frost Cinnamon Rolls right after they com out of the oven.

For rolls- After letting the dough rise twice, break off dough into a little larger than golf ball size pieces and roll into balls and place on greased baking sheet or jelly roll pan barely touching, let rise 40 minutes and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

I got this from a friend in Brentwood named Diane Low and we make the rolls a lot!

Chile Verde

2008-12-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

1 pork tenderloin
1 jar green salsa

Spray crock pot with spray oil.
Place Pork Tenderloin on the bottom of crock pot.
Pour green salsa over the top.
Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

Serve with tortillas and all the fixings!

(You can substitute red salsa for a yummy change!)

Hula Joes

2008-12-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 Tbs EVOO-extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound smoked bacon, diced
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 sweet onion such as Maui or Vidalia, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped or grated (tip...I buy a jar of peeled garlic at Wal*Mart or Winco)
3 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup fresh or canned pinapple, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
8 Kaiser rolls (or 6 if you like more Joe on your bun)

Preheat broiler.

Place a large skillit over medium-high heat with one turn of EVOO, about 1 tbs. Cook bacon in pan until crispy, 3-4 minutes, and remove it to a small bowl.

Return the pan with the bacon fat back over the heat, add the ground pork and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes.

While the pork and onions are cooking, in a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Pour in the skillet with the pork and onion, cook about a minute, then stir in pinapple. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While filling is cooking, split open the rolls and toast them under the broiler. Be careful not to burn them!

To serve, place bun bottom on a plate with a scoop of Hula Joe mixture and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese, top with bun cap!

Thanks to Rachel Ray for this family favorite!!!

Serve with sweet potato fries! (cut sweet potatos into french fry slices, place on baking sheet and drizzle EVOO over and sprinkle with cajun seasoning. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees)

Pam Walton's Cranberry fluff

2008-12-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

1 cup Chopped Cranberries
1 cup Chopped Apples
1/2 cup Sugar (more or less to suit your taste)
2 cups Mini Marshmallows
1 lg Cool Whip
Chopped Nuts if desired

You can mix the cranberries, apples & sugar earlier and put it in an air tight container. Mix the marshmallows, cool whip, nuts in at the last minute. Yum yum yum!

* a Ton of Cookie Recipes from the North Pole

2008-12-11T20:08:00.000-08:00

Cookies click me<--------

Thanks to Kelsey Smith for this link!

Skinner's Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

2008-12-11T17:12:00.000-08:00

These are very yummy and easy peasy!

2 cups (12 ounce pkg) chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick)
3 large eggs - slightly beaten
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, grease a 9x13 inch pan

In a large heavy duty sauce pan, melt butter and 1 cup chocolate chips over low heat; stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla extract, and baking soda. Stir in remaining chocolate chips & nuts. Spread in pan.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan. Makes 2 dozen (HA!).

Caprese-Stuffed Meatballs with Tomato-Pesto Sauce

2008-12-11T14:16:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

* 5 to 6 slices of bread, torn up
* 3/4 cup milk (eyeball it)
* 1 pound ground sirloin
* 1 pound ground veal (I use all Ground Sirloin)
* 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
* A small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
* 1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
* 1 teaspoon allspice
* 1 egg
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 4 cherry tomatoes, any stems removed
* 4 bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls), look for ones that are about the size of a cherry tomato. If they are bigger, cut them in half
* 2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for drizzling, divided
* 1 28-ounce cans San Marzano plum tomatoes
* 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought basil pesto (eyeball it)
* Zest of 1 lemon, if using store-bought pesto
* A loaf of crusty bread

Yields: 4 servings
Preparation

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Place the torn bread in a small bowl with the milk (make sure all the bread is submerged) and reserve.

In a large bowl, combine the ground meats, garlic, parsley, grated Parmigiano, allspice, egg, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze out the excess milk from the soaking bread (it should be loose and in small pieces) and add it to the meat mixture. Mix everything with your hands to combine.

Divide the meatball mixture in half, and score each half into eight sections with the back of your hand. Take one of the portions of the meatball mix and slightly flatten it out in your hand. Place a cherry tomato in the center and evenly wrap the meat around the tomato, completely encasing it in the meat.

Transfer the stuffed meatball to a baking sheet, using one half of the baking sheet for the tomato ones and the other for the bocconcini ones so you can keep track of which is stuffed with what. Repeat the processes until the rest of the tomatoes and bocconcini have all been rolled in a portion of the meatball mixture. Drizzle the stuffed meatballs with some EVOO, transfer to the oven and roast 15-18 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch.

While the meatballs are cooking, place a saucepot over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the canned tomatoes and break them up with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Add a little salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and simmer while the meatballs are cooking.

Once the meatballs are ready, remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the pesto. If you are using store-bought pesto, add in the lemon zest. Transfer all of the sauce into a serving dish and nestle all of the meatballs into the sauce, keeping the cherry tomato-stuffed ones on one side and the bocconcini-stuffed ones on the other. Serve with some sliced crusty bread alongside.

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132 E. 43rd St., P.O. Box 543 New York, NY 10017, 917.332.3100

This is one of our favorites!!!

Tangerine Dream Chicken with Curry-Carrot Couscous

2008-12-11T14:12:00.001-08:00

Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* Salt and pepper
* Juice of 4 tangerines or 6 Clementine’s, zest of 1
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 teaspoon hot sauce
* 2 cups chicken stock, divided
* 1 cup shredded carrots
* 4 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
* 1 tablespoon curry powder
* 1/2 tablespoon turmeric
* 1 1/2 cups couscous

Yields: 4 servings
Preparation

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and cook in the hot pan until brown on both sides and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add citrus juice and zest, brown sugar, sliced ginger, cinnamon stick, hot sauce and 1/2 cup chicken stock to skillet and simmer until syrupy, 5-6 minutes.

While the sauce cooks, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in a saucepot over medium heat and sauté carrots and scallions for 3-4 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups stock, bring to a boil then stir in curry, turmeric and couscous. Cover the pot and turn heat off. Let couscous stand 5 minutes, fluff with fork.
Step

To serve, slice chicken breasts on a bias and fan them out on a bed of couscous. Drizzle tangerine sauce over everything.

This one rocked!!!

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132 E. 43rd St., P.O. Box 543 New York, NY

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

2008-12-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cans chicken broth - 14 oz. each, regular or low-fat,
or, about 6 cups of homemade chicken stock
• 2 cups pumpkin puree or 1 can of pumpkin (16 oz)
• 1 can evaporated milk - undiluted, regular or skim
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan + additional for topping
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
Preparation -
In a large saucepan or stockpot, very lightly saute onions and celery in 1/4 cup butter. Cook until onions begin to look translucent. Add broth, pumpkin, evaporated milk, Parmesan, spices and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in remaining butter.

A winner!!!

Apple and Onion Stuffin'

2008-12-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus extra for oiling the pan

* 1/2 stick of butter, softened

* 1 fresh bay leaf

* 4 ribs celery and greens from the heart, chopped

* 1 medium to large yellow onion, chopped

* 3 Macintosh apples, quartered and chopped

* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

* 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning

* 1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped

* 8 cups cubed stuffing mix (recommended brand Pepperidge Farm) or homemade croutons of any bread you choose -- pumpernickel and rye also work well

* 4-5 cups chicken stock

* If preparing the "Stuffin' Muffins:"

* Additional 1/2 stick of butter, softened

* 1 egg, beaten

Yields: 12 servings

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Step

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO to the skillet and the butter. When the butter melts, add the bay leaf, celery, onions and apples. Season with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning, and cook 5-6 minutes or until vegetables and apples begin to soften.

Step

Add the parsley and stuffing cubes to the pan and combine. Moisten the stuffing with chicken broth until all of the bread is soft, but not wet. Remove bay leaf and let cool either in the pan or in a bowl.

For individual muffins: Brush a 12 muffin cup holder with the remaining butter. Add the beaten egg to the cooled stuffing mixture.

Step

Using an ice cream scoop, fill and mound up the stuffing in muffin tins. Bake until set and crisp on top, 10-15 minutes. Remove stuffin' muffins to a platter and serve hot or room temperature.

This one was great and the family loved them!