Chicken and Rice

I got this recipe from my best-friends dad. I forgot to take a picture when I made it so this is in the tuperware before I warmed some up for my hubby for lunch yesterday. Boneless-Skinless Chicken breast
Cream of mushroom soup
Rice
water
S&P to taste


For every chicken breast use one can of crean of mushroom soup and half a can of water. Take your chicken, cream of mushroom soup, and water put in a casserole dish. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour. (the time may take longer depending on how big your pieces are and whether they are frozen or not). Make rice, they amount depends on how muchyou need.

Once the chicken is down place a piece of chicken and some of the cream of mushroom sauce over the top of the rice.

Note: This can also be done in the crockpot, if needed to start in advance.

Duck a la'Orange

I received Mastering the Art of French Cooking for Christmas (and got to open it early as it was from a friend) and I have used it almost everyday. Tonight as a special treat for family who have come inn town I made Duck a la'Orange, braised artichokes with a white wine reduction, and fluffed mashed potatoes. It came out beautifully. For these recipe's check out Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Or google them with the tag Julia Child.
Happy Holidays to you all!

Grandma Tracy's Swedish Christmas Rice

1 cup long grain rice (rinse)
6 cups whole milk
3 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Butter
1/2 and 1/2 Cream

After rice is rinsed, put in a large, heavy pan.

Add milk, 3T sugar, and salt
Heat over Med heat, stirring constantly until it bubbles around the edge.


For a fun Christmas party tradition, we hide one slivered almond in the rice and who ever finds it, gets a prize.

Granola

Home-made Granola over some yogurt is one of our favorite breakfast/snack foods.

When I make this, I just use what I have on hand and don't really measure. This is the basic idea.

4 C of rolled oats

1/2 C honey

1 tsp Vanilla extract or almond extract

3/4 C of coconut

1/4 C wheat germ or wheat bran

EVOO or Veg. oil

brown sugar to taste (but not a necessity)

Add other things if you desire....such as

Sliced almonds,brazil nuts, pecans, cashews, etc...

Raisins, cranberries or other dried fruit

flax seed

Maple syrup (works well if you don't have any honey)

Stir together the dry ingredients first then pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until coated.

Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes, stir and cook for another 10 minutes. Cool completely and store in a container or ziploc bag.

Peanut Brittle the longer way

2 cups sugar
1 cup Karo Syrup
1/2 cup water
1 lb raw peanuts
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt


use a heavy sauce pan. Cook sugar, syrup and water on medium heat until it makes a thread (about 10 minutes after boiling) After thread, put in peanuts consistantly (about 10 min) until golden color and you can smell the peanuts roasting. Remove from heat and add salt and soda.
Mix well and put on greased cookie sheet.

Round Steak Variations (Crock Pot)

Put enough round steak to feed your family in your slow cooker.

Cover with Cream of Mushroom Soup and season with Worchestershire Sauce and Pepper

Cook 4 hours on HIGH for Thawed meat
Cook 6-8 hours on LOW for frozen

Serve over Mashed Potates or Rice

~~~

1 Chopped round Steak cut up
1 onion chopped
1 green onion chopped
3 T. soy sauce
1 pkg French style green beans

Brown steak and put all ingredients on top of steak and cook on LOW all day. Serve over cooked rice.

Lazy Stew (Crockpot)

1 lb. Stew meat
1 qt chopped carrots
2 chopped onions
4 large potatoes sliced
2 sticks of celery diced
1 tsp salt and other seasonings
1 Can Tomato Soup thinned with one can water

put in crockpot, cover with lid, and bake at 275 (LOW) for 5 hours.
Add whichever veggies you'd like but be sure to slice them.

Microwave Blueberry-Apple Cobbler

1 21 oz can Blueberry Pie filling
1 21 oz. can Apple Pie filling
9 coconut bar cookies (1 Cup)
1 T. Lemon juice
1/4 C Butter, melted
1/2 Tsp Vanilla
1/4 C chopped nuts

Mix pie fillings, lemon juice, and Vanilla together in a square baking dish. Cook in the microwave oven for 6 min. turning often. Mix cookies and nuts together and add melted butter. Spread over the filling mixture. Cook for about 1 min. Serve with ice cream or light cream.

Serves 6

Microwave Peanut Brittle

1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup corn syrup
1 Cup raw peanuts
1/8 tsp. Salt

cook 7-8 min stir after 4 min.

1 T. Butter

Add-cook 2 min or until mixture looks caramelized in color

1 tsp. Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla

Add-spread out on buttered cookie sheet.

Gooooood Cookies...

I took Lori's recipe and used a white cake mix and added 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar. SO GOOD!

Yam Casserole

Yam Casserole

Stir together:

3 cups	Cooked Yams - Mashed	½ cup	Sugar
1/4 cup	Milk	2 large	Beaten Egg

Spoon lightly into greased casserole dish. Bake at 375 for 25 min or until center is done.

Stir together topping while it is baking:

1 cup	Flake Coconut	1 cup	Brown Sugar
1/3 cup	Flour	1 cup	Chopped Pecans
1/3 cup	Butter

Spread on casserole and bake at 350 for another 10 min.

Americanized Won-tons

I need to find my camera charger. This one is with out pics. But they look gorgeous on a plate, so i'll have to post pics when I make these again.

here goes...

~Combine cooked hamburger, cooked white rice, and cream of mushroom soup
(amounts vary depending on how many you need to feed)

~Egg roll wrappers (I find mine in the produce section next to the salad at Macey's)
With a brush or your finger, line the sides of each egg roll wrapper with Egg Whites

~Spoon rice mixture onto wrapper and fold into a triangle. Make sure that you can close the sides. (the egg whites seal the sides)

~drop in hot oil and fry until bottom is golden brown then flip it and brown the top side.

Let it sit on a paper towel for a minute to absorb some of the oil and serve.

We ate this last night with a Green Salad and Strawberries.
Also makes a great appetizer

A new family favorite.... heee heee hee

We call these "Horse shoes" It looks an awful lot like celery but it can't be since its not stringy. LOL

Leftover Ham- Casserole

So we needed to use up our ham from Sunday.
this is basically Funeral Potatoes with Ham


I shredded up about 2 cups of ham
Added 1 bag of shredded hashbrowns
1 family size can of Cream of Chicken
1 Tbs dried onion
1/2 - 1 cup of sour cream
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Topping: Crumbled up Rice Chex in melted butter

350 till bubbly and starting to turn golden brown

Stuff Over-A-Baked Potato

This is really easy to make. Cook time is about 30 mins.

Ingredients:
1 lb of ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of french style green beans (I get the ones with almonds in them)
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Spices to taste (sometimes I just use Mrs. Dash classic italian seasoning):
Oregano
Basil
Pasley
Italian Bread Crumbs
S & P to taste
Potatoes

In a skillet cook the ground beef, chopping it up as it cooks. Once the meat is cooked put the cream of mushroom soup, green beans, and spices in to the skillet. Mix together. Once everything is cooked, spread over the top of a baked potato and sprinkle with cheese.

Substitutions:
Instead of a baked potato I've used left over mashed potatoes. Also, I've made noodles (any kind you like) and mixed everything together. Kind of a homeade hamburger helper.
During cold season I've also chopped up an onion and cooked it with the ground beef.

This can be combined in a crock pot it needed to serve later.

Chicken Waldorf Salad

I got this recipe form the Hungry Girl website/recipe site http://www.hungry-girl.com/. Tried it today and it was fantastic! I substituted a few things based on what I had at home and have added them to the sides of the swapped ingred's. I also bumped up the total calories to 155 for the honey swap.

Ingredients:
1 cup (about 4.5 oz.) cooked & roughly chopped skinless lean chicken breast (canned chicken chunks)
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/3 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1/3 cup chopped apple
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda) (I substitute honey)
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning (added a squeeze of lemon juice and regular ground black pepper)
dash salt

Directions: Mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, sweetener, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt. Coat the chicken in this mixture, and then stir in the chopped cucumber, grape halves, and chopped apple. Then try not to pass out as you chow down on this insanely good chicken salad! MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Serving Size: half of recipe (about 1 cup)
Calories: 145
Fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 332mg
Carbs: 14g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 21g

Printable Coupons

Hey all, as I was looking back through older posts and saw that there was a request for coupons and deals, but I didn't see any links. So I thought I'd throw out one my sister Tori turned me on to. Google "mommy saves big" or go to http://printable-coupons.blogspot.com/2005/10/grocery-coupons.html On the general page click on printable coupons and then on the secondary page go to the left hand side-bar and click on the "grocery" tab. Scroll down. There are grocery store specific coupons, but there are also product specific coupons. So if you need Betty Crocker cake mix for a birthday bash, find Betty and see what she has available. Many of the coupons are ongoing as well so you can use them multiple times!

This site is also great for retail coupons as well, and with Christmas coming up a few discounts may save us all a bit leading to more holiday cheer :-)

Fall = Pumpkin

Great Pumpkin recipes to enjoy during the Fall season!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Make your favorite pancake recipe and add 1/2 cup pumpkin for ever 2 cups flour. Mix and make like you would normal pancakes. Serve with syrup!

Pumpkin Cookies and/or muffins

1 box of Spice Cake Mix (may need to add a little flour)
1 can of pumpkin
about 1/3 cup of butterscotch chips or chocolate chips

Directions:
Mix everything in a bowl & bake for cookies.

For cupcakes: fill paper cupcake holder 2/3 the way full (or however you would usually fill up a holder for muffins) bake at 325 for about 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Butter (from Better Homes & Garden)

4 cups Pumpkin Puree

1 1/4 cup pure mapke syrup

1/2 cup apple juice

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1. In a saucepan combine all ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Cook, uncovered on medium-low heat for 25 min or until thick. Remove from heat and cool.

2. To serve or ladle into airtight jars and refrigerate or freeze for later use. Leave 1/2-inch head space in the jars. Cover & store in refrigerator for a week or freeze up to 6 months.

Great on bread, pancakes & muffins.

Pumpkin Soup (received this recipe from a good friend-so yummy!)

Saute:
1 small onion, chopped
2 t. butter.

Add:
1 can broth.
Boil until soft. Purree. Return to pot with:
1 more can of broth.

Add: 1 14-oz can pumpkin
3/4 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/8 t. black pepper

Cook 10 minutes. At this point, you can refrigerate your mix until just before the meal.

Before your meal, add:
1 C heavy cream
Warm, but do not boil.

Serve with Croûtons

Chili Verde Soup

Recipe Here

Pork chops and Spaghetti

Tuesday Night Denver Dinner Post
Pork Chops over spaghetti with a fresh salad and sparkly juice.
My Grandparents, aka Grammie and Da, have recently moved to Colorado from Ohio and Jeff and I couldn't be happier to be closer to them and to get to see them on a weekly basis. Pictured above is actually a dinner they made and sent home with Jeff and I because we are poor college students (I love grandparents, so understanding and thoughtful :-). As is the case with everything they make it was really wonderful, and we are always greatful when they make extras for us.

If it sounds good to anyone I can get their recipe and post it later.

Chili

Monday Night Denver Dinner Post
Left over Turkey Chili with Cheddar Cheese and Frito's Scoops.To make this one, just substitute turkey burger with beef burger in the normal recipe :-)

Mac 'n' Cheese

Last Weeks Denver Dinner Post
(Sorry I'm a bit behind:-)

1 lb pasta
2 tbl butter
1 tbl olive oil
3 tbl flour
1.5 cups milk
1-2 cups sharp Cheddar
1-2 cups spicy jack
1/4 - 1/2 pkg cream cheese
S&P to taste

Boil Pasta per package instructions
Make a basic rue in the pan with oil, butter and flour. Allow flour to cook a minute before adding milk slowly, whisking as you add.
Allow sauce to thicken while pasta is cooking.
Drain pasta and set aside (do not rinse)
Add cheese to rue starting with cream cheese (as it is the thickest), then stir in remaining cheddar and jack using a figure eight or S stirring pattern to prevent clumps. Sauce should be thick and cheesy.
Add pasta and stir to coat. .
Serve hot off the stove ...or... pour mac 'n' cheese into a casserole dish, add breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese to the top and bake at 350 until top is golden and crispy.

Cake Mix Cookies

If you are looking for a quick cookie recipe-this is it! Plus, you should have most, if not all, of the ingredients on hand. Simple and delicious!!

Ingredients:

Any flavor cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 c. oil

Mix all together. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Minestrone Night!

Thank goodness for cool weather! Click HERE for the recipe.

Saucy Pork Chops...

So pretend the pic looks better. My daughter reminded me to take a picture after we'd already eaten most of the meal. I cut up the PORK CHOPS, which I don't normally do, but I forgot to take them out of the freezer until late. Also, I typically make these in a crockpot, but because of time, I baked them in a covered casserole dish at 350 for an hour and a half.

Mac 'N' Cheese

This is my best friend Stefanie's recipe and one of my favorites.

16oz pkg elbow macaroni noodles
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
16oz-18oz Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
milk
bread crumbs (I like to use Italian bread crumbs)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Make the noodles per the instructions on the bag.

Sauce:

While the noodles are cooking, in a medium sauce pan put both cans of mushroom soup. Fill the empty cans about 3/4 of the way with milk and swish a round to get extra off sides then pour in pan. (I like to use a whisk when mixing sauce to keep out clumps and it from sticking to the bottom.) Bring to small boil then pour in 3/4 of the grated cheese and cook until cheese is melted.

Once the noodles and sauce is done pour both into a 9"x13" pan. Spread the rest of the grated cheese on top and sprinkle the bread crumbs over that (this will give it a nice top crust when baked).

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 mins or until cheese is melted and a little crispy.

Substitutions:

Noodles: You can use what ever kind of noodles you would like. Sometimes I use bowtie or shells. Also on occasion you come across character, ABC,etc noodles and these can be fun too.
Cheese: Sharp cheddar is the best but as I prefer Colby Jack, I mix together half sharp cheddar and half Colby jack.

Note: I got this recipe from my best friend Stef and her oldest son doesn't like the crust with bread crumbs so she does hers half sprinkled with cheese & bread crumbs and the other half with just cheese. Also, my hubby likes this with pork chops or by itself.

Mya and Lexi's Stroganoff

(Named by Jeff, Pepto Bismal Surprise, but only because of the color!)

1 1/2 lbs beef sliced thin (stir fry style)
1/2 yellow onion
1-2 cloves garlic
(optional 1 bunch sliced mushrooms)
1 tsp paprika
S&P to taste
1 large can crushed tomatos
3/4-1 cup sour cream
Butter Egg noodles

Saute meat and butter in a deep pan or skillet. Add onions once meat is browned, add garlic once onions are soft to prevent burning. Add can crushed tomatos over the top and use spoon to deglaze bottom of pan. add paprika, S&P. Simmer for 40 min (I never do this long but it's Mya's recipe first). Once cooked through reduce heat. Make noodles per pkg. Remove some of the hot sauce and add to sourcream to slowly bring up temp to prevent curdling. Once warm add cream to pan and combine. Poor over noddles and enjoy.

Pancetta!

I've posted this recipe before: Pancetta. Its tasty, cheap and most people love it. There's just enough on box for 2 adults and 2 kids to eat one large serving. (The pic above is our 4 year old's plate.) I'd double it for good eaters. :)

Chicken Paprikas

Wednesday Study Lunch with the Girls.
Have I mentioned before how much I love my corningwear? It is so convenient on the go!!
I sometimes find during the semester that it can become increasingly difficult to eat well and study well at the same time. To do one in general takes away time I feel I could be spending on the other. Luckily I have a few hearty go to meals that I have reinvented to accommodate our busy schedule and I have been trying to incorporate them into our weekly meal plan to prevent us from eating too much junk food.

Chicken Paprikas according to the Joy of Cooking should take 1.5 hrs.
My version of this family favorite...30 min.

1 pkg boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders cut into bite size pieces
1/2 yellow onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
3 pads butter
1 turn of olive oil
S&P to taste
3 tbl paprika
1 tbl flour
2 + cups chicken stock
1 + cup sour cream
1 pkg pasta cooked per box

Add butter, olive oil an chicken to preheated pan on stove top and allow to simmer until chicken is half cooked thru. (Throw water on to boil at this point so noodles can be cooked when chicken is completed). Add onions and simmer until chicken is cooked through. Add garlic, S&P, and paprika to pan and stir to combine. Push chicken etc to the edge of the pan and add the flour to the center. combine with butter and onion juices and allow to cook for a minute before adding chicken stock. Mix in stock, recombine all ingredients and allow to thicken slightly. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly until pasta is finished. Add in sour cream and pasta, stir and bring back up to temp. Serve hot with chunks of crusty bread.

***If pasta is done early, do not add sour cream directly to hot chicken mixture. In this case place sour cream in a separate bowl and add a little of the stock from the pot to the sour cream and combine to bring the sour cream up to temp before adding all contents to the pan. This will prevent the sour cream from curdling in the pan.

Now That's a Sandwich!

Tuesday Night Dinner Post from Colorado

Tonight I came home and actually worked-out! I was so excited that I didn't want to spoil it by making a really heavy meal for dinner, and Jeff being so understanding suggested one of my favorites ... veggie sandwiches.

I usually make ours with croissants, but target was out and it's the closest store to us, so I substituted with mini focaccia rounds that I cut in half to make the sandwiches. I also added turkey and provolone to Jeff's to make it a big enough meal for him (his is pictured above). With both upgrades (focaccia and deli meat/cheese) I was still able to keep this dinner under $10 and we had enough to make sandwiches for 4-6 people.

Other ingredients:

Cream cheese

Avocado

Sprouts

Cucumbers

Carrots

To make it really kid-friendly you could cut up and lay out all ingred buffet style and let the kids pile on their favorites. Healthy, fun and delicious!!

Go Italian!

Julie - Here is one of our favorites! We have it for both lunch and dinner.
Prep time 5 min
cook time 10 min
serve hot!!

Baggett or Hoagie (They have great day old specials on these)
Mozarella Cheese
1 tomato
(optional - pesto, make it or pick it up pr- made at the store)

To make your own pesto (combine all in the food processor or blender)
bunch basil
parmesan cheese
smashed garlic clove
pinch salt
dash red pepper flakes
lemon juice (1 lemon)
stream in olive oil until smooth

Slice bread in half, spread on pesto, layer slices of mozarella and slices of tomato. Place on cookie sheet and bake in oven until bread is crispy and cheese is melted. Cut into individual portions. Serve along side tomato cheese soup to make it a full meal.

HELP!!!

I recently added a new member to my family and am now a mother of 4. Life is going pretty well, except I find that my afternoon and evenings are a nightmare. Picking up kids and then trying to soothe a hungry baby who is having his fussy period of the day, on top of managing homework and normal day to day meltdowns of the younger set leave dinner time a bit hectic.
Although I like to think that I typically "have it all together" mentally... lately "new mommy brain" has settled in and I can't seem to think clearly when I need to, namely at dinner time. Dinner needs to be quick, tasty, and kid-friendly. (extra emphasis on the quick!) DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY RECIPES TO SHARE? PLEASE?

Food Storage Stroganoff

1 can beef chunks
1 can cream of mushroom
dollop of sour cream
1/2 cup of beef broth
dash Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Stir into cooked egg noodles

Chicken 'n Dumplings

I forgot to take pictures in dishes, so here are
the leftovers in Tupperware.

I don't normally measure anything for this, but here's the best recipe I can put together.

2-4 Chicken breasts cut up, or 1-2 cans chicken chunks
3 cans chicken broth
2 cans Cream of Chicken
2 cut up celery stocks
3 cut up carrots

~Bring to a boil and add~

2-3 cups cooked egg noodles
pepper
Bisquick dumplings (follow directions on Bisquick box.)


Takes about 20 min total. Great leftovers!

Crockpot roast

Okay, so I found this picture online. It is identical to the one I am now using at Grandpa's house. I'm trying to consider it "cooking retro." LOL The funny thing? It works better than the new ones!

Sunday we had roast...

Crockpot
~Beef or Pork Roast
~onion or Golden onion soup mix
~Cut up potatoes and carrots
~Water up to 1/2 of the roast

Frozen meat--on low overnight
Thawed-- low 8 hours high 4-6 hours

LEFTOVERS!!! Re-heat or make a stew or sandwiches

Chili night

Ah the first cold and rainy day. Perfect night for Chili.

Wednesday Dinner Post from Denver

Today I made Campbell's Nacho Chicken and Rice Wraps for dinner. I recently copied the recipe out of a slow-cooker cook book at the library. It turned out well although a bit thick (I left it cooking a bit too long). Here's the recipe just in case it sounds good to anyone else :-)

Makes 10 servings, Prep time 10min, Cook 4-5 hrs

2 cans campbells chedder cheese soup

1 cup water

2 cups pace chunky salsa or picante sauce

1 1/4 cups uncooked regular long grain white rice

2 lbs bonless chicken breasts cubed

10 flour tortillas

Combine all but tortillas in the slow-cooker and let her rip! Serve hot.

Next time I make this I am going to cut the recipe in half, and possibly use cooked chicken (possibly left overs) to cut down the cooking time and prevent the mixture from getting to thick. (Just a thought)

Saturday's food report

My camera battery died, but I went easy tonight.

We had Progresso soups out of food storage with Rosemary/olive oil artisan bread and a green salad.

Another Name that kitchen tool...

Ok, I know the grapefruit spoon.
What's with the fork???
Looks painful.

Er... Pizza strips?

I think this one is a pitter, but its so tiny!

Food Report: Spaghetti

My little helper
Thank heavens for the Bumbo. I'd never get anything
done in the kitchen with out it.

1 Jar home canned spaghetti sauce
Oregano, garlic powder, basil and thyme
Egg noodles and Garlic bread

Getting creative with the food storage....

We recently moved in with my husband's grandfather. Since his wife's passing he has no idea what to do or how to use his food storage. Most of it needs to be used this year and he has charged me with this feat. So my friends, I am braving the world of canned and dry packed everything. Wish me luck!

Tonight's menu? Easy peasy. Spaghetti. I'll post pics.

Catch up on the Reports

Saturday and labor day we were invited over to other people's dinner tables. Tuesday I made food-storage Stroganoff (I didn't have my camera charged) and Wednesday Richard took us out to Costa Vida. Mmmmm.....

Let the real cooking commence!

Food Report #3

Um, yeah. So I found out it we were down from 5 for dinner to myself and the little girls. I chose a Hormel dinner and added rice and veggies on the side. It was okay but not great. The kids loved it though.

Its time for a game kids! Name That Kitchen Tool

What are these things called and what do they do? I'm finding all sorts of fun stuff here and haven't the foggiest what to do with them.

Food report #2

I should title these things "Wow, I'm glad this actually turned out ok." or "Cooking improv: whose dish is it anyway?"

I originally had planned enchiladas. We are living with my DH's grandpa who LOVES enchiladas. The tortillas we had in the fridge were too big so he went to the store for me. He brought back super small ones instead. I thought I'd make due, but the darn things kept falling apart every time I rolled them up! So, I ended up ripping them apart and making a sort of Enchilada Casserole. I also found out, much to my dismay, that he has no sour cream. I decided to try cream cheese instead.... you know, it was really good! Who knew?

Soups and Chili

Fall is almost officially here! What are your favorite cool weather dishes in a bowl?

Food report #1

Tonight we were going to have Bowtie Salad but with a different kitchen and not really any knowledge of what's in it, I improvised. Instead of bowties we had regular spaghetti noodles buttered and topped with parmesan. The kids LOVED it! :)

For dessert, we had watermelon.

Just for the heck of it...

I'm going to try to document our dinners for the next few weeks. I'm in hopes that this will inspire me to have healthier meals and eat in more than we have. Feel free to join me in reporting! I'll be starting tomorrow....

Grilled Pizza

Man, we had this for dinner tonight and it was soooo yummy!! Since it cooks on the grill, it's perfect for those hot days when you don't want to heat up the house!

Ingredients:

Dough (frozen or homemade. It doesn't matter)

Pizza toppings

Cheese

Once the dough has raised, divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick. Repeat until you have 4 rounds. Place one pizza crust on a clean, oiled and preheated grill. Grill pizza crusts for about 1 min or until the bottom is brown. With tongs, gently flip it over and grill for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from grill and repeat with remaining pizzas. Let cool. Top with favorite toppings and return to a preheated grill for about 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning.

For our pizza, I used frozen Rhodes bread dough. I let the dough raise most of the day and divided it into four sections. For our pizzas, we had BBQ Chicken. I spread the crust first with BBQ sauce. Then topped it off with grilled chicken, onion, tomato and Italian cheese. It was delicious and easy. I'm sure any combination of toppings would be great!

Steakhouse bites

10 Crackers Keebler® Town House® Original
4 oz deli roast beef, thinly sliced
10 asparagus spear tips, blanched
2 Tbs prepared horseradish
2 radishes, thinly sliced


Directions

1. Top crackers with roast beef, asparagus tips, horseradish and radish slices. Serve immediately.


I haven't tried these yet, but I'm gonna!

Tip from Macey's

Keep your fresh mushrooms in the refrigerator and cover with paper towel.

Super Moist Corn Bread

Best Cornbread Ever

Description:
moist and delicious!

Directions:
1/2 c butter or margarine
ADD and STIR well: 2/3 c sugar
Blend in: 2 well beaten eggs
Combine and ADD:
1 c buttermilk (1 c milk with 1T vinegar)
1/2 tsp soda
Add and Stir: 1 c cornmeal
1 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
Put in greased 8 in square pan. Bake 375 for 30 min.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!

Description:
My sister gave this to me and now other chip cookies just won't cut it.

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp HOT water
1 tsp soda
2 1/2 cup Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg Choc Chips
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
cream together shortening, and sugars. Add eggs. To the side add the REALLY HOT water to the baking soda it should bubble-- set aside. Add flour and salt. Then the soda water, chips and vanilla.

12-15 min at 375

Number Of Servings:3-4 doz

Preparation Time:a while

Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Grandma Ruth Stringham's Broccoli Soup:

1 med bunch of broccoli-finely chopped (about 2 cups frozen)

4-5 C diced potatoes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 C margarine

1 C flour

1 C finely chopped onion

(about 1 ½ Tbs dried onion)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4 C chicken broth

2 C liquid from broccoli and potatoes

4 C milk or light cream

2 tsp salt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

shredded cheddar cheese to taste

1) Cook potatoes and broccoli in salted water until both vegetables are tender. Save the liquid.

2) Cook onions in margarine until they are transparent.

3) Blend one cup flour into margarine and onions.

4) Add chicken broth, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil.

5) Stir in liquid from broccoli and potatoes, 4 cups milk and salt.

6) Add drained broccoli and potatoes. Stir to boiling.

Yields one gallon of soup. TIP: It is a lot of soup! Put leftovers into freezer bags and lay flat in freezer ( I like to do it per serving) Heat in a sauce pan -NOT microwave- on Low heat.

Gravy Tip

I can make a mean white sauce, but when it comes to the meat gravy, I fall more than short.

the first problem was that my concoction ended up looking like meat jelly (gross). My family makes gravy with corn starch, this is the result. Use flour. SOOOOOOO much better.

The second, is that it gets WAY too lumpy. (Also gross.) So, I called in the big guns, aka G-ma Teasdale.

Her tip is to take a small, clean jar and put your flour in cold water and stir it together. Most people do this and then put it in the broth, but Grandma then puts the lid on the jar and shakes "the living hell out of it." LOL The lumps that are left after stirring go away. I just tried it and I have myself some pretty perfect gravy.

Woo Hoo!

Minnestrone Soup

here goes....

1 lb. Stew meat (the original recipe called for italian sausage)

1 qt. Water

2 celery stalks chopped

2 large carrots diced

2 onions

1½ C. beef broth

2-8 oz cans of tomato sauce

1 large can of tomatoes

Garlic flavor

½ teaspoon basil

1 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. Oregano

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 C. of spiral noodles (I use wacky mac. The original recipe called for bow ties.)

Combine and simmer three hours in a large pot or stock pot. Then add 1 cup of cooked spiral noodles (I'm lazy and add more water and throw the noodles in dry about 15 min before serving) That's it it's done. Great with rolls. and oh your house will smell amazing

I love this recipe because not only is it tasty, it is a lot of opening and dumping. Not a huge mess and easy.

Taco Soup

Description:
This is really yummy...


Ingredients:
1 pkg taco seasoning (2 T-ish i think)
1 LB ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 46 oz tomato juice
1 8 oz tomato sauce
(i use blended up bottled tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce)
2 cans kidney beans ( i use 1 can chili beans and 1 can black) my kids don't like kidney beans.
1 can canned corn (drained)

Directions:
brown beef and onions add other ingredients and simmer. add more sauce if you like it thinner.
top with fritos chips and grated cheddar cheese.



Number Of Servings:8 servings

Strawberry Lemon Trifle

If you love the taste of lemon and strawberry, you need to try this!  It is the perfect dessert for a hot summer day.  

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup lemon yogurt

2 cups milk

1 pkg. (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix

2 tsps. grated lemon peel

2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries, divided

1 tbsp. water

1 prepared angel food cake (10 inches)

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and yogurt.  Add the milk, pudding mix and lemon peel; beat until smooth.  In a blender, process 1/2 cup strawberries and water until smooth.  Tear cake into 1 inch pieces; place a third in a trifle bowl or 3 quart serving bowl.  Top with a third of the pudding mixture and half of the remaining strawberries.  Drizzle with half of the strawberry sauce.  Repeat.  Top with remaining cake and pudding mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  

BEST Fruit Dip EVER

(Note... I don't always measure for this recipe- so just make sure you 'eye-ball' it to your desired consistency...)

1-2 packages cream cheese
1 jar marshmallow fluff
cinnamon to taste (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Blend well until ingredients are incorporated together, and cream cheese is smooth. Mixture should be thick and sticky, yet spreadable.

My kids sometimes like to add a drop or two of food coloring, just to be festive.

This is great for potluck- just take a tray of whatever fruit is in season and bring your dip! My kids especially love to dip grapes or strawberries in it. YUM.

Napa Salad

2 Bags Coleslaw mix

2 Bunches green onions sliced into thin rounds

Saute in a pan

1/4-1/2 cup butter

2 pkgs broken up Ramon noodles

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1 small pkg sliced almonds

Dressing:

1 cup oil

1 1/2 tbl soy sauce

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

Combine all in a large bowl and refrigerate for an hour or more before serving. This recipe holds well in the fridge so it can be done the night before if needed. It also makes a very large batch so feel free to cut as needed or keep for left overs :-)

Pot Luck Dishes

With summer here, and all the many gatherings approaching us. In need of some new pot luck dishes (main dish and side dishes) to take to these fun gatherings that won't spoil in the sun. Any receipe suggestions from you great ladies :) Thanks!

Costco Lettuce wraps...

We got these at Costco. They come in a twin pack and my goodness they
are cheap and tasty. Even better? The kids love them and
well, take a gander at the Nutrition chart...

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 113g ( 2 wraps)

Amount per Serving
Calories 150 Calories from Fat 25
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2.5g	4%
Saturated Fat 0.5g	2%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 35mg	12%
Sodium 640mg	27%
Total Carbohydrate 16g	5%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Sugars 9g
Protein 14g	28%

Vitamin A	2%
Vitamin C	0%
Calcium	0%
Iron	6%

---

Est. Percent of Calories from:

Fat 15.0% Carbs 42.7%

Protein 37.3%

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

I'm sure everyone has their own variation on these, and our family has been making them for as long as I remember. SO quick and SO yummy.

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oats

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients, except peanut butter and oatmeal. Bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and add peanut butter. When peanut butter is melted, add oats and mix well. (If the mixture looks really runny after a minute, add in a few more oats.) Drop by tablespoonful on wax paper. Cool completely. Eat.

Asparagus

I received this recipe from another family in our ward. Since that time, this is the only way we eat asparagus. My kids always ask for more. Hope you all enjoy it too :)

Ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil
Italian seasoning
asparagus
Parmesean cheese

Directions:
1. coat bottom of baking dish with the extra olive oil and liberally sprinkle Italian Seasoning in oil...place in oven as you heat it to 400 degrees (heating gets the seasoning infused into the oil)

Meanwhile snap the asparagus at the breaking point (discard the tougher lower ends)

2. Take pan out of oven and roll asaragus in flavored oil so it is well coated on all sides (thin asparagus works best) Place in heated oven and let roast for 7-8 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and sprinkle liberally with Parmesean cheese.

Soda Can Chicken

1 whole chicken (base the size on your family needs and the size of your grill. If you need more than a single soda can is able to handle try two small birds.)

1 bottle hard cider

1 soda can

foil

Preferred spice rub (exp poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, S&P, cumin & paprika)

Preheat grill - medium high heat. Clean chicken, remove internal fat and giblets and cover with spice rub. Fill empty soda can 3/4 full with hard cider. Create a drip pan with the foil to set the chicken on top of once on the grill, this will prevent flare ups. Place the chicken upright onto the soda can and cook over medium high heat until the outside is golden brown and the juices run clear (approx 1.25 hrs for a 4lb bird). Use indirect heat if possible.

I have made this for many parties and the spice rub always changes to match the rest of the dishes so go with what you like best. If you want to try something really impressive but really easy for a party try... clean the chicken and use your fingers to lift the skin covering the breast of the chicken. Stuff the cavity between the meat and skin with thinly sliced lemons and apples and pull the skin tight over the top securing with a toothpick if necessary. Then follow directions as above. The fruit gives the chicken a wonderful intense flavor and really impresses a crowd but only takes about 2 more minutes.

Roller Ice Cream

1 cup cream
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
flavoring of your choice (vanilla, almond, lemon, chocolate, etc)

Mix well and pour into 1lb coffee can (tape lid closed). Place 1lb can into 3 lb coffee can and fill the cavity with ice and salt. Tape lid on for security and roll for 15 min.

This is my moms recipe and we used to love helping make this as kids. She'd set everything up and we'd roll them back and forth between two of us in the back yard. She always used coffee cans because they were readily available to her but they can be substituted with any other metal cans approx the same size.

Italian Summer Corn

4 whole corn cooked and cut off cob
2-4 tbls butter
1/2-1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
S&P

Cook the corn through on the grill or via boiling water. Cut kernels off into large bowl and add butter, cheese and S&P to hot corn. Combine and allow butter and cheese to melt into corn. Serve warm. (some of the measurements vary depending on size of corn and family preference)

Apple Coleslaw

Dressing:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup mayo
1/3 cup poppy seeds
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp S&P

Slaw Mix:
1 medium cabbage shredded
2 large carrots julienne cut (or shredded)
1 bunch scallions thinly sliced
4 Fuji apples peeled and julienne cut

Combine dressing first and allow to sit and combine. If buying and shredding your own cabbage I recommend half a purple and half a green, the flavors and colors work very well together. Combine all ingred, dredge with dressing and allow to sit in fridge for a few hours before serving for best flavor. If tight on time, use a store bought bag of pre-shredded slaw mix (found in the super market near the bags of spinach etc) and cut the dressing recipe, carrots, apples and scallions in half.

Grannie Mya's Baked Beans

2 qts great northern beans
1 lb brown sugar
1 lb bacon (diced)
1 btl ketchup (16oz)
1 onion minced

Brown off bacon in the bottom of the pot. Add all ingred. Simmer for 6hrs. This makes a load and takes some time but is so wonderful, once you try it you wont care how long it takes. It's great for summer BBQ's. Invite the whole block :-)

Summer Recipes

What are your favorite Summer recipes?

Salads, BBQ, fun stuff for the 4th?

I'm hankerin' for something summery, and I'm tired of my own standbys.

Tried it - loved it!

Thanks to everyone posting, this blog has become my go to at BL&D when I'm not sure what to make or simply when I want to try something new (which is nearly everyday lately:-). Especially thanks to Carrie for setting it up!! The picture above is the chicken enchiladas recipe posted by "Those Crazy Aliens" we love it (although we leave out the bell peppers) and I can make it on the grill as shown here (which is a blessing as my oven is broken). Thanks again - Lexi and Jeff

Cucumber,Tomato, Onion Salad

Dressing:
Equal parts water & vinegar to two parts oil.
S&P

1 yellow onion sliced thin
1-2 cucumbers sliced thin
2-4 large tomatoes sliced thin

Combine everything in a Tupperware and shake vigorously. Allow to sit in fridge a few hours before serving for best flavor.

Pot Roast with Vegetables

1 (3-4 lb) beef chuck roast
S&P
3 tbs olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water or stock
1 yellow onion halved
2 garlic cloves shopped
1 bunch baby carrots
2 celery stalks (sliced)
1 cup button mushrooms (halved)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Place all in the slow cooker the night before or morning of, cook until tender.

Slow Cooker Chicken ala Gramma H

Chicken pieces (canned, leftovers, or ...)
Thin sliced onion on top
Cream of whatever soup (celery, mushroom chicken) do not dilute
S&P
15 or so min before serving add 1/4 cup white wine
Serve over you favorite noodles.

Swiss Steak - ala my Gramma Heinzeroth

Roll and pound steak with flour & S&P.
Brown in olive oil and butter.
Put in slow cooker, add onion, celery, green pepper (sliced eggplant optional).
Top with a can of stewed tomatoes and cook until tender.

Thank you!

Ladies, I am loving the activity on here. Thank you all for your recipes and tips. :)

Cherry Chocolate Cake

My sister Janice passed this recipe along to me. One word: yum.
1 pkg. Devil's food cake mix
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling
1 tsp. Almond extract
2 beaten eggs

Frosting:
1 c. powder sugar
1/3 c. milk
5 Tbsp. Butter
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Grease & flour 13x9 baking dish. In large bowl, mix all bar ingredients until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 20-30 min. until done in the center.
In small saucepan, combine sugar, milk & butter. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil 1 min. Remove from heat. Blend in choc. chips. Let cool to spreading consistency. Spread over cooled cake. Cut when complete cooled.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 can chicken (or you can boil and shred/dice some)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 small can green chilies
fresh cilantro to taste
1-2 tsp garlic powder/salt to taste

Mix above ingredients in a bowl. No need to heat through. Our family loves cilantro, so we use a lot, but it is optional, and you could use dried or completely leave it out if you prefer.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup salsa
1/2 small can tomato sauce

Mix above three ingredients in separate bowl. You don't want the bean mixture really soupy- just moistened through.

6 tortillas, cut into bite size squares
3-4 cups grated cheese

Take a knife or your pizza roller and cut all the tortilla into bite size pieces. You need about 2 tortilla per layer, so you might choose to cut them 2 at a time.

Lightly spray a 9 x 11 baking dish. Spread a thin layer of chicken/soup mixture on the bottom to prevent sticking and burning. Layer two cut up tortillas over this. Follow layering pattern below.

From the bottom, layer in this manner:

Chicken/Soup mixture
Tortilla Bites
Chicken/Soup Mixture
Cheese
Tortilla Bites
Bean/Salsa Mixture (use all of it)
Cheese
Tortilla Bites
Chicken/Soup
Cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Serve with salad or rice.

I have also sprayed my crock pot insert and layered this casserole inside and heated through, 3-4 hours. It works fine, too...

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug(MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. 
Add the egg and mix thoroughly. 
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.. 
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. 
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. 
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! 
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired

This recipe was sent to me in an e-mail from my sister Tori. Ever the skeptic I had to try it out before passing it along. the top picture is the cake turned out right out of the microwave about 7 minutes total time. The second is the cake dressed up for a dinner party or romantic night which took me approx 10-15 min start to finish. I couldn't believe it, and it's good! Never fear a last minute dinner party again, dessert is only 10 minutes away!